Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sha Li, Chen; Li, Yu Ning; Wu, Yi Liang; Ong, Beng S.; Loutfy, Rafik O.

2008-06-01

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

Colloidal CuInSe2 nanocrystals thin films of low surface roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Kergommeaux, Antoine; Fiore, Angela; Faure-Vincent, Jérôme; Pron, Adam; Reiss, Peter

2013-03-01

Thin-film processing of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is a prerequisite for their use in (opto-)electronic devices. The commonly used spin-coating is highly materials consuming as the overwhelming amount of deposited matter is ejected from the substrate during the spinning process. Also, the well-known dip-coating and drop-casting procedures present disadvantages in terms of the surface roughness and control of the film thickness. We show that the doctor blade technique is an efficient method for preparing nanocrystal films of controlled thickness and low surface roughness. In particular, by optimizing the deposition conditions, smooth and pinhole-free films of 11 nm CuInSe2 NCs have been obtained exhibiting a surface roughness of 13 nm root mean square (rms) for a 350 nm thick film, and less than 4 nm rms for a 75 nm thick film. Invited talk at the 6th International Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology, 30 October-2 November 2012, Ha Long, Vietnam.

Spin-coated Films of Squarylium Dye J-Aggregates Exhibiting Ultrafast Optical Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatsuura, Satoshi; Tian, Minquan; Furuki, Makoto; Sato, Yasuhiro; Pu, Lyong Sun; Wada, Osamu

2000-08-01

The formation of J-aggregates of squarylium dye derivatives in spin-coated films is reported. Squarylium dye derivatives with dipropylamino bases are found to spontaneously aggregate in a spin-coated film. Aggregation is promoted when dye molecules are dispersed in a poly(vinyl alcohol) film, and when a spin-coated film of dye molecules is heated in the presence of acid vapor. In particular, J-aggregates formed by exposure to acetic acid vapor show the narrowest spectral width. J-aggregates formed by the acid treatment method are stable at room temperature and the spectral full-width at half maximum of the J-band is 20 nm. Optical response of the acid-treated film is confirmed to exhibit a short relaxation time of bleached absorption of 300 fs.

Surface spins disorder in uncoated and SiO2 coated maghemite nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeb, F.; Nadeem, K.; Shah, S. Kamran Ali; Kamran, M.; Gul, I. Hussain; Ali, L.

2017-05-01

We studied the surface spins disorder in uncoated and silica (SiO2) coated maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles using temperature and time dependent magnetization. The average crystallite size for SiO2 coated and uncoated nanoparticles was about 12 and 29 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the nanoparticles are spherical in shape and well separated. Temperature scans of zero field cooled (ZFC)/field cooled (FC) magnetization measurements showed lower average blocking temperature (TB) for SiO2 coated maghemite nanoparticles as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization (Ms) of SiO2 coated maghemite nanoparticles was also lower than the uncoated nanoparticles and is attributed to smaller average crystallite size of SiO2 coated nanoparticles. For saturation magnetization vs. temperature data, Bloch's law (M(T)= M(0).(1- BTb)) was fitted well for both uncoated and SiO2 coated nanoparticles and yields: B =3×10-7 K-b, b=2.22 and B=0.0127 K-b, b=0.57 for uncoated and SiO2 coated nanoparticles, respectively. Higher value of B for SiO2 coated nanoparticles depicts decrease in exchange coupling due to enhanced surface spins disorder (broken surface bonds) as compared to uncoated nanoparticles. The Bloch's exponent b was decreased for SiO2 coated nanoparticles which is due to their smaller average crystallite size or finite size effects. Furthermore, a sharp increase of coercivity at low temperatures (<25 K) was observed for SiO2 coated nanoparticles which is also due to contribution of increased surface anisotropy or frozen surface spins in these smaller nanoparticles. The FC magnetic relaxation data was fitted to stretched exponential law which revealed slower magnetic relaxation for SiO2 coated nanoparticles. All these measurements revealed smaller average crystallite size and enhanced surface spins disorder in SiO2 coated nanoparticles than in uncoated γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles.

Freestanding films of crosslinked gold nanoparticles prepared via layer-by-layer spin-coating.

PubMed

Schlicke, Hendrik; Schröder, Jan H; Trebbin, Martin; Petrov, Alexey; Ijeh, Michael; Weller, Horst; Vossmeyer, Tobias

2011-07-29

A new, extremely efficient method for the fabrication of films comprised of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) crosslinked by organic dithiols is presented in this paper. The method is based on layer-by-layer spin-coating of both components, GNPs and crosslinker, and enables the deposition of films several tens of nanometers in thickness within a few minutes. X-ray diffraction and conductance measurements reveal the proper adjustment concentration of the crosslinker solution of the critical is in order to prevent the destabilization and coalescence of particles. UV/vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and conductivity measurements indicate that films prepared via layer-by-layer spin-coating are of comparable quality to coatings prepared via laborious layer-by-layer self-assembly using immersion baths. Because spin-coated films are not bound chemically to the substrate, they can be lifted-off by alkaline underetching and transferred onto 3d-electrodes to produce electrically addressable, freely suspended films. Comparative measurements of the sheet resistances indicate that the transfer process does not compromise the film quality.

Freestanding films of crosslinked gold nanoparticles prepared via layer-by-layer spin-coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlicke, Hendrik; Schröder, Jan H.; Trebbin, Martin; Petrov, Alexey; Ijeh, Michael; Weller, Horst; Vossmeyer, Tobias

2011-07-01

A new, extremely efficient method for the fabrication of films comprised of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) crosslinked by organic dithiols is presented in this paper. The method is based on layer-by-layer spin-coating of both components, GNPs and crosslinker, and enables the deposition of films several tens of nanometers in thickness within a few minutes. X-ray diffraction and conductance measurements reveal the proper adjustment concentration of the crosslinker solution of the critical is in order to prevent the destabilization and coalescence of particles. UV/vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and conductivity measurements indicate that films prepared via layer-by-layer spin-coating are of comparable quality to coatings prepared via laborious layer-by-layer self-assembly using immersion baths. Because spin-coated films are not bound chemically to the substrate, they can be lifted-off by alkaline underetching and transferred onto 3d-electrodes to produce electrically addressable, freely suspended films. Comparative measurements of the sheet resistances indicate that the transfer process does not compromise the film quality.

Spin-wave interference in microscopic permalloy tubes

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

Balhorn, Felix; Nagrodzki, Lukas; Mendach, Stefan

2013-06-03

We present permalloy coated needles which act as spin-wave resonators. The permalloy coated needles were investigated using microwave absorption spectroscopy. Thereby, we found up to three resonant modes which correspond to constructively interfering azimuthal spin waves. The resonant modes are well reproduced in calculations based on an analytical model for the spin-wave dispersion employing periodic boundary conditions. The dependence of the resonance frequencies on the needles' radii and the external magnetic field is demonstrated experimentally.

Constructing a superhydrophobic surface on polydimethylsiloxane via spin coating and vapor-liquid sol-gel process.

PubMed

Peng, Yu-Ting; Lo, Kuo-Feng; Juang, Yi-Je

2010-04-06

In this study, a superhydrophobic surface on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate was constructed via the proposed vapor-liquid sol-gel process in conjunction with spin coating of dodecyltrichlorosilane (DTS). Unlike the conventional sol-gel process where the reaction takes place in the liquid phase, layers of silica (SiO(2)) particles were formed through the reaction between the reactant spin-coated on the PDMS surface and vapor of the acid solution. This led to the SiO(2) particles inlaid on the PDMS surface. Followed by subsequent spin coating of DTS solution, the wrinkle-like structure was formed, and the static contact angle of the water droplet on the surface could reach 162 degrees with 2 degrees sliding angle and less than 5 degrees contact angle hysteresis. The effect of layers of SiO(2) particles, concentrations of DTS solution and surface topography on superhydrophobicity of the surface is discussed.

Magnetic field dependence of the current flowing in the spin-coated chlorophyll thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aji, J. R. P.; Kusumandari; Purnama, B.

2018-03-01

The magnetic dependence of the current flowing in the spin coated chlorophyll films on a patterned Cu PCB substrate has been presented. Chlorophyll was isolated from Spirulina sp and deposited by spin coated methods. The reducing of current by the change of magnetic field (magneto conductance effect) was performed by inducing the magnetic field parallel to the inplane of film at room temp. The magnetoconductance ratio decreases as the increase of voltage. It was indicated that the origin of carrier charge in chlorophyll films should be different with the carrier charge injection (electron).

Friction modifier using adherent metallic multilayered or mixed element layer conversion coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, Harry F. (Inventor); Defalco, Frank G. (Inventor); Starks, Sr., Lloyd L. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A process for creating conversion coatings and spin, drawing, and extrusion finishes for surfaces, wherein the conversion coatings and spin, drawing, and extrusion finishes contain potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, silicon, and one or more non-alkaline metals. The process comprises forming a first aqueous solution of silicate, potassium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide; forming a second aqueous solution of water, phosphoric acid, ammonium hydroxide, an alkali metal hydroxide, and one or more non-alkaline metals, and then combining the first solution with the second solution to form a final solution. This final solution forms an anti-friction multi-layer conversion coating or a spin, drawing, and extrusion finish on a surface when applied to the surface, either directly or as an additive in lubricating fluids.

Friction Modifier Using Adherent Metallic Multilayered or Mixed Element Layer Conversion Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, Harry F. (Inventor); Defalco, Francis G. (Inventor); Starks, Lloyd L., Sr. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A process for creating conversion coatings and spin, drawing, and extrusion finishes for surfaces, wherein the conversion coatings and spin, drawing, and extrusion finishes contain potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and one or more non-alkaline metals and/or one or more metalloids. The process comprises forming an aqueous solution of water, phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid, ammonium hydroxide, an alkali metal hydroxide, and one or more non-alkaline metals and/or one or more metalloids. The aqueous solution forms an anti-friction multilayer conversion and/or mixed element coating or a spin, drawing, and extrusion finish on a surface when applied to the surface, either directly without the use of applied external electromotive force, or as an additive in lubricating fluids.

Nucleation and Crystal Growth of Organic-Inorganic Lead Halide Perovskites under Different Relative Humidity.

PubMed

Gao, Hao; Bao, Chunxiong; Li, Faming; Yu, Tao; Yang, Jie; Zhu, Weidong; Zhou, Xiaoxin; Fu, Gao; Zou, Zhigang

2015-05-06

Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite compounds are very promising materials for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. But how to fabricate high-quality perovksite films under controlled humidity conditions is still an important issue due to their sensitivity to moisture. In this study, we investigated the influence of ambient humidity on crystallization and surface morphology of one-step spin-coated perovskite films, as well as the performance of solar cells based on these perovskite films. On the basis of experimental analyses and thin film growth theory, we conclude that the influence of ambient humidity on nucleation at spin-coating stage is quite different from that on crystal growth at annealing stage. At the spin-coating stage, high nucleation density induced by high supersaturation prefers to appear under anhydrous circumstances, resulting in layer growth and high coverage of perovskite films. But at the annealing stage, the modest supersaturation benefits formation of perovskite films with good crystallinity. The films spin-coated under low relative humidity (RH) followed by annealing under high RH show an increase of crystallinity and improved performance of devices. Therefore, a mechanism of fast nucleation followed by modest crystal growth (high supersaturation at spin-coating stage and modest supersaturation at annealing stage) is suggested in the formation of high-quality perovskite films.

Ferroelectric properties of PZT/BFO multilayer thin films prepared using the sol-gel method.

PubMed

Jo, Seo-Hyeon; Lee, Sung-Gap; Lee, Young-Hie

2012-01-05

In this study, Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/BiFeO3 [PZT/BFO] multilayer thin films were fabricated using the spin-coating method on a Pt(200 nm)/Ti(10 nm)/SiO2(100 nm)/p-Si(100) substrate alternately using BFO and PZT metal alkoxide solutions. The coating-and-heating procedure was repeated several times to form the multilayer thin films. All PZT/BFO multilayer thin films show a void-free, uniform grain structure without the presence of rosette structures. The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the six-coated PZT/BFO [PZT/BFO-6] thin film were approximately 405 and 0.03%, respectively. As the number of coatings increased, the remanent polarization and coercive field increased. The values for the BFO-6 multilayer thin film were 41.3 C/cm2 and 15.1 MV/cm, respectively. The leakage current density of the BFO-6 multilayer thin film at 5 V was 2.52 × 10-7 A/cm2.

Wet catalyst-support films for production of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Alvarez, Noe T; Hamilton, Christopher E; Pint, Cary L; Orbaek, Alvin; Yao, Jun; Frosinini, Aldo L; Barron, Andrew R; Tour, James M; Hauge, Robert H

2010-07-01

A procedure for vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA-CNT) production has been developed through liquid-phase deposition of alumoxanes (aluminum oxide hydroxides, boehmite) as a catalyst support. Through a simple spin-coating of alumoxane nanoparticles, uniform centimer-square thin film surfaces were coated and used as supports for subsequent deposition of metal catalyst. Uniform VA-CNTs are observed to grow from this film following deposition of both conventional evaporated Fe catalyst, as well as premade Fe nanoparticles drop-dried from the liquid phase. The quality and uniformity of the VA-CNTs are comparable to growth from conventional evaporated layers of Al(2)O(3). The combined use of alumoxane and Fe nanoparticles to coat surfaces represents an inexpensive and scalable approach to large-scale VA-CNT production that makes chemical vapor deposition significantly more competitive when compared to other CNT production techniques.

Sol-gel antireflective spin-coating process for large-size shielding windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belleville, Philippe F.; Prene, Philippe; Mennechez, Francoise; Bouigeon, Christian

2002-10-01

The interest of the antireflective coatings applied onto large-area glass components increases everyday for the potential application such as building or shop windows. Today, because of the use of large size components, sol-gel process is a competitive way for antireflective coating mass production. The dip-coating technique commonly used for liquid-deposition, implies a safety hazard due to coating solution handling and storage in the case of large amounts of highly flammable solvent use. On the other hand, spin-coating is a liquid low-consumption technique. Mainly devoted to coat circular small-size substrate, we have developed a spin-coating machine able to coat large-size rectangular windows (up to 1 x 1.7 m2). Both solutions and coating conditions have been optimized to deposit optical layers with accurate and uniform thickness and to highly limit the edge effects. Experimental single layer antireflective coating deposition process onto large-area shielding windows (1000 x 1700 x 20 mm3) is described. Results show that the as-developed process could produce low specular reflection value (down to 1% one side) onto white-glass windows over the visible range (460-750 nm). Low-temperature curing process (120°C) used after sol-gel deposition enables antireflective-coating to withstand abrasion-resistance properties in compliance to US-MIL-C-0675C moderate test.

Scaling behavior of fully spin-coated TFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, Sandip; Kumar, Arvind; Rao, K. S. R. Koteswara; Venkataraman, V.

2017-05-01

We studied channel scaling behavior of fully spin coated, low temperature solution processed thin film transistor (TFT) fabricated on p++ - Si (˜1021 cm-3) as bottom gate. The solution processed, spin coated 40 nm thick amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (a-IGZO) and 50 nm thick amorphous zirconium di-oxide (a-ZrO2) has been used as channel and low leakage dielectric at 350°C respectively. The channel scaling effect of the TFT with different width/length ratio (W/L= 2.5, 5 and 15) for same channel length (L = 10 μm) has been demonstrated. The lowest threshold voltage (Vth) is 6.25 V for the W/L=50/10. The maximum field effect mobility (μFE) has been found to be 0.123 cm2/Vs from W/L of 50/10 with the drain to source voltage (VD) of 10V and 20V gate to source voltage (VG). We also demonstrated that there is no contact resistance effect on the mobility of the fully sol-gel spin coated TFT.

Analysis and characterization of Cu2CdSnS4 quaternary alloy nanostructures deposited on GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odeh, Ali Abu; Al-Douri, Y.; Ameri, M.; Bouhemadou, A.

2018-06-01

Through using spin coating technique, Cu2CdSnS4 (CCTS) quaternary alloy nanostructures were successfully deposited on GaN substrate using a wide range of spin coating speeds; 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 and 3500 RPM at annealing temperature 300 °C. The optical properties were investigated through UV-vis which revealed the changing of energy band gap as the spin coating speed increases, in addition, to verify specific models of refractive index and optical dielectric constant. The structural properties were studied by X-ray diffraction which indicated that the number and intensity of the peaks were changed as the spin coating speed changes. The morphological and topographical studies of CCTS were elaborated by field emission-scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The obtained results suggest that CCTS nanostructures deposited on GaN substrate are very suitable for optoelectronic applications, that are in accordance with the available theoretical and experimental data.

Blade-Cast Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells in Air with Excellent Morphology, Efficiency, and Stability.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Lin, Baojun; Hu, Bo; Xu, Xianbin; Ma, Wei

2018-04-17

Blade-coating serving as a prototype tool for slot-die coating can be very compatible with large-area roll-to-roll coating. Using blade-coating in an ambient environment, an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.03% is achieved in nonfullerene organic solar cells, which is higher than that of the optimal spin-coated device with a PCE of 9.41%. It is demonstrated that blade-coating can induce a higher degree of molecular packing for both conjugated polymer donors and small-molecular acceptors as it helps to produce a seeding film containing numerous crystal grains, subsequently providing nucleation sites for the residual solution when the motion of the blade exposes a liquid front. Due to this effect, blade-coating can partially replace the role of the additive 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) and thus achieves the optimized morphology with fewer additives. Moreover, it is found that the blade-coated film with 0.25% DIO possesses not only a smaller domain size but also higher domain purity, suggesting more D/A (donor/acceptor) interfaces and a purer phase domain as compared to the spin-coated film with 1% DIO. Encouragingly, the blade-coated device with less DIO (0.25%) exhibits much better stability than the spin-coated device with 1% DIO, showing excellent prospects. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Heterofunctional nanosheet controlling cell adhesion properties by collagen coating.

PubMed

Niwa, Daisuke; Fujie, Toshinori; Lang, Thorsten; Goda, Nobuhito; Takeoka, Shinji

2012-08-01

Recently, biomaterials have been widely used in a variety of medical applications. We previously reported that a poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) nanosheet shows anti-adhesive properties and constitutes a useful biomaterial for preventing unwanted wound adhesion in surgical operations. In this article, we examine whether the PLLA nanosheet can be specifically modified with biomacromolecules on one surface only. Such an approach would endow each side of the nanosheet with discrete functions, that is anti-adhesive and pro-healing properties. We fabricated two distinct PLLA nanosheets: (i) collagen cast on the surface of a PLLA nanosheet (Col-Cast-PLLA) and (ii) collagen spin-coated on the nanosheet (Col-Spin-PLLA). In the Col-Spin-PLLA nanosheet, the collagen layer had a thickness of 5-10 nm on the PLLA surface and displayed increased hydrophilicity compared to both PLLA and Col-Cast-PLLA nanosheets. In addition, atomic force microscopy showed disorganized collagen fibril formation on the PLLA layer when covered using the spin-coating method, while apparent bundle formations of collagen were formed in the Col-Cast-PLLA nanosheet. The Col-Spin-PLLA nanosheet provided a microenvironment for cells to adhere and spread. By contrast, the Col-Cast-PLLA nanosheet displayed reduced cell adhesion compared to the Col-Spin-PLLA nanosheet. Consistent with these findings, immunocytochemical analysis clearly showed fine networks of actin filaments in cells cultured on the Col-Spin-PLLA, but not the Col-Cast-PLLA nanosheet. Therefore, the Col-Spin-PLLA nanosheet was shown to be more suitable for acting as a scaffold. In conclusion, we have succeeded in developing a heterofunctional nanosheet comprising a collagen modified side, which has the ability to rapidly adhere cells, and an unmodified side, which acts as an adhesion barrier, by using a spin-coating technique.

Particle-based Nano-Antennas at the Vis-NIR regime

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) :poly(styrene sulfonate) is then spin coated and dried at 110oC to form a 50nm buffer layer partially covering...dominant effect is that during the spin coating of the 50nm PEDOT buffer a residual very thin layer coated also the top 50nm part of the Au disks...antennas, capacitive versus conductive coupling, on-demand design (termed ‘popcorn’ antennas), broadband plasmonic metamaterials, and light

Magic angle spinning NMR with metallized rotors as cylindrical microwave resonators.

PubMed

Scott, Faith J; Sesti, Erika L; Choi, Eric J; Laut, Alexander J; Sirigiri, Jagadishwar R; Barnes, Alexander B

2018-04-19

We introduce a novel design for millimeter wave electromagnetic structures within magic angle spinning (MAS) rotors. In this demonstration, a copper coating is vacuum deposited onto the outside surface of a sapphire rotor at a thickness of 50 nm. This thickness is sufficient to reflect 197-GHz microwaves, yet not too thick as to interfere with radiofrequency fields at 300 MHz or prevent sample spinning due to eddy currents. Electromagnetic simulations of an idealized rotor geometry show a microwave quality factor of 148. MAS experiments with sample rotation frequencies of ω r /2π = 5.4 kHz demonstrate that the drag force due to eddy currents within the copper does not prevent sample spinning. Spectra of sodium acetate show resolved 13 C J-couplings of 60 Hz and no appreciable broadening between coated and uncoated sapphire rotors, demonstrating that the copper coating does not prevent shimming and high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, 13 C Rabi nutation curves of ω 1 /2π = 103 kHz for both coated and uncoated rotors indicate no detrimental impact of the copper coating on radio frequency coupling of the nuclear spins to the sample coil. We present this metal coated rotor as a first step towards an MAS resonator. MAS resonators are expected to have a significant impact on developments in electron decoupling, pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), room temperature DNP, DNP with low-power microwave sources, and electron paramagnetic resonance detection. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Transition from Spin Dewetting to continuous film in spin coating of Liquid Crystal 5CB.

PubMed

Dhara, Palash; Bhandaru, Nandini; Das, Anuja; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2018-05-08

Spin dewetting refers to spontaneous rupture of the dispensed solution layer during spin coating, resulting in isolated but periodic, regular sized domains of the solute and is pre-dominant when the solute concentration (C n ) is very low. In this article we report how the morphology of liquid crystal (LC) 5CB thin films coated on flat and patterned PMMA substrate transform from spin dewetted droplets to continuous films with increase in C n . We further show that within the spin dewetted regime, with gradual increase in the solute concentration, periodicity of the isotropic droplets (λ D ) as well as their mean diameter (d D ), gradually decreases, till the film becomes continuous at a critical concentration (C n *). Interestingly, the trend that λ D reduces with increase in C n is exact opposite to what is observed in thermal/solvent vapor induced dewetting of a thin film. The spin dewetted droplets exhibit transient Radial texture, in contrast to Schlieren texture observed in elongated threads and continuous films of 5CB, which remains in the Nematic phase at room temperature. Finally we show that by casting the film on a grating patterned substrate it becomes possible to align the spin dewetted droplets along the contours substrate patterns.

Improved electron injection in spin coated Alq3 incorporated ZnO thin film in the device for solution processed OLEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasi, Gnyaneshwar; Ramarajan, R.; Thangaraju, Kuppusamy

2018-04-01

We deposit tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films by spin coating method under the normal ambient. It showed the higher transmittance (90% at 550 nm) when compared to that (80% at 550 nm) of spin coated pure ZnO film. SEM studies show that the Alq3 incorporation in ZnO film also enhances the formation of small sized particles arranged in the network of wrinkles on the surface. XRD reveals the improved crystalline properties upon Alq3 inclusion. We fabricate the electron-only devices (EODs) with the structure of ITO/spin coated ZnO:Alq3 as ETL/Alq3 interlayer/LiF/Al. The device showed the higher electron current density of 2.75 mA/cm2 at 12V when compared to that (0.82 mA/cm2 at 12V) of the device using pure ZnO ETL. The device results show that it will be useful to fabricate the low-cost solution processed OLEDs for future lighting and display applications.

DMF as an Additive in a Two-Step Spin-Coating Method for 20% Conversion Efficiency in Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Wu, Jionghua; Xu, Xin; Zhao, Yanhong; Shi, Jiangjian; Xu, Yuzhuan; Luo, Yanhong; Li, Dongmei; Wu, Huijue; Meng, Qingbo

2017-08-16

DMF as an additive has been employed in FAI/MAI/IPA (FA= CH 2 (NH 2 ) 2 , MA = CH 3 NH 3 , IPA = isopropanol) solution for a two-step multicycle spin-coating method in order to prepare high-quality FA x MA 1-x PbI 2.55 Br 0.45 perovskite films. Further investigation reveals that the existence of DMF in the FAI/MAI/IPA solution can facilitate perovskite conversion, improve the film morphology, and reduce crystal defects, thus enhancing charge-transfer efficiency. By optimization of the DMF amount and spin-coating cycles, compact, pinhole-free perovskite films are obtained. The nucleation mechanisms of perovskite films in our multicycle spin-coating process are suggested; that is, the introduction of DMF in the spin-coating FAI/MAI/IPA solution can lead to the formation of an amorphous phase PbX 2 -AI-DMSO-DMF (X = I, Br; A = FA, MA) instead of intermediate phase (MA) 2 Pb 3 I 8 ·2DMSO. This amorphous phase, similar to that in the one-step method, can help FAI/MAI penetrate into the PbI 2 framework to completely convert into the perovskite. As high as 20.1% power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been achieved with a steady-state PCE of 19.1%. Our work offers a simple repeatable method to prepare high-quality perovskite films for high-performance PSCs and also help further understand the perovskite-crystallization process.

Corrosion resistance and adhesion strength of a spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembled coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yan-Bin; Liu, Han-Peng; Li, Chang-Yang; Chen, Yong; Li, Shuo-Qi; Zeng, Rong-Chang; Wang, Zhen-Lin

2018-03-01

A polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/polyacrylic acid (PAA) layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled composite coating with a multilayer structure for the corrosion protection of AZ31 magnesium alloy was prepared by a novel spin-casting method. The microstructure and composition of this coating were investigated by means of SEM, XRD and FT-IR measurements. Moreover, electrochemical, immersion and scratch tests in vitro were performed to measure the corrosion performance and the adhesion strength. These results indicated that the (PVP/PAA)10 composite coating with defect-free, dense and uniform morphologies could be successfully deposited on the surface of magnesium alloy. The coating had excellent corrosion resistance and adhesion strength.

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

PubMed

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

2013-01-01

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

Formation of ordered microphase-separated pattern during spin coating of ABC triblock copolymer.

PubMed

Huang, Weihuan; Luo, Chunxia; Zhang, Jilin; Han, Yanchun

2007-03-14

In this paper, the authors have systematically studied the microphase separation and crystallization during spin coating of an ABC triblock copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO). The microphase separation of PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO and the crystallization of PEO blocks can be modulated by the types of the solvent and the substrate, the spinning speed, and the copolymer concentration. Ordered microphase-separated pattern, where PEO and P2VP blocks adsorbed to the substrate and PS blocks protrusions formed hexagonal dots above the P2VP domains, can only be obtained when PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO is dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide and the films are spin coated onto the polar substrate, silicon wafers or mica. The mechanism of the formation of regular pattern by microphase separation is found to be mainly related to the inducement of the substrate (middle block P2VP wetting the polar substrate), the quick vanishment of the solvent during the early stage of the spin coating, and the slow evaporation of the remaining solvent during the subsequent stage. On the other hand, the probability of the crystallization of PEO blocks during spin coating decreases with the reduced film thickness. When the film thickness reaches a certain value (3.0 nm), the extensive crystallization of PEO is effectively prohibited and ordered microphase-separated pattern over large areas can be routinely prepared. When the film thickness exceeds another definite value (12.0 nm), the crystallization of PEO dominates the surface morphology. For films with thickness between these two values, microphase separation and crystallization can simultaneously occur.

Ferroelectric properties of PZT/BFO multilayer thin films prepared using the sol-gel method

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In this study, Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/BiFeO3 [PZT/BFO] multilayer thin films were fabricated using the spin-coating method on a Pt(200 nm)/Ti(10 nm)/SiO2(100 nm)/p-Si(100) substrate alternately using BFO and PZT metal alkoxide solutions. The coating-and-heating procedure was repeated several times to form the multilayer thin films. All PZT/BFO multilayer thin films show a void-free, uniform grain structure without the presence of rosette structures. The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the six-coated PZT/BFO [PZT/BFO-6] thin film were approximately 405 and 0.03%, respectively. As the number of coatings increased, the remanent polarization and coercive field increased. The values for the BFO-6 multilayer thin film were 41.3 C/cm2 and 15.1 MV/cm, respectively. The leakage current density of the BFO-6 multilayer thin film at 5 V was 2.52 × 10-7 A/cm2. PMID:22221519

A comparative study of spin coated and floating film transfer method coated poly (3-hexylthiophene)/poly (3-hexylthiophene)-nanofibers based field effect transistors

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

Tiwari, Shashi; Balasubramanian, S. K.; Takashima, Wataru

2014-09-07

A comparative study on electrical performance, optical properties, and surface morphology of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and P3HT-nanofibers based “normally on” type p-channel field effect transistors (FETs), fabricated by two different coating techniques has been reported here. Nanofibers are prepared in the laboratory with the approach of self-assembly of P3HT molecules into nanofibers in an appropriate solvent. P3HT (0.3 wt. %) and P3HT-nanofibers (∼0.25 wt. %) are used as semiconductor transport materials for deposition over FETs channel through spin coating as well as through our recently developed floating film transfer method (FTM). FETs fabricated using FTM show superior performance compared to spin coated devices;more » however, the mobility of FTM films based FETs is comparable to the mobility of spin coated one. The devices based on P3HT-nanofibers (using both the techniques) show much better performance in comparison to P3HT FETs. The best performance among all the fabricated organic field effect transistors are observed for FTM coated P3HT-nanofibers FETs. This improved performance of nanofiber-FETs is due to ordering of fibers and also due to the fact that fibers offer excellent charge transport facility because of point to point transmission. The optical properties and structural morphologies (P3HT and P3HT-nanofibers) are studied using UV-visible absorption spectrophotometer and atomic force microscopy , respectively. Coating techniques and effect of fiber formation for organic conductors give information for fabrication of organic devices with improved performance.« less

Throughput increase by adjustment of the BARC drying time with coat track process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brakensiek, Nickolas L.; Long, Ryan

2005-05-01

Throughput of a coater module within the coater track is related to the solvent evaporation rate from the material that is being coated. Evaporation rate is controlled by the spin dynamics of the wafer and airflow dynamics over the wafer. Balancing these effects is the key to achieving very uniform coatings across a flat unpatterned wafer. As today"s coat tracks are being pushed to higher throughputs to match the scanner, the coat module throughput must be increased as well. For chemical manufacturers the evaporation rate of the material depends on the solvent used. One measure of relative evaporation rates is to compare flash points of a solvent. The lower the flash point, the quicker the solvent will evaporate. It is possible to formulate products with these volatile solvents although at a price. Shipping and manufacturing a more flammable product increase chances of fire, thereby increasing insurance premiums. Also, the end user of these chemicals will have to take extra precautions in the fab and in storage of these more flammable chemicals. An alternative coat process is possible which would allow higher throughput in a distinct coat module without sacrificing safety. A tradeoff is required for this process, that being a more complicated coat process and a higher viscosity chemical. The coat process uses the fact that evaporation rate depends on the spin dynamics of the wafer by utilizing a series of spin speeds that first would set the thickness of the material followed by a high spin speed to remove the residual solvent. This new process can yield a throughput of over 150 wafers per hour (wph) given two coat modules. The thickness uniformity of less than 2 nm (3 sigma) is still excellent, while drying times are shorter than 10 seconds to achieve the 150 wph throughput targets.

A novel surface modification approach for protein and cell microarrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkuri, Mahaveer D.; Driever, Chantelle; Thissen, Helmut W.; Voelcker, Nicholas H.

2007-01-01

Tissue engineering and stem cell technologies have led to a rapidly increasing interest in the control of the behavior of mammalian cells growing on tissue culture substrates. Multifunctional polymer coatings can assist research in this area in many ways, for example, by providing low non-specific protein adsorption properties and reactive functional groups at the surface. The latter can be used for immobilization of specific biological factors that influence cell behavior. In this study, glass slides were coated with copolymers of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA). The coatings were prepared by three different methods based on dip and spin coating as well as polymer grafting procedures. Coatings were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface sensitive infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry and contact angle measurements. A fluorescently labelled protein was deposited onto reactive coatings using a contact microarrayer. Printing of a model protein (fluorescein labeled bovine serum albumin) was performed at different protein concentrations, pH, temperature, humidity and using different micropins. The arraying of proteins was studied with a microarray scanner. Arrays printed at a protein concentration above 50 μg/mL prepared in pH 5 phosphate buffer at 10°C and 65% relative humidity gave the most favourable results in terms of the homogeneity of the printed spots and the fluorescence intensity.

Perovskite ink with wide processing window for scalable high-efficiency solar cells

DOE PAGES

Yang, Mengjin; Li, Zhen; Reese, Matthew O.; ...

2017-03-20

Perovskite solar cells have made tremendous progress using laboratory-scale spin-coating methods in the past few years owing to advances in controls of perovskite film deposition. However, devices made via scalable methods are still lagging behind state-of-the-art spin-coated devices because of the complicated nature of perovskite crystallization from a precursor state. Here we demonstrate a chlorine-containing methylammonium lead iodide precursor formulation along with solvent tuning to enable a wide precursor-processing window (up to ~8 min) and a rapid grain growth rate (as short as ~1 min). Coupled with antisolvent extraction, this precursor ink delivers high-quality perovskite films with large-scale uniformity. Themore » ink can be used by both spin-coating and blade-coating methods with indistinguishable film morphology and device performance. Using a blade-coated absorber, devices with 0.12-cm 2 and 1.2-cm 2 areas yield average efficiencies of 18.55% and 17.33%, respectively. As a result, we further demonstrate a 12.6-cm 2 four-cell module (88% geometric fill factor) with 13.3% stabilized active-area efficiency output.« less

Perovskite ink with wide processing window for scalable high-efficiency solar cells

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

Yang, Mengjin; Li, Zhen; Reese, Matthew O.

Perovskite solar cells have made tremendous progress using laboratory-scale spin-coating methods in the past few years owing to advances in controls of perovskite film deposition. However, devices made via scalable methods are still lagging behind state-of-the-art spin-coated devices because of the complicated nature of perovskite crystallization from a precursor state. Here we demonstrate a chlorine-containing methylammonium lead iodide precursor formulation along with solvent tuning to enable a wide precursor-processing window (up to ~8 min) and a rapid grain growth rate (as short as ~1 min). Coupled with antisolvent extraction, this precursor ink delivers high-quality perovskite films with large-scale uniformity. Themore » ink can be used by both spin-coating and blade-coating methods with indistinguishable film morphology and device performance. Using a blade-coated absorber, devices with 0.12-cm 2 and 1.2-cm 2 areas yield average efficiencies of 18.55% and 17.33%, respectively. As a result, we further demonstrate a 12.6-cm 2 four-cell module (88% geometric fill factor) with 13.3% stabilized active-area efficiency output.« less

In Situ GIWAXS Analysis of Solvent and Additive Effects on PTB7 Thin Film Microstructure Evolution during Spin Coating

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

Manley, Eric F.; Strzalka, Joseph; Fauvell, Thomas J.

The influence of solvent and processing additives on the pathways and rates of crystalline morphology formation for spin-coated semiconducting PTB7 (poly[[4,8-bis[(2- ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)- carbonyl]-thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl

In Situ GIWAXS Analysis of Solvent and Additive Effects on PTB7 Thin Film Microstructure Evolution during Spin Coating

DOE PAGES

Manley, Eric F.; Strzalka, Joseph; Fauvell, Thomas J.; ...

2017-10-09

The influence of solvent and processing additives on the pathways and rates of crystalline morphology formation for spin-coated semiconducting PTB7 (poly[[4,8-bis[(2- ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)- carbonyl]-thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl

High-mobility ultrathin semiconducting films prepared by spin coating.

PubMed

Mitzi, David B; Kosbar, Laura L; Murray, Conal E; Copel, Matthew; Afzali, Ali

2004-03-18

The ability to deposit and tailor reliable semiconducting films (with a particular recent emphasis on ultrathin systems) is indispensable for contemporary solid-state electronics. The search for thin-film semiconductors that provide simultaneously high carrier mobility and convenient solution-based deposition is also an important research direction, with the resulting expectations of new technologies (such as flexible or wearable computers, large-area high-resolution displays and electronic paper) and lower-cost device fabrication. Here we demonstrate a technique for spin coating ultrathin (approximately 50 A), crystalline and continuous metal chalcogenide films, based on the low-temperature decomposition of highly soluble hydrazinium precursors. We fabricate thin-film field-effect transistors (TFTs) based on semiconducting SnS(2-x)Se(x) films, which exhibit n-type transport, large current densities (>10(5) A cm(-2)) and mobilities greater than 10 cm2 V(-1) s(-1)--an order of magnitude higher than previously reported values for spin-coated semiconductors. The spin-coating technique is expected to be applicable to a range of metal chalcogenides, particularly those based on main group metals, as well as for the fabrication of a variety of thin-film-based devices (for example, solar cells, thermoelectrics and memory devices).

High-mobility ultrathin semiconducting films prepared by spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitzi, David B.; Kosbar, Laura L.; Murray, Conal E.; Copel, Matthew; Afzali, Ali

2004-03-01

The ability to deposit and tailor reliable semiconducting films (with a particular recent emphasis on ultrathin systems) is indispensable for contemporary solid-state electronics. The search for thin-film semiconductors that provide simultaneously high carrier mobility and convenient solution-based deposition is also an important research direction, with the resulting expectations of new technologies (such as flexible or wearable computers, large-area high-resolution displays and electronic paper) and lower-cost device fabrication. Here we demonstrate a technique for spin coating ultrathin (~50Å), crystalline and continuous metal chalcogenide films, based on the low-temperature decomposition of highly soluble hydrazinium precursors. We fabricate thin-film field-effect transistors (TFTs) based on semiconducting SnS2-xSex films, which exhibit n-type transport, large current densities (>105Acm-2) and mobilities greater than 10cm2V-1s-1-an order of magnitude higher than previously reported values for spin-coated semiconductors. The spin-coating technique is expected to be applicable to a range of metal chalcogenides, particularly those based on main group metals, as well as for the fabrication of a variety of thin-film-based devices (for example, solar cells, thermoelectrics and memory devices).

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Nur Fahana Mohd; Ng, Sha Shiong

2017-12-01

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

Effects of fluorine contamination on spin-on dielectric thickness in semiconductor manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyoung-ryeun; Hong, Soonsang; Kim, Samyoung; Oh, Changyeol; Hwang, Sung Min

2018-03-01

In the recent semiconductor industry, as the device shrinks, spin-on dielectric (SOD) has been adopted as a widely used material because of its excellent gap-fill, efficient throughput on mass production. SOD film must be uniformly thin, homogeneous and free of particle defects because it has been perfectly perserved after chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) and etching process. Spin coating is one of the most common techniques for applying SOD thin films to substrates. In spin coating process, the film thickness and uniformity are strong function of the solution viscosity, the final spin speed and the surface properties. Especially, airborne molecular contaminants (AMCs), such as HF, HCl and NH3, are known to change to surface wetting characteristics. In this work, we study the SOD film thickness as a function of fluorine contamination on the wafer surface. To examine the effects of airborne molecular contamination, the wafers are directly exposed to HF fume followed by SOD coating. It appears that the film thickness decreases by higher contact angle on the wafer surface due to fluorine contamination. The thickness of the SOD film decreased with increasing fluorine contamination on the wafer surface. It means that the wafer surface with more hydrophobic property generates less hydrogen bonding with the functional group of Si-NH in polysilazane(PSZ)-SOD film. Therefore, the wetting properties of silicon wafer surfaces can be degraded by inorganic contamination in SOD coating process.

Facile Synthesis of Porous Silicon Nanofibers by Magnesium Reduction for Application in Lithium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Cho, Daehwan; Kim, Moonkyoung; Hwang, Jeonghyun; Park, Jay Hoon; Joo, Yong Lak; Jeong, Youngjin

2015-12-01

We report a facile fabrication of porous silicon nanofibers by a simple three-stage procedure. Polymer/silicon precursor composite nanofibers are first fabricated by electrospinning, a water-based spinning dope, which undergoes subsequent heat treatment and then reduction using magnesium to be converted into porous silicon nanofibers. The porous silicon nanofibers are coated with a graphene by using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for use as an anode material of lithium ion batteries. The porous silicon nanofibers can be mass-produced by a simple and solvent-free method, which uses an environmental-friendly polymer solution. The graphene-coated silicon nanofibers show an improved cycling performance of a capacity retention than the pure silicon nanofibers due to the suppression of the volume change and the increase of electric conductivity by the graphene.

Synthesis and optical characterization of ternary chalcogenide Cu3BiS3 thin film by spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawal, Neha; Hadi, Mohammed Kamal; Modi, B. P.

2017-05-01

In this work, ternary Chalcogenide Cu3BiS3(CBS) thin films have been prepared and modified by using spin coating technique. Lucratively, spin coating technique is easy going and simple though it hasn't given an enclosure and extensive focus of researches for Cu3BiS3 thin films formation. The surface smoothness and the homogeneity of the obtained thin films have been optimized throughout varying the annealing temperature, concentration and rotation speed. It had been found that as prepared films the value of the energy band gap is 1.4 eV, the absorption coefficient 105 cm-1. Each values of the EBG (Energy Band Gap) and AC (Absorption coefficient) was found in quite agreement with the published work of CBS thin film formation by other methods as CBD, dip coating etc. It signifies that Cu3BiS3 films can be used as an absorber layer for thin film solar cell.

Engineered Protein Coatings to Improve the Osseointegration of Dental and Orthopaedic Implants

PubMed Central

Raphel, Jordan; Karlsson, Johan; Galli, Silvia; Wennerberg, Ann; Lindsay, Christopher; Haugh, Matthew; Pajarinen, Jukka; Goodman, Stuart B.; Jimbo, Ryo; Andersson, Martin; Heilshorn, Sarah C.

2016-01-01

Here we present the design of an engineered, elastin-like protein (ELP) that is chemically modified to enable stable coatings on the surfaces of titanium-based dental and orthopaedic implants by novel photocrosslinking and solution processing steps. The ELP includes an extended RGD sequence to confer bio-signaling and an elastin-like sequence for mechanical stability. ELP thin films were fabricated on cp-Ti and Ti6Al4V surfaces using scalable spin and dip coating processes with photoactive covalent crosslinking through a carbene insertion mechanism. The coatings withstood procedures mimicking dental screw and hip replacement stem implantations, a key metric for clinical translation. They promoted rapid adhesion of MG63 osteoblast-like cells, with over 80% adhesion after 24 hours, compared to 38% adhesion on uncoated Ti6Al4V. MG63 cells produced significantly more mineralization on ELP coatings compared to uncoated Ti6Al4V. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) had an earlier increase in alkaline phosphatase activity, indicating more rapid osteogenic differentiation and mineral deposition on adhesive ELP coatings. Rat tibia and femur in vivo studies demonstrated that cell-adhesive ELP-coated implants increased bone-implant contact area and interfacial strength after one week. These results suggest that ELP coatings withstand surgical implantation and promote rapid osseointegration, enabling earlier implant loading and potentially preventing micromotion that leads to aseptic loosening and premature implant failure. PMID:26790146

In situ scanning tunneling microscope tip treatment device for spin polarization imaging

DOEpatents

Li, An-Ping [Oak Ridge, TN; Jianxing, Ma [Oak Ridge, TN; Shen, Jian [Knoxville, TN

2008-04-22

A tip treatment device for use in an ultrahigh vacuum in situ scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The device provides spin polarization functionality to new or existing variable temperature STM systems. The tip treatment device readily converts a conventional STM to a spin-polarized tip, and thereby converts a standard STM system into a spin-polarized STM system. The tip treatment device also has functions of tip cleaning and tip flashing a STM tip to high temperature (>2000.degree. C.) in an extremely localized fashion. Tip coating functions can also be carried out, providing the tip sharp end with monolayers of coating materials including magnetic films. The device is also fully compatible with ultrahigh vacuum sample transfer setups.

A comparative study on the morphology of P3HT:PCBM solar cells with the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by spin and rod coating methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenluan; Nguyen, Ngoc A.; Murray, Roy; Xin, Jiyuan; Mackay, Michael E.

2017-09-01

Our previous study presented up to 20% power conversion efficiency (PCE) enhancement of poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) solar cells under the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) self-assembly (SA) effect by spin coating. Fe3O4 NPs (about 11 nm hydrodynamic diameter) form a thin layer at the top interface of the light absorbing active layer, which results in the generation of PCBM rich region improving the charge transport (Zhang et al. Sol Energ Mat Sol C 160:126-133, 2017). In order to investigate the feasibility of this Fe3O4 NPs SA effect under large-scale production condition, a smooth rod was implemented to mimic roll-to-roll coating technique and yield active layers having about the same thickness as the spin-coated ones. Small angle neutron scattering and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction were employed finding out similar morphologies of the active layers by these two coating techniques. However, rod-coated solar cell's PCE decreases with the addition of Fe3O4 NPs compared with the one without them. This is because PCBM rich region is not created at the top interface of the active layer due to the absence of Fe3O4 NPs, which is attributed to the weak convective flow and low diffusion rate. Moreover, in the rod-coated solar cells, the presence of Fe3O4 NPs causes decrease in P3HT crystallinity, thus the charge transport and the device performance. Our study confirms the role of spin coating in the Fe3O4 NPs SA effect and enables researchers to explore this finding in other polymer nanocomposite systems.

Highly-transparent multi-layered spin-coated silk fibroin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasapinyokul, Kamol; Kaewpirom, Supranee; Chuwongin, Santhad; Boonsang, Siridech

2017-10-01

In this study, the silk fibroin films with different numbers of layers were fabricated by the spin-coating method and their optical transmittances were observed. The process to synthesise the silk fibroin solution was explained - starting from the silk cocoon until the silk-fibroin solution, approximately 7.5% concentration wt/vol, was obtained. The solution was spin-coated onto clean glass substrates to fabricate samples. Totally 10 samples with different numbers of layers, from 1 to 5 layers, were obtained. All samples can be separated into two groups: those left dried at room temperature after spin-coating and those heated at 60°C. They were then measured for their transmittance over the visible-to-near-infrared region. All samples exhibited the high transmittance where the values were at 95% and 98%, for the samples at room temperature and those at 60°C, respectively. This was believed to be due to the heating effect that caused the silk fibroin to arrange itself after being heated, hence the higher transmittance. These high transmittances were maintained regardless of the number of layers and length of heating time. Results from this study could be used to fabricate a silk fibroin film with high optical transmittance and adjustable other properties.

Method of making nanopatterns and nanostructures and nanopatterned functional oxide materials

DOEpatents

Dravid, Vinayak P; Donthu, Suresh K; Pan, Zixiao

2014-02-11

Method for nanopatterning of inorganic materials, such as ceramic (e.g. metal oxide) materials, and organic materials, such as polymer materials, on a variety of substrates to form nanopatterns and/or nanostructures with control of dimensions and location, all without the need for etching the materials and without the need for re-alignment between multiple patterning steps in forming nanostructures, such as heterostructures comprising multiple materials. The method involves patterning a resist-coated substrate using electron beam lithography, removing a portion of the resist to provide a patterned resist-coated substrate, and spin coating the patterned resist-coated substrate with a liquid precursor, such as a sol precursor, of the inorganic or organic material. The remaining resist is removed and the spin coated substrate is heated at an elevated temperature to crystallize the deposited precursor material.

A Study of Dip-Coatable, High-Capacitance Ion Gel Dielectrics for 3D EWOD Device Fabrication

PubMed Central

Clement, Carlos E.; Jiang, Dongyue; Thio, Si Kuan; Park, Sung-Yong

2017-01-01

We present a dip-coatable, high-capacitance ion gel dielectric for scalable fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) devices such as an n × n liquid prism array. Due to the formation of a nanometer-thick electric double layer (EDL) capacitor, an ion gel dielectric offers two to three orders higher specific capacitance (c ≈ 10 μF/cm2) than that of conventional dielectrics such as SiO2. However, the previous spin-coating method used for gel layer deposition poses several issues for 3D EWOD device fabrication, particularly when assembling multiple modules. Not only does the spin-coating process require multiple repetitions per module, but the ion gel layer also comes in risks of damage or contamination due to handling errors caused during assembly. In addition, it was observed that the chemical formulation previously used for the spin-coating method causes the surface defects on the dip-coated gel layers and thus leads to poor EWOD performance. In this paper, we alternatively propose a dip-coating method with modified gel solutions to obtain defect-free, functional ion gel layers without the issues arising from the spin-coating method for 3D device fabrication. A dip-coating approach offers a single-step coating solution with the benefits of simplicity, scalability, and high throughput for deposition of high-capacitance gel layers on non-planar EWOD devices. An ion gel solution was prepared by combining the [EMIM][TFSI] ionic liquid and the [P(VDF-HFP)] copolymer at various wt % ratios in acetone solvent. Experimental studies were conducted to fully understand the effects of chemical composition ratios in the gel solution and how varying thicknesses of ion gel and Teflon layers affects EWOD performance. The effectiveness and potentiality of dip-coatable gel layers for 3D EWOD devices have been demonstrated through fabricating 5 × 1 arrayed liquid prisms using a single-step dip-coating method. Each prism module has been individually controlled to achieve spatial beam steering without the need for bulky mechanical moving parts. PMID:28772400

A Study of Dip-Coatable, High-Capacitance Ion Gel Dielectrics for 3D EWOD Device Fabrication.

PubMed

Clement, Carlos E; Jiang, Dongyue; Thio, Si Kuan; Park, Sung-Yong

2017-01-05

We present a dip-coatable, high-capacitance ion gel dielectric for scalable fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) devices such as an n × n liquid prism array. Due to the formation of a nanometer-thick electric double layer (EDL) capacitor, an ion gel dielectric offers two to three orders higher specific capacitance ( c ≈ 10 μF/cm²) than that of conventional dielectrics such as SiO₂. However, the previous spin-coating method used for gel layer deposition poses several issues for 3D EWOD device fabrication, particularly when assembling multiple modules. Not only does the spin-coating process require multiple repetitions per module, but the ion gel layer also comes in risks of damage or contamination due to handling errors caused during assembly. In addition, it was observed that the chemical formulation previously used for the spin-coating method causes the surface defects on the dip-coated gel layers and thus leads to poor EWOD performance. In this paper, we alternatively propose a dip-coating method with modified gel solutions to obtain defect-free, functional ion gel layers without the issues arising from the spin-coating method for 3D device fabrication. A dip-coating approach offers a single-step coating solution with the benefits of simplicity, scalability, and high throughput for deposition of high-capacitance gel layers on non-planar EWOD devices. An ion gel solution was prepared by combining the [EMIM][TFSI] ionic liquid and the [P(VDF-HFP)] copolymer at various wt % ratios in acetone solvent. Experimental studies were conducted to fully understand the effects of chemical composition ratios in the gel solution and how varying thicknesses of ion gel and Teflon layers affects EWOD performance. The effectiveness and potentiality of dip-coatable gel layers for 3D EWOD devices have been demonstrated through fabricating 5 × 1 arrayed liquid prisms using a single-step dip-coating method. Each prism module has been individually controlled to achieve spatial beam steering without the need for bulky mechanical moving parts.

Passivation properties of alumina for multicrystalline silicon nanostructure prepared by spin-coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ye; Shen, Honglie; Yang, Wangyang; Zheng, Chaofan; Tang, Quntao; Yao, Hanyu; Raza, Adil; Li, Yufang; Huang, Chunlai

2018-02-01

In this paper, we report passivation properties of inverted pyramidal nanostructure based multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) by Al2O3 films with spin-coating method. Precursors AlCl3 and Al(acac)3 for Al2O3 films were chosen for comparison. Al2O3/SiO x stacks were found to be able to passivate the nanostructured surface well. With the number of spin-coating up to five, the Al2O3 films could conformally attach the nanostructure. The weighted average reflectance values (ranging from 400-900 nm) of the passivated silicon surface could be reduced to 10.74% (AlCl3) and 11.12% (Al(acac)3), and the effective carrier lifetime could reach 7.84 and 16.98 μs, respectively. This work presented a potential process to fabricate low cost high efficiency mc-Si solar cells.

Simple and fast polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patterning using a cutting plotter and vinyl adhesives to achieve etching results.

PubMed

Hyun Kim; Sun-Young Yoo; Ji Sung Kim; Zihuan Wang; Woon Hee Lee; Kyo-In Koo; Jong-Mo Seo; Dong-Il Cho

2017-07-01

Inhibition of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymerization could be observed when spin-coated over vinyl substrates. The degree of polymerization, partially curing or fully curing, depended on the PDMS thickness coated over the vinyl substrate. This characteristic was exploited to achieve simple and fast PDMS patterning method using a vinyl adhesive layer patterned through a cutting plotter. The proposed patterning method showed results resembling PDMS etching. Therefore, patterning PDMS over PDMS, glass, silicon, and gold substrates were tested to compare the results with conventional etching methods. Vinyl stencils with widths ranging from 200μm to 1500μm were used for the procedure. To evaluate the accuracy of the cutting plotter, stencil designed on the AutoCAD software and the actual stencil widths were compared. Furthermore, this method's accuracy was also evaluated by comparing the widths of the actual stencils and etched PDMS results.

Rugged spin-polarized electron sources based on negative electron affinity GaAs photocathode with robust Cs2Te coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Jai Kwan; Cultrera, Luca; DiGiacomo, Philip; Bazarov, Ivan

2018-04-01

Photocathodes capable of providing high intensity and highly spin-polarized electron beams with long operational lifetimes are of great interest for the next generation nuclear physics facilities like Electron Ion Colliders. We report on GaAs photocathodes activated by Cs2Te, a material well known for its robustness. GaAs activated by Cs2Te forms Negative Electron Affinity, and the lifetime for extracted charge is improved by a factor of 5 compared to that of GaAs activated by Cs and O2. The spin polarization of photoelectrons was measured using a Mott polarimeter and found to be independent from the activation method, thereby shifting the paradigm on spin-polarized electron sources employing photocathodes with robust coatings.

Colored and semitransparent silver nanoparticle layers deposited by spin coating of silver nanoink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Hoi Jin; Jo, Yejin; Jeong, Sunho; Lim, Jung Wook; Lee, Seung-Yun

2018-05-01

In this letter, we report on the fabrication and characterization of colored and semitransparent silver nanoparticle layers. A spin coating of silver nanoink is used to deposit silver nanoparticle layers onto substrates. The transmittance and color of the silver nanoparticle layers are significantly dependent on the spin speed and nanoink concentration, owing to variations in the size and distribution of the nanoparticles. Both color variation and efficiency improvement are achieved with the application of silver nanoparticles to semitransparent Si thin-film solar cells, which is associated with the excitation of the dipole or quadruple plasmon modes of the silver nanoparticles.

Enhanced Ex Vivo Expansion of Human Hematopoietic Progenitors on Native and Spin Coated Acellular Matrices Prepared from Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

PubMed Central

Wasnik, Samiksha; Kantipudi, Suma; Kirkland, Mark A.; Pande, Gopal

2016-01-01

The extracellular microenvironment in bone marrow (BM) is known to regulate the growth and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). We have developed cell-free matrices from a BM stromal cell line (HS-5), which can be used as substrates either in native form or as tissue engineered coatings, for the enhanced ex vivo expansion of umbilical cord blood (UCB) derived HSPC. The physicochemical properties (surface roughness, thickness, and uniformity) of native and spin coated acellular matrices (ACM) were studied using scanning and atomic force microscopy (SEM and AFM). Lineage-specific expansion of HSPC, grown on these substrates, was evaluated by immunophenotypic (flow cytometry) and functional (colony forming) assays. Our results show that the most efficient expansion of lineage-specific HSPC occurred on spin coated ACM. Our method provides an improved protocol for ex vivo HSPC expansion and it offers a system to study the in vivo roles of specific molecules in the hematopoietic niche that influence HSPC expansion. PMID:26981135

Optimization of rotational speed for growing BaFe12O19 thin films using spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiawanti, S.; Soegijono, B.; Mudzakir, I.; Suharno, Fadillah, L.

2017-07-01

Barium ferrite (BaFe12O19, BaM) thin films were fabricated by the spin coating of precursors obtained by using a sol-gel method. The effects of the rotational speed on the spin-coating process for growing a BaM thin film were investigated in this study. Coated films were heat-deposited at different rotational speeds ranging from 2000 to 4000 rpm, while the number of layers was set to nine. Further, the effect of the number of layers on the growth of BaM thin films was discussed. For this purpose, we take the layers number 1 to 12 and take the constant rotational speed of 3000 rpm. All the film were characterized using X-Ray diffraction, Scanning Electron microscope, and Energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. It was found that by increasing the rotational speed the amount of material deposited on the Si substrate decreased. The measured grain size of the BaM thin film was nearly similar for three three different rotational speeds. However, the grain size was found to increase the number of layers.

Electrochemical and solid-state NMR studies on LiCoO 2 coated with Al 2O 3 derived from carboxylate-alumoxane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fey, George T. K.; Kao, H. M.; Muralidharan, P.; Kumar, T. P.; Cho, Y. D.

The surface of LiCoO 2 cathodes was coated with various wt.% of Al 2O 3 derived from methoxyethoxy acetate-alumoxane (MEA-alumoxane) by a mechano-thermal coating procedure, followed by calcination at 723 K in air for 10 h. The structure and morphology of the surface modified LiCoO 2 samples have been characterized with XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, BET, XPS/ESCA and solid-state 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR techniques. The Al 2O 3 coating forms a thin layer on the surface of the core material with an average thickness of 20 nm. The corresponding 27Al MAS NMR spectrum basically exhibited the same characteristics as the spectrum for pristine Al 2O 3 derived from MEA-alumoxane, indicating that the local environment of aluminum atoms was not significantly changed at coating levels below 1 wt.%. This provides direct evidence that Al 2O 3 was on the surface of the core materials. The LiCoO 2 coated with 1 wt.% Al 2O 3 sustained continuous cycle stability 13 times longer than pristine LiCoO 2. A comparison of the electrochemical impedance behavior of the pristine and coated materials revealed that the failure of pristine cathode performance is associated with an increase in the particle-particle resistance upon continuous cycling. Coating improved the cathode performance by suppressing the characteristic structural phase transitions (hexagonal to monoclinic to hexagonal) that occur in pristine LiCoO 2 during the charge-discharge processes.

