Structural and physical properties of Mg3-xZnxSb2 (x=0-1.34)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmadpour, Faraz; Kolodiazhnyi, Taras; Mozharivskyj, Yurij

2007-01-01

The Mg 3-x Zn x Sb 2 phases with x=0-1.34 were prepared by direct reactions of the elements in tantalum tubes. According to the X-ray single crystal and powder diffraction, the Mg 3-x Zn x Sb 2 phases crystallize in the same P3-bar m1 space group as the parent Mg 3 Sb 2 phase. The Mg 3-x Zn x Sb 2 structure is different from the other substituted structures of Mg 3 Sb 2 , such as (Ca, Sr, Ba) Mg 2 Sb 2 or Mg 5.23 Sm 0.77 Sb 4 , in a way that in Mg 3-x Zn x Sb 2 the Mg atoms on the tetrahedral sites are replaced, while in the other structures Mg on the octahedral sites is replaced. Thermoelectric performance for the two members of the series, Mg 3 Sb 2 and Mg 2.36 Zn 0.64 Sb 2 , was evaluated from low to room temperatures through resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity measurements. In contrast to Mg 3 Sb 2 which is a semiconductor, Mg 2.36 Zn 0.64 Sb 2 is metallic and exhibits an 18-times larger dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT, at room temperature. However, thermoelectric performance of Mg 2.36 Zn 0.64 Sb 2 is still poor and it is mostly due to its large electrical resistivity. - Graphical abstract: The Mg atoms in Mg 3 Sb 2 were successfully substituted with Zn, with Zn going exclusively into the tetrahedral sites. Zn substitution increases the electrical conductivity in Mg 2.36 Zn 0.64 Sb 2 by closing the band gap. This change combined with a decrease in the thermal conductivity improves the ZT value

Study of the influence of semiconductor material parameters on acoustic wave propagation modes in GaSb/AlSb bi-layered structures by Legendre polynomial method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othmani, Cherif, E-mail: othmanicheriffss@gmail.com; Takali, Farid; Njeh, Anouar; Ben Ghozlen, Mohamed Hédi

2016-09-01

The propagation of Rayleigh–Lamb waves in bi-layered structures is studied. For this purpose, an extension of the Legendre polynomial (LP) method is proposed to formulate the acoustic wave equation in the bi-layered structures induced by thin film Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) and with Aluminum Antimonide (AlSb) substrate in moderate thickness. Acoustic modes propagating along a bi-layer plate are shown to be quite different than classical Lamb modes, contrary to most of the multilayered structures. The validation of the LP method is illustrated by a comparison between the associated numerical results and those obtained using the ordinary differential equation (ODE) method. The convergency of the LP method is discussed through a numerical example. Moreover, the influences of thin film GaSb parameters on the characteristics Rayleigh–Lamb waves propagation has been studied in detail. Finally, the advantages of the Legendre polynomial (LP) method to analyze the multilayered structures are described. All the developments performed in this work were implemented in Matlab software.

Study of the influence of semiconductor material parameters on acoustic wave propagation modes in GaSb/AlSb bi-layered structures by Legendre polynomial method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othmani, Cherif; Takali, Farid; Njeh, Anouar; Ben Ghozlen, Mohamed Hédi

2016-01-01

The propagation of Rayleigh–Lamb waves in bi-layered structures is studied. For this purpose, an extension of the Legendre polynomial (LP) method is proposed to formulate the acoustic wave equation in the bi-layered structures induced by thin film Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) and with Aluminum Antimonide (AlSb) substrate in moderate thickness. Acoustic modes propagating along a bi-layer plate are shown to be quite different than classical Lamb modes, contrary to most of the multilayered structures. The validation of the LP method is illustrated by a comparison between the associated numerical results and those obtained using the ordinary differential equation (ODE) method. The convergency of the LP method is discussed through a numerical example. Moreover, the influences of thin film GaSb parameters on the characteristics Rayleigh–Lamb waves propagation has been studied in detail. Finally, the advantages of the Legendre polynomial (LP) method to analyze the multilayered structures are described. All the developments performed in this work were implemented in Matlab software.

Synthesis, Structural and Antibacterial Studies of New Dithiocarbamate Complexes of Sb (III) And Bi (III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nur Amirah Jamaluddin; Ibrahim Baba; Nazlina Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Six new dithiocarbamate complexes from three different amines, for example N-ethyl ethanol-, N-butylethyl- and N-benzylmethylamine were successfully prepared using in situ method. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, 13 C and 1 H NMR. Elemental analysis data (C, H, N and S) showed an agreement with the general formula of MCl(S 2 CNR ' R '' ) 2 , (M = Sb (III), Bi (III); R ' = ethyl, butyl and benzyl; R '' = ethanol, ethyl and methyl). The complexes had been characterized by infrared spectroscopy that showed a thioureido bands, v(C-N) in the region of 1427 - 1490 cm -1 followed by v(C-S) bands that can be seen in the region of 935 - 1060 cm -1 and v(M-S) bands existed in the region of 350 - 392 cm -1 . Maximum wavelength absorption for ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for N-C-S group was at 254 nm which indicates π → π * transition. Data from 13 C NMR showed a signal in the region of 198.39 - 199.44 ppm that corresponded to the NCS 2 group. The crystal structure of bis(N,N ' utylethyldithiocarbamato)chloride antimony (III), SbCl (S 2 CN(C 4 H 9 )(C 2 H 5 )) 2 demonstrated a five-coordination geometry, triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 10.0141(8) Armstrong, b = 10.1394(7) Am strong, c = 11.8665(9) Armstrong, α = 67.960(2) degree, β = 87.616(2) degree and γ = 80.172(2) degree. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests were done using five dithiocarbamate complexes which are Bi Cl[S 2 CN(C 2 H 5 )(C 2 H 4 OH)) 2 , SbCl[S 2 CN(C 2 H 5 )(C 2 H 4 OH)) 2 , Bi Cl(S 2 CN(C 4 H 9 )(C 2 H 5 )) 2 , SbCl(S 2 CN(C 4 H 9 )(C 2 H 5 )) 2 , Bi Cl(S 2 CN(C 7 H 7 )(CH 3 )) 2 towards S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. aerogenes and E. coli. It was found that all four complexes were active against S. aureus except SbCl(S 2 CN(C 2 H 5 )(C 2 H 4 OH)) 2 while Bi Cl(S 2 CN(C 7 H 7 )(CH 3 )) 2 and Bi Cl(S 2 CN(CH 3 )(C 6 H 11 )) 2 complexes were active against S. epidermidis with MIC value of 5.0 mg/ m

Yield of 117Sb, 118mSb, 120mSb, 122Sb, 124Sb in reactions Sn (p, xn)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dmitriev, P.P.; Konstantinov, I.O.

1993-01-01

Yield of 117 Sb, 118m Sb, 120m Sb, 122 Sb, 124 Sb from thick target depending on proton energy is measured. The maximum proton energy is 21.7±0.2 MeV. Antimony isotopes yield in separate reactions when irradiating of tin isotopes with 100% enrichment is determined using the method published earlier. The methods for production of 117 Sb, 118m Sb, 120m Sb, 122 Sb, 124 Sb with high radioisotope purity are shown. 13 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

High thermoelectric properties of (Sb, Bi)2Te3 nanowire arrays by tilt-structure engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Ming; Hao, Yanming; Deng, Yuan; Chen, Jingyi

2018-06-01

In this paper, we present an innovative tilt-structure design concept for (Sb, Bi)2Te3 nanowire array assembled by high-quality nanowires with well oriented growth, utilizing a simple vacuum thermal evaporation technique. The unusual tilt-structure (Sb, Bi)2Te3 nanowire array with a tilted angle of 45° exhibits a high thermoelectric dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT = 1.72 at room temperature. The relatively high ZT value in contrast to that of previously reported (Sb, Bi)2Te3 materials and the vertical (Sb, Bi)2Te3 nanowire arrays evidently reveals the crucial role of the unique tilt-structure in favorably influencing carrier and phonon transport properties, resulting in a significantly improved ZT value. The transport mechanism of such tilt-structure is proposed and investigated. This method opens a new approach to optimize nano-structure in thin films for next-generation thermoelectric materials and devices.

Controlling compositional homogeneity and crystalline orientation in Bi0.8Sb0.2 thermoelectric thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Rochford, C.; Medlin, D. L.; Erickson, K. J.; Siegal, M. P.

2015-12-01

Compositional-homogeneity and crystalline-orientation are necessary attributes to achieve high thermoelectric performance in Bi1-xSbx thin films. Following deposition in vacuum, and upon air exposure, we find that 50%-95% of the Sb in 100-nm thick films segregates to form a nanocrystalline Sb2O3 surface layer, leaving the film bulk as Bi-metal. However, we demonstrate that a thin SiN capping layer deposited prior to air exposure prevents Sb-segregation, preserving a uniform film composition. Furthermore, the capping layer enables annealing in forming gas to improve crystalline orientations along the preferred trigonal axis, beneficially reducing electrical resistivity.

Controlling compositional homogeneity and crystalline orientation in Bi0.8Sb0.2 thermoelectric thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Rochford

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Compositional-homogeneity and crystalline-orientation are necessary attributes to achieve high thermoelectric performance in Bi1−xSbx thin films. Following deposition in vacuum, and upon air exposure, we find that 50%–95% of the Sb in 100-nm thick films segregates to form a nanocrystalline Sb2O3 surface layer, leaving the film bulk as Bi-metal. However, we demonstrate that a thin SiN capping layer deposited prior to air exposure prevents Sb-segregation, preserving a uniform film composition. Furthermore, the capping layer enables annealing in forming gas to improve crystalline orientations along the preferred trigonal axis, beneficially reducing electrical resistivity.

Equilibrium state of delta-phase with tellurium in the Sb-Bi-Te system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajgukova, V.S.; Dudkin, L.D.; Erofeev, R.S.; Musaelyan, V.V.; Nadzhip, A.Eh.; Sokolov, O.B.

1978-01-01

A research has been carried out with a view to establish the equilibrium state of delta-phase of the composition (Sbsub(1-x)Bisub(x)) 2 Te 3 with tellurium, depending on x and temperature. The Hall effect, the thermoelectromotive force, and the electric conductivity of the samples of Sb-Bi-Te alloys have been measured, the samples being annealed at various temperatures (550 to 250 deg C). The measurement results have shown that as the Bi 2 Te 3 content in the solid solutions increases and temperature decreases, the delta-phase-Te boundary monotonously approaches the stoichiometric composition. Using the research carrid out as the basis, the general character of the equilibrium delta-phase with tellurium boundary has been rendered more precise in Sb-Bi-Te system, depending on the temperature and Bi content (up to 25 at.%)

Development of Bi-Sb-Te ternary alloy with compositionally graded structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, A; Ohta, T

1997-07-01

Compositionally graded p-type Bi-Sb-Te thermoelectric material was synthesized by PIES (Pulverized and Intermixed Elements Sintering) method. The materials consisted of three segmented regions of different alloy composition, i.e., y = 0.8/0.825/0.9 in (Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}){sub 1{minus}y} (Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}){sub y} system. It was found that the electrical power output of the compositionally graded material was larger than that of the best single composition material when the temperature difference was the designed value.

From thermoelectric bulk to nanomaterials: Current progress for Bi2Te3 and CoSb3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peranio, N.; Eibl, O.; Baessler, S.; Nielsch, K.; Klobes, B.; Hermann, R.P.; Daniel, M.; Albrecht, M.; Goerlitz, H.; Pacheco, V.; Bedoya-Martinez, N.; Hashibon, A.; Elsaesser, C.

2016-01-01

Bi 2 Te 3 and CoSb 3 based nanomaterials were synthesized and their thermoelectric, structural, and vibrational properties analyzed to assess and reduce ZT-limiting mechanisms. The same preparation and/or characterization methods were applied in the different materials systems. Single-crystalline, ternary p-type Bi 15 Sb 29 Te 56 , and n-type Bi 38 Te 55 Se 7 nanowires with power factors comparable to nanostructured bulk materials were prepared by potential-pulsed electrochemical deposition in a nanostructured Al 2 O 3 matrix. p-type Sb 2 Te 3 , n-type Bi 2 Te 3 , and n-type CoSb 3 thin films were grown at room temperature using molecular beam epitaxy and were subsequently annealed at elevated temperatures. This yielded polycrystalline, single phase thin films with optimized charge carrier densities. In CoSb 3 thin films the speed of sound could be reduced by filling the cage structure with Yb and alloying with Fe yielded p-type material. Bi 2 (Te 0.91 Se 0.09 ) 3 /SiC and (Bi 0.26 Sb 0.74 ) 2 Te 3 /SiC nanocomposites with low thermal conductivities and ZT values larger than 1 were prepared by spark plasma sintering. Nanostructure, texture, chemical composition, as well as electronic and phononic excitations were investigated by X-ray diffraction, nuclear resonance scattering, inelastic neutron scattering, Moessbauer spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. For Bi 2 Te 3 materials, ab-initio calculations together with equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations for point defects yielded their formation energies and their effect on lattice thermal conductivity, respectively. Current advances in thermoelectric Bi 2 Te 3 and CoSb 3 based nanomaterials are summarized. Advanced synthesis and characterization methods and theoretical modeling were combined to assess and reduce ZT-limiting mechanisms in these materials. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Thermoelectric properties of p-type pseudo-binary (Ag0.365Sb0.558Te) x -(Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3)1-x (x=0-1.0) alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, J.L.; Xue, H.F.; Xiu, W.J.; Jiang, L.; Ying, P.Z.

2006-01-01

In this paper, pseudo-binary (Ag 0.365 Sb 0.558 Te) x -(Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 ) 1- x (x=0-1.0) alloys were prepared using spark plasma sintering technique, and the composition-dependent thermoelectric properties were evaluated. Electrical conductivities range from 7.9x10 4 to 15.6x10 4 Ω -1 m -1 at temperatures of 507 and 318 K, respectively, being about 3.0 and 8.5 times those of Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 alloy at the corresponding temperatures. The optimal dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of the sample with molar fraction x=0.025 reaches 1.1 at 478 K, whereas that of the ternary Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 alloy is 0.58 near room temperature. The results also reveal that a direct introduction of Ag 0.365 Sb 0.558 Te in the Bi-Sb-Te system is much more effective to the property improvement than naturally precipitated Ag 0.365 Sb 0.558 Te in the Ag-doped Ag-Bi-Sb-Te system. - Graphical abstract: The temperature dependence of the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit ZT for different (Ag 0.365 Sb 0.558 Te) x -(Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 ) 1- x (x=0-1.0) alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering

The Microstructure and Tensile Properties of a Newly Developed Mg-Al/Mg3Sb2 In Situ Composite in As-Cast and Extruded Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Montajabnia, A.; Pourbahari, B.; Emamy, M.

2018-04-01

The microstructures and tensile properties of Mg-x wt%Al-y wt%Sb alloys have been studied where x/y ratio was 1 and Sb(Al) contents were 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%, respectively. The results indicated that by increasing Sb(Al) content, not only the crystals of primary Mg3Sb2 alter from small flake-like particles to polygonal or needle-like morphology, but also the eutectic structure changes from semi-continuous network in Mg-5Al-5Sb to continuous network in Mg-20Sb-20Al alloy. The results obtained from thermal analysis revealed different peaks related to the formation of Mg3Sb2 as primary phase and eutectic structure containing Mg17Al12 + Al3Mg2 intermetallic phases. Further results also revealed that Sb(Al) additions change the solidification performance of the material by depressing the Mg3Sb2 nucleation temperature, reducing solidification range and widening eutectic area. Tensile testing results showed that with the increase in Sb (Al) content, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation values of the alloys are decreased in as-cast condition. But, significant improvement in the UTS and elongation values of the extruded specimens was attributed to the severe fragmentation of intermetallic phases and well distributed fine particles in the matrix which provided proper obstacles for dislocation motion. It was interesting to note that the fracture behavior of intermetallic particles was found to be different, while Mg3Sb2 was ductile, intermetallic compounds in eutectic regions were brittle.

Distribution, speciation and availability of antimony (Sb) in soils and terrestrial plants from an active Sb mining area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okkenhaug, Gudny; Zhu Yongguan; Luo Lei; Lei Ming; Li Xi; Mulder, Jan

2011-01-01

Here, we present one of the first studies investigating the mobility, solubility and the speciation-dependent in-situ bioaccumulation of antimony (Sb) in an active Sb mining area (Xikuangshan, China). Total Sb concentrations in soils are high (527-11,798 mg kg -1 ), and all soils, including those taken from a paddy field and a vegetable garden, show a high bioavailable Sb fraction (6.3-748 mg kg -1 ), dominated by Sb(V). Elevated concentrations in native plant species (109-4029 mg kg -1 ) underpin this. Both chemical equilibrium studies and XANES data suggest the presence of Ca[Sb(OH) 6 ] 2 , controlling Sb solubility. A very close relationship was found between the citric acid extractable Sb in plants and water or sulfate extractable Sb in soil, indicating that citric acid extractable Sb content in plants may be a better predictor for bioavailable Sb in soil than total acid digestible Sb plant content. - Highlights: → Antimony (Sb) in soils from an active Sb mining area is highly bioavailable. → Sb occurs mainly as Sb(V) in Sb mining impacted soils and plants. → Sb solubility in Sb mining impacted soils is governed by Ca[Sb(OH) 6 ] 2 . → Citric acid extractable Sb in plants and bioavailable Sb in soils are strongly correlated. - Antimony (Sb) in soils from an active Sb mining area is highly bioavailable and controlled by the solubility of calcium antimonate.

Fermi surfaces of the pyrite-type cubic AuSb2 compared with split Fermi surfaces of the ullmannite-type cubic chiral NiSbS and PdBiSe

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, K.; Kakihana, M.; Nakamura, A.; Aoki, D.; Harima, H.; Hedo, M.; Nakama, T.; Ōnuki, Y.

2018-05-01

We grew high-quality single crystals of AuSb2 with the pyrite (FeS2)-type cubic structure by the Bridgman method and studied the Fermi surface properties by the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) experiment and the full potential LAPW band calculation. The Fermi surfaces of AuSb2 are found to be similar to those of NiSbS and PdBiSe with the ullmannite (NiSbS)-type cubic chiral structure because the crystal structures are similar each other and the number of valence electrons is the same between two different compounds. Note that each Fermi surface splits into two Fermi surfaces in NiSbS and PdBiSe, reflecting the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure.

Fe-Doping Effect on Thermoelectric Properties of p-Type Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyeona Mun

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The substitutional doping approach has been shown to be an effective strategy to improve ZT of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric raw materials. We herein report the Fe-doping effects on electronic and thermal transport properties of polycrystalline bulks of p-type Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3. After a small amount of Fe-doping on Bi/Sb-sites, the power factor could be enhanced due to the optimization of carrier concentration. Additionally, lattice thermal conductivity was reduced by the intensified point-defect phonon scattering originating from the mass difference between the host atoms (Bi/Sb and dopants (Fe. An enhanced ZT of 1.09 at 300 K was obtained in 1.0 at% Fe-doped Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3 by these synergetic effects.

Detection of current-induced spin polarization in BiSbTeSe{sub 2} toplogical insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Fan; Ghatak, Subhamoy; Taskin, Alexey; Ando, Yoichi [Institute of Physics II, University of Cologne (Germany); Ando, Yuichiro [Department of Electronic Science and Engineering, Kyoto University (Japan)

2016-07-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are a class of quantum matter which possess spin-momentum-locked Dirac Fermions on the surfaces. Due to the spin-momentum locking, spin polarization will be induced when a charge current flows through the surface of a TI. Such spin polarization can be detected by using a ferromagnetic tunneling contact as a detector. In this talk, we present our results measured in devices fabricated from BiSbTeSe{sub 2} flakes. Spin signals were observed in both n-type and p-type BiSbTeSe{sub 2} samples.

Study of the circular photo-galvanic effect in electrically gated (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yu; Pillsbury, Timothy; Richardella, Anthony; Flanagan, Thomas; Samarth, Nitin

Illumination with circularly polarized light is known to produce a helicity dependent photocurrent in topological insulators such as Bi2Se3 [Nature Nanotech. 7, 96 (2012)]. Symmetry considerations suggest that this ``circular photo-galvanic effect'' (CPGE) arises purely from the surface. However, whether or not the CPGE is directly related to optical excitations from the helical surface states is still under debate. To clarify the origin of the CPGE, we first compare the helicity dependent photocurrent in intrinsic (Bi,Sb)2Te3 to Cr doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films in which the Dirac surface states are perturbed by magnetic coupling. Secondly, we discuss the tunable CPGE in electrically gated (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films excited by optical excitations at different wavelengths. The dependence on the chemical potential and the photon energy of the excitation unveils the origin of the CPGE. Funded by ONR.

Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haijun; Liu, Chao-Xing; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Dai, Xi; Fang, Zhong; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

2009-06-01

Topological insulators are new states of quantum matter in which surface states residing in the bulk insulating gap of such systems are protected by time-reversal symmetry. The study of such states was originally inspired by the robustness to scattering of conducting edge states in quantum Hall systems. Recently, such analogies have resulted in the discovery of topologically protected states in two-dimensional and three-dimensional band insulators with large spin-orbit coupling. So far, the only known three-dimensional topological insulator is BixSb1-x, which is an alloy with complex surface states. Here, we present the results of first-principles electronic structure calculations of the layered, stoichiometric crystals Sb2Te3, Sb2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3. Our calculations predict that Sb2Te3, Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are topological insulators, whereas Sb2Se3 is not. These topological insulators have robust and simple surface states consisting of a single Dirac cone at the Γ point. In addition, we predict that Bi2Se3 has a topologically non-trivial energy gap of 0.3eV, which is larger than the energy scale of room temperature. We further present a simple and unified continuum model that captures the salient topological features of this class of materials.

Thermoelectric properties of Co4Sb12 with Bi2Te3 nanoinclusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sanyukta; Bisht, Anuj; Karati, Anirudha; Rogl, Gerda; Rogl, Peter; Murty, B S; Suwas, Satyam; Mallik, Ramesh Chandra

2018-02-12

The figure of merit (zT) of a thermoelectric material can be enhanced by incorporation of nanoinclusions into bulk material. The presence of bismuth telluride (Bi 2 Te 3 ) nanoinclusions in Co 4 Sb 12 leads to lower phonon thermal conductivity by introducing interfaces and defects; it enhances the average zT between 300-700 K. In the current study, Bi 2 Te 3 nanoparticles were dispersed into bulk Co 4 Sb 12 by ball-milling. The bulk was fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The presence of Bi 2 Te 3 dispersion in Co 4 Sb 12 was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction technique. Energy dispersive spectroscopy showed antimony (Sb) as an impurity phase for higher contents of Bi 2 Te 3 in the sample. The Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity (σ) were measured in the temperature range of 350-673 K. The negative value of S indicates that most of the charge carriers were electrons. A decrease in S and increase in σ with Bi 2 Te 3 content are due to the increased carrier concentration, as confirmed by Hall measurement. The thermal conductivity, measured between 423-673 K, decreased due to the increased phonon scattering at interfaces. A maximum zT of 0.17 was achieved at 523 K and it did not vary much throughout the temperature range. The experimental results of composites were compared by using effective medium theories.

Thermoelectric properties of Co4Sb12 with Bi2Te3 nanoinclusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sanyukta; Bisht, Anuj; Karati, Anirudha; Rogl, Gerda; Rogl, Peter F; Murty, B S; Suwas, Satyam; Mallik, Ramesh Chandra

2018-01-08

The figure of merit (zT) of a thermoelectric material can be enhanced by incorporation of nanoinclusions into bulk material. The presence of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) nanoinclusions in Co4Sb12 leads to lower phonon thermal conductivity by introducing interfaces and defects; it enhances the average zT between 300-700 K. In the current study, Bi2Te3 nanoparticles were dispersed into bulk Co4Sb12 by ball-milling. The bulk was fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The presence of Bi2Te3 dispersion in Co4Sb12 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed antimony (Sb) as an impurity phase for higher contents of Bi2Te3 in the sample. The Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity () were measured in the temperature range of 350 - 673 K. The negative value of S indicates that most of the charge carriers were electrons. A decrease in S and increase in with Bi2Te3 content are due to the increased carrier concentration, as confirmed by Hall measurement. The thermal conductivity, measured between 423 - 673 K, decreased due to the increased phonon scattering at interfaces. A maximum zT of 0.17 was achieved at 523 K and it did not vary much throughout the temperature range. The experimental results of composites were compared by using effective medium theories. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Lower lattice thermal conductivity in SbAs than As or Sb monolayers: a first-principles study.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, San-Dong; Liu, Jiang-Tao

2017-12-06

Phonon transport in group-VA element (As, Sb and Bi) monolayer semiconductors has been widely investigated in theory, and, of them, monolayer Sb (antimonene) has recently been synthesized. In this work, phonon transport in monolayer SbAs is investigated with a combination of first-principles calculations and the linearized phonon Boltzmann equation. It is found that the lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer SbAs is lower than those of both monolayer As and Sb, and the corresponding sheet thermal conductance is 28.8 W K -1 at room temperature. To understand the lower lattice thermal conductivity in monolayer SbAs than those in monolayer As and Sb, the group velocities and phonon lifetimes of monolayer As, SbAs and Sb are calculated. The calculated results show that the group velocities of monolayer SbAs are between those of monolayer As and Sb, but that the phonon lifetimes of SbAs are smaller than those of both monolayer As and Sb. Hence, the low lattice thermal conductivity in monolayer SbAs is attributed to very small phonon lifetimes. Unexpectedly, the ZA branch has very little contribution to the total thermal conductivity, only 2.4%, which is obviously different from those of monolayer As and Sb with very large contributions. This can be explained by very small phonon lifetimes for the ZA branch of monolayer SbAs. The lower lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer SbAs compared to that of monolayer As or Sb can be understood by the alloying of As (Sb) with Sb (As), which should introduce phonon point defect scattering. We also consider the isotope and size effects on the lattice thermal conductivity. It is found that isotope scattering produces a neglectful effect, and the lattice thermal conductivity with a characteristic length smaller than 30 nm can reach a decrease of about 47%. These results may offer perspectives on tuning the lattice thermal conductivity by the mixture of multiple elements for applications of thermal management and

Growth and characterization of MnGa thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy on BiSb topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Duy Khang, Nguyen Huynh; Ueda, Yugo; Yao, Kenichiro; Hai, Pham Nam

2017-10-01

We report on the crystal growth as well as the structural and magnetic properties of Bi0.8Sb0.2 topological insulator (TI)/MnxGa1-x bi-layers grown on GaAs(111)A substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. By optimizing the growth conditions and Mn composition, we were able to grow MnxGa1-x thin films on Bi0.8Sb0.2 with the crystallographic orientation of Bi0.8Sb0.2(001)[1 1 ¯ 0]//MnGa (001)[100]. Using magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy, we detected both the L10 phase ( x 0.6 ) of MnxGa1-x. For 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.55 , we obtained ferromagnetic L10-MnGa thin films with clear perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which were confirmed by MCD hysteresis, anomalous Hall effect as well as superconducting quantum interference device measurements. Our results show that the BiSb/MnxGa1-x bi-layer system is promising for perpendicular magnetization switching using the giant spin Hall effect in TIs.

Fate of half-metallicity near interfaces: The case of NiMnSb/MgO and NiMnSi/MgO

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ruijing

2014-08-27

The electronic and magnetic properties of the interfaces between the half-metallic Heusler alloys NiMnSb, NiMnSi, and MgO have been investigated using first-principles density-functional calculations with projector augmented wave potentials generated in the generalized gradient approximation. In the case of the NiMnSb/MgO (100) interface, the half-metallicity is lost, whereas the MnSb/MgO contact in the NiMnSb/MgO (100) interface maintains a substantial degree of spin polarization at the Fermi level (∼60%). Remarkably, the NiMnSi/MgO (111) interface shows 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level, despite considerable distortions at the interface, as well as rather short Si/O bonds after full structural optimization. This behavior markedly distinguishes NiMnSi/MgO (111) from the corresponding NiMnSb/CdS and NiMnSb/InP interfaces. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in Bi-Sb-Te nanocomposites with homogenously dispersed oxide ceramic ZrO2 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Madavali, B.; Kim, H. S.; Lee, K. H.; Hong, S. J.

2017-06-01

In this research, p-type BiSbTe/ZrO2 nanocomposite powders were fabricated by high-energy ball milling. Different weight percentages of ZrO2 (2, 4, and 6 wt. %) nanoparticles were incorporated into the bulk (BiSbTe) matrix by consolidation of as-synthesized nanocomposites (NCs) powder by spark plasma sintering at 673 K. The phase and existence of ZrO2 nano-inclusions was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy-selected area electron diffraction analysis. The Seebeck coefficient of the BiSbTe/ZrO2 NCs was significantly improved (˜36% for 4 wt. % added NCs) by a decrease in the carrier concentration and energy filtering effect, whereas the thermal conductivity was much reduced via strong scattering of carriers/phonons. The peak thermoelectric figure-of-merit (1.34 ± 0.06) was obtained for BiSbTe into which 2 wt. % ZrO2 was dispersed, which was approximately 20% greater than that of the undispersed sample. The hardness of the nanocomposites was significantly improved (˜27%) due to grain-boundary hardening and a dispersion strengthening mechanism.

Investigations on the electrodeposition behaviors of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thin film from nitric acid baths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Feihui; Huang Qinghua; Wang Wei

2009-01-01

The electrochemical reduction process of Bi 3+ , HTeO 2 + , Sb III and their mixtures in nitric acid medium was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The reduction products electrodeposited at various potentials were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that cathodic process in the nitric acid solution containing Bi 3+ , HTeO 2 + and Sb III involves the following reduction reactions in different polarizing potential ranges: In low polarizing potential ranges, Te 0 is formed firstly on the electrode surface through the electrochemical reduction of HTeO 2 + ; with the negative shift of the cathodic polarizing potential, the reduction reaction of Bi 3+ with Te 0 to form Bi 2 Te 3 takes place; when the cathodic polarizing potential is negative enough, Bi 3+ and Sb III react with Te 0 to form Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 . The results indicate that Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 films can be fabricated by controlling the electrodepositing potential in a proper high potential ranges.

Martensitic transformation behavior in Ti–Ni–X (Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Tl, Pb, Bi) ternary alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Jai-young; Chun, Su-jin; Kim, Nam-suk; Cho, Jeung-won; Kim, Jae-hyun [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, 900 Gazwadong, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yeom, Jong-taek [Light Metal Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon 642-831 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae-il [Materials Science and Engineering, University of Dong-A, Hadan-dong, Saha-gu, Busan 604-714 (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Tae-hyun, E-mail: tahynam@gnu.ac.kr [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, 900 Gazwadong, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Ag, In and Sn were soluble in TiNi matrix, while Sb, Te, Tl, Pb and Bi were not. • The B2-R-B19′transformation occurred in Ti-Ni-(Ag, In, Sn) alloys. • Solid solution hardening was essential for inducing the B2-R transformation. - Abstract: The microstructures and transformation behaviors of Ti–Ni–X (Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Tl, Pb, Bi) ternary alloys were investigated using electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Micro Vickers hardness tests. All specimens consisted of Ti–Ni matrices and second phase particles. Ag, In and Sn were soluble in Ti–Ni matrices with a limited solubility (≤1.0 at%), while Sb, Te, Tl, Pb and Bi were not soluble. Two-stage B2-R-B19′ transformation occurred in Ti–48.8Ni–1.2Ag, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0In and Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Sn alloys, while one-stage B2-B19′ transformation occurred in Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Ag, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Sb, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Te, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Pb and Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Bi alloys. Micro Vickers hardness of the alloys displaying the B2-R-B19′ transformation (Hv 250–368) was much larger than that (in Ti–Ni–X (X = non-transition elements) alloys.

Martensitic transformation behavior in Ti–Ni–X (Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Tl, Pb, Bi) ternary alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jai-young; Chun, Su-jin; Kim, Nam-suk; Cho, Jeung-won; Kim, Jae-hyun; Yeom, Jong-taek; Kim, Jae-il; Nam, Tae-hyun

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Ag, In and Sn were soluble in TiNi matrix, while Sb, Te, Tl, Pb and Bi were not. • The B2-R-B19′transformation occurred in Ti-Ni-(Ag, In, Sn) alloys. • Solid solution hardening was essential for inducing the B2-R transformation. - Abstract: The microstructures and transformation behaviors of Ti–Ni–X (Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Tl, Pb, Bi) ternary alloys were investigated using electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Micro Vickers hardness tests. All specimens consisted of Ti–Ni matrices and second phase particles. Ag, In and Sn were soluble in Ti–Ni matrices with a limited solubility (≤1.0 at%), while Sb, Te, Tl, Pb and Bi were not soluble. Two-stage B2-R-B19′ transformation occurred in Ti–48.8Ni–1.2Ag, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0In and Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Sn alloys, while one-stage B2-B19′ transformation occurred in Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Ag, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Sb, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Te, Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Pb and Ti–49.0Ni–1.0Bi alloys. Micro Vickers hardness of the alloys displaying the B2-R-B19′ transformation (Hv 250–368) was much larger than that (< Hv 200) of the alloys displaying the B2-B19′ transformation. Solid solution hardening was an important factor for inducing the B2-R transformation in Ti–Ni–X (X = non-transition elements) alloys

Oral administration of the 5-HT6 receptor antagonists SB-357134 and SB-399885 improves memory formation in an autoshaping learning task.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-García, Georgina; Meneses, Alfredo

2005-07-01

In this work we aimed to re-examine the 5-HT6 receptor role, by testing the selective antagonists SB-357134 (1-30 mg/kg p.o.) and SB-399885 (1-30 mg/kg p.o.) during memory consolidation of conditioned responses (CR%), in an autoshaping Pavlovian/instrumental learning task. Bioavailability, half-life and minimum effective dose to induce inappetence for SB-357134 were 65%, 3.4 h, and 30 mg/kg p.o., and for SB-399885 were 52%, 2.2 h, and 50 mg/kg p.o., respectively. Oral acute and chronic administration of either SB-357134 or SB-399885 improved memory consolidation compared to control groups. Acute administration of SB-357134, at 1, 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg, produced a CR% inverted-U curve, eliciting the latter dose a 7-fold increase relative to saline group. Acute injection of SB-399885 produced significant CR% increments, being 1 mg/kg the most effective dose. Repeated administration (7 days) of either SB-357134 (10 mg/kg) or SB-399885 (1 mg/kg) elicited the most significant CR% increments. Moreover, modeling the potential therapeutic benefits of 5-HT6 receptor blockade, acute or repeated administration of SB-399885, at 10 mg/kg reversed memory deficits produced by scopolamine or dizocilpine, and SB-357134 (3 and 10 mg/kg) prevented amnesia and even improved performance. These data support the notion that endogenously 5-HT acting, via 5-HT6 receptor, improves memory consolidation.

Effect of Ga2O3 Nanoparticles Dispersion on Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of p-Type BiSbTe Based Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim E.-B.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 based nanocomposites with addition of different weight percentages of Ga2O3 nanoparticles are fabricated by mechanical milling and spark plasma sintering. The fracture surfaces of all Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites exhibited similar grain distribution on the entire fracture surface. The Vickers hardness is improved for the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites with 6 wt% added Ga2O3 due to exhibiting fine microstructure, and dispersion strengthening mechanism. The Seebeck coefficient of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites are significantly improved owing to the decrease in carrier concentration. The electrical conductivity is decreased rapidly upon the addition of Ga2O3 nanoparticle due to increasing carrier scattering at newly formed interfaces. The peak power factor of 3.24 W/mK2 is achieved for the base Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 sintered bulk. The Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites show low power factor than base sample due to low electrical conductivity.

(Tl, Sb) and (Tl, Bi) binary surface reconstructions on Ge(111) substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Gruznev, D. V.; Bondarenko, L. V.; Tupchaya, A. Y.; Yakovlev, A. A.; Mihalyuk, A. N.; Zotov, A. V.; Saranin, A. A.

2018-03-01

2D compounds made of Group-III and Group-V elements on the surface of silicon and germanium attract considerable attention due to prospects of creating III-V binary monolayers, which are predicted to hold advanced physical properties. In the present work, we have investigated two such systems, (Tl, Sb)/Ge(111) and (Tl, Bi)/Ge(111) using scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction observations and density-functional-theory calculations. In addition to the previously reported surface structures of 2D (Tl, Sb) and (Tl, Bi) compounds on Si(111), we found new ones, namely, √{ 7} × √{ 7} and 3 × 3. Formation processes and plausible models of their atomic arrangements are discussed.

Growth of GaSb1-xBix by molecular beam epitaxy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Yuxin; Wang, Shumin; Roy, Ivy Saha

2012-01-01

Molecular beam epitaxy for GaSb1-xBix is investigated in this article. The growth window for incorporation of Bi in GaSb was found. Strategies of avoiding formation of Bi droplets and enhancing Bi incorporation were studied. The Bi incorporation was confirmed by SIMS and RBS measurements. The Bi ......As substrates were compared and no apparent difference for Bi incorporation was found.......Molecular beam epitaxy for GaSb1-xBix is investigated in this article. The growth window for incorporation of Bi in GaSb was found. Strategies of avoiding formation of Bi droplets and enhancing Bi incorporation were studied. The Bi incorporation was confirmed by SIMS and RBS measurements. The Bi...... concentration in the samples was found to increase with increasing growth temperature and Bi flux. The position of GaSb1-xBix layer peak in XRD rocking curves is found to be correlated to Bi composition. Surface and structural properties of the samples were also investigated. Samples grown on GaSb and Ga...

Precise measurement of the densities of liquid Bi, Sn, Pb and Sb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Lianwen; Wang Qiang; Xian Aiping; Lu Kunquan

2003-01-01

The densities of liquid Bi, Sn, Pb and Sb have been precisely measured from the melting point up to about 1100 K using an improved Archimedean method. The densities at the melting point for liquid Bi, Sn, Pb and Sb are 10.042 x 10 3 , 6.983 x 10 3 , 10.635 x 10 3 and 6.454 x 10 3 kg m -3 , respectively. Comparisons between our data and those from the literature have been made and they show the present results to be more reliable. Rather than a linear fit for the temperature dependence of the density, a slight deviation from linearity in the temperature dependence of the densities has been observed

Preparation and crystal structure of SrCu/sub 2/Sb/sub 2/ and SrZnBi/sub 2/

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cordier, G; Eisenmann, B; Schaefer, H [Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany, F.R.). Fachbereich Anorganische Chemie und Kernchemie

1976-10-01

SrCu/sub 2/Sb/sub 2/ and SrZnBi/sub 2/ have been prepared and analytically and structurally characterized. SrCu/sub 2/Sb/sub 2/ crystallizes tetragonal in the CaBe/sub 2/Ge/sub 2/ structure type. SrZnBi/sub 2/ has its own structure type. In both structures the transition metal atoms form with the semimetal atoms tetragonal pyramids, which are connected by common edges of the basis to twodimensional sheets. These sheets are separated in the case of SrCu/sub 2/Sb/sub 2/ by single sheets of strontium atoms, in the case of SrZnBi/sub 2/ by double sheets of strontium atoms in which fourfold nets of Bi atoms are located.

High quality InAsSb grown on InP substrates using AlSb/AlAsSb buffer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, B.-R.; Liao, C.; Cheng, K. Y.

2008-01-01

High quality InAsSb grown on semi-insulating InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy was achieved using AlSb/AlAsSb structure as the buffer layer. A 1000 A InAsSb layer grown on top of 1 μm AlSb/AlAsSb buffer layer showed a room temperature electron mobility of ∼12 000 cm 2 /V s. High structural quality and low misfit defect density were also demonstrated in the InAsSb layer. This novel AlSb/AlAsSb buffer layer structure with the AlAsSb layer lattice matched to InP substrates could enhance the performance of optoelectronic devices utilizing 6.1 A family of compound semiconductor alloys

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of quaternary iron selenides: Ba{sub 2}FePnSe{sub 5} (Pn=Sb, Bi)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jian; Greenfield, Joshua T.; Kovnir, Kirill

2016-10-15

Two new barium iron pnictide–selenides, Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5}, were synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state route and their crystal structures were determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Both compounds are isomorphic to the high pressure phase Ba{sub 3}FeS{sub 5} and crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (No. 62) with cell parameters of a=12.603(2)/12.619(2) Å, b=9.106(1)/9.183(1) Å, c=9.145(1)/9.123(1) Å and Z=4 for Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5}, respectively. According to differential scanning calorimetry, Ba{sub 2}FePnSe{sub 5} compounds exhibit high thermal stability and melt congruently at 1055(5) K (Pn=Sb) and 1105(5) K (Pn=Bi). Magnetic characterizations reveal strong antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interactions in both compounds resulting in an antiferromagnetic ordering at 58(1) K for Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and 79(2) K for Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5}. The magnetic interactions between Fe{sup 3+} centers, which are at least 6 Å apart from each other, are mediated by superexchange interactions. - Graphical abstract: In Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5} the magnetic interactions between Fe{sup 3+} centers, which are at least 6 Å apart from each other, are mediated by superexchange interactions. - Highlights: • New compounds Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5} have been synthesized. • The crystal structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. • Both compounds melt congruently at temperatures above 1000 K. • Ba{sub 2}FeSbSe{sub 5} and Ba{sub 2}FeBiSe{sub 5} exhibit AFM ordering at 58 K (Sb) and 70 K (Bi). • Magnetic exchange between Fe{sup 3+} is mediated by either Se–Sb(Bi)–Se or Se–Ba–Se bridges.

Evolution of thermoelectric performance for (Bi,Sb)2Te3 alloys from cutting waste powders to bulks with high figure of merit

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xi‧an; Cai, Xin zhi; Han, Xue wu; Zhang, Cheng cheng; Rong, Zhen zhou; Yang, Fan; Li, Guang qiang

2016-01-01

Bi2Te3 based cutting waste powders from cutting wafers were firstly selected as raw materials to prepare p-type Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric (TE) materials. Through washing, reducing, composition correction, smelting and resistance pressing sintering (RPS) process, p-type (Bi,Sb)2Te3 alloy bulks with different nominal stoichiometries were successfully obtained. The evolution of microstructure and TE performance for (Bi,Sb)2Te3 alloys were investigated in detail. All evidences confirmed that most of contaminants from line cutting process such as cutting fluid and oxides of Bi, Sb or Te could be removed by washing, reducing and smelting process used in this work. The carrier content and corresponding TE properties could be adjusted effectively by appropriate composition correction treatment. At lastly, a bulk with a nominal stoichiometry of Bi0.44Sb1.56Te3 was obtained and its' dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was about 1.16 at 90 °C. The ZT values of Bi0.36Sb1.64Te3 and Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 alloy bulks could also reach 0.98 and 1.08, respectively. Different from the conventional recycling technology such as hydrometallurgy extraction methods, the separation and extraction of beneficial elements such as Bi, Sb and Te did not need to be performed and the Bi2Te3 based bulks with high TE properties could be directly obtained from the cutting waste powders. In addition, the recycling technology introduced here was green and more suitable for practical industrial application. It can improve material utilization and lower raw material costs of manufacturers.

