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.

Hardness and thermal stability of cubic silicon nitride

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Jianzhong; Kragh, Flemming; Frost, D. J.

2001-01-01

The hardness and thermal stability of cubic spinel silicon nitride (c-Si3N4), synthesized under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions, have been studied by microindentation measurements, and x-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively The phase at ambient...

Electronic transport in mixed-phase hydrogenated amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wienkes, Lee Raymond

Interest in mixed-phase silicon thin film materials, composed of an amorphous semiconductor matrix in which nanocrystalline inclusions are embedded, stems in part from potential technological applications, including photovoltaic and thin film transistor technologies. Conventional mixed-phase silicon films are produced in a single plasma reactor, where the conditions of the plasma must be precisely tuned, limiting the ability to adjust the film and nanoparticle parameters independently. The films presented in this thesis are deposited using a novel dual-plasma co-deposition approach in which the nanoparticles are produced separately in an upstream reactor and then injected into a secondary reactor where an amorphous silicon film is being grown. The degree of crystallinity and grain sizes of the films are evaluated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction respectively. I describe detailed electronic measurements which reveal three distinct conduction mechanisms in n-type doped mixed-phase amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films over a range of nanocrystallite concentrations and temperatures, covering the transition from fully amorphous to ~30% nanocrystalline. As the temperature is varied from 470 to 10 K, we observe activated conduction, multiphonon hopping (MPH) and Mott variable range hopping (VRH) as the nanocrystal content is increased. The transition from MPH to Mott-VRH hopping around 100K is ascribed to the freeze out of the phonon modes. A conduction model involving the parallel contributions of these three distinct conduction mechanisms is shown to describe both the conductivity and the reduced activation energy data to a high accuracy. Additional support is provided by measurements of thermal equilibration effects and noise spectroscopy, both done above room temperature (>300 K). This thesis provides a clear link between measurement and theory in these complex materials.

Tetragonal-cubic phase boundary in nanocrystalline ZrO2-Y2O3 solid solutions synthesized by gel-combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabregas, Ismael O.; Craievich, Aldo F.; Fantini, Marcia C.A.; Millen, Ricardo P.; Temperini, Marcia L.A.; Lamas, Diego G.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Gel-combustion synthesis yields compositionally homogeneous, single-phased ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 nanopowders, that exhibit the presence at room temperature of three different phases depending on Y 2 O 3 content, namely two tetragonal forms (t' and t'') and the cubic phase. → Phase identification can be achieved by synchrotron XPD (SXPD) and Raman spectroscopy since the tetragonal forms and the cubic phase can be distinguished by these techniques. → The crystallographic features of ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 nanopowders were determined by SXPD. They are similar to those reported by Yashima and coworkers for compositionally homogeneous materials containing larger (micro)crystals. However, the lattice parameters are slightly different and the axial ratios c/a of our t' samples are smaller than those reported by these authors. → Compositional t'/t'' and t''/cubic phase boundaries are located at (9 ± 1) and (10.5 ± 0.5) mol% Y 2 O 3 , respectively. → For the whole series of nanocrystalline ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 solid solutions studied in the present work, no evidences of the presence of a mixture of phases - as reported by Yashima and coworkers for microcrystalline solid solutions - were detected. - Abstract: By means of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SXPD) and Raman spectroscopy, we have detected, in a series of nanocrystalline and compositionally homogeneous ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 solid solutions, the presence at room temperature of three different phases depending on Y 2 O 3 content, namely two tetragonal forms and the cubic phase. The studied materials, with average crystallite sizes within the range 7-10 nm, were synthesized by a nitrate-citrate gel-combustion process. The crystal structure of these phases was also investigated by SXPD. The results presented here indicate that the studied nanocrystalline ZrO 2 -Y 2 O 3 solid solutions exhibit the same phases reported in the literature for compositionally homogeneous materials containing larger (micro

Enhancement of the power factor in two-phase silicon-boron nanocrystalline alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narducci, Dario; Lorenzi, Bruno [Department of Materials Science, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Zianni, Xanthippe [Department of Aircraft Technologies, Technological Educational Institution of Sterea Ellada, Psachna (Greece); Department of Microelectronics, IAMPPNM, NCSR Demokritos, Athens (Greece); Neophytou, Neophytos [Institute for Microelectronics, TUV, Vienna (Austria); School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom); Frabboni, Stefano [Department of FIM, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena (Italy); CNR-Institute of Nanoscience-S3, Modena (Italy); Gazzadi, Gian Carlo [CNR-Institute of Nanoscience-S3, Modena (Italy); Roncaglia, Alberto; Suriano, Francesco [IMM-CNR, Bologna (Italy)

2014-06-15

In previous publications it was shown that the precipitation of silicon boride around grain boundaries may lead to an increase of the power factor in nanocrystalline silicon. Such an effect was further explained by computational analyses showing that the formation of an interphase at the grain boundaries along with high boron densities can actually lead to a concurrent increase of the electrical conductivity σ and of the Seebeck coefficient S. In this communication we report recent evidence of the key elements ruling such an unexpected effect. Nanocrystalline silicon films deposited onto a variety of substrates were doped to nominal boron densities in excess of 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3} and were annealed up to 1000 C to promote boride precipitation. Thermoelectric properties were measured and compared with their microstructure. A concurrent increase of σ and S with the carrier density was found only upon formation of an interphase. Its dependency on the film microstructure and on the deposition and processing conditions will be discussed. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Nanocrystallinity effects on osteoblast and osteoclast response to silicon substituted hydroxyapatite.

Science.gov (United States)

Casarrubios, Laura; Matesanz, María Concepción; Sánchez-Salcedo, Sandra; Arcos, Daniel; Vallet-Regí, María; Portolés, María Teresa

2016-11-15

Silicon substituted hydroxyapatites (SiHA) are highly crystalline bioceramics treated at high temperatures (about 1200°C) which have been approved for clinical use with spinal, orthopedic, periodontal, oral and craniomaxillofacial applications. The preparation of SiHA with lower temperature methods (about 700°C) provides nanocrystalline SiHA (nano-SiHA) with enhanced bioreactivity due to higher surface area and smaller crystal size. The aim of this study has been to know the nanocrystallinity effects on the response of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts (the two main cell types involved in bone remodelling) to silicon substituted hydroxyapatite. Saos-2 osteoblasts and osteoclast-like cells (differentiated from RAW-264.7 macrophages) have been cultured on the surface of nano-SiHA and SiHA disks and different cell parameters have been evaluated: cell adhesion, proliferation, viability, intracellular content of reactive oxygen species, cell cycle phases, apoptosis, cell morphology, osteoclast-like cell differentiation and resorptive activity. This comparative in vitro study evidences that nanocrystallinity of SiHA affects the cell/biomaterial interface inducing bone cell apoptosis by loss of cell anchorage (anoikis), delaying osteoclast-like cell differentiation and decreasing the resorptive activity of this cell type. These results suggest the potential use of nano-SiHA biomaterial for preventing bone resorption in treatment of osteoporotic bone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Size modulation of nanocrystalline silicon embedded in amorphous silicon oxide by Cat-CVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Y.; Godavarthi, S.; Ortega, M.; Sanchez, V.; Velumani, S.; Mallick, P.S.

2011-01-01

Different issues related to controlling size of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) embedded in hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiO x :H) deposited by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) have been reported. Films were deposited using tantalum (Ta) and tungsten (W) filaments and it is observed that films deposited using tantalum filament resulted in good control on the properties. The parameters which can affect the size of nc-Si domains have been studied which include hydrogen flow rate, catalyst and substrate temperatures. The deposited samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, HRTEM and micro-Raman spectroscopy, for determining the size of the deposited nc-Si. The crystallite formation starts for Ta-catalyst around the temperature of 1700 o C.

THz generation from a nanocrystalline silicon-based photoconductive device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daghestani, N S; Persheyev, S; Cataluna, M A; Rose, M J; Ross, G

2011-01-01

Terahertz generation has been achieved from a photoconductive switch based on hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), gated by a femtosecond laser. The nc-Si:H samples were produced by a hot wire chemical vapour deposition process, a process with low production costs owing to its higher growth rate and manufacturing simplicity. Although promising ultrafast carrier dynamics of nc-Si have been previously demonstrated, this is the first report on THz generation from a nc-Si:H material

Suppression of photo-leakage current in amorphous silicon thin-film transistors by n-doped nanocrystalline silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Hung-Chien; Ho, King-Yuan; Hsu, Chih-Chieh; Yan, Jing-Yi; Ho, Jia-Chong

2011-01-01

The reduction of photo-leakage current of amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si TFTs) is investigated and is found to be successfully suppressed by the use of an n-doped nanocrystalline silicon layer (n+ nc-Si) as an ohmic contact layer. The shallow-level defects of n+ nc-Si can become trapping centres of photo-induced electrons as the a-Si TFT is operated under light illumination. A lower oxygen concentration during n+ nc-Si deposition can increase the creation of shallow-level defects and improve the contrast ratio of active matrix organic light-emitting diode panels.

Origins of hole traps in hydrogenated nanocrystalline and amorphous silicon revealed through machine learning

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Tim; Johlin, Eric; Grossman, Jeffrey C.

2014-03-01

Genetic programming is used to identify the structural features most strongly associated with hole traps in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon with very low crystalline volume fraction. The genetic programming algorithm reveals that hole traps are most strongly associated with local structures within the amorphous region in which a single hydrogen atom is bound to two silicon atoms (bridge bonds), near fivefold coordinated silicon (floating bonds), or where there is a particularly dense cluster of many silicon atoms. Based on these results, we propose a mechanism by which deep hole traps associated with bridge bonds may contribute to the Staebler-Wronski effect.

Twinning interactions induced amorphisation in ultrafine silicon grains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Y. [School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Zhang, L.C., E-mail: liangchi.zhang@unsw.edu.au [School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Zhang, Y. [School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (China)

2016-03-21

Detailed transmission electron microscopy analysis on a severely deformed Al-Si composite material has revealed that partial dislocation slips and deformation twinning are the major plastic deformation carriers in ultrafine silicon grains. This resembles the deformation twinning activities and mechanisms observed in nano-crystalline face-centred-cubic metallic materials. While deformation twinning and amorphisation in Si were thought unlikely to co-exist, it is observed for the first time that excessive twinning and partial dislocation interactions can lead to localised solid state amorphisation inside ultrafine silicon grains.

Tetragonal-cubic phase boundary in nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} solid solutions synthesized by gel-combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fabregas, Ismael O. [CINSO (Centro de Investigaciones en Solidos), CITEFA-CONICET, J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Craievich, Aldo F.; Fantini, Marcia C.A. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Travessa R da Rua do Matao, No. 187, Cidade Universitaria, 05508-900 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Millen, Ricardo P.; Temperini, Marcia L.A. [Instituto de Quimica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Avenida Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, Cidade Universitaria, 05508-900 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Lamas, Diego G., E-mail: dlamas@uncoma.edu.ar [CINSO (Centro de Investigaciones en Solidos), CITEFA-CONICET, J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Laboratorio de Caracterizacion de Materiales, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, (8300) Neuquen Capital, Prov. de Neuquen (Argentina)

2011-04-21

Research highlights: > Gel-combustion synthesis yields compositionally homogeneous, single-phased ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanopowders, that exhibit the presence at room temperature of three different phases depending on Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} content, namely two tetragonal forms (t' and t'') and the cubic phase. > Phase identification can be achieved by synchrotron XPD (SXPD) and Raman spectroscopy since the tetragonal forms and the cubic phase can be distinguished by these techniques. > The crystallographic features of ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanopowders were determined by SXPD. They are similar to those reported by Yashima and coworkers for compositionally homogeneous materials containing larger (micro)crystals. However, the lattice parameters are slightly different and the axial ratios c/a of our t' samples are smaller than those reported by these authors. > Compositional t'/t'' and t''/cubic phase boundaries are located at (9 {+-} 1) and (10.5 {+-} 0.5) mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, respectively. > For the whole series of nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} solid solutions studied in the present work, no evidences of the presence of a mixture of phases - as reported by Yashima and coworkers for microcrystalline solid solutions - were detected. - Abstract: By means of synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SXPD) and Raman spectroscopy, we have detected, in a series of nanocrystalline and compositionally homogeneous ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} solid solutions, the presence at room temperature of three different phases depending on Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} content, namely two tetragonal forms and the cubic phase. The studied materials, with average crystallite sizes within the range 7-10 nm, were synthesized by a nitrate-citrate gel-combustion process. The crystal structure of these phases was also investigated by SXPD. The results presented here indicate that the studied nanocrystalline ZrO{sub 2}-Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} solid

Nanocomposites Based on Polyethylene and Nanocrystalline Silicon Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olkhov Anatoliy Aleksandrovich

2014-12-01

Full Text Available High-strength polyethylene films containing 0.5-1.0 wt. % of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si were synthesized. Samples of nc-Si with an average core diameter of 7-10 nm were produced by plasmochemical method and by laser-induced decomposition of monosilane. Spectral studies revealed almost complete (up to ~95 % absorption of UV radiation in 200- 400 nm spectral region by 85 micron thick film if the nc-Si content approaches to 1.0 wt. %. The density function of particle size in the starting powders and polymer films containing immobilized silicon nanocrystallites were obtained using the modeling a complete profile of X-ray diffraction patterns, assuming spherical grains and the lognormal distribution. The results of X-ray analysis shown that the crystallite size distribution function remains almost unchanged and the crystallinity of the original polymer increases to about 10 % with the implantation of the initial nc-Si samples in the polymer matrix.

Controllable chemical vapor deposition of large area uniform nanocrystalline graphene directly on silicon dioxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Jie; Lindvall, Niclas; Cole, Matthew T.

2012-01-01

Metal-catalyst-free chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of large area uniform nanocrystalline graphene on oxidized silicon substrates is demonstrated. The material grows slowly, allowing for thickness control down to monolayer graphene. The as-grown thin films are continuous with no observable pinholes...

Linear electro-optic effect in cubic silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xiao; Irvine, Kenneth G.; Zhang, Dongping; Spencer, Michael G.

1991-01-01

The first observation is reported of the electrooptic effect of cubic silicon carbide (beta-SiC) grown by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor using the hydrogen, silane, and propane gas system. At a wavelength of 633 nm, the value of the electrooptic coefficient r41 in beta-SiC is determined to be 2.7 +/- 0.5 x 10 (exp-12) m/V, which is 1.7 times larger than that in gallium arsenide measured at 10.6 microns. Also, a half-wave voltage of 6.4 kV for beta-SiC is obtained. Because of this favorable value of electrooptic coefficient, it is believed that silicon carbide may be a promising candidate in electrooptic applications for high optical intensity in the visible region.

Plasmonic scattering back reflector for light trapping in flat nano-crystalline silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, L.; van de Groep, J.; Veldhuizen, L.W.; Di Vece, M.; Polman, A.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2016-01-01

Most types of thin film solar cells require light management to achieve sufficient light absorptance. We demonstrate a novel process for fabricating a scattering back reflector for flat, thin film hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) solar cells. This scattering back reflector consists of

Stochastic quantum confinement in nanocrystalline silicon layers: The role of quantum dots, quantum wires and localized states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramírez-Porras, A.; García, O.; Vargas, C.; Corrales, A.; Solís, J.D.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • PL spectra of porous silicon samples have been studied using a stochastic model. • This model can deconvolute PL spectra into three components. • Quantum dots, quantum wires and localized states have been identified. • Nanostructure diameters are in the range from 2.2 nm to 4.0 nm. • Contributions from quantum wires are small compared to the others. - Abstract: Nanocrystallites of Silicon have been produced by electrochemical etching of crystal wafers. The obtained samples show photoluminescence in the red band of the visible spectrum when illuminated by ultraviolet light. The photoluminescence spectra can be deconvolved into three components according to a stochastic quantum confinement model: one band coming from Nanocrystalline dots, or quantum dots, one from Nanocrystalline wires, or quantum wires, and one from the presence of localized surface states related to silicon oxide. The results fit well within other published models

Stochastic quantum confinement in nanocrystalline silicon layers: The role of quantum dots, quantum wires and localized states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramírez-Porras, A., E-mail: aramirez@fisica.ucr.ac.cr [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales (CICIMA), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); García, O. [Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Escuela de Química, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Vargas, C. [Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Corrales, A. [Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Escuela de Química, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica); Solís, J.D. [Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 11501 (Costa Rica)

2015-08-30

Highlights: • PL spectra of porous silicon samples have been studied using a stochastic model. • This model can deconvolute PL spectra into three components. • Quantum dots, quantum wires and localized states have been identified. • Nanostructure diameters are in the range from 2.2 nm to 4.0 nm. • Contributions from quantum wires are small compared to the others. - Abstract: Nanocrystallites of Silicon have been produced by electrochemical etching of crystal wafers. The obtained samples show photoluminescence in the red band of the visible spectrum when illuminated by ultraviolet light. The photoluminescence spectra can be deconvolved into three components according to a stochastic quantum confinement model: one band coming from Nanocrystalline dots, or quantum dots, one from Nanocrystalline wires, or quantum wires, and one from the presence of localized surface states related to silicon oxide. The results fit well within other published models.

Silicon heterojunction solar cells with novel fluorinated n-type nanocrystalline silicon oxide emitters on p-type crystalline silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Dhar, Sukanta; Mandal, Sourav; Das, Gourab; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Pratim Ray, Partha; Banerjee, Chandan; Barua, Asok Kumar

2015-08-01

A novel fluorinated phosphorus doped silicon oxide based nanocrystalline material have been used to prepare heterojunction solar cells on flat p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) Czochralski (CZ) wafers. The n-type nc-SiO:F:H material were deposited by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Deposited films were characterized in detail by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optoelectronics properties have been studied using temperature dependent conductivity measurement, Ellipsometry, UV-vis spectrum analysis etc. It is observed that the cell fabricated with fluorinated silicon oxide emitter showing higher initial efficiency (η = 15.64%, Jsc = 32.10 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.630 V, FF = 0.77) for 1 cm2 cell area compare to conventional n-a-Si:H emitter (14.73%) on flat c-Si wafer. These results indicate that n type nc-SiO:F:H material is a promising candidate for heterojunction solar cell on p-type crystalline wafers. The high Jsc value is associated with excellent quantum efficiencies at short wavelengths (<500 nm).

Atomistic simulations of diffusional creep in a nanocrystalline body-centered cubic material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millett, Paul C.; Desai, Tapan; Yamakov, Vesselin; Wolf, Dieter

2008-01-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study diffusion-accommodated creep deformation in nanocrystalline molybdenum, a body-centered cubic metal. In our simulations, the microstructures are subjected to constant-stress loading at levels below the dislocation nucleation threshold and at high temperatures (i.e., T > 0.75T melt ), thereby ensuring that the overall deformation is indeed attributable to atomic self-diffusion. The initial microstructures were designed to consist of hexagonally shaped columnar grains bounded by high-energy asymmetric tilt grain boundaries (GBs). Remarkably the creep rates, which exhibit a double-exponential dependence on temperature and a double power-law dependence on grain size, indicate that both GB diffusion in the form of Coble creep and lattice diffusion in the form of Nabarro-Herring creep contribute to the overall deformation. For the first time in an MD simulation, we observe the formation and emission of vacancies from high-angle GBs into the grain interiors, thus enabling bulk diffusion

Hexagonal close packed to face centered cubic polymorphic transformation in nanocrystalline titanium-zirconium system by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bera, S.; Manna, I.

2006-01-01

The present study reports a reversible hexagonal close packed (hcp) to face centered cubic (fcc) polymorphic phase transformation in four different nanocrystalline titanium-zirconium binary alloys in the course of mechanical alloying in a planetary ball mill. This transformation is monitored at appropriate stages by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Lattice parameter of the nanocrystalline fcc phase is a function of the alloy composition. For a given alloy, the lattice parameter and hence volume per atom increase with increase in milling time under comparable conditions. On the other hand, crystallite size, measured from X-ray peak broadening, significantly decreases with the progress of milling. It is suggested that structural instability due to plastic strain, increasing lattice expansion, and negative (from core to boundary) hydrostatic pressure is responsible for this hcp → fcc polymorphic transformation. The said transformation seems reversible as isothermal annealing at 1000 deg. C for 1 h or melting the powder mass leads to partial or complete transformation of the milled product from single phase fcc to hcp

Highly conducting p-type nanocrystalline silicon thin films preparation without additional hydrogen dilution

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Chandralina; Das, Debajyoti

2018-04-01

Boron doped nanocrystalline silicon thin film has been successfully prepared at a low substrate temperature (250 °C) in planar inductively coupled RF (13.56 MHz) plasma CVD, without any additional hydrogen dilution. The effect of B2H6 flow rate on structural and electrical properties of the films has been studied. The p-type nc-Si:H films prepared at 5 ≤ B2H6 (sccm) ≤ 20 retains considerable amount of nanocrystallites (˜80 %) with high conductivity ˜101 S cm-1 and dominant crystallographic orientation which has been correlated with the associated increased ultra- nanocrystalline component in the network. Such properties together make the material significantly effective for utilization as p-type emitter layer in heterojunction nc-Si solar cells.

Reproduction of mouse-pup ultrasonic vocalizations by nanocrystalline silicon thermoacoustic emitter

Science.gov (United States)

Kihara, Takashi; Harada, Toshihiro; Kato, Masahiro; Nakano, Kiyoshi; Murakami, Osamu; Kikusui, Takefumi; Koshida, Nobuyoshi

2006-01-01

As one of the functional properties of ultrasound generator based on efficient thermal transfer at the nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) layer surface, its potential as an ultrasonic simulator of vocalization signals is demonstrated by using the acoustic data of mouse-pup calls. The device composed of a surface-heating thin-film electrode, an nc-Si layer, and a single-crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer, exhibits an almost completely flat frequency response over a wide range without any mechanical surface vibration systems. It is shown that the fabricated emitter can reproduce digitally recorded ultrasonic mouse-pups vocalizations very accurately in terms of the call duration, frequency dispersion, and sound pressure level. The thermoacoustic nc-Si device provides a powerful physical means for the understanding of ultrasonic communication mechanisms in various living animals.

Effects of precursors on the crystal structure and photoluminescence of CdS nanocrystalline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Zuoling; Zhou Shihong; Shi Jinsheng; Zhang Siyuan

2005-01-01

A series of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystalline were synthesized by precipitation from a mixture of aqueous solutions of cadmium salts and sulfur salts without adding any surface-termination agent. Their crystal structures and particle sizes were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The CdS nanocrystalline precipitated from different precursors exhibited three cases: cubic phase, hexagonal phase and a hybrid of cubic and hexagonal phases. The photoluminescence (PL) of cadmium salt precursors and CdS nanocrystalline is also analyzed. Similar spectral band structure of cadmium salt precursors and CdS nanocrystalline is found. The PL of 3.4, 2.4 and 2.0 nm sized CdS nanocrystalline with the same crystal structure indicated quantum confinement effect

Study of the structure and phase composition of nanocrystalline silicon oxynitride films synthesized by ICP-CVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fainer, N.I.; Kosinova, M.L.; Maximovsky, E.A.; Rumyantsev, Yu.M.; Kuznetsov, F.A.; Kesler, V.G.; Kirienko, V.V.

2005-01-01

Thin nanocrystalline silicon oxynitride films were synthesized for the first time at low temperatures (373-750 K) by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) using gas mixture of oxygen and hexamethyldisilazane Si 2 NH(CH 3 ) 6 (HMDS) as precursors. Single crystal Si (1 0 0) wafers 100 mm in diameter were used as substrates. Physicochemical properties of the thin films were examined using ellipsometry, IR spectroscopy, Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and XRD using synchrotron radiation (SR). The studies of the phase composition of nanocrystalline films of silicon oxynitride showed that in the case of oxygen excess in the initial gas mixture, they contain a mixture of hexagonal phases: h-SiO 2 and α-Si 3 N 4 . These phases consist of oriented nanocrystals of 2-3 nm size. In case of decrease of oxygen concentration in the initial gas mixture, the fraction of the α-Si 3 N 4 phase increases

Study of the structure and phase composition of nanocrystalline silicon oxynitride films synthesized by ICP-CVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fainer, N.I. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentjev Pr., Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: nadezhda@che.nsk.su; Kosinova, M.L. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentjev Pr., Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Maximovsky, E.A. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentjev Pr., Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Rumyantsev, Yu.M. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentjev Pr., Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kuznetsov, F.A. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3, Acad. Lavrentjev Pr., Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kesler, V.G. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentjev pr., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kirienko, V.V. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Acad. Lavrentjev pr., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

2005-05-01

Thin nanocrystalline silicon oxynitride films were synthesized for the first time at low temperatures (373-750 K) by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) using gas mixture of oxygen and hexamethyldisilazane Si{sub 2}NH(CH{sub 3}){sub 6} (HMDS) as precursors. Single crystal Si (1 0 0) wafers 100 mm in diameter were used as substrates. Physicochemical properties of the thin films were examined using ellipsometry, IR spectroscopy, Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and XRD using synchrotron radiation (SR). The studies of the phase composition of nanocrystalline films of silicon oxynitride showed that in the case of oxygen excess in the initial gas mixture, they contain a mixture of hexagonal phases: h-SiO{sub 2} and {alpha}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. These phases consist of oriented nanocrystals of 2-3 nm size. In case of decrease of oxygen concentration in the initial gas mixture, the fraction of the {alpha}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} phase increases.

Compressibility and thermal expansion of cubic silicon nitride

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Jianzhong; Lindelov, H.; Gerward, Leif

2002-01-01

The compressibility and thermal expansion of the cubic silicon nitride (c-Si3N4) phase have been investigated by performing in situ x-ray powder-diffraction measurements using synchrotron radiation, complemented with computer simulations by means of first-principles calculations. The bulk...... compressibility of the c-Si3N4 phase originates from the average of both Si-N tetrahedral and octahedral compressibilities where the octahedral polyhedra are less compressible than the tetrahedral ones. The origin of the unit cell expansion is revealed to be due to the increase of the octahedral Si-N and N-N bond...

Microstructure factor and mechanical and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films for microelectromechanical systems applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouro, J.; Gualdino, A.; Chu, V.; Conde, J. P.

2013-01-01

Thin-film silicon allows the fabrication of MEMS devices at low processing temperatures, compatible with monolithic integration in advanced electronic circuits, on large-area, low-cost, and flexible substrates. The most relevant thin-film properties for applications as MEMS structural layers are the deposition rate, electrical conductivity, and mechanical stress. In this work, n + -type doped hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films were deposited by RF-PECVD, and the influence of the hydrogen dilution in the reactive mixture, the RF-power coupled to the plasma, the substrate temperature, and the deposition pressure on the structural, electrical, and mechanical properties of the films was studied. Three different types of silicon films were identified, corresponding to three internal structures: (i) porous amorphous silicon, deposited at high rates and presenting tensile mechanical stress and low electrical conductivity, (ii) dense amorphous silicon, deposited at intermediate rates and presenting compressive mechanical stress and higher values of electrical conductivity, and (iii) nanocrystalline silicon, deposited at very low rates and presenting the highest compressive mechanical stress and electrical conductivity. These results show the combinations of electromechanical material properties available in silicon thin-films and thus allow the optimized selection of a thin silicon film for a given MEMS application. Four representative silicon thin-films were chosen to be used as structural material of electrostatically actuated MEMS microresonators fabricated by surface micromachining. The effect of the mechanical stress of the structural layer was observed to have a great impact on the device resonance frequency, quality factor, and actuation force

Microstructure factor and mechanical and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films for microelectromechanical systems applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mouro, J.; Gualdino, A.; Chu, V. [Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores – Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN) and IN – Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 1000-029 Lisbon (Portugal); Conde, J. P. [Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores – Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN) and IN – Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 1000-029 Lisbon (Portugal); Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal)

2013-11-14

Thin-film silicon allows the fabrication of MEMS devices at low processing temperatures, compatible with monolithic integration in advanced electronic circuits, on large-area, low-cost, and flexible substrates. The most relevant thin-film properties for applications as MEMS structural layers are the deposition rate, electrical conductivity, and mechanical stress. In this work, n{sup +}-type doped hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films were deposited by RF-PECVD, and the influence of the hydrogen dilution in the reactive mixture, the RF-power coupled to the plasma, the substrate temperature, and the deposition pressure on the structural, electrical, and mechanical properties of the films was studied. Three different types of silicon films were identified, corresponding to three internal structures: (i) porous amorphous silicon, deposited at high rates and presenting tensile mechanical stress and low electrical conductivity, (ii) dense amorphous silicon, deposited at intermediate rates and presenting compressive mechanical stress and higher values of electrical conductivity, and (iii) nanocrystalline silicon, deposited at very low rates and presenting the highest compressive mechanical stress and electrical conductivity. These results show the combinations of electromechanical material properties available in silicon thin-films and thus allow the optimized selection of a thin silicon film for a given MEMS application. Four representative silicon thin-films were chosen to be used as structural material of electrostatically actuated MEMS microresonators fabricated by surface micromachining. The effect of the mechanical stress of the structural layer was observed to have a great impact on the device resonance frequency, quality factor, and actuation force.

Optical characterisation of cubic silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, S.M.

1998-09-01

The varied properties of Silicon Carbide (SiC) are helping to launch the material into many new applications, particularly in the field of novel semiconductor devices. In this work, the cubic form of SiC is of interest as a basis for developing integrated optical components. Here, the formation of a suitable SiO 2 buried cladding layer has been achieved by high dose oxygen ion implantation. This layer is necessary for the optical confinement of propagating light, and hence optical waveguide fabrication. Results have shown that optical propagation losses of the order of 20 dB/cm are obtainable. Much of this loss can be attributed to mode leakage and volume scattering. Mode leakage is a function of the effective oxide thickness, and volume scattering related to the surface layer damage. These parameters have been shown to be controllable and so suggests that further reduction in the waveguide loss is feasible. Analysis of the layer growth mechanism by RBS, XTEM and XPS proves that SiO 2 is formed, and that the extent, of formation depends on implant dose and temperature. The excess carbon generated is believed to exit the oxide layer by a number of varying mechanisms. The result of this appears to be a number of stable Si-C-O intermediaries that, form regions to either depth extreme of the SiO 2 layer. Early furnace tests suggest a need to anneal at, temperatures approaching the melting point of the silicon substrate, and that the quality of the virgin material is crucial in controlling the resulting oxide growth. (author)

Nanocrystalline Sr2CeO4 thin films grown on silicon by laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perea, Nestor; Hirata, G.A.

2006-01-01

Blue-white luminescent Sr 2 CeO 4 thin films were deposited by using pulsed laser ablation (λ = 248 nm wavelength) on 500 deg. C silicon (111) substrates under an oxygen pressure of 55 mTorr. High-resolution electron transmission microscopy, electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the films were composed of nanocrystalline Sr 2 CeO 4 grains of the order of 20-30 nm with a preferential orientation in the (130) crystallographic direction. The excitation and photoluminescence spectra measured on the films maintained the characteristic emission of bulk Sr 2 CeO 4 however, the emission peak appeared narrower and blue-shifted as compared to the luminescence spectrum of the target. The blue-shift and a preferential crystallographic orientation during the growth formation of the film is related to the nanocrystalline nature of the grains due to the quantum confinement behavior and surface energy minimization in nanostructured systems

Influence of argon dilution on growth and properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parashar, A. [Plasma Processed Materials Group, National Physical Laboratory (CSIR), Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Department of Physics and Astro Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Kumar, Sushil; Gope, Jhuma; Rauthan, C.M.S.; Dixit, P.N. [Plasma Processed Materials Group, National Physical Laboratory (CSIR), Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Hashmi, S.A. [Department of Physics and Astro Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2010-05-15

The effect of argon concentration (66-87%) in total gaseous mixture (SiH{sub 4}+H{sub 2}+Ar) on growth and properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films deposited by RF (13.56 MHz) PECVD technique was investigated. Raman and XRD measurements revealed increasing argon fraction favored enhancement of crystallinity, enlargement of crystallites and relaxation of strained bonds. Photoluminescence spectra of nc-Si:H films exhibited two radiative transitions in the photon energy ranges of 2.8-3.1 eV and 1.6-2.1 eV. The high energy PL peaks are attributed to surface effect of the films whereas peaks in the range of 1.6-2.1 eV are due to nanocrystallinity in the films. Argon dilution also helped enhancement of deposition rate and conductivity of the films. A film deposited at 81% of argon fraction possesses high crystallinity (75%), conductivity in the order of 10{sup -5} ({omega} cm){sup -1}, size of the crystallite (Raman=12 nm, XRD=18 nm), and low residual stress (125 MPa). (author)

High-pressure condition of SiH{sub 4}+Ar+H{sub 2} plasma for deposition of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parashar, A.; Kumar, Sushil; Dixit, P.N.; Gope, Jhuma; Rauthan, C.M.S. [Plasma Processed Materials Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Hashmi, S.A. [Department of Physics and Astro Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2008-10-15

The characteristics of 13.56-MHz discharged SiH{sub 4}+Ar+H{sub 2} plasma at high pressure (2-8 Torr), used for the deposition of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films in a capacitively coupled symmetric PECVD system, has been investigated. Plasma parameters such as average electron density, sheath field and bulk field are extracted from equivalent circuit model of the plasma using outputs (current, voltage and phase) of RF V-I probe under different pressure conditions. The conditions of growth in terms of plasma parameters are correlated with properties of the hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films characterized by Raman, AFM and dc conductivity. The film deposited at 4 Torr of pressure, where relatively low sheath/bulk field ratio is observed, exhibits high crystallinity and conductivity. The crystalline volume fraction of the films estimated from the Raman spectra is found to vary from 23% to 79%, and the trend of variation is similar to the RF real plasma impedance data. (author)

High-frequency conductivity of optically excited charge carriers in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon investigated by spectroscopic femtosecond pump–probe reflectivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Wei [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Yurkevich, Igor V. [Aston University, Nonlinearity and Complexity Research Group, Birmingham B4 7ET (United Kingdom); Zakar, Ammar [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Kaplan, Andrey, E-mail: a.kaplan.1@bham.ac.uk [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2015-10-01

We report an investigation into the high-frequency conductivity of optically excited charge carriers far from equilibrium with the lattice. The investigated samples consist of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films grown on a thin film of silicon oxide on top of a silicon substrate. For the investigation, we used an optical femtosecond pump–probe setup to measure the reflectance change of a probe beam. The pump beam ranged between 580 and 820 nm, whereas the probe wavelength spanned 770 to 810 nm. The pump fluence was fixed at 0.6 mJ/cm{sup 2}. We show that at a fixed delay time of 300 fs, the conductivity of the excited electron–hole plasma is described well by a classical conductivity model of a hot charge carrier gas found at Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, while Fermi–Dirac statics is not suitable. This is corroborated by values retrieved from pump–probe reflectance measurements of the conductivity and its dependence on the excitation wavelength and carrier temperature. The conductivity decreases monotonically as a function of the excitation wavelength, as expected for a nondegenerate charge carrier gas. - Highlights: • We study high‐frequency conductivity of excited hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon. • Reflectance change was measured as a function of pump and probe wavelength. • Maxwell–Boltzmann transport theory was used to retrieve the conductivity. • The conductivity decreases monotonically as a function of the pump wavelength.

Transient Photoinduced Absorption in Ultrathin As-grown Nanocrystalline Silicon Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lioutas Ch

2007-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractWe have studied ultrafast carrier dynamics in nanocrystalline silicon films with thickness of a few nanometers where boundary-related states and quantum confinement play an important role. Transient non-degenerated photoinduced absorption measurements have been employed to investigate the effects of grain boundaries and quantum confinement on the relaxation dynamics of photogenerated carriers. An observed long initial rise of the photoinduced absorption for the thicker films agrees well with the existence of boundary-related states acting as fast traps. With decreasing the thickness of material, the relaxation dynamics become faster since the density of boundary-related states increases. Furthermore, probing with longer wavelengths we are able to time-resolve optical paths with faster relaxations. This fact is strongly correlated with probing in different points of the first Brillouin zone of the band structure of these materials.

Photoluminescence studies of cubic phase GaN grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (001) silicon covered with SiC layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godlewski, M.; Ivanov, V.Yu.; Bergman, J.P.; Monemar, B.; Barski, A.; Langer, R.

1997-01-01

In this work we evaluate optical properties of cubic phase GaN epilayers grown on top of (001) silicon substrate prepared by new process. Prior to the growth Si substrate was annealed at 1300-1400 o C in propane. The so-prepared substrate is covered within a thin (∼ 4 nm) SiC wafer, which allowed a successful growth of good morphological quality cubic phase GaN epilayers. The present results confirm recent suggestion on smaller ionization energies of acceptors in cubic phase GaN epilayers. (author)

Role of chlorine in the nanocrystalline silicon film formation by rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of chlorinated materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirai, Hajime

2004-01-01

We demonstrate the disorder-induced low-temperature crystallization in the nanocrystalline silicon film growth by rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of H 2 -diluted SiH 2 Cl 2 and SiCl 4 . The combination of the chemical reactivity of SiCld (d: dangling bond) and SiHCl complexes and the release of the disorder-induced stress near the growing surface tightly correlate with the phase transitionity of SiCld and SiHCl complexes near the growing surface with the aid of atomic hydrogen, which induce higher degree of disorder in the a-Si network. These features are most prominent in the SiCl 4 compared with those of SiH 2 Cl 2 and SiH 4 , which preferentially enhance the nanocrystalline Si formation

Nanocrystalline Sr{sub 2}CeO{sub 4} thin films grown on silicon by laser ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perea, Nestor [Posgrado en Fisica de Materiales, CICESE-UNAM, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C., 22860 (Mexico); Hirata, G.A. [Centro de Ciencias de la Materia Condensada-UNAM, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C. 22860 (Mexico)]. E-mail: hirata@ccmc.unam.mx

2006-02-21

Blue-white luminescent Sr{sub 2}CeO{sub 4} thin films were deposited by using pulsed laser ablation ({lambda} = 248 nm wavelength) on 500 deg. C silicon (111) substrates under an oxygen pressure of 55 mTorr. High-resolution electron transmission microscopy, electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the films were composed of nanocrystalline Sr{sub 2}CeO{sub 4} grains of the order of 20-30 nm with a preferential orientation in the (130) crystallographic direction. The excitation and photoluminescence spectra measured on the films maintained the characteristic emission of bulk Sr{sub 2}CeO{sub 4} however, the emission peak appeared narrower and blue-shifted as compared to the luminescence spectrum of the target. The blue-shift and a preferential crystallographic orientation during the growth formation of the film is related to the nanocrystalline nature of the grains due to the quantum confinement behavior and surface energy minimization in nanostructured systems.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of nanocrystalline LiF:Mg,Cu,P phosphor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahare, P.D., E-mail: pdsahare@physics.du.ac.i [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007 (India); Bakare, J.S. [SSGM College of Engineering, Amravati University, Shegaon 444 203, Maharashtra (India); Dhole, S.D. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007 (India); Ingale, N.B. [Department of Physics, Professor Ram Meghe Institute of Technology and Research, Badnera-Amravati 444 605, Maharashtra (India); Rupasov, A.A. [P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr-t 53, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2010-02-15

Nanocrystalline LiF:Mg,Cu,P phosphor material of different shapes and sizes (microcrystalline cubic shape, nanorod shape and nanocrystalline cubical shaped) have been prepared by the chemical co-precipitation method. Thermoluminescence (TL) and other dosimetric characteristics of the phosphor are studied and presented here. The formation of the materials was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). Its shapes and sizes were also observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The TL glow curve of the microcrystalline powder shows a prominent single peak at 408 K along with another peak of lesser intensity at around 638 K. On the contrary, the nanocrystalline rod shaped particles show a peak of low intensity at 401 K and a prominent peak around 700 K while the nanocrystalline particles in cubical shapes again show two peaks, one at around 407 K and the other at around 617 K, of which the lower temperature (407 K) peak is more prominent. The glow curve structure changes at very high doses (100 kRad) and some new peaks appear at around 525 and 637 K also the first peak appearing at around 401 K becomes prominent. The observed changes in TL due to the change in the shape and sizes of the nanophosphor have been reported. The PL has also been studied and various excitation and emission peaks observed due to the presence of various impurities are explained. The observed results have been explained in the light of asymmetrical crystal field effects due to asymmetrical shapes of the nanocrystalline phosphor. The comparison of these properties with the microcrystalline material prepared by the same co-precipitation method is also done.

Steady-state solution growth of microcrystalline silicon on nanocrystalline seed layers on glass

Science.gov (United States)

Bansen, R.; Ehlers, C.; Teubner, Th.; Boeck, T.

2016-09-01

The growth of polycrystalline silicon layers on glass from tin solutions at low temperatures is presented. This approach is based on the steady-state solution growth of Si crystallites on nanocrystalline seed layers, which are prepared in a preceding process step. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy investigations reveal details about the seed layer surfaces, which consist of small hillocks, as well as about Sn inclusions and gaps along the glass substrate after solution growth. The successful growth of continuous microcrystalline Si layers with grain sizes up to several ten micrometers shows the feasibility of the process and makes it interesting for photovoltaics. Project supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) (No. BO 1129/5-1).

Resolving the nanostructure of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited nanocrystalline SiOx layers for application in solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Klingsporn, M.; Kirner, S.; Villringer, C.; Abou-Ras, D.; Costina, I.; Lehmann, M.; Stannowski, B.

2016-06-01

Nanocrystalline silicon suboxides (nc-SiOx) have attracted attention during the past years for the use in thin-film silicon solar cells. We investigated the relationships between the nanostructure as well as the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of phosphorous, doped, nc-SiO0.8:H fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The nanostructure was varied through the sample series by changing the deposition pressure from 533 to 1067 Pa. The samples were then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and a specialized plasmon imaging method. We found that the material changed with increasing pressure from predominantly amorphous silicon monoxide to silicon dioxide containing nanocrystalline silicon. The nanostructure changed from amorphous silicon filaments to nanocrystalline silicon filaments, which were found to cause anisotropic electron transport.

On tension-compression asymmetry in ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline metals

KAUST Repository

Gurses, Ercan; El Sayed, Tamer S.

2010-01-01

We present a physically motivated computational study explaining the tension/compression (T/C) asymmetry phenomenon in nanocrystalline (nc) and ultrafine-grained (ufg) face centered cubic (fcc) metals utilizing a variational constitutive model where

Plasma synthesis and HPHT consolidation of BN nanoparticles, nanospheres, and nanotubes to produce nanocrystalline cubic boron nitride

Science.gov (United States)

Stout, Christopher

Plasma methods offer a variety of advantages to nanomaterials synthesis. The process is robust, allowing varying particle sizes and phases to be generated simply by modifying key parameters. The work here demonstrates a novel approach to nanopowder synthesis using inductively-coupled plasma to decompose precursor, which are then quenched to produce a variety of boron nitride (BN)-phase nanoparticles, including cubic phase, along with short-range-order nanospheres (e.g., nano-onions) and BN nanotubes. Cubic BN (c-BN) powders can be generated through direct deposition onto a chilled substrate. The extremely-high pyrolysis temperatures afforded by the equilibrium plasma offer a unique particle growth environment, accommodating long deposition times while exposing resulting powders to temperatures in excess of 5000K without any additional particle nucleation and growth. Such conditions can yield short-range ordered amorphous BN structures in the form of 20nm diameter nanospheres. Finally, when introducing a rapid-quenching counter-flow gas against the plasma jet, high aspect ratio nanotubes are synthesized, which are collected on substrate situated radially. The benefits of these morphologies are also evident in high-pressure/high-temperature consolidation experiments, where nanoparticle phases can offer a favorable conversion route to super-hard c-BN while maintaining nanocrystallinity. Experiments using these morphologies are shown to begin to yield c-BN conversion at conditions as low as 2.0 GPa and 1500°C when using micron sized c-BN seeding to create localized regions of high pressures due to Hertzian forces acting on the nanoparticles.

Atomistic aspects of ductile responses of cubic silicon carbide during nanometric cutting.

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Saurav; Luo, Xichun; Reuben, Robert L; Rashid, Waleed Bin

2011-11-11

Cubic silicon carbide (SiC) is an extremely hard and brittle material having unique blend of material properties which makes it suitable candidate for microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical systems applications. Although, SiC can be machined in ductile regime at nanoscale through single-point diamond turning process, the root cause of the ductile response of SiC has not been understood yet which impedes significant exploitation of this ceramic material. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulation has been carried out to investigate the atomistic aspects of ductile response of SiC during nanometric cutting process. Simulation results show that cubic SiC undergoes sp3-sp2 order-disorder transition resulting in the formation of SiC-graphene-like substance with a growth rate dependent on the cutting conditions. The disorder transition of SiC causes the ductile response during its nanometric cutting operations. It was further found out that the continuous abrasive action between the diamond tool and SiC causes simultaneous sp3-sp2 order-disorder transition of diamond tool which results in graphitization of diamond and consequent tool wear.

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)

Relationship of microstructure properties to oxygen impurities in nanocrystalline silicon photovoltaic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, H.; Wen, C.; Liu, H.; Li, Z. P.; Shen, W. Z.

2013-03-01

We have fully investigated the correlation of microstructure properties and oxygen impurities in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon photovoltaic films. The achievement has been realized through a series of different hydrogen dilution ratio treatment by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. Raman scattering, x-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible transmission techniques have been employed to characterize the physical structural characterization and to elucidate the structure evolution. The bonding configuration of the oxygen impurities was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the Si-O stretching mode of infrared-transmission, indicating that the films were well oxidized in SiO2 form. Based on the consistence between the proposed structure factor and the oxygen content, we have demonstrated that there are two dominant disordered structure regions closely related to the post-oxidation contamination: plate-like configuration and clustered microvoids.

Thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline silicon: importance of grain size and frequency-dependent mean free paths.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhaojie; Alaniz, Joseph E; Jang, Wanyoung; Garay, Javier E; Dames, Chris

2011-06-08

The thermal conductivity reduction due to grain boundary scattering is widely interpreted using a scattering length assumed equal to the grain size and independent of the phonon frequency (gray). To assess these assumptions and decouple the contributions of porosity and grain size, five samples of undoped nanocrystalline silicon have been measured with average grain sizes ranging from 550 to 64 nm and porosities from 17% to less than 1%, at temperatures from 310 to 16 K. The samples were prepared using current activated, pressure assisted densification (CAPAD). At low temperature the thermal conductivities of all samples show a T(2) dependence which cannot be explained by any traditional gray model. The measurements are explained over the entire temperature range by a new frequency-dependent model in which the mean free path for grain boundary scattering is inversely proportional to the phonon frequency, which is shown to be consistent with asymptotic analysis of atomistic simulations from the literature. In all cases the recommended boundary scattering length is smaller than the average grain size. These results should prove useful for the integration of nanocrystalline materials in devices such as advanced thermoelectrics.

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.

Study of irradiation effects in the silicon carbide cubic polytype by photoluminescence and electron spin resonance spectroscopies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefevre, J.

2008-01-01

This experimental work has consisted in the study of point defects induced by an electronic irradiation in the cubic crystallographic structure of silicon carbide with low temperature photoluminescence and electron spin resonance spectroscopies. The first one of these measurement tools has allowed to estimate the displacement threshold energy in the silicon sub-lattice and then to analyze the thermal stability of the irradiation defects in the low temperature range: (10-300 K) and then in the high temperature range: (300-1400 K). Besides, on the base of a recent theoretical model, this thesis has confirmed the proposition of the isolated silicon antisite for the D1 center whose running beyond the nominal running temperature of fission nuclear reactors (generation IV), for which SiC is in part intended, seems to be particularly problematic. Measurements carried out by ESR under lighting have at last allowed to detect a new defect in its metastable spin state S=1, possibly associated to a silicon interstitial configuration. (O.M.)

Solid state synthesis of water-dispersible silicon nanoparticles from silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kravitz, Keren; Kamyshny, Alexander; Gedanken, Aharon; Magdassi, Shlomo

2010-01-01

A solid state synthesis for obtaining nanocrystalline silicon was performed by high temperature reduction of commercial amorphous nanosilica with magnesium powder. The obtained silicon powder contains crystalline silicon phase with lattice spacings characteristic of diamond cubic structure (according to high resolution TEM), and an amorphous phase. In 29 Si CP MAS NMR a broad multicomponent peak corresponding to silicon is located at -61.28 to -69.45 ppm, i.e. between the peaks characteristic of amorphous and crystalline Si. The powder has displayed red luminescence while excited under UV illumination, due to quantum confinement within the nanocrystals. The silicon nanopowder was successfully dispersed in water containing poly(vinyl alcohol) as a stabilizing agent. The obtained dispersion was also characterized by red photoluminescence with a band maximum at 710 nm, thus enabling future functional coating applications. - Graphical abstract: High temperature reduction of amorphous nanosilica with magnesium powder results in the formation of powder containing crystalline silicon phase The powder displays red luminescence while excited under UV illumination, due to quantum confinement within the Si nanocrystals, and can be successfully dispersed in water containing poly(vinyl alcohol) as a stabilizing agent. The obtained dispersion was also characterized by red photoluminescence, thus enabling future functional coating applications.