Optical properties of amorphous Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films obtained by metal organic decomposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Fei; Xu, Zhimou

2009-08-01

In this study, the amorphous Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST0.7) thin films were grown onto fused quartz and silicon substrates at low temperature by using a metal organic decomposition (MOD)-spin-coating procedure. The optical transmittance spectrum of amorphous BST0.7 thin films on fused quartz substrates has been recorded in the wavelength range 190~900 nm. The films were highly transparent for wavelengths longer than 330 nm; the transmission drops rapidly at 330 nm, and the cutoff wavelength occurs at about 260 nm. In addition, we also report the amorphous BST0.7 thin film groove-buried type waveguides with 90° bent structure fabricated on Si substrates with 1.65 μm thick SiO2 thermal oxide layer. The design, fabrication and optical losses of amorphous BST0.7 optical waveguides were presented. The amorphous BST0.7 thin films were grown onto the SiO2/Si substrates by using a metal organic decomposition (MOD)-spin-coating procedure. The optical propagation losses were about 12.8 and 9.4 dB/cm respectively for the 5 and 10 μm wide waveguides at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. The 90° bent structures with a small curvature of micrometers were designed on the basis of a double corner mirror structure. The bend losses were about 1.2 and 0.9 dB respectively for 5 and 10 μm wide waveguides at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. It is expected for amorphous BST0.7 thin films to be used not only in the passive optical interconnection in monolithic OEICs but also in active waveguide devices on the Si chip.

Sol-gel synthesis of mesoporous CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} thin films and their gas sensing response

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

Parra, R., E-mail: rparra@fi.mdp.edu.a; Savu, R.; Ramajo, L.A.

2010-06-15

A new sol-gel synthesis procedure of stable calcium copper titanate (CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}-CCTO) precursor sols for the fabrication of porous films was developed. The composition of the sol was selected in order to avoid the precipitation of undesired phases; ethanol was used as solvent, acetic acid as modifier and poly(ethyleneglycol) as a linker agent. Films deposited by spin-coating onto oxidized silicon substrates were annealed at 700 {sup o}C. The main phase present in the samples, as detected by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, was CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that mesoporous structures, with thicknesses betweenmore » 200 and 400 nm, were developed as a result of the processing conditions. The films were tested regarding their sensibility towards oxygen and nitrogen at atmospheric pressure using working temperatures from 200 to 290 {sup o}C. The samples exhibited n-type conductivity, high sensitivity and short response times. These characteristics indicate that CCTO mesoporous structures obtained by sol-gel are suitable for application in gas sensing. - Graphical abstract: A sol-gel synthesis procedure toward stable CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}-precursor sols avoiding the precipitation of undesired compounds is proposed. Films deposited by spin-coating onto oxidized silicon substrates were annealed at 700 {sup o}C. The thickness varied between 200 and 400 nm depending on sol composition. The films, tested as gas sensors for O{sub 2}, showed n-type conductivity, good sensitivity and short response times.« less

Study of blended conductive graft copolymer with graphite oxide thin films deposited using spin coating method for gas sensing and photovoltaic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KałuŻyński, P.; Procek, M.; Stolarczyk, Agnieszka; Maciak, E.

2017-08-01

This work presents an investigation on conductive graft comb copolymer like SILPEG CH9 with carbon materials like graphite oxide or reduced graphite oxide. Morphology and optical properties like sample roughness, graphite oxide particles distribution, optical transmittance were measured of obtained thin films deposited on glass substrate using spin coating method. The study showed that obtained thin films are repeatable, convenient to process, and their parameters can be easy changed by the spin rate regulation during the deposition. Given results shows the possibility of using such polymer blend in the implementation of organic photovoltaic cells and different optoelectronics applications.

CdS/CdSe quantum dot shell decorated vertical ZnO nanowire arrays by spin-coating-based SILAR for photoelectrochemical cells and quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Ran; Luo, Qiu-Ping; Chen, Hong-Yan; Yu, Xiao-Yun; Kuang, Dai-Bin; Su, Cheng-Yong

2012-04-23

A CdS/CdSe composite shell is assembled onto the surface of ZnO nanowire arrays with a simple spin-coating-based successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. The as-prepared photoelectrode exhibit a high photocurrent density in photoelectrochemical cells and also generates good power conversion efficiency in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemical impedance analysis of perovskite–electrolyte interfaces

DOE PAGES

Li, Zhen; Mercado, Candy C.; Yang, Mengjin; ...

2017-01-31

Here, the flat band potentials and carrier densities of spin coated and sprayed MAPbI 3, FA 0.85Cs 0.15PbI 3, and MAPbBr 3 perovskite films were determined using the Mott-Schottky relation. The films developed a space charge layer and exhibited p-type conduction with carrier concentration ~ 10 16 cm -3 for spin coated films. Electrochemical impedance spectra showed typical space charge impedance at frequencies > 1 kHz with increasing capacitance < 1 kHz owing to an ion diffusion component.

Nanostructured antistatic and antireflective thin films made of indium tin oxide and silica over-coat layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Young-Sang; Hong, Jeong-Jin; Yang, Seung-Man; Choi, Chul-Jin

2010-08-01

Stable dispersion of colloidal indium tin oxide nanoparticles was prepared by using indium tin oxide nanopowder, organic solvent, and suitable dispersants through attrition process. Various comminution parameters during the attrition step were studied to optimize the process for the stable dispersion of indium tin oxide sol. The transparent and conductive films were fabricated on glass substrate using the indium tin oxide sol by spin coating process. To obtain antireflective function, partially hydrolyzed alkyl silicate was deposited as over-coat layer on the pre-fabricated indium tin oxide film by spin coating technique. This double-layered structure of the nanostructured film was characterized by measuring the surface resistance and reflectance spectrum in the visible wavelength region. The final film structure was enough to satisfy the TCO regulations for EMI shielding purposes.

Patterned forests of vertically-aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes using metal salt catalyst solutions.

PubMed

Garrett, David J; Flavel, Benjamin S; Baronian, Keith H R; Downard, Alison J

2013-01-01

A simple method for producing patterned forests of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is described. An aqueous metal salt solution is spin-coated onto a substrate patterned with photoresist by standard methods. The photoresist is removed by acetone washing leaving the acetone-insoluble catalyst pattern on the substrate. Dense forests of vertically aligned (VA) MWCNTs are grown on the patterned catalyst layers by chemical vapour deposition. The procedures have been demonstrated by growing MWCNT forests on two substrates: silicon and conducting graphitic carbon films. The forests adhere strongly to the substrates and when grown directly on carbon film, offer a simple method of preparing MWCNT electrodes.

The opportunity and challenge of spin coat based nanoimprint lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Wooyung; Cho, Jungbin; Choi, Eunhyuk; Lim, Yonghyun; Bok, Cheolkyu; Tsuji, Masatoshi; Kobayashi, Kei; Kono, Takuya; Nakasugi, Tetsuro

2017-03-01

Since multi patterning with spacer was introduced in NAND flash memory1, multi patterning with spacer has been a promising solution to overcome the resolution limit. However, the increase in process cost of multi patterning with spacer must be a serious burden to device manufacturers as half pitch of patterns gets smaller.2, 3 Even though Nano Imprint Lithography (NIL) has been considered as one of strong candidates to avoid cost issue of multi patterning with spacer, there are still negative viewpoints; template damage induced from particles between template and wafer, overlay degradation induced from shear force between template and wafer, and throughput loss induced from dispensing and spreading resist droplet. Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography (J-FIL4, 5, 6) has contributed to throughput improvement, but still has these above problems. J-FIL consists of 5 steps; dispense of resist droplets on wafer, imprinting template on wafer, filling the gap between template and wafer with resist, UV curing, and separation of template from wafer. If dispensing resist droplets by inkjet is replaced with coating resist at spin coater, additional progress in NIL can be achieved. Template damage from particle can be suppressed by thick resist which is spin-coated at spin coater and covers most of particles on wafer, shear force between template and wafer can be minimized with thick resist, and finally additional throughput enhancement can be achieved by skipping dispense of resist droplets on wafer. On the other hand, spin-coat-based NIL has side effect such as pattern collapse which comes from high separation energy of resist. It is expected that pattern collapse can be improved by the development of resist with low separation energy.

Direct Observation on Spin-Coating Process of PS- b -P2VP Thin Films

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

Ogawa, Hiroki; Takenaka, Mikihito; Miyazaki, Tsukasa

We studied the structural development of symmetric poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymers during spin-coating using in situ grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements. During the spin-coating process, after the formation of the micelles in dilute solution, the selective solvent induced two kinds of the morphological transition. Firstly, the disordered spherical micelles were transformed into a BCC lattice of spheres of which the (110) plane was oriented perpendicularly to the substrate surface. Secondly, further evaporation induced a transition from spheres on the BCC lattice into cylindrical structures. The orientation of the cylinders perpendicular to the substrate surface was induced bymore » solvent convection perpendicular to the substrate, which occurs during rapid solvent evaporation. After this transition, vitrification of PS and P2VP prevented any further transition from cylinders to the more thermodynamically stable lamellar structures, as are generally observed as the bulk equilibrium state.« less

Tribological properties of self-assembled monolayers of catecholic imidazolium and the spin-coated films of ionic liquids.

PubMed

Liu, Jianxi; Li, Jinlong; Yu, Bo; Ma, Baodong; Zhu, Yangwen; Song, Xinwang; Cao, Xulong; Yang, Wu; Zhou, Feng

2011-09-20

A novel compound of an imidazolium type of ionic liquid (IL) containing a biomimetic catecholic functional group normally seen in mussel adhesive proteins was synthesized. The IL can be immobilized on a silicon surface and a variety of other engineering material surfaces via the catecholic anchor, allowing the tribological protection of these substrates for engineering applications. The surface wetting and adhesive properties and the tribological property of the synthesized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are successfully modulated by altering the counteranions. The chemical composition and wettability of the IL SAMs were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle (CA) measurements. The adhesive and friction forces were measured with an atomic force microscope (AFM) on the nanometer scale. IL composite films were prepared by spin coating thin IL films on top of the SAMs. The macrotribological properties of these IL composite films were investigated with a pin-on-disk tribometer. The results indicate that the presence of IL SAMs on a surface can improve the wettability of spin-coated ionic liquids and thus the film quality and the tribological properties. These films registered a reduced friction coefficient and a significantly enhanced durability and load-carrying capacity. The tribological properties of the composite films are better than those of pure IL films because the presence of the monolayers improves the adhesion and compatibility of spin-coated IL films with substrates. © 2011 American Chemical Society

The effect of processing on the surface physical stability of amorphous solid dispersions.

PubMed

Yang, Ziyi; Nollenberger, Kathrin; Albers, Jessica; Moffat, Jonathan; Craig, Duncan; Qi, Sheng

2014-11-01

The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of processing on the surface crystallization of amorphous molecular dispersions and gain insight into the mechanisms underpinning this effect. The model systems, amorphous molecular dispersions of felodipine-EUDRAGIT® E PO, were processed both using spin coating (an ultra-fast solvent evaporation based method) and hot melt extrusion (HME) (a melting based method). Amorphous solid dispersions with drug loadings of 10-90% (w/w) were obtained by both processing methods. Samples were stored under 75% RH/room temperatures for up to 10months. Surface crystallization was observed shortly after preparation for the HME samples with high drug loadings (50-90%). Surface crystallization was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and imaging techniques (SEM, AFM and localized thermal analysis). Spin coated molecular dispersions showed significantly higher surface physical stability than hot melt extruded samples. For both systems, the progress of the surface crystal growth followed zero order kinetics on aging. Drug enrichment at the surfaces of HME samples on aging was observed, which may contribute to surface crystallization of amorphous molecular dispersions. In conclusion it was found the amorphous molecular dispersions prepared by spin coating had a significantly higher surface physical stability than the corresponding HME samples, which may be attributed to the increased process-related apparent drug-polymer solubility and reduced molecular mobility due to the quenching effect caused by the rapid solvent evaporation in spin coating. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electro-spray deposition of a mesoporous TiO2 charge collection layer: toward large scale and continuous production of high efficiency perovskite solar cells.

PubMed

Kim, Min-cheol; Kim, Byeong Jo; Yoon, Jungjin; Lee, Jin-wook; Suh, Dongchul; Park, Nam-gyu; Choi, Mansoo; Jung, Hyun Suk

2015-12-28

The spin-coating method, which is widely used for thin film device fabrication, is incapable of large-area deposition or being performed continuously. In perovskite hybrid solar cells using CH(3)NH(3)PbI(3) (MAPbI(3)), large-area deposition is essential for their potential use in mass production. Prior to replacing all the spin-coating process for fabrication of perovskite solar cells, herein, a mesoporous TiO(2) electron-collection layer is fabricated by using the electro-spray deposition (ESD) system. Moreover, impedance spectroscopy and transient photocurrent and photovoltage measurements reveal that the electro-sprayed mesoscopic TiO(2) film facilitates charge collection from the perovskite. The series resistance of the perovskite solar cell is also reduced owing to the highly porous nature of, and the low density of point defects in, the film. An optimized power conversion efficiency of 15.11% is achieved under an illumination of 1 sun; this efficiency is higher than that (13.67%) of the perovskite solar cell with the conventional spin-coated TiO(2) films. Furthermore, the large-area coating capability of the ESD process is verified through the coating of uniform 10 × 10 cm(2) TiO(2) films. This study clearly shows that ESD constitutes therefore a viable alternative for the fabrication of high-throughput, large-area perovskite solar cells.

Processing and Characterization of Nanoparticle Coatings for Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurements

PubMed Central

Torrey, Jessica D.; Kirschling, Teresa L.; Greenlee, Lauren F.

2015-01-01

The quartz-crystal microbalance is a sensitive and versatile tool for measuring adsorption of a variety of compounds (e.g. small molecules, polymers, biomolecules, nanoparticles and cells) to surfaces. While the technique has traditionally been used for measuring adsorption to flat surfaces and thin ridged films, it can also be extended to study adsorption to nanoparticle surfaces when the nanoparticles are fixed to the crystal surface. The sensitivity and accuracy of the measurement depend on the users’ ability to reproducibly prepare a thin uniform nanoparticle coating. This study evaluated four coating techniques, including spin coating, spray coating, drop casting, and electrophoretic deposition, for two unique particle chemistries [nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) and titanium dioxide (TiO2)] to produce uniform and reproducible nanoparticle coatings for real-time quartz-crystal microbalance measurements. Uniform TiO2 coatings were produced from a 50 mg/mL methanol suspension via spin coating. Nanoscale zero-valent iron was best applied by spray coating a low concentration 1.0 mg/mL suspended in methanol. The application of multiple coatings, rather than an increase in the suspension concentration, was the best method to increase the mass of nanoparticles on the crystal surface while maintaining coating uniformity. An upper mass threshold was determined to be approximately 96 µg/cm2; above this mass, coatings no longer maintained their uniform rigid characteristic, and a low signal to noise ratio resulted in loss of measurable signal from crystal resonances above the fundamental. PMID:26958434

The Effect of Thickness of ZnO Thin Films on Hydrophobic Self-Cleaning Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mufti, N.; Arista, D.; Diantoro, M.; Fuad, A.; Taufiq, A.; Sunaryono

2017-05-01

Glass coating can be conducted by using ZnO-photocatalyst based semiconductor material since it is preeminent in decomposing organics compound and dangerous bacteria which often contaminates the environment. If there are dirt containing organics compound on the glass, the ZnO photocatalyst coat can be applied as self-cleaning, usually called self-cleaning glass. It depends on the coating thickness which can be controlled by setting the speed of spin coating. In this research, the various rotating speeds of spin coating were conducted at 2000 rpm, 3000 rpm, and 4000 rpm to control the thickness. The raw materials used in this research were Zn(CH3COOH)2.2H2O (PA 99,5%), Ethylene glycol, Diethanolamine (PA 99%), Isopropanol Alkohol, Glycerol, and Ashton. Synthesis methods used were sol-gel prior to spin coating technic were applied. The results of the film were characterized by using SEM, XRD, and UV-Spectrophotometer. The crystal structure was analyzed by using Highscore plus and GSAS software, the size crystal was calculated by using Scherrer equation, a contact angle with ImageJ software. It was shown that ZnO thin film had been successfully synthesized with the crystal size around 21 nm up to 26 nm. The absorption value is higher due to the increasing of coat thickness with bandgap ± 3.2 eV. The test result of hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics show that all samples of ZnO thin film with the thickness ± 1.050 μm, ± 0.450 μm, ± 0.250 μm can be applied as self-cleaning glass. The best result was gained with the thickness of thin film ± 1.050 μm.

Formation of nanodiamond films from aqueous suspensions during spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev-Stepanov, P. V.; Molchanov, S. P.; Vasil'ev, A. L.; Mitrokhin, V. P.; Yurasik, G. A.; Aleksenskii, A. E.; Dideikin, A. T.

2016-03-01

The formation of multifunctional ordered arrays of detonation diamond particles is studied during self-assembling in spin coating of films of evaporating microdroplets. It is shown that the most homogeneous layer of diamond particles on a crystalline silicon substrate forms at a rate of substrate rotation of 8000 min-1, whereas a relation between the distribution of particles and the radius is clearly detected at rates of about 2000 min-1. As the rate of substrate rotation increases from 2500 to 8000 min-1, the density of the coating of a silicon substrate with diamond nanoparticles decreases approximately threefold. A model is proposed to estimate the increase in the number of individual diamond "points" with the substrate rotation frequency.

Polycrystalline BiFeO{sub 3} thin film synthesized via sol-gel assisted spin coating technique for photosensitive application

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

Bogle, K. A., E-mail: kashinath.bogle@gmail.com; Narwade, R. D.; Mahabole, M. P.

2016-05-06

We are reporting photosensitivity property of BiFeO{sub 3} thin film under optical illumination. The thin film used for photosensitivity work was fabricated via sol-gel assisted spin coating technique. I-V measurements on the Cu/BiFeO{sub 3}/Al structure under dark condition show a good rectifying property and show dramatic blue shit in threshold voltage under optical illumination. The microstructure, morphology and elemental analysis of the films were characterized by using XRD, UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM and EDS.

Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements of the spin Hall effect in tungsten films by using iron-coated tungsten tips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Ting; Dreyer, Michael; Bowen, David; Hinkel, Dan; Butera, R. E.; Krafft, Charles; Mayergoyz, Isaak

2018-05-01

Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments using iron-coated tungsten tips and current-carrying tungsten films have been conducted. An asymmetry of the tunneling current with respect to the change of the direction of the bias current through a tungsten film has been observed. It is argued that this asymmetry is a manifestation of the spin Hall effect in the current-carrying tungsten film. Nanoscale variations of this asymmetry across the tungsten film have been studied by using the scanning tunneling microscopy technique.

Improvements To Micro Contact Performance And Reliability

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-22

BAKE : □ 1 min 110°C hot plate bake OPTIONAL - For Grayscale Lithography: 1818 COAT: □ Flood wafer with 1818 □ 4 sec spread at 500 rpm...30 sec spin at 4,000 rpm, ramp=200 □ 75 sec 110°C hot plate bake GRAYSCALE PATTERNING: □ Follow grayscale patterning process for patterns...8217 □ 2 min 200°C hot plate bake 1818 COAT: □ Flood wafer with 1818 □ 4 sec spread at 500 rpm □ 30 sec spin at 4,000 rpm, ramp=200 □ 75 sec 110

New compact neutron supermirror transmission polarizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syromyatnikov, V. G.; Pusenkov, V. M.

2017-06-01

A new compact neutron supermirror transmission polarizer is suggested. The polarizer consists of a set of plates transparent to neutrons placed in the magnet gap. There are no air gaps between the plates. Polarizing supermirror coating without absorbing underlayer is deposited on the polished surfaces of the plates. Magnetic and nonmagnetic layers of the supermirror coating as well as the material of the plates have nearly equal neutron-optical potentials for spin-down neutrons. There is a considerable difference between neutron-optical potentials of layers in the supermirror structure for spin-up neutrons. As a result, spin-up neutrons reflect from the supermirror coating and deviate from their initial trajectories whereas spin-down neutrons do not practically reflect from the coating and, consequently, do not deviate from their initial trajectories. Thus, spin-down neutrons dominate near the axis of distribution of intensity on the angle for the beam transmitted through this polarizer, i.e., the beam is substantially polarized. Application is discussed of this polarizer in a research facility for small angle scattering of monochromatic neutrons with wavelengths λ = 4.5÷20 Å. The polarizing cross section of the beam of this facility is 30×30 mm2. Calculated parameters are presented of a polarizer on silicon plates with supermirror CoFe/TiZr (m = 2) coating. The suggested polarizer is compared with solid state bender, S-bender and widely known transmission neutron polarizer V- cavity in the same spectral range. Two polarizers are used to cover the wavelength range λ = 4.5 ÷20 Å: the first one whose length is 50 мм covers the range λ = 4.5 ÷10 Å and the second one whose length is 21.2 мм covers the range λ = 10 ÷20 Å. The length of each of these polarizers is more than 30 times smaller than that of V-cavity! On the other hand, basic parameters of the proposed polarizer, polarization of the beam falling on the sample P and transmission coefficient T- of the main spin component, exceed those of V-cavity. T- = 0.8 - 0.9 for both polarizers and for each wavelength range. Polarization P is very high. P is better than -0.99 for wavelength range λ = 12.5 ÷ 20 Å at the beam divergence of 24 mrad.

Ordered alternating binary polymer nanodroplet array by sequential spin dewetting.

PubMed

Bhandaru, Nandini; Das, Anuja; Salunke, Namrata; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2014-12-10

We report a facile technique for fabricating an ordered array of nearly equal-sized mesoscale polymer droplets of two constituent polymers (polystyrene, PS and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) arranged in an alternating manner on a topographically patterned substrate. The self-organized array of binary polymers is realized by sequential spin dewetting. First, a dilute solution of PMMA is spin-dewetted on a patterned substrate, resulting in an array of isolated PMMA droplets arranged along the substrate grooves due to self-organization during spin coating itself. The sample is then silanized with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), and subsequently, a dilute solution of PS is spin-coated on to it, which also undergoes spin dewetting. The spin-dewetted PS drops having a size nearly equal to the pre-existing PMMA droplets position themselves between two adjacent PMMA drops under appropriate conditions, forming an alternating binary polymer droplet array. The alternating array formation takes place for a narrow range of solution concentration for both the polymers and depends on the geometry of the substrate. The size of the droplets depends on the extent of confinement, and droplets as small as 100 nm can be obtained by this method, on a suitable template. The findings open up the possibility of creating novel surfaces having ordered multimaterial domains with a potential multifunctional capability.

Protective Coating For Laser Drilling Of Silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shlichta, Paul J.

1988-01-01

Sodium silicate prevents spattered silicon from fusing with surrounding material. Sodium silicate solution applied to wafer by dipping and draining or by spinning; application by spraying also works. When dried in oven, solution leaves thin coating of sodium silicate glass.

Study of flowability effect on self-planarization performance at SOC materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Huichan; Kim, Jinhyung; Park, Youjung; Kim, Yoona; Jeong, Seulgi; Baek, Jaeyeol; Yoon, Byeri; Lim, Sanghak

2017-03-01

For multilayer process, importance of carbon-based spin-on hardmask material that replaces amorphous carbon layer (ACL) is ever increasing. Carbon-based spin-on hardmask is an organic polymer with high carbon content formulated in organic solvents for spin-coating application that is cured through baking. In comparison to CVD process for ACL, carbon-based spin-on hardmask material can offer several benefits: lower cost of ownership (CoO) and improved process time, as well as better gap-fill and planarization performances. Thus carbon-based spin-on hardmask material of high etch resistance, good gap-fill properties and global planarization performances over various pattern topographies are desired to achieve the fine patterning and high aspect ratio (A/R). In particular, good level of global planarization of spin coated layer over the underlying pattern topographies is important for self-aligned double patterning (SADP) process as it dictates the photolithographic margin. Herein, we report a copolymer carbon-based spin-on hardmask resin formulation that exhibits favorable film shrinkage profile and good etch resistance properties. By combining the favorable characteristics of each resin - one resin with good shrinkage property and the other with excellent etch resistance into the copolymer, it was possible to achieve a carbonbased spin-on hardmask formulation with desirable level of etch resistance and the planarization performances across various underlying substrate pattern topographies.

Photoresist thin-film effects on alignment process capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Gary E.; Flack, Warren W.

1993-08-01

Two photoresists were selected for alignment characterization based on their dissimilar coating properties and observed differences on alignment capability. The materials are Dynachem OFPR-800 and Shipley System 8. Both photoresists were examined on two challenging alignment levels in a submicron CMOS process, a nitride level and a planarized second level metal. An Ultratech Stepper model 1500 which features a darkfield alignment system with a broadband green light for alignment signal detection was used for this project. Initially, statistically designed linear screening experiments were performed to examine six process factors for each photoresist: viscosity, spin acceleration, spin speed, spin time, softbake time, and softbake temperature. Using the results derived from the screening experiments, a more thorough examination of the statistically significant process factors was performed. A full quadratic experimental design was conducted to examine viscosity, spin speed, and spin time coating properties on alignment. This included a characterization of both intra and inter wafer alignment control and alignment process capability. Insight to the different alignment behavior is analyzed in terms of photoresist material properties and the physical nature of the alignment detection system.

Spectroscopic, and thermal studies of some new binuclear transition metal(II) complexes with hydrazone ligands containing acetoacetanilide and isoxazole.

PubMed

Chen, Zhimin; Wu, Yiqun; Gu, Donghong; Gan, Fuxi

2007-11-01

A new chelating ligand, 2-(2-(5-tert-butylisoxazol-3-yl)hydrazono)-N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-oxobutanamide (HL), and its four binuclear transition metal complexes, M(2)(L)(2) (micro-OCH(3))(2) [M=Ni(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)], were synthesized using the procedure of diazotization, coupling and metallization. Their structures were postulated based on elemental analysis, (1)H NMR, MALDI-MS, FT-IR spectra and UV-vis electronic absorption spectra. Smooth films of these complexes on K9 glass substrates were prepared using the spin-coating method and their absorption properties were evaluated. The thermal properties of the metal(II) complexes were investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Different thermodynamic and kinetic parameters namely activation energy (E*), enthalpy of activation (DeltaH*), entropy of activation (DeltaS*) and free energy change of activation (DeltaG*) are calculated using Coats-Redfern (CR) equation.

Polymethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid coatings with controllable concentration of surface carboxyl groups: A novel approach in fabrication of polymeric platforms for potential bio-diagnostic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseini, Samira; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Djordjevic, Ivan; Koole, Leo H.

2014-05-01

The generally accepted strategy in development of bio-diagnostic devices is to immobilize proteins on polymeric surfaces as a part of detection process for diseases and viruses through antibody/antigen coupling. In that perspective, polymer surface properties such as concentration of functional groups must be closely controlled in order to preserve the protein activity. In order to improve the surface characteristics of transparent polymethacrylate plastics that are used for diagnostic devices, we have developed an effective fabrication procedure of polymethylmetacrylate-co-metacrylic acid (PMMA-co-MAA) coatings with controlled number of surface carboxyl groups. The polymers were processed effectively with the spin-coating technique and the detailed control over surface properties is here by demonstrated through the variation of a single synthesis reaction parameter. The chemical structure of synthesized and processed co-polymers has been investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS). The surface morphology of polymer coatings have been analyzed with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We demonstrate that the surface morphology and the concentration of surface -COOH groups (determined with UV-vis surface titration) on the processed PMMA-co-MAA coatings can be precisely controlled by variation of initial molar ratio of reactants in the free-radical polymerization reaction. The wettability of developed polymer surfaces also varies with macromolecular structure.

Regulation of the forming process and the set voltage distribution of unipolar resistance switching in spin-coated CoFe2O4 thin films.

PubMed

Mustaqima, Millaty; Yoo, Pilsun; Huang, Wei; Lee, Bo Wha; Liu, Chunli

2015-01-01

We report the preparation of (111) preferentially oriented CoFe2O4 thin films on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates using a spin-coating process. The post-annealing conditions and film thickness were varied for cobalt ferrite (CFO) thin films, and Pt/CFO/Pt structures were prepared to investigate the resistance switching behaviors. Our results showed that resistance switching without a forming process is preferred to obtain less fluctuation in the set voltage, which can be regulated directly from the preparation conditions of the CFO thin films. Therefore, instead of thicker film, CFO thin films deposited by two times spin-coating with a thickness about 100 nm gave stable resistance switching with the most stable set voltage. Since the forming process and the large variation in set voltage have been considered as serious obstacles for the practical application of resistance switching for non-volatile memory devices, our results could provide meaningful insights in improving the performance of ferrite material-based resistance switching memory devices.

In situ chemical oxidative polymerization preparation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/graphene nanocomposites with enhanced thermoelectric performance.

PubMed

Xu, Kongli; Chen, Guangming; Qiu, Dong

2015-05-01

Three different in situ chemical oxidative polymerization routes, that is, (A) spin-coating and subsequent liquid layer polymerization, (B) spin-coating followed by vapor phase polymerization, and (C) in situ polymerization and then post-treatment by immersion in ethylene glycol (EG), have been developed to achieve poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT/rGO) nanocomposites. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic techniques, PEDOT has been successfully coated on the surface of the rGO nanosheets by each of the three preparation routes. Importantly, all of the nanocomposites display a greatly enhanced thermoelectric performance (power factors) relative to those of the corresponding neat PEDOT. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

PubMed

Hong, Jinkee; Kang, Sang Wook

2011-09-01

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

Fast Printing and In-Situ Morphology Observation of Organic Photovoltaics using Slot-Die Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Feng; Ferdous, Sunzida; Wang, Cheng; Hexamer, Alexander; Russell, Thomas; Cheng Wang Collaboration; Thomas Russell Team

2014-03-01

The solvent-processibility of polymer semiconductors is a key advantage for the fabrication of large area, organic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic devices. Most reported power conversion efficiencies (PCE) are based on small active areas, fabricated by spin-coating technique. In general, this does not reflect device fabrication in an industrial setting. To realize commercial viability, devices need to be fabricated in a roll-to-roll fashion. The evolution of the morphology associated with different processing parameters, like solvent choice, concentration and temperature, needs to be understood and controlled. We developed a mini slot-die coater, to fabricate BHJ devices using various low band gap polymers mixed with phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Solvent choice, processing additives, coating rate and coating temperatures were used to control the final morphology. Efficiencies comparable to lab-setting spin-coated devices are obtained. The evolution of the morphology was monitored by in situ scattering measurements, detecting the onset of the polymer chain packing in solution that led to the formation of a fibrillar network in the film.

Solvent-induced changes in PEDOT:PSS films for organic electrochemical transistors

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

Zhang, Shiming; Kumar, Prajwal; Nouas, Amel Sarah

2015-01-01

Organic electrochemical transistors based on the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are of interest for several bioelectronic applications. In this letter, we investigate the changes induced by immersion of PEDOT:PSS films, processed by spin coating from different mixtures, in water and other solvents of different polarities. We found that the film thickness decreases upon immersion in polar solvents, while the electrical conductivity remains unchanged. The decrease in film thickness is minimized via the addition of a cross-linking agent to the mixture used for the spin coating of the films.

Effects of Humidity and Surface on Photoalignment of Brilliant Yellow

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-14

RH) ranges: 27-30%, 40-45%, 46-50%, 50-58%, 52-59%, and 61-65%. After spin- coating, the resulting BY films were baked at 120°C for 10min to evaporate...polyimide (PI2555) film. To prepare PVA film, 1% PVA water solution was spin- coated onto UV-Ozone cleaned glass at 1500rpm for 30s, followed by baking at...by soft baking at 95°C for 1min and then hard baking at 275°C for 1 hour. About 0.25ml BY-DMF solution was flooded onto the different substrates (1

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

Jung, Min-Cherl; Zhang, Dongrong; Nikiforov, Gueorgui O.

Ultrathin (<6 nm) polycrystalline films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-P) are deposited with a two-step spin-coating process. The influence of spin-coating conditions on morphology of the resulting film was examined by atomic force microscopy. Film thickness and RMS surface roughness were in the range of 4.0–6.1 and 0.6–1.1 nm, respectively, except for small holes. Polycrystalline structure was confirmed by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements. Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements suggested that the plane through aromatic rings of TIPS-P molecules was perpendicular to the substrate surface.

Multi-Layer Coating of Ultrathin Polymer Films on Nanoparticles of Alumina by a Plasma Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

Proc. Vol. 635 © 2001 Materials Research Society Multi-Layer Coating of Ultrathin Polymer Films on Nanoparticles of Alumina by a Plasma Treatment Donglu...interconnected organic and inorganic networks results in coatings with a very low permeability for gases and liquids. Hybrid materials are very suitable for... materials consist of a clear alcoholic solution that can easily be processed by classical application techniques such as dipping, spraying, or spin coating

Structural and optical studies on spin coated ZnO-graphene conjugated thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinatha, N.; Angadi, Basavaraj; Son, D. I.; Choi, W. K.

2018-05-01

ZnO-Graphene conjugated thin films were prepared using spin coating technique for different spin rates. Prior to the deposition, ZnO-Graphene nanoparticles were synthesized and their particle size and conjugation was studied through Transmission electron microscope (TEM). The deposited films were characterized using grazing incidence x-ray diffractometer (GIXRD), atomic force microscope (AFM) and UV-Visible spectrometer for their crystallinity, surface topographic features and optical properties. GIXRD patterns confirms the presence of both ZnO and Graphene related crystalline peaks supports the TEM results, which shows the quasi core-shell type conjugation of ZnO-Graphene particles. The crystallinity as well as thickness of the films found to decrease with increase of spin rate. AFM results reveal the uniform, smooth and homogeneity of films and also good adhesivity of ZnO-Graphene with glass substrates. No significant change in the transmittance and absorption with spin rate is observed, while the band gap energy found to decrease due to the reduction in the thickness of the films and conjugation of ZnO-Graphene. All films exhibit˜90 % transmittance in the visible wavelength region, could be potential candidates for optoelectronics and transparent conducting oxide (TCO) applications.

Fabrication of a printed capacitive air-gap touch sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Hwiwon; Lee, Sangyoon

2018-05-01

Unlike lithography-based processes, printed electronics does not require etching, which makes it difficult to fabricate electronic devices with an air gap. In this study, we propose a method to fabricate capacitive air-gap touch sensors via printing and coating. First, the bottom electrode was fabricated on a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate using roll-to-roll gravure printing with silver ink. Then poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was spin coated to form a sacrificial layer. The top electrode was fabricated on the sacrificial layer by spin coating with a stretchable silver ink. The sensor samples were then put in a tetrabutylammonium (TBAF) bath to generate the air gap by removing the sacrificial layer. The capacitance of the samples was measured for verification, and the results show that the capacitance increases in proportion to the applied force from 0 to 2.5 N.

Mesoporous silica film from a solution containing a surfactant and methods of making same

DOEpatents

Liu, Jun [West Richland, WA; Domansky, Karel [Cambridge, MA; Li, Xiaohong [Richland, WA; Fryxell, Glen E [Kennewick, WA; Baskaran, Suresh [Kennewick, WA; Kohler, Nathan J [Richland, WA; Thevuthasan, Suntharampillai [Kennewick, WA; Coyle, Christopher A [Richland, WA; Birnbaum, Jerome C [Richland, WA

2001-12-11

The present invention is a mesoporous silica film having a low dielectric constant and method of making having the steps of combining a surfactant in a silica precursor solution, spin-coating a film from this solution mixture, forming a partially hydroxylated mesoporous film, and dehydroxylating the hydroxylated film to obtain the mesoporous film. It is advantageous that the small polyoxyethylene ether surfactants used in spin-coated films as described in the present invention will result in fine pores smaller on average than about 20 nm. The resulting mesoporous film has a dielectric constant less than 3, which is stable in moist air with a specific humidity. The present invention provides a method for superior control of film thickness and thickness uniformity over a coated wafer, and films with low dielectric constant.

Preparation of superhydrophobic and transparent micro-nano hybrid coatings from polymethylhydroxysiloxane and silica ormosil aerogels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagappan, Saravanan; Park, Jin Joo; Park, Sung Soo; Ha, Chang-Sik

2014-12-01

Superhydrophobic and transparent polymethylhydroxysiloxane (PMHOS)/silica ormosil aerogel hybrids were prepared successfully by mixing of PMHOS with various weight percentages of silica ormosil aerogels (as synthesized from methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) precursors) in separate seal perfume glass vials. The hybrids were spin coated on glass substrate at 1000 rpm for 60 seconds and used for further analysis. The surface morphology and chemical compositions of the hybrids were analyzed by high resolution scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force spectroscopy, adsorption and desorption isotherm, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The transparency, thermal decomposition and static contact angle (SCA) of each sample were measured by UV-Visible spectrophotometer, TGA and drop shape analysis system, respectively. The spin coated substrates showed good superhydrophobic properties, thermal stability as well as transparency on the glass substrates.

Investigation of Anti-Relaxation Coatings for Alkali-Metal Vapor Cells using Surface Science Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

worldwide. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Peer Reviewed Title: Investigation of anti-Relaxation coatings for alkali-metal vapor cells using ...2010 Abstract: Many technologies based on cells containing alkali-metal atomic vapor benefit from the use of antirelaxation surface coatings in order to...preserve atomic spin polarization. In particular, paraffin has been used for this purpose for several decades and has been demonstrated to allow an

Correlation between Hierarchical Structure and Processing Control of Large-area Spray-coated Polymer Solar Cells toward High Performance

PubMed Central

Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Cha, Hou-Chin; Chuang, Chih-Min; Su, Chun-Jen; Jeng, U-Ser; Chen, Charn-Ying

2016-01-01

The formation mechanism of a spray-coated film is different from that of a spin-coated film. This study employs grazing incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS and GIWAXS, respectively) quantitatively and systematically to investigate the hierarchical structure and phase-separated behavior of a spray-deposited blend film. The formation of PCBM clusters involves mutual interactions with both the P3HT crystal domains and droplet boundary. The processing control and the formed hierarchical structure of the active layer in the spray-coated polymer/fullerene blend film are compared to those in the spin-coated film. How the different post-treatments, such as thermal and solvent vapor annealing, tailor the hierarchical structure of the spray-coated films is quantitatively studied. Finally, the relationship between the processing control and tailored BHJ structures and the performance of polymer solar cell devices is established here, taking into account the evolution of the device area from 1 × 0.3 and 1 × 1 cm2. The formation and control of the special networks formed by the PCBM cluster and P3HT crystallites, respectively, are related to the droplet boundary. These structures are favorable for the transverse transport of electrons and holes. PMID:26817585

Single crystal growth in spin-coated films of polymorphic phthalocyanine derivative under solvent vapor

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

Higashi, T.; Ohmori, M.; Ramananarivo, M. F.

2015-12-01

The effects of solvent vapor on spin-coated films of a polymorphic phthalocyanine derivative were investigated. Growth of single crystal films via redissolving organic films under solvent vapor was revealed by in situ microscopic observations of the films. X-ray diffraction measurement of the films after exposing to solvent vapor revealed the phase transition of polymorphs under solvent vapor. The direction of crystal growth was clarified by measuring the crystal orientation in a grown monodomain film. The mechanism of crystal growth based on redissolving organic films under solvent vapor was discussed in terms of the different solubilities of the polymorphs.

Simultaneous spin-coating and solvent annealing: Manipulating the active layer morphology to a power conversion efficiency of 9.6% in polymer solar cells

DOE PAGES

He, Zhicai; Liu, Feng; Wang, Cheng; ...

2015-08-20

Here, we developed a simultaneous spin-coating/solvent-annealing process and demonstrated morphology optimization for PTB7 based organic photovoltaics. This novel processing method enhances the edge-on crystalline content in thin films and induces the formation of weak PCBM aggregates. As a result, the efficiency of polymer solar cells increased from 9.2% to a certified high efficiency of 9.61%, owing to an enhanced short-circuit current (J sc, 18.4 mA cm –2vs. 17. 5 mA cm –2) and an improved fill factor.

Resistivity behavior of optimized PbTiO3 thin films prepared by spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurbaya, Z.; Wahid, M. H.; Rozana, M. D.; Alrokayan, S. A. H.; Khan, H. A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Th is study presents the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films which were prepared towards metal-insulator-metal capacitor device fabrication. The PbTiO3 thin films were prepared through sol-gel spin coating method that involved various deposition parameters that is (1) different molar concentration of PbTiO3 solutions, (2) various additional PbAc-content in PbTiO3 solutions, and (3) various annealing temperature on PbTiO3 thin films. Hence, an electrical measurement of current versus voltage was done to determine the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films.

Extremely low amplified spontaneous emission threshold and blue electroluminescence from a spin-coated octafluorene neat film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.-H.; Sandanayaka, A. S. D.; Zhao, L.; Pitrat, D.; Mulatier, J. C.; Matsushima, T.; Andraud, C.; Ribierre, J. C.; Adachi, C.

2017-01-01

We report on the photophysical, amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), and electroluminescence properties of a blue-emitting octafluorene derivative in spin-coated films. The neat film shows an extremely low ASE threshold of 90 nJ/cm2, which is related to its high photoluminescence quantum yield of 87% and its large radiative decay rate of 1.7 × 109 s-1. Low-threshold organic distributed feedback semiconductor lasers and fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes with a maximum external quantum efficiency as high as 4.4% are then demonstrated, providing evidence that this octafluorene derivative is a promising candidate for organic laser applications.

Observation of sub-100-fs optical response from spin-coated films of squarylium dye J aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuki, Makoto; Tian, Minquan; Sato, Yasuhiro; Pu, Lyong Sun; Kawashima, Hitoshi; Tatsuura, Satoshi; Wada, Osamu

2001-04-01

For spin-coated films of squarylium dye J aggregates, ultrafast nonlinear optical responses were investigated by pump-probe measurements. By using a broadband mode-locked titanium:sapphire laser, we succeeded in observing the optical response with a time resolution of better than 60 fs. Time-resolved transmission data are shown for different excitation wavelengths, resonant to the excitonic absorption band and off-resonant. Relaxation times of the absorption saturation were evaluated to be 140 fs (fast component) and 950 fs (slow component) in the case of resonant excitation and 98 fs in the case of off-resonant excitation.

Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulfur Thin Film Using Spin-Coating Technology

PubMed Central

Yeh, Min-Yen; Lei, Po-Hsun; Lin, Shao-Hsein; Yang, Chyi-Da

2016-01-01

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by using spin-coating and an annealing process, which can improve the crystallinity and morphology of the thin films. The grain size, optical gap, and atomic contents of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), and sulfur (S) in a CZTS thin film absorber relate to the concentrations of aqueous precursor solutions containing copper chloride (CuCl2), zinc chloride (ZnCl2), tin chloride (SnCl2), and thiourea (SC(NH2)2), whereas the electrical properties of CZTS thin films depend on the annealing temperature and the atomic content ratios of Cu/(Zn + Sn) and Zn/Sn. All of the CZTS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), Raman spectroscopy, and Hall measurements. Furthermore, CZTS thin film was deposited on an n-type silicon substrate by using spin-coating to form an Mo/p-CZTS/n-Si/Al heterostructured solar cell. The p-CZTS/n-Si heterostructured solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of 1.13% with Voc = 520 mV, Jsc = 3.28 mA/cm2, and fill-factor (FF) = 66%. PMID:28773647

Nondispersive hole transport in a spin-coated dendrimer film measured by the charge-generation-layer time-of-flight method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markham, Jonathan P. J.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Samuel, Ifor D. W.; Richards, Gary J.; Burn, Paul L.; Im, Chan; Bassler, Heinz

2002-10-01

Measurements of the mobility of a first-generation (G1) bis-fluorene cored dendrimer have been performed on spin-coated samples of 500 nm thickness using the charge-generation-layer time-of-flight (TOF) technique. A 10 nm perylene charge generation layer was excited by the 532 nm line of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and the generated carriers swept through the dendrimer film under an applied field. We observe nondispersive hole transport in the dendrimer layer with a room-temperature mobility mu=2.0 x10-4 cm2/V s at a field of 0.55 MV/cm. There is a weak field dependence of the mobility and it increases from mu=1.6 x10-4 cm2/V s at 0.2 MV/cm to mu=3.0 x10-4 cm2/V s at 1.4 MV/cm. These results suggest that the measurement of mobility by TOF in spin-coated samples on thickness scales relevant to organic light-emitting diodes can yield valuable information, and that dendrimers are promising materials for device applications.

Morphological, structural and optical properties of MEH-PPV: PC70BM nanocomposite film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mhamdi, Asya; Sweii, Fatma ben Slama; Saidi, Hamza; Saidi, Faouzi; Bouazizi, Abdelaziz

2018-05-01

In this report, the influence of annealing temperature and spin coating speed on the structural and morphological properties of a blend of poly (2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-oxy)-p-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and [6-6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) layer has been investigated. The photoactive layer (MEH-PPV: PC70BM) was deposited on ZnO film deposited on top of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate by spin-coating. The effect of spin coating speed via atomic force microscope (AFM) leads to conclude that high speed is favorable for a good homogeneity of the film surface and good aggregates dispersion. The optimized structure was studied by varying the annealing temperatures using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD analysis indicates that annealing treatment promoted the ordered aggregation and crystallization of MEH-PPV: PC70BM films. Indeed, the blend ratio effect on the optical properties of MEH-PPV: PC70BM thin film was investigated. While, the effect of incorporation of PC70BM on the optical properties was studied using UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. We conclude that MEH-PPV: PC70BM (1:3) film leads to high charge transfer rate.

Self-assembled biomimetic antireflection coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linn, Nicholas C.; Sun, Chih-Hung; Jiang, Peng; Jiang, Bin

2007-09-01

The authors report a simple self-assembly technique for fabricating antireflection coatings that mimic antireflective moth eyes. Wafer-scale, nonclose-packed colloidal crystals with remarkable large hexagonal domains are created by a spin-coating technology. The resulting polymer-embedded colloidal crystals exhibit highly ordered surface modulation and can be used directly as templates to cast poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molds. Moth-eye antireflection coatings with adjustable reflectivity can then be molded against the PDMS master. The specular reflection of replicated nipple arrays matches the theoretical prediction using a thin-film multilayer model. These biomimetic films may find important technological application in optical coatings and solar cells.

Bidisperse silica nanoparticles close-packed monolayer on silicon substrate by three step spin method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanna, Sakshum; Marathey, Priyanka; Utsav, Chaliawala, Harsh; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit

2018-05-01

We present the studies on the structural properties of monolayer Bidisperse silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (BDS) on Silicon (Si-100) substrate using spin coating technique. The Bidisperse silica nanoparticle was synthesised by the modified sol-gel process. Nanoparticles on the substrate are generally assembled in non-close/close-packed monolayer (CPM) form. The CPM form is obtained by depositing the colloidal suspension onto the silicon substrate using complex techniques. Here we report an effective method for forming a monolayer of bidisperse silica nanoparticle by three step spin coating technique. The samples were prepared by mixing the monodisperse solutions of different particles size 40 and 100 nm diameters. The bidisperse silica nanoparticles were self-assembled on the silicon substrate forming a close-packed monolayer film. The scanning electron microscope images of bidisperse films provided in-depth film structure of the film. The maximum surface coverage obtained was around 70-80%.

Low Hysteresis Carbon Nanotube Transistors Constructed via a General Dry-Laminating Encapsulation Method on Diverse Surfaces.

PubMed

Yang, Yi; Wang, Zhongwu; Xu, Zeyang; Wu, Kunjie; Yu, Xiaoqin; Chen, Xiaosong; Meng, Yancheng; Li, Hongwei; Qiu, Song; Jin, Hehua; Li, Liqiang; Li, Qingwen

2017-04-26

Electrical hysteresis in carbon nanotube thin-film transistor (CNTTFT) due to surface adsorption of H 2 O/O 2 is a severe obstacle for practical applications. The conventional encapsulation methods based on vacuum-deposited inorganic materials or wet-coated organic materials have some limitations. In this work, we develop a general and highly efficient dry-laminating encapsulation method to reduce the hysteresis of CNTTFTs, which may simultaneously realize the construction and encapsulation of CNTTFT. Furthermore, by virtue of dry procedure and wide compatibility of PMMA, this method is suitable for the construction of CNTTFT on diverse surface including both inorganic and organic dielectric materials. Significantly, the dry-encapsulated CNTTFT exhibits very low or even negligible hysteresis with good repeatability and air stability, which is greatly superior to the nonencapsulated and wet-encapsulated CNTTFT with spin-coated PMMA. The dry-laminating encapsulation strategy, a kind of technological innovation, resolves a significant problem of CNTTFT and therefore will be promising in facile transferring and packaging the CNT films for high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Evaluation of zinc coating procedures : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-01-01

This research project was conducted in order to compare the existing procedure of zinc coating by hot-dip galvanizing with the other zinc coating systems of painting and electroplating. : Hardware coated by these processes was exposed to varied labor...

Spin dependent transport and spin transfer in nanoconstrictions and current confined nanomagnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozatay, Ozhan

In this thesis, I have employed point contact spectroscopy to determine the nature of electron transport across constrained domain walls in a ferromagnetic nanocontact and to uncover the relationship between ballisticity of electron transport and domain wall magnetoresistance. In the range of hole sizes studied (from 10 to 3 nm) the resulting magnetoresistance was found to be less than 0.5% and one that increases with decreasing contact size. I have used point contacts as local probes, to study the spin dependent transport across Ferromagnet/Normal Metal/Ferromagnet(FM/NM/FM) trilayers as well as the consequences of localized spin polarized current injection into a nano magnet on spin angular momentum transfer and high frequency magnetization dynamics. I have demonstrated that absolute values for spin transfer switching critical currents are reduced in this new geometry as compared to uniform current injection. I have also performed micromagnetic simulations to determine the evolution of magnetization under the application of magnetic fields and currents to gain more insights into experimental results. I have used Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), X-Ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) techniques to characterize the interfacial mixing and oxygen diffusion in the metallic multilayers of interest. I have shown that the Ta/CuOx bilayer structure provides a smooth substrate by improving interfacial roughness due to grain boundary diffusion of oxygen and reaction with Ta that fills in the grain boundary gaps in Cu. Analysis of the Py/AlOx interface proved a strong oxidation passivation on the Py surface by Al coating accompanied by Fe segregation into the alumina. I have utilized the characterization results to design a new nanomagnet whose sidewalls are protected from adventitious sidewall oxide layers and yields improved device performance. The oxide layers that naturally develop at the sidewalls of Py nanomagnets cause an enhancement in magnetic damping especially for temperatures below the blocking temperature of the AFM layer (≤40K). Studies with pillars protected by Al coating and ones with more NiO coating (˜2.5 nm) shed light onto the role of surface oxides in determining temperature dependent behaviour of both spin torque and field driven switching characteristics.

Stability of Polymer Ultrathin Films (<7 nm) Made by a Top-Down Approach.

PubMed

Bal, Jayanta Kumar; Beuvier, Thomas; Unni, Aparna Beena; Chavez Panduro, Elvia Anabela; Vignaud, Guillaume; Delorme, Nicolas; Chebil, Mohamed Souheib; Grohens, Yves; Gibaud, Alain

2015-08-25

In polymer physics, the dewetting of spin-coated polystyrene ultrathin films on silicon remains mysterious. By adopting a simple top-down method based on good solvent rinsing, we are able to prepare flat polystyrene films with a controlled thickness ranging from 1.3 to 7.0 nm. Their stability was scrutinized after a classical annealing procedure above the glass transition temperature. Films were found to be stable on oxide-free silicon irrespective of film thickness, while they were unstable (<2.9 nm) and metastable (>2.9 nm) on 2 nm oxide-covered silicon substrates. The Lifshitz-van der Waals intermolecular theory that predicts the domains of stability as a function of the film thickness and of the substrate nature is now fully reconciled with our experimental observations. We surmise that this reconciliation is due to the good solvent rinsing procedure that removes the residual stress and/or the density variation of the polystyrene films inhibiting thermodynamically the dewetting on oxide-free silicon.

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

Deb, Marwan, E-mail: marwan.deb@ipcms.unistra.fr; Vomir, Mircea; Rehspringer, Jean-Luc

Controlling the magnetization dynamics on the femtosecond timescale is of fundamental importance for integrated opto-spintronic devices. For industrial perspectives, it requires to develop simple growth techniques for obtaining large area magneto-optical materials having a high amplitude ultrafast Faraday or Kerr response. Here we report on optical pump probe studies of light induced spin dynamics in high quality bismuth doped iron garnet polycrystalline film prepared by the spin coating method. We demonstrate an ultrafast non-thermal optical control of the spin dynamics using both circularly and linearly polarized pulses.

Fabrication process for polymer PLC platforms with V-grooves for passive alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Suntak; Lee, Jong-Moo; Ahn, Joon Tae; Baek, Yong-Soon

2005-12-01

A method for polymer planar lightwave circuit (PLC) devices fabricated on a substrate with V-grooves is developed for passive alignment of an optical fiber to a polymer waveguide. In order to minimize thickness nonuniformity of polymer layers caused by the V-grooves, dry film resist (DFR) is used. The V-grooves are covered with the DFR before the polymer layers are spin-coated on the substrate. The DFR prevents the polymer from being filled in the V-grooves as well as from being spin-coated nonuniformly on the substrate. This process provides a simple and cost-effective fabrication method of polymer PLCs or platforms for passive alignment.

A spin column-free approach to sodium hydroxide-based glycan permethylation.

PubMed

Hu, Yueming; Borges, Chad R

2017-07-24

Glycan permethylation was introduced as a tool to facilitate the study of glycans in 1903. Since that time, permethylation procedures have been continually modified to improve permethylation efficiency and qualitative applicability. Typically, however, either laborious preparation steps or cumbersome and uneconomical spin columns have been needed to obtain decent permethylation yields on small glycan samples. Here we describe a spin column-free (SCF) glycan permethylation procedure that is applicable to both O- and N-linked glycans and can be employed upstream to intact glycan analysis by MALDI-MS, ESI-MS, or glycan linkage analysis by GC-MS. The SCF procedure involves neutralization of NaOH beads by acidified phosphate buffer, which eliminates the risk of glycan oxidative degradation and avoids the use of spin columns. Optimization of the new permethylation procedure provided high permethylation efficiency for both hexose (>98%) and HexNAc (>99%) residues-yields which were comparable to (or better than) those of some widely-used spin column-based procedures. A light vs. heavy labelling approach was employed to compare intact glycan yields from a popular spin-column based approach to the SCF approach. Recovery of intact N-glycans was significantly better with the SCF procedure (p < 0.05), but overall yield of O-glycans was similar or slightly diminished (p < 0.05 for tetrasaccharides or smaller). When the SCF procedure was employed upstream to hydrolysis, reduction and acetylation for glycan linkage analysis of pooled glycans from unfractionated blood plasma, analytical reproducibility was on par with that from previous spin column-based "glycan node" analysis results. When applied to blood plasma samples from stage III-IV breast cancer patients (n = 20) and age-matched controls (n = 20), the SCF procedure facilitated identification of three glycan nodes with significantly different distributions between the cases and controls (ROC c-statistics > 0.75; p < 0.01). In summary, the SCF permethylation procedure expedites and economizes both intact glycan analysis and linkage analysis of glycans from whole biospecimens.

A spin column-free approach to sodium hydroxide-based glycan permethylation†

PubMed Central

Hu, Yueming; Borges, Chad R.

2018-01-01

Glycan permethylation was introduced as a tool to facilitate the study of glycans in 1903. Since that time, permethylation procedures have been continually modified to improve permethylation efficiency and qualitative applicability. Typically, however, either laborious preparation steps or cumbersome and uneconomical spin columns have been needed to obtain decent permethylation yields on small glycan samples. Here we describe a spin column-free (SCF) glycan permethylation procedure that is applicable to both O- and N-linked glycans and can be employed upstream to intact glycan analysis by MALDI-MS, ESI-MS, or glycan linkage analysis by GC-MS. The SCF procedure involves neutralization of NaOH beads by acidified phosphate buffer, which eliminates the risk of glycan oxidative degradation and avoids the use of spin columns. Optimization of the new permethylation procedure provided high permethylation efficiency for both hexose (>98%) and HexNAc (>99%) residues—yields which were comparable to (or better than) those of some widely-used spin column-based procedures. A light vs. heavy labelling approach was employed to compare intact glycan yields from a popular spin-column based approach to the SCF approach. Recovery of intact N-glycans was significantly better with the SCF procedure (p < 0.05), but overall yield of O-glycans was similar or slightly diminished (p < 0.05 for tetrasaccharides or smaller). When the SCF procedure was employed upstream to hydrolysis, reduction and acetylation for glycan linkage analysis of pooled glycans from unfractionated blood plasma, analytical reproducibility was on par with that from previous spin column-based “glycan node” analysis results. When applied to blood plasma samples from stage III–IV breast cancer patients (n = 20) and age-matched controls (n = 20), the SCF procedure facilitated identification of three glycan nodes with significantly different distributions between the cases and controls (ROC c-statistics > 0.75; p < 0.01). In summary, the SCF permethylation procedure expedites and economizes both intact glycan analysis and linkage analysis of glycans from whole biospecimens. PMID:28635997

Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Functionalized 3D Ti-6Al-4V Scaffolds with Improved Surface Bioactivity

PubMed Central

Ye, Xiaotong; Leeflang, Sander; Wu, Chengtie; Chang, Jiang; Zhou, Jie; Huan, Zhiguang

2017-01-01

Porous Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds fabricated by means of selective laser melting (SLM), having controllable geometrical features and preferable mechanical properties, have been developed as a class of biomaterials that hold promising potential for bone repair. However, the inherent bio-inertness of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy as the matrix of the scaffolds results in a lack in the ability to stimulate bone ingrowth and regeneration. The aim of the present study was to develop a bioactive coating on the struts of SLM Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds in order to add the desired surface osteogenesis ability. Mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) coating was applied on the strut surfaces of the SLM Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds through spin coating, followed by a heat treatment. It was found that the coating could maintain the characteristic mesoporous structure and chemical composition of MBG, and establish good interfacial adhesion to the Ti-6Al-4V substrate. The compressive strength and pore interconnectivity of the scaffolds were not affected by the coating. Moreover, the results obtained from in vitro cell culture experiments demonstrated that the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) on the MBG-coated Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds were improved as compared with those on the conventional bioactive glass (BG)-coated Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds and bare-metal Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds. Our results demonstrated that the MBG coating by using the spinning coating method could be an effective approach to achieving enhanced surface biofunctionalization for SLM Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds. PMID:29077014

Zirconia-based mixed potential sensor with Pt electrode prepared by spin-coating of polymeric precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrzan, A.; Woźniak, Ł.; Szymczewska, D.; Jasiński, P.

2016-11-01

Many types of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) based gas sensors have been explored extensively in recent years. Great attention have been directed to mixed-potential-type gas sensors. It is due to growing concerns with environmental issues. Not without a significance is the fact of very attractive performance of this type of sensor allowing to detect low concentration of pollutant gases. In this paper two types of YSZ based mixed-potential planar sensors were investigated, with platinum electrode painted using commercial paste and with spin coated platinum layer. Both types had second electrode in the form of porous gold. Measurements were performed at 400 °C in synthetic air and different concentrations of SO2. Gas flow was set to 100 cm3min-1 and the concentration of 50 ppm SO2 was tested. During this measurements the sensor was sintered in-situ at increasing temperatures. Sensor with 100 nm spin-coated platinum layer sintered at 700 °C was shown to exhibit two times smaller response than sensor with 5 μm porous electrode, while consisting of over 20 times smaller amount of Pt. The influence of sintering temperature on electrical conductivity of platinum films was also examined. Moreover, the platinum microstructure was investigated using SEM microscopy.