Electronic energy loss of low velocity H+ beams in Al, Ag, Sb, Au and Bi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdes, J.E.; Martinez Tamayo, G.; Lantschner, G.H.; Eckardt, J.C.; Arista, N.R.

1993-01-01

The energy loss of H + ions in thin polycrystalline Al, Sb, Ag, Au and Bi films has been determined in the energy range below 10 keV. This low-energy range is of special interest to fill a lack of low-energy experimental data and test various theoretical predictions and semiempirical formulas. We find that the general theoretical prediction of a velocity-proportional dependence of energy loss does not hold for all targets studied in this work. The velocity-proportionality is better satisfied for Al, Sb and Bi, whereas a departure from such dependence is observed at lower energies for Ag and Au targets. The results obtained here are in good general agreement with nonlinear stopping power calculations based on density functional theory. Comparison with semiempirical predictions, and other experimental results are also done. (orig.)

Fermi-level tuning of the Dirac surface state in (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Satake, Yosuke; Shiogai, Junichi; Takane, Daichi; Yamada, Keiko; Fujiwara, Kohei; Souma, Seigo; Sato, Takafumi; Takahashi, Takashi; Tsukazaki, Atsushi

2018-02-01

We report on the electronic states and the transport properties of three-dimensional topological insulator (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 ternary alloy thin films grown on an isostructural Bi2Se3 buffer layer on InP substrates. By angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we clearly detected Dirac surface states with a large bulk band gap of 0.2-0.3 eV in the (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3 film with x  =  0.70. In addition, we observed by Hall effect measurements that the dominant charge carrier converts from electron (n-type) to hole (p-type) at around x  =  0.7, indicating that the Fermi level can be controlled across the Dirac point. Indeed, the carrier transport was shown to be governed by Dirac surface state in 0.63  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.75. These features suggest that Fermi-level tunable (Bi1-x Sb x )2Se3-based heterostructures provide a platform for extracting exotic topological phenomena.

Structure of molten Bi-Sb-alloys by means of neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamparter, P.; Knoll, W.; Steeb, S.

1976-01-01

The structural investigations with melts can be subdivided into two groups: The first group contains molten metals and molten alloys, and one can state that the structure of molten metals and of molten alloys nowadays is rather well understood. Interference functions of molten metals may be described by a hard sphere model. This is valid also for molten alloys with statistical distribution. For the second group, namely molten non-metals and molecular melts, the interference functions as well as the pair correlation functions are very offen rather complicated and not well understood. The present study is concerned with the transition region between these two groups. It is shown that the melts of the Bi-Sb system exhibit a change from metallic to non-metallic structure. Regarding the experimental details: the experiments were done with the two-axes spectrometer D 4 at the high-flux reactor at Grenoble. The containers consisted of cylindrical quartz tubes with a wall thickness of 0.1 cm. The furnace consisted of a direct-heated vanadium tube. The wavelength of the neutrons was 0.695 A. The final result is that the structure in molten Bi-Sb-alloys consists of primitive tetrahedra with coordination number 3. There are less tetrahedra in molten Bi than in molten Sb. Also with rising temperature the number of tetrahedra decreases. It is shown how to compose the coordination numbers of two structures to get the observed coordination number. The observed values are always the mean values of the two structures. (orig./HK) [de

Theoretical prediction of thermodynamic activities of liquid Au-Sn-X (X=Bi, Sb, Zn) solder systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awe, O.E., E-mail: draweoe2004@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan (Nigeria); Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (Nigeria); Oshakuade, O.M. [Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan (Nigeria)

2017-02-15

Molecular interaction volume model has been theoretically used to predict the thermodynamic activities of tin in Au-Sn-Bi and Au-Sn-Sb and the thermodynamic activity of zinc in Au-Sn-Zn at experimental temperatures 800 K, 873 K and 973 K, respectively. On the premise of agreement between the predicted and experimental values, we predicted the activities of the remaining two components in each of the three systems. This prediction was extended from three cross-sections to five cross-sections, and to temperature range 400–600 K, relevant for applications. Iso-activities were plotted. Results show that addition of tin reduces the tendency for chemical short range order in both Au-Sb and Au-Zn systems, while addition of gold and bismuth, respectively, reduce the tendency for chemical short range order in Sn-Sb and Au-Sn systems. Also, we found that, in the desired high-temperature region for applications, while a combination of chemical order and miscibility of components exist in both Au-Sn-Bi and Au-Sn-Zn systems, only chemical order exist in the Au-Sn-Sb system. Results, further show that increase in temperature reduces the phase separation tendency in Au-Sn-Bi system.

Point defect balance in epitaxial GaSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segercrantz, N.; Slotte, J.; Makkonen, I.; Kujala, J.; Tuomisto, F.; Song, Y.; Wang, S.

2014-01-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy in both conventional and coincidence Doppler broadening mode is used for studying the effect of growth conditions on the point defect balance in GaSb:Bi epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Positron annihilation characteristics in GaSb are also calculated using density functional theory and compared to experimental results. We conclude that while the main positron trapping defect in bulk samples is the Ga antisite, the Ga vacancy is the most prominent trap in the samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The results suggest that the p–type conductivity is caused by different defects in GaSb grown with different methods.

New Insight on Tuning Electrical Transport Properties via Chalcogen Doping in n-type Mg3Sb2-Based Thermoelectric Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jiawei; Song, Lirong; Borup, Kasper

2018-01-01

n-type Mg3Sb1.5Bi0.5 has recently been discovered to be a promising thermoelectric material, yet the effective n-type dopants are mainly limited to the chalcogens. This may be attributed to the limited chemical insight into the effects from different n-type dopants. By comparing the effects of di...

Signatures of charge inhomogeneities in the infrared spectra of topological insulators Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dordevic, S V; Wolf, M S; Stojilovic, N; Lei Hechang; Petrovic, C

2013-01-01

We present the results of an infrared spectroscopy study of topological insulators Bi 2 Se 3 , Bi 2 Te 3 and Sb 2 Te 3 . Reflectance spectra of all three materials look similar, with a well defined plasma edge. However, there are some important differences. Most notably, as temperature decreases the plasma edge shifts to lower frequencies in Bi 2 Se 3 , whereas in Bi 2 Te 3 and Sb 2 Te 3 it shifts to higher frequencies. In the loss function spectra we identify asymmetric broadening of the plasmon, and assign it to the presence of charge inhomogeneities. It remains to be seen if charge inhomogeneities are characteristic of all topological insulators, and whether they are of intrinsic or extrinsic nature.

Thermoelectric power of Bi and Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x} alloy thin films and superlattices grown by MBE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, S; DiVenere, A; Wong, G K; Ketterson, J B; Meyer, J R; Hoffman, C A

1997-07-01

The authors have measured the thermoelectric power (TEP) of MBE-grown epitaxial Bi and Bi{sub 1{minus}x} alloy thin films and superlattices as a function of temperature in the range 20--300 K. They have observed that the TEP of a Bi thin film of 1 {micro}m thickness is in good agreement with the bulk single crystal value and that the TEPs for superlattices with 400 {angstrom} and 800 {angstrom} Bi well thicknesses are enhanced over the bulk values. For x = 0.072 and 0.088 in Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x} thin films showing semiconducting behavior, TEP enhancement was observed by a factor of two. However as Bi or Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x} well thickness decreases in superlattice geometry, the TEP decreases, which may be due to unintentional p-type doping.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of InSb_1-xBi_x thin films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuxin Song; Shumin Wang; Saha Roy, Ivy

2013-01-01

Molecular beam epitaxy growth for InSb1-xBix thin films on (100) GaAs substrates is reported. Successful Bi incorporation for 2% is achieved, and up to 70% of the incorporated Bi atoms are at substitutional sites. The effects of growth parameters on Bi incorporation and surface morphology are stu...

Emergence of topological and topological crystalline phases in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun

2015-02-11

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the band structure evolution and topological phase transitions in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 under hydrostatic pressure as well as uniaxial and biaxial strain. The phase transitions are identified by parity analysis and by calculating the surface states. Zero, one, and four Dirac cones are found for the (111) surfaces of both TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 when the pressure grows, which confirms trivial-nontrivial-trivial phase transitions. The Dirac cones at the (M) over bar points are anisotropic with large out-of-plane component. TlBiS2 shows normal, topological, and topological crystalline insulator phases under hydrostatic pressure, thus being the first compound to exhibit a phase transition from a topological to a topological crystalline insulator.

Emergence of topological and topological crystalline phases in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2015-01-01

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the band structure evolution and topological phase transitions in TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 under hydrostatic pressure as well as uniaxial and biaxial strain. The phase transitions are identified by parity analysis and by calculating the surface states. Zero, one, and four Dirac cones are found for the (111) surfaces of both TlBiS2 and TlSbS2 when the pressure grows, which confirms trivial-nontrivial-trivial phase transitions. The Dirac cones at the (M) over bar points are anisotropic with large out-of-plane component. TlBiS2 shows normal, topological, and topological crystalline insulator phases under hydrostatic pressure, thus being the first compound to exhibit a phase transition from a topological to a topological crystalline insulator.

Actinide-pnictide (An-Pn) bonds spanning non-metal, metalloid, and metal combinations (An=U, Th; Pn=P, As, Sb, Bi)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rookes, Thomas M.; Wildman, Elizabeth P.; Gardner, Benedict M.; Wooles, Ashley J.; Gregson, Matthew; Tuna, Floriana; Liddle, Stephen T. [School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester (United Kingdom); Balazs, Gabor; Scheer, Manfred [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Regensburg (Germany)

2018-01-26

The synthesis and characterisation is presented of the compounds [An(Tren{sup DMBS}){Pn(SiMe_3)_2}] and [An(Tren{sup TIPS}){Pn(SiMe_3)_2}] [Tren{sup DMBS}=N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}NSiMe{sub 2}Bu{sup t}){sub 3}, An=U, Pn=P, As, Sb, Bi; An=Th, Pn=P, As; Tren{sup TIPS}=N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}NSiPr{sup i}{sub 3}){sub 3}, An=U, Pn=P, As, Sb; An=Th, Pn=P, As, Sb]. The U-Sb and Th-Sb moieties are unprecedented examples of any kind of An-Sb molecular bond, and the U-Bi bond is the first two-centre-two-electron (2c-2e) one. The Th-Bi combination was too unstable to isolate, underscoring the fragility of these linkages. However, the U-Bi complex is the heaviest 2c-2e pairing of two elements involving an actinide on a macroscopic scale under ambient conditions, and this is exceeded only by An-An pairings prepared under cryogenic matrix isolation conditions. Thermolysis and photolysis experiments suggest that the U-Pn bonds degrade by homolytic bond cleavage, whereas the more redox-robust thorium compounds engage in an acid-base/dehydrocoupling route. (copyright 2018 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA.)

Annealing effects on room temperature thermoelectric performance of p-type thermally evaporated Bi-Sb-Te thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sukhdeep; Singh, Janpreet; Tripathi, S. K.

2018-05-01

Bismuth antimony telluride (Bi-Sb-Te) compounds have been investigated for the past many decades for thermoelectric (TE) power generation and cooling purpose. We synthesized this compound with a stoichiometry Bi1.2Sb0.8Te3 through melt cool technique and thin films of as synthesized material were deposited by thermal evaporation. The prime focus of the present work is to study the influence of annealing temperature on the room temperature (RT) power factor of thin films. Electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were studied and power factors were calculated which showed a peak value at 323 K. The compounds performance is comparable to some very efficient Bi-Sb-Te reported stoichiometries at RT scale. The values observed show that material has an enormous potential for energy production at ambient temperature scales.

Strain effects in topological insulators: Topological order and the emergence of switchable topological interface states in Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterojunctions

Science.gov (United States)

Aramberri, H.; Muñoz, M. C.

2017-05-01

We investigate the effects of strain on the topological order of the Bi2Se3 family of topological insulators by ab initio first-principles methods. Strain can induce a topological phase transition and we present the phase diagram for the 3D topological insulators, Bi2Te3 , Sb2Te3 , Bi2Se3 , and Sb2Se3 , under combined uniaxial and biaxial strain. Their phase diagram is universal and shows metallic and insulating phases, both topologically trivial and nontrivial. In particular, uniaxial tension can drive the four compounds into a topologically trivial insulating phase. We propose a Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3 heterojunction in which a strain-induced topological interface state arises in the common gap of this normal insulator-topological insulator heterojunction. Unexpectedly, the interface state is confined in the topologically trivial subsystem and is physically protected from ambient impurities. It can be switched on or off by means of uniaxial strain and therefore Sb2Te3 /Bi2Te3 heterojunctions provide a topological system which hosts tunable robust helical interface states with promising spintronic applications.

Evolution of thermoelectric performance for (Bi,Sb)2Te3 alloys from cutting waste powders to bulks with high figure of merit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Xi'an; Cai, Xin zhi; Han, Xue wu; Zhang, Cheng cheng

2016-01-01

Bi 2 Te 3 based cutting waste powders from cutting wafers were firstly selected as raw materials to prepare p-type Bi 2 Te 3 based thermoelectric (TE) materials. Through washing, reducing, composition correction, smelting and resistance pressing sintering (RPS) process, p-type (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 alloy bulks with different nominal stoichiometries were successfully obtained. The evolution of microstructure and TE performance for (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 alloys were investigated in detail. All evidences confirmed that most of contaminants from line cutting process such as cutting fluid and oxides of Bi, Sb or Te could be removed by washing, reducing and smelting process used in this work. The carrier content and corresponding TE properties could be adjusted effectively by appropriate composition correction treatment. At lastly, a bulk with a nominal stoichiometry of Bi 0.44 Sb 1.56 Te 3 was obtained and its' dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was about 1.16 at 90 °C. The ZT values of Bi 0.36 Sb 1.64 Te 3 and Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 alloy bulks could also reach 0.98 and 1.08, respectively. Different from the conventional recycling technology such as hydrometallurgy extraction methods, the separation and extraction of beneficial elements such as Bi, Sb and Te did not need to be performed and the Bi 2 Te 3 based bulks with high TE properties could be directly obtained from the cutting waste powders. In addition, the recycling technology introduced here was green and more suitable for practical industrial application. It can improve material utilization and lower raw material costs of manufacturers. - Graphical abstract: Three kinds of typical morphologies for the fractographs: typical lamellar structure, agglomerated submicron-sized granules and dispersed cubic particles from the initial cutting waste powders. - Highlights: • Bi 2 Te 3 based wastes were directly selected as raw materials for TE alloys. • Contaminants from cutting fluid and oxides could be effectively removed. �

Surface quantum oscillations and weak antilocalization effect in topological insulator (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3

Science.gov (United States)

Urkude, Rajashri; Rawat, Rajeev; Palikundwar, Umesh

2018-04-01

In 3D topological insulators, achieving a genuine bulk-insulating state is an important topic of research. The material system (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3 has been proposed as a topological insulator with high resistivity and low carrier concentration. Topological insulators are predicted to present interesting surface transport phenomena but their experimental studies have been hindered by metallic bulk conduction that overwhelms the surface transport. Here we present a study of the bulk-insulating properties of (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3. We show that a high resistivity exceeding 1 Ωm as a result of variable-range hopping behavior of state and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations as coming from the topological surface state. We have been able to clarify both the bulk and surface transport channels, establishing a comprehensive understanding of the transport properties in this material. Our results demonstrate that (Bi0.3Sb0.7)2Te3 is a good material for studying the surface quantum transport in a topological insulator.

Effect of antimony concentration on structural and transport properties of (Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} mixed crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malik, K.; Das, Diptasikha; Bandyopadhyay, S.; Banerjee, S.; Banerjee, Aritra, E-mail: aritrabanerjee.cu@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92 A P C Road, Kolkata-700009 (India)

2015-06-24

Polycrystalline (Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} (0.60≤x≤0.68) alloys have been synthesized by solid state reaction method. Structural characterizations have been done using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Lattice parameter decreases with antimony (Sb) concentration. Sb doping leads to the modification in band structure and Fermi surface geometry. Band gap calculated from thermal variation of resistivity (ρ-T) data, decreases with Sb concentration. Sb concentration dependent power factor near room temperature have been calculated from obtained resistivity and thermopower data. Highest power factor obtained for (Bi{sub 0.40}Sb{sub 0.60}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} alloy.

Thermoelectric properties of p-type (Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} fabricated by mechanical alloying process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, B Y; Choi, J S; Oh, T S; Hyun, D B

1997-07-01

Thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline (Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} (0.75 {le} x {le} 0.85), fabricated by mechanical alloying and hot pressing methods, have been investigated. Formation of (Bi{sub 0.25}Sb{sub 0.75}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} alloy powder was completed by mechanical alloying for 5 hours at ball-to-material ratio of 5:1, and processing time for (Bi{sub 1{minus}sub x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} formation increased with Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} content x. When (Bi{sub 0.25}Sb{sub 0.75}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} was hot pressed at temperatures ranging from 300 C to 550 C for 30 minutes, figure-of-merit increased with hot pressing temperature and maximum value of 2.8 x 10{sup {minus}3}/K could be obtained by hot pressing at 550 C. When hot pressed at 550 C, (Bi{sub 0.2}Sb{sub 0.8}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} exhibited figure-of-merit of 2.92 x 10{sup {minus}3}/K, which could be improved to 2.97 x 10{sup {minus}3}/K with addition of 1 wt% Sb as acceptor dopant.

Electrodeposition of textured Bi27Sb28Te45 nanowires with enhanced electrical conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, Maksudul; Gautam, Devendraprakash; Enright, Ryan

2016-01-01

This work presents the template based pulsed potential electrodeposition technique of highly textured single crystalline bismuth antimony telluride (Bi 1-x Sb x ) 2 Te 3 nanowires from a single aqueous electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry was used as an electroanalytical tool to assess the effect of the precursor concentrations on the composition of the deposits and to determine the deposition potential for each element. Pulsed potential electrodeposition was then applied on a gold-coated anodised alumina template to examine the effect of the pulse parameters on the composition and texture of Bi 27 Sb 28 Te 45 nanowires. The nanowires are cylindrical in shape formed during the deposition inside the porous template and highly textured as they are decorated with sparse distribution of small crystal domains. The electrical conductivity (24.1 × 10 4  S m −1 ) of a single nanowire was measured using a four-point probe technique implemented on a custom fabricated test chip. In this work, we demonstrated that crystal orientation with respect to the transport direction controlled by tuning the pulsed electrodeposition parameters. This allowed us to realise electrical conductivities ∼2.5 times larger than Sb doped bismuth-tellurium based ternary material systems and similar to what is typically seen in binary systems. - Highlights: • Pulsed electrodeposition is described towards fabrication of (Bi 1-x Sb x ) 2 Te 3 nanowires. • The adopted method is compatible with existing CMOS process. • The nanowires were fabricated as highly textured to enhance phonon scattering. • The electrical conductivity is ∼2.5 times larger than the current ternary materials.

Growth and characterization of an InSb infrared photoconductor on Si via an AlSb/GaSb buffer

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Bo Wen; Tan, Kian Hua; Loke, Wan Khai; Wicaksono, Satrio; Yoon, Soon Fatt

2018-05-01

A 99.6% relaxed InSb layer is grown on a 6° offcut (1 0 0) Si substrate via an AlSb/GaSb buffer using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A 200 nm GaSb buffer is first grown on Si and the lattice mismatch between them is accommodated by an interfacial misfit (IMF) array consisting of uniformly distributed 90° misfit dislocations. Si delta doping is introduced during the growth of GaSb to reduce the density of threading dislocation. Subsequently, a 50 nm AlSb buffer is grown followed by a 0.8 μm InSb layer. The InSb layer exhibits a 300 K electron mobility of 22,300 cm2/Vs. An InSb photoconductor on Si is demonstrated with a photoconductive gain from 77 K to 200 K under a 700 °C maintained blackbody.

Electron Microscopy investigation of Sb{sub 2-x}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 3} hexagonal crystal structure growth prepared from sol–gel method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tongpeng, Suparat [Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Sarakonsri, Thapanee, E-mail: tsarakonsri@gmail.com [Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Isoda, Seiji [Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University (Japan); Haruta, Mitsutaka; Kurata, Hiroki [Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Thanachayanont, Chanchana [National Metal and Materials Technology Center, 114 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Rd., Klong 1, KlongLuang, Pathumthani (Thailand)

2015-11-01

Sb – Bi – Te ternary compounds, with ZT values (unitless figure of merit for semiconductor materials) as high as 1.28, have long been known as the best thermoelectric materials for use in thermoelectric cooling and power generation operated near room temperature. In this research, p-type Sb{sub 2-x}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 3} (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0) compounds were synthesized by sol–gel method using bismuth (III) acetate, antimony (III) acetate and tellurium dioxide as precursors. The mole ratio of metal precursor: solvent: organic solvent was 1:60:4. The obtained gels of Sb{sub 2-x}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 3} were annealed to complete the synthesis at 773 K for 2 h under nitrogen atmosphere. Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, Sb{sub 1.6}Bi{sub 0.4}Te{sub 3}, and SbBiTe{sub 3} compounds were observed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) as main phases in samples with x = 0–0.2, 0.4–0.6, and 0.8–1.0, respectively. An increase in the lattice parameter a suggested an expansion of unit cells, due to the substitution of Bi in Sb crystallographic positions. The morphology, as revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images, is one of aligned hexagonal nanosheets, while the Selected Area Diffraction (SAD) patterns matched well with the phases characterized by XRD. - Highlights: • Sb{sub 2-x}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 3} (x = 0.0–1.0) hexagonal nanosheets were prepared by sol–gel method. • It is the simple and economic method with the first time reported for these structures. • High crystallinity hexagonal nanosheets were oriented into small bundles form. • It is expected to have a high ZT value at room temperature.

Heterogeneous nucleation of Mg2Si on Sr11Sb10 nucleus in Mg–x(3.5, 5 wt.%)Si–1Al alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hui-Yuan; Chen, Lei; Liu, Bo; Li, Xiao-Ran; Wang, Jin-Guo; Jiang, Qi-Chuan

2012-01-01

After combined additions of Sr and Sb, most primary Mg 2 Si crystals in Mg–3.5Si–1Al and Mg–5Si–1Al alloys transformed from equiaxed-dendritic shapes to octahedral morphologies; while eutectic phases also changed from Chinese script to short rod-shapes. The mechanisms of complex modification of Sr and Sb were attributed to the heterogeneous nucleation of primary Mg 2 Si on Sr 11 Sb 10 nucleus, together with change in growth manners caused by incorporation of Sb in Mg 2 Si crystals. -- Highlights: ► The Sr 11 Sb 10 is the heterogeneous nucleation of primary Mg 2 Si in Mg–3.5Si–1Al alloys. ► Some Sb atoms were incorporated by substituting Si which changed growth manners of primary Mg 2 Si. ► Primary Mg 2 Si transformed from equiaxed-dendritic to octahedral after modification. ► Eutectic phases changed from Chinese script to short rod-shapes after modification.

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan

2012-03-27

Topological insulator is a new state of matter attracting tremendous interest due to its gapless linear dispersion and spin momentum locking topological states located near the surface. Heterostructures, which have traditionally been powerful in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered that an exotic topological state exists. Surprisingly, the state migrates from the nontrivial Bi 2Se 3 into the trivial Sb 2Se 3 region and spreads across the entire Sb 2Se 3 slab, extending beyond the concept of "surface" state while preserving all of the topological surface state characteristics. This unusual topological state arises from the coupling between different materials and the modification of electronic structure near Fermi energy. Our study demonstrates that heterostructures can open up opportunities for controlling the real-space distribution of the topological state and inducing quantum phase transitions between topologically trivial and nontrivial states. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Diffraction and spectroscopic study of pyrochlores Bi{sub 2−x}Fe{sub 1+x}SbO{sub 7}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Qingdi; Blanchard, Peter E.R. [School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Kennedy, Brendan J., E-mail: kennedyb@chem.usyd.edu.au [School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Ling, Chris D.; Liu, Samuel [School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Avdeev, Max [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Aitken, Jade B. [Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia); Institute of Materials Structure Science, KEK, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Tadich, Anton; Brand, Helen E.A. [Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia)

2014-03-15

Highlights: • Fe rich pyrochlores of the type Bi{sub 2−x}Fe{sub 1+x}SbO{sub 7} were prepared by solid state methods. • Structures determined using a combination of neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. • Fe partially occupies the 8-coordinate site. • Dispacive disorder of the Bi cations observed as a consequence of the 6s{sup 2} electrons. • Non-Vegard behaviour seen at low Fe contents due to disorder. -- Abstract: The structural and electronic properties of the series Bi{sub 2−x}Fe{sub 1+x}SbO{sub 7} (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.6) were investigated using a combination of diffraction and spectroscopy. Synchrotron and neutron diffraction analysis show that Fe{sup 3+} cations substitute for Bi{sup 3+} onto the A site with increasing x, which was further confirmed by analysis of the Fe K/L-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectra. The diffraction analysis indicated the presence of displacive disorder along the A{sub 2}O chains, likely the result of the Bi{sup 3+} 6s{sup 2} lone pair, as well as non-Vegard-like behaviour of the lattice parameters in the Fe-poor region. Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine-structure analysis of Bi{sub 2}FeSbO{sub 7} confirmed the displacive disorder of the Bi{sup 3+} cations as well as Sb{sup 5+} and Fe{sup 3+} disorder on the B site.

Refinement of Mg2Si reinforcement in a commercial Al–20%Mg2Si in-situ composite with bismuth, antimony and strontium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordin, Nur Azmah; Farahany, Saeed; Ourdjini, Ali; Abu Bakar, Tuty Asma; Hamzah, Esah

2013-01-01

Refinement by addition elements of Al–Mg 2 Si alloys is known to result in a change of primary Mg 2 Si morphology. In this paper, the effects of Bi, Sb and Sr on the characteristic parameters of Al–20%Mg 2 Si in-situ composite have been investigated by computer aided cooling curve thermal analysis and microstructural inspection. Size, density and aspect ratio measurements showed that additions of 0.4 wt.% Bi, 0.8 wt.% Sb and 0.01 wt.% Sr refined the Mg 2 Si reinforcement. Exceeding these concentrations, however, resulted in coarsening of Mg 2 Si particles with no change in the morphology. The results also showed that addition elements caused a decrease in the nucleation and growth temperatures of Mg 2 Si particles. The refining effect of Bi, Sb and Sr is likely to be related to the effect of oxide bifilms suspended in the composite melt as favored nucleation substrates for Mg 2 Si particles. - Highlight: • 0.4 wt.%, 0.8 wt.% and 0.01 wt.% is the optimum content for Bi, Sb and Sr addition. • Exceeding optimum concentration resulted in the coarsening of reinforcements. • Nucleation and growth temperatures decrease with addition of Bi, Sb and Sr. • The refining effect of Bi, Sb and Sr is likely to be related to the oxide bifilms

Evolution of thermoelectric performance for (Bi,Sb){sub 2}Te{sub 3} alloys from cutting waste powders to bulks with high figure of merit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Xi' an, E-mail: groupfxa@163.com [The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 947 Heping Road, Qingshan District, Wuhan 430081 (China); Cai, Xin zhi, E-mail: xzcwust@163.com [The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 947 Heping Road, Qingshan District, Wuhan 430081 (China); Han, Xue wu, E-mail: hanxuewu1990@163.com [The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 947 Heping Road, Qingshan District, Wuhan 430081 (China); Zhang, Cheng cheng, E-mail: zcc516990418@live.com [The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, 947 Heping Road, Qingshan District, Wuhan 430081 (China); and others

2016-01-15

Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} based cutting waste powders from cutting wafers were firstly selected as raw materials to prepare p-type Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} based thermoelectric (TE) materials. Through washing, reducing, composition correction, smelting and resistance pressing sintering (RPS) process, p-type (Bi,Sb){sub 2}Te{sub 3} alloy bulks with different nominal stoichiometries were successfully obtained. The evolution of microstructure and TE performance for (Bi,Sb){sub 2}Te{sub 3} alloys were investigated in detail. All evidences confirmed that most of contaminants from line cutting process such as cutting fluid and oxides of Bi, Sb or Te could be removed by washing, reducing and smelting process used in this work. The carrier content and corresponding TE properties could be adjusted effectively by appropriate composition correction treatment. At lastly, a bulk with a nominal stoichiometry of Bi{sub 0.44}Sb{sub 1.56}Te{sub 3} was obtained and its' dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was about 1.16 at 90 °C. The ZT values of Bi{sub 0.36}Sb{sub 1.64}Te{sub 3} and Bi{sub 0.4}Sb{sub 1.6}Te{sub 3} alloy bulks could also reach 0.98 and 1.08, respectively. Different from the conventional recycling technology such as hydrometallurgy extraction methods, the separation and extraction of beneficial elements such as Bi, Sb and Te did not need to be performed and the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} based bulks with high TE properties could be directly obtained from the cutting waste powders. In addition, the recycling technology introduced here was green and more suitable for practical industrial application. It can improve material utilization and lower raw material costs of manufacturers. - Graphical abstract: Three kinds of typical morphologies for the fractographs: typical lamellar structure, agglomerated submicron-sized granules and dispersed cubic particles from the initial cutting waste powders. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} based wastes were directly selected as raw materials

Hole-dominated transport in InSb nanowires grown on high-quality InSb films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Algarni, Zaina; George, David; Singh, Abhay; Lin, Yuankun; Philipose, U., E-mail: usha.philipose@unt.edu [University of North Texas, Department of Physics (United States)

2016-12-15

We have developed an effective strategy for synthesizing p-type indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires on a thin film of InSb grown on glass substrate. The InSb films were grown by a chemical reaction between Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} and In and were characterized by structural, compositional, and optical studies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the surface of the substrate is covered with a polycrystalline InSb film comprised of sub-micron sized InSb islands. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) results show that the film is stoichiometric InSb. The optical constants of the InSb film, characterized using a variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE) shows a maximum value for refractive index at 3.7 near 1.8 eV, and the extinction coefficient (k) shows a maximum value 3.3 near 4.1 eV. InSb nanowires were subsequently grown on the InSb film with 20 nm sized Au nanoparticles functioning as the metal catalyst initiating nanowire growth. The InSb nanowires with diameters in the range of 40–60 nm exhibit good crystallinity and were found to be rich in Sb. High concentrations of anions in binary semiconductors are known to introduce acceptor levels within the band gap. This un-intentional doping of the InSb nanowire resulting in hole-dominated transport in the nanowires is demonstrated by the fabrication of a p-channel nanowire field effect transistor. The hole concentration and field effect mobility are estimated to be ≈1.3 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3} and 1000 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, respectively, at room temperature, values that are particularly attractive for the technological implications of utilizing p-InSb nanowires in CMOS electronics.

Defect properties of Sb- and Bi-doped CuInSe{sub 2}: The effect of the deep lone-pair s states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ji-Sang; Yang, Ji-Hui; Ramanathan, Kannan; Wei, Su-Huai, E-mail: Suhuai.Wei@nrel.gov [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

2014-12-15

Bi or Sb doping has been used to make better material properties of polycrystalline Cu{sub 2}(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} as solar cell absorbers, including the experimentally observed improved electrical properties. However, the mechanism is still not clear. Using first-principles method, we investigate the stability and electronic structure of Bi- and Sb-related defects in CuInSe{sub 2} and study their effects on the doping efficiency. Contrary to previous thinking that Bi or Sb substituted on the anion site, we find that under anion-rich conditions, the impurities can substitute on cation sites and are isovalent to In because of the formation of the impurity lone pair s states. When the impurities substitute for Cu, the defects act as shallow double donors and help remove the deep In{sub Cu} level, thus resulting in the improved carrier life time. On the other hand, under anion-poor conditions, impurities at the Se site create amphoteric deep levels that are detrimental to the device performance.

Hole-dominated transport in InSb nanowires grown on high-quality InSb films

Science.gov (United States)

Algarni, Zaina; George, David; Singh, Abhay; Lin, Yuankun; Philipose, U.

2016-12-01

We have developed an effective strategy for synthesizing p-type indium antimonide (InSb) nanowires on a thin film of InSb grown on glass substrate. The InSb films were grown by a chemical reaction between S b 2 S 3 and I n and were characterized by structural, compositional, and optical studies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the surface of the substrate is covered with a polycrystalline InSb film comprised of sub-micron sized InSb islands. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) results show that the film is stoichiometric InSb. The optical constants of the InSb film, characterized using a variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometer (VASE) shows a maximum value for refractive index at 3.7 near 1.8 eV, and the extinction coefficient (k) shows a maximum value 3.3 near 4.1 eV. InSb nanowires were subsequently grown on the InSb film with 20 nm sized Au nanoparticles functioning as the metal catalyst initiating nanowire growth. The InSb nanowires with diameters in the range of 40-60 nm exhibit good crystallinity and were found to be rich in Sb. High concentrations of anions in binary semiconductors are known to introduce acceptor levels within the band gap. This un-intentional doping of the InSb nanowire resulting in hole-dominated transport in the nanowires is demonstrated by the fabrication of a p-channel nanowire field effect transistor. The hole concentration and field effect mobility are estimated to be ≈1.3 × 1017 cm-3 and 1000 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively, at room temperature, values that are particularly attractive for the technological implications of utilizing p-InSb nanowires in CMOS electronics.

Refinement of Mg{sub 2}Si reinforcement in a commercial Al–20%Mg{sub 2}Si in-situ composite with bismuth, antimony and strontium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordin, Nur Azmah; Farahany, Saeed, E-mail: saeedfarahany@gmail.com; Ourdjini, Ali; Abu Bakar, Tuty Asma; Hamzah, Esah

2013-12-15

Refinement by addition elements of Al–Mg{sub 2}Si alloys is known to result in a change of primary Mg{sub 2}Si morphology. In this paper, the effects of Bi, Sb and Sr on the characteristic parameters of Al–20%Mg{sub 2}Si in-situ composite have been investigated by computer aided cooling curve thermal analysis and microstructural inspection. Size, density and aspect ratio measurements showed that additions of 0.4 wt.% Bi, 0.8 wt.% Sb and 0.01 wt.% Sr refined the Mg{sub 2}Si reinforcement. Exceeding these concentrations, however, resulted in coarsening of Mg{sub 2}Si particles with no change in the morphology. The results also showed that addition elements caused a decrease in the nucleation and growth temperatures of Mg{sub 2}Si particles. The refining effect of Bi, Sb and Sr is likely to be related to the effect of oxide bifilms suspended in the composite melt as favored nucleation substrates for Mg{sub 2}Si particles. - Highlight: • 0.4 wt.%, 0.8 wt.% and 0.01 wt.% is the optimum content for Bi, Sb and Sr addition. • Exceeding optimum concentration resulted in the coarsening of reinforcements. • Nucleation and growth temperatures decrease with addition of Bi, Sb and Sr. • The refining effect of Bi, Sb and Sr is likely to be related to the oxide bifilms.

Quantum spin Hall effect and topological phase transition in InN x Bi y Sb1-x-y /InSb quantum wells

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhigang; Bose, Sumanta; Fan, Weijun; Zhang, Dao Hua; Zhang, Yan Yang; Shen Li, Shu

2017-07-01

Quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect, a fundamentally new quantum state of matter and topological phase transitions are characteristics of a kind of electronic material, popularly referred to as topological insulators (TIs). TIs are similar to ordinary insulator in terms of their bulk bandgap, but have gapless conducting edge-states that are topologically protected. These edge-states are facilitated by the time-reversal symmetry and they are robust against nonmagnetic impurity scattering. Recently, the quest for new materials exhibiting non-trivial topological state of matter has been of great research interest, as TIs find applications in new electronics and spintronics and quantum-computing devices. Here, we propose and demonstrate as a proof-of-concept that QSH effect and topological phase transitions can be realized in {{InN}}x{{Bi}}y{{Sb}}1-x-y/InSb semiconductor quantum wells (QWs). The simultaneous incorporation of nitrogen and bismuth in InSb is instrumental in lowering the bandgap, while inducing opposite kinds of strain to attain a near-lattice-matching conducive for lattice growth. Phase diagram for bandgap shows that as we increase the QW thickness, at a critical thickness, the electronic bandstructure switches from a normal to an inverted type. We confirm that such transition are topological phase transitions between a traditional insulator and a TI exhibiting QSH effect—by demonstrating the topologically protected edge-states using the bandstructure, edge-localized distribution of the wavefunctions and edge-state spin-momentum locking phenomenon, presence of non-zero conductance in spite of the Fermi energy lying in the bandgap window, crossover points of Landau levels in the zero-mode indicating topological band inversion in the absence of any magnetic field and presence of large Rashba spin-splitting, which is essential for spin-manipulation in TIs.

Determination of total Sb,Se Te, and Bi and evaluation of their inorganic species in garlic by hydride-generation-atomic-fluorescence spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matos Reyes, M.N.; Cervera, M.L.; Guardia, M. de la [University of Valencia, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

2009-07-15

A sensitive and simple analytical method has been developed for determination of Sb(III), Sb(V), Se(IV), Se(VI), Te(IV), Te(VI), and Bi(III) in garlic samples by using hydride-generation-atomic-fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS). The method is based on a single extraction of the inorganic species by sonication at room temperature with 1 mol L{sup -1} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and washing of the solid phase with 0.1% (w/v) EDTA, followed by measurement of the corresponding hydrides generated under two different experimental conditions directly and after a pre-reduction step. The limit of detection of the method was 0.7 ng g{sup -1} for Sb(III), 1.0 ng g{sup -1} for Sb(V), 1.3 ng g{sup -1} for Se(IV), 1.0 ng g{sup -1} for Se(VI), 1.1 ng g{sup -1} for Te(IV), 0.5 ng g{sup -1} for Te(VI), and 0.9 ng g{sup -1} for Bi(III), in all cases expressed in terms of sample dry weight. (orig.)

Phase transformation in Mg—Sb3Te thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jun-Jian; Chen Yi-Min; Nie Qiu-Hua; Lü Ye-Gang; Wang Guo-Xiang; Shen Xiang; Dai Shi-Xun; Xu Tie-Feng

2014-01-01

Mg-doped Sb 3 Te films are proposed to improve the performance of phase-change memory (PCM). We prepare Mg-doped Sb 3 Te films and investigate their crystallization behaviors, structural, optical and electrical properties. We find that Mg-doping can increase the crystallization temperature, enhance the activation energy, and improve the 10-year data retention of Sb 3 Te. Especially Mg 25.19 (Sb 3 Te)74.81 shows higher T c (∼ 190 °C) and larger E a (∼ 3.49 eV), which results in a better data retention maintaining for 10 yr at ∼ 112 °C. Moreover R a /R c value is also improved. These excellent properties make Mg—Sb—Te material a promising candidate for the phase-change memory (PCM). (special topic — international conference on nanoscience and technology, china 2013)

Overlayer growth and electronic properties of the Bi/GaSb(110) interface

Science.gov (United States)

Gavioli, Luca; Betti, Maria Grazia; Casarini, Paolo; Mariani, Carlo

1995-06-01

The overlayer growth and electronic properties of the Bi/GaSb(110) interface and of the two-dimensional ordered (1×1)- and (1×2)-Bi layers have been investigated by complementary spectroscopic techniques (high-resolution electron-energy-loss, photoemission, and Auger spectroscopy). Bismuth forms an epitaxial monolayer, followed by island formation (Stranski-Krastanov growth mode) covering an average surface area of 40% at a nominal coverage of 4 ML. The (1×2)-symmetry stable structural phase, obtained after annealing at ~220 °C, corresponds to an average nominal Bi coverage of about 0.7 ML, suggesting an atomic geometry different from the epitaxial-continued layer structure. The disposal of Bi atoms in the (1×2) structure should build up an ``open'' layer, as the Ga-related surface exciton quenched in the (1×1) epitaxial monolayer is present in the (1×2) stable phase. The two symmetry phases are characterized by strong absorption features at 1 eV [(1×1)-Bi] and 0.54 eV [(1×2)-Bi], related to interband electronic transitions between Bi-induced electronic states. The major Bi-related occupied electronic levels, present in the valence band of the (1×1)- and (1×2)-Bi layer, have been detected by angle-integrated ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. Both the (1×1) and (1×2) phases show a metallic nature, with a low density of electronic states at the Fermi level. Schottky barrier heights of 0.20 and 0.14 eV are estimated for the epitaxial (1×1)- and (1×2)-symmetry stage, respectively, by analyzing the space-charge layer conditions through the study of the dopant-induced free-carrier plasmon in the GaSb substrate.

InSb semiconductors and (In,Mn)Sb diluted magnetic semiconductors. Growth and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, Lien

2011-04-13

This dissertation describes investigations of the growth by molecular beam epitaxy and the characterization of the semiconductor InSb as well as the diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) In{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}Sb. The InSb films were grown on GaAs (001) substrate and Si (001) offcut by 4 toward (110) substrate up to a thickness of about 2 {mu}m, in spite of a large lattice mismatch between the epi-layer and substrate (14.6% between InSb and GaAs, and 19.3% between InSb and Si). After optimizing the growth conditions, the best InSb films grown directly on GaAs without any special technique results in a high crystal quality, low noise, and an electron mobility of 41100 cm{sup 2}/V s Vs with associated electron concentration of 2.9.10{sup 6} cm{sup -3} at 300 K. Such structures could be used, for example, for infrared detector structures. The growth of InSb on Si, however, is a challenge. In order to successfully grow InSb on Si, tilted substrates and the insertion of buffer layers were used, which helps to reduce the lattice mismatch as well as the formation of defects, and hence to improve the crystal quality. An electron mobility of 24000 cm{sup 2}/V s measured at 300 K, with an associated carrier concentration of 2.6.10{sup 1}6 cm{sup -3} is found for the best sample that was grown at 340 C with a 0.06 {mu}m-thick GaSb/AlSb superlattice buffer layer. The smaller value of electron mobility (compared to the best GaAsbased sample) is related to a higher density of microtwins and stacking faults as well as threading dislocations in the near-interface region as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Deep level noise spectra indicate the existence of deep levels in both GaAs and Si-based samples. The samples grown on Si exhibit the lowest Hooge factor at 300 K, lower than the samples grown on GaAs. Taking the optimized growth conditions of InSb/GaAs, the diluted magnetic semiconductor In{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}Sb/GaAs (001) is prepared by adding a few percent of Mn into the

Comparison of the electrochemical performance of mesoscopic Cu2Sb, SnSb and Sn/SnSb alloy powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ge; Huang Kelong; Liu Suqin; Zhang Wei; Gong Benli

2006-01-01

Cu 2 Sb, SnSb and Sn/SnSb mesoscopic alloy powders were prepared by chemical reduction, respectively. The crystal structures and particle morphology of Cu 2 Sb, SnSb and Sn/SnSb were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical performances of the Cu 2 Sb, SnSb and Sn/SnSb electrodes were investigated by galvanostatic charge and discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed the first charge and discharge capacities of SnSb and Sn/SnSb were higher than Cu 2 Sb, but after 15 cycles, the charge capacity fading rates of Cu 2 Sb, Sn/SnSb and Sn/SnSb were 26.16%, 55.33% and 47.39%, respectively. Cu 2 Sb had a better cycle performance, and Sn/SnSb multiphase alloy was prior to pure SnSb due to the existence of excessive Sn in Sn/SnSb system

Self-diffusion in 69Ga121Sb/71Ga123Sb isotope heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Bracht, H.; Nicols, S. P.; Haller, E. E.; Silveira, J. P.; Briones, F.