Growth of nanocrystalline silicon thin film with layer-by-layer technique for fast photo-detecting applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.-Y.; Fang, Y.-K.; Chen, S.-F.; Lin, P.-C.; Lin, C.-S.; Chou, T.-H; Hwang, J.S.; Lin, K.I.

2006-01-01

High mobility nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) films with layer-by-layer technique for fast photo-detecting applications were studied. The structure and morphology of films were studied by means of XRD, micro-Raman scattering, SEM and AFM. The Hall mobility and absorption properties have been investigated and found they were seriously affected by the number of layers in growing, i.e., with increasing of layer number, Hall mobility increased but absorption coefficient decreased. The optimum layer number of nc-Si films for fast near-IR photo-detecting is 7 with film thickness of 1400 nm, while that for fast visible photo-detecting is 17 with film thickness of 3400 nm

Improved luminescence properties of nanocrystalline silicon based electroluminescent device by annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Keisuke; Hirakuri, Kenji

2006-01-01

We report an annealing effect on electrical and luminescence properties of a red electroluminescent device consisting of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si). The red luminescence was generated by flowing the forward current into the device at a low threshold direct current (DC) forward voltage with a rise of annealing temperature up to 500 deg. C. Moreover, the luminescence of the device annealed at 500 deg. C was more intense than that of the device annealed at 200 deg. C or less under the same forward current density, because of the injection of a large quantity of carriers to the radiative recombination centers at the nc-Si surface vicinity. These were attained by a low resistivity of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and good contact at the ITO electrode/luminous layer interface region by the annealing treatment. The above results indicated that the annealing treatment of the device is effective for the realization of high luminance due to the improvement in the injection efficiency of carriers to the radiative recombination centers

Nano-scale simulation based study of creep behavior of bimodal nanocrystalline face centered cubic metal.

Science.gov (United States)

Meraj, Md; Pal, Snehanshu

2017-10-11

In this paper, the creep behavior of nanocrystalline Ni having bimodal grain structure is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. Analysis of structural evolution during the creep process has also been performed. It is observed that an increase in size of coarse grain causes improvement in creep properties of bimodal nanocrystalline Ni. Influence of bimodality (i.e., size difference between coarse and fine grains) on creep properties are found to be reduced with increasing creep temperature. The dislocation density is observed to decrease exponentially with progress of creep deformation. Grain boundary diffusion controlled creep mechanism is found to be dominant at the primary creep region and the initial part of the secondary creep region. After that shear diffusion transformation mechanism is found to be significantly responsible for deformation as bimodal nanocrystalline Ni transforms to amorphous structure with further progress of the creep process. The presence of , , and  distorted icosahedra has a significant influence on creep rate in the tertiary creep regime according to Voronoi cluster analysis.

Influence of sample oxidation on the nature of optical luminescence from porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulthard, I.; Antel, W. J. Jr.; Freeland, J. W.; Sham, T. K.; Naftel, S. J.; Zhang, P.

2000-01-01

Site-selective luminescence experiments were performed upon porous-silicon samples exposed to varying degrees of oxidation. The source of different luminescence bands was determined to be due to either quantum confinement in nanocrystalline silicon or defective silicon oxide. Of particular interest is the defective silicon-oxide luminescence band found at 2.1 eV, which was found to frequently overlap with a luminescence band from nanocrystalline silicon. Some of the historical confusion and debate with regards to the source of luminescence from porous silicon can be attributed to this overlap. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Fabrication and structure of bulk nanocrystalline Al-Si-Ni-mishmetal alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latuch, Jerzy; Cieslak, Grzegorz; Kulik, Tadeusz

2007-01-01

Al-based alloys of structure consisting of nanosized Al crystals, embedded in an amorphous matrix, are interesting for their excellent mechanical properties, exceeding those of the commercial crystalline Al-based alloys. Recently discovered nanocrystalline Al alloys containing silicon (Si), rare earth metal (RE) and late transition metal (Ni), combine high tensile strength and good wear resistance. The aim of this work was to manufacture bulk nanocrystalline alloys from Al-Si-Ni-mishmetal (Mm) system. Bulk nanostructured Al 91-x Si x Ni 7 Mm 2 (x = 10, 11.6, 13 at.%) alloys were produced by ball milling of nanocrystalline ribbons followed by high pressure hot isostating compaction

Effects of Er3+ concentration on UV/blue upconverted luminescence and a three-photon process in the cubic nanocrystalline Y2O3:Er3+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xin; Shan Guiye; Chao Kefu; Zhang Youlin; Liu Ruilin; Feng Liyun; Zeng Qinghui; Sun Yajuan; Liu Yichun; Kong Xianggui

2006-01-01

Ultraviolet (UV)/blue upconverted luminescent properties of the cubic Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ nanocrystals as a function of the erbium concentration were investigated upon 488 nm Ar + laser excitation. The remarkable decrease of upconverted emission intensity and the quenching of the 2 P 3/2 → 4 I 11/2 / 4 I 13/2 transitions were observed in the Y 2 O 3 nanocrystals with high erbium concentration. The emission spectra and the exciting power dependence of upconverted luminescent intensities reveal that the possible upconversion mechanisms are excited-state absorption (ESA) and energy transfer (ET). Moreover, a UV/violet upconverted emission spectrum of nanocrystalline Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ upon 980 nm light excitation was also observed and a three-photon process made a contribution to this upconverted emission

Optical characterization of nanocrystals in silicon rich oxide superlattices and porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agocs, E.; Petrik, P.; Milita, S.; Vanzetti, L.; Gardelis, S.; Nassiopoulou, A.G.; Pucker, G.; Balboni, R.; Fried, M.

2011-01-01

We propose to analyze ellipsometry data by using effective medium approximation (EMA) models. Thanks to EMA, having nanocrystalline reference dielectric functions and generalized critical point (GCP) model the physical parameters of two series of samples containing silicon nanocrystals, i.e. silicon rich oxide (SRO) superlattices and porous silicon layers (PSL), have been determined. The superlattices, consisting of ten SRO/SiO 2 layer pairs, have been prepared using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The porous silicon layers have been prepared using short monopulses of anodization current in the transition regime between porous silicon formation and electropolishing, in a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ethanol. The optical modeling of both structures is similar. The effective dielectric function of the layer is calculated by EMA using nanocrystalline components (nc-Si and GCP) in a dielectric matrix (SRO) or voids (PSL). We discuss the two major problems occurring when modeling such structures: (1) the modeling of the vertically non-uniform layer structures (including the interface properties like nanoroughness at the layer boundaries) and (2) the parameterization of the dielectric function of nanocrystals. We used several techniques to reduce the large number of fit parameters of the GCP models. The obtained results are in good agreement with those obtained by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. We investigated the correlation of the broadening parameter and characteristic EMA components with the nanocrystal size and the sample preparation conditions, such as the annealing temperatures of the SRO superlattices and the anodization current density of the porous silicon samples. We found that the broadening parameter is a sensitive measure of the nanocrystallinity of the samples, even in cases, where the nanocrystals are too small to be visible for X-ray scattering. Major processes like sintering, phase separation, and intermixing have been

Synthesis and characterization of electrochemically deposited nanocrystalline CdTe thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Ragini Raj, E-mail: raginirajsingh@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Bhopal University, Bhopal-462026 (India); Department of Physical Electronics, Iby and Aladar Fleishman Faculty of Engineering, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv-69978 (Israel); Painuly, Diksha [Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kerala, Thiruanantpuram, Kerala (India); Pandey, R.K. [Department of Physics, Bhopal University, Bhopal-462026 (India)

2009-07-15

Electrodeposition is emerging as a method for the synthesis of semiconductor thin films and nanostructures. In this work we prepared the nanocrystalline CdTe thin films on indium tin oxide coated glass substrate from aqueous acidic bath at the deposition temperature 50 {+-} 1 deg. C. The films were grown potentiostatically from -0.60 V to -0.82 V with respect to saturated calomel reference electrode. The structural, compositional, morphological and optical properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-vis spectroscopy respectively and cyclic voltammetery. The structural and optical studies revealed that films are nanocrystalline in nature and possess cubic phase, also the films are preferentially oriented along the cubic (1 1 1) plane. The effect of cadmium composition on the deposited morphology was also investigated. The size dependent blue shift in the experimentally determined absorption edge has been compared with the theoretical predictions based on the effective mass approximation and tight binding approximation. It is shown that the experimentally determined absorption edges depart from the theoretically calculated values.

Silicon based light-emitting materials and devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Weide

1999-01-01

Silicon based light-emitting materials and devices are the key to optoelectronic integration. Recently, there has been significant progress in materials engineering methods. The author reviews the latest developments in this area including erbium doped silicon, porous silicon, nanocrystalline silicon and Si/SiO 2 superlattice structures. The incorporation of these different materials into devices is described and future device prospects are assessed

Passivating electron contact based on highly crystalline nanostructured silicon oxide layers for silicon solar cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Stuckelberger, J.; Nogay, G.; Wyss, P.; Jeangros, Q.; Allebe, Ch.; Debrot, F.; Niquille, X.; Ledinský, Martin; Fejfar, Antonín; Despeisse, M.; Haug, F.J.; Löper, P.; Ballif, C.

2016-01-01

Roč. 158, Dec (2016), s. 2-10 ISSN 0927-0248 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2015087 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : surface passivation * passivating contact * nanostructure * silicon oxide * nanocrystalline * microcrystalline * poly-silicon * crystallization * Raman * transmission line measurement Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 4.784, year: 2016

Ferroelectric Polarization in Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite Thin Films on Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, S. B.; Tofail, S. A. M.; Kholkin, A. L.; Wojtaś, M.; Gregor, M.; Gandhi, A. A.; Wang, Y.; Bauer, S.; Krause, M.; Plecenik, A.

2013-01-01

Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in natural form are a major component of bone- a known piezoelectric material. Synthetic hydroxyapatite is widely used in bone grafts and prosthetic pyroelectric coatings as it binds strongly with natural bone. Nanocrystalline synthetic hydroxyapatite films have recently been found to exhibit strong piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. While a spontaneous polarization in hydroxyapatite has been predicted since 2005, the reversibility of this polarization (i.e. ferroelectricity) requires experimental evidence. Here we use piezoresponse force microscopy to demonstrate that nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite indeed exhibits ferroelectricity: a reversal of polarization under an electrical field. This finding will strengthen investigations on the role of electrical polarization in biomineralization and bone-density related diseases. As hydroxyapatite is one of the most common biocompatible materials, our findings will also stimulate systematic exploration of lead and rare-metal free ferroelectric devices for potential applications in areas as diverse as in vivo and ex vivo energy harvesting, biosensing and electronics. PMID:23884324

Effect of p-layer properties on nanocrystalline absorber layer and thin film silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, Amartya; Adhikary, Koel; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Ray, Swati

2008-01-01

The influence of the p-layer on the crystallinity of the absorber layer and nanocrystalline silicon thin film solar cells has been studied. Boron doped Si : H p-layers of different crystallinities have been prepared under different power pressure conditions using the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method. The crystalline volume fraction of p-layers increases with the increase in deposition power. Optical absorption of the p-layer reduces as the crystalline volume fraction increases. Structural studies at the p/i interface have been done by Raman scattering studies. The crystalline volume fraction of the i-layer increases as that of the p-layer increases, the effect being more prominent near the p/i interface. Grain sizes of the absorber layer decrease from 9.2 to 7.2 nm and the density of crystallites increases as the crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer increases and its grain size decreases. With increasing crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer solar cell efficiency increases

Nanocrystalline LiMn2O4 thin film cathode material prepared by polymer spray pyrolysis method for Li-ion battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karthick, S.N.; Richard Prabhu Gnanakan, S.; Subramania, A.; Kim, Hee-Je

2010-01-01

Nanocrystalline cubic spinel lithium manganese oxide thin film was prepared by a polymer spray pyrolysis method using lithium acetate and manganese acetate precursor solution and polyethylene glycol-4000 as a polymeric binder. The substrate temperature was selected from the thermogravimetric analysis by finding the complete crystallization temperature of LiMn 2 O 4 precursor sample. The deposited LiMn 2 O 4 thin films were annealed at 450, 500 and 600 o C for 30 min. The thin film annealed at 600 o C was found to be the sufficient temperature to form high phase pure nanocrystalline LiMn 2 O 4 thin film. The formation of cubic spinel thin film was confirmed by X-ray diffraction study. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analysis revealed that the thin film annealed at 600 o C was found to be nanocrystalline in nature and the surface of the films were uniform without any crack. The electrochemical charge/discharge studies of the prepared LiMn 2 O 4 film was found to be better compared to the conventional spray pyrolysed thin film material.

Formation of porous silicon oxide from substrate-bound silicon rich silicon oxide layers by continuous-wave laser irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Nan; Fricke-Begemann, Th.; Peretzki, P.; Ihlemann, J.; Seibt, M.

2018-03-01

Silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon oxide that show room temperature photoluminescence (PL) have great potential in silicon light emission applications. Nanocrystalline silicon particle formation by laser irradiation has the unique advantage of spatially controlled heating, which is compatible with modern silicon micro-fabrication technology. In this paper, we employ continuous wave laser irradiation to decompose substrate-bound silicon-rich silicon oxide films into crystalline silicon particles and silicon dioxide. The resulting microstructure is studied using transmission electron microscopy techniques with considerable emphasis on the formation and properties of laser damaged regions which typically quench room temperature PL from the nanoparticles. It is shown that such regions consist of an amorphous matrix with a composition similar to silicon dioxide which contains some nanometric silicon particles in addition to pores. A mechanism referred to as "selective silicon ablation" is proposed which consistently explains the experimental observations. Implications for the damage-free laser decomposition of silicon-rich silicon oxides and also for controlled production of porous silicon dioxide films are discussed.

Hardness enhancement and oxidation resistance of nanocrystalline TiN/Mo xC multilayer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Q.; Wang, X.P.; Liang, F.J.; Wang, J.X.; Fang, Q.F.

2006-01-01

In this paper the influence of the layer's microstructure on the hardness enhancement in multilayer nanocrystalline films and the oxidation resistance are studied. The TiN/Mo x C multilayer films at different modulation period, and Mo x C and TiN monolayer films were deposited on the (0 0 1) silicon wafers and molybdenum sheets by rf and dc magnetron sputtering. The monolayer TiN films with a thickness of about 2 μm are of pure face-center cubic TiN phase, while the monolayer Mo x C films consist of two phases, one of which is body-center cubic Mo and the other is hexagonal Mo 2 C as determined by XRD. The coarse columnar grains of about 200 nm in the monolayer TiN films become much smaller or disappear in the multilayer films. The hardness enhancement of the multilayer films takes place at the modulation period of 320 nm, which can reach to 26 GPa and is much higher than the values of Mo x C and TiN monolayer films. This enhancement in hardness can be explained as the decrease in the size and/or disappearance of columnar grains in the TiN layer. The Young's modulus in the temperature range from 100 to 400 deg. C increases with decreasing modulation period. It is found that about 100 nm thick TiN films can increase largely the oxidation resistance of Mo x C films

Silicon Nanocrystal Synthesis in Microplasma Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Nozaki, Tomohiro; Sasaki, Kenji; Ogino, Tomohisa; Asahi, Daisuke; Okazaki, Ken

Nanocrystalline silicon particles with grains smaller than 5 nm are widely recognized as a key material in optoelectronic devices, lithium battery electrodes, and bio-medical labels. Another important characteristic is that silicon is an environmentally safe material that is used in numerous silicon technologies. To date, several synthesis methods such as sputtering, laser ablation, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) based on low-pressure silane chemistry (SiH4) have been developed for precise control of size and density distributions of silicon nanocrystals. In this study, we explore the possibility of microplasma technologies for efficient production of mono-dispersed nanocrystalline silicon particles on a micrometer-scale, continuous-flow plasma reactor operated at atmospheric pressure. Mixtures of argon, hydrogen, and silicon tetrachloride were activated using a very-high-frequency (144 MHz) power source in a capillary glass tube with volume of less than 1 μl. Fundamental plasma parameters of the microplasma were characterized using optical emission spectroscopy, which respectively indicated electron density of 1015 cm-3, argon excitation temperature of 5000 K, and rotational temperature of 1500 K. Such high-density non-thermal reactive plasma can decompose silicon tetrachloride into atomic silicon to produce supersaturated silicon vapor, followed by gas-phase nucleation via three-body collision: particle synthesis in high-density plasma media is beneficial for promoting nucleation processes. In addition, further growth of silicon nuclei can be terminated in a short-residence-time reactor. Micro-Raman scattering spectra showed that as-deposited particles are mostly amorphous silicon with a small fraction of silicon nanocrystals. Transmission electron micrography confirmed individual 3-15 nm silicon nanocrystals. Although particles were not mono-dispersed, they were well separated and not coagulated.

Colloidal solutions of luminescent porous silicon clusters with different cluster sizes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herynková, Kateřina; Podkorytov, E.; Šlechta, Miroslav; Cibulka, Ondřej; Leitner, J.; Pelant, Ivan

2014-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 1 (2014), 1-5 ISSN 1931-7573 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : nanocrystalline silicon * porous silicon * cluster size * luminescent markers Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.524, year: 2012

Effects of neutral particle beam on nano-crystalline silicon thin films, with application to thin film transistor backplane for flexible active matrix organic light emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jin Nyoung; Song, Byoung Chul; Lee, Dong Hyeok; Yoo, Suk Jae; Lee, Bonju; Hong, MunPyo

2011-01-01

A novel deposition process for nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films was developed using neutral beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (NBaCVD) technology for the application of the thin film transistor (TFT) backplane of flexible active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED). During the formation of a nc-Si thin film, the energetic particles enhance nano-sized crystalline rather microcrystalline Si in thin films. Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) affects the crystallinity in two ways: (1) NPB energy enhances nano-crystallinity through kinetic energy transfer and chemical annealing, and (2) heavier NPB (such as Ar) induces damage and amorphization through energetic particle impinging. Nc-Si thin film properties effectively can be changed by the reflector bias. As increase of NPB energy limits growing the crystalline, the performance of TFT supports this NPB behavior. The results of nc-Si TFT by NBaCVD demonstrate the technical potentials of neutral beam based processes for achieving high stability and reduced leakage in TFT backplanes for AMOLEDs.

Silicon carbide modified carbon materials. Formation of nanocrystalline SiC from thermochemical processes in the system coal tar pitch/poly(carbosilane)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czosnek, C.; Janik, J.F.; Olejniczak, Z. [Stanislaw Staszic University of Mining & Meterology, AGH, Krakow (Poland)

2002-12-01

Poly(carbosilane) or PCS, (-CH{sub 2}-SiH(CH{sub 3})-){sub n}, is used as a Si-bearing precursor in combination with a coal tar pitch to study thermally induced transformations toward SiC-modified carbon composites. Following mixing of the components in the molten pitch at 160{sup o}C, the mixture is heated under argon atmosphere at 500{sup o}C yielding a solid carbonizate that is further subjected to separate pyrolysis experiments at 1300{sup o}C or 1650{sup o}C. At temperatures up to 500{sup o}C, the PCS reacts with suitable pitch components as well as undergoing decomposition reactions. At higher temperatures, clusters of prevailingly nanocrystalline beta-SiC are confirmed after the 1650{sup o}C pyrolysis step with indications that the formation of the compound starts at 1300{sup o}C. Si-29 MAS NMR, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, and elemental analysis are used to characterize each pyrolysis step, especially, from the viewpoint of transformation of silicon species to silicon carbide in the carbon matrix evolved from the pitch.

A thin-film silicon/silicon hetero-junction hybrid solar cell for photoelectrochemical water-reduction applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasudevan, R.A.; Thanawala, Z; Han, L.; Buijs, Thom; Tan, H.; Deligiannis, D.; Perez Rodriguez, P.; Digdaya, I.A.; Smith, W.A.; Zeman, M.; Smets, A.H.M.

2016-01-01

A hybrid tandem solar cell consisting of a thin-film, nanocrystalline silicon top junction and a siliconheterojunction bottom junction is proposed as a supporting solar cell for photoelectrochemical applications.Tunneling recombination junction engineering is shown to be an important consideration

High surface area silicon materials: fundamentals and new technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Buriak, Jillian M

2006-01-15

Crystalline silicon forms the basis of just about all computing technologies on the planet, in the form of microelectronics. An enormous amount of research infrastructure and knowledge has been developed over the past half-century to construct complex functional microelectronic structures in silicon. As a result, it is highly probable that silicon will remain central to computing and related technologies as a platform for integration of, for instance, molecular electronics, sensing elements and micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Porous nanocrystalline silicon is a fascinating variant of the same single crystal silicon wafers used to make computer chips. Its synthesis, a straightforward electrochemical, chemical or photochemical etch, is compatible with existing silicon-based fabrication techniques. Porous silicon literally adds an entirely new dimension to the realm of silicon-based technologies as it has a complex, three-dimensional architecture made up of silicon nanoparticles, nanowires, and channel structures. The intrinsic material is photoluminescent at room temperature in the visible region due to quantum confinement effects, and thus provides an optical element to electronic applications. Our group has been developing new organic surface reactions on porous and nanocrystalline silicon to tailor it for a myriad of applications, including molecular electronics and sensing. Integration of organic and biological molecules with porous silicon is critical to harness the properties of this material. The construction and use of complex, hierarchical molecular synthetic strategies on porous silicon will be described.

Trapping of cubic ZnO nanocrystallites at ambient conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Decremps, F.; Pellicer-Porres, J.; Datchi, F.

2002-01-01

Dense powder of nanocrystalline ZnO has been recovered at ambient conditions in the metastable cubic structure after a heat treatment at high pressure (15 GPa and 550 K). Combined x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments have been performed to probe both long......-range order and local crystallographic structure of the recovered sample. Within uncertainty of these techniques (about 5%), all the crystallites are found to adopt the NaCl structure. From the analysis of XRD and XAS spectra, the cell volume per chemical formula unit is found to be 19.57(1) and 19...

Double stabilization of nanocrystalline silicon: a bonus from solvent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolyagin, Y. G.; Zakharov, V. N.; Yatsenko, A. V.; Paseshnichenko, K. A.; Savilov, S. V.; Aslanov, L. A., E-mail: aslanov.38@mail.ru [Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russian Federation)

2016-01-15

Double stabilization of the silicon nanocrystals was observed for the first time by {sup 29}Si and {sup 13}C MAS NMR spectroscopy. The role of solvent, 1,2-dimethoxyethane (glyme), in formation and stabilization of silicon nanocrystals as well as mechanism of modification of the surface of silicon nanocrystals by nitrogen-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) was studied in this research. It was shown that silicon nanocrystals were stabilized by the products of cleavage of the C–O bonds in ethers and similar compounds. The fact of stabilization of silicon nanoparticles with NHC ligands in glyme was experimentally detected. It was demonstrated that MAS NMR spectroscopy is rather informative for study of the surface of silicon nanoparticles but it needs very pure samples.

Preparation of nanocrystalline Ni doped ZnS thin films by ammonia-free chemical bath deposition method and optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahraei, Reza, E-mail: r.sahraei@ilam.ac.ir; Darafarin, Soraya

2014-05-01

Nanocrystalline Ni doped ZnS thin films were deposited on quartz, silicon, and glass substrates using chemical bath deposition method in a weak acidic solution containing ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid disodium salt (Na{sub 2}EDTA) as a complexing agent for zinc ions and thioacetamide (TAA) as a sulfide source at 80 °C. The films were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. UV–vis transmission data showed that the films were transparent in the visible region. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed a cubic zinc blend structure. FE-SEM revealed a homogeneous morphology and dense nanostructures. The PL spectra of the ZnS:Ni films showed two characteristic bands, one broad band centered at 430 and another narrow band at 523 nm. Furthermore, concentration quenching effect on the photoluminescence intensity has been observed. - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline ZnS:Ni thin films were prepared by the chemical bath deposition method. • The size of ZnS:Ni nanocrystals was less than 10 nm showing quantum size effect. • SEM images demonstrated a dense and uniform surface that was free of pinholes. • The deposited films were highly transparent (>70%) in the visible region. • The PL spectra of ZnS:Ni thin films showed two emission peaks at 430 and 523 nm.

Synthesis of Silicon Nanocrystals in Microplasma Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Nozaki, Tomohiro; Sasaki, Kenji; Ogino, Tomohisa; Asahi, Daisuke; Okazaki, Ken

Nanocrystalline silicon particles with a grain size of at least less than 10 nm are widely recognized as one of the key materials in optoelectronic devices, electrodes of lithium battery, bio-medical labels. There is also important character that silicon is safe material to the environment and easily gets involved in existing silicon technologies. To date, several synthesis methods such as sputtering, laser ablation, and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) based on low-pressure silane chemistry (SiH4) have been developed for precise control of size and density distributions of silicon nanocrystals. We explore the possibility of microplasma technologies for the efficient production of mono-dispersed nanocrystalline silicon particles in a micrometer-scale, continuous-flow plasma reactor operated at atmospheric pressure. Mixtures of argon, hydrogen, and silicon tetrachloride were activated using very high frequency (VHF = 144 MHz) power source in a capillary glass tube with a volume of less than 1 μ-liter. Fundamental plasma parameters of VHF capacitively coupled microplasma were characterized by optical emission spectroscopy, showing electron density of approximately 1015 cm-3 and rotational temperature of 1500 K, respectively. Such high-density non-thermal reactive plasma has a capability of decomposing silicon tetrachloride into atomic silicon to produce supersaturated atomic silicon vapor, followed by gas phase nucleation via three-body collision. The particle synthesis in high-density plasma media is beneficial for promoting nucleation process. In addition, further growth of silicon nuclei was able to be favorably terminated in a short-residence time reactor. Micro Raman scattering spectrum showed that as-deposited particles were mostly amorphous silicon with small fraction of silicon nanocrystals. Transmission electron micrograph confirmed individual silicon nanocrystals of 3-15 nm size. Although those particles were not mono-dispersed, they were

Nanocrystalline SiC film thermistors for cryogenic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mitin, V. F.; Kholevchuk, V. V.; Semenov, A. V.; Kozlovskii, A. A.; Boltovets, N. S.; Krivutsa, V. A.; Slepova, A. S.; Novitskii, S. V.

2018-02-01

We developed a heat-sensitive material based on nanocrystalline SiC films obtained by direct deposition of carbon and silicon ions onto sapphire substrates. These SiC films can be used for resistance thermometers operating in the 2 K-300 K temperature range. Having high heat sensitivity, they are relatively low sensitive to the magnetic field. The designs of the sensors are presented together with a discussion of their thermometric characteristics and sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Structural analysis of nanocrystalline ZnTe alloys synthesized by melt quenching technique

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Harinder; Singh, Tejbir; Thakur, Anup; Sharma, Jeewan

2018-05-01

Nanocrystalline ZnxTe100-x (x=0, 5, 20, 30, 40, 50) alloys have been synthesized using melt quenching technique. Energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) has been used to verify the elemental composition of samples. Various absorption modes are recorded from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirming the formation of ZnTe. The structural study has been performed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method. All synthesized samples have been found to be nanocrystalline in nature with average crystallite size in the range from 49.3 nm to 77.1 nm. Results have shown that Zn0Te100 exhibits hexagonal phase that transforms into a cubic ZnTe phase as the amount of zinc is increased. Pure ZnTe phase has been obtained for x = 50. The texture coefficient (Tc) has been calculated to find the prominent orientations of different planes.

Agglomeration of luminescent porous silicon nanoparticles in colloidal solutions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herynková, Kateřina; Šlechta, Miroslav; Šimáková, Petra; Fučíková, Anna; Cibulka, Ondřej

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, Aug (2016), s. 1-5, č. článku 367. ISSN 1556-276X Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) DAAD-16-18 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : nanocrystalline silicon * porous silicon * nanoparticles * colloids * agglomeration Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 2.833, year: 2016

FEM numerical analysis of excimer laser induced modification in alternating multi-layers of amorphous and nano-crystalline silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conde, J.C.; Martín, E.; Stefanov, S.; Alpuim, P.; Chiussi, S.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► nc-Si:H is a material with growing importance for a large-area of nano-electronic, photovoltaic or biomedical devices. ► UV-ELA technique causes a rapid heating that provokes the H 2 desorption from the Si surface and bulk material. ► Next, diffusion of P doped nc-Si films and eventually, for high energy densities would be possible to reach the melting point. ► These multilayer structures consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) films deposited on SiO 2 . ► To optimize parameters involved in this processing, FEM numerical analysis of multilayer structures have been performed. ► The numerical results are compared with exhaustive characterization of the experimental results. - Abstract: UV excimer laser annealing (UV-ELA) is an alternative annealing process that, during the last few years, has gained enormous importance for the CMOS nano-electronic technologies, with the ability to provide films and alloys with electrical and optical properties to fit the desired device performance. The UV-ELA of amorphous (a-) and/or doped nano-crystalline (nc-) silicon films is based on the rapid (nanoseconds) formation of temperature profiles caused by laser radiation that is absorbed in the material and lead to crystallisation, diffusion in solid or even in liquid phase. To achieve the desired temperature profiles and to optimize the parameters involved in the processing of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films with the UV-ELA, a numerical analysis by finite element method (FEM) of a multilayer structure has been performed. The multilayer structures, consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) layers, deposited on a glass substrate, has also been experimentally analyzed. Temperature profiles caused by 193 nm radiation with 25 ns pulse length and energy densities ranging from 50 mJ/cm 2 to 400 mJ/cm 2 have been calculated. Numerical results allowed us to estimate the dehydrogenation

Room temperature mechanosynthesis and microstructure characterization of nanocrystalline Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bandyopadhyay, S. [Department of Physics, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, 713104, West Bengal (India); Dutta, H. [Department of Physics, Vivekananda College, Burdwan, 713103, West Bengal (India); Kar, T. [Department of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, West Bengal (India); Pradhan, S.K., E-mail: skp_bu@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, 713104, West Bengal (India)

2016-02-01

This article reports the synthesis and microstructure characterization of nanocrystalline Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C powder obtained by mechanical milling the mixture of Si, Al and graphite powders at room temperature under inert atmosphere. XRD patterns of ball-milled powders clearly reveal the nucleation of Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C phase after 5 h of milling and the stoichiometric cubic Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C is formed after 10 h of milling with crystallite size of ∼3 nm. Microstructure of ball-milled powders in terms of different lattice imperfections is characterized by employing both Rietveld's method of structure refinement using XRD data and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). HRTEM micrographs of 10 h milled powder substantiate the formation of nanocrystalline Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C compound without any contamination and confirm the findings of Rietveld analysis using XRD data. - Highlights: • Cubic Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C is formed after 5 h of milling of Si, Al and graphite powders. • Nanocrystalline Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C with particle size ∼3 nm is obtained after 10 h milling. • Average particle size of Si{sub 0.9}Al{sub 0.1}C from XRD analysis and HRTEM is very close.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-04-01

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

Remediation of arsenic and lead with nanocrystalline zinc sulfide.

Science.gov (United States)

Piquette, Alan; Cannon, Cody; Apblett, Allen W

2012-07-27

Nanocrystalline (1.7 ± 0.3 nm) zinc sulfide with a specific surface area up to 360 m(2) g(-1) was prepared from the thermal decomposition of a single-source precursor, zinc ethylxanthate. Zinc ethylxanthate decomposes to cubic zinc sulfide upon exposure to temperatures greater than or equal to 125 °C. The resulting zinc sulfide was tested as a water impurity extractant. The target impurities used in this study were As(5+), As(3+), and Pb(2+). The reaction of the nanocrystalline ZnS with Pb(2+) proceeds as a replacement reaction where solid PbS is formed and Zn(2+) is released into the aqueous system. Removal of lead to a level of less than two parts per billion is achievable. The results of a detailed kinetics experiment between the ZnS and Pb(2+) are included in this study. Unlike the instance of lead, both As(5+) and As(3+) adsorb on the surface of the ZnS extractant as opposed to an ion-exchange process. An uptake capacity of > 25 mg g(-1) for the removal of As(5+) is possible. The uptake of As(3+) appears to proceed by a slower process than that of the As(5+) with a capacity of nearly 20 mg g(-1). The nanocrystalline zinc sulfide was extremely successful for the removal of arsenic and lead from simulated oil sand tailing pond water.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline Y2O3 in a specially designed atmospheric pressure radio frequency thermal plasma reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhamale, G. D.; Mathe, V. L.; Bhoraskar, S. V.; Sahasrabudhe, S. N.; Ghorui, S.

2015-01-01

Synthesis of yttrium oxide nanoparticles in a specially designed radio frequency thermal plasma reactor is reported. Good crystallinity, narrow size distribution, low defect state concentration, high purity, good production rate, single-step synthesis, and simultaneous formation of nanocrystalline monoclinic and cubic phases are some of the interesting features observed. Synthesized particles are characterized through X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-luminescence (TL), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. Polymorphism of the nanocrystalline yttria is addressed in detail. Synthesis mechanism is explored through in-situ emission spectroscopy. Post-synthesis environmental effects and possible methods to eliminate the undesired phases are probed. Defect states are investigated through the study of TL spectra

Structural and transport properties of nanocrystalline MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ synthesized by co-precipitation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, M.J.; Younas, M.

2012-01-01

The nanocrystalline ferrites with spinel structures have been the focus of scientific investigation and received continuous interest in recent decades. The structural and electrical properties of these materials have become an important area of research and are attracting considerable interest due to broad range of applications. Spinel ferrites have been shown to exhibit interesting dielectric properties in the nanocrystalline form in comparison to the corresponding bulk materials. Structural and electrical properties of nanocrystalline MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ were investigated. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy results showed that nanocrystalline MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ had cubic symmetry with 80% inversion. shows the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and Zn/sub 1-x/Ni/sub x/Fe/sub 2/O/sub 4/, used as model compounds. The electrical transport properties were investigated by employing impedance spectroscopy. It was observed that the dielectric constant decreased with the increase in frequency. The effects of frequency on dielectric properties were more prominent in the low frequency region, where dielectric constant increased as temperature was increased. (Orig./A.B.)

Complete three-dimensional photonic bandgap in a simple cubic structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Shawn-Yu; Fleming, J. G.; Lin, Robin; Sigalas, M. M.; Biswas, R.; Ho, K. M.

2001-01-01

The creation of a three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal with simple cubic (sc) symmetry is important for applications in the signal routing and 3D waveguiding of light. With a simple stacking scheme and advanced silicon processing, a 3D sc structure was constructed from a 6-in. silicon wafer. The sc structure is experimentally shown to have a complete 3D photonic bandgap in the infrared wavelength. The finite size effect is also observed, accounting for a larger absolute photonic bandgap

Preparation and optical properties of nanocrystalline diamond coatings for infrared planar waveguides

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Remeš, Zdeněk; Babchenko, Oleg; Varga, Marián; Stuchlík, Jiří; Jirásek, Vít; Prajzler, Václav; Nekvindová, P.; Kromka, Alexander

2016-01-01

Roč. 618, Nov (2016), s. 130-133 ISSN 0040-6090 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-05053S Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) MOST-15-04 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : hydrogenated amorphous silicon * nanocrystalline diamond * planar waveguides Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.879, year: 2016

Nanocrystalline ceramic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Richard W.; Nieman, G. William; Weertman, Julia R.

1994-01-01

A method for preparing a treated nanocrystalline metallic material. The method of preparation includes providing a starting nanocrystalline metallic material with a grain size less than about 35 nm, compacting the starting nanocrystalline metallic material in an inert atmosphere and annealing the compacted metallic material at a temperature less than about one-half the melting point of the metallic material.

FEM numerical analysis of excimer laser induced modification in alternating multi-layers of amorphous and nano-crystalline silicon films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conde, J.C., E-mail: jconde@uvigo.es [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Martin, E. [Dpto. Mecanica, Maquinas, Motores Termicos y Fluidos, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Stefanov, S. [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Alpuim, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Chiussi, S. [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer nc-Si:H is a material with growing importance for a large-area of nano-electronic, photovoltaic or biomedical devices. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer UV-ELA technique causes a rapid heating that provokes the H{sub 2} desorption from the Si surface and bulk material. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Next, diffusion of P doped nc-Si films and eventually, for high energy densities would be possible to reach the melting point. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These multilayer structures consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) films deposited on SiO{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer To optimize parameters involved in this processing, FEM numerical analysis of multilayer structures have been performed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The numerical results are compared with exhaustive characterization of the experimental results. - Abstract: UV excimer laser annealing (UV-ELA) is an alternative annealing process that, during the last few years, has gained enormous importance for the CMOS nano-electronic technologies, with the ability to provide films and alloys with electrical and optical properties to fit the desired device performance. The UV-ELA of amorphous (a-) and/or doped nano-crystalline (nc-) silicon films is based on the rapid (nanoseconds) formation of temperature profiles caused by laser radiation that is absorbed in the material and lead to crystallisation, diffusion in solid or even in liquid phase. To achieve the desired temperature profiles and to optimize the parameters involved in the processing of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films with the UV-ELA, a numerical analysis by finite element method (FEM) of a multilayer structure has been performed. The multilayer structures, consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) layers, deposited on a glass substrate, has also been experimentally analyzed. Temperature profiles caused by 193 nm radiation with 25

Investigation of the agglomeration and amorphous transformation effects of neutron irradiation on the nanocrystalline silicon carbide (3C-SiC) using TEM and SEM methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huseynov, Elchin M., E-mail: elchin.h@yahoo.com [Department of Nanotechnology and Radiation Material Science, National Nuclear Research Center, Inshaatchilar pr. 4, AZ 1073 Baku (Azerbaijan); Institute of Radiation Problems of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, B.Vahabzade 9, AZ 1143 Baku (Azerbaijan)

2017-04-01

Nanocrystalline 3C-SiC particles irradiated by neutron flux during 20 h in TRIGA Mark II light water pool type research reactor. Silicon carbide nanoparticles were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) devices before and after neutron irradiation. The agglomeration of nanoparticles was studied comparatively before and after neutron irradiation. After neutron irradiation the amorphous layer surrounding the nanoparticles was analyzed in TEM device. Neutron irradiation defects in the 3C-SiC nanoparticles and other effects investigated by TEM device. The effect of irradiation on the crystal structure of the nanomaterial was studied by selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and electron diffraction patterns (EDP) analysis.

Materials and Light Management for High-Efficiency Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

OpenAIRE

Tan, H.

2015-01-01

Direct conversion of sunlight into electricity is one of the most promising approaches to provide sufficient renewable energy for humankind. Solar cells are such devices which can efficiently generate electricity from sunlight through the photovoltaic effect. Thin-film silicon solar cells, a type of photovoltaic (PV) devices which deploy the chemical-vapor-deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) and their alloys as the absorber layers and doped ...

Ultrathin Nanocrystalline Diamond Films with Silicon Vacancy Color Centers via Seeding by 2 nm Detonation Nanodiamonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Stehlik, Stepan; Varga, Marian; Stenclova, Pavla; Ondic, Lukas; Ledinsky, Martin; Pangrac, Jiri; Vanek, Ondrej; Lipov, Jan; Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav

2017-11-08

Color centers in diamonds have shown excellent potential for applications in quantum information processing, photonics, and biology. Here we report chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films as thin as 5-6 nm with photoluminescence (PL) from silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers at 739 nm. Instead of conventional 4-6 nm detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs), we prepared and employed hydrogenated 2 nm DNDs (zeta potential = +36 mV) to form extremely dense (∼1.3 × 10 13 cm -2 ), thin (2 ± 1 nm), and smooth (RMS roughness < 0.8 nm) nucleation layers on an Si/SiO x substrate, which enabled the CVD growth of such ultrathin NCD films in two different and complementary microwave (MW) CVD systems: (i) focused MW plasma with an ellipsoidal cavity resonator and (ii) pulsed MW plasma with a linear antenna arrangement. Analytical ultracentrifuge, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy are used for detailed characterization of the 2 nm H-DNDs and the nucleation layer as well as the ultrathin NCD films. We also demonstrate on/off switching of the SiV center PL in the NCD films thinner than 10 nm, which is achieved by changing their surface chemistry.

On tension-compression asymmetry in ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline metals

KAUST Repository

Gurses, Ercan

2010-12-01

We present a physically motivated computational study explaining the tension/compression (T/C) asymmetry phenomenon in nanocrystalline (nc) and ultrafine-grained (ufg) face centered cubic (fcc) metals utilizing a variational constitutive model where the nc-metal is modeled as a two-phase material consisting of a grain interior phase and a grain boundary affected zone (GBAZ). We show that the existence of voids and their growth in GBAZ renders the material pressure sensitivity due to porous plasticity and that the utilized model provides a physically sound mechanism to capture the experimentally observed T/C asymmetry in nc- and ufg-metals. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patterned hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces of ultra-smooth nanocrystalline diamond layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mertens, M., E-mail: michael.mertens@uni-ulm.de [Institute of Micro and Nanomaterials, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm (Germany); Mohr, M.; Brühne, K.; Fecht, H.J. [Institute of Micro and Nanomaterials, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm (Germany); Łojkowski, M.; Święszkowski, W. [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw (Poland); Łojkowski, W. [Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland)

2016-12-30

Highlights: • Hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties on fluorine-, hydrogen- and oxygen- terminated ultra-nanocrystalline diamond films. • Micropatterned - multi-terminated layers with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas on one sample. • Visualization of multi-terminated surfaces by e.g. SEM and LFM. • Roughness and friction investigations on different terminated surfaces. • Smooth and biocompatible surfaces with same roughness regardless of hydrophobicity for microbiological investigations. - Abstract: In this work, we show that ultra nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) surfaces have been modified to add them hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. The nanocrystalline diamond films were deposited using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique. This allows growing diamond on different substrates which can be even 3D or structured. Silicon and, for optical applications, transparent quartz glass are the preferred substrates for UNCD layers growth. Fluorine termination leads to strong hydrophobic properties as indicated by a high contact angle for water of more than 100°. Hydrogen termination shows lesser hydrophobic behavior. Hydrophilic characteristics has been realised with oxygen termination. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements confirm the oxygen and fluorine- termination on the nanocrystalline diamond surface. Further, by micropatterning using photolithography, multi-terminated layers have been created with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas. In addition, we have shown that retermination is achieved, and the properties of the surface have been changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and vice versa. Micro- roughness and stress in the grown film influences slightly the wetting angle as well. The opportunity to realize local differences in hydrophobicity on nanocrystalline diamond layers, in any size or geometry, offers interesting applications for example in

Femtosecond laser irradiation-induced infrared absorption on silicon surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qinghua Zhu

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The near-infrared (NIR absorption below band gap energy of crystalline silicon is significantly increased after the silicon is irradiated with femtosecond laser pulses at a simple experimental condition. The absorption increase in the NIR range primarily depends on the femtosecond laser pulse energy, pulse number, and pulse duration. The Raman spectroscopy analysis shows that after the laser irradiation, the silicon surface consists of silicon nanostructure and amorphous silicon. The femtosecond laser irradiation leads to the formation of a composite of nanocrystalline, amorphous, and the crystal silicon substrate surface with microstructures. The composite has an optical absorption enhancement at visible wavelengths as well as at NIR wavelength. The composite may be useful for an NIR detector, for example, for gas sensing because of its large surface area.

Visible and infrared photoluminescence from erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals produced by rf sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerqueira, M.F.; Alpuim, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, Braga (Portugal); Losurdo, M. [Plasma Chemistry Research Center, CNR, Bari (Italy); Monteiro, T.; Soares, M.J.; Peres, M. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro (Portugal); Stepikova, M. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures RAS, 603600 Nizhnij Novgorod GSP-105 (Russian Federation)

2007-06-15

Erbium-doped low-dimensional Si films with different microstructures were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on glass substrates by varying the hydrogen flow rate during deposition. Amorphous, micro- and nanocrystalline samples, consisting of Si nanocrystalls embedded in silicon-based matrices with different structures, were achieved with optical properties in the visible and IR depending on nanocrystalline fraction and matrix structure and chemical composition. Structural characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction in the grazing incidence geometry and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition was studied using RBS/ERD techniques. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was combined with the previous techniques to further resolve the film microstructure and composition. In particular, the distribution along the film thickness of the volume fractions of nanocrystalline/amorphous silicon and SiO{sub x} phases has been obtained. In this contribution we discuss visible and infrared photoluminescence as a function of sample microstructure and of the oxygen/hydrogen concentration ratio present in the matrix. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Thermoluminescent properties of nanocrystalline ZnTe thin films: Structural and morphological studies

Science.gov (United States)

Rajpal, Shashikant; Kumar, S. R.

2018-04-01

Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) is a binary II-VI direct band gap semiconducting material with cubic structure and having potential applications in different opto-electronic devices. Here we investigated the effects of annealing on the thermoluminescence (TL) of ZnTe thin films. A nanocrystalline ZnTe thin film was successfully electrodeposited on nickel substrate and the effect of annealing on structural, morphological, and optical properties were studied. The TL emission spectrum of as deposited sample is weakly emissive in UV region at ∼328 nm. The variation in the annealing temperature results into sharp increase in emission intensity at ∼328 nm along with appearance of a new peak at ∼437 nm in visible region. Thus, the deposited nanocrystalline ZnTe thin films exhibited excellent thermoluminescent properties upon annealing. Furthermore, the influence of annealing (annealed at 400 °C) on the solid state of ZnTe were also studied by XRD, SEM, EDS, AFM. It is observed that ZnTe thin film annealed at 400 °C after deposition provide a smooth and flat texture suited for optoelectronic applications.

Forming of nanocrystal silicon films by implantation of high dose of H+ in layers of silicon on isolator and following fast thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyschenko, I.E.; Popov, V.P.; Talochkin, A.B.; Gutakovskij, A.K.; Zhuravlev, K.S.

2004-01-01

Formation of nanocrystalline silicon films during rapid thermal annealing of the high-dose H + ion implanted silicon-on-insulator structures was studied. It was found, that Si nanocrystals had formed alter annealings at 300-400 deg C, their formation being strongly limited by the hydrogen content in silicon and also by the annealing time. It was supposed that the nucleation of crystalline phase occurred inside the silicon islands between micropores. It is conditioned by ordering Si-Si bonds as hydrogen atoms are leaving their sites in silicon network. No coalescence of micropores takes place during the rapid thermal annealing at the temperatures up to ∼ 900 deg C. Green-orange photoluminescence was observed on synthesized films at room temperature [ru

Nanocrystalline solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleiter, H.

1991-01-01

Nanocrystalline solids are polycrystals, the crystal size of which is a few (typically 1 to 10) nanometres so that 50% or more of the solid consists of incoherent interfaces between crystals of different orientations. Solids consisting primarily of internal interfaces represent a separate class of atomic structures because the atomic arrangement formed in the core of an interface is known to be an arrangement of minimum energy in the potential field of the two adjacent crystal lattices with different crystallographic orientations on either side of the boundary core. These boundary conditions result in atomic structures in the interfacial cores which cannot be formed elsewhere (e.g. in glasses or perfect crystals). Nanocrystalline solids are of interest for the following four reasons: (1) Nanocrystalline solids exhibit an atomic structure which differs from that of the two known solid states: the crystalline (with long-range order) and the glassy (with short-range order). (2) The properties of nanocrystalline solids differ (in some cases by several orders of magnitude) from those of glasses and/or crystals with the same chemical composition, which suggests that they may be utilized technologically in the future. (3) Nanocrystalline solids seem to permit the alloying of conventionally immiscible components. (4) If small (1 to 10 nm diameter) solid droplets with a glassy structure are consolidated (instead of small crystals), a new type of glass, called nanoglass, is obtained. Such glasses seem to differ structurally from conventional glasses. (orig.)

Plasma deposition of thin film silicon at low substrate temperature and at high growth rate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verkerk, A.D.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304831719

2009-01-01

To expand the range of applications for thin film solar cells incorporating hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), the growth rate has to be increased 0.5 or less to several nm/s and the substrate temperature should be lowered to around 100 C. In

Temperature Dependent Variations of Phonon Interactions in Nanocrystalline Cerium Oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugandha Dogra Pandey

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The temperature dependent anharmonic behavior of the phonon modes of nanocrystalline CeO2 was investigated in the temperature range of 80–440 K. The anharmonic constants have been derived from the shift in phonon modes fitted to account for the anharmonic contributions as well as the thermal expansion contribution using the high pressure parameters derived from our own high pressure experimental data reported previously. The total anharmonicity has also been estimated from the true anharmonicity as well as quasiharmonic component. In the line-width variation analysis, the cubic anharmonic term was found to dominate the quartic term. Finally, the phonon lifetime also reflected the trend so observed.

Silicon heterojunction solar cell passivation in combination with nanocrystalline silicon oxide emitters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gatz, H.A.; Rath, J.K.; Verheijen, M.A.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2016-01-01

Silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) are well known for their high efficiencies, enabled by their remarkably high open-circuit voltages (VOC). A key factor in achieving these values is a good passivation of the crystalline wafer interface. One of the restrictions during SHJ solar cell production

Plane shock loading on mono- and nano-crystalline silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Branicio, Paulo S.; Zhang, Jingyun; Rino, José P.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Vashishta, Priya

2018-03-01

The understanding of the nanoscale mechanisms of shock damage and failure in SiC is essential for its application in effective and damage tolerant coatings. We use molecular-dynamics simulations to investigate the shock properties of 3C-SiC along low-index crystallographic directions and in nanocrystalline samples with 5 nm and 10 nm grain sizes. The predicted Hugoniot in the particle velocity range of 0.1 km/s-6.0 km/s agrees well with experimental data. The shock response transitions from elastic to plastic, predominantly deformation twinning, to structural transformation to the rock-salt phase. The predicted strengths from 12.3 to 30.9 GPa, at the Hugoniot elastic limit, are in excellent agreement with experimental data.

