Sample records for nano-scale oxide films

  1. Physical properties of spin-valve films grown on naturally oxidized metal nano-oxide surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Ming; Cerjan, Charlie; Kools, Jacques

    2002-05-01

    The physical properties of spin-valve films NiFe 25 Å/CoFe 10 Å/Cu(tCu)/CoFe 30 Å/IrMn 70 Å/Ta 20 Å with graded Cu layer thickness (tCu=18-45 Å) grown on the surface of metal nano-oxide layers (NOLs) were studied. The NOLs were formed from ultrathin Al, Cr, Cu, Nb, Ta, CoFe, NiFe, and NiFeCr layers by natural oxidation. The growth of the spin-valve films on NOLs has led to an enhancement in giant magnetoresistance value by up to 48%. A corresponding reduction in minimum film resistance by over 10% confirms that this enhancement originates from an increase in the mean free path of spin-polarized electrons due to the resultant specular reflection at the nano-oxide surfaces. A wide spectrum of oscillatory interlayer exchange coupling dependence on tCu for these NOL-bearing films suggests that a specular nano-oxide surface does not necessarily result in a smoother multilayer structure. The observation of an enhanced exchange biasing among these spin-valve films appears in contradiction to the observed deterioration of their crystallographic quality. As an important application, TaOx, CrOx, and NbOx could be employed as an alternative to AlOx as the barrier layer for magnetic tunnel junctions.

  2. Characterization of Antimicrobial Poly (Lactic Acid)/Nano-Composite Films with Silver and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Chu, Zhuangzhuang; Zhao, Tianrui; Li, Lin; Fan, Jian; Qin, Yuyue

    2017-01-01

    Antimicrobial active films based on poly (lactic acid) (PLA) were prepared with nano-silver (nano-Ag) and nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) using a solvent volatilizing method. The films were characterized for mechanical, structural, thermal, physical and antimicrobial properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images characterized the fracture morphology of the films with different contents of nano-Ag and nano-ZnO. The addition of nanoparticles into the pure PLA film decreased the tensile strength and elasticity modulus and increased the elongation of breaks—in other words, the flexibility and extensibility of these composites improved. According to the results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the glass transition temperature of the PLA nano-composite films decreased, and the crystallinity of these films increased; a similar result was apparent from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The water vapor permeability (WVP) and opacity of the PLA nano-composite films augmented compared with pure PLA film. Incorporation of nanoparticles to the PLA films significantly improved the antimicrobial activity to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli. The results indicated that PLA films with nanoparticles could be considered a potential environmental-friendly packaging material. PMID:28773018

  3. Prediction Surface Morphology of Nanostructure Fabricated by Nano-Oxidation Technology.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jen-Ching; Chang, Ho; Kuo, Chin-Guo; Li, Jeen-Fong; You, Yong-Chin

    2015-12-04

    Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for visualization of a nano-oxidation technique performed on diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin film. Experiments of the nano-oxidation technique of the DLC thin film include those on nano-oxidation points and nano-oxidation lines. The feature sizes of the DLC thin film, including surface morphology, depth, and width, were explored after application of a nano-oxidation technique to the DLC thin film under different process parameters. A databank for process parameters and feature sizes of thin films was then established, and multiple regression analysis (MRA) and a back-propagation neural network (BPN) were used to carry out the algorithm. The algorithmic results are compared with the feature sizes acquired from experiments, thus obtaining a prediction model of the nano-oxidation technique of the DLC thin film. The comparative results show that the prediction accuracy of BPN is superior to that of MRA. When the BPN algorithm is used to predict nano-point machining, the mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE) of depth, left side, and right side are 8.02%, 9.68%, and 7.34%, respectively. When nano-line machining is being predicted, the MAPEs of depth, left side, and right side are 4.96%, 8.09%, and 6.77%, respectively. The obtained data can also be used to predict cross-sectional morphology in the DLC thin film treated with a nano-oxidation process.

  4. Nano-crystalline porous tin oxide film for carbon monoxide sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Chung-Chiun (Inventor); Savinell, Robert F. (Inventor); Jin, Zhihong (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A tin oxide sol is deposited on platinum electrodes (12) of a sensor (10). The sol is calcined at a temperature of 500 to 800.degree. C. to produce a thin film of tin oxide with a thickness of about 150 nm to 2 .mu. and having a nano-crystalline structure with good stability. The sensor rapidly detects reducing gases, such as carbon monoxide, or hydrocarbons and organic vapors. Sensors using films calcined at around 700.degree. C. have high carbon monoxide selectivity with a response time of around 4 minutes and a recovery time of 1 minute, and therefore provide good detection systems for detection of trace amounts of pollutants such as toxic and flammable gases in homes, industrial settings, and hospitals.

  5. Characterization of Nano-scale Aluminum Oxide Transport through Porous Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Norwood, S.; Reynolds, M.; Miao, Z.; Brusseau, M. L.; Johnson, G. R.

    2011-12-01

    Colloidal material (including that in the nanoparticle size range) is naturally present in most subsurface environments. Mobilization of these colloidal materials via particle disaggregation may occur through abrupt changes in flow rate and/or via chemical perturbations, such as rapid changes in ionic strength or solution pH. While concentrations of natural colloidal materials in the subsurface are typically small, those concentrations may be greatly increased at contaminated sites such as following the application of metal oxides for groundwater remediation efforts. Additionally, while land application of biosolids has become common practice in the United States as an alternative to industrial fertilizers, biosolids have been shown to contain a significant fraction of organic and inorganic nano-scale colloidal materials such as oxides of iron, titanium, and aluminum. Given their reactivity and small size, there are many questions concerning the potential migration of nano-scale colloidal materials through the soil column and their potential participation in the facilitated transport of contaminants, such as heavy metals and emerging pollutants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the transport behavior of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles through porous media. The impacts of pH, ionic strength, pore-water velocity (i.e., residence time), and aqueous-phase concentration on transport was investigated. All experiments were conducted with large injection pulses to fully characterize the impact of long-term retention and transport behavior relevant for natural systems wherein multiple retention processes may be operative. The results indicate that the observed nonideal transport behavior of the nano-scale colloids is influenced by multiple retention mechanisms/processes. Given the ubiquitous nature of these nano-scale colloids in the environment, a clear understanding of their transport and fate is necessary in further resolving the potential for

  6. Tin doped indium oxide anodes with artificially controlled nano-scale roughness using segregated Ag nanoparticles for organic solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Hyo-Joong; Ko, Eun-Hye; Noh, Yong-Jin; Na, Seok-In; Kim, Han-Ki

    2016-09-01

    Nano-scale surface roughness in transparent ITO films was artificially formed by sputtering a mixed Ag and ITO layer and wet etching of segregated Ag nanoparticles from the surface of the ITO film. Effective removal of self-segregated Ag particles from the grain boundaries and surface of the crystalline ITO film led to a change in only the nano-scale surface morphology of ITO film without changes in the sheet resistance and optical transmittance. A nano-scale rough surface of the ITO film led to an increase in contact area between the hole transport layer and the ITO anode, and eventually increased the hole extraction efficiency in the organic solar cells (OSCs). The heterojunction OSCs fabricated on the ITO anode with a nano-scale surface roughness exhibited a higher power conversion efficiency of 3.320%, than that (2.938%) of OSCs made with the reference ITO/glass. The results here introduce a new method to improve the performance of OSCs by simply modifying the surface morphology of the ITO anodes.

  7. Atomic-scale visualization of oxide thin-film surfaces.

    PubMed

    Iwaya, Katsuya; Ohsawa, Takeo; Shimizu, Ryota; Okada, Yoshinori; Hitosugi, Taro

    2018-01-01

    The interfaces of complex oxide heterostructures exhibit intriguing phenomena not observed in their constituent materials. The oxide thin-film growth of such heterostructures has been successfully controlled with unit-cell precision; however, atomic-scale understandings of oxide thin-film surfaces and interfaces have remained insufficient. We examined, with atomic precision, the surface and electronic structures of oxide thin films and their growth processes using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. Our results reveal that oxide thin-film surface structures are complicated in contrast to the general perception and that atomically ordered surfaces can be achieved with careful attention to the surface preparation. Such atomically ordered oxide thin-film surfaces offer great opportunities not only for investigating the microscopic origins of interfacial phenomena but also for exploring new surface phenomena and for studying the electronic states of complex oxides that are inaccessible using bulk samples.

  8. Synthesis of α-MoO3 nano-flakes by dry oxidation of RF sputtered Mo thin films and their application in gas sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dwivedi, Priyanka; Dhanekar, Saakshi; Das, Samaresh

    2016-11-01

    Synthesis of orthorhombic (α) MoO3 nano-flakes by dry oxidation of RF sputtered Mo thin film is presented. The influence of Mo thickness variation, oxidation temperature and time on the crystallographic structure, surface morphology and roughness of MoO3 thin films was studied using SEM, AFM, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. A structural study shows that MoO3 is polycrystalline in nature with an α phase. It was noticed that oxidation temperature plays an important role in the formation of nano-flakes. The synthesis technique proposed is simple and suitable for large scale productions. The synthesis parameters were optimized for the fabrication of sensors. Chrome gold-based IDE (interdigitated electrodes) structures were patterned for the electrical detection of organic vapors. Sensors were exposed to wide range 5-100 ppm of organic vapors like ethanol, acetone, IPA (isopropanol alcohol) and water vapors. α-MoO3 nano-flakes have demonstrated selective sensing to acetone in the range of 10-100 ppm at 150 °C. The morphology of such nanostructures has potential in applications such as sensor devices due to their high surface area and thermal stability.

  9. Coherent Fe-rich nano-scale perovskite oxide phase in epitaxial Sr2FeMoO6 films grown on cubic and scandate substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deniz, Hakan; Preziosi, Daniele; Alexe, Marin; Hesse, Dietrich

    2017-01-01

    We report the growth of high-quality epitaxial Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO) thin films on various unconventional oxide substrates, such as TbScO3, DyScO3, and Sr2Al0.3Ga0.7TaO6 (SAGT) as well as on the most commonly used one, SrTiO3 (STO), by pulsed laser deposition. The films were found to contain a foreign nano-scale phase coherently embedded inside the SFMO film matrix. Through energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we identified the foreign phase to be Sr2-xFe1+yMo1-yO6, an off-stoichiometric derivative of the SFMO compound with Fe rich content (y ≈ 0.6) and a fairly identical crystal structure to SFMO. The films on STO and SAGT exhibited very good magnetic properties with high Curie temperature values. All the samples have fairly good conducting behavior albeit the presence of a foreign phase. Despite the relatively large number of items of the foreign phase, there is no significant deterioration in the properties of the SFMO films. We discuss in detail how magneto-transport properties are affected by the foreign phase.

  10. Oxidation-Based Continuous Laser Writing in Vertical Nano-Crystalline Graphite Thin Films

    PubMed Central

    Loisel, Loïc; Florea, Ileana; Cojocaru, Costel-Sorin; Tay, Beng Kang; Lebental, Bérengère

    2016-01-01

    Nano and femtosecond laser writing are becoming very popular techniques for patterning carbon-based materials, as they are single-step processes enabling the drawing of complex shapes without photoresist. However, pulsed laser writing requires costly laser sources and is known to cause damages to the surrounding material. By comparison, continuous-wave lasers are cheap, stable and provide energy at a more moderate rate. Here, we show that a continuous-wave laser may be used to pattern vertical nano-crystalline graphite thin films with very few macroscale defects. Moreover, a spatially resolved study of the impact of the annealing to the crystalline structure and to the oxygen ingress in the film is provided: amorphization, matter removal and high oxygen content at the center of the beam; sp2 clustering and low oxygen content at its periphery. These data strongly suggest that amorphization and matter removal are controlled by carbon oxidation. The simultaneous occurrence of oxidation and amorphization results in a unique evolution of the Raman spectra as a function of annealing time, with a decrease of the I(D)/I(G) values but an upshift of the G peak frequency. PMID:27194181

  11. Oxidation-Based Continuous Laser Writing in Vertical Nano-Crystalline Graphite Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loisel, Loïc; Florea, Ileana; Cojocaru, Costel-Sorin; Tay, Beng Kang; Lebental, Bérengère

    2016-05-01

    Nano and femtosecond laser writing are becoming very popular techniques for patterning carbon-based materials, as they are single-step processes enabling the drawing of complex shapes without photoresist. However, pulsed laser writing requires costly laser sources and is known to cause damages to the surrounding material. By comparison, continuous-wave lasers are cheap, stable and provide energy at a more moderate rate. Here, we show that a continuous-wave laser may be used to pattern vertical nano-crystalline graphite thin films with very few macroscale defects. Moreover, a spatially resolved study of the impact of the annealing to the crystalline structure and to the oxygen ingress in the film is provided: amorphization, matter removal and high oxygen content at the center of the beam; sp2 clustering and low oxygen content at its periphery. These data strongly suggest that amorphization and matter removal are controlled by carbon oxidation. The simultaneous occurrence of oxidation and amorphization results in a unique evolution of the Raman spectra as a function of annealing time, with a decrease of the I(D)/I(G) values but an upshift of the G peak frequency.

  12. Application Of Positron Beams For The Characterization Of Nano-scale Pores In Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirata, K.; Ito, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Suzuki, R.; Ohdaira, T.; Eijt, S. W. H.; Schut, H.; van Veen, A.

    2003-08-01

    We applied three positron annihilation techniques, positron 3γ-annihilation spectroscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, and angular correlation of annihilation radiation, to the characterization of nano-scale pores in thin films by combining them with variable-energy positron beams. Characterization of pores in thin films is an important part of the research on various thin films of industrial importance. The results of our recent studies on pore characterization of thin films by positron beams will be reported here.

  13. Specular spin-valve films with an FeCo nano-oxide layer by ion-assisted oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuzawa, Hideaki; Koi, Katsuhiko; Tomita, Hiroshi; Fuke, Hiromi Niu; Iwasaki, Hitoshi; Sahashi, Masashi

    2002-05-01

    We compared the specular spin-valve films with an Fe50Co50 nano-oxide layer (NOL) and a Co90Fe10 NOL in a pinned layer, prepared by natural oxidation (NO) and ion-assisted oxidation (IAO). For the IAO, an Ar-ion beam was used for the energy-assist effect during the oxidation, resulting in thermally stable NOL formation. With small oxygen exposures during the oxidation for the Fe50Co50 NOL by IAO, good ferromagnetic coupling through the NOL and high specularity at the NOL interface were concurrently obtained. Moreover, twisted coupling through the NOL was observed for the Fe50Co50 NOL by IAO for higher oxygen exposures. On the other hand, the NO did not cause large magnetoresistance (MR) enhancement for either the Co90Fe10 or Fe50Co50 NOLs, and the Co90Fe10 NOL by IAO caused weak magnetic coupling through the NOL, resulting in a small MR ratio. The Fe50Co50 NOL for small oxygen exposures is a good candidate for a final specular spin-valve film head for 100-Giga-bit per square inch recording.

  14. Nano- and micro-scale Bi-substituted iron garnet films for photonics and magneto-optic eddy current defectoscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berzhansky, V. N.; Karavainikov, A. V.; Mikhailova, T. V.; Prokopov, A. R.; Shaposhnikov, A. N.; Shumilov, A. G.; Lugovskoy, N. V.; Semuk, E. Yu.; Kharchenko, M. F.; Lukienko, I. M.; Kharchenko, Yu. M.; Belotelov, V. I.

    2017-10-01

    Synthesis technology of nano-scale Bi-substituted iron garnets films with high magneto-optic activity for photonics and plasmonics applications were proposed. The micro-scale single-crystal garnet films with different types of magnetic anisotropy as a magneto-optic sensors were synthesized. It was shown that easy-axis anisotropy films demonstrated the best results for visualization of redistribution eddy current magnetic field near defects.

  15. Indium-tin-oxide nanowhiskers crystalline silicon photovoltaics combining micro- and nano-scale surface textures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, C. H.; Hsu, M. H.; Chang, W. L.; Sun, W. C.; Yu, Peichen

    2011-02-01

    In this work, we present a solution that employs combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures to increase light harvesting in the near infrared for crystalline silicon photovoltaics, and discuss the associated antireflection and scattering mechanisms. The combined surface textures are achieved by uniformly depositing a layer of indium-tin-oxide nanowhiskers on passivated, micro-grooved silicon solar cells using electron-beam evaporation. The nanowhiskers facilitate optical transmission in the near-infrared, which is optically equivalent to a stack of two dielectric thin-films with step- and graded- refractive index profiles. The ITO nanowhiskers provide broadband anti-reflective properties (R<5%) in the wavelength range of 350-1100nm. In comparison with conventional Si solar cell, the combined surface texture solar cell shows higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the range of 700-1100nm. Moreover, the ITO nano-whisker coating Si solar cell shows a high total efficiency increase of 1.1% (from 16.08% to17.18%). Furthermore, the nano-whiskers also provide strong forward scattering for ultraviolet and visible light, favorable in thin-wafer silicon photovoltaics to increase the optical absorption path.

  16. Application of nano-TiO2/LDPE composite film on photocatalytic oxidation degradation of dichloromethane.

    PubMed

    Suwannahong, Kowit; Liengcharernsit, Winai; Sanongraj, Wipada; Kruenate, Jittiporn

    2012-09-01

    This study focused on the photocatalytic destruction of dichloromethane (DCM) in indoor air using the nano-TiO2/LDPE composite film as an economical photocatalyst. The nano-TiO2 was dispersed in a polyethylene matrix to form composite film. The photocatalytic activity of the nano-TiO2/LDPE composite films was evaluated through the degradation of dichloromethane(DCM) under UV-C irradiance at specific wavelength of 254 nm. The percentage of nano-TiO2 contents varied from 0, 5, and 10% (wt cat./wt LDPE composite film). The results derived from the kinetic model revealed that the photocatalytic rates of 5 and 10 wt.% nano-TiO2/ LDPE composite films follow the first order reaction while the rate of the film without TiO2 followed the zero order reaction. At low concentration of DCM, the rate of photocatalytic degradation of the DCM was slower than that at high DCM concentration. The 10 wt.% of TiO2 content of the nano-TiO2/LDPE composite film yielded the highest degradation efficiency of 78%, followed by the removal efficiency of 55% for the 5 wt.% of TiO2 content of the nano-TiO2/LDPE composite film. In contrast with the composite film containing nano-TiO2, the LDPE film without adding nano-TiO2 expressed the degradation efficiency of 28%.

  17. Preparation of biomimetic nano-structured films with multi-scale roughness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shelemin, A.; Nikitin, D.; Choukourov, A.; Kylián, O.; Kousal, J.; Khalakhan, I.; Melnichuk, I.; Slavínská, D.; Biederman, H.

    2016-06-01

    Biomimetic nano-structured films are valuable materials in various applications. In this study we introduce a fully vacuum-based approach for fabrication of such films. The method combines deposition of nanoparticles (NPs) by gas aggregation source and deposition of overcoat thin film that fixes the nanoparticles on a surface. This leads to the formation of nanorough surfaces which, depending on the chemical nature of the overcoat, may range from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. In addition, it is shown that by proper adjustment of the amount of NPs it is possible to tailor adhesive force on superhydrophobic surfaces. Finally, the possibility to produce NPs in a wide range of their size (45-240 nm in this study) makes it possible to produce surfaces not only with single scale roughness, but also with bi-modal or even multi-modal character. Such surfaces were found to be superhydrophobic with negligible water contact angle hysteresis and hence truly slippery.

  18. Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy as a Novel Interfacial Probe for Thin Polymeric Films and Nano-Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Awad, Somia; Chen, Hongmin; Maina, Grace; Lee, L. James; Gu, Xiaohong; Jean, Y. C.

    2010-03-01

    Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) has been developed as a novel probe to characterize the sub-nanometer defect, free volume, profile from the surface, interfaces, and to the bulk in polymeric materials when a variable mono-energy slow positron beam is used. Free-volume hole sizes, fractions, and distributions are measurable as a function of depth at the high precision. PAS has been successfully used to study the interfacial properties of polymeric nanocomposites at different chemical bonding. In nano-scale thin polymeric films, such as in PS/SiO2, and PU/ZnO, significant variations of Tg as a function of depth and of wt% oxide are observed. Variations of Tg are dependent on strong or weak interactions between polymers and nano-scale oxides surfaces.

  19. Preparation, assessment, and comparison of α-chitin nano-fiber films with different surface charges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yan; Jiang, Jie; Liu, Liang; Zheng, Ke; Yu, Shiyuan; Fan, Yimin

    2015-05-01

    Chitin nano-fibers with positive and negative charges have been, respectively, produced from partially deacetylated and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidized α-chitin. The average diameters and lengths of the TEMPO-oxidized chitin nano-fibers (TOChN) were 14 ± 4.3 and 190 ± 140 nm, respectively, and the average diameters and lengths of the partially deacetylated chitin nano-fibers (DEChN) were 6 ± 1.7 and 320 ± 105 nm, respectively. A partially deacetylated chitin nano-fiber film (DEChN-F), a TEMPO-mediated and oxidized chitin nano-fiber film (TOChN-F), and a composite film (DE-TO-ChN-F) consisting of a combination of the two were prepared by drying the dispersions at 40 °C. The DEChN-F, TOChN-F, and DE-TO-ChN-F all have similar tensile strengths of approximately 90 MPa; however, the chitosan film (Chitosan-F) had a tensile strength of approximately 30 MPa. In addition, TOChN-F and DE-TO-ChN-F have a thermal weight loss at 210 °C, and DEChN-F has a thermal weight loss at 280 °C. DEChN-F was found to have antimicrobial activity with regards to Escherichia coli. Finally, the chitin nano-fiber films could be slightly degraded by cellulase, which provided a novel biological performance of the chitin nano-material.

  20. Bacterial toxicity comparison between nano- and micro-scaled oxide particles.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Wei; Mashayekhi, Hamid; Xing, Baoshan

    2009-05-01

    Toxicity of nano-scaled aluminum, silicon, titanium and zinc oxides to bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens) was examined and compared to that of their respective bulk (micro-scaled) counterparts. All nanoparticles but titanium oxide showed higher toxicity (at 20 mg/L) than their bulk counterparts. Toxicity of released metal ions was differentiated from that of the oxide particles. ZnO was the most toxic among the three nanoparticles, causing 100% mortality to the three tested bacteria. Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles had a mortality rate of 57% to B. subtilis, 36% to E. coli, and 70% to P. fluorescens. SiO(2) nanoparticles killed 40% of B. subtilis, 58% of E. coli, and 70% of P. fluorescens. TEM images showed attachment of nanoparticles to the bacteria, suggesting that the toxicity was affected by bacterial attachment. Bacterial responses to nanoparticles were different from their bulk counterparts; hence nanoparticle toxicity mechanisms need to be studied thoroughly.

  1. Developing Sensitive and Selective Nanosensors: A Single Molecule - Multiple Excitation Source Approach. Altairnano Lithium Ion Nano-scaled Titanate Oxide Cell and Module Abuse Testing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-13

    Source Approach Part II. Altairnano Lithium Ion Nano-scaled Titanate Oxide Cell and Module Abuse Testing 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF...Lithium Ion Nano-scaled Titanate Oxide Cell and Module Abuse Testing Report Title ABSTRACT This final report for Contract W911NF-09-C-0135 transmits the...prototype development. The second (Part II.) is "Altairnano Lithium Ion Nano-scaled Titanate Oxide Cell and Module Abuse Test Report". The

  2. Preparation, assessment, and comparison of α-chitin nano-fiber films with different surface charges.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yan; Jiang, Jie; Liu, Liang; Zheng, Ke; Yu, Shiyuan; Fan, Yimin

    2015-01-01

    Chitin nano-fibers with positive and negative charges have been, respectively, produced from partially deacetylated and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidized α-chitin. The average diameters and lengths of the TEMPO-oxidized chitin nano-fibers (TOChN) were 14 ± 4.3 and 190 ± 140 nm, respectively, and the average diameters and lengths of the partially deacetylated chitin nano-fibers (DEChN) were 6 ± 1.7 and 320 ± 105 nm, respectively. A partially deacetylated chitin nano-fiber film (DEChN-F), a TEMPO-mediated and oxidized chitin nano-fiber film (TOChN-F), and a composite film (DE-TO-ChN-F) consisting of a combination of the two were prepared by drying the dispersions at 40 °C. The DEChN-F, TOChN-F, and DE-TO-ChN-F all have similar tensile strengths of approximately 90 MPa; however, the chitosan film (Chitosan-F) had a tensile strength of approximately 30 MPa. In addition, TOChN-F and DE-TO-ChN-F have a thermal weight loss at 210 °C, and DEChN-F has a thermal weight loss at 280 °C. DEChN-F was found to have antimicrobial activity with regards to Escherichia coli. Finally, the chitin nano-fiber films could be slightly degraded by cellulase, which provided a novel biological performance of the chitin nano-material.

  3. Single-layer nano-carbon film, diamond film, and diamond/nano-carbon composite film field emission performance comparison

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

    Wang, Xiaoping, E-mail: wxpchina64@aliyun.com, E-mail: wxpchina@sohu.com; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Modern Optical System, Shanghai 200093; Wang, Jinye

    A series of single-layer nano-carbon (SNC) films, diamond films, and diamond/nano-carbon (D/NC) composite films have been prepared on the highly doped silicon substrate by using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition techniques. The films were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and field emission I-V measurements. The experimental results indicated that the field emission maximum current density of D/NC composite films is 11.8–17.8 times that of diamond films. And the field emission current density of D/NC composite films is 2.9–5 times that of SNC films at an electric field of 3.0 V/μm. At the same time, the D/NC composite film exhibitsmore » the advantage of improved reproducibility and long term stability (both of the nano-carbon film within the D/NC composite cathode and the SNC cathode were prepared under the same experimental conditions). And for the D/NC composite sample, a high current density of 10 mA/cm{sup 2} at an electric field of 3.0 V/μm was obtained. Diamond layer can effectively improve the field emission characteristics of nano-carbon film. The reason may be due to the diamond film acts as the electron acceleration layer.« less

  4. CPP-GMR films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuzawa, Hideaki; Yuasa, Hiromi; Iwasaki, Hitoshi

    2007-03-01

    We investigated the film performance and nanostructure of current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) spin-valve film with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL). By applying ion-assisted oxidation (IAO) for the CCP-NOL formation, we enhanced the MR ratio to 5.4% at a small RA value of 500 mΩ µm2 for conventional Co90Fe10 layers. Furthermore, the use of bcc-Fe50Co50 also increased the MR ratio to 8.2% at a small RA value of 580 mΩ µm2. A modified Valet-Fert model for the CCP-NOL showed that the MR enhancement by the IAO is due to the improvement in resistivity of the CCP, and that by Fe50Co50 is due to a larger spin-dependent interface scattering effect. Analysis by cross-sectional TEM and three-dimensional atom probe confirmed the formation of the CCP-NOL structure. A reliability test for test element devices showed almost no change even under acceleration stress. The CPP-GMR spin-valve film with the CCP-NOL is extendable to future high-density recording heads due to its potential for a higher MR ratio at a small value of RA.

  5. Evaluation of the adhesion on the nano-scaled polymeric film systems.

    PubMed

    Park, Tae Sung; Park, Ik Keun; Yoshida, Sanichiro

    2017-04-01

    We applied scanning acoustic microscopy known as the V(z) curve technique to photoresist thin-film systems for the evaluation of the adhesive strength at the film-substrate interface. Through the measurement of the SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) velocity, the V(z) curve analysis allows us to quantify the stiffness of the film-substrate interface. In addition, we conducted a nano-scratch test to quantify the ultimate strength of the adhesion through the evaluation of the critical load. To vary the adhesive conditions, we prepared thin-film specimens with three different types of pre-coating surface treatments, i.e., oxygen-plasma bombardment, HMDS (Hexametyldisilazane) treatment and untreated. The magnitudes of the quantified stiffness and ultimate strength are found consistent with each other for all the specimens tested, indicating that the pre-coating surface treatment can strengthen both the stiffness and ultimate strength of the adhesion. The results of this study demonstrate the usefulness of the V(Z) analysis as a nondestructive method to evaluate the adhesion strength of nano-structured thin-film systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Carbon nanotube thin film strain sensor models assembled using nano- and micro-scale imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Bo Mi; Loh, Kenneth J.; Yang, Yuan-Sen

    2017-07-01

    Nanomaterial-based thin films, particularly those based on carbon nanotubes (CNT), have brought forth tremendous opportunities for designing next-generation strain sensors. However, their strain sensing properties can vary depending on fabrication method, post-processing treatment, and types of CNTs and polymers employed. The objective of this study was to derive a CNT-based thin film strain sensor model using inputs from nano-/micro-scale experimental measurements of nanotube physical properties. This study began with fabricating ultra-low-concentration CNT-polymer thin films, followed by imaging them using atomic force microscopy. Image processing was employed for characterizing CNT dispersed shapes, lengths, and other physical attributes, and results were used for building five different types of thin film percolation-based models. Numerical simulations were conducted to assess how the morphology of dispersed CNTs in its 2D matrix affected bulk film electrical and electromechanical (strain sensing) properties. The simulation results showed that CNT morphology had a significant impact on strain sensing performance.

  7. New possibility on InZnO nano thin film for green emissive optoelectronic devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugumaran, Sathish; Noor Bin Ahmad, Mohd; Faizal Jamlos, Mohd; Bellan, Chandar Shekar; Chandran, Sharmila; Sivaraj, Manoj

    2016-04-01

    Indium zinc oxide (InZnO) nano thin film was prepared from InZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by thermal evaporation technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of metal-oxide bond. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed the mixed phase structure. The presence of elements In, Zn and O were identified from energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Size of the NPs was found to be 171 and 263 nm by transmission electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy image showed the spherical shape uniform morphology with uniform distribution grains. Photoluminescence spectrum exhibited a broad green emission for InZnO nano thin film. The acquired results of structure, smooth morphology and photoluminescence property suggested that the InZnO nano thin film to be a promising material for room temperature green emissive optoelectronic, laser diodes, solar cells and other optical devices.

  8. Induced nano-scale self-formed metal-oxide interlayer in amorphous silicon tin oxide thin film transistors.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xianzhe; Xu, Hua; Ning, Honglong; Lu, Kuankuan; Zhang, Hongke; Zhang, Xiaochen; Yao, Rihui; Fang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Xubing; Peng, Junbiao

    2018-03-07

    Amorphous Silicon-Tin-Oxide thin film transistors (a-STO TFTs) with Mo source/drain electrodes were fabricated. The introduction of a ~8 nm MoO x interlayer between Mo electrodes and a-STO improved the electron injection in a-STO TFT. Mo adjacent to the a-STO semiconductor mainly gets oxygen atoms from the oxygen-rich surface of a-STO film to form MoO x interlayer. The self-formed MoO x interlayer acting as an efficient interface modification layer could conduce to the stepwise internal transport barrier formation while blocking Mo atoms diffuse into a-STO layer, which would contribute to the formation of ohmic contact between Mo and a-STO film. It can effectively improve device performance, reduce cost and save energy for the realization of large-area display with high resolution in future.

  9. Method of producing exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, and nano-scaled graphene platelets

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna; Shi, Jinjun; Guo, Jiusheng; Jang, Bor Z.

    2010-11-02

    The present invention provides a method of exfoliating a layered material (e.g., graphite and graphite oxide) to produce nano-scaled platelets having a thickness smaller than 100 nm, typically smaller than 10 nm. The method comprises (a) dispersing particles of graphite, graphite oxide, or a non-graphite laminar compound in a liquid medium containing therein a surfactant or dispersing agent to obtain a stable suspension or slurry; and (b) exposing the suspension or slurry to ultrasonic waves at an energy level for a sufficient length of time to produce separated nano-scaled platelets. The nano-scaled platelets are candidate reinforcement fillers for polymer nanocomposites. Nano-scaled graphene platelets are much lower-cost alternatives to carbon nano-tubes or carbon nano-fibers.

  10. Spatio-temporal behaviour of atomic-scale tribo-ceramic films in adaptive surface engineered nano-materials.

    PubMed

    Fox-Rabinovich, G; Kovalev, A; Veldhuis, S; Yamamoto, K; Endrino, J L; Gershman, I S; Rashkovskiy, A; Aguirre, M H; Wainstein, D L

    2015-03-05

    Atomic-scale, tribo-ceramic films associated with dissipative structures formation are discovered under extreme frictional conditions which trigger self-organization. For the first time, we present an actual image of meta-stable protective tribo-ceramics within thicknesses of a few atomic layers. A mullite and sapphire structure predominates in these phases. They act as thermal barriers with an amazing energy soaking/dissipating capacity. Less protective tribo-films cannot sustain in these severe conditions and rapidly wear out. Therefore, a functional hierarchy is established. The created tribo-films act in synergy, striving to better adapt themselves to external stimuli. Under a highly complex structure and non-equilibrium state, the upcoming generation of adaptive surface engineered nano-multilayer materials behaves like intelligent systems - capable of generating, with unprecedented efficiency, the necessary tribo-films to endure an increasingly severe environment.

  11. Spatio-temporal behaviour of atomic-scale tribo-ceramic films in adaptive surface engineered nano-materials

    PubMed Central

    Fox-Rabinovich, G.; Kovalev, A.; Veldhuis, S.; Yamamoto, K.; Endrino, J. L.; Gershman, I. S.; Rashkovskiy, A.; Aguirre, M. H.; Wainstein, D. L.

    2015-01-01

    Atomic-scale, tribo-ceramic films associated with dissipative structures formation are discovered under extreme frictional conditions which trigger self-organization. For the first time, we present an actual image of meta-stable protective tribo-ceramics within thicknesses of a few atomic layers. A mullite and sapphire structure predominates in these phases. They act as thermal barriers with an amazing energy soaking/dissipating capacity. Less protective tribo-films cannot sustain in these severe conditions and rapidly wear out. Therefore, a functional hierarchy is established. The created tribo-films act in synergy, striving to better adapt themselves to external stimuli. Under a highly complex structure and non-equilibrium state, the upcoming generation of adaptive surface engineered nano-multilayer materials behaves like intelligent systems - capable of generating, with unprecedented efficiency, the necessary tribo-films to endure an increasingly severe environment. PMID:25740153

  12. Hybrid Energy Cell with Hierarchical Nano/Micro-Architectured Polymer Film to Harvest Mechanical, Solar, and Wind Energies Individually/Simultaneously.

    PubMed

    Dudem, Bhaskar; Ko, Yeong Hwan; Leem, Jung Woo; Lim, Joo Ho; Yu, Jae Su

    2016-11-09

    We report the creation of hybrid energy cells based on hierarchical nano/micro-architectured polydimethylsiloxane (HNMA-PDMS) films with multifunctionality to simultaneously harvest mechanical, solar, and wind energies. These films consist of nano/micro dual-scale architectures (i.e., nanonipples on inverted micropyramidal arrays) on the PDMS surface. The HNMA-PDMS is replicable by facile and cost-effective soft imprint lithography using a nanoporous anodic alumina oxide film formed on the micropyramidal-structured silicon substrate. The HNMA-PDMS film plays multifunctional roles as a triboelectric layer in nanogenerators and an antireflection layer for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), as well as a self-cleaning surface. This film is employed in triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) devices, fabricated by laminating it on indium-tin oxide-coated polyethylene terephthalate (ITO/PET) as a bottom electrode. The large effective contact area that emerged from the densely packed hierarchical nano/micro-architectures of the PDMS film leads to the enhancement of TENG device performance. Moreover, the HNMA-PDMS/ITO/PET, with a high transmittance of >90%, also results in highly transparent TENG devices. By placing the HNMA-PDMS/ITO/PET, where the ITO/PET is coated with zinc oxide nanowires, as the top glass substrate of DSSCs, the device is able to add the functionality of TENG devices, thus creating a hybrid energy cell. The hybrid energy cell can successfully convert mechanical, solar, and wind energies into electricity, simultaneously or independently. To specify the device performance, the effects of external pushing frequency and load resistance on the output of TENG devices are also analyzed, including the photovoltaic performance of the hybrid energy cells.

  13. Water soluble nano-scale transient material germanium oxide for zero toxic waste based environmentally benign nano-manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almuslem, A. S.; Hanna, A. N.; Yapici, T.; Wehbe, N.; Diallo, E. M.; Kutbee, A. T.; Bahabry, R. R.; Hussain, M. M.

    2017-02-01

    In the recent past, with the advent of transient electronics for mostly implantable and secured electronic applications, the whole field effect transistor structure has been dissolved in a variety of chemicals. Here, we show simple water soluble nano-scale (sub-10 nm) germanium oxide (GeO2) as the dissolvable component to remove the functional structures of metal oxide semiconductor devices and then reuse the expensive germanium substrate again for functional device fabrication. This way, in addition to transiency, we also show an environmentally friendly manufacturing process for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Every year, trillions of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics are manufactured and billions are disposed, which extend the harmful impact to our environment. Therefore, this is a key study to show a pragmatic approach for water soluble high performance electronics for environmentally friendly manufacturing and bioresorbable electronic applications.

  14. Fabrication of nano-engineered transparent conducting oxides by pulsed laser deposition.

    PubMed

    Gondoni, Paolo; Ghidelli, Matteo; Di Fonzo, Fabio; Li Bassi, Andrea; Casari, Carlo S

    2013-02-27

    Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in the presence of a background gas allows the deposition of metal oxides with tunable morphology, structure, density and stoichiometry by a proper control of the plasma plume expansion dynamics. Such versatility can be exploited to produce nanostructured films from compact and dense to nanoporous characterized by a hierarchical assembly of nano-sized clusters. In particular we describe the detailed methodology to fabricate two types of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic devices: 1) at low O₂ pressure, compact films with electrical conductivity and optical transparency close to the state of the art transparent conducting oxides (TCO) can be deposited at room temperature, to be compatible with thermally sensitive materials such as polymers used in organic photovoltaics (OPVs); 2) highly light scattering hierarchical structures resembling a forest of nano-trees are produced at higher pressures. Such structures show high Haze factor (>80%) and may be exploited to enhance the light trapping capability. The method here described for AZO films can be applied to other metal oxides relevant for technological applications such as TiO₂, Al₂O₃, WO₃ and Ag₄O₄.

  15. Fabrication of Nano-engineered Transparent Conducting Oxides by Pulsed Laser Deposition

    PubMed Central

    Gondoni, Paolo; Ghidelli, Matteo; Di Fonzo, Fabio; Li Bassi, Andrea; Casari, Carlo S.

    2013-01-01

    Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in the presence of a background gas allows the deposition of metal oxides with tunable morphology, structure, density and stoichiometry by a proper control of the plasma plume expansion dynamics. Such versatility can be exploited to produce nanostructured films from compact and dense to nanoporous characterized by a hierarchical assembly of nano-sized clusters. In particular we describe the detailed methodology to fabricate two types of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic devices: 1) at low O2 pressure, compact films with electrical conductivity and optical transparency close to the state of the art transparent conducting oxides (TCO) can be deposited at room temperature, to be compatible with thermally sensitive materials such as polymers used in organic photovoltaics (OPVs); 2) highly light scattering hierarchical structures resembling a forest of nano-trees are produced at higher pressures. Such structures show high Haze factor (>80%) and may be exploited to enhance the light trapping capability. The method here described for AZO films can be applied to other metal oxides relevant for technological applications such as TiO2, Al2O3, WO3 and Ag4O4. PMID:23486076

  16. Investigation of the Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of the Nano-Scale GZO Thin Films on Glass and Flexible Polyimide Substrates

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Fang-Hsing; Chen, Kun-Neng; Hsu, Chao-Ming; Liu, Min-Chu; Yang, Cheng-Fu

    2016-01-01

    In this study, Ga2O3-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films were deposited on glass and flexible polyimide (PI) substrates at room temperature (300 K), 373 K, and 473 K by the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. After finding the deposition rate, all the GZO thin films with a nano-scale thickness of about 150 ± 10 nm were controlled by the deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the GZO thin films were not amorphous and all exhibited the (002) peak, and field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that only nano-scale particles were observed. The dependences of the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the GZO thin films on different deposition temperatures and substrates were investigated. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was used to measure the elemental composition at the chemical and electronic states of the GZO thin films deposited on different substrates, which could be used to clarify the mechanism of difference in electrical properties of the GZO thin films. In this study, the XPS binding energy spectra of Ga2p3/2 and Ga2p1/2 peaks, Zn2p3/2 and Zn2p1/2 peaks, the Ga3d peak, and O1s peaks for GZO thin films on glass and PI substrates were well compared. PMID:28335216

  17. Formation and anisotropic magnetoresistance of Co/Pt nano-contacts through aluminum oxide barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Mahdawi, Muftah; Sahashi, Masashi

    2014-01-01

    We report on the observation of anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in vertical asymmetric nano-contacts (NCs) made through AlOx nano-oxide layer (NOL) formed by ion-assisted oxidation method in the film stack of Co/AlOx-NOL/Pt. Analysis of NC formation was based on in situ conductive atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Depending on the purity of NCs from Al contamination, we observed up to 29% AMR ratio at room temperature.

  18. Room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite for the flexible transparent bottom electrode of perovskite solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Haifei; Sun, Jingsong; Zhang, Hong; Lu, Shunmian; Choy, Wallace C. H.

    2016-03-01

    The exploration of low-temperature and solution-processed charge transporting and collecting layers can promote the development of low-cost and large-scale perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) through an all solution process. Here, we propose a room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite composed of a silver nano-network and graphene oxide (GO) flawless film for the transparent bottom electrode of a PVSC. Our experimental results show that the amount of GO flakes play a critical role in forming the flawless anti-corrosive barrier in the silver nano-network through a self-assembly approach under ambient atmosphere, which can effectively prevent the penetration of liquid or gaseous halides and their corrosion against the silver nano-network underneath. Importantly, we simultaneously achieve good work function alignment and surface wetting properties for a practical bottom electrode by controlling the degree of reduction of GO flakes. Finally, flexible PVSC adopting the room-temperature and solution-processed nano-composite as the flexible transparent bottom electrode has been demonstrated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. As a consequence, the demonstration of our room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free flexible transparent bottom electrode will contribute to the emerging large-area flexible PVSC technologies.The exploration of low-temperature and solution-processed charge transporting and collecting layers can promote the development of low-cost and large-scale perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) through an all solution process. Here, we propose a room-temperature solution-processed and metal oxide-free nano-composite composed of a silver nano-network and graphene oxide (GO) flawless film for the transparent bottom electrode of a PVSC. Our experimental results show that the amount of GO flakes play a critical role in forming the flawless anti-corrosive barrier in the silver nano-network through a self

  19. Atomic-Layer-Deposition of Indium Oxide Nano-films for Thin-Film Transistors.

    PubMed

    Ma, Qian; Zheng, He-Mei; Shao, Yan; Zhu, Bao; Liu, Wen-Jun; Ding, Shi-Jin; Zhang, David Wei

    2018-01-09

    Atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) of In 2 O 3 nano-films has been investigated using cyclopentadienyl indium (InCp) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as precursors. The In 2 O 3 films can be deposited preferentially at relatively low temperatures of 160-200 °C, exhibiting a stable growth rate of 1.4-1.5 Å/cycle. The surface roughness of the deposited film increases gradually with deposition temperature, which is attributed to the enhanced crystallization of the film at a higher deposition temperature. As the deposition temperature increases from 150 to 200 °C, the optical band gap (E g ) of the deposited film rises from 3.42 to 3.75 eV. In addition, with the increase of deposition temperature, the atomic ratio of In to O in the as-deposited film gradually shifts towards that in the stoichiometric In 2 O 3 , and the carbon content also reduces by degrees. For 200 °C deposition temperature, the deposited film exhibits an In:O ratio of 1:1.36 and no carbon incorporation. Further, high-performance In 2 O 3 thin-film transistors with an Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric were achieved by post-annealing in air at 300 °C for appropriate time, demonstrating a field-effect mobility of 7.8 cm 2 /V⋅s, a subthreshold swing of 0.32 V/dec, and an on/off current ratio of 10 7 . This was ascribed to passivation of oxygen vacancies in the device channel.

  20. Evaporation characteristics of thin film liquid argon in nano-scale confinement: A molecular dynamics study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasan, Mohammad Nasim; Shavik, Sheikh Mohammad; Rabbi, Kazi Fazle; Haque, Mominul

    2016-07-01

    Molecular dynamics simulation has been carried out to explore the evaporation characteristics of thin liquid argon film in nano-scale confinement. The present study has been conducted to realize the nano-scale physics of simultaneous evaporation and condensation inside a confined space for a three phase system with particular emphasis on the effect of surface wetting conditions. The simulation domain consisted of two parallel platinum plates; one at the top and another at the bottom. The fluid comprised of liquid argon film at the bottom plate and vapor argon in between liquid argon and upper plate of the domain. Considering hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of top and bottom surfaces, two different cases have been investigated: (i) Case A: Both top and bottom surfaces are hydrophilic, (ii) Case B: both top and bottom surfaces are hydrophobic. For all cases, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) was performed to reach equilibrium state at 90 K. Then the lower wall was set to four different temperatures such as 110 K, 120 K, 130 K and 140 K to perform non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD). The variation of temperature and density as well as the variation of system pressure with respect to time were closely monitored for each case. The heat fluxes normal to top and bottom walls were estimated and discussed to illuminate the effectiveness of heat transfer in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic confinement at various boundary temperatures of the bottom plate.

  1. Thermal behaviour and corrosion resistance of nano-ZnO/polyurethane film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Virgawati, E.; Soegijono, B.

    2018-03-01

    Hybrid materials Nano-ZnO/polyurethane film was prepared with different zinc oxide (ZnO) content in polyurethane as a matrix. The film was deposited on low carbon steel plate using high volume low pressure (HVLP) method. To observe thermal behaviour of the film, the sample was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to see whether any chemical reaction of ZnO in polyurethane occured. TGA and FTIR results showed that the decomposition temperature shifted to a higher point and the chemical reaction of zinc oxide in polyurethane occurred. The surface morphology changed and the corrosion resistance increased with an increase of ZnO content

  2. Optical Detection and Sizing of Single Nano-Particles Using Continuous Wetting Films

    PubMed Central

    Hennequin, Yves; McLeod, Euan; Mudanyali, Onur; Migliozzi, Daniel; Ozcan, Aydogan; Dinten, Jean-Marc

    2013-01-01

    The physical interaction between nano-scale objects and liquid interfaces can create unique optical properties, enhancing the signatures of the objects with sub-wavelength features. Here we show that the evaporation on a wetting substrate of a polymer solution containing sub-micrometer or nano-scale particles creates liquid micro-lenses that arise from the local deformations of the continuous wetting film. These micro-lenses have properties similar to axicon lenses that are known to create beams with a long depth of focus. This enhanced depth of focus allows detection of single nanoparticles using a low magnification microscope objective lens, achieving a relatively wide field-of-view, while also lifting the constraints on precise focusing onto the object plane. Hence, by creating these liquid axicon lenses through spatial deformations of a continuous thin wetting film, we transfer the challenge of imaging individual nano-particles to detecting the light focused by these lenses. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the detection and sizing of single nano-particles (100 and 200 nm), CpGV granuloviruses as well as Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria over a wide field of view of e.g., 5.10×3.75 mm2 using a ×5 objective lens with a numerical aperture of 0.15. In addition to conventional lens-based microscopy, this continuous wetting film based approach is also applicable to lensfree computational on-chip imaging, which can be used to detect single nano-particles over a large field-of-view of e.g., >20-30 mm2. These results could be especially useful for high-throughput field-analysis of nano-scale objects using compact and cost-effective microscope designs. PMID:23889001

  3. Fabrication of resonant patterns using thermal nano-imprint lithography for thin-film photovoltaic applications.

    PubMed

    Khaleque, Tanzina; Svavarsson, Halldor Gudfinnur; Magnusson, Robert

    2013-07-01

    A single-step, low-cost fabrication method to generate resonant nano-grating patterns on poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA; plexiglas) substrates using thermal nano-imprint lithography is reported. A guided-mode resonant structure is obtained by subsequent deposition of thin films of transparent conductive oxide and amorphous silicon on the imprinted area. Referenced to equivalent planar structures, around 25% and 45% integrated optical absorbance enhancement is observed over the 450-nm to 900-nm wavelength range in one- and two-dimensional patterned samples, respectively. The fabricated elements provided have 300-nm periods. Thermally imprinted thermoplastic substrates hold potential for low-cost fabrication of nano-patterned thin-film solar cells for efficient light management.

  4. An Atomic-Scale X-ray View of Functional Oxide Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tung, I.-Cheng

    atomically controlled synthesis of single-crystalline La3Ni2O7. By building upon this knowledge, I have completed the first to date study of in situ surface X-ray scattering during homoepitaxial MBE growth of SrTiO3, which demonstrates codeposition is consistent with a 2D island growth mode with SrTiO3 islands, but shuttered deposition proceeds by the growth of SrO islands which then restructure into atomically flat SrTiO3 layer during the deposition of the TiO2. From this point, we have conducted a detailed microscopic study of epitaxial LaNiO3 ultrathin films grown on SrTiO3 (001) by using reactive MBE with in situ surface X-ray diffraction and ex situ soft XAS to explore the influence of polar mismatch on the resulting structural and electronic properties. Overall, this thesis highlights the power of artificial confinement to harness control over competing phases in complex oxides with atomic-scale precision.

  5. Thermite at the Nano-Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mily, Edward Joseph, Jr.

    Physical vapor deposition of thin film thermites allow for a clean avenue for probing fundamental properties of nanoenergetic materials that prove difficult for traditional powder processing. Precise control over diffusion dimensions, microstructure, and total amount of material are able to be realized with this fabrication technique and the testing of such materials provide valuable insight into how oxidation occurs. This thesis provides several examples of how existing PVD techniques can be coupled with thermite constituents to further the energetic community's understanding of how oxidation occurs in the solid state with the variation of geometric and chemical alterations. The goal of these investigations was to elucidate which material properties and mechanisms drive exothermic activity. The thermite thin films of Al/CuO, Zr/CuO, and Mg/Cuo with varied reducing metal constituents were tested under slow heating conditions. The trend of the metal variation demonstrated the importance of terminal oxide diffusion properties in either impeding or enhancing oxygen exchange. When the reducing metal forms a terminal oxide with limited oxygen diffusivity, exothermicity requires elevated activation energies to commence self-sustaining reaction. In addition to the effects of chemical variation, bilayer thicknesses were varied and found to decrease exothermic peak temperatures similar to the trends found in intermetallic thin film energetics and powder energetic materials. The thin film thermites were also subjected to extreme initiation methods via laser driven flyer plate impact ignition and high heating rate heat treatment (105 K/s). General insight into nano thermite behavior at environments characteristic of applications was sought, and similar trends discovered among slow vs rapid testing. Decreasing reaction dimensions yielded higher reactivity and diffusion barrier properties role in impacting exothermic behavior persist to into the microsecond regime. Ultimately

  6. Multi scale modeling of ignition and combustion of micro and nano aluminum particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puri, Puneesh

    With renewed interest in nano scale energetic materials like aluminum, many fundamental issues concerning the ignition and combustion characteristics at nano scales, remain to be clarified. The overall aim of the current study is the establishment of a unified theory accommodating the various processes and mechanisms involved in the combustion and ignition of aluminum particles at micro and nano scales. A comprehensive review on the ignition and combustion of aluminum particles at multi scales was first performed identifying various processes and mechanisms involved. Research focus was also placed on the establishment of a Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation tool to investigate the characteristics of nano-particulate aluminum through three major studies. The general computational framework involved parallelized preprocessing, post-processing and main code with capability to simulate different ensembles using appropriate algorithms. Size dependence of melting temperature of pure aluminum particles was investigated in the first study. Phenomena like dynamic coexistence of solid and liquid phase and effect of surface charges on melting were explored. The second study involved the study of effect of defects in the form of voids on melting of bulk and particulate phase aluminum. The third MD study was used to analyze the thermo-mechanical behavior of nano-sized aluminum particles with total diameter of 5-10 nm and oxide thickness of 1-2.5 nm. The ensuing solid-solid and solid-liquid phase changes in the core and shell, stresses developed within the shell, and the diffusion of aluminum cations in the oxide layer, were explored in depth for amorphous and crystalline oxide layers. In the limiting case, the condition for pyrophoricity/explosivity of nano-particulate aluminum was analyzed and modified. The size dependence of thermodynamic properties at nano scales were considered and incorporated into the existing theories developed for micro and larger scales. Finally, a

  7. Thermal Stress Behavior of Micro- and Nano-Size Aluminum Films

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

    Hanabusa, T.; Kusaka, K.; Nishida, M.

    2008-03-17

    In-situ observation of thermal stresses in thin films deposited on silicon substrate was made by X-ray and synchrotron radiation. Specimens prepared in this experiment were micro- and nano-size thin aluminum films with and without passivation film. The thickness of the film was 1 micrometer for micro-size films and 10, 20 and 50 nanometer for nano-size films. The stress measurement in micro-size films was made by X-ray radiation whereas the measurement of nano-size films was made by synchrotron radiation. Residual stress measurement revealed tensile stresses in all as-deposited films. Thermal stresses were measured in a series of heating- and cooling-stage. Thermalmore » stress behavior of micro-size films revealed hysteresis loop during a heating and cooling process. The width of a hysteresis loop was larger in passivated film that unpassivated film. No hysteresis loops were observed in nano-size films with SiO{sub 2} passivation. Strengthning mechanism in thin films was discussed on a passivation film and a film thickness.« less

  8. Pinholes and Nano-oxide Specular Layers in Spin Valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fry, R. A.; Egelhoff, W. F., Jr.; McMichael, R. D.; Chen, P. J.; Powell, C. J.; Beach, G.; Berkowitz, A. E.

    2001-03-01

    Recently, nano-oxide layers (NOL) in giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin valves have attracted interest as a method of achieving increased GMR associated with specular reflection at Co/oxide interfaces. The NOL must be thin enough so that strong magnetic coupling across it exists; otherwise, the films separated by NOL could switch separately. We have investigated the structure NiO/2.5 nm Co/2.5 nm Cu/2 nm Co/NOL/2 nm Co/10 nm IrMn. The bottom Co is pinned by NiO more strongly than the top Co is pinned by IrMn; thus the top Co film can be switched to observe GMR loops. With no NOL, the GMR loop obtained by switching the 4 nm top Co film is shifted 300 Oe by the exchange bias of IrMn. Using CoO as a NOL, at thickness of 1 nm there is a sudden drop from 300 Oe to <10 Oe. It appears that pinhole coupling at CoO<1 nm forces the two Co films to switch together, but at CoO 1 nm the pinholes close up and the Co films switch separately. Such observations constitute a new approach to the study of pinholes, and we use it to investigate several oxides and metal spacer layers.

  9. Near band edge emission characteristics of sputtered nano-crystalline ZnO films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kunj, Saurabh; Sreenivas, K.

    2016-05-01

    Sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited on unheated glass substrate under different sputtering gas mixtures (Ar+O2) have been investigated using X-ray diffraction and photo luminescence spectroscopy. Earlier reported studies on ZnO films prepared by different techniques exhibit either a sharp/broad near band edge (NBE) emission peak depending on the crystalline quality of the film. In the present study zinc oxide films, grown on unheated substrates, are seen to possess a preferred (002) orientation with a microstructure consisting of clustered nano-sized crystallites. The splitting in the near band edge emission (NBE) into three characteristic peaks is attributed to quantum confinement effect, and is observed specifically under an excitation of 270 nm. Deep level emission (DLE) in the range 400 to 700 nm is not observed indicating absence of deep level radiative defects.

  10. Surface Chemistry of Nano-Structured Mixed Metal Oxide Films

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-11

    surface chemical and catalytic properties of the films, and finally (iv) we also investigated some of these materials as electrodes for the photo-oxidation of water and as anode materials for lithium ion batteries .

  11. Aerosol synthesis of nano and micro-scale zero valent metal particles from oxide precursors

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

    Phillips, Jonathan; Luhrs, Claudia; Lesman, Zayd

    2010-01-01

    In this work a novel aerosol method, derived form the batch Reduction/Expansion Synthesis (RES) method, for production of nano / micro-scale metal particles from oxides and hydroxides is presented. In the Aerosol-RES (A-RES) method, an aerosol, consisting of a physical mixture of urea and metal oxide or hydroxides, is passed through a heated oven (1000 C) with a residence time of the order of 1 second, producing pure (zero valent) metal particles. It appears that the process is flexible regarding metal or alloy identity, allows control of particle size and can be readily scaled to very large throughput. Current workmore » is focused on creating nanoparticles of metal and metal alloy using this method. Although this is primarily a report on observations, some key elements of the chemistry are clear. In particular, the reducing species produced by urea decomposition are the primary agents responsible for reduction of oxides and hydroxides to metal. It is also likely that the rapid expansion that takes place when solid/liquid urea decomposes to form gas species influences the final morphology of the particles.« less

  12. Enhancement of CNT/PET film adhesion by nano-scale modification for flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Min-Seop; Kim, Woong

    2015-11-01

    We demonstrate the fabrication of high-integrity flexible supercapacitors using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, and ion gels. Although both CNTs and PET films are attractive materials for flexible electronics, they have poor adhesion properties. In this work, we significantly improve interfacial adhesion by introducing nanostructures at the interface of the CNT and PET layers. Simple reactive ion etching (RIE) of the PET substrates generates nano-scale roughness on the PET surface. RIE also induces hydrophilicity on the PET surface, which further enhances adhesive strength. The improved adhesion enables high integrity and excellent flexibility of the fabricated supercapacitors, demonstrated over hundreds of bending cycles. Furthermore, the supercapacitors show good cyclability with specific capacitance retention of 87.5% after 10,000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. Our demonstration may be important for understanding interfacial adhesion properties in nanoscale and for producing flexible, high-integrity, high-performance energy storage systems.

  13. Carrier mobility enhancement of nano-crystalline semiconductor films: Incorporation of redox -relay species into the grain boundary interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desilva, L. A.; Bandara, T. M. W. J.; Hettiarachchi, B. H.; Kumara, G. R. A.; Perera, A. G. U.; Rajapaksa, R. M. G.; Tennakone, K.

    Dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells and other nanostructured heterojunction electronic devices require securing intimate electronic contact between nanostructured surfaces. Generally, the strategy is solution phase coating of a hole -collector over a nano-crystalline high-band gap n-type oxide semiconductor film painted with a thin layer of the light harvesting material. The nano-crystallites of the hole - collector fills the pores of the painted oxide surface. Most ills of these devices are associated with imperfect contact and high resistance of the hole conducting layer constituted of nano-crystallites. Denaturing of the delicate light harvesting material forbid sintering at elevated temperatures to reduce the grain boundary resistance. It is found that the interfacial and grain boundary resistance can be significantly reduced via incorporation of redox species into the interfaces to form ultra-thin layers. Suitable redox moieties, preferably bonded to the surface, act as electron transfer relays greatly reducing the film resistance offerring a promising method of enhancing the effective hole mobility of nano-crystalline hole-collectors and developing hole conductor paints for application in nanostructured devices.

  14. Pinning in high performance MgB2 thin films and bulks: Role of Mg-B-O nano-scale inhomogeneities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prikhna, Tatiana; Shapovalov, Andrey; Eisterer, Michael; Shaternik, Vladimir; Goldacker, Wilfried; Weber, Harald W.; Moshchil, Viktor; Kozyrev, Artem; Sverdun, Vladimir; Boutko, Viktor; Grechnev, Gennadiy; Gusev, Alexandr; Kovylaev, Valeriy; Shaternik, Anton

    2017-02-01

    The comparison of nano-crystalline MgB2 oxygen-containing thin film (140 nm) and highly dense bulk materials showed that the critical current density, Jc, depends on the distribution of Mg-B-O nano-scale inhomogeneities. It has been shown that MgB2 bulks with high Jc in low (∼106 A/cm2 in 0-1 T at 10 K) and medium magnetic fields contain MgB0.6-0.8O0.8-0.9 nano-inclusions, where δTc or a combined δTc (dominant) / δl pinning mechanism prevails, while in bulk MgB2 with high Jc in high magnetic fields (Birr(18.5 K) = 15 T, Bc2(0 K) = 42.1 T) MgB1.2-2.7O1.8-2.5 nano-layers are present and δl pinning prevails. The structure of oxygen-containing films with high Jc in low and high magnetic fields (Jc (0 Т) = 1.8 × 107 А/сm2 and Jc (5 Т) = 2 × 106 А/сm2 at 10 К) contains very fine oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inhomogeneities and δl pinning is realized. The results of DOS calculations in MgB2-xOx cells for x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 demonstrate that all compounds are conductors with metal-like behaviour. In the case of ordered oxygen substitution for boron the binding energy, Eb, does not increase sufficiently as compared with that for MgB2, while when oxygen atoms form zigzag chains the calculated Eb is even lower (Eb = -1.15712 Ry).

  15. Initial stage oxidation on nano-trenched Si(1 0 0) surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yu; Liu, Yi-Lun; Izumi, Satoshi; Chen, Xue-Feng; Zhai, Zhi; Tian, Shao-Hua

    2018-01-01

    As the size of an electronic element shrinks to nanoscale, trench design of Si strongly influences the performance of related semiconductor devices. By reactive force field molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulation, the initial stage oxidation on nano-trenched Si(1 0 0) angled 60°, 90°, 120°, 150° under temperatures from 300 K to 1200 K has been studied. Inhomogeneous oxidation at the convex-concave corners of the Si surface was observed. In general, the initial oxidation process on the Si surface was that, firstly, the O atoms ballistically transported into surface, then a high O concentration induced compressive stress at the surface layers, which prevented further oxidation. Compared to the concave corner, the convex one contacted a larger volume of oxygen at the very beginning stage, leading an anisotropic absorption of O atoms. Afterwards, a critical compression was produced at both the convex and concave corners to limit the oxidation. As a result, an inhomogeneous oxide film grew on nano-trenched Si. Meanwhile, due to enhanced O transport and compression relaxation by increasing temperature, the inhomogeneous oxidation was more obvious under 1200 K. These present results explained the observed experimental phenomena on the oxidation of non-planar Si and provided an aspect on the design of nano-trenched electronic components in the semiconductor field.

  16. Self-assembled metal nano-multilayered film prepared by co-sputtering method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Tianle; Fu, Licai; Qin, Wen; Zhu, Jiajun; Yang, Wulin; Li, Deyi; Zhou, Lingping

    2018-03-01

    Nano-multilayered film is usually prepared by the arrangement deposition of different materials. In this paper, a self-assembled nano-multilayered film was deposited by simultaneous sputtering of Cu and W. The Cu/W nano-multilayered film was accumulated by W-rich layer and Cu-rich layer. Smooth interfaces with consecutive composition variation and semi-coherent even coherent relationship were identified, indicating that a spinodal-like structure with a modulation wavelength of about 20 nm formed during co-deposition process. The participation of diffusion barrier element, such as W, is believed the essential to obtain the nano-multilayered structure besides the technological parameters.

  17. Self-aligned periodic Ni nano dots embedded in nano-oxide layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doi, M.; Izumi, M.; Kawasaki, S.; Miyake, K.; Sahashi, M.

    The Ni nano constriction dots embedded in the Ta-nano-oxide layer (NOL) was prepared by the ion beam sputtering (IBS) method. After the various conditions of the oxidations, the structural analyses of the NOL were performed by RHEED, AES and in situ STM/AFM observations. From the current image of the conductive AFM for NOL, the periodically aligned metallic dots with the size around 5-10 nm were successfully observed. The mechanism of the formation of the self-organized aligned Ni nano constriction dots is discussed from the standpoint of the grain size, the crystal orientation, the preferred oxidation of Ta at the diffused interface.

  18. Preparation methodologies and nano/microstructural evaluation of metal/semiconductor thin films.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhiwen; Jiao, Zheng; Wu, Minghong; Shek, Chan-Hung; Wu, C M Lawrence; Lai, Joseph K L

    2012-01-01

    Metal/semiconductor thin films are a class of unique materials that are widespread technological applications, particularly in the field of microelectronic devices. Assessment strategies of fractal and tures are of fundamental importance in the development of nano/microdevices. This review presents the preparation methodologies and nano/microstructural evaluation of metal/semiconductor thin films including Au/Ge bilayer films and Pd-Ge alloy thin films, which show in the form of fractals and nanocrystals. Firstly, the extended version of Au/Ge thin films for the fractal crystallization of amorphous Ge and the formation of nanocrystals developed with improved micro- and nanostructured features are described in Section 2. Secondly, the nano/microstructural characteristics of Pd/Ge alloy thin films during annealing have been investigated in detail and described in Section 3. Finally, we will draw the conclusions from the present work as shown in Section 4. It is expected that the preparation methodologies developed and the knowledge of nano/microstructural evolution gained in metal/semiconductor thin films, including Au/Ge bilayer films and Pd-Ge alloy thin films, will provide an important fundamental basis underpinning further interdisciplinary research in these fields such as physics, chemistry, materials science, and nanoscience and nanotechnology, leading to promising exciting opportunities for future technological applications involving these thin films.

  19. Synthesis of Coral-Like Tantalum Oxide Films via Anodization in Mixed Organic-Inorganic Electrolytes

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Hongbin; Zhu, Suiyi; Yang, Xia; Wang, Xinhong; Sun, Hongwei; Huo, Mingxin

    2013-01-01

    We report a simple method to fabricate nano-porous tantalum oxide films via anodization with Ta foils as the anode at room temperature. A mixture of ethylene glycol, phosphoric acid, NH4F and H2O was used as the electrolyte where the nano-porous tantalum oxide could be synthesized by anodizing a tantalum foil for 1 h at 20 V in a two–electrode configuration. The as-prepared porous film exhibited a continuous, uniform and coral-like morphology. The diameters of pores ranged from 30 nm to 50 nm. The pores interlaced each other and the depth was about 150 nm. After calcination, the as-synthesized amorphous tantalum oxide could be crystallized to the orthorhombic crystal system. As observed in photocatalytic experiments, the coral-like tantalum oxide exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol than that with a compact surface morphology, and the elimination rate of phenol increased by 66.7%. PMID:23799106

  20. Metal Doped Manganese Oxide Thin Films for Supercapacitor Application.

    PubMed

    Tung, Mai Thanh; Thuy, Hoang Thi Bich; Hang, Le Thi Thu

    2015-09-01

    Co and Fe doped manganese oxide thin films were prepared by anodic deposition at current density of 50 mA cm(-2) using the electrolyte containing manganese sulfate and either cobalt sulfate or ferrous sulfate. Surface morphology and crystal structure of oxides were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Chemical composition of materials was analyzed by X-ray energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS), iodometric titration method and complexometric titration method, respectively. Supercapacitive behavior of Co and Fe doped manganese oxide films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the doped manganese oxides are composed of nano fiber-like structure with radius of 5-20 nm and remain amorphous structure after heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 2 hours. The average valence of manganese increases from +3.808 to +3.867 after doping Co and from +3.808 to +3.846 after doping Fe. The doped manganese oxide film electrodes exhibited preferably ideal pseudo-capacitive behavior. The specific capacitance value of deposited manganese oxide reaches a maximum of 175.3 F/g for doping Co and 244.6 F/g for doping Fe. The thin films retained about 84% of the initial capacity even after 500 cycles of charge-discharge test. Doping Co and Fe decreases diffusion and charge transfer resistance of the films. The electric double layer capacitance and capacitor response frequency are increased after doping.

  1. Bio-inspired surfactant assisted nano-catalyst impregnation of Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) electrodes

    DOE PAGES

    Ozmen, Ozcan; Zondlo, John W.; Lee, Shiwoo; ...

    2015-11-02

    A bio-inspired surfactant was utilized to assist in the efficient impregnation of a nano-CeO₂ catalyst throughout both porous Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC’s) electrodes simultaneously. The process included the initial modification of electrode pore walls with a polydopamine film. The cell was then submersed into a cerium salt solution. The amount of nano-CeO₂ deposited per impregnation step increased by 3.5 times by utilizing this two-step protocol in comparison to a conventional drip impregnation method. The impregnated cells exhibited a 20% higher power density than a baseline cell without the nano-catalyst at 750°C (using humid H₂ fuel).

  2. Dynamic studies of nano-confined polymer thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geng, Kun

    Polymer thin films with the film thickness (h0 ) below 100 nm often exhibit physical properties different from the bulk counterparts. In order to make the best use of polymer thin films in applications, it is important to understand the physical origins of these deviations. In this dissertation, I will investigate how different factors influence dynamic properties of polymer thin films upon nano-confinement, including glass transition temperature (Tg), effective viscosity (etaeff) and self-diffusion coefficient (D ). The first part of this dissertation concerns the impacts of the molecular weight (MW) and tacticity on the Tg's of nano-confined polymer films. Previous experiments showed that the Tg of polymer films could be depressed or increased as h0 decreases. While these observations are usually attributed to the effects of the interfaces, some experiments suggested that MW's and tacticities might also play a role. To understand the effects of these factors, the Tg's of silica-based poly(alpha-methyl styrene) (PalphaMS/SiOx) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA/SiOx) thin films were studied, and the results suggested that MW's and tacticities influence Tg in nontrivial ways. The second part concerns an effort to resolve the long-standing controversy about the correlation between different dynamics of polymer thin films upon nano-confinement. Firstly, I discuss the experimental results of Tg, D and etaeff of poly(isobutyl methacrylate) films supported by silica (PiBMA/SiOx). Both T g and D were found to be independent of h 0, but etaeff decreased with decreasing h 0. Since both D and etaeff describe transport phenomena known to depend on the local friction coefficient or equivalently the local viscosity, it is questionable why D and etaeff displayed seemingly inconsistent h 0 dependencies. We envisage the different h0 dependencies to be caused by Tg, D and etaeff being different functions of the local T g's (Tg,i) or viscosities (eta i). By assuming a three

  3. Elastic properties of porous low-k dielectric nano-films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, W.; Bailey, S.; Sooryakumar, R.; King, S.; Xu, G.; Mays, E.; Ege, C.; Bielefeld, J.

