A long-term ultrahigh temperature application of layered silicide coated Nb alloy in air

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jia; Fu, Qian-Gang; Li, Tao; Wang, Chen; Huo, Cai-Xia; Zhou, Hong; Yang, Guan-Jun; Sun, Le

2018-05-01

Nb-based alloy possessed limited application service life at ultrahigh temperature (>1400 °C) in air even taking the effective protective coating strategy into consideration for last decades. In this work a long duration of above 128 h at 1500 °C in air was successfully achieved on Nb-based alloy thanked to multi-layered silicide coating. Through optimizing interfaces, the MoSi2/NbSi2 silicide coating with Al2O3-adsorbed-particles layer exhibited three-times higher of oxidation resistance capacity than the one without it. In MoSi2-Al2O3-NbSi2 multilayer coating, the Al2O3-adsorbed-particles layer playing as an element-diffusion barrier role, as well as the formed porous Nb5Si3 layer as a stress transition zone, contributed to the significant improvement.

Study of Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping

KAUST Repository

Cai, Feiyang; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Zhang, Xixiang; Xia, Guangrui

2016-01-01

Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping was investigated by both experiments and modeling. Ge/Si1-x Ge x/Ge multi-layer structures with 0.75Ge<1, a mid-1018 to low-1019 cm−3 P doping, and a dislocation density of 108 to 109 cm−2 range were studied. The P-doped sample shows an accelerated Si-Ge interdiffusivity, which is 2–8 times of that of the undoped sample. The doping dependence of the Si-Ge interdiffusion was modelled by a Fermi-enhancement factor. The results show that the Si-Ge interdiffusion coefficient is proportional to n2/n2i for the conditions studied, which indicates that the interdiffusion in a high Ge fraction range with n-type doping is dominated by V2− defects. The Fermi-enhancement factor was shown to have a relatively weak dependence on the temperature and the Ge fraction. The results are relevant to the structure and thermal processing condition design of n-type doped Ge/Si and Ge/SiGe based devices such as Ge/Si lasers.

Study of Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping

KAUST Repository

Cai, Feiyang

2016-10-28

Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping was investigated by both experiments and modeling. Ge/Si1-x Ge x/Ge multi-layer structures with 0.75Ge<1, a mid-1018 to low-1019 cm−3 P doping, and a dislocation density of 108 to 109 cm−2 range were studied. The P-doped sample shows an accelerated Si-Ge interdiffusivity, which is 2–8 times of that of the undoped sample. The doping dependence of the Si-Ge interdiffusion was modelled by a Fermi-enhancement factor. The results show that the Si-Ge interdiffusion coefficient is proportional to n2/n2i for the conditions studied, which indicates that the interdiffusion in a high Ge fraction range with n-type doping is dominated by V2− defects. The Fermi-enhancement factor was shown to have a relatively weak dependence on the temperature and the Ge fraction. The results are relevant to the structure and thermal processing condition design of n-type doped Ge/Si and Ge/SiGe based devices such as Ge/Si lasers.

Newly synthesized MgAl2Ge2: A first-principles comparison with its silicide and carbide counterparts

Science.gov (United States)

Tanveer Karim, A. M. M.; Hadi, M. A.; Alam, M. A.; Parvin, F.; Naqib, S. H.; Islam, A. K. M. A.

2018-06-01

Using plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT), the first-principle calculations are performed to investigate the structural aspects, mechanical behaviors and electronic features of the newly synthesized CaAl2Si2-prototype intermetallic compound, MgAl2Ge2 for the first time and the results are compared with those calculated for its silicide and carbide counterparts MgAl2Si2 and MgAl2C2. The calculated lattice constants agree fairly well with their corresponding experimental values. The estimated elastic tensors satisfy the mechanical stability conditions for MgAl2Ge2 along with MgAl2Si2 and MgAl2C2. The level of elastic anisotropy increases following the sequence of X-elements Ge → Si → C. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 are expected to be ductile and damage tolerant, while MgAl2C2 is a brittle one. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 should exhibit better thermal shock resistance and low thermal conductivity and accordingly these can be used as thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials. The Debye temperature of MgAl2Ge2 is lowest among three intermetallic compounds. MgAl2Ge2 and MgAl2Si2 should exhibit metallic conductivity; while the dual characters of weak-metals and semiconductors are expected for MgAl2C2. The values of theoretical Vickers hardness for MgAl2Ge2, MgAl2Si2, and MgAl2C2 are 3.3, 2.7, and 7.7 GPa, respectively, indicating that these three intermetallics are soft and easily machinable.

Ferromagnetic properties of manganese doped iron silicide

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Reyes, Angel; Fonseca, Luis F.; Sabirianov, Renat

We report the synthesis of high quality Iron silicide (FeSi) nanowires via Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). The materials exhibits excellent magnetic response at room temperature, especially when doped with manganese showing values of 2.0 X 10-04 emu for the FexMnySi nanowires. SEM and TEM characterization indicates that the synthesized nanowires have a diameter of approximately 80nm. MFM measurements present a clear description of the magnetic domains when the nanowires are doped with manganese. Electron Diffraction and XRD measurements confirms that the nanowires are single crystal forming a simple cubic structure with space group P213. First-principle calculations were performed on (111) FeSi surface using the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP). The exchange correlations were treated under the Ceperley-Alder (CA) local density approximation (LDA). The Brillouin Zone was sampled with 8x8x1 k-point grid. A total magnetic moment of about 10 μB was obtained for three different surface configuration in which the Iron atom nearest to the surface present the higher magnetization. To study the effect of Mn doping, Fe atom was replaced for a Mn. Stronger magnetization is presented when the Mn atom is close to the surface. The exchange coupling constant have been evaluated calculating the energy difference between the ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic configurations.

In-pile test results of U-silicide or U-nitride coated U-7Mo particle dispersion fuel in Al

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, J. M.; Lee, K. H.; Yoo, B. O.; Ryu, H. J.; Ye, B.

2014-11-01

U-silicide or U-nitride coated U-Mo particle dispersion fuel in Al (U-Mo/Al) was in-pile tested to examine the effectiveness of the coating as a diffusion barrier between the U-7Mo fuel kernels and Al matrix. This paper reports the PIE data and analyses focusing on the effectiveness of the coating in terms of interaction layer (IL) growth and general fuel performance. The U-silicide coating showed considerable success, but it also provided evidence for additional improvement for coating process. The U-nitride coated specimen showed largely inefficient results in reducing IL growth. From the test, important observations were also made that can be utilized to improve U-Mo/Al fuel performance. The heating process for coating turned out to be beneficial to suppress fuel swelling. The use of larger fuel particles confirmed favorable effects on fuel performance.

In-pile test results of U-silicide or U-nitride coated U-7Mo particle dispersion fuel in Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yeon Soo, E-mail: yskim@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Park, J.M.; Lee, K.H.; Yoo, B.O. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 989-111 Daedeokdaero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-353 (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, H.J. [Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Ye, B. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

2014-11-15

U-silicide or U-nitride coated U-Mo particle dispersion fuel in Al (U-Mo/Al) was in-pile tested to examine the effectiveness of the coating as a diffusion barrier between the U-7Mo fuel kernels and Al matrix. This paper reports the PIE data and analyses focusing on the effectiveness of the coating in terms of interaction layer (IL) growth and general fuel performance. The U-silicide coating showed considerable success, but it also provided evidence for additional improvement for coating process. The U-nitride coated specimen showed largely inefficient results in reducing IL growth. From the test, important observations were also made that can be utilized to improve U-Mo/Al fuel performance. The heating process for coating turned out to be beneficial to suppress fuel swelling. The use of larger fuel particles confirmed favorable effects on fuel performance.

Enhanced B doping in CVD-grown GeSn:B using B δ-doping layers

Science.gov (United States)

Kohen, David; Vohra, Anurag; Loo, Roger; Vandervorst, Wilfried; Bhargava, Nupur; Margetis, Joe; Tolle, John

2018-02-01

Highly doped GeSn material is interesting for both electronic and optical applications. GeSn:B is a candidate for source-drain material in future Ge pMOS device because Sn adds compressive strain with respect to pure Ge, and therefore can boost the Ge channel performances. A high B concentration is required to obtain low contact resistivity between the source-drain material and the metal contact. To achieve high performance, it is therefore highly desirable to maximize both the Sn content and the B concentration. However, it has been shown than CVD-grown GeSn:B shows a trade-off between the Sn incorporation and the B concentration (increasing B doping reduces Sn incorporation). Furthermore, the highest B concentration of CVD-grown GeSn:B process reported in the literature has been limited to below 1 × 1020 cm-3. Here, we demonstrate a CVD process where B δ-doping layers are inserted in the GeSn layer. We studied the influence of the thickness between each δ-doping layers and the δ-doping layers process conditions on the crystalline quality and the doping density of the GeSn:B layers. For the same Sn content, the δ-doping process results in a 4-times higher B doping than the co-flow process. In addition, a B doping concentration of 2 × 1021 cm-3 with an active concentration of 5 × 1020 cm-3 is achieved.

Influence of iron and beryllium additions on heat resistance of silicide coatings on TsMB-30 molybdenum alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zajtseva, A.L.; Fedorchuk, N.M.; Lazarev, Eh.M.; Korotkov, N.A.

1985-01-01

Alloying of titanium modified silicide coatings on TsMB-30 molybdenum alloy with iron or beryllium is stated to improve their protective properties. Coatings with low content of alloying elements have the best protective properties. Service life of coatings is determined by the formed oxide film and phase transformations taking place in the coating

Ge nitride formation in N-doped amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, M.-C.; Lee, Y. M.; Kim, H.-D.; Kim, M. G.; Shin, H. J.; Kim, K. H.; Song, S. A.; Jeong, H. S.; Ko, C. H.; Han, M.

2007-01-01

The chemical state of N in N-doped amorphous Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (a-GST) samples with 0-14.3 N at. % doping concentrations was investigated by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HRXPS) and Ge K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). HRXPS showed negligible change in the Te 4d and Sb 4d core-level spectra. In the Ge 3d core-level spectra, a Ge nitride (GeN x ) peak developed at the binding energy of 30.2 eV and increased in intensity as the N-doping concentration increased. Generation of GeN x was confirmed by the Ge K-edge absorption spectra. These results indicate that the N atoms bonded with the Ge atoms to form GeN x , rather than bonding with the Te or Sb atoms. It has been suggested that the formation of Ge nitride results in increased resistance and phase-change temperature

Si-Ge Nano-Structured with Tungsten Silicide Inclusions

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Jon; Sehirlioglu, Alp; Dynys, Fred

2014-01-01

Traditional silicon germanium high temperature thermoelectrics have potential for improvements in figure of merit via nano-structuring with a silicide phase. A second phase of nano-sized silicides can theoretically reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity without significantly reducing the electrical conductivity. However, experimentally achieving such improvements in line with the theory is complicated by factors such as control of silicide size during sintering, dopant segregation, matrix homogeneity, and sintering kinetics. Samples are prepared using powder metallurgy techniques; including mechanochemical alloying via ball milling and spark plasma sintering for densification. In addition to microstructural development, thermal stability of thermoelectric transport properties are reported, as well as couple and device level characterization.

On the interdiffusion in multilayered silicide coatings for the vanadium-based alloy V-4Cr-4Ti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaia, N., E-mail: nabil.chaia@usp.br [Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo, Pólo Urbo-Industrial Gleba AI-6, 12602-810 Lorena, SP (Brazil); Portebois, L., E-mail: leo.portebois@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour, UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Cedex (France); Mathieu, S., E-mail: stephane.mathieu@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour, UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Cedex (France); David, N., E-mail: nicolas.david@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour, UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Cedex (France); Vilasi, M., E-mail: michel.vilasi@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour, UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, Cedex (France)

2017-02-15

To provide protection against corrosion at high temperatures, silicide diffusion coatings were developed for the V-4Cr-4Ti alloy, which can be used as the fuel cladding in next-generation sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors. The multilayered coatings were prepared by halide-activated pack cementation using MgF{sub 2} as the transport agent and pure silicon (high activity) as the master alloy. Coated pure vanadium and coated V-4Cr-4Ti alloy were studied and compared as substrates. In both cases, the growth of the silicide layers (V{sub 3}Si, V{sub 5}Si{sub 3}, V{sub 6}Si{sub 5} and VSi{sub 2}) was controlled exclusively by solid-state diffusion, and the growth kinetics followed a parabolic law. Wagner's analysis was adopted to calculate the integrated diffusion coefficients for all silicides. The estimated values of the integrated diffusion coefficients range from approximately 10{sup −9} to 10{sup −13} cm{sup 2} s{sup −1}. Then, a diffusion-based numerical approach was used to evaluate the growth and consumption of the layers when the coated substrates were exposed at critical temperatures. The estimated lifetimes of the upper VSi{sub 2} layer were 400 h and 280 h for pure vanadium and the V-4Cr-4Ti alloy, respectively. The result from the numeric simulation was in good agreement with the layer thicknesses measured after aging the coated samples at 1150 °C under vacuum. - Highlights: • The pack cementation technique is implemented to study interdiffusion in V/Si and V-4Cr-4Ti/Si couples. • Interdiffusion coefficients of vanadium silicides were experimentally determined within the range 1100–1250 °C. • For either V/Si or V-4Cr-4Ti/Si couples, the VSi{sub 2} layer has the highest growth rate. • The Cr and Ti alloying elements mainly modified the V{sub 5}Si{sub 3} and V{sub 6}Si{sub 5} growth rate. • Numerical simulation allows for a confident assessment of the VSi{sub 2} coating lifetime on V-4Cr-4Ti.

The ability of silicide coating to delay the catastrophic oxidation of vanadium under severe conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaia, N., E-mail: nabil.chaia@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour – UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex (France); Mathieu, S., E-mail: stephane.mathieu@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour – UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex (France); Rouillard, F., E-mail: fabien.rouillard@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DPC, SCCME, Laboratoire d’Etude de la Corrosion Non Aqueuse, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Vilasi, M., E-mail: michel.vilasi@univ-lorraine.fr [Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour – UMR7198, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex (France)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Oxidation protection is due to the formation of a pure silica layer. • V–4Cr–4Ti with V{sub x}Si{sub y} silicide coating withstands 400 1-h cycles (1100 °C-T{sub amb}) in air. • Three-point flexure testing at 950 °C and 75 MPa does not induce coating breakdown. • No delamination between coating and substrate is observed in any test. - Abstract: V–4Cr–4Ti vanadium alloy is a potential cladding material for sodium-cooled fast-neutron reactors (SFRs). However, its affinity for oxygen and the subsequent embrittlement that oxygen induces causes a need for an oxygen diffusion barrier, which can be obtained by manufacturing a multi-layered silicide coating. The present work aims to evaluate the effects of thermal cycling (using a cyclic oxidation device) and tensile and compressive stresses (using the three-point flexure test) on the coated alloy system. Tests were performed in air up to 1100 °C, which is 200 °C higher than the accidental temperature for SFR applications. The results showed that the VSi{sub 2} coating was able to protect the vanadium substrate from oxidation for more than 400 1-h cycles between 1100 °C and room temperature. The severe bending applied to the coated alloy at 950 °C using a load of 75 MPa did not lead to specimen breakage. It can be suggested that the VSi{sub 2} coating has mechanical properties compatible with the V–4Cr–4Ti alloy for SFR applications.

Development of Self-Healing Zirconium-Silicide Coatings for Improved Performance Zirconium-Alloy Fuel Cladding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sridharan, Kumar [University of Wisconsin-Madison; Mariani, Robert [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bai, Xianming [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Xu, Peng [Westinghouse Electric Company; Lahoda, Ed [Westinghouse Electric Company

2018-03-31

Given the long-term goal of developing such coatings for use with nuclear reactor fuel cladding, this work describes results of oxidation and corrosion behavior of bulk zirconium-silicide and fabrication of zirconium-silicide coatings on zirconium-alloy test flats, tube configurations, and SiC test flats. In addition, boiling heat transfer of these modified surfaces (including ZrSi2 coating) during clad quenching experiments is discussed in detail. Oxidation of bulk ZrSi2 was found to be negligible compared to Zircaloy-4 (a common Zr-alloy cladding material) and mechanical integrity of ZrSi2 was superior to that of bulk Zr2Si at high temperatures in ambient air. Very interesting and unique multi-nanolayered composite of ZrO2 and SiO2 were observed. Physical model for the oxidation has been proposed wherein Zr–Si–O mixture undergoes a spinodal phase decomposition into ZrO2 and SiO2, which is manifested as a nanoscale assembly of alternating layer of the two oxides. Steam corrosion at high pressure (10.3 MPa) led to weight loss of ZrSi2 and produced oxide scale with depletion of silicon, possibly attributed to volatile silicon hydroxide, gaseous silicon monoxide, and a solubility of silicon dioxide in water. Only Zircon phase (ZrSiO4) formed during oxidation of ZrSi2 at 1400°C in air, and allowed for immobilization silicon species in oxide scale in the aqueous environments. Zirconium-silicide coatings (on zirconium-alloy substrates) investigated in this study were deposited primarily using magnetron sputter deposition method and slurry method, although powder spray deposition processes cold spray and thermal spray methods were also investigated. The optimized ZrSi2 sputtered coating exhibited a highly protective nature at elevated temperatures in ambient air by mitigating oxygen permeation to the underlying zirconium alloy substrate. The high oxidation resistance of the coating has been shown to be due to nanocrystalline SiO2 and ZrSiO4 phases in the amorphous

TiSi2 integrity within a doped silicide process step

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crean, G.M.; Cole, P.D.; Stoemenos, J.

1993-01-01

Degradation of arsenic implanted titanium silicide (TiSi 2 ) thin films as a result of thermal processing for shallow junction formation is investigated. Significant arsenic diffusion from the silicide overlayer into the silicon substrate has been detected by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry at drive-in temperatures > 1,050 C. Cross-sectional transmission electron micrographs have shown the silicide film become increasingly non-uniform as the thermal budget increases, ultimately leading to discontinuities forming in the silicide film. This observed degradation of the titanium silicide film is also supported by sheet resistance measurements which show the film to degrade significantly above a threshold thermal budget

Neutron transmutation doped Ge bolometers

Science.gov (United States)

Haller, E. E.; Kreysa, E.; Palaio, N. P.; Richards, P. L.; Rodder, M.

1983-01-01

Some conclusions reached are as follow. Neutron Transmutation Doping (NTD) of high quality Ge single crystals provides perfect control of doping concentration and uniformity. The resistivity can be tailored to any given bolometer operating temperature down to 0.1 K and probably lower. The excellent uniformity is advantaged for detector array development.

Photoluminescence of phosphorus atomic layer doped Ge grown on Si

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Nien, Li-Wei; Capellini, Giovanni; Virgilio, Michele; Costina, Ioan; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Seifert, Winfried; Srinivasan, Ashwyn; Loo, Roger; Scappucci, Giordano; Sabbagh, Diego; Hesse, Anne; Murota, Junichi; Schroeder, Thomas; Tillack, Bernd

2017-10-01

Improvement of the photoluminescence (PL) of Phosphorus (P) doped Ge by P atomic layer doping (ALD) is investigated. Fifty P delta layers of 8 × 1013 cm-2 separated by 4 nm Ge spacer are selectively deposited at 300 °C on a 700 nm thick P-doped Ge buffer layer of 1.4 × 1019 cm-3 on SiO2 structured Si (100) substrate. A high P concentration region of 1.6 × 1020 cm-3 with abrupt P delta profiles is formed by the P-ALD process. Compared to the P-doped Ge buffer layer, a reduced PL intensity is observed, which might be caused by a higher density of point defects in the P delta doped Ge layer. The peak position is shifted by ˜0.1 eV towards lower energy, indicating an increased active carrier concentration in the P-delta doped Ge layer. By introducing annealing at 400 °C to 500 °C after each Ge spacer deposition, P desorption and diffusion is observed resulting in relatively uniform P profiles of ˜2 × 1019 cm-3. Increased PL intensity and red shift of the PL peak are observed due to improved crystallinity and higher active P concentration.

Radiation resistance of GeO2-doped silica core optical fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, Shuichi; Nakahara, Motohiro; Omori, Yasuharu

1985-01-01

Effects of hlogen addition to silica glass on the loss in optical fibers are examined by using halogen-free, chlorine-containing and fluorine-containing GeO 2 -doped silica core optical fibers. Measurements are made for dependence of induced loss in these optical fibers on various factors such as wavelength and total dose of gamma radiation as well as GeO 2 content. Ultraviolet absorption spectra are also observed. In addition, effects of halogens added to pure silica fibers are considered on the basis of Raman spectra of three different optical fibers (pure, F-doped, and F- and GeO 2 -codoped silica core). Thus, it is concluded that (1) addition of halogens (F and Cl) serves to decrease GeO defects and Ge(3) defects in GeO 2 -doped silica optical fibers ; (2) addition of halogens suppresses the increase in loss in GeO 2 -doped silica optical fibers induced by gamma radiation ; and (3) there are close relations between the increase in loss induced by gamma radiation and defects originally existing in the fibers. Effects of halogens added to GeO 2 -doped and pure silica optical fibers can be explained on the basis of the latter relations. (Nogami, K.)

Thermoelectric Performance of Na-Doped GeSe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shaabani, Laaya; Aminorroaya-Yamini, Sima; Byrnes, Jacob; Akbar Nezhad, Ali; Blake, Graeme R

2017-01-01

Recently, hole-doped GeSe materials have been predicted to exhibit extraordinary thermoelectric performance owing largely to extremely low thermal conductivity. However, experimental research on the thermoelectric properties of GeSe has received less attention. Here, we have synthesized

In-situ Ga doping of fully strained Ge1-xSnx heteroepitaxial layers grown on Ge(001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimura, Y.; Takeuchi, S.; Nakatsuka, O.; Vincent, B.; Gencarelli, F.; Clarysse, T.; Vandervorst, W.; Caymax, M.; Loo, R.; Jensen, A.; Petersen, D.H.; Zaima, S.

2012-01-01

We have investigated the Ga and Sn content dependence of the crystallinity and electrical properties of Ga-doped Ge 1-x Sn x layers that are heteroepitaxially grown on Ge(001) substrates. The doping of Ga to levels as high as the solubility limit of Ga at the growth temperature leads to the introduction of dislocations, due to the increase in the strain of the Ge 1-x Sn x layers. We achieved the growth of a fully strained Ge 0.922 Sn 0.078 layer on Ge with a Ga concentration of 5.5 × 10 19 /cm 3 without any dislocations and stacking faults. The resistivity of the Ga-doped Ge 1-x Sn x layer decreased as the Sn content was increased. This decrease was due to an increase in the carrier concentration, with an increase in the activation level of Ga atoms in the Ge 1-x Sn x epitaxial layers being induced by the introduction of Sn. As a result, we found that the resistivity for the Ge 0.950 Sn 0.050 layer annealed at 600°C for 1 min is 3.6 times less than that of the Ga-doped Ge/Ge sample. - Highlights: ► Heavy Ga-doping into fully strained GeSn layers without the introduction of dislocations ► The uniform Ga depth profile allowed the introduction of Sn ► The decrease in resistivity with an increase in the activation level of Ga was caused by the introduction of Sn

Room-temperature ferromagnetic Cr-doped Ge/GeOx core–shell nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Katkar, Amar S.; Gupta, Shobhnath P.; Motin Seikh, Md; Chen, Lih-Juann; Walke, Pravin S.

2018-06-01

The Cr-doped tunable thickness core–shell Ge/GeOx nanowires (NWs) were synthesized and characterized using x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and magnetization studies. The shell thickness increases with the increase in synthesis temperature. The presence of metallic Cr and Cr3+ in core–shell structure was confirmed from XPS study. The magnetic property is highly sensitive to the core–shell thickness and intriguing room temperature ferromagnetism is realized only in core–shell NWs. The magnetization decreases with an increase in shell thickness and practically ceases to exist when there is no core. These NWs show remarkably high Curie temperature (TC > 300 K) with the dominating values of its magnetic remanence (MR) and coercivity (HC) compared to germanium dilute magnetic semiconductor nanomaterials. We believe that our finding on these Cr-doped Ge/GeOX core–shell NWs has the potential to be used as a hard magnet for future spintronic devices, owing to their higher characteristic values of ferromagnetic ordering.

Antimony segregation in Ge and formation of n-type selectively doped Ge films in molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yurasov, D. V., E-mail: Inquisitor@ipm.sci-nnov.ru; Antonov, A. V.; Drozdov, M. N.; Schmagin, V. B.; Novikov, A. V. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Spirin, K. E. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation)

2015-10-14

Antimony segregation in Ge(001) films grown by molecular beam epitaxy was studied. A quantitative dependence of the Sb segregation ratio in Ge on growth temperature was revealed experimentally and modeled theoretically taking into account both the terrace-mediated and step-edge-mediated segregation mechanisms. A nearly 5-orders-of-magnitude increase in the Sb segregation ratio in a relatively small temperature range of 180–350 °C was obtained, which allowed to form Ge:Sb doped layers with abrupt boundaries and high crystalline quality using the temperature switching method that was proposed earlier for Si-based structures. This technique was employed for fabrication of different kinds of n-type Ge structures which can be useful for practical applications like heavily doped n{sup +}-Ge films or δ-doped layers. Estimation of the doping profiles sharpness yielded the values of 2–5 nm per decade for the concentration gradient at the leading edge and 2–3 nm for the full-width-half-maximum of the Ge:Sb δ-layers. Electrical characterization of grown Ge:Sb structures revealed nearly full electrical activation of Sb atoms and the two-dimensional nature of charge carrier transport in δ-layers.

Ex situ n+ doping of GeSn alloys via non-equilibrium processing

Science.gov (United States)

Prucnal, S.; Berencén, Y.; Wang, M.; Rebohle, L.; Böttger, R.; Fischer, I. A.; Augel, L.; Oehme, M.; Schulze, J.; Voelskow, M.; Helm, M.; Skorupa, W.; Zhou, S.

2018-06-01

Full integration of Ge-based alloys like GeSn with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor technology would require the fabrication of p- and n-type doped regions for both planar and tri-dimensional device architectures which is challenging using in situ doping techniques. In this work, we report on the influence of ex situ doping on the structural, electrical and optical properties of GeSn alloys. n-type doping is realized by P implantation into GeSn alloy layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) followed by flash lamp annealing. We show that effective carrier concentration of up to 1 × 1019 cm‑3 can be achieved without affecting the Sn distribution. Sn segregation at the surface accompanied with an Sn diffusion towards the crystalline/amorphous GeSn interface is found at P fluences higher than 3 × 1015 cm‑2 and electron concentration of about 4 × 1019 cm‑3. The optical and structural properties of ion-implanted GeSn layers are comparable with the in situ doped MBE grown layers.

Development of silicide coating over molybdenum based refractory alloy and its characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborty, S.P.; Banerjee, S.; Sharma, I.G.; Suri, A.K.

2010-01-01

Molybdenum based refractory alloys are potential candidate materials for structural applications in high temperature compact nuclear reactors and fusion reactors. However, these alloys being highly susceptible to oxidation in air or oxygen at elevated temperature, undergoes severe losses from highly volatile molybdenum trioxide species. Present investigation, therefore, examines the feasibility of development of silicide type of coating over molybdenum base TZM alloy shape (Mo > 99 wt.%) using pack cementation coating technique. TZM alloy was synthesized in this laboratory from oxide intermediates of MoO 2 , TiO 2 and ZrO 2 in presence of requisite amount of carbon, by alumino-thermic reduction smelting technique. The arc melted and homogenized samples of TZM alloy substrate was then embedded in the chosen and intimately mixed pack composition consisting of inert matrix (Al 2 O 3 ), coating powder (Si) and activator (NH 4 Cl) taken in the judicious proportion. The sealed charge packs contained in an alumina crucible were heated at temperatures of 1000 o C for 8-16 h heating cycle to develop the coating. The coating phase was confirmed to be of made of MoSi 2 by XRD analysis. The morphology of the coating was studied by SEM characterization. It had revealed that the coating was diffusion bonded where Si from coating diffused inward and Mo from TZM substrate diffused outward to form the coating. The coating was found to be resistant to oxidation when tested in air up to 1200 o C. A maximum 100 μm of coating thickness was achieved on each side of the substrate.

Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A. [Department of Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Razis, A. F. Abdull [Food Safety Research Centre, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Laboratory of UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Alawiah, A. [Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, 75450 Malacca (Malaysia); Bradley, D. A. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-04-24

Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%.

Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A.; Razis, A. F. Abdull; Alawiah, A.; Bradley, D. A.

2015-01-01

Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%

Oxidation behavior of niobium aluminide intermetallics protected by aluminide and silicide diffusion coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.; Soboyejo, W.; Rapp, R.A.

1999-01-01

The isothermal and cyclic oxidation behavior of a new class of damage-tolerant niobium aluminide (Nb 3 Al-xTi-yCr) intermetallics is studied between 650 C and 850 C. Protective diffusion coatings were deposited by pack cementation to achieve the siliciding or aluminizing of substrates with or without intervening Mo or Ni layers, respectively. The compositions and microstructures of the resulting coatings and oxidized surfaces were characterized. The isothermal and cyclic oxidation kinetics indicate that uncoated Nb-40Ti-15Al-based intermetallics may be used up to ∼750 C. Alloying with Cr improves the isothermal oxidation resistance between 650 C and 850 C. The most significant improvement in oxidation resistance is achieved by the aluminization of electroplated Ni interlayers. The results suggest that the high-temperature limit of niobium aluminide-based alloys may be increased to 800 C to 850 C by aluminide-based diffusion coatings on ductile Ni interlayers. Indentation fracture experiments also indicate that the ductile nickel interlayers are resistant to crack propagation in multilayered aluminide-based coatings

Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

KAUST Repository

Mantey, J.; Hsu, W.; James, J.; Onyegam, E. U.; Guchhait, S.; Banerjee, S. K.

2013-01-01

Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm

Impacts of doping on epitaxial germanium thin film quality and Si-Ge interdiffusion

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Guangnan

2018-04-03

Ge-on-Si structures with three different dopants (P, As and B) and those without intentional doping were grown, annealed and characterized by several different material characterization methods. All samples have a smooth surface (roughness < 1.5 nm), and the Ge films are almost entirely relaxed. B doped Ge films have threading dislocations above 1 × 10 cm, while P and As doping can reduce the threading dislocation density to be less than 10 cm without annealing. The interdiffusion of Si and Ge of different films have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. A quantitative model of Si-Ge interdiffusion under extrinsic conditions across the full x range was established including the dislocationmediated diffusion. The Kirkendall effect has been observed. The results are of technical significance for the structure, doping, and process design of Ge-on-Si based devices, especially for photonic applications.

Impacts of doping on epitaxial germanium thin film quality and Si-Ge interdiffusion

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Guangnan; Lee, Kwang Hong; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Xixiang; Tan, Chuan Seng; Xia, Guangrui

2018-01-01

Ge-on-Si structures with three different dopants (P, As and B) and those without intentional doping were grown, annealed and characterized by several different material characterization methods. All samples have a smooth surface (roughness < 1.5 nm), and the Ge films are almost entirely relaxed. B doped Ge films have threading dislocations above 1 × 10 cm, while P and As doping can reduce the threading dislocation density to be less than 10 cm without annealing. The interdiffusion of Si and Ge of different films have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. A quantitative model of Si-Ge interdiffusion under extrinsic conditions across the full x range was established including the dislocationmediated diffusion. The Kirkendall effect has been observed. The results are of technical significance for the structure, doping, and process design of Ge-on-Si based devices, especially for photonic applications.

Silicon-germanium and platinum silicide nanostructures for silicon based photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Storozhevykh, M. S.; Dubkov, V. P.; Arapkina, L. V.; Chizh, K. V.; Mironov, S. A.; Chapnin, V. A.; Yuryev, V. A.

2017-05-01

This paper reports a study of two types of silicon based nanostructures prospective for applications in photonics. The first ones are Ge/Si(001) structures forming at room temperature and reconstructing after annealing at 600°C. Germanium, being deposited from a molecular beam at room temperature on the Si(001) surface, forms a thin granular film composed of Ge particles with sizes of a few nanometers. A characteristic feature of these films is that they demonstrate signs of the 2 x 1 structure in their RHEED patterns. After short-term annealing at 600°C under the closed system conditions, the granular films reconstruct to heterostructures consisting of a Ge wetting layer and oval clusters of Ge. A mixed type c(4x2) + p(2x2) reconstruction typical to the low-temperature MBE (Tgr Ge. The other type of the studied nanostructures is based on Pt silicides. This class of materials is one of the friendliest to silicon technology. But as silicide film thickness reaches a few nanometers, low resistivity becomes of primary importance. Pt3Si has the lowest sheet resistance among the Pt silicides. However, the development of a process of thin Pt3Si films formation is a challenging task. This paper describes formation of a thin Pt3Si/Pt2Si structures at room temperature on poly-Si films. Special attention is paid upon formation of poly-Si and amorphous Si films on Si3N4 substrates at low temperatures.

Bimetallic low thermal-expansion panels of Co-base and silicide-coated Nb-base alloys for high-temperature structural applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhein, R.K.; Novak, M.D.; Levi, C.G.; Pollock, T.M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Low net thermal expansion bimetallic structural lattice constructed. → Temperatures on the order of 1000 deg. C reached. → Improved silicide coating for niobium alloy developed. - Abstract: The fabrication and high temperature performance of low thermal expansion bimetallic lattices composed of Co-base and Nb-base alloys have been investigated. A 2D sheet lattice with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than the constituent materials of construction was designed for thermal cycling to 1000 deg. C with the use of elastic-plastic finite element analyses. The low CTE lattice consisted of a continuous network of the Nb-base alloy C-103 with inserts of high CTE Co-base alloy Haynes 188. A new coating approach wherein submicron alumina particles were incorporated into (Nb, Cr, Fe) silicide coatings was employed for oxidation protection of the Nb-base alloy. Thermal gravimetric analysis results indicate that the addition of submicron alumina particles reduced the oxidative mass gain by a factor of four during thermal cycling, increasing lifetime. Bimetallic cells with net expansion of 6 x 10 -6 /deg. C and 1 x 10 -6 /deg. C at 1000 deg. C were demonstrated and their measured thermal expansion characteristics were consistent with analytical models and finite element analysis predictions.

Characterization of Ge-doped optical fibres for MV radiotherapy dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noor, Noramaliza M.; Hussein, M.; Kadni, T.; Bradley, D.A.; Nisbet, A.

2014-01-01

Ge-doped optical fibres offer promising thermoluminescence (TL) properties together with small physical size and modest cost. Their use as dosimeters for postal radiotherapy dose audits of megavoltage photon beams has been investigated. Key dosimetric characteristics including reproducibility, linearity, dose rate, temperature and angular dependence have been established. A methodology of measuring absorbed dose under reference conditions was developed. The Ge-doped optical fibres offer linearity between TL yield and dose, with a reproducibility of better than 5%, following repeated measurements (n=5) for doses from 5 cGy to 1000 cGy. The fibres also offer dose rate, angular and temperature independence, while an energy-dependent response of 7% was found over the energy range 6 MV to 15 MV (TPR 20,10 of 0.660, 0.723 and 0.774 for 6, 10 and 15 MV respectively). The audit methodology has been developed with an expanded uncertainty of 4.22% at 95% confidence interval for the photon beams studied. - Highlights: • We investigate dosimetric characteristics of commercial Ge-doped optical fibres. • We develop audit methodology for measuring absorbed dose under reference conditions. • Ge-doped optical fibres offer promising thermoluminescence (TL) properties. • Audit methodology has been developed with an expanded uncertainty of 4.22%

Thermoelectric properties of Cu/Ag doped type-III Ba24Ge100 clathrates

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jiefei; Su, Xianli; Yan, Yonggao; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Zhengkai; She, Xiaoyu; Uher, Ctirad; Tang, Xinfeng

2017-09-01

Type-III Ba24Ge100 clathrates possess low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity at room temperature and, as such, have a great potential as thermoelectric materials for power generation. However, the Seebeck coefficient is very low due to the intrinsically high carrier concentration. In this paper, a series of Ba24CuxGe100-x and Ba24AgyGe100-y specimens were prepared by vacuum melting combined with the subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. Doping Cu or Ag on the Ge site not only suppresses the concentration of electrons but it also decreases the thermal conductivity. In addition, the carrier mobility and the Seebeck coefficient increase due to the decrease in the carrier concentration. Thus, the power factor is greatly improved, leading to an improvement in the dimensionless figure of merit ZT. Cu-doped Ba24Cu6Ge94 reaches the maximum ZT value of about 0.17 at 873 K, while Ag-doped Ba24Ag6Ge94 attains the dimensionless figure of merit ZT of 0.31 at 873 K, more than 2 times higher value compared to un-doped Ba24Ge100.

Atomic scale insight into the amorphous structure of Cu doped GeTe phase-change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Linchuan; Sa, Baisheng; Zhou, Jian; Sun, Zhimei; Song, Zhitang

2014-01-01

GeTe shows promising application as a recording material for phase-change nonvolatile memory due to its fast crystallization speed and extraordinary amorphous stability. To further improve the performance of GeTe, various transition metals, such as copper, have been doped in GeTe in recent works. However, the effect of the doped transition metals on the stability of amorphous GeTe is not known. Here, we shed light on this problem for the system of Cu doped GeTe by means of ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Our results show that the doped Cu atoms tend to agglomerate in amorphous GeTe. Further, base on analyzing the pair correlation functions, coordination numbers and bond angle distributions, remarkable changes in the local structure of amorphous GeTe induced by Cu are obviously seen. The present work may provide some clues for understanding the effect of early transition metals on the local structure of amorphous phase-change compounds, and hence should be helpful for optimizing the structure and performance of phase-change materials by doping transition metals.

Laser annealed in-situ P-doped Ge for on-chip laser source applications (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Ashwyn; Pantouvaki, Marianna; Shimura, Yosuke; Porret, Clement; Van Deun, Rik; Loo, Roger; Van Thourhout, Dries; Van Campenhout, Joris

2016-05-01

Realization of a monolithically integrated on-chip laser source remains the holy-grail of Silicon Photonics. Germanium (Ge) is a promising semiconductor for lasing applications when highly doped with Phosphorous (P) and or alloyed with Sn [1, 2]. P doping makes Ge a pseudo-direct band gap material and the emitted wavelengths are compatible with fiber-optic communication applications. However, in-situ P doping with Ge2H6 precursor allows a maximum active P concentration of 6×1019 cm-3 [3]. Even with such active P levels, n++ Ge is still an indirect band gap material and could result in very high threshold current densities. In this work, we demonstrate P-doped Ge layers with active n-type doping beyond 1020 cm-3, grown using Ge2H6 and PH3 and subsequently laser annealed, targeting power-efficient on-chip laser sources. The use of Ge2H6 precursors during the growth of P-doped Ge increases the active P concentration level to a record fully activated concentration of 1.3×1020 cm-3 when laser annealed with a fluence of 1.2 J/cm2. The material stack consisted of 200 nm thick P-doped Ge grown on an annealed 1 µm Ge buffer on Si. Ge:P epitaxy was performed with PH3 and Ge2H6 at 320oC. Low temperature growth enable Ge:P epitaxy far from thermodynamic equilibrium, resulting in an enhanced incorporation of P atoms [3]. At such high active P concentration, the n++ Ge layer is expected to be a pseudo-direct band gap material. The photoluminescence (PL) intensities for layers with highest active P concentration show an enhancement of 18× when compared to undoped Ge grown on Si as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The layers were optically pumped with a 640 nm laser and an incident intensity of 410 mW/cm2. The PL was measured with a NIR spectrometer with a Hamamatsu R5509-72 NIR photomultiplier tube detector whose detectivity drops at 1620 nm. Due to high active P concentration, we expect band gap narrowing phenomena to push the PL peak to wavelengths beyond the detection limit

Electronic structure of O-doped SiGe calculated by DFT + U method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zong-Yan; Yang, Wen; Yang, Pei-Zhi

2016-12-01

To more in depth understand the doping effects of oxygen on SiGe alloys, both the micro-structure and properties of O-doped SiGe (including: bulk, (001) surface, and (110) surface) are calculated by DFT + U method in the present work. The calculated results are as follows. (i) The (110) surface is the main exposing surface of SiGe, in which O impurity prefers to occupy the surface vacancy sites. (ii) For O interstitial doping on SiGe (110) surface, the existences of energy states caused by O doping in the band gap not only enhance the infrared light absorption, but also improve the behaviors of photo-generated carriers. (iii) The finding about decreased surface work function of O-doped SiGe (110) surface can confirm previous experimental observations. (iv) In all cases, O doing mainly induces the electronic structures near the band gap to vary, but is not directly involved in these variations. Therefore, these findings in the present work not only can provide further explanation and analysis for the corresponding underlying mechanism for some of the experimental findings reported in the literature, but also conduce to the development of μc-SiGe-based solar cells in the future. Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (Grant No. 2015FB123), the 18th Yunnan Province Young Academic and Technical Leaders Reserve Talent Project, China (Grant No. 2015HB015), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1037604).

Charge storage characteristics and tunneling mechanism of amorphous Ge-doped HfO{sub x} films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, X.Y.; Zhang, S.Y.; Zhang, T.; Wang, R.X.; Li, L.T.; Zhang, Y. [Southwest University, School of Physical Science and Technology, Chongqing (China); Dai, J.Y. [The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Physics, Hong Kong (China)

2016-09-15

Amorphous Ge-doped HfO{sub x} films have been deposited on p-Si(100) substrates by means of RF magnetron sputtering. Microstructural investigations reveal the partial oxidation of doped Ge atoms in the amorphous HfO{sub x} matrix and the existence of HfSiO{sub x} interfacial layer. Capacitance-voltage hysteresis of the Ag-/Ge-doped HfO{sub x}/Si/Ag memory capacitor exhibits a memory window of 3.15 V which can maintain for >5 x 10{sup 4} cycles. Current-voltage characteristics reveal that Poole-Frenkel tunneling is responsible for electron transport in the Ge-doped HfO{sub x} film. (orig.)

Undoped and in-situ B doped GeSn epitaxial growth on Ge by atmospheric pressure-chemical vapor deposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vincent, B.; Gencarelli, F.; Bender, H.

2011-01-01

In this letter, we propose an atmospheric pressure-chemical vapor deposition technique to grow metastable GeSn epitaxial layers on Ge. We report the growth of defect free fully strained undoped and in-situ B doped GeSn layers on Ge substrates with Sit contents up to 8%. Those metastable layers stay...

Electron irradiation response on Ge and Al-doped SiO 2 optical fibres

Science.gov (United States)

Yaakob, N. H.; Wagiran, H.; Hossain, I.; Ramli, A. T.; Bradley, D. A.; Hashim, S.; Ali, H.

2011-05-01

This paper describes the thermoluminescence response, sensitivity, stability and reproducibility of SiO 2 optical fibres with various electron energies and doses. The TL materials that comprise Al- and Ge-doped silica fibres were used in this experiment. The TL results are compared with those of the commercially available TLD-100. The doped SiO 2 optical fibres and TLD-100 are placed in a solid phantom and irradiated with 6, 9 and 12 MeV electron beams at doses ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 Gy using the LINAC at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was found that the commercially available Al- and Ge-doped optical fibres have a linear dose-TL signal relationship. The intensity of TL response of Ge-doped fibre is markedly greater than that of the Al-doped fibre.

Electron irradiation response on Ge and Al-doped SiO2 optical fibres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaakob, N.H.; Wagiran, H.; Hossain, I.; Ramli, A.T.; Bradley, D.A; Hashim, S.; Ali, H.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the thermoluminescence response, sensitivity, stability and reproducibility of SiO 2 optical fibres with various electron energies and doses. The TL materials that comprise Al- and Ge-doped silica fibres were used in this experiment. The TL results are compared with those of the commercially available TLD-100. The doped SiO 2 optical fibres and TLD-100 are placed in a solid phantom and irradiated with 6, 9 and 12 MeV electron beams at doses ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 Gy using the LINAC at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was found that the commercially available Al- and Ge-doped optical fibres have a linear dose-TL signal relationship. The intensity of TL response of Ge-doped fibre is markedly greater than that of the Al-doped fibre.

Reduced-pressure chemical vapor deposition of boron-doped Si and Ge layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogumilowicz, Y.; Hartmann, J.M.

2014-01-01

We have studied the in-situ boron (B) doping of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) in Reduced Pressure-Chemical Vapor Deposition. Three growth temperatures have been investigated for the B-doping of Ge: 400, 600 and 750 °C at a constant growth pressure of 13300 Pa (i.e. 100 Torr). The B concentration in the Ge:B epilayer increases linearly with the diborane concentration in the gaseous phase. Single-crystalline Ge:B layers with B concentrations in-between 9 ∙ 10 17 and 1 ∙ 10 20 cm −3 were achieved. For the in-situ B doping of Si at 850 °C, two dichlorosilane mass flow ratios (MFR) have been assessed: F[SiH 2 Cl 2 ]/F[H 2 ] = 0.0025 and F[SiH 2 Cl 2 ]/F[H 2 ] = 0.0113 at a growth pressure of 2660 Pa (i.e. 20 Torr). Linear boron incorporation with the diborane concentration in the gas phase has been observed and doping levels in-between 3.5 ∙ 10 17 and 1 ∙ 10 20 cm −3 were achieved. We almost kept the same ratio of B versus Si atoms in the gas phase and in the Si epilayer. By contrast, roughly half of the B atoms present in the gas phase were incorporated in the Ge:B layers irrespective of the growth temperature. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) allowed us to extract from the angular position of the Ge:B layer diffraction peak the substitutional B concentration. Values close to the B concentrations obtained by 4-probe resistivity measurements were obtained. Ge:B layers were smooth (< 1 m root mean square roughness associated with 20 × 20 μm 2 Atomic Force Microscopy images). Only for high F[B 2 H 6 ]/F[GeH 4 ] MFR (3.2 10 −3 ) did the Ge:B layers became rough; they were however still mono-crystalline (XRD). Above this MFR value, Ge:B layers became polycrystalline. - Highlights: • Boron doping of germanium and silicon in Reduced Pressure-Chemical Vapor Deposition • Linear boron incorporation in Ge:B and Si:B with the diborane flow • Single-crystal Ge:B layers with B concentrations in-between 9 ∙ 10 17 and 1 ∙ 10 20 cm −3 • Single-crystal Si

Ge{sup 4+} doped TiO{sub 2} for stoichiometric degradation of warfare agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stengl, Vaclav, E-mail: stengl@iic.cas.cz [Department of Solid State Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR v.v.i., 250 68 Rez (Czech Republic); Grygar, Tomas Matys [Department of Solid State Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR v.v.i., 250 68 Rez (Czech Republic); Oplustil, Frantisek; Nemec, Tomas [Military Technical Institute of Protection Brno, Veslarska 230, 628 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

2012-08-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We prepared nanodisperse Ge{sup 4+} doped titania by a novel synthesis method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis does not involve organic solvents, organometallics nor thermal processes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The prepared materials are efficient in removal of chemical warfare agents. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ge{sup 4+} doping improves rate of removal of soman and agent VX by TiO{sub 2}. - Abstract: Germanium doped TiO{sub 2} was prepared by homogeneous hydrolysis of aqueous solutions of GeCl{sub 4} and TiOSO{sub 4} with urea. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, EDS analysis, specific surface area (BET) and porosity determination (BJH). Ge{sup 4+} doping increases surface area and content of amorphous phase in prepared samples. These oxides were used in an experimental evaluation of their reactivity with chemical warfare agent, sulphur mustard, soman and agent VX. Ge{sup 4+} doping worsens sulphur mustard degradation and improves soman and agent VX degradation. The best degree of removal (degradation), 100% of soman, 99% of agent VX and 95% of sulphur mustard, is achieved with sample with 2 wt.% of germanium.

Formation of Cr-modified silicide coatings on a Ti-Nb-Si based ultrahigh-temperature alloy by pack cementation process

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Yanqiang; Guo, Xiping

2010-10-01

Cr-modified silicide coatings were prepared on a Ti-Nb-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy by Si-Cr co-deposition at 1250 °C, 1350 °C and 1400 °C for 5-20 h respectively. It was found that both coating structure and phase constituents changed significantly with increase in the co-deposition temperature and holding time. The outer layers in all coatings prepared at 1250 °C for 5-20 h consisted of (Ti,X) 5Si 3 (X represents Nb, Cr and Hf elements). (Ti,X) 5Si 4 was found as the only phase constituent in the intermediate layers in both coatings prepared at 1250 °C for 5 and 10 h, but the intermediate layers in the coatings prepared at 1250 °C for 15 and 20 h were mainly composed of (Ti,X) 5Si 3 phase that was derived from the decomposition of (Ti,X) 5Si 4 phase. In the coating prepared at 1350 °C for 5 h, single (Ti,X) 5Si 3 phase was found in its outmost layer, the same as that in the outer layers in the coatings prepared at 1250 °C; but in the coatings prepared at 1350 °C for 10-20 h, (Nb 1.95Cr 1.05)Cr 2Si 3 ternary phase was found in the outmost layers besides (Ti,X) 5Si 3 phase. In the coatings prepared at 1400 °C for 5-20 h, (Nb 1.95Cr 1.05)Cr 2Si 3 ternary phase was the single phase constituent in their outmost layers. The phase transformation (Ti,X) 5Si 4 → (Ti,X) 5Si 3 + Si occurred in the intermediate layers of the coatings prepared at 1350 and 1400 °C with prolonging co-deposition time, similar to the situation in the coatings prepared at 1250 °C for 15 and 20 h, but this transformation has been speeded up by increase in the co-deposition temperature. The transitional layers were mainly composed of (Ti,X) 5Si 3 phase in all coatings. The influence of co-deposition temperature on the diffusion ability of Cr atoms was greater than that of Si atoms in the Si-Cr co-deposition processes investigated. The growth of coatings obeyed inverse logarithmic laws at all three co-deposition temperatures. The Si-Cr co-deposition coating prepared at 1350 �

Evaluation of steam corrosion and water quenching behavior of zirconium-silicide coated LWR fuel claddings

Science.gov (United States)

Yeom, Hwasung; Lockhart, Cody; Mariani, Robert; Xu, Peng; Corradini, Michael; Sridharan, Kumar

2018-02-01

This study investigates steam corrosion of bulk ZrSi2, pure Si, and zirconium-silicide coatings as well as water quenching behavior of ZrSi2 coatings to evaluate its feasibility as a potential accident-tolerant fuel cladding coating material in light water nuclear reactor. The ZrSi2 coating and Zr2Si-ZrSi2 coating were deposited on Zircaloy-4 flats, SiC flats, and cylindrical Zircaloy-4 rodlets using magnetron sputter deposition. Bulk ZrSi2 and pure Si samples showed weight loss after the corrosion test in pure steam at 400 °C and 10.3 MPa for 72 h. Silicon depletion on the ZrSi2 surface during the steam test was related to the surface recession observed in the silicon samples. ZrSi2 coating (∼3.9 μm) pre-oxidized in 700 °C air prevented substrate oxidation but thin porous ZrO2 formed on the coating. The only condition which achieved complete silicon immobilization in the oxide scale in aqueous environments was the formation of ZrSiO4 via ZrSi2 coating oxidation in 1400 °C air. In addition, ZrSi2 coatings were beneficial in enhancing quenching heat transfer - the minimum film boiling temperature increased by 6-8% in the three different environmental conditions tested. During repeated thermal cycles (water quenching from 700 °C to 85 °C for 20 s) performed as a part of quench tests, no spallation and cracking was observed and the coating prevented oxidation of the underlying Zircaloy-4 substrate.

Stress-Induced Crystallization of Ge-Doped Sb Phase-Change Thin Films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eising, Gert; Pauza, Andrew; Kooi, Bart J.

The large effects of moderate stresses on the crystal growth rate in Ge-doped Sb phase-change thin films are demonstrated using direct optical imaging. For Ge6Sb94 and Ge7Sb93 phase-change films, a large increase in crystallization temperature is found when using a polycarbonate substrate instead of

Electron irradiation response on Ge and Al-doped SiO{sub 2} optical fibres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yaakob, N.H.; Wagiran, H. [Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim (Malaysia); Hossain, I., E-mail: imamhossain@utm.m [Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim (Malaysia); Ramli, A.T. [Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim (Malaysia); Bradley, D.A [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Hashim, S. [Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim (Malaysia); Ali, H. [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Darul Takzim (Malaysia)

2011-05-01

This paper describes the thermoluminescence response, sensitivity, stability and reproducibility of SiO{sub 2} optical fibres with various electron energies and doses. The TL materials that comprise Al- and Ge-doped silica fibres were used in this experiment. The TL results are compared with those of the commercially available TLD-100. The doped SiO{sub 2} optical fibres and TLD-100 are placed in a solid phantom and irradiated with 6, 9 and 12 MeV electron beams at doses ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 Gy using the LINAC at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was found that the commercially available Al- and Ge-doped optical fibres have a linear dose-TL signal relationship. The intensity of TL response of Ge-doped fibre is markedly greater than that of the Al-doped fibre.

Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

KAUST Repository

Mantey, J.

2013-01-01

Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm are possible by growing pure Ge on a thin Ge:C buffer. It is shown that this stack yields exceedingly low roughness levels (comparable to bulk Si wafers) and contains fewer defects and higher Hall mobility compared to traditional heteroepitaxial Ge. The addition of C at the interface helps reduce strain by its smaller atomic radius and its ability to pin defects within the thin buffer layer that do not thread to the top Ge layer. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Thermoluminescence characteristics of Ge-doped optical fibers with different dimensions for radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, Mahfuza; Rahman, A.K.M. Mizanur; Abdul-Rashid, H.A.; Yusoff, Z.; Begum, Mahbuba; Mat-Sharif, K.A.; Amin, Y.M.; Bradley, D.A.