Electrical properties of pressure quenched silicon by thermal spraying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, S.Y.; Gambino, R.J.; Sampath, S.; Herman, H.

2007-01-01

High velocity thermal spray deposition of polycrystalline silicon film onto single crystal substrates, yields metastable high pressure forms of silicon in nanocrystalline form within the deposit. The phases observed in the deposit include hexagonal diamond-Si, R-8, BC-8 and Si-IX. The peculiar attribute of this transformation is that it occurs only on orientation silicon substrate. The silicon deposits containing the high pressure phases display a substantially higher electrical conductivity. The resistivity profile of the silicon deposit containing shock induced metastable silicon phases identified by X-ray diffraction patterns. The density of the pressure induced polymorphic silicon is higher at deposit/substrate interface. A modified two-layer model is presented to explain the resistivity of the deposit impacted by the pressure induced polymorphic silicon generated by the thermal spraying process. The pressure quenched silicon deposits on the p - silicon substrate, with or without metastable phases, display the barrier potential of about 0.72 eV. The measured hall mobility value of pressure quenched silicon deposits is in the range of polycrystalline silicon. The significance of this work lies in the fact that the versatility of thermal spray may enable applications of these high pressure forms of silicon

Superconductivity in heavily boron-doped silicon carbide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Kriener, Takahiro Muranaka, Junya Kato, Zhi-An Ren, Jun Akimitsu and Yoshiteru Maeno

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The discoveries of superconductivity in heavily boron-doped diamond in 2004 and silicon in 2006 have renewed the interest in the superconducting state of semiconductors. Charge-carrier doping of wide-gap semiconductors leads to a metallic phase from which upon further doping superconductivity can emerge. Recently, we discovered superconductivity in a closely related system: heavily boron-doped silicon carbide. The sample used for that study consisted of cubic and hexagonal SiC phase fractions and hence this led to the question which of them participated in the superconductivity. Here we studied a hexagonal SiC sample, free from cubic SiC phase by means of x-ray diffraction, resistivity, and ac susceptibility.

Interaction of Light with Metallized Ultrathin Silicon Membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Shome, Krishanu

Freestanding metallized structures, a few tens of nanometer thick, show promise in creating flow-through sensors, single molecule detectors and novel solar cells. In this thesis we study test structures that are a step towards creating such devices. Finite- difference time-domain simulations have been used to understand and predict the interaction of light with such devices. Porous nanocrystalline silicon membrane is a novel freestanding layer structure that has been used as a platform to fabricate and study sensors and novel slot nanohole devices. Optical mode studies of the sensing structures, together with the method of fabrication inspired the creation of ultrathin freestanding hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n junctions solar cells. All the freestanding structures used in this thesis are just a few tens of nanometers in thicknesses. In the first part of the thesis the sensing properties of the metallized porous nanocrystalline structure are studied. The surprising blueshift associated with the sensing peak is observed experimentally and predicted theoretically with the help of simulations. Polarization dependence of the membranes is predicted and confirmed for angled deposition of metal on the membranes. In the next part, a novel slot structure is fabricated and modeled to study the slot effect in nanohole metal-insulator-metal structures. Atomic layer deposition of alumina is used to conformally deposit alumina within the nanohole to create the slot structure. Simulation models were used to calculate the lowest modal volume of 4x10-5 mum3 for an optimized structure. In the last part of the thesis, freestanding solar cells are fabricated by effectively replacing the porous nanocrystalline silicon layer of the membranes with a hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n junction with metal layers on both sides of the p-i-n junction. The metal layers act both as electrical contacts as well as mirrors for a Fabry Perot cavity resonator. This helps in tuning the

Thermally Stable Nanocrystalline Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Hulme-Smith, Christopher Neil; Ooi, Shgh Woei; Bhadeshia, Harshad K. D. H.

2017-10-01

Two novel nanocrystalline steels were designed to withstand elevated temperatures without catastrophic microstructural changes. In the most successful alloy, a large quantity of nickel was added to stabilize austenite and allow a reduction in the carbon content. A 50 kg cast of the novel alloy was produced and used to verify the formation of nanocrystalline bainite. Synchrotron X-ray diffractometry using in situ heating showed that austenite was able to survive more than 1 hour at 773 K (500 °C) and subsequent cooling to ambient temperature. This is the first reported nanocrystalline steel with high-temperature capability.

Photoluminescence properties of sol-gel derived SiO.sub.2./sub. layers doped with porous silicon

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Švrček, Vladimír; Pelant, Ivan; Rehspringer, J. L.; Gilliot, P.; Ohlmann, D.; Crégut, O.; Hönerlage, B.; Chvojka, T.; Valenta, J.; Dian, J.

2002-01-01

Roč. 19, - (2002), s. 233-236 ISSN 0928-4931 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1010809; GA AV ČR IAB2949101; GA AV ČR IAB1112901 Grant - others:GA UK(XC) 144/2000/B/FYZ Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : nanocrystalline silicon * photoluminescence * porous silicon Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.734, year: 2002

Optimization of chemical displacement deposition of copper on porous silicon.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandarenka, Hanna; Redko, Sergey; Nenzi, Paolo; Balucani, Marco; Bondarenko, Vitaly

2012-11-01

Copper (II) sulfate was used as a source of copper to achieve uniform distribution of Cu particles deposited on porous silicon. Layers of the porous silicon were formed by electrochemical anodization of Si wafers in a mixture of HF, C3H7OH and deionized water. The well-known chemical displacement technique was modified to grow the copper particles of specific sizes. SEM and XRD analysis revealed that the outer surface of the porous silicon was covered with copper particles of the crystal orientation inherited from the planes of porous silicon skeleton. The copper crystals were found to have the cubic face centering elementary cell. In addition, the traces of Cu2O cubic primitive crystalline phases were identified. The dimensions of Cu particles were determined by the Feret's analysis of the SEM images. The sizes of the particles varied widely from a few to hundreds of nanometers. A phenomenological model of copper deposition was proposed.

Room-temperature synthesis of ultraviolet-emitting nanocrystalline GaN films using photochemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Shunsuke; Yatsui, Takashi; Ohtsu, Motoichi; Kim, Taw-Won; Fujioka, Hiroshi

2004-01-01

We fabricated UV-emitting nanocrystalline gallium nitride (GaN) films at room temperature using photochemical vapor deposition (PCVD). For the samples synthesized at room temperature with V/III ratios exceeding 5.0x10 4 , strong photoluminescence peaks at 3.365 and 3.310 eV, which can be ascribed to transitions in a mixed phase of cubic and hexagonal GaN, were observed at 5 K. A UV emission spectrum with a full width at half-maximum of 100 meV was observed, even at room temperature. In addition, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement revealed that the film deposited by PCVD at room temperature was well nitridized

Local photoconductivity of microcrystalline silicon thin films measured by conductive atomic force microscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ledinský, Martin; Fejfar, Antonín; Vetushka, Aliaksi; Stuchlík, Jiří; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kočka, Jan

2011-01-01

Roč. 5, 10-11 (2011), s. 373-375 ISSN 1862-6254 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06040; GA MŠk(CZ) MEB061012; GA AV ČR KAN400100701; GA MŠk LC510 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 240826 - PolySiMode Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : amorphous silicon * nanocrystalline silicon * thin films * atomic force microscopy * photoconductivity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.218, year: 2011

Formation of continuous nanocrystalline diamond layer on glass and silicon at low temperatures

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav; Remeš, Zdeněk; Michalka, M.; Ledinský, Martin; Zemek, Josef; Potměšil, Jiří; Vaněček, Milan

2008-01-01

Roč. 14, 7-8 (2008), s. 181-186 ISSN 0948-1907 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN400100701; GA MŠk LC510; GA AV ČR KAN400100652; GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06002 Grant - others:Marie Curie RTN DRIVE(XE) MRTN-CT-2004-512224 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : AFM * low temperature growth * nanocrystalline diamond * SEM * XPS Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.483, year: 2008

Morphological and optical properties changes in nanocrystalline Si (nc-Si) deposited on porous aluminum nanostructures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition for Solar energy applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghrib, M., E-mail: mondherghrib@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique (L.P.V.), Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' Energie, BP 95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Gaidi, M.; Ghrib, T.; Khedher, N. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique (L.P.V.), Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' Energie, BP 95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Ben Salam, M. [L3M, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, 7021 Zarzouna (Tunisia); Ezzaouia, H. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique (L.P.V.), Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' Energie, BP 95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

2011-08-15

Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to determine the electrical band gap of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) deposited by plasma enhancement chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on porous alumina structure by fitting the experimental spectra using a model based on the quantum confinement of electrons in Si nanocrystallites having spherical and cylindrical forms. This model permits to correlate the PL spectra to the microstructure of the porous aluminum silicon layer (PASL) structure. The microstructure of aluminum surface layer and nc-Si films was systematically studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the structure of the nanocrystalline silicon layer (NSL) is dependent of the porosity (void) of the porous alumina layer (PAL) substrate. This structure was performed in two steps, namely the PAL substrate was prepared using sulfuric acid solution attack on an Al foil and then the silicon was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on it. The optical constants (n and k as a function of wavelength) of the deposited films were obtained using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) in the UV-vis-NIR regions. The SE spectrum of the porous aluminum silicon layer (PASL) was modeled as a mixture of void, crystalline silicon and aluminum using the Cauchy model approximation. The specific surface area (SSA) was estimated and was found to decrease linearly when porosity increases. Based on this full characterization, it is demonstrated that the optical characteristics of the films are directly correlated to their micro-structural properties.

Morphological and optical properties changes in nanocrystalline Si (nc-Si) deposited on porous aluminum nanostructures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition for Solar energy applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghrib, M.; Gaidi, M.; Ghrib, T.; Khedher, N.; Ben Salam, M.; Ezzaouia, H.

2011-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to determine the electrical band gap of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) deposited by plasma enhancement chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on porous alumina structure by fitting the experimental spectra using a model based on the quantum confinement of electrons in Si nanocrystallites having spherical and cylindrical forms. This model permits to correlate the PL spectra to the microstructure of the porous aluminum silicon layer (PASL) structure. The microstructure of aluminum surface layer and nc-Si films was systematically studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the structure of the nanocrystalline silicon layer (NSL) is dependent of the porosity (void) of the porous alumina layer (PAL) substrate. This structure was performed in two steps, namely the PAL substrate was prepared using sulfuric acid solution attack on an Al foil and then the silicon was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on it. The optical constants (n and k as a function of wavelength) of the deposited films were obtained using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) in the UV-vis-NIR regions. The SE spectrum of the porous aluminum silicon layer (PASL) was modeled as a mixture of void, crystalline silicon and aluminum using the Cauchy model approximation. The specific surface area (SSA) was estimated and was found to decrease linearly when porosity increases. Based on this full characterization, it is demonstrated that the optical characteristics of the films are directly correlated to their micro-structural properties.

Muonium states in silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, B.D.; Baumeler, H.; Keller, H.; Kiefl, R.F.; Kuendig, W.; Odermatt, W.; Schneider, J.W.; Estle, T.L.; Spencer, D.P.; Savic, I.M.

1986-01-01

Implanted muons in samples of silicon carbide have been observed to form paramagnetic muonium centers (μ + e - ). Muonium precession signals in low applied magnetic fields have been observed at 22 K in a granular sample of cubic β-SiC, however it was not possible to determine the hyperfine frequency. In a signal crystal sample of hexagonal 6H-SiC, three apparently isotropic muonium states were observed at 20 K and two at 300 K, all with hyperfine frequencies intermediate between those of the isotropic muonium centers in diamond and silicon. No evidence was seen of an anisotropic muonium state analogous to the Mu * state in diamond and silicon. (orig.)

Frequency-dependent failure mechanisms of nanocrystalline gold interconnect lines under general alternating current

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, X. M.; Zhang, B.; Zhang, G. P.

2014-09-01

Thermal fatigue failure of metallization interconnect lines subjected to alternating currents (AC) is becoming a severe threat to the long-term reliability of micro/nanodevices with increasing electrical current density/power. Here, thermal fatigue failure behaviors and damage mechanisms of nanocrystalline Au interconnect lines on the silicon glass substrate have been investigated by applying general alternating currents (the pure alternating current coupled with a direct current (DC) component) with different frequencies ranging from 0.05 Hz to 5 kHz. We observed both thermal fatigue damages caused by Joule heating-induced cyclic strain/stress and electromigration (EM) damages caused by the DC component. Besides, the damage formation showed a strong electrically-thermally-mechanically coupled effect and frequency dependence. At lower frequencies, thermal fatigue damages were dominant and the main damage forms were grain coarsening with grain boundary (GB) cracking/voiding and grain thinning. At higher frequencies, EM damages took over and the main damage forms were GB cracking/voiding of smaller grains and hillocks. Furthermore, the healing effect of the reversing current was considered to elucidate damage mechanisms of the nanocrystalline Au lines generated by the general AC. Lastly, a modified model was proposed to predict the lifetime of the nanocrystalline metal interconnect lines, i.e., that was a competing drift velocity-based approach based on the threshold time required for reverse diffusion/healing to occur.

Synthesis, structural and magnetic characterization of soft magnetic nanocrystalline ternary FeNiCo particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toparli, Cigdem [Department of Metallurgical & Materials Eng., Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Istanbul (Turkey); Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf (Germany); Ebin, Burçak [Department of Metallurgical & Materials Eng., Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Istanbul (Turkey); Nuclear Chemistry and Industrial Material Recycling, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Gürmen, Sebahattin, E-mail: gurmen@itu.edu.tr [Department of Metallurgical & Materials Eng., Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Istanbul (Turkey)

2017-02-01

The present study focuses on the synthesis, microstructural and magnetic properties of ternary FeNiCo nanoparticles. Nanocrystalline ternary FeNiCo particles were synthesized via hydrogen reduction assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in single step. The effect of precursor concentration on the morphology and the size of particles was investigated. The syntheses were performed at 800 °C. Structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the as-prepared products were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) studies. Scherer calculation revealed that crystallite size of the ternary particles ranged between 36 and 60 nm. SEM and TEM investigations showed that the particle size was strongly influenced by the precursor concentration and Fe, Ni, Co elemental composition of individual particles was homogeneous. Finally, the soft magnetic properties of the particles were observed to be a function of their size. - Highlights: • Ternary FeNiCo alloy nanocrystalline particles were synthesized in a single step. • Cubic crystalline structure and spherical morphology was observed by XRD, SEM and TEM investigations. • The analysis of magnetic properties indicates the soft magnetic features of particles.

Optimization of plasma parameters for the production of silicon nano-crystals

CERN Document Server

Chaabane, N; Vach, H; Cabarrocas, P R I

2003-01-01

We use silane-hydrogen plasmas to synthesize silicon nano-crystals in the gas phase and thermophoresis to collect them onto a cooled substrate. To distinguish between nano-crystals formed in the plasma and those grown on the substrate, as a result of surface and subsurface reactions, we have simultaneously deposited films on a conventional substrate heated at 250 deg. C and on a second substrate cooled down to 90 deg. C. A series of samples deposited at various discharge pressures, in the range of 400 mTorr to 1.2 Torr, have been characterized by Raman spectroscopy and ellipsometry. At low pressure (400-500 mTorr), the films are amorphous on the cold substrate and micro-crystalline on the hot one. As pressure increases, gas phase reactions lead to the formation of nano-crystalline particles which are attracted by the cold substrate due to thermophoresis. Consequently, we obtain nano-crystalline silicon thin films on the cold substrate and amorphous thin films on the heated one in the pressure range of 600-900...

Catastrophic degradation of the interface of epitaxial silicon carbide on silicon at high temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pradeepkumar, Aiswarya; Mishra, Neeraj; Kermany, Atieh Ranjbar; Iacopi, Francesca [Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre and Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111 (Australia); Boeckl, John J. [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratories, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433 (United States); Hellerstedt, Jack; Fuhrer, Michael S. [Monash Centre for Atomically Thin Materials, Monash University, Monash, VIC 3800 (Australia)

2016-07-04

Epitaxial cubic silicon carbide on silicon is of high potential technological relevance for the integration of a wide range of applications and materials with silicon technologies, such as micro electro mechanical systems, wide-bandgap electronics, and graphene. The hetero-epitaxial system engenders mechanical stresses at least up to a GPa, pressures making it extremely challenging to maintain the integrity of the silicon carbide/silicon interface. In this work, we investigate the stability of said interface and we find that high temperature annealing leads to a loss of integrity. High–resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis shows a morphologically degraded SiC/Si interface, while mechanical stress measurements indicate considerable relaxation of the interfacial stress. From an electrical point of view, the diode behaviour of the initial p-Si/n-SiC junction is catastrophically lost due to considerable inter-diffusion of atoms and charges across the interface upon annealing. Temperature dependent transport measurements confirm a severe electrical shorting of the epitaxial silicon carbide to the underlying substrate, indicating vast predominance of the silicon carriers in lateral transport above 25 K. This finding has crucial consequences on the integration of epitaxial silicon carbide on silicon and its potential applications.

An investigation on the preparation of nanocrystalline hydrous zirconia from zirconium tungstate

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes, M.; Perottoni, C. A.; Gouvêa, D.; Machado, G.; Zorzi, J. E.

2018-02-01

Hydrous nanocrystalline zirconia was prepared from an unusual precursor—the bimetallic oxide zirconium tungstate (ZrW2O8)—in alkaline medium. Different experimental conditions (NaOH concentration, time and temperature) were used to investigate the effects on crystallographic, morphological, chemical and thermal characteristics of the products. The resulting materials are composed of particles with a crystal structure similar to that of cubic ZrO2 (or a mixture of tetragonal and cubic phases, depending on the synthesis conditions), with particle size around 5 nm and crystallites around 3 nm in diameter. These particles form high surface area agglomerates, exhibiting mesoporosity and capacity for adsorption of water and carbon dioxide. The synthesis mechanism appears to be constituted, first, by a chemical substitution reaction between the WO4 tetrahedra and hydroxyl ions, with subsequent solubilization of the structure. Indeed, excess hydroxyls in the medium form colloidal zirconium ions which polymerize/condense, generating crystalline nuclei in a process facilitated by heterogeneous nucleation and supersaturation. The presence of residual tungsten in all samples appears to be a key element for stabilizing the size and crystalline structure of the materials produced.

Preparation of nanocrystalline ZnS by a new chemical bath deposition route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sartale, S.D. [Department of Heterogeneous Material Systems (SE2), Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, D-14109, Berlin (Germany); Sankapal, B.R. [Department of Heterogeneous Material Systems (SE2), Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, D-14109, Berlin (Germany); Lux-Steiner, M. [Department of Heterogeneous Material Systems (SE2), Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, D-14109, Berlin (Germany); Ennaoui, A. [Department of Heterogeneous Material Systems (SE2), Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, D-14109, Berlin (Germany)]. E-mail: ennaoui@hmi.de

2005-06-01

We report a new chemical bath deposition route for the preparation of dense, compact and uniform nanocrystalline ZnS thin films, where thiourea acts as a complexing agent as well as a source of sulfide ions. The structural and morphological characterizations suggest that the film and the residual powder in the bath are formed by the aggregation of clusters of ZnS, namely cluster-by-cluster growth mechanism. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and HRTEM analyses indicate that the film and powder formed in the bath have cubic zinkblende structure. The films have high transmittance of about 75% in the visible region. Post-deposition annealing in Ar slightly improves the crystallinity and decreases the optical bandgap with increasing the annealing temperature.

Preparation of nanocrystalline ZnS by a new chemical bath deposition route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartale, S.D.; Sankapal, B.R.; Lux-Steiner, M.; Ennaoui, A.

2005-01-01

We report a new chemical bath deposition route for the preparation of dense, compact and uniform nanocrystalline ZnS thin films, where thiourea acts as a complexing agent as well as a source of sulfide ions. The structural and morphological characterizations suggest that the film and the residual powder in the bath are formed by the aggregation of clusters of ZnS, namely cluster-by-cluster growth mechanism. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and HRTEM analyses indicate that the film and powder formed in the bath have cubic zinkblende structure. The films have high transmittance of about 75% in the visible region. Post-deposition annealing in Ar slightly improves the crystallinity and decreases the optical bandgap with increasing the annealing temperature

Characteristics of exciton photoluminescence kinetics in low-dimensional silicon structures

CERN Document Server

Sachenko, A V; Manojlov, E G; Svechnikov, S V

2001-01-01

The time-resolved visible photoluminescence of porous nanocrystalline silicon films obtained by laser ablation have been measured within the temperature range 90-300 K. A study has been made of the interrelationship between photoluminescence characteristics (intensity, emission spectra, relaxation times, their temperature dependencies and structural and dielectric properties (size and shapes of Si nanocrystals, oxide phase of nanocrystal coating, porosity). A photoluminescence model is proposed that describes photon absorption and emission occurring in quantum-size Si nanocrystals while coupled subsystems of electron-hole pairs and excitons take part in the recombination. Possible excitonic Auger recombination mechanism in low-dimensional silicon structures is considered

Synthesis and characterization of a nanocrystalline diamond aerogel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pauzauskie, Peter J.; Crowhurst, Jonathan C.; Worsley, Marcus A.; Laurence, Ted A.; Kilcoyne, A. L. David; Wang, Yinmin; Willey, Trevor M.; Visbeck, Kenneth S.; Fakra, Sirine C.; Evans, William J.; Zaug, Joseph M.; Satcher, Jr., Joe H.

2011-07-06

Aerogel materials have myriad scientific and technological applications due to their large intrinsic surface areas and ultralow densities. However, creating a nanodiamond aerogel matrix has remained an outstanding and intriguing challenge. Here we report the high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of a diamond aerogel from an amorphous carbon aerogel precursor using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. Neon is used as a chemically inert, near-hydrostatic pressure medium that prevents collapse of the aerogel under pressure by conformally filling the aerogel's void volume. Electron and X-ray spectromicroscopy confirm the aerogel morphology and composition of the nanodiamond matrix. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of recovered material reveal the formation of both nitrogen- and silicon- vacancy point-defects, suggesting a broad range of applications for this nanocrystalline diamond aerogel.

Nanocrystalline diamond films for biomedical applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pennisi, Cristian Pablo; Alcaide, Maria

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline diamond films, which comprise the so called nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), represent a class of biomaterials possessing outstanding mechanical, tribological, and electrical properties, which include high surface smoothness, high corrosion...... performance of nanocrystalline diamond films is reviewed from an application-specific perspective, covering topics such as enhancement of cellular adhesion, anti-fouling coatings, non-thrombogenic surfaces, micropatterning of cells and proteins, and immobilization of biomolecules for bioassays. In order...

Strength and structure of nanocrystalline titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noskova, N.I.; Pereturina, I.A.; Elkina, O.A.; Stolyarov, V.V.

2004-01-01

Investigation results on strength and plasticity of nanocrystalline titanium VT-1 are presented. Specific features of plastic deformation on tension of this material specimens in an electron microscope column are studied in situ. It is shown that nanocrystalline titanium strength and plasticity at room temperature are dependent on the structure and nanograin size. It is revealed that deformation processes in nanocrystalline titanium are characterized by activation of deformation rotational modes and microtwinning [ru

Broadband infrared photoluminescence in silicon nanowires with high density stacking faults.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang; Liu, Zhihong; Lu, Xiaoxiang; Su, Zhihua; Wang, Yanan; Liu, Rui; Wang, Dunwei; Jian, Jie; Lee, Joon Hwan; Wang, Haiyan; Yu, Qingkai; Bao, Jiming

2015-02-07

Making silicon an efficient light-emitting material is an important goal of silicon photonics. Here we report the observation of broadband sub-bandgap photoluminescence in silicon nanowires with a high density of stacking faults. The photoluminescence becomes stronger and exhibits a blue shift under higher laser powers. The super-linear dependence on excitation intensity indicates a strong competition between radiative and defect-related non-radiative channels, and the spectral blue shift is ascribed to the band filling effect in the heterostructures of wurtzite silicon and cubic silicon created by stacking faults.

Nanocrystalline diamond in carbon implanted SiO{sub 2}.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsoi, K.A.; Prawer, S.; Nugent, K.W.; Walker, R. J.; Weiser, P.S. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics

1996-12-31

Recently, it was reported that nanocrystalline diamond can be produced via laser annealing of a high dose C implanted fused quartz (SiO{sub 2}) substrate. The aim of this investigation is to reproduce this result on higher C{sup +} dose samples and the non-implanted silicon sample, as well as optimise the power range and annealing time for the production of these nanocrystals of diamond. In order to provide a wide range of laser powers the samples were annealed using an Ar ion Raman laser. The resulting annealed spots were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman analysis. These techniques are employed to determine the type of bonding produced after laser annealing has occurred. 4 refs., 5 figs.

Nanocrystalline diamond in carbon implanted SiO{sub 2}.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsoi, K A; Prawer, S; Nugent, K W; Walker, R J; Weiser, P S [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics

1997-12-31

Recently, it was reported that nanocrystalline diamond can be produced via laser annealing of a high dose C implanted fused quartz (SiO{sub 2}) substrate. The aim of this investigation is to reproduce this result on higher C{sup +} dose samples and the non-implanted silicon sample, as well as optimise the power range and annealing time for the production of these nanocrystals of diamond. In order to provide a wide range of laser powers the samples were annealed using an Ar ion Raman laser. The resulting annealed spots were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman analysis. These techniques are employed to determine the type of bonding produced after laser annealing has occurred. 4 refs., 5 figs.

Optically transparent boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond films for spectroelectrochemical measurements on different substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sobaszek, M.; Bogdanowicz, R.; Pluciński, J.; Siuzdak, K.; Skowroński, Ł.

2016-01-01

Fabrication process of optically transparent boron nanocrystalline diamond (B- NCD) electrode on silicon and quartz substrate was shown. The B-NCD films were deposited on the substrates using Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (MWPACVD) at glass substrate temperature of 475 °C. A homogenous, continuous and polycrystalline surface morphology with high sp 3 content in B-NCD films and film thickness depending from substrate in the range of 60-300 nm was obtained. The high refraction index and transparency in visible (VIS) wavelength range was achieved. Moreover, cyclic voltammograms (CV) were recorded to determine reaction reversibility at the B-NCD electrode. CV measurements in aqueous media consisting of 1 mM K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 demonstrated relatively fast kinetics expressed by a redox peak splitting below 503 mV for B-NCD/silicon and 110 mv for B-NCD/quartz

In situ observation of shear-driven amorphization in silicon crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Yang; Zhong, Li; Fan, Feifei; Wang, Chongmin; Zhu, Ting; Mao, Scott X.

2016-09-19

Amorphous materials have attracted great interest in the scientific and technological fields. An amorphous solid usually forms under the externally driven conditions of melt-quenching, irradiation and severe mechanical deformation. However, its dynamic formation process remains elusive. Here we report the in situ atomic-scale observation of dynamic amorphization processes during mechanical straining of nanoscale silicon crystals by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). We observe the shear-driven amorphization (SDA) occurring in a dominant shear band. The SDA involves a sequence of processes starting with the shear-induced diamond-cubic to diamond-hexagonal phase transition that is followed by dislocation nucleation and accumulation in the newly formed phase, leading to the formation of amorphous silicon. The SDA formation through diamond-hexagonal phase is rationalized by its structural conformity with the order in the paracrystalline amorphous silicon, which maybe widely applied to diamond-cubic materials. Besides, the activation of SDA is orientation-dependent through the competition between full dislocation nucleation and partial gliding.

Solid state consolidation nanocrystalline copper-tungsten using cold spray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hall, Aaron Christopher [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sarobol, Pylin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Argibay, Nicolas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Clark, Blythe [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Diantonio, Christopher [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-09-01

It is well known that nanostructured metals can exhibit significantly improved properties compared to metals with conventional grain size. Unfortunately, nanocrystalline metals typically are not thermodynamically stable and exhibit rapid grain growth at moderate temperatures. This severely limits their processing and use, making them impractical for most engineering applications. Recent work has shown that a number of thermodynamically stable nanocrystalline metal alloys exist. These alloys have been prepared as powders using severe plastic deformation (e.g. ball milling) processes. Consolidation of these powders without compromise of their nanocrystalline microstructure is a critical step to enabling their use as engineering materials. We demonstrate solid-state consolidation of ball milled copper-tantalum nanocrystalline metal powder using cold spray. Unfortunately, the nanocrystalline copper-tantalum powder that was consolidated did not contain the thermodynamically stable copper-tantalum nanostructure. Nevertheless, this does this demonstrates a pathway to preparation of bulk thermodynamically stable nanocrystalline copper-tantalum. Furthermore, it demonstrates a pathway to additive manufacturing (3D printing) of nanocrystalline copper-tantalum. Additive manufacturing of thermodynamically stable nanocrystalline metals is attractive because it enables maximum flexibility and efficiency in the use of these unique materials.

Structural and optical properties of silicon-carbide nanowires produced by the high-temperature carbonization of silicon nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlikov, A. V., E-mail: pavlikov@physics.msu.ru [Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics (Russian Federation); Latukhina, N. V.; Chepurnov, V. I. [Samara National Researh University (Russian Federation); Timoshenko, V. Yu. [Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

Silicon-carbide (SiC) nanowire structures 40–50 nm in diameter are produced by the high-temperature carbonization of porous silicon and silicon nanowires. The SiC nanowires are studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The X-ray structural and Raman data suggest that the cubic 3C-SiC polytype is dominant in the samples under study. The shape of the infrared reflectance spectrum in the region of the reststrahlen band 800–900 cm{sup –1} is indicative of the presence of free charge carriers. The possibility of using SiC nanowires in microelectronic, photonic, and gas-sensing devices is discussed.

Characterization of Nanocrystalline SiGe Thin Film Solar Cell with Double Graded-Dead Absorption Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chun Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium (nc-SiGe thin films were deposited by high-frequency (27.12 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD. The films were used in a silicon-based thin film solar cell with graded-dead absorption layer. The characterization of the nc-SiGe films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of SiGe alloy can be adjusted between 0.8 and 1.7 eV by varying the gas ratio. For thin film solar cell application, using double graded-dead i-SiGe layers mainly leads to an increase in short-circuit current and therefore cell conversion efficiency. An initial conversion efficiency of 5.06% and the stabilized efficiency of 4.63% for an nc-SiGe solar cell were achieved.

Bilirubin adsorption on nanocrystalline titania films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Zhengpeng; Si Shihui; Fung Yingsing

2007-01-01

Bilirubin produced from hemoglobin metabolism and normally conjugated with albumin is a kind of lipophilic endotoxin, and can cause various diseases when its concentration is high. Bilirubin adsorption on the nanocrystalline TiO 2 films was investigated using quartz crystal microbalance, UV-vis and IR techniques, and factors affecting its adsorption such as pH, bilirubin concentration, solution ionic strength, temperature and thickness of TiO 2 films were discussed. The amount of adsorption and parameters for the adsorption kinetics were estimated from the frequency measurements of quartz crystal microbalance. A fresh surface of the nanocrystalline TiO 2 films could be photochemically regenerated because holes and hydroxyl radicals were generated by irradiating the nanocrystalline TiO 2 films with UV light, which could oxidize and decompose organic materials, and the nanocrystalline TiO 2 films can be easily regenerated when it is used as adsorbent for the removal of bilirubin

Preparation of nanocrystalline VN by the melamine reduction of V2O5 xerogel and its supercapacitive behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Fukui; He Chun; Shu Dong; Chen Hongyu; Zhang Jie; Tang Shaoqing; Finlow, David E.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Organic nitridizing agent was employed for preparation of nanocrystalline VN. ► The supercapacitive behavior of VN was studied by electrochemical method. ► The supercapacitive behavior of VN was studied in three kinds of electrolyte. ► The specific capacitance of VN was determined as 273 F g −1 in 1.0 M KOH. ► The supercapacitive mechanism and involved factor on capacitance were analyzed. - Abstract: An organic nitridizing reagent was employed in the preparation of nanocrystalline VN at 800 °C under a N 2 atmosphere. The prepared VN was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and its supercapacitive behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in three different types of aqueous electrolyte, 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , 2.0 M NaNO 3 and 1.0 M KOH. The XRD results indicate that prepared VN has a cubic structure with space group Fm3m and a lattice parameter of 4.139 Å. The nanocrystalline structure of VN with a low degree of crystallinity was confirmed by TEM imaging. The presence of oxygen on the VN surface was detected by FTIR and XPS, and its molecular composition was determined to be VN 1.02 O 0.1 . The specific capacitances of nanocrystalline VN were determined to be 114, 45.7 and 273 F g −1 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , 2.0 M NaNO 3 and 1.0 M KOH, respectively. Thus, the KOH solution was considered the best aqueous electrolyte for the capacitive performance of VN. The supercapacitive mechanism and the factor that influenced the specific capacitance are also analyzed in this paper.

Toward a quantitative understanding of mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dao, M.; Lu, L.; Asaro, R.J.; Hosson, J.T.M. de; Ma, E.

2007-01-01

Focusing on nanocrystalline (nc) pure face-centered cubic metals, where systematic experimental data are available, this paper presents a brief overview of the recent progress made in improving mechanical properties of nc materials, and in quantitatively and mechanistically understanding the underlying mechanisms. The mechanical properties reviewed include strength, ductility, strain rate and temperature dependence, fatigue and tribological properties. The highlighted examples include recent experimental studies in obtaining both high strength and considerable ductility, the compromise between enhanced fatigue limit and reduced crack growth resistance, the stress-assisted dynamic grain growth during deformation, and the relation between rate sensitivity and possible deformation mechanisms. The recent advances in obtaining quantitative and mechanics-based models, developed in line with the related transmission electron microscopy and relevant molecular dynamics observations, are discussed with particular attention to mechanistic models of partial/perfect-dislocation or deformation-twin-mediated deformation processes interacting with grain boundaries, constitutive modeling and simulations of grain size distribution and dynamic grain growth, and physically motivated crystal plasticity modeling of pure Cu with nanoscale growth twins. Sustained research efforts have established a group of nanocrystalline and nanostructured metals that exhibit a combination of high strength and considerable ductility in tension. Accompanying the gradually deepening understanding of the deformation mechanisms and their relative importance, quantitative and mechanisms-based constitutive models that can realistically capture experimentally measured and grain-size-dependent stress-strain behavior, strain-rate sensitivity and even ductility limit are becoming available. Some outstanding issues and future opportunities are listed and discussed

Effects of grain size and grain boundaries on defect production in nanocrystalline 3C-SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swaminathan, N.; Kamenski, Paul J.; Morgan, Dane; Szlufarska, Izabela

2010-01-01

Cascade simulations in single crystal and nanocrystalline SiC have been conducted in order to determine the role of grain boundaries and grain size on defect production during primary radiation damage. Cascades are performed with 4 and 10 keV silicon as the primary knock-on atom (PKA). Total defect production is found to increase with decreasing grain size, and this effect is shown to be due to increased production in grain boundaries and changing grain boundary volume fraction. In order to consider in-grain defect production, a new mapping methodology is developed to properly normalize in-grain defect production rates for nanocrystalline materials. It is shown that the presence of grain boundaries does not affect the total normalized in-grain defect production significantly (the changes are lower than ∼20%) for the PKA energies considered. Defect production in the single grain containing the PKA is also studied and found to increase for smaller grain sizes. In particular, for smaller grain sizes the defect production decreases with increasing distance from the grain boundary while for larger grain sizes the presence of the grain boundaries has negligible effect on defect production. The results suggest that experimentally observed changes in radiation resistance of nanocrystalline materials may be due to long-term damage evolution rather than changes in defect production rates from primary damage.

Plasma deposition of cubic boron nitride films from non-toxic material at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karim, M.Z.; Cameron, D.C.; Murphy, M.J.; Hashmi, M.S.J.

1991-01-01

Boron nitride has become the focus of a considerable amount of interest because of its properties which relate closely to those of carbon. In particular, the cubic nitride phase has extreme hardness and very high thermal conductivity similar to the properties of diamond. The conventional methods of synthesis use the highly toxic and inflammable gas diborane (B 2 H 6 ) as the reactant material. A study has been made of the deposition of thin films of boron nitride (BN) using non-toxic material by the plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition technique. The source material was borane-ammonia (BH 3 -NH 3 ) which is a crystalline solid at room temperature with a high vapour pressure. The BH 3 -NH 3 vapour was decomposed in a 13.56 MHz nitrogen plasma coupled either inductively or capacitively with the system. The composition of the films was assessed by measuring their IR absorption when deposited on silicon and KBr substrates. The hexagonal (graphitic) and cubic (diamond-like) allotropes can be distinguished by their characteristic absorption bands which occur at 1365 and 780 cm -1 (hexagonal) and 1070 cm -1 (cubic). We have deposited BN films consisting of a mixture of hexagonal and cubic phases; the relative content of the cubic phase was found to be directly dependent on r.f. power and substrate bias. (orig.)

Cubical local partial orders on cubically subdivided spaces - existence and construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fajstrup, Lisbeth

The geometric models of Higher Dimensional Automata and Dijkstra's PV-model are cubically subdivided topological spaces with a local partial order. If a cubicalization of a topological space is free of immersed cubic Möbius bands, then there are consistent choices of direction in all cubes, such ...... that the underlying geometry of an HDA may be quite complicated....

Cubical local partial orders on cubically subdivided spaces - Existence and construction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fajstrup, Lisbeth

2006-01-01

The geometric models of higher dimensional automata (HDA) and Dijkstra's PV-model are cubically subdivided topological spaces with a local partial order. If a cubicalization of a topological space is free of immersed cubic Möbius bands, then there are consistent choices of direction in all cubes...... that the underlying geometry of an HDA may be quite complicated....

Constitutive modeling of stress-driven grain growth in nanocrystalline metals

KAUST Repository

Gürses, Ercan

2013-02-08

In this work, we present a variational multiscale model for grain growth in face-centered cubic nanocrystalline (nc) metals. In particular, grain-growth-induced stress softening and the resulting relaxation phenomena are addressed. The behavior of the polycrystal is described by a conventional Taylor-type averaging scheme in which the grains are treated as two-phase composites consisting of a grain interior phase and a grain boundary-affected zone. Furthermore, a grain-growth law that captures the experimentally observed characteristics of the grain coarsening phenomena is proposed. To this end, the grain size is not taken as constant and varies according to the proposed stress-driven growth law. Several parametric studies are conducted to emphasize the influence of the grain-growth rule on the overall macroscopic response. Finally, the model is shown to provide a good description of the experimentally observed grain-growth-induced relaxation in nc-copper. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Origin and chemical composition of the amorphous material from the intergrain pores of self-assembled cubic ZnS:Mn nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Stefan, Mariana; Vlaicu, Ioana Dorina; Nistor, Leona Cristina; Ghica, Daniela; Nistor, Sergiu Vasile

2017-12-01

We have shown in previous investigations that the low temperature collective magnetism observed in mesoporous cubic ZnS:Mn nanocrystalline powders prepared by colloidal synthesis, with nominal doping concentrations above 0.2 at.%, is due to the formation of Mn2+ clusters with distributed antiferromagnetic coupling localized in an amorphous phase found between the cubic ZnS:Mn nanocrystals. Here we investigate the composition, origin and thermal annealing behavior of this amorphous phase in such a mesoporous ZnS:Mn sample doped with 5 at.% Mn nominal concentration. Correlated analytical transmission electron microscopy, multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data show that the amorphous nanomaterial consists of unreacted precursor hydrated zinc and manganese acetates trapped inside the pores and on the surface of the cubic ZnS nanocrystals. The decomposition of the acetates under isochronal annealing up to 270 °C, where the mesoporous structure is still preserved, lead to changes in the nature and strength of the magnetic interactions between the aggregated Mn2+ ions. These results strongly suggest the possibility to modulate the magnetic properties of such transition metal ions doped II-VI mesoporous structures by varying the synthesis conditions and/or by post-synthesis thermochemical treatments.

Alkaline earth metal, silicon, chlorine, hydrogen. A reaction system for the heterogeneous hydrodehalogenation of silicon tetrachloride to nanocrystalline silicon; Erdalkalimetall-Silicium-Chlor-Wasserstoff. Das Reaktionssystem fuer die heterogene Hydrodehalogenierung von Siliciumtetrachlorid bis zum nanokristallinen Silicium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiedler, Katja

2012-02-17

Reactions of an alkaline earth metal with a SiCl{sub 4}-H{sub 2} result in a quaternary system with a metastable quaternary phase which separates into the metal chloride and nanocrystalline silicon upon cooling. The present study was dedicated to a making a detailed characterisation of the quaternary phase. For this purpose the properties of the quaternary system were derived from those of the six binary and four ternary systems. The first ever characterisation of the surface by means of photoelectron spectroscopy was undertaken. It also proved possible for the first time to follow the formation reaction by measuring the potential difference across the reaction system. Using the results of the characterisation the author presents first steps towards identifying the formation mechanism involved. [German] Im quaternaeren System Erdalkalimetall-Silicium-Chlor-Wasserstoff bildet sich bei der Umsetzung des Metalls mit einer SiCl{sub 4}-H{sub 2}-Atmosphaere eine quaternaere Phase. Diese metastabile Phase zerfaellt beim Abkuehlen in das Metallchlorid und Silicium in nanokristalliner Form. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat sich mit der tiefergehenden Charakterisierung der quaternaeren Phase beschaeftigt. Dazu wurden die Eigenschaften des quaternaeren Systems aus den Eigenschaften der sechs binaeren und vier ternaeren Systemen abgeleitet. Die Oberflaeche wurde erstmals mit Photoelektronenspektroskopie charakterisiert. Zusaetzlich gelang erstmalig die Verfolgung der Bildungsreaktion durch Messung des Spannungsabfalls ueber das Reaktionssystem. Erste Ansaetze zur Aufklaerung des Bildungsmechanismus ausgehend von den Ergebnissen der Charakterisierung wurden zusaetzlich aufgezeigt.

HRTEM analysis on nanocrystalline BaTiO3 and PbTiO3: size effects on ferroelectric phase transition temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bursill, L.A.; Jiang, B.; Peng, J.L.; Zhong, W.L.; Zhang, P.L.

1997-01-01

High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopic studies of nanocrystaline particles of BaTiO 3 and PbTiO 3 are reported. There are characteristic differences observed for BaTiO 3 prepared using sol gel (SG) and steric acid gel (SAG) methods. The former exhibit a critical size below which there is no paraelectric/ferroelectric phase transition, whereas BaTiO 3 prepared via the SAG route remained cubic for all conditions. The SAG preparations always showed chemical intergrowth defects whereas the SG preparations were single phase. Atomic resolution images of both varieties showed interesting surface steps and surface relaxations/reconstructions of some facets. Nanocrystalline PbTiO 3 prepared by the SG route remains tetragonal, albeit with decreasing c/a ratio, down to 25nm diameter. HRTEM observations of nanocrystalline PbTiO 3 are also presented. X-ray diffraction, dielectric and Raman scattering measurements also demonstrate pronounced size effects. The relationship between the observed nanostructures and size effects on the physical properties is discussed. 6 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs

Nanocrystalline diamond film as cathode for gas discharge sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jou, Shyankay, E-mail: sjou@mail.ntust.edu.t [Graduate Institute of Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Huang, Bohr-Ran [Graduate Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering and Department of Electronic Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Wu, Meng-Chang [Department of Electronic Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Touliu 640, Taiwan (China)

2010-05-31

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) film was deposited on a silicon substrate utilizing microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in a mixed flow of methane, hydrogen and argon. The deposited film had a cauliflower-like morphology, and was composed of NCD, carbon clusters and mixed sp{sup 2}- and sp{sup 3}-bonded carbon. Electron field emission (EFE) in vacuum and electrical discharges in Ar, N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} using the NCD film as the cathode were characterized. The turn-on field for EFE and the geometric enhancement factor for the NCD film were 8.5 V/{mu}m and 668, respectively. The breakdown voltages for Ar, N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} increased with pressures from 1.33 x 10{sup 4} Pa to 1.01 x 10{sup 5} Pa, following the right side of the normal Paschen curve.

Ultrathin nanocrystalline diamond films with silicon vacancy color centers via seeding by 2 nm detonation nanodiamonds

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Stehlík, Štěpán; Varga, Marián; Štenclová, Pavla; Ondič, Lukáš; Ledinský, Martin; Pangrác, Jiří; Vaňek, O.; Lipov, J.; Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav

2017-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 44 (2017), s. 38842-38853 ISSN 1944-8244 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD15003; GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : detonation nanodiamond * surface chemistry * hydrogenation * zeta potential * nucleation density * nanocrystalline diamond * SiV center Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 7.504, year: 2016

Study of irradiation effects in the silicon carbide cubic polytype by photoluminescence and electron spin resonance spectroscopies; Etude des effets d'irradiation dans le polytype cubique du carbure de silicium par les techniques spectroscopiques de photoluminescence et de resonance paramagnetique electronique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lefevre, J

2008-01-15

This experimental work has consisted in the study of point defects induced by an electronic irradiation in the cubic crystallographic structure of silicon carbide with low temperature photoluminescence and electron spin resonance spectroscopies. The first one of these measurement tools has allowed to estimate the displacement threshold energy in the silicon sub-lattice and then to analyze the thermal stability of the irradiation defects in the low temperature range: (10-300 K) and then in the high temperature range: (300-1400 K). Besides, on the base of a recent theoretical model, this thesis has confirmed the proposition of the isolated silicon antisite for the D1 center whose running beyond the nominal running temperature of fission nuclear reactors (generation IV), for which SiC is in part intended, seems to be particularly problematic. Measurements carried out by ESR under lighting have at last allowed to detect a new defect in its metastable spin state S=1, possibly associated to a silicon interstitial configuration. (O.M.)

The radiation response of mesoporous nanocrystalline zirconia thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manzini, Ayelén M.; Alurralde, Martin A. [Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Av. General Paz 1499, 1650 San Martin, Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Giménez, Gustavo [Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial - CMNB, Av. General Paz 5445, 1650 San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Luca, Vittorio, E-mail: vluca@cnea.gov.ar [Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Av. General Paz 1499, 1650 San Martin, Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2016-12-15

The next generation of nuclear systems will require materials capable of withstanding hostile chemical, physical and radiation environments over long time-frames. Aside from its chemical and physical stability, crystalline zirconia is one of the most radiation tolerant materials known. Here we report the first ever study of the radiation response of nanocrystalline and mesoporous zirconia and Ce{sup 3+}-stabilized nanocrystalline zirconia (Ce{sub 0.1}Zr{sub 0.9}O{sub 2}) thin films supported on silicon wafers. Zirconia films prepared using the block copolymer Brij-58 as the template had a thickness of around 60–80 nm. In the absence of a stabilizing trivalent cation they consisted of monoclinic and tetragonal zirconia nanocrystals with diameters in the range 8–10 nm. Films stabilized with Ce{sup 3+} contained only the tetragonal phase. The thin films were irradiated with iodine ions of energies of 70 MeV and 132 keV at low fluences (10{sup 13} - 10{sup 14} cm{sup −2}) corresponding to doses of 0.002 and 1.73 dpa respectively, and at 180 keV and high fluences (2 × 10{sup 16} cm{sup −2}) corresponding to 82.4 dpa. The influence of heavy ion irradiation on the nanocrystalline structure was monitored through Rietveld analysis of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns recorded at angles close to the critical angle to ensure minimum contribution to the diffraction pattern from the substrate. Irradiation of the mesoporous nanocrystalline zirconia thin films with 70 MeV iodine ions, for which electronic energy loss is dominant, resulted in slight changes in phase composition and virtually no change in crystallographic parameters as determined by Rietveld analysis. Iodine ion bombardment in the nuclear energy loss regime (132–180 keV) at low fluences did not provoke significant changes in phase composition or crystallographic parameters. However, at 180 keV and high fluences the monoclinic phase was totally eliminated from the GIXRD

Protective silicon coating for nanodiamonds using atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, J.; Wang, Y.H.; Zang, J.B.; Li, Y.N.

2007-01-01

Ultrathin silicon coating was deposited on nanodiamonds using atomic layer deposition (ALD) from gaseous monosilane (SiH 4 ). The coating was performed by sequential reaction of SiH 4 saturated adsorption and in situ decomposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to investigate the structural and morphological properties of the coating. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to compare the thermal stability of nanodiamonds before and after silicon coating. The results confirmed that the deposited cubic phase silicon coating was even and continuous. The protective silicon coating could effectively improve the oxidation resistance of nanodiamonds in air flow, which facilitates the applications of nanodiamonds that are commonly hampered by their poor thermal stability

Protective silicon coating for nanodiamonds using atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, J. [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); Wang, Y.H. [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); Zang, J.B. [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China) and College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China)]. E-mail: diamondzjb@163.com; Li, Y.N. [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China)

2007-01-30

Ultrathin silicon coating was deposited on nanodiamonds using atomic layer deposition (ALD) from gaseous monosilane (SiH{sub 4}). The coating was performed by sequential reaction of SiH{sub 4} saturated adsorption and in situ decomposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to investigate the structural and morphological properties of the coating. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to compare the thermal stability of nanodiamonds before and after silicon coating. The results confirmed that the deposited cubic phase silicon coating was even and continuous. The protective silicon coating could effectively improve the oxidation resistance of nanodiamonds in air flow, which facilitates the applications of nanodiamonds that are commonly hampered by their poor thermal stability.