2001-05-01

Gallium and antimony self-diffusion experiments have been performed in undoped 69Ga121Sb/71Ga123Sb isotope heterostructures at temperatures between 571 and 708 °C under Sb- and Ga-rich ambients. Ga and Sb profiles measured with secondary ion mass spectrometry reveal that Ga diffuses faster than Sb by several orders of magnitude. This strongly suggests that the two self-atom species diffuse independently on their own sublattices. Experimental results lead us to conclude that Ga and Sb diffusion are mediated by Ga vacancies and Sb interstitials, respectively, and not by the formation of a triple defect proposed earlier by Weiler and Mehrer [Philos. Mag. A 49, 309 (1984)]. The extremely slow diffusion of Sb up to the melting temperature of GaSb is proposed to be a consequence of amphoteric transformations between native point defects which suppress the formation of those native defects which control Sb diffusion. Preliminary experiments exploring the effect of Zn indiffusion at 550 °C on Ga and Sb diffusion reveal an enhanced intermixing of the Ga isotope layers compared to undoped GaSb. However, under the same conditions the diffusion of Sb was not significantly affected.

Amorphous-to-crystalline transition in Ge{sub 8}Sb{sub (2-x)}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 11} phase-change materials for data recording

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svoboda, Roman, E-mail: roman.svoboda@upce.cz [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Karabyn, Vasyl [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Málek, Jiří [Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Frumar, Miloslav [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentska 573, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Beneš, Ludvík; Vlček, Milan [Joint Laboratory of Solid State Chemistry of Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i. and the University of Pardubice 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic)

2016-07-25

Structural and thermokinetic analyses were used to study the crystallization behavior of Ge{sub 8}Sb{sub (2-x)}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 11}thin films, promising materials for phase-change memory recording applications. By exploring the full compositional range, it was found that the Sb→Bi substitution leads to a decrease of crystallization enthalpy and activation energy of the main crystallization phase-change process. These trends were explained in terms of the changing structural ordering within the recently proposed new phase-change atomic switching mechanism. All of the compositions exhibited very similar transformation kinetics, confirming the uniformity of the phase-change mechanisms involved. It was further shown that rapid energy delivery achieved during heating, in the case of all investigated materials, leads to a transition from the classical nucleation/growth-based formation of 3D crystallites towards an autocatalytic phase-change process with an enormously increased speed of crystallization. Rapidity of the crystallization process was quantified for all of the studied compositions based on a novel Index of Crystallization Rapidity criterion – the results provided by this criterion showed that the highest crystallization speed was produced by the Ge{sub 8}Sb{sub 0.8}Bi{sub 1.2}Te{sub 11} composition, which therefore from this point of view appears to be a suitable candidate for the new generation of phase-change memory recording devices. - Highlights: • Crystallization behavior of Ge{sub 8}Sb{sub (2-x)}Bi{sub x}Te{sub 11} thin films was studied by DSC. • Sb → Bi substitution leads to a decrease of crystallization enthalpy and activation energy. • All compositions exhibited very similar transformation kinetics. • Rapidity of the crystallization process was quantified for the studied compositions. • Highest crystallization speed was produced by the Ge{sub 8}Sb{sub 0.8}Bi{sub 1.2}Te{sub 11} composition.

Slurry sampling flow injection chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the determination of trace Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Wei-Ni [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan (China); Jiang, Shiuh-Jen, E-mail: sjjiang@faculty.nsysu.edu.tw [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan (China); Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Chen, Yen-Ling [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Sahayam, A.C. [National Centre for Compositional Characterisation of Materials (CCCM), Hyderabad (India)

2015-02-20

Highlights: • Determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions in a single run. • Accurate analysis using isotope dilution and standard addition methods. • Vapor generation ICP-MS yielded superior detection limits compared to ETV-ICP-MS. • No sample dissolution increased sample through put. • Analysis of GBW09305 Cosmetic (Cream) reference material for accuracy. - Abstract: A slurry sampling inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method has been developed for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions using flow injection (FI) vapor generation (VG) as the sample introduction system. A slurry containing 2% m/v lotion, 2% m/v thiourea, 0.05% m/v L-cysteine, 0.5 μg mL{sup −1} Co(II), 0.1% m/v Triton X-100 and 1.2% v/v HCl was injected into a VG-ICP-MS system for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi without dissolution and mineralization. Because the sensitivities of the analytes in the slurry and that of aqueous solution were quite different, an isotope dilution method and a standard addition method were used for the determination. This method has been validated by the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in GBW09305 Cosmetic (Cream) reference material. The method was also applied for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in three cosmetic lotion samples obtained locally. The analysis results of the reference material agreed with the certified value and/or ETV-ICP-MS results. The detection limit estimated from the standard addition curve was 0.025, 0.1, 0.2, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.03 ng g{sup −1} for Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi, respectively, in original cosmetic lotion sample.

Slurry sampling flow injection chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the determination of trace Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Wei-Ni; Jiang, Shiuh-Jen; Chen, Yen-Ling; Sahayam, A.C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions in a single run. • Accurate analysis using isotope dilution and standard addition methods. • Vapor generation ICP-MS yielded superior detection limits compared to ETV-ICP-MS. • No sample dissolution increased sample through put. • Analysis of GBW09305 Cosmetic (Cream) reference material for accuracy. - Abstract: A slurry sampling inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method has been developed for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in cosmetic lotions using flow injection (FI) vapor generation (VG) as the sample introduction system. A slurry containing 2% m/v lotion, 2% m/v thiourea, 0.05% m/v L-cysteine, 0.5 μg mL −1 Co(II), 0.1% m/v Triton X-100 and 1.2% v/v HCl was injected into a VG-ICP-MS system for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi without dissolution and mineralization. Because the sensitivities of the analytes in the slurry and that of aqueous solution were quite different, an isotope dilution method and a standard addition method were used for the determination. This method has been validated by the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in GBW09305 Cosmetic (Cream) reference material. The method was also applied for the determination of Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi in three cosmetic lotion samples obtained locally. The analysis results of the reference material agreed with the certified value and/or ETV-ICP-MS results. The detection limit estimated from the standard addition curve was 0.025, 0.1, 0.2, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.03 ng g −1 for Ge, As, Cd, Sb, Hg and Bi, respectively, in original cosmetic lotion sample

Alternative route for the preparation of CoSb3 and Mg2Si derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godlewska, E.; Mars, K.; Zawadzka, K.

2012-01-01

An alternative manufacturing route has been developed for cobalt triantimonide and magnesium disilicide derivatives. Elemental powders were mixed in stoichiometric proportions, cold pressed into cylindrical preforms and heated in oxygen-free environment to initiate the exothermic reaction. According to DTA/TG measurements and observations under high-temperature microscope, the onset of reaction occurred at a temperature not exceeding the melting point of the more volatile component, i.e. antimony in the case of CoSb 3 and magnesium in the case of Mg 2 Si. The reaction products were additionally heat treated to secure homogenization. Dense sinters were obtained by hot uniaxial pressing of the obtained powders in moderate temperature-and-pressure conditions. Several advantages were identified in the proposed technology: absence of liquid phases, relatively short time of the synthesis, possibility of in-situ or ex-situ doping and grain size control. - Graphical abstract: (1) Manufacturing flow sheet for CoSb 3 (milling included) and Mg 2 Si (no milling). (2) Micrographs of CoSb 3 product. (3) Micrographs of Mg 2 Si product. Highlights: ► The combustion synthesis followed by HP was used for the manufacturing of CoSb 3 or Mg 2 Si. ► The time of reaction is shorter compared with many other synthesis methods. ► The process is scalable and practically wasteless.

Formation of Dense Pore Structure by Te Addition in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3: An Approach to Minimize Lattice Thermal Conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Waqar Hasan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We herein report the electronic and thermal transport properties of p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 polycrystalline bulks with dense pore structure. Dense pore structure was fabricated by vaporization of residual Te during the pressureless annealing of spark plasma sintered bulks of Te coated Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 powders. The lattice thermal conductivity was effectively reduced to the value of 0.35 W m−1 K−1 at 300 K mainly due to the phonon scattering by pores, while the power factor was not significantly affected. An enhanced ZT of 1.24 at 300 K was obtained in spark plasma sintered and annealed bulks of 3 wt.% Te coated Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 by these synergetic effects.

Evaluation of the effect of Bi, Sb, Sr and cooling condition on eutectic phases in an Al–Si–Cu alloy (ADC12) by in situ thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farahany, S.; Ourdjini, A.; Idrsi, M.H.; Shabestari, S.G.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Combined effect of Bi, Sb and Sr additions, and cooling condition was evaluated. • Two different scenarios of recalecense in response to cooling rate were observed. • Fraction solid increased in the order of Sr > Bi > Sb, corresponds to Si morphologies. • Only Bi decreased the nucleation temperature of Al 2 Cu eutectic phase. - Abstract: Al–Si and Al–Cu eutectic phases strongly affect the properties of Al–Si–Cu cast alloys. The characteristic parameters of these two eutectic phases with addition of bismuth, antimony and strontium under different cooling rates (0.6–2 °C/s) were investigated in ADC12 alloy using in situ thermal analysis. Results show that additives affect the Al–Si phase more than the Al–Cu (Al 2 Cu) phase. Addition elements showed two different scenarios in response to cooling rate in terms of recalescence of the Al–Si eutectic phase. Both Bi and Sb caused an increase in recalescence with increased cooling rate but Sr addition reduced the recalescence. Additions of Sb and Sr increased the nucleation temperature of Al 2 Cu, but addition of Bi produced an opposite effect. There seems to be relationship between the solidification temperature range and fraction solid of Al–Si and Al 2 Cu eutectic phases. As the cooling rate increases the fraction solid of Al–Si decreased and that of Al 2 Cu increased

InSb semiconductors and (In,Mn)Sb diluted magnetic semiconductors: Growth and properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, Lien

2011-01-01

This dissertation describes investigations of the growth by molecular beam epitaxy and the characterization of the semiconductor InSb as well as the diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) In 1-x Mn x Sb. The InSb films were grown on GaAs (001) substrate and Si (001) offcut by 4 toward (110) substrate up to a thickness of about 2 μm, in spite of a large lattice mismatch between the epi-layer and substrate (14.6% between InSb and GaAs, and 19.3% between InSb and Si). After optimizing the growth conditions, the best InSb films grown directly on GaAs without any special technique results in a high crystal quality, low noise, and an electron mobility of 41100 cm 2 /V s Vs with associated electron concentration of 2.9.10 6 cm -3 at 300 K. Such structures could be used, for example, for infrared detector structures. The growth of InSb on Si, however, is a challenge. In order to successfully grow InSb on Si, tilted substrates and the insertion of buffer layers were used, which helps to reduce the lattice mismatch as well as the formation of defects, and hence to improve the crystal quality. An electron mobility of 24000 cm 2 /V s measured at 300 K, with an associated carrier concentration of 2.6.10 1 6 cm -3 is found for the best sample that was grown at 340 C with a 0.06 μm-thick GaSb/AlSb superlattice buffer layer. The smaller value of electron mobility (compared to the best GaAsbased sample) is related to a higher density of microtwins and stacking faults as well as threading dislocations in the near-interface region as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Deep level noise spectra indicate the existence of deep levels in both GaAs and Si-based samples. The samples grown on Si exhibit the lowest Hooge factor at 300 K, lower than the samples grown on GaAs. Taking the optimized growth conditions of InSb/GaAs, the diluted magnetic semiconductor In 1-x Mn x Sb/GaAs (001) is prepared by adding a few percent of Mn into the host material InSb during growth. I have

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan; Zhang, Zhiyong; Zhu, Zhiyong; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Cui, Yi

2012-01-01

in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered

Compositional and structural characterisation of GaSb and GaInSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corregidor, V.; Alves, E.; Alves, L.C.; Barradas, N.P.; Duffar, Th.; Franco, N.; Marques, C.; Mitric, A.

2005-01-01

Low band gap III-V semiconductors are researched for applications in thermophotovoltaic technology. GaSb crystal is often used as a substrate. Ga 1-x In x Sb is also a promising substrate material, because its lattice parameters can be adjusted by controlling x. We used a new method to synthesise GaSb and GaInSb, in which a high frequency alternate magnetic field is used to heat, to melt and to mix the elements. We present a compositional and structural characterisation of the materials using a combination of complementary techniques. Rutherford backscattering was used to determine accurately the composition of the GaSb. With proton induced X-ray emission in conjunction with a 3 x 3 μm 2 micro-beam we studied the homogeneity of the samples. Structural analysis and phase identification were done with X-ray diffraction. The results for GaSb show a homogeneous composition while the GaInSb samples were found to be strongly heterogeneous at the end of the ingot. The ingots produced are competitive feed material, when compared to other growth techniques, to be used in a second step for the production of good quality ternary crystals

Sorghum phytochrome B inhibits flowering in long days by activating expression of SbPRR37 and SbGHD7, repressors of SbEHD1, SbCN8 and SbCN12.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shanshan Yang

Full Text Available Light signaling by phytochrome B in long days inhibits flowering in sorghum by increasing expression of the long day floral repressors PSEUDORESPONSE REGULATOR PROTEIN (SbPRR37, Ma1 and GRAIN NUMBER, PLANT HEIGHT AND HEADING DATE 7 (SbGHD7, Ma6. SbPRR37 and SbGHD7 RNA abundance peaks in the morning and in the evening of long days through coordinate regulation by light and output from the circadian clock. 58 M, a phytochrome B deficient (phyB-1, ma3R genotype, flowered ∼60 days earlier than 100 M (PHYB, Ma3 in long days and ∼11 days earlier in short days. Populations derived from 58 M (Ma1, ma3R, Ma5, ma6 and R.07007 (Ma1, Ma3, ma5, Ma6 varied in flowering time due to QTL aligned to PHYB/phyB-1 (Ma3, Ma5, and GHD7/ghd7-1 (Ma6. PHYC was proposed as a candidate gene for Ma5 based on alignment and allelic variation. PHYB and Ma5 (PHYC were epistatic to Ma1 and Ma6 and progeny recessive for either gene flowered early in long days. Light signaling mediated by PhyB was required for high expression of the floral repressors SbPRR37 and SbGHD7 during the evening of long days. In 100 M (PHYB the floral activators SbEHD1, SbCN8 and SbCN12 were repressed in long days and de-repressed in short days. In 58 M (phyB-1 these genes were highly expressed in long and short days. Furthermore, SbCN15, the ortholog of rice Hd3a (FT, is expressed at low levels in 100 M but at high levels in 58 M (phyB-1 regardless of day length, indicating that PhyB regulation of SbCN15 expression may modify flowering time in a photoperiod-insensitive manner.

Growth of InTlSB and InTlP for Long Wavelength Infrared Detector Applications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Razeghi, M

1998-01-01

.... Other novel alloys such as InAsSb and InSbBi are also investigated. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of these novel materials have been investigated in detail with various ex-situ characterization techniques...

Constructing a large variety of Dirac-cone materials in the Bi(1-x)Sb(x) thin film system.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shuang; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2012-12-21

We theoretically predict that a large variety of Dirac-cone materials can be constructed in Bi(1-x)Sb(x) thin films and we here show how to construct single-, bi- and tri-Dirac-cone materials with various amounts of wave vector anisotropy. These different types of Dirac cones can be of special interest to electronic device design, quantum electrodynamics and other fields.

Thermal Stability of P-Type BiSbTe Alloys Prepared by Melt Spinning and Rapid Sintering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Zheng

2017-06-01

Full Text Available P-type BiSbTe alloys have been widely implemented in waste heat recovery from low-grade heat sources below 600 K, which may involve assorted environments and conditions, such as long-term service, high-temperature exposure (generally 473–573 K and mechanical forces. It is important to evaluate the service performance of these materials in order to prevent possible failures in advance and extend the life cycle. In this study, p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 commercial zone-melting (ZM ingots were processed by melt spinning and subsequent plasma-activated sintering (MS-PAS, and were then subjected to vacuum-annealing at 473 and 573 K, respectively, for one week. The results show that MS-PAS samples exhibit excellent thermal stability when annealed at 473 K. However, thermal annealing at 573 K for MS-PAS specimens leads to the distinct sublimation of the element Te, which degrades the hole concentration remarkably and results in inferior thermoelectric performance. Furthermore, MS-PAS samples annealed at 473 K demonstrate a slight enhancement in flexural and compressive strengths, probably due to the reduction of residual stress induced during the sintering process. The current work guides the reliable application of p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 compounds prepared by the MS-PAS technique.

Self-diffusion in 69Ga121Sb/71Ga123Sb isotope heterostructures

OpenAIRE

Bracht, H.; Nicols, S. P.; Haller, E. E.; Silveira, Juan Pedro; Briones Fernández-Pola, Fernando

2001-01-01

Gallium and antimony self-diffusion experiments have been performed in undoped 69Ga121Sb/71Ga123Sb isotope heterostructures at temperatures between 571 and 708 °C under Sb- and Ga-rich ambients. Ga and Sb profiles measured with secondary ion mass spectrometry reveal that Ga diffuses faster than Sb by several orders of magnitude. This strongly suggests that the two self-atom species diffuse independently on their own sublattices. Experimental results lead us to conclude that Ga and Sb diffusio...

Homologous series of layered structures in binary and ternary Bi-Sb-Te-Se systems : Ab initio study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Govaerts, K.; Sluiter, M.H.F.; Partoens, B.; Lamoen, D.

2014-01-01

In order to account explicitly for the existence of long-periodic layered structures and the strong structural relaxations in the most common binary and ternary alloys of the Bi-Sb-Te-Se system, we have developed a one-dimensional cluster expansion (CE) based on first-principles electronic structure

Multielemental Determination of As, Bi, Ge, Sb, and Sn in Agricultural Samples Using Hydride Generation Coupled to Microwave-Induced Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Raquel C; Amaral, Clarice D B; Nóbrega, Joaquim A; Araujo Nogueira, Ana Rita

2017-06-14

A microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometer with N 2 -based plasma was combined with a multimode sample introduction system (MSIS) for hydride generation (HG) and multielemental determination of As, Bi, Ge, Sb, and Sn in samples of forage, bovine liver, powdered milk, agricultural gypsum, rice, and mineral fertilizer, using a single condition of prereduction and reduction. The accuracy of the developed analytical method was evaluated using certified reference materials of water and mineral fertilizer, and recoveries ranged from 95 to 106%. Addition and recovery experiments were carried out, and the recoveries varied from 85 to 117% for all samples evaluated. The limits of detection for As, Bi, Ge, Sb, and Sn were 0.46, 0.09, 0.19, 0.46, and 5.2 μg/L, respectively, for liquid samples, and 0.18, 0.04, 0.08, 0.19, and 2.1 mg/kg, respectively, for solid samples. The method proposed offers a simple, fast, multielemental, and robust alternative for successful determination of all five analytes in agricultural samples with low operational cost without compromising analytical performance.

Evaluation of the effect of Bi, Sb, Sr and cooling condition on eutectic phases in an Al–Si–Cu alloy (ADC12) by in situ thermal analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farahany, S., E-mail: saeedfarahany@gmail.com [Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), 81310 Johor Bahru (Malaysia); Ourdjini, A.; Idrsi, M.H. [Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), 81310 Johor Bahru (Malaysia); Shabestari, S.G. [Center of Excellence for High Strength Alloys Technology (CEHSAT), School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), 16846-13114 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-05-10

Highlights: • Combined effect of Bi, Sb and Sr additions, and cooling condition was evaluated. • Two different scenarios of recalecense in response to cooling rate were observed. • Fraction solid increased in the order of Sr > Bi > Sb, corresponds to Si morphologies. • Only Bi decreased the nucleation temperature of Al{sub 2}Cu eutectic phase. - Abstract: Al–Si and Al–Cu eutectic phases strongly affect the properties of Al–Si–Cu cast alloys. The characteristic parameters of these two eutectic phases with addition of bismuth, antimony and strontium under different cooling rates (0.6–2 °C/s) were investigated in ADC12 alloy using in situ thermal analysis. Results show that additives affect the Al–Si phase more than the Al–Cu (Al{sub 2}Cu) phase. Addition elements showed two different scenarios in response to cooling rate in terms of recalescence of the Al–Si eutectic phase. Both Bi and Sb caused an increase in recalescence with increased cooling rate but Sr addition reduced the recalescence. Additions of Sb and Sr increased the nucleation temperature of Al{sub 2}Cu, but addition of Bi produced an opposite effect. There seems to be relationship between the solidification temperature range and fraction solid of Al–Si and Al{sub 2}Cu eutectic phases. As the cooling rate increases the fraction solid of Al–Si decreased and that of Al{sub 2}Cu increased.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-07-01

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

Tetrahedral 1B4Sb nanoclusters in GaP:(B, Sb)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elyukhin, V A, E-mail: elyukhin@cinvestav.m [Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica-SEES, CINVESTAV-IPN, Avenida IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C. P. 07360, Mexico, D. F. (Mexico)

2009-05-01

Self-assembling conditions of 1B4Sb tetrahedral nanoclusters in GaP doped with boron and Sb isoelectronic impurities are represented in the ultradilute and dilute limits of the boron and Sb contents, respectively. The fulfilled estimates demonstrated the preferential complete or almost complete allocation of boron atoms in 1B4Sb nanoclusters at temperatures of 500 {sup 0}C and 900 {sup 0}C, respectively. The significant decrease of the sum of the free energies of the constituent compounds is the main origin of self-assembling. The reduction of the strain energy is the additional cause of this phenomenon.

Diffusion coefficients for Tl, Pb, Cd, In, Zn, Bi, As, Mo and Sb in hydrous rhyolite at 100-200 MPa

Science.gov (United States)

Berlo, Kim; Brooker, Richard; Wilke, Max

2014-05-01

A series of experiments have been conducted to determine the diffusivities of Tl, Pb, Cd, In, Zn, Bi, As, Mo and Sb in hydrous rhyolitic melt. Diffusion experiments used two adjoining glass cylinder of the same hydrous composition, one doped with the elements of interest at ~ 100 ppm. These couples were rapidly heated to 850, 1000 and 1150°C at 100-200 MPa for a few hours. After quenching the sectioned charges were analyzed by both synchrotron XRF (The Diamond Light Source) and LA-ICP-MS (University of Oxford). The data shows excellent correlation between these two techniques. The diffusion profiles were fitted to a 1-D diffusion couple equation to determine the diffusivities and fitting to the different temperature runs defined the Arrhenius parameters. We find that for 850°C the diffusion coefficients follow the trend Tl>Pb>Cd>Zn>In>Bi>As>Sb>Mo. Additional experiments were performed with either S or Cl added (to both sides of the diffusion couple). In general S increases the diffusion rate of all metals except Mo and Sb, which diffuse slower in the presence of S. Chlorine also speeds up the diffusion of metals with the exception of In, Mo and Sb. The systematic change in diffusivities of these metals and their different behaviour in the presence of the ligands that are also observed to be significant in volcanic gases, are important in determining the distribution of these metals during degassing (e.g. MacKenzie and Canil, 2008). This is particularly important in a dynamic environment such as a volcanic conduit. There are also implications for economic exploration and well as hazard mitigation.

Electrodeposition of textured Bi{sub 27}Sb{sub 28}Te{sub 45} nanowires with enhanced electrical conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasan, Maksudul, E-mail: maksudul.hasan@tyndall.ie [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork (Ireland); Gautam, Devendraprakash [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork (Ireland); Enright, Ryan [Thermal Management Research Group, Efficient Energy Transfer Department, Bell Labs Ireland, Alcatel-Lucent Ireland Ltd., Dublin (Ireland)

2016-04-15

This work presents the template based pulsed potential electrodeposition technique of highly textured single crystalline bismuth antimony telluride (Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanowires from a single aqueous electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry was used as an electroanalytical tool to assess the effect of the precursor concentrations on the composition of the deposits and to determine the deposition potential for each element. Pulsed potential electrodeposition was then applied on a gold-coated anodised alumina template to examine the effect of the pulse parameters on the composition and texture of Bi{sub 27}Sb{sub 28}Te{sub 45} nanowires. The nanowires are cylindrical in shape formed during the deposition inside the porous template and highly textured as they are decorated with sparse distribution of small crystal domains. The electrical conductivity (24.1 × 10{sup 4} S m{sup −1}) of a single nanowire was measured using a four-point probe technique implemented on a custom fabricated test chip. In this work, we demonstrated that crystal orientation with respect to the transport direction controlled by tuning the pulsed electrodeposition parameters. This allowed us to realise electrical conductivities ∼2.5 times larger than Sb doped bismuth-tellurium based ternary material systems and similar to what is typically seen in binary systems. - Highlights: • Pulsed electrodeposition is described towards fabrication of (Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x}){sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanowires. • The adopted method is compatible with existing CMOS process. • The nanowires were fabricated as highly textured to enhance phonon scattering. • The electrical conductivity is ∼2.5 times larger than the current ternary materials.

A Summary of Rheology Data For SB3 and SB2/3 Blend Simulant Savannah River Site Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

KOOPMAN, DAVIDC.

2004-01-01

total solids.The slurry pH seemed to be having a significant effect on the rheological variations within a set of similar simulant samples. The most viscous slurry in a set often had an intermediate pH in the 5-8 range. Rheological differences were seen as a function of wash endpoint with simulants. The Case 7d SB2/3SME product was more viscous than the less-washed Case 6b SME product. The more-washed SB3 simulant SME products that started at 20,000 mg/kg sludge nitrite were more viscous than the less washed SB3 simulant SME products that started at 27,000 mg/kg sludge nitrite

Sb{sup III} - Sb{sup V} Exchange Reaction in Hydrochloric: Acid Solutions; Echange Sb{sup III}-Sb{sup V} dans des Solutions d'Acide Chlorhydrique; Reaktsiya obmena Sb(III) - Sb(V) v rastvorakh khloristovodorodnoj kisloty; Intercambio Sb{sup III}-Sb{sup V} en Soluciones de HCl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kambara, T.; Yamaguchi, K.; Yasuba, S. [Shizuoka University, Shizuoka City (Japan)

1965-10-15

The exchange reaction of Sb{sup III} - Sb{sup V} in solutions of low HCl concentrations was studied using {sup 124}Sb as a tracer. The effects of HCl concentrations and chemical forms of antimony on the exchange rate were investigated. The HCl concentrations of the antimony solutions ((Sb{sup III}) =(Sb{sup V}) = 6.8 x 10{sup -4}M) were changed from 0.8 to 4.0M and the half-time for the exchange was measured by plotting log (1 - F) versus time t to calculate the exchange rate assuming the second-ordet reaction. It was found that the exchange rate was sharply increased with the increase of HCl concentrations (at 25 Degree-Sign C, from 0.8 to 2.0M) and at 2.0M HCl concentration the rate reached the maximum, from which the rate was decreased with the increase of HCl concentrations (at 25 Degree-Sign C, from 2.0 to 4.0M). Two sorts of Sb{sup V} species were used for our investigations, i.e. one was used directly after the dilution of 10M HCl Sb{sup V} solution with water and the other was used after 24 hours standing at room temperature from the dilution. (The Sb{sup III} species were also kept standing after preparation from 10M HCl Sb{sup III} solution.) In both cases the maximum rates were found to exist at 2.0M HCl concentration. The rate R{sub 1} for the former (directly after dilution) was 4.5 x 10{sup -6} mole litre{sup -1} min{sup -1} and the rate R{sub 2} for the latter (24 hours standing) was 1.2 x 10{sup -}{sub 6} mole litre. Also the activation energy for these cases was found to be 12.2 kcal/mole and 19.1 kcal/mole. By spectrophotometric studies, the Sb{sup V} species of the former type were found to be mainly consisting of SbCl{sup -}{sub 6} and the species of the latter type to be of SbCl{sub 4}(OH){sup -}{sub 2}, etc. Besides these facts the form of Sb{sup III} species was found to have no influence on the exchange rate. A much sharper increase of the exchange rate was observed when the HCl concentration of the antimony solution was fixed at 0.8M and

Crystallization characteristics of Mg-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 films for phase change memory applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Jing; Shen Xiang; Nie Qiuhua; Wang Guoxiang; Wu Liangcai; Dai Shixun; Xu Tiefeng; Wang, R.P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Mg-doped Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) phase change films with higher resistance and better thermal stability have been proposed. ► The increase of Mg content result in an enhancement in crystallization temperature, activation energy and electrical resistance. ► The proper Mg addition in GST can lead to a one-step crystallization process from amorphous to faced-centered cubic (fcc) phase. ► The formation of covalent Mg-Sb and Mg-Te bonds contribute to the enhancement thermal stability in Mg-doped GST films. - Abstract: Mg-doped Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) films with different Mg doping concentrations have been prepared, and their crystallization behavior, structure and electrical properties have been systematically investigated for phase-change memory applications. The results show that the addition of Mg into GST films could result in an enhancement in crystallization temperature, activation energy and electrical resistance compared with the conventional GST films, indicating that a good amorphous thermal stability. On the other hand, the proper Mg concentration ranging from 13.6 to 31.1 at.% can lead to a one-step crystallization process from amorphous to faced-centered cubic (fcc) phase and suppress the formation of the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) crystalline phase. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) further confirm that the formation of covalent Mg-Sb and Mg-Te bonds contribute to the enhanced thermal stability in Mg-doped GST films.

Thermal Stability of Zone Melting p-Type (Bi, Sb)2Te3 Ingots and Comparison with the Corresponding Powder Metallurgy Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chengpeng; Fan, Xi'an; Hu, Jie; Feng, Bo; Xiang, Qiusheng; Li, Guangqiang; Li, Yawei; He, Zhu

2018-04-01

During the past few decades, Bi2Te3-based alloys have been investigated extensively because of their promising application in the area of low temperature waste heat thermoelectric power generation. However, their thermal stability must be evaluated to explore the appropriate service temperature. In this work, the thermal stability of zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based ingots was investigated under different annealing treatment conditions. The effect of service temperature on the thermoelectric properties and hardness of the samples was also discussed in detail. The results showed that the grain size, density, dimension size and mass remained nearly unchanged when the service temperature was below 523 K, which suggested that the geometry size of zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based materials was stable below 523 K. The power factor and Vickers hardness of the ingots also changed little and maintained good thermal stability. Unfortunately, the thermal conductivity increased with increasing annealing temperature, which resulted in an obvious decrease of the zT value. In addition, the thermal stabilities of the zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based materials and the corresponding powder metallurgy samples were also compared. All evidence implied that the thermal stabilities of the zone-melted (ZMed) p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3 ingots in terms of crystal structure, geometry size, power factor (PF) and hardness were better than those of the corresponding powder metallurgy samples. However, their thermal stabilities in terms of zT values were similar under different annealing temperatures.

High figure of merit and thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wei; Zhang, Qiang; Yin, Kang; Chi, Hang; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Tang, Xinfeng; Uher, Ctirad

2013-01-01

The study of Mg 2 Si 1−x Sn x -based thermoelectric materials has received widespread attention due to a potentially high thermoelectric performance, abundant raw materials, relatively low cost of modules, and non-toxic character of compounds. In this research, Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y solid solutions with the nominal Bi content of 0≤y≤0.03 are prepared using a two-step solid state reaction followed by spark plasma sintering consolidation. Within this range of Bi concentrations, no evidence of second phase segregation was found. Bi is confirmed to occupy the Si/Sn sites in the crystal lattice and behaves as an efficient n-type dopant in Mg 2 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 . Similar to the effect of Sb, Bi doping greatly increases the electron density and the power factor, and reduces the lattice thermal conductivity of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions. Overall, the thermoelectric figure of merit of Bi-doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions is improved by about 10% in comparison to values obtained with Sb-doped materials of comparable dopant content. This improvement comes chiefly from a marginally higher Seebeck coefficient of Bi-doped solid solutions. The highest ZT∼1.4 is achieved for the y=0.03 composition at 800 K. - Graphical abstract: (a)The relationship between electrical conductivity and power factor for Sb/Bi-doped Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y (Sb/Bi) y (0 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. (c)Temperature dependent dimensionless figure of merit ZT of Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. - Highlights: • Bi doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 showed 15% enhancement in the power factor as compared to Sb doped samples. • Bi doping reduced κ ph of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 due to stronger point defect scattering. • The highest ZT=1.4 at 800 K was achieved for Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 0.97 Bi 0.03

Superconducting thin films of As-free pnictide LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2013-07-01

We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100) MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Pd and Sb metals by e-gun. LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} belongs to a novel class of pnictide superconductors with a peculiar pnictide square net layer. Previously, we have reported epitaxial growth of isostructural Bi based compounds. The substitution of Bi by Sb leads to thin films with metallic behavior and room temperature resistivity of about 85 μΩ cm. The highest observed transition temperature T{sub c} inLaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} is 3.1 K and does not depend on x. We discuss strategies to increase T{sub c} in this pnictide subfamily.

DWPF SB6 Initial CPC Flowsheet Testing SB6-1 TO SB6-4L Tests Of SB6-A And SB6-B Simulants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, D.; Pickenheim, B.; Best, D.

2009-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) will transition from Sludge Batch 5 (SB5) processing to Sludge Batch 6 (SB6) processing in late fiscal year 2010. Tests were conducted using non-radioactive simulants of the expected SB6 composition to determine the impact of varying the acid stoichiometry during the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) and Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) processes. The work was conducted to meet the Technical Task Request (TTR) HLW/DWPF/TTR-2008-0043, Rev.0 and followed the guidelines of a Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TT and QAP). The flowsheet studies are performed to evaluate the potential chemical processing issues, hydrogen generation rates, and process slurry rheological properties as a function of acid stoichiometry. These studies were conducted with the estimated SB6 composition at the time of the study. This composition assumed a blend of 101,085 kg of Tank 4 insoluble solids and 179,000 kg of Tank 12 insoluble solids. The current plans are to subject Tank 12 sludge to aluminum dissolution. Liquid Waste Operations assumed that 75% of the aluminum would be dissolved during this process. After dissolution and blending of Tank 4 sludge slurry, plans included washing the contents of Tank 51 to ∼1M Na. After the completion of washing, the plan assumes that 40 inches on Tank 40 slurry would remain for blending with the qualified SB6 material. There are several parameters that are noteworthy concerning SB6 sludge: (1) This is the second batch DWPF will be processing that contains sludge that has had a significant fraction of aluminum removed through aluminum dissolution; (2) The sludge is high in mercury, but the projected concentration is lower than SB5; (3) The sludge is high in noble metals, but the projected concentrations are lower than SB5; and(4) The sludge is high in U and Pu - components that are not added in sludge simulants. Six DWPF process simulations were completed in 4-L laboratory-scale equipment using

Bismuth-induced restructuring of the GaSb(110) surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gemmeren, T. van; Lottermoser, L.; Falkenberg, G.

1998-01-01

The structure of the GaSb(110)(1 x 2)-Bi reconstruction has been solved using surface x-ray diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and photoelectron spectroscopy. The ideal GaSb(110) surface is terminated with zigzag chains of anions and cations running in the [1 (1) over bar 0] direction...

In As{sub 1–x}Sb{sub x} heteroepitaxial structures on compositionally graded GaInSb and AlGaInSb buffer layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guseynov, R. R.; Tanriverdiyev, V. A. [National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Institute of Physics (Azerbaijan); Kipshidze, G., E-mail: gela.kishidze@stonybrook.ede [Stony Brook, Stony Brook University (United States); Aliyeva, Ye. N.; Aliguliyeva, Kh. V.; Abdullayev, N. A., E-mail: abnadir@mail.ru; Mamedov, N. T. [National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Institute of Physics (Azerbaijan)

2017-04-15

Unrelaxed InAs{sub 1–x}Sb{sub x} (x = 0.43 and 0.38) alloy layers are produced by molecular-beam epitaxy on compositionally graded GaInSb and AlGaInSb buffer layers. The high quality of the thin films produced is confirmed by the results of high-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis and micro-Raman studies. The twomode type of transformation of the phonon spectra of InAs{sub 1–x}Sb{sub x} alloys is established.

Measurement of the Atomic Orbital Composition of the Near-Fermi-Level Electronic States in the Lanthanum Monopnictides LaBi and LaSb

Science.gov (United States)

Nummy, Thomas; Waugh, Justin; Parham, Stephen; Li, Haoxiang; Zhou, Xiaoqing; Plumb, Nick; Tafti, Fazel; Dessau, Daniel

Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is used to measure the electronic structure of the Extreme Magnetoresistance (XMR) topological semimetal candidates LaBi and LaSb. Using a wide range of photon energies the true bulk states are cleanly disentangled from the various types of surface states, which may exist due to surface projections of bulk states as well as for topological reasons. The orbital content of the near-EF states are extracted using varying photon polarizations. The measured bulk bands are somewhat lighter and are energy shifted compared to the results of Density Functional calculations, which is a minor effect in LaBi and a more serious effect in LaSb. This bulk band structure puts LaBi in the v = 1 class of Topological Insulators (or semimetals), consistent with the measured Dirac-like surface states. LaSb on the other hand is at the verge of a topological band inversion, with a less-clear case for any distinctly topological surface states. The low-dimensional cigar-shaped bulk Fermi surfaces for both compounds are separated out by orbital content, with a crossover from pnictide d orbitals to La p orbitals around the Fermi surface, which through strong spin-orbit coupling may be relevant for the Extreme Magnetoresistance. NSF GRFP.

Dissimilatory Sb(V) reduction by microorganisms isolated from Sb-contaminated sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Dovick, M. A.; Kulp, T. R.

2013-12-01

Mining and smelting are major sources of trace metal contamination in freshwater systems. Arsenic (As) is a common contaminant derived from certain mining operations and is a known toxic metalloid and carcinogen. Antimony (Sb) is listed as a pollutant of priority interest by the EPA and is presumed to share similar geochemical and toxicological properties with arsenic. Both elements can occur in four different oxidation states (V, III, 0, and -III) under naturally occurring conditions. In aqueous solutions As(V) and Sb(V) predominate in oxygenated surface waters whereas As(III) and Sb(III) are stable in anoxic settings. Numerous studies have examined microbiological redox pathways that utilize As(V) as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration, however there have been few studies on microbial mechanisms that may affect the biogeochemical cycling of Sb in the environment. Here we report bacterial reduction of Sb(V) to Sb(III) in anoxic enrichment cultures and bacterial isolates grown from sediment collected from an Sb contaminated pond at a mine tailings site in Idaho (total pond water Sb concentration = 235.2 +/- 136.3 ug/L). Anaerobic sediment microcosms (40 mL) were established in artificial freshwater mineral salt medium, amended with millimolar concentrations of Sb(V), acetate or lactate, and incubated at 27°C for several days. Antimony(V), lactate, and acetate concentrations were monitored during incubation by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ion Chromatography (IC). Live sediment microcosms reduced millimolar amendments of Sb(V) to Sb(III) coupled to the oxidation of acetate and lactate, while no activity occurred in killed controls. Enrichment cultures were established by serially diluting Sb(V)-reducing microcosms in mineral salt medium with Sb(V) and acetate, and a Sb(V)-reducing bacterial strain was isolated by plating on anaerobic agar plates amended with millimolar Sb(V) and acetate. Direct cell counting demonstrated that

Limiting scattering processes in high-mobility InSb quantum wells grown on GaSb buffer systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lehner, Ch. A.; Tschirky, T.; Ihn, T.; Dietsche, W.; Keller, J.; Fält, S.; Wegscheider, W.

2018-05-01

We present molecular beam epitaxial grown single- and double-side δ -doped InAlSb/InSb quantum wells with varying distances down to 50 nm to the surface on GaSb metamorphic buffers. We analyze the surface morphology as well as the impact of the crystalline quality on the electron transport. Comparing growth on GaSb and GaAs substrates indicates that the structural integrity of our InSb quantum wells is solely determined by the growth conditions at the GaSb/InAlSb transition and the InAlSb barrier growth. The two-dimensional electron gas samples show high mobilities of up to 349 000 cm2/Vs at cryogenic temperatures and 58 000 cm2/Vs at room temperature. With the calculated Dingle ratio and a transport lifetime model, ionized impurities predominantly remote from the quantum well are identified as the dominant source of scattering events. The analysis of the well-pronounced Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals a high spin-orbit coupling with an effective g -factor of -38.4 in our samples. Along with the smooth surfaces and long mean free paths demonstrated, our InSb quantum wells are increasingly competitive for nanoscale implementations of Majorana mode devices.

The Effect of SbI3 Doping on the Structure and Electrical Properties of n-Type Bi1.8Sb0.2Te2.85Se0.15 Alloy Prepared by the Free Growth Method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoyu; Yu, Yuan; Zhu, Bin; Gao, Na; Huang, Zhongyue; Xiang, Bo; Zu, Fangqiu

2018-02-01

Thermoelectric technology is regarded as one of the most promising direct power generation techniques via thermoelectric materials. However, the batch production and scale-up application are hindered because of the high-cost and poor performance. In this work, we adopt the free growth method to synthesize a series of the bulk materials of SbI3-doped Bi1.8Sb0.2Te2.85Se0.15 alloys. The structural and component investigations as well as the electrical properties characterization are carried out. The results show that SbI3 promotes the formation of Te-rich regions in the matrix. In addition, the synergistically optimized electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient are attained by controlling the SbI3 doping concentration. Thus, the sample with 0.30 wt.% SbI3 displays a highly increased power factor of ˜ 13.57 μW cm-1 K-2, which is nearly 21 times higher than that of the undoped one. Moreover, the free growth method is reproducible, convenient and economical. Therefore, it has great potential as a promising technology for the batch synthesis.

Evidence of β-antimonene at the Sb/Bi2Se3 interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Flammini, Roberto; Colonna, Stefano; Hogan, Conor; Mahatha, Sanjoy; Papagno, Marco; Barla, Alessandro; Sheverdyaeva, Polina; Moras, Paolo; Aliev, Ziya; Babanly, M B; Chulkov, Evgueni V; Carbone, Carlo; Ronci, Fabio

2017-12-19

We report a study of the interface between antimony and the prototypical topological insulator Sb/Bi₂Se₃. Scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements show the presence of ordered domains displaying a perfect lattice match with bismuth selenide. Density functional theory calculations of the most stable atomic configurations demonstrate that the ordered domains can be attributed to stacks of β-antimonene. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

In situ study of the formation kinetics of InSb quantum dots grown in an InAs(Sb) matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semenov, A. N.; Lyublinskaya, O. G.; Solov’ev, V. A.; Mel’tser, B. Ya.; Ivanov, S. V.