2015-01-01

Important thermoluminescence (TL) properties of five (5) different core sizes Ge-doped optical fibers have been studied to develop new TL material with better response. These are drawn from same preform applying different speed and tension during drawing phase to produce Ge-doped optical fibers with five (5) different core sizes. The results of the investigations are also compared with most commonly used standard TLD-100 chips (LiF:Mg,Ti) and commercial multimode Ge-doped optical fiber (Yangtze Optical Fiber, China). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and EDX analysis of the fibers are also performed to map Ge distribution across the deposited region. Standard Gamma radiation source in Secondary Standard Dosimetry Lab (SSDL) was used for irradiation covering dose range from 1 Gy to 10 Gy. The essential dosimetric parameters that have been studied are TL linearity, reproducibility and fading. Prior to irradiation all samples ∼0.5 cm length are annealed at temperature of 400 °C for 1 h period to standardize their sensitivities and background. Standard TLD-100 chips are also annealed for 1 h at 400 °C and subsequently 2 h at 100 °C to yield the highest sensitivity. TL responses of these fibers show linearity over a wide gamma radiation dose that is an important property for radiation dosimetry. Among all fibers used in this study, 100 μm core diameter fiber provides highest response that is 2.6 times than that of smallest core (20 μm core) optical fiber. These fiber-samples demonstrate better response than commercial multi-mode optical fiber and also provide low degree of fading about 20% over a period of fifteen days for gamma radiation. Effective atomic number (Z eff ) is found in the range (13.25–13.69) which is higher than soft tissue (7.5) however within the range of human-bone (11.6–13.8). All the fibers can also be re-used several times as a detector after annealing. TL properties of the Ge-doped optical fibers indicate promising applications in

Formation of Cr-modified silicide coatings on a Ti-Nb-Si based ultrahigh-temperature alloy by pack cementation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiao Yanqiang [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072 (China); Guo Xiping, E-mail: xpguo@nwpu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072 (China)

2010-10-01

Cr-modified silicide coatings were prepared on a Ti-Nb-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy by Si-Cr co-deposition at 1250 deg. C, 1350 deg. C and 1400 deg. C for 5-20 h respectively. It was found that both coating structure and phase constituents changed significantly with increase in the co-deposition temperature and holding time. The outer layers in all coatings prepared at 1250 deg. C for 5-20 h consisted of (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} (X represents Nb, Cr and Hf elements). (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 4} was found as the only phase constituent in the intermediate layers in both coatings prepared at 1250 deg. C for 5 and 10 h, but the intermediate layers in the coatings prepared at 1250 deg. C for 15 and 20 h were mainly composed of (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} phase that was derived from the decomposition of (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 4} phase. In the coating prepared at 1350 deg. C for 5 h, single (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} phase was found in its outmost layer, the same as that in the outer layers in the coatings prepared at 1250 deg. C; but in the coatings prepared at 1350 deg. C for 10-20 h, (Nb{sub 1.95}Cr{sub 1.05})Cr{sub 2}Si{sub 3} ternary phase was found in the outmost layers besides (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} phase. In the coatings prepared at 1400 deg. C for 5-20 h, (Nb{sub 1.95}Cr{sub 1.05})Cr{sub 2}Si{sub 3} ternary phase was the single phase constituent in their outmost layers. The phase transformation (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 4} {yields} (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} + Si occurred in the intermediate layers of the coatings prepared at 1350 and 1400 deg. C with prolonging co-deposition time, similar to the situation in the coatings prepared at 1250 deg. C for 15 and 20 h, but this transformation has been speeded up by increase in the co-deposition temperature. The transitional layers were mainly composed of (Ti,X){sub 5}Si{sub 3} phase in all coatings. The influence of co-deposition temperature on the diffusion ability of Cr atoms was greater than that of Si atoms in the Si-Cr co

A study of strontium doped calcium phosphate coatings on AZ31

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Satish S.; Roy, Abhijit; Lee, Boeun E.; Ohodnicki, John; Loghmanian, Autrine; Banerjee, Ipsita; Kumta, Prashant N.

2014-01-01

Calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings have been studied to tailor the uncontrolled non-uniform corrosion of Mg based alloys while simultaneously enhancing bioactivity. The use of immersion techniques to deposit CaP coatings is attractive due to the ability of the approach to coat complex structures. In the current study, AZ31 substrates were subjected to various pretreatment conditions prior to depositing Sr 2+ doped and undoped CaP coatings. It was hypothesized that the bioactivity and corrosion protection of CaP coatings could be improved by doping with Sr 2+ . Heat treatment to elevated temperatures resulted in the diffusion of alloying elements, Mg and Zn, into the pretreated layer. Sr 2+ doped and undoped CaP coatings formed on the pretreated substrates consisted of biphasic mixtures of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA). Electrochemical corrosion experiments indicated that the extent of Sr 2+ doping and pretreatment both influenced the corrosion protection. Cytotoxicity was evaluated with MC3T3-E1 mouse preosteoblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). For both cell types, proliferation decreased upon increasing the Sr 2+ concentration. However, both osteogenic gene and protein expression significantly increased upon increasing Sr 2+ concentration. These results suggest that Sr 2+ doped coatings are capable of promoting osteogenic differentiation on degradable Mg alloys, while also enhancing corrosion protection, in comparison to undoped CaP coatings

Elevated transition temperature in Ge doped VO2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Krammer, Anna; Magrez, Arnaud; Vitale, Wolfgang A.; Mocny, Piotr; Jeanneret, Patrick; Guibert, Edouard; Whitlow, Harry J.; Ionescu, Adrian M.; Schüler, Andreas

2017-07-01

Thermochromic GexV1-xO2+y thin films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. The films were then characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), four-point probe electrical resistivity measurements, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. From the temperature dependent resistivity measurements, the effect of Ge doping on the semiconductor-to-metal phase transition in vanadium oxide thin films was investigated. The transition temperature was shown to increase significantly upon Ge doping (˜95 °C), while the hysteresis width and resistivity contrast gradually decreased. The precise Ge concentration and the film thickness have been determined by RBS. The crystallinity of phase-pure VO2 monoclinic films was confirmed by XRD. These findings make the use of vanadium dioxide thin films in solar and electronic device applications—where higher critical temperatures than 68 °C of pristine VO2 are needed—a viable and promising solution.

Damage resistance of AR-coated germanium surfaces for nanosecond CO2 laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newnam, B.E.; Gill, D.H.

1977-01-01

An evaluation of the state-of-the-art of AR coatings on gallium-doped germanium, used as a saturable absorber at 10.6 μm, has been conducted. Both 1-on-1 and N-on-1 laser damage thresholds were measured with 1.2 ns pulses on bare and coated surfaces. Only front surface damage was observed. With few exceptions, the thresholds for coated surfaces were centered at 0.49 +- 0.3 J/cm 2 . Bare Ge had a threshold ranging from 0.65 to 0.70 J/cm 2 . No significant differences due to substrate polish, crystallinity or doping level were evident and multiple-shot conditioning resulted in the same threshold as for single shot tests. From an analysis of standing-wave electric fields, damage for AR-coated Ge appeared to be limited by the surface properties of Ge. Measurements at both 1.2 and 70 ns indicated that the threshold (J/cm 2 ) of both coated and uncoated Ge increases as the square root of the pulse-width

Study of Sn and Mg doping effects on TiO2/Ge stack structure by combinatorial synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Nagata, Takahiro; Suzuki, Yoshihisa; Yamashita, Yoshiyuki; Ogura, Atsushi; Chikyow, Toyohiro

2018-04-01

The effects of Sn and Mg doping of a TiO2 film on a Ge substrate were investigated to improve leakage current properties and Ge diffusion into the TiO2 film. For systematic analysis, dopant-composition-spread TiO2 samples with dopant concentrations of up to 20.0 at. % were fabricated by RF sputtering and a combinatorial method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the instability of Mg doping of TiO2 at dopant concentrations above 10.5 at. %. Both Sn and Mg dopants reduced Ge diffusion into TiO2. Sn doping enhanced the crystallization of the rutile phase, which is a high-dielectric-constant phase, although the Mg-doped TiO2 film indicated an amorphous structure. Sn-doping indicated systematic leakage current reduction with increasing dopant concentration. Doping at Sn concentrations higher than 16.8 at. % improved the leakage properties (˜10-7 A/cm2 at -3.0 V) and capacitance-voltage properties of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) operation. The Sn doping of TiO2 may be useful for interface control and as a dielectric material for Ge-based MIS capacitors.

The thermoluminescence response of Ge-doped flat fibre for proton beam measurements: A preliminary study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, M F; Fadzil, M S Ahmad; Noor, N Mohd; Abdul Rahman, W N Wan; Tominaga, T; Geso, M; Akasaka, H; Bradley, D A

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the thermoluminescence (TL) response of fabricated 2.3 mol% and 6.0 mol% germanium (Ge) doped flat optical fibres to proton irradiation. The fundamental dosimetric characteristics of the fibres have been investigated including dose linearity, reproducibility and fading. The thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used as a reference dosimeter to allow the relative response of the fibres. The results show that Ge-doped flat fibres offer excellent dose linearity over the dose range from 1 Gy up to 10 Gy with correlation of determination (R 2 ) of 0.99. The fibres also demonstrated good reproducibility within the standard deviation (SD) of 0.86% to 6.41%. After 96 days post-irradiation, TLD-100 chips gave rise to the least loss in TL signal at around 18% followed by fabricated 2.3 mol% Ge-doped flat fibres about 24%. This preliminary study has demonstrated that the proposed fabricated Ge-doped flat fibre offers a promising potential for use in proton beam measurements. (paper)

One-step preparation and photocatalytic performance of vanadium doped TiO2 coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilić, R.; Stojadinović, S.; Radić, N.; Stefanov, P.; Dohčević-Mitrović, Z.; Grbić, B.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we have investigated one-step preparation of vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of titanium in electrolyte containing 10 g/L Na 3 PO 4 ·12H 2 O + 0.5 g/L NH 4 VO 3 . The morphology, phase structure, and elemental composition of the formed coatings were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) was employed to evaluate the band gap energy of obtained coatings. Vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings are partly crystallized and mainly composed of anatase phase TiO 2 , with up to about 2 wt% of vanadium present in the surface layer of the oxide. The valence band photoelectron spectra and UV–Vis DRS showed that vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings exhibit notable red shift with respect to the pure TiO 2 coatings. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange under simulated sunlight conditions. Photocatalytic activity of vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings increases with PEO time. Prolonged PEO times result in higher roughness of obtained coatings, thus increasing surface area available for methyl orange degradation. Vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings obtained after 180 s of PEO time exhibit the best photocatalytic activity and about 67% of methyl orange is degraded after 12 h of irradiation under simulated sunlight. - Highlights: • One-step preparation of V-doped TiO 2 coatings in 10 g/L Na 3 PO 4 ·12H 2 O + 0.5 g/L NH 4 VO 3 . • Properties of obtained coatings strongly depend on microdischarge characteristics. • Band gap of V-doped TiO 2 coatings is shifted towards red side of the spectrum. • V-doped TiO 2 coatings have better photocatalytic activity than pure TiO 2 . • After 12 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, 67% of methyl orange was decomposed

The composition dependence of magnetic, electronic and optical properties of Mn-doped SixGe1-x nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jianglin; Lan, Mu; Zhang, Xi; Xiang, Gang

2017-07-01

Mn-doped SixGe1-x nanowires (NWs) with different Ge concentrations have been studied by first-principles calculations. It is found that the spin dependent energy bands of the NWs show rich variations both in bandgap width and type (from indirect to direct) as the Ge concentration changes. The Mn-doped SixGe1-x NWs exhibit half-metallic characteristics for all Ge concentrations, and the ground states of the NWs are found to be ferromagnetic (FM). The net magnetization mapping and spin density of states calculations reveal that Mn 3d electrons have a strong hybridization effect with nearest Ge 4p electrons, which results in the Ge’s nontrivial contribution to the magnetic moment of the NWs. Further magnon dispersion studies show that the magnetic order stability of the NWs is influenced by Ge concentrations. Finally, the dependence of the optical properties of the magnetic NWs on the Ge concentration is demonstrated. Our results suggest that Mn-doped SixGe1-x NWs may be useful in spintronic and optoelectronic devices.

Simulation of hole-mobility in doped relaxed and strained Ge layers

Science.gov (United States)

Watling, Jeremy R.; Riddet, Craig; Chan, Morgan Kah H.; Asenov, Asen

2010-11-01

As silicon based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are reaching the limits of their performance with scaling, alternative channel materials are being considered to maintain performance in future complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology generations. Thus there is renewed interest in employing Ge as a channel material in p-MOSFETs, due to the significant improvement in hole mobility as compared to Si. Here we employ full-band Monte Carlo to study hole transport properties in Ge. We present mobility and velocity-field characteristics for different transport directions in p-doped relaxed and strained Ge layers. The simulations are based on a method for over-coming the potentially large dynamic range of scattering rates, which results from the long-range nature of the unscreened Coulombic interaction. Our model for ionized impurity scattering includes the affects of dynamic Lindhard screening, coupled with phase-shift, and multi-ion corrections along with plasmon scattering. We show that all these effects play a role in determining the hole carrier transport in doped Ge layers and cannot be neglected.

Photoluminescent properties of spider silk coated with Eu-doped nanoceria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dmitrović, Svetlana, E-mail: svetlana8@vin.bg.ac.rs [University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (Serbia); Nikolić, Marko G.; Jelenković, Branislav [University of Belgrade, Institute of Physics (Serbia); Prekajski, Marija [University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (Serbia); Rabasović, Mihailo [University of Belgrade, Institute of Physics (Serbia); Zarubica, Aleksandra [University of Niš, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics (Serbia); Branković, Goran [University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Department of Material Science (Serbia); Matović, Branko [University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (Serbia)

2017-02-15

Spider dragline silk was coated with pure as well as Eu-doped ceria nanopowders at the room temperature. The treatment was done by immersion of the spider silk mesh into aqueous solutions of cerium nitrate (Ce(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}) and ammonium hydroxide (NH{sub 4}OH). Depending on the relationship between Ce{sup 3+} ion and ammonium hydroxide concentration, coated fibers exhibited a different thickness. Obtained materials were studied by means of FESEM. It was found that ceria nanoparticles of average size of 3 nm were coated along spider thread. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed crystal nature of nanoparticle coating of spider silk. By using Williamson-Hall plots, crystallite size and strain were estimated. EDS measurement confirmed the presence of Eu in spider-Eu-doped ceria composite, and according to FTIR analysis, the interaction between CeO2 and spider silk was proposed. The morphology of obtained composite was observed by TEM. The photoluminescence emission spectra of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria were measured with two different excitations of 385 and 466 nm. The two-photon excited auto-fluorescence of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria was detected using a nonlinear laser scanning microscope. Obtained composite has a potential as a fluorescent labeling material in diverse applications.

Photoluminescent properties of spider silk coated with Eu-doped nanoceria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dmitrović, Svetlana; Nikolić, Marko G.; Jelenković, Branislav; Prekajski, Marija; Rabasović, Mihailo; Zarubica, Aleksandra; Branković, Goran; Matović, Branko

2017-01-01

Spider dragline silk was coated with pure as well as Eu-doped ceria nanopowders at the room temperature. The treatment was done by immersion of the spider silk mesh into aqueous solutions of cerium nitrate (Ce(NO_3)_3) and ammonium hydroxide (NH_4OH). Depending on the relationship between Ce"3"+ ion and ammonium hydroxide concentration, coated fibers exhibited a different thickness. Obtained materials were studied by means of FESEM. It was found that ceria nanoparticles of average size of 3 nm were coated along spider thread. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed crystal nature of nanoparticle coating of spider silk. By using Williamson-Hall plots, crystallite size and strain were estimated. EDS measurement confirmed the presence of Eu in spider-Eu-doped ceria composite, and according to FTIR analysis, the interaction between CeO2 and spider silk was proposed. The morphology of obtained composite was observed by TEM. The photoluminescence emission spectra of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria were measured with two different excitations of 385 and 466 nm. The two-photon excited auto-fluorescence of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria was detected using a nonlinear laser scanning microscope. Obtained composite has a potential as a fluorescent labeling material in diverse applications.

Magnetism in Mn-nanowires and -clusters as δ-doped layers in group IV semiconductors (Si, Ge)

Science.gov (United States)

Simov, K. R.; Glans, P.-A.; Jenkins, C. A.; Liberati, M.; Reinke, P.

2018-01-01

Mn doping of group-IV semiconductors (Si/Ge) is achieved by embedding nanostructured Mn-layers in group-IV matrix. The Mn-nanostructures are monoatomic Mn-wires or Mn-clusters and capped with an amorphous Si or Ge layer. The precise fabrication of δ-doped Mn-layers is combined with element-specific detection of the magnetic signature with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The largest moment (2.5 μB/Mn) is measured for Mn-wires with ionic bonding character and a-Ge overlayer cap; a-Si capping reduces the moment due to variations of bonding in agreement with theoretical predictions. The moments in δ-doped layers dominated by clusters is quenched with an antiferromagnetic component from Mn-Mn bonding.

Effect of nitrogen doping on the thermal conductivity of GeTe thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fallica, Roberto; Longo, Massimo; Wiemer, Claudia [Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, Agrate Brianza (Italy); Varesi, Enrico; Fumagalli, Luca; Spadoni, Simona [Micron Semiconductor Italia, Agrate Brianza (Italy)

2013-12-15

The 3{omega} method was employed to determine the effect of nitrogen doping (5 at.%) on the thermal conductivity of sputtered thin films of stoichiometric GeTe (a material of interest for phase change memories). It was found that nitrogen doping has a detrimental effect on the thermal conductivity of GeTe in both phases, but less markedly in the amorphous (-25%) than in the crystalline one (-40%). On the opposite, no effect could be detected on the measured thermal boundary resistance between these films and SiO{sub 2}, within the experimental error. Our results agree with those obtained by molecular dynamic simulation of amorphous GeTe. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Pt silicide/poly-Si Schottky diodes as temperature sensors for bolometers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuryev, V. A., E-mail: vyuryev@kapella.gpi.ru; Chizh, K. V.; Chapnin, V. A.; Mironov, S. A.; Dubkov, V. P.; Uvarov, O. V.; Kalinushkin, V. P. [A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov Street, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Senkov, V. M. [P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 53 Leninskiy Avenue, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Nalivaiko, O. Y. [JSC “Integral” – “Integral” Holding Management Company, 121A, Kazintsa I. P. Street, Minsk 220108 (Belarus); Novikau, A. G.; Gaiduk, P. I. [Belarusian State University, 4 Nezavisimosti Avenue, 220030 Minsk (Belarus)

2015-05-28

Platinum silicide Schottky diodes formed on films of polycrystalline Si doped by phosphorus are demonstrated to be efficient and manufacturable CMOS-compatible temperature sensors for microbolometer detectors of radiation. Thin-film platinum silicide/poly-Si diodes have been produced by a CMOS-compatible process on artificial Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2}/Si(001) substrates simulating the bolometer cells. Layer structure and phase composition of the original Pt/poly-Si films and the Pt silicide/poly-Si films synthesized by a low-temperature process have been studied by means of the scanning transmission electron microscopy; they have also been explored by means of the two-wavelength X-ray structural phase analysis and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Temperature coefficient of voltage for the forward current of a single diode is shown to reach the value of about −2%/ °C in the temperature interval from 25 to 50 °C.

In-situ Ga doping of fully strained Ge1-xSnx heteroepitaxial layers grown on Ge(001) substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shimura, Y.; Takeuchi, S.; Nakatsuka, O.

2012-01-01

to the introduction of dislocations, due to the increase in the strain of the Ge1-xSnx layers. We achieved the growth of a fully strained Ge0.922Sn0.078 layer on Ge with a Ga concentration of 5.5×1019 /cm3 without any dislocations and stacking faults. The resistivity of the Ga-doped Ge1-xSnx layer decreased as the Sn...... content was increased. This decrease was due to an increase in the carrier concentration, with an increase in the activation level of Ga atoms in the Ge1-xSnx epitaxial layers being induced by the introduction of Sn. As a result, we found that the resistivity for the Ge0.950Sn0.050 layer annealed at 600°C...

Influence of dopant segregation on the work function and electrical properties of Ge-doped in comparison to Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoyer, Karoline L.; Hubmann, Andreas H.; Klein, Andreas [Surface Science Division, Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany)

2017-02-15

Ge-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering are studied using photoelectron spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. Carrier conductivities of up to 8.35 x 10{sup 3} S cm{sup -1} and carrier mobilities of up to 57 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1}s{sup -1} are observed. The surface Ge concentration is enhanced by a factor of 2-3 compared to the concentration in the interior of the films. The surface Ge concentration increases with more oxidizing deposition conditions, in opposite to what has been reported for Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Ge-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films exhibit higher work functions as compared to Sn-doped films, in particular at oxidizing conditions. This is attributed to the formation of a GeO{sub 2} surface phase. While segregation of Sn reduces the carrier mobility due to grain boundary scattering, Ge segregation does not show such an effect. The differences are attributed to the different oxidation states of the segregated dopants, in agreement with the observed dependence of segregation on oxygen activity. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Microwave-assisted fabrication of strontium doped apatite coating on Ti6Al4V

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Huan, E-mail: huanzhou@cczu.edu.cn [Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China); Kong, Shiqin [Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China); Pan, Yan; Zhang, Zhiguo [Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China); Deng, Linhong, E-mail: dlh@cczu.edu.cn [Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China)

2015-11-01

Strontium has been shown to be a beneficial dopant to calcium phosphates when incorporated at nontoxic level. In the present work we studied the possibility of solution derived doping strontium into calcium phosphate coatings on titanium alloy Ti6Al4V based implants by a recently reported microwave-assisted method. By using this method strontium doped calcium phosphate nuclei were deposited to pretreated titanium alloy surface dot by dot to compose a crack-free coating layer. The presence of strontium in solution led to reduced roughness of the coating and finer nucleus size formed. In vitro study found that proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast cells seeded on the coating were influenced by strontium content in coatings, showing an increasing followed by a decreasing behavior with increasing substitution of calcium by strontium. It is suggested that this new microwave-assisted strontium doped calcium phosphate coatings may have great potential in implant modification. - Highlights: • Strontium doped calcium phosphate coating is deposited with microwave irradiation. • Increase of strontium reduces coating roughness and results in finer nucleus size. • Proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts depend on doped strontium content.

Magnetism in Mn-nanowires and -clusters as δ-doped layers in group IV semiconductors (Si, Ge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. R. Simov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Mn doping of group-IV semiconductors (Si/Ge is achieved by embedding nanostructured Mn-layers in group-IV matrix. The Mn-nanostructures are monoatomic Mn-wires or Mn-clusters and capped with an amorphous Si or Ge layer. The precise fabrication of δ-doped Mn-layers is combined with element-specific detection of the magnetic signature with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The largest moment (2.5 μB/Mn is measured for Mn-wires with ionic bonding character and a-Ge overlayer cap; a-Si capping reduces the moment due to variations of bonding in agreement with theoretical predictions. The moments in δ-doped layers dominated by clusters is quenched with an antiferromagnetic component from Mn–Mn bonding.

Crystallization behavior of Ge-doped eutectic Sb70Te30 films in optical disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khulbe, Pramod K.; Hurst, Terril; Mansuripur, Masud; Horie, Michikazu

2002-01-01

We report laser-induced crystallization behavior of binary Sb-Te and ternary Ge-doped eutectic Sb70Te30 thin film samples in a typical quadrilayer stack as used in phase-change optical disk data storage. Several experiments have been conducted on a two-laser static tester in which one laser operating in pulse mode writes crystalline marks on amorphous film or amorphous marks on crystalline film, while the second laser operating at low-power cw mode simultaneously monitors the progress of the crystalline or amorphous mark formation in real time in terms of the reflectivity variation. The results of this study show that the crystallization kinetics of this class of film is strongly growth dominant, which is significantly different from the crystallization kinetics of stochiometric Ge-Sb-Te compositions. In Sb-Te and Ge-doped eutectic Sb70Te30 thin-film samples, the crystallization behavior of the two forms of amorphous states, namely, as-deposited amorphous state and melt-quenched amorphous state, remains approximately same. We have also presented experiments showing the effect of the variation of the Sb/Te ratio and Ge doping on the crystallization behavior of these films

The metallization of Ge-doped plastics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huser, G.; Recoules, V.; Salin, G.; Galmiche, D.; Ozaki, N.; Miyanishi, K.; Kodama, R.; Sano, T.; Sakawa, Y.

2013-01-01

Ge-doped plastics are used in inertial fusion targets. Doped plastics are complex mixtures and the validation of their properties in a broad range of thermodynamic conditions requires an experimental validation. The metallization of plastics appears when shock waves generated by power lasers create pressures around 10 6 bar and temperatures around 10.000 K. The shock front propagating in the plastic becomes reflective. We have performed experiments to test the mathematical models describing the compressibility of such materials. We have compared the Thomas-Fermi model that is implemented in the QEOS formalism (Quotidian Equation of State) with 2 other models: the Sommerfeld metal model and a model that allows the closure of the semi-conducting gap. It appears that the Thomas-Fermi model predicts satisfactorily the compressibility of a mixture compressed at a few 10 6 bars, but over-estimates the average ionisation by a factor up to 10 which leads to an over-estimation of the metallization step

Defect properties of Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe: suitability for intermediate-band solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Mauricio A.

2018-01-01

We investigate the electronic structure and defect properties of Sn- and Ge- doped ZnTe by first-principles calculations within the DFT+GW formalism. We find that ({{{Sn}}}{{Zn}}) and ({{{Ge}}}{{Zn}}) introduce isolated energy levels deep in the band gap of ZnTe, derived from Sn-5s and Ge-4s states, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of Sn and Ge on the Zn site is favored in p-type ZnTe, in both Zn-rich and Te-rich environments. The optical absorption spectra obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation reveals that sub-bandgap absorptance is greatly enhanced due to the formation of the intermediate band. Our results suggest that Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe would be a suitable material for the development of intermediate-band solar cells, which have the potential to achieve efficiencies beyond the single-junction limit.

Refractory silicides for integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murarka, S.P.

1980-01-01

Transition metal silicides have, in the past, attracted attention because of their usefulness as high temperature materials and in integrated circuits as Schottky barrier and ohmic contacts. More recently, with the increasing silicon integrated circuits (SIC) packing density, the line widths get narrower and the sheet resistance contribution to the RC delay increases. The possibility of using low resistivity silicides, which can be formed directly on the polysilicon, makes these silicides highly attractive. The usefulness of a silicide metallization scheme for integrated circuits depends, not only on the desired low resistivity, but also on the ease with which the silicide can be formed and patterned and on the stability of the silicides throughout device processing and during actual device usage. In this paper, various properties and the formation techniques of the silicides have been reviewed. Correlations between the various properties and the metal or silicide electronic or crystallographic structure have been made to predict the more useful silicides for SIC applications. Special reference to the silicide resistivity, stress, and oxidizability during the formation and subsequent processing has been given. Various formation and etching techniques are discussed

Phosphorus atomic layer doping in SiGe using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Heinemann, Bernd; Murota, Junichi; Tillack, Bernd

2014-01-01

Phosphorus (P) atomic layer doping in SiGe is investigated at temperatures between 100 °C to 600 °C using a single wafer reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system. SiGe(100) surface is exposed to PH 3 at different PH 3 partial pressures by interrupting SiGe growth. The impact of the SiGe buffer/cap growth condition (total pressure/SiGe deposition precursors) on P adsorption, incorporation, and segregation are investigated. In the case of SiH 4 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system, steeper P spikes due to lower segregation are observed by SiGe cap deposition at atmospheric (ATM) pressure compared with reduced pressure (RP). The steepness of P spike of ∼ 5.7 nm/dec is obtained for ATM pressure without reducing deposition temperature. This result may be due to the shift of equilibrium of P adsorption/desorption to desorption direction by higher H 2 pressure. Using Si 2 H 6 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system for SiGe cap deposition in RP, lowering the SiGe growth temperature is possible, resulting in higher P incorporation and steeper P profile due to reduced desorption and segregation. In the case of Si 2 H 6 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system, the P dose could be simulated assuming a Langmuir-type kinetics model. Incorporated P shows high electrical activity, indicating P is adsorbed mostly in lattice position. - Highlights: • Phosphorus (P) atomic layer doping in SiGe (100) is investigated using CVD. • P adsorption is suppressed by the hydrogen termination of Ge surface. • By SiGe cap deposition at atmospheric pressure, P segregation was suppressed. • By using Si 2 H 6 -based SiGe cap, P segregation was also suppressed. • The P adsorption process is self-limited and follows Langmuir-type kinetics model

One-step preparation and photocatalytic performance of vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasilić, R., E-mail: rastko.vasilic@ff.bg.ac.rs [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Stojadinović, S. [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Radić, N. [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Stefanov, P. [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Block 11, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria); Dohčević-Mitrović, Z. [University of Belgrade, Institute of Physics, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade (Serbia); Grbić, B. [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

2015-02-01

In this paper, we have investigated one-step preparation of vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of titanium in electrolyte containing 10 g/L Na{sub 3}PO{sub 4}·12H{sub 2}O + 0.5 g/L NH{sub 4}VO{sub 3}. The morphology, phase structure, and elemental composition of the formed coatings were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) was employed to evaluate the band gap energy of obtained coatings. Vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings are partly crystallized and mainly composed of anatase phase TiO{sub 2}, with up to about 2 wt% of vanadium present in the surface layer of the oxide. The valence band photoelectron spectra and UV–Vis DRS showed that vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings exhibit notable red shift with respect to the pure TiO{sub 2} coatings. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange under simulated sunlight conditions. Photocatalytic activity of vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings increases with PEO time. Prolonged PEO times result in higher roughness of obtained coatings, thus increasing surface area available for methyl orange degradation. Vanadium doped TiO{sub 2} coatings obtained after 180 s of PEO time exhibit the best photocatalytic activity and about 67% of methyl orange is degraded after 12 h of irradiation under simulated sunlight. - Highlights: • One-step preparation of V-doped TiO{sub 2} coatings in 10 g/L Na{sub 3}PO{sub 4}·12H{sub 2}O + 0.5 g/L NH{sub 4}VO{sub 3}. • Properties of obtained coatings strongly depend on microdischarge characteristics. • Band gap of V-doped TiO{sub 2} coatings is shifted towards red side of the spectrum. • V-doped TiO{sub 2} coatings have better photocatalytic activity than pure TiO{sub 2}. • After 12 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, 67% of

Characterization of epitaxial GaAs MOS capacitors using atomic layer-deposited TiO2/Al2O3 gate stack: study of Ge auto-doping and p-type Zn doping.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalapati, Goutam Kumar; Shun Wong, Terence Kin; Li, Yang; Chia, Ching Kean; Das, Anindita; Mahata, Chandreswar; Gao, Han; Chattopadhyay, Sanatan; Kumar, Manippady Krishna; Seng, Hwee Leng; Maiti, Chinmay Kumar; Chi, Dong Zhi

2012-02-02

Electrical and physical properties of a metal-oxide-semiconductor [MOS] structure using atomic layer-deposited high-k dielectrics (TiO2/Al2O3) and epitaxial GaAs [epi-GaAs] grown on Ge(100) substrates have been investigated. The epi-GaAs, either undoped or Zn-doped, was grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition method at 620°C to 650°C. The diffusion of Ge atoms into epi-GaAs resulted in auto-doping, and therefore, an n-MOS behavior was observed for undoped and Zn-doped epi-GaAs with the doping concentration up to approximately 1017 cm-3. This is attributed to the diffusion of a significant amount of Ge atoms from the Ge substrate as confirmed by the simulation using SILVACO software and also from the secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses. The Zn-doped epi-GaAs with a doping concentration of approximately 1018 cm-3 converts the epi-GaAs layer into p-type since the Zn doping is relatively higher than the out-diffused Ge concentration. The capacitance-voltage characteristics show similar frequency dispersion and leakage current for n-type and p-type epi-GaAs layers with very low hysteresis voltage (approximately 10 mV).PACS: 81.15.Gh.

Exceptional cracking behavior in H-implanted Si/B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30/Si heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Da; Wang, Dadi; Chang, Yongwei; Li, Ya; Ding, Rui; Li, Jiurong; Chen, Xiao; Wang, Gang; Guo, Qinglei

2018-01-01

The cracking behavior in H-implanted Si/B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30/Si structures after thermal annealing was investigated. The crack formation position is found to closely correlate with the thickness of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer. For H-implanted Si containing a buried 3-nm-thick B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30 layer, localized continuous cracking occurs at the interfaces on both sides of the Si0.70Ge0.30 interlayer. Once the thickness of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer increases to 15 and 70 nm, however, a continuous sharp crack is individually observed along the interface between the Si substrate and the B-doped Si0.70Ge0.30 interlayer. We attribute this exceptional cracking behavior to the existence of shear stress on both sides of the buried Si0.70Ge0.30 layer and the subsequent trapping of hydrogen, which leads to a crack in a well-controlled manner. This work may pave the way for high-quality Si or SiGe membrane transfer in a feasible manner, thus expediting its potential applications to ultrathin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-germanium-on-insulator (SGOI) production.

Synthesis and characterization of Cerium-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid composite coatings on metal substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Qiuhua, E-mail: yuanqiuh@szu.edu.cn; Qin, Caoping; Wu, Jianbo; Xu, Anping; Zhang, Ziqiang; Liao, Junquan; Lin, Songxin; Ren, Xiangzhong; Zhang, Peixin

2016-10-01

Ce-doped hydroxyapatite/polylactic acid (HA/PLA) composites serving as implant coatings have rarely been studied by other researchers in recent years. This paper was focused to study the existence of Ce ions in structure, chemical composition and surface morphology of HA and its composite coatings. Ce-doped HA powders were synthesized by chemical precipitation method with different Ce molar fractions (0(pure HA), 0.5 mol%, 1 mol% and 2 mol%). And Ce-doped HA/PLA composite coatings were fabricated for the first time on stainless steel substrates by spin coating technique. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that Ce ions were doped into the crystal lattice of apatite successfully. The (Ce + Ca)/P atomic ratios in the doped HA/PLA samples ranged from 1.614 to 1.673, which were very close to the theoretical value of 1.67 for the stoichiometric HA. The addition of PLA could keep metal substrates from catalyzing the decomposition of HA. TG-DTA analysis indicated that Ce-doped HA powder had high thermal stability, and the SEM micrographs revealed that the surface topography of Ce-doped HA/PLA composite coatings was uniform and dense when the Ce molar fraction was 2 mol%. XPS results indicated that the Ce ions doped in HA showed mixed valences of Ce{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 4+}. - Highlights: • Ce-doped HA composite coatings were synthesized by spin-coating technique for the first time. • Ce ions were demonstrated to dope into HA crystal lattice successfully. • The addition of PLA could keep metal substrates from catalyzing the decomposition of HA. • XPS results showed that Ce ions doped in HA have mixed valences of Ce{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 4+}.

Preparation and characterization of beryllium doped organic plasma polymer coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brusasco, R.; Letts, S.; Miller, P.; Saculla, M.; Cook, R.

1995-01-01

We report the formation of beryllium doped plasma polymerized coatings derived from a helical resonator deposition apparatus, using diethylberyllium as the organometaric source. These coatings had an appearance not unlike plain plasma polymer and were relatively stable to ambient exposure. The coatings were characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Coating rates approaching 0.7 μm hr -1 were obtained with a beryllium-to-carbon ratio of 1:1.3. There is also a significant oxygen presence in the coating as well which is attributed to oxidation upon exposure of the coating to air. The XPS data show only one peak for beryllium with the preponderance of the XPS data suggesting that the beryllium exists as BeO. Diethylberyllium was found to be inadequate as a source for beryllium doped plasma polymer, due to thermal decomposition and low vapor recovery rates

Mo doped DLC nanocomposite coatings with improved mechanical and blood compatibility properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, X.S. [School of Physics Science and Technology, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Development Center for New Materials Engineering and Technology in Universities of Guangdong, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Wang, H.J.; Feng, L. [School of Physics Science and Technology, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Shao, L.X. [School of Physics Science and Technology, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Development Center for New Materials Engineering and Technology in Universities of Guangdong, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Zou, C.W., E-mail: qingyihaiyanas@163.com [School of Physics Science and Technology, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Development Center for New Materials Engineering and Technology in Universities of Guangdong, Zhanjiang 524048 (China)

2014-08-30

Highlights: • Mo doped diamond like carbon coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering. • The blood compatibility of Mo-DLC coatings was observed through platelet adhesion. • The amount of thrombus on the Mo-DLC is much less than that of pyrolytic carbon. - Abstract: Mo (molybdenum) doped diamond like carbon (Mo-DLC) coatings with improved mechanical and blood compatibility properties were deposited by closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The undoped and Mo-doped DLC coatings were analyzed by various characterization techniques such as Raman spectra, Atomic force microscopy, and temperature-dependent frictional wear testing. The results showed that the Mo-DLC coating with low Mo concentration was a effective protective coating with reduced residual stress and increased cohesive strength, and kept good wear resistance at the ambient temperature of 500 °C. The blood compatibility of Mo-DLC coatings was investigated by platelet adhesion. The results showed that the amount of thrombus on the Mo-DLC nanocomposite coatings was much less than that of thrombus on pyrolytic carbon films. The Mo-DLC nanocomposite coatings would be a new kind of promising materials applied to artificial heart valve and endovascula stent.

Mo doped DLC nanocomposite coatings with improved mechanical and blood compatibility properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, X.S.; Wang, H.J.; Feng, L.; Shao, L.X.; Zou, C.W.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Mo doped diamond like carbon coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering. • The blood compatibility of Mo-DLC coatings was observed through platelet adhesion. • The amount of thrombus on the Mo-DLC is much less than that of pyrolytic carbon. - Abstract: Mo (molybdenum) doped diamond like carbon (Mo-DLC) coatings with improved mechanical and blood compatibility properties were deposited by closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The undoped and Mo-doped DLC coatings were analyzed by various characterization techniques such as Raman spectra, Atomic force microscopy, and temperature-dependent frictional wear testing. The results showed that the Mo-DLC coating with low Mo concentration was a effective protective coating with reduced residual stress and increased cohesive strength, and kept good wear resistance at the ambient temperature of 500 °C. The blood compatibility of Mo-DLC coatings was investigated by platelet adhesion. The results showed that the amount of thrombus on the Mo-DLC nanocomposite coatings was much less than that of thrombus on pyrolytic carbon films. The Mo-DLC nanocomposite coatings would be a new kind of promising materials applied to artificial heart valve and endovascula stent

Photoluminescence of highly compensated GaAs doped with high concentration of Ge

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Masaru; Watanabe, Akira; Suezawa, Masashi

1999-12-01

We have studied the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Ge-doped GaAs crystals to confirm the validity of a theory developed by Shklovskii and Efros to explain the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) recombination in potential fluctuation. GaAs crystals doped with Ge of various concentrations were grown by a liquid-encapsulated Czochralski method. They were homogenized by annealing at 1200°C for 20 h under the optimum As vapor pressure. Both quasi-continuous and time-resolved PL spectra were measured at 4.2 K. The quasi-continuous PL spectra showed that the peak position shifted to lower energy as the Ge concentration increased, which was consistent with the Shklovskii and Efros's theory. Under very strong excitation in time-resolved measurements, the exciton peak appeared within short periods after excitation and then the peak shifted to that of DAP recombination. This clearly showed that the potential fluctuation disappeared under strong excitation and then recovered as the recombination proceeded.

Physical properties of pyrolytically sprayed tin-doped indium oxide coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haitjema, H.; Elich, J.J.P.

1991-01-01

The optical and electrical properties of tin-doped indium oxide coatings obviously depend on a number of production parameters. This dependence has been studied to obtain a more general insight into the relationships between the various coating properties. The coatings have been produced by spray

Synthesis of molybdenum borides and molybdenum silicides in molten salts and their oxidation behavior in an air-water mixture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuznetsov, S.A.; Kuznetsova, S.V.; Rebrov, E.V.; Mies, M.J.M.; Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Schouten, J.C.

2005-01-01

The formation of various coatings in molybdenum-boron and molybdenum-silicon systems was investigated. Boronizing and siliciding treatments were conducted in molten salts under inert gas atm. in the 850-1050 DegC temp. range for 7 h. The presence of boride (e.g. Mo2B, MoB, Mo2B5) and silicide

Texture in thin film silicides and germanides: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Schutter, B.; De Keyser, K.; Detavernier, C.; Lavoie, C.

2016-01-01

Silicides and germanides are compounds consisting of a metal and silicon or germanium. In the microelectronics industry, silicides are the material of choice for contacting silicon based devices (over the years, CoSi_2, C54-TiSi_2, and NiSi have been adopted), while germanides are considered as a top candidate for contacting future germanium based electronics. Since also strain engineering through the use of Si_1_−_xGe_x in the source/drain/gate regions of MOSFET devices is an important technique for improving device characteristics in modern Si-based microelectronics industry, a profound understanding of the formation of silicide/germanide contacts to silicon and germanium is of utmost importance. The crystallographic texture of these films, which is defined as the statistical distribution of the orientation of the grains in the film, has been the subject of scientific studies since the 1970s. Different types of texture like epitaxy, axiotaxy, fiber, or combinations thereof have been observed in such films. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that film texture can have a profound influence on the formation and stability of silicide/germanide contacts, as it controls the type and orientation of grain boundaries (affecting diffusion and agglomeration) and the interface energy (affecting nucleation during the solid-state reaction). Furthermore, the texture also has an impact on the electrical characteristics of the contact, as the orientation and size of individual grains influences functional properties such as contact resistance and sheet resistance and will induce local variations in strain and Schottky barrier height. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the scientific work that has been published in the field of texture studies on thin film silicide/germanide contacts.

Texture in thin film silicides and germanides: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Schutter, B., E-mail: bob.deschutter@ugent.be; De Keyser, K.; Detavernier, C. [Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Lavoie, C. [IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)

2016-09-15

Silicides and germanides are compounds consisting of a metal and silicon or germanium. In the microelectronics industry, silicides are the material of choice for contacting silicon based devices (over the years, CoSi{sub 2}, C54-TiSi{sub 2}, and NiSi have been adopted), while germanides are considered as a top candidate for contacting future germanium based electronics. Since also strain engineering through the use of Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} in the source/drain/gate regions of MOSFET devices is an important technique for improving device characteristics in modern Si-based microelectronics industry, a profound understanding of the formation of silicide/germanide contacts to silicon and germanium is of utmost importance. The crystallographic texture of these films, which is defined as the statistical distribution of the orientation of the grains in the film, has been the subject of scientific studies since the 1970s. Different types of texture like epitaxy, axiotaxy, fiber, or combinations thereof have been observed in such films. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that film texture can have a profound influence on the formation and stability of silicide/germanide contacts, as it controls the type and orientation of grain boundaries (affecting diffusion and agglomeration) and the interface energy (affecting nucleation during the solid-state reaction). Furthermore, the texture also has an impact on the electrical characteristics of the contact, as the orientation and size of individual grains influences functional properties such as contact resistance and sheet resistance and will induce local variations in strain and Schottky barrier height. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the scientific work that has been published in the field of texture studies on thin film silicide/germanide contacts.

Spatially Correlated, Single Nanomaterial-Level Structural and Optical Profiling of Cu-Doped ZnO Nanorods Synthesized via Multifunctional Silicides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson Truong

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate a straightforward and effective method to synthesize vertically oriented, Cu-doped ZnO nanorods (NRs using a novel multipurpose platform of copper silicide nanoblocks (Cu3Si NBs preformed laterally in well-defined directions on Si. The use of the surface-organized Cu3Si NBs for ZnO NR growth successfully results in densely assembled Cu-doped ZnO NRs on each NB platform, whose overall structures resemble thick bristles on a brush head. We show that Cu3Si NBs can uniquely serve as a catalyst for ZnO NRs, a local dopant source of Cu, and a prepatterned guide to aid the local assembly of the NRs on the growth substrate. We also ascertain the crystalline structures, optical properties, and spectroscopic signatures of the Cu-doped ZnO NRs produced on the NBs, both at each module of NRs/NB and at their ensemble level. Subsequently, we determine their augmented properties relative to the pristine form of undoped ZnO NRs and the source material of Cu3Si NBs. We provide spatially correlated structural and optical data for individual modules of Cu-doped ZnO NRs assembled on a Cu3Si NB by resolving them along the different positions on the NB. Ensemble-averaged versus individual behaviors of Cu-doped ZnO NRs on Cu3Si NBs are then compared. We further discuss the potential impact of such ZnO-derived NRs on their relatively unexplored biological and biomedical applications. Our efforts will be particularly useful when exploiting each integrated module of self-aligned, Cu-doped ZnO NRs on a NB as a discretely addressable, active element in solid-state sensors and miniaturized luminescent bioprobes.

Thermoluminescence of Ge- and Al-doped SiO2 optical fibers subjected to 0.2-4.0 Gy external photon radiotherapeutic dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, I.; Wagiran, H.; Yaakob, N.H.

2013-01-01

In this work, we studied the thermoluminescence response of Ge- and Al-doped optical fibers, its linearity, energy dependence, and sensitivity. The Ge-doped optical fibers demonstrate useful TL properties and represent an excellent candidate for use in TL dosimetry of ionizing radiation. The TL response increases monotonically over a wide photon dose range, from 0.2 Gy to 4.0 Gy. The TL results for these fibers have been compared with similar TL data for phosphor TLD-100. Commercially available Al- and Ge-doped optical fibers have both been found to yield a linear dose-TL signal relationship, although the Al-doped fiber provides only 5 % of the sensitivity of the Ge-doped fibers. The TL characteristics of Ge-doped optical fiber, plus its small size (125 μm diameter), high flexibility, ease of handling, and low cost compared with other TL materials, make this commercial optical fiber a very promising TL material for use in medicine, industry, reactor operation, and a variety of other areas. (author)

Pr3 + -doped GeSx-based glasses for fiber amplifiers at 1.3 µm

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, D. R.; Faber, A. J.; de Waal, H.

1995-03-01

The photoluminescence properties of Pr3+ -doped GeS x -based glasses are studied and compared with those of other sulfide and fluoride glasses. The possibility of highly pump-power-efficient fiber amplifiers based on these GeSx-containing glasses in the telecommunications window at 1.3 mu m is discussed.

Electrical and optical properties of sub-10 nm nickel silicide films for silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brahmi, Hatem; Ravipati, Srikanth; Yarali, Milad; Wang, Weijie; Ryou, Jae-Hyun; Mavrokefalos, Anastassios; Shervin, Shahab

2017-01-01

Highly conductive and transparent films of ultra-thin p-type nickel silicide films have been prepared by RF magnetron sputtering of nickel on silicon substrates followed by rapid thermal annealing in an inert environment in the temperature range 400–600 °C. The films are uniform throughout the wafer with thicknesses in the range of 3–6 nm. The electrical and optical properties are presented for nickel silicide films with varying thickness. The Drude–Lorentz model and Fresnel equations were used to calculate the dielectric properties, sheet resistance, absorption and transmission of the films. These ultrathin nickel silicide films have excellent optoelectronic properties for p-type contacts with optical transparencies up to 80% and sheet resistance as low as ∼0.15 µΩ cm. Furthermore, it was shown that the use of a simple anti-reflection (AR) coating can recover most of the reflected light approaching the values of a standard Si solar cell with the same AR coating. Overall, the combination of ultra-low thickness, high transmittance, low sheet resistance and ability to recover the reflected light by utilizing standard AR coating makes them ideal for utilization in silicon based photovoltaic technologies as a p-type transparent conductor. (paper)

Electrical and optical properties of sub-10 nm nickel silicide films for silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Brahmi, Hatem; Ravipati, Srikanth; Yarali, Milad; Shervin, Shahab; Wang, Weijie; Ryou, Jae-Hyun; Mavrokefalos, Anastassios

2017-01-01

Highly conductive and transparent films of ultra-thin p-type nickel silicide films have been prepared by RF magnetron sputtering of nickel on silicon substrates followed by rapid thermal annealing in an inert environment in the temperature range 400-600 °C. The films are uniform throughout the wafer with thicknesses in the range of 3-6 nm. The electrical and optical properties are presented for nickel silicide films with varying thickness. The Drude-Lorentz model and Fresnel equations were used to calculate the dielectric properties, sheet resistance, absorption and transmission of the films. These ultrathin nickel silicide films have excellent optoelectronic properties for p-type contacts with optical transparencies up to 80% and sheet resistance as low as ~0.15 µΩ cm. Furthermore, it was shown that the use of a simple anti-reflection (AR) coating can recover most of the reflected light approaching the values of a standard Si solar cell with the same AR coating. Overall, the combination of ultra-low thickness, high transmittance, low sheet resistance and ability to recover the reflected light by utilizing standard AR coating makes them ideal for utilization in silicon based photovoltaic technologies as a p-type transparent conductor.

Fabrication and characterization of boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond-coated MEMS probes

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanowicz, Robert; Sobaszek, Michał; Ficek, Mateusz; Kopiec, Daniel; Moczała, Magdalena; Orłowska, Karolina; Sawczak, Mirosław; Gotszalk, Teodor

2016-04-01

Fabrication processes of thin boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) films on silicon-based micro- and nano-electromechanical structures have been investigated. B-NCD films were deposited using microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition method. The variation in B-NCD morphology, structure and optical parameters was particularly investigated. The use of truncated cone-shaped substrate holder enabled to grow thin fully encapsulated nanocrystalline diamond film with a thickness of approx. 60 nm and RMS roughness of 17 nm. Raman spectra present the typical boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond line recorded at 1148 cm-1. Moreover, the change in mechanical parameters of silicon cantilevers over-coated with boron-doped diamond films was investigated with laser vibrometer. The increase of resonance to frequency of over-coated cantilever is attributed to the change in spring constant caused by B-NCD coating. Topography and electrical parameters of boron-doped diamond films were investigated by tapping mode AFM and electrical mode of AFM-Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). The crystallite-grain size was recorded at 153 and 238 nm for boron-doped film and undoped, respectively. Based on the contact potential difference data from the KPFM measurements, the work function of diamond layers was estimated. For the undoped diamond films, average CPD of 650 mV and for boron-doped layer 155 mV were achieved. Based on CPD values, the values of work functions were calculated as 4.65 and 5.15 eV for doped and undoped diamond film, respectively. Boron doping increases the carrier density and the conductivity of the material and, consequently, the Fermi level.

Corrosion and Wear Behaviors of Cr-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, S.; Mohan, L.; Bera, Parthasarathi; Kumar, V. Praveen; Barshilia, Harish C.; Anandan, C.

2017-08-01

A combination of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and magnetron sputtering techniques has been employed to deposit chromium-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on stainless steel, silicon and glass substrates. The concentrations of Cr in the coatings are varied by changing the parameters of the bipolar pulsed power supply and the argon/acetylene gas composition. The coatings have been studied for composition, morphology, surface nature, nanohardness, corrosion resistance and wear resistance properties. The changes in I D / I G ratio with Cr concentrations have been obtained from Raman spectroscopy studies. Ratio decreases with an increase in Cr concentration, and it has been found to increase at higher Cr concentration, indicating the disorder in the coating. Carbide is formed in Cr-doped DLC coatings as observed from XPS studies. There is a decrease in sp 3/ sp 2 ratios with an increase in Cr concentration, and it increases again at higher Cr concentration. Nanohardness studies show no clear dependence of hardness on Cr concentration. DLC coatings with lower Cr contents have demonstrated better corrosion resistance with better passive behavior in 3.5% NaCl solution, and corrosion potential is observed to move toward nobler (more positive) values. A low coefficient of friction (0.15) at different loads is observed from reciprocating wear studies. Lower wear volume is found at all loads on the Cr-doped DLC coatings. Wear mechanism changes from abrasive wear on the substrate to adhesive wear on the coating.

Electropolymerization of camphorsulfonic acid doped conductive polypyrrole anti-corrosive coating for 304SS bipolar plates

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Li; Syed, Junaid Ali; Gao, Yangzhi; Zhang, Qiuxiang; Zhao, Junfeng; Lu, Hongbin; Meng, Xiangkang

2017-12-01

Conductive polymer coating doped with large molecular organic acid is an alternative method used to protect stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, it is difficult to select the proper doping acid, which improves the corrosion resistance of the coating without affecting its conductivity. In this study, large spatial molecular group camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) doped polypyrrole (PPY) conductive coating was prepared by galvanostatic electropolymerization on 304SS. The electrochemical properties of the coating were evaluated in 0.1 M H2SO4 solution in order to simulate the PEMFC service environment. The results indicate that the coating increased the corrosion potential and shifted Ecorr towards more positive value, particularly the jcorr value of PPY-CSA coated 304SS was dropped from 97.3 to 0.00187 μA cm-2. The long-term immersion tests (660 h) show that the PPY-CSA coating exhibits better corrosion resistance in comparison with the small acid (SO42-) doped PPY-SO42- or PPY/PPY-SO42- coatings. Moreover, the PPY-CSA coating presents low contact resistance and maintains strong corrosion resistance during the prolonged exposure time due to barrier effect and anodic protection.

Pr3+-doped GeSx-based glasses for fiber amplifiers at 1.3 mm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simons, D.R.; Faber, A.J.; Waal, de H.

1995-01-01

The luminescence of Pr3+-doped GeSx-based glasses were studied and compared with those of other sulfide and fluoride glasses. The possibility of highly pump-power-efficient fiber amplifiers based on these GeSx-contg. glasses in the telecommunications window at 1.3 mm is discussed. [on SciFinder (R)

Microstructure and mechanical properties of metal/oxide and metal/silicide interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, L.; Miracle, D.; Abbaschian, R.