Local photoconductivity of microcrystalline silicon thin films excited by 442 nm HeCd laser measured by conductive atomic force microscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ledinský, Martin; Fejfar, Antonín; Vetushka, Aliaksi; Stuchlík, Jiří; Kočka, Jan

2012-01-01

Roč. 358, č. 17 (2012), s. 2082-2085 ISSN 0022-3093. [International Conference on Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Semiconductors (ICANS) /24./. Nara, 21.08.2011-26.08.2011] R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06040; GA MŠk(CZ) MEB061012; GA AV ČR KAN400100701 Grant - others:7. Framework programme of the European Community(XE) no. 240826 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films * atomic force microscopy (AFM) * local photoconductivity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.597, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022309312000178

Thermoluminescent properties of ZnS:Mn nanocrystalline powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz-Hernández, Arturo Agustín; Méndez García, Víctor Hugo; Pérez Arrieta, María Leticia; Ortega Sígala, José Juan

2015-01-01

Thermoluminescent ZnS nanocrystals doped with Mn 2+ ions were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. From X-ray diffraction studies it was observed that the synthesized nanoparticles have cubic zinc blende structure with average sizes of about 40–50 nm. Morphology was analyzed by TEM. Photoluminescence studies showed two transitions, one of them close to 396 nm and other close to 598 nm, which is enhanced with increasing dopant concentration, this behavior was also observed in the cathodoluminescence spectrum. The thermoluminescence gamma dose-response has linear behavior over dose range 5–100 mGy, the glow curve structure shows two glow peaks at 436 K and at 518 K that were taken into account to calculate the kinetic parameters using the Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution procedure. - Highlights: • Nanocrystals in powder of ZnS:Mn were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. • The integrated TL spectra has a linear behavior on the dose range 5–100 mGy of γ-radiation. • The kinetic parameters were obtained by the CGCD procedure. • Results support the possible use of nanocrystalline ZnS:Mn as a new γ-dose nanoTLD

Size dependence of elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline aluminum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Wenwu; Dávila, Lilian P., E-mail: ldavila@ucmerced.edu

2017-04-24

The effect of grain size on the elastic mechanical properties of nanocrystalline pure metal Al is quantified by molecular dynamics simulation method. In this work, the largest nanocrystalline Al sample has a mean grain size of 29.6 nm and contains over 100 millions atoms in the modeling system. The simulation results show that the elastic properties including elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al are relatively insensitive to the variation of mean grain size above 13 nm yet they become distinctly grain size dependent below 13 nm. Moreover, at a grain size <13 nm, the elastic modulus decreases monotonically with decreasing grain size while the ultimate tensile strength of nanocrystalline Al initially decreases with the decrease of the grain size down to 9 nm and then increases with further reduction of grain size. The increase of ultimate tensile strength below 9 nm is believed to be a result of an extended elasticity in the ultrafine grain size nanocrystalline Al. This study can facilitate the prediction of varied mechanical properties for similar nanocrystalline materials and even guide testing and fabrication schemes of such materials.

Structural and photoluminescence investigation on the hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition growth silicon nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong, Su Kong; Goh, Boon Tong; Wong, Yuen-Yee; Nguyen, Hong-Quan; Do, Hien; Ahmad, Ishaq; Aspanut, Zarina; Muhamad, Muhamad Rasat; Dee, Chang Fu; Rahman, Saadah Abdul

2012-01-01

High density of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were synthesized by a hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The structural and optical properties of the as-grown SiNWs prepared at different rf power of 40 and 80 W were analyzed in this study. The SiNWs prepared at rf power of 40 W exhibited highly crystalline structure with a high crystal volume fraction, X C of ∼82% and are surrounded by a thin layer of SiO x . The NWs show high absorption in the high energy region (E>1.8 eV) and strong photoluminescence at 1.73 to 2.05 eV (red–orange region) with a weak shoulder at 1.65 to 1.73 eV (near IR region). An increase in rf power to 80 W reduced the X C to ∼65% and led to the formation of nanocrystalline Si structures with a crystallite size of <4 nm within the SiNWs. These NWs are covered by a mixture of uncatalyzed amorphous Si layer. The SiNWs prepared at 80 W exhibited a high optical absorption ability above 99% in the broadband range between 220 and ∼1500 nm and red emission between 1.65 and 1.95 eV. The interesting light absorption and photoluminescence properties from both SiNWs are discussed in the text. - Highlights: ► Growth of random oriented silicon nanowires using hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. ► Increase in rf power reduces the crystallinity of silicon nanowires. ► High density and nanocrystalline structure in silicon nanowires significant enhance the near IR light absorption. ► Oxide defects and silicon nanocrystallites in silicon nanowires reveal photoluminescence in red–orange and red regions.

Enhanced Activity of Nanocrystalline Zeolites for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarah C. Larson; Vicki H. Grassian

2006-01-01

Nanocrystalline zeolites with discrete crystal sizes of less than 100 nm have different properties relative to zeolites with larger crystal sizes. Nanocrystalline zeolites have improved mass transfer properties and very large internal and external surface areas that can be exploited for many different applications. The additional external surface active sites and the improved mass transfer properties of nanocrystalline zeolites offer significant advantages for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysis with ammonia as a reductant in coal-fired power plants relative to current zeolite based SCR catalysts. Nanocrystalline NaY was synthesized with a crystal size of 15-20 nm and was thoroughly characterized using x-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption isotherms and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Copper ions were exchanged into nanocrystalline NaY to increase the catalytic activity. The reactions of nitrogen dioxides (NO x ) and ammonia (NH 3 ) on nanocrystalline NaY and CuY were investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy. Significant conversion of NO 2 was observed at room temperature in the presence of NH 3 as monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy. Copper-exchanged nanocrystalline NaY was more active for NO 2 reduction with NH 3 relative to nanocrystalline NaY

Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armatas, G S; Kanatzidis, M G [Michigan State Univ., Michigan (United States), Dept. of Chemistry

2006-11-15

Regular mesoporous oxide materials have been widely studied and have a range of potential applications, such as catalysis, absorption and separation. They are not generally considered for their optical and electronic properties. Elemental semiconductors with nanopores running through them represent a different form of framework material with physical characteristics contrasting with those of the more conventional bulk, thin film and nanocrystalline forms. Here we describe cubic meso structured germanium, MSU-Ge-l, with gyroidal channels containing surfactant molecules, separated by amorphous walls that lie on the gyroid (G) minimal surface as in the mesoporous silica MCM-48. Although Ge is a high-meltin covalent semiconductor that is difficult to prepare from solution polymerization, we succeeded in assembling a continuous Ge network using a suitable precursor for Ge{sup 4-} atoms. Our results indicate that elemental semiconductors from group 14 of the periodic table can be made to adopt meso structured forms such as MSU-Ge-1, which features two three-dimensional labyrinthine tunnels obeying la3d space group symmetry and separated by a continuous germanium minimal surface that is otherwise amorphous. A consequence of this new structure for germanium, which has walls only one nanometre thick, is a wider electronic energy bandgap (1.4 eV versus 0.66 eV) than has crystalline or amorphous Ge. Controlled oxidation of MSU-Ge-1 creates a range of germanium suboxides with continuously varying Ge:O ratio and a smoothly increasing energy gap. (author)

Structure and thermal stability of nanocrystalline materials

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In addition, study of the thermal stability of nanocrystalline materials against significant grain growth is both scientific and technological interest. A sharp increase in grain size (to micron levels) during consolidation of nanocrystalline powders to obtain fully dense materials may consequently result in the loss of some unique ...

Review: Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of nanocrystalline diamond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katsuyuki Okada

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Nanocrystalline diamond films have attracted considerable attention because they have a low coefficient of friction and a low electron emission threshold voltage. In this paper, the author reviews the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD of nanocrystalline diamond and mainly focuses on the growth of nanocrystalline diamond by low-pressure PE-CVD. Nanocrystalline diamond particles of 200–700 nm diameter have been prepared in a 13.56 MHz low-pressure inductively coupled CH4/CO/H2 plasma. The bonding state of carbon atoms was investigated by ultraviolet-excited Raman spectroscopy. Electron energy loss spectroscopy identified sp2-bonded carbons around the 20–50 nm subgrains of nanocrystalline diamond particles. Plasma diagnostics using a Langmuir probe and the comparison with plasma simulation are also reviewed. The electron energy distribution functions are discussed by considering different inelastic interaction channels between electrons and heavy particles in a molecular CH4/H2 plasma.

Recent Advances in Photoelectrochemical Applications of Silicon Materials for Solar-to-Chemicals Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Doudou; Shi, Jingying; Zi, Wei; Wang, Pengpeng; Liu, Shengzhong Frank

2017-11-23

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) technology for the conversion of solar energy into chemicals requires cost-effective photoelectrodes to efficiently and stably drive anodic and/or cathodic half-reactions to complete the overall reactions for storing solar energy in chemical bonds. The shared properties among semiconducting photoelectrodes and photovoltaic (PV) materials are light absorption, charge separation, and charge transfer. Earth-abundant silicon materials have been widely applied in the PV industry, and have demonstrated their efficiency as alternative photoabsorbers for photoelectrodes. Many efforts have been made to fabricate silicon photoelectrodes with enhanced performance, and significant progress has been achieved in recent years. Herein, recent developments in crystalline and thin-film silicon-based photoelectrodes (including amorphous, microcrystalline, and nanocrystalline silicon) immersed in aqueous solution for PEC hydrogen production from water splitting are summarized, as well as applications in PEC CO 2 reduction and PEC regeneration of discharged species in redox flow batteries. Silicon is an ideal material for the cost-effective production of solar chemicals through PEC methods. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanocrystalline silicon as the light emitting material of a field emission display device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biaggi-Labiosa, A; Sola, F; Resto, O; Fonseca, L F; Gonzalez-BerrIos, A; Jesus, J De; Morell, G

2008-01-01

A nanocrystalline Si-based paste was successfully tested as the light emitting material in a field emission display test device that employed a film of carbon nanofibers as the electron source. Stable emission in the 550-850 nm range was obtained at 16 V μm -1 . This relatively low field required for intense cathodoluminescence (CL) from the PSi paste may lead to longer term reliability of both the electron emitting and the light emitting materials, and to lower power consumption. Here we describe the synthesis, characterization, and analyses of the light emitting nanostructured Si paste and the electron emitting C nanofibers used for building the device, including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The corresponding spectra and field emission curves are also shown and discussed

Structural investigations on nanocrystalline Ni-W alloy films by transmission electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klimenkov, M. [Institut fuer Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Haseeb, A.S.M.A. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Bade, K., E-mail: klaus.bade@imt.fzk.d [Institut fuer Mikrostrukturtechnik, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2009-10-30

Electrodeposited Ni-W alloys have been investigated in the as-deposited state by transmission electron microscopy in order to investigate the microstructural features in dependence of the tungsten content. Within the tungsten content range from 7 at.% up to 12 at.%, the microstructure is nanocrystalline characterized by a bimodal grain size distribution, consisting out of 20 to 200 nm sized grains and also larger grains with several 100 nm characteristic dimension. No clear trend in microstructure formation is visible with W content or deposition conditions in the investigated W content range. Only solid solution phase characteristics were observed. The lattice constant is 0.360 nm for 12 at.% W as derived from electron diffraction for the solid solution face centered cubic structure. Larger grains show twinning and stacking faults. Voids with diameter of a few nm were detected along with some multiple twinned particles, indicating high stress level during growth. About 2 at.% difference in the alloy composition from grain to grain was measured.

Bimodal microstructure and deformation of cryomilled bulk nanocrystalline Al-7.5Mg alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Z.; Witkin, D.B.; Radmilovic, V.; Lavernia, E.J.; Nutt, S.R.

2005-01-01

The microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation response of bimodal structured nanocrystalline Al-7.5Mg alloy were investigated. Grain refinement was achieved by cryomilling of atomized Al-7.5Mg powders, and then cryomilled nanocrystalline powders blended with 15 and 30% unmilled coarse-grained powders were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing followed by extrusion to produce bulk nanocrystalline alloys. Bimodal bulk nanocrystalline Al-7.5Mg alloys, which were comprised of nanocrystalline grains separated by coarse-grain regions, show balanced mechanical properties of enhanced yield and ultimate strength and reasonable ductility and toughness compared to comparable conventional alloys and nanocrystalline metals. The investigation of tensile and hardness test suggests unusual deformation mechanisms and interactions between ductile coarse-grain bands and nanocrystalline regions

Infrared absorption study of hydrogen incorporation in thick nanocrystalline diamond films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, C.J.; Neves, A.J.; Carmo, M.C.

2005-01-01

We present an infrared (IR) optical absorbance study of hydrogen incorporation in nanocrystalline diamond films. The thick nanocrystalline diamond films were synthesized by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition and a high growth rate about 3.0 μm/h was achieved. The morphology, phase quality, and hydrogen incorporation were assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Large amount of hydrogen bonded to nanocrystalline diamond is clearly evidenced by the huge CH stretching band in the FTIR spectrum. The mechanism of hydrogen incorporation is discussed in light of the growth mechanism of nanocrystalline diamond. This suggests the potential of nanocrystalline diamond for IR electro-optical device applications

Spectroscopy and structural properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon carbide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halindintwali, Sylvain; Knoesen, D.; Julies, B.A.; Arendse, C.J.; Muller, T. [University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535 (South Africa); Gengler, Regis Y.N.; Rudolf, P.; Loosdrecht, P.H.M. van [Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen (Netherlands)

2011-09-15

Amorphous SiC:H thin films were grown by hot wire chemical vapour deposition from a SiH{sub 4}/CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} mixture at a substrate temperature below 400 C. Thermal annealing in an argon environment up to 900 C shows that the films crystallize as {mu}c-Si:H and SiC with a porous microstructure that favours an oxidation process. By a combination of spectroscopic tools comprising Fourier transform infrared, Raman scattering and X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy we show that the films evolve from the amorphous SiH{sub x}/SiCH{sub 2} structure to nanocrystalline Si and SiC upon annealing at a temperature of 900 C. A strong RT photoluminescence peak of similar shape has been observed at around 420 nm in both as-deposited and annealed samples. Time-resolved luminescence measurements reveal that this peak is fast decaying with lifetimes ranging from 0.5 to {proportional_to}1.1 ns. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

High-speed jet electrodeposition and microstructure of nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Guiying; Jing Tianfu; Wang Nan; Gao Yuwei; Zhao Xin; Zhou Jifeng; Wang Wei

2005-01-01

The jet electrodeposition from watts baths with a device of electrolyte jet was carried out to prepare nano-crystalline cobalt-nickel alloys. The influence of the concentration of Co 2+ ions in the electrolyte and electrolysis parameters, such as the cathodic current density, the temperature as well as the electrolyte jet speed, on the chemistry and microstructure of Ni-Co-deposit alloys were investigated. Experimental results indicated that increasing the Co 2+ ions concentration in the bath, the electrolyte jet speed and decreasing of the cathodic current density and decrease of the electrolyte temperature all results in an increase of cobalt content in the alloy. Detailed microstructure changes upon the changes of alloy composition and experimental conditions were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD results show the Ni-Co solid solution was formed through the jet electrodeposition. Phase constitution of solid solution changes progressively under different electrolyte concentration. Alloys with low Co concentration exhibit single phase of face-centered cubic (fcc) structure; The Co concentration over 60.39 wt.%, the alloys are composed of face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. Furthermore, the formation of the nanostructured Ni-Co alloy deposit is investigated. Increasing the Co 2+ ions concentration in the bath, the cathodic current density, the electrolyte temperature and the electrolyte jet speed all result in the finer grains in the deposits. Additives such as saccharin in the electrolyte also favor the formation of the finer grains in the alloy deposits

Silicon transport in sputter-deposited tantalum layers grown under ion bombardment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallais, P.; Hantzpergue, J.J.; Remy, J.C.; Roptin, D.

1988-01-01

Tantalum was sputter deposited on (111) Si substrate under low-energy ion bombardment in order to study the effects of the ion energy on the silicon transport into the Ta layer. The Si substrate was heated up to 500 0 C during growth. For ion energies up to 180 eV silicon is not transported into tantalum and the growth temperature has no effect. An ion bombardment energy of 280 eV enhances the transport of silicon throughout the tantalum layer. Growth temperatures up to 300 0 C have no effect on the silicon transport which is mainly enhanced by the ion bombardment. For growth temperatures between 300 and 500 0 C, the silicon transport is also enhanced by the thermal diffusion. The experimental depth distribution of silicon is similar to the theoretical depth distribution calculated for the case of an interdiffusion. The ion-enhanced process of silicon transport is characterized by an activation energy of 0.4 eV. Silicon into the layers as-grown at 500 0 C is in both states, amorphous silicide and microcrystalline cubic silicon

Nanocrystalline Si pathway induced unipolar resistive switching behavior from annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Wenping; Li, Wei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Chen, Kunji; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

2014-01-01

Adding a resistive switching functionality to a silicon microelectronic chip is a new challenge in materials research. Here, we demonstrate that unipolar and electrode-independent resistive switching effects can be realized in the annealed Si-rich SiN x /SiN y multilayers with high on/off ratio of 10 9 . High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that for the high resistance state broken pathways composed of discrete nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) exist in the Si nitride multilayers. While for the low resistance state the discrete nc-Si regions is connected, forming continuous nc-Si pathways. Based on the analysis of the temperature dependent I-V characteristics and HRTEM photos, we found that the break-and-bridge evolution of nc-Si pathway is the origin of resistive switching memory behavior. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the resistive switching behavior in nc-Si films, opening a way for it to be utilized as a material in Si-based memories.

Nanocrystalline Si pathway induced unipolar resistive switching behavior from annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Wenping; Li, Wei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Chen, Kunji; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan

2014-09-01

Adding a resistive switching functionality to a silicon microelectronic chip is a new challenge in materials research. Here, we demonstrate that unipolar and electrode-independent resistive switching effects can be realized in the annealed Si-rich SiNx/SiNy multilayers with high on/off ratio of 109. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that for the high resistance state broken pathways composed of discrete nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) exist in the Si nitride multilayers. While for the low resistance state the discrete nc-Si regions is connected, forming continuous nc-Si pathways. Based on the analysis of the temperature dependent I-V characteristics and HRTEM photos, we found that the break-and-bridge evolution of nc-Si pathway is the origin of resistive switching memory behavior. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the resistive switching behavior in nc-Si films, opening a way for it to be utilized as a material in Si-based memories.

Electron beam induced green luminescence and degradation study of CaS:Ce nanocrystalline phosphors for FED applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Vinay, E-mail: vinaykdhiman@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa); Mishra, Varun [Department of Physics, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144 402, Punjab (India); Biggs, M.M.; Nagpure, I.M.; Ntwaeaborwa, O.M.; Terblans, J.J. [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc.sci@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa)

2010-01-01

Green luminescence and degradation of Ce{sup 3+} doped CaS nanocrystalline phosphors were studied with a 2 keV, 10 {mu}A electron beam in an O{sub 2} environment. The nanophosphors were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy/electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Cubic CaS with an average particle size of 42 {+-} 2 nm was obtained. PL emission was observed at 507 nm and a shoulder at 560 nm with an excitation wavelength of 460 nm. Auger electron spectroscopy and Cathodoluminescence (CL) were used to monitor the changes in the surface composition of the CaS:Ce{sup 3+} nanocrystalline phosphors during electron bombardment in an O{sub 2} environment. The effect of different oxygen pressures ranging from 1 x 10{sup -8} to 1 x 10{sup -6} Torr on the CL intensity was also investigated. A CaSO{sub 4} layer was observed on the surface after the electron beam degradation. The CL intensity was found to decrease up to 30% of its original intensity at 1 x 10{sup -6} Torr oxygen pressure after an electron dose of 50 C/cm{sup 2}. The formation of oxygen defects during electron bombardment may also be responsible for the decrease in CL intensity.

Electron beam induced green luminescence and degradation study of CaS:Ce nanocrystalline phosphors for FED applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Vinay; Mishra, Varun; Biggs, M.M.; Nagpure, I.M.; Ntwaeaborwa, O.M.; Terblans, J.J.; Swart, H.C.

2010-01-01

Green luminescence and degradation of Ce 3+ doped CaS nanocrystalline phosphors were studied with a 2 keV, 10 μA electron beam in an O 2 environment. The nanophosphors were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy/electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Cubic CaS with an average particle size of 42 ± 2 nm was obtained. PL emission was observed at 507 nm and a shoulder at 560 nm with an excitation wavelength of 460 nm. Auger electron spectroscopy and Cathodoluminescence (CL) were used to monitor the changes in the surface composition of the CaS:Ce 3+ nanocrystalline phosphors during electron bombardment in an O 2 environment. The effect of different oxygen pressures ranging from 1 x 10 -8 to 1 x 10 -6 Torr on the CL intensity was also investigated. A CaSO 4 layer was observed on the surface after the electron beam degradation. The CL intensity was found to decrease up to 30% of its original intensity at 1 x 10 -6 Torr oxygen pressure after an electron dose of 50 C/cm 2 . The formation of oxygen defects during electron bombardment may also be responsible for the decrease in CL intensity.

Preparation of nanocrystalline VN by the melamine reduction of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} xerogel and its supercapacitive behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng Fukui [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); He Chun [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Shu Dong, E-mail: dshu@scnu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Base of Production, Education and Research on Energy Storage and Power Battery of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Technology on Energy Storage and Power Generation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Chen Hongyu, E-mail: hychen@scnu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Base of Production, Education and Research on Energy Storage and Power Battery of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Technology on Energy Storage and Power Generation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zhang Jie; Tang Shaoqing; Finlow, David E. [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Organic nitridizing agent was employed for preparation of nanocrystalline VN. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The supercapacitive behavior of VN was studied by electrochemical method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The supercapacitive behavior of VN was studied in three kinds of electrolyte. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The specific capacitance of VN was determined as 273 F g{sup -1} in 1.0 M KOH. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The supercapacitive mechanism and involved factor on capacitance were analyzed. - Abstract: An organic nitridizing reagent was employed in the preparation of nanocrystalline VN at 800 Degree-Sign C under a N{sub 2} atmosphere. The prepared VN was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and its supercapacitive behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in three different types of aqueous electrolyte, 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, 2.0 M NaNO{sub 3} and 1.0 M KOH. The XRD results indicate that prepared VN has a cubic structure with space group Fm3m and a lattice parameter of 4.139 Angstrom-Sign . The nanocrystalline structure of VN with a low degree of crystallinity was confirmed by TEM imaging. The presence of oxygen on the VN surface was detected by FTIR and XPS, and its molecular composition was determined to be VN{sub 1.02}O{sub 0.1}. The specific capacitances of nanocrystalline VN were determined to be 114, 45.7 and 273 F g{sup -1} in 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, 2.0 M NaNO{sub 3} and 1.0 M KOH, respectively. Thus, the KOH solution was considered the best aqueous electrolyte for the capacitive performance of VN. The supercapacitive mechanism and the factor that influenced the specific capacitance are also analyzed in this paper.

Excimer laser recrystallization of nanocrystalline-Si films deposited by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition at 150 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Joong-Hyun; Han, Sang-Myeon; Park, Sang-Geun; Han, Min-Koo; Shin, Moon-Young

2006-01-01

Polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) fabricated at low temperature (under 200 deg. C) have been widely investigated for flexible substrate applications such as a transparent plastic substrate. Unlike the conventional TFT process using glass substrate, the maximum process temperature should be kept less than 200 deg. C in order to avoid thermal damage on flexible substrates. We report the characteristics of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) irradiated by an excimer laser. Nc-Si precursors were deposited on various buffer layers by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) at 150 deg. C. We employed various buffer layers, such as silicon nitride (SiN X ) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), in order to report recrystallization characteristics in connection with a buffer layer of a different thermal conductivity. The dehydrogenation and recrystallization was performed by step-by-step excimer laser annealing (ELA) (XeCl,λ=308 nm) in order to prevent the explosive release of hydrogen atoms. The grain size of the poly-Si film, which was recrystallized on the various buffer layers, was measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at each laser energy density. The process margin of step-by-step ELA employing the SiN X buffer layer is wider than SiO 2 and the maximum grain size slightly increased

On the electron density localization in elemental cubic ceramic and FCC transition metals by means of a localized electrons detector.

Science.gov (United States)

Aray, Yosslen; Paredes, Ricardo; Álvarez, Luis Javier; Martiz, Alejandro

2017-06-14

The electron density localization in insulator and semiconductor elemental cubic materials with diamond structure, carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin, and good metallic conductors with face centered cubic structure such as α-Co, Ni, Cu, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt, and Au, was studied using a localized electrons detector defined in the local moment representation. Our results clearly show an opposite pattern of the electron density localization for the cubic ceramic and transition metal materials. It was found that, for the elemental ceramic materials, the zone of low electron localization is very small and is mainly localized on the atomic basin edges. On the contrary, for the transition metals, there are low-valued localized electrons detector isocontours defining a zone of highly delocalized electrons that extends throughout the material. We have found that the best conductors are those in which the electron density at this low-value zone is the lowest.

Nanocrystalline permanent magnets with enhanced properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonowicz, M.

2002-01-01

Parameters of permanent magnets result from the combination of intrinsic properties such as saturation magnetization, magnetic exchange, and magnetocrystalline energy, as well as microstructural parameters such as phase structure, grain size, and orientation. Reduction of grain size into nanocrystalline regime (∼ 50 nm) leads to the enhanced remanence which derives from ferromagnetic exchange coupling between highly refined grains. In this study the fundamental phenomena, quantities, and structure parameters, which define nanophase permanent magnets are presented and discussed. The theoretical considerations are confronted with experimental data for nanocrystalline Sm-Fe-N type permanent magnets. (author)

Cubic metaplectic forms and theta functions

CERN Document Server

Proskurin, Nikolai

1998-01-01

The book is an introduction to the theory of cubic metaplectic forms on the 3-dimensional hyperbolic space and the author's research on cubic metaplectic forms on special linear and symplectic groups of rank 2. The topics include: Kubota and Bass-Milnor-Serre homomorphisms, cubic metaplectic Eisenstein series, cubic theta functions, Whittaker functions. A special method is developed and applied to find Fourier coefficients of the Eisenstein series and cubic theta functions. The book is intended for readers, with beginning graduate-level background, interested in further research in the theory of metaplectic forms and in possible applications.

Guided assembly of nanoparticles on electrostatically charged nanocrystalline diamond thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verveniotis Elisseos

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We apply atomic force microscope for local electrostatic charging of oxygen-terminated nanocrystalline diamond (NCD thin films deposited on silicon, to induce electrostatically driven self-assembly of colloidal alumina nanoparticles into micro-patterns. Considering possible capacitive, sp2 phase and spatial uniformity factors to charging, we employ films with sub-100 nm thickness and about 60% relative sp2 phase content, probe the spatial material uniformity by Raman and electron microscopy, and repeat experiments at various positions. We demonstrate that electrostatic potential contrast on the NCD films varies between 0.1 and 1.2 V and that the contrast of more than ±1 V (as detected by Kelvin force microscopy is able to induce self-assembly of the nanoparticles via coulombic and polarization forces. This opens prospects for applications of diamond and its unique set of properties in self-assembly of nano-devices and nano-systems.

Thermodynamic and experimental study on phase stability in nanocrystalline alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Wenwu; Song Xiaoyan; Lu Nianduan; Huang Chuan

2010-01-01

Nanocrystalline alloys exhibit apparently different phase transformation characteristics in comparison to the conventional polycrystalline alloys. The special phase stability and phase transformation behavior, as well as the essential mechanisms of the nanocrystalline alloys, were described quantitatively in a nanothermodynamic point of view. By introducing the relationship between the excess volume at the grain boundary and the nanograin size, the Gibbs free energy was determined distinctly as a function of temperature and the nanograin size. Accordingly, the grain-size-dependence of the phase stability and phase transformation characteristics of the nanocrystalline alloy were calculated systematically, and the correlations between the phase constitution, the phase transformation temperature and the critical nanograin size were predicted. A series of experiments was performed to investigate the phase transformations at room temperature and high temperatures using the nanocrystalline Sm 2 Co 17 alloy as an example. The phase constitution and phase transformation sequence found in nanocrystalline Sm 2 Co 17 alloys with various grain-size levels agree well with the calculations by the nanothermodynamic model.

Effect of Temperature on Nucleation of Nanocrystalline Indium Tin Oxide Synthesized by Electron-Beam Evaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yan; Zhao, Yujun; Shen, Jianxing; Xu, Xiangang

2017-07-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) has been widely applied as a transparent conductive layer and optical window in light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and touch screens. In this paper, crystalline nano-sized ITO dendrites are obtained using an electron-beam evaporation technique. The surface morphology of the obtained ITO was studied for substrate temperatures of 25°C, 130°C, 180°C, and 300°C. Nano-sized crystalline dendrites were synthesized only at a substrate temperature of 300°C. The dendrites had a cubic structure, confirmed by the results of x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The growth mechanism of the nano-crystalline dendrites could be explained by a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth model. The catalysts of the VLS process were indium and tin droplets, confirmed by varying the substrate temperature, which further influenced the nucleation of the ITO dendrites.

Controlling the quality of nanocrystalline silicon made by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition by using a reverse H2 profiling technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, H. B. T.; Franken, R.H.; Stolk, R.L.; van der Werf, C.H.M.; Rath, J.K.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2008-01-01

Hydrogen profiling, i.e., decreasing the H2 dilution during deposition, is a well-known technique to maintain a proper crystalline ratio of the nanocrystalline (nc-Si:H) absorber layers of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor-deposited (PECVD) thin film solar cells. With this technique a large increase in

Tailoring and patterning the grain size of nanocrystalline alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Detor, Andrew J.; Schuh, Christopher A.

2007-01-01

Nanocrystalline alloys that exhibit grain boundary segregation can access thermodynamically stable or metastable states with the average grain size dictated by the alloying addition. Here we consider nanocrystalline Ni-W alloys and demonstrate that the W content controls the grain size over a very broad range: ∼2-140 nm as compared with ∼2-20 nm in previous work on strongly segregating systems. This trend is attributed to a relatively weak tendency for W segregation to the grain boundaries. Based upon this observation, we introduce a new synthesis technique allowing for precise composition control during the electrodeposition of Ni-W alloys, which, in turn, leads to precise control of the nanocrystalline grain size. This technique offers new possibilities for understanding the structure-property relationships of nanocrystalline solids, such as the breakdown of Hall-Petch strength scaling, and also opens the door to a new class of customizable materials incorporating patterned nanostructures

Protein-modified nanocrystalline diamond thin films for biosensor applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Härtl, Andreas; Schmich, Evelyn; Garrido, Jose A; Hernando, Jorge; Catharino, Silvia C R; Walter, Stefan; Feulner, Peter; Kromka, Alexander; Steinmüller, Doris; Stutzmann, Martin

2004-10-01

Diamond exhibits several special properties, for example good biocompatibility and a large electrochemical potential window, that make it particularly suitable for biofunctionalization and biosensing. Here we show that proteins can be attached covalently to nanocrystalline diamond thin films. Moreover, we show that, although the biomolecules are immobilized at the surface, they are still fully functional and active. Hydrogen-terminated nanocrystalline diamond films were modified by using a photochemical process to generate a surface layer of amino groups, to which proteins were covalently attached. We used green fluorescent protein to reveal the successful coupling directly. After functionalization of nanocrystalline diamond electrodes with the enzyme catalase, a direct electron transfer between the enzyme's redox centre and the diamond electrode was detected. Moreover, the modified electrode was found to be sensitive to hydrogen peroxide. Because of its dual role as a substrate for biofunctionalization and as an electrode, nanocrystalline diamond is a very promising candidate for future biosensor applications.

Formation of metastable cubic phase in Ce{sub 100−x}Al{sub x} (x=45, 50) alloys and their thermal and magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Idzikowski, Bogdan, E-mail: idzi@ifmpan.poznan.pl [Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland); Centre for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław (Poland); Śniadecki, Zbigniew [Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland); Centre for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław (Poland); Puźniak, Roman [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warszawa (Poland); Kaczorowski, Dariusz [Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1410, 50-950 Wrocław (Poland); Centre for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław (Poland)

2017-01-01

Ce{sub 100−x}Al{sub x} (x=45 and 50) alloys were synthesized by rapid quenching technique in the form of ribbons composed of nanocrystalline phase of CeAl with the ClCs-type structure (Pm-3m space group) embedded in an amorphous matrix. The cubic CeAl phase is known as metastable with random distribution of Ce and Al atoms in the unit cell. The crystalline volume fraction is about 7.5% in Ce{sub 55}Al{sub 45} and 3% in Ce{sub 50}Al{sub 50}. The alloy Ce{sub 55}Al{sub 45} shows better thermal stability than Ce{sub 50}Al{sub 50}, indicated by higher effective activation energy and higher crystallization temperature. Small off-stoichiometry in Ce{sub 55}Al{sub 45} results in degrading the glass forming ability and promotes formation of the cubic CeAl phase, as confirmed by magnetic measurements. In both alloys, the Ce ions are in stable trivalent state and order magnetically near 20 K. Another magnetic phase transition close to 10 K was found for Ce{sub 50}Al{sub 50} and was attributed to the presence of the well-known stable orthorhombic CeAl phase. To the best of our knowledge, the magnetic behavior of the CeAl cubic phase is reported here for the first time. - Highlights: • Synthesis of metastable cubic CeAl phase by rapid quenching. • The Ce ions in Ce{sub 55}Al{sub 45} and Ce{sub 50}Al{sub 50} are in stable trivalent state. • Magnetic transition near 10 K connected with the orthorhombic CeAl phase. • Phase transition at about 20 K originates from the cubic CeAl phase.

In vitro corrosion, cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility of bulk nanocrystalline pure iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, F L; Zheng, Y F; Wei, S C; Hu, C; Yang, G

2010-01-01

Bulk nanocrystalline pure iron rods were fabricated by the equal channel angular pressure (ECAP) technique up to eight passes. The microstructure and grain size distribution, natural immersion and electrochemical corrosion in simulated body fluid, cellular responses and hemocompatibility were investigated in this study. The results indicate that nanocrystalline pure iron after severe plastic deformation (SPD) would sustain durable span duration and exhibit much stronger corrosion resistance than that of the microcrystalline pure iron. The interaction of different cell lines reveals that the nanocrystalline pure iron stimulates better proliferation of fibroblast cells and preferable promotion of endothelialization, while inhibits effectively the viability of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The burst of red cells and adhesion of the platelets were also substantially suppressed on contact with the nanocrystalline pure iron in blood circulation. A clear size-dependent behavior from the grain nature deduced by the gradual refinement microstructures was given and well-behaved in vitro biocompatibility of nanocrystalline pure iron was concluded.

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline pyrrhotite prepared by high-energy milling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balaz, P.; Godocikova, E.; Alacova, A.

2004-01-01

The nanocrystalline pyrrhotite was prepared by high-energy milling of lead sulphide with elemental Fe acting as reducing element. X-ray diffractometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy and VSM magnetometry were used to determine the properties of nanocrystalline iron sulphide prepared by the corresponding...... mechanochemical reaction. Pyrrhotite Fe1-xS together with the residual Fe metal were identified by the X-ray diffractometry. The kinetic studies performed by Mossbauer spectroscopy and VSM magnetometry allowed us to follow in more details the progress of the nanocrystalline magnetic phase formation during...

Characterization of photoluminescent (Y{sub 1{minus}x}Eu{sub x}){sub 2}O{sub 3} thin-films prepared by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKittrick, J.; Bacalski, C.F.; Hirata, G.A. [Univ. of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Hubbard, K.M.; Pattillo, S.G.; Salazar, K.V.; Trkula, M. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Materials Science and Technology Div.

1998-12-01

Europium doped yttrium oxide, (Y{sub 1{minus}x}Eu{sub x}){sub 2}O{sub 3}, thin-films were deposited on silicon and sapphire substrates by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The films were grown in a MOCVD chamber reacting yttrium and europium tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5,-heptanedionates) precursors in an oxygen atmosphere at low pressures (5 Torr) and low substrate temperatures (500--700 C). The films deposited at 500 C were flat and composed of nanocrystalline regions of cubic Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, grown in a textured [100] or [110] orientation to the substrate surface. Films deposited at 600 C developed from the flat, nanocrystalline morphology into a plate-like growth morphology oriented in the [111] with increasing deposition time. Monoclinic Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} was observed in x-ray diffraction for deposition temperatures {ge}600 C on both (111) Si and (001) sapphire substrates. This was also confirmed by the photoluminescent emission spectra.

Characterization of photoluminescent europium doped yttrium oxide thin-films prepared by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKittrick, J.; Bacalski, C.F.; Hirata, G.A.; Hubbard, K.M.; Pattillo, S.G.; Salazar, K.V.; Trkula, M.

1998-01-01

Europium doped yttrium oxide, (Y 1-x Eu x ) 2 O 3 , thin-films were deposited on silicon and sapphire substrates by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The films were grown in a MOCVD chamber reacting yttrium and europium tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5,-heptanedionates) precursors in an oxygen atmosphere at low pressures (5 Torr) and low substrate temperatures (500--700 C). The films deposited at 500 C were flat and composed of nanocrystalline regions of cubic Y 2 O 3 , grown in a textured [100] or [110] orientation to the substrate surface. Films deposited at 600 C developed from the flat, nanocrystalline morphology into a plate-like growth morphology oriented in the [111] with increasing deposition time. Monoclinic Y 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ was observed in x-ray diffraction for deposition temperatures ≥600 C on both (111) Si and (001) sapphire substrates. This was also confirmed by the photoluminescent emission spectra

Thermal post-deposition treatment effects on nanocrystalline hydrogenated silicon prepared by PECVD under different hydrogen flow rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amor, Sana Ben, E-mail: sana.benamor1@gmail.com [Photovoltaic Laboratory Research and Technology Centre of Energy, Borj-Cedria Science and Technology Park, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); University of Applied Medical Sciences of Hafr El Baten (Saudi Arabia); Meddeb, Hosny; Daik, Ridha; Othman, Afef Ben; Slama, Sonia Ben; Dimassi, Wissem; Ezzaouia, Hatem [Photovoltaic Laboratory Research and Technology Centre of Energy, Borj-Cedria Science and Technology Park, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: At high annealing temperatures, many atoms do not suffer the attraction of surface species due to the thermal agitation and consequently few atoms are adsorbed. As the temperature is lowered the adsorption is more efficient to the point that is no more atoms in the gas phase. Indeed at relatively low temperatures, the atoms have too little energy to escape from the surface or even to vibrate against it. They lost their degree of freedom in the direction perpendicular to the surface. But this does not prevent the atoms to diffuse along the surface. As a result, the layer's thickness decrease with increasing the annealing temperature. - Highlights: The results extracted from this work are: • The post-deposition thermal treatment improves the crystallinity the film at moderate temperature (500 °C). • The higher annealing temperature can lead to decrease the silicon–hydrogen bonds and increase the Si–Si bonds. • Moderate annealing temperature (700 °C) seems to be crucial for obtaining high minority carrier life times. • Hydrogen effusion phenomenon start occurring at 500–550 °C and get worsen at 900 °C. - Abstract: In this paper, hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin films were deposited on mono-crystalline silicon substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) under different hydrogen flow rates followed by a thermal treatment in an infrared furnace at different temperature ranging from 300 to 900 °C. The investigated structural, morphological and optoelectronic properties of samples were found to be strongly dependent on the annealing temperature. Raman spectroscopy revealed that nc-Si:H films contain crystalline, amorphous and mixed structures as well. We find that post-deposition thermal treatment may lead to a tendency for structural improvement and a decrease of the disorder in the film network at moderate temperature under 500 °C. As for annealing at higher temperature up to 900 �

Synthesis of nanocrystalline fluorinated hydroxyapatite

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Fluorinated hydroxyapatite; nanocrystalline; microwave synthesis; dissolution. ... HA by the presence of other ions such as carbonate, magnesium, fluoride, etc. ... Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR) and laser Raman spectroscopy.

Cubic colloids : Synthesis, functionalization and applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Castillo, S.I.R.

2015-01-01

This thesis is a study on cubic colloids: micron-sized cubic particles with rounded corners (cubic superballs). Owing to their shape, particle packing for cubes is more efficient than for spheres and results in fascinating phase and packing behavior. For our cubes, the particle volume fraction when

New route to the fabrication of nanocrystalline diamond films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varshney, Deepak; Morell, Gerardo; Palomino, Javier; Resto, Oscar; Gil, Jennifer; Weiner, Brad R.

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films offer applications in various fields, but the existing synthetic approaches are cumbersome and destructive. A major breakthrough has been achieved by our group in the direction of a non-destructive, scalable, and economic process of NCD thin-film fabrication. Here, we report a cheap precursor for the growth of nanocrystalline diamond in the form of paraffin wax. We show that NCD thin films can be fabricated on a copper support by using simple, commonplace paraffin wax under reaction conditions of Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD). Surprisingly, even the presence of any catalyst or seeding that has been conventionally used in the state-of-the-art is not required. The structure of the obtained films was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy recorded at the carbon K-edge region confirm the presence of nanocrystalline diamond. The process is a significant step towards cost-effective and non-cumbersome fabrication of nanocrystalline diamond thin films for commercial production

The correlation of blue shift of photoluminescence and morphology of silicon nanoporous

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Jumaili, Batool E. B., E-mail: batooleneaze@gmail.com [Department of Physics, (UPM), Serdang, Selangor 43400 (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Anbar University (Iraq); Talib, Zainal A.; Josephine, L.Y.; Paiman, Suriati B.; Muh’d, Ibrahim B.; Mofdal, Manahil E. E. [Department of Physics, (UPM), Serdang, Selangor 43400 (Malaysia); Ahmed, Naser M.; Abdulateef, Sinan A. [School of Physics, USM, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Al-Jumaily, Abdulmajeed H. J. [Department of Computer and Communication Systems Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor 43400 (Malaysia); Ramizy, Asmiet [Department of Physics, Anbar University (Iraq)

2016-07-06

Porous silicon with diameters ranging from 6.41 to 7.12 nm were synthesized via electrochemical etching by varied anodization current density in ethanoic solutions containing aqueous hydrofluoric acid up to 65 mA/cm{sup 2}.The luminescence properties of the nanoporous at room temperature were analyzed via photoluminescence spectroscopy. Photoluminescence PL spectra exhibit a broad emission band in the range of 360-700 nm photon energy. The PL spectrum has a blue shift in varied anodization current density; the blue shift incremented as the existing of anodization although the intensity decreased. The current blue shift is owning to alteration of silicon nanocrystal structure at the superficies. The superficial morphology of the PS layers consists of unified and orderly distribution of nanocrystalline Si structures, have high porosity around (93.75%) and high thickness 39.52 µm.

Nanocrystalline Al-based alloys - lightweight materials with attractive mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latuch, J; Cieslak, G; Dimitrov, H; Krasnowski, M; Kulik, T

2009-01-01

In this study, several ways of bulk nanocrystalline Al-based alloys' production by high-pressure compaction of powders were explored. The effect of chemical composition and compaction parameters on the structure, quality and mechanical properties of the bulk samples was studied. Bulk nanocrystalline Al-Mm-Ni-(Fe,Co) alloys were prepared by ball-milling of amorphous ribbons followed by consolidation. The maximum microhardness (540 HV0.1) was achieved for the samples compacted at 275 deg. C under 7.7 GPa (which resulted in an amorphous bulk) and nanocrystallised at 235 deg. C for 20 min. Another group of the produced materials were bulk nanocrystalline Al-Si-(Ni,Fe)-Mm alloys obtained by ball-milling of nanocrystalline ribbons and consolidation. The hardness of these samples achieved the value five times higher (350HV) than that of commercial 4xxx series Al alloys. Nanocrystalline Al-based alloys were also prepared by mechanical alloying followed by hot-pressing. In this group of materials, there were Al-Fe alloys containing 50-85 at.% of Al and ternary or quaternary Al-Fe-(Ti, Si, Ni, Mg, B) alloys. Microhardness of these alloys was in the range of 613 - 1235 HV0.2, depending on the composition.

Identification of stacking faults in silicon carbide by polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hristu, Radu; Stanciu, Stefan G; Tranca, Denis E; Polychroniadis, Efstathios K; Stanciu, George A

2017-07-07

Although silicon carbide is a highly promising crystalline material for a wide range of electronic devices, extended and point defects which perturb the lattice periodicity hold deep implications with respect to device reliability. There is thus a great need for developing new methods that can detect silicon carbide defects which are detrimental to device functionality. Our experiment demonstrates that polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy can extend the efficiency of the "optical signature" concept as an all-optical rapid and non-destructive set of investigation methods for the differentiation between hexagonal and cubic stacking faults in silicon carbide. This technique can be used for fast and in situ characterization and optimization of growth conditions for epilayers of silicon carbide and similar materials.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline Cu1-xTax composites using physical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savage, H.S.; Wang, H.; Rigsbee, J.M.

1993-01-01

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes provide the capability for creating new types of metallic, ceramic, and polymeric composites by allowing atomic-scale engineering of structure and chemistry. Because PVD processes provide the capacity for circumventing thermodynamic factors, such as solubility limits, it is possible to produce nonequilibrium alloys and materials with unique mixtures of phases. The ease by which PVD produces materials with nanocrystalline microstructures is an added benefit of these processes. This paper describes ion plating, a plasma-assisted PVD process, and its application for the development of a new class of nanoscale dispersion-strengthened Cu 1-x Ta x alloys. Copper-tantalum was selected as a model system because the extensive liquid miscibility gap and nearly zero mutual solid solubilities prevent creation of Cu-Ta alloys by conventional or rapid solidification processes. Microchemical analyses of the family of Cu 1-x Ta x alloys indicate that PVD can produce materials with any desired level of Ta. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the as-deposited microstructures consist generally of a Cu matrix supersaturated with Ta and containing a uniform dispersion of Ta particles with diameters below 10 nm. The Ta particles are face centered cubic (exceptionally large Ta particles, larger than ∼100 nm, are body centered cubic) and are oriented identically with the Cu matrix. Particle coarsening studies, at temperatures up to 900C and for times as long as 100 hours, indicate an extreme degree of microstructural stability. The Ta particles also appear highly effective at maintaining a submicron Cu matrix grain size even after annealing at 900C

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Properties and Applications of Nanocrystalline Alloys from Amorphous Precursors

CERN Document Server

Idzikowski, Bogdan; Miglierini, Marcel

2005-01-01

Metallic (magnetic and non-magnetic) nanocrystalline materials have been known for over ten years but only recent developments in the research into those complex alloys and their metastable amorphous precursors have created a need to summarize the most important accomplishments in the field. This book is a collection of articles on various aspects of metallic nanocrystalline materials, and an attempt to address this above need. The main focus of the papers is put on the new issues that emerge in the studies of nanocrystalline materials, and, in particular, on (i) new compositions of the alloys, (ii) properties of conventional nanocrystalline materials, (iii) modeling and simulations, (iv) preparation methods, (v) experimental techniques of measurements, and (vi) different modern applications. Interesting phenomena of the physics of nanocrystalline materials are a consequence of the effects induced by the nanocrystalline structure. They include interface physics, the influence of the grain boundaries, the aver...

Reversal of exchange bias in nanocrystalline antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prados, C; Pina, E; Hernando, A; Montone, A

2002-01-01

The sign of the exchange bias in field cooled nanocrystalline antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic bilayers (Co-O and Ni-O/permalloy) is reversed at temperatures approaching the antiferromagnetic (AFM) blocking temperature. A similar phenomenon is observed after magnetic training processes at similar temperatures. These effects can be explained assuming that the boundaries of nanocrystalline grains in AFM layers exhibit lower transition temperatures than grain cores

Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guy Beaucarne

2007-01-01

with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD. In spite of the fundamental limitation of this material due to its disorder and metastability, the technology is now gaining industrial momentum thanks to the entry of equipment manufacturers with experience with large-area PECVD. Microcrystalline Si (also called nanocrystalline Si is a material with crystallites in the nanometer range in an amorphous matrix, and which contains less defects than amorphous silicon. Its lower bandgap makes it particularly appropriate as active material for the bottom cell in tandem and triple junction devices. The combination of an amorphous silicon top cell and a microcrystalline bottom cell has yielded promising results, but much work is needed to implement it on large-area and to limit light-induced degradation. Finally thin-film polysilicon solar cells, with grain size in the micrometer range, has recently emerged as an alternative photovoltaic technology. The layers have a grain size ranging from 1 μm to several tens of microns, and are formed at a temperature ranging from 600 to more than 1000∘C. Solid Phase Crystallization has yielded the best results so far but there has recently been fast progress with seed layer approaches, particularly those using the aluminum-induced crystallization technique.

