Microstructure research for ferroelectric origin in the strained Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film via geometric phase analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Han; Sun, Qingqing; Zhao, Xuebing; You, Wenbin; Zhang, David Wei; Che, Renchao

2018-04-01

Recently, non-volatile semiconductor memory devices using a ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film have been attracting extensive attention. However, at the nano-scale, the phase structure remains unclear in a thin Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film, which stands in the way of the sustained development of ferroelectric memory nano-devices. Here, a series of electron microscopy evidences have illustrated that the interfacial strain played a key role in inducing the orthorhombic phase and the distorted tetragonal phase, which was the origin of the ferroelectricity in the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film. Our results provide insight into understanding the association between ferroelectric performances and microstructures of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based systems.

Effect of ion nitriding on the crystal structure of 3 mol% Y2O3-doped ZrO2 thin-films prepared by the sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz, A.L.; Diaz-Parralejo, A.; Borrero-Lopez, O.; Guiberteau, F.

2006-01-01

We investigated the effect of ion nitriding on the crystal structure of 3 mol% Y 2 O 3 -doped ZrO 2 (3YSZ) thin-films prepared by the sol-gel method. For this purpose, we used X-ray diffractometry to determine the crystalline phases, the lattice parameters, the crystal sizes, and the lattice microstrains, and glow discharge-optical emission spectroscopy to obtain the depth profiles of the elemental chemical composition. We found that nitrogen atoms substitute oxygen atoms in the 3YSZ crystal, thus leading to the formation of unsaturated-substitutional solid solutions with reduced lattice parameters and Zr 0.94 Y 0.06 O 1.72 N 0.17 stoichiometric formula. We also found that ion nitriding does not affect the grain size, but does generate lattice microstrains due to the increase in point defects in the crystalline lattice

Thin-foil phase transformations of tetragonal ZrO/sub 2/ in a ZrO/sub 2/-8 wt% Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bestgen, H.; Chaim, R.; Heuer, A.H.

1988-01-01

Tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO/sub 2/) grains in an annealed ZrO/sub 2/-8 wt% Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ alloy transformed to orthorhombic (o) or mono-clinic (m) symmetry by stresses induced by localized electron beam heating in the transmission electron microscope. Different transformation mechanisms were observed, depending on foil thickness and orientation of individual grains. In thicker grains (≥150 nm), the transformation proceeded by a burst-like growth of m laths, and this is believed to approximate bulk behavior. In thinner grains near the edge of the foil, usually those with a [100]/sub t/ orientation perpendicular to the thin-foil surface, continuous growth of an o or m phase with an antiphase-boundary-containing microstructure was observed. The o phase is believed to be a high-pressure polymorph of ZrO/sub 2/, which forms (paradoxically) as a thin-foil artifact because it is less dense than t-ZrO/sub 2/, but more dense than m-ZrO/sub 2/. In some very thin grains, the t → m transformation was thermoelastic. Furthermore, a mottled structure often occurred just before the t → m or t → o transformation, which is attributed to surface transformation. Aside from the lath formation, the observed transformation modes are a result of the reduced constraints in thin foils

Effect of nano-ZrO2 addition on microstructure, mechanical property and thermal shock behaviour of dense chromic oxide refractory material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Lixia; Ding, Chunhui; Zhanga, Chi; Yanga, De'an; Di, Lizhi

2015-01-01

To obtain a good performance hot-face lining material in gasifier, nano-ZrO 2 , up to 5 wt %, was added into chromic oxide powder with 3 wt % TiO 2 followed by sintering at 1500°C for 2.5 h. The effect of nano-ZrO 2 addition on microstructure, mechanical property and thermal shock behaviour was studied. ZrO 2 promoted densification at contents higher than 1 wt %. Microcracks and phase transformation toughened the dense chromic oxide refractory material. The main reason for decrease of strength was the existence microcracks in specimens and weakening of intergranular fracture. Dense chromic oxide refractory material with 2∼3 wt % nano-ZrO 2 possessed good densification, uniform microstructure, normal mechanical property and proper thermal shock resistance. The rupture strength retention ratio was nearly twice than that of chromic oxide material without ZrO 2 after three cycles of quenching test from 950°C to cold water. (author)

PEALD grown high-k ZrO{sub 2} thin films on SiC group IV compound semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khairnar, A. G., E-mail: agkhairnar@gmail.com; Patil, V. S.; Agrawal, K. S.; Salunke, R. S.; Mahajan, A. M., E-mail: ammahajan@nmu.ac.in [North Maharashtra University, Department of Electronics, School of Physical Sciences (India)

2017-01-15

The study of ZrO{sub 2} thin films on SiC group IV compound semiconductor has been studied as a high mobility substrates. The ZrO{sub 2} thin films were deposited using the Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition System. The thickness of the thin films were measured using ellipsometer and found to be 5.47 nm. The deposited ZrO{sub 2} thin films were post deposition annealed in rapid thermal annealing chamber at temperature of 400°Ð¡. The atomic force microscopy and X-гау photoelectron spectroscopy has been carried out to study the surface topography, roughness and chemical composition of thin film, respectively.

Structural and corrosive properties of ZrO2 thin films on zircaloy-4 by RF reactive magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soo Ho; Lee, Kwang Hoon; Ko, Jae Hwan; Yoon, Young Soo; Baek, Jong Hyuk; Lee, Sang Jin

2006-01-01

Zirconium-oxide (ZrO 2 ) thin films as protective layers were grown on a Zircaloy-4 (Z-4) cladding material as a substrate by RF reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature. To investigate the effect of plasma immersion on the structural and the corrosive properties of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin film, we immersed Z-4 in plasma during the deposition process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in plasma had cubic, well as monoclinic and tetragonal, phases whereas those immersed in the plasma had monoclinic and tetragonal phases only. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of the surface morphology showed that the surface roughness of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in plasma was larger than that of the films not immersed in plasma. In addition, the corrosive property of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in the plasma was characterized using the weight gains of Z-4 after the corrosion test. Compared with the non-immersed films, the weight gains of the immersed films were larger. These results indicate that the ZrO 2 films immersed in plasma cannot protect Z-4 from corrosive phenomena.

Oxidation of Zr and thin (0.2-4 nm) Zr films on Ag: An ESCA investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, P.; Sander, I.; Siegwart, B.; Huefner, S.

1987-01-01

The oxidation of polycrystalline Zr under 10 -8 -10 -3 mbar oxygen pressure in the temperature range 25 0 -350 0 C is obtained from ESCA experiments. Changes in the ESCA spectra for thin Zr films on Ag oxidized at 250 0 C are observed and compared to the bulk Zr-metal. Thin Ag overlayers on Zr show a catalytic increase of the room temperature oxidation of Zr. (orig.)

Enhanced superconductivity and superconductor to insulator transition in nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shilpam; Amaladass, E.P. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Sharma, Neha [Surface & Nanoscience Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Harimohan, V. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Amirthapandian, S. [Materials Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Mani, Awadhesh, E-mail: mani@igcar.gov.in [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2017-06-01

Disorder driven superconductor to insulator transition via intermediate metallic regime is reported in nano-crystalline thin films of molybdenum. The nano-structured thin films have been deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron sputtering at different argon pressures. The grain size has been tuned using deposition pressure as the sole control parameter. A variation of particle sizes, room temperature resistivity and superconducting transition has been studied as a function of deposition pressure. The nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films are found to have large carrier concentration but very low mobility and electronic mean free path. Hall and conductivity measurements have been used to understand the effect of disorder on the carrier density and mobilities. Ioffe-Regel parameter is shown to correlate with the continuous metal-insulator transition in our samples. - Highlights: • Thin films of molybdenum using DC sputtering have been deposited on glass. • Argon background pressure during sputtering was used to tune the crystallite sizes of films. • Correlation in deposition pressure, disorder and particle sizes has been observed. • Disorder tuned superconductor to insulator transition along with an intermediate metallic phase has been observed. • Enhancement of superconducting transition temperature and a dome shaped T{sub C} vs. deposition pressure phase diagram has been observed.

Structural and mechanical properties of ZrSiN thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas, F.G.R.; Conceicao, A.G.S.; Vitoria, E.R.; Carvalho, R.G.; Tentardini, E.K.; Hübler, R.; Soares, G.

2014-01-01

Zirconium silicon nitride (ZrSiN) thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in order to verify the silicon influence on coating morphology and mechanical properties. The Si/(Zr+Si) ratio was adjusted between 0 to 14.5% just modifying the power applied on the silicon target. Only peaks associated to ZrN crystalline structure were observed in XRD analysis, since Si_3N_4 phase was amorphous. All samples have (111) preferred orientation, but there is a peak intensity reduction and a broadening increase for the sample with the highest Si/(Zr+Si) ratio (14.5%), demonstrating a considerable loss of crystallinity or grain size reduction (about 8 nm calculated by Scherrer). It was also observed that the texture coefficient for (200) increases with silicon addition. Chemical composition and thickness of the coatings were determined by RBS analysis. No significant changes in nano hardness with increasing Si content were found. The thin film morphology observed by SEM presents columnar and non columnar characteristics. The set of results suggests that Si addition is restricting the columnar growth of ZrN thin films. This conclusion is justified by the fact that Si contributes to increase the ZrN grains nucleation during the sputtering process. (author)

Effect of Mn doping on the structural, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of ZrO_2–SnO_2 thin films prepared by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anitha, V.S.; Sujatha Lekshmy, S.; Joy, K.

2016-01-01

Manganese doped ZrO_2–SnO_2 (ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn) nanocomposite thin films were prepared using sol – gel dip coating technique. The structural, morphological, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of the films were studied for undoped and different (15 mol %) manganese doping concentrations. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) of films showed the formation of tetragonal phase of SnO_2 and orthorhombic ZrSnO_4. Decrease in crystallinity with increase of Mn concentration was observed for the films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of grain growth with an increase in Mn concentration. X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Zr"4"+, Sn"4"+ and Mn"2"+ ion in ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements reveal the presence of magnetic properties in Mn doped nanocomposite thin films. Antiferromagnetic interactions were observed for 5 mol % Mn doping. An average transmittance >80% (UV - Vis region) was observed for all the films. Band gap of the films decreased from 4.78 to 4.41 eV with increase in Mn concentration. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the films exhibited emission peaks in visible region of the electromagnetic spectra. Conductivity of the film increased up to 3 mol % Mn doping and then decreased. - Highlights: • ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films were deposited onto quartz substrates by Sol –Gel dip coating. • Structural, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of the films were analyzed. • Optical band gap decreased with increase in manganese concentration. • Ferromagnetic behavior was observed for Mn doped films. • These ferromagnetic ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films find application in spintronic devices.

Effect of TiN-ZrO{sub 2} intermediate layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt and FePt-SiO{sub 2}-C thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, K.F., E-mail: dongkf1981@163.com; Mo, W.Q.; Jin, F.; Song, J.L.

2017-06-15

Highlights: • The TiN-ZrO{sub 2} consisted of solid solution of Ti(Zr)ON segregated by amorphous ZrO{sub 2}. • With doping ZrO{sub 2} into TiN layer, grain size of FePt films significantly decreased. • By introducing TiN-ZrO{sub 2}/TiN combined layer, the magnetic properties were improved. - Abstract: The microstructures and magnetic properties of FePt based thin films grown on TiN-ZrO{sub 2} and TiN-ZrO{sub 2}/TiN intermediate layers were systematically investigated. The TiN-ZrO{sub 2} intermediate layer was granular consisting of grains of solid solution of Ti(Zr)ON segregated by amorphous ZrO{sub 2}. It was found with doping ZrO{sub 2} into TiN intermediate layer, grain size of FePt-SiO{sub 2}-C films significantly decreased. Simultaneously, the isolation was obviously improved and grain size distribution became more uniform. However, the magnetic properties of the FePt-SiO{sub 2}-C films grown on TiN-ZrO{sub 2} intermediate layers were slowly deteriorated, which was due to the disturbance of the epitaxial growth of FePt by amorphous ZrO{sub 2} in TiN-ZrO{sub 2} intermediate layer. In order to improve the TiN-ZrO{sub 2} (0 0 2) texture and the crystallinity of TiN-ZrO{sub 2}, TiN-ZrO{sub 2}/TiN combined intermediate layer was introduced. And the magnetic properties were improved, simultaneously, achieving the benefit of grain size reduction. For the FePt 4 nm-SiO{sub 2} 40 vol%-C 20 vol% film grown on TiN/TiN-ZrO{sub 2} 30 vol% combined intermediate layer, well isolated FePt (0 0 1) granular films with coercivity higher than 17.6 kOe and an average size as small as 6.5 nm were achieved.

27Al nuclear magnetic resonance of glassy and crystalline Zr(1-x)AlxO(2-x/2) materials prepared from solution precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balmer, M.L.; Eckert, H.; Das, N.; Lange, F.F.

1996-01-01

The local environment of the aluminum atoms in a series of metastable Zr (1-x) Al x O (2-x/2) crystalline materials (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.57), prepared by diffusion-limited crystallization of amorphous precursors, has been determined by 27 Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR). Results show the existence of aluminum in 4-, 5-, and 6-fold coordination in both the amorphous and crystalline states. Although the relative amounts of each type of coordination show no compositional dependence in the amorphous state, the results for the crystalline materials show a systematic decrease in the average aluminum coordination number with increasing aluminum content. Comparisons of MAS NMR results between pure Al 2 O 3 precursors and Zr (1-x) Al x O (2-x/2) crystalline materials processed under similar conditions show a profound effect of ZrO 2 on the coordination environment of the aluminum atom. Both a random distribution model and a model that assumes small-scale clustering of aluminum ions are considered to explain the trends in the type of aluminum coordination as a function of composition

Effect of ion nitriding on the crystal structure of 3 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-doped ZrO{sub 2} thin-films prepared by the sol-gel method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortiz, A.L. [Departamento de Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz 06071 (Spain)]. E-mail: alortiz@unex.es; Diaz-Parralejo, A. [Departamento de Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz 06071 (Spain); Borrero-Lopez, O. [Departamento de Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz 06071 (Spain); Guiberteau, F. [Departamento de Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz 06071 (Spain)

2006-06-30

We investigated the effect of ion nitriding on the crystal structure of 3 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-doped ZrO{sub 2} (3YSZ) thin-films prepared by the sol-gel method. For this purpose, we used X-ray diffractometry to determine the crystalline phases, the lattice parameters, the crystal sizes, and the lattice microstrains, and glow discharge-optical emission spectroscopy to obtain the depth profiles of the elemental chemical composition. We found that nitrogen atoms substitute oxygen atoms in the 3YSZ crystal, thus leading to the formation of unsaturated-substitutional solid solutions with reduced lattice parameters and Zr{sub 0.94}Y{sub 0.06}O{sub 1.72}N{sub 0.17} stoichiometric formula. We also found that ion nitriding does not affect the grain size, but does generate lattice microstrains due to the increase in point defects in the crystalline lattice.

The origin of magnetism in transition metal-doped ZrO2 thin films: Experiment and theory

KAUST Repository

Hong, Nguyenhoa

2013-10-04

We have investigated the magnetic properties of Fe/Co/Ni-doped ZrO 2 laser ablated thin films in comparison with the known results of Mn-doped ZrO2, which is thought to be a promising material for spintronics applications. It is found that doping with a transition metal can induce room temperature ferromagnetism in \\'fake\\' diamond. Theoretical analysis based on density functional theory confirms the experimental measurements, by revealing that the magnetic moments of Mn- and Ni-doped ZrO2 thin films are much larger than that of Fe- or Co-doped ZrO2 thin films. Most importantly, our calculations confirm that Mn- and Ni-doped ZrO2 show a ferromagnetic ground state in comparison to Co- and Fe-doped ZrO 2, which favor an antiferromagnetic ground state. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Ultra-thin zirconia films on Zr-alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Joong Il Jake; Mayr-Schmoelzer, Wernfried; Mittendorfer, Florian; Redinger, Josef; Diebold, Ulrike; Schmid, Michael [Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna University of Technology (Austria); Li, Hao; Rupprechter, Guenther [Institute of Materials Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology (Austria)

2014-07-01

Zirconia ultra-thin films have been prepared by oxidation of Pt{sub 3}Zr(0001) and showed a structure equivalent to (111) of cubic zirconia. Following previous work, we have prepared ultra-thin zirconia by oxidation of a different alloy, Pd{sub 3}Zr(0001), which resulted in a similar structure with a slightly different lattice parameter, 351.2 ±0.4 pm. Unlike the oxide on Pt{sub 3}Zr, where Zr of the oxide binds to Pt in the substrate, here the oxide binds to substrate Zr via oxygen. This causes stronger distortion of the oxide structure, i.e. a stronger buckling of Zr in the oxide. After additional oxidation of ZrO{sub 2}/Pt{sub 3}Zr, a different ultra-thin zirconia phase is observed. A preliminary structure model for this film is based on (113)-oriented cubic zirconia. 3D oxide clusters are also present after growing ultra-thin zirconia films. They occur at the step edges, and the density is higher on Pd{sub 3}Zr. These clusters also appear on terraces after additional oxidation. XPS reveals different core level shifts of the oxide films, bulk, and oxide clusters.

Structural and electrical characteristics of ZrO2-TiO2 thin films by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Cheng-Hsing; Tseng, Ching-Fang; Lai, Chun-Hung; Tung, Hsin-Han; Lin, Shih-Yao

2010-01-01

In this paper, we investigated electrical properties and microstructures of ZrTiO 4 (ZrO 2 -TiO 2 ) thin films prepared by the sol-gel method on ITO substrates at different annealing temperatures. All films exhibited ZrTiO 4 (1 1 1) and (1 0 1) orientations perpendicular to the substrate surface, and the grain size increased with increase in the annealing temperature. A low leakage current density of 2.06 x 10 -6 A/cm 2 was obtained for the prepared films. Considering the primary memory switching behavior of ZrTiO 4 , ReRAM based on ZrTiO 4 shows promise for future nonvolatile memory applications.

Interface formation and defect structures in epitaxial La2Zr2O7 thin films on (111) Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, J.W.; Fompeyrine, J.; Guiller, A.; Norga, G.; Marchiori, C.; Siegwart, H.; Locquet, J.-P.

2003-01-01

We have studied the growth of epitaxial La 2 Zr 2 O 7 thin films on (111) Si. Although the interface structure can be strongly affected by the Si oxidation during the deposition process, epitaxial growth of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 was obtained. A detailed study by means of transmission electron microscopy reveals two types of structures (pyrochlore and fluorite) with the same average chemical composition but strong differences in reactivity and interface formation. The structural complexity of the ordered pyrochlore structure seems to prevent excess oxygen diffusion and interfacial SiO 2 formation

Application of the laser pyrolysis to the synthesis of SiC, TiC and ZrC pre-ceramics nano-powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leconte, Y.; Maskrot, H.; Combemale, L.; Herlin-Boime, N.; Reynaud, C.

2007-01-01

Refractory carbide nano-structured ceramics appear to be promising materials for high temperature applications requiring hard materials such as nuclear energy industry. Such carbide materials are usually obtained with micrometric sizes from the high temperature carbo-reduction of an oxide phase in a raw mixture of C black and titania or zirconia. TiC and ZrC nano-powders were produced from an intimate mixture of oxide nano-grains with free C synthesized by laser pyrolysis from the decomposition of a liquid precursor. The temperature and the duration of the thermal treatment leading to the carburization were decreased, allowing the preservation of the nano-scaled size of the starting grains. A solution of titanium iso-prop-oxide was laser-pyrolyzed with ethylene as sensitizer in order to synthesize Ti/C/O powders. These powders were composed of crystalline TiO 2 nano-grains mixed with C. Annealing under argon enabled the formation of TiC through the carburization of TiO 2 by free C. The final TiC mean grain size was about 80 nm. Zr/O/C powders were prepared from a solution of zirconium butoxide and were composed of ZrO 2 crystalline nano-grains and free C. The same thermal treatment as for TiC, but at higher temperature, showed the formation of crystalline ZrC with a final mean grain size of about 40 nm. These two liquid routes of nano-particles synthesis are also compared to the very efficient gaseous route of SiC nano-powders synthesis from a mixture of silane and acetylene. (authors)

Effect of Growth Temperature on the Structural and Electrical Properties of ZrO2 Films Fabricated by Atomic Layer Deposition Using a CpZr[N(CH32]3/C7H8 Cocktail Precursor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong-Ki An

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The effect of growth temperature on the atomic layer deposition of zirconium oxide (ZrO2 dielectric thin films that were fabricated using a CpZr[N(CH32]3/C7H8 cocktail precursor with ozone was investigated. The chemical, structural, and electrical properties of ZrO2 films grown at temperatures from 250 to 350 °C were characterized. Stoichiometric ZrO2 films formed at 250–350 °C with an atomic ratio of O to Zr of 1.8–1.9 and a low content of carbon impurities. The film formed at 300 °C was predominantly the tetragonal crystalline phase, whereas that formed at 350 °C was a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic phases. Electrical properties, such as capacitance, leakage current, and voltage linearity of TiN/ZrO2/TiN capacitors fabricated using the thin ZrO2 films grown at different temperatures were compared capacitor applications. The ZrO2 film grown at 300 °C exhibited low impurity content, predominantly tetragonal crystalline structure, a high dielectric permittivity of 38.3, a low leakage current of below 10−7 A/cm2 at 2 V, and low-voltage linearity.

Oxidant effect of La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution on the crystalline characteristics of nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2} films grown by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Nam Khen [Graduate School of Energy Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134 (Korea, Republic of); Vacuum Center, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin-Tae [Vacuum Center, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nanomaterials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Goru; An, Jong-Ki; Nam, Minwoo [Vacuum Center, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, So Yeon [Graduate School of Energy Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134 (Korea, Republic of); Park, In-Sung, E-mail: parkis77@hanyang.ac.kr [Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763 (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Ju-Young, E-mail: jyun@kriss.re.kr [Vacuum Center, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nanomaterials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology, 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-01

Highlights: • The La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O aqua solution is introduced as an oxidant in ALD process. • The H{sub 2}O and La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O lead different crystalline properties of ZrO{sub 2} films. • Concentration of La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution minimally influences crystalline status. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2} films were synthesized by atomic layer deposition method using CpZr[N(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}]{sub 3} (Cp = C{sub 5}H{sub 5}) as the metal precursor and La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution as the oxygen source. La element in the deposited ZrO{sub 2} films could not be detected as its content was below the resolution limit of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The alternative introduction of La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution to conventionally used H{sub 2}O as the oxidant effectively altered the crystalline structure, grain size, and surface roughness of the grown ZrO{sub 2} films. Specifically, the crystalline structure of the ZrO{sub 2} film changed from a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic phases to monoclinic phase. The average grain size also increased, and the resulting film surface became rougher. The average grain sizes of the ZrO{sub 2} films prepared from La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution at concentrations of 10, 20, 30, and 40% were 280, 256, 208, and 200 nm, respectively, whereas that prepared using H{sub 2}O oxidant was 142 nm. However, the concentration of La(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}·6H{sub 2}O solution minimally influenced the crystalline characteristics of the nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2} films i.e., the crystalline structure, grain size, and surface roughness except for crystallite size.

Structural, electrical and optical properties of nanostructured ZrO2 thin film deposited by SILAR method

Science.gov (United States)

Salodkar, R. V.; Belkhedkar, M. R.; Nemade, S. D.

2018-05-01

Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method has been employed to deposit nanocrystalline ZrO2 thin film of thickness 91 nm onto glass substrates using ZrOCl2.8H2O and NaOH as cationic and anionic precursors respectively. The structural and surface morphological characterizations have been carried out by means of X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy confirms the nanocrystalline nature of ZrO2 thin film. The direct optical band gap and activation energy of the ZrO2 thin film are found to be 4.74 and 0.80eV respectively.

Raman Spectra of ZrS2 and ZrSe2 from Bulk to Atomically Thin Layers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Mañas-Valero

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the race towards two-dimensional electronic and optoelectronic devices, semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs from group VIB have been intensively studied in recent years due to the indirect to direct band-gap transition from bulk to the monolayer. However, new materials still need to be explored. For example, semiconducting TMDCs from group IVB have been predicted to have larger mobilities than their counterparts from group VIB in the monolayer limit. In this work we report the mechanical exfoliation of ZrX2 (X = S, Se from bulk down to the monolayer and we study the dimensionality dependence of the Raman spectra in ambient conditions. We observe Raman signal from bulk to few layers and no shift in the peak positions is found when decreasing the dimensionality. While a Raman signal can be observed from bulk to a bilayer for ZrS2, we could only detect signal down to five layers for flakes of ZrSe2. These results show the possibility of obtaining atomically thin layers of ZrX2 by mechanical exfoliation and represent one of the first steps towards the investigation of the properties of these materials, still unexplored in the two-dimensional limit.

Phase relations in crystalline ceramic nuclear waste forms the system UO/sub 2 + x/-CeO2-ZrO2-ThO2 at 12000C in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pepin, J.G.; McCarthy, G.J.

1981-01-01

Steady-state phase relations in the system UO/sub 2 + x/-CeO 2 -ZrO 2 -ThO 2 were determined for application to phase relations in the high-level crystalline ceramic nuclear waste form Supercalcine-Ceramics. Samples were treated at 1200 0 C at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.21 atm and a total pressure of 1 atm. Phase assemblages were found to be composed of cubic solid solutions of the flourite structure type, solid solutions based on ZrO 2 , and orthorhombic solid solutions based on U 3 O 8

TiO2 thin-films on polymer substrates and their photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jae-Hun; Han, Yang-Su; Choy, Jin-Ho

2006-01-01

We have developed dip-coating process for TiO 2 -thin film on polymer substrates (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer: ABS, polystyrene: PS). At first, a monodispersed and transparent TiO 2 nano-sol solution was prepared by the controlled hydrolysis of titanium iso-propoxide in the presence of acetylacetone and nitric acid catalyst at 80 deg. C. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns of the dried particles are indicative of crystalline TiO 2 with anatase-type structure. According to the XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies, the mean particle size was estimated to be ca. 5 nm. The transparent thin films on ABS and PS substrates were fabricated by dip-coating process by changing the processing variables, such as the number of dip-coating and TiO 2 concentration in nano-sol solution. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis for the thin film samples reveals that the acetylacetone-modified TiO 2 nano-sol particles are effective for enhancing the interfacial adherence between films and polymeric substrates compared to the unmodified one. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) on the TiO 2 thin-films has also been systematically investigated

Optical properties of ZrO2, SiO2 and TiO2-SiO2 xerogels and coatings doped with Eu3+ and Eu2+

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonçalves Rogéria R.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Eu3+ doped bulk monoliths and thin films were obtained by sol-gel methods in the ZrO2, SiO2 and SiO2-TiO2 systems. Eu3+ 5D0 ® 7FJ emission and decay time characteristics were measured during the entire experimental preparation route from the initial sol to the final xerogels. The crystalline phases identified were tetragonal ZrO2 and mixtures of rutile and anatase TiO2 at high temperature treatments in bulk samples. Good quality thin films were obtained for all systems by dip-coating optical glasses (Schott BK270. The same spectroscopic features were observed either for the bulk monoliths or the films. By appropriate heat treatments under H2 atmosphere Eu2+ containing samples could be obtained in the SiO2-TiO2 system.

Direct current magnetron sputtered ZrB{sub 2} thin films on 4H-SiC(0001) and Si(100)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tengdelius, Lina, E-mail: lina.tengdelius@liu.se [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Samuelsson, Mattias [Impact Coatings AB, Westmansgatan 29, SE-582 16 Linköping (Sweden); Jensen, Jens; Lu, Jun; Hultman, Lars; Forsberg, Urban; Janzén, Erik; Högberg, Hans [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden)

2014-01-01

ZrB{sub 2} thin films have been synthesized using direct current magnetron sputtering from a ZrB{sub 2} compound target onto 4H-SiC(0001) and Si(100) substrates kept at different temperatures (no heating, 400 °C, and 550 °C), and substrate bias voltage (− 20 V to − 80 V). Time-of-flight energy elastic recoil detection analysis shows that all the films are near stoichiometric and have a low degree of contaminants, with O being the most abundant (< 1 at.%). The films are crystalline, and their crystallographic orientation changes from 0001 to a more random orientation with increased deposition temperature. X-ray diffraction pole figures and selected area electron diffraction patterns of the films deposited without heating reveal a fiber-texture growth. Four point probe measurements show typical resistivity values of the films ranging from ∼ 95 to 200 μΩ cm, decreasing with increased growth temperature and substrate bias. - Highlights: • ZrB{sub 2} films have been deposited on 4H-SiC(0001) and Si(100). • Film composition correlates well to that of the target. • Level of contamination in the films is low. • Film resistivity values range from ∼ 95 to 200 μΩ cm.

Optical Properties and Surface Morphology of Nano-composite PMMA: TiO2 Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyly Nyl Ismail; Ahmad Fairoz Aziz; Habibah Zulkefle

2011-01-01

There are two nano-composite PMMA: TiO 2 solutions were prepared in this research. First solution is nano-composite PMMA commercially available TiO 2 nanopowder and the second solution is nano-composite PMMA with self-prepared TiO 2 powder. The self-prepared TiO 2 powder is obtained by preparing the TiO 2 sol-gel. Solvo thermal method were used to dry the TiO 2 sol-gel and obtained TiO 2 crystal. Ball millers were used to grind the TiO 2 crystal in order to obtained nano sized powder. Triton-X was used as surfactant to stabilizer the composite between PMMA: TiO 2 . Besides comparing the nano-composite solution, we also studied the effect of the thin films thickness on the optical properties and surface morphology of the thin films. The thin films were deposited by sol-gel spin coating method on glass substrates. The optical properties and surface characterization were measured with UV-VIS spectrometer equipment and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The result showed that nano-composite PMMA with self prepared TiO 2 give high optical transparency than nano-composite PMMA with commercially available TiO 2 nano powder. The results also indicate as the thickness is increased the optical transparency are decreased. Both AFM images showed that the agglomerations of TiO 2 particles are occurred on the thin films and the surface roughness is increased when the thickness is increased. High agglomeration particles exist in the AFM images for nano-composite PMMA: TiO 2 with TiO 2 nano powder compare to the other nano-composite solution. (author)

Effect of Mn doping on the structural and optical properties of ZrO2 thin films prepared by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berlin, I. John; Lekshmy, S. Sujatha; Ganesan, V.; Thomas, P.V.; Joy, K.

2014-01-01

Homogeneous and transparent Mn doped ZrO 2 thin films were prepared by sol–gel dip coating method. The films were annealed in air atmosphere at 500 °C. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the undoped ZrO 2 thin film revealed a mixed phase of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 with preferred orientations along T(111) and M(− 111). Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction of Mn doped ZrO 2 thin films reveals the introduction of Mn interstitial in ZrO 2 which stabilize the mixed phase of ZrO 2 into tetragonal phase. Atomic force microscope image shows the addition of catalyst (Mn) which stops isotropic agglomeration of particles, instead of anisotropic agglomeration that occurred resulting in growth of particles in certain direction. Average transmittances of > 70% (in UV–vis region) were observed for all samples. The optical band gap decreased from 5.72 to 4.52 eV with increase in Mn doping concentration. The reduced band gap is due to the introduction of impurity levels in the band gap, by incorporation of the metal ions into the ZrO 2 lattice. The d-electron of Mn (t 2g level) can easily overlap with the ZrO 2 's valence band (VB) because t 2g of Mn is very close to VB of ZrO 2 . This overlap caused a wide VB and consequently decreases the band gap of ZrO 2 . The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of undoped zirconia thin film exhibits an intense near band edge emission peak at 392.5 nm (3.15 eV) and weak emission peaks at 304 (4.07 eV), 604 nm (2.05 eV) and 766 nm (1.61 eV). Additional PL peaks were observed for Mn doped ZrO 2 located at around 420, 447 (blue), 483 (blue) and 529 (green) nm respectively. These peaks were due to the redox properties of various valence state of Mn in ZrO 2 . The prepared Mn doped ZrO 2 thin films can be applied in optical devices. - Highlights: • Mn-doped ZrO 2 thin films were prepared by sol–gel dip coating method. • Introduction of Mn interstitial in ZrO 2 stabilizes ZrO 2 into tetragonal phase. • The optical band gap

Effect of Nb aggregates on Zr2Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, Cinthia P.

2001-01-01

The binary Zr-Fe phase diagram revision, performed by Arias et al., accepted the intermetallic Zr 2 Fe crystalline structure as tetragonal and determined that the presence of a third element like oxygen, nitrogen or carbon, stabilizes a cubic phase. Nevitt et al. studying Ti, Zr and Hf alloys with transition metals as second or third element and ternary systems with oxygen as third element, systematized the occurrence of phases with a cubic Ti 2 Ni type crystalline structure. From previous studies in the Zr-Nb-Fe system, it is an agreed fact that Nb presence in the Zr 2 Fe intermetallic stabilizes a cubic Ti 2 Ni type phase. The purpose of the present work is to determine the stability range of the Zr 2 Fe intermetallic with Nb contents, the existence range of the ternary cubic Ti 2 Ni type phase (designated Λ) and the corresponding two-phase region. We analyze as cast and heat treated (800 C degrees) Zr-Nb-Fe alloys with 35 atomic % Fe and Nb contents between 0.5 and 15 atomic %. The determination and characterization of the phases is made by optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction microprobe analysis and Moessbauer Spectroscopy. Joining these techniques together it is found, among many other things, that the Zr 2 Fe phase would accept up to around 0.5 atomic % Nb in solution and that the two-phase region Zr 2 Fe+Λ would be stable in the (0.5 - 3.5) Nb atomic % range. It is proposed as well a 800 C degrees section of the ternary (Zr-Nb-Fe) in the studied region. (author) [es

Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almaguer-Flores, Argelia; Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra; Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E.

2015-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO 2 > ZrO 2 ) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO 2 , which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO 2 and a-ZrO 2 than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO 2 was lower than on the c-TiO 2

Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almaguer-Flores, Argelia [Facultad de Odontología, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra, E-mail: suriel21@yahoo.com [Unidad de Ingeniería de Tejidos, Terapia Celular y Medicina Regenerativa, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, 14389 México D.F. (Mexico); Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico)

2015-12-01

Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO{sub 2} > ZrO{sub 2}) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO{sub 2}, which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO{sub 2} and a-ZrO{sub 2} than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO{sub 2} was lower than on the c-TiO{sub 2}.

Epitaxial thin-film growth of Ruddlesden-Popper-type Ba3Zr2O7 from a BaZrO3 target by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butt, Shariqa Hassan; Rafique, M.S.; Siraj, K.; Latif, A.; Afzal, Amina; Awan, M.S.; Bashir, Shazia; Iqbal, Nida

2016-01-01

Ruddlesden-Popper Ba 3 Zr 2 O 7 thin films have been synthesized via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The optimization of deposition parameters in PLD enables the formation of thin film of metastable Ba 3 Zr 2 O 7 phase from BaZrO 3 target. In order to see the post-annealing effects on the structural and optical properties, the deposited Ba 3 Zr 2 O 7 thin films were annealed at 500, 600 and 800 C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the formation of Ba 3 Zr 2 O 7 phase with tetragonal structure. The changes in the surface of the deposited films were analysed by FE-SEM and AFM. The thin film post-annealed at 500 C exhibited the best structural, optical and surface properties. Furthermore, the chemical states and chemical composition of the films were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) near the surface. The XPS results show that Ba, Zr and O exist mainly in the form of Ba 3 Zr 2 O 7 Ruddlesden-Popper-type perovskite structure. (orig.)

Chemical vapor deposition of ZrO{sub 2} thin films using Zr(NEt{sub 2}){sub 4} as precursor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bastianini, A. [CNR, Padova (Italy). Ist. di Chimica e Tecnologie Inorganiche e dei Materiali Avanzati; Battiston, G.A. [CNR, Padova (Italy). Ist. di Chimica e Tecnologie Inorganiche e dei Materiali Avanzati; Gerbasi, R. [CNR, Padova (Italy). Ist. di Chimica e Tecnologie Inorganiche e dei Materiali Avanzati; Porchia, M. [CNR, Padova (Italy). Ist. di Chimica e Tecnologie Inorganiche e dei Materiali Avanzati; Daolio, S. [CNR, Padova (Italy). Ist. di Chimica e Tecnologie Inorganiche e dei Materiali Avanzati]|[CNR, Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Padova (Italy)

1995-06-01

By using tetrakis(diethylamido) zirconium [Zr(NEt{sub 2}){sub 4}], excellent quality ZrO{sub 2} thin films were deposited with high growth rates on alumina and glass substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The depositions were carried out in a hot wall reactor at reduced pressure (200 Pa) in the temperature range 500-580 C and in the presence of oxygen. The as-grown films are colourless, smooth and well-adherent to the substrates. SIMS analysis evidenced pure ZrO{sub 2} with a slight superficial contamination of hydrocarbons and nitrogen. The films have a tapered polycrystalline columnar structure well visible in SEM micrographs. From X-ray diffraction analysis, the monoclinic phase resulted as the major phase together with a small variable amount of tetragonal zirconia. Under 550 C the as-grown films resulted highly textured and were dominated by the (020) orientation. The films were annealed in the range 600-1000 C and the effect of annealing on the texture and on the phase and dimensions of the crystallites have been studied. (orig.).