2008-01-01

Formation of InSb quantum dots grown in an InAs matrix by molecular-beam epitaxy that does not involve forced deposition of InSb is studied. Detection of intensity oscillations in the reflection of high-energy electron diffraction patterns was used to study in situ the kinetics of the formation of InSb quantum dots and an InAsSb wetting layer. The effects of the substrate temperature, the shutter operation sequence, and the introduction of growth interruptions on the properties of the array of InSb quantum dots are examined. Introduction of a growth interruption immediately after completing the exposure of the InAs surface to the antimony flux leads to a reduction in the nominal thickness of InSb and to an enhancement in the uniformity of the quantum-dot array. It is shown that, in the case of deposition of submonolayer-thickness InSb/InAs quantum dots, the segregation layer of InAsSb plays the role of the wetting layer. The Sb segregation length and segregation ratio, as well as their temperature dependences, are determined.

Discovery of highly spin-polarized conducting surface states in the strong spin-orbit coupling semiconductor Sb2Se3

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Shekhar; Sirohi, Anshu; Kumar Gupta, Gaurav; Kamboj, Suman; Vasdev, Aastha; Gayen, Sirshendu; Guptasarma, Prasenjit; Das, Tanmoy; Sheet, Goutam

2018-06-01

Majority of the A2B3 -type chalcogenide systems with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), such as Bi2Se3,Bi2Te3 , and Sb2Te3 , etc., are topological insulators. One important exception is Sb2Se3 where a topological nontrivial phase was argued to be possible under ambient conditions, but such a phase could be detected to exist only under pressure. In this paper, we show that Sb2Se3 like Bi2Se3 displays a generation of highly spin-polarized current under mesoscopic superconducting point contacts as measured by point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy. In addition, we observe a large negative and anisotropic magnetoresistance of the mesoscopic metallic point contacts formed on Sb2Se3 . Our band-structure calculations confirm the trivial nature of Sb2Se3 crystals and reveal two trivial surface states one of which shows large spin splitting due to Rashba-type SOC. The observed high spin polarization and related phenomena in Sb2Se3 can be attributed to this spin splitting.

Low-Temperature Bonding of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Thermoelectric Material with Cu Electrodes Using a Thin-Film In Interlayer

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yan-Cheng; Yang, Chung-Lin; Huang, Jing-Yi; Jain, Chao-Chi; Hwang, Jen-Dong; Chu, Hsu-Shen; Chen, Sheng-Chi; Chuang, Tung-Han

2016-09-01

A Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thermoelectric material electroplated with a Ni barrier layer and a Ag reaction layer was bonded with a Ag-coated Cu electrode at low temperatures of 448 K (175 °C) to 523 K (250 °C) using a 4- μm-thick In interlayer under an external pressure of 3 MPa. During the bonding process, the In thin film reacted with the Ag layer to form a double layer of Ag3In and Ag2In intermetallic compounds. No reaction occurred at the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/Ni interface, which resulted in low bonding strengths of about 3.2 MPa. The adhesion of the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/Ni interface was improved by precoating a 1- μm Sn film on the surface of the thermoelectric element and preheating it at 523 K (250 °C) for 3 minutes. In this case, the bonding strengths increased to a range of 9.1 to 11.5 MPa after bonding at 473 K (200 °C) for 5 to 60 minutes, and the shear-tested specimens fractured with cleavage characteristics in the interior of the thermoelectric material. The bonding at 448 K (175 °C) led to shear strengths ranging from 7.1 to 8.5 MPa for various bonding times between 5 and 60 minutes, which were further increased to the values of 10.4 to 11.7 MPa by increasing the bonding pressure to 9.8 MPa. The shear strengths of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/Cu joints bonded with the optimized conditions of the modified solid-liquid interdiffusion bonding process changed only slightly after long-term exposure at 473 K (200 °C) for 1000 hours.

Valence band structure of InAs(1-x)Bi(x) and InSb(1-x)Bi(x) alloy semiconductors calculated using valence band anticrossing model.

Science.gov (United States)

Samajdar, D P; Dhar, S

2014-01-01

The valence band anticrossing model has been used to calculate the heavy/light hole and spin-orbit split-off energies in InAs(1-x)Bi(x) and InSb(1-x)Bi(x) alloy systems. It is found that both the heavy/light hole, and spin-orbit split E + levels move upwards in energy with an increase in Bi content in the alloy, whereas the split E - energy for the holes shows a reverse trend. The model is also used to calculate the reduction of band gap energy with an increase in Bi mole fraction. The calculated values of band gap variation agree well with the available experimental data.

Evaluation of the grass mixture (Faestuca Rubra, Cynodon Dactylon, Lolium Multiflorum and Pennisetum sp.) as Sb phyto-stabilizer in tailings and Sb-rich soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Aurora Armienta, M.; Beltrán-Villavicencio, Margarita; Ruiz-Villalobos, Carlos E.; Labastida, Israel; Ceniceros, Nora; Cruz, Olivia; Aguayo, Alejandra

2017-04-01

Green house experiments were carried out to evaluate the growth and Sb assimilation of a grass assemblage: Faestuca Rubra, Cynodon Dactylon, Lolium Multiflorum and Pennisetum sp, in tailings and Sb-rich soils. Tailings and soil samples were obtained at the Mexican historical mining zone of Zimapán, Central México. More than 6 tailings impoundments are located at the town outskirts and constitute a contamination source from windblown and waterborne deposit on soils, besides acid mine drainage. Four substrates were used in the experiments: 100% tailings, 20% tailings + 80% soil, 50% tailings + 50% soil , and a soil sample far from tailings as a background. Concentrations of Sb ranged from 310 mg/kg to 413 mg/kg in tailings. A pH of 7.43, 1.27% organic matter, and high concentrations of N, K and P indicated adequate conditions for plant growth. The grass assemblage was raised during 21 days as indicated by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Guideline 208 Terrestrial Plant Test: Seedling Emergence and Seedling Growth Test. The highest Sb concentrations were measured in plants grown on tailings with 139 mg/kg in the aerial part and 883 mg/kg in roots. Concentrations of Sb decreased as the proportion of tailings diminished with 22.1 mg/kg in the aerial part and 10 mg/kg in roots corresponding to the plants grown in the 20 % tailings + 80% soil . Bioaccumulation (BAC) and bioconcentration factors (BF) of plants grown on tailings (BAC= 0.42, BCF=3.93) indicated their suitability as a phyto-stabilization option. The grass mixture may be thus applied to control windblown particulate tailings taking advantage to their tolerance to high Sb levels.

Hot pressing effect on (Bi 0.25 Sb 0.75 ) 2 Te 3 mechanical and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Hot pressing effect on (Bi0.25Sb0.75)2Te3 mechanical and thermoelectric properties ... The crystal of this compound was prepared, pulverized in a particle size ratio of 64% ... microscopy and, for only once successful attempt, atomic force microscopy. The acquired images ensured to show homogeneous structures for hot ...

The crystal structure of ferdowsiite Ag8Sb4(As,Sb)4S16 and its relations to other ABX2 (A=Ag; B=As,Sb,Bi; X=S,Se) structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Makovicky, Emil; Topa, Dan

2014-01-01

arsenic. The crystal structure of ferdowsiite is a superstructure of a PbS like motif. The {100} planes of the PbS-like substructure are the (105̅), (301) and (010) planes in terms of the ferdowsiite lattice. The structure contains zig-zag chains of Sb1 connected via short Sb-S bonds and flanked by (Sb...

Investigations of electronic structure of Bi and Sb by the method of the angular correlation of annihilation quanta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szuszkiewicz, M.

1977-01-01

The work is devoted to the investigations of electronic structure of solid bismuth and antymony using the method of the angular correlation of annihilation quanta, originated from the two-photons annihilation of positrons with the electrons of a sample. The measurements of the angular correlation were performed for monocrystallic samples of Bi and Sb for three crystallographic directions: /011/,/011/, /111/. The analysis of the obtained results is based upon the Brillouin zones theory extended by Jones for the crystalline structure of those semimetals. For Bi for the direction /111/, a distinct discrepancy has been found between the experimental and expected distribution, calculated on the base of the completely occupied Jones zone. This diveragence is assumed to be due to the conductivity electrons occupying the electronic states outside the Jones zone. The angular distributions for all directions of Sb turned out to be inconsistent with the model of Jones zone, containing 10 quasi-free electrons per unit cell. It is possible to give a satisfactory interpretation of the experimental data for Sb under the assumption that the first Brillouin zone in Jones zone is occupied by the electrons, behaving as being strongly localized, (about 2 electrons per unit cell) and the remaining part of Jones zone is occupied by quasi-free electrons, similarly to Bi. (author)

Phase equilibria melt-solid in the systems Pb-InSb-CaSb and Pb-InCs-GaAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grebenyuk, A.M.; Charykov, N.A.; Puchkov, L.V.

1992-01-01

Results of experimental investigation and thermodynamic calculation of fusibility curves of Pb-InSb-GaSb and Pb-InAs-GaAs thernary systems, which haven't been investigated earlier, are presented. Fusibility curves of Pb-InSb-GaSb and Pb-InAs-GaAs systems contain two crystallization fields: solid solutions of In x Ga 1-x Sb and Pb, In x Ga 1-x As and Pb. The latter fields are retained against Pb figurative point and conform to 582 K < T < 593 K crystallization temperatures

Interaction between counter-propagating quantum Hall edge channels in the 3D topological insulator BiSbTeSe2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, C.; De Ronde, B.; Nikitin, A.; Huang, Y.; Golden, M.S.; De Visser, A.; Brinkman, A.

2017-01-01

The quantum Hall effect is studied in the topological insulator BiSbTeSe2. By employing top- and back-gate electric fields at high magnetic field, the Landau levels of the Dirac cones in the top and bottom topological surface states can be tuned independently. When one surface is tuned to the

High pressure monoclinic phases of Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, S.M.; Poffo, C.M.; Triches, D.M. [Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario Trindade, S/N, C.P. 476, 88040-900 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil); Lima, J.C. de, E-mail: fsc1jcd@fisica.ufsc.br [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario Trindade, S/N, C.P. 476, 88040-900 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil); Grandi, T.A. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario Trindade, S/N, C.P. 476, 88040-900 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil); Polian, A.; Gauthier, M. [Physique des Milieux Denses, IMPMC, CNRS-UMR 7590, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France)

2012-09-15

The effect of pressure on nanostructured rhombohedral {alpha}-Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} (phase I) was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy (RS) up to 19.2 and 25.5 GPa, respectively. XRD patterns showed two new high pressure phases (named phases II and III). From a Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns of {alpha}-Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, the unit cell volume as a function of pressure was obtained and the values were fitted to a Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (BM-EOS). The best fit was obtained for bulk modulus B{sub 0}=36.1{+-}0.9 GPa and its derivative B{sub 0}{sup Prime }=6.2{+-}0.4 (not fixed). Using the refined structural data for {alpha}-Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, for pressures up to 9.8 GPa, changes in the angle of succession [Te-Sb-Te-Sb-Te], in the interaromic distances of Sb and Te atoms belonging to this angle of succession and in the interatomic distances of atoms located on the c axis were examined. This analysis revealed an electronic topological transition (ETT) along the a and c axes at close to 3.7 GPa. From the RS spectra, the full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of the Raman active modes of {alpha}-Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} were plotted as functions of pressure and showed an ETT along the a and c axes at close to 3.2 GPa. The XRD patterns of phases II and III were well reproduced assuming {beta}-Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and {gamma}-Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} structures similar to those reported in the literature for {alpha}-Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}.

Process controls for Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 prepared by mechanical alloying and hot pressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Go-Eun; Kim, Il-Ho; Choi, Soon-Mok; Lim, Young-Soo; Seo, Won-Seon; Park, Jae-Soung; Yang, Seung-Ho

2014-01-01

p-Type Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 solid solutions were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and hot pressing (HP) under different process conditions, after which the transport and the thermoelectric properties were evaluated. The relative densities of all hot-pressed specimens were over 98%, and the microstructure and crystal orientation were independent of the HP direction. All specimens exhibited p-type conduction, and the electrical resistivity was observed to increase slightly with increasing temperature, indicating a degenerate semiconductor behavior. The carrier concentration decreased with increasing HP temperature while the mobility increased. The maximum figure of merit obtained was 0.86 at 323 K for Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 hot-pressed at 648 K.

Sb(III)-Imprinted Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Sorbent Prepared by Hydrothermal-Assisted Surface Imprinting Technique for Selective Adsorption of Sb(III)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dan; Zhao, Yue; Xu, Hong-Bo

2018-03-01

Sb(III)-imprinted organic-inorganic hybrid sorbent was prepared by hydrothermal-assisted surface imprinting technique and was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled to an energy dispersive spectrometer and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. Hydrothermal-assisted process can improve the selectivity of the Sb(III)-imprinted hybrid sorbent for Sb(III) due to stable control of temperature and pressure. The Sb(III)-imprinted hybrid sorbent IIS indicated higher selectivity for Sb(III), had high static adsorption capacity of 37.3 mg g-1 for Sb(III), displayed stable adsorption capacity in pH range from 4 to 8, reached an rapid adsorption equilibrium within 30 min. According to the correlation coefficient ( r 2 > 0.99), the experimental data fitted better the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir equilibrium isotherm.

Polarity-dependent resistance switching in GeSbTe phase-change thin films : The importance of excess Sb in filament formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pandian, Ramanathaswamy; Kooi, Bart J.; Oosthoek, Jasper L. M.; van den Dool, Pim; Palasantzas, George; Pauza, Andrew

2009-01-01

We show that polarity-dependent resistance switching in GeSbTe thin films depends strongly on Sb composition by comparing current-voltage characteristics in Sb-excess Ge(2)Sb(2+x)Te(5) and stoichiometric Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) samples. This type of switching in Ge(2)Sb(2+x)Te(5) films is reversible with

Sb-related defects in Sb-doped ZnO thin film grown by pulsed laser deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Caiqin; Ho, Lok-Ping; Azad, Fahad; Anwand, Wolfgang; Butterling, Maik; Wagner, Andreas; Kuznetsov, Andrej; Zhu, Hai; Su, Shichen; Ling, Francis Chi-Chung

2018-04-01

Sb-doped ZnO films were fabricated on c-plane sapphire using the pulsed laser deposition method and characterized by Hall effect measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and positron annihilation spectroscopy. Systematic studies on the growth conditions with different Sb composition, oxygen pressure, and post-growth annealing were conducted. If the Sb doping concentration is lower than the threshold ˜8 × 1020 cm-3, the as-grown films grown with an appropriate oxygen pressure could be n˜4 × 1020 cm-3. The shallow donor was attributed to the SbZn related defect. Annealing these samples led to the formation of the SbZn-2VZn shallow acceptor which subsequently compensated for the free carrier. For samples with Sb concentration exceeding the threshold, the yielded as-grown samples were highly resistive. X-ray diffraction results showed that the Sb dopant occupied the O site rather than the Zn site as the Sb doping exceeded the threshold, whereas the SbO related deep acceptor was responsible for the high resistivity of the samples.

Hot pressing effect on (Bi0⋅25Sb0⋅75)2Te3 mechanical and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Abstract. (Bi0⋅25Sb0⋅75)2Te3 thermoelectric material is a well known p type of compound that has higher fig- ... The crystal of this compound was prepared, pulverized in a particle .... ing fracture surfaces of the materials as shown in figures.

Positron annihilation in Bi1.8Sb0.2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Feng; Zheng Shennan; Zhang Suqun

1992-01-01

The positron lifetime and Doppler broadening line-shape parameter are measured as a function of the temperature from 78 K to 300 K for the Bi 1.8 Sb 0.2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x superconductor. A decrease of both lifetime and S parameter is observed across T c . This can be interpreted by the theory of local charge transferring from the CuO layer to the BiO layer during superconducting transition. In the temperature region of normal state two anomalies are found around 165 K and 235 K. The possible origin of the observed anomalies is discussed

Microstructural and thermoelectric properties of p-type Te-doped Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} and n-type SbI{sub 3}-doped Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2.85}Se{sub 0.15} compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, J; Park, K; Lee, C; Kim, J

1997-07-01

The p-type Te-doped Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} and n-type SbI{sub 3}-doped Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2.85}Se{sub 0.15} thermoelectric compounds were fabricated by hot pressing in the temperature range of 380 to 440 C under 200 MPa in Ar. Both the compounds were highly dense and showed high crystalline quality. The grains of the compounds were preferentially oriented and contained many dislocations through the hot pressing. The fracture path followed the transgranular cleavage planes, which are perpendicular to the c-axis. In addition, with increasing the pressing temperature, the figure of merit was increased. The highest values of figure of merit for the p- and n-type compounds, which were obtained at 420 C, were 2.69 x 10{sup {minus}3}/K and 2.35 x 10{sup {minus}3}/K, respectively.

Electroforming of Bi(1-x)Sb(x) nanowires for high-efficiency micro-thermoelectric cooling devices on a chip.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Overmyer, Donald L.; Webb, Edmund Blackburn, III (,; ); Siegal, Michael P.; Yelton, William Graham

2006-11-01

Active cooling of electronic systems for space-based and terrestrial National Security missions has demanded use of Stirling, reverse-Brayton, closed Joule-Thompson, pulse tube and more elaborate refrigeration cycles. Such cryocoolers are large systems that are expensive, demand large powers, often contain moving parts and are difficult to integrate with electronic systems. On-chip, solid-state, active cooling would greatly enhance the capabilities of future systems by reducing the size, cost and inefficiencies compared to existing solutions. We proposed to develop the technology for a thermoelectric cooler capable of reaching 77K by replacing bulk thermoelectric materials with arrays of Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x} nanowires. Furthermore, the Sandia-developed technique we will use to produce the oriented nanowires occurs at room temperature and can be applied directly to a silicon substrate. Key obstacles include (1) optimizing the Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x} alloy composition for thermoelectric properties; (2) increasing wire aspect ratios to 3000:1; and (3) increasing the array density to {ge} 10{sup 9} wires/cm{sup 2}. The primary objective of this LDRD was to fabricate and test the thermoelectric properties of arrays of Bi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x} nanowires. With this proof-of-concept data under our belts we are positioned to engage National Security systems customers to invest in the integration of on-chip thermoelectric coolers for future missions.

Density functional simulations of Sb-rich GeSbTe phase change alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabardi, S; Bernasconi, M; Caravati, S; Parrinello, M

2012-01-01

We generated models of the amorphous phase of Sb-rich GeSbTe phase change alloys by quenching from the melt within density functional molecular dynamics. We considered the two compositions Ge 1 Sb 1 Te 1 and Ge 2 Sb 4 Te 5 . Comparison with previous results on the most studied Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 allowed us to draw some conclusions on the dependence of the structural properties of the amorphous phase on the alloy composition. Vibrational and electronic properties were also scrutinized. Phonons at high frequencies above 200 cm -1 are localized in tetrahedra around Ge atoms in Sb-rich compounds as well as in Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 . All compounds are semiconducting in the amorphous phase, with a band gap in the range 0.7-1.0 eV.

Density functional simulations of Sb-rich GeSbTe phase change alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Gabardi, S.; Caravati, S.; Bernasconi, M.; Parrinello, M.

2012-09-01

We generated models of the amorphous phase of Sb-rich GeSbTe phase change alloys by quenching from the melt within density functional molecular dynamics. We considered the two compositions Ge1Sb1Te1 and Ge2Sb4Te5. Comparison with previous results on the most studied Ge2Sb2Te5 allowed us to draw some conclusions on the dependence of the structural properties of the amorphous phase on the alloy composition. Vibrational and electronic properties were also scrutinized. Phonons at high frequencies above 200 cm-1 are localized in tetrahedra around Ge atoms in Sb-rich compounds as well as in Ge2Sb2Te5. All compounds are semiconducting in the amorphous phase, with a band gap in the range 0.7-1.0 eV.

Density functional study of BiSbTeSe{sub 2} topological insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammadpourrad, Zahra; Abolhassani, Mohammadreza [Department of Physics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-15

In this work, using density functional theory calculations, we have investigated the band topology of bulk BiSbTeSe{sub 2} and its thin film electronic properties in several thicknesses. It is one member of the quaternary compounds Bi{sub 2-x}Sb{sub x}Te{sub 3-y}Se{sub y} (BSTS) with the best intrinsic bulk insulating behavior. Based on our calculations we have found that a band inversion at Γ-point is induced when spin-orbit coupling is turned on, with an energy gap of about 0.318 eV. The film thickness has an effect on the surface states such that a gap opens at Dirac point in 6 quintuple-layers film and with decrease in thickness, the magnitude of the gap increases. The atomic contributions have been mapped out for the first few layers of thin films to demonstrate the surface states. The relative charge density has been calculated layer-wise and the penetration depth of the surface states into the bulk region is found to be about 2.5-3.5 quintuple layers, depending on the termination species of thin films. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Study of conformational changes and protein aggregation of bovine serum albumin in presence of Sb(III) and Sb(V).

Science.gov (United States)

Verdugo, Marcelo; Ruiz Encinar, Jorge; Costa-Fernández, José Manuel; Menendez-Miranda, Mario; Bouzas-Ramos, Diego; Bravo, Manuel; Quiroz, Waldo

2017-01-01

Antimony is a metalloid that affects biological functions in humans due to a mechanism still not understood. There is no doubt that the toxicity and physicochemical properties of Sb are strongly related with its chemical state. In this paper, the interaction between Sb(III) and Sb(V) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated in vitro by fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism (CD) under simulated physiological conditions. Moreover, the coupling of the separation technique, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation, with elemental mass spectrometry to understand the interaction of Sb(V) and Sb(III) with the BSA was also used. Our results showed a different behaviour of Sb(III) vs. Sb(V) regarding their effects on the interaction with the BSA. The effects in terms of protein aggregates and conformational changes were higher in the presence of Sb(III) compared to Sb(V) which may explain the differences in toxicity between both Sb species in vivo. Obtained results demonstrated the protective effect of GSH that modifies the degree of interaction between the Sb species with BSA. Interestingly, in our experiments it was possible to detect an interaction between BSA and Sb species, which may be related with the presence of labile complex between the Sb and a protein for the first time.

Thermoelectric and Transport Properties of N-Type Bi{sub 2−x}Sb{sub x}Te{sub 3−y}Se{sub y} Solid Solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eum, A-Young; Kim, Il-Ho [Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

Bi{sub 2−x}Sb{sub x}Te{sub 3−y}Se{sub y} (x = 0.1, 0.2 and y = 0.15, 0.3) solid solutions were prepared using encapsulated melting and hot pressing. The lattice constants decreased with increases in the Sb and the Se contents, which revealed the successful formation of solid solutions. The relative densities of the hot-pressed specimens were 95 - 98%. All specimens exhibited n-type conduction at temperatures from 323 K to 523 K, and the electrical conductivity slightly decreased with increasing temperature. With an increase in the Se content, the Seebeck coefficient increased while the electrical and the thermal conductivities decreased; thus, the dimensionless figure of merit could be improved. The maximum dimensionless figure of merit ZT{sub max} = 0.89 was obtained at 423 K for Bi{sub 1.8}Sb{sub 0.2}Te{sub 2.7}Se{sub 0.3}. An increase in the Sb content resulted in a decrease in the lattice thermal conductivity because of an increase in alloy scattering, but its effect on the electrical properties was not superior to the effect of Se substitution. Therefore, Sb substitution could effectively control the thermal properties while Se substitution could effectively control the electrical properties.

Facile fabrication of core–shell ZnO/Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} nanorods: Enhanced photoluminescence through electron charge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Shengfei; Gao, Hongli [School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Deng, Yuan, E-mail: dengyuan@buaa.edu.cn [School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Wang, Yao [School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Qu, Shengchun, E-mail: qsc@semi.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

2016-01-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3}/ZnO core–shells prepared by combining a facile hydrothermal growth and magnetron sputtering approach. • The light absorption and photoluminescence emission of the ZnO and the Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3}/ZnO core–shells are investigated. • The core–shell structure reveals a simultaneous novelty enhancement of the photoluminescence emission in the UV and visible range. • The mechanism for the PL simultaneous enhancement is described. - Abstract: Surface decoration techniques are emerging as promising strategy to improve the optical properties of the ZnO based materials. The core–shell ZnO/Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} nanorods were grown on a FTO substrate through a facile hydrothermal and magnetron sputtering combined approach. The microstructure of the core–shell nanorod arrays were investigated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), a field emission Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HTEM). The optical properties of the core–shell nanorod arrays were investigated through the diffuse reflectance absorption spectra and photoluminescence emission. The visible light absorption and especially the photoluminescence emission of the ZnO nanorods are enhanced markedly with the Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} grains coating the ZnO nanorods through the electron charge.

Sequential and simultaneous adsorption of Sb(III) and Sb(V) on ferrihydrite: Implications for oxidation and competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Pengfei; Pichler, Thomas

2016-02-01

Antimony (Sb) is a naturally occurring element of growing environmental concern whose toxicity, adsorption behavior and other chemical properties are similar to that of arsenic (As). However, less is known about Sb compared to As. Individual and simultaneous adsorption experiments with Sb(III) and Sb(V) were conducted in batch mode with focus on the Sb speciation of the remaining liquid phase during individual Sb(III) adsorption experiments. The simultaneous adsorption and oxidation of Sb(III) was confirmed by the appearance of Sb(V) in the solution at varying Fe/Sb ratios (500, 100 and 8) and varying pH values (3.8, 7 and 9). This newly formed Sb(V) was subsequently removed from solution at a Fe/Sb ratio of 500 or at a pH of 3.8. However, more or less only Sb(V) was observed in the liquid phase at the end of the experiments at lower Fe/Sb ratios and higher pH, indicating that competition took place between the newly formed Sb(V) and Sb(III), and that Sb(III) outcompeted Sb(V). This was independently confirmed by simultaneous adsorption experiments of Sb(III) and Sb(V) in binary systems. Under such conditions, the presence of Sb(V) had no influence on the adsorption of Sb(III) while Sb(V) adsorption was significantly inhibited by Sb(III) over a wide pH range (4-10). Thus, in the presence of ferrihydrite and under redox conditions, which allow the presence of both Sb species, Sb(V) should be the dominant species in aquatic environments, since Sb(III) is adsorbed preferentially and at the same time oxidized to Sb(V). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reactive ion etching of GaSb, (Al,Ga)Sb, and InAs for novel device applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaTulipe, D.C.; Frank, D.J.; Munekata, H.

1991-01-01

Although a variety of novel device proposals for GaSb/(Al,Ga)Sb/InAs heterostructures have been made, relatively little is known about processing these materials. The authors of this paper have studied the reactive ion etching characteristics of GaSb, (Al,Ga)Sb, and InAs in both methane/hydrogen and chlorine gas chemistries. At conditions similar to those reported elsewhere for RIE of InP and GaAs in CH 4 /H 2 , the etch rate of (Al,Ga)Sb was found to be near zero, while GaSb and InAs etched at 200 Angstrom/minute. Under conditions where the etch mechanism is primarily physical sputtering, the three compounds etch at similar rates. Etching in Cl 2 was found to yield anistropic profiles, with the etch rate of (Al,Ga)Sb increasing with Al mole fraction, while InAs remains unetched. Damage to the InAs stop layer was investigated by sheet resistance and mobility measurements. These etching techniques were used to fabricate a novel InAs- channel FET composed of these materials. Several scanning electron micrographs of etching results are shown along with preliminary electrical characteristics

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of InSb1−xBix thin films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Yuxin; Wang, Shumin; Saha Roy, Ivy

2013-01-01

Molecular beam epitaxy growth for InSb1−xBix thin films on (100) GaAs substrates is reported. Successful Bi incorporation for 2% is achieved, and up to 70% of the incorporated Bi atoms are at substitutional sites. The effects of growth parameters on Bi incorporation and surface morphology are stu...

Infrared absorption in pseudobinary InSb1-xBix compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Den, M.B.; Mina, N.K.; Samy, A.M.; El-Mously, M.K.

1988-08-01

The group III-V pseudobinary InSb 1-x Bi x compounds, with x = 0, 0.2 and 0.04, were prepared in thin ribbon forms (30 μ) by splat cooling in air. The optical absorption α(λ) was measured in the wavelength range from 4 to 15 μm. The optical energy gap E opt. , was calculated for the three compounds. A shift of the absorption edge towards longer wavelengths with increasing Bi content was observed. (author). 7 refs, 4 figs

A Novel Gas Sensor Based on MgSb2O6 Nanorods to Indicate Variations in Carbon Monoxide and Propane Concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Guillén-Bonilla, Héctor; Flores-Martínez, Martín; Rodríguez-Betancourtt, Verónica-María; Guillen-Bonilla, Alex; Reyes-Gómez, Juan; Gildo-Ortiz, Lorenzo; de la Luz Olvera Amador, María; Santoyo-Salazar, Jaime

2016-01-01

Bystromite (MgSb2O6) nanorods were prepared using a colloidal method in the presence of ethylenediamine, after a calcination step at 800 °C in static air. From X-ray powder diffraction analyses, a trirutile-type structure with lattice parameters a = 4.64 Å and c = 9.25 Å and space group P42/mnm was identified. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microrods with sizes from 0.2 to 1.6 μm were observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed that the nanorods had a length of ~86 nm and a diameter ~23.8 nm. The gas-sensing properties of these nanostructures were tested using pellets elaborated with powders of the MgSb2O6 oxide (calcined at 800 °C) at temperatures 23, 150, 200, 250 and 300 °C. The pellets were exposed to different concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and propane (C3H8) at these temperatures. The results showed that the MgSb2O6 nanorods possess excellent stability and high sensitivity in these atmospheres. PMID:26840318

A Novel Gas Sensor Based on MgSb2O6 Nanorods to Indicate Variations in Carbon Monoxide and Propane Concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Guillén-Bonilla

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Bystromite (MgSb2O6 nanorods were prepared using a colloidal method in the presence of ethylenediamine, after a calcination step at 800 °C in static air. From X-ray powder diffraction analyses, a trirutile-type structure with lattice parameters a = 4.64 Å and c = 9.25 Å and space group P42/mnm was identified. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, microrods with sizes from 0.2 to 1.6 μm were observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM analyses revealed that the nanorods had a length of ~86 nm and a diameter ~23.8 nm. The gas-sensing properties of these nanostructures were tested using pellets elaborated with powders of the MgSb2O6 oxide (calcined at 800 °C at temperatures 23, 150, 200, 250 and 300 °C. The pellets were exposed to different concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO and propane (C3H8 at these temperatures. The results showed that the MgSb2O6 nanorods possess excellent stability and high sensitivity in these atmospheres.

High absorption coefficients of the CuSb(Se,Te2 and CuBi(S,Se2 alloys enable high-efficient 100 nm thin-film photovoltaics

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Chen Rongzhen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate that the band-gap energies Eg of CuSb(Se,Te2 and CuBi(S,Se2 can be optimized for high energy conversion in very thin photovoltaic devices, and that the alloys then exhibit excellent optical properties, especially for tellurium rich CuSb(Se1−xTex2. This is explained by multi-valley band structure with flat energy dispersions, mainly due to the localized character of the Sb/Bi p-like conduction band states. Still the effective electron mass is reasonable small: mc ≈ 0.25m0 for CuSbTe2. The absorption coefficient α(ω for CuSb(Se1−xTex2 is at ħω = Eg + 1 eV as much as 5–7 times larger than α(ω for traditional thin-film absorber materials. Auger recombination does limit the efficiency if the carrier concentration becomes too high, and this effect needs to be suppressed. However with high absorptivity, the alloys can be utilized for extremely thin inorganic solar cells with the maximum efficiency ηmax ≈ 25% even for film thicknesses d ≈ 50 − 150 nm, and the efficiency increases to ∼30% if the Auger effect is diminished.

High absorption coefficients of the CuSb(Se,Te)2 and CuBi(S,Se)2 alloys enable high-efficient 100 nm thin-film photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rongzhen; Persson, Clas

2017-06-01

We demonstrate that the band-gap energies Eg of CuSb(Se,Te)2 and CuBi(S,Se)2 can be optimized for high energy conversion in very thin photovoltaic devices, and that the alloys then exhibit excellent optical properties, especially for tellurium rich CuSb(Se1-xTex)2. This is explained by multi-valley band structure with flat energy dispersions, mainly due to the localized character of the Sb/Bi p-like conduction band states. Still the effective electron mass is reasonable small: mc ≈ 0.25m0 for CuSbTe2. The absorption coefficient α(ω) for CuSb(Se1-xTex)2 is at ħω = Eg + 1 eV as much as 5-7 times larger than α(ω) for traditional thin-film absorber materials. Auger recombination does limit the efficiency if the carrier concentration becomes too high, and this effect needs to be suppressed. However with high absorptivity, the alloys can be utilized for extremely thin inorganic solar cells with the maximum efficiency ηmax ≈ 25% even for film thicknesses d ≈ 50 - 150 nm, and the efficiency increases to ˜30% if the Auger effect is diminished.

Exceptional magneto-resistance in 3D Dirac semimetal Bi0.96Sb0.04

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, P.; Nagpal, V.; Sudesh, Patnaik, S.

2017-05-01

Recent experimental evidence for Weyl fermions in topological semimetals has attracted considerable attention. These materials are three-dimensional analogue of graphene. The present work is motivated by the recent prediction of Weyl semi-metallic phase in Bi1-xSbx alloys. In this paper we present the electronic transport properties studied under high applied magnetic fields in Bi0.96Sb0.04 alloys. The sample exhibits extremely high magneto-resistance; MR(5 K, 8 T) = 9.8×104 %. This value is comparable to the MR observed in recently discovered other members of these emergent materials. Most importantly, this composition shows large MR at room temperature, MR (300 K, 8 T) = 435%, which is almost twice to that observed in Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 (= 200 % at 14.5 T) and Weyl semimetal NbP (= 250% at 9 T). We also discuss single crystal growth technique as well as Hall measurement data.

Structures and magnetic properties of rare earth double perovskites containing antimony or bismuth Ba{sub 2}LnMO{sub 6} (Ln=rare earths; M=Sb, Bi)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuka, Shumpei, E-mail: m-nis-s-o@ec.hokudai.ac.jp; Hinatsu, Yukio

2015-07-15

A series of double perovskite-type oxides Ba{sub 2}LnMO{sub 6} (Ln=lanthanides; M=Sb, Bi) were synthesized and their structures were studied. The Ln and M are structurally ordered in the rock-salt type at the B-site of the perovskite ABO{sub 3}. For Ba{sub 2}PrBiO{sub 6} and Ba{sub 2}TbBiO{sub 6}, it has been found that the disordering between Ln ion and Bi ion occurs at the B-site of the double perovskite and both the Pr (Tb) and Bi exist in two oxidation state in the same compound from the analysis of the X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility data. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that all these compounds are paramagnetic and have no magnetic ordering down to 1.8 K. - Graphical abstract: Tolerance factor for Ba{sub 2}LnMO{sub 6} (M=Sb, Bi) plotted against the ionic radius of Ln{sup 3+}. We have found that there is a clear relation between crystal structures and tolerance factors. - Highlights: • The Ln and M ions are structurally ordered in the rock-salt type at the B-site. • The disordering between Pr (Tb) ion and Bi ion occurs at the B-site. • Ba{sub 2}LnMO{sub 6} (M=Sb, Bi) have no magnetic ordering down to 1.8 K.

Synthesis and thermoelectric properties of Sb{sub 0.20}CoSb{sub 2.80} skutterudite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueirêdo, C.A., E-mail: camila_fig@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, PGCIMAT, Instituto de Física, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Gallas, M.R. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, PGCIMAT, Instituto de Física, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Institute for Multiscale Simulations, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Nägelsbachstrasse 49b, 91052 Erlangen (Germany); Zorzi, J.E. [Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Instituto de Materiais Cerâmicos, 95765-000 Bom Princípio, RS (Brazil); Perottoni, C.A. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, PGCIMAT, Instituto de Física, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Instituto de Materiais Cerâmicos, 95765-000 Bom Princípio, RS (Brazil)

2014-06-15

Highlights: • A HP-HT Sb{sub 0.20}CoSb{sub 2.80} phase was prepared by processing cobalt antimonide at 7.7 GPa and 550 °C, for (at least) 5 min. • The mechanism of formation of this phase involves (i) decomposition of cobalt antimonide into CoSb{sub 2} and Sb, and (ii) insertion of Sb into the remaining cobalt antimonide. • The mechanism of formation is qualitatively different from that responsible for the formation of the high pressure (greater than 20 GPa) phase. - Abstract: Polycrystalline samples of cobalt antimonide (CoSb{sub 2.79}) were submitted to different conditions of pressure, temperature and processing time, in a high-pressure toroidal-type chamber, aiming to maximize the production of the high pressure phase previously observed in experiments with a diamond anvil cell. Rietveld refinements of X-ray powder diffraction data were performed to determine the phase composition and structural parameters. The maximum yield, 89(2) wt.% of Sb{sub x}CoSb{sub 3−x} phase, was obtained at 7.7 GPa, 550 °C and (at least) 5 min of processing time. The mechanism behind the formation of Sb{sub x}CoSb{sub 3−x} at high pressure and high temperature is actually not the same as that previously inferred from experiments at higher pressures (20 GPa) and room temperature with the diamond anvil cell. Indeed, evidences suggest that, at high pressure and high temperature, Sb{sub x}CoSb{sub 3−x} is formed by insertion of Sb resulting from decomposition of cobalt antimonide. Thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity were estimated for CoSb{sub 2.79} and Sb{sub 0.20}CoSb{sub 2.80}. The thermoelectric figure of merit at room temperature for Sb{sub 0.20}CoSb{sub 2.80} resulted 33% greater than that for CoSb{sub 2.79}.

Evaporation of tetramers in Sb4n clusters and conditions for the formation of Sb2n+1 clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rayane, D.; Tribollet, B.; Broyer, M.; Melinon, P.; Cabaud, B.; Hoareau, A.

1989-01-01

Antimony clusters are produced by the inert gas condensation technique. They are found to be built from Sb 4 units. The fragmentation by evaporation of Sb 4 units is studied as a function of the excess energy in the cluster. By this way the binding energy of the Sb 4 units in the cluster is found to be about 1.5 eV, well below the binding energy of a Sb atom in the bulk and in Sb 4 (≅3 eV). The evolution of ionization potentials of Sb 4n clusters confirms that their structure is probably non metallic. Finally the possible metastable character of this Sb 4n structure is discussed. (orig.)

Formation Mechanism of Self Assembled Horizontal ErSb Nanowires Embedded in a GaSb(001) Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Nathaniel; Kraemer, Stephan; PalmstrøM, Chris

The ErxGa1-xSb exhibits a variety of self-assembling nanostructures. In order to harness these nanostructures for use in devices and other material systems it is important to understand their formation. We have characterized the growth mechanism of self-assembled horizontal ErSb nanowires in a GaSb(001) matrix through the use of in-situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) as well as ex-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We observe large GaSb macrosteps on the growth surface of Er.3Ga.7Sb samples. The areas near the ledge and base of the macrosteps show significant differences in size and distribution of ErSb nanowires. Results suggest that the formation of macrosteps drives the transition from vertical to horizontal nanowires in the ErxGa1-xSb system. We also observe a low temperature growth mode, which results in horizontal nanowire formation under a wide range of flux conditions. This new growth mode does not exhibit the embedded growth observed in the formation of nanowires at higher temperatures and may allow for horizontal nanowire formation without the presence of macrosteps, as well as the formation of smaller nanoparticles which may be useful for achieving smaller nanoparticle dimensions and electron confinement effects. This work was supported by NSF-DMR under 1507875.

Discovery of high-performance low-cost n-type Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric materials with multi-valley conduction bands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jiawei; Song, Lirong; Pedersen, Steffen Hindborg

2017-01-01

Widespread application of thermoelectric devices for waste heat recovery requires low-cost high-performance materials. The currently available n-type thermoelectric materials are limited either by their low efficiencies or by being based on expensive, scarce or toxic elements. Here we report a low-cost...... because of the multi-valley band behaviour dominated by a unique near-edge conduction band with a sixfold valley degeneracy. This makes Te-doped Mg3Sb1.5Bi0.5 a promising candidate for the low- and intermediate-temperature thermoelectric applications....

Zr3NiSb7: a new antimony-enriched ZrSb2 derivative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Romaka

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Single crystals of trizirconium nickel heptaantimonide were synthesized from the constituent elements by arc-melting. The compound crystallizes in a unique structure type and belongs to the family of two-layer structures. All crystallographically unique atoms (3 × Zr, 1 × Ni and 7 × Sb are located at sites with m symmetry. The structure contains `Zr2Ni2Sb5' and `Zr4Sb9' fragments and might be described as a new ZrSb2 derivative with a high Sb content.

Redundant Sb condensation on GaSb epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy during cooling procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arpapay, B.; Şahin, S.; Arıkan, B.; Serincan, U.

2014-01-01

The effect of four different cooling receipts on the surface morphologies of unintentionally-doped GaSb epilayers on GaSb (100) substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. Those receipts include three different Sb beam equivalent pressure (BEP) levels and two different termination temperatures. Surface morphologies of epilayers were examined by wet etching, surface profiler, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that during the cooling period, a Sb BEP of 4.00 × 10 −4 Pa at a termination temperature of 400 °C induces a smooth surface without Sb condensation whereas same Sb BEP at a termination temperature of 350 °C forms a 300 nm thick Sb layer on the surface. In addition, it is revealed that by applying a wet etching procedure and using a surface profiler it is possible to identify this condensed layer from the two-sloped feature of mesa profile. - Highlights: • Sb beam flux termination temperature is crucial for redundant Sb condensation. • Sb beam flux level has a role on the thickness of redundant condensed Sb layer. • Redundant Sb layer thickness can be measured by two-sloped mesa structure

Density functional simulations of Sb-rich GeSbTe phase change alloys

OpenAIRE

Gabardi, S; Caravati, S; Bernasconi, M; Parrinello, M

2012-01-01

We generated models of the amorphous phase of Sb rich GeSbTe phase change alloys by quenching from the melt within density functional molecular dynamics. We considered the two compositions Ge 1Sb 1Te 1 and Ge 2Sb 4Te 5. Comparison with previous results on the most studied Ge 2Sb 2Te 5 allowed us to draw some conclusions on the dependence of the structural properties of the amorphous phase on the alloy composition. Vibrational and electronic properties were also scrutinized. Phonons at high fr...