    2011-08-01

    Low-k dielectrics have predominantly replaced silicon dioxide as the interlayer dielectric for interconnects in state of the art integrated circuits. In order to further reduce interconnect RC delays, additional reductions in k for these low-k materials are being pursued via the introduction of controlled levels of porosity. The main challenge for such dielectrics is the substantial reduction in elastic properties that accompanies the increased pore volume. We report on Brillouin light scattering measurements used to determine the elastic properties of these films at thicknesses well below 200 nm, which are pertinent to their introduction into present ultralarge scale integrated technology. The observation of longitudinal and transverse standing wave acoustic resonances and their transformation into traveling waves with finite in-plane wave vectors provides for a direct non-destructive measure of the principal elastic constants that characterize the elastic properties of these porous nano-scale films. The mode dispersion further confirms that for porosity levels of up to 25%, the reduction in the dielectric constant does not result in severe degradation in the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the films.

  4. Pulsed—Laser Deposition Of Oxide Thin Films And Laser—Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Of Multi—Element Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedarnig, Johannes D.

    2010-10-01

    New results of the Linz group on pulsed—laser deposition (PLD) of oxide thin films and on laser—induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) of multi-element materials are reported. High-Tc superconducting (HTS) films with enhanced critical current density Jc are produced by laser ablation of novel nano-composite ceramic targets. The targets contain insulating nano-particles that are embedded into the YBa2Cu3O7 matrix. Epitaxial double-layers of lithium-doped and aluminum-doped ZnO are deposited on r-cut sapphire substrates. Acoustic over-modes in the GHz range are excited by piezoelectric actuation of layers. Smooth films of rare-earth doped glass are produced by F2—laser ablation. The transport properties of HTS thin films are modified by light—ion irradiation. Thin film nano—patterning is achieved by masked ion beam irradiation. LIBS is employed to analyze trace elements in industrial iron oxide powder and reference polymer materials. Various trace elements of ppm concentration are measured in the UV/VIS and vacuum-UV spectral range. Quantitative LIBS analysis of major components in oxide materials is performed by calibration-free methods.

  5. Sub-micron phase coexistence in small-molecule organic thin films revealed by infrared nano-imaging

    PubMed Central

    Westermeier, Christian; Cernescu, Adrian; Amarie, Sergiu; Liewald, Clemens; Keilmann, Fritz; Nickel, Bert

    2014-01-01

    Controlling the domain size and degree of crystallization in organic films is highly important for electronic applications such as organic photovoltaics, but suitable nanoscale mapping is very difficult. Here we apply infrared-spectroscopic nano-imaging to directly determine the local crystallinity of organic thin films with 20-nm resolution. We find that state-of-the-art pentacene films (grown on SiO2 at elevated temperature) are structurally not homogeneous but exhibit two interpenetrating phases at sub-micrometre scale, documented by a shifted vibrational resonance. We observe bulk-phase nucleation of distinct ellipsoidal shape within the dominant pentacene thin-film phase and also further growth during storage. A faint topographical contrast as well as X-ray analysis corroborates our interpretation. As bulk-phase nucleation obstructs carrier percolation paths within the thin-film phase, hitherto uncontrolled structural inhomogeneity might have caused conflicting reports about pentacene carrier mobility. Infrared-spectroscopic nano-imaging of nanoscale polymorphism should have many applications ranging from organic nanocomposites to geologic minerals. PMID:24916130

  6. Self-cleaning poly(dimethylsiloxane) film with functional micro/nano hierarchical structures.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiao-Sheng; Zhu, Fu-Yun; Han, Meng-Di; Sun, Xu-Ming; Peng, Xu-Hua; Zhang, Hai-Xia

    2013-08-27

    This paper reports a novel single-step wafer-level fabrication of superhydrophobic micro/nano dual-scale (MNDS) poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films. The MNDS PDMS films were replicated directly from an ultralow-surface-energy silicon substrate at high temperature without any surfactant coating, achieving high precision. An improved deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process with enhanced passivation steps was proposed to easily realize the ultralow-surface-energy MNDS silicon substrate and also utilized as a post-treatment process to strengthen the hydrophobicity of the MNDS PDMS film. The chemical modification of this enhanced passivation step to the surface energy has been studied by density functional theory, which is also the first investigation of C4F8 plasma treatment at molecular level by using first-principle calculations. From the results of a systematic study on the effect of key process parameters (i.e., baking temperature and time) on PDMS replication, insight into the interaction of hierarchical multiscale structures of polymeric materials during the micro/nano integrated fabrication process is experimentally obtained for the first time. Finite element simulation has been employed to illustrate this new phenomenon. Additionally, hierarchical PDMS pyramid arrays and V-shaped grooves have been developed and are intended for applications as functional structures for a light-absorption coating layer and directional transport of liquid droplets, respectively. This stable, self-cleaning PDMS film with functional micro/nano hierarchical structures, which is fabricated through a wafer-level single-step fabrication process using a reusable silicon mold, shows attractive potential for future applications in micro/nanodevices, especially in micro/nanofluidics.

  7. Fabrication of flower-like micro/nano dual scale structured copper oxide surfaces: Optimization of self-cleaning properties via Taguchi design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moosavi, Saeideh Sadat; Norouzbeigi, Reza; Velayi, Elmira

    2017-11-01

    In the present work, copper oxide superhydrophobic surface is fabricated on a copper foil via the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The effects of some influential factors such as initial concentrations of Cu (II) ions and the surface energy modifier, solution pH, reaction and modification steps time on the wettability property of copper oxide surface were evaluated using Taguchi L16 experimental design. Results showed that the initial concentration of Cu (II) has the most significant impact on the water contact angle and wettability characteristics. The XRD, SEM, AFM and FTIR analyses were used to characterize the copper oxide surfaces. The Water contact angle (WCA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) were also measured. The SEM results indicated the formation of a flower-like micro/nano dual-scale structure of copper oxide on the substrate. This structure composed of numerous nano-petals with a thickness of about 50 nm. As a result, a copper oxide hierarchical surface with WCA of 168.4°± 3.5° and CAH of 2.73° exhibited the best superhydrophobicity under proposed optimum condition. This result has been obtained just by 10 min hydrolysis reaction. Besides, this surface showed a good stability under acidic and saline conditions.

  8. Atomic-scale epitaxial aluminum film on GaAs substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Yen-Ting; Lo, Ming-Cheng; Wu, Chu-Chun; Chen, Peng-Yu; Wu, Jenq-Shinn; Liang, Chi-Te; Lin, Sheng-Di

    2017-07-01

    Atomic-scale metal films exhibit intriguing size-dependent film stability, electrical conductivity, superconductivity, and chemical reactivity. With advancing methods for preparing ultra-thin and atomically smooth metal films, clear evidences of the quantum size effect have been experimentally collected in the past two decades. However, with the problems of small-area fabrication, film oxidation in air, and highly-sensitive interfaces between the metal, substrate, and capping layer, the uses of the quantized metallic films for further ex-situ investigations and applications have been seriously limited. To this end, we develop a large-area fabrication method for continuous atomic-scale aluminum film. The self-limited oxidation of aluminum protects and quantizes the metallic film and enables ex-situ characterizations and device processing in air. Structure analysis and electrical measurements on the prepared films imply the quantum size effect in the atomic-scale aluminum film. Our work opens the way for further physics studies and device applications using the quantized electronic states in metals.

  9. Hydrophobic and optical characteristics of graphene and graphene oxide films transferred onto functionalized silica particles deposited glass surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yilbas, B. S.; Ibrahim, A.; Ali, H.; Khaled, M.; Laoui, T.

    2018-06-01

    Hydrophobic and optical transmittance characteristics of the functionalized silica particles on the glass surface prior and after transfer of graphene and graphene oxide films on the surface are examined. Nano-size silica particles are synthesized and functionalized via chemical grafting and deposited onto a glass surface. Graphene film, grown on copper substrate, was transferred onto the functionalized silica particles surface through direct fishing method. Graphene oxide layer was deposited onto the functionalized silica particles surface via spin coating technique. Morphological, hydrophobic, and optical characteristics of the functionalized silica particles deposited surface prior and after graphene and graphene oxide films transfer are examined using the analytical tools. It is found that the functionalized silica particles are agglomerated at the surface forming packed structures with few micro/nano size pores. This arrangement gives rise to water droplet contact angle and contact angle hysteresis in the order of 163° and 2°, respectively, and remains almost uniform over the entire surface. Transferring graphene and depositing graphene oxide films over the functionalized silica particles surface lowers the water droplet contact angle slightly (157-160°) and increases the contact angle hysteresis (4°). The addition of the graphene and graphene oxide films onto the surface of the deposited functionalized silica particles improves the optical transmittance.

  10. Structural properties of iron and nickel mixed oxide nano particles.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dehipawala, Sunil; Samarasekara, Pubudu; Gafney, Harry

    Small scale magnets have very high technological importance today. Instead of traditional expensive methods, scientists are exploring new low cost methods to produce micro magnets. We synthesized thin film magnets containing iron and nickel oxides. Films will be synthesized using sol-gel method and spin coating technique. Several different precursor concentrations were tested to find out the ideal concentrations for stable thin films. Structural properties of iron and nickel oxide particles were investigated using X-ray absorption and Mossbauer spectroscopy. PSC-CUNY.

  11. Nano- and Micro-Scale Oxidative Patterning of Titanium Implant Surfaces for Improved Surface Wettability.

    PubMed

    Kim, In-hye; Son, Jun Sik; Choi, Seok Hwa; Kim, Kyo-han; Kwon, Tae-yub

    2016-02-01

    A simple and scalable surface modification treatment is demonstrated, in which nano- and microscale features are introduced into the surface of titanium (Ti) substrates by means of a novel and eco-friendly oxidative aqueous solution composed of hydrogen peroxide (H202) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). By immersing mirror-polished Ti discs in an aqueous mixture of 30 wt% H2O2/5 wt% NaHCO3 at 23 +/- 3 degrees C for 4 h, it was confirmed that this mixture is capable of generating microscale topographies on Ti surfaces. It also simultaneously formed nanochannels that were regularly arranged in a comb-like pattern on the Ti surface, thus forming a hierarchical surface structure. Further, these nano/micro-textured Ti surfaces showed great surface roughness and excellent wettability when compared with control Ti surfaces. This study demonstrates that a H2O2/NaHCO3 mixture can be effectively utilized to create reproducible nano/microscale topographies on Ti implant surfaces, thus providing an economical new oxidative solution that may be used effectively and safely as a Ti surface modification treatment.

  12. Wrinkling of flexoelectric nano-film/substrate systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Shengkai; Huang, Huaiwei; Liu, Yijie; Zhu, Zheng H.

    2018-02-01

    The study of wrinkling mechanisms essentially helps to establish stable and controllable performance in electronic products. To gain some basic understanding of the wrinkling process in flexoelectric dielectrics, this paper models the wrinkling of nano-film/substrate systems, typically seen in stretchable electronics, subjected to substrate prestrain and voltage loading on electrodes. Flexoelectricity is considered through the constitutive equations proposed by Shen and Hu, and Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is applied to formulate the expressions of wrinkling wavelength and amplitude through the Ritz method. The effects of flexoelectricity, surface parameters, prestrain, applied voltage, structural scale etc on wrinkling behaviors, including wrinkling deformation and the wrinkling critical condition, are discussed. Results reveal that the action of both flexoelectric and surface effects is significant over only a small scale range, with film thickness less than 10 nm. Alongside these issues, the fundamental difference between flexoelectric and piezoelectric effects on wrinkling behaviors is highlighted. Piezoelectricity may act as a promoter or suppressor of wrinkling initiation and amplitude, depending on the applied voltage, while flexoelectricity not only reduces the critical prestrain or voltage required for wrinkling, but also decreases the wrinkling wavelength and amplitude.

  13. In-Situ Observation of Nano-Oxide Formation in Magnetic Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCallum, Andrew; Russek, Stephen

    2004-03-01

    Exposure of a metal surface in a spin valve structure to oxygen creates a nano-oxide layer, or NOL, on that surface. Inclusion of NOLs into spin valve structures has been shown by many researchers to lower the resistance and increase the giant magnetoresistance effect. Four point in-situ conductance measurements were made during the deposition and oxidation of Co layers. These measurements show an initial decrease in conductance followed by an increase in conductance, due to a specularity increase of at least 0.10. RHEED measurements taken simultaneously with conductance measurements show the formation an amorphous oxide while the specularity increases. With further exposure of oxygen to the surface a CoO structure with a (111) texture forms. Magnetoconductance measurements during the oxidation of the free layer of bottom pinned spin valves show increases in the GMR of the spin valves. Estimates of the change in specularity and Co layer thickness were determined from the change in conductance and the change in magnetoconductance. Also determined from the magnetoconductance measurements was an increase in the coercivity of the free layer with oxidation. Adding Co onto the oxide had a strong effect on the coercivity and coupling between free and pinned layers.

  14. Surface induced phonon decay rates in thin film nano-structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Photiadis, D. M.

    2007-12-01

    Nano-scale structure significantly impacts phonon transport and related phonon relaxation rates, with order of magnitude effects on the thermal conductivity of dielectric thin films and quantum wires, and even larger effects on the lifetimes of ultrasonic phonons of micro- (nano-) oscillators. In both cases, efforts to explain the data have been hampered by our lack of knowledge of the effects of confined dimensionality on phonon-phonon scattering rates. Using a phonon Boltzmann equation with appropriate boundary conditions on the free surfaces to take surface roughness into account, we have obtained an expression yielding phonon lifetimes in 2-D dielectric nanostructures(thin films) resulting from phonon-phonon scattering in conjunction with phonon-surface scattering. We present these theoretical results and, in the limit in which surface induced losses dominate, obtain explicit predictions for the phonon lifetimes. The predicted temperature dependence of the ultrason! ic loss does not explain the observed saturation of the loss at low temperatures(τ(T) → const), but does give results of the order of magnitude of measured ultrasonic lifetimes.

  15. Evaluation of dose dependent antimicrobial activity of self-assembled chitosan, nano silver and chitosan-nano silver composite against several pathogens.

    PubMed

    Tareq, Foysal Kabir; Fayzunnesa, Mst; Kabir, Md Shahariar; Nuzat, Musrat

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this investigation to preparation of silver nanoparticles organized chitosan nano polymer, which effective against microbial and pathogens, when apply to liquid medium and edible food products surface, will rescue the growth of microbes. Self-assembly approach used to synthesis of silver nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles organized chitosan nano polymer. Silver nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles organized chitosan nano polymer and film characterized using Ultra-violate visible spectrometer (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (X-ray), and Scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The crystalline structured protein capped nano silver successfully synthesized at range of 12 nm-29 nm and organized into chitosan nano polymer. Antimicrobial ingredient in liquid medium and food product surface provide to rescue oxidative change and growth of microorganism to provide higher safety. The silver nanoparticles organized chitosan nano polymer caused the death of microorganism. The materials in nano scale synthesized successfully using self-assembly method, which showed good antimicrobial properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Nano-crystallization in ZnO-doped In2O3 thin films via excimer laser annealing for thin-film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujii, Mami N.; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Ishihara, Ryoichi; van der Cingel, Johan; Mofrad, Mohammad R. T.; Bermundo, Juan Paolo Soria; Kawashima, Emi; Tomai, Shigekazu; Yano, Koki; Uraoka, Yukiharu

    2016-06-01

    In a previous work, we reported the high field effect mobility of ZnO-doped In2O3 (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) irradiated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) [M. Fujii et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 122107 (2013)]. However, a deeper understanding of the effect of ELA on the IZO film characteristics based on crystallinity, carrier concentrations, and optical properties is needed to control localized carrier concentrations for fabricating self-aligned structures in the same oxide film and to adequately explain the physical characteristics. In the case of as-deposited IZO film used as the channel, a high carrier concentration due to a high density of oxygen vacancies was observed; such a film does not show the required TFT characteristics but can act as a conductive film. We achieved a decrease in the carrier concentration of IZO films by crystallization using ELA. This means that ELA can form localized conductive or semi-conductive areas on the IZO film. We confirmed that the reason for the carrier concentration decrease was the decrease of oxygen-deficient regions and film crystallization. The annealed IZO films showed nano-crystalline phase, and the temperature at the substrate was substantially less than the temperature limit for flexible films such as plastic, which is 50°C. This paves the way for the formation of self-aligned structures and separately formed conductive and semi-conductive regions in the same oxide film.

  17. Nano CaCO₃ imprinted starch hybrid polyethylhexylacrylate\\polyvinylalcohol nanocomposite thin films.

    PubMed

    Prusty, Kalyani; Swain, Sarat K

    2016-03-30

    Starch hybrid polyethylhexylacrylate (PEHA)/polyvinylalcohol (PVA) nanocomposite thin films are prepared by different composition of nano CaCO3 in aqueous medium. The chemical interaction of nano CaCO3 with PEHA in presence of starch and PVA is investigated by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used in order to study the change in crystallite size and d-spacing during the formation of nanocomposite thin film. The surface morphology of nanofilms is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The topology and surface roughness of the films is noticed by atomic force microscope (AFM). The tensile strength, thermal stability and thermal conductivity of films are increased with increase in concentrations of CaCO3 nanopowder. The chemical resistance and biodegradable properties of the nanocomposite thin films are also investigated. The growth of bacteria and fungi in starch hybrid PEHA film is reduced substantially with imprint of nano CaCO3. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Novel Organic Field Effect Transistors via Nano-Modification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-07-01

    mobility by using two kinds of nano-scale films. One is to apply the photoalignment method on a nano-scale film to control the orientation of pentacene ...scale film (polymer electrolyte) to control moving of ions in/out an active semiconducor, pentacene or conducting polymer, for improving carrier...mobility. In this project, pentacene or a series of conducting polymers, such as the derivatives of PANI and P3HT will be patterned and manufactured in

  19. On hydrophilicity improvement of the porous anodic alumina film by hybrid nano/micro structuring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Weichao; Zhao, Wei; Wang, Kaige; Wang, Lei; Wang, Xuewen; Wang, Shuang; Zhang, Chen; Bai, Jintao

    2017-09-01

    In both, laboratory and industry, tremendous attention is paid to discover an effective technique to produce uniform, controllable and (super) hydrophilic surfaces over large areas that are useful in a wide range of applications. In this investigation, by combing porous anodic alumina (PAA) film with nano-structures and microarray of aluminum, the hydrophilicity of hybrid nano-micro structure has been significantly improved. It is found some factors can affect the hydrophilicity of film, such as the size and aspect ratio of microarray, the thickness of nano-PAA film etc. Comparing with pure nano-PAA films and microarray, the hybrid nano-micro structure can provide uniform surface with significantly better hydrophilicity. The improvement can be up to 84%. Also, this technique exhibits good stability and repeatability for industrial production. By optimizing the thickness of nano-PAA film and aspect ratio of micro-structures, super-hydrophilicity can be reached. This study has obvious prospect in the fields of chemical industry, biomedical engineering and lab-on-a-chip applications.

  20. Effect of native oxide layers on copper thin-film tensile properties: A reactive molecular dynamics study

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

    Skarlinski, Michael D., E-mail: michael.skarlinski@rochester.edu; Quesnel, David J.; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627

    2015-12-21

    Metal-oxide layers are likely to be present on metallic nano-structures due to either environmental exposure during use, or high temperature processing techniques such as annealing. It is well known that nano-structured metals have vastly different mechanical properties from bulk metals; however, difficulties in modeling the transition between metallic and ionic bonding have prevented the computational investigation of the effects of oxide surface layers. Newly developed charge-optimized many body [Liang et al., Mater. Sci. Eng., R 74, 255 (2013)] potentials are used to perform fully reactive molecular dynamics simulations which elucidate the effects that metal-oxide layers have on the mechanical propertiesmore » of a copper thin-film. Simulated tensile tests are performed on thin-films while using different strain-rates, temperatures, and oxide thicknesses to evaluate changes in yield stress, modulus, and failure mechanisms. Findings indicate that copper-thin film mechanical properties are strongly affected by native oxide layers. The formed oxide layers have an amorphous structure with lower Cu-O bond-densities than bulk CuO, and a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O and CuO charge character. It is found that oxidation will cause modifications to the strain response of the elastic modulii, producing a stiffened modulii at low temperatures (<75 K) and low strain values (<5%), and a softened modulii at higher temperatures. While under strain, structural reorganization within the oxide layers facilitates brittle yielding through nucleation of defects across the oxide/metal interface. The oxide-free copper thin-film yielding mechanism is found to be a tensile-axis reorientation and grain creation. The oxide layers change the observed yielding mechanism, allowing for the inner copper thin-film to sustain an FCC-to-BCC transition during yielding. The mechanical properties are fit to a thermodynamic model based on classical nucleation theory. The fit implies that the oxidation of

  1. Reactive oxygen species-related activities of nano-iron metal and nano-iron oxides.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haohao; Yin, Jun-Jie; Wamer, Wayne G; Zeng, Mingyong; Lo, Y Martin

    2014-03-01

    Nano-iron metal and nano-iron oxides are among the most widely used engineered and naturally occurring nanostructures, and the increasing incidence of biological exposure to these nanostructures has raised concerns about their biotoxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress is one of the most accepted toxic mechanisms and, in the past decades, considerable efforts have been made to investigate the ROS-related activities of iron nanostructures. In this review, we summarize activities of nano-iron metal and nano-iron oxides in ROS-related redox processes, addressing in detail the known homogeneous and heterogeneous redox mechanisms involved in these processes, intrinsic ROS-related properties of iron nanostructures (chemical composition, particle size, and crystalline phase), and ROS-related bio-microenvironmental factors, including physiological pH and buffers, biogenic reducing agents, and other organic substances. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Anodization: a promising nano-modification technique of titanium implants for orthopedic applications.

    PubMed

    Yao, Chang; Webster, Thomas J

    2006-01-01

    Anodization is a well-established surface modification technique that produces protective oxide layers on valve metals such as titanium. Many studies have used anodization to produce micro-porous titanium oxide films on implant surfaces for orthopedic applications. An additional hydrothermal treatment has also been used in conjunction with anodization to deposit hydroxyapatite on titanium surfaces; this is in contrast to using traditional plasma spray deposition techniques. Recently, the ability to create nanometer surface structures (e.g., nano-tubular) via anodization of titanium implants in fluorine solutions have intrigued investigators to fabricate nano-scale surface features that mimic the natural bone environment. This paper will present an overview of anodization techniques used to produce micro-porous titanium oxide structures and nano-tubular oxide structures, subsequent properties of these anodized titanium surfaces, and ultimately their in vitro as well as in vivo biological responses pertinent for orthopedic applications. Lastly, this review will emphasize why anodized titanium structures that have nanometer surface features enhance bone forming cell functions.

  3. Fabrication of nano-scale Cu bond pads with seal design in 3D integration applications.

    PubMed

    Chen, K N; Tsang, C K; Wu, W W; Lee, S H; Lu, J Q

    2011-04-01

    A method to fabricate nano-scale Cu bond pads for improving bonding quality in 3D integration applications is reported. The effect of Cu bonding quality on inter-level via structural reliability for 3D integration applications is investigated. We developed a Cu nano-scale-height bond pad structure and fabrication process for improved bonding quality by recessing oxides using a combination of SiO2 CMP process and dilute HF wet etching. In addition, in order to achieve improved wafer-level bonding, we introduced a seal design concept that prevents corrosion and provides extra mechanical support. Demonstrations of these concepts and processes provide the feasibility of reliable nano-scale 3D integration applications.

  4. Microstructure and physical properties of nano-biocomposite films based on cassava starch and laponite.

    PubMed

    Valencia, Germán Ayala; Luciano, Carla Giovana; Lourenço, Rodrigo Vinicius; do Amaral Sobral, Paulo José

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this research was to study the effects of laponite concentrations on some properties of nano-biocomposite films based on cassava starch, focusing mainly the relation between the properties of the surface microstructure and roughness, water contact angle and gloss. Nano-biocomposite films were produced by casting. We analyzed gloss, color, opacity, water contact angle, crystallinity by X-ray diffraction, and microstructure by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Texture parameters (energy, entropy and fractal dimension) were extracted from micrographs. We observed a great impact of laponite in the morphology of nano-biocomposite films. Texture parameters correlated with surface heterogeneity and roughness. Finally, surface roughness affected the surface hydrophilicity of nano-biocomposite films. Laponite platelets were exfoliated and/or intercalated with amylose and amylopectin chains. This research reports new information on the effects of laponite concentrations on the morphological, optical and wetting properties of nano-biocomposite films aiming future industrial applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Temperature-Driven Structural and Morphological Evolution of Zinc Oxide Nano-Coalesced Microstructures and Its Defect-Related Photoluminescence Properties

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Karkeng; Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Azmi; Shamsudin, Roslinda; Al-Hardan, N.H.; Mansor, Ishak; Chiu, Weesiong

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we address the synthesis of nano-coalesced microstructured zinc oxide thin films via a simple thermal evaporation process. The role of synthesis temperature on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared zinc oxide samples was deeply investigated. The obtained photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy outcomes will be used to discuss the surface structure defects of the prepared samples. The results indicated that the prepared samples are polycrystalline in nature, and the sample prepared at 700 °C revealed a tremendously c-axis oriented zinc oxide. The temperature-driven morphological evolution of the zinc oxide nano-coalesced microstructures was perceived, resulting in transformation of quasi-mountain chain-like to pyramidal textured zinc oxide with increasing the synthesis temperature. The results also impart that the sample prepared at 500 °C shows a higher percentage of the zinc interstitial and oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the intensity of the photoluminescence emission in the ultraviolet region was enhanced as the heating temperature increased from 500 °C to 700 °C. Lastly, the growth mechanism of the zinc oxide nano-coalesced microstructures is discussed according to the reaction conditions. PMID:28773425

  6. [Study on preparation of composite nano-scale Fe3O4 for phosphorus control].

    PubMed

    Li, Lei; Pan, Gang; Chen, Hao

    2010-03-01

    Composite nano-scale Fe3O4 particles were prepared in sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) solution by the oxidation deposition method. The adsorptions of phosphorus by micro-scale Fe3O4 and composite nano-scale Fe3O4 were investigated in water and soil, and the role of cellulase in the adsorption of composite nano-scale Fe3O4 was studied. Kinetic tests indicated that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of phosphorous on the composite nano-scale Fe3O4 (2.1 mg/g) was less than that of micro-scale Fe3O4 (3.2 mg/g). When cellulase was added to the solution of composite nano-scale Fe3O4 to degrade CMC, the removal rate of P by the nanoparticles (86%) was enhanced to the same level as the microparticles (90%). In the column tests, when the composite nano-scale Fe3O4 suspension was introduced in the downflow mode through the soil column, 72% of Fe3O4 penetrated through the soil bed under gravity. In contrast, the micro-scale Fe3O4 failed to pass through the soil column. The retention rate of P was 45% in the soil column when treated by the CMC-stabilized nanoparticles, in comparison with only 30% for the untreated soil column, however it could be improved to 74% in the soil column when treated by both the CMC-stabilized nanoparticles and cellulase, which degraded CMC after the nanoparticles were delivered into the soil.

  7. Investigation of nanoporous platinum thin films fabricated by reactive sputtering: Application as micro-SOFC electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, WooChul; Kim, Jae Jin; Tuller, Harry L.

    2015-02-01

    Highly porous Pt thin films, with nano-scale porosity, were fabricated by reactive sputtering. The strategy involved deposition of thin film PtOx at room temperature, followed by the subsequent decomposition of the oxide by rapid heat treatment. The resulting films exhibited percolating Pt networks infiltrated with interconnected nanosized pores, critical for superior solid oxide fuel cell cathode performance. This approach is particularly attractive for micro-fabricated solid oxide fuel cells, since it enables fabrication of the entire cell stack (anode/electrolyte/cathode) within the sputtering chamber, without breaking vacuum. In this work, the morphological, crystallographic and chemical properties of the porous electrode were systematically varied by control of deposition conditions. Oxygen reduction reaction kinetics were investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, demonstrating the critical role of nano-pores in achieving satisfactory micro-SOFC cathode performance.

  8. Superconducting properties of Nb-Cu nano-composites and nano-alloys

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

    Parab, Pradnya, E-mail: pradnyaprb@gmail.com; Kumar, Sanjeev; Bhui, Prabhjyot

    The evolution of the superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c}) in nano-composite and nano-alloys of Nb-Cu, grown by DC magnetron co-sputtering are investigated. Microstructure of these films depends less strongly on the ratio of Nb:Cu but more on the growth temperature. At higher growth temperature, phase separated granular films of Nb and Cu were formed which showed superconducting transition temperatures (T{sub c}) of ~ 7.2±0.5 K, irrespective of the composition. Our results show that this is primarily influenced by the microstructure of the films determined during growth which rules out the superconducting proximity effect expected in these systems. At room temperaturemore » growth, films with nano-scale alloying were obtained at the optimal compositional range of 45-70 atomic% (At%) of Nb. These were also superconducting with a T{sub c} of 3.2 K.« less

  9. High Performance Nano-Crystalline Oxide Fuel Cell Materials. Defects, Structures, Interfaces, Transport, and Electrochemistry

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

    Barnett, Scott; Poeppelmeier, Ken; Mason, Tom

    This project addresses fundamental materials challenges in solid oxide electrochemical cells, devices that have a broad range of important energy applications. Although nano-scale mixed ionically and electronically conducting (MIEC) materials provide an important opportunity to improve performance and reduce device operating temperature, durability issues threaten to limit their utility and have remained largely unexplored. Our work has focused on both (1) understanding the fundamental processes related to oxygen transport and surface-vapor reactions in nano-scale MIEC materials, and (2) determining and understanding the key factors that control their long-term stability. Furthermore, materials stability has been explored under the “extreme” conditions encounteredmore » in many solid oxide cell applications, i.e, very high or very low effective oxygen pressures, and high current density.« less

  10. Electrochemical method of producing nano-scaled graphene platelets

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna; Jang, Joan; Jang, Bor Z.

    2013-09-03

    A method of producing nano-scaled graphene platelets with an average thickness smaller than 30 nm from a layered graphite material. The method comprises (a) forming a carboxylic acid-intercalated graphite compound by an electrochemical reaction; (b) exposing the intercalated graphite compound to a thermal shock to produce exfoliated graphite; and (c) subjecting the exfoliated graphite to a mechanical shearing treatment to produce the nano-scaled graphene platelets. Preferred carboxylic acids are formic acid and acetic acid. The exfoliation step in the instant invention does not involve the evolution of undesirable species, such as NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x, which are common by-products of exfoliating conventional sulfuric or nitric acid-intercalated graphite compounds. The nano-scaled platelets are candidate reinforcement fillers for polymer nanocomposites. Nano-scaled graphene platelets are much lower-cost alternatives to carbon nano-tubes or carbon nano-fibers.

  11. Pulse I-V characterization of a nano-crystalline oxide device with sub-gap density of states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Taeho; Hur, Ji-Hyun; Jeon, Sanghun

    2016-05-01

    Understanding the charge trapping nature of nano-crystalline oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFTs) is one of the most important requirements for their successful application. In our investigation, we employed a fast-pulsed I-V technique for understanding the charge trapping phenomenon and for characterizing the intrinsic device performance of an amorphous/nano-crystalline indium-hafnium-zinc-oxide semiconductor TFT with varying density of states in the bulk. Because of the negligible transient charging effect with a very short pulse, the source-to-drain current obtained with the fast-pulsed I-V measurement was higher than that measured by the direct-current characterization method. This is because the fast-pulsed I-V technique provides a charge-trap free environment, suggesting that it is a representative device characterization methodology of TFTs. In addition, a pulsed source-to-drain current versus time plot was used to quantify the dynamic trapping behavior. We found that the charge trapping phenomenon in amorphous/nano-crystalline indium-hafnium-zinc-oxide TFTs is attributable to the charging/discharging of sub-gap density of states in the bulk and is dictated by multiple trap-to-trap processes.

  12. Pulse I-V characterization of a nano-crystalline oxide device with sub-gap density of states.

    PubMed

    Kim, Taeho; Hur, Ji-Hyun; Jeon, Sanghun

    2016-05-27

    Understanding the charge trapping nature of nano-crystalline oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFTs) is one of the most important requirements for their successful application. In our investigation, we employed a fast-pulsed I-V technique for understanding the charge trapping phenomenon and for characterizing the intrinsic device performance of an amorphous/nano-crystalline indium-hafnium-zinc-oxide semiconductor TFT with varying density of states in the bulk. Because of the negligible transient charging effect with a very short pulse, the source-to-drain current obtained with the fast-pulsed I-V measurement was higher than that measured by the direct-current characterization method. This is because the fast-pulsed I-V technique provides a charge-trap free environment, suggesting that it is a representative device characterization methodology of TFTs. In addition, a pulsed source-to-drain current versus time plot was used to quantify the dynamic trapping behavior. We found that the charge trapping phenomenon in amorphous/nano-crystalline indium-hafnium-zinc-oxide TFTs is attributable to the charging/discharging of sub-gap density of states in the bulk and is dictated by multiple trap-to-trap processes.

  13. Fabrication of a 3D micro/nano dual-scale carbon array and its demonstration as the microelectrodes for supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Shulan; Shi, Tielin; Gao, Yang; Long, Hu; Xi, Shuang; Tang, Zirong

    2014-04-01

    An easily accessible method is proposed for the fabrication of a 3D micro/nano dual-scale carbon array with a large surface area. The process mainly consists of three critical steps. Firstly, a hemispherical photoresist micro-array was obtained by the cost-effective nanoimprint lithography process. Then the micro-array was transformed into hierarchical structures with longitudinal nanowires on the microstructure surface by oxygen plasma etching. Finally, the micro/nano dual-scale carbon array was fabricated by carbonizing these hierarchical photoresist structures. It has also been demonstrated that the micro/nano dual-scale carbon array can be used as the microelectrodes for supercapacitors by the electrodeposition of a manganese dioxide (MnO2) film onto the hierarchical carbon structures with greatly enhanced electrochemical performance. The specific gravimetric capacitance of the deposited micro/nano dual-scale microelectrodes is estimated to be 337 F g-1 at the scan rate of 5 mV s-1. This proposed approach of fabricating a micro/nano dual-scale carbon array provides a facile way in large-scale microstructures’ manufacturing for a wide variety of applications, including sensors and on-chip energy storage devices.

  14. Growth control of carbon nanotubes using by anodic aluminum oxide nano templates.

    PubMed

    Park, Yong Seob; Choi, Won Seek; Yi, Junsin; Lee, Jaehyeong

    2014-05-01

    Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) template prepared in acid electrolyte possess regular and highly anisotropic porous structure with pore diameter range from five to several hundred nanometers, and with a density of pores ranging from 10(9) to 10(11) cm(-2). AAO can be used as microfilters and templates for the growth of CNTs and metal or semiconductor nanowires. Varying anodizing conditions such as temperature, electrolyte, applied voltage, anodizing and widening time, one can control the diameter, the length, and the density of pores. In this work, we deposited Al thin film by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method to fabricate AAO nano template and synthesized multi-well carbon nanotubes on a glass substrate by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD). AAO nano-porous templates with various pore sizes and depths were introduced to control the dimension and density of CNT arrays. The AAO nano template was synthesize on glass by two-step anodization technique. The average diameter and interpore distance of AAO nano template are about 65 nm and 82 nm. The pore density and AAO nano template thickness are about 2.1 x 10(10) pores/cm2 and 1 microm, respectively. Aligned CNTs on the AAO nano template were synthesized by MPECVD at 650 degrees C with the Ni catalyst layer. The length and diameter of CNTs were grown 2 microm and 50 nm, respectively.

  15. 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

  16. Fabrication and kinetics study of nano-Al/NiO thermite film by electrophoretic deposition.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Daixiong; Li, Xueming

    2015-05-21

    Nano-Al/NiO thermites were successfully prepared as film by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). For the key issue of this EPD, a mixture solvent of ethanol-acetylacetone (1:1 in volume) containing 0.00025 M nitric acid was proved to be a suitable dispersion system for EPD. The kinetics of electrophoretic deposition for both nano-Al and nano-NiO were investigated; the linear relation between deposition weight and deposition time in short time and parabolic relation in prolonged time were observed in both EPDs. The critical transition time between linear deposition kinetics and parabolic deposition kinetics for nano-Al and nano-NiO were 20 and 10 min, respectively. The theoretical calculation of the kinetics of electrophoretic deposition revealed that the equivalence ratio of nano-Al/NiO thermites film would be affected by the behavior of electrophoretic deposition for nano-Al and nano-NiO. The equivalence ratio remained steady when the linear deposition kinetics dominated for both nano-Al and nano-NiO. The equivalence ratio would change with deposition time when deposition kinetics for nano-NiO changed into parabolic kinetics dominated after 10 min. Therefore, the rule was suggested to be suitable for other EPD of bicomposites. We also studied thermodynamic properties of electrophoretic nano-Al/NiO thermites film as well as combustion performance.

  17. Using size-selected gold clusters on graphene oxide films to aid cryo-transmission electron tomography alignment

    PubMed Central

    Arkill, Kenton P.; Mantell, Judith M.; Plant, Simon R.; Verkade, Paul; Palmer, Richard E.

    2015-01-01

    A three-dimensional reconstruction of a nano-scale aqueous object can be achieved by taking a series of transmission electron micrographs tilted at different angles in vitreous ice: cryo-Transmission Electron Tomography. Presented here is a novel method of fine alignment for the tilt series. Size-selected gold clusters of ~2.7 nm (Au561 ± 14), ~3.2 nm (Au923 ± 22), and ~4.3 nm (Au2057 ± 45) in diameter were deposited onto separate graphene oxide films overlaying holes on amorphous carbon grids. After plunge freezing and subsequent transfer to cryo-Transmission Electron Tomography, the resulting tomograms have excellent (de-)focus and alignment properties during automatic acquisition. Fine alignment is accurate when the evenly distributed 3.2 nm gold particles are used as fiducial markers, demonstrated with a reconstruction of a tobacco mosaic virus. Using a graphene oxide film means the fiducial markers are not interfering with the ice bound sample and that automated collection is consistent. The use of pre-deposited size-selected clusters means there is no aggregation and a user defined concentration. The size-selected clusters are mono-dispersed and can be produced in a wide size range including 2–5 nm in diameter. The use of size-selected clusters on a graphene oxide films represents a significant technical advance for 3D cryo-electron microscopy. PMID:25783049

  18. Grayscale photomask fabricated by laser direct writing in metallic nano-films.

    PubMed

    Guo, Chuan Fei; Cao, Sihai; Jiang, Peng; Fang, Ying; Zhang, Jianming; Fan, Yongtao; Wang, Yongsheng; Xu, Wendong; Zhao, Zhensheng; Liu, Qian

    2009-10-26

    The grayscale photomask plays a key role in grayscale lithography for creating 3D microstructures like micro-optical elements and MEMS structures, but how to fabricate grayscale masks in a cost-effective way is still a big challenge. Here we present novel low cost grayscale masks created in a two-step method by laser direct writing on Sn nano-films, which demonstrate continuous-tone gray levels depended on writing powers. The mechanism of the gray levels is due to the coexistence of the metal and the oxides formed in a laser-induced thermal process. The photomasks reveal good technical properties in fabricating 3D microstructures for practical applications.

  19. Voltammetric and impedance behaviours of surface-treated nano-crystalline diamond film electrodes

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

    Liu, F. B.; Jing, B.; Cui, Y.

    2015-04-15

    The electrochemical performances of hydrogen- and oxygen-terminated nano-crystalline diamond film electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance spectroscopy. In addition, the surface morphologies, phase structures, and chemical states of the two diamond films were analysed by scanning probe microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicated that the potential window is narrower for the hydrogen-terminated nano-crystalline diamond film than for the oxygen-terminated one. The diamond film resistance and capacitance of oxygen-terminated diamond film are much larger than those of the hydrogen-terminated diamond film, and the polarization resistances and double-layer capacitance corresponding to oxygen-terminated diamond filmmore » are both one order of magnitude larger than those corresponding to the hydrogen-terminated diamond film. The electrochemical behaviours of the two diamond film electrodes are discussed.« less

  20. Thin-film nano-thermogravimetry applied to praseodymium-cerium oxide films at high temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schröder, Sebastian; Fritze, Holger; Bishop, Sean; Chen, Di; Tuller, Harry L.

    2018-05-01

    High precision measurements of oxygen nonstoichiometry δ in thin film metal oxides MaOb±δ at elevated temperatures and controlled oxygen partial pressures pO2 are reported with the aid of resonant microbalances. The resonant microbalances applied here consisted of y-cut langasite (La3Ga5SiO14) and CTGS (Ca3TaGa3Si2O14) piezoelectric resonators, operated in the thickness shear mode at ˜5 MHz. Measurements of variations in δ of Pr0.1Ce0.9O2-δ (PCO) films are reported for the oxygen partial pressure range from 10-8 bar to 0.2 bar at 700 °C, and these results were found to be in good agreement with previously reported oxygen nonstoichiometry δ data derived from chemical capacitance studies. The PCO thin-films were deposited via pulsed laser deposition on both sides of the resonators, whose series resonance frequency was tracked, converted into mass changes and, finally, into nonstoichiometry. The nonstoichiometry was observed to reach a plateau as the oxygen partial pressure dropped below about 10-5 bar, the behavior being attributed to the full reduction of Pr to the trivalent state. These resonators enable stable operation up to temperatures above 1000 °C, thereby maintaining high mass resolution suitable for determining oxygen nonstoichiometry variations in thin films deposited on such resonators. For the given experimental conditions, a mass resolution of ˜50 ng was achieved at 700 °C with the CTGS resonator.

  1. Very high-cycle fatigue failure in micron-scale polycrystalline silicon films: Effects of environment and surface oxide thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alsem, D. H.; Timmerman, R.; Boyce, B. L.; Stach, E. A.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.; Ritchie, R. O.

    2007-01-01

    Fatigue failure in micron-scale polycrystalline silicon structural films, a phenomenon that is not observed in bulk silicon, can severely impact the durability and reliability of microelectromechanical system devices. Despite several studies on the very high-cycle fatigue behavior of these films (up to 1012cycles), there is still an on-going debate on the precise mechanisms involved. We show here that for devices fabricated in the multiuser microelectromechanical system process (MUMPs) foundry and Sandia Ultra-planar, Multi-level MEMS Technology (SUMMiT V™) process and tested under equi-tension/compression loading at ˜40kHz in different environments, stress-lifetime data exhibit similar trends in fatigue behavior in ambient room air, shorter lifetimes in higher relative humidity environments, and no fatigue failure at all in high vacuum. The transmission electron microscopy of the surface oxides in the test samples shows a four- to sixfold thickening of the surface oxide at stress concentrations after fatigue failure, but no thickening after overload fracture in air or after fatigue cycling in vacuo. We find that such oxide thickening and premature fatigue failure (in air) occur in devices with initial oxide thicknesses of ˜4nm (SUMMiT V™) as well as in devices with much thicker initial oxides ˜20nm (MUMPs). Such results are interpreted and explained by a reaction-layer fatigue mechanism. Specifically, moisture-assisted subcritical cracking within a cyclic stress-assisted thickened oxide layer occurs until the crack reaches a critical size to cause catastrophic failure of the entire device. The entirety of the evidence presented here strongly indicates that the reaction-layer fatigue mechanism is the governing mechanism for fatigue failure in micron-scale polycrystalline silicon thin films.

  2. Effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit.

    PubMed

    Xi, Peng; Li, Yan; Ge, Xiaojin; Liu, Dandan; Miao, Mingsan

    2018-05-01

    Observing the effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit. We prepared boiling water scalded rabbits with deep II degree scald models and applied high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film for different time and area. Then we compared the difference of burned paper weight before administration and after administration model burns, burn local skin irritation points infection, skin crusting and scabs from the time, and the impact of local skin tissue morphology. Rabbits deep II degree burn model successful modeling; on day 12, 18, high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film significantly reduced skin irritation of rabbits infected with the integral value ( P  < 0.01, P  < 0.05); high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film group significantly decreased skin irritation, infection integral value ( P  < 0.01, P  < 0.05); high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film significantly reduced film rabbits' scalded skin crusting time ( P  < 0.01), significantly shortened the rabbit skin burns from the scab time ( P  < 0.01), and significantly improved the treatment of skin diseases in rabbits scald model change ( P  < 0.01, P  < 0.05). The nano-silver hydrogel coating film on the deep partial thickness burns has a significant therapeutic effect; external use has a significant role in wound healing.

  3. Enhancement of magnetoresistance by hydrogen ion treatment for current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistive films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuasa, H.; Hara, M.; Murakami, S.; Fuji, Y.; Fukuzawa, H.; Zhang, K.; Li, M.; Schreck, E.; Wang, P.; Chen, M.

    2010-09-01

    We have enhanced magnetoresistance (MR) for current-perpendicular-to-plane giant-magnetoresistive (CPP-GMR) films with a current-confined-path nano-oxide layer (CCP-NOL). In order to realize higher purity in Cu for CCPs, hydrogen ion treatment (HIT) was applied as the CuOx reduction process. By applying the HIT process, an MR ratio was increased to 27.4% even in the case of using conventional FeCo magnetic layer, from 13.0% for a reference without the HIT process. Atom probe tomography data confirmed oxygen reduction by the HIT process in the CCP-NOL. The relationship between oxygen counts and MR ratio indicates that further oxygen reduction would realize an MR ratio greater than 50%.

  4. Lateral assembly of oxidized graphene flakes into large-scale transparent conductive thin films with a three-dimensional surfactant 4-sulfocalix[4]arene

    PubMed Central

    Sundramoorthy, Ashok K.; Wang, Yilei; Wang, Jing; Che, Jianfei; Thong, Ya Xuan; Lu, Albert Chee W.; Chan-Park, Mary B.

    2015-01-01

    Graphene is a promising candidate material for transparent conductive films because of its excellent conductivity and one-carbon-atom thickness. Graphene oxide flakes prepared by Hummers method are typically several microns in size and must be pieced together in order to create macroscopic films. We report a macro-scale thin film fabrication method which employs a three-dimensional (3-D) surfactant, 4-sulfocalix[4]arene (SCX), as a lateral aggregating agent. After electrochemical exfoliation, the partially oxidized graphene (oGr) flakes are dispersed with SCX. The SCX forms micelles, which adsorb on the oGr flakes to enhance their dispersion, also promote aggregation into large-scale thin films under vacuum filtration. A thin oGr/SCX film can be shaved off from the aggregated oGr/SCX cake by immersing the cake in water. The oGr/SCX thin-film floating on the water can be subsequently lifted from the water surface with a substrate. The reduced oGr (red-oGr) films can be as thin as 10−20 nm with a transparency of >90% and sheet resistance of 890 ± 47 kΩ/sq. This method of electrochemical exfoliation followed by SCX-assisted suspension and hydrazine reduction, avoids using large amounts of strong acid (unlike Hummers method), is relatively simple and can easily form a large scale conductive and transparent film from oGr/SCX suspension. PMID:26040436

  5. Method of producing nano-scaled inorganic platelets

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna; Jang, Bor Z.

    2012-11-13

    The present invention provides a method of exfoliating a layered material (e.g., transition metal dichalcogenide) to produce nano-scaled platelets having a thickness smaller than 100 nm, typically smaller than 10 nm. The method comprises (a) dispersing particles of a non-graphite laminar compound in a liquid medium containing therein a surfactant or dispersing agent to obtain a stable suspension or slurry; and (b) exposing the suspension or slurry to ultrasonic waves at an energy level for a sufficient length of time to produce separated nano-scaled platelets. The nano-scaled platelets are candidate reinforcement fillers for polymer nanocomposites.

  6. Nanoscale strengthening mechanisms in metallic thin film systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoeppner, Rachel Lynn

    Nano-scale strengthening mechanisms for thin films were investigated for systems governed by two different strengthening techniques: nano-laminate strengthening and oxide dispersion strengthening. Films were tested under elevated temperature conditions to investigate changes in deformation mechanisms at different operating temperatures, and the structural stability. Both systems exhibit remarkable stability after annealing and thus long-term reliability. Nano-scale metallic multilayers with smaller layer thicknesses show a greater relative resistance to decreasing strength at higher temperature testing conditions than those with larger layer thicknesses. This is seen in both Cu/Ni/Nb multilayers as well as a similar tri-component bi-layer system (Cu-Ni/Nb), which removed the coherent interface from the film. Both nanoindentation and micro-pillar compression tests investigated the strain-hardening ability of these two systems to determine what role the coherent interface plays in this mechanism. Tri-layer films showed a higher strain-hardening ability as the layer thickness decreased and a higher strain-hardening exponent than the bi-layer system: verifying the presence of a coherent interface increases the strain-hardening ability of these multilayer systems. Both systems exhibited hardening of the room temperature strength after annealing, suggesting a change in microstructure has occurred, unlike that seen in other multilayer systems. Oxide dispersion strengthened Au films showed a marked increase in hardness and wear resistance with the addition of ZnO particles. The threshold for stress-induced grain-refinement as opposed to grain growth is seen at concentrations of at least 0.5 vol%. These systems exhibited stable microstructures during thermal cycling in films containing at least 1.0%ZnO. Nanoindentation experiments show the drop in hardness following annealing is almost completely attributed to the resulting grain growth. Four-point probe resistivity

  7. Wafer-scale growth of VO2 thin films using a combinatorial approach

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Hai-Tian; Zhang, Lei; Mukherjee, Debangshu; Zheng, Yuan-Xia; Haislmaier, Ryan C.; Alem, Nasim; Engel-Herbert, Roman

    2015-01-01

    Transition metal oxides offer functional properties beyond conventional semiconductors. Bridging the gap between the fundamental research frontier in oxide electronics and their realization in commercial devices demands a wafer-scale growth approach for high-quality transition metal oxide thin films. Such a method requires excellent control over the transition metal valence state to avoid performance deterioration, which has been proved challenging. Here we present a scalable growth approach that enables a precise valence state control. By creating an oxygen activity gradient across the wafer, a continuous valence state library is established to directly identify the optimal growth condition. Single-crystalline VO2 thin films have been grown on wafer scale, exhibiting more than four orders of magnitude change in resistivity across the metal-to-insulator transition. It is demonstrated that ‘electronic grade' transition metal oxide films can be realized on a large scale using a combinatorial growth approach, which can be extended to other multivalent oxide systems. PMID:26450653

  8. Nano-scale imaging and spectroscopy of plasmonic systems, thermal near-fields, and phase separation in complex oxides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Andrew C.

    -rods. Strong spatial field variation on lengths scales as short as 20 nm is observed associated with the dipolar and quadrupolar modes of both systems with details sensitively depending on the nanoparticle structure and environment. In light of recent publications predicting distinct spectral characteristics of thermal electromagnetic near-fields, I demonstrate the extension of s-SNOM techniques through the implementation of a heated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip acting as its own intrinsic light source for the characterization of thermal near-fields. Here, I detail the spectrally distinct and orders of magnitude enhanced resonant spectral near-field energy density associated with vibrational, phonon, and phonon-polariton modes. Modeling the thermal light scattering by the AFM, the scattering cross-section for thermal light may be related to the electromagnetic local density of states (EM-LDOS) above a surface. Lastly, the unique capability of s-SNOM techniques to characterize phase separation phenomena in correlated electron systems is discussed. This measurement capability provides new microscopic insight into the underlying mechanisms of the rich phase transition behavior exhibited by these materials. As a specific example, the infrared s-SNOM mapping of the metal-insulator transition and the associated nano-domain formation in individual VO2 micro-crystals subject to substrate stress is presented. Our results have important implications for the interpretation of the investigations of conventional polycrystalline thin films where the mutual interaction of constituent crystallites may affect the nature of phase separation processes.

  9. Fabrication and Characterization of Fully Transparent ZnO Thin-Film Transistors and Self-Switching Nano-Diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Y.; Ashida, K.; Sasaki, S.; Koyama, M.; Maemoto, T.; Sasa, S.; Kasai, S.; Iñiguez-de-la-Torre, I.; González, T.

    2015-10-01

    Fully transparent zinc oxide (ZnO) based thin-film transistors (TFTs) and a new type of rectifiers calls self-switching nano-diodes (SSDs) were fabricated on glass substrates at room temperature by using low resistivity and transparent conducting Al- doped ZnO (AZO) thin-films. The deposition conditions of AZO thin-films were optimized with pulsed laser deposition (PLD). AZO thin-films on glass substrates were characterized and the transparency of 80% and resistivity with 1.6*10-3 Ωcm were obtained of 50 nm thickness. Transparent ZnO-TFTs were fabricated on glass substrates by using AZO thin-films as electrodes. A ZnO-TFT with 2 μm long gate device exhibits a transconductance of 400 μS/mm and an ON/OFF ratio of 2.8*107. Transparent ZnO-SSDs were also fabricated by using ZnO based materials and clear diode-like characteristics were observed.

  10. Transparent, flexible supercapacitors from nano-engineered carbon films.

    PubMed

    Jung, Hyun Young; Karimi, Majid B; Hahm, Myung Gwan; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Jung, Yung Joon

    2012-01-01

    Here we construct mechanically flexible and optically transparent thin film solid state supercapacitors by assembling nano-engineered carbon electrodes, prepared in porous templates, with morphology of interconnected arrays of complex shapes and porosity. The highly textured graphitic films act as electrode and current collector and integrated with solid polymer electrolyte, function as thin film supercapacitors. The nanostructured electrode morphology and the conformal electrolyte packaging provide enough energy and power density for the devices in addition to excellent mechanical flexibility and optical transparency, making it a unique design in various power delivery applications.

  11. Transparent, flexible supercapacitors from nano-engineered carbon films

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Hyun Young; Karimi, Majid B.; Hahm, Myung Gwan; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Jung, Yung Joon

    2012-01-01

    Here we construct mechanically flexible and optically transparent thin film solid state supercapacitors by assembling nano-engineered carbon electrodes, prepared in porous templates, with morphology of interconnected arrays of complex shapes and porosity. The highly textured graphitic films act as electrode and current collector and integrated with solid polymer electrolyte, function as thin film supercapacitors. The nanostructured electrode morphology and the conformal electrolyte packaging provide enough energy and power density for the devices in addition to excellent mechanical flexibility and optical transparency, making it a unique design in various power delivery applications. PMID:23105970

  12. Transparent, flexible supercapacitors from nano-engineered carbon films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Hyun Young; Karimi, Majid B.; Hahm, Myung Gwan; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Jung, Yung Joon

    2012-10-01

    Here we construct mechanically flexible and optically transparent thin film solid state supercapacitors by assembling nano-engineered carbon electrodes, prepared in porous templates, with morphology of interconnected arrays of complex shapes and porosity. The highly textured graphitic films act as electrode and current collector and integrated with solid polymer electrolyte, function as thin film supercapacitors. The nanostructured electrode morphology and the conformal electrolyte packaging provide enough energy and power density for the devices in addition to excellent mechanical flexibility and optical transparency, making it a unique design in various power delivery applications.

  13. Formation of ultra Si/Ti nano thin film for enhancing silicon solar cell efficiency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adam, T.; Dhahi, T. S.; Mohammed, M.; Al-Hajj, A. M.; Hashim, U.

    2017-10-01

    An alternative electrical source has l has become the major quest of every researchers due to it numerous advantages and applications of power supply and as electronic devices are becoming more and more portable. A highly efficient power supply is become inevitable. Thus. in this study, present ultrasonic based assisted fabrication of electrochemical silicon-Titanium nano thin film by in-house simple technique, uniformly silicon Nano film was fabricated and etched with HF (40%): C2H5OH (99%):1:1, < 20 nm pore diameter of silicon was fabricated. The surface and morphology reveal that the method produce uniform nano silicon porous layer with smaller silicon pores with high etching efficiency. The silicon-Titanium integrated nano porous exhibited excellent observation properties with low reflection index ~ 1.1 compared to silicon alone thin film.

  14. X-ray absorption spectroscopy characterization of embedded and extracted nano-oxides

    DOE PAGES

    Stan, Tiberiu; Sprouster, David J.; Ofan, Avishai; ...

    2016-12-29

    Here, the chemistries and structures of both embedded and extracted Ysingle bondTisingle bondO nanometer-scale oxides in a nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) were probed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Y 2Ti 2O 7 is the primary embedded phase, while the slightly larger extracted oxides are primarily Y 2TiO 5. Analysis of the embedded nano-oxides is difficult partly due to the multiple Ti environments associated with different oxides and those still residing in matrix lattice sites. Thus, bulk extraction followed by selective filtration was used to isolate the larger Y 2TiO 5 oxides for XAS, while the smaller predominant embedded phase Ymore » 2Ti 2O 7 oxides passed through the filters and were analyzed using the log-ratio method.« less

  15. Self-organized nano-structuring of CoO islands on Fe(001)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brambilla, A.; Picone, A.; Giannotti, D.; Riva, M.; Bussetti, G.; Berti, G.; Calloni, A.; Finazzi, M.; Ciccacci, F.; Duò, L.

    2016-01-01

    The realization of nanometer-scale structures through bottom-up strategies can be accomplished by exploiting a buried network of dislocations. We show that, by following appropriate growth steps in ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy, it is possible to grow nano-structured films of CoO coupled to Fe(001) substrates, with tunable sizes (both the lateral size and the maximum height scale linearly with coverage). The growth mode is discussed in terms of the evolution of surface morphology and chemical interactions as a function of the CoO thickness. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal that square mounds of CoO with lateral dimensions of less than 25 nm and heights below 10 atomic layers are obtained by growing few-nanometers-thick CoO films on a pre-oxidized Fe(001) surface covered by an ultra-thin Co buffer layer. In the early stages of growth, a network of misfit dislocations develops, which works as a template for the CoO nano-structuring. From a chemical point of view, at variance with typical CoO/Fe interfaces, neither Fe segregation at the surface nor Fe oxidation at the buried interface are observed, as seen by Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy, respectively.

  16. Ultrahigh hardness and high electrical resistivity in nano-twinned, nanocrystalline high-entropy alloy films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huo, Wenyi; Liu, Xiaodong; Tan, Shuyong; Fang, Feng; Xie, Zonghan; Shang, Jianku; Jiang, Jianqing

    2018-05-01

    Nano-twinned, nanocrystalline CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy films were produced by magnetron sputtering. The films exhibit a high hardness of 8.5 GPa, the elastic modulus of 161.9 GPa and the resistivity as high as 135.1 μΩ·cm. The outstanding mechanical properties were found to result from the resistance of deformation created by nanocrystalline grains and nano-twins, while the electrical resistivity was attributed to the strong blockage effect induced by grain boundaries and lattice distortions. The results lay a solid foundation for the development of advanced films with structural and functional properties combined in micro-/nano-electronic devices.

  17. Synthesis, Optical and Photoluminescence Properties of Cu-Doped Zno Nano-Fibers Thin Films: Nonlinear Optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganesh, V.; Salem, G. F.; Yahia, I. S.; Yakuphanoglu, F.

    2018-03-01

    Different concentrations of copper-doped zinc oxide thin films were coated on a glass substrate by sol-gel/spin-coating technique. The structural properties of pure and Cu-doped ZnO films were characterized by different techniques, i.e., atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. The AFM study revealed that pure and doped ZnO films are formed as nano-fibers with a granular structure. The photoluminescence spectra of these films showed a strong ultraviolet emission peak centered at 392 nm and a strong blue emission peak cantered at 450 nm. The optical band gap of the pure and copper-doped ZnO thin films calculated from optical transmission spectra (3.29-3.23 eV) were found to be increasing with increasing copper doping concentration. The refractive index dispersion curve of pure and Cu-doped ZnO film obeyed the single-oscillator model. The optical dispersion parameters such as E o , E d , and n_{∞}2 were calculated. Further, the nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear optical susceptibility were also calculated and interpreted.

  18. Dielectric discontinuity at interfaces in the atomic-scale limit: permittivity of ultrathin oxide films on silicon.

    PubMed

    Giustino, Feliciano; Umari, Paolo; Pasquarello, Alfredo

    2003-12-31

    Using a density-functional approach, we study the dielectric permittivity across interfaces at the atomic scale. Focusing on the static and high-frequency permittivities of SiO2 films on silicon, for oxide thicknesses from 12 A down to the atomic scale, we find a departure from bulk values in accord with experiment. A classical three-layer model accounts for the calculated permittivities and is supported by the microscopic polarization profile across the interface. The local screening varies on length scales corresponding to first-neighbor distances, indicating that the dielectric transition is governed by the chemical grading. Silicon-induced gap states are shown to play a minor role.

  19. Effect of graphene oxide nano filler on dynamic behaviour of GFRP composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pujar, Nagabhushan V.; Nanjundaradhya, N. V.; Sharma, Ramesh S.

    2018-04-01

    Nano fillers like Alumina oxide, Titanium oxide, Carbon nano tube, Nano clay have been used to improve the mechanical and damping properties of fiber reinforced polymer composites. In the recent years Graphene oxide nano filler is receiving considerable attention for its outstanding properties. Literature available shows that Graphene oxide nano filler can be used to improve the mechanical properties. The use of Graphene oxide in vibration attenuation by enhancing the passive damping in fiber reinforced polymer composite has not been fully explored. The objective of this work is to investigate the dynamic behaviour of Glass fiber-reinforced composite embedded with Graphene oxide nano filler. Graphene oxide is dispersed in epoxy resin with various concentration (0.1%, 0.5% and 1%wt) using ultra-sonification process. Composite laminates were made using the traditional hand-lay-up followed by vacuum bag process. Experimental modal analysis using traditional `strike method' is used to evaluate modal parameters using FFT analyzer and Data Acquisition System. Experiments were carried out for two different fiber orientations viz 0 ➙ & 45 ➙ and two boundary conditions (Free-Free and Cantilever). The modal parameters such as natural frequency, mode shape, damping ratio were studied. This research work demonstrates the vibration damping behaviour with incorporation of Graphene oxide and provides a basic understanding of the damping characteristics in design and manufacture of high performance composites.

  20. Novel green nano composites films fabricated by indigenously synthesized graphene oxide and chitosan.

    PubMed

    Khan, Younus H; Islam, Atif; Sarwar, Afsheen; Gull, Nafisa; Khan, Shahzad M; Munawar, Muhammad A; Zia, Saba; Sabir, Aneela; Shafiq, Muhammad; Jamil, Tahir

    2016-08-01

    Graphene oxide (GO) was indigenously synthesized from graphite using standard Hummers method. Chitosan-graphene oxide green composite films were fabricated by mixing aqueous solution of chitosan and GO using dilute acetic acid as a solvent for chitosan. Chitosan of different viscosity and calculated molecular weight was used keeping amount of GO constant in each composite film. The structural properties, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile test. FTIR studies revealed the successful synthesis of GO from graphite powder and it was confirmed that homogenous blending of chitosan and GO was promising due to oxygenated functional groups on the surface of GO. XRD indicated effective conversion of graphite to GO as its strong peak observed at 11.06° as compared to pristine graphite which appeared at 26°. Moreover, mechanical analysis confirmed the effect of molecular weight on the mechanical properties of chitosan-GO composites showing that higher molecular weight chitosan composite (GOCC-1000) showed best strength (higher than 3GPa) compared to other composite films. Thermal stability of GOCC-1000 was enhanced for which residual content increased up to 56% as compared to the thermal stability of GOCC-200 whose residue was restricted to only 24%. The morphological analysis of the composites sheets by SEM was smooth having dense structure and showed excellent interaction, miscibility, compatibility and dispersion of GO with chitosan. The prepared composite films find their applications as biomaterials in different biomedical fields. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Optimized nano-transfersomal films for enhanced sildenafil citrate transdermal delivery: ex vivo and in vivo evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Badr-Eldin, Shaimaa M; Ahmed, Osamaa AA

    2016-01-01

    Sildenafil citrate (SLD) is a selective cyclic guanosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor used for the oral treatment of erectile dysfunction and, more recently, for other indications, including pulmonary hypertension. The challenges facing the oral administration of the drug include poor bioavailability and short duration of action that requires frequent administration. Thus, the objective of this work is to formulate optimized SLD nano-transfersomal transdermal films with enhanced and controlled permeation aiming at surmounting the previously mentioned challenges and hence improving the drug bioavailability. SLD nano-transfersomes were prepared using modified lipid hydration technique. Central composite design was applied for the optimization of SLD nano-transfersomes with minimized vesicular size. The independent variables studied were drug-to-phospholipid molar ratio, surfactant hydrophilic lipophilic balance, and hydration medium pH. The optimized SLD nano-transfersomes were developed and evaluated for vesicular size and morphology and then incorporated into hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose transdermal films. The optimized transfersomes were unilamellar and spherical in shape with vesicular size of 130 nm. The optimized SLD nano-transfersomal films exhibited enhanced ex vivo permeation parameters with controlled profile compared to SLD control films. Furthermore, enhanced bioavailability and extended absorption were demonstrated by SLD nano-transfersomal films as reflected by their significantly higher maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve and longer time to maxi mum plasma concentration (Tmax) compared to control films. These results highlighted the potentiality of optimized SLD nano-transfersomal films to enhance the transdermal permeation and the bioavailability of the drug with the possible consequence of reducing the dose and administration frequency. PMID:27103786

  2. Optimized nano-transfersomal films for enhanced sildenafil citrate transdermal delivery: ex vivo and in vivo evaluation.

    PubMed

    Badr-Eldin, Shaimaa M; Ahmed, Osamaa Aa

    2016-01-01

    Sildenafil citrate (SLD) is a selective cyclic guanosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor used for the oral treatment of erectile dysfunction and, more recently, for other indications, including pulmonary hypertension. The challenges facing the oral administration of the drug include poor bioavailability and short duration of action that requires frequent administration. Thus, the objective of this work is to formulate optimized SLD nano-transfersomal transdermal films with enhanced and controlled permeation aiming at surmounting the previously mentioned challenges and hence improving the drug bioavailability. SLD nano-transfersomes were prepared using modified lipid hydration technique. Central composite design was applied for the optimization of SLD nano-transfersomes with minimized vesicular size. The independent variables studied were drug-to-phospholipid molar ratio, surfactant hydrophilic lipophilic balance, and hydration medium pH. The optimized SLD nano-transfersomes were developed and evaluated for vesicular size and morphology and then incorporated into hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose transdermal films. The optimized transfersomes were unilamellar and spherical in shape with vesicular size of 130 nm. The optimized SLD nano-transfersomal films exhibited enhanced ex vivo permeation parameters with controlled profile compared to SLD control films. Furthermore, enhanced bioavailability and extended absorption were demonstrated by SLD nano-transfersomal films as reflected by their significantly higher maximum plasma concentration (C max) and area under the curve and longer time to maxi mum plasma concentration (T max) compared to control films. These results highlighted the potentiality of optimized SLD nano-transfersomal films to enhance the transdermal permeation and the bioavailability of the drug with the possible consequence of reducing the dose and administration frequency.

  3. Microstructure evolution of Al-doped zinc oxide films prepared by in-line reactive mid-frequency magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, R. J.; Jiang, X.

    2006-07-01

    Aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or AZO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive mid-frequency (MF) magnetron sputtering from Zn/Al metallic targets. Strong (002) preferred orientation was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that an AZO film deposited at low substrate temperature was composed of irregular large grains; but the film prepared at high temperature was composed of moderate sized grains with a regular shape. A secondary phase of ZnO2 was also observed for the film deposited at low substrate temperature. The cross-sectional TEM study of the AZO film showed that prior to the well-aligned columnar growth an initial interfacial zone with nano crystallites were formed. The nano crystallites formed initially with a large tilt angle normal to the substrate surface and during the growth of the transition zone, the tilt angle decreased until it vanished. The evolution of the film structure is discussed in terms of evolutionary selection model and the dynamic deposition process.

  4. Co-precipitation synthesis of nano-composites consists of zinc and tin oxides coatings on glass with enhanced photocatalytic activity on degradation of Reactive Blue 160 KE2B.

    PubMed

    Habibi, Mohammad Hossein; Mardani, Maryam

    2015-02-25

    Nano-composite containing zinc oxide-tin oxide was obtained by a facile co-precipitation route using tin chloride tetrahydrate and zinc chloride as precursors and coated on glass by Doctor Blade deposition. The crystalline structure and morphology of composites were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The XRD results showed peaks relative to zinc oxide with hexagonal wurtzite structure and tin oxide with tetragonal structure. FESEM observations showed that the nano-composite consisted of aggregates of particles with an average particle size of 18 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the pure SnO2, pure ZnO, ZnSnO3-Zn2SnO4 and ZnO-SnO2 nano-structure thin films was examined using the degradation of a textile dye Reactive Blue 160 (KE2B). ZnO-SnO2 nano-composite showed enhanced photo-catalytic activity than the pure zinc oxide and tin oxide. The enhanced photo-catalytic activity of the nano-composite was ascribed to an improved charge separation of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Weatherability and Leach Resistance of Wood Impregnated with Nano-Zinc Oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clausen, Carol A.; Green, Frederick; Nami Kartal, S.