Electron diffraction on amorphous and crystalline AuAl2 , AuGa2 and AuIn2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohorquez, A.

1991-01-01

Experimental (in situ) measurements of electron diffraction and resistivity of amorphous and crystalline AuAl 2 , AuGa 2 and AuIn 2 thin films were performed. Thin films were produced by quench condensation. Interference and atomic distribution functions were analyzed assuming the same short range order for the three systems in the amorphous phase. The experimental results do not agree with this assumption, giving evidence that the short range order is not the same for the three amorphous systems. Further discussion of interference and atomic distribution functions shows a more evident tendency in amorphous AuIn 2 where short order of AuIn 2 and In can be inferred. (Author)

Interdiffusion studies on high-Tc superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films on Si(111) with a NiSi2/ZrO2 buffer layer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarnink, W.A.M.; Blank, D.H.A.; Adelerhof, D.J.

1991-01-01

Interdiffusion studies on high-T(c) superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-delta thin films with thickness in the range of 2000-3000 angstrom, on a Si(111) substrate with a buffer layer have been performed. The buffer layer consists of a 400 angstrom thick epitaxial NiSi2 layer covered with 1200 angstrom...... of polycrystalline ZrO2. YBa2Cu3O7-delta films were prepared using laser ablation. The YBa2Cu3O7-delta films on the Si/NiSi2/ZrO2 substrates are of good quality; their critical temperatures T(c,zero) and T(c,onset) have typical values of 85 and 89 K, respectively. The critical current density j(c) at 77 K equaled 4...... x 10(4) A/cm2. With X-ray analysis (XRD), only c-axis orientation has been observed. The interdiffusion studies, using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM) show that the ZrO2 buffer layer prevents severe Si diffusion to the YBa2Cu3O7-delta layer, the Si...

Epitaxial thin-film growth of Ruddlesden-Popper-type Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} from a BaZrO{sub 3} target by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butt, Shariqa Hassan; Rafique, M.S.; Siraj, K.; Latif, A.; Afzal, Amina [University of Engineering and Technology, Laser and Optronics Centre, Department of Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Awan, M.S. [Ibn-e-Sina Institute of Science and Technology (ISIT), Islamabad (Pakistan); Bashir, Shazia [Government College University, Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Iqbal, Nida [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Medical Devices and Technology Group (MEDITEG), Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia)

2016-07-15

Ruddlesden-Popper Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films have been synthesized via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The optimization of deposition parameters in PLD enables the formation of thin film of metastable Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} phase from BaZrO{sub 3} target. In order to see the post-annealing effects on the structural and optical properties, the deposited Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films were annealed at 500, 600 and 800 C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the formation of Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} phase with tetragonal structure. The changes in the surface of the deposited films were analysed by FE-SEM and AFM. The thin film post-annealed at 500 C exhibited the best structural, optical and surface properties. Furthermore, the chemical states and chemical composition of the films were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) near the surface. The XPS results show that Ba, Zr and O exist mainly in the form of Ba{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} Ruddlesden-Popper-type perovskite structure. (orig.)

Bone Tissue Response to Nano-HA-ZrO2 Compound Bioceramics%纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷与骨缺损断面的结合性能观察

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

孟志兵; 唐月军; 郭军; 吕春堂; 周中华

2013-01-01

目的:观察纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷植入体与骨断面的结合情况.方法:12只健康成年新西兰大白兔,双侧下颌骨制备洞穿性骨缺损,一侧植入纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷,对侧植入HA(羟基磷灰石)材料,4、8、12周时取材,进行X线摄片观察、材料顶出实验、硬组织切片,比较观察2组骨与材料界面结合情况.结果:X线片和硬组织切片观察结果显示4、8周时HA-ZrO2、HA和骨断面结合不良,12周时发现两种材料均和骨断面结合良好,少部分区域有纤维组织包绕.4、8、12周纳米增韧HA-ZrO2组抗剪切强度分别为(2.36±1.04)、(10.65±1.48)和(30.95±3.67)MPa,不同时间段的组内差异有统计学意义;4、8、12周HA组抗剪切强度分别为(2.27±1.12)、(12.33±1.57)和(31.05±3.44)MPa,不同时间段组内比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);但同时间段的结果组间比较,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:初步认为纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷和骨断面,可以取得与HA类似的较好结合,但是如何在尽量短的时间内使其与骨断面完全结合,还需要进一步的研究.%Objective:The purpose of the present study was to observe the combination of the interface between nanoHA-ZrO2 compound bioceramics and bone tissue.Methods:12 healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were used in the study.Nano-HA-ZrO2 compound bioceramics were placed in one side of the mandible.On the other side,HA were placed as control.Animals were sacrificed at 4、8、12 weeks after operation,histological sections and the interface shear strength were evaluated.X-ray examination were also performed to observe the interface between the bone,nano-HA-ZrO2,and HA bioceramics materials.Results:Hard tissue section and X-rays examination showed a good interface osseointegration appeared at 12 weeks in nano-HA-ZrO2 ceramic group,as well as in HA group.Fibrous tissue manifested in some areas of the interface.Incomplete osseointegration were shown in the

Influence of Zr and nano-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} additions on thermal stability and improved hardness in mechanically alloyed Fe base ferritic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotan, Hasan, E-mail: hkotan@konya.edu.tr [Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Necmettin Erbakan University, Dere Aşıklar Mah. Demet Sokak, Meram, Konya 42140 (Turkey); Darling, Kris A. [U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, RDRL-WMM-F, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5069 (United States); Scattergood, Ronald O.; Koch, Carl C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NC State University, 911 Partners Way, Room 3078, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States)

2014-12-05

The motivation of this work was driven to improve the thermal stability in systems where polymorphic transformations can result in an additional driving force, upsetting the expected thermodynamic stability. In this study, Fe{sub 92}Ni{sub 8} alloys with Zr and nano-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} additions were produced by ball milling and then annealed at high temperatures. Emphasis was placed on understanding the effects of dispersed nano-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} particle additions and their effect on microstructural stability at and above the bcc-to-fcc transformation occurring at 700 °C in Fe–Ni systems. Results reveal that microstructural stability and hardness can be promoted by a combination of Zr and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} additions, that being mostly effective for stability before and after phase transition, respectively. The mechanical strength of these alloys is achieved by a unique microstructure comprised a ultra-fine grain Fe base matrix, which contains dispersions of both nano-scale in-situ formed Zr base intermetallics and ex-situ added Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} secondary oxide phases. Both of these were found to be essential for a combination of high thermal stability and high mechanical strength properties. - Highlights: • Polymorphic transformations can limit the processing of nanostructured powders. • It causes a rapid grain growth and impairs the improved mechanical properties. • We aim to improve the hardness and thermal stability above the phase transformation. • Thermal stability is achieved by a combination of Zr and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} additions. • Hardness is promoted by in-situ formed and ex-situ added secondary nano phases.

Influence of incorporation of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the repair strength of polymethyl methacrylate denture bases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gad MM

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Mohammed M Gad,1 Ahmed Rahoma,2,3 Ahmad M Al-Thobity,1 Aws S ArRejaie4 1Department of Substitutive Dental Sciences, 2Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Dental Materials, College of Dentistry, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt; 4Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Background: Repeated fracture of the denture base is a common problem in prosthodontics, and it represents a nuisance and a time sink for the clinician. Therefore, the possibility of increasing repair strength using new reinforcement materials is of great interest to prosthodontists.Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporation of zirconia nanoparticles (nano-ZrO2 on the flexural strength and impact strength of repaired polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA denture bases.Materials and methods: One hundred eighty specimens of heat-polymerized acrylic resin were fabricated (90 for each test and divided into three main groups: one control group (intact specimens and two groups divided according to surface design (45° bevels and butt joints, in which specimens were prepared in pairs to create 2.5 mm gaps. Nano-ZrO2 was added to repair resin in 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, and 7.5 wt% concentrations of acrylic powder. A three-point bending test was used to measure flexural strength, and a Charpy-type test was used to measure impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the fracture surfaces and nano-ZrO2 distribution. The results were analyzed with a paired sample t-test and an unpaired t-test, with a P-value of ≤0.05 being significant.Results: Incorporation of nano-ZrO2 into the repair resin significantly increased flexural strength (P<0.05. The highest value was found in the bevel group reinforced with 7.5% nano-ZrO2, whereas the lowest value was found in the butt group reinforced with 2.5% nano-Zr

Effect of annealing time on morphological characteristics of Ba(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalcante, L.S.; Anicete-Santos, M.; Pontes, F.M.; Souza, I.A.; Santos, L.P.S.; Rosa, I.L.V.; Santos, M.R.M.C.; Santos-Junior, L.S.; Leite, E.R.; Longo, E.

2007-01-01

Ba(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.50 )O 3 thin films were prepared by the polymeric precursor method using the annealing low temperature of 300 o C for 8, 16, 24, 48, 96 and 192h in a furnace tube with oxygen atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the film annealed for 192 h presented some crystallographic planes (1bar 0bar 0) (1bar 1bar 0) and (2bar 0bar 0) in its crystalline lattice. Fourier transformed infrared presented the formation of metal-oxygen stretching at around 756cm -1 . The atomic force microscopy analysis presented the growth of granules in the Ba(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.50 )O 3 films annealed from 8 to 96h. The crystalline film annealed for 192h already presents grains in its perovskite structure. It evidenced a reduction in the thickness of the thin films with the increase of the annealing time

Extremely fine structured cathode for solid oxide fuel cells using Sr-doped LaMnO3 and Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 nano-composite powder synthesized by spray pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Hiroyuki; Yamaguchi, Toshiaki; Sumi, Hirofumi; Nomura, Katsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Yuki; Fujishiro, Yoshinobu

2017-02-01

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for high power density operation was developed with a microstructure-controlled cathode using a nano-composite powder of Sr-doped LaMnO3 (LSM) and Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) synthesized by spray pyrolysis. The individual LSM-YSZ nano-composite particles, formed by crystalline and amorphous nano-size LSM and YSZ particles, showed spherical morphology with uniform particle size. The use of this powder for cathode material led to an extremely fine microstructure, in which all the LSM and YSZ grains (approximately 100-200 nm) were highly dispersed and formed their own network structures. This microstructure was due to the two phase electrode structure control using the powder, namely, nano-order level in each particle and micro-order level between particles. An anode-supported SOFC with the LSM-YSZ cathode using humidified H2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant exhibited high power densities, such as 1.29 W cm-2 under a voltage of 0.75 V and a maximum power density of 2.65 W cm-2 at 800 °C. Also, the SOFC could be stably operated for 250 h with no degradation, even at a high temperature of 800 °C.

Effect of calcination temperature on the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition activity of nano-crystalline Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} prepared by combustion method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makhlouf, M.Th. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, 71516 Assiut (Egypt); Abu-Zied, B.M., E-mail: babuzied@aun.edu.eg [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, 71516 Assiut (Egypt); Mansoure, T.H. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, 71516 Assiut (Egypt)

2013-06-01

Cobalt oxide nano-particles were prepared by combustion method using urea as a combustion fuel. The effects of calcination temperature, 350–1000 °C, on the physicochemical, surface and catalytic properties of the prepared Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nano-particles were studied. The products were characterized by thermal analyses (TGA and DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Textural features of the obtained catalysts were investigated using nitrogen adsorption at −196 °C. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the resulting oxide was pure single-crystalline Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nano-particles. Transmission electron microscopy indicating that, the crystallite size of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nano-crystals was in the range of 8–34 nm. The catalytic activities of prepared nano-crystalline Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} catalysts were tested for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition at 35–50 °C temperature range. Experimental results revealed that, the catalytic decomposition of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decreases with increasing the calcination temperature. This was correlated with the observed particle size increase accompanying the calcination temperature rise.

Capacitor Property and Leakage Current Mechanism of ZrO2 Thin Dielectric Films Prepared by Anodic Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Kamijyo, Masahiro; Onozuka, Tomotake; Shinkai, Satoko; Sasaki, Katsutaka; Yamane, Misao; Abe, Yoshio

2003-07-01

Polycrystalline ZrO2 thin film capacitors were prepared by anodizing sputter-deposited Zr films. Electrical measurements are performed for the parallel-plate anodized capacitors with an Al-ZrO2-Zr (metal-insulator-metal) structure, and a high capacitance density (0.6 μF/cm2) and a low dielectric loss of nearly 1% are obtained for a very thin-oxide capacitor anodized at 10 V. In addition, the leakage current density of this capacitor is about 1.8 × 10-8 A/cm2 at an applied voltage of 5 V. However, the leakage current is somewhat larger than that of a low-loss HfO2 capacitor. The leakage current density (J) of ZrO2 capacitors as a function of applied electric field (E) was investigated for several capacitors with different oxide thicknesses, by plotting \\ln(J) vs E1/2 curves. As a result, it is revealed that the conduction mechanism is due to the Poole-Frenkel effect, irrespective of the oxide thickness.

Ferroelectric properties of bilayer structured Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/SrBi2Ta2O9 (PZT/SBT) thin films on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wenqi; Li Aidong; Shao Qiyue; Xia Yidong; Wu Di; Liu Zhiguo; Ming Naiben

2008-01-01

Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (PZT) thin films with large remanent polarization and SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (SBT) thin films with excellent fatigue-resisting characteristic have been widely studied for non-volatile random access memories, respectively. To combine these two advantages , bilayered Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 /SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (PZT/SBT) thin films were fabricated on Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si substrates by chemical solution deposition method. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the diffraction peaks of PZT/SBT thin films were completely composed of PZT and SBT, and no other secondary phase was observed. The electrical properties of the bilayered structure PZT/SBT films have been investigated in comparison with pure PZT and SBT films. PZT/SBT bilayered thin films showed larger remanent polarization (2P r ) of 18.37 μC/cm 2 than pure SBT and less polarization fatigue up to 1 x 10 9 switching cycles than pure PZT. These results indicated that this bilayered structure of PZT/SBT is a promising material combination for ferroelectric memory applications

Surface Modification of Solution-Processed ZrO2 Films through Double Coating for Pentacene Thin-Film Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jin-Hyuk; Bae, Jin-Hyuk; Lee, Hyeonju; Park, Jaehoon

2018-03-01

We report the modification of surface properties of solution-processed zirconium oxide (ZrO2) dielectric films achieved by using double-coating process. It is proven that the surface properties of the ZrO2 film are modified through the double-coating process; the surface roughness decreases and the surface energy increases. The present surface modification of the ZrO2 film contributes to an increase in grain size of the pentacene film, thereby increasing the field-effect mobility and decreasing the threshold voltage of the pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) having the ZrO2 gate dielectric. Herein, the molecular orientation of pentacene film is also studied based on the results of contact angle and X-ray diffraction measurements. Pentacene molecules on the double-coated ZrO2 film are found to be more tilted than those on the single-coated ZrO2 film, which is attributed to the surface modification of the ZrO2 film. However, no significant differences are observed in insulating properties between the single-and the double-coated ZrO2 dielectric films. Consequently, the characteristic improvements of the pentacene TFTs with the double-coated ZrO2 gate dielectric film can be understood through the increase in pentacene grain size and the reduction in grain boundary density.

Properties of nanostructured undoped ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolytes by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition for thin film solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Gu Young; Noh, Seungtak; Lee, Yoon Ho; Cha, Suk Won, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Sanghoon [Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Iui-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 443-270 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon Wook; Koo, Bongjun; Kim, Young-Beom, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); An, Jihwan [Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering Programme, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Nanostructured ZrO{sub 2} thin films were prepared by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The effects of the deposition conditions of temperature, reactant, plasma power, and duration upon the physical and chemical properties of ZrO{sub 2} films were investigated. The ZrO{sub 2} films by PEALD were polycrystalline and had low contamination, rough surfaces, and relatively large grains. Increasing the plasma power and duration led to a clear polycrystalline structure with relatively large grains due to the additional energy imparted by the plasma. After characterization, the films were incorporated as electrolytes in thin film solid oxide fuel cells, and the performance was measured at 500 °C. Despite similar structure and cathode morphology of the cells studied, the thin film solid oxide fuel cell with the ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolyte by the thermal ALD at 250 °C exhibited the highest power density (38 mW/cm{sup 2}) because of the lowest average grain size at cathode/electrolyte interface.

Synthesis of nano-Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} by absorption of ammonia into water-in-oil microemulsion in a rotor–stator reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yingwen; Wang, Hongrun; Arowo, Moses; Sun, Baochang, E-mail: sunbc@mail.buct.edu.cn; Chen, Jianfeng; Shao, Lei, E-mail: shaol@mail.buct.edu.cn [Beijing University of Chemical Technology, State Key Laboratory of Organic–Inorganic Composites (China)

2015-01-15

A gas-microemulsion reaction precipitation method was employed to prepare nano-Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} by absorption of NH{sub 3} into water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion in a rotor–stator reactor . The effects of different operating conditions including final pH of the microemulsion, reaction temperature, initial Ce{sup 3+} and Zr{sup 4+} concentration, rotation speed, and gas–liquid volumetric ratio were investigated. Nano-Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} with an average diameter of about 5.5 nm, a specific surface area of 215.6 m{sup 2}/g and a size distribution of 4–8 nm was obtained under the optimum operating conditions. The as-prepared nano-Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} was loaded with Au to prepare nano-Au/Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} catalyst which was subsequently used for CO oxidation test. CO conversion rate reached 100 % at room temperature, indicating high catalytic activity of the nano-Au/Ce{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} catalyst.

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of ZrO₂ thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saravanan, Kolandaivelu [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

1993-12-09

Amorphous ZrO₂ thin films were deposited in an inductively coupled PECVD system using a Zr β-diketonate, Zr(C₁₁H₁₉O₂)₄, as the precursor. The deposits were air annealed at 900C for 5 min to get pure, single phase, oriented, polycrystalline α-ZrO₂. Feasibility of using 2 different types of reactors was investigated. The inductively heated horizontal reactor depositions at 600C had a lower deposition rate and the films were non-uniform in thickness with a columnar structure. The resistively heated vertical reactor depositions at 350C had a higher deposition rate and the films were more uniform in thickness with a fine grained microstructure. The statistical design was demonstrated as an effective technique to analyze the effect of process conditions on the rate of deposition and relative (h00) orientation. The factorial design was used to quantify the two responses in terms of the process variables and their mutual interactions. The statistical design for rate of deposition was found to correlate with the trends observed in classical design.

Nanoindentation of ZrO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}/Zr systems by molecular dynamics simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Zizhe; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Noordhoek, Mark J.; Sinnott, Susan B.; Phillpot, Simon R., E-mail: sphil@mse.ufl.edu

2017-04-01

The deformation behaviors of cubic zirconia and a cubic zirconia thin film on top of an hcp zirconium substrate are investigated using molecular dynamics nanoindentation simulation. Interatomic interactions are described by the previously developed Charge Optimized Many Body (COMB) potential for the Zr-ZrO{sub 2}-O{sub 2} system. The load-displacement curves, deformation processes and hardnesses of zirconia and the zirconia/zirconium systems are characterized. In addition, by comparing with a previous nanoindentation simulation on zirconium, the effects of the zirconia layer on top on the mechanical properties of the zirconium substrate are determined.

Selenidation of epitaxial silicene on ZrB2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiggers, F. B.; Yamada-Takamura, Y.; Kovalgin, A. Y.; de Jong, M. P.

2018-01-01

The deposition of elemental Se on epitaxial silicene on ZrB2 thin films was investigated with synchrotron-based core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The deposition of Se at room temperature caused the appearance of Si 2p peaks with chemical shifts of n × 0.51 ±

Structural and morphological properties of HfxZr 1-xO2 thin films prepared by Pechini route

KAUST Repository

García-Cerda, L. A.

2010-03-01

In this study, HfxZr1-xO2 (0 < x < 1) thin films were deposited on silicon wafers using a dip-coating technique and by using a precursor solution prepared by the Pechini route. The effects of annealing temperature on the structure and morphological properties of the proposed films were investigated. HfxZr1-xO2 thin films with 1, 3 and 5 layers were annealed in air for 2 h at 600 and 800 °C and the structural and morphological properties studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD results show that the films have monoclinic and tetragonal structure depending of the Hf and Zr concentration. SEM photographs show that all films consist of nanocrystalline grains with sizes in the range of 6 - 13 nm. The total film thickness is about 90 nm. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.

Grain size and lattice parameter's influence on band gap of SnS thin nano-crystalline films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Yashika [Department of Electronics, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Department of Electronic Science, University of Delhi-South Campus, New Delhi 110021 (India); Arun, P., E-mail: arunp92@physics.du.ac.in [Department of Electronics, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Naudi, A.A.; Walz, M.V. [Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, 3101 Oro Verde (Argentina); Albanesi, E.A. [Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, 3101 Oro Verde (Argentina); Instituto de Física del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Guemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe (Argentina)

2016-08-01

Tin sulphide nano-crystalline thin films were fabricated on glass and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) substrates by thermal evaporation method. The crystal structure orientation of the films was found to be dependent on the substrate. Residual stress existed in the films due to these orientations. This stress led to variation in lattice parameter. The nano-crystalline grain size was also found to vary with film thickness. A plot of band-gap with grain size or with lattice parameter showed the existence of a family of curves. This implied that band-gap of SnS films in the preview of the present study depends on two parameters, lattice parameter and grain size. The band-gap relation with grain size is well known in the nano regime. Experimental data fitted well with this relation for the given lattice constants. The manuscript uses theoretical structure calculations for different lattice constants and shows that the experimental data follows the trend. Thus, confirming that the band gap has a two variable dependency. - Highlights: • Tin sulphide films are grown on glass and ITO substrates. • Both substrates give differently oriented films. • The band-gap is found to depend on grain size and lattice parameter. • Using data from literature, E{sub g} is shown to be two parameter function. • Theoretical structure calculations are used to verify results.

Effect of SiO 2-ZrO 2 supports prepared by a grafting method on hydrogen production by steam reforming of liquefied natural gas over Ni/SiO 2-ZrO 2 catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Jeong Gil; Youn, Min Hye; Song, In Kyu

SiO 2-ZrO 2 supports with various zirconium contents are prepared by grafting a zirconium precursor onto the surface of commercial Carbosil silica. Ni(20 wt.%)/SiO 2-ZrO 2 catalysts are then prepared by an impregnation method, and are applied to hydrogen production by steam reforming of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The effect of SiO 2-ZrO 2 supports on the performance of the Ni(20 wt.%)/SiO 2-ZrO 2 catalysts is investigated. SiO 2-ZrO 2 prepared by a grafting method serves as an efficient support for the nickel catalyst in the steam reforming of LNG. Zirconia enhances the resistance of silica to steam significantly and increases the interaction between nickel and the support, and furthermore, prevents the growth of nickel oxide species during the calcination process through the formation of a ZrO 2-SiO 2 composite structure. The crystalline structures and catalytic activities of the Ni(20 wt.%)/SiO 2-ZrO 2 catalysts are strongly influenced by the amount of zirconium grafted. The conversion of LNG and the yield of hydrogen show volcano-shaped curves with respect to zirconium content. Among the catalysts tested, the Ni(20 wt.%)/SiO 2-ZrO 2 (Zr/Si = 0.54) sample shows the best catalytic performance in terms of both LNG conversion and hydrogen yield. The well-developed and pure tetragonal phase of ZrO 2-SiO 2 (Zr/Si = 0.54) appears to play an important role in the adsorption of steam and subsequent spillover of steam from the support to the active nickel. The small particle size of the metallic nickel in the Ni(20 wt.%)/SiO 2-ZrO 2 (Zr/Si = 0.54) catalyst is also responsible for its high performance.

Improvement of resistive switching characteristics in ZrO2 film by embedding a thin TiOx layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yingtao; Long Shibing; Lv Hangbing; Liu Qi; Wang Yan; Zhang Sen; Lian Wentai; Wang Ming; Zhang Kangwei; Xie Hongwei; Liu Ming; Liu Su

2011-01-01

The stabilization of the resistive switching characteristics is important to resistive random access memory (RRAM) device development. In this paper, an alternative approach for improving resistive switching characteristics in ZrO 2 -based resistive memory devices has been investigated. Compared with the Cu/ZrO 2 /Pt structure device, by embedding a thin TiO x layer between the ZrO 2 and the Cu top electrode, the Cu/TiO x -ZrO 2 /Pt structure device exhibits much better resistive switching characteristics. The improvement of the resistive switching characteristics in the Cu/TiO x -ZrO 2 /Pt structure device might be attributed to the modulation of the barrier height at the electrode/oxide interfaces.

Effect of zirconia morphology on sulfur-resistant methanation performance of MoO3/ZrO2 catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chen; Wang, Weihan; Xu, Yan; Li, Zhenhua; Wang, Baowei; Ma, Xinbin

2018-05-01

Two kinds of ZrO2 support with different morphologies were prepared by facile solvothermal method in different solvents. The obtained two supports showed monoclinic zirconia (m-ZrO2) and tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) phase with similar crystalline size. Their supported Mo-based catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and the effect of zirconia morphology on the performance of sulfur-resistant methanation was examined. The results indicated that the MoO3/m-ZrO2 has higher CO conversion than the MoO3/t-ZrO2 catalyst. Characterizations by XRD, Raman, H2-TPR and IR confirmed that the m-ZrO2 is superior to t-ZrO2 for dispersing molybdenum species. In addition, the MoO3/m-ZrO2 catalyst has weaker interaction between support and active Mo speices than the MoO3/t-ZrO2 catalyst, which facilitates to forming active species of nanocrystalline MoS2 layers for sulfur-resistant methanation. The weaker interaction of molybdenum species with m-ZrO2 is related with the more covalent character of the Zrsbnd O bond and more oxygen defective structure of m-ZrO2. A larger number of Lewis acid centers appear on the surface of m-ZrO2, which verified the substantial vacancies on m-ZrO2 exposing coordinately unsaturated Zr3+ and Zr4+ cations. Meanwhile, the less Lewis acid of t-ZrO2 result in stronger interaction between support and molybdenum species and trigger crystalline phase MoO3 and Mosbnd Osbnd Zr linkages.

Enhanced dielectric properties of ZrO2 thin films prepared in nitrogen ambient by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, J; Li, T L; Pan, B; Zhou, L; Liu, Z G

2003-01-01

ZrO 2 thin films were fabricated in O 2 ambient and in N 2 ambient by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed that films prepared at 400 deg. C remained amorphous. The dielectric properties of amorphous ZrO 2 films were investigated by measuring the capacitance-frequency characteristics of Pt/ZrO 2 /Pt capacitor structures. The dielectric constant of the films deposited in N 2 ambient was larger than that of the films deposited in O 2 ambient. The dielectric loss was lower for films prepared in N 2 ambient. Atom force microscopy investigation indicated that films deposited in N 2 ambient had smoother surface than films deposited in O 2 ambient. Capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics were studied. The equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of films with 6.6 nm physical thickness deposited in N 2 ambient is lower than that of films deposited in O 2 ambient. An EOT of 1.38 nm for the film deposited in N 2 ambient was obtained, while the leakage current density was 94.6 mA cm -2 . Therefore, ZrO 2 thins deposited in N 2 ambient have enhanced dielectric properties due to the incorporation of nitrogen which leads to the formation of Zr-doped nitride interfacial layer, and is suggested to be a potential material for alternative high-k (high dielectric constant) gate dielectric applications

Preparation, characterization, and thermal stability of B2O3-ZrO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theresia Debora Simbolon

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Synthesis of the borate-based compound with ZrOCl2 to form B2O3-ZrO2 has been conducted. The compound was characterized by FT-IR spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction, acidity and thermal stability test. The results showed that the FT-IR main vibration spectrum of B2O3-ZrO2 compound has appeared at wave number 401.2 cm-1 for Zr-O bonding vibration, 617.2 cm-1 for B-O-B bonding vibration and 910.4 cm-1 for B-O bonding vibration. The XRD diffraction pattern shows B2O3-ZrO2 compound has an amorphous structure. The FT-IR spectrum after saturated with ammonia and potentiometric titration indicates that the compound of B2O3-ZrO2 has acidic properties with a strong level of acidity. Thermal stability test shows that the B2O3-ZrO2 compounds have high stability on temperature with increasing crystallinity after the compound was heated at 700 °C. Keywords: B2O3-ZrO2, impregnation, thermal stability.

Properties of thermally oxidized and nitrided Zr-oxynitride thin film on 4H-SiC in diluted N{sub 2}O ambient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, Yew Hoong [Energy Efficient and Sustainable Semiconductor Research Group, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang (Malaysia); Cheong, Kuan Yew, E-mail: cheong@eng.usm.my [Energy Efficient and Sustainable Semiconductor Research Group, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang (Malaysia)

2012-10-15

A systematic investigation on the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of thermally oxidized and nitrided sputtered Zr thin film in various N{sub 2}O ambient (10-100%) at 500 Degree-Sign C for 15 min to form Zr-oxynitride on 4H-SiC substrate has been carried out. The chemical composition, depth profile analysis, and energy band alignment have been evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. Zr-oxynitride layer and its interfacial layer comprised of compounds related to Zr-O, Zr-N, Zr-O-N, Si-N, and/or C-N were identified. A model related to the oxidation and nitridation mechanism has been suggested. Supportive results related to the model were obtained by energy filtered transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman analyses. A proposed crystal structure was employed to elucidate the surface roughness and topographies of the samples, which were characterized by atomic force microscopy. The electrical results revealed that 10% N{sub 2}O sample has possessed the highest breakdown field and reliability. This was owing to the confinement of nitrogen-related compounds of Zr-O-N and/or Zr-N at or near interfacial layer region, smaller grain with finer structure on the surface, the lowest interface trap density, total interface trap density, and effective oxide charge, and highest barrier height between conduction band edge of oxide and semiconductor. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Zr-oxynitride as the gate oxide deposited on 4H-SiC substrate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simultaneous oxidation and nitridation of sputtered Zr thin film on 4H-SiC using various concentrations of N{sub 2}O gas. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Presence of interfacial layer comprised of mixed compounds related to Zr-O, Zr-N, Zr-O-N, Si-N, and/or C-N. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The highest electrical breakdown and highest reliability at diluted N{sub 2}O of 10%.

Optical, electrical and solid state properties of nano crystalline zinc ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Semiconducting Zinc Sulphide (ZnS) thin films were deposited on glass substrate using relatively simple Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) technique. Nano crystalline ZnS thin films were fabricated in the study. Optical characterization of the films showed that the materials are transparent to visible light, opaque to ultraviolet ...

Effects of interfacial layer on characteristics of TiN/ZrO2 structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Younsoo; Kang, Sang Yeol; Choi, Jae Hyoung; Lim, Jae Soon; Park, Min Young; Chung, Suk-Jin; Chung, Jaegwan; Lee, Hyung Ik; Kim, Ki Hong; Kyoung, Yong Koo; Heo, Sung; Yoo, Cha Young; Kang, Ho-Kyu

2011-09-01

To minimize the formation of unwanted interfacial layers, thin interfacial layer (ZrCN layer) was deposited between TiN bottom electrode and ZrO2 dielectric in TiN/ZrO2/TiN capacitor. Carbon and nitrogen were also involved in the layer because ZrCN layer was thermally deposited using TEMAZ without any reactant. Electrical characteristics of TiN/ZrO2/TiN capacitor were improved by insertion of ZrCN layer. The oxidation of TiN bottom electrode was largely inhibited at TiN/ZrCN/ZrO2 structure compared to TiN/ZrO2 structure. While the sheet resistance of TiN/ZrCN/ZrO2 structure was constantly sustained with increasing ZrO2 thickness, the large increase of sheet resistance was observed in TiN/ZrO2 structure after 6 nm ZrO2 deposition. When ZrO2 films were deposited on ZrCN layer, the deposition rate of ZrO2 also increased. It is believed that ZrCN layer acted both as a protection layer of TiN oxidation and a seed layer of ZrO2 growth.

Thermophysical characterization of Al2O3 and ZrO2 nano-fluids as emergency cooling fluids of future generations of nuclear reactors - 15504

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, M.S.; Cabral, E.L.L.; Sabundjian, G.; Yoriyaz, H.; Lima, A.C.S.; Belchior Junior, A.; Prado, A.C.; Filho, T.F.; Andrade, D.A.; Shorto, J.M.B.; Mesquita, R.N.; Otubo, L.; Filho, B.D.B.; Ribatsky, G.; Ubices de Moraes, A.A.

2015-01-01

Among the countless applications presently proposed for the nano-fluids, the applications in energy have special attention by academic and industrial interest. Studies demonstrate that nano-fluids based on metal oxide nanoparticles have physical properties that characterize them as promising working fluids, mainly, in industrial systems in which high heat flux want to be removed. Nuclear reactors for power production are examples of industry where such an application has been proposed. However, there are no concrete results about the ionizing radiation effects on nano-fluids properties. This work aims to present the initial results of the current study carried out with the objective to check the effects caused by that ionizing radiation on nano-fluids based on Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 nanoparticles. Results from thermophysical analyses demonstrate that particular behavior on thermal conductivity, and density of such nano-fluids can be observed as a function of temperature under no ionizing radiation effect. New investigations will analyze the application potentiality of some nano-fluids in nuclear systems for heat transfer enhancement under ionizing radiation influence. (authors)

Amorphization induced by chemical disorder in crystalline NiZr2: A molecular-dynamics study based on an n-body potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massobrio, C.; Pontikis, V.; Martin, G.

1989-01-01

We present the first molecular-dynamics study of the amorphization of a crystalline alloy (NiZr 2 ) induced by chemical disorder. We used a n-body potential in conjunction with isobaric-isothermal molecular dynamics. The behavior of the pair distribution function suggests that the instability leading to the amorphous state is a first-order phase transformation

Correlation between microstructure and optical properties of nano-crystalline TiO{sub 2} thin films prepared by sol-gel dip coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mechiakh, R., E-mail: raouf_mechiakh@yahoo.fr [Departement de Medecine, Faculte de Medecine, Universite Hadj Lakhdar, Batna (Algeria); Laboratoire de Photovoltaique de Semi-conducteurs et de Nanostructures, Centre de Recherche des Sciences et Technologies de l' Energie, BP.95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Laboratoire de Ceramiques, Universite Mentouri Constantine (Algeria); Sedrine, N. Ben; Chtourou, R. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique de Semi-conducteurs et de Nanostructures, Centre de Recherche des Sciences et Technologies de l' Energie, BP.95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Bensaha, R. [Laboratoire de Ceramiques, Universite Mentouri Constantine (Algeria)

2010-11-15

Titanium dioxide thin films have been prepared from tetrabutyl-orthotitanate solution and methanol as a solvent by sol-gel dip coating technique. TiO{sub 2} thin films prepared using a sol-gel process have been analyzed for different annealing temperatures. Structural properties in terms of crystal structure were investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphology and composition of the films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical transmittance and reflectance spectra of TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited on silicon substrate were also determined. Spectroscopic ellipsometry study was used to determine the annealing temperature effect on the optical properties and the optical gap of the TiO{sub 2} thin films. The results show that the TiO{sub 2} thin films crystallize in anatase phase between 400 and 800 deg. C, and into the anatase-rutile phase at 1000 deg. C, and further into the rutile phase at 1200 deg. C. We have found that the films consist of titanium dioxide nano-crystals. The AFM surface morphology results indicate that the particle size increases from 5 to 41 nm by increasing the annealing temperature. The TiO{sub 2} thin films have high transparency in the visible range. For annealing temperatures between 1000 and 1400 deg. C, the transmittance of the films was reduced significantly in the wavelength range of 300-800 nm due to the change of crystallite phase and composition in the films. We have demonstrated as well the decrease of the optical band gap with the increase of the annealing temperature.

Physical and dispersive optical characteristics of ZrON/Si thin-film system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, Yew Hoong [University of Malaya, Centre of Advanced Materials, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); University of Malaya, Centre of Advanced Manufacturing and Material Processing, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Atuchin, V.V. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Laboratory of Optical Materials and Structures, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Kruchinin, V.N. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Laboratory for Ellipsometry of Semiconductor Materials and Structures, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Cheong, Kuan Yew [Universiti Sains Malaysia, Electronic Materials Research Group, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang (Malaysia)

2014-06-15

To date, the complex evaluation of physical and dispersive optical characteristics of the ZrON/Si film system has yet been reported. Hence, ZrON thin films have been formed on Si(100) substrates through oxidation/nitridation of sputtered metallic Zr in N{sub 2}O environment at 500, 700, and 900 C. Physical properties of the deposited films have been characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). It has been shown that ZrON/Si thin films without optical absorption can be prepared by oxidation/nitridation reaction in N{sub 2}O environment at 700-900 C. (orig.)

Polypropylene Nano composites Obtained by In Situ Polymerization Using Metallocenes Catalyst: Influence of the Nanoparticles on the Final Polymer Morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata, P.; Quijada, R.

2012-01-01

Polypropylene nano composites containing silica nanospheres based on the sol-gel methods were produced via in situ polymerization using a rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 /methylaluminoxane (MAO) system. Two different routes were used depending on the interaction between the silica nanoparticles with the catalytic system. In route 1 the nanoparticles were added together with the catalytic system (rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 )/(MAO) directly into the reactor, and in route 2 the metallocenes rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 was supported on silica nanospheres pretreated with (MAO). SEM images show that when the nanospheres were added by both routes, they were replicated in the final polymer particle morphology; this phenomenon was more pronounced for PP obtained by route 2. The polypropylene (PP) nano composites obtained by both routes had a slightly higher percent crystallinity and crystallinity temperatures than pure PP. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the nanospheres were well dispersed into the polypropylene matrix, particularly in the nano composites obtained by the support system (route 2).