Upconversion Properties of the Er-Doped Y2O3, Bi2O3 and Sb2O3 Nanoparticles Fabricated by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamiri Reza; Bahari-Poor Hamid-Reza; Zakaria Azmi; Jorfi Raheleh; Zamiri Golnoush; Rebelo Avito; Omar Akrajas Ali

2013-01-01

Er-doped Y 2 O 3 , Bi 2 O 3 and Sb 2 O 3 nanoparticles are synthesized using pulsed laser ablation in a liquid. Ceramic targets of Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ , Bi 2 O 3 :Er 3+ and Sb 2 O 3 :Er 3+ for ablation process are prepared by standard solid-state reaction technique and ablation is carried out in 5-ml distilled water using nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The morphology and size of the fabricated nanoparticles are evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and the luminescence emission properties of the prepared samples are investigated under different excitation wavelengths

Defect Structure of High-Temperature-Grown GaMnSb/GaSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanowski, P.; Bak-Misiuk, J.; Dynowska, E.; Domagala, J.Z.; Wojciechowski, T.; Jakiela, R.; Sadowski, J.; Barcz, A.; Caliebe, W.

2010-01-01

GaMnSb/GaSb(100) layers with embedded MnSb inclusions have been grown at 720 K using MBE technique. This paper presents the investigation of the defect structure of Ga1-xMnxSb layers with different content of manganese (up to x = 0.07). X-ray diffraction method using conventional and synchrotron radiation was applied. Dimensions and shapes of inclusions were detected by scanning electron microscopy. Depth profiles of elements were measured using secondary ion mass spectroscopy technique. (authors)

Peculiarities of thermoelectric half-Heusler phase formation in Zr–Co–Sb ternary system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romaka, V.V., E-mail: romakav@lp.edu.ua [Department of Applied Material Science and Materials Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ustyyanovycha Str. 5, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Wien, Währingerstr. 42, A-1090 Wien (Austria); Romaka, L. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya Str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine); Rogl, P. [Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Wien, Währingerstr. 42, A-1090 Wien (Austria); Stadnyk, Yu. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya Str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine); Melnychenko, N. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya Str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine); Army Academy named after Hetman Petro Sahaydachnyi, Gvardijska Str. 32, 79012 Lviv (Ukraine); Korzh, R.; Duriagina, Z. [Department of Applied Material Science and Materials Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ustyyanovycha Str. 5, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); Horyn, A. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya Str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine)

2014-02-05

Highlights: • Phase relations for the Zr–Co–Sb system at 500 °C. • Homogeneity region for half-Heusler phase. • The distribution of DOS for Zr{sub 1+x}Co{sub 1−x}Sb predicts transition from semiconductor (x = 0) to metallic (x = 0.13) like behavior. • The existence of the solid solution Zr{sub 5}Co{sub x}Sb{sub 3+y} (x = 0.0–1.0, y = 0.0–1.0). -- Abstract: The phase equilibria in the Zr–Co–Sb ternary system were studied at 873 K by means of X-ray and metallographic analyses in the whole concentration range. The interaction between the elements results the formation of four ternary compounds at investigated temperature: ZrCoSb (MgAgAs-type), Zr{sub 6}CoSb{sub 2} (K{sub 2}UF{sub 6}-type), Zr{sub 5}CoSb{sub 3} (Hf{sub 5}CuSn{sub 3}-type) and Zr{sub 5}Co{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 2.5} (W{sub 5}Si{sub 3}-type). The limited composition Zr{sub 5}CoSb{sub 3} of the solid solution based on the Zr{sub 5}Sb{sub 3−4} binaries is considered as compound with Hf{sub 5}CuSn{sub 3} structure type. The influence of the disordering and defects in the crystal structure of ZrCoSb on the physical properties was analyzed. The performed electronic structure calculations are in good agreement with electrical and magnetic studies.

(In)GaSb/AlGaSb quantum wells grown on Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akahane, Kouichi; Yamamoto, Naokatsu; Gozu, Shin-ichiro; Ueta, Akio; Ohtani, Naoki

2007-01-01

We have successfully grown GaSb and InGaSb quantum wells (QW) on a Si(001) substrate, and evaluated their optical properties using photoluminescence (PL). The PL emissions from the QWs at room temperature were observed at around 1.55 μm, which is suitable for fiber optic communications systems. The measured ground state energy of each QW matched well with the theoretical value calculated by solving the Schroedinger equation for a finite potential QW. The temperature dependence of the PL intensity showed large activation energy (∼ 77.6 meV) from QW. The results indicated that the fabricated QW structure had a high crystalline quality, and the GaSb QW on Si for optical devices operating at temperatures higher than room temperature will be expected

Behavior of GaSb (100) and InSb (100) surfaces in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in acidic and basic cleaning solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Dongwan; Na, Jihoon; Lee, Seunghyo; Lim, Sangwoo, E-mail: swlim@yonsei.ac.kr

2017-03-31

Highlights: • Surface behavior of GaSb and InSb was investigated in acidic and basic solutions. • H{sub 2}O{sub 2} plays a key role in the surface oxidation of GaSb and InSb in acidic hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (HPM) solution. • GaSb and InSb surfaces were hardly oxidized in basic ammonium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM) solution in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • The effect of dilution of APM solution on the oxidation of the InSb surface was minimal. • Surface characteristics of GaSb and InSb in HPM and APM solutions are mainly determined by the behaviors of the group III elements rather than the group V element. - Abstract: Gallium antimonide (GaSb) and indium antimonide (InSb) have attracted strong attention as new channel materials for transistors due to their excellent electrical properties and lattice matches with various group III–V compound semiconductors. In this study, the surface behavior of GaSb (100) and InSb (100) was investigated and compared in hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (HPM) and ammonium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM) solutions. In the acidic HPM solution, surface oxidation was greater and the etching rates of the GaSb and InSb surfaces increased when the solution is concentrated, which indicates that H{sub 2}O{sub 2} plays a key role in the surface oxidation of GaSb and InSb in acidic HPM solution. However, the GaSb and InSb surfaces were hardly oxidized in basic APM solution in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} because gallium and indium are in the thermodynamically stable forms of H{sub 2}GaO{sub 3}{sup −} and InO{sub 2}{sup −}, respectively. When the APM solution was diluted, however, the Ga on the GaSb surface was oxidized by H{sub 2}O, increasing the etching rate. However, the effect of dilution of the APM solution on the oxidation of the InSb surface was minimal; thus, the InSb surface was less oxidized than the GaSb surface and the change in the etching rate of InSb

Removal of Sb(III and Sb(V by Ferric Chloride Coagulation: Implications of Fe Solubility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Ali Inam

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Coagulation and precipitation appear to be the most efficient and economical methods for the removal of antimony from aqueous solution. In this study, antimony removal from synthetic water and Fe solubility with ferric chloride (FC coagulation has been investigated. The effects of pH, FC dosage, initial antimony loading and mixed Sb(III, Sb(V proportions on Fe solubility and antimony removal were studied. The results showed that the Sb(III removal efficiency increased with the increase of solution pH particularly due to an increase in Fe precipitation. The Sb(V removal was influenced by the solution pH due to a change in Fe solubility. However, the Fe solubility was only impaired by the Sb(III species at optimum pH 7. The removal efficiencies of both Sb species were enhanced with an increase in FC dose. The quantitative analysis of the isotherm study revealed the strong adsorption potential of Sb(III on Fe precipitates as compared to Sb(V. Furthermore, the removal behavior of antimony was inhibited in mixed proportion with high Sb(V fraction. In conclusion, this study contributes to better understanding the fate of Sb species, their mobilities, and comparative removal behavior, with implications for Fe solubility using ferric chloride in different aqueous environments.

Growth behavior of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films on graphene substrate grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chang Wan [Thin Film Materials Research Group, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gun Hwan; Kang, Min A.; An, Ki-Seok; Lee, Young Kuk [Thin Film Materials Research Group, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Seong Gu [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyungjun [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

A comparative study of the substrate effect on the growth mechanism of chalcogenide Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films was carried out. Obvious microstructural discrepancy in both the as-deposited Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films was observed when grown on graphene or SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate. Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films deposited on the graphene substrate were observed to be grown epitaxially along c-axis and show very smooth surface compared to that on SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate. Based on the experimental results of this study, the initial adsorption sites on graphene substrate during deposition process, which had been discussed theoretically, could be demonstrated empirically. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Optical response of confined excitons in GaInAsSb/GaSb Quantum Dots heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez-Cano, R [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Occidente, A.A. 2790, Cali (Colombia); Tirado-Mejia, L; Fonthal, G; Ariza-Calderon, H [Laboratorio de Optoelectronica, Universidad del Quindio, A.A. 4603 Armenia (Colombia); Porras-Montenegro, N, E-mail: rsanchez40@gmail.co [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360, Cali (Colombia)

2009-05-01

The narrow-gap Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}As{sub y}Sb{sub 1-y} compounds are suitable materials for heterostructure devices operating in the infrared wavelength range. In these compounds grown by liquid phase epitaxy over GaSb single crystals, for x and y values in the range of 0.10 to 0.14 for both variables, the photoluminescence optical response at 12K is blue-shifted by 20 meV related to the photoreflectance response. We believe this behavior is due to possible higher electronic confinement in some places of the heterostructure, possibly formed in the interface during the growth process. In order to explain this behavior, in this work we study the exciton recombination energy in spherical Quantum Dots (QDs) on Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}As{sub y}Sb{sub 1-y}/GaSb, using the variational procedure within the effective-mass approximation and considering an electron in a Type I band alignment formed by two semiconductors with similar parabolic conduction bands. Our results are in good agreement with recent experimental results.

Crystallographic study of the intermediate compounds SbZn, Sb3Zn4 and Sb2Zn3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adjadj, Fouzia; Belbacha, El-djemai; Bouharkat, Malek; Kerboub, Abdellah

2006-01-01

The processes of development of semiconductor ceramics made up of bismuth, antimony and zinc often require during their preparation to know the nature of the involved phases. For that, it is always essential to refer to the diagrams of balance between phases of the binary systems or ternary. We presented in this work the study by X-rays diffraction relating to the intermediate compounds SbZn, Sb 3 Zn 4 and Sb 2 Zn 3 . The analysis by X-rays is often useful to give supplement the results of the other experimental methods

The system Sb2Te3-InS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarov, M.G.; Gamidov, R.S.; Poladov, P.M.

1991-01-01

The system Sb 2 Te 3 -InS was investigated by the methods of physicochemical analysis. Its state diagram was constructed. It represents the stable diagonal of the mutual ternary system InTe-Sb 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 S 3 -InS. It was established that limited regions of α- and β-solid solutions on the basis of Sb 2 Te 3 and InS, achieving 15.5 and 8 mol.% respectively, formed in the system. Lattice periods of α- and β-solid solutions, their lattice volumes, number of atoms in them and densities were calculated

As-free pnictide LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2012-07-01

We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy (RMBE) as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100)MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Ni and Sb metals by e-gun. The LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grow epitaxially and are (00l) oriented with high crystalline quality, as evident from RHEED and X-Ray diffraction studies. The Ni deficient LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films show metallic behavior with a room temperature resistivity of 110 {mu}{Omega} cm, while the stoichiometric compound is a semiconductor/insulator. The isostructural compound with Bi as pnictide shows a superconducting transition with a T{sub C}(0) of 3.1 K.

Correlating thermoelectric properties with microstructure in Bi0.8Sb0.2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal, M. P.; Lima-Sharma, A. L.; Sharma, P. A.; Rochford, C.

2017-04-01

The room temperature electronic transport properties of 100 nm-thick thermoelectric Bi0.8Sb0.2 films, sputter-deposited onto quartz substrates and post-annealed in an ex-situ furnace, systematically correlate with the overall microstructural quality, improving with increasing annealing temperature until close to the melting point for the alloy composition. The optimized films have high crystalline quality with ˜99% of the grains oriented with the trigonal axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. Film resistivities and Seebeck coefficients are accurately measured by preventing deleterious surface oxide formation via a SiN capping layer and using Nd-doped Al for contacts. The resulting values are similar to single crystals and significantly better than previous reports from films and polycrystalline bulk alloys.

Mössbauer and magnetic studies of Mg{sub 1+2x}Sb{sub x}Fe{sub 2−3x}O{sub 4} spinel ferrites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widatallah, H.M., E-mail: hishammw@squ.edu.om [Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat (Oman); Al-Mamari, F.A.S.; Al-Saqri, N.A.M.; Gismelseed, A.M.; Al-Omari, I.A.; Al-Shahumi, T.M.H. [Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat (Oman); Alhaj, A.F. [Department of Physics, Qasim University, Al-Qasim (Saudi Arabia); Abo El Ata, A.M. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt); Elzain, M.E. [Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, 123 Muscat (Oman)

2013-06-15

Spinel-related Mg{sub 1+2x}Sb{sub x}Fe{sub 2−3x}O{sub 4} samples (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30) prepared using the conventional double sintering technique were investigated using {sup 57}Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. Mössbauer spectra favor a cationic distribution of the form (Mg{sub δ}Fe{sub 1−δ}){sup A}[Mg{sub 1+2x−δ}Sb{sub x}Fe{sub 1+δ−3x}]{sup B}O{sub 4} among the tetrahedral-A and octahedral-B sites of the spinel structure. The cation distribution parameter (δ) was found to vary with the Sb{sup 5+} concentration (x). The Mössbauer hyperfine magnetic fields at both sites and the Curie temperatures of the ferrites decrease as x increases. This was attributed to gradual weakening in the magnetic exchange interaction as more Fe{sup 3+} ions are substituted by diamagnetic Sb{sup 5+} and Mg{sup 2+} ones. The sample with x = 0.30 exhibits short range magnetic order due to cationic clustering and/or superparamagnetism. The magnetization of all samples was found to be temperature-dependent implying that δ depends on temperature in addition to x. At low temperatures the substituted ferrites (x ≠ 0.0) unexpectedly exhibit higher magnetization values relative to that of the pure ferrite MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. This behavior, while at variance with the Néel's model for ferrimagnetism, is explicable in terms of the spin canting mechanism proposed in the Yafet–Kittel model. - Highlights: ► A Mössbauer and magnetic study of Sb{sup 5+} and Mg{sup 2+} co-substituted ferrites of the composition Mg{sub 1+2x}Sb{sub x}Fe{sub 2−3x}O{sub 4} is reported. ► The cation distribution in Mg{sub 1+2x}Sb{sub x}Fe{sub 2−3x}O{sub 4} is shown to depend on both the Sb{sup 5+} ionic concentration and the temperature. ► The A–B magnetic exchange interaction and Mössbauer hyperfine fields weaken with increasing Sb{sup 5+} and Mg{sup 2+} concentrations. ► The magnetization of the substituted samples with x ≠ 0.00 increases

Effect of Varying Pnictogen Elements (Pn=N, P, As, Sb, Bi) on the Optoelectronic Properties of SrZn2Pn2

Science.gov (United States)

Murtaza, G.; Yousaf, N.; Laref, A.; Yaseen, M.

2018-03-01

Pnictogen-based Zintl compounds have fascinating properties. Nowadays these compounds have gained exceptional interest in thermoelectric and optoelectronic fields. Therefore, in this work the structural, electronic and optical properties of SrZn2Pn2 (Pn=N, P, As, Sb, Bi) compounds were studied using state-of-the-art density functional theory. The optimised lattice parameters (ɑ, c, c/ɑ and bond lengths) are consistent with the experimental results. The bulk moduli and c/a showed a decrease when changing the Pnictogen (Pn) anion from N to Bi in SrZn2Pn2 (Pn=N, P, As, Sb, Bi). The modified Becke-Johnson potential is used for band structure calculations. All compounds show semiconducting behaviour except SrZn2Bi2, which is metallic. Pn-p, Zn-d and Sr-d play an important role in defining the electronic structure of the compounds. The optical conductivity and absorption coefficient strength are high in visible and ultraviolet regions. These band structures and optical properties clearly show that SrZn2Pn2 compounds are potential candidates in the fields of optoelectronic and photonic devices.

Near-surface depletion of antimony during the growth of GaAsSb and GaAs/GaAsSb nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kauko, H.; Helvoort, A. T. J. van, E-mail: a.helvoort@ntnu.no [Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim (Norway); Fimland, B. O.; Munshi, A. M. [Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, NTNU, Trondheim (Norway); Grieb, T.; Müller, K.; Rosenauer, A. [Institut für Festkörperphysik, Universität Bremen, Bremen (Germany)

2014-10-14

The near-surface reduction of the Sb mole fraction during the growth of GaAsSb nanowires (NWs) and GaAs NWs with GaAsSb inserts has been studied using quantitative high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). A model for diffusion of Sb in the hexagonal NWs was developed and employed in combination with the quantitative STEM analysis. GaAsSb NWs grown by Ga-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and GaAs/GaAsSb NWs grown by Ga- and Au-assisted MBE were investigated. At the high temperatures employed in the NW growth, As-Sb exchange at and outward diffusion of Sb towards the surface take place, resulting in reduction of the Sb concentration at and near the surface in the GaAsSb NWs and the GaAsSb inserts. In GaAsSb NWs, an increasing near-surface depletion of Sb was observed towards the bottom of the NW due to longer exposure to the As beam flux. In GaAsSb inserts, an increasing change in the Sb concentration profile was observed with increasing post-insert axial GaAs growth time, resulting from a combined effect of radial GaAs overgrowth and diffusion of Sb. The effect of growth temperature on the diffusion of Sb in the GaAsSb inserts was identified. The consequences of these findings for growth optimization and the optoelectronic properties of GaAsSb are discussed.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Heteroboroxines with MB2O3 Core (M = Sb, Bi, Sn)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mairychova, Barbora; Svoboda, Tomas; Stepnicka, Petr; Ruzicka, Ales; Havenith, Remco W. A.; Alonso, Mercedes; De Proft, Frank; Jambor, Roman; Dostal, Libor

2013-01-01

Reaction of organoantimony and organobismuth oxides (LSbO)(2) and (LBiO)(2) (where L is [2,6-bis(dimethylarnino)methyl]phenyl) with four equivalents of the organoboronic acids gave new heteroboroxines LM[(OBR)(2)O] 1a-2c (for M = Sb: R = Ph (1a), 4-CF3C6H4 (1b), ferrocenyl (1c); for M = Bi: R = Ph

Optimization of growth parameters for MOVPE-grown GaSb and Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miya, S.S.; Wagener, V. [Department of Physics, Private Bag X 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6001 (South Africa); Botha, J.R., E-mail: reinhardt.botha@nmmu.ac.za [Department of Physics, Private Bag X 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6001 (South Africa)

2012-05-15

The triethylgallium/trimethylantimony (TEGa/TMSb) precursor combination was used for the metal-organic vapour phase epitaxial growth of GaSb at a growth temperature of 520 Degree-Sign C at atmospheric pressure. Trimethylindium was added in the case of Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb growth. The effects of group V flux to group III flux ratio (V/III ratio) on the crystallinity and optical properties of GaSb layers are reported. It has been observed from the crystalline quality and optical properties that nominal V/III ratios of values greater than unity are required for GaSb epitaxial layers grown at this temperature. It has also been shown that Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb can be grown using TEGa as a source of gallium species at atmospheric pressure. The relationship between Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb vapour composition and solid composition has been studied at a V/III ratio of 0.78.

Syntheses, and crystal and electronic structures of the new Zintl phases Na2ACdSb2 and K2ACdSb2 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb): Structural relationship with Yb2CdSb2 and the solid solutions Sr2-xAxCdSb2, Ba2-xAxCdSb2 and Eu2-xYbxCdSb2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saparov, Bayrammurad; Saito, Maia; Bobev, Svilen

2011-01-01

Presented are the details of the syntheses, crystal and electronic structures of a new family of Zintl phases Na 2 ACdSb 2 and K 2 ACdSb 2 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb), as well as the solid solutions Sr 2-x A x CdSb 2 , Ba 2-x A x CdSb 2 and Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 . The structures of Na 2 ACdSb 2 and K 2 ACdSb 2 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb) were determined to be of a new type with the non-centrosymmetric space group Pmc2 1 (no. 26), Pearson symbol oP12, with lattice parameters a=4.684(1)-4.788(1) A; b=9.099(3)-9.117(2) A; c=7.837(1)-8.057(2) A for the Na 2 ACdSb 2 series, and a=4.6637(9)-5.0368(8) A; b=9.100(2)-9.8183(15) A; and c=7.7954(15)-8.4924(13) A for K 2 ACdSb 2 , respectively. The solid solutions Sr 2-x A x CdSb 2 , Ba 2-x A x CdSb 2 and Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 (x∼1) are isostructural and isoelectronic to the recently reported Yb 2 CdSb 2 (space group Cmc2 1 (no. 36), Pearson symbol cP20). All discussed structures are based upon CdSb 2 4- polyanionic layers, similar to the ones observed in Yb 2 CdSb 2 , with various alkali- and/or alkaline-earth cations coordinated to them. Magnetic susceptibility and Seebeck coefficient measurements on selected Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 samples, taken at low temperatures up to 300 K, are also reported. -- Graphical abstract: The quaternary Zintl phases Na 2 ACdSb 2 and K 2 ACdSb 2 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb) with novel layered structures have been synthesized for the first time and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Reported as well are the results from crystallographic and property studies of the closely related solid solutions Sr 2-x A x CdSb 2 , Ba 2-x A x CdSb 2 (x∼1), and Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 (1 2 ACdSb 2 and K 2 ACdSb 2 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb) are new quaternary Zintl phases. → Sr 2-x A x CdSb 2 , Ba 2-x A x CdSb 2 (x∼1), and Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 (1 4 tetrahedra. → Eu 2-x Yb x CdSb 2 (1< x<2) exhibit high Seebeck coefficient (217 μV/K at RT).

Three-Dimensional Reduced Graphene Oxide Coupled with Mn3O4 for Highly Efficient Removal of Sb(III) and Sb(V) from Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Jian-Ping; Liu, Hui-Long; Luo, Jinming; Xing, Qiu-Ju; Du, Hong-Mei; Jiang, Xun-Heng; Luo, Xu-Biao; Luo, Sheng-Lian; Suib, Steven L

2016-07-20

Highly porous, three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured composite adsorbents of reduced graphene oxides/Mn3O4 (RGO/Mn3O4) were fabricated by a facile method of a combination of reflux condensation and solvothermal reactions and systemically characterized. The as-prepared RGO/Mn3O4 possesses a mesoporous 3D structure, in which Mn3O4 nanoparticles are uniformly deposited on the surface of the reduced graphene oxide. The adsorption properties of RGO/Mn3O4 to antimonite (Sb(III)) and antimonate (Sb(V)) were investigated using batch experiments of adsorption isotherms and kinetics. Experimental results show that the RGO/Mn3O4 composite has fast liquid transport and superior adsorption capacity toward antimony (Sb) species in comparison to six recent adsorbents reported in the literature and summarized in a table in this paper. Theoretical maximum adsorption capacities of RGO/Mn3O4 toward Sb(III) and Sb(V) are 151.84 and 105.50 mg/g, respectively, modeled by Langmuir isotherms. The application of RGO/Mn3O4 was demonstrated by using drinking water spiked with Sb (320 μg/L). Fixed-bed column adsorption experiments indicate that the effective breakthrough volumes were 859 and 633 mL bed volumes (BVs) for the Sb(III) and Sb(V), respectively, until the maximum contaminant level of 5 ppb was reached, which is below the maximum limits allowed in drinking water according to the most stringent regulations. The advantages of being nontoxic, highly stable, and resistant to acid and alkali and having high adsorption capacity toward Sb(III) and Sb(V) confirm the great potential application of RGO/Mn3O4 in Sb-spiked water treatment.

Structural and Electronic Features of Sb-Based Electrode Materials: 121Sb Moessbauer Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ionica, C. M.; Aldon, L.; Lippens, P. E.; Morato, F.; Olivier-Fourcade, J.; Jumas, J.-C.

2004-01-01

Lithium insertion mechanisms in two antimony based compounds: CoSb 3 and CoSb have been studied by means of 121 Sb Moessbauer spectrometry. Structural and electronic modifications induced by insertion of lithium have been characterised for different depths of discharge. In all cases the insertion mechanisms can be described from several steps. In the first step antimony is partially dispersed in the metallic matrix with amorphisation of the electrode material and in a second step we can observe the alloy forming (Li 3 Sb). However this amorphous alloy remains in interaction with the matrix allowing then a good reversibility.

Effect of Ce-rich rare earth on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb magnesium alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

You Zhiyong

2012-05-01

Full Text Available To improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb magnesium alloy, different amount of Ce-rich rare earth (RE was added to the alloy, and the effect of RE addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb alloy was investigated by means of Brinell hardness measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The results show that an appropriate amount of Ce-rich rare earth addition can make the Al4Ce phase particles and CeSb phase disperse more evenly in the alloy. These phases refine the alloy抯 matrix and make the secondary phases [t-Mg32(Al,Zn49 phase and f-Al2Mg5Zn2 phase] finer and more dispersive, therefore significantly improve the mechanical properties of the Mg-10Zn-5Al-0.1Sb alloy. When the RE addition is 1.0 wt.%, the tensile strengths of the alloy both at room temperature and 150 篊 reach the maximum values while the impact toughness is slightly lower than that of the matrix alloy. The hardness increases with the increase of RE addition.

Microbiological reduction of Sb(V) in anoxic freshwater sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Oremland, Ronald S.; Kulp, Thomas R.; Miller, Laurence G.; Braiotta, Franco; Webb, Samuel M.; Kocar, Benjamin D; Blum, Jodi S.

2014-01-01

Microbiological reduction of millimolar concentrations of Sb(V) to Sb(III) was observed in anoxic sediments from two freshwater settings: (1) a Sb- and As-contaminated mine site (Stibnite Mine) in central Idaho and 2) an uncontaminated suburban lake (Searsville Lake) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rates of Sb(V) reduction in anoxic sediment microcosms and enrichment cultures were enhanced by amendment with lactate or acetate as electron donors but not by H2, and no reduction occurred in sterilized controls. Addition of 2-14C-acetate to Stibnite Mine microcosms resulted in the production of 14CO2 coupled to Sb(V) reduction, suggesting that this process proceeds by a dissimilatory respiratory pathway in those sediments. Antimony(V) reduction in Searsville Lake sediments was not coupled to acetate mineralization and may be associated with Sb-resistance. The microcosms and enrichment cultures also reduced sulfate, and the precipitation of insoluble Sb(III)-sulfide complexes was a major sink for reduced Sb. The reduction of Sb(V) by Stibnite Mine sediments was inhibited by As(V), suggesting that As(V) is a preferred electron acceptor for the indigenous community. These findings indicate a novel pathway for anaerobic microbiological respiration and suggest that communities capable of reducing high concentrations of Sb(V) commonly occur naturally in the environment.

Leaching of Antimony (Sb)from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) Residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrmann, Inga

2004-07-01

The mobility of antimony (Sb) in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) residues often exceeds the limit values stipulated by the European Union. As an ash treatment by washing is conceivable, this work investigated the Sb release from Swedish bottom ash and fly ash when mixed with water. The leaching experiments revealed the factors significantly (a = 0.05) affecting Sb release from the ashes. The following factors were investigated: Liquid to solid ratio (L/S), time, pH, carbonation (treatment with CO{sub 2}), ultrasonics and temperature. The data were evaluated using multiple linear regression (MLR). The impact of the factors could be quantified. The maximum Sb release calculated was 13 mg/kg DM for bottom ash and 51 mg/kg DM for fly ash. The derived models explained the observed data well. Nevertheless, the calculated values were subject to a high uncertainty. For bottom ash, a lowering of the Sb total content of approximately 22% could be achieved. If this also involves a sufficient lowering of the Sb mobility to meet EU limit values could not yet be assessed. Chemical equilibrium calculations were performed to explain the empirical results. However, no solid phases controlling Sb release from the ashes could be identified.

The equilibrium diagram and some properties of alloys Gd5Sb3-Tb5Sb3 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azizov, Yu.S.; Abulkhaev, V.D.; Ganiev, I.N.

2001-01-01

The purpose of present work is investigation equilibrium diagram of Gd 5 Sb 3 -Tb 5 Sb 3 system in total range of concentrations. Equilibrium diagram of Gd 5 Sb 3 -Tb 5 Sb 3 system investigated by methods of difference-thermal, roentgen-phase and metallographic analyses. For the first time on the base of difference-thermal, roentgen-phase and metallographic analyses was formed the equilibrium diagram of Gd 5 Sb 3 -Tb 5 Sb 3 system. Was determined the cristal-chemical parameters of solid solutions with general formula Gd x Tb 5 - x Sb 3

Synthesis and thermoelectric performance of a p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 material developed via mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez, Sandra; Perez, Jose G.; Tritt, Terry M.; Zhu, Song; Sosa-Sanchez, Jose L.; Martinez-Juarez, Javier; López, Osvaldo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This paper shows a Bi 1.6 Sb 0.4 Te 3 alloy prepared by MA-SPS process. • A ZT value of about 1.2–1.3 around 360 K was achieved for this compound. • The lower sintering process was carried out in a short time. • The resulting material has a very fine microstructure and high density. - Abstract: A p-type Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 thermoelectric compound was fabricated via mechanical alloying of bismuth, antimony and tellurium elemental powders as starting materials. The mechanically alloyed compositions were sintered through a spark-plasma sintering (SPS) process. The effect of the milling time was investigated. In order to characterize the powders obtained via mechanical alloying, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were used. The morphological evolution was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that the p-type Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 compound was formed after 2 h of milling. Further, the variation of milling time showed that the synthesized phase was stable. All the powders exhibit the same morphology albeit with slight differences. Measurements of the electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity were performed in the temperature range 300–520 K for the SPS samples. The resulting thermoelectric figure of merit ZT reaches a maximum of 1.2 at 360 K for the p-type bulk material with a 5 h milling time. This study demonstrates the possibility of preparing thermoelectric materials of high performance and short processing time

Magnetic susceptibility of Dirac fermions, Bi-Sb alloys, interacting Bloch fermions, dilute nonmagnetic alloys, and Kondo alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buot, Felix A., E-mail: fbuot@gmu.edu [Computational Materials Science Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); TCSE Center, Spintronics Group, Physics Department, University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu 6000 (Philippines); C& LB Research Institute, Carmen, Cebu 6005 (Philippines); Otadoy, Roland E.S.; Rivero, Karla B. [TCSE Center, Spintronics Group, Physics Department, University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu 6000 (Philippines)

2017-03-01

Wide ranging interest in Dirac Hamiltonian is due to the emergence of novel materials, namely, graphene, topological insulators and superconductors, the newly-discovered Weyl semimetals, and still actively-sought after Majorana fermions in real materials. We give a brief review of the relativistic Dirac quantum mechanics and its impact in the developments of modern physics. The quantum band dynamics of Dirac Hamiltonian is crucial in resolving the giant diamagnetism of bismuth and Bi-Sb alloys. Quantitative agreement of the theory with the experiments on Bi-Sb alloys has been achieved, and physically meaningful contributions to the diamagnetism has been identified. We also treat relativistic Dirac fermion as an interband dynamics in uniform magnetic fields. For the interacting Bloch electrons, the role of translation symmetry for calculating the magnetic susceptibility avoids any approximation to second order in the field. The expressions for magnetic susceptibility of dilute nonmagnetic alloys give a firm theoretical foundation of the empirical formulas used in fitting experimental results. The unified treatment of all the above calculations is based on the lattice Weyl-Wigner formulation of discrete phase-space quantum mechanics. For completeness, the magnetic susceptibility of Kondo alloys is also given since Dirac fermions in conduction band and magnetic impurities exhibit Kondo effect.

Electrodeposition and electrochemical characterisation of thick and thin coatings of Sb and Sb/Sb2O3 particles for Li-ion battery anodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryngelsson, Hanna; Eskhult, Jonas; Edstroem, Kristina; Nyholm, Leif

2007-01-01

The possibilities to electrodeposit thick coatings composed of nanoparticles of Sb and Sb 2 O 3 for use as high-capacity anode materials in Li-ion batteries have been investigated. It is demonstrated that the stability of the coatings depends on their Sb 2 O 3 concentrations as well as microstructure. The electrodeposition reactions in electrolytes with different pH and buffer capacities were studied using chronopotentiometry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements. The obtained deposits, which were characterised with XRD and SEM, were also tested as anode materials in Li-ion batteries. The influence of the pH and buffer capacity of the deposition solution on the composition and particle size of the deposits were studied and it is concluded that depositions from a poorly buffered solution of antimony-tartrate give rise to good anode materials due to the inclusion of precipitated Sb 2 O 3 nanoparticles in the Sb coatings. Depositions under conditions yielding pure Sb coatings give rise to deposits composed of large crystalline particles with poor anode stabilities. The presence of a plateau at about 0.8 V versus Li + /Li due to SEI forming reactions and the origin of another plateau at about 0.4 V versus Li + /Li seen during the lithiation of thin Sb coatings are also discussed. It is demonstrated that the 0.4 V plateau is present for Sb coatings for which the (0 1 2) peak is the main peak in the XRD diffractogram

Effects of the brain-penetrant and selective 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-399885 in animal models of anxiety and depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesołowska, Anna; Nikiforuk, Agnieszka

2007-04-01

The effects of a selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist, SB-399885 (N-[3,5-dichloro-2-(methoxy)phenyl]-4-(methoxy)-3-(1-piperazinyl)benzenesulfonamide), were evaluated in behavioural tests sensitive to clinically effective anxiolytic- and antidepressant-compounds using diazepam and imipramine as reference drugs. In the Vogel conflict drinking test in rats, SB-399885 (1-3mg/kg i.p.) caused an anxiolytic-like activity comparable to that of diazepam (2.5-5mg/kg i.p.). An anxiolytic-like effect was also seen in the elevated plus-maze test in rats, where SB-399885 (0.3-3mg/kg i.p.) was slightly weaker than diazepam (2.5-5mg/kg i.p.). In the four-plate test in mice, SB-399885 (3-20mg/kg i.p.) showed an anxiolytic-like effect which was weaker than that produced by diazepam (2.5-5mg/kg i.p.). In the forced swim test in rats, SB-399885 (10mg/kg i.p.) significantly shortened the immobility time and the effect was stronger than that of imipramine (30mg/kg i.p.). In the forced swim test in mice, SB-399885 (20-30mg/kg i.p.) had an anti-immobility action, comparable to imipramine (30mg/kg i.p.) and also in the tail suspension test in mice, SB-399885 (10-30mg/kg i.p.) had an antidepressant-like effect, though was weaker than imipramine (10-20mg/kg i.p.). The tested 5-HT(6) antagonist (3-20mg/kg i.p.) shortened the walking time of rats in the open field test and, at a dose of 30mg/kg i.p. reduced the locomotor activity of mice. SB-399885 (in doses up to 30mg/kg i.p.) did not affect motor coordination in mice and rats tested in the rota-rod test. Such data indicate that the selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist SB-399885had specific effects, indicative of this compound's anxiolytic and antidepressant potential.

The microstructure network and thermoelectric properties of bulk (Bi,Sb)2Te3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xie, Wenjie; Hitchcock, Dale A.; Kang, Hye J.

2012-01-01

We report small-angle neutron scattering studies on the microstructure network in bulk (Bi,Sb)(2)Te-3 synthesized by the melt-spinning (MS) and the spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) process. We find that rough interfaces of multiscale microstructures generated by the MS are responsible for the large...... reduction of both lattice thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. Our study also finds that subsequent SPS forms a microstructure network of similar to 10 nm thick lamellae and smooth interfaces between them. This nanoscale microstructure network with smooth interfaces increases electrical...... conductivity while keeping a low thermal conductivity, making it an ideal microstructure for high thermoelectric efficiency....

Phase diagram of the Sb-Se-I system and thermodynamic properties of SbSeI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliev, Z.S.; Musaeva, S.S.; Babanly, D.M.; Shevelkov, A.V.; Babanly, M.B.

2010-01-01

The Sb-Se-I system was investigated by using the DTA and XRD analyses and EMF measurements with an antimony electrode. The T-x diagram of the binary Sb-I system was accurately redefined. A number of polythermal sections and the projection of the liquidus surface were constructed. The fields of the primary crystallization, as well as the types and coordinates of non- and monovariant equilibria were determined. It is shown that the quasi-binary sections Sb 2 Se 3 -SbI 3 , Sb-SbSeI, SbI 3 -Se, and SbSeI-Se triangulate the Sb-Se-I system, leading to five independent subsystems. A broad area of immiscibility, that overlaps a certain part of the antimony primary crystallization field, was found. From the EMF measurements, the partial molar functions of antimony (ΔG-bar, ΔH-bar, ΔS-bar) as well as standard integral thermodynamic functions of SbSeI were calculated. The latter were found to have the following values: ΔG f,298 0 =-80.12±1.81kJ/mol; ΔH f,298 0 =-77.3±1.8kJ/mol; S 298 0 =155.2±9.5J/(molK).

Phase diagram of the Sb-Se-I system and thermodynamic properties of SbSeI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliev, Z S; Musaeva, S S; Babanly, D M [Baku State University, General and Inorganic Chemistry Department (Azerbaijan); Shevelkov, A.V., E-mail: shev@inorg.chem.msu.r [Moscow Lomonosov State University, Chemistry Department (Russian Federation); Babanly, M.B., E-mail: Babanly_mb@rambler.r [Baku State University, General and Inorganic Chemistry Department (Azerbaijan)

2010-09-03

The Sb-Se-I system was investigated by using the DTA and XRD analyses and EMF measurements with an antimony electrode. The T-x diagram of the binary Sb-I system was accurately redefined. A number of polythermal sections and the projection of the liquidus surface were constructed. The fields of the primary crystallization, as well as the types and coordinates of non- and monovariant equilibria were determined. It is shown that the quasi-binary sections Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3}-SbI{sub 3}, Sb-SbSeI, SbI{sub 3}-Se, and SbSeI-Se triangulate the Sb-Se-I system, leading to five independent subsystems. A broad area of immiscibility, that overlaps a certain part of the antimony primary crystallization field, was found. From the EMF measurements, the partial molar functions of antimony ({Delta}G-bar, {Delta}H-bar, {Delta}S-bar) as well as standard integral thermodynamic functions of SbSeI were calculated. The latter were found to have the following values: {Delta}G{sub f,298}{sup 0}=-80.12{+-}1.81kJ/mol; {Delta}H{sub f,298}{sup 0}=-77.3{+-}1.8kJ/mol; S{sub 298}{sup 0}=155.2{+-}9.5J/(molK).

Unusual crystallization behavior in Ga-Sb phase change alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magali Putero

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Combined in situ X-ray scattering techniques using synchrotron radiation were applied to investigate the crystallization behavior of Sb-rich Ga-Sb alloys. Measurements of the sheet resistance during heating indicated a reduced crystallization temperature with increased Sb content, which was confirmed by in situ X-ray diffraction. The electrical contrast increased with increasing Sb content and the resistivities in both the amorphous and crystalline phases decreased. It was found that by tuning the composition between Ga:Sb = 9:91 (in at.% and Ga:Sb = 45:55, the change in mass density upon crystallization changes from an increase in mass density which is typical for most phase change materials to a decrease in mass density. At the composition of Ga:Sb = 30:70, no mass density change is observed which should be very beneficial for phase change random access memory (PCRAM applications where a change in mass density during cycling is assumed to cause void formation and PCRAM device failure.

Grain boundary engineering with nano-scale InSb producing high performance InxCeyCo4Sb12+z skutterudite thermoelectrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Li

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Thermoelectric semiconductors based on CoSb3 hold the best promise for recovering industrial or automotive waste heat because of their high efficiency and relatively abundant, lead-free constituent elements. However, higher efficiency is needed before thermoelectrics reach economic viability for widespread use. In this study, n-type InxCeyCo4Sb12+z skutterudites with high thermoelectric performance are produced by combining several phonon scattering mechanisms in a panoscopic synthesis. Using melt spinning followed by spark plasma sintering (MS-SPS, bulk InxCeyCo4Sb12+z alloys are formed with grain boundaries decorated with nano-phase of InSb. The skutterudite matrix has grains on a scale of 100–200 nm and the InSb nano-phase with a typical size of 5–15 nm is evenly dispersed at the grain boundaries of the skutterudite matrix. Coupled with the presence of defects on the Sb sublattice, this multi-scale nanometer structure is exceptionally effective in scattering phonons and, therefore, InxCeyCo4Sb12/InSb nano-composites have very low lattice thermal conductivity and high zT values reaching in excess of 1.5 at 800 K.

Intrinsic quantum spin Hall and anomalous Hall effects in h-Sb/Bi epitaxial growth on a ferromagnetic MnO2 thin film.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jian; Sun, Qiang; Wang, Qian; Kawazoe, Yoshiyuki; Jena, Puru

2016-06-07

Exploring a two-dimensional intrinsic quantum spin Hall state with a large band gap as well as an anomalous Hall state in realizable materials is one of the most fundamental and important goals for future applications in spintronics, valleytronics, and quantum computing. Here, by combining first-principles calculations with a tight-binding model, we predict that Sb or Bi can epitaxially grow on a stable and ferromagnetic MnO2 thin film substrate, forming a flat honeycomb sheet. The flatness of Sb or Bi provides an opportunity for the existence of Dirac points in the Brillouin zone, with its position effectively tuned by surface hydrogenation. The Dirac points in spin up and spin down channels split due to the proximity effects induced by MnO2. In the presence of both intrinsic and Rashba spin-orbit coupling, we find two band gaps exhibiting a large band gap quantum spin Hall state and a nearly quantized anomalous Hall state which can be tuned by adjusting the Fermi level. Our findings provide an efficient way to realize both quantized intrinsic spin Hall conductivity and anomalous Hall conductivity in a single material.