Nonvolatile memory thin film transistors using CdSe/ZnS quantum dot-poly(methyl methacrylate) composite layer formed by a two-step spin coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ying-Chih; Huang, Chun-Yuan; Yu, Hsin-Chieh; Su, Yan-Kuin

2012-08-01

The nonvolatile memory thin film transistors (TFTs) using a core/shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD)-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composite layer as the floating gate have been demonstrated, with the device configuration of n+-Si gate/SiO2 insulator/QD-PMMA composite layer/pentacene channel/Au source-drain being proposed. To achieve the QD-PMMA composite layer, a two-step spin coating technique was used to successively deposit QD-PMMA composite and PMMA on the insulator. After the processes, the variation of crystal quality and surface morphology of the subsequent pentacene films characterized by x-ray diffraction spectra and atomic force microscopy was correlated to the two-step spin coating. The crystalline size of pentacene was improved from 147.9 to 165.2 Å, while the degree of structural disorder was decreased from 4.5% to 3.1% after the adoption of this technique. In pentacene-based TFTs, the improvement of the performance was also significant, besides the appearances of strong memory characteristics. The memory behaviors were attributed to the charge storage/discharge effect in QD-PMMA composite layer. Under the programming and erasing operations, programmable memory devices with the memory window (Δ Vth) = 23 V and long retention time were obtained.

Correlation between the fine structure of spin-coated PEDOT:PSS and the photovoltaic performance of organic/crystalline-silicon heterojunction solar cells

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

Funda, Shuji; Ohki, Tatsuya; Liu, Qiming

2016-07-21

We investigated the relationship between the fine structure of spin-coated conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiphene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films and the photovoltaic performance of PEDOT:PSS crystalline-Si (PEDOT:PSS/c-Si) heterojunction solar cells. Real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry revealed that there were two different time constants for the formation of the PEDOT:PSS network. Upon removal of the polar solvent, the PEDOT:PSS film became optically anisotropic, indicating a conformational change in the PEDOT and PSS chain. Polarized Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection absorption spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy measurements also indicated that thermal annealing promoted an in-plane π-conjugated C{sub α} = C{sub β} configuration attributed to a thiophene ring in PEDOTmore » and an out-of-plane configuration of -SO{sub 3} groups in the PSS chain with increasing composition ratio of oxidized (benzoid) to neutral (quinoid) PEDOT, I{sub qui}/I{sub ben}. The highest power conversion efficiency for the spin-coated PEDOT:PSS/c-Si heterojunction solar cells was 13.3% for I{sub qui}/I{sub ben} = 9–10 without employing any light harvesting methods.« less

Apparently enhanced magnetization of Cu(I)-modified γ-Fe2O3 based nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Xiaoyan; He, Zhenghong; Mao, Hong; Zhang, Ting; Lin, Yueqiang; Liu, Xiaodong; Li, Decai; Meng, Xiangshen; Li, Jian

2017-11-01

Using a chemically induced transition method in FeCl2 solution, γ-Fe2O3 based magnetic nanoparticles, in which γ-Fe2O3 crystallites were coated with FeCl3ṡ6H2O, were prepared. During the synthesis of the γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles Cu(I) modification of the particles was attempted. According to the results from both magnetization measurements and structural characterization, it was judged that a magnetic silent "dead layer", which can be attributed to spin disorder in the surface of the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites due to breaking of the crystal symmetry, existed in the unmodified particles. For the Cu(I)-modified sample, the CuCl thin layer on the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites incurred the crystal symmetry to reduce the spin disorder, which "awakened" the "dead layer" on the surface of the γ-Fe2O3 crystallites, enhancing the apparent magnetization of the Cu(I)-modified nanoparticles. It was determined that the surface spin disorder of the magnetic crystallite could be related to the coating layer on the crystallite, and can be modified by altering the coating layer to enhance the effective magnetization of the magnetic nanoparticles.

Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Sonali; Banerjee, Chandan; Kundu, Avra; Dey, Prasenjit; Saha, Hiranmay; Datta, Swapan K.

2013-10-01

Antireflective coating on front glass of superstrate-type single junction amorphous silicon solar cells (SCs) has been applied using highly monodispersed and stable silica nanoparticles (NPs). The silica NPs having 300 nm diameter were synthesized by Stober technique where the size of the NPs was controlled by varying the alcohol medium. The synthesized silica NPs were analysed by dynamic light scattering technique and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The NPs were spin coated on glass side of fluorinated tin oxide (SnO2: F) coated glass superstrate and optimization of the concentration of the colloidal solution, spin speed and number of coated layers was done to achieve minimum reflection characteristics. An estimation of the distribution of the NPs for different optimization parameters has been done using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the transparent conducting oxide coated glass with the layer having the minimum reflectance is used for fabrication of amorphous silicon SC. Electrical analysis of the fabricated cell indicates an improvement of 6.5% in short-circuit current density from a reference of 12.40 mA cm-2 while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor remains unaltered. A realistic optical model has also been proposed to gain an insight into the system.

Removing seed coat fragments with a lint cleaner grid bar air knife

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed coat fragments (SCF) in ginned lint cause spinning problems at the textile mill and undesirable defects in finished goods. Work continued on developing an air knife that may help remove SCF from ginned lint. The air knife is mounted on the 1st lint cleaner grid bar of a saw-type lint cleaner,...

Light-driven 3D droplet manipulation on flexible optoelectrowetting devices fabricated by a simple spin-coating method.

PubMed

Jiang, Dongyue; Park, Sung-Yong

2016-05-21

Technical advances in electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) over the past few years have extended our attraction to three-dimensional (3D) devices capable of providing more flexibility and functionality with larger volumetric capacity than conventional 2D planar ones. However, typical 3D EWOD devices require complex and expensive fabrication processes for patterning and wiring of pixelated electrodes that also restrict the minimum droplet size to be manipulated. Here, we present a flexible single-sided continuous optoelectrowetting (SCOEW) device which is not only fabricated by a spin-coating method without the need for patterning and wiring processes, but also enables light-driven 3D droplet manipulations. To provide photoconductive properties, previous optoelectrowetting (OEW) devices have used amorphous silicon (a-Si) typically fabricated through high-temperature processes over 300 °C such as CVD or PECVD. However, most of the commercially-available flexible substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) experience serious thermal deformation under such high-temperature processes. Because of this compatibility issue of conventional OEW devices with flexible substrates, light-driven 3D droplet manipulations have not yet been demonstrated on flexible substrates. Our study overcomes this compatibility issue by using a polymer-based photoconductive material, titanium oxide phthalocyanine (TiOPc) and thus SCOEW devices can be simply fabricated on flexible substrates through a low-cost, spin-coating method. In this paper, analytical studies were conducted to understand the effects of light patterns on static contact angles and EWOD forces. For experimental validations of our study, flexible SCOEW devices were successfully fabricated through the TiOPc-based spin-coating method and light-driven droplet manipulations (e.g. transportation, merging, and splitting) have been demonstrated on various 3D terrains such as inclined, vertical, upside-down, and curved surfaces. Our flexible SCOEW technology offers the benefits of device simplicity, flexibility, and functionality over conventional EWOD and OEW devices by enabling optical droplet manipulations on a 3D featureless surface.

Humidity sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide coating films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saidi, S. A.; Mamat, M. H.; Ismail, A. S.; Malek, M. F.; Yusoff, M. M.; Sin, N. D. Md.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Humidity sensor was fabricated using Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) coating films through spin-coating at room temperature. The sensing mechanism was discussed based on their nanostructures, such as surface area and porous nanostructures. Surface area and water adsorption are an important component in the low humidity, while at high humidity, porous nanostructures and capillary condensation become important. The results showed that the sensitivity of the Al-doped ZnO coating improved compared to that of the Al-doped ZnO nanorod arrays, with values of 7.38 at 40% to 90%RH (Relative humidity). All these results indicated that Al-doped ZnO coating had high potential for humidity-sensor applications.

Free Electron Laser Induced Forward Transfer Method of Biomaterial for Marking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Kaoru

Biomaterial, such as chitosan, poly lactic acid, etc., containing fluorescence agent was deposited onto biology hard tissue, such as teeth, fingernail of dog or cat, or sapphire substrate by free electron laser induced forward transfer method for direct write marking. Spin-coated biomaterial with fluorescence agent of rhodamin-6G or zinc phthalochyamine target on sapphire plate was ablated by free electron laser (resonance absorption wavelength of biomaterial : 3380 nm). The influence of the spin-coating film-forming temperature on hardness and adhesion strength of biomaterial is particularly studied. Effect of resonance excitation of biomaterial target by turning free electron laser was discussed to damage of biomaterial, rhodamin-6G or zinc phtarochyamine for direct write marking

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

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

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

Effects of magnetic impurity scattering on superfluid 3He in aerogel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyama, Kazushi; Ikeda, Ryusuke

2009-02-01

We investigate impurity effects on superfluid 3He in aerogel whose surface is not coated with 4He, different from most experimental situations. In systems with no 4He coating, spins of solid 3He absorbed on the aerogel surface are active and interact with spins of quasiparticles relevant to superfluidity and, for this reason, such an aerogel is treated as magnetic scatterers. It is found that, in the ABM pairing state affected by magnetic scatterings, not only the l-vector but also the d-vector has no long-ranged orientational order, and that the strong-coupling correction due to impurity scatterings is less suppressed than that in the nonmagnetic case, implying an expansion of the A-like phase region.

Optical properties of micro and nano LiNbO3 thin film prepared by spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fakhri, Makram A.; Salim, Evan T.; Abdulwahhab, Ahmed W.; Hashim, U.; Salim, Zaid T.

2018-07-01

This paper deals with preparing of Lithium-Niobate thin films based on Sol-Gel technique on a substrate made of quartz, samples have been deposited under three different stirrer times. At 3000 round per minute of spin coating strategy, the deposition processes have been accomplished. The results showed an enhancement in the crystalline structure of the prepared samples with increasing the duration of stirrer time. The AFM measurement has assured that the structure of the prepared samples is more regular distributed, homogeneous and crack-free in their structures. Further, measurements and calculations of lattice constant, energy band gap, refractive index, and optical dielectric constant are also considered and agreed with experimental data collected by the characterized samples.

Morphological impact of zinc oxide layers on the device performance in thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Faber, Hendrik; Klaumünzer, Martin; Voigt, Michael; Galli, Diana; Vieweg, Benito F; Peukert, Wolfgang; Spiecker, Erdmann; Halik, Marcus

2011-03-01

Zinc oxide thin-films are prepared either by spin coating of an ethanolic dispersion of nanoparticles (NP, diameter 5 nm) or by spray pyrolysis of a zinc acetate dihydrate precursor. High-resolution electron microscopy studies reveal a monolayer of particles for the low temperature spin coating approach and larger crystalline domains of more than 30 nm for the spray pyrolysis technique. Thin-film transistor devices (TFTs) based on spray pyrolysis films exhibit higher electron mobilities of up to 24 cm2 V(-1) s(-1) compared to 0.6 cm2 V(-1) s(-1) for NP based TFTs. These observations were dedicated to a reduced number of grain boundaries within the transistor channel.

Electrochromic NiO thin films prepared by spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özütok, F.; Demiri, S.; Özbek, E.

2017-02-01

Recently, smart windows are very important because they are often being used in smart buildings and car glasses (windows). At this point, producing effective electrochromic materials is so necessary. In this study, we produced NiO thin films by using spin coating technique on In-doped SnO2 (ITO) substrate. Nickel proportions of these nickel oxide (NiO) films are 3, 5 and 7 %. Nickel acetate tetrahydrate is the initial solution and solvents are ethylene gl ycol and n-hexzane. Structural properties and surface images are investigated by using x-ray diffactometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) device, respectively. In addition, electrochemical behavior is investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A correlation between surface morphology and electrochromic performance was observed as well.

Synthesis and film formation of furfuryl- and maleimido carbonic acid derivatives of dextran.

PubMed

Elschner, Thomas; Obst, Franziska; Stana-Kleinschek, Karin; Kargl, Rupert; Heinze, Thomas

2017-04-01

Carbonic acid derivatives of dextran possessing furfuryl- and maleimido moieties were synthesized and processed into thin films by spin coating. First, products with different degrees of substitution (DS) of up to 3.0 and substitution patterns were obtained and characterized by NMR- and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis. Thin films possessing maleimide groups were obtained by spin coating of maleimido dextran (furan-protected) and dextran furfuryl carbamate that was converted with bismaleimide. The removal of the protecting group (furan) on the thin film was monitored by QCM-D and compared with gravimetric analysis of the bulk material. Film morphology and wettability were determined by means of AFM and contact angle measurements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Separation of Water from Ultralow Sulfur Diesel Using Novel Polymer Nanofiber-Coated Glass Fiber Media.

PubMed

Rajgarhia, Stuti S; Jana, Sadhan C; Chase, George G

2016-08-24

Polymer nanofibers with interpenetrating network (IPN) morphology are used in this work for the development of composite, hydrophobic filter media in conjunction with glass fibers for removal of water droplets from ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD). The nanofibers are produced from hydrophobic polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by spinning the polymer solutions using gas jet fiber (GJF) method. The nanofibers coat the individual glass fibers due to polar-polar interactions during the spinning process and render the filter media highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle approaching 150°. The efficiency of the resultant filter media is evaluated in terms of separation of water droplets of average size 20 μm from the suspensions in ULSD.

Printable CIGS thin film solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xiaojuan

2014-03-01

Among the various thin film solar cells in the market, CuInGaSe thin film cells have been considered as the most promising alternatives to silicon solar cells because of their high photo-electricity efficiency, reliability, and stability. However, many fabrication of CIGS thin film are based on vacuum processes such as evaporation sputtering techniques which are not cost efficient. This work develops a method using paste or ink liquid spin-coated on glass that would be to conventional ways in terms of cost effective, non-vacuum needed, quick processing. A mixture precursor was prepared by dissolving appropriate amounts of chemicals. After the mixture solution was cooled, a viscous paste prepared and ready for spin-coating process. A slight bluish CIG thin film substrate was then put in a tube furnace with evaporation of metal Se by depositing CdS layer and ZnO nanoparticle thin film coating to a solar cell fabrication. Structure, absorption spectrum, and photo-conversion efficiency for the as-grown CIGS thin film solar cell under study.

Characterization of Antisticking Layers for UV Nanoimprint Lithography Molds with Scanning Probe Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masaaki Kurihara,; Sho Hatakeyama,; Noriko Yamada,; Takeya Shimomura,; Takaharu Nagai,; Kouji Yoshida,; Tatsuya Tomita,; Morihisa Hoga,; Naoya Hayashi,; Hiroyuki Ohtani,; Masamichi Fujihira,

2010-06-01

Antisticking layers (ASLs) on UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) molds were characterized by scanning probe microscopies (SPMs) in addition to macroscopic analyses of work of adhesion and separation force. Local physical properties of the ASLs were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and friction force microscopy (FFM). The behavior of local adhesive forces measured with AFM on several surfaces was consistent with that of work of adhesion obtained from contact angle. The ASLs were coated by two different processes, i.e., one is a vapor-phase process and the other a spin-coating process. The homogeneity of the ASLs prepared by the vapor-phase process was better than that of those prepared by the spin-coating process. In addition, we measured the thicknesses of ASL patterns prepared by a lift-off method to investigate the effect of the ASL thicknesses on critical dimensions of the molds with ASLs and found that this effect is not negligible.

Spin-Coating and Characterization of Multiferroic MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) / BaTiO3 Bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quandt, Norman; Roth, Robert; Syrowatka, Frank; Steimecke, Matthias; Ebbinghaus, Stefan G.

2016-01-01

Bilayer films of MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) and BaTiO3 were prepared by spin coating of N,N-dimethylformamide/acetic acid solutions on platinum coated silicon wafers. Five coating steps were applied to get the desired thickness of 150 nm for both the ferrite and perovskite layer. XRD, IR and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of phase-pure ferrite spinels and BaTiO3. Smooth surfaces with roughnesses in the order of 3 to 5 nm were found in AFM investigations. Saturation magnetization of 347 emu cm-3 for the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 and 188 emu cm-3 for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer, respectively were found. For the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer a strong magnetic anisotropy was observed with coercivity fields of 5.1 kOe and 3.3 kOe (applied magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to film surface), while for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer this effect is less pronounced. Saturated polarization hysteresis loops prove the presence of ferroelectricity in both systems.

A novel antiproliferative drug coating for glaucoma drainage devices.

PubMed

Ponnusamy, Thiruselvam; Yu, Haini; John, Vijay T; Ayyala, Ramesh S; Blake, Diane A

2014-01-01

The implantation of a glaucoma drainage device (GDD) is often necessary for intractable cases of glaucoma. Currently, the success rate of GDD implants is relatively low because fibrosis that develops during the wound-healing process ultimately blocks fluid drainage. We describe herein a novel porous coating for Ahmed glaucoma valves based on biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). Thin films of PLGA were fabricated using a spin-coating technique. The procedure led to an asymmetric pore structure that was exploited to control the rate of dissolution. Double-layered porous films were constructed to achieve continuous drug release. A cell culture system was used to test the efficacy of these coatings. Double-layered films were manufactured to provide a burst of mitomycin C (MMC) release followed by a slow release of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which together prevented fibrosis over the most active period of postoperative wound healing (0 to 28 d). Double-layered films containing 5-FU only in the bottom layer showed a 3- to 5-day delay in drug release, followed by a sharp increase that continued for ~28 days. MMC was stable only when surface-loaded, and this drug was therefore surface-loaded onto the top PLGA layer to provide a continuous release of antifibrotics over the wound-healing period. The combined use of both MMC and 5-FU in a biodegradable device inhibits cell proliferation in a tissue culture model and has the potential to reduce fibrosis and increase the success rate of GDD implants. The design is simple and can be scaled for commercial production.

Spin-on bottom antireflective coating defect reduction by proper filter selection and process optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brakensiek, Nickolas L.; Kidd, Brian; Mesawich, Michael; Stevens, Don, Jr.; Gotlinsky, Barry

2003-06-01

A design of experiment (DOE) was implemented to show the effects of various point of use filters on the coat process. The DOE takes into account the filter media, pore size, and pumping means, such as dispense pressure, time, and spin speed. The coating was executed on a TEL Mark 8 coat track, with an IDI M450 pump, and PALL 16 stack Falcon filters. A KLA 2112 set at 0.69 μm pixel size was used to scan the wafers to detect and identify the defects. The process found for DUV42P to maintain a low defect coating irrespective of the filter or pore size is a high start pressure, low end pressure, low dispense time, and high dispense speed. The IDI M450 pump has the capability to compensate for bubble type defects by venting the defects out of the filter before the defects are in the dispense line and the variable dispense rate allows the material in the dispense line to slow down at the end of dispense and not create microbubbles in the dispense line or tip. Also the differential pressure sensor will alarm if the pressure differential across the filter increases over a user-determined setpoint. The pleat design allows more surface area in the same footprint to reduce the differential pressure across the filter and transport defects to the vent tube. The correct low defect coating process will maximize the advantage of reducing filter pore size or changing the filter media.

APEX/SPIN: a free test platform to measure speech intelligibility.

PubMed

Francart, Tom; Hofmann, Michael; Vanthornhout, Jonas; Van Deun, Lieselot; van Wieringen, Astrid; Wouters, Jan

2017-02-01

Measuring speech intelligibility in quiet and noise is important in clinical practice and research. An easy-to-use free software platform for conducting speech tests is presented, called APEX/SPIN. The APEX/SPIN platform allows the use of any speech material in combination with any noise. A graphical user interface provides control over a large range of parameters, such as number of loudspeakers, signal-to-noise ratio and parameters of the procedure. An easy-to-use graphical interface is provided for calibration and storage of calibration values. To validate the platform, perception of words in quiet and sentences in noise were measured both with APEX/SPIN and with an audiometer and CD player, which is a conventional setup in current clinical practice. Five normal-hearing listeners participated in the experimental evaluation. Speech perception results were similar for the APEX/SPIN platform and conventional procedures. APEX/SPIN is a freely available and open source platform that allows the administration of all kinds of custom speech perception tests and procedures.

Radiation Shielding System Using a Composite of Carbon Nanotubes Loaded with Electropolymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKay, Chris; Chen, Bin

2012-01-01

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated with a hydrogen-rich, electrically conducting polymer such as polyethylene, receive and dissipate a portion of incoming radiation pulse energy to electrical signals that are transmitted along the CNT axes, and are received at energy-dissipating terminals. In this innovation, an array of highly aligned nanowires is grown using a strong electric field or another suitable orientation procedure. Polyethylene (PE), polymethymlethacrylate (PMMA), or other electrically conducting polymer is spin-coated onto the SWCNTs with an average thickness of a few hundred nanometers to a few tenths of micrometers to form a PE/SWCNT composite. Alternatively, the polymer is spin-coated onto the nanowire array or an anodized alumina membrane (AAM) to form a PE/metal core shell structure, or PE can be electropolymerized using the SWCNTs or the metal nanowires as an electrode to form a PE/SWCNT core shell structure. The core shell structures can be extruded as anisotropic fibers. A monomer can be polymerized in the presence of SWCNTs to form highly cross-linked PE/SWCNT films. Alternatively, Pb colloid solution can be impregnated into a three-dimensional PE/SWCNT nanostructure to form a PW/SWCNT/Pb composite structure. A face-centered cubic (FCC) arrangement provides up to 12 interconnection channels connected to each core, with transverse channel dimensions up to 20 nm, with adequate mechanical compressive strength, and with an associated electrical conductivity of around 3 Seimens/cm for currents ranging from 0.01 to 10 mA. This threedimensional nanostructure is used as a host material to house appropriate radiation shielding material such as hydrogen- rich polymer/CNT structures, metal nanoparticles, and nanowires. Thicknesses of this material required to attenuate 10 percent, 50 percent, and 90 percent of an incident beam (gamma, X-ray, ultraviolet, neutron, proton, and electron) at energies in the range of 0 440 MeV are being determined, for example, by measuring fluence rate reduction. For example, a radiation field arrives first at an exposed surface of the innovation and produces an associated first electric field within the metal-like fingers of the three-dimensional nanostructure. This field is intensified near the exposed tips of the fingers, and this intensified field generates an intensified second electric field near the adjacent exposed tips of the coated CNSs. This generates an associated electrical current in the CNSs, and the associated electropolymer coating. The current is received by the second substrate transport component and is transported to the dissipation mechanism located contiguously to the second substrate.

Spin-hall-active platinum thin films grown via atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlitz, Richard; Amusan, Akinwumi Abimbola; Lammel, Michaela; Schlicht, Stefanie; Tynell, Tommi; Bachmann, Julien; Woltersdorf, Georg; Nielsch, Kornelius; Goennenwein, Sebastian T. B.; Thomas, Andy

2018-06-01

We study the magnetoresistance of yttrium iron garnet/Pt heterostructures in which the Pt layer was grown via atomic layer deposition (ALD). Magnetotransport experiments in three orthogonal rotation planes reveal the hallmark features of spin Hall magnetoresistance. To estimate the spin transport parameters, we compare the magnitude of the magnetoresistance in samples with different Pt thicknesses. We check the spin Hall angle and the spin diffusion length of the ALD Pt layers against the values reported for high-quality sputter-deposited Pt films. The spin diffusion length of 1.5 nm agrees well with that of platinum thin films reported in the literature, whereas the spin Hall magnetoresistance Δ ρ / ρ = 2.2 × 10 - 5 is approximately a factor of 20 smaller compared to that of our sputter-deposited films. Our results demonstrate that ALD allows fabricating spin-Hall-active Pt films of suitable quality for use in spin transport structures. This work provides the basis to establish conformal ALD coatings for arbitrary surface geometries with spin-Hall-active metals and could lead to 3D spintronic devices in the future.

Numerical methods for the design of gradient-index optical coatings.

PubMed

Anzengruber, Stephan W; Klann, Esther; Ramlau, Ronny; Tonova, Diana

2012-12-01

We formulate the problem of designing gradient-index optical coatings as the task of solving a system of operator equations. We use iterative numerical procedures known from the theory of inverse problems to solve it with respect to the coating refractive index profile and thickness. The mathematical derivations necessary for the application of the procedures are presented, and different numerical methods (Landweber, Newton, and Gauss-Newton methods, Tikhonov minimization with surrogate functionals) are implemented. Procedures for the transformation of the gradient coating designs into quasi-gradient ones (i.e., multilayer stacks of homogeneous layers with different refractive indices) are also developed. The design algorithms work with physically available coating materials that could be produced with the modern coating technologies.

Integrated optical-fiber capillary electrophoresis microchips with novel spin-on-glass surface modification.

PubMed

Lin, Che-Hsin; Lee, Gwo-Bin; Fu, Lung-Ming; Chen, Shu-Hui

2004-07-30

This paper presents a novel micro-capillary electrophoresis (CE) chip with embedded optical fibers for the on-line detection of DNA samples. The optical fibers are pre-etched and then inserted directly into fiber channels incorporated within low-cost soda-lime glass substrates. The embedded optical fibers are precisely aligned with the microfluidic channels such that the induced fluorescence signals from labeled bio-samples can be detected. This arrangement avoids the requirement for delicate optical alignment procedures and equipment. Surface modification of the CE channels is accomplished by means of a simple and reliable organic-based spin-on-glass (SOG) method. The zeta potential distribution and the corresponding electroosmotic mobility of the fluid are simulated numerically for the modified and non-modified channel surfaces, and then both sets of results are verified experimentally. The present results indicate that the value of the zeta potential for a surface with an SOG coating is 19.3 times smaller than that of an untreated surface. A phiX-174 DNA marker fluid is used to evaluate the injection and separation performance of the developed micro-CE device. Furthermore, the long-term stability of the SOG-coated surface is also investigated. The experimental data reveal that the microchip device is capable of providing highly efficient separations of bio-molecules, and that the SOG layer retains its low zeta potential characteristics for at least 45 days. The present results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed micro-CE chip in performing the on-line detection of DNA samples, and indicate that the SOG process represents a simple and reliable solution for the surface modification of glass-based microchannels.

Influence of an Interfacial Effect on the Laser Performance of a Rhodamine 6G/Cellulose Acetate Waveguide on a Vinylidene Fluoride Copolymer Layer.

PubMed

Tsutsumi, Naoto; Hirano, Yoshinori; Kinashi, Kenji; Sakai, Wataru

2018-06-12

The fluorescent properties of dyes and fluorophores in condensed matter significantly affect the laser performance of organic dye lasers and fluorescent polymer lasers. Concentration quenching of fluorescence is commonly observed in condensed matter. Several approaches have been presented to suppress such quenching, such as the use of a dendrimer and the use of effective energy transfer in a guest-host system. The enhanced fluorescence of rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye on a vinylidene fluoride polymer is an alternative method for enhancing laser performance because of the roughness of the P(VDF-TrFE) surface and the interaction between polar β-crystals of P(VDF-TrFE) and R6G dye. In this paper, a significant improvement in slope efficiency (SE) is demonstrated without a significant depression in the lasing threshold for distributed feedback (DFB) and distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers fabricated using an R6G-dispersed cellulose acetate (CA) matrix spin-coated onto a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene P(VDF-TrFE) thin film. SEs of 3.4 and 1.3% were measured for DBR and DFB laser devices with CA/R6G on a P(VDF-TrFE) thin film, respectively, whereas an SE of less than 1.0% was measured for both corresponding laser devices without a P(VDF-TrFE) thin film. From the aspect of simple fabrication procedures, repeatability in device fabrication and performance, stability of the device, time for device fabrication, the present approach is the most preferable way for industrial applications, requiring only the additional step of spin-coating of a P(VDF-TrFE) thin film.

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

Badran, Hussain Ali, E-mail: badran_hussein@yahoo.com; Ajeel, Khalid I.; Lazim, Haidar Gazy

Highlights: • Active layer (P3HT:PCBM) has been deposited on substrate type by spin coating at 1000 rpm. • The device was completed by evaporating a 60 nm thick, circular gold electrodes onto the P3HT:PCBM. • Nonlinear refractive indices of the three particle sizes are found to be of the order of 10{sup −7} cm{sup 2}/W - Abstract: Organic solar cells are based on (3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid with methyl ester Bulk Heterojunction. An inverted structure has been fabricated using nano-anatase crystalline titanium dioxide, as the electron transport layer, which was prepared on either the Indium Tin Oxide coated glass (ITO—glass), ormore » Silicon wafer, as well as on glass substrates by the sol–gel method, at different spin speed, using the spin-coating system. The effect of thickness on the surface morphology and on the optical properties of TiO{sub 2} layer, was investigated using the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction, and UV–visible spectrophotometer. The samples were examined to feature currents and voltages, in the darkness and light extraction efficiency of the solar cell. The highest open-circuit voltage, V{sub oc}, and power conversion efficiency were 0.66% and 0.39%, fabricated with 90 nm, respectively. The non-linear optical properties of nano-anatase TiO{sub 2} sol–gel, were investigated at different particle sizes, using the z-scan technique.« less

Advanced Fabrication Method for the Preparation of MOF Thin Films: Liquid-Phase Epitaxy Approach Meets Spin Coating Method.

PubMed

Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2016-08-10

Here, we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method was implemented to generate MOF thin films in a high-throughput fashion. Advantageously, this approach offers a great prospective to cost-effectively construct thin-films with a significantly shortened preparation time and a lessened chemicals and solvents consumption, as compared to the conventional LPE-process. Certainly, this new spin-coating approach has been implemented successfully to construct various MOF thin films, ranging in thickness from a few micrometers down to the nanometer scale, spanning 2-D and 3-D benchmark MOF materials including Cu2(bdc)2·xH2O, Zn2(bdc)2·xH2O, HKUST-1, and ZIF-8. This method was appraised and proved effective on a variety of substrates comprising functionalized gold, silicon, glass, porous stainless steel, and aluminum oxide. The facile, high-throughput and cost-effective nature of this approach, coupled with the successful thin film growth and substrate versatility, represents the next generation of methods for MOF thin film fabrication. Therefore, paving the way for these unique MOF materials to address a wide range of challenges in the areas of sensing devices and membrane technology.

Fabrication of electrically bistable organic semiconducting/ferroelectric blend films by temperature controlled spin coating.

PubMed

Hu, Jinghang; Zhang, Jianchi; Fu, Zongyuan; Weng, Junhui; Chen, Weibo; Ding, Shijin; Jiang, Yulong; Zhu, Guodong

2015-03-25

Organic semiconducting/ferroelectric blend films attracted much attention due to their electrical bistability and rectification properties and thereof the potential in resistive memory devices. During film deposition from the blend solution, spinodal decomposition induced phase separation, resulting in discrete semiconducting phase whose electrical property could be modulated by the continuous ferroelectric phase. However, blend films processed by common spin coating method showed extremely rough surfaces, even comparable to the film thickness, which caused large electrical leakage and thus compromised the resistive switching performance. To improve film roughness and thus increase the productivity of these resistive devices, we developed temperature controlled spin coating technique to carefully adjust the phase separation process. Here we reported our experimental results from the blend films of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) and semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). We conducted a series of experiments at various deposition temperatures ranging from 20 to 90 °C. The resulting films were characterized by AFM, SEM, and VPFM to determine their structure and roughness. Film roughness first decreased and then increased with the increase of deposition temperature. Electrical performance was also characterized and obviously improved insulating property was obtained from the films deposited between 50 and 70 °C. By temperature control during film deposition, it is convenient to efficiently fabricate ferroelectric/semiconducting blend films with good electrical bistability.

Rapid and Facile Formation of P3HT Organogels via Spin Coating: Tuning Functional Properties of Organic Electronic Thin Films

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

Lee, Cameron S.; Yin, Wen; Holt, Adam P.

Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) is widely regarded as the benchmark polymer when studying the physics of conjugated polymers used in organic electronic devices. P3HT can self-assemble via stacking of its backbone, leading to an assembly and growth of P3HT fi brils into 3D percolating organogels. These structures are capable of bridging the electrodes, providing multiple pathways for charge transport throughout the active layer. Here, a novel set of conditions is identified and discussed for P3HT organogel network formation via spin coating by monitoring the spin-coating process from various solvents. The development of organogel formation is detected by in situ static lightmore » scattering, which measures both the thinning rate by refl ectance and structural development in the fi lm via off-specular scattering during fi lm formation. Optical microscopy and thermal annealing experiments provide ex situ confi rmation of organogel fabrication. The role of solution characteristics, including solvent boiling point, P3HT solubility, and initial P3HT solution concentration on organogel formation, is examined to correlate these parameters to the rate of film formation, organogel-onset concentration, and overall network size. The correlation of film properties to the fabrication parameters is also analyzed within the context of the hole mobility and density-of-states measured by impedance spectroscopy.« less

Enhanced room-temperature magnetoresistance in self-assembled Ag-coated multiphasic chromium oxide nanocomposites.

PubMed

Dwivedi, S; Biswas, S

2016-09-14

Self-assembled Ag-coated multiphasic diluted magnetic chromium oxide nanocomposites were developed by a facile chemical synthesis route involving a reaction of CrO3 in the presence of Ag(+) ions in an aqueous solution of poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) and sucrose. The tiny ferromagnetic single domains of tetragonal and orthorhombic CrO2 (t-CrO2 and o-CrO2) embedded in a dominantly insulating matrix of antiferromagnetic Cr2O3 and Cr3O8, and paramagnetic CrO3 and Cr2O, with a correlated diamagnetic thin and discontinuous shell layer of Ag efficiently tailor useful magnetic and room-temperature magnetoresistance (RTMR) properties. The t-CrO2, o-CrO2, possible canted ferromagnetism due to spin disorder in the matrix components, and the associated exchange interactions are the elements responsible for the observed ferromagnetism in the composite structure. The chain of ferromagnetic centers embedded in the composite matrix constitutes a type of magnetic tunnel junction through which spin-polarized electrons can effectively move without significant local interruptions. Electrical transport measurements showed that the spin-dependent tunneling (SDT) mechanism in the engineered microstructure of the nanocomposites exists even at room temperature (RT). A typical sample unveils a markedly enhanced RTMR-value, e.g., -80% at an applied field (H) of 3 kOe, compared to the reported values for compacted CrO2 powders or composites. The enhanced RTMR-value observed in the Coulomb blockade regime appears not only due to the considerably suppressed spin flipping at RT but primarily due to a highly effective SDT mechanism through an interlinked structure of Ag-coated multiphasic chromium oxide nanocomposites.

Enhanced interfacial contact between PbS and TiO2 layers in quantum dot solar cells using 2D-arrayed TiO2 hemisphere nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wonseok; Ryu, Ilhwan; Lee, Haein; Yim, Sanggyu

2018-02-01

Two-dimensionally (2D) arrayed hemispherical nanostructures of TiO2 thin films were successfully fabricated using a simple procedure of spin-coating or dip-coating TiO2 nanoparticles onto 2D close-packed polystyrene (PS) nanospheres, followed by PS extraction. The nanostructured TiO2 film was then used as an n-type layer in a lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dot solar cell. The TiO2 nanostructure could provide significantly increased contacts with subsequently deposited PbS quantum dot layer. In addition, the periodically arrayed nanostructure could enhance optical absorption of the cell by redirecting the path of the incident light and increasing the path length passing though the active layer. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) reached 5.13%, which is approximately a 1.7-fold increase over that of the control cell without nanostructuring, 3.02%. This PCE enhancement can mainly be attributed to the increase of the short-circuit current density from 19.6 mA/cm2 to 30.6 mA/cm2, whereas the open-circuit voltage and fill factor values did not vary significantly.

Quantum Dot Solar Cell Fabrication Protocols

DOE PAGES

Chernomordik, Boris D.; Marshall, Ashley R.; Pach, Gregory F.; ...

2016-09-26

Colloidally synthesized quantum-confined semiconducting spherical nanocrystals, often referred to as quantum dots (QDs), offer a high degree of chemical, optical, and electronic tunability. As a result, there is an increasing interest in employing colloidal QDs for electronic and optical applications that is reflected in a growing number of publications. In this protocol we provide detailed procedures for the fabrication of QD solar cells specifically employing PbSe and PbS QDs. Here we include details that are learned through experience, beyond those in typical methodology sections, and include example pictures and videos to aid in fabricating QD solar cells. Although successful solarmore » cell fabrication is ultimately learned through experience, this protocol is intended to accelerate that process. The protocol developed here is intended to be a general starting point for developing PbS and PbSe QD test bed solar cells. We include steps for forming conductive QD films via dip coating as well as spin coating. Finally, we provide protocols that detail the synthesis of PbS and PbSe QDs through a unique cation exchange reaction and discuss how different QD synthetic routes could impact the resulting solar cell performance.« less

Electro-Caloric Properties of BT/PZT Multilayer Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method.

PubMed

Kwon, Min-Su; Lee, Sung-Gap; Kim, Kyeong-Min

2018-09-01

In this study, Barium Titanate (BT)/Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) multilayer thin films were fabricated by the spin-coating method on Pt (200 nm)/Ti (10 nm) SiO2 (100 nm)/P-Si (100) substrates using BaTiO3 and Pb(Zr0.90Ti0.10)O3 metal alkoxide solutions. The coating and heating procedure was repeated several times to form the multilayer thin films. All of BT/PZT multilayer thin films show X-ray diffraction patterns typical to a polycrystalline perovskite structure and a uniform and void free grain microstructure. The thickness of the BT and PZT film by one-cycle of drying/sintering was approximately 50 nm and all of the films consisted of fine grains with a flat surface morphology. The electrocaloric properties of BT/PZT thin films were investigated by indirect estimation. The results showed that the temperature change ΔT can be calculated as a function of temperature using Maxwell's relation; the temperature change reaches a maximum value of ~1.85 °C at 135 °C under an applied electric field of 260 kV/cm.

Quantum Dot Solar Cell Fabrication Protocols

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

Chernomordik, Boris D.; Marshall, Ashley R.; Pach, Gregory F.

Colloidally synthesized quantum-confined semiconducting spherical nanocrystals, often referred to as quantum dots (QDs), offer a high degree of chemical, optical, and electronic tunability. As a result, there is an increasing interest in employing colloidal QDs for electronic and optical applications that is reflected in a growing number of publications. In this protocol we provide detailed procedures for the fabrication of QD solar cells specifically employing PbSe and PbS QDs. Here we include details that are learned through experience, beyond those in typical methodology sections, and include example pictures and videos to aid in fabricating QD solar cells. Although successful solarmore » cell fabrication is ultimately learned through experience, this protocol is intended to accelerate that process. The protocol developed here is intended to be a general starting point for developing PbS and PbSe QD test bed solar cells. We include steps for forming conductive QD films via dip coating as well as spin coating. Finally, we provide protocols that detail the synthesis of PbS and PbSe QDs through a unique cation exchange reaction and discuss how different QD synthetic routes could impact the resulting solar cell performance.« less

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

Jenner, Elliot; Barbier, Charlotte N; D'Urso, Brian R

Robust and easily produced Superhydrophobic surfaces are of great interest for mechanical applications, including drag reduction and MEMS. We produce novel superhydrophobic surfaces with several different coatings and tested the durability of each of these coatings with respect to long term immersion in water in order to determine the most long-lasting surface preparation. A pair of combinations of spin on polymers, surface features, and adhesion promoters was found that provide long term durability.

Graphene oxide as a p-dopant and an anti-reflection coating layer, in graphene/silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavuz, S.; Kuru, C.; Choi, D.; Kargar, A.; Jin, S.; Bandaru, P. R.

2016-03-01

It is shown that coating graphene-silicon (Gr/Si) Schottky junction based solar cells with graphene oxide (GO) improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the cells, while demonstrating unprecedented device stability. The PCE has been shown to be increased to 10.6% (at incident radiation of 100 mW cm-2) for the Gr/Si solar cell with an optimal GO coating thickness compared to 3.6% for a bare/uncoated Gr/Si solar cell. The p-doping of graphene by the GO, which also serves as an antireflection coating (ARC) has been shown to be a main contributing factor to the enhanced PCE. A simple spin coating process has been used to apply GO with thickness commensurate with an anti-refection coating (ARC) and indicates the suitability of the developed methodology for large-scale solar cell assembly.It is shown that coating graphene-silicon (Gr/Si) Schottky junction based solar cells with graphene oxide (GO) improves the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the cells, while demonstrating unprecedented device stability. The PCE has been shown to be increased to 10.6% (at incident radiation of 100 mW cm-2) for the Gr/Si solar cell with an optimal GO coating thickness compared to 3.6% for a bare/uncoated Gr/Si solar cell. The p-doping of graphene by the GO, which also serves as an antireflection coating (ARC) has been shown to be a main contributing factor to the enhanced PCE. A simple spin coating process has been used to apply GO with thickness commensurate with an anti-refection coating (ARC) and indicates the suitability of the developed methodology for large-scale solar cell assembly. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: (i) Experimental methods, (ii) optical images of devices with and without graphene oxide (GO), (iii) comparison of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) due to the GO coating and nitric acid doping, (iv) specular and diffuse reflectance measurements, (v) stability data of pristine graphene/silicon (Gr/Si) solar cells. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr09143h

Annealing temperature effect on electrical properties of MEH-PPV thin film via spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N. E. A.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Organic semiconductor has been discovered in different application devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Poly [2-methoxy-5(2' -ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene), MEH-PPV widely used in this device because its ability to produce a good optical quality films. The MEH-PPV was prepared on glass substrate by spin coating method. The thin film was investigated at different annealing temperatures. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) revealed that sample annealed at 50°C showed uniformity and less aggregation on morphology polymer thin film. Optical properties showed the intensities of visible emission increased as temperatures increased. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement revealed that the temperature of 50°C showed high conductive and it is suitable for optoelectronic device.

Manufacturing PDMS micro lens array using spin coating under a multiphase system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Rongrong; Yang, Hanry; Rock, D. Mitchell; Danaei, Roozbeh; Panat, Rahul; Kessler, Michael R.; Li, Lei

2017-05-01

The development of micro lens arrays has garnered much interest due to increased demand of miniaturized systems. Traditional methods for manufacturing micro lens arrays have several shortcomings. For example, they require expensive facilities and long lead time, and traditional lens materials (i.e. glass) are typically heavy, costly and difficult to manufacture. In this paper, we explore a method for manufacturing a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro lens array using a simple spin coating technique. The micro lens array, formed under an interfacial tension dominated system, and the influence of material properties and process parameters on the fabricated lens shape are examined. The lenses fabricated using this method show comparable optical properties—including surface finish and image quality—with a reduced cost and manufacturing lead time.

Growth of long triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene (TIPS-PEN) nanofibrils in a polymer thin film during spin-coating.

PubMed

Park, Minwoo; Min, Yuho; Lee, Yu-Jeong; Jeong, Unyong

2014-03-01

This study demonstrates the growth of long triisopropylsilyethynyl pentacene (TIPS-PEN) nanofibrils in a thin film of a crystalline polymer, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). During spin-coating, TIPS-PEN molecules are locally extracted around the PCL grain boundaries and they crystallize into [010] direction forming long nanofibrils. Molecular weight of PCL and weight fraction (α) of TIPS-PEN in PCL matrix are key factors to the growth of nanofibrils. Long high-quality TIPS-PEN nanofibrils are obtained with high-molecular-weight PCL and at the α values in the range of 0.03-0.1. The long nanofibrils are used as an active layer in a field-effect organic transistor. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-throughput preparation of complex multi-scale patterns from block copolymer/homopolymer blend films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyungmin; Kim, Jae-Up; Park, Soojin

2012-02-01

A simple, straightforward process for fabricating multi-scale micro- and nanostructured patterns from polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) homopolymer in a preferential solvent for PS and PMMA is demonstrated. When the PS-b-P2VP/PMMA blend films were spin-coated onto a silicon wafer, PS-b-P2VP micellar arrays consisting of a PS corona and a P2VP core were formed, while the PMMA macrodomains were isolated, due to the macrophase separation caused by the incompatibility between block copolymer micelles and PMMA homopolymer during the spin-coating process. With an increase of PMMA composition, the size of PMMA macrodomains increased. Moreover, the P2VP blocks have a strong interaction with a native oxide of the surface of the silicon wafer, so that the P2VP wetting layer was first formed during spin-coating, and PS nanoclusters were observed on the PMMA macrodomains beneath. Whereas when a silicon surface was modified with a PS brush layer, the PS nanoclusters underlying PMMA domains were not formed. The multi-scale patterns prepared from copolymer micelle/homopolymer blend films are used as templates for the fabrication of gold nanoparticle arrays by incorporating the gold precursor into the P2VP chains. The combination of nanostructures prepared from block copolymer micellar arrays and macrostructures induced by incompatibility between the copolymer and the homopolymer leads to the formation of complex, multi-scale surface patterns by a simple casting process.A simple, straightforward process for fabricating multi-scale micro- and nanostructured patterns from polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) homopolymer in a preferential solvent for PS and PMMA is demonstrated. When the PS-b-P2VP/PMMA blend films were spin-coated onto a silicon wafer, PS-b-P2VP micellar arrays consisting of a PS corona and a P2VP core were formed, while the PMMA macrodomains were isolated, due to the macrophase separation caused by the incompatibility between block copolymer micelles and PMMA homopolymer during the spin-coating process. With an increase of PMMA composition, the size of PMMA macrodomains increased. Moreover, the P2VP blocks have a strong interaction with a native oxide of the surface of the silicon wafer, so that the P2VP wetting layer was first formed during spin-coating, and PS nanoclusters were observed on the PMMA macrodomains beneath. Whereas when a silicon surface was modified with a PS brush layer, the PS nanoclusters underlying PMMA domains were not formed. The multi-scale patterns prepared from copolymer micelle/homopolymer blend films are used as templates for the fabrication of gold nanoparticle arrays by incorporating the gold precursor into the P2VP chains. The combination of nanostructures prepared from block copolymer micellar arrays and macrostructures induced by incompatibility between the copolymer and the homopolymer leads to the formation of complex, multi-scale surface patterns by a simple casting process. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: AFM images of PS-b-P2VP/PMMA blend films and cross-sectional line scans. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11792d

Fabrication of Refractive Index Tunable Coating with Moisture-Resistant Function for High-Power Laser Systems Based on Homogeneous Embedding of Surface-Modified Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yang, Wei; Lei, Xiangyang; Hui, Haohao; Zhang, Qinghua; Deng, Xueran

2018-05-07

Moisture-resistant silicone coatings were prepared on the surface of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal by means of spin-coating, in which hydrophobic-modified SiO₂ nanoparticles were embedded in a certain proportion. The refractive index of such coating can be tuned arbitrarily in the range of 1.21⁻1.44, which endows the KDP optical component with excellent transmission capability as well as the moisture proof effect. A dual-layer anti-reflective coating system was obtained by covering this silicone coating with a porous SiO₂ coating which is specially treated to enhance the moisture resistance. Transmittance of such a dual-layer coating system could reach 99.60% and 99.62% at 1064 nm and 532 nm, respectively, by precisely matching the refractive index of both layers. Furthermore, the long-term stability of this coating system has been verified at high humidity ambient of 80% RH for 27 weeks.

Glass-wool study of laser-induced spin currents en route to hyperpolarized Cs salt

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

Ishikawa, Kiyoshi

2011-07-15

The nuclear spin polarization of optically pumped Cs atoms flows to the surface of Cs hydride in a vapor cell. A fine glass wool lightly coated with the salt helps greatly increase the surface area in contact with the pumped atoms and enhance the spin polarization of the salt nuclei. Even though the glass wool randomly scatters the pump light, the atomic vapor can be polarized with unpolarized light in a magnetic field. The measured enhancement in the salt enables study of the polarizations of light and atomic nuclei very near the salt surface.

Reducing orbital eccentricity of precessing black-hole binaries

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

Buonanno, Alessandra; Taracchini, Andrea; Kidder, Lawrence E.

2011-05-15

Building initial conditions for generic binary black-hole evolutions which are not affected by initial spurious eccentricity remains a challenge for numerical-relativity simulations. This problem can be overcome by applying an eccentricity-removal procedure which consists of evolving the binary black hole for a couple of orbits, estimating the resulting eccentricity, and then restarting the simulation with corrected initial conditions. The presence of spins can complicate this procedure. As predicted by post-Newtonian theory, spin-spin interactions and precession prevent the binary from moving along an adiabatic sequence of spherical orbits, inducing oscillations in the radial separation and in the orbital frequency. For single-spinmore » binary black holes these oscillations are a direct consequence of monopole-quadrupole interactions. However, spin-induced oscillations occur at approximately twice the orbital frequency, and therefore can be distinguished and disentangled from the initial spurious eccentricity which occurs at approximately the orbital frequency. Taking this into account, we develop a new eccentricity-removal procedure based on the derivative of the orbital frequency and find that it is rather successful in reducing the eccentricity measured in the orbital frequency to values less than 10{sup -4} when moderate spins are present. We test this new procedure using numerical-relativity simulations of binary black holes with mass ratios 1.5 and 3, spin magnitude 0.5, and various spin orientations. The numerical simulations exhibit spin-induced oscillations in the dynamics at approximately twice the orbital frequency. Oscillations of similar frequency are also visible in the gravitational-wave phase and frequency of the dominant l=2, m=2 mode.« less

Effect of different coating layer on the topography and optical properties of ZnO nanostructured

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, R.; Mamat, M. H.; Malek, M. F.; Ismail, A. S.; Yusoff, M. M.; Asiah, M. N.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al) co-doped zinc oxide (MAZO) thin films were synthesized on glass substrate by sol-gel spin coating method. MAZO thin films were prepared at different coating layers range from 1 to 9. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the topography of the thin films. According to the AFM results, Root Means Square (RMS) of MAZO thin films was increased from 0.747 to 6.545 nm, with increase of number coating layer from 1 to 9, respectively. The results shown the variation on structural and topography properties of MAZO seed film when it's deposited at different coating layers on glass substrate. The optical properties was analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The obtained results show that the transmittance spectra was increased as thin films coating layer increases.

Hydrophobic ultrathin films formed by fluorofunctional cage silsesquioxanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wamke, Anna; Makowiecki, Jaroslaw; Dopierała, Katarzyna; Karasiewicz, Joanna; Prochaska, Krystyna

2018-06-01

The usefulness of fluorofunctional cage silsesquioxanes (POSS) as coating materials effectively changing the surface properties of model substrates was analyzed. Five fully condensed silsesquioxanes (containing two types of organic groups attached to the Si-O cage: octafluoropentyloxypropyl (OFP) and trimethoxysilylethyl (TMS) at different ratios, one monofunctional derivative with OFP groups only and one open cage POSS derivative with three OFP and seven isobutyl groups as organic substituents were investigated. All POSS derivatives were applied to enhance hydrophobicity of quartz or glass plates by deposition of thin LB film transferred from the water subphase. Then, by comparison of water contact angles (WCA) on modified surfaces the effect of silsesquioxane structure (i.e. the TMS and fluoroalkyl group contents as well as the structure of silicon-oxygen cage) on hydrophobic properties was determined. Moreover, the texture of LB films formed by POSS considered was analyzed using the AFM technique. It has been established that the hydrophobizing properties of silsesquioxanes are considerably influenced not only by the number of OFP groups, but also by the silsesquioxane structure. The most effective appeared to be the open cage OFP-POSS derivative which produced coatings with water contact angles (WCA) equal to about 100 deg. Additionally the POSS derivatives studied were also used for dip-coating and spin-coating surface modification. The study has shown that fluorofunctional POSS derivatives can be effective hydrophobizing agents. Additionally applying the LB technique for surface modification allows obtaining substrate of enhanced hydrophobicity by using vanishingly small amount of the modifying substance in comparison to the dip-coating and spin-coating method, which is especially important from the economic viewpoint.

Luminescence quenching of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by 2,6-dimethylphenol and 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenol in sol-gel-processed silicate thin films.

PubMed

Altamirano, M; Senz, A; Gsponer, H E

2004-02-15

The luminescence properties of tris(1,2-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)), included in different organically modified silicate gel matrixes were investigated. Spin and dip-coated thin films were prepared from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS). A blue shift in the emission spectrum of the MLCT excited state of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) with respect to the aqueous solution was observed in all the films, practically independent of the reaction pH used to prepare the "sol," silane-derived precursor, and procedure used (dip-coating or spin-coating) to obtain the film. A bimodal distribution of probe sites in the films was obtained from modeling of the emission decays by a double exponential and from application of the exponential series method. The parameters of the decay components depended principally on the thermal treatment used in the processing of the films. The lifetimes decreased with the increase in the drying temperature of the films; at the same time, the emission spectra showed a red shift and the luminescence efficiency decreased. A luminescence quenching of the ruthenium complex in the films by 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenol and 2,6-dimethylphenol in aerated aqueous solution at pH 12 in contact with the film was also observed. The quenching plots obtained from luminescence intensities or luminescence intensity decay measurements showed a downward curvature. These plots could be fitted satisfactorily by a sum of two Stern-Volmer terms with quenching constants K(SV1) and K(SV2) associated with two different binding sites of the ruthenium complex. This result is indicative of the matrix microheterogeneity in the films and is fully consistent with the biexponential nature of the luminescence intensity decay profiles. The Stern-Volmer parameter values for both sites in the films suggest that only a low percentage of the probe is accessible to the quencher and its respective constant K(SV1) is lower than in water.

Biocompatible and Biomimetic Self-Assembly of Functional

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-03

rearrangement of the lipid/silica matrix to create a bio/nano interface quite similar to that formed by direct CDA. This approach has several advantages over CDA...precursors with a biologically compatible surfactant, glycerol monooleate ( GMO ) via dip-coating, spin-coating, drop-casting, or aerosol deposition...with water and remains in a semi-solid state. Upon exposure to UV/ozone, the GMO begins to photodecompose and the silanol precursors become more

Effect of size and moisture on the mechanical behavior of SU-8 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robin, C. J.; Jonnalagadda, K. N.

2016-02-01

The mechanical properties of SU-8 were investigated in conjunction with size effect, mechanical anisotropy and moisture absorption. Uniaxial tensile experiments were conducted on SU-8 films of 500 nm and 2 μm thickness. A spin coating process was used to fabricate the films with one set from a single coat (single layer) and the others containing multiple coats (multilayer) with pre-baking in between. The stress versus strain response was obtained from in situ optical experiments and a digital image correlation method. Compared to single layer films, the multilayer films showed a significant increase in mechanical properties as well as in-plane anisotropy. This anisotropy was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and attributed to the spin coating process, which resulted in higher crosslinking density in the film, and molecular orientation in the radial direction. Moisture absorption studies revealed that the mechanical properties were affected by water, which exists in both the free and bonded form in the polymer and acts as a plasticizer. The effect of moisture was similar in both the single and multilayer films, but was higher for the latter due to multiple processing steps as well as the existence of higher percentage of epoxy polar groups.

Environmentally stable perovskite film for active material of high stability solid state solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahtiar, A.; Putri, M.; Nurazizah, E. S.; Risdiana; Furukawa, Y.

2018-05-01

We studied new perovskite material lead (II) thiocyanate [Pb(SCN)2] in ambient air with humidity above 90%. We prepared perovskite film by use of two-step method combination of spin-coating and dip-coating technique. The Pb(SCN)2 film was first spin-coated either on bare glass or TiO2 coated glass and then followed by dipping it into methylammonium iodide (MAI) solution. The UV-Vis spectrum of Pb(SCN)2 film shows absorption at wavelength shorter than 400 nm. Meanwhile, perovskite MAPb(SCN)xI3-x film absorps light ranging from 300 nm to 760 nm, which shows that the perovskite film can absorp more light to be converted into free charge carrier for generating electricity in solar cells. The XRD patterns shows that perovskite peaks are clearly observed which confirms that perovskite is already well formed. We also observe no significant changes in XRD pattern of perovskite films after stored for five days at ambient air with humidity exceed 90%. This result shows that perovskite MAPb(SCN)XI3-X film is environmentally stable, therefore high stability perovskite solar cells is expected to be produced in ambient air with high humidity. This is in accordance with the SEM images of surface morphology that shows no “pin-hole”.

Optical characterization of antirelaxation coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsvetkov, S.; Gateva, S.; Cartaleva, S.; Mariotti, E.; Nasyrov, K.

2018-03-01

Antirelaxation coatings (ARC) are used in optical cells containing alkali metal vapor to reduce the depolarization of alkali atoms after collisions with the cell walls. The long-lived ground state polarization is a basis for development of atomic clocks, magnetometers, quantum memory, slow light experiments, precision measurements of fundamental symmetries etc. In this work, a simple method for measuring the number of collisions of the alkali atoms with the cell walls without atomic spin randomization (Nasyrov et al., Proc. SPIE (2015)) was applied to characterize the AR properties of two PDMS coatings prepared from different solutions in ether (PDMS 2% and PDMS 5%). We observed influence of the light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) on the AR properties of coatings.

Preparation of Plasmonic Platforms of Silver Wires on Gold Mirrors and Their Application to Surface Enhanced Fluorescence

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

In this report we describe a preparation of silver wires (SWs) on gold mirrors and its application to surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) using a new methodology. Silica protected gold mirrors were drop-coated with a solution of silver triangular nanoprisms. The triangular nanoprisms were slowly air-dried to get silver wires that self-assembled on the gold mirrors. Fluorescence enhancement was studied using methyl azadioxatriangulenium chloride (Me-ADOTA·Cl) dye in PVA spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. New Plasmonic Platforms (PPs) were assembled by placing a mirror with SWs in contact with a glass coverslip spin-coated with a uniform Me-ADOTA·Cl film. It was shown that surface enhanced fluorescence is a real phenomenon, not just an enhancement of the fluorescence signal due to an accumulation of the fluorophore on rough nanostructure surfaces. The average fluorescence enhancement was found to be about 15-fold. The lifetime of Me-ADOTA·Cl dye was significantly reduced (∼4 times) in the presence of SWs. Moreover, fluorescence enhancement and lifetime did not show any dependence on the excitation light polarization. PMID:25296293

Influence of pH on optoelectronic properties of zinc sulphide thin films prepared using hydrothermal and spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudapur, V. H.; Bennal, A. S.; Raju, A. B.

2018-04-01

The ZnS nanomaterial is synthesized by hydrothermal method under optimized conditions using Zinc acetate and sodium sulphide as precursors. The Zinc Sulphide thin films are obtained by simple spin coating method with high optical transmittance. The prepared thin films are adhesive and uniform. The x-ray diffraction analysis showed that the films are polycrystalline in cubic phase with the preferred orientation along (111) direction. Current-voltage curves were recorded at room temperature using Keithley 617 programmable electrometer and conductivity is calculated for the film coated on ITO by two probe method. The pH of the solution is varied by using ammonia and hydrochloric acid. The comparative studies of effect of pH on the morphology, crystallanity and optoelectronic properties of the films are studied. It is observed that the pH of the solution has large influence on optoelectronic properties. The thin film prepared with neutral pH has higher crystallanity, bandgap and conductivity as compared to the samples prepared in acidic or basic solutions.