Nano-crystalline p-ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4}/n-Si as a new heterojunction diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakr, G.B. [Nano-Science Lab., Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo (Egypt); Fouad, S.S. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo (Egypt); Yahia, I.S., E-mail: dr_isyahia@yahoo.com [Nano-Science Lab., Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo (Egypt); Semicondcutor Lab., Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo (Egypt); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha (Saudi Arabia); Abdel Basset, D.M. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo (Egypt); Yakuphanoglu, F. [Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Firat University, Elazig (Turkey)

2013-02-15

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4}/Si thin film was prepared by thermal evaporation technique. ► XRD and AFM graphs support the nano-crystalline of the studied device. ► Dark current–voltage characteristics of the heterojunction diode were investigated. ► Electrical parameters and conduction mechanism were determined. ► Conduction mechanisms were controlled by TE, SCLC and TCLC. -- Abstract: In this communication, ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4} thin film was prepared by thermal evaporation technique on n-Si substrate. P-ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4}/n-Si heterojunction diode was fabricated. The structure of ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4} thin film was checked by XRD pattern and confirmed by AFM micrographs. The dark current–voltage characteristics of the heterojunction diode were investigated to determine the electrical parameters and conduction mechanism as a function of forward and reverse biasing conditions in the range (−10 V to 10 V) at temperature interval (303–423 K). The conduction mechanism was controlled by thermionic emission, space charge limited (SCLC) and trap-charge limited current (TCLC) mechanisms. The basic parameters such as the series resistance R{sub s}, the shunt resistance R{sub sh}, the ideality factor n and the barrier height φ{sub b} of the diode, the total density of trap states N{sub 0} and the exponential trapping distribution P{sub o} were determined. The obtained results showed that ZnGa{sub 2}Te{sub 4} is a good candidate for the applications of electronic devices.

Total oxidation of VOCs on Pd and/or Au supported on TiO2/ZrO2 followed by ''operando'' Drift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseini, M.; Siffert, St.; Cousin, R.; Aboukais, A.; Hadj-Sadok, Z.; Bao-Lian, Su

2009-01-01

Catalytic performances of nano-structured meso-porous TiO 2 -ZrO 2 mixed oxides impregnated by Pd and/or Au were studied in toluene total oxidation in a fixed bed micro-reactor and with 'operando' DRIFT. Meso-porous TiO 2 -ZrO 2 mixed oxides with various Ti:Zr mole ratio of 80/20, 50/50 and 20/80, high surface areas were synthesised using a mixture of zirconium prop-oxide and titanium iso-prop-oxide as Zr and Ti sources and also CTMABr as surfactant. The new supports are impregnated by 0.5 or 1.5 wt% of palladium and 1 wt% of gold using impregnation and Deposition-Precipitation methods. The catalytic activity for the nano-structured meso-porous TiO 2 -ZrO 2 mixed oxides varies depending on the molar ratio of Ti:Zr and also for all series of the studied catalysts impregnated by Pd and/or Au, when the gold is loaded firstly the activity in toluene complete oxidation is higher than when Pd was deposited firstly (PdAu/TZ ≥ 1.5Pd/TZ ≥ AuPd/TZ ≥ Pd/TZ ≥ Au/TZ ≥ TZ). The highest activity of PdAu/TZ (80/20) can be related to the higher acid sites density of the support and also to the presence of a synergetic effect between palladium and gold. 'Operando' DRIFT allowed following the VOCs oxidation but also suggesting an interaction between the adsorbed molecule and the catalyst which decreases when the activity for oxidation reaction increases. (authors)

Fabrication of high crystalline SnS and SnS2 thin films, and their switching device characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyeongsu; Lee, Jeongsu; Shin, Seokyoon; Lee, Juhyun; Lee, Seungjin; Park, Hyunwoo; Kwon, Sejin; Lee, Namgue; Bang, Minwook; Lee, Seung-Beck; Jeon, Hyeongtag

2018-05-01

Representative tin sulfide compounds, tin monosulfide (SnS) and tin disulfide (SnS2) are strong candidates for future nanoelectronic devices, based on non-toxicity, low cost, unique structures and optoelectronic properties. However, it is insufficient for synthesizing of tin sulfide thin films using vapor phase deposition method which is capable of fabricating reproducible device and securing high quality films, and their device characteristics. In this study, we obtained highly crystalline SnS thin films by atomic layer deposition and obtained highly crystalline SnS2 thin films by phase transition of the SnS thin films. The SnS thin film was transformed into SnS2 thin film by annealing at 450 °C for 1 h in H2S atmosphere. This phase transition was confirmed by x-ray diffractometer and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and we studied the cause of the phase transition. We then compared the film characteristics of these two tin sulfide thin films and their switching device characteristics. SnS and SnS2 thin films had optical bandgaps of 1.35 and 2.70 eV, and absorption coefficients of about 105 and 104 cm‑1 in the visible region, respectively. In addition, SnS and SnS2 thin films exhibited p-type and n-type semiconductor characteristics. In the images of high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, SnS and SnS2 directly showed a highly crystalline orthorhombic and hexagonal layered structure. The field effect transistors of SnS and SnS2 thin films exhibited on–off drain current ratios of 8.8 and 2.1 × 103 and mobilities of 0.21 and 0.014 cm2 V‑1 s‑1, respectively. This difference in switching device characteristics mainly depends on the carrier concentration because it contributes to off-state conductance and mobility. The major carrier concentrations of the SnS and SnS2 thin films were 6.0 × 1016 and 8.7 × 1013 cm‑3, respectively, in this experiment.

The effect of nano-size ZrO2 powder addition on the microstructure and superconducting properties of single-domain Y-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, K; Babu, N H; Reddy, E S; Shi, Y-H; Cardwell, D A

2005-01-01

The effect of nano-size ZrO 2 powder addition on the microstructure and superconducting properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O single grain bulk superconductors has been investigated. Significant pushing phenomena of Y 2 BaCuO 5 (Y-211) particles, particularly in the c growth sector, were observed even with a small amount of ZrO 2 added to the precursor powder. An increase in Y-211 particle pushing was observed with increasing ZrO 2 content, leading to an inhomogeneous bulk microstructure. In addition, a growth cycle consisting of a Y-211 free layer-porous narrow layer-Y-211 high concentration layer was observed for samples prepared with 0.25 wt% ZrO 2 in both the a and c growth sectors. The extent of the growth of single grain Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) decreased with increasing ZrO 2 content due to increased pushing of Y-211 particles towards molten liquid. The superconducting transition temperature, T c , of the ZrO 2 containing YBCO samples was sharp but depressed slightly (by up to 1 K) compared with an undoped YBCO grain, indicating a relative insensitivity of T c to ZrO 2 content. Finally, the sensitivity of critical current density, J c , to applied magnetic field in large grain bulk YBCO containing ZrO 2 was observed to depend critically on position due to the inhomogeneous sample microstructure

Curve thermoluminescent analysis of ZrO2 doped with nanoparticles and Ag nano fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza A, D.; Villa S, G.; Gutierrez W, C.; Perez H, R.; Gonzalez M, P.

2008-01-01

This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of the high temperature thermoluminescence response induced by UV radiation in pure zirconium (ZrO 2 ) and doped with Ag nanoparticles and Ag nano fibers. The zirconium samples were obtained by the sol-gel method and irradiated with a UV lamp for different times. The results showed that the presence of the dopants change the characteristics of the traps associated with the high temperature peak which is located at 230 C for pure zirconium, and that the greater influence is due the presence of Ag nano fibers, inducing a shift to lower temperatures. It also presents the thermoluminescence response as a function of irradiation time. (Author)

Development of all chemical solution derived Ce0.9La0.1O2−y/Gd2Zr2O7 buffer layer stack for coated conductors: influence of the post-annealing process on surface crystallinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Y; Li, X-F; He, D; Andersen, N H; Grivel, J-C; Khoryushin, A; Hansen, J B

2012-01-01

Preparation and characterization of a biaxially textured Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 and Ce 0.9 La 0.1 O 2−y (CLO, cap)/Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 (GZO, barrier) buffer layer stack by the metal–organic deposition route are reported. YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−d (YBCO) superconductor films were deposited by the pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) technique to assess the efficiency of such a novel buffer layer stack. Biaxial texture quality and morphology of the buffer layers and the YBCO superconductor films were fully characterized. The surface crystallinity of the buffer layers is studied by the electron backscatter diffraction technique. It is revealed that post-annealing GZO films in 2% H 2 in Ar is an effective way to improve the surface crystallinity. As a result, a highly textured CLO film can grow directly on the GZO film at a lower crystallization temperature. The critical current density of a YBCO PLD film is higher than 1 MA cm −2 (77 K, in self-field), demonstrating that the novel CLO/GZO stack is very promising for further development of low cost buffer layer architectures for coated conductors.

The Effect of Acidic and Redox Properties of V2O5/CeO2-ZrO2 Catalysts in Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO by NH3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putluru, Siva Sankar Reddy; Riisager, Anders; Fehrmann, Rasmus

2009-01-01

V2O5 supported ZrO2 and CeO2–ZrO2 catalysts were prepared and characterized by N2 physisorption, XRPD, TPR, and NH3-TPD methods. The influence of calcination temperature from 400 to 600 °C on crystallinity, acidic and redox properties were studied and compared with the catalytic activity...... in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with ammonia. The surface area of the catalysts decreased gradually with increasing calcination temperature. The SCR activity of V2O5/ZrO2 catalysts was found to be related with the support crystallinity, whereas V2O5/CeO2–ZrO2 catalysts were also dependent...... on acidic and redox properties of the catalyst. The V2O5/CeO2–ZrO2 catalysts showed high activity and selectivity for reduction of NO with NH3....

Formation of high-conductivity regions in SnO2-AOx (A - Ti4+, Zr4+, Sb3+, Sb5+) films exposed to ultraviolet radiation of H2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Postovalova, G.G.; Roginskaya, Yu.E.; Zav'yalov, S.A.; Galyamov, B.Sh.; Klimasenko, N.L.

2000-01-01

Composition, structure and electron properties of SnO 2 films doped by Ti, Zr and Sb oxides were studied. The doped SnO 2 films were determined to contain nano-regions of SnO 2 base crystalline solid solutions and amorphous SnO 2 containing Sn 2+ or Sb 3+ ions and residing at the surface of crystallites or between them. These composition and structure peculiarities affect essentially both electron structure and electrical properties of films. Localized 5s-states of the conductivity range diffused boundary of amorphous SnO 2 partially filled with 5s-electrons of Sn 2+ or Sb 3+ ions serving as traps capture free electrons in the crystalline ranges and motivate high resistance of films [ru

Synthesis and photophysical properties of pyrene-functionalized nano-SiO{sub 2} hybrids in solutions and doped-PMMA thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Wen-Jie; He, Wen-Li; Yu, Hong-Yu [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China); Huang, Hong-Xiang [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China); Chen, Meng [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China); Qian, Dong-Jin, E-mail: djqian@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2017-01-15

Luminescent pyrene-functionalized nano-SiO{sub 2} (nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr) hybrids were synthesized and characterized using thermogravimetry, infrared, UV–vis absorption and, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM). The organic substituents immobilized on the nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr hybrids accounted for approximately 10% of the total weight. Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) was found to be the most suitable solvent to suspend the nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr hybrids compared to other commonly used organic solvents. FETEM images indicated an average SiO{sub 2} nanoparticle diameter of approximately 12 nm and a 1- to 2-nm thick organic species functionalization layer. Several emission peaks were recorded at wavelengths of 380–580 nm and were designated as emissions arising from either the monomer or excimer of the pyrene substituents. Excimer formation was concentration and solvent polarity dependent, with higher concentrations and a stronger solvent polarity benefiting excimer formation. Further, nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr hybrids were doped in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films; fluorescence spectra indicated that the excimer could be formed almost exclusively from neighboring nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr hybrids. Time-resolved fluorescence decays revealed that the emission lifetimes of nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr monomers and excimers were approximately 190 ns and 65–100 ns in the PEG200 solution, respectively, which was shortened to 0.45 ns to tens of ns in doped PMMA thin films, depending on the nano-hybrid concentration. Thus, the present study not only provides a method to prepare luminescent nano-materials but also a route to investigate excimer formation in solutions and thin films. - Highlights: • Luminescent pyrene-functionalized nano-SiO{sub 2}Pyr hybrids were prepared. • A 1- to 2- nm thick organic functionalization layer on nano-SiO{sub 2} was observed. • Formation of pyrene excimer was concentration and solvent

Room temperature ferromagnetism in nano-crystalline Co:ThO2 powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhide, M.K.; Kadam, R.M.; Godbole, S.V.; Tyagi, A.K.; Salunke, H.G.

2012-01-01

The major interest in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS's) had been directed towards the synthesis of room temperature ferromagnetic (RTF) materials for their potential applications in spintronic devices. Room temperature (RT) ferromagnetism was initially reported in Co doped TiO 2 , ZnO 2 and SnO 2 thin films and in the recent past in transition metal doped wide band gap materials. In the present paper we report the synthesis of Co doped ThO 2 nano powders by urea combustion method. The XRD characterization of 300℃ annealed samples confirmed formation of ThO 2 in the cubic phase and the average crystallite size obtained using Scherrer's formula was around 6 nm

Molecular dynamics study of the elastic response of crystalline, amorphous and chemically disordered NiZr2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willaime, F.; Rosato, V.

1990-01-01

We calculate the shear elastic constants of the alloy NiZr 2 by molecular dynamics simulations in the crystalline and amorphous phases as well as upon introduction of antisite defects in the crystal at T=300K. For S (long range order parameter) equal to 0.5, the system is amorphous and C' is larger than the same quantity relative to the crystal whereas C 44 and C 66 are smaller

Synthesis and mechanical properties of stabilized zirconia ceramics: MgO-ZrO_2 and Y_2O_3-MgO- ZrO_2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagata, C.; Mello-Castanho, S.R.H.; Paschoal, J.O.A.

2014-01-01

Precursor MgO-ZrO_2 and Y_2O_3-MgO-ZrO_2 ceramic powders were synthesized by the method of co-precipitation and characterized by techniques such as laser diffraction, QELS (Quasi Elastic Light Scattering), XRD, BET, and SEM. Nanoscale powders with specific surface area higher than 60 m"2. g"-"1 was achieved. Sintered ceramic obtained from the synthesized powders, were characterized to mechanical tests using Vickers indentation technique. The addition of Y_2O_3 promoted an increase in hardness of the ceramics and total cubic crystalline phase stabilization. (author)

Properties of thermally oxidized and nitrided Zr-oxynitride thin film on 4H–SiC in diluted N2O ambient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Yew Hoong; Cheong, Kuan Yew

2012-01-01

A systematic investigation on the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of thermally oxidized and nitrided sputtered Zr thin film in various N 2 O ambient (10–100%) at 500 °C for 15 min to form Zr-oxynitride on 4H–SiC substrate has been carried out. The chemical composition, depth profile analysis, and energy band alignment have been evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. Zr-oxynitride layer and its interfacial layer comprised of compounds related to Zr–O, Zr–N, Zr–O–N, Si–N, and/or C–N were identified. A model related to the oxidation and nitridation mechanism has been suggested. Supportive results related to the model were obtained by energy filtered transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman analyses. A proposed crystal structure was employed to elucidate the surface roughness and topographies of the samples, which were characterized by atomic force microscopy. The electrical results revealed that 10% N 2 O sample has possessed the highest breakdown field and reliability. This was owing to the confinement of nitrogen-related compounds of Zr–O–N and/or Zr–N at or near interfacial layer region, smaller grain with finer structure on the surface, the lowest interface trap density, total interface trap density, and effective oxide charge, and highest barrier height between conduction band edge of oxide and semiconductor. -- Highlights: ► Zr-oxynitride as the gate oxide deposited on 4H–SiC substrate. ► Simultaneous oxidation and nitridation of sputtered Zr thin film on 4H–SiC using various concentrations of N 2 O gas. ► Presence of interfacial layer comprised of mixed compounds related to Zr–O, Zr–N, Zr–O–N, Si–N, and/or C–N. ► The highest electrical breakdown and highest reliability at diluted N 2 O of 10%.

Thermodynamic properties of crystalline Sr0.5Zr2(PO4)3 phosphate from T → 0 to 665 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pet'kov, V.I.; Markin, A.V.; Bykova, T.A.; Sukhanov, M.V.; Smirnova, N.N.; Loshkarev, V.N.

2007-01-01

The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of crystalline Sr 0.5 Zr 2 (PO 4 ) 3 phosphate was studied by precision adiabatic vacuum and dynamic scanning calorimetry over the temperature range 7-665 K. The low-temperature dependence of the heat capacity was analyzed using the Debye theory of the heat capacity of solids and its multifractal generalization, which allowed conclusions to be drawn about the heterodynamic characteristics of the structure. The experimental data obtained were used to calculate the standard thermodynamic functions of Sr 0.5 Zr 2 (PO 4 ) 3 from T → 0 to 665 K. The standard absolute entropy of Sr 0.5 Zr 2 (PO 4 ) 3 was in turn used to calculate the standard entropy of its formation from simple substances at 298.15 K [ru

Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties of Dy{sup 3+}-doped nano-crystalline SnO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pillai, Sreejarani K.; Sikhwivhilu, Lucky M. [National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Hillie, Thembela K., E-mail: thillie@csir.co.za [National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Physics Department, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa)

2010-04-15

Nano-crystalline of tin oxide doped with varying wt% of Dy{sup 3+} was prepared using chemical co-precipitation method and characterised by various advanced techniques such as BET-surface area, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. Analytical results demonstrated that the nanocrystalline tin oxide is in tetragonal crystalline phase and doping with Dy{sup 3+} could inhibit the phase transformation, increases surface area and decreases the crystallite size. The experimental result on photoluminescence characteristics originating from Dy{sup 3+}-doping in nanocrystalline SnO{sub 2} reveals the dependence of the luminescent intensity on dopant concentration.

Structural Studies of dielectric HDPE+ZrO2 polymer nanocomposites: filler concentration dependences

Science.gov (United States)

Nabiyev, A. A.; Islamov, A. Kh; Maharramov, A. M.; Nuriyev, M. A.; Ismayilova, R. S.; Doroshkevic, A. S.; Pawlukojc, A.; Turchenko, V. A.; Olejniczak, A.; Rulev, M. İ.; Almasan, V.; Kuklin, A. I.

2018-03-01

Structural properties of HDPE+ZrO2 polymer nanocomposites thin films of 80-100μm thicknesses were investigated using SANS, XRD, Laser Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The mass fraction of the filler was 1, 3, 10, and 20%. Results of XRD analysis showed that ZrO2 powder was crystallized both in monoclinic and in cubic phase under normal conditions. The percentages of monoclinic and cubic phase were found to be 99.8% and 0.2%, respectively. It was found that ZrO2 nanoparticles did not affect the main crystal and chemical structure of HDPE, but the degree of crystallinity of the polymer decreases with increasing concentration of zirconium oxide. SANS experiments showed that at ambient conditions ZrO2 nanoparticles mainly distributed like mono-particles in the polymer matrix at all concentrations of filler.The structure of HDPE+ZrO2 does not changes up to 132°C at 1-3% of filler, excepting changing of the polymer structure at temperatures upper 82°C. At high concentrations of filler 10-20% the aggregation of ZrO2 nanoparticles occurs, forming domains of 2.5μm. The results of Raman and FTIR spectroscopy did not show additional specific chemical bonds between the filler and the polymer matrix. New peaks formation was not observed. These results suggest that core-shell structure does not exist in the polymer nanocomposite system.

Atomic layer deposition and properties of mixed Ta2O5 and ZrO2 films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaupo Kukli

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Thin solid films consisting of ZrO2 and Ta2O5 were grown by atomic layer deposition at 300 °C. Ta2O5 films doped with ZrO2, TaZr2.75O8 ternary phase, or ZrO2 doped with Ta2O5 were grown to thickness and composition depending on the number and ratio of alternating ZrO2 and Ta2O5 deposition cycles. All the films grown exhibited resistive switching characteristics between TiN and Pt electrodes, expressed by repetitive current-voltage loops. The most reliable windows between high and low resistive states were observed in Ta2O5 films mixed with relatively low amounts of ZrO2, providing Zr to Ta cation ratio of 0.2.

Synthesis of nano-crystalline NiFe2O4 powders in subcritical and supercritical ethanol

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ćosović, A.; Žák, Tomáš; Glisić, S.; Sokić, M.; Lazarević, S.; Ćosović, V.; Orlović, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 113, JUL (2016), s. 96-105 ISSN 0896-8446 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0068 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : supercritical * subcritical * nano-crystalline powders * nickel ferrite * metal oxide * magnetic properties Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.991, year: 2016

Growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films as oxidation protective layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.

2017-01-01

This thesis focuses on the study of physical and chemical processes occurring during growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films. Acting as oxidation resistant capping materials to prevent oxidation of layers underneath, these films have several applications, i.e., in microelectronics

Bias Stability Enhancement in Thin-Film Transistor with a Solution-Processed ZrO2 Dielectric as Gate Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shangxiong Zhou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a high-k metal-oxide film (ZrO2 was successfully prepared by a solution-phase method, and whose physical properties were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray reflectivity (XRR and atomic force microscopy (AFM. Furthermore, indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistors (IGZO-TFTs with high-k ZrO2 dielectric layers were demonstrated, and the electrical performance and bias stability were investigated in detail. By spin-coating 0.3 M precursor six times, a dense ZrO2 film, with smoother surface and fewer defects, was fabricated. The TFT devices with optimal ZrO2 dielectric exhibit a saturation mobility up to 12.7 cm2 V−1 s−1, and an on/off ratio as high as 7.6 × 105. The offset of the threshold voltage was less than 0.6 V under positive and negative bias stress for 3600 s.

Pinning in high performance MgB{sub 2} thin films and bulks: Role of Mg-B-O nano-scale inhomogeneities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prikhna, Tatiana, E-mail: prikhna@mail.ru [Institute for Superhard Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine , 2, Avtozavodskaya Str. , Kiev 07074 (Ukraine); Shapovalov, Andrey [Institute for Superhard Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine , 2, Avtozavodskaya Str. , Kiev 07074 (Ukraine); Eisterer, Michael [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Shaternik, Vladimir [G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 36 Academician Vernadsky blvd., Kiev, 03680 (Ukraine); Goldacker, Wilfried [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76344 Eggenstein (Germany); Weber, Harald W. [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Moshchil, Viktor; Kozyrev, Artem; Sverdun, Vladimir [Institute for Superhard Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine , 2, Avtozavodskaya Str. , Kiev 07074 (Ukraine); Boutko, Viktor [Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering named after O.O. Galkin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, R. Luxemburg str.72, Donetsk-114, 83114 (Ukraine); Grechnev, Gennadiy [B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 47, Prospekt Nauky, Kharkiv 61103 (Ukraine); Gusev, Alexandr [Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering named after O.O. Galkin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, R. Luxemburg str.72, Donetsk-114, 83114 (Ukraine); Kovylaev, Valeriy; Shaternik, Anton [Institute for Superhard Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine , 2, Avtozavodskaya Str. , Kiev 07074 (Ukraine)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • Pinning in MgB{sub 2} depends on the Mg-B-O nano-scaled inhomogeneities. • Finer oxygen-enriched inhomogeneities is the reason of the higher J{sub c} in MgB{sub 2} thin films as compared to bulk. • The results of DOS calculations for MgB{sub 2-x}O{sub x} compounds demonstrate that they have metal-like behavior. • Ordered oxygen distribution in MgB{sub 2} (in pairs or zigzags) reduces binding energy. - Abstract: The comparison of nano-crystalline MgB{sub 2} oxygen-containing thin film (140 nm) and highly dense bulk materials showed that the critical current density, J{sub c}, depends on the distribution of Mg-B-O nano-scale inhomogeneities. It has been shown that MgB{sub 2} bulks with high J{sub c} in low (∼10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} in 0-1 T at 10 K) and medium magnetic fields contain MgB{sub 0.6-0.8}O{sub 0.8-0.9} nano-inclusions, where δT{sub c} or a combined δT{sub c} (dominant) / δ{sub l} pinning mechanism prevails, while in bulk MgB{sub 2} with high J{sub c} in high magnetic fields (B{sub irr}(18.5 K) = 15 T, B{sub c2}(0 K) = 42.1 T) MgB{sub 1.2-2.7}O{sub 1.8-2.5} nano-layers are present and δ{sub l} pinning prevails. The structure of oxygen-containing films with high J{sub c} in low and high magnetic fields (J{sub c} (0 T) = 1.8 × 10{sup 7} A/cm{sup 2} and J{sub c} (5 T) = 2 × 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} at 10 K) contains very fine oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inhomogeneities and δ{sub l} pinning is realized. The results of DOS calculations in MgB{sub 2-x}O{sub x} cells for x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 demonstrate that all compounds are conductors with metal-like behaviour. In the case of ordered oxygen substitution for boron the binding energy, E{sub b}, does not increase sufficiently as compared with that for MgB{sub 2}, while when oxygen atoms form zigzag chains the calculated E{sub b} is even lower (E{sub b} = −1.15712 Ry).

ZrO2 nanoparticles' effects on split tensile strength of self compacting concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Nazari

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In the present study, split tensile strength of self compacting concrete with different amount of ZrO2 nanoparticles has been investigated. ZrO2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of 15 nm were added partially to cement paste (Portland cement together with polycarboxylate superplasticizer and split tensile strength of the specimens has been measured. The results indicate that ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to improve split tensile strength of concrete and recover the negative effects of polycarboxylate superplasticizer. ZrO2 nanoparticle as a partial replacement of cement up to 4 wt. (% could accelerate C-S-H gel formation as a result of increased crystalline Ca(OH2 amount at the early age of hydration. The increased the ZrO2 nanoparticles' content more than 4 wt. (%, causes the reduced the split tensile strength because of unsuitable dispersion of nanoparticles in the concrete matrix.

Thermal phase separation of ZrSiO4 thin films and frequency- dependent electrical characteristics of the Al/ZrSiO4/p-Si/Al MOS capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Lok, R.; Kaya, S.; Yilmaz, E.

2018-05-01

In this work, the thermal phase separation and annealing optimization of ZrSiO4 thin films have been carried out. Following annealing optimization, the frequency-dependent electrical characteristics of the Al/ZrSiO4/p-Si/Al MOS capacitors were investigated in detail. The chemical evolution of the films under various annealing temperatures was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. The phase separation was determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The electrical parameters were determined via the capacitance–voltage (C–V), conductance–voltage (G/ω) and leakage-current–voltage (Ig–Vg ). The results demonstrate that zirconium silicate formations are present at 1000 °C annealing with the SiO2 interfacial layer. The film was in amorphous form after annealing at 250 °C. The tetragonal phases of ZrO2 were obtained after annealing at 500 °C. When the temperature approaches 750 °C, transitions from the tetragonal phase to the monoclinic phase were observed. The obtained XRD peaks after 1000 °C annealing matched the crystalline peaks of ZrSiO4. This means that the crystalline zirconium dioxide in the structure has been converted into a crystalline silicate phase. The interface states increased to 5.71 × 1010 and the number of border traps decreased to 7.18 × 1010 cm‑2 with the increasing temperature. These results indicate that an excellent ZrSiO4/Si interface has been fabricated. The order of the leakage current varied from 10‑9 Acm‑2 to 10‑6 Acm‑2. The MOS capacitor fabricated with the films annealed at 1000 °C shows better behavior in terms of its structural, chemical and electrical properties. Hence, detailed frequency-dependent electrical characteristics were performed for the ZrSiO4 thin film annealed at 1000 °C. Very slight capacitance variations were observed under the frequency variations. This shows that the density of frequency-dependent charges is very low at the ZrSiO4/Si interface. The

Structural and morphological properties of HfxZr 1-xO2 thin films prepared by Pechini route

KAUST Repository

Garcí a-Cerda, L. A.; Puente-Urbina, B. A.; Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Gnade, Bruce E.; Baldenegro-Pé rez, Leonardo Aurelio; Alshareef, Husam N.; Herná ndez-Landaverde, Martí n Adelaido

2010-01-01

In this study, HfxZr1-xO2 (0 < x < 1) thin films were deposited on silicon wafers using a dip-coating technique and by using a precursor solution prepared by the Pechini route. The effects of annealing temperature on the structure and morphological

Nanostructured thin film formation on femtosecond laser-textured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloy for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Yong-Hoon [Department of Dental Materials and Research Center of Nano-Interface Activation for Biomaterials, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Choe, Han-Cheol, E-mail: hcchoe@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Dental Materials and Research Center of Nano-Interface Activation for Biomaterials, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Brantley, William A. [Division of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry and Primary Care, College of Dentistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States)

2011-05-31

The aim of this study was to investigate the nanostructured thin film formation on femtosecond (FS) laser-textured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloy for biomedical applications. The initial surface roughening treatment involved irradiation with the FS laser in ambient air. After FS laser texturing, nanotubes were formed on the alloy surface using a potentiostat and a 1 M H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} solution containing 0.8 wt.% NaF with an applied cell voltage of 10 V for 2 h. The surface phenomena were investigated by FE-SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS and a cell proliferation test. It was found that nanostructured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys after FS laser texturing had a hybrid surface topography with micro and nano scale structures, which should provide very effective osseointegration.

Nanostructured thin film formation on femtosecond laser-textured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloy for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Yong-Hoon; Choe, Han-Cheol; Brantley, William A.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the nanostructured thin film formation on femtosecond (FS) laser-textured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloy for biomedical applications. The initial surface roughening treatment involved irradiation with the FS laser in ambient air. After FS laser texturing, nanotubes were formed on the alloy surface using a potentiostat and a 1 M H 3 PO 4 solution containing 0.8 wt.% NaF with an applied cell voltage of 10 V for 2 h. The surface phenomena were investigated by FE-SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS and a cell proliferation test. It was found that nanostructured Ti-35Nb-xZr alloys after FS laser texturing had a hybrid surface topography with micro and nano scale structures, which should provide very effective osseointegration.

MOCVD of zirconium oxide from the zirconium guanidinate complex |ZrCp′{2-(iPrN)2CNMe2}2Cl

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blackman, C.S.; Carmalt, C.J.; Moniz, S.J.A.; Potts, S.E.; Davies, H.O.; Pugh, D.C.

2009-01-01

Parallel to successful studies into use of [ZrCp'{¿ 2-(iPrN)2CNMe2} 2Cl] as a precursor to the deposition of zirconium carbonitride via CVD the same precursor was utilised for the MOCVD of thin films of ZrO 2 using borosilicate glass substrates. The deposited films were of mixed phase; films

Effect of titanium and calcium oxide additions on Zr2O2 polymorphism during Al2O3+Zr2O2 mixture fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gladkov, V.E.; Zhekhanova, N.B.; Fotiev, A.A.; Viktorov, V.V.; Ivashinnikov, V.T.; Zubov, A.S.

1985-01-01

The effect of titanium and calcium containing additions introduced into the Al 2 O 3 +ZrO 2 melt on the phase composition and temperature ranges of ZrO 2 polymorphous transformation in the material is investigated. It is shown that introducing sponge titanium into the 70Al 2 O 3 +30ZrO 2 prepared composition melt (mass. %) with its subsequent intensive cooling one can conserve upto room temperatures 50-70% of ZrO 2 metastable tetragonal modification and therefore reduce the volume changes causing metal cracking. Calcium oxide doping stabilizes the ZrO 2 cubic modification and reduces α-Al 2 O 3 content due to formation of aluminates

Zr-doped SnO2 thin films synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique for barrier layers in solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, N. Nanda Kumar; Akkera, Harish Sharma; Sekhar, M. Chandra; Park, Si-Hyun

2017-12-01

In the present work, we investigated the effect of Zr doping (0-6 at%) on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of tin oxide (SnO2) thin films deposited onto glass substrates using a spray pyrolysis technique. The room-temperature X-ray diffraction pattern shows that all deposited films exhibit polycrystalline tetragonal structure. The pure SnO2 film is grown along a preferred (200) direction, whereas Zr-doped SnO2 (Zr:SnO2) films started growing along the (220) orientation along with a high intensity peak of (200). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) images showed that the grains of the films are spherical in structure, and the grain size decreased with increasing of Zr concentration. The optical transmission spectra of deposited films as a function of wavelength confirm that the average optical transmittance is > 85% for Zr:SnO2 films. The value of the optical bandgap is significantly decreased from 3.94 to 3.68 eV with increasing Zr concentration. Furthermore, the electrical measurements found that the sheet resistance ( R sh) and resistivity ( ρ) values are decreased with increasing of Zr doping. The lowest values of R sh = 6.82 Ω and ρ = 0.4 × 10- 3 Ω cm are found in 6-at% Zr-doped SnO2 film. In addition, a good efficiency value of the figure of merit ( ɸ = 3.35 × 10- 3 Ω-1) is observed in 6-at% Zr-doped SnO2 film. These outstanding properties of Zr-doped SnO2 films make them useful for several optoelectronic device applications.

The Performance Improvement of N2 Plasma Treatment on ZrO2 Gate Dielectric Thin-Film Transistors with Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition IGZO Channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chien-Hung; Huang, Bo-Wen; Chang, Kow-Ming; Wang, Shui-Jinn; Lin, Jian-Hong; Hsu, Jui-Mei

2016-06-01

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the N2 plasma treatment for high-κ ZrO2 gate dielectric stack (30 nm) with indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Experimental results reveal that a suitable incorporation of nitrogen atoms could enhance the device performance by eliminating the oxygen vacancies and provide an amorphous surface with better surface roughness. With N2 plasma treated ZrO2 gate, IGZO channel is fabricated by atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) technique. The best performance of the AP-PECVD IGZO TFTs are obtained with 20 W-90 sec N2 plasma treatment with field-effect mobility (μ(FET)) of 22.5 cm2/V-s, subthreshold swing (SS) of 155 mV/dec, and on/off current ratio (I(on)/I(off)) of 1.49 x 10(7).

Effects of crystalline quality and electrode material on fatigue in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin film capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.; Johnson, L.; Safari, A.; Ramesh, R.; Sands, T.; Gilchrist, H.; Keramidas, V. G.

1993-07-01

Pb(Zr(0.52)Ti(0.48))O3 (PZT)/Y1Ba2Cu3O(x) (YBCO) heterostructures were grown by pulsed laser deposition, in which PZT films were epitaxial, highly oriented, or polycrystalline. These PZT films were obtained by varying the deposition temperature from 550 to 760 C or by using various substrates such as SrTiO3 (100), MgO (100), and r-plane sapphire. PZT films with Pt top electrodes exhibited large fatigue with 35-50 percent loss of the remanent polarization after 10 exp 9 cycles, depending on the crystalline quality. Polycrystalline films showed better fatigue resistance than epitaxial or highly oriented films. However, PZT films with both top and bottom YBCO electrodes had significantly improved fatigue resistance for both epitaxial and polycrystalline films. Electrode material seems to be a more important parameter in fatigue than the crystalline quality of the PZT films.

Nano-crystalline Ag–PbTe thermoelectric thin films by a multi-target PLD system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cappelli, E., E-mail: emilia.cappelli@ism.cnr.it [CNR-ISM, Montelibretti, Via Salaria Km 29.3, P.O.B. 10, 00016 Rome (Italy); Bellucci, A. [CNR-ISM, Montelibretti, Via Salaria Km 29.3, P.O.B. 10, 00016 Rome (Italy); Dip. Fisica, Un. Roma Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome (Italy); Medici, L. [CNR-IMAA, Tito Scalo, 85050 Potenza (Italy); Mezzi, A.; Kaciulis, S. [CNR-ISMN, Montelibretti, Via Salaria Km 29.3, P.O.B. 10, 00016 Rome (Italy); Fumagalli, F.; Di Fonzo, F. [Center Nano Science Technology @Polimi, I.I.T., Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy); Trucchi, D.M. [CNR-ISM, Montelibretti, Via Salaria Km 29.3, P.O.B. 10, 00016 Rome (Italy)

2015-05-01

Highlights: • Thermoelectric PbTe thin films, with increasing Ag percentage, were deposited by PLD. • Almost stoichiometric PbTe (Ag doped) films were grown, as verified by XPS analysis. • GI-XRD established the formation of cubic PbTe, with nano-metric structure (∼35 nm). • Surface resistivity shows an increase in conductivity, with increasing Ag doping. • From Seebeck values and XPS depth analysis, 10% Ag seems to be the solubility limit. - Abstract: It has been evaluated the ability of ArF pulsed laser ablation to grow nano-crystalline thin films of high temperature PbTe thermoelectric material, and to obtain a uniform and controlled Ag blending, through the entire thickness of the film, using a multi-target system in vacuum. The substrate used was a mirror polished technical alumina slab. The increasing atomic percentage of Ag effect on physical–chemical and electronic properties was evaluated in the range 300–575 K. The stoichiometry and the distribution of the Ag component, over the whole thickness of the samples deposited, have been studied by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and corresponding depth profiles. The crystallographic structure of the film was analyzed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) system. Scherrer analysis for crystallite size shows the presence of nano-structures, of the order of 30–35 nm. Electrical resistivity of the samples, studied by the four point probe method, as a function of increasing Ag content, shows a typical semi-conductor behavior. From conductivity values, carrier concentration and Seebeck parameter determination, the power factor of deposited films was calculated. Both XPS, Hall mobility and Seebeck analysis seem to indicate a limit value to the Ag solubility of the order of 5%, for thin films of ∼200 nm thickness, deposited at 350 °C. These data resulted to be comparable to theoretical evaluation for thin films but order of magnitude lower than the corresponding bulk materials.