A study on non-crystalline BiPbSbSrCaCuO and its heat treatment effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hong; Wu Hong; Hu Suhui

1993-01-01

In this work positron annihilation spectroscopy, X ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and ac susceptibility measurement have been used to study non-crystalline Bi-Pb-Sb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and the effect of heat treatment. The crystallization temperature T c is around 450-470 degree C for investigated materials. There are low temperature and high temperature structure relaxation as in metallic glasses from room temperature to glass temperature. For T>T c in the crystallized multiphase the low n phase can transform to high n phase by reaction diffusion and T c can reach near 110 K by 850 degree C annealing. The positron annihilation characteristics are sensitive to phase transformation and the electron density sampled by positrons in the non-crystal is lower than that in crystallized one. The doping of Pb and Sb together is of benefit to forming of non-crystal but narrows the temperature range of the viscous state

[Sb{sub 4}Au{sub 4}Sb{sub 4}]{sup 2−}: A designer all-metal aromatic sandwich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Wen-Juan; You, Xue-Rui [Nanocluster Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); Guo, Jin-Chang [Department of Chemistry, Xinzhou Teachers University, Xinzhou 034000 (China); Li, Da-Zhi, E-mail: hj.zhai@sxu.edu.cn, E-mail: ldz005@126.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, Binzhou University, Binzhou 256603 (China); Wang, Ying-Jin [Nanocluster Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); Department of Chemistry, Xinzhou Teachers University, Xinzhou 034000 (China); Sun, Zhong-Ming [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Zhai, Hua-Jin, E-mail: hj.zhai@sxu.edu.cn, E-mail: ldz005@126.com [Nanocluster Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China); State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 (China)

2016-07-28

We report on the computational design of an all-metal aromatic sandwich, [Sb{sub 4}Au{sub 4}Sb{sub 4}]{sup 2−}. The triple-layered, square-prismatic sandwich complex is the global minimum of the system from Coalescence Kick and Minima Hopping structural searches. Following a standard, qualitative chemical bonding analysis via canonical molecular orbitals, the sandwich complex can be formally described as [Sb{sub 4}]{sup +}[Au{sub 4}]{sup 4−}[Sb{sub 4}]{sup +}, showing ionic bonding characters with electron transfers in between the Sb{sub 4}/Au{sub 4}/Sb{sub 4} layers. For an in-depth understanding of the system, one needs to go beyond the above picture. Significant Sb → Au donation and Sb ← Au back-donation occur, redistributing electrons from the Sb{sub 4}/Au{sub 4}/Sb{sub 4} layers to the interlayer Sb–Au–Sb edges, which effectively lead to four Sb–Au–Sb three-center two-electron bonds. The complex is a system with 30 valence electrons, excluding the Sb 5s and Au 5d lone-pairs. The two [Sb{sub 4}]{sup +} ligands constitute an unusual three-fold (π and σ) aromatic system with all 22 electrons being delocalized. An energy gap of ∼1.6 eV is predicted for this all-metal sandwich. The complex is a rare example for rational design of cluster compounds and invites forth-coming synthetic efforts.

Electronic structure and high pressure phase transition in LaSb and CeSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathi Jaya, S.; Sanyal, S.P.

1992-09-01

The electronic structure and high pressure structural phase transition in cerium and lanthanum antimonides have been investigated using the tight binding LMTO method. The calculation of total energy reveals that the simple tetragonal structure is found to be stable at high pressures for both the compounds. In the case of LaSb, the calculated value of the equilibrium cell volume and the cell volume at which phase transition occurs are found to have a fairly good agreement with the experimental results. However, in the case of CeSb, the agreement is not as good as in LaSb. We also predicted the most favoured c/a value in the high pressure phase (simple tetragonal) for these compounds. Further we present the calculated results on the electronic structure of these systems at the equilibrium as well as at the reduced cell volumes. (author). 8 refs, 11 figs, 1 tab

Quaternary InGaAsSb Thermophotovoltaic Diode Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

M Dashiell; J Beausang; H Ehsani; G Nichols; D DePoy; L Danielson; P Talamo; K Rahner; E Brown; S Burger; P Fourspring; W Topper; P Baldasaro; C Wang; R Huang; M Connors; G Turner; Z Shellenbarger; G Taylor; Jizhong Li; R Martinelli; D Donetski; S Anikeev; G Belenky; S Luryl

2005-01-01

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) diodes fabricated from InGaAsSb alloys lattice-matched to GaSb substrates are grown by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE). 0.53eV InGaAsSb TPV diodes utilizing front-surface spectral control filters have been tested in a vacuum cavity and a TPV thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency (η TPV ) and a power density (PD) of η TPV = 19% and PD=0.58 W/cm 2 were measured for T radiator = 950 C and T diode = 27 C. Recombination coefficients deduced from minority carrier measurements and the theory reviewed in this article predict a practical limit to the maximum achievable conversion efficiency and power density for 0.53eV InGaAsSb TPV. The limits for the above operating temperatures are projected to be η TPV = 26% and PD = 0.75 W/cm 2 . These limits are extended to η TPV = 30% and PD = 0.85W/cm 2 if the diode active region is bounded by a reflective back surface to enable photon recycling and a two-pass optical path length. The internal quantum efficiency of the InGaAsSb TPV diode is close to the theoretically predicted limits, with the exception of short wavelength absorption in GaSb contact layers. Experiments show that the open circuit voltage of the 0.53eV InGaAsSb TPV diodes is not strongly dependent on the device architectures studied in this work where both N/P and P/N double heterostructure diodes have been grown with various acceptor and donor doping levels, having GaSb and AlGaAsSb confinement, and also partial back surface reflectors. Lattice matched InGaAsSb TPV diodes were fabricated with bandgaps ranging from 0.6 to 0.5eV without significant degradation of the open circuit voltage factor, quantum efficiency, or fill factor as the composition approached the miscibility gap. The key diode performance parameter which is limiting efficiency and power density below the theoretical limits in InGaAsSb TPV devices is the open circuit voltage. The open circuit voltages of state-of-the-art 0.53eV InGaAsSb TPV diode are ∼10

Effects upon metabolic pathways and energy production by Sb(III and As(III/Sb(III-oxidase gene aioA in Agrobacterium tumefaciens GW4.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingxin Li

Full Text Available Agrobacterium tumefaciens GW4 is a heterotrophic arsenite [As(III]/antimonite [Sb(III]-oxidizing strain. The As(III oxidase AioAB is responsible for As(III oxidation in the periplasm and it is also involved in Sb(III oxidation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens 5A. In addition, Sb(III oxidase AnoA and cellular H2O2 are also responsible for Sb(III oxidation in strain GW4. However, the deletion of aioA increased the Sb(III oxidation efficiency in strain GW4. In the present study, we found that the cell mobility to Sb(III, ATP and NADH contents and heat release were also increased by Sb(III and more significantly in the aioA mutant. Proteomics and transcriptional analyses showed that proteins/genes involved in Sb(III oxidation and resistance, stress responses, carbon metabolism, cell mobility, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism, and amino acid and nucleotide metabolism were induced by Sb(III and were more significantly induced in the aioA mutant. The results suggested that Sb(III oxidation may produce energy. In addition, without periplasmic AioAB, more Sb(III would enter bacterial cells, however, the cytoplasmic AnoA and the oxidative stress response proteins were significantly up-regulated, which may contribute to the increased Sb(III oxidation efficiency. Moreover, the carbon metabolism was also activated to generate more energy against Sb(III stress. The generated energy may be used in Sb transportation, DNA repair, amino acid synthesis, and cell mobility, and may be released in the form of heat.

The electronic band structures of InNxAs1-x, InNxSb1-x and InAsxSb1-x alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammad, Rezek; Katircioglu, Senay

2009-01-01

The band gap bowings of InN x As 1-x , InN x Sb 1-x , and InAs x Sb 1-x alloys defined by the optimized lattice constants are investigated using empirical tight binding (ETB) method. The present ETB energy parameters which take the nearest neighbor interactions into account with sp 3 d 2 basis are determined to be sufficient to provide a typical feature for the band gap bowings of the alloys. The band gap bowing parameter is found to be relatively large in both InN x As 1-x and InN x Sb 1-x compared to InAs x Sb 1-x alloys. Moreover, the variation of the fundamental band gaps of InN x Sb 1-x alloys is sharper than that of InN x As 1-x alloys for small concentrations of N. Besides, a small amount of nitrogen is determined to be more effective in InN x Sb 1-x than in InN x As 1-x alloys to decrease the corresponding effective masses of the electrons around Γ points

Characterization of midwave infrared InSb avalanche photodiode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abautret, J., E-mail: johan.abautret@ies.univ-montp2.fr; Evirgen, A. [Université Montpellier, IES, UMR 5214, F-34095 Montpellier (France); CNRS, IES, UMR 5214, F-34095 Montpellier (France); SOFRADIR, BP 21, 38113 Veurey-Voroize (France); Perez, J. P.; Christol, P. [Université Montpellier, IES, UMR 5214, F-34095 Montpellier (France); CNRS, IES, UMR 5214, F-34095 Montpellier (France); Rothman, J. [CEA-LETI, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Cordat, A. [SOFRADIR, BP 21, 38113 Veurey-Voroize (France)

2015-06-28

This paper focuses on the InSb material potential for the elaboration of Avalanche Photodiodes (APD) for high performance infrared imaging applications, both in passive or active mode. The first InSb electron-APD structure was grown by molecular beam epitaxy, processed and electrically characterized. The device performances are at the state of the art for the InSb epi-diode technology, with a dark current density J(−50 mV) = 32 nA/cm{sup 2} at 77 K. Then, a pure electron injection was performed, and an avalanche gain, increasing exponentially, was observed with a gain value near 3 at −4 V at 77 K. The Okuto–Crowell model was used to determine the electron ionization coefficient α(E) in InSb, and the InSb gain behavior is compared with the one of InAs and MCT APDs.

Synthesis and characterization of Bi{sub 1.56}Sb{sub 1.48}Co{sub 0.96}O{sub 7} pyrochlore sun-light-responsive photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naceur, Benhadria, E-mail: nacer1974@yahoo.fr [Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry and Application, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Oran (USTO M.B), BP 1505, El M’naouar, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Abdelkader, Elaziouti, E-mail: elaziouti_a@yahoo.com [Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry and Application, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Oran (USTO M.B), BP 1505, El M’naouar, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Dr Moulay Tahar University, Saida (Algeria); Nadjia, Laouedj, E-mail: nlaouedj@yahoo.fr [Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry and Application, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Oran (USTO M.B), BP 1505, El M’naouar, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Dr Moulay Tahar University, Saida (Algeria); Sellami, Mayouf, E-mail: Mourad7dz@yahoo.fr [Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry and Application, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Oran (USTO M.B), BP 1505, El M’naouar, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Noureddine, Bettahar, E-mail: nbettahar2001@yahoo.fr [Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry and Application, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Oran (USTO M.B), BP 1505, El M’naouar, 31000 Oran (Algeria)

2016-02-15

Graphical abstract: Heterogeneous photo Fenton process with dye sensitized mechanism of RhB by Bi{sub 1.56}Sb{sub 1.48}Co{sub 0.96}O{sub 7} compound. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 1.56}Sb{sub 1.48}Co{sub 0.96}O{sub 7} (BSCO) catalyst was synthesized by improved solid state reaction method. • BSCO/H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/UVA and BSCO/H{sub 2}O{sub 2}/SL catalyst systems exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities for rhodamine B. • The photocatalytic degradation was preceded via heterogeneous photo Fenton mechanism process. • ·OH radicals are the main reactive species for the degradation of RhB. - Abstract: Novel nanostructure pyrochlore Bi{sub 1.56}Sb{sub 1.48}Co{sub 0.96}O{sub 7} was successfully synthesized via solid state reaction method in air. The as-synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques. The results showed that the BSCO was crystallized with the pyrochlore-type structure, cubic crystal system and space group Fd3m. The average particle size and band gap for BSCO were D = 76.29 nm and E{sub g} = 1.50 eV respectively. Under the optimum conditions for discoloration of the dye: initial concentration of 20 mg L{sup −1} RhB, pH 7, 25 °C, 0.5 mL H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and BSCO/dye mass ration of 1 g L{sup −1}, 97.77 and 90.16% of RhB were removed with BSCO/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} photocatalytic system within 60 min of irradiation time under UVA- and SL irradiations respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model gave the best fit, with highest correlation coefficients (R{sup 2} ≥ 0.99). On the base of these results, the mechanism of the enhancement of the discoloration efficiency was discussed. .

First principles simulation of amorphous InSb

Science.gov (United States)

Los, Jan H.; Kühne, Thomas D.; Gabardi, Silvia; Bernasconi, Marco

2013-05-01

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory have been performed to generate a model of amorphous InSb by quenching from the melt. The resulting network is mostly tetrahedral with a minor fraction (10%) of atoms in a fivefold coordination. The structural properties are in good agreement with available x-ray diffraction and extended x-ray-absorption fine structure data and confirm the proposed presence of a sizable fraction of homopolar In-In and Sb-Sb bonds whose concentration in our model amounts to about 20% of the total number of bonds.

GaSb solar cells grown on GaAs via interfacial misfit arrays for use in the III-Sb multi-junction cell

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, George T.; Juang, Bor-Chau; Slocum, Michael A.; Bittner, Zachary S.; Laghumavarapu, Ramesh B.; Huffaker, Diana L.; Hubbard, Seth M.

2017-12-01

Growth of GaSb with low threading dislocation density directly on GaAs may be possible with the strategic strain relaxation of interfacial misfit arrays. This creates an opportunity for a multi-junction solar cell with access to a wide range of well-developed direct bandgap materials. Multi-junction cells with a single layer of GaSb/GaAs interfacial misfit arrays could achieve higher efficiency than state-of-the-art inverted metamorphic multi-junction cells while forgoing the need for costly compositionally graded buffer layers. To develop this technology, GaSb single junction cells were grown via molecular beam epitaxy on both GaSb and GaAs substrates to compare homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial GaSb device results. The GaSb-on-GaSb cell had an AM1.5g efficiency of 5.5% and a 44-sun AM1.5d efficiency of 8.9%. The GaSb-on-GaAs cell was 1.0% efficient under AM1.5g and 4.5% at 44 suns. The lower performance of the heteroepitaxial cell was due to low minority carrier Shockley-Read-Hall lifetimes and bulk shunting caused by defects related to the mismatched growth. A physics-based device simulator was used to create an inverted triple-junction GaInP/GaAs/GaSb model. The model predicted that, with current GaSb-on-GaAs material quality, the not-current-matched, proof-of-concept cell would provide 0.5% absolute efficiency gain over a tandem GaInP/GaAs cell at 1 sun and 2.5% gain at 44 suns, indicating that the effectiveness of the GaSb junction was a function of concentration.

Adducts of UF5 with SbF5 and structure of UF5 . 2SbF5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawodny, W.; Rediess, K.

1980-01-01

Both α-UF 5 and β-UF 5 form only a 1:2 compound UF 5 . 2SbF 5 reacting directly with SbF 5 , from which UF 5 . SbF 5 can be obtained by thermal decomposition. UF 5 . 2SbF 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /c with the following lattice constants a = 8.110(4), b = 14.129(6), c = 10.032(6) A and β = 96.97(5) 0 ; Z = 4. An X-ray study shows centrosymmetric four-membered rings of alternating UF 8 and SbF 6 polyhedra connected by other SbF 6 entities. This structure is similar to that of UOF 5 . 2SbF 5 , but the distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination of the U atom found there is increased to a dodecahedral coordination by an additional U-F-Sb bridge, though with a somewaht larger UF distance. (author)

Intrinsic Instability of Cs2In(I)M(III)X6 (M = Bi, Sb; X = Halogen) Double Perovskites: A Combined Density Functional Theory and Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zewen; Du, Ke-Zhao; Meng, Weiwei; Wang, Jianbo; Mitzi, David B; Yan, Yanfa

2017-05-03

Recently, there has been substantial interest in developing double-B-cation halide perovskites, which hold the potential to overcome the toxicity and instability issues inherent within emerging lead halide-based solar absorber materials. Among all double perovskites investigated, In(I)-based Cs 2 InBiCl 6 and Cs 2 InSbCl 6 have been proposed as promising thin-film photovoltaic absorber candidates, with computational examination predicting suitable materials properties, including direct bandgap and small effective masses for both electrons and holes. In this study, we report the intrinsic instability of Cs 2 In(I)M(III)X 6 (M = Bi, Sb; X = halogen) double perovskites by a combination of density functional theory and experimental study. Our results suggest that the In(I)-based double perovskites are unstable against oxidation into In(III)-based compounds. Further, the results show the need to consider reduction-oxidation (redox) chemistry when predicting stability of new prospective electronic materials, especially when less common oxidation states are involved.

Crystallization and memory programming characteristics of Ge-doped SbTe materials of varying Sb : Te ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Jeung-hyun; Lee, Hyun Seok; Lee, Suyoun; Lee, Taek Sung; Kim, Won Mok; Wu Zhe; Cheong, Byung-ki; Kim, Seul Cham; Oh, Kyu Hwan

2009-01-01

A phase change memory (PCM) utilizes resistivity changes accompanying fast transitions from an amorphous to a crystalline phase (SET) and vice versa (RESET). An investigation was made on the SET characteristics of PCM cells with Ge-doped SbTe (Ge-ST) materials of two different Sb : Te ratios (4.53 and 2.08). For the material of higher Sb : Te (4.53), a SET operation was completed within several tens of nanoseconds via nucleation-free crystallization whereas the material of lower Sb : Te (2.08) rendered a slower SET operation requiring several hundred nanoseconds for a nucleation-mediated crystallization. From measurements of nucleation and growth kinetics via laser-induced crystallization, the observed SET characteristics of the former case were found to derive from a growth time about 10 3 times shorter than the nucleation time and those of the latter from a much shorter nucleation time as well as a longer growth time than in the former case. The measured nucleation kinetics of the lower Sb : Te (2.08) material is unexpected from the existing data, which has led us to advance an interesting finding that there occurs a trend-reversing change in the nucleation kinetics of the Ge-ST materials around the eutectic composition (Sb : Te ∼2.6); nucleation is accelerated with the increase in the Sb : Te ratio above Sb : Te of 2.6, but with a decrease in the Sb : Te ratio below it.

Photoluminescence and structural properties of unintentional single and double InGaSb/GaSb quantum wells grown by MOVPE

Science.gov (United States)

Ahia, Chinedu Christian; Tile, Ngcali; Botha, Johannes R.; Olivier, E. J.

2018-04-01

The structural and photoluminescence (PL) characterization of InGaSb quantum well (QW) structures grown on GaSb substrate (100) using atmospheric pressure Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) is presented. Both structures (single and double-InGaSb QWs) were inadvertently formed during an attempt to grow capped InSb/GaSb quantum dots (QDs). In this work, 10 K PL peak energies at 735 meV and 740 meV are suggested to be emissions from the single and double QWs, respectively. These lines exhibit red shifts, accompanied by a reduction in their full-widths at half-maximum (FWHM) as the excitation power decreases. The presence of a GaSb spacer in the double QW was found to increase the strength of the PL emission, which consequently gives rise to a reduced blue-shift and broadening of the PL emission line observed for the double QW with an increase in laser power, while the low thermal activation energy for the quenching of the PL from the double QW is attributed to the existence of threading dislocations, as seen in the bright field TEM image for this sample.

Electric Field-Induced Large Strain in Ni/Sb-co Doped (Bi0.5Na0.5) TiO3-Based Lead-Free Ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liangliang; Hao, Jigong; Xu, Zhijun; Li, Wei; Chu, Ruiqing

2018-02-01

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.935Ba0.065Ti1- x (Ni0.5Sb0.5) x O3 (BNBT6.5- xNS) have been fabricated using conventional solid sintering technique. The effect of (Ni, Sb) doping on the phase structure and electrical properties of BNBT6.5 ceramics were systematically investigated. Results show that the addition of (Ni, Sb) destroyed the ferroelectric long-range order of BNBT6.5 and shifted the ferroelectric-relaxor transition temperature ( T F-R) down to room temperature. Thus, this process induced an ergodic relaxor phase at zero field in samples with x = 0.005. Under the electric field, the ergodic relaxor phase could reversibly transform to ferroelectric phase, which promotes the strain response with peak value of 0.38% (at 80 kV/cm, corresponding to d 33 * = 479 pm/V) at x = 0.005. Temperature-dependent measurements of both polarization and strain confirmed that the large strain originated from a reversible field-induced ergodic relaxor to ferroelectric phase transformation. The proposed material exhibits potential for nonlinear actuators.

Photoemission study of the skutterudite compounds CoSb sub 3 and RhSb sub 3

CERN Document Server

Ishii, H; Fujimori, A; Nagamoto, Y; Koyanagi, T; Sofo, J O

2002-01-01

We have studied the electronic structure of the skutterudite compounds CoSb sub 3 and Co(Sb sub 0 sub . sub 9 sub 6 Te sub 0 sub . sub 0 sub 4) sub 3 by photoemission spectroscopy. Valence-band spectra revealed that a significant amount Sb 5p states are present near the Fermi level and are hybridized with Co 3d states just below it. The spectra are well reproduced by the band-structure calculation, suggesting that the effect of electron correlations is not important. When Te is substituted for Sb and n-type carriers are doped into CoSb sub 3 , the spectra are shifted to higher binding energies as described by the rigid-band model. From this shift and the free-electron model for the conduction and valence bands, we have estimated the band gap of CoSb sub 3 to be 0.03-0.04 eV, consistent with transport measurements. Photoemission spectra of RhSb sub 3 have also been measured and revealed expected similarities to and differences from those of CoSb sub 3. Unusual temperature dependence has been observed for the s...

Optical and structural properties of MOVPE-grown GaInSb/GaSb quantum wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagener, Viera, E-mail: viera.wagener@nmmu.ac.z [Physics Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Olivier, E.J.; Botha, J.R. [Physics Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

2009-12-15

This paper reports on the optical and structural properties of strained type-I Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb quantum wells embedded in GaSb from a metal-organic vapour phase epitaxial growth perspective. Photoluminescence measurements and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the effect of the growth temperature on the quality of Ga{sub 1-x}In{sub x}Sb strained layers with varied alloy compositions and thicknesses. Although the various factors contributing to the overall quality of the strained layers are difficult to separate, the quantum well characteristics are significantly altered by the growth temperature. Despite the high growth rates (approx2 nm/s), quantum wells grown at 607 deg. C display photoluminescence emissions with full-width at half-maximum of 3.5-5.0 meV for an indium solid content (x) up to 0.15.

Optical and structural properties of MOVPE-grown GaInSb/GaSb quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagener, Viera; Olivier, E.J.; Botha, J.R.

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the optical and structural properties of strained type-I Ga 1-x In x Sb quantum wells embedded in GaSb from a metal-organic vapour phase epitaxial growth perspective. Photoluminescence measurements and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the effect of the growth temperature on the quality of Ga 1-x In x Sb strained layers with varied alloy compositions and thicknesses. Although the various factors contributing to the overall quality of the strained layers are difficult to separate, the quantum well characteristics are significantly altered by the growth temperature. Despite the high growth rates (∼2 nm/s), quantum wells grown at 607 deg. C display photoluminescence emissions with full-width at half-maximum of 3.5-5.0 meV for an indium solid content (x) up to 0.15.

Antimony Redox Biotransformation in the Subsurface: Effect of Indigenous Sb(V) Respiring Microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liying; Ye, Li; Yu, Yaqin; Jing, Chuanyong

2018-02-06

Anaerobic microbiological antimonate [Sb(V)] respiration is a newly discovered process regulating the Sb redox transformation in soils. However, little is known about the role microbiological Sb(V) respiration plays in the fate of Sb in the subsurface, especially in the presence of sulfate and electron shuttles. Herein, we successfully enriched a Sb(V) reducing microbiota (SbRM) from the subsurface near an active Sb mine. SbRM was dominated by genus Alkaliphilus (18-36%), Clostridiaceae (17-18%), Tissierella (24-27%), and Lysinibacillus (16-37%). The incubation results showed that SbRM reduced 88% of dissolved Sb(V) to Sb(III), but the total Sb mobility remained the same as in the abiotic control, indicating that SbRM alone did not increase the total Sb release but regulated the Sb speciation in the subsurface. Micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) analysis suggested the association of Sb and Fe, and electron shuttles such as anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic disodium salt (AQDS) markedly enhanced the Sb release due to its ability to facilitate Fe mineral dissolution. Sb L-edge and S K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) results demonstrated that indigenous SbRM immobilized Sb via Sb 2 S 3 formation, especially in a sulfur-rich environment. The insights gained from this study shed new light on Sb mobilization and its risk assessment in the subsurface environment.

Investigation of InAs/GaSb-based superlattices by diffraction methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashuach, Y.; Kauffmann, Y.; Lakin, E. [Department of Materials Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000 (Israel); Zolotoyabko, E., E-mail: zloto@tx.technion.ac.i [Department of Materials Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000 (Israel); Grossman, S.; Klin, O.; Weiss, E. [SCD, SemiConductor Devices, P. O. Box 2250, Haifa 31021 (Israel)

2010-02-15

We use high-resolution X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy in order to study the strain state, atomic intermixing and layer thicknesses in the MBE-grown GaSb/InSb/InAs/InSb superlattices. Simple and fast metrology procedure is developed, which allows us to obtain the most important technological parameters, such as the thicknesses of the GaSb, InAs and ultra-thin InSb sub-layers, the superlattice period and the fraction of atomic substitutions in the InSb sub-layers.

Effects of an in vacancy on local distortion of fast phase transition in Bi-doped In3SbTe2

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Minho; Choi, Heechae; Kim, Seungchul; Ahn, Jinho; Kim, Yong Tae

2017-12-01

Indium vacancies in Bi-doped In3SbTe2 (BIST) cause local distortion or and faster phase transition of BIST with good stability. The formation energy of the In vacancy in the BIST is relatively lower compared to that in IST due to triple negative charge state of the In vacancy ( V 3- In) and higher concentration of the V 3- In in BIST. The band gap of BIST is substantially reduced with increasing concentrations of the V 3- In and the hole carriers, which results in a higher electrical conductivity. The phase-change memory (PRAM) device fabricated with the BIST shows very fast, stable switching characteristics at lower voltages.

Optimization of growth parameters for MOVPE-grown GaSb and Ga1−xInxSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miya, S.S.; Wagener, V.; Botha, J.R.

2012-01-01

The triethylgallium/trimethylantimony (TEGa/TMSb) precursor combination was used for the metal-organic vapour phase epitaxial growth of GaSb at a growth temperature of 520 °C at atmospheric pressure. Trimethylindium was added in the case of Ga 1−x In x Sb growth. The effects of group V flux to group III flux ratio (V/III ratio) on the crystallinity and optical properties of GaSb layers are reported. It has been observed from the crystalline quality and optical properties that nominal V/III ratios of values greater than unity are required for GaSb epitaxial layers grown at this temperature. It has also been shown that Ga 1−x In x Sb can be grown using TEGa as a source of gallium species at atmospheric pressure. The relationship between Ga 1−x In x Sb vapour composition and solid composition has been studied at a V/III ratio of 0.78.

Structural transition of (InSb)n clusters at n = 6-10

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Qi Liang; Luo, Qi Quan; Huang, Shou Guo; Li, Yi De

2016-10-01

An optimization strategy combining global semi-empirical quantum mechanical search with all-electron density functional theory was adopted to determine the lowest energy structure of (InSb)n clusters with n = 6-10. A new structural growth pattern of the clusters was observed. The lowest energy structures of (InSb)6 and (InSb)8 were different from that of previously reported results. Competition existed between core-shell and cage-like structures of (InSb)8. The structural transition of (InSb)n clusters occurred at size n = 8-9. For (InSb)9 and (InSb)10 clusters, core-shell structure were more energetically favorable than the cage. The corresponding electronic properties were investigated.

AgSbSe2 and AgSb(S,Se)2 thin films for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garza, J.G.; Shaji, S.; Rodriguez, A.C.; Das Roy, T.K.; Krishnan, B.

2011-01-01

Silver antimony selenide (AgSbSe 2 ) thin films were prepared by heating sequentially deposited multilayers of antimony sulphide (Sb 2 S 3 ), silver selenide (Ag 2 Se), selenium (Se) and silver (Ag). Sb 2 S 3 thin film was prepared from a chemical bath containing SbCl 3 and Na 2 S 2 O 3 , Ag 2 Se from a solution containing AgNO 3 and Na 2 SeSO 3 and Se thin films from an acidified solution of Na 2 SeSO 3 , at room temperature on glass substrates. Ag thin film was deposited by thermal evaporation. The annealing temperature was 350 deg. C in vacuum (10 -3 Torr) for 1 h. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the thin films formed were polycrystalline AgSbSe 2 or AgSb(S,Se) 2 depending on selenium content in the precursor films. Morphology and elemental analysis of these films were done using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Optical band gap was evaluated from the UV-visible absorption spectra of these films. Electrical characterizations were done using Hall effect and photocurrent measurements. A photovoltaic structure: glass/ITO/CdS/AgSbSe 2 /Al was formed, in which CdS was deposited by chemical bath deposition. J-V characteristics of this structure showed V oc = 435 mV and J sc = 0.08 mA/cm 2 under illumination using a tungsten halogen lamp. Preparation of a photovoltaic structure using AgSbSe 2 as an absorber material by a non-toxic selenization process is achieved.

Physics of bandgap formation in Cu-Sb-Se based novel thermoelectrics: the role of Sb valency and Cu d levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Dat; Ozolins, Vidvuds; Mahanti, S D; Lee, Mal-Soon; Zhang, Yongsheng; Wolverton, C

2012-10-17

In this paper we discuss the results of ab initio electronic structure calculations for Cu(3)SbSe(4) (Se4) and Cu(3)SbSe(3) (Se3), two narrow bandgap semiconductors of thermoelectric interest. We find that Sb is trivalent in both the compounds, in contrast to a simple nominal valence (ionic) picture which suggests that Sb should be 5 + in Se4. The gap formation in Se4 is quite subtle, with hybridization between Sb 5s and the neighboring Se 4s, 4p orbitals, position of Cu d states, and non-local exchange interaction, each playing significant roles. Thermopower calculations show that Se4 is a better p-type system. Our theoretical results for Se4 agree very well with recent experimental results obtained by Skoug et al (2011 Sci. Adv. Mater. 3 602).

Electroluminescence in p-InAs/AlSb/InAsSb/AlSb/p(n)-GaSb type II heterostructures with deep quantum wells at the interface

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikhailova, M. P.; Ivanov, E.V.; Moiseev, K. D.; Yakovlev, Yu. P.; Hulicius, Eduard; Hospodková, Alice; Pangrác, Jiří; Šimeček, Tomislav

2010-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 1 (2010), 66-71 ISSN 1063-7826 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : electroluninescence * MOVPE * GaSb * InAs * quantum well Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.603, year: 2010

Effects of Radiative Recombination and Photon Recycling on Minority Carrier Lifetime in Epitaxial GaINAsSb Lattice-matched to GaSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S Anikeev; D Donetsky; G Belenky; S Luryl; CA Wang; DA Shiau; M Dashiell; J Beausang; G Nichols

2004-01-01

Radiative coefficient (B) is a fundamental recombination parameter which is of importance for a variety of optoelectronic minority carrier devices. Radiative recombination was comprehensively studied for wide-bandgap III-V compounds, while for 0.5-0.6 eV materials experimental data are quite limited and demonstrate significant spreading. Here we report excess carrier lifetime in isotype double heterostructures (DHs) of 0.54-eV p-GaInAsSb capped with p-AlGaAsSb, and grown lattice-matched to GaSb. Lifetime was measured by time-resolved photoluminescence (dynamic lifetime) as well as by optical response to sinusoidal excitation (static lifetime). Wide range of GaInAsSb layer thickness was used to separate contributions from interface and radiative recombination processes. Radiative coefficient and recombination velocity at GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb heterointerface were determined. Temperature dependence of lifetime demonstrated significant contribution of radiative effects to the total recombination

Long-range order in InAsSb

Science.gov (United States)

Jen, H. R.; Ma, K. Y.; Stringfellow, G. B.

1989-03-01

Results are presented of transmission electron diffraction (TED) observations, demonstrating, for the first time, a CuPt-type ordering in InAs(1-x)Sb(x) alloys, over a wide range of x values (from x = 0.22 to 0.88). The InAsSb alloys were prepared by OMVPE on (001) oriented undoped InSb or InAs substrates. The ordering-induced spots on the TED patterns show the highest intensity for x of about 0.5 and the lowest intensity toward each binary end compound. Only two of the four variants are formed during growth. In some areas, the degree of order for these two variants, 1/2(-1 1 1) and 1/2(1 -1 1), is equal, and in other areas, one variant dominates.

High-Temperature Characteristics of an InAsSb/AlAsSb n+Bn Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, David Z.; Soibel, Alexander; Höglund, Linda; Hill, Cory J.; Keo, Sam A.; Fisher, Anita; Gunapala, Sarath D.

2016-09-01

The high-temperature characteristics of a mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) detector based on the Maimon-Wicks InAsSb/AlAsSb nBn architecture was analyzed. The dark current characteristics are examined in reference to recent minority carrier lifetime results. The difference between the responsivity and absorption quantum efficiency (QE) at shorter wavelengths is clarified in terms of preferential absorption of higher-energy photons in the top contact layer, which cannot provide reverse-bias photo-response due to the AlAsSb electron blocking layer and strong recombination. Although the QE does not degrade when the operating temperature increases to 325 K, the turn-on bias becomes larger at higher temperatures. This behavior was originally attributed to the change in the valence band alignment between the absorber and top contact layers caused by the shift in Fermi level with temperature. In this work, we demonstrated the inadequacy of the original description, and offer a more likely explanation based on temperature-dependent band-bending effects.

Low-level simultaneous determination of As and Sb in standard reference materials using radiochemical neutron activation analysis with isotopic 77As and 125Sb tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrne, A.R.

1987-01-01

The aim of the present work was to develop an older method used in our laboratory based on selective solvent extraction of As and Sb as their iodides with toluene, and by the use of the radioisotopic tracers 77 As and 125 Sb, to improve the accuracy by better control of the radiochemical yields. 77 As was produced for each sample run by concurrent irradiation of a few mg of GeO 2 followed by a rapid separation of 77 As from 77 Ge. The radiochemically purified sample fraction containing 76+77 As and 122+125 Sb was counted on a Ge detector in good geometry. The γ-lines of the four nuclides do not mutually interfere so that a combined measurement of As and Sb may be made. The method was applied to IAEA Milk Powder A-11, Animal Muscle H-4, Bowen's Kale and some other SRMs. The results obtained are discussed in the light of literature measurements. From present and previous results, together with data by Heydorn, the presently accepted value for As in Bowen's Kale of 140 ngxg -1 may be 20% too high. (orig.)

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of novel 2D kagome materials RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Mg{sub 2}O{sub 14} (RE = La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho): Comparison to RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}O{sub 14} family

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanders, M.B.; Baroudi, K.M.; Krizan, J.W.; Mukadam, O.A.; Cava, R.J. [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

2016-10-15

The crystal structures and magnetic properties of RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Mg{sub 2}O{sub 14} (RE = La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho) with a perfect kagome lattice are presented and compared to RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}O{sub 14}. Rietveld structure refinements were performed using X-ray diffraction data, indicating that the layered compounds are fully structurally ordered. The compounds crystallize in a rhombohedral supercell of the cubic pyrochlore structure, in the space group R-3m. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show no signs of magnetic ordering above 2 K. The RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Mg{sub 2}O{sub 14} family is similar to that of RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}O{sub 14}; however, the series reported here features a fully ordered distribution of cations in both the nonmagnetic antimony and magnetic rare earth kagome lattices. Unlike the offsite disorder that Zn{sup 2+} experiences in RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Zn{sub 2}O{sub 14}, the magnesium sites in RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 3}Mg{sub 2}O{sub 14} are completely ordered. Here we compare the magnetic properties in both series of kagome compounds to determine how significant Zn{sup 2+}'s positional ordering is within this structure type. The compounds reported here appear to be relatively defect-free and are therefore model systems for investigating magnetic frustration on an ideal 2D rare earth kagome lattice. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 topological insulators on GaAs (111 substrates: a potential route to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoquan Zeng

2013-07-01

Full Text Available High quality Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 topological insulators films were epitaxially grown on GaAs (111 substrate using solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Their growth and behavior on both vicinal and non-vicinal GaAs (111 substrates were investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that non-vicinal GaAs (111 substrate is better than a vicinal substrate to provide high quality Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films. Hall and magnetoresistance measurements indicate that p type Sb2Te3 and n type Bi2Te3 topological insulator films can be directly grown on a GaAs (111 substrate, which may pave a way to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction on the same substrate, compatible with the fabrication process of present semiconductor optoelectronic devices.

121Sb-NMR study of filled skutterudite CeOs4Sb12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yogi, M.; Niki, H.; Mukuda, H.; Kitaoka, Y.; Sugawara, H.; Sato, H.

2007-01-01

121 Sb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of filled skutterudite compound CeOs 4 Sb 12 has been carried out to investigate a spin fluctuation below T∼25K. In spite of a powdered sample, many sharp peaks, similar to a data for single crystal, were observed because of an orientation of the sample from the anisotropy of the magnetization. A numerical calculation well reproduces resonance fields for Sb(1) sites with H parallel V zz . The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by temperature 1/T 1 T shows continuous decrease with increasing magnetic field, indicating a suppression of the spin fluctuation by the field

Can iron plaque affect Sb(III) and Sb(V) uptake by plants under hydroponic conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ji, Ying; Lenz, Markus; Lenz, Markus; Schulin, Rainer; Tandy, Susan

2018-01-01

Antimony (Sb) contamination of soils is of concern due to h uman activities such as recycling of Sb containing Pb acid batteries, shooting and mining. However Sb uptake by plants is poorly documented, especially when plants are growing on waterlogged soils and iron plaques form on their roots. The

Minority-carrier transport in InGaAsSb thermophotovoltaic diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charache, G.; Martinelli, R.U.; Garbuzov, D.Z.; Lee, H.; Morris, N.; Odubanjo, T.; Connolly, J.C.

1997-05-01

Uncoated InGaAsSb/GaSb thermophotovoltaic (TPV) diodes with 0.56 eV (2.2 microm) bandgaps exhibit external quantum efficiencies of 59% at 2 microm. The devices have electron diffusion lengths as long as 29 microm in 8-microm-wide p-InGaAsSb layers and hole diffusion lengths of 3 microm in 6-microm-wide n-InGaAsSb layers. The electron and hole diffusion lengths appear to increase with increasing p- and n-layer widths. At 632.8 nm the internal quantum efficiencies of diodes with 1- to 8-microm-wide p-layers are above 89% and are independent of the p-layer width, indicating long electron diffusion lengths. InGaAsSb has, therefore, excellent minority carrier transport properties that are well suited to efficient TPV diode operation. The structures were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Effect of Sb content on the thermoelectric properties of annealed CoSb_3 thin films deposited via RF co-sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Aziz; Han, Seungwoo

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: The X-ray diffraction patterns and temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient of the annealed Co–Sb thin films. - Highlights: • CoSb_3 phase thin films were prepared using RF co sputtering method. • Thin film thermoelectric properties were hugely dependent on Sb content. • All thin films shows n-type conduction behavior at high temperatures. • The thin films with excess Sb possess the largest Seebeck coefficient. • The thin films with CoSb_2 phase possess the largest power factor. - Abstract: A series of CoSb_3 thin films with Sb contents in the range 70–79 at.% were deposited at room temperature via RF co-sputtering. The thin films were amorphous in the as-deposited state and annealed at 300 °C for 3 h to obtain crystalline samples. The annealed thin films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and these data indicate that the films exhibited good crystallinity. The XRD patterns indicate single-phase CoSb_3 thin films in the Sb-rich samples. For the Sb-deficient samples, however, mixed-phase thin films consisting of CoSb_2 and CoSb_3 components were obtained. The electrical and thermoelectric properties were measured at temperatures up to 760 K and found to be highly sensitive to the phases that were present. We observed a change in the thermoelectric properties of the films from p-type at low temperatures to n-type at high temperatures, which indicates potential applications as n-type thermoelectric thin films. A large Seebeck coefficient and power factor was obtained for the single-phase CoSb_3 thin films. The CoSb_2 phase thin films were also found to possess a significant Seebeck coefficient, which coupled with the much smaller electrical resistivity, provided a larger power factor than the single-phase CoSb_3 thin films. We report maximum power factor of 7.92 mW/m K"2 for the CoSb_2-containing mixed phase thin film and 1.26 mW/m K"2 for the stoichiometric CoSb_3 thin film.

Crystal structure and bonding characteristics of In-doped β-Zn4Sb3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Dingguo; Zhao, Wenyu; Cheng, Sudan; Wei, Ping; Yu, Jian; Zhang, Qingjie

2012-01-01

The effects of indium impurity on the crystal structure and bonding characteristics of In-doped β-Zn 4 Sb 3 were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD Rietveld refinement indicates that the indium impurity preferentially substitutes one of Sb atoms in Sb–Sb dimer at the 12c Sb(2) site and simultaneously leads to the increase of Zn occupancy. The observations of binding energy shift and a new valence state in Sb 3d core-level XPS spectra can be attributed to the charge transfer from In and Zn to Sb. As a result, more electropositive Zn atoms are needed to maintain the charge balance. The reduction of the lattice thermal conductivity is ascribed to the formation of the asymmetric Sb–In bond, resulting in much low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.49 W −1 K −1 of Zn 4 Sb 2.96 In 0.04 . - Graphical abstract: The indium impurity substitutes one of Sb atoms in Sb–Sb dimer, resulting the charge transfer from In to Sb, which leads to the binding energy of Sb 3d core level XPS spectra shift to low value. Highlights: ► The indium impurity preferentially substitutes one of Sb atoms in Sb–Sb dimer at the 12c Sb(2) site. ► The occupancy of Zn increases by the In substitution for Sb, whereas that of Sb keeps constant. ► The binding energy of Sb 3d shifts to low value. ► The charge transfer occurs from In and Zn to Sb.

Bonding in ZnSb

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerg, Lasse; Madsen, Georg K. H.; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt

Thermoelectric materials are capable of converting waste heat into usable electric energy. The conversion efficiency depends critically on the electronic band structure. Theoretical calculations predict the semiconducting ZnSb to have a promising efficiency if it is n-doped. The details of the lo......Thermoelectric materials are capable of converting waste heat into usable electric energy. The conversion efficiency depends critically on the electronic band structure. Theoretical calculations predict the semiconducting ZnSb to have a promising efficiency if it is n-doped. The details...... of the lowest conduction band have therefore been investigated. Electrons placed in the lowest conduction band are predicted to increase the bonding between second nearest neighbour atoms. This causes a lowering of the energy at special points in the first Brillouin zone. Thereby, the dispersion of the lowest...