    2010-09-01

    Southern pine specimens vacuum-treated with nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) dispersions were evaluated for leach resistance and UV protection. Virtually, no leaching occurred in any of the nano-ZnO-treated specimens in a laboratory leach test, even at the highest retention of 13 kg/m3. However, specimens treated with high concentrations of nano-ZnO showed 58-65% chemical depletion after 12 months of outdoor exposure. Protection from UV damage after 12 months exposure is visibly obvious on both exposed and unexposed surfaces compared to untreated controls. Graying was markedly diminished, although checking occurred in all specimens. Nano-zinc oxide treatment at a concentration of 2.5% or greater provided substantial resistance to water absorption following 12 months of outdoor exposure compared to untreated and unweathered southern pine. We conclude that nano-zinc oxide can be utilized in new wood preservative formulations to impart resistance to leaching, water absorption and UV damage of wood.

  6. Intrinsic stress evolution during amorphous oxide film growth on Al surfaces

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

    Flötotto, D., E-mail: d.floetotto@is.mpg.de; Wang, Z. M.; Jeurgens, L. P. H.

    2014-03-03

    The intrinsic stress evolution during formation of ultrathin amorphous oxide films on Al(111) and Al(100) surfaces by thermal oxidation at room temperature was investigated in real-time by in-situ substrate curvature measurements and detailed atomic-scale microstructural analyses. During thickening of the oxide a considerable amount of growth stresses is generated in, remarkably even amorphous, ultrathin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films. The surface orientation-dependent stress evolutions during O adsorption on the bare Al surfaces and during subsequent oxide-film growth can be interpreted as a result of (i) adsorption-induced surface stress changes and (ii) competing processes of free volume generation and structural relaxation, respectively.

  7. Multi-Scale Investigation of the Formation and Breakdown of Passive Films on Carbon Steel Rebar in Concrete

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghods, Pouria

    The multi-scale investigation presented in this thesis was carried out to understand better the mechanisms of passivation and chloride-induced depassivation of carbon steel reinforcement in concrete. The study consisted of electrochemical experiments (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear polarization resistance, free corrosion potential, anodic polarization), microscopic examinations (scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area diffraction, convergent beam electron diffraction), numerical modeling (finite element method), and spectroscopic studies (x-ray photoelectron, energy dispersed x-ray, electron energy loss). Electrochemical and microscopic studies showed that the composition of the pore solution and the surface conditions of the rebar affect the passivity and depassivation of carbon steel in concrete. It was demonstrated that crevices between mill scale and steel may become potential sites for depassivation and pit nucleation. The numerical investigation that was carried out to test this hypothesis confirmed that the ratio of chloride to hydroxide concentrations, Cl-/OH-, in crevices increased to levels higher than that of the bulk pore solution, making crevices more vulnerable to depassivation. Therefore, it was concluded that the variability associated with reported chloride thresholds might be attributed, at least in part, to the variability in mill scale properties resulting from the variability in manufacturing. The nano-scale microscopic and spectroscopic studies indicated the formation of 4-10 nm-thick passive oxide films on carbon steel in simulated concrete pore solutions, and these films consisted of two layers separated with an indistinct border. The inner layer was mainly composed of protective Fe2+-rich oxides that are in epitaxial relationship with the underlying steel surface; while the outer layer mostly consisted of (possibly porous) Fe3+-rich oxides, through which chlorides can penetrate. It was

  8. Effect of chromium underlayer on the properties of nano-crystalline diamond films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garratt, E.; AlFaify, S.; Yoshitake, T.; Katamune, Y.; Bowden, M.; Nandasiri, M.; Ghantasala, M.; Mancini, D. C.; Thevuthasan, S.; Kayani, A.

    2013-01-01

    This paper investigated the effect of chromium underlayer on the structure, microstructure, and composition of the nano-crystalline diamond films. Nano-crystalline diamond thin films were deposited at high temperature in microwave-induced plasma diluted with nitrogen, on single crystal silicon substrate with a thin film of chromium as an underlayer. Characterization of the film was implemented using non-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. Nanoindentation studies showed that the films deposited on chromium underlayer have higher hardness values compared to those deposited on silicon without an underlayer. Diamond and graphitic phases of the films evaluated by x-ray and optical spectroscopic analyses determined consistency between the sp2 and sp3 phases of carbon in chromium sample to that of diamond grown on silicon. Diffusion of chromium was observed using ion beam analysis which was correlated with the formation of chromium complexes by x-ray diffraction.

  9. Mass production of polymer nano-wires filled with metal nano-particles.

    PubMed

    Lomadze, Nino; Kopyshev, Alexey; Bargheer, Matias; Wollgarten, Markus; Santer, Svetlana

    2017-08-17

    Despite the ongoing progress in nanotechnology and its applications, the development of strategies for connecting nano-scale systems to micro- or macroscale elements is hampered by the lack of structural components that have both, nano- and macroscale dimensions. The production of nano-scale wires with macroscale length is one of the most interesting challenges here. There are a lot of strategies to fabricate long nanoscopic stripes made of metals, polymers or ceramics but none is suitable for mass production of ordered and dense arrangements of wires at large numbers. In this paper, we report on a technique for producing arrays of ordered, flexible and free-standing polymer nano-wires filled with different types of nano-particles. The process utilizes the strong response of photosensitive polymer brushes to irradiation with UV-interference patterns, resulting in a substantial mass redistribution of the polymer material along with local rupturing of polymer chains. The chains can wind up in wires of nano-scale thickness and a length of up to several centimeters. When dispersing nano-particles within the film, the final arrangement is similar to a core-shell geometry with mainly nano-particles found in the core region and the polymer forming a dielectric jacket.

  10. A comparative study of gelatin and starch-based nano-composite films modified by nano-cellulose and chitosan for food packaging applications.

    PubMed

    Noorbakhsh-Soltani, S M; Zerafat, M M; Sabbaghi, S

    2018-06-01

    Environmental concerns have led to extensive research for replacing polymer-based food packaging with bio-nano-composites. In this study, incorporation of nano-cellulose into gelatin and starch matrices is investigated for this purpose. Chitosan is used to improve mechanical, anti-fungal and waterproof properties. Experiments are designed and analyzed using response surface methodology. Nano-Cellulose is synthesized via acid hydrolysis and incorporated in base matrices through wet processing. Also, tensile strength test, food preservation, transparency in visible and UV and water contact angle are performed on the nano-composite films. DSC/TGA and air permeability tests are also performed on the optimal films. The results show that increasing nano-cellulose composition to 10% leads to increase the tensile strength at break to 8121 MN/m 2 and decrease the elongation at break. Also, increasing chitosan composition from 5% to 30% can enhance food preservation up to 15 days. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Camphor-Enabled Transfer and Mechanical Testing of Centimeter-Scale Ultrathin Films.

    PubMed

    Wang, Bin; Luo, Da; Li, Zhancheng; Kwon, Youngwoo; Wang, Meihui; Goo, Min; Jin, Sunghwan; Huang, Ming; Shen, Yongtao; Shi, Haofei; Ding, Feng; Ruoff, Rodney S

    2018-05-21

    Camphor is used to transfer centimeter-scale ultrathin films onto custom-designed substrates for mechanical (tensile) testing. Compared to traditional transfer methods using dissolving/peeling to remove the support-layers, camphor is sublimed away in air at low temperature, thereby avoiding additional stress on the as-transferred films. Large-area ultrathin films can be transferred onto hollow substrates without damage by this method. Tensile measurements are made on centimeter-scale 300 nm-thick graphene oxide film specimens, much thinner than the ≈2 μm minimum thickness of macroscale graphene-oxide films previously reported. Tensile tests were also done on two different types of large-area samples of adlayer free CVD-grown single-layer graphene supported by a ≈100 nm thick polycarbonate film; graphene stiffens this sample significantly, thus the intrinsic mechanical response of the graphene can be extracted. This is the first tensile measurement of centimeter-scale monolayer graphene films. The Young's modulus of polycrystalline graphene ranges from 637 to 793 GPa, while for near single-crystal graphene, it ranges from 728 to 908 GPa (folds parallel to the tensile loading direction) and from 683 to 775 GPa (folds orthogonal to the tensile loading direction), demonstrating the mechanical performance of large-area graphene in a size scale relevant to many applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Spontaneous nano-gap formation in Ag film using NaCl sacrificial layer for Raman enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Min, Kyungchan; Jeon, Wook Jin; Kim, Youngho; Choi, Jae-Young; Yu, Hak Ki

    2018-03-01

    We report the method of fabrication of nano-gaps (known as hot spots) in Ag thin film using a sodium chloride (NaCl) sacrificial layer for Raman enhancement. The Ag thin film (20-50 nm) on the NaCl sacrificial layer undergoes an interfacial reaction due to the AgCl formed at the interface during water molecule intercalation. The intercalated water molecules can dissolve the NaCl molecules at interfaces and form the ionic state of Na+ and Cl-, promoting the AgCl formation. The Ag atoms can migrate by the driving force of this interfacial reaction, resulting in the formation of nano-size gaps in the film. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity of Ag films with nano-size gaps has been investigated using Raman reporter molecules, Rhodamine 6G (R6G).

  13. Synthesis of nano-sized lithium cobalt oxide via a sol-gel method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Guangfen; Zhang, Jing

    2012-07-01

    In this study, nano-structured LiCoO2 thin film were synthesized by coupling a sol-gel process with a spin-coating method using polyacrylic acid (PAA) as chelating agent. The optimized conditions for obtaining a better gel formulation and subsequent homogenous dense film were investigated by varying the calcination temperature, the molar mass of PAA, and the precursor's molar ratios of PAA, lithium, and cobalt ions. The gel films on the silicon substrate surfaces were deposited by multi-step spin-coating process for either increasing the density of the gel film or adjusting the quantity of PAA in the film. The gel film was calcined by an optimized two-step heating procedure in order to obtain regular nano-structured LiCoO2 materials. Both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to analyze the crystalline and the morphology of the films, respectively.

  14. Scaling laws for nanoFET sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Fu-Shan; Wei, Qi-Huo

    2008-01-01

    The sensitive conductance change of semiconductor nanowires and carbon nanotubes in response to the binding of charged molecules provides a novel sensing modality which is generally denoted as nanoFET sensors. In this paper, we study the scaling laws of nanoplate FET sensors by simplifying nanoplates as random resistor networks with molecular receptors sitting on lattice sites. Nanowire/tube FETs are included as the limiting cases where the device width goes small. Computer simulations show that the field effect strength exerted by the binding molecules has significant impact on the scaling behaviors. When the field effect strength is small, nanoFETs have little size and shape dependence. In contrast, when the field effect strength becomes stronger, there exists a lower detection threshold for charge accumulation FETs and an upper detection threshold for charge depletion FET sensors. At these thresholds, the nanoFET devices undergo a transition between low and large sensitivities. These thresholds may set the detection limits of nanoFET sensors, while they could be eliminated by designing devices with very short source-drain distance and large width.

  15. Synthesis of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide using volumetric method by a novel approach without NaNO2 or NaNO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunda, Rajitha; Madireddy, Buchi Suresh; Dash, Raj Kishora

    2018-02-01

    In the present work, graphite was processed to graphene oxide (GO) using modified Hummer's method by volumetric titration approach, without attaining zero temperature and the addition of toxic chemicals (NaNO2/NaNO3). The complete oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide was obtained by controlled addition (volumetric titration) of KMnO4. The addition of higher KMnO4 resulted in partial oxidation and 2-3 mono-layers with less defects/disordered structure of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets were achieved. Samples were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, Raman analysis, and TEM analysis. X-ray diffraction displayed the oxidized peak of graphene oxide at 11.9° and reduced graphene oxide at 23.8°. The prolonged stability of the synthesized GO with lower mole ratios of oxidizing agent was confirmed from UV-visible spectroscopy. Based on the results, processed graphene oxide is found to be a candidate material for thermally stable capacitor application.

  16. Impact of nano/micron vegetable carbon black on mechanical, barrier and anti-photooxidation properties of fish gelatin film.

    PubMed

    Ding, Junsheng; Wu, Xiaomeng; Qi, Xiaona; Guo, Heng; Liu, Anjun; Wang, Wenhang

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, two kinds of commonly used vegetable carbon black (VCB, 3000 mesh; nano) at 50 g kg -1 concentration (based on dried gelatin) were added to 48 g kg -1 of fish gelatin (GEL) solutions and their effects on mechanical, barrier and anti-photooxidation properties of GEL films were investigated. From the SEM images, it was shown that compared with 3000 mesh VCB (1-2 μm), nano VCB (100-200 nm) made the microstructure of GEL film more compact and more gelatin chains were cross-linked by nano VCB. The addition of nano VCB significantly increased gelatin film strength with the greatest tensile strength of 52.589 MPa and stiffness with the highest Young's modulus of 968.874 MPa, but led to the reduction of film elongation. Also, the VCB presence significantly improved water vapour and oxygen barrier properties of GEL film. Importantly, nano VCB increased GEL film with better UV barrier property due to its stronger UV absorption nature when compared with micron VCB. This property could help in the preservation of oil samples in the photooxidation accelerated test. With improved properties, the nano VCB-reinforced GEL film may have great potential for application in the edible packaging field, especially for the anti-photooxidation property. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Stress generation in thermally grown oxide films. [oxide scale spalling from superalloy substrates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kumnick, A. J.; Ebert, L. J.

    1981-01-01

    A three dimensional finite element analysis was conducted, using the ANSYS computer program, of the stress state in a thin oxide film thermally formed on a rectangular piece of NiCrAl alloy. The analytical results indicate a very high compressive stress in the lateral directions of the film (approximately 6200 MPa), and tensile stresses in the metal substrate that ranged from essentially zero to about 55 MPa. It was found further that the intensity of the analytically determined average stresses could be approximated reasonably well by the modification of an equation developed previously by Oxx for stresses induced into bodies by thermal gradients.

  18. Nano-enabled tribological thin film coatings: global patent scenario.

    PubMed

    Sivudu, Kurva S; Mahajan, Yashwant R; Joshi, Shrikant V

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to present current status and future prospects of nano-enabled tribological thin film coatings based on worldwide patent landscape analysis. The study also presents an overview of technological trends by carrying out state-of-the-art literature analysis, including survey of corporate websites. Nanostructured tribological coatings encompass a wide spectrum of nanoscale microstructures, including nanocrystalline, nanolayered, nano-multilayered, nanocomposite, nanogradient structures or their unique combinations, which are composed of single or multi-component phases. The distinct microstructural features of the coatings impart outstanding tribological properties combined with multifunctional attributes to the coated components. Their unique combination of remarkable properties make them ideal candidates for a wide range of applications in diverse fields such as cutting and metalworking tools, biomedical devices, automotive engine components, wear parts, hard disc drives etc. The patent landscape analysis has revealed that nano-enabled tribological thin film coatings have significant potential for commercial applications in view of the lion's share of corporate industry in patenting activity. The largest patent portfolio is held by Japan followed by USA, Germany, Sweden and China. The prominent players involved in this field are Mitsubishi Materials Corp., Sandvik Aktiebolag, Hitachi Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., OC Oerlikon Corp., and so on. The outstanding potential of nanostructured thin film tribological coatings is yet to be fully unravelled and, therefore, immense opportunities are available in future for microstructurally engineered novel coatings to enhance their performance and functionality by many folds.

  19. CO oxidation on Alsbnd Au nano-composite systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajesh, C.; Majumder, C.

    2018-03-01

    Using first principles method we report the CO oxidation behaviour of Alsbnd Au nano-composites in three different size ranges: Al6Au8, Al13Au42 and a periodic slab of Alsbnd Au(1 1 1) surface. The clusters prefer enclosed structures with alternating arrangement of Al and Au atoms, maximising Auδ-sbnd Alδ+ bonds. Charge distribution analysis suggests the charge transfer from Al to Au atoms, corroborated by the red shift in the density of states spectrum. Further, CO oxidation on these nano-composite systems was investigated through both Eley - Rideal and Langmuir Hinshelwood mechanism. While, these clusters interact with O2 non-dissociatively with an elongation of the Osbnd O bond, further interaction with CO led to formation of CO2 spontaneously. On contrary, the CO2 evolution by co-adsorption of O2 and CO molecules has a transition state barrier. On the basis of the results it is inferred that nano-composite material of Alsbnd Au shows significant promise toward effective oxidative catalysis.

  20. [Study on anti-coagulant property of radio frequency sputtering nano-sized TiO2 thin films].

    PubMed

    Tang, Xiaoshan; Li, Da

    2010-12-01

    Nano-TiO2 thin films were prepared by Radio frequency (RF) sputtering on pyrolytic carbon substrates. The influences of sputtering power on the structure and the surface morphology of TiO2 thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the TiO2 films change to anatase through the optimum of sputtering power. The mean diameter of nano-particle is about 30 nm. The anti-coagulant property of TiO2 thin films was observed through platelet adhesion in vitro. The result of experiment reveals the amount of thrombus on the TiO2 thin films being much less than that on the pyrolytic carbon. It also indicates that the RF sputtering Nano-sized TiO2 thin films will be a new kind of promising materials applied to artificial heart valve and endovascular stent.

  1. Effect Of Chromium Underlayer On The Properties Of Nano-Crystalline Diamond Films

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

    Garratt, Elias; AlFaify, Salem; Yoshitake, T.

    2013-01-11

    This paper investigated the effect of chromium underlayer on the structure, microstructure and composition of the nano-crystalline diamond films. Nano-crystalline diamond thin films were deposited at high temperature in microwave-induced plasma diluted with nitrogen, on silicon substrate with a thin film of chromium as an underlayer. The composition, structure and microstructure of the deposited layers were analyzed using non-Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, Raman Spectroscopy, Near-Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure, X-ray Diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy. Nanoindentation studies showed that the films deposited on chromium underlayer have higher hardness values compared to those deposited on silicon without an underlayer. Diamond and graphiticmore » phases of the films evaluated by x-ray and optical spectroscopic analysis determined consistency between sp2 and sp3 phases of carbon in chromium sample to that of diamond grown on silicon. Diffusion of chromium was observed using ion beam analysis which was correlated with the formation of chromium complexes by x-ray diffraction.« less

  2. Assisted deposition of nano-hydroxyapatite onto exfoliated carbon nanotube oxide scaffolds.

    PubMed

    Zanin, H; Rosa, C M R; Eliaz, N; May, P W; Marciano, F R; Lobo, A O

    2015-06-14

    Electrodeposited nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) is more similar to biological apatite in terms of microstructure and dimension than apatites prepared by other processes. Reinforcement with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhances its mechanical properties and increases adhesion of osteoblasts. Here, we carefully studied nHAp deposited onto vertically aligned multi-walled CNT (VAMWCNT) scaffolds by electrodeposition and soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF). VAMWCNTs are porous biocompatible scaffolds with nanometric porosity and exceptional mechanical and chemical properties. The VAMWCNT films were prepared on a Ti substrate by a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition method, and then oxidized and exfoliated by oxygen plasma etching (OPE) to produce graphene oxide (GO) at the VAMWCNT tips. The attachment of oxygen functional groups was found to be crucial for nHAp nucleation during electrodeposition. A thin layer of plate-like and needle-like nHAp with high crystallinity was formed without any need for thermal treatment. This composite (henceforth referred to as nHAp-VAMWCNT-GO) served as the scaffold for in vitro biomineralization when soaked in the SBF, resulting in the formation of both carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor globular-like nHAp. Different steps in the deposition of biological apatite onto VAMWCNT-GO and during the short-term biomineralization process were analysed. Due to their unique structure and properties, such nano-bio-composites may become useful in accelerating in vivo bone regeneration processes.

  3. Assisted deposition of nano-hydroxyapatite onto exfoliated carbon nanotube oxide scaffolds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zanin, H.; Rosa, C. M. R.; Eliaz, N.; May, P. W.; Marciano, F. R.; Lobo, A. O.

    2015-05-01

    Electrodeposited nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) is more similar to biological apatite in terms of microstructure and dimension than apatites prepared by other processes. Reinforcement with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhances its mechanical properties and increases adhesion of osteoblasts. Here, we carefully studied nHAp deposited onto vertically aligned multi-walled CNT (VAMWCNT) scaffolds by electrodeposition and soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF). VAMWCNTs are porous biocompatible scaffolds with nanometric porosity and exceptional mechanical and chemical properties. The VAMWCNT films were prepared on a Ti substrate by a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition method, and then oxidized and exfoliated by oxygen plasma etching (OPE) to produce graphene oxide (GO) at the VAMWCNT tips. The attachment of oxygen functional groups was found to be crucial for nHAp nucleation during electrodeposition. A thin layer of plate-like and needle-like nHAp with high crystallinity was formed without any need for thermal treatment. This composite (henceforth referred to as nHAp-VAMWCNT-GO) served as the scaffold for in vitro biomineralization when soaked in the SBF, resulting in the formation of both carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor globular-like nHAp. Different steps in the deposition of biological apatite onto VAMWCNT-GO and during the short-term biomineralization process were analysed. Due to their unique structure and properties, such nano-bio-composites may become useful in accelerating in vivo bone regeneration processes.

  4. Nano-confinement inside molecular metal oxide clusters: Dynamics and modified encapsulation behavior

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

    Wang, Zhe; Daemen, Luke L.; Cheng, Yongqiang

    Encapsulation behavior, as well as the presence of internal catalytically-active sites, has been spurring the applications of a 3 nm hollow spherical metal oxide cluster {Mo 132} as an encapsulation host and a nano-reactor. Due to its well-defined and tunable cluster structures, and nano-scaled internal void space comparable to the volumes of small molecules, this cluster provides a good model to study the dynamics of materials under ultra-confinement. Neutron scattering studies suggest that bulky internal ligands inside the cluster show slower and limited dynamics compared to their counterparts in the bulk state, revealing the rigid nature of the skeleton ofmore » the internal ligands. Furthermore, NMR studies indicate that the rigid internal ligands that partially cover the interfacial pore on the molybdenum oxide shells are able to block some large guest molecules from going inside the capsule cluster, which provides a convincing protocol for size-selective encapsulation and separation.« less

  5. Nano-confinement inside molecular metal oxide clusters: Dynamics and modified encapsulation behavior

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Zhe; Daemen, Luke L.; Cheng, Yongqiang; ...

    2016-08-19

    Encapsulation behavior, as well as the presence of internal catalytically-active sites, has been spurring the applications of a 3 nm hollow spherical metal oxide cluster {Mo 132} as an encapsulation host and a nano-reactor. Due to its well-defined and tunable cluster structures, and nano-scaled internal void space comparable to the volumes of small molecules, this cluster provides a good model to study the dynamics of materials under ultra-confinement. Neutron scattering studies suggest that bulky internal ligands inside the cluster show slower and limited dynamics compared to their counterparts in the bulk state, revealing the rigid nature of the skeleton ofmore » the internal ligands. Furthermore, NMR studies indicate that the rigid internal ligands that partially cover the interfacial pore on the molybdenum oxide shells are able to block some large guest molecules from going inside the capsule cluster, which provides a convincing protocol for size-selective encapsulation and separation.« less

  6. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell response to nano-structured oxidized and turned titanium surfaces.

    PubMed

    Annunziata, Marco; Oliva, Adriana; Buosciolo, Antonietta; Giordano, Michele; Guida, Agostino; Guida, Luigi

    2012-06-01

    The aim of this study was to analyse the topographic features of a novel nano-structured oxidized titanium implant surface and to evaluate its effect on the response of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) compared with a traditional turned surface. The 10 × 10 × 1 mm turned (control) and oxidized (test) titanium samples (P.H.I. s.r.l.) were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and characterized by height, spatial and hybrid roughness parameters at different dimensional ranges of analysis. Primary cultures of BM-MSC were seeded on titanium samples and cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, in terms of alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin synthesis and extracellular matrix mineralization, were evaluated. At SEM and AFM analyses turned samples were grooved, whereas oxidized surfaces showed a more complex micro- and nano-scaled texture, with higher values of roughness parameters. Cell adhesion and osteogenic parameters were greater on oxidized (P<0.05 at least) vs. turned surfaces, whereas the cell proliferation rate was similar on both samples. Although both control and test samples were in the range of average roughness proper of smooth surfaces, they exhibited significantly different topographic properties in terms of height, spatial and, mostly, of hybrid parameters. This different micro- and nano-structure resulted in an enhanced adhesion and differentiation of cells plated onto the oxidized surfaces. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  7. Thickness-dependence of optical constants for Ta2O5 ultrathin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Dong-Xu; Zheng, Yu-Xiang; Cai, Qing-Yuan; Lin, Wei; Wu, Kang-Ning; Mao, Peng-Hui; Zhang, Rong-Jun; Zhao, Hai-bin; Chen, Liang-Yao

    2012-09-01

    An effective method for determining the optical constants of Ta2O5 thin films deposited on crystal silicon (c-Si) using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurement with a two-film model (ambient-oxide-interlayer-substrate) was presented. Ta2O5 thin films with thickness range of 1-400 nm have been prepared by the electron beam evaporation (EBE) method. We find that the refractive indices of Ta2O5 ultrathin films less than 40 nm drop with the decreasing thickness, while the other ones are close to those of bulk Ta2O5. This phenomenon was due to the existence of an interfacial oxide region and the surface roughness of the film, which was confirmed by the measurement of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties of ultrathin film varying with the thickness are useful for the design and manufacture of nano-scaled thin-film devices.

  8. Nano-scale Characterization of Basalt - Quenched Lava and Reheated Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burkhard, D. J.; Wirth, R.

    2001-12-01

    In order to trace the mechanism of crystallization in basalt we investigated basalt lava from active Pu'u O'o, Kilauea, Hawaii with TEM. We considered (1) quenched melt (glass, obtained by dipping a hammer into the lava (April 1996) and subsequent quenching in air), and (2) that glass after reheating for 48 hr at 850° C, and (3) after reheating for 48 hr at 930° C. Previous investigations had illustrated interface-controlled growth of pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides at 850° C and volumetric growth of these phases in addition to plagioclase above 920° C [1]. In general, (1) is a perfect glass to the nano-scale. Occasional inhomogeneities are identified as plagioclase. With a size of no more than approximately 100 unit cells, these "crystals" might be considered as nuclei. Dendrites of pyroxene, identified on the micron scale with back scattered electrons [1], occur as a sequence of slightly displaced plates with equal orientation on the nano-scale. HREM, diffraction pattern and EDS confirm that this is augite, in agreement with investigations on the micron-scale [1]. Fe-Ti oxides occur isolated in the matrix with a diameter less than 100 nm, in contrast to the micron-scale, where Fe-Ti oxides appear at the apices of augite. In (3) we find in addition plagioclase with thin lamellae, indicating twinning. In (3),augite contains lamellae parallel to (001), and they are identified as pigeonite by HREM and electron diffraction. Pigeonite lamellae occur also in (2), however, less developed. Electron diffraction suggests that reflections of augite correspond to the space group C 2/c, and of exsolved pigeonite to P 21/c, which is a low pigeonite. These exsolution phenomena are undistiguishable from what is usually observed in relation to high cooling rates [e.g. 2]. The stability of pigeonite at these temperatures suggests a Fe/Fe+Mg ratio above 0.6 for pyroxene in the quadilateral [3]. Microprobe analyses [1] suggest ratios of 0.4 to 0.5. [1] Burkhard D.J.M. (2001) J. Petrol

  9. Theory and Device Modeling for Nano-Structured Transistor Channels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    zinc oxide ( ZnO ) thin film transistors ( TFTs ) that contain nanocrystalline grains on the order of ~20nm. The authors of ref. 1 present results...problem in order to determine the threshold voltage. 15. SUBJECT TERMS nano-structured transistor , mesoscopic, zinc oxide , ZnO , field-effect...and R. Neidhard, “Microwave ZnO Thin - Film Transistors ”, IEEE Electron Dev. Lett. 29, 1024 (2008); doi: 10.1109/LED.2008.2001635.

  10. Plasma assisted facile synthesis of vanadium oxide (V3O7) nanostructured thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Megha; Saini, Sujit K.; Kumar, Prabhat; Sharma, Rabindar K.; Reddy, G. B.

    2018-05-01

    Vanadium oxides nanostructured thin films are synthesized using plasma assisted sublimation process. The effect of temperatures on growth of V2O5 and V3O7 thin films is studied. Scanning electron micrographs shows different morphologies are obtained at different temperatures i.e. at 450 °C nano cubes-like structures are obtained, whereas at 550 °C and 650 °C nanorods are obtained. Sample deposited at 450 °C is entirely composed of V2O5 and sample at higher temperatures are composed of mixed phase of vanadium oxides i.e. V2O5 and V3O7. As temperature increased, so the content of V3O7 in the sample is increased as confirmed by XRD and Raman analyses.

  11. Hierarchical Micro/Nano Structures by Combined Self-Organized Dewetting and Photopatterning of Photoresist Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Sachan, Priyanka; Kulkarni, Manish; Sharma, Ashutosh

    2015-11-17

    Photoresists are the materials of choice for micro/nanopatterning and device fabrication but are rarely used as a self-assembly material. We report for the first time a novel interplay of self-assembly and photolithography for fabrication of hierarchical and ordered micro/nano structures. We create self-organized structures by the intensified dewetting of unstable thin (∼10 nm to 1 μm) photoresist films by annealing them in an optimal solvent and nonsolvent liquid mixture that allows spontaneous dewetting to form micro/nano smooth dome-like structures. The density, size (∼100 nm to millimeters), and curvature/contact angle of the dome/droplet structures are controlled by the film thickness, composition of the dewetting liquid, and time of annealing. Ordered dewetted structures are obtained simply by creating spatial variation of viscosity by ultraviolet exposure or by photopatterning before dewetting. Further, the structures thus fabricated are readily photopatterned again on the finer length scales after dewetting. We illustrate the approach by fabricating several three-dimensional structures of varying complexity with secondary and tertiary features.

  12. Fabrication of polymeric nano-batteries array using anodic aluminum oxide templates.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Qiang; Cui, Xiaoli; Chen, Ling; Liu, Ling; Sun, Zhenkun; Jiang, Zhiyu

    2009-02-01

    Rechargeable nano-batteries were fabricated in the array pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, combining template method and electrochemical method. The battery consisted of electropolymerized PPy electrode, porous TiO2 separator, and chemically polymerized PAn electrode was fabricated in the array pores of two-step anodizing aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane, based on three-step assembling method. It performs typical electrochemical battery behavior with good charge-discharge ability, and presents a capacity of 25 nAs. AFM results show the hexagonal array of nano-batteries' top side. The nano-battery may be a promising device for the development of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS).

  13. Scaling Laws for NanoFET Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Qi-Huo; Zhou, Fu-Shan

    2008-03-01

    In this paper, we report our numerical studies of the scaling laws for nanoplate field-effect transistor (FET) sensors by simplifying the nanoplates as random resistor networks. Nanowire/tube FETs are included as the limiting cases where the device width goes small. Computer simulations show that the field effect strength exerted by the binding molecules has significant impact on the scaling behaviors. When the field effect strength is small, nanoFETs have little size and shape dependence. In contrast, when the field-effect strength becomes stronger, there exists a lower detection threshold for charge accumulation FETs and an upper detection threshold for charge depletion FET sensors. At these thresholds, the nanoFET devices undergo a transition between low and large sensitivities. These thresholds may set the detection limits of nanoFET sensors. We propose to eliminate these detection thresholds by employing devices with very short source-drain distance and large width.

  14. Nano-oxide-layer specular spin valve heads with synthetic pinned layer: Head performance and reliability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasegawa, N.; Koike, F.; Ikarashi, K.; Ishizone, M.; Kawamura, M.; Nakazawa, Y.; Takahashi, A.; Tomita, H.; Iwasaki, H.; Sahashi, M.

    2002-05-01

    To implement the specular nano-oxide-layer (NOL) spin valve (SV) heads for use in practical applications, it is key to simultaneously achieve a good specular effect of the NOL inserted in the synthetic ferrimagnet pinned layer (i.e., high magnetoresistance MR performance) and a strong pinning field through the NOL. By using CoFe+X as a substance to be subjected to oxidation, we obtained the NOL specular SV films simultaneously achieving a high MR ratio of 17%-18% and a high pinning field of 1100-1500 Oe. Narrow track (0.12 μm) heads were fabricated and they showed a high sensitivity of 10 mV/μm. Several reliability tests were done both at the sheet film level and the actual head level. The oxygen inside NOL was found to be stable up to 350 °C, and pinned layer magnetization canting after orthogonal field annealing was found to be almost the same as today's non-NOL SV films. An electrostatic discharge test and accelerated lifetime test were also performed and NOL specular heads were demonstrated to have almost the same robustness as today's non-NOL heads.

  15. Synthesis and improved explosion behaviors of aluminum powders coated with nano-sized nickel film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyung Tae; Kim, Dong Won; Kim, Soo Hyung; Kim, Chang Kee; Choi, Yoon Jeong

    2017-09-01

    Nickel (Ni) materials with a thickness of a few hundred nm were homogeneously coated on the surfaces of aluminum (Al) powders by an electroless plating process. The Ni-coated Al powders show characteristic interfacial structures mixed of Ni, Al and O instead of densely packed Al oxide at the surface. The explosion test of the Ni-coated Al powders utilizing flame ignition showed that the powders had a 3.6 times enhanced pressurization rate of 405 kPa/ms compared to 111 kPa/ms of uncoated Al powders. It was found that this is due to a feasible diffusion of oxygen atoms into the Al powders through the thin and rough interfacial layers present at the Ni/Al interface. These results clearly indicate that nano-sized Ni film introduced instead of surface oxide acts as a very profitable layer to achieve efficient combustion behaviors by a rapid oxidation of Al powders.

  16. Molecular dynamics study on evaporation and condensation characteristics of thin film liquid Argon on nanostructured surface in nano-scale confinement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasan, Mohammad Nasim; Rabbi, Kazi Fazle; Sabah, Arefiny; Ahmed, Jannat; Kuri, Subrata Kumar; Rakibuzzaman, S. M.

    2017-06-01

    Investigation of Molecular level phase change phenomena are becoming important in heat and mass transfer research at a very high rate, driven both by the need to understand certain fundamental phenomena as well as by a plethora of new and forthcoming applications in the areas of micro- and nanotechnologies. Molecular dynamics simulation has been carried out to go through the evaporation and condensation characteristics of thin liquid argon film in Nano-scale confinement. In the present study, a cuboid system is modeled for understanding the Nano-scale physics of simultaneous evaporation and condensation. The cuboid system consists of hot and cold parallel platinum plates at the bottom and top ends. The fluid comprised of liquid argon film at the bottom plate and vapor argon in between liquid argon and upper plate of the domain. Three different simulation domains have been created here: (i) Both platinum plates are considered flat, (ii) Upper plate consisting of transverse slots of low height and (iii) Upper plate consisting of transverse slots of bigger height. Considering hydrophilic nature of top and bottom plates, two different high temperatures of the hot wall was set and an observation was made on normal and explosive vaporizations and their impacts on thermal transport. For all the structures, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) was performed to reach equilibrium state at 90 K. Then the lower wall is set to two different temperatures like 110 K and 250 K for all three models to perform non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD). For vaporization, higher temperature of the hot wall led to faster transport of the liquid argon as a cluster moving from hot wall to cold wall. But excessive temperature causes explosive boiling which seems not good for heat transportation because of less phase change. In case of condensation, an observation was made which indicates that the nanostructured transverse slots facilitate condensation. Two factors affect the rate of

  17. Non-destructive evaluation of nano-sized structure of thin film devices by using small angle neutron scattering.

    PubMed

    Shin, E J; Seong, B S; Choi, Y; Lee, J K

    2011-01-01

    Nano-sized multi-layers copper-doped SrZrO3, platinum (Pt) and silicon oxide (SiO2) on silicon substrates were prepared by dense plasma focus (DPF) device with the high purity copper anode tip and analyzed by using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to establish a reliable method for the non-destructive evaluation of the under-layer structure. Thin film was well formed at the time-to-dip of 5 microsec with stable plasma of DPF. Several smooth intensity peaks were periodically observed when neutron beam penetrates the thin film with multi-layers perpendicularly. The platinum layer is dominant to intensity peaks, where the copper-doped SrZnO3 layer next to the platinum layer causes peak broadening. The silicon oxide layer has less effect on the SANS spectra due to its relative thick thickness. The SANS spectra shows thicknesses of platinum and copper-doped SrZnO3 layers as 53 and 25 nm, respectively, which are well agreement with microstructure observation.

  18. Nano-sized manganese oxides as biomimetic catalysts for water oxidation in artificial photosynthesis: a review

    PubMed Central

    Najafpour, Mohammad Mahdi; Rahimi, Fahimeh; Aro, Eva-Mari; Lee, Choon-Hwan; Allakhverdiev, Suleyman I.

    2012-01-01

    There has been a tremendous surge in research on the synthesis of various metal compounds aimed at simulating the water-oxidizing complex (WOC) of photosystem II (PSII). This is crucial because the water oxidation half reaction is overwhelmingly rate-limiting and needs high over-voltage (approx. 1 V), which results in low conversion efficiencies when working at current densities required for hydrogen production via water splitting. Particular attention has been given to the manganese compounds not only because manganese has been used by nature to oxidize water but also because manganese is cheap and environmentally friendly. The manganese–calcium cluster in PSII has a dimension of about approximately 0.5 nm. Thus, nano-sized manganese compounds might be good structural and functional models for the cluster. As in the nanometre-size of the synthetic models, most of the active sites are at the surface, these compounds could be more efficient catalysts than micrometre (or bigger) particles. In this paper, we focus on nano-sized manganese oxides as functional and structural models of the WOC of PSII for hydrogen production via water splitting and review nano-sized manganese oxides used in water oxidation by some research groups. PMID:22809849

  19. Fabrication of Polymeric Antireflection Film Manufactured by Anodic Aluminum Oxide Template on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Jenn-Kai; Tu, Yu-Shin

    2017-03-15

    In this study, high energy conversion efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were successfully fabricated by attaching a double anti-reflection (AR) layer, which is composed of a subwavelength moth-eye structured polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. An efficiency of up to 6.79% was achieved. The moth-eye structured PMMA film was fabricated by using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template which is simple, low-cost and scalable. The nano-pattern of the AAO template was precisely reproduced onto the PMMA film. The photoanode was composed of Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of 25 nm deposited on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate and the sensitizer N3. The double AR layer was proved to effectively improve the short-circuit current density (JSC) and conversion efficiency from 14.77 to 15.79 mA/cm² and from 6.26% to 6.79%, respectively.

  20. Investigation of bioactivity and cell effects of nano-porous sol-gel derived bioactive glass film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Zhijun; Ji, Huijiao; Hu, Xiaomeng; Teng, Yu; Zhao, Guiyun; Mo, Lijuan; Zhao, Xiaoli; Chen, Weibo; Qiu, Jianrong; Zhang, Ming

    2013-11-01

    In orthopedic surgery, bioactive glass film coating is extensively studied to improve the synthetic performance of orthopedic implants. A lot of investigations have confirmed that nano-porous structure in bioactive glasses can remarkably improve their bioactivity. Nevertheless, researches on preparation of nano-porous bioactive glasses in the form of film coating and their cell response activities are scarce. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-porous bioactive glass film on commercial glass slide based on a sol-gel technique, together with the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity through immersion in simulated body fluid and monitoring the precipitation of apatite-like layer. Cell responses of the samples, including attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, were also investigated using BMSCS (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) as a model. The results presented here provide some basic information on structural influence of bioactive glass film on the improvement of bioactivity and cellular effects.

  1. Visible light active, nano-architectured metal oxide photo-catalysts for solar fuel applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaTempa, Thomas Joseph, Jr.

    Large-scale implementation of renewable energy sources such as solar requires the development of an efficient energy capture, conversion and storage scheme. Harnessing solar energy to create storable fuels, i.e., solar fuels, provides a unique strategy to meet this objective. In this regard, hydrogen generation through water photoelectrolysis and methane generation via the photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and water vapor are investigated. The primary motivation of this work lies in the development of efficient, low cost materials for solar fuel applications. Metal oxide semiconductors such as n-type titanium dioxide (TiO 2) have generated significant interest in the scientific community due to their low cost, stability and high photocatalytic activity under band gap illumination. The implementation of nano-structured materials has significantly enhanced the conversion efficiency obtained with TiO2 in applications such as water photoelectrolysis. Despite these advancements, TiO2 has an inherently poor photoresponse due its wide band gap (3.0-3.2 eV), which accounts for ≈ 5% of the solar spectrum energy. Therefore, the primary objective of this work is to develop materials with a photocatalytic activity approaching that of TiO2, while shifting the photo-response to harness the visible light portion of the solar spectrum. Two differing approaches are evaluated in this work to meet this objective. Hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) has a band gap ≈ 2.2 eV, well suited for capturing solar energy, but suffers from intrinsically poor electrical characteristics. To overcome these limitations, iron oxide nanotubes were developed using a temperature controlled anodization technique. This provides greater control over the film morphology to create high aspect ratio nano-structures approximately 1-4 mum in length, sufficient to harness solar energy, with a wall thickness approaching 10 nm to improve the electrical characteristics for photocatalytic application. The

  2. Characterization of nano-sized oxides in Fe-12Cr oxide-dispersion-strengthened ferritic steel using small-angle neutron scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Young-Soo; Mao, Xiaodong; Jang, Jinsung; Kim, Tae-Kyu

    2015-04-01

    The ferritic ODS steel was manufactured by hot isostatic pressing and heat treatment. The nano-sized microstructures such as yttrium oxides and Cr oxides were quantitatively analyzed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The effects of the fabrication conditions on the nano-sized microstructure were investigated in relation to the quantitative analysis results obtained by SANS. The ratio between magnetic and nuclear scattering components was calculated, and the characteristics of the nano-sized yttrium oxides are discussed based on the SANS analysis results.

  3. Non-Porod scattering and non-integer scaling of resistance in rough films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bupathy, Arunkumar; Verma, Rupesh; Banerjee, Varsha; Puri, Sanjay

    2017-04-01

    In many physical systems, films are rough due to the stochastic behavior of depositing particles. They are characterized by non-Porod power law decays in the structure factor S (k) . Theoretical studies predict anomalous diffusion in such morphologies, with important implications for diffusivity, conductivity, etc. We use the non-Porod decay to accurately determine the fractal properties of two prototypical nanoparticle films: (i) Palladium (Pd) and (ii) Cu2O. Using scaling arguments, we find that the resistance of rough films of lateral size L obeys a non-integer power law R ∼L-ζ , in contrast to integer power laws for compact structures. The exponent ζ is anisotropic. We confirm our predictions by re-analyzing experimental data from Cu2O nano-particle films. Our results are valuable for understanding recent experiments that report anisotropic electrical properties in (rough) thin films.

  4. Weatherability and leach resistance of wood impregnated with nano-zinc oxide

    Treesearch

    Carol A. Clausen; Frederick Green; S. Nami Kartal

    2010-01-01

    Southern pine specimens vacuum-treated with nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) dispersions were evaluated for leach resistance and UV protection. Virtually, no leaching occurred in any of the nano-ZnO–treated specimens in a laboratory leach test, even at the highest retention of 13 kg/m3. However, specimens treated with high concentrations of nano-ZnO...

  5. Trends in the thermodynamic stability of ultrathin supported oxide films

    DOE PAGES

    Plessow, Philipp N.; Bajdich, Michal; Greene, Joshua; ...

    2016-05-05

    The formation of thin oxide films on metal supports is an important phenomenon, especially in the context of strong metal support interaction (SMSI). Computational predictions of the stability of these films are hampered by their structural complexity and a varying lattice mismatch with different supports. In this study, we report a large combination of supports and ultrathin oxide films studied with density functional theory (DFT). Trends in stability are investigated through a descriptor-based analysis. Since the studied films are bound to the support exclusively through metal–metal interaction, the adsorption energy of the oxide-constituting metal atom can be expected to bemore » a reasonable descriptor for the stability of the overlayers. If the same supercell is used for all supports, the overlayers experience different amounts of stress. Using supercells with small lattice mismatch for each system leads to significantly improved scaling relations for the stability of the overlayers. Finally, this approach works well for the studied systems and therefore allows the descriptor-based exploration of the thermodynamic stability of supported thin oxide layers.« less

  6. Effect of Al2O3 insulator thickness on the structural integrity of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide based thin film transistors.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hak-Jun; Hwang, In-Ju; Kim, Youn-Jea

    2014-12-01

    The current transparent oxide semiconductors (TOSs) technology provides flexibility and high performance. In this study, multi-stack nano-layers of TOSs were designed for three-dimensional analysis of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) based thin film transistors (TFTs). In particular, the effects of torsional and compressive stresses on the nano-sized active layers such as the a-IGZO layer were investigated. Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the structural integrity of a-IGZO based TFTs with three different thicknesses of the aluminum oxide (Al2O3) insulator (δ = 10, 20, and 30 nm), respectively, using a commercial code, COMSOL Multiphysics. The results are graphically depicted for operating conditions.

  7. Micron-scale channel formation by the release and bond-back of pre-stressed thin films: A finite element analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annabattula, R. K.; Huck, W. T. S.; Onck, P. R.

    2010-04-01

    Buckling of thin films on a rigid substrate during use or fabrication is a well-known but unwanted phenomenon. However, this phenomenon can also be exploited to generate well-controlled patterns at the micro and nano-scale. These patterned surfaces find various technological applications such as optical gratings or micro/nano-fluidic channels. In this article, we present a numerical model that accounts for the buckling-up of pre-strained thin films by a reduction of the interface toughness and the subsequent bond-back. Channels are formed whose dimensions can be controlled by tuning the film dimensions, film thickness and stiffness, the eigenstrain in the film and the cohesive interface energy between the film and the substrate. We will show how the buckling-up and draping back processes can be captured in terms of a limited set of dimensionless parameters, providing quantitative insight on how these parameters should be tuned to generate a specified channel geometry.

  8. Effect of lead ion concentration on the structural and optical properties of nano-crystalline PbS thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaman, S.; Mehmood, S. K.; Mansoor, M.; Asim, M. M.

    2014-06-01

    PbS thin films have received considerable attention because of their potential applications in opto-electronics applications. Spontaneous reaction of lead acetate and thiourea in aqueous hydrazine hydrate has been used for depositing PbS thin films on glass substrates. Structural and optical properties of PbS thin films are greatly influenced by the morality of the reactants and crystal defects in the lattice. Our work focuses on the variation in lead ion concentration and its effect on the structural and optical properties of PbS thin films. The deposited films were analyzed using XRD, SEM, spectrophotometer and dark resistance measurement. XRD patterns indicated the formation of major phase of nano crystalline PbS with minor presence of lead oxide phase. We also noticed that peak intensity ratio of I111/I200 varied by changing the Pb ion concentration. The film thickness and dark resistance increased whereas optical band gap decreased with the decreasing Pb ion concentration. SEM scans showed that the grain size is less than 100 nm and is not affected by varying Pb ion concentration.

  9. Development of novel nano-composite membranes as introduction systems for mass spectrometers: Contrasting nano-composite membranes and conventional inlet systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miranda, Luis Diego

    This dissertation presents the development of novel nano-composite membranes as introduction systems for mass spectrometers. These nano-composite membranes incorporate anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes as templates that can be used by themselves or modified by a variety of chemical deposition processes. Two types of nano-composite membranes are presented. The first nano-composite membrane has carbon deposited within the pores of an AAO membrane. The second nano-composite membrane is made by coating an AAO membrane with a thin polymer film. The following chapters describe the transmission properties these nano-composite membranes and compare them to conventional mass spectrometry introduction systems. The nano- composite membranes were finally coupled to the inlet system of an underwater mass spectrometer revealing their utility in field deployments.

  10. Structurally Oriented Nano-Sheets in Co Thin Films: Changing Their Anisotropic Physical Properties by Thermally-Induced Relaxation

    PubMed Central

    Vergara, José; Favieres, Cristina; Magén, César; de Teresa, José María; Ibarra, Manuel Ricardo

    2017-01-01

    We show how nanocrystalline Co films formed by separated oblique nano-sheets display anisotropy in their resistivity, magnetization process, surface nano-morphology and optical transmission. After performing a heat treatment at 270 °C, these anisotropies decrease. This loss has been monitored measuring the resistivity as a function of temperature. The resistivity measured parallel to the direction of the nano-sheets has been constant up to 270 °C, but it decreases when measured perpendicular to the nano-sheets. This suggests the existence of a structural relaxation, which produces the change of the Co nano-sheets during annealing. The changes in the nano-morphology and the local chemical composition of the films at the nanoscale after heating above 270 °C have been analysed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Thus, an approach and coalescence of the nano-sheets have been directly visualized. The spectrum of activation energies of this structural relaxation has indicated that the coalescence of the nano-sheets has taken place between 1.2 and 1.7 eV. In addition, an increase in the size of the nano-crystals has occurred in the samples annealed at 400 °C. This study may be relevant for the application in devices working, for example, in the GHz range and to achieve the retention of the anisotropy of these films at higher temperatures. PMID:29206155

  11. Structurally Oriented Nano-Sheets in Co Thin Films: Changing Their Anisotropic Physical Properties by Thermally-Induced Relaxation.

    PubMed

    Vergara, José; Favieres, Cristina; Magén, César; de Teresa, José María; Ibarra, Manuel Ricardo; Madurga, Vicente

    2017-12-05

    We show how nanocrystalline Co films formed by separated oblique nano-sheets display anisotropy in their resistivity, magnetization process, surface nano-morphology and optical transmission. After performing a heat treatment at 270 °C, these anisotropies decrease. This loss has been monitored measuring the resistivity as a function of temperature. The resistivity measured parallel to the direction of the nano-sheets has been constant up to 270 °C, but it decreases when measured perpendicular to the nano-sheets. This suggests the existence of a structural relaxation, which produces the change of the Co nano-sheets during annealing. The changes in the nano-morphology and the local chemical composition of the films at the nanoscale after heating above 270 °C have been analysed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Thus, an approach and coalescence of the nano-sheets have been directly visualized. The spectrum of activation energies of this structural relaxation has indicated that the coalescence of the nano-sheets has taken place between 1.2 and 1.7 eV. In addition, an increase in the size of the nano-crystals has occurred in the samples annealed at 400 °C. This study may be relevant for the application in devices working, for example, in the GHz range and to achieve the retention of the anisotropy of these films at higher temperatures.

  12. Magnetite nano-islands on silicon-carbide with graphene

    DOE PAGES

    Anderson, Nathaniel A.; Zhang, Qiang; Hupalo, Myron; ...

    2017-01-05

    X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements of iron nano-islands grown on graphene and covered with a Au film for passivation reveal that the oxidation through defects in the Au film spontaneously leads to the formation of magnetite nano-particles (i.e, Fe 3O 4). The Fe nano-islands (20 and 75 monolayers; MLs) are grown on epitaxial graphene formed by thermally annealing 6HSiC( 0001) and subsequently covered, in the growth chamber, with nominal 20 layers of Au. Our X-ray absorption spectroscopy and XMCD measurements at applied magnetic fields show that the thin film (20 ML) is totally converted to magnetite whereas the thickermore » lm (75 ML) exhibits properties of magnetite but also those of pure metallic iron. Temperature dependence of the XMCD signal (of both samples) shows a clear transition at T V ≈ 120 K consistent with the Verwey transition of bulk magnetite. These results have implications on the synthesis of magnetite nano-crystals and also on their regular arrangements on functional substrates such as graphene.« less

  13. Magnetite nano-islands on silicon-carbide with graphene

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

    Anderson, Nathaniel A.; Zhang, Qiang; Hupalo, Myron

    X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements of iron nano-islands grown on graphene and covered with a Au film for passivation reveal that the oxidation through defects in the Au film spontaneously leads to the formation of magnetite nano-particles (i.e, Fe 3O 4). The Fe nano-islands (20 and 75 monolayers; MLs) are grown on epitaxial graphene formed by thermally annealing 6HSiC( 0001) and subsequently covered, in the growth chamber, with nominal 20 layers of Au. Our X-ray absorption spectroscopy and XMCD measurements at applied magnetic fields show that the thin film (20 ML) is totally converted to magnetite whereas the thickermore » lm (75 ML) exhibits properties of magnetite but also those of pure metallic iron. Temperature dependence of the XMCD signal (of both samples) shows a clear transition at T V ≈ 120 K consistent with the Verwey transition of bulk magnetite. These results have implications on the synthesis of magnetite nano-crystals and also on their regular arrangements on functional substrates such as graphene.« less

  14. Enhanced self-repairing capability of sol-gel derived SrTiO3/nano Al2O3 composite films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Manwen; Peng, Yong; Xiao, Ruihua; Li, Qiuxia; Yao, Xi

    2016-08-01

    SrTiO3/nano Al2O3 inorganic nanocomposites were prepared by using a conventional sol-gel spin coating process. For comparison, SrTiO3 films doped by equivalent amount of sol-Al2O3 have also been investigated. Aluminum deposited by using vacuum evaporation was used as the top electrode. The nanocomposites exhibited a significantly enhanced dielectric strength of 506.9 MV/m, which was increased by 97.4% as compared with the SrTiO3 films doped with sol-Al2O3. The leakage current maintained of the same order of microampere until the ultimate breakdown of the nanocomposites. The excellent electrical performances are ascribed to the anodic oxidation reaction in origin, which can repair the internal and/or surface defects of the films.

  15. Stabilized chromium oxide film

    DOEpatents

    Nyaiesh, A.R.; Garwin, E.L.

    1986-08-04

    Stabilized air-oxidized chromium films deposited on high-power klystron ceramic windows and sleeves having a thickness between 20 and 150A are useful in lowering secondary electron emission yield and in avoiding multipactoring and window failure due to overheating. The ceramic substrate for the film is chosen from alumina, sapphire or beryllium oxide.

  16. Stabilized chromium oxide film

    DOEpatents

    Garwin, Edward L.; Nyaiesh, Ali R.

    1988-01-01

    Stabilized air-oxidized chromium films deposited on high-power klystron ceramic windows and sleeves having a thickness between 20 and 150.ANG. are useful in lowering secondary electron emission yield and in avoiding multipactoring and window failure due to overheating. The ceramic substrate for the film is chosen from alumina, sapphire or beryllium oxide.

  17. Grain boundary diffusion studied on nano scale by rim growth experiments with isotopically doped thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milke, R.; Dohmen, R.; Wiedenbeck, M.; Wirth, R.; Abart, R.; Becker, H.-W.

    2003-04-01

    Grain boundary diffusion studies by the rim growth method in the system MgO(±FeO)-SiO_2 have evolved from measuring rim growth rates to the tracing of chemical components by using isotopically enriched starting materials and SIMS analyses (Milke et al. 2001). We miniaturized this setup for grain boundary diffusion experiments by using pulsed-laser deposited (PLD) thin films (Dohmen et al. 2002). The starting samples consist of polycrystalline layers of pyroxene (en90fs10) and isotopically doped (18O, 29Si) olivine (fo90fa10) with a total thickness <= 1 μm on a polished quartz surface. A first series of experiments was performed at temperatures between 1000 and 1200^oC at fO_2 of 10-10 bar. Resulting layer thickness and chemi-cal composition were measured by Rutherford Back-Scattering (RBS) and TEM using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) preparation methods. O and Si isotope profiles were measured by SIMS depth scanning. The enstatite layers thicken during the annealing experiments with well-defined interfaces by rates for Δx^2 of 700 to 50000 nm^2/h at the chosen conditions. The iso-tope profiles show that Si acts as a slow diffusing component. From the enstatite growth rates a Dgb_Aδ can be calculated, where A is the rate-determining component. This gives a Dgb_Aδ in the range of 10-26 (at 1000^oC) to 10-24 (at 1200^oC) m^3s-1, which is well in accordance with an extrapolation from the data of Fisler et al. (1997) at 1350 to 1450^oC. This indicates that over the entire interval from 1000 to 1450^oC the reaction is controlled by diffusion of the same component and more importantly that mechanisms on the nano scale are the same as on the microscopic scale. The new method has several advantages over previously used techniques. The well-defined layers on nano scale allow one to study rim growth at lower temperatures than before and avoids therefore large extrapolations to natural conditions. The very small amount of isotopically enriched material needed for one sample makes

  18. Controlling nested wrinkle morphology through the boundary effect on narrow-band thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Hanyang; Shi, Tielin; Liao, Guanglan; Xia, Qi

    2017-07-01

    We describe the formation of nested wrinkles created by the thermal mismatch between a narrow-band thin film and a compliant substrate. When a film is described as "narrow-band", it literally means that the film band width is much shorter than its length; more precisely, it means that the width is comparable with the wavelength of the wrinkles. A silicon mask was used during film sputtering to create narrow-band films on poly (dimethylsiloxane) substrate, thus creating regular boundaries to steer local stresses and control wrinkle morphology. Disordered nano-scale wrinkles were found nested within highly ordered micro-scale sinusoidal wrinkles. The formation of nested wrinkles was explained through the amplitude and wavelength saturation of nano-scale wrinkles. The disordered morphology of nano-scale wrinkles and the highly ordered morphology of micro-scale wrinkles were explained by using the boundary effect.

  19. Applying graphene oxide nano-film over a polycarbonate nanoporous membrane to monitor E. coli by infrared spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Krishna Pal; Dhek, Neeraj Singh; Nehra, Anuj; Ahlawat, Sweeti; Puri, Anu

    2017-01-01

    Nano-biosensors are excellent monitoring tools for rapid, specific, sensitive, inexpensive, in-field, on-line, and/or real-time detection of pathogens in foods, soil, air, and water samples. A variety of nano-materials (metallic, polymeric, and/or carbon-based) were employed to enhance the efficacy, efficiency, and sensitivity of these nano-biosensors, including graphene-based materials, especially graphene oxide (GO)-based materials. GO bears many oxygen-bearing groups, enabling ligand conjugation at the high density critical for sensitive detection. We have fabricated GO-modified nano-porous polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes that were conjugated to an Escherichia coli-specific antibody (Ab) and used to detect E. coli. The random distribution of nanopores on the PCTE membrane surface and the bright coating of the GO onto the membrane were confirmed by scanning electron microscope. Anti-E. coli β-gal Abs were conjugated to the GO surface via 1-ethyl-3,3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide hydrochloride-N-hydroxysuccinimide chemistry; antibody coating was confirmed by the presence of a characteristic IR peak near 1600 cm- 1. A non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas) was used as a negative control under identical conditions. When E. coli interacted anti-E.coli β-gal with Ab-coated GO-nano-biosensor units, we observed a clear shift in the IR peak from 3373.14 to 3315 cm- 1; in contrast, we did not observe any shift in IR peaks when the GO unit was coated with the non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas). Therefore, the detection of E. coli using the described GO-nano-sensor unit is highly specific, is highly selective and can be applied for real-time monitoring of E. coli with a detection limit between 100 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL, similar to existing detection systems.

  20. Applying graphene oxide nano-film over a polycarbonate nanoporous membrane to monitor E. coli by infrared spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Singh, Krishna Pal; Dhek, Neeraj Singh; Nehra, Anuj; Ahlawat, Sweeti; Puri, Anu

    2017-01-05

    Nano-biosensors are excellent monitoring tools for rapid, specific, sensitive, inexpensive, in-field, on-line, and/or real-time detection of pathogens in foods, soil, air, and water samples. A variety of nano-materials (metallic, polymeric, and/or carbon-based) were employed to enhance the efficacy, efficiency, and sensitivity of these nano-biosensors, including graphene-based materials, especially graphene oxide (GO)-based materials. GO bears many oxygen-bearing groups, enabling ligand conjugation at the high density critical for sensitive detection. We have fabricated GO-modified nano-porous polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes that were conjugated to an Escherichia coli-specific antibody (Ab) and used to detect E. coli. The random distribution of nanopores on the PCTE membrane surface and the bright coating of the GO onto the membrane were confirmed by scanning electron microscope. Anti-E. coli β-gal Abs were conjugated to the GO surface via 1-ethyl-3,3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide hydrochloride-N-hydroxysuccinimide chemistry; antibody coating was confirmed by the presence of a characteristic IR peak near 1600cm(-1). A non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas) was used as a negative control under identical conditions. When E. coli interacted anti-E.coli β-gal with Ab-coated GO-nano-biosensor units, we observed a clear shift in the IR peak from 3373.14 to 3315cm(-1); in contrast, we did not observe any shift in IR peaks when the GO unit was coated with the non-corresponding Ab (anti-Pseudomonas). Therefore, the detection of E. coli using the described GO-nano-sensor unit is highly specific, is highly selective and can be applied for real-time monitoring of E. coli with a detection limit between 100μg/mL and 10μg/mL, similar to existing detection systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The fabrication and property of hydrophilic and hydrophobic double functional bionic chitosan film.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaohong; Xi, Zhen; Liu, Zhongxin; Yang, Liang; Cao, Yang

    2011-11-01

    A new kind of hydrophobic bionic chitosan film was fabricated by simulating the surface structure of lotus leaf. The titanium oxide nanotube array was used as templates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that one side of this films have nano-scale rough surface with spherical protrusions alike the surface of lotus leaf. The diameter of the protrusions is about 100 nm, which is equal to diameter of the titanium oxide nanotube. The water contact angle of chitosan films is up to 120 degrees and it is hydrophobic. The other side of the film is flat and the contact angle is 70 degrees. That indicated that the hydrophilism of natural materials is connected with the surface structures. The double functional chitosan films, one side is hydrophilic, the other is hydrophobic, can be made by an easy method. This method is non-toxic and clean. The double functional chitosan film will improve the application of chitosan films in medicine.

  2. Water surface assisted synthesis of large-scale carbon nanotube film for high-performance and stretchable supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Yu, Minghao; Zhang, Yangfan; Zeng, Yinxiang; Balogun, Muhammad-Sadeeq; Mai, Kancheng; Zhang, Zishou; Lu, Xihong; Tong, Yexiang

    2014-07-16

    A kind of multiwalled carbon-nanotube (MWCNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film with excellent conductivity and mechanical properties is developed using a facile and large-scale water surface assisted synthesis method. The film can act as a conductive support for electrochemically active PANI nano fibers. A device based on these PANI/MWCNT/PDMS electrodes shows good and stable capacitive behavior, even under static and dynamic stretching conditions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Preparation and characterization of PVP-PVA–ZnO blend polymer nano composite films

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

    Divya, S., E-mail: divi.fysics@gmail.com; Saipriya, G.; Hemalatha, J., E-mail: hemalatha@nitt.edu

    Flexible self-standing films of PVP-PVA blend composites are prepared by using ZnO as a nano filler at different concentrations. The structural, compositional, morphological and optical studies made with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra are presented in this paper. The results of XRD indicate that ZnO nanoparticles are formed with hexagonal phase in the polymeric matrix. SEM images show the dispersion of ZnO nano filler in the polymer matrix. UV–vis spectra reveal that the absorption peak is centered around 235more » nm and 370 nm for the nano composite films. The blue shift is observed with decrease in the concentration of the nano filler. PL spectra shows the excitation wavelength is given at 320 nm.The emission peaks were observed at 383 nm ascribing to the electronic transitions between valence band and conduction band and the peak at 430 nm.« less

  4. Depolarized haze of nano-porous AAO film via porosity and aspect control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tseng, Chun-Wei; Lin, Yung-Hsiang; Cheng, Chih-Hsien; Lin, Gong-Ru

    2018-01-01

    Multiple scattering induced haze and depolarization effects of nano-porous AAO films controlled by detuning the porosity and aspect ratio of the nano holes are investigated. The nano-porous AAO film with its porosity increasing from 12.6% to 19.3% enhances the scattering of the incident laser beam with its maximal scattering angle enlarged from 5° to 8° under TM-mode incidence and from 6° to 10° under TE-mode incidence. Because of multiple scattering within the porous holes of the AAO, the depolarization on the reflected beam by transferring its electric field from horizontal to the vertical such that the polarization ratio is degraded with a randomized haze. The porosity of AAO surface broadens from 12.6% to 19.3% when increasing the bias voltage from 40 to 60 V during the second-step of the electro-chemical anodization process, which essentially adjusts the polarization ratio under TM-mode and TE-mode incidences raise from 0.31 to 0.35 and from 0.32 to 0.48, respectively. The depolarized haze of the nano-porous AAO film is correlated with its porosity and aspect ratio controlled by the pore size and etched depth of the AAO. Under TM-mode incidence, the simulated polarization ratio increases from 0.35 to 0.38, which correlates well with experimental results. In contrast, the experiment result slightly deviates from the theoretical prediction as the TE-mode field interacts more surface area than the TM-mode field does. Such a nano-porous AAO exhibits tunable depolarized haze via the control porosity and aspect ratio, which is particularly suitable to serve as the catalytic buffer for synthesizing the hydrophobic and hazed solar energy converters.

  5. Coercivity scaling in antidot lattices in Fe, Ni, and NiFe thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gräfe, Joachim; Schütz, Gisela; Goering, Eberhard J.

    2016-12-01

    Antidot lattices can be used to artificially engineer magnetic properties in thin films, however, a conclusive model that describes the coercivity enhancement in this class of magnetic nano-structures has so far not been found. We prepared Fe, Ni, and NiFe thin films and patterned each with 21 square antidot lattices with different geometric parameters and measured their hysteretic behavior. On the basis of this extensive dataset we are able to provide a model that can describe both the coercivity scaling over a wide range of geometric lattice parameters and the influence of different materials.

  6. Modification of electrical properties of silicon dioxide through intrinsic nano-patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majee, Subimal; Barshilia, Devesh; Banerjee, Debashree; Kumar, Sanjeev; Mishra, Prabhash; Akhtar, Jamil

    2018-05-01

    The inherent network of nanopores and voids in silicon dioxide (SiO2) is generally undesirable for aspects of film quality, electrical insulation and dielectric performance. However, if we view these pores as natural nano-patterns embedded in a dielectric matrix then that opens up new vistas for exploration. The nano-pattern platform can be used to tailor electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanical properties of the carrier film. In this article we report the tunable electrical properties of thermal SiO2 thin-film achieved through utilization of the metal-nanopore network where the pores are filled with metallic Titanium (Ti). Without any intentional chemical doping, we have shown that the electrical resistivity of the oxide film can be controlled through physical filling up of the intrinsic oxide nanopores with Ti. The electrical resistivity of the composite film remains constant even after complete removal of the metal from the film surface except the pores. Careful morphological, electrical and structural analyses are carried out to establish that the presence of Ti in the nanopores play a crucial role in the observed conductive nature of the nanoporous film.

  7. Large-scale phase separation with nano-twin domains in manganite spinel (Co,Fe,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4}

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

    Horibe, Y., E-mail: horibe@post.matsc.kyutech.ac.jp; Takeyama, S.; Mori, S.

    The effect of Mn concentration on the formation of nano-domain structures in the spinel oxide (Co,Fe,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4} was investigated by electron diffraction, bright-, and dark-field imaging technique with transmission electron microscopy. Large scale phase separation with nano-twin domains was observed in Co{sub 0.6}Fe{sub 1.0}Mn{sub 1.4}O{sub 4}, in contrast to the highly aligned checkerboard nano-domains in Co{sub 0.6}Fe{sub 0.9}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4}. Diffusion of the Mn{sup 3+} ions with the Jahn-Teller distortions is suggested to play an important role in the formation of checkerboard nano-domain structure.

  8. Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide-neem oil-chitosan bionanocomposite for food packaging application.

    PubMed

    Sanuja, S; Agalya, A; Umapathy, M J

    2015-03-01

    Nano zinc oxide at different concentrations (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5%) and neem essential oil were incorporated into the chitosan polymer by solution cast method to enhance the properties of the bionanocomposite film. The functional groups, crystalline particle size, thermal stability and morphology were determined using FTIR, XRD, TGA and SEM, respectively. The results showed that 0.5% nano zinc oxide incorporated composite film have improved tensile strength, elongation, film thickness, film transparency and decreased water solubility, swelling and barrier properties due to the presence of neem oil and nano zinc oxide in the polymer matrix. Further antibacterial activity by well diffusion assay method was followed against Escherichia coli which were found to have good inhibition effect. In addition to this food quality application were carried against carrot and compared with the commercial film. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Fabrication of Al2O3 coated 2D TiO2 nanoparticle photonic crystal layers by reverse nano-imprint lithography and plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ki-Kang; Ko, Ki-Young; Ahn, Jinho

    2013-10-01

    This paper reports simple process to enhance the extraction efficiency of photoluminescence (PL) from Eu-doped yttrium oxide (Y2O3:Eu3+) thin-film phosphor (TFP). Two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal layer (PCL) was fabricated on Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphor films by reverse nano-imprint method using TiO2 nanoparticle solution as a nano-imprint resin and a 2D hole-patterned PDMS stamp. Atomic scale controlled Al2O3 deposition was performed onto this 2D nanoparticle PCL for the optimization of the photonic crystal pattern size and stabilization of TiO2 nanoparticle column structure. As a result, the light extraction efficiency of the Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphor film was improved by 2.0 times compared to the conventional Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphor film.

  10. Highly selective and sensitive simple sensor based on electrochemically treated nano polypyrrole-sodium dodecyl sulphate film for the detection of para-nitrophenol.