Colloids with high-definition surface structures

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsien-Yeh; Rouillard, Jean-Marie; Gulari, Erdogan; Lahann, Joerg

2007-01-01

Compared with the well equipped arsenal of surface modification methods for flat surfaces, techniques that are applicable to curved, colloidal surfaces are still in their infancy. This technological gap exists because spin-coating techniques used in traditional photolithographic processes are not applicable to the curved surfaces of spherical objects. By replacing spin-coated photoresist with a vapor-deposited, photodefinable polymer coating, we have now fabricated microstructured colloids with a wide range of surface patterns, including asymmetric and chiral surface structures, that so far were typically reserved for flat substrates. This high-throughput method can yield surface-structured colloidal particles at a rate of ≈107 to 108 particles per operator per day. Equipped with spatially defined binding pockets, microstructured colloids can engage in programmable interactions, which can lead to directed self-assembly. The ability to create a wide range of colloids with both simple and complex surface patterns may contribute to the genesis of previously unknown colloidal structures and may have important technological implications in a range of different applications, including photonic and phononic materials or chemical sensors. PMID:17592149

Procedure for contact electrical resistance measurements as developed for use at Sandia National Laboratories

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

Finch, J.L.

1994-06-01

Military Specifications call out general procedures and guidelines for conducting contact resistance measurements on chemical conversion coated panels. This paper deals with a test procedure developed at Sandia National Laboratories used to conduct contact electrical resistance on non-chromated conversion coated test panels. MIL-C-81706 {open_quotes}Chemical Conversion Materials For Coating Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys{close_quotes} was the reference specification used for guidance.

Chiral higher spin theories and self-duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponomarev, Dmitry

2017-12-01

We study recently proposed chiral higher spin theories — cubic theories of interacting massless higher spin fields in four-dimensional flat space. We show that they are naturally associated with gauge algebras, which manifest themselves in several related ways. Firstly, the chiral higher spin equations of motion can be reformulated as the self-dual Yang-Mills equations with the associated gauge algebras instead of the usual colour gauge algebra. We also demonstrate that the chiral higher spin field equations, similarly to the self-dual Yang-Mills equations, feature an infinite algebra of hidden symmetries, which ensures their integrability. Secondly, we show that off-shell amplitudes in chiral higher spin theories satisfy the generalised BCJ relations with the usual colour structure constants replaced by the structure constants of higher spin gauge algebras. We also propose generalised double copy procedures featuring higher spin theory amplitudes. Finally, using the light-cone deformation procedure we prove that the structure of the Lagrangian that leads to all these properties is universal and follows from Lorentz invariance.

EPR Studies of Spin-Spin Exchange Processes: A Physical Chemistry Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastman, Michael P.

1982-01-01

Theoretical background, experimental procedures, and analysis of experimental results are provided for an undergraduate physical chemistry experiment on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) linewidths. Source of line broadening observed in a spin-spin exchange process between radicals formed in aqueous solutions of potassium peroxylamine…

Lanthanide-based NMR: a tool to investigate component distribution in mixed-monolayer-protected nanoparticles.

PubMed

Guarino, Gaetano; Rastrelli, Federico; Scrimin, Paolo; Mancin, Fabrizio

2012-05-02

Gd(3+) ions, once bound to the monolayer of organic molecules coating the surface of gold nanoparticles, produce a paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) that broadens and eventually cancels the signals of the nuclear spins located nearby (within 1.6 nm distance). In the case of nanoparticles coated with mixed monolayers, the signals arising from the different coating molecules experience different PRE, depending on their distance from the binding site. As a consequence, observation of the signal broadening patterns provides direct information on the monolayer organization. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Application of graphene oxide in water treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yongchen

2017-11-01

Graphene oxide has good hydrophilicity and has been tried to use it into thin films for water treatment in recent years. In this paper, the preparation methods of graphene oxide membrane are reviewed, including vacuum suction filtration, spray coating, spin coating, dip coating and the layer by layer method. Secondly, the mechanism of mass transfer of graphene membrane is introduced in detail. The application of the graphene oxide membrane, modified graphene oxide membrane and graphene hybrid membranes were discussed in RO, vaporization, nanofiltration and other aspects. Finally, the development and application of graphene membrane in water treatment were discussed.

Magnetic properties of LCMO deposited films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Seung-Iel; Jeong, Kwang Ho; Cho, Young Suk; Kim, Chul Sung

2002-04-01

La-Ca-Mn-O films were deposited with various thickness (500, 1000 and 1500°C) by RF-magnetron sputtering at 700°C and by the spin coating of sol-gel method at 400°C on LaAlO 3(1 0 0) and Si(1 0 0) single-crystal substrates. The crystal structure and chemical composition of the film grown by RF sputtering method were orthorhombic and La 0.89Ca 0.11MnO 3, respectively, while the film prepared by sol-gel spin coating was cubic with La 0.7Ca 0.3MnO 3. The temperature dependence of the resistance for the film grown by RF sputtering method with the thickness of 1000°C shows that a semiconductor-metal transition occurs at 242 K. The relative maximum magnetoresistance is about 273% at 226 K.

Lifetime Improvement of Organic Light Emitting Diodes using LiF Thin Film and UV Glue Encapsulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jian-Ji; Su, Yan-Kuin; Chang, Ming-Hua; Hsieh, Tsung-Eong; Huang, Bohr-Ran; Wang, Shun-Hsi; Chen, Wen-Ray; Tsai, Yu-Sheng; Hsieh, Huai-En; Liu, Mark O.; Juang, Fuh-Shyang

2008-07-01

This work demonstrates the use of lithium fluoride (LiF) as a passivation layer and a newly developed UV glue for encapsulation on the LiF passivation layer to enhance the stability of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Devices with double protective layers showed a 25-fold increase in operational lifetime compared to those without any packaging layers. LiF has a low melting point and insulating characteristics and it can be adapted as both a protective layer and pre-encapsulation film. The newly developed UV glue has a fast curing time of only 6 s and can be directly spin-coated onto the surface of the LiF passivation layer. The LiF thin film plus spin-coated UV glue is a simple packaging method that reduces the fabrication costs of OLEDs.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite polymer blend electrolyte thin films by spin-coating method

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

Chapi, Sharanappa; Niranjana, M.; Devendrappa, H., E-mail: dehu2010@gmail.com

2016-05-23

Solid Polymer blend electrolytes based on Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) complexed with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs; Synthesized by Co-precipitation method) thin films have prepared at a different weight percent using the spin-coating method. The complexation of the NPs with the polymer blend was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The variation in film morphology was examined by polarized optical micrographs (POMs). The thermal behavior of blends was investigated under non-isothermal conditions by differential thermal analyses (DTA). A single glass transition temperature for each blend was observed, which supports the existence ofmore » compatibility of such system. The obtained results represent that the ternary based thin films are prominent materials for battery and optoelectronic device applications.« less

Investigation of Annealing Temperature on Copper Oxide Thin Films Using Sol-Gel Spin Coating Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, H.; Samat, S. F. A.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Saad, P. S. M.

2018-03-01

Copper (II) Oxide or cupric oxide (CuO) is one of the well-known materials studied for thin films applications. This paper was studied on the effect of annealing temperature to CuO thin films using sol-gel method and spin coating technique. The solution was prepared by sol-gel method and the thin films were synthesized at various temperatures from 500°C to 700°C that deposited onto the quartz substrates. After the annealing process, the thin films were uniform and brownish black in colour. The measurements were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface profiler (SP), two-point probe and Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis-NIR) spectrometer. From the optical measurement, the band gap was estimated to be 1.44eV for sample annealed at 550°C.

Chitosan-silane sol-gel hybrid thin films with controllable layer thickness and morphology.

PubMed

Spirk, Stefan; Findenig, Gerald; Doliska, Ales; Reichel, Victoria E; Swanson, Nicole L; Kargl, Rupert; Ribitsch, Volker; Stana-Kleinschek, Karin

2013-03-01

The preparation of thin films of chitosan-silane hybrid materials by combining sol-gel processing and spin coating is reported. A variety of silanes can be used as starting materials for the preparation of such thin films, namely tetraethoxysilane, tri-tert-butoxysilanol, trimethylethoxysilane, p-trifluoromethyltetra-fluorophenyltriethoxysilane, trivinylmethoxysilane, (methoxymethyl)trimethyl-silane, and hexamethoxydisilane. These silanes are subjected to a sol-gel process before they are added to acidic chitosan solutions. The chitosan:silane ratio is kept constant at 6:1 (w/w) and dilutions with ethanol are prepared and spin coated. Depending on the degree of dilution, film thickness can be controlled in a range between 5 and 70 nm. For the determination of additional surface properties, static water contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy have been employed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and characterization of high mobility spin-coated zinc oxide thin film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Shaivalini; Chakrabarti, P.

2012-10-01

A ZnO based thin film transistor (TFT) with bottom-gate configuration and SiO2 as insulating layer has been fabricated and characterized. The ZnO thin film was prepared by spin coating the sol-gel solution on the p-type Si wafers. The optical and structural properties of ZnO films were investigated using UV measurements and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The result of UV-visible study confirms that the films have a good absorbance in UV region and relatively low absorbance in the visible region. The TFT exhibited an off-current of 2.5×10-7 A. The values of field effect channel mobility and on/off current ratio extracted for the device, measured 11 cm2/V.s and ~102 respectively. The value of threshold voltage was found to be 1.3 V.

Non-blinking single-photon emitters in silica

DOE PAGES

Rabouw, Freddy T.; Cogan, Nicole M. B.; Berends, Anne C.; ...

2016-02-19

Samples for single-emitter spectroscopy are usually prepared by spin-coating a dilute solution of emitters on a microscope cover slip of silicate based glass (such as quartz). Here, we show that both borosilicate glass and quartz contain intrinsic defect colour centres that fluoresce when excited at 532 nm. In a microscope image the defect emission is indistinguishable from spin-coated emitters. The emission spectrum is characterised by multiple peaks with the main peak between 2.05 and 2.20 eV, most likely due to coupling to a silica vibration with an energy that varies between 160 and 180 meV. The defects are single-photon emitters,more » do not blink, and have photoluminescence lifetimes of a few nanoseconds. Furthermore, photoluminescence from such defects may previously have been misinterpreted as originating from single nanocrystal quantum dots.« less

Direct formation of InN-codoped p-ZnO/n-GaN heterojunction diode by solgel spin-coating scheme.

PubMed

Huang, Chun-Ying; Lee, Ya-Ju; Lin, Tai-Yuan; Chang, Shao-Lun; Lian, Jan-Tian; Lin, Hsiu-Mei; Chen, Nie-Chuan; Yang, Ying-Jay

2014-02-15

In this work p-ZnO/n-GaN heterojunction diodes were directly formed on the Si substrate by a combination of cost-effective solgel spin-coating and thermal annealing treatment. Spin-coated n-ZnO films on InN/GaN/Si wafers were converted to p-type polarity after thermal treatment of proper annealing durations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that InN-codoped ZnO films have grown as the standard hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation in the (002) direction. The intensity of the (002) peak decreases for a further extended annealing duration, indicating the greater incorporation of dopants, also confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low-temperature photoluminescence. Hall and resistivity measurements validate that our p-type ZnO film has a high carrier concentration of 3.73×10¹⁷ cm⁻³, a high mobility of 210 cm²/Vs, and a low resistivity of 0.079 Ωcm. As a result, the proposed p-ZnO/n-GaN heterojunction diode displays a well-behaving current rectification of a typical p-n junction, and the measured current versus voltage (I-V) characteristic is hence well described by the modified Shockley equation. The research on the fabrication of p-ZnO/n-GaN heterojunctions shown here generates useful advances in the production of cost-effective ZnO-based optoelectronic devices.

Determination of acrylamide in brewed coffee and coffee powder using polymeric ionic liquid-based sorbent coatings in solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Cagliero, Cecilia; Ho, Tien D; Zhang, Cheng; Bicchi, Carlo; Anderson, Jared L

2016-06-03

This study describes a simple and rapid sampling method employing a polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) sorbent coating in direct immersion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for the trace-level analysis of acrylamide in brewed coffee and coffee powder. The crosslinked PIL sorbent coating demonstrated superior sensitivity in the extraction of acrylamide compared to all commercially available SPME coatings. A spin coating method was developed to evenly distribute the PIL coating on the SPME support and reproducibly produce fibers with a large film thickness. Ninhydrin was employed as a quenching reagent during extraction to inhibit the production of interfering acrylamide. The PIL fiber produced a limit of quantitation for acrylamide of 10μgL(-1) and achieved comparable results to the ISO method in the analysis of six coffee powder samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contactless laser viscometer for flowing liquid films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michels, Alexandre F.; Menegotto, Thiago; Grieneisen, Hans-Peter; Horowitz, Flavio

2005-12-01

This work briefly reviews recent progress in interferometric monitoring of spin and of dip coating, from a unified point of view, and its application for contactless viscometry of liquid films. Considering the associated models and measurement uncertainties, the method was validated for both coating processes with oil standards of known viscosities and constant refractive indices. Limitations and perspectives for application of the laser viscometer to liquid films with a varying refractive index are also discussed.

Development of a Biosensor Nanofluidic Platform for Integration with Terahertz Spectroscopic System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-27

space. The instrumentation for fabrication of micro/nano-fluidic chips including a Laser-Cutting System, a Sputtering system, a Spin Coating ...polyester (PET) substrate, as PET is more chemically and thermally resistant, and can be readily obtained in a variety of thicknesses down to 12.5 um...to create the array pattern on the silver coated PET substrate. Copper was then electrodeposited to a thickness of 5 um around the photoresist

Surface Enhancement For Optical Plastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masso, Jon D.

1988-07-01

Optical plastics can be molded or cast to replicate traditional spherical and aspheric lenses. It is possible to obtain good optical quality, but often it is necessary or desirable to enhance the surface characteristics in a variety of ways. These include improving the abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, the addition of anti-fog, or anti-static characteristics, applying electrically conductive coatings, and applying coatings or selective absorbers for light and color control. Coatings may be entirely organic or organo-silanes applied by dipping or spinning. All dielectric coatings such as quartz abrasion resistant coatings or multilayer dielectric coatings for reflection reduction or enhancement may be applied by vacuum vapor deposition. This paper discusses a number of these coatings and surface treatments. The paper describes their characteristics and includes discussions of their durability and environmental stability. The adhesion of coatings to plastic substrate depends on the specific substrate and coating materials. Pretreatments or primers are used to promote good coating adhesion. A coating used for one purpose will generally affect other properties of the plastic and trade-offs are sometimes required. A description is given of several test methods which have been found useful in evaluating the quality of the various coatings.

In vitro degradation and release characteristics of spin coated thin films of PLGA with a “breath figure” morphology

PubMed Central

Ponnusamy, Thiruselvam; Lawson, Louise B.; Freytag, Lucy C.; Blake, Diane A.; Ayyala, Ramesh S.; John, Vijay T.

2012-01-01

Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coatings on implant materials are widely used in controlled drug delivery applications. Typically, such coatings are made with non-porous films. Here, we have synthesized a thin PLGA film coating with a highly ordered microporous structure using a simple and inexpensive water templating “breath figure” technique. A single stage process combining spin coating and breath figure process was used to obtain drug incorporated porous thin films. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the surface and bulk features of porosity and also, degradation pattern of the films. Moreover, the effect of addition of small amount of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) into PLGA was characterized. SEM analysis revealed an ordered array of ~2 µm sized pores on the surface with the average film thickness measured to be 20 µm. The incorporation of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) enhances pore structure uniformity and facilitates ingress of water into the structure. A five week in vitro degradation study showed a gradual deterioration of the breath figure pores. During the course of degradation, the surface pore structure deteriorates to initially flatten the surface. This is followed by the formation of new pinprick pores that eventually grow into a macroporous film prior to film breakup. Salicylic acid (highly water soluble) and Ibuprofen (sparingly water soluble) were chosen as model drug compounds to characterize release rates, which are higher in films of the breath figure morphology rather than in non-porous films. The results are of significance in the design of biodegradable films used as coatings to modulate delivery. PMID:23507805

77 FR 14564 - Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

...; Approval Procedures for Nontoxic Shot and Shot Coatings AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION... Number: 1018-0067. Title: Approval Procedures for Nontoxic Shot and Shot Coatings, 50 CFR 20.134. Service... Respondents: Businesses that produce and/or market approved nontoxic shot types or nontoxic shot coatings...

Ethane-Bridged Bisporphyrin Conformational Changes As an Effective Analytical Tool for Nonenzymatic Detection of Urea in the Physiological Range.

PubMed

Buccolieri, Alessandro; Hasan, Mohammed; Bettini, Simona; Bonfrate, Valentina; Salvatore, Luca; Santino, Angelo; Borovkov, Victor; Giancane, Gabriele

2018-06-05

Conformational switching induced in ethane-bridged bisporphyrins was used as a sensitive transduction method for revealing the presence of urea dissolved in water via nonenzymatic approach. Bisporphyrins were deposited on solid quartz slides by means of the spin-coating method. Molecular conformations of Zn and Ni monometalated bis-porphyrins were influenced by water solvated urea molecules and their fluorescence emission was modulated by the urea concentration. Absorption, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopies allowed the identification of supramolecular processes, which are responsible for host-guest interaction between the active layers and urea molecules. A high selectivity of the sensing mechanism was highlighted upon testing the spectroscopic responses of bis-porphyrin films to citrulline and glutamine used as interfering agents. Additionally, potential applicability was demonstrated by quantifying the urea concentration in real physiological samples proposing this new approach as a valuable alternative analytical procedure to the traditionally used enzymatic methods.

Evaporatively cooled chiller for solar air conditioning systems design and field test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrick, R. H.; Murray, J. G.

1984-06-01

Design changes to improve reliability, part load performance, and manufacturability characteristics of the chiller are focused upon. Low heat flux was achieved by large transfer area allows scale formation without being a thermal barrier: 80 mils = 1 deg. The scaling rate is minimized by keeping surface temperatures below 100 F and a generous water recirculation flow rate. By integrating the cooling tower function into the chiller itself parasitic power consumption was reduced 35%. This system also provided the winter freeze protection without the specific manual shut down procedures required by separate water cooled units and their towers. The severe reduction in cumulative coefficient of performance (COP) due to cycling conditions has been substantially reduced using the spin down control scheme. The major disappointment was the failure to develop a satisfactory inexpensive protective coating. Hot dip galvanizing was demonstrated to be effective but costly, partially due to transportation expense.

Bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells based on room temperature deposited hole-blocking layer: Suppressed hysteresis and flexible photovoltaic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhiliang; Yang, Guang; Zheng, Xiaolu; Lei, Hongwei; Chen, Cong; Ma, Junjie; Wang, Hao; Fang, Guojia

2017-05-01

Perovskite solar cells have developed rapidly in recent years as the third generation solar cells. In spite of the great improvement achieved, there still exist some issues such as undesired hysteresis and indispensable high temperature process. In this work, bulk heterojunction perovskite-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester solar cells have been prepared to diminish hysteresis using a facile two step spin-coating method. Furthermore, high quality tin oxide films are fabricated using pulse laser deposition technique at room temperature without any annealing procedure. The as fabricated tin oxide film is successfully applied in bulk heterojunction perovskite solar cells as a hole blocking layer. Bulk heterojunction devices based on room temperature tin oxide exhibit almost hysteresis-free characteristics with power conversion efficiency of 17.29% and 14.0% on rigid and flexible substrates, respectively.

Multilayer bioactive glass/zirconium titanate thin films in bone tissue engineering and regenerative dentistry

PubMed Central

Mozafari, Masoud; Salahinejad, Erfan; Shabafrooz, Vahid; Yazdimamaghani, Mostafa; Vashaee, Daryoosh; Tayebi, Lobat

2013-01-01

Surface modification, particularly coatings deposition, is beneficial to tissue-engineering applications. In this work, bioactive glass/zirconium titanate composite thin films were prepared by a sol-gel spin-coating method. The surface features of the coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and spectroscopic reflection analyses. The results show that uniform and sound multilayer thin films were successfully prepared through the optimization of the process variables and the application of carboxymethyl cellulose as a dispersing agent. Also, it was found that the thickness and roughness of the multilayer coatings increase nonlinearly with increasing the number of the layers. This new class of nanocomposite coatings, comprising the bioactive and inert components, is expected not only to enhance bioactivity and biocompatibility, but also to protect the surface of metallic implants against wear and corrosion. PMID:23641155

Polymeric Coatings for Combating Biocorrosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jing; Yuan, Shaojun; Jiang, Wei; Lv, Li; Liang, Bin; Pehkonen, Simo O.

2018-03-01

Biocorrosion has been considered as big trouble in many industries and marine environments due to causing great economic loss. The main disadvantages of present approaches to prevent corrosion include being limited by environmental factors, being expensive, inapplicable to field, and sometimes inefficient. Studies show that polymer coatings with anti-corrosion and anti-microbial properties have been widely accepted as a novel and effective approach to preventbiocorrosion. The main purpose of this review is to summarize up the progressive status of polymer coatings used for combating microbially-induced corrosion. Polymers used to synthesize protective coatings are generally divided into three categories: i) traditional polymers incorporated with biocides, ii) antibacterial polymers containing quaternary ammonium compounds, and iii) conductive polymers. The strategies to synthesize polymer coatings resort mainly to grafting anti-bacterial polymers from the metal substrate surface using novel surface-functionalization approaches, such as free radical polymerization, chemically oxidative polymerization and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, as opposed to the traditional approaches of dip coating or spin coating.

Influence of biodegradable polymer coatings on corrosion, cytocompatibility and cell functionality of Mg-2.0Zn-0.98Mn magnesium alloy.

PubMed

Witecka, Agnieszka; Yamamoto, Akiko; Idaszek, Joanna; Chlanda, Adrian; Święszkowski, Wojciech

2016-08-01

Four kinds of biodegradable polymers were employed to prepare bioresorbable coatings on Mg-2.0Zn-0.98Mn (ZM21) alloy to understand the relationship between polymer characteristics, protective effects on substrate corrosion, cytocompatibility and cell functionality. Poly-l-lactide (PLLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) or poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) was spin-coated on ZM21, obtaining a smooth, non-porous coating less than 0.5μm in thickness. Polymer coating characterization, a degradation study, and biocompatibility evaluations were performed. After 4 w of immersion into cell culture medium, degradation of PLGA and PLLA coatings were confirmed by ATR-FTIR observation. The coatings of PLLA, PHB and PHBV, which have lower water permeability and slower degradation than PLGA, provide better suppression of initial ZM21 degradation and faster promotion of human osteosarcoma cell growth and differentiation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of multilayered thin films via spin-assembly

DOEpatents

Chiarelli, Peter A.; Robinson, Jeanne M.; Casson, Joanna L.; Johal, Malkiat S.; Wang, Hsing-Lin

2007-02-20

An process of forming multilayer thin film heterostructures is disclosed and includes applying a solution including a first water-soluble polymer from the group of polyanionic species, polycationic species and uncharged polymer species onto a substrate to form a first coating layer on the substrate, drying the first coating layer on the substrate, applying a solution including a second water-soluble polymer from the group of polyanionic species, polycationic species and uncharged polymer species onto the substrate having the first coating layer to form a second coating layer on the first coating layer wherein the second water-soluble polymer is of a different material than the first water-soluble polymer, and drying the second coating layer on the first coating layer so as to form a bilayer structure on the substrate. Optionally, one or more additional applying and drying sequences can be repeated with a water-soluble polymer from the group of polyanionic species, polycationic species and uncharged polymer species, so that a predetermined plurality of layers are built up upon the substrate.

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.

Spin-Coating and Characterization of Multiferroic MFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (M=Co, Ni) / BaTiO{sub 3} Bilayers

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

Quandt, Norman; Roth, Robert; Syrowatka, Frank

2016-01-15

Bilayer films of MFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (M=Co, Ni) and BaTiO{sub 3} were prepared by spin coating of N,N-dimethylformamide/acetic acid solutions on platinum coated silicon wafers. Five coating steps were applied to get the desired thickness of 150 nm for both the ferrite and perovskite layer. XRD, IR and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of phase-pure ferrite spinels and BaTiO{sub 3}. Smooth surfaces with roughnesses in the order of 3 to 5 nm were found in AFM investigations. Saturation magnetization of 347 emu cm{sup −3} for the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/BaTiO{sub 3} and 188 emu cm{sup −3} for the NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/BaTiO{submore » 3} bilayer, respectively were found. For the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/BaTiO{sub 3} bilayer a strong magnetic anisotropy was observed with coercivity fields of 5.1 kOe and 3.3 kOe (applied magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to film surface), while for the NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/BaTiO{sub 3} bilayer this effect is less pronounced. Saturated polarization hysteresis loops prove the presence of ferroelectricity in both systems. - Graphical abstract: The SEM image of the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/BaTiO{sub 3} bilayer on Pt–Si-substrate (left), magnetization as a function of the magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to the film plane (right top) and P–E and I–V hysteresis loops of the bilayer at room temperature. - Highlights: • Ferrite and perovskite oxides grown on platinum using spin coating technique. • Columnar growth of cobalt ferrite particle on the substrate. • Surface investigation showed a homogenous and smooth surface. • Perpendicular and parallel applied magnetic field revealed a magnetic anisotropy. • Switching peaks and saturated P–E hysteresis loops show ferroelectricity.« less

The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide: Delaware Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

December 2008]. • Coating or Printing - coating is the application of a uniform layer of material across the entire width of a web . Printing is...excess solvent by spinning, and drying by tumbling in any air stream. The facility includes, but is not limited to, any washer, dryer , or filter...mergency f ire , r escue o r co mmunications cal ls a nd operated either by the Delaware Emergency Management Agency or by any public agency or

A low viscosity, low boiling point, clean solvent system for the rapid crystallisation of highly specular perovskite films

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

Noel, Nakita K.; Habisreutinger, Severin N.; Wenger, Bernard

2017-01-01

Perovskite-based photovoltaics have, in recent years, become poised to revolutionise the solar industry. While there have been many approaches taken to the deposition of this material, one-step spin-coating remains the simplest and most widely used method in research laboratories. Although spin-coating is not recognised as the ideal manufacturing methodology, it represents a starting point from which more scalable deposition methods, such as slot-dye coating or ink-jet printing can be developed. Here, we introduce a new, low-boiling point, low viscosity solvent system that enables rapid, room temperature crystallisation of methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite films, without the use of strongly coordinating aproticmore » solvents. Through the use of this solvent, we produce dense, pinhole free films with uniform coverage, high specularity, and enhanced optoelectronic properties. We fabricate devices and achieve stabilised power conversion efficiencies of over 18% for films which have been annealed at 100 degrees C, and over 17% for films which have been dried under vacuum and have undergone no thermal processing. This deposition technique allows uniform coating on substrate areas of up to 125 cm2, showing tremendous promise for the fabrication of large area, high efficiency, solution processed devices, and represents a critical step towards industrial upscaling and large area printing of perovskite solar cells.« less

Light effects in the atomic-motion-induced Ramsey narrowing of dark resonances in wall-coated cells

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

Breschi, E.; Schori, C.; Di Domenico, G.

2010-12-15

We report on light shift and broadening in the atomic-motion-induced Ramsey narrowing of dark resonances prepared in alkali-metal vapors contained in wall-coated cells without buffer gas. The atomic-motion-induced Ramsey narrowing is due to the free motion of the polarized atomic spins in and out of the optical interaction region before spin relaxation. As a consequence of this effect, we observe a narrowing of the dark resonance linewidth as well as a reduction of the ground states' light shift when the volume of the interaction region decreases at constant optical intensity. The results can be intuitively interpreted as a dilution ofmore » the intensity effect similar to a pulsed interrogation due to the atomic motion. Finally the influence of this effect on the performance of compact atomic clocks is discussed.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION High mobility and low operating voltage ZnGaO and ZnGaLiO transistors with spin-coated Al2O3 as gate dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, D. X.; Xu, J. B.

2010-11-01

Spin-coated alumina serving as a gate dielectric in thin film transistors shows interesting dielectric properties for low-voltage applications, despite a moderate capacitance. With Ga singly doped and Ga, Li co-doped ZnO as the active channel layers, typical mobilities of 4.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.1 cm2 V-1 s-1 are achieved, respectively. At a given gate bias, the operation current is much smaller than the previously reported values in low-voltage thin film transistors, primarily relying on the giant-capacitive dielectric. The reported devices combine advantages of high mobility, low power consumption, low cost and ease of fabrication. In addition to the transparent nature of both the dielectric and semiconducting active channels, the superior electrical properties of the devices may provide a new avenue for future transparent electronics.

Evaluation of the optical characteristics of c-axis oriented zinc oxide thin films grown by sol gel spin coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baisakh, K.; Behera, S.; Pati, S.

2018-03-01

In this work we have systematically studied the optical characteristics of synthesized wurzite zinc oxide thin films exhibiting (002) orientation. Using sol gel spin coating technique zinc oxide thin films are grown on pre cleaned fused quartz substrates. Structural properties of the films are studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. Micro structural analysis and thickness of the grown samples are analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. With an aim to investigate the optical characteristics of the grown zinc oxide thin films the transmission and reflection spectra are evaluated in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) range. Using envelope method, the refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, band gap energy and the thickness of the synthesized films are estimated from the recorded UV-VIS spectra. An attempt has also been made to study the influence of crystallographic orientation on the optical characteristics of the grown films.

High-sensitivity green resist material with organic solvent-free spin-coating and tetramethylammonium hydroxide-free water-developable processes for EB and EUV lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takei, Satoshi; Hanabata, Makoto; Oshima, Akihiro; Kashiwakura, Miki; Kozawa, Takahiro; Tagawa, Seiichi

2015-03-01

We investigated the eco-friendly electron beam (EB) and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography using a high-sensitive negative type of green resist material derived from biomass to take advantage of organic solvent-free water spin-coating and tetramethylammonium hydroxide(TMAH)-free water-developable techniques. A water developable, non-chemically amplified, high sensitive, and negative tone resist material in EB lithography was developed for environmental affair, safety, easiness of handling, and health of the working people, instead of the common developable process of TMAH. The material design concept to use the water-soluble resist material with acceptable properties such as pillar patterns with less than 100 nm in high EB sensitivity of 10 μC/cm2 and etch selectivity with a silicon-based middle layer in CF4 plasma treatment was demonstrated for EB and EUV lithography.

Highly reliable spin-coated titanium dioxide dielectric

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

Mondal, Sandip, E-mail: sandipmondal@physics.iisc.ernet.in; Kumar, Arvind; Rao, K. S. R. Koteswara

Dielectric degradation as low as 0.3 % has been observed for a highly reliable Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) film after constant voltage stressing (CVS) with – 4 V for 10{sup 5} second at room temperature (300 K). The film was fabricated by sol –gel spin – coating method on a lightly doped p-Si (~10{sup 15} cm{sup −3}) substrate. The equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) is 7 nm with a dielectric constant 33 (at 1 MHz). Metal – Oxide – Semiconductor (MOS) capacitors have been fabricated with an optimum annealing temperature of 800°C for one hour in a preheated furnace. The dielectricmore » degradation is annealing temperature dependent. A degradation of 1.4 %, 1.2 % and 1.1 % has been observed for 400°C, 600°C and 1000°C temperature annealed MOS respectively. The dielectric degradation increases below or above the optimum temperature of annealing.« less

Development of highly-ordered, ferroelectric inverse opal films using sol gel infiltration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuura, N.; Yang, S.; Sun, P.; Ruda, H. E.

2005-07-01

Highly-ordered, ferroelectric, Pb-doped Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3, inverse opal films were fabricated by spin-coating a sol gel precursor into a polystyrene artificial opal template followed by heat treatment. Thin films of the ferroelectric were independently studied and were shown to exhibit good dielectric properties and high refractive indices. The excellent quality of the final inverse opal film using this spin-coating infiltration method was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy images and the good correspondence between optical reflection data and theoretical simulations. Using this method, the structural and material parameters of the final ferroelectric inverse opal film were easily adjusted by template heating and through repeated infiltrations, without changes in the initial template or precursor. Also, crack-free inverse opal thin films were fabricated over areas comparable to that of the initial crack-free polystyrene template (˜100 by 100 μm2).

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of para-substituted benzoic acids chemisorbed to aluminum oxide thin films

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

Kreil, Justin; Ellingsworth, Edward; Szulczewski, Greg

A series of para-substituted, halogenated (F, Cl, Br, and I) benzoic acid monolayers were prepared on the native oxide of aluminum surfaces by solution self-assembly and spin-coating techniques. The monolayers were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angles. Several general trends are apparent. First, the polarity of the solvent is critical to monolayer formation. Protic polar solvents produced low coverage monolayers; in contrast, nonpolar solvents produced higher coverage monolayers. Second, solution deposition yields a higher surface coverage than spin coating. Third, the thickness of the monolayers determined from XPS suggests the plane of the aromatic ring ismore » perpendicular to the surface with the carboxylate functional group most likely binding in a bidentate chelating geometry. Fourth, the saturation coverage (∼2.7 × 10{sup 14} molecules cm{sup −2}) is independent of the para-substituent.« less

Highly transparent and flexible circuits through patterning silver nanowires into microfluidic channels.

PubMed

Sun, Jing; Zhou, Wenhui; Yang, Haibo; Zhen, Xue; Ma, Longfei; Williams, Dirk; Sun, Xudong; Lang, Ming-Fei

2018-05-10

The development of flexible and transparent devices requires completely transparent and flexible circuits (TFCs). To overcome the disadvantages of the previously reported TFCs that are partially transparent, lacking pattern control, or labor consuming, we achieve true TFCs via a facile process with precise pattern control, exhibiting concurrent high transparency, conductivity, flexibility, stretchability, and robustness. A highly transparent and flexible conductive film is first made through spin coating silver nanowires (AgNWs) onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and demonstrates simultaneous high transparency (90.86%) and low sheet resistance (3.22 Ω sq-1). Taking advantage of microfluidic technology, circuits with ultraprecise and complex patterns from the microscale to milliscale are obtained through spin coating of AgNWs into microfluidic channels on PDMS. Without elaborate processing, this method may be suitable for mass production, which would contribute enormously to potential applications in wearable medical equipment and transparent electronic devices.

Directionally Aligned Amorphous Polymer Chains via Electrohydrodynamic-Jet Printing: Analysis of Morphology and Polymer Field-Effect Transistor Characteristics.

PubMed

Kim, Yebyeol; Bae, Jaehyun; Song, Hyun Woo; An, Tae Kyu; Kim, Se Hyun; Kim, Yun-Hi; Park, Chan Eon

2017-11-15

Electrohydrodynamic-jet (EHD-jet) printing provides an opportunity to directly assembled amorphous polymer chains in the printed pattern. Herein, an EHD-jet printed amorphous polymer was employed as the active layer for fabrication of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Under optimized conditions, the field-effect mobility (μ FET ) of the EHD-jet printed OFETs was 5 times higher than the highest μ FET observed in the spin-coated OFETs, and this improvement was achieved without the use of complex surface templating or additional pre- or post-deposition processing. As the chain alignment can be affected by the surface energy of the dielectric layer in EHD-jet printed OFETs, dielectric layers with varying wettability were examined. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure measurements were performed to compare the amorphous chain alignment in OFET active layers prepared by EHD-jet printing and spin coating.

A general microchip surface modification approach using a spin-coated polymer resist film doped with hydroxypropyl cellulose.

PubMed

Sun, Xiuhua; Yang, Weichun; Geng, Yanli; Woolley, Adam T

2009-04-07

We have developed a simple and effective method for surface modification of polymer microchips by entrapping hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in a spin-coated thin film on the surface. Poly(methyl methacrylate-8.5-methacrylic acid), a widely available commercial resist formulation, was utilized as a matrix for dissolving HPC and providing adherence to native polymer surfaces. Various amounts of HPC (0.1-2.0%) dissolved in the copolymer and spun on polymer surfaces were evaluated. The modified surfaces were characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The developed method was applied on both poly(methyl methacrylate) and cyclic olefin copolymer microchips. A fluorescently labeled myoglobin digest, binary protein mixture, and human serum sample were all separated in these surface-modified polymer microdevices. Our work exhibits an easy and reliable way to achieve favorable biomolecular separation performance in polymer microchips.

A general microchip surface modification approach using a spin-coated polymer resist film doped with hydroxypropyl cellulose

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiuhua; Yang, Weichun; Geng, Yanli; Woolley, Adam T.

2009-01-01

We have developed a simple and effective method for surface modification of polymer microchips by entrapping hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in a spin-coated thin film on the surface. Poly(methyl methacrylate-8.5-methacrylic acid), a widely available commercial resist formulation, was utilized as a matrix for dissolving HPC and providing adherence to native polymer surfaces. Various amounts of HPC (0.1–2.0%) dissolved in the copolymer and spun on polymer surfaces were evaluated. The modified surfaces were characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The developed method was applied on both poly(methyl methacrylate) and cyclic olefin copolymer microchips. A fluorescently labeled myoglobin digest, binary protein mixture, and human serum sample were all separated in these surface-modified polymer microdevices. Our work exhibits an easy and reliable way to achieve favorable biomolecular separation performance in polymer microchips. PMID:19294306

Preparation of Sb2S3 nanocrystals modified TiO2 dendritic structure with nanotubes for hybrid solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yingpin; Wei, Yanan; Feng, Kangning; Hao, Yanzhong; Pei, Juan; Sun, Bao

2018-06-01

Array of TiO2 dendritic structure with nanotubes was constructed on transparent conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide glass (FTO) with titanium potassium oxalate as titanium source. Sb2S3 nanocrystals were successfully deposited on the TiO2 substrate via spin-coating method. Furthermore, TiO2/Sb2S3/P3HT/PEDOT:PSS composite film was prepared by successively spin-coating P3HT and PEDOT:PSS on TiO2/Sb2S3. It was demonstrated that the modification of TiO2 dendritic structure with Sb2S3 could enhance the light absorption in the visible region. The champion hybrid solar cell assembled by TiO2/Sb2S3/P3HT/PEDOT:PSS composite film achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.56%.

Synthesis of ZnO thin film by sol-gel spin coating technique for H2S gas sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nimbalkar, Amol R.; Patil, Maruti G.

2017-12-01

In this present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film synthesized by a simple sol-gel spin coating technique. The structural, morphology, compositional, microstructural, optical, electrical and gas sensing properties of the film were studied by using XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, HRTEM, Raman, FTIR and UV-vis techniques. The ZnO thin film shows hexagonal wurtzite structure with a porous structured morphology. Gas sensing performance of synthesized ZnO thin film was tested initially for H2S gas at different operating temperatures as well as concentrations. The maximum gas response is achieved towards H2S gas at 300 °C operating temperature, at 100 ppm gas concentration as compared to other gases like CH3OH, Cl2, NH3, LPG, CH3COCH3, and C2H5OH with a good stability.

Broadband moth-eye antireflection coatings on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Chih-Hung; Jiang, Peng; Jiang, Bin

2008-02-01

We report a bioinspired templating technique for fabricating broadband antireflection coatings that mimic antireflective moth eyes. Wafer-scale, subwavelength-structured nipple arrays are directly patterned on silicon using spin-coated silica colloidal monolayers as etching masks. The templated gratings exhibit excellent broadband antireflection properties and the normal-incidence specular reflection matches with the theoretical prediction using a rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) model. We further demonstrate that two common simulation methods, RCWA and thin-film multilayer models, generate almost identical prediction for the templated nipple arrays. This simple bottom-up technique is compatible with standard microfabrication, promising for reducing the manufacturing cost of crystalline silicon solar cells.

Cicada-Wing-Inspired Self-Cleaning Antireflection Coatings on Polymer Substrates.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Chu; Huang, Zhe-Sheng; Yang, Hongta

2015-11-18

The cicada has transparent wings with remarkable self-cleaning properties and high transmittance over the whole visible spectral range, which is derived from periodic conical structures covering the wing surface. Here we report a scalable self-assembly technique for fabricating multifunctional optical coatings that mimic cicada-wing structures. Spin-coated two-dimensional non-close-packed colloidal crystals are utilized as etching masks to pattern subwavelength-structured cone arrays directly on polymer substrates. The resulting gratings exhibit broadband antireflection performance and superhydrophobic properties after surface modification. The dependence of the cone shape and size on the antireflective and self-cleaning properties has also been investigated in this study.

Lowering of the firing voltage and reducing of the discharge delay time in alternating current plasma display panels by a discontinuous spin-coated LaB{sub 6} film on the MgO protective layer

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

Deng, Jiang, E-mail: dj78291@163.com; Zeng, Baoqing; Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 528402 zhongshan

2014-03-15

A spin coated LaB{sub 6} discontinuous film is covered on MgO protective layer to improve the discharge performance of alternating current plasma display panels. Under the premise of high transmittance of more than 90%, a very small amount of polycrystal LaB{sub 6} powders added in an organic solvent are chosen as the coating solution. The discharge characteristics results show that with 250 torr 5% Xe-Ne pressure, the firing voltage and discharge delay time of the test panel with LaB{sub 6}/MgO double protective layer are decreased by 13.4% and 36.5%, respectively, compared with that of conventional MgO protective layer, likely owingmore » to the low work function of LaB{sub 6.} Furthermore, the aging time of the proposed structure is comparable to that of pure MgO protective layer. Therefore, it will not increase the production costs and is highly suitable to be applied for alternating current plasma display panels with low electrical power consumption.« less

Surface modification of polyimide gate insulators for solution-processed 2,7-didecyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C10-BTBT) thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Jang, Kwang-Suk; Kim, Won Soo; Won, Jong-Myung; Kim, Yun-Ho; Myung, Sung; Ka, Jae-Won; Kim, Jinsoo; Ahn, Taek; Yi, Mi Hye

2013-01-21

The surface property of a polyimide gate insulator was successfully modified with an n-octadecyl side-chain. Alkyl chain-grafted poly(amic acid), the polyimide precursor, was synthesized using the diamine comonomer with an alkyl side-chain. By adding a base catalyst to the poly(amic acid) coating solution, the imidization temperature of the spin-coated film could be reduced to 200 °C. The 350 nm-thick polyimide film had a dielectric constant of 3.3 at 10 kHz and a leakage current density of less than 8.7 × 10(-10) A cm(-2), while biased from 0 to 100 V. To investigate the potential of the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide film as a gate insulator for solution-processed organic thin-film transistors (TFTs), we fabricated C(10)-BTBT TFTs. C(10)-BTBT was deposited on the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide gate insulator by spin-coating, forming a well-ordered crystal structure. The field-effect mobility and the on/off current ratio of the TFT device were measured to be 0.20-0.56 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and >10(5), respectively.

Development of a cell culture surface conversion technique using alginate thin film for evaluating effect upon cellular differentiation

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

Nakashima, Y., E-mail: yuta-n@mech.kumamoto-u.ac.jp; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi University, 2-16-1 Tokiwadai, Ube 755-8611; Tsusu, K.

2014-06-15

Here, we sought to develop a cell culture surface conversion technique that would not damage living cells. An alginate thin film, formed on a glass plate by spin coating of sodium alginate solution and dipping into calcium chloride solution, was used to inhibit adhesion of cells. The film could be removed by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) at any time during cell culture, permitting observation of cellular responses to conversion of the culture surface in real time. Additionally, we demonstrated the validity of the alginate thin film coating method and the performance of the film. The thickness of the alginate thin film wasmore » controlled by varying the rotation speed during spin coating. Moreover, the alginate thin film completely inhibited the adhesion of cultured cells to the culture surface, irrespective of the thickness of the film. When the alginate thin film was removed from the culture surface by EDTA, the cultured cells adhered to the culture surface, and their morphology changed. Finally, we achieved effective differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotube cells by cell culture on the convertible culture surface, demonstrating the utility of our novel technique.« less

Sol-Gel Deposited Double Layer TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ Anti-Reflection Coating for Silicon Solar Cell.

PubMed

Jung, Jinsu; Jannat, Azmira; Akhtar, M Shaheer; Yang, O-Bong

2018-02-01

In this work, the deposition of double layer ARC on p-type Si solar cells was carried out by simple spin coating using sol-gel derived Al2O3 and TiO2 precursors for the fabrication of crystalline Si solar cells. The first ARC layer was created by freshly prepared sol-gel derived Al2O3 precursor using spin coating technique and then second ARC layer of TiO2 was deposited with sol-gel derived TiO2 precursor, which was finally annealed at 400 °C. The double layer Al2O3/TiO2 ARC on Si wafer exhibited the low average reflectance of 4.74% in the wavelength range of 400 and 1000 nm. The fabricated solar cells based on double TiO2/Al2O3 ARC attained the conversion efficiency of ~13.95% with short circuit current (JSC) of 35.27 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage (VOC) of 593.35 mV and fill factor (FF) of 66.67%. Moreover, the fabricated solar cells presented relatively low series resistance (Rs) as compared to single layer ARCs, resulting in the high VOC and FF.

A controlled wet-spinning and dip-coating process for preparation of high-permeable TiO2 hollow fiber membranes.

PubMed

Zhang, Qi; Wang, Hua; Fan, Xinfei; Chen, Shuo; Yu, Hongtao; Quan, Xie

2016-01-01

In order to improve the permeate flux of photocatalytic membranes, we present an approach for coupling TiO2 with ceramic hollow fiber membranes. The ceramic hollow fiber membranes with high permeate flux were fabricated by a controlled wet-spinning process using polyethersulfone (PESf) and ceramic powder as precursors and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone as solvent, and the subsequent TiO2 coating was performed by a dip-coating process using tetra-n-butyl titanate as precursor. It has been found that the PESf/ceramic powder ratio could influence the structure of the membranes. Here the as-prepared TiO2 hollow fiber membranes had a pure water flux of 4,450 L/(m(2)·h). The performance of the TiO2 hollow fiber membrane was evaluated using humic acid (HA) as a test substance. The results demonstrated that this membrane exhibited a higher permeate flux under UV irradiation than in the dark and the HA removal efficiency was enhanced. The approach described here provides an operable route to the development of high-permeable photocatalytic membranes for water treatment.

High-throughput preparation of complex multi-scale patterns from block copolymer/homopolymer blend films.

PubMed

Park, Hyungmin; Kim, Jae-Up; Park, Soojin

2012-02-21

A simple, straightforward process for fabricating multi-scale micro- and nanostructured patterns from polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) homopolymer in a preferential solvent for PS and PMMA is demonstrated. When the PS-b-P2VP/PMMA blend films were spin-coated onto a silicon wafer, PS-b-P2VP micellar arrays consisting of a PS corona and a P2VP core were formed, while the PMMA macrodomains were isolated, due to the macrophase separation caused by the incompatibility between block copolymer micelles and PMMA homopolymer during the spin-coating process. With an increase of PMMA composition, the size of PMMA macrodomains increased. Moreover, the P2VP blocks have a strong interaction with a native oxide of the surface of the silicon wafer, so that the P2VP wetting layer was first formed during spin-coating, and PS nanoclusters were observed on the PMMA macrodomains beneath. Whereas when a silicon surface was modified with a PS brush layer, the PS nanoclusters underlying PMMA domains were not formed. The multi-scale patterns prepared from copolymer micelle/homopolymer blend films are used as templates for the fabrication of gold nanoparticle arrays by incorporating the gold precursor into the P2VP chains. The combination of nanostructures prepared from block copolymer micellar arrays and macrostructures induced by incompatibility between the copolymer and the homopolymer leads to the formation of complex, multi-scale surface patterns by a simple casting process. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Characterization of nanocrystalline ZnO:Al films by sol-gel spin coating method

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

Gareso, P. L., E-mail: pgareso@gmail.com; Rauf, N., E-mail: pgareso@gmail.com; Juarlin, E., E-mail: pgareso@gmail.com

2014-09-25

Nanocrystalline ZnO films doped with aluminium by sol-gel spin coating method have been investigated using optical transmittance UV-Vis and X-ray diffraction (X-RD) measurements. ZnO films were prepared using zinc acetate dehydrate (Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}@@‡2H{sub 2}O), ethanol, and diethanolamine (DEA) as a starting material, solvent, and stabilizer, respectively. For doped films, AlCl{sub 3} was added to the mixture. The ZnO:Al films were deposited on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrate using spin coating technique at room temperature with a rate of 3000 rpm in 30 sec. The deposited films were annealed at various temperatures from 400°C to 600°C during 60 minutes.more » The transmittance UV-Vis measurement results showed that after annealing at 400°C, the energy band gap profile of nanocrystalline ZnO:Al film was a blue shift. This indicated that the band gap of ZnO:Al increased after annealing due to the increase of crystalline size. As the annealing temperature increased the bandgap energy was a constant. In addition to this, there was a small oscillation occurring after annealing compared to the as–grown samples. In the case of X-RD measurements, the crystalinity of the films were amorphous before annealing, and after annealing the crystalinity became enhance. Also, X-RD results showed that structure of nanocrystalline ZnO:Al films were hexagonal polycrystalline with lattice parameters are a = 3.290 Å and c = 5.2531 Å.« less

Structural, compositional and optical properties of spin coated MoO3 thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Vishva; Shah, Dimple; Patel, K. D.; Zankat, Chetan

2018-05-01

The attraction towards the MoO3 thin film is due to its wide range of application base on its properties. Its application in the field of energy storage and conversion as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium ion battery, hole selective layer in solar cell and in pseudocapacitors makes it more attractive material. Taking in consideration, economical route and tailoring advantage of film formation we have used spin coating method for the synthesis of the film with Ammonium heptamolybdate (NH4)6Mo7O24 4H2O) and distilled water as the precursor and solvent respectively on the glass substrate. The method also provides the large area synthesis of the film which is beneficial for the commercial applications. The film was spin coated at 1600 rpm with 4 % weight per volume ratio. The film so formed was annealed at 300 °C for 3 hours. The structural investigation was done by the X-Ray diffraction technique which shows the thin film of polycrystalline type. The average crystallize size is about 50 nm. The composition of the film was studied with the help of EDAX. The optical properties were studied by the photoluminescence and UV Spectroscopy. The results from both the characterization are well matched with each other. Photoluminescence studies show band to band emission observed at 416 nm shown in the fig. 5. From UV spectroscopy, using transmission and absorption spectra we observed the band gap edge around 3 eV. This is in accordance with the photoluminescence result.

Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) oxidation resistant material samples - Baseline coated, and baseline coated with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) impregnation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gantz, E. E.

1977-01-01

Reinforced carbon-carbon material specimens were machined from 19 and 33 ply flat panels which were fabricated and processed in accordance with the specifications and procedures accepted for the fabrication and processing of the leading edge structural subsystem (LESS) elements for the space shuttle orbiter. The specimens were then baseline coated and tetraethyl orthosilicate impregnated, as applicable, in accordance with the procedures and requirements of the appropriate LESS production specifications. Three heater bars were ATJ graphite silicon carbide coated with the Vought 'pack cementation' coating process, and three were stackpole grade 2020 graphite silicon carbide coated with the chemical vapor deposition process utilized by Vought in coating the LESS shell development program entry heater elements. Nondestructive test results are reported.

SD-CAS: Spin Dynamics by Computer Algebra System.

PubMed

Filip, Xenia; Filip, Claudiu

2010-11-01

A computer algebra tool for describing the Liouville-space quantum evolution of nuclear 1/2-spins is introduced and implemented within a computational framework named Spin Dynamics by Computer Algebra System (SD-CAS). A distinctive feature compared with numerical and previous computer algebra approaches to solving spin dynamics problems results from the fact that no matrix representation for spin operators is used in SD-CAS, which determines a full symbolic character to the performed computations. Spin correlations are stored in SD-CAS as four-entry nested lists of which size increases linearly with the number of spins into the system and are easily mapped into analytical expressions in terms of spin operator products. For the so defined SD-CAS spin correlations a set of specialized functions and procedures is introduced that are essential for implementing basic spin algebra operations, such as the spin operator products, commutators, and scalar products. They provide results in an abstract algebraic form: specific procedures to quantitatively evaluate such symbolic expressions with respect to the involved spin interaction parameters and experimental conditions are also discussed. Although the main focus in the present work is on laying the foundation for spin dynamics symbolic computation in NMR based on a non-matrix formalism, practical aspects are also considered throughout the theoretical development process. In particular, specific SD-CAS routines have been implemented using the YACAS computer algebra package (http://yacas.sourceforge.net), and their functionality was demonstrated on a few illustrative examples. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nonequilibrium spin crossover in copper phthalocyanine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegert, Benjamin; Donarini, Andrea; Grifoni, Milena

2016-03-01

We demonstrate the nonequilibrium tip induced control of the spin state of copper phthalocyanine on an insulator coated substrate. We find that, under the condition of energetic proximity of many-body neutral excited states to the anionic ground state, the system can undergo a population inversion towards these excited states. The resulting state of the system is accompanied by a change in the total spin quantum number. Experimental signatures of the crossover are the appearance of additional nodal planes in the topographical scanning tunneling microscopy images as well as a strong suppression of the current near the center of the molecule. The robustness of the effect against moderate charge conserving relaxation processes has also been tested.

7 CFR 201.51b - Purity procedures for coated seed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the Administration of the Act § 201.51b Purity...). Use of fine mesh sieves is recommended for this procedure, and stirring or shaking the coated units...

7 CFR 201.51b - Purity procedures for coated seed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the Administration of the Act § 201.51b Purity...). Use of fine mesh sieves is recommended for this procedure, and stirring or shaking the coated units...

7 CFR 201.51b - Purity procedures for coated seed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the Administration of the Act § 201.51b Purity...). Use of fine mesh sieves is recommended for this procedure, and stirring or shaking the coated units...

7 CFR 201.51b - Purity procedures for coated seed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the Administration of the Act § 201.51b Purity...). Use of fine mesh sieves is recommended for this procedure, and stirring or shaking the coated units...

Biomimetic novel nanoporous niobium oxide coating for orthopaedic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauline, S. Anne; Rajendran, N.

2014-01-01

Niobium oxide was synthesized by sol-gel methodology and a crystalline, nanoporous and adherent coating of Nb2O5 was deposited on 316L SS using the spin coating technique and heat treatment. The synthesis conditions were optimized to obtain a nanoporous morphology. The coating was characterized using attenuated total reflectance-Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the formation of crystalline Nb2O5 coating with nanoporous morphology was confirmed. Mechanical studies confirmed that the coating has excellent adherence to the substrate and the hardness value of the coating was excellent. Contact angle analysis showed increased hydrophilicity for the coated substrate. In vitro bioactivity test confirmed that the Nb2O5 coating with nanoporous morphology facilitated the growth of hydroxyapatite (HAp). This was further confirmed by the solution analysis test where increased uptake of calcium and phosphorous ions from simulated body fluid (SBF) was observed. Electrochemical evaluation of the coating confirmed that the crystalline coating is insulative and protective in nature and offered excellent corrosion protection to 316L SS. Thus, this study confirmed that the nanoporous crystalline Nb2O5 coating conferred bioactivity and enhanced corrosion resistance on 316L SS.

Formation of Aluminide Coatings on Fe-Based Alloys by Chemical Vapor Deposition

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

Zhang, Ying; Pint, Bruce A; Cooley, Kevin M

2008-01-01

Aluminide and Al-containing coatings were synthesized on commercial ferritic (P91) and austenitic (304L) alloys via a laboratory chemical vapor deposition (CVD) procedure for rigorous control over coating composition, purity and microstructure. The effect of the CVD aluminizing parameters such as temperature, Al activity, and post-aluminizing anneal on coating growth was investigated. Two procedures involving different Al activities were employed with and without including Cr-Al pellets in the CVD reactor to produce coatings with suitable thickness and composition for coating performance evaluation. The phase constitution of the as-synthesized coatings was assessed with the aid of a combination of X-ray diffraction, electronmore » probe microanalysis, and existing phase diagrams. The mechanisms of formation of these CVD coatings on the Fe-based alloys are discussed, and compared with nickel aluminide coatings on Ni-base superalloys. In addition, Cr-Al pellets were replaced with Fe-Al metals in some aluminizing process runs and similar coatings were achieved.« less

Comparison between Procedures using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate for Shotgun Proteomic Analyses of Complex Samples

PubMed Central

Bereman, Michael S.; Egertson, Jarrett D.; MacCoss, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Filter aided sample preparation (FASP) and a new sample preparation method using a modified commercial SDS removal spin column are quantitatively compared in terms of their performance for shotgun proteomic experiments in three complex proteomic samples: a Saccharomyces cerevisiae lysate (insoluble fraction), a Caenorhabditis elegans lysate (soluble fraction), and a human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293T). The characteristics and total number of peptides and proteins identified are compared between the two procedures. The SDS spin column procedure affords a conservative 4-fold improvement in throughput, is more reproducible, less expensive (i.e., requires less materials), and identifies between 30–107% more peptides at a q≤0.01, than the FASP procedure. The peptides identified by SDS spin column are more hydrophobic than species identified by the FASP procedure as indicated by the distribution of GRAVY scores. Ultimately, these improvements correlate to as great as a 50% increase in protein identifications with 2 or more peptides. PMID:21656683

Seed Coating: Science or Marketing Spin?

PubMed

Pedrini, Simone; Merritt, David J; Stevens, Jason; Dixon, Kingsley

2017-02-01

Seed coating is the practice of covering seeds with external materials to improve handling, protection, and, to a lesser extent, germination enhancement and plant establishment. With an annual value exceeding US$1 billion dollars, this technology is mostly the preserve of the private research sector, with few links to the scientific community. Here, we analyse the science and industry of seed coating and its contribution to seed establishment and plant performance. We posit that a closer collaboration between academia and industry is critical to realising the potential of seed coating both as a tool for enhancing plant establishment in the face of the challenges posed to agricultural systems and to propel the multibillion-dollar global push for ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced sensitivity of a microfabricated resonator using a graphene-polystyrene bilayer membrane

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

Yun, Minhyuk; Lee, Eunho; Cho, Kilwon

2014-08-18

A graphene layer was synthesized using chemical vapor deposition methods and a polystyrene solution was spin-cast onto the graphene film. The graphene-polystyrene bilayer membrane was attached between the two tines of a microfabricated quartz tuning fork (QTF). The modulus of the graphene-polystyrene bilayer was measured to be twice that of a pristine polystyrene membrane. Exposure of the membrane-coated QTF to ethanol vapor decreased the resonance frequency of the microresonator. The bilayer membrane-coated QTF produced a frequency change that was three times the change obtained using a polystyrene membrane-coated QTF, with a lower degree of degradation in the Q factor. Themore » limit of detection of the bilayer membrane-coated QTF to ethanol vapor was determined to be 20 ppm.« less

Space stable thermal control coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harada, Y.

1982-01-01

A specification quality zinc orthotitanate coating was developed. This silicate-bonded Zn2TiO4 coating is discussed. The effects of precursor chemistry, precursor mixing procedures, stoichiometry variations, and of different heat treatments on the physical and optical properties of Zn2TiO4 are investigated. Inorganic silicates are compared to organic silicone binder systems. The effects of pigment to binder ratio, water content, and of different curing procedures on the optical and physical properties of Zn2TiO4 potassium silicate coatings are also studied. Environmental tests were conducted to determine the UV vacuum stability of coatings for durations up to 5000 equivalent Sun hours.