Ferromagnetism appears in nitrogen implanted nanocrystalline diamond films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remes, Zdenek [Institute of Physics ASCR v.v.i., Cukrovarnicka 10, 162 00 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Sun, Shih-Jye, E-mail: sjs@nuk.edu.tw [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan (China); Varga, Marian [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan (China); Chou, Hsiung [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan (China); Hsu, Hua-Shu [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University of Education, Pingtung 900, Taiwan (China); Kromka, Alexander [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan (China); Horak, Pavel [Nuclear Physics Institute, 250 68 Rez (Czech Republic)

2015-11-15

The nanocrystalline diamond films turn to be ferromagnetic after implanting various nitrogen doses on them. Through this research, we confirm that the room-temperature ferromagnetism of the implanted samples is derived from the measurements of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Samples with larger crystalline grains as well as higher implanted doses present more robust ferromagnetic signals at room temperature. Raman spectra indicate that the small grain-sized samples are much more disordered than the large grain-sized ones. We propose that a slightly large saturated ferromagnetism could be observed at low temperature, because the increased localization effects have a significant impact on more disordered structure. - Highlights: • Nitrogen implanted nanocrystalline diamond films exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature. • Nitrogen implants made a Raman deviation from the typical nanocrystalline diamond films. • The ferromagnetism induced from the structure distortion is dominant at low temperature.

Nanocrystalline Aluminum Truss Cores for Lightweight Sandwich Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Schaedler, Tobias A.; Chan, Lisa J.; Clough, Eric C.; Stilke, Morgan A.; Hundley, Jacob M.; Masur, Lawrence J.

2017-12-01

Substitution of conventional honeycomb composite sandwich structures with lighter alternatives has the potential to reduce the mass of future vehicles. Here we demonstrate nanocrystalline aluminum-manganese truss cores that achieve 2-4 times higher strength than aluminum alloy 5056 honeycombs of the same density. The scalable fabrication approach starts with additive manufacturing of polymer templates, followed by electrodeposition of nanocrystalline Al-Mn alloy, removal of the polymer, and facesheet integration. This facilitates curved and net-shaped sandwich structures, as well as co-curing of the facesheets, which eliminates the need for extra adhesive. The nanocrystalline Al-Mn alloy thin-film material exhibits high strength and ductility and can be converted into a three-dimensional hollow truss structure with this approach. Ultra-lightweight sandwich structures are of interest for a range of applications in aerospace, such as fairings, wings, and flaps, as well as for the automotive and sports industries.

Syntheses of nanocrystalline BaTiO3 and their optical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, J.; Chu, J.; Zhang, M.

Stoichiometric and titanium-excess nanocrystalline barium titanates were synthesized using a hydrothermal process at various hydrothermal temperatures and with further heat treatment at 500 °C and 900 °C. Owing to the different process conditions, the excess titanium exists in different states and configurations within the nanocrystalline BaTiO3 matrix; this was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence. In these nanocrystalline BaTiO3, the 590, 571, 543 and 694 nm light emission bands were observed; mechanisms leading to such emissions were also discussed.

Electrochemistry of Inorganic Nanocrystalline Electrode Materials for Lithium Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. W. Kwon

2003-01-01

much different from that of traditional crystalline ones because of their significant ‘surface effects’. In connection with that, the nanocrystalline cathode materials are reported to have an enhanced electrochemical activity when the first significative electrochemical step is insertion of Li ions (discharge process. The “electrochemical grafting” concept will be given as a plausible explanation. As illustrative examples, electrochemical behaviors of nanocrystalline manganese oxydes are presented.

Nanocrystalline Si pathway induced unipolar resistive switching behavior from annealed Si-rich SiN{sub x}/SiN{sub y} multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Xiaofan; Ma, Zhongyuan, E-mail: zyma@nju.edu.cn; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Zhang, Wenping; Li, Wei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Chen, Kunji; Huang, Xinfan; Feng, Duan [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic Electronic Materials Sciences and Technology, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2014-09-28

Adding a resistive switching functionality to a silicon microelectronic chip is a new challenge in materials research. Here, we demonstrate that unipolar and electrode-independent resistive switching effects can be realized in the annealed Si-rich SiN{sub x}/SiN{sub y} multilayers with high on/off ratio of 10{sup 9}. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that for the high resistance state broken pathways composed of discrete nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) exist in the Si nitride multilayers. While for the low resistance state the discrete nc-Si regions is connected, forming continuous nc-Si pathways. Based on the analysis of the temperature dependent I-V characteristics and HRTEM photos, we found that the break-and-bridge evolution of nc-Si pathway is the origin of resistive switching memory behavior. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the resistive switching behavior in nc-Si films, opening a way for it to be utilized as a material in Si-based memories.

High-pressure structural behaviour of nanocrystalline Ge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H; Liu, J F; He, Y; Wang, Y; Chen, W; Jiang, J Z; Olsen, J Staun; Gerward, L

2007-01-01

The equation of state and the pressure of the I-II transition have been studied for nanocrystalline Ge using synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The bulk modulus and the transition pressure increase with decreasing particle size for both Ge-I and Ge-II, but the percentage volume collapse at the transition remains constant. Simplified models for the high-pressure structural behaviour are presented, based on the assumption that a large fraction of the atoms reside in grain boundary regions of the nanocrystalline material. The interface structure plays a significant role in affecting the transition pressure and the bulk modulus

Reciprocal space analysis of the microstructure of luminescent and nonluminescent porous silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.R.; Barbour, J.C.; Medernach, J.W.; Stevenson, J.O.; Custer, J.S.

1994-01-01

The microstructure of anodically prepared porous silicon films was determined using a novel X-ray diffraction technique. This technique uses double-crystal diffractometry combined with position-sensitive X- ray detection to efficiently and quantitatively image the reciprocal space structure of crystalline materials. Reciprocal space analysis of newly prepared, as well as aged, p - porous silicon films showed that these films exhibit a very broad range of crystallinity. This material appears to range in structure from a strained, single-crystal, sponge-like material exhibiting long-range coherency to isolated, dilated nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix. Reciprocal space analysis of n + and p + porous silicon showed these materials are strained single-crystals with a spatially-correlated array of vertical pores. The vertical pores in these crystals may be surrounded by nanoporous or nanocrystalline domains as small as a few nm in size which produce diffuse diffraction indicating their presence. The photoluminescence of these films was examined using 488 nm Ar laser excitation in order to search for possible correlations between photoluminescent intensity and crystalline microstructure

Effect of grain size on corrosion of nanocrystalline copper in NaOH solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Wei; Xu Yimin; Wang Qiming; Shi Peizhen; Yan Mi

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Coppers display an active-passive-transpassive behaviour with duplex passive film. → Grain size variation has little effect on the overall corrosion behaviour of Cu. → Little effect on corrosion may be due to duplex passivation in NaOH solution. → Bulk nanocrystalline Cu show bamboo-like flake corrosion structure. - Abstract: Effect of grain size on corrosion of bulk nanocrystalline copper was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 0.1 M NaOH solution. Bulk nanocrystalline copper was prepared by inert gas condensation and in situ warm compress (IGCWC) method. The grain sizes of all bulk nanocrystalline samples were determined to be 48, 68 and 92 nm using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that bulk coppers displayed an active-passive-transpassive behaviour with duplex passive films. From polycrystalline to nanocrystalline, grain size variation showed little effect on the overall corrosion resistance of copper samples.

Mechanochemical synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe and Fe–B magnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, Majid; Ghasemi, Ali; Tavoosi, Majid

2016-01-01

Mechanochemical synthesis and magnetic characterization of nanocrystalline Fe and Fe–B magnetic alloys was the goal of this study. In this regard, different Fe_2O_3–B_2O_3 powder mixtures with sufficient amount of CaH_2 were milled in a planetary ball mill in order to produce nanocrystalline Fe, Fe_9_5B_5 and Fe_8_5B_1_5 alloys. The produced samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results showed that, nanocrystalline Fe, Fe_9_5B_5 and Fe_8_5B_1_5 alloys can be successfully synthesized by the reduction reaction of Fe_2O_3 and B_2O_3 with CaH_2 during mechanical alloying. The structure of produced Fe_9_5B_5 and Fe_8_5B_1_5 alloys was a combination of Fe and Fe_2B phases with average crystallite sizes of about 15 and 10 nm, respectively. The produced nanocrystalline alloys exhibited soft magnetic properties with the coercivity and saturation of magnetization in the range of 170–240 Oe and 9–28 emu/g, respectively. Increasing the boron content has a destructive effect on soft magnetic properties of Fe–B alloys. - Highlights: • We study the mechanochemical synthesis of nanocrystalline boron, Fe and Fe–B alloys. • We study the reduction reaction of B_2O_3–CaH_2 during milling. • We study the reduction reaction of Fe_2O_3–CaH_2 during milling. • We study the reduction reaction of Fe_2O_3–B_2O_3–CaH_2 during milling. • We study the effect of B on magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe–B alloys.

Triple Layer Antireflection Design Concept for the Front Side of c-Si Heterojunction Solar Cell Based on the Antireflective Effect of nc-3C-SiC:H Emitter Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erick Omondi Ateto

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated the antireflective (AR effect of hydrogenated nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (nc-3C-SiC:H emitter and its application in the triple layer AR design for the front side of silicon heterojunction (SHJ solar cell. We found that the nc-3C-SiC:H emitter can serve both as an emitter and antireflective coating for SHJ solar cell, which enables us to realize the triple AR design by adding one additional dielectric layer to normally used SHJ structure with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO and an emitter layer. The optimized SHJ structure with the triple layer AR coating (LiF/ITO/nc-3C-SiC:H exhibit a short circuit current density (Jsc of 38.65 mA/cm2 and lower reflectivity of about 3.42% at wavelength range of 300 nm–1000 nm.

Synthesis of Mesoporous Nanocrystalline Zirconia by Surfactant-Assisted Hydrothermal Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Nath, Soumav; Biswas, Ashik; Kour, Prachi P; Sarma, Loka S; Sur, Ujjal Kumar; Ankamwar, Balaprasad G

2018-08-01

In this paper, we have reported the chemical synthesis of thermally stable mesoporous nanocrystalline zirconia with high surface area using a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal approach. We have employed different type of surfactants such as CTAB, SDS and Triton X-100 in our synthesis. The synthesized nanocrystalline zirconia multistructures exhibit various morphologies such as rod, mortar-pestle with different particle sizes. We have characterized the zirconia multistructures by X-ray diffraction study, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Attenuated total refection infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The thermal stability of as synthesized zirconia multistructures was studied by thermo gravimetric analysis, which shows the high thermal stability of nanocrystalline zirconia around 900 °C temperature.

Nanocrystalline Ni-Co Alloy Synthesis by High Speed Electrodeposition

OpenAIRE

Idris, Jamaliah; Christian, Chukwuekezie; Gaius, Eyu

2013-01-01

Electrodeposition of nanocrystals is economically and technologically viable production path for the synthesis of pure metals and alloys both in coatings and bulk form. The study presents nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloy synthesis by high speed electrodeposition. Nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloys coatings were prepared by direct current (DC) and deposited directly on steel and aluminum substrates without any pretreatment, using high speed electrodeposition method. The influence of the electrolysis par...

Rectification properties of n-type nanocrystalline diamond heterojunctions to p-type silicon carbide at high temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goto, Masaki; Amano, Ryo; Shimoda, Naotaka [Graduate School of Automotive Science, Kyushu University, Nishiku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Kato, Yoshimine, E-mail: yoshimine.kato@zaiko.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyushu University, Nishiku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Teii, Kungen [Department of Applied Science for Electronics and Materials, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan)

2014-04-14

Highly rectifying heterojunctions of n-type nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films to p-type 4H-SiC substrates are fabricated to develop p-n junction diodes operable at high temperatures. In reverse bias condition, a potential barrier for holes at the interface prevents the injection of reverse leakage current from the NCD into the SiC and achieves the high rectification ratios of the order of 10{sup 7} at room temperature and 10{sup 4} even at 570 K. The mechanism of the forward current injection is described with the upward shift of the defect energy levels in the NCD to the conduction band of the SiC by forward biasing. The forward current shows different behavior from typical SiC Schottky diodes at high temperatures.

Catalytic nanocrystalline coordination polymers as an efficient peroxidase mimic for labeling and optical immunoassays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Čunderlová, Veronika; Hlaváček, Antonín; Horňáková, Veronika; Peterek, Miroslav; Němeček, Daniel; Skládal, Petr; Hampl, Aleš; Eyer, Luděk

2016-01-01

We report that nanocrystalline Prussian blue of the type Fe 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3 is a powerful peroxidase mimic for use in labeling of biomolecules. The cubic nanocrystals typically have a diameter of 15 nm and are capable of catalyzing the oxidation of colorless 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H 2 O 2 to form an intensively colored product with an absorption maximum at 662 nm. The determined pseudo turnover number is ∼20,000 s −1 which is the highest value reported for nanoparticles of a size comparable to common proteins. We also present a method for the biotinylation of the surface of these nanocrystals, and show their use in competitive bioaffinity based assays of biotin and human serum albumin. The limits of detection are 0.35 and 0.27 μg mL −1 , respectively. The results prove the applicability of coordination polymers for signal amplification and also their compatibility with the format of enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. (author)

Accumulation and recovery of defects in ion-irradiated nanocrystalline gold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chimi, Y. E-mail: chimi@popsvr.tokai.jaeri.go.jp; Iwase, A.; Ishikawa, N.; Kobiyama, M.; Inami, T.; Okuda, S

2001-09-01

Effects of 60 MeV {sup 12}C ion irradiation on nanocrystalline gold (nano-Au) are studied. The experimental results show that the irradiation-produced defects in nano-Au are thermally unstable because of the existence of a large volume fraction of grain boundaries. This suggests a possibility of the use of nanocrystalline materials as irradiation-resistant materials.

Thermodynamics of face-centered-cubic silicon nucleation at the nanoscale from laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Shengliang; Li Wuhong; Liu Wei; Dong Yingge; Cao Shirui; Yang Jinlong

2011-01-01

The thermodynamic nucleation and the phase transition of the face-centered-cubic structure of Si (fcc-Si) on the nanoscale are performed by taking the effect of nanosize-induced additional pressure on the fcc-Si formation under the conditions generated by laser ablation in liquid into account. The thermodynamic analyses showed that the formation of fcc-Si nanocrystals with sizes of 2-6 nm would take place prior to that of large fcc-Si nanocrystals, and the phase transition probability from diamond-like structure Si (d-Si) to fcc-Si is rather high, up to 10 -3 -10 -2 , under the conditions created by laser ablation of an Si target in water. These theoretical results suggest that laser ablation in liquid would be an effective industrial route to prepare ultrasmall fcc-Si nanocrystals.

A phenomenological variational multiscale constitutive model for intergranular failure in nanocrystalline materials

KAUST Repository

Siddiq, A.; El Sayed, Tamer S.

2013-01-01

We present a variational multiscale constitutive model that accounts for intergranular failure in nanocrystalline fcc metals due to void growth and coalescence in the grain boundary region. Following previous work by the authors, a nanocrystalline

Biologically inspired rosette nanotubes and nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite hydrogel nanocomposites as improved bone substitutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lijie; Webster, Thomas J; Rodriguez, Jose; Raez, Jose; Myles, Andrew J; Fenniri, Hicham

2009-01-01

Today, bone diseases such as bone fractures, osteoporosis and bone cancer represent a common and significant public health problem. The design of biomimetic bone tissue engineering materials that could restore and improve damaged bone tissues provides exciting opportunities to solve the numerous problems associated with traditional orthopedic implants. Therefore, the objective of this in vitro study was to create a biomimetic orthopedic hydrogel nanocomposite based on the self-assembly properties of helical rosette nanotubes (HRNs), the osteoconductive properties of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA), and the biocompatible properties of hydrogels (specifically, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), pHEMA). HRNs are self-assembled nanomaterials that are formed from synthetic DNA base analogs in water to mimic the helical nanostructure of collagen in bone. In this study, different geometries of nanocrystalline HA were controlled by either hydrothermal or sintering methods. 2 and 10 wt% nanocrystalline HA particles were well dispersed into HRN hydrogels using ultrasonication. The nanocrystalline HA and nanocrystalline HA/HRN hydrogels were characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical testing studies revealed that the well dispersed nanocrystalline HA in HRN hydrogels possessed improved mechanical properties compared to hydrogel controls. In addition, the results of this study provided the first evidence that the combination of either 2 or 10 wt% nanocrystalline HA and 0.01 mg ml -1 HRNs in hydrogels greatly increased osteoblast (bone-forming cell) adhesion up to 236% compared to hydrogel controls. Moreover, this study showed that HRNs stimulated HA nucleation and mineralization along their main axis in a way that is very reminiscent of the HA/collagen assembly pattern in natural bone. In summary, the presently observed excellent properties of the biomimetic nanocrystalline HA/HRN hydrogel composites

Microstructure characterization and cation distribution of nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbas, Y.M., E-mail: ymabbas@live.com [Suez Canal University, Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Ismailia (Egypt); Mansour, S.A.; Ibrahim, M.H. [Suez Canal University, Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Ismailia (Egypt); Ali, Shehab E., E-mail: shehab_physics@yahoo.com [Suez Canal University, Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Ismailia (Egypt)

2011-11-15

Nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite has been synthesized using two different methods: ceramic and co-precipitation techniques. The nanocrystalline ferrite phase has been formed after 3 h of sintering at 1000 deg. C. The structural and microstructural evolutions of the nanophase have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction and the Rietveld method. The refinement result showed that the type of the cationic distribution over the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the nanocrystalline lattice is partially an inverse spinel. The transmission electronic microscope analysis confirmed the X-ray results. The magnetic properties of the samples were characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer. - Highlights: > The refinement result showed that the cationic distribution over the sites in the lattice is partially an inverse spinel. > The transmission electronic microscope analysis confirmed the X-ray results. > The magnetic properties of the samples were characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer.

Silver film on nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} support: Photocatalytic and antimicrobial ability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vukoje, Ivana D., E-mail: ivanav@vinca.rs [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Tomašević-Ilić, Tijana D., E-mail: tommashev@gmail.com [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Zarubica, Aleksandra R., E-mail: zarubica2000@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš (Serbia); Dimitrijević, Suzana, E-mail: suzana@tmf.bg.ac.rs [Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Budimir, Milica D., E-mail: mickbudimir@gmail.com [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Vranješ, Mila R., E-mail: mila@vinca.rs [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Šaponjić, Zoran V., E-mail: saponjic@vinca.rs [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Nedeljković, Jovan M., E-mail: jovned@vinca.rs [Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

2014-12-15

Highlights: • Simple photocatalytic rout for deposition of Ag on nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} films. • High antibactericidal efficiency of deposited Ag on TiO{sub 2} support. • Improved photocatalytic performance of TiO{sub 2} films in the presence of deposited Ag. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} films were prepared on glass slides by the dip coating technique using colloidal solutions consisting of 4.5 nm particles as a precursor. Photoirradiation of nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} film modified with alanine that covalently binds to the surface of TiO{sub 2} and at the same time chelate silver ions induced formation of metallic silver film. Optical and morphological properties of thin silver films on nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} support were studied by absorption spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Improvement of photocatalytic performance of nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} films after deposition of silver was observed in degradation reaction of crystal violet. Antimicrobial ability of deposited silver films on nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} support was tested in dark as a function of time against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The silver films ensured maximum cells reduction of both bacteria, while the fungi reduction reached satisfactory 98.45% after 24 h of contact.

Direct Coating of Nanocrystalline Diamond on Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Tsugawa, Kazuo; Kawaki, Shyunsuke; Ishihara, Masatou; Hasegawa, Masataka

2012-09-01

Nanocrystalline diamond films have been successfully deposited on stainless steel substrates without any substrate pretreatments to promote diamond nucleation, including the formation of interlayers. A low-temperature growth technique, 400 °C or lower, in microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition using a surface-wave plasma has cleared up problems in diamond growth on ferrous materials, such as the surface graphitization, long incubation time, substrate softening, and poor adhesion. The deposited nanocrystalline diamond films on stainless steel exhibit good adhesion and tribological properties, such as a high wear resistance, a low friction coefficient, and a low aggression strength, at room temperature in air without lubrication.

Inter- and intra-agglomerate fracture in nanocrystalline nickel.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Zhiwei; Knapp, J A; Follstaedt, D M; Stach, E A; Wiezorek, J M K; Mao, S X

2008-03-14

In situ tensile straining transmission electron microscopy tests have been carried out on nanocrystalline Ni. Grain agglomerates (GAs) were found to form very frequently and rapidly ahead of an advancing crack with sizes much larger than the initial average grain size. High-resolution electron microscopy indicated that the GAs most probably consist of nanograins separated by low-angle grain boundaries. Furthermore, both inter- and intra-GA fractures were observed. The observations suggest that these newly formed GAs may play an important role in the formation of the dimpled fracture surfaces of nanocrystalline materials.

Nanocrystalline diamond: In vitro biocompatibility assessment by MG63 and human bone marrow cells cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral, M; Dias, A G; Gomes, P S; Lopes, M A; Silva, R F; Santos, J D; Fernandes, M H

2008-10-01

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) has a great potential for prosthetic implants coating. Nevertheless, its biocompatibility still has to be better understood. To do so, we employed several materials characterization techniques (SEM, AFM, micro-Raman spectroscopy) and cell culture assays using MG63 osteoblast-like and human bone marrow cells. Biochemical routines (MTT assays, Lowry's method, ALP activity) supported by SEM and confocal microscopy characterization were carried out. We used silicon nitride (Si3N4) substrates for NCD coatings based on a previous demonstration of the superior adhesion and tribological performance of these NCD coated ceramics. Results demonstrate an improved human osteoblast proliferation and the stimulation of differentiated markers, like ALP activity and matrix mineralization, compared with standard polystyrene tissue culture plates. The nanometric featuring of NCD, associated to its chemical affinity are key points for bone regeneration purposes.

Structural characterization of nanocrystalline cadmium sulphide powder prepared by solvent evaporation technique

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, Samir; Tandel, Digisha; Chodavadiya, Nisarg

2018-05-01

CdS is one of the most important compounds in the II-VI group of semiconductor. There are numerous applications of CdS in the form of nanoparticles and nanocrystalline. Semiconductors nanoparticles (also known as quantum dots), belong to state of matter in the transition region between molecules and solids, have attracted a great deal of attention because of their unique electrical and optical properties, compared to bulk materials. In the field of optoelectronic, nanocrystalline form utilizes mostly in the field of catalysis and fluid technology. Considering these observations, presented work had been carried out, i.e. based on the nanocrystalline material preparation. In the present work CdS nano-crystalline powder was synthesized by a simple and cost effective chemical technique to grow cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles at 200 °C with different concentrations of cadmium. The synthesis parameters were optimized. The synthesized powder was structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction and particle size analyzer. In the XRD analysis, Micro-structural parameters such as lattice strain, dislocation density and crystallite size were analysed. The broadened diffraction peaks indicated nanocrystalline particles of the film material. In addition to that the size of the prepared particles was analyzed by particle size analyzer. The results show the average size of CdS particles ranging from 80 to 100 nm. The overall conclusion of the work can be very useful in the synthesis of nanocrystalline CdS powder.

Correlation of thermodynamics and grain growth kinetics in nanocrystalline metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Xiaoyan; Zhang Jiuxing; Li Lingmei; Yang Keyong; Liu Guoquan

2006-01-01

We investigated the correlation of thermodynamics and grain growth kinetics of nanocrystalline metals both theoretically and experimentally. A model was developed to describe the thermodynamic properties of nanograin boundaries, which could give reliable predictions in the destabilization characteristics of nanograin structures and the slowing down of grain growth kinetics at a constant temperature. Both the temperature-varying and isothermal nanograin growth behaviors in pure nanocrystalline Co were studied to verify the thermodynamic predictions. The experimental results showing that discontinuous nanograin growth takes place at a certain temperature and grain growth rate decreases monotonically with time confirm our thermodynamics-based description of nanograin growth characteristics. Therefore, we propose a thermodynamic viewpoint to explain the deviation of grain growth kinetics in nanocrystalline metals from those of polycrystalline materials

Composition and properties of nanocrystalline Zn S thin films prepared by a new chemical bath deposition route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahraei, R.; Goudarzi, A.; Ahmadpoor, H.; Motedayen Aval, Gh.

2006-01-01

Zinc sulfide nanocrystalline thin films were prepared by a new chemical bath deposition route on soda lime glass and quartz substrates using a weak acidic bath, in which disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) acts as a complexing agent and thioacetamide acts as a source of sulfide ions. The thickness of the films varied from a few nm to 500 nm. The chemical composition of films was studied by energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The films are very close to Zinc sulfide stoichiometry and we did not observed any organic compounds in the impurity form in them. X-ray diffraction indicates that the film and powder formed in the same reaction bath have cubic zinc blende structure. The films have high transmittance of about 75% in the visible region. The optical band-gap energy (E g ) was determined to be 3.75 eV from the absorption spectrophotometry measurements.

Interpolation of natural cubic spline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arun Kumar

1992-01-01

Full Text Available From the result in [1] it follows that there is a unique quadratic spline which bounds the same area as that of the function. The matching of the area for the cubic spline does not follow from the corresponding result proved in [2]. We obtain cubic splines which preserve the area of the function.

EXAFS and XRD studies of nanocrystalline cerium oxide: the effect of preparation method on the microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savin, S.L.P.; Chadwick, A.V.; Smith, M.E.; O'Dell, L.A.

2007-01-01

There is considerable interest in nanocrystalline materials due to their unusual properties, such as enhanced ionic conductivity in the case of nanocrystalline ionic solids. This has potential commercial applications, particularly for oxide ion conductors. However, a detailed knowledge of the microstructure is important in fully understanding the novel properties exhibited by nanocrystalline materials. The final microstructure of a material is dependent on the preparation method used, for example, sol-gel and ball-milling methods are commonly used in the preparation of nanocrystalline oxides. Additionally, there is a problem in maintaining the materials in nanocrystalline form when they are subjected to elevated temperatures. We have been exploring strategies to restrict the growth of nanocrystalline oxides and have found that adding a small amount of an inert material, e.g. SiO 2 or Al 2 O 3 , is particularly effective. We will report XRD and EXAFS studies of nanocrystalline ceria prepared by sol-gel, sol-gel pinned and ball-milling methods and the effect of preparation method on the final microstructure. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Sputtered tungsten-based ternary and quaternary layers for nanocrystalline diamond deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Walock, Michael J; Rahil, Issam; Zou, Yujiao; Imhoff, Luc; Catledge, Shane A; Nouveau, Corinne; Stanishevsky, Andrei V

2012-06-01

Many of today's demanding applications require thin-film coatings with high hardness, toughness, and thermal stability. In many cases, coating thickness in the range 2-20 microm and low surface roughness are required. Diamond films meet many of the stated requirements, but their crystalline nature leads to a high surface roughness. Nanocrystalline diamond offers a smoother surface, but significant surface modification of the substrate is necessary for successful nanocrystalline diamond deposition and adhesion. A hybrid hard and tough material may be required for either the desired applications, or as a basis for nanocrystalline diamond film growth. One possibility is a composite system based on carbides or nitrides. Many binary carbides and nitrides offer one or more mentioned properties. By combining these binary compounds in a ternary or quaternary nanocrystalline system, we can tailor the material for a desired combination of properties. Here, we describe the results on the structural and mechanical properties of the coating systems composed of tungsten-chromium-carbide and/or nitride. These WC-Cr-(N) coatings are deposited using magnetron sputtering. The growth of adherent nanocrystalline diamond films by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition has been demonstrated on these coatings. The WC-Cr-(N) and WC-Cr-(N)-NCD coatings are characterized with atomic force microscopy and SEM, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and nanoindentation.

Nanocrystalline and ultrafine grain copper obtained by mechanical attrition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolfo Rodríguez Baracaldo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article presents a method for the sample preparation and characterisation of bulk copper having grain size lower than 1 μm (ultra-fine grain and lower than 100 nm grain size (nanocrystalline. Copper is initially manufactured by a milling/alloying me- chanical method thereby obtaining a powder having a nanocrystalline structure which is then consolidated through a process of warm compaction at high pressure. Microstructural characterisation of bulk copper samples showed the evolution of grain size during all stages involved in obtaining it. The results led to determining the necessary conditions for achieving a wide range of grain sizes. Mechanical characterisation indicated an increase in microhardness to values of around 3.40 GPa for unconsolida- ted nanocrystalline powder. Compressivee strength was increased by reducing the grain size, thereby obtaining an elastic limit of 650 MPa for consolidated copper having a ~ 62 nm grain size.

Creep behavior of a nanocrystalline Fe-B-Si alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, M.; Kong, Q.P.

1997-01-01

The research of nanocrystalline materials has attracted much attention in the world. In recent years, there have been several studies on their creep behavior. Among these, the authors have studied the tensile creep of a nanocrystalline Ni-P alloy (28 nm) at temperatures around 0.5 Tm (Tm is the melting point). The samples were prepared by the method of crystallization of amorphous ribbon. Based on the data of stress exponent and activation energy, they suggested that the creep was controlled by boundary diffusion; while the creep of the same alloy with a larger grain size (257 nm) was controlled by a different mechanism. In the present paper, the authors extend the research to the creep of a nanocrystalline Fe-B-Si alloy. The samples are also prepared by crystallization of amorphous ribbon. The samples such prepared have an advantage that the interfaces are naturally formed without artificial compaction and porosity

Microstructure characterization and cation distribution of nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbas, Y.M.; Mansour, S.A.; Ibrahim, M.H.; Ali, Shehab E.

2011-01-01

Nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite has been synthesized using two different methods: ceramic and co-precipitation techniques. The nanocrystalline ferrite phase has been formed after 3 h of sintering at 1000 deg. C. The structural and microstructural evolutions of the nanophase have been studied using X-ray powder diffraction and the Rietveld method. The refinement result showed that the type of the cationic distribution over the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the nanocrystalline lattice is partially an inverse spinel. The transmission electronic microscope analysis confirmed the X-ray results. The magnetic properties of the samples were characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer. - Highlights: → The refinement result showed that the cationic distribution over the sites in the lattice is partially an inverse spinel. → The transmission electronic microscope analysis confirmed the X-ray results. → The magnetic properties of the samples were characterized using a vibrating sample magnetometer.

Strain rate sensitivity studies on bulk nanocrystalline aluminium by nanoindentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varam, Sreedevi; Rajulapati, Koteswararao V., E-mail: kvrse@uohyd.ernet.in; Bhanu Sankara Rao, K.

2014-02-05

Nanocrystalline aluminium powder synthesized using high energy ball milling process was characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The studies indicated the powder having an average grain size of ∼42 nm. The consolidation of the powder was carried out by high-pressure compaction using a uni-axial press at room temperature by applying a pressure of 1.5 GPa. The cold compacted bulk sample having a density of ∼98% was subjected to nanoindentation which showed an average hardness and elastic modulus values of 1.67 ± 0.09 GPa and 83 ± 8 GPa respectively at a peak force of 8000 μN and a strain rate of 10{sup −2} s{sup −1}. Achieving good strength along with good ductility is challenging in nanocrystalline metals. When enough sample sizes are not available to measure ductility and other mechanical properties as per ASTM standards, as is the case with nanocrystalline materials, nanoindentation is a very promising technique to evaluate strain rate sensitivity. Strain rate sensitivity is a good measure of ductility and in the present work it is measured by performing indentation at various loads with varying loading rates. Strain rate sensitivity values of 0.024–0.054 are obtained for nanocrystalline Al which are high over conventional coarse grained Al. In addition, Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) image of the indent shows that there is some plastically flown region around the indent suggesting that this nanocrystalline aluminium is ductile.

Size-dependent deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zhi [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Huang, Yuhong [College of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, Shaanxi (China); Ma, Fei, E-mail: mafei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Sun, Yunjin [Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Detection and Control of Spoilage Organisms and Pesticide Residue, Beijing Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, Beijing 102206 (China); Xu, Kewei, E-mail: kwxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Department of Physics and Opt-electronic Engineering, Xi’an University of Arts and Science, Xi’an 710065, Shaanxi (China); Chu, Paul K., E-mail: paul.chu@cityu.edu.hk [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • MD simulation is conducted to study the deformation of nanocrystalline graphene. • Unexpectedly, the elastic modulus decreases with the grain size considerably. • But the fracture stress and strain are nearly insensitive to the grain size. • A composite model with grain domains and GBs as two components is suggested. - Abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is conducted to study the deformation behavior of nanocrystalline graphene sheets. It is found that the graphene sheets have almost constant fracture stress and strain, but decreased elastic modulus with grain size. The results are different from the size-dependent strength observed in nanocrystalline metals. Structurally, the grain boundaries (GBs) become a principal component in two-dimensional materials with nano-grains and the bond length in GBs tends to be homogeneously distributed. This is almost the same for all the samples. Hence, the fracture stress and strain are almost size independent. As a low-elastic-modulus component, the GBs increase with reducing grain size and the elastic modulus decreases accordingly. A composite model is proposed to elucidate the deformation behavior.

Type I Clathrates as Novel Silicon Anodes: An Electrochemical and Structural Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying; Raghavan, Rahul; Wagner, Nicholas A.; Davidowski, Stephen K.; Baggetto, Loïc; Zhao, Ran; Cheng, Qian; Yarger, Jeffery L.; Veith, Gabriel M.; Ellis‐Terrell, Carol; Miller, Michael A.; Chan, Kwai S.

2015-01-01

Silicon clathrates contain cage‐like structures that can encapsulate various guest atoms or molecules. An electrochemical evaluation of type I silicon clathrates based on Ba8AlySi46−y as the anode material for lithium‐ion batteries is presented here. Postcycling characterization with nuclear magnetic resonance and X‐ray diffraction shows no discernible structural or volume changes even after electrochemical insertion of 44 Li (≈1 Li/Si) into the clathrate structure. The observed properties are in stark contrast with lithiation of other silicon anodes, which become amorphous and suffer from large volume changes. The electrochemical reactions are proposed to occur as single phase reactions at approximately 0.2 and 0.4 V versus Li/Li+ during lithiation and delithiation, respectively, distinct from diamond cubic or amorphous silicon anodes. Reversible capacities as high as 499 mAh g−1 at a 5 mA g−1 rate were observed for silicon clathrate with composition Ba8Al8.54Si37.46, corresponding to ≈1.18 Li/Si. These results show that silicon clathrates could be promising durable anodes for lithium‐ion batteries. PMID:27980951

Towards solar grade silicon: Challenges and benefits for low cost photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzini, Sergio [Ned Silicon Spa, Via Th. Edison 6, 60027 Osimo (Ancona) (Italy)

2010-09-15

It is well known that silicon in its various structural configurations (single crystal, multicrystalline, amorphous, micro-nanocrystalline) supplies almost 90% of the substrates used in the photovoltaic industry. It is also known, since years, that the photovoltaic (PV) industry shows a marked growth trend, which demanded and demands a continuous, huge increase of the bulk silicon supply in the order of 30%/yr. In order to fulfill their today- and future needs, many companies worldwide took the decision to start the installation of many thousand tons/year plants, most of them using the Siemens process, some of them using the MG route, to produce the so called solar grade (SG) silicon. The advantages of the Siemens process are well known, as it provides ultrapure silicon, directly usable for growing either single crystalline Czochralski ingots or multicrystalline ingots using the directional solidification (DS) technique. The disadvantages are its high energetic cost (a minimum of 120 kWH/kg) and the possible losses of chlorinated gases in the atmosphere, with possible severe environmental problems. The advantages of the MG route are still potential, as there is no commercially available production of solar silicon as yet, and rely on its reduced energetic costs (a maximum of 25-30 kWh/kg) for a feedstock directly usable for growing multicrystalline ingots using the DS technique. The drawbacks of silicon of MG origin are its larger concentration of metallic impurities, as compared with the Siemens one, the higher B and P content, and the potentially high carbon content. The aim of this paper is to deal with some of the problems encountered so far with the silicon of MG origin with respect to the metallic and non-metallic impurities content, as well as to propose technologically feasible solar grade feedstock specifications. (author)

Mechanochemical synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe and Fe–B magnetic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammadi, Majid; Ghasemi, Ali, E-mail: ali13912001@yahoo.com; Tavoosi, Majid

2016-12-01

Mechanochemical synthesis and magnetic characterization of nanocrystalline Fe and Fe–B magnetic alloys was the goal of this study. In this regard, different Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–B{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder mixtures with sufficient amount of CaH{sub 2} were milled in a planetary ball mill in order to produce nanocrystalline Fe, Fe{sub 95}B{sub 5} and Fe{sub 85}B{sub 15} alloys. The produced samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results showed that, nanocrystalline Fe, Fe{sub 95}B{sub 5} and Fe{sub 85}B{sub 15} alloys can be successfully synthesized by the reduction reaction of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and B{sub 2}O{sub 3} with CaH{sub 2} during mechanical alloying. The structure of produced Fe{sub 95}B{sub 5} and Fe{sub 85}B{sub 15} alloys was a combination of Fe and Fe{sub 2}B phases with average crystallite sizes of about 15 and 10 nm, respectively. The produced nanocrystalline alloys exhibited soft magnetic properties with the coercivity and saturation of magnetization in the range of 170–240 Oe and 9–28 emu/g, respectively. Increasing the boron content has a destructive effect on soft magnetic properties of Fe–B alloys. - Highlights: • We study the mechanochemical synthesis of nanocrystalline boron, Fe and Fe–B alloys. • We study the reduction reaction of B{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaH{sub 2} during milling. • We study the reduction reaction of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaH{sub 2} during milling. • We study the reduction reaction of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–B{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaH{sub 2} during milling. • We study the effect of B on magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe–B alloys.

Investigation of microstructure thermal evolution in nanocrystalline Cu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Kai; Li Hui; Pang Jinbiao; Wang Zhu

2011-01-01

The microstructure of nanocrystalline Cu prepared by compacting nanoparticles (50-60 nm in diameter) under high pressures has been studied by means of positron lifetime spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. These nanoparticles were produced by two different methods. We found that there are order regions interior to the grains and disorder regions at the grain boundaries with a wide distribution of interatomic distances. The mean grain sizes of the nanocrystalline Cu samples decrease after being annealed at 900 o C and increase during aging at 180 o C, which are observed by X-ray diffraction, revealing that the atoms exchange between the two regions. The positron lifetime results clearly indicate that the vacancy clusters formed in the annealing process are unstable and decomposed at the aging time below 6 hours. In addition, the partially oxidized surfaces of the nanoparticles hinder grain growth when the samples age at 180 o C, and the vacancy clusters inside the disorder regions, which are related to Cu 2 O, need longer aging time to decompose. The disorder regions remain after the heat treatment in this work, in spite of the grain growth, which will be good for the samples keeping the properties of nanocrystalline material. -- Research highlights: → We use a digital positron lifetime spectrometer correlated with XRD to study the microstructure evolution of nanocrystalline Cu during thermal treatment. → An atomic scale microstructure of grain boundary is characterized. Further, the surface oxidation of the nanoparticles is considered. → The disorder regions remain after the heat treatment in this work, in spite of grain growth.

Critical currents and fields of disordered nanocrystalline superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yavary, H.; Shahzamanian, M.A.; Rabbani, H.

2007-01-01

Full text: There is an enormous effort directed at increasing the upper critical field of the superconducting materials because this upper critical field provides a fundamental limit to the maximum field a magnet system can produce. High-energy particle accelerators and medical resonance imaging body scanners are limited by the for NbTi (10 T). Gigahertz class nuclear-magnetic-resonance and high field laboratory magnets are limited by for Nb 3 Sn (23 T) [1]. However, the values of critical current density are too low for industrial use, possibly because of degraded or nonsuperconducting phases, such as MoS 2 or Mo 2 S 3 , at the grain boundaries or because the pinning site density is not high enough. It has long been known that decreasing the grain size of low-temperature superconducting (LTS) materials, such as Nb 3 Sn, increases the density of flux pinning sites and hence. Nanocrystalline materials are characterized by ultrafine grains and a high density of grain boundaries [2]. Hence nanocrystalline materials can exhibit unusual physical, chemical, and mechanical properties with respect to conventional polycrystalline materials. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure of currents and fields in disordered nanocrystalline superconducting materials by the use of quasiclassical many body techniques. The Keldish Greens functions are used to calculate the current density of the system. Since the disorder and microstructure of these nanocrystalline materials are on a sufficiently short length scale as to increase both the density of pinning site and the upper critical field. (authors)

Very high frequency plasma deposited amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon tandem solar cells on flexible substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, Y.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304831743

2010-01-01

The work in this thesis is to develop high quality intrinsic layers (especially nc-Si:H) for micromorph silicon tandem solar cells/modules on plastic substrates following the substrate transfer method or knows as the Helianthos procedure. Two objectives are covered in this thesis: (1) preliminary

Transformation of Goethite to Hematite Nanocrystallines by High Energy Ball Milling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. M. Lemine

2014-01-01

Full Text Available α-Fe2O3 nanocrystallines were prepared by direct transformation via high energy ball milling treatment for α-FeOOH powder. X-ray diffraction, Rietveld analysis, TEM, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM are used to characterize the samples obtained after several milling times. Phase identification using Rietveld analysis showed that the goethite is transformed to hematite nanocrystalline after 40 hours of milling. HRTEM confirm that the obtained phase is mostly a single-crystal structure. This result suggested that the mechanochemical reaction is an efficient way to prepare some iron oxides nanocrystallines from raw materials which are abundant in the nature. The mechanism of the formation of hematite is discussed in text.

Implantation of silicon dioxide-based nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and pure phase beta-tricalciumphosphate bone substitute granules in caprine muscle tissue does not induce new bone formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghanaati Shahram

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Osteoinductive bone substitutes are defined by their ability to induce new bone formation even at heterotopic implantation sites. The present study was designed to analyze the potential osteoinductivity of two different bone substitute materials in caprine muscle tissue. Materials and methods One gram each of either a porous beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP or an hydroxyapatite/silicon dioxide (HA/SiO2-based nanocrystalline bone substitute material was implanted in several muscle pouches of goats. The biomaterials were explanted at 29, 91 and 181 days after implantation. Conventional histology and special histochemical stains were performed to detect osteoblast precursor cells as well as mineralized and unmineralized bone matrix. Results Both materials underwent cellular degradation in which tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP-positive osteoclast-like cells and TRAP-negative multinucleated giant cells were involved. The ß-TCP was completely resorbed within the observation period, whereas some granules of the HA-groups were still detectable after 180 days. Neither osteoblasts, osteoblast precursor cells nor extracellular bone matrix were found within the implantation bed of any of the analyzed biomaterials at any of the observed time points. Conclusions This study showed that ß-TCP underwent a faster degradation than the HA-based material. The lack of osteoinductivity for both materials might be due to their granular shape, as osteoinductivity in goat muscle has been mainly attributed to cylindrical or disc-shaped bone substitute materials. This hypothesis however requires further investigation to systematically analyze various materials with comparable characteristics in the same experimental setting.

Characterization of amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, Paul K.; Li Liuhe

2006-01-01

Amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films possess special chemical and physical properties such as high chemical inertness, diamond-like properties, and favorable tribological proprieties. The materials usually consist of graphite and diamond microstructures and thus possess properties that lie between the two. Amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films can exist in different kinds of matrices and are usually doped with a large amount of hydrogen. Thus, carbon films can be classified as polymer-like, diamond-like, or graphite-like based on the main binding framework. In order to characterize the structure, either direct bonding characterization methods or the indirect bonding characterization methods are employed. Examples of techniques utilized to identify the chemical bonds and microstructure of amorphous and nanocrystalline carbon films include optical characterization methods such as Raman spectroscopy, Ultra-violet (UV) Raman spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy, electron spectroscopic and microscopic methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy, surface morphology characterization techniques such as scanning probe microscopy (SPM) as well as other characterization methods such as X-ray reflectivity and nuclear magnetic resonance. In this review, the structures of various types of amorphous carbon films and common characterization techniques are described

Preparation of transparent conductive indium tin oxide thin films from nanocrystalline indium tin hydroxide by dip-coating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koroesi, Laszlo; Papp, Szilvia; Dekany, Imre

2011-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films with well-controlled layer thickness were produced by dip-coating method. The ITO was synthesized by a sol-gel technique involving the use of aqueous InCl 3 , SnCl 4 and NH 3 solutions. To obtain stable sols for thin film preparation, as-prepared Sn-doped indium hydroxide was dialyzed, aged, and dispersed in ethanol. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was applied to enhance the stability of the resulting ethanolic sols. The transparent, conductive ITO films on glass substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The ITO layer thickness increased linearly during the dipping cycles, which permits excellent controllability of the film thickness in the range ∼ 40-1160 nm. After calcination at 550 o C, the initial indium tin hydroxide films were transformed completely to nanocrystalline ITO with cubic and rhombohedral structure. The effects of PVP on the optical, morphological and electrical properties of ITO are discussed.

Cubical sets as a classifying topos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spitters, Bas

Coquand’s cubical set model for homotopy type theory provides the basis for a computational interpretation of the univalence axiom and some higher inductive types, as implemented in the cubical proof assistant. We show that the underlying cube category is the opposite of the Lawvere theory of De...... Morgan algebras. The topos of cubical sets itself classifies the theory of ‘free De Morgan algebras’. This provides us with a topos with an internal ‘interval’. Using this interval we construct a model of type theory following van den Berg and Garner. We are currently investigating the precise relation...

Generalized Vaidya spacetime for cubic gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Shan-Ming

2016-03-01

We present a kind of generalized Vaidya solution of a new cubic gravity in five dimensions whose field equations in spherically symmetric spacetime are always second order like the Lovelock gravity. We also study the thermodynamics of its spherically symmetric apparent horizon and get its entropy expression and generalized Misner-Sharp energy. Finally, we present the first law and second law hold in this gravity. Although all the results are analogous to those in Lovelock gravity, we in fact introduce the contribution of a new cubic term in five dimensions where the cubic Lovelock term is just zero.

Hot pressing of nanocrystalline tantalum using high frequency induction heating and pulse plasma sintering

Science.gov (United States)

Jakubowicz, J.; Adamek, G.; Sopata, M.; Koper, J. K.; Siwak, P.

2017-12-01

The paper presents the results of nanocrystalline powder tantalum consolidation using hot pressing. The authors used two different heating techniques during hot pressing: high-frequency induction heating (HFIH) and pulse plasma sintering (PPS). A comparison of the structure, microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the bulk nanocrystalline tantalum obtained in both techniques was performed. The nanocrystalline powder was made to start from the microcrystalline one using the high-energy ball milling process. The nanocrystalline powder was hot-pressed at 1000 °C, whereas, for comparison, the microcrystalline powder was hot pressed up to 1500 °C for proper consolidation. The authors found that during hot pressing, the powder partially reacts with the graphite die covered by boron nitride, which facilitated punches and powder displacement in the die during densification. Tantalum carbide and boride in the nanocrystalline material was found, which can improve the mechanical properties. The hardness of the HFIH and PPS nanocrystalline tantalum was as high as 625 and 615 HV, respectively. The microstructure was more uniform in the PPS nanomaterial. The corrosion resistance in both cases deteriorated, in comparison to the microcrystalline material, while the PPS material corrosion resistance was slightly better than that of the HFIH one.

UV-laser treatment of nanodiamond seeds - a valuable tool for modification of nanocrystalline diamond films properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlček, J; Fitl, P; Vrňata, M; Fekete, L; Taylor, A; Fendrych, F

2013-01-01

This work aimed to study the UV-laser treatment of precursor (i.e. nanodiamond (ND) seeds on silicon substrates) and its influence on the properties of grown nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films. Pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at the fourth harmonic frequency (laser fluence E L = 250 mJ cm -2 , pulse duration 5 ns) was used as a source, equipped with an optical system for focusing laser beam onto the sample, allowing exposure of a local spot and horizontal patterning. The variable parameters were: number of pulses (from 5 to 400) and the working atmosphere (He, Ar and O 2 ). Ablation and/or graphitization of seeded nanodiamond particles were observed. Further the microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition was employed to grow NCD films on exposed and non-exposed areas of silicon substrates. The size, shape and density distribution of laser-treated nanodiamond seeds were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and their chemical composition by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The resulting NCD films (uniform thickness of 400 nm) were characterized by: Raman spectroscopy to analyse occurrence of graphitic phase, and AFM to observe morphology and surface roughness. The highest RMS roughness (∼85 nm) was achieved when treating the precursor in He atmosphere. Horizontal microstructures of diamond films were fabricated.

Texture-dependent twin formation in nanocrystalline thin Pd films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, B.; Idrissi, H.; Shi, H.; Colla, M.S.; Michotte, S.; Raskin, J.P.; Pardoen, T.; Schryvers, D.

2012-01-01

Nanocrystalline Pd films were produced by electron-beam evaporation and sputter deposition. The electron-beam-evaporated films reveal randomly oriented nanograins with a relatively high density of growth twins, unexpected in view of the high stacking fault energy of Pd. In contrast, sputter-deposited films show a clear 〈1 1 1〉 crystallographic textured nanostructure without twins. These results provide insightful information to guide the generation of microstructures with enhanced strength/ductility balance in high stacking fault energy nanocrystalline metallic thin films.