    PubMed

    Arulraj, Abraham Daniel; Vijayan, Muthunanthevar; Vasantha, Vairathevar Sivasamy

    2015-10-29

    An ultrasensitive and highly selective electrochemical sensor for the determination of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) was developed based on electrochemically treated nano polypyrrole/sodium dodecyl sulphate film (ENPPy/SDS film) modified glassy carbon electrode. The nano polypyrrole/sodium dodecyl sulphate film (NPPy/SDS film) was prepared and treated electrochemically in phosphate buffer solution. The surface morphology and elemental analysis of treated and untreated NPPy/SDS film were characterized by FESEM and EDX analysis, respectively. Wettability of polymer films were analysed by contact angle test. The hydrophilic nature of the polymer film decreased after electrochemical treatment. Effect of the pH of electrolyte and thickness of the ENPPy/SDS film on determination of p-NP was optimised by cyclic voltammetry. Under the optimised conditions, the p-NP was determined from the oxidation peak of p-hydroxyaminophenol which was formed from the reduction of p-NP in the reduction segment of cyclic voltammetry. A very good linear detection range (from 0.1 nM to 100 μM) and the best LOD (0.1 nM) were obtained for p-NP with very good selectivity. This detection limit is below to the allowed limit in drinking water, 0.43 μM, proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and earlier reports. Moreover, ENPPy/SDS film based sensor exhibits high sensitivity (4.4546 μA μM(-1)) to p-NP. Experimental results show that it is a fast and simple sensor for p-NP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development.

    PubMed

    Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

    2011-02-25

    The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering.

  12. Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development

    PubMed Central

    Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

    2011-01-01

    The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering. PMID:28880002

  13. Automatic hammering of nano-patterns on special polymer film by using a vibrating AFM tip

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Complicated nano-patterns with linewidth less than 18 nm can be automatically hammered by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip in tapping mode with high speed. In this study, the special sample was thin poly(styrene-ethylene/butylenes-styrene) (SEBS) block copolymer film with hexagonal spherical microstructures. An ordinary silicon tip was used as a nano-hammer, and the entire hammering process is controlled by a computer program. Experimental results demonstrate that such structure-tailored thin films enable AFM tip hammering to be performed on their surfaces. Both imprinted and embossed nano-patterns can be generated by using a vibrating tip with a larger tapping load and by using a predefined program to control the route of tip movement as it passes over the sample’s surface. Specific details for the fabrication of structure-tailored SEBS film and the theory for auto-hammering patterns were presented in detail. PMID:22889045

  14. Low-Temperature Postfunctionalization of Highly Conductive Oxide Thin-Films toward Solution-Based Large-Scale Electronics.

    PubMed

    Ban, Seok-Gyu; Kim, Kyung-Tae; Choi, Byung Doo; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Facchetti, Antonio; Kim, Myung-Gil; Park, Sung Kyu

    2017-08-09

    Although transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have played a key role in a wide range of solid-state electronics from conventional optoelectronics to emerging electronic systems, the processing temperature and conductivity of solution-processed materials seem to be far exceeding the thermal limitations of soft materials and insufficient for high-perfomance large-area systems, respectively. Here, we report a strategy to form highly conductive and scalable solution-processed oxide materials and their successful translation into large-area electronic applications, which is enabled by photoassisted postfunctionalization at low temperature. The low-temperature fabrication of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films was achieved by using photoignited combustion synthesis combined with photoassisted reduction process under hydrogen atmosphere. It was noteworthy that the photochemically activated hydrogens on ITO surface could be triggered to facilitate highly crystalline oxygen deficient structure allowing significant increase of carrier concentration and mobility through film microstructure modifications. The low-temperature postfunctionalized ITO films demonstrated conductivity of >1607 S/cm and sheet resistance of <104 Ω/□ under the process temperature of less than 300 °C, which are comparable to those of vacuum-deposited and high-temperature annealed ITO films. Based on the photoassisted postfunctionalization route, all-solution-processed transparent metal-oxide thin-film-transistors and large-area integrated circuits with the ITO bus lines were demonstrated, showing field-effect mobilities of >6.5 cm 2 V -1 s -1 with relatively good operational stability and oscillation frequency of more than 1 MHz in 7-stage ring oscillators, respectively.

  15. Nano and micro mechanical properties of uncross-linked and cross-linked chitosan films

    PubMed Central

    Aryaei, Ashkan; Jayatissa, Ahalapitiya H.; Jayasuriya, A. Champa

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine the nano and micro mechanical properties for uncross-linked and cross-linked chitosan films. Specifically, we looked at nanoindentation hardness, microhardness, and elastic modulus. It is important to study the nano and microscale mechanical properties of chitosan since chitosan has been widely used for biomedical applications. Using the solvent-cast method, the chitosan films were prepared at room temperature on the cleaned glass plates. The chitosan solution was prepared by dissolving chitosan in acetic acid 1% (v/v). Tripolyphosphate (TPP) was used to create the cross-links between amine groups in chitosan and phosphate groups in TPP. In this study, atomic force microscopy was used to measure the nanoindentation hardness and surface topography of the uncross-linked and cross-linked chitosan films. Elastic modulus was then calculated from the nanoindentation results. The effective elastic modulus was determined by microhardness with some modifications to previous theories. The microhardness of the chitosan films were measured using Vicker’s hardness meter under three different loads. Our results show that the microhardness and elastic modulus for cross-linked chitosan films are higher than the uncross-linked films. However, the cross-linked chitosan films show increased brittleness when compared to uncross-linked films. By increasing the load magnitude, the microhardness increases for both uncross-linked and cross-linked chitosan films. PMID:22100082

  16. AZO films with Al nano-particles to improve the light extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chou, Ying-Hung; Yan, Jheng-Tai; Lee, Hsin-Ying; Lee, Ching-Ting

    2008-02-01

    The co-sputtering Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films with Al nano-particles were used to increase the extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Fixing the ZnO radio frequency (RF) power of 100W and changing the Al DC power from 0 to 13W, the AZO films with various Al contents can be obtained. In the experimental results, the AZO films deposited with Al DC power of 0, 4.5 and 7W do not have Al segregation. However, the segregated Al nano-particles can be found in the AZO films deposited by Al DC power of 10W and 13W. The co-sputtering 170 nm-thick AZO films with and without Al nano-particles were deposited on the transparent area of LEDs and compared the light output intensity of conventional LEDs. The light intensity of LEDs with AZO films with Al DC power 0, 4.5 and 7W increased 10% than that of conventional LEDs. This was due to the AZO film played a role of anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer. The light intensity of LEDs with AZO film deposited using Al DC power of 10W and 13W increased about 35% and 30%, respectively. It can be deduced that the output light is scattered by the Al nano-particles existed in the AZO film.

  17. "Nano" Scale Biosignatures and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oehler, D. Z.; Robert, F.; Meibom, A.; Mostefaoui, S.; Selo, M.; Walter, M. R.; Sugitani, K.; Allwood, A.; Mimura, K.; Gibson, E. K.

    2008-01-01

    A critical step in the search for remnants of potential life forms on other planets lies in our ability to recognize indigenous fragments of ancient microbes preserved in some of Earth's oldest rocks. To this end, we are building a database of nano-scale chemical and morphological characteristics of some of Earth's oldest organic microfossils. We are primarily using the new technology of Nano-Secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) which provides in-situ, nano-scale elemental analysis of trace quantities of organic residues. The initial step was to characterize element composition of well-preserved, organic microfossils from the late Proterozoic (0.8 Ga) Bitter Springs Formation of Australia. Results from that work provide morphologic detail and nitrogen/carbon ratios that appear to reflect the well-established biological origin of these 0.8 Ga fossils.

  18. Surface nano-structure of polyamide 6 film by hydrothermal treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xiaosong; Wang, Zhiliang; Liang, Songmiao; Jin, Yan; Lotz, Bernard; Yang, Shuguang

    2018-06-01

    Polyamide 6 (PA 6) melts and dissolves in super-heated water when T > 160 °C. Commercial PA 6 films were treated in super-heated water at 140 °C < T < 160 °C, i.e. below melting. Morphology, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, oxygen permeability and transparency of the film before and after hydrothermal treatment are investigated. After hydrothermal treatment, the melting temperature, crystallinity, elongation at break and toughness increase, whereas the strength decreases. The transparency and oxygen permeability decrease slightly. More interestingly, the hydrothermal treatment generates on the film surface a nano-structured layer 100 nm thick, which greatly improves adhesion and printing performance.

  19. Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Park, Sungkyun; ...

    2014-12-05

    Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research, but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metalinsulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase puremore » epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V₂⁺²O₃, V⁺⁴O₂, and V₂⁺⁵O₅. A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO₂ films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O₂). The films grown either in lower (< 10 mTorr) or higher P(O₂) (> 25 mTorr) result in V₂O₃ and V₂O₅ phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO₂ thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an 3 improved MIT behavior.« less

  20. Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Park, Sungkyun; Egami, Takeshi; Lee, Ho Nyung

    2014-12-01

    Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase pure epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V2 + 3 O 3 , V + 4 O 2 , and V2 + 5 O 5 . A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO2 films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O2). The films grown either in lower (<10 mTorr) or higher P(O2) (>25 mTorr) result in V2O3 and V2O5 phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO2 thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an improved MIT behavior.

  1. Nano-Crystalline Diamond Films with Pineapple-Like Morphology Grown by the DC Arcjet vapor Deposition Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Bin; Zhang, Qin-Jian; Shi, Yan-Chao; Li, Jia-Jun; Li, Hong; Lu, Fan-Xiu; Chen, Guang-Chao

    2014-08-01

    A nano-crystlline diamond film is grown by the dc arcjet chemical vapor deposition method. The film is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra, respectively. The nanocrystalline grains are averagely with 80 nm in the size measured by XRD, and further proven by Raman and HRTEM. The observed novel morphology of the growth surface, pineapple-like morphology, is constructed by cubo-octahedral growth zones with a smooth faceted top surface and coarse side surfaces. The as-grown film possesses (100) dominant surface containing a little amorphous sp2 component, which is far different from the nano-crystalline film with the usual cauliflower-like morphology.

  2. Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

    2003-01-01

    Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi-component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma-sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia- yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging from 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

  3. Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

    1990-01-01

    Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi- component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma- sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia-yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging fiom 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

  4. Advances in nano-scaled biosensors for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jianling; Chen, Guihua; Jiang, Hui; Li, Zhiyong; Wang, Xuemei

    2013-08-21

    Recently, a growing amount of attention has been focused on the utility of biosensors for biomedical applications. Combined with nanomaterials and nanostructures, nano-scaled biosensors are installed for biomedical applications, such as pathogenic bacteria monitoring, virus recognition, disease biomarker detection, among others. These nano-biosensors offer a number of advantages and in many respects are ideally suited to biomedical applications, which could be made as extremely flexible devices, allowing biomedical analysis with speediness, excellent selectivity and high sensitivity. This minireview discusses the literature published in the latest years on the advances in biomedical applications of nano-scaled biosensors for disease bio-marking and detection, especially in bio-imaging and the diagnosis of pathological cells and viruses, monitoring pathogenic bacteria, thus providing insight into the future prospects of biosensors in relevant clinical applications.

  5. van der Waals interaction between a moving nano-cylinder and a liquid thin film.

    PubMed

    Ledesma-Alonso, René; Raphaël, Elie; Salez, Thomas; Tordjeman, Philippe; Legendre, Dominique

    2017-05-24

    We study the static and dynamic interaction between a horizontal cylindrical nano-probe and a thin liquid film. The effects of the physical and geometrical parameters, with a special focus on the film thickness, the probe speed, and the distance between the probe and the free surface are analyzed. Deformation profiles have been computed numerically from a Reynolds lubrication equation, coupled to a modified Young-Laplace equation, which takes into account the probe/liquid and the liquid/substrate non-retarded van der Waals interactions. We have found that the film thickness and the probe speed have a significant effect on the threshold separation distance below which the jump-to-contact instability is triggered. These results encourage the use of horizontal cylindrical nano-probes to scan thin liquid films, in order to determine either the physical or geometrical properties of the latter, through the measurement of interaction forces.

  6. The influence of oxidation time on the properties of oxidized zinc films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rambu, A. P.

    2012-09-01

    The effect of oxidation time on the structural characteristics and electronic transport mechanism of zinc oxide thin films prepared by thermal oxidation, have been investigated. Zinc metallic films were deposited by thermal evaporation under vacuum, the subsequent oxidation of Zn films being carried out in open atmosphere. XRD and AFM analysis indicate that obtained films posses a polycrystalline structure, the crystallites having a preferential orientation. Structural analysis reveals that microstructure of the films (crystallite size, surface roughness, internal stress) is depending on the oxidation time of metallic films. The electrical behavior of ZnO films was investigated, during a heat treatment (two heating/cooling cycles). It was observed that after the first heating, the temperature dependences of electrical conductivity become reversible. Mott variable range hopping model was proposed to analyze the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity, in low temperature ranges. Values of some characteristic parameters were calculated.

  7. Modeling Thin Film Oxide Growth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sherman, Quentin

    Thin film oxidation is investigated using two modeling techniques in the interest of better understanding the roles of space charge and non-equilibrium effects. An electrochemical phase-field model of an oxide-metal interface is formulated in one dimension and studied at equilibrium and during growth. An analogous sharp interface model is developed to validate the phase-field model in the thick film limit. Electrochemical profiles across the oxide are shown to deviate from the sharp interface prediction when the oxide film is thin compared to the Debye length, however no effect on the oxidation kinetics is found. This is attributed to the simple thermodynamic and kinetic models used therein. The phase-field model provides a framework onto to which additional physics can be added to better model thin film oxidation. A model for solute trapping during the oxidation of binary alloys is developed to study non-equilibrium effects during the early stages of oxide growth. The model is applied to NiCr alloys, and steady-state interfacial composition maps are presented for the growth of an oxide with the rock salt structure. No detailed experimental data is available to verify the predictions of the solute trapping model, however it is shown to be consistent with the trends observed during the early stages of NiCr oxidation. Lastly, experimental studies of the wet infiltration technique for decorating solid oxide fuel cell anodes with nickel nanoparticles are presented. The effect of nickel nitrate calcination parameters on the resulting nickel oxide microstructures are studied on both porous and planar substrates. Decreasing the calcination temperature and dwell time, as well as a dehydration step after nickel nitrate infiltration, are all shown to decrease the initial nickel oxide particle size, but other factors such as geometry and nickel loading per unit area also affected the final nickel particle size and morphology upon reduction.

  8. MD Simulation on Collision Behavior Between Nano-Scale TiO₂ Particles During Vacuum Cold Spraying.

    PubMed

    Yao, Hai-Long; Yang, Guan-Jun; Li, Chang-Jiu

    2018-04-01

    Particle collision behavior influences significantly inter-nano particle bonding formation during the nano-ceramic coating deposition by vacuum cold spraying (or aerosol deposition method). In order to illuminate the collision behavior between nano-scale ceramic particles, molecular dynamic simulation was applied to explore impact process between nano-scale TiO2 particles through controlling impact velocities. Results show that the recoil efficiency of the nano-scale TiO2 particle is decreased with the increase of the impact velocity. Nano-scale TiO2 particle exhibits localized plastic deformation during collision at low velocities, while it is intensively deformed by collision at high velocities. This intensive deformation promotes the nano-particle adhesion rather than rebounding off. A relationship between the adhesion energy and the rebound energy is established for the bonding formation of the nano-scale TiO2 particle. The adhesion energy required to the bonding formation between nano-scale ceramic particles can be produced by high velocity collision.

  9. Synthesis of nano-structure tungsten nitride thin films on silicon using Mather-type plasma focus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussnain, A.; Rawat, R. S.; Ahmad, R.; Umar, Z. A.; Hussain, T.; Lee, P.; Chen, Z.

    2015-07-01

    Nano-structure thin film of tungsten nitride was deposited onto Si-substrate at room temperature using Mather-type plasma focus (3.3 kJ) machine. Substrate was exposed against 10, 20, 30, and 40 deposition shots and its corresponding effect on structure, morphology, conductivity and nano-hardness has been systematically studied. The X-ray diffractormeter spectra of the exposed samples show the presence of various phases of WN and WN2 that depends on number of deposition shots. Surface morphological study revealed the uniform distribution of nano-sized grains on deposited film surface. Hardness and conductivity of exposed substrate improved with higher deposition shots. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy survey scan of 40 deposition shots confirmed the elemental presence of W and N on Si-substrate.

  10. Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

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

    Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Lee, Ho Nyung, E-mail: hnlee@ornl.gov

    2014-12-01

    Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase puremore » epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V{sub 2}{sup +3}O{sub 3}, V{sup +4}O{sub 2}, and V{sub 2}{sup +5}O{sub 5}. A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO{sub 2} films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O{sub 2}). The films grown either in lower (<10 mTorr) or higher P(O{sub 2}) (>25 mTorr) result in V{sub 2}O{sub 3} and V{sub 2}O{sub 5} phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO{sub 2} thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an improved MIT behavior.« less

  11. Structural, electronic and chemical properties of metal/oxide and oxide/oxide interfaces and thin film structures

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

    Lad, Robert J.

    1999-12-14

    This project focused on three different aspects of oxide thin film systems: (1) Model metal/oxide and oxide/oxide interface studies were carried out by depositing ultra-thin metal (Al, K, Mg) and oxide (MgO, AlO{sub x}) films on TiO{sub 2}, NiO and {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystal oxide substrates. (2) Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) oxygen plasma deposition was used to fabricate AlO{sub 3} and ZrO{sub 2} films on sapphire substrates, and film growth mechanisms and structural characteristics were investigated. (3) The friction and wear characteristics of ZrO{sub 2} films on sapphire substrates in unlubricated sliding contact were studied and correlated with filmmore » microstructure. In these studies, thin film and interfacial regions were characterized using diffraction (RHEED, LEED, XRD), electron spectroscopies (XPS, UPS, AES), microscopy (AFM) and tribology instruments (pin-on-disk, friction microprobe, and scratch tester). By precise control of thin film microstructure, an increased understanding of the structural and chemical stability of interface regions and tribological performance of ultra-thin oxide films was achieved in these important ceramic systems.« less

  12. Metal oxide films on metal

    DOEpatents

    Wu, Xin D.; Tiwari, Prabhat

    1995-01-01

    A structure including a thin film of a conductive alkaline earth metal oxide selected from the group consisting of strontium ruthenium trioxide, calcium ruthenium trioxide, barium ruthenium trioxide, lanthanum-strontium cobalt oxide or mixed alkaline earth ruthenium trioxides thereof upon a thin film of a noble metal such as platinum is provided.

  13. Gas sensing performance of nano zinc oxide sensors

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

    Sharma, Shiva, E-mail: shivasharmaau@gmail.com; Chauhan, Pratima, E-mail: mangu167@yahoo.co.in

    We report nano Zinc Oxide (ZnO) synthesized by sol-gel method possessing the crystallite size which varies from 25.17 nm to 47.27 nm. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image confirms the uniform distribution of nanograins with high porosity. The Energy dispersion X-ray (EDAX) spectrum gives the atomic composition of Zn and O in ZnO powders and confirms the formation of nano ZnO particles. These factors reveals that Nano ZnO based gas sensors are highly sensitive to Ammonia gas (NH{sub 3}) at room temperature, indicating the maximum response 86.8% at 800 ppm with fast response time and recovery time of 36 sec and 23 secmore » respectively.« less

  14. Color stability of pigmented maxillofacial silicone elastomer: effects of nano-oxides as opacifiers.

    PubMed

    Han, Ying; Zhao, Yimin; Xie, Chao; Powers, John M; Kiat-amnuay, Sudarat

    2010-01-01

    This study evaluated the effects of nano-oxides on the color stability of pigmented silicone A-2186 maxillofacial prosthetic elastomers before and after artificial aging. Each of three widely used UV-shielding nano-sized particle oxides (TiO(2), ZnO, CeO(2)), based on recent survey of the industry at 1%, 2%, 2.5% concentrations were combined with each of five intrinsic silicone pigment types (no pigments, red, yellow, blue, and a mixture of the three pigments). Silicone A-2186 without nano-oxides or pigments served as control, for a total of 46 experimental groups of elastomers. In each group of the study, all specimens were aged in an artificial aging chamber for an energy exposure of 450kJ/m(2). CIE L*a*b* values were measured by a spectrophotometer. The 50:50% perceptibility (ΔE*=1.1) and acceptability threshold (ΔE*=3.0) were used in interpretation of recorded color differences. Color differences after aging were subjected to three-way analysis of variance. Means were compared by Fisher's PLSD intervals at the 0.05 level of significance. Yellow pigments mixed with all three nano-oxides at all intervals increased ΔE* values significantly from 3.7 up to 8.4. When mixed pigment groups were considered, TiO(2) at 2%, and 2.5% exhibited the smallest color changes, followed by ZnO and CeO(2), respectively (p<0.001). At 1%, CeO(2) exhibited the smallest color changes, followed by TiO(2) and ZnO, respectively (p<0.001). The smallest color differences, observed for nano-oxides groups, were recorded for CeO(2) at 1%, and TiO(2) at 2% and 2.5%. When the nano-oxides were tested at all concentrations, CeO(2) groups overall had the most color changes, and TiO(2) groups had the least. All ΔE* values of the mixed pigment groups were below the 50:50% acceptability threshold (ΔE*=1.2-2.3, below 3.0) except 2% CeO(2) (ΔE*=4.2). 1% nano-CeO(2) and 2% and 2.5% nano-TiO(2) used as opacifiers for silicone A-2186 maxillofacial prostheses with mixed pigments exhibited the least

  15. Defect analysis and detection of micro nano structured optical thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Chang; Shi, Nuo; Zhou, Lang; Shi, Qinfeng; Yang, Yang; Li, Zhuo

    2017-10-01

    This paper focuses on developing an automated method for detecting defects on our wavelength conversion thin film. We analyzes the operating principle of our wavelength conversion Micro/Nano thin film which absorbing visible light and emitting infrared radiation, indicates the relationship between the pixel's pattern and the radiation of the thin film, and issues the principle of defining blind pixels and their categories due to the calculated and experimental results. An effective method is issued for the automated detection based on wavelet transform and template matching. The results reveal that this method has desired accuracy and processing speed.

  16. Novel nano-semiconductor film layer supported nano-Pd Complex Nanostructured Catalyst Pd/Ⓕ-MeOx/AC for High Efficient Selective Hydrogenation of Phenol to Cyclohexanone.

    PubMed

    Si, Jiaqi; Ouyang, Wenbing; Zhang, Yanji; Xu, Wentao; Zhou, Jicheng

    2017-04-28

    Supported metal as a type of heterogeneous catalysts are the most widely used in industrial processes. High dispersion of the metal particles of supported catalyst is a key factor in determining the performance of such catalysts. Here we report a novel catalyst Pd/Ⓕ-MeO x /AC with complex nanostructured, Pd nanoparticles supported on the platelike nano-semiconductor film/activated carbon, prepared by the photocatalytic reduction method, which exhibited high efficient catalytic performance for selective hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone. Conversion of phenol achieved up to more than 99% with a lower mole ratio (0.5%) of active components Pd and phenol within 2 h at 70 °C. The synergistic effect of metal nanoparticles and nano-semiconductors support layer and the greatly increasing of contact interface of nano-metal-semiconductors may be responsible for the high efficiency. This work provides a clear demonstration that complex nanostructured catalysts with nano-metal and nano-semiconductor film layer supported on high specific surface AC can yield enhanced catalytic activity and can afford promising approach for developing new supported catalyst.

  17. Plasmonic Nanostructures for Nano-Scale Bio-Sensing

    PubMed Central

    Chung, Taerin; Lee, Seung-Yeol; Song, Eui Young; Chun, Honggu; Lee, Byoungho

    2011-01-01

    The optical properties of various nanostructures have been widely adopted for biological detection, from DNA sequencing to nano-scale single molecule biological function measurements. In particular, by employing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), we can expect distinguished sensing performance with high sensitivity and resolution. This indicates that nano-scale detections can be realized by using the shift of resonance wavelength of LSPR in response to the refractive index change. In this paper, we overview various plasmonic nanostructures as potential sensing components. The qualitative descriptions of plasmonic nanostructures are supported by the physical phenomena such as plasmonic hybridization and Fano resonance. We present guidelines for designing specific nanostructures with regard to wavelength range and target sensing materials. PMID:22346679

  18. Method of producing carbon coated nano- and micron-scale particles

    DOEpatents

    Perry, W. Lee; Weigle, John C; Phillips, Jonathan

    2013-12-17

    A method of making carbon-coated nano- or micron-scale particles comprising entraining particles in an aerosol gas, providing a carbon-containing gas, providing a plasma gas, mixing the aerosol gas, the carbon-containing gas, and the plasma gas proximate a torch, bombarding the mixed gases with microwaves, and collecting resulting carbon-coated nano- or micron-scale particles.

  19. Facile modulation of cell adhesion to a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate film with incorporation of polystyrene nano-spheres.

    PubMed

    Yang, Wenguang; Yu, Haibo; Li, Gongxin; Wang, Yuechao; Liu, Lianqing

    2016-12-01

    Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) is a common hydrogel that has been actively investigated for various tissue engineering applications owing to its biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties. However, the native PEGDA films are known for their bio-inertness which can hinder cell adhesion, thereby limiting their applications in tissue engineering and biomedicine. Recently, nano composite technology has become a particularly hot topic, and has led to the development of new methods for delivering desired properties to nanomaterials. In this study, we added polystyrene nano-spheres (PS) into a PEGDA solution to synthesize a nano-composite film and evaluated its characteristics. The experimental results showed that addition of the nanospheres to the PEGDA film not only resulted in modification of the mechanical properties and surface morphology but further improved the adhesion of cells on the film. The tensile modulus showed clear dependence on the addition of PS, which enhanced the mechanical properties of the PEGDA-PS film. We attribute the high stiffness of the hybrid hydrogel to the formation of additional cross-links between polymeric chains and the nano-sphere surface in the network. The effect of PS on cell adhesion and proliferation was evaluated in L929 mouse fibroblast cells that were seeded on the surface of various PEGDA-PS films. Cells density increased with a larger PS concentration, and the cells displayed a spreading morphology on the hybrid films, which promoted cell proliferation. Impressively, cellular stiffness could also be modulated simply by tuning the concentration of nano-spheres. Our results indicate that the addition of PS can effectively tailor the physical and biological properties of PEGDA as well as the mechanical properties of cells, with benefits for biomedical and biotechnological applications.

  20. High-voltage nano-oxidation in deionized water and atmospheric environments by atomic force microscopy.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jen-Ching; Chen, Chung-Ming

    2012-01-01

    This study used atomic force microscopy (AFM), metallic probes with a nanoscale tip, and high-voltage generators to investigate the feasibility of high-voltage nano-oxidation processing in deionized water (DI water) and atmospheric environments. Researchers used a combination of wire-cutting and electrochemical etching to transform a 20-μm-thick stainless steel sheet into a conductive metallic AFM probe with a tip radius of 60 nm, capable of withstanding high voltages. The combination of AFM, high-voltage generators, and nanoscale metallic probes enabled nano-oxidation processing at 200 V in DI water environments, producing oxides up to 66.6 nm in height and 467.03 nm in width. Oxides produced through high-voltage nano-oxidation in atmospheric environments were 117.29 nm in height and 551.28 nm in width, considerably exceeding the dimensions of those produced in DI water. An increase in the applied bias voltage led to an apparent logarithmic increase in the height of the oxide dots in the range of 200-400 V. The performance of the proposed high-voltage nano-oxidation technique was relatively high with seamless integration between the AFM machine and the metallic probe fabricated in this study. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Nano confinement effects on dynamic and viscoelastic properties of Selenium Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Heedong; McKenna, Gregory

    2015-03-01

    In current study, we use a novel nano bubble inflation technique to study nano confinement effects on the dynamic and viscoelastic properties of physical vapor deposited Selenium films. Film thicknesses ranged from 60 to 260 nm. Creep experiments were performed for the temperatures ranging from Tg,macroscopic-14 °C to Tg,\\ macroscopic + 19 °C. Time temperature superposition and time thickness superposition were applied to create reduced creep curves, and those were compared with macroscopic data [J. Non-Cryst. Solids. 2002, 307, 790-801]. The results showed that the time temperature superposition was applicable in the glassy relaxation regime to the steady-state plateau regime. However in the long time response of the creep compliance, time thickness superposition failed due to the thickness dependence on the steady-state plateau. It was observed that the steady state compliance increased with film thickness. The thickness dependence on the plateau stiffening followed a power law of DPlateau ~ h2.46, which is greater than observed in organic polymers where the exponents observed range from 0.83 to 2.0 [Macromolecules. 2012, 45 (5), 2453-2459]. National Science Foundation Grant No. CHE 1112416 and John R. Bradford Endowment at Texas Tech

  2. Titanium bone implants with superimposed micro/nano-scale porosity and antibacterial capability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Necula, B. S.; Apachitei, I.; Fratila-Apachitei, L. E.; van Langelaan, E. J.; Duszczyk, J.

    2013-05-01

    This study aimed at producing a multifunctional layer with micro/nano-interconnected porosity and antibacterial capability on a rough macro-porous plasma sprayed titanium surface using the plasma electrolytic oxidation process. The layers were electrochemically formed in electrolytes based on calcium acetate and calcium glycerophosphate salts bearing dispersed Ag nanoparticles. They were characterized with respect to surface morphology and chemical composition using a scanning electron microscope equipped with the energy dispersive spectroscopy and back scattering detectors. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of a micro/nano-scale porous layer, comprised of TiO2 bearing Ca and P species and Ag nanoparticles, following accurately the surface topography of the plasma sprayed titanium coating. The Ca/P atomic ratio was found to be close to that of bone apatite. Ag nanoparticles were incorporated on both on top and inside the porous structure of the TiO2 layer.

  3. Rapid nano impact printing of silk biopolymer thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, Robert D.; Gray, Caprice; Mandelup, Ethan; Amsden, Jason J.; Kaplan, David L.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.

    2011-11-01

    In this paper, nano impact printing of silk biopolymer films is described. An indenter is rapidly accelerated and transfers the nanopattern from a silicon master into the silk film during an impact event that occurs in less than 1 ms. Contact stresses of greater than 100 MPa can be achieved during the short impact period with low power and inexpensive hardware. Ring shaped features with a diameter of 2 µm and a ring width of 100-200 nm were successfully transferred into untreated silk films using this method at room temperature. Mechanical modeling was carried out to determine the contact stress distribution, and demonstrates that imprinting can occur for contact stresses of less than 2 MPa. Thermal characterization at the impact location shows that raising the temperature to 70 °C has only a limited effect on pattern transfer. Contact stresses of greater than approximately 100 MPa result in excessive deformation of the film and poor pattern transfer.

  4. Compostability assessment of nano-reinforced poly(lactic acid) films.

    PubMed

    Balaguer, M P; Aliaga, C; Fito, C; Hortal, M

    2016-02-01

    Nanomaterials can provide plastics with great advantages on mechanical and active properties (i.e. release and capture of specific substances). Therefore, packaging is expected to become one of the leading applications for these substances by 2020. There are some applications already in the market. Nevertheless, there is still some areas under development. A key issue to be analyzed is the end-of-life of these materials once they become waste, and specifically when nanomaterials are used in biodegradable products. The present study evaluated the disintegration, biodegradability, and ecotoxicity of poly(lactic acid) films reinforced with the three following nanomaterials: (1) montmorillonite modified with an ammonium quaternary salt, (2) calcium carbonate and (3) silicon dioxide. Results on disintegration showed that films completely disintegrated into visually indistinguishable residues after 6-7weeks of incubation in composting environment. Moreover, no differences were observed in the evolution of the bioresidue with respect to color, aspect, and odor in comparison with the control. It was also observed that nanomaterials did not significantly reduce the level of biodegradability of PLA (p>0.05). In fact, biodegradation was higher, without finding significant differences (p>0.05), in all the nano-reinforced samples with respect to PLA after 130days in composting (9.4% in PLA+Nano-SiO2; 34.0% in PLA+Clay1; 48.0% in PLA+Nano-CaCO3). Finally, no significant differences (p>0.05) in ecotoxicity in plants were observed as a result of the incorporation of nanoparticles in the PLA matrix. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Synthesis and characterization of CdO nano particles by the sol-gel method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vadgama, V. S.; Vyas, R. P.; Jogiya, B. V.; Joshi, M. J.

    2017-05-01

    Cadmium Oxide (CdO) is an inorganic compound and one of the main precursors to other cadmium compounds. It finds applications in cadmium plating, storage batteries, in transparent conducting film, etc. Here, an attempt is made to synthesize CdO nano particles by sol-gel technique. The gel was prepared using cadmium nitrate tetra hydrate (Cd(NO3)2.4H2O) and aqueous ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) as a precursor. The synthesized powder is further characterized by techniques like Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Powder XRD analysis suggested the nano-crystalline nature of the sample with the cubic crystal system. Nano scaled particles of spherical morphology with the size ranging from 50-100 nm are observed from TEM images. While, FT-IR study is used to confirm the presence of different functional groups. Thermo-gravimetric analysis suggests the highly thermally stable nature of the samples. The results are discussed.

  6. Sediment toxicity and bioaccumulation of nano and micron-sized aluminum oxide.

    PubMed

    Stanley, Jacob K; Coleman, Jessica G; Weiss, Charles A; Steevens, Jeffery A

    2010-02-01

    Nano-aluminum oxide (Al(2)O(3)) is used commercially in coatings and abrasives. Nano-Al(2)O(3) can also be generated through the oxidation of nano-aluminum in military propellants and energetics. The purpose of the present study was to assess toxicity and bioaccumulation of nano-Al(2)O(3) to a variety of sediment organisms (Tubifex tubifex, Hyalella azteca, Lumbriculus variegatus, and Corbicula fluminea). The bioaccumulation and toxicity of nano-Al(2)O(3) was compared with that of micron-sized Al(2)O(3) to investigate potential size-related effects. Results of the present study show species-specific differences in relative bioaccumulation of nano and micron-sized Al(2)O(3). Significant toxic effects (survival and growth) were observed in H. azteca testing, but only at high concentrations unlikely to be found in the environment. Nano-Al(2)O(3) was found to be more toxic than micron-sized Al(2)O(3) to H. azteca survival in a 14-d study in which organisms were in direct contact with a thin layer of 625 or 2,500 mg of Al(2)O(3) dispersed on the surface of either sediment or sand. A significant growth effect was also observed for nano but not micron-sized Al(2)O(3) at the highest treatment level tested (100 g/kg Al(2)O(3)) in a 10-d H. azteca bioassay in which Al(2)O(3) was homogenized with sediment. However, differences in measured sediment Al concentrations (micron-sized = 55.1 [+/-0.6] g/kg Al; nano-sized = 66.2 [+/-0.6] g/kg Al) in the nano and micron-sized Al(2)O(3) preclude direct comparison of the toxicity of these two treatments based on particle size. Copyright 2009 SETAC.

  7. Ultra-fast self-assembly and stabilization of reactive nanoparticles in reduced graphene oxide films

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yanan; Egan, Garth C.; Wan, Jiayu; Zhu, Shuze; Jacob, Rohit Jiji; Zhou, Wenbo; Dai, Jiaqi; Wang, Yanbin; Danner, Valencia A.; Yao, Yonggang; Fu, Kun; Wang, Yibo; Bao, Wenzhong; Li, Teng; Zachariah, Michael R.; Hu, Liangbing

    2016-01-01

    Nanoparticles hosted in conductive matrices are ubiquitous in electrochemical energy storage, catalysis and energetic devices. However, agglomeration and surface oxidation remain as two major challenges towards their ultimate utility, especially for highly reactive materials. Here we report uniformly distributed nanoparticles with diameters around 10 nm can be self-assembled within a reduced graphene oxide matrix in 10 ms. Microsized particles in reduced graphene oxide are Joule heated to high temperature (∼1,700 K) and rapidly quenched to preserve the resultant nano-architecture. A possible formation mechanism is that microsized particles melt under high temperature, are separated by defects in reduced graphene oxide and self-assemble into nanoparticles on cooling. The ultra-fast manufacturing approach can be applied to a wide range of materials, including aluminium, silicon, tin and so on. One unique application of this technique is the stabilization of aluminium nanoparticles in reduced graphene oxide film, which we demonstrate to have excellent performance as a switchable energetic material. PMID:27515900

  8. Nanometer-scale oxide thin film transistor with potential for high-density image sensor applications.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Sanghun; Park, Sungho; Song, Ihun; Hur, Ji-Hyun; Park, Jaechul; Kim, Hojung; Kim, Sunil; Kim, Sangwook; Yin, Huaxiang; Chung, U-In; Lee, Eunha; Kim, Changjung

    2011-01-01

    The integration of electronically active oxide components onto silicon circuits represents an innovative approach to improving the functionality of novel devices. Like most semiconductor devices, complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensors (CISs) have physical limitations when progressively scaled down to extremely small dimensions. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid CIS architecture that is based on the combination of nanometer-scale amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) and a conventional Si photo diode (PD). With this approach, we aim to overcome the loss of quantum efficiency and image quality due to the continuous miniaturization of PDs. Specifically, the a-IGZO TFT with 180 nm gate length is probed to exhibit remarkable performance including low 1/f noise and high output gain, despite fabrication temperatures as low as 200 °C. In particular, excellent device performance is achieved using a double-layer gate dielectric (Al₂O₃/SiO₂) combined with a trapezoidal active region formed by a tailored etching process. A self-aligned top gate structure is adopted to ensure low parasitic capacitance. Lastly, three-dimensional (3D) process simulation tools are employed to optimize the four-pixel CIS structure. The results demonstrate how our stacked hybrid device could be the starting point for new device strategies in image sensor architectures. Furthermore, we expect the proposed approach to be applicable to a wide range of micro- and nanoelectronic devices and systems.

  9. A study of structural and mechanical properties of nano-crystalline tungsten nitride film synthesis by plasma focus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussnain, Ali; Singh Rawat, Rajdeep; Ahmad, Riaz; Hussain, Tousif; Umar, Z. A.; Ikhlaq, Uzma; Chen, Zhong; Shen, Lu

    2015-02-01

    Nano-crystalline tungsten nitride thin films are synthesized on AISI-304 steel at room temperature using Mather-type plasma focus system. The surface properties of the exposed substrate against different deposition shots are examined for crystal structure, surface morphology and mechanical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope and nano-indenter. The XRD results show the growth of WN and WN2 phases and the development of strain/stress in the deposited films by varying the number of deposition shots. Morphology of deposited films shows the significant change in the surface structure with different ion energy doses (number of deposition shots). Due to the effect of different ion energy doses, the strain/stress developed in the deposited film leads to an improvement of hardness of deposited films.

  10. Preparing nano-hole arrays by using porous anodic aluminum oxide nano-structural masks for the enhanced emission from InGaN/GaN blue light-emitting diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Hoang-Duy; Nguyen, Hieu Pham Trung; Lee, Jae-jin; Mho, Sun-Il

    2012-12-01

    We report on the achievement of the enhanced cathodoluminescence (CL) from InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by using roughening surface. Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) mask was utilized to form nano-hole arrays on the surface of InGaN/GaN LEDs. AAO membranes with ordered hexagonal structures were fabricated from aluminum foils by a two-step anodization method. The average pore densities of ˜1.0 × 1010 cm-2 and 3.0 × 1010 cm-2 were fabricated with the constant anodization voltages of 25 and 40 V, respectively. Anodic porous alumina film with a thickness of ˜600 nm has been used as a mask for the induced couple plasma etching process to fabricate nano-hole arrays on the LED surface. Diameter and depth of nano-holes can be controlled by varying the etching duration and/or the diameter of AAO membranes. Due to the reduction of total internal reflection obtained in the patterned samples, we have observed that the cathodoluminescence intensity of LEDs with nanoporous structures is increased up to eight times compared to that of samples without using nanoporous structure.

  11. Intense photoluminescence from amorphous tantalum oxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Minmin; Zhang, Zhengjun; Miao, Wei

    2006-07-01

    Tantalum oxide films were deposited on silicon substrates at a temperature of ˜450°C by heating a pure tantalum foil in a rough vacuum. The films were amorphous in structure and consisted of fully oxidized Ta2O5 and (TaOx, x <2.5) suboxides. This feature resulted in strong visible light emission from the films further oxidized in the air at temperatures of 200-300°C. The mechanism for this photoluminescence behavior of the amorphous tantalum oxide films was also investigated and discussed. This study suggests that wide-band-gap materials could act as effective visible light emitters and provides a simple route to synthesize such materials.

  12. Improvement of thermal stability of nano-granular TMR films by using a Mg-Al-O insulator matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanie, S.; Koyama, S.

    2018-05-01

    A new metal-insulator nano-granular tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) film made of (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) has been investigated. It is confirmed that the film has granular structure in which crystal Fe-Co granules are surrounded by an amorphous Mg-Al-O matrix. A large MR ratio of 11.8 % at room temperature is observed for a 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film annealed at 395 °C. The electrical resistivity increases rapidly by annealing at above the changing point (500 °C). The changing point is about 300 °C higher than that of conventional (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) nano-granular TMR films. The 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film also exhibits less degradation in the MR ratio at high annealing temperatures such as 600 °C. These results suggest the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) film is superior to the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) film in thermal stability.

  13. Analysis of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Synthesized by Sol-Gel via Spin Coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolgamott, Jon Carl

    Transparent conductive oxides are gaining an increasingly important role in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. Doped zinc oxide is a candidate as a low cost and nontoxic alternative to tin doped indium oxide. Lab results have shown that both n-type and p-type zinc oxide can be created on a small scale. This can allow zinc oxide to be used as either an electrode as well as a buffer layer to increase efficiency and protect the active layer in solar cells. Sol-gel synthesis is emerging as a low temperature, low cost, and resource efficient alternative to producing transparent conducting oxides such as zinc oxide. For sol-gel derived zinc oxide thin films to reach their potential, research in this topic must continue to optimize the known processing parameters and expand to new parameters to tighten control and create novel processing techniques that improve performance. The processing parameters of drying and annealing temperatures as well as cooling rate were analyzed to see their effect on the structure of the prepared zinc oxide thin films. There were also preliminary tests done to modify the sol-gel process to include silver as a dopant to produce a p-type thin film. The results from this work show that the pre- and post- heating temperatures as well as the cooling rate all play their own unique role in the crystallization of the film. Results from silver doping show that more work needs to be done to create a sol-gel derived p-type zinc oxide thin film.

  14. The influence of nano-oxide layer on magnetostriction of sensing layer in bottom spin valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, J. J.; Han, G. C.; Li, K. B.; Liu, Z. Y.; Zong, B. Y.; Wu, Y. H.

    2006-05-01

    The magnetostriction coefficient (λs) of ultrathin sputtered polycrystalline as-deposited and annealed Ta/Ni81Fe19(t)/Ta films was studied as a function of the thickness. λs and magnetoresistance (MR) of bottom-type spin valves (SVs) with nano-oxide layer (NOL) added in the pinned layer were investigated by using NiFe, Co90Fe10, and CoFe/NiFe/CoFe layers as free layer (FL), respectively. λs of SV with NOL increased slightly except that of CoFe FL. NOLs were added at different positions to study the effects of NOL on λs of CoFe FL. All λs of CoFe FL change from negative to positive and its absolute value also increases significantly with CoFeOx related NOL added below. Our λs and surface roughness results indicated that the structure of the film not the roughness dominates λs of ultrathin FL in SVs.

  15. The Influence of Fluorination on Nano-Scale Phase Separation and Photovoltaic Performance of Small Molecular/PC71BM Blends

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Zhen; Liu, Wen; Li, Jingjing; Fang, Tao; Li, Wanning; Zhang, Jicheng; Feng, Feng; Li, Wenhua

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the fluorination influence on the photovoltaic performance of small molecular based organic solar cells (OSCs), six small molecules based on 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT), and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) as core and fluorinated phenyl (DFP) and triphenyl amine (TPA) as different terminal units (DFP-BT-DFP, DFP-BT-TPA, TPA-BT-TPA, DFP-DPP-DFP, DFP-DPP-TPA, and TPA-DPP-TPA) were synthesized. With one or two fluorinated phenyl as the end group(s), HOMO level of BT and DPP based small molecular donors were gradually decreased, inducing high open circuit voltage for fluorinated phenyl based OSCs. DFP-BT-TPA and DFP-DPP-TPA based blend films both displayed stronger nano-scale aggregation in comparison to TPA-BT-TPA and TPA-DPP-TPA, respectively, which would also lead to higher hole motilities in devices. Ultimately, improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.17% and 1.22% was acquired for DFP-BT-TPA and DFP-DPP-TPA based devices, respectively. These results demonstrated that the nano-scale aggregation size of small molecules in photovoltaic devices could be significantly enhanced by introducing a fluorine atom at the donor unit of small molecules, which will provide understanding about the relationship of chemical structure and nano-scale phase separation in OSCs. PMID:28335208

  16. Solvent influence upon structure & throughput of poly vinyledene fluoride thin film nano-patterns by imprint lithography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sankar, M. S. Ravi; Gangineni, R. B.

    2018-04-01

    This work aims at understanding the solvent influence upon the throughput and structure of poly vinyledene fluoride (PVDF)nano-patterned films. The PVDF thin films are deposited by spin coating method using Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 2-butanone solvents. The nano-patterns are realized by imprinting SONY 700 MB CD aluminum constructions on PVDF thin filmsusing imprint lithography technique under ambient annealing temperature and pressure. Surface morphology &imprint pattern transfer quality is evaluated with Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Raman spectroscopy is used for evaluating the structural evolutions with respect to solvent & patterning.

  17. Investigation of the mechanical and chemical characteristics of nanotubular and nano-pitted anodic films on grade 2 titanium dental implant materials.

    PubMed

    Weszl, Miklós; Tóth, Krisztián László; Kientzl, Imre; Nagy, Péter; Pammer, Dávid; Pelyhe, Liza; Vrana, Nihal E; Scharnweber, Dieter; Wolf-Brandstetter, Cornelia; Joób F, Árpád; Bognár, Eszter

    2017-09-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the reproducibility, mechanical integrity, surface characteristics and corrosion behavior of nanotubular (NT) titanium oxide arrays in comparison with a novel nano-pitted (NP) anodic film. Surface treatment processes were developed to grow homogenous NT and NP anodic films on the surface of grade 2 titanium discs and dental implants. The effect of process parameters on the surface characteristics and reproducibility of the anodic films was investigated and optimized. The mechanical integrity of the NT and NP anodic films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, surface roughness measurement, scratch resistance and screwing tests, while the chemical and physicochemical properties were investigated in corrosion tests, contact angle measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The growth of NT anodic films was highly affected by process parameters, especially by temperature, and they were apt to corrosion and exfoliation. In contrast, the anodic growth of NP film showed high reproducibility even on the surface of 3-dimensional screw dental implants and they did not show signs of corrosion and exfoliation. The underlying reason of the difference in the tendency for exfoliation of the NT and NP anodic films is unclear; however the XPS analysis revealed fluorine dopants in a magnitude larger concentration on NT anodic film than on NP surface, which was identified as a possible causative. Concerning other surface characteristics that are supposed to affect the biological behavior of titanium implants, surface roughness values were found to be similar, whereas considerable differences were revealed in the wettability of the NT and NP anodic films. Our findings suggest that the applicability of NT anodic films on the surface of titanium bone implants may be limited because of mechanical considerations. In contrast, it is worth to consider the applicability of nano-pitted anodic films over nanotubular arrays

  18. The structural and optical properties of Y (Y  =  Al, B, Si and Ti)-doped ZnO nano thin films from the first principles calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Wenshu; Hu, Huijun; Zhang, Caili; Li, Jianguo; Li, Yuping; Ling, Lixia; Han, Peide

    2017-12-01

    Based on the density functional theory, the structural stability and optical properties of undoped and Y (Y  =  Al, B, Si and Ti)-doped ZnO nano thin films are investigated. The good stability of the films based on the ZnO (0 0 0 1) can be obtained when the layer is larger than 12. Moreover, the dielectric function, refractive index, absorption, and reflectivity of doped ZnO nano thin films have been analyzed in detail. In the visible light range, the values of ZnO films from 12 to 24 layers are all smaller than those of the bulk. And with the augment of the layers, the values keep increasing. All the results signify that the nano film of 12 layers possesses the lowest reflectivity and weakest absorption. In addition, there is an evident impact of some doped element on the properties of nano films. The absorption and reflectivity of Ti, Si-doped ZnO nano thin films are higher than those of the clean films, while Al, B-doped are lower, especially B-doped. Moreover, the conductivity of the doped structure is better than that of the bulk. Thus, the B-doped ZnO nano thin films could be potential candidate materials of transparent conductive films.

  19. Fabrication of meso- and nano-scale structures on surfaces of chalcogenide semiconductors by surface hydrodynamic interference patterning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilanych, V.; Komanicky, V.; Lacková, M.; Feher, A.; Kuzma, V.; Rizak, V.

    2015-10-01

    We observe the change of surface relief on amorphous Ge-As-Se thin films after irradiation with an electron beam. The beam softens the glass and induces various topological surface changes in the irradiated area. The film relief change depends on the film thickness, deposited charge, and film composition. Various structures are formed: Gausian-like cones, extremely sharp Taylor cones, deep craters, and craters with large spires grown on the side. Our investigation shows that these effects can be at least partially a result of electro-hydrodynamic material flow, but the observed phenomena are likely more complex. When we irradiated structural patterns formed by the electron beam with a red laser beam, we could not only fully relax the produced patterns, but also form very complex and intricate superstructures. These organized meso- and nano-scale structures are formed by a combination of photo-induced structural relaxation, light interference on structures fabricated by the e-beam, and photo-induced material flow.

  20. Performance and Structural Evolution of Nano-Scale Infiltrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Call, Ann Virginia

    Nano-structured mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) materials have garnered intense interest in electrode development for solid oxide fuel cells due to their high surface areas which allow for effective catalytic activity and low polarization resistances. In particular, composite solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes consisting of ionic conducting scaffolds infiltrated with MIEC nanoparticles have exhibited some of the lowest reported polarization resistances. In order for cells utilizing nanostructured moRPhologies to be viable for commercial implementation, more information on their initial performance and long term stability is necessary. In this study, symmetric cell cathodes were prepared via wet infiltration of Sr0.5Sm 0.5CoO3 (SSC) nano-particles via a nitrate process into porous Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (GDC) scaffolds to be used as a model system to investigate performance and structural evolution. Detailed analysis of the cells and cathodes was carried out using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Initial polarization resistances (RP) as low as 0.11 O cm2 at 600ºC were obtained for these SSC-GDC cathodes, making them an ideal candidate for studying high performance nano-structured electrodes. The present results show that the infiltrated cathode microstructure has a direct impact on the initial performance of the cell. Small initial particle sizes and high infiltration loadings (up to 30 vol% SSC) improved initial RP. A simple microstructure-based electrochemical model successfully explained these trends in RP. Further understanding of electrode performance was gleaned from fitting EIS data gathered under varying temperatures and oxygen partial pressures to equivalent circuit models. Both RQ and Gerischer impedance elements provided good fits to the main response in the EIS data, which was associated with the combination of oxygen surface exchange and oxygen diffusion in the electrode. A gas diffusion response was also observed at relatively

  1. Charge transport through exciton shelves in cadmium chalcogenide quantum dot-DNA nano-bioelectronic thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodman, Samuel M.; Noh, Hyunwoo; Singh, Vivek; Cha, Jennifer N.; Nagpal, Prashant

    2015-02-01

    Quantum dot (QD), or semiconductor nanocrystal, thin films are being explored for making solution-processable devices due to their size- and shape-tunable bandgap and discrete higher energy electronic states. While DNA has been extensively used for the self-assembly of nanocrystals, it has not been investigated for the simultaneous conduction of multiple energy charges or excitons via exciton shelves (ES) formed in QD-DNA nano-bioelectronic thin films. Here, we present studies on charge conduction through exciton shelves, which are formed via chemically coupled QDs and DNA, between electronic states of the QDs and the HOMO-LUMO levels in the complementary DNA nucleobases. While several challenges need to be addressed in optimizing the formation of devices using QD-DNA thin films, a higher charge collection efficiency for hot-carriers and our detailed investigations of charge transport mechanism in these thin films highlight their potential for applications in nano-bioelectronic devices and biological transducers.

  2. Impedance spectroscopy of the oxide films formed during high temperature oxidation of a cobalt-plated ferritic alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velraj, S.; Zhu, J. H.; Painter, A. S.; Du, S. W.; Li, Y. T.

    2014-02-01

    Impedance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the oxide films formed on cobalt-coated Crofer 22 APU ferritic stainless steel after thermal oxidation at 800 °C in air for different times (i.e. 2, 50, 100 and 500 h). Impedance spectra of the oxide films exhibited two or three semicircles depending on the oxidation time, which correspond to the presence of two or three individual oxide layers. Coupled with scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the individual oxide layer corresponding to each semicircle was determined unambiguously. Impedance spectrum analysis of the oxide films formed on the sample after thermal exposure at 800 °C in air for 2 h led to the identification of the low-frequency and high-frequency semicircles as being from Cr2O3 and Co3O4, respectively. SEM/EDS and XRD analysis of the 500-h sample clearly revealed the presence of three oxide layers, analyzed to be Co3-xCrxO4, CoCr2O4, and Cr2O3. Although the SEM images of the 50-h and 100-h samples did not clearly show the CoCr2O4 layer, impedance plots implied their presence. The oxide scales were assigned to their respective semicircles and the electrical properties of Co3-xCrxO4, CoCr2O4 and Cr2O3 were determined from the impedance data.

  3. Effect of morphology and solvent on two-photon absorption of nano zinc oxide

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

    Kavitha, M.K.; Haripadmam, P.C.; Gopinath, Pramod

    Highlights: ► ZnO nanospheres and triangular structures synthesis by novel precipitation technique. ► The effect of precursor concentration on the size and shape of nano ZnO. ► Open aperture Z-scan measurements of the ZnO nanoparticle dispersions. ► Nanospheres exhibit higher two photon absorption coefficient than triangular nanostructures. ► Nanospheres dispersed in water exhibit higher two photon absorption coefficient than its dispersion in 2-propanol. - Abstract: In this paper, we report the effect of morphology and solvent on the two-photon absorption of nano zinc oxide. Zinc oxide nanoparticles in two different morphologies like nanospheres and triangular nanostructures are synthesized by novelmore » precipitation technique and their two-photon absorption coefficient is measured using open aperture Z-scan technique. Experimental results show that the zinc oxide nanospheres exhibit higher two-photon absorption coefficient than the zinc oxide triangular nanostructures. The zinc oxide nanospheres dispersed in water exhibit higher two-photon absorption coefficient than that of its dispersion in 2-propanol. The zinc oxide nanospheres dispersed in water shows a decrease in two-photon absorption coefficient with an increase in on-axis irradiance. The result confirms the dependence of shape and solvent on the two-photon absorption of nano zinc oxide.« less

  4. Environmental risk assessment of engineered nano-SiO2 , nano iron oxides, nano-CeO2 , nano-Al2 O3 , and quantum dots.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan; Nowack, Bernd

    2018-05-01

    Many research studies have endeavored to investigate the ecotoxicological hazards of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). However, little is known regarding the actual environmental risks of ENMs, combining both hazard and exposure data. The aim of the present study was to quantify the environmental risks for nano-Al 2 O 3 , nano-SiO 2 , nano iron oxides, nano-CeO 2 , and quantum dots by comparing the predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) with the predicted-no-effect concentrations (PNECs). The PEC values of these 5 ENMs in freshwaters in 2020 for northern Europe and southeastern Europe were taken from a published dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis model. The PNEC values were calculated using probabilistic species sensitivity distribution (SSD). The order of the PNEC values was quantum dots < nano-CeO 2  < nano iron oxides < nano-Al 2 O 3  < nano-SiO 2 . The risks posed by these 5 ENMs were demonstrated to be in the reverse order: nano-Al 2 O 3  > nano-SiO 2  > nano iron oxides > nano-CeO 2  > quantum dots. However, all risk characterization values are 4 to 8 orders of magnitude lower than 1, and no risk was therefore predicted for any of the investigated ENMs at the estimated release level in 2020. Compared to static models, the dynamic material flow model allowed us to use PEC values based on a more complex parameterization, considering a dynamic input over time and time-dependent release of ENMs. The probabilistic SSD approach makes it possible to include all available data to estimate hazards of ENMs by considering the whole range of variability between studies and material types. The risk-assessment approach is therefore able to handle the uncertainty and variability associated with the collected data. The results of the present study provide a scientific foundation for risk-based regulatory decisions of the investigated ENMs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1387-1395. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

  5. Chitosan/graphene oxide biocomposite film from pencil rod

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gea, S.; Sari, J. N.; Bulan, R.; Piliang, A.; Amaturrahim, S. A.; Hutapea, Y. A.

    2018-03-01

    Graphene Oxide (GO) has been succesfully synthesized using Hummber method from graphite powder of pencil rod. The excellent solubility of graphene oxide (GO)in water imparts its feasibilty as new filler for reinforcement hydrophilic biopolymers. In this research, the biocomposite film was fabricated from chitosan/graphene oxide. The characteristics of graphene oxide were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The results of the XRD showed graphene structur in 2θ, appeared at 9.0715°with interlayer spacing was about 9.74063Å. Preparation films with several variations of chitosan/graphene oxide was done by casting method and characterized by mechanical and morphological analysis. The mechanical properties of the tensile test in the film show that the film CS/GO (85: 15)% has the optimum Young’s modulus size of 2.9 GPa compared to other variations of CS / GO film. Morphological analysis film CS/GO (85:15)% by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the obtained biocomposites film showed fine dispersion of GO in the CS matrix and could mix each other homogeneously.

  6. Preparations, Properties, and Applications of Periodic Nano Arrays using Anodized Aluminum Oxide and Di-block Copolymer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noh, Kunbae

    2011-12-01

    Self-ordered arrangements observed in various materials systems such as anodic aluminum oxide, polystyrene nanoparticles, and block copolymer are of great interest in terms of providing new opportunities in nanofabrication field where lithographic techniques are broadly used in general. Investigations on self-assembled nano arrays to understand how to obtain periodic nano arrays in an efficient yet inexpensive way, and how to realize advanced material and device systems thereof, can lead to significant impacts on science and technology for many forefront device applications. In this thesis, various aspects of periodic nano-arrays have been discussed including novel preparations, properties and applications of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) and PS-b-P4VP (S4VP) di-block copolymer self-assembly. First, long-range ordered AAO arrays have been demonstrated. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) process allowed a faithful pattern transfer of the imprint mold pattern onto Al thin film, and interesting self-healing and pattern tripling phenomena were observed, which could be applicable towards fabrication of the NIL master mold having highly dense pattern over large area, useful for fabrication of a large-area substrate for predictable positioning of arrayed devices. Second, S4VP diblock copolymer self-assembly and S4VP directed AAO self-assembly have been demonstrated in the Al thin film on Si substrate. Such a novel combination of two dissimilar self-assembly techniques demonstrated a potential as a versatile tool for nanopatterning formation on a Si substrate, capable of being integrated into Si process technology. As exemplary applications, vertically aligned Ni nanowires have been synthesized into an S4VP-guided AAO membrane on a Si substrate in addition to anti-dot structured [Co/Pd]n magnetic multilayer using S4VP self assembly. Third, a highly hexagonally ordered, vertically parallel aluminum oxide nanotube array was successfully fabricated via hard anodization technique

  7. Role of quercetin and arginine in ameliorating nano zinc oxide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

    PubMed

    Faddah, Laila M; Abdel Baky, Nayira A; Al-Rasheed, Nouf M; Al-Rasheed, Nawal M; Fatani, Amal J; Atteya, Muhammad

    2012-05-02

    Nanoparticles are small-scale substances (<100 nm) with unique properties. Therefore, nanoparticles pose complex health risk implications. The objective of this study was to detect whether treatment with quercetin (Qur) and/or arginine (Arg) ameliorated nephrotoxicity induced by two different doses of nano zinc oxide (n-ZnO) particles. ZnO nanoparticles were administered orally in two doses (either 600 mg or 1 g/Kg body weight/day for 5 conscutive days) to Wister albino rats. In order to detect the protective effects of the studied antioxidants against n-ZnO induced nepherotoxicity, different biochemical parameters were investigated. Moreover, histopathological examination of kidney tissue was performed. Nano zinc oxide-induced nephrotoxicity was confirmed by the elevation in serum inflammatory markers including: tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6); and C-reactive protein (CRP). Moreover, immunoglobulin (IGg), vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF), and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly increased in rat serum. Serum urea and creatinine levels were also significantly increased in rats intoxicated with n-ZnO particles compared with the control group. Additionally, a significant decrease in the non-enzymatic antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH) was shown in kidney tissues and serum glucose levels were increased. These biochemical findings were supported by a histopathological examination of kidney tissues, which showed that in the animals that received a high dose of n-ZnO, numerous kidney glomeruli underwent atrophy and fragmentation. Moreover, the renal tubules showed epithelial desquamation, degeneration and necrosis. Some renal tubules showed casts in their lumina. Severe congestion was also observed in renal interstitium. These effects were dose dependent. Cotreatment of rats with Qur and/or Arg along with n-ZnO significantly improved most of the deviated tested parameters. The data show that Qur has a beneficial effect against

  8. Au-C allotrope nano-composite films at extreme conditions generated by intense ultra-short laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Saif A.; Saravanan, K.; Tayyab, M.; Bagchi, S.; Avasthi, D. K.

    2016-07-01

    Structural evolution of gold-carbon allotrope nano-composite films under relativistically intense, ultra-short laser pulse irradiation is studied in this work. Au-C nano-composite films, having 4 and 10 at.% of Au, were deposited by co-sputtering technique on silicon substrates. Au-C60 NC films with 2.5 at.% Au were deposited on 12 μm thick Al foil using co-evaporation technique. These samples were radiated with single pulse from 45 fs, 10 TW Ti:Sapphire Laser at RRCAT at an intensity of 3 × 1018 W cm-2. The morphological and compositional changes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry (RBS) techniques. Laser pulse created three morphologically distinct zones around the point of impact on samples with silicon substrates. The gold content in 600 μm circular region around a point of impact is found to reduce by a factor of five. Annular rings of ∼70 nm in diameter were observed in case of Au-C NC film after irradiation. Laser pulse created a hole of about 400 μm in the sample with Al foil as substrate and wavy structures of 6 μm wavelength are found to be created around this hole. The study shows radial variation in nano-structure formation with varying local intensity of laser pulse.

  9. The Evolution of Fabricated Gold Thin Films to Nano-Micro Particles Under Thermal Annealing Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hajivaliei, Mahdi; Nazari, Saeed

    2016-06-01

    Gold (Au) thin films with thickness of 35nm were prepared by electron beam deposition onto flat glass substrates under high vacuum (5.3×10-3Pa) condition and they were annealed in the range of 573-873 K for 1 and 2h in atmospheric pressure. The influence of the annealing temperature on the evolution of Au thin film to nano-micro particles was studied. Moreover, the basic properties of the films, namely morphological, structural and optical were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the Au thin films were cubic structure phase with lattice parameter around a=4.0786Å. The most preferential orientation is along (111) planes for all Au films. The lattice parameter and grain size in the films were calculated by X-ray patterns and correlated with annealing temperatures. The obtained results of ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis) indicate that with increasing annealing temperature, the surface plasmon resonance peak of gold nanocrystallite will disappear which implies the size of particles are grown. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results show that the prepared gold thin films have been converted to nano-micro gold particles in different annealing temperatures. These results lead to controlling the size of produced nanocrystallite.

  10. Development of a Cryostat to Characterize Nano-scale Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longo, Mathew; Matheny, Matthew; Knudsen, Jasmine

    2016-03-01

    We have designed and constructed a low-noise vacuum cryostat to be used for the characterization of nano-scale superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Such devices are very sensitive to magnetic fields and can measure changes in flux on the order of a single electron magnetic moment. As a part of the design process, we calculated the separation required between the cryogenic preamplifier and superconducting magnet, including a high-permeability magnetic shield, using a finite-element model of the apparatus. The cryostat comprises a vacuum cross at room temperature for filtered DC and shielded RF electrical connections, a thin-wall stainless steel support tube, a taper-sealed cryogenic vacuum can, and internal mechanical support and wiring for the nanoSQUID. The Dewar is modified with a room-temperature flange with a sliding seal for the cryostat. The flange supports the superconducting 3 Tesla magnet and thermometry wiring. Upon completion of the cryostat fabrication and Dewar modifications, operation of the nanoSQUIDs as transported from our collaborator's laboratory in Israel will be confirmed, as the lead forming the SQUID is sensitive to oxidation and the SQUIDs must be shipped in a vacuum container. After operation of the nanoSQUIDs is confirmed, the primary work of characterizing their high-speed properties will begin. This will include looking at the measurement of relaxation oscillations at high bandwidth in comparison to the theoretical predictions of the current model.

  11. Brillouin gain enhancement in nano-scale photonic waveguide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nouri Jouybari, Soodabeh

    2018-05-01

    The enhancement of stimulated Brillouin scattering in nano-scale waveguides has a great contribution in the improvement of the photonic devices technology. The key factors in Brillouin gain are the electrostriction force and radiation pressure generated by optical waves in the waveguide. In this article, we have proposed a new scheme of nano-scale waveguide in which the Brillouin gain is considerably improved compared to the previously-reported schemes. The role of radiation pressure in the Brillouin gain was much higher than the role of the electrostriction force. The Brillouin gain strongly depends on the structural parameters of the waveguide and the maximum value of 12127 W-1 m-1 is obtained for the Brillouin gain.

  12. Characterization of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) thin films obtained by evaporating the hydrothermally synthesised nano-particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Indirajith, R.; Rajalakshmi, M.; Gopalakrishnan, R.; Ramamurthi, K.

    2016-03-01

    Bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) was synthesized by hydrothermal method at 200 °C and confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The synthesized material was utilized to deposit bismuth selenide thin films at various substrate temperatures (Room Temperature-RT, 150 °C, 250 °C, 350 °C and 450 °C) by electron beam evaporation technique. XRD study confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the deposited Bi2Se3films. Optical transmittance spectra showed that the deposited (at RT) films acquire relatively high average transmittance of 60%in near infrared region (1500-2500 nm). An indirect allowed optical band gap calculated from the absorption edge for the deposited films is ranging from 0.62 to 0.8 eV. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy analyses reveal the formation of nano-scale sized particles on the surface and that the nature of surface microstructures is influenced by the substrate temperature. Hall measurements showed improved electrical properties, for the films deposited at 350 °C which possess 2.8 times the mobility and 0.9 times the resistivity of the films deposited at RT.

  13. Complex oxide thin films for microelectronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suvorova, Natalya

    The rapid scaling of the device dimensions, namely in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), is reaching its fundamental limit which includes the increase in allowable leakage current due to direct tunneling with decrease of physical thickness of SiO2 gate dielectric. The significantly higher relative dielectric constant (in the range 9--25) of the gate dielectric beyond the 3.9 value of silicon dioxide will allow increasing the physical thickness. Among the choices for the high dielectric constant (K) materials for future generation MOSFET application, barium strontium titanate (BST) and strontium titanate (STO) possess one of the highest attainable K values making them the promising candidates for alternative gate oxide. However, the gate stack engineering does not imply the simple replacement of the SiO2 with the new dielectric. Several requirements should be met for successful integration of a new material. The major one is a production of high level of interface states (Dit) compared to that of SiO 2 on Si. An insertion of a thin SiO2 layer prior the growth of high-K thin film is a simple solution that helps to limit reaction with Si substrate and attains a high quality interface. However, the combination of two thin films reduces the overall K of the dielectric stack. An optimization of the SiO2 underlayer in order to maintain the interface quality yet minimize the effect on K is the focus of this work. The results from our study are presented with emphasis on the key process parameters that improve the dielectric film stack. For in-situ growth characterization of BST and STO films sputter deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrates spectroscopic ellipsometry in combination with time of flight ion scattering and recoil spectrometry have been employed. Studies of material properties have been complemented with analytical electron microscopy. To evaluate the interface quality the electrical characterization has been employed using

  14. Development of porous metal oxide thin films by co-evaporation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tesfamichael, T.; Motta, Nunzio; Bostrom, Thor; Bell, J. M.

    2007-03-01

    This paper focuses on the development of mixed metal oxide thin films and physical characterization of the films. The films were produced by co-evaporation of titanium oxide and tungsten oxide powders. This allowed the development of titanium oxide-tungsten oxide films as analyzed using XPS. Examination in the SEM and AFM showed that the films were nanoporous with the pore size and pore orientation varying as a function of the deposition angle. UV-vis spectra of the films show an increase of transmittance with increasing deposition angle which is attributed to the structure and porosity of the films. Raman analysis indicated that the as-deposited films have broad and weak Raman characteristics, attributed to the nanocrystal nature of the films and the presence of defects, and the peak broadening deceases after annealing the film, as expected.

  15. Hafnium Oxide Film Etching Using Hydrogen Chloride Gas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Habuka, Hitoshi; Yamaji, Masahiko; Kobori, Yoshitsugu; Horii, Sadayoshi; Kunii, Yasuo

    2009-12-01

    Hydrogen chloride gas removes the hafnium oxide film formed by atomic layer deposition at the etch rate of about 1 nm/min. A 100 nm-thick hafnium oxide film was perfectly etched off at 1173 K for 60 min by 100% hydrogen chloride gas at 100 sccm. A weight decrease in the hafnium oxide film was observed at temperatures higher than ca. 600 K, which corresponds to the sublimation point of hafnium tetrachloride. The etching by-product is considered to be hafnium tetrachloride. The etching technique developed in this study is expected to be applicable to various processes, such as the cleaning of a hafnium oxide film deposition reactor.