Quaternary InGaAsSb Thermophotovoltaic Diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MW Dashiell; JF Beausang; H Ehsani; GJ Nichols; DM Depoy; LR Danielson; P Talamo; KD Rahner; EJ Brown; SR Burger; PM Foruspring; WF Topper; PF Baldasaro; CA Wang; R Huang; M Connors; G Turner; Z Shellenbarger; G Taylor; J Li; R Martinelli; D Donetski; S Anikeev; G Belenky; S Luryi

2006-01-01

In x Ga 1-x As y Sb 1-y thermophotovoltaic (TPV) diodes were grown lattice-matched to GaSb substrates by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) in the bandgap range of E G = 0.5 to 0.6eV. InGaAsSb TPV diodes, utilizing front-surface spectral control filters, are measured with thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency and power density of η TPV = 19.7% and PD =0.58 W/cm 2 respectively for a radiator temperature of T radiator = 950 C, diode temperature of T diode = 27 C, and diode bandgap of E G = 0.53eV. Practical limits to TPV energy conversion efficiency are established using measured recombination coefficients and optical properties of front surface spectral control filters, which for 0.53eV InGaAsSb TPV energy conversion is η TPV = 28% and PD = 0.85W/cm 2 at the above operating temperatures. The most severe performance limits are imposed by (1) diode open-circuit voltage (VOC) limits due to intrinsic Auger recombination and (2) parasitic photon absorption in the inactive regions of the module. Experimentally, the diode V OC is 15% below the practical limit imposed by intrinsic Auger recombination processes. Analysis of InGaAsSb diode electrical performance vs. diode architecture indicate that the V OC and thus efficiency is limited by extrinsic recombination processes such as through bulk defects

The motley family of polar compounds (MV)[M(X{sub 5-x}X Prime {sub x})] based on anionic chains of trans-connected M{sup (III)}(X,X Prime ){sub 6} octahedra (M=Bi, Sb; X, X Prime =Cl, Br, I) and methylviologen (MV) dications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leblanc, Nicolas [Laboratoire MOLTECH-Anjou, UMR-CNRS 6200, Universite d' Angers 2 Bd Lavoisier, 49045 Angers (France); Mercier, Nicolas, E-mail: nicolas.mercier@univ-angers.fr [Laboratoire MOLTECH-Anjou, UMR-CNRS 6200, Universite d' Angers 2 Bd Lavoisier, 49045 Angers (France); Allain, Magali; Toma, Oksana [Laboratoire MOLTECH-Anjou, UMR-CNRS 6200, Universite d' Angers 2 Bd Lavoisier, 49045 Angers (France); Auban-Senzier, Pascale; Pasquier, Claude [Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, UMR-CNRS 8502, Bat. 510,Universite Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay (France)

2012-11-15

The search for hybrid organic-inorganic materials remains a great challenge in the field of ferroelectrics. Following the discovery of the room temperature ferroelectric material (MV)[BiI{sub 3}Cl{sub 2}] (MV{sup 2+}: methylviologen) exhibiting the highest polarization value in the field of hybrid ferroelectrics, we report here nine new hybrids with the general formulation (MV)[M{sup (III)}X{sub 5-x}X Prime {sub x}] (M=Bi, Sb; X, X Prime =Cl, Br, I): (MV)[BiCl{sub 3.3}Br{sub 1.7}] (1), (MV)[BiCl{sub 1.3}Br{sub 3.7}] (2), (MV)[BiBr{sub 3.2}I{sub 1.8}] (3), (MV)[SbCl{sub 5}] (4), (MV)[SbBr{sub 5}] (5), (MV)[SbCl{sub 3.8}Br{sub 1.2}] (6), (MV)[SbCl{sub 2.4}Br{sub 2.6}] (7), (MV)[SbI{sub 3}Cl{sub 2}] (8) and (MV)[SbBr{sub 3.8}I{sub 1.2}] (9). Depending on the presence of polar chains or not, and on the coupling of polar chains, two types of centrosymmetrical structures [C1] and [C2] and two types of polar structures [P1] and [P2] are defined. (2) undergoes a paraelectric-to-relaxor ferroelectric transition around 100-150 K depending of the frequency showing that the Curie temperature, T{sub C}, of (MV)[BiBr{sub 5}] (243 K) can be modulated by the substitution of Br by Cl. The most interesting family is the [P2] type because the syn coupling of polar chains is in favor of high polarization values, as in (MV)[BiI{sub 3}Cl{sub 2}]. Five of the nine new hybrids, (4), (6-9), which have the [P2] type structure are potential ferroelectrics. - Graphical abstract: The methylviologen haloantimonate (MV)[SbX{sub 5-x}X Prime {sub x}] families (X, X Prime =Cl, Br, I) - [P1] and [P2] are the two kinds of polar structures - and view of the (MV)[SbBr{sub 3.8}I{sub 1.2}] hybrid based on chiral polar chains which are in syn coupling. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nine hybrids based on methylviologen and halometalate chains have been discovered. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The polar nature of chains is due to the ns{sup 2} stereoactivity of Sb{sup (III)} or Bi{sup (III

Structures and electron affinity of XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,- (X = P, As, Sb, Bi): a theoretical study of novel superhalogen formulae and exceptions of superhalogen formulae

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi-Fan; Cui, Zhong-Hua; Ding, Yi-Hong

2015-03-01

Most superhalogen species are in the form of oxides or halides. To enrich the family of superhalogen species, herein, we investigated the structures and electron affinity (EA) values of higher group 15 elements (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) oxyfluoride species XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,-, at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ //B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ levels (aug-cc-pVTZ-pp for X = Sb and Bi). Some oxyfluoride species, i.e., PO2F20,-, AsO2F20,-, SbO2F20,-, POF40,-, AsOF40,-, SbOF40,- and BiOF40,-, were found to possess higher EA (VDE: 5.0-6.2 eV; ADE: 4.5-5.5 eV) than halogens (F: 3.4 eV; Cl: 3.6 eV). Thus, we recommended that the oxyfluorides in the form of XO2F20,- and XOF40,- should be considered as potential superhalogens, which have not been considered previously. Surprisingly, we showed that BiO3 and BiO2F2, in superhalogen formulae, possess a high vertical detachment energy (VDE) yet a low adiabatic detachment energy (ADE). This is in marked contrast to the previously reported superhalogens, which generally contain both the high VDE and high ADE values. It is the first report about exceptions of superhalogen formulae. These findings revealed that for the analogous main-group compounds with the same structural formula, the difference in the metallic property of the core element could lead to the significant difference in the ground structures of either the anionic or neutral structures, which would result in the much differed superhalogen features.

Sb interactions with TaC precipitates and Cu in ion-implanted α-Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Follstaedt, D.M.; Myers, S.M.

1980-01-01

The interactions of Sb with the other species implanted into Fe to form Fe-Ta-C-Sb and Fe-Cu-Sb alloys have been examined with transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering following annealing at 873 0 K. Trapping of Sb at TaC precipitates is observed in the former alloy just as was previously observed in Fe-Ti-C-Sb. In Fe-Cu-Sb, Sb interactions are governed by the atomic ratio of Sb to Cu. For ratios between 0.2 to 0.4, the compound β-Cu 3 Sb was observed to form. For Sb to Cu ratios approx.< 0.1, fcc Cu precipitates were observed. In addition to the expected Sb dissolution in Cu, Sb trapping by Cu precipitates is also observed. The binding enthalpy of Sb at both TaC and Cu precipitates with respect to a solution site in the bcc Fe is the same as observed for TiC, approx. 0.4 eV. The constancy of the binding enthalpy at such chemically dissimilar precipitates supports the hypothesis that the trapping is due to the structural discontinuity of the precipitate-host interface. The observed Sb trapping at precipitates is of potential significance for the control of temper embrittlement in bcc steels

Sb(V reactivity with human blood components: redox effects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvana López

Full Text Available We assessed the reactivity of Sb(V in human blood. Sb(V reactivity was determined using an HPLC-HG-AFS hyphenated system. Sb(V was partially reduced to Sb(III in blood incubation experiments; however, Sb(III was a highly unstable species. The addition of 0.1 mol L(-1 EDTA prevented Sb(III oxidation, thus enabling the detection of the reduction of Sb(V to Sb(III. The transformation of Sb(V to Sb(III in human whole blood was assessed because the reduction of Sb(V in human blood may likely generate redox side effects. Our results indicate that glutathione was the reducing agent in this reaction and that Sb(V significantly decreased the GSH/GSSG ratio from 0.32 ± 0.09 to 0.07 ± 0.03. Moreover, the presence of 200 ng mL(-1 of Sb(V increased the activity of superoxide dismutase from 4.4 ± 0.1 to 7.0 ± 0.4 U mL(-1 and decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase from 62 ± 1 to 34 ± 2 nmol min(-1 mL(-1.

Phase transitions in thin films of Sn-Sb-Se system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samsudi Sakrani; Abdalla Belal Adam; Yussof Wahab

1998-01-01

The preparation and formation of covalent ternary Sn-Sb-Se system were investigated. A solid state reaction technique was employed whereby the evaporated multilayers of Sn/Se/Sb/Sn reacted chemically at a fixed temperature of 240 o C and were allowed to a room temperature slow-cooling. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that phase changes occurred in the system, with indication of amorphization for the predicted Sn 9 .3Sb 8 .1Se 4 4.9 and Sn 1 3.2Sb 4 3.4Se 4 3.4 compositions. These enabled the preliminary topological phase transitions of Sn-Sb-Se system according to the Gibb's triangle in which the areas of crystalline-amorphous were located. (Author)

Characteristics of phase transition and separation in a In-Ge-Sb-Te system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sung Jin [Institute of Physics and Applied Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Moon Hyung [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Park, Seung-Jong [Institute of Physics and Applied Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Mann-Ho, E-mail: mh.cho@yonsei.ac.kr [Institute of Physics and Applied Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Dae-Hong [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer InGeSbTe films were fabricated via co-deposition stoichiometric GST and IST targets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer As the amount of IST was increased in InGeSbTe, the value for V{sub th} and the phase transition temperature were increased. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The phase separation in InGeSbTe is caused by differences in the enthalpy change for formation and different atomic concentrations. - Abstract: In-doped GeSbTe films were deposited by ion beam sputtering deposition (IBSD) using Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} (GST) and In{sub 3}Sb{sub 1}Te{sub 2} (IST) as targets. The phase change characteristics of the resulting films were then investigated by electrical measurements, including static testing, in situ 4-point R{sub s} measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The threshold voltage of the films increased, with increasing levels of IST. This phenomenon is consistent with the increased crystallization temperature in X-ray data and in situ 4-point R{sub s} data. In addition, in In{sub 28}Ge{sub 12}Sb{sub 26}Te{sub 34}, multiple V{sub th} values with a stepwise change are observed. The minimum time for the crystallization of InGeSbTe films was shorter than that for GST. X-ray data and Raman data for the crystalline structure show that phase separation to In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} occurred in all of the InGeSbTe samples after annealing at 350 Degree-Sign C. Moreover, in the case of InGeSbTe films with high concentrations of In (28 at.%), Sb phase separation was also observed. The observed phases indicate that the origin of the phase separation of InGeSbTe films is from the enthalpy change of formation and differences in Ge-Te, In-Te, Sb-Te, In-Sb and In-In bond energies.

Optical and electrical properties of Te doped AlGaAsSb/AlAsSb Bragg mirrors on InP

OpenAIRE

Toginho Filho, D. O.; Dias, I. F. L.; Duarte, J. L.; Laureto, E.

2006-01-01

We present a comparative study carried out on the optical and electrical characteristics of undoped and Te doped AlGaAsSb/AlAsSb Bragg mirrors with 6.5 pairs of layers and bulk undoped and Te doped AlGaAsSb epilayers alloys lattice matched on InP, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, using SIMS, photoluminescence, reflectivity and IxV techniques. The temperature dependence of PL transitions observed in the Bragg mirrors are similar to that observed in bulk samples and associated with the donor an...

Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb multilayer thin films for high thermal stability and long data retention phase-change memory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Shiyu; Wu, Weihua [Functional Materials Research Laboratory, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804 (China); Zhai, Jiwei, E-mail: apzhai@tongji.edu.cn [Functional Materials Research Laboratory, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804 (China); Song, Sannian; Song, Zhitang [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Micro-system and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3} (ST) provides a fast crystallization speed, low melting temperature. • The Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb films exhibits faster crystallization speed, high thermal stability. • The calculated temperature for 10-year data retention is about 127 {sup o}C. • The Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb multilayer configuration with low power consumption. - Abstract: Phase-change memory is regard as one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation non-volatile memory. In this work, we proposed a Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb multilayer thin films to improve the thermal stability of Sb-rich Sb{sub 3}Te{sub 7}. The sheet resistance ratio between amorphous and crystalline states reached up to 4 orders of magnitude. With regard to the thermal stability, the calculated temperature for 10-year data retention is about 127 °C. The threshold current and threshold voltage of a cell based on Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb are 6.9 μA and 1.9 V, respectively. The lower RESET power is presented in the PCM cells of Sb{sub 7}Te{sub 3}/ZnSb films, benefiting from its high resistivity.

Improved structural and electrical properties in native Sb2Te3/GexSb2Te3+x van der Waals superlattices due to intermixing mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Cecchi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Superlattices made of Sb2Te3/GeTe phase change materials have demonstrated outstanding performance with respect to GeSbTe alloys in memory applications. Recently, epitaxial Sb2Te3/GeTe superlattices were found to feature GexSb2Te3+x blocks as a result of intermixing between constituting layers. Here we present the epitaxy and characterization of Sb2Te3/GexSb2Te3+x van der Waals superlattices, where GexSb2Te3+x was intentionally fabricated. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and lateral electrical transport data are reported. The intrinsic 2D nature of both sublayers is found to mitigate the intermixing in the structures, significantly improving the interface sharpness and ultimately the superlattice structural and electrical properties.

A 121Sb Moessbauer Study of the Chemical State of Antimony in V-Sb-O Mixed-Oxide Catalysts for the Ammoxidation of Propane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stievano, L.; Wagner, F. E.; Zanthoff, H. W.; Calogero, S.

2002-01-01

The structural changes of two representative samples of a group of V-Sb-oxide catalysts, a vanadium-rich and an antimony-rich specimen, are investigated by 121 Sb Moessbauer spectroscopy after treatment under propene or hydrogen at 673 K. The as-prepared catalysts contain both Sb(V) and Sb(III) as crystalline and microcrystalline α-Sb 2 O 4 and VSbO 4 , as well as an additional amorphous V 5+ oxide phase. The oxidation state of antimony does not change upon exposure to propene, whereas a partial reduction can be obtained by a more intense reduction under hydrogen. The Moessbauer results indicate that the antimony in VSbO 4 can be reduced more easily than that in α-Sb 2 O 4 , which appears to be more stable. These results are discussed in view of the observed depletion of vanadium at the surface of the catalyst particles under reaction conditions.

Effect of Sb content on the thermoelectric properties of annealed CoSb{sub 3} thin films deposited via RF co-sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Aziz, E-mail: aziz_ahmed@ust.ac.kr [Department of Nano-Mechatronics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano-Mechanics, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), 156 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Seungwoo, E-mail: swhan@kimm.re.kr [Department of Nano-Mechatronics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano-Mechanics, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), 156 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-30

Graphical abstract: The X-ray diffraction patterns and temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient of the annealed Co–Sb thin films. - Highlights: • CoSb{sub 3} phase thin films were prepared using RF co sputtering method. • Thin film thermoelectric properties were hugely dependent on Sb content. • All thin films shows n-type conduction behavior at high temperatures. • The thin films with excess Sb possess the largest Seebeck coefficient. • The thin films with CoSb{sub 2} phase possess the largest power factor. - Abstract: A series of CoSb{sub 3} thin films with Sb contents in the range 70–79 at.% were deposited at room temperature via RF co-sputtering. The thin films were amorphous in the as-deposited state and annealed at 300 °C for 3 h to obtain crystalline samples. The annealed thin films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and these data indicate that the films exhibited good crystallinity. The XRD patterns indicate single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films in the Sb-rich samples. For the Sb-deficient samples, however, mixed-phase thin films consisting of CoSb{sub 2} and CoSb{sub 3} components were obtained. The electrical and thermoelectric properties were measured at temperatures up to 760 K and found to be highly sensitive to the phases that were present. We observed a change in the thermoelectric properties of the films from p-type at low temperatures to n-type at high temperatures, which indicates potential applications as n-type thermoelectric thin films. A large Seebeck coefficient and power factor was obtained for the single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films. The CoSb{sub 2} phase thin films were also found to possess a significant Seebeck coefficient, which coupled with the much smaller electrical resistivity, provided a larger power factor than the single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films. We report maximum power factor of 7.92 mW/m K{sup 2} for the CoSb{sub 2}-containing mixed phase thin film and 1

Dislocation motion in InSb crystals under a magnetic field

CERN Document Server

Darinskaya, E V; Erofeeva, S A

2002-01-01

Dislocation displacements under the action of a permanent magnetic field without mechanical loading in differently doped InSb crystals are investigated. The dependences of the mean dislocation path length and the relative number of divergence and tightening half-loops on the magnetic induction and preliminary load are obtained. Experiments on n-InSb crystals with Te impurities and on p-InSb crystals with Ge impurities have shown a sensitivity of the magnetoplasticity to the conductivity type and the dopant content. Study of the magnetoplastic effect in the initial deformed InSb crystals shows that internal stresses decrease the lengths of divergence dislocation paths and simultaneously increase the threshold magnetic field above which the magnetoplastic effect exists. Possible reasons for the observed phenomena are discussed.

Residual carrier density in GaSb grown on Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akahane, Kouichi; Yamamoto, Naokatsu; Gozu, Shin-ichiro; Ueta, Akio; Ohtani, Naoki

2006-01-01

The relationships between the densities of residual carriers and those of dislocation in GaSb films grown on Si substrates were investigated. Dislocation density was evaluated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM images indicated that the dislocation density after a 5-μm-thick GaSb film was grown was below 1 x 10 8 /cm 2 although the density near the interface between the Si substrate and the GaSb film was about 3 x 10 9 /cm 2 . Forming a dislocation loop by growing a thick GaSb layer may decrease the dislocation density. The density and mobility of the residual carrier were investigated by Hall measurement using the van der Pauw method. The residual carriers in GaSb grown on Si substrates were holes, and their densities decreased significantly from 4.2 x 10 18 to 1.4 x 10 17 /cm 3 as GaSb thickness was increased from 500 to 5500 nm

Structural stability of ternary C22–Zr6X2Co (X=Al, Ga, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Te) and C22–Zr6Sn2T′ (T′=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colinet, Catherine; Crivello, Jean-Claude; Tedenac, Jean-Claude

2013-01-01

The crystal and electronic structures, and the thermodynamic properties of Zr 6 X 2 Co (X=Al, Ga, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Te) and Zr 6 Sn 2 T′ (T′=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) ternary compounds in the Fe 2 P-type structure have been investigated by means of first principle calculations. The calculated structural parameters are in good agreement with the experimental data. The total electronic densities of states as well as the Bader charges of the atoms have been computed. Both electronic and size effects allow to explain the stability of the ternary Zr 6 X 2 Co (X=Al, Ga, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Te) and Zr 6 Sn 2 T′ (T′=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) compounds. - Graphical abstract: Valence charge electronic localization function (ELF) calculated for Zr 6 Sb 2 Co compound. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Structural stability of Zr 6 X 2 T′ compounds (X: p element, T′: late transition metal) in the Fe 2 P-type structure. • First principles calculation of lattice parameters and enthalpies of formation. • Electronic densities of state in the series Zr 6 Sn 2 T′ (T′=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu). • Electronic densities of state in the series Zr 6 X 2 Co (X=Al, Ga, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Te)

Si-Sb-Te materials for phase change memory applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao Feng; Song Zhitang; Ren Kun; Zhou Xilin; Cheng Yan; Wu Liangcai; Liu Bo

2011-01-01

Si-Sb-Te materials including Te-rich Si 2 Sb 2 Te 6 and Si x Sb 2 Te 3 with different Si contents have been systemically studied with the aim of finding the most suitable Si-Sb-Te composition for phase change random access memory (PCRAM) use. Si x Sb 2 Te 3 shows better thermal stability than Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 or Si 2 Sb 2 Te 6 in that Si x Sb 2 Te 3 does not have serious Te separation under high annealing temperature. As Si content increases, the data retention ability of Si x Sb 2 Te 3 improves. The 10 years retention temperature for Si 3 Sb 2 Te 3 film is ∼ 393 K, which meets the long-term data storage requirements of automotive electronics. In addition, Si richer Si x Sb 2 Te 3 films also show improvement on thickness change upon annealing and adhesion on SiO 2 substrate compared to those of Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 or Si 2 Sb 2 Te 6 films. However, the electrical performance of PCRAM cells based on Si x Sb 2 Te 3 films with x > 3.5 becomes worse in terms of stable and long-term operations. Si x Sb 2 Te 3 materials with 3 < x < 3.5 are proved to be suitable for PCRAM use to ensure good overall performance.

Effects of Complex Modification by Sr–Sb on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Al–18 wt % Mg2Si–4.5Cu Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Youhong; Ma, Shaoming; Wang, Huiyuan; Chen, Lei; Gao, Ke; Ma, Yinlong; Liu, Baochang

2016-01-01

This research was carried out to investigate the influence of Sr–Sb on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Al–18 wt % Mg2Si–4.5Cu alloys. After the addition of 0.2 wt % Sr–Sb, the morphologies of primary Mg2Si transformed from equiaxed dendrite to cube in as-cast alloys and the average size of primary Mg2Si decreased from ~50 to ~20 μm. The shape of eutectic Mg2Si changed from Chinese script to short rod. After extrusion and T6 heat treatment, the ultimate tensile strength of modified alloy at room temperature (RT) and 100 °C increased respectively from 229 to 288 MPa, and from 231 to 272 MPa. The elongation-to-failure only slightly improved from 2.9% to 3.8% and from 3.3% to 3.7% at RT and 100 °C, respectively. The tensile fracture surface revealed a transition from brittle fracture to ductile fracture after modifying by 0.2 wt % Sr–Sb. PMID:28773282

Role of hydrogen in Sb film deposition and characterization of Sb and GexSby films deposited by cyclic plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using metal-organic precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung Keun; Jung, Jin Hwan; Choi, Doo Jin

2012-01-01

To meet increasing demands for chemical vapor deposition methods for high performance phase-change memory, cyclic plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of Sb and Ge x Sb y phase-change films and characterization of their properties were performed. Two cycle sequences were designed to investigate the role of hydrogen gas as a reduction gas during Sb film deposition. Hydrogen gas was not introduced into the reaction chamber during the purge step in cycle sequence A and was introduced during the purge step for cycle sequence B. The role of hydrogen gas was investigated by comparing the results obtained from these two cycle sequences and was concluded to exert an effect by a combination of precursor decomposition, surface maintenance as a hydrogen termination agent, and surface etching. These roles of hydrogen gas are discussed through consideration of changes in deposition rates, the oxygen concentration on the surface of the Sb film, and observations of film surface morphology. Based on these results, Ge x Sb y phase-change films were deposited with an adequate flow rate of hydrogen gas. The Ge and Sb composition of the film was controlled with the designed cycle sequences. A strong oxygen affinity for Ge was observed during the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of Sb 3d, Sb 4d, and Ge 3d orbitals. Based on the XPS results, the ratios of Ge to Sb were calculated to be Ge 0.32 Sb 0.68 , Ge 0.38 Sb 0.62 , Ge 0.44 Sb 0.56 , Ge 0.51 Sb 0.49 and Ge 0.67 Sb 0.33 for the G1S7, G1S3, G1S2, G1S1, and G2S1 cycles, respectively. Crystal structures of Sb, Ge, and the GeSb metastable phase were observed with various Ge x Sb y film compositions. Sb crystallinity decreased with respect to Ge crystallinity by increasing the Ge fraction. A current–voltage curve was introduced, and an electro-switching phenomenon was clearly generated at a typical voltage, V th . V th values increased in conjunction with an increased proportion of Ge. The Sb crystallinity decrease and V

Liquidus Projection and Isothermal Section of the Sb-Se-Sn System

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jui-shen; Chen, Sinn-wen

2017-12-01

Sb-Se-Sn ternary alloys are promising chalcogenide materials. The liquidus projection and 673.2 K (400 °C) isothermal section of the Sb-Se-Sn ternary system are determined. Numerous Sb-Se-Sn alloys are prepared, and their primary solidification phases are examined. In addition to the three terminal phases, (Sb), (Se) and (Sn), there are Sb2Sn3, SbSn, SnSe, SnSe2, Sb2Se3, Sn2Sb9Se9, and SnSb2Se4 phases. In addition, there are two miscibility gaps along the Sb-Se and Se-Sn and sides. There are ten invariant reactions in the Sb-Se-Sn ternary system, and seven of them are experimentally determined in this study. The lowest reaction temperature of determined invariant reaction is L + SbSn = (Sn) + SnSe at 515.4 K ± 5 K (242.2 °C ± 5 °C). There are nine tie-triangles, which are Liquid + SbSn + SnSe, SbSn + SnSe + (Sb), SnSe + (Sb) + Sn2Sb9Se9, (Sb) + Sb2Se3 + Sn2Sb9Se9, SnSe + Sn2Sb9Se9 + SnSb2Se4, Sb2Se3 + Sn2Sb9Se9 + SnSb2Se4, SnSe + SnSe2 + SnSb2Se4, SnSe2 + SnSb2Se4 + Sb2Se3, and SnSe2 + Sb2Se3 + Liquid in the 673.2 K (400 °C) isothermal section of the Sb-Se-Sn ternary system.

Gel-combustion synthesis of CoSb2O6 and its reduction to powdery Sb2Co alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MAJA JOVIC

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Sb2Co alloy in powdery form was synthesized via reduction with gaseous hydrogen of the oxide CoSb2O6, obtained by the citrate gel-combustion technique. The precursor was an aqueous solution of antimony nitrate, cobalt nitrate and citric acid. The precursor solution with mole ratio Co(II/Sb(V of 1:2 was gelatinized by evaporation of water. The gel was heated in air up to the temperature of self-ignition. The product of gel combustion was a mixture of oxides and it had to be additionally thermally treated in order to be converted to pure CoSb2O6. The reduction of CoSb2O6 by gaseous hydrogen yielded powdery Sb2Co as the sole phase. The process of oxide reduction to alloy was controlled by thermogravimetry, while X-ray diffractometry was used to control the phase compositions of both the oxides and alloys.

The Enzyme Activity and Substrate Specificity of Two Major Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), SbCAD2 and SbCAD4.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Se-Young; Walker, Alexander M; Kim, Hoon; Ralph, John; Vermerris, Wilfred; Sattler, Scott E; Kang, ChulHee

2017-08-01

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyzes the final step in monolignol biosynthesis, reducing sinapaldehyde, coniferaldehyde, and p -coumaraldehyde to their corresponding alcohols in an NADPH-dependent manner. Because of its terminal location in monolignol biosynthesis, the variation in substrate specificity and activity of CAD can result in significant changes in overall composition and amount of lignin. Our in-depth characterization of two major CAD isoforms, SbCAD2 (Brown midrib 6 [bmr6]) and SbCAD4, in lignifying tissues of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), a strategic plant for generating renewable chemicals and fuels, indicates their similarity in both structure and activity to Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) CAD5 and Populus tremuloides sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase, respectively. This first crystal structure of a monocot CAD combined with enzyme kinetic data and a catalytic model supported by site-directed mutagenesis allows full comparison with dicot CADs and elucidates the potential signature sequence for their substrate specificity and activity. The L119W/G301F-SbCAD4 double mutant displayed its substrate preference in the order coniferaldehyde > p -coumaraldehyde > sinapaldehyde, with higher catalytic efficiency than that of both wild-type SbCAD4 and SbCAD2. As SbCAD4 is the only major CAD isoform in bmr6 mutants, replacing SbCAD4 with L119W/G301F-SbCAD4 in bmr6 plants could produce a phenotype that is more amenable to biomass processing. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Intrinsic Rashba-like splitting in asymmetric Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} heterogeneous topological insulator films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaofei; Guo, Wanlin, E-mail: wlguo@nuaa.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Mechanical Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices (MOE), Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China)

2014-08-25

We show by density functional theory calculations that asymmetric hetero-stacking of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} films can modulate the topological surface states. Due to the structure inversion asymmetry, an intrinsic Rashba-like splitting of the conical surface bands is aroused. While such splitting in homogeneous Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}-class topological insulators can be realized in films with more than three quintuple layers under external electric fields, the hetero-stacking breaks the limit of thickness for preserving the topological nature into the thinnest two quintuple layers. These results indicate that the hetero-stacking can serve as an efficient strategy for spin-resolved band engineering of topological insulators.

Improved structural and electrical properties in native Sb2Te3/GexSb2Te3+x van der Waals superlattices due to intermixing mitigation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cecchi, Stefano; Zallo, Eugenio; Momand, Jamo; Wang, Ruining; Kooi, Bart J.; Verheijen, Marcel A.; Calarco, Raffaella

Superlattices made of Sb2Te3/GeTe phase change materials have demonstrated outstanding performance with respect to GeSbTe alloys in memory applications. Recently, epitaxial Sb2Te3/GeTe superlattices were found to feature GexSb2Te3+x blocks as a result of intermixing between constituting layers.

Improved structural and electrical properties in native Sb2Te3/GexSb2Te3+x van der Waals superlattices due to intermixing mitigation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cecchi, S.; Zallo, E.; Momand, J.; Wang, R.; Kooi, B.J.; Verheijen, M.A.; Calarco, R.

Superlattices made of Sb2Te3/GeTe phase change materials have demonstrated outstanding performance with respect to GeSbTe alloys in memory applications. Recently, epitaxial Sb2Te3/GeTe superlattices were found to feature GexSb2Te3+x blocks as a result of intermixing between constituting layers. Here

Effect of antimony nano-scale surface-structures on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husaini, S.; Shima, D.; Ahirwar, P.; Rotter, T. J.; Hains, C. P.; Dang, T.; Bedford, R. G.; Balakrishnan, G.

2013-01-01

Effects of antimony crystallization on the surface of GaSb during low temperature molecular beam epitaxy growth are investigated. The geometry of these structures is studied via transmission electron and atomic force microscopies, which show the surface metal forms triangular-shaped, elongated nano-wires with a structured orientation composed entirely of crystalline antimony. By depositing antimony on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector, the field is localized within the antimony layer. Polarization dependent transmission measurements are carried out on these nano-structures deposited on a GaSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector. It is shown that the antimony-based structures at the surface favor transmission of light polarized perpendicular to the wires.

Magneto-optical Kerr effect in Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yu; Yao, Bing; Richardella, Anthony; Kandala, Abhinav; Fraleigh, Robert; Lee, Joon Sue; Samarth, Nitin; Yeats, Andrew; Awschalom, David D.

2014-03-01

When a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) is interfaced with magnetism, the breaking of time reversal symmetry results in new phenomena such as the recently observed quantum anomalous Hall effect [C.-Z. Zhang et al., Science340, 167 (2013)]. Thus motivated, we use the polar-mode magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) to probe the temperature- and field-dependent magnetization in molecular beam epitaxy grown Cr-doped thin films of the 3D TI (Bi,Sb)2Te3. Square MOKE hysteresis loops observed at low temperatures indicate robust ferromagnetism with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and Curie temperature that varies from ~ 5 K to ~ 150 K, depending on sample details. A key question is the nature of the ferromagnetism: is it a carrier-mediated mechanism, Van Vleck mechanism or due to extrinsic clusters? We address this issue by varying the magnetic ion concentration and carrier density via sample composition as well as by varying the chemical potential by back gating. Finally, we use spatially-resolved MOKE to image the magnetization in these samples. Supported by ONR and DARPA.

Two-mode Diode-laser Spectroscopy with a InAsSb/InAsSbP Laser near 3.6 ćm

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Civiš, Svatopluk; Danilova, A. P.; Imenkov, A. N.; Kolchanova, N. M.; Sherstnev, V. V.; Yakovlev, Yu. P.

1999-01-01

Roč. 33, č. 12 (1999), s. 1322-1327 ISSN 1063-7826 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4040708 Institutional research plan: CEZ:A54/98:Z4-040-9-ii Keywords : output frequency of InAsSb/InAsSbP * current dependence Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 0.565, year: 1999

CRYSTAL-QUASICHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DEFECT SUBSYSTEM OF DOPED PbTe: Sb CRYSTALS AND Pb-Sb-Te SOLID SOLUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.M. Freik

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Within crystalquasichemical formalism models of point defects of crystals in the Pb-Sb-Te system were specified. Based on proposed crystalquasichemical formulae of antimony doped crystals PbTe:Sb amphoteric dopant effect was explained. Mechanisms of solid solution formation for РbТе-Sb2Те3: replacement of antimony ions lead sites  with the formation of cation vacancies  (I or neutral interstitial tellurium atoms  (II were examined. Dominant point defects in doped crystals PbTe:Sb and РbТе-Sb2Те3 solid solutions based on p-PbTe were defined. Dependences of concentration of dominant point defects, current carriers and Hall concentration on content of dopant compound and the initial deviation from stoichiometry in the basic matrix were calculated.

InAs/GaSb/AlSb composite quantum well structure preparation with help of reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hospodková, Alice; Hulicius, Eduard; Pangrác, Jiří; Dominec, Filip; Mikhailova, M. P.; Veinger, A.I.; Kochman, I.V.

2017-01-01

Roč. 464, Apr (2017), s. 206-210 ISSN 0022-0248 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2015087; GA MŠk LO1603 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : low dimensional structures * MOVPE * InAs/GaSb composite quantum wells * AlSb Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 1.751, year: 2016

Ambipolar field effect in the ternary topological insulator (BixSb1–x)2Te3 by composition tuning

KAUST Repository

Kong, Desheng

2011-10-02

Topological insulators exhibit a bulk energy gap and spin-polarized surface states that lead to unique electronic properties 1-9, with potential applications in spintronics and quantum information processing. However, transport measurements have typically been dominated by residual bulk charge carriers originating from crystal defects or environmental doping 10-12, and these mask the contribution of surface carriers to charge transport in these materials. Controlling bulk carriers in current topological insulator materials, such as the binary sesquichalcogenides Bi 2Te 3, Sb 2Te 3 and Bi 2Se 3, has been explored extensively by means of material doping 8,9,11 and electrical gating 13-16, but limited progress has been made to achieve nanostructures with low bulk conductivity for electronic device applications. Here we demonstrate that the ternary sesquichalcogenide (Bi xSb 1-x) 2Te 3 is a tunable topological insulator system. By tuning the ratio of bismuth to antimony, we are able to reduce the bulk carrier density by over two orders of magnitude, while maintaining the topological insulator properties. As a result, we observe a clear ambipolar gating effect in (Bi xSb 1-x) 2Te 3 nanoplate field-effect transistor devices, similar to that observed in graphene field-effect transistor devices 17. The manipulation of carrier type and density in topological insulator nanostructures demonstrated here paves the way for the implementation of topological insulators in nanoelectronics and spintronics. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Formation of the InAs-, InSb-, GaAs-, and GaSb-polished surface

Science.gov (United States)

Levchenko, Iryna; Tomashyk, Vasyl; Stratiychuk, Iryna; Malanych, Galyna; Korchovyi, Andrii; Kryvyi, Serhii; Kolomys, Oleksandr

2018-04-01

The features of the InAs, InSb, GaAs, and GaSb ultra-smooth surface have been investigated using chemical-mechanical polishing with the (NH4)2Cr2O7-HBr-CH2(OH)CH2(OH)-etching solutions. The etching rate of the semiconductors has been measured as a function of the solution saturation by organic solvent (ethylene glycol). It was found that mechanical effect significantly increases the etching rate from 1.5 to 57 µm/min, and the increase of the organic solvent concentration promotes the decrease of the damaged layer-removing rate. According to AFM, RS, HRXRD results, the treatment with the (NH4)2Cr2O7-HBr-ethylene glycol solutions produces the clean surface of the nanosize level (R a < 0.5 nm).

Pressure-induced phase transition and octahedral tilt system change of Ba2BiSbO6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lufaso, Michael W.; Macquart, Rene B.; Lee, Yongjae; Vogt, Thomas; Loye, Hans-Conrad zur

2006-01-01

High-resolution X-ray synchrotron powder diffraction studies under high-pressure conditions are reported for the ordered double perovskite Ba 2 BiSbO 6 . Near 4GPa, the oxide undergoes a pressure-induced phase transition. The symmetry of the material changes during the phase transition from space group R3-bar to space group I2/m, which is consistent with a change in the octahedral tilting distortion from an a - a - a - type to a 0 b - b - type using the Glazer notation. A fit of the volume-pressure data using the Birch-Murnagaham equation of state yielded a bulk modulus of 144(8)GPa for the rhombohedral phase

On possibility of superconductivity in SnSb: A first principle study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dabhi, Shweta D. [Department of Physics, M. K. Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar 364001 (India); Shrivastava, Deepika [Department of Physics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal 462026 (India); Jha, Prafulla K., E-mail: prafullaj@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, The M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara 390002 (India); Sanyal, Sankar P. [Department of Physics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal 462026 (India)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • Superconducting property of SnSb is predicted by ab-initio calculations. • Electronic properties of SnSb in RS phase shows metallic behaviour similar to SnAs. • Phonon dispersion confirms the dynamical stability of SnSb in RS phase. • Superconducting transition temperature is 3.1 K, slightly lower than that of SnAs. • Calculated thermodynamic properties are also reported. - Abstract: The electronic, phonon structure and superconducting properties of tin antimonide (SnSb) in rock-salt (RS) structure are calculated using first-principles density functional theory. The electronic band structure and density of states show metallic behavior. The phonon frequencies are positive throughout the Brillouin zone in rock-salt structure indicating its stability in that phase. Superconductivity of SnSb in RS phase is discussed in detail by calculating phonon linewidths, Eliashberg spectral function, electron-phonon coupling constant and superconducting transition temperature. SnSb is found to have a slightly lower T{sub C} (3.1 K), as compared to SnAs.

The new Zintl phases Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yi; Darone, Gregory M.; Bobev, Svilen, E-mail: bobev@udel.edu

2016-06-15

Crystals of two new Zintl compounds, Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} have been synthesized using the molten metal flux method, and their structures have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both compounds are isotypic and crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/m (No. 12, Z=4). The structures are based on edge- and corner-shared MnSb{sub 4} or CdSb{sub 4} tetrahedra, which make octameric [Mn{sub 8}Sb{sub 22}] or [Cd{sub 8}Sb{sub 22}] polyanions. Homoatomic Sb–Sb bonds are present in both structures. The Eu atoms take the role of Eu{sup 2+}cations with seven unpaired 4f electrons, as suggested by the temperature-dependent magnetization measurements. The magnetic susceptibilities of Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} indicate that both phases order anti-ferromagnetically with Néel temperatures of ca. 7 K and ca. 10 K, respectively. The unpaired 3d electrons of the Mn atoms in Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} do contribute to the magnetic response, however, the bulk magnetization measurements do not provide evidence for long-range ordering of the Mn spins down to 5 K. Electrical resistivity measurements suggest that both compounds are narrow band gap semiconductors. - Graphical abstract: Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} have complex monoclinic structures, based on MnSb{sub 4} and CdSb{sub 4} tetrahedra, both edge- and corner-shared. A perspective of the crystal structure is shown, as viewed along the b axis. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} are novel compounds in the respective ternary phase diagrams. • For both structures, the Zintl-Klemm rules are followed, and both are small gap semiconductors. • Eu{sub 21}Mn{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} and Eu{sub 21}Cd{sub 4}Sb{sub 18} are air-stable Zintl phases and could be new thermoelectric materials.

Effect of Substitutional Pb Doping on Bipolar and Lattice Thermal Conductivity in p-Type Bi0.48Sb1.52Te₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Sik; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Yoo, Joonyeon; Youn, Jehun; Roh, Jong Wook; Kim, Sang-Il; Kim, Sung Wng

2017-07-06

Cation substitutional doping is an effective approach to modifying the electronic and thermal transports in Bi₂Te₃-based thermoelectric alloys. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the electrical and thermal conductivities of polycrystalline Pb-doped p-type bulk Bi 0.48 Sb 1.52 Te₃. Pb doping significantly increased the electrical conductivity up to ~2700 S/cm at x = 0.02 in Bi 0.48-x Pb x Sb 1.52 Te₃ due to the increase in hole carrier concentration. Even though the total thermal conductivity increased as Pb was added, due to the increased hole carrier concentration, the thermal conductivity was reduced by 14-22% if the contribution of the increased hole carrier concentration was excluded. To further understand the origin of reduction in the thermal conductivity, we first estimated the contribution of bipolar conduction to thermal conductivity from a two-parabolic band model, which is an extension of the single parabolic band model. Thereafter, the contribution of additional point defect scattering caused by Pb substitution (Pb in the cation site) was analyzed using the Debye-Callaway model. We found that Pb doping significantly suppressed both the bipolar thermal conduction and lattice thermal conductivity simultaneously, while the bipolar contribution to the total thermal conductivity reduction increased at high temperatures. At Pb doping of x = 0.02, the bipolar thermal conductivity decreased by ~30% from 0.47 W/mK to 0.33 W/mK at 480 K, which accounts for 70% of the total reduction.

AgSbSe{sub 2} and AgSb(S,Se){sub 2} thin films for photovoltaic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garza, J.G. [Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon (Mexico); Shaji, S. [Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon (Mexico); Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, CIIDIT - Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon (Mexico); Rodriguez, A.C.; Das Roy, T.K. [Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon (Mexico); Krishnan, B., E-mail: kbindu_k@yahoo.com [Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon (Mexico); Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, CIIDIT - Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon (Mexico)

2011-10-01

Silver antimony selenide (AgSbSe{sub 2}) thin films were prepared by heating sequentially deposited multilayers of antimony sulphide (Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}), silver selenide (Ag{sub 2}Se), selenium (Se) and silver (Ag). Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin film was prepared from a chemical bath containing SbCl{sub 3} and Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Ag{sub 2}Se from a solution containing AgNO{sub 3} and Na{sub 2}SeSO{sub 3} and Se thin films from an acidified solution of Na{sub 2}SeSO{sub 3}, at room temperature on glass substrates. Ag thin film was deposited by thermal evaporation. The annealing temperature was 350 deg. C in vacuum (10{sup -3} Torr) for 1 h. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the thin films formed were polycrystalline AgSbSe{sub 2} or AgSb(S,Se){sub 2} depending on selenium content in the precursor films. Morphology and elemental analysis of these films were done using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Optical band gap was evaluated from the UV-visible absorption spectra of these films. Electrical characterizations were done using Hall effect and photocurrent measurements. A photovoltaic structure: glass/ITO/CdS/AgSbSe{sub 2}/Al was formed, in which CdS was deposited by chemical bath deposition. J-V characteristics of this structure showed V{sub oc} = 435 mV and J{sub sc} = 0.08 mA/cm{sup 2} under illumination using a tungsten halogen lamp. Preparation of a photovoltaic structure using AgSbSe{sub 2} as an absorber material by a non-toxic selenization process is achieved.

Sb(III) and Sb(V) separation and analytical speciation by a continuous tandem on-line separation device in connection with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menendez Garcia, A. [Oviedo Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Phys. and Anal. Chem.; Perez Rodriguez, M.C. [Oviedo Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Phys. and Anal. Chem.; Sanchez Uria, J.F. [Oviedo Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Phys. and Anal. Chem.; Sanz-Medel, A. [Oviedo Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Phys. and Anal. Chem.

1995-09-01

A sensitive, precise and automated non-chromatographic method for Sb(III) and Sb(V) analytical speciation based on a continuous tandem on-line separation device in connection with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission (ICP-AES) detection is proposed. Two on-line successive separation steps are included into this method: a continuous liquid-liquid extraction of Sb(III) with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) into methylisobuthylketone (MIBK), followed by direct stibine generation from the organic phase. Both separation steps are carried out in a continuous mode and on-line with the ICP-AES detector. Optimization of experimental conditions for the tandem separation and ICP-AES detection are investigated in detail. Detection limits for Sb(III) were 3 ng.mL{sup -1} and for Sb(V) 8 ng.mL{sup -1}. Precisions observed are in the range {+-} 5%. The proposed methodology has been applied to Sb(III) and Sb(V) speciation in sea-water samples. (orig.)