Growth of Gold-assisted Gallium Arsenide Nanowires on Silicon Substrates via Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramon M. delos Santos

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Gallium arsenide nanowires were grown on silicon (100 substrates by what is called the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS growth mechanism using a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE system. Good quality nanowires with surface density of approximately 108 nanowires per square centimeter were produced by utilizing gold nanoparticles, with density of 1011 nanoparticles per square centimeter, as catalysts for nanowire growth. X-ray diffraction measurements, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the nanowires are epitaxially grown on the silicon substrates, are oriented along the [111] direction and have cubic zincblende structure.

Topological characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, A. H.; Dasan, Y. K.; Khan, Ihsan Ullah; Ahmad, Faiz; Ayoub, Muhammad

2016-11-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the morphological and barrier properties of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites. Nanocrystalline cellulose was isolated from waste oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber using Sulphuric acid hydrolysis. Chemical modifications of nanocrystalline cellulose was performed to allow good compatibilization between fiber and the polymer matrices and also to improve dispersion of fillers. Bionanocomposite materials were produced from these nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) using solvent casting and evaporation techniques. The properties of extracted nanocrystalline cellulose were examined using FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, TEM and AFM. Besides that, the properties of bionanocomposites were examined through FESEM and oxygen permeability properties analysis. Better barrier and morphological properties were obtained for nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced bionanocomposites than for neat polymer blend.

Electrodeposition and characterization of nanocrystalline CoNiFe films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y.; Wang, Q.P. [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); Cai, C. [School of Chemistry and chemical engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021 (China); Yuan, Y.N. [Department of Materials and Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); Cao, F.H. [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); Zhang, Z., E-mail: eaglezzy@zjuem.zju.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); Zhang, J.Q. [Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 (China); State Key Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection of Metals, Shenyang 110016 (China)

2012-02-29

Nanocrystalline Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} films have been fabricated using cyclic voltammetry technique from the solutions containing sulfate, then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer. Meanwhile, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy technique has been employed to probe into the nucleation/growth behavior of Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} films. The results show that, the obtained Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} film possesses low coercivity of 973.3 A/m and high saturation magnetic flux density of 1.59 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} A/m. Under the experimental conditions, the nucleation/growth process of Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} films is mainly under activation control. With the increase of the applied cathodic potential bias, the charge transfer resistance for CoNiFe deposition decreases exponentially. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocrystalline Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} film is obtained using cyclic voltammetry technique. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocrystalline Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} possesses low coercivity of 973.3 A/m. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocrystalline Co{sub 45}Ni{sub 10}Fe{sub 24} possesses high saturation magnetic flux density. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The nucleation/growth process of CoNiFe films is mainly under activation control. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The charge transfer resistance for CoNiFe deposition decreases exponentially.

Radiation influence on properties of nanocrystalline alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holkova, D.; Sitek, J.; Novak, P.; Dekan, J.

2016-01-01

Our work is focused on the studied of structural changes amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys after irradiation with electrons. For the analysis of these alloy we use two spectroscopic methods: Moessbauer spectroscopy and XRD. Measurements of nanocrystalline (Fe 3 Ni 1 ) 81 Nb 7 B 12 samples before and after electrons irradiation by means of Moessbauer spectroscopy and XRD showed that the electrons causes changes in magnetic structure which is reflected changes of direction of net magnetic moment. Structural changes occurs in the frame of error indicated by both spectroscopic methods. We can confirm that this kind alloys a resistive again electrons irradiation up to doses of 4 MGy. We observed in this frame only beginning of the radiation damage. (authors)

A computation model for the corrosion resistance of nanocrystalline zirconium metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiyan; Shi Minghua; Liu Nianfu; Wei Yiming; Li Cong; Qiu Shaoyu; Zhang Qiang; Zhang Pengcheng

2007-01-01

In this paper a computation model of corrosion rate-grain size of nanocrystalline and ultra-fine zirconium has been presented. The model is based on the Wagner's theory and the electron theory of solids. The conductivity, electronic mean free path and grain size of metal were considered. By this model, the corrosion rate of zirconium metal under different temperature was computed. The results show that the corrosion weight gain and rate constant of nanocrystalline zirconium is lower than that of zirconium with coarse grain size. And the corrosion rate constant and weight gain of nanocrystalline zirconium metal decrease with the decrease of grain size. So the refinement of grain size can remarkably improve the corrosion resistance of zirconium metal. (authors)

High-pressure X-ray diffraction study of bulk- and nanocrystalline GaN

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, J.E.; Jakobsen, J.M.; Jiang, Jianzhong

2003-01-01

Bulk- and nanocrystalline GaN have been studied by high-pressure energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction. Pressure-induced structural phase transitions from the wurtzite to the NaCl phase were observed in both materials. The transition pressure was found to be 40 GPa for the bulk-crystalline GaN, while...... the wurtzite phase was retained up to 60 GPa in the case of nanocrystalline GaN. The bulk moduli for the wurtzite phases were determined to be 187 ( 7) and 319 ( 10) GPa for the bulk- and nanocrystalline phases, respectively, while the respective NaCl phases were found to have very similar bulk moduli [ 208...

About the optical properties of oxidized black silicon structures

Science.gov (United States)

Pincik, E.; Brunner, R.; Kobayashi, H.; Mikula, M.; Kučera, M.; Švec, P.; Greguš, J.; Vojtek, P.; Zábudlá, Z.; Imamura, K.; Zahoran, M.

2017-02-01

The paper deals with the optical and morphological properties of thermally oxidized black silicon (OBSi) nano-crystalline specimens produced by the surface structure chemical transfer method (SSCT). This method can produce a nano-crystalline Si black color layer on c-Si with a range of thickness of ∼50 nm to ∼300 nm by the contact of c-Si immersed in chemical solutions HF + H2O2 with a catalytic mesh. We present and discuss mainly the photoluminescence properties of both polished c-Si and OBSi structures, respectively. The similar photoluminescence (PL) behaviors recorded at liquid helium (6 K) and room temperatures on both polished crystalline Si and OBSi samples, respectively, indicate the similar origin of recorded luminescence light. As the positions of PL maxima of OBSi structures are mainly related to the size of Si nanocrystallites and SiO(x), we therefore suppose that the size of the dominant parts of the luminated OBSi nanostructure is pre-determined by the used polishing Si procedure, and/or the distribution function of the number of formed crystallites on their size is very similar. The blue shift of both PL spectra reaching almost value of 0.40 eV observed after the decrease of the sample temperature to 6 K we relate also with the change of the semiconductor band gap width.

Layered structure in core–shell silicon nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Tuan, Pham [Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (AIST) and International Training Institute for Materials Science Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 01 Dai Co Viet Street,Hanoi 10000,Vietnam (Viet Nam); Anh Tuan, Chu; Thanh Thuy, Tran; Binh Nam, Vu [Institute of Materials Science (IMS), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Toan Thang, Pham [Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (AIST) and International Training Institute for Materials Science Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 01 Dai Co Viet Street,Hanoi 10000,Vietnam (Viet Nam); Hong Duong, Pham, E-mail: duongphamhong@yahoo.com [Institute of Materials Science (IMS), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Thanh Huy, Pham, E-mail: huy.phamthanh@hust.edu.vn [Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (AIST) and International Training Institute for Materials Science Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 01 Dai Co Viet Street,Hanoi 10000,Vietnam (Viet Nam)

2014-10-15

Silicon nanowires (NWs) with core–shell structures were prepared using the Vapor–Liquid–Solid (VLS) method. The wires have lengths of several hundreds of nanometers and diameters in the range of 30–50 nm. Generally, these wires are too large to exhibit the quantum confinement effect of excitons in Si nanocrystals. However, the photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra are similar to those of nanocrystalline silicon embedded in a SiO{sub 2} matrix, in which the recombination of quantum-confined excitons plays an important role. This effect occurs only when the average size of the silicon nanocrystals is smaller than 5 nm. To understand this discrepancy, TEM images of nanowires were obtained and analyzed. The results revealed that the cores of wires have a layered Si/SiO{sub 2} structure, in which the thickness of each layer is much smaller than its diameter. The temperature dependence of the PL intensity was recorded from 11 to 300 K; the result is in good agreement with a model that takes into account the energy splitting between the excitonic singlet and triplet levels. - Highlights: • The cores of the Si NWs have a layered Si/SiO{sub 2} structure. • The Si NWs were formed due to the phase separation of Si and SiO{sub 2} and the partial oxidization by residual oxygen. • Two processes, the reaction of Si and oxygen atoms and the combination between Si atoms, occur simultaneously. • The formation of the layered structures is associated with the self-limiting oxidation phenomenon in Si nanostructures.

Spinning solitons in cubic-quintic nonlinear media

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Spinning solitons in cubic-quintic nonlinear media ... features of families of bright vortex solitons (doughnuts, or 'spinning' solitons) in both conservative and dissipative cubic-quintic nonlinear media. ... Pramana – Journal of Physics | News.

Microstructure characterization of nanocrystalline TiC synthesized by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, B.; Pradhan, S.K.

2010-01-01

Nanocrystalline TiC is produced by mechanical milling the stoichiometric mixture of α-Ti and graphite powders at room temperature under argon atmosphere within 35 min of milling through a self-propagating combustion reaction. Microstructure characterization of the unmilled and ball-milled samples was done by both X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. It reveals the fact that initially graphite layers were oriented along and in the course of milling, thin graphite layers were distributed evenly among the grain boundaries of α-Ti particles. Both α-Ti and TiC lattices contain stacking faults of different kinds. The grain size distribution obtained from the Rietveld's method and electron microscopy studies ensure that nanocrystalline TiC particles with almost uniform size (∼13 nm) can be prepared by mechanical alloying technique. The result obtained from X-ray analysis corroborates well with the microstructure characterization of nanocrystalline TiC by electron microscopy.

Thermal stability of grain boundaries in nanocrystalline Zn studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Kai; Li Hui; Pang Jinbiao; Wang Zhu

2012-01-01

Nanocrystalline Zn prepared by compacting nanoparticles with mean grain size about 55 nm at 15 MPa has been studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy. For the bulk Zn sample, the vacancy defect is annealed out at about 350 °C, but for the nanocrystalline Zn sample, the vacancy cluster in grain boundaries is quite difficult to be annealed out even at very high temperature (410 °C). In the grain boundaries of nanocrystalline Zn, the small free volume defect (not larger than divacancy) is dominant according to the high relative intensity for the short positron lifetime (τ 1 ). The oxide (ZnO) inside the grain boundaries has been found having an effect to hinder the decrease of average positron lifetime (τ av ), which probably indicates that the oxide stabilizes the microstructure of the grain boundaries. This stabilization is very important for the nanocrystalline materials using as radiation resistant materials.

Air annealing induced transformation of cubic CdSe microspheres into hexagonal nanorods and micro-pyramids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kale, Rohidas B., E-mail: rb_kale@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400032, M.S. (India); Lu, Shih-Yuan, E-mail: sylu@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsin-Chu 30013, Taiwan (China)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Nanocrystalline CdSe thin films were deposited using inexpensive CBD method. • Air annealing induced structural and interesting morphological transformation. • The as-deposited CdSe thin films showed a blue shift in its optical spectra. • The films showed a red shift in their optical spectra after annealing. - Abstract: CdSe thin films have been deposited onto glass substrates using a chemical bath deposition method at relatively low temperatures (40 °C). The precursors used for the deposition of the thin films are cadmium nitrate hexahydrate, freshly prepared sodium selenosulfate solution and aqueous ammonia solution as a complex as well as pH adjusting reagent. In order to study the influence of air annealing on their physicochemical properties, the as-deposited CdSe thin films were further annealed at 200 °C and 400 °C for 3 h in air atmosphere. Significant changes in the morphology and photonic properties were clearly observed after the thermal annealing of the CdSe thin films. The as-deposited CdSe films grow with the cubic phase that transforms into mixed cubic and hexagonal wurtzite phase with improved crystalline quality of the films after the air annealing. Morphological observation reveals that the as-deposited thin films grow with multilayer that consists of network or mesh like structure, uniformly deposited on the glass substrate over which microspheres are uniformly distributed. After air annealing, CdSe nanorods emerged from the microspheres along with conversion of few microspheres into micro-pyramids. The UV–visible study illustrates that the as-deposited thin film shows blue shifts in its optical spectrum and the spectrum was red-shifted after annealing the CdSe thin films. The band gap of the CdSe thin films were found to be decreased after the thermal treatment.

Magnetic behavior of nanocrystalline nickel ferrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nathani, H.; Gubbala, S.; Misra, R.D.K.

2005-01-01

In the previous papers [R.D.K. Misra, A. Kale, R.S. Srivatsava, O. Senkov, Mater. Sci. Technol. 19 (2003) 826; R.D.K. Misra, A. Kale, B. Hooi, J.Th. DeHosson, Mater. Sci. Technol. 19 (2003) 1617; A. Kale, S. Gubbala, R.D.K. Misra, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 277 (2004) 350; S. Gubbala, H. Nathani, K. Koizol, R.D.K. Misra, Phys. B 348 (2004) 317; R.D.K. Misra, S. Gubbala, A. Kale, W.F. Egelhoff, Mater. Sci. Eng. B. 111 (2004) 164], we reported the synthesis, structural characterization and magnetic behavior of nanocrystalline ferrites of inverse and mixed spinel structure made by reverse micelle technique that enabled a narrow particle size distribution to be obtained. In the present paper, the reverse micelle approach has been extended to synthesize nanocrystalline ferrites with varying surface roughness of 8-18 A (the surface roughness was measured by atomic force microscopy) and the magnetic behavior studied by SQUID magnetometer. Two different kinds of measurement were performed: (a) zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC) magnetization versus temperature measurements and (b) magnetization as a function of applied field. The analysis of magnetic measurement suggests significant influence of surface roughness of particles on the magnetic behavior. While the superparamagnetic behavior is retained by the nanocrystalline ferrites of different surface roughness at 300 K, the hysteresis loop at 2 K becomes non-squared and the coercivity increases with increase in surface roughness. This behavior is discussed in terms of broken bonds and degree of surface spin disorder

Enhanced quantum yield of photoluminescent porous silicon prepared by supercritical drying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, Jinmyoung [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505 (Korea, Republic of); Defforge, Thomas; Gautier, Gael, E-mail: msailor@ucsd.edu, E-mail: gael.gautier@univ-tours.fr, E-mail: lcanham@psivida.com [Universite Francois Rabelais de Tours, CNRS CEA, INSA-CVL, GREMAN UMR 7347, 37071 Tours Cedex 2 (France); Loni, Armando [pSiMedica Ltd., Malvern Hills Science Park, Geraldine Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3SZ (United Kingdom); Kim, Dokyoung; Sailor, Michael J., E-mail: msailor@ucsd.edu, E-mail: gael.gautier@univ-tours.fr, E-mail: lcanham@psivida.com [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); Li, Z. Y. [Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Canham, Leigh T., E-mail: msailor@ucsd.edu, E-mail: gael.gautier@univ-tours.fr, E-mail: lcanham@psivida.com [pSiMedica Ltd., Malvern Hills Science Park, Geraldine Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3SZ (United Kingdom); Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2016-04-11

The effect of supercritical drying (SCD) on the preparation of porous silicon (pSi) powders has been investigated in terms of photoluminescence (PL) efficiency. Since the pSi contains closely spaced and possibly interconnected Si nanocrystals (<5 nm), pore collapse and morphological changes within the nanocrystalline structure after common drying processes can affect PL efficiency. We report the highly beneficial effects of using SCD for preparation of photoluminescent pSi powders. Significantly higher surface areas and pore volumes have been realized by utilizing SCD (with CO{sub 2} solvent) instead of air-drying. Correspondingly, the pSi powders better retain the porous structure and the nano-sized silicon grains, thus minimizing the formation of non-radiative defects during liquid evaporation (air drying). The SCD process also minimizes capillary-stress induced contact of neighboring nanocrystals, resulting in lower exciton migration levels within the network. A significant enhancement of the PL quantum yield (>32% at room temperature) has been achieved, prompting the need for further detailed studies to establish the dominant causes of such an improvement.

Molecular dynamics studies of radiation effects in silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz de la Rubia, T.; Caturla, M.J.; Tobin, M.

1995-01-01

We discuss results of molecular dynamics computer simulation studies of 3 keV and 5 keV displacement cascades in β-SIC, and compare them to results of 5 keV cascades in pure silicon. The SiC simulations are performed with the Tersoff potential. For silicon we use the Stillinger-Weber potential. Simulations were carried out for Si recoils in 3 dimensional cubic computational cells With periodic boundary conditions and up to 175,616 atoms. The cascade lifetime in SiC is found to be extremely short. This, combined with the high melting temperature of SiC, precludes direct lattice amorphization during the cascade. Although large disordered regions result, these retain their basic crystalline structure. These results are in contrast with observations in pure silicon where direct-impact amorphization from the cascade is seen to take place. The SiC results also show anisotropy in the number of Si and C recoils as well as in the number of replacements in each sublattice. Details of the damage configurations obtained will be discussed

XRD and HREM studies of nanocrystalline Cu and Pd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieman, G.W.; Weertmen, J.R.; Siegel, R.W.

1991-01-01

Consolidated powders of nanocrystalline Cu and Pd have been studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) as part of an investigation of the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline pure metals. XRD line broadening measurements were made to estimate rain size, qualitative grain size distribution and average long range strains in a number of samples. Mean grain sized range from 4-60 nm and have qualitatively narrow grain size distributions. Long range lattice strains are of the order of 0.2-3% in consolidated samples. These strains apparently persist and even increase in Cu samples after annealing at 0.35 Tm (498K) for 2h, accompanied by an apparent increase in grain size of ≥2x. Grain size, grain size distribution width and internal strains vary somewhat among samples produced under apparently identical processing conditions. HREM studies show that twins, stacking faults and low-index facets are abundant in as-consolidated nanocrystalline Cu samples. In this paper methodology, results and analysis of XRD and HREM experiments are presented

Structural, magnetic and electrical characterization of Mg–Ni nano-crystalline ferrites prepared through egg-white precursor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gabal, M.A., E-mail: mgabalabdonada@yahoo.com [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Al Angari, Y.M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Zaki, H.M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig (Egypt)

2014-08-01

Soft Ni–Mg nano-crystalline ferrites with the general formula Ni{sub 1−x}Mg{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (0≤x≤1) were synthesized through egg-white method. The precursor decomposition was followed by thermal analysis techniques. The obtained ferrites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and transmission electron microscopy measurements. X-ray diffraction showed the cubic spinel structure with crystallite size variation within the range 20–45 nm. The different structural data obtained were discussed in the view of ionic radii of the entire ions and their distribution within the lattice. The appropriate suggested cation distribution was then confirmed through Fourier transform infrared as well as electrical and magnetic properties measurements. Transmission electron microscopy exhibited a nano-crystal aggregation phenomenon. The observed size of the spherical particles agrees well with that obtained by X-ray diffraction. Hysteresis loop measurements revealed dilution in the obtained magnetic parameters by Mg-substitution due to the preferential occupancy of Mg{sup 2+} ions by the octahedral sites. Ac-electrical conductivity as a function of temperature and frequency exhibited a semi-conducting behavior with conductivity decreases by increasing Mg-content. The change in the slope of the curve indicates the changing in the conduction mechanism from electron hopping to polaron mechanism by increasing temperature. The obtained structural, electrical and magnetic properties were explained based on the cation distribution among tetrahedral and octahedral sites. - Highlights: • Ni–Mg nano-crystalline ferrites were synthesized through egg-white method. • An appropriate cation distribution was suggested. • Conductivity revealed a change in conduction mechanism by increasing temperature. • The effect of Mg-substitution on different properties was studied.

Formation of local nanocrystalline structure in a boron steel induced by electropulsing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Bingdong; Zhao, Yuguang; Ma, Jun; Guo, Haichao; Yang, Qing

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The local NC structures in the uniform size of ∼15 nm were obtained by electropulsing. ► The NC structures were made up of γ-Fe without any other phases coexisting. ► The reduction in nucleation barrier of the γ-Fe helped form the local γ-Fe NC structure. ► The steel consisting of the lath martensitic and the γ-Fe nanocrystalline structure exhibits high mechanical properties. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline γ-Fe was obtained locally in a cold-rolled boron steel as a result of transient high-energy electropulsing. The nano-grains of γ-Fe were uniformly about 15 nm in size. No phases other than γ-Fe have been found in the nanocrystalline structure. It is believed that the pulse current enhances the nucleation rate of γ-Fe phase during the phase transformation from α-Fe to γ-Fe, resulting in the formation of local nanostructure. Moreover, in this study the steel consisting of the lath martensitic and the γ-Fe nanocrystalline structure exhibits high mechanical properties.

Direct separation of short range order in intermixed nanocrystalline and amorphous phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenkel, Anatoly I.; Kolobov, Alexander V.; Robinson, Ian K.; Cross, Julie O.; Maeda, Yoshihito; Bouldin, Charles E.

2002-01-01

Diffraction anomalous fine-structure (DAFS) and extended x-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) measurements were combined to determine short range order (SRO) about a single atomic type in a sample of mixed amorphous and nanocrystalline phases of germanium. EXAFS yields information about the SRO of all Ge atoms in the sample, while DAFS determines the SRO of only the ordered fraction. We determine that the first-shell distance distribution is bimodal; the nanocrystalline distance is the same as the bulk crystal, to within 0.01(2) A ring , but the mean amorphous Ge-Ge bond length is expanded by 0.076(19) Angstrom. This approach can be applied to many systems of mixed amorphous and nanocrystalline phases

Surface Properties of a Nanocrystalline Fe-Ni-Nb-B Alloy After Neutron Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Pavùk, Milan; Sitek, Jozef; Sedlačková, Katarína

2014-09-01

The effect of neutron radiation on the surface properties of the nanocrystalline (Fe0.25Ni0.75)81Nb7B12 alloy was studied. Firstly, amorphous (Fe0.25Ni0.75)81Nb7B12 ribbon was brought by controlled annealing to the nanocrystalline state. After annealing, the samples of the nanocrystalline ribbon were irradiated in a nuclear reactor with neutron fluences of 1×1016cm-2 and 1 × 1017cm-2 . By utilizing the magnetic force microscopy (MFM), topography and a magnetic domain structure were recorded at the surface of the ribbon-shaped samples before and after irradiation with neutrons. The results indicate that in terms of surface the nanocrystalline (Fe0.25Ni0.75)81Nb7B12 alloy is radiation-resistant up to a neutron fluence of 1 × 1017cm-2 . The changes in topography observed for both irradiated samples are discussed

Paramagnetic centers in nanocrystalline TiC/C system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guskos, N.; Bodziony, T.; Maryniak, M.; Typek, J.; Biedunkiewicz, A.

2008-01-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance is applied to study the defect centers in nanocrystalline titanium carbide dispersed in carbon matrix (TiC x /C) synthesized by the non-hydrolytic sol-gel process. The presence of Ti 3+ paramagnetic centers is identified below 120 K along with a minor contribution from localized defect spins coupled with the conduction electron system in the carbon matrix. The temperature dependence of the resonance intensity of the latter signal indicates weak antiferromagnetic interactions. The presence of paramagnetic centers connected with trivalent titanium is suggested to be the result of chemical disorder, which can be further related to the observed anomalous behavior of conductivity, hardness, and corrosion resistance of nanocrystalline TiC x /C

Production of nanocrystalline metal powders via combustion reaction synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, John G.; Weil, Kenneth Scott; Lavender, Curt A.; Kim, Jin Yong

2017-10-31

Nanocrystalline metal powders comprising tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium and/or niobium can be synthesized using a combustion reaction. Methods for synthesizing the nanocrystalline metal powders are characterized by forming a combustion synthesis solution by dissolving in water an oxidizer, a fuel, and a base-soluble, ammonium precursor of tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, or niobium in amounts that yield a stoichiometric burn when combusted. The combustion synthesis solution is then heated to a temperature sufficient to substantially remove water and to initiate a self-sustaining combustion reaction. The resulting powder can be subsequently reduced to metal form by heating in a reducing gas environment.

Eu3+-doped (Y0.5La0.5)2O3: new nanophosphor with the bixbyite cubic structure

Science.gov (United States)

Đorđević, Vesna; Nikolić, Marko G.; Bartova, Barbora; Krsmanović, Radenka M.; Antić, Željka; Dramićanin, Miroslav D.

2013-01-01

New red sesquioxide phosphor, Eu3+-doped (Y0.5La0.5)2O3, was synthesized in the form of nanocrystalline powder with excellent structural ordering in cubic bixbyite-type, and with nanoparticle sizes ranging between 10 and 20 nm. Photoluminescence measurements show strong, Eu3+ characteristic, red emission ( x = 0.66 and y = 0.34 CIE color coordinates) with an average 5D0 emission lifetime of about 1.3 ms. Maximum splitting of the 7F1 manifold of the Eu3+ ion emission behaves in a way directly proportional to the crystal field strength parameter, and experimental results show perfect agreement with theoretical values for pure cubic sesquioxides. This could be used as an indicator of complete dissolution of Y2O3 and La2O3, showing that (Y0.5La0.5)2O3:Eu3+ behaves as a new bixbyite structure oxide, M2O3, where M acts as an ion having average ionic radius of constituting Y3+ and La3+. Emission properties of this new phosphor were documented with detailed assignments of Eu3+ energy levels at 10 K and at room temperature. Second order crystal field parameters were found to be B 20 = -66 cm-1 and B 22 = -665 cm-1 at 10 K and B 20 = -78 cm-1 and B 22 = -602 cm-1 at room temperature, while for the crystal field strength the value of 1495 cm-1 was calculated at 10 K and 1355 cm-1 at room temperature.

A Note on Cubic Convolution Interpolation

OpenAIRE

Meijering, E.; Unser, M.

2003-01-01

We establish a link between classical osculatory interpolation and modern convolution-based interpolation and use it to show that two well-known cubic convolution schemes are formally equivalent to two osculatory interpolation schemes proposed in the actuarial literature about a century ago. We also discuss computational differences and give examples of other cubic interpolation schemes not previously studied in signal and image processing.

Effects of oxide distributed in grain boundaries on microstructure stability of nanocrystalline metals

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Kai; Li, Hui; Biao Pang, Jin; Wang, Zhu

2013-06-01

Nanocrystalline copper and zinc prepared by high-pressure compaction method have been studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy associated with X-ray diffraction. For nanocrystalline Cu, mean grain sizes of the samples decrease after being annealed at 900 °C and increase during aging at 180 °C, revealing that the atoms exchange between the two regions. The positron lifetime results indicate that the vacancy clusters formed in the annealing process are unstable and decomposed at the aging time below 6 hours. In addition, the partially oxidized surfaces of the nanoparticles hinder the grain growth during the ageing at 180 °C, and the vacancy clusters inside the disorder regions which are related to Cu2O need longer aging time to decompose. In the case of nanocrystalline Zn, the open volume defect (not larger than divacancy) is dominant according to the high relative intensity for the short positron lifetime (τ1). The oxide (ZnO) inside the grain boundaries has been found having an effect to hinder the decrease of average positron lifetime (τav) during the annealing, which probably indicates that the oxide stabilizes the microstructure of the grain boundaries. For both nanocrystalline copper and zinc, the oxides in grain boundaries enhance the thermal stability of the microstucture, in spite of their different crystal structures. This effect is very important for the nanocrystalline materials using as radiation resistant materials.

Effects of oxide distributed in grain boundaries on microstructure stability of nanocrystalline metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Kai; Li Hui; Pang Jinbiao; Wang Zhu

2013-01-01

Nanocrystalline copper and zinc prepared by high-pressure compaction method have been studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy associated with X-ray diffraction. For nanocrystalline Cu, mean grain sizes of the samples decrease after being annealed at 900 °C and increase during aging at 180 °C, revealing that the atoms exchange between the two regions. The positron lifetime results indicate that the vacancy clusters formed in the annealing process are unstable and decomposed at the aging time below 6 hours. In addition, the partially oxidized surfaces of the nanoparticles hinder the grain growth during the ageing at 180 °C, and the vacancy clusters inside the disorder regions which are related to Cu 2 O need longer aging time to decompose. In the case of nanocrystalline Zn, the open volume defect (not larger than divacancy) is dominant according to the high relative intensity for the short positron lifetime (τ 1 ). The oxide (ZnO) inside the grain boundaries has been found having an effect to hinder the decrease of average positron lifetime (τ av ) during the annealing, which probably indicates that the oxide stabilizes the microstructure of the grain boundaries. For both nanocrystalline copper and zinc, the oxides in grain boundaries enhance the thermal stability of the microstucture, in spite of their different crystal structures. This effect is very important for the nanocrystalline materials using as radiation resistant materials.

On q-power cycles in cubic graphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bensmail, Julien

2017-01-01

In the context of a conjecture of Erdos and Gyárfás, we consider, for any q ≥ 2, the existence of q-power cycles (i.e. with length a power of q) in cubic graphs. We exhibit constructions showing that, for every q ≥ 3, there exist arbitrarily large cubic graphs with no q-power cycles. Concerning...... the remaining case q = 2 (which corresponds to the conjecture of Erdos and Gyárfás), we show that there exist arbitrarily large cubic graphs whose only 2-power cycles have length 4 only, or 8 only....

Nanocrystalline magnetite thin films grown by dual ion-beam sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prieto, Pilar; Ruiz, Patricia; Ferrer, Isabel J.; Figuera, Juan de la; Marco, José F.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We have grown tensile and compressive strained nanocrystalline magnetite thin films by dual ion beam sputtering. • The magnetic and thermoelectric properties can be controlled by the deposition conditions. • The magnetic anisotropy depends on the crystalline grain size. • The thermoelectric properties depend on the type of strain induced in the films. • In plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy develops in magnetite thin films with grain sizes ⩽20 nm. - Abstract: We have explored the influence of an ion-assisted beam in the thermoelectric and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline magnetite thin films grown by ion-beam sputtering. The microstructure has been investigated by XRD. Tensile and compressive strained thin films have been obtained as a function of the parameters of the ion-assisted beam. The evolution of the in-plane magnetic anisotropy was attributed to crystalline grain size. In some films, magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements reveal the existence of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy induced by the deposition process related with a small grain size (⩽20 nm). Isotropic magnetic properties have observed in nanocrystalline magnetite thin film having larger grain sizes. The largest power factor of all the films prepared (0.47 μW/K 2 cm), obtained from a Seebeck coefficient of −80 μV/K and an electrical resistivity of 13 mΩ cm, is obtained in a nanocrystalline magnetite thin film with an expanded out-of-plane lattice and with a grain size ≈30 nm

Vibrational thermodynamics of Fe90Zr7B3 nanocrystalline alloy from nuclear inelastic scattering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stankov, S.; Miglierini, M.; Chumakov, A. I.

2010-01-01

Recently we determined the iron-partial density of vibrational states (DOS) of nanocrystalline Fe(90)Zr(7)B(3) (Nanoperm), synthesized by crystallization of an amorphous precursor, for various stages of nanocrystallization separating the DOS of the nanograins from that of the interfaces [S. Stank......, vibrational entropy, and lattice specific heat as the material transforms from amorphous, through nanocrystalline, to fully crystallized state. The reported results shed new light on the previously observed anomalies in the vibrational thermodynamics of nanocrystalline materials....

Engineering of giant magnetoimpedance effect of amorphous and nanocrystalline microwires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Zhukova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We present our studies of the factors affecting soft magnetic properties and giant magnetoimpedance effect in thin amorphous and nanocrystalline microwires. We showed that the magnetoelastic anisotropy is one of the most important parameters that determine magnetic softness and GMI effect of glass-coated microwires  and annealing can be very effective for manipulation the magnetic properties of amorphous ferromagnetic glass-coated microwires. Considerable magnetic softening and increasing of the GMI effect is observed in Fe-rich nanocrystalline FINEMET-type glass-coated microwires after the nanocrystallization.

Atomic-scale simulations of the mechanical deformation of nanocrystalline metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøtz, Jakob; Vegge, Tejs; Di Tolla, Francesco

1999-01-01

that the main deformation mode is sliding in the grain boundaries through a large number of uncorrelated events, where a few atoms (or a few tens of atoms) slide with respect to each other. Little dislocation activity is seen in the grain interiors. The localization of the deformation to the grain boundaries......Nanocrystalline metals, i.e., metals in which the grain size is in the nanometer range, have a range of technologically interesting properties including increased hardness and yield strength. We present atomic-scale simulations of the plastic behavior of nanocrystalline copper. The simulations show...

Formation of nanocrystalline MgB sub 2 under high pressure

CERN Document Server

Sun, L; Kikegawa, T; Cao, L; Zhan, Z; Wu, Q; Wu, X; Wang, W

2002-01-01

The microstructural features of MgB sub 2 at ambient pressure and high pressure have been investigated by means of in situ synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The x-ray diffraction measurements indicated that nanocrystalline MgB sub 2 formed in the pressure range of 26.3-30.2 GPa. TEM investigations reveal complex structure domains with evident lattice distortion in the relevant samples. The superconductivity of nanocrystalline MgB sub 2 was measured and compared with that of the starting sample of MgB sub 2.

Nanocrystalline electrodeposited Ni-Mo-C cathodes for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, K.; Sasaki, T.; Meguro, S.; Asami, K.

2004-01-01

Tailoring active nickel alloy cathodes for hydrogen evolution in a hot concentrated hydroxide solution was attempted by electrodeposition. The carbon addition to Ni-Mo alloys decreased the nanocrystalline grain size and remarkably enhanced the activity for hydrogen evolution, changing the mechanism of hydrogen evolution. The Tafel slope of hydrogen evolution was about 35 mV per decade. This suggested that the rate-determining step is desorption of adsorbed hydrogen atoms by recombination. As was distinct from the binary Ni-Mo alloys, after open circuit immersion, the overpotential, that is, the activity of nanocrystalline Ni-Mo-C alloys for hydrogen evolution was not changed, indicating the sufficient durability in the practical electrolysis

An investigation into the room temperature mechanical properties of nanocrystalline austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eskandari, Mostafa; Zarei-Hanzaki, Abbas; Abedi, Hamid Reza

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Strength of nanocrystalline specimens follows a trend of a remarkable rise along with a small drop in ductility in comparison to the coarse-grained one. ► Universal correlation of linear type (UTS = mτ max ) between shear punch test data and the tensile strength may be unreliable for the nanocrystalline materials. ► Actual relation between the maximum shear and ultimate tensile strength follows an empirical formula of UTS=0.013τ max 2 -25.62τ max +13049. -- Abstract: The present work has been conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties of nanostructured 316L and 301 austenitic stainless steels. The nanocrystalline structures were produced through martensite treatment which includes cold rolling followed by annealing treatment. The effect of equivalent rolling strain and annealing parameters on the room temperature mechanical behavior of the experimental alloys have been studied using the shear punch testing technique. The standard uniaxial tension tests were also carried out to adapt the related correlation factors. The microstructures and the volume fraction of phases were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and feritscopy methods, respectively. The results indicate that the strength of nanocrystalline specimens remarkably increases, but the ductility in comparison to the coarse-grained one slightly decreases. In addition the strength of nanocrystalline specimens has been increased by decreasing the annealing temperature and increasing the equivalent rolling strain. The analysis of the load–displacement data has also disclosed that the universal correlation of linear type (UTS = mτ max ) between shear punch test data and the tensile strength is somehow unreliable for the nanocrystalline materials. The results suggest that the actual relation between the maximum shear strength and ultimate tensile strength follows a second order equation of type UTS=aτ max 2 -bτ max +c.

Influence of grain boundaries on elasticity and thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline diamond films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohr, Markus; Daccache, Layal; Horvat, Sebastian; Brühne, Kai; Jacob, Timo; Fecht, Hans-Jörg

2017-01-01

Diamond combines several outstanding material properties such as the highest thermal conductivity and highest elastic moduli of all materials. This makes diamond an interesting candidate for a multitude of applications. Nonetheless, nanocrystalline diamond films, layers and coatings, usually show properties different to those of single crystalline diamond. This is usually attributed to the larger volume fraction of the grain boundaries with atomic structure different from the single crystal. In this work we measured Young's modulus and thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline diamond films with average grain sizes ranging from 6 to 15 nm. The measured thermal conductivities are modeled considering the thermal boundary conductance between grains as well as a grain size effect on the phonon mean free path. We make a comparison between elastic modulus and thermal boundary conductance of the grain boundaries G_k for different nanocrystalline diamond films. We conclude that the grain boundaries thermal boundary conductance G_k is a measure of the cohesive energy of the grain boundaries and therefore also of the elastic modulus of the nanocrystalline diamond films.

Growth and characterization of thick cBN coatings on silicon and tool substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bewilogua, K.; Keunecke, M.; Weigel, K.; Wiemann, E.

2004-01-01

Recently some research groups have achieved progress in the deposition of cubic boron nitride (cBN) coatings with a thickness of 2 μm and more, which is necessary for cutting tool applications. In our laboratory, thick cBN coatings were sputter deposited on silicon substrates using a boron carbide target. Following a boron carbide interlayer (few 100 nm thick), a gradient layer with continuously increasing nitrogen content was prepared. After the cBN nucleation, the process parameters were modified for the cBN film growth to a thickness of more than 2 μm. However, the transfer of this technology to technically relevant substrates, like cemented carbide cutting inserts, required some further process modifications. At first, a titanium interlayer had to be deposited followed by a more than 1-μm-thick boron carbide layer. The next steps were identical to those on silicon substrates. The total coating thickness was in the range of 3 μm with a 0.5- to nearly 1-μm-thick cBN top layer. In spite of the enormous intrinsic stress, both the coatings on silicon and on cemented carbide exhibited a good adhesion and a prolonged stability in humid air. Oxidation experiments revealed a stability of the coating system on cemented carbide up to 700 deg. C and higher. Coated cutting inserts were tested in turning operations with different metallic workpiece materials. The test results will be compared to those of well-established cutting materials, like polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) and oxide ceramics, considering the wear of coated tools

Characteristics of W Doped Nanocrystalline Carbon Films Prepared by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yong Seob; Park, Chul Min; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Kim, Jae-Moon

2016-05-01

Nanocrystalline tungsten doped carbon (WC) films were prepared by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Tungsten was used as the doping material in carbon thin films with the aim of application as a contact strip in an electric railway. The structural, physical, and electrical properties of the fabricated WC films with various DC bias voltages were investigated. The films had a uniform and smooth surface. Hardness and frication characteristics of the films were improved, and the resistivity and sheet resistance decreased with increasing negative DC bias voltage. These results are associated with the nanocrystalline WC phase and sp(2) clusters in carbon networks increased by ion bombardment enhanced with increasing DC bias voltage. Consequently, the increase of sp(2) clusters containing WC nanocrystalline in the carbon films is attributed to the improvement in the physical and electrical properties.

Isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste: Optimization of acid concentration in the hydrolysis method

Science.gov (United States)

Anwar, Budiman; Rosyid, Nurul Huda; Effendi, Devi Bentia; Nandiyanto, Asep Bayu Dani; Mudzakir, Ahmad; Hidayat, Topik

2016-02-01

Isolation of needle-shaped bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline with a diameter of 16-64 nm, a fiber length of 258-806 nm, and a degree of crystallinity of 64% from pineapple peel waste using an acid hydrolysis process was investigated. Experimental showed that selective concentration of acid played important roles in isolating the bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from the cellulose source. To achieve the successful isolation of bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline, various acid concentrations were tested. To confirm the effect of acid concentration on the successful isolation process, the reaction conditions were fixed at a temperature of 50°C, a hydrolysis time of 30 minutes, and a bacterial cellulose-to-acid ratio of 1:50. Pineapple peel waste was used as a model for a cellulose source because to the best of our knowledge, there is no report on the use of this raw material for producing bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline. In fact, this material can be used as an alternative for ecofriendly and cost-free cellulose sources. Therefore, understanding in how to isolate bacterial cellulose nanocrystalline from pineapple peel waste has the potential for large-scale production of inexpensive cellulose nanocrystalline.

Analysis of equations of state and temperature dependence of thermal expansivity and bulk modulus for silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandya, Tushar C; Bhatt, Apoorva D; Thakar, Nilesh A

2012-01-01

In the present paper an attempt has been made for the comparative study of different equations of state for silicon (Phase-1, cubic diamond structure) in the pressure range of 0-11 GPa. We compare the results of different equations of state (EOS) with available experimental data. The Kwon and Kim EOS is found to give far better agreement with the available experimental data. Results obtained by Poirier-Tarantola, Vinet, Tait and Suzuki's equations of state are not giving satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data. In the present study simple methods based on thermodynamic functions are presented to investigate the temperature dependence of thermal expansivity and bulk modulus for silicon. The results are reported for silicon. The calculated values of thermal expansivity are in good agreement with experimental data.

Formation of ZnO Nanocrystalline via Facile Non-Hydrolytic Route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooi, M. D. Johan; Aziz, A. Abdul; Abdullah, M. J.

2011-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline were synthesized via oxidizing Zn powder in non-aqueous solvent with addition of Diethanolamine (DEA) as a stabilizing agent. The influence of DEA on the structural, optical properties and the formation of ZnO nanocrystalline were studied. The synthesized ZnO were polycrystalline in structures where sample without the addition of DEA shows high intensity peak of (002) phase compared with sample in the presence of DEA which preferred to grow in (101) direction. SEM micrograph displays the morphology of ZnO nanocrystalline for both of the samples which shows micron size and non-uniform particles for sample without DEA whereas for sample with DEA exhibit smaller size (∼110 nm) and nearly spherical in shape despite of some agglomeration occurs at the interparticle separation. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows UV emission peak for both of the samples where sample with the absence of DEA possess lower intensity of UV emission peak compared to samples with DEA which demonstrate stronger intensity despite of having very weak visible secondary emission peak at 530 nm.

Grain size dependent electrical studies on nanocrystalline SnO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, A. Chandra; Thangadurai, P.; Ramasamy, S.

2006-01-01

Nanocrystalline tin oxide (n-SnO 2 ) with different grain sizes were synthesized by chemical precipitation method. Size variation was achieved by changing the hydrolysis processing time. Structural phases of the nanocrystalline SnO 2 were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The grain sizes of the prepared n-SnO 2 were found to be in the range 5-20 nm which were estimated using the Scherrer formula and they were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. The electrical properties of nanocrystalline SnO 2 were studied using impedance spectroscopy. The impedance spectroscopy results showed that, in the temperature range between 25 and 650 deg. C, the conductivity has contributions from two different mechanisms, which are attributed to different conduction mechanisms in the grain and the grain boundary regions. This is because of the different relaxation times available for the conduction species in those regions. However, for the temperatures above 300 deg. C, there is no much difference between these two different relaxation times. The Arrhenius plots gave the activation energies for the conduction process in all the samples

Grain size refinement in nanocrystalline Hitperm-type glass-coated microwires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talaat, A.; Val, J.J. del; Zhukova, V.; Ipatov, M.; Klein, P.; Varga, R.; González, J.; Churyukanova, M.; Zhukov, A.

2016-01-01

We present a new-Fe 38.5 Co 38.5 B 18 Mo 4 Cu 1 Hitperm glass-coated microwires obtained by Taylor-Ulitovsky technique with nanocrystalline structure consisting of about 23 nm of BCC α-FeCo and an amorphous precursors in as-prepared samples. Annealing resulted in a considerable decrease of such nano-grains down to (11 nm). Obtained results are discussed in terms of the stress diffusion of limited crystalline growth and the chemical composition. Rectangular hysteresis loops have been observed on all annealed samples that are necessary conditions to obtain fast domain wall propagation. An enhancement of the domain wall velocity as well as mobility after annealing has been obtained due to the structural relaxation of such grains with positive magnetostriction. These structure benefits found in the nanocrystalline Hitperm glass-coated microwires are promising for developing optimal magnetic properties. - Highlights: • Grains size refinement upon annealing. • Enhancement of the domain wall velocity as well as mobility after annealing. • Nanocrystalline structure in as-prepared microwires.

The atomic and electronic structure of amorphous silicon nitride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, F.; Valladares, A.A.

2002-01-01

Using a novel approach to the ab initio generation of random networks we constructed two nearly stoichiometric samples of amorphous silicon nitride with the same content x= 1.29. The two 64-atom periodically-continued cubic diamond-like cells contain 28 silicons and 36 nitrogens randomly substituted, and were amorphized with a 6 f s time step by heating them to just below their melting temperature with a Harris-functional based, molecular dynamics code in the LDA approximation. The averaged total radial distribution function (RDF) obtained is compared with some existing Tersoff-like potential simulations and with experiment; ours agree with experiment. All the partial radial features are calculated and the composition of the second peak also agrees with experiment. The electronic structure is calculated and the optical gaps obtained using both a HOMO-LUMO approach and the Tauc-like procedure developed recently that gives reasonable gaps. (Author)

Light trapping of crystalline Si solar cells by use of nanocrystalline Si layer plus pyramidal texture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imamura, Kentaro; Nonaka, Takaaki; Onitsuka, Yuya; Irishika, Daichi; Kobayashi, Hikaru, E-mail: h.kobayashi@sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp

2017-02-15

Highlights: • Ultralow reflectivity Si wafers with light trapping effect can be obtained by forming a nanocrystalline Si layer on pyramidal textured Si surfaces. • Surface passivation using phosphosilicate glass improved minority carrier lifetime of the nanocrystalline Si layer/Si structure. • A high photocurrent density of 40.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, and a high conversion efficiency of 18.5% were achieved. - Abstract: The surface structure chemical transfer (SSCT) method has been applied to fabrication of single crystalline Si solar cells with 170 μm thickness. The SSCT method, which simply involves immersion of Si wafers in H{sub 2}O{sub 2} plus HF solutions and contact of Pt catalyst with Si taking only ∼30 s for 6 in. wafers, can decrease the reflectivity to less than 3% by the formation of a nanocrystalline Si layer. However, the reflectivity of the nanocrystalline Si layer/flat Si surface/rear Ag electrode structure in the wavelength region longer than 1000 nm is high because of insufficient absorption of incident light. The reflectivity in the long wavelength region is greatly decreased by the formation of the nanocrystalline Si layer on pyramidal textured Si surfaces due to an increase in the optical path length. Deposition of phosphosilicate glass (PSG) on the nanocrystalline Si layer for formation of pn-junction does not change the ultralow reflectivity because the surface region of the nanocrystalline Si layer possesses a refractive index of 1.4 which is nearly the same as that of PSG of 1.4–1.5. The PSG layer is found to passivate the nanocrystalline Si layer, which is evident from an increase in the minority carrier lifetime from 12 to 44 μs. Hydrogen treatment at 450 °C further increases the minority carrier lifetime approximately to a doubled value. The solar cells with the nanocrystalline Si layer/pyramidal Si substrate/boron-diffused back surface field/Ag rear electrode> structure show a high conversion efficiency of 18

Self-composite comprised of nanocrystalline diamond and a non-diamond component useful for thermoelectric applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gruen, Dieter M [Downers Grove, IL

2009-08-11

One provides nanocrystalline diamond material that comprises a plurality of substantially ordered diamond crystallites that are sized no larger than about 10 nanometers. One then disposes a non-diamond component within the nanocrystalline diamond material. By one approach this non-diamond component comprises an electrical conductor that is formed at the grain boundaries that separate the diamond crystallites from one another. The resultant nanowire is then able to exhibit a desired increase with respect to its ability to conduct electricity while also preserving the thermal conductivity behavior of the nanocrystalline diamond material.

Shape Preserving Interpolation Using C2 Rational Cubic Spline

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samsul Ariffin Abdul Karim

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the construction of new C2 rational cubic spline interpolant with cubic numerator and quadratic denominator. The idea has been extended to shape preserving interpolation for positive data using the constructed rational cubic spline interpolation. The rational cubic spline has three parameters αi, βi, and γi. The sufficient conditions for the positivity are derived on one parameter γi while the other two parameters αi and βi are free parameters that can be used to change the final shape of the resulting interpolating curves. This will enable the user to produce many varieties of the positive interpolating curves. Cubic spline interpolation with C2 continuity is not able to preserve the shape of the positive data. Notably our scheme is easy to use and does not require knots insertion and C2 continuity can be achieved by solving tridiagonal systems of linear equations for the unknown first derivatives di, i=1,…,n-1. Comparisons with existing schemes also have been done in detail. From all presented numerical results the new C2 rational cubic spline gives very smooth interpolating curves compared to some established rational cubic schemes. An error analysis when the function to be interpolated is ft∈C3t0,tn is also investigated in detail.

Guarded Cubical Type Theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Lars; Bizjak, Aleš; Clouston, Ranald

2016-01-01

This paper improves the treatment of equality in guarded dependent type theory (GDTT), by combining it with cubical type theory (CTT). GDTT is an extensional type theory with guarded recursive types, which are useful for building models of program logics, and for programming and reasoning...... with coinductive types. We wish to implement GDTT with decidable type-checking, while still supporting non-trivial equality proofs that reason about the extensions of guarded recursive constructions. CTT is a variation of Martin-L\\"of type theory in which the identity type is replaced by abstract paths between...... terms. CTT provides a computational interpretation of functional extensionality, is conjectured to have decidable type checking, and has an implemented type-checker. Our new type theory, called guarded cubical type theory, provides a computational interpretation of extensionality for guarded recursive...