Raman spectroscopy used for structural investigations of anodically formed ZrO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koneska, Zagorka; Arsova, Irena

2003-01-01

The structure of the oxide formed on Zr(99% + Hf) with anodic oxidation at different potentials in 1 mol/dm 3 H 3 PO 4 and 2 mol/dm 3 KOH solutions were investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Normally the anodic oxides of Zr form only crystals. Under certain circumstances, amorphous anodic ZrO 2 can be observed. Amorphous phase is observed for the anodically formed zirconium oxides in H 3 PO 4 . The oxide formed in KOH at potential of 80 V, where sparks appears on the Zr electrode showed crystalline structure. (Original)

Grain Refinement and Mechanical Properties of Cu-Cr-Zr Alloys with Different Nano-Sized TiCp Addition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dongdong; Bai, Fang; Wang, Yong; Wang, Jinguo; Wang, Wenquan

2017-08-08

The TiC p /Cu master alloy was prepared via thermal explosion reaction. Afterwards, the nano-sized TiC p /Cu master alloy was dispersed by electromagnetic stirring casting into the melting Cu-Cr-Zr alloys to fabricate the nano-sized TiC p -reinforced Cu-Cr-Zr composites. Results show that nano-sized TiC p can effectively refine the grain size of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys. The morphologies of grain in Cu-Cr-Zr composites changed from dendritic grain to equiaxed crystal because of the addition and dispersion of nano-sized TiC p . The grain size decreased from 82 to 28 μm with the nano-sized TiC p content. Compared with Cu-Cr-Zr alloys, the ultimate compressive strength (σ UCS ) and yield strength (σ 0.2 ) of 4 wt% TiC p -reinforced Cu-Cr-Zr composites increased by 6.7% and 9.4%, respectively. The wear resistance of the nano-sized TiCp-reinforced Cu-Cr-Zr composites increased with the increasing nano-sized TiCp content. The wear loss of the nano-sized TiC p -reinforced Cu-Cr-Zr composites decreased with the increasing TiC p content under abrasive particles. The eletrical conductivity of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys, 2% and 4% nano-sized TiCp-reinforced Cu-Cr-Zr composites are 64.71% IACS, 56.77% IACS and 52.93% IACS, respectively.

Cytocompatibility and early osseointegration of nanoTiO{sub 2}-modified Ti-24 Nb-4 Zr-7.9 Sn surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, X.H. [Department of Prosthodontics, China Medical University School of Stomatology, Shenyang (China); Wu, L., E-mail: wulin13@163.com [Department of Prosthodontics, China Medical University School of Stomatology, Shenyang (China); Ai, H.J. [Department of Prosthodontics, China Medical University School of Stomatology, Shenyang (China); Han, Y. [State Key laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an (China); Hu, Y. [Department of Prosthodontics, China Medical University School of Stomatology, Shenyang (China)

2015-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the cytocompatibility and early osseointegration of Ti-24 Nb-4 Zr-7.9 Sn (Ti-2448) surfaces that were modified with a nanoscale TiO{sub 2} coating. The coating was fabricated using a hydrothermal synthesis method to generate nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448. The surface characteristics of the samples were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The cytotoxicity of the fabricated nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 was determined using MTT assays. The proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts cultured on nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 were compared with those cultured on Ti-2448. Disk-shaped implants were placed in Wistar rats. The histological sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE), and the histocompatibility was analysed at 4 and 12 weeks post-implantation. Cylindrical implants were embedded in Japanese white rabbits, and the histological sections were stained with HE and anti-TGF-β1 to evaluate the histocompatibility and early osseointegration at 4, 12 and 26 weeks post-implantation. NanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 exhibited a rougher surface than did Ti-2448. NanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 was determined to be non-cytotoxic. More osteoblasts and higher ALP activity were observed for nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 than Ti-2448 (p < 0.05). Few inflammatory cells were detected around nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448, and the expression of TGF-β1 on nanoTiO{sub 2}/Ti-2448 peaked at earlier time than that on Ti-2448. The results indicate that the cytocompatibility and early osseointegration were enhanced by the nanoTiO{sub 2} coating. - Highlights: • The cytocompatibility of nanoTiO2/Ti-2448 is first reported in our work. • The early osseointegration of nanoTiO2/Ti-2448 is first reported in our work. • We evaluate the biocompatibility of nanoTiO2/Ti-2448 by in-vitro and in-vivo tests.

Crystalline texture study of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure pipes by DRX pole figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buioli, C P; Banchik, A D; Vizcaino, P; Samper, R; Testone, S

2012-01-01

This work presents the study of crystalline texture of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure tubes (A, B and C); structural components of CANDU nuclear power reactors [1]. The study of texture was made using the RX diffraction technique, making measurements of direct pole figures [2], in a Phillips diffractometer with pole goniometer (IFIR-CONICET). The texture was determined calculating the coefficients of JJ Kearns [3]. The samples used correspond to transversal sections of the tubes, front and back, and were characterized making de measurements of five pole figures with Miller index (001), (100), (101), (102) and (110), in order to represent in a complete way the texture in the material. The calculated Kearns coefficients were compared with the specifications given by the designer of pressure tubes AECL [4] (author)

Growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO2 crystallites in 3 mol% yttria partially stabilized ZrO2 (3Y-PSZ) precursor powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, Chih-Wei; Lee, Kuen-Chan; Yen, Feng-Lin; Shen, Yun-Hwei; Lee, Huey-Er; Wen, Shaw-Bing; Wang, Moo-Chin; Stack, Margaret Mary

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The crystalline structures were composed of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 . • Growth kinetics of t-ZrO 2 in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder is described as: D te 2 =(4.57±0.55)t 0.12±0.02 exp(-((24.79±0.38)×10 3 )/(RT) ). • Growth kinetics of m-ZrO 2 in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder is described as: D m 2 =(4.40±1.63)t 0.17±0.08 exp(-((66.47±3.97)×10 3 )/(RT) ). - Abstract: The growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 crystallites in 3 mol% yttria partially stabilized ZrO 2 (3Y-PSZ) precursor powder has been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM). After calcination of the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder between 773 and 1073 K for 2 h, the crystalline structures were composed of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 as the primary and secondary phases, respectively. When the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder was calcined at 773 K for 2 h, the BET specific surface area was 97.13 m 2 /g, which is equivalent to a particle size of 10.30 nm. The crystallite sizes determined via XRD and BET agreed well, indicating that the powder was virtually non-agglomerated. The growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 crystallite isothermal growth in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder are described by: D te 2 =(4.57±0.55)t 0.12±0.02 exp(-((24.79±0.38)×10 3 )/(RT) ) and D m 2 =(4.40±1.63)t 0.17±0.08 exp(-((66.47±3.97)×10 3 )/(RT) ), respectively, for 773K≤T≤1073K. D te and D m denote the crystallite size of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO 2 at time t and temperature T, respectively

Transformation from amorphous to nano-crystalline SiC thin films ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

phous SiC to cubic nano-crystalline SiC films with the increase in the gas flow ratio. Raman scattering ... Auger electron spectroscopy showed that the carbon incorporation in the .... with a 514 nm Ar+ laser excitation source and the laser.

Nano-embossing technology on ferroelectric thin film Pb(Zr0.3,Ti0.7O3 for multi-bit storage application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Qian

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this work, we apply nano-embossing technique to form a stagger structure in ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate [Pb(Zr0.3, Ti0.7O3 (PZT] films and investigate the ferroelectric and electrical characterizations of the embossed and un-embossed regions, respectively, of the same films by using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM and Radiant Technologies Precision Material Analyzer. Attributed to the different layer thickness of the patterned ferroelectric thin film, two distinctive coercive voltages have been obtained, thereby, allowing for a single ferroelectric memory cell to contain more than one bit of data.

Electrochemical characterization of Zr-based thin film metallic glass in hydrochloric aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuang, Ching-Yen; Liao, Yi-Chia; Lee, Jyh-Wei; Li, Chia-Lin; Chu, Jinn P.; Duh, Jenq-Gong

2013-01-01

Recently thin film metallic glass represents a class of promising engineering materials for structural applications. In this work, the Zr-based thin film metallic glass (TFMG) was fabricated on the Si and AISI 420 substrates using a Zr–Cu–Ni–Al alloy and pure Zr metal targets by a pulsed DC magnetron sputtering system. The chemical compositions, crystalline structures, microstructures and corrosion behavior in hydrochloric (HCl) aqueous solutions of Zr-based TFMGs were investigated. The results showed that the surface morphologies of Zr-based TFMG were very smooth. A compact and dense structure without columnar structure was observed. The amorphous structure of Zr-based TFMG was characterized by the X-ray diffractometer and transmission electron microscopy analyses. After the potentiodynamic polarization test, the better corrosion resistance was achieved for the Zr-based TFMG coated AISI 420 in 1 mM HCl aqueous solution. Based on the surface morphologies and chemical analysis results of the corroded surfaces, the pitting, crevice corrosion and filiform corrosion were found. The corrosion mechanisms of the Zr-based TFMG were discussed in this work. - Highlights: ► Zr-based thin film metallic glass with amorphous structure. ► Better corrosion resistance of Zr-based thin film metallic glass observed. ► Pitting, crevice and filiform corrosion reactions revealed. ► The Cu-rich corrosion products found in the pit. ► Nanowire and flaky corrosion products formed adjacent to the filiform corrosion path

Growth temperature dependence of flux pinning properties in ErBa2Cu3Oy thin films with nano-rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haruta, M.; Sueyoshi, T.; Fujiyoshi, T.; Mukaida, M.; Kai, H.; Matsumoto, K.; Mele, P.; Maeda, T.; Horii, S.

2011-01-01

Nano-rods were introduced into ErBa 2 Cu 3 O y thin films to improve J c . Pinning properties depended on the growth temperature of the films. Morphology of nano-rods was affected by the growth temperature. The growth temperature is important to achieve high in-field J c 's. Irreversibility lines and distributions of local critical current density (J cl ) based on the percolation transition model were affected by the growth temperature (T s ) in 3.5 wt.%-BaNb 2 O 6 -doped ErBa 2 Cu 3 O y thin films. The vortex-Bose-glass-like state appeared by the introduction of nano-rods, and this vortex state was affected by T s . The shape and width of the J cl distribution strongly depended on T s . These results are probably caused by variations of the density and the growth direction for nano-rods reflecting T s . The growth temperature is an important factor to achieve higher critical current properties under magnetic fields for coated conductors of rare-earth-based cuprates with nano-rods.

A novel electrochemical sensor for detecting hyperin with a nanocomposite of ZrO2-SDS-SWCNTs as decoration.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuo; Lei, Sheng; Yu, Qian; Zou, Lina; Ye, Baoxian

2018-08-01

A novel high-sensitive electrochemical sensor with glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as support for hyperin determination is successfully designed and constructed, and the well-shaped nano-meter modified material is synthesized via a one-step and facile route. Functionalized with surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) are synchronously grafted with ZrO 2 nanoparticles to develop into the as-prepared nano-composite (ZrO 2 -SDS-SWCNTs). Compared to the previous reports related with hyperin detection, the linear range gets wider and detection limit (LOD) becomes lower with the aid of this novel nano-composite modified glassy carbon electrode (ZrO 2 -SDS-SWCNTs/GCE). The crystalline phases and functionalization of the preparation process has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) instrument analysis, respectively, and the micro-morphology of related modified materials is also visibly characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). In addition, electrochemical properties of the modified materials are comparably explored by means of impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammograms (CV). According to the established calibration curve under optimized condition, the peak current (Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal) keeps a linear relationship with hyperin concentration in the ranges of 1.0 × 10 -9 - 3.0 × 10 -7 mol L -1 , meanwhile detection limit reaches as low as 5 × 10 -10 mol L -1 (S/N = 3). As for practical applications, the proposed sensor has also worked well on sensitive hyperin determination in real species Abelmoschus manihot. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic performance of Sn-doped and undoped TiO2 nanostructured thin films under UV and vis-lights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arpac, E.; Sayilkan, F.; Asiltuerk, M.; Tatar, P.; Kiraz, Nadir; Sayilkan, H.

2007-01-01

Sn-doped and undoped nano-TiO 2 particles have been synthesized by hydrotermal process without solvent at 200 deg. C in 1 h. Nanostructure-TiO 2 based thin films have been prepared on glass substrate by spin-coating technique. The structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the thin films and the particles have been investigated by element analysis and XRD, SEM, BET and UV-vis-NIR techniques. The photocatalytic performance of the films were tested for degradation of Malachite Green dye in solution under UV and vis-lights. The results showed that (a) hydrothermally synthesized nano-TiO 2 particles are fully anatase crystalline form and are easily dispersed in water, (b) the coated surfaces have nearly super-hydrophilic properties and (c) the doping of transition metal ion efficiently improved the photocatalytic performance of the TiO 2 thin film

Synthesis of Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 Composites with Adjustable Thermal Expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiping Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 composites were fabricated by solid state reaction with the goal of tailoring the thermal expansion coefficient. XRD, SEM and TMA were used to investigate the composition, microstructure, and thermal expansion behavior of Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 composites with different mass ratio. Relative densities of all the resulting Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 samples were also tested by Archimedes' methods. The obtained Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 composites were comprised of orthorhombic Zr2WP2O12 and monoclinic ZrO2. As the increase of the Zr2WP2O12, the relative densities of Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 ceramic composites increased gradually. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 composites can be tailored from 4.1 × 10−6 K−1 to −3.3 × 10−6 K−1 by changing the content of Zr2WP2O12. The 2:1 Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 specimen shows close to zero thermal expansion from 25 to 700°C with an average linear thermal expansion coefficient of −0.09 × 10−6 K−1. These adjustable and near zero expansion ceramic composites will have great potential application in many fields.

Synthesis of Zr2WP2O12/ZrO2 Composites with Adjustable Thermal Expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiping; Sun, Weikang; Liu, Hongfei; Xie, Guanhua; Chen, Xiaobing; Zeng, Xianghua

2017-01-01

Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites were fabricated by solid state reaction with the goal of tailoring the thermal expansion coefficient. XRD, SEM and TMA were used to investigate the composition, microstructure, and thermal expansion behavior of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites with different mass ratio. Relative densities of all the resulting Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 samples were also tested by Archimedes' methods. The obtained Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites were comprised of orthorhombic Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 and monoclinic ZrO 2 . As the increase of the Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 , the relative densities of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 ceramic composites increased gradually. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 composites can be tailored from 4.1 × 10 -6 K -1 to -3.3 × 10 -6 K -1 by changing the content of Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 . The 2:1 Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 /ZrO 2 specimen shows close to zero thermal expansion from 25 to 700°C with an average linear thermal expansion coefficient of -0.09 × 10 -6 K -1 . These adjustable and near zero expansion ceramic composites will have great potential application in many fields.

Characterization of gadolinium-doped ZrO2 films exposed to ultraviolet light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez R, A.; Azorin, J.; Rivera, T.

2003-01-01

This paper presents the results of characterizing gadolinium-doped ZrO 2 (ZrO 2 : Gd) films, both morphological and respect to their optical and thermoluminescent properties after irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. ZrO 2 presented crystalline structure in monoclinic phase; its absorption spectrum exhibited a peak at 274 and 277 nm for films deposited on glass and quartz substrates respectively. The optimum concentration of the dopant was found to be 12%. ZrO 2 : Gd presents its maximum Tl response when it is exposed to lJV light of wavelength in the range from 240 to 245 nm; its glow curve shows apparently one peak, which probably is the overlapping of various peaks. (Author)

Voltage linearity modulation and polarity dependent conduction in metal-insulator-metal capacitors with atomic-layer-deposited Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} nano-stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Bao; Liu, Wen-Jun; Wei, Lei; Zhang, David Wei; Jiang, Anquan; Ding, Shi-Jin, E-mail: sjding@fudan.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2015-07-07

Excellent voltage linearity of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors is highly required for next generation radio frequency integration circuits. In this work, employing atomic layer deposition technique, we demonstrated how the voltage linearity of MIM capacitors was modulated by adding different thickness of SiO{sub 2} layer to the nano-stack of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2}. It was found that the quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance (α) can be effectively reduced from 1279 to −75 ppm/V{sup 2} with increasing the thickness of SiO{sub 2} from zero to 4 nm, which is more powerful than increasing the thickness of ZrO{sub 2} in the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2} stack. This is attributed to counteraction between the positive α for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2} and the negative one for SiO{sub 2} in the MIM capacitors with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/ZrO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} stacks. Interestingly, voltage-polarity dependent conduction behaviors in the MIM capacitors were observed. For electron bottom-injection, the addition of SiO{sub 2} obviously suppressed the leakage current; however, it abnormally increased the leakage current for electron top-injection. These are ascribed to the co-existence of shallow and deep traps in ZrO{sub 2}, and the former is in favor of the field-assisted tunnelling conduction and the latter contributes to the trap-assisted tunnelling process. The above findings will be beneficial to device design and process optimization for high performance MIM capacitors.

Characterization of gadolinium-doped ZrO{sub 2} films exposed to ultraviolet light; Caracterizacion de peliculas de ZrO{sub 2} dopado con gadolinio expuestas a luz ultravioleta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez R, A.; Azorin, J.; Rivera, T. [UAM-I, 09340 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2003-07-01

This paper presents the results of characterizing gadolinium-doped ZrO{sub 2} (ZrO{sub 2}: Gd) films, both morphological and respect to their optical and thermoluminescent properties after irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. ZrO{sub 2} presented crystalline structure in monoclinic phase; its absorption spectrum exhibited a peak at 274 and 277 nm for films deposited on glass and quartz substrates respectively. The optimum concentration of the dopant was found to be 12%. ZrO{sub 2}: Gd presents its maximum Tl response when it is exposed to lJV light of wavelength in the range from 240 to 245 nm; its glow curve shows apparently one peak, which probably is the overlapping of various peaks. (Author)

Reliability assessment of ultra-thin HfO2 films deposited on silicon wafer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wei-En; Chang, Chia-Wei; Chang, Yong-Qing; Yao, Chih-Kai; Liao, Jiunn-Der

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Nano-mechanical properties on annealed ultra-thin HfO 2 film are studied. ► By AFM analysis, hardness of the crystallized HfO 2 film significantly increases. ► By nano-indention, the film hardness increases with less contact stiffness. ► Quality assessment on the annealed ultra-thin films can thus be achieved. - Abstract: Ultra-thin hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ) is used to replace silicon dioxide to meet the required transistor feature size in advanced semiconductor industry. The process integration compatibility and long-term reliability for the transistors depend on the mechanical performance of ultra-thin HfO 2 films. The criteria of reliability including wear resistance, thermal fatigue, and stress-driven failure rely on film adhesion significantly. The adhesion and variations in mechanical properties induced by thermal annealing of the ultra-thin HfO 2 films deposited on silicon wafers (HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si) are not fully understood. In this work, the mechanical properties of an atomic layer deposited HfO 2 (nominal thickness ≈10 nm) on a silicon wafer were characterized by the diamond-coated tip of an atomic force microscope and compared with those of annealed samples. The results indicate that the annealing process leads to the formation of crystallized HfO 2 phases for the atomic layer deposited HfO 2 . The HfSi x O y complex formed at the interface between HfO 2 and SiO 2 /Si, where the thermal diffusion of Hf, Si, and O atoms occurred. The annealing process increases the surface hardness of crystallized HfO 2 film and therefore the resistance to nano-scratches. In addition, the annealing process significantly decreases the harmonic contact stiffness (or thereafter eliminate the stress at the interface) and increases the nano-hardness, as measured by vertically sensitive nano-indentation. Quality assessments on as-deposited and annealed HfO 2 films can be thereafter used to estimate the mechanical properties and adhesion of ultra-thin HfO 2

Difference in Thermal Degradation Behavior of ZrO2 and HfO2 Anodized Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kamijyo, Masahiro; Onozuka, Tomotake; Yoshida, Naoto; Shinkai, Satoko; Sasaki, Katsutaka; Yamane, Misao; Abe, Yoshio

2004-09-01

Microcrystalline ZrO2 and HfO2 thin film capacitors were prepared by anodizing sputter-deposited Zr and Hf films. The thermal degradation behavior of both anodized capacitors was clarified by the measurement of their capacitance properties and Auger depth profiles before and after heat treatment in air. As a result, it is confirmed that the heat-resistance property of the HfO2 anodized capacitor is superior to that of the ZrO2 capacitor. In addition, it is revealed that the thermal degradation of the ZrO2 anodized capacitor is caused by the diffusion of Zr atoms from the underlying layer into the ZrO2 anodized layer, while that of the HfO2 anodized capacitor is caused by the diffusion of oxygen atoms from the anodized layer into the underlying Hf layer.

Structural, morphological and local electric properties of TiO2 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyoergy, E; Pino, A Perez del; Sauthier, G; Figueras, A; Alsina, F; Pascual, J

2007-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films were synthesized on (1 0 0) Si substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. A frequency quadrupled Nd : YAG (λ = 266 nm, τ FWHM ≅ 5 ns, ν = 10 Hz) laser source was used for the irradiations of metallic Ti targets. The experiments were performed in controlled oxygen atmosphere. Crystallinity, surface morphology and local electric properties of the obtained oxide thin films were investigated by x-ray diffractometry, micro-Raman spectroscopy and current sensing atomic force microscopy. An inter-relation was found between the surface morphology, the crystalline structure and the nano-scale electric properties which open the possibility of synthesizing by the PLD technique TiO 2 thin films with tunable functional properties for future applications such as photocatalysts, gas sensors or solar energy converters

Fabrication and Thermophysical Properties of La(2-x)Zr(2-y)O7 Nanocrystal by a Sol-Gel Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hui; Che, Ping; Zhao, Ziqiang; Liu, Shixiang; Li, Wenjun

2016-03-01

Non-Stoichiometric La2Zr2O7 (La(2-x)Zr(2-y)O7) Nanocrystal was synthesized by a simple sol-gel method. The crystalline structure, oxygen vacancy concentration, thermal expansion coefficient, as well as the fracture toughness of as-prepared materials were charactered by XRD, TG-DSC, PL spectra, dilatometer, and electronic universal testing machine respectively. The crystal structure of La2Zr2O7 is of the cubic type while lattice parameter increases with the deviatation of Zr4+ and La3+ from Stoichiometric La2Zr2O7 increasing. The average linear thermal expansion coefficient of non-stoichiometric La2Zr2O7 is obviously bigger than that of La2Zr2O7 in the temperature range between 150 degrees C and 950 degrees C. The fracture toughness of La(2-x)Zr(2-y)O7 increases with x and y increasing up to x = 0.3 and y = 0.25.

Silicon based near infrared photodetector using self-assembled organic crystalline nano-pillars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ajiki, Yoshiharu, E-mail: yoshiharu-ajiki@ot.olympus.co.jp, E-mail: isao@i.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Micromachine Center, 67 Kanda Sakumagashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0026 (Japan); Kan, Tetsuo [Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Yahiro, Masayuki; Hamada, Akiko; Adachi, Chihaya [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research (OPERA), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Adachi, Junji [Office for Strategic Research Planning, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan); Matsumoto, Kiyoshi [IRT Research Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Shimoyama, Isao, E-mail: yoshiharu-ajiki@ot.olympus.co.jp, E-mail: isao@i.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); IRT Research Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2016-04-11

We propose a silicon (Si) based near-infrared photodetector using self-assembled organic crystalline nano-pillars, which were formed on an n-type Si substrate and were covered with an Au thin-film. These structures act as antennas for near-infrared light, resulting in an enhancement of the light absorption on the Au film. Because the Schottky junction is formed between the Au/n-type Si, the electron excited by the absorbed light can be detected as photocurrent. The optical measurement revealed that the nano-pillar structures enhanced the responsivity for the near-infrared light by 89 (14.5 mA/W) and 16 (0.433 mA/W) times compared with those of the photodetector without nano-pillars at the wavelengths of 1.2 and 1.3 μm, respectively. Moreover, no polarization dependency of the responsivity was observed, and the acceptable incident angle ranged from 0° to 30°. These broad responses were likely to be due to the organic nano-pillar structures' having variation in their orientation, which is advantageous for near-infrared detector uses.

Synthesis and cathodoluminescence characterization of ZrO2:Er3+ films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez-Hernández, A.; Guzmán-Mendoza, J.; Rivera-Montalvo, T.; Sánchez-Guzmán, D.; Guzmán-Olguín, J.C.; García-Hipólito, M.; Falcony, C.

2014-01-01

Trivalent erbium doped zirconium oxide films were deposited by the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. Films were deposited using zirconium tetrachloride octahydrate (ZrCl 4 O·8H 2 O) and erbium nitrate hexahydrate ((NO 3 ) 3 Er·6H 2 O) as precursors and deionized water as solvent. The dopant concentrations in the spray solution were 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 at% in ratio to zirconium content. The films were deposited on corning glass substrates at different temperatures from 400 up to 550 °C. Films deposited at temperatures lower than 400 °C were amorphous, however, as substrate temperatures are increased, the ZrO 2 films presented a better crystallinity and showed a tetragonal phase. Cathodoluminescence (CL) emission spectra showed bands centred at 524, 544 and 655 nm associated with the electronic transition of Er 3+ . - Highlights: • The films of ZrO 2 :Er 3+ were obtained by spray pyrolysis. • Emission spectra of ZrO 2 :Er 3+ films were reported. • Cathodoluminescence of ZrO 2 :Er 3+ films was analyzed. • Cathodoluminescence of ZrO 2 :Er 3+ films showed strong dependence on substrate temperature and electron voltage

Miscibility of amorphous ZrO2-Al2O3 binary alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, C.; Richard, O.; Bender, H.; Caymax, M.; De Gendt, S.; Heyns, M.; Young, E.; Roebben, G.; Van Der Biest, O.; Haukka, S.

2002-04-01

Miscibility is a key factor for maintaining the homogeneity of the amorphous structure in a ZrO2-Al2O3 binary alloy high-k dielectric layer. In the present work, a ZrO2/Al2O3 laminate thin layer has been prepared by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition on a Si (100) wafer. This layer, with artificially induced inhomogeneity (lamination), enables one to study the change in homogeneity of the amorphous phase in the ZrO2/Al2O3 system during annealing. High temperature grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) was used to investigate the change in intensity of the constructive interference peak of the x-ray beams which are reflected from the interfaces of ZrO2/Al2O3 laminae. The HT-XRD spectra show that the intensity of the peak decreases with an increase in the anneal temperature, and at 800 °C, the peak disappears. The same samples were annealed by a rapid thermal process (RTP) at temperatures between 700 and 1000 °C for 60 s. Room temperature XRD of the RTP annealed samples shows a similar decrease in peak intensity. Transmission electronic microscope images confirm that the laminate structure is destroyed by RTP anneals and, just below the crystallization onset temperature, a homogeneous amorphous ZrAlxOy phase forms. The results demonstrate that the two artificially separated phases, ZrO2 and Al2O3 laminae, tend to mix into a homogeneous amorphous phase before crystallization. This observation indicates that the thermal stability of ZrO2-Al2O3 amorphous phase is suitable for high-k applications.

Preparation of UO{sub 2}, ThO{sub 2} and (Th,U)O{sub 2} pellets from photochemically-prepared nano-powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavelková, Tereza [Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Břehová 7, 115 19 Praha 1 (Czech Republic); Čuba, Václav, E-mail: vaclav.cuba@fjfi.cvut.cz [Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Břehová 7, 115 19 Praha 1 (Czech Republic); Visser-Týnová, Eva de [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), Research & Innovation, Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten (Netherlands); Ekberg, Christian [Nuclear Chemistry/Industrial Materials Recycling, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg (Sweden); Persson, Ingmar [Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7015, SE-750 07 Uppsala (Sweden)

2016-02-15

Photochemically-induced preparation of nano-powders of crystalline uranium and/or thorium oxides and their subsequent pelletizing has been investigated. The preparative method was based on the photochemically induced formation of amorphous solid precursors in aqueous solution containing uranyl and/or thorium nitrate and ammonium formate. The EXAFS analyses of the precursors shown that photon irradiation of thorium containing solutions yields a compound with little long-range order but likely “ThO{sub 2} like” and the irradiation of uranium containing solutions yields the mixture of U(IV) and U(VI) compounds. The U-containing precursors were carbon free, thus allowing direct heat treatment in reducing atmosphere without pre-treatment in the air. Subsequent heat treatment of amorphous solid precursors at 300–550 °C yielded nano-crystalline UO{sub 2}, ThO{sub 2} or solid (Th,U)O{sub 2} solutions with high purity, well-developed crystals with linear crystallite size <15 nm. The prepared nano-powders of crystalline oxides were pelletized without any binder (pressure 500 MPa), the green pellets were subsequently sintered at 1300 °C under an Ar:H{sub 2} (20:1) mixture (UO{sub 2} and (Th,U)O{sub 2} pellets) or at 1600 °C in ambient air (ThO{sub 2} pellets). The theoretical density of the sintered pellets varied from 91 to 97%. - Highlights: • Photochemically prepared UO{sub 2}/ThO{sub 2} nano-powders were pelletized. • The nano-powders of crystalline oxides were pelletized without any binder. • Pellets were sintered at 1300 °C (UO{sub 2} and (Th,U)O{sub 2}) or 1600 °C (ThO{sub 2} pellets). • The theoretical density of the sintered pellets varies from 91 to 97%.

Synthesis And Characterization of PVDF-LiBOB Electrolyte Membrane With ZrO2 As Additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Etty Wigayati

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The electrolyte membrane serves as ions medium transport and as a separator between the anode and cathode in lithium ion battery. The polymer used for the electrolyte membrane must have sufficiently high mechanical strength to withstand the pressure between the anode and cathode, a thin size and has a chemical and thermal stability. Polymer electrolyte membrane of Lithium bisoxalate Borate(LiBOB salt with PVdF as matrix polymer and the additive is ZrO2 has been fabricated. The method used is a doctor blade. The concentration of the additive is varied. The membranes were characterized using FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EIS. XRD analysis showed that the crystallinity index increases with the addition of ZrO2. The presence of functional groups bewteen Lithium salts and polymer interaction shown by FTIR analysis. The morphology of the membrane surface was shown by SEM analysis. SEM image and mapping show the morphology of the membrane have typical porous layer. The electrical conductivity increases with additions of ZrO2.

Optimum thickness evaluation of ZrO2 coating on type 304L stainless steel for corrosion protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garg, Nidhi; Bera, Santanu; Velmurugan, S.; Tripathi, V.S.; Karki, Vijay

2015-01-01

Nano-crystalline ZrO 2 coatings of different thickness have been grown on pre-oxidized stainless steel (SS) surface by hydrothermal method in an autoclave. Thickness of the coating has been enhanced by repeating the deposition process several times using same precursor concentration. Several cycles of the deposition process lead to the increase of the coating thickness from 200 nm to ∼1 μm after the fourth round of deposition. The samples after different rounds of the coating have been extensively characterized by SEM-EDS technique to find the surface topography, coating thickness and composition. Corrosion resistance properties of the plain SS, pre-oxidized SS and all the ZrO 2 coated samples were studied by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Corrosion current densities (I corr /cm 2 ) of the coated samples are found to reduce significantly with the increase in thickness. After a certain critical thickness, the corrosion resistance properties found to deteriorate due to the formation of coating defects caused by lattice strain. The coating was found to be continuous but porous after the first cycle but porosity of zirconia coating have been reduced drastically after the second cycle itself. EIS analysis confirms that the zirconia coated samples show insulating, barrier like characteristics in terms of high charge transfer resistance after the second cycle of zirconia deposition. The role of pre-oxidized surface composition and the interface between the pre-oxidized surface and the coating has been discussed in details by showing the depth distribution of Zr in the coating. (author)

Key insights on the structural characterization of textured Er2O3–ZrO2 nano-oxides prepared by a surfactant-free solvothermal route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julián-López, Beatriz; Luz, Verónica de la; Gonell, Francisco; Cordoncillo, Eloisa; López-Haro, Miguel; Calvino, Jose J.; Escribano, Purificación

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Structural resolution of fluorite vs. pyrochlore in small nanocrystals. ► Simple template-free solvothermal synthesis of Er 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 nanooxides. ► Good control over size, morphology and surface properties (280 m 2 g −1 ). - Abstract: Zirconia-mixed oxides can exhibit cubic fluorite and pyrochlore structure. Their discrimination is not easy in nanooxides with a crystal size close to that of a few unit cells. In this work, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has been employed to provide key insights on the structural characterization of a nanometric and porous mixed Er 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 oxide. The material was prepared by a simple template-free solvothermal route that provided nanocrystalline powders at low temperature (170 °C) with spherical morphology, and high surface area (∼280 m 2 g −1 ). The porosity was mainly originated from the assembling of organic complexing agents used in the synthesis to limit the crystal growth and to control hydrolysis and condensation reaction rates. The samples were characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and N 2 adsorption measurements. A detailed study by HRTEM was conducted on microtomed samples. It was observed that the material was made of nanocrystals packed into spherical agglomerates. HRTEM simulations indicated that it is not possible to identify the pyrochlore phase in nanoparticles with diameter below 2 nm. In our samples, the analysis of the HRTEM lattice images by means of fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques revealed well defined spots that can be assigned to different planes of a cubic fluorite-type phase, even in the raw material. Raman spectroscopy was also a powerful technique to elucidate the crystalline phase of the materials with the smallest nanoparticles. HREM and Raman results evidenced that the material is constituted, irrespective of the temperature of the final calcination step, by an ensemble of randomly

Photoelectron emission as a tool to assess dose of electron radiation received by ZrO2:PbS films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumpane, Diana; Dekhtyar, Yury; Surkova, Indra; Romanova, Marina

2013-01-01

PbS nano dots embedded in ZrO 2 thin film matrix (ZrO 2 :PbS films) were studied for application in nanodosimetry of electron radiation used in radiation therapy. ZrO 2 :PbS films were irradiated with 9 MeV electron radiation with doses 3, 7 and 10 Gy using medical linear accelerator. Detection of the dosimetric signal was made by measuring and comparing photoelectron emission current from ZrO 2 :PbS films before and after irradiation. It was found that electron radiation decreased intensity of photoemission current from the films. Derivatives of the photoemission spectra were calculated and maximums at photon energies 5.65 and 5.75 eV were observed. Amplitude of these maximums decreased after irradiation with electrons. Good linear correlation was found between the relative decrease of the intensity of these maximums and dose of electron radiation. Observed changes in photoemission spectra from ZrO 2 :PbS films under influence of electron radiation suggested that the films may be considered to be effective material for electron radiation dosimetry. Photoelectron emission is a tool that allows to read the signal from such dosimeter. (authors)

Enhanced flux pinning by BaZrO3 and (Gd,y)2O3 nano-structures in metal organic chemical vapor deposited GdYBCO high temperature superconductor tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, New York; Selvamanickam, V. [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, New York; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [ORNL; Cantoni, Claudia [ORNL; Aytug, Tolga [ORNL; Goyal, Amit [ORNL; Lee, Dominic F [ORNL; Specht, Eliot D [ORNL; Zuev, Yuri L [ORNL; Zhang, Yifei [ORNL

2009-01-01

We have formed BaZrO3 nano-columns and (Gd,Y)2O3 nano-precipitates in reel-to-reel MOCVD processed (Gd,Y)Ba2Cu3O7-x coated conductors and increased the critical currents (Ic) of the conductors in applied magnetic fields to remarkable levels. A (Gd,Y)Ba2Cu3O7-x tape of 1m length with 6.5% Zr-additions and 30% composition rich in both Gd and Y showed Ic values of 813 A/cm-width at (self-field, 77K) and above 186 A/cm-width at (1T, 77K). The strongly enhanced flux pinning over a wide range of magnetic field orientations can be attributed to the bidirectionally aligned defect structures of BaZrO3 and (Gd,Y)2O3 created by optimized MOCVD conditions.

Using Radiochromic Films to Characterize the Dispersion of ZrO{sub 2} Nano-sized Grain Clusters in Protective Polymer Composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontainha, C.C.P.; Nolasco, A.V. [Depto. de Engenharia Nuclear - DEN / UFMG - MG, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, 31270-970 Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Santos, A.P.; Faria, L.O. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, C.P. 941, 30270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2015-07-01

. This result is discussed in terms of the high Z halides added to the sensitive layer of EB3 film, once the main components are C (42.3%), H (39.7%) and O (16.0%)1-2. Based on the above results, we have speculated about the abilities of XR-AQ films in the detection of the distribution of nano-sized particles that has high mass-energy attenuation coefficients for low energy x-rays, in polymer composites. In another investigation we tested the ability of XR-QA2 Gafchromic{sup R} films to evaluate the dispersion of ZrO{sub 2} nano-sized grain clusters in protective composites. The P(VDFTrFE)/ ZrO{sub 2} film was sandwiched between two XR-QA2 radiochromic films. In this setup, one radiochromic film is directly exposed to 100 mGy of the x-rays beam and another one measures the attenuated beam. After storage for 24 hours at room temperature under no light conditions, the irradiated radiochromic films were scanned under the same conditions in order to obtain a more reliable result. All films were scanned using the same size ROI in high resolution mode and saved as tagged image file format (TIFF). The untreated scanned image of the XR-AQ2 film directed exposed to the X-ray beam and the correspondent treated image with digital filters are shown. The untreated and treated image of the XR-AQ2 film that was exposed to the attenuated x-ray beam is shown. The image treated with digital filters seems to reproduce the dispersion of ZrO{sub 2} nano-sized grain clusters in the P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer matrix. This result is also discussed in terms of the high Z halides added to the sensitive layer of XR-AQ2 film and compared to the MEV images obtained from the P(VDF-TrFE)/ZrO{sub 2} composites. The results indicate a clear correlation between the 2D radiochromic image and the MEV photography.