Trackless tack coat materials : a laboratory evaluation performance acceptance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop, demonstrate, and document laboratory procedures that could be used by the : Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to evaluate non-tracking tack coat materials. The procedures would be used to : qualify...

Sol-gel NiFe2O4 nanoparticles: Effect of the silica coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larumbe, S.; Pérez-Landazábal, J. I.; Pastor, J. M.; Gómez-Polo, C.

2012-05-01

NiFe2O4 and NiFe2O4-SiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol-gel method using citric acid as fuel, giving rise its combustion to the crystallization of the spinel phase. Different synthesis conditions were analyzed with the aim of obtaining stoichiometric NiFe2O4 nanoparticles. The spinel structure in the calcined nanoparticles (400 °C, 2 h) was evaluated by x-ray diffraction. Their nanometer size (mean diameters around 10-15 nm) was confirmed through electron microscopy (field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy). Rietveld refinement indicates the existence of a small percentage of NiO and Fe3O4 phases and a certain degree of structural disorder. The main effect of the silica coating is to enhance the disorder effects and prevent the crystalline growth after post-annealing treatments. Due to the small particle size, the nanoparticles display characteristic superparamagnetic behaviour and surface effects associated to a spin-glass like state: i.e., reduction in the saturation magnetization values and splitting of the zero field cooled (ZFC)-field cooled (FC) high field magnetization curves. The fitting of the field dependence of the ZFC-FC irreversibility temperatures to the Almeida—Thouless equation confirms the spin-glass nature of the detected magnetic phenomena. Exchange bias effects (shifts in the FC hysteresis loops) detected below the estimated freezing temperature support the spin-glass nature of the spin disorder effects.

Infrared wire-grid polarizer with sol-gel antireflection films on both sides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Itsunari; Ishihara, Yoshiro

2017-12-01

We fabricated an infrared wire-grid polarizer with the high transverse magnetic (TM) polarization transmittance and high extinction ratio by soft imprint lithography, sol-gel method, and Al shadow coating processes. A zilconia film was coated on Si substrate by using sol-gel method and spin coating method. Then, sol-gel zirconia grating was formed on the back side using imprinting using a silicone mold. The polarizer was produced by depositing Al obliquely on the grating. The TM transmittance of the fabricated element was greater than 80% at a wavelength of 4.8 μm. The sol-gel zilconia films acted as antireflection films. The extinction ratio exceeded 26 dB at its wavelength.

A 3He-129Xe co-magnetometer probed by a Rb magnetometer with Ramsey-pulse technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Dong; Kabcenell, Aaron; Romalis, Michael

2013-05-01

We report the recent progress in development of a new kind of co-magnetometer, benifiting from both the long spin coherence time of a noble gas and a highly sensitive alkali metal magnetometer. Due to the Fermi-contact interaction between alkali metal electron spin and noble gas nuclear spin the effective magnetization of the noble gas is enhanced by a factor of 6 to 600, allowing near quantum-limited detection of nuclear spins. Collisions between polarized alkali atoms and noble gas also introduce a large shift to the nuclear spin precession frequency. We reduce this effect by using Ramsey pulse techniques to measure the noble gas spin precession frequency ``in the dark'' by turning off the pumping laser between Ramsey pulses. A furthur reduction of the back-hyperpolarization from the noble gas can be achieved by controlling the cell temperature on short time scale. We showed that a 3He-129Xe Ramsey co-magnetometer is effective in cancelling fluctuations of external magnetic fields and gradients and developed cells with sufficient 129Xe T2 time without surface coatings. The new co-magnetometer has potential applications for many precision measurements, such as searches for spin-gravity couplings, electric dipole moments, and nuclear spin gyroscopes. Supported by DARPA.

Experiments with ceramic coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynn, E. K.; Rollins, C. T.

1968-01-01

Report describes the procedures and techniques used in the application of a ceramic coating and the evaluation of test parts through observation of the cracks that occur in this coating due to loading.

Controlled drug delivery from composites of nanostructured porous silicon and poly(L-lactide).

PubMed

McInnes, Steven J P; Irani, Yazad; Williams, Keryn A; Voelcker, Nicolas H

2012-07-01

Porous silicon (pSi) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) both display good biocompatibility and tunable degradation behavior, suggesting that composites of both materials are suitable candidates as biomaterials for localized drug delivery into the human body. The combination of a pliable and soft polymeric material with a hard inorganic porous material of high drug loading capacity may engender improved control over degradation and drug release profiles and be beneficial for the preparation of advanced drug delivery devices and biodegradable implants or scaffolds. In this work, three different pSi and PLLA composite formats were prepared. The first format involved grafting PLLA from pSi films via surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization (pSi-PLLA [grafted]). The second format involved spin coating a PLLA solution onto oxidized pSi films (pSi-PLLA [spin-coated]) and the third format consisted of a melt-cast PLLA monolith containing dispersed pSi microparticles (pSi-PLLA [monoliths]). The surface characterization of these composites was performed via infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and water contact angle measurements. The composite materials were loaded with a model cytotoxic drug, camptothecin (CPT). Drug release from the composites was monitored via fluorimetry and the release profiles of CPT showed distinct characteristics for each of the composites studied. In some cases, controlled CPT release was observed for more than 5 days. The PLLA spin coat on pSi and the PLLA monolith containing pSi microparticles both released a CPT payload in accordance with the Higuchi and Ritger-Peppas release models. Composite materials were also brought into contact with human lens epithelial cells to determine the extent of cytotoxicity. We observed that all the CPT containing materials were highly efficient at releasing bioactive CPT, based on the cytotoxicity data.

Optical Properties of Fe3O4 Thin Films Prepared from the Iron Sand by Spin Coating Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulfriska, N.; Rianto, D.; Murti, F.; Darvina, Y.; Ramli, R.

2018-04-01

Research on magnetic oxide is growing very rapidly. This magnetic oxide can be found in nature that is in iron sand. One of the beaches in Sumatera Barat containing iron sand is Tiram Beach, Padang Pariaman District, Sumatera Barat. The content of iron sand is generally in the form of magnetic minerals such as magnetite, hematite, and maghemit. Magnetite has superior properties that can be developed into thin films. The purpose of this research is to investigate the optical properties of transmittance, absorbance, reflectance and energy gap from Fe3O4 thin films. This type of research is an experimental research. The iron sand obtained from nature is first purified using a permanent magnet, then made in nanoparticle size using HEM-E3D with milling time for 30 hours. After that, the process of making thin film with sol-gel spin coating method. In this research, variation of rotation speed from spin coating is 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm. Based on XRD results indicated that the iron sand of Tiram beach contains magnetite minerals and the SEM results show that the thickness of the thin films formed is 25μm, 24μm and 11μm. The characterization tool used for characterizing optical properties is the UV-VIS Spectrophotometer. So it can be concluded that the greater the speed of rotation the thickness of the thin layer will be smaller, resulting in the transmittance and reflectance will be greater, while the absorbance will be smaller. Energy gap obtained from this research is 3,75eV, 3,75eV and 3,74eV. So the average energy gap obtained is 3,75eV.

Homogeneous PCBM layers fabricated by horizontal-dip coating for efficient bilayer heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells.

PubMed

Huh, Yoon Ho; Bae, In-Gon; Jeon, Hong Goo; Park, Byoungchoo

2016-10-31

We herein report a homogeneous [6,6]-phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) layer, produced by a solution process of horizontal-dipping (H-dipping) to improve the photovoltaic (PV) effects of bilayer heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) based on a bi-stacked poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) electron donor layer and a PCBM electron acceptor layer (P3HT/PCBM). It was shown that a homogeneous and uniform coating of PCBM layers in the P3HT/PCBM bilayer OPVs resulted in reliable and reproducible device performance. We recorded a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.89%, which is higher than that (2.00%) of bilayer OPVs with a spin-coated PCBM layer. Moreover, introducing surfactant additives of poly(oxyethylene tridecyl ether) (PTE) into the homogeneous P3HT/PCBM PV layers resulted in the bilayer OPVs showing a PCE value of 3.95%, which is comparable to those of conventional bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) OPVs (3.57-4.13%) fabricated by conventional spin-coating. This improved device performance may be attributed to the selective collection of charge carriers at the interfaces among the active layers and electrodes due to the PTE additives as well as the homogeneous formation of the functional PCBM layer on the P3HT layer. Furthermore, H-dip-coated PCBM layers were deposited onto aligned P3HT layers by a rubbing technique, and the rubbed bilayer OPV exhibited improved in-plane anisotropic PV effects with PCE anisotropy as high as 1.81, which is also higher than that (1.54) of conventional rubbed BHJ OPVs. Our results suggest that the use of the H-dip-coating process in the fabrication of PCBM layers with the PTE interface-engineering additive could be of considerable interest to those seeking to improve PCBM-based opto-electrical organic thin-film devices.

Ultra-low fouling and high antibody loading zwitterionic hydrogel coatings for sensing and detection in complex media.

PubMed

Chou, Ying-Nien; Sun, Fang; Hung, Hsiang-Chieh; Jain, Priyesh; Sinclair, Andrew; Zhang, Peng; Bai, Tao; Chang, Yung; Wen, Ten-Chin; Yu, Qiuming; Jiang, Shaoyi

2016-08-01

For surface-based diagnostic devices to achieve reliable biomarker detection in complex media such as blood, preventing nonspecific protein adsorption and incorporating high loading of biorecognition elements are paramount. In this work, a novel method to produce nonfouling zwitterionic hydrogel coatings was developed to achieve these goals. Poly(carboxybetaine acrylamide) (pCBAA) hydrogel thin films (CBHTFs) prepared with a carboxybetaine diacrylamide crosslinker (CBAAX) were coated on gold and silicon dioxide surfaces via a simple spin coating process. The thickness of CBHTFs could be precisely controlled between 15 and 150nm by varying the crosslinker concentration, and the films demonstrated excellent long-term stability. Protein adsorption from undiluted human blood serum onto the CBHTFs was measured with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Hydrogel thin films greater than 20nm exhibited ultra-low fouling (<5ng/cm(2)). In addition, the CBHTFs were capable of high antibody functionalization for specific biomarker detection without compromising their nonfouling performance. This strategy provides a facile method to modify SPR biosensor chips with an advanced nonfouling material, and can be potentially expanded to a variety of implantable medical devices and diagnostic biosensors. In this work, we developed an approach to realize ultra-low fouling and high ligand loading with a highly-crosslinked, purely zwitterionic, carboxybetaine thin film hydrogel (CBHTF) coating platform. The CBHTF on a hydrophilic surface demonstrated long-term stability. By varying the crosslinker content in the spin-coated hydrogel solution, the thickness of CBHTFs could be precisely controlled. Optimized CBHTFs exhibited ultra-low nonspecific protein adsorption below 5ng/cm(2) measured by a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor, and their 3D architecture allowed antibody loading to reach 693ng/cm(2). This strategy provides a facile method to modify SPR biosensor chips with an advanced nonfouling material, and can be potentially expanded to a variety of implantable medical devices and diagnostic biosensors. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-component spin-coated Ag/CNT composite films based on a silver heterogeneous nucleation mechanism adhesion-enhanced by mechanical interlocking and chemical grafting.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Kang, Zhixin; Bessho, Takeshi

2017-03-10

In this paper, a new method for the synthesis of silver carbon nanotube (Ag/CNT) composite films as conductive connection units for flexible electronic devices is presented. This method is about a two-component solution process by spin coating with an after-treatment annealing process. In this method, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) act as the core of silver heterogeneous nucleation, which can be observed and analyzed by a field-emission scanning electron microscope. With the effects of mechanical interlocking, chemical grafting, and annealing, the interfacial adhesive strength between films and PET sheets was enhanced to 12 N cm -1 . The tensile strength of the Ag/CNT composite films was observed to increase by 38% by adding 5 g l -1 MWCNTs. In the four-probe method, the resistivity of Ag/CNT-5 declined by 78.2% compared with pristine Ag films. The anti-fatigue performance of the Ag/CNT composite films was monitored by cyclic bending deformation and the results revealed that the growth rate of electrical resistance during the deformation was obviously retarded. As for industrial application, this method provides an efficient low-cost way to prepare Ag/CNT composite films and can be further applied to other coating systems.

Effect of the Ti/Si ratio of spin coating solutions on surface passivation of crystalline silicon by TiO x -SiO x composite films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshiba, Shuhei; Tanitsu, Katsuya; Suda, Yoshiyuki; Kamisako, Koichi

2017-06-01

Passivation films or antireflection coatings are generally prepared using costly vacuum or high-temperature processes. Thus, we report the preparation of TiO x -SiO x composite films by novel spin coatable solutions for the synthesis of low-cost passivation coating materials. The desired films were formed by varying the mixing ratios of TiO x and SiO x , and the resulting films exhibited excellent surface passivation properties. For the p-type wafer, an optimal effective surface recombination velocity (S eff) of 93 cm/s was achieved at \\text{TiO}x:\\text{SiO}x = 6:4, while a surface recombination current density (J 0s) of 195 fA/cm2 was obtained. In contrast, for the n-type wafer, an S eff of 27 cm/s and a J 0s of 38 fA/cm2 were achieved at \\text{TiO}x:\\text{SiO}x = 8:2. This excellent surface passivation effect could be attributed to the low interface state density and high positive fixed charge density. Furthermore, the thickness of the interfacial SiO x layer was determined to be important for obtaining the desired surface passivation effect.

Size dependent nonlinear optical properties of spin coated zinc oxide-polystyrene nanocomposite films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeeju, Pullarkat P.; Jayalekshmi, S.; Chandrasekharan, K.; Sudheesh, P.

2012-11-01

Using simple wet chemical method at room temperature, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles embedded in polystyrene (PS) matrix were synthesized. The size of the ZnO nanoparticles could be varied by varying the precursor concentration, reaction time and stirring speed. Transparent films of ZnO/PS nanocomposites of thickness around 1 μm were coated on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates by spin coating. The optical absorptive nonlinearity in ZnO/PS nanocomposite films was investigated using open aperture Z-scan technique with nanosecond laser pulses at 532 nm. The results indicate optical limiting type nonlinearity in the films due to two-photon absorption in ZnO. These films also show a self-defocusing type negative nonlinear refraction in closed aperture Z-scan experiment. The observed nonlinear absorption is strongly dependent on particle size and the normalized transmittance could be reduced to as low as 0.43 by the suitable choice of the ZnO nanoparticle size. These composite films can hence be used as efficient optical limiters for sensor protection. The much-pronounced nonlinear response of these composite films, compared to pure ZnO, combined with the improved stability of ZnO nanoparticles in the PS matrix offer prospects of application of these composite films in the fabrication of stable non-linear optical devices.

Optically enhanced SnO{sub 2}/CdSe core/shell nanostructures grown by sol-gel spin coating method

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

Kumar, Vijay, E-mail: vijaynadda83@gmail.com; Goswami, Y. C.; Rajaram, P.

2015-08-28

Synthesis of SnO{sub 2}/CdSe metal oxide/ chalcogenide nanostructures on glass micro slides using ultrasonic sol-gel process followed by spin coating has been reported. Stannous chloride, cadmium chloride and selenium dioxide compounds were used for Sn, Cd and Se precursors respectively. Ethylene glycol was used as complexing agent. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, AFM and UV-spectrophotometer. All the peaks shown in diffractograms are identified for SnO{sub 2}. Peak broadening observed in core shell due to stress behavior of CdSe lattice. Scanning electron microscope and AFM exhibits the conversion of cluster in to nanorods structures forms. Atomic force microscope showsmore » the structures in nanorods form and a roughness reduced 1.5194 nm by the deposition of CdSe. Uv Visible spectra shows a new absorption edge in the visible region make them useful for optoelectronic applications.« less

Effect of Fe incorporation on the optical behavior of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel derived spin coating techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakkesh, R. Ajay; Malathi, R.; Balakumar, S.

2013-02-01

In this work, Fe doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films were fabricated on the glass substrate by sol-gel derived spin coating technique. X-ray Diffraction studies revealed that the obtained pure and Fe doped ZnO thin films were in the wurtzite and spinel phase respectively. The three well defined Raman lines at 432, 543 and 1091 cm-1 also confirmed the lattice structure of the ZnO thin film has wurtzite symmetry. While doping Fe atoms in the ZnO, there was a significant change in the phase from wurtzite to spinel structure; owing to Fe (III) ions being incorporated into the lattice through substitution of Zn (II) ions. Room temperature PL spectra showed that the role of defect mediated red emissions at 612 nm was due to radial recombination of a photogenerated hole with an electron that belongs to the Fe atoms, which were discussed in detail.

Effects of copolymer composition, film thickness, and solvent vapor annealing time on dewetting of ultrathin block copolymer films.

PubMed

Huang, Changchun; Wen, Gangyao; Li, Jingdan; Wu, Tao; Wang, Lina; Xue, Feifei; Li, Hongfei; Shi, Tongfei

2016-09-15

Effects of copolymer composition, film thickness, and solvent vapor annealing time on dewetting of spin-coated polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) films (<20nm thick) were mainly investigated by atomic force microscopy. Surface chemical analysis of the ultrathin films annealed for different times were performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurement. With the annealing of acetone vapor, dewetting of the films with different thicknesses occur via the spinodal dewetting and the nucleation and growth mechanisms, respectively. The PS-b-PMMA films rupture into droplets which first coalesce into large ones to reduce the surface free energy. Then the large droplets rupture into small ones to increase the contact area between PMMA blocks and acetone molecules resulting from ultimate migration of PMMA blocks to droplet surface, which is a novel dewetting process observed in spin-coated films for the first time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drying temperature effects on electrical and optical properties of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N. E. A.; Affendi, I. H. H.; Shafura, A. K.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2016-07-01

Temperature effects on electrical and optical properties of a representative semiconducting polymer, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV), has recently attracted much attention. The MEH-PPV thin films were deposited at different drying temperature (anneal temperature) using spin-coating technique. The spin coating technique was used to produce uniform film onto large area. The MEH-PPV was dissolved in toluene solution to exhibits different optical and electrical properties. The absorption coefficient and bandgap was measured using UV-Visible-NIR (UV-VIS-NIR). The bandgap of MEH-PPV was effect by the thickness of thin films. For electrical properties, two-point probe was used to characterize the current-voltage measurement. The current-voltage measurement shows that the MEH-PPV thin films become more conductive at high temperature. This study will provide better performance and suitable for optoelectronic device especially OLEDs applications.

Patterning technology for solution-processed organic crystal field-effect transistors

PubMed Central

Li, Yun; Sun, Huabin; Shi, Yi; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito

2014-01-01

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are fundamental building blocks for various state-of-the-art electronic devices. Solution-processed organic crystals are appreciable materials for these applications because they facilitate large-scale, low-cost fabrication of devices with high performance. Patterning organic crystal transistors into well-defined geometric features is necessary to develop these crystals into practical semiconductors. This review provides an update on recentdevelopment in patterning technology for solution-processed organic crystals and their applications in field-effect transistors. Typical demonstrations are discussed and examined. In particular, our latest research progress on the spin-coating technique from mixture solutions is presented as a promising method to efficiently produce large organic semiconducting crystals on various substrates for high-performance OFETs. This solution-based process also has other excellent advantages, such as phase separation for self-assembled interfaces via one-step spin-coating, self-flattening of rough interfaces, and in situ purification that eliminates the impurity influences. Furthermore, recommendations for future perspectives are presented, and key issues for further development are discussed. PMID:27877656

Drying temperature effects on electrical and optical properties of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) thin film

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

Azhar, N. E. A., E-mail: najwaezira@yahoo.com; Affendi, I. H. H., E-mail: irmahidayanti.halim@gmail.com; Shafura, A. K., E-mail: shafura@ymail.com

Temperature effects on electrical and optical properties of a representative semiconducting polymer, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV), has recently attracted much attention. The MEH-PPV thin films were deposited at different drying temperature (anneal temperature) using spin-coating technique. The spin coating technique was used to produce uniform film onto large area. The MEH-PPV was dissolved in toluene solution to exhibits different optical and electrical properties. The absorption coefficient and bandgap was measured using UV-Visible-NIR (UV-VIS-NIR). The bandgap of MEH-PPV was effect by the thickness of thin films. For electrical properties, two-point probe was used to characterize the current-voltage measurement. The current-voltage measurement showsmore » that the MEH-PPV thin films become more conductive at high temperature. This study will provide better performance and suitable for optoelectronic device especially OLEDs applications.« less

Fabrication of ZnO Thin Films by Sol-Gel Spin Coating and Their UV and White-Light Emission Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mirgender; Dubey, Sarvesh; Rajendar, Vanga; Park, Si-Hyun

2017-10-01

ZnO thin films have been fabricated by the sol-gel spin-coating technique and annealed under different conditions, and their ultraviolet (UV) and white-light emission properties investigated. Different ambient conditions including oxygen, nitrogen, zinc-rich nitrogen, and vacuum were used to tune the main properties of the ZnO thin films. The resistivity varied from the conductive to semi-insulating regime, and the luminescence emission from fairly intense UV to polychromatic. The emission intensity was also found to be a function of the annealing conditions. Possible routes to compensate the loss of emission characteristics are discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out to detect the chemical states of the zinc/oxygen species. The changes in the electrical and emission properties are explained based on annihilation/formation of inherent donor/acceptor-type defects. Such ZnO thin films could have potential applications in solid-state lighting.

Comparative study of soft thermal printing and lamination of dry thick photoresist films for the uniform fabrication of polymer MOEMS on small-sized samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abada, S.; Salvi, L.; Courson, R.; Daran, E.; Reig, B.; Doucet, J. B.; Camps, T.; Bardinal, V.

2017-05-01

A method called ‘soft thermal printing’ (STP) was developed to ensure the optimal transfer of 50 µm-thick dry epoxy resist films (DF-1050) on small-sized samples. The aim was the uniform fabrication of high aspect ratio polymer-based MOEMS (micro-optical-electrical-mechanical system) on small and/or fragile samples, such as GaAs. The printing conditions were optimized, and the resulting thickness uniformity profiles were compared to those obtained via lamination and SU-8 standard spin-coating. Under the best conditions tested, STP and lamination produced similar results, with a maximum deviation to the central thickness of 3% along the sample surface, compared to greater than 40% for SU-8 spin-coating. Both methods were successfully applied to the collective fabrication of DF1050-based MOEMS designed for the dynamic focusing of VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers). Similar, efficient electro-thermo-mechanical behaviour was obtained in both cases.

Vapour-Deposited Cesium Lead Iodide Perovskites: Microsecond Charge Carrier Lifetimes and Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Metal halide perovskites such as methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) are highly promising materials for photovoltaics. However, the relationship between the organic nature of the cation and the optoelectronic quality remains debated. In this work, we investigate the optoelectronic properties of fully inorganic vapour-deposited and spin-coated black-phase CsPbI3 thin films. Using the time-resolved microwave conductivity technique, we measure charge carrier mobilities up to 25 cm2/(V s) and impressively long charge carrier lifetimes exceeding 10 μs for vapour-deposited CsPbI3, while the carrier lifetime reaches less than 0.2 μs in the spin-coated samples. Finally, we show that these improved lifetimes result in enhanced device performance with power conversion efficiencies close to 9%. Altogether, these results suggest that the charge carrier mobility and recombination lifetime are mainly dictated by the inorganic framework rather than the organic nature of the cation. PMID:28852710

Anisotropic growth and formation mechanism investigation of 1D ZnO nanorods in spin-coating sol-gel process.

PubMed

Song, Yijian; Zheng, Maojun; Ma, Li; Shen, Wenzhong

2010-01-01

ZnO nanorods are fabricated on glass substrate by spin-coating sol-gel process using non-basic aged solution and annealing. Sample solutions reserved in room temperature for different time (one day, one month, two months and four months) are prepared for the experiment. The morphology study indicates that the aging time has direct influence on the final products. This is verified by the Transmission Electron Microscopy and Photon Correlation Spectroscopy study. Small crystalline nanoparticles would gradually nucleate and aggregate in the sol during the aging process. They act as nucleation site for the secondary crystal growth into nanorods during anneal. Both the size of crystalline particles in the sol and the size of nanorods will grow bigger as the aging time increases. The products' structure and optical property are further studied by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy. This work also helps to further clarify the formation mechanism of ZnO nanorods by solution-based method.

Optical and electrical properties of sol-gel spin coated titanium dioxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Anusuya; Jayakrishnan, A. R.; Kamakshi, K.; Silva, J. P. B.; Sekhar, K. C.; Gomes, M. J. M.

2017-08-01

In this work; TiO2 thin films were deposited on glass and stainless steel substrates by sol-gel spin coating method. The films deposited on glass were annealed at different temperatures (Ta) in the range of 200 to 500 0C and that are deposited on steel substrate were annealed at 800 0C. The optical properties of TiO2 thin films were studied by using UV-VIS spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The transmittance on the average was found to ≥ 80 % and is found to sensitive to Ta. The PL spectra exhibited the strong emission band associated with band- to- band transition around 390 nm and the two weak bands at 480 and 510 nm associated to the oxygen defects and surface defects respectively. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the Al/TiO2/steel capacitors were studied and analysed with application of various current mechanisms. Analysis reveals that the conduction in Al/TiO2/steel capacitors is governed by Poole-Frenkel mechanism.

Sol-gel spin coated well adhered MoO3 thin films as an alternative counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutta, Geeta R.; Popuri, Srinivasa R.; Wilson, John I. B.; Bennett, Nick S.

2016-11-01

In this work, we aim to develop a viable, inexpensive and non-toxic material for counter electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We employed an ultra-simple synthesis process to deposit MoO3 thin films at low temperature by sol-gel spin coating technique. These MoO3 films showed good transparency. It is predicted that there will be 150 times reduction of precursors cost by realizing MoO3 thin films as a counter electrode in DSSCs compared to commercial Pt. We achieved a device efficiency of about 20 times higher than that of the previous reported values. In summary we develop a simple low cost preparation of MoO3 films with an easily scaled up process along with good device efficiency. This work encourages the development of novel and relatively new materials and paves the way for massive reduction of industrial costs which is a prime step for commercialization of DSSCs.

Low-cost growth of magnesium doped gallium nitride thin films by sol-gel spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, N. Mohd; Ng, S. S.

2018-01-01

Low-cost sol-gel spin coating growth of magnesium (Mg) doped gallium nitride (GaN) thin films with different concentrations of Mg was reported. The effects of the Mg concentration on the structural, surface morphology, elemental compositions, lattice vibrational, and electrical properties of the deposited films were investigated. X-ray diffraction results show that the Mg-doped samples have wurtzite structure with preferred orientation of GaN(002). The crystallite size decreases and the surface of the films with pits/pores were formed, while the crystalline quality of the films degraded as the Mg concentration increases from 2% to 6. %. All the Raman active phonon modes of the wurtzite GaN were observed while a broad peak attributed to the Mg-related lattice vibrational mode was detected at 669 cm-1. Hall effect results show that the resistivity of the thin films decreases while the hole concentration and hall mobility of thin films increases as the concentration of the Mg increases.

Solution-processed zinc oxide field-effect transistors based on self-assembly of colloidal nanorods.

PubMed

Sun, Baoquan; Sirringhaus, Henning

2005-12-01

Colloidal zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals are attractive candidates for a low-temperature and solution-processible semiconductor for high-performance thin-film field-effect transistors (TFTs). Here we show that by controlling the shape of the nanocrystals from spheres to rods the semiconducting properties of spin-coated ZnO films can be much improved as a result of increasing particle size and self-alignment of the nanorods along the substrate. Postdeposition hydrothermal growth in an aqueous zinc ion solution has been found to further enhance grain size and connectivity and improve device performance. TFT devices made from 65-nm-long and 10-nm-wide nanorods deposited by spin coating have been fabricated at moderate temperatures of 230 degrees C with mobilities of 0.61 cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) and on/off ratios of 3 x 10(5) after postdeposition growth, which is comparable to the characteristics of TFTs fabricated by traditional sputtering methods.

Long-Wavelength Infrared Sensing by Cytochrome C Protein Thin Film Deposited by the Spin Coating Method

PubMed Central

Lai, Bo-Yu; Chu, Chung-Hao; Su, Guo-Dung John

2013-01-01

High infrared absorption, large temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and small 1/f noise are preferred characteristics for sensing materials used in bolometers. In this paper, we discuss a cytochrome c protein as a potential sensing material for long-wavelength bolometers. We simulated and experimentally proved high infrared absorption of cytochrome c in the wavelength between 8 μm and 14 μm. Cytochrome c thin films were deposited on a hydrophilic surface using the spin coating method. The resistance variation with temperature is measured and we show that the TCR of cytochrome c thin films is consistently higher than 20%. The measured values of 1/f noise were as low as 2.33 × 10−13 V2/Hz at 60 Hz. Finally, we test the reliability of cytochrome c by measuring the resistance changes over time under varying conditions. We found that cytochrome c thin films deteriorated significantly without appropriate packaging. PMID:24264331

Structural Investigation of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskites for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Byeongdu; Lee, Dong Ryeol

2017-09-07

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX 3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting in stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs formed despite the fact that the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C; however, monodispersive NC cubes that are required for densely packing self-assembly film were formed only at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lower temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.

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

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using the small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs were formed despite the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C. However, monodispersive NC cubes which are required for densely packing self-assembly film were only formed at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lowermore » temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus, the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.« less

Effect of the co-spun anode functional layer on the performance of the direct-methane microtubular solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiuxia; Gong, Xun; Yin, Yimei; Yang, Naitao; Tan, Xiaoyao; Ma, Zi-Feng

2014-02-01

NiO-YSZ/porous YSZ (NiO-YSZ/p-YSZ) dual-layer hollow fibers have been fabricated by a co-spinning-sintering method, on which a dense YSZ films has been formed by a dip-coating and sintering process. A LSM-YSZ ink has been dip-coated on the dense YSZ films as cathode, while the Cu-CeO2 carbon-resistant catalyst has been impregnated in the p-YSZ layer to form double-anode supported micro tubular fuel cells (MT-SOFCs). The thickness of the Ni-YSZ layer, so called anode functional layer (AFL), is controlled from 74 μm to 13 μm by varying the spinning rates of the NiO-YSZ dopes. The maximum power density of an MT-SOFC, which is fabricated based on a thin co-spun AFL, reaches 566 mW cm-2 operated at 850 °C fed with dry methane, and is stably operated for 85 h without power declination.

Large magnetoresistance in Fe3O4/molecule nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S.; Yue, F. J.; Lin, L.; Shi, Y. J.; Wu, D.

2010-08-01

In this work, we successfully fabricate Fe3O4 nanoparticles self-assembled with molecules to explore a new approach of studying the molecular spintronics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements indicate that one monolayer molecules chemically bonds to the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the physically absorbed molecules do not exist in the samples. The magnetoresistance (MR) of molecule fully coated ~10 nm size nanoparticles is up to 7.3% at room temperature and 17.5% at 115 K under a field of 5.8 kOe. And the MR ratio is more than two times larger than that of pure Fe3O4 nanoparticles. This enhanced MR is likely arising from weak spin scattering while carriers transport through the molecules. Moreover, a very large low field magnetoresistance is also observed with ~500nm ferromagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with acetic acid molecules. Those features open a door for the development of future spin-based molecular electronics.

Electrical and optical properties of p-type codoped ZnO thin films prepared by spin coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Trilok Kumar; Kumar, Vinod; Swart, H. C.; Purohit, L. P.

2016-03-01

Undoped, doped and codoped ZnO thin films were synthesized on glass substrates using a spin coating technique. Zinc acetate dihydrate, ammonium acetate and aluminum nitrate were used as precursor for zinc, nitrogen and aluminum, respectively. X-ray diffraction shows that the thin films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure for the undoped, doped and co-doped ZnO. The transmittance of the films was above 80% and the band gap of the film varied from 3.20 eV to 3.24 eV for undoped and doped ZnO. An energy band diagram to describe the photoluminescence from the thin films was also constructed. This diagram includes the various defect levels and possible quasi-Fermi levels. A minimum resistivity of 0.0834 Ω-cm was obtained for the N and Al codoped ZnO thin films with p-type carrier conductivity. These ZnO films can be used as a window layer in solar cells and in UV lasers.

Hybrid microfabrication of nanofiber-based sheets and rods for tissue engineering applications.

PubMed

Park, Suk-Hee; Kim, Min Sung; Lee, Dasom; Choi, Yong Whan; Kim, Deok-Ho; Suh, Kahp-Yang

2013-12-01

Electrospun nanofibers have been developed into a variety of forms for tissue engineering scaffolds to regulate the cellular functions guided by nanotopographical cues. Here, we have successfully fabricated nanofiber-based scaffold complexes of rod and sheet type by combining the three microfabrication techniques of electrospinning, spin coating, and polymer melt deposition. It was demonstrated that this hybrid fabrication could produce uniaxially aligned nanofiber scaffolds supported by a thin film, allowing for a mechanically enforced substrate for cell culture as well as facile scaffold manipulation. The results of cell analysis indicated that nanofibers on spin-coated films could provide contact guidance effects on cells and retain them even after manipulation. As an application of the cell-laden nanofiber film, we built a rod-type structure by rolling up the film around a mechanically supporting core microfiber, which was incorporated by polymer melt deposition. A biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, polycaprolactone, was used throughout the processes and thus could be used as a directly implantable substitute in tissue regeneration.

First wall for polarized fusion reactors

DOEpatents

Greenside, H.S.; Budny, R.V.; Post, D.E. Jr.

1985-01-29

A first-wall or first-wall coating for use in a fusion reactor having polarized fuel may be formed of a low-Z non-metallic material having slow spin relaxation, i.e., a depolarization rate greater than 1 sec/sup -1/. Materials having these properties include hydrogenated and deuterated amorphous semiconductors. A method for preventing the rapid depolarization of a polarized plasma in a fusion device may comprise the step of providing a first-wall or first-wall coating formed of a low-Z, non-metallic material having a depolarization rate greater than 1 sec/sup -1/.

Power and Thermal Technologies for Air and Space - Scientific Research Program. Delivery Order 0020: Advanced Conductors and Thermal Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

4.31. Thermal conductivity of CNT/Carbon foam substrate 4.4.3.3 Post-growth Nickel Coating Plating CNTs/carbon foam samples with nickel provides a...will be necessary to conduct large scale synthesis of textured Ca-Co-O on the amorphous- buffered n-type oxide substrate using sol-gel spin- coating and... Conductors and Thermal Science Evan L. Thomas, Qiuhong N. Zhang, Helen Shen, Serhiy N. Leontsev, John P. Murphy, Jack L. Burke, Lyle Brunke, and

Improved Dental Implant Drill Durability and Performance Using Heat and Wear Resistant Protective Coatings.

PubMed

Er, Nilay; Alkan, Alper; Ilday, Serim; Bengu, Erman

2018-06-01

The dental implant drilling procedure is an essential step for implant surgery, and frictional heat in bone during drilling is a key factor affecting the success of an implant. The aim of this study was to increase the dental implant drill lifetime and performance by using heat- and wear-resistant protective coatings to decrease the alveolar bone temperature caused by the dental implant drilling procedure. Commercially obtained stainless steel drills were coated with titanium aluminum nitride, diamond-like carbon, titanium boron nitride, and boron nitride coatings via magnetron-sputter deposition. Drilling was performed on bovine femoral cortical bone under the conditions mimicking clinical practice. Tests were performed under water-assisted cooling and under the conditions when no cooling was applied. Coated drill performances and durabilities were compared with those of three commonly used commercial drills with surfaces made from zirconia, black diamond. and stainless steel. Protective coatings with boron nitride, titanium boron nitride, and diamond-like carbon have significantly improved drill performance and durability. In particular, boron nitride-coated drills have performed within safe bone temperature limits for 50 drillings even when no cooling is applied. Titanium aluminium nitride coated drills did not show any improvement over commercially obtained stainless steel drills. Surface modification using heat- and wear-resistant coatings is an easy and highly effective way to improve implant drill performance and durability, which can improve the surgical procedure and the postsurgical healing period. The noteworthy success of different types of coatings is novel and likely to be applicable to various other medical systems.

Nanostructured hydroxyapatite/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite coating for controlling magnesium degradation in simulated body fluid.

PubMed

Johnson, Ian; Akari, Khalid; Liu, Huinan

2013-09-20

Biodegradable magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have many attractive properties (e.g. comparable mechanical properties to cortical bone) for orthopedic implant applications, but they degrade too rapidly in the human body to meet clinical requirements. Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nHA)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) composite coatings provide synergistic properties for controlling degradation of Mg-based substrates and improving bone-implant integration. In this study, nHA/PLGA composites were spin coated onto Mg-based substrates and the results showed that the nHA/PLGA coatings retained nano-scale features with nHA dispersed in PLGA matrix. In comparison with non-coated Mg, the nHA/PLGA composite coated Mg increased the corrosion potential and decreased the corrosion current in revised simulated body fluid (rSBF). After 24 h of immersion in rSBF, increased calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition and formation of Mg-substituted CaP rosettes were observed on the surface of the nHA/PLGA coated Mg, indicating greater bioactivity. In contrast, no significant CaP was deposited on the PLGA coated Mg. Since both PLGA coating and nHA/PLGA coating showed some degree of delamination from Mg-based substrates during extended immersion in rSBF, the coating processing and properties should be further optimized in order to take full advantage of biodegradable Mg and nHA/PLGA nanocomposites for orthopedic applications.

Nanostructured hydroxyapatite/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite coating for controlling magnesium degradation in simulated body fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Ian; Akari, Khalid; Liu, Huinan

2013-09-01

Biodegradable magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have many attractive properties (e.g. comparable mechanical properties to cortical bone) for orthopedic implant applications, but they degrade too rapidly in the human body to meet clinical requirements. Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nHA)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) composite coatings provide synergistic properties for controlling degradation of Mg-based substrates and improving bone-implant integration. In this study, nHA/PLGA composites were spin coated onto Mg-based substrates and the results showed that the nHA/PLGA coatings retained nano-scale features with nHA dispersed in PLGA matrix. In comparison with non-coated Mg, the nHA/PLGA composite coated Mg increased the corrosion potential and decreased the corrosion current in revised simulated body fluid (rSBF). After 24 h of immersion in rSBF, increased calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition and formation of Mg-substituted CaP rosettes were observed on the surface of the nHA/PLGA coated Mg, indicating greater bioactivity. In contrast, no significant CaP was deposited on the PLGA coated Mg. Since both PLGA coating and nHA/PLGA coating showed some degree of delamination from Mg-based substrates during extended immersion in rSBF, the coating processing and properties should be further optimized in order to take full advantage of biodegradable Mg and nHA/PLGA nanocomposites for orthopedic applications.

Biocorrosion of TiO2 nanoparticle coating of Ti-6Al-4V in DMEM under specific in vitro conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höhn, Sarah; Virtanen, Sannakaisa

2015-02-01

A TiO2 nanoparticle coating was prepared on a biomedical Ti-6Al-4V alloy using "spin-coating" technique with a colloidal suspension of TiO2 nanopowders with the aim to optimize the surface morphology (e.g., roughness) for improved biocompatibility. The influence of a TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) coating on the corrosion behavior, metal ion release, and biomimetic apatite formation was studied in DMEM, at 37.5 °C with a continuous supply of 5% CO2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicate a formation of a new layer on the surface of the NP-coated sample upon 28 days immersion in DMEM. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray spectroscopy confirm that the surface of the NP-coated Ti-6Al-4V shows a complete coverage by a Ca-phosphate layer in contrast to the non-coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Hence, the TiO2-NP coating strongly enhances biomimetic apatite formation on the alloy surface. In addition, the TiO2-NP coating can efficiently reduce Al-release from the alloy, for which the bare Ti-6Al-4V alloy is significant for at least 28 days of immersion in DMEM.

Innovative micro-textured hydroxyapatite and poly(l-lactic)-acid polymer composite film as a flexible, corrosion resistant, biocompatible, and bioactive coating for Mg implants.

PubMed

Kim, Sae-Mi; Kang, Min-Ho; Kim, Hyoun-Ee; Lim, Ho-Kyung; Byun, Soo-Hwan; Lee, Jong-Ho; Lee, Sung-Mi

2017-12-01

The utility of a novel ceramic/polymer-composite coating with a micro-textured microstructure that would significantly enhance the functions of biodegradable Mg implants is demonstrated here. To accomplish this, bioactive hydroxyapatite (HA) micro-dots can be created by immersing a Mg implant with a micro-patterned photoresist surface in an aqueous solution containing calcium and phosphate ions. The HA micro-dots can then be surrounded by a flexible poly(l-lactic)-acid (PLLA) polymer using spin coating to form a HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer. The HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer showed an excellent corrosion resistance when it was immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution and good biocompatibility, which was assessed by in vitro cell tests. In addition, the HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer had high deformation ability, where no apparent changes in the coating layer were observed even after a 5% elongation, which would be unobtainable using HA and PLLA coating layers; furthermore, this allowed the mechanically-strained Mg implant with the HA/PLLA micro-textured coating layer to preserve its excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility in vitro. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calibrating a tensor magnetic gradiometer using spin data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bracken, Robert E.; Smith, David V.; Brown, Philip J.

2005-01-01

Scalar magnetic data are often acquired to discern characteristics of geologic source materials and buried objects. It is evident that a great deal can be done with scalar data, but there are significant advantages to direct measurement of the magnetic gradient tensor in applications with nearby sources, such as unexploded ordnance (UXO). To explore these advantages, we adapted a prototype tensor magnetic gradiometer system (TMGS) and successfully implemented a data-reduction procedure. One of several critical reduction issues is the precise determination of a large group of calibration coefficients for the sensors and sensor array. To resolve these coefficients, we devised a spin calibration method, after similar methods of calibrating space-based magnetometers (Snare, 2001). The spin calibration procedure consists of three parts: (1) collecting data by slowly revolving the sensor array in the Earth?s magnetic field, (2) deriving a comprehensive set of coefficients from the spin data, and (3) applying the coefficients to the survey data. To show that the TMGS functions as a tensor gradiometer, we conducted an experimental survey that verified that the reduction procedure was effective (Bracken and Brown, in press). Therefore, because it was an integral part of the reduction, it can be concluded that the spin calibration was correctly formulated with acceptably small errors.

Ultra-Porous Nanoparticle Networks: A Biomimetic Coating Morphology for Enhanced Cellular Response and Infiltration

PubMed Central

Nasiri, Noushin; Ceramidas, Anthony; Mukherjee, Shayanti; Panneerselvan, Anitha; Nisbet, David R.; Tricoli, Antonio

2016-01-01

Orthopedic treatments are amongst the most common cause of surgery and are responsible for a large share of global healthcare expenditures. Engineering materials that can hasten bone integration will improve the quality of life of millions of patients per year and reduce associated medical costs. Here, we present a novel hierarchical biomimetic coating that mimics the inorganic constituent of mammalian bones with the aim of improving osseointegration of metallic implants. We exploit the thermally-driven self-organization of metastable core-shell nanoparticles during their aerosol self-assembly to rapidly fabricate robust, ultra-porous nanoparticle networks (UNN) of crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAp). Comparative analysis of the response of osteoblast cells to the ultra-porous nanostructured HAp surfaces and to the spin coated HAp surfaces revealed superior osseointegrative properties of the UNN coatings with significant cell and filopodia infiltration. This flexible synthesis approach for the engineering of UNN HAp coatings on titanium implants provides a platform technology to study the bone-implant interface for improved osseointegration and osteoconduction. PMID:27076035

Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of alkali metal vapor interaction with alkene-based anti-relaxation coating

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

Tretiak, O. Yu., E-mail: otretiak@genphys.ru; Balabas, M. V.; Blanchard, J. W.

2016-03-07

The use of anti-relaxation coatings in alkali vapor cells yields substantial performance improvements compared to a bare glass surface by reducing the probability of spin relaxation in wall collisions by several orders of magnitude. Some of the most effective anti-relaxation coating materials are alpha-olefins, which (as in the case of more traditional paraffin coatings) must undergo a curing period after cell manufacturing in order to achieve the desired behavior. Until now, however, it has been unclear what physicochemical processes occur during cell curing, and how they may affect relevant cell properties. We present the results of nondestructive Raman-spectroscopy and magnetic-resonancemore » investigations of the influence of alkali metal vapor (Cs or K) on an alpha-olefin, 1-nonadecene coating the inner surface of a glass cell. It was found that during the curing process, the alkali metal catalyzes migration of the carbon-carbon double bond, yielding a mixture of cis- and trans-2-nonadecene.« less

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

Higgins, G.L.; Bates, C.R.

A new procedure for testing elevated-temperature cathodic disbondment (C.D.) in fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) pipeline coatings appears consistent and reliable. Further, its results question C.D. theories that fail to account for effects at above-ambient temperatures. The work to develop this procedure also included experiments that demonstrated how the relative performance of coating systems - especially FBE line-pipe coatings operated at elevated temperature - could not be predicted from ambient-temperature assessment. Data reported in this third in a series on pipeline-protection technology confirm and expand on these aspects and introduce more recent results on the behavior of FBE coatings subjected to elevated-temperaturemore » C.D. testing.« less

40 CFR 63.804 - Compliance procedures and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the coating in the reservoir, are being used; the viscosity of the coating in the reservoir is being... demonstrate that viscosity is an appropriate parameter for demonstrating compliance. (4) Owners or operators... the coating in the reservoir, using compliant thinners, maintaining a viscosity of the coating in the...

40 CFR 63.804 - Compliance procedures and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the coating in the reservoir, are being used; the viscosity of the coating in the reservoir is being... demonstrate that viscosity is an appropriate parameter for demonstrating compliance. (4) Owners or operators... the coating in the reservoir, using compliant thinners, maintaining a viscosity of the coating in the...

40 CFR 63.804 - Compliance procedures and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the coating in the reservoir, are being used; the viscosity of the coating in the reservoir is being... demonstrate that viscosity is an appropriate parameter for demonstrating compliance. (4) Owners or operators... the coating in the reservoir, using compliant thinners, maintaining a viscosity of the coating in the...

40 CFR 63.785 - Compliance procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... violation. If the owner or operator performs the certification testing, only one of the containers in which... coating by affixing a label to each container of coating in the batch or through another means described... batch of the coating by affixing a label to each container of coating or through another means described...

40 CFR 63.804 - Compliance procedures and monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the coating in the reservoir, are being used; the viscosity of the coating in the reservoir is being... demonstrate that viscosity is an appropriate parameter for demonstrating compliance. (4) Owners or operators... the coating in the reservoir, using compliant thinners, maintaining a viscosity of the coating in the...

Precision Cleaning and Protection of Coated Optical Components for NIF Small Optics

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

Phelps, Jim

The purpose of this procedure shall be to define the precision cleaning of finished, coated, small optical components for NIF at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. The term “small optical components” includes coated optics that are set into simple mounts, as well as coated, un-mounted optics.

Reliability and efficacy of organic passivation for polycrystalline silicon solar cells at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinde, Onkar S.; Funde, Adinath M.; Jadkar, Sandesh R.; Dusane, Rajiv O.; Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Ghaisas, Subhash V.

2016-09-01

Oleylamine is used as a passivating layer instead of commercial high temperature SiNx. Oleylamine coating applied on the n-type emitter side with p-type base polycrystalline silicon solar cells at room temperature using a simple spin coating method. It has been observed that there is 16% increase in efficiency after Oleylamine coating. Further, the solar cell was subjected to standard characterization namely current-voltage measurement for electrical parameters and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to understand the interaction of emitter surface and passivating Oleylamine. However, the passivation layer is not stable due to the reaction between Oleylamine and ambient air content such as humidity and carbon dioxide. This degradation can be prevented with suitable overcoating.

Study of Asorption Kinetics of Surfactants onto Polyethersulfone Membrane Surface Using QCM-D

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The adsorption kinetics of surfactants onto the crystal surface spin-coated with a thin layer of a model membrane material, polyethersulfone was monitored through measurements of frequency and dissipation shifts simultaneously using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) device. In ...

Smooth deuterated cellulose films for the visualisation of adsorbed bio-macromolecules

PubMed Central

Su, Jielong; Raghuwanshi, Vikram S.; Raverty, Warwick; Garvey, Christopher J.; Holden, Peter J.; Gillon, Marie; Holt, Stephen A.; Tabor, Rico; Batchelor, Warren; Garnier, Gil

2016-01-01

Novel thin and smooth deuterated cellulose films were synthesised to visualize adsorbed bio-macromolecules using contrast variation neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements. Incorporation of varying degrees of deuteration into cellulose was achieved by growing Gluconacetobacter xylinus in deuterated glycerol as carbon source dissolved in growth media containing D2O. The derivative of deuterated cellulose was prepared by trimethylsilylation(TMS) in ionic liquid(1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride). The TMS derivative was dissolved in toluene for thin film preparation by spin-coating. The resulting film was regenerated into deuterated cellulose by exposure to acidic vapour. A common enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was adsorbed from solution onto the deuterated cellulose films and visualized by NR. The scattering length density contrast of the deuterated cellulose enabled accurate visualization and quantification of the adsorbed HRP, which would have been impossible to achieve with non-deuterated cellulose. The procedure described enables preparing deuterated cellulose films that allows differentiation of cellulose and non-deuterated bio-macromolecules using NR. PMID:27796332

Epitaxial lift-off of electrodeposited single-crystal gold foils for flexible electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahenderkar, Naveen K.; Chen, Qingzhi; Liu, Ying-Chau; Duchild, Alexander R.; Hofheins, Seth; Chason, Eric; Switzer, Jay A.

2017-03-01

We introduce a simple and inexpensive procedure for epitaxial lift-off of wafer-size flexible and transparent foils of single-crystal gold using silicon as a template. Lateral electrochemical undergrowth of a sacrificial SiOx layer was achieved by photoelectrochemically oxidizing silicon under light irradiation. A 28-nanometer-thick gold foil with a sheet resistance of 7 ohms per square showed only a 4% increase in resistance after 4000 bending cycles. A flexible organic light-emitting diode based on tris(bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) that was spin-coated on a foil exploited the transmittance and flexibility of the gold foil. Cuprous oxide as an inorganic semiconductor that was epitaxially electrodeposited onto the gold foils exhibited a diode quality factor n of 1.6 (where n = 1.0 for an ideal diode), compared with a value of 3.1 for a polycrystalline deposit. Zinc oxide nanowires electrodeposited epitaxially on a gold foil also showed flexibility, with the nanowires intact up to 500 bending cycles.

Functionalized copper(II)-phthalocyanine in solution and as thin film: photochemical and morphological characterization toward applications.

PubMed

Ingrosso, Chiara; Curri, M Lucia; Fini, Paola; Giancane, Gabriele; Agostiano, Angela; Valli, Ludovico

2009-09-01

This article reports on an extensive investigation on a functionalized phthalocyanine, namely, copper(II) tetrakis-(isopropoxy-carbonyl)-phthalocyanine (TIPCuPc). The self-association of the molecules is extensively described in solution in different solvents (DMSO, DMF, CHCl(3), pyridine) by means of UV-vis steady state spectroscopy at the air/water interface by Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and in thin films by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). We investigated the morphology of TIPCuPc as thin film by evaluating different factors: temperature, solvent, concentration, transferring procedure (spin-coating and Langmuir-Schafer technique), and nature of the substrate (mica and quartz). The behavior of the molecules under UV light irradiation and their thermal stability were studied as well. Such a detailed study can allow a suitable processing of this phthalocyanine derivative for future applications. Here the photoelectrochemical activity of the phthalocyanine was investigated when suitably combined as sensitizer with rodlike TiO(2) nanocrystals (NCs) in hybrid junctions integrated in a photoelectrochemical cell.

Control of PbI2 nucleation and crystallization: towards efficient perovskite solar cells based on vapor-assisted solution process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chongqiu; Peng, Yanke; Simon, Terrence; Cui, Tianhong

2018-04-01

Perovskite solar cells (PSC) have outstanding potential to be low-cost, high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. The PSC can be fabricated by numerous techniques; however, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the two-step-processed PSC falls behind that of the one-step method. In this work, we investigate the effects of relative humidity (RH) and dry air flow on the lead iodide (PbI2) solution deposition process. We conclude that the quality of the PbI2 film is critical to the development of the perovskite film and the performance of the PSC device. Low RH and dry air flow used during the PbI2 spin coating procedure can increase supersaturation concentration to form denser PbI2 nuclei and a more suitable PbI2 film. Moreover, airflow-assisted PbI2 drying and thermal annealing steps can smooth transformation from the nucleation stage to the crystallization stage.

[The effect of methyl-containing supplements during pregnancy on the phenotypic modification of offspring hair color in rats].

PubMed

Prasolova, L A; Trut, L N; Os'kina, I N; Gulevich, R G; Pliusnina, I Z; Vsevolodov, E B; Latypov, I F

2006-01-01

The effect of methyl supplements to the diet of pregnant homozygous (AAHH) female rats with agouti coat color mated with homozygous (aahh) males on the phenotypic modification of the coat color of their heterozygous offspring (AaHh) has been studied. Comparative morphological analysis of the main parameters of hair that determine coat color, including the total length of hairs of different types and the length of the upper black (eumelanin) and light (pheomelanin) parts of awn hairs has been performed. The pattern of pigment granule distribution among hair layers has been analyzed. The melanin content of the hair has been determined using electron spin resonance (ESR). Although all offspring have a typical agouti coat color (alternating black and light portions of hair), 39% of them have a darker coat color than control and other experimental rats have. The main differences between the offspring with darkened and standard coat colors are accounted for by the ratio between the eumelanin and pheomelanin portions of awn hairs. In darkened offspring, this ratio is significantly higher than in control rats. The possible mechanisms of the phenotypic modification of agouti coat color in experimental animals are discussed.

Efficient micromagnetic modelling of spin-transfer torque and spin-orbit torque

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abert, Claas; Bruckner, Florian; Vogler, Christoph; Suess, Dieter

2018-05-01

While the spin-diffusion model is considered one of the most complete and accurate tools for the description of spin transport and spin torque, its solution in the context of dynamical micromagnetic simulations is numerically expensive. We propose a procedure to retrieve the free parameters of a simple macro-spin like spin-torque model through the spin-diffusion model. In case of spin-transfer torque the simplified model complies with the model of Slonczewski. A similar model can be established for the description of spin-orbit torque. In both cases the spin-diffusion model enables the retrieval of free model parameters from the geometry and the material parameters of the system. Since these parameters usually have to be determined phenomenologically through experiments, the proposed method combines the strength of the diffusion model to resolve material parameters and geometry with the high performance of simple torque models.

Thermal radiative properties: Coatings.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Touloukian, Y. S.; Dewitt, D. P.; Hernicz, R. S.

1972-01-01

This volume consists, for the most part, of a presentation of numerical data compiled over the years in a most comprehensive manner on coatings for all applications, in particular, thermal control. After a moderately detailed discussion of the theoretical nature of the thermal radiative properties of coatings, together with an overview of predictive procedures and recognized experimental techniques, extensive numerical data on the thermal radiative properties of pigmented, contact, and conversion coatings are presented. These data cover metallic and nonmetallic pigmented coatings, enamels, metallic and nonmetallic contact coatings, antireflection coatings, resin coatings, metallic black coatings, and anodized and oxidized conversion coatings.

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

Spin Diffusion Coefficient of A1-PHASE of Superfluid 3He at Low Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afzali, R.; Pashaee, F.

The spin diffusion coefficient tensor of the A1-phase of superfluid 3He at low temperatures and melting pressure is calculated using the Boltzmann equation approach and Pfitzner procedure. Then considering Bogoliubov-normal interaction, we show that the total spin diffusion is proportional to 1/T2, the spin diffusion coefficient of superfluid component D\\uparrowxzxz is proportional to T-2, and the spin diffusion coefficient of super-fluid component D\\uparrowxxxx (=D\\uarrowxyxy) is independent of temperature. Furthermore, it is seen that superfluid components play an important role in spin diffusion of the A1-phase.

Comparative evaluation of seven commercial products for human serum enrichment/depletion by shotgun proteomics.

PubMed

Pisanu, Salvatore; Biosa, Grazia; Carcangiu, Laura; Uzzau, Sergio; Pagnozzi, Daniela

2018-08-01

Seven commercial products for human serum depletion/enrichment were tested and compared by shotgun proteomics. Methods were based on four different capturing agents: antibodies (Qproteome Albumin/IgG Depletion kit, ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit, Top 2 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns, and Top 12 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns), specific ligands (Albumin/IgG Removal), mixture of antibodies and ligands (Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap), and combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (ProteoMiner beads), respectively. All procedures, to a greater or lesser extent, allowed an increase of identified proteins. ProteoMiner beads provided the highest number of proteins; Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap and ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit resulted the most efficient in albumin removal; Top 2 and Top 12 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns decreased the overall immunoglobulin levels more than other procedures, whereas specifically gamma immunoglobulins were mostly removed by Albumin and IgG Depletion SpinTrap, ProteoPrep Immunoaffinity Albumin and IgG Depletion Kit, and Top 2 Abundant Protein Depletion Spin Columns. Albumin/IgG Removal, a resin bound to a mixture of protein A and Cibacron Blue, behaved less efficiently than the other products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gd-functionalised Au nanoparticles as targeted contrast agents in MRI: relaxivity enhancement by polyelectrolyte coating.

PubMed

Warsi, Muhammad Farooq; Adams, Ralph W; Duckett, Simon B; Chechik, Victor

2010-01-21

Monolayer-protected, Gd(3+)-functionalised gold nanoparticles with enhanced spin-lattice relaxivity (r(1)) were prepared; adsorption of polyelectrolytes on these materials further increased r(1) and ligand exchange with a biotin-derivatised disulfide led to a prototype avidin-targeted contrast agent.

Passivation of pigment particles for thermal control coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sancier, K. M.; Morrison, S. R.; Farley, E. P.

1975-01-01

The preparation of a matrix of 48 samples consisting of pigments and pigmented paints is described. The results obtained from testing these samples by electron spin resonance and by in situ spectral reflectance measurements in space simulation tests are presented. Conclusions and recommendations for further research are given.

Carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coating for carbon/carbon composites: Microstructure and biocompatibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Leilei; Li, Hejun; Li, Kezhi; Zhang, Shouyang; Lu, Jinhua; Li, Wei; Cao, Sheng; Wang, Bin

2013-12-01

To improve the surface biocompatibility of carbon/carbon composites, a carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coating was applied using a combination method of slurry procedure and ultrasound-assisted electrochemical deposition procedure. The morphology, microstructure and chemical composition of the coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The biocompatibility of the carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coating was investigated by osteoblast-like MG63 cell culture tests. The results showed that the carbon foam could provide a large number of pores on the surface of carbon/carbon composites. The hydroxyapatite crystals could infiltrate into the pores and form the carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coating. The coating covered the carbon/carbon composites fully and uniformly with slice morphology. The cell response tests showed that the MG63 cells on carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coating had a better cell adhesion and cell proliferation than those on uncoated carbon/carbon composites. The carbon foam/hydroxyapatite coatings were cytocompatible and were beneficial to improve the biocompatibility. The approach presented here may be exploited for fabrication of carbon/carbon composite implant surfaces.