1995-01-01

Fracture energies of Al 2 O 3 /Nb interfaces and MoSi 2 /Nb interfaces with and without Al 2 O 3 coating were measured using sandwich-type chevron-notched specimens. The relations between the mechanical properties, microstructures, types of bonds at the interface and processing routes were explored. The fracture energy of the Al 2 O 3 /Nb interface was determined to be 9 J/m 2 and changed to 16 J/m 2 when Nb was pre-oxidized before the formation of the Al 2 O 3 /Nb interface. The fracture energy of the MoSi 2 /Nb interface could not be determined directly because of the formation of the interfacial compounds. However, the fracture energy at the MoSi 2 /Nb interfacial region was found to depend on the interfacial bond strength, roughness of interfaces and microstructure of interfacial compounds. The interfacial fracture energies of Al 2 O 3 with silicides, MoSi 2 , Nb 5 Si 3 , or (Nb, Mo)Si 2 were estimated to be about 16 J/m 2 , while the interfacial fracture energies between two silicides or between Nb and a silicide were larger than 34 J/m 2 . The measured fracture energies between two silicides or between Nb and a silicide were larger than 34 J/m 2 . The measured fracture energies of the various interfaces are discussed in terms of the interfacial microstructures and types of bonds at the interfaces

Microstructure and wear behaviour of silicon doped Cr-N nanocomposite coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao Mingdong, E-mail: bmingd@yahoo.com.c [School of mechanical engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo 315016 (China); Yu Lei; Xu Xuebo [School of mechanical engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo 315016 (China); He Jiawen [State Key Lab. for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an, 710049 (China); Sun Hailin [Teer Coatings Ltd., Berry Hill Industrial Estate, Droitwich Worcestershire WR9 9AS (United Kingdom); Zhejiang Huijin-Teer Coatings Technolgy Co., Ltd., Lin' an 311305 (China); Teer, D.G. [Teer Coatings Ltd., Berry Hill Industrial Estate, Droitwich Worcestershire WR9 9AS (United Kingdom)

2009-07-01

Hard Cr-N and silicon doped Cr-Si-N nanocomposite coatings were deposited using closed unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating system. Coatings doped with various Si contents were synthesized by changing the power applied on Si targets. Composition of the films was analyzed using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES). Microstructure and properties of the coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nano-indentation. The harnesses and the elastic modulus of Cr-Si-N coatings gradually increased with rising of silicon content and exhibited a maximum at silicon content of 4.1 at.% and 5.5 at.%. The maximum hardness and elastic modulus of the Cr-Si-N nanocomposite coatings were approximately 30 GPa and 352 GPa, respectively. Further increase in the silicon content resulted in a decrease in the hardness and the elastic modulus of the coatings. Results from XRD analyses of CrN coatings indicated that strongly preferred orientations of (111) were detected. The diffraction patterns of Cr-Si-N coatings showed a clear (220) with weak (200) and (311) preferred orientations, but the peak of CrN (111) was decreased with the increase of Si concentration. The XRD data of single-phase Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} was free of peak. The peaks of CrN (111) and (220) were shifted slightly and broadened with the increase of silicon content. SEM observations of the sections of Cr-Si-N coatings with different silicon concentrations showed a typical columnar structure. It was evident from TEM observation that nanocomposite Cr-Si-N coatings exhibited nano-scale grain size. Friction coefficient and specific wear rate (SWR) of silicon doped Cr-N coatings from pin-on-disk test were significantly lower in comparison to that of CrN coatings.

Enhanced Electrical Activation in In-Implanted Si0.35Ge0.65 by C Co-Doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Ruixing; Kremer, Felipe; Sprouster, David J.; Mirzaei, Sahar; Decoster, Stefan

2016-01-01

In this report, we have achieved a significant increase in the electrically active dopant fraction in Indium (In)-implanted Si 0.35 Ge 0.65 , by co-doping with the isovalent element Carbon (C). Electrical measurements have been correlated with X-ray absorption spectroscopy to determine the electrical properties and the In atom lattice location. With C+In co-doping, the solid solubility of In in Si 0.35 Ge 0.65 was at least tripled from between 0.02 and 0.06 at% to between 0.2 and 0.6 at% as a result of C–In pair formation, which suppressed In metal precipitation. A dramatic improvement of electrical properties was thus attained in the co-doped samples.

Coating of hydroxyapatite doped Ag on commercially pure titanium surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, Jonas de Oliveira; Vercik, Luci Cristina de Oliveira; Rigo, Eliana Cristina da Silva

2012-01-01

This paper presents results of bioactive coating on commercially pure titanium surface (CpTi) doped with Ag ions. The coating consists of 3 steps, in step 1- surface chemical treatment of the samples with NaOH, step 2 - immersing the substrate in question in a sodium silicate solution (SS) to the nucleation and step 3 - reimmersion these substrates in synthetic solution that simulates the blood serum for precipitation and growth of apatite layer. After the coating step the AgNO 3 substrates were immersed in solutions with concentrations of 20 ppm and 100 ppm at 37 ° C for 48h. The substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). By the results verified the formation of an apatite layer with aspects of cells, on the surface of CpTi. The increase in Ag concentration causes an increase in Ag amount doped in apatite layer. With the results we concluded that it is possible to obtain an apatite layer on a metal surface as the CpTi doped with Ag ions

Structural and electrical properties of Ge-on-Si(0 0 1) layers with ultra heavy n-type doping grown by MBE

Science.gov (United States)

Yurasov, D. V.; Antonov, A. V.; Drozdov, M. N.; Yunin, P. A.; Andreev, B. A.; Bushuykin, P. A.; Baydakova, N. A.; Novikov, A. V.

2018-06-01

In this paper we report about the formation of ultra heavy doped n-Ge layers on Si(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and their characterization by different independent techniques. Combined study of structural and electrical properties of fabricated layers using secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hall effect and reflection measurements was carried out and it has revealed the achievable charge carrier densities exceeding 1020 cm-3 without deterioration of crystalline quality of such doped layers. It was also shown that X-ray analysis can be used as a fast, reliable and non-destructive method for evaluation of the electrically active Sb concentration in heavy doped Ge layers. The appropriate set of doping density allowed to adjust the plasmonic resonance position in Ge:Sb layers in a rather wide range reaching the wavelength of 3.6 μm for the highest doping concentration. Room temperature photoluminescence confirmed the high crystalline quality of such doped layers. Our results indicated the attainability of high electron concentration in Ge:Sb layers grown on Si substrates without crystalline quality deterioration which may find potential applications in the fields of Si-based photonics and mid-IR plasmonics.

Surface morphology of erbium silicide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, S.S.; Pai, C.S.; Wu, C.S.; Kuech, T.F.; Liu, B.X.

1982-01-01

The surface of rare-earth silicides (Er, Tb, etc.), formed by the reaction of thin-film metal layers with a silicon substrate, is typically dominated by deep penetrating, regularly shaped pits. These pits may have a detrimental effect on the electronic performance of low Schottky barrier height diodes utilizing such silicides on n-type Si. This study suggests that contamination at the metal-Si or silicide-Si interface is the primary cause of surface pitting. Surface pits may be reduced in density or eliminated entirely through either the use of Si substrate surfaces prepared under ultrahigh vacuum conditions prior to metal deposition and silicide formation or by means of ion irradiation techniques. Silicide layers formed by these techniques possess an almost planar morphology

Magnetic and electrical transport properties of delta-doped amorphous Ge:Mn magnetic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, H.L.; Lin, H.T.; Wu, Y.H.; Liu, T.; Zhao, Z.L.; Han, G.C.; Chong, T.C.

2006-01-01

We report on the growth and characterization of delta-doped amorphous Ge:Mn diluted magnetic semiconductor thin films on GaAs (0 0 1) substrates. The fabricated samples exhibit different magnetic behaviors, depending on the Mn doping concentration. The Curie temperature was found to be dependent on both the Mn doping concentration and spacing between the doping layers. A sharp drop in magnetization and rise in resistivity are observed at low temperature in samples with high Mn doping concentrations, which is also accompanied by a negative thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) in the higher temperature range. The temperature at which the magnetization starts to drop and the negative TRM appears show a correlation with the Mn doping concentration. The experimental results are discussed based on the formation of ferromagnetic regions at high temperature and antiferromagnetic coupling between these regions at low temperature

Study of novel junctionless Ge n-Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors with lightly doped drain (LDD) region

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiangyu; Hu, Huiyong; Wang, Bin; Wang, Meng; Han, Genquan; Cui, Shimin; Zhang, Heming

2017-02-01

In this paper, a novel junctionless Ge n-Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors (TFET) structure is proposed. The simulation results show that Ion = 5.5 × 10-5A/μm is achieved. The junctionless device structure enhances Ion effectively and increases the region where significant BTBT occurs, comparing with the normal Ge-nTEFT. The impact of the lightly doped drain (LDD) region is investigated. A comparison of Ion and Ioff of the junctionless Ge n-TFET with different channel doping concentration ND and LDD doping concentration NLDD is studied. Ioff is reduced 1 order of magnitude with the optimized ND and NLDD are 1 × 1018cm-3 and 1 × 1017 cm-3, respectively. To reduce the gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) current, the impact of the sloped gate oxide structure is also studied. By employing the sloped gate oxide structure, the below 60 mV/decade subthreshold swing S = 46.2 mV/decade is achieved at Ion = 4.05 × 10-5A/μm and Ion/Ioff = 5.7 × 106.

Local order origin of thermal stability enhancement in amorphous Ag doping GeTe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, L.; Li, Y.; Yu, N. N.; Zhong, Y. P.; Miao, X. S., E-mail: miaoxs@mail.hust.edu.cn [Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan 430074 (China); School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2015-01-19

We demonstrate the impacts of Ag doping on the local atomic structure of amorphous GeTe phase-change material. The variations of phonon vibrational modes, boding nature, and atomic structure are shown by Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ab initio calculation. Combining the experiments and simulations, we observe that the number of Ge atoms in octahedral site decreases and that in tetrahedral site increases. This modification in local order of GeTe originating from the low valence element will affect the crystallization behavior of amorphous GeTe, which is verified by differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscope results. This work not only gives the analysis on the structural change of GeTe with Ag dopants but also provides a method to enhance the thermal stability of amorphous phase-change materials for memory and brain-inspired computing applications.

The influence of oxygen and nitrogen doping on GeSbTe phase-change optical recording media properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dimitrov, D.; Shieh, H.-P.D

2004-03-15

Nitrogen and oxygen doped and co-doped GeSbTe (GST) films for phase-change optical recording are investigated. It is found that the crystallization temperature increased as well as the crystalline microstructure refined by doping. The carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) and erasability of phase-change optical disks are improved being up to 52 and 35 dB, respectively, by using an appropriate nitrogen doping or co-doping concentration in the recording layer. Optical disks with co-doped recording layer are found to be superior in the recording characteristics then the single doped recording layer disks.

Fabrication of Ge nanocrystals doped silica-on-silicon waveguides and observation of their strong quantum confinement effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ou, Haiyan; Rottwitt, Karsten

2009-01-01

Germanium (Ge) nanocrystals embedded in silica matrix is an interesting material for new optoelectronic devices. In this paper, standard silica-on-silicon waveguides with a core doped by Ge nanocrystals were fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition and reactive ion etching...

First-principles calculation on oxygen ion migration in alkaline-earth doped La2GeO5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuy Linh, Tran Phan; Sakaue, Mamoru; Aspera, Susan Meñez; Alaydrus, Musa; Wungu, Triati Dewi Kencana; Hoang Linh, Nguyen; Kasai, Hideaki; Mohri, Takahiro; Ishihara, Tatsumi

2014-01-01

By using first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory, we investigated the doping effects of alkaline-earth metals (Ba, Sr and Ca) in monoclinic lanthanum germanate La 2 GeO 5 on its oxygen ion conduction. Although the lattice parameters of the doped systems changed due to the ionic radii mismatch, the crystal structures remained monoclinic. The contribution of each atomic orbital to electronic densities of states was evaluated from the partial densities of states and partial charge densities. It was confirmed that the materials behaved as ionic crystals comprising of cations of La and dopants and anions of oxygen and covalently formed GeO 4 . The doping effect on the activation barrier for oxygen hopping to the most stable oxygen vacancy site was investigated by the climbing-image nudged elastic band method. By tracing the charge density change during the hopping, it was confirmed that the oxygen motion is governed by covalent interactions. The obtained activation barriers showed excellent quantitative agreements with an experiment for the Ca- and Sr-doped systems in low temperatures as well as the qualitative trend, including the Ba-doped system. (paper)

An experimental study of antireflective coatings in Ge light detectors for scintillating bolometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mancuso M.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Luminescent bolometers are double-readout devices able to measure simultaneously the phonon and the light yields after a particle interaction in the detector. This operation allows in some cases to tag the type of the interacting quantum, crucial issue for background control in rare event experiments such as the search for neutrinoless double beta decay and for interactions of particle dark matter candidates. The light detectors used in the LUCIFER and LUMINEU searches (projects aiming at the study of the double beta interesting candidates 82Se and 100Mo using ZnSe and ZnMoO4 scintillating bolometers consist of hyper-pure Ge thin slabs equipped with NTD thermistors. A substantial sensitivity improvement of the Ge light detectors can be obtained applying a proper anti-reflective coatings on the Ge side exposed to the luminescent bolometer. The present paper deals with the investigation of this aspect, proving and quantifying the positive effect of a SiO2 and a SiO coating and setting the experimental bases for future tests of other coating materials. The results confirm that an appropriate coating procedure helps in improving the sensitivity of bolometric light detectors by an important factor (in the range 20% – 35% and needs to be included in the recipe for the development of an optimized radio-pure scintillating bolometer.

An experimental study of antireflective coatings in Ge light detectors for scintillating bolometers

Science.gov (United States)

Mancuso, M.; Beeman, J. W.; Giuliani, A.; Dumoulin, L.; Olivieri, E.; Pessina, G.; Plantevin, O.; Rusconi, C.; Tenconi, M.

2014-01-01

Luminescent bolometers are double-readout devices able to measure simultaneously the phonon and the light yields after a particle interaction in the detector. This operation allows in some cases to tag the type of the interacting quantum, crucial issue for background control in rare event experiments such as the search for neutrinoless double beta decay and for interactions of particle dark matter candidates. The light detectors used in the LUCIFER and LUMINEU searches (projects aiming at the study of the double beta interesting candidates 82Se and 100Mo using ZnSe and ZnMoO4 scintillating bolometers) consist of hyper-pure Ge thin slabs equipped with NTD thermistors. A substantial sensitivity improvement of the Ge light detectors can be obtained applying a proper anti-reflective coatings on the Ge side exposed to the luminescent bolometer. The present paper deals with the investigation of this aspect, proving and quantifying the positive effect of a SiO2 and a SiO coating and setting the experimental bases for future tests of other coating materials. The results confirm that an appropriate coating procedure helps in improving the sensitivity of bolometric light detectors by an important factor (in the range 20% - 35%) and needs to be included in the recipe for the development of an optimized radio-pure scintillating bolometer.

Silver doped hydroxyapatite coatings by sacrificial anode deposition under magnetic field.

Science.gov (United States)

Swain, S; Rautray, T R

2017-09-13

Uniform distribution of silver (Ag) in the hydroxyapatite (HA) coated Ti surface has been a concern for which an attempt has been made to dope Ag in HA coating with and without magnetic field. Cathodic deposition technique was employed to coat Ag incorporated hydroxyapatite coating using a sacrificial silver anode method by using NdFeB bar magnets producing 12 Tesla magnetic field. While uniform deposition of Ag was observed in the coatings under magnetic field, dense coating was evident in the coating without magnetic field conditions. Uniformly distributed Ag incorporated HA in the present study has potential to fight microorganism while providing osseoconduction properties of the composite coating.

Phase change behaviors of Zn-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2012-01-01

Zn-doped Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 phase-change materials have been investigated for phase change memory applications. Zn 15.16 (Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 ) 84.84 phase change film exhibits a higher crystallization temperature (∼258 °C), wider band gap (∼0.78 eV), better data retention of 10 years at 167.5 °C, higher crystalline resistance, and faster crystallization speed compared with the conventional Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 . The proper Zn atom added into Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 serves as a center for suppression of the face-centered-cubic (fcc) phase to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase transition, and fcc phase has high thermal stability partially due to the bond recombination among Zn, Sb, and Te atoms.

Formation and relaxation processes of photoinduced defects in a Ge-doped SiO2 glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, M.; Saito, K.; Ikushima, A.J.

2002-01-01

The defect centers induced by ArF laser irradiation in Ge-doped SiO 2 have been investigated by the electron-spin resonance method. In order to observe formation and relaxation processes of the defects, step annealing has been carried out after the irradiation at 77 K. The thermally induced decay of the self-trapped hole (STH) and formation of the so-called Ge(2) centers have been observed with increasing temperature. The result suggests that the holes are transferred from the STH to the Ge(2)

Coating of calcia-doped ceria with amorphous silica shell by seeded polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Yin, Shu; Yabe, Shinryo; Sato, Tsugio

2005-01-01

Calcia-doped ceria is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products. However, its high catalytic ability for oxidation of organic materials makes it difficult to use as a sunscreen material. Therefore, calcia-doped ceria was coated with amorphous silica by means of seeded polymerization technique in order to depress its oxidation catalytic ability. The catalytic ability as well as UV-shielding ability was investigated for coated particles

First-principles study on the gas sensing property of the Ge, As, and Br doped PtSe2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Yang, Gui; Tian, Junlong; Ma, Dongwei; Wang, Yuanxu

2018-03-01

Based on first-principles calculations, the adsorption behaviors of H2, O2, CO, CO2, NH3, NO, and NO2 molecules on the Ge-, As- and Br-doped PtSe2 monolayers are theoretically investigated. The results indicate that it is viable for the dopant atoms to be filled into the Se vacancies under Pt-rich conditions. Ge and As act as p-type dopants, while Br acts as n-type dopant. For the adsorption of molecules, the geometrical structures, adsorption energies, charge transfers and the electronic and magnetic properties of the most stable configurations are presented and discussed. It is found that the Ge-doped PtSe2 monolayers exhibit greatly enhanced sensitivity toward O2, CO, NH3, NO and NO2 molecules and the As-doped PtSe2 monolayers are more sensitive toward O2, NH3, NO and NO2 molecules than the pristine ones. This is evident from large adsorption energies, charge transfers, and obvious changes of the electronic states due to the molecule adsorption. However, Br doping cannot enhance the sensing sensitivity of the PtSe2 monolayer. The possible reason is that when substituting for the Se atom, the doped Br with more 4p electrons and less empty orbitals are already chemically saturated by the two of the three neighboring Pt atoms, and thus lose the ability of charge exchange with the adsorbed molecules. On the contrary, the Ge and As as p-type dopants have sizable empty 4p orbitals near the Fermi level to exchange the electrons with the adsorbed molecules, and thus form strong bonds with them.

Electrochemical studies and growth of apatite on molybdenum doped DLC coatings on titanium alloy β-21S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anandan, C.; Mohan, L.; Babu, P. Dilli

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Titanium alloy β21S was coated with Mo doped DLC. • XRD, XPS and micro Raman show that Mo is present in the form of carbide. • Mo doping facilitates apatite growth on DLC during immersion in Hanks’ solution. • Mo doped DLC sample shows better passivation behavior in Hanks’ solution. - Abstract: Titanium alloy β-21S (Ti–15Mo–3Nb–3Al–0.2Si) was coated with molybdenum doped DLC by Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering. XRD, XPS and Raman spectroscopy show that Mo is present in the form of carbide in the coating. XPS of samples immersed in Hanks’ solution shows presence of calcium, phosphorous and oxygen in hydroxide/phosphate form on the substrate and Mo-doped DLC. Potentiodynamic polarization studies show that the corrosion resistance and passivation behavior of Mo-doped DLC is better than that of substrate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies show that Mo-doped DLC samples behave like an ideal capacitor in Hanks’ solution

Electrochemical studies and growth of apatite on molybdenum doped DLC coatings on titanium alloy β-21S

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anandan, C., E-mail: canandan@nal.res.in; Mohan, L.; Babu, P. Dilli

2014-03-01

Highlights: • Titanium alloy β21S was coated with Mo doped DLC. • XRD, XPS and micro Raman show that Mo is present in the form of carbide. • Mo doping facilitates apatite growth on DLC during immersion in Hanks’ solution. • Mo doped DLC sample shows better passivation behavior in Hanks’ solution. - Abstract: Titanium alloy β-21S (Ti–15Mo–3Nb–3Al–0.2Si) was coated with molybdenum doped DLC by Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering. XRD, XPS and Raman spectroscopy show that Mo is present in the form of carbide in the coating. XPS of samples immersed in Hanks’ solution shows presence of calcium, phosphorous and oxygen in hydroxide/phosphate form on the substrate and Mo-doped DLC. Potentiodynamic polarization studies show that the corrosion resistance and passivation behavior of Mo-doped DLC is better than that of substrate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies show that Mo-doped DLC samples behave like an ideal capacitor in Hanks’ solution.

Effect of doping (C or N) and co-doping (C+N) on the photoactive properties of magnetron sputtered titania coatings for the application of solar water-splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, M; Dang, B H Q; McDonnell, K; MacElroy, J M D; Dowling, D P

2012-06-01

The photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoanode is a potentially renewable source of chemical fuels. However, the size of the band gap (-3.2 eV) of the TiO2 photocatalyst leads to its relatively low photoactivity toward visible light in a PEC cell. The development of materials with smaller band gaps of approximately 2.4 eV is therefore necessary to operate PEC cells efficiently. This study investigates the effect of dopant (C or N) and co-dopant (C+N) on the physical, structural and photoactivity of TiO2 nano thick coating. TiO2 nano-thick coatings were deposited using a closed field DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique, from titanium target in argon plasma with trace addition of oxygen. In order to study the influence of doping such as C, N and C+N inclusions in the TiO2 coatings, trace levels of CO2 or N2 or CO2+N2 gas were introduced into the deposition chamber respectively. The properties of the deposited nano-coatings were determined using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, SEM, AFM, Optical profilometry, XPS, Raman, X-ray diffraction UV-Vis spectroscopy and tri-electrode potentiostat measurements. Coating growth rate, structure, surface morphology and roughness were found to be significantly influenced by the types and amount of doping. Substitutional type of doping in all doped sample were confirmed by XPS. UV-vis measurement confirmed that doping (especially for C doped sample) facilitate photoactivity of sputtered deposited titania coating toward visible light by reducing bandgap. The photocurrent density (indirect indication of water splitting performance) of the C-doped photoanode was approximately 26% higher in comparison with un-doped photoanode. However, coating doped with nitrogen (N or N+C) does not exhibit good performance in the photoelectrochemical cell due to their higher charge recombination properties.

Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Yucheng; Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu; Dai Hongxing

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: ► Sb-doped SnO 2 (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. ► Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. ► Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. ► The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 Ω cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N 2 adsorption–desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 Ω cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 °C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

Thermoluminescence characteristics of different dimensions of Ge-doped optical fibers in radiation dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begum, M.; Mizanur R, A. K. M.; Abdul R, H. A.; Yusoff, Z. [Multimedia University, Faculty of Engineering, 63100 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan (Malaysia); Begum, M. [Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, E-12/A, Agargaon, Sher-e-Blanga Nagar Dhaka-1207 (Bangladesh); Mat-Sharif, K. A. [Lingkaran Teknokrat Timur, Telekom Research and Development, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan (Malaysia); Amin, Y. M. [University of Malaya, Faculty of Science, Depatment of Physics, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Bradley, D. A., E-mail: go2munmun@yahoo.com [University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

2014-08-15

Important thermoluminescence (Tl) properties of five (5) different core sizes Ge doped optical fibers have been studied to develop new Tl material with better response. These are drawn from same preform applying different speed and tension during drawing phase. The results of the investigations are also compared with most commonly used standard TLD-100 chips (LiF:Mg,Ti) and commercial multimode Ge doped optical fiber (Yangtze Optical Fiber, China). Scanning Electron Microscope (Sem) and EDX analysis of the fibers are also performed to map Ge distribution across the deposited region. Standard Gamma radiation source in SSDL (Secondary Standard Dosimetry Lab) was used for irradiation covering dose range from 1 Gy to 10 Gy. The essential dosimetric parameters that have been studied are Tl linearity, reproducibility and fading. Prior to irradiation all samples ∼0.5 cm length are annealed at temperature of 400 grades C for 1 hour period to standardize their sensitivities and background. Standard TLD-100 chips are also annealed for 1 hour at 400 grades C and subsequently 2 hours at 100 grades C to yield the highest sensitivity. Tl responses of these fibers show linearity over a wide gamma radiation dose that is an important property for radiation dosimetry. Among all fibers used in this study, 100 μm core diameter fiber provides highest response that is 2.6 times than that of smallest core (20 μm core) optical fiber. These fiber-samples demonstrate better response than commercial multi-mode optical fiber and also provide low degree of fading about 20% over a period of fifteen days for gamma radiation. Effective atomic number (Z{sub eff}) is found in the range (13.25 to 13.69) that is higher than soft tissue (7.5) however within the range of human-bone (11.6-13.8). All the fibers can also be re-used several times as a detector after annealing. Tl properties of the Ge-doped optical fibers indicate promising applications in ionizing radiation dosimetry. (author)

Thermoluminescence characteristics of different dimensions of Ge-doped optical fibers in radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, M.; Mizanur R, A. K. M.; Abdul R, H. A.; Yusoff, Z.; Begum, M.; Mat-Sharif, K. A.; Amin, Y. M.; Bradley, D. A.

2014-08-01

Important thermoluminescence (Tl) properties of five (5) different core sizes Ge doped optical fibers have been studied to develop new Tl material with better response. These are drawn from same preform applying different speed and tension during drawing phase. The results of the investigations are also compared with most commonly used standard TLD-100 chips (LiF:Mg,Ti) and commercial multimode Ge doped optical fiber (Yangtze Optical Fiber, China). Scanning Electron Microscope (Sem) and EDX analysis of the fibers are also performed to map Ge distribution across the deposited region. Standard Gamma radiation source in SSDL (Secondary Standard Dosimetry Lab) was used for irradiation covering dose range from 1 Gy to 10 Gy. The essential dosimetric parameters that have been studied are Tl linearity, reproducibility and fading. Prior to irradiation all samples ∼0.5 cm length are annealed at temperature of 400 grades C for 1 hour period to standardize their sensitivities and background. Standard TLD-100 chips are also annealed for 1 hour at 400 grades C and subsequently 2 hours at 100 grades C to yield the highest sensitivity. Tl responses of these fibers show linearity over a wide gamma radiation dose that is an important property for radiation dosimetry. Among all fibers used in this study, 100 μm core diameter fiber provides highest response that is 2.6 times than that of smallest core (20 μm core) optical fiber. These fiber-samples demonstrate better response than commercial multi-mode optical fiber and also provide low degree of fading about 20% over a period of fifteen days for gamma radiation. Effective atomic number (Z eff ) is found in the range (13.25 to 13.69) that is higher than soft tissue (7.5) however within the range of human-bone (11.6-13.8). All the fibers can also be re-used several times as a detector after annealing. Tl properties of the Ge-doped optical fibers indicate promising applications in ionizing radiation dosimetry. (author)

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the properties of Ge2Sb2Te5 and indium-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change material

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gurinder; Kaura, Aman; Mukul, Monika; Singh, Janpreet; Tripathi, S. K.

2014-06-01

We have carried out comprehensive computational and experimental study on the face-centered cubic Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) and indium (In)-doped GST phase change materials. Structural calculations, total density of states and crystal orbital Hamilton population have been calculated using first-principle calculation. 5 at.% doping of In weakens the Ge-Te, Sb-Te and Te-Te bond lengths. In element substitutes Sb to form In-Te-like structure in the GST system. In-Te has a weaker bond strength compared with the Sb-Te bond. However, both GST and doped alloy remain in rock salt structure. It is more favorable to replace Sb with In than with any other atomic position. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been carried out on thin film of In-doped GST phase change materials. XRD graph reveals that In-doped phase change materials have rock salt structure with the formation of In2Te3 crystallites in the material. Temperature dependence of impedance spectra has been calculated for thin films of GST and doped material. Thickness of the as-deposited films is calculated from Swanepoel method. Absorption coefficient (α) has been calculated for amorphous and crystalline thin films of the alloys. The optical gap (indirect band gap) energy of the amorphous and crystalline thin films has also been calculated by the equation α hν = β (hν - E_{{g }} )2 . Optical contrast (C) of pure and doped phase change materials have also been calculated. Sufficient optical contrast has been found for pure and doped phase change materials.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the properties of Ge2Sb2Te5 and indium-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Gurinder; Kaura, Aman; Mukul, Monika; Singh, Janpreet; Tripathi, S.K.

2014-01-01

We have carried out comprehensive computational and experimental study on the face-centered cubic Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) and indium (In)-doped GST phase change materials. Structural calculations, total density of states and crystal orbital Hamilton population have been calculated using first-principle calculation. 5 at.% doping of In weakens the Ge-Te, Sb-Te and Te-Te bond lengths. In element substitutes Sb to form In-Te-like structure in the GST system. In-Te has a weaker bond strength compared with the Sb-Te bond. However, both GST and doped alloy remain in rock salt structure. It is more favorable to replace Sb with In than with any other atomic position. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been carried out on thin film of In-doped GST phase change materials. XRD graph reveals that In-doped phase change materials have rock salt structure with the formation of In 2 Te 3 crystallites in the material. Temperature dependence of impedance spectra has been calculated for thin films of GST and doped material. Thickness of the as-deposited films is calculated from Swanepoel method. Absorption coefficient (α) has been calculated for amorphous and crystalline thin films of the alloys. The optical gap (indirect band gap) energy of the amorphous and crystalline thin films has also been calculated by the equation αhν = β(hν - E g ) 2 . Optical contrast (C) of pure and doped phase change materials have also been calculated. Sufficient optical contrast has been found for pure and doped phase change materials. (orig.)

Thermokinetic behaviour of Ag-doped (GeS2)50(Sb2S3)50 glasses.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Svoboda, R.; Fraenkl, M.; Frumarová, Božena; Wágner, T.; Málek, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 449, 1 October (2016), s. 12-19 ISSN 0022-3093 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : DSC * Ag doping * Ge-Sb-S glass Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.124, year: 2016

Hydrostatic pressure effect on the magnetocaloric behavior of Ga-doped MnNiGe magnetic equiatomic alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, P; Das, D; Chatterjee, S; Pramanick, S; Majumdar, S

2016-01-01

The magnetocaloric properties of a new class of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys of nominal composition MnNiGe 0.928 Ga 0.072 have been investigated in ambient conditions as well as in the presence of external hydrostatic pressure. Both inverse (6.35 Jkg −1 K −1 for 0  −  50 kOe around 160 K) and conventional (−4.54 Jkg −1 K −1 for 0–50 kOe around 210 K) magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) have been observed around the structural and magnetic transitions respectively. The sample can be thought of as being derived from the parent MnNiGe alloy, where Ga was doped at the expense of the Ge atom. Ga doping at Ge sites brings down the martensitic transition temperature to below room temperature and induces ferromagnetism by affecting the lattice volume of the alloy. However, below the first-order martensitic transition the alloy loses its ferromagnetism. Application of external hydrostatic pressure results in a revival of ferromagnetic interactions in the martensitic phase of the alloy and a considerable increase in the refrigeration capacity around the conventional MCE region. (paper)

Sol gel coatings doped with Ce ions deposited on industrial applications metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pepe, A; Aparicio, M; Duran, A; Cere, S

2004-01-01

Compounds that contain chromates as corrosion inhibitors are widely used. Since these compounds are highly toxic, enormous efforts are being made to replace them. The lanthanides, especially cerium, have the right properties for this substitution. Different substrates can be protected by a variety of coatings. The sol-gel derived films can be deposited on different metals or alloys to increase their resistance to corrosion or to modify their surface properties by doped with different substances that can increase their protective strength, by combining the barrier capacity of the hybrid coating with the inhibitory properties of the cerium. This work presents the conditions for obtaining soles doped with cerium III and IV salts at room temperature and humidity. The parameters are also described for obtaining coatings by free immersion-extraction of fissures and pores on metallic substrates (stainless steel AISI 304). The behavior with corrosion of the coated samples was characterized with electrochemical tests (CW)

Preparation and enhanced oxidation performance of a Hf-doped single-phase Pt-modified aluminide coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y.F.; Jiang, C.Y.; Yao, H.R.; Bao, Z.B.; Zhu, S.L.; Wang, F.H.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Tiny Hf particles were successfully incorporated into Pt plating via simple electro-plating method. The hafnium particles were either nipped at Pt grain boundaries or wrapped inside Pt grains, and most of them were below 3 μm in size, showing a uniform distribution within the Pt plating. - Highlights: • A Hf-rich belt formed between outer (Ni,Pt)Al and IDZ after aluminisation. • Hf-doped coating showed much decreased mass gain and oxidation rate constant k_p. • Hf-rich belt acted as diffusion barrier by restraining diffusions of Al and W. • Degradation of β was effectively postponed by the unique Hf addition. • Hf-doped coating exhibited lighter oxide scale rumpling tendency. - Abstract: A Hf-doped β-(Ni,Pt)Al coating was prepared by co-deposition of a Pt-Hf composite plating and successive aluminisation. Then, a distinct Hf-rich belt was formed internally between the outer additive (Ni,Pt)Al coating and interdiffusion zone. An isothermal oxidation test at 1100 °C revealed a relatively lower oxidation rate constant and decreased oxide scale rumpling tendency for the Hf-doped coating during which the Hf-rich belt partly acted as an effective diffusion barrier. The unique addition of Hf into a β-(Ni,Pt)Al coating can delay the transitional oxidation period from transient alumina to stable one and postpone the degradation from β to γ'.

Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du Yucheng, E-mail: ychengdu@bjut.edu.cn [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Dai Hongxing, E-mail: hxdai@bjut.edu.cn [Laboratory of Catalysis Chemistry and Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China)

2012-04-16

Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 {Omega} cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 {Omega} cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 Degree-Sign C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

Friction and wear behaviour of Mo-W doped carbon-based coating during boundary lubricated sliding

Science.gov (United States)

Hovsepian, Papken Eh.; Mandal, Paranjayee; Ehiasarian, Arutiun P.; Sáfrán, G.; Tietema, R.; Doerwald, D.

2016-03-01

A molybdenum and tungsten doped carbon-based coating (Mo-W-C) was developed in order to provide low friction in boundary lubricated sliding condition at ambient and at high temperature. The Mo-W-C coating showed the lowest friction coefficient among a number of commercially available state-of-the-art DLC coatings at ambient temperature. At elevated temperature (200 °C), Mo-W-C coating showed a significant reduction in friction coefficient with sliding distance in contrast to DLC coatings. Raman spectroscopy revealed the importance of combined Mo and W doping for achieving low friction at both ambient and high temperature. The significant decrease in friction and wear rate was attributed to the presence of graphitic carbon debris (from coating) and 'in situ' formed metal sulphides (WS2 and MoS2, where metals were supplied from coating and sulphur from engine oil) in the transfer layer.

Compositionally modulated multilayer diamond-like carbon coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Wei; Gao, Xiang; Liu, Jingmao; Kwon, Se-Hun; Wang, Qimin

2017-12-01

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping were prepared by a reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering with using a gas mixture of Ar and C2H2 as precursor. The composition, microstructure, compressive stress, and mechanical property of the as-deposited DLC coatings were studied systemically by using SEM, XPS, TEM, Raman spectrum, stress-tester, and nanoindentation as a function of the Ar fraction. The results show that the doping concentrations of the Al, Ti and Si atoms increased as the Ar fraction increased. The doped Ti and Si preferred to bond with C while the doped Al mainly existed in oxidation state without bonding with C. As the doping concentrations increased, TiC carbide nanocrystals were formed in the DLC matrix. The microstructure of coatings changed from an amorphous feature dominant AlTiSi-DLC to a carbide nanocomposite AlTiSi-DLC with TiC nanoparticles embedding. In addition, the coatings exhibited the compositionally modulated multilayer consisting of alternate Al-rich layer and Al-poor layer due to the rotation of the substrate holder and the diffusion behavior of the doped Al which tended to separate from C and diffuse towards the DLC matrix surface owing to its weak interactions with C. The periodic Al-rich layer can effectively release the compressive stress of the coatings. On the other hand, the hard TiC nanoparticles were conducive to the hardness of the coatings. Consequently, the DLC coatings with relatively low residual stress and high hardness could be acquired successfully through AlTiSi multi-doping. It is believed that the AlCrSi multi-doping may be a good way for improving the comprehensive properties of the DLC coatings. In addition, we believe that the DLC coatings with Al-rich multilayered structure have a high oxidation resistance, which allows the DLC coatings application in high temperature environment.

WSi2 in Si(1-x)Ge(x) Composites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Jonathan A.; Sehirlioglu, Alp; Dynys, Fred

2015-01-01

Traditional SiGe thermoelectrics have potential for enhanced figure of merit (ZT) via nano-structuring with a silicide phase, such as WSi2. A second phase of nano-sized silicides can theoretically reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity without significantly reducing the electrical conductivity. However, experimentally achieving such improvements in line with the theory is complicated by factors such as control of silicide size during sintering, dopant segregation, matrix homogeneity, and sintering kinetics. Samples were prepared using powder metallurgy techniques; including mechano-chemical alloying, via ball milling, and spark plasma sintering for densification. Processing, micro-structural development, and thermoelectric properties will be discussed. Additionally, couple and device level characterization will be introduced.

Enhanced persistent red luminescence in Mn2+-doped (Mg,Zn)GeO3 by electron trap and conduction band engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Katayama, Yumiko; Kayumi, Tomohiro; Ueda, Jumpei; Tanabe, Setsuhisa

2018-05-01

The effect of Zn substitution on the persistent luminescence properties of MgGeO3:Mn2+-Ln3+ (Ln = Eu and Yb) red phosphors was investigated. The intensity of the persistent luminescence of the Eu3+ co-doped phosphors increased with increasing Zn content, whereas that of the Yb3+ co-doped samples decreased. For both series of lanthanide co-doped samples, the thermoluminescence (TL) glow peak shifted to the lower temperature side with increasing Zn content. These persistent luminescence properties were well explained in terms of lowering of the bottom of the conduction band relative to the ground state of the divalent lanthanide ions. Especially, in Eu3+ co-doped system, TL peak shifted from 520 K to 318 K by 50% Zn substitution. The persistent radiance of the (Mg0.5 Zn0.5)GeO3: Mn2+-Eu3+ sample at 1 h after ceasing UV light was 46 times stronger than that of MgGeO3:Mn2+-Eu3+, and 11 times stronger than that of ZnGa2O4: Cr3+ standard deep red persistent phosphor.

The computational study of adsorption of carbon monoxide on pristine and Ge-doped (6,0 zigzag models of BNNTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahdi Rezaei Sameti

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is studying the effects of Ge-doped on CO adsorption on the outer and inner surfaces of (6, 0 zigzag model of boron nitride nanotube (BNNTs by using DFT theory. For this purpose, eight models of CO adsorption on the surfaces of BNNTs are considered. At first step, all structures were optimized at B3LYP and 6-31G (d standard base set and then the electronic structure, adsorption energy, HOMO - LUMO orbitals, gap energy, quantum molecular descriptors, and NQR parameters were determined. The bond lengths neighborhood sites of Ge-doped of BNNTs at all models were increased and the bond angles decreased. The small ad-sorption energy value and large interaction distance show that the adsorption of CO on BNNTs is weakly physical adsorption due to weak Van der Waals interaction. Our calculated results show that the adsorption of CO on the surface of undoped models is more favorable than Ge-doped models. The NQR parameters of the first layer in all the models are larger than those other layers.

Preliminary research on a novel bioactive silicon doped calcium phosphate coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy via electrodeposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, Xun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China); Wan, Peng, E-mail: pwan@imr.ac.cn [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China); Tan, LiLi [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China); Fan, XinMin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Yang, Ke [Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016 (China)

2014-03-01

A silicon doped calcium phosphate coating was obtained successfully on AZ31 alloy substrate via pulse electrodeposition. A novel dual-layer structure was observed with a porous lamellar-like and outer block-like apatite layer. In vitro immersion tests were adopted in simulated body fluid within 28 days of immersion. Slow degradation rate obtained from weight loss was observed for the Si-doped Ca–P coating, which was also consistent with the results of electrochemical experiments showing an enhanced corrosion resistance for the coating. Further formation of an apatite-like layer on the surface after immersion proved better integrity and biomineralization performance of the coating. Biological characterization was carried out for viability, proliferation and differentiation of MG63 osteoblast-like cells. The coating showed a good cell growth and an enhanced cell proliferation. Moreover, an increased activity of osteogenic marker ALP was found. All the results demonstrated that the Si-doped calcium phosphate was perspective to be used as a coating for magnesium alloy implants to control the degradation rate and enhance the bioactivity, which would facilitate the rapidity of bone tissue repair. - Highlights: • A Si-doped calcium phosphate coating was achieved via pulse ED on AZ31 alloy. • The coating was composed of a porous lamellar-like layer and outer block-like apatite. • The coating showed slow degradation rate and better biomineralization property. • The coating improved cell proliferation and activity of osteogenic marker ALP.

Preliminary research on a novel bioactive silicon doped calcium phosphate coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy via electrodeposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, Xun; Wan, Peng; Tan, LiLi; Fan, XinMin; Yang, Ke

2014-01-01

A silicon doped calcium phosphate coating was obtained successfully on AZ31 alloy substrate via pulse electrodeposition. A novel dual-layer structure was observed with a porous lamellar-like and outer block-like apatite layer. In vitro immersion tests were adopted in simulated body fluid within 28 days of immersion. Slow degradation rate obtained from weight loss was observed for the Si-doped Ca–P coating, which was also consistent with the results of electrochemical experiments showing an enhanced corrosion resistance for the coating. Further formation of an apatite-like layer on the surface after immersion proved better integrity and biomineralization performance of the coating. Biological characterization was carried out for viability, proliferation and differentiation of MG63 osteoblast-like cells. The coating showed a good cell growth and an enhanced cell proliferation. Moreover, an increased activity of osteogenic marker ALP was found. All the results demonstrated that the Si-doped calcium phosphate was perspective to be used as a coating for magnesium alloy implants to control the degradation rate and enhance the bioactivity, which would facilitate the rapidity of bone tissue repair. - Highlights: • A Si-doped calcium phosphate coating was achieved via pulse ED on AZ31 alloy. • The coating was composed of a porous lamellar-like layer and outer block-like apatite. • The coating showed slow degradation rate and better biomineralization property. • The coating improved cell proliferation and activity of osteogenic marker ALP

Preparation and characterization of carbon/SiC nanowire/Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite multilayer coating for carbon/carbon composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leilei, Zhang; Hejun, Li; Kezhi, Li; Shouyang, Zhang; Qiangang, Fu; Yulei, Zhang; Jinhua, Lu; Wei, Li

2014-01-01

Highlights: • CSH coatings were prepared by combination of magnetron sputter ion plating, CVD and UECD. • Na + and CO 3 2− were developed to co-substitute hydroxyapatite. • SiC nanowires were introduced into Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite. • CSH coatings showed excellent cell activity and cell proliferation behavior. - Abstract: A carbon/SiC nanowire/Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite multilayer coating (CSH coating) was prepared on carbon/carbon composites using a combination method of magnetron sputter ion plating, chemical vapor deposition and ultrasound-assisted electrochemical deposition procedure. The morphology, microstructure and chemical composition of the coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the CSH coating was consisted of three components: carbon layer, SiC nanowires and Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite. The carbon layer provided a dense and uniform surface structure for the growth of SiC nanowires. The SiC nanowires exhibited a porous structure, favoring the infiltration of Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite crystals. The Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite could infiltrate into the pores of SiC nanowires and finally cover the SiC nanowires entirely with a needle shape. The osteoblast-like MG63 cells were employed to assess the in vitro biocompatibility of the CSH coating. The MG63 cells favorably spread and grew well across the CSH coating surface with plenty of filopods and microvilli, exhibiting excellent cell activity. Moreover, the CSH coating elicited higher cell proliferation as compared to bare carbon/carbon composites. In conclusion, the CSH offers great potential as a coating material for future medical application in hard tissue replacement

Preparation and characterization of carbon/SiC nanowire/Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite multilayer coating for carbon/carbon composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leilei, Zhang, E-mail: zhangleilei1121@aliyun.com; Hejun, Li; Kezhi, Li; Shouyang, Zhang; Qiangang, Fu; Yulei, Zhang; Jinhua, Lu; Wei, Li

2014-09-15

Highlights: • CSH coatings were prepared by combination of magnetron sputter ion plating, CVD and UECD. • Na{sup +} and CO{sub 3}{sup 2−} were developed to co-substitute hydroxyapatite. • SiC nanowires were introduced into Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite. • CSH coatings showed excellent cell activity and cell proliferation behavior. - Abstract: A carbon/SiC nanowire/Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite multilayer coating (CSH coating) was prepared on carbon/carbon composites using a combination method of magnetron sputter ion plating, chemical vapor deposition and ultrasound-assisted electrochemical deposition procedure. The morphology, microstructure and chemical composition of the coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the CSH coating was consisted of three components: carbon layer, SiC nanowires and Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite. The carbon layer provided a dense and uniform surface structure for the growth of SiC nanowires. The SiC nanowires exhibited a porous structure, favoring the infiltration of Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite crystals. The Na-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite could infiltrate into the pores of SiC nanowires and finally cover the SiC nanowires entirely with a needle shape. The osteoblast-like MG63 cells were employed to assess the in vitro biocompatibility of the CSH coating. The MG63 cells favorably spread and grew well across the CSH coating surface with plenty of filopods and microvilli, exhibiting excellent cell activity. Moreover, the CSH coating elicited higher cell proliferation as compared to bare carbon/carbon composites. In conclusion, the CSH offers great potential as a coating material for future medical application in hard tissue replacement.

Evolution of magnetostructural transition and magnetocaloric effect with Al doping in MnCoGe1-xAlx compounds

KAUST Repository

Bao, Lifu; Hu, Fengxia; Wu, Rongrong; Wang, Jianping; Chen, Liming; Sun, Jirong; Shen, Baogen; Li, Lain-Jong; Zhang, Bei; Zhang, Xixiang

2014-01-01

The effect of Al doping in MnCoGe1-xAlx compounds has been investigated. The substitution of Al for Ge enhances Mn-Mn covalent bonding by shortening the distance of nearest Mn atom layers, and thus stabilizes the hexagonal structure. As a result, first-order magnetostructural transition between ferromagnetic martensite and paramagnetic austenite takes place for the optimized compositions (x = 0.01, 0.02). Accompanied with the magnetostructural transition, large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is observed. More doping of Al(x = 0.03, 0.04) leads to the separation of magnetic and structural transitions and remarkable reduction of MCE. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Evolution of magnetostructural transition and magnetocaloric effect with Al doping in MnCoGe1-xAlx compounds

KAUST Repository

Bao, Lifu

2014-01-03

The effect of Al doping in MnCoGe1-xAlx compounds has been investigated. The substitution of Al for Ge enhances Mn-Mn covalent bonding by shortening the distance of nearest Mn atom layers, and thus stabilizes the hexagonal structure. As a result, first-order magnetostructural transition between ferromagnetic martensite and paramagnetic austenite takes place for the optimized compositions (x = 0.01, 0.02). Accompanied with the magnetostructural transition, large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is observed. More doping of Al(x = 0.03, 0.04) leads to the separation of magnetic and structural transitions and remarkable reduction of MCE. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Characterization of Ge Doping on Sb_2Te_3 for High-Speed Phase Change Memory Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yue-Qin; Xie Hua-Qing; Zhang Zhong-Hua; Song San-Nian; Song Zhi-Tang; Shen Lan-Lan; Li Le; Wu Liang-Cai; Liu Bo

2015-01-01

The phase change material of Ge-doped Sb_2Te_3 is shown to have higher crystallization temperature and better thermal stability compared with pure Sb_2Te_3. Ge_0_._1_1Sb_2Te_3 alloys are considered to be a potential candidate for phase change random access memories, as proved by a higher crystallization temperature, a better data retention ability, and a faster switching speed in comparison with those of Ge_2Sb_2Te_5. In addition, Ge_0_._1_1Sb_2Te_3 presents extremely rapid reverse switching speed (10 ns), and up to 10"5 programming cycles are obtained with stable set and reset resistances. (paper)

Effect of strain, substrate surface and growth rate on B-doping in selectively grown SiGe layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghandi, R.; Kolahdouz, M.; Hallstedt, J.; Wise, R.; Wejtmans, Hans; Radamson, H.H.

2008-01-01

In this work, the role of strain and growth rate on boron incorporation in selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of B-doped Si 1-x Ge x (x = 0.15-0.25) layers in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and B incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers

Effect of strain, substrate surface and growth rate on B-doping in selectively grown SiGe layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghandi, R. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)], E-mail: ghandi@kth.se; Kolahdouz, M.; Hallstedt, J. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden); Wise, R.; Wejtmans, Hans [Texas Instrument, 13121 TI Boulevard, Dallas, Tx 75243 (United States); Radamson, H.H. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)

2008-11-03

In this work, the role of strain and growth rate on boron incorporation in selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of B-doped Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.15-0.25) layers in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and B incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers.

Optoelectronic Characterization of Infrared Photodetector Fabricated on Ge-on-Si Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurelbaatar, Zagarzusem; Kil, Yeon-Ho; Kim, Taek Sung; Shim, Kyu-Hwan; Hong, Hyobong; Choi, Chel-Jong

2015-10-01

We report on the optoelectronic characterization of Ge p-i-n infrared photodetector fabricated on Ge-on-Si substrate using rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD). The phosphorous doping concentration and the root mean square (RMS) surface roughness of epitaxial layer was estimated to be 2 x 10(18) cm(-3) and 1.2 nm, respectively. The photodetector were characterized with respect to their dark, photocurrent and responsivities in the wavelength range of 1530-1630 nm. At 1550 nm wavelength, responsivity of 0.32 A/W was measured for a reverse bias of 1 V, corresponding to 25% external quantum efficiency, without an optimal antireflection coating. Responsivity drastically reduced from 1560 nm wavelength which could be attributed to decreased absorption of Ge at room temperature.

Establishment of Ge-doped optical fibres as thermoluminescence dosimeters for brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issa, Fatma; Abdul Rahman, A.T.; Hugtenburg, Richard P.; Bradley, David A.; Nisbet, Andrew

2012-01-01

This study aims to establish the sensitive, ∼120 μm high spatial resolution, high dynamic range Ge-doped optical fibres as thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters for brachytherapy dose distribution. This requires investigation to accommodate sensitivity of detection, both for the possibility of short range dose deposition from beta components as well as gamma/x-mediated dose. In-air measurements are made at distances close to radionuclide sources, evaluating the fall off in dose along the transverse axis of 133 Ba and 60 Co radioactive sources, at distances from 2 mm up to 20 mm from their midpoints. Measurements have been compared with Monte Carlo code DOSRZnrc simulations for photon-mediated dose only, agreement being obtained to within 3% and 1% for the 133 Ba and 60 Co sources, respectively. As such, in both cases it is determined that as intended, beta dose has been filtered out by source encapsulation. - Highlights: ► We seek to establish Ge-doped optical fibres as TLDs for brachytherapy. ► Dose was evaluated along the central axis of 133 Ba and 60 Co, at 2 mm–20 mm. ► We verify values using DOSRZnrc Monte Carlo code simulations. ► Good agreement is between dose measurements and calculation to within 3% and 1%. ► Methodology is to be used in obtaining doses around 125 I and 192 Ir sources.

Corrosion protection performance of waterborne epoxy coatings containing self-doped polyaniline nanofiber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, Shihui [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 (China); Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211 (China); Chen, Cheng; Cui, Mingjun [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 (China); Li, Wei [Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211 (China); Zhao, Haichao, E-mail: zhaohaichao@nimte.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 (China); Wang, Liping, E-mail: wangliping@nimte.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201 (China)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Self-dopedpolyaniline (SPANi) with good conductivity and dispersibility in water was copolymerized by aniline and its derivative. • Environmental friendly SPANi/epoxy composite coating with remarkable anti-corrosion performance was prepared. • The corrosion product of pure epoxy or composite coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscope (SEM). - Abstract: Self-doped sulfonated polyaniline (SPANi) nanofiber was synthesized by the copolymerization of 2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (ASA) and aniline via a rapid mixing polymerization approach. The chemical structure of SPANi was investigated by the Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The as-prepared SPANi nanofibers had 45 nm average diameter and length up to 750 nm as measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The self-doped SPANi nanofiber possessed excellent aqueous solubility, good conductivity (0.11 S/cm) and reversible redox activity, making it suitable as a corrosion inhibitor for waterborne coatings. The prepared SPANi/waterborne epoxy composite coatings exhibited remarkably improved corrosion protection compared with pure waterborne epoxy coating as proved by the polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The passivation effect of SPANi nanofiber and the corrosion products beneath the epoxy coatings immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution as a function of time were also investigated in this study.

Corrosion protection performance of waterborne epoxy coatings containing self-doped polyaniline nanofiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, Shihui; Chen, Cheng; Cui, Mingjun; Li, Wei; Zhao, Haichao; Wang, Liping

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Self-dopedpolyaniline (SPANi) with good conductivity and dispersibility in water was copolymerized by aniline and its derivative. • Environmental friendly SPANi/epoxy composite coating with remarkable anti-corrosion performance was prepared. • The corrosion product of pure epoxy or composite coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscope (SEM). - Abstract: Self-doped sulfonated polyaniline (SPANi) nanofiber was synthesized by the copolymerization of 2-aminobenzenesulfonic acid (ASA) and aniline via a rapid mixing polymerization approach. The chemical structure of SPANi was investigated by the Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The as-prepared SPANi nanofibers had 45 nm average diameter and length up to 750 nm as measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The self-doped SPANi nanofiber possessed excellent aqueous solubility, good conductivity (0.11 S/cm) and reversible redox activity, making it suitable as a corrosion inhibitor for waterborne coatings. The prepared SPANi/waterborne epoxy composite coatings exhibited remarkably improved corrosion protection compared with pure waterborne epoxy coating as proved by the polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The passivation effect of SPANi nanofiber and the corrosion products beneath the epoxy coatings immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution as a function of time were also investigated in this study.

Enhanced relaxation of strained Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} layers induced by Co/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} thermal reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridgway, M.C.; Elliman, R.G.; Rao, M.R. [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia); Baribeau, J.M. [National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1993-12-31

Enhanced relaxation of strained Ge{sub x}Si{sub l-x} layers during the formation of CoSi{sub 2} by Co/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} thermal reaction has been observed. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the extent of relaxation. Possible mechanisms responsible for the enhanced relaxation, including metal-induced dislocation nucleation, chemical and/or structural inhomogeneities at the reacted layer/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} interface and point defect injection due to silicide formation will be discussed. Also, methodologies for inhibiting relaxation will be presented. 11 refs., 1 fig.