  16. Increased endothelial cell adhesion and elongation on micron-patterned nano-rough poly(dimethylsiloxane) films.

    PubMed

    Ranjan, Ashwini; Webster, Thomas J

    2009-07-29

    The success of synthetic vascular grafts is largely determined by their ability to promote vital endothelial cell functions such as adhesion, alignment, proliferation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Developing such biomaterials requires the design and fabrication of materials that mimic select properties of native extracellular matrices. Furthermore, cells of the native endothelium have elongated and aligned morphology in the direction of blood flow, yet few materials promote this type of morphology initially, but rather rely on blood flow to orient endothelial cells. Therefore, the objective of this in vitro study was to design a biomaterial that mimics the conditions of the micro- and nano-environment of vascular intima tissue suitable for endothelial cell adhesion and elongation to improve the efficacy of small synthetic vascular grafts. Towards this end, patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films consisting of periodic arrays of nano-grooves (500 nm), with spacings ranging from 22 to 80 microm, and alternating nano- and micron roughness were fabricated using a novel electron beam physical vapor deposition method followed by polymer casting. By varying pattern spacing, the area of micron- and nano-rough surface was controlled. In vitro rat aortic endothelial cell adhesion and elongation studies indicated that endothelial cell function was enhanced on patterned PDMS surfaces with the widest spacing and greatest surface area of nano-roughness, as compared to more narrow pattern spacings and non-patterned PDMS surfaces. Specifically, endothelial cells adherent on PDMS patterned films of the widest spacing (greatest nano-rough area) displayed almost twice as much elongation as cells on non-patterned surfaces. For these reasons, the present study highlighted design criteria (the use of micron patterns of nano-features on PDMS) that may contribute to the intelligent design of new-generation vascular grafts.

  17. PECVD based silicon oxynitride thin films for nano photonic on chip interconnects applications.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Satinder K; Barthwal, Sumit; Singh, Vikram; Kumar, Anuj; Dwivedi, Prabhat K; Prasad, B; Kumar, Dinesh

    2013-01-01

    Thin silicon oxynitride (SiO(x)N(y)) films were deposited by low temperature (~300°C) plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD), using SiH(4), N(2)O, NH(3) precursor of the flow rate 25, 100, 30 sccm and subjected to the post deposition annealing (PDA) treatment at 400°C and 600°C for nano optical/photonics on chip interconnects applications. AFM result reveals the variation of roughness from 60.9 Å to 23.4 Å after PDA treatment with respect to the as-deposited films, favourable surface topography for integrated waveguide applications. A model of decrease in island height with the effect of PDA treatment is proposed in support of AFM results. Raman spectroscopy and FTIR measurements are performed in order to define the change in crystallite and chemical bonding of as-deposited as well as PDA treated samples. These outcomes endorsed to the densification of SiO(x)N(y) thin films, due to decrease in Si-N and Si-O bonds strain, as well the O-H, N-H bonds with in oxynitride network. The increase in refractive index and PL intensity of as deposited SiO(x)N(y) thin films to the PDA treated films at 400°C and 600°C are observed. The significant shift of PL spectra peak positions indicate the change in cluster size as the result of PDA treatment, which influence the optical properties of thin films. It might be due to out diffusion of hydrogen containing species from silicon oxynitride films after PDA treatment. In this way, the structural and optical, feasibility of SiO(x)N(y) films are demonstrated in order to obtain high quality thin films for nano optical/photonics on chip interconnects applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Giant magnetoresistance in ion beam deposited spin-valve films with specular enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sant, S.; Mao, M.; Kools, J.; Koi, K.; Iwasaki, H.; Sahashi, M.

    2001-06-01

    Three different techniques, natural oxidation, remote plasma oxidation and low energy ion beam oxidation, have been proved to be equally effective in forming nano-oxide layers (NOLs) in spin-valve films for specular enhancement of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. GMR values over 12% have been routinely obtained in spin-valve films with NOL, corresponding to a 30% specular enhancement over those without NOL. The consistency and robustness of the oxidation processes has been demonstrated by a very large GMR value ˜19% in a dual spin-valve film with the NOLs formed in both pinned layers, the oscillatory dependence of the interlayer coupling field on Cu layer thickness in specular enhanced spin-valve films and the uniform and repeatable film performance over 5 in. substrates.

  19. Comparison between semiconducting and oxide layers as a reflection layer in spin-valve films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dinia, A.; Schmerber, G.; Ulhaq, C.

    2003-07-01

    It is well established that appropriate oxide capping is effective in forming nano-oxide layers (NOL) in spin-valve films for specular enhancement of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. However, the beneficial effect of a NOL is strongly dependent on its process of formation. Therefore, we are interested to use a nano-semiconducting layer (NSL) for specular reflection instead of oxide layers because its achievement is easier since no specific growth conditions are needed. Moreover, we intend to compare the efficiency of the electronic confinement inside the spin valve induced either by NSL or NOLs for structures with the same stack. We have prepared hard-soft spin valve structures by sputtering on glass substrates with the following stacking sequence: Fe6 nm/Cu3 nm/CoFe1.8 nmRu0.8 nmCoFe3 nmCu2 nmRu2 nm. The reflecting layers have been inserted in the middle of the Fe soft layer and on the top of the spin valve. The GMR effect is enhanced by 60% and 75% respectively for the NSL and the NOL. This shows that the NOL is more efficient in term of electronic confinement. To understand the origin of the difference between the NOL and NSL magnetization measurements as well as transmission electron microscopy are presented.

  20. Phase and electrical properties of PZT thin films embedded with CuO nano-particles by a hybrid sol-gel route

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sreesattabud, Tharathip; Gibbons, Brady J.; Watcharapasorn, Anucha; Jiansirisomboon, Sukanda

    2013-07-01

    Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 or PZT thin films embedded with CuO nano-particles were successfully prepared by a hybrid sol-gel process. In this process, CuO (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 1 wt. %) nanopowder was suspended in an organometallic solution of PZT, and then coated on platinised silicon substrate using a spin-coating technique. The influence of CuO nano-particles' dispersion on the phase of PZT thin films was investigated. XRD results showed a perovskite phase in all films. At the CuO concentration of 0.4-1 wt. %, a second phase was observed. The addition of CuO nano-particles affected the orientation of PZT thin films. The addition was also found to reduce the ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films. However, at 0.2 wt. % CuO concentration, the film exhibited good ferroelectric properties similar to those of PZT films. In addition, the fatigue retention properties of the PZT/CuO system was observed, and it showed 14% fatigue at 108 switching bipolar pulse cycles while the fatigue in PZT thin films was found to be 17% at the same switching bipolar pulse cycles.

  1. Temperature dependent infrared nano-imaging of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Peng; Huffman, T. J.; Hae Kwak, In; Biswas, Amlan; Qazilbash, M. M.

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the temperature dependence of infrared properties at nanometer length scales in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin film with a thickness of 47 unit cells grown on SrTiO3 substrate. The infrared nano-imaging experiments were performed using a near-field optical microscope in conjunction with a variable temperature heating stage. The near-field infrared data is consistent with the bulk of the LSMO film undergoing the thermally-driven non-percolative second-order transition from a metallic, ferromagnetic phase to an insulating, paramagnetic phase. We find persistent infrared contrast on the nanoscale that is independent of temperature and which we attribute to two novel phases with different conductivities coexisting in the vicinity of the film-substrate interface. These two coexisting phases at the film-substrate interface do not undergo the metal-insulator transition (MIT) and hence are different from the metallic, ferromagnetic and insulating, paramagnetic phases in the bulk of the film. At temperatures approaching the nominal MIT temperature, repeated scans of the same microscopic area at constant temperature reveal bimodal fluctuation of the near-field infrared amplitude. We interpret this phenomenon as slow, critical fluctuations of the conductivity in the bulk of the LSMO film.

  2. Oxide-based thin film transistors for flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Yongli; Wang, Xiangyu; Gao, Ya; Hou, Yahui; Wan, Qing

    2018-01-01

    The continuous progress in thin film materials and devices has greatly promoted the development in the field of flexible electronics. As one of the most common thin film devices, thin film transistors (TFTs) are significant building blocks for flexible platforms. Flexible oxide-based TFTs are well compatible with flexible electronic systems due to low process temperature, high carrier mobility, and good uniformity. The present article is a review of the recent progress and major trends in the field of flexible oxide-based thin film transistors. First, an introduction of flexible electronics and flexible oxide-based thin film transistors is given. Next, we introduce oxide semiconductor materials and various flexible oxide-based TFTs classified by substrate materials including polymer plastics, paper sheets, metal foils, and flexible thin glass. Afterwards, applications of flexible oxide-based TFTs including bendable sensors, memories, circuits, and displays are presented. Finally, we give conclusions and a prospect for possible development trends. Project supported in part by the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (No. 61425020), in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11674162).

  3. Protective effects of Nano-elemental selenium against chromium-vi-induced oxidative stress in broiler liver.

    PubMed

    Xueting, L; Rehman, M U; Zhang, H; Tian, X; Wu, X; Shixue; Mehmood, K; Zhou, D

    2018-01-01

    The valuable role of selenium in mitigation of oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity is well-known. Thus, the aim of the current study on broiler chickens was to examine whether nano elemental selenium (Nano-Se) supplementation can reduce the effects of chromium VI (K2Cr2O7) toxicity. For this purpose, a total of 150, one-day-old broiler chickens were allotted to five groups with three replicates: control group (standard diet), poisoned group (K2Cr2O7 via drinking water), protection group (K2Cr2O7 + Nano- Se), cure group (K2Cr2O7 for initial 2 weeks and then Nano-Se), and prevention group (opposite to the cure group). The broilers were detected by the activities of marker enzymes and oxidative stress markers including, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), malondialdehyde (MDA), respectively. The (K2Cr2O7 administration caused histopathological damage in the liver of the chickens. Moreover, changes in serum biochemical indicators and oxidative stress parameters were also observed. Nano-Se supplementation increased the levels of GSH-px but reduced the activities of SOD, MDA, GGT, ALT and AST in the experimental groups (P less than 0.05). Our results showed that Nano-Se plays a protective role by preventing the oxidative stress induced by the chromium VI in broiler chickens.

  4. Attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy towards disclosing mechanism of bacterial adhesion on thermally stabilized titanium nano-interfaces.

    PubMed

    Gopal, Judy; Chun, Sechul; Doble, Mukesh

    2016-08-01

    Titanium is widely used as medical implant material and as condenser material in the nuclear industry where its integrity is questioned due to its susceptibility to bacterial adhesion. A systematic investigation on the influence of thermally (50-800 °C) stabilized titanium (TS-Ti) nano oxide towards bacterial adhesion was carried out. The results showed that below 350 °C significant bacterio-phobicity was observed, while above 500 °C significant affinity towards bacterial cells was recorded. Conventional characterization tools such as HR-TEM and XRD did not provide much insight on the changes occurring on the oxide film with heat treatment, however, attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) of the surface showed significant changes in the spectral pattern as a function of increasing heat treatment. It was observed that elevated OH, N-H and C=O groups and rutile titania on the TS-Ti oxide films led to higher affinity for bacterial adhesion. On the other hand low temperature TS-Ti nanooxide films (<350 °C) showed high C-H groups and decreased OH groups on their surface, which possibly contributed towards their bacterio-phobicity. The TS-Ti nanooxide film grown at 50 °C was observed to be the most efficient anti-bacterial adhesion interface, while the 800 °C interface was the one showing highest affinity towards bacterial adhesion. This study confirms the successful application of ATR-FTIR technique for nano-oxide film characterization and towards understanding the variations in bacterial interaction of such nano interfaces.

  5. Ferromagnetic phase in partially oxidized FeMn films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Svalov, A. V.; Savin, P. A.; Lepalovskij, V. N.; Vas'kovskiy, V. O.; Larrañaga, A.; Kurlyandskaya, G. V.

    2018-04-01

    The structure, magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of ferromagnetic phase in partially oxidized FeMn films was studied. The oxidation was performed by annealing of the samples under atmospheric pressure in a gas mixture (nitrogen with 0.5% oxygen) at the temperature of 300 °C. The resulting ferromagnetic phase was isotropic in the film plane. The value of the anisotropic magnetoresistance was similar to the value of the anisotropic magnetoresistance usually observed in films of pure iron. The oxidation of antiferromagnetic FeMn films resulted in the appearance of an exchange bias.

  6. Multi-scale Modeling and Analysis of Nano-RFID Systems on HPC Setup

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pathak, Rohit; Joshi, Satyadhar

    In this paper we have worked out on some the complex modeling aspects such as Multi Scale modeling, MATLAB Sugar based modeling and have shown the complexities involved in the analysis of Nano RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems. We have shown the modeling and simulation and demonstrated some novel ideas and library development for Nano RFID. Multi scale modeling plays a very important role in nanotech enabled devices properties of which cannot be explained sometimes by abstraction level theories. Reliability and packaging still remains one the major hindrances in practical implementation of Nano RFID based devices. And to work on them modeling and simulation will play a very important role. CNTs is the future low power material that will replace CMOS and its integration with CMOS, MEMS circuitry will play an important role in realizing the true power in Nano RFID systems. RFID based on innovations in nanotechnology has been shown. MEMS modeling of Antenna, sensors and its integration in the circuitry has been shown. Thus incorporating this we can design a Nano-RFID which can be used in areas like human implantation and complex banking applications. We have proposed modeling of RFID using the concept of multi scale modeling to accurately predict its properties. Also we give the modeling of MEMS devices that are proposed recently that can see possible application in RFID. We have also covered the applications and the advantages of Nano RFID in various areas. RF MEMS has been matured and its devices are being successfully commercialized but taking it to limits of nano domains and integration with singly chip RFID needs a novel approach which is being proposed. We have modeled MEMS based transponder and shown the distribution for multi scale modeling for Nano RFID.

  7. Growth of fullerene-like carbon nitride thin solid films consisting of cross-linked nano-onions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Czigány, Zs.; Brunell, I. F.; Neidhardt, J.; Hultman, L.; Suenaga, K.

    2001-10-01

    Fullerene-like CNx (x≈0.12) thin solid films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering of graphite in a nitrogen and argon discharge on cleaved NaCl and Si(001) substrates at 450 °C. As-deposited films consist of 5 nm diam CNx nano-onions with shell sizes corresponding to Goldberg polyhedra determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Electron energy loss spectroscopy revealed that N incorporation is higher in the core of the onions than at the perimeter. N incorporation promotes pentagon formation and provides reactive sites for interlinks between shells of the onions. A model is proposed for the formation of CNx nano-onions by continuous surface nucleation and growth of hemispherical shells.

  8. Aerosol chemical vapor deposition of metal oxide films

    DOEpatents

    Ott, Kevin C.; Kodas, Toivo T.

    1994-01-01

    A process of preparing a film of a multicomponent metal oxide including: forming an aerosol from a solution comprised of a suitable solvent and at least two precursor compounds capable of volatilizing at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of said precursor compounds; passing said aerosol in combination with a suitable oxygen-containing carrier gas into a heated zone, said heated zone having a temperature sufficient to evaporate the solvent and volatilize said precursor compounds; and passing said volatilized precursor compounds against the surface of a substrate, said substrate having a sufficient temperature to decompose said volatilized precursor compounds whereby metal atoms contained within said volatilized precursor compounds are deposited as a metal oxide film upon the substrate is disclosed. In addition, a coated article comprising a multicomponent metal oxide film conforming to the surface of a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon, magnesium oxide, yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide, sapphire, or lanthanum gallate, said multicomponent metal oxide film characterized as having a substantially uniform thickness upon said FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of film coating deposition techniques, and more particularly to the deposition of multicomponent metal oxide films by aerosol chemical vapor deposition. This invention is the result of a contract with the Department of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).

  9. Thiolated polyethylene oxide as a non-fouling element for nano-patterned bio-devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lisboa, Patrícia; Valsesia, Andrea; Colpo, Pascal; Gilliland, Douglas; Ceccone, Giacomo; Papadopoulou-Bouraoui, Andri; Rauscher, Hubert; Reniero, Fabiano; Guillou, Claude; Rossi, François

    2007-03-01

    This work describes the synthesis of a thiolated polyethylene oxide that self-assembles on gold to create a non-fouling surface. Thiolated polyethylene oxide was synthesised by reacting 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid with polyethylene glycol mono methyl ether. The coverage of the thiolated polyethylene oxide on gold was studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the modified surfaces were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry. Protein resistance was assessed using quartz crystal microbalance. Results showed a non-fouling character produced by the thiolated polyethylene oxide. The synthesised product was used as the passivation layer on nano-patterned surfaces consisting of arrayed nano-spots, fabricated by plasma based colloidal lithography. The specific adsorption of anti-bovine serum albumin in the mercaptohexadecanoic acid spots was verified by atomic force microscopy.

  10. Thermal oxidation of silicon in a residual oxygen atmosphere—the RESOX process—for self-limiting growth of thin silicon dioxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, Jason T.; Carbaugh, Daniel J.; Haggerty, Morgan E.; Richard, Andrea L.; Ingram, David C.; Kaya, Savas; Jadwisienczak, Wojciech M.; Rahman, Faiz

    2016-10-01

    We describe in detail the growth procedures and properties of thermal silicon dioxide grown in a limited and dilute oxygen atmosphere. Thin thermal oxide films have become increasingly important in recent years due to the continuing down-scaling of ultra large scale integration metal oxide silicon field effect transistors. Such films are also of importance for organic transistors where back-gating is needed. The technique described here is novel and allows self-limited formation of high quality thin oxide films on silicon surfaces. This technique is easy to implement in both research laboratory and industrial settings. Growth conditions and their effects on film growth have been described. Properties of the resulting oxide films, relevant for microelectronic device applications, have also been investigated and reported here. Overall, our findings are that thin, high quality, dense silicon dioxide films of thicknesses up to 100 nm can be easily grown in a depleted oxygen environment at temperatures similar to that used for usual silicon dioxide thermal growth in flowing dry oxygen.

  11. PREFACE: Proceedings Symposium G of E-MRS Spring Meeting on Fundamentals and Technology of Multifunctional Oxide Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2010-07-01

    Oxide materials exhibit a large variety of functional properties that are useful in a plethora of applications. Symposium G focused on oxide thin films that include dielectric or switching properties. Its program mirrored very well the strong worldwide search for high-K thin films for gate, memory, and on-chip capacitors, as well as the emerging field of functional thin films for MEMS. A complete session was devoted to the colossal effect of dielectric response in (Ca,Cu)TiO3, representing the major European research groups in this field. A comprehensive overview on this phenomenon was given by D Sinclair J Wolfman presented the latest results on CCTO thin films obtained by wafer scale pulsed laser deposition. A Loidl showed the analytical power of dielectric spectroscopy when covering the complete frequency range from 1-1012 Hz, i.e. from space charge to phonon contributions at the example of CCTO. Another session was devoted to applications in non-volatile memories, covering various effects including ferroelectric and resistive switching, the complex behavior of oxide tunnel junctions (H Kohlstedt), the possibility to manipulate the magnetic state of a 2d-electron gas by the polarization of an adjacent ferroelectric gate (I Stolitchnov). Latest advancements in ALD processing for high-K thin films in dynamic RAM were reported by S Ramanathan. The advancement of piezoelectric PZT thin film MEMS devices was well documented by outstanding talks on their developments in industry (M Klee, F Tyholdt), new possibilities in GHz filters (T Matshushima), advancements in sol-gel processing (B Tuttle, H Suzuki), and low temperature integration approaches by UV light curing (S Trolier-McKinstry). Recent advances in incipient ferroelectric thin films and nano composites for tunable capacitors in microwave applications were present by A Vorobiev and T Yamada. Integrated electro-optics is another field to be conquered by thin film structures. The impressive progress made in this

  12. Synthesis and Oxidation of Silver Nano-particles

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    solution (20%wt propyl alcohol, 5%wt hydrochloric acid and 5%wt stannous chloride in water). Scheme 1b and c illustrate the sensitization and silver... Synthesis and Oxidation of Silver Nano-particles Hua Qi*, D. A. Alexson, O.J. Glembocki and S. M. Prokes* Electronics Science and Technology...energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) techniques. The results Quantum Dots and Nanostructures: Synthesis , Characterization, and Modeling VIII, edited by Kurt

  13. The fabrication of PLGA microvessel scaffolds with nano-patterned inner walls.

    PubMed

    Wang, Gou-Jen; Lin, Yan-Cheng; Hsu, Shan-Hui

    2010-10-01

    Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is one of the most commonly used biodegradable, biocompatible materials. Nanostructured PLGA has immense potential for application in tissue engineering. In this article we discuss a novel approach for the fabrication of PLGA microvessel scaffolds with nanostructured inner walls. In this novel nano-patterning approach, the thermal reflow technique is first adapted to fabricate a semi-cylindrical photoresist master mold. A thin film of titanium and a thin film of aluminum are sputtered in sequence on the semi-cylindrical microvessel network. Aluminum foil anodization is then executed to transform the aluminum thin film into a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film. During the casting process a PLGA solution is cast on the AAO film to build up semi-cylindrical PLGA microstructures with nanostructured inner walls after which inductive coupled plasma (ICP) is implemented to assist bonding of the two PLGA structures. The result is the building of a network of microchannels with nano-patterned inner walls. Bovine endothelial cells (BECs) are carefully cultured in the scaffold via semi-dynamic seeding for 7 days. Observations show that the BECs grew more separately in a nano-patterned microvessel scaffold than they did in a smooth surface scaffold.

  14. Direct imprinting of indium-tin-oxide precursor gel and simultaneous formation of channel and source/drain in thin-film transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haga, Ken-ichi; Kamiya, Yuusuke; Tokumitsu, Eisuke

    2018-02-01

    We report on a new fabrication process for thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a new structure and a new operation principle. In this process, both the channel and electrode (source/drain) are formed simultaneously, using the same oxide material, using a single nano-rheology printing (n-RP) process, without any conventional lithography process. N-RP is a direct thermal imprint technique and deforms oxide precursor gel. To reduce the source/drain resistance, the material common to the channel and electrode is conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO). The gate insulator is made of a ferroelectric material, whose high charge density can deplete the channel of the thin ITO film, which realizes the proposed operation principle. First, we have examined the n-RP conditions required for the channel and source/drain patterning, and found that the patterning properties are strongly affected by the cooling rate before separating the mold. Second, we have fabricated the TFTs as proposed and confirmed their TFT operation.

  15. Nano-scale processes behind ion-beam cancer therapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surdutovich, Eugene; Garcia, Gustavo; Mason, Nigel; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

    2016-04-01

    This topical issue collates a series of papers based on new data reported at the third Nano-IBCT Conference of the COST Action MP1002: Nanoscale Insights into Ion Beam Cancer Therapy, held in Boppard, Germany, from October 27th to October 31st, 2014. The Nano-IBCT COST Action was launched in December 2010 and brought together more than 300 experts from different disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology) with specialists in radiation damage of biological matter from hadron-therapy centres, and medical institutions. This meeting followed the first and the second conferences of the Action held in October 2011 in Caen, France and in May 2013 in Sopot, Poland respectively. This conference series provided a focus for the European research community and has highlighted the pioneering research into the fundamental processes underpinning ion beam cancer therapy. Contribution to the Topical Issue "COST Action Nano-IBCT: Nano-scale Processes Behind Ion-Beam Cancer Therapy", edited by Andrey V. Solov'yov, Nigel Mason, Gustavo Garcia and Eugene Surdutovich.

  16. Depth profiling of nitrogen within 15N-incorporated nano-crystalline diamond thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garratt, E.; AlFaify, S.; Cassidy, D. P.; Dissanayake, A.; Mancini, D. C.; Ghantasala, M. K.; Kayani, A.

    2013-09-01

    Nano-Crystalline Diamond (NCD) thin films are a topic of recent interest due to their excellent mechanical and electrical properties. The inclusion of nitrogen is a specific interest as its presence within NCD modifies its conductive properties. The methodology adopted for the characterization of nitrogen incorporated NCD films grown on a chromium underlayer determined a correlation between the chromium and nitrogen concentrations as well as a variation in the concentration profile of elements. Additionally, the concentration of nitrogen was found to be more than three times greater for these films versus those grown on a silicon substrate.

  17. Combustion synthesized indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film for source/drain electrodes in all solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tue, Phan Trong; Inoue, Satoshi; Takamura, Yuzuru; Shimoda, Tatsuya

    2016-06-01

    We report combustion solution synthesized (SCS) indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film, which is a well-known transparent conductive oxide, for source/drain (S/D) electrodes in solution-processed amorphous zirconium-indium-zinc-oxide TFT. A redox-based combustion synthetic approach is applied to ITO thin film using acetylacetone as a fuel and metal nitrate as oxidizer. The structural and electrical properties of SCS-ITO precursor solution and thin films were systematically investigated with changes in tin concentration, indium metal precursors, and annealing conditions such as temperature, time, and ambient. It was found that at optimal conditions the SCS-ITO thin film exhibited high crystalline quality, atomically smooth surface (RMS ~ 4.1 Å), and low electrical resistivity (4.2 × 10-4 Ω cm). The TFT using SCS-ITO film as the S/D electrodes showed excellent electrical properties with negligible hysteresis. The obtained "on/off" current ratio, subthreshold swing factor, subthreshold voltage, and field-effect mobility were 5 × 107, 0.43 V/decade, 0.7 V, and 2.1 cm2/V s, respectively. The performance and stability of the SCS-ITO TFT are comparable to those of the sputtered-ITO TFT, emphasizing that the SCS-ITO film is a promising candidate for totally solution-processed oxide TFTs.

  18. Molecular Imaging of Kerogen and Minerals in Shale Rocks across Micro- and Nano- Scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hao, Z.; Bechtel, H.; Sannibale, F.; Kneafsey, T. J.; Gilbert, B.; Nico, P. S.

    2016-12-01

    Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a reliable and non-destructive quantitative method to evaluate mineralogy and kerogen content / maturity of shale rocks, although it is traditionally difficult to assess the organic and mineralogical heterogeneity at micrometer and nanometer scales due to the diffraction limit of the infrared light. However, it is truly at these scales that the kerogen and mineral content and their formation in share rocks determines the quality of shale gas reserve, the gas flow mechanisms and the gas production. Therefore, it's necessary to develop new approaches which can image across both micro- and nano- scales. In this presentation, we will describe two new molecular imaging approaches to obtain kerogen and mineral information in shale rocks at the unprecedented high spatial resolution, and a cross-scale quantitative multivariate analysis method to provide rapid geochemical characterization of large size samples. The two imaging approaches are enhanced at nearfield respectively by a Ge-hemisphere (GE) and by a metallic scanning probe (SINS). The GE method is a modified microscopic attenuated total reflectance (ATR) method which rapidly captures a chemical image of the shale rock surface at 1 to 5 micrometer resolution with a large field of view of 600 X 600 micrometer, while the SINS probes the surface at 20 nm resolution which provides a chemically "deconvoluted" map at the nano-pore level. The detailed geochemical distribution at nanoscale is then used to build a machine learning model to generate self-calibrated chemical distribution map at micrometer scale with the input of the GE images. A number of geochemical contents across these two important scales are observed and analyzed, including the minerals (oxides, carbonates, sulphides), the organics (carbohydrates, aromatics), and the absorbed gases. These approaches are self-calibrated, optics friendly and non-destructive, so they hold the potential to monitor shale gas

  19. Oxidation mechanism of T91 steel in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic: with consideration of internal oxidation

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Zhongfei; Wang, Pei; Dong, Hong; Li, Dianzhong; Zhang, Yutuo; Li, Yiyi

    2016-01-01

    Clarification of the microscopic events that occur during oxidation is of great importance for understanding and consequently controlling the oxidation process. In this study the oxidation product formed on T91 ferritic/martensitic steel in oxygen saturated liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 823 K was characterized at the nanoscale using focused-ion beam and transmission electron microscope. An internal oxidation zone (IOZ) under the duplex oxide scale has been confirmed and characterized systematically. Through the microscopic characterization of the IOZ and the inner oxide layer, the micron-scale and nano-scale diffusion of Cr during the oxidation in LBE has been determined for the first time. The micron-scale diffusion of Cr ensures the continuous advancement of IOZ and inner oxide layer, and nano-scale diffusion of Cr gives rise to the typical appearance of the IOZ. Finally, a refined oxidation mechanism including the internal oxidation and the transformation of IOZ to inner oxide layer is proposed based on the discussion. The proposed oxidation mechanism succeeds in bridging the gap between the existing models and experimental observations. PMID:27734928

  20. Unidirectional oxide hetero-interface thin-film diode

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

    Park, Youngmin; Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon

    2015-10-05

    The unidirectional thin-film diode based on oxide hetero-interface, which is well compatible with conventional thin-film fabrication process, is presented. With the metal anode/electron-transporting oxide (ETO)/electron-injecting oxide (EIO)/metal cathode structure, it exhibits that electrical currents ohmically flow at the ETO/EIO hetero-interfaces for only positive voltages showing current density (J)-rectifying ratio of ∼10{sup 5} at 5 V. The electrical properties (ex, current levels, and working device yields) of the thin-film diode (TFD) are systematically controlled by changing oxide layer thickness. Moreover, we show that the oxide hetero-interface TFD clearly rectifies an AC input within frequency (f) range of 10{sup 2} Hz < f < 10{sup 6} Hz, providing amore » high feasibility for practical applications.« less

  1. Nano-honeycomb structured transparent electrode for enhanced light extraction from organic light-emitting diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Xiao-Bo; Qian, Min; Wang, Zhao-Kui; Liao, Liang-Sheng

    2015-06-01

    A universal nano-sphere lithography method has been developed to fabricate nano-structured transparent electrode, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), for light extraction from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Perforated SiO2 film made from a monolayer colloidal crystal of polystyrene spheres and tetraethyl orthosilicate sol-gel is used as a template. Ordered nano-honeycomb pits on the ITO electrode surface are obtained by chemical etching. The proposed method can be utilized to form large-area nano-structured ITO electrode. More than two folds' enhancement in both current efficiency and power efficiency has been achieved in a red phosphorescent OLED which was fabricated on the nano-structured ITO substrate.

  2. Strain-induced phenomenon in complex oxide thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haislmaier, Ryan

    nonstoichiometry on ferroelectric properties are investigated, where enhanced ferroelectric responses are only found for stoichiometric films grown inside of the growth windows, whereas outside of the optimal growth window conditions, ferroelectric properties are greatly deteriorated and eventually disappear for highly nonstoichiometric film compositions. Utilizing these stoichiometric growth windows, high temperature polar phase transitions are discovered for compressively strained CaTiO3 films with transition temperatures in excess of 700 K, rendering this material as a strong candidate for high temperature electronic applications. Beyond the synthesis of single phase materials using hybrid MBE, a methodology is presented for constructing layered (SrTiO3)n/(CaTiO 3)n superlattice structures, where precise control over the unit cell layering thickness (n) is demonstrated using in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction. The effects of interface roughness and layering periodicity (n) on the strain-induced ferroelectric properties for a series of n=1-10 (SrTiO3)n/(CaTiO3) n superlattice films are investigated. It is found that the stabilization of a ferroelectric phase is independent of n, but is however strongly dominated by the degree of interface roughness which is quantified by measuring the highest nth order X-ray diffraction peak splitting of each superlattice film. A counter-intuitive realization is made whereby a critical amount of interface roughness is required in order to enable the formation of the predicted strain-stabilized ferroelectric phase, whereas sharp interfaces actually suppress this ferroelectric phase from manifesting. It is shown how high-quality complex oxide superlattices can be constructed using hybrid MBE technique, allowing the ability to control layered materials at the atomic scale. Furthermore, a detailed growth methodology is provided for constructing a layered n=4 SrO(SrTiO3)n Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phase by hybrid MBE, where the ability

  3. Thin film hydrous metal oxide catalysts

    DOEpatents

    Dosch, Robert G.; Stephens, Howard P.

    1995-01-01

    Thin film (<100 nm) hydrous metal oxide catalysts are prepared by 1) synthesis of a hydrous metal oxide, 2) deposition of the hydrous metal oxide upon an inert support surface, 3) ion exchange with catalytically active metals, and 4) activating the hydrous metal oxide catalysts.

  4. Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of cerium oxide, gallium-indium-oxide, and magnesium oxide thin films: Precursor design, film growth, and film characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edleman, Nikki Lynn

    A new class of volatile, low-melting, fluorine-free lanthanide metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) precursors has been developed. The neutral, monomeric cerium, neodymium, gadolinium, and erbium complexes are coordinatively saturated by a versatile, multidentate, ether-functionalized beta-ketoiminate ligand, and complex melting point and volatility characteristics can be tuned by altering the alkyl substituents on the ligand periphery. Direct comparison with lanthanide beta-diketonate complexes reveals that the present precursor class is a superior choice for lanthanide oxide MOCVD. Epitaxial CeO 2 buffer layer films have been grown on (001) YSZ substrates by MOCVD at significantly lower temperatures than previously reported using one of the newly developed cerium precursors. High-quality YBCO films grown on these CeO2 buffer layers by POMBE exhibit very good electrical transport properties. The cerium complex has therefore been explicitly demonstrated to be a stable and volatile precursor and is attractive for low-temperature growth of coated conductor multilayer structures by MOCVD. Gallium-indium-oxide thin films (GaxIn2-xO 3), x = 0.0˜1.1, have been grown by MOCVD using the volatile metal-organic precursors In(dpm)3 and Ga(dpm)3. The films have a homogeneously Ga-substituted, cubic In2O3 microstructure randomly oriented on quartz or heteroepitaxial on (100) YSZ single-crystal substrates. The highest conductivity of the as-grown films is found at x = 0.12. The optical transmission window and absolute transparency of the films rivals or exceeds that of the most transparent conductive oxides known. Reductive annealing results in improved charge transport characteristics with little loss of optical transparency. No significant difference in electrical properties is observed between randomly oriented and heteroepitaxial films, thus arguing that carrier scattering effects at high-angle grain boundaries play a minor role in the film conductivity mechanism

  5. Direct growth of nano-crystalline graphite films using pulsed laser deposition with in-situ monitoring based on reflection high-energy electron diffraction technique

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

    Kwak, Jeong Hun; Lee, Sung Su; Lee, Hyeon Jun

    2016-03-21

    We report an experimental method to overcome the long processing time required for fabricating graphite films by a transfer process from a catalytic layer to a substrate, as well as our study of the growth process of graphite films using a pulsed laser deposition combined with in-situ monitoring based on reflection high-energy electron diffraction technique. We monitored the structural evolution of nano-crystalline graphite films directly grown on AlN-coated Si substrates without any catalytic layer. We found that the carbon films grown for less than 600 s cannot manifest the graphite structure due to a high defect density arising from grain boundaries;more » however, the carbon film can gradually become a nano-crystalline graphite film with a thickness of approximately up to 5 nm. The Raman spectra and electrical properties of carbon films indicate that the nano-crystalline graphite films can be fabricated, even at the growth temperature as low as 850 °C within 600 s.« less

  6. Fracture and Failure in Micro- and Nano-Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charitidis, Costas A.

    Indentation and scratch in micro- and nano-scale are the most commonly used techniques for quantifying thin film and systems properties. Among them are different failure modes such as deformation, friction, fracture toughness, fatigue. Failure modes can be activated either by a cycle of indentation or by scratching of the samples to provide an estimation of the fracture toughness and interfacial fracture energies. In the present study, we report on the failure and fracture modes in two cases of engineering materials; that is transparent SiOx thin films onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) membranes and glass-ceramic materials. The SiOx/PET system meets the demands regarding scratch-resistance, wettability, biocompatibility, gas transmission, or friction, while maintaining the bulk characteristics of PET (such as easy processing, good mechanical properties, reasonably low permeability to oxygen and carbon dioxide gases (barrier properties), and good chemical coupling with antibacterial coatings). Glass-ceramic materials, since their first accidental production in the mid fifties by S.D. Stookey, have been used in a vast area of applications, from household cooktops and stoves, to missile nose cones and mirror mounts of orbital telescopes and from decorative wall coverings to medical applications. The fracture modes, namely transgranular and intergranular modes in glass-ceramic materials have paid less attention in literature comparing with ceramic materials. In the former case the crack paves its way irrespectively of the direction of the grain boundaries, i.e., the interfaces between the different phases. In the latter case the crack preferentially follows them, i.e., debonds the interfaces.

  7. The Effect of UV Aging on Antimicrobial and Mechanical Properties of PLA Films with Incorporated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Mizielińska, Małgorzata; Kowalska, Urszula; Jarosz, Michał; Sumińska, Patrycja; Landercy, Nicolas; Duquesne, Emmanuel

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the influence of accelerated UV-aging on the activity against chosen microorganisms and the mechanical properties of poly-lactic acid (PLA) films enhanced with ZnO nanoparticles. The pure PLA films and tri-layered PLAZnO1%/PLA/PLAZnO1% films of 150 µm thickness were extruded. The samples were treated with UV-A and Q-SUN irradiation. After irradiation the antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties of the films were analyzed. The results of the study demonstrated that PLA films did not inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus atrophaeus, and Candida albicans cells. PLA films with incorporated zinc oxide nanoparticles decreased the number of analyzed microorganisms. Accelerated UV aging had no negative effect on the activity of the film containing nano-ZnO against Gram-positive bacteria, but it influenced the activity against Gram-negative cells and C. albicans. Q-SUN irradiation decreased the antimicrobial effect of films with incorporated nanoparticles against B. cereus. UV-A and Q-UV irradiation did not influence the mechanical properties of PLA films containing incorporated ZnO nanoparticles. PMID:29670066

  8. The Effect of UV Aging on Antimicrobial and Mechanical Properties of PLA Films with Incorporated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Mizielińska, Małgorzata; Kowalska, Urszula; Jarosz, Michał; Sumińska, Patrycja; Landercy, Nicolas; Duquesne, Emmanuel

    2018-04-18

    The aim of this study was to examine the influence of accelerated UV-aging on the activity against chosen microorganisms and the mechanical properties of poly-lactic acid (PLA) films enhanced with ZnO nanoparticles. The pure PLA films and tri-layered PLAZnO1%/PLA/PLAZnO1% films of 150 µm thickness were extruded. The samples were treated with UV-A and Q-SUN irradiation. After irradiation the antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties of the films were analyzed. The results of the study demonstrated that PLA films did not inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus cereus , Escherichia coli , Bacillus atrophaeus , and Candida albicans cells. PLA films with incorporated zinc oxide nanoparticles decreased the number of analyzed microorganisms. Accelerated UV aging had no negative effect on the activity of the film containing nano-ZnO against Gram-positive bacteria, but it influenced the activity against Gram-negative cells and C. albicans . Q-SUN irradiation decreased the antimicrobial effect of films with incorporated nanoparticles against B. cereus . UV-A and Q-UV irradiation did not influence the mechanical properties of PLA films containing incorporated ZnO nanoparticles.

  9. Intelligent Design of Nano-Scale Molecular Imaging Agents

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sung Bae; Hattori, Mitsuru; Ozawa, Takeaki

    2012-01-01

    Visual representation and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and subcellular levels within living subjects are gaining great interest in life science to address frontier issues in pathology and physiology. As intact living subjects do not emit any optical signature, visual representation usually exploits nano-scale imaging agents as the source of image contrast. Many imaging agents have been developed for this purpose, some of which exert nonspecific, passive, and physical interaction with a target. Current research interest in molecular imaging has mainly shifted to fabrication of smartly integrated, specific, and versatile agents that emit fluorescence or luminescence as an optical readout. These agents include luminescent quantum dots (QDs), biofunctional antibodies, and multifunctional nanoparticles. Furthermore, genetically encoded nano-imaging agents embedding fluorescent proteins or luciferases are now gaining popularity. These agents are generated by integrative design of the components, such as luciferase, flexible linker, and receptor to exert a specific on–off switching in the complex context of living subjects. In the present review, we provide an overview of the basic concepts, smart design, and practical contribution of recent nano-scale imaging agents, especially with respect to genetically encoded imaging agents. PMID:23235326

  10. Intelligent design of nano-scale molecular imaging agents.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sung Bae; Hattori, Mitsuru; Ozawa, Takeaki

    2012-12-12

    Visual representation and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and subcellular levels within living subjects are gaining great interest in life science to address frontier issues in pathology and physiology. As intact living subjects do not emit any optical signature, visual representation usually exploits nano-scale imaging agents as the source of image contrast. Many imaging agents have been developed for this purpose, some of which exert nonspecific, passive, and physical interaction with a target. Current research interest in molecular imaging has mainly shifted to fabrication of smartly integrated, specific, and versatile agents that emit fluorescence or luminescence as an optical readout. These agents include luminescent quantum dots (QDs), biofunctional antibodies, and multifunctional nanoparticles. Furthermore, genetically encoded nano-imaging agents embedding fluorescent proteins or luciferases are now gaining popularity. These agents are generated by integrative design of the components, such as luciferase, flexible linker, and receptor to exert a specific on-off switching in the complex context of living subjects. In the present review, we provide an overview of the basic concepts, smart design, and practical contribution of recent nano-scale imaging agents, especially with respect to genetically encoded imaging agents.

  11. Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cho, Junghyun

    2013-01-01

    Plastic products, due to their durability, safety, and low manufacturing cost, are now rapidly replacing cookware items traditionally made of glass and ceramics. Despite this trend, some still prefer relatively expensive and more fragile ceramic/glassware because plastics can deteriorate over time after exposure to foods, which can generate odors, bad appearance, and/or color change. Nano-ceramic coatings can eliminate these drawbacks while still retaining the advantages of the plastic, since the coating only alters the surface of the plastic. The surface coating adds functionality to the plastics such as self-cleaning and disinfectant capabilities that result from a photocatalytic effect of certain ceramic systems. These ceramic coatings can also provide non-stick surfaces and higher temperature capabilities for the base plastics without resorting to ceramic or glass materials. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are the candidates for a nano-ceramic coating to deposit on the plastics or plastic films used in cookware and kitchenware. Both are wide-bandgap semiconductors (3.0 to 3.2 eV for TiO2 and 3.2 to 3.3 eV for ZnO), so they exhibit a photocatalytic property under ultraviolet (UV) light. This will lead to decomposition of organic compounds. Decomposed products can be easily washed off by water, so the use of detergents will be minimal. High-crystalline film with large surface area for the reaction is essential to guarantee good photocatalytic performance of these oxides. Low-temperature processing (<100 C) is also a key to generating these ceramic coatings on the plastics. One possible way of processing nanoceramic coatings at low temperatures (< 90 C) is to take advantage of in-situ precipitated nanoparticles and nanostructures grown from aqueous solution. These nanostructures can be tailored to ceramic film formation and the subsequent microstructure development. In addition, the process provides environment- friendly processing because of the

  12. Solution-Processed Gallium–Tin-Based Oxide Semiconductors for Thin-Film Transistors

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xue; Lee, Hyeonju; Kim, Jungwon; Kim, Eui-Jik; Park, Jaehoon

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the effects of gallium (Ga) and tin (Sn) compositions on the structural and chemical properties of Ga–Sn-mixed (Ga:Sn) oxide films and the electrical properties of Ga:Sn oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). The thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that solution-processed oxide films can be produced via thermal annealing at 500 °C. The oxygen deficiency ratio in the Ga:Sn oxide film increased from 0.18 (Ga oxide) and 0.30 (Sn oxide) to 0.36, while the X-ray diffraction peaks corresponding to Sn oxide significantly reduced. The Ga:Sn oxide film exhibited smaller grains compared to the nanocrystalline Sn oxide film, while the Ga oxide film exhibited an amorphous morphology. We found that the electrical properties of TFTs significantly improve by mixing Ga and Sn. Here, the optimum weight ratio of the constituents in the mixture of Ga and Sn precursor sols was determined to be 1.0:0.9 (Ga precursor sol:Sn precursor sol) for application in the solution-processed Ga:Sn oxide TFTs. In addition, when the Ga(1.0):Sn(0.9) oxide film was thermally annealed at 900 °C, the field-effect mobility of the TFT was notably enhanced from 0.02 to 1.03 cm2/Vs. Therefore, the mixing concentration ratio and annealing temperature are crucial for the chemical and morphological properties of solution-processed Ga:Sn oxide films and for the TFT performance. PMID:29283408

  13. Direct observation of pitting corrosion evolutions on carbon steel surfaces at the nano-to-micro- scales.

    PubMed

    Guo, Peng; La Plante, Erika Callagon; Wang, Bu; Chen, Xin; Balonis, Magdalena; Bauchy, Mathieu; Sant, Gaurav

    2018-05-22

    The Cl - -induced corrosion of metals and alloys is of relevance to a wide range of engineered materials, structures, and systems. Because of the challenges in studying pitting corrosion in a quantitative and statistically significant manner, its kinetics remain poorly understood. Herein, by direct, nano- to micro-scale observations using vertical scanning interferometry (VSI), we examine the temporal evolution of pitting corrosion on AISI 1045 carbon steel over large surface areas in Cl - -free, and Cl - -enriched solutions. Special focus is paid to examine the nucleation and growth of pits, and the associated formation of roughened regions on steel surfaces. By statistical analysis of hundreds of individual pits, three stages of pitting corrosion, namely, induction, propagation, and saturation, are quantitatively distinguished. By quantifying the kinetics of these processes, we contextualize our current understanding of electrochemical corrosion within a framework that considers spatial dynamics and morphology evolutions. In the presence of Cl - ions, corrosion is highly accelerated due to multiple autocatalytic factors including destabilization of protective surface oxide films and preservation of aggressive microenvironments within the pits, both of which promote continued pit nucleation and growth. These findings offer new insights into predicting and modeling steel corrosion processes in mid-pH aqueous environments.

  14. Biopolymer-modified graphite oxide nanocomposite films based on benzalkonium chloride-heparin intercalated in graphite oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meng, Na; Zhang, Shuang-Quan; Zhou, Ning-Lin; Shen, Jian

    2010-05-01

    Heparin is a potent anticoagulant agent that interacts strongly with antithrombin III to prevent the formation of fibrin clots. In the present work, poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS)/graphite oxide-benzalkonium chloride-heparin (PDMS/modified graphite oxide) nanocomposite films were obtained by the solution intercalation technique as a possible drug delivery system. The heparin-benzalkonium chloride (BAC-HEP) was intercalated into graphite oxide (GO) layers to form GO-BAC-HEP (modified graphite oxide). Nanocomposite films were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, ATR-FTIR and TGA. The modified graphite oxide was observed to be homogeneously dispersed throughout the PDMS matrix. The effect of modified graphite oxide on the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite film was investigated. When the modified graphite oxide content was lower than 0.2 wt%, the nanocomposites showed excellent mechanical properties. Furthermore, nanocomposite films become delivery systems that release heparin slowly to make the nanocomposite films blood compatible. The in vitro studies included hemocompatibility testing for effects on platelet adhesion, platelet activation, plasma recalcification profiles, and hemolysis. Results from these studies showed that the anticoagulation properties of PDMS/GO-BCA-HEP nanocomposite films were greatly superior to those for no treated PDMS. Cell culture assay indicated that PDMS/GO-BCA-HEP nanocomposite films showed enhanced cell adhesion.

  15. An engineered polypeptide around nano-sized manganese-calcium oxide: copying plants for water oxidation.

    PubMed

    Najafpour, Mohammad Mahdi; Ghobadi, Mohadeseh Zarei; Sarvi, Bahram; Haghighi, Behzad

    2015-09-14

    Synthesis of new efficient catalysts inspired by Nature is a key goal in the production of clean fuel. Different compounds based on manganese oxide have been investigated in order to find their water-oxidation activity. Herein, we introduce a novel engineered polypeptide containing tyrosine around nano-sized manganese-calcium oxide, which was shown to be a highly active catalyst toward water oxidation at low overpotential (240 mV), with high turnover frequency of 1.5 × 10(-2) s(-1) at pH = 6.3 in the Mn(III)/Mn(IV) oxidation range. The compound is a novel structural and efficient functional model for the water-oxidizing complex in Photosystem II. A new proposed clever strategy used by Nature in water oxidation is also discussed. The new model of the water-oxidizing complex opens a new perspective for synthesis of efficient water-oxidation catalysts.

  16. Electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of myoglobin immobilized in sulfonated graphene oxide and Nafion films.

    PubMed

    Chen, Guiying; Sun, Hong; Hou, Shifeng

    2016-06-01

    In this study, sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was used to make Mb-SGO-Nafion composite films by coating myoglobin (Mb) on the glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). Positions of the Soret absorption bands suggested that Mb retained its native conformation in the films. Mb-SGO-Nafion film modified electrode showed a pair of well-defined and nearly reversible cyclic voltammetry peaks at around -0.39 V versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) in pH 7.0 buffers, characteristic of heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couples. Electrochemical parameters such as electron transfer rate constant (ks) and formal potential (E(o')) were estimated by fitting the data of square-wave voltammetry with nonlinear regression analysis. Experimental data demonstrated that the electron transfer between Mb and electrode was greatly facilitated and showed good electrocatalytic properties toward various substrates, such as H2O2 and NaNO2, with significant lowering of reduction overpotential. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Oxidizing annealing effects on VO2 films with different microstructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dou, Yan-Kun; Li, Jing-Bo; Cao, Mao-Sheng; Su, De-Zhi; Rehman, Fida; Zhang, Jia-Song; Jin, Hai-Bo

    2015-08-01

    Vanadium dioxide (VO2) films have been prepared by direct-current magnetron sputter deposition on m-, a-, and r-plane sapphire substrates. The obtained VO2 films display different microstructures depending on the orientation of sapphire substrates, i.e. mixed microstructure of striped grains and equiaxed grains on m-sapphire, big equiaxed grains on a-sapphire and fine-grained microstructure on r-sapphire. The VO2 films were treated by the processes of oxidation in air. The electric resistance and infrared transmittance of the oxidized films were characterized to examine performance characteristics of VO2 films with different microstructures in oxidation environment. The oxidized VO2 films on m-sapphire exhibit better electrical performance than the other two films. After air oxidization for 600 s at 450 °C, the VO2 films on m-sapphire show a resistance change of 4 orders of magnitude over the semiconductor-to-metal transition. The oxidized VO2 films on a-sapphire have the highest optical modulation efficiency in infrared region compared to other samples. The different performance characteristics of VO2 films are understood in terms of microstructures, i.e. grain size, grain shape, and oxygen vacancies. The findings reveal the correlation of microstructures and performances of VO2 films, and provide useful knowledge for the design of VO2 materials to different applications.

  18. In situ thermomechanical testing methods for micro/nano-scale materials.

    PubMed

    Kang, Wonmo; Merrill, Marriner; Wheeler, Jeffrey M

    2017-02-23

    The advance of micro/nanotechnology in energy-harvesting, micropower, electronic devices, and transducers for automobile and aerospace applications has led to the need for accurate thermomechanical characterization of micro/nano-scale materials to ensure their reliability and performance. This persistent need has driven various efforts to develop innovative experimental techniques that overcome the critical challenges associated with precise mechanical and thermal control of micro/nano-scale specimens during material characterization. Here we review recent progress in the development of thermomechanical testing methods from miniaturized versions of conventional macroscopic test systems to the current state of the art of in situ uniaxial testing capabilities in electron microscopes utilizing either indentation-based microcompression or integrated microsystems. We discuss the major advantages/disadvantages of these methods with respect to specimen size, range of temperature control, ease of experimentation and resolution of the measurements. We also identify key challenges in each method. Finally, we summarize some of the important discoveries that have been made using in situ thermomechanical testing and the exciting research opportunities still to come in micro/nano-scale materials.

  19. Memristive Properties of Thin Film Cuprous Oxide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    Equation Chapter 1 Section 1 MEMRISTIVE PROPERTIES OF THIN FILM CUPROUS OXIDE THESIS Brett C...Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED The views expressed in this thesis are those of the...MEMRISTIVE PROPERTIES OF THIN FILM CUPROUS OXIDE THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Engineering Physics Graduate School of

  20. Aerosol chemical vapor deposition of metal oxide films

    DOEpatents

    Ott, K.C.; Kodas, T.T.

    1994-01-11

    A process of preparing a film of a multicomponent metal oxide including: forming an aerosol from a solution comprised of a suitable solvent and at least two precursor compounds capable of volatilizing at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of said precursor compounds; passing said aerosol in combination with a suitable oxygen-containing carrier gas into a heated zone, said heated zone having a temperature sufficient to evaporate the solvent and volatilize said precursor compounds; and passing said volatilized precursor compounds against the surface of a substrate, said substrate having a sufficient temperature to decompose said volatilized precursor compounds whereby metal atoms contained within said volatilized precursor compounds are deposited as a metal oxide film upon the substrate is disclosed. In addition, a coated article comprising a multicomponent metal oxide film conforming to the surface of a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon, magnesium oxide, yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide, sapphire, or lanthanum gallate, said multicomponent metal oxide film characterized as having a substantially uniform thickness upon said substrate.

  1. Chemically deposited nano grain composed MoS(2) thin films for supercapacitor application.

    PubMed

    Pujari, R B; Lokhande, A C; Shelke, A R; Kim, J H; Lokhande, C D

    2017-06-15

    Low temperature soft chemical synthesis approach is employed towards MoS 2 thin film preparation on cost effective stainless steel substrate. 3-D semispherical nano-grain composed surface texture of MoS 2 film is observed through FE-SEM technique. Electrochemical supercapacitor performance of MoS 2 film is tested from cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) techniques in 1M aqueous Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte. Specific capacitance (C s ) of 180Fg -1 with CV cycling stability of 82% for 1000 cycles is achieved. Equivalent series resistance (R s ) of 1.78Ωcm -2 observed through Nyquist plot shows usefulness of MoS 2 thin film for charge conduction in supercapacitor application. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Synthesis, characterization and oxidation of metallic cobalt (Co) thin film into semiconducting cobalt oxide (Co3O4)thin film using microwave plasma CVD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman Ansari, Akhalakur; Hussain, Shahir; Imran, Mohd; Abdel-wahab, M. Sh; Alshahrie, Ahmed

    2018-06-01

    The pure cobalt thin film was deposited on the glass substrate by using DC magnetron sputtering and then exposed to microwave assist oxygen plasma generated in microwave plasma CVD. The oxidation process of Co thin film into Co3O4 thin films with different microwave power and temperature were studied. The influences of microwave power, temperature and irradiation time were investigated on the morphology and particle size of oxide thin films. The crystal structure, chemical conformation, morphologies and optical properties of oxidized Co thin films (Co3O4) were studied by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman Spectroscopy and UV–vis Spectroscopy. The data of these films showed complete oxidation pure metallic cobalt (Co) into cobalt oxide (Co3O4). The optical properties were studied for calculating the direct band gaps which ranges from 1.35 to 1.8 eV.

  3. Spatial height directed microfluidic synthesis of transparent inorganic upconversion nano film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiaoxia; Zhu, Cheng; Liao, Wei; Jin, Junyang; Ni, Yaru; Lu, Chunhua; Xu, Zhongzi

    2017-11-01

    A microfluidic-based synthesis of an inorganic upconversion nano film has been developed with a large area of dense-distributed NaYF4 crystal grains in a silica glass micro-reactor and the film exhibits high transparence, strong upconversion luminescence and robust adhesion with the substrate. The spatial heights of micro-reactors are tuned between 31 and 227 mm, which can regulate flow regimes. The synergistic effect of spatial height and fluid regime is put forward, which influences diffusion paths and assembly ways of different precursor molecules and consequently directs final distributions and morphologies of crystal grains, as well as optical properties due to diversity of surface and thickness of films. The spatial height of 110 mm is advantageous for high transmittance of upconversion film due to the flat surface and appropriate film thickness of 67 nm. The height of 150 mm is in favor of uniform distribution of upconversion fluorescence and achieving the strongest fluorescence due to minimized optical loss. Such a transparent upconversion film with a large area of uniform distribution is promising to promote the application of upconversion materials and spatial height directed microfluidic regime have a certain significance on many microfluidic synthesis.

  4. Films based on oxidized starch and cellulose from barley.

    PubMed

    El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Colussi, Rosana; Deon, Vinícius Gonçalves; Pinto, Vânia Zanella; Villanova, Franciene Almeida; Carreño, Neftali Lenin Villarreal; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa

    2015-11-20

    Starch and cellulose fibers were isolated from grains and the husk from barley, respectively. Biodegradable films of native starch or oxidized starches and glycerol with different concentrations of cellulose fibers (0%, 10% and 20%) were prepared. The films were characterized by morphological, mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. Cellulose fibers isolated from the barley husk were obtained with 75% purity and high crystallinity. The morphology of the films of the oxidized starches, regardless of the fiber addition, was more homogeneous as compared to the film of the native starch. The addition of cellulose fibers in the films increased the tensile strength and decreased elongation. The water vapor permeability of the film of oxidized starch with 20% of cellulose fibers was lower than the without fibers. However the films with cellulose fibers had the highest decomposition with the initial temperature and thermal stability. The oxidized starch and cellulose fibers from barley have a good potential for use in packaging. The addition of cellulose fibers in starch films can contribute to the development of films more resistant that can be applied in food systems to maintain its integrity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Thermal annealing behavior of nano-size metal-oxide particles synthesized by ion implantation in Fe-Cr alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, C.; Gentils, A.; Ribis, J.; Borodin, V. A.; Descoins, M.; Mangelinck, D.; Dalle, F.; Arnal, B.; Delauche, L.

    2017-05-01

    Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels are promising structural materials for the next generation nuclear reactors, as well as fusion facilities. The detailed understanding of the mechanisms involved in the precipitation of nano-oxides during ODS steel production would strongly contribute to the improvement of the mechanical properties and the optimization of manufacturing of ODS steels, with a potentially strong economic impact for their industrialization. A useful tool for the experimental study of nano-oxide precipitation is ion implantation, a technique that is widely used to synthesize precipitate nanostructures in well-controlled conditions. Earlier, we have demonstrated the feasibility of synthesizing aluminum-oxide particles in the high purity Fe-10Cr alloy by consecutive implantation with Al and O ions at room temperature. This paper describes the effects of high-temperature annealing after the ion implantation stage on the development of the aluminum based oxide nanoparticle system. Using transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography experiments, we demonstrate that post-implantation heat treatment induces the growth of the nano-sized oxides in the implanted region and nucleation of new oxide precipitates behind the implantation zone as a result of the diffusion driven broadening of implant profiles. A tentative scenario for the development of metal-oxide nano-particles at both ion implantation and heat treatment stages is suggested based on the experimental observations.

  6. Amorphous tin-cadmium oxide films and the production thereof

    DOEpatents

    Li, Xiaonan; Gessert, Timothy A

    2013-10-29

    A tin-cadmium oxide film having an amorphous structure and a ratio of tin atoms to cadmium atoms of between 1:1 and 3:1. The tin-cadmium oxide film may have an optical band gap of between 2.7 eV and 3.35 eV. The film may also have a charge carrier concentration of between 1.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 and 2.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3. The tin cadmium oxide film may also exhibit a Hall mobility of between 40 cm.sup.2V.sup.-1 s.sup.-1 and 60 cm.sup.2V.sup.-1 s.sup.-1. Also disclosed is a method of producing an amorphous tin-cadmium oxide film as described and devices using same.

  7. Patterning of Indium Tin Oxide Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Immer, Christopher

    2008-01-01

    A relatively rapid, economical process has been devised for patterning a thin film of indium tin oxide (ITO) that has been deposited on a polyester film. ITO is a transparent, electrically conductive substance made from a mixture of indium oxide and tin oxide that is commonly used in touch panels, liquid-crystal and plasma display devices, gas sensors, and solar photovoltaic panels. In a typical application, the ITO film must be patterned to form electrodes, current collectors, and the like. Heretofore it has been common practice to pattern an ITO film by means of either a laser ablation process or a photolithography/etching process. The laser ablation process includes the use of expensive equipment to precisely position and focus a laser. The photolithography/etching process is time-consuming. The present process is a variant of the direct toner process an inexpensive but often highly effective process for patterning conductors for printed circuits. Relative to a conventional photolithography/ etching process, this process is simpler, takes less time, and is less expensive. This process involves equipment that costs less than $500 (at 2005 prices) and enables patterning of an ITO film in a process time of less than about a half hour.

  8. Nano-sculptured Janus-like TiAg thin films obliquely deposited by GLAD co-sputtering for temperature sensing.

    PubMed

    Pedrosa, Paulo; Ferreira, Armando; Martin, Nicolas; Arab Pour Yazdi, Mohammad; Billard, Alain; Lanceros-Mendez, Senentxu; Vaz, Filipe

    2018-06-11

    Inclined, zigzag and spiral TiAg films were prepared by GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD), using two distinct Ti and Ag targets with a particle incident angle of 80º and Ag contents ranging from 20 to 75 at. %. The effect of increasing Ag incorporation and columnar architecture change on the morphological, structural and electrical properties of the films was investigated. It is shown that inclined columnar features (β = 47º) with high porosity were obtained for 20 at. % Ag, with the column angle sharply decreasing (β = 21º) for 50 at. % Ag, and steeply increasing afterwards until 37º for the film with 75 at. % Ag. The sputtered films exhibit a rather well-crystallized structure for Ag contents ≥ 50 at. %, with a TiAg (111) preferential growth. No significant oxidation was detected in all films, except for the one with 20 at. % Ag, after two 298-473-298 K temperature cycles in air. The calculated temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) values vary between 1.4 and 5.5×10-4 K-1. Nano-sculptured spiral films exhibit consistently higher resistivity (ρ = 1.5×10-6 Ω m) and TCR values (2.9×10-4 K-1) than the inclined one with the same Ag content (ρ = 1.2×10-6 Ω m and TCR = 2.0×10-4 K-1). No significant changes are observed in the zigzag films concerning these properties. The effective anisotropy Aeff at 473 K changes from 1.3 to 1.7 for the inclined films. Spiral films exhibit an almost completely isotropic behavior with Aeff = 1.1. Ag-rich TiAg core + shell Janus-like columns were obtained with increasing Ag concentrations. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  9. Electrochemical water splitting using nano-zeolite Y supported tungsten oxide electrocatalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anis, Shaheen Fatima; Hashaikeh, Raed

    2018-02-01

    Zeolites are often used as supports for metals and metal oxides because of their well-defined microporous structure and high surface area. In this study, nano-zeolite Y (50-150 nm range) and micro-zeolite Y (500-800 nm range) were loaded with WO3, by impregnating the zeolite support with ammonium metatungstate and thermally decomposing the salt thereafter. Two different loadings of WO3 were studied, 3 wt.% and 5 wt.% with respect to the overall catalyst. The prepared catalysts were characterized for their morphology, structure, and surface areas through scanning electron microscope (SEM), XRD, and BET. They were further compared for their electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4. On comparing the bare micro-zeolite particles with the nano-form, the nano-zeolite Y showed higher currents with comparable overpotentials and lower Tafel slope of 62.36 mV/dec. WO3 loading brought about a change in the electrocatalytic properties of the catalyst. The overpotentials and Tafel slopes were observed to decrease with zeolite-3 wt.% WO3. The smallest overpotential of 60 mV and Tafel slope of 31.9 mV/dec was registered for nano-zeolite with 3 wt.% WO3, while the micro-zeolite gave an overpotential of 370 mV and a Tafel slope of 98.1 mV/dec. It was concluded that even with the same metal oxide loading, nano-zeolite showed superior performance, which is attributed to its size and hence easier escape of hydrogen bubbles from the catalyst.

  10. Nano-structured surface plasmon resonance sensor for sensitivity enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jae-Ho; Kim, Hyo-Sop; Kim, Jin-Ho; Choi, Sung-Wook; Cho, Yong-Jin

    2008-08-01

    A new nano-structured SPR sensor was devised to improve its sensitivity. Nano-scaled silica particles were used as the template to fabricate nano-structure. The surface of the silica particles was modified with thiol group and a single layer of the modified silica particles was attached on the gold or silver thin film using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method. Thereafter, gold or silver was coated on the template by an e-beam evaporator. Finally, the nano-structured surface with basin-like shape was obtained after removing the silica particles by sonication. Applying the new developed SPR sensor to a model food of alcoholic beverage, the sensitivities for the gold and silver nano-structured sensors, respectively, had 95% and 126% higher than the conventional one.

  11. Large-scale complementary macroelectronics using hybrid integration of carbon nanotubes and IGZO thin-film transistors.

    PubMed

    Chen, Haitian; Cao, Yu; Zhang, Jialu; Zhou, Chongwu

    2014-06-13

    Carbon nanotubes and metal oxide semiconductors have emerged as important materials for p-type and n-type thin-film transistors, respectively; however, realizing sophisticated macroelectronics operating in complementary mode has been challenging due to the difficulty in making n-type carbon nanotube transistors and p-type metal oxide transistors. Here we report a hybrid integration of p-type carbon nanotube and n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors to achieve large-scale (>1,000 transistors for 501-stage ring oscillators) complementary macroelectronic circuits on both rigid and flexible substrates. This approach of hybrid integration allows us to combine the strength of p-type carbon nanotube and n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors, and offers high device yield and low device variation. Based on this approach, we report the successful demonstration of various logic gates (inverter, NAND and NOR gates), ring oscillators (from 51 stages to 501 stages) and dynamic logic circuits (dynamic inverter, NAND and NOR gates).

  12. The Chemical Vapor Deposition of Thin Metal Oxide Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laurie, Angus Buchanan

    1990-01-01

    Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an important method of preparing thin films of materials. Copper (II) oxide is an important p-type semiconductor and a major component of high T_{rm c} superconducting oxides. By using a volatile copper (II) chelate precursor, copper (II) bishexafluoroacetylacetonate, it has been possible to prepare thin films of copper (II) oxide by low temperature normal pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. In the metalorganic CVD (MOCVD) production of oxide thin films, oxygen gas saturated with water vapor has been used mainly to reduce residual carbon and fluorine content. This research has investigated the influence of water-saturated oxygen on the morphology of thin films of CuO produced by low temperature chemical vapor deposition onto quartz, magnesium oxide and cubic zirconia substrates. ZnO is a useful n-type semiconductor material and is commonly prepared by the MOCVD method using organometallic precursors such as dimethyl or diethylzinc. These compounds are difficult to handle under atmospheric conditions. In this research, thin polycrystalline films of zinc oxide were grown on a variety of substrates by normal pressure CVD using a zinc chelate complex with zinc(II) bishexafluoroacetylacetonate dihydrate (Zn(hfa)_2.2H _2O) as the zinc source. Zn(hfa) _2.2H_2O is not moisture - or air-sensitive and is thus more easily handled. By operating under reduced-pressure conditions (20-500 torr) it is possible to substantially reduce deposition times and improve film quality. This research has investigated the reduced-pressure CVD of thin films of CuO and ZnO. Sub-micron films of tin(IV) oxide (SnO _2) have been grown by normal pressure CVD on quartz substrates by using tetraphenyltin (TPT) as the source of tin. All CVD films were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA).

  13. Electro-deposition of superconductor oxide films

    DOEpatents

    Bhattacharya, Raghu N.

    2001-01-01

    Methods for preparing high quality superconducting oxide precursors which are well suited for further oxidation and annealing to form superconducting oxide films. The method comprises forming a multilayered superconducting precursor on a substrate by providing an electrodeposition bath comprising an electrolyte medium and a substrate electrode, and providing to the bath a plurality of precursor metal salts which are capable of exhibiting superconducting properties upon subsequent treatment. The superconducting precursor is then formed by electrodepositing a first electrodeposited (ED) layer onto the substrate electrode, followed by depositing a layer of silver onto the first electrodeposited (ED) layer, and then electrodepositing a second electrodeposited (ED) layer onto the Ag layer. The multilayered superconducting precursor is suitable for oxidation at a sufficient annealing temperature in air or an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form a crystalline superconducting oxide film.

  14. Effect of Nano-Al₂O₃ on the Toxicity and Oxidative Stress of Copper towards Scenedesmus obliquus.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaomin; Zhou, Suyang; Fan, Wenhong

    2016-06-09

    Nano-Al₂O₃ has been widely used in various industries; unfortunately, it can be released into the aquatic environment. Although nano-Al₂O₃ is believed to be of low toxicity, it can interact with other pollutants in water, such as heavy metals. However, the interactions between nano-Al₂O₃ and heavy metals as well as the effect of nano-Al₂O₃ on the toxicity of the metals have been rarely investigated. The current study investigated copper toxicity in the presence of nano-Al₂O₃ towards Scenedesmus obliquus. Superoxide dismutase activity and concentration of glutathione and malondialdehyde in cells were determined in order to quantify oxidative stress in this study. Results showed that the presence of nano-Al₂O₃ reduced the toxicity of Cu towards S. obliquus. The existence of nano-Al₂O₃ decreased the growth inhibition of S. obliquus. The accumulation of copper and the level of oxidative stress in algae were reduced in the presence of nano-Al₂O₃. Furthermore, lower copper accumulation was the main factor that mitigated copper toxicity with the addition of nano-Al₂O₃. The decreased copper uptake could be attributed to the adsorption of copper onto nanoparticles and the subsequent decrease of available copper in water.

  15. Pulsed photonic fabrication of nanostructured metal oxide thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bourgeois, Briley B.; Luo, Sijun; Riggs, Brian C.; Adireddy, Shiva; Chrisey, Douglas B.

    2017-09-01

    Nanostructured metal oxide thin films with a large specific surface area are preferable for practical device applications in energy conversion and storage. Herein, we report instantaneous (milliseconds) photonic synthesis of three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructured metal oxide thin films through the pulsed photoinitiated pyrolysis of organometallic precursor films made by chemical solution deposition. High wall-plug efficiency-pulsed photonic irradiation (xenon flash lamp, pulse width of 1.93 ms, fluence of 7.7 J/cm2 and frequency of 1.2 Hz) is used for scalable photonic processing. The photothermal effect of subsequent pulses rapidly improves the crystalline quality of nanocrystalline metal oxide thin films in minutes. The following paper highlights pulsed photonic fabrication of 3-D nanostructured TiO2, Co3O4, and Fe2O3 thin films, exemplifying a promising new method for the low-cost and high-throughput manufacturing of nanostructured metal oxide thin films for energy applications.