Guarded Cubical Type Theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Lars; Bizjak, Aleš; Clouston, Ranald

2016-01-01

This paper improves the treatment of equality in guarded dependent type theory (GDTT), by combining it with cubical type theory (CTT). GDTT is an extensional type theory with guarded recursive types, which are useful for building models of program logics, and for programming and reasoning...... with coinductive types. We wish to implement GDTT with decidable type checking, while still supporting non-trivial equality proofs that reason about the extensions of guarded recursive constructions. CTT is a variation of Martin-L\\"of type theory in which the identity type is replaced by abstract paths between...... terms. CTT provides a computational interpretation of functional extensionality, enjoys canonicity for the natural numbers type, and is conjectured to support decidable type-checking. Our new type theory, guarded cubical type theory (GCTT), provides a computational interpretation of extensionality...

Osteogenic cell differentiation on H-terminated and O-terminated nanocrystalline diamond films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liskova J

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Jana Liskova,1 Oleg Babchenko,2 Marian Varga,2 Alexander Kromka,2 Daniel Hadraba,1 Zdenek Svindrych,1 Zuzana Burdikova,1 Lucie Bacakova1 1Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; 2Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD films are promising materials for bone implant coatings because of their biocompatibility, chemical resistance, and mechanical hardness. Moreover, NCD wettability can be tailored by grafting specific atoms. The NCD films used in this study were grown on silicon substrates by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and grafted by hydrogen atoms (H-termination or oxygen atoms (O-termination. Human osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells were used for biological studies on H-terminated and O-terminated NCD films. The adhesion, growth, and subsequent differentiation of the osteoblasts on NCD films were examined, and the extracellular matrix production and composition were quantified. The osteoblasts that had been cultivated on the O-terminated NCD films exhibited a higher growth rate than those grown on the H-terminated NCD films. The mature collagen fibers were detected in Saos-2 cells on both the H-terminated and O-terminated NCD films; however, the quantity of total collagen in the extracellular matrix was higher on the O-terminated NCD films, as were the amounts of calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity. Nevertheless, the expression of genes for osteogenic markers – type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, and osteocalcin – was either comparable on the H-terminated and O-terminated films or even lower on the O-terminated films. In conclusion, the higher wettability of the O-terminated NCD films is promising for adhesion and growth of osteoblasts. In addition, the O-terminated surface also seems to support the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins and extracellular matrix

Formation of nanocrystalline TiC from titanium and different carbon sources by mechanical alloying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia Haoling [Key Lab of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061, Shandong (China); Zhang Zhonghua [Key Lab of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061, Shandong (China)], E-mail: zh_zhang@sdu.edu.cn; Qi Zhen [Key Lab of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061, Shandong (China); Liu Guodong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061 (China); Bian Xiufang [Key Lab of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Jingshi Road 73, Jinan 250061, Shandong (China)

2009-03-20

In this paper, the formation of nanocrystalline TiC from titanium powders and different carbon resources by mechanical alloying (MA) has been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The experimental results show that nanocrystalline TiC can be synthesized from Ti powders and different carbon resources (activated carbon, carbon fibres or carbon nanotubes) by MA at room temperature. Titanium and different carbon resources have a significant effect on the Ti-C reaction and the formation of TiC during MA. Moreover, the formation of nanocrystalline TiC is governed by a gradual diffusion reaction mechanism during MA, regardless of different carbon resources.

Effects of Ni content on nanocrystalline Fe–Co–Ni ternary alloys synthesized by a chemical reduction method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chokprasombat, Komkrich, E-mail: komkrich28@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Thaksin University, Phatthalung 93210 Thailand (Thailand); Pinitsoontorn, Supree [Integrated Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand (Thailand); Maensiri, Santi [School of Physics, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 Thailand (Thailand)

2016-05-01

Magnetic properties of Fe–Co–Ni ternary alloys could be altered by changing of the particle size, elemental compositions, and crystalline structures. In this work, Fe{sub 50}Co{sub 50−x}Ni{sub x} nanoparticles (x=10, 20, 40, and 50) were prepared by the novel chemical reduction process. Hydrazine monohydrate was used as a reducing agent under the concentrated basic condition with the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone). We found that the nanoparticles were composed of Fe, Co and Ni with compositions according to the molar ratio of the metal sources. Interestingly, the particles were well-crystalline at the as-prepared state without post-annealing at high temperature. Increasing Ni content resulted in phase transformation from body centered cubic (bcc) to face centered cubic (fcc). For the fcc phase, the average particle size decreased when increased the Ni content; the Fe{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} nanoparticles had the smallest average size with the narrowest size distribution. In additions, the particles exhibited ferromagnetic properties at room temperature with the coercivities higher than 300 Oe, and the saturation magnetiation decreased with increasing Ni content. These results suggest that the structural and magnetic properties of Fe–Co–Ni alloys could be adjusted by varying the Ni content. - Highlights: • We prepared nanocrystalline Fe–Co–Ni alloys by a novel chemical reduction process. • Elemental compositions could be well controlled by the molar ratio of metal sources. • Particle size and magnetic properties clearly depended on the Ni contents. • Fe{sub 50}Co{sub 10}Ni{sub 40} exhibited high saturation magnetization of 126.3 emu/g.

Powder-based synthesis of nanocrystalline material components for structural application. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ilyuschenko, A.F.; Ivashko, V.S.; Okovity, V.A. [Powder Metallurgy Research Inst., Minsk (Belarus)] [and others

1998-12-01

Hydroxiapate spray coatings and substrates for implant production as well as multilayered metal ceramic coatings from nanocrystalline materials are a subject of the investigation. The work aims at the improvement of quality of said objects. This study has investigated the processes of hydroxiapatite powder production. Sizes, shapes and relief of initial HA powder surface are analyzed using SEM and TEM. Modes of HA plasma spraying on a substrate from titanium and associated compositions of traditional and nanocrystalline structure are optimized. The quality of the sprayed samples are studied using X-ray phase analysis and metallographic analysis. The results of investigations of bioceramic coating spraying on titanium are theoretically generalized, taking into account obtained experimental data. The results of investigations of ion-beam technology are presented for spraying multilayered coatings consisting of alternating metal-ceramic layers of nanocrystalline structure.

Randomized Block Cubic Newton Method

KAUST Repository

Doikov, Nikita; Richtarik, Peter

2018-01-01

We study the problem of minimizing the sum of three convex functions: a differentiable, twice-differentiable and a non-smooth term in a high dimensional setting. To this effect we propose and analyze a randomized block cubic Newton (RBCN) method, which in each iteration builds a model of the objective function formed as the sum of the natural models of its three components: a linear model with a quadratic regularizer for the differentiable term, a quadratic model with a cubic regularizer for the twice differentiable term, and perfect (proximal) model for the nonsmooth term. Our method in each iteration minimizes the model over a random subset of blocks of the search variable. RBCN is the first algorithm with these properties, generalizing several existing methods, matching the best known bounds in all special cases. We establish ${\\cal O}(1/\\epsilon)$, ${\\cal O}(1/\\sqrt{\\epsilon})$ and ${\\cal O}(\\log (1/\\epsilon))$ rates under different assumptions on the component functions. Lastly, we show numerically that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art on a variety of machine learning problems, including cubically regularized least-squares, logistic regression with constraints, and Poisson regression.

Randomized Block Cubic Newton Method

KAUST Repository

Doikov, Nikita

2018-02-12

We study the problem of minimizing the sum of three convex functions: a differentiable, twice-differentiable and a non-smooth term in a high dimensional setting. To this effect we propose and analyze a randomized block cubic Newton (RBCN) method, which in each iteration builds a model of the objective function formed as the sum of the natural models of its three components: a linear model with a quadratic regularizer for the differentiable term, a quadratic model with a cubic regularizer for the twice differentiable term, and perfect (proximal) model for the nonsmooth term. Our method in each iteration minimizes the model over a random subset of blocks of the search variable. RBCN is the first algorithm with these properties, generalizing several existing methods, matching the best known bounds in all special cases. We establish ${\\\\cal O}(1/\\\\epsilon)$, ${\\\\cal O}(1/\\\\sqrt{\\\\epsilon})$ and ${\\\\cal O}(\\\\log (1/\\\\epsilon))$ rates under different assumptions on the component functions. Lastly, we show numerically that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art on a variety of machine learning problems, including cubically regularized least-squares, logistic regression with constraints, and Poisson regression.

In-situ TEM observation of the response of ultrafine- and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten to extreme irradiation environments.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Atwani, O; Hinks, J A; Greaves, G; Gonderman, S; Qiu, T; Efe, M; Allain, J P

2014-05-06

The accumulation of defects, and in particular He bubbles, can have significant implications for the performance of materials exposed to the plasma in magnetic-confinement nuclear fusion reactors. Some of the most promising candidates for deployment into such environments are nanocrystalline materials as the engineering of grain boundary density offers the possibility of tailoring their radiation resistance properties. In order to investigate the microstructural evolution of ultrafine- and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten under conditions similar to those in a reactor, a transmission electron microscopy study with in situ 2 keV He(+) ion irradiation at 950 °C has been completed. A dynamic and complex evolution in the microstructure was observed including the formation of defect clusters, dislocations and bubbles. Nanocrystalline grains with dimensions less than around 60 nm demonstrated lower bubble density and greater bubble size than larger nanocrystalline (60-100 nm) and ultrafine (100-500 nm) grains. In grains over 100 nm, uniform distributions of bubbles and defects were formed. At higher fluences, large faceted bubbles were observed on the grain boundaries, especially on those of nanocrystalline grains, indicating the important role grain boundaries can play in trapping He and thus in giving rise to the enhanced radiation tolerance of nanocrystalline materials.

Lattice location of impurities in silicon Carbide

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2085259; Correia Martins, João Guilherme

The presence and behaviour of transition metals (TMs) in SiC has been a concern since the start of producing device-grade wafers of this wide band gap semiconductor. They are unintentionally introduced during silicon carbide (SiC) production, crystal growth and device manufacturing, which makes them difficult contaminants to avoid. Once in SiC they easily form deep levels, either when in the isolated form or when forming complexes with other defects. On the other hand, using intentional TM doping, it is possible to change the electrical, optical and magnetic properties of SiC. TMs such as chromium, manganese or iron have been considered as possible candidates for magnetic dopants in SiC, if located on silicon lattice sites. All these issues can be explored by investigating the lattice site of implanted TMs. This thesis addresses the lattice location and thermal stability of the implanted TM radioactive probes 56Mn, 59Fe, 65Ni and 111Ag in both cubic 3C- and hexagonal 6H SiC polytypes by means of emission cha...

Luminescence of nanocrystalline ZnSe:Mn2+

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suyver, J.F.; Wuister, S.F.; Kelly, J.J.; Meijerink, A.

2000-01-01

The luminescence properties of nanocrystalline ZnSe:Mn^(2+) prepared via an inorganic chemical synthesis are described. Photoluminescence spectra show distinct ZnSe and Mn^(2+) related emissions, both of which are excited via the ZnSe host lattice. The Mn^(2+) emission wavelength and the

Neutrosophic Cubic MCGDM Method Based on Similarity Measure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surapati Pramanik

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The notion of neutrosophic cubic set is originated from the hybridization of the concept of neutrosophic set and interval valued neutrosophic set. We define similarity measure for neutrosophic cubic sets and prove some of its basic properties.

Magnetic oxide heterostructures. EuO on cubic oxides and on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caspers, Christian

2013-01-01

In the thesis at hand, we explore fundamental properties of ultrathin europium oxide (EuO) films. EuO is a model system of a localized 4f Heisenberg ferromagnet, in which the ferromagnetic coupling. provided a high crystalline quality. can be tuned by biaxial lattice strain. Moreover, the magnetic oxide EuO is perfectly suited as a spin-functional tunnel contact for silicon spintronics. However, up to now a challenging bulk and interface chemistry of EuO and Si has hampered a seamless integration into functional silicon heterostructures. In order to investigate fundamental aspects of the magnetic and electronic structure of ultrathin EuO, in the first part of this thesis, we synthesize EuO thin films on conductive YSZ substrates from bulklike thicknesses down to one nanometer by oxide molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The EuO thin films are of textbook-like single-crystalline quality, and show bulk-like magnetic properties. We control the stoichiometry of buried EuO thin films by hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES); even a 1 nm ultrathin EuO film exhibits no valence change or interface shifts. Furthermore, we conduct an advanced magnetic characterization by the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of Eu core-levels in photoemission, this gives us insight into the intra-atomic exchange coupling of EuO thin films. The MCD reveals large asymmetries of up to 49% in the well-resolved Eu 4d photoemission multiplet. Thus, ultrathin EuO coherently grown on conductive YSZ allows us to explore fundamental magnetic and electronic properties of a 4f magnetic oxide. Biaxial lateral strain applied to single-crystalline EuO is of fundamental interest, since it alters the electronic structure and magnetic coupling in a controlled way. We apply +4.2% tensile biaxial strain to EuO by epitaxial EuO/LaAlO 3 (100) heterostructures. EuO seamlessly adapts the lateral lattice parameter of LaAlO 3 , while the perpendicular parameter of EuO is the unchanged EuO bulk value, thus the

Cubical version of combinatorial differential forms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kock, Anders

2010-01-01

The theory of combinatorial differential forms is usually presented in simplicial terms. We present here a cubical version; it depends on the possibility of forming affine combinations of mutual neighbour points in a manifold, in the context of synthetic differential geometry.......The theory of combinatorial differential forms is usually presented in simplicial terms. We present here a cubical version; it depends on the possibility of forming affine combinations of mutual neighbour points in a manifold, in the context of synthetic differential geometry....

Nanocrystalline diamond coatings for machining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frank, M.; Breidt, D.; Cremer, R. [CemeCon AG, Wuerselen (Germany)

2007-07-01

This history of CVD diamond synthesis goes back to the fifties of the last century. However, the scientific and economical potential was only gradually recognized. In the eighties, intensive worldwide research on CVD diamond synthesis and applications was launched. Industrial products, especially diamond-coated cutting tools, were introduced to the market in the middle of the nineties. This article shows the latest developments in this area, which comprises nanocrystalline diamond coating structures. (orig.)

P-union and P-intersection of neutrosophic cubic sets

OpenAIRE

Florentin Smarandache; Chang Su Kim

2015-01-01

Conditions for the P-intersection and P-intersection of falsity-external (resp. indeterminacy-external and truth-external) neutrosophic cubic sets to be an falsity-external (resp. indeterminacy-external and truth- external) neutrosophic cubic set are provided. Conditions for the P-union and the P-intersection of two truth-external (resp. indeterminacy-external and falsity-external) neutrosophic cubic sets to be a truth-internal (resp. indeterminacy-internal and falsity-internal) neutrosoph...

Preparation, characterization and luminescence of nanocrystalline Y2O3:Ho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biljan, Tomislav; Gajovic, Andreja; Meic, Zlatko; Mestrovic, Ernest

2007-01-01

Nanocrystalline Y 2 O 3 :Ho was synthesized by solution combustion method with ethylene glycol as fuel. Material was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction and TEM showed that the material is nanostructured. Luminescence properties were studied using Raman spectrometers with excitation in near infrared (NIR) and visible regions. The visible and NIR luminescence spectra of nanocrystalline Y 2 O 3 :Ho show some important differences from those of bulk material. The convenience of using Raman instruments for studying luminescence of lanthanide ions is demonstrated

Chemical vapor deposition of nanocrystalline diamond films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vyrovets, I.I.; Gritsyna, V.I.; Dudnik, S.F.; Opalev, O.A.; Reshetnyak, O.M.; Strel'nitskij, V.E.

2008-01-01

The brief review of the literature is devoted to synthesis of nanocrystalline diamond films. It is shown that the CVD method is an effective way for deposition of such nanostructures. The basic technological methods that allow limit the size of growing diamond crystallites in the film are studied.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline zinc ferrite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, J.S.; Yang, X.L.; Gao, L.

1999-01-01

Nanocrystalline zinc ferrite powders with a partially inverted spinel structure were synthesized by high-energy ball milling in a closed container at ambient temperature from a mixture of alpha-Fe2O3 and ZnO crystalline powders in equimolar ratio. From low-temperature and in-field Mossbauer...

Grain boundaries of nanocrystalline materials - their widths, compositions, and internal structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fultz, B.; Frase, H.N.

2000-01-01

Nanocrystalline materials contain many atoms at and near grain boundaries. Sufficient numbers of Moessbauer probe atoms can be situated in grain boundary environments to make a clear contribution to the measured Moessbauer spectrum. Three types of measurements on nanocrystalline materials are reported here, all using Moessbauer spectrometry in conjunction with X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, or small angle neutron scattering. By measuring the fraction of atoms contributing to the grain boundary component in a Moessbauer spectrum, and by knowing the grain size of the material, it is possible to deduce the average width of grain boundaries in metallic alloys. It is found that these widths are approximately 0.5 nm for fcc alloys and slightly larger than 1.0 nm for bcc alloys.Chemical segregation to grain boundaries can be measured by Moessbauer spectrometry, especially in conjunction with small angle neutron scattering. Such measurements on Fe-Cu and Fe 3 Si-Nb were used to study how nanocrystalline materials could be stabilized against grain growth by the segregation of Cu and Nb to grain boundaries. The segregation of Cu to grain boundaries did not stabilize the Fe-Cu alloys against grain growth, since the grain boundaries were found to widen and accept more Cu atoms during annealing. The Nb additions to Fe 3 Si did suppress grain growth, perhaps because of the low mobility of Nb atoms, but also perhaps because Nb atoms altered the chemical ordering in the alloy.The internal structure of grain boundaries in nanocrystalline materials prepared by high-energy ball milling is found to be unstable against internal relaxations at low temperatures. The Moessbauer spectra of the nanocrystalline samples showed changes in the hyperfine fields attributable to movements of grain boundary atoms. In conjunction with SANS measurements, the changes in grain boundary structure induced by cryogenic exposure and annealing at low temperature were found to be

Characteristics of RuO2-SnO2 nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous electrode for thin film microsupercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Han-Ki; Choi, Sun-Hee; Yoon, Young Soo; Chang, Sung-Yong; Ok, Young-Woo; Seong, Tae-Yeon

2005-01-01

The characteristics of RuO 2 -SnO 2 nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous electrode, grown by DC reactive sputtering, was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and transmission electron diffraction (TED) examination results showed that Sn and Ru metal cosputtered electrode in O 2 /Ar ambient have RuO 2 -SnO 2 nanocrystallines in an amorphous oxide matrix. It is shown that the cyclic voltammorgram (CV) result of the RuO 2 -SnO 2 nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous film in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 liquid electrolyte is similar to a bulk-type supercapacitor behavior with a specific capacitance of 62.2 mF/cm 2 μm. This suggests that the RuO 2 -SnO 2 nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous film can be employed in hybrid all-solid state energy storage devises as an electrode of supercapacitor

Amorphous and nanocrystalline materials preparation, properties, and applications

CERN Document Server

Inoue, A

2001-01-01

Amorphous and nanocrystalline materials are a class of their own. Their properties are quite different to those of the corresponding crystalline materials. This book gives systematic insight into their physical properties, structure, behaviour, and design for special advanced applications.

Nanocrystalline Ni-Co Alloy Synthesis by High Speed Electrodeposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamaliah Idris

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Electrodeposition of nanocrystals is economically and technologically viable production path for the synthesis of pure metals and alloys both in coatings and bulk form. The study presents nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloy synthesis by high speed electrodeposition. Nanocrystalline Ni-Co alloys coatings were prepared by direct current (DC and deposited directly on steel and aluminum substrates without any pretreatment, using high speed electrodeposition method. The influence of the electrolysis parameters, such as cathodic current density and temperature at constant pH, on electrodeposition and microstructure of Ni-Co alloys were examined. A homogeneous surface morphology was obtained at all current densities of the plated samples, and it was evident that the current density and temperature affect the coating thickness of Ni-Co alloy coatings.

Electrophoretic Nanocrystalline Graphene Film Electrode for Lithium Ion Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaprans, Kaspars; Bajars, Gunars; Kucinskis, Gints; Dorondo, Anna; Mateuss, Janis; Gabrusenoks, Jevgenijs; Kleperis, Janis; Lusis, Andrejs

2015-01-01

Graphene sheets were fabricated by electrophoretic deposition method from water suspension of graphene oxide followed by thermal reduction. The formation of nanocrystalline graphene sheets has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of graphene sheets as anode material for lithium ion batteries was evaluated by cycling voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Fabricated graphene sheets exhibited high discharge capacity of about 1120 mAh·g −1 and demonstrated good reversibility of lithium intercalation and deintercalation in graphene sheet film with capacity retention over 85 % after 50 cycles. Results show that nanocrystalline graphene sheets prepared by EPD demonstrated a high potential for application as anode material in lithium ion batteries

Synthesis and Characterization of Chemically Etched Nanostructured Silicon

KAUST Repository

Mughal, Asad Jahangir

2012-05-01

Silicon is an essential element in today’s modern world. Nanostructured Si is a more recently studied variant, which has currently garnered much attention. When its spatial dimensions are confined below a certain limit, its optical properties change dramatically. It transforms from an indirect bandgap material that does not absorb or emit light efficiently into one which can emit visible light at room temperatures. Although much work has been conducted in understanding the properties of nanostructured Si, in particular porous Si surfaces, a clear understanding of the origin of photoluminescence has not yet been produced. Typical synthesis approaches used to produce nanostructured Si, in particular porous Si and nanocrystalline Si have involved complex preparations used at high temperatures, pressures, or currents. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an easier synthesis approach to produce nanostructured Si as well as arrive at a clearer understanding of the origin of photoluminescence in these systems. We used a simple chemical etching technique followed by sonication to produce nanostructured Si suspensions. The etching process involved producing pores on the surface of a Si substrate in a solution containing hydrofluoric acid and an oxidant. Nanocrystalline Si as well as nanoscale amorphous porous Si suspensions were successfully synthesized using this process. We probed into the phase, composition, and origin of photoluminescence in these materials, through the use of several characterization techniques. TEM and SEM were used to determine morphology and phase. FT-IR and XPS were employed to study chemical compositions, and steady state and time resolved optical spectroscopy techniques were applied to resolve their photoluminescent properties. Our work has revealed that the type of oxidant utilized during etching had a significant impact on the final product. When using nitric acid as the oxidant, we formed nanocrystalline Si suspensions composed of

High-pressure structural behavior of nanocrystalline Ge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, H.; Liu, J. F.; Yan, H.

2007-01-01

The equation of state and the pressure of the I-II transition have been studied for nanocrystalline Ge using synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The bulk modulus and the transition pressure increase with decreasing particle size for both Ge-I and Ge-II, but the percentage volume collapse at the transi...

Nanocrystalline sp{sup 2} and sp{sup 3} carbons: CVD synthesis and applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terranova, M. L. [Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata,” via Della Ricerca Scientifica, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche—MinimaLab (Italy); Rossi, M. [Università degli Studi di Roma “Sapienza,” via A. Scarpa, Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Applicate per l’Ingegneria and Centro di Ricerca per le Nanotecnologie Applicate all’Ingegneria (CNIS) (Italy); Tamburri, E., E-mail: emanuela.tamburri@uniroma2.it [Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata,” via Della Ricerca Scientifica, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche—MinimaLab (Italy)

2016-11-15

The design and production of innovative materials based on nanocrystalline sp{sup 2}- and sp{sup 3}-coordinated carbons is presently a focus of the scientific community. We present a review of the nanostructures obtained in our labs using a series of synthetic routes, which make use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques for the selective production of non-planar graphitic nanostructures, nanocrystalline diamonds, and hybrid two-phase nanostructures.

Electrodeposited nanocrystalline bronze alloys as replacement for Ni

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hovestad, A.; Tacken, R.A.; Mannetje, H.H.'t

2008-01-01

Nanocrystalline white-bronze, CuSn, electroplating was investigated as alternative to Ni plating as undercoat for noble metals in jewellery applications. A strongly acidic plating bath was developed with an organic additive to suppress hydrogen evolution and obtain bright coatings. Polarization

Non-spherical micelles in an oil-in-water cubic phase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leaver, M.; Rajagopalan, V.; Ulf, O.

2000-01-01

phase, both with and without SDS, was established by NMR self-diffusion. In addition H-2 NMR relaxation experiments have demonstrated that the micelles in the cubic phase are non-spherical, having grown and changed shape upon formation of the cubic phase from the micellar solution. Small angle...... associated with the micellar cubic phase, Pm3n and Fd3m. The micellar volumes calculated for these space groups are similar and are consistent with a change in micellar geometry from spherical to prolate.......The cubic phase formed between the microemulsion and hexagonal phases of the ternary pentaethylene glycol dodecyl ether (C12E5)-decane-water system and that doped with small amounts of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) have been investigated. The presence of discrete oil-swollen micelles in the cubic...

Electrophoretic deposition of nanocrystalline TiO2 films on Ti substrates for use in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Weiwei; Yin Xiong; Zhou Xiaowen; Zhang Jingbo; Xiao Xurui; Lin Yuan

2009-01-01

Nanocrystalline TiO 2 films were prepared on flexible Ti-metal sheets by electrophoretic deposition followed by chemical treatment with tetra-n-butyl titanate (TBT) and sintering at 450 deg. C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that TBT treatment led to the formation of additional anatase TiO 2 , which plays an important role in improving the interconnection between TiO 2 particles, as well as the adherence of the film to the substrate, and in modifying the surface properties of the nanocrystalline particles. The effect of TBT treatment on the electron transport in the nanocrystalline films was studied by intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS). An increase in the conversion efficiency was obtained for the dye-sensitized solar cells with TBT-treated nanocrystalline TiO 2 films. The cell performance was further optimized by designing nanocrystalline TiO 2 films with a double-layer structure composed of a light-scattering layer and a transparent layer. The light-scattering effect of the double-layer nanocrystalline films was evaluated by diffuse reflectance spectra. Employing the double-layer nanocrystalline films as the photoelectrodes resulted in a significant improvement in the incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency of the corresponding cells due to enhanced solar absorption by light scattering. A high conversion efficiency of 6.33% was measured under illumination with 100 mW cm -2 (AM 1.5) simulated sunlight.

Cellulose-precursor synthesis of nanocrystalline Co0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4 spinel ferrites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ounnunkad, Kontad; Phanichphant, Sukon

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Synthesis of spinel copper cobalt nanoferrite particles from a cellulose precursor for the first time. Control of nanosize and properties of nanoferrites can take place by varying the calcining temperature. The simple, low cost, easy cellulose process is a choice of nanoparticle processing technology. -- Abstract: Nanocrystalline Cu 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 powders were prepared via a metal-cellulose precursor synthetic route. Cellulose was used as a fuel and a dispersing agent. The resulting precursors were calcined in the temperature range of 450–600 °C. The phase development of the samples was determined by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The field-dependent magnetizations of the nanopowders were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). All XRD patterns are of a spinel ferrite with cubic symmetry. Microstructure of the ferrites showed irregular shapes and uniform particles with agglomeration. From XRD data, the crystallite sizes are in range of 16–42 nm. Saturation magnetization and coercivity increased with increasing calcining temperature due to enhancement of crystallinity and reduction of oxygen vacancies.

Bifurcation of limit cycles for cubic reversible systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Shao

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This article is concerned with the bifurcation of limit cycles of a class of cubic reversible system having a center at the origin. We prove that this system has at least four limit cycles produced by the period annulus around the center under cubic perturbations

Effect of Mo Ion Implantation on Stability of Nanocrystalline Copper Surface Layers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

XI Yang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The surface of pure copper was modified using the surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT method, and molybdenum ions were implanted in the nanosurface using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA. The results of the SMAT were observed by optical microscopy (OM, X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. An obvious nanocrystalline layer and a deformation region exist on the surface. The size of the nanocrystalline layer was characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM. The results indicate remarkable suppression on grain size, the nanocrystalline layer grows to 163nm after annealing and reduces to only 72nm due to the Mo ion implantation. In addition, the hardness of the topmost surface of the material is 3.5 times that of the SMATed copper, which is about 7 times of the value of the matrix. The above improvements most likely result from the dispersion of the Mo ions and the reactions of the crystal defects due to the SMAT and ion implantation.

Stability of nanocrystalline Ni-based alloys: coupling Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Waseda, O.; Goldenstein, H.; Silva, G. F. B. Lenz e.; Neiva, A.; Chantrenne, P.; Morthomas, J.; Perez, M.; Becquart, C. S.; Veiga, R. G. A.

2017-10-01

The thermal stability of nanocrystalline Ni due to small additions of Mo or W (up to 1 at%) was investigated in computer simulations by means of a combined Monte Carlo (MC)/molecular dynamics (MD) two-steps approach. In the first step, energy-biased on-lattice MC revealed segregation of the alloying elements to grain boundaries. However, the condition for the thermodynamic stability of these nanocrystalline Ni alloys (zero grain boundary energy) was not fulfilled. Subsequently, MD simulations were carried out for up to 0.5 μs at 1000 K. At this temperature, grain growth was hindered for minimum global concentrations of 0.5 at% W and 0.7 at% Mo, thus preserving most of the nanocrystalline structure. This is in clear contrast to a pure Ni model system, for which the transformation into a monocrystal was observed in MD simulations within 0.2 μs at the same temperature. These results suggest that grain boundary segregation of low-soluble alloying elements in low-alloyed systems can produce high-temperature metastable nanocrystalline materials. MD simulations carried out at 1200 K for 1 at% Mo/W showed significant grain boundary migration accompanied by some degree of solute diffusion, thus providing additional evidence that solute drag mostly contributed to the nanostructure stability observed at lower temperature.

Uncertainty propagation in a multiscale model of nanocrystalline plasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koslowski, M.; Strachan, Alejandro

2011-01-01

We characterize how uncertainties propagate across spatial and temporal scales in a physics-based model of nanocrystalline plasticity of fcc metals. Our model combines molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize atomic-level processes that govern dislocation-based-plastic deformation with a phase field approach to dislocation dynamics (PFDD) that describes how an ensemble of dislocations evolve and interact to determine the mechanical response of the material. We apply this approach to a nanocrystalline Ni specimen of interest in micro-electromechanical (MEMS) switches. Our approach enables us to quantify how internal stresses that result from the fabrication process affect the properties of dislocations (using MD) and how these properties, in turn, affect the yield stress of the metallic membrane (using the PFMM model). Our predictions show that, for a nanocrystalline sample with small grain size (4 nm), a variation in residual stress of 20 MPa (typical in today's microfabrication techniques) would result in a variation on the critical resolved shear yield stress of approximately 15 MPa, a very small fraction of the nominal value of approximately 9 GPa. - Highlights: → Quantify how fabrication uncertainties affect yield stress in a microswitch component. → Propagate uncertainties in a multiscale model of single crystal plasticity. → Molecular dynamics quantifies how fabrication variations affect dislocations. → Dislocation dynamics relate variations in dislocation properties to yield stress.

Induced anisotropy effect in nanocrystalline cores for GFCBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waeckerle, T. E-mail: thierry.waeckerle@imphy.usinor.com; Verin, Ph.; Cremer, P.; Gautard, D

2000-06-02

Nanocrystalline materials are very efficient for GFCB cores with flat hysteresis loop, especially if permeability may be raised in keeping low the remanent induction. This can be achieved with peculiar field annealing . A thermodynamic model is proposed to explain the experimental evidence.

Nanocrystalline alloys of Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B after neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sitek, J.; Toth, I.; Degmova, J.; Uvacik, P.

1997-01-01

Transmission Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to study changes induced by irradiation of amorphous and nanocrystalline samples. In an as-cast sample, neutrons mostly affect the orientation of the net magnetic moment. The average hyperfine field decreases with increasing neutron fluencies. In the case of the nanocrystalline samples a new disordered structure is created in the amorphous remainder corresponding to boride phases as it is shown in the samples isothermally heated from 1 to 8 hours. The structural changes of the amorphous remainder depend on the stage of crystallization and total neutron fluencies. (author). 1 tab., 3 figs., 7 refs

A study of the structure and crystallisation of nanocrystalline zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tucker, M.

1999-12-01

Nanocrystalline zirconia, prepared via, calcination of the hydroxide, has been studied using a variety of experimental techniques. Two chemical routes, a precipitation and a sol-gel route, were used to prepare the hydroxide. Neutron and X-ray diffraction, EXAFS, NMR and SANS have been used to study the structure and crystallisation, during in-situ and ambient condition measurements. The structural information from the diffraction data has been complimented by the other techniques to provide information on the short, medium and longer range structure of nanocrystalline zirconia. Pure and yttrium doped samples were studied, this enabled the affects of doping and preparation routes to be investigated. The amorphous hydroxide was found to have a, monoclinic-like structure for all samples, independent of preparation route or yttrium content. The crystallisation temperature was lowest for the pure precipitation sample and was increased by the addition of yttrium or by preparation via, the sol-gel route. For the precipitation samples, in addition to the crystallisation temperature being raised, doping with yttrium also had an effect on the size of the crystallites obtained at high temperatures. Due to the different incorporation method of the yttrium into the sol-gel samples the effect on crystallite size and crystallisation temperature, as seen for the precipitation samples, were not evident for the sol-gel samples. The neutron and NMR data clearly show hydrogen remains in the samples well after crystallisation has become evident. The structural picture of nanocrystalline zirconia consisting of small crystallites surrounded by material containing, or terminated by, hydroxyl groups, is supported by all the results and methods used in this thesis. The in-situ and ambient conditions data is combined into a coherent growth picture of the nanocrystalline material from the hydroxide until at high enough temperatures the bulk or polycrystalline material is formed. (author)

Structure characterization of nanocrystalline Ni–W alloys obtained by electrodeposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Indyka, P., E-mail: paulina.indyka@uj.edu.pl [Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Chemistry, 3 Ingardena St., 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Beltowska-Lehman, E.; Tarkowski, L.; Bigos, A. [Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, 25 Reymonta St., 30-059 Krakow (Poland); García-Lecina, E. [Surface Finishing Department, CIDETEC-IK4 – Centre for Electrochemical Technologies, P° Miramón 196, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain)

2014-03-25

Highlights: • Ni–W alloy coatings were electrodeposited from an aqueous electrolyte solutions. • The microstructure was studied with respect to electrodeposition process parameters. • We report optimal plating conditions for crack-free, nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings. • Crystalline Ni–W coatings exhibited the phase structure of an α-Ni(W) solid solution. • Coatings revealed tensile residual stresses and weakly pronounced 〈1 1 0〉 fiber texture. -- Abstract: Ni–W coatings of different tungsten content (2–50 wt%) were electrodeposited on a steel substrates from an aqueous complex sulfate–citrate galvanic baths, under controlled hydrodynamic conditions in a Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) system. The optimum conditions for the electrodeposition of crack-free, homogeneous nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings were determined on the basis of the microstructure investigation results. The XRD structural characterizations of Ni–W alloy coatings obtained under different experimental conditions were complemented by SEM and TEM analysis. Results of the study revealed that the main factor influencing the microstructure formation of the Ni–W coatings is the chemical composition of an electrolyte solution. X-ray and electron diffraction patterns of all nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings revealed mainly the fcc phase structure of an α-Ni(W) solid solution with a lattice parameter increased along with tungsten content. The use of additives in the plating bath resulted in the formation of equiaxial/quasifibrous, nanocrystalline Ni–W grains of an average size of about 10 nm. The coatings were characterized by relatively high tensile residual stresses (500–1000 MPa), depending on the electrodeposition conditions. Ni–W coatings exhibited weakly pronounced fiber type 〈1 1 0〉 crystallographic texture, consistent with the symmetry of the plating process. Coatings of the highest tungsten content 50 wt% were found to be amorphous.

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.

Cubic interactions of Maxwell-like higher spins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Francia, Dario [Scuola Normale Superiore and INFN,Piazza dei Cavalieri, 7 I-56126 Pisa (Italy); Monaco, Gabriele Lo [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa,Piazza Fibonacci, 3, I-56126, Pisa (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano-Bicocca,Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Mkrtchyan, Karapet [Max Planck Institut für Gravitationsphysik,Am Mühlenberg 1, Potsdam 14476 (Germany)

2017-04-12

We study the cubic vertices for Maxwell-like higher-spins in flat and (A)dS background spaces of any dimension. Reducibility of their free spectra implies that a single cubic vertex involving any three fields subsumes a number of couplings among different particles of various spins. The resulting vertices do not involve traces of the fields and in this sense are simpler than their Fronsdal counterparts. We propose an extension of both the free theory and of its cubic deformation to a more general class of partially reducible systems, that one can obtain from the original theory upon imposing trace constraints of various orders. The key to our results is a version of the Noether procedure allowing to systematically account for the deformations of the transversality conditions to be imposed on the gauge parameters at the free level.

An Abel type cubic system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary R. Nicklason

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We consider center conditions for plane polynomial systems of Abel type consisting of a linear center perturbed by the sum of 2 homogeneous polynomials of degrees n and 2n-1 where $n \\ge 2$. Using properties of Abel equations we obtain two general systems valid for arbitrary values on n. For the cubic n=2 systems we find several sets of new center conditions, some of which show that the results in a paper by Hill, Lloyd and Pearson which were conjectured to be complete are in fact not complete. We also present a particular system which appears to be a counterexample to a conjecture by Zoladek et al. regarding rational reversibility in cubic polynomial systems.

Cubication of conservative nonlinear oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belendez, Augusto; Alvarez, Mariela L; Fernandez, Elena; Pascual, Inmaculada

2009-01-01

A cubication procedure of the nonlinear differential equation for conservative nonlinear oscillators is analysed and discussed. This scheme is based on the Chebyshev series expansion of the restoring force, and this allows us to approximate the original nonlinear differential equation by a Duffing equation in which the coefficients for the linear and cubic terms depend on the initial amplitude, A, while in a Taylor expansion of the restoring force these coefficients are independent of A. The replacement of the original nonlinear equation by an approximate Duffing equation allows us to obtain an approximate frequency-amplitude relation as a function of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind. Some conservative nonlinear oscillators are analysed to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of this scheme.

Size dependence of the optical spectrum in nanocrystalline silver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taneja, Praveen; Ayyub, Pushan; Chandra, Ramesh

2002-01-01

We report a detailed study of the optical reflectance in sputter-deposited, nanocrystalline silver thin films in order to understand the marked changes in color that occur with decreasing particle size. In particular, samples with an average particle size in the 20 to 35 nm range are golden yellow, while those with a size smaller than 15 nm are black. We simulate the size dependence of the observed reflection spectra by incorporating Mie's theory of scattering and absorption of light in small particles, into the bulk dielectric constant formalism given by Ehrenreich and Philipp [Phys. Rev. 128, 1622 (1962)]. This provides a general method for understanding the reflected color of a dense collection of nanoparticles, such as in a nanocrystalline thin film. A deviation from Mie's theory is observed due to strong interparticle interactions

Characterisation of nanocrystalline CdS thin films deposited by CBD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devi, R.; Sarma, B.K.

2006-01-01

Nanocrystalline thin films of CdS are deposited on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix solution. Crystallite sizes of the films are determined from X-ray diffraction and are found to vary from 5.4 nm to 7 nm. The band gaps of the nanocrystalline material is determined from the U-V spectrograph and are found to be within the range from 2.6 eV to 2.8 eV as grain size decreases. The band gaps are also determined from the dependence of electrical conductivity of the films with temperature. An increase of molarity decreases the grain size which in turn increases the band gap. (author)

Multiphase Nanocrystalline Ceramic Concept for Nuclear Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mecartnery, Martha [Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States); Graeve, Olivia [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Patel, Maulik [Univ. of Liverpool (United Kingdom)

2017-05-25

The goal of this research is to help develop new fuels for higher efficiency, longer lifetimes (higher burn-up) and increased accident tolerance in future nuclear reactors. Multiphase nanocrystalline ceramics will be used in the design of simulated advanced inert matrix nuclear fuel to provide for enhanced plasticity, better radiation tolerance, and improved thermal conductivity

Multiphase Nanocrystalline Ceramic Concept for Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mecartnery, Martha; Graeve, Olivia; Patel, Maulik

2017-01-01

The goal of this research is to help develop new fuels for higher efficiency, longer lifetimes (higher burn-up) and increased accident tolerance in future nuclear reactors. Multiphase nanocrystalline ceramics will be used in the design of simulated advanced inert matrix nuclear fuel to provide for enhanced plasticity, better radiation tolerance, and improved thermal conductivity

Optimization of nanocrystalline γ-alumina coating for direct spray ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Modifications of the partial gas percentage influences the optical properties and composition ... O2 flow in the Ar ambient and substrate temperature on struc- ture and properties of ..... nism to explain mechanical behaviour of nanocrystalline.

Transdermal delivery of paeonol using cubic gel and microemulsion gel

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Maofu; Shen, Qi; Chen, Jinjin

2011-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to develop new systems for transdermal delivery of paeonol, in particular microemulsion gel and cubic gel formulations. Methods Various microemulsion vehicles were prepared using isopropyl myristate as an oil phase, polyoxyethylated castor oil (Cremophor® EL) as a surfactant, and polyethylene glycol 400 as a cosurfactant. In the optimum microemulsion gel formulation, carbomer 940 was selected as the gel matrix, and consisted of 1% paeonol, 4% isopropyl myristate, 28% Cremophor EL/polyethylene glycol 400 (1:1), and 67% water. The cubic gel was prepared containing 3% paeonol, 30% water, and 67% glyceryl monooleate. Results A skin permeability test using excised rat skins indicated that both the cubic gel and microemulsion gel formulations had higher permeability than did the paeonol solution. An in vivo pharmacokinetic study done in rats showed that the relative bioavailability of the cubic gel and microemulsion gel was enhanced by about 1.51-fold and 1.28-fold, respectively, compared with orally administered paeonol suspension. Conclusion Both the cubic gel and microemulsion gel formulations are promising delivery systems to enhance the skin permeability of paeonol, in particular the cubic gel. PMID:21904450

Fe-based nanocrystalline powder cores with ultra-low core loss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xiangyue, E-mail: wangxiangyue1986@163.com [China Iron and Steel Research Institute Group, Beijing 100081 (China); Center of Advanced Technology and Materials Co., Ltd., Beijing 100081 (China); Lu, Zhichao; Lu, Caowei; Li, Deren [China Iron and Steel Research Institute Group, Beijing 100081 (China); Center of Advanced Technology and Materials Co., Ltd., Beijing 100081 (China)

2013-12-15

Melt-spun amorphous Fe{sub 73.5}Cu{sub 1}Nb{sub 3}Si{sub 15.5}B{sub 7} alloy strip was crushed to make flake-shaped fine powders. The passivated powders by phosphoric acid were mixed with organic and inorganic binder, followed by cold compaction to form toroid-shaped bonded powder-metallurgical magnets. The powder cores were heat-treated to crystallize the amorphous structure and to control the nano-grain structure. Well-coated phosphate-oxide insulation layer on the powder surface decreased the the core loss with the insulation of each powder. FeCuNbSiB nanocrystalline alloy powder core prepared from the powder having phosphate-oxide layer exhibits a stable permeability up to high frequency range over 2 MHz. Especially, the core loss could be reduced remarkably. At the other hand, the softened inorganic binder in the annealing process could effectively improve the intensity of powder cores. - Highlights: • Fe-based nanocrystalline powder cores were prepared with low core loss. • Well-coated phosphate-oxide insulation layer on the powder surface decreased the core loss. • Fe-based nanocrystalline powder cores exhibited a stable permeability up to high frequency range over 2 MHz. • The softened inorganic binder in the annealing process could effectively improve the intensity of powder cores.

Nonlinear dynamics of quadratically cubic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudenko, O V

2013-01-01

We propose a modified form of the well-known nonlinear dynamic equations with quadratic relations used to model a cubic nonlinearity. We show that such quadratically cubic equations sometimes allow exact solutions and sometimes make the original problem easier to analyze qualitatively. Occasionally, exact solutions provide a useful tool for studying new phenomena. Examples considered include nonlinear ordinary differential equations and Hopf, Burgers, Korteweg–de Vries, and nonlinear Schrödinger partial differential equations. Some problems are solved exactly in the space–time and spectral representations. Unsolved problems potentially solvable by the proposed approach are listed. (methodological notes)

The effect of yttrium addition on oxidation of a sputtered nanocrystalline coating with moderate amount of tantalum in composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jinlong; Chen, Minghui; Yang, Lanlan; Liu, Li; Zhu, Shenglong; Wang, Fuhui; Meng, Guozhe

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Effect of Y addition on oxidation of nanocrystalline coating is studied. • Y addition delays transformation of q-Al_2O_3 to a-Al_2O_3 during oxidation. • Y addition prevents scale rumpling. • Y segregates at grain boundaries of the nanocrystalline coating. • Y retards the transportation of Ta thus reduces its oxidation. - Abstract: The effect of yttrium addition on isothermal oxidation at 1050 °C of a sputtered nanocrystalline coating with moderate amount of tantalum in composition was investigated. Results indicate that yttrium addition delays transformation of metastable θ-Al_2O_3 to equilibrium α-Al_2O_3 grown on the nanocrystalline coatings. It prevents scale rumpling and promotes the formation of oxide pegs at interface between the oxide scale and the underlying coating. Besides, yttrium prefers to segregate at grain boundaries of the nanocrystalline coating and retards the outward transportation of tantalum from coating to oxide scale, thus reducing the excessive oxidation of tantalum.

Effect of nanocrystalline surface of substrate on microstructure and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

surface layers or bulk nanocrystalline metals and alloys more effectively. ... severe plastic deformation on surface layers of bulk met- als at high strains and strain rates. .... scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Zeiss, model: Sigma. VP), energy ...

Solubility of Carbon in Nanocrystalline -Iron

OpenAIRE

Alexander Kirchner; Bernd Kieback

2012-01-01

A thermodynamic model for nanocrystalline interstitial alloys is presented. The equilibrium solid solubility of carbon in -iron is calculated for given grain size. Inside the strained nanograins local variation of the carbon content is predicted. Due to the nonlinear relation between strain and solubility, the averaged solubility in the grain interior increases with decreasing grain size. The majority of the global solubility enhancement is due to grain boundary enrichment however. Therefor...

Bioactive nanocrystalline wollastonite synthesized by sol–gel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The sol–gel combustion method was employed to synthesize the nanocrystalline wollastonite by taking the raw eggshell powder as a calcium source and TEOS as a source of silicate. Glycine was used as a reductant or fuel and nitrate ions present in metal nitrate acts as an oxidizer. The phase purity of the wollastonite was ...

On Application of Non-cubic EoS to Compositional Reservoir Simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Wei; Michelsen, Michael Locht; Stenby, Erling Halfdan

Compositional reservoir simulation uses almost exclusively cubic equations of state (EoS) such as the SRK EoS and the PR EoS. This is in contrast with process simulation in the downstream industry where more recent and advanced thermodynamic models are quickly adopted. Many of these models are non-cubic...... EoS, such as the PC-SAFT EoS. A major reason for the use of the conventional cubic EoS in reservoir simulation is the concern over computation time. Flash computation is the most time consuming part in compositional reservoir simulation, and the extra complexity of the non-cubic EoS may significantly...... increase the time consumption. In addition to this, the non-cubic EoS also needs a C7+ characterization. The main advantage of the non-cubic EoS is that it provides for a more accurate descrition of fluid properties, and it is therefore of interest to investigate the computational aspects of using...

Purely cubic action for string field theory

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, G. T.; Lykken, J.; Rohm, R.; Strominger, A.

1986-01-01

It is shown that Witten's (1986) open-bosonic-string field-theory action and a closed-string analog can be written as a purely cubic interaction term. The conventional form of the action arises by expansion around particular solutions of the classical equations of motion. The explicit background dependence of the conventional action via the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin operator is eliminated in the cubic formulation. A closed-form expression is found for the full nonlinear gauge-transformation law.

Nanocrystalline zinc oxide for the decontamination of sarin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahato, T.H. [Defense R and D Establishment, Jhansi Road, 474002, Gwalior, MP (India); Prasad, G.K., E-mail: gkprasad@lycos.com [Defense R and D Establishment, Jhansi Road, 474002, Gwalior, MP (India); Singh, Beer; Acharya, J.; Srivastava, A.R.; Vijayaraghavan, R. [Defense R and D Establishment, Jhansi Road, 474002, Gwalior, MP (India)

2009-06-15

Nanocrystalline zinc oxide materials were prepared by sol-gel method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, nitrogen adsorption and infrared spectroscopy techniques. The data confirmed the formation of zinc oxide materials of zincite phase with an average crystallite size of {approx}55 nm. Obtained material was tested as destructive adsorbent for the decontamination of sarin and the reaction was followed by GC-NPD and GC-MS techniques. The reaction products were characterized by GC-MS and the data explored the role of hydrolysis reaction in the detoxification of sarin. Sarin was hydrolyzed to form surface bound non-toxic phosphonate on the surface of nano-zinc oxide. The data also revealed the values of rate constant and half-life to be 4.12 h{sup -1} and 0.16 h in the initial stages of the reaction and 0.361 h{sup -1} and 1.9 h at the final stages of the reaction for the decontamination reaction on nanocrystalline ZnO.