Enhanced relaxation of strained Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} layers induced by Co/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} thermal reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridgway, M C; Elliman, R G; Rao, M R [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia); Baribeau, J M [National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1994-12-31

Enhanced relaxation of strained Ge{sub x}Si{sub l-x} layers during the formation of CoSi{sub 2} by Co/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} thermal reaction has been observed. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the extent of relaxation. Possible mechanisms responsible for the enhanced relaxation, including metal-induced dislocation nucleation, chemical and/or structural inhomogeneities at the reacted layer/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1-x} interface and point defect injection due to silicide formation will be discussed. Also, methodologies for inhibiting relaxation will be presented. 11 refs., 1 fig.

Local structural environments of Ge doped in eutectic Sb-Te film before and after crystallization

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sang Yeol; Cheong, Byung-ki; Choi, Yong Gyu

2018-06-01

Electrical phase change device using the Ge-doped eutectic Sb-Te (e.g., Ge1Sb8Te2) film is known to exhibit improved energy efficiency thanks to lowered threshold voltage as well as decreased power consumption for the reset operation, as compared with Ge2Sb2Te5 film. Ge K-edge EXAFS analysis is employed in this study in an effort to elucidate such merits of Ge1Sb8Te2 film in connection with its local atomic arrangements. It is then verified that a Ge atom is four-fold coordinated in its nearest-neighboring shell both in the as-deposited and in the annealed films. It needs to be highlighted that approximately two Sb atoms constitute the Ge tetrahedral units in its amorphous state; however, after being crystallized, heteropolar Ge-Sb bonds hardly exist in this Ge1Sb8Te2 film. It has been known that crystallization temperature and activation energy for crystallization of this Ge1Sb8Te2 composition are greater than those of Ge2Sb2Te5 composition. In addition, these two phase change materials exhibit distinctly different crystallization mechanisms, i.e., nucleation-dominant for Ge2Sb2Te5 film but growth-dominant for Ge1Sb8Te2 film. These discrepancies in the crystallization-related properties are delineated in terms of the local structural changes verified from the present EXAFS analysis.

Investigation of the Influence of Ni Doping on the Structure and Hardness of Ti-Ni-C Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Daniel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H thin films exhibit unique combination of mechanical properties, high hardness, low friction, and wear. Selective doping by weak-carbide forming element can be used in order to specifically design the physical and chemical properties of nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings. In this paper we report on an effect of nickel addition on structure and hardness of the nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings. The effect of Ni alloying on the coating structure under conditions of DCMS and HiPIMS depositions was studied. The coating structure was correlated with the coating hardness. The grain size, the grain carbon vacancy concentration, and the mean grain separation were found to be the key parameters determining the coating hardness. Ni doping proved to have a significant effect on the coating microstructure which resulted in changes of the hardness of the deposited coatings.

Effect of grain boundary on electrical characteristics in B- and P-doped polycrystalline Si1-x-yGe xC y film deposited by ultraclean LPCVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Hyunyoung; Sakuraba, Masao; Murota, Junichi

2006-01-01

The effect of grain boundary on electrical characteristics in B- and P-doped polycrystalline (poly) Si 1-x -y Ge x C y films was investigated. Poly-Si 1-x -y Ge x C y films were deposited on thermally oxidized Si(100) at 500-650 deg. C in a SiH 4 -GeH 4 -SiH 3 CH 3 -H 2 gas mixture by an ultraclean hot-wall low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. B and P were doped into the films by ion implantation and diffusion by heat-treatment. The electrical properties are characterized by grain size, width of disordered region near grain boundaries, carrier trap density and the amount of impurity segregation at grain boundaries. In the B-doped poly-Si 1-x -y Ge x C y films heat-treated at 900 deg. C, the increase of carrier concentration n poly and the decrease of resistivity ρ poly with Ge addition are caused by the narrowing of the width of disordered regions, i.e., crystallization of disordered regions induced by Ge atoms. The decrease of n poly and the increase of ρ poly with C addition are explained by the suppression of crystallization of disordered region due to C atom segregation at grain boundaries. In the P-doped poly-Si 1-x -y Ge x C y films, it is found that n poly and ρ poly are influenced by P atom segregation at grain boundaries due to lowering solid solubility of P in grain by the existence of Ge

Irradiation behavior of miniature experimental uranium silicide fuel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofman, G.L.; Neimark, L.A.; Mattas, R.F.

1983-01-01

Uranium silicides, because of their relatively high uranium density, were selected as candidate dispersion fuels for the higher fuel densities required in the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program. Irradiation experience with this type of fuel, however, was limited to relatively modest fission densities in the bulk from, on the order of 7 x 10 20 cm -3 , far short of the approximately 20 x 10 20 cm -3 goal established for the RERTR program. The purpose of the irradiation experiments on silicide fuels on the ORR, therefore, was to investigate the intrinsic irradiation behavior of uranium silicide as a dispersion fuel. Of particular interest was the interaction between the silicide particles and the aluminum matrix, the swelling behavior of the silicide particles, and the maximum volume fraction of silicide particles that could be contained in the aluminum matrix

Transmission electron microscopy of carbon-coated and iron-doped titania nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Anjum, Dalaver H.

2016-08-02

We present a study on the properties of iron (Fe)-doped and carbon (C)-coated titania (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) which has been compiled by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These TiO2 NPs were prepared by using the flame synthesis method. This method allows the simultaneous C coating and Fe doping of TiO2 NPs. XRD investigations revealed that the phase of the prepared NPs was anatase TiO2. Conventional TEM analysis showed that the average size of the TiO2 NPs was about 65 nm and that the NPs were uniformly coated with the element C. Furthermore, from the x-ray energy dispersive spectrometry analysis, it was found that about 8 at.% Fe was present in the synthesized samples. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) revealed the graphitized carbon structure of the layer surrounding the prepared TiO2 NPs. HRTEM analysis further revealed that the NPs possessed the crystalline structure of anatase titania. Energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM) analysis showed the C coating and Fe doping of the NPs. The ratio of L3 and L2 peaks for the Ti-L23 and Fe-L23 edges present in the core loss electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) revealed a +4 oxidation state for the Ti and a +3 oxidation state for the Fe. These EELS results were further confirmed with XPS analysis. The electronic properties of the samples were investigated by applying Kramers-Kronig analysis to the low-loss EELS spectra acquired from the prepared NPs. The presented results showed that the band gap energy of the TiO2 NPs decreased from an original value of 3.2 eV to about 2.2 eV, which is quite close to the ideal band gap energy of 1.65 eV for photocatalysis semiconductors. The observed decrease in band gap energy of the TiO2 NPs was attributed to the presence of Fe atoms at the lattice sites of the anatase TiO2 lattice. In short, C-coated and Fe-doped TiO2 NPs were synthesized with a rather cost-effective and comparatively easily scalable method. The

Pr{sup 3+}-doped GeS{sub {ital x}}-based glasses for fiber amplifiers at 1.3 {mu}m

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simons, D.R.; Faber, A.J.; de Waal, H. [Glass Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 595, 5600 AN Eindhoven (Netherlands)

1995-03-01

The photoluminescence properties of Pr{sup 3+}-doped GeS{sub {ital x}}-based glasses are studied and compared with those of other sulfide and fluoride glasses. The possibility of highly pump-power-efficient fiber amplifiers based on these GeS{sub {ital x}}-containing glasses in the telecommunications window at 1.3 {mu}m is discussed.

Novel selenium-doped hydroxyapatite coatings for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Valencia, C; López-Álvarez, M; Cochón-Cores, B; Pereiro, I; Serra, J; González, P

2013-03-01

Nowadays there is a short-term need of investigating in orthopedic implants with a greater functionality, including an improved osseointegration and also antibacterial properties. The coating of metallic implants with hydroxyapatite (HA) remains to be the main proposal, but superior quality HA coatings with compositions closer to natural bone apatites, including carbonates, trace elements are required. Selenium is an essential nutrient in biological tissues and, at the same time, it also presents antibacterial properties. A pioneering study on the fabrication of selenium-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite (iHA:Se) coatings by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) is presented. Different proportions of selenium were incorporated to obtain the iHA:Se coatings. Their physicochemical characterization, performed by SEM/EDS, FTIR, FT-Raman, Interferometric Profilometry and XPS, revealed typical columnar growth of HA in globular aggregates and the efficient incorporation of selenium into the HA coatings by the, most probably, substitution of SeO(3)(2-) groups in the CO(3)(2-) sites. Biological evaluation illustrated the absence of cytotoxicity when an amount of 0.6 at.% of Se was added to the iHA:Se coatings and excellent proliferation of the MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. Antibacterial properties were also proved with the inhibition of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus from establishing bacterial biofilms. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolution of E-centers during the annealing of Sb-doped Si0.8Ge0.2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kilpeläinen, S.; Tuomisto, F.; Slotte, J.

2011-01-01

Evolution of the chemical surroundings of vacancy complexes in Sb-doped ([Sb] = 2 × 1018 and 2 × 1019 cm−3) Si0.8Ge0.2 was studied with positron annihilation spectroscopy in Doppler broadening mode. The study was performed by annealing the samples both isochronally and isothermally. Defect...... evolution was observed at the temperature range 450–650 K. Both treatments were shown to induce changes in the chemical surroundings of the E-centers via introduction of Ge near the defects. Moreover, Sb was found to hinder these changes by stabilizing the E-centers and thus preventing them from finding Ge....... The stable state reached after the anneals was found to differ from that measured from an as-grown sample. This difference was deemed to be the result of Ge gathering in small clusters during the annealing thus breaking the initially random Ge distribution....

Peculiarities of defect formation in InP single crystals doped with donor (S, Ge) and acceptor (Zn) impurities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikryukova, E.V.; Morozov, A.N.; Berkova, A.V.; Nashel'skij, A.Ya.; Yakobson, S.V.

1988-01-01

Peculiarities of dislocation and microdefect formation in InP monocrystals doped with donor (S,Ge) and acceptor (Zn) impurities are investigated by the metallography. Dependence of dislocation density on the concentration of alloying impurity is established. Microdefects leading to the appearance of 5 different types of etch figures are shown to be observed in doped InP monocrystals. The mechanism of microdefect formation is suggested

Comparing the Electrochemical Performance of LiFePO4/C Modified by Mg Doping and MgO Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun Song

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Supervalent cation doping and metal oxide coating are the most efficacious and popular methods to optimize the property of LiFePO4 lithium battery material. Mg-doped and MgO-coated LiFePO4/C were synthesized to analyze their individual influence on the electrochemical performance of active material. The specific capacity and rate capability of LiFePO4/C are improved by both MgO coating and Mg doping, especially the Mg-doped sample—Li0.985Mg0.015FePO4/C, whose discharge capacity is up to 163 mAh g−1, 145.5 mAh g−1, 128.3 mAh g−1, and 103.7 mAh g−1 at 1 C, 2 C, 5 C, and 10 C, respectively. The cyclic life of electrode is obviously increased by MgO surface modification, and the discharge capacity retention rate of sample LiFePO4/C-MgO2.5 is up to 104.2% after 100 cycles. Comparing samples modified by these two methods, Mg doping is more prominent on prompting the capacity and rate capability of LiFePO4, while MgO coating is superior in terms of improving cyclic performance.

Establishment of Ge-doped optical fibres as thermoluminescence dosimeters for brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Issa, Fatma, E-mail: f.issa@surrey.ac.uk [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Department of Radiotherapy, Tripoli Medical Centre (TMC), Tripoli (Libya); Abdul Rahman, A.T. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); School of Physics and Material Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, Campus of Negeri Sembilan, 72000 Kuala Pilah (Malaysia); Hugtenburg, Richard P. [Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg UHB and School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP (United Kingdom); Bradley, David A. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Department of Radiological Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 10219, Riyadh 11432 (Saudi Arabia); Nisbet, Andrew [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Department of Medical Physics, Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, GU2 7XX (United Kingdom)

2012-07-15

This study aims to establish the sensitive, {approx}120 {mu}m high spatial resolution, high dynamic range Ge-doped optical fibres as thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters for brachytherapy dose distribution. This requires investigation to accommodate sensitivity of detection, both for the possibility of short range dose deposition from beta components as well as gamma/x-mediated dose. In-air measurements are made at distances close to radionuclide sources, evaluating the fall off in dose along the transverse axis of {sup 133}Ba and {sup 60}Co radioactive sources, at distances from 2 mm up to 20 mm from their midpoints. Measurements have been compared with Monte Carlo code DOSRZnrc simulations for photon-mediated dose only, agreement being obtained to within 3% and 1% for the {sup 133}Ba and {sup 60}Co sources, respectively. As such, in both cases it is determined that as intended, beta dose has been filtered out by source encapsulation. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We seek to establish Ge-doped optical fibres as TLDs for brachytherapy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dose was evaluated along the central axis of {sup 133}Ba and {sup 60}Co, at 2 mm-20 mm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We verify values using DOSRZnrc Monte Carlo code simulations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Good agreement is between dose measurements and calculation to within 3% and 1%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Methodology is to be used in obtaining doses around {sup 125}I and {sup 192}Ir sources.

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 barrier coating by electron beam-physical vapor deposition of zirconia co-doped with yttria and niobia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Soares de Almeida

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The most usual ceramic material for coating turbine blades is yttria doped zirconia. Addition of niobia, as a co-dopant in the Y2O3-ZrO2 system, can reduce the thermal conductivity and improve mechanical properties of the coating. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of the addition of niobia on the microstructure and thermal properties of the ceramic coatings. SEM on coatings fractured cross-section shows a columnar structure and the results of XRD show only zirconia tetragonal phase in the ceramic coating for the chemical composition range studied. As the difference NbO2,5-YO1,5 mol percent increases, the tetragonality increases. A significant reduction of the thermal conductivity, measured by laser flash technique in the zirconia coating co-doped with yttria and niobia when compared with zirconia-yttria coating was observed.

Carbamazepine degradation using a N-doped TiO_2 coated photocatalytic membrane reactor: Influence of physical parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horovitz, Inna; Avisar, Dror; Baker, Mark A.; Grilli, Rossana; Lozzi, Luca; Di Camillo, Daniela; Mamane, Hadas

2016-01-01

Highlights: • UV–vis N-doped TiO_2 was deposited by sol-gel onto Al_2O_3 microfiltration membranes. • Coating decreased permeability by 50 and 12% for 200- and 800-nm Al_2O_3 membranes. • Flow through membrane results in higher reaction rates compared to flow on top. • Higher vis photocatalytic activity for N-doped TiO_2 vs. non-doped TiO_2 membranes. • Mass transfer is a critical parameter for the design of immobilized PMR. - Abstract: Commercial α-Al_2O_3 photocatalytic membranes with a pore size of 200 and 800-nm were coated with N-doped TiO_2 photocatalytic film using a sol-gel technique for concurrent bottom-up filtration and photocatalytic oxidation. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the deposited N-doped TiO_2 films are in the form of anatase with 78–84% coverage of the membrane surface. The concentration of N found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was in the range of 0.3–0.9 atomic percentage. Membrane permeability after coating decreased by 50% and 12% for the 200- and 800-nm membrane substrates, respectively. The impact of operational parameters on the photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the N-doped TiO_2-coated membranes was examined in a laboratory flow cell based on degradation of the model micropollutant carbamazepine, using a solar simulator as the light source. The significant gap in degradation rate between flow through the membrane and flow on the surface of the membrane was attributed both to the hydraulic effect and in-pore PCA. N-doped TiO_2-coated membranes showed enhanced activity for UV wavelengths, in addition to activity under visible light. Experiments of PCA under varying flow rates concluded that the process is in the mass-transfer control regime. Carbamazepine removal rate increased with temperature, despite the decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration.

Oxidation behavior of Mo-based alloys coated with silicide using the halide-activated pack cementation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, K.; Hayashi, T.; Yamaguchi, M.; Murakami, T.

2003-01-01

This article summarizes recent progress in research on oxidation behavior of pack-cemented Mo-9Si-18B alloys with a Mo 5 SiB 2 /Mo two-phase eutectic microstructure. The deposited layer of as-cemented Mo-9Si-18B alloy consists of MoSi 2 . Upon heating to temperatures above 1500 C, the deposited layer is transformed into B-doped Mo 5 Si 3 through a reaction between the deposited layer and the matrix containing B. Steady-state oxidation is observed at 1300-1500 C and its rates are almost equal to those of MoSi 2 . No significant increase in weight loss was observed in a short-term cyclic oxidation test, since the columnar structure with orientation preference in B-doped Mo 5 Si 3 coating layer must be reduced thermal stress in the cyclic oxidation test. (orig.)

Crystal structure of a Zn-doped derivative of the Li17Ge4 compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacroix-Orio, L.; Tillard, M.; Belin, C.

2008-01-01

The compound Li 17-ε Zn ε Ge 4 has been obtained as a side product during the preparation of the intermetallic compound Li 8 Zn 2 Ge 3 from the elements. Its structure has been determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction intensities measured at 173 K. It crystallizes in the cubic system, F4-bar3m space group, a = 18.842(1) A, Z = 20. Its crystal structure is slightly different from those so far reported in the literature for the Zn-free phase Li 17 Ge 4 , particularly concerned are the positions and the site occupations of Li atoms. Most likely, these structural variations result from the presence of a small Zn concentration in the compound. The Zn doping atom has been found only at the specific Li 4d site (about 3 at.% Zn)

Recent Advances in Nb-silicide in-situ composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bewlay, B.P.; Jackson, M.R.; Subramanian, P.R.; Briant, C.L.

2001-01-01

In-situ composites based on Nb silicides have great potential for future high-temperature applications. These Nb-silicide composites combine a ductile Nb-based matrix with high-strength silicides. With the appropriate combination of alloying elements, such as Ti, Hf, Cr, AI, it is possible to achieve a promising balance of fracture toughness, high-temperature creep performance, and oxidation resistance. This paper will describe the effect of volume fraction of silicide on microstructure, high-temperature creep performance, and oxidation resistance. The ratio of Nb:(W+Ti) is critical in determining both creep rate and oxidation performance. If this ratio goes below ∼1.5, the creep rate increases substantially. In more complex silicide-based systems, other intermetallics, such as laves phases and a boron-rich T-2 phase, are added for oxidation resistance. To understand the role of each phase on the creep resistance and oxidation performance of these composites, we determined the creep and oxidation behavior of the individual phases and composites at temperatures up to 1200 o C. These data allow quantification of the load-bearing capability of the individual phases in the Nb-silicide based in-situ composites. (author)

Current enhancement in crystalline silicon photovoltaic by low-cost nickel silicide back contact

KAUST Repository

Bahabry, R. R.; Gumus, A.; Kutbee, A. T.; Wehbe, N.; Ahmed, S. M.; Ghoneim, M. T.; Lee, K. -T.; Rogers, J. A.; Hussain, M. M.

2016-01-01

We report short circuit current (Jsc) enhancement in crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic (PV) using low-cost Ohmic contact engineering by integration of Nickel mono-silicide (NiSi) for back contact metallization as an alternative to the status quo of using expensive screen printed silver (Ag). We show 2.6 mA/cm2 enhancement in the short circuit current (Jsc) and 1.2 % increment in the efficiency by improving the current collection due to the low specific contact resistance of the NiSi on the heavily Boron (B) doped Silicon (Si) interface.

Current enhancement in crystalline silicon photovoltaic by low-cost nickel silicide back contact

KAUST Repository

Bahabry, R. R.

2016-11-30

We report short circuit current (Jsc) enhancement in crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic (PV) using low-cost Ohmic contact engineering by integration of Nickel mono-silicide (NiSi) for back contact metallization as an alternative to the status quo of using expensive screen printed silver (Ag). We show 2.6 mA/cm2 enhancement in the short circuit current (Jsc) and 1.2 % increment in the efficiency by improving the current collection due to the low specific contact resistance of the NiSi on the heavily Boron (B) doped Silicon (Si) interface.

Further improvement of mechanical and tribological properties of Cr-doped diamond-like carbon nanocomposite coatings by N codoping

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Changwei; Xie, Wei; Tang, Xiaoshan

2016-11-01

In this study, the effects of nitrogen codoping on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cr-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) nanocomposite coatings were investigated in detail. Compared with undoped DLC coatings, the Cr-DLC and N/Cr-DLC coatings showed higher root-mean-square (RMS) roughness values. However, from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman results, the fraction of sp2 carbon bonds of N/Cr-DLC coatings increased with increasing N content, which indicated the graphitization of the coatings. The hardness and elastic modulus of N/Cr-DLC coatings with 1.8 at. % N were about 26.8 and 218 GPa, respectively. The observed hardness increase with N codoping was attributed to the incorporation of N in the C network along with the formation of CrC(N) nanoparticles, as confirmed from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results. The internal stress markedly decreased from 0.93 to 0.32 GPa as the N content increased from 0 to 10.3 at. %. Furthermore, N doping significantly improved the high-temperature dry friction behavior of DLC coatings. The friction coefficient of N/Cr-DLC coatings with 8.0 and 10.3 at. % N was kept at about 0.2 during the overall sliding test at 500 °C. These results showed that appropriate N doping could promote the mechanical and tribological properties of Cr-DLC nanocomposite coatings.

High power, ultra-broadband supercontinuum source based on highly GeO2 doped silica fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jain, Deepak; Sidharthan, Raghuraman; Moselund, Peter M.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate a 74 mol % GeO2 doped fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. Experiments ensure a highest output power for a broadest spectrum from 700nm to 3200nm from this fiber, while being pumped by a broadband 4 stage Erbium fiber based MOPA. The effect of repetition rate of pump...

Addition of Mn to Ge quantum dot surfaces—interaction with the Ge QD {105} facet and the Ge(001) wetting layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolph, C A; Kassim, J K; Floro, J A; Reinke, P

2013-01-01

The interaction of Mn with Ge quantum dots (QD), which are bounded by {105} facets, and the strained Ge wetting layer (WL), terminated by a (001) surface, is investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). These surfaces constitute the growth surfaces in the growth of Mn-doped QDs. Mn is deposited on the Ge QD and WL surface in sub-monolayer concentrations, and subsequently annealed up to a temperature of 400 ° C. The changes in bonding and surface topography are measured with STM during the annealing process. Mn forms flat islands on the Ge{105} facet, whose shape and position are guided by the rebonded step reconstruction of the facet. Voltage-dependent STM images reflect the Mn-island interaction with the empty and filled states of the Ge{105} reconstruction. Scanning tunneling spectra (STS) of the Ge{105} facet and as-deposited Mn-islands show a bandgap of 0.8 eV, and the Mn-island spectra are characterized by an additional empty state at about 1.4 eV. A statistical analysis of Mn-island shape and position on the QD yields a slight preference for edge positions, whereas the QD strain field does not impact Mn-island position. However, the formation of ultra-small Mn-clusters dominates on the Ge(001) WL, which is in contrast to Mn interaction with unstrained Ge(001) surfaces. Annealing to T 5 Ge 3 from a mass balance analysis. This reaction is accompanied by the disappearance of the original Mn-surface structures and de-wetting of Mn is complete. This study unravels the details of Mn–Ge interactions, and demonstrates the role of surface diffusion as a determinant in the growth of Mn-doped Ge materials. Surface doping of Ge-nanostructures at lower temperatures could provide a pathway to control magnetism in the Mn–Ge system. (paper)

Subsurface contributions in epitaxial rare-earth silicides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luebben, Olaf; Shvets, Igor V. [Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland); Cerda, Jorge I. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, ICMM-CSIC, Cantoblanco, Madrid (Spain); Chaika, Alexander N. [Institute of Solid State Physics, RAS, Chernogolovka (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

Metallic thin films of heavy rare-earth silicides epitaxially grown on Si(111) substrates have been widely studied in recent years because of their appealing properties: unusually low values of the Schottky barrier height, an abrupt interface, and a small lattice mismatch. Previous studies also showed that these silicides present very similar atomic and electronic structures. Here, we examine one of these silicides (Gd{sub 3}Si{sub 5}) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) image simulations that go beyond the Tersoff-Hamann approach. These simulations strongly indicate an unusual STM depth sensitivity for this system.

Enhanced performance of LiFePO4 through hydrothermal synthesis coupled with carbon coating and cupric ion doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Bo; Wang Qiang; Zhang Weixin; Yang Zeheng; Chen Min

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Hydrothermal reaction has been adopted to synthesize LiFePO 4 with a narrow size distribution. → LiFePO 4 was modified with carbon coating and cupric cation (Cu 2+ ) doping simultaneously. → Electrochemical properties of LiFePO 4 were improved by carbon coating and cupric cation doping. - Abstract: A hydrothermal reaction has been adopted to synthesize pure LiFePO 4 first, which was then modified with carbon coating and cupric ion (Cu 2+ ) doping simultaneously through a post-heat treatment. X-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images along with energy dispersive spectroscopy mappings have verified the homogeneous existence of coated carbon and doped Cu 2+ in LiFePO 4 particles with phospho-olivine structure and an average size of 400 nm. The electrochemical performances of the material have been studied by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. The carbon-coated and Cu 2+ -doped LiFePO 4 sample (LFCu5/C) exhibited an enhanced electronic conductivity of 2.05 x 10 -3 S cm -1 , a specific discharge capacity of 158 mAh g -1 at 50 mA g -1 , a capacity retention of 96.4% after 50 cycles, a decreased charge transfer resistance of 79.4 Ω and superior electrode reaction reversibility. The present synthesis route is promising in making the hydrothermal method more practical for preparation of the LiFePO 4 material and enhancement of electrochemical properties.

Effect of high temperature annealing on the thermoelectric properties of GaP doped SiGe

Science.gov (United States)

Vandersande, Jan W.; Wood, Charles; Draper, Susan

1987-01-01

Silicon-germanium alloys doped with GaP are used for thermoelectric energy conversion in the temperature range 300-1000 C. The conversion efficiency depends on Z = S-squared/rho lambda, a material's parameter (the figure of merit), where S is the Seebeck coefficient, rho is the electrical resistivity and lambda is the thermal conductivity. The annealing of several samples in the temperature range of 1100-1300 C resulted in the power factor P (= S-squared/rho) increasing with increased annealing temperature. This increase in P was due to a decrease in rho which was not completely offset by a drop in S-squared suggesting that other changes besides that in the carrier concentration took place. SEM and EDX analysis of the samples indicated the formation of a Ga-P-Ge rich phase as a result of the annealing. It is speculated that this phase is associated with the improved properties. Several reasons which could account for the improvement in the power factor of annealed GaP doped SiGe are given.

C and Si delta doping in Ge by CH_3SiH_3 using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Ueno, Naofumi; Sakuraba, Masao; Murota, Junichi; Mai, Andreas; Tillack, Bernd

2016-01-01

C and Si delta doping in Ge are investigated using a reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system to establish atomic-order controlled processes. CH_3SiH_3 is exposed at 250 °C to 500 °C to a Ge on Si (100) substrate using H_2 or N_2 carrier gas followed by a Ge cap layer deposition. At 350 °C, C and Si are uniformly adsorbed on the Ge surface and the incorporated C and Si form steep delta profiles below detection limit of SIMS measurement. By using N_2 as carrier gas, the incorporated C and Si doses in Ge are saturated at one mono-layer below 350 °C. At this temperature range, the incorporated C and Si doses are nearly the same, indicating CH_3SiH_3 is adsorbed on the Ge surface without decomposing the C−Si bond. On the other hand, by using H_2 as carrier gas, lower incorporated C is observed in comparison to Si. CH_3SiH_3 injected with H_2 carrier gas is adsorbed on Ge without decomposing the C−Si bond and the adsorbed C is reduced by dissociation of the C−Si bond during temperature ramp up to 550 °C. The adsorbed C is maintained on the Ge surface in N_2 at 550 °C. - Highlights: • C and Si delta doping in Ge is investigated using RPCVD system by CH_3SiH_3 exposure. • Atomically flat C and Si delta layers are fabricated at 350 °C. • Incorporated C and Si doses are saturated at one mono-layer below 350 °C. • CH_3SiH_3 adsorption occurred without decomposing C−Si bond. • Adsorbed C is desorbed due to dissociation by hydrogen during postannealing at 550 °C.

Ultrafast crystallization and thermal stability of In-Ge doped eutectic Sb70Te30 phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee Meiling; Miao Xiangshui; Ting Leehou; Shi Luping

2008-01-01

Effect of In and Ge doping in the form of In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 on optical and thermal properties of eutectic Sb 70 Te 30 alloys was investigated. Crystalline structure of In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 phase change material consists of a mixture of phases. Thermal analysis shows higher crystallization temperature and activation energy for crystallization. Isothermal reflectivity-time measurement shows a growth-dominated crystallization mechanism. Ultrafast crystallization speed of 30 ns is realized upon irradiation by blue laser beam. The use of ultrafast and thermally stable In 2 Ge 8 Sb 85 Te 5 phase change material as mask layer in aperture-type super-resolution near-field phase change disk is realized to increase the carrier-to-noise ratio and thermal stability

Germanium content and base doping level influence on extrinsic base resistance and dynamic performances of SiGe:C heterojunction bipolar transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez-Garcia, E; Valdez-Monroy, L A; Rodriguez-Mendez, L M; Valdez-Perez, D; Galaz-Larios, M C; Enciso-Aguilar, M A; Zerounian, N; Aniel, F

2014-01-01

We describe a reliable technique to separate the different contributions to the apparent base resistance (R B  = R Bx  + X R Bi ) of silicon germanium carbon (SiGe:C) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The extrinsic base resistance (R Bx ) is quantified using small-signal measurements. The base-collector junction distribution factor (X) and the intrinsic base resistance (R Bi ) are extracted from high frequency noise (MWN) measurements. This method is applied to five different SiGe:C HBTs varying in base doping level and germanium content. The results show that high doping levels improve high frequency noise performances while germanium gradient helps to maintain outstanding dynamic performances. This method could be used to elucidate the base technological configuration that ensures low noise together with remarkable dynamic performances in state-of-the-art SiGe:C HBTs. (paper)

Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with nitrogen-doped carbon (Pt/XC-72@C–N) for methanol electro-oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Jun; Chu, Yuanyuan; Tan, Xiaoyao, E-mail: cestanxy@aliyun.com

2014-03-01

Pt/XC-72 catalysts coated with N-doped carbon (denoted as Pt/XC-72@C–N) for the electro-oxidation of methanol are prepared through a combined microwave-assisted polyol with in-situ carbonization of N-doped carbon coating process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium nitrate (VEIN) or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMID) ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon precursor. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive of X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms and accelerated aging test techniques are applied to characterize the structure and the electro-catalytic activity of the catalysts. The results show that the Pt particles with the average size of around 2.5 nm are highly dispersed in face-centered cubic crystal structure in the carbon support. The structure of the N-doped carbon coating precursor has considerable influence on the electro-catalytic performance of the catalysts. The resultant catalyst with EMID ionic liquid as the N-doped carbon source exhibits 115.9 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}Pt electrochemical surface area (ESA) and 0.66 A mg{sup −1}Pt catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of methanol, which are 1.37 times the ESA and 1.35 times the catalytic activity of the PVP-derived catalyst, and 2.02 times the electrochemical surface area and 1.94 times the catalytic activity of the VEIN-derived catalyst. The appropriate amount of the EMID ionic liquid used in the catalyst synthesis process is around 10 uL for 100 mg XC-72 support so as to obtain the highest electro-catalytic activity. - Highlights: • N-doped carbon coated Pt/C catalyst is prepared for methanol electro-oxidation. • Pt/XC-72@C–N exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity over uncoated catalysts. • Ionic liquid with anionic cyano groups is most suitable as N-doped carbon precursor. • The appropriate amount of ionic liquid for coating is around 10 μL for 100 mg carbon.

Carbamazepine degradation using a N-doped TiO{sub 2} coated photocatalytic membrane reactor: Influence of physical parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horovitz, Inna [School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); The Hydro-Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Geography and the Environment, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Avisar, Dror [The Hydro-Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Geography and the Environment, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Baker, Mark A.; Grilli, Rossana [The Surface Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Lozzi, Luca; Di Camillo, Daniela [Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L' Aquila, Via Vetoio, I-67100 L' Aquila (Italy); Mamane, Hadas, E-mail: hadasmg@post.tau.ac.il [School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

2016-06-05

Highlights: • UV–vis N-doped TiO{sub 2} was deposited by sol-gel onto Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} microfiltration membranes. • Coating decreased permeability by 50 and 12% for 200- and 800-nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membranes. • Flow through membrane results in higher reaction rates compared to flow on top. • Higher vis photocatalytic activity for N-doped TiO{sub 2} vs. non-doped TiO{sub 2} membranes. • Mass transfer is a critical parameter for the design of immobilized PMR. - Abstract: Commercial α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} photocatalytic membranes with a pore size of 200 and 800-nm were coated with N-doped TiO{sub 2} photocatalytic film using a sol-gel technique for concurrent bottom-up filtration and photocatalytic oxidation. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the deposited N-doped TiO{sub 2} films are in the form of anatase with 78–84% coverage of the membrane surface. The concentration of N found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was in the range of 0.3–0.9 atomic percentage. Membrane permeability after coating decreased by 50% and 12% for the 200- and 800-nm membrane substrates, respectively. The impact of operational parameters on the photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the N-doped TiO{sub 2}-coated membranes was examined in a laboratory flow cell based on degradation of the model micropollutant carbamazepine, using a solar simulator as the light source. The significant gap in degradation rate between flow through the membrane and flow on the surface of the membrane was attributed both to the hydraulic effect and in-pore PCA. N-doped TiO{sub 2}-coated membranes showed enhanced activity for UV wavelengths, in addition to activity under visible light. Experiments of PCA under varying flow rates concluded that the process is in the mass-transfer control regime. Carbamazepine removal rate increased with temperature, despite the decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration.

Morphology of Si/tungsten-silicides/Si interlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theodore, N.; Secco d'Aragona, F.; Blackstone, S.

1992-01-01

Tungsten and tungsten-silicides are of interest for semiconductor technology because of their refractory nature, low electrical-resistivity and high electromigration-resistance. This paper presents the first formation of buried tungsten-silicide layers in silicon, by proximity adhesion. The interlayers, created by a combination of chemical vapor-deposition (CVD) and proximity-adhesion were studied using transmission electron-microscopy (TEM). The behavior of the layers in the presence and absence of an adjacent silicon-dioxide interlayer was also investigated. Buried silicide layers were successfully formed with or without the adjacent silicon-dioxide. The silicide formed continuous layers with single grains encompassing the width of the interlayer. Individual grains were globular, with cusps at grain boundaries. This caused interlayer-thicknesses to be non-uniform, with lower thickness values being present at the cusps. Occasional voids were observed at grain-boundary cusps. The voids were smaller and less frequent in the presence of an adjacent oxide-layer, due to flow of the oxide during proximity adhesion. Electron-diffraction revealed a predominance of tungsten-disilicide in the interlayers, with some free tungsten being present. Stresses in the silicide layers caused occasional glide dislocations to propagate into the silicon substrate beneath the interlayers. The dislocations propagate only ∼100 nm into the substrate and therefore should not be detrimental to use of the buried layers. Occasional precipitates were observed at the end of glide-loops. These possibly arise due to excess tungsten from the interlayer diffusion down the glide dislocation to finally precipitate out as tungsten-silicide

Characterizations and thermal stability improvement of phase-change memory device containing Ce-doped GeSbTe films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yu-Jen; Tsai, Min-Chuan; Wang, Chiung-Hsin; Hsieh, Tsung-Eong, E-mail: tehsieh@mail.nctu.edu.tw

2012-02-29

Phase-transition temperature of GeSbTe (GST) chalcogenide film was drastically increased from 159 to 236 Degree-Sign C by cerium (Ce) doping (up to 8.6 at.%) without altering the resistivity property of GST. Grain refinement via the solid-solution mechanism and the amplification of p-type semiconducting behavior in Ce-doped GST were observed. They were correlated with the enhancement of thermal stability and data retention property of GST as revealed by exothermal and isothermal analyses. Phase-change memory (PCM) device characterized at various temperatures revealed an effective thermal stability improvement on the threshold voltage of PCM device by Ce doping. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ce doping increased phase-change temperature of GST from 159 to 236 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No suppression of resistivity level in amorphous Ce-doped GST. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Resistance ratio of amorphous and crystalline Ce-doped GST was preserved at 10{sup 5}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p-type semiconducting behavior of GST was enhanced by Ce-doping. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ce-doping improved the thermal stability of threshold voltage of GST PCM device.

Influence of W content on tribological performance of W-doped diamond-like carbon coatings under dry friction and polyalpha olefin lubrication conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Zhi-qiang; Wang, Cheng-biao; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Wei; Yue, Wen; Yu, Xiang; Peng, Zhi-jian; Lin, Song-sheng; Dai, Ming-jiang

2013-01-01

Highlights: • W-doped DLC coating with various W contents was fabricated. • Friction and wear of DLC coated sample was studied. • The lubricant additive was T307. • The influence of W content on friction under lubrication was unveiled. • The influence of W content on wear under lubrication was studied. - Abstract: The influence on tungsten content on the structure, mechanical properties and tribological performance of W-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nano-indentation, scratch test, and ball-on-disk friction test. It was found that with increasing W content, the content of WC and free W in the coatings is increased while the content of sp 3 -C in the coatings is decreased. The effect of W content on the hardness and elastic modulus of the coatings is indistinctive, but there exists the highest critical load of scratch test of above 100 N when W content is 3.08 at.%. With the increase of W content, the friction coefficients of W-doped DLC coatings under dry friction conditions are increased while the friction coefficients of W-doped DLC coatings under polyalpha olefin (PAO) lubrication are decreased. With the increase of W content, the wear rates of the DLC-coated samples under dry friction conditions show a minimum value; under pure PAO lubrication, the influence of W content on the wear rates of the DLC-coated samples is indistinctive when the W content is below 10.73 at.% while the wear rates are increased with increasing W content from 10.73 at.% to 24.09 at.%; when lubricated by PAO + thiophosphoric acid amine (T307) salt, the samples coated with the undoped DLC or the W-doped DLC with high W content exhibit low wear rates

Antibacterial and Tribological Performance of Carbonitride Coatings Doped with W, Ti, Zr, or Cr Deposited on AISI 316L Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Sun-Hui; Su, Yen-Liang; Lai, Yu-Cheng

2017-01-01

Carbonitride (CNx) coatings have existed for several decades but are not well understood. Related studies have indicated that CNx coatings exhibit behaviors comparable to diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings. Metal-doped CNx coatings are expected to show superior performance to single CNx coatings. In this study, a CNx coating and a group of CNx coatings with 6 at. % metal doping (W, Ti, Zr, or Cr) were prepared on biograde AISI 316L stainless steel (SS316L) substrates, and they were then characterized and studied for antibacterial and wear performance. The microstructure, constituent phase, nanohardness, adhesion, surface roughness, and contact angle were evaluated. The antimicrobial test used Staphylococcus aureus and followed the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z 2801:2010. Finally, the wear behavior was assessed. The results showed that the CNx coating was a composite of amorphous CNx and amorphous C structures. The metal doping caused crystalline metal carbides/nitrides to form in the CNx coatings, which weakened their overall integrity. All the coatings showed antimicrobial ability for the SS316L samples. The CNx-Zr coating, the surface of which had the highest hydrophilicity, produced the best antibacterial performance. However, the CNx-Zr coating showed lower wear resistance than the CNx-W and CNx-Ti coatings. The CNx-Ti coating with a highly hydrophilic surface exhibited the lowest antibacterial ability. PMID:29039782

Antibacterial and Tribological Performance of Carbonitride Coatings Doped with W, Ti, Zr, or Cr Deposited on AISI 316L Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun-Hui Yao

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Carbonitride (CNx coatings have existed for several decades but are not well understood. Related studies have indicated that CNx coatings exhibit behaviors comparable to diamond-like carbon (DLC coatings. Metal-doped CNx coatings are expected to show superior performance to single CNx coatings. In this study, a CNx coating and a group of CNx coatings with 6 at. % metal doping (W, Ti, Zr, or Cr were prepared on biograde AISI 316L stainless steel (SS316L substrates, and they were then characterized and studied for antibacterial and wear performance. The microstructure, constituent phase, nanohardness, adhesion, surface roughness, and contact angle were evaluated. The antimicrobial test used Staphylococcus aureus and followed the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z 2801:2010. Finally, the wear behavior was assessed. The results showed that the CNx coating was a composite of amorphous CNx and amorphous C structures. The metal doping caused crystalline metal carbides/nitrides to form in the CNx coatings, which weakened their overall integrity. All the coatings showed antimicrobial ability for the SS316L samples. The CNx-Zr coating, the surface of which had the highest hydrophilicity, produced the best antibacterial performance. However, the CNx-Zr coating showed lower wear resistance than the CNx-W and CNx-Ti coatings. The CNx-Ti coating with a highly hydrophilic surface exhibited the lowest antibacterial ability.

Comparison study of biomimetic strontium-doped calcium phosphate coatings by electrochemical deposition and air plasma spray: morphology, composition and bioactive performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ling; Lu, Xia; Meng, Yizhi; Weyant, Christopher M

2012-10-01

In this study, strontium-doped calcium phosphate coatings were deposited by electrochemical deposition and plasma spray under different process parameters to achieve various coating morphologies. The coating composition was investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The surface morphologies of the coatings were studied through scanning electron microscopy while the cytocompatibility and bioactivity of the strontium-doped calcium phosphate coatings were evaluated using bone cell culture using MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells. The addition of strontium leads to enhanced proliferation suggesting the possible benefits of strontium incorporation in calcium phosphate coatings. The morphology and composition of deposited coatings showed a strong influence on the growth of cells.

Production of Mo-99 using low-enriched uranium silicide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutter, J.C.; Srinivasan, B.; Vicek, M.; Vandegrift, G.F.

1994-01-01

Over the last several years, uranium silicide fuels have been under development as low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets for Mo-99. The use of LEU silicide is aimed at replacing the UAl x alloy in the highly-enriched uranium dissolution process. A process to recover Mo-99 from low-enriched uranium silicide is being developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The uranium silicide is dissolved in alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Experiments performed to determine the optimum dissolution procedure are discussed, and the results of dissolving a portion of a high-burnup (>40%) U 3 Si 2 miniplate are presented. Future work related to Mo-99 separation and waste disposal are also discussed

Friction and wear behaviour of Mo–W doped carbon-based coating during boundary lubricated sliding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hovsepian, Papken Eh., E-mail: p.hovsepian@shu.ac.uk [Nanotechnology Centre for PVD Research, HIPIMS Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB (United Kingdom); Mandal, Paranjayee, E-mail: 200712mum@gmail.com [Nanotechnology Centre for PVD Research, HIPIMS Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB (United Kingdom); Ehiasarian, Arutiun P., E-mail: a.ehiasarian@shu.ac.uk [Nanotechnology Centre for PVD Research, HIPIMS Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB (United Kingdom); Sáfrán, G., E-mail: safran.gyorgy@ttk.mta.hu [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thegeut 29-33 (Hungary); Tietema, R., E-mail: rtietema@hauzer.nl [IHI Hauzer Techno Coating B.V., Van Heemskerckweg 22, 5928 LL Venlo (Netherlands); Doerwald, D., E-mail: ddoerwald@hauzer.nl [IHI Hauzer Techno Coating B.V., Van Heemskerckweg 22, 5928 LL Venlo (Netherlands)

2016-03-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Novel Mo–W–C coating provides extremely low friction (μ ∼ 0.03) in lubricated condition. • Mo–W–C outperforms existing DLCs in terms of low friction, independent of temperature. • Tribochemical reactions govern the wear mechanism of Mo–W–C coating. • The transfer layer contains graphitic carbon and ‘in situ’ formed WS{sub 2} and MoS{sub 2}. • WS{sub 2} and MoS{sub 2} are the key factors facilitating appreciably low friction and wear rate. - Abstract: A molybdenum and tungsten doped carbon-based coating (Mo–W–C) was developed in order to provide low friction in boundary lubricated sliding condition at ambient and at high temperature. The Mo–W–C coating showed the lowest friction coefficient among a number of commercially available state-of-the-art DLC coatings at ambient temperature. At elevated temperature (200 °C), Mo–W–C coating showed a significant reduction in friction coefficient with sliding distance in contrast to DLC coatings. Raman spectroscopy revealed the importance of combined Mo and W doping for achieving low friction at both ambient and high temperature. The significant decrease in friction and wear rate was attributed to the presence of graphitic carbon debris (from coating) and ‘in situ’ formed metal sulphides (WS{sub 2} and MoS{sub 2}, where metals were supplied from coating and sulphur from engine oil) in the transfer layer.

Friction and wear behaviour of Mo–W doped carbon-based coating during boundary lubricated sliding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovsepian, Papken Eh.; Mandal, Paranjayee; Ehiasarian, Arutiun P.; Sáfrán, G.; Tietema, R.; Doerwald, D.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Novel Mo–W–C coating provides extremely low friction (μ ∼ 0.03) in lubricated condition. • Mo–W–C outperforms existing DLCs in terms of low friction, independent of temperature. • Tribochemical reactions govern the wear mechanism of Mo–W–C coating. • The transfer layer contains graphitic carbon and ‘in situ’ formed WS 2 and MoS 2 . • WS 2 and MoS 2 are the key factors facilitating appreciably low friction and wear rate. - Abstract: A molybdenum and tungsten doped carbon-based coating (Mo–W–C) was developed in order to provide low friction in boundary lubricated sliding condition at ambient and at high temperature. The Mo–W–C coating showed the lowest friction coefficient among a number of commercially available state-of-the-art DLC coatings at ambient temperature. At elevated temperature (200 °C), Mo–W–C coating showed a significant reduction in friction coefficient with sliding distance in contrast to DLC coatings. Raman spectroscopy revealed the importance of combined Mo and W doping for achieving low friction at both ambient and high temperature. The significant decrease in friction and wear rate was attributed to the presence of graphitic carbon debris (from coating) and ‘in situ’ formed metal sulphides (WS 2 and MoS 2 , where metals were supplied from coating and sulphur from engine oil) in the transfer layer.

Room temperature ferromagnetic gadolinium silicide nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hadimani, Magundappa Ravi L.; Gupta, Shalabh; Harstad, Shane; Pecharsky, Vitalij; Jiles, David C.

2018-03-06

A particle usable as T1 and T2 contrast agents is provided. The particle is a gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) particle that is ferromagnetic at temperatures up to 290 K and is less than 2 .mu.m in diameter. An MRI contrast agent that includes a plurality of gadolinium silicide (Gd.sub.5Si.sub.4) particles that are less than 1 .mu.m in diameter is also provided. A method for creating gadolinium silicide (Gd5Si4) particles is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing a Gd5Si4 bulk alloy; grinding the Gd5Si4 bulk alloy into a powder; and milling the Gd5Si4 bulk alloy powder for a time of approximately 20 minutes or less.

Preparation and characterization of TiO2 and Si-doped octacalcium phosphate composite coatings on zirconia ceramics (Y-TZP) for dental implant applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Lei; Liu, Jingxiao; Shi, Fei; Jiang, Yanyan; Liu, Guishan

2014-01-01

In order to prevent the low temperature degradation and improve the bioactivity of zirconia ceramic implants, TiO2 and Si-doped octacalcium phosphate composite coating was prepared on zirconia substrate. The preventive effect on low temperature degradation and surface morphology of the TiO2 layer were studied. Meanwhile, the structure and property changes of the bioactive coating after doping Si were discussed. The results indicate that the dense TiO2 layer, in spite of some microcracks, inhibited the direct contact of the water vapor with the sample's surface and thus prevented the low temperature degradation of zirconia substrates. The acceleration aging test shows that the ratio of the monoclinic phase transition decreased from 10% for the original zirconia substrate to 4% for the TiO2-coated substrate. As to the Si-doped octacalcium phosphate coating prepared by biomimetic method, the main phase composition of the coating was octacalcium phosphate. The morphology of the coating was lamellar-like, and the surface was uniform and continuous with no cracks being observed. It is suggested that Si was added into the coating both through substituting for PO43- and doping as NaSiO3.

Thermoluminescence response of Ge-, Al- and Nd- doped optical fibers by 6 MeV - electron and 6 MeV - photon irradiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, I.; Moburak, A. A.; Saeed, M.A.; Wagiran, H.; Hida, N.; Yaakob, H.N.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we report the prediction of thermoluminescence responses of Neodymium-doped SiO 2 optical fibre with various dose ranges from 0.5 Gy to 4.0 Gy by 6 MeV - electron irradiations without requirement for experimental measurements. A technique has been developed to calculate prediction of 6 MeV - electron response of Neodymium-doped SiO 2 optical fibre by observing the measured TL response of 6 MV - photon and the ratio of known measured photon/electron yield ratio distribution for Ge-doped, Al-doped optical fibre and standard TLD 100 dosimeter. The samples were kept in gelatin capsule an irradiated with 6 MV - photon at the dose range from 0.5 Gy to 4.0 Gy. Siemens model Primus 3368 linear accelerator located at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru has been used to deliver the photon beam to the samples. We found the average response ratio of 6 MV - photon and 6 MeV - electron in Ge-doped, Al-doped optical fibre and standard TLD-100 dosimeter are 0.83(3). Observing the measured value of 6 MV - photon irradiation this average ratio is useful to find the prediction of thermoluminescence responses by 6 MeV - electron irradiation of Neodymium-doped SiO 2 optical fibre by the requirement for experimental measurements with various dose ranges from 0.5 Gy to 4.0 Gy by 6 MV - photon irradiations.

Long afterglow properties of Eu2+/Mn2+ doped Zn2GeO4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Minhua; Wang, Yinhai; Wang, Xiansheng; Zhao, Hui; Li, Hailing; Wang, Cheng

2014-01-01

Zn 2 GeO 4 :Eu 2+ 0.01 and Zn 2 GeO 4 :Mn 2+ 0.01 long afterglow phosphors were synthesized via a high temperature solid state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), afterglow spectra, decay curves and thermoluminescence curves were utilized to characterize the samples. The X-ray diffraction phases indicate that the doping of small amount of transition metal ions or rare earth ions has no significant influence on the crystal structure of Zn 2 GeO 4 . According to the afterglow spectra, we found that the Zn 2 GeO 4 :Eu 2+ 0.01 exhibits a broad band emission with a peak at 474 nm, which could be ascribed to Eu 2+ transition between 4f 6 5d 1 and 4f 7 electron configurations. The Zn 2 GeO 4 :Mn 2+ 0.01 shows a narrow band emission peaking at 532 nm corresponding to the characteristic transition of Mn 2+ ( 4 T 1 → 6 A 1 ). The thermoluminescence (TL) curves above room temperature are employed for the discussion of the origin of the traps and the mechanism of the persistent luminescence. The results indicate that Zn 2 GeO 4 may be an excellent host material for the rare earth ions or transition metal ions long afterglows. -- Highlights: • Zn 2 GeO 4 :Eu 2+ 0.01 and Zn 2 GeO 4 :Mn 2+ 0.01 long afterglow phosphors were synthesized. • Found that these phosphors possess a persistent luminescence property. • The long afterglow spectra were measured. • Found that these phosphors possess a trap level by thermoluminescence

Controlling the formation and stability of ultra-thin nickel silicides - An alloying strategy for preventing agglomeration

Science.gov (United States)

Geenen, F. A.; van Stiphout, K.; Nanakoudis, A.; Bals, S.; Vantomme, A.; Jordan-Sweet, J.; Lavoie, C.; Detavernier, C.

2018-02-01

The electrical contact of the source and drain regions in state-of-the-art CMOS transistors is nowadays facilitated through NiSi, which is often alloyed with Pt in order to avoid morphological agglomeration of the silicide film. However, the solid-state reaction between as-deposited Ni and the Si substrate exhibits a peculiar change for as-deposited Ni films thinner than a critical thickness of tc = 5 nm. Whereas thicker films form polycrystalline NiSi upon annealing above 450 ° C , thinner films form epitaxial NiSi2 films that exhibit a high resistance toward agglomeration. For industrial applications, it is therefore of utmost importance to assess the critical thickness with high certainty and find novel methodologies to either increase or decrease its value, depending on the aimed silicide formation. This paper investigates Ni films between 0 and 15 nm initial thickness by use of "thickness gradients," which provide semi-continuous information on silicide formation and stability as a function of as-deposited layer thickness. The alloying of these Ni layers with 10% Al, Co, Ge, Pd, or Pt renders a significant change in the phase sequence as a function of thickness and dependent on the alloying element. The addition of these ternary impurities therefore changes the critical thickness tc. The results are discussed in the framework of classical nucleation theory.

[Influence of deposition time on chromatics during nitrogen-doped diamond like carbon coating on pure titanium].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Lu; Yao, Jiang-wu; Xu, De-wen

2010-10-01

The aim of this study was to observed the influence of deposition time on chromatics during nitrogen-doped diamond like carbon coating (N-DLC) on pure titanium by multi impulse are plasma plating machine. Applying multi impulse are plasma plating machine to produce TiN coatings on pure titanium in nitrogen atmosphere, then filming with nitrogen-doped DLC on TiN in methane (10-80 min in every 5 min). The colors of N-DLC were evaluated in the CIE1976 L*a*b* uniform color scale and Mussell notation. The surface morphology of every specimen was analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). When changing the time of N-DLC coating deposition, N-DLC surface showed different color. Golden yellow was presented when deposition time was 30 min. SEM showed that crystallization was found in N-DLC coatings, the structure changed from stable to clutter by varying the deposition time. The chromatics of N-DLC coatings on pure titanium could get golden yellow when deposition time was 30 min, then the crystallized structure was stable.