Self-organized antireflection CuIn(S,Se)_2 nano-protrusions on flexible substrates by ion erosion based on CuInS_2 nanocrystal precursor inks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, Yu-Ting; Wang, Yi-Chung; Chen, Chia-Wei; Tsai, Hung-Wei; Chen, Yu-Ze; Hu, Fan; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • CuIn(S,Se)_2 nano-protrusions were demonstrated on 36-cm"2 flexible substrates. • Nano-protrusions were created by ion erosion on selenized CuInS_2 nanocrystal precursor inks. • Tilt orientations and remarkable anti-reflectance characteristics of nano-protrusions can be precisely controlled. - Abstract: In this work, an approach to achieve surface nano-protrusions on a chalcopyrite CuIn(S,Se)_2 thin film was demonstrated. Home-made CuInS_2 nanocrystals with average diameter of 20 nm were prepared and characterized. By applying ion erosion process on the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film, large-area self-aligned nano-protrusions can be formed. Interestingly, the process can be applied on flexible substrate where the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film remains intact with no visible cracking after several bending tests. In addition, reflectance spectra reveal the extraordinary anti-reflectance characteristics of nano-protrusions on the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film with the incident light from 350 to 2000 nm. A 36-cm"2 CuIn(S,Se)_2 film with nano-protrusions on flexible molybdenum foil substrate has been demonstrated, which demonstrated the feasibility of developing low cost with a high optical absorption CuIn(S,Se)_2 flexible thin film.

Resistive switching in ZrO2 based metal-oxide-metal structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaerkkaenen, Irina

2014-01-01

The goal of this work is a deeper understanding of the influence of the (i) metal-oxide-metal (MOM) layer stacks configuration, (ii) the oxide films microstructure, (iii) and their defect structure on the appearance of different switching modes, i.e. unipolar (UP) and bipolar (BP). The first part deals with the fabrication of ZrO 2 thin films by an industrial compatible atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, the chemical, structural and morphological characterization of the films, the growth of ZrO 2 /TiO 2 bilayers, the integration of the layers into metal-oxide-metal (MOM) devices and the electrical characterization with focus on the RS behavior. In the second part the effect of the device structure, in particular the thickness of the electrochemical active electrode (EAE) and the ZrO 2 film morphology, on the RS switching polarity of Pt/ZrO 2 /(EAE) cells is discussed. ZrO 2 films and ZrO 2 /TiO 2 bilayers were grown by ALD and were carefully structurally and electrically characterized. The ZrO 2 films grown from Zr[N(CH 3 )C 2 H 5 ] 4 (TEMA-Zr) at 240 C were polycrystalline with a mixture of cubic/tetragonal phases. ALD/H 2 O-ZrO 2 films exhibited a random oriented polycrystalline structure, whereas the ALD/O 3 -ZrO 2 films consisted of preferably oriented cubic shaped grains. Pt/ZrO 2 /Ti/Pt structures with a Ti top electrode (TE) thickness of 5 to 20 nm showed unipolar type RS behavior, while by increasing the Ti TE thickness a gradual change of switching polarity from unipolar to bipolar with a completely bipolar type RS behavior for a Ti TE thickness of 40 nm is found. The switching in Pt/ZrO 2 /TiO 2 /Ti/Pt devices was unipolar, comparable to Pt/ZrO 2 /Ti/Pt cells. In contrast, bilayers with the reverse structure, Pt/TiO 2 /ZrO 2 /Ti/Pt, showed non-switching behavior. The effect of the cells stack structure on the polarity of the RS behavior was studied in detail for 20 nm thick ZrO 2 films grown by an ozone based ALD process and integrated into Pt/ZrO 2

Anomalous behavior of B1g mode in highly transparent anatase nano-crystalline Nb-doped Titanium Dioxide (NTO thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subodh K. Gautam

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of Niobium doping and size of crystallites on highly transparent nano-crystalline Niobium doped Titanium Dioxide (NTO thin films with stable anatase phase are reported. The Nb doping concentration is varied within the solubility limit in TiO2 lattice. Films were annealed in controlled environment for improving the crystallinity and size of crystallites. Elemental and thickness analysis were carried out using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and cross sectional field emission scanning electron microscopy. Structural characteristics reveal a substitutional incorporation of Nb+5 in the TiO2 lattice which inhibits the anatase crystallites growth with increasing the doping percentage. The micro-Raman (MR spectra of films with small size crystallites shows stiffening of about 4 cm−1 for the Eg(1 mode and is ascribed to phonon confinement and non-stoichiometry. In contrast, B1g mode exhibits a large anomalous softening of 20 cm−1 with asymmetrical broadening; which was not reported for the case of pure TiO2 crystallites. This anomalous behaviour is explained by contraction of the apical Ti-O bonds at the surface upon substitutional Nb5+ doping induced reduction of Ti4+ ions also known as hetero-coordination effect. The proposed hypotheses is manifested through studying the electronic structure and phonon dynamics by performing the near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS and temperature dependent MR down to liquid nitrogen temperature on pure and 2.5 at.% doped NTO films, respectively.

Electrical and mechanical properties of 0.5Ba (Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5 (Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) lead free ferroelectric ceramics reinforced with Al2O3 nano-oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, Prativa; Mazumder, R.

2014-01-01

Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used as actuator, resonator, and spark igniter. Recently, much attention has been paid to prepare 0.5Ba (Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 -0.5 (Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 )TiO 3 (BZT-BCT) piezoelectric ceramics because of its good dielectric, piezoelectric properties and environment friendly nature. However, piezoelectric ceramics based on BaTiO 3 suffer from low reliability and poor mechanical properties such as strength and toughness. For practical application improvement of the mechanical properties of BaTiO 3 -based ceramics is strongly required. A novel method has been used to improve the mechanical properties of structural ceramics by reinforcement of oxide (Al 2 O 3 , MgO, ZrO 2 and Stabilized-ZrO 2 ) or non-oxide (SiC) particles. It is well known that electrical properties of ferroelectric ceramics generally degrade with non-ferroelectric additives and decrease in sinterability usually encountered with refractory oxide additives. Use of nano-oxide additives may drastically reduce the amount of additive and electrical property may not degrade much. In this report we would show the electrical and mechanical properties of BZT-BCT with Al 2 O 3 nano oxide additive. Modified BZT-BCT nanocomposites were prepared by mixing and sintering of solid state synthesized Zr, Ca modified barium titanate powder and small amount (0.1-2.0 vol %) of nano-oxides, i.e. Al 2 O 3 . Effect of sintering temperature, time, particle size of the nano-oxide additives on electrical (dielectric constant, loss factor, Curie temperature, d 33 ) and mechanical (flexural strength, fracture toughness, hardness) properties were studied. We obtained ∼ 94% dense BZT-BCT reinforced with Al 2 O 3 nano-oxide at 1300℃ without degrading electrical properties (dielectric constant (4850), low dissipation factor (0.0242)) and superior mechanical properties (flexural strength - 60.3 MPa, Vickers hardness-750-800 MPa). (author)

Corrosion resistance of ZrO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite multilayer thin films coated on carbon steel in hydrochloric acid solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abd El-Lateef, Hany M., E-mail: Hany_shubra@yahoo.co.uk; Khalaf, Mai M., E-mail: Mai_kha1@yahoo.com

2015-10-15

This work reports the achievement of preparing of x% zirconia (ZrO{sub 2})–titania (TiO{sub 2}) composite coatings with different ZrO{sub 2} percent on the carbon steel by dipping substrates in sol–gel solutions. The prepared coated samples were investigated by various surface techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Open-circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods were employed to investigate the corrosion resistance of the coated carbon steel substrates in 1.0 M HCl solution at 50 °C. The data showed that, the corrosion protection property is not always proportional to the percent of ZrO{sub 2}. It can be inferred that there is an optimum percent (10%ZrO{sub 2}) for beneficial effects of loading ZrO{sub 2} on the protection efficiency (98.70%), while higher loading percent of ZrO{sub 2} in the sol–gel coating leads to the formation of a fragile film with poor barrier properties. EDAX/SEM suggests that the metal surface was protected through coating with ZrO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2} composite films. - Highlights: • Sol–gel TiO{sub 2} doped with ZrO{sub 2} films deposited on carbon steel substrate • XRD measurements of x wt.% ZrO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2} showed the (101) peaks broader than that of TiO{sub 2}. • SEM results proved that, the cracking decreases with the number of layers. • The prepared films can improve the corrosion resistance of the carbon steel substrate. • 10%ZrO{sub 2} loading is the optimal percent for useful effects on the corrosion resistance.

Corrosion Performance of Nano-ZrO₂ Modified Coatings in Hot Mixed Acid Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenhua; Wang, Zhenyu; Han, En-Hou; Wang, Shuai; Liu, Qian

2018-06-01

A nano-ZrO₂ modified coating system was prepared by incorporation of nano-ZrO₂ concentrates into phenolic-epoxy resin. The corrosion performance of the coatings was evaluated in hot mixed acid solution, using electrochemical methods combined with surface characterization, and the effects of nano-ZrO₂ content were specially focused on. The results showed that 1% and 3% nano-ZrO₂ addition enhanced the corrosion resistance of the coatings, while 5% nano-ZrO₂ addition declined it. The coating with 3% nano-ZrO₂ presented the minimum amount of species diffusion, the lowest average roughness (5.94 nm), and the highest C/O ratio (4.55) and coating resistance, and it demonstrated the best corrosion performance among the coating specimens.

Deposition and characterization of ZrMoN thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontes Junir, A.S.; Felix, L.C.; Oliveira, G.B. de; Fernandez, D.R.; Carvalho, R.G.; Tentardini, E.K.; Silva Junior, A.H. da

2016-01-01

Thin films of ZrMoN were deposited by magnetron reactive sputtering technique in order to study the molybdenum influence on the mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of these coatings. Three thin films with molybdenum concentrations from 25 to 40 at.% were selected. The displacement of characteristic peaks of ZrN where identified by GIXRD results of films with larger Mo content. This result is indicative of the Mo accommodation in the lattice structure. Hardness tests revealed favorable results with values up to 33 GPa. Oxidation tests showed that ZrN oxidized at 500 °C with a monoclinic ZrO 2 and tetragonal formation; whereas the thin films with Mo addition impeded the formation of the monoclinic ZrO 2 phase at partial oxidation. (author)

The solubility and site preference of Fe3+ in Li7−3xFexLa3Zr2O12 garnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rettenwander, D.; Geiger, C.A.; Tribus, M.; Tropper, P.; Wagner, R.; Tippelt, G.; Lottermoser, W.; Amthauer, G.

2015-01-01

A series of Fe 3+ -bearing Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) garnets was synthesized using solid-state synthesis methods. The synthetic products were characterized compositionally using electron microprobe analysis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and structurally using X-ray powder diffraction and 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. A maximum of about 0.25 Fe 3+ pfu could be incorporated in Li 7−3x Fe x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 garnet solid solutions. At Fe 3+ concentrations lower than about 0.16 pfu, both tetragonal and cubic garnets were obtained in the synthesis experiments. X-ray powder diffraction analysis showed only a garnet phase for syntheses with starting materials having intended Fe 3+ contents lower than 0.52 Fe 3+ pfu. Back-scattered electron images made with an electron microprobe also showed no phase other than garnet for these compositions. The lattice parameter, a 0 , for all solid-solution garnets is similar with a value of a 0 ≈12.98 Å regardless of the amount of Fe 3+ . 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements indicate the presence of poorly- or nano-crystalline FeLaO 3 in syntheses with Fe 3+ contents greater than 0.16 Fe 3+ pfu. The composition of different phase pure Li 7−3x Fe x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 garnets, as determined by electron microprobe (Fe, La, Zr) and ICP-OES (Li) measurements, give Li 6.89 Fe 0.03 La 3.05 Zr 2.01 O 12 , Li 6.66 Fe 0.06 La 3.06 Zr 2.01 O 12 , Li 6.54 Fe 0.12 La 3.01 Zr 1.98 O 12 , and Li 6.19 Fe 0.19 La 3.02 Zr 2.04 O 12 . The 57 Fe Mössbauer spectrum of cubic Li 6.54 Fe 0.12 La 3.01 Zr 1.98 O 12 garnet indicates that most Fe 3+ occurs at the special crystallographic 24d position, which is the standard tetrahedrally coordinated site in garnet. Fe 3+ in smaller amounts occurs at a general 96h site, which is only present for certain Li-oxide garnets, and in Li 6.54 Fe 0.12 La 3.01 Zr 1.98 O 12 this Fe 3+ has a distorted 4-fold coordination. - Graphical abstract: Cubic nominally Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O

Influence of aluminium incorporation on the structure of ZrN films deposited at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araiza, J J; Sanchez, O

2009-01-01

We have studied the influence of Al incorporation in the crystalline structure of ZrN thin films deposited by dc magnetron sputtering at low temperature. The amount of aluminium in the films depends directly on the power applied to the aluminium cathode during the deposition. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to obtain the chemical composition and crystalline structure of the films, respectively. When Al atoms are incorporated into the ZrN coatings, the strong ZrN (2 0 0) orientation is modified by a combination of other ones such as ZrN (1 1 1), Zr 3 N 4 (2 1 1) and hexagonal AlN (1 0 0) as detected from the XRD spectra for high aluminium concentrations. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy allowed us to identify oxides and nitrides, ZrO, AlO and AlN, incorporated into the deposited films. The effect of a bias voltage applied to the substrate has also been investigated and related to the changes in the microstructure and in the nanohardness values of the ZrAlN films.

Nano-crystallization in ZnO-doped In_2O_3 thin films via excimer laser annealing for thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2016-01-01

In a previous work, we reported the high field effect mobility of ZnO-doped In_2O_3 (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) irradiated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) [M. Fujii et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 122107 (2013)]. However, a deeper understanding of the effect of ELA on the IZO film characteristics based on crystallinity, carrier concentrations, and optical properties is needed to control localized carrier concentrations for fabricating self-aligned structures in the same oxide film and to adequately explain the physical characteristics. In the case of as-deposited IZO film used as the channel, a high carrier concentration due to a high density of oxygen vacancies was observed; such a film does not show the required TFT characteristics but can act as a conductive film. We achieved a decrease in the carrier concentration of IZO films by crystallization using ELA. This means that ELA can form localized conductive or semi-conductive areas on the IZO film. We confirmed that the reason for the carrier concentration decrease was the decrease of oxygen-deficient regions and film crystallization. The annealed IZO films showed nano-crystalline phase, and the temperature at the substrate was substantially less than the temperature limit for flexible films such as plastic, which is 50°C. This paves the way for the formation of self-aligned structures and separately formed conductive and semi-conductive regions in the same oxide film.

On the potential of Hg-Photo-CVD process for the low temperature growth of nano-crystalline silicon (Topical review)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barhdadi, A.

2005-08-01

Mercury-Sensitized Photo-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (Hg-Photo-CVD) technique opens new possibilities for reducing thin film growth temperature and producing novel semiconductor materials suitable for the future generation of high efficiency thin film solar cells onto low cost flexible plastic substrates. This paper provides an overview of this technique, with the emphasis on its potential in low temperature elaboration of nano-crystalline silicon for the development of thin films photovoltaic technology. (author)

Synthesis of naturally cross-linked polycrystalline ZrO2 hollow nanowires using butterfly as templates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yu; Gu Jiajun; Zhu Shenmin; Su Huilan; Zhang Di; Feng Chuanliang; Zhuang Leyan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Naturally cross-linked ZrO 2 nanotubes with ∼2.4 μm in length, ∼35 nm in diameter and ∼12 nm in wall thickness was synthesized via the selection of suitable butterfly bio-templates followed by heat processing. ► The contractions, which are main defects of the former hard-template method based on butterflies, are well controlled with the help of the surface tension effect. ► The achieved hollow ZrO 2 nanowires suggest a new optional approach that uses bio-templates in fabricating and designing nano systems. - Abstract: Butterfly wing skeleton is a widely used hard-template in recent years for fabricating photonic crystal structures. However, the smallest construction units for the most species of butterflies are commonly larger than ∼50 nm, which greatly hinders their applications in designing much smaller functional parts down to real “nano scale”. This work indicates, however, that hollow ZrO 2 nanowires with ∼2.4 μm in length, ∼35 nm in diameter and ∼12 nm in wall thickness can be synthesized via the selection of suitable butterfly bio-templates followed by heat processing. Especially, the successful fabrication of these naturally cross-linked ZrO 2 nanotubes suggests a new optional approach in fabricating assembled nano systems.

Growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} crystallites in 3 mol% yttria partially stabilized ZrO{sub 2} (3Y-PSZ) precursor powder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuo, Chih-Wei [Department of Resources Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Lee, Kuen-Chan [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Yen, Feng-Lin, E-mail: flyen@kmu.edu.tw [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Shen, Yun-Hwei [Department of Resources Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Lee, Huey-Er [Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Chung Ho Memorial Hospital, 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Wen, Shaw-Bing [General Education Center, Meiho Institute of Technology, 23 Pingguang Road, Neipu, Pingtung 91202, Taiwan (China); Wang, Moo-Chin, E-mail: mcwang@kmu.edu.tw [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China); Stack, Margaret Mary [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow (United Kingdom)

2014-04-01

Highlights: • The crystalline structures were composed of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2}. • Growth kinetics of t-ZrO{sub 2} in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder is described as: D{sub te}{sup 2}=(4.57±0.55)t{sup 0.12±0.02}exp(-((24.79±0.38)×10{sup 3})/(RT) ). • Growth kinetics of m-ZrO{sub 2} in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder is described as: D{sub m}{sup 2}=(4.40±1.63)t{sup 0.17±0.08}exp(-((66.47±3.97)×10{sup 3})/(RT) ). - Abstract: The growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} crystallites in 3 mol% yttria partially stabilized ZrO{sub 2} (3Y-PSZ) precursor powder has been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM). After calcination of the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder between 773 and 1073 K for 2 h, the crystalline structures were composed of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} as the primary and secondary phases, respectively. When the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder was calcined at 773 K for 2 h, the BET specific surface area was 97.13 m{sup 2}/g, which is equivalent to a particle size of 10.30 nm. The crystallite sizes determined via XRD and BET agreed well, indicating that the powder was virtually non-agglomerated. The growth kinetics of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} crystallite isothermal growth in the 3Y-PSZ precursor powder are described by: D{sub te}{sup 2}=(4.57±0.55)t{sup 0.12±0.02}exp(-((24.79±0.38)×10{sup 3})/(RT) ) and D{sub m}{sup 2}=(4.40±1.63)t{sup 0.17±0.08}exp(-((66.47±3.97)×10{sup 3})/(RT) ), respectively, for 773K≤T≤1073K. D{sub te} and D{sub m} denote the crystallite size of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} at time t and temperature T, respectively.

Influence of microstructure on electromechanical properties of nano-crystalline La-Pb(Ni{sub 1/3}Sb{sub 2/3})-PbZrTiO{sub 3} ferroelectric ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, H.H.; Lonkar, C.M. [Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune (India); Balasubramanian, K. [Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed University), Pune (India)

2017-10-15

A ferroelectric ceramic composition, Pb{sub 0.98}La{sub 0.02}(Ni{sub 1/3}Sb{sub 2/3}){sub 0.05}[(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48}){sub 0.995}] {sub 0.95}O{sub 3}, has been synthesized by columbite precursor method followed by mechanical activation for 10 h (MA-10) using high-energy ball mill. Formation of desired perovskite phase during activation was confirmed from analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns, while powder particle size, in nano-meter range, was revealed from high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) investigations. Samples were sintered between 1170 and 1320 C, and were investigated for microstructure and its influence on electromechanical properties. Increment in grain size with sintering temperature was noticed. 1220 C sintering temperature posed denser and uniform microstructure amongst all the temperatures and also showed composition close to morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of PZT with optimum tetragonality which resulted in better electromechanical properties, suggesting the suitability of this composition for power harvesting applications. Phase transition studies revealed normal ferroelectric behaviour with transition temperature of 286 C. (orig.)

Nano crystalline Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) phases in lithium bismuth borate glasses containing mixed vanadium-nickel oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Arti, E-mail: artidabhur@gmail.com; Khasa, S.; Dahiya, M. S. [Department of Physics, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, India-131039 (India); Agarwal, A. [Department of Applied Physics, G. J. University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India-125001 (India)

2016-05-23

Glass composition 7V{sub 2}O{sub 5}·23Li{sub 2}O·20Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}·50B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and x(2NiO·V{sub 2}O{sub 5})·(30-x)Li{sub 2}O·20Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}·50B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, x=0, 2, 5, 7 and 10, were produced by conventional melt quenching technique. The quenched amorphous glass samples were annealed at temperatures 400°C and 500°C for 6 hours. The Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) crystallite were grown in all prepared glass matrix. Tn vanadium lithium bismuth borate glass (annealed), the some phrase of V{sub 2}O{sub 5}-crystal were observed along with the nano crystalline Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) phase. The sharp peaks in FTTR spectra of all annealed compositions were also compatible with the XRD diffraction peaks of the system under investigation. Average crystalline size (D) of the Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) nano-crystallite was ~30 nm for samples annealed at 400°C and ~42 nm for samples annealed at 500°C. Lattice parameter and the lattice strain for all the samples was also calculated corresponding to the (113) plane of Bi{sub 2}(VO{sub 5}) crystallite.

Ultrasound-assisted sol-gel synthesis of ZrO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Guel, Marlene Lariza Andrade; Jiménez, Lourdes Díaz; Hernández, Dora Alicia Cortés

2017-03-01

Synthesis of tetragonal ZrO 2 by both conventional sol-gel and ultrasound-assisted sol-gel methods and using a non-ionic surfactant Tween-20, was performed. A porous microstructure composed of nanometric particles was observed. Tetragonal ZrO 2 was obtained using a low heat treatment temperature of powders, 500°C by both methods. A higher crystallinity and a shorter reaction time were observed when ultrasound was used in the sol-gel method due to the cavitation phenomenon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulsed laser deposition of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin film on cobalt ferrite nano-seed layered Pt(111)/Si substrate: effect of oxygen pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Khodaei, M.; Seyyed Ebrahimi, S. A.; Park, Yong Jun; Song, Seungwoo; Jang, Hyun Myung; Son, Junwoo; Baik, Sunggi

2014-07-01

The effect of oxygen pressure during pulsed laser deposition of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin films on CoFe2O4 nano-seed layered Pt(111)/Si substrate was investigated. The PZT film deposited at oxygen pressure lower than 25 mTorr is identified as both perovskite and pyrochlore phases and the films deposited at high oxygen pressure (50-100 mTorr) show the single-phase perovskite PZT that has a perfect (111)-orientation. In addition, the film deposited at PO2 of 50 mTorr has a uniform surface morphology, whereas the film deposited at PO2 of 100 mTorr has a non-uniform surface morphology and more incompacted columnar cross-section microstructure. The polarization of film deposited at 100 mTorr is higher than that deposited at 50 mTorr, but shift of the hysteresis loop along the electrical field axis in the film deposited at PO2 of 100 mTorr is larger than that of the film deposited at PO2 of 50 mTorr.

Blending crystalline/liquid crystalline small molecule semiconductors: A strategy towards high performance organic thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chao; He, Yaowu; Li, Aiyuan; Zhang, Dongwei; Meng, Hong

2016-10-01

Solution processed small molecule polycrystalline thin films often suffer from the problems of inhomogeneity and discontinuity. Here, we describe a strategy to solve these problems through deposition of the active layer from a blended solution of crystalline (2-phenyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene, Ph-BTBT) and liquid crystalline (2-(4-dodecylphenyl) [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene, C12-Ph-BTBT) small molecule semiconductors with the hot spin-coating method. Organic thin film transistors with average hole mobility approaching 1 cm2/V s, much higher than that of single component devices, have been demonstrated, mainly due to the improved uniformity, continuity, crystallinity, and stronger intermolecular π-π stacking in blend thin films. Our results indicate that the crystalline/liquid crystalline semiconductor blend method is an effective way to enhance the performance of organic transistors.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-12-01

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Rochford

2015-12-01

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

Atomic-resolution characterization of the effects of CdCl2 treatment on poly-crystalline CdTe thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Paulauskas, T.; Buurma, C.; Colegrove, E.; Guo, Z.; Sivananthan, S.; Chan, M. K. Y.; Klie, R. F.

2014-08-01

Poly-crystalline CdTe thin films on glass are used in commercial solar-cell superstrate devices. It is well known that post-deposition annealing of the CdTe thin films in a CdCl2 environment significantly increases the device performance, but a fundamental understanding of the effects of such annealing has not been achieved. In this Letter, we report a change in the stoichiometry across twin boundaries in CdTe and propose that native point defects alone cannot account for this variation. Upon annealing in CdCl2, we find that the stoichiometry is restored. Our experimental measurements using atomic-resolution high-angle annular dark field imaging, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope are supported by first-principles density functional theory calculations.

Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prathap Pathi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer, providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin silicon (<2 μm and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small thicknesses (<10 μm and is slightly lower (by ~5% at wafer-scale thicknesses. Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 μm silicon and just 1%–2% for thicker (>100 μm cells. There is potential for 20 μm thick cells to provide 30 mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced light-trapping.

High performance multilayered nano-crystalline silicon/silicon-oxide light-emitting diodes on glass substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darbari, S; Shahmohammadi, M; Mortazavi, M; Mohajerzadeh, S [Thin Film and Nano-Electronic Laboratory, School of ECE, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abdi, Y [Nano-Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Robertson, M; Morrison, T, E-mail: mohajer@ut.ac.ir [Department of Physics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS (Canada)

2011-09-16

A low-temperature hydrogenation-assisted sequential deposition and crystallization technique is reported for the preparation of nano-scale silicon quantum dots suitable for light-emitting applications. Radio-frequency plasma-enhanced deposition was used to realize multiple layers of nano-crystalline silicon while reactive ion etching was employed to create nano-scale features. The physical characteristics of the films prepared using different plasma conditions were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, room temperature photoluminescence and infrared spectroscopy. The formation of multilayered structures improved the photon-emission properties as observed by photoluminescence and a thin layer of silicon oxy-nitride was then used for electrical isolation between adjacent silicon layers. The preparation of light-emitting diodes directly on glass substrates has been demonstrated and the electroluminescence spectrum has been measured.

Morphology evolution of ZrB2 nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yun; Li Ruixing; Jiang Yanshan; Zhao Bin; Duan Huiping; Li Junping; Feng Zhihai

2011-01-01

Zirconium diboride (ZrB 2 ) nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method using zirconium n-propoxide (Zr(OPr) 4 ), boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ), sucrose (C 12 H 22 O 11 ), and acetic acid (AcOH). Clearly, it was a non-aqueous solution system at the very beginning of the reactions. Here, AcOH was used as both chemical modifier and solvent to control Zr(OPr) 4 hydrolysis. Actually, AcOH could dominate the hydrolysis by self-produced water of the chemical propulsion, rather than the help of outer water. C 12 H 22 O 11 was selected, since it can be completely decomposed to carbon. Thus, carbon might be accounted precisely for the carbothermal reduction reaction. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of the gelation temperature on the morphology of ZrB 2 particles. Increasing the gelation temperature, the particle shapes changed from sphere-like particles at 65 deg. C to a particle chain at 75 deg. C, and then form rod-like particles at 85 deg. C. An in-depth HRTEM observation revealed that the nanoparticles of ZrB 2 were gradually fused together to evolve into a particle chain, finally into a rod-like shape. These crystalline nature of ZrB 2 related to the gelation temperature obeyed the 'oriented attachment mechanism' of crystallography. - Graphical Abstract: Increasing the gelation temperature, the particle shapes changed from sphere-like particles at 65 deg. C to a particle chain at 75 deg. C, and then form rod-like particles at 85 deg. C. Highlights: → ZrB 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method in an non-aqueous solution system. → AcOH was used as both chemical modifier and solvent to control Zr(OPr) 4 hydrolysis. → C 12 H 22 O 11 was selected since it can be completely decomposed to carbon. → Increasing the gelation temperature, the particles changed from sphere-like to rod-like ones. → Crystalline nature of ZrB 2 obeyed the 'oriented attachment mechanism' of crystallography.

Low-temperature sol-gel synthesis of NaZr2P3O12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawal, D.K.; Adair, J.H.

1990-01-01

The NZP family of new low-expansion materials has attracted wide interest for its potential in advanced technological applications. NaZr 2 P 3 O 12 , which is the parent composition of this family, has been synthesized by the solution sol-gel method using special precursor solutions, which led to its formation (although poorly crystalline) at temperatures as low as 120 degrees C. The lowest temperature of formation of a single phase of NaZr 2 P 3 O 12 with a high degree of crystallinity was found to be 600 degrees C

Nano-regime Length Scales Extracted from the First Sharp Diffraction Peak in Non-crystalline SiO2 and Related Materials: Device Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phillips James

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper distinguishes between two different scales of medium range order, MRO, in non-crystalline SiO2: (1 the first is ~0.4 to 0.5 nm and is obtained from the position of the first sharp diffraction peak, FSDP, in the X-ray diffraction structure factor, S(Q, and (2 the second is ~1 nm and is calculated from the FSDP full-width-at-half-maximum FWHM. Many-electron calculations yield Si–O third- and O–O fourth-nearest-neighbor bonding distances in the same 0.4–0.5 nm MRO regime. These derive from the availability of empty Si dπ orbitals for back-donation from occupied O pπ orbitals yielding narrow symmetry determined distributions of third neighbor Si–O, and fourth neighbor O–O distances. These are segments of six member rings contributing to connected six-member rings with ~1 nm length scale within the MRO regime. The unique properties of non-crystalline SiO2 are explained by the encapsulation of six-member ring clusters by five- and seven-member rings on average in a compliant hard-soft nano-scaled inhomogeneous network. This network structure minimizes macroscopic strain, reducing intrinsic bonding defects as well as defect precursors. This inhomogeneous CRN is enabling for applications including thermally grown ~1.5 nm SiO2 layers for Si field effect transistor devices to optical components with centimeter dimensions. There are qualitatively similar length scales in nano-crystalline HfO2 and phase separated Hf silicates based on the primitive unit cell, rather than a ring structure. Hf oxide dielectrics have recently been used as replacement dielectrics for a new generation of Si and Si/Ge devices heralding a transition into nano-scale circuits and systems on a Si chip.

Process and properties of electroless Ni–Cu–P–ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T.V.; Vathsala, K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The Ni–P and Ni–P–Cu–ZrO 2 coatings were produced by electroless technique. ► The influence of copper and ZrO 2 nanoparticles on Ni–P was studied. ► Surface morphology, structure and electrochemical behavior were evaluated. ► The Ni–Cu–P–ZrO 2 and Ni–P–ZrO 2 coatings are more resistant to corrosion than Ni–P. ► Introduction of Cu and ZrO 2 in the matrix aids to the enhancement of microhardness. -- Abstract: Electroless Ni–Cu–P–ZrO 2 composite coating was successfully obtained on low carbon steel matrix by electroless plating technique. Coatings with different compositions were obtained by varying copper as ternary metal and nano sized zirconium oxide particles so as to obtain elevated corrosion resistant Ni–P coating. Microstructure, crystal structure and composition of deposits were analyzed by SEM, EDX and XRD techniques. The corrosion behavior of the deposits was studied by anodic polarization, Tafel plots and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% sodium chloride solution. The ZrO 2 incorporated Ni–P coating showed higher corrosion resistance than plain Ni–P. The introduction of copper metal into Ni–P–ZrO 2 enhanced the protection ability against corrosion. The influence of copper metal and nanoparticles on microhardness of coatings was evaluated.

Zirconium doped TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juma, A. [Laboratory of Thin Film Chemical Technologies, Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn (Estonia); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private bag 16, Palapye (Botswana); Oja Acik, I., E-mail: ilona.oja@ttu.ee [Laboratory of Thin Film Chemical Technologies, Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn (Estonia); Oluwabi, A.T.; Mere, A. [Laboratory of Thin Film Chemical Technologies, Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn (Estonia); Mikli, V.; Danilson, M. [Chair of Semiconductor Materials Technology, Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn (Estonia); Krunks, M. [Laboratory of Thin Film Chemical Technologies, Department of Materials Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn (Estonia)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Mean crystallite size of TiO{sub 2}:Zr film decreases with increasing [Zr] in the solution. • Zr doping supresses the anatase to rutile transformation process in TiO{sub 2} films. • Band gap of TiO{sub 2}:Zr film is 3.4 eV irrespective of the annealing temperature. - Abstract: Chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) is a flexible deposition technique that allows for mixing of the precursor solutions in different proportions suitable for doping thin films. The CSP method was used to dope TiO{sub 2} thin films with Zr by adding zirconium(IV) acetylacetonate into a solution of titanium(IV) isopropoxide in ethanol stabilized by acetylacetone at [Zr]/[Ti] of 0, 5, 10 and 20 at%. The Zr-doped TiO{sub 2} thin films were uniform and homogeneous showing much smaller grains than the undoped TiO{sub 2} films. Zr stabilized the anatase phase to temperatures above 800 °C depending on Zr concentration in the spray solution. The concentration of Zr determined by XPS was 6.4 at% for the thin film deposited from the 20 at% solution. According to AFM studies, Zr doping decreased the root mean square roughness of TiO{sub 2} film from 5.9 to 1.1 nm. An XRD study of samples with the highest Zr amount showed the ZrTiO{sub 4} phase started forming after annealing at 800 °C. The optical band gap for TiO{sub 2} decreased from 3.3 eV to 3.0 eV after annealing at 800 °C but for the TiO{sub 2}:Zr(20) film it remained at 3.4 eV. The dielectric constant increased by more than four times with Zr-doping and this was associated with the change in the bond formations caused by substitution of Ti by Zr in the lattice.

Mechanical properties of ultra-thin HfO2 films studied by nano scratches tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wei-En; Chang, Yong-Qing; Chang, Chia-Wei; Yao, Chih-Kai; Liao, Jiunn-Der

2013-01-01

10-nm-thick atomic layer deposited HfO 2 films were characterized in terms of wear resistance and indentation hardness to investigate the thermal annealing induced impacts on mechanical properties. The wear resistance of ultra-thin films at low loads was characterized using nano-scratch tests with an atomic force microscope. The depth of the nano-scratches decreases with increasing annealing temperature, indicating that the hardness of the annealed films increases with the annealing temperatures. Surface nanoindentation was also performed to confirm the nanoscratch test results. The hardness variation of the annealed films is due to the generation of HfSi x O y induced by the thermal annealing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements proved that the hardness of formed HfSi x O y with increasing annealing temperatures. The existence of HfSi x O y broadens the interface, and causes the increase of the interfacial layer thickness. As a result, the surface hardness increases with the increasing HfSi x O y induced by the thermal annealing. - Highlights: ► Mechanical properties of HfO 2 films were assessed by nano-scratch and indentation. ► Scratch depth of HfO 2 films decreased with the increase of annealing temperatures. ► Nano-hardness of HfO 2 films increased with the increase of annealing temperatures

Curve thermoluminescent analysis of ZrO{sub 2} doped with nanoparticles and Ag nano fibers; Analisis de la curva termoluminiscente de la ZrO{sub 2} dopada con nanoparticulas y nanofibras de Ag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendoza A, D.; Villa S, G.; Gutierrez W, C.; Perez H, R.; Gonzalez M, P. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac 52750, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2008-07-01

This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of the high temperature thermoluminescence response induced by UV radiation in pure zirconium (ZrO{sub 2}) and doped with Ag nanoparticles and Ag nano fibers. The zirconium samples were obtained by the sol-gel method and irradiated with a UV lamp for different times. The results showed that the presence of the dopants change the characteristics of the traps associated with the high temperature peak which is located at 230 C for pure zirconium, and that the greater influence is due the presence of Ag nano fibers, inducing a shift to lower temperatures. It also presents the thermoluminescence response as a function of irradiation time. (Author)

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2013-07-01

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

Effect of MoSi2 Content on Dry Sliding Tribological Properties of Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Longfei; Yang, Jun

2017-12-01

Zr55Cu30Al10Ni5 bulk metallic glass and its composites were prepared by suction casting into a copper mold. The effect of MoSi2 content on the tribological behavior of Zr55Cu30Al10Ni5 BMG was studied by using a high-speed reciprocating friction and wear tester. The results indicate that the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the BMGs can be improved by a certain amount of crystalline phase induced by MoSi2 content from 1 to 3% and deteriorated with MoSi2 content of 4%. The wear mechanism of both the metallic glass and its composite is abrasive wear. The mechanism of crystalline phase-dependent tribological properties of the composite was discussed based on the wear track and mechanical properties in the present work. The wear behavior of Zr55Cu30Al10Ni5 BMG and its composite indicates that a good combination of the toughness and the hardness can make the composite be well wear resistant.