Nanocrystalline zinc oxide for the decontamination of sarin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahato, T.H.; Prasad, G.K.; Singh, Beer; Acharya, J.; Srivastava, A.R.; Vijayaraghavan, R.

2009-01-01

Nanocrystalline zinc oxide materials were prepared by sol-gel method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, nitrogen adsorption and infrared spectroscopy techniques. The data confirmed the formation of zinc oxide materials of zincite phase with an average crystallite size of ∼55 nm. Obtained material was tested as destructive adsorbent for the decontamination of sarin and the reaction was followed by GC-NPD and GC-MS techniques. The reaction products were characterized by GC-MS and the data explored the role of hydrolysis reaction in the detoxification of sarin. Sarin was hydrolyzed to form surface bound non-toxic phosphonate on the surface of nano-zinc oxide. The data also revealed the values of rate constant and half-life to be 4.12 h -1 and 0.16 h in the initial stages of the reaction and 0.361 h -1 and 1.9 h at the final stages of the reaction for the decontamination reaction on nanocrystalline ZnO.

Investigation of nanocrystalline Gd films loaded with hydrogen

KAUST Repository

Hruška, Petr; Čí žek, Jakub; Dobroň, Patrik; Anwand, Wolfgang; Mü cklich, Arndt; Gemma, Ryota; Wagner, Stefan; Uchida, Helmut; Pundt, Astrid

2015-01-01

The present work reports on microstructure studies of hydrogen-loaded nanocrystalline Gd films prepared by cold cathode beam sputtering on sapphire (112¯0) substrates. The Gd films were electrochemically step-by-step charged with hydrogen and the structural development with increasing concentration of absorbed hydrogen was studied by transmission electron microscopy and in-situ   X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The relaxation of hydrogen-induced stresses was examined by acoustic emission measurements. In the low concentration range absorbed hydrogen occupies preferentially vacancy-like defects at GBs typical for nanocrystalline films. With increasing hydrogen concentration hydrogen starts to occupy interstitial sites. At the solid solution limit the grains gradually transform into the ββ-phase (GdH2). Finally at high hydrogen concentrations xH>2.0xH>2.0 H/Gd, the film structure becomes almost completely amorphous. Contrary to bulk Gd specimens, the formation of the γγ-phase (GdH3) was not observed in this work.

Magnetic induction heating of FeCr nanocrystalline alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2012-01-01

In this work the thermal effects of magnetic induction heating in (FeCr) 73.5 Si 13.5 Cu 1 B 9 Nb 3 amorphous and nanocrystalline wires were analyzed. A single piece of wire was immersed in a glass capillary filled with water and subjected to an ac magnetic field (frequency, 320 kHz). The initial temperature rise enabled the determination of the effective Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Maximum SAR values are achieved for those samples displaying high magnetic susceptibility, where the eddy current losses dominate the induction heating behavior. Moreover, the amorphous sample with Curie temperature around room temperature displays characteristic features of self-regulated hyperthermia. - Highlights: ► Amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe based alloys with tailored Curie temperature of the amorphous phase. ► Induction heating effects under the action of a ac magnetic field. ► Self-regulated characteristics based on the control of the Curie temperature. ► Dominant role of the eddy-current losses in the self-heating phenomena.

Influence of Weak External Magnetic Field on Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Fe-based Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Degmová, J.; Sitek, J.

2010-07-01

Nanoperm, Hitperm and Finamet amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys were measured by Mössbauer spectrometry in a weak external magnetic field of 0.5 T. It was shown that the most sensitive parameters of Mössbauer spectra are the intensities of the 2nd and the 5th lines. Rather small changes were observed also in the case of internal magnetic field values. The spectrum of nanocrystalline Nanoperm showed the increase in A23 parameter (ratio of line intensities) from 2.4 to 3.7 and decrease of internal magnetic field from 20 to 19 T for amorphous subspectrum under the influence of magnetic field. Spectrum of nanocrystalline Finemet shown decrease in A23 parameter from 3.5 to 2.6 almost without a change in the internal magnetic field value. In the case of amorphous Nanoperm and Finemet samples, the changes are almost negligible. Hitperm alloy showed the highest sensitivity to the weak magnetic field, when the A23 parameter increased from 0.4 to 2.5 in the external magnetic fields. The A23 parameter of crystalline subspectrum increased from 2.7 to 3.8 and the value of internal magnetic field corresponding to amorphous subspectrum increased from 22 to 24 T. The behavior of nanocrystalline alloys under weak external magnetic field was analyzed within the three-level relaxation model of magnetic dynamics in an assembly of single-domain particles.

Artificial neural systems using memristive synapses and nano-crystalline silicon thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Cantley, Kurtis D.

Future computer systems will not rely solely on digital processing of inputs from well-defined data sets. They will also be required to perform various computational tasks using large sets of ill-defined information from the complex environment around them. The most efficient processor of this type of information known today is the human brain. Using a large number of primitive elements (˜1010 neurons in the neocortex) with high parallel connectivity (each neuron has ˜104 synapses), brains have the remarkable ability to recognize and classify patterns, predict outcomes, and learn from and adapt to incredibly diverse sets of problems. A reasonable goal in the push to increase processing power of electronic systems would thus be to implement artificial neural networks in hardware that are compatible with today's digital processors. This work focuses on the feasibility of utilizing non-crystalline silicon devices in neuromorphic electronics. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) nanowire transistors with Schottky barrier source/drain junctions, as well as a-Si:H/Ag resistive switches are fabricated and characterized. In the transistors, it is found that the on-current scales linearly with the effective width W eff of the channel nanowire array down to at least 20 nm. The solid-state electrolyte resistive switches (memristors) are shown to exhibit the proper current-voltage hysteresis. SPICE models of similar devices are subsequently developed to investigate their performance in neural circuits. The resulting SPICE simulations demonstrate spiking properties and synaptic learning rules that are incredibly similar to those in biology. Specifically, the neuron circuits can be designed to mimic the firing characteristics of real neurons, and Hebbian learning rules are investigated. Finally, some applications are presented, including associative learning analogous to the classical conditioning experiments originally performed by Pavlov, and frequency and pattern

Plastic fluctuations in empty crystals formed by cubic wireframe particles

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, John M.; Avendaño, Carlos

2018-05-01

We present a computer simulation study of the phase behavior of colloidal hard cubic frames, i.e., particles with nonconvex cubic wireframe geometry interacting purely by excluded volume. Despite the propensity of cubic wireframe particles to form cubic phases akin to their convex counterparts, these particles exhibit unusual plastic fluctuations in which a random and dynamic fraction of particles rotate around their lattice positions in the crystal lattice while the remainder of the particles remains fully ordered. We argue that this unexpected effect stems from the nonconvex geometry of the particles in which the faces of a particle can be penetrated by the vertices of the nearest neighbors even at high number densities.

Magnetostrictive properties of FeAl/polyester and FeAl/silicone composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riesgo, G. [Dpto. de Ciencias y Técnicas de la Navegación, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus universitario de Gijón, 33203 Gijón (Spain); Carrizo, J. [Dpto. de Física de la Universidad de Oviedo, c/ Calvo Sotelo s/n, 33007 Oviedo (Spain); Elbaile, L., E-mail: elbaile@uniovi.es [Dpto. de Física de la Universidad de Oviedo, c/ Calvo Sotelo s/n, 33007 Oviedo (Spain); Crespo, R.D. [Dpto. de Física de la Universidad de Oviedo, c/ Calvo Sotelo s/n, 33007 Oviedo (Spain); Sepúlveda, R. [Dpto. de Ingeniería Mecánica y de los Materiales, Universidad de Sevilla, Isla Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla (Spain); García, J.A. [Dpto. de Física de la Universidad de Oviedo, c/ Calvo Sotelo s/n, 33007 Oviedo (Spain)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Nanocrystalline powders of FeAl have been obtained from the Fe{sub 81}Al{sub 19} ribbon produced by melt spinning. • The method allows the obtainment of a FeAl solid solution from the starting process. • The microstructure and magnetic properties of the powders were investigated. • Composites with a magnetostriction of 45 ppm have been obtained. - Abstract: Ribbons of composition Fe{sub 81}Al{sub 19} obtained by the melt spinning method have been used to yield powder by mechanical milling. Using this method, a rapid nanocrystallization and a FeAl solid solution phase was obtained from the start of the process. The microstructural and magnetic properties as well as the XRD patterns of the powders were studied in function of the milling time. Grain refinement and an increase of the coercive field were the main transformations resulting from increasing the milling time. Two sets of magnetostrictive composites were produced from the 100 h-milled powder. In one of them polyester was used as matrix and in the other one silicone. In the case of the silicone composites cured in a magnetic field of 140 mT in the longitudinal direction a saturation magnetostriction as high as 45 ppm was obtained.

Eliminating cubic terms in the pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann model for multiphase flow

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rongzong; Wu, Huiying; Adams, Nikolaus A.

2018-05-01

It is well recognized that there exist additional cubic terms of velocity in the lattice Boltzmann (LB) model based on the standard lattice. In this work, elimination of these cubic terms in the pseudopotential LB model for multiphase flow is investigated, where the force term and density gradient are considered. By retaining high-order (≥3 ) Hermite terms in the equilibrium distribution function and the discrete force term, as well as introducing correction terms in the LB equation, the additional cubic terms of velocity are entirely eliminated. With this technique, the computational simplicity of the pseudopotential LB model is well maintained. Numerical tests, including stationary and moving flat and circular interface problems, are carried out to show the effects of such cubic terms on the simulation of multiphase flow. It is found that the elimination of additional cubic terms is beneficial to reduce the numerical error, especially when the velocity is relatively large. Numerical results also suggest that these cubic terms mainly take effect in the interfacial region and that the density-gradient-related cubic terms are more important than the other cubic terms for multiphase flow.

Microhardness studies of nanocrystalline lead molybdate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anandakumar, V.M.; Abdul Khadar, M.

2009-01-01

Nanocrystalline lead molybdate (PbMoO 4 ) of four different grain sizes were synthesized through chemical precipitation technique and the grain sizes and crystal structure are determined using the broadening of X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy. The microhardness of nanocrystalline lead molybdate (PbMoO 4 ) with different grain sizes were measured using a Vicker's microhardness tester for various applied loads ranging from 0.049 to 1.96 N. The microhardness values showed significant indentation size effect at low indentation loads. The proportional specimen resistance model put forward by Li and Bradt and energy balance model put forward by Gong and Li were used to analyze the behaviour of measured microhardness values under different indentation loads. The microhardness data obtained for samples of different grain sizes showed grain size dependent strengthening obeying normal Hall-Petch relation. The dependence of compacting pressure and annealing temperature on microhardness of the nanostructured sample with grain size of ∼18 nm were also studied. The samples showed significant increase in microhardness values as the compacting pressure and annealing time were increased. The variation of microhardness of the material with pressure of pelletization and annealing time are discussed in the light of change of pore size distribution of the samples.

Electrochemical passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline Fe80Si20 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline coating (Fe80Si20) obtained by in situ mechanical alloying route .... is controlled by the iron oxide film in case of alloys with ..... the surface is covered, thus, producing effective protection of.

Effect of Dy3+ substitution on structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Ni-Cu-Zn ferrites

Science.gov (United States)

Kabbur, S. M.; Ghodake, U. R.; Nadargi, D. Y.; Kambale, Rahul C.; Suryavanshi, S. S.

2018-04-01

Nanocrystalline Ni0.25Cu0.30Zn0.45DyxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.125 mol.) ferrimagnetic oxides have been synthesized by sol-gel autocombustion route. X-ray diffraction study reveals the formation of spinel cubic structure with an expansion of the unit cell by Dy addition. Bertaut method was employed to propose the site occupancy i.e. cation distribution for elements at A-tetrahedral and B-octahedral sites of spinel lattice. The intrinsic vibrational absorption bands i.e. υ1 (712-719 cm-1) and υ2 (496-506 cm-1) are observed for tetrahedral and octahedral sites respectively. The microstructural aspect confirms the formation of an average grain size (∼7-99 nm) with presence of expected elements. Magnetization studies reveal that the magnetic moments are no longer linear but exhibit canting effect due to spin frustration. The frequency dispersion spectrum of initial permeability has been explained based on grain size, saturation magnetization and anisotropy constant. Thermal hysteresis curve (initial permeability versus temperature) indicates magnetic disordering to paramagnetic state at Néel temperature (TN). High values of TN show that the present ferrite samples are cation-ordered with d-electrons contributing towards the magnetic interaction at the sublattice.

Grain boundary and triple junction diffusion in nanocrystalline copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wegner, M., E-mail: m.wegner@uni-muenster.de; Leuthold, J.; Peterlechner, M.; Divinski, S. V., E-mail: divin@uni-muenster.de [Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149, Münster (Germany); Song, X., E-mail: xysong@bjut.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, 100124 Beijing (China); Wilde, G. [Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149, Münster (Germany); Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, 200444 Shanghai (China)

2014-09-07

Grain boundary and triple junction diffusion in nanocrystalline Cu samples with grain sizes, 〈d〉, of ∼35 and ∼44 nm produced by spark plasma sintering were investigated by the radiotracer method using the {sup 63}Ni isotope. The measured diffusivities, D{sub eff}, are comparable with those determined previously for Ni grain boundary diffusion in well-annealed, high purity, coarse grained, polycrystalline copper, substantiating the absence of a grain size effect on the kinetic properties of grain boundaries in a nanocrystalline material at grain sizes d ≥ 35 nm. Simultaneously, the analysis predicts that if triple junction diffusion of Ni in Cu is enhanced with respect to the corresponding grain boundary diffusion rate, it is still less than 500⋅D{sub gb} within the temperature interval from 420 K to 470 K.

Adhesion of osteoblasts on chemically patterned nanocrystalline diamonds

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kalbáčová, M.; Michalíková, Lenka; Barešová, V.; Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kmoch, S.

2008-01-01

Roč. 245, č. 10 (2008), s. 2124-2127 ISSN 0370-1972 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN400100701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : cell growth * nanocrystalline diamond * surface termination Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.166, year: 2008

Kinks in systems with cubic and quartic anharmonicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashcheev, V.N.

1988-01-01

For a classical system of interacting particles with on-site cubic or quartic anharmonicity explicit analytic solutions of the d'Alembert equation are obtained in the form of kinks in the presence of dissipation (viscous or Rayleigh) and a constant force. These kinks will be asymptotically stable in the case of quartic anharmonicity and unstable in the case cubic anharmonicity

Preparation of nanocrystalline iron-carbon materials as fillers for polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narkiewicz, U; Pelech, I; Roslaniec, Z; Kwiatkowska, M; Arabczyk, W

2007-01-01

This paper presents a method of preparing nanocrystalline iron-carbon materials which can be applied as fillers for polymers. Nanocrystalline iron samples were carburized either under ethylene/hydrogen mixture or under pure ethylene. Three kinds of samples were prepared: cementite/carbon (Fe 3 C/C), iron/cementite (Fe/Fe 3 C) and iron/carbon (Fe/C) ones. After carburization the samples were characterized using XRD and SEM methods. The obtained samples of iron-carbon nanoparticles were applied as fillers to polymer nanocomposites prepared in a polycondensation reaction (in situ) in a poly(ether-ester) matrix. The nanofillers were dispersed in monomers (diols) using a sonificator and a high-speed rotary stirrer. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized as regards their structure (SEM method) and mechanical behaviour

Effects of Bi Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ag Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuxin Wang

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomic percent (at% Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.

Preparation and mechanical properties of ultra-high-strength nanocrystalline metals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Marek, I.; Vojtěch, D.; Michalcová, A.; Kubatík, Tomáš František

2015-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 4 (2015), s. 596-600 ISSN 1213-2489 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Mechanical properties * Nanocrystalline materials * Selective leaching * Silver * Spark plasma sintering Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy

Piezoresistive silicon thin film sensor array for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alpuim, P.; Correia, V.; Marins, E.S.; Rocha, J.G.; Trindade, I.G.; Lanceros-Mendez, S.

2011-01-01

N-type hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin film piezoresistors, with gauge factor - 28, were deposited on rugged and flexible polyimide foils by Hot-wire chemical vapor deposition using a tantalum filament heated to 1750 o C. The piezoresistive response under cyclic quasi-static and dynamical (up to 100 Hz) load conditions is reported. Test structures, consisting of microresistors having lateral dimensions in the range from 50 to 100 μm and thickness of 120 nm were defined in an array by reactive ion etching. Metallic pads, forming ohmic contacts to the sensing elements, were defined by a lift-off process. A readout circuit for the array consisting in a mutiplexer on each row and column of the matrix is proposed. The digital data will be processed, interpreted and stored internally by an ultra low-power micro controller, also responsible for the communication of two-way wireless data, e.g. from inside to outside the human body.

Bioactive nanocrystalline wollastonite synthesized by sol–gel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The sol–gel combustion method was employed to synthesize the nanocrystalline wollastonite by taking the raw eggshell powder as a calcium source and TEOS as a source of silicate. Glycine was .... 94·37% CaCO3, hence in order to prepare 1 M Ca2+ ion solu- ... requires an acid or base catalyst hence the pH of the solu-.

Thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si and SiGe by ab initio based Monte Carlo simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lina; Minnich, Austin J

2017-03-14

Nanocrystalline thermoelectric materials based on Si have long been of interest because Si is earth-abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic. However, a poor understanding of phonon grain boundary scattering and its effect on thermal conductivity has impeded efforts to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit. Here, we report an ab-initio based computational study of thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si-based materials using a variance-reduced Monte Carlo method with the full phonon dispersion and intrinsic lifetimes from first-principles as input. By fitting the transmission profile of grain boundaries, we obtain excellent agreement with experimental thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline Si [Wang et al. Nano Letters 11, 2206 (2011)]. Based on these calculations, we examine phonon transport in nanocrystalline SiGe alloys with ab-initio electron-phonon scattering rates. Our calculations show that low energy phonons still transport substantial amounts of heat in these materials, despite scattering by electron-phonon interactions, due to the high transmission of phonons at grain boundaries, and thus improvements in ZT are still possible by disrupting these modes. This work demonstrates the important insights into phonon transport that can be obtained using ab-initio based Monte Carlo simulations in complex nanostructured materials.

Solution-processed nanocrystalline PbS on paper substrate with pencil traced electrodes as visible photodetector

Science.gov (United States)

Vankhade, Dhaval; Chaudhuri, Tapas K.

2018-04-01

Paper-based PbS photodetector sensitive in the visible spectrum is reported. Nanocrystalline PbS-on-paper devices are fabricated by a spin coating method on white paper (300 GSM) from a methanolic precursor solution. Photodetector cells of gap 0.2 cm and length 0.5 cm are prepared by drawing contacts by monolithic cretacolor 8B pencil. X-ray diffractometer confirmed the deposition of nanocrystalline PbS films with 14 nm crystallites. The SEM illustrated the uniform coating of nanocrystalline PbS thin films on cellulose fibres of papers having an average thickness of fibres are 10 µm. The linear J-V characteristics in dark and under illumination of light using graphite trace on nanocrystalline PbS-on-paper shows good ohmic contact. The resistivity of pencil trace is 30 Ω.cm. Spectral response measurements of photodetector reveal the excellent sensitivity from 400 to 700 nm with a peak at 550 nm. The best responsivity anddetectivity are 0.7 A/W and 1.4 × 1012 Jones respectively. These paper-based low-cost photodetectors devices have fast photoresponse and recovery without baseline deviation.

Effect of Ion Beam Irradiation on Silicon Carbide with Different Microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Kyeong Hwan; Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon Ju; Jung, Choong Hwan; Ryu, Woo Seog

2006-01-01

SiC and SiC/SiC composites are one of promising candidates for structural materials of the next generation energy systems such as the gas-cooled reactors and fusion reactors. This anticipation yields many material issues, and radiation effects of silicon carbide are recognized as an important research subject. Silicon carbide has diverse crystal structures (called polytypes), such as α-SiC (hexagonal structure), β-SiC (cubic structure) and amorphous SiC. Among these polytypes, β-SiC has been studied as matrix material in SiC/SiC composites. Near-stoichiometric β-SiC with high crystallinity and purity is considered as suitable material in the next generation energy system and matrix material in SiC/SiC composites because of its excellent radiation resistance. Highly pure and crystalline β-SiC and SiC/SiC composites could be obtained by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and Infiltration (CVI) process using a gas mixture of methyltrichlorosilane (CH 3 SiCl 3 , MTS) and purified H 2 . SiC produced by the CVD method has different grain size and microstructural morphology depended on the process conditions such as temperature, pressure and the input gas ratio. In this work, irradiation effects of silicon carbide were investigated using ion beam irradiation with emphasis on the influence of grain size and grain boundary. MeV ion irradiation at low temperature makes amorphous phase in silicon carbide. The microstructures and mechanical property changes of silicon carbide with different structures were analyzed after ion beam irradiation

Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Taejin, E-mail: taejin@kangwon.ac.kr

2017-05-10

We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Taejin

2017-01-01

We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

Deformation of the cubic open string field theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taejin Lee

2017-05-01

Full Text Available We study a consistent deformation of the cubic open bosonic string theory in such a way that the non-planar world sheet diagrams of the perturbative string theory are mapped onto their equivalent planar diagrams of the light-cone string field theory with some length parameters fixed. An explicit evaluation of the cubic string vertex in the zero-slope limit yields the correct relationship between the string coupling constant and the Yang–Mills coupling constant. The deformed cubic open string field theory is shown to produce the non-Abelian Yang–Mills action in the zero-slope limit if it is defined on multiple D-branes. Applying the consistent deformation systematically to multi-string world sheet diagrams, we may be able to calculate scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external open strings.

Grain growth studies on nanocrystalline Ni powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rane, G.K.; Welzel, U.; Mittemeijer, E.J.

2012-01-01

The microstructure of nanocrystalline Ni powder produced by ball-milling and its thermal stability were investigated by applying different methods of X-ray diffraction line-profile analysis: single-line analysis, whole powder-pattern modelling and the (modified) Warren–Averbach method were employed. The kinetics of grain growth were investigated by both ex-situ and in-situ X-ray diffraction measurements. With increasing milling time, the grain-size reduction is accompanied by a considerable narrowing of the size distribution and an increase in the microstrain. Upon annealing, initial, rapid grain growth occurs, accompanied by the (almost complete) annihilation of microstrain. For longer annealing times, the grain-growth kinetics depend on the initial microstructure: a smaller microstrain with a broad grain-size distribution leads to linear grain growth, followed by parabolic grain growth, whereas a larger microstrain with a narrow grain-size distribution leads to incessant linear grain growth. These effects have been shown to be incompatible with grain-boundary curvature driven growth. The observed kinetics are ascribed to the role of excess free volume at the grain boundaries of nanocrystalline material and the prevalence of an “abnormal grain-growth” mechanism.

A popular metastable omega phase in body-centered cubic steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ping, D.H., E-mail: ping.de-hai@nims.go.jp [National Institute for Materials Science, Sengen 1-2-1, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan); Geng, W.T., E-mail: geng@ustb.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

2013-05-15

Steel remains to be one of the most common structural materials in the world as human civilization advances from the Iron Age to the ongoing Silicon Age. Our knowledge of its microstructure evolution and structure–performance relationship is nevertheless still incomplete. We report the observation and characterization of a long ignored metastable phase formed in steels with body-centered cubic (bcc) structure using both transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations. This ω phase has a hexagonal structure and coherent interface with the matrix: a{sub ω} = √2 × a{sub bcc} and c{sub ω} = √3/2 × a{sub bcc}. It is 3.6% smaller in volume and 0.18 eV higher in energy than bcc-Fe, with atoms in alternating close- and loose-packed layers couple anti-ferromagnetically. Carbon plays a crucial role in promoting bcc to ω transformation. At a concentration higher than 4 at.% they tend to segregate from the bcc matrix to the ω-phase; at about 14 at.%, they can induce bcc to ω transformation; and finally at 25 at.%, they stabilize the ω phase as ω-Fe{sub 3}C. The ω phase in bcc Fe can serve as sinks for vacancies, H, and He atoms, leading to improved resistance of martensitic steels to irradiation damage. - Highlights: ► A long-ignored metastable ω phase in body-centered cubic (bcc) steel. ► The ω phase has hexagonal structure with lattice parameters a{sub ω} = √2 × a{sub bcc} and c{sub ω} = √3/2 × a{sub bcc}. ► Carbon enrichment is found to play a crucial role on the bcc-to-ω phase transformation. ► The ω phase is strongly related to the martensitic transformation and twinning structure. ► The ω phase in bcc Fe can serve as sinks for vacancies, H, and He atoms.

Oxygen reduction on nanocrystalline ruthenia-local structure effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abbott, Daniel F.; Mukerjee, Sanjeev; Petrykin, Valery

2015-01-01

Nanocrystalline ruthenium dioxide and doped ruthenia of the composition Ru1-xMxO2 (M = Co, Ni, Zn) with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 were prepared by the spray-freezing freeze-drying technique. The oxygen reduction activity and selectivity of the prepared materials were evaluated in alkaline media using the RRDE ...

Micromechanical modelling of nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained metals: A short overview

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mishnaevsky, Leon; Levashov, Evgeny

2015-01-01

An overview of micromechanical models of strength and deformation behaviour of nanostructured and ultrafine grained metallic materials is presented. Composite models of nanomaterials, polycrystal plasticity based models, grain boundary sliding, the effect of non-equilibrium grain boundaries...... and nanoscale properties are discussed and compared. The examples of incorporation of peculiar nanocrystalline effects (like large content of amorphous or semi-amorphous grain boundary phase, partial dislocation GB emission/glide/GB absorption based deformation mechanism, diffusion deformation, etc.......) into the continuum mechanical approach are given. The possibilities of using micromechanical models to explore the ways of the improving the properties of nanocrystalline materials by modifying their structures (e.g., dispersion strengthening, creating non-equilibrium grain boundaries, varying the grain size...

Interaction of dispersed cubic phases with blood components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bode, J C; Kuntsche, Judith; Funari, S S

2013-01-01

The interaction of aqueous nanoparticle dispersions, e.g. based on monoolein/poloxamer 407, with blood components is an important topic concerning especially the parenteral way of administration. Therefore, the influence of human and porcine plasma on dispersed cubic phases was investigated. Part...... activity of cubic phases based on monoolein and poloxamer 188, on soy phosphatidylcholine, glycerol dioleate and polysorbate 80 or the parenteral fat emulsion Lipofundin MCT 20%....

Stress-induced magnetic anisotropy in nanocrystalline alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varga, L.K.; Gercsi, Zs.; Kovacs, Gy.; Kakay, A.; Mazaleyrat, F.

2003-01-01

Stress-annealing experiments were extended to both nanocrystalline alloy families, Finemet and Nanoperm (Hitperm), and, for comparison, to amorphous Fe 62 Nb 8 B 30 alloy. For both Finemet and bulk amorphous, stress-annealing results in a strong induced transversal anisotropy (flattening of hysteresis loop) but yields longitudinal induced anisotropy (square hysteresis loop) in Nanoperm and Hitperm. These results are interpreted in terms of back-stress theory

The electrochemical characteristics of Mg2Ni nanocrystalline hydrogen storage alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ling; Zhou Xiaosong; Peng Shuming

2008-06-01

The nanocrystalline Mg 2 Ni materials were prepared by mechanical alloying. The cyclic voltametry results indicated that the potential of oxidation peak was shift as the scan rate increased and the absorption property of Mg 2 Ni prepared by mechanical alloying was increased even at ambient temperature. The absorption and desorption of hydrogen in Mg 2 Ni alloy were remarkably accelerated with the rising temperature. Small angel X-ray scattering results indicated that the Mg 2 Ni powder have 1-5 nm and 5-10 nm particle size distribution, which increased the acting sites of hydrogen absorption/desorption reaction and decreased the diffusion path of hydrogen desorption. It was induced to the enhanced performance of Mg 2 Ni nanocrystalline powder. The cycle life investigated results indicated that the activation property of Mg 2 Ni nanocrystal-line hydrogen storage alloy electrode was excellent, the capacitance maintenance ration was 66% after 200 cycles. The coating of epoxy resin on one side of the electrode had no effect on the activation property and the capacitance maintenance ration was better than the uncoating one. But the anode peak current value and the cathodic peak current value were decreased remarkably which indicated that the hydrogen absorption/desorption rate and the charge/discharge degree had decreased. (authors)

Developments in nanocrystalline magnetic alloys for industry; Alliages magnetiques nanocristallins industriels. Etat de l'art et evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waeckerle, T.; Cremer, P. [Imphy Ugine Precision, 92 - Paris la Defense (France); Gautard, D. [Mecagis, 45 - Amilly (France)

2003-10-01

The French industrial production of nanocrystalline precursor ribbon (Imphy Ugine Precision - IUP) and nanocrystalline wound cores (Mecagis) is now mature, promoting then one of the first worldwide provider in this market. Recent progress in ribbon elaboration will provide large increase of industrial efficiency, leading the cost of a nanocrystalline solution to be closed to the cost of a ferrite solution. The precise study and control of magnetoelastic energy allowed the production scattering to be reduced, the alloy to be weakly dependant on external stresses (production, packaging, thermal dilatation), further promoting the performances. Whatever the alloy is very brittle in the nanocrystalline state, some improvements are using or are going around this intrinsic behaviour, and are now developed: powder core for low dissipative filtering, cut core for storage and strong power transformation, wound cores from ribbon nano-crystallized with high stresses during annealing, for the storage and current metering. (authors)

Nanocrystallinity and magnetic property enhancement in melt-spun iron-rare earth-base hard magnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, H.A.; Manaf, A.; Zhang, P.Z.

1993-01-01

Refinement of the grain size below ∼35 nm mean diameter in melt-spun FeNdB-base alloys leads to enhancement of remanent polarization, J r , above the level predicted by the Stoner-Wohlfarth theory for an aggregate of independent, randomly oriented, and uniaxial magnetic particles. This article summarizes the results of the recent systematic research on this phenomenon, including the influence of alloy composition and processing conditions on the crystallite size, degree of enhancement of J r , and maximum energy product (BH) max . It has been shown that the effect can also occur in ternary FeNdB alloys, without the addition of silicon or aluminum, which was originally thought necessary, providing the nanocrystallites are not magnetically decoupled by a paramagnetic second phase. Values of (BH) max above 160 kJ. m -3 have been achieved. The relationship between grain size, J r , intrinsic coercivity, J H c , and (BH) max are discussed in terms of magnetic exchange coupling, anisotropy, and other parameters. Recent extension of this work to the enhancement of properties in Fe-Mischmental-Boron-base alloys and to bonded magnets with a nanocrystalline structure is also described

Rapid rate sintering of nanocrystalline ZrO2-3 mol% Y2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D.J.; Mayo, M.J.

1996-01-01

Conventional ramp-and-hold sintering with a wide range of heating rates was conducted on submicrometer and nanocrystalline ZrO 2 -3 mol% Y 2 O 3 powder compacts. Although rapid heating rates have been reported to produce high density/fine grain size products for many submicrometer and smaller starting powders, the application of this technique to ZrO 2 -3 mol% Y 2 O 3 produced mixed results. In the case of submicrometer ZrO 2 -3 mol% Y 2 O 3 , neither densification nor grain growth was affected by the heating rate used. In the case of nanocrystalline ZrO 2 -3 mol% Y 2 O 3 , fast heating rates severely retarded densification and had a minimal effect on grain growth. The large adverse effect of fast heating rates on the densification of the nanocrystalline powder was traced to a thermal gradient/differential densification effect. Microstructural evidence suggests that the rate of densification greatly exceeded the rate of heat transfer in this material; consequently, the sample interior was not able to densify before being geometrically constrained by a fully dense shell which formed at the sample exterior. This finding implies that rapid rate sintering will meet severe practical constraints in the manufacture of bulk nanocrystalline ZrO 2 -3 mol% Y 2 O 3 specimens

Physical vapor deposition of cubic boron nitride thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kester, D.J.

1991-01-01

Cubic boron nitride was successfully deposited using physical vapor-deposition methods. RF-sputtering, magnetron sputtering, dual-ion-beam deposition, and ion-beam-assisted evaporation were all used. The ion-assisted evaporation, using boron evaporation and bombardment by nitrogen and argon ions, led to successful cubic boron nitride growth over the widest and most controllable range of conditions. It was found that two factors were important for c-BN growth: bombardment of the growing film and the presence of argon. A systematic study of the deposition conditions was carried out. It was found that the value of momentum transferred into the growing from by the bombarding ions was critical. There was a very narrow transition range in which mixed cubic and hexagonal phase films were prepared. Momentum-per-atom value took into account all the variables involved in ion-assisted deposition: deposition rate, ion energy, ion flux, and ion species. No other factor led to the same control of the process. The role of temperature was also studied; it was found that at low temperatures only mixed cubic and hexagonal material are deposited

d and f electrons in a qp-quantized cubical field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kibler, M.; Sztucki, J.

1993-03-01

A procedure for qp-quantizing a crystal-field potential V with an arbitrary symmetry G is developed. Such a procedure is applied to the case where V involves cubic components (G=0) of the degrees 4 and 6. This case corresponds to d and f electrons in a qp-quantized cubical potential. It is shown that the qp-quantization of the considered cubical potential is equivalent to a symmetry breaking of type O→D 4 . A general conjecture about this symmetry breaking phenomenon is given. (author) 21 refs

Growth of cubic InN on r-plane sapphire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cimalla, V.; Pezoldt, J.; Ecke, G.; Kosiba, R.; Ambacher, O.; Spiess, L.; Teichert, G.; Lu, H.; Schaff, W.J.

2003-01-01

InN has been grown directly on r-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-enhanced molecular-beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction investigations have shown that the InN layers consist of a predominant zinc blende (cubic) structure along with a fraction of the wurtzite (hexagonal) phase which content increases with proceeding growth. The lattice constant for zinc blende InN was found to be a=4.986 A. For this unusual growth of a metastable cubic phase on a noncubic substrate an epitaxial relationship was proposed where the metastable zinc blende phase grows directly on the r-plane sapphire while the wurtzite phase arises as the special case of twinning in the cubic structure

Fe(Co)SiBPCCu nanocrystalline alloys with high Bs above 1.83 T

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tao; Kong, Fengyu; Xie, Lei; Wang, Anding; Chang, Chuntao; Wang, Xinmin; Liu, Chain-Tsuan

2017-11-01

Fe84.75-xCoxSi2B9P3C0.5Cu0.75 (x = 0, 2.5 and 10) nanocrystalline alloys with excellent magnetic properties were successfully developed. The fully amorphous alloy ribbons exhibit wide temperature interval of 145-156 °C between the two crystallization events. It is found that the excessive substitution of Co for Fe greatly deteriorates the magnetic properties due to the non-uniform microstructure with coarse grains. The alloys with x = 0 and 2.5 exhibit high saturation magnetization (above 1.83 T), low core loss and relatively low coercivity (below 5.4 A/m) after annealing. In addition, the Fe84.75Si2B9P3C0.5Cu0.75 nanocrystalline alloy also exhibits good frequency properties and temperature stability. The excellent magnetic properties were explained by the uniform microstructure with small grain size and the wide magnetic domains of the alloy. Low raw material cost, good manufacturability and excellent magnetic properties will make these nanocrystalline alloys prospective candidates for transformer and motor cores.

A hybrid tandem solar cell based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon and dye-sensitized TiO{sub 2} film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao Sancun [Institute of Materials Physical Chemistry, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, 362021 (China); Institute of Photo-Electronics of Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Jiangsu Shuangdeng Group Co. Ltd, Thaizhou, Jiangsu, 225526 (China); Wu Jihuai, E-mail: jhwu@hqu.edu.cn [Institute of Materials Physical Chemistry, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, 362021 (China); Sun Zhonglin [Institute of Photo-Electronics of Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

2012-01-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon film (a-Si:H) as top cell is introduced to dye-sensitized titanium dioxide nanocrystalline solar cell (DSSC) as bottom cell to assemble a hybrid tandem solar cell. The hybrid tandem solar cell fabricated with the thicknesses a-Si:H layer of 235 nm, ZnO/Pt interlayer of 100 nm and DSSC layer of 8.5 {mu}m achieves a photo-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 8.31%, a short circuit current density of 10.61 mA{center_dot}cm{sup -2} and an open-circuit voltage of 1.45 V under a simulated solar light irradiation of 100 mW{center_dot}cm{sup -2}.

Nanocrystalline spinel ferrites by solid state reaction route

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

Nanocrystalline spinel ferrites by solid state reaction route. T K KUNDU* and S MISHRA. Department of Physics, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan 731 235, India. Abstract. Nanostructured NiFe2O4, MnFe2O4 and (NiZn)Fe2O4 were synthesized by aliovalent ion doping using conventional solid-state reaction route. With the ...

Dynamic recovery in nanocrystalline Ni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Z.; Van Petegem, S.; Cervellino, A.; Durst, K.; Blum, W.; Van Swygenhoven, H.

2015-01-01

The constant flow stress reached during uniaxial deformation of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni reflects a quasi-stationary balance between dislocation slip and grain boundary (GB) accommodation mechanisms. Stress reduction tests allow to suppress dislocation slip and bring recovery mechanisms into the foreground. When combined with in situ X-ray diffraction it can be shown that grain boundary recovery mechanisms play an important role in producing plastic strain while hardening the microstructure. This result has a significant consequence for the parameters of thermally activated glide of dislocations, such as athermal stress and activation volume, which are traditionally derived from stress/strain rate change tests

Characteristics of RuO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2} nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous electrode for thin film microsupercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Han-Ki [Core Technology Laboratory, Samsung SDI, 575 Shin-dong, Youngtong-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 442-391 (Korea, Republic of)]. E-mail: hanki1031.kim@samsung.com; Choi, Sun-Hee [Nano Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), PO Box 131 Choengryang, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Young Soo [Department of Advanced Fusion Technology (DAFT), Konkuk University, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Sung-Yong [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Kwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Ok, Young-Woo [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Kwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Seong, Tae-Yeon [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Kwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2005-03-22

The characteristics of RuO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2} nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous electrode, grown by DC reactive sputtering, was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and transmission electron diffraction (TED) examination results showed that Sn and Ru metal cosputtered electrode in O{sub 2}/Ar ambient have RuO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2} nanocrystallines in an amorphous oxide matrix. It is shown that the cyclic voltammorgram (CV) result of the RuO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2} nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous film in 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} liquid electrolyte is similar to a bulk-type supercapacitor behavior with a specific capacitance of 62.2 mF/cm{sup 2} {mu}m. This suggests that the RuO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2} nanocrystalline-embedded amorphous film can be employed in hybrid all-solid state energy storage devises as an electrode of supercapacitor.

Visualizing decoupling in nanocrystalline alloys: A FORC-temperature analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, M.; Martínez-García, J. C.; Gorria, P.

2016-02-01

Devitrifying ferromagnetic amorphous precursors in the adequate conditions may give rise to disordered assemblies of densely packed nanocrystals with extraordinary magnetic softness well explained by the exchange coupling among multiple crystallites. Whether the magnetic exchange interaction is produced by direct contact or mediated by the intergranular amorphous matrix has a strong influence on the behaviour of the system above room temperature. Multi-phase amorphous-nanocrystalline systems dramatically harden when approaching the amorphous Curie temperature (TC) due to the hard grains decoupling. The study of the thermally induced decoupling of nanosized crystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix has been performed in this work by the first-order reversal curves (FORCs) analysis. We selected a Fe-rich amorphous alloy with TC = 330 K, in order to follow the evolution of the FORC diagrams obtained below and above such temperature in samples with different percentages of nanocrystalline phase. The existence of up to four regions exhibiting unlike magnetic behaviours is unambiguously determined from the temperature evolution of the FORC.

Quantum transport in boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mareš, Jiří J.; Hubík, Pavel; Krištofik, Jozef; Kindl, Dobroslav; Nesládek, Miloš

2008-01-01

Roč. 14, č. 7-8 (2008), s. 161-172 ISSN 0948-1907 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/07/0525; GA AV ČR IAA1010404; GA ČR(CZ) GA202/06/0040 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : nanocrystalline diamond film * ballistic transport * superconductivity * Josephson’s effects Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.483, year: 2008

Coercivities of hot-deformed magnets processed from amorphous and nanocrystalline precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Xin; Sepehri-Amin, H.; Ohkubo, T.; Hioki, K.; Hattori, A.; Hono, K.

2017-01-01

Hot-deformed magnets have been processed from amorphous and nanocrystalline precursors and their hard magnetic properties and microstructures have been investigated in order to explore the optimum process route. The hot-deformed magnets processed from an amorphous precursor exhibited the coercivity of 1.40 T that is higher than that processed from nanocrystalline powder, ∼1.28 T. The average grain size was larger in the magnets processed from amorphous precursor. Detailed microstructure analyses by aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Nd + Pr concentrations in the intergranular phases were higher in the hot-deformed magnet processed from the amorphous precursor, which is considered to lead to the enhanced coercivity due to a stronger pinning force against magnetic domain wall motion.

Substitutional Boron in Nanodiamond, Bucky-Diamond, and Nanocrystalline Diamond Grain Boundaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnard, Amanda S.; Sternberg, Michael G.

2006-10-05

Although boron has been known for many years to be a successful dopant in bulk diamond, efficient doping of nanocrystalline diamond with boron is still being developed. In general, the location, configuration, and bonding structure of boron in nanodiamond is still unknown, including the fundamental question of whether it is located within grains or grain boundaries of thin films and whether it is within the core or at the surface of nanoparticles. Presented here are density functional tight-binding simulations examining the configuration, potential energy surface, and electronic charge of substitutional boron in various types of nanocrystalline diamond. The results predict that boron is likely to be positioned at the surface of isolated particles and at the grain boundary of thin-film samples.

Round table discussion: Present and future applications of nanocrystalline magnetic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzer, G.; Vazquez, M.; Knobel, M.; Zhukov, A.; Reininger, T.; Davies, H.A.; Groessinger, R.; Sanchez Ll, J.L.

2005-01-01

Examples of existing or potential applications of nanocrystalline magnetic materials, ranging from soft to hard magnetic alloys, are presented and discussed by experts in the respective fields of research and technology

Solid state photochemistry. Subpanel A-2(b): Metastability in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, D. [Solarex Corporation, Newton, PA (United States)

1996-09-01

All device quality amorphous silicon based materials exhibit degradation in electronic properties when exposed to sunlight. The photo-induced defects are associated with Si dangling bonds that are created by the recombination and/or trapping of photogenerated carriers. The defects are metastable and can be annealed out at temperatures of about 150 to 200 degrees Centigrade. The density of metastable defects is larger in films that are contaminated with > 10{sup 19} per cubic cm of impurities such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. However, recent experimental results indicate that some metastable defects are still present in films with very low impurity concentrations. The photo-induced defects typically saturate after 100 to 1000 hours of exposure to one sun illumination depending on the deposition conditions. There is also experimental evidence that photo-induced structural changes are occurring in the amorphous silicon based materials and that hydrogen may be playing an important role in both the photo-induced structural changes and in the creation of metastable defects.

Fast response time alcohol gas sensor using nanocrystalline F

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science; Volume 36; Issue 4. Fast response time alcohol gas sensor using nanocrystalline F-doped SnO2 films derived via sol–gel method. Sarbani Basu Yeong-Her Wang C Ghanshyam Pawan Kapur. Volume 36 Issue 4 August 2013 pp 521-533 ...

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on High Surface Area Nanocrystalline Zinc Oxide Spheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavuluri Srinivasu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available High surface area nanocrystalline zinc oxide material is fabricated using mesoporous nanostructured carbon as a sacrificial template through combustion process. The resulting material is characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption, HR-SEM, and HR-TEM. The nitrogen adsorption measurement indicates that the materials possess BET specific surface area ca. 30 m2/g. Electron microscopy images prove that the zinc oxide spheres possess particle size in the range of 0.12 μm–0.17 μm. The nanocrystalline zinc oxide spheres show 1.0% of energy conversion efficiency for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Emission of partial dislocations from triple junctions of grain boundaries in nanocrystalline materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutkin, M Yu; Ovid'ko, I A; Skiba, N V

2005-01-01

A theoretical model is suggested that describes emission of partial Shockley dislocations from triple junctions of grain boundaries (GBs) in deformed nanocrystalline materials. In the framework of the model, triple junctions accumulate dislocations due to GB sliding along adjacent GBs. The dislocation accumulation at triple junctions causes partial Shockley dislocations to be emitted from the dislocated triple junctions and thus accommodates GB sliding. Ranges of parameters (applied stress, grain size, etc) are calculated in which the emission events are energetically favourable in nanocrystalline Al, Cu and Ni. The model accounts for the corresponding experimental data reported in the literature

Minimal knotted polygons in cubic lattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Rensburg, E J Janse; Rechnitzer, A

2011-01-01

In this paper we examine numerically the properties of minimal length knotted lattice polygons in the simple cubic, face-centered cubic, and body-centered cubic lattices by sieving minimal length polygons from a data stream of a Monte Carlo algorithm, implemented as described in Aragão de Carvalho and Caracciolo (1983 Phys. Rev. B 27 1635), Aragão de Carvalho et al (1983 Nucl. Phys. B 215 209) and Berg and Foester (1981 Phys. Lett. B 106 323). The entropy, mean writhe, and mean curvature of minimal length polygons are computed (in some cases exactly). While the minimal length and mean curvature are found to be lattice dependent, the mean writhe is found to be only weakly dependent on the lattice type. Comparison of our results to numerical results for the writhe obtained elsewhere (see Janse van Rensburg et al 1999 Contributed to Ideal Knots (Series on Knots and Everything vol 19) ed Stasiak, Katritch and Kauffman (Singapore: World Scientific), Portillo et al 2011 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 275004) shows that the mean writhe is also insensitive to the length of a knotted polygon. Thus, while these results for the mean writhe and mean absolute writhe at minimal length are not universal, our results demonstrate that these values are quite close the those of long polygons regardless of the underlying lattice and length

Preparation of spherical and cubic Fe{sub 55}Co{sub 45} microstructures for studying the role of particle morphology in magnetorheological suspensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arief, Injamamul; Mukhopadhyay, P.K., E-mail: pkm@bose.res.in

2014-06-01

Cubic and spherical Fe{sub 55}Co{sub 45} alloyed microstructures were synthesized by borohydride reduction from aqueous solutions of metallic precursors, using stabilizers and polymer. Monosodium citrate, sodium acetate and PEG 6000 were utilized as electrostatic stabilizers and polymeric surface modifier. Suitable reaction conditions were maintained for synthesis of predominantly larger particles (0.7 µm to 1.2 µm), that facilitates use in magnetorheological fluids. Surface morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy revealed well shaped cubic and spherical geometry for the citrate and polymer-stabilized Fe{sub 55}Co{sub 45} alloys, while the alloy compositions remained nearly the same for both. X-ray diffractions of the as-prepared and annealed samples under various temperatures showed high degree of crystallinity with increasing temperatures. Studies of D.C. magnetization of the systems reveal that the particles have a core–shell structure, with inner magnetic core having a diameter around 30 nm with a log-normal distribution. Magnetorheological studies were performed with 8 vol% suspensions of as-synthesized particles dispersed in silicone oil (viscosity 30 mPa s at 25 °C) under different magnetic fields. Detailed studies of the magnetorheological properties were studied on these systems for practical use.

Mechanically alloyed PrFeB nanocrystalline magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaszuwara, W.; Leonowicz, M.

1998-01-01

Mechanically alloyed PrFeB nanocrystalline magnets were prepared by extensive ball milling of Pr, Fe and Fe 80 B 20 powders, followed by diffusion annealing. After milling, the material consisted of nanocrystalline α-Fe crystallites embedded in amorphous Pr-rich matrix. Thermomagnetic and calorimetric investigations of the transformations which occurred during annealing showed that the amorphous phase crystallised at 240 C, leading to the formation of crystalline Pr having lattice constants 10% greater than those shown in the ASTM data. This fact indicated that mechanical alloying and low temperature annealing led to the formation of a solid solution of either Fe or B in Pr, which does not exist in the equilibrium state. The Pr 2 Fe 14 B phase was subsequently formed within a temperature range of 420-620 C. The magnetic properties of magnets depend on the phase structure and grain size. Milling time appears to be a decisive processing parameter for the tailoring of the magnetic properties. Depending on the phase structure, the coercivities varied from 100 to 1200 kA/m and, respectively, the remanences from 0.98 T to 0.6 T. The highest maximum energy product was 80 kJ/m 3 . (orig.)

Anti-corrosive and anti-microbial properties of nanocrystalline Ni-Ag coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raghupathy, Y.; Natarajan, K.A.; Srivastava, Chandan, E-mail: csrivastava@materials.iisc.ernet.in

2016-04-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Electrodeposition yielded phase-segregated, nanocrystalline Ni-Ag coatings. • Ni-Ag alloys exhibited smaller Ni crystals compared to pure Ni. • Ultra fine Ni grains of size 12–14 nm favoured Ni-Ag solid solution. • Nanocrystalline Ag resisted