Super-Hydrophobic/Icephobic Coatings Based on Silica Nanoparticles Modified by Self-Assembled Monolayers.

PubMed

Liu, Junpeng; Janjua, Zaid A; Roe, Martin; Xu, Fang; Turnbull, Barbara; Choi, Kwing-So; Hou, Xianghui

2016-12-02

A super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained from nanocomposite materials based on silica nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers of 1 H ,1 H ,2 H ,2 H -perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) using spin coating and chemical vapor deposition methods. Scanning electron microscope images reveal the porous structure of the silica nanoparticles, which can trap small-scale air pockets. An average water contact angle of 163° and bouncing off of incoming water droplets suggest that a super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained based on the silica nanoparticles and POTS coating. The monitored water droplet icing test results show that icing is significantly delayed by silica-based nano-coatings compared with bare substrates and commercial icephobic products. Ice adhesion test results show that the ice adhesion strength is reduced remarkably by silica-based nano-coatings. The bouncing phenomenon of water droplets, the icing delay performance and the lower ice adhesion strength suggest that the super-hydrophobic coatings based on a combination of silica and POTS also show icephobicity. An erosion test rig based on pressurized pneumatic water impinging impact was used to evaluate the durability of the super-hydrophobic/icephobic coatings. The results show that durable coatings have been obtained, although improvement will be needed in future work aiming for applications in aerospace.

Effect of the Fabrication Parameters of the Nanosphere Lithography Method on the Properties of the Deposited Au-Ag Nanoparticle Arrays

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Chen, Chaoyang; Yang, Guangsong; Chen, Yushan; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2017-01-01

The nanosphere lithography (NSL) method can be developed to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays for the generation of localized surface plasmon resonance. Previously, we have found that the parameters used to form the NSL masks and the physical methods required to deposit the Au-Ag thin films had large effects on the geometry properties of the nanoparticle arrays. Considering this, the different parameters used to grow the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays were investigated. A single-layer NSL mask was formed by using self-assembly nano-scale polystyrene (PS) nanospheres with an average radius of 265 nm. At first, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 6 wt %. Two coating methods, drop-coating and spin-coating, were used to coat the nano-scale PS nanospheres as a single-layer NSL mask. From the observations of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), we found that the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks fabricated by using the drop-coating method were more uniform and exhibited a smaller gap than those fabricated by the spin-coating method. Next, the drop-coating method was used to form the single-layer NSL mask and the concentration of nano-scale PS nanospheres in a solution that was changed from 4 to 10 wt %, for further study. The SEM images showed that when the concentrations of PS nanospheres in the solution were 6 and 8 wt %, the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks were more uniform than those of 4 and 10 wt %. The effects of the one-side lifting angle of substrates and the vaporization temperature for the solvent of one-layer self-assembly PS nanosphere thin films, were also investigated. Finally, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 8 wt % to form the PS nanosphere masks by the drop-coating method. Three different physical deposition methods, including thermal evaporation, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and e-gun deposition, were used to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal periodic nanoparticle arrays. The SEM images showed that as the single-layer PS nanosphere mask was well controlled, the thermal evaporation could deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays with a higher quality than the other two methods. PMID:28772741

Effect of the Fabrication Parameters of the Nanosphere Lithography Method on the Properties of the Deposited Au-Ag Nanoparticle Arrays.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Chen, Chaoyang; Yang, Guangsong; Chen, Yushan; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2017-04-03

The nanosphere lithography (NSL) method can be developed to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays for the generation of localized surface plasmon resonance. Previously, we have found that the parameters used to form the NSL masks and the physical methods required to deposit the Au-Ag thin films had large effects on the geometry properties of the nanoparticle arrays. Considering this, the different parameters used to grow the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays were investigated. A single-layer NSL mask was formed by using self-assembly nano-scale polystyrene (PS) nanospheres with an average radius of 265 nm. At first, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 6 wt %. Two coating methods, drop-coating and spin-coating, were used to coat the nano-scale PS nanospheres as a single-layer NSL mask. From the observations of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), we found that the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks fabricated by using the drop-coating method were more uniform and exhibited a smaller gap than those fabricated by the spin-coating method. Next, the drop-coating method was used to form the single-layer NSL mask and the concentration of nano-scale PS nanospheres in a solution that was changed from 4 to 10 wt %, for further study. The SEM images showed that when the concentrations of PS nanospheres in the solution were 6 and 8 wt %, the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks were more uniform than those of 4 and 10 wt %. The effects of the one-side lifting angle of substrates and the vaporization temperature for the solvent of one-layer self-assembly PS nanosphere thin films, were also investigated. Finally, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 8 wt % to form the PS nanosphere masks by the drop-coating method. Three different physical deposition methods, including thermal evaporation, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and e-gun deposition, were used to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal periodic nanoparticle arrays. The SEM images showed that as the single-layer PS nanosphere mask was well controlled, the thermal evaporation could deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays with a higher quality than the other two methods.

Ultrafast spin exchange-coupling torque via photo-excited charge-transfer processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, X.; Fang, F.; Li, Q.; Zhu, J.; Yang, Y.; Wu, Y. Z.; Zhao, H. B.; Lüpke, G.

2015-10-01

Optical control of spin is of central importance in the research of ultrafast spintronic devices utilizing spin dynamics at short time scales. Recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast demagnetization, spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques open new pathways to manipulate spin through its interaction with photon, orbit, charge or phonon. However, these processes are limited by either the long thermal recovery time or the low-temperature requirement. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrafast coherent spin precession via optical charge-transfer processes in the exchange-coupled Fe/CoO system at room temperature. The efficiency of spin precession excitation is significantly higher and the recovery time of the exchange-coupling torque is much shorter than for the demagnetization procedure, which is desirable for fast switching. The exchange coupling is a key issue in spin valves and tunnelling junctions, and hence our findings will help promote the development of exchange-coupled device concepts for ultrafast coherent spin manipulation.

Sub-nanometer Atomic Layer Deposition for Spintronics in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Based on Graphene Spin-Filtering Membranes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

We report on the successful integration of low-cost, conformal, and versatile atomic layer deposited (ALD) dielectric in Ni–Al2O3–Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) where the Ni is coated with a spin-filtering graphene membrane. The ALD tunnel barriers, as thin as 0.6 nm, are grown layer-by-layer in a simple, low-vacuum, ozone-based process, which yields high-quality electron-transport barriers as revealed by tunneling characterization. Even under these relaxed conditions, including air exposure of the interfaces, a significant tunnel magnetoresistance is measured highlighting the robustness of the process. The spin-filtering effect of graphene is enhanced, leading to an almost fully inversed spin polarization for the Ni electrode of −42%. This unlocks the potential of ALD for spintronics with conformal, layer-by-layer control of tunnel barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions toward low-cost fabrication and down-scaling of tunnel resistances. PMID:24988469

Magnetization switching in ferromagnets by adsorbed chiral molecules without current or external magnetic field.

PubMed

Ben Dor, Oren; Yochelis, Shira; Radko, Anna; Vankayala, Kiran; Capua, Eyal; Capua, Amir; Yang, See-Hun; Baczewski, Lech Tomasz; Parkin, Stuart Stephen Papworth; Naaman, Ron; Paltiel, Yossi

2017-02-23

Ferromagnets are commonly magnetized by either external magnetic fields or spin polarized currents. The manipulation of magnetization by spin-current occurs through the spin-transfer-torque effect, which is applied, for example, in modern magnetoresistive random access memory. However, the current density required for the spin-transfer torque is of the order of 1 × 10 6  A·cm -2 , or about 1 × 10 25 electrons s -1 cm -2 . This relatively high current density significantly affects the devices' structure and performance. Here we demonstrate magnetization switching of ferromagnetic thin layers that is induced solely by adsorption of chiral molecules. In this case, about 10 13 electrons per cm 2 are sufficient to induce magnetization reversal. The direction of the magnetization depends on the handedness of the adsorbed chiral molecules. Local magnetization switching is achieved by adsorbing a chiral self-assembled molecular monolayer on a gold-coated ferromagnetic layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. These results present a simple low-power magnetization mechanism when operating at ambient conditions.

Magnetization switching in ferromagnets by adsorbed chiral molecules without current or external magnetic field

PubMed Central

Ben Dor, Oren; Yochelis, Shira; Radko, Anna; Vankayala, Kiran; Capua, Eyal; Capua, Amir; Yang, See-Hun; Baczewski, Lech Tomasz; Parkin, Stuart Stephen Papworth; Naaman, Ron; Paltiel, Yossi

2017-01-01

Ferromagnets are commonly magnetized by either external magnetic fields or spin polarized currents. The manipulation of magnetization by spin-current occurs through the spin-transfer-torque effect, which is applied, for example, in modern magnetoresistive random access memory. However, the current density required for the spin-transfer torque is of the order of 1 × 106 A·cm−2, or about 1 × 1025 electrons s−1 cm−2. This relatively high current density significantly affects the devices' structure and performance. Here we demonstrate magnetization switching of ferromagnetic thin layers that is induced solely by adsorption of chiral molecules. In this case, about 1013 electrons per cm2 are sufficient to induce magnetization reversal. The direction of the magnetization depends on the handedness of the adsorbed chiral molecules. Local magnetization switching is achieved by adsorbing a chiral self-assembled molecular monolayer on a gold-coated ferromagnetic layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. These results present a simple low-power magnetization mechanism when operating at ambient conditions. PMID:28230054

Development of analytical procedures for the determination of hexavalent chromium in corrosion prevention coatings used in the automotive industry.

PubMed

Séby, F; Castetbon, A; Ortega, R; Guimon, C; Niveau, F; Barrois-Oudin, N; Garraud, H; Donard, O F X

2008-05-01

The European directive 2000/53/EC limits the use of Cr(VI) in vehicle manufacturing. Although a maximum of 2 g of Cr(VI) was authorised per vehicle for corrosion prevention coatings of key components, since July 2007 its use has been prohibited except for some particular applications. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop direct analytical procedures for Cr(VI) determination in the different steel coatings used for screws. Instead of working directly with screws, the optimisation of the procedures was carried out with metallic plates homogeneously coated to improve the data comparability. Extraction of Cr(VI) from the metallic parts was performed by sonication. Two extraction solutions were tested: a direct water extraction solution used in standard protocols and an ammonium/ammonia buffer solution at pH 8.9. The extracts were further analysed for Cr speciation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry or HPLC ICP mass spectrometry depending on the concentration level. When possible, the coatings were also directly analysed by solid speciation techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure, XANES) for validation of the results. Very good results between the different analytical approaches were obtained for the sample of coating made up of a heated paint containing Zn, Al and Cr when using the extracting buffer solution at pH 8.9. After a repeated four-step extraction procedure on the same portion test, taking into account the depth of the surface layer reached, good agreement with XPS and XANES results was obtained. In contrast, for the coatings composed of an alkaline Zn layer where Cr(VI) and Cr(III) are deposited, only the extraction procedure using water allowed the detection of Cr(VI). To elucidate the Cr(VI) reduction during extraction at pH 8.9, the reactivity of Cr(VI) towards different species of Zn generally present in the coatings (metallic Zn and zinc oxide) was studied. The results showed that metallic Zn rapidly reduces Cr(VI), whereas this reaction is less evident in the presence of zinc oxide. Water was then retained for coatings containing metallic Zn.

Experimental investigation of spin-orbit coupling in n-type PbTe quantum wells

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

Peres, M. L.; Monteiro, H. S.; Castro, S. de

2014-03-07

The spin-orbit coupling is studied experimentally in two PbTe quantum wells by means of weak antilocalization effect. Using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model through a computational global optimization procedure, we extracted the spin-orbit and inelastic scattering times and estimated the strength of the zero field spin-splitting energy Δ{sub so}. The values of Δ{sub so} are linearly dependent on the Fermi wave vector (k{sub F}) confirming theoretical predictions of the existence of large spin-orbit coupling in IV-VI quantum wells originated from pure Rashba effect.

Tunable electro-optic filter stack

DOEpatents

Fontecchio, Adam K.; Shriyan, Sameet K.; Bellingham, Alyssa

2017-09-05

A holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) tunable filter exhibits switching times of no more than 20 microseconds. The HPDLC tunable filter can be utilized in a variety of applications. An HPDLC tunable filter stack can be utilized in a hyperspectral imaging system capable of spectrally multiplexing hyperspectral imaging data acquired while the hyperspectral imaging system is airborne. HPDLC tunable filter stacks can be utilized in high speed switchable optical shielding systems, for example as a coating for a visor or an aircraft canopy. These HPDLC tunable filter stacks can be fabricated using a spin coating apparatus and associated fabrication methods.

Plasma-sprayed self-lubricating coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, H. H.; Logan, W. R.; Harada, Y.

1982-01-01

One of the most important criterion for acceptable commercial application of a multiple phase composition is uniformity and reproducibility. This means that the performance characteristics of the coat - e.g., its lubricating properties, bond strength to the substrate, and thermal properties - can be readily predicted to give a desired performance. The improvement of uniformity and reproducibility of the coats, the oxidation behavior at three temperature ranges, the effect of bond coat and the effect of preheat treatment as measured by adhesive strength tests, coating examination procedures, and physical property measurements were studied. The following modifications improved the uniformity and reproducibility: (1) changes and closer control in the particle size range of the raw materials used, (2) increasing the binder content from 3.2% to 4.1% (dried weight), and (3) analytical processing procedures using step by step checking to assure consistency.

Growth of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite on Stainless Steel Substrate Layered by ZnO Nanoparticles Using One-Step Spin Coating Route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuad, A.; Fibriyanti, A. A.; Mufti, N.; Taufiq, A.; Maryam, S.; Hidayat, N.

2018-04-01

In this work, we report the preparation of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite using one-step spin coating route for solar cell application. CH3NH3I• PbI2•DMF•DMSO complexes were coated on stainless steel as a subtrate layered by ZnO nanoparticles as an electron transport layer. To obtain samples with a special performance, we annealed the samples at a temperature of 100, 120, and 140°C for 10 minutes. The samples were then characterized by means of XRD, SEM/EDX, and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. The analysis of XRD data presented that the CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites were successfully prepared and crystallized in tetragonal structure confirming from crystalline planes (110) and (220). Meanwhile, the particle size of the samples prepared at a temperature of 100, 120, and 140°C presented 42.96, 54.73, and 55.19 nm, respectively with coincide with the SEM images. The results indicated that the increase in temperature during synthesis influenced the particle growth. Furthermore, the characterization using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry exhibited that the CH3NH3PbI3 successfully layered on the substrate sizing nano metric scale that open high opportunity to be applied to solar cells with high performance.

Humidity sensitive polymers In solution processed adjustable pore-volume Cu(In,Ga)S2 photocathodes for solar hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chuan; Luo, Wenjun; Wen, Xin; Guan, Zhongjie; Zou, Zhigang

2017-11-01

P-type Cu(In,Ga)S2 semiconductors are promising candidates to be used as photocathodes for solar water splitting. Porous structures have been widely used to improve the performances of photoelectrodes due to good minority carrier transport. However, a porous photoelectrode has longer transport distance of majority carriers, which limits its performance. Controlling pore volume of a photoelectrode can balance minority and majority carrier transport and improve the performance. Here, a porous Cu(In,Ga)S2 film is prepared by facile spin-coating method. The pore volume of Cu(In,Ga)S2 film is controlled by adjusting relative humidity (RH) of air during spin-coating process. Further studies suggest that polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) in precursor solution is a humidity sensitive polymer and plays a key role to form different pore volume. The 40% RH sample has the best performance due to its optimum pore volume. After further coated with CdS surface passivation layer and Pt electrocatalyst on the surface, a 40% RH Cu(In,Ga)S2 photocathode indicates a photocurrent density of 8.6 mA cm-2 at 0 V RHE, which is one of the highest photocurrents of Cu(In,Ga)S2 photocathodes. This new strategy for adjusting pore volume is also suitable to prepare other solution-processed inorganic materials.

Development of a highly transparent superamphiphobic plastic sheet by nanoparticle and chemical coating.

PubMed

Wong, Ten It; Wang, Hao; Wang, Fuke; Sin, Sau Leng; Quan, Cheng Gen; Wang, Shi Jie; Zhou, Xiaodong

2016-04-01

A highly transparent superamphiphobic plastic sheet was developed. The plastic sheet polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was spin-coated on a glass substrate. Synthesized silica nanoparticles were sprayed on PMMA, followed by fluorosilane drop-coating. The results of contact angle measurements show that the developed PMMA sheet has superamphiphobic properties with high advancing contact angles for water (154°), toluene (139°), and silicone oil (132.9°). The amphiphobicity of the plastic sheet can be tuned by the surface coverage of the silica nanoparticles distributed on the PMMA surface. The surface coverage of the nanoparticles on our PMMA sheet is about 20%, and it agrees with our contact angle calculations for the sheet with and without nanoparticles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Novel Method of Coating Orthodontic Archwires with Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Syed, Shibli S; Kulkarni, Dinraj; Todkar, Rohit; Bagul, Ravikiran S; Parekh, Kreena; Bhujbal, Nikita

2015-01-01

Background: The major hazard to the orthodontic tooth movement is the friction developing at the bracket wire interface. In the past, there have been various attempts to reduce this friction. We believe that coating the commercially available orthodontic wires with nanoparticles can result in a successful reduction of this friction. The objective of this study is to develop a novel method of coating orthodontic archwires with nanoparticles. Materials and Methods: Stainless steel (Ormco, CA, USA), titanium molybdenum alloy (Ormco, CA, USA) and nickel-titanium (G and H Wire Company, USA) orthodontic wires with a rectangular cross-section dimension of 0.019”× 0.025”, were selected. The wires were later coated with a uniform and smooth nanoparticle film using 100 ml nanocremics. The coating procedure described in this article is a sol-gel thin film dip coating method. Results: The coating procedure was verified by comparing the surface topography of nanocoated archwires with the commercially available archwires in an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The ESEM images prove that the surface topography of the coated wires was found to be smoother with less surface deteriorations as compared to the commercially available wires. Conclusion: Commercially available orthodontic wires can be successfully coated using a novel method of sol-gel thin film dip coating method. PMID:26028899

Vertically-tapered optical waveguide and optical spot transformer formed therefrom

DOEpatents

Bakke, Thor; Sullivan, Charles T.

2004-07-27

An optical waveguide is disclosed in which a section of the waveguide core is vertically tapered during formation by spin coating by controlling the width of an underlying mesa structure. The optical waveguide can be formed from spin-coatable materials such as polymers, sol-gels and spin-on glasses. The vertically-tapered waveguide section can be used to provide a vertical expansion of an optical mode of light within the optical waveguide. A laterally-tapered section can be added adjacent to the vertically-tapered section to provide for a lateral expansion of the optical mode, thereby forming an optical spot-size transformer for efficient coupling of light between the optical waveguide and a single-mode optical fiber. Such a spot-size transformer can also be added to a III-V semiconductor device by post processing.

Quality control of the tribological coating PS212

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sliney, Harold E.; Dellacorte, Christopher; Deadmore, Daniel L.

1989-01-01

PS212 is a self-lubricating, composite coating that is applied by the plasma spray process. It is a functional lubricating coating from 25 C (or lower) to 900 C. The coating is prepared from a blend of three different powders with very dissimilar properties. Therefore, the final chemical composition and lubricating effectiveness of the coatings are very sensitive to the process variables used in their preparation. Defined here are the relevant variables. The process and analytical procedures that will result in satisfactory tribological coatings are discussed.

Applications of remanent supermirror polarizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böni, P.; Clemens, D.; Kumar, M. Senthil; Pappas, C.

1999-06-01

Recent developments in sputtering techniques allow the fabrication of multilayers with a high degree of perfection over large areas. We show, that using reactive sputtering, it is possible to adjust the index of refraction for neutrons, ni, of the individual layers. This property is particularly important for polarizing mirrors, where nnm for the non-magnetic layers can be matched to nm of the magnetic layers such that neutrons for one spin-eigenstate are not reflected by the coating, whereas the reflectivity is high for the other spin-eigenstate. In addition, by using anisotropic sputtering conditions it is possible to orient the easy axis of magnetization within the plane of the mirrors in any particular direction resulting in a simultaneous appearance of a pronounced remanence and coercivity. Remanent polarizers can be used as broad band spin selectors at continuous and in particular at pulsed neutron sources thus eliminating the need of spin flippers, whose performance depends on the wavelength of the neutrons and is often strongly influenced by stray magnetic fields from the sample environment. The possibility to operate remanent supermirrors in arbitrary small fields leads to attractive applications of polarizing devices in low field environments such as they occur in neutron-spin-echo or in spin selective neutron guides. We present applications, where several tasks like polarizing, focusing and spin selection are performed in one single device thus reducing the problem of phase space matching between different neutron optical components.

Scaled up Fabrication of High-Throughout SWNT Nanoelectronics and Nanosensor Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-20

copolymer, polystyrene-block-ferrocenylethylmethylsilane (PS-b- PFEMS ) as the polymer-based catalyst for optimized SWNT growth. Spin coating a dilute...solution of 1 wt % PS-b- PFEMS in toluene provides uniform ~ 100nm thick films of the catalyst. In order to get well-separated individual SWNT or SWNT rope

Gas Sensor Test Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M.; Ryan, M.

1995-01-01

A new test chip is being developed to characterize conducting polymers used in gas sensors. The chip, a seven-layer cofired alumina substrate with gold electrodes, contains 11 comb and U- bend test structures. These structures are designed to measure the sheet resistance, conduction anisotropy, and peripheral conduction of spin-coated films that are not subsequently patterned.

Influence of Ga doping ratio on the saturable absorption mechanism in Ga doped ZnO thin solid films processed by sol-gel spin coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandeep, K. M.; Bhat, Shreesha; Dharmaprakash, S. M.; Byrappa, K.

2017-03-01

In the present study, the nonlinear optical properties of sol-gel spin coated gallium doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin solid films are explored with nanosecond laser pulses using the z-scan technique. The higher doping ratios of Ga result in a large redshift of the energy gap (0.38 eV) due to the existence of enhanced grain boundary defects in GZO films. A positive nonlinear absorption coefficient is observed in undoped 1 at.wt.% GZO and 2 at.wt.% GZO films, and a negative nonlinear absorption coefficient in 3 at.wt.% GZO film. Fewer defects in undoped 1% GZO and 2% GZO films resulted in reverse saturable absorption (RSA), whereas a saturable absorption (SA) mechanism is observed in 3% GZO films and is attributed to the enhanced defect concentration in the band structure of GZO. However, all the films showed a self-defocusing mechanism, derived by a closed aperture z-scan technique. The present work sheds light on the defect mechanism involved in the observed nonlinear properties of GZO films.

Simple color tuning of phosphorescent dendrimer light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namdas, Ebinazar B.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Samuel, Ifor D. W.; Frampton, Michael J.; Lo, Shih-Chun; Burn, Paul L.

2005-04-01

A simple way of tuning the emission color in solution processed phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes is demonstrated. For each color a single emissive spin-coated layer consisting of a blend of three materials, a fac-tris(2-phenylpyridyl)iridium (III) cored dendrimer (Ir-G1) as the green emitter, a heteroleptic [bis(2-phenylpyridyl)-2-(2'-benzo[4,5-α]thienyl)pyridyl]iridium (III) cored dendrimer [Ir(ppy)2btp] as the red emitter, and 4,4'-bis(N-carbazolyl) biphenyl (CBP) as the host was employed. By adjusting the relative amount of green and red dendrimers in the blends, the color of the light emission was tuned from green to red. High efficiency two layer devices were achieved by evaporating a layer of electron transporting 1,3,5-tris(2-N-phenylbenzimidazolyl)benzene (TPBI) on top of the spin-coated emissive layer. A brightness of 100cd/m2 was achieved at drive voltages in the range 5.3-7.3 V. The peak external efficiencies at this brightness ranged from 31cd/A(18lm/W) to 7cd/A(4lm/W).

Influence Al doped ZnO nanostructure on structural and optical properties

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

Ramelan, Ari Handono, E-mail: aramelan@mipa.uns.ac.id; Wahyuningsih, Sayekti; Chasanah, Uswatul

2016-04-19

The preparation of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films prepared by the spin-coating method was reported. Preparation of AZO was conducted by annealing treatment at a temperature of 700°C. While the spin-coating process of AZO thin films were done at 2000 and 3000 rpm respectively. The structural properties of ZnO were determined by X- ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. ZnOnanostructure was formed after annealed at atemperature of 400°C.The morphology of ZnO was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the irregular morphology about 30-50µm in size. Al doped on ZnO influenced the optical properties of those material. Increasing Al contain on ZnO causemore » of shifting to the lower wavelength. The optical properties of the ZnO as well as AZO films showed that higher reflectance on the ultraviolet region so those materials were used as anti-reflecting agent.Al addition significantly enhance the optical transparency and induce the blue-shift in optical bandgap of ZnO films.« less

Electrical, optical and structural properties of transparent conducting Al doped ZnO (AZO) deposited by sol-gel spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonny, Kaniz Naila; Rafique, Rosaleena; Sharmin, Afrina; Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar; Mahmood, Zahid Hasan

2018-06-01

Al doped ZnO (AZO) films are fabricated by using sol-gel spin coating method and changes in electrical, optical and structural properties due to variation in film thickness is studied. AZO films provide c-axis orientation along the (002) plane and peak sharpness increased with film thickness is evident from XRD analysis. Conductivity (σ) of AZO films has increased from 2.34 (Siemens/cm) to 20156.27 (Siemens/cm) whereas sheet resistance (Rsh) decreases from 606300 (ohms/sq.) to 2.08 (ohm/sq.) with increase of film thickness from 296 nm to 1030 nm. Optical transmittance (T%) of AZO films is decreased from around 82% to 62% in the visible region. And grain size (D) of AZO thin films has been found to increase from 19.59 nm to 25.25 nm with increase of film thickness. Figure of Merit is also calculated for prepared sample of AZO. Among these four sample of AZO thin films, L-15 sample (having thickness in 895 nm) has provided highest figure of merit which is 5.49*10^-4 (Ω-1).

Improving Efficiency of Multicrystalline Silicon and CIGS Solar Cells by Incorporating Metal Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Jeng, Ming-Jer; Chen, Zih-Yang; Xiao, Yu-Ling; Chang, Liann-Be; Ao, Jianping; Sun, Yun; Popko, Ewa; Jacak, Witold; Chow, Lee

2015-10-08

This work studies the use of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) and copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cells. Au and Ag nanoparticles are deposited by spin-coating method, which is a simple and low cost process. The random distribution of nanoparticles by spin coating broadens the resonance wavelength of the transmittance. This broadening favors solar cell applications. Metal shadowing competes with light scattering in a manner that varies with nanoparticle concentration. Experimental results reveal that the mc-Si solar cells that incorporate Au nanoparticles outperform those with Ag nanoparticles. The incorporation of suitable concentration of Au and Ag nanoparticles into mc-Si solar cells increases their efficiency enhancement by 5.6% and 4.8%, respectively. Incorporating Au and Ag nanoparticles into CIGS solar cells improve their efficiency enhancement by 1.2% and 1.4%, respectively. The enhancement of the photocurrent in mc-Si solar cells is lower than that in CIGS solar cells, owing to their different light scattering behaviors and material absorption coefficients.

Improving Efficiency of Multicrystalline Silicon and CIGS Solar Cells by Incorporating Metal Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Jeng, Ming-Jer; Chen, Zih-Yang; Xiao, Yu-Ling; Chang, Liann-Be; Ao, Jianping; Sun, Yun; Popko, Ewa; Jacak, Witold; Chow, Lee

2015-01-01

This work studies the use of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) and copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cells. Au and Ag nanoparticles are deposited by spin-coating method, which is a simple and low cost process. The random distribution of nanoparticles by spin coating broadens the resonance wavelength of the transmittance. This broadening favors solar cell applications. Metal shadowing competes with light scattering in a manner that varies with nanoparticle concentration. Experimental results reveal that the mc-Si solar cells that incorporate Au nanoparticles outperform those with Ag nanoparticles. The incorporation of suitable concentration of Au and Ag nanoparticles into mc-Si solar cells increases their efficiency enhancement by 5.6% and 4.8%, respectively. Incorporating Au and Ag nanoparticles into CIGS solar cells improve their efficiency enhancement by 1.2% and 1.4%, respectively. The enhancement of the photocurrent in mc-Si solar cells is lower than that in CIGS solar cells, owing to their different light scattering behaviors and material absorption coefficients. PMID:28793599

Solution-processed zinc oxide nanoparticles/single-walled carbon nanotubes hybrid thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fangmei; Sun, Jia; Qian, Chuan; Hu, Xiaotao; Wu, Han; Huang, Yulan; Yang, Junliang

2016-09-01

Solution-processed thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the essential building blocks for manufacturing the low-cost and large-area consumptive electronics. Herein, solution-processed TFTs based on the composites of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were fabricated by the methods of spin-coating and doctor-blading. Through controlling the weight of SWCNTs, the ZnO/SWCNTs TFTs fabricated by spin-coating demonstrated a field-effect mobility of 4.7 cm2/Vs and a low threshold voltage of 0.8 V, while the TFTs devices fabricated by doctor-blading technique showed reasonable electrical performance with a mobility of 0.22 cm2/Vs. Furthermore, the ion-gel was used as an efficient electrochemical gate dielectric because of its large electric double-layer capacitance. The operating voltage of all the TFTs devices is as low as 4.0 V. The research suggests that ZnO/SWCNTs TFTs have the potential applications in low-cost, large-area and flexible consumptive electronics, such as chemical-biological sensors and smart label.

Ferromagnetism in spin-coated cobalt-doped TiO2 thin films and the role of crystalline phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar Cuaila, J. L.; Alayo, W.; Avellaneda, César O.

2017-11-01

Two sets of Cobalt-doped (1-10% at) TiO2 thin films, for different molar concentrations of the Ti precursor (0.3 and 0.5 mol/L), have been deposited onto Si substrates by combining the Sol Gel process and the Spin Coating technique. The structure of the samples was studied by X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and their magnetic properties were analyzed by magnetization measurements as a function of the applied magnetic field. The XRR results provided the thickness and interfacial roughness of the films, while XRD patterns revealed the crystalline phases and lattice parameters. Room temperature ferromagnetic behaviour was observed for some of the atomic Co concentrations by the magnetization measurements. This behaviour has been correlated to the crystalline phases, which were found to be modified by both the molar ratio of Ti precursor and the concentration of the Co dopant. A suppression of ferromagnetism is observed for some atomic Co fractions and it was attributed to the presence of secondary crystalline phases.

Impact on electronic structure of donor/acceptor blend in organic photovoltaics by decontamination of molybdenum-oxide surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Yuta; Akaike, Kouki; Fukuda, Takeshi; Sato, Daisuke; Fuse, Takuya; Iwahashi, Takashi; Ouchi, Yukio; Kanai, Kaname

2018-05-01

Molybdenum oxide (MoOx) is widely used as the hole-transport layer in bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaics (BHJ-OPVs). During the fabrication of solution-processed BHJ-OPVs on vacuum-deposited MoOx film, the film must be exposed to N2 atmosphere in a glove box, where the donor/acceptor blends are spin-coated from a mixed solution. Employing photoelectron spectroscopy, we reveal that the exposure of the MoOx film to such atmosphere contaminates the MoOx surface. Annealing the contaminated MoOx film at 160 °C for 5 min, prior to spin-coating the blend film, can partially remove the carbon and oxygen adsorbed on the MoOx surface during the exposure of MoOx. However, the contamination layer on the MoOx surface does not affect the energy-level alignment at the interface between MoOx and the donor/acceptor blend. Hence, significant improvement in the performance of BHJ-OPVs by mildly annealing the MoOx layer, which was previously reported, can be explained by the reduction of undesired contamination.

Manipulation of ZnO composition affecting electrical properties of MEH-PPV: ZnO nanocomposite thin film via spin coating for OLEDs application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N. E. A.; Shariffudin, S. S.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Recent investigations of the promising materials for optoelectronic have been demonstrated by introducing n-type inorganic material into conjugated polymer. Morphology, optical and electrical of nanocomposites thin films based on poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanotetrapods with various ZnO composition (0 wt% to 0.4 wt%) have been investigated. The MEH-PPV: ZnO nanocomposite thin film was deposited using spin-coating method. Surface morphology was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy and shows the uniform dispersion of MEH-PPV and ZnO phases for sample deposited at 0.2 wt%. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows the visible emission intensities increased when the ZnO composition increased. The current-voltage (I-V) measurement shows the highest conductivity of nanocomposite thin film deposited at 0.2 wt% of ZnO is 7.40 × 10-1 S. cm-1. This study will provide better performance and suitable for optoelectronic device especially OLEDs application.

Effects of acid catalyst type on structural, morphological, and optoelectrical properties of spin-coated TiO2 thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golobostanfard, Mohammad Reza; Abdizadeh, Hossein

2013-03-01

The effects of different acid catalysts of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, boric acid, acetic acid, and citric acid on structural, morphological, and optoelectrical properties of nanocrystalline spin-coated TiO2 thin films synthesized via alkoxide sol-gel route were investigated. It was found that only the sols with HNO3 and HCl are suitable for film preparation. The X-ray diffractometry and Raman analysis showed that crystalline phases could be controlled by the type of acid catalyst. Although the H2SO4 sol shows good stability, it causes extremely different morphology to form due to its different sol nature and high contact angle. Fourier transformed infrared spectra confirmed the presence of acid anion species in all samples even after calcination. Furthermore, it was inferred from UV-visable absorption spectra that although the band gap and thickness of the films are independent of acid catalyst type, the refractive index and porosity of the films are strongly affected by the type of acids.

Spin-coated thin films of different metal phthalocyanines and porphyrin-phthalocyanine blend for optochemical sensors of volatile organic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rella, Roberto; Capone, Simona; Siciliano, Pietro; Spadavecchia, J.; Ciccarella, G.

2004-06-01

Spin-coated layers of ZnPc and CuP have been used as chemically interacting materials for the detection of alcohols, amines, ketones, alkanes and pyridine for applications in food quality control. The UV-VIS variations obtained by the exposure of the sensing layers to the mentioned analytes in controlled atmosphere have been analyzed and compared with those deriving by a single thin film obtained by mixing the two metal complexes in an appropriate ratio. A multichannel monitoring of the main bands of the sensing layer due to the interaction with the analyte vapors became the basis to construct a set of independent sensors located on a single sensing element. The effects in the variation of the absorption bands of the blend system are compared with the variations in absorbance observed with the two sensing layers fabricated separately with each single compound. The interaction between the VOCs species and the heterogeneous sensing layer shows a different behavior in the responses respect to the results obtained with each single compound.

Photobleachable Diazonium Salt-Phenolic Resin Two-Layer Resist System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchino, Shou-ichi; Iwayanagi, Takao; Hashimoto, Michiaki

1988-01-01

This article describes a new negative two-layer photoresist system formed by a simple, successive spin-coating method. An aqueous acetic acid solution of diazonium salt and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) is deposited so as to contact a phenolic resin film spin-coated on a silicon wafer. The diazonium salt diffuses into the phenolic resin layer after standing for several minutes. The residual solution on the phenolic resin film doped with diazonium salt is spun to form the diazonium salt-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) top layer. This forms a uniform two-layer resist without phase separation or striation. Upon UV exposure, the diazonium salt in the top layer bleaches to act as a CEL dye, while the diazonium salt in the bottom layer decomposes to cause insolubilization. Half μm line-and-space patterns are obtained with an i-line stepper using 4-diazo-N,N-dimethylaniline chloride zinc chloride double salt as the diazonium salt and a cresol novolac resin for the bottom polymer layer. The resist formation processes, insolubilization mechanism, and the resolution capability of the new two-layer resist are discussed.

Controlled thickness and dielectric constant titanium-doped SiO2 thin films on silicon by sol gel process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H. L.; Wang, S. S.; Zhou, Yan; Lam, Yee Loy; Chan, Yuen Chuen; Kam, Chan Hin

1997-08-01

In this paper, we report the preparation of crack-free relatively thick SiO2-TiO2 thin films on silicon substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. The influence of the process parameters on the quality of the film, such as the solution condition, the spin-coating speed, the heat treatment temperature and time, have been studied. We found that the cracking of the film could be avoided by selecting the right sol composition ratios, adding PVA to the sold and properly controlling the heat treatment. Most importantly, we discovered that by polishing the edges of the film after the deposition of each single layer, the number of such layers that deposited without crack formation could be substantially increased. The refractive index profile and thickness of the film have been determined using prism coupling technique and the inverse WKB method. The refractive index was found to depend on the content of TiO2 as well as the heat treatment condition. Using an AFM, the surface morphology of the film was found to be good.

Fabrication of ZnO and doped ZnO waveguides deposited by Spin Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan, Rosmin Elsa; R, Neha P.; T, Shalu; C, Darshana K.; Sreelatha, K. S.

2015-02-01

In this paper, the synthesis of ZnO and doped Zn1-xAgxO (where x=0.03) nanoparticles by co- precipitation is reported. The precursors used were Zinc Nitrate and Potassium hydroxide pellets. For doping, 3% AgNO3 in ZnNO3 was considered as a separate buffer solution. The prepared nanoparticles were subsequently spin coated onto silica glass substrates at a constant chuck rate of 3000 rpm. The substrate acts as the lower cladding of a waveguide structure. The upper cladding is assumed to be air in the present investigation. The nanostructures of the ZnO powders in the doped and undoped cases were studied using X-ray Diffraction patterns. There was a decrease in the grain size with doping which increase the tunability of the powders to be used as photoluminescent devices. The optical characteristics of the sample were also investigated using UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 200-900 nm wavelengths. The photoluminescence peaks also report a dramatic increase in intensity at the same wavelength for the doped case compared to the undoped one.

Ultra-high mobility transparent organic thin film transistors grown by an off-centre spin-coating method.

PubMed

Yuan, Yongbo; Giri, Gaurav; Ayzner, Alexander L; Zoombelt, Arjan P; Mannsfeld, Stefan C B; Chen, Jihua; Nordlund, Dennis; Toney, Michael F; Huang, Jinsong; Bao, Zhenan

2014-01-01

Organic semiconductors with higher carrier mobility and better transparency have been actively pursued for numerous applications, such as flat-panel display backplane and sensor arrays. The carrier mobility is an important figure of merit and is sensitively influenced by the crystallinity and the molecular arrangement in a crystal lattice. Here we describe the growth of a highly aligned meta-stable structure of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) from a blended solution of C8-BTBT and polystyrene by using a novel off-centre spin-coating method. Combined with a vertical phase separation of the blend, the highly aligned, meta-stable C8-BTBT films provide a significantly increased thin film transistor hole mobility up to 43 cm(2) Vs(-1) (25 cm(2) Vs(-1) on average), which is the highest value reported to date for all organic molecules. The resulting transistors show high transparency of >90% over the visible spectrum, indicating their potential for transparent, high-performance organic electronics.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of composite TiO 2-poly(vinylidenefluoride) films synthesised for applications in pesticide photocatalytic degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losito, I.; Amorisco, A.; Palmisano, F.; Zambonin, P. G.

2005-02-01

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was adopted for the analytical characterization of composite titanium dioxide-poly(vinylidenefluoride) (TiO 2-PVDF) films developed for applications in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. The composites were deposited on glass substrates by casting or spin coating from TiO 2-PVDF suspensions in dimethylformamide (DMF). XPS data on the TiO 2-PVDF surface composition were used to optimize preparation conditions (composition of the TiO 2/PVDF suspension, deposition technique) in terms of titanium dioxide surface amount and film stability. The use of spin-coating deposition and the increase of TiO 2 amount in the DMF suspensions were found to improve the titanium surface content, although high TiO 2/PVDF ratios led to film instability. PVDF-TiO 2 films were also used in preliminary photocatalytic degradation tests on isoproturon, a phenylurea herbicide, under solar UV irradiation; the results were compared to direct photolysis to evaluate the catalytic efficiency of immobilized TiO 2 and the role played by the PVDF film during the degradation process.

Electrodeposition of organic-inorganic tri-halide perovskites solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, U. A.; Ibrahim, M. A.; Teridi, M. A. M.

2018-02-01

Perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) semiconductor materials are promising high-performance light energy absorber for solar cell application. However, the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cell is severely affected by the surface quality of the deposited thin film. Spin coating is a low-cost and widely used deposition technique for perovskite solar cell. Notably, film deposited by spin coating evolves surface hydroxide and defeats from uncontrolled precipitation and inter-diffusion reaction. Alternatively, vapor deposition (VD) method produces uniform thin film but requires precise control of complex thermodynamic parameters which makes the technique unsuitable for large scale production. Most deposition techniques for perovskite require tedious surface optimization to improve the surface quality of deposits. Optimization of perovskite surface is necessary to significantly improve device structure and electrical output. In this review, electrodeposition of perovskite solar cell is demonstrated as a scalable and reproducible technique to fabricate uniform and smooth thin film surface that circumvents the need for high vacuum environment. Electrodeposition is achieved at low temperatures, supports precise control and optimization of deposits for efficient charge transfer.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures nanofabricated on poly(trimethylene terephthalate) spin-coated films.

PubMed

Martín-Fabiani, I; Rebollar, E; Pérez, S; Rueda, D R; García-Gutiérrez, M C; Szymczyk, A; Roslaniec, Z; Castillejo, M; Ezquerra, T A

2012-05-22

Here we present a precise morphological description of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) nanofabricated on spin-coated poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) films by irradiation with 266 nm, 6 ns laser pulses and by using a broad range of fluences and number of pulses. By accomplishing real and reciprocal space measurements by means of atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering respectively on LIPSS samples, the range of optimum structural order has been established. For a given fluence, an increase in the number of pulses tends to improve LIPSS in PTT. However, as the pulse doses increase above a certain limit, a distortion of the structures is observed and a droplet-like morphology appears. It is proposed that this effect could be related to a plausible decrease of the molecular weight of PTT due to laser-induced chain photo-oxidation by irradiation with a high number of pulses. A concurrent decrease in viscosity enables destabilization of LIPSS by the formation of droplets in a process similar to surface-limited dewetting.

Analysis of Crystal Structure of Fe3O4 Thin Films Based on Iron Sand Growth by Spin Coating Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rianto, D.; Yulfriska, N.; Murti, F.; Hidayati, H.; Ramli, R.

2018-04-01

Recently, iron sand used as one of base materials in the steel industry. However, the content of iron sand can be used as starting materials in sensor technology in the form of thin films. In this paper, we report the analysis of crystal structure of magnetite thin film based on iron sand from Tiram’s Beach. The magnetic content of sand separated by a permanent magnet, then it was milled at 30 hours milling time. In order to increase the purity of magnetite, it washed after milling using aquades under magnetic separation by a magnet permanent. The thin film has been prepared using iron (III) nitrate by sol–gel technique. The precursor is resulted by dissolving magnetite in oxalic acid and nitric acid. Then, solution of iron (III) nitrate dissolved in ethylene glycol was applied on glass substrates by spin coating. The X-Ray Diffraction is operated thin film characterization. The structure of magnetite has been studied based on X-Ray Peaks that correspond to magnetite content of thin films.

Facile Fabrication of Multifunctional Aramid Nanofiber Films by Spin Coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Jing; Liu, Lehao; Zhao, Xing; Shang, Yudong; Zhao, Tingkai; Li, Tiehu

2016-11-01

Polymer matrices with excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability and other features are highly demanded for the effective utilization within nanocomposites. Here, we fabricate free-standing aramid nanofiber films via spin coating of an aramid nanofiber/dimethyl sulfoxide solution. Compared with traditional film fabrication methods, this process is time-saving and also able to easily tune the thickness of the films. The resultant films show greatly improved stretchability than that of Kevlar threads and relatively high mechanical strength. Typically, these films with a thickness of 5.5 µm show an ultimate strength of 182 MPa with an ultimate tensile strain of 10.5%. We also apply a finite element modeling to simulate the strain and strength distributions of the films under uniaxial tension, and the results of the simulation are in accordance with the experimental data. Furthermore, the aramid nanofiber films exhibit outstanding thermostability (decomposition at 550 °C under N2 atmosphere and 500 °C in air) and chemical inertness, which would endure acid and alkali. The simple method demonstrated here provides an important way to prepare high-performance aramid nanofiber films for designing new composite systems.

Developing upconversion nanoparticle-based smart substrates for remote temperature sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coker, Zachary; Marble, Kassie; Alkahtani, Masfer; Hemmer, Philip; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.

2018-02-01

Recent developments in understanding of nanomaterial behaviors and synthesis have led to their application across a wide range of commercial and scientific applications. Recent investigations span from applications in nanomedicine and the development of novel drug delivery systems to nanoelectronics and biosensors. In this study, we propose the application of a newly engineered temperature sensitive water-based bio-compatible core/shell up-conversion nanoparticle (UCNP) in the development of a smart substrate for remote temperature sensing. We developed this smart substrate by dispersing functionalized nanoparticles into a polymer solution and then spin-coating the solution onto one side of a microscope slide to form a thin film substrate layer of evenly dispersed nanoparticles. By using spin-coating to deposit the particle solution we both create a uniform surface for the substrate while simultaneously avoid undesired particle agglomeration. Through this investigation, we have determined the sensitivity and capabilities of this smart substrate and conclude that further development can lead to a greater range of applications for this type smart substrate and use in remote temperature sensing in conjunction with other microscopy and spectroscopy investigations.

Synthesis and characterization of cadmium sulphide thin films prepared by spin coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chodavadiya, Nisarg; Chapanari, Amisha; Zinzala, Jignesh; Ray, Jaymin; Pandya, Samir

2018-05-01

An II-VI group semiconductor is Wide band gap materials and has been widely studied due to their fundamental optical, structural, and electrical properties. Cadmium sulphide (CdS) is one of the most emerged materials in II-VI group. It has many applications such as buffer later in photovoltaic cell, multilayer light emitting diodes, optical filters, thin film field effect transistors, gas sensors, light detectors etc. It is fundamentally an n-type material with an optical band gap of 2.4 eV. Owing to these properties we had studied CdS thin films synthesis and characterized by Raman, Ultraviolet - Visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) and Hot probe method. CdS thin films were prepared by spin coating of the Cadmium-thiourea precursor solution. Visual inspection after 20 minute thermolysis time the films were looks uniform and shiny pale yellow in color. Raman confirms the A1 vibration of pure CdS. UV-VIS gives the band gap about 2.52 eV, which confirms the formation of nanocrystalline form of CdS. Finally, hot probe signifies the n-type conductivity of the CdS film.

Performance and durability tests of smart icephobic coatings to reduce ice adhesion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janjua, Zaid A.; Turnbull, Barbara; Choy, Kwang-Leong; Pandis, Christos; Liu, Junpeng; Hou, Xianghui; Choi, Kwing-So

2017-06-01

The accretion of ice can cause damage in applications ranging from power lines and shipping decks, to wind turbines and rail infrastructure. In particular on aircraft, it can change aerodynamic characteristics, greatly affecting the flight safety. Commercial aircraft are therefore required to be equipped with de-icing devices, such as heating mats over the wings. The application of icephobic coatings near the leading edge of a wing can in theory reduce the high power requirements of heating mats, which melt ice that forms there. Such coatings are effective in preventing the accretion of runback ice, formed from airborne supercooled droplets, or the water that the heating mats generate as it is sheared back over the wing's upper surface. However, the durability and the practicality of applying them over a large wing surface have been prohibitive factors in deploying this technology so far. Here, we evaluated the ice adhesion strength of four non-conductive coatings and seven thermally conductive coatings by shearing ice samples from coated plates by spinning them in a centrifuge device. The durability of the coating performance was also assessed by repeating the tests, each time regrowing ice samples on the previously-used coatings. Contact angle parameters of each coating were tested for each test to determine influence on ice adhesion strength. The results indicate that contact angle hysteresis is a crucial parameter in determining icephobicity of a coating and hydrophobicity is not necessarily linked to icephobicity.

Novel sol-gel precursors for thin mesoporous eu(3+)-doped silica coatings as efficient luminescent materials.

PubMed

Feinle, Andrea; Lavoie-Cardinal, Flavie; Akbarzadeh, Johanna; Peterlik, Herwig; Adlung, Matthias; Wickleder, Claudia; Hüsing, Nicola

2012-10-09

Europium(III) ions containing mesoporous silica coatings have been prepared via a solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) approach of different single-source precursors (SSPs) in the presence of Pluronic P123 as a structure-directing agent, using the spin-coating process. A deliberate tailoring of the chemical composition of the porous coatings with various Si:Eu ratios was achieved by processing mixtures of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and Eu(3+)-coordinated SSPs. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses demonstrate that the thin metal oxide-doped silica coatings consist of a porous network with a short-range order of the pore structure, even at high europium(III) loadings. Furthermore, luminescence properties were investigated at different temperatures and different degrees of Eu(3+) contents. The photoluminescence spectra clearly show characteristic emission peaks corresponding to the (5)D0 → (7)FJ (J = 0-5) transitions resulting in a red luminescence visible by the eyes, although the films have a very low thickness (150-200 nm).

Titania-coated manganite nanoparticles: Synthesis of the shell, characterization and MRI properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jirák, Zdeněk; Kuličková, Jarmila; Herynek, Vít; Maryško, Miroslav; Koktan, Jakub; Kaman, Ondřej

2017-04-01

Novel procedure for coating of oxide nanoparticles with titania, employing hydrolysis and polycondensation of titanium alkoxides under high-dilution conditions and cationic surfactants, is developed and applied to magnetic cores of perovskite manganite. Bare particles of the ferromagnetic La0.65Sr0.35MnO3 phase, possessing high magnetization, M10 kOe(4.5 K) = 63.5 emu g-1, and Curie temperature, TC = 355 K, are synthesized by sol-gel procedure and subsequently coated with titania. Further, a comparative silica-coated product is prepared. In order to analyse the morphology, colloidal stability, and surface properties of these two types of coated particles, a detailed study by means of transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential measurements, and IR spectroscopy is carried out. The experiments on the titania-coated sample reveal a continuous though porous character of the TiO2 shell, the nature of which is amorphous but can be transformed to anatase at higher temperatures. Finally, the relaxometric study at the magnetic field of 0.5 T, performed to quantity the transverse relaxivity and its temperature dependence, reveals important differences between the titania-coated and silica-coated nanoparticles.

Biocorrosion behavior of biodegradable nanocomposite fibers coated layer-by-layer on AM50 magnesium implant.

PubMed

Abdal-Hay, Abdalla; Hasan, Anwarul; Kim, Yu-Kyoung; Yu-Kyoung; Lee, Min-Ho; Hamdy, Abdel Salam; Khalil, Khalil Abdelrazek

2016-01-01

This article demonstrates the use of hybrid nanofibers to improve the biodegradation rate and biocompatibility of AM50 magnesium alloy. Biodegradable hybrid membrane fiber layers containing nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) particles and poly(lactide)(PLA) nanofibers were coated layer-by-layer (LbL) on AM50 coupons using a facile single-step air jet spinning (AJS) approach. The corrosion performance of coated and uncoated coupon samples was investigated by means of electrochemical measurements. The results showed that the AJS 3D membrane fiber layers, particularly the hybrid membrane layers containing a small amount of nHA (3 wt.%), induce a higher biocorrosion resistance and effectively decrease the initial degradation rate compared with the neat AM50 coupon samples. The adhesion strength improved highly due to the presence of nHA particles in the AJS layer. Furthermore, the long biodegradation rates of AM50 alloy in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) were significantly controlled by the AJS-coatings. The results showed a higher cytocompatibility for AJS-coatings compared to that for neat Mg alloys. The nanostructured nHA embedded hybrid PLA nanofiber coating can therefore be a suitable coating material for Mg alloy as a potential material for biodegradable metallic orthopedic implants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bond strength determination of hydroxyapatite coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates using the LAser Shock Adhesion Test (LASAT).

PubMed

Guipont, Vincent; Jeandin, Michel; Bansard, Sebastien; Khor, Khiam Aik; Nivard, Mariette; Berthe, Laurent; Cuq-Lelandais, Jean-Paul; Boustie, Michel

2010-12-15

An adhesion test procedure applied to plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings to measure the "LASAT threshold" (LAser Shock Adhesion test) is described. The good repeatability and minimal discrepancy of the laser-driven adhesion test data were ascertained for conventional plasma sprayed HA coatings. As a further demonstration, the procedure was applied to HA coatings with diverse characteristics on the ceramic/metal interface. Different preheating and grit blasting conditions and the presence of a thick plasma-sprayed Ti sublayer or a thin TiO(2) layer prepared by oxidation were investigated through LASAT. It was assessed that a rough surface can significantly improve the coating's bond strength. However, it was also demonstrated that a thin TiO(2) layer on a smooth Ti-6Al-4V substrate can have a major influence on adhesion as well. Preheating up to 270°C just prior to the first HA spraying pass had no effect on the adhesion strength. Further development of the procedure was done to achieve an in situ LASAT with in vitro conditions applied on HA coatings. To that end, different crystalline HA contents were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF). Beyond the demonstration of the capability of this laser-driven adhesion test devoted to HA coatings in dry or liquid environment, the present study provided empirical information on pertinent processing characteristics that could strengthen or weaken the HA/Ti-6Al-4V bond. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A superconducting gyroscope to test Einstein's general theory of relativity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everitt, C. W. F.

1978-01-01

Schiff (1960) proposed a new test of general relativity based on measuring the precessions of the spin axes of gyroscopes in earth orbit. Since 1963 a Stanford research team has been developing an experiment to measure the two effects calculated by Schiff. The gyroscope consists of a uniform sphere of fused quartz 38 mm in diameter, coated with superconductor, electrically suspended and spinning at about 170 Hz in vacuum. The paper describes the proposed flight apparatus and the current state of development of the gyroscope, including techniques for manufacturing and measuring the gyro rotor and housing, generating ultralow magnetic fields, and mechanizing the readout.

Cavity enhanced atomic magnetometry

PubMed Central

Crepaz, Herbert; Ley, Li Yuan; Dumke, Rainer

2015-01-01

Atom sensing based on Faraday rotation is an indispensable method for precision measurements, universally suitable for both hot and cold atomic systems. Here we demonstrate an all-optical magnetometer where the optical cell for Faraday rotation spectroscopy is augmented with a low finesse cavity. Unlike in previous experiments, where specifically designed multipass cells had been employed, our scheme allows to use conventional, spherical vapour cells. Spherical shaped cells have the advantage that they can be effectively coated inside with a spin relaxation suppressing layer providing long spin coherence times without addition of a buffer gas. Cavity enhancement shows in an increase in optical polarization rotation and sensitivity compared to single-pass configurations. PMID:26481853

Polymer blend lithography: A versatile method to fabricate nanopatterned self-assembled monolayers.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng; Moosmann, Markus; Jin, Jiehong; Heiler, Tobias; Walheim, Stefan; Schimmel, Thomas

2012-01-01

A rapid and cost-effective lithographic method, polymer blend lithography (PBL), is reported to produce patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAM) on solid substrates featuring two or three different chemical functionalities. For the pattern generation we use the phase separation of two immiscible polymers in a blend solution during a spin-coating process. By controlling the spin-coating parameters and conditions, including the ambient atmosphere (humidity), the molar mass of the polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the mass ratio between the two polymers in the blend solution, the formation of a purely lateral morphology (PS islands standing on the substrate while isolated in the PMMA matrix) can be reproducibly induced. Either of the formed phases (PS or PMMA) can be selectively dissolved afterwards, and the remaining phase can be used as a lift-off mask for the formation of a nanopatterned functional silane monolayer. This "monolayer copy" of the polymer phase morphology has a topographic contrast of about 1.3 nm. A demonstration of tuning of the PS island diameter is given by changing the molar mass of PS. Moreover, polymer blend lithography can provide the possibility of fabricating a surface with three different chemical components: This is demonstrated by inducing breath figures (evaporated condensed entity) at higher humidity during the spin-coating process. Here we demonstrate the formation of a lateral pattern consisting of regions covered with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), and at the same time featuring regions of bare SiO(x). The patterning process could be applied even on meter-sized substrates with various functional SAM molecules, making this process suitable for the rapid preparation of quasi two-dimensional nanopatterned functional substrates, e.g., for the template-controlled growth of ZnO nanostructures [1].

Dynamin recruitment and membrane scission at the neck of a clathrin-coated pit.

PubMed

Cocucci, Emanuele; Gaudin, Raphaël; Kirchhausen, Tom

2014-11-05

Dynamin, the GTPase required for clathrin-mediated endocytosis, is recruited to clathrin-coated pits in two sequential phases. The first is associated with coated pit maturation; the second, with fission of the membrane neck of a coated pit. Using gene-edited cells that express dynamin2-EGFP instead of dynamin2 and live-cell TIRF imaging with single-molecule EGFP sensitivity and high temporal resolution, we detected the arrival of dynamin at coated pits and defined dynamin dimers as the preferred assembly unit. We also used live-cell spinning-disk confocal microscopy calibrated by single-molecule EGFP detection to determine the number of dynamins recruited to the coated pits. A large fraction of budding coated pits recruit between 26 and 40 dynamins (between 1 and 1.5 helical turns of a dynamin collar) during the recruitment phase associated with neck fission; 26 are enough for coated vesicle release in cells partially depleted of dynamin by RNA interference. We discuss how these results restrict models for the mechanism of dynamin-mediated membrane scission. © 2014 Cocucci et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Ultrafast spin exchange-coupling torque via photo-excited charge-transfer processes

DOE PAGES

Ma, X.; Fang, F.; Li, Q.; ...

2015-10-28

In this study, optical control of spin is of central importance in the research of ultrafast spintronic devices utilizing spin dynamics at short time scales. Recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast demagnetization, spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques open new pathways to manipulate spin through its interaction with photon, orbit, charge or phonon. However, these processes are limited by either the long thermal recovery time or the low-temperature requirement. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrafast coherent spin precession via optical charge-transfer processes in the exchange-coupled Fe/CoO system at room temperature. The efficiency of spin precession excitation is significantly higher and the recoverymore » time of the exchange-coupling torque is much shorter than for the demagnetization procedure, which is desirable for fast switching. The exchange coupling is a key issue in spin valves and tunnelling junctions, and hence our findings will help promote the development of exchange-coupled device concepts for ultrafast coherent spin manipulation.« less

Immobilization of bacterial S-layer proteins from Caulobacter crescentus on iron oxide-based nanocomposite: synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of zincite-coated Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles.