Mn-doped Ge self-assembled quantum dots via dewetting of thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aouassa, Mansour, E-mail: mansour.aouassa@yahoo.fr [LMON, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement Monastir 5019 (Tunisia); Jadli, Imen [LMON, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement Monastir 5019 (Tunisia); Bandyopadhyay, Anup [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Kim, Sung Kyu [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Yuseong-daero 1689-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Karaman, Ibrahim [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Lee, Jeong Yong [Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Yuseong-daero 1689-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-01

Highlights: • We report the new fabrication approach for producing a self- assembled Mn dpoed Ge quantum dots (QDs) on SiO{sub 2} thin film with a Curie temperature above room temperature. These magnetic QDs are crystalline, monodisperse and have a well-defined shape and a controlled size. The investigation opens new routes for elaboration of self-assembled magnetic nanocrystals - Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate an original elaboration route for producing a Mn-doped Ge self-assembled quantum dots on SiO{sub 2} thin layer for MOS structure. These magnetic quantum dots are elaborated using dewetting phenomenon at solid state by Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) annealing at high temperature of an amorphous Ge:Mn (Mn: 40%) nanolayer deposed at very low temperature by high-precision Solid Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy on SiO{sub 2} thin film. The size of quantum dots is controlled with nanometer scale precision by varying the nominal thickness of amorphous film initially deposed. The magnetic properties of the quantum-dots layer have been investigated by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the nanostructure of these materials. Obtained results indicate that GeMn QDs are crystalline, monodisperse and exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior with a Curie temperature (TC) above room temperature. They could be integrated into spintronic technology.

Electrical characteristics of thermal CVD B-doped Si films on highly strained Si epitaxially grown on Ge(100) by plasma CVD without substrate heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugawara, Katsutoshi; Sakuraba, Masao; Murota, Junichi

2010-01-01

Using an 84% relaxed Ge(100) buffer layer formed on Si(100) by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD), influence of strain upon electrical characteristics of B-doped Si film epitaxially grown on the Ge buffer have been investigated. For the thinner B-doped Si film, surface strain amount is larger than that of the thicker film, for example, strain amount reaches 2.0% for the thickness of 2.2 nm. It is found that the hole mobility is enhanced by the introduction of strain to Si, and the maximum enhancement of about 3 is obtained. This value is higher than that of the usually reported mobility enhancement by strain using Si 1 -x Ge x buffer. Therefore, introduction of strain using relaxed Ge film formed by ECR plasma enhanced CVD is useful to improve future Si-based device performance.

Palladium silicide - a new contact for semiconductor radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Totterdell, D.H.J.

1981-11-01

Silicide layers can be used as low resistance contacts in semiconductor devices. The formation of a metal rich palladium silicide Pd 2 Si is discussed. A palladium film 100A thick is deposited at 300 0 C and the resulting silicide layer used as an ohmic contact in an n + p silicon detector. This rugged contact has electrical characteristics comparable with existing evaporated gold contacts and enables the use of more reproducible bonding techniques. (author)

XRD analysis of strained Ge-SiGe heterostructures on relaxed SiGe graded buffers grown by hybrid epitaxy on Si(0 0 1) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco, N.; Barradas, N.P.; Alves, E.; Vallera, A.M.; Morris, R.J.H.; Mironov, O.A.; Parker, E.H.C.

2005-01-01

Ge/Si 1-x Ge x inverted modulation doped heterostructures with Ge channel thickness of 16 and 20 nm were grown by a method of hybrid epitaxy followed by ex situ annealing at 650 deg. C for p-HMOS application. The thicker layers of the virtual substrate (6000 nm graded SiGe up to x = 0.6 and 1000 nm uniform composition with x = 0.6) were produced by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD) while the thinner, Si(2 nm)-SiGe(20 nm)-Ge-SiGe(15 nm + 5 nm B-doped + 20 nm) active layers were grown by low temperature solid-source (LT-SS) MBE at T = 350 deg. C. As-grown and annealed samples were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Reciprocal space maps (RSMs) allowed us to determine non-destructively the precise composition (∼1%) and strain of the Ge channel, along with similar information regarding the other layers that made up the whole structure. Layer thickness was determined with complementary high-resolution Rutherford backscattering (RBS) experiments

The cross-plane thermoelectric properties of p-Ge/Si0.5Ge0.5 superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferre Llin, L.; Samarelli, A.; Weaver, J. M. R.; Dobson, P. S.; Paul, D. J.; Cecchi, S.; Chrastina, D.; Isella, G.; Etzelstorfer, T.; Stangl, J.; Müller Gubler, E.

2013-01-01

The electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficients, and thermal conductivities of a range of p-type Ge/Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 superlattices designed for thermoelectric generation and grown by low energy plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition have been measured using a range of microfabricated test structures. For samples with barriers around 0.5 nm in thickness, the measured Seebeck coefficients were comparable to bulk p-SiGe at similar doping levels suggesting the holes see the material as a random bulk alloy rather than a superlattice. The Seebeck coefficients for Ge quantum wells of 2.85 ± 0.85 nm increased up to 533 ± 25 μV/K as the doping was reduced. The thermal conductivities are between 4.5 to 6.0 Wm −1 K −1 which are lower than comparably doped bulk Si 0.3 Ge 0.7 but higher than undoped Si/Ge superlattices. The highest measured figure of merit ZT was 0.080 ± 0.011 obtained for the widest quantum well studied. Analysis suggests that interface roughness is presently limiting the performance and a reduction in the strain between the quantum wells and barriers has the potential to improve the thermoelectric performance

A study of CoSix silicide formed by recoil implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, H.L.

1989-01-01

This work investigated the formation of CoSi x silicides on n-Si by recoil implantation through a thin cobalt layer using an inert gas ion beam. The results suggest the formation of a very shallow (35 to 45 nm) silicide surface layer under the specific conditions of preparation. The surface layer resistivity was comparable to values reported for Co 2 Si and CoSi, although below the surface, the resistivity decreased. This appeared to suggest a change-over from cobalt-rich silicides near the surface to a more conducting silicide (CoSi 2 ) at the interface. (author)

Highly hard yet toughened bcc-W coating by doping unexpectedly low B content

KAUST Repository

Yang, Lina

2017-08-18

Either hardness or toughness has been the core interest in scientific exploration and technological pursuit for a long time. However, it is still a big challenge to enhance the hardness and toughness at the same time, since the improvement of one side is always at the expense of the other one. Here, we have succeeded in dealing with this pair of conflict based on tungsten (W) coating by doping boron (B) via magnetron co-sputtering. The results reveal that the introduction of low concentrations of B (6.3 at. %), in the doping regime, leads to the formation of W(B) supersaturated solid solution with refined grains. Meanwhile, the doping-induced higher compressive stress, higher H/E* and denser microstructure result in a surprising combination of improved hardness (2 × larger than pure W) and superior toughness (higher crack formation threshold compared to pure W). We believe this is an innovative sight to design new generation of transition-metal-based multifunctional coatings. Besides, our results are applicable for industrial application because it can be realized by simple manufacturing approaches, e.g. magnetron sputtering technology.

The formation of tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation and their application in photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stojadinović, Stevan; Vasilić, Rastko; Radić, Nenad; Tadić, Nenad; Stefanov, Plamen; Grbić, Boško

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). • Coatings are mainly composed of alpha alumina, ZnO and metallic tungsten. • Photocatalytic activity of doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is higher than of undoped ones. • The increase of photoluminescence corresponds to decrease of photocatalytic activity. • Tungsten acts as a charge trap to reduce the recombination rate of electron/hole pairs. - Abstract: Tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum substrate in supporting electrolyte (0.1 M boric acid + 0.05 M borax + 2 g/L ZnO) with addition of different concentrations of Na_2WO_4·2H_2O. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, and light absorption characteristics of formed surface coatings are investigated. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that formed surface coatings consist of alpha and gamma phase of Al_2O_3, ZnO, metallic tungsten and WO_3. Obtained results showed that incorporated tungsten does not have any influence on the absorption spectra of Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings, which showed invariable band edge at about 385 nm. The photocatalytic activity of undoped and tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is estimated by the photodegradation of methyl orange. The photocatalytic activity of tungsten doped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings is higher thanof undoped Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings; the best photocatalytic activity is ascribed to coatings formed in supporting electrolyte with addition of 0.3 g/L Na_2WO_4·2H_2O. Tungsten in Al_2O_3/ZnO coatings acts as a charge trap, thus reducing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of PL measurements are in agreement with photocatalytic activity. Declining PL intensity corresponds to increasing photocatalytic activity of the coatings, indicating slower recombination of electron-hole pairs.

An investigation of the thermoluminescence of Ge-doped SiO2 optical fibres for application in interface radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Rahman, A.T.; Hugtenburg, R.P.; Abdul Sani, Siti Fairus; Alalawi, A.I.M.; Issa, Fatma; Thomas, R.; Barry, M.A.; Nisbet, A.; Bradley, D.A.

2012-01-01

We investigate the ability of high spatial resolution (∼ 120 μm) Ge-doped SiO 2 TL dosimeters to measure photoelectron dose enhancement resulting from the use of a moderate to high-Z target (an iodinated contrast media) irradiated by 90 kVp X-rays. We imagine its application in a novel radiation synovectomy technique, modelled by a phantom containing a reservoir of I 2 molecules at the interface of which the doped silica dosimeters are located. Measurements outside of the iodine photoelectron range are provided for using a stepped-design that allows insertion of the fibres within the phantom. Monte Carlo simulation (MCNPX) is used for verification. At the phantom medium I 2 -interface additional photoelectron generation is observed, ∼60% above that in the absence of the I 2 , simulations providing agreement to within 3%. Percentage depth doses measured away from the iodine contrast medium reservoir are bounded by published PDDs at 80 kVp and 100 kVp. - Highlights: ▶ Studies of dosimetric characteristic of commercially available doped silica optical fibres. ▶ Investigation of the potential of the dosimeter in dose enhancement measurement. ▶ Use of photoelectron dose enhancement as might be applied in radiation synovectomy. ▶ Measurement of the percentage depth dose recorded by Ge-doped silica optical fibres. ▶ The Monte Carlo simulation provides comparison against measured data.

Analysis of reactivity accidents of the RSG-GAS core with silicide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tukiran

2002-01-01

The fuels of RSG-GAS reactor is changed from uranium oxide to uranium silicide. For time being, the fuel of RSG-GAS core are mixed up between oxide and silicide fuels with 250 gr of loading and 2.96 g U/cm 3 of density, respectively. While, silicide fuel with 300 gr of loading is still under research. The advantages of silicide fuels are can be used in high density, so that, it can be stayed longer in the core at higher burn-up, therefore, the length of cycle is longer. The silicide fuel in RSG-GAS core is used in step-wise by using mixed up core. Firstly, it is used silicide fuel with 250 gr of loading and then, silicide fuel with 300 gr of loading (3.55 g U/cm 3 of density). In every step-wise of fuel loading must be analysed its safety margin. In this occasion, it is analysed the reactivity accident of RSG-GAS core with 300 gr of silicide fuel loading. The calculation was done by using POKDYN code which available at P2TRR. The calculation was done by reactivity insertion at start up and power rangers. From all cases which were have been done, the results of analysis showed that there is no anomaly and safety margin break at RSG-GAS core with 300 gr silicide fuel loading

Neutronic design of the RSG-GAS silicide core

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sembiring, T.M.; Kuntoro, I.; Hastowo, H. [Center for Development of Research Reactor Technology National Nuclear Energy Agency BATAN, PUSPIPTEK Serpong Tangerang, 15310 (Indonesia)

2002-07-01

The objective of core conversion program of the RSG-GAS multipurpose reactor is to convert the fuel from oxide, U{sub 3}O{sub 8}-Al to silicide, U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}-Al. The aim of the program is to gain longer operation cycle by having, which is technically possible for silicide fuel, a higher density. Upon constraints of the existing reactor system and utilization, an optimal fuel density in amount of 3.55 g U/cc was found. This paper describes the neutronic parameter design of the silicide equilibrium core and the design of its transition cores as well. From reactivity control point of view, a modification of control rod system is also discussed. All calculations are carried out by means of diffusion codes, Batan-EQUIL-2D, Batan-2DIFF and -3DIFF. The silicide core shows that longer operation cycle of 32 full power days can be achieved without decreasing the safety criteria and utilization capabilities. (author)

Novel high resolution 125I brachytherapy source dosimetry using Ge-doped optical fibres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issa, Fatma; Hugtenburg, Richard P.; Nisbet, Andrew; Bradley, David A.

2013-01-01

The steep dose gradients close to brachytherapy sources limit the ability to obtain accurate measurements of dose. Here we use a novel high spatial resolution dosimeter to measure dose around a 125 I source and compare against simulations. Ge-doped optical fibres, used as thermoluminescent dosimeters, offer sub-mm spatial resolution, linear response from 10 cGy to >1 kGy and dose-rate independence. For a 125 I brachytherapy seed in a PMMA phantom, doses were obtained for source-dosimeter separations from 0.1 cm up to several cm, supported by EGSnrc/DOSRZznrc Monte Carlo simulations and treatment planning system data. The measurements agree with simulations to within 2.3%±0.3% along the transverse and perpendicular axes and within 3.0%±0.5% for measurements investigating anisotropy in angular dose distribution. Measured and Veriseed™ brachytherapy treatment planning system (TPS) values agreed to within 2.7%±0.5%. Ge-doped optical fibre dosimeters allow detailed dose mapping around brachytherapy sources, not least in situations of high dose gradient. - Highlights: • We evaluate fall-off in dose for distances from an 125 I source of 1 mm to 60 mm. • The TL of optical fibres accommodate high dose gradients and doses that reduce by a factor of 10 3 across the range of separations. • We verify measured values using DOSRZnrc Monte Carlo code simulations and the Variseed™ Treatment Planning System. • Measured radial and angular dose are obtained with ≤3% uncertainty

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of Sb-doped GeSe2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhen-Ying; Chen, Fen; Lu, Shun-Bin; Wang, Yong-Hui; Shen, Xiang; Dai, Shi-Xun; Nie, Qiu-Hua

2015-06-01

Sb-doped GeSe2 chalcogenide thin films are prepared by the magnetron co-sputtering method. The linear optical properties of as-deposited films are derived by analyzing transmission spectra. The refractive index rises and the optical band gap decreases from 2.08 eV to 1.41 eV with increasing the Sb content. X-ray photoelectron spectra further confirm the formation of a covalent Sb-Se bond. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of thin films are investigated under femtosecond laser excitation at 800 nm. The results show that the third-order nonlinear optical properties are enhanced with increasing the concentration of Sb. The nonlinear refraction indices of these thin films are measured to be on the order of 10-18 m2/W with a positive sign and the nonlinear absorption coefficients are obtained to be on the order of 10-10 m/W. These excellent properties indicate that Sb-doped Ge-Se films have a good prospect in the applications of nonlinear optical devices. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB722703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61377061), the Young Leaders of Academic Climbing Project of the Education Department of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant No. pd2013092), the Program for Innovative Research Team of Ningbo City, China (Grant No. 2009B217), and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, China.

Progress toward a practical Nb--Ge conductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braginski, A.I.; Gavaler, J.R.; Roland, G.W.; Daniel, M.R.; Janocko, M.A.; Santhanam, A.T.

1976-01-01

Properties of high-T/sub c/ Nb--Ge films deposited by sputtering and by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have been investigated. Results of sputtering in the presence of controlled levels of O 2 , N 2 , Si, and of reactive sputtering in Ar--GeH 4 , suggest that the high-T/sub c/ A15 phase is impurity- or defect-stabilized. In CVD deposits two tetragonal modifications were found: sigma and T2, the latter probably stabilized by Cl 2 . High critical current densities, J/sub c/ (H, T) of fine-grained sputtered films are attributed to flux pinning on A15 grain boundaries. In coarse-grained CVD films high self-field J/sub c/'s, 10 6 to 10 7 A cm -2 at T = 4.2 0 K, are attributed to pinning on dispersed sigma-phase. Comparably high J/sub c/'s were also obtained in CVD A15 films doped with impurities. Low field ac losses p (H, T) were correlated with J/sub c/ and coating geometries. The feasibility of fabricating multifilamentary composite conductors by CVD was demonstrated experimentally and a fabrication process for long Nb 3 Ge CVD tapes is being developed

Frictional properties of self-adaptive chromium doped tungsten–sulfur–carbon coatings at nanoscale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zekonyte, J., E-mail: j.zekonyte@soton.ac.uk [National Centre for Advanced Tribology, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Cavaleiro, A. [SEG-CEMUC – Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, P-3030 788 Coimbra (Portugal); Polcar, T. [National Centre for Advanced Tribology, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technická 2, Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2014-06-01

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) are excellent dry lubricants forming thin (∼10 nm) tribolayer that simultaneously protects the coating from environmental attack and provides low friction. In this paper, we focus on nanoscale frictional properties of chromium doped tungsten–sulfur–carbon (WSC–Cr) coatings with various Cr content. Friction force microscopy was used to investigate friction force as a function of load. A non-linear contact area dependence on the normal force was observed. The calculated interfacial shear strength was relatively low in the region of 70–99 MPa. Friction coefficient decreased with increased applied load independently of chromium content in the coatings.

Room temperature ferromagnetic gadolinium silicide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadimani, Magundappa Ravi L.; Gupta, Shalabh; Harstad, Shane; Pecharsky, Vitalij; Jiles, David C.

2018-03-06

A particle usable as T₁ and T₂ contrast agents is provided. The particle is a gadolinium silicide (Gd₅Si₄) particle that is ferromagnetic at temperatures up to 290 K and is less than 2 .mu.m in diameter. An MRI contrast agent that includes a plurality of gadolinium silicide (Gd.sub.5Si.sub.4) particles that are less than 1 .mu.m in diameter is also provided. A method for creating gadolinium silicide (Gd₅Si₄) particles is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing a Gd₅Si₄ bulk alloy; grinding the Gd₅Si₄ bulk alloy into a powder; and milling the Gd₅Si₄ bulk alloy powder for a time of approximately 20 minutes or less.

Thermally-treated Pt-coated silicon AFM tips for wear resistance in ferroelectric data storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhushan, Bharat; Palacio, Manuel; Kwak, Kwang Joo

2008-01-01

In ferroelectric data storage, a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe with a noble metal coating is placed in contact with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) film. The understanding and improvement of probe tip wear, particularly at high velocities, is needed for high data rate recording. A commercial Pt-coated silicon AFM probe was thermally treated in order to form platinum silicide at the near-surface. Nanoindentation, nanoscratch and wear experiments were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties and wear performance at high velocities. The thermally treated tip exhibited lower wear than the untreated tip. The tip wear mechanism is adhesive and abrasive wear with some evidence of impact wear. The enhancement in mechanical properties and wear resistance in the thermally treated film is attributed to silicide formation in the near-surface. Auger electron spectroscopy and electrical resistivity measurements confirm the formation of platinum silicide. This study advances the understanding of thin film nanoscale surface interactions

Low-Temperature Processed Ga-Doped ZnO Coatings from Colloidal Inks

KAUST Repository

Della Gaspera, Enrico

2013-03-06

We present a new colloidal synthesis of gallium-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals that are transparent in the visible and absorb in the near-infrared. Thermal decomposition of zinc stearate and gallium nitrate after hot injection of the precursors in a mixture of organic amines leads to nanocrystals with tunable properties according to gallium amount. Substitutional Ga3+ ions trigger a plasmonic resonance in the infrared region resulting from an increase in the free electrons concentration. These nanocrystals can be deposited by spin coating, drop casting, and spray coating resulting in homogeneous and high-quality thin films. The optical transmission of the Ga-ZnO nanoparticle assemblies in the visible is greater than 90%, and at the same time, the near-infrared absorption of the nanocrystals is maintained in the films as well. Several strategies to improve the films electrical and optical properties have been presented, such as UV treatments to remove the organic compounds responsible for the observed interparticle resistance and reducing atmosphere treatments on both colloidal solutions and thin films to increase the free carriers concentration, enhancing electrical conductivity and infrared absorption. The electrical resistance of the nanoparticle assemblies is about 30 kΩ/sq for the as-deposited, UV-exposed films, and it drops down to 300 Ω/sq after annealing in forming gas at 450 °C, comparable with state of the art tin-doped indium oxide coatings deposited from nanocrystal inks. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Nanostructured sol-gel coatings doped with cerium nitrate as pre-treatments for AA2024-T3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheludkevich, M.L.; Serra, R.; Montemor, M.F.; Yasakau, K.A.; Salvado, I.M. Miranda; Ferreira, M.G.S.

2005-01-01

Nanostructured hybrid sol-gel coatings doped with cerium ions were investigated in the present work as pre-treatments for the AA2024-T3 alloy. The sol-gel films have been synthesized from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) precursors. Additionally the hybrid sol was doped with zirconia nanoparticles prepared from hydrolyzed tetra-n-propoxyzirconium (TPOZ). Cerium nitrate, as corrosion inhibitor, was added into the hybrid matrix or into the oxide nanoparticles. The chemical composition and the structure of the hybrid sol-gel films were studied by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscopy), respectively. The evolution of the corrosion protection properties of the sol-gel films was studied by EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), which can provide quantitative information on the role of the different pre-treatments. Different equivalent circuits, for different stages of the corrosion processes, were used in order to model the coating degradation. The models were supported by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) measurements. The results show that the sol-gel films containing zirconia nanoparticles present improved barrier properties. Doping the hybrid nanostructured sol-gel coatings with cerium nitrate leads to additional improvement of the corrosion protection. The zirconia particles present in the sol-gel matrix seem to act as nanoreservoirs providing a prolonged release of cerium ions. The nanostructured sol-gel films doped with cerium nitrate can be proposed as a potential candidate for substitution of the chromate pre-treatments for AA2024-T3

Irradiation behavior of experimental miniature uranium silicide fuel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofman, Gerard L.; Neimark, L.A.; Mattas, R.F.

1983-01-01

Uranium silicides, because of their relatively high uranium density, were selected as candidate dispersion fuels for the higher fuel densities required in the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program. Irradiation experience with this type of fuel, however, was limited to relatively modest fission densities in the bulk form, on the order of 7 x 10 20 cm -3 , far short of he approximately 20 x 10 20 cm -3 goal established for the RERTR Program. The purpose of the irradiation experiments on silicide fuels in the ORR, therefore, was to investigate the intrinsic irradiation behavior of uranium silicide as a dispersion fuel. Of particular interest was the interaction between the silicide particles and the aluminum matrix, the swelling behavior of the silicide particles, and the maximum volume fraction of silicide particles that could be contained in the aluminum matrix. The first group of experimental 'mini' fuel plates have recently reached the program's goal burnup and are in various stages of examination. Although the results to date indicate some limitations, it appears that within the range of parameters examined thus far the uranium silicide dispersion holds promise for satisfying most of the needs of the RERTR Program. The twelve experimental silicide dispersion fuel plates that were irradiated to approximately their goal exposure show the 30-vol % U 3 Si-Al plates to be in a stage of relatively rapid fission-gas-driven swelling at a fission density of 2 x 10 20 cm -3 . This fuel swelling will likely result in unacceptably large plate-thickness increases. The U 3 Si plates appear to be superior in this respect; however, they, too, are starting to move into the rapid fuel-swelling stage. Analysis of the currently available post irradiation data indicates that a 40-vol % dispersed fuel may offer an acceptable margin to the onset of unstable thickness changes at exposures of 2 x 10 21 fission/cm 3 . The interdiffusion between fuel and matrix

Determination of accurate metal silicide layer thickness by RBS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchhoff, J.F.; Baumann, S.M.; Evans, C.; Ward, I.; Coveney, P.

1995-01-01

Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) is a proven useful analytical tool for determining compositional information of a wide variety of materials. One of the most widely utilized applications of RBS is the study of the composition of metal silicides (MSi x ), also referred to as polycides. A key quantity obtained from an analysis of a metal silicide is the ratio of silicon to metal (Si/M). Although compositional information is very reliable in these applications, determination of metal silicide layer thickness by RBS techniques can differ from true layer thicknesses by more than 40%. The cause of these differences lies in how the densities utilized in the RBS analysis are calculated. The standard RBS analysis software packages calculate layer densities by assuming each element's bulk densities weighted by the fractional atomic presence. This calculation causes large thickness discrepancies in metal silicide thicknesses because most films form into crystal structures with distinct densities. Assuming a constant layer density for a full spectrum of Si/M values for metal silicide samples improves layer thickness determination but ignores the underlying physics of the films. We will present results of RBS determination of the thickness various metal silicide films with a range of Si/M values using a physically accurate model for the calculation of layer densities. The thicknesses are compared to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) cross-section micrographs. We have also developed supporting software that incorporates these calculations into routine analyses. (orig.)

N-Doped TiO₂-Coated Ceramic Membrane for Carbamazepine Degradation in Different Water Qualities.

Science.gov (United States)

Luster, Enbal; Avisar, Dror; Horovitz, Inna; Lozzi, Luca; Baker, Mark A; Grilli, Rossana; Mamane, Hadas

2017-07-31

The photocatalytic degradation of the model pollutant carbamazepine (CBZ) was investigated under simulated solar irradiation with an N-doped TiO₂-coated Al₂O₃ photocatalytic membrane, using different water types. The photocatalytic membrane combines photocatalysis and membrane filtration in a single step. The impact of each individual constituent such as acidity, alkalinity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), divalent cations (Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ), and Cl - on the degradation of CBZ was examined. CBZ in water was efficiently degraded by an N-doped TiO₂-coated Al₂O₃ membrane. However, elements added to the water, which simulate the constituents of natural water, had an impact on the CBZ degradation. Water alkalinity inhibited CBZ degradation mostly due to increase in pH while radical scavenging by carbonate was more dominant at higher values (>200 mg/L as CaCO₃). A negative effect of Ca 2+ addition on photocatalytic degradation was found only in combination with phosphate buffer, probably caused by deposition of CaHPO₄ or CaHPO₄·2H₂O on the catalyst surface. The presence of Cl - and Mg 2+ ions had no effect on CBZ degradation. DOM significantly inhibited CBZ degradation for all tested background organic compounds. The photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO₂-coated Al₂O₃ membranes gradually decreased after continuous use; however, it was successfully regenerated by 0.1% HCl chemical cleaning. Nevertheless, dissolution of metals like Al and Ti should be monitored following acid cleaning.

GeP and (Ge1−xSnx)(P1−yGey) (x≈0.12, y≈0.05): Synthesis, structure, and properties of two-dimensional layered tetrel phosphides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kathleen; Synnestvedt, Sarah; Bellard, Maverick; Kovnir, Kirill

2015-01-01

GeP and Sn-doped GeP were synthesized from elements in bismuth and tin flux, respectively. The layered crystal structures of these compounds were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Both phosphides crystallize in a GaTe structure type in the monoclinic space group C2/m (No. 12) with GeP: a=15.1948(7) Å, b=3.6337(2) Å, c=9.1941(4) Å, β=101.239(2)°; Ge 0.93(3) P 0.95(1) Sn 0.12(3) : a=15.284(9) Å, b=3.622(2) Å, c=9.207(5) Å, β=101.79(1)°. The crystal structure of GeP consists of 2-dimensional GeP layers held together by weak electron lone pair interactions between the phosphorus atoms that confine the layer. Each layer is built of Ge–Ge dumbbells surrounded by a distorted antiprism of phosphorus atoms. Sn-doped GeP has a similar structural motif, but with a significant degree of disorder emphasized by the splitting of all atomic positions. Resistivity measurements together with quantum-chemical calculations reveal semiconducting behavior for the investigated phosphides. - Graphical abstract: Layered phosphides GeP and Sn-doped GeP were synthesized from elements in bismuth and tin flux, respectively. The crystal structure of GeP consists of 2-dimensional GeP layers held together by weak electron lone pair interactions between the phosphorus atoms that confine the layer. Sn-doped GeP has a similar structural motif with a significant degree of disorder emphasized by the splitting of all atomic positions. Resistivity measurements together with quantum-chemical calculations reveal semiconducting behavior for the investigated phosphides. - Highlights: • GeP crystallizes in a layered crystal structure. • Doping of Sn into GeP causes large structural distortions. • GeP is narrow bandgap semiconductor. • Sn-doped GeP exhibits an order of magnitude higher resistivity due to disorder

A novel red phosphor Mg2GeO4 doped with Eu3+ for PDP applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Hongmei; Shi Jianxin; Liang Hongbin; Gong Menglian

2006-01-01

A novel red emitting phosphor, Eu 3+ -doped Mg 2 GeO 4 , was prepared by the solid-state reaction. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of Mg 2 GeO 4 :Eu 3+ . Field-emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observation indicated a narrow size-distribution of about 0.5-2 μm nm for the particles with spindle-like shape. Photoluminescence (PL) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation characteristics of the phosphor Mg 2 GeO 4 :Eu 3+ were studied. We have also studied the effect of preparation conditions such as temperature, heating time on the PL data. Photoluminescence measurements indicated that the phosphor exhibits bright red emission at about 609 nm under UV excitation. And the vacuum ultraviolet spectra present that the novel red phosphor Mg 2 GeO 4 :Eu 3+ shows strong absorption in the VUV region, which ensures the efficient absorption of the Xe plasma emission lines. The phosphor Mg 2 GeO 4 :Eu 3+ shows the strongest emission at 613 nm corresponding to the electric dipole 5 D - 7 F 2 transition of Eu 3+ excited at 147 nm. The optical properties study suggests that it is a potential candidate for plasma display panels (PDPs) application

Highly-crystalline ultrathin gadolinium doped and carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12 nanosheets for enhanced lithium storage

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, G. B.; Yang, L. W.; Wei, X. L.; Ding, J. W.; Zhong, J. X.; Chu, P. K.

2015-11-01

Highly-crystalline gadolinium doped and carbon-coated ultrathin Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) nanosheets (denoted as LTO-Gd-C) as an anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are synthesized on large scale by controlling the amount of carbon precursor in the topotactic transformation of layered ultrathin Li1.81H0.19Ti2O5·xH2O (H-LTO) nanosheets at 700 °C. The characterizations of structure and morphology reveal that the gadolinium doped and carbon-coated ultrathin LTO nanosheets have high crystallinity with a thickness of about 10 nm. Gadolinium doping allows the spinel LTO products to be stabilized, thereby preserving the precursor's sheet morphology and single crystal structure. Carbon encapsulation serves dual functions by restraining crystal growth of the LTO primary nanoparticles in the LTO-Gd-C nanosheets and decreasing the external electron transport resistance. Owing to the synergistic effects rendered by ultrathin nanosheets with high crystallinity, gadolinium doping and carbon coating, the developed ultrathin LTO nanosheets possess excellent specific capacity, cycling performance, and rate capability compared with reference materials, when evaluated as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The simple and effective strategy encompassing nanoscale morphological engineering, surface modification, and doping improves the performance of LTO-based anode materials for high energy density and high power LIBs applied in large scale energy storage.

Flow boiling heat transfer enhancement on copper surface using Fe doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} composite coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sujith Kumar, C.S., E-mail: sujithdeepam@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, Tamil Nadu (India); Suresh, S., E-mail: ssuresh@nitt.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, Tamil Nadu (India); Aneesh, C.R., E-mail: aneeshcr87@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, Tamil Nadu (India); Santhosh Kumar, M.C., E-mail: santhoshmc@nitt.edu [Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, Tamil Nadu (India); Praveen, A.S., E-mail: praveen_as_1215@yahoo.co.in [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli 620015, Tamil Nadu (India); Raji, K., E-mail: raji.kochandra@gmail.com [School of Nano Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Calicut 673601, Kerala (India)

2015-04-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fe–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} composite coatings were coated on the copper using spray pyrolysis. • Effect of Fe doping on porosity was determined using AFM. • Effect of Fe doping on hydrophilicity was determined. • Higher enhancement in CHF was obtained for 7.2 at% Fe doped coated sample. - Abstract: In the present work, flow boiling experiments were conducted to study the effect of spray pyrolyzed Fe doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–TiO{sub 2} composite coatings over the copper heater blocks on critical heat flux (CHF) and boiling heat transfer coefficient. Heat transfer studies were conducted in a mini-channel of overall dimension 30 mm × 20 mm × 0.4 mm using de-mineralized water as the working fluid. Each coated sample was tested for two mass fluxes to explore the heat transfer performance. The effect of Fe addition on wettability and porosity of the coated surfaces were measured using the static contact angle metre and the atomic force microscope (AFM), and their effect on flow boiling heat transfer were investigated. A significant enhancement in CHF and boiling heat transfer coefficient were observed on all coated samples compared to sand blasted copper surface. A maximum enhancement of 52.39% and 44.11% in the CHF and heat transfer coefficient were observed for 7.2% Fe doped TiO{sub 2}–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} for a mass flux of 88 kg/m{sup 2} s.

A density functional theory investigation on amantadine drug interaction with pristine and B, Al, Si, Ga, Ge doped C60 fullerenes

Science.gov (United States)

Parlak, Cemal; Alver, Özgür

2017-06-01

Amantadine is a well-known drug for its treatment effect on Parkinson's disease and influenza infection or hepatitis. Heteroatom doped fullerenes have been extensively examined for their possible usage in sensor technology and medical applications as drug delivery vehicles. In this research, pristine and B, Al, Si, Ga, Ge doped C60 fullerenes and their interaction with amantadine drug molecule were investigated based on the density functional theory calculations. Findings suggest that doped C60 fullerenes might be used to detect the presence of amantadine and they might be used as drug delivery vehicles because of their moderately high adsorption energies with amantadine.

Electrochemical properties of Ti3+ doped Ag-Ti nanotube arrays coated with hydroxyapatite

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hangzhou; Shi, Xiaoguo; Tian, Ang; Wang, Li; Liu, Chuangwei

2018-04-01

Ag-Ti nanotube array was prepared by simple anodic oxidation method and uniform hydroxyapatite were electrochemically deposited on the nanotubes, and then characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS and EIS. In order to investigate the influence of Ti3+ on the electrochemical deposition of hydroxyapatite on the nanotubes, the Ag-Ti nanotube array self-doped with Ti3+ was prepared by one step reduction method. The experiment results revealed that the Ti3+ can promote the grow rate of hydroxyapatite coatings on nanotube surface. The hydroxyapatite coated Ag-Ti nanotube arrays with Ti3+ exhibit excellent stability and higher corrosion resistance. Moreover, the compact and dense hydroxyapatite coating can also prevent the Ag atom erosion from the Ag-Ti nanotube.

Effects of annealing gas and drain doping concentration on electrical properties of Ge-source/Si-channel heterojunction tunneling FETs

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Tae-Eon; Wakabayashi, Yuki; Nakane, Ryosho; Takenaka, Mitsuru; Takagi, Shinichi

2018-04-01

Improvement in the performance of Ge-source/Si-channel heterojunction tunneling FETs (TFETs) with high on-current/off-current (I on/I off) ratio and steep subthreshold swing (SS) is demonstrated. In this paper, we experimentally examine the effects of gas ambient [N2 and forming gas (4% H2/N2)] and a doping concentration in the drain regions on the electrical characteristics of Ge/Si heterojunction TFETs. The minimum SS (SSmin) of 70.9 mV/dec and the large I on/I off ratio of 1.4 × 107 are realized by postmetallization annealing in forming gas. Also, the steep SSmin and averaged SS (SSavr) values of 64.2 and 78.4 mV/dec, respectively, are obtained in low drain doping concentration. This improvement is attributable to the reduction in interface state density (D it) in the channel region and to the low leakage current in the drain region.

High performance LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode by Al-coating and Al3+-doping through a physical vapor deposition method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Peng; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou; Li, Huiqiao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Metal Al was used as an electrical conductive coating material for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 . • The uniform surface coating layer of metal Al was successfully achieved with adjusted thickness through a physical vapor deposition technology. • Al 3+ -doped LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 can be easily obtained by further directly annealing of Al-coated LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 in air. • The conductive Al-coating layer can greatly improve the rate performance and cycle stability of LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 . - Abstract: In this work, spinel LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) hollow microspheres are synthesized by an impregnation method using microsphere MnO 2 as both the precursor and template. To enhance the electrical conductivity of LNMO, metal Al was employed for the first time as a coating material for LNMO. Though an Electron-beam Vapor Deposition approach, the surface of LNMO can be easily coated by a tight layer of Al nanoparticles with adjusted thickness. Further annealing the Al-coated sample at 800 °C in air, the Al 3+ -doped LNMO can be obtained. The effects of Al-coating and Al 3+ -doping on the sample morphology and structure are investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD and FT-IR. The electrochemical properties of Al-coated LNMO and Al 3+ -doped LNMO are measured with comparison of bare LNMO by charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that both Al-coating and Al 3+ -doping can greatly enhance the cycle performance and rate capability of LNMO. Especially for Al-coated LNMO, it shows the lowest battery impedance due to the existence of conductive Al coating layer, thus delivers the best rate performance among the three. The physical coating procedure used in this work may provide a new facile modification approach for other cathode materials.

Isothermal and dynamic oxidation behaviour of Mo-W doped carbon-based coating

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Paranjayee; Ehiasarian, Arutiun P.; Hovsepian, Papken Eh.

2015-10-01

The oxidation behaviour of Mo-W doped carbon-based coating (Mo-W-C) is investigated in elevated temperature (400-1000 °C). Strong metallurgical bond between Mo-W-C coating and substrate prevents any sort of delamination during heat-treatment. Isothermal oxidation tests show initial growth of metal oxides at 500 °C, however graphitic nature of the as-deposited coating is preserved. The oxidation progresses with further rise in temperature and the substrate is eventually exposed at 700 °C. The performance of Mo-W-C coating is compared with a state-of-the-art DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating, which shows preliminary oxidation at 400 °C and local delamination of the coating at 500 °C leading to substrate exposure. The graphitisation starts at 400 °C and the diamond-like structure is completely converted into the graphite-like structure at 500 °C. Dynamic oxidation behaviour of both the coatings is investigated using Thermo-gravimetric analysis carried out with a slow heating rate of 1 °C/min from ambient temperature to 1000 °C. Mo-W-C coating resists oxidation up to ˜800 °C whereas delamination of DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating is observed beyond ˜380 °C. In summary, Mo-W-C coating provides improved oxidation resistance at elevated temperature compared to DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating.

An iodine supplementation of tomato fruits coated with an edible film of the iodide-doped chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Limchoowong, Nunticha; Sricharoen, Phitchan; Techawongstien, Suchila; Chanthai, Saksit

2016-06-01

In general, the risk of numerous thyroid cancers inevitably increases among people with iodine deficiencies. An iodide-doped chitosan (CT-I) solution was prepared for dipping tomatoes to coat the fresh surface with an edible film (1.5 μm), thereby providing iodine-rich fruits for daily intake. Characterisation of the thin film was conducted by FTIR and SEM. Stability of the CT-I film was studied via water immersion at various time intervals, and no residual iodide leached out due to intrinsic interactions between the cationic amino group of chitosan and iodide ions. Moreover, the iodide supplement exhibited no effect on the antioxidant activity of tomatoes. The iodine content in the film-coated tomato was determined by ICP-OES. The tomato coating with 1.5% (w/v) CT-I contained approximately 0.4 μg iodide per gram fresh weight. In addition, the freshness and storability of iodine-doped tomatoes were also maintained for shelf-life concerns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low temperature oxidation of niobium alloy with silicon-aluminium coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazarev, Eh.M.; Sapozhnikova, L.V.; Shabanova, M.E.; Pod'yachev, V.N.; Kornilova, Z.I.

1987-01-01

Using the gravimetry methods heat resistance of niobium-titanium-aluminium alloy in the air and at 700 deg C in the initial state and when it is protected by silicide-aluminium coatings (with variable content of aluminium) is investigated. Using X-ray diffraction and micro X-ray diffraction analyses, mechanisms of the alloy oxidation and the coating protective effect are studied. The role of aluminium in the formation of coatings is analyzed and according to bend tests the plasticity of the coatings is evaluated

Negative Thermal Expansion over a Wide Temperature Range in Fe-Doped MnNiGe Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wenjun; Sun, Ying; Liu, Yufei; Shi, Kewen; Lu, Huiqing; Song, Ping; Wang, Lei; Han, Huimin; Yuan, Xiuliang; Wang, Cong

2018-01-01

Fe-doped MnNiGe alloys were successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction. Giant negative thermal expansion (NTE) behaviors with the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of -285.23 × 10 -6 K -1 (192-305 K) and -1167.09 × 10 -6 K -1 (246-305 K) have been obtained in Mn 0.90 Fe 0.10 NiGe and MnNi 0.90 Fe 0.10 Ge, respectively. Furthermore, these materials were combined with Cu in order to control the NTE properties. The results indicate that the absolute value of CTE gradually decreases with increasing Cu contents. In Mn 0.92 Fe 0.08 NiGe/ x %Cu, the CTE gradually changes from -64.92 × 10 -6 K -1 (125-274 K) to -4.73 × 10 -6 K -1 (173-229 K) with increasing value of x from 15 to 70. The magnetic measurements reveal that the NTE behaviors in this work are strongly correlated with the process of the magnetic phase transition and the introduction of Fe atoms could also change the spiral anti-ferromagnetic (s-AFM) state into ferromagnetic (FM) state at low temperature. Our study launches a new candidate for controlling thermal expansion properties of metal matrix materials which could have potential application in variable temperature environment.

C and Si delta doping in Ge by CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Yuji, E-mail: yamamoto@ihp-microelectronics.com [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Ueno, Naofumi; Sakuraba, Masao [Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Murota, Junichi [Micro System Integration Center, Tohoku University, 519-1176, Aramaki aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-0845 (Japan); Mai, Andreas [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Tillack, Bernd [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Technische Universität Berlin, HFT4, Einsteinufer 25, 10587 Berlin (Germany)

2016-03-01

C and Si delta doping in Ge are investigated using a reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system to establish atomic-order controlled processes. CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} is exposed at 250 °C to 500 °C to a Ge on Si (100) substrate using H{sub 2} or N{sub 2} carrier gas followed by a Ge cap layer deposition. At 350 °C, C and Si are uniformly adsorbed on the Ge surface and the incorporated C and Si form steep delta profiles below detection limit of SIMS measurement. By using N{sub 2} as carrier gas, the incorporated C and Si doses in Ge are saturated at one mono-layer below 350 °C. At this temperature range, the incorporated C and Si doses are nearly the same, indicating CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} is adsorbed on the Ge surface without decomposing the C−Si bond. On the other hand, by using H{sub 2} as carrier gas, lower incorporated C is observed in comparison to Si. CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} injected with H{sub 2} carrier gas is adsorbed on Ge without decomposing the C−Si bond and the adsorbed C is reduced by dissociation of the C−Si bond during temperature ramp up to 550 °C. The adsorbed C is maintained on the Ge surface in N{sub 2} at 550 °C. - Highlights: • C and Si delta doping in Ge is investigated using RPCVD system by CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} exposure. • Atomically flat C and Si delta layers are fabricated at 350 °C. • Incorporated C and Si doses are saturated at one mono-layer below 350 °C. • CH{sub 3}SiH{sub 3} adsorption occurred without decomposing C−Si bond. • Adsorbed C is desorbed due to dissociation by hydrogen during postannealing at 550 °C.

High temperature oxidation behavior of hafnium modified NiAl bond coat in EB-PVD thermal barrier coating system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo Hongbo; Sun Lidong; Li Hefei [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No.37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Gong Shengkai [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, No.37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China)], E-mail: gongsk@buaa.edu.cn

2008-06-30

NiAl coatings doped with 0.5 at.% and 1.5 at.% Hf were produced by co-evaporation of NiAl and Hf ingots by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD), respectively. The addition of 0.5 at.% Hf significantly improved the cyclic oxidation resistance of the NiAl coating. The TGO layer in the 1.5 at.% Hf doped NiAl coating is straight; while that in the 0.5 at.% Hf doped coating became undulated after thermal cycling. The doped NiAl thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) revealed improved thermal cycling lifetimes at 1423 K, compared to the undoped TBC. Failure of the 0.5 at.% Hf doped TBC occurred by cracking at the interface between YSZ topcoat and bond coat, while the 1.5 at.% Hf doped TBC cracked at the interface between bond coat and substrate.

Coating dental implant abutment screws with diamondlike carbon doped with diamond nanoparticles: the effect on maintaining torque after mechanical cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Lepesqueur, Laura Soares; de Figueiredo, Viviane Maria Gonçalves; Ferreira, Leandro Lameirão; Sobrinho, Argemiro Soares da Silva; Massi, Marcos; Bottino, Marco Antônio; Nogueira Junior, Lafayette

2015-01-01

To determine the effect of maintaining torque after mechanical cycling of abutment screws that are coated with diamondlike carbon and coated with diamondlike carbon doped with diamond nanoparticles, with external and internal hex connections. Sixty implants were divided into six groups according to the type of connection (external or internal hex) and the type of abutment screw (uncoated, coated with diamondlike carbon, and coated with diamondlike carbon doped with diamond nanoparticles). The implants were inserted into polyurethane resin and crowns of nickel chrome were cemented on the implants. The crowns had a hole for access to the screw. The initial torque and the torque after mechanical cycling were measured. The torque values maintained (in percentages) were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test, with a significance level of 5%. The largest torque value was maintained in uncoated screws with external hex connections, a finding that was statistically significant (P = .0001). No statistically significant differences were seen between the groups with and without coating in maintaining torque for screws with internal hex connections (P = .5476). After mechanical cycling, the diamondlike carbon with and without diamond doping on the abutment screws showed no improvement in maintaining torque in external and internal hex connections.

Synthesis and silica coating of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like titanate (K0.8Li0.27Ti1.73O4) nanocomposite by seeded polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Yin, Shu; Sato, Tsugio

2007-01-01

Calcia-doped ceria is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products because of the excellent UV light absorption property and low catalytic ability for the oxidation of organic materials superior to undoped ceria. In order to reduce the oxidation catalytic activity further, calcia-doped ceria was coated with amorphous silica by means of seeded polymerization technique. Generally, nanoparticles of inorganic materials do not provide a good coverage for human skin because of the agglomeration of the particles. The plate-like particles are required to enhance the coverage ability of inorganic materials. This can be accomplished by synthesis of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate (K 0.8 Li 0.27 Ti 1.73 O 4 ) nanocomposite with subsequent silica coating to control catalytic activity of calcia-doped ceria. Calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was prepared by soft chemical method followed by silica coating via seeded polymerization technique. Silica coated calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM, XPS and FT-IR

Volume-change-free GeTeN films for high-performance phase-change memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, You; Hosaka, Sumio; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Yang; Yu, Qi

2013-01-01

N-doping into GeTe is investigated with the aim of reducing the volume change upon crystallization, which usually induces a huge internal stress in phase-change memory devices. It is demonstrated that the thickness change upon crystallization of a N-doped GeTe (GeTeN) film is almost zero when N is doped in an appropriate amount. Cracks resulting from the stress caused by volume change disappear and the mean crystal size decreases by more than 50% upon N-doping into GeTe. It is thought that the volume-change-free behaviour is due to the formation of low-density nitride and grain refinement. (paper)

Characterization and Mineralization of Strontium Doped Nano Hydroxyapatite Coating on Titanium Rods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuang WANG

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pure nano hydroxyapatite (nHA and strontium doped nano hydroxyapatite (Sr-nHA, Sr/(Ca+Sr =10% were prepared by a one-step method which mainly used the principle of homogeneous phase co-precipitation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR revealed that the intensity of absorption was decreased with Sr doping. X-ray diffraction (XRD showed that special peak position of Sr-nHA shifted to a smaller 2θ angle compared with the pure nHA. Both the pure nHA (39.46±11.19nm in length and 15.90±3.65 nm in width and Sr-nHA (32.95±10.21 nm in length and 13.18±3.18 nm in width samples showed a tiny nano-rod feature. Moreover, Tc4 (Ti-6Al-4V rods (1 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length coated with pure nHA or Sr-nHA were prepared by high-energy plasma spraying. Elements of calcium (Ca, phosphorus (P, oxygen (O and Sr were detected on the Sr-nHA coating surface by Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS. XRD result also indicates the chemical composition almost did not change significantly after spraying. By immersion in the simulated body fluid (SBF, in vitro mineralization ability was estimated and the superficial coats were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and XRD. The results showed that Sr-nHA spraying surface has a better mineralization ability than the pure nHA coating. Therefore, the synthesized Sr-nHA would have potential for biological prostheses and other implantable materials.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.3.17254

Ge nanoclusters in PECVD-deposited glass caused only by heat treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ou, Haiyan; Rørdam, Troels Peter; Rottwitt, Karsten

2008-01-01

This paper reports the formation of Ge nanoclusters in a multi-layer structure consisting of alternating thin films of Ge-doped silica glass and SiGe, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and post annealed at 1100 °C in N2 atmosphere. We studied the annealed samples...... embedded with Ge nanoclusters after annealing. These nanoclusters are crystalline and varied in size. There were no clusters in the Ge-doped glass layer. Raman spectra verified the existence of crystalline Ge clusters. The positional shift of the Ge vibrational peak with the change of the focus depth...

Synthesis and design of silicide intermetallic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petrovic, J.J.; Castro, R.G.; Butt, D.P. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

1997-04-01

The overall objective of this program is to develop structural silicide-based materials with optimum combinations of elevated temperature strength/creep resistance, low temperature fracture toughness, and high temperature oxidation and corrosion resistance for applications of importance to the U.S. processing industry. A further objective is to develop silicide-based prototype industrial components. The ultimate aim of the program is to work with industry to transfer the structural silicide materials technology to the private sector in order to promote international competitiveness in the area of advanced high temperature materials and important applications in major energy-intensive U.S. processing industries. The program presently has a number of developing industrial connections, including a CRADA with Schuller International Inc. targeted at the area of MoSi{sub 2}-based high temperature materials and components for fiberglass melting and processing applications. The authors are also developing an interaction with the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) to develop silicides for high temperature radiant gas burner applications, for the glass and other industries. Current experimental emphasis is on the development and characterization of MoSi{sub 2}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and MoSi{sub 2}-SiC composites, the plasma spraying of MoSi{sub 2}-based materials, and the joining of MoSi{sub 2} materials to metals.

Thermoelectric cross-plane properties on p- and n-Ge/Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1-x} superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferre Llin, L.; Samarelli, A. [University of Glasgow, School of Engineering, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT (United Kingdom); Cecchi, S.; Chrastina, D.; Isella, G. [L-NESS, Politecnico di Milano, Via Anzani 42, 22100 Como (Italy); Müller Gubler, E. [ETH, Electron Microscopy ETH Zurich, Wolgang-Pauli-Str. Ch-8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Etzelstorfer, T.; Stangl, J. [Johannes Kepler Universität, Institute of Semiconductor and Solid State Physics, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Paul, D.J., E-mail: Douglas.Paul@glasgow.ac.uk [University of Glasgow, School of Engineering, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT (United Kingdom)

2016-03-01

Silicon and germanium materials have demonstrated an increasing attraction for energy harvesting, due to their sustainability and integrability with complementary metal oxide semiconductor and micro-electro-mechanical-system technology. The thermoelectric efficiencies for these materials, however, are very poor at room temperature and so it is necessary to engineer them in order to compete with telluride based materials, which have demonstrated at room temperature the highest performances in literature [1]. Micro-fabricated devices consisting of mesa structures with integrated heaters, thermometers and Ohmic contacts were used to extract the cross-plane values of the Seebeck coefficient and the thermal conductivity from p- and n-Ge/Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1-x} superlattices. A second device consisting in a modified circular transfer line method structure was used to extract the electrical conductivity of the materials. A range of p-Ge/Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5} superlattices with different doping levels was investigated in detail to determine the role of the doping density in dictating the thermoelectric properties. A second set of n-Ge/Si{sub 0.3}Ge{sub 0.7} superlattices was fabricated to study the impact that quantum well thickness might have on the two thermoelectric figures of merit, and also to demonstrate a further reduction of the thermal conductivity by scattering phonons at different wavelengths. This technique has demonstrated to lower the thermal conductivity by a 25% by adding different barrier thicknesses per period. - Highlights: • Growth of epitaxial Ge/SiGe superlattices on Si substrates as energy harvesters • Study of cross-plane thermoelectric properties of Ge/SiGe superlattices at 300 K • Thermoelectric figures of merit studied as a function of doping density • Phonon scattering at different wavelengths to reduce thermal transport.

A process for the production of a scale-proof and corrosion-resistant coating on graphite and carbon bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzer, E.

1981-01-01

A process for the production of a corrosion resistant coating on graphite and carbon bodies is described. The carbon or graphite body is coated or impregnated with titanium silicide under the addition of a metal containing wetting agent in a nitrogen free atmosphere, so that a tight coating is formed.

An investigation of the thermoluminescence of Ge-doped SiO{sub 2} optical fibres for application in interface radiation dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdul Rahman, A.T., E-mail: a.t.abdulrahman@surrey.ac.uk [Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); School of Physics and Material Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM), Campus of Negeri Sembilan, 72000 Kuala Pilah (Malaysia); Hugtenburg, R.P. [Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg UHB and School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP (United Kingdom); Abdul Sani, Siti Fairus; Alalawi, A.I.M. [Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); Issa, Fatma [Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); Department of Radiotherapy, Tripoli Medical Centre (TMC), Tripoli (Libya); Thomas, R. [Radiation Dosimetry Team, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington (United Kingdom); Barry, M.A. [Department of Medical Physics, The Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) NHS Trust, Guildford, GU2 7XX Surrey (United Kingdom); Nisbet, A. [Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); Department of Medical Physics, The Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) NHS Trust, Guildford, GU2 7XX Surrey (United Kingdom); Bradley, D.A. [Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); Department of Radiological Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 10219, Riyadh 11432 (Saudi Arabia)

2012-07-15

We investigate the ability of high spatial resolution ({approx} 120 {mu}m) Ge-doped SiO{sub 2} TL dosimeters to measure photoelectron dose enhancement resulting from the use of a moderate to high-Z target (an iodinated contrast media) irradiated by 90 kVp X-rays. We imagine its application in a novel radiation synovectomy technique, modelled by a phantom containing a reservoir of I{sub 2} molecules at the interface of which the doped silica dosimeters are located. Measurements outside of the iodine photoelectron range are provided for using a stepped-design that allows insertion of the fibres within the phantom. Monte Carlo simulation (MCNPX) is used for verification. At the phantom medium I{sub 2}-interface additional photoelectron generation is observed, {approx}60% above that in the absence of the I{sub 2}, simulations providing agreement to within 3%. Percentage depth doses measured away from the iodine contrast medium reservoir are bounded by published PDDs at 80 kVp and 100 kVp. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Studies of dosimetric characteristic of commercially available doped silica optical fibres. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Investigation of the potential of the dosimeter in dose enhancement measurement. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Use of photoelectron dose enhancement as might be applied in radiation synovectomy. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Measurement of the percentage depth dose recorded by Ge-doped silica optical fibres. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle The Monte Carlo simulation provides comparison against measured data.