Microwave radiation absorption and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in semimetal InAs/GaSb/AlSb composite quantum wells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikhailova, M. P.; Veinger, A.I.; Kochman, I.V.; Semenikhin, P.V.; Kalinina, K.V.; Parfeniev, R.V.; Berezovets, V.A.; Safonchik, M.O.; Hospodková, Alice; Pangrác, Jiří; Zíková, Markéta; Hulicius, Eduard

2016-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 4 (2016), 1-8, č. článku 046013. ISSN 1934-2608 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-15286S; GA MŠk LO1603 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations * microwave absorption * electron-paramagnetic resonance * composite quantum wells * InAs/GaSb/AlSb * MOVPE Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.325, year: 2016

Nanoscale nuclei in phase change materials: Origin of different crystallization mechanisms of Ge2Sb2Te5 and AgInSbTe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bong-Sub; Bogle, Stephanie N.; Darmawikarta, Kristof; Abelson, John R.; Shelby, Robert M.; Retter, Charles T.; Burr, Geoffrey W.; Raoux, Simone; Bishop, Stephen G.

2014-01-01

Phase change memory devices are based on the rapid and reversible amorphous-to-crystalline transformations of phase change materials, such as Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 and AgInSbTe. Since the maximum switching speed of these devices is typically limited by crystallization speed, understanding the crystallization process is of crucial importance. While Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 and AgInSbTe show very different crystallization mechanisms from their melt-quenched states, the nanostructural origin of this difference has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we show that an amorphous state includes different sizes and number of nanoscale nuclei, after thermal treatment such as melt-quenching or furnace annealing is performed. We employ fluctuation transmission electron microscopy to detect nanoscale nuclei embedded in amorphous materials, and use a pump-probe laser technique and atomic force microscopy to study the kinetics of nucleation and growth. We confirm that melt-quenched amorphous Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 includes considerably larger and more quenched-in nuclei than its as-deposited state, while melt-quenched AgInSbTe does not, and explain this contrast by the different ratio between quenching time and nucleation time in these materials. In addition to providing insights to the crystallization process in these technologically important devices, this study presents experimental illustrations of temperature-dependence of nucleation rate and growth speed, which was predicted by theory of phase transformation but rarely demonstrated

New Insights into the Origins of Sb-Induced Effects on Self-Catalyzed GaAsSb Nanowire Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Dingding; Dheeraj, Dasa L; Jin, Chengjun; Nilsen, Julie S; Huh, Junghwan; Reinertsen, Johannes F; Munshi, A Mazid; Gustafsson, Anders; van Helvoort, Antonius T J; Weman, Helge; Fimland, Bjørn-Ove

2016-02-10

Ternary semiconductor nanowire arrays enable scalable fabrication of nano-optoelectronic devices with tunable bandgap. However, the lack of insight into the effects of the incorporation of Vy element results in lack of control on the growth of ternary III-V(1-y)Vy nanowires and hinders the development of high-performance nanowire devices based on such ternaries. Here, we report on the origins of Sb-induced effects affecting the morphology and crystal structure of self-catalyzed GaAsSb nanowire arrays. The nanowire growth by molecular beam epitaxy is changed both kinetically and thermodynamically by the introduction of Sb. An anomalous decrease of the axial growth rate with increased Sb2 flux is found to be due to both the indirect kinetic influence via the Ga adatom diffusion induced catalyst geometry evolution and the direct composition modulation. From the fundamental growth analyses and the crystal phase evolution mechanism proposed in this Letter, the phase transition/stability in catalyst-assisted ternary III-V-V nanowire growth can be well explained. Wavelength tunability with good homogeneity of the optical emission from the self-catalyzed GaAsSb nanowire arrays with high crystal phase purity is demonstrated by only adjusting the Sb2 flux.

Simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) by Fe–Mn binary oxide: Positive effects of Cd(II) on Sb(V) adsorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Ruiping [Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); Liu, Feng [Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Hu, Chengzhi, E-mail: czhu@rcees.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); He, Zan [Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Liu, Huijuan; Qu, Jiuhui [Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China)

2015-12-30

Highlights: • Fe–Mn binary oxide achieves the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V). • Cd(II) at above 0.25 mmol/L improves Sb(V) adsorption onto FMBO. • Cd(II) improves more significant Sb(V) adsorption than Ca{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 2+}. • Sb(V) adsorption decreases whereas Cd(II) adsorption increases with elevated pH. • The increased ζ-potential and Cd(II)–Sb(V) precipitation favors Sb(V) adsorption. - Abstract: The coexistence of cadmium ion (Cd(II)) and antimonate (Sb(V)) creates the need for their simultaneous removal. This study aims to investigate the effects of positively-charged Cd(II) on the removal of negative Sb(V) ions by Fe–Mn binary oxide (FMBO) and associated mechanisms. The maximum Sb(V) adsorption density (Q{sub max,Sb(V)}) increased from 1.02 to 1.32 and 2.01 mmol/g in the presence of Cd(II) at 0.25 and 0.50 mmol/L. Cd{sup 2+} exhibited a more significant positive effect than both calcium ion (Ca{sup 2+}) and manganese ion (Mn{sup 2+}). Cd{sup 2+} showed higher affinity towards FMBO and increased its ζ-potential more significantly compared to Ca{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 2+}. The simultaneous adsorption of Sb(V) and Cd(II) onto FMBO can be achieved over a wide initial pH (pH{sub i}) range from 2 to 9, and Q{sub Sb(V)} decreases whereas Q{sub Cd(II)} increases with elevated pH{sub i}. Their combined values, as expressed by Q{sub Sb(V)+Cd(II)}, amount to about 2 mmol/g and vary slightly in the pH{sub i} range 4–9. FTIR and XPS spectra indicate the significant synergistic effect of Cd(II) on Sb(V) adsorption onto FMBO, and that little chemical valence transformation occurs. These results may be valuable for the treatment of wastewater with coexisting heavy metals such as Cd(II) and Sb(V).

Two-band superlinear electroluminescence in GaSb based nanoheterostructures with AlSb/InAs.sub.1-x./sub.Sb.sub.x./sub./AlSb deep quantum well

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikhailova, M. P.; Ivanov, E.V.; Danilov, L.V.; Petukhov, A.A.; Kalinina, K.V.; Slobozhanyuk, S.I.; Zegrya, G.G.; Stoyanov, N. D.; Yakovlev, Yu. P.; Hospodková, Alice; Pangrác, Jiří; Oswald, Jiří; Zíková, Markéta; Hulicius, Eduard

2014-01-01

Roč. 115, č. 22 (2014), "223102-1"-"223102-5" ISSN 0021-8979 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-15286S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : MOVPE * GaSb * InAs * electroluminescence * quantum well Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.183, year: 2014

Thermodynamic stability studies of Ce-Sb compounds with Fe

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yi; Zhang, Jinsuo; Benson, Michael T.; Mariani, Robert D.

2018-02-01

Lanthanide fission products can migrate to the fuel periphery and react with cladding, causing fuel-cladding chemical interaction (FCCI). Adding a fuel additive dopant, such as Sb, can bind lanthanide, such as Ce, into metallic compounds and thus prevent migration. The present study focuses on the thermodynamic stability of Ce-Sb compounds when in contact with the major cladding constituent Fe by conducting diffusion couple tests. Ce-Sb compounds have shown high thermodynamic stability as they did not react with Fe. When Fe-Sb compounds contacted with Ce, Sb was separated out of Fe-Sb compounds and formed the more stable Ce-Sb compounds.

First-principles study of electronic structure of CuSbS{sub 2} and CuSbSe{sub 2} photovoltaic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeda, T., E-mail: tmaeda@ad.ryukoku.ac.jp; Wada, T.

2015-05-01

We studied the features of CuSbS{sub 2} (CAS) and CuSbSe{sub 2} (CASe), two proposed photovoltaic compounds, and clarified their electronic structures by first-principles calculations and compared them to the chalcopyrite-type CuInSe{sub 2} results. For both CAS and CASe, the calculated enthalpies of formation of the chalcostibite phases were considerably lower than those of the chalcopyrite phases. Therefore, we considered that the chalcostibite phase is more stable for CAS and CASe. In their band structure calculated with the HSE06 hybrid functional, the valence band maxima of CAS and CASe were located at the Γ-point, and the conduction band minima were located at the R-point. Their second lowest conduction band was located at the Γ-point, whose energy level nearly equaled the R-point. For CAS (CASe), the partial density of the states shows the character of the Cu 3d and S 3p (Se 4p) orbitals at the top of the valence bands and the Sb 5p and S 3p (Se 4p) orbitals at the bottom of the conduction bands. The conduction bands of CAS and CASe have a p-orbital character (Sb 5p) that differs from the s-orbital character (In 5s) of CuInSe{sub 2}. It is for the reason that CAS and CASe do not have a chalcopyrite structure but a chalcostibite-type structure. The calculated absorption coefficient of CuSbS{sub 2} (10{sup 4}-10{sup 5} cm{sup −1}) is comparable to that of CuInSe{sub 2}. - Highlights: • We studied the features of CuSbS{sub 2} and CuSbSe{sub 2}, newly proposed photovoltaic compounds. • Chalcostibite phase is more stable in CuSbS{sub 2} and CuSbSe{sub 2}. • Band structures of CuSbS{sub 2} and CuSbS{sub 2} were calculated with HSE06 hybrid functional. • Absorption coefficient of chalcostibite-type CuSbS{sub 2} is comparable to that of CuInSe{sub 2}.

Microstructure of thermoelectric (Bi0.15Sb0.85)2Te3 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildiz, Koksal; Akgul, Unal; Atici, Yusuf; Leipner, Hartmut S.

2014-01-01

The film of thermoelectric ternary p-type (Bi 0.15 Sb 0.85 ) 2 Te 3 was deposited on polyimide foil substrate at 168 C using direct-current magnetron sputtering. Microstructural investigations of the film were performed by electron microscopy techniques. SEM observations showed that the film surface consisted of large-sized particulates with small-sized particles and also mound-like crystal agglomerates in some areas. Chemical composition of the film was analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). It has been observed that the EDS results were in an agreement with nominal composition for the film. Detailed microstructural investigations were carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images and selected area electron diffraction patterns showed that the film has randomly oriented polycrystalline grain structure. High-resolution TEM images indicated that the microstructure of film also contained nano-crystal structure, smaller than 10 nm. (orig.)

Building Planner Commitment : Are California's SB 375 and Oregon's SB 1059 Models for Climate-Change Mitigation?

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

California's Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375) and the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (SB 1059) have made them the first states in the nation to try and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the transport...

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulators on GaAs (111) substrates: a potential route to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Zhaoquan; Morgan, Timothy A.; Li, Chen; Hirono, Yusuke; Hu, Xian; Hawkridge, Michael E.; Benamara, Mourad; Salamo, Gregory J. [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Fan, Dongsheng; Yu, Shuiqing [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Zhao, Yanfei [International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); Lee, Joon Sue [The Center for Nanoscale Science and Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wang, Jian [International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); The Center for Nanoscale Science and Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wang, Zhiming M. [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Engineering Research Center for Semiconductor Integrated Technology, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100083 (China)

2013-07-15

High quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulators films were epitaxially grown on GaAs (111) substrate using solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Their growth and behavior on both vicinal and non-vicinal GaAs (111) substrates were investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that non-vicinal GaAs (111) substrate is better than a vicinal substrate to provide high quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} films. Hall and magnetoresistance measurements indicate that p type Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and n type Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator films can be directly grown on a GaAs (111) substrate, which may pave a way to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction on the same substrate, compatible with the fabrication process of present semiconductor optoelectronic devices.

Electronic structure and STM imaging of the KBr-InSb interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciochoń, Piotr, E-mail: ciochon.piotr@gmail.com; Olszowska, Natalia; Kołodziej, Jacek J.

2017-07-01

Highlights: • The structure of the InSb (001) surface covered with thin KBr layers is reported. • KBr growth does not perturb strongly the structure of a clean InSb surface. • A model of the system with KBr treated as a thin dielectric layer is proposed. • The atomic structure of the KBr-InSb interface is directly imaged using STM. - Abstract: We study the properties of the InSb (001) surface covered with ultrathin KBr films, with a thickness of 1–4 ML. KBr deposition does not strongly perturb the crystallographic structure of the InSb surface and the electronic structure of the substrate also remains unaffected by the overlayer. A simple model of the studied system is proposed, in which a thin KBr layer is treated as a dielectric film, modifying potential barrier for the electrons tunneling to/from the InSb substrate. Apparent step heights on the KBr film, measured using scanning tunneling microscope (STM), agree well with the predictions of the model and the atomically-resolved STM images show the structure of the InSb-KBr interface. Our results demonstrate that STM may be used as a tool for investigations of the semiconductor–insulator interfaces.

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous solution by SnO2:Sb nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Hamdi, Abdullah M.; Sillanpää, Mika; Bora, Tanujjal; Dutta, Joydeep

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Sb doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized using sol–gel process. • Photocatalytic degradation of phenol were studies using SnO 2 :Sb nanoparticles. • Under solar light phenol was degraded within 2 h. • Phenol mineralization and intermediates were investigated by using HPLC. - Abstract: Photodegradation of phenol in the presence of tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles under UV light irradiation is known to be an effective photocatalytic process. However, phenol degradation under solar light is less effective due to the large band gap of SnO 2 . In this study antimony (Sb) doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles were prepared at a low temperature (80 °C) by a sol–gel method and studied for its photocatalytic activity with phenol as a test contaminant. The catalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous media was studied using high performance liquid chromatography and total organic carbon measurements. The change in the concentration of phenol affects the pH of the solution due to the by-products formed during the photo-oxidation of phenol. The photoactivity of SnO 2 :Sb was found to be a maximum for 0.6 wt.% Sb doped SnO 2 nanoparticles with 10 mg L −1 phenol in water. Within 2 h of photodegradation, more than 95% of phenol could be removed under solar light irradiation.

Thermodynamics of (Ga, In)-Sb-O-Si and impact on dewetting process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sylla, L. [Cyberstar, Echirolles (France); Duffar, T. [SIMaP-EPM, Saint Martin d' Heres (France)

2011-11-15

A thermodynamic study is performed for the systems (Ga or In)-Sb-O-Si in order to better understand the difference observed during dewetting experiments of GaSb and InSb in silica ampoules. Results show that the melts can be considered as non reactive toward silica. When the atmosphere is clean ({<=}1 ppm O{sub 2}), no oxide is formed, while, under oxidising atmosphere, oxides exist above the melting point of the antimonide and are known to increase the wetting angle of the melt on the crucible. However the temperature range for oxide stability is smaller in the case of InSb and this may explain why dewetting is easy for GaSb in presence of oxygen, while it is difficult for InSb. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Effect of surface treatment of thermoelectric materials on the properties of thermoelements made from solid solutions of Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alieva, T.D.; Abdinov, D.Sh.; Salaev, Eh.Yu.

1981-01-01

Effect of surface treatment technology of samples of solid solutions of Ei 2 Te 3 -Bi 2 Se 3 and Bi 2 Te 3 -Sb 2 Te 3 systems on their thermoelectric efficiency is studied. Branches of thermoelements have been produced with the help of electroerosion or mechanical cutting of monocrystal ingots of semiconducting solid Bi 2 Te 3 -base solutions. It is shown that in case of the treatment of side surfaces of branches of thermoelements produced of monocrystals of Bi 2 Te 3 base solid solutions their thermoelectrical efficiency grows considerably. Maximum growth of efficiency (approximately 20%) is observed during mechanical grinding of branches surfaces with diamond paste with the following chemical or electrochemical etching [ru

New superconductor LaRhSb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishigori, S.; Moriwaki, H.; Suzuki, T.; Fujita, T.; Tanaka, H.; Takabatake, T.; Fujii, H.

1994-01-01

Superconductivity in LaRhSb was newly found below the transition temperature T c = 2.67 K by the measurements of the electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat in magnetic fields. The characteristics of the superconductivity determined in this study indicate that LaRhSb is a type II superconductor following the BCS theory. (orig.)

Morphological Instability in InAs/GaSb Superlattices due to Interfacial Bonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, J.H.; Moss, S.C.; Stokes, D.W.; Caha, O.; Bassler, K.E.; Ammu, S.L.; Bai, J.

2005-01-01

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction is used to compare the misfit strain and composition in a self-organized nanowire array in an InAs/GaSb superlattice with InSb interfacial bonds to a planar InAs/GaSb superlattice with GaAs interfacial bonds. It is found that the morphological instability that occurs in the nanowire array results from the large misfit strain that the InSb interfacial bonds have in the nanowire array. Based on this result, we propose that tailoring the type of interfacial bonds during the epitaxial growth of III-V semiconductor films provides a novel approach for producing the technologically important morphological instability in anomalously thin layers

Influence of Ce in magnetic behaviour of CeCrSb3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inamdar, Manjusha; Thamizhavel, A.; Ramakrishnan, S.; Das, Amitabh; Prokes, Karel

2009-01-01

RCrSb 3 (R = rare earth ion) presents us a system to study magnetic interplay of d moments of Cr and f moments of rare earth ions. These compounds crystallize in orthorhombic structure, space group Pbcm. The crystal structure is highly anisotropic, with a axes being twice as long as band c. It has quasi two dimensional structure with layers of RSb and CrSb 2 stacked along a axis. Cr is surrounded by Sb ions forming face(edge) sharing octahedra along c(b) axes. The dual magnetic transitions exhibited by Cr in LaCrSb 3 , arouses interest in RCrSb 3 series. LaCrSb 3 undergoes FM transition below 123 K and on further lowering of temperature exhibits an AFM transition below 100 K with moments oriented along c axes. The AFM phase vanishes with application of small field of 1kOe. The coexistence of FM exchange along b and a axes with AFM exchange along c axis below 100 K is interesting. However, the magnetization along a axis is very small

Multilayer SnSb4-SbSe Thin Films for Phase Change Materials Possessing Ultrafast Phase Change Speed and Enhanced Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruirui; Zhou, Xiao; Zhai, Jiwei; Song, Jun; Wu, Pengzhi; Lai, Tianshu; Song, Sannian; Song, Zhitang

2017-08-16

A multilayer thin film, comprising two different phase change material (PCM) components alternatively deposited, provides an effective means to tune and leverage good properties of its components, promising a new route toward high-performance PCMs. The present study systematically investigated the SnSb 4 -SbSe multilayer thin film as a potential PCM, combining experiments and first-principles calculations, and demonstrated that these multilayer thin films exhibit good electrical resistivity, robust thermal stability, and superior phase change speed. In particular, the potential operating temperature for 10 years is shown to be 122.0 °C and the phase change speed reaches 5 ns in the device test. The good thermal stability of the multilayer thin film is shown to come from the formation of the Sb 2 Se 3 phase, whereas the fast phase change speed can be attributed to the formation of vacancies and a SbSe metastable phase. It is also demonstrated that the SbSe metastable phase contributes to further enhancing the electrical resistivity of the crystalline state and the thermal stability of the amorphous state, being vital to determining the properties of the multilayer SnSb 4 -SbSe thin film.

Role of interlayer coupling for the power factor of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2

KAUST Repository

Alsaleh, Najebah Mohammed Abdullah; Singh, Nirpendra; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2016-01-01

The electronic and transport properties of bulk and monolayer CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2 are determined by using density functional theory and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, in order to investigate the role of interlayer coupling for the thermoelectric properties. The calculated band gaps of the bulk compounds are in agreement with experiments and significantly higher than those of the monolayers, which thus show lower Seebeck coefficients. Since also the electrical conductivity is lower, the monolayers are characterized by lower power factors. Therefore, interlayer coupling is found to be essential for the excellent thermoelectric response of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2, even though it is weak.

Role of interlayer coupling for the power factor of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2

KAUST Repository

Alsaleh, Najebah Mohammed Abdullah

2017-01-08

The electronic and transport properties of bulk and monolayer CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2 are determined by using density functional theory and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, in order to investigate the role of interlayer coupling for the thermoelectric properties. The calculated band gaps of the bulk compounds are in agreement with experiments and significantly higher than those of the monolayers, which thus show lower Seebeck coefficients. Since also the electrical conductivity is lower, the monolayers are characterized by lower power factors. Therefore, interlayer coupling is found to be essential for the excellent thermoelectric response of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2, even though it is weak.

Role of interlayer coupling for the power factor of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2

KAUST Repository

Alsaleh, Najebah M.

2016-09-26

The electronic and transport properties of bulk and monolayer CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2 are determined by using density functional theory and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, in order to investigate the role of interlayer coupling for the thermoelectric properties. The calculated band gaps of the bulk compounds are in agreement with experiments and significantly higher than those of the monolayers, which thus show lower Seebeck coefficients. Since also the electrical conductivity is lower, the monolayers are characterized by lower power factors. Therefore, interlayer coupling is found to be essential for the excellent thermoelectric response of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2, even though it is weak.

InAsSb for IR detection at 12 μm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, L.R.

1989-01-01

The authors report the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth of InAsSb alloys and superlattices on InSb substrates with intervening buffer layers designed to provide a lattice match to the SLS. Efficient incorporation of As is achieved by using an As 2 (thermally cracked) source in conjunction with an Sb 2 source at growth temperature of 425-450 0 C. At these temperatures desorption of excess Sb from the surface is limited and careful control of the Sb:In ratio is required. Even though the growth temperature is quite near the melting point of the alloys involved (525-550 0 C), TEM reveals abrupt, planar interfaces in superlattices with layer thicknesses less than 150 A. Undoped InSb layers are very pure, with n(77K) -- 1 x 10 14 cm -3 and μ(77K) --280,000 cm 2 V -1 sec -1 . Doping is easily controlled up to -- 10 18 using Be and PbSe. The entire structure (buffer plus SLS) is in tension with respect to the parent substrate, leading to extensive cracking for conventional buffer layers. More complex buffers, designed to more effectively relax the material to its equilibrium lattice constant, are used to solve this cracking problem. InAsSb SLSs grown on such buffer layers are crack-free and show marked reduction in dislocation density relative to that of the buffer layer. FTIR measurements made on SLSs with different compositions and differing amounts of strain in the active regions show optical absorption that is strain-shifted to wavelengths beyond λ c for bulk alloys, with substantial absorption beyond 12 μm

Preparation and Thermoelectric Properties of Graphite/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Wenhua; Zhou, Hongyu; Mu, Xin; He, Danqi; Ji, Pengxia; Hou, Weikang; Wei, Ping; Zhu, Wanting; Nie, Xiaolei; Zhao, Wenyu

2018-06-01

Bismuth telluride zone-melting alloys are the most commercially used thermoelectric materials. However, the zone-melting ingots have weak machinability due to the strong preferred orientation. Here, non-textured graphite/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (G/BST) composites were prepared by a powder metallurgy method combined with cold-pressing and annealing treatments. The composition, microstructure, and thermoelectric properties of the G/BST composites with different mass percentages of G were investigated. It was found that G addition could effectively reduce the thermal conductivity and slightly improve the electrical properties of the BST, which resulted in a large enhancement in the figure-of-merit, ZT. The largest ZT for the xG/BST composites with x = 0.05% reached 1.05 at 320 K, which is increased by 35% as compared with that of the G-free BST materials. This work provided an effective method for preparing non-textured Bi2Te3-based TE materials with a simple process, low cost, and large potential in scale production.

Investigation on the structural stability and electronic properties of InSb nanostructures – A DFT approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Nagarajan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The realistic InSb nanostructures namely InSb nanoring, InSb nanocube, InSb nanocube-18, InSb nanosheet, InSb nanocage and InSb nanocube-27 are simulated and optimized successfully using B3LYP/LanL2DZ basis set. The stability of InSb nanostructures is studied in terms of binding energy, vibrational studies and calculated energy. The electronic properties of InSb nanostructures are discussed using ionization potential, electron affinity and HOMO–LUMO gap. Point symmetry and dipole moment of InSb nanostructures are reported. Incorporation of impurity atom in InSb nanostructures is studied using embedding energy. The present study provides the information regarding the enhanced electronic properties of InSb nanostructure which finds its potential importance in microelectronics and optoelectronic devices.

Optical and structural characterization of GaSb and Te-doped GaSb single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tirado-Mejia, L.; Villada, J.A.; Rios, M. de los; Penafiel, J.A.; Fonthal, G.; Espinosa-Arbelaez, D.G.; Ariza-Calderon, H.; Rodriguez-Garcia, M.E.

2008-01-01

Optical and structural properties of GaSb and Te-doped GaSb single crystals are reported herein. Utilizing the photoreflectance technique, the band gap energy for doped samples was obtained at 0.814 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed a peak at 0.748 eV that according to this research, belongs to electronic states of pure GaSb and not to the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon replica as has been reported by other authors. Analysis of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of X-ray diffraction, as well as micro-Raman peaks showed that the inclusion of Te decreases the crystalline quality

Laser irradiation and thermal treatment inducing selective crystallization in Sb2O3-Sb2S3 glassy films

Science.gov (United States)

Avila, L. F.; Pradel, A.; Ribeiro, S. J. L.; Messaddeq, Y.; Nalin, M.

2015-02-01

The influence of both thermal treatment and laser irradiation on the structural and optical properties of films in the Sb2O3-Sb2S3 system was investigated. The films were prepared by RF-sputtering using glass compositions as raw materials. Irreversible photodarkening effect was observed after exposure the films to a 458 nm solid state laser. It is shown, for the first time, the use of holographic technique to measure "in situ", simultaneously and independently, the phase and amplitude modulations in glassy films. The films were also photo-crystallized and analysed "in situ" using a laser coupled to a micro-Raman equipment. Results showed that Sb2S3 crystalline phase was obtained after irradiation. The effect of thermal annealing on the structure of the films was carried out. Different from the result obtained by irradiation, thermal annealing induces the crystallization of the Sb2O3 phase. Photo and thermal induced effects on films were studied using UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermal analysis (DSC), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (MEV) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).

NMR studies in the half-Heusler type compound YbPtSb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koyama, T; Abe, M; Mito, T; Ueda, K; Kohara, T [Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori, Hyogo 678-1297 (Japan); Suzuki, H S, E-mail: t-koyama@sci.u-hyogo.ac.jp [National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan)

2011-01-01

{sup 121}Sb and {sup 19B}Pt nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been studied in the half-Heusler type compound YbPtSb to obtain information on local magnetic behavior. The characteristics of the localized 4f spins are observed in the Cuire-Weiss type behavior of the Knight shifts K for both {sup 121}Sb and {sup 19B}Pt. From the slope of K-{sub {chi}} plots we estimated hyperfine coupling constants of -3.8 and -4.6 kOe/{mu}{sub B} at Sb and Pt sites, respectively. It was found that the spin-echo decay rate 1/T{sub 2} of {sup 121}Sb shows a clear peaks at 10 K. Similar tendency was also observed in case of {sup 19B}Pt. However, static properties do not show any anomalies near 10 K.

Programming biological models in Python using PySB.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Carlos F; Muhlich, Jeremy L; Bachman, John A; Sorger, Peter K

2013-01-01

Mathematical equations are fundamental to modeling biological networks, but as networks get large and revisions frequent, it becomes difficult to manage equations directly or to combine previously developed models. Multiple simultaneous efforts to create graphical standards, rule-based languages, and integrated software workbenches aim to simplify biological modeling but none fully meets the need for transparent, extensible, and reusable models. In this paper we describe PySB, an approach in which models are not only created using programs, they are programs. PySB draws on programmatic modeling concepts from little b and ProMot, the rule-based languages BioNetGen and Kappa and the growing library of Python numerical tools. Central to PySB is a library of macros encoding familiar biochemical actions such as binding, catalysis, and polymerization, making it possible to use a high-level, action-oriented vocabulary to construct detailed models. As Python programs, PySB models leverage tools and practices from the open-source software community, substantially advancing our ability to distribute and manage the work of testing biochemical hypotheses. We illustrate these ideas using new and previously published models of apoptosis.

Ternary rare-earth bismuthides RE5SiBi2 and RE5GeBi2 (RE=La-Nd, Gd-Er): Stabilization of the β-Yb5Sb3-type structure through tetrel substitution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barry, Stephen D.; Tkachuk, Andriy V.; Bie, Haiying; Blanchard, Peter E.R.; Mar, Arthur

2011-01-01

Ternary bismuthides RE 5 TtBi 2 containing rare-earth (RE=La-Nd, Gd-Er) and tetrel (Tt=Si, Ge) atoms have been prepared by arc-melting of the elements followed by annealing at 800 o C. They adopt the β-Yb 5 Sb 3 -type structure (Pearson symbol oP32, space group Pnma, Z=4), as revealed through analysis by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on Ce 5 Si 0.869(4) Bi 2.131(4) and powder X-ray diffraction on Ce 5 GeBi 2 . Cell parameters for the entire series lie in the ranges of a=12.8-11.8 A, b=9.6-9.0 A, and c=8.4-7.9 A. Solid solubility in Ce 5 Si x Bi 3-x and Pr 5 Si x Bi 3-x (approximately 0.9≤x≤1.2, depending on the RE member) is much more limited compared to the antimonides, consistent with a highly ordered structure in which the two possible anion sites are essentially segregated into a smaller one occupied by Tt atoms (CN7) and a larger one occupied by Bi atoms (CN9). Band structure calculations on La 5 SiBi 2 confirm the importance of La-La bonding interactions near the Fermi level. X-ray photoelectron spectra support the presence of partially anionic Bi atoms, as indicated by a small negative binding energy shift relative to elemental Bi. The Ce and Pr members undergo magnetic transitions at low temperatures, possibly involving ferromagnetic interactions, that are strongly influenced by the nature of the Tt atom. -- Graphical Abstract: Tetrel (Si or Ge) and Bi atoms are arranged in an ordered manner in the β-Yb 5 Sb 3 -type structure adopted by RE 5 TtBi 2 . Display Omitted

Radiation-modified structure of Ge25Sb15S60 and Ge35Sb5S60 glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavetskyy, T.; Shpotyuk, O.; Kaban, I.; Hoyer, W.

2008-01-01

Atomic structures of Ge 25 Sb 15 S 60 and Ge 35 Sb 5 S 60 glasses are investigated in the γ-irradiated and annealed after γ-irradiation states by means of high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction technique. The first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is detected at around 1.1 A -1 in the structure factors of both alloys studied. The FSDP position is found to be stable for radiation/annealing treatment of the samples, while the FSDP intensity shows some changes between γ-irradiated and annealed states. The peaks in the pair distribution functions observed between 2 and 4 A are related to the Ge-S, Ge-Sb, and Sb-Sb first neighbor correlations and Ge-Ge second neighbor correlations in the edge-shared GeS 4/2 tetrahedra, and S-S and/or Ge-Ge second neighbor correlations in the corner-shared GeS 4/2 tetrahedra. Three mechanisms of the radiation-/annealing-induced changes are discussed in the framework of coordination topological defect formation and bond-free solid angle concepts

Solvothermal synthesis of graphene-Sb2S3 composite and the degradation activity under visible light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Wenguang; Chang, Jiuli; Wu, Dapeng; Gao, Zhiyong; Duan, Xiaoli; Xu, Fang; Jiang, Kai

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Graphene-Sb 2 S 3 composites were synthesized through a facile solvothermal method. ► Hydroxyl radicals are the main species responsible for the photodegradation activity. ► Graphene-Sb 2 S 3 demonstrated dramatically improved visible light degradation activity. -- Abstract: Novel graphene-Sb 2 S 3 (G-Sb 2 S 3 ) composites were synthesized via a facile solvothermal method with graphene oxide (GO), SbCl 3 and thiourea as the reactants. GO played an important role in controlling the size and the distribution of the formed Sb 2 S 3 nanoparticles on the graphene sheets with different density. Due to the negative surface charge, smaller Sb 2 S 3 particles size and efficient electrons transfer from Sb 2 S 3 to graphene, the composites demonstrated improved photodegradation activity on rhodamine B (RhB). Among these composites, the product G-Sb 2 S 3 0.1, which was synthesized with the GO concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, exhibited the highest photodegradation activity owing to the considerable density of Sb 2 S 3 nanoparticles onto graphene sheet free of aggregation. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) derived from conduction band (CB) electrons of Sb 2 S 3 is suggested to be responsible for the photodegradation of RhB. The high visible light degradation activity and the satisfactory cycling stability made the as-prepared G-Sb 2 S 3 0.1 an applicable photocatalyst.

MOCVD growth and structural characterization of In-Sb-Te nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selmo, S.; Fanciulli, M.; Cecchi, S.; Cecchini, R.; Wiemer, C.; Longo, M.; Rotunno, E.; Lazzarini, L.

2016-01-01

In this work, the self-assembly of In 3 Sb 1 Te 2 and In-doped Sb 4 Te 1 nanowires (NWs) for phase change memories application was achieved by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, coupled with vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, catalyzed by Au nanoparticles. Single crystal In 3 Sb 1 Te 2 and In-doped Sb 4 Te 1 NWs were obtained for different reactor pressures at 325 C. The parameters influencing the NW self-assembly were studied and the compositional, morphological, and structural analysis of the grown structures was performed, also comparing the effect of the used substrate (crystalline Si and SiO 2 ). In both cases, NWs of several micrometer in length and with diameters as small as 15 nm were obtained. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structure and Chemical Bond of Thermoelectric Ce-Co-Sb Skutterudites

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

The correlations among composition,structure,chemical bond and thermoelectric property of skutterudites CoSb3 and CeCo5Fe3Sb12 have been studied by using density function and discrete variation (DFT-DVM) method.Three models for this study were proposed and calculated by which the "rattling" pattern was described.Model 1 is with Ce in the center,model 2 is with Ce away the center and near to Sb,and model 3 is also with Ce away the center but near to Fe.The calculated results show that in model 3,the ionic bond is the strongest,but the covalent bond is the weakest.Due to the different changes between ionic and covalent bond,there is less difference in the stability among the models 1,2 and 3.Therefore,these different models can exist at the same time,or can translate from one to another more easily.In other words,the "rattling" pattern has taken place.Unfilled model of CoSb3,without Ce and Fe,is called model 4.The covalent bond of Co-Sb or Fe-Sb in models 1,2 and 3 is weaker than that of Co-Sb in model 4,as some electrical cloud of Sb takes part in the covalent bond of Ce-Sb in the filled models.The result is consistent with the experimental result that the thermal conductivity of CeCo5Fe3Sb12 is lower than that of CoSb3,and the thermoelectric property of CeCo5Fe3Sb12 is superior to that of CoSb3.

Thermoelectric properties of ZnSb films grown by MOCVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatasubramanian, R; Watko, E; Colpitts, T

1997-07-01

The thermoelectric properties of ZnSb films grown by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are reported. The growth conditions necessary to obtain stoichiometric ZnSb films and the effects of various growth parameters on the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficients of the films are described. The as-grown ZnSb films are p-type. It was observed that the thicker ZnSb films offer improved carrier mobilities and lower free-carrier concentration levels. The Seebeck coefficient of ZnSb films was found to rise rapidly at approximately 160 C. The thicker films, due to the lower doping levels, indicate higher Seebeck coefficients between 25 to 200 C. A short annealing of the ZnSb film at temperatures of {approximately}200 C results in reduced free-carrier level. Thermal conductivity measurements of ZnSb films using the 3-{omega} method are also presented.

Dopant-free twinning superlattice formation in InSb and InP nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Xiaoming [School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Key Laboratory for Supermicrostructure and Ultrafast Process, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan (China); Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia); Guo, Yanan; Caroff, Philippe; Tan, Hark Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia); He, Jun [School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Key Laboratory for Supermicrostructure and Ultrafast Process, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan (China)

2017-11-15

Periodic arrangement of twin planes creates a controllable polytype that can affect both the electronic and optical properties of nanowires. The approach that is most used for inducing twinning superlattice (TSL) formation in III-V nanowires is introducing impurity dopants during growth. Here, we demonstrate that controlling the growth parameters is sufficient to produce regular twinning planes in Au-catalysed InSb and InP nanowires. Our results show that TSL formation in InSb nanowires only exists in a very narrow growth window. We suggest that growth conditions induce a high concentration of In (or Sb) in the Au droplet, which plays a similar role to that of surfactant impurities such as Zn, and increases the droplet wetting angle to yield a geometry that is favorable for TSL formation. The demonstration of TSL structure in InSb and InP nanowires by controlling the input of In (or Sb) further enhances fundamental understanding of TSL formation in III-V nanowires and allows us to tune the properties of these nanowires by crystal phase engineering. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Dopant-free twinning superlattice formation in InSb and InP nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Xiaoming; Guo, Yanan; Caroff, Philippe; Tan, Hark Hoe; Jagadish, Chennupati; He, Jun

2017-01-01

Periodic arrangement of twin planes creates a controllable polytype that can affect both the electronic and optical properties of nanowires. The approach that is most used for inducing twinning superlattice (TSL) formation in III-V nanowires is introducing impurity dopants during growth. Here, we demonstrate that controlling the growth parameters is sufficient to produce regular twinning planes in Au-catalysed InSb and InP nanowires. Our results show that TSL formation in InSb nanowires only exists in a very narrow growth window. We suggest that growth conditions induce a high concentration of In (or Sb) in the Au droplet, which plays a similar role to that of surfactant impurities such as Zn, and increases the droplet wetting angle to yield a geometry that is favorable for TSL formation. The demonstration of TSL structure in InSb and InP nanowires by controlling the input of In (or Sb) further enhances fundamental understanding of TSL formation in III-V nanowires and allows us to tune the properties of these nanowires by crystal phase engineering. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Magnetocaloric effect of Gd4(BixSb1-x)3 alloy series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu, Xuejun

1999-01-01

Alloys from the Gd 4 (Bi x Sb 1-x ) 3 series were prepared by melting a stoichiometric amounts of pure metals in an induction furnace. The crystal structure is of the anti-Th 3 P 4 type (space group Ibar 43d) for all the compounds tested. The linear increase of the lattice parameters with Bi concentration is attributed to the larger atomic radius of Bi than that of Sb. Magnetic measurements show that the alloys order ferromagnetically from 266K to 330K, with the ordering temperature increasing with decreasing Bi concentration. The alloys are soft ferromagnets below their Curie temperatures, and follow the Curie-Weiss law above their ordering temperatures. The paramagnetic effective magnetic moments are low compared to the theoretical value for a free Gd 3+ , while the ordered magnetic moments are close to the theoretical value for Gd. The alloys exhibit a moderate magnetocaloric effect (MCE) whose maxima are located between 270K and 338K and have relatively wide peaks. The peak MCE temperature decreases with decreasing Bi concentration while the peak height increases with decreasing Bi concentration. The Curie temperatures determined from inflection points of heat capacity are in good agreement with those obtained from the magnetocaloric effect. The MCE results obtained from the two different methods (magnetization and heat capacity) agree quite well with each other for all of the alloys in the series

Topological Weyl semimetals in Bi1 -xSbx alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yu-Hsin; Shi, Wujun; Felser, Claudia; Sun, Yan

2018-04-01

We investigated Weyl semimetal (WSM) phases in bismuth antimony (Bi1 -xSbx ) alloys by combination of atomic composition and arrangement. Via first-principles calculations, we found two WSM states with Sb concentrations of x =0.5 and 0.83 with specific inversion-symmetry-broken elemental arrangement. The Weyl points are close to the Fermi level in both of these two WSM states. Therefore, it is likely to obtain Weyl points in Bi-Sb alloy. The WSM phase provides a reasonable explanation for the current transport study of Bi-Sb alloy with the violation of Ohm's law [D. Shin, Y. Lee, M. Sasaki, Y. H. Jeong, F. Weickert, J. B. Betts, H.-J. Kim, K.-S. Kim, and J. Kim, Nat. Mater. 16, 1096 (2017), 10.1038/nmat4965]. This paper shows that the topological phases in Bi-Sb alloys depend on both elemental composition and their specific arrangement.

Peculiarities of magnetoresistance in InSb whiskers at cryogenic temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Druzhinin, A., E-mail: druzh@polynet.lviv.ua [Lviv Polytechnic National University, Bandera Str., 12, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); International Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, Gajowicka 95, Wroclaw (Poland); Ostrovskii, I.; Khoverko, Yu. [Lviv Polytechnic National University, Bandera Str., 12, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); International Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, Gajowicka 95, Wroclaw (Poland); Liakh-Kaguy, N.; Khytruk, I. [Lviv Polytechnic National University, Bandera Str., 12, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); Rogacki, K. [International Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, Gajowicka 95, Wroclaw (Poland)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Magnetoresistance in InSb whiskers with impurity concentration near MIT is studied. • SdH oscillations of transverse and longitudinal magnetoresistance are examined. • Mechanisms of electron scattering are determined • Main crystal parameters of InSb whiskers are determined. - Abstract: The study of the magnetoresistance in InSb whiskers with an impurity concentration in the vicinity to the metal-insulator phase transition, at low temperature range 4.2–77 K, and in fields, with induction up to 14 T, was conducted. The presence of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in both transverse and longitudinal magnetoresistance was observed. The following parameters of InSb whiskers were defined: period of oscillations 0.1 T{sup −1}, cyclotron effective mass of electrons m{sub c} ≈ 0.14m{sub o,} concentration of charge carriers 2.3 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3}, g-factor g{sup *} ≈ 30 and Dingle temperature T{sub D} = 14.5 K. To determine the nature of crystal defects, the electron scattering processes on the short-range potential, caused by interaction with polar and nonpolar optical phonons, piezoelectric and acoustic phonons, static strain centers and ionized impurities in n-InSb whiskers, with defect concentration 2.9 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3}, are considered. The temperature dependences of electron mobility in the range 4.2–500 K were calculated.

GaSb and GaSb/AlSb Superlattice Buffer Layers for High-Quality Photodiodes Grown on Commercial GaAs and Si Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez, M.; Lloret, F.; Jurczak, P.; Wu, J.; Liu, H. Y.; Araújo, D.

2018-05-01

The objective of this work is the integration of InGaAs/GaSb/GaAs heterostructures, with high indium content, on GaAs and Si commercial wafers. The design of an interfacial misfit dislocation array, either on GaAs or Si substrates, allowed growth of strain-free devices. The growth of purposely designed superlattices with their active region free of extended defects on both GaAs and Si substrates is demonstrated. Transmission electron microscopy technique is used for the structural characterization and plastic relaxation study. In the first case, on GaAs substrates, the presence of dopants was demonstrated to reduce several times the threading dislocation density through a strain-hardening mechanism avoiding dislocation interactions, while in the second case, on Si substrates, similar reduction of dislocation interactions is obtained using an AlSb/GaSb superlattice. The latter is shown to redistribute spatially the interfacial misfit dislocation array to reduce dislocation interactions.