  16. Nano-structured Platinum-based Catalysts for the Complete Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol and Glycerol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falase, Akinbayowa

    Direct alcohol fuel cells are a viable alternative to the traditional hydrogen PEM fuel cell. Fuel versatility, integration with existing distribution networks, and increased safety when handling these fuels increases their appeal for portable power applications. In order to maximize their utility, the liquid fuel must be fully oxidized to CO2 so as to harvest the full amount of energy. Methanol and ethanol are widely researched as potential fuels to power these devices, but methanol is a toxic substance, and ethanol has a much lower energy density than other liquids such as gasoline or glucose. Oxidation of complex fuels is difficult to realize, due to difficulty in breaking carbon-carbon bonding and poisoning of the catalysts by oxidative byproducts. In order to achieve the highest efficiency, an anode needs to be engineered in such a way as to maximize activity while minimizing poisoning effects of reaction byproducts. We have engineered an anode that uses platinum-based catalysts that is capable of completely oxidizing ethylene glycol and glycerol in neutral and alkaline media with little evidence of CO poisoning. We have constructed a hybrid anode consisting of a nano-structured PtRu electrocatayst with an NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase for improved oxidation of complex molecules. A nano-structured PtRu catalyst was used to oxidize ethylene glycol and glycerol in neutral media. In situ infrared spectroscopy was used to verify complete oxidation via CO2 generation. There was no evidence of poisoning by CO species. A pH study was performed to determine the effect of pH on oxidative current. The peak currents did not trend at 60 mV/pH unit as would be expected from the Nernst equation, suggesting that adsorption of fuel to the surface of the electrode is not an electron-transfer step. We synthesized nano-structured PtRu, PtSn, and PtRuSn catalysts for oxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol in alkaline media. The PtRu electrocatalyst the highest oxidative

  17. Synthesis of nano-structured tin oxide thin films with faster response to LPG and ammonia by spray pyrolysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    PrasannaKumari, K.; Thomas, Boben

    2018-01-01

    Nanostructured SnO2 thin film have been efficiently fabricated by spray pyrolysis using atomizers of different types. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples are investigated by techniques such as x-ray diffraction, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Significant morphological changes are observed in films by modifying the precursor atomization as a result of change of spray device. The optical characterization indicates that change in atomization, affects the absorbance and the band gap, following the varied crystallite size. Gas sensing investigations on ultrasonically prepared tin oxide films show NH3 response at operating temperatures lower down to 50 °C. For 1000 ppm of LPG the response at 350 °C for air blast atomizer film is about 99%, with short response and recovery times. The photoluminescence emmision spectra reveal the correlation between atomization process and the quantity of oxygen vacancies present in the samples. The favorable size reduction in microstructure with good crystallinity with slight change in lattice properties suggest their scope in gas sensing applications. On the basis of these characterizations, the mechanism of LPG and NH3 gas sensing of nanostructured SnO2 thin films has been proposed.

  18. A nano-scale mirror-like surface of Ti-6Al-4V attained by chemical mechanical polishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chenliang, Liang; Weili, Liu; Shasha, Li; Hui, Kong; Zefang, Zhang; Zhitang, Song

    2016-05-01

    Metal Ti and its alloys have been widely utilized in the fields of aviation, medical science, and micro-electro-mechanical systems, for its excellent specific strength, resistance to corrosion, and biological compatibility. As the application of Ti moves to the micro or nano scale, however, traditional methods of planarization have shown their short slabs. Thus, we introduce the method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to provide a new way for the nano-scale planarization method of Ti alloys. We obtain a mirror-like surface, whose flatness is of nano-scale, via the CMP method. We test the basic mechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) in the CMP process, and optimize the composition of CMP slurry. Furthermore, the possible reactions that may take place in the CMP process have been studied by electrochemical methods combined with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An equivalent circuit has been built to interpret the dynamic of oxidation. Finally, a model has been established to explain the synergy of chemical and mechanical effects in the CMP of Ti-6Al-4V. Project supported by the National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period of China (Grant No. 2009ZX02030-1), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51205387), the Support by Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai City, China (Grant No. 11nm0500300), and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai City, China (Grant No. 14XD1425300).

  19. Development of functional nano-particle layer for highly efficient OLED

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Hoi; Choi, Haechul; Choi, Yoonseuk

    2015-12-01

    Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are now widely commercialized in market due to many advantages such as possibility of making thin or flexible devices. Nevertheless there are still several things to obtain the high quality flexible OLEDs, one of the most important issues is the light extraction of the device. It is known that OLEDs have the typical light loss such as the waveguide loss, plasmon absorption loss and internal total reflection. In this paper, we demonstrate the one-step processed light scattering films with aluminum oxide nano-particles and polystyrene matrix composite to achieve highly efficient OLEDs. Optical characteristics and surface roughness of light scattering film was optimized by changing the mixing concentration of Al2O3 nano-particles and investigated with the atomic force microscopy and hazemeter, respectively.

  20. A bifractal nature of reticular patterns induced by oxygen plasma on polymer films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bae, Junwan; Lee, I. J.

    2015-05-01

    Plasma etching was demonstrated to be a promising tool for generating self-organized nano-patterns on various commercial films. Unfortunately, dynamic scaling approach toward fundamental understanding of the formation and growth of the plasma-induced nano-structure has not always been straightforward. The temporal evolution of self-aligned nano-patterns may often evolve with an additional scale-invariance, which leads to breakdown of the well-established dynamic scaling law. The concept of a bifractal interface is successfully applied to reticular patterns induced by oxygen plasma on the surface of polymer films. The reticular pattern, composed of nano-size self-aligned protuberances and underlying structure, develops two types of anomalous dynamic scaling characterized by super-roughening and intrinsic anomalous scaling, respectively. The diffusion and aggregation of short-cleaved chains under the plasma environment are responsible for the regular distribution of the nano-size protuberances. Remarkably, it is uncovered that the dynamic roughening of the underlying structure is governed by a relaxation mechanism described by the Edwards-Wilkinson universality class with a conservative noise. The evidence for the basic phase, characterized by the negative roughness and growth exponents, has been elusive since its first theoretical consideration more than two decades ago.

  1. Nano-architecture based photoelectrochemical water oxidation efficiency enhancement by CdS photoanodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pareek, Alka; Kim, Hyun Gyu; Paik, Pradip; Joardar, Joydip; Borse, Pramod H.

    2017-02-01

    In the present work, 2D nanostructuring has been utilized to impart an efficiency improvement to the hexagonal phase CdS films for the photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells those were deposited by spray pyrolysis technique. By controlling the aerosol droplet- size, population and impingement time during the spray pyrolysis deposition, various nano-features viz. randomly aligned nanorods, nanotubes and nanowires of CdS has been demonstrated for the first time. A growth mechanism has been proposed to predict the temporal evolution of the nanostructures. The prominent nanoscale structures show improved optical properties in the visible range of solar spectrum. The structural studies validate the morphological differences of nanostructures in terms of the texture coefficient analysis as well as 2D micro x-ray diffraction imaging. Electrochemical characterization is carried out to understand the effect of nanostructuring on the PEC performance of the CdS photoanodes in the sulphide (0.1 M Na2S  +  0.02 M Na2SO3) electrolyte at applied bias of 0.2 V (versus SCE). The evolution of morphology from randomly aligned rods to nanowire is responsible for improved photocurrent (3.5 times). CdS film morphology can be tuned to nanotubes, nano- rose buds and nanorod bunches even by doping Zn2+ ions in CdS lattice. Nano-structuring of doped CdS has shown enhanced performance of the photoanodes. The nanotubes structures yielded highest photocurrent density of 1.6 mA cm-2. Whereas modifying the 2D-nanostructured CdS film by simple MoO3 spray coating yields the photocurrent enhancement to 2.1 mA cm-2.

  2. Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide thin films and its characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lorenzoni, M.; Giugni, A.; Di Fabrizio, E.; Pérez-Murano, Francesc; Mescola, A.; Torre, B.

    2015-07-01

    In this paper, we report on a method to reduce thin films of graphene oxide (GO) to a spatial resolution better than 100 nm over several tens of micrometers by means of an electrochemical scanning probe based lithography. In situ tip-current measurements show that an edged drop in electrical resistance characterizes the reduced areas, and that the reduction process is, to a good approximation, proportional to the applied bias between the onset voltage and the saturation thresholds. An atomic force microscope (AFM) quantifies the drop of the surface height for the reduced profile due to the loss of oxygen. Complementarily, lateral force microscopy reveals a homogeneous friction coefficient of the reduced regions that is remarkably lower than that of native graphene oxide, confirming a chemical change in the patterned region. Micro Raman spectroscopy, which provides access to insights into the chemical process, allows one to quantify the restoration and de-oxidation of the graphitic network driven by the electrochemical reduction and to determine characteristic length scales. It also confirms the homogeneity of the process over wide areas. The results shown were obtained from accurate analysis of the shift, intensity and width of Raman peaks for the main vibrational bands of GO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) mapped over large areas. Concerning multilayered GO thin films obtained by drop-casting we have demonstrated an unprecedented lateral resolution in ambient conditions as well as an improved control, characterization and understanding of the reduction process occurring in GO randomly folded multilayers, useful for large-scale processing of graphene-based material.

  3. Aligned carbon nanotube, graphene and graphite oxide thin films via substrate-directed rapid interfacial deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Arcy, Julio M.; Tran, Henry D.; Stieg, Adam Z.; Gimzewski, James K.; Kaner, Richard B.

    2012-05-01

    A procedure for depositing thin films of carbon nanostructures is described that overcomes the limitations typically associated with solution based methods. Transparent and conductively continuous carbon coatings can be grown on virtually any type of substrate within seconds. Interfacial surface tension gradients result in directional fluid flow and film spreading at the water/oil interface. Transparent films of carbon nanostructures are produced including aligned ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes and assemblies of single sheets of chemically converted graphene and graphite oxide. Process scale-up, layer-by-layer deposition, and a simple method for coating non-activated hydrophobic surfaces are demonstrated.A procedure for depositing thin films of carbon nanostructures is described that overcomes the limitations typically associated with solution based methods. Transparent and conductively continuous carbon coatings can be grown on virtually any type of substrate within seconds. Interfacial surface tension gradients result in directional fluid flow and film spreading at the water/oil interface. Transparent films of carbon nanostructures are produced including aligned ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes and assemblies of single sheets of chemically converted graphene and graphite oxide. Process scale-up, layer-by-layer deposition, and a simple method for coating non-activated hydrophobic surfaces are demonstrated. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Droplet coalescence, catenoid formation, mechanism of film growth, scanning electron micrographs showing carbon nanotube alignment, flexible transparent films of SWCNTs, AFM images of a chemically converted graphene film, and SEM images of SWCNT free-standing thin films. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr00010e

  4. Method of producing solution-derived metal oxide thin films

    DOEpatents

    Boyle, Timothy J.; Ingersoll, David

    2000-01-01

    A method of preparing metal oxide thin films by a solution method. A .beta.-metal .beta.-diketonate or carboxylate compound, where the metal is selected from groups 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the Periodic Table, is solubilized in a strong Lewis base to form a homogeneous solution. This precursor solution forms within minutes and can be deposited on a substrate in a single layer or a multiple layers to form a metal oxide thin film. The substrate with the deposited thin film is heated to change the film from an amorphous phase to a ceramic metal oxide and cooled.

  5. Investigation of Thin Layered Cobalt Oxide Nano-Islands on Gold

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bajdich, Michal; Walton, Alex S.; Fester, Jakob; Arman, Mohammad A.; Osiecki, Jacek; Knudsen, Jan; Vojvodic, Aleksandra; Lauritsen, Jeppe V.

    2015-03-01

    Layered cobalt oxides have been shown to be highly active catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but the synergistic effect of contact with gold is yet to be fully understood. The synthesis of three distinct types of thin-layered cobalt oxide nano-islands supported on a single crystal gold (111) substrate is confirmed by combination of STM and XAS methods. In this work, we present DFT+U theoretical investigation of above nano-islands using several previously known structural models. Our calculations confirm stability of two low-oxygen pressure phases: (a) rock-salt Co-O bilayer and (b) wurtzite Co-O quadlayer and single high-oxygen pressure phase: (c) O-Co-O trilayer. The optimized geometries agree with STM structures and calculated oxidation states confirm the conversion from Co2+ to Co3+ found experimentally in XAS. The O-Co-O trilayer islands have the structure of a single layer of CoOOH proposed to be the true active phase for OER catalyst. For that reason, the effect of water on the Pourbaix stabilities of basal planes and edge sites is fully investigated. Lastly, we also present the corresponding OER theoretical overpotentials.

  6. Modeling and analysis of sub-surface leakage current in nano-MOSFET under cutoff regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swami, Yashu; Rai, Sanjeev

    2017-02-01

    The high leakage current in nano-meter regimes is becoming a significant portion of power dissipation in nano-MOSFET circuits as threshold voltage, channel length, and gate oxide thickness are scaled down to nano-meter range. Precise leakage current valuation and meticulous modeling of the same at nano-meter technology scale is an increasingly a critical work in designing the low power nano-MOSFET circuits. We present a specific compact model for sub-threshold regime leakage current in bulk driven nano-MOSFETs. The proposed logical model is instigated and executed into the latest updated PTM bulk nano-MOSFET model and is found to be in decent accord with technology-CAD simulation data. This paper also reviews various transistor intrinsic leakage mechanisms for nano-MOSFET exclusively in weak inversion, like drain-induced barricade lowering (DIBL), gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL), gate oxide tunneling (GOT) leakage etc. The root cause of the sub-surface leakage current is mainly due to the nano-scale short channel length causing source-drain coupling even in sub-threshold domain. Consequences leading to carriers triumphing the barricade between the source and drain. The enhanced model effectively considers the following parameter dependence in the account for better-quality value-added results like drain-to-source bias (VDS), gate-to-source bias (VGS), channel length (LG), source/drain junction depth (Xj), bulk doping concentration (NBULK), and operating temperature (Top).

  7. The viability and performance characterization of nano scale energetic materials on a semiconductor bridge (SCB)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strohm, Gianna Sophia

    The move from conventional energetic composites to nano scale energetic mixtures (nano energetics) has shown dramatic improvement in energy release rate and sensitivity to ignition. A possible application of nano energetics is on a semiconductor bridge (SCB). An SCB typically requires a tenth of the energy input as compared to a bridge wire design with the same no-fire and is capable of igniting in tens of microseconds. For very low energy applications, SCBs can be manufactured to extremely small sizes and it is necessary to find materials with particle sizes that are even smaller to function. Reactive particles of comparable size to the bridge can lead to problems with ignition reliability for small bridges. Nano-energetic composites and the use of SCBs have been significantly studied individually, however, the process of combining nano energetics with an SCB has not been investigated extensively and is the focus of this work. Goals of this study are to determine if nano energetics can be used with SCBs to further reduce the minimum energy required and improve reliability. The performance of nano-scale aluminum (nAl) and bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) with nitrocellulose (NC), Fluorel(TM) FC 2175 (chemically equivalent to VitonRTM) and Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP) as binders where quantified initially using the SenTest(TM) algorithm at three weight fractions (5, 7, and 9%) of binder. The threshold energy was calculated and compared to previous data using conventional materials such as zirconium potassium chlorate (ZPC), mercuric 5-Nitrotetrazol (DXN-1) and titanium sub-hydride potassium per-chlorate (TSPP). It was found that even though there where only slight differences in performance between the binders with nAl/Bi2O 3 at any of the three binder weight fractions, the results show that these nano energetic materials require about half of the threshold energy compared to conventional materials using an SCB with an 84x42 mum bridge. Binder limit testing was conducted to

  8. Selective Photophysical Modification on Light-Emitting Polymer Films for Micro- and Nano-Patterning

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xinping; Liu, Feifei; Li, Hongwei

    2016-01-01

    Laser-induced cross-linking in polymeric semiconductors was utilized to achieve micro- and nano-structuring in thin films. Single- and two-photon cross-linking processes led to the reduction in both the refractive index and thickness of the polymer films. The resultant photonic structures combine the features of both relief- and phase-gratings. Selective cross-linking in polymer blend films based on different optical response of different molecular phases enabled “solidification” of the phase-separation scheme, providing a stable template for further photonic structuring. Dielectric and metallic structures are demonstrated for the fabrication methods using cross-linking in polymer films. Selective cross-linking enables direct patterning into polymer films without introducing additional fabrication procedures or additional materials. The diffraction processes of the emission of the patterned polymeric semiconductors may provide enhanced output coupling for light-emitting diodes or distributed feedback for lasers. PMID:28773248

  9. Magnetite nano-islands on Graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Nathaniel; Zhang, Qiang; Rosenberg, Richard; Vaknin, David

    X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) of ex-situ iron nano-islands grown on graphene reveals that iron oxidation spontaneously leads to the formation of magnetite nano-particles - i.e, the formation of the inverse spinel Fe3O4. Fe islands have been grown with two different heights (20 and 75 MLs) on epitaxial graphene and we have determined their magnetic behavior both as function of temperature and applied external field. Our XAS and XMCD at an applied magnetic field of B = 5 T show that the thin film (20 MLs) is totally converted to magnetite whereas the thicker film (75 MLs) exhibits magnetite properties but also those of pure metal iron. For both samples, temperature dependence of the XMCD shows clear transitions at ~120 K consistent with the Verwey transition of bulk magnetite. XMCD at low temperatures shows a weak hysteresis and provide the average spin and angular-momentum moments, the dipolar term, and the total moment . In addition, manipulation and comparison of the XMCD data from both samples allows us to extract information about the pure iron nano-islands from the thicker sample. Ames Laboratory is supported by the U.S. DOE, BES, MSE Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358. APS is supported by U.S. DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

  10. High-volumetric performance aligned nano-porous microwave exfoliated graphite oxide-based electrochemical capacitors.

    PubMed

    Ghaffari, Mehdi; Zhou, Yue; Xu, Haiping; Lin, Minren; Kim, Tae Young; Ruoff, Rodney S; Zhang, Q M

    2013-09-20

    Ultra-high volumetric performance electrochemical double layer capacitors based on high density aligned nano-porous microwave exfoliated graphite oxide have been studied. Elimination of macro-, meso-, and larger micro-pores from electrodes and controlling the nano-morphology results in very high volumetric capacitance, energy, and power density values. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. In vitro toxicity test of nano-sized magnesium oxide synthesized via solid-phase transformation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Zhou, Wei

    2018-04-01

    Nano-sized magnesium oxide (MgO) has been a promising potential material for biomedical pharmaceuticals. In the present investigation, MgO nanoparticles synthesized through in-situ solid-phase transformation based on the previous work (nano-Mg(OH)2 prepared by precipitation technique) using magnesium nitrate and sodium hydroxide. The phase structure and morphology of the MgO nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), selected area electronic diffraction (SAED) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively. In vitro hemolysis tests are adopted to evaluate the toxicity of the synthesized nano-MgO. The results evident that nano-MgO with lower concentration is slightly hemolytic, and with concentration increasing nano-MgO exhibit dose-responsive hemolysis.

  12. Low-temperature method of producing nano-scaled graphene platelets and their nanocomposites

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna [Centerville, OH; Shi, Jinjun [Columbus, OH; Guo, Jiusheng [Centerville, OH; Jang, Bor Z [Centerville, OH

    2012-03-13

    A method of exfoliating a layered material to produce separated nano-scaled platelets having a thickness smaller than 100 nm. The method comprises: (a) providing a graphite intercalation compound comprising a layered graphite containing expandable species residing in an interlayer space of the layered graphite; (b) exposing the graphite intercalation compound to an exfoliation temperature lower than 650.degree. C. for a duration of time sufficient to at least partially exfoliate the layered graphite without incurring a significant level of oxidation; and (c) subjecting the at least partially exfoliated graphite to a mechanical shearing treatment to produce separated platelets. The method can further include a step of dispersing the platelets in a polymer or monomer solution or suspension as a precursor step to nanocomposite fabrication.

  13. Preparation of hybrid nano biocomposite κ-carrageenan/cellulose nanocrystal/nanoclay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakuwan, Siti Zarina; Ahmad, Ishak; Ramli, Nazaruddin

    2013-11-01

    Biodegradable composites film based on κ-carrageenan and nano particles as filler was prepared to study the mechanical strength of carrageenan composites. Solution casting technique was used to prepare_this biocomposite. Preparation of composite film and nano filler involve two stages, preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from kenaf with alkali treatment, bleaching, and hydrolysis followed by the preparation of two types of nano composite. Tensile test was carried on the composite film based on κ-carrageenan with the variation percentage of CNC and nano clay to obtain the optimum CNC and nano clay loading. After that hybrid nano-biocomposite film based on κ-carrageenan with the variation percentage of CNC/nano clay (OMMT) according to optimum value of composite carrageenan/CNC and composite carrageenan/nano clay film was prepared. The effect of nano filler on the mechanical properties of carrageenan films was examined. κ-carrageenan biocomposite increased with the optimum at 4% CNC and nano clay composition. Additional improvement of tensile strength with hybridization of CNC and nanoclay indicated better mechanical properties.

  14. Controlled crystallization and granulation of nano-scale β-Ni(OH) 2 cathode materials for high power Ni-MH batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xiangming; Li, Jianjun; Cheng, Hongwei; Jiang, Changyin; Wan, Chunrong

    A novel synthesis of controlled crystallization and granulation was attempted to prepare nano-scale β-Ni(OH) 2 cathode materials for high power Ni-MH batteries. Nano-scale β-Ni(OH) 2 and Co(OH) 2 with a diameter of 20 nm were prepared by controlled crystallization, mixed by ball milling, and granulated to form about 5 μm spherical grains by spray drying granulation. Both the addition of nano-scale Co(OH) 2 and granulation significantly enhanced electrochemical performance of nano-scale Ni(OH) 2. The XRD and TEM analysis shown that there were a large amount of defects among the crystal lattice of as-prepared nano-scale Ni(OH) 2, and the DTA-TG analysis shown that it had both lower decomposition temperature and higher decomposition reaction rate, indicating less thermal stability, as compared with conventional micro-scale Ni(OH) 2, and indicating that it had higher electrochemical performance. The granulated grains of nano-scale Ni(OH) 2 mixed with nano-scale Co(OH) 2 at Co/Ni = 1/20 presented the highest specific capacity reaching its theoretical value of 289 mAh g -1 at 1 C, and also exhibited much improved electrochemical performance at high discharge capacity rate up to 10 C. The granulated grains of nano-scale β-Ni(OH) 2 mixed with nano-scale Co(OH) 2 is a promising cathode active material for high power Ni-MH batteries.

  15. Synthesis and LPG sensing properties of nano-sized cadmium oxide.

    PubMed

    Waghulade, R B; Patil, P P; Pasricha, Renu

    2007-04-30

    This paper reports the synthesis and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties of nano-sized cadmium oxide (CdO). The nano-sized CdO powder was successfully synthesized by using a chemical co-precipitation method using cadmium acetate and the ammonium hydroxide, as starting materials and water as a carrier. The resulting nano-sized powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The LPG sensing properties of the synthesized nano-sized CdO were investigated at different operating temperatures and LPG concentrations. It was found that the calcination temperature and the operating temperature significantly affect the sensitivity of the nano-sized CdO powder to the LPG. The sensitivity is found to be maximum when the calcination temperature was 400 degrees C. The sensitivity to 75ppm of LPG is maximum at an operating temperature 450 degrees C and it was found to be approximately 341%. The response and recovery times were found to be nearly 3-5s and 8-10s, respectively. The synthesized nano-sized CdO powder is able to detect up to 25ppm for LPG with reasonable sensitivity at an operating temperature 450 degrees C and it can be reliably used to monitor the concentration of LPG over the range (25-75ppm). The experimental results of the LPG sensing studies reveal that the nano-sized CdO powder synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method is a suitable material for the fabrication of the LPG sensor.

  16. Toward active-matrix lab-on-a-chip: programmable electrofluidic control enabled by arrayed oxide thin film transistors.

    PubMed

    Noh, Joo Hyon; Noh, Jiyong; Kreit, Eric; Heikenfeld, Jason; Rack, Philip D

    2012-01-21

    Agile micro- and nano-fluidic control is critical to numerous life science and chemical science synthesis as well as kinetic and thermodynamic studies. To this end, we have demonstrated the use of thin film transistor arrays as an active matrix addressing method to control an electrofluidic array. Because the active matrix method minimizes the number of control lines necessary (m + n lines for the m×n element array), the active matrix addressing method integrated with an electrofluidic platform can be a significant breakthrough for complex electrofluidic arrays (increased size or resolution) with enhanced function, agility and programmability. An amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductor active layer is used because of its high mobility of 1-15 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), low-temperature processing and transparency for potential spectroscopy and imaging. Several electrofluidic functionalities are demonstrated using a simple 2 × 5 electrode array connected to a 2 × 5 IGZO thin film transistor array with the semiconductor channel width of 50 μm and mobility of 6.3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). Additionally, using the TFT device characteristics, active matrix addressing schemes are discussed as the geometry of the electrode array can be tailored to act as a storage capacitor element. Finally, requisite material and device parameters are discussed in context with a VGA scale active matrix addressed electrofluidic platform.

  17. Oxidized film structure and method of making epitaxial metal oxide structure

    DOEpatents

    Gan, Shupan [Richland, WA; Liang, Yong [Richland, WA

    2003-02-25

    A stable oxidized structure and an improved method of making such a structure, including an improved method of making an interfacial template for growing a crystalline metal oxide structure, are disclosed. The improved method comprises the steps of providing a substrate with a clean surface and depositing a metal on the surface at a high temperature under a vacuum to form a metal-substrate compound layer on the surface with a thickness of less than one monolayer. The compound layer is then oxidized by exposing the compound layer to essentially oxygen at a low partial pressure and low temperature. The method may further comprise the step of annealing the surface while under a vacuum to further stabilize the oxidized film structure. A crystalline metal oxide structure may be subsequently epitaxially grown by using the oxidized film structure as an interfacial template and depositing on the interfacial template at least one layer of a crystalline metal oxide.

  18. Nano-scaled top-down of bismuth chalcogenides based on electrochemical lithium intercalation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jikun; Zhu, Yingjie; Chen, Nuofu; Liu, Xinling; Sun, Zhengliang; Huang, Zhenghong; Kang, Feiyu; Gao, Qiuming; Jiang, Jun; Chen, Lidong

    2011-12-01

    A two-step method has been used to fabricate nano-particles of layer-structured bismuth chalcogenide compounds, including Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and Bi2Se0.3Te2.7, through a nano-scaled top-down route. In the first step, lithium (Li) atoms are intercalated between the van der Waals bonded quintuple layers of bismuth chalcogenide compounds by controllable electrochemical process inside self-designed lithium ion batteries. And in the second step, the Li intercalated bismuth chalcogenides are subsequently exposed to ethanol, in which process the intercalated Li atoms would explode like atom-scaled bombs to exfoliate original microscaled powder into nano-scaled particles with size around 10 nm. The influence of lithium intercalation speed and amount to three types of bismuth chalcogenide compounds are compared and the optimized intercalation conditions are explored. As to maintain the phase purity of the final nano-particle product, the intercalation lithium amount should be well controlled in Se contained bismuth chalcogenide compounds. Besides, compared with binary bismuth chalcogenide compound, lower lithium intercalation speed should be applied in ternary bismuth chalcogenide compound.

  19. Self-Assembled Formation of Well-Aligned Cu-Te Nano-Rods on Heavily Cu-Doped ZnTe Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Jing; Cheng, Man Kit; Lai, Ying Hoi; Wei, Guanglu; Yang, Sean Derman; Wang, Gan; Ho, Sut Kam; Tam, Kam Weng; Sou, Iam Keong

    2016-11-01

    Cu doping of ZnTe, which is an important semiconductor for various optoelectronic applications, has been successfully achieved previously by several techniques. However, besides its electrical transport characteristics, other physical and chemical properties of heavily Cu-doped ZnTe have not been reported. We found an interesting self-assembled formation of crystalline well-aligned Cu-Te nano-rods near the surface of heavily Cu-doped ZnTe thin films grown via the molecular beam epitaxy technique. A phenomenological growth model is presented based on the observed crystallographic morphology and measured chemical composition of the nano-rods using various imaging and chemical analysis techniques. When substitutional doping reaches its limit, the extra Cu atoms favor an up-migration toward the surface, leading to a one-dimensional surface modulation and formation of Cu-Te nano-rods, which explain unusual observations on the reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns and apparent resistivity of these thin films. This study provides an insight into some unexpected chemical reactions involved in the heavily Cu-doped ZnTe thin films, which may be applied to other material systems that contain a dopant having strong reactivity with the host matrix.

  20. Partial ablation of Ti/Al nano-layer thin film by single femtosecond laser pulse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaković, B.; Tsibidis, G. D.; Skoulas, E.; Petrović, S. M.; Vasić, B.; Stratakis, E.

    2017-12-01

    The interaction of ultra-short laser pulses with Titanium/Aluminium (Ti/Al) nano-layered thin film was investigated. The sample composed of alternating Ti and Al layers of a few nanometres thick was deposited by ion-sputtering. A single pulse irradiation experiment was conducted in an ambient air environment using focused and linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulses for the investigation of the ablation effects. The laser induced morphological changes and the composition were characterized using several microscopy techniques and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The following results were obtained: (i) at low values of pulse energy/fluence, ablation of the upper Ti layer only was observed; (ii) at higher laser fluence, a two-step ablation of Ti and Al layers takes place, followed by partial removal of the nano-layered film. The experimental observations were supported by a theoretical model accounting for the thermal response of the multiple layered structure upon irradiation with ultra-short laser pulses.

  1. Diffraction efficiency growth of nano-scale holographic recording produced in a corona discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bodurov, I.; Yovcheva, T.; Vlaeva, I.; Viraneva, A.; Todorov, R.; Spassov, G.; Sainov, S.

    2012-12-01

    The nano-scale holographic gratings ware recorded in 29 nm and 56 nm thick As2S3 films. The chalcogenide layers were deposited on a transparent chromium electrode with thickness 10 nm, produced on a glass substrate. Both chromium and chalcogenide films were deposited in one vacuum cycle by e-beam and thermal evaporation, respectively. The diode 532 nm diode laser was used as a light source in the present holographic experiments. The total internal reflection arrangement (Stetson-Nassenstein) was used in holographic recordings. The reference beam was totally reflected from the air-As2S3 boundary surface by an input glass prism. The object beam was normally incident on the recording medium. The corona charging was performed by a needle fixed at the distance of 1 cm from the holographic recording medium by applying a - 5 kV voltage. The diffraction efficiency increased from 9 to 30 times when the corona discharge was applied during the holographic recording, in comparison to the uncharged recording. The possible reason of the observed effect is discussed on the basis of the Franz-Keldysh effect and Moss rule.

  2. Production of ultra-thin nano-scaled graphene platelets from meso-carbon micro-beads

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna; Guo, Jiusheng; Jang, Bor Z

    2014-11-11

    A method of producing nano-scaled graphene platelets (NGPs) having an average thickness no greater than 50 nm, typically less than 2 nm, and, in many cases, no greater than 1 nm. The method comprises (a) intercalating a supply of meso-carbon microbeads (MCMBs) to produce intercalated MCMBs; and (b) exfoliating the intercalated MCMBs at a temperature and a pressure for a sufficient period of time to produce the desired NGPs. Optionally, the exfoliated product may be subjected to a mechanical shearing treatment, such as air milling, air jet milling, ball milling, pressurized fluid milling, rotating-blade grinding, or ultrasonicating. The NGPs are excellent reinforcement fillers for a range of matrix materials to produce nanocomposites. Nano-scaled graphene platelets are much lower-cost alternatives to carbon nano-tubes or carbon nano-fibers.

  3. Fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing

    DOEpatents

    Bates, John B.

    2003-04-29

    Systems and methods are described for fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing. A method of forming a lithium cobalt oxide film includes depositing a film of lithium cobalt oxide on a substrate; rapidly heating the film of lithium cobalt oxide to a target temperature; and maintaining the film of lithium cobalt oxide at the target temperature for a target annealing time of at most, approximately 60 minutes. The systems and methods provide advantages because they require less time to implement and are, therefore less costly than previous techniques.

  4. Fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing

    DOEpatents

    Bates, John B.

    2002-01-01

    Systems and methods are described for fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing. A method of forming a lithium cobalt oxide film includes depositing a film of lithium cobalt oxide on a substrate; rapidly heating the film of lithium cobalt oxide to a target temperature; and maintaining the film of lithium cobalt oxide at the target temperature for a target annealing time of at most, approximately 60 minutes. The systems and methods provide advantages because they require less time to implement and are, therefore less costly than previous techniques.

  5. Fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing

    DOEpatents

    Bates, John B.

    2003-05-13

    Systems and methods are described for fabrication of highly textured lithium cobalt oxide films by rapid thermal annealing. A method of forming a lithium cobalt oxide film includes depositing a film of lithium cobalt oxide on a substrate; rapidly heating the film of lithium cobalt oxide to a target temperature; and maintaining the film of lithium cobalt oxide at the target temperature for a target annealing time of at most, approximately 60 minutes. The systems and methods provide advantages because they require less time to implement and are, therefore less costly than previous techniques.

  6. Adhesion and proliferation of OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells on micro- and nano-scale topography structured poly(L-lactide).

    PubMed

    Wan, Yuqing; Wang, Yong; Liu, Zhimin; Qu, Xue; Han, Buxing; Bei, Jianzhong; Wang, Shenguo

    2005-07-01

    The impact of the surface topography of polylactone-type polymer on cell adhesion was to be concerned because the micro-scale texture of a surface can provide a significant effect on the adhesion behavior of cells on the surface. Especially for the application of tissue engineering scaffold, the pore size could have an influence on cell in-growth and subsequent proliferation. Micro-fabrication technology was used to generate specific topography to investigate the relationship between the cells and surface. In this study the pits-patterned surfaces of polystyrene (PS) film with diameters 2.2 and 0.45 microm were prepared by phase-separation, and the corresponding scale islands-patterned PLLA surface was prepared by a molding technique using the pits-patterned PS as a template. The adhesion and proliferation behavior of OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells morphology on the pits- and islands-patterned surface were characterized by SEM observation, cell attachment efficiency measurement and MTT assay. The results showed that the cell adhesion could be enhanced on PLLA and PS surface with nano-scale and micro-scale roughness compared to the smooth surfaces of the PLLA and PS. The OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells could grow along the surface with two different size islands of PLLA and grow inside the micro-scale pits of the PS. However, the proliferation of cells on the micro- and nano-scale patterned surface has not been enhanced compared with the controlled smooth surface.

  7. Electronic-Reconstruction-Enhanced Tunneling Conductance at Terrace Edges of Ultrathin Oxide Films.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lingfei; Kim, Rokyeon; Kim, Yoonkoo; Kim, Choong H; Hwang, Sangwoon; Cho, Myung Rae; Shin, Yeong Jae; Das, Saikat; Kim, Jeong Rae; Kalinin, Sergei V; Kim, Miyoung; Yang, Sang Mo; Noh, Tae Won

    2017-11-01

    Quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons across ultrathin insulating oxide barriers has been studied extensively for decades due to its great potential in electronic-device applications. In the few-nanometers-thick epitaxial oxide films, atomic-scale structural imperfections, such as the ubiquitously existed one-unit-cell-high terrace edges, can dramatically affect the tunneling probability and device performance. However, the underlying physics has not been investigated adequately. Here, taking ultrathin BaTiO 3 films as a model system, an intrinsic tunneling-conductance enhancement is reported near the terrace edges. Scanning-probe-microscopy results demonstrate the existence of highly conductive regions (tens of nanometers wide) near the terrace edges. First-principles calculations suggest that the terrace-edge geometry can trigger an electronic reconstruction, which reduces the effective tunneling barrier width locally. Furthermore, such tunneling-conductance enhancement can be discovered in other transition metal oxides and controlled by surface-termination engineering. The controllable electronic reconstruction can facilitate the implementation of oxide electronic devices and discovery of exotic low-dimensional quantum phases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Microscopic vertical orientation of nano-interspaced graphene architectures in deposit films as electrodes for enhanced supercapacitor performance

    DOE PAGES

    Jang, Gyoung Gug; Song, Bo; Li, Liyi; ...

    2016-12-14

    This paper reported a novel two-step process to fabricate high-performance supercapacitor films that contain microscale domains of nano-interspaced, re-stacked graphene sheets oriented perpendicular to the surface of current collector substrate, i.e., carbon fiber paper. In the two-step process, we first used ligand molecules to modify the surface of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and manipulate the interspacing between the re-stacked GO sheets. The ligand-modified GOs, i.e., m-GOs, were then reduced to obtain more conductive graphene (m-rGO), where X-ray diffraction measurement results indicated well-controlled interlayer spacing between the restacked m-rGO sheets up to 1 nm. The typical lateral dimension of the restackedmore » m-rGO sheets were ~40 µm. Then, electrical field was introduced during m-rGO slurry deposition process to induce the vertical orientation of the m-rGO sheets/stacks in the film deposit. The direct current electrical field induced the orientation of the domains of m-rGO stacks along the direction perpendicular to the surface of deposit film, i.e., direction of electric field. Also, the applied electric field increased the interlayer spacing further, which should enhance the diffusion and accessibility of electrolyte ions. As compared with the traditionally deposited “control” films, the field-processed film deposits that contain oriented structure of graphene sheets/stacks have shown up to ~1.6 times higher values in capacitance (430 F/g at 0.5 A/g) and ~67% reduction in equivalent series resistance. Finally, the approach of using electric field to tailor the microscopic architecture of graphene-based deposit films is effective to fabricate film electrodes for high performance supercapacitors.« less

  9. Microscopic vertical orientation of nano-interspaced graphene architectures in deposit films as electrodes for enhanced supercapacitor performance

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

    Jang, Gyoung Gug; Song, Bo; Li, Liyi

    This paper reported a novel two-step process to fabricate high-performance supercapacitor films that contain microscale domains of nano-interspaced, re-stacked graphene sheets oriented perpendicular to the surface of current collector substrate, i.e., carbon fiber paper. In the two-step process, we first used ligand molecules to modify the surface of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and manipulate the interspacing between the re-stacked GO sheets. The ligand-modified GOs, i.e., m-GOs, were then reduced to obtain more conductive graphene (m-rGO), where X-ray diffraction measurement results indicated well-controlled interlayer spacing between the restacked m-rGO sheets up to 1 nm. The typical lateral dimension of the restackedmore » m-rGO sheets were ~40 µm. Then, electrical field was introduced during m-rGO slurry deposition process to induce the vertical orientation of the m-rGO sheets/stacks in the film deposit. The direct current electrical field induced the orientation of the domains of m-rGO stacks along the direction perpendicular to the surface of deposit film, i.e., direction of electric field. Also, the applied electric field increased the interlayer spacing further, which should enhance the diffusion and accessibility of electrolyte ions. As compared with the traditionally deposited “control” films, the field-processed film deposits that contain oriented structure of graphene sheets/stacks have shown up to ~1.6 times higher values in capacitance (430 F/g at 0.5 A/g) and ~67% reduction in equivalent series resistance. Finally, the approach of using electric field to tailor the microscopic architecture of graphene-based deposit films is effective to fabricate film electrodes for high performance supercapacitors.« less

  10. Nanostructured magnesium oxide biosensing platform for cholera detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patel, Manoj K.; Azahar Ali, Md.; Agrawal, Ved V.; Ansari, Z. A.; Ansari, S. G.; Malhotra, B. D.

    2013-04-01

    We report fabrication of highly crystalline nanostructured magnesium oxide (NanoMgO, size >30 nm) film electrophoretically deposited onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrate for Vibrio cholerae detection. The single stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) probe, consisting of 23 bases (O1 gene sequence) immobilized onto NanoMgO/ITO electrode surface, has been characterized using electrochemical, Fourier Transform-Infra Red, and UltraViolet-visible spectroscopic techniques. The hybridization studies of ssDNA/NanoMgO/ITO bioelectrode with fragmented target DNA conducted using differential pulse voltammetry reveal sensitivity as 16.80 nA/ng/cm2, response time of 3 s, linearity as 100-500 ng/μL, and stability of about 120 days.

  11. Thickness scaling of atomic-layer-deposited HfO2 films and their application to wafer-scale graphene tunnelling transistors

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Seong-Jun; Gu, Yeahyun; Heo, Jinseong; Yang, Jaehyun; Lee, Chang-Seok; Lee, Min-Hyun; Lee, Yunseong; Kim, Hyoungsub; Park, Seongjun; Hwang, Sungwoo

    2016-01-01

    The downscaling of the capacitance equivalent oxide thickness (CET) of a gate dielectric film with a high dielectric constant, such as atomic layer deposited (ALD) HfO2, is a fundamental challenge in achieving high-performance graphene-based transistors with a low gate leakage current. Here, we assess the application of various surface modification methods on monolayer graphene sheets grown by chemical vapour deposition to obtain a uniform and pinhole-free ALD HfO2 film with a substantially small CET at a wafer scale. The effects of various surface modifications, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone treatment and introduction of sputtered ZnO and e-beam-evaporated Hf seed layers on monolayer graphene, and the subsequent HfO2 film formation under identical ALD process parameters were systematically evaluated. The nucleation layer provided by the Hf seed layer (which transforms to the HfO2 layer during ALD) resulted in the uniform and conformal deposition of the HfO2 film without damaging the graphene, which is suitable for downscaling the CET. After verifying the feasibility of scaling down the HfO2 thickness to achieve a CET of ~1.5 nm from an array of top-gated metal-oxide-graphene field-effect transistors, we fabricated graphene heterojunction tunnelling transistors with a record-low subthreshold swing value of <60 mV/dec on an 8″ glass wafer. PMID:26861833

  12. Polymer-assisted aqueous deposition of metal oxide films

    DOEpatents

    Li, DeQuan [Los Alamos, NM; Jia, Quanxi [Los Alamos, NM

    2003-07-08

    An organic solvent-free process for deposition of metal oxide thin films is presented. The process includes aqueous solutions of necessary metal precursors and an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer. After a coating operation, the resultant coating is fired at high temperatures to yield optical quality metal oxide thin films.

  13. Template-guided highly aligned, nano-scale wrinkle structure on a large-area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Jongcheon; Kim, Pilnam

    This study presents a novel technique to induce aligned, nano-scale wrinkle on a polysiloxane-based UV curable resin. There have been studies on generating randomized sub-micron wrinkle using oxygen plasma treatment which causes equibiaxial compressive stress on the film surface. Few works have been reported on how to control the surface wrinkle orientation. Currently available approaches for regulating the wrinkle pattern typically require polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based bilayer system under uniaxial stress condition which hampers various technological applications. Here, we demonstrate a method to generate aligned wrinkle with UV curable polymers. Highly regular array of nanoscale wrinkles were formed by elastic buckling of bilayered UV curable resin, resulting from a combination of confinement effect and anchor-guided propagation of structure. The wrinkle tends to align uniformly lateral to the template pattern as the resin filled in the pattern forms more convex meniscus. The wavelength of the wrinkle was controlled by UV exposure time yielding as small as 170nm. From our results, we suggest the confinement provided by the template pattern may have affected the direction of thin film's expansion yielding unidirectional compressive stress. This work was supported by Samsung Research Funding Center of Samsung Electronics under Project Number SRFC-IT1402-02.

  14. Prevention of arterial graft spasm in rats using a vasodilator-eluting biodegradable nano-scaled fibre†

    PubMed Central

    Yagami, Kei; Yamawaki-Ogata, Aika; Satake, Makoto; Kaneko, Hiroaki; Oshima, Hideki; Usui, Akihiko; Ueda, Yuichi; Narita, Yuji

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVES Arterial graft spasm occasionally causes circulatory collapse immediately following coronary artery bypass graft. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of our developed materials, which were composed of milrinone (phosphodiesterase III inhibitor) or diltiazem (calcium-channel blocker), with nano-scaled fibre made of biodegradable polymer to prevent arterial spasm. METHODS Milrinone- or diltiazem-releasing biodegradable nano-scaled fibres were fabricated by an electrospinning procedure. In vivo milrinone- or diltiazem-releasing tests were performed to confirm the sustained release of the drugs. An in vivo arterial spasm model was established by subcutaneous injection of noradrenalin around the rat femoral artery. Rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows: those that received 5 mg of milrinone-releasing biodegradable nano-scaled fibre (group M, n = 14); 5 mg of diltiazem-releasing biodegradable nano-scaled fibre (group D, n = 12); or those that received fibre without drugs (as a control; group C, n = 14) implanted into the rat femoral artery. In the fourth group, sham operation was performed (group S, n = 10). One day after the implantation, noradrenalin was injected in all groups. The femoral arterial blood flow was measured continuously before and after noradrenalin injection. The maximum blood flow before noradrenalin injection and minimum blood flow after noradrenalin injection were measured. RESULTS In vivo drug-releasing test revealed that milrinone-releasing biodegradable nano-scaled fibre released 78% of milrinone and diltiazem-releasing biodegradable nano-scaled fibre released 50% diltiazem on the first day. The ratios of rat femoral artery blood flow after/before noradrenalin injection in groups M (0.74 ± 0.16) and D (0.72 ± 0.05) were significantly higher than those of groups C (0.54 ± 0.09) and S (0.55 ± 0.16) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Noradrenalin-induced rat femoral artery spasm was inhibited by the implantation of

  15. Development of Novel Magnetic Metal Oxide Films and Carbon Nanotube Materials for Magnetic Device Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-23

    From these studies we learned that nano wires of Fe grown in the lumens of multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( MWCNTs ) required four times higher 35...studies we learned that nano wires of Fe grown in the lumens of multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( MWCNTs ) required four times higher magnetic field...properties of nano-metric Fe thin films on 325 MgO(100) and nano wires of Fe prepared in the lumens of MWCNTs using magnetron DC-sputtering were studied

  16. Binary metal oxide nanoparticle incorporated composite multilayer thin films for sono-photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gokul, Paramasivam; Vinoth, Ramalingam; Neppolian, Bernaurdshaw; Anandhakumar, Sundaramurthy

    2017-10-01

    We report reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported binary metal oxide (CuO-TiO2/rGO) nanoparticle (NP) incorporated multilayer thin films based on Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly for enhanced sono-photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under exposure to UV radiation. Multilayer thin films were fabricated on glass and quartz slides, and investigated using scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The loading of catalyst NPs on the film resulted in the change of morphology of the film from smooth to rough with uniformly distributed NPs on the surface. The growth of the control and NP incorporated films followed a linear regime as a function of number of layers. The%degradation of methyl orange as a function of time was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. Complete degradation of methyl orange was achieved within 13 h. The amount of NP loading in the film significantly influenced the%degradation of methyl orange. Catalyst reusability studies revealed that the catalyst thin films could be repeatedly used for up to five times without any change in photocatalytic activity of the films. The findings of the present study support that the binary metal oxide catalyst films reported here are very useful for continuous systems, and thus, making it an option for scale up.

  17. Quantum-relativistic velocities in nano-transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di Sia, Paolo

    2018-07-01

    In this paper I present an interesting analysis focused on the hypothesis of relativistic velocities and quantum aspects inside a nanostructure. A new analytical model is considered, able to well describe the conductors in nanostructured form. Considering appropriate scattering times, it is possible to mimic the infrared properties of oxides and semiconductors in the nano-form. The new presented result concerns the analytical form of the quantum-relativistic velocities correlation function, and how it works with experimental data of carbon nanotube films.

  18. Green chemistry synthesis of nano-cuprous oxide.

    PubMed

    Ceja-Romero, L R; Ortega-Arroyo, L; Ortega Rueda de León, J M; López-Andrade, X; Narayanan, J; Aguilar-Méndez, M A; Castaño, V M

    2016-04-01

    Green chemistry and a central composite design, to evaluate the effect of reducing agent, temperature and pH of the reaction, were employed to produce controlled cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles. Response surface method of the ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is allowed to determine the most relevant factors for the size distribution of the nanoCu2O. X-ray diffraction reflections correspond to a cubic structure, with sizes from 31.9 to 104.3 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the different shapes depend strongly on the conditions of the green synthesis.

  19. Developments of the Physical and Electrical Properties of NiCr and NiCrSi Single-Layer and Bi-Layer Nano-Scale Thin-Film Resistors.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Huan-Yi; Chen, Ying-Chung; Li, Chi-Lun; Li, Pei-Jou; Houng, Mau-Phon; Yang, Cheng-Fu

    2016-02-25

    In this study, commercial-grade NiCr (80 wt % Ni, 20 wt % Cr) and NiCrSi (55 wt % Ni, 40 wt % Cr, 5 wt % Si) were used as targets and the sputtering method was used to deposit NiCr and NiCrSi thin films on Al₂O₃ and Si substrates at room temperature under different deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films were amorphous phase, and the field-effect scanning electronic microscope observations showed that only nano-crystalline grains were revealed on the surfaces of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films. The log (resistivity) values of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin-film resistors decreased approximately linearly as their thicknesses increased. We found that the value of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR value) of the NiCr thin-film resistors was positive and that of the NiCrSi thin-film resistors was negative. To investigate these thin-film resistors with a low TCR value, we designed a novel bi-layer structure to fabricate the thin-film resistors via two different stacking methods. The bi-layer structures were created by depositing NiCr for 10 min as the upper (or lower) layer and depositing NiCrSi for 10, 30, or 60 min as the lower (or upper) layer. We aim to show that the stacking method had no apparent effect on the resistivity of the NiCr-NiCrSi bi-layer thin-film resistors but had large effect on the TCR value.

  20. The Optical Properties of Thin Film Reduced Graphene Oxide/Poly (3,4 Ethylenedioxtriophene):Poly (Styrene Sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) Fabricated by Spin Coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rokmana, Arinta W.; Asriani, A.; Suhendar, H.; Triyana, K.; Kusumaatmaja, A.; Santoso, I.

    2018-04-01

    Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) has been successfully synthesized from Graphite powder through chemical process using modified Hummers method by removing NaNO3 from reaction formula. Hydrazine hydrate 80 wt% has been chosen as reductor to eliminate the epoxy group in GO. FTIR and Uv-Vis spectroscopy result showed that Graphene Oxide (GO) and rGO were formed. Our produced rGO then used to fabricated the composite thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS by spin coating at room temperature. The optical constant of thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS were calculated from the absorbance spectrum of Uv-Visible spectra. The result showed that the value of coefficient absorbance of rGO dropped from 4.7×106 m-1 to 1.3×106 m-1 after doped with 0.02 mL PEDOT:PSS, then increase with the addition volume concentration of PEDOT:PSS. The value of extinction coefficient decrease from 0.31 to 0.08 after rGO doped with 0.02 ml PEDOT:PSS and then increase with the addition concentration of PEDOT:PSS. Our result show that thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS was more transparent than that of thin film rGO.

  1. 3D Oxidized Graphene Frameworks for Efficient Nano Sieving

    PubMed Central

    Pawar, Pranav Bhagwan; Saxena, Sumit; Badhe, Dhanashree Kamlesh; Chaudhary, Raghvendra Pratap; Shukla, Shobha

    2016-01-01

    The small size of Na+ and Cl− ions provides a bottleneck in desalination and is a challenge in providing alternatives for continuously depleting fresh water resources. Graphene by virtue of its structural properties has the potential to address this issue. Studies have indicated that use of monolayer graphene can be used to filter micro volumes of saline solution. Unfortunately it is extremely difficult, resource intensive and almost impractical with current technology to fabricate operational devices using mono-layered graphene. Nevertheless, graphene based devices still hold the key to solve this problem due to its nano-sieving ability. Here we report synthesis of oxidized graphene frameworks and demonstrate a functional device to desalinate and purify seawater from contaminants including Na+ and Cl− ions, dyes and other microbial pollutants. Micro-channels in these frameworks help in immobilizing larger suspended solids including bacteria, while nano-sieving through graphene enables the removal of dissolved ions (e.g. Cl−). Nano-sieving incorporated with larger frameworks has been used in filtering Na+ and Cl− ions in functional devices. PMID:26892277

  2. Nanostructured zinc oxide platform for mycotoxin detection.

    PubMed

    Ansari, Anees A; Kaushik, Ajeet; Solanki, Pratima R; Malhotra, B D

    2010-02-01

    Nanostructured zinc oxide (Nano-ZnO) film has been deposited onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass plate for co-immobilization of rabbit-immunoglubin antibodies (r-IgGs) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) for ochratoxin-A (OTA) detection. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies reveal the formation of Nano-ZnO with average particle size as ~5.0nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques have been used to characterize Nano-ZnO/ITO electrode and BSA/r-IgGs/Nano-ZnO/ITO immunoelectrode. Electrochemical impedimetric response of BSA/r-IgGs/Nano-ZnO/ITO immunoelectrode obtained as a function of OTA concentration exhibits linearity as 0.006-0.01nM/dm(3), detection limit of 0.006nM/dm(3), response time as 25s and sensitivity of 189Omega/nM/dm(3)cm(-2) with a regression coefficient of 0.997. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Spatially resolved variations in reflectivity across iron oxide thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelley, Chris S.; Thompson, Sarah M.; Gilks, Daniel; Sizeland, James; Lari, Leonardo; Lazarov, Vlado K.; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; LeFrançois, Stéphane; Cinque, Gianfelice; Dumas, Paul

    2017-11-01

    The spin polarising properties of the iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4) make it attractive for use in spintronic devices, but its sensitivity to compositional and structural variations make it challenging to prepare reliably. Infrared microspectroscopy and modelling are used to determine the spatial variation in the chemical composition of three thin films of iron oxide; one prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), one by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) deposition of iron whilst simultaneously flowing oxygen into the chamber and one by flowing oxygen only once deposition is complete. The technique is easily able to distinguish between films which contain metallic iron and different iron oxide phases as well as spatial variations in composition across the films. The film grown by post-oxidising iron is spatially uniform but not fully oxidised, the film grown by simultaneously oxidising iron showed spatial variation in oxide composition while the film grown by PLD was spatially uniform magnetite.

  4. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method of forming vanadium oxide films and vanadium oxide thin-films prepared thereby

    DOEpatents

    Zhang, Ji-Guang; Tracy, C. Edwin; Benson, David K.; Turner, John A.; Liu, Ping

    2000-01-01

    A method is disclosed of forming a vanadium oxide film on a substrate utilizing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The method includes positioning a substrate within a plasma reaction chamber and then forming a precursor gas comprised of a vanadium-containing chloride gas in an inert carrier gas. This precursor gas is then mixed with selected amounts of hydrogen and oxygen and directed into the reaction chamber. The amounts of precursor gas, oxygen and hydrogen are selected to optimize the final properties of the vanadium oxide film An rf plasma is generated within the reaction chamber to chemically react the precursor gas with the hydrogen and the oxygen to cause deposition of a vanadium oxide film on the substrate while the chamber deposition pressure is maintained at about one torr or less. Finally, the byproduct gases are removed from the plasma reaction chamber.

  5. Electro-mechanical coupling of semiconductor film grown on stainless steel by oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, M. C.; Wang, G.; Guo, L. Q.; Qiao, L. J.; Volinsky, Alex A.

    2013-09-01

    Electro-mechanical coupling phenomenon in oxidation film on stainless steel has been discovered by using current-sensing atomic force microscopy, along with the I-V curves measurements. The oxidation films exhibit either ohmic, n-type, or p-type semiconductor properties, according to the obtained I-V curves. This technique allows characterizing oxidation films with high spatial resolution. Semiconductor properties of oxidation films must be considered as additional stress corrosion cracking mechanisms.

  6. β-NMR measurements of molecular-scale lithium-ion dynamics in poly(ethylene oxide)-lithium-salt thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKenzie, Iain; Cortie, David L.; Harada, Masashi; Kiefl, Robert F.; Levy, C. D. Philip; MacFarlane, W. Andrew; McFadden, Ryan M. L.; Morris, Gerald D.; Ogata, Shin-Ichi; Pearson, Matthew R.; Sugiyama, Jun

    2017-06-01

    β -detected NMR (β -NMR) has been used to study the molecular-scale dynamics of lithium ions in thin films of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) containing either lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) or lithium trifluoroacetate (LiTFA) salts at monomer-to-salt ratios (EO/Li) of 8.3. The results are compared with previous β -NMR measurements on pure PEO and PEO with lithium triflate (LiOTf) at the same loading [McKenzie et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 7833 (2014)]. Activated hopping of 8Li+ was observed in all of the films above ˜250 K, with the hopping parameters strongly correlated with the ionicity of the lithium salt rather than the polymer glass transition temperature. The pre-exponential factor increases exponentially with ionicity, while the activation energy for hopping increases approximately linearly, going from 6.3 ±0.2 kJ mol-1 in PEO:LiTFA to 17.8 ±0.2 kJ mol-1 in PEO:LiTFSI. The more rapid increase in the pre-exponential factor outweighs the effect of the larger activation energy and results in 8Li+ hopping being fastest in PEO followed by PEO:LiTFSI, PEO:LiOTf, and PEO:LiTFA.

  7. β-NMR measurements of molecular-scale lithium-ion dynamics in poly(ethylene oxide)-lithium-salt thin films.

    PubMed

    McKenzie, Iain; Cortie, David L; Harada, Masashi; Kiefl, Robert F; Levy, C D Philip; MacFarlane, W Andrew; McFadden, Ryan M L; Morris, Gerald D; Ogata, Shin-Ichi; Pearson, Matthew R; Sugiyama, Jun

    2017-06-28

    β-detected NMR (β-NMR) has been used to study the molecular-scale dynamics of lithium ions in thin films of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) containing either lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) or lithium trifluoroacetate (LiTFA) salts at monomer-to-salt ratios (EO/Li) of 8.3. The results are compared with previous β-NMR measurements on pure PEO and PEO with lithium triflate (LiOTf) at the same loading [McKenzie et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 7833 (2014)]. Activated hopping of 8 Li + was observed in all of the films above ∼250 K, with the hopping parameters strongly correlated with the ionicity of the lithium salt rather than the polymer glass transition temperature. The pre-exponential factor increases exponentially with ionicity, while the activation energy for hopping increases approximately linearly, going from 6.3±0.2 kJ mol -1 in PEO:LiTFA to 17.8±0.2 kJ mol -1 in PEO:LiTFSI. The more rapid increase in the pre-exponential factor outweighs the effect of the larger activation energy and results in 8 Li + hopping being fastest in PEO followed by PEO:LiTFSI, PEO:LiOTf, and PEO:LiTFA.

  8. Mechanochemical mechanism for reaction of aluminium nano- and micrometre-scale particles.

    PubMed

    Levitas, Valery I

    2013-11-28

    A recently suggested melt-dispersion mechanism (MDM) for fast reaction of aluminium (Al) nano- and a few micrometre-scale particles during fast heating is reviewed. Volume expansion of 6% during Al melting produces pressure of several GPa in a core and tensile hoop stresses of 10 GPa in an oxide shell. Such stresses cause dynamic fracture and spallation of the shell. After spallation, an unloading wave propagates to the centre of the particle and creates a tensile pressure of 3-8 GPa. Such a tensile pressure exceeds the cavitation strength of liquid Al and disperses the melt into small, bare clusters (fragments) that fly at a high velocity. Reaction of the clusters is not limited by diffusion through a pre-existing oxide shell. Some theoretical and experimental results related to the MDM are presented. Various theoretical predictions based on the MDM are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experiments, which resolves some basic puzzles in combustion of Al particles. Methods to control and improve reactivity of Al particles are formulated, which are exactly opposite to the current trends based on diffusion mechanism. Some of these suggestions have experimental confirmation.

  9. Micro-nano zinc oxide film fabricated by biomimetic mineralization: Designed architectures for SERS substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Fei; Guo, Yue; Wang, Yunxin; Song, Wei; Zhao, Bing

    2018-05-01

    In this study, we have investigated the effect of the surface morphologies of the zinc oxide (ZnO) substrates on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). During synthetic process, the self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) with different terminal groups are used as templates to induce the nucleation and growth of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O crystals, then different morphologies micro-nano ZnO powders are obtained by annealing Zn(NO3)2·6H2O crystals at 450 °C. The products obtained at different conditions are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectra. The as-prepared ZnO micro-sized particles have been used the efficient Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, and the SERS signals of 4-mercaptopyridine (Mpy) probe molecules are much influenced by the morphologies of the ZnO structures. Results indicated that the more (0001) facets appear in the of ZnO morphology, the greater degree of charge-transfer (PCT) for the SERS enhancement on the surface of semiconductors is achieved. The chemical interaction between ZnO structures and Mpy molecules plays a very important role in the SERS enhancement.

  10. Assessing the fate and effects of nano aluminum oxide in the terrestrial earthworm, Eisenia fetida.

    PubMed

    Coleman, Jessica G; Johnson, David R; Stanley, Jacob K; Bednar, Anthony J; Weiss, Charles A; Boyd, Robert E; Steevens, Jeffery A

    2010-07-01

    Nano-sized aluminum is currently being used by the military and commercial industries in many applications including coatings, thermites, and propellants. Due to the potential for wide dispersal in soil systems, we chose to investigate the fate and effects of nano-sized aluminum oxide (Al2O3), the oxidized form of nano aluminum, in a terrestrial organism. The toxicity and bioaccumulation potential of micron-sized (50-200 microm, nominal) and nano-sized (11 nm, nominal) Al2O3 was comparatively assessed through acute and subchronic bioassays using the terrestrial earthworm, Eisenia fetida. Subchronic (28-d) studies were performed exposing E. fetida to nano- and micron-sized Al2O3-spiked soils to assess the effects of long-term exposure. No mortality occurred in subchronic exposures, although reproduction decreased at >or=3,000 mg/kg nano-sized Al2O3 treatments, with higher aluminum body burdens observed at 100 and 300 mg/kg; no reproductive effects were observed in the micron-sized Al2O3 treatments. In addition to toxicity and bioaccumulation bioassays, an acute (48-h) behavioral bioassay was conducted utilizing a soil avoidance wheel in which E. fetida were given a choice of habitat between control, nano-, or micron-sized Al2O3 amended soils. In the soil avoidance bioassays, E. fetida exhibited avoidance behavior toward the highest concentrations of micron- and nano-sized Al2O3 (>5,000 mg/kg) relative to control soils. Results of the present study indicate that nano-sized Al2O3 may impact reproduction and behavior of E. fetida, although at high levels unlikely to be found in the environment. Copyright (c) 2010 SETAC.

  11. Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Computational Physics Talk: Understanding Nano-scale Electronic Systems via Large-scale Computation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Chao

    2009-03-01

    Nano-scale physical phenomena and processes, especially those in electronics, have drawn great attention in the past decade. Experiments have shown that electronic and transport properties of functionalized carbon nanotubes are sensitive to adsorption of gas molecules such as H2, NO2, and NH3. Similar measurements have also been performed to study adsorption of proteins on other semiconductor nano-wires. These experiments suggest that nano-scale systems can be useful for making future chemical and biological sensors. Aiming to understand the physical mechanisms underlying and governing property changes at nano-scale, we start off by investigating, via first-principles method, the electronic structure of Pd-CNT before and after hydrogen adsorption, and continue with coherent electronic transport using non-equilibrium Green’s function techniques combined with density functional theory. Once our results are fully analyzed they can be used to interpret and understand experimental data, with a few difficult issues to be addressed. Finally, we discuss a newly developed multi-scale computing architecture, OPAL, that coordinates simultaneous execution of multiple codes. Inspired by the capabilities of this computing framework, we present a scenario of future modeling and simulation of multi-scale, multi-physical processes.

  12. Fabrication and mechanical evaluation of hydroxyapatite/oxide nano-composite materials.

    PubMed

    Mohamed, Khaled R; Beherei, Hanan H; El Bassyouni, Gehan T; El Mahallawy, Nahed

    2013-10-01

    In the current study, the semiconducting metal oxides such as nano-ZnO and SiO2 powders were prepared via sol-gel technique and conducted on nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) which was synthesized by chemical precipitation. The properties of fabricated nano-structured composites containing different ratios of HA, ZnO and SiO2 were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The effect of the variation of ratios between the three components on mechanical, microstructure and in-vitro properties was assessed to explore the possibility of enhancing these properties. The results proved that the mechanical properties exhibited an increment with increasing the ZnO content at the extent of HA. In-vitro study proved the formation and nucleation of apatite onto the surface of the fabricated composites after one week of immersion. It is concluded that HA composites containing SiO2 or SiO2/ZnO content had a suitable mechanical properties and ability to form apatite particles onto the composite surface. Based on bioactivity behavior, Si-HA is more bioactive than pure hydroxyapatite and nano-arrangements will provide an interface for better bone formation. Therefore, these nano-composites will be promising as bone substitutes especially in load bearing sites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. High quality oxide films on substrates

    DOEpatents

    Ruckman, Mark W.; Strongin, Myron; Gao, Yong L.

    1994-01-01

    A method for providing an oxide film of a material on the surface of a substrate using a reactive deposition of the material onto the substrate surface in the presence of a solid or liquid layer of an oxidizing gas. The oxidizing gas is provided on the substrate surface in an amount sufficient to dissipate the latent heat of condensation occurring during deposition as well as creating a favorable oxidizing environment for the material.

  14. Flexoelectricity in barium strontium titanate thin film

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

    Kwon, Seol Ryung; Huang, Wenbin; Yuan, Fuh-Gwo

    2014-10-06

    Flexoelectricity, the linear coupling between the strain gradient and the induced electric polarization, has been intensively studied as an alternative to piezoelectricity. Especially, it is of interest to develop flexoelectric devices on micro/nano scales due to the inherent scaling effect of flexoelectric effect. Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} thin film with a thickness of 130 nm was fabricated on a silicon wafer using a RF magnetron sputtering process. The flexoelectric coefficients of the prepared thin films were determined experimentally. It was revealed that the thin films possessed a transverse flexoelectric coefficient of 24.5 μC/m at Curie temperature (∼28 °C) and 17.44 μC/m at 41 °C. Themore » measured flexoelectric coefficients are comparable to that of bulk BST ceramics, which are reported to be 10–100 μC/m. This result suggests that the flexoelectric thin film structures can be effectively used for micro/nano-sensing devices.« less

  15. Bandgap-Engineered Zinc-Tin-Oxide Thin Films for Ultraviolet Sensors.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Tien-Hung; Chang, Sheng-Po; Chang, Shoou-Jinn

    2018-07-01

    Zinc-tin-oxide thin-film transistors were prepared by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering, while an identical zinc-tin-oxide thin film was deposited simultaneously on a clear glass substrate to facilitate measurements of the optical properties. When we adjusted the deposition power of ZnO and SnO2, the bandgap of the amorphous thin film was dominated by the deposition power of SnO2. Since the thin-film transistor has obvious absorption in the ultraviolet region owing to the wide bandgap, the drain current increases with the generation of electron-hole pairs. As part of these investigations, a zinc-tin-oxide thin-film transistor has been fabricated that appears to be very promising for ultraviolet applications.

  16. Structural, electronic structure and antibacterial properties of graphene-oxide nano-sheets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Aditya; Varshney, Mayora; Nanda, Sitansu Sekhar; Shin, Hyun Joon; Kim, Namdong; Yi, Dong Kee; Chae, Keun-Hwa; Ok Won, Sung

    2018-04-01

    Correlation between the structural/electronic structure properties and bio-activity of graphene-based materials need to be thoroughly evaluated before their commercial implementation in the health and environment precincts. To better investigate the local hybridization of sp2/sp3 orbitals of the functional groups of graphene-oxide (GO) and their execution in the antimicrobial mechanism, we exemplify the antibacterial activity of GO sheets towards the Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) by applying the field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) techniques. C K-edge and O K-edge NEXAFS spectra have revealed lesser sp2 carbon atoms in the aromatic ring and attachment of functional oxygen groups at GO sheets. Entrapment of E. coli bacteria by GO sheets is evidenced by FESEM investigations and has also been corroborated by nano-scale imaging of bacteria using the STXM. Spectroscopy evidence of functional oxygen moieties with GO sheets and physiochemical entrapment of E. coli bacteria have assisted us to elaborate the mechanism of cellular oxidative stress-induced disruption of bacterial membrane.

  17. Formation and metrology of dual scale nano-morphology on SF(6) plasma etched silicon surfaces.

    PubMed

    Boulousis, G; Constantoudis, V; Kokkoris, G; Gogolides, E

    2008-06-25

    Surface roughness and nano-morphology in SF(6) plasma etched silicon substrates are investigated in a helicon type plasma reactor as a function of etching time and process parameters. The plasma etched surfaces are analyzed by atomic force microscopy. It is found that dual scale nano-roughness is formatted on the silicon surface comprising an underlying nano-roughness and superimposed nano-mounds. Detailed metrological quantification is proposed for the characterization of dual scale surface morphology. As etching proceeds, the mounds become higher, fewer and wider, and the underlying nano-roughness also increases. Increase in wafer temperature leads to smoother surfaces with lower, fewer and wider nano-mounds. A mechanism based on the deposition of etch inhibiting particles during the etching process is proposed for the explanation of the experimental behavior. In addition, appropriately designed experiments are conducted, and they confirm the presence of this mechanism.