Sr-doped nanowire modification of Ca-Si-based coatings for improved osteogenic activities and reduced inflammatory reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kai; Hu, Dandan; Xie, Youtao; Huang, Liping; Zheng, Xuebin

2018-02-01

Biomedical coatings for orthopedic implants should facilitate osseointegration and mitigate implant-induced inflammatory reactions. In our study, Ca-Si coatings with Sr-containing nanowire-like structures (NW-Sr-CS) were achieved via hydrothermal treatment. In order to identify the effect of nanowire-like topography and Sr dopant on the biological properties of Ca-Si-based coatings, the original Ca-Si coating, Ca-Si coatings modified with nanoplate (NP-CS) and similar nanowire-like structure (NW-CS) were fabricated as the control. Surface morphology, phase composition, surface area, zeta potential and ion release of these coatings were characterized. The in vitro osteogenic activities and immunomodulatory properties were evaluated with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and RAW 264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line. Compared with the CS and NP-CS coatings, the NW-CS coating possessed a larger surface area and pore volume, beneficial protein adsorption, up-regulated the expression levels of integrin β1, Vinculin and focal adhesion kinase and promoted cell spreading. Furthermore, the NW-CS coating significantly enhanced the osteogenic differentiation and mineralization as indicated by the up-regulation of ALP activity, mineralized nodule formation and osteoblastogenesis-related gene expression. With the introduction of Sr, the NW-Sr-CS coatings exerted a greater effect on the BMSC proliferation rate, calcium sensitive receptor gene expression as well as PKC and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In addition, the Sr-doped coatings significantly up-regulated the ratio of OPG/RANKL in the BMSCs. The NW-Sr-CS coatings could modulate the polarization of macrophages towards the wound-healing M2 phenotype, reduce the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and enhance anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ra, IL-10). The Sr-doped nanowire modification may be a valuable approach to enhance osteogenic activities and reduce inflammatory reactions.

Zirconia-doped nanoparticles: organic coating, polymeric entrapment and application as dual-imaging agents

OpenAIRE

Rebuttini, Valentina; Pucci, Andrea; Arosio, Paolo; Bai, Xue; Locatelli, Erica; Pinna, Nicola; Lascialfari, Alessandro; Franchini, Mauro Comes

2013-01-01

Zirconia nanoparticles doped with Eu3+, Tb3+ and Gd3+ ions have been synthesized following the benzyl alcohol route. The nanoparticles were coated with N-hydroxydodecanamide and encapsulated in PLGA-b-PEG-COOH nanomicelles. The magnetic and fluorescent properties of these hybrid nanocarriers were investigated, proving them to be potential dual-imaging contrast agents.

Employment of fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) coating layer on stainless steel 316 for a bipolar plate for PEMFC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji Hun; Byun, Dongjin; Lee, Joong Kee

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Preparation of fluorine doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) and fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) coating layer on the surface of stainless steel 316 bipolar plate for PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). → Evaluations of the corrosion resistance and the interfacial contact resistance of the bare, SnOx:F and ZnSnOx:F thin film coated stainless steel 316 bipolar plates. → Evaluation of single cell performance such as cell voltage and power density using bare stainless steel, SnOx:F and ZnSnOx:F film coated bipolar plates. - Abstract: The investigation of the electrochemical characteristics of the fluorine doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) and fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) was carried out in the simulated PEMFC environment and bare stainless steel 316 was used as a reference. The results showed that the ZnSnOx:F coating enhanced both the corrosion resistance and interfacial contact resistance (ICR). The corrosion current for ZnSnOx:F was 1.2 μA cm -2 which was much lower than that of bare stainless steel of 50.16 μA cm -2 . The ZnSnOx:F coated film had the smallest corrosion current due to the formation of a tight surface morphology with very few pin-holes. The ZnSnOx:F coated film exhibited the highest values of the cell voltage and power density due to its having the lowest ICR values.

The formation of tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation and their application in photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stojadinović, Stevan, E-mail: sstevan@ff.bg.ac.rs [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Vasilić, Rastko [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Radić, Nenad [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Tadić, Nenad [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Stefanov, Plamen [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Block 11, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Grbić, Boško [University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

2016-07-30

Highlights: • Tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). • Coatings are mainly composed of alpha alumina, ZnO and metallic tungsten. • Photocatalytic activity of doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is higher than of undoped ones. • The increase of photoluminescence corresponds to decrease of photocatalytic activity. • Tungsten acts as a charge trap to reduce the recombination rate of electron/hole pairs. - Abstract: Tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings are formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum substrate in supporting electrolyte (0.1 M boric acid + 0.05 M borax + 2 g/L ZnO) with addition of different concentrations of Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, and light absorption characteristics of formed surface coatings are investigated. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that formed surface coatings consist of alpha and gamma phase of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ZnO, metallic tungsten and WO{sub 3}. Obtained results showed that incorporated tungsten does not have any influence on the absorption spectra of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings, which showed invariable band edge at about 385 nm. The photocatalytic activity of undoped and tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is estimated by the photodegradation of methyl orange. The photocatalytic activity of tungsten doped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings is higher thanof undoped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings; the best photocatalytic activity is ascribed to coatings formed in supporting electrolyte with addition of 0.3 g/L Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O. Tungsten in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZnO coatings acts as a charge trap, thus reducing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of PL measurements are in agreement with photocatalytic activity. Declining PL intensity corresponds to increasing photocatalytic activity of the

Electrophoretic deposition of chitosan/45S5 bioactive glass composite coatings doped with Zn and Sr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta eMiola

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this research work the original 45S5 bioactive glass (BG was modified by introducing zinc and/or strontium oxide (6% mol in place of calcium oxide. Sr was added for its ability to stimulate bone formation, Zn for its role in bone metabolism, antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory effect. The glasses were produced by means of melting and quenching process. SEM and XRD analyses evidenced that Zr and Sr introduction did not modify the glass structure and morphology, while compositional analysis (EDS demonstrated the effective addition of these elements inside the glass network. Bioactivity test in simulated body fluid (SBF up to one month evidenced a reduced bioactivity kinetics for Zn-doped glasses. Doped glasses were combined with chitosan to produce organic/inorganic composite coatings on stainless steel AISI 316L by electrophoretic deposition (EPD. Two EPD processes were considered for coating development, namely direct current EPD (DC-EPD and alternating current EPD (AC-EPD. The stability of the suspension was analysed and the deposition parameters were optimized. Tape and bending tests demonstrated a good coating-substrate adhesion for coatings containing 45S5-Sr and 45S5-ZnSr glasses, while the adhesion to the substrate decreased by using 45S5-Zn glass. FTIR analyses demonstrated the composite nature of coatings and SEM observations indicated that glass particles were well integrated in the polymeric matrix, the coatings were fairly homogeneous and free of cracks; moreover the AC-EPD technique provided better results than DC-EPD in terms of coating quality. SEM, XRD analyses and Raman spectroscopy, performed after bioactivity test in SBF solution, confirmed the bioactive behaviour of 45S5-Sr containing coating, while coatings containing Zn exhibited no hydroxyapatite formation.

Photon Irradiation Response on Ge and Al-Doped SiO2 Optical Fibres

Science.gov (United States)

Yaakob, Nor Haliza; Wagiran, Husin; Ramli, Ahmad Termizi; Ali, Hassan; Asni, Hazila

2010-07-01

Recently, research groups have reported a number of radiation effects on the applications of SiO2 optical fibres with possible use as dosimeter material because these optical fibre provide a good basis for medical radiation dosimetry. The objective of this study is to investigate the thermoluminescence response and fading characteristic for germanium and aluminium doped SiO2 optical fibres with photon irradiation. These optical fibres are placed in solid phantom and irradiated to 6 and 10 MV photon beam at dose ranging from 0.06 Gy to 0.24 Gy using Primus MLC 3339 linear accelerator at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru. In fading studies, the TL measurements were continued up to 14 days period. The optical fibres will produce glow curves whereby the information is then analyzed. Al and Ge-doped optical fibres have a linear dose-TL signal relationship that is proportionality between the TL signal and the doses. Comparison for TL response between different linear accelerator showed a good agreement because these optical fibres also have a linear dose-TL signal relationship even using different equipments.

The corrosion resistance of zinc coatings in the presence of boron-doped detonation nanodiamonds (DND)

Science.gov (United States)

Burkat, G. K.; Alexandrova, G. S.; Dolmatov, V. Yu; Osmanova, E. D.; Myllymäki, V.; Vehanen, A.

2017-02-01

The effect of detonation nanodiamonds, doped with boron (boron-DND) in detonation synthesis on the process of zinc electrochemical deposition from zincate electrolyte is investigated. It is shown that the scattering power (coating uniformity) increases 2-4 times (depending on the concentration of DND-boron electrolyte conductivity does not change, the corrosion resistance of Zn- DND -boron coating increases 2.6 times in 3% NaCl solution (corrosion currents) and 3 times in the climatic chamber.

Structural and compositional evolution of carbon-doped Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} film under different annealing conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ki-Hong; Kyoung, Yong-Koo; Yun, Dong-Jin [AS group, CAS center, SAIT, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Yongin 446-712 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Sang-Jun, E-mail: sangjun5545.choi@samsung.com [Device Architecture Lab, Semiconductor R and D center, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Yongin 446-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-02

Changes in the microstructural and electrical properties of carbon-doped Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} during thermal annealing under N{sub 2} and air atmospheres are investigated. The occurrence of compositional and structural changes was found to depend on the annealing conditions, and in particular, on the out-diffusion of germanium atoms. The thick oxidation layer generated during air annealing prevented germanium out-diffusion, leading to structural changes but no compositional changes. In contrast, germanium out-diffusion occurred during annealing under N{sub 2}, leading to compositional changes but preventing structural changes. - Highlights: • We investigate the stability of 10% carbon-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 alloys. • The compositional and structural changes depend on the annealing conditions. • Germanium out-diffusion occurs during N2 annealing, leading to compositional changes. • The oxidation layer generated during air annealing prevents germanium out-diffusion.

The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of silver doped hydroxyapatite coating in simulated body fluid used as corrosive agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mišković-Stanković Vesna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Titanium is a key biomedical material due its good biocompatibility, mechanical properties and corrosion stability, but infections of the implantation site still pose serious threat. One approach to prevent infection is to improve antimicrobial ability of the coating material. Silver doped hydroxyapatite (Ag/HAP nanoparticles were synthesized by new modified precipitation method. The synthesized powder was used for preparation of Ag/HAP coating on titanium by electrophoretic deposition. The coating was characterized in terms of phase composition and structure by Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR and X-ray diffraction (XRD; surface morphology and chemical composition was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS. Research focused on evaluation of the corrosion behaviour of Ag/HAP coating in simulated body fluid (SBF at 37 ºC during prolonged immersion time by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS. Silver doped HAP coating provided good corrosion protection in SBF solution. [Acknowledgements. This research was financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, contracts No. III 45019 and by National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC. Dr Ana Jankovic was financed by the FP7 Nanotech FTM Grant Agreement 245916

Magnesium silicide production and silane synthesis on its basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taurbaev, T.I.; Mukashev, F.A.; Manakov, S.M.; Francev, U.V.; Kalblanbekov, B.M.; Akhter, P.; Abbas, M.; Hussain, A.

2003-01-01

We had developed an alternative method of production of magnesium silicide with use of ferroalloys of silicon. Magnesium silicide is raw material for silane synthesis. The essence of the method consist of sintering FS -75 (ferrosilicium with 75 % of silicon and 25 % of iron, made by ferroalloy factories) with metal magnesium at temperature of 650 deg. C. The X-ray analysis has shown formation of magnesium silicide. That is further used for synthesis of silane. The output of silane is 60 % in respect of the contents of silicon. After removing the water vapors the mass-spectrometer analysis has estimated the purity of silane as 99.95 % with no detection of phosphine and diborane. (author)

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of zinc molybdate nanocrystals and molybdate-doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings for Mg alloy protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Eduok, Ubong; Szpunar, Jerzy

2018-06-01

Zinc molybdate (ZM) is a safer anticorrosive additive for cooling systems when compared with chromates and lead salts, due to its insolubility in aqueous media. For most molybdate pigments, their molybdate anion (MoO 4 -2 ) acts as an anionic inhibitor and its passivation capacity is comparable with chromate anion (CrO 4 -2 ). To alleviate the environmental concerns involving chromates-based industrial protective coatings, we have proposed new alternative in this work. We have synthesized ZM nanocrystals via ultrasound-assisted process and encapsulated them within an epoxy/PDMS coating towards corrosion protection. The surface morphology and mechanical properties of these ZM doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings is exhaustively discussed to show the effect of ZM content on protective properties. The presence of ZM nanocrystals significantly contributed to the corrosion barrier performance of the coating while the amount of ZM nanocrystals needed to prepare an epoxy coating with optimum barrier performance was established. Beyond 2 wt% ZM concentration, the siloxane-structured epoxy coating network became saturated with ZM pigments. This further broadened inherent pores channels, leading to the percolation of corrosion chloride ions through the coating. SEM evidence has revealed proof of surface delamination on ZM3 coating. A model mechanism of corrosion resistance has been proposed for ZM doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings from exhaustive surface morphological investigations and evidence. This coating matrix may have emerging applications in cooling systems as anticorrosive surface paints as well as create an avenue for environmental corrosion remediation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of MnO2 electrodes coated by Sb-doped SnO2 and their effect on electrochemical performance for supercapacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yuqing; Mo, Yan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Sb-doped SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrodes (SS-MnO 2 electrodes) are prepared. • The capacitive property and stability of SS-MnO 2 electrode is superior to uncoated MnO 2 electrode and SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrode. • Sb-doped SnO 2 coating enhances electrochemical performance of MnO 2 effectively. • SS-MnO 2 electrodes are desirable to become a novel electrode material for supercapacitor. - Abstract: To enhance the specific capacity and cycling stability of manganese binoxide (MnO 2 ) for supercapacitor, antimony (Sb) doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) is coated on MnO 2 through a sol-gel method to prepare MnO 2 electrodes, enhancing the electrochemical performance of MnO 2 electrode in sodium sulfate electrolytes. The structure and composition of SS-MnO 2 electrode are characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The electrochemical performances are evaluated and researched by galvanostatic charge-discharge test, cyclic voltammogram (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes hold porous structure, displaying superior cycling stability at large current work condition in charge-discharge tests and good capacity performance at high scanning rate in CV tests. The results of EIS show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes have small internal resistance. Therefore, the electrochemical performances of MnO 2 electrodes are enhanced effectively by Sb-doped SnO 2 coating

Negative Thermal Expansion over a Wide Temperature Range in Fe-Doped MnNiGe Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjun Zhao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Fe-doped MnNiGe alloys were successfully synthesized by solid-state reaction. Giant negative thermal expansion (NTE behaviors with the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE of −285.23 × 10−6 K−1 (192–305 K and −1167.09 × 10−6 K−1 (246–305 K have been obtained in Mn0.90Fe0.10NiGe and MnNi0.90Fe0.10Ge, respectively. Furthermore, these materials were combined with Cu in order to control the NTE properties. The results indicate that the absolute value of CTE gradually decreases with increasing Cu contents. In Mn0.92Fe0.08NiGe/x%Cu, the CTE gradually changes from −64.92 × 10−6 K−1 (125–274 K to −4.73 × 10−6 K−1 (173–229 K with increasing value of x from 15 to 70. The magnetic measurements reveal that the NTE behaviors in this work are strongly correlated with the process of the magnetic phase transition and the introduction of Fe atoms could also change the spiral anti-ferromagnetic (s-AFM state into ferromagnetic (FM state at low temperature. Our study launches a new candidate for controlling thermal expansion properties of metal matrix materials which could have potential application in variable temperature environment.

Vertically grown Ge nanowire Schottky diodes on Si and Ge substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Nishant; Tracy, Clarence J.; Cho, Jeong-Hyun; Picraux, S. T.; Hathwar, Raghuraj; Goodnick, Stephen M.

2015-07-01

The processing and performance of Schottky diodes formed from arrays of vertical Ge nanowires (NWs) grown on Ge and Si substrates are reported. The goal of this work is to investigate CMOS compatible processes for integrating NWs as components of vertically scaled integrated circuits, and elucidate transport in vertical Schottky NWs. Vertical phosphorus (P) doped Ge NWs were grown using vapor-liquid-solid epitaxy, and nickel (Ni)-Ge Schottky contacts were made to the tops of the NWs. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were measured for variable ranges of NW diameters and numbers of nanowires in the arrays, and the I-V characteristics were fit using modified thermionic emission theory to extract the barrier height and ideality factor. As grown NWs did not show rectifying behavior due to the presence of heavy P side-wall doping during growth, resulting in a tunnel contact. After sidewall etching using a dilute peroxide solution, rectifying behavior was obtained. Schottky barrier heights of 0.3-0.4 V and ideality factors close to 2 were extracted using thermionic emission theory, although the model does not give an accurate fit across the whole bias range. Attempts to account for enhanced side-wall conduction due to non-uniform P doping profile during growth through a simple shunt resistance improve the fit, but are still insufficient to provide a good fit. Full three-dimensional numerical modeling using Silvaco Atlas indicates that at least part of this effect is due to the presence of fixed charge and acceptor like traps on the NW surface, which leads to effectively high ideality factors.

Fibre Tip Sensors for Localised Temperature Sensing Based on Rare Earth-Doped Glass Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik P. Schartner

2014-11-01

Full Text Available We report the development of a point temperature sensor, based on monitoring upconversion emission from erbium:ytterbium-doped tellurite coatings on the tips of optical fibres. The dip coating technique allows multiple sensors to be fabricated simultaneously, while confining the temperature-sensitive region to a localised region on the end-face of the fibre. The strong response of the rare earth ions to changing temperature allows a resolution of 0.1–0.3 °C to be recorded over the biologically relevant range of temperatures from 23–39 °C.

Thermal stability of Ni-Pt-Ta alloy silicides on epi-Si1-xCx

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Jung-Ho; Chang, Hyun-Jin; Min, Byoung-Gi; Ko, Dae-Hong; Cho, Mann-Ho; Sohn, Hyunchul; Lee, Tae-Wan

2008-01-01

We investigated the silicide formation in Ni/epi-Si 1-x C x systems. Ni-Pt and Ni-Pt-Ta films were deposited on epi-Si 1-x C x /Si substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and processed at various temperatures. The sheet resistance of the silicide from the Ni alloy/epi-Si 1-x C x systems was maintained at low values compared to that from Ni/Si systems. By TEM and EDS analyses, we confirmed the presence of a Pt alloy layer at the top of the Ni-silicide layer. The stability of the silicide layer in the Ni alloy/epi-Si 1-x C x system is explained by not only the Pt rich layer on the top of the Ni-silicide layer, but also by the presence of a small amount of Pt in the Ni-silicide layer or at the grain boundaries. And both the thermal stability and the morphology of silicide were greatly improved by the addition of Ta in Ni-Pt films

Dopant concentration and thermoluminescence (TL) properties of tailor-made Ge-doped SiO2 fibres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahaimi, Nurul Arina; Ooi Abdullah, Mohd Haris Ridzuan; Zin, Hafiz; Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Lutfi; Hashim, Suhairul; Saripan, Mohd Iqbal; Paul, Mukul Chandra; Bradley, D.A.; Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Taufek

2014-01-01

Study focuses on characterisation of diverse concentrations of Ge-doped SiO 2 fibre as a potential thermoluminescence (TL) system for radiotherapy dosimetry. Irradiations were made using a linear accelerator providing 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams. Investigation has been done on various doped core diameter Ge-doped SiO 2 glass fibres such as commercial telecommunication fibres of 8 µm and 9 µm (CorActive High Tech, Canada), tailor-made fibres of 23 and 50 µm produced by the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute Kolkata, and tailor-made fibres of 11 µm produced by the University of Malaya Photonics Research Centre. The fibres have been characterised for TL sensitivity, reproducibility, dose- and energy-dependence. The area under the TL glow curve increases with increasing core diameter. For repeat irradiations at a fixed dose the dosimeter produces a flat response better than 4% (1SD) of the mean of the TL distribution. Minimal TL signal fading was found, less than 0.5% per day post irradiation. Linearity of TL has been observed with a correlation coefficient (r 2 ) of better than 0.980 (at 95% confidence level). For particular dopant concentrations, the least square fits show the change in TL yield, in counts per second per unit mass, obtained from 50 µm core diameter fibres irradiated at 6 MV of photon to be 8 times greater than that of 8 µm core diameter fibre. With respect to energy response, the TL yield at 10 MV decreases by∼5% compared to that at 6 MV, primarily due to the lower mass energy absorption coefficient at higher photon energy. These early results indicate that selectively screened fibres can be developed into a promising TL system, offering high spatial resolution capability and, with this, verification of complex radiotherapy dose distributions. - Highlights: • We examined the TL glow curve intensity for various diameter sizes of germanium doped silica glass fibre. • TL sensitivity increased with the increase of fibre core

Synthesis, structural and optical properties of PVP coated transition metal doped ZnS nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, N. V.; Shaikh, I. A.; Rawal, K. G.; Shah, D. V.

2018-05-01

The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of transition metal doped ZnS nanoparticles is investigated in the present study. The PVP coated ZnS nanoparticles doped with transition metals are synthesized by facile wet chemical co-precipitation method with the concentration of impurity 1%. The UV-Vis absorbance spectra have a peak at 324nm which shifts slightly to 321nm upon introduction of the impurity. The incorporation of the transition metal as dopant is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The particle size and the morphology are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The average size of synthesized nanoparticles is about 2.6nm. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of undoped and doped ZnS nanoparticles show a strong and sharp peak at 782nm and 781.6nm respectively. The intensity of the PL changes with the type of doping having maximum for manganese (Mn).

Highly Efficient F, Cu doped TiO2 anti-bacterial visible light active photocatalytic coatings to combat hospital-acquired infections

Science.gov (United States)

Leyland, Nigel S.; Podporska-Carroll, Joanna; Browne, John; Hinder, Steven J.; Quilty, Brid; Pillai, Suresh C.

2016-04-01

Bacterial infections are a major threat to the health of patients in healthcare facilities including hospitals. One of the major causes of patient morbidity is infection with Staphylococcus aureus. One of the the most dominant nosocomial bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported to survive on hospital surfaces (e.g. privacy window glasses) for up to 5 months. None of the current anti-bacterial technology is efficient in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus. A novel transparent, immobilised and superhydrophilic coating of titanium dioxide, co-doped with fluorine and copper has been prepared on float glass substrates. Antibacterial activity has demonstrated (by using Staphylococcus aureus), resulting from a combination of visible light activated (VLA) photocatalysis and copper ion toxicity. Co-doping with copper and fluorine has been shown to improve the performance of the coating, relative to a purely fluorine-doped VLA photocatalyst. Reductions in bacterial population of log10 = 4.2 under visible light irradiation and log10 = 1.8 in darkness have been achieved, compared with log10 = 1.8 under visible light irradiation and no activity, for a purely fluorine-doped titania. Generation of reactive oxygen species from the photocatalytic coatings is the major factor that significantly reduces the bacterial growth on the glass surfaces.

Reprocessing of LEU silicide fuel at Dounreay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, P.

1996-01-01

UKAEA have recently reprocessed two LEU silicide fuel elements in their MTR fuel reprocessing plant at Dounreay. The reprocessing was undertaken to demonstrate UKAEA's commitment to the world-wide research reactor communities future needs. Reprocessing of LEU silicide fuel is seen as a waste treatment process, resulting in the production of a liquid feed suitable for conditioning in a stable form of disposal. The uranium product from the reprocessing can be used as a blending feed with the HEU to produce LEU for use in the MTR cycle. (author)

Tribological study of novel metal-doped carbon-based coatings with enhanced thermal stability

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Paranjayee

and M0S2. This mechanism is believed to be the key-factor for low friction properties of Mo-W-C coating and presence of graphitic carbon particles further benefits the friction behaviour. It is observed that low friction is achieved mostly due to formation of WS2 at ambient temperature, whereas formation of both WS2 and M0S2 significantly decreases the friction of Mo-W-C coating at high temperature. This further indicates importance of combined Mo and W doping over single-metal doping into carbon-based coatings.Isothermal oxidation tests indicate that Mo-W-C coating preserves it's as-deposited graphitic nature up to 500°C, whereas local delamination of DLC coating leads to substrate exposure and loss of its diamond-like structure at the same temperature. Further, thermo-gravimetric tests confirm excellent thermal stability of Mo-W-C coating compared to DLC. Mo-W-C coating resists oxidation up to 800°C and no coating delamination is observed due to retained coating integrity and its strong adhesion with substrate. On the other hand, state-of-the-art DLC coating starts to delaminate beyond 380°C.The test results confirm that Mo-W-C coating sustains high working temperature and simultaneously maintains improved tribological properties during boundary lubricated condition at ambient and high temperature. Thus Mo-W-C coating is a suitable candidate for low friction and high temperature wear resistant applications compared to commercially available state-of-the-art DLC coatings.

N-Doped TiO2-Coated Ceramic Membrane for Carbamazepine Degradation in Different Water Qualities

Science.gov (United States)

Luster, Enbal; Avisar, Dror; Horovitz, Inna; Lozzi, Luca; Baker, Mark A.; Grilli, Rossana; Mamane, Hadas

2017-01-01

The photocatalytic degradation of the model pollutant carbamazepine (CBZ) was investigated under simulated solar irradiation with an N-doped TiO2-coated Al2O3 photocatalytic membrane, using different water types. The photocatalytic membrane combines photocatalysis and membrane filtration in a single step. The impact of each individual constituent such as acidity, alkalinity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+), and Cl− on the degradation of CBZ was examined. CBZ in water was efficiently degraded by an N-doped TiO2-coated Al2O3 membrane. However, elements added to the water, which simulate the constituents of natural water, had an impact on the CBZ degradation. Water alkalinity inhibited CBZ degradation mostly due to increase in pH while radical scavenging by carbonate was more dominant at higher values (>200 mg/L as CaCO3). A negative effect of Ca2+ addition on photocatalytic degradation was found only in combination with phosphate buffer, probably caused by deposition of CaHPO4 or CaHPO4·2H2O on the catalyst surface. The presence of Cl− and Mg2+ ions had no effect on CBZ degradation. DOM significantly inhibited CBZ degradation for all tested background organic compounds. The photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2-coated Al2O3 membranes gradually decreased after continuous use; however, it was successfully regenerated by 0.1% HCl chemical cleaning. Nevertheless, dissolution of metals like Al and Ti should be monitored following acid cleaning. PMID:28758982

Synthesis of Doped and non-Doped Nano MgO Ceramic Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiraz Labib

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Doped and non-doped MgO coated thin films on alumina substrates were prepared using a chelating sol-gel method under controlled conditions to prepare nanomaterials with unprecedented properties. The effect of doping of ZnO on thermal, surface and structural properties was investigated using DTA-TG, BET and XRD respectively. Also microstructural studies and coating thickness measurements of MgO thin film were conducted using SEM. An increase in the thermal stability of MgO with increasing ZnO doping percent was observed. The increase of ZnO doping percent showed a marked decrease in the average particle size of MgO powder as a result of the replacement of some Mg2+ by Zn2+ which has similar ionic radius as Mg2+. This decrease in particle size of MgO was also related to the decrease of the degree of MgO crystalinity. The increase of ZnO doping also showed a marked decrease in coating thickness values of the prepared membranes. This decrease was related to the  mechanism of ZnO doping into a MgO crystal lattice.

Mechanoactivation of chromium silicide formation in the SiC-Cr-Si system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlasova M.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The processes of simultaneous grinding of the components of a SiC-Cr-Si mixture and further temperature treatment in the temperature range 1073-1793 K were studied by X-ray phase analysis, IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. It was established that, during grinding of the mixture, chromium silicides form. A temperature treatment completes the process. Silicide formation proceeds within the framework of the diffusion of silicon into chromium. In the presence of SiO2 in the mixture, silicide formation occurs also as a result of the reduction of silica by silicon and silicon carbide. The sintering of synthesized composite SiC-chromium silicides powders at a high temperature under a high pressure (T = 2073 K, P = 5 GPa is accompanied by the destruction of cc-SiC particles, the cc/3 transition in silicon carbide and deformation distortions of the lattices of chromium silicides.

Thermoelectric characteristics of Pt-silicide/silicon multi-layer structured p-type silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Wonchul; Jun, Dongseok; Kim, Soojung; Shin, Mincheol; Jang, Moongyu

2015-01-01

Electric and thermoelectric properties of silicide/silicon multi-layer structured devices were investigated with the variation of silicide/silicon heterojunction numbers from 3 to 12 layers. For the fabrication of silicide/silicon multi-layered structure, platinum and silicon layers are repeatedly sputtered on the (100) silicon bulk substrate and rapid thermal annealing is carried out for the silicidation. The manufactured devices show ohmic current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. The Seebeck coefficient of bulk Si is evaluated as 195.8 ± 15.3 μV/K at 300 K, whereas the 12 layered silicide/silicon multi-layer structured device is evaluated as 201.8 ± 9.1 μV/K. As the temperature increases to 400 K, the Seebeck coefficient increases to 237.2 ± 4.7 μV/K and 277.0 ± 1.1 μV/K for bulk and 12 layered devices, respectively. The increase of Seebeck coefficient in multi-layered structure is mainly attributed to the electron filtering effect due to the Schottky barrier at Pt-silicide/silicon interface. At 400 K, the thermal conductivity is reduced by about half of magnitude compared to bulk in multi-layered device which shows the efficient suppression of phonon propagation by using Pt-silicide/silicon hetero-junctions. - Highlights: • Silicide/silicon multi-layer structured is proposed for thermoelectric devices. • Electric and thermoelectric properties with the number of layer are investigated. • An increase of Seebeck coefficient is mainly attributed the Schottky barrier. • Phonon propagation is suppressed with the existence of Schottky barrier. • Thermal conductivity is reduced due to the suppression of phonon propagation

Thermally Oxidized C, N Co-Doped ANATASE-TiO2 Coatings on Stainless Steel for Tribological Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hefeng; Shu, Xuefeng; Li, Xiuyan; Tang, Bin; Lin, Naiming

2013-07-01

Ti(C, N) coatings were prepared on stainless steel (SS) substrates by plasma surface alloying technique. Carbon-nitrogen co-doped titanium dioxide (C-N-TiO2) coatings were fabricated by oxidative of the Ti(C, N) coatings in air. The prepared C-N-TiO2 coatings were characterized by SEM, XPS and XRD. Results reveal that the SS substrates were entirely shielded by the C-N-TiO2 coatings. The C-N-TiO2 coatings are anatase in structure as characterized by X-ray diffraction. The tribological behavior of the coatings was tested with ball-on-disc sliding wear and compared with substrate. Such a C-N-TiO2 coatings showed good adhesion with the substrate and tribological properties of the SS in terms of much reduced friction coefficient and increased wear resistance.

Efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting by a doping-controlled GaN photoanode coated with NiO cocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Jin-Ho; Kim, Soo Hee; Ebaid, Mohamed; Lee, June Key; Ryu, Sang-Wan

2014-01-01

Efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting was demonstrated by a doping-controlled GaN photoanode coated with NiO cocatalyst. Highly doped n-GaN was sandwiched between undoped GaN layers to effectively collect electrons through ohmic contact. With zero external bias, the photocurrent density of the optimized doping profile was ∼3.5 times higher than that of the undoped GaN reference. However, the increased doping concentration degraded the photoanode stability, which was attributed to crystalline defects generated in the highly doped n-GaN. NiO cocatalyst improved the long-term stability of the photoanode because of GaN/NiO band alignment, enhancing hole transport into NiO and suppressing PEC corrosion mediated by hole crowding in GaN. This work established a design strategy for increasing the photocurrent as well as improving stability during water splitting with a GaN-based photoanode

Comparative physical, chemical and biological assessment of simple and titanium-doped ovine dentine-derived hydroxyapatite coatings fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Duta, L.; Mihailescu, N.; Popescu, A. C.; Luculescu, C. R.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Çetin, G.; Gunduz, O.; Oktar, F. N.; Popa, A. C.; Kuncser, A.; Besleaga, C.; Stan, G. E.

2017-08-01

We report on the synthesis by Pulsed Laser Deposition of simple and Ti doped hydroxyapatite thin films of biological (ovine dentine) origin. Detailed physical, chemical, mechanical and biological investigations were performed. Morphological examination of films showed a surface composed of spheroidal particulates, of micronic size. Compositional analyses pointed to the presence of typical natural doping elements of bone, along with a slight non-stoichiometry of the deposited films. Structural investigations proved the monophasic hydroxyapatite nature of both simple and Ti doped films. Ti doping of biological hydroxyapatite induced an overall downgrade of the films crystallinity together with an increase of the films roughness. It is to be emphasized that bonding strength values measured at film/Ti substrate interface were superior to the minimum value imposed by International Standards regulating the load-bearing implant coatings. In vitro tests on Ti doped structures, compared to simple ones, revealed excellent biocompatibility in human mesenchymal stem cell cultures, a higher proliferation rate and a good cytocompatibility. The obtained results aim to elucidate the overall positive role of Ti doping on the hydroxyapatite films performance, and demonstrate the possibility to use this novel type of coatings as feasible materials for future implantology applications.

NMOS contact resistance reduction with selenium implant into NiPt silicide

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, K. V.; Khaja, F. A.; Ni, C. N.; Muthukrishnan, S.; Darlark, A.; Lei, J.; Peidous, I.; Brand, A.; Henry, T.; Variam, N.; Erokhin, Y.

2012-11-01

A 25% reduction in NMOS contact resistance (Rc) was achieved by Selenium implantation into NiPt silicide film in VIISta Trident high-current single-wafer implanter. The Trident implanter is designed for shallow high-dose implants with high beam currents to maintain high throughput (for low CoO), with improved micro-uniformity and no energy contamination. The integration of Se implant was realized using a test chip dedicated to investigating silicide/junction related electrical properties and testable after silicidation. The silicide module processes were optimized, including the pre-clean (prior to RF PVD NiPt dep) and pre- and post-implant anneals. A 270°C soak anneal was used for RTP1, whereas a msec laser anneal was employed for RTP2 with sufficient process window (800-850°C), while maintaining excellent junction characteristics without Rs degradation.

Technology CAD of silicided Schottky barrier MOSFET for elevated source-drain engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, A.R.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Bose, C.; Maiti, C.K.

2005-01-01

Technology CAD has been used to study the performance of a silicided Schottky barrier (SB) MOSFET with gate, source and drain contacts realized with nickel-silicide. Elevated source-drain structures have been used towards the S/D engineering of CMOS devices. A full process-to-device simulation has been employed to predict the performance of sub-micron SB n-MOSFETs for the first time. A model for the diffusion and alloy growth kinetics has been incorporated in SILVACO-ATLAS and ATHENA to explore the processing and design parameter space for the Ni-silicided MOSFETs. The temperature and concentration dependent diffusion model for NiSi have been developed and necessary material parameters for nickel-silicide and epitaxial-Si have been incorporated through the C-interpreter function. Two-dimensional (2D) process-to-device simulations have also been used to study the dc and ac (RF) performance of silicided Schottky barrier (SB) n-MOSFETs. The extracted sheet resistivity, as a function of annealing temperature of the silicided S/D contacts, is found to be lower than the conventional contacts currently in use. It is also shown that the Technology CAD has the full capability to predict the possible dc and ac performance enhancement of a MOSFET with elevated S/D structures. While the simulated dc performance shows a clear enhancement, the RF analyses show no performance degradation in the cut-off frequency/propagation delay and also improve the ac performance due to the incorporation of silicide contacts in the S/D region

Technology CAD of silicided Schottky barrier MOSFET for elevated source-drain engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, A.R. [Department of Electronics and ECE, IIT, Kharagpur 721302 (India)]. E-mail: ars.iitkgp@gmail.com; Chattopadhyay, S. [Department of Electronics and ECE, IIT, Kharagpur 721302 (India); School of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom); Bose, C. [Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700032 (India); Maiti, C.K. [Department of Electronics and ECE, IIT, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2005-12-05

Technology CAD has been used to study the performance of a silicided Schottky barrier (SB) MOSFET with gate, source and drain contacts realized with nickel-silicide. Elevated source-drain structures have been used towards the S/D engineering of CMOS devices. A full process-to-device simulation has been employed to predict the performance of sub-micron SB n-MOSFETs for the first time. A model for the diffusion and alloy growth kinetics has been incorporated in SILVACO-ATLAS and ATHENA to explore the processing and design parameter space for the Ni-silicided MOSFETs. The temperature and concentration dependent diffusion model for NiSi have been developed and necessary material parameters for nickel-silicide and epitaxial-Si have been incorporated through the C-interpreter function. Two-dimensional (2D) process-to-device simulations have also been used to study the dc and ac (RF) performance of silicided Schottky barrier (SB) n-MOSFETs. The extracted sheet resistivity, as a function of annealing temperature of the silicided S/D contacts, is found to be lower than the conventional contacts currently in use. It is also shown that the Technology CAD has the full capability to predict the possible dc and ac performance enhancement of a MOSFET with elevated S/D structures. While the simulated dc performance shows a clear enhancement, the RF analyses show no performance degradation in the cut-off frequency/propagation delay and also improve the ac performance due to the incorporation of silicide contacts in the S/D region.

Structural and electronic properties of rare-earth silicide thin films at Si(111)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dues, Christof; Schmidt, Wolf Gero; Sanna, Simone [Lehrstuhl fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Paderborn (Germany)

2016-07-01

Rare-earth (RE) silicides thin films on silicon surfaces are currently of high interest. They grow nearly defect-free because of the small lattice mismatch, and exhibit very low Schottky-barriers on n-type silicon. They even give rise to the self-organized formation of RE silicide nanowires on the Si(001) and vicinal surfaces. Depending on the amount of deposited RE atoms, a plethora of reconstructions are observed for the RE silicide. While one monolayer leads to the formation of a 1 x 1-reconstruction, several monolayer thick silicides crystallize in a √(3) x √(3) R30 {sup circle} superstructure. Submonolayer RE deposition leads to different periodicities. In this work we investigate the formation of RE silicides thin films on Si(111) within the density functional theory. The energetically favored adsorption site for RE adatoms is determined calculating the potential energy surface. As prototypical RE, Dysprosium is used. Additional calculations are performed for silicides formed by different RE elements. We calculate structural properties, electronic band structures and compare measured and simulated STM images. We consider different terminations for the 5 x 2 reconstruction occurring in the submonolayer regime and investigate their stability by means of ab initio thermodynamics. The same method is employed to predict the stable silicide structure as a function of the deposited RE atoms.

Silicide/Silicon Heterointerfaces, Reaction Kinetics and Ultra-short Channel Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wei

Nickel silicide is one of the electrical contact materials widely used on very large scale integration (VLSI) of Si devices in microelectronic industry. This is because the silicide/silicon interface can be formed in a highly controlled manner to ensure reproducibility of optimal structural and electrical properties of the metal-Si contacts. These advantages can be inherited to Si nanowire (NW) field-effect transistors (FET) device. Due to the technological importance of nickel silicides, fundamental materials science of nickel silicides formation (Ni-Si reaction), especially in nanoscale, has raised wide interest and stimulate new insights and understandings. In this dissertation, in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with FET device characterization will be demonstrated as useful tools in nano-device fabrication as well as in gaining insights into the process of nickel silicide formation. The shortest transistor channel length (17 nm) fabricated on a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown silicon nanowire (NW) has been demonstrated by controlled reaction with Ni leads on an in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) heating stage at a moderate temperature of 400 ºC. NiSi2 is the leading phase, and the silicide-silicon interface is an atomically sharp type-A interface. At such channel lengths, high maximum on-currents of 890 (microA/microm) and a maximum transconductance of 430 (microS/microm) were obtained, which pushes forward the performance of bottom-up Si NW Schottky barrier field-effect transistors (SB-FETs). Through accurate control over the silicidation reaction, we provide a systematic study of channel length dependent carrier transport in a large number of SB-FETs with channel lengths in the range of (17 nm -- 3.6 microm). Our device results corroborate with our transport simulations and reveal a characteristic type of short channel effects in SB-FETs, both in on- and off-state, which is different from that in conventional MOSFETs

Electrochemical characterization of doped diamond-coated carbon fibers at different boron concentrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeida, E.C. [INPE, CP 515, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP 12201-970 (Brazil)]. E-mail: erica@las.inpe.br; Diniz, A.V. [INPE, CP 515, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP 12201-970 (Brazil); Trava-Airoldi, V.J. [INPE, CP 515, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP 12201-970 (Brazil); Ferreira, N.G. [CTA-Divisao de Materiais, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP 12228-904 (Brazil)

2005-08-01

Doped diamond films have been deposited on carbon fibers (felt) obtained from polyacrylonitrile at different levels of boron doping. For a successful coating of the fibers, an ultrasonic pretreatment in a bath of diamond powder dissolved in hexane was required. Films were grown on both sample sides, simultaneously, by hot filament-assisted chemical vapour deposition technique at 750 deg. C from a 0.5% H{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} mixture at a total pressure of 6.5 x 10{sup 3} Pa. Boron was obtained from H{sub 2} forced to pass through a bubbler containing B{sub 2}O{sub 3} dissolved in methanol. The doping level studied corresponds to films with acceptor concentrations in the range of 6.5 x 10{sup 18} to 1.5 x 10{sup 21} cm{sup -} {sup 3}, obtained from Mott-Schottky plots. Scanning electron microscopy analyses evidenced fibers totally covered with high quality polycrystalline boron-doped diamond film, also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy spectra. Diamond electrodes grown on carbon fibers demonstrated similar electrochemical behavior obtained from films on Si substrate, for ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple as a function of boron content. The boron content influences electrochemical surface area. A lower boron concentration provides a higher growth rate that results in a higher surface area.

Electrochemical Sensor Coating Based on Electrophoretic Deposition of Au-Doped Self-Assembled Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rongli; Zhu, Ye; Huang, Jing; Xu, Sheng; Luo, Jing; Liu, Xiaoya

2018-02-14

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of an electrode is a new strategy for preparing sensor coating. By simply changing the deposition conditions, the electrochemical response for an analyte of deposited NPs-based coating can be controlled. This advantage can decrease the difference between different batches of sensor coating and ensure the reproducibility of each sensor. This work investigated the effects of deposition conditions (including deposition voltage, pH value of suspension, and deposition time) on the structure and the electrochemical response for l-tryptophan of sensor coating formed from Au-doped poly(sodium γ-glutamate) with pendant dopamine units nanohybrids (Au/γ-PGA-DA NBs) via the EPD method. The structure and thickness of the deposited sensor coating were measured by atomic force microscopy, which demonstrated that the structure and thickness of coating can be affected by the deposition voltage, the pH value of the suspension, and the deposition time. The responsive current for l-tryptophan of the deposited sensor coating were measured by differential pulse voltammetry, which showed that the responsive current value was affected by the structure and thickness of the deposited coating. These arguments suggested that a rich design-space for tuning the electrochemical response for analyte and a source of variability in the structure of sensor coating can be provided by the deposition conditions. When Au/γ-PGA-DA NBs were deposited on the electrode surface and formed a continuous coating with particle morphology and thinner thickness, the deposited sensor coating exhibited optimal electrochemical response for l-tryptophan.

Corrosion evaluation of zirconium doped oxide coatings on aluminum formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajat, Jelena; Mišković-Stanković, Vesna; Vasilić, Rastko; Stojadinović, Stevan

2014-01-01

The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of aluminum in sodium tungstate (Na(2)WO(4) · (2)H(2)O) and Na(2)WO(4) · (2)H(2)O doped with Zr was analyzed in order to obtain oxide coatings with improved corrosion resistance. The influence of current density in PEO process and anodization time was investigated, as well as the influence of Zr, with the aim to find out how they affect the chemical content, morphology, surface roughness, and corrosion stability of oxide coatings. It was shown that the presence of Zr increases the corrosion stability of oxide coatings for all investigated PEO times. Evolution of EIS spectra during the exposure to 3% NaCl, as a strong corrosive agent, indicated the highest corrosion stability for PEO coating formed on aluminum at 70 mA/cm(2) for 2 min in a zirconium containing electrolyte.

Gamma-ray irradiation resistance of silver doped GeS2–Ga2S3–AgI chalcohalide glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, W.; Baccaro, S.; Cemmi, A.; Ren, J.; Zhang, Z.; Zhou, Y.; Yang, Y.; Chen, G.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The γ-ray irradiation resistance of Ag doped chalcohalide glasses (GeS 2 –Ga 2 S 3 –AgI) has been investigated. • The introduction of silver ions plays a specific role in the modification of the gamma-ray irradiation resistance of glasses. • The sulfur exerts an important effect on the photo-sensitivity of chalcogenide glasses. - Abstract: In the present work, series of silver doped Ge–Ga–S–AgI chalcohalide glasses have been prepared and their optical transmission spectra are compared before and after γ-ray irradiation at different doses. The differential transmission spectra of the irradiated samples with and without Ag doping have been compared to characterize the γ-ray irradiation induced red-shift of electronic absorption and formation of color centers. Ag doping plays an important role in increasing γ-ray irradiation resistance of the chalcohalide glasses due to its specific effect on the valence band and the network structure of glasses

Deposition and cyclic oxidation behavior of a protective (Mo,W)(Si,Ge) 2 coating on Nb-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, A.; Wang, G.

1992-01-01

A multicomponent diffusion coating has been developed to protect Nb-base alloys from high-temperature environmental attach. A solid solution of molybdenum and tungsten disilicide (Mo, W)Si 2 , constituted the primary coating layer which supported a slow-growing protective silica scale in service. Germanium additions were made during the coating process to improve the cyclic oxidation resistance by increasing the thermal expansion coefficient of the vitreous silica film formed and to avoid pesting by decreasing the viscosity of the protective film. In this paper, the development of the halide-activated pack cementation coating process to produce this (Mo,W)(Si,Ge) 2 coating on Nb-base alloys is described. The results of cyclic oxidation for coupons coated under different conditions in air at 1370 degrees C are presented. Many coupons have successfully passed 200 1 h cyclic oxidation tests at 1370 degrees C with weight-gain values in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 mg/cm 2

Neutronic Analysis and Radiological Safety of RSG-GAS Reactor on 300 Grams Uranium Silicide Core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pande Made Udiyani; Lily Suparlina; Rokhmadi

2007-01-01

As starting of usage silicide U 250 g fuel element in the core of RSG-GAS and will be continued with usage of silicide U 300 g fuel element, hence done beforehand neutronic analyse and radiological safety of RSG-GAS. Calculation done by ORIGEN2.1 code to calculate source term, and also by PC-COSYMA code to calculate radiological safety of radioactive dispersion from RSG-GAS. Calculation of radioactive dispersion done at condition of reactor is postulated be happened an accident of LOCA causing one fuel element to melt. Neutronic analysis indicate that silicide U 250 g full core shall to be operated beforehand during 625 MWD before converted to silicide U 300 g core. During operation of transition core with mixture of silicide U 250 g and 300 g, all parameter fulfill criterion of safety Designed Balance core of silicide U 300 g will be reached at the time of fifth full core. Result of calculation indicate that through mixture core of silicide U 250 and 300 g proposed can form silicide U 300 g balance core of reactor RSG-GAS safely. Calculation of radiology safety by deterministic for silicide U 300 g balance core, and accident postulation which is equal to core of silicide U 250 g yield output in the form of radiation activity (radionuclide concentration in the air and deposition on the ground), radiation dose (collective and individual), radiation effect (short- and long-range), which accepted by society in each perceived sector. Result of calculation indicated that dose accepted by society is not pass permitted boundary for public society if happened accident. (author)

Effect of Boron Doping on High-Resolution X-Ray Diffraction Metrology

Science.gov (United States)

Faheem, M.; Zhang, Y.; Dai, X.

2018-03-01

The effect of boron (B) doping on high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HXRD) metrology has been investigated. Twelve samples of Si1-xGex films were epitaxially grown on Si (100) substrates with different thicknesses, germanium (Ge) concentrations and with/without B dopants. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and HXRD were employed for measurements of B doping, Ge concentration, strain, and thickness of the layers. The SIMS results show the absence of B in two samples while the rest of the samples have B doping in the range of 8.40 × 1018-8.7 × 1020 atoms/cm3 with Ge concentration of 13.3-55.2 at.%. The HXRD measurements indicate the layers thickness of 7.07-108.13 nm along with Ge concentration of 12.82-49.09 at.%. The difference in the Ge concentration measured by SIMS and HXRD was found to deend on B doping. For the undoped samples, the difference is 0.5 at.% and increases with B doping but with no linear proportionality. The difference in the Ge concentration was 7.11 at.% for the highly B-doped (8.7 × 1020 atoms/cm3) sample. The B doping influences the Si1-xGex structure, causing a change in the lattice parameter and producing tensile strains shifting Si1-xGex peaks towards Si (100) substrate peaks in the HXRD diffraction patterns. As a result, Vegard's law is no longer effective and makes a high impact on the HXRD measurement. The comparison between symmetric (004) and asymmetric (+113, +224) reciprocal space mappings (RSM) showed a slight difference in Ge concentration between the undoped and lower B-doped samples. However, there is a change of 0.21 at.% observed for the highly doped Si1-xGex samples. RSM's (+113) demonstrate the small SiGe peak broadening as B doping increases, which indicates a minor crystal distortion.

Ionizing Radiation Detectors Based on Ge-Doped Optical Fibers Inserted in Resonant Cavities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saverio Avino

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The measurement of ionizing radiation (IR is a crucial issue in different areas of interest, from environmental safety and industrial monitoring to aerospace and medicine. Optical fiber sensors have recently proven good candidates as radiation dosimeters. Here we investigate the effect of IR on germanosilicate optical fibers. A piece of Ge-doped fiber enclosed between two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs is irradiated with gamma radiation generated by a 6 MV medical linear accelerator. With respect to other FBG-based IR dosimeters, here the sensor is only the bare fiber without any special internal structure. A near infrared laser is frequency locked to the cavity modes for high resolution measurement of radiation induced effects on the fiber optical parameters. In particular, we observe a variation of the fiber thermo-optic response with the radiation dose delivered, as expected from the interaction with Ge defect centers, and demonstrate a detection limit of 360 mGy. This method can have an impact in those contexts where low radiation doses have to be measured both in small volumes or over large areas, such as radiation therapy and radiation protection, while bare optical fibers are cheap and disposable.

Structure and Stability of GeAun, n = 1-10 clusters: A Density Functional Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priyanka,; Dharamvir, Keya; Sharma, Hitesh

2011-01-01

The structures of Germanium doped gold clusters GeAu n (n = 1-10) have been investigated using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We have obtained ground state geometries of GeAu n clusters and have it compared with Silicon doped gold clusters and pure gold clusters. The ground state geometries of the GeAu n clusters show patterns similar to silicon doped gold clusters except for n = 5, 6 and 9. The introduction of germanium atom increases the binding energy of gold clusters. The binding energy per atom of germanium doped cluster is smaller than the corresponding silicon doped gold cluster. The HUMO-LOMO gap for Au n Ge clusters have been found to vary between 0.46 eV-2.09 eV. The mullikan charge analysis indicates that charge of order of 0.1e always transfers from germanium atom to gold atom.

Silicide Schottky Contacts to Silicon: Screened Pinning at Defect Levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drummond, T.J.

1999-03-11

Silicide Schottky contacts can be as large as 0.955 eV (E{sub v} + 0.165 eV) on n-type silicon and as large as 1.05 eV (E{sub c} {minus} 0.07 eV) on p-type silicon. Current models of Schottky barrier formation do not provide a satisfactory explanation of occurrence of this wide variation. A model for understanding Schottky contacts via screened pinning at defect levels is presented. In the present paper it is shown that most transition metal silicides are pinned approximately 0.48 eV above the valence band by interstitial Si clusters. Rare earth disilicides pin close to the divacancy acceptor level 0.41 eV below the conduction band edge while high work function silicides of Ir and Pt pin close to the divacancy donor level 0.21 eV above the valence band edge. Selection of a particular defect pinning level depends strongly on the relative positions of the silicide work function and the defect energy level on an absolute energy scale.

C, N co-doped TiO_2/TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 composite coatings prepared from TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 powder using ball milling followed by oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao, Liang; Wang, Zhenwei; Zheng, Yaoqing; Li, Qianqian; Guan, Sujun; Zhao, Qian; Cheng, Lijun; Lu, Yun; Liu, Jizi

2017-01-01

Highlights: • TiO_2/TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 coatings were prepared by ball milling followed by oxidation. • In situ co-doping of C and N with simultaneous TiO_2 formation was observed. • Improved photocatalytic activity under UV/visible light was noticed. • Synergism in co-doping and heterojunction formation promoted carrier separation. - Abstract: Ball milling followed by heat oxidation was used to prepared C, N co-doped TiO_2 coatings on the surfaces of Al_2O_3 balls from TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 powder. The as-prepared coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV–vis). The results show that continuous TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 coatings were formed after ball milling. C, N co-doped TiO_2/TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 composite coatings were prepared after the direct oxidization of TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 coatings in the atmosphere. However, TiO_2 was hardly formed in the surface layer of TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 coatings within a depth less than 10 nm during the heat oxidation of TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 coatings in carbon powder. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity evaluation of these coatings was conducted under the irradiation of UV and visible light. All the coatings showed photocatalytic activity in the degradation of MB no matter under the irradiation of UV or visible light. The C, N co-doped TiO_2/TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 composite coatings showed the most excellent performance. The enhancement under visible light irradiation should attribute to the co-doping of carbon and nitrogen, which enhances the absorption of visible light. The improvement of photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation should attribute to the synergistic effect of C, N co-doping, the formation of rutile-anatase mixed phases and the TiO_2/TiC_0_._7N_0_._3 composite microstructure.