PubMed

Habibi, Neda

2014-05-05

Zinc oxide was coated on Fe2O3 nanoparticles using sol-gel spin-coating. Caulobacter crescentus have a crystalline surface layer (S-layer), which consist of one protein or glycoprotein species. The immobilization of bacterial S-layers obtained from C. crescentus on zincite-coated nanoparticles of iron oxide was investigated. The SDS PAGE results of S-layers isolated from C. crescentus showed the weight of 50 KDa. Nanoparticles of the Fe2O3 and zinc oxide were synthesized by a sol-gel technique. Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm were successfully prepared by the proper deposition of zinc oxide onto iron oxide nanoparticles surface annealed at 450 °C. The samples were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A FRET system built on quartz plate as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for mercury ions in water.

PubMed

Liu, Baoyu; Zeng, Fang; Liu, Yan; Wu, Shuizhu

2012-04-07

Due to the hazardous nature of mercury ions, the development of a cost effective, sensitive and field-portable sensor is of high significance for both industry and civilian use. In this work, a FRET-based ratiometric sensor for detecting mercury ions in water was fabricated by depositing a multilayered silica structure on a quartz plate. For the preparation of the film-based sensor, a silica support layer was first deposited on the quartz plate by using the sol-gel spin-coating procedure, and three ultrathin functional layers (donor, spacer and receptor) were then deposited on the support layer by dip-coating in a stepwise manner in toluene solution. As the film-based sensor was placed into an aqueous solution of Hg(2+), the non-fluorescent receptor (a spirolactam rhodamine derivative) on the film surface could form a complex with the mercury ion and act as the acceptor of the energy transfer. Upon excitation, the donor (a nitrobenzoxadiazolyl derivative, NBD) could transfer its excited energy from the donor layer to the acceptor on the film surface via the 'through space' energy transfer process, thus realizing the FRET-based ratiometric sensing for mercury ions. The sensor can selectively detect Hg(2+) in water with the detection limit of 1 μM. This solid film sensor is capable of being easily-portable and visualized detection. This strategy may offer new approaches for constructing other FRET-based solid-state devices.

40 CFR 63.785 - Compliance procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... violation. If the owner or operator performs the certification testing, only one of the containers in which... coating by affixing a label to each container of coating in the batch or through another means described... by affixing a label to each container of coating or through another means described in the...

40 CFR 63.785 - Compliance procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... violation. If the owner or operator performs the certification testing, only one of the containers in which... coating by affixing a label to each container of coating in the batch or through another means described... by affixing a label to each container of coating or through another means described in the...

EVALUATION OF SILICA GEL CARTRIDGES COATED IN SITU WITH ACIDIFIED 2,4-DINITROPHENYLHYDRAZINE FOR SAMPLING ALDEHYDES AND KETONES IN AIR

EPA Science Inventory

A procedure for coating in-situ silica in commercially available prepacked cartridges with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) acidified with hydrochloric acid is described. The coated cartridge was compared with a validated DNPH impinger method for sampling organic carbonyl compou...

Diffusional aspects of the high-temperature oxidation of protective coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nesbitt, J. A.

1989-01-01

The role of diffusional transport associated with the high-temperature oxidation of coatings is examined, with special attention given to the low-pressure plasma spraying MCrAl-type overlay coatings and similar Ni-base alloys which form protective AlO3 scales. The use of diffusional analysis to predict the minimum solute concentration necessary to form and grow a solute oxide scale is illustrated. Modeling procedures designed to simulate the diffusional transport in coatings and substrates are presented to show their use in understanding coating degradation, predicting the protective life of a coating, and evaluating various coating parameters to guide coating development.

Undergraduate Electron-Spin-Resonance Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, James S.

1980-01-01

Describes the basic procedures for use of an electron-spin resonance spectrometer and potassium azide (KN3) in an experiment which extends from the phase of sample preparation (crystal growth, sample mounting, and orientation) through data taking to the stages of calculation and theoretical explanation. (Author/DS)

Process optimization for particle removal on blank chrome mask plates in preparation for resist application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osborne, Stephen; Smith, Eryn; Woster, Eric; Pelayo, Anthony

2002-03-01

As integrated circuits require smaller lines to provide the memory and processing capability for tomorrow's marketplace, the photomask industry is adopting higher contrast resists to improve photomask lithography. Photomask yield for several high-contrast resist recipes may be improved by coating masks at the mask shop. When coating at a mask shop, an effective method is available that uses coat/bake cluster tools to ensure blanks are clean prior to coating. Many high-contrast resists are available, and some are more susceptible to time-dependent performance factors than conventional resists. One of these factors is the time between coating and writing. Although future methods may reduce the impact of this factor, one current trend is to reduce this time by coating plates at the mask shop just prior to writing. Establishing an effective process to clean blanks prior to coating is necessary for product quality control and is a new task that is critical for maskmakers who previously purchased mask plates but have decided to begin coating them within their facility. This paper provides a strategy and method to be used within coat/bake cluster tools to remove particle contamination from mask blanks. The process uses excimer-UV ionizing radiation and ozone to remove organic contaminants, and then uses a wet process combined with megasonic agitation, surfactant, and spin forces. Megasonic agitation with surfactant lifts up particles, while the convective outflow of water enhances centripetal shear without accumulating harmful charge.

Silica Nanoparticles Functionalized with Zwitterionic Sulfobetaine Siloxane for Application as a Versatile Antifouling Coating System.

PubMed

Knowles, Brianna R; Wagner, Pawel; Maclaughlin, Shane; Higgins, Michael J; Molino, Paul J

2017-06-07

The growing need to develop surfaces able to effectively resist biological fouling has resulted in the widespread investigation of nanomaterials with potential antifouling properties. However, the preparation of effective antifouling coatings is limited by the availability of reactive surface functional groups and our ability to carefully control and organize chemistries at a materials' interface. Here, we present two methods of preparing hydrophilic low-fouling surface coatings through reaction of silica-nanoparticle suspensions and predeposited silica-nanoparticle films with zwitterionic sulfobetaine (SB). Silica-nanoparticle suspensions were functionalized with SB across three pH conditions and deposited as thin films via a simple spin-coating process to generate hydrophilic antifouling coatings. In addition, coatings of predeposited silica nanoparticles were surface functionalized via exposure to zwitterionic solutions. Quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation monitoring was employed as a high throughput technique for monitoring and optimizing reaction to the silica-nanoparticle surfaces. Functionalization of nanoparticle films was rapid and could be achieved over a wide pH range and at low zwitterion concentrations. All functionalized particle surfaces presented a high degree of wettability and resulted in large reductions in adsorption of bovine serum albumin protein. Particle coatings also showed a reduction in adhesion of fungal spores (Epicoccum nigrum) and bacteria (Escherichia coli) by up to 87 and 96%, respectively. These results indicate the potential for functionalized nanosilicas to be further developed as versatile fouling-resistant coatings for widespread coating applications.

Surface analytical characterization of Streptavidin/poly(3-hexylthiophene) bilayers for bio-electronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sportelli, M. C.; Picca, R. A.; Manoli, K.; Re, M.; Pesce, E.; Tapfer, L.; Di Franco, C.; Cioffi, N.; Torsi, L.

2017-10-01

The analytical performance of bioelectronic devices is highly influenced by their fabrication methods. In particular, the final architecture of field-effect transistor biosensors combining spin-cast poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) film and a biomolecule interlayer deposited on a SiO2/Si substrate can lead to the development of highly performing sensing systems, such as for the case of streptavidin (SA) used for biotin sensing. To gain a better understanding of the quality of the interfacial area, critical is the assessment of the morphological features characteristic of the adopted biolayer deposition protocol, namely: the layer-by-layer (LbL) approach and the spin coating technique. The present study relies on a combined surface spectroscopic and morphological characterization. Specifically, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy operated in the parallel angle-resolved mode allowed the non-destructive investigation of the in-depth chemical composition of the SA film, alone or in the presence of the P3HT overlayer. Spectroscopic data were supported and corroborated by the results obtained with a Scanning Electron and a Helium Ion microscope investigation performed on the SA layer that provided relevant information on the protein structural arrangement or on its surface morphology. Clear differences emerged between the SA layers prepared by the two approaches, with the layer-by-layer deposition resulting in a smoother and better defined bio-electronic interface. Such findings support the superior analytical performance shown by bioelectronic devices based on LbL-deposited protein layers over spin coated ones.

Relaxation rates of low-field gas-phase ^129Xe storage cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limes, Mark; Saam, Brian

2010-10-01

A study of longitudinal nuclear relaxation rates T1 of ^129Xe and Xe-N2 mixtures in a magnetic field of 3.8 mT is presented. In this regime, intrinsic spin relaxation is dominated by the intramolecular spin-rotation interaction due to persistent xenon dimers, a mechanism that can be quelled by introducing large amounts of N2 into the storage cell. Extrinsic spin relaxation is dominated by the wall-relaxation rate, which is the primary quantity of interest for the various low-field storage cells and coatings that we have tested. Previous group work has shown that extremely long gas-phase relaxation times T1 can be obtained, but only at large magnetic fields and low xenon densities. The current work is motivated by the practical benefits of retaining hyperpolarized ^129Xe for extended periods of time in a small magnetic field.

High-Resolution Spin-on-Patterning of Perovskite Thin Films for a Multiplexed Image Sensor Array.

PubMed

Lee, Woongchan; Lee, Jongha; Yun, Huiwon; Kim, Joonsoo; Park, Jinhong; Choi, Changsoon; Kim, Dong Chan; Seo, Hyunseon; Lee, Hakyong; Yu, Ji Woong; Lee, Won Bo; Kim, Dae-Hyeong

2017-10-01

Inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite thin films have attracted significant attention as an alternative to silicon in photon-absorbing devices mainly because of their superb optoelectronic properties. However, high-definition patterning of perovskite thin films, which is important for fabrication of the image sensor array, is hardly accomplished owing to their extreme instability in general photolithographic solvents. Here, a novel patterning process for perovskite thin films is described: the high-resolution spin-on-patterning (SoP) process. This fast and facile process is compatible with a variety of spin-coated perovskite materials and perovskite deposition techniques. The SoP process is successfully applied to develop a high-performance, ultrathin, and deformable perovskite-on-silicon multiplexed image sensor array, paving the road toward next-generation image sensor arrays. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SiC/GaN Based Optically Triggered MESFET for High Power Efficiency and High Radiation Resistance Solid State Switch Application for Actuator System

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-23

somnath.chattopadhyay@csun.edu 1-818-677-7197 clean/etch. Excessively hard- baked photoresist can usually be dissolved in piranha etching solution. 48 hours of...coated onto the freshly cleaned and dried wafer at 3000RPM, then soft- baked at 180ºC for 120 seconds. This gives a PMGI layer of about 0.4µm. Then the...PR is spin coated onto the wafer at about 4000RPM and soft baked at 115ºC for 90seconds, resulting in a PR layer about 1.3µm thick. The wafer is

Highly dispersible diamond nanoparticles for pretreatment of diamond films on Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Shenjie; Huang, Jian; Zhou, Xinyu; Ren, Bing; Tang, Ke; Xi, Yifan; Wang, Lin; Wang, Linjun; Lu, Yicheng

2018-03-01

High quality diamond film on Si substrate was synthesized by coating diamond nanoparticles prepared by polyglycerol grafting (ND-PG) dispersion as pre-treatment method. Transmission electron microscope indicates that ND-PG is much more dispersible than untreated nanoparticles in organic solvents. The surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscope while atomic force microscope was conducted to measure the surface roughness. Microstructure properties were carried out by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed an increase in nucleation density, an acceleration of growth rate and an improvement of film crystalline quality by using spin-coating ND-PG pretreatment.

Modified Surface Having Low Adhesion Properties to Mitigate Insect Residue Adhesion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohl, Christopher J., Jr. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G., Jr. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor); Penner, Ronald K. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A process to modify a surface to provide reduced adhesion surface properties to mitigate insect residue adhesion. The surface may include the surface of an article including an aircraft, an automobile, a marine vessel, all-terrain vehicle, wind turbine, helmet, etc. The process includes topographically and chemically modifying the surface by applying a coating comprising a particulate matter, or by applying a coating and also topographically modifying the surface by various methods, including but not limited to, lithographic patterning, laser ablation and chemical etching, physical vapor phase deposition, chemical vapor phase deposition, crystal growth, electrochemical deposition, spin casting, and film casting.

Using Organic Light-Emitting Electrochemical Thin-Film Devices to Teach Materials Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevian, Hannah; Muller, Sean; Rudmann, Hartmut; Rubner, Michael F.

2004-01-01

Materials science can be taught by applying organic light-emitting electrochemical thin-film devices and in this method students were allowed to make a light-emitting device by spin coating a thin film containing ruthenium (II) complex ions onto a glass slide. Through this laboratory method students are provided with the opportunity to learn about…

Interfacial Properties of Lignin-Based Electrospun Nanofibers and Films Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals

Treesearch

Mariko Ago; Joseph E. Jakes; Leena-Sisko Johansson; Sunkyu Park; Orlando J. Rojas

2012-01-01

Sub-100 nm resolution local thermal analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements were used to relate surface polymer distribution with the composition of electrospun fiber mats and spin coated films obtained from aqueous dispersions of lignin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). Defect-free lignin/...

40 CFR 60.725 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Industrial Surface Coating: Surface Coating of Plastic Parts for Business Machines § 60.725 Test methods and...

40 CFR 60.725 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Industrial Surface Coating: Surface Coating of Plastic Parts for Business Machines § 60.725 Test methods and...

Method for partially coating laser diode facets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dholakia, Anil R. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

Bars of integral laser diode devices cleaved from a wafer are placed with their p regions abutting and n regions abutting. A thin BeCu mask having alternate openings and strips of the same width as the end facets is used to mask the n region interfaces so that multiple bars can be partially coated over their exposed p regions with a reflective or partial reflective coating. The partial coating permits identification of the emitting facet from the fully coated back facet during a later device mounting procedure.

Free-Spinning-Tunnel Investigation of a 1/20-Scale Model of the North American T2J-1 Airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, James S., Jr.; Healy, Frederick M.

1959-01-01

An investigation has been made in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel to determine the erect and inverted spin and recovery characteristics of a 1/20-scale dynamic model of the North American T2J-1 airplane. The model results indicate that the optimum technique for recovery from erect spins of the airplane will be dependent on the distribution of the disposable load. The recommended recovery procedure for spins encountered at the flight design gross weight is simultaneous rudder reversal to against the spin and aileron movement to with the spin. With full wingtip tanks plus rocket installation and full internal fuel load, rudder reversal should be followed by a downward movement of the elevator. For the flight design gross weight plus partially full wingtip tanks, recovery should be attempted by simultaneous rudder reversal to against the spin, movement of ailerons to with the spin, and ejection of the wing-tip tanks. The optimum recovery technique for airplane-inverted spins is rudder reversal to against the spin with the stick maintained longitudinally and laterally neutral.

Photoelectrochemical performance of NiO-coated ZnO-CdS core-shell photoanode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyengar, Pranit; Das, Chandan; Balasubramaniam, K. R.

2017-03-01

A nano-structured core-shell ZnO-CdS photoanode device with a mesoporous NiO co-catalyst layer was fabricated using solution-processing methods. The growth of the sparse ZnO nano-rod film with a thickness of ca. 930 nm was achieved by optimizing parameters such as the thickness of the ZnO seed layer, choice of Zn precursor salt and the salt concentration. CdS was then coated by a combination of spin coating and spin SILAR (Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction) methods to completely fill the interspace of ZnO nano-rods. The uniform CdS surface facilitated the growth of a continuous mesoporous NiO layer. Upon illumination of 100 mW·cm-2 AM 1.5 G radiation the device exhibits stable photocurrents of 2.15 mA·cm-2 at 1.23 V and 0.92 mA·cm-2 at 0.00 V versus RHE, which are significantly higher as compared to the bare ZnO-CdS device. The excellent performance of the device can be ascribed to the higher visible region absorption by CdS, and effective separation of the photogenerated charge carriers due to the suitable band alignment and nanostructuring. Additionally, the mesoporous NiO overlayer offered a larger contact area with the electrolyte and promoted the kinetics enabling higher and stable photocurrent even till the 35th min. of testing.

Effect of sol temperature on structural, morphological and magnetic properties of PZT thin films on alumina substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreelalitha, K.; Thyagarajan, K.

2016-01-01

In the present study, we investigate the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of sol-gel spin-coated PZT thin films on alumina substrate. The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of PZT [Pb (Zr1-xTix)03] between the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases occurs at the Zr/Ti ratio of 52/48. At the MPB the physical properties of PZT are of far-reaching importance due to their possible crystalline phases. In this study Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)03 sols are prepared at room temperature and at 125 °C. The gels are coated onto alumina substrate using a spin-coating unit as two and three layers. The structural studies using XRD confirm the perovskite phase formation at an annealing temperature of 660 °C for both films. The structural parameter grain size, dislocation density, lattice parameters and strain were dependent on the sol temperature. The SEM morphology of the samples represents well-developed dense grain structure and thickness in micrometer ranges. The VSM analysis shows diamagnetic and ferromagnetic hysteresis loop. The ferromagnetism at low fields in PZT films is confirmed by studying the magnetic properties of powder made of the same gel. The effect of heat treatment on the gel preparation is observed on structural, morphological and magnetic properties of PZT thin films. The ferromagnetism in PZT can be attributed to oxygen vacancies. The squareness ratio of the films shows the application of the films as a high-density recording medium.

Solubility parameters of hypromellose acetate succinate and plasticization in dry coating procedures.

PubMed

Klar, Fabian; Urbanetz, Nora Anne

2016-10-01

Solubility parameters of HPMCAS have not yet been investigated intensively. On this account, total and three-dimensional solubility parameters of HPMCAS were determined by using different experimental as well as computational methods. In addition, solubility properties of HPMCAS in a huge number of solvents were tested and a Teas plot for HPMCAS was created. The total solubility parameter of about 24 MPa(0.5) was confirmed by various procedures and compared with values of plasticizers. Twenty common pharmaceutical plasticizers were evaluated in terms of their suitability for supporting film formation of HPMCAS under dry coating conditions. Therefore, glass transition temperatures of mixtures of polymer and plasticizers were inspected and film formation of potential ones was further investigated in dry coating of pellets. Contact angles of plasticizers on HPMCAS were determined in order to give a hint of achievable coating efficiencies in dry coating, but none was found to spread on HPMCAS. A few common substances, e.g. dimethyl phthalate, glycerol monocaprylate, and polyethylene glycol 400, enabled plasticization of HPMCAS; however, only triethyl citrate and triacetin were found to be suitable for use in dry coating. Addition of acetylated monoglycerides to triacetin increased coating efficiency, which was likewise previously demonstrated for triethyl citrate.

Experimental Test of Entropic Noise-Disturbance Uncertainty Relations for Spin-1/2 Measurements.

PubMed

Sulyok, Georg; Sponar, Stephan; Demirel, Bülent; Buscemi, Francesco; Hall, Michael J W; Ozawa, Masanao; Hasegawa, Yuji

2015-07-17

Information-theoretic definitions for noise and disturbance in quantum measurements were given in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 050401 (2014)] and a state-independent noise-disturbance uncertainty relation was obtained. Here, we derive a tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for complementary qubit observables and carry out an experimental test. Successive projective measurements on the neutron's spin-1/2 system, together with a correction procedure which reduces the disturbance, are performed. Our experimental results saturate the tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for qubits when an optimal correction procedure is applied.

Sericin Promotes Fibroin Silk I Stabilization Across a Phase-Separation.

PubMed

Kwak, Hyo Won; Ju, Ji Eun; Shin, Munju; Holland, Chris; Lee, Ki Hoon

2017-08-14

Natural silk spinning offers several advantages over the synthetic fiber spinning, although the underlying mechanisms of this process are yet to be fully elucidated. Silkworm silks, specifically B. mori, comprise two main proteins: fibroin, which forms the fiber, and sericin, a coextruded coating that acts as a matrix in the resulting nonwoven composite cocoon. To date, most studies have focused on fibroin's self-assembly and gelation, with the influence of sericin during spinning receiving little to no attention. This study investigates sericin's effects on the self-assembly of fibroin via their natural phase-separation. Through changes in sample opacity, FTIR, and XRD, we report that increasing sericin concentration retards the time to gelation and β-sheet formation of fibroin, causing it to adopt a Silk I conformation. Such findings have important implications for both the natural silk spinning process and any future industrial applications, suggesting that sericin may be able to induce long-range conformational and stability control in silk fibroin, while being in a separate phase, a factor that would facilitate long-term storage or silk feedstocks.

Graphene-passivated cobalt as a spin-polarized electrode: growth and application to organic spintronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Guoqing; Tang, Guoqiang; Li, Tian; Pan, Guoxing; Deng, Zanhong; Zhang, Fapei

2017-03-01

The ferromagnetic electrode on which a clean high-quality electrode/interlayer interface is formed, is critical to achieve efficient injection of spin-dependent electrons in spintronic devices. In this work, we report on the preparation of graphene-passivated cobalt electrodes for application in vertical spin valves (SVs). In this strategy, high-quality monolayer and bi-layer graphene sheets have been grown directly on the crystal Co film substrates in a controllable process by chemical vapor deposition. The electrode is oxidation resistant and ensures a clean crystalline graphene/Co interface. The AlO x -based magnetic junction devices using such bottom electrodes, exhibit a negative tunnel magneto-resistance (TMR) of ca. 1.0% in the range of 5 K-300 K. Furthermore, we have also fabricated organic-based SVs employing a thin layer of fullerene C60 or an N-type polymeric semiconductor as the interlayer. The devices of both materials show a tunneling behavior of spin-polarized electron transport as well as appreciable TMR effect, demonstrating the high potential of such graphene-coated Co electrodes for organic-based spintronics.

Innovations in coating technology.

PubMed

Behzadi, Sharareh S; Toegel, Stefan; Viernstein, Helmut

2008-01-01

Despite representing one of the oldest pharmaceutical techniques, coating of dosage forms is still frequently used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The aims of coating range from simply masking the taste or odour of drugs to the sophisticated controlling of site and rate of drug release. The high expectations for different coating technologies have required great efforts regarding the development of reproducible and controllable production processes. Basically, improvements in coating methods have focused on particle movement, spraying systems, and air and energy transport. Thereby, homogeneous distribution of coating material and increased drying efficiency should be accomplished in order to achieve high end product quality. Moreover, given the claim of the FDA to design the end product quality already during the manufacturing process (Quality by Design), the development of analytical methods for the analysis, management and control of coating processes has attracted special attention during recent years. The present review focuses on recent patents claiming improvements in pharmaceutical coating technology and intends to first familiarize the reader with the available procedures and to subsequently explain the application of different analytical tools. Aiming to structure this comprehensive field, coating technologies are primarily divided into pan and fluidized bed coating methods. Regarding pan coating procedures, pans rotating around inclined, horizontal and vertical axes are reviewed separately. On the other hand, fluidized bed technologies are subdivided into those involving fluidized and spouted beds. Then, continuous processing techniques and improvements in spraying systems are discussed in dedicated chapters. Finally, currently used analytical methods for the understanding and management of coating processes are reviewed in detail in the last section of the review.

Demonstration of no-VOC/no-HAP wood furniture coating system

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

Huang, E.W.; Guan, R.; McCrillis, R.C.

1997-12-31

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has contracted with AeroVironment Environmental Services, Inc. and its subcontractor, Adhesive Coating Co., to develop and demonstrate a no-VOC (volatile organic compound)/no-HAP (hazardous air pollutant) wood furniture coating system. The objectives of this project are to develop a new wood coating system that is sufficiently mature for demonstration and to develop a technology transfer plan to get the product into public use. The performance characteristics of this new coating system are excellent in terms of adhesion, drying times, gloss, hardness, mar resistance, level of solvents, and stain resistance. Workshops will be held to providemore » detailed information to wood furniture manufacturers on what is required to change to the new coating system. Topics such as spray gun selection, spray techniques, coating repair procedures, drying times and procedures, and spray equipment cleaning materials and techniques will be presented. A cost analysis, including costs of materials, capital outlay, and labor will be conducted comparing costs to finish furniture with the new system to systems currently used. Film performance, coating materials cost per unit production, productivity, manufacturing changes, and emission levels will be compared in the workshops, based on data gathered during the in-plant, full scale demonstrations.« less

Hard ceramic coatings: an experimental study on a novel damping treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patsias, Sophoclis; Tassini, Nicola; Stanway, Roger

2004-07-01

This paper describes a novel damping treatment, namely hard ceramic coatings. These materials can be applied on almost any surface (internal or external) of a component. Their effect is the significant reduction of vibration levels and hence the extension of life expectancy of the component. The damping features of air-plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings (for example amplitude dependence, influence of initial amplitude) are discussed and the experimental procedure employed for testing and characterising such materials is also described. This test procedure is based around a custom-developed rig that allows one to measure the damping (internal friction) of specimens at controlled frequencies, strain amplitudes and, if required, various temperatures. A commonly used Thermal Barrier Coating, Yttria Stabilised Zirconia (8%), is used to demonstrate the above mentioned features. The damping effectiveness of this coating is then compared against two established damping treatments: polymer Free Layer Damping (FLD) and Constrained Layer Damping (CLD). The paper discusses the major issues in characterising ceramic damping coatings and their damping effectiveness when compared against the "traditional" approaches. Finally, the paper concludes with suggestions for further research.

Synthesis of polysiloxane with quaternized N-halamine moieties for antibacterial coating of polypropylene via supercritical impregnation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yong; Yu, Panwei; Feng, Chunyan; Wang, Yuyu; Han, Qiuxia; Zhang, Qiang

2017-10-01

Development of polymers with enhanced biocidal ability to coated surfaces by a simple and versatile approach is very desirable in biomaterial area. A polysiloxane containing both quaternary ammonium and N-halamine was synthesized by silane alcoholysis between poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) and 3-bromo-1-propanol, subsequent quaternization with 3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMAPDMH), and chlorination with tert-butyl hypochlorite. The quaternized N-halamine polysiloxane was impregnated into polypropylene (PP) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) and formed an antibacterial coating layer of 61 nm. The synthetic procedures and coating results were characterized using FTIR, NMR, XPS, and SEM. The polysiloxane layer showed enhanced synergetic antibacterial ability, providing a total kill of a 7-log S. aureus and E. coli within 10 min of contact. The rechargability and stability of the coating layer toward washing cycles, storage, and UV irradiation were good. This coating procedure uses environmentally benign CO2 as solvent and affords a general method to functionalize inert polymers with biocidal capability.

Leaching of biocides used in façade coatings under laboratory test conditions.

PubMed

Schoknecht, Ute; Gruycheva, Jana; Mathies, Helena; Bergmann, Hannelore; Burkhardt, Michael

2009-12-15

The European Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC requires a risk assessment concerning possible effects of active ingredients on the environment. Biocides can be leached from treated materials exposed to outdoor use. These emissions have to be estimated and evaluated during the authorization procedure. Different immersion and irrigation tests were performed to investigate leaching of biocides from façade coatings. Several marketed formulations of textured coatings and paints spiked with a mixture of commonly used active ingredients (OIT, DCOIT, IPBC, carbendazim, isoproturon, diuron, terbutryn, and Irgarol 1051) were investigated. The emission process can be described by time-dependent functions that depend on the test conditions. The results of all test procedures confirm that leachability is related to water solubility and n-octanol-water partition coefficient of the active ingredients and that leaching of biocides from façade coatings is mainly a diffusion controlled process. Other factors like the composition of the product, availability and transport of water, concentration of active ingredients in the coatings, as well as UV-exposure of the coatings influence biocide emissions.

Recent research related to prediction of stall/spin characteristics of fighter aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, L. T.; Anglin, E. L.; Gilbert, W. P.

1976-01-01

The NASA Langley Research Center is currently engaged in a stall/spin research program to provide the fundamental information and design guidelines required to predict the stall/spin characteristics of fighter aircraft. The prediction methods under study include theoretical spin prediction techniques and piloted simulation studies. The paper discusses the overall status of theoretical techniques including: (1) input data requirements, (2) math model requirements, and (3) correlation between theoretical and experimental results. The Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS) facility has been used to evaluate the spin susceptibility of several current fighters during typical air combat maneuvers and to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of automatic departure/spin prevention concepts. The evaluation procedure is described and some of the more significant results of the studies are presented.

Influence of coating steps of perovskite on low-temperature amorphous compact TiO x upon the morphology, crystallinity, and photovoltaic property correlation in planar perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahiduzzaman, Md.; Furumoto, Yoshikazu; Yamamoto, Kohei; Yonezawa, Kyosuke; Azuma, Yosuke; Kitamura, Michinori; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki; Karakawa, Makoto; Kuwabara, Takayuki; Takahashi, Kohshin; Taima, Tetsuya

2018-03-01

The fabrication of high-efficiency solution-processable perovskite solar cells has been achieved using mesostructured films and compact titanium dioxide (TiO2) layers in a process that involves high temperatures and cost. Here, we present an efficient approach for fabricating chemical-bath-deposited, low-temperature, and low-cost amorphous compact TiO x -based planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells by one-step and two-step coatings of the perovskite layer. We also investigate the effect of the number of perovskite coating steps on the compact TiO x layer. The grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering technique is used to clarify the relationship between morphology, crystallinity, and photovoltaic properties of the resulting devices. Analysis of the films revealed that one-step spin-coating of perovskite exhibited an enhancement of film quality and crystallization that correlates to photovoltaic performance 1.5 times higher than that of a two-step-coated device. Our findings show that the resulting morphology, crystallinity, and device performances are strongly dependent on the number of coating steps of the perovskite thin layer on the compact TiO x layer. This result is useful knowledge for the low-cost production of planar perovskite solar cells.

Low cost sol-gel derived SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite as anti reflection layer for enhanced performance of crystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jannat, Azmira; Lee, Woojin; Akhtar, M. Shaheer; Li, Zhen Yu; Yang, O.-Bong

2016-04-01

This paper describes the preparation, characterizations and the antireflection (AR) coating application in crystalline silicon solar cells of sol-gel derived SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite. The prepared SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite was effectively applied as AR layer on p-type Si-wafer via two step processes, where the sol-gel of precursor solution was first coated on p-type Si-wafer using spin coating at 2000 rpm and then subjected to annealing at 450 °C for 1 h. The crystalline, and structural observations revealed the existence of SiC and SiO2 phases, which noticeably confirmed the formation of SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite. The SiC-SiO2 layer on Si solar cells was found to be an excellent AR coating, exhibiting the low reflectance of 7.08% at wavelengths ranging from 400 to 1000 nm. The fabricated crystalline Si solar cell with SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite AR coating showed comparable power conversion efficiency of 16.99% to the conventional SixNx AR coated Si solar cell. New and effective sol-gel derived SiC-SiO2 AR layer would offer a promising technique to produce high performance Si solar cells with low-cost.

Tribological behavior of polytetrafluoroethylene coating reinforced with black phosphorus nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Shiguang; Guo, Yue; Xie, Guoxin; Luo, Jianbin

2018-05-01

This study compares the tribological performance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin film coating reinforced with black phosphorus (BP) or ball-milled graphite (BMG) nanoparticles, so as to elucidate their mechanism of action under reciprocating sliding test conditions. PTFE coatings with 0.5 wt.% BMG (BMG/PTFE) and 0.5 wt.% BP (BP/PTFE) were prepared on GCr15 bearing steel disk by using a spin coater. The friction and wear tests were carried out by using the ball-on-disk tribometer under a normal load of 1 N (contact pressure: 780 MPa), a frequency of 2 Hz, and 4.2 mm sliding displacement amplitude. The surface roughness, wear volume and surface morphology of the coatings were characterized by the three-dimensional white light, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector (EDX) analysis coupled with environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). It is found that BP/PTFE coating has better anti-wear and anti-friction performances than those of pure PTFE or BMG/PTFE coating. The coating with BP nanoparticles shows excellent tribological properties with the wear volume decreased from 3.52 × 106 μm3 to 1.64 × 106 μm3 and the coefficient of friction (COF) decreased from 0.117 to 0.046. More importantly, the BP layer probably expands and absorbs much energy due to its negative Poisson's ratio phenomenon under reciprocating sliding, and effectively reducing furrow and adhesive wear.

Structural, morphological and optical properties of PEDOT:PSS/QDs nano-composite films prepared by spin-casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najeeb, Mansoor Ani; Abdullah, Shahino Mah; Aziz, Fakhra; Ahmad, Zubair; Rafique, Saqib; Wageh, S.; Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A.; Sulaiman, Khaulah; Touati, Farid; Shakoor, R. A.; Al-Thani, N. J.

2016-09-01

This paper describes the structural, morphological and optical properties of the nano-composite of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and quantum dots (QDs). The ZnSe and CdSe QDs have been synthesized, with the aid of Mercaptoacetic acid (MAA), by a colloidal method with an average size of 5 to 7 nm. QDs have been embedded in PEDOT:PSS using a simple solution processing approach and has been deposited as thin films by spin coating technique. The QDs embedded PEDOT:PSS enhances the light absorption spectra of samples, prominently in terms of absorption intensity which may consequently improve sensitivity of the optoelectronic devices.

Effect of chitosan coating on the structural and magnetic properties of MnFe2O4 and Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mdlalose, W. B.; Mokhosi, S. R.; Dlamini, S.; Moyo, T.; Singh, M.

2018-05-01

We report the influence of polymer coatings on structural and magnetic properties of MnFe2O4 and Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoferrites synthesized by glycol thermal technique and then coated with chitosan viz. CHI-MnFe2O4 and CHI-Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4. The compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. The powder XRD patterns of naked nanoferrites confirmed single-phase spinel cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 13 nm, while the coated samples exhibited an average particle size of 15 nm. We observed a reduction in lattice parameters with coating. HRTEM results correlated well with XRD results. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra showed ordered magnetic spin states in both nanoferrites. This study shows that coatings have significant effects on the structural and magnetic properties of Mn-nanoferrites. Magnetization studies performed at room temperature in fields up to 14 kOe revealed the superparamagnetic nature of both naked and coated nanoparticles with spontaneous magnetizations at room temperature of 49.2 emu/g for MnFe2O4, 23.6 emu/g for coated CHI-MnFe2O4 nanoparticles, 63.2 emu/g for Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 and 33.2 emu/g for coated CHI-Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles. We observed reduction in coercive fields due to coating. Overall, chitosan-coated manganese and manganese-cobalt nanoferrites present as suitable candidates for biomedical applications owing to physicochemical, and magnetic properties exhibited.

Results from the first single cell Nb 3Sn cavity coatings at JLab

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

Eremeev, Grigory

2015-09-01

Nb 3Sn is a promising superconducting material for SRF applications and has the potential to exceed the limitations of niobium. We have used the recently commissioned Nb 3Sn coating system to investigate Nb 3Sn coatings on several single cell cavities by applying the same coating procedure on several different single cells with different history and pre-coating surface preparation. We report on our findings with four 1.5 GHz CEBAF-shape single cell and one 1.3 GHz ILC-shape single cavities that were coated, inspected, and tested.

Ceramic thermal protective coating withstands hostile environment of rotating turbine blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebert, C. H.; Stecura, S.

1975-01-01

Ceramic coatings have low thermal conductivity. They provide potential for increased engine performance, reduced fuel consumption, use of less costly materials or construction procedures, and increased life and durability.

The ferromagnetic-spin glass transition in PdMn alloys: symmetry breaking of ferromagnetism and spin glass studied by a multicanonical method.

PubMed

Kato, Tomohiko; Saita, Takahiro

2011-03-16

The magnetism of Pd(1-x)Mn(x) is investigated theoretically. A localized spin model for Mn spins that interact with short-range antiferromagnetic interactions and long-range ferromagnetic interactions via itinerant d electrons is set up, with no adjustable parameters. A multicanonical Monte Carlo simulation, combined with a procedure of symmetry breaking, is employed to discriminate between the ferromagnetic and spin glass orders. The transition temperature and the low-temperature phase are determined from the temperature variation of the specific heat and the probability distributions of the ferromagnetic order parameter and the spin glass order parameter at different concentrations. The calculation results reveal that only the ferromagnetic phase exists at x < 0.02, that only the spin glass phase exists at x > 0.04, and that the two phases coexist at intermediate concentrations. This result agrees semi-quantitatively with experimental results.

Spin density and orbital optimization in open shell systems: A rational and computationally efficient proposal

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

Giner, Emmanuel, E-mail: gnrmnl@unife.it; Angeli, Celestino, E-mail: anc@unife.it

2016-03-14

The present work describes a new method to compute accurate spin densities for open shell systems. The proposed approach follows two steps: first, it provides molecular orbitals which correctly take into account the spin delocalization; second, a proper CI treatment allows to account for the spin polarization effect while keeping a restricted formalism and avoiding spin contamination. The main idea of the optimization procedure is based on the orbital relaxation of the various charge transfer determinants responsible for the spin delocalization. The algorithm is tested and compared to other existing methods on a series of organic and inorganic open shellmore » systems. The results reported here show that the new approach (almost black-box) provides accurate spin densities at a reasonable computational cost making it suitable for a systematic study of open shell systems.« less

Studies of the Use of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to Characterize and Assess the Performance of Lacquers Used to Protect Aluminum Sheet and Can Ends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Mohammad

This study involved investigating the feasibility of using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to assess the performance of coatings used to protect aluminum in beverage containers, and developing an accelerated testing procedure. In the preliminary investigation, tests were performed to ensure that the EIS systems at hand are capable, functional and consistent. This was followed by EIS testing of kitchen-aluminum foil and high-impedance epoxy polymer as a baseline for chemically-active and chemically-inert systems. The ability of EIS to differentiate between intact and flawed coatings was tested by investigating deliberately damaged coatings. The effects of varying the pH and oxygen content on the performance of the coated aluminum samples were also tested. From this investigation, it has been concluded that EIS can be used to differentiate between intact and flawed coatings and detect corrosion before it is visually observable. Signatures of corrosion have been recorded and a preliminary testing procedure has been drawn.

Repetitive readout of a single electronic spin via quantum logic with nuclear spin ancillae.

PubMed

Jiang, L; Hodges, J S; Maze, J R; Maurer, P; Taylor, J M; Cory, D G; Hemmer, P R; Walsworth, R L; Yacoby, A; Zibrov, A S; Lukin, M D

2009-10-09

Robust measurement of single quantum bits plays a key role in the realization of quantum computation and communication as well as in quantum metrology and sensing. We have implemented a method for the improved readout of single electronic spin qubits in solid-state systems. The method makes use of quantum logic operations on a system consisting of a single electronic spin and several proximal nuclear spin ancillae in order to repetitively readout the state of the electronic spin. Using coherent manipulation of a single nitrogen vacancy center in room-temperature diamond, full quantum control of an electronic-nuclear system consisting of up to three spins was achieved. We took advantage of a single nuclear-spin memory in order to obtain a 10-fold enhancement in the signal amplitude of the electronic spin readout. We also present a two-level, concatenated procedure to improve the readout by use of a pair of nuclear spin ancillae, an important step toward the realization of robust quantum information processors using electronic- and nuclear-spin qubits. Our technique can be used to improve the sensitivity and speed of spin-based nanoscale diamond magnetometers.

HEAT TREATMENT OF ELECTROPLATED URANIUM

DOEpatents

Hoglund, P.F.

1958-07-01

A method is described for improving electroplated coatings on uranium. Such coatings are often porous, and in an effort to remedy this, the coatings are heat treated by immersing the coated specimen ln a bath of fused salt or molten methl. Since the hase metal, uranium, is an active metal, such a procedure often results in reactions between the base metal and the heating medium. This difficulty can be overcome by using liquid organopolysiloxanes as the heating medium.

Dielectric Coating Thermal Stabilization During GaAs-Based Laser Fabrication for Improved Device Yield

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-25

1 Dielectric coating thermal stabilization during GaAs-based laser fabrication for improved device yield 1 Michael K. Connors a, c), Jamal...side contact metal, underlying SiO2 dielectric coating, and semiconductor surface. A thermal-anneal procedure developed for the fabrication of GaAs...slab coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) ridge waveguide devices stabilizes the SiO2 dielectric coating, by means of outgassing and stress reduction

Frequency-Downconversion Stability of PMMA Coatings in Hybrid White Light-Emitting Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caruso, Fulvio; Mosca, Mauro; Rinella, Salvatore; Macaluso, Roberto; Calì, Claudio; Saiano, Filippo; Feltin, Eric

2016-01-01

We report on the properties of a poly(methyl methacrylate)-based coating used as a host for an organic dye in hybrid white light-emitting diodes. The device is composed by a pump source, which is a standard inorganic GaN/InGaN blue light-emitting diode (LED) emitting at around 450 nm, and a spin-coated conversion layer making use of Lumogen® F Yellow 083. Under prolonged irradiation, the coating exhibits significant bleaching, thus degrading the color rendering performance of the LED. We present experimental results that confirm that the local temperature rise of the operating diode does not affect the conversion layer. It is also proven that, during the test, the photostability of the organic dye is compromised, resulting in a chromatic shift from Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) ( x; y) coordinates (0.30;0.39) towards the color of the pump (0.15;0.04). Besides photodegradation of the dye, we address a phenomenon attributed to modification of the polymer matrix activated by the LED's blue light energy as confirmed by ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analyses. Three methods for improving the overall stability of the organic coating are presented.

Fabrication of 10 μm-scale conductive Cu patterns by selective laser sintering of Cu complex ink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Hyungsuk; Lee, Byoungyoon; Jeong, Sooncheol; Lee, Myeongkyu

2017-02-01

A Cu complex ink was synthesized using copper formate as a precursor and its potential for laser patterning was investigated. The Cu ink was spin-coated onto a substrate and the coated film was space-selectively sintered using a nanosecond-pulsed ultraviolet laser. The unexposed Cu ink could be removed from the film by rinsing it with the dispersing agent used to synthesize the ink, disclosing a conductive Cu pattern. A minimum resistivity of 8.46×10-5 Ω cm was obtained for the Cu lines with 10-20 μm widths. The feasibility of this method for metallization was demonstrated by fabricating a complex Cu electric circuit on an indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate. The selective laser sintering approach provides a simple, cost-effective alternative to conventional lithography for the production of electrode or metallization patterns.

Transfer of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) while maintaining their alignment and impalefection functionality.

PubMed

Pearce, Ryan C; Railsback, Justin G; Anderson, Bryan D; Sarac, Mehmet F; McKnight, Timothy E; Tracy, Joseph B; Melechko, Anatoli V

2013-02-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) are synthesized on Al 3003 alloy substrates by direct current plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Chemically synthesized Ni nanoparticles were used as the catalyst for growth. The Si-containing coating (SiN(x)) typically created when VACNFs are grown on silicon was produced by adding Si microparticles prior to growth. The fiber arrays were transferred to PDMS by spin coating a layer on the grown substrates, curing the PDMS, and etching away the Al in KOH. The fiber arrays contain many fibers over 15 μm (long enough to protrude from the PDMS film and penetrate cell membranes) and SiN(x) coatings as observed by SEM, EDX, and fluorescence microscopy. The free-standing array in PDMS was loaded with pVENUS-C1 plasmid and human brain microcapillary endothelial (HBMEC) cells and was successfully impalefected.

A H2-evolving photocathode based on direct sensitization of MoS3 with an organic photovoltaic cell

PubMed Central

Bourgeteau, Tiphaine; Tondelier, Denis; Geffroy, Bernard; Brisse, Romain; Laberty-Robert, Christel; Campidelli, Stéphane; de Bettignies, Rémi; Artero, Vincent; Palacin, Serge; Jousselme, Bruno

2013-01-01

An organic solar cell based on a poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT): phenyl-C61-butyric acid (PCBM) bulk hetero-junction was directly coupled with molybdenum sulfide resulting in the design of a new type of photocathode for the production of hydrogen. Both the light-harvesting system and the catalyst were deposited by low-cost solution-processed methods, i.e. spin coating and spray coating respectively. Spray-coated MoS3 films are catalytically active in strongly acidic aqueous solutions with the best efficiencies for thicknesses of 40 to 90 nm. The photocathodes display photocurrents higher than reference samples, without catalyst or without coupling with a solar cell. Analysis by gas chromatography confirms the light-induced hydrogen evolution. The addition of titanium dioxide in the MoS3 film enhances electron transport and collection within thick films and therefore the performance of the photocathode. PMID:24404434

Applying LaPO4 Phosphor via Spinning for BetaPhotovoltaic Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

problem of creating a uniform coating of phosphor on a betaphotovoltaic (BPV) device. A mixture of phosphor was applied to 3 samples ( Si , GaN, and a GaN...experiment as above on sample g3123P-2. Sample g3123P-2 was fabricated with betavoltaic devices on the surface, similar to the device structures for the

Enhancement on crystallinity property of low annealed PbTiO3 thin films for metal-insulator-metal capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurbaya, Z.; Wahid, M. H.; Rozana, M. D.; Alrokayan, S. A. H.; Khan, H. A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

This study presents the investigation on crystallinity property of PbTiO3 thin films towards metal-insulator-metal capacitor device fabrication. The preparation of the thin films utilizes sol-gel spin coating method with low annealing temperature effect. Hence, structural and electrical characterization is brought to justify the thin films consistency.

Thermomechanical Properties of Lignin-Based Electrospun Nanofibers and Films Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals: A Dynamic Mechanical and Nanoindentation Study

Treesearch

Mariko Ago; Joseph E. Jakes; Orlando J. Rojas

2013-01-01

We produced defect-free electrospun fibers from aqueous dispersions of lignin, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which were used as reinforcing nanoparticles. The thermomechanical performance of the lignin-based electrospun fibers and the spin-coated thin films was improved when they were embedded with CNCs. Isochronal dynamic mechanical...

Enhanced bulk heterojunction devices prepared by thermal and solvent vapor annealing processes

DOEpatents

Forrest, Stephen R.; Thompson, Mark E.; Wei, Guodan; Wang, Siyi

2017-09-19

A method of preparing a bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic cell through combinations of thermal and solvent vapor annealing are described. Bulk heterojunction films may prepared by known methods such as spin coating, and then exposed to one or more vaporized solvents and thermally annealed in an effort to enhance the crystalline nature of the photoactive materials.

Transferable and flexible thin film devices for engineering applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutyala, Madhu Santosh K.; Zhou, Jingzhou; Li, Xiaochun

2014-05-01

Thin film devices can be of significance for manufacturing, energy conversion systems, solid state electronics, wireless applications, etc. However, these thin film sensors/devices are normally fabricated on rigid silicon substrates, thus neither flexible nor transferrable for engineering applications. This paper reports an innovative approach to transfer polyimide (PI) embedded thin film devices, which were fabricated on glass, to thin metal foils. Thin film thermocouples (TFTCs) were fabricated on a thin PI film, which was spin coated and cured on a glass substrate. Another layer of PI film was then spin coated again on TFTC/PI and cured to obtain the embedded TFTCs. Assisted by oxygen plasma surface coarsening of the PI film on the glass substrate, the PI embedded TFTC was successfully transferred from the glass substrate to a flexible copper foil. To demonstrate the functionality of the flexible embedded thin film sensors, they were transferred to the sonotrode tip of an ultrasonic metal welding machine for in situ process monitoring. The dynamic temperatures near the sonotrode tip were effectively measured under various ultrasonic vibration amplitudes. This technique of transferring polymer embedded electronic devices onto metal foils yield great potentials for numerous engineering applications.

High-κ TiO{sub 2} thin film prepared by sol-gel spin-coating method

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

Kumar, Arvind; Mondal, Sandip; Rao, K. S. R. Koteswara, E-mail: ksrkrao@physics.iisc.ernet.in

2015-06-24

High-k TiO{sub 2} thin film on p-type silicon substrate was fabricated by a combined sol-gel and spin coating method. Thus deposited titania film had anatase phase with a small grain size of 16 nm and surface roughness of ≅ 0.6 nm. The oxide capacitance (C{sub ox}), flat band capacitance (C{sub FB}), flat band voltage (V{sub FB}), oxide trapped charge (Q{sub ot}), calculated from the high frequency (1 MHz) C-V curve were 0.47 nF, 0.16 nF, − 0.91 V, 4.7x10{sup −12} C, respectively. As compared to the previous reports, a high dielectric constant of 94 at 1 MHz frequency was observedmore » in the devices investigated here and an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) was 4.1 nm. Dispersion in accumulation capacitance shows a linear relationship with AC frequencies. Leakage current density was found in acceptable limits (2.1e-5 A/cm{sup 2} for −1 V and 5.7e-7 A/cm{sup 2} for +1 V) for CMOS applications.« less

Grating-coupled surface plasmon enhanced short-circuit current in organic thin-film photovoltaic cells.

PubMed

Baba, Akira; Aoki, Nobutaka; Shinbo, Kazunari; Kato, Keizo; Kaneko, Futao

2011-06-01

In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enhanced organic thin-film photovoltaic cells and their improved photocurrent properties. The cell consists of a grating substrate/silver/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS structure. Blu-ray disk recordable substrates are used as the diffraction grating substrates on which silver films are deposited by vacuum evaporation. P3HT:PCBM films are spin-coated on silver/grating substrates. Low conductivity PEDOT:PSS/PDADMAC layer-by-layer ultrathin films deposited on P3HT:PCBM films act as the hole transport layer, whereas high conductivity PEDOT:PSS films deposited by spin-coating act as the anode. SPR excitations are observed in the fabricated cells upon irradiation with white light. Up to a 2-fold increase in the short-circuit photocurrent is observed when the surface plasmon (SP) is excited on the silver gratings as compared to that without SP excitation. The finite-difference time-domain simulation indicates that the electric field in the P3HT:PCBM layer can be increased using the grating-coupled SP technique. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Aging effects of the precursor solutions on the properties of spin coated Ga-doped ZnO thin films

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

Serrao, Felcy Jyothi, E-mail: jyothiserrao@gmail.com; Dharmaprakash, S. M.

2015-06-24

In this study, gallium doped zinc oxide thin films (GZO) were grown on a glass substrate by a simple sol-gel process and spin coating technique using zinc acetate and gallium nitrate (3at%) as precursors for Zn and Ga ions respectively. The effects of aging time of the precursor solution on the structural and optical properties of the GZO films were investigated. The surface morphology, grain size, film thickness and optical properties of the GZO films were found to depend directly on the sol aging time. XRD studies reveal that the films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and showmore » the c-axis grain orientation. Optical transmittance spectra of all the films exhibited transmittance higher than about 82% within the visible wavelength region. A sharp fundamental absorption edge with a slight blue shifting was observed with an increase in sol aging time which can be explained by Burstein-Moss effect. The result indicates that an appropriate aging time of the sol is important for the improvement of the structural and optical properties of GZO thin films derived from sol-gel method.« less

Modulation of the operational characteristics of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors by In2O3 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Min-Jung; Lee, Tae Il; Park, Jee Ho; Kim, Jung Han; Chae, Gee Sung; Jun, Myung Chul; Hwang, Yong Kee; Baik, Hong Koo; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

2012-05-01

The structure of thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) was modified by spin coating a suspension of In2O3 nanoparticles on a SiO2/p++ Si layered wafer surface prior to the deposition of IGZO layer by room-temperature sputtering. The number of particles per unit area (surface density) of the In2O3 nanoparticles could be controlled by applying multiple spin coatings of the nanoparticle suspension. During the deposition of IGZO, the In2O3 nanoparticles initially located on the substrate surface migrated to the top of the IGZO layer indicating that they were not embedded within the IGZO layer, but they supplied In to the IGZO layer to increase the In concentration in the channel layer. As a result, the channel characteristics of the a-IGZO TFT were modulated so that the device showed an enhanced performance as compared with the reference device prepared without the nanoparticle treatment. Such an improved device performance is attributed to the nano-scale changes in the structure of (InO)n ordering assisted by increased In concentration in the amorphous channel layer.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2/SiO2 Thin Film via Sol-Gel Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halin, D. S. C.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Mahmed, N.; Malek, S. N. A. Abdul; Vizureanu, P.; Azhari, A. W.

2017-06-01

TiO2/SiO2 thin films were prepared by sol-gel spin coating method. Structural, surface morphology and optical properties were investigated for different annealing temperatures at 300°C, 400°C and 500°C. X-ray diffraction pattern show that brookite TiO2 crystalline phase with SiO2 phase presence at 300°C. At higher temperatures of 400-500°C, the only phase presence was brookite. The surface morphology of film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The films annealed at 300°C shows an agglomeration of small flaky with crack free. When the temperature of annealing increase to 400-500°C, the films with large flaky and large cracks film were formed which was due to surface tension between the film and the air during the drying process. The UV-Vis spectroscopy shows that the film exhibits a low transmittance around 30% which was due to the substrate is inhomogeneously covered by the films. In order to improve the coverage of the film on the substrate, it has to repeatable the spin coating to ensure the substrate is fully covered by the films.

Doped indium nitride thin film by sol-gel spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hui San; Ng, Sha Shiong; Yam, Fong Kwong

2017-12-01

In this study, magnesium doped indium nitride (InN:Mg) thin films grown on silicon (100) substrate were prepared via sol-gel spin coating method followed by nitridation process. A custom-made tube furnace was used to perform the nitridation process. Through this method, the low dissociation temperature issue of InN:Mg thin films can be solved. The deposited InN:Mg thin films were investigated using various techniques. The X-rays diffraction results revealed that two intense diffraction peaks correspond to wurtzite structure InN (100), and InN (101) were observed at 29° and 33.1° respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that the surface of the films exhibits densely packed grains. The elemental composition of the deposited thin films was analyzed using energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy. The detected atomic percentages for In, N, and Mg were 43.22 %, 3.28 %, and 0.61 % respectively. The Raman spectra showed two Raman- and infrared-active modes of E2 (High) and A1 (LO) of the wurtzite InN. The band gap obtained from the Tauc plot showed around 1.74 eV. Lastly, the average surface roughness measured by AFM was around 0.133 µm.

Immobilization-stabilization of proteins on nanofibrillated cellulose derivatives and their bioactive film formation.

PubMed

Arola, Suvi; Tammelin, Tekla; Setälä, Harri; Tullila, Antti; Linder, Markus B

2012-03-12

In a number of different applications for enzymes and specific binding proteins a key technology is the immobilization of these proteins to different types of supports. In this work we describe a concept for protein immobilization that is based on nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). NFC is a form of cellulose where fibers have been disintegrated into fibrils that are only a few nanometers in diameter and have a very large aspect ratio. Proteins were conjugated through three different strategies using amine, epoxy, and carboxylic acid functionalized NFC. The conjugation chemistries were chosen according to the reactive groups on the NFC derivatives; epoxy amination, heterobifunctional modification of amino groups, and EDC/s-NHS activation of carboxylic acid groups. The conjugation reactions were performed in solution and immobilization was performed by spin coating the protein-NCF conjugates. The structure of NFC was shown to be advantageous for both protein performance and stability. The use of NFC allows all covalent chemistry to be performed in solution, while the immobilization is achieved by a simple spin coating or spreading of the protein-NFC conjugates on a support. This allows more scalable methods and better control of conditions compared to the traditional methods that depend on surface reactions.

Broadband pH-Sensing Organic Transistors with Polymeric Sensing Layers Featuring Liquid Crystal Microdomains Encapsulated by Di-Block Copolymer Chains.

PubMed

Seo, Jooyeok; Song, Myeonghun; Jeong, Jaehoon; Nam, Sungho; Heo, Inseok; Park, Soo-Young; Kang, Inn-Kyu; Lee, Joon-Hyung; Kim, Hwajeong; Kim, Youngkyoo

2016-09-14

We report broadband pH-sensing organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) sensing layers. The PDLC layers are prepared by spin-coating using ethanol solutions containing 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-biphenyl (5CB) and a diblock copolymer (PAA-b-PCBOA) that consists of LC-philic block [poly(4-cyano-biphenyl-4-oxyundecyl acrylate) (PCBOA)] and acrylic acid block [poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)]. The spin-coated sensing layers feature of 5CB microdomains (<5 μm) encapsulated by the PAA-b-PCBOA polymer chains. The resulting LC-integrated-OFETs (PDLC-i-OFETs) can detect precisely and reproducibly a wide range of pH with only small amounts (10-40 μL) of analyte solutions in both static and dynamic perfusion modes. The positive drain current change is measured for acidic solutions (pH < 7), whereas basic solutions (pH > 7) result in the negative change of drain current. The drain current trend in the present PDLC-i-OFET devices is explained by the shrinking-expanding mechanism of the PAA chains in the diblock copolymer layers.

Properties-Adjustable Alumina-Zirconia Nanolaminate Dielectric Fabricated by Spin-Coating.

PubMed

Peng, Junbiao; Wei, Jinglin; Zhu, Zhennan; Ning, Honglong; Cai, Wei; Lu, Kuankuan; Yao, Rihui; Tao, Hong; Zheng, Yanqiong; Lu, Xubing

2017-11-29

In this paper, an alumina-zirconia (Al₂O₃-ZrO₂) nanolaminate dielectric was fabricated by spin-coating and the performance was investigated. It was found that the properties of the dielectric can be adjusted by changing the content of Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ in nanolaminates: when the content of Al₂O₃ was higher than 50%, the properties of nanolaminates, such as the optical energy gap, dielectric strength (V ds ), capacitance density, and relative permittivity were relatively stable, while the change of these properties became larger when the content of Al₂O₃ was less than 50%. With the content of ZrO₂ varying from 50% to 100%, the variation of these properties was up to 0.482 eV, 2.12 MV/cm, 135.35 nF/cm², and 11.64, respectively. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the dielectric strength of nanolaminates were influenced significantly by the number (n) of bilayers. Every increment of one Al₂O₃-ZrO 2 bilayer will enhance the dielectric strength by around 0.39 MV/cm (V ds ≈ 0.86 + 0.39n). This could be contributed to the amorphous alumina which interrupted the grain boundaries of zirconia.

Effect of solvents on sol-gel spin-coated nanostructured Al-doped ZnO thin films: a film for key optoelectronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, K. Deva Arun; Valanarasu, S.; Kathalingam, A.; Ganesh, V.; Shkir, Mohd.; AlFaify, S.

2017-12-01

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited by sol-gel spin coating technique onto the glass substrates using different solvents such as 2-methoxyethanol, methanol, ethanol and isopropanol. Prepared films were characterized by XRD, Raman spectrum, SEM, UV-visible spectrophotometer, photoluminescence (PL) and electrical studies. XRD studies showed that all the prepared films are hexagonal wurtzite structure with polycrystalline nature oriented along (002) direction. SEM images showed uniform particles of size around 60 nm distributed regularly on to the entire glass substrate. EDX analysis confirmed the composition of grown AZO film consisting of Al, Zn and O elements. The prepared films showed highest optical transmittance 94% in the visible range and band gap 3.30 eV. PL spectra for all AZO films showed a strong UV emission peak at 387 nm. The AZO films prepared using isopropanol solvent showed high carrier concentration and low resistivity values as 1.72 × 1020 cm-3 and 2.90 × 10-3 Ω cm, respectively, with high figure of merit ( ϕ) value 8.42 × 10-3 (Ω/sq)-1.

Assessment and formation mechanism of laser-induced periodic surface structures on polymer spin-coated films in real and reciprocal space.