  18. Micro-scale patterning of indium tin oxide film by spatially modulated pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jinsoo; Kim, Seongsu; Lee, Myeongkyu

    2012-09-01

    Here we demonstrate that indium tin oxide (ITO) films deposited on glass can be directly patterned by a spatially -modulated pulsed Nd-YAG laser beam (wavelength = 1064 nm, pulse width = 6 ns) incident onto the film. This method utilizes a pulsed laser-induced thermo-elastic force exerting on the film which plays a role to detach it from the substrate. Sharp-edged clean patterns with feature size as small as 4 μm could be obtained. The threshold pulse energy density for patterning was estimated to be ˜0.8 J/cm2 for 150 nm-thick ITO film, making it possible to pattern over one square centimeter by a single pulse with energy of 850 mJ. Not only being free from photoresist and chemical etching steps, the presented method can also provide much higher throughput than the tradition photoablation process utilizing a tightly focused beam.

  19. Magnetization enhancement due to incorporation of non-magnetic nitrogen content in (Co{sub 84}Zr{sub 16})N{sub x} nano-composite films

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

    Singh, Jitendra, E-mail: jitendra@ceeri.ernet.in; Akhtar, Jamil; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi 110001

    We report the magnetic, electronic, and structural properties of nano-composite (Co{sub 84}Zr{sub 16})N{sub x} or CZN films prepared by reactive co-sputter deposition method. As-deposited CZN films have shown enhancement in magnetization (M{sub s}) with incorporation of nitrogen content, which is related to the evolution of nano-composite phase. X-ray diffraction study has confirmed poly-crystalline growth of CZN films with fcc(331) and fcc(422) phases. High-resolution transmission electron microscope study reveals that CZN films are composed of ordered and crystalline ferromagnetic Co nano-clusters, which are embedded in the nano-composite matrix. Photoemission measurements show the change in the intensity near the Fermi level mostmore » likely due to defects and shift in the core-levels binding energy with nitrogen concentration. Raman spectroscopy data show an increase in the intensity of the Raman lines with nitrogen concentration upto 20%. However, the intensity is significantly lower for 30% sample. This indicates that less nitrogen or defect states are being substituted into the lattice above 20% and is consistent with the observed magnetic behavior. Our studies indicate that defects induced due to the incorporation of non-magnetic nitrogen content play a key role to enhance the magnetization.« less

  20. Chemical Dynamics of nano-Aluminum and Iodine Based Oxidizers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Little, Brian; Ridge, Claron; Overdeep, Kyle; Slizewski, Dylan; Lindsay, Michael

    2017-06-01

    As observed in previous studies of nanoenergetic powder composites, micro/nano-structural features such as particle morphology and/or reactant spatial distance are expected to strongly influence properties that govern the combustion behavior of energetic materials (EM). In this study, highly reactive composites containing crystalline iodine (V) oxide or iodate salts with nano-sized aluminum (nAl) were blended by two different processing techniques and then collected as a powder for characterization. Physiochemical techniques such as thermal gravimetric analysis, calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, high speed photography, pressure profile analysis, temperature programmed reactions, and spectroscopy were employed to characterize these EM with emphasis on correlating the chemical reactivity with inherent structural features and variations in stoichiometry. This work is a continuation of efforts to probe the chemical dynamics of nAl-iodine based composites.

  1. Periodic oxidation for fabricating titanium oxynitride thin films via atomic layer deposition

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

    Iwashita, Shinya, E-mail: shinya.iwashita@tel.com; Aoyama, Shintaro; Nasu, Masayuki

    2016-01-15

    This paper demonstrates thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) combined with periodic oxidation for synthesizing titanium oxynitride (TiON) thin films. The process used a typical ALD reactor for the synthesis of titanium nitride (TiN) films wherein oxygen was supplied periodically between the ALD-TiN cycles. The great advantage of the process proposed here was that it allowed the TiN films to be oxidized efficiently. Also, a uniform depth profile of the oxygen concentration in the films could be obtained by tuning the oxidation conditions, allowing the process to produce a wide variety of TiON films. The resistivity measurement is a convenient methodmore » to confirm the reproducibility of metal film fabrication but may not be applicable for TiON films depending upon the oxidation condition because the films can easily turn into insulators when subjected to periodic oxidation. Therefore, an alternative reproducibility confirmation method was required. In this study, spectroscopic ellipsometry was applied to monitor the variation of TiON films and was able to detect changes in film structures such as conductor–insulator transitions in the TiON films.« less

  2. The role of polymer films on the oxidation of magnetite nanoparticles

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

    Letti, C.J.; Paterno, L.G.; Pereira-da-Silva, M.A.

    2017-02-15

    A detailed investigation about the role of polymer films on the oxidation process of magnetite nanoparticles (∼7 nm diameter), under laser irradiation is performed employing micro Raman spectroscopy. To support this investigation, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np are synthesized by the co-precipitation method and assembled layer-by-layer with sodium sulfonated polystyrene (PSS). Polymer films (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np/PSS){sub n} with n=2,3,5,7,10 and 25 bilayers are employed as a model system to study the oxidation process under laser irradiation. Raman data are further processed by principal component analysis. Our findings suggest that PSS protects Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np from oxidation when compared to powder samples, evenmore » for the sample with the greater number of bilayers. Further, the oxidation of magnetite to maghemite occurs preferably for thinner films up to 7 bilayers, while the onset for the formation of the hematite phase depends on the laser intensity for thicker films. Water takes part on the oxidation processes of magnetite, the oxidation/phase transformation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np is intensified in films with more bilayers, since more water is included in those films. Encapsulation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np by PSS in layer-by-layer films showed to be very efficient to avoid the oxidation process in nanosized magnetite. - Graphical abstract: Encapsulation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np by PSS in layer-by-layer films avoids the oxidation and phase transformation of nanosized magnetite. - Highlights: • (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np/PSS){sub n} nanofilms, with n=2 up to 25, where layer-by-layer assembled. • The influence of film architecture on the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np oxidation was investigated through Raman spectroscopy. • Encapsulation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np by PSS showed to be very efficient to avoid the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-np oxidation.« less

  3. High quality oxide films on substrates

    DOEpatents

    Ruckman, M.W.; Strongin, M.; Gao, Y.L.

    1994-02-01

    A method is described for providing an oxide film of a material on the surface of a substrate using a reactive deposition of the material onto the substrate surface in the presence of a solid or liquid layer of an oxidizing gas. The oxidizing gas is provided on the substrate surface in an amount sufficient to dissipate the latent heat of condensation occurring during deposition as well as creating a favorable oxidizing environment for the material. 4 figures.

  4. Developments of the Physical and Electrical Properties of NiCr and NiCrSi Single-Layer and Bi-Layer Nano-Scale Thin-Film Resistors

    PubMed Central

    Cheng, Huan-Yi; Chen, Ying-Chung; Li, Chi-Lun; Li, Pei-Jou; Houng, Mau-Phon; Yang, Cheng-Fu

    2016-01-01

    In this study, commercial-grade NiCr (80 wt % Ni, 20 wt % Cr) and NiCrSi (55 wt % Ni, 40 wt % Cr, 5 wt % Si) were used as targets and the sputtering method was used to deposit NiCr and NiCrSi thin films on Al2O3 and Si substrates at room temperature under different deposition time. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films were amorphous phase, and the field-effect scanning electronic microscope observations showed that only nano-crystalline grains were revealed on the surfaces of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin films. The log (resistivity) values of the NiCr and NiCrSi thin-film resistors decreased approximately linearly as their thicknesses increased. We found that the value of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR value) of the NiCr thin-film resistors was positive and that of the NiCrSi thin-film resistors was negative. To investigate these thin-film resistors with a low TCR value, we designed a novel bi-layer structure to fabricate the thin-film resistors via two different stacking methods. The bi-layer structures were created by depositing NiCr for 10 min as the upper (or lower) layer and depositing NiCrSi for 10, 30, or 60 min as the lower (or upper) layer. We aim to show that the stacking method had no apparent effect on the resistivity of the NiCr-NiCrSi bi-layer thin-film resistors but had large effect on the TCR value. PMID:28344296

  5. One Single Graphene Oxide Film for Responsive Actuation.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Huhu; Zhao, Fei; Xue, Jiangli; Shi, Gaoquan; Jiang, Lan; Qu, Liangti

    2016-09-22

    Graphene, because of its superior electrical/thermal conductivity, high surface area, excellent mechanical flexibility, and stability, is currently receiving significant attention and benefit to fabricate actuator devices. Here, a sole graphene oxide (GO) film responsive actuator with an integrated self-detecting sensor has been developed. The film exhibits an asymmetric surface structure on its two sides, creating a promising actuation ability triggered by multistimuli, such as moisture, thermals, and infrared light. Meanwhile, the built-in laser-writing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sensor in the film can detect its own deformation in real time. Smart perceptual fingers in addition to rectangular-shaped and even four-legged walking robots have been developed based on the responsive GO film.

  6. Effect of Particle Size and Impact Velocity on Collision Behaviors Between Nano-Scale TiN Particles: MD Simulation.

    PubMed

    Yao, Hai-Long; Hu, Xiao-Zhen; Yang, Guan-Jun

    2018-06-01

    Inter-particle bonding formation which determines qualities of nano-scale ceramic coatings is influenced by particle collision behaviors during high velocity collision processes. In this study, collision behaviors between nano-scale TiN particles with different diameters were illuminated by using Molecular Dynamics simulation through controlling impact velocities. Results show that nano-scale TiN particles exhibit three states depending on particle sizes and impact velocities, i.e., bonding, bonding with localized fracturing, and rebounding. These TiN particles states are summarized into a parameter selection map providing an overview of the conditions in terms of particle sizes and velocities. Microstructure results show that localized atoms displacement and partial fracture around the impact region are main reasons for bonding formation of nano-scale ceramic particles, which shows differences from conventional particles refining and amorphization. A relationship between the adhesion energy and the rebound energy is established to understand bonding formation mechanism for nano-scale TiN particle collision. Results show that the energy relationship is depended on the particle sizes and impact velocities, and nano-scale ceramic particles can be bonded together as the adhesion energy being higher than the rebound energy.

  7. Nano-size metallic oxide particle synthesis in Fe-Cr alloys by ion implantation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, C.; Gentils, A.; Ribis, J.; Borodin, V. A.; Delauche, L.; Arnal, B.

    2017-10-01

    Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steels reinforced with metal oxide nanoparticles are advanced structural materials for nuclear and thermonuclear reactors. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the precipitation of nano-oxides can help in improving mechanical properties of ODS steels, with a strong impact for their commercialization. A perfect tool to study these mechanisms is ion implantation, where various precipitate synthesis parameters are under control. In the framework of this approach, high-purity Fe-10Cr alloy samples were consecutively implanted with Al and O ions at room temperature and demonstrated a number of unexpected features. For example, oxide particles of a few nm in diameter could be identified in the samples already after ion implantation at room temperature. This is very unusual for ion beam synthesis, which commonly requires post-implantation high-temperature annealing to launch precipitation. The observed particles were composed of aluminium and oxygen, but additionally contained one of the matrix elements (chromium). The crystal structure of aluminium oxide compound corresponds to non-equilibrium cubic γ-Al2O3 phase rather than to more common corundum. The obtained experimental results together with the existing literature data give insight into the physical mechanisms involved in the precipitation of nano-oxides in ODS alloys.

  8. Nano lead oxide and epdm composite for development of polymer based radiation shielding material: Gamma irradiation and attenuation tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Özdemir, T.; Güngör, A.; Akbay, I. K.; Uzun, H.; Babucçuoglu, Y.

    2018-03-01

    It is important to have a shielding material that is not easily breaking in order to have a robust product that guarantee the radiation protection of the patients and radiation workers especially during the medical exposure. In this study, nano sized lead oxide (PbO) particles were used, for the first time, to obtain an elastomeric composite material in which lead oxide nanoparticles, after the surface modification with silane binding agent, was used as functional material for radiation shielding. In addition, the composite material including 1%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% weight percent nano sized lead oxide was irradiated with doses of 81, 100 and 120 kGy up to an irradiation period of 248 days in a gamma ray source with an initial dose rate of 21.1 Gy/h. Mechanical, thermal properties of the irradiated materials were investigated using DSC, DMA, TGA and tensile testing and modifications in thermal and mechanical properties of the nano lead oxide containing composite material via gamma irradiation were reported. Moreover, effect of bismuth-III oxide addition on radiation attenuation of the composite material was investigated. Nano lead oxide and bismuth-III oxide particles were mixed with different weight ratios. Attenuation tests have been conducted to determine lead equivalent values for the developed composite material. Lead equivalent thickness values from 0.07 to 0.65 (2-6 mm sample thickness) were obtained.

  9. Elastic instability of the nano-structured state as an intrinsic probe to study the early formation stages of sol gel derived (Pb1-xCax)TiO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bretos, I.; Ricote, J.; Jiménez-Riobóo, R. J.; Pardo, L.; Calzada, M. L.

    2007-12-01

    A novel method to investigate the early formation stages of polycrystalline (Pb1-xCax)TiO3 (PCT) perovskite films by means of traditional Brillouin and micro-Brillouin spectroscopy (BS, mBS) is described in the present work. The films were prepared by chemical solution deposition (CSD) onto oxidized (100)Si substrates and treated at temperatures between 350 650 °C by rapid thermal processing (RTP). The elastic instability observed by Brillouin spectroscopy at the nano-structured state of the PCT films was used here to determine their crystallization temperatures. Coexistence of different nanocrystalline phases (e.g., pyrochlore, perovskite) in the films could also be detected by this technique. The reliability of these results is demonstrated by complementary information obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning force microscopy (SFM). The effects of the annealing temperature and of the Ca2+ content on the crystallization process of these films are also discussed.

  10. Nanocolumnar Crystalline Vanadium Oxide-Molybdenum Oxide Antireflective Smart Thin Films with Superior Nanomechanical Properties.

    PubMed

    Dey, Arjun; Nayak, Manish Kumar; Esther, A Carmel Mary; Pradeepkumar, Maurya Sandeep; Porwal, Deeksha; Gupta, A K; Bera, Parthasarathi; Barshilia, Harish C; Mukhopadhyay, Anoop Kumar; Pandey, Ajoy Kumar; Khan, Kallol; Bhattacharya, Manjima; Kumar, D Raghavendra; Sridhara, N; Sharma, Anand Kumar

    2016-11-17

    Vanadium oxide-molybdenum oxide (VO-MO) thin (21-475 nm) films were grown on quartz and silicon substrates by pulsed RF magnetron sputtering technique by altering the RF power from 100 to 600 W. Crystalline VO-MO thin films showed the mixed phases of vanadium oxides e.g., V 2 O 5 , V 2 O 3 and VO 2 along with MoO 3 . Reversible or smart transition was found to occur just above the room temperature i.e., at ~45-50 °C. The VO-MO films deposited on quartz showed a gradual decrease in transmittance with increase in film thickness. But, the VO-MO films on silicon exhibited reflectance that was significantly lower than that of the substrate. Further, the effect of low temperature (i.e., 100 °C) vacuum (10 -5 mbar) annealing on optical properties e.g., solar absorptance, transmittance and reflectance as well as the optical constants e.g., optical band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient were studied. Sheet resistance, oxidation state and nanomechanical properties e.g., nanohardness and elastic modulus of the VO-MO thin films were also investigated in as-deposited condition as well as after the vacuum annealing treatment. Finally, the combination of the nanoindentation technique and the finite element modeling (FEM) was employed to investigate yield stress and von Mises stress distribution of the VO-MO thin films.

  11. Nanocolumnar Crystalline Vanadium Oxide-Molybdenum Oxide Antireflective Smart Thin Films with Superior Nanomechanical Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dey, Arjun; Nayak, Manish Kumar; Esther, A. Carmel Mary; Pradeepkumar, Maurya Sandeep; Porwal, Deeksha; Gupta, A. K.; Bera, Parthasarathi; Barshilia, Harish C.; Mukhopadhyay, Anoop Kumar; Pandey, Ajoy Kumar; Khan, Kallol; Bhattacharya, Manjima; Kumar, D. Raghavendra; Sridhara, N.; Sharma, Anand Kumar

    2016-11-01

    Vanadium oxide-molybdenum oxide (VO-MO) thin (21-475 nm) films were grown on quartz and silicon substrates by pulsed RF magnetron sputtering technique by altering the RF power from 100 to 600 W. Crystalline VO-MO thin films showed the mixed phases of vanadium oxides e.g., V2O5, V2O3 and VO2 along with MoO3. Reversible or smart transition was found to occur just above the room temperature i.e., at ~45-50 °C. The VO-MO films deposited on quartz showed a gradual decrease in transmittance with increase in film thickness. But, the VO-MO films on silicon exhibited reflectance that was significantly lower than that of the substrate. Further, the effect of low temperature (i.e., 100 °C) vacuum (10-5 mbar) annealing on optical properties e.g., solar absorptance, transmittance and reflectance as well as the optical constants e.g., optical band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient were studied. Sheet resistance, oxidation state and nanomechanical properties e.g., nanohardness and elastic modulus of the VO-MO thin films were also investigated in as-deposited condition as well as after the vacuum annealing treatment. Finally, the combination of the nanoindentation technique and the finite element modeling (FEM) was employed to investigate yield stress and von Mises stress distribution of the VO-MO thin films.

  12. Nanocolumnar Crystalline Vanadium Oxide-Molybdenum Oxide Antireflective Smart Thin Films with Superior Nanomechanical Properties

    PubMed Central

    Dey, Arjun; Nayak, Manish Kumar; Esther, A. Carmel Mary; Pradeepkumar, Maurya Sandeep; Porwal, Deeksha; Gupta, A. K.; Bera, Parthasarathi; Barshilia, Harish C.; Mukhopadhyay, Anoop Kumar; Pandey, Ajoy Kumar; Khan, Kallol; Bhattacharya, Manjima; Kumar, D. Raghavendra; Sridhara, N.; Sharma, Anand Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Vanadium oxide-molybdenum oxide (VO-MO) thin (21–475 nm) films were grown on quartz and silicon substrates by pulsed RF magnetron sputtering technique by altering the RF power from 100 to 600 W. Crystalline VO-MO thin films showed the mixed phases of vanadium oxides e.g., V2O5, V2O3 and VO2 along with MoO3. Reversible or smart transition was found to occur just above the room temperature i.e., at ~45–50 °C. The VO-MO films deposited on quartz showed a gradual decrease in transmittance with increase in film thickness. But, the VO-MO films on silicon exhibited reflectance that was significantly lower than that of the substrate. Further, the effect of low temperature (i.e., 100 °C) vacuum (10−5 mbar) annealing on optical properties e.g., solar absorptance, transmittance and reflectance as well as the optical constants e.g., optical band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient were studied. Sheet resistance, oxidation state and nanomechanical properties e.g., nanohardness and elastic modulus of the VO-MO thin films were also investigated in as-deposited condition as well as after the vacuum annealing treatment. Finally, the combination of the nanoindentation technique and the finite element modeling (FEM) was employed to investigate yield stress and von Mises stress distribution of the VO-MO thin films. PMID:27853234

  13. Investigation on the special Smith-Purcell radiation from a nano-scale rectangular metallic grating

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

    Li, Weiwei; Liu, Weihao, E-mail: liuwhao@ustc.edu.cn; Jia, Qika

    The special Smith-Purcell radiation (S-SPR), which is from the radiating eigen modes of a grating, has remarkable higher intensity than the ordinary Smith-Purcell radiation. Yet in previous studies, the gratings were treated as perfect conductor without considering the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) which are of significance for the nano-scale gratings especially in the optical region. In present paper, the rigorous theoretical investigations on the S-SPR from a nano-grating with SPPs taken into consideration are carried out. The dispersion relations and radiation characteristics are obtained, and the results are verified by simulations. According to the analyses, the tunable light radiation canmore » be achieved by the S-SPR from a nano-grating, which offers a new prospect for developing the nano-scale light sources.« less

  14. Electrochemical Behavior Assessment of Micro- and Nano-Grained Commercial Pure Titanium in H2SO4 Solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fattah-alhosseini, Arash; Ansari, Ali Reza; Mazaheri, Yousef; Karimi, Mohsen

    2017-02-01

    In this study, the electrochemical behavior of commercial pure titanium with both coarse-grained (annealed sample with the average grain size of about 45 µm) and nano-grained microstructure was compared by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Mott-Schottky analysis. Nano-grained Ti, which typically has a grain size of about 90 nm, is successfully made by six-cycle accumulative roll-bonding process at room temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization plots and impedance measurements revealed that as a result of grain refinement, the passive behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure Ti in H2SO4 solutions. Mott-Schottky analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as n-type semiconductors in H2SO4 solutions and grain refinement did not change the semiconductor type of passive films. Also, Mott-Schottky analysis showed that the donor densities decreased as the grain size of the samples reduced. Finally, all electrochemical tests showed that the electrochemical behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure Ti, mainly due to the formation of thicker and less defective oxide film.

  15. Effect of Sb on physical properties and microstructures of laser nano/amorphous-composite film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jia-Ning; Gong, Shui-Li; Sun, Mei; Shan, Fei-Hu; Wang, Xi-Chang; Jiang, Shuai

    2013-11-01

    A nano/amorphous-composite film was fabricated by laser cladding (LC) of the Co-Ti-B4C-Sb mixed powders on a TA15 alloy. Such film mainly consisted of Ti-Al, Co-Ti, Co-Sb intermetallics, TiC, TiB2, TiB, and the amorphous phases. Experimental results indicated that the crystal systems of TiB2 (hexagonal)/TiC (cubic) and Sb (rhombohedral) played important role on the formation of such film. Due to the mismatch of these crystals systems and mutual immiscibility of the metallic components, Sb was not incorporated in TiB2/TiC, but formed separate nuclei during the film growth. Thus, the growth of TiB2/TiC was stopped by the Sb nucleus in such LC molten pool, so as to form the nanoscale particles.

  16. The Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) Scale as an Assessment Tool for Survival in Patients With Primary Glioblastoma.

    PubMed

    Ung, Timothy H; Ney, Douglas E; Damek, Denise; Rusthoven, Chad G; Youssef, A Samy; Lillehei, Kevin O; Ormond, D Ryan

    2018-03-30

    The Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) scale is a standardized objective metric designed to measure neurological function in neuro-oncology. Current neuroradiological evaluation guidelines fail to use specific clinical criteria for progression. To determine if the NANO scale was a reliable assessment tool in glioblastoma (GBM) patients and whether it correlated to survival. Our group performed a retrospective review of all patients with newly diagnosed GBM from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2012, at our institution. We applied the NANO scale, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale, Macdonald criteria, and the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria to patients at the time of diagnosis as well as at 3, 6, and 12 mo. Initial NANO score was correlated with overall survival at time of presentation. NANO progression was correlated with decreased survival in patients at 6 and 12 mo. A decrease in KPS was associated with survival at 3 and 6 mo, an increase in ECOG score was associated only at 3 mo, and radiological evaluation (RANO and Macdonald) was correlated at 3 and 6 mo. Only the NANO scale was associated with patient survival at 1 yr. NANO progression was the only metric that was linked to decreased overall survival when compared to RANO and Macdonald at 6 and 12 mo. The NANO scale is specific to neuro-oncology and can be used to assess patients with glioma. This retrospective analysis demonstrates the usefulness of the NANO scale in glioblastoma.

  17. Interfacial development of electrophoretically deposited graphene oxide films on Al alloys

    DOE PAGES

    Jin, Sumin; Dickerson, James H.; Pham, Viet Hung; ...

    2015-07-28

    Adhesion between film and substrate is critical for electronic device and coating applications. Interfacial development between electrophoretically deposited graphene oxide films on Al 1100 and Al 5052 alloys were investigated using FT-IR and XPS depth profiling techniques. Obtained results suggest metal ion permeation from the substrates into deposited graphene oxide films. The interface between the films and the substrates were primarily composed of Al-O-C bonds from oxygenated defects on graphene oxide plane rather than expected Al-C formation. Films heat treated at 150 °C had change in microstructure and peak shifts in XPS spectra suggesting change in chemical structure of bondsmore » between the films and the substrates.« less

  18. Nano-Scale Spatial Assessment of Calcium Distribution in Coccolithophores Using Synchrotron-Based Nano-CT and STXM-NEXAFS

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Shiyong; Yao, Yanchen; Zou, Xiang; Fan, Shenglan; Zhou, Qing; Dai, Qunwei; Dong, Faqin; Liu, Mingxue; Nie, Xiaoqin; Tan, Daoyong; Li, Shuai

    2014-01-01

    Calcified coccolithophores generate calcium carbonate scales around their cell surface. In light of predicted climate change and the global carbon cycle, the biomineralization ability of coccoliths has received growing interest. However, the underlying biomineralization mechanism is not yet well understood; the lack of non-invasive characterizing tools to obtain molecular level information involving biogenic processes and biomineral components remain significant challenges. In the present study, synchrotron-based Nano-computed Tomography (Nano-CT) and Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy-Near-edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectromicroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) techniques were employed to identify Ca spatial distribution and investigate the compositional chemistry and distinctive features of the association between biomacromolecules and mineral components of calcite present in coccoliths. The Nano-CT results show that the coccolith scale vesicle is similar as a continuous single channel. The mature coccoliths were intracellularly distributed and immediately ejected and located at the exterior surface to form a coccoshpere. The NEXAFS spectromicroscopy results of the Ca L edge clearly demonstrate the existence of two levels of gradients spatially, indicating two distinctive forms of Ca in coccoliths: a crystalline-poor layer surrounded by a relatively crystalline-rich layer. The results show that Sr is absorbed by the coccoliths and that Sr/Ca substitution is rather homogeneous within the coccoliths. Our findings indicate that synchrotron-based STXM-NEXAFS and Nano-CT are excellent tools for the study of biominerals and provide information to clarify biomineralization mechanism. PMID:25530614

  19. Design and fabrication of highly hydrophobic Mn nano-sculptured thin films and evaluation of surface properties on hydrophobicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hosseini, Somaye; Savaloni, Hadi; Gholipour-Shahraki, Mehran

    2017-03-01

    The wettability of solid surfaces is important from the aspects of both science and technology. The Mn nano-sculptured thin films were designed and fabricated by oblique angle deposition of Mn on glass substrates at room temperature. The obtained structure was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The wettability of thin films samples was investigated by water contact angle (WCA). The 4-pointed helical star-shaped structure exhibits hydrophobicity with static WCAs of more than 133° for a 10-mg distilled water droplet. This sample also shows the rose petal effect with the additional property of high adhesion. The Mn nano-sculptured thin films also act as a sticky surface which is confirmed by hysteresis of the contact angle obtained from advancing and receding contact angles measurements. Physicochemical property of liquid phase could effectively change the contact angle, and polar solvents in contact with hydrophobic solid surfaces do not necessarily show high contact angle value.

  20. Penetration scaling in atomistic simulations of hypervelocity impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruestes, C. J.; Bringa, E. M.; Fioretti, F.; Higginbotham, A.; Taylor, E. A.; Graham, G.

    2011-06-01

    We present atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the impact of copper nano particles at 5 km/s on copper films ranging in thickness from 0.5 to 4 times the projectile diameter. We access both penetration and cratering regimes with final cratering morphologies showing considerable similarity to experimental impacts on both micron and millimeter scales. Both craters and holes are formed from a molten region, with relatively low defect densities remaining after cooling and recrystallisation. Crater diameter and penetration limits are compared to analytical scaling models: in agreement with some models we find the onset of penetration occurs for 1.0 < f/d < 1.5, where f is the film thickness and d is the projectile diameter. However, our results for the hole size agree well with scaling laws based on macroscopic experiments providing enhanced strength of a nano-film that melts completely at the impact region is taken into account. Penetration in films with pre-existing nanocracks is qualitatively similar to penetration in perfect films, including the lack of back-spall. Simulations using ``peridynamics'' are also described and compared to the atomistic simulations. Work supported by PICT2007-PRH, PICT-2008 1325, and SeCTyP.

  1. Study on Locally Confined Deposition of Si Nanocrystals in High-Aspect-Ratio Si Nano-Pillar Arrays for Nano-Electronic and Nano-Photonic Applications II

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-03

    photoluminescence characteristics of equivalent-size controlled silicon quantum dots by employing a nano-porous aluminum oxide membrane as the template for growing...synthesis of Si quantum dots (Si-QDs) embedded in low-temperature (500oC) annealed Si-rich SiOx nano-rod deposited in nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide ...characteristics of the equivalent-size controlled Si-QDs by employing the nano-porous AAO membrane as the template for growing Si-rich SiOx nano-rods

  2. Perovskite Oxide Thin Film Growth, Characterization, and Stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Izumi, Andrew

    Studies into a class of materials known as complex oxides have evoked a great deal of interest due to their unique magnetic, ferroelectric, and superconducting properties. In particular, materials with the ABO3 perovskite structure have highly tunable properties because of the high stability of the structure, which allows for large scale doping and strain. This also allows for a large selection of A and B cations and valences, which can further modify the material's electronic structure. Additionally, deposition of these materials as thin films and superlattices through techniques such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) results in novel properties due to the reduced dimensionality of the material. The novel properties of perovskite oxide heterostructures can be traced to a several sources, including chemical intermixing, strain and defect formation, and electronic reconstruction. The correlations between microstructure and physical properties must be investigated by examining the physical and electronic structure of perovskites in order to understand this class of materials. Some perovskites can undergo phase changes due to temperature, electrical fields, and magnetic fields. In this work we investigated Nd0.5Sr 0.5MnO3 (NSMO), which undergoes a first order magnetic and electronic transition at T=158K in bulk form. Above this temperature NSMO is a ferromagnetic metal, but transitions into an antiferromagnetic insulator as the temperature is decreased. This rapid transition has interesting potential in memory devices. However, when NSMO is deposited on (001)-oriented SrTiO 3 (STO) or (001)-oriented (LaAlO3)0.3-(Sr 2AlTaO6)0.7 (LSAT) substrates, this transition is lost. It has been reported in the literature that depositing NSMO on (110)-oriented STO allows for the transition to reemerge due to the partial epitaxial growth, where the NSMO film is strained along the [001] surface axis and partially relaxed along the [11¯0] surface axis. This allows the NSMO film enough

  3. Large scale, highly conductive and patterned transparent films of silver nanowires on arbitrary substrates and their application in touch screens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madaria, Anuj R.; Kumar, Akshay; Zhou, Chongwu

    2011-06-01

    The application of silver nanowire films as transparent conductive electrodes has shown promising results recently. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of a simple spray coating technique to obtain large scale, highly uniform and conductive silver nanowire films on arbitrary substrates. We also integrated a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-assisted contact transfer technique with spray coating, which allowed us to obtain large scale high quality patterned films of silver nanowires. The transparency and conductivity of the films was controlled by the volume of the dispersion used in spraying and the substrate area. We note that the optoelectrical property, σDC/σOp, for various films fabricated was in the range 75-350, which is extremely high for transparent thin film compared to other candidate alternatives to doped metal oxide film. Using this method, we obtain silver nanowire films on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a transparency of 85% and sheet resistance of 33 Ω/sq, which is comparable to that of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) on flexible substrates. In-depth analysis of the film shows a high performance using another commonly used figure-of-merit, ΦTE. Also, Ag nanowire film/PET shows good mechanical flexibility and the application of such a conductive silver nanowire film as an electrode in a touch panel has been demonstrated.

  4. Wavelength-scale photonic-crystal laser formed by electron-beam-induced nano-block deposition.

    PubMed

    Seo, Min-Kyo; Kang, Ju-Hyung; Kim, Myung-Ki; Ahn, Byeong-Hyeon; Kim, Ju-Young; Jeong, Kwang-Yong; Park, Hong-Gyu; Lee, Yong-Hee

    2009-04-13

    A wavelength-scale cavity is generated by printing a carbonaceous nano-block on a photonic-crystal waveguide. The nanometer-size carbonaceous block is grown at a pre-determined region by the electron-beam-induced deposition method. The wavelength-scale photonic-crystal cavity operates as a single mode laser, near 1550 nm with threshold of approximately 100 microW at room temperature. Finite-difference time-domain computations show that a high-quality-factor cavity mode is defined around the nano-block with resonant wavelength slightly longer than the dispersion-edge of the photonic-crystal waveguide. Measured near-field images exhibit photon distribution well-localized in the proximity of the printed nano-block. Linearly-polarized emission along the vertical direction is also observed.

  5. Laser-Induced, Local Oxidation of Copper Nanoparticle Films During Raman Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hight Walker, Angela R.; Cheng, Guangjun; Calizo, Irene

    2011-03-01

    The optical properties of gold and silver nanoparticles and their films have been thoroughly investigated as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates and chemical reaction promoters. Similar to gold and silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles exhibit distinct plasmon absorptions in the visible region. The work on copper nanoparticles and their films is limited due to their oxidization in air. However, their high reactivity actually provides an opportunity to exploit the laser-induced thermal effect and chemical reactions of these nanoparticles. Here, we present our investigation of the local oxidation of a copper nanoparticle film induced by a visible laser source during Raman spectroscopic measurements. The copper nanoparticle film is prepared by drop-casting chemically synthesized copper colloid onto silicon oxide/silicon substrate. The local oxidation induced by visible lasers in Raman spectroscopy is monitored with the distinct scattering peaks for copper oxides. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterize the laser-induced morphological changes in the film. The results of this oxidation process with different excitation wavelengths and different laser powers will be presented.

  6. Fabrication of a pure TiO2 thin film using a self-polymeric titania nano-sol and its properties.

    PubMed

    Park, Won-Kyu; Song, Jeong-Hwan; Kim, Soo-Ryong; Kim, Tae-Hyun; Iwasaki, Mitusnobo

    2012-02-01

    A pure TiO2 thin film without adding any organic binder was fabricated by using a self-polymeric titania nano-sol (14 mass%), which was prepared by the acid peptization method. The particle size distribution in the 14 mass% TiO2 sol, in which almost of particles had a size below 10.2 nm and the crystal phase confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis was anatase. The diluted nano-sol had a capability to form a thin film at a low temperature (100-400 degrees C) on the slide glass by dipping method. The average thickness of a coating film was measured to be about 0.25-0.30 microm. A coated film had a high refractive index over 1.88 at least irrespective of the heat-treatment even at room temperature drying and showed a super-hydrophilicity (< 5 degrees) after 20 minutes under Ultra Violet light irradiation, and it sustained in the darkness during a long period over 7 days depending on the heat-treatment conditions. Atomic Force Microscopic observation shows that the morphology of a heat-treated film had a relationship with the long-term hydrophilicity in the darkness.

  7. Spectroscopic And Electrochemical Studies Of Electrochromic Hydrated Nickel Oxide Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, P. C.; Nazri, G.; Lampert, C. M.

    1986-09-01

    The electrochrcrnic properties of hydrated nickel oxide thin films electrochemically deposited by anodization onto doped tin oxide-coated glass have been studied by transmittance measurements, cyclic voltammetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ion-backscattering spectrometry. The spectral transmittance is reported for films switched in both the bleached and colored states. The photopic transmittance (Tp) can be switched from T (bleached) = 0.77 to T (colored) = 0.21, and the solar transmittance (Ts) can be switched from Ts(bleached) = 0.73 to TS (colored) = 0.35. Also reported is the near-infrared transmittance (TNIR)which was found to switch fran T N,IR (bleached) = 0.72 to TNIR (colored) = 0.55. The bleached condition is noted to have very low solar absorption in both the visible and solar regions. Ion-backscattering spectrometry was performed on the hydrated nickel oxide film, yielding a camposition of Ni01.0 (dehydrated) and a film thickness of 125 A. Cyclic voltammetry showed that, for films in the bleached or colored state, the reversible reaction is Ni(0H), = NiOOH + H+ + e . Voltammnetry also showed that the switching of the film is controlled by the diffusion or protons, where OH plays a role in the reaction mechanism. Analysis of the hydrated nickel-oxide thin films by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that both the bleached and colored states contain lattice water and hydroxyl groups. The surface hydroxyl groups play an important role in the coloration and bleaching of the anodically deposited nickel oxide thin films.

  8. Nano-graphene oxide carboxylation for efficient bioconjugation applications: a quantitative optimization approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imani, Rana; Emami, Shahriar Hojjati; Faghihi, Shahab

    2015-02-01

    A method for carboxylation of graphene oxide (GO) with chloroacetic acid that precisely optimizes and controls the efficacy of the process for bioconjugation applications is proposed. Quantification of COOH groups on nano-graphene oxide sheets (NGOS) is performed by novel colorimetric methylene blue (MB) assay. The GO is synthesized and carboxylated by chloroacetic acid treatment under strong basic condition. The size and morphology of the as-prepared NGOS are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effect of acid to base molar ratio on the physical, chemical, and morphological properties of NGOS is analyzed by Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometry (FTIR), UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), AFM, and zeta potential. For evaluation of bioconjugation efficacy, the synthesized nano-carriers with different carboxylation ratios are functionalized by octaarginine peptide sequence (R8) as a biomolecule model containing amine groups. The quantification of attached R8 peptides to graphene nano-sheets' surface is performed with a colorimetric-based assay which includes the application of 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). The results show that the thickness and lateral size of nano-sheets are dramatically decreased to 0.8 nm and 50-100 nm after carboxylation process, respectively. X-ray analysis shows the nano-sheets interlaying space is affected by the alteration of chloroacetic acid to base ratio. The MB assay reveals that the COOH groups on the surface of NGOS are maximized at the acid to base ratio of 2 which is confirmed by FTIR, XRD, and zeta potential. The TNBS assay also shows that bioconjugation of the optimized carboxylated NGOS sample with octaarginine peptide is 2.5 times more efficient compared to bare NGOS. The present work provides evidence that treatment of GO by chloroacetic acid under an optimized condition would create a functionalized high surface

  9. Identification of O-rich structures on platinum(111)-supported ultrathin iron oxide films

    DOE PAGES

    Merte, Lindsay R.; Bai, Yunhai; Zeuthen, Helene; ...

    2016-01-06

    Using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) we have studied the oxidation of ultrathin FeO films grown on Pt(111). At the initial stage of the FeO film oxidation by atomic oxygen exposure, we identified three distinct types of line defects, all of which form boundaries between FeO domains of opposite orientation. Two types of line defects appearing bright ( type-i) and dark ( type-ii) in the STM images at typical scanning parameters are “metallic”, whereas the third line defect exhibits nonmetallic behavior ( type-iii). Atomic-scale structure models of these line defects are proposed, with type-i defects exhibiting 4-fold coordinated Fe atoms,more » type-ii exhibiting 2-fold coordinated O atoms, and type-iii exhibiting tetrahedrally-coordinated Fe atoms. In addition, FeO 2 trilayer islands are formed upon oxidation, which appear at FCC-type domains of the moiré structure. At high scanning bias, distinct protrusions on the trilayer islands are observed over surface O ions, which are assigned to H adatoms. The experimental data are supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, in which bare and hydroxylated FeO 2 trilayer islands are compared. Finally, we compare the formation of O-rich features on continuous FeO films using atomic oxygen with the oxidation of Pt(111)-supported FeO islands accomplished by O 2 exposure.« less

  10. Anodic Oxidation in Aluminum Electrode by Using Hydrated Amorphous Aluminum Oxide Film as Solid Electrolyte under High Electric Field.

    PubMed

    Yao, Manwen; Chen, Jianwen; Su, Zhen; Peng, Yong; Zou, Pei; Yao, Xi

    2016-05-04

    Dense and nonporous amorphous aluminum oxide (AmAO) film was deposited onto platinized silicon substrate by sol-gel and spin coating technology. The evaporated aluminum film was deposited onto the AmAO film as top electrode. The hydrated AmAO film was utilized as a solid electrolyte for anodic oxidation of the aluminum electrode (Al) film under high electric field. The hydrated AmAO film was a high efficiency electrolyte, where a 45 nm thick Al film was anodized completely on a 210 nm thick hydrated AmAO film. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and breakdown phenomena of a dry and hydrated 210 nm thick AmAO film with a 150 nm thick Al electrode pad were studied in this work. Breakdown voltage of the dry and hydrated 210 nm thick AmAO film were 85 ± 3 V (405 ± 14 MV m(-1)) and 160 ± 5 V (762 ± 24 MV m(-1)), respectively. The breakdown voltage of the hydrated AmAO film increased about twice, owing to the self-healing behavior (anodic oxidation reaction). As an intuitive phenomenon of the self-healing behavior, priority anodic oxidation phenomena was observed in a 210 nm thick hydrated AmAO film with a 65 nm thick Al electrode pad. The results suggested that self-healing behavior (anodic oxidation reaction) was occurring nearby the defect regions of the films during I-V test. It was an effective electrical self-healing method, which would be able to extend to many other simple and complex oxide dielectrics and various composite structures.

  11. Improved light extraction efficiency in GaN-based light emitting diode by nano-scale roughening of p-GaN surface.

    PubMed

    Park, Sang Jae; Sadasivam, Karthikeyan Giri; Chung, Tae Hoon; Hong, Gi Cheol; Kim, Jin Bong; Kim, Sang Mook; Park, Si-Hyun; Jeon, Seong-Ran; Lee, June Key

    2008-10-01

    Improvement in light extraction efficiency of Ultra Violet-Light Emitting Diode (UV-LED) is achieved by nano-scale roughening of p-type Gallium Nitride (p-GaN) surface. The process of surface roughening is carried out by using self assembled gold (Au) nano-clusters with support of nano-size silicon-oxide (SiO2) pillars on p-GaN surface as a dry etching mask and by p-GaN regrowth in the regions not covered by the mask after dry etching. Au nano-clusters are formed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process carried out at 600 degrees C for 1 min using 15 nm thick Au layer on top of SiO2. The p-GaN roughness is controlled by p-GaN regrowth time. Four different time values of 15 sec, 30 sec, 60 sec and 120 sec are considered for p-GaN regrowth. Among the four different p-GaN regrowth time values 30 sec regrown p-GaN sample has the optimum roughness to increase the electroluminescence (EL) intensity to a value approximately 60% higher than the EL intensity of a conventional LED.

  12. Effect of mass density on surface morphology of electrodeposited manganese oxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Avtar; Kumar, Davinder; Thakur, Anup; Kaur, Raminder

    2018-05-01

    This work focus on high surface area morphology of manganese oxide films which are currently required for electrochemical capacitor electrode to enhance their performance. Electrodeposition of manganese oxide films was carried out using Chronoamperometry for different deposition time ranging from 30 to 120 sec. Cronoamperomertic I-T integrated data have been used to analyze active mass of all electrodeposited films. Morphological study of the deposited films with different mass was carried out through scanning electron microscopy. Film deposited for 30 sec time show highest porous morphology than others. Manganese oxide films with high porosity are suitable for electrochemical capacitor electrode.

  13. Opto-electronic characterizations of oriented nano-structure CdSe film/Si (0 0 1) heterostructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Kotb, M. S.; Al-Waheidi, Jumana Z.; Kotkata, M. F.

    2014-05-01

    Nano-crystalline CdSe thin films were fabricated by evaporating CdSe nano-powders on glass and p-Si (0 0 1) substrates. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the hexagonal structure for the growing film along the (0 0 2) plane. The results revealed that the thermally evaporated thin film has a comparatively smoother surface with grain size ˜21 nm. Analysis of the absorption coefficient dependence on the photon energy predicts two direct band-gap values of 2.11 ± 0.02 and 1.71 ± 0.03 eV. On the basis of the Wemple-diDomenico single oscillator model, the values of single oscillator energy (Eu) and oscillator dispersion energy (Ed) found to be 2.71 ± 0.09 and 12.94 ± 0.35 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence measurements show levels at the following values: 1.824, 1.786, 1.682, and 1.617 eV confirming the native defects existence in the gap of CdSe films because of stoichiometric deviation. The forward I-V characteristics of Ni/CdSe/p-Si (0 0 1) structure have been primarily analyzed within the framework of a standard thermionic emission theory over the temperature range of 160-360 K. The characteristic parameters of the Ni/CdSe/p-Si(0 0 1) structure such as barrier height (φb), ideality factor (n), and series resistance (Rs) have been calculated using a method developed by Cheung-Cheung.

  14. Polyelectrolyte/Graphene Oxide Barrier Film for Flexible OLED.

    PubMed

    Yang, Seung-Yeol; Park, Jongwhan; Kim, Yong-Seog

    2015-10-01

    Ultra-thin flexible nano-composite barrier layer consists of graphene oxide and polyelectrolyte was prepared using the layer-by-layer processing method. Microstructures of the barrier layer was optimized via modifying coating conditions and inducing chemical reactions. Although the barrier layer consists of hydrophilic polyelectrolyte was not effective in blocking the water vapor permeation, the chemical reduction of graphene oxide as well as conversion of polyelectrolyte to hydrophobic nature were very effective in reducing the permeation.

  15. Effect of Nano-Al2O3 on the Toxicity and Oxidative Stress of Copper towards Scenedesmus obliquus

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiaomin; Zhou, Suyang; Fan, Wenhong

    2016-01-01

    Nano-Al2O3 has been widely used in various industries; unfortunately, it can be released into the aquatic environment. Although nano-Al2O3 is believed to be of low toxicity, it can interact with other pollutants in water, such as heavy metals. However, the interactions between nano-Al2O3 and heavy metals as well as the effect of nano-Al2O3 on the toxicity of the metals have been rarely investigated. The current study investigated copper toxicity in the presence of nano-Al2O3 towards Scenedesmus obliquus. Superoxide dismutase activity and concentration of glutathione and malondialdehyde in cells were determined in order to quantify oxidative stress in this study. Results showed that the presence of nano-Al2O3 reduced the toxicity of Cu towards S. obliquus. The existence of nano-Al2O3 decreased the growth inhibition of S. obliquus. The accumulation of copper and the level of oxidative stress in algae were reduced in the presence of nano-Al2O3. Furthermore, lower copper accumulation was the main factor that mitigated copper toxicity with the addition of nano-Al2O3. The decreased copper uptake could be attributed to the adsorption of copper onto nanoparticles and the subsequent decrease of available copper in water. PMID:27294942

  16. Effects of the polarizability and packing density of transparent oxide films on water vapor permeation.

    PubMed

    Koo, Won Hoe; Jeong, Soon Moon; Choi, Sang Hun; Kim, Woo Jin; Baik, Hong Koo; Lee, Sung Man; Lee, Se Jong

    2005-06-09

    The tin oxide and silicon oxide films have been deposited on polycarbonate substrates as gas barrier films, using a thermal evaporation and ion beam assisted deposition process. The oxide films deposited by ion beam assisted deposition show a much lower water vapor transmission rate than those by thermal evaporation. The tin oxide films show a similar water vapor transmission rate to the silicon oxide films in thermal evaporation but a lower water vapor transmission rate in IBAD. These results are related to the fact that the permeation of water vapor with a large dipole moment is affected by the chemistry of oxides and the packing density of the oxide films. The permeation mechanism of water vapor through the oxide films is discussed in terms of the chemical interaction with water vapor and the microstructure of the oxide films. The chemical interaction of water vapor with oxide films has been investigated by the refractive index from ellipsometry and the OH group peak from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the microstructure of the composite oxide films was characterized using atomic force microscopy and a transmission electron microscope. The activation energy for water vapor permeation through the oxide films has also been measured in relation to the permeation mechanism of water vapor. The diffusivity of water vapor for the tin oxide films has been calculated from the time lag plot, and its implications are discussed.

  17. Manganese oxides-based composite electrodes for supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Dongyun; Ma, Jun; Huang, Mingyu; Liu, Feng; Chen, Taizhou; Liu, Chao; Ni, Hongjun

    2017-06-01

    In recent, nanostructured transition metal oxides as a new class of energy storage materials have widely attracted attention due to its excellent electrochemical performance for supercapacitors. The MnO2 based transition metal oxides and their composite electrode materials were focused in the review for supercapacitor applications. The researches on different nanostructures of manganese oxides such as Nano rods, Nano sheets, nanowires, nanotubes and so on have been discovered in recent years, together with brief explanations of their properties. Research on enhancing materials’ properties by designing combination of different materials on the micron or Nano scale is too limited, and therefore we discuss the effects of different components’ sizes and their synergy on the performance. Moreover, the low-cost and large-scale fabrication of flexible supercapacitors with high performance (high energy density and cycle stability) have been pointed out and studied.

  18. Effects of substrate temperature on properties of pulsed dc reactively sputtered tantalum oxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, Pushkar; Juneja, Jasbir S.; Bhagwat, Vinay; Rymaszewski, Eugene J.; Lu, Toh-Ming; Cale, Timothy S.

    2005-05-01

    The effects of substrate heating on the stoichiometry and the electrical properties of pulsed dc reactively sputtered tantalum oxide films over a range of film thickness (0.14 to 5.4 μm) are discussed. The film stoichiometry, and hence the electrical properties, of tantalum oxide films; e.g., breakdown field, leakage current density, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss are compared for two different cases: (a) when no intentional substrate/film cooling is provided, and (b) when the substrate is water cooled during deposition. All other operating conditions are the same, and the film thickness is directly related to deposition time. The tantalum oxide films deposited on the water-cooled substrates are stoichiometric, and exhibit excellent electrical properties over the entire range of film thickness. ``Noncooled'' tantalum oxide films are stoichiometric up to ~1 μm film thickness, beyond that the deposited oxide is increasingly nonstoichiometric. The presence of partially oxidized Ta in thicker (>~1 μm) noncooled tantalum oxide films causes a lower breakdown field, higher leakage current density, higher apparent dielectric constant, and dielectric loss. The growth of nonstoichiometric tantalum oxide in thicker noncooled films is attributed to decreased surface oxygen concentration due to oxygen recombination and desorption at higher film temperatures (>~100 °C). The quantitative results presented reflect experience with a specific piece of equipment; however, the procedures presented can be used to characterize deposition processes in which film stoichiometry can change.

  19. Performance evaluation of bimodal thermite composites : nano- vs miron-scale particles

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

    Moore, K. M.; Pantoya, M.; Son, S. F.

    2004-01-01

    In recent years many studies of metastable interstitial composites (MIC) have shown vast combustion improvements over traditional thermite materials. The main difference between these two materials is the size of the fuel particles in the mixture. Decreasing the fuel size from the micron to nanometer range significantly increases the combustion wave speed and ignition sensitivity. Little is known, however, about the critical level of nano-sized fuel particles needed to enhance the performance of the traditional thermite. Ignition sensitivity experiments were performed using Al/MoO{sub 3} pellets at a theoretical maximum density of 50% (2 g/cm{sup 3}). The Al fuel particles weremore » prepared as bi-modal size distributions with micron (i.e., 4 and 20 {micro}m diameter) and nano-scale Al particles. The micron-scale Al was replaced in 10% increments by 80 nm Al particles until the fuel was 100% 80 nm Al. These bi-modal distributions allow the unique characteristics of nano-scale materials to be better understood. The pellets were ignited using a 50-W CO{sub 2} laser. High speed imaging diagnostics were used to measure ignition delay times, and micro-thermocouples were used to measure ignition temperatures. Combustion wave speeds were also examined.« less

  20. Thermal effects in photomask engineering and nano-thermometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Dachen

    Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) in photomask fabrication results in heating of the resist films. The local heating can change the chemical properties of resist, leading to placement errors. The heating induced error has been believed to be increasingly significant as the transistor minimum feature size approaches the sub 100 nm region. A Green's function approach has been developed to calculate four-dimensional temperature profiles in complex structures such as the multi-layer work-pieces being exposed in EBL. The model is being used to characterize different ebeam writing strategies to find the optimum. To provide the parameters for the model, two independent techniques have been employed: a thin film electrode method and a laser thermal-reflectance method. Unlike earlier results from polyimide films, no appreciable anisotropy was observed in thermal conductivities for the polymeric resists tested. Gold/nickel thin film thermocouples with minimum junction area of 100nm by 100nm were fabricated and calibrated. These thermocouple demonstrated a 400ns response time when heated by a 10ns laser pulse. Using these nano thermocouples, transient resist heating temperature profiles were for the first time measured at room temperature. Experimental results showed a good agreement with the Green's function model. We also observed a tradeoff in the scaling of thermocouple sensors. The smaller thermocouples may provide higher spatial and temporal resolutions but have poorer temperature resolution. In conclusion, we both modeled and measured the resist heating in EBL. In short exposure time (˜1us or less) the resist heating is nearly adiabatic, while in longer time the heating is dominated by substrate. Nano scale metallic thermocouples were explored and tradeoff was observed in dimension scaling.

  1. Reduction mechanism of surface oxide films and characterization of formations on pulse electric-current sintered Al Mg alloy powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Guoqiang; Ohashi, Osamu; Song, Minghui; Mitsuishi, Kazutaka; Furuya, Kazuo

    2005-02-01

    The microstructure of interfaces between powder particles in Al-Mg alloy specimens sintered by pulse electric-current sintering (PECS) process was characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The crystalline precipitates with nano-size in the interface were observed in all of Al-Mg alloy specimens. The composition was determined to be MgAl 2O 4 or MgO, or both of them, which depended on Mg content in alloy powder and sintering temperature. The precipitates were suggested to contribute to reduction reaction of Mg with oxide films originally covered at powder particles surface.

  2. Study of the effect of ZnO film on some properties of clear and color window glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamead, Alaa A. Abdul; Ahmed, Sura S.; Khdheer, Mena F.

    2018-05-01

    In the current research, a samples of transparent color and colorless window glass were prepared, (includes metal transition oxides) for construction applications. A nano-film layer of zinc oxide ZnO was deposited by spray pyrolysis technique for use in sustainability applications prepared. Structural properties (x-ray diffraction XRD, scanning electron microscopy SEM and atomic force microscopy AFM), and thermal properties, as well as optical properties and the effect of weathering conditions on applied film on clear and colored glass were examined. The results showed that the deposition film had a thickness of less than 90nm and that it was crystallized with high optical transparently, that was not significantly affected after deposited the ZnO nano film. While thermal insulation decreased significantly after deposition, and the effect of the weather conditions was very low as the ZnO coating was not affected, as the thermal insulation did not change after exposure to accelerated air conditions. Make it suitable in glass applications for buildings in vertical construction.

  3. The role of allophane nano-structure and Fe oxide speciation for hosting soil organic matter in an allophanic Andosol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Filimonova, Svetlana; Kaufhold, Stephan; Wagner, Friedrich E.; Häusler, Werner; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid

    2016-05-01

    We evaluated the impact of nano-structural characteristics of allophanic compounds and Fe oxide speciation on the efficiency of organo-mineral interactions in an allophanic Andosol derived from volcanic ash (Eifel mountains, Germany). The samples selected for our work represented a gradient from: (i) a pure synthetic allophane and (ii) model organo-mineral mixtures to (iii) particle size fractions of the natural Andosol. We thus aimed to link the processes operating at the individual molecular scale to the phenomena active at the aggregate scale. For a non-destructive characterization of the samples, we applied 129Xe NMR spectroscopy of adsorbed Xe atoms (to identify the mineral nano-structure and surface acid centres), ESEM (verifying the nano-spherical structure of allophane), 13C CPMAS NMR (for the nature of the soil organic matter (SOM)), 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy (Fe oxide speciation), and N2 adsorption (contribution of micro- and mesoporosity). By using the atomic probe Xe, we obtained evidence for a coupled mechanism of adsorption onto allophane requiring both the narrow pores (voids formed by the primary nano-spherules) and the acid centres located at the defect surfaces of the primary spherules. The validity of this coupled mechanism for the sorption of organic matter was confirmed by the concomitant blocking of acid centres (129Xe NMR data) and the decrease of the N2-available pore volumes (Vmicro and Vmeso) in the model samples DOM/- and NOM/allophane (DOM = dissolved OM, NOM = natural OM). In the Andosol, the high resistance of SOM against oxidation (OCresist = 15-50%) was combined with preferential accumulation of certain organic compounds, e.g. potentially labile substrates such as carbohydrates, and the low molecular weight species such as amino acids. This feature was attributed to the peculiar microporous tortuous structure of allophane aggregates that likely impose certain criteria for the chemical nature and size of mineral-bound SOM. On the

  4. Thermal conductivity of ultrathin nano-crystalline diamond films determined by Raman thermography assisted by silicon nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anaya, Julian; Rossi, Stefano; Alomari, Mohammed; Kohn, Erhard; Tóth, Lajos; Pécz, Béla; Kuball, Martin

    2015-06-01

    The thermal transport in polycrystalline diamond films near its nucleation region is still not well understood. Here, a steady-state technique to determine the thermal transport within the nano-crystalline diamond present at their nucleation site has been demonstrated. Taking advantage of silicon nanowires as surface temperature nano-sensors, and using Raman Thermography, the in-plane and cross-plane components of the thermal conductivity of ultra-thin diamond layers and their thermal barrier to the Si substrate were determined. Both components of the thermal conductivity of the nano-crystalline diamond were found to be well below the values of polycrystalline bulk diamond, with a cross-plane thermal conductivity larger than the in-plane thermal conductivity. Also a depth dependence of the lateral thermal conductivity through the diamond layer was determined. The results impact the design and integration of diamond for thermal management of AlGaN/GaN high power transistors and also show the usefulness of the nanowires as accurate nano-thermometers.

  5. [Catalytic degradation of PCB77 by microwave-induced nano-particle metal oxides in diatomite].

    PubMed

    Huang, Guan-yi; Zhao, Ling; Dong, Yuan-hua

    2009-08-15

    The degradation of PCB77 in diatomite by microwave-induced catalytic oxidation was studied in a sealed vial, including four effects such as microwave (MV) radiating time, addition of different nano-particle metal oxides, concentration and type of acids and dosage of MnO2. The results indicated that PCB77 could be removed significantly by microwave-induced catalytic oxidation. Compared to control reactor (without MV radiation), the removal rate of PCB77 increased by twice after 1 min. In addition, the removal rate of PCB77 under MV radiation was gradually increased with time of radiation and then reached equilibrium after 10 min. The removal rates are about 50% and 20% by addition of H2SO4 and ultrapure water respectively. No significant removal was observed by addition of NaOH and without aqueous media. Moreover, catalytic degradation of PCB77 by microwave-induced nano-particle MnO2 had best removal rate was up to 90% after 1 min, in contrast with addition of nano-particle Fe2O3, CuO and Al2O3. The removal rate raised from 37.0% to 98.5% rapidly with the concentration of H2SO4 ranged from 1 mol/L to 8 mol/L, and H2SO4 mainly played a role of acidification but not oxidation. The addition of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 g MnO2 showed the similar result.

  6. Magnetism of Amorphous and Nano-Crystallized Dc-Sputter-Deposited MgO Thin Films

    PubMed Central

    Mahadeva, Sreekanth K.; Fan, Jincheng; Biswas, Anis; Sreelatha, K.S.; Belova, Lyubov; Rao, K.V.

    2013-01-01

    We report a systematic study of room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in pristine MgO thin films in their amorphous and nano-crystalline states. The as deposited dc-sputtered films of pristine MgO on Si substrates using a metallic Mg target in an O2 containing working gas atmosphere of (N2 + O2) are found to be X-ray amorphous. All these films obtained with oxygen partial pressure (PO2) ~10% to 80% while maintaining the same total pressure of the working gas are found to be ferromagnetic at room temperature. The room temperature saturation magnetization (MS) value of 2.68 emu/cm3 obtained for the MgO film deposited in PO2 of 10% increases to 9.62 emu/cm3 for film deposited at PO2 of 40%. However, the MS values decrease steadily for further increase of oxygen partial pressure during deposition. On thermal annealing at temperatures in the range 600 to 800 °C, the films become nanocrystalline and as the crystallite size grows with longer annealing times and higher temperature, MS decreases. Our study clearly points out that it is possible to tailor the magnetic properties of thin films of MgO. The room temperature ferromagnetism in MgO films is attributed to the presence of Mg cation vacancies. PMID:28348346

  7. Nanostructured p-type semiconducting transparent oxides: promising materials for nano-active devices and the emerging field of "transparent nanoelectronics".

    PubMed

    Banerjee, Arghya; Chattopadhyay, Kalyan K

    2008-01-01

    Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with p-type semiconductivity have recently gained renewed interest for the fabrication of all-oxide transparent junctions, having potential applications in the emerging field of 'Transparent' or 'Invisible Electronics'. This kind of transparent junctions can be used as a "functional" window, which will transmit visible portion of solar radiation, but generates electricity by the absorption of the UV part. Therefore, these devices can be used as UV shield as well as UV cells. In this report, a brief review on the research activities on various p-TCO materials is furnished along-with the fabrication of different transparent p-n homojunction, heterojunction and field-effect transistors. Also the reason behind the difficulties in obtaining p-TCO materials and possible solutions are discussed in details. Considerable attention is given in describing the various patent generations on the field of p-TCO materials as well as transparent p-n junction diodes and light emitting devices. Also, most importantly, a detailed review and patenting activities on the nanocrystalline p-TCO materials and transparent nano-active device fabrication are furnished with considerable attention. And finally, a systematic description on the fabrication and characterization of nanocrystalline, p-type transparent conducting CuAlO(2) thin film, deposited by cost-effective low-temperature DC sputtering technique, by our group, is furnished in details. These p-TCO micro/nano-materials have wide range of applications in the field of optoelectronics, nanoelectronics, space sciences, field-emission displays, thermoelectric converters and sensing devices.

  8. Enzymatic biomarkers can portray nanoCuO-induced oxidative and neuronal stress in freshwater shredders.

    PubMed

    Pradhan, Arunava; Silva, Carla O; Silva, Carlos; Pascoal, Cláudia; Cássio, Fernanda

    2016-11-01

    Commercial applications of nanometal oxides have increased concern about their release into natural waters and consequent risks to aquatic biota and the processes they drive. In forest streams, the invertebrate shredder Allogamus ligonifer plays a key role in detritus food webs by transferring carbon and energy from plant litter to higher trophic levels. We assessed the response profiles of oxidative and neuronal stress enzymatic biomarkers in A. ligonifer after 96h exposure to nanoCuO at concentration ranges nanoCuO-induced stress, Cu 2+ released from nanoCuO was quantified and the enzymatic responses to Cu 2+ exposure at similar effective concentrations were compared. The highest activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) were observed at concentrations oxidative stress at low concentrations (nanoCuO, thereby contributing to the survival of A. ligonifer. At concentrations between LC 10 and LC 30 , effects of nanoparticulate or released ionic copper on enzyme activities were concentration-dependent, and led to oxidative stress and even to animal death. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was strongly inhibited even at concentrations

  9. Large-scale fabrication of nanopatterned sapphire substrates by annealing of patterned Al thin films by soft UV-nanoimprint lithography

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Large-scale nanopatterned sapphire substrates were fabricated by annealing of patterned Al thin films. Patterned Al thin films were obtained by soft UV-nanoimprint lithography and reactive ion etching. The soft mold with 550-nm-wide lines separated by 250-nm space was composed of the toluene-diluted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer supported by the soft PDMS. Patterned Al thin films were subsequently subjected to dual-stage annealing due to the melting temperature of Al thin films (660°C). The first comprised a low-temperature oxidation anneal at 450°C for 24 h. This was followed by a high-temperature annealing in the range of 1,000°C and 1,200°C for 1 h to induce growth of the underlying sapphire single crystal to consume the oxide layer. The SEM results indicate that the patterns were retained on sapphire substrates after high-temperature annealing at less than 1,200°C. Finally, large-scale nanopatterned sapphire substrates were successfully fabricated by annealing of patterned Al thin films for 24 h at 450°C and 1 h at 1,000°C by soft UV-nanoimprint lithography. PMID:24215718

  10. A facile method to synthesize boron-doped Ni/Fe alloy nano-chains as electrocatalyst for water oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yisu; Zhuang, Linzhou; Lin, Rijia; Li, Mengran; Xu, Xiaoyong; Rufford, Thomas E.; Zhu, Zhonghua

    2017-05-01

    We report a novel magnetic field assisted chemical reduction method for the synthesis of boron-doped Ni/Fe nano-chains as promising catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The boron-doped Ni/Fe nano-chains were synthesised in a one step process at room temperature using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. The addition of boron reduced the magnetic moment of the intermediate synthesis products and produced nano-chains with a high specific surface area of 73.4 m2 g-1. The boron-doped Ni/Fe nano-chains exhibited catalytic performance superior to state-of-the-art Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ perovskite and RuO2 noble metal oxide catalysts. The mass normalized activity of the boron-doped Ni/Fe nano-chains measured at an overpotential of 0.35 V was 64.0 A g-1, with a Tafel slope of only 40 mV dec-1. The excellent performance of the boron-doped Ni/Fe nano-chains can be attributed to the uniform elemental distribution and highly amorphous structure of the B-doped nano-chains. These results provide new insights into the effect of doping transition-metal based OER catalysts with non-metallic elements. The study demonstrates a facile approach to prepare transition metal nano-chains using magnetic field assisted chemical reduction method as cheap and highly active catalysts for electrochemical water oxidation.

  11. Application of Oxidation to the Structural Characterization of Sic Epitaxial Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Powell, J. A.; Petit, J. B.; Edgar, J. H.; Jenkins, I. G.; Matus, L. G.

    1991-01-01

    Both 3C-SiC and 6H-SiC single-crystal films can be grown on vicinal (0001) 6H-SiC wafers. It is found that oxidation can be a powerful diagnostic process for (1) 'color mapping' the 3C and 6H regions of these films, (2) decorating stacking faults in the films, (3) enhancing the decoration of double positioning boundaries, and (4) decorating polishing damage. Contrary to previously published oxidation results, proper oxidation conditions can yield interference colors that provide a definitive map of the polytype distribution for both the Si face and C face of SiC films.

  12. Nano/micro-scale magnetophoretic devices for biomedical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Byeonghwa; Vavassori, Paolo; Sooryakumar, R.; Kim, CheolGi

    2017-01-01

    In recent years there have been tremendous advances in the versatility of magnetic shuttle technology using nano/micro-scale magnets for digital magnetophoresis. While the technology has been used for a wide variety of single-cell manipulation tasks such as selection, capture, transport, encapsulation, transfection, or lysing of magnetically labeled and unlabeled cells, it has also expanded to include parallel actuation and study of multiple bio-entities. The use of nano/micro-patterned magnetic structures that enable remote control of the applied forces has greatly facilitated integration of the technology with microfluidics, thereby fostering applications in the biomedical arena. The basic design and fabrication of various scaled magnets for remote manipulation of individual and multiple beads/cells, and their associated energies and forces that underlie the broad functionalities of this approach, are presented. One of the most useful features enabled by such advanced integrated engineering is the capacity to remotely tune the magnetic field gradient and energy landscape, permitting such multipurpose shuttles to be implemented within lab-on-chip platforms for a wide range of applications at the intersection of cellular biology and biotechnology.

  13. Hafnium oxide films for application as gate dielectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsu, Shuo-Lin

    The deposition and characterization of HfO2 films for potential application as a high-kappa gate dielectric in MOS devices has been investigated. DC magnetron reactive sputtering was utilized to prepare the HfO2 films. Structural, chemical, and electrical analyses were performed to characterize the various physical, chemical and electrical properties of the sputtered HfO2 films. The sputtered HfO2 films were annealed to simulate the dopant activation process used in semiconductor processing, and to study the thermal stability of the high-kappa, films. The changes in the film properties due to the annealing are also discussed in this work. Glancing angle XRD was used to analyse the atomic scale structure of the films. The as deposited films exhibit an amorphous, regardless of the film thickness. During post-deposition annealing, the thicker films crystallized at lower temperature (< 600°C), and ultra-thin (5.8 nm) film crystallized at higher temperature (600--720°C). The crystalline phase which formed depended on the thickness of the films. The low temperature phase (monoclinic) formed in the 10--20 nm annealed films, and high temperature phase (tetragonal) formed in the ultra-thin annealed HfO2 film. TEM cross-section studies of as deposited samples show that an interfacial layer (< 1nm) exists between HfO2/Si for all film thicknesses. The interfacial layer grows thicker during heat treatment, and grows more rapidly when grain boundaries are present. XPS surface analysis shows the as deposited films are fully oxidized with an excess of oxygen. Interfacial chemistry analysis indicated that the interfacial layer is a silicon-rich silicate layer, which tends to transform to silica-like layer during heat treatment. I-V measurements show the leakage current density of the Al/as deposited-HfO 2/Si MOS diode is of the order of 10-3 A/cm 2, two orders of magnitude lower than that of a ZrO2 film with similar physical thickness. Carrier transport is dominated by Schottky

  14. Nano-structured manganese oxide as a cathodic catalyst for enhanced oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell fed with a synthetic wastewater.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xian-Wei; Sun, Xue-Fei; Huang, Yu-Xi; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Zhou, Kang; Zeng, Raymond J; Dong, Fang; Wang, Shu-Guang; Xu, An-Wu; Tong, Zhong-Hua; Yu, Han-Qing

    2010-10-01

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide new opportunities for the simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. Enhanced oxygen reduction capacity of cost-effective metal-based catalysts in an air cathode is essential for the scale-up and commercialization of MFCs in the field of wastewater treatment. We demonstrated that a nano-structured MnO(x) material, prepared by an electrochemically deposition method, could be an effective catalyst for oxygen reduction in an MFC to generate electricity with the maximum power density of 772.8 mW/m(3) and remove organics when the MFC was fed with an acetate-laden synthetic wastewater. The nano-structured MnO(x) with the controllable size and morphology could be readily obtained with the electrochemical deposition method. Both morphology and manganese oxidation state of the nano-scale catalyst were largely dependent on the electrochemical preparation process, and they governed its catalytic activity and the cathodic oxygen reduction performance of the MFC accordingly. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry (CV) performed on each nano-structured material suggests that the MnO(x) nanorods had an electrochemical activity towards oxygen reduction reaction via a four-electron pathway in a neutral pH solution. This work provides useful information on the facile preparation of cost-effective cathodic catalysts in a controllable way for the single-chamber air-cathode MFC for wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Facile one-step construction of covalently networked, self-healable, and transparent superhydrophobic composite films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Yujin; You, Eun-Ah; Ha, Young-Geun

    2018-07-01

    Despite the considerable demand for bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces with highly transparent, self-cleaning, and self-healable properties, a facile and scalable fabrication method for multifunctional superhydrophobic films with strong chemical networks has rarely been established. Here, we report a rationally designed facile one-step construction of covalently networked, transparent, self-cleaning, and self-healable superhydrophobic films via a one-step preparation and single-reaction process of multi-components. As coating materials for achieving the one-step fabrication of multifunctional superhydrophobic films, we included two different sizes of Al2O3 nanoparticles for hierarchical micro/nano dual-scale structures and transparent films, fluoroalkylsilane for both low surface energy and covalent binding functions, and aluminum nitrate for aluminum oxide networked films. On the basis of stability tests for the robust film composition, the optimized, covalently linked superhydrophobic composite films with a high water contact angle (>160°) and low sliding angle (<1°) showed excellent thermal stability (up to 400 °C), transparency (≈80%), self-healing, self-cleaning, and waterproof abilities. Therefore, the rationally designed, covalently networked superhydrophobic composite films, fabricated via a one-step solution-based process, can be further utilized for various optical and optoelectronic applications.