Photoluminescence, reddish orange long persistent luminescence and photostimulated luminescence properties of praseodymium doped CdGeO3 phosphor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Yahong; Hu, Yihua; Chen, Li; Fu, Yinrong; Mu, Zhongfei; Wang, Tao; Lin, Jun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel phosphor CdGeO 3 :Pr 3+ was synthesized successfully. • The persistent luminescence properties of CdGeO 3 :Pr 3+ were studied. • The photostimulated luminescence properties of CdGeO 3 :Pr 3+ were investigated. • The persistent and photostimulated luminescence mechanisms were discussed in detail. - Abstract: Praseodymium doped CdGeO 3 phosphors were prepared successfully by a conventional high temperature solid-state reaction method. It showed reddish orange long persistent luminescence (LPL) after the short UV-irradiation. The reddish orange photostimulated luminescence (PSL) was also observed upon near infrared stimulation at 980 nm after per-exposure into UV light. The origin of LPL and PSL was identified with the emission from Pr 3+ ions with the aid of traps in host lattice. The optimal concentration of Pr 3+ ions for the brightest photoluminescence (PL) emission and the best LPL characteristic were experimentally to be about 3% and 0.5 mol%, respectively. The trapping and de-trapping processes of charge carriers between shallower and deep traps were illustrated. A model was proposed on the basis of experimental results to study the mechanisms of LPL and PSL

Comparative physical, chemical and biological assessment of simple and titanium-doped ovine dentine-derived hydroxyapatite coatings fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duta, L.; Mihailescu, N.; Popescu, A.C.; Luculescu, C.R. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele (Romania); Mihailescu, I.N., E-mail: ion.mihailescu@inflpr.ro [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele (Romania); Çetin, G.; Gunduz, O. [Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul (Turkey); Oktar, F.N. [Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul (Turkey); Department of Medical Imaging Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Marmara University, 34668 Istanbul (Turkey); Nanotechnology and Biomaterials Application & Research Centre, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul (Turkey); Popa, A.C. [National Institute of Materials Physics, 077125 Magurele (Romania); Army Centre for Medical Research, 010195 Bucharest (Romania); Kuncser, A.; Besleaga, C. [National Institute of Materials Physics, 077125 Magurele (Romania); Stan, G.E., E-mail: george_stan@infim.ro [National Institute of Materials Physics, 077125 Magurele (Romania)

2017-08-15

Highlights: • Pulsed laser deposition of Ti doped hydroxyapatite films of biological origin. • Downgrade of films’ crystallinity and increase of roughness induced by Ti doping. • Bonding strength values superior to minimum value imposed by ISO standards. • Excellent biocompatibility in hMSC cultures of Ti doped structures. • Ti doped hydroxyapatite films as feasible materials for implantology applications. - Abstract: We report on the synthesis by Pulsed Laser Deposition of simple and Ti doped hydroxyapatite thin films of biological (ovine dentine) origin. Detailed physical, chemical, mechanical and biological investigations were performed. Morphological examination of films showed a surface composed of spheroidal particulates, of micronic size. Compositional analyses pointed to the presence of typical natural doping elements of bone, along with a slight non-stoichiometry of the deposited films. Structural investigations proved the monophasic hydroxyapatite nature of both simple and Ti doped films. Ti doping of biological hydroxyapatite induced an overall downgrade of the films crystallinity together with an increase of the films roughness. It is to be emphasized that bonding strength values measured at film/Ti substrate interface were superior to the minimum value imposed by International Standards regulating the load-bearing implant coatings. In vitro tests on Ti doped structures, compared to simple ones, revealed excellent biocompatibility in human mesenchymal stem cell cultures, a higher proliferation rate and a good cytocompatibility. The obtained results aim to elucidate the overall positive role of Ti doping on the hydroxyapatite films performance, and demonstrate the possibility to use this novel type of coatings as feasible materials for future implantology applications.

Comparative physical, chemical and biological assessment of simple and titanium-doped ovine dentine-derived hydroxyapatite coatings fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duta, L.; Mihailescu, N.; Popescu, A.C.; Luculescu, C.R.; Mihailescu, I.N.; Çetin, G.; Gunduz, O.; Oktar, F.N.; Popa, A.C.; Kuncser, A.; Besleaga, C.; Stan, G.E.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Pulsed laser deposition of Ti doped hydroxyapatite films of biological origin. • Downgrade of films’ crystallinity and increase of roughness induced by Ti doping. • Bonding strength values superior to minimum value imposed by ISO standards. • Excellent biocompatibility in hMSC cultures of Ti doped structures. • Ti doped hydroxyapatite films as feasible materials for implantology applications. - Abstract: We report on the synthesis by Pulsed Laser Deposition of simple and Ti doped hydroxyapatite thin films of biological (ovine dentine) origin. Detailed physical, chemical, mechanical and biological investigations were performed. Morphological examination of films showed a surface composed of spheroidal particulates, of micronic size. Compositional analyses pointed to the presence of typical natural doping elements of bone, along with a slight non-stoichiometry of the deposited films. Structural investigations proved the monophasic hydroxyapatite nature of both simple and Ti doped films. Ti doping of biological hydroxyapatite induced an overall downgrade of the films crystallinity together with an increase of the films roughness. It is to be emphasized that bonding strength values measured at film/Ti substrate interface were superior to the minimum value imposed by International Standards regulating the load-bearing implant coatings. In vitro tests on Ti doped structures, compared to simple ones, revealed excellent biocompatibility in human mesenchymal stem cell cultures, a higher proliferation rate and a good cytocompatibility. The obtained results aim to elucidate the overall positive role of Ti doping on the hydroxyapatite films performance, and demonstrate the possibility to use this novel type of coatings as feasible materials for future implantology applications.

Porous Hierarchical Nitrogen-doped Carbon Coated ZnFe_2O_4 Composites as High Performance Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue, Hongyun; Wang, Qiuxian; Shi, Zhenpu; Ma, Chao; Ding, Yanmin; Huo, Ningning; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Shuting

2015-01-01

Porous hierarchical and nitrogen-doped carbon coated ZnFe_2O_4 (ZnFe_2O_4@NC) was obtained by combustion method and unique carbon coating technology. Gum Arabic was firstly introduced in the carbon coating process as an additive, which played an important role to control the uniformity of carbon coating layer. The nitrogen-doped carbon layer was obtained through the pyrolysis of glycine. The elemental composition and content of the nitrogen-doped carbon in composites were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling was used to test the electrochemical performance of ZnFe_2O_4@NC and pure ZnFe_2O_4. The sub-micro size ZnFe_2O_4@NC with unique porous structure showed an excellent electrochemical performance as an anode material, which was higher than that of pure ZnFe_2O_4. ZnFe_2O_4@NC could maintain the specific discharge capacity of 1477 mAh g"−"1 at 0.1 A g"−"1 after 100 cycles and 705 mAh g"−"1 at 1 A g"−"1 after 1000 cycles, respectively.

Chitosan-doped-hybrid/TiO2 nanocomposite based sol-gel coating for the corrosion resistance of aluminum metal in 3.5% NaCl medium.

Science.gov (United States)

J, Balaji; M G, Sethuraman

2017-11-01

The study outlines the role of chitosan, a biopolymer on corrosion behavior of Hy/nano-TiO 2 based sol-gel coating over aluminum metal. In this study organic-inorganic hybrid sols were synthesized through hydrolysis and condensation of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPTMS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TIP) in acidic solution. Chitosan was doped into sol-gel matrix and self-assembled over aluminum substrate. The resultant chitosan-doped-Hy/nano-TiO 2 sol-gel coating was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectra, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The as-tailored aluminum substrate was evaluated for corrosion resistance in neutral medium. The protection ability of these coatings was evaluated by electrochemical impedance studies (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PP) measurements in 3.5% NaCl medium. The EIS and PP results showed that chitosan-doped- Hy/nano-TiO 2 sol-gel coating exhibited better protection from corrosion than the undoped Hy/TiO 2 nanocomposite coating. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of iron and copper doped manganese cobalt spinel oxides as protective coatings for solid oxide fuel cell interconnects

Science.gov (United States)

Talic, Belma; Molin, Sebastian; Wiik, Kjell; Hendriksen, Peter Vang; Lein, Hilde Lea

2017-12-01

MnCo2O4, MnCo1.7Cu0.3O4 and MnCo1.7Fe0.3O4 are investigated as coatings for corrosion protection of metallic interconnects in solid oxide fuel cell stacks. Electrophoretic deposition is used to deposit the coatings on Crofer 22 APU alloy. All three coating materials reduce the parabolic oxidation rate in air at 900 °C and 800 °C. At 700 °C there is no significant difference in oxidation rate between coated samples and uncoated pre-oxidized Crofer 22 APU. The cross-scale area specific resistance (ASR) is measured in air at 800 °C using La0.85Sr0.1Mn1.1O3 (LSM) contact plates to simulate the interaction with the cathode in a SOFC stack. All coated samples have three times lower ASR than uncoated Crofer 22 APU after 4370 h aging. The ASR increase with time is lowest with the MnCo2O4 coating, followed by the MnCo1.7Fe0.3O4 and MnCo1.7Cu0.3O4 coatings. LSM plates contacted to uncoated Crofer 22 APU contain significant amounts of Cr after aging, while all three coatings effectively prevent Cr diffusion into the LSM. A complex Cr-rich reaction layer develops at the coating-alloy interface during oxidation. Cu and Fe doping reduce the extent of this reaction layer at 900 °C, while at 800 °C the effect of doping is insignificant.

First-principles study of bandgap tuning in Ge1-xPbxSe

Science.gov (United States)

Lohani, Himanshu

2018-03-01

Narrow bandgap and its tuning are important aspects of materials for their technological applications. In this context group IV-VI semiconductors are one of the interesting candidates. In this paper, we explore the possibility of bandgap tuning in one of the family member of this family GeSe by using isoelectronic Pb doping. Our study is first-principles based electronic structure calculations of Ge1-xPbxSe. This study reveals that the Ge-p and Se-p states are strongly hybridized in GeSe and shows a gap in the DOS at Ef in GeSe. This gap reduces systematically with simultaneous enhancement of the states in the near Ef region as a function of Pb doping. This leads tuning of the indirect bandgap in GeSe via Pb doping. The results of the indirect bandgap decrement are consistent with the experimental findings. We propose a mechanism where the electrostatic effect of dopant Pb cation could be responsible for these changes in the electronic structure of GeSe.

Kinetics of nickel silicide growth in silicon nanowires: From linear to square root growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaish, Y. E.; Beregovsky, M.; Katsman, A.; Cohen, G. M.

2011-01-01

The common practice for nickel silicide formation in silicon nanowires (SiNWs) relies on axial growth of silicide along the wire that is initiated from nickel reservoirs at the source and drain contacts. In the present work the silicide intrusions were studied for various parameters including wire diameter (25-50 nm), annealing time (15-120 s), annealing temperature (300-440 deg. C), and the quality of the initial Ni/Si interface. The silicide formation was investigated by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy. The main part of the intrusion formed at 420 deg. C consists of monosilicide NiSi, as was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy STEM, selected area diffraction TEM, and electrical resistance measurements of fully silicided SiNWs. The kinetics of nickel silicide axial growth in the SiNWs was analyzed in the framework of a diffusion model through constrictions. The model calculates the time dependence of the intrusion length, L, and predicts crossover from linear to square root time dependency for different wire parameters, as confirmed by the experimental data.

Evaluation of the oxide and silicide fuels reactivity in the RSG-GAS core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S, Tukiran; M S, Tagor; S, Lily; Pinem, S.

2000-01-01

Fuel exchange of The RSG-GAS reactor core from uranium oxide to uranium silicide in the same loading, density, and enrichment, that is, 250 gr, 2.98 gr/cm 3 , and 19.75 % respectively, will be performed in-step wise. In every cycle of exchange with 5/l mode, it is needed to evaluate the parameter of reactor core operation. One of the important operation parameters is fuel reactivity that gives effect to the core reactivity. The experiment was performed at core no. 36, BOC, low power which exist 2 silicide fuels. The evaluation was done based on the RSG-GAS control rod calibration consisting of 40 fuels and 8 control rod.s. From 40 fuels in the core, there are 2 silicide fuels, RI-225/A-9 and RI-224/C-3. For inserting 2 silicide fuels, the reactivity effect to the core must be know. To know this effect , it was performed fuels reactivity experiment, which based on control rod calibration. But in this case the RSG-GAS has no other fresh oxide fuel so that configuration of the RSG-GAS core was rearranged by taking out the both silicide fuels and this configuration is used as reference core. Then silicide fuel RI-224 was inserted to position F-3 replacing the fresh oxide fuel RI-260 so the different reactivity of the fuels is obtained. The experiment result showed that the fuel reactivity change is in amount of 12.85 cent (0.098 % ) The experiment result was compared to the calculation result, using IAFUEL code which amount to 13.49 cent (0.103 %) The result showed that the reactivity change of oxide to silicide fuel is small so that the fuel exchange from uranium oxide to uranium silicide in the first step can be done without any significant change of the operation parameter

Neutronic design of mixed oxide-silicide cores for the core conversion of rsg-gas reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sembiring, Tagor Malem; Tukiran; Pinem surian; Febrianto

2001-01-01

The core conversion of rsg-gas reactor from an all-oxide (U 3 O 8 -Al) core, through a series of mixed oxide-silicide core, to an all-silicide (U 3 Si 2 -Al) core for the same meat density of 2.96 g U/cc is in progress. The conversion is first step of the step-wise conversion and will be followed by the second step that is the core conversion from low meat density of silicide core, through a series of mixed lower-higher density of silicide core, to an all-higher meat density of 3.55 g/cc core. Therefore, the objectives of this work is to design the mixed cores on the neutronic performance to achieve safety a first full-silicide core for the reactor with the low uranium meat density of 2.96gU/cc. The neutronic design of the mixed cores was performed by means of Batan-EQUIL-2D and Batan-3DIFF computer codes for 2 and 3 dimension diffusion calculation, respectively. The result shows that all mixed oxide-silicide cores will be feasible to achieve safety a fist full-silicide core. The core performs the same neutronic core parameters as those of the equilibrium silicide core. Therefore, the reactor availability and utilization during the core conversion is not changed

Cr-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 for ultra-long data retention phase change memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qing; Xia, Yangyang; Zheng, Yonghui; Zhang, Qi; Liu, Bo; Song, Sannian; Cheng, Yan; Song, Zhitang; Feng, Songlin; Huo, Ruru

2015-01-01

Phase change memory is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for the next-generation non-volatile memory. Its storage medium, phase change material, has attracted continuous exploration. Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) is the most popular phase change material, but its thermal stability needs to be improved when used in some fields at high temperature (more than 120 °C). In this paper, we doped Cr atoms into GST and obtained Cr 10 (Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 ) 90 (labeled as Cr-GST) with high thermal stability. For Cr-GST film, the sheet resistance ratio between amorphous and crystalline states is high up to 3 orders of magnitude. The crystalline Cr-GST film inherits the phase structure of GST, with metastable face-centered cubic phase and/or stable hexagonal phase. The doped Cr atoms not only bond with other atoms but also help to improve the anti-oxidation property of Cr-GST. As for the amorphous thermal stability, the calculated temperature for 10-year-data-retention of Cr-GST film, based on the Arrhenius equation, is about 180 °C. The threshold current and threshold voltage of a cell based on Cr-GST are about 6 μA and 2.7 V. The cell could be operated by suitable voltages for more than 40 000 cycles. Thus, Cr-GST is proved to be a promising phase change material with ultra-long data retention

Influence of IR-laser irradiation on α-SiC-chromium silicides ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlasova, M.; Marquez Aguilar, P.A.; Resendiz-Gonzalez, M.C.; Kakazey, M.; Bykov, A.; Gonzalez Morales, I.

2005-01-01

This project investigated the influence of IR-laser irradiation (λ = 1064 nm, P = 240 mW) on composite ceramics SiC-chromium silicides (CrSi 2 , CrSi, Cr 5 Si 3 ) by methods of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. Samples were irradiated in air. It was established that a surface temperature of 1990 K was required to melt chromium silicides, evaporate silicon from SiC, oxidize chromium silicides, and enrich superficial layer by carbon and chromium oxide

Formation of the distributed NiSiGe nanocrystals nonvolatile memory formed by rapidly annealing in N2 and O2 ambient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Chih-Wei; Chang, Ting-Chang; Tu, Chun-Hao; Chiang, Cheng-Neng; Lin, Chao-Cheng; Chen, Min-Chen; Chang, Chun-Yen; Sze, Simon M.; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen

2010-01-01

In this work, electrical characteristics of the Ge-incorporated Nickel silicide (NiSiGe) nanocrystals memory device formed by the rapidly thermal annealing in N 2 and O 2 ambient have been studied. The trapping layer was deposited by co-sputtering the NiSi 2 and Ge, simultaneously. Transmission electron microscope results indicate that the NiSiGe nanocrystals were formed obviously in both the samples. The memory devices show obvious charge-storage ability under capacitance-voltage measurement. However, it is found that the NiSiGe nanocrystals device formed by annealing in N 2 ambient has smaller memory window and better retention characteristics than in O 2 ambient. Then, related material analyses were used to confirm that the oxidized Ge elements affect the charge-storage sites and the electrical performance of the NCs memory.

Evaluation of antibacterial, angiogenic, and osteogenic activities of green synthesized gap-bridging copper-doped nanocomposite coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang D

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Dan Huang,1 Kena Ma,1,2 Xinjie Cai,1,2 Xu Yang,3 Yinghui Hu,1 Pin Huang,1 Fushi Wang,1 Tao Jiang,1,2 Yining Wang1,2 1The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei- MOST & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 2Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; 3Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Abstract: Titanium (Ti and its alloys have been widely used in clinics for years. However, their bio-inert surface challenges application in patients with compromised surgical conditions. Numerous studies were conducted to modify the surface topography and chemical composition of Ti substrates, for the purpose of obtaining antibacterial, angiogenic, and osteogenic activities. In this study, using green electrophoretic deposition method, we fabricated gap-bridging chitosan-gelatin (CSG nanocomposite coatings incorporated with different amounts of copper (Cu; 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mM for Cu I, II, III, and IV groups, respectively on the Ti substrates. Physicochemical characterization of these coatings confirmed that Cu ions were successfully deposited into the coatings in a metallic status. After rehydration, the coatings swelled by 850% in weight. Mechanical tests verified the excellent tensile bond strength between Ti substrates and deposited coatings. All Cu-containing CSG coatings showed antibacterial property against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial property was positively correlated with the Cu concentration. In vitro cytocompatibility evaluation demonstrated that activities of bone marrow stromal cells were not impaired on Cu-doped coatings except for the Cu IV group. Moreover, enhanced angiogenic and osteogenic activities were observed on Cu II and Cu III groups. Overall, our results

Prediction of barrier inhomogeneities and carrier transport in Ni-silicided Schottky diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, A.R.; Dimitriu, C.B.; Horsfall, A.B.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Wright, N.G.; O'Neill, A.G.; Maiti, C.K.

2006-01-01

Based on Quantum Mechanical (QM) carrier transport and the effects of interface states, a theoretical model has been developed to predict the anomalous current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a non-ideal Ni-silicided Schottky diode at low temperatures. Physical parameters such as barrier height, ideality factor, series resistance and effective Richardson constant of a silicided Schottky diode were extracted from forward I-V characteristics and are subsequently used for the simulation of both forward and reverse I-V characteristics using a QM transport model in which the effects of interface state and bias dependent barrier reduction are incorporated. The present analysis indicates that the effects of barrier inhomogeneity caused by incomplete silicide formation at the junction and the interface states may change the conventional current transport process, leading to anomalous forward and reverse I-V characteristics for the Ni-silicided Schottky diode

Analysis Of Core Management For The Transition Cores Of RSG-GAS Reactor To Full-Silicide Core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malem Sembiring, Tagor; Suparlina, Lily; Tukiran

2001-01-01

The core conversion of RSG-GAS reactor from oxide to silicide core with meat density of 2.96 g U/cc is still doing. At the end of 2000, the reactor has been operated for 3 transition cores which is the mixed core of oxide-silicide. Based on previous work, the calculated core parameter for the cores were obtained and it is needed 10 transition cores to achieve a full-silicide core. The objective of this work is to acquire the effect of the increment of the number of silicide fuel on the core parameters such as excess reactivity and shutdown margin. The measurement of the core parameters was carried out using the method of compensation of couple control rods. The experiment shows that the excess reactivity trends lower with the increment of the number of silicide fuel in the core. However, the shutdown margin is not change with the increment of the number of silicide fuel. Therefore, the transition cores can be operated safety to a full-silicide core

Electrical properties of phosphorene systems doped with fourth-period elements

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ke; Wang, Hai; Zhang, Min; Liu, Yan; Zhao, Wei

2018-05-01

In this work, we use a first-principles calculation to investigate the structure, binding energies, and electrical properties of monolayer phosphorene systems doped with fourth-period main group elements at a doping concentration of 6.25%. The calculation results reveal that, although large deformations exist, all doped systems are stable and non-spin polarized. In addition, the Ca, Se, and Br atoms are electron acceptors in the doped systems, whereas the Ga, Ge and As atoms are donors. Thus, there is an ionic bonding character between the dopants and neighboring phosphorus atoms in the Ca-, Ga-, Ge-, As-, Se-, and Br-doped systems. From band structures, we find that the K-, Ga-, As-, and Br-doped systems present semiconducting states with indirect gaps, whereas the Ca-, Ge-, and Se-doped systems have metallic states. We conclude that the metallicity of a phosphorene system doped with main-group elements depends on the number of valence electrons of the dopant. This investigation provides directions for manipulating the electrical properties of phosphorene by substitutional doping, which would broaden its possible applications in optoelectronics.

Optical waveguide based on amorphous Er{sup 3+}-doped Ga-Ge-Sb-S(Se) pulsed laser deposited thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazabal, V., E-mail: virginie.nazabal@univ-rennes1.f [Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (SCR), UMR CNRS 6226, Equipe Verres et Ceramiques, Universite de Rennes 1, Rennes (France); Nemec, P. [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Research Center, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Legions Sq. 565, 53210, Pardubice (Czech Republic); Jurdyc, A.M [Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Materiaux Luminescents (LPCML), UMR CNRS 5620, Universite Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Villeurbanne (France); Zhang, S.; Charpentier, F. [Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (SCR), UMR CNRS 6226, Equipe Verres et Ceramiques, Universite de Rennes 1, Rennes (France); Lhermite, H. [IETR-Microelectronique, UMR CNRS 6251, Universite de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes (France); Charrier, J. [FOTON, UMR 6082-ENSSAT, UMR CNRS 6251, Universite de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes (France); Guin, J.P. [LARMAUR, UMR CNRS 6251, Universite de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes (France); Moreac, A. [Institut de Physique de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6251, Universite de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes (France); Frumar, M. [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Research Center, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Legions Sq. 565, 53210, Pardubice (Czech Republic); Adam, J.-L. [Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (SCR), UMR CNRS 6226, Equipe Verres et Ceramiques, Universite de Rennes 1, Rennes (France)

2010-06-30

Amorphous chalcogenide films play a motivating role in the development of integrated planar optical circuits due to their potential functionality in near infrared (IR) and mid-IR spectral regions. More specifically, the photoluminescence of rare earth ions in amorphous chalcogenide films can be used in laser and amplifier devices in the IR spectral domain. The aim of the present investigation was to optimize the deposition conditions for the fabrication of undoped and Er{sup 3+} doped sulphide and selenide thin films with nominal composition Ga{sub 5}Ge{sub 20}Sb{sub 10}S(Se){sub 65} or Ga{sub 5}Ge{sub 23}Sb{sub 5}S{sub 67} by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The study of compositional, morphological and structural characteristics of the layers was realized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyses, respectively. Some optical properties (transmittance, index of refraction, optical band gap, etc.) of prepared chalcogenide films and optical losses were investigated as well. The clear identification of near-IR photoluminescence of Er{sup 3+} ions was obtained for both selenide and sulphide films. The decay of the {sup 4}I{sub 13/2} {yields} {sup 4}I{sub 15/2} transition at 1.54 {mu}m in Er{sup 3+} doped Ga{sub 5}Ge{sub 20}Sb{sub 10}S{sub 65} PLD sulphide films was studied to assess the effects of film thickness, rare earth concentration and multilayer PLD deposition on their spectroscopic properties.

Chemical sensors using coated or doped carbon nanotube networks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing (Inventor); Meyyappan, Meyya (Inventor)

2010-01-01

Methods for using modified single wall carbon nanotubes ("SWCNTs") to detect presence and/or concentration of a gas component, such as a halogen (e.g., Cl.sub.2), hydrogen halides (e.g., HCl), a hydrocarbon (e.g., C.sub.nH.sub.2n+2), an alcohol, an aldehyde or a ketone, to which an unmodified SWCNT is substantially non-reactive. In a first embodiment, a connected network of SWCNTs is coated with a selected polymer, such as chlorosulfonated polyethylene, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polystyrene and/or polyvinylalcohol, and change in an electrical parameter or response value (e.g., conductance, current, voltage difference or resistance) of the coated versus uncoated SWCNT networks is analyzed. In a second embodiment, the network is doped with a transition element, such as Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os and/or Au, and change in an electrical parameter value is again analyzed. The parameter change value depends monotonically, not necessarily linearly, upon concentration of the gas component. Two general algorithms are presented for estimating concentration value(s), or upper or lower concentration bounds on such values, from measured differences of response values.

Far-infrared spectroscopy of thermally annealed tungsten silicide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiotti, M.; Borghesi, A.; Guizzetti, G.; Nava, F.; Santoro, G.

1991-01-01

The far-infrared transmittance spectrum of tungsten silicide has been observed for the first time. WSi 2 polycrystalline films were prepared by coevaporation and chemical-vapour deposition on silicon wafers, and subsequently thermally annealed at different temperatures. The observed structures are interpreted, on the basis of the symmetry properties of the crystal, such as infrared-active vibrational modes. Moreover, the marked lineshape dependence on annealing temperature enables this technique to analyse the formation of the solid silicide phases

Evolution of microstructural defects of TiO2 nanocrystals by Zr4+ or/and Ge4+ doping lead to high disinfection efficiency for CWAs

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zhong; Zhong, Jin-Yi; Chai, Na-Na; He, Xin; Zang, Jian-Zheng; Xu, Hui; Han, Xiao-Yuan; Zhang, Peng

2017-06-01

Zr4+, Ge4+ doped and co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a 'one-pot' homogeneous precipitation method. The photocatalytic reaction kinetics of DMMP and the disinfection efficiency of HD, GD and VX on the samples were investigated. By means of a variety of characterization methods, especially the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, the changes in structure and property of TiO2 across doping were studied. The results show that the reasonable engineering design of novel photocatalysts in the field of CWAs decontamination can be realized by adjusting the bulk-to-surface defects ratio, except for crystal structure, specific surface area, pore size distribution and light utilization.

Texture in thin film silicides and germanides: A review

Science.gov (United States)

De Schutter, B.; De Keyser, K.; Lavoie, C.; Detavernier, C.

2016-09-01

Silicides and germanides are compounds consisting of a metal and silicon or germanium. In the microelectronics industry, silicides are the material of choice for contacting silicon based devices (over the years, CoSi2, C54-TiSi2, and NiSi have been adopted), while germanides are considered as a top candidate for contacting future germanium based electronics. Since also strain engineering through the use of Si1-xGex in the source/drain/gate regions of MOSFET devices is an important technique for improving device characteristics in modern Si-based microelectronics industry, a profound understanding of the formation of silicide/germanide contacts to silicon and germanium is of utmost importance. The crystallographic texture of these films, which is defined as the statistical distribution of the orientation of the grains in the film, has been the subject of scientific studies since the 1970s. Different types of texture like epitaxy, axiotaxy, fiber, or combinations thereof have been observed in such films. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that film texture can have a profound influence on the formation and stability of silicide/germanide contacts, as it controls the type and orientation of grain boundaries (affecting diffusion and agglomeration) and the interface energy (affecting nucleation during the solid-state reaction). Furthermore, the texture also has an impact on the electrical characteristics of the contact, as the orientation and size of individual grains influences functional properties such as contact resistance and sheet resistance and will induce local variations in strain and Schottky barrier height. This review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the scientific work that has been published in the field of texture studies on thin film silicide/germanide contacts.

Tribological properties of Ti-doped DLC coatings under ionic liquids lubricated conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xin; Xia Yanqiu

2012-01-01

In this paper, titanium doped diamond-like carbon (Ti-DLC) coatings were prepared onto AISI 52100 steel substrates using medium frequency magnetic sputtering process, and were analyzed using the Raman and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Two kinds of 1,3-dialkyl imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) were synthesized and evaluated as lubricants for Ti-DLC/steel contacts at room temperature, and PFPE as comparison lubricant. The tribological properties of the ILs were investigated using a ball-on-disk type UMT reciprocating friction tester. The results indicated that the ILs have excellent friction-reducing properties, the friction coefficient kept at a relatively stable value of 0.07-0.06, which was reduced approximately by 47% compared with perfluoropolyether (PFPE). The worn surfaces of Ti-DLC coatings were observed and analyzed using a MICROXAM-3D non-contact surface profiler, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Ti-DLC coatings using ionic liquids lubricating systems are considered as potential lubricating system in vacuum and space moving friction pairs.

Coating of hydroxyapatite doped Ag on commercially pure titanium surface; Recobrimento de hidroxiapatita dopada com Ag sobre superficie de titanio comercialmente puro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vieira, Jonas de Oliveira; Vercik, Luci Cristina de Oliveira; Rigo, Eliana Cristina da Silva, E-mail: jonasvieira@usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil)

2012-07-01

This paper presents results of bioactive coating on commercially pure titanium surface (CpTi) doped with Ag ions. The coating consists of 3 steps, in step 1- surface chemical treatment of the samples with NaOH, step 2 - immersing the substrate in question in a sodium silicate solution (SS) to the nucleation and step 3 - reimmersion these substrates in synthetic solution that simulates the blood serum for precipitation and growth of apatite layer. After the coating step the AgNO{sub 3} substrates were immersed in solutions with concentrations of 20 ppm and 100 ppm at 37 ° C for 48h. The substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). By the results verified the formation of an apatite layer with aspects of cells, on the surface of CpTi. The increase in Ag concentration causes an increase in Ag amount doped in apatite layer. With the results we concluded that it is possible to obtain an apatite layer on a metal surface as the CpTi doped with Ag ions.

Electrochemical investigation of the properties of Co doped ZnO nanoparticle as a corrosion inhibitive pigment for modifying corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rostami, M.; Rasouli, S.; Ramezanzadeh, B.; Askari, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Corrosion inhibitive pigment based on ZnOCo was synthesized through combustion method. • Doping ZnO nanoparticle with Co enhanced its inhibition properties considerably. • ZnOCo nanoparticle could enhance corrosion protective performance of epoxy coating. • Co doped ZnO nanoparticles behaved as efficient barrier and inhibitive pigment. - Abstract: Co doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method. Then, the epoxy nanocomposites were prepared using various amounts of nanoparticles. Salt spray and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used in order to investigate the corrosion inhibition effects of nanoparticles on the steel substrate. The morphology and composition of the films precipitated on the steel surface were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results revealed that the corrosion inhibition properties of ZnO nanoparticle were significantly enhanced after doping with Co. Moreover, Co doped ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating effectively

A silver ion-doped calcium phosphate-based ceramic nanopowder-coated prosthesis increased infection resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kose, Nusret; Otuzbir, Ali; Pekşen, Ceren; Kiremitçi, Abdurrahman; Doğan, Aydin

2013-08-01

Despite progress in surgical techniques, 1% to 2% of joint arthroplasties become complicated by infection. Coating implant surfaces with antimicrobial agents have been attempted to prevent initial bacterial adhesion to implants with varying success rates. We developed a silver ion-containing calcium phosphate-based ceramic nanopowder coating to provide antibacterial activity for orthopaedic implants. We asked whether titanium prostheses coated with this nanopowder would show resistance to bacterial colonization as compared with uncoated prostheses. We inserted titanium implants (uncoated [n = 9], hydroxyapatite-coated [n = 9], silver-coated [n = 9]) simulating knee prostheses into 27 rabbits' knees. Before implantation, 5 × 10(2) colony-forming units of Staphylococcus aureus were inoculated into the femoral canal. Radiology, microbiology, and histology findings were quantified at Week 6 to define the infection, microbiologically by increased rate of implant colonization/positive cultures, histologically by leukocyte infiltration, necrosis, foreign-body granuloma, and devitalized bone, and radiographically by periosteal reaction, osteolysis, or sequestrum formation. Swab samples taken from medullary canals and implants revealed a lower proportion of positive culture in silver-coated implants (one of nine) than in uncoated (eight of nine) or hydroxyapatite-coated (five of nine) implants. Silver-coated implants also had a lower rate of colonization. No cellular inflammation or foreign-body granuloma was observed around the silver-coated prostheses. Silver ion-doped ceramic nanopowder coating of titanium implants led to an increase in resistance to bacterial colonization compared to uncoated implants. Silver-coated orthopaedic implants may be useful for resistance to local infection but will require in vivo confirmation.

Boron-doped, carbon-coated SnO2/graphene nanosheets for enhanced lithium storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuxin; Liu, Ping; Wu, Dongqing; Huang, Yanshan; Tang, Yanping; Su, Yuezeng; Zhang, Fan; Feng, Xinliang

2015-03-27

Heteroatom doping is an effective method to adjust the electrochemical behavior of carbonaceous materials. In this work, boron-doped, carbon-coated SnO2 /graphene hybrids (BCTGs) were fabricated by hydrothermal carbonization of sucrose in the presence of SnO2/graphene nanosheets and phenylboronic acid or boric acid as dopant source and subsequent thermal treatment. Owing to their unique 2D core-shell architecture and B-doped carbon shells, BCTGs have enhanced conductivity and extra active sites for lithium storage. With phenylboronic acid as B source, the resulting hybrid shows outstanding electrochemical performance as the anode in lithium-ion batteries with a highly stable capacity of 1165 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) after 360 cycles and an excellent rate capability of 600 mA h g(-1) at 3.2 A g(-1), and thus outperforms most of the previously reported SnO2-based anode materials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Complex quantum transport in a modulation doped strained Ge quantum well heterostructure with a high mobility 2D hole gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrison, C., E-mail: c.morrison.2@warwick.ac.uk; Casteleiro, C.; Leadley, D. R.; Myronov, M. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2016-09-05

The complex quantum transport of a strained Ge quantum well (QW) modulation doped heterostructure with two types of mobile carriers has been observed. The two dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in the Ge QW exhibits an exceptionally high mobility of 780 000 cm{sup 2}/Vs at temperatures below 10 K. Through analysis of Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations in the magnetoresistance of this 2DHG below 2 K, the hole effective mass is found to be 0.065 m{sub 0}. Anomalous conductance peaks are observed at higher fields which deviate from standard Shubnikov de-Haas and quantum Hall effect behaviour due to conduction via multiple carrier types. Despite this complex behaviour, analysis using a transport model with two conductive channels explains this behaviour and allows key physical parameters such as the carrier effective mass, transport, and quantum lifetimes and conductivity of the electrically active layers to be extracted. This finding is important for electronic device applications, since inclusion of highly doped interlayers which are electrically active, for enhancement of, for example, room temperature carrier mobility, does not prevent analysis of quantum transport in a QW.

Complex quantum transport in a modulation doped strained Ge quantum well heterostructure with a high mobility 2D hole gas

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, C.; Casteleiro, C.; Leadley, D. R.; Myronov, M.

2016-09-01

The complex quantum transport of a strained Ge quantum well (QW) modulation doped heterostructure with two types of mobile carriers has been observed. The two dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in the Ge QW exhibits an exceptionally high mobility of 780 000 cm2/Vs at temperatures below 10 K. Through analysis of Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations in the magnetoresistance of this 2DHG below 2 K, the hole effective mass is found to be 0.065 m0. Anomalous conductance peaks are observed at higher fields which deviate from standard Shubnikov de-Haas and quantum Hall effect behaviour due to conduction via multiple carrier types. Despite this complex behaviour, analysis using a transport model with two conductive channels explains this behaviour and allows key physical parameters such as the carrier effective mass, transport, and quantum lifetimes and conductivity of the electrically active layers to be extracted. This finding is important for electronic device applications, since inclusion of highly doped interlayers which are electrically active, for enhancement of, for example, room temperature carrier mobility, does not prevent analysis of quantum transport in a QW.

Newly Developed Biocompatible Material: Dispersible Titanium-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Suitable for Antibacterial Coating on Intravascular Catheters.

Science.gov (United States)

Furuzono, Tsutomu; Okazaki, Masatoshi; Azuma, Yoshinao; Iwasaki, Mitsunobu; Kogai, Yasumichi; Sawa, Yoshiki

2017-01-01

Thirteen patients with chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine-impregnated catheters have experienced serious anaphylactic shock in Japan. These adverse reactions highlight the lack of commercially available catheters impregnated with strong antibacterial chemical agents. A system should be developed that can control both biocompatibility and antibacterial activity. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is biocompatible with bone and skin tissues. To provide antibacterial activity by using an external physical stimulus, titanium (Ti) ions were doped into the HAp structure. Highly dispersible, Ti-doped HAp (Ti-HAp) nanoparticles suitable as a coating material were developed. In 3 kinds of Ti-HAp [Ti/(Ca + Ti) = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2], the Ti content in the HAp was approximately 70% of that used in the Ti-HAp preparation, as determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). ICP-AES and X-ray diffraction showed Ti ions were well substituted into the HAp lattice. The nanoparticles were almost uniformly coated on a polyethylene (PE) sheet in a near-monolayer with a surface coverage ratio >95%. The antibacterial activity of the Ti-HAp nanoparticles containing 7.3% Ti ions and coating the sheet was evaluated by calculating the survival ratio of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the coated sheet after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The Ti-HAp-coated sheet showed a 50% decrease in the number of P. aeruginosa compared with that on an uncoated control PE sheet after UV irradiation for 30 s. Key Messages: A system of biocompatibility and antibacterial activity with an on/off switch controlled by external UV stimulation was developed. The system is expected to be applicable in long-term implanted intravascular catheters. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Oxidation behavior of molybdenum silicides and their composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natesan, K.; Deevi, S. C.

2000-01-01

A key materials issue associated with the future of high-temperature structural silicides is the resistance of these materials to oxidation at low temperatures. Oxidation tests were conducted on Mo-based silicides over a wide temperature range to evaluate the effects of alloy composition and temperature on the protective scaling characteristics and testing regime for the materials. The study included Mo 5 Si 3 alloys that contained several concentrations of B. In addition, oxidation characteristics of MoSi 2 -Si 3 N 4 composites that contained 20--80 vol.% Si 3 N 4 were evaluated at 500--1,400 C

Development and characterization of multi-element doped hydroxyapatite bioceramic coatings on metallic implants for orthopedic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furko, M.; Havasi, V.; Kónya, Z.; Grünewald, D.; Detsch, R.; Boccaccini, A.R.; Balázsi, C.

2018-01-01

Multi-element modified bioactive hydroxyapatite bioceramic (mHAp) coatings were successfully developed onto surgical grade titanium alloy material (Ti6Al4V). The coatings were prepared by pulse current deposition from electrolyte containing adequate amounts of calcium nitrate and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate at 70C. The pure HAp layer was doped and co-deposited with Ag, Zn, Mg, Sr ions. The biocompatible properties of layers were investigated by seeding osteoblast-like MG-63 cells onto the samples’ surface. The biocompatible measurements revealed enhanced bioactivity of modified HAp compared to uncoated implant materials and pure bioceramic coating. The morphology and structure of coatings and cells were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) as well as FT-IR and XRD measurements. The biodegradable properties of samples were investigated by electrochemical potentiodynamic measurements. [es

Evaluation of In-Core Fuel Management for the Transition Cores of RSG-GAS Reactor to Full-Silicide Core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S, Tukiran; MS, Tagor; P, Surian

2003-01-01

The core conversion of RSG-GAS reactor from oxide to silicide core with meat density of 2.96 gU/cc has been done. The core-of RSG-GAS reactor has been operated full core of silicide fuels which is started with the mixed core of oxide-silicide start from core 36. Based on previous work, the calculated core parameter for the cores were obtained and it is needed 9 transition cores (core 36 - 44) to achieve a full-silicide core (core 45). The objective of this work is to acquire the effect of the increment of the number of silicide fuel on the core parameters. Conversion core was achieved by transition cores mixed oxide-silicide fuels. Each transition core is calculated and measured core parameter such as, excess reactivity and shutdown margin. Calculation done by Batan-EQUIL-2D code and measurement of the core parameters was carried out using the method of compensation of couple control rods. The results of calculation and experiment shows that the excess reactivity trends lower with the increment of the number of silicide fuel in the core. However, the shutdown margin is not change with the increment of the number of silicide fuel. Therefore, the transition cores can be operated safely to a full-silicide core

The nitrogen doping effect on the properties of Ge-In-Sb-Te phase-change recording media investigated by blue-light laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, T.-T.; Hsieh, T.-E.; Shieh, H.-P.D.

2005-01-01

This work investigates the thermal, optical and recrystallization properties as well as the microstructure of nitrogen-doped Ge-In-Sb-Te (GIST) phase-change material when irradiated by blue-light laser. The experimental results showed that nitrogen doping at the condition of N 2 /Ar sputtering gas flow ratio equals to 3% might enhance the recrystallization speed of GIST recording layer up to 1.5 times. However, the disk failed when too much nitrogen (N 2 /Ar ≥ 5.0%) was introduced. The data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and ellipsometry revealed changes of thermal and optical properties due to the nitrogen doping in GIST. When appropriate amount of nitrogen was added, the activation energy (E a ) of amorphous-crystalline phase transition of GIST decreased and the optical constants of amorphous and crystalline phases (except the k value of amorphous phase) gradually reduced with the increase of wavelength in the range of 600-750 nm. Modulation simulation based on the reflectively of doped GIST layers obtained from static test indicated that appropriate nitrogen doping benefited the signal characteristics of optical disks. Transmission electron microscopy observed numerous tiny precipitates uniformly distributed in the doped GIST layers. These were believed to be nitride particles generated by nitrogen doping that might offer the preferential sites for amorphous-crystalline phase transition so that the recrystallization speed was accelerated

Effect of nitrogen-doped carbon dots on the anticorrosion properties of waterborne epoxy coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Siming; Cui, Mingjun; Zhao, Haichao; Wang, Liping

2018-06-01

In this work, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) are prepared by solvothermal method and the effect of NCDs on the anticorrosion property of waterborne epoxy (EP) is investigated. Scanning probe microscopy results show that the size of the NCDs is about 4–6 nm. In addition, the anticorrosion property of NCD-incorporated waterborne epoxy coatings is investigated via electrochemical techniques and scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical results demonstrate that the impedance modulus of 2.0% NCDs/EP is 364 times higher than that of blank EP after 800 h of immersion, indicating significant enhancement in the anticorrosion property of waterborne epoxy coating. The reason is that NCDs with lots of surface functional groups can connect with waterborne epoxy to suppress enlargement of the pores, and reduce the diffusion of oxygen in the coating, thus cutting off the connection between the substrate and oxygen, and delaying corrosion of the substrate.

Spectroscopic properties and energy transfer analysis of Tm3+-doped BaF2-Ga2O3-GeO2-La2O3 glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shenglei; Yang, Zhongmin; Xu, Shanhui

2010-05-01

This paper reports on the spectroscopic properties and energy transfer analysis of Tm(3+)-doped BaF(2)-Ga(2)O(3)-GeO(2)-La(2)O(3) glasses with different Tm(2)O(3) doping concentrations (0.2, 0.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 3.5, 4.0 wt%). Mid-IR fluorescence intensities in the range of 1,300 nm-2,200 nm have been measured when excited under an 808 nm LD for all the samples with the same pump power. Energy level structure and Judd-Ofelt parameters have been calculated based on the absorption spectra of Tm(3+), cross-relaxation rates and multi-phonon relaxation rates have been estimated with different Tm(2)O(3) doping concentrations. The maximum fluorescence intensity at around 1.8 mum has been obtained in Tm(2)O(3)-3 wt% sample and the maximum value of calculated stimulated emission cross-section of Tm(3+) in this sample is about 0.48 x 10(-20) cm(2) at 1,793 nm, and there is not any crystallization peak in the DSC curve of this sample, which indicate the potential utility of Tm(3+)-doped BaF(2)-Ga(2)O(3)-GeO(2)- La(2)O(3) glass for 2.0-microm optical fiber laser.

Thermal stability of Ni-Pt-Ta alloy silicides on epi-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Jung-Ho; Chang, Hyun-Jin [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Min, Byoung-Gi [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd., 49, Neungpyeong-ri, Opo-eup, Gwangju-Si, Kyunggi-do 464-892 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Dae-Hong [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: dhko@yonsei.ac.kr; Cho, Mann-Ho [Institute of Physics and Applied Physics, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Sohn, Hyunchul [Department of Ceramic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Tae-Wan [Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd., 49, Neungpyeong-ri, Opo-eup, Gwangju-Si, Kyunggi-do 464-892 (Korea, Republic of)

2008-12-05

We investigated the silicide formation in Ni/epi-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x} systems. Ni-Pt and Ni-Pt-Ta films were deposited on epi-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x}/Si substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and processed at various temperatures. The sheet resistance of the silicide from the Ni alloy/epi-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x} systems was maintained at low values compared to that from Ni/Si systems. By TEM and EDS analyses, we confirmed the presence of a Pt alloy layer at the top of the Ni-silicide layer. The stability of the silicide layer in the Ni alloy/epi-Si{sub 1-x}C{sub x} system is explained by not only the Pt rich layer on the top of the Ni-silicide layer, but also by the presence of a small amount of Pt in the Ni-silicide layer or at the grain boundaries. And both the thermal stability and the morphology of silicide were greatly improved by the addition of Ta in Ni-Pt films.

Exploitation of a self-limiting process for reproducible formation of ultrathin Ni1-xPtx silicide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhen; Zhu Yu; Rossnagel, Steve; Murray, Conal; Jordan-Sweet, Jean; Yang, Bin; Gaudet, Simon; Desjardins, Patrick; Kellock, Andrew J.; Ozcan, Ahmet; Zhang Shili; Lavoie, Christian

2010-01-01

This letter reports on a process scheme to obtain highly reproducible Ni 1-x Pt x silicide films of 3-6 nm thickness formed on a Si(100) substrate. Such ultrathin silicide films are readily attained by sputter deposition of metal films, metal stripping in wet chemicals, and final silicidation by rapid thermal processing. This process sequence warrants an invariant amount of metal intermixed with Si in the substrate surface region independent of the initial metal thickness, thereby leading to a self-limiting formation of ultrathin silicide films. The crystallographic structure, thickness, uniformity, and morphological stability of the final silicide films depend sensitively on the initial Pt fraction.

Zirconium coatings doped with nanoparticles for the protection of stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineda, F; Vargas, E; Martinez, C; Sancy, M; Rabagliati, F.M; Pavez, J; Paez, M.A

2008-01-01

The anticorrosive protection of metal alloys, like stainless steel, is usually carried out with chrome-based coatings, but the toxic wastes associated with the process minimizes its applicability. The above has motivated the search for alternative protection methodologies, among which are the inorganic polymers prepared by the sol-gel method, which are a viable protection alternative because of their outstanding chemical and physical properties in aggressive environments. Despite the method's benefits, the application of sol-gel coatings to metals exposed to highly corrosive materials is restricted due to the substantial porosity of the films. Recent studies report that this limiting factor can be diminished by adding inorganic nanoparticles to the polymeric matrices, significantly improving the anticorrosive properties of the coatings. Considering the above, this work evaluated the inclusion of iron oxide nanoparticles (III) in zirconium polymeric matrices for the protection of 316 and 316L stainless steel. Electrochemical techniques, such as polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and morphological analysis with atomic force microscopy were used for this purpose. The responses obtained showed improvements in the anticorrosive properties of the zirconium films when doped with nanoparticles, and the best protective response was obtained with the minimum amount of the nanomaterial, aided by a significant increase in the metallic material's passivity. A critical content of nanoparticles was also identified in the polymeric matrix, above which the coating suffers serious deterioration, caused by the apparent formation of percolation channels leading to the oversaturation of the polymeric matrix

Research Update: Strain and composition effects on ferromagnetism of Mn0.05Ge0.95 quantum dots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liming Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Mn0.05Ge0.95 quantum dots (QDs samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates and 15-nm-thick fully strained Si0.8Ge0.2 virtual substrates, respectively. The QDs samples grown on the Si0.8Ge0.2 virtual substrates show a significant ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature of 227 K, while the QDs samples grown on the Si substrates are non-ferromagnetic. Microstructures of the QDs samples were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. Interdependence between microstructure and ferromagnetism of Mn-doped Ge QDs was investigated. For the QDs sample grown on the strained Si0.8Ge0.2 virtual substrate, although the ferromagnetic phase Mn5Ge3 clusters were found to be formed in small dome-shaped dots, the significant ferromagnetism observed in that sample is attributed to ferromagnetic phase Mn-doped large dome-shaped Ge QDs, rather than to the ferromagnetic phase Mn5Ge3 clusters. The fully strained Si0.8Ge0.2 virtual substrates would result in a residual strain into the QDs and an increase in Ge composition in the QDs. Both consequences favor the formations of ferromagnetic phase Mn-doped Ge QDs from points of view of quantum confinement effect as well as Mn doping at substitutional sites.

Structural and chemical analysis of silica-doped β-TCP ceramic coatings on surgical grade 316L SS for possible biomedical application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karuppasamy Prem Ananth

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have developed a novel approach to introduce silica-doped β-tricalcium phosphate (Si-β-TCP on 316L SS substrates for enhanced biological properties. Doping of β-TCP with silica loadings ranging from 0 to 8 mol% was carried out using chemical precipitation method. Si-β-TCP powder was sintered at 800 °C followed by coating it on 316L SS substrate using electrophoretic deposition. The coated and uncoated samples were investigated by various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF. Biomineralization ability of the coatings was evaluated by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF solution for different number of days such as 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The results obtained in our study have shown that the apatite formation ability was high for the 8 mol% of Si-β-TCP. This will promote better biomineralization ability compared to the other coatings.

The effect of charge carrier and doping site on thermoelectric properties of Mg2Sn0.75Ge0.25

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saparamadu, Udara; Mao, Jun; Dahal, Keshab; Zhang, Hao; Tian, Fei; Song, Shaowei; Liu, Weishu; Ren, Zhifeng

2017-01-01

Mg 2 Sn 0.75 Ge 0.25 has been recently demonstrated to be a promising thermoelectric material for power generation in the temperature range from room temperature to 723 K because of the high power factor of ∼54 μW cm −1  K −2 upon Sb doping to the Sn site. The enhanced density of states effective mass and weak electron scattering from the alloying effect are believed to be the main reasons for the high power factor (PF) and hence high figure of merit (ZT). In this study, it is shown that the right choice of carrier donor also plays an important role in obtaining high power factor. The effect of carrier donors Y and La at Mg-site and Bi and P at Sn-site in Mg 2 Sn 0.75 Ge 0.25 is systematically investigated. It is found that charge donors at the Sn-site are much more effective than at the Mg-site in enhancing PF and ZT. Bi doped Mg 2 Sn 0.73 Bi 0.02 Ge 0.25 shows a peak ZT of ∼1.4 at 673 K, a peak PF of ∼54 μW cm −1  K −2 at 577 K, which resulted in an engineering figure of merit (ZT) eng of ∼0.76 and (PF) eng of ∼2.05 W m −1  K −1 for cold side fixed at 323 K and hot side at 723 K.

Development, characterization and testing of tungsten doped DLC coatings for dry rotary swaging

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Hasselbruch Henning

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The extensive use of lubricant during rotary swaging is particularly required for a good surface finish of the work piece and the reduction of tool wear. Abandonment of lubricant would improve the ecological process-balance and could also accelerate for further work piece refinements. Also cleaning of the manufactured components becomes obsolete. Thus, a dry machining is highly innovative, consequently new strategies to substitute the lubricant functions become necessary. To encounter the changed tribological conditions due to dry rotary swaging, low friction, tungsten doped, hard DLC coatings and structured surfaces are the most promising approaches. In this work the development of hard coating by means of reactive magnetron sputtering is presented, a promising layer variant is deposited on a set of tools and then tested and investigated in real use.

Transient and temperature-dependent phenomena in Ge:Be and Ge:Zn far infrared photoconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haegel, N.M.

1985-11-01

An experimental study of the transient and temperature-dependent behavior of Ge:Be and Ge:Zn photoconductors has been performed under the low background photon flux conditions (p dot approx. = 10 8 photons/second) typical of astronomy and astrophysics applications. The responsivity of Ge:Be and Ge:Zn detectors is strongly temperature-dependent in closely compensated material, and the effect of compensation on free carrier lifetime in Ge:Be has been measured using the photo-Hall effect technique. Closely compensated material has been obtained by controlling the concentration of novel hydrogen-related shallow acceptor complexes, A(Be,H) and A(Zn,H), which exist in doped crystals grown under a H 2 atmosphere. A review of selection criteria for multilevel materials for optimum photoconductor performance is included. 55 refs., 47 figs

Morphological and electrical properties of self-assembled iron silicide nanoparticles on Si(0 0 1) and Si(1 1 1) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molnár, G.; Dózsa, L.; Erdélyi, R.; Vértesy, Z.; Osváth, Z.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Epitaxial iron silicide nanostructures were grown on Si(1 1 1) and Si(0 0 1) substrates. • The size and shape of the particles are the function of the thickness and annealing. • The local current–voltage characteristics were measured by conductive AFM. • The different size and shape nanoparticles show similar I–V characteristics. • The tip current is dominated in few nm size sites, visible in the AFM phase image. - Abstract: Epitaxial iron silicide nanostructures are grown by solid phase epitaxy on Si(0 0 1) and Si(1 1 1), and by reactive deposition epitaxy on Si(0 0 1) substrates. The formation process is monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The morphology, size, and electrical properties of the nanoparticles are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, by electrically active scanning probe microscopy, and by confocal Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the shape, size, orientation, and density of the nanoobjects can be tuned by self-assembly, controlled by the lattice misfit between the substrates and iron silicides. The size distribution and shape of the grown nanoparticles depend on the substrate orientation, on the initial thickness of the evaporated iron, on the temperature and time of the annealing, and on the preparation method. The so-called Ostwald ripening phenomena, which state that the bigger objects develop at the expense of smaller ones, controls the density of the nanoparticles. Raman spectra show the bigger objects do not contain β-FeSi 2 phase. The different shape nanoparticles exhibit small, about 100 mV barrier compared to the surrounding silicon. The local leakage current of the samples measured by conductive AFM using a Pt coated Si tip is localized in a few nanometers size sites, and the sites which we assume are very small silicide nanoparticles or point defects.