Reliability assessment of ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films deposited on silicon wafer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Wei-En [Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Room 216, Building 8, 321 Kuang Fu Road Sec. 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Chia-Wei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yong-Qing [Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Room 216, Building 8, 321 Kuang Fu Road Sec. 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Yao, Chih-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Liao, Jiunn-Der, E-mail: jdliao@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

2012-09-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nano-mechanical properties on annealed ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} film are studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer By AFM analysis, hardness of the crystallized HfO{sub 2} film significantly increases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer By nano-indention, the film hardness increases with less contact stiffness. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quality assessment on the annealed ultra-thin films can thus be achieved. - Abstract: Ultra-thin hafnium dioxide (HfO{sub 2}) is used to replace silicon dioxide to meet the required transistor feature size in advanced semiconductor industry. The process integration compatibility and long-term reliability for the transistors depend on the mechanical performance of ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films. The criteria of reliability including wear resistance, thermal fatigue, and stress-driven failure rely on film adhesion significantly. The adhesion and variations in mechanical properties induced by thermal annealing of the ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films deposited on silicon wafers (HfO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si) are not fully understood. In this work, the mechanical properties of an atomic layer deposited HfO{sub 2} (nominal thickness Almost-Equal-To 10 nm) on a silicon wafer were characterized by the diamond-coated tip of an atomic force microscope and compared with those of annealed samples. The results indicate that the annealing process leads to the formation of crystallized HfO{sub 2} phases for the atomic layer deposited HfO{sub 2}. The HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} complex formed at the interface between HfO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2}/Si, where the thermal diffusion of Hf, Si, and O atoms occurred. The annealing process increases the surface hardness of crystallized HfO{sub 2} film and therefore the resistance to nano-scratches. In addition, the annealing process significantly decreases the harmonic contact stiffness (or thereafter eliminate the stress at the interface) and increases the nano-hardness, as measured by vertically

Crystallinity and superconductivity of as-grown MgB2 thin films with AlN buffer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujimoto, K.; Shimakage, H.; Wang, Z.; Kaya, N.

2005-01-01

The effects of aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers on the superconducting properties of MgB 2 thin film were investigated. The AlN buffer layers and as-grown MgB 2 thin films were deposited in situ using the multiple-target sputtering system. The best depositing condition for the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer occurred when the AlN was deposited on c-cut sapphire substrates at 290 deg. C. The crystallinity of the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer was studied using the XRD φ-scan and it showed that AlN and MgB 2 had the same in-plane alignment rotated at an angle of 30 deg. as compared to c-cut sapphire. The critical temperature of the MgB 2 film was 29.8 K and the resistivity was 50.0 μΩ cm at 40 K

Synthesis of naturally cross-linked polycrystalline ZrO{sub 2} hollow nanowires using butterfly as templates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Yu, E-mail: chenyu_8323@csu.edu.cn [School of Physics Science and Electronics Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Gu Jiajun, E-mail: gujiajun@sjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhu Shenmin; Su Huilan [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhang Di, E-mail: zhangdi@sjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Feng Chuanliang [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhuang Leyan [Measurement Center of Anti-Counterfeiting Technical Products, Shanghai (China)

2012-05-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Naturally cross-linked ZrO{sub 2} nanotubes with {approx}2.4 {mu}m in length, {approx}35 nm in diameter and {approx}12 nm in wall thickness was synthesized via the selection of suitable butterfly bio-templates followed by heat processing. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The contractions, which are main defects of the former hard-template method based on butterflies, are well controlled with the help of the surface tension effect. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The achieved hollow ZrO{sub 2} nanowires suggest a new optional approach that uses bio-templates in fabricating and designing nano systems. - Abstract: Butterfly wing skeleton is a widely used hard-template in recent years for fabricating photonic crystal structures. However, the smallest construction units for the most species of butterflies are commonly larger than {approx}50 nm, which greatly hinders their applications in designing much smaller functional parts down to real 'nano scale'. This work indicates, however, that hollow ZrO{sub 2} nanowires with {approx}2.4 {mu}m in length, {approx}35 nm in diameter and {approx}12 nm in wall thickness can be synthesized via the selection of suitable butterfly bio-templates followed by heat processing. Especially, the successful fabrication of these naturally cross-linked ZrO{sub 2} nanotubes suggests a new optional approach in fabricating assembled nano systems.

Effect of ZrB{sub 2} particles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hybrid (ZrB{sub 2} + Al{sub 3}Zr)/AA5052 insitu composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gautam, Gaurav, E-mail: gauravgautamm1988@gmail.com; Mohan, Anita, E-mail: amohan.app@iitbhu.ac.in

2015-11-15

Present study outlines the effect of ZrB{sub 2} particles variation on the morphology and mechanical properties of (ZrB{sub 2}+Al{sub 3}Zr)/AA5052Al alloy composites. Composites with varying amount of ZrB{sub 2} particles have been produced by direct melt reaction (DMR) technique. These composites have been characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to confirm the presence of ZrB{sub 2} and Al{sub 3}Zr particles. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning-electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to understand the morphology. To see the effect of ZrB{sub 2} variation on mechanical properties, hardness and tensile properties have been evaluated. The XRD and EDS results confirm the successful formation of ZrB{sub 2} particles in matrix of AA5052Al alloy. SEM and TEM studies exhibit that ZrB{sub 2} particles are mostly in hexagonal and some rectangular shape while Al{sub 3}Zr particles are in polyhedron and rectangular shapes. Most of ZrB{sub 2} particles are within a size range of 10–190 nm. Interface region is free of any impurity. OM studies show grain refinement of AA5052Al alloy matrix with formation of second phase ZrB{sub 2} particles. Tensile results indicate that the UTS and YS improve up to 3 vol.% of ZrB{sub 2} but beyond this composition a decreasing trend is observed. The strength coefficient increases with increase in ZrB{sub 2} particles up to 3 vol.% in the Al{sub 3}Zr/Al alloy composites, whereas strain hardening decreases. While beyond 3 vol.% ZrB{sub 2} particles in the Al{sub 3}Zr/Al alloy composite, opposite trend is observed in strength coefficient and strain hardening. Percentage elongation also improves with 1vol.% ZrB{sub 2}, but further addition of ZrB{sub 2} shows an adverse effect. However, a continuous increasing trend has been observed in bulk hardness. Fracture studies show facets of Al{sub 3}Zr particles and dimples of matrix, but with inclusion of ZrB{sub 2} dimple size decreases. Increase in Zr

Key insights on the structural characterization of textured Er{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} nano-oxides prepared by a surfactant-free solvothermal route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Julian-Lopez, Beatriz, E-mail: julian@qio.uji.es [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica y Organica, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellon (Spain); Luz, Veronica de la; Gonell, Francisco; Cordoncillo, Eloisa [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica y Organica, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellon (Spain); Lopez-Haro, Miguel; Calvino, Jose J. [Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingenieria Metalurgica y Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cadiz, Campus Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, 11510 Cadiz (Spain); Escribano, Purificacion [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica y Organica, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellon (Spain)

2012-04-05

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structural resolution of fluorite vs. pyrochlore in small nanocrystals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simple template-free solvothermal synthesis of Er{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} nanooxides. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Good control over size, morphology and surface properties (280 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}). - Abstract: Zirconia-mixed oxides can exhibit cubic fluorite and pyrochlore structure. Their discrimination is not easy in nanooxides with a crystal size close to that of a few unit cells. In this work, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has been employed to provide key insights on the structural characterization of a nanometric and porous mixed Er{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} oxide. The material was prepared by a simple template-free solvothermal route that provided nanocrystalline powders at low temperature (170 Degree-Sign C) with spherical morphology, and high surface area ({approx}280 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}). The porosity was mainly originated from the assembling of organic complexing agents used in the synthesis to limit the crystal growth and to control hydrolysis and condensation reaction rates. The samples were characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and N{sub 2} adsorption measurements. A detailed study by HRTEM was conducted on microtomed samples. It was observed that the material was made of nanocrystals packed into spherical agglomerates. HRTEM simulations indicated that it is not possible to identify the pyrochlore phase in nanoparticles with diameter below 2 nm. In our samples, the analysis of the HRTEM lattice images by means of fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques revealed well defined spots that can be assigned to different planes of a cubic fluorite-type phase, even in the raw material. Raman spectroscopy was also a powerful technique to elucidate the crystalline phase of the materials with the smallest nanoparticles. HREM and Raman results evidenced

Roles of texture of Zr alloys in ZrO{sub 2} film formation and δ-hydride orientation near ZrO{sub 2}/Zr interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, W.; Szpunar, J.A., E-mail: weq565@mail.usask.ca, E-mail: jerzy.szpunar@usask.ca [Univ. of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Kozinski, J., E-mail: janusz.kozinski@lassonde.yorku.ca [York Univ., Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

Oxidation and hydrogen embrittlement are related to formation of cracks and failure of Zr alloys used in nuclear reactor applications. An in-depth understanding of the formation of ZrO{sub 2} film and the hydride precipitation and orientation is important for improving the corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys. In this work a theoretical model is developed to analyze the microstructure of ZrO{sub 2} film formed on Zr alloys and the effect of stress that results from ZrO{sub 2} formation on hydride reorientation in the region near oxide/metal interface. Our work shows that the macroscopic stress produced due to Pilling-Bedworth ratio for ZrO{sub 2}/Zr could lead to the hydride re-orientation in the region near ZrO{sub 2}/Zr interface. Whether or not this effect can occur is dependent on the texture of the zirconium alloys. Control of texture of zirconium alloys can affect the microstructure of ZrO{sub 2} film and can be responsible for change of hydride orientation. (author)

Fabrication and characterization of Pb(Zr 0.53,Ti 0.47)O 3-Pb(Nb 1/3,Zn 2/3)O 3 thin films on cantilever stacks

KAUST Repository

Fuentes-Fernandez, E. M A

2010-11-18

0.9Pb(Zr 0.53,Ti 0.47)O 3-0.1Pb(Zn 1/3,Nb 2/3)O 3 (PZT-PZN) thin films and integrated cantilevers have been fabricated. The PZT-PZN films were deposited on SiO 2/Si or SiO 2/Si 3N 4/SiO 2/poly-Si/Si membranes capped with a sol-gel-derived ZrO 2 buffer layer. It is found that the membrane layer stack, lead content, existence of a template layer of PbTiO 3 (PT), and ramp rate during film crystallization are critical for obtaining large-grained, single-phase PZT-PZN films on the ZrO 2 surface. By controlling these parameters, the electrical properties of the PZT-PZN films, their microstructure, and phase purity were significantly improved. PZT-PZN films with a dielectric constant of 700 to 920 were obtained, depending on the underlying stack structure. © 2010 TMS.

Hydrothermal synthesis of copper zirconium phosphate hydrate [Cu(OH)2Zr(HPO4)2·2H2O] and an investigation of its lubrication properties in grease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaosheng; Xu, Hong; Zuo, Zhijun; Lin, Zhi; Ferdov, Stanislav; Dong, Jinxiang

2013-08-28

Copper zirconium phosphate hydrate (Cu(OH)2Zr(HPO4)2·2H2O, hereafter referred to as Cu-α-ZrP) with high crystallinity was directly synthesized in a NaF-CuO-ZrO-P2O5-H2O system under hydrothermal conditions. The copper ion was confirmed to be an exchangeable cation in the Cu-α-ZrP through elemental analysis and a proton ion exchange process. The crystal structure of the Cu-α-ZrP was determined ab initio by using X-ray powder diffraction data. In the structure, the CuO6 octahedron would be located in an exchangeable atom position. Moreover, Cu-α-ZrP was evaluated as an additive in grease in a four ball test. The maximum nonseizure load (PB, representing the load-carrying capacity) of the base grease containing Cu-α-ZrP was increased from 353 to 1235 N. The excellent load-carrying capacity may be explained by the easier adherence of the material to the worn surface forming a tight protective film.

Nanostructure and bonding of zirconium diboride thin films studied by X-ray spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stewart, David M., E-mail: david.stewart@maine.edu; Meulenberg, Robert W.; Lad, Robert J., E-mail: rjlad@maine.edu

2015-12-01

Zirconium diboride (ZrB{sub 2}) is an important ceramic due to its extremely high melting temperature of 3245 °C and metallic electrical conductivity, properties that make it an ideal candidate thin film electrode material for high temperature electronics. In this report, thin films of varying B:Zr ratio ranging from 3–0.67 have been grown by e-beam evaporation from elemental sources. X-ray absorption spectra at the Zr K-edge were measured before and after annealing in ultra-high vacuum for 9 h at 1000 °C. Films with compositions near ZrB{sub 2} stoichiometry show X-ray absorption fine structure that can be well modeled by crystalline ZrB{sub 2} with a small portion of a coexisting tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO{sub 2}) phase. Films far from stoichiometry show substantial disorder beyond the nearest-neighbor distances, and after vacuum annealing exhibit high levels of oxidation. Contributions to the X-ray absorption fine structure from a pure Zr phase are very small compared to ZrB{sub 2} and t-ZrO{sub 2} phases. The fact that nearly stoichiometric (3 < B:Zr < 1.6) as-deposited amorphous films form the same crystalline ZrB{sub 2} nanostructure after annealing is particularly encouraging for high temperature thin film electronics applications, because it would allow the production of highly stable electrodes with e-beam evaporation without the need of any high temperature heating during film growth. - Highlights: • Zr–B thin films of different compositions were grown at low substrate temperatures. • EXAFS analysis indicates a ZrB{sub 2} crystal structure after vacuum annealing. • The coexistence of crystalline and amorphous Zr–B phases is also observed. • Films with excess Zr readily form t-ZrO{sub 2} during deposition, which coexists with ZrB{sub 2}. • Low temperature synthesis routes are important for technological applications.

Effect of ZrO2 film thickness on the photoelectric properties of mixed-cation perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanyan; Zhao, Li; Wei, Shoubin; Xiao, Meng; Dong, Binghai; Wan, Li; Wang, Shimin

2018-05-01

In this work, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were fabricated in the ambient air, with a scaffold layer composed of TiO2/ZrO2 double layer as the mesoscopic layer and carbon as the counter electrode. The effect of ZrO2 thin film thickness on the photovoltaic performances of PSCs was also studied in detail. Results showed that the photoelectric properties of as-prepared PSCs largely depend on the thin film thickness due to a series of factors, including surface roughness, charge transport resistance, and electron-hole recombination rate. The power conversion efficiency of PSCs increased from 8.37% to 11.33% by varying the thin film thickness from 75 nm to 305 nm, and the optimal power conversion efficiency was realized up to the 11.33% with a thin film thickness of 167 nm. This research demonstrates a promising route for the high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic technology.

Influence of ZrO2 nanoparticles and thermal treatment on the properties of PMMA/ZrO2 hybrid coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes-Acosta, M.A.; Torres-Huerta, A.M.; Domínguez-Crespo, M.A.; Flores-Vela, A.I.; Dorantes-Rosales, H.J.; Ramírez-Meneses, E.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • PMMA/ZrO 2 nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending in a single screw extruder. • The nanoparticles of m-, t-ZrO 2 were successfully synthesized using sol–gel technique. • The prepared PMMA/ZrO 2 nanocomposites have better UV protection than pure PMMA. • The thermal stability of the PMMA increases with low amount of ZrO 2 nanoparticles. • PMMA/ZrO 2 nanocomposites show superior values of elastic modulus and hardness. - Abstract: In this work, ZrO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method, treated thermally at different temperatures (400, 600 and 800 °C), and added to a polymer matrix in two different weight percentages (0.5 and 1) by single screw extrusion in order to determine the influence of these parameters on the thermal stability and UV radiation resistance of PMMA/ZrO 2 composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nanoindentation techniques were used to evaluate the structural, morphological, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of as-prepared composites. The average crystallite sizes for ZrO 2 sintered at 600 and 800 °C were about 17 and 26 nm, respectively. It was found that the incorporation of a low percentage of ZrO 2 nanoparticles increased the thermal properties of PMMA as well as its hardness and elastic modulus. The degradation temperature at 10 wt.% loss of the PMMA/ZrO 2 (0.5 wt.%, 400 °C) nanocomposite was approximately 48 °C higher than that of pure PMMA. The absorption in the UV region was increased according to the ZrO 2 heat treatment temperature and amount added to the polymer matrix

Influence of aluminium incorporation on the structure of ZrN films deposited at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Araiza, J J [Unidad Academica de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Paseo a la Bufa esq, Calzada Solidaridad s/n 98060, Zacatecas (Mexico); Sanchez, O [Departamento de Fisica e Ingenieria de Superficies, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid-CSIC, C/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: olgas@icmm.csic.es

2009-06-07

We have studied the influence of Al incorporation in the crystalline structure of ZrN thin films deposited by dc magnetron sputtering at low temperature. The amount of aluminium in the films depends directly on the power applied to the aluminium cathode during the deposition. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to obtain the chemical composition and crystalline structure of the films, respectively. When Al atoms are incorporated into the ZrN coatings, the strong ZrN (2 0 0) orientation is modified by a combination of other ones such as ZrN (1 1 1), Zr{sub 3}N{sub 4} (2 1 1) and hexagonal AlN (1 0 0) as detected from the XRD spectra for high aluminium concentrations. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy allowed us to identify oxides and nitrides, ZrO, AlO and AlN, incorporated into the deposited films. The effect of a bias voltage applied to the substrate has also been investigated and related to the changes in the microstructure and in the nanohardness values of the ZrAlN films.

Improved conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cell using Zn doped TiO_2-ZrO_2 nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomar, Laxmi J.; Bhatt, Piyush J.; Desai, Rahul K.; Chakrabarty, B. S.; Panchal, C. J.

2016-01-01

TiO_2-ZrO_2 and Zn doped TiO_2-ZrO_2 nanocomposites were prepared by hydrothermal method for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application. The structural and optical properties were investigated by X –ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible spectroscopy respectively. XRD results revealed the formation of material in nano size. The average crystallite size is 22.32 nm, 17.41 nm and 6.31 nm for TiO_2, TiO_2-ZrO_2 and Zn doped TiO_2-ZrO_2 nanocomposites respectively. The optical bandgap varies from 2.04 eV to 3.75 eV. Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated using the prepared material. Pomegranate juice was used as a sensitizer and graphite coated conducting glass plate was used as counter electrode. The I – V characteristics were recorded to measure photo response of DSSC. Photovoltaic parameter like open circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, and fill factor were evaluated for fabricated solar cell. The power conversion efficiency of DSSC fabricated with TiO_2, TiO_2-ZrO_2 and Zn doped TiO_2-ZrO_2 nanocomposites were found 0.71%, 1.97% and 4.58% respectively.

Improved conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cell using Zn doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Tomar, Laxmi J.; Bhatt, Piyush J.; Desai, Rahul K.; Chakrabarty, B. S.; Panchal, C. J.

2016-05-01

TiO2-ZrO2 and Zn doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanocomposites were prepared by hydrothermal method for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application. The structural and optical properties were investigated by X -ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible spectroscopy respectively. XRD results revealed the formation of material in nano size. The average crystallite size is 22.32 nm, 17.41 nm and 6.31 nm for TiO2, TiO2-ZrO2 and Zn doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanocomposites respectively. The optical bandgap varies from 2.04 eV to 3.75 eV. Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated using the prepared material. Pomegranate juice was used as a sensitizer and graphite coated conducting glass plate was used as counter electrode. The I - V characteristics were recorded to measure photo response of DSSC. Photovoltaic parameter like open circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, and fill factor were evaluated for fabricated solar cell. The power conversion efficiency of DSSC fabricated with TiO2, TiO2-ZrO2 and Zn doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanocomposites were found 0.71%, 1.97% and 4.58% respectively.

Anisotropy of the irreversibility field for Zr-doped $(Y,Gd)Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-x}$ thin films up to 45T

OpenAIRE

Tarantini, C.; Jaroszynski, J.; Kametani, F.; Zuev, Y. L.; Gurevich, A.; Chen, Y.; Selvamanickam, V.; Larbalestier, D. C.; Christen, D. K.

2012-01-01

The anisotropic irreversibility field B$_{Irr}$ of two $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x}$ thin films doped with additional rare earth (RE)=(Gd,Y) and Zr and containing strong correlated pins (splayed BaZrO$_{3}$ nanorods, and $RE_2O_3$ nanoprecipitates), has been measured over a very broad range up to 45T at temperatures 56 K

Properties of lithium disilicate reinforced with ZrO_2 (3mol%Y_2O_3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, M.F.R.P.; Cossu, C.M.F.A.; Santos, C.; Simba, B.G.

2016-01-01

The new generation of dental ceramics based on lithium disilicate, Li_2Si_2O_5, allows the production of restorative prosthetic with reduced times compared to alumina and / or zirconia (Y-TZP). A great limitation of their use is related low fracture strength of such glass-ceramics, which reduces their use in unit fixed prosthesis. In this work, lithium disilicate reinforced with 10% ZrO_2 (3-mol% Y_2O_3) is characterized by relative density, crystalline phase, hardness, fracture toughness and microstructural aspects. Lithium metasilicate and tetragonal zirconia, prior to heat treatment. After thermal treatment under vacuum at 840 deg C-8min the lithium metasilicate is converted to lithium disilicate as the ZrO_2 phase remains in the tetragonal structure. This maintenance of the tetragonal phase ensures the material a good fracture toughness, reaching average values near 2MPam"1"/"2, while the average hardness of 600HV. Morphological analysis of the samples indicates that ZrO_2 particles are uniformly dispersed in the matrix composed of high aspect ratio lithium disilicate grains, which contributes to the results presented.. A critical analysis of the performance of toughening mechanisms such as cracks deflection, phase transformation of ZrO_2 (T-M), residual stress between the matrix and the reinforcement are presented, discussed and compared with other ceramic materials used in dentistry restorer. (author)

The Effect of ZrO2 Nanoparticles on the Microstructure and Properties of Sintered WC–Bronze-Based Diamond Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youhong Sun

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Metal matrix-impregnated diamond composites are widely used in diamond tool manufacturing. In order to satisfy the increasing engineering requirements, researchers have paid more and more attention to enhancing conventional metal matrices by applying novel methods. In this work, ZrO2 nanoparticles were introduced into the WC–bronze matrix with and without diamond grits via hot pressing to improve the performance of conventional diamond composites. The effects of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the microstructure, density, hardness, bending strength, and wear resistance of diamond composites were investigated. The results indicated that the hardness and relative density increased, while the bending strength decreased when the content of ZrO2 nanoparticles increased. The grinding ratio of diamond composites increased significantly by 60% as a result of nano-ZrO2 addition. The enhancement mechanism was discussed. Diamond composites showed the best overall properties with the addition of 1 wt % ZrO2 nanoparticles, thus paving the way for further applications.

The Effect of ZrO2 Nanoparticles on the Microstructure and Properties of Sintered WC–Bronze-Based Diamond Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Youhong; Wu, Haidong; Li, Meng; Meng, Qingnan; Gao, Ke; Lü, Xiaoshu; Liu, Baochang

2016-01-01

Metal matrix-impregnated diamond composites are widely used in diamond tool manufacturing. In order to satisfy the increasing engineering requirements, researchers have paid more and more attention to enhancing conventional metal matrices by applying novel methods. In this work, ZrO2 nanoparticles were introduced into the WC–bronze matrix with and without diamond grits via hot pressing to improve the performance of conventional diamond composites. The effects of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the microstructure, density, hardness, bending strength, and wear resistance of diamond composites were investigated. The results indicated that the hardness and relative density increased, while the bending strength decreased when the content of ZrO2 nanoparticles increased. The grinding ratio of diamond composites increased significantly by 60% as a result of nano-ZrO2 addition. The enhancement mechanism was discussed. Diamond composites showed the best overall properties with the addition of 1 wt % ZrO2 nanoparticles, thus paving the way for further applications. PMID:28773469

Resistive switching in ZrO{sub 2} based metal-oxide-metal structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaerkkaenen, Irina

2014-07-01

The goal of this work is a deeper understanding of the influence of the (i) metal-oxide-metal (MOM) layer stacks configuration, (ii) the oxide films microstructure, (iii) and their defect structure on the appearance of different switching modes, i.e. unipolar (UP) and bipolar (BP). The first part deals with the fabrication of ZrO{sub 2} thin films by an industrial compatible atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, the chemical, structural and morphological characterization of the films, the growth of ZrO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} bilayers, the integration of the layers into metal-oxide-metal (MOM) devices and the electrical characterization with focus on the RS behavior. In the second part the effect of the device structure, in particular the thickness of the electrochemical active electrode (EAE) and the ZrO{sub 2} film morphology, on the RS switching polarity of Pt/ZrO{sub 2}/(EAE) cells is discussed. ZrO{sub 2} films and ZrO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} bilayers were grown by ALD and were carefully structurally and electrically characterized. The ZrO{sub 2} films grown from Zr[N(CH{sub 3})C{sub 2}H{sub 5}]{sub 4} (TEMA-Zr) at 240 C were polycrystalline with a mixture of cubic/tetragonal phases. ALD/H{sub 2}O-ZrO{sub 2} films exhibited a random oriented polycrystalline structure, whereas the ALD/O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} films consisted of preferably oriented cubic shaped grains. Pt/ZrO{sub 2}/Ti/Pt structures with a Ti top electrode (TE) thickness of 5 to 20 nm showed unipolar type RS behavior, while by increasing the Ti TE thickness a gradual change of switching polarity from unipolar to bipolar with a completely bipolar type RS behavior for a Ti TE thickness of 40 nm is found. The switching in Pt/ZrO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2}/Ti/Pt devices was unipolar, comparable to Pt/ZrO{sub 2}/Ti/Pt cells. In contrast, bilayers with the reverse structure, Pt/TiO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2}/Ti/Pt, showed non-switching behavior. The effect of the cells stack structure on the polarity of the RS behavior was studied in

Nano-crystallization in ZnO-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films via excimer laser annealing for thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Mami N., E-mail: f-mami@ms.naist.jp; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Bermundo, Juan Paolo Soria; Uraoka, Yukiharu [Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Ishihara, Ryoichi; Cingel, Johan van der; Mofrad, Mohammad R. T. [Delft University of Technology, Feldmannweg 17, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft (Netherlands); Kawashima, Emi; Tomai, Shigekazu; Yano, Koki [Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kami-izumi, Sodegaura, Chiba, 299-0293 (Japan)

2016-06-15

In a previous work, we reported the high field effect mobility of ZnO-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) irradiated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) [M. Fujii et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 122107 (2013)]. However, a deeper understanding of the effect of ELA on the IZO film characteristics based on crystallinity, carrier concentrations, and optical properties is needed to control localized carrier concentrations for fabricating self-aligned structures in the same oxide film and to adequately explain the physical characteristics. In the case of as-deposited IZO film used as the channel, a high carrier concentration due to a high density of oxygen vacancies was observed; such a film does not show the required TFT characteristics but can act as a conductive film. We achieved a decrease in the carrier concentration of IZO films by crystallization using ELA. This means that ELA can form localized conductive or semi-conductive areas on the IZO film. We confirmed that the reason for the carrier concentration decrease was the decrease of oxygen-deficient regions and film crystallization. The annealed IZO films showed nano-crystalline phase, and the temperature at the substrate was substantially less than the temperature limit for flexible films such as plastic, which is 50°C. This paves the way for the formation of self-aligned structures and separately formed conductive and semi-conductive regions in the same oxide film.

Light scattering effect of ITO:Zr/AZO films deposited on periodic textured glass surface morphologies for silicon thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hussain, Shahzada Qamar [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Kwon, Gi Duk; Kim, Sunbo; Balaji, Nagarajan; Shin, Chonghoon; Kim, Sangho; Khan, Shahbaz; Pribat, Didier [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Shihyun; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Park, Hyeongsik; Raja, Jayapal; Lee, Youn-Jung [Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Razaq, Aamir [COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Velumani, S. [Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Electrical Engineering (SEES), Mexico City (Mexico); Yi, Junsin [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Various SF{sub 6}/Ar plasma-textured periodic glass surface morphologies for high transmittance, haze ratio and low sheet resistance of ITO:Zr films are reported. The SF{sub 6}/Ar plasma-textured glass surface morphologies were changed from low aspect ratio to high aspect ratio with the increase in RF power from 500 to 600 W. The micro- and nano-size features of textured glass surface morphologies enhanced the haze ratio in visible as well as NIR wavelength region. Micro-size textured features also influenced the sheet resistance and electrical characteristics of ITO:Zr films due to step coverage. The ITO:Zr/AZO bilayer was used as front TCO electrode for p-i-n amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with current density-voltage characteristics as: V{sub oc} = 875 mV, FF = 70.90 %, J{sub sc} = 11.31 mA/cm{sup 2}, η = 7.02 %. (orig.)

Second amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in Cu(60)Ti(20)Zr(20) bulk metallic glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Q P; Li, J F; Zhang, P N; Horsewell, A; Jiang, J Z; Zhou, Y H

2007-06-20

The second amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in Cu(60)Ti(20)Zr(20) bulk metallic glass was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffractometry. The difference of the Gibbs free energies between the amorphous phase and the crystalline products during the transformation is estimated to be about 2.46 kJ mol(-1) at 753 K, much smaller than the 61 kJ mol(-1) obtained assuming that it is a polymorphic transformation. It was revealed that the phase transformation occurs through a eutectic crystallization of Cu(51)Zr(14) and Cu(2)TiZr, having an effective activation energy of the order of 400 kJ mol(-1). The average Avrami exponent n is about 2.0, indicating that the crystallization is diffusion controlled.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Lei [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Application of Shenyang, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang, Liaoning 110142 (China); Ma, Weimin, E-mail: maleisy2003@163.com [Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Application of Shenyang, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang, Liaoning 110142 (China); Sun, Xudong, E-mail: xdsun@mail.neu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110819 (China); Ji, Lianyong; Liu, Jianan; Hang, Kai [Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Application of Shenyang, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang, Liaoning 110142 (China)

2015-09-25

Highlights: • Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) composites were prepared using vacuum sintering. • The phase composition and microstructure are studied. • Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) materials show superior mechanical properties. • The solid solution strengthening and stress-induced phase transformation toughening mechanism are proposed. • Two kinds of mechanisms explain the improvement of mechanical properties. - Abstract: Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) composite ceramics were prepared by vacuum sintering using Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} and ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) nanoparticles. The ceramics were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), the three-point-bending technique and single-edge-notched-beam tests. The effect of various proportions of ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) on the phase composition, microstructure, bending strength and fracture toughness of the final Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) composite ceramics was also analyzed. The change from m-ZrO{sub 2} to t-ZrO{sub 2} phase contents, before and after fracture, was measured using XRD quantitative phase analysis. The results confirm that, with the increasing content of ZrO{sub 2}(3Y), a phase transition from solid solution to saturated precipitation occurs and the bending strength and fracture toughness of the samples increase gradually. When the content of ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) reached 95 vol.%, the Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}/ZrO{sub 2}(3Y) composite ceramics had a bending strength of 547 MPa and a fracture toughness of 5.5 MPa m{sup 1/2}, indicating that stress-induced phase transformation toughening was an efficient way to increase the mechanical properties of the Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} ceramics.

Compositional Dependence of Optical and Structural Properties of Nanogranular Mixed ZrO2/ZnO/SnO2 Thin Film

Science.gov (United States)

Salari, S.; Ghodsi, F. E.

2018-06-01

A study on the optical properties and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ternary oxide nanogranular thin films comprising Zr, Zn, and Sn revealed that the change in component ratio could direct the roadmap to improve characteristics of the films. Grazing angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed that incorporation of Sn atoms into the tetragonal structure of Zn/Zr thin film resulted in an amorphous structure. The band gap of film was tunable by precisely controlling the concentration of components. The widening of band gap could correlate to the quantum confinement effect. PL spectra of the composite thin films under excitation at 365 nm showed a sharp red emission with relatively Gaussian line shape, which was intensified in the optimum percentage ratio of 50/30/20. This nearly red emission is attributed to the radiative emission of electrons captured at low-energy traps located near the valence band. An optimum red emission is strongly desirable for use in white LEDs. The comparative study on FTIR spectra of unary, binary, and ternary thin films confirmed successful composition of three different metal oxides in ternary thin films. Detailed investigation on FTIR spectra of ternary compounds revealed that the quenching in PL emission at higher percentage of Sn was originally due to the hydroxyl group.

Mechanical properties of ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films studied by nano scratches tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Wei-En; Chang, Yong-Qing [Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Room 216, Building 8, 321, Kuang Fu Road Sec. 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Chia-Wei; Yao, Chih-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Liao, Jiunn-Der, E-mail: jdliao@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

2013-02-01

10-nm-thick atomic layer deposited HfO{sub 2} films were characterized in terms of wear resistance and indentation hardness to investigate the thermal annealing induced impacts on mechanical properties. The wear resistance of ultra-thin films at low loads was characterized using nano-scratch tests with an atomic force microscope. The depth of the nano-scratches decreases with increasing annealing temperature, indicating that the hardness of the annealed films increases with the annealing temperatures. Surface nanoindentation was also performed to confirm the nanoscratch test results. The hardness variation of the annealed films is due to the generation of HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} induced by the thermal annealing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements proved that the hardness of formed HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} with increasing annealing temperatures. The existence of HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} broadens the interface, and causes the increase of the interfacial layer thickness. As a result, the surface hardness increases with the increasing HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} induced by the thermal annealing. - Highlights: ► Mechanical properties of HfO{sub 2} films were assessed by nano-scratch and indentation. ► Scratch depth of HfO{sub 2} films decreased with the increase of annealing temperatures. ► Nano-hardness of HfO{sub 2} films increased with the increase of annealing temperatures.

Physico-Chemical and Catalytic Properties of Mesoporous CuO-ZrO2 Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulaiman N. Basahel

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Mesoporous CuO-ZrO2 catalysts were prepared and calcined at 500 °C. The performance of the synthesized catalysts for benzylation of benzene using benzyl chloride was studied. The bare support (macroporous ZrO2 offered 45% benzyl chloride conversion after reaction time of 10 h at 75 °C. Significant increase in benzyl chloride conversion (98% was observed after CuO loading (10 wt. % on porous ZrO2 support. The conversion was decreased to 80% with increase of CuO loading to 20 wt. %. Different characterization techniques (XRD, Raman, diffuse reflectance UV-vis, N2-physisorption, H2-TPR, XPS and acidity measurements were used to evaluate physico-chemical properties of CuO-ZrO2 catalysts; the results showed that the surface and structural characteristics of the ZrO2 phase as well as the interaction between CuO-ZrO2 species depend strongly on the CuO content. The results also indicated that ZrO2 support was comprised of monoclinic and tetragonal phases with macropores. An increase of the volume of monoclinic ZrO2 phase was observed after impregnation of 10 wt. % of CuO; however, stabilization of tetragonal ZrO2 phase was noticed after loading of 20 wt. % CuO. The presence of low-angle XRD peaks indicates that mesoscopic order is preserved in the calcined CuO-ZrO2 catalysts. XRD reflections due to CuO phase were not observed in case of 10 wt. % CuO supported ZrO2 sample; in contrast, the presence of crystalline CuO phase was observed in 20 wt. % CuO supported ZrO2 sample. The mesoporous 10 wt. % CuO supported ZrO2 catalyst showed stable catalytic activity for several reaction cycles. The observed high catalytic activity of this catalyst could be attributed to the presence of a higher number of dispersed interactive CuO (Cu2+-O-Zr4+ species, easy reducibility, and greater degree of accessible surface Lewis acid sites.