PubMed

Rebollar, Esther; Pérez, Susana; Hernández, Jaime J; Martín-Fabiani, Ignacio; Rueda, Daniel R; Ezquerra, Tiberio A; Castillejo, Marta

2011-05-03

In this work we evaluate the potential of grazing incidence X-ray scattering techniques in the investigation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) in a series of strongly absorbing model spin-coated polymer films which are amorphous, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), and poly(carbonate bisphenol A), and in a weaker absorbing polymer, such as semicrystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride), over a narrow range of fluences. Irradiation was performed with pulses of 6 ns at 266 nm, and LIPSSs with period lengths similar to the laser wavelength and parallel to the laser polarization direction are formed by devitrification of the film surface at temperatures above the characteristic glass transition temperature of the polymers. No crystallization of the surface is induced by laser irradiation, and crystallinity of the material prevents LIPSS formation. The structural information obtained by both atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) correlates satisfactorily. Comparison of experimental and simulated GISAXS patterns suggests that LIPSSs can be well described considering a quasi-one-dimensional paracrystalline lattice and that irradiation parameters have an influence on the order of such a lattice.

Interparticle spacing and structural ordering in superlattice PbS nanocrystal solids undergoing ligand exchange

DOE PAGES

Weidman, Mark C.; Yager, Kevin G.; Tisdale, William A.

2014-12-12

Controlling the interparticle spacing in quantum dot (QD) thin films is the most readily accessible way to control transport rates between neighboring QDs and a critical component of device optimization. Here, we use X-ray scattering measurements to accurately measure the interparticle spacing in films of highly monodisperse lead sulfide (PbS) QDs that have undergone a variety of device-relevant ligand exchanges. We tabulate these values for use in simulations and data analysis. We find that monothiol and dithiol ligand species typically result in interparticle spacing values that are equal to the length of a single monothiol or dithiol ligand. Additionally, wemore » find that spin-coating a thick film of QDs followed by a long-duration ligand exchange results in a more complete ligand exchange than spin-coating many thin layers with short-duration ligand exchanges in between. The former method also preserves a remarkable degree of the long-range ordering that was present in the film prior to ligand exchange. These results shed light on ways to produce highly-ordered QD solids with compact and functional ligands, which could lead to enhanced interdot coupling and transport phenomena.« less

Thickness effect of nickel oxide thin films on associated solution-processed write-once-read-many-times memory devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao Lin; Liu, Zhen; Wen, Chao; Liu, Yang; Wang, Hong Zhe; Chen, T. P.; Zhang, Hai Yan

2018-06-01

With self-prepared nickel acetate based solution, NiO thin films with different thicknesses have been fabricated by spin coating followed by thermal annealing. By forming a two-terminal Ag/NiO/ITO structure on glass, write-once-read-many-times (WORM) memory devices are realized. The WORM memory behavior is based on a permanent switching from an initial high-resistance state (HRS) to an irreversible low-resistance state (LRS) under the application of a writing voltage, due to the formation of a solid bridge across Ag and ITO electrodes by conductive filaments (CFs). The memory performance is investigated as a function of the NiO film thickness, which is determined by the number of spin-coated NiO layers. For devices with 4 and 6 NiO layers, data retention up to 104 s and endurance of 103 reading operations in the measurement range have been obtained with memory window maintained above four orders for both HRS and LRS. Before and after writing, the devices show the hopping and ohmic conduction behaviors, respectively, confirming that the CF formation could be the mechanism responsible for writing in the WORM memory devices.

Spin Seebeck effect and ballistic transport of quasi-acoustic magnons in room-temperature yttrium iron garnet films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noack, Timo B.; Musiienko-Shmarova, Halyna Yu; Langner, Thomas; Heussner, Frank; Lauer, Viktor; Heinz, Björn; Bozhko, Dmytro A.; Vasyuchka, Vitaliy I.; Pomyalov, Anna; L’vov, Victor S.; Hillebrands, Burkard; Serga, Alexander A.

2018-06-01

We studied the transient behavior of the spin current generated by the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE) in a set of platinum-coated yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films of different thicknesses. The LSSE was induced by means of pulsed microwave heating of the Pt layer and the spin currents were measured electrically using the inverse spin Hall effect in the same layer. We demonstrate that the time evolution of the LSSE is determined by the evolution of the thermal gradient triggering the flux of thermal magnons in the vicinity of the YIG/Pt interface. These magnons move ballistically within the YIG film with a constant group velocity, while their number decays exponentially within an effective propagation length. The ballistic flight of the magnons with energies above 20 K is a result of their almost linear dispersion law, similar to that of acoustic phonons. By fitting the time-dependent LSSE signal for different film thicknesses varying by almost an order of magnitude, we found that the effective propagation length is practically independent of the YIG film thickness. We consider this fact as strong support of a ballistic transport scenario—the ballistic propagation of quasi-acoustic magnons in room temperature YIG.

Controlled protein adsorption on PMOXA/PAA based coatings by thermally induced immobilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumtaz, Fatima; Chen, Chaoshi; Zhu, Haikun; Pan, Chao; Wang, Yanmei

2018-05-01

In this work, poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline-random-glycidyl methacrylate) (PMOXA-r-GMA) and poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PAA-b-PGMA) copolymers were synthesized via cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline (MOXA) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) followed by their random and block copolymerization with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), respectively, and then characterized carefully. PMOXA/PAA based coatings were then prepared by simply spin coating the mixture of PMOXA-r-GMA and PAA-b-PGMA copolymer solutions onto silicon/glass substrates followed by annealing at 110 °C. The coatings were rigorously characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the static water contact angle (WCA) test, ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results demonstrated that the coating based mixed PMOXA/PAA brushes with desired surface composition could be attained by simply maintaining their percentage in the mixture of PMOXA-r-GMA and PAA-b-PGMA copolymer solutions. Finally, the switchable behavior of PMOXA/PAA based coatings toward bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption was investigated by fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled BSA (FITC-BSA) assay and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), which indicated that the coating based mixed PMOXA/PAA brushes could control BSA adsorption/desorption from very low to high amount (>90% desorption) through adjusting the composition of PMOXA-r-GMA and PAA-b-PGMA solution used in preparing PMOXA/PAA based coatings upon pH and ionic strength change. Furthermore, PMOXA/PAA based coatings displayed efficient repeatability of reversible BSA adsorption/desorption cycles.

Noise-Resilient Quantum Computing with a Nitrogen-Vacancy Center and Nuclear Spins.

PubMed

Casanova, J; Wang, Z-Y; Plenio, M B

2016-09-23

Selective control of qubits in a quantum register for the purposes of quantum information processing represents a critical challenge for dense spin ensembles in solid-state systems. Here we present a protocol that achieves a complete set of selective electron-nuclear gates and single nuclear rotations in such an ensemble in diamond facilitated by a nearby nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. The protocol suppresses internuclear interactions as well as unwanted coupling between the NV center and other spins of the ensemble to achieve quantum gate fidelities well exceeding 99%. Notably, our method can be applied to weakly coupled, distant spins representing a scalable procedure that exploits the exceptional properties of nuclear spins in diamond as robust quantum memories.

Fairness as partiality aversion: the development of procedural justice.

PubMed

Shaw, Alex; Olson, Kristina

2014-03-01

Adults and children dislike inequity-people being paid unequally for equal work. However, adults will allow inequity if the inequity is determined using an impartial procedure, indicating that they value procedural justice. It is unknown whether children value procedural justice when distributing resources. We investigated whether 5- to 8-year-old children would willingly create inequity between two recipients if they could do so using an impartial procedure. In Experiment 1, children preferred to use an impartial procedure (spinning a wheel that gave both recipients an equal chance to get a resource) over a partial procedure (spinning a wheel that gave one recipient a much better chance to get the resource). In Experiments 2 and 3, children preferred to use the same impartial procedure to assign a resource to one of two recipients, even over an option of keeping things equal by throwing the resource in the trash. Importantly, children preferred to throw the resource in the trash to uphold equality when the only other option was a partial procedure. Older children showed a stronger aversion to using partial procedures than younger children. These results suggest that children value procedural justice increasingly during middle childhood and that their fairness concerns may be more about avoiding partiality than inequity per se. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The first aluminum coating of the 3700mm primary mirror of the Devasthal Optical Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bheemireddy, Krishna Reddy; Gopinathan, Maheswar; Pant, Jayshreekar; Omar, Amitesh; Kumar, Brijesh; Uddin, Wahab; Kumar, Nirmal

2016-07-01

Initially the primary mirror of the 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope is uncoated polished zerodur glass supplied by Lytkarino Optical Glass Factory, Russia/Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems, Belgium. In order to do the aluminium coating on the primary mirror the coating plant including washing unit is installed near the telescope (extension building of telescope) by Hind High Vacuum (HHV) Bangalore, India. Magnetron sputtering technique is used for the coating. Several coating trials are done before the primary mirror coating; samples are tested for reflectivity, uniformity, adhesivity and finally commissioned. The primary mirror is cleaned, coated by ARIES. We present here a brief description of the coating plant installation, Mirror cleaning and coating procedures and the testing results of the samples.

Fabrication of broadband antireflection coating at terahertz frequency using a hot emboss method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, YunZhou; Cai, Bin; Zhu, YiMing

2014-11-01

We fabricated a terahertz anti-reflective structure on a polystylene by using a hot-embossing method. Polystylene was spin-coated onto a silicon substrate and then transformed by using a metallic mould comprising a bunch of Chinese acupuncture needles. The transformation layer yielded gradient refractive index profiles on the substrate which can reduce the surface reflection effectively. The samples were evaluated by a terahertz time-domain spectroscope. Compared with a bare silicon substrate, we observed an increase of ~30% in the transmittance. We also observed broader bandwidth properties compared with a single-layer antireflective structure. The process imposes no substrate limiting; i.e., it has great potential to be applied onto various THz devices.

Properties and Cutting Performance of TiAlSiN Coating Prepared by Cathode Arc Ion Plating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Er-Geng; Chen, Qiang; Wang, Qin-Xue; Huang, Biao

2016-06-01

TiAlSiN coating was deposited on high-speed steel (HSS) samples and cemented carbide tool inserts, respectively, by a new coating preparation procedure, and its properties and cutting performance were characterized. The coating thickness, chemical composition, microstructure morphology and mechanical properties were investigated by X-ray fluorescence measurement system, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), nanoindentation, Rockwell hardness tester and ball-on-disc tribometer. A 3D orthogonal cutting experiment model was established by DEFORM-3D to study the influences of different coating thicknesses on cutting force and temperature, and the field cutting experiment was carried out. The results show that the thickness of TiAlSiN coating is 3.14μm prepared by the 3μm preparation procedure, microhardness is 36.727GPa with the Si content of about 5.22at.% as well as good fracture toughness and adhesion strength. The TC4 and AISI 1045 cutting tool inserts with 4μm coating thickness have the minimum cutting forces of about 734.7N and 450.7N, respectively. Besides, tool inserts with a thickness of 3μm have the minimum cutting temperatures of about 510.2∘C and 230.6∘C, respectively.

Coated-Wire Ion Selective Electrodes and Their Application to the Teaching Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Charles R.; Freiser, Henry

1980-01-01

Describes the procedures for construction of a nitrate coated-wire ion selective electrode and suggests experiments for evaluation of electrode response and illustration of typical analytical applications of ion selective electrodes. (CS)

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

Thangadurai, P.; Lumelsky, Yulia; Silverstein, Michael S.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross-section specimens of PMMA in contact with gold and Si were prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) and compared with plan-view PMMA specimens prepared by a dip-coating technique. The specimens were characterized by TEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). In the cross-section specimens, the thin films of PMMA were located in a Si-PMMA-Au multilayer. Different thicknesses of PMMA films were spin-coated on the Si substrates. The thickness of the TEM specimens prepared by FIB was estimated using EELS to be 0.65 of the plasmon mean-free-path. Along the PMMA-Au interface, Au particle diffusion into the PMMAmore » was observed, and the size of the Au particles was in the range of 2-4 nm. Dip-coating of PMMA directly on Cu TEM grids resulted in thin specimens with a granular morphology, with a thickness of 0.58 of the plasmon mean-free-path. The dip-coated specimens were free from ion milling induced artifacts, and thus serve as control specimens for comparison with the cross-sectioned specimens prepared by FIB.« less

Achieving polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanotube (PDMS/CNT) composites with extremely low dielectric loss and adjustable dielectric constant by sandwich structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Benhui; Liu, Yu; He, Delong; Bai, Jinbo

2018-01-01

Sandwich-structured composites of polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanotube (PDMS/CNT) bulk between two neat PDMS thin films with different thicknesses are prepared by the spin-coating method. Taking advantage of CNT's percolation behavior, the composite keeps relatively high dielectric constant (ɛ' = 40) at a low frequency (at 100 Hz). Meanwhile, due to the existence of PDMS isolated out-layers which limits the conductivity of the composite, the composite maintains an extremely low dielectric loss (tan δ = 0.01) (at 100 Hz). Moreover, the same matrix of the out-layer and bulk can achieve excellent interfacial adhesion, and the thickness of the coating layer can be controlled by a multi-cycle way. Then, based on the experimental results, the calculation combining the percolation theory and core-shell model is used to analyze the thickness effect of the coating layer on ɛ'. The obtained relationship between the ɛ' of the composite and the thickness of the coating layer can help to optimize the sandwich structure in order to obtain the adjustable ɛ' and the extremely low tan δ.

Tongue's substance and coating recognition analysis using HSV color threshold in tongue diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarudin, Nur Diyana; Ooi, Chia Yee; Kawanabe, Tadaaki; Mi, Xiaoyu

2016-07-01

In ISO TC249 conference, tongue diagnosis has been one of the most active research and their objectifications has become significant with the help of numerous statistical and machine learning algorithm. Color information of substance or tongue body has kept valuable information regarding the state of disease and its correlation with the internal organs. In order to produce high reproducibility of color measurement analysis, tongue images have to undergo several procedures such as color correction, segmentation and tongue's substance-coating separation. This paper presents a novel method to recognize substance and coating from tongue images and eliminate the tongue coating for accurate substance color measurement for diagnosis. By utilizing Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV) color space, new color-brightness threshold parameters have been devised to improve the efficiency of tongue's substance and coating separation procedures and eliminate shadows. The algorithm offers fast processing time around 0.98 seconds for 60,000 pixels tongue image. The successful tongue's substance and coating separation rate reported is 90% compared to the labelled data verified by the practitioners. Using 300 tongue images, the substance Lab color measurement with small standard deviation had revealed the effectiveness of this proposed method in computerized tongue diagnosis system.

Electron-nuclear spin dynamics of Ga centers in GaAsN dilute nitride semiconductors probed by pump-probe spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoval-Santana, J. C.; Ibarra-Sierra, V. G.; Azaizia, S.; Carrère, H.; Bakaleinikov, L. A.; Kalevich, V. K.; Ivchenko, E. L.; Marie, X.; Amand, T.; Balocchi, A.; Kunold, A.

2018-03-01

We propose an experimental procedure to track the evolution of electronic and nuclear spins in Ga2+ centers in GaAsN dilute semiconductors. The method is based on a pump-probe scheme that enables to monitor the time evolution of the three components of the electronic and nuclear spin variables. In contrast to other characterization methods, as nuclear magnetic resonance, this one only needs moderate magnetic fields (B≈ 10 mT), and does not require microwave irradiation. Specifically, we carry out a series of tests for different experimental conditions in order to optimize the procedure for maximum sensitivity in the measurement of the circular degree of polarization. Based on previous experimental results and the theoretical calculations presented here, we estimate that the method could yield a time resolution of about 10ps.

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

PubMed Central

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-01-01

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm. PMID:29295573

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas.

PubMed

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-12-25

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 10 19 cm -3 and 24.7 cm²∙V -1 ∙s -1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

High-Performing Polycarbazole Derivatives for Efficient Solution-Processing of Organic Solar Cells in Air.

PubMed

Burgués-Ceballos, Ignasi; Hermerschmidt, Felix; Akkuratov, Alexander V; Susarova, Diana K; Troshin, Pavel A; Choulis, Stelios A

2015-12-21

The application of conjugated materials in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is usually demonstrated in lab-scale spin-coated devices that are processed under controlled inert conditions. Although this is a necessary step to prove high efficiency, testing of promising materials in air should be done in the early stages of research to validate their real potential for low-cost, solution-processed, and large-scale OPVs. Also relevant for approaching commercialization needs is the use of printing techniques that are compatible with upscaling. Here, solution processing of organic solar cells based on three new poly(2,7-carbazole) derivatives is efficiently transferred, without significant losses, to air conditions and to several deposition methods using a simple device architecture. High efficiencies in the range between 5.0 % and 6.3 % are obtained in (rigid) spin-coated, doctor-bladed, and (flexible) slot-die-coated devices, which surpass the reference devices based on poly[N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT). In contrast, inkjet printing does not provide reliable results with the presented polymers, which is attributed to their high molecular weight. When the device area in the best-performing system is increased from 9 mm(2) to 0.7 cm(2), the efficiency drops from 6.2 % to 5.0 %. Photocurrent mapping reveals inhomogeneous current generation derived from changes in the thickness of the active layer. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) materials coating evaluation, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This volume consists of Appendices C, D, E, and F to the report on the Weightless Environment Training Facility Materials Coating Evaluation project. The project selected 10 coating systems to be evaluated in six separate exposure environments, and subject to three tests for physical properties. Appendix C is the photographic appendix of the test panels. Appendix D details methods and procedures. Appendix E lists application equipment costs. Appendix F is a compilation of the solicitation of the candidate coating systems.

Sputtered protective coatings for die casting dies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mirtich, M. J.; Nieh, C.-Y.; Wallace, J. F.

1981-01-01

Three experimental research designs investigating candidate materials and processes involved in protective die surface coating procedures by sputter deposition, using ion beam technologies, are discussed. Various pre-test results show that none of the coatings remained completely intact for 15,000 test cycles. The longest lifetime was observed for coatings such as tungsten, platinum, and molybdenum which reduced thermal fatigue, but exhibited oxidation and suppressed crack initiation only as long as the coating did not fracture. Final test results confirmed earlier findings and coatings with Pt and W proved to be the candidate materials to be used on a die surface to increase die life. In the W-coated specimens, which remained intact on the surface after thermal fatigue testing, no oxidation was found under the coating, although a few cracks formed on the surface where the coating broke down. Further research is planned.

[Assisted reproductive medicine in Poland, 2011--SPiN PTG report].

PubMed

Janicka, Anna; Spaczyński, Robert Z; Kurzawa, Rafał

2014-07-01

The aim of this report is to present data concerning results and complications related to infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technology (ART) and insemination (IUI) in Poland in 2011. The report was prepared by the Fertility and Sterility Special Interest Group of the Polish Gynaecological Society (SPiN PTG), based on individual data provided by fertility clinics in Poland. Reporting was voluntary and the provided data was not subject to external control. The report presents the availability and the structure of infertility treatment services, the number of procedures performed, their effectiveness and the most common complications. In 2013, 33 Polish fertility clinics provided information to the SPiN PTG report, presenting data from the year 2011. The total number of reported treatment cycles using ART was 15,340 (incl. 10,011 IVF/ICSI procedures) and 15,627 IUI procedures. The rate of clinical pregnancies in terms of a cycle was 34.2% in case of IVF/ ICSI procedures and 13.4% in case of IUI. The prevalence of multiple births was 20.2% and 8.3% respectively in case of IVF/ICSI and IUI methods. The most frequent complication in the course of treatment using ART was ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The SPiN PTG report allows to find out the average effectiveness and safety of assisted reproduction technologies and is currently the only proof of responsibility and due diligence of fertility centres in Poland. However due to the lack of a central register of fertility clinics, facultative participation in the report as well as incomplete information on pregnancy and delivery the collected data does not reflect the full spectrum of the Polish reproductive medicine.

Proposed formation mechanism and active species of hydrogen molecules generated from a novel magnesium-citric acid-hydroxypropyl cellulose coating (MgCC) material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Shigeki; Chikuma, Toshiyuki; Chiba, Kazuyoshi; Tsuchiya, Daisuke; Hirai, Tomomitsu

2016-02-01

The presence of acids is known to accelerate the reaction (Mg + 2H2O = Mg(OH)2 + H2). We developed a novel Mg-citric acid coating (MgCC) material produced by milling Mg powder coated with hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC); because of its H2 generation, this material could be used in antioxidant therapy and antiaging applications. After milling in the presence of citric acid, this material produced H2-rich water upon addition to cooled water. Although the reaction was considered to involve a two-electron transfer from Mg to 2H2O, the role of the acid in H2 generation remains incompletely understood. To clarify the reaction mechanism, we performed studies on the deuterium kinetic isotope effects (KIE) and electron spin resonance (ESR). We observed differences in the concentration ratios, such as H2/D2 > 1 and H2/(H2 + D2 + HD) > 1, involved in H2, D2, and (H2 + D2 + HD) production, and found that adducts with hydrogen atoms (Hrad) were not obtained from the spin-trapping reaction between 5-(2, 2-Dimethyl-1,3-propoxy cyclophosphoryl)-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (CYPMPO) and the MgCC material. The H2, D2, and HD produced from MgCC were identified by using a gas chromatograph connected to a mass spectrometer. The spin-trapping techniques showed that the Hrad adducts formed by the reaction of NaBH4 with CYPMPO could not be observed from reaction of MGCC with CYPMPO in H2O. The data suggest that the rate-controlling step and proposed transition state (TS) exist in the reaction pathway of the O-H bond cleavage and H-H bond formation. A TS of a structure such as [Mg(OH2)2]∗ could be expected in the reaction pathway between Mg and 2H2O by density functional theory calculations. Also, these results show that H2 generation is accelerated in the presence of acids because the activation energy of the TS is significantly smaller than that of H2O.

Method of manufacturing fibrous hemostatic bandages

DOEpatents

Larsen, Gustavo; Spretz, Ruben; Velarde-Ortiz, Raffet

2012-09-04

A method of manufacturing a sturdy and pliable fibrous hemostatic dressing by making fibers that maximally expose surface area per unit weight of active ingredients as a means for aiding in the clot forming process and as a means of minimizing waste of active ingredients. The method uses a rotating object to spin off a liquid biocompatible fiber precursor, which is added at its center. Fibers formed then deposit on a collector located at a distance from the rotating object creating a fiber layer on the collector. An electrical potential difference is maintained between the rotating disk and the collector. Then, a liquid procoagulation species is introduced at the center of the rotating disk such that it spins off the rotating disk and coats the fibers.

Giant spin splitting in optically active ZnMnTe/ZnMgTe core/shell nanowires.

PubMed

Wojnar, Piotr; Janik, Elżbieta; Baczewski, Lech T; Kret, Sławomir; Dynowska, Elżbieta; Wojciechowski, Tomasz; Suffczyński, Jan; Papierska, Joanna; Kossacki, Piotr; Karczewski, Grzegorz; Kossut, Jacek; Wojtowicz, Tomasz

2012-07-11

An enhancement of the Zeeman splitting as a result of the incorporation of paramagnetic Mn ions in ZnMnTe/ZnMgTe core/shell nanowires is reported. The studied structures are grown by gold-catalyst assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The near band edge emission of these structures, conspicuously absent in the case of uncoated ZnMnTe nanowires, is activated by the presence of ZnMgTe coating. Giant Zeeman splitting of this emission is studied in ensembles of nanowires with various average Mn concentrations of the order of a few percent, as well as in individual nanowires. Thus, we show convincingly that a strong spin sp-d coupling is indeed present in these structures.

Nondegenerate valleys in the half-metallic ferromagnet Fe/WS 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messaoudi, Omar; Ibañez-Azpiroz, Julen; Bouzar, Hamid; Lounis, Samir

2018-01-01

We present a first-principles investigation of the electronic properties of monolayer WS2 coated with an overlayer of Fe. Our ab initio calculations reveal that the system is a half-metallic ferromagnet with a gap of ˜1 eV for the majority spin channel. Furthermore, the combined effect of time-reversal symmetry breaking due to the magnetic Fe overlayer and the large spin-orbit coupling induced by W gives rise to nondegenerate K and K' valleys. This has a tremendous impact on the excited-state properties induced by externally applied circularly polarized light. Our analysis demonstrates that the latter induces a singular hot-spot structure of the transition probability around the K and K' valleys for right and left circular polarization, respectively. We trace back the emergence of this remarkable effect to the strong momentum dependent spin-noncollinearity of the valence band involved. As a main consequence, a strong valley-selective magnetic circular dichroism is obtained, making this system a prime candidate for spintronics and photonics applications.

Preliminary evaluation of an aqueous wax emulsion for controlled-release coating.

PubMed

Walia, P S; Stout, P J; Turton, R

1998-02-01

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of an aqueous carnauba wax emulsion (Primafresh HS, Johnson Wax) in a spray-coating process. This involved assessing the effectiveness of the wax in sustaining the release of the drug, theophylline. Second, the process by which the drug was released from the wax-coated pellets was modeled. Finally, a method to determine the optimum blend of pellets with different wax thicknesses, in order to yield a zero-order release profile of the drug, was addressed. Nonpareil pellets were loaded with theophylline using a novel powder coating technique. These drug-loaded pellets were then coated with different levels of carnauba wax in a 6-in. diameter Plexiglas fluid bed with a 3.5-in. diameter Wurster partition. Drug release was measured using a spin-filter dissolution device. The study resulted in continuous carnauba wax coatings which showed sustained drug release profile characteristics typical of a barrier-type, diffusion-controlled system. The effect of varying wax thickness on the release profiles was investigated. It was observed that very high wax loadings would be required to achieve long sustained-release times. The diffusion model, developed to predict the release of the drug, showed good agreement with the experimental data. However, the data exhibited an initial lag-time for drug release which could not be predicted a priori based on the wax coating thickness. A method of mixing pellets with different wax thicknesses was proposed as a way to approximate zero-order release.

Super-hydrophobic multilayer coatings with layer number tuned swapping in surface wettability and redox catalytic anti-corrosion application.

PubMed

Syed, Junaid Ali; Tang, Shaochun; Meng, Xiangkang

2017-06-30

The wetting characteristic of a metal surface can be controlled by employing different coating materials and external stimuli, however, layer number (n) modulated surface swapping between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity in a multilayer structure to achieve prolonged anti-corrosion ability was not taken into consideration. In this study, we proposed a layer-by-layer (LbL) spin assembled polyaniline-silica composite/tetramethylsilane functionalized silica nanoparticles (PSC/TMS-SiO 2 ) coating with the combined effect of super-hydrophobicity and enhanced anti-corrosion ability. Interestingly, the hierarchical integration of two coating materials with inherently different surface roughness and energy in a multilayer structure allows the wetting feature to swap from hydrophobic to hydrophilic state by modulating n with decreasing hydrophilicity. The samples with odd n (TMS-SiO 2 surface) are hydrophobic while the samples with even n (PSC surface) exhibits the hydrophilic character. The TMS-SiO 2 content was optimized to achieve super-hydrophobic coating with significantly high water contact angle (CA) 153° ± 2° and small sliding angle (SA) 6° ± 2°. Beside its self-cleaning behavior, the electro-active PSC/TMS-SiO 2 coating also exhibits remarkably enhanced corrosion resistance against aggressive media. The corrosion resistance of the coating was remained stable even after 240 h of exposure, this enhancement is attributed to super-hydrophobicity and anodic shift in corrosion potential.

Implementation and Development of the Incremental Hole Drilling Method for the Measurement of Residual Stress in Thermal Spray Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valente, T.; Bartuli, C.; Sebastiani, M.; Loreto, A.

2005-12-01

The experimental measurement of residual stresses originating within thick coatings deposited by thermal spray on solid substrates plays a role of fundamental relevance in the preliminary stages of coating design and process parameters optimization. The hole-drilling method is a versatile and widely used technique for the experimental determination of residual stress in the most superficial layers of a solid body. The consolidated procedure, however, can only be implemented for metallic bulk materials or for homogeneous, linear elastic, and isotropic materials. The main objective of the present investigation was to adapt the experimental method to the measurement of stress fields built up in ceramic coatings/metallic bonding layers structures manufactured by plasma spray deposition. A finite element calculation procedure was implemented to identify the calibration coefficients necessary to take into account the elastic modulus discontinuities that characterize the layered structure through its thickness. Experimental adjustments were then proposed to overcome problems related to the low thermal conductivity of the coatings. The number of calculation steps and experimental drilling steps were finally optimized.

Pulsed sonication for alumina coatings on high-capacity oxides: Performance in lithium-ion cells

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

Pol, Vilas G.; Li, Yan; Dogan, Fulya

2014-07-01

High-capacity xLi2MnO3•(1-x)LiMO2 (M=Ni, Mn, Co) oxides show relatively rapid performance degradation when cycled at voltages >4.5V vs. Li/Li+. Previous research has indicated that modifying the oxide surfaces with coatings, such as alumina, reduces cell impedance rise and improves capacity retention. In this article, we demonstrate pulsed-sonication as a rapid and effective approach for coating alumina on Li1.2Ni0.175Mn0.525Co0.1O2 (0.5Li2MnO3•0.5LiNi0.44Mn0.31Co0.25O2) particles. Oxide integrity and morphology is maintained after the sonochemical process and subsequent heat-treatment. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) X-ray elemental maps show uniform coating of all secondary particles. 27Al Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) NMR data confirm the presence of alumina and mainlymore » indicate octahedral aluminum occupancy in a six-coordinate environment with oxygen. Full cells containing electrodes with the alumina-coated particles demonstrate lower initial impedance rise and better capacity retention during extended cycling to high voltages. However, the coating has a negligible effect on the voltage hysteresis and voltage fade behavior displayed by these oxides. The various data indicate that the pulsed sonochemical technique is a viable approach for coating oxide particles. The methodology described herein can easily be extended beyond alumina to include coatings such as AlF3, MgO, and MgF2.« less

Development of nitroxide radicals-containing polymer for scavenging reactive oxygen species from cigarette smoke

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshitomi, Toru; Kuramochi, Kazuhiro; Binh Vong, Long; Nagasaki, Yukio

2014-06-01

We developed a nitroxide radicals-containing polymer (NRP), which is composed of poly(4-methylstyrene) possessing nitroxide radicals as a side chain via amine linkage, to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) from cigarette smoke. In this study, the NRP was coated onto cigarette filters and its ROS-scavenging activity from streaming cigarette smoke was evaluated. The intensity of electron spin resonance signals of the NRP in the filter decreased after exposure to cigarette smoke, indicating consumption of nitroxide radicals. To evaluate the ROS-scavenging activity of the NRP-coated filter, the amount of peroxy radicals in an extract of cigarette smoke was measured using UV-visible spectrophotometry and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The absorbance of DPPH at 517 nm decreased with exposure to cigarette smoke. When NRP-coated filters were used, the decrease in the absorbance of DPPH was prevented. In contrast, both poly[4-(cyclohexylamino)methylstyrene]- and poly(acrylic acid)-coated filters, which have no nitroxide radical, did not show any effect, indicating that the nitroxide radicals in the NRP scavenge the ROS in cigarette smoke. As a result, the extract of cigarette smoke passed through the NRP-coated filter has a lower cellular toxicity than smoke passed through poly[4-(cyclohexylamino)methylstyrene]- and poly(acrylic acid)-coated filters. Accordingly, NRP is a promising material for ROS scavenging from cigarette smoke.

Oxygen diffusion barrier coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unnam, Jalaiah (Inventor); Clark, Ronald K. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A method for coating a titanium panel or foil with aluminum and amorphous silicon to provide an oxygen barrier abrogating oxidation of the substrate metal is developed. The process is accomplished with known inexpensive procedures common in materials research laboratories, i.e., electron beam deposition and sputtering. The procedures are conductive to treating foil gage titanium and result in submicron layers which virtually add no weight to the titanium. There are no costly heating steps. The coatings blend with the substrate titanium until separate mechanical properties are subsumed by those of the substrate without cracking or spallation. This method appreciably increases the ability of titanium to mechanically perform in high thermal environments such as those witnessed on structures of space vehicles during re-entry

Improvements in Boron Plate Coating Technology for Higher Efficiency Neutron Detection and Coincidence Counting Error Reduction

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

Menlove, Howard Olsen; Henzlova, Daniela

This informal report presents the measurement data and information to document the performance of the advanced Precision Data Technology, Inc. (PDT) sealed cell boron-10 plate neutron detector that makes use of the advanced coating materials and procedures. In 2015, PDT changed the boron coating materials and application procedures to significantly increase the efficiency of their basic corrugated plate detector performance. A prototype sealed cell unit was supplied to LANL for testing and comparison with prior detector cells. Also, LANL had reference detector slabs from the original neutron collar (UNCL) and the new Antech UNCL with the removable 3He tubes. Themore » comparison data is presented in this report.« less

Study on Platinum Coating Depth in Focused Ion Beam Diamond Cutting Tool Milling and Methods for Removing Platinum Layer.

PubMed

Choi, Woong Kirl; Baek, Seung Yub

2015-09-22

In recent years, nanomachining has attracted increasing attention in advanced manufacturing science and technologies as a value-added processes to control material structures, components, devices, and nanoscale systems. To make sub-micro patterns on these products, micro/nanoscale single-crystal diamond cutting tools are essential. Popular non-contact methods for the macro/micro processing of diamond composites are pulsed laser ablation (PLA) and electric discharge machining (EDM). However, for manufacturing nanoscale diamond tools, these machining methods are not appropriate. Despite diamond's extreme physical properties, diamond can be micro/nano machined relatively easily using a focused ion beam (FIB) technique. In the FIB milling process, the surface properties of the diamond cutting tool is affected by the amorphous damage layer caused by the FIB gallium ion collision and implantation and these influence the diamond cutting tool edge sharpness and increase the processing procedures. To protect the diamond substrate, a protection layer-platinum (Pt) coating is essential in diamond FIB milling. In this study, the depth of Pt coating layer which could decrease process-induced damage during FIB fabrication is investigated, along with methods for removing the Pt coating layer on diamond tools. The optimum Pt coating depth has been confirmed, which is very important for maintaining cutting tool edge sharpness and decreasing processing procedures. The ultra-precision grinding method and etching with aqua regia method have been investigated for removing the Pt coating layer. Experimental results show that when the diamond cutting tool width is bigger than 500 nm, ultra-precision grinding method is appropriate for removing Pt coating layer on diamond tool. However, the ultra-precision grinding method is not recommended for removing the Pt coating layer when the cutting tool width is smaller than 500 nm, because the possibility that the diamond cutting tool is damaged by the grinding process will be increased. Despite the etching method requiring more procedures to remove the Pt coating layer after FIB milling, it is a feasible method for diamond tools with under 500 nm width.

Hydroxyapatite, fluor-hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite produced via the sol-gel method: bonding to titanium and scanning electron microscopy.

PubMed

Tredwin, Christopher J; Georgiou, George; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

2013-05-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA), fluor-hydroxyapatite (FHA) with varying levels of fluoride ion substitution and fluorapatite (FA) production has been characterised and optimised by the sol-gel method and the dissolution and biological properties of these materials were investigated. It was the objective of this study to investigate the potential bond strength and interaction of these materials with titanium. HA, FHA and FA were synthesised by a sol-gel method. Calcium nitrate and triethyl phosphite were used as precursors under an ethanol-water based solution. Different amounts of ammonium fluoride (NH4F) were incorporated for the preparation of the FHA and FA sol-gels. Using a spin coating technique the sol-gels were coated onto commercially pure titanium disks and crystallised at various temperatures. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis, the surface characteristics, coating thickness and interaction of the Ti substrate and coating were investigated. The bond strengths of the coating to the Ti were investigated using an Instron Universal Load Testing Machine. Statistical analysis was performed with a two-way analysis of variance and post hoc testing with a Bonferroni correction. (1) Coating speed inversely influenced the coating thickness. (2) Increasing fluoride ion substitution and heating temperature significantly increased bond strength and (3) increasing fluoride ion substitution increased the coating thickness. FHA and FA synthesised using the sol-gel technique may offer a superior alternative to coating titanium implants with HA and plasma spraying. HA, FHA and FA materials synthesised by the sol-gel method may also have a use as bone grafting materials. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-vitro bioactivity, biocorrosion and antibacterial activity of silicon integrated hydroxyapatite/chitosan composite coating on 316 L stainless steel implants.

PubMed

Sutha, S; Kavitha, K; Karunakaran, G; Rajendran, V

2013-10-01

A simple and effective ultrasonication method was applied for the preparation of 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.6 wt% silicon substituted hydroxyapatite (HAp) (SH). The Ca/P ratio of the synthesised SH nanoparticles were in the range of 1.58-1.70. Morphological changes were noticed in HAp with respect to the amount of Si from 0 to 1.6 wt%. The morphology of the particles changed from spherical shape to rod-like morphology with respect to the amount of Si which was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the formation of phase pure SH nanoparticles without any secondary phase. Chitosan (CTS) blended SH nanocomposites coating on surgical grade 316 L stainless steel (316 L SS) implant was made by spin coating technique. The surface of the coated implant was characterised using scanning electron microscopy which confirms the uniform coating without cracks and pores. The increased corrosion resistance of the 1.6 wt% of SH/CTS-coated SS implant in the simulated body fluid (SBF) indicates the long-term biostability of SH composite-coated ceramics in vitro than the 0 wt% SH/CTS. The testing of SH/CTS nanocomposites with gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains confirms that the antibacterial ability improves with the higher substitution of Si. In addition, formation of bone-like apatite layer on the SH/CTS-coated implant in SBF was studied through SEM analysis and it confirms the ability to increase the HAp formation on the surface of 1.0 wt% SH/CTS-coated 316 L SS implant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High temperature barrier coatings for refractory metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malone, G. A.; Walech, T.

1995-01-01

Improvements in high temperature oxidation resistant metal coating technology will allow NASA and commercial entities to develop competitive civil space transport and communication systems. The success of investigations completed in this program will have a positive impact on broadening the technology base for high temperature materials. The work reported herein describes processes and procedures for successfully depositing coherent oxidation barrier coatings on refractory metals to prevent degradation under very severe operating environments. Application of the new technology developed is now being utilized in numerous Phase 3 applications through several prominent aerospace firms. Major achievements have included: (1) development of means to deposit thick platinum and rhodium coatings with lower stress and fewer microcracks than could be previously achieved; (2) development of processes to deposit thick adherent coatings of platinum group metals on refractory substrates that remain bonded through high temperature excursions and without need for intermediate coatings (bonding processes unique to specific refractory metals and alloys have been defined; (3) demonstration that useful alloys of refractory and platinum coatings can be made through thermal diffusion means; (4) demonstration that selected barrier coatings on refractory substrates can withstand severe oxidizing environments in the range of 1260 deg and 1760 deg C for long time periods essential to the life requirements of the hardware; and (5) successful application of the processes and procedures to prototype hardware. The results of these studies have been instrumental in improved thermal oxidation barrier coatings for the NASP propulsion system. Other Phase 3 applications currently being exploited include small uncooled thrusters for spacecraft and microsatellite maneuvering systems.

Covariant spinor representation of iosp(d,2/2) and quantization of the spinning relativistic particle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, P. D.; Corney, S. P.; Tsohantjis, I.

1999-12-01

A covariant spinor representation of iosp(d,2/2) is constructed for the quantization of the spinning relativistic particle. It is found that, with appropriately defined wavefunctions, this representation can be identified with the state space arising from the canonical extended BFV-BRST quantization of the spinning particle with admissible gauge fixing conditions after a contraction procedure. For this model, the cohomological determination of physical states can thus be obtained purely from the representation theory of the iosp(d,2/2) algebra.

Dealing with correlated choices: how a spin-glass model can help political parties select their policies.

PubMed

Moore, M A; Katzgraber, Helmut G

2014-10-01

Starting from preferences on N proposed policies obtained via questionnaires from a sample of the electorate, an Ising spin-glass model in a field can be constructed from which a political party could find the subset of the proposed policies which would maximize its appeal, form a coherent choice in the eyes of the electorate, and have maximum overlap with the party's existing policies. We illustrate the application of the procedure by simulations of a spin glass in a random field on scale-free networks.

Evaluation of copper ion of antibacterial effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Helicobacter pylori and optical, mechanical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Hwan; Choi, Yu-ri; Kim, Kwang-Mahn; Choi, Se-Young

2012-02-01

Antibacterial effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Helicobacter pylori of copper ion was researched. Also, additional effects of copper ion coating on optical and mechanical properties were researched as well. Copper ion was coated on glass substrate as a thin film to prevent bacteria from growing. Cupric nitrate was used as precursors for copper ion. The copper ion contained sol was deposited by spin coating process on glass substrate. Then, the deposited substrates were heat treated at the temperature range between 200 °C and 250 °C. The thickness of deposited copper layer on the surface was 63 nm. The antibacterial effect of copper ion coated glass on P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium and H. pylori demonstrated excellent effect compared with parent glass. Copper ion contained layer on glass showed a similar value of transmittance compared with value of parent glass. The 3-point bending strength and Vickers hardness were 209.2 MPa, 540.9 kg/mm2 which were about 1.5% and 1.3% higher than the value of parent glass. From these findings, it is clear that copper ion coating on glass substrate showed outstanding effect not only in antibacterial activity but also in optical and mechanical properties as well.

Construction of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/ZnO nanorods/Ag nanoparticles hybrid coating on Ti implants for enhanced antibacterial activity and biocompatibility.

PubMed

Xiang, Yiming; Li, Jun; Liu, Xiangmei; Cui, Zhenduo; Yang, Xianjin; Yeung, K W K; Pan, Haobo; Wu, Shuilin

2017-10-01

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/Ag/ZnO nanorods coating were successfully prepared on the surface of Ti metallic implants using a hydrothermal method and subsequent spin-coating of mixtures of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and silver nanoparticles. The poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/Ag/ZnO nanorods coating exhibited excellent antibacterial efficacy of over 96% against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli when the initial content of Ag nanoparticles was over 3wt%. In addition, the release of both silver and zinc could last for over a hundred days due to the enwrapping of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid). Proliferation of mouse calvarial cells exhibited minimal cytotoxicity on the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/Ag/ZnO coating with an initial content of Ag nanoparticles of 1wt% and 3wt%, while it inhibited cell proliferation once this value was increased to 6wt%. The results revealed that this poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/Ag/ZnO composite could provide a long-lasting antibacterial approach and good cytocompatibility, thus exhibiting considerable potential for biomedical application in orthopedic and dental implants with excellent self-antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biodegradable polymer for sealing porous PEO layer on pure magnesium: An in vitro degradation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alabbasi, Alyaa; Mehjabeen, Afrin; Kannan, M. Bobby; Ye, Qingsong; Blawert, Carsten

2014-05-01

An attempt was made to seal the porous silicate-based plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) layer on pure magnesium (Mg) with a biodegradable polymer, poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), to delay the localized degradation of magnesium-based implants in body fluid for better in-service mechanical integrity. Firstly, a silicate-based PEO coating on pure magnesium was performed using a pulsed constant current method. In order to seal the pores in the PEO layer, PLLA was coated using a two-step spin coating method. The performance of the PEO-PLLA Mg was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. The EIS results showed that the polarization resistance (Rp) of the PEO-PLLA Mg was close to two orders of magnitude higher than that of the PEO Mg. While the corrosion current density (icorr) of the pure Mg was reduced by 65% with the PEO coating, the PEO-PLLA coating reduced the icorr by almost 100%. As expected, the Rp of the PEO-PLLA Mg decreased with increase in exposure time. However, it was noted that the Rp of the PEO-PLLA Mg even after 100 h was six times higher than that of the PEO Mg after 48 h exposure, and did not show any visible localized attack.

Spin-Dependent Transport through Chiral Molecules Studied by Spin-Dependent Electrochemistry

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Conspectus Molecular spintronics (spin + electronics), which aims to exploit both the spin degree of freedom and the electron charge in molecular devices, has recently received massive attention. Our recent experiments on molecular spintronics employ chiral molecules which have the unexpected property of acting as spin filters, by way of an effect we call “chiral-induced spin selectivity” (CISS). In this Account, we discuss new types of spin-dependent electrochemistry measurements and their use to probe the spin-dependent charge transport properties of nonmagnetic chiral conductive polymers and biomolecules, such as oligopeptides, L/D cysteine, cytochrome c, bacteriorhodopsin (bR), and oligopeptide-CdSe nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid structures. Spin-dependent electrochemical measurements were carried out by employing ferromagnetic electrodes modified with chiral molecules used as the working electrode. Redox probes were used either in solution or when directly attached to the ferromagnetic electrodes. During the electrochemical measurements, the ferromagnetic electrode was magnetized either with its magnetic moment pointing “UP” or “DOWN” using a permanent magnet (H = 0.5 T), placed underneath the chemically modified ferromagnetic electrodes. The spin polarization of the current was found to be in the range of 5–30%, even in the case of small chiral molecules. Chiral films of the l- and d-cysteine tethered with a redox-active dye, toludin blue O, show spin polarizarion that depends on the chirality. Because the nickel electrodes are susceptible to corrosion, we explored the effect of coating them with a thin gold overlayer. The effect of the gold layer on the spin polarization of the electrons ejected from the electrode was investigated. In addition, the role of the structure of the protein on the spin selective transport was also studied as a function of bias voltage and the effect of protein denaturation was revealed. In addition to “dark” measurements, we also describe photoelectrochemical measurements in which light is used to affect the spin selective electron transport through the chiral molecules. We describe how the excitation of a chromophore (such as CdSe nanoparticles), which is attached to a chiral working electrode, can flip the preferred spin orientation of the photocurrent, when measured under the identical conditions. Thus, chirality-induced spin polarization, when combined with light and magnetic field effects, opens new avenues for the study of the spin transport properties of chiral molecules and biomolecules and for creating new types of spintronic devices in which light and molecular chirality provide new functions and properties. PMID:27797176

Molecular Adsorber Coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2011-01-01

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

7 CFR 201.51b - Purity procedures for coated seed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....51b Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED...) and (2), and weighed in grams to four significant figures. (b) Any loose coating material shall be...

Quantum group spin nets: Refinement limit and relation to spin foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittrich, Bianca; Martin-Benito, Mercedes; Steinhaus, Sebastian

2014-07-01

So far spin foam models are hardly understood beyond a few of their basic building blocks. To make progress on this question, we define analogue spin foam models, so-called "spin nets," for quantum groups SU(2)k and examine their effective continuum dynamics via tensor network renormalization. In the refinement limit of this coarse-graining procedure, we find a vast nontrivial fixed-point structure beyond the degenerate and the BF phase. In comparison to previous work, we use fixed-point intertwiners, inspired by Reisenberger's construction principle [M. P. Reisenberger, J. Math. Phys. (N.Y.) 40, 2046 (1999)] and the recent work [B. Dittrich and W. Kaminski, arXiv:1311.1798], as the initial parametrization. In this new parametrization fine-tuning is not required in order to flow to these new fixed points. Encouragingly, each fixed point has an associated extended phase, which allows for the study of phase transitions in the future. Finally we also present an interpretation of spin nets in terms of melonic spin foams. The coarse-graining flow of spin nets can thus be interpreted as describing the effective coupling between two spin foam vertices or space time atoms.

Influence of baking method and baking temperature on the optical properties of ZnO thin films

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

Ng, Zi-Neng; Chan, Kah-Yoong

In this work, sol-gel spin coating technique was utilised to coat ZnO thin films on glass substrates. During the intermediate 3 minutes baking process, either hotplate or convection oven was employed to bake the samples. The temperature for the baking process was varied from 150°C to 300°C for both instruments. Avantes Optical Spectrophotometer was used to characterise the optical property. The optical transmittances of hotplate-baked and oven-baked samples showed different trends with increasing baking temperatures, ranging from below 50% transmittance to over 90% transmittance in the visible range of wavelength. The difference in baking mechanisms using hotplate and convection ovenmore » will be discussed in this paper.« less

Influence of baking method and baking temperature on the optical properties of ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Zi-Neng; Chan, Kah-Yoong

2015-04-01

In this work, sol-gel spin coating technique was utilised to coat ZnO thin films on glass substrates. During the intermediate 3 minutes baking process, either hotplate or convection oven was employed to bake the samples. The temperature for the baking process was varied from 150°C to 300°C for both instruments. Avantes Optical Spectrophotometer was used to characterise the optical property. The optical transmittances of hotplate-baked and oven-baked samples showed different trends with increasing baking temperatures, ranging from below 50% transmittance to over 90% transmittance in the visible range of wavelength. The difference in baking mechanisms using hotplate and convection oven will be discussed in this paper.

Influence of humidity on CO2 gas sensors based on polyetherimide polymer film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Ting; Xie, Guangzhong; Zhou, Yong; Xie, Tao; Tai, Huiling

2014-09-01

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) coated with polyetherimide (PEI) by spin coating method was applied for carbon dioxide (CO2) gas detection at room temperature in this study. The experiments were performed in dry and humid air atmospheres, and the results revealed that the prepared CO2 sensor in moisture circumstance exhibited a larger sensing response than that at dry condition. An enhanced sensing response took place for CO2 detection with the existence of water molecules. The effect of different humidity on QCM sensor performances was investigated as well in this paper. A curve, which displayed a proportional relationship between sensing response and water vapor concentration, was obtained. Moreover, the relevant sensing mechanisms were investigated.

Nanocrystal floating gate memory with solution-processed indium-zinc-tin-oxide channel and colloidal silver nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Quanli; Ha, Sang-Hyub; Lee, Hyun Ho; Yoon, Tae-Sik

2011-12-01

A nanocrystal (NC) floating gate memory with solution-processed indium-zinc-tin-oxide (IZTO) channel and silver (Ag) NCs embedded in thin gate dielectric layer (SiO2(30 nm)/Al2O3(3 nm)) was fabricated. Both the IZTO channel and colloidal Ag NC layers were prepared by spin-coating and subsequent annealing, and dip-coating process, respectively. A threshold voltage shift up to ~0.9 V, corresponding to the electron density of 6.5 × 1011 cm-2, at gate pulsing <=10 V was achieved by the charging of high density NCs. These results present the successful non-volatile memory characteristics of an oxide-semiconductor transistor fabricated through solution processes.

40 CFR 63.786 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 63.786...) National Emission Standards for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair (Surface Coating) § 63.786 Test methods and procedures. (a) For the compliance procedures described in § 63.785(c) (1) through (c)(3), Method 24 of 40...

Treatment of benign biliary leaks with transhepatic placement of coated self-expanding metallic stents.

PubMed

Páramo, M; García-Barquín, P; Carrillo, M; Millor Muruzábal, M; Vivas, I; Bilbao, J I

To analyze the safety and efficacy of percutaneous placement of coated self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) in patients with biliary leaks. This ethics committee at our center approved this study. We retrospectively reviewed all coated SEMS placed between October 2008 and September 2015. We analyzed patient-related factors such as the primary underlying disease, prior hepatic procedures, and clinical outcome. We evaluated the location, the number and type of leak (anastomotic or non-anastomotic), and the characteristics of the interventional procedure (number of stents deployed, location of the stents, technical success, and primary functionality). We recorded the complications registered. We studied 14 patients (11 men and 3 women). The mean follow-up period was 375.5 days (range 15-1920 days). Leaks were postsurgical in 12 patients. One patient developed an arteriobilioportal fistula. In another, the biliary leak occurred secondary to the rupture of the common bile duct after ERCP. A total of 23 coated SEMS were placed, including 21 Fluency ® stents (Bard, Tempe, AZ, USA) and 2 Wallflex ® stents (Boston Scientific, Galway, Republic of Ireland). The technical success of the procedure was considered total in 11 (78.6%) patients, partial in 2 (14.3%) patients, and null in 1 (7.2%) patient. The clinical outcome was good in 13 of the 14 patients. The mean period of primary functionality of the coated SEMS was 331 days (range 15-1920 days). No major complications were observed in 11 (78.6%) patients. Percutaneous placement of coated SEMS for the treatment of benign biliary leaks is safe and efficacious, with a high rate of technical and clinical success and a moderate rate of complications. Copyright © 2016 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effective doses in children: association with common complex imaging techniques used during interventional radiology procedures.

PubMed

Lai, Priscilla; McNeil, Sarah M; Gordon, Christopher L; Connolly, Bairbre L

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the range of effective doses associated with imaging techniques used during interventional radiology procedures on children. A pediatric phantom set (1, 5, and 10 years) coupled with high-sensitivity metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters was used to calculate effective doses. Twenty MOSFETs were inserted into each phantom at radiosensitive organ locations. The phantoms were exposed to mock head, chest, and abdominal interventional radiology procedures performed with different geometries and magnifications. Fluoroscopy, digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and spin angiography were simulated on each phantom. Road mapping was conducted only on the 5-year-old phantom. International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 103 tissue weights were applied to the organ doses recorded with the MOSFETs to determine effective dose. For easy application to clinical cases, doses were normalized per minute of fluoroscopy and per 10 frames of DSA or spin angiography. Effective doses from DSA, angiography, and fluoroscopy were higher for younger ages because of magnification use and were largest for abdominal procedures. DSA of the head, chest, and abdomen (normalized per 10 frames) imparted doses 2-3 times as high as corresponding doses per minute of fluoroscopy while all other factors remained unchanged (age, projection, collimation, magnification). Three to five frames of DSA imparted an effective dose equal to doses from 1 minute of fluoroscopy. Doses from spin angiography were almost one-half the doses received from an equivalent number of frames of DSA. Patient effective doses during interventional procedures vary substantially depending on procedure type but tend to be higher because of magnification use in younger children and higher in the abdomen.

Small Optics Laser Damage Test Procedure

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

Wolfe, Justin

2017-10-19

This specification defines the requirements and procedure for laser damage testing of coatings and bare surfaces designated for small optics in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

Coherent control with optical pulses for deterministic spin-photon entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truex, Katherine; Webster, L. A.; Duan, L.-M.; Sham, L. J.; Steel, D. G.

2013-11-01

We present a procedure for the optical coherent control of quantum bits within a quantum dot spin-exciton system, as a preliminary step to implementing a proposal by Yao, Liu, and Sham [Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.95.030504 95, 030504 (2005)] for deterministic spin-photon entanglement. The experiment proposed here utilizes a series of picosecond optical pulses from a single laser to coherently control a single self-assembled quantum dot in a magnetic field, creating the precursor state in 25 ps with a predicted fidelity of 0.991. If allowed to decay in an appropriate cavity, the ideal precursor superposition state would create maximum spin-photon entanglement. Numerical simulations using values typical of InAs quantum dots give a predicted entropy of entanglement of 0.929, largely limited by radiative decay and electron spin flips.

The shear strength of three-dimensional capillary-porous titanium coatings for intraosseous implants.

PubMed

Kalita, V I; Komlev, D I; Komlev, V S; Radyuk, A A

2016-03-01

A plasma spraying process for the deposition of three-dimensional capillary-porous titanium coatings using a wire has been developed. In this process, two additional dc arcs are discharged between plasmatron and both the wire and the substrate, resulting in additional activation of the substrate and the particles, particularly by increasing their temperature. The shear strength of the titanium coating with 46% porosity is 120.6 MPa. A new procedure for estimating the shear strength of porous coatings has been developed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strong Effect of Azodye Layer Thickness on RM-Stabilized Photoalignment

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-21

to thicker layers (~40 nm). Author Keywords photoalignment; azodye; reactive mesogen 1. Introduction Photoalignment of liquid crystals by azodye...Polymerizable azodyes[3] as well as passivation of the azodye film by spin-coating with a layer of reactive mesogen[4] are currently proposed solutions...thick alignment film rather than a ~40 nm thick alignment film ; cells with thin alignment layers are stable to exposure to polarized light for at

Environmentally Controlled Infrared Spectroscopy System for Fundamental Studies of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-15

to state-of- hydration . Polarization modulated infrared reflection- absorption spectroscopy experiments are enabled by the use of a spin-coater to coat...NAME(S) AND ADDRESS (ES) U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 SPEEK, Nafion, Ionomers, state-of- hydration ...enabled correlation of the exchange site structure to state-of- hydration . Polarization modulated infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy experiments

Dielectric impedance and optical performance of quantum dots doped OLEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jobin, Marc; Pellodi, Cédric; Emmenegger, Nicolas

2016-04-01

We investigate the effect of the incorporation of CdSe quantum dots (QD) in the standard ITO/TPD/Alq3/Al organic light emitting diodes (OLED's). The OLED's structures have been prepared in a double glove box coupled to a vacuum chamber containing both low and high temperature evaporators. For the standard (undoped) OLED's, the hole transport layer (HTL) consisting of 50nm of TPD is deposited by spin coating (8000rpm during 60 sec) and the 40nm of Alq3 were deposited at 2A/sec (organic crucible Radak-I). 150nm of Al were finally evaporated at 5A/s. For the CdSe-doped OLED's, the procedure was the same expect that the QD's were mixed with TPD in toluene before spin coating. During the thermal processing if the film, the QD's are expected to segregate to the surface, and then will be located at the TPD/Alq3 interface. The various layers were imaged by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) at each phase of the structure deposition, and we could indeed visualize the segregated QD's above the TPD film. AFM was systematically used to monitor the homogeneity and the thickness of the various films. The impedance of the non-encapsulated films structures were measured in air in the 40-40MHz frequency range, with bias at 0V (non-emitting), 2V (low emission) and 8V (strong emission). The corresponding dielectric spectra were analyzed with the standard Havriliak-Negami (HV) formula, where the conductive term has been subtracted from the data in case of light emission. We have measured a relaxation ranging from 100kHZ for the unbiased structure to 1MHz for 8V (strong emission). Apart from this expected relaxation, we found a second relaxation mechanism around 10 MHz. The origin of this second peak will be discussed. To monitor the optical emission of the OLED's, we have built a specific bench which allows for the quantitative measurement of the emission spectra and the dynamics behavior of the OLED's (raising and falling time). We found that the incorporation of the QD's unfortunately results in the decrease of the light emission but with a favorable modification of the light spectrum (around 700nm).

Inverse opal photonic crystal of chalcogenide glass by solution processing.

PubMed

Kohoutek, Tomas; Orava, Jiri; Sawada, Tsutomu; Fudouzi, Hiroshi

2011-01-15

Chalcogenide opal and inverse opal photonic crystals were successfully fabricated by low-cost and low-temperature solution-based process, which is well developed in polymer films processing. Highly ordered silica colloidal crystal films were successfully infilled with nano-colloidal solution of the high refractive index As(30)S(70) chalcogenide glass by using spin-coating method. The silica/As-S opal film was etched in HF acid to dissolve the silica opal template and fabricate the inverse opal As-S photonic crystal. Both, the infilled silica/As-S opal film (Δn ~ 0.84 near λ=770 nm) and the inverse opal As-S photonic structure (Δn ~ 1.26 near λ=660 nm) had significantly enhanced reflectivity values and wider photonic bandgaps in comparison with the silica opal film template (Δn ~ 0.434 near λ=600 nm). The key aspects of opal film preparation by spin-coating of nano-colloidal chalcogenide glass solution are discussed. The solution fabricated "inorganic polymer" opal and the inverse opal structures exceed photonic properties of silica or any organic polymer opal film. The fabricated photonic structures are proposed for designing novel flexible colloidal crystal laser devices, photonic waveguides and chemical sensors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.