Uranium silicide activities at Babcock and Wilcox

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noel, W.W.; Freim, J.B.

1983-01-01

Babcock and Wilcox, Naval Nuclear Fuel Division (NNFD) in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is actively involved in the Reduced Enrichment Research Test Reactor (RERTR) Program to produce low enriched fuel elements for research reactors. B and W and ANL have undertaken a joint effort in which NNFD will fabricate two low enriched uranium (LEU), Oak Ridge Reactor (ORR) elements with uranium silicide fuel furnished by ANL. These elements are being fabricated for irradiation testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Concurrently with this program, NNFD is developing and implementing the uranium silicide and uranium aluminide fuel fabrication technology. NNFD is fabricating the uranium silicide ORR elements in a two-phase program, Development and Production. To summarize: 1. Full size fuel plates can be made with U 3 SiAl but the fabricator must prevent oxidation of the compact prior to hot roll bonding; 2. Providing the ANL U 3 Si x irradiation results are successful, NNFD plans to provide two ORR elements during February 1983; 3. NNFD is developing and implementing U 3 Si x and UAI x fuel fabrication technology to be operational in 1983; 4. NNFD can supply U 3 O 8 high enriched uranium (HEU) or low enriched uranium (LEU) research reactor elements; 5. NNFD is capable of providing high quality, cost competitive LEU or HEU research reactor elements to meet the needs of the customer

Room Temperature Direct Band Gap Emission from Ge p-i-n Heterojunction Photodiodes

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E. Kasper

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Room temperature direct band gap emission is observed for Si-substrate-based Ge p-i-n heterojunction photodiode structures operated under forward bias. Comparisons of electroluminescence with photoluminescence spectra allow separating emission from intrinsic Ge (0.8 eV and highly doped Ge (0.73 eV. Electroluminescence stems from carrier injection into the intrinsic layer, whereas photoluminescence originates from the highly n-doped top layer because the exciting visible laser wavelength is strongly absorbed in Ge. High doping levels led to an apparent band gap narrowing from carrier-impurity interaction. The emission shifts to higher wavelengths with increasing current level which is explained by device heating. The heterostructure layer sequence and the light emitting device are similar to earlier presented photodetectors. This is an important aspect for monolithic integration of silicon microelectronics and silicon photonics.

Further data of silicide fuel for the LEU conversion of JMTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, M.; Futamura, Y.; Nakata, H.; Ando, H.; Sakurai, F.; Ooka, N.; Sakakura, A.; Ugajin, M.; Shirai, E.

1990-01-01

Silicide fuel data for the safety assessment of the JMTR LEU fuel conversion are being measured. The data include fission product release, thermal properties, behaviour under accident conditions, and metallurgical characteristics. The methods used in the experiments are discussed. Results of fission products release at high temperature are described. The release of iodine from the silicide fuel is considerably lower than for U-Al alloy fuel

Theoretical insights into the minority carrier lifetime of doped Si—A computational study

Science.gov (United States)

Iyakutti, K.; Lavanya, R.; Rajeswarapalanichamy, R.; Mathan Kumar, E.; Kawazoe, Y.

2018-04-01

Using density functional theory, we have analyzed the ways and means of improving the minority carrier lifetime (MCL) by calculating the band structure dependent quantities contributing to the MCL. We have computationally modeled silicon doped with different elements like B, C, N, O, P, Ti, Fe, Ga, Ge, As, In, Sn, Sb, and Pt and looked at the effect of doping on MCL. In co-doping, the systems Si-B-Ga, Si-B-Ge, Si-B-2Ge, Si-B-Pt, Si-Ga-Ge, Si-Ga-2Ge, and Si-Ga-Pt are investigated. From our calculation, it is found that by doping and co-doping of Si with suitable elements having "s" and "p" electrons, there is a decrease in the recombination activity. The predicted effective minority carrier lifetime indicates the possibility of significant improvements. Based on the above studies, it is now maybe possible, with suitable choice of dopant and co-dopant material, to arrive at part of a standard production process for solar grade Si material.

Evaluation Of Oxide And Silicide Mixed Fuels Of The RSG-GAS Core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tukiran; Sembiring, Tagor Malem; Suparlina, Lily

2000-01-01

Fuel exchange of the RSG-GAS reactor core from uranium oxide to uranium silicide in the same loading, density, and enrichment, that is 250 gr, 2.98 gr/cm 3 , and 19.75%, respectively, will be performed in-step wise. In every cycle of exchange with 5/1 mode, it is needed to evaluate the parameter of reactor core operation. The parameters of the reactor operation observed are criticality mass of fuels, reactivity balance, and fuel reactivity that give effect to the reactor operation. The evaluation was done at beginning of cycle of the first and second transition core with compared between experiment and calculation results. The experiments were performed at transition core I and II, BOC, and low power. At transition core I, there are 2 silicide fuels (RI-224 and R1-225) in the core and then, added five silicide fuels (R1-226, R1-252, R1-263, and R1-264) to the core, so that there are seven silicide fuels in the transition core II. The evaluation was done based on the experiment of criticality, control rod calibration, fuel reactivity of the RSG-GAS transition core. For inserting 2 silicide fuels in the transition core I dan 7 fuels in the transition core II, the operation of RSG-GAS core fulfilled the safety margin and the parameter of reactor operation change is not occur drastically in experiment and calculation results. So that, the reactor was operated during 36 days at 15 MW, 540 MWD at the first transition core. The general result showed that the parameter of reactor operation change is small so that the fuel exchange from uranium oxide to uranium silicide in the next step can be done

Anti-sticking behavior of DLC-coated silicon micro-molds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, B; Tor, S B; Liu, E; Khun, N W; Hardt, D E; Chun, J H

2009-01-01

Pure carbon- (C), nitrogen- (N) and titanium- (Ti) doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings were deposited on silicon (Si) micro-molds by dc magnetron sputtering deposition to improve the tribological performance of the micro-molds. The coated and uncoated Si molds were used in injection molding for the fabrication of secondary metal-molds, which were used for the replication of micro-fluidic devices. The bonding structure, surface roughness, surface energy, critical load and friction coefficient of the DLC coatings were characterized with micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle, microscratch and ball-on-disc sliding wear tests, respectively. It was observed that the doping conditions had significant effects on Raman peak positions, mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings. The G peak shifted toward a lower position with N and Ti doping. The DLC coating deposited with 1 sccm N 2 flow rate showed the lowest G peak position and the smoothest surface. The surface energies of the pure carbon and Ti-doped DLC coatings were lower than that of the N-doped DLC, which was more significant at a higher N 2 flow rate. In terms of adhesion and friction coefficient, it was observed that the Ti-doped DLC coating had the best performance. Ti incorporated in the DLC coating decreased the residual stress of the coating, which improved the adhesive strength of the coating with the Si substrate

Preparation of an orthodontic bracket coated with an nitrogen-doped TiO(2-x)N(y) thin film and examination of its antimicrobial performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Baocheng; Wang, Yuhua; Li, Na; Liu, Bin; Zhang, Yingjie

2013-01-01

A bracket coated with a nitrogen-doped (N-doped) TiO(2-x)N(y) thin film was prepared using the RF magnetron sputtering method. The physicochemical properties of the thin film were measured using X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, while the antimicrobial activity of the bracket against common oral pathogenic microbes was assessed on the basis of colony counts. The rate of antimicrobial activity of the bracket coated with nano-TiO(2-x)N(y) thin film against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Actinomyces viscous, and Candida albicans was 95.19%, 91.00%, 69.44%, and 98.86%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed that fewer microbes adhered to the surface of this newly designed bracket than to the surface of the normal edgewise bracket. The brackets coated with the N-doped TiO(2-x)N(y) thin film showed high antimicrobial and bacterial adhesive properties against normal oral pathogenic bacterial through visible light, which is effective in prevention of enamel demineralization and gingivitis in orthodontic patients.

Optimal process parameters for phosphorus spin-on-doping of germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boldrini, Virginia [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); INFN-LNL, Viale dell’Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Carturan, Sara Maria, E-mail: sara.carturan@lnl.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); INFN-LNL, Viale dell’Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Maggioni, Gianluigi; Napolitani, Enrico [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); INFN-LNL, Viale dell’Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Napoli, Daniel Ricardo [INFN-LNL, Viale dell’Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Camattari, Riccardo [INFN Sezione di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44122, Ferrara (Italy); De Salvador, Davide [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); INFN-LNL, Viale dell’Università 2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Optimized protocol for the application of phosphorus spin-on-doping to Ge surface. • Homogeneous n-type Ge layers, fully electrically active, are obtained. • Crucial parameters for SOD curing are relative humidity, time and temperature. • Characterization of Ge loss from the surface into the SOD film by diffusion. • Spike annealing in standard tube chamber furnace are performed. - Abstract: The fabrication of homogeneously doped germanium layers characterized by total electrical activation is currently a hot topic in many fields, such as microelectronics, photovoltaics, optics and radiation detectors. Phosphorus spin-on-doping technique has been implemented on Ge wafers, by developing a protocol for the curing process and subsequent diffusion annealing for optimal doping. Parameters such as relative humidity and curing time turned out to affect the surface morphology, the degree of reticulation reached by the dopant source and the amount of dopant available for diffusion. After spike annealing in a conventional furnace, diffusion profiles and electrical properties have been measured. Ge loss from the surface during high-temperature annealing, due to diffusion into the source film, has been observed and quantified.

A high-sensitivity fiber-optic evanescent wave sensor with a three-layer structure composed of Canada balsam doped with GeO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Nianbing; Zhao, Mingfu; Zhong, Lianchao; Liao, Qiang; Zhu, Xun; Luo, Binbin; Li, Yishan

2016-11-15

In this paper, we present a high-sensitivity polymer fiber-optic evanescent wave (FOEW) sensor with a three-layer structure that includes bottom, inter-, and surface layers in the sensing region. The bottom layer and inter-layer are POFs composed of standard cladding and the core of the plastic optical fiber, and the surface layer is made of dilute Canada balsam in xylene doped with GeO2. We examine the morphology of the doped GeO2, the refractive index and composition of the surface layer and the surface luminous properties of the sensing region. We investigate the effects of the content and morphology of the GeO2 particles on the sensitivity of the FOEW sensors by using glucose solutions. In addition, we examine the response of sensors incubated with staphylococcal protein A plus mouse IgG isotype to goat anti-mouse IgG solutions. Results indicate very good sensitivity of the three-layer FOEW sensor, which showed a 3.91-fold improvement in the detection of the target antibody relative to a conventional sensor with a core-cladding structure, and the novel sensor showed a lower limit of detection of 0.2ng/l and a response time around 320s. The application of this high-sensitivity FOEW sensor can be extended to biodefense, disease diagnosis, biomedical and biochemical analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Germanene nanoribbon tunneling field effect transistor (GeNR-TFET) with a 10 nm channel length: analog performance, doping and temperature effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayani, Amir Hossein; Vali, Mehran; Dideban, Daryoosh; Moezi, Negin

2016-01-01

In this paper, a scheme of the germanene nanoribbon tunneling field effect transistor (GeNR-TFET) is proposed. The characteristics and analog performance of the device were theoretically investigated by exploiting the electrical properties of a germanene nanoribbon and applying the doping concentration in the source and drain regions at 300 K and 4 K temperatures. The device parameters were obtained using a non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method within the tight binding (TB) Hamiltonian. The TB Hamiltonian was extracted from the density functional theory (DFT) through the Wannier function. We find that by increasing the doping concentration the I on current increases which leads to an improvement of the I on /I off ratio to 10 5 . Moreover, decreasing the temperature from 300 K to 4 K causes the I off to become ten times smaller. We find that the device output characteristic displays a negative differential conductance with a good peak-to-valley ratio which is improved by increasing the doping concentration. The analog performance of the device is also investigated in the subthreshold regime of operation by varying the doping concentration. It is observed that by increasing the device doping concentration, the analog figures of merit can be improved. (paper)

Formation of silicides in a cavity applicator microwave system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, D.C.; Kim, H.C.; Alford, T.L.; Mayer, J.W.

2003-01-01

Metal silicides of nickel and cobalt are formed in a cavity applicator microwave system with a magnetron power of 1200 W and a frequency of 2.45 GHz. X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and four-point-probe measurements are used to identify the silicide phase present and layer thicknesses. Additional processing confirmed that the products attained from heating by microwaves do not differ appreciably from those attained in heating by thermal processes. Materials properties are used to explain microwave power absorption and demonstrate how to tailor a robust process in which thin film reactions can be attained and specific products isolated

Mechanical properties of thermoelectric n-type magnesium silicide synthesized employing in situ spark plasma reaction sintering

Science.gov (United States)

Muthiah, Saravanan; Singh, R. C.; Pathak, B. D.; Dhar, Ajay

2017-07-01

Thermoelectric devices employing magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) offer an inexpensive and non-toxic solution for green energy generation compared to other existing conventional thermoelectric materials in the mid-temperature range. However, apart from the thermoelectric performance, their mechanical properties are equally important in order to avoid the catastrophic failure of their modules during actual operation. In the present study, we report the synthesis of Mg2Si co-doped with Bi and Sb employing in situ spark plasma reaction sintering and investigate its broad range of mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the sintered co-doped Mg2Si suggest a significantly enhanced value of hardness ~5.4  ±  0.2 GPa and an elastic modulus ~142.5  ±  6 GPa with a fracture toughness of ~1.71  ±  0.1 MPa  √m. The thermal shock resistance, which is one of the most vital parameter for designing thermoelectric devices, was found to be ~300 W m-1, which is higher than most of the other existing state-of-the-art mid-temperature thermoelectric materials. The friction and wear characteristics of sintered co-doped Mg2Si have been reported for the first time, in order to realize the sustainability of their thermoelectric modules under actual hostile environmental conditions.

Mobility and Device Applications of Heavily Doped Silicon and Strained SILICON(1-X) Germanium(x) Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Carns, Timothy Keith

With the advent of Si molecular beam epitaxy (Si -MBE), a significant amount of research has occurred to seek alternative high conductivity Si-based materials such as rm Si_{1-x}Ge_ {x} and delta-doped Si. These materials have brought improvements in device speeds and current drives with the added advantage of monolithic integration into Si VLSI circuits. The bulk of research in Si-based materials has been devoted to the implementation of strained rm Si_{1-x}Ge_{x} as the base layer of a rm Si_ {1-x}Ge_{x}/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). Because of the valence band offset, the rm Si_{1-x}Ge _{x} layer can be heavily doped, leading to lower base sheet resistances and hence, improved speed performances. The Ge content in the base can also be graded to increase the drift field in the base. However, very few hole mobility measurements have been done in these strained layers, leading to limitations in device modeling and in understanding the transport behavior in this important material. In addition to rm Si_{1 -x}Ge_{x}, much potential also exists in using delta-doping in Si for improved conductivities over those of bulk Si. However, as of yet, delta-doped Si has received little attention. Therefore, this dissertation is dedicated to the investigation of both of these Si-based materials (strained rm Si_{1-x}Ge_{x } and delta-doped Si and rm Si_{1-x}Ge_ {x}) for the purpose of obtaining higher conductivities than comparably doped bulk Si. This work is divided into three parts to accomplish this objective. The first part is contained in Chapter 3 and is comprised of a comprehensive characterization of the hole mobility in compressively strained rm Si_{1 -x}Ge_{x}. Few results have been obtained prior to this research which has led to many inaccuracies in device modeling. The second part of this dissertation in Chapters 4 and 5 is devoted to the study of the mobility behavior in both boron and antimony delta-doped Si and rm Si_ {1-x}Ge_{x}. The important

Microwave plasma synthesis of Si/Ge and Si/WSi2 nanoparticles for thermoelectric applications

Science.gov (United States)

Petermann, Nils; Schneider, Tom; Stötzel, Julia; Stein, Niklas; Weise, Claudia; Wlokas, Irenäus; Schierning, Gabi; Wiggers, Hartmut

2015-08-01

The utilization of microwave-based plasma systems enables a contamination-free synthesis of highly specific nanoparticles in the gas phase. A reactor setup allowing stable, long-term operation was developed with the support of computational fluid dynamics. This paper highlights the prospects of gas-phase plasma synthesis to produce specific materials for bulk thermoelectrics. Taking advantage of specific plasma reactor properties such as Coulomb repulsion in combination with gas temperatures considerably higher than 1000 K, spherical and non-aggregated nanoparticles of multiple compositions are accessible. Different strategies towards various nanostructured composites and alloys are discussed. It is shown that, based on doped silicon/germanium alloys and composites, thermoelectric materials with zT values up to almost unity can be synthesized in one step. First experimental results concerning silicon/tungsten silicide thermoelectrics applying the nanoparticle-in-alloy idea are presented indicating that this concept might work. However, it is found that tungsten silicides show a surprising sinter activity more than 1000 K below their melting temperature.

A first-principles study of group IV and VI atoms doped blue phosphorene

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Ruimin; Chen, Zheng; Gou, Manman; Zhang, Yixin

2018-02-01

Using first-principles calculations, we have systematically investigated the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of blue phosphorene doped by group IV and VI atoms, including C, Si, Ge, Sn, O, S, Se and Te. All the doped systems are energetically stable. Only C, Si, Ge and O-substituted systems show the characteristics of spin polarization and the magnetic moments are all 1.0 μB. Moreover, we found that C, Si, Ge and O doped systems are indirect bandgap semiconductors, while Sn, S, Se and Te doped systems present metallic property. These results show that blue phosphorene can be used prospectively in optoelectronic and spintronic devices.

Photocatalytic TiO2 and Doped TiO2 Coatings to Improve the Hygiene of Surfaces Used in Food and Beverage Processing—A Study of the Physical and Chemical Resistance of the Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parnia Navabpour

2014-07-01

Full Text Available TiO2 coatings deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering and spray coating methods, as well as Ag- and Mo-doped TiO2 coatings were investigated as self-cleaning surfaces for beverage processing. The mechanical resistance and retention of the photocatalytic properties of the coatings were investigated over a three-month period in three separate breweries. TiO2 coatings deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering showed better mechanical durability than the spray coated surfaces, whilst the spray-deposited coating showed enhanced retention of photocatalytic properties. The presence of Ag and Mo dopants improved the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 as well as the retention of these properties. The spray-coated TiO2 was the only coating which showed light-induced hydrophilicity, which was retained in the coatings surviving the process conditions.

Nanoscale investigation of the interface situation of plated nickel and thermally formed nickel silicide for silicon solar cell metallization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mondon, A., E-mail: andrew.mondon@ise.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer ISE, Heidenhofst. 2, D-79110 Freiburg (Germany); Wang, D. [Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), H.-von-Helmholz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Zuschlag, A. [Universität Konstanz FB Physik, Jacob-Burckhardt-Str. 27, D-78464 Konstanz (Germany); Bartsch, J.; Glatthaar, M.; Glunz, S.W. [Fraunhofer ISE, Heidenhofst. 2, D-79110 Freiburg (Germany)

2014-12-30

Highlights: • Adhesion of metallization of fully plated nickel–copper contacts on silicon solar cells can be achieved by formation of nickel silicide at the cost of degraded cell performance. • Understanding of silicide growth mechanisms and controlled growth may lead to high performance together with excellent adhesion. • Silicide formation is well known from CMOS production from PVD-Ni on flat surfaces. Yet the deposition methods and therefore layer characteristics and the surface topography are different for plated metallization. • TEM analysis is performed for differently processed samples. • A nickel silicide growth model is created for plated Ni on textured silicon solar cells. - Abstract: In the context of nickel silicide formation from plated nickel layers for solar cell metallization, there are several open questions regarding contact adhesion and electrical properties. Nanoscale characterization by transmission electron microscopy has been employed to support these investigations. Interfacial oxides and silicide phases were investigated on differently prepared samples by different analytical methods associated with transmission electron microscopy analysis. Processing variations included the pre-treatment of samples before nickel plating, the used plating solution and the thermal budget for the nickel–silicon solid-state reaction. It was shown that interface oxides of only few nm thickness on both silicon and nickel silicide are present on the samples, depending on the chosen process sequence, which have been shown to play an important role in adhesion of nickel on silicide in an earlier publication. From sample pretreatment variations, conclusions about the role of an interfacial oxide in silicide formation and its influence on phase formation were drawn. Such an oxide layer hinders silicide formation except for pinhole sites. This reduces the availability of Ni and causes a silicide with low Ni content to form. Without an interfacial oxide

Low-temperature preparation of rutile-type TiO2 thin films for optical coatings by aluminum doping

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Akihiro; Kobayashi, Kosei; Oikawa, Itaru; Kamegawa, Atsunori; Imura, Masaaki; Kanai, Toshimasa; Takamura, Hitoshi

2017-08-01

A rutile-type TiO2 thin film with a high refractive index (n), a low extinction coefficient (k) and small surface roughness (Ra) is required for use in a variety of optical coatings to improve the controllability of the reflection spectrum. In this study, Al-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition, and the effects of Al doping on their phases, optical properties, surface roughness and nanoscale microstructure, including Al distribution, were investigated. By doping 5 and 10 mol%Al, rutile-type TiO2 was successfully prepared under a PO2 of 0.5 Pa at 350-600 °C. The nanoscale phase separation in the Al-doped TiO2 thin films plays an important role in the formation of the rutile phase. The 10 mol%Al-doped rutile-type TiO2 thin film deposited at 350 °C showed excellent optical properties of n ≈ 3.05, k ≈ 0.01 (at λ = 400 nm) and negligible surface roughness, at Ra ≈ 0.8 nm. The advantages of the superior optical properties and small surface roughness of the 10 mol%Al-doped TiO2 thin film were confirmed by fabricating a ten-layered dielectric mirror.

Analysis of impurity effect on Silicide fuels of the RSG-GAS core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tukiran-Surbakti

2003-01-01

Simulation of impurity effect on silicide fuel of the RSG-GAS core has been done. The aim of this research is to know impurity effect of the U-234 and U-236 isotopes in the silicide fuels on the core criticality. The silicide fuels of 250 g U loading and 19.75 of enrichment is used in this simulation. Cross section constant of fuels and non-structure material of core are generated by WIMSD/4 computer code, meanwhile impurity concentration was arranged from 0.01% to 2%. From the result of analysis can be concluded that the isotopes impurity in the fuels could make trouble in the core and the core can not be operated at critical after a half of its cycle length (350 MW D)

Oxidative Treatment to Improve Coating and Electrochemical Stability of Carbon Fiber Paper with Niobium Doped Titanium Dioxide Sols for Potential Applications in Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvar, Esmaeil Navaei; Zhou, Biao; Eichhorn, S. Holger

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Solution coating of metal oxide layer directly onto carbon paper. • Most uniform Metal oxide coating on functionalized carbon paper. • Highest electrochemical stability for metal oxide coated functionalized carbon paper. - Abstract: Regular hydrophobized carbon paper cannot be used for unitized regenerative fuel cell applications as it corrodes at high potentials on the oxygen electrode side. Reported here are the oxidative treatment and dip-coating of carbon paper (Spectracarb™ 2050A-0850) with Nb-doped TiO 2 sols (anatase phase) to increase the corrosion resistance of the carbon paper at the interface between catalyst layer and gas diffusion backing layer. Coating of carbon paper with Nb-doped TiO 2 sols generates a reasonably uniform layer of TiO 2 and covers the individual carbon fibers well only if the carbon paper is oxidatively functionalized prior to coating. This can be reasoned with a better wetting of the functionalized carbon paper by the sol-gel and the formation of covalent bonds between Ti and the large number of functional groups on the surface of oxidized carbon paper, which is in good agreement with previous observation for carbon nanotubes. The resistance towards oxidation of coated and uncoated samples of untreated and functionalized carbon paper was probed by cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M aqueous H 2 SO 4 at 1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl for up to 72 hours to mimic the conditions in a unitized regenerative fuel cell. Among these four cases studied here, functionalized carbon paper coated with a layer of Nb-doped TiO 2 shows the highest stability towards electrochemical oxidation while uncoated functionalized carbon paper is the least stable due to the large number of available oxidation sites. These results clearly demonstrate that a coating of carbon fibers with TiO 2 generates a lasting protection against oxidation under conditions encountered at the oxygen electrode side of unitized regenerative fuel cells

The influence of alloying on the phase formation sequence of ultra-thin nickel silicide films and on the inheritance of texture

Science.gov (United States)

Geenen, F. A.; Solano, E.; Jordan-Sweet, J.; Lavoie, C.; Mocuta, C.; Detavernier, C.

2018-05-01

The controlled formation of silicide materials is an ongoing challenge to facilitate the electrical contact of Si-based transistors. Due to the ongoing miniaturisation of the transistor, the silicide is trending to ever-thinner thickness's. The corresponding increase in surface-to-volume ratio emphasises the importance of low-energetic interfaces. Intriguingly, the thickness reduction of nickel silicides results in an abrupt change in phase sequence. This paper investigates the sequence of the silicides phases and their preferential orientation with respect to the Si(001) substrate, for both "thin" (i.e., 9 nm) and "ultra-thin" (i.e., 3 nm) Ni films. Furthermore, as the addition of ternary elements is often considered in order to tailor the silicides' properties, additives of Al, Co, and Pt are also included in this study. Our results show that the first silicide formed is epitaxial θ-Ni2Si, regardless of initial thickness or alloyed composition. The transformations towards subsequent silicides are changed through the additive elements, which can be understood through solubility arguments and classical nucleation theory. The crystalline alignment of the formed silicides with the substrate significantly differs through alloying. The observed textures of sequential silicides could be linked through texture inheritance. Our study illustrates the nucleation of a new phase drive to reduce the interfacial energy at the silicide-substrate interface as well as at the interface with the silicide which is being consumed for these sub-10 nm thin films.

Nanoscale investigation of the interface situation of plated nickel and thermally formed nickel silicide for silicon solar cell metallization

Science.gov (United States)

Mondon, A.; Wang, D.; Zuschlag, A.; Bartsch, J.; Glatthaar, M.; Glunz, S. W.

2014-12-01

In the context of nickel silicide formation from plated nickel layers for solar cell metallization, there are several open questions regarding contact adhesion and electrical properties. Nanoscale characterization by transmission electron microscopy has been employed to support these investigations. Interfacial oxides and silicide phases were investigated on differently prepared samples by different analytical methods associated with transmission electron microscopy analysis. Processing variations included the pre-treatment of samples before nickel plating, the used plating solution and the thermal budget for the nickel-silicon solid-state reaction. It was shown that interface oxides of only few nm thickness on both silicon and nickel silicide are present on the samples, depending on the chosen process sequence, which have been shown to play an important role in adhesion of nickel on silicide in an earlier publication. From sample pretreatment variations, conclusions about the role of an interfacial oxide in silicide formation and its influence on phase formation were drawn. Such an oxide layer hinders silicide formation except for pinhole sites. This reduces the availability of Ni and causes a silicide with low Ni content to form. Without an interfacial oxide a continuous nickel silicide of greater depth, polycrystalline modification and expected phase according to thermal budget is formed. Information about the nature of silicide growth on typical solar cell surfaces could be obtained from silicide phase and geometric observations, which were supported by FIB tomography. The theory of isotropic NiSi growth and orientation dependent NiSi2 growth was derived. By this, a very well performing low-cost metallization for silicon solar cells has been brought an important step closer to industrial introduction.

Dependence of the optical constants and the performance in the SPREE gas measurement on the thickness of doped tin oxide over coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, D.; Hertwig, A.; Beck, U.; Negendank, D.; Lohse, V.; Kormunda, M.; Esser, N.

2017-11-01

In this study, thickness related changes of the optical properties of doped tin oxide were studied. Two different sets of samples were prepared. The first set was doped with iron or nickel on silicon substrate with thicknesses of 29-56 nm, the second was iron doped on gold/glass substrate with 1.6-6.3 nm. The optical constants were determined by using spectral ellipsometry (SE) followed by modelling of the dielectric function with an oscillator model using Gaussian peaks. The analysis of the optical constants shows a dependence of the refraction and the absorption on the thickness of the doped tin oxide coating. In addition to the tin oxide absorption in the UV, one additional absorption peak was found in the near-IR/red which is related to plasmonic effects due to the doping. This peak shifts from the near-IR to the red part of the visible spectrum and becomes stronger by reducing the thickness, probably due to the formation of metal nanoparticles in this layer. These results were found for two different sets of samples by using the same optical model. Afterwards the second sample set was tested in the Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Ellipsometric (SPREE) gas measurement with CO gas. It was found that the thickness has significant influence on the sensitivity and thus the adsorption of the CO gas. By increasing the thickness from 1.6 nm to 5.1 nm, the sensing ability is enhanced due to a higher coverage of the surface with the over coating. This is explained by the high affinity of CO molecules to the incorporated Fe-nanoparticles in the tin oxide coating. By increasing the thickness further to 6.3 nm, the sensing ability drops because the layer disturbs the SPR sensing effect too much.

Vacancy-induced brittle to ductile transition of W-M co-doped Al3Ti (M=Si, Ge, Sn and Pb).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Mingke; Wu, Ping; Li, Qiulin; Xu, Ben

2017-10-25

We investigated the effect of vacancy formation on brittle (D0 22 ) to ductile (L1 2 -like) transition in Al 3 Ti using DFT calculations. The well-known pseudogap on the density of states of Al 3 Ti migrates towards its Fermi level from far above, via a W - M co-doping strategy, where M is Si, Ge, Sn or Pb respectively. In particular, by a W - M co-doping the underline electronic structure of the pseudogap approaches an octahedral (L1 2 : t 2g , e g ) from the tetragonal (D0 22 : e g , b 2g , a 1g , b 1g ) crystal field. Our calculations demonstrated that (1) a W-doping is responsible for the close up of the energy gap between a 1g and b 1g so that they tend to merge into an e g symmetry, and (2) all M-doping lead to a narrower gap between e g and b 2g (moving towards a t 2g symmetry). Thus, a brittle to ductile transition in Al 3 Ti is possible by adopting this W - M co-doping strategy. We further recommend the use of W-Pb co-doped Al 3 Ti to replace the less anodic Al electrode in Al-battery, due to its improved ductility and high Al diffusivity. Finally this study opens a new field in physics to tailor mechanical properties by manipulating electron energy level(s) towards higher symmetry via vacancy optimization.

The Accident Analysis Due to Reactivity Insertion of RSG GAS 3.55 g U/cc Silicide Core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endiah Puji-Hastuti; Surbakti, Tukiran

2004-01-01

The fuels of RSG-GAS reactor was changed from uranium oxide with 250 g U of loading or 2.96 g U/cc of fuel loading to uranium silicide with the same loading. The silicide fuels can be used in higher density, staying longer in the reactor core and hence having a longer cycle length. The silicide fuel in RSG-GAS core was made up in step-wise by using mixed up core Firstly, it was used silicide fuel with 250 g U of loading and then, silicide fuel with 300 g U of loading (3.55 g U/cc of fuel loading). In every step-wise of fuel loading, it must be analyzed its safety margin. In this occasion, the reactivity accident of RSG-GAS core with 300 g U of silicide fuel loading is analyzed. The calculation was done using EUREKA-2/RR code available at P2TRR. The calculation was done by reactivity insertion at start up and power rangers. The worst case accident is transient due to control rod with drawl failure at start up by means of lowest initial power (0.1 W), either in power range. From all cases which have been done, the results of analysis showed that there is no anomaly and safety margin break at RSG-GAS core with 300 g U silicide fuel loading. (author)

Improving the tribological and corrosive properties of MoS2-based coatings by dual-doping and multilayer construction

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Kedong; Zheng, Shaoxian; Ren, Siming; Pu, Jibin; He, Dongqing; Liu, Shuan

2018-04-01

The pure MoS2 coating always performs high friction coefficient and short service life when used in high humidity or after long-time storage in humid atmospheric environment. In this study, the MoS2/Pb-Ti composite and MoS2/Pb-Ti multilayer coatings are deposited to improve the corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and tribological performance in high humidity condition. The electrochemical impedance spectra and salt spray test shown that the MoS2/Pb-Ti composite and multilayer coatings can inhibit the permeation of oxygen and other corrosive elements, thus resulting a high corrosion resistance. Furthermore, compared with pure MoS2 coating, the tribological performance of the MoS2/Pb-Ti composite and multilayer coatings is also improved significantly owing to the high mechanical properties and compact structure. Moreover, the heterogenous interfaces in MoS2/Pb-Ti multilayer coating play an important role to improve the corrosion resistance and tribological performance of coatings. Overall, the dual-doping and multilayer construction are promising approaches to design the MoS2 coatings as the environmentally adaptive lubricants.

C, N co-doped TiO{sub 2}/TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} composite coatings prepared from TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} powder using ball milling followed by oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Liang, E-mail: haoliang@tust.edu.cn [Tianjin Key Lab of Integrated Design and On-line Monitoring for Light Industry & Food Machinery and Equipment, Tianjin (China); College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No. 1038 Dagu Nanlu, Hexi District, Tianjin 300222 (China); Wang, Zhenwei, E-mail: 1004329228@qq.com [School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, No. 2, Wenhua West Road, Weihai 264209 (China); Zheng, Yaoqing, E-mail: 13612177268@163.com [College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No. 1038 Dagu Nanlu, Hexi District, Tianjin 300222 (China); Li, Qianqian, E-mail: 1482471595@qq.com [College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No. 1038 Dagu Nanlu, Hexi District, Tianjin 300222 (China); Guan, Sujun, E-mail: sujunguan1221@gmail.com [College of Mechanical Engineering & Graduate School, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan); Zhao, Qian, E-mail: zhaoqian@tust.edu.cn [Tianjin Key Lab of Integrated Design and On-line Monitoring for Light Industry & Food Machinery and Equipment, Tianjin (China); College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No. 1038 Dagu Nanlu, Hexi District, Tianjin 300222 (China); Cheng, Lijun, E-mail: chenglijun@tust.edu.cn [Tianjin Key Lab of Integrated Design and On-line Monitoring for Light Industry & Food Machinery and Equipment, Tianjin (China); College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, No. 1038 Dagu Nanlu, Hexi District, Tianjin 300222 (China); Lu, Yun, E-mail: luyun@faculty.chiba-u.jp [College of Mechanical Engineering & Graduate School, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan); Liu, Jizi, E-mail: jzliu@njust.edu.cn [Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, No. 200, Xiaolingwei Street, Nanjing 210094 (China)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2}/TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} coatings were prepared by ball milling followed by oxidation. • In situ co-doping of C and N with simultaneous TiO{sub 2} formation was observed. • Improved photocatalytic activity under UV/visible light was noticed. • Synergism in co-doping and heterojunction formation promoted carrier separation. - Abstract: Ball milling followed by heat oxidation was used to prepared C, N co-doped TiO{sub 2} coatings on the surfaces of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} balls from TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} powder. The as-prepared coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV–vis). The results show that continuous TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} coatings were formed after ball milling. C, N co-doped TiO{sub 2}/TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} composite coatings were prepared after the direct oxidization of TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} coatings in the atmosphere. However, TiO{sub 2} was hardly formed in the surface layer of TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} coatings within a depth less than 10 nm during the heat oxidation of TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} coatings in carbon powder. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity evaluation of these coatings was conducted under the irradiation of UV and visible light. All the coatings showed photocatalytic activity in the degradation of MB no matter under the irradiation of UV or visible light. The C, N co-doped TiO{sub 2}/TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} composite coatings showed the most excellent performance. The enhancement under visible light irradiation should attribute to the co-doping of carbon and nitrogen, which enhances the absorption of visible light. The improvement of photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation should attribute to the synergistic effect of C, N co-doping, the formation of rutile-anatase mixed phases and the TiO{sub 2}/TiC{sub 0.7}N{sub 0.3} composite microstructure.

Ion-beam mixed ultra-thin cobalt suicide (CoSi2) films by cobalt sputtering and rapid thermal annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Kal, S.; Kasko, I.; Ryssel, H.

1995-10-01

The influence of ion-beam mixing on ultra-thin cobalt silicide (CoSi2) formation was investigated by characterizing the ion-beam mixed and unmixed CoSi2 films. A Ge+ ion-implantation through the Co film prior to silicidation causes an interface mixing of the cobalt film with the silicon substrate and results in improved silicide-to-silicon interface roughness. Rapid thermal annealing was used to form Ge+ ion mixed and unmixed thin CoSi2 layer from 10 nm sputter deposited Co film. The silicide films were characterized by secondary neutral mass spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, tunneling electron microscopy (TEM), Rutherford backscattering, and sheet resistance measurements. The experi-mental results indicate that the final rapid thermal annealing temperature should not exceed 800°C for thin (micrographs of the ion-beam mixed and unmixed CoSi2 films reveals that Ge+ ion mixing (45 keV, 1 × 1015 cm-2) produces homogeneous silicide with smooth silicide-to-silicon interface.

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.

Evaluation of anomalies during nickel and titanium silicide formation using the effective heat of formation mode

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Pretorius, R

1993-11-01

Full Text Available , as well as the observed sequence of growth of different silicide phases, are not in agree- ment with thermodynamic considerations [26]. In the case of the nickel silicides Ni,Si is nearly always found to be the first... to determine how the oxygen content in the silicon affects phase formation. We also show how the anomalous behaviour of titanium and nickel silicide formation can be explained thermodynamically by using the ?effective heat...

High-pressure effect in spectroscopic and structural properties of Sm{sup 3+} doped GeO{sub 2}-PbO glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rovani, Pablo Roberto; Herrera, Alvaro; Azevedo, Gustavo de Medeiros; Balzaretti, Naira Maria, E-mail: rovani.pr@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: The effect of densification under high pressure (7.7 GPa) on spectroscopic and structural properties of Ge{sub 2}O-PbO glass doped with Sm{sup 3+} ion were investigated. Raman spectroscopy and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) were used to investigate the effect of high pressure on the structural properties. The spectroscopic properties were investigated through the absorption and luminescence spectra recorded at room temperature The splitting in the VIS-NIR fluorescence bands increased after densification. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory was applied to evaluate phenomenological JO intensity parameters Ω (λ = 2, 4 and 6). The effect of high pressure on the transition probabilities (A{sub R}), radiative lifetimes (t{sub R}), branching ratio (b{sub R}) and stimulated emission cross-section s(l{sub p}) was also investigated. The results obtained from EXAFS indicated changes around the vicinity of Sm{sup 3+} ion which would explain the quenching in emission intensities in the visible range. A novel band related to the transition {sup 4}G{sub 5/2} to {sup 6}F{sub 11/2} was observed in the Sm{sup 3+} doped GeO{sub 2}-PbO. The obtained results may be useful for compact light sources, optical devices in the visible region and optoelectronic devices. (author)

Effects of dopants on the amorphous-to-fcc transition in Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Privitera, S. [R and D Department, Micro, Power, Analog (MPA) Group, STMicroelectronics, MP8, Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania (Italy)]. E-mail: stefania.privitera@st.com; Rimini, E. [Istituto di Microelettronica e Microsistemi (IMM), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania (Italy); Bongiorno, C. [Istituto di Microelettronica e Microsistemi (IMM), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Stradale Primosole 50, 95121 Catania (Italy); Pirovano, A. [FTM, Advanced R and D, NVMTD, STMicroelectronics, Via Olivetti 2, 20041, Agrate Brianza (Italy); Bez, R. [FTM, Advanced R and D, NVMTD, STMicroelectronics, Via Olivetti 2, 20041, Agrate Brianza (Italy)

2007-04-15

The amorphous-to-crystal transition has been studied through in situ resistance measurements in Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} thin films doped by ion implantation with nitrogen, oxygen or fluorine at different concentrations. Enhancement of the thermal stability has been observed in O and N amorphous doped Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}. Larger effects have been found in the case of nitrogen doping. On the contrary, doping with Fluorine produced a decrease in the crystallization temperature. The electrical properties have been related to the structural phase change through in situ transmission electron microscopy analysis. The comparison between undoped and doped Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} shows that the introduction of oxygen or nitrogen modifies in a different way the kinetics of the amorphous-to-fcc transition and gives new insight on the effects of doping with light elements in GeSbTe alloys.

Tribological behaviour at high temperature of hard CrAlN coatings doped with Y or Zr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sánchez-López, J.C.; Contreras, A.; Domínguez-Meister, S.; García-Luis, A.; Brizuela, M.

2014-01-01

The tribological properties of CrAlN, CrAlYN and CrAlZrN coatings deposited by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering are studied by means of pin-on-disc experiments at room temperature, 300, 500 and 650 °C using alumina balls as counterparts. The influence of the metallic composition (Al, Y and Zr) on the friction, wear properties and oxidation resistance is studied by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Raman analysis of the contact region after the friction tests. The results obtained allow us to classify the tribological behaviour of the CrAl(Y,Zr)N coatings into three groups according to the nature of the dopant and aluminium content. The sliding wear mechanism is characterized by the formation of an overcoat rich in chromium and aluminium oxides whose particular composition is determined by the initial chemical characteristics of the coating and the testing temperature. The fraction of Cr 2 O 3 becomes more significant as the Al content decreases and the temperature increases. The addition of Y, and particularly Zr, favours the preferential formation of Cr 2 O 3 versus CrO 2 leading to a reduction of friction and wear of the counterpart. Conversely, the tribological behaviour of pure CrAlN coatings is characterized by higher friction but lower film wear rates as a result of higher hardness and major presence of aluminium oxides on the coating surface. - Highlights: • Comparative tribological study at high temperature of CrAlN, CrAlYN and CrAlZrN films • Fraction of Cr 2 O 3 raises as the Al content decreases and the temperature increases. • Zr doping favours lower and steady friction coefficient due to higher Cr 2 O 3 formation. • Sliding wear mechanism becomes predominantly abrasive as the Al content increases. • Excellent tribological performance of CrAlN doped with low Y contents (≈ 2 at.%)

First-principles study of nitrogen doping in cubic and amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5

Science.gov (United States)

Caravati, S.; Colleoni, D.; Mazzarello, R.; Kühne, T. D.; Krack, M.; Bernasconi, M.; Parrinello, M.

2011-07-01

We investigated the structural, electronic and vibrational properties of amorphous and cubic Ge2Sb2Te5 doped with N at 4.2 at.% by means of large scale ab initio simulations. Nitrogen can be incorporated in molecular form in both the crystalline and amorphous phases at a moderate energy cost. In contrast, insertion of N in the atomic form is very energetically costly in the crystalline phase, though it is still possible in the amorphous phase. These results support the suggestion that N segregates at the grain boundaries during the crystallization of the amorphous phase, resulting in a reduction in size of the crystalline grains and an increased crystallization temperature.

Ge-on-insulator tunneling FET with abrupt source junction formed by utilizing snowplow effect of NiGe

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumura, Ryo; Katoh, Takumi; Takaguchi, Ryotaro; Takenaka, Mitsuru; Takagi, Shinichi

2018-04-01

Tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) attract much attention for use in realizing next-generation low-power processors. In particular, Ge-on-insulator (GOI) TFETs are expected to realize low power operation with a high on-current/off-current (I on/I off) ratio, owing to their narrow bandgap. Here, to improve the performance of GOI-TFETs, a source junction with a high doping concentration and an abrupt impurity profile is essential. In this study, a snowplow effect of NiGe combined with low-energy BF2 + implantation has been investigated to realize an abrupt p+/n Ge junction for GOI n-channel TFETs. By optimizing the Ni thickness to form NiGe (thickness: 4 nm), an abrupt junction with a B profile abruptness of ˜5 nm/dec has been realized with a high doping concentration of around 1021 cm-3. The operation of GOI n-TFETs with this source junction having the abrupt B profile has been demonstrated, and the improvement of TFET properties such as the I on/I off ratio from 311 to 743 and the subthreshold slope from 368 to 239 mV/dec has been observed. This junction formation technology is attractive for enhancing the TFET performance.

Biopolymer Doped with Titanium Dioxide Superhydrophobic Photocatalysis as Self-Clean Coating for Lightweight Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anika Zafiah M. Rus

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The development of a lightweight composite (LC based on Portland cement concrete with waste lightweight aggregate (WLA additive was carried out to improve the sustainability and environmental impact and to offer potential cost savings without sacrificing strength. Treatment of the surface of the LC exposed to environmental attack by coating with biopolymer based on waste cooking oil doped with titanium dioxide photocatalysis (TOP with superhydrophilic property was found to affect the mechanical properties of the LC in a systematic way. The results of compressive strength showed that the composite achieved the minimum required strength for lightweight construction materials of 17.2 MPa. Scratch resistance measurements showed that the highest percentages loading of superhydrophilic particles (up to 2.5% of biomonomer weight for LC's surface coating gave the highest scratch resistance while the uncoated sample showed the least resistances. Scanning electron microscope (SEM pictures revealed the difference between the surface roughness for LC with and without TOP coating. TOP is also formulated to provide self-cleaning LC surfaces based on two principal ways: (1 the development by coating the LC with a photocatalytic superhydrophilic, (2 if such a superhydrophilic is illuminated by light, the grease, dirt, and organic contaminants will be decomposed and can easily be swept away by rain.

Effect of high-temperature annealing on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of GaP doped SiGe. M.S. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Draper, Susan L.

1987-01-01

Annealing of GaP doped SiGe will significantly alter the thermoelectric properties of the material resulting in increased performance as measured by the figure of merit Z and the power factor P. The microstructures and corresponding thermoelectric properties after annealing in the 1100 to 1300 C temperature range have been examined to correlate performance improvement with annealing history. The figure of merit and power factor were both improved by homogenizing the material and limiting the amount of cross-doping. Annealing at 1215 C for 100 hr resulted in the best combination of thermoelectric properties with a resultant figure of merit exceeding 1x10 to the -3 deg C to the -1 and a power factor of 44 microW/cm/deg C sq for the temperature range of interest for space power: 400 to 1000 C.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-derived N-doped porous carbon coated olive-shaped FeOx nanoparticles for lithium storage

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Qingmeng; Zhao, Kuangmin; He, Zhen; Liu, Suqin; Li, Aikui

2018-04-01

We propose a new strategy to uniformly coat zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) on iron oxides containing no Zn to obtain an α-Fe2O3@ZIF-8 composite. After carbonization, the α-Fe2O3@ZIF-8 transforms into iron oxides@N-doped porous carbon (FeOx@NC). The uniform N-doped porous carbon layer gives rise to a superior electrical conductivity, highly-increased specific BET surface area (179.2 m2 g-1), and abundant mesopores for the FeOx@NC composite. When served as the LIB anode, the FeOx@NC shows a high reversible capacity (of 1064 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1), excellent rate performance (of 198.1 mA h g-1 at 10000 mA g-1) as well as brilliant long-term cyclability (with a capacity retention of 93.3% after 800 cycles), which are much better than those of the FeOx@C and pristine FeOx anodes. Specifically, the Li-ion intercalation pseudocapacitive behavior of the FeOx@NC anode is improved by this N-doped porous carbon coating, which is beneficial for rapid Li-ion insertion/extraction processes. The excellent electrochemical performance of FeOx@NC should be ascribed to the increased electrolyte penetration areas, improved electrical conductivity, boosted lithium storage kinetics, and shortened Li-ion transport length.

Effect of Co doping concentration on structural properties and optical parameters of Co-doped ZnO thin films by sol-gel dip-coating method.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Giwoong; Yoon, Hyunsik; Kim, Byunggu; Lee, Dong-Yul; Kim, Jong Su; Leem, Jae-Young

2014-11-01

The structural and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO thin films prepared by a sol-gel dip-coating method were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the thin films were grown with a c-axis preferred orientation. The position of the (002) peak was almost the same in all samples, irrespective of the Co concentration. It is thus clear that Co doping had little effect on the position of the (002) peak. To confirm that Co2+ was substituted for Zn2+ in the wurtzite structure, optical measurements were conducted at room temperature by a UV-visible spectrometer. Three absorption peaks are apparent in the Co-doped ZnO thin films that do not appear for the undoped ZnO thin film. As the Co concentration was increased, absorption related to characteristic Co2+ transitions increased because three absorption band intensities and the area underneath the absorption wells between 500 and 700 nm increased with increasing Co concentration. The optical band gap and static dielectric constant decreased and the Urbach energy and extinction coefficient increased with increasing Co concentration.

AlTiN layer effect on mechanical properties of Ti-doped diamond-like carbon composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang Xiaolu; Yang Huisheng; Gao Kewei; Wang Yanbin; Volinsky, Alex A.

2011-01-01

Ti/Ti-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC composite coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering on W18Cr4V high speed steel substrates. The effect of the AlTiN support layer on the properties of these composite coatings was investigated through microstructure and mechanical properties characterization, including hardness, elastic modulus, coefficient of friction and wear properties measured by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scratch and ball-on-disk friction tests. Ti and AlTiN interlayers have a columnar structure with 50-80 nm grains. The hardness and elastic modulus of Ti/Ti-DLC and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings is 25.9 ± 0.4, 222.2 ± 6.3 GPa and 19.3 ± 1, 205.6 ± 6.7 GPa, respectively. Adhesion of Ti-DLC, Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC and AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings expressed as the critical lateral force is 26.5 N, 38.2 N, and 47.8 N, respectively. Substrate coefficient of friction without coatings is 0.44, and it is 0.1 for Ti/Ti-DLC and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings. Wear resistance of Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC composite coatings is much higher than Ti/Ti-DLC coatings based on the wear track width of 169.8 and 73.2 μm, respectively, for the same experimental conditions.

Silver-doped nanocomposite carbon coatings (Ag-DLC) for biomedical applications - Physiochemical and biological evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Bociaga, Dorota; Komorowski, Piotr; Batory, Damian; Szymanski, Witold; Olejnik, Anna; Jastrzebski, Krzysztof; Jakubowski, Witold

2015-11-01

The formation of bacteria biofilm on the surface of medical products is a major clinical issue nowadays. Highly adaptive ability of bacteria to colonize the surface of biomaterials causes a lot of infections. This study evaluates samples of the AISI 316 LVM with special nanocomposite silver-doped (by means of ion implantation) diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating prepared by hybrid RF/MS PACVD (radio frequency/magnetron sputtering plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition) deposition technique in order to improve the physicochemical and biological properties of biomaterials and add new features such as antibacterial properties. The aim of the following work was to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility of gradient a-C:H/Ti + Ag coatings in relation to the physiochemical properties of the surface and chemical composition of coating. For this purpose, samples were tested in live/dead test using two cell strains: human endothelial cells (Ea.hy926) and osteoblasts-like cells (Saos-2). For testing bactericidal activity of the coatings, an exponential growth phase of Escherichia coli strain DH5α was used as a model microorganism. Surface condition and its physicochemical properties were investigated using SEM, AFM and XPS. Examined coatings showed a uniformity of silver ions distribution in the amorphous DLC matrix, good biocompatibility in contact with mammalian cells and an increased level of bactericidal properties. What is more, considering very good mechanical parameters of these Ag including gradient a-C:H/Ti coatings, they constitute an excellent material for biomedical application in e.g. orthopedics or dentistry.

Transition of Emission Colours as a Consequence of Heat-Treatment of Carbon Coated Ce3+-Doped YAG Phosphors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yin, L.J.; Dierre, B.F.P.R.; Sekiguchi, Takashi; van Ommen, J.R.; Hintzen, H.T.J.M.; Cho, Yujin

2017-01-01

To modify the luminescence properties of Ce³⁺-doped Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG) phosphors, they have been coated with a carbon layer by chemical vapor deposition and subsequently heat-treated at high temperature under N₂ atmosphere. Luminescence of the

Functional doped metal oxide films. Zinc oxide (ZnO) as transparent conducting oxide (TCO) titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) as thermographic phosphor and protective coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nebatti Ech-Chergui, Abdelkader

2011-07-29

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was used in the present work. Un-doped and Al-doped ZnO films were developed using two reactors: Halogen Lamp Reactor (HLR) (a type of Cold Wall Reactor) and Hot Wall Reactor (HWR), and a comparison was made between them in terms of the film properties. Zinc acetylacetonate was used as precursor for ZnO films while aluminum acetylacetonate was used for doping. The amount of Al doping can be controlled by varying the gas flow rate. Well ordered films with aluminum content between 0 and 8 % were grown on borosilicate glass and silicon. The films obtained are 0.3 to 0.5 {mu}m thick, highly transparent and reproducible. The growth rate of ZnO films deposited using HLR is less than HWR. In HLR, the ZnO films are well oriented along c-axis ((002) plane). ZnO films are commonly oriented along the c-axis due to its low surface free energy. On the other hand, the HWR films are polycrystalline and with Al doping these films aligned along the a-axis ((100) plane) which is less commonly observed. The best films were obtained with the HLR method showing a minimum electrical resistivity of 2.4 m{omega}cm and transmittance of about 80 % in the visible range. The results obtained for Al-doped films using HLR are promising to be used as TCOs. The second material investigated in this work was un-doped and doped titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) films- its preparation and characterization. It is well known that thermographic phosphors can be used as an optical method for the surface temperature measurement. For this application, the temperature-dependent luminescence properties of europium (III)-doped TiO{sub 2} thin films were studied. It was observed that only europium doped anatase films show the phosphorescence. Rutile phase do not show phosphorescence. The films were prepared by the sol-gel method using the dip coating technique. The structures of the films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The excitation and the emission