Effect of ZrO(2) additions on the crystallization, mechanical and biological properties of MgO-CaO-SiO(2)-P(2)O(5)-CaF(2) bioactive glass-ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, H C; Wang, D G; Meng, X G; Chen, C Z

2014-06-01

A series of ZrO(2) doped MgO-CaO-SiO(2)-P(2)O(5)-CaF(2) bioactive glass-ceramics were obtained by sintering method. The crystallization behavior, phase composition, morphology and structure of glass-ceramics were characterized. The bending strength, elastic modulus, fracture toughness, micro-hardness and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of glass-ceramics were investigated. The in vitro bioactivity and cytotoxicity tests were used to evaluate the bioactivity and biocompatibility of glass-ceramics. The sedimentation mechanism and growth process of apatites on sample surface were discussed. The results showed that the mainly crystalline phases of glass-ceramics were Ca(5)(PO4)3F (fluorapatite) and β-CaSiO(3). (β-wollastonite). m-ZrO(2) (monoclinic zirconia) declined the crystallization temperatures of glasses. t-ZrO(2) (tetragonal zirconia) increased the crystallization temperature of Ca(5)(PO4)(3)F and declined the crystallization temperature of β-CaSiO(3). t-ZrO(2) greatly increased the fracture toughness, bending strength and micro-hardness of glass-ceramics. The nanometer apatites were induced on the surface of glass-ceramic after soaking 28 days in SBF (simulated body fluid), indicating the glass-ceramic has good bioactivity. The in vitro cytotoxicity test demonstrated the glass-ceramic has no toxicity to cell. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of crystallinity and impurities on the electrical conductivity of Li–La–Zr–O thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Joong Sun, E-mail: parkj@anl.gov [Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Cheng, Lei [Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Zorba, Vassilia [Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Mehta, Apurva [Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Cabana, Jordi [Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60607 (United States); Chen, Guoying; Doeff, Marca M.; Richardson, Thomas J. [Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Park, Jung Hoon [Department of Nano-Science and Technology, University of Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Son, Ji-Won [High-Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136–791 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Wan-Shick, E-mail: wshong@uos.ac.kr [Department of Nano-Science and Technology, University of Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-02

We present a study of the fabrication of thin films from a Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12} (LLZO) target using pulsed laser deposition. The effects of substrate temperatures and impurities on electrochemical properties of the films were investigated. The thin films of Li–La–Zr–O were deposited at room temperature and higher temperatures on a variety of substrates. Deposition above 600 °C resulted in a mixture of cubic and tetragonal phases of LLZO, as well as a La{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} impurity, and resulted in aluminum enrichment at the surface when Al-containing substrates were used. Films deposited at 600 °C exhibited the highest room temperature conductivity, 1.61 × 10{sup −6} S/cm. The chemical stability toward metallic lithium was also studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed that the oxidation state of zirconium remained at + 4 following physical contact with heated lithium metal. - Highlights: • Thin film Li–La–Zr–O was deposited by pulsed laser deposition using Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12}. • Deposition above 600 °C resulted in cubic and tetragonal phases of Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12}. • Aluminum migration from the substrate to the film surface was observed. • The chemical stability toward lithium was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Synthesis and characterization of nano-crystalline Ce_1-xGd _xO_2-x/2 (x = 0-0.30) solid solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jadhav, L. D.; Chourashiya, M. G.; Jamale, A. P.

2010-01-01

glycine-nitrate process (GNP) has been presented. Evolution of structural and morphological properties of nano-powders as a function of heat treatment has also been studied. The prepared samples were characterized using TG-DTA, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, etc. In addition, the effect of Gd......In recent years, doped ceria is an established and promising candidate as solid electrolyte for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC). In this investigation, synthesis and characterizations of nano-crystalline Gd doped ceria, (Ce1-xGdxO2-x/2, where x = 0-0.3), prepared using...... of sintered samples was observed to hinder with an increase in Gd content....

Facile biological synthetic strategy to morphologically aligned CeO2/ZrO2 core nanoparticles using Justicia adhatoda extract and ionic liquid: Enhancement of its bio-medical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandiyan, Nithya; Murugesan, Balaji; Sonamuthu, Jegatheeswaran; Samayanan, Selvam; Mahalingam, Sundrarajan

2018-01-01

In this study, a typical green synthesis route has approached for CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxide nanoparticles using ionic liquid mediated Justicia adhatoda extract. This synthesis method is carried out at simple room temperature condition to obtain the core metal oxide nanoparticles. XRD, SEM and TEM studies employed to study the crystalline and surface morphological properties under nucleation, growth, and aggregation processes. CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxides display agglomerated nano stick-like structure with 20-45nm size. GC-MS spectroscopy confirms the presence of vasicinone and N,N-Dimethylglycine present in the plant extract, which are capable of converting the corresponding metal ion precursor to CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxide nanoparticles. In FTIR, the corresponding stretching for Ce-O and Zr-O bands indicated at 498 and 416cm -1 and Raman spectroscopy also supports typical stretching frequencies at 463 and 160cm -1 . Band gap energy of the CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxide is 3.37eV calculated from UV- DRS spectroscopy. The anti-bacterial studies performed against a set of bacterial strains the result showed that core metal oxide nanoparticles more susceptible to gram-positive (G+) bacteria than gram-negative (G-) bacteria. A unique feature of the antioxidant behaviors core metal oxides reduces the concentration of DPPH radical up to 89%. The CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxide nanoparticles control the S. marcescent bio-film formation and restrict the quorum sensing. The toxicology behavior of CeO 2 /ZrO 2 core metal oxide NPs is found due to the high oxygen site vacancies, ROS formation, smallest particle size and higher surface area. This type of green synthesis route may efficient and the core metal oxide nanoparticles will possess a good bio-medical agent in future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogenation of FeCoZr-Al2O3 nanocomposites studied by Moessbauer spectroscopy and magnetometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, A.; Kasiuk, J.; Fedotova, J.; Szilagyi, E.; Przewoznik, J.; Kapusta, Cz.; Marszalek, M.

2009-01-01

Hydrogenation effects on crystalline and magnetic structure of nanocomposites (FeCoZr) x (Al 2 O 3 ) 100-x , 38 ≤ x ≤ 63 at.% are studied by 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy and magnetometry. Variations of local structure, blocking temperature and mean FeCoZr nanoparticles' volume are discussed with respect to (i) composition and (ii) two competing processes-H 2 incorporation and annealing-occurred during treatment in H 2 plasma.

Preparation of ZrO2 thin films by CVD using H2-CO2 as oxidizer. H2-CO2 wo sanka gas ni mochiita CVD ho ni yoru ZrO2 maku no sakusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aizawa, M; Kobayashi, C [Toto Ltd., Kitakyushu (Japan); Yamane, H; Hirai, T [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Institute for Materials Research

1993-02-01

This report describes an outline on the results of investigation on the formation of ZrO2 films from [beta]-diketone chelate of Zr using H2/CO2 as oxidizing gas by application of the CVD method at a temperature as high as 1000[degree]C. The deposition rate is 4[mu]m/h at 650[degree]C, increases with rise of temperature and reaches 10[mu]m/h at 900-1000[degree]C. No lowering of the rate at high temperature seems to be caused by temperature dependence of water (increase of water concentration above 850[degree]C). The physical form of ZrO2 is black and amorphous at 650[degree]C; grey and tetragonal at 850[degree]C; white, monoclinic and tetragonal at 950-1000[degree]C. All of these films showed a fine-grain, polycrystalline structure at any temperature and became white by heat-treatment at 1100[degree]C for 100h. This treatment gave no change to amorphous films but transformed tetragonal films and the mixture films of tetragonal and monoclinic crystals into white monoclinic Zr films. This may be because oxygen defects were present in black and grey films of low deposition temperature due to insufficient oxydation of raw material by H2O. Instability of tetragonal crystals seems to be attributed to participation of oxygen defects. In conclusion, possibility of high-temperature film formation was confirmed. 17 refs., 4 figs.

Effects of Different Surfactants on Structural, Tribological and Electrical Properties of Pulsed Electro-Codeposited Cu-ZrO2 Composite Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Maharana, H. S.; Basu, A.

2018-03-01

Cu-ZrO2 composite coating was synthesized by pulse electrodeposition from an acidic sulfate electrolyte dispersed with nano-sized ZrO2 particles. Effects of different surfactants in different amounts on the codeposition and distribution of ZrO2 particles in the copper matrix, surface-mechanical (hardness and wear) and electrical (conductivity) properties of developed composite coatings have been thoroughly investigated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), poly acrylic acid (PAA) and glucose have been added in the electrolyte in different concentrations as anionic, polymeric and nonionic surfactants. Obtained experimental results confirmed that addition of SDS up to 1 g/L improves the amount of codeposited ZrO2 particles in the copper matrix and surface-mechanical properties of the nanocomposite coatings. But, in case of PAA- and glucose-assisted coatings, highest amount of ZrO2 codeposition was observed in 0.5 g/L PAA and 20 g/L glucose-assisted coatings, which in turn affected the mechanical properties. Surface-mechanical properties were found to be affected by coating matrix morphology and crystallographic orientation along with embedded ZrO2 particle content. Electrical conductivity of all the deposits not only depends upon the codeposition of ZrO2 particles in the matrix but also on the microstructure and crystallographic orientation.

Characterization of Pt catalysts supported in TiO2 and ZrO2 stabilized with La2O3 for the nitric oxide elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez H, R.; Arenas, J.; Rodriguez, V.; Aguilar, A.; Gomez C, A.; Diaz, G.

2000-01-01

Simple oxides TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , La 2 O 3 and mixed TiO 2 -La 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 -La 2 O 3 at 10% mol of lanthane were prepared by the precipitation technique. The incorporation of Pt to the supports was by the classical impregnation method. It was characterized the catalytic materials by diverse techniques for determining the lost weight by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), superficial area (BET), crystallinity of catalytic supports (DR-X) total acidity and for the catalytic activity was realized in the reaction model NO + CH 4 . (Author)

Effect of photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by N-Zr co-doped nano TiO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ru; Wang, Li; Kang, Zhuo; Li, Qiang; Pan, Huixian

2017-11-01

Modified sol-gel method was adopted to prepare TiO 2 , Zr-TiO 2 and N/Zr-TiO 2 composite catalyst. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunner- Emmet- Teller measurement and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. And the photocatalytic performance toward CO 2 reduction was evaluated under ultraviolet light. The catalyst particles were demonstrated in the nanometer level size. When N and Zr are co-doped, on the one hand, Ti 4+ can be replaced by Zr 4  +, which leads to lattice distortion and inhibits electron-hole recombination. On the other hand, N enters into TiO 2 lattice gap to form O-Ti-N bond structure, and partial Ti 4+ are reduced to Ti 3+ . Compared with pristine TiO 2 , the specific surface area and the band gap of N/Zr-TiO 2 were improved and reduced, respectively. The N and Zr synergistically contribute to the obviously strengthened absorption intensity in visible region, as well as significantly improved photocatalytic activity. In the gas phase reactor, when the calcination temperature was 550°C, 0.125N/0.25Zr-TiO 2 composite performed the highest photocatalytic activity UV irradiation for 8 h, and the corresponding CH 4 yield was 11.837 µmol/g, which was 87.8% higher than that of pristine TiO 2 . For the visible light, the CH 4 yield was 9.003 µmol/g after 8 h irradiation, which was 83.9% higher than that of pristine TiO 2 .

Ag nanoparticle effects on the thermoluminescent properties of monoclinic ZrO2 exposed to ultraviolet and gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villa-Sanchez, G; Mendoza-Anaya, D; Gutierrez-Wing, C; Perez-Hernandez, R; Gonzalez-MartInez, P R; Angeles-Chavez, C

2007-01-01

The goal of this work was to analyse ZrO 2 in the pure state and when doped with Ag nanoparticles, by electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and thermoluminescence methods. According to the results obtained, Ag nanoparticles did not modify the morphology or the crystalline structure of the ZrO 2 . The thermoluminescent (TL) response of pure ZrO 2 showed two peaks, one at 334 K and the other at 417 K, when it was exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and at 342 and 397 K when gamma radiation was used. For ZrO 2 impregnated with Ag nanoparticles a diminished TL intensity due to nanoparticle shielding was observed, but the glow curve shape was similar. However, when Ag nanoparticles were added during the ZrO 2 synthesis, a shift of the TL peaks towards higher temperature values with reference to pure ZrO 2 was observed. A linear dependence of the integrated TL signal as a function of the irradiation dose was observed in all analysed samples. It was possible to determine some kinetic parameters, such as activation energy, kinetic order and frequency factor, using the sequential quadratic programming glow curve deconvolution; it was found that these values are highly dependent on the type of radiation used. Ag nanoparticles present in ZrO 2 also modified the kinetic parameters, mainly when they were added during the synthesis of ZrO 2 . Our results reinforce the possibilities of using pure and doped ZrO 2 as an appropriate dosimetric material in radiation physics

Hydrogen irradiation on TiO{sub 2} nano-thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heidari, Sh.; Mohammadizadeh, M.R. [University of Tehran, Superconductivity Research Laboratory (SRL), Department of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahjour-Shafiei, M. [University of Tehran, Department of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Larijani, M.M.; Malek, M. [Science and Technology Research Institute, Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-10-15

Titanium dioxide thin films were coated on soda-lime glass substrates using spray pyrolysis method with a thickness of 152 ± 10 nm. The films were irradiated with hydrogen ions at room temperature at various beam energies and fluences. Optimized incident beam energy and beam fluence were obtained to improve photocatalytic and hydrophilicity properties of TiO{sub 2} thin films by narrowing the band gap. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy to study the surface morphology and by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy to measure the band gap. The optical band gap of H-doped anatase TiO{sub 2} thin films irradiated with hydrogen beam with energies of 2 and 4 keV and a fluence of 10{sup 15} ions/cm{sup 2} was narrowed from 3.34 eV (before irradiation) to 3.04 and 2.92 eV (after irradiation), respectively. The irradiated sample with energy of 4 keV with a fluence of 10{sup 15} ions/cm{sup 2} has the best improvement. This is attributed to the contraction of the band gap and to the increase in surface active site. Furthermore, it was observed that photocatalytic and hydrophilicity properties of this sample were improved, as well. (orig.)

Corrosion of electron-irradiated Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, O.-T.; McDougall, G.M.; Hutcheon, R.M.; Urbanic, V.F.; Griffiths, M.; Coleman, C.E.

2000-01-01

We used 10-MeV electrons to rapidly produce radiation damage in zirconium alloys, investigated whether electrons produced the same microstructural changes as neutrons, then performed post-irradiation corrosion tests to determine whether electron-irradiated materials displayed similar corrosion behavior to neutron-irradiated materials. Two irradiations were completed using 10-MeV electrons with the beam normal to thin disks of material of 4 diameter slightly larger than the beam. The beam distribution. and disk cooling were designed to produce radial temperature and dose distributions having maxima at the disk center. A high-temperature irradiation was performed on annealed Zr-2.5Nb disks, achieving a central dose of 1.3 dpa and at a central temperature of ∼450 deg C. After irradiation, the samples contained needle-like β-Nb precipitates in the α-Zr matrix similar to those produced by neutrons. A low-temperature irradiation was performed on half-moon disks of Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-2 pressure tube materials at 310 deg C central temperature and 1.3-dpa central dose. Dislocation loops were observed, again similar to those produced in neutron-irradiated materials. Some of the high-temperature electron-irradiated disks were exposed to 300 deg C moist air (saturated with D 2 O), and in separate tests, high- and low-temperature irradiated disks were corroded in 300 deg C D 2 0 (11.0 pD at room temperature) in an autoclave. Measurements of oxide thickness by Fourier Transform Infrared Reflectance (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that electron irradiation reduced the corrosion rate of Zr-2.5Nb compared with that of unirradiated material, as observed for neutron irradiation. For exposures to moist air and to D 2 O, the theoretical deuterium uptakes for the electron-irradiated materials were, respectively, about 4 times and 1.5 to 2 times those for the unirradiated materials. This is also in good agreement with results for neutron-irradiated pressure tube materials. Thus, 10-Me

Influence of Zr doping on structure and morphology of TiO2 nanorods prepared using hydrothermal method

Science.gov (United States)

Muslimin, Masliana; Jumali, Mohammad Hafizuddin; Tee, Tan Sin; Beng, Lee Hock; Hui, Tan Chun; Chin, Yap Chi

2018-04-01

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of Zr doping on TiO2 nanostructure. TiO2 nanorods thin films with different Zr-doping concentrations (6 × 10-3 M, 13 × 10-3 M and 25 × 10-3 M) were successfully prepared using a simple hydrothermal method. The structural and morphological properties of the samples were evaluated using XRD and FESEM respectively. The XRD results revealed that the TiO2 in all samples stabilized as rutile phase. The FESEM micrographs confirmed that TiO2 exist as square like nanorods with blunt tips. Although the crystallographic nature remains unchanged, the introduction of Zr has altered the surface density, structure and morphology of TiO2 which subsequently will have significant effect on its properties.

Band Alignment and Optical Properties of (ZrO20.66(HfO20.34 Gate Dielectrics Thin Films on p-Si (100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dahlang Tahir

2011-11-01

Full Text Available (ZrO20.66(HfO20.34 dielectric films on p-Si (100 were grown by atomic layer deposition method, for which the conduction band offsets, valence band offsets and band gaps were obtained by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy. The band gap, valence and conduction band offset values for (ZrO20.66(HfO20.34 dielectric thin film, grown on Si substrate were about 5.34, 2.35 and 1.87 eV respectively. This band alignment was similar to that of ZrO2. In addition, The dielectric function ε (k, ω, index of refraction n and the extinction coefficient k for the (ZrO20.66(HfO20.34 thin films were obtained from a quantitative analysis of REELS data by comparison to detailed dielectric response model calculations using the QUEELS-ε (k,ω-REELS software package. These optical properties are similar with ZrO2 dielectric thin films.

Conduction mechanism of leakage current due to the traps in ZrO2 thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Yohan; Lee, Sangyouk; An, Ilsin; Jeong, Heejun; Song, Chulgi

2009-01-01

In this work, a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor with zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) gate dielectric was fabricated by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique and the leakage current characteristics under negative bias were studied. From the result of current–voltage curves there are two possible conduction mechanisms to explain the leakage current in the ZrO 2 thin film. The dominant mechanism is the space charge limited conduction in the high-electric field region (1.5–5.0 MV cm −1 ) while the trap-assisted tunneling due to the existence of traps is prevailed in the low-electric field region (0.8–1.5 MV cm −1 ). Conduction caused by the trap-assisted tunneling is found from the experimental results of a weak temperature dependence of current, and the trap barrier height is obtained. The space charge limited conduction is evidenced, for different temperatures, by Child's law dependence of current density versus voltage. Child's law dependence can be explained by considering a single discrete trapping level and we can obtain the activation energy of 0.22 eV

Conduction mechanism of leakage current due to the traps in ZrO2 thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Yohan; Lee, Sangyouk; An, Ilsin; Song, Chulgi; Jeong, Heejun

2009-11-01

In this work, a metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor with zirconium oxide (ZrO2) gate dielectric was fabricated by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique and the leakage current characteristics under negative bias were studied. From the result of current-voltage curves there are two possible conduction mechanisms to explain the leakage current in the ZrO2 thin film. The dominant mechanism is the space charge limited conduction in the high-electric field region (1.5-5.0 MV cm-1) while the trap-assisted tunneling due to the existence of traps is prevailed in the low-electric field region (0.8-1.5 MV cm-1). Conduction caused by the trap-assisted tunneling is found from the experimental results of a weak temperature dependence of current, and the trap barrier height is obtained. The space charge limited conduction is evidenced, for different temperatures, by Child's law dependence of current density versus voltage. Child's law dependence can be explained by considering a single discrete trapping level and we can obtain the activation energy of 0.22 eV.

Deposition temperature effect on electrical properties and interface of high-k ZrO{sub 2} capacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Joo-Hyung; Ignatova, Velislava A [Fraunhofer Institute, Center of Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), Koenigsbruecker Str., 01099 Dresden (Germany); Heitmann, Johannes; Oberbeck, Lars [Qimonda Dresden GmbH and Co. OHG, Koenigsbruecker Str. 180, 01099 Dresden (Germany)], E-mail: joo-hyung.kim@inha.ac.kr

2008-09-07

The electrical characteristics, i.e. leakage current and capacitance, of ZrO{sub 2} based metal-insulator-metal structures, grown at 225, 250 and 275 deg, C by atomic layer deposition, were studied. The lowest leakage current was obtained at 250 deg. C deposition temperature, while the highest dielectric constant (k {approx} 43) was measured for the samples grown at 275 {sup 0}C, most probably due to the formation of tetragonal/cubic phases in the ZrO{sub 2} layer. We have shown that the main leakage current of these ZrO{sub 2} capacitors is governed by the Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism. It was observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling that at 275 {sup 0}C deposition temperature the oxygen content at and beyond the ZrO{sub 2}/TiN interface is higher than at lower deposition temperatures, most probably due to oxygen inter-diffusion towards the electrode layer, forming a mixed TiN-TiO{sub x}N{sub y} interface layer. At and above 275 deg. C the ZrO{sub 2} layer changes its structure and becomes crystalline as proven by XRD analysis. (fast track communication)

Enhanced performance of P(VDF-HFP)-based composite polymer electrolytes doped with organic-inorganic hybrid particles PMMA-ZrO2 for lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Wei; Wang, Zhiyan; Zhang, Yan; Fang, Rui; Yuan, Zun; Miao, Chang; Yan, Xuemin; Jiang, Yu

2018-04-01

To improve the ionic conductivity as well as enhance the mechanical strength of the gel polymer electrolyte, poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoroprolene) (P(VDF-HFP))-based composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) membranes doped with the organic-inorganic hybrid particles poly(methyl methacrylate) -ZrO2 (PMMA-ZrO2) are prepared by phase inversion method, in which PMMA is successfully grafted onto the surface of the homemade nano-ZrO2 particles via in situ polymerization confirmed by FT-IR. XRD and DSC patterns show adding PMMA-ZrO2 particles into P(VDF-HFP) can significantly decrease the crystallinity of the CPE membrane. The CPE membrane doped with 5 wt % PMMA-ZrO2 particles can not only present a homogeneous surface with abundant interconnected micro-pores, but maintain its initial shape after thermal exposure at 160 °C for 1 h, in which the ionic conductivity and lithium ion transference number at room temperature can reach to 3.59 × 10-3 S cm-1 and 0.41, respectively. The fitting results of the EIS plots indicate the doped PMMA-ZrO2 particles can significantly lower the interface resistance and promote lithium ions diffusion rate. The Li/CPE-sPZ/LiCoO2 and Li/CPE-sPZ/Graphite coin cells can deliver excellent rate and cycling performance. Those results suggest the P(VDF-HFP)-based CPE doped with 5 wt % PMMA-ZrO2 particles can become an exciting potential candidate as polymer electrolyte for the lithium ion battery.

X-ray dosimetry of low energy using ZrO2 in Mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios P, L.L.; Rivera M, T.; Ortiz C, H.; Guzman, G.; Azorin, J.; Garcia H, M.

2008-01-01

This work reports the experimental results of the thermoluminescent dosemeters (DTL) of nano particles of zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ), prepared by the precipitation for X rays method of low energy that are used in mammography equipment. It is observed that the response of the TL curve for X rays of low energy coincides with the TL curve of ZrO 2 reported for conventional X rays. This curve presents two peaks, at 160 and 270 C respectively, being that of more intensity the second peak. (Author)

Particle growth mechanisms in Ag-ZrO2 and Au-ZrO2 granular films obtained by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinovic, Zorica; Muro, Montserrat Garcia del; Varela, Manuel; Batlle, Xavier; Labarta, AmIlcar

2006-01-01

Thin films consisting of Ag and Au nanoparticles embedded in amorphous ZrO 2 matrix were grown by pulsed laser deposition in a wide range of metal volume concentrations in the dielectric regime (0.08 Ag Au c (Ag)∼0.28 and x c (Au)∼0.52)

Glass forming in La2O3-TiO2-ZrO2 ternary system by containerless processing

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Masashi; Kentei Yu, Yu; Kumar, Vijaya; Masuno, Atsunobu; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Odawara, Osamu; Yoda, Shinichi

The containerless processing is an appropriate method to create new glasses, because it sup-presses nucleation at the boundary between liquid and crucible during solidification and it enables molten samples to be solidified without crystallization. Recently, we have succeeded in forming BaTi2 O5 glass in the bulk state by using an aerodynamic levitation furnace. BaTi2 O5 glass includes no traditional glass network former and it possesses high electric permittivity [1, 2]. From the point of view of optical application, BaTi2 O5 glass has high refractive indices over 2.1. BaTi2 O5 glass, however, vitrify only in a small sphere, and it crystallize when its diameter exceed 1.5 mm. In order to synthesize new titanate oxide glasses which possess higher refractive indices and larger diameter than BaTi2 O5 , La and Zr can be used as substitutive components. When Ba is replaced with La, refractive indices are expected to increase because of the heavier element. The addition of a third element is thought to be effective for enhance-ment of glass formation ability and Zr can be a candidate because Ti and Zr are homologous. In this research, we have succeeded in forming new bulk glass in La2 O3 -TiO2 -ZrO2 ternary system by means of the aerodynamic levitation furnace. We investigated the glass forming region, thermal properties and optical properties of La2 O3 -TiO2 -ZrO2 glass. Glass transition temperature, crystallization temperature, density, refractive indices and transmittance spectra were varied depending on the chemical composition. Reference [1] J. Yu et al, "Fabrication of BaTi2O5 Glass-Ceramics with Unusual Dielectric Properties during Crystallization", Chem-istry of Materials, 18 (2006) 2169-2173. [2] J. Yu et al., "Comprehensive Structural Study of Glassy and Metastable Crystalline BaTi2O5", Chemistry of Materials, 21 (2009) 259-263.

Nano-scale chemical evolution in a proton-and neutron-irradiated Zr alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harte, Allan, E-mail: allan.harte@manchester.ac.uk [The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Topping, M.; Frankel, P. [The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Jädernäs, D. [Studsvik Nuclear AB, SE 611 82, Nyköping (Sweden); Romero, J. [Westinghouse Electric Company, Columbia, SC (United States); Hallstadius, L. [Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB, SE 72163 Västerås (Sweden); Darby, E.C. [Rolls Royce Plc., Nuclear Materials, Derby (United Kingdom); Preuss, M. [The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

2017-04-15

Proton-and neutron-irradiated Zircaloy-2 are compared in terms of the nano-scale chemical evolution within second phase particles (SPPs) Zr(Fe,Cr){sub 2} and Zr{sub 2}(Fe,Ni). This is accomplished through ultra-high spatial resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and the use of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic methods. Fe-depletion is observed from both SPP types after irradiation with both irradiative species, but is heterogeneous in the case of Zr(Fe,Cr){sub 2}, predominantly from the edge region, and homogeneously in the case of Zr{sub 2}(Fe,Ni). Further, there is evidence of a delay in the dissolution of the Zr{sub 2}(Fe,Ni) SPP with respect to the Zr(Fe,Cr){sub 2}. As such, SPP dissolution results in matrix supersaturation with solute under both irradiative species and proton irradiation is considered well suited to emulate the effects of neutron irradiation in this context. The mechanisms of solute redistribution processes from SPPs and the consequences for irradiation-induced growth phenomena are discussed. - Highlights: •Protons emulate the effects of neutron irradiation in the evolution of chemistry and morphology of second phase particles. •Detailed energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy reveals heterogeneity in Zr-Fe-Cr SPPs both before and after irradiation. •Zr-Fe-Ni SPPs are delayed in irradiation-induced dissolution due to their better self-solubility with respect to Zr-Fe-Cr.

Study of dielectric property on ZrO2 and Al doped ZrO2 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catherine Siriya Pushpa, K.; Mangayarkarasi, K.; Ravichandran, A.T.; Xavier, A. Robert; Nagabushana, B.M.

2014-01-01

A solution combustion process was used to synthesize ZrO 2 and Al doped ZrO 2 nanoparticles by using Zirconium nitrate and aluminium nitrate as the oxidizer and glycine as fuel. The prepared samples were characterized by several techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis). The dielectric values of the pelletized samples were examined at room temperature as the function of frequency. XRD shows the structure of the prepared and doped samples. The SEM shows the surface morphology of the pure and doped ZrO 2 nanoparticles. The dielectric property enhances with increase of Al concentration, which is useful in dielectric gates. (author)

Magnetic properties of FeZr{sub 2} and Fe{sub 2}Zr intermetallic compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prajapat, C. L., E-mail: prajapat@barc.gov.in; Singh, M. R.; Mishra, P. K. [Technical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Chattaraj, D. [Product Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Mishra, R. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Ravikumar, G. [Scientific Information Resources Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India)

2016-05-23

Magnetic properties of Fe-Zr system, viz., FeZr{sub 2} and Fe{sub 2}Zr have been studied. Both the compounds show soft ferromagnetic behavior. Curie temperature is well above the room temperature. Lower saturation magnetization for the zirconium rich sample, FeZr{sub 2}, could be due to possible donation of electrons from the Zr-rich neighbors to Fe atoms or diminution of long range magnetic order by defects.

Fabrication of 94Zr thin target for recoil distance doppler shift method of lifetime measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, C.K.; Rohilla, Aman; Abhilash, S.R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R.P.; Mehta, D.; Chamoli, S.K.

2014-01-01

A thin isotopic 94 Zr target of thickness 520μg/cm 2 has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm 2 thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of 94 Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a 94 Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched 94 Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of 94 Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC

Fabrication of 94Zr thin target for recoil distance doppler shift method of lifetime measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, C. K.; Rohilla, Aman; Abhilash, S. R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R. P.; Mehta, D.; Chamoli, S. K.

2014-11-01

A thin isotopic 94Zr target of thickness 520 μg /cm2 has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm2 thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of 94Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a 94Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched 94Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of 94Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC.

Properties of lithium disilicate reinforced with ZrO{sub 2} (3mol%Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}; Propriedades de dissilicato de litio reforcado com ZrO{sub 2} (3mol%Y{sub 2}O{sub 3})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, M.F.R.P.; Cossu, C.M.F.A.; Santos, C., E-mail: manuelfellipealves@gmail.com [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Resende, RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Tecnologia; Silva, C.L.M. [Centro Universitario de Volta Redonda (UniFOA), Volta Redonda, RJ (Brazil); Simba, B.G. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Guaratingueta, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia; Fernandes, M.H.F. [Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal)

2016-07-01

The new generation of dental ceramics based on lithium disilicate, Li{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 5}, allows the production of restorative prosthetic with reduced times compared to alumina and / or zirconia (Y-TZP). A great limitation of their use is related low fracture strength of such glass-ceramics, which reduces their use in unit fixed prosthesis. In this work, lithium disilicate reinforced with 10% ZrO{sub 2} (3-mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) is characterized by relative density, crystalline phase, hardness, fracture toughness and microstructural aspects. Lithium metasilicate and tetragonal zirconia, prior to heat treatment. After thermal treatment under vacuum at 840 deg C-8min the lithium metasilicate is converted to lithium disilicate as the ZrO{sub 2} phase remains in the tetragonal structure. This maintenance of the tetragonal phase ensures the material a good fracture toughness, reaching average values near 2MPam{sup 1/2}, while the average hardness of 600HV. Morphological analysis of the samples indicates that ZrO{sub 2} particles are uniformly dispersed in the matrix composed of high aspect ratio lithium disilicate grains, which contributes to the results presented.. A critical analysis of the performance of toughening mechanisms such as cracks deflection, phase transformation of ZrO{sub 2} (T-M), residual stress between the matrix and the reinforcement are presented, discussed and compared with other ceramic materials used in dentistry restorer. (author)

Study on surface defect structures of ZrO2 and some doped ZrO2 by means of work function measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamawaki, M.; Suzuki, A.; Ono, F.; Yamaguchi, K.

1997-01-01

The work function change of the ZrO 2 +2%Y 2 O 3 sintered pellet, caused by a change of the composition of the sweep gas, was measured using a high temperature Kelvin probe. The Pt reference electrode was calibrated by using ZrO 2 +2%Y 2 O 3 as a standard material. Work function changes of undoped ZrO 2 and Nb-doped ZrO 2 (2%Nb 2 O 5 ) were measured as a function of equilibrium oxygen partial pressure, P O 2 . The thus obtained exponents of P O 2 , 1/n, were 1/6.2 and 1/33.6 for ZrO 2 and ZrO 2 +2%Nb 2 O 5 , respectively. These exponent values were discussed in terms of defect chemistry of the surface layer. (orig.)

Thermoluminescence on ZrO{sub 2} films with different dopants; Termoluminiscencia en peliculas de ZrO{sub 2} con distintos impurificantes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ceron R, P. V.; Rivera M, T.; Ramos G, A. I.; Guzman M, J.; Montes R, E., E-mail: victceronr@hotmail.com [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Av. Legaria No. 694, Col. Irrigacion, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Full text: The metal oxides doped with rare earths have presented good thermoluminescent properties for certain wavelengths in the UV. With respect to zirconium oxide exist several studies in which were incorporated impurities and their properties as dosimeter in several regions of the electromagnetic spectrum were analyzed. Because of this background, in this material thermoluminescent glow curves induced by UV in films of ZrO{sub 2}:Eu and ZrO{sub 2}:Tb were studied for comparison with the response of the material doped with two rare earths (ZrO{sub 2}:Eu + Tb). Samples were deposited on glass by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique with different synthesis parameters. It was found that the strongest Tl response was to ZrO{sub 2} film doped with terbium (14 times more intense than the film of ZrO{sub 2}:Eu and 6 times the response of ZrO{sub 2}:Eu + Tb). (Author)

Unusually high critical current of P-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystalline thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurth, Fritz; Engelmann, Jan; Schultz, Ludwig [IMW, IFW Dresden, Dresden (Germany); TU Dresden, Dresden (Germany); Tarantini, Chiara; Jaroszynski, Jan [ASC, NHMFL, Florida (United States); Grinenko, Vadim; Reich, Elke; Huehne, Ruben [IMW, IFW Dresden, Dresden (Germany); Haenisch, Jens [IMW, IFW Dresden, Dresden (Germany); ITEP, KIT, Karlsruhe (Germany); Mori, Yasohiro; Sakagami, Akihiro; Kawaguchi, Takahiko; Ikuta, Hiroshi [Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Holzapfel, Bernhard [ITEP, KIT, Karlsruhe (Germany); Iida, Kazumasa [IMW, IFW Dresden, Dresden (Germany); Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan)

2015-07-01

Microstructurally clean, isovalently P-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystalline thin films have been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. These films show a superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c}) of over 30 K and high transport self-field critical current densities (J{sub c}) of over 6 MA/cm{sup 2} at 4.2 K, which are among the highest for Fe based superconductors. In-field J{sub c} exceeds 0.1 MA/cm{sup 2} at μ{sub 0}H = 35 T for H parallel ab and μ{sub 0}H = 18 T for H parallel c, respectively, in spite of moderate upper critical fields compared to other FeSCs with similar T{sub c}. This unusually high J{sub c} makes P-doped Ba-122 very favorable for high-field magnet applications.

Characterization of oxidation products on a ZrFe2-type laves intermetallic exposed to 200degreeC steam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abraham, D. P.; Dietz, N.; Finnegan, N.

2000-01-01

The release of radioactive elements from the stainless steel-15 wt% zirconium (SS-15Zr) metal waste form will be governed by the corrosion behavior of ZrFe 2 -type intermetallics phases present in the alloy. In this article, oxidation products that formed on a ZrFe 2 -type intermetallic sample exposed to 200 C steam were characterized by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The data revealed two oxide layers on the sample surface: an outer crystalline iron-oxide layer and an inner amorphous zirconium-rich layer believed to be zirconium oxide. Thermodynamic considerations indicate that the zirconium-rich layer formed first. The iron-oxide layer appears to have resulted from the diffusion of iron through the zirconium-rich layer to the oxide-vapor interface

Efficient photoluminescence of Dy3+ at low concentrations in nanocrystalline ZrO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz-Torres, L.A.; Rosa, E. de la; Salas, P.; Romero, V.H.; Angeles-Chavez, C.

2008-01-01

Nanocrystalline ZrO 2 :Dy 3+ were prepared by sol-gel and the structural and photoluminescence properties characterized. The crystallite size ranges from 20 to 50 nm and the crystalline phase is a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic structure controlled by dopant concentration. Strong white light produced by the host emission band centered at ∼460 nm and two strong Dy 3+ emission bands, blue (488 nm) and yellow (580 nm), under direct excitation at 350 nm were observed. The highest efficiency was obtained for 0.5 mol% of Dy 3+ . Emission is explained in terms of high asymmetry of the host suggesting that Dy 3+ are substituted mainly into Zr 4+ lattice sites at the crystallite surface. Luminescence quenching is explained in terms of cross-relaxation of intermediate Dy 3+ levels. - Graphical abstract: White light emission from ∼70 nm ZrO 2 :Dy 3+ nanocrystals. The highest efficiency was obtained for 0.5 mol% of dopant and the dominant crystalline structure was monoclinic

Influence of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles and thermal treatment on the properties of PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} hybrid coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reyes-Acosta, M.A. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CICATA-Altamira, CIAMS (Mexico); Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CICATA-Altamira, Km 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial Altamira, C.P. 89600 Altamira, Tamps. (Mexico); Torres-Huerta, A.M., E-mail: atorresh@ipn.mx [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CICATA-Altamira, Km 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial Altamira, C.P. 89600 Altamira, Tamps. (Mexico); Domínguez-Crespo, M.A. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CICATA-Altamira, Km 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial Altamira, C.P. 89600 Altamira, Tamps. (Mexico); Flores-Vela, A.I. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CMP+L, Av. Acueducto s/n, Barrio La Laguna, Col. Ticomán, C.P. 07340 México D.F. (Mexico); Dorantes-Rosales, H.J. [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, SEPI-ESIQIE, Departamento de Metalurgia, C.P. 07738 México D.F. (Mexico); Ramírez-Meneses, E. [Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fe, Distrito Federal C.P. 01219 (Mexico)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending in a single screw extruder. • The nanoparticles of m-, t-ZrO{sub 2} were successfully synthesized using sol–gel technique. • The prepared PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites have better UV protection than pure PMMA. • The thermal stability of the PMMA increases with low amount of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles. • PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites show superior values of elastic modulus and hardness. - Abstract: In this work, ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method, treated thermally at different temperatures (400, 600 and 800 °C), and added to a polymer matrix in two different weight percentages (0.5 and 1) by single screw extrusion in order to determine the influence of these parameters on the thermal stability and UV radiation resistance of PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nanoindentation techniques were used to evaluate the structural, morphological, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of as-prepared composites. The average crystallite sizes for ZrO{sub 2} sintered at 600 and 800 °C were about 17 and 26 nm, respectively. It was found that the incorporation of a low percentage of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles increased the thermal properties of PMMA as well as its hardness and elastic modulus. The degradation temperature at 10 wt.% loss of the PMMA/ZrO{sub 2} (0.5 wt.%, 400 °C) nanocomposite was approximately 48 °C higher than that of pure PMMA. The absorption in the UV region was increased according to the ZrO{sub 2} heat treatment temperature and amount added to the polymer matrix.