  16. Structural changes in graphene oxide thin film by electron-beam irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tyagi, Chetna; Lakshmi, G. B. V. S.; Kumar, Sunil; Tripathi, Ambuj; Avasthi, D. K.

    2016-07-01

    Although we have a whole class of 2D materials, graphene has drawn much attention for its excellent electronic, optical, thermal and mechanical properties. Recent researches have shown its large scale production by the reduction of graphene oxide either thermally, chemically or electrochemically. Although the structure of graphene oxide is inhomogeneous and hence complicated due to the presence of organic moieties e.g. epoxy, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl groups etc., its properties can be tuned by reduction according to desired application. The aim of this work is to synthesize continuous thin film of graphene oxide using commercially available graphene oxide solution and to study its reduction by 25 keV electron beam irradiation at fluences varying from 2 × 1011 to 2 × 1013 e-/cm2. Our studies using X-ray diffraction, Raman microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that electron-beam irradiation is an effective tool for reduction of graphene oxide and for tuning its band gap.

  17. Environmentally benign graphite intercalation compound composition for exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, and nano-scaled graphene platelets

    DOEpatents

    Zhamu, Aruna; Jang, Bor Z.

    2014-06-17

    A carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound composition for the production of exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, or nano-scaled graphene platelets. The composition comprises a layered graphite with interlayer spaces or interstices and a carboxylic acid residing in at least one of the interstices, wherein the composition is prepared by a chemical oxidation reaction which uses a combination of a carboxylic acid and hydrogen peroxide as an intercalate source. Alternatively, the composition may be prepared by an electrochemical reaction, which uses a carboxylic acid as both an electrolyte and an intercalate source. Exfoliation of the invented composition does not release undesirable chemical contaminants into air or drainage.

  18. Density functional theory studies on the nano-scaled composites consisted of graphene and acyl hydrazone molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, J. L.; Zhou, L.; Lv, Z. C.; Ding, C. H.; Wu, Y. H.; Bai, H. C.

    2016-07-01

    Graphene, which is the first obtained single atomic layer 2D materials, has drawn a great of concern in nano biotechnology due to the unique property. On one hand, acyl hydrazone compounds belonging to the Schif bases have aroused considerable attention in medicine, pharmacy, and analytical reagent. However, few understanding about the interaction between graphene and acyl hydrazone molecules is now available. And such investigations are much crucial for the applications of these new nano-scaled composites. The current work revealed theoretical investigations on the nano-scaled composites built by acyl hydrazone molecules loaded on the surface of graphene. The relative energy, electronic property and the interaction between the counterparts of graphene/acyl hydrazone composites are investigated based on the density functional theory calculations. According to the obtained adsorption energy, the formation of the nano-scaled composite from the isolated graphene and acyl hydrazone molecule is exothermic, and thus it is energetically favorable to form these nano composites in viewpoint of total energy change. The frontier molecular orbital for the nano composite is mainly distributed at the graphene part, leading to that the energy levels of the frontier molecular orbital of the nano composites are very close to that of isolated graphene. Moreover, the counterpart interaction for the graphene/acyl hydrazone composites is also explored based on the discussions of orbital hybridization, charge redistribution and Van der Waals interaction.

  19. Characteristic of Nano-Cu Film Prepared by Energy Filtrating Magnetron Sputtering Technique and Its Optical Property

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhaoyong; Hu, Xing; Yao, Ning

    2015-03-01

    At the optimized deposition parameters, Cu film was deposited by the direct current magnetron sputtering (DMS) technique and the energy filtrating magnetron sputtering (EFMS) technique. The nano-structure was charactered by x-ray diffraction. The surface morphology of the film was observed by atomic force microscopy. The optical properties of the film were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The refractive index, extinction coefficient and the thickness of the film were obtained by the fitted spectroscopic ellipsometry data using the Drude-Lorentz oscillator optical model. Results suggested that a Cu film with different properties was fabricated by the EFMS technique. The film containing smaller particles is denser and the surface is smoother. The average transmission coefficient, the refractive index and the extinction coefficients are higher than those of the Cu film deposited by the DMS technique. The average transmission coefficient (400-800 nm) is more than three times higher. The refractive index and extinction coefficient (at 550 nm) are more than 36% and 14% higher, respectively.

  20. The correlation between nano-hardness and elasticity and fullerene-like clusters in hydrogenated amorphous carbon films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yongfu; Gao, Kaixiong; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Junyan

    2018-01-01

    Fullerene-like hydrogenated carbon films have outstanding mechanical and frictional properties, but their structures have never enjoyed elaboration. In this study, we investigate the relation between nano-hardness and elasticity and fullerene-like clusters by changing energy supply form (direct current and pulse) and H2 concentration in the feedstock. It is found that the films have a network of H-rich amorphous carbon and H-poor or -deficient fullerene-like carbon, and the network change can affect hardness and elastic recovery. This is due to the energy minimization process of the film growing system in a very short pulse period at low temperature.

  1. Surface characteristics and bioactivity of oxide film on titanium metal formed by thermal oxidation.

    PubMed

    Park, Yeong-Joon; Song, Ho-Jun; Kim, In; Yang, Hong-So

    2007-04-01

    In this study, we characterized the surface of oxide film formed on titanium metal through the use of thermal treatment and investigated the effect of surface characteristics on the bioactivity of titanium. The as-received sample group was prepared by polishing and cleaning CP-Ti as a control group, and thermally oxidized sample groups were prepared by heat treating at 530, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 degrees C respectively. Micro-morphology, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and binding state were evaluated using FE-SEM, XRD, and XPS. The bioactivity of sample groups was investigated by observing the degree of calcium phosphate formation from immersion testing in MEM. The surface characterization tests showed that hydroxyl group content in titanium oxide film was increased, as the density of titanium atoms was high and the surface area was large. In MEM immersion test, initial calcium phosphate formation was dependent upon the thickness of titanium oxide, and resultant calcium phosphate formation depended on the content of the hydroxyl group of the titanium oxide film surface.

  2. Evaluation of zinc oxide nano-microtetrapods for biomolecule sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Wei; Zhao, Yichen; Karlsson, Mikael; Wang, Qin; Toprak, Muhammet S.

    2015-12-01

    Zinc oxide tetrapods (ZnO-Ts) were synthesized by flame transport synthesis using Zn microparticles. This work herein reports a systematical study on the structural, optical and electrochemical properties of the ZnO-Ts. The morphology of the ZnO-Ts was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as joint structures of four nano-microstructured legs, of which the diameter of each leg is 0.7-2.2 μm in average from the tip to the stem. The ZnO-Ts were dispersed in glucose solution to study the luminescence as well as photocatalytic activity in a mimicked biological environment. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity in the ultraviolet (UV) region quenches with linear dependence to increased glucose concentration up to 4 mM. The ZnO-Ts were also attached with glucose oxidase (GOx) and over coated with a thin film of Nafion to form active layers for electrochemical glucose sensing. The attachment of GOx and coating of Nafion were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Furthermore, the current response of the active layers based on ZnO-Ts was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in various glucose concentrations. Stable current response of glucose was detected with linear dependence to glucose concentration up to 12 mM, which confirms the potential of ZnO-Ts for biomolecule sensing applications.

  3. Influence of Yttrium Ion-Implantation on the Growth Kinetics and Micro-Structure of NiO Oxide Film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Huiming; Adriana, Felix; Majorri, Aroyave

    2008-02-01

    Isothermal and cyclic oxidation behaviours of pure and yttrium-implanted nickel were studied at 1000°C in air. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the micro-morphology and structure of oxide scales formed on the nickel substrate. It was found that Y-implantation significantly improved the anti-oxidation ability of nickel in both isothermal and cyclic oxidizing experiments. Laser Raman microscopy was also used to study the stress status of oxide scales formed on nickel with and without yttrium. The main reason for the improvement in anti-oxidation of nickel was that Y-implantation greatly reduced the growing speed and grain size of NiO. This fine-grained NiO oxide film might have better high temperature plasticity and could relieve parts of compressive stress by means of creeping, and maintained a ridge character and a relatively low internal stress level. Hence yttrium ion-implantation remarkably enhanced the adhesion of protective NiO oxide scale formed on the nickel substrate.

  4. Mechanical properties of bioplastics cassava starch film with Zinc Oxide nanofiller as reinforcement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harunsyah; Yunus, M.; Fauzan, Reza

    2017-06-01

    This study focuses on investigating the influence of zinc oxide nanofiller on the mechanical properties of bioplastic cassava starch films. Bioplastic cassava starch film-based zinc oxide reinforced composite biopolymeric films were prepared by casting technique. The content of zinc oxide in the bioplastic films was varied from 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0% (w/w) by weight of starch. Surface morphologies of the composites bioplastic films were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM).The result showed that the Tensile strength (TS) was improved significantly with the additional of zinc oxide but the elongation at break (EB %) of the composites was decreased. The maximum tensile strength obtained was 22.30 kgf / mm on the additional of zinc oxide by 0.6% and plastilizer by 25%. Based on data of FTIR, the produced film plastic did not change the group function and it can be concluded that theinteraction in film plastic produced was only a physical interaction. Biodegradable plastic film based on cassava starch-zinc oxide and plasticizer glycerol showed that interesting mechanical properties being transparent, clear, homogeneous, flexible, and easily handled.

  5. Large Scale Laser Crystallization of Solution-based Alumina-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) Nanoinks for Highly Transparent Conductive Electrode

    PubMed Central

    Nian, Qiong; Callahan, Michael; Saei, Mojib; Look, David; Efstathiadis, Harry; Bailey, John; Cheng, Gary J.

    2015-01-01

    A new method combining aqueous solution printing with UV Laser crystallization (UVLC) and post annealing is developed to deposit highly transparent and conductive Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) films. This technique is able to rapidly produce large area AZO films with better structural and optoelectronic properties than most high vacuum deposition, suggesting a potential large-scale manufacturing technique. The optoelectronic performance improvement attributes to UVLC and forming gas annealing (FMG) induced grain boundary density decrease and electron traps passivation at grain boundaries. The physical model and computational simulation developed in this work could be applied to thermal treatment of many other metal oxide films. PMID:26515670

  6. Development of an electron paramagnetic resonance methodology for studying the photo-generation of reactive species in semiconductor nano-particle assembled films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Twardoch, Marek; Messai, Youcef; Vileno, Bertrand; Hoarau, Yannick; Mekki, Djamel E.; Felix, Olivier; Turek, Philippe; Weiss, Jean; Decher, Gero; Martel, David

    2018-06-01

    An experimental approach involving electron paramagnetic resonance is proposed for studying photo-generated reactive species in semiconductor nano-particle-based films deposited on the internal wall of glass capillaries. This methodology is applied here to nano-TiO2 and allows a semi-quantitative analysis of the kinetic evolutions of radical production using a spin scavenger probe.

  7. High carrier concentration p-type transparent conducting oxide films

    DOEpatents

    Yan, Yanfa; Zhang, Shengbai

    2005-06-21

    A p-type transparent conducting oxide film is provided which is consisting essentially of, the transparent conducting oxide and a molecular doping source, the oxide and doping source grown under conditions sufficient to deliver the doping source intact onto the oxide.

  8. Understanding Organic Film Behavior on Alloy and Metal Oxides

    PubMed Central

    Raman, Aparna; Quiñones, Rosalynn; Barriger, Lisa; Eastman, Rachel; Parsi, Arash

    2010-01-01

    Native oxide surfaces of stainless steel 316L and Nitinol alloys and their constituent metal oxides namely, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, manganese, iron and titanium were modified with long chain organic acids to better understand organic film formation. The adhesion and stability of films of octadecylphosphonic acid, octadecylhydroxamic acid, octadecylcarboxylic acid and octadecylsulfonic acid on these substrates was examined in this study. The films formed on these surfaces were analyzed by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, atomic force microscopy and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. The effect of the acidity of the organic moiety and substrate composition on the film characteristics and stability is discussed. Interestingly, on the alloy surfaces, the presence of less reactive metal sites does not inhibit film formation. PMID:20039608

  9. The disclosed transformation of pre-sputtered Ti films into nanoparticles via controlled thermal oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Awad, M. A.; Raaif, M.

    2018-05-01

    Nanoparticles of TiO2 were successfully prepared from pre-sputtered Ti films using the controlled thermal oxidation. The effect of oxidation temperature on structural, morphological and optical properties in addition to photocatalysis activity of the sputtered films was tested and explained. Analysis of XRD and EDAX elucidated the enhancement in crystallization and oxygen content with the increase of oxidation temperature. SEM depicted the formation of very fine nanoparticles with no specific border on the films oxidized at 550 and 600 °C, whilst crystallites with larger size of approximately from 16 to 23 nm have been observed for the film oxidized at 650 °C. Both optical transmission and refractive index were increased with increasing the oxidation temperature. A red shift in the absorption edge was obtained for the films oxidized at 650 °C compared to that oxidized at 600 °C. The photocatalysis tests demonstrated the priority of 600 °C nanoparticle films to decompose methyl orange (MO) more than 650 °C treated film.

  10. Conductive metal oxide film and method of making

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

    Windisch, C.F. Jr.; Exarhos, G.J.

    1999-11-23

    The present invention is a method for reducing a dopant in a film of a metal oxide wherein the dopant is reduced and the first metal oxide is substantially not reduced. The method of the present invention relies upon exposing the film to reducing conditions for a predetermined time and reducing a valence of the metal from a positive valence to a zero valence and maintaining atoms with a zero valence in an atomic configuration within the lattice structure of the metal oxide. According to the present invention, exposure to reducing conditions may be achieved electrochemically or achieved in anmore » elevated temperature gas phase.« less

  11. Conductive metal oxide film and method of making

    DOEpatents

    Windisch, Jr., Charles F.; Exarhos, Gregory J.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention is a method for reducing a dopant in a film of a metal oxide wherein the dopant is reduced and the first metal oxide is substantially not reduced. The method of the present invention relies upon exposing the film to reducing conditions for a predetermined time and reducing a valence of the metal from a positive valence to a zero valence and maintaining atoms with a zero valence in an atomic configuration within the lattice structure of the metal oxide. According to the present invention, exposure to reducing conditions may be achieved electrochemically or achieved in an elevated temperature gas phase.

  12. Effect of solvent volume on the physical properties of aluminium doped nanocrystalline zinc oxide thin films deposited using a simplified spray pyrolysis technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jabena Begum, N.; Mohan, R.; Ravichandran, K.

    2013-01-01

    Aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited by employing a low cost and simplified spray technique using a perfume atomizer from starting solutions having different volumes (10, 20, … , 50 mL) of solvent. The effect of solvent volume on the structural, electrical, optical, photoluminescence (PL) and surface morphological properties was studied. The electrical resistivity of the AZO films is remarkably influenced by the variation in the solvent volume. The X-ray diffraction profiles clearly showed that all the films have preferential orientation along the (0 0 2) plane irrespective of the solvent volume. The crystallite size was found to be in the nano range of 35-46 nm. The optical transmittance in the visible region is desirably high (>85%). The AFM images show columnar morphology with varying grain size. The PL studies revealed that the AZO film deposited from 50 mL of solvent volume has good quality with lesser defect density.

  13. Engineering functionalized multi-phased silicon/silicon oxide nano-biomaterials to passivate the aggressive proliferation of cancer

    PubMed Central

    Premnath, P.; Tan, B.; Venkatakrishnan, K.

    2015-01-01

    Currently, the use of nano silicon in cancer therapy is limited as drug delivery vehicles and markers in imaging, not as manipulative/controlling agents. This is due to limited properties that native states of nano silicon and silicon oxides offers. We introduce nano-functionalized multi-phased silicon/silicon oxide biomaterials synthesized via ultrashort pulsed laser synthesis, with tunable properties that possess inherent cancer controlling properties that can passivate the progression of cancer. This nanostructured biomaterial is composed of individual functionalized nanoparticles made of a homogenous hybrid of multiple phases of silicon and silicon oxide in increasing concentration outwards from the core. The chemical properties of the proposed nanostructure such as number of phases, composition of phases and crystal orientation of each functionalized nanoparticle in the three dimensional nanostructure is defined based on precisely tuned ultrashort pulsed laser-material interaction mechanisms. The amorphous rich phased biomaterial shows a 30 fold (95%) reduction in number of cancer cells compared to bulk silicon in 48 hours. Further, the size of the cancer cells reduces by 76% from 24 to 48 hours. This method exposes untapped properties of combination of multiple phases of silicon oxides and its applications in cancer therapy. PMID:26190009

  14. Thermally evaporated mechanically hard tin oxide thin films for opto-electronic apllications

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

    Tripathy, Sumanta K.; Rajeswari, V. P.

    2014-01-28

    Tungsten doped tin oxide (WTO) and Molybdenum doped tin oxide (MoTO) thin film were deposited on corn glass by thermal evaporation method. The films were annealed at 350°C for one hour. Structural analysis using Xray diffraction data shows both the films are polycrystalline in nature with monoclinic structure of tin oxide, Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4}, corresponding to JCPDS card number 01-078-6064. SEM photograph showed that both the films have spherical grains with size in the range of 20–30 nm. Compositional analysis was carried out using EDS which reveals the presence of Sn, O and the dopant Mo/W only thereby indicating themore » absence of any secondary phase in the films. The films are found to contain nearly 6 wt% of Mo, 8 wt% of W as dopants respectively. The transmission pattern for both the films in the spectral range 200 – 2000 nm shows that W doping gives a transparency of nearly 80% from 380 nm onwards while Mo doping has less transparency of 39% at 380nm. Film hardness measurement using Triboscope shows a film hardness of about 9–10 GPa for both the films. It indicates that W or M doping in tin oxide provides the films the added advantage of withstanding the mechanical wear and tear due to environmental fluctuations By optimizing the optical and electrical properties, W/Mo doped tin oxide films may be explored as window layers in opto-electronic applications such as solar cells.« less

  15. A Novel Fabrication Approach for Multifunctional Graphene-based Thin Film Nano-composite Membranes with Enhanced Desalination and Antibacterial Characteristics.

    PubMed

    Hegab, Hanaa M; ElMekawy, Ahmed; Barclay, Thomas G; Michelmore, Andrew; Zou, Linda; Losic, Dusan; Saint, Christopher P; Ginic-Markovic, Milena

    2017-08-08

    A practical fabrication technique is presented to tackle the trade-off between the water flux and salt rejection of thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes through controlled creation of a thinner active selective polyamide (PA) layer. The new thin film nano-composite (TFNC) RO membranes were synthesized with multifunctional poly tannic acid-functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets (pTA-f-GO) embedded in its PA thin active layer, which is produced through interfacial polymerization. The incorporation of pTA-f-GOL into the fabricated TFNC membranes resulted in a thinner PA layer with lower roughness and higher hydrophilicity compared to pristine membrane. These properties enhanced both the membrane water flux (improved by 40%) and salt rejection (increased by 8%) of the TFNC membrane. Furthermore, the incorporation of biocidal pTA-f-GO nanosheets into the PA active layer contributed to improving the antibacterial properties by 80%, compared to pristine membrane. The fabrication of the pTA-f-GO nanosheets embedded in the PA layer presented in this study is a very practical, scalable and generic process that can potentially be applied in different types of separation membranes resulting in less energy consumption, increased cost-efficiency and improved performance.

  16. Photo-induced changes in nano-copper oxide for optoelectronic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendi, A. A.; Rashad, M.

    2018-06-01

    Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared using microwave irradiation. A mother material was copper nitrate in distilled water. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for characterizing the NPs powders. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) were measured for as-prepared CuO NPs. The obtained oxides NPs were confirmed produced during chemical precipitation by these characterizions. These NPs were dropped on top of glass substrate for measuring the optical characterizions. Both linear and nonlinear optical properties of the as-prepared CuO NP films were studied. The optical energy gap of the as-prepared CuO NP films is equal to 3.98 eV, which is higher than that of the bulk material. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation on the CuO NP films was investigated at 2 and 5 h for study the photo-induced effect. The optical properties of CuO NP films were measured as a function of these UV irradiation time. The optical constants for as-prepared and irradiated CuO NP films were calculated which reflect the affect of UV irradiation time. As observed from these optical results, a highly forced for optoelectronic applications.

  17. Elaboration of Prussian Blue Analogue/Silica Nanocomposites: Towards Tailor-Made Nano-Scale Electronic Devices

    PubMed Central

    Fornasieri, Giulia; Aouadi, Merwen; Delahaye, Emilie; Beaunier, Patricia; Durand, Dominique; Rivière, Eric; Albouy, Pierre-Antoine; Brisset, François; Bleuzen, Anne

    2012-01-01

    The research of new molecular materials able to replace classical solid materials in electronics has attracted growing attention over the past decade. Among these compounds photoswitchable Prussian blue analogues (PBA) are particularly interesting for the elaboration of new optical memories. However these coordination polymers are generally synthesised as insoluble powders that cannot be integrated into a real device. Hence their successful integration into real applications depends on an additional processing step. Nanostructured oxides elaborated by sol-gel chemistry combined with surfactant micelle templating can be used as nanoreactors to confine PBA precipitation and organize the functional nano-objects in the three dimensions of space. In this work we present the elaboration of different CoFe PBA/silica nanocomposites. Our synthetic procedure fully controls the synthesis of PBA in the porosity of the silica matrix from the insertion of the precursors up to the formation of the photomagnetic compound. We present results on systems from the simplest to the most elaborate: from disordered xerogels to ordered nanostructured films passing through mesoporous monoliths. PMID:28817053

  18. Structural changes in the nano-oxide layer with annealing in specular spin valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, S. H.; Kim, Y. W.; Kang, T.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, K. Y.

    2003-05-01

    We investigated microstructural changes in a nano-oxide layer (NOL) with annealing in specular spin valves (SVs) by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. In the SV annealed at high temperature of 400 °C, an increase in thickness and a local breakdown of the NOL were observed. This local coarsening of the NOL is closely related to the formation of Mn oxides in the oxide-rich part of the NOL through Mn diffusion. Thus, the chemical structure of the NOL changes to the structure with Mn oxide-rich content after annealing.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2008-06-01

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

  20. Nano-volcanic Eruption of Silver

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Shih-Kang; Nagao, Shijo; Yokoi, Emi; Oh, Chulmin; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Yu-Chen; Lin, Shih-Guei; Suganuma, Katsuaki

    2016-10-01

    Silver (Ag) is one of the seven metals of antiquity and an important engineering material in the electronic, medical, and chemical industries because of its unique noble and catalytic properties. Ag thin films are extensively used in modern electronics primarily because of their oxidation-resistance. Here we report a novel phenomenon of Ag nano-volcanic eruption that is caused by interactions between Ag and oxygen (O). It involves grain boundary liquation, the ejection of transient Ag-O fluids through grain boundaries, and the decomposition of Ag-O fluids into O2 gas and suspended Ag and Ag2O clusters. Subsequent coating with re-deposited Ag-O and the de-alloying of O yield a conformal amorphous Ag coating. Patterned Ag hillock arrays and direct Ag-to-Ag bonding can be formed by the homogenous crystallization of amorphous coatings. The Ag “nano-volcanic eruption” mechanism is elaborated, shedding light on a new mechanism of hillock formation and new applications of amorphous Ag coatings.

  1. Nano-volcanic Eruption of Silver.

    PubMed

    Lin, Shih-Kang; Nagao, Shijo; Yokoi, Emi; Oh, Chulmin; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Yu-Chen; Lin, Shih-Guei; Suganuma, Katsuaki

    2016-10-05

    Silver (Ag) is one of the seven metals of antiquity and an important engineering material in the electronic, medical, and chemical industries because of its unique noble and catalytic properties. Ag thin films are extensively used in modern electronics primarily because of their oxidation-resistance. Here we report a novel phenomenon of Ag nano-volcanic eruption that is caused by interactions between Ag and oxygen (O). It involves grain boundary liquation, the ejection of transient Ag-O fluids through grain boundaries, and the decomposition of Ag-O fluids into O 2 gas and suspended Ag and Ag 2 O clusters. Subsequent coating with re-deposited Ag-O and the de-alloying of O yield a conformal amorphous Ag coating. Patterned Ag hillock arrays and direct Ag-to-Ag bonding can be formed by the homogenous crystallization of amorphous coatings. The Ag "nano-volcanic eruption" mechanism is elaborated, shedding light on a new mechanism of hillock formation and new applications of amorphous Ag coatings.

  2. Crystallization of high-strength nano-scale leucite glass-ceramics.

    PubMed

    Theocharopoulos, A; Chen, X; Wilson, R M; Hill, R; Cattell, M J

    2013-11-01

    Fine-grained, high strength, translucent leucite dental glass-ceramics are synthesized via controlled crystallization of finely milled glass powders. The objectives of this study were to utilize high speed planetary milling of an aluminosilicate glass for controlled surface crystallization of nano-scale leucite glass-ceramics and to test the biaxial flexural strength. An aluminosilicate glass was synthesized, attritor or planetary milled and heat-treated. Glasses and glass-ceramics were characterized using particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Experimental (fine and nanoscale) and commercial (Ceramco-3, IPS Empress Esthetic) leucite glass-ceramics were tested using the biaxial flexural strength (BFS) test. Gaussian and Weibull statistics were applied. Experimental planetary milled glass-ceramics showed an increased leucite crystal number and nano-scale median crystal sizes (0.048-0.055 μm(2)) as a result of glass particle size reduction and heat treatments. Experimental materials had significantly (p<0.05) higher mean BFS and characteristic strength values than the commercial materials. Attritor milled and planetary milled (2h) materials showed no significant (p>0.05) strength difference. All other groups' mean BFS and characteristic strengths were found to be significantly different (p<0.05) to each other. The mean (SD) MPa strengths measured were: Attritor milled: 252.4 (38.7), Planetary milled: 225.4 (41.8) [4h milling] 255.0 (35.0) [2h milling], Ceramco-3: 75.7 (6.8) and IPS Empress: 165.5 (30.6). Planetary milling enabled synthesis of nano-scale leucite glass-ceramics with high flexural strength. These materials may help to reduce problems associated with brittle fracture of all-ceramic restorations and give reduced enamel wear. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Electronic transport properties of nano-scale Si films: an ab initio study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maassen, Jesse; Ke, Youqi; Zahid, Ferdows; Guo, Hong

    2010-03-01

    Using a recently developed first principles transport package, we study the electronic transport properties of Si films contacted to heavily doped n-type Si leads. The quantum transport analysis is carried out using density functional theory (DFT) combined with nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGF). This particular combination of NEGF-DFT allows the investigation of Si films with thicknesses in the range of a few nanometers and lengths up to tens of nanometers. We calculate the conductance, the momentum resolved transmission, the potential profile and the screening length as a function of length, thickness, orientation and surface structure. Moreover, we compare the properties of Si films with and without a top surface passivation by hydrogen.

  4. Influence of the domain structure of nano-oxide layers on the transport properties of specular spin valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ventura, J.; Sousa, J. B.; Veloso, A.; Freitas, P. P.

    2007-05-01

    Specular spin valves show enhanced giant magnetoresistive ratio when compared to other simpler, spin valve structures as a result of specular reflection in nano-oxide layers (NOLs) formed by the partial oxidation of the CoFe pinned and free layers. The oxides forming the NOL were recently shown to order antiferromagnetically below T ˜175K. Here we study the training effect in MnIr /CoFe/NOL/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/NOL specular spin valves at low temperatures (15K). We observed that the training effect is related to the nano-oxide layer antiferromagnet ordering and to the evolution of the corresponding domain structure with the number of cycles performed. This allowed us to study the influence of the NOL domain structure on the magnetotransport of specular spin valves.

  5. Ultrathin Lutetium Oxide Film as an Epitaxial Hole-Blocking Layer for Crystalline Bismuth Vanadate Water Splitting Photoanodes

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Wenrui; Yan, Danhua; Tong, Xiao; ...

    2018-01-08

    Here a novel ultrathin lutetium oxide (Lu 2O 3) interlayer is integrated with crystalline bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) thin film photoanodes to facilitate carrier transport through atomic-scale interface control. The epitaxial Lu 2O 32O 3

  6. Nickel oxide nanoparticles film produced by dead biomass of filamentous fungus

    PubMed Central

    Salvadori, Marcia Regina; Nascimento, Cláudio Augusto Oller; Corrêa, Benedito

    2014-01-01

    The synthesis of nickel oxide nanoparticles in film form using dead biomass of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus aculeatus as reducing agent represents an environmentally friendly nanotechnological innovation. The optimal conditions and the capacity of dead biomass to uptake and produce nanoparticles were evaluated by analyzing the biosorption of nickel by the fungus. The structural characteristics of the film-forming nickel oxide nanoparticles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These techniques showed that the nickel oxide nanoparticles had a size of about 5.89 nm and were involved in a protein matrix which probably permitted their organization in film form. The production and uptake of nickel oxide nanoparticles organized in film form by dead fungal biomass bring us closer to sustainable strategies for the biosynthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles. PMID:25228324

  7. Structure and Internal Stress of Tin-Doped Indium Oxide and Indium-Zinc Oxide Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishimura, Eriko; Sasabayashi, Tomoko; Ito, Norihiro; Sato, Yasushi; Utsumi, Kentaro; Yano, Koki; Kaijo, Akira; Inoue, Kazuyoshi; Shigesato, Yuzo

    2007-12-01

    Representative transparent conductive oxide films, such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and indium-zinc oxide (IZO) films, were deposited by dc magnetron sputtering using corresponding oxide targets under various total gas pressures (Ptot) ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 Pa. The ITO films deposited at a Ptot lower than 0.7 Pa were polycrystalline and were found to have a large compressive stress of about 1.5 × 109 Pa, whereas the ITO films deposited at 1.5-3.0 Pa were amorphous and had a low tensile stress. In contrast, all the IZO films deposited at a Ptot range of 0.3-3.0 Pa showed an entirely amorphous structure, where the compressive stress in the IZO films deposited at a Ptot lower than 1.5 Pa was lower than that in the ITO films. Such compressive stress was considered to be generated by the atomic peening effect of high-energy neutrals (Ar0) recoiled from the target or high-energy negative ions (O-) accelerated in the cathode sheath toward the film surface.

  8. Microstructural and microtextural characterization of oxide scale on steel using electron backscatter diffraction.

    PubMed

    Birosca, S; Dingley, D; Higginson, R L

    2004-03-01

    High-temperature oxidation of steel has been extensively studied. The microstructure of iron oxides is, however, not well understood because of the difficulty in imaging it using conventional methods, such as optical or electron microscopy. A knowledge of the oxide microstructure and texture is critical in understanding how the oxide film behaves during high-temperature deformation of steels and more importantly how it can be removed following processing. Recently, electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) has proved to be a powerful technique for distinguishing the different phases in scales. This technique gives valuable information both on the microstructure and on the orientation relationships between the steel and the scale layers. In the current study EBSD has been used to investigate the microstructure and microtexture of iron oxide layers grown on interstitial free steel at different times and temperatures. Heat treatments have been carried out under normal oxidation conditions in order to relate the results to real steel manufacturing in industry. The composition, morphologies, microstructure and microtexture of selected conditions have been studied using EBSD.

  9. Wafer-scale Reduced Graphene Oxide Films for Nanomechanical Devices

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-08-01

    2008, 2 (3), 463–470. (15) Wang, X.; Zhi, L.; Mullen, K. Nano Lett. 2008, 8 (1), 323–327. (16) Stankovich, S.; Dikin , D. A.; Piner, R. D.; Kohlhaas, K. A...Prud’homme, R. K.; Aksay, I. A.; Car, R. Phys. ReV. Lett. 2006, 96 (17), 176101–4. (18) Dikin , D. A.; Stankovich, S.; Zimney, E. J.; Piner, R. D.; Dommett

  10. Oxide film on metal substrate reduced to form metal-oxide-metal layer structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Youngdahl, C. A.

    1967-01-01

    Electrically conductive layer of zirconium on a zirconium-oxide film residing on a zirconium substrate is formed by reducing the oxide in a sodium-calcium solution. The reduced metal remains on the oxide surface as an adherent layer and seems to form a barrier that inhibits further reaction.

  11. Exploring Chondrule and CAI Rims Using Micro- and Nano-Scale Petrological and Compositional Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cartwright, J. A.; Perez-Huerta, A.; Leitner, J.; Vollmer, C.

    2017-12-01

    As the major components within chondrites, chondrules (mm-sized droplets of quenched silicate melt) and calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI, refractory) represent the most abundant and the earliest materials that solidified from the solar nebula. However, the exact formation mechanisms of these clasts, and whether these processes are related, remains unconstrained, despite extensive petrological and compositional study. By taking advantage of recent advances in nano-scale tomographical techniques, we have undertaken a combined micro- and nano-scale study of CAI and chondrule rim morphologies, to investigate their formation mechanisms. The target lithologies for this research are Wark-Lovering rims (WLR), and fine-grained rims (FGR) around CAIs and chondrules respectively, present within many chondrites. The FGRs, which are up to 100 µm thick, are of particular interest as recent studies have identified presolar grains within them. These grains predate the formation of our Solar System, suggesting FGR formation under nebular conditions. By contrast, WLRs are 10-20 µm thick, made of different compositional layers, and likely formed by flash-heating shortly after CAI formation, thus recording nebular conditions. A detailed multi-scale study of these respective rims will enable us to better understand their formation histories and determine the potential for commonality between these two phases, despite reports of an observed formation age difference of up to 2-3 Myr. We are using a combination of complimentary techniques on our selected target areas: 1) Micro-scale characterization using standard microscopic and compositional techniques (SEM-EBSD, EMPA); 2) Nano-scale characterization of structures using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elemental, isotopic and tomographic analysis with NanoSIMS and atom probe tomography (APT). Preliminary nano-scale APT analysis of FGR morphologies within the Allende carbonaceous chondrite has successfully discerned

  12. Polymer thin film as coating layer to prevent corrosion of metal/metal oxide film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Suman; Kundu, Sarathi

    2018-04-01

    Thin film of polymer is used as coating layer and the corrosion of metal/metal oxide layer is studied with the variation of the thickness of the coating layer. The thin layer of polystyrene is fabricated using spin coating method on copper oxide (CuO) film which is deposited on glass substrate using DC magnetron sputtering technique. Thickness of the polystyrene and the CuO layers are determined using X-ray reflectivity (XRR) technique. CuO thin films coated with the polystyrene layer are exposed to acetic acid (2.5 v/v% aqueous CH3COOH solution) environments and are subsequently analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface morphology of the film before and after interaction with the acidic environment is determined using AFM. Results obtained from the XRR and UV-Vis spectroscopy confirm that the thin film of polystyrene acts as an anticorrosion coating layer and the strength of the coating depends upon the polymer layer thickness at a constant acid concentration.

  13. Dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis of nano-SiO2, nano iron oxides, nano-CeO2, nano-Al2O3, and quantum dots in seven European regions.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan; Nowack, Bernd

    2018-04-01

    Static environmental exposure assessment models based on material flow analysis (MFA) have previously been used to estimate flows of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to the environment. However, such models do not account for changes in the system behavior over time. Dynamic MFA used in this study includes the time-dependent development of the modelling system by considering accumulation of ENMs in stocks and the environment, and the dynamic release of ENMs from nano-products. In addition, this study also included regional variations in population, waste management systems, and environmental compartments, which subsequently influence the environmental release and concentrations of ENMs. We have estimated the flows and release concentrations of nano-SiO 2 , nano-iron oxides, nano-CeO 2 , nano-Al 2 O 3 , and quantum dots in the EU and six geographical sub-regions in Europe (Central Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, South-eastern Europe, and Switzerland). The model predicts that a large amount of ENMs are accumulated in stocks (not considering further transformation). For example, in the EU 2040 Mt of nano-SiO 2 are stored in the in-use stock, 80,400 tonnes have been accumulated in sediments and 65,600 tonnes in natural and urban soil from 1990 to 2014. The magnitude of flows in waste management processes in different regions varies because of differences in waste handling. For example, concentrations in landfilled waste are lowest in South-eastern Europe due to dilution by the high amount of landfilled waste in the region. The flows predicted in this work can serve as improved input data for mechanistic environmental fate models and risk assessment studies compared to previous estimates using static models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Acoustic Properties of Polyurethane Composition Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes and Silicon Oxide Nano-powder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orfali, Wasim A.

    This article demonstrates the acoustic properties of added small amount of carbon-nanotube and siliconoxide nano powder (S-type, P-Type) to the host material polyurethane composition. By adding CNT and/or nano-silica in the form of powder at different concentrations up to 2% within the PU composition to improve the sound absorption were investigated in the frequency range up to 1600 Hz. Sound transmission loss measurement of the samples were determined using large impedance tube. The tests showed that addition of 0.2 wt.% Silicon Oxide Nano-powder and 0.35 wt.% carbon nanotube to polyurethane composition improved sound transmissions loss (Sound Absorption) up to 80 dB than that of pure polyurethane foam sample.

  15. Electronic Devices Based on Oxide Thin Films Fabricated by Fiber-to-Film Process.

    PubMed

    Meng, You; Liu, Ao; Guo, Zidong; Liu, Guoxia; Shin, Byoungchul; Noh, Yong-Young; Fortunato, Elvira; Martins, Rodrigo; Shan, Fukai

    2018-05-30

    Technical development for thin-film fabrication is essential for emerging metal-oxide (MO) electronics. Although impressive progress has been achieved in fabricating MO thin films, the challenges still remain. Here, we report a versatile and general thermal-induced nanomelting technique for fabricating MO thin films from the fiber networks, briefly called fiber-to-film (FTF) process. The high quality of the FTF-processed MO thin films was confirmed by various investigations. The FTF process is generally applicable to numerous technologically relevant MO thin films, including semiconducting thin films (e.g., In 2 O 3 , InZnO, and InZrZnO), conducting thin films (e.g., InSnO), and insulating thin films (e.g., AlO x ). By optimizing the fabrication process, In 2 O 3 /AlO x thin-film transistors (TFTs) were successfully integrated by fully FTF processes. High-performance TFT was achieved with an average mobility of ∼25 cm 2 /(Vs), an on/off current ratio of ∼10 7 , a threshold voltage of ∼1 V, and a device yield of 100%. As a proof of concept, one-transistor-driven pixel circuit was constructed, which exhibited high controllability over the light-emitting diodes. Logic gates based on fully FTF-processed In 2 O 3 /AlO x TFTs were further realized, which exhibited good dynamic logic responses and voltage amplification by a factor of ∼4. The FTF technique presented here offers great potential in large-area and low-cost manufacturing for flexible oxide electronics.

  16. An Ultra-Precise Method for the Nano Thin-Film Removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pa, P. S.

    In this research an electrode-set is used to investigate via an ultra-precise method for the removal of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin-film microstructure from defective display panels to conquer the low yield rate in display panel production as to from imperfect Indium Tin Oxide layer deposition is well known. This process, which involves the removal of ITO layer substructure by means of an electrochemical removal (ECMR), is of major interest to the optoelectronics semiconductor industry. In this electro machining process a high current flow and high feed rate of the display (color filter) achieves complete and efficient removal of the ITO layer. The ITO thin-film can be removed completely by a proper combination of feed rate and electric power. A small gap between the diameter cathode virtual rotation circle and the diameter virtual rotation circle also corresponds to a higher removal rate. A small anode edge radius with a small cathode edge radius effectively improves dregs discharge and is an advantage when associated with a high workpiece feed rate. This precision method for the recycling of defective display screen color filters is presented as an effective tool for use in the screen manufacturing process. The defective Indium Tin Oxide thin-film can be removed easily and cleanly in a short time. The complete removal of the ITO layer makes it possible to put these panels back into the production line for reuse with a considerable reduction of both waste and production cost.

  17. Surface enrichment of Pt in stable Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles on MgAl 2O 4 spinel in oxidizing atmosphere

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

    Li, Wei -Zhen; Nie, Lei; Cheng, Yingwen

    With the capability of MgAl 2O 4 spinel {111} nano-facets in stabilizing small Rh, Ir and Pt particles, bimetallic Ir-Pt catalysts on the same support were investigated in this paper, aiming at further lowering the catalyst cost by substituting expensive Pt with cheaper Ir in the bulk. Small Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles (< 2 nm) were successfully stabilized on the spinel {111} nano-facets as expected. Interestingly, methanol oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) rate on the surface Pt atoms increases with oxidizing aging but decreases upon reducing treatment, where Ir is almost inactive under the same reaction conditions. Up to three times enhancement inmore » Pt exposure was achieved when the sample was oxidized at 800 °C in air for 1 week and subsequently reduced by H 2 for 2 h, demonstrating successful surface enrichment of Pt on Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles. Finally, a dynamic stabilization mechanism involving wetting/nucleation seems to be responsible for the evolution of surface compositions upon cyclic oxidizing and reducing thermal treatments.« less

  18. Surface enrichment of Pt in stable Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles on MgAl 2O 4 spinel in oxidizing atmosphere

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Wei -Zhen; Nie, Lei; Cheng, Yingwen; ...

    2017-01-13

    With the capability of MgAl 2O 4 spinel {111} nano-facets in stabilizing small Rh, Ir and Pt particles, bimetallic Ir-Pt catalysts on the same support were investigated in this paper, aiming at further lowering the catalyst cost by substituting expensive Pt with cheaper Ir in the bulk. Small Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles (< 2 nm) were successfully stabilized on the spinel {111} nano-facets as expected. Interestingly, methanol oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) rate on the surface Pt atoms increases with oxidizing aging but decreases upon reducing treatment, where Ir is almost inactive under the same reaction conditions. Up to three times enhancement inmore » Pt exposure was achieved when the sample was oxidized at 800 °C in air for 1 week and subsequently reduced by H 2 for 2 h, demonstrating successful surface enrichment of Pt on Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles. Finally, a dynamic stabilization mechanism involving wetting/nucleation seems to be responsible for the evolution of surface compositions upon cyclic oxidizing and reducing thermal treatments.« less

  19. Surface enrichment of Pt in stable Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles on MgAl 2 O 4 spinel in oxidizing atmosphere

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

    Li, Wei-Zhen; Nie, Lei; Cheng, Yingwen

    With the capability of MgAl2O4 spinel {111} nano-facets in stabilizing small Rh, Ir and Pt particles, bimetallic Ir-Pt catalysts on the same support were investigated, aiming at further lowering the catalyst cost by substituting expensive Pt with cheaper Ir in the bulk. Small Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles (< 2nm) were successfully stabilized on the spinel {111} nano-facets as expected. Interestingly, methanol oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) rate on the surface Pt atoms increases with oxidizing aging but decreases upon reducing treatment, where Ir is almost inactive under the same reaction conditions. Up to three times enhancement in Pt exposure was achieved when themore » sample was oxidized at 800 °C in air for 1 week and subsequently reduced by H2 for 2 h, demonstrating successful surface enrichment of Pt on Pt-Ir nano-alloy particles. A dynamic stabilization mechanism involving wetting\

  20. Magnetic properties of partially oxidized Fe films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, Miguel Angel; Lopez-Dominguez, Victor; Hernando, Antonio

    Hybrid magnetic nanostructures exhibit appealing properties due to interface and proximity effects. A simple and interesting system of hybrid magnetic nanomaterials are partially oxidized ferromagnetic films. We have fabricated Fe films by thermal evaporation and performed a partial oxidation to magnetite (Fe3O4) by annealing in air at different times and temperatures. The magnetic properties of the films evolve from those of pure metallic iron to pure magnetite, showing intermediate states where the proximity effects control the magnetic behavior. At some stages, the magnetization curves obtained by SQUID and MOKE magnetometry exhibit important differences due to the dissimilar contribution of both phases to the magneto-optical response of the system This work has been supported by the Ministerio Español de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) MAT2013-48009-C4-1. V.L.D and M.A.G. acknowledges financial support from BBVA foundation.

  1. Photocatalytic properties of nano-structured TiO2-carbon films obtained by means of electrophoretic deposition.

    PubMed

    Peralta-Hernández, J M; Manríquez, J; Meas-Vong, Y; Rodríguez, Francisco J; Chapman, Thomas W; Maldonado, Manuel I; Godínez, Luis A

    2007-08-17

    Recent studies have shown that the light-absorption and photocatalytic efficiencies of TiO2 can be improved by coupling TiO2 nano-particles with nonmetallic dopants, such as carbon. In this paper, we describe the electrophoretic preparation of a novel TiO2-carbon nano-composite photocatalyst on a glass indium thin oxide (ITO) substrate. The objective is to take better advantage of the (e-/h+) pair generated by photoexcitation of semiconducting TiO2 particles. The transfer of electrons (e-) into adjacent carbon nano-particles promotes reduction of oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) which, in the presence of iron ions, can subsequently form hydroxyl radicals (*OH) via the Fenton reaction. At the same time, *OH is formed from water by the (h+) holes in the TiO2. Thus, the *OH oxidant is produced by two routes. The efficiency of this photolytic-Fenton process was tested with a model organic compound, Orange-II (OG-II) azo dye, which is employed in the textile industry.

  2. Modeling Near-Crack-Tip Plasticity from Nano- to Micro-Scales

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glaessgen, Edward H.; Saether, Erik; Hochhalter, Jake D.; Yamakov, Vesselin I.

    2010-01-01

    Several efforts that are aimed at understanding the plastic deformation mechanisms related to crack propagation at the nano-, meso- and micro-length scales including atomistic simulation, discrete dislocation plasticity, strain gradient plasticity and crystal plasticity are discussed. The paper focuses on discussion of newly developed methodologies and their application to understanding damage processes in aluminum and its alloys. Examination of plastic mechanisms as a function of increasing length scale illustrates increasingly complex phenomena governing plasticity

  3. A modified carbothermal reduction method for preparation of high-performance nano-scale core/shell Cu 6Sn 5 alloy anodes in Li-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Wangjun; Wang, Fei; Wang, Jie; Liu, Haijing; Wang, Congxiao; Xia, Yongyao

    Core-shell structured, carbon-coated, nano-scale Cu 6Sn 5 has been prepared by a modified carbothermal reduction method using polymer coated mixed oxides of CuO and SnO 2 as precursors. On heat treatment, the mixture oxides were converted into Cu 6Sn 5 alloy by carbothermal reduction. Simultaneously, the remnants carbon was coated on the surface of the Cu 6Sn 5 particles to form a core-shell structure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images demonstrate that the well-coated carbon layer effectively prevents the encapsulated, low melting point alloy from out flowing in a high-temperature treatment process. Core-shell structured, carbon coated Cu 6Sn 5 delivers a reversible capacity of 420 mAh g -1 with capacity retention of 80% after 50 cycles. The improvement in the cycling ability can be attributed to the fact that the carbon-shell prevents aggregation and pulverization of nano-sized tin-based alloy particles during charge/discharge cycling.

  4. Characterization of sputtered iridium oxide thin films on planar and laser micro-structured platinum thin film surfaces for neural stimulation applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thanawala, Sachin

    Electrical stimulation of neurons provides promising results for treatment of a number of diseases and for restoration of lost function. Clinical examples include retinal stimulation for treatment of blindness and cochlear implants for deafness and deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinsons disease. A wide variety of materials have been tested for fabrication of electrodes for neural stimulation applications, some of which are platinum and its alloys, titanium nitride, and iridium oxide. In this study iridium oxide thin films were sputtered onto laser micro-structured platinum thin films by pulsed-DC reactive sputtering of iridium metal in oxygen-containing atmosphere, to obtain high charge capacity coatings for neural stimulation applications. The micro-structuring of platinum films was achieved by a pulsed-laser-based technique (KrF excimer laser emitting at lambda=248nm). The surface morphology of the micro-structured films was studied using different surface characterization techniques. In-vitro biocompatibility of these laser micro-structured films coated with iridium oxide thin films was evaluated using cortical neurons isolated from rat embryo brain. Characterization of these laser micro-structured films coated with iridium oxide, by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy has revealed a considerable decrease in impedance and increase in charge capacity. A comparison between amorphous and crystalline iridium oxide thin films as electrode materials indicated that amorphous iridium oxide has significantly higher charge capacity and lower impedance making it preferable material for neural stimulation application. Our biocompatibility studies show that neural cells can grow and differentiate successfully on our laser micro-structured films coated with iridium oxide. This indicates that reactively sputtered iridium oxide (SIROF) is biocompatible.

  5. Controlling high-throughput manufacturing at the nano-scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, Khershed P.

    2013-09-01

    Interest in nano-scale manufacturing research and development is growing. The reason is to accelerate the translation of discoveries and inventions of nanoscience and nanotechnology into products that would benefit industry, economy and society. Ongoing research in nanomanufacturing is focused primarily on developing novel nanofabrication techniques for a variety of applications—materials, energy, electronics, photonics, biomedical, etc. Our goal is to foster the development of high-throughput methods of fabricating nano-enabled products. Large-area parallel processing and highspeed continuous processing are high-throughput means for mass production. An example of large-area processing is step-and-repeat nanoimprinting, by which nanostructures are reproduced again and again over a large area, such as a 12 in wafer. Roll-to-roll processing is an example of continuous processing, by which it is possible to print and imprint multi-level nanostructures and nanodevices on a moving flexible substrate. The big pay-off is high-volume production and low unit cost. However, the anticipated cost benefits can only be realized if the increased production rate is accompanied by high yields of high quality products. To ensure product quality, we need to design and construct manufacturing systems such that the processes can be closely monitored and controlled. One approach is to bring cyber-physical systems (CPS) concepts to nanomanufacturing. CPS involves the control of a physical system such as manufacturing through modeling, computation, communication and control. Such a closely coupled system will involve in-situ metrology and closed-loop control of the physical processes guided by physics-based models and driven by appropriate instrumentation, sensing and actuation. This paper will discuss these ideas in the context of controlling high-throughput manufacturing at the nano-scale.

  6. Amorphous semiconducting and conducting transparent metal oxide thin films and production thereof

    DOEpatents

    Perkins, John; Van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria; Ginley, David; Taylor, Matthew; Neuman, George A.; Luten, Henry A.; Forgette, Jeffrey A.; Anderson, John S.

    2010-07-13

    Metal oxide thin films and production thereof are disclosed. An exemplary method of producing a metal oxide thin film may comprise introducing at least two metallic elements and oxygen into a process chamber to form a metal oxide. The method may also comprise depositing the metal oxide on a substrate in the process chamber. The method may also comprise simultaneously controlling a ratio of the at least two metallic elements and a stoichiometry of the oxygen during deposition. Exemplary amorphous metal oxide thin films produced according to the methods herein may exhibit highly transparent properties, highly conductive properties, and/or other opto-electronic properties.

  7. High areal capacity, micrometer-scale amorphous Si film anode based on nanostructured Cu foil for Li-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Si, Wenping; Sun, Xiaolei; Liu, Xianghong; Xi, Lixia; Jia, Yandong; Yan, Chenglin; Schmidt, Oliver G.

    2014-12-01

    We report a feasible design to fabricate micrometer-scale Si films deposited on nanostructured Cu foil as high areal capacity anodes for Li-ion batteries with excellent cycling performance. Nanostructured copper oxides are prepared by anodic oxidation of Cu foil in alkaline solution. The resultant copper oxide nanofibers function as matrix for thick Si films (1-2 μm) loading. Metallic Cu nanofibers are obtained by in-situ electrochemical reduction at low potentials, which work as electrical highways for fast electron transport and a reliable mechanical matrix to accommodate volume changes during lithium-silicon alloy/dealloy processes. The engineered thick Si film anode exhibit both high areal capacity (0.48 mAh cm-2 for 1 μm Si film and 0.6 mAh cm-2 for 2 μm Si film after 200 cycles at 0.225 mA cm-2) and excellent rate capability (0.52 mAh cm-2 at 1.05 mA cm-2 for 2 μm Si film). The 2 μm silicon film electrode is able to recover to the initial value of 1 mAh cm-2 when the current rate is set back to 0.15 mA cm-2 even after cycling at high current rates. The reported concept can be a general method for high-loading-film electrodes, which is industrial scalable and compatible with current battery manufacturing processes.

  8. Preparation of Diatomite Supported Nano Zinc Oxide Composite Photocatalytic Material and Study on its Formaldehyde Degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Liguang; Pang, Bo

    2017-09-01

    This experiment used zinc nitrate as precursor, ethanol as solvent and polyethylene glycol as dispersant, diatomite as carrier, diatomite loaded nano Zinc Oxide was prepared by sol-gel method, in addition, the formaldehyde degradation was studied by two kinds of experimental methods: preparation and loading, preparation and post loading, The samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, BET and IR. Experimental results showed that: Diatomite based nano Zinc Oxide had a continuous adsorption and degradation of formaldehyde, formaldehyde gas with initial concentration was 0.7mg/m3, after 36h degradation, the concentration reached 0.238mg/m3, the degradation rate reached to 66%.

  9. A facile strategy to fabricate plasmonic Cu modified TiO{sub 2} nano-flower films for photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} to methanol

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

    Liu, Enzhou; Qi, Lulu; Bian, Juanjuan

    Graphical abstract: Photoreduction of CO{sub 2} to CH{sub 3}OH over plasmonic Cu/TiO{sub 2} film. - Highlights: • Cu nanoparticles modified TiO{sub 2} nano-flower film was prepared by a facile strategy. • Cu nanoparticles can enhance the light absorption and the Raman scattering of TiO{sub 2}. • Cu nanoparticles can effectively restrain the recombination of the charge carriers. • A synergistic mechanism is proposed for photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} on Cu/TiO{sub 2} film. - Abstract: Cu nanoparticles (NPs) deposited TiO{sub 2} nano-flower films were fabricated using a combination of a hydrothermal method and a microwave-assisted reduction process. The investigations indicatedmore » that Cu NPs and TiO{sub 2} film both exhibit visible light harvesting properties based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Cu NPs and unique nanostructures of TiO{sub 2} film. Fluorescence quenching was observed because the recombination of charge carriers was effectively suppressed by Cu NPs deposition. The experimental results indicate that Cu/TiO{sub 2} films exhibit better activity for the photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} due to the charge transfer property and LSPR effect of Cu NPs. The CH{sub 3}OH production rate reached 1.8 μmol cm{sup −2} h{sup −1} (energy efficiency was 0.8%) over 0.5 Cu/TiO{sub 2} film under UV and visible light irradiation, which was 6.0 times higher than that observed over pure TiO{sub 2} film. In addition, a tentative photocatalytic mechanism is proposed to understand the experimental results over the Cu modified TiO{sub 2} nano-flower films.« less

  10. Copper oxide thin films anchored on glass substrate by sol gel spin coating technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishnaprabha, M.; Venu, M. Parvathy; Pattabi, Manjunatha

    2018-05-01

    Owing to the excellent optical, thermal, electrical and photocatalytic properties, copper oxide nanoparticles/films have found applications in optoelectronic devices like solar/photovoltaic cells, lithium ion batteries, gas sensors, catalysts, magnetic storage media etc. Copper oxide is a p-type semiconductor material having a band gap energy varying from 1.2 eV-2.1 eV. Syzygium Samarangense fruit extract was used as reducing agent to synthesize copper oxide nanostructures at room temperature from 10 mM copper sulphate pentahydrate solution. The synthesized nanostructures are deposited onto glass substrate by spin coating followed by annealing the film at 200 °C. Both the copper oxide colloid and films are characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. Presence of 2 peaks at 500 nm and a broad peak centered around 800 nm in the UV-Vis absorbance spectra of copper oxide colloid/films is indicative of the formation of anisotropic copper oxide nanostructures is confirmed by the FESEM images which showed the presence of triangular shaped and rod shaped particles. The rod shaped particles inside island like structures were found in unannealed films whereas the annealed films contained different shaped particles with reduced sizes. The elemental analysis using EDS spectra of copper oxide nanoparticles/films showed the presence of both copper and oxygen. Electrical properties of copper oxide nanoparticles are affected due to quantum size effect. The electrical studies carried out on both unannealed and annealed copper oxide films revealed an increase in resistivity with annealing of the films.

  11. Plasmofluidics: Merging Light and Fluids at the Micro-/Nano-Scale

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Mingsong; Zhao, Chenglong; Miao, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Yanhui; Rufo, Joseph

    2016-01-01

    Plasmofluidics is the synergistic integration of plasmonics and micro/nano fluidics in devices and applications in order to enhance performance. There has been significant progress in the emerging field of plasmofluidics in recent years. By utilizing the capability of plasmonics to manipulate light at the nanoscale, combined with the unique optical properties of fluids, and precise manipulation via micro/nano fluidics, plasmofluidic technologies enable innovations in lab-on-a-chip systems, reconfigurable photonic devices, optical sensing, imaging, and spectroscopy. In this review article, we examine and categorize the most recent advances in plasmofluidics into plasmon-enhanced functionalities in microfluidics and microfluidics-enhanced plasmonic devices. The former focuses on plasmonic manipulations of fluids, bubbles, particles, biological cells, and molecules at the micro-/nano-scale. The latter includes technological advances that apply microfluidic principles to enable reconfigurable plasmonic devices and performance-enhanced plasmonic sensors. We conclude with our perspectives on the upcoming challenges, opportunities, and the possible future directions of the emerging field of plasmofluidics. PMID:26140612

  12. Nanoscale friction properties of graphene and graphene oxide

    DOE PAGES

    Berman, Diana; Erdemir, Ali; Zinovev, Alexander V.; ...

    2015-04-03

    Achieving superlow friction and wear at the micro/nano-scales through the uses of solid and liquid lubricants may allow superior performance and long-lasting operations in a range of micromechanical system including micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS). Previous studies have indicated that conventional solid lubricants such as highly ordered pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) can only afford low friction in humid environments at micro/macro scales; but, HOPG is not suitable for practical micro-scale applications. Here, we explored the nano-scale frictional properties of multi-layered graphene films as a potential solid lubricant for such applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have revealed that for high-purity multilayered graphenemore » (7–9 layers), the friction force is significantly lower than what can be achieved by the use of HOPG, regardless of the counterpart AFM tip material. We have demonstrated that the quality and purity of multilayered graphene plays an important role in reducing lateral forces, while oxidation of graphene results in dramatically increased friction values. Furthermore, for the first time, we demonstrated the possibility of achieving ultralow friction for CVD grown single layer graphene on silicon dioxide. This confirms that the deposition process insures a stronger adhesion to substrate and hence enables superior tribological performance than the previously reported mechanical exfoliation processes.« less

  13. Synthesis and Characterization of Thermoelectric Oxides at Macro- and Nano-scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Feiyue

    Thermoelectric materials can directly convert a temperature difference into electrical voltage and vice versa. Due to this unique property, thermoelectric materials are widely used in industry and scientific laboratories for temperature sensing and thermal management applications. Waste heat harvesting, another potential application of thermoelectric materials, has long been limited by the low conversion efficiency of the materials. Potential high temperature applications, such as power plant waste heat harvesting and combustion engine exhaust heat recovery, make thermoelectric oxides a very promising class of thermoelectric materials. In this thesis, the synthesis and characterization of thermoelectric oxide materials are explored. In the first part of this thesis, the measurement methodologies and instrumentation processes employed to investigate different thermoelectric properties, such as the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration at the bulk scale and the thermal conductivity at the nanoscale, are detailed. Existing scientific and engineering challenges associated with these measurements are also reviewed. To overcome such problems, original parts and methodologies have been designed. Three fully functional systems were ultimately developed for the characterization of macroscale thermoelectric properties as well as localized thermal conductivity. In the second part of the thesis, the synthesis of NaxCo 2O4, a thermoelectric oxide material, is discussed. Modification of both composition and structure were carried out so as to optimize the thermoelectric performance of NaxCo2O4. Nanostructuring methods, such as ball milling, electrospinning, auto-combustion synthesis, and core-shell structure fabrication, have been developed to refine the grain size of NaxCo2O4 in order to reduce its thermal conductivity. However, the structure of the nanostructured materials is very unstable at high temperature and limited improvement on thermoelectric performance is

  14. Electrophoretic fabrication of chitosan-zirconium-oxide nanobiocomposite platform for nucleic acid detection.

    PubMed

    Das, Maumita; Dhand, Chetna; Sumana, Gajjala; Srivastava, A K; Nagarajan, R; Nain, Lata; Iwamoto, M; Manaka, Takaaki; Malhotra, B D

    2011-03-14

    The present work describes electrophoretic fabrication of nanostructured chitosan-zirconium-oxide composite (CHIT-NanoZrO(2)) film (180 nm) onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated glass plate. This nanobiocomposite film has been explored as immobilization platform for probe DNA specific to M. Tuberculosis as model biomolecule to investigate its sensing characteristics. It is revealed that pH-responsive behavior of CHIT and its cationic skeleton is responsible for the movement of CHIT-NanoZrO(2) colloids toward cathode during electrophoretic deposition. The FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and EDX techniques have been employed for the structural, morphological, and composition analysis of the fabricated electrodes. The morphological studies clearly reveal uniform inter-linking and dispersion of hexagonal nanograins of ZrO(2) (30-50 nm) into the chitosan matrix, resulting in homogeneous nanobiocomposite formation. Electrochemical response measurements of DNA/CHIT-NanoZrO(2)/ITO bioelectrode, carried out using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry, reveal that this bioelectrode can specifically detect complementary target DNA up to 0.00078 μM with sensitivity of 6.38 × 10(-6) AμM(-1).

  15. Biodegradable nano-films for capture and non-invasive release of circulating tumor cells.

    PubMed

    Li, Wei; Reátegui, Eduardo; Park, Myoung-Hwan; Castleberry, Steven; Deng, Jason Z; Hsu, Bryan; Mayner, Sarah; Jensen, Anne E; Sequist, Lecia V; Maheswaran, Shyamala; Haber, Daniel A; Toner, Mehmet; Stott, Shannon L; Hammond, Paula T

    2015-10-01

    Selective isolation and purification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood is an important capability for both clinical medicine and biological research. Current techniques to perform this task place the isolated cells under excessive stresses that reduce cell viability, and potentially induce phenotype change, therefore losing valuable information about the isolated cells. We present a biodegradable nano-film coating on the surface of a microfluidic chip, which can be used to effectively capture as well as non-invasively release cancer cell lines such as PC-3, LNCaP, DU 145, H1650 and H1975. We have applied layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to create a library of ultrathin coatings using a broad range of materials through complementary interactions. By developing an LbL nano-film coating with an affinity-based cell-capture surface that is capable of selectively isolating cancer cells from whole blood, and that can be rapidly degraded on command, we are able to gently isolate cancer cells and recover them without compromising cell viability or proliferative potential. Our approach has the capability to overcome practical hurdles and provide viable cancer cells for downstream analyses, such as live cell imaging, single cell genomics, and in vitro cell culture of recovered cells. Furthermore, CTCs from cancer patients were also captured, identified, and successfully released using the LbL-modified microchips. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Cross-linked gelatin/nanoparticles composite coating on micro-arc oxidation film for corrosion and drug release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xinhua; Lu, Ping; Guo, Meiqing; Fang, Mingzhong

    2010-02-01

    A composite coating which could control drug release and biocorrosion of magnesium alloy stent materials WE42 was prepared. This composite coating was fabricated on the surface of the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) film of the magnesium alloy, WE42, by mixing different degrees of cross-linked gelatin with well-dispersed poly( DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles. The PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation/extraction technique. Nano ZS laser diffraction particle size analyzer detected that the size of the nanoparticles to be 150-300 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to analyze the morphology of the nanoparticles and the composite coating. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the corrosion behavior of the composite coating. Drug release was determined by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer. The corrosion resistance of the composite coating was improved by preventing the corrosive ions from diffusing to the MAO films. The drug release rate of paclitaxel (PTX) exhibited a nearly linear sustained-release profile with no significant burst releases.

  17. Fluorine and oxygen plasma influence on nanoparticle formation and aggregation in metal oxide thin film transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MÄ dzik, Mateusz; Elamurugu, Elangovan; Viegas, Jaime

    2017-03-01

    Despite recent advances in metal oxide thin-film transistor technology, there are no foundry processes available yet for large-scale deployment of metal oxide electronics and photonics, in a similar way as found for silicon based electronics and photonics. One of the biggest challenges of the metal oxide platform is the stability of the fabricated devices. Also, there is wide dispersion on the measured specifications of fabricated TFT, from lot-to-lot and from different research groups. This can be partially explained by the importance of the deposition method and its parameters, which determine thin film microstructure and thus its electrical properties. Furthermore, substrate pretreatment is an important factor, as it may act as a template for material growth. Not so often mentioned, plasma processes can also affect the morphology of deposited films on further deposition steps, such as inducing nanoparticle formation, which strongly impact the conduction mechanism in the channel layer of the TFT. In this study, molybdenum doped indium oxide is sputtered onto ALD deposited HfO2 with or without pattering, and etched by RIE chlorine based processing. Nanoparticle formation is observed when photoresist is removed by oxygen plasma ashing. HfO2 etching in CF4/Ar plasma prior to resist stripping in oxygen plasma promotes the aggregation of nanoparticles into nanosized branched structures. Such nanostructuring is absent when oxygen plasma steps are replaced by chemical wet processing with acetone. Finally, in order to understand the electronic transport effect of the nanoparticles on metal oxide thin film transistors, TFT have been fabricated and electrically characterized.

  18. Integration of strained and relaxed silicon thin films on silicon wafers via engineered oxide heterostructures: Experiment and theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seifarth, O.; Dietrich, B.; Zaumseil, P.; Giussani, A.; Storck, P.; Schroeder, T.

    2010-10-01

    Strained and relaxed single crystalline Si on insulator systems is an important materials science approach for future Si-based nanoelectronics. Layer transfer techniques are the dominating global integration approach over the whole wafer system but are difficult to scale down for local integration purposes limited to the area of the future device. In this respect, the heteroepitaxy approach by two simple subsequent epitaxial deposition steps of the oxide and the Si thin film is a promising way. We introduce tailored (Pr2O3)1-x(Y2O3)x oxide heterostructures on Si(111) as flexible heteroepitaxy concept for the integration of either strained or fully relaxed single crystalline Si thin films. Two different buffer concepts are explored by a combined experimental and theoretical study. First, the growth of fully relaxed single crystalline Si films is achieved by the growth of mixed PrYO3 insulators on Si(111) whose lattice constant is matched to Si. Second, isomorphic oxide-on-oxide epitaxy is exploited to grow strained Si films on lattice mismatched Y2O3/Pr2O3/Si(111) support systems. A thickness dependent multilayer model, based on Matthew's approach for strain relaxation by misfit dislocations, is presented to describe the experimental data.

  19. Composition dependence of charge and magnetic length scales in mixed valence manganite thin films

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Surendra; Freeland, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, M. R.; Jeen, H.; Biswas, A.

    2016-01-01

    Mixed-valence manganese oxides present striking properties like the colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition (MIT) that may result from coexistence of ferromagnetic, metallic and insulating phases. Percolation of such phase coexistence in the vicinity of MIT leads to first-order transition in these manganites. However the length scales over which the electronic and magnetic phases are separated across MIT which appears compelling for bulk systems has been elusive in (La1−yPry)1−xCaxMnO3 films. Here we show the in-plane length scale over which charge and magnetism are correlated in (La0.4Pr0.6)1−xCaxMnO3 films with x = 0.33 and 0.375, across the MIT temperature. We combine electrical transport (resistance) measurements, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and specular/off-specular x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) measurements as a function of temperature to elucidate relationships between electronic, magnetic and morphological structure of the thin films. Using off-specular XRMS we obtained the charge-charge and charge-magnetic correlation length of these LPCMO films across the MIT. We observed different charge-magnetic correlation length for two films which increases below the MIT. The different correlation length shown by two films may be responsible for different macroscopic (transport and magnetic) properties. PMID:27461993

  20. Surface roughness: A review of its measurement at micro-/nano-scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Yuxuan; Xu, Jian; Buchanan, Relva C.

    2018-01-01

    The measurement of surface roughness at micro-/nano-scale is of great importance to metrological, manufacturing, engineering, and scientific applications given the critical roles of roughness in physical and chemical phenomena. The surface roughness of materials can significantly change the way of how they interact with light, phonons, molecules, and so forth, thus surface roughness ultimately determines the functionality and property of materials. In this short review, the techniques of measuring micro-/nano-scale surface roughness are discussed with special focus on the limitations and capabilities of each technique. In addition, the calculations of surface roughness and their theoretical background are discussed to offer readers a better understanding of the importance of post-measurement analysis. Recent progress on fractal analysis of surface roughness is discussed to shed light on the future efforts in surface roughness measurement.