Improved conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cell using Zn doped TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomar, Laxmi J., E-mail: laxmi-tomar86@yahoo.com; Bhatt, Piyush J.; Desai, Rahul K.; Chakrabarty, B. S.; Panchal, C. J. [Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Technology and Engineering, The M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, India-390003 (India)

2016-05-23

TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} and Zn doped TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites were prepared by hydrothermal method for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application. The structural and optical properties were investigated by X –ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible spectroscopy respectively. XRD results revealed the formation of material in nano size. The average crystallite size is 22.32 nm, 17.41 nm and 6.31 nm for TiO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} and Zn doped TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites respectively. The optical bandgap varies from 2.04 eV to 3.75 eV. Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated using the prepared material. Pomegranate juice was used as a sensitizer and graphite coated conducting glass plate was used as counter electrode. The I – V characteristics were recorded to measure photo response of DSSC. Photovoltaic parameter like open circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, and fill factor were evaluated for fabricated solar cell. The power conversion efficiency of DSSC fabricated with TiO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} and Zn doped TiO{sub 2}-ZrO{sub 2} nanocomposites were found 0.71%, 1.97% and 4.58% respectively.

A simple method for the sonochemical synthesis of PVA/ZrO2-vitamin B1 nanocomposites: Morphology, mechanical, thermal and wettability investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallakpour, Shadpour; Shafiee, Elaheh

2018-01-01

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based nanocomposites (NCs) filled by various weight percent of modified ZrO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) with vitamin B 1 (VB 1 ) up to 7wt% were fabricated via ultrasonication method then was cast to thin films. The ultrasonication was applied for the preparation and modification process asan easy, safe and fast method. Ultrasonic was responsible for great homogeneities of NPs into PVA matrix, which could not be achieved by mechanical or magnetically stirring. The creation of polymer NCs and changes in the structural properties were examined by X-ray diffraction. FT-IR spectroscopy indicated the possible interactions of the ZrO 2 -VB 1 NPs with the PVA backbones and also, existence of absorption bands related to PVA and ZrO 2 NPs in the NC structures. The distribution of nano-fillers and uniform morphology of the NCs showed that the ZrO 2 -VB 1 NPs were homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix in the nanosized scale. UV-Vis analysis shown that the the optical absorption were improved by evolution of ZrO 2 -VB 1 NPs content. The tensile strength of PVA film was increased significantly with increasing the ZrO 2 -VB 1 NPs content. Thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed that NCs displayed higher thermal stability than the pristine PVA. Also, water contact angle analysis indicated that the hydrophilicity of NC films was enhanced with increasing the concentration of ZrO 2 NPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructured dense ZrO2 thin films from nanoparticles obtained by emulsion precipitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woudenberg, F.C.M.; Sager, W.F.C.; ten Elshof, Johan E.; Verweij, H.

2004-01-01

Nonagglomerated spherical ZrO2 particles of 5–8 nm size were made by emulsion precipitation. Their crystallization and film-forming characteristics were investigated and compared with nanosized ZrO2 powders obtained by sol–gel precipitation. High-temperature X-ray diffraction indicated that the

Corrosion of electron-irradiated Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woo, O.-T.; McDougall, G.M.; Hutcheon, R.M.; Urbanic, V.F.; Griffiths, M.; Coleman, C.E

2000-07-01

We used 10-MeV electrons to rapidly produce radiation damage in zirconium alloys, investigated whether electrons produced the same microstructural changes as neutrons, then performed post-irradiation corrosion tests to determine whether electron-irradiated materials displayed similar corrosion behavior to neutron-irradiated materials. Two irradiations were completed using 10-MeV electrons with the beam normal to thin disks of material of 4 diameter slightly larger than the beam. The beam distribution. and disk cooling were designed to produce radial temperature and dose distributions having maxima at the disk center. A high-temperature irradiation was performed on annealed Zr-2.5Nb disks, achieving a central dose of 1.3 dpa and at a central temperature of {approx}450 deg C. After irradiation, the samples contained needle-like {beta}-Nb precipitates in the {alpha}-Zr matrix similar to those produced by neutrons. A low-temperature irradiation was performed on half-moon disks of Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-2 pressure tube materials at 310 deg C central temperature and 1.3-dpa central dose. Dislocation loops were observed, again similar to those produced in neutron-irradiated materials. Some of the high-temperature electron-irradiated disks were exposed to 300 deg C moist air (saturated with D{sub 2}O), and in separate tests, high- and low-temperature irradiated disks were corroded in 300 deg C D{sub 2}0 (11.0 pD at room temperature) in an autoclave. Measurements of oxide thickness by Fourier Transform Infrared Reflectance (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that electron irradiation reduced the corrosion rate of Zr-2.5Nb compared with that of unirradiated material, as observed for neutron irradiation. For exposures to moist air and to D{sub 2}O, the theoretical deuterium uptakes for the electron-irradiated materials were, respectively, about 4 times and 1.5 to 2 times those for the unirradiated materials. This is also in good agreement with results for neutron-irradiated pressure

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunj, Saurabh; Sreenivas, K.

2016-01-01

Sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited on unheated glass substrate under different sputtering gas mixtures (Ar+O_2) have been investigated using X-ray diffraction and photo luminescence spectroscopy. Earlier reported studies on ZnO films prepared by different techniques exhibit either a sharp/broad near band edge (NBE) emission peak depending on the crystalline quality of the film. In the present study zinc oxide films, grown on unheated substrates, are seen to possess a preferred (002) orientation with a microstructure consisting of clustered nano-sized crystallites. The splitting in the near band edge emission (NBE) into three characteristic peaks is attributed to quantum confinement effect, and is observed specifically under an excitation of 270 nm. Deep level emission (DLE) in the range 400 to 700 nm is not observed indicating absence of deep level radiative defects.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Kunj, Saurabh; Sreenivas, K.

2016-05-01

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

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunj, Saurabh; Sreenivas, K. [Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 INDIA (India)

2016-05-06

Sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited on unheated glass substrate under different sputtering gas mixtures (Ar+O{sub 2}) have been investigated using X-ray diffraction and photo luminescence spectroscopy. Earlier reported studies on ZnO films prepared by different techniques exhibit either a sharp/broad near band edge (NBE) emission peak depending on the crystalline quality of the film. In the present study zinc oxide films, grown on unheated substrates, are seen to possess a preferred (002) orientation with a microstructure consisting of clustered nano-sized crystallites. The splitting in the near band edge emission (NBE) into three characteristic peaks is attributed to quantum confinement effect, and is observed specifically under an excitation of 270 nm. Deep level emission (DLE) in the range 400 to 700 nm is not observed indicating absence of deep level radiative defects.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of nano-multilayered Zr-O/Al-O coatings deposited by cathodic vacuum arc plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhitomirsky, V.N.; Kim, S.K.; Burstein, L.; Boxman, R.L.

2010-01-01

Nano-multilayered Zr-O/Al-O coatings with alternating Zr-O and Al-O layers having a bi-layer period of 6-7 nm and total coating thickness of 1.0-1.2 μm were deposited using a cathodic vacuum arc plasma process on rotating Si substrates. Plasmas generated from two cathodes, Zr and Al, were deposited simultaneously in a mixture of Ar and O 2 background gases. The Zr-O/Al-O coatings, as well as bulk ZrO 2 and Al 2 O 3 reference samples, were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS spectra were analyzed on the surface and after sputtering with a 4 kV Ar + ion gun. High resolution angle resolved spectra were obtained at three take-off angles: 15 o , 45 o and 75 o relative to the sample surface. It was shown that preferential sputtering of oxygen took place during XPS of bulk reference ZrO 2 samples, producing ZrO and free Zr along with ZrO 2 in the XPS spectra. In contrast, no preferential sputtering was observed with Al 2 O 3 reference samples. The Zr-O/Al-O coatings contained a large amount of free metals along with their oxides. Free Zr and Al were observed in the coating spectra both before and after sputtering, and thus cannot be due solely to preferential sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Zr-O/Al-O coatings had a nano-multilayered structure with well distinguished alternating layers. However, both of the alternating layers of the coating contained of a mixture of aluminum and zirconium oxides and free Al and Zr metals. The concentration of Zr and Al changed periodically with distance normal to the coating surface: the Zr maximum coincided with the Al minimum and vice versa. However the concentration of Zr in both alternating layers was significantly larger than that of Al. Despite the large free metal concentration, the Knoop hardness, 21.5 GPa, was relatively high, which might be attributed to super-lattice formation or formation of a metal-oxide nanocomposite within the layers.

Effect of MoSi2 addition and particle size of SiC on pressureless sintering behavior and mechanical properties of ZrB2–SiC–MoSi2 composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehri Mashhadi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, ZrB2–SiC–MoSi2 composites were prepared by pressureless sintering at temperatures of 2050, 2100 and 2150 °C for 1 h under argon atmosphere. In order to prepare composite samples, ZrB2 powder was milled for 2 h, then the reinforcing particles including of micron and nano-sized SiC powder were added. MoSi2 was added to ZrB2 from 0 to 5 wt.% as sintering aid. The mixtures were formed and, after the pyrolysis, they were sintered. Densification, microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrB2–SiC composites were investigated. The shrinkage of samples was measured, and the microstructure of samples was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, equipped with EDS spectroscopy. In order to examine the oxidation behavior, the samples were heat treated at 1500 °C in air and then their weight changes were measured. Room temperature mechanical properties were examined. Mass fraction of MoSi2, particle size of SiC powder and sintering temperature have a great effect on relative density, porosity, shrinkage, hardness, fracture toughness, oxidation resistance and microstructure of these composites. The highest relative density, hardness, fracture toughness and weight changes of 98.7%, 16.17 GPa, 3 MPa m1/2 and 0.28%, respectively, were obtained in ZrB2–10 wt.%SiCnano–4 wt.%MoSi2 composites sintered at 2150 °C.

Sintering of nanopowders of ZrO_2 (Y_2O_3): Effect of compaction pressure on densification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmeira, Alexandre Alvarenga; Magnago, Roberto de Oliveira; Pereira, Glayce Cassaro; Bondioli, Marcelo Jose; Strecker, Kurt; Santos, Claudinei dos

2014-01-01

In this work studied the powders (nano) sintered of ZrO_2 (Y_2O_3) by dilatometry. Was identified the effect of compaction pressure variation in the final results of densification of materials. Powders were compacted at different compaction pressures. The compacts were subjected to temperatures of 1250°C to 1400°C with sintering levels ranging from 0 to 8 hours. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and relative density using Archimedes method. The results were compared with powders (micro) of similar composition in order to compare the effect of particle size on densification parameters. The samples were further subjected to microstructural characterization in order to identify the average grain size of the sintering under each condition used in both materials. (author)

Role of ZrO2 incorporation in the suppression of negative bias illumination-induced instability in Zn-Sn-O thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Bong Seob; Oh, Seungha; Lee, Ung Soo; Kim, Yoon Jang; Oh, Myeong Sook; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Kim, Hyeong Joon; Huh, Myung Soo; Jeong, Jae Kyeong

2011-01-01

Thin film transistors (TFTs) with In and Ga-free multicomponent Zn-Sn-Zr-O (ZTZO) channel layers were fabricated using the cosputtering approach. The incorporation of ZrO 2 into the Zn-Sn-O (ZTO) films increased the contact resistance, which led to the degradation of the transport properties. In contrast, the threshold voltage shift under negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) was largely improved from -12.5 V (ZTO device) to -4.2 V (ZTZO device). This improvement was attributed to the reduction in the oxygen vacancy defects in the ZTZO film, suggesting that the photoinduced transition from V O to V O 2+ was responsible for the NBIS-induced instability.

Growth of VO2 Nano wires from Supercooled Liquid Nano droplets and E-beam Irradiation for Ultra-sensitive sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Ji Won; Baik, Jeong Min; Lee, Sang Hyun; Lee, Byung Cheol

2011-01-01

Vanadium dioxide is an interesting material on account of its easily accessible and sharp Mott metal-insulator transition at ∼ 68 .deg. C in the bulk, which is of great interest in sensing and catalytic applications. In this Paper, we describe the synthesis and properties of VO 2 nano wires as novel catalytic and gas sensor materials based on electron beam irradiation. High yields of single crystalline VO 2 nano wires are synthesized by atmospheric-pressure, physical vapor deposition using V 2 O 5 layer. Pd-decorated VO 2 nano wire sensors show extraordinary sensitivity towards hydrogen, an almost 3 order-of-magnitude increase in the current through the nano wire. By the Eb irradiation, the conductance of the nano wires significantly increased up to 5 times, reducing the response time by half and the operating temperature. The metal nanoparticles-VO 2 nano wire system will be very promising for high-sensitivity and high-selectivity under low temperature less than 100. deg. C

A Feasibility Study on UO2/ZrO2 Mixture Melting using Induction Skull Melting Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, S. W.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, H. D.

1998-01-01

Using ISM(Induction Skull Melting) method, which is usually used for the crystallization of refractory materials, a feasibility study on melting of the UO 2 /ZrO 2 mixture(w/o 8:2) is carried out. Frequency, one of main design parameters for ISM, is determined from electrical resistance of UO 2 /ZrO 2 mixture. Heat loss from the crucible for UO 2 /ZrO 2 20kg melting is predicted by comparison with the existing experimental data for UO , ZrO 2 , and ThO 2 . The analysis shows that melting and superheating of the UO 2 /ZrO 2 mixture using induction skull melting method is possible. To attain the superheat of 300K for 20 kg of UO 2 /ZrO 2 , 100kHz, 100 kW power input for induction coil, and 570L/min coolant flow rate are found to be required. The results of this feasibility study will be adopted for designing UO 2 /ZrO 2 furnace using actual corium material at KAERI

Growth, structure and stability of sputter-deposited MoS2 thin films

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Reinhard Kaindl

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2 thin films have received increasing interest as device-active layers in low-dimensional electronics and also as novel catalysts in electrochemical processes such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER in electrochemical water splitting. For both types of applications, industrially scalable fabrication methods with good control over the MoS2 film properties are crucial. Here, we investigate scalable physical vapour deposition (PVD of MoS2 films by magnetron sputtering. MoS2 films with thicknesses from ≈10 to ≈1000 nm were deposited on SiO2/Si and reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC substrates. Samples deposited at room temperature (RT and at 400 °C were compared. The deposited MoS2 was characterized by macro- and microscopic X-ray, electron beam and light scattering, scanning and spectroscopic methods as well as electrical device characterization. We find that room-temperature-deposited MoS2 films are amorphous, of smooth surface morphology and easily degraded upon moderate laser-induced annealing in ambient conditions. In contrast, films deposited at 400 °C are nano-crystalline, show a nano-grained surface morphology and are comparatively stable against laser-induced degradation. Interestingly, results from electrical transport measurements indicate an unexpected metallic-like conduction character of the studied PVD MoS2 films, independent of deposition temperature. Possible reasons for these unusual electrical properties of our PVD MoS2 thin films are discussed. A potential application for such conductive nanostructured MoS2 films could be as catalytically active electrodes in (photo-electrocatalysis and initial electrochemical measurements suggest directions for future work on our PVD MoS2 films.

Structural morphology, upconversion luminescence and optical thermometric sensing behavior of Y2O3:Er(3+)/Yb(3+) nano-crystalline phosphor.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, C; Dwivedi, A; Rai, S B

2014-08-14

Infrared-to-visible upconverting rare earths Er(3+)/Yb(3+) co-doped Y2O3 nano-crystalline phosphor samples have been prepared by solution combustion method followed by post-heat treatment at higher temperatures. A slight increase in average crystallite size has been found on calcinations verified by X-ray analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms the nano-crystalline nature of the as-prepared and calcinated samples. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis shows the structural changes in as-prepared and calcinated samples. Upconversion and downconversion emission recorded using 976 and 532 nm laser sources clearly demonstrates a better luminescence properties in the calcinated samples as compared to as-prepared sample. Upconversion emission has been quantified in terms of standard chromaticity diagram (CIE) showing a shift in overall upconversion emission of as-prepared and calcinated samples. Temperature sensing behaviour of this material has also been investigated by measurement of fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of various signals in green emission in the temperature range of 315 to 555 K under 976 nm laser excitation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Pt catalysts supported in TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} stabilized with La{sub 2}O{sub 3} for the nitric oxide elimination; Caracterizacion de catalizadores de Pt soportado en TiO{sub 2} y ZrO{sub 2} estabilizados con La{sub 2}O{sub 3} para la eliminacion de oxido nitrico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez H, R.; Arenas, J.; Rodriguez, V.; Aguilar, A.; Gomez C, A.; Diaz, G. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca, Km. 36.5 Salazar, Estado de Mexico, C.P. 52045 (Mexico)

2000-07-01

Simple oxides TiO{sub 2}, ZrO{sub 2}, La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and mixed TiO{sub 2}-La{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ZrO{sub 2}-La{sub 2}O{sub 3} at 10% mol of lanthane were prepared by the precipitation technique. The incorporation of Pt to the supports was by the classical impregnation method. It was characterized the catalytic materials by diverse techniques for determining the lost weight by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), superficial area (BET), crystallinity of catalytic supports (DR-X) total acidity and for the catalytic activity was realized in the reaction model NO + CH{sub 4}. (Author)

Nanostructured ZrO2 Thick Film Resistors as H2-Gas Sensors Operable at Room Temperature

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K. M. GARADKAR

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Nanostructured ZrO2 powder was synthesized by microwave assisted sol-gel method. The material was characterized by XRD and SEM techniques. X-Ray diffraction studies confirm that a combination of tetragonal and monoclinic zirconia nanoparticles is obtained by using microwave-assisted method. The nanopowder was calcined at an optimized temperature of 400 °C for 3 h. The prepared powder had crystalline size about 25 nm. Thick films of synthesized ZrO2 powder were prepared by screen printing technique. The gas sensing performances of these films for various gases were tested. Films showed highest response to H2 (50 ppm gas at room temperature with poor responses to others (1000 ppm. The quick response and fast recovery are the main features of this sensor. The effects of microstructure, operating temperature and gas concentration on the gas response, selectivity, response time and recovery time of the sensor in the presence of H2 gas and others were studied and discussed.

Wetting behavior of molten In-Sn alloy on bulk amorphous and crystalline Cu40Zr44Al8Ag8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, G. F.; Zhang, H. F.; Li, H.; Hu, Z. Q.

2007-01-01

Using the sessile-drop method, the wettability of the molten In-Sn alloy on bulk amorphous and crystalline Cu 40 Zr 44 Al 8 Ag 8 alloy was studied at different temperatures. It was found that the equilibrium contact angle of In-Sn alloy melt on bulk amorphous substrate was smaller than that of the crystalline one. An intermetallic compound existed at the interface of In-Sn alloy on amorphous Cu 40 Zr 44 Al 8 Ag 8 , while no intermediate reaction layer was formed at the interface of In-Sn alloy on crystalline Cu 40 Zr 44 Al 8 Ag 8 in the temperature range studied

Synthesis, structural and morphological characterization of Ca0.45Eu0.05Zr2(PO4)3 nano phosphors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaraz, L.; Isasi, J.; Peiteado, M.; Cabalero, A.

2015-01-01

Ca 0 .45Eu 0 .05Zr 2 (PO 4 ) 3 samples were synthesized by a preparation process in two step: a sol-gel method using two pH values, acid (pH ∼ 2) and basic pH (∼ 10), and a subsequent treatment of the precursor powders in a N 2 :H 2 (90:10) flow in order to stabilized 2+ oxidation state of europium. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibit diffraction maxima typical of NASICON type structure of rhombohedral symmetry and space group R-3. Most intense diffraction maxima are seen for the samples prepared in a basic reaction medium. Magnetic measurements confirm 2+ oxidation state of europium cations in the synthesized samples. Microscopy images show particles of spherical shape and nano metric size according to X-ray diffraction results, indicating that these samples may be useful in certain luminescent devices. (Author)

In situ formation of ZrB2 particulates and their influence on microstructure and tensile behavior of AA7075 aluminum matrix composites

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J. David Raja Selvam

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In situ synthesis of aluminum matrix composites (AMCs has become a popular method due to several advantages over conventional stir casting method. In the present study, AA7075/ZrB2 AMCs reinforced with various content of ZrB2 particulates (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 wt.% were synthesized by the in situ reaction of molten aluminum with inorganic salts K2ZrF6 and KBF4. The composites were characterized using XRD, OM, SEM, EBSD and TEM. The XRD patterns revealed the formation of ZrB2 particulates without the presence of any other compounds. The formation of ZrB2 particulates refined the grains of aluminum matrix extensively. Most of the ZrB2 particulates were located near the grain boundaries. The ZrB2 particulates exhibited various morphologies including spherical, cylindrical and hexagonal shapes. The size of the ZrB2 particulates was in the order of nano, sub micron and micron level. A good interfacial bonding was observed between the aluminum matrix and the ZrB2 particulates. The in situ formed ZrB2 particulates enhanced the mechanical properties such as microhardness and the ultimate tensile strength. Various strengthening mechanisms were identified.

Impact of the oxygen defects and the hydrogen concentration on the surface of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO2 on the reduction rates of stearic acid on Ni/ZrO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Foraita, Sebastian; Fulton, John L; Chase, Zizwe A; Vjunov, Aleksei; Xu, Pinghong; Baráth, Eszter; Camaioni, Donald M; Zhao, Chen; Lercher, Johannes A

2015-02-02

The role of the specific physicochemical properties of ZrO2 phases on Ni/ZrO2 has been explored with respect to the reduction of stearic acid. Conversion on pure m-ZrO2 is 1.3 times more active than on t-ZrO2 , whereas Ni/m-ZrO2 is three times more active than Ni/t-ZrO2 . Although the hydrodeoxygenation of stearic acid can be catalyzed solely by Ni, the synergistic interaction between Ni and the ZrO2 support causes the variations in the reaction rates. Adsorption of the carboxylic acid group on an oxygen vacancy of ZrO2 and the abstraction of the α-hydrogen atom with the elimination of the oxygen atom to produce a ketene is the key to enhance the overall rate. The hydrogenated intermediate 1-octadecanol is in turn decarbonylated to heptadecane with identical rates on all catalysts. Decarbonylation of 1-octadecanol is concluded to be limited by the competitive adsorption of reactants and intermediate. The substantially higher adsorption of propionic acid demonstrated by IR spectroscopy and the higher reactivity to O2 exchange reactions with the more active catalyst indicate that the higher concentration of active oxygen defects on m-ZrO2 compared to t-ZrO2 causes the higher activity of Ni/m-ZrO2 . © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Low temperature synthesis of CaZrO3 nanoceramics from CaCl2–NaCl molten eutectic salt

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Rahman Fazli

2015-06-01

Full Text Available CaZrO3 nanoceramics were successfully synthesized at 700 C using the molten salt method, and the effects of processing parameters, such as temperature, holding time, and amount of salt on the crystallization of CaZrO3 were investigated. CaCl2, Na2CO3, and nano-ZrO2 were used as starting materials. On heating, CaCl2–NaCl molten eutectic salt provided a liquid medium for the reaction of CaCO3 and ZrO2 to form CaZrO3. The results demonstrated that CaZrO3 started to form at about 600C and that, after the temperature was increased to 1,000C, the amounts of CaZrO3 in the resultant powders increased with a concomitant decrease in CaCO3and ZrO2 contents. After washing with hot distilled water, the samples heated for 3 h at 700C were single-phase CaZrO3 with 90–95 nm particle size. Furthermore, the synthesized CaZrO3 particles retained the size and morphology of the ZrO2 powders which indicated that a template mechanism dominated the formation of CaZrO3 by molten-salt method.

The effects of ZrO2 nanoparticles on physical and mechanical properties of high strength self compacting concrete

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Ali Nazari

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, strength assessments and coefficient of water absorption of high performance self compacting concrete containing different amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles have been investigated. The results indicate that the strength and the resistance to water permeability of the specimens are improved by adding ZrO2 nanoparticles in the cement paste up to 4.0 wt. (%. ZrO2 nanoparticles, as a result of increased crystalline Ca(OH2 amount especially at the early age of hydration, could accelerate C-S-H gel formation and hence increase the strength of the concrete specimens. In addition, ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to act as nanofillers and recover the pore structure of the specimens by decreasing harmful pores. Several empirical relationships have been presented to predict flexural and split tensile strength of the specimens by means of the corresponding compressive strength at a certain age of curing. Accelerated peak appearance in conduction calorimetry tests, more weight loss in thermogravimetric analysis and more rapid appearance of the peaks related to hydrated products in X-ray diffraction results, all indicate that ZrO2 nanoparticles could improve mechanical and physical properties of the concrete specimens.

Photocatalytic performance of Sn-doped TiO2 nanostructured thin films for photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye under UV and VIS-lights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayilkan, F.; Asiltuerk, M.; Tatar, P.; Kiraz, N.; Sener, S.; Arpac, E.; Sayilkan, H.

2008-01-01

Sn-doped and undoped nano-TiO 2 particles have been synthesized by hydrotermal process without acid catalyst at 225 deg. C in 1 h. Nanostructure-TiO 2 based thin films, contain at different solid ratio of TiO 2 in coating, have been prepared on glass surfaces by spin-coating technique. The structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the thin films and the particles have been investigated by element analysis and XRD, BET and UV/VIS/NIR techniques. The photocatalytic performance of the films was tested for degradation of malachite green dye in solution under UV and VIS-lights. The results showed that the hydrothermally synthesized nano-TiO 2 particles are fully anatase crystalline form and are easily dispersed in water, the coated surfaces have nearly super-hydrophilic properties and, the doping of transition metal ion efficiently improved the photocatalytic performance of the TiO 2 thin film. The results also proved that malachite green is decomposed catalytically due to the pseudo first-order reaction kinetics

Analysis of the diffraction peaks in the ZrCr2 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quiroga, A.A.; Esquivel, M.R.

2009-01-01

In this work, the crystalline structures of Cr and Zr are characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The diffraction peaks are simulated using a numerical convolution of the Gauss and Lorentz functions. The simulation of the model is verified using empirical measurements of the diffraction peaks. From these results, the microstructure parameters of Zr and Cr are obtained: crystallite size (d) and strain (s). The advances obtained are used in the design of the synthesis of AB 2 intermetallics applied to thermal compression of hydrogen (Tch). (author)

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

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

Characterization of Newly Synthesized ZrFe2O5 Nanomaterial and Investigations of Its Tremendous Photocatalytic Properties under Visible Light Irradiation

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Shaukat Ali Shahid

2013-01-01

Full Text Available High functional ZrFe2O5 nanoparticles were synthesized using coprecipitation technique. The chemical composition of nanomaterials was studied by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX. To observe the morphology, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM was used. X-ray diffraction (XRD technique was utilized to appraise the structure of the synthesized material. The photocatalytic behavior of ZrFe2O5 nano-particles was investigated by measuring the degradation rate of toluidine blue O (TBO dye in aqueous solution in the presence of ZrFe2O5 nano-particles under visible light irradiation. A steady decrease in absorption peak under visible light irradiation was observed by increasing exposure time. The degradation efficiency was observed as 92% after 140 min of exposure to visible light. Besides, ZrFe2O5 nanophotocatalyst could be recovered and recycled easily. The rate of TBO and total organic carbon (TOC removal under visible light irradiation decreased by only 5% and 10%, respectively, after seven cycles of use, demonstrating the high photostability of the synthesized nano-photocatalyst material.

Sequential evolution of different phases in metastable Gd(2-x)Ce(x)Zr(2-x)Al(x)O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) system: crucial role of reaction conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Rakesh; Sayed, Farheen N; Phapale, Suhas; Mishra, Ratikant; Tyagi, Avesh K

2013-07-15

The Gd(2-x)Ce(x)Zr(2-x)Al(x)O7 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) series was synthesized by the gel combustion method. This system exhibited the presence of a fluorite-type phase, along with a narrow biphasic region, depending upon the Ce/Gd content in the sample. Thermal stability of these new compounds under oxidizing and reducing conditions has been investigated. The products obtained on decomposition of Gd(2-x)Ce(x)Zr(2-x)Al(x)O7 in oxidizing and reducing conditions were found to be entirely different. It was observed that in air the fluorite-type solid solutions of Gd(2-x)Ce(x)Zr(2-x)Al(x)O7 composition undergo phase separation into perovskite GdAlO3 and fluorite-type solid solutions of Gd-Ce-Zr-O or Ce-Zr-Al-O depending upon the extent of Ce and Al substitution. On the other hand, Gd(2-x)Ce(x)Zr(2-x)Al(x)O7 samples on heating under reducing conditions show a phase separation to CeAlO3 perovskite and a defect-fluorite of Gd2Zr2O7. The extent of metastability for a typical composition of Gd(1.2)Ce(0.8)Zr(1.2)Al(0.8)O7 (nano), Gd(1.2)Ce(0.8)Zr(1.2)Al(0.8)O(6.6) (heated under reduced conditions), Gd(1.2)Ce(0.8)Zr(1.2)Al(0.8)O7 (heated in air at 1200 °C) has been experimentally determined employing a high temperature Calvet calorimeter. On the basis of thermodynamic stability data, it could be inferred that the formation of a more stable compound in the presence of two competing cations (i.e., Gd(3+) and Ce(3+)) is guided by the crystallographic stability.

Voltage-controlled ferroelastic switching in Pb(Zr.sub.0.2./sub.Ti.sub.0.8./sub.)O.sub.3./sub. thin films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Khan, A.I.; Martí, Xavier; Serrao, C.; Ramesh, R.; Salahuddin, S.

2015-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 4 (2015), s. 2229-2234 ISSN 1530-6984 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : nanodomains * ferroelastic switching * ferroelectricity * Pb(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 * thin film Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 13.779, year: 2015

Fabrication of {sup 94}Zr thin target for recoil distance doppler shift method of lifetime measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, C.K.; Rohilla, Aman [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Abhilash, S.R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R.P. [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 (India); Mehta, D. [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India); Chamoli, S.K., E-mail: skchamoli@physics.du.ac.in [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2014-11-11

A thin isotopic {sup 94}Zr target of thickness 520μg/cm{sup 2} has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm{sup 2} thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of {sup 94}Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a {sup 94}Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched {sup 94}Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of {sup 94}Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC.

The structure of ZrO2 phases and deviltrification processes in a Ca-Zr-Si-O-based glass ceramic: a combined a-XRD and XAS study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meneghini, C.; Mobilio, S.

2004-01-01

The structure of Zr atomic environment in a CaO-ZrO 2 -Si 2 glass ceramic as a function of thermal treatments has been studied, combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and anomalous XRD (a-XRD) techniques. The analysis of XRD patterns demonstrates that the devitrification process proceeds through the partial segregation of Zr-depleted phases (wollastonite-like) and Zr-rich phases (Zr oxides). The XAS and a-XRD measurements at the Zr K-edge have been exploited in order to obtain a closer insight into the atomic structure around the Zr atoms. In the as-quenched glass the Zr atom is sixfold coordinated to O atoms in an amorphous environment rich in Ca and Si. Thermal treatment firstly (T=1273-1323 K) causes partial segragation of Zr in the form of an oxide with a tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO 2 ) crystalline structure. Raising the temperature (T=1373 K) causes the formation of ZrO 2 crystallites in the monoclinic crystallographic phase (baddeleyite, m-ZrO 2 ). Analysis of the XAS data shows that a considerable amount of Zr remains in an amorphous calcium silicate phase. (orig.)

IBA of ZrO2:Yb/Si thin films produced by the spray pyrolysis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, E.; Ramirez, E.B.; Alonso, J.C.; Rocha, M.F.

2008-01-01

A spray pyrolysis method was used to produce thin films of ZrO 2 doped with different Yb concentrations on Si(1 0 0). The films of these ionic semiconductors have potential applications as solid electrolytes in modern ceramic fuel cells of second generation. The determination of the atomic composition of the films is very important because it strongly affects the chemical and thermal stability, as well as electrical properties of the films. A combination of two Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) methods was applied to obtain the atomic composition of the films. A nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) method using a low energy deuterium beam was applied to measure the oxygen content of the films. Heavy ion Rutherford backscattering (HI-RBS) method using a 12 C 3+ beam was applied to measure the Yb and Zr atomic profiles of the samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ellipsometry were also employed to determine structural properties and refractive index of the films, respectively. The IBA, XRD and the ellipsometry supply a wide range of information about the film layers, which can be used for qualification as well as for feedback to the films production

Process effects on radio frequency diode reactively sputtered ZrO2 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, M.M.; Reith, T.M.; Lin, C.J.

1990-01-01

The ZrO 2 thin film is deposited by means of a reactive radio frequency diode sputtering from an elemental zirconium target in an argon--oxygen mixture gas. The influence of the deposition process parameters on the microinstructure, composition, film stress, and refractive index is investigated. It is noted that the process parameters, in particular substrate bias, have a profound effect on the structure and properties. The possible mechanism, in terms of bombardment of energetic particles and adatom mobility on the film surface, is discussed

Influence of ion bombardment on structure and properties of TiZrN thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Yu-Wei, E-mail: james722@itrc.narl.org.tw [Instrument Technology Research Center, National Applied Research Laboratories Taiwan (China); Huang, Jia-Hong; Yu, Ge-Ping [Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Chien-Nan; Chen, Fong-Zhi [Instrument Technology Research Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-01

Highlights: • (Ti,Zr)N thin films were produced using dual guns with Ti and Zr targets. • Ti{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}N shows excellent hardness of 37.8 GPa with exhibiting (1 1 1) preferred orientation. • Resistivity is inverse proportional to the packing density. • Hardness is proportional to the packing density. - Abstract: The study is focused on the characterization of TiZrN thin film by controlling the behavior of ion bombardment. Thin films are grown using radio frequency magnetron sputtering process on Si wafer. The negative bias voltage ranging from −20 V to −130 V was applied to the substrate. The ion current density increases rapidly as substrate bias is lower than −60 V, then slightly increases as the critical value about −60 V is exceeded. At the substrate bias of −60 V, the ion current density is close to 0.56 mA/cm{sup 2}. The resistivity measured by four-point probe decreases from conditions −20 V to −60 V and then increases for substrate bias increases from −60 V to −130 V. The resistivity of TiZrN films is contributed from the packing factor. The N/TiZr ratios about 1 were measured by Rutherford backscattering spectrometer, and the packing factors of TiZrN films can also be obtained by the results of RBS. Field Emission scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) is used to characterize the thickness and structure of the deposited TiZrN film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used to determine the preferred orientation and lattice parameter. The precursor results of XRD show that all the coating samples exhibited (1 1 1) preferred orientation, and the hardness values of TiZrN films were ranging from 20 to 40 GPa. To sum up the precursor studies, the TiZrN films which can improve the properties from TiN and ZrN is a new ceramic material with higher potential. Following the advance process and analysis research, the structure and properties can be correlated and as a reference for industry application.

The secondary electron yield of TiZr and TiZrV non evaporable getter thin film coatings

CERN Document Server

Scheuerlein, C; Hilleret, Noël; Taborelli, M

2001-01-01

The secondary electron yield (SEY) of two different non evaporable getter (NEG) samples has been measured 'as received' and after thermal treatment. The investigated NEGs are TiZr and TiZrV thin film coatings of 1 mm thickness, which are sputter deposited onto copper substrates. The maximum SEY dmax of the air exposed TiZr and TiZrV coating decreases from above 2.0 to below 1.1 during a 2 hour heat treatment at 250 °C and 200 °C, respectively. Saturating an activated TiZrV surface under vacuum with the gases typically present in ultra high vacuum systems increases dmax by about 0.1. Changes in elemental surface composition during the applied heat treatments were monitored by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). After activation carbon, oxygen and chlorine were detected on the NEG surfaces. The potential of AES for detecting the surface modifications which cause the reduction of SE emission during the applied heat treatments is critically discussed.

Structural and magnetic properties of Ni0.8M0.2Fe2O4 (M = Cu, Co) nano-crystalline ferrites

Science.gov (United States)

Vijaya Babu, K.; Satyanarayana, G.; Sailaja, B.; Santosh Kumar, G. V.; Jalaiah, K.; Ravi, M.

2018-06-01

Nano-crystalline nickel ferrites are interesting materials due to their large physical and magnetic properties. In the present work, two kinds of spinel ferrites Ni0.8M0.2Fe2O4 (M = Cu, Co) are synthesized by using sol-gel auto-combustion method and the results are compared with NiFe2O4. The structural properties of synthesized ferrites are determined by using X-ray powder diffraction; scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The cation distribution obtained from X-ray diffraction show that cobalt/copper occupies only tetrahedral site in spinel lattice. The lattice constant increases with the substitution of cobalt/copper. The structural parameters like bond lengths, tetrahedral and octahedral edges have been varied with the substitution. The microstructural study is carried out by using SEM technique and the average grain size is increased with nickel ferrite. The initial permeability (μi) is improving with the substitution. The observed g-value from ESR is approximately equal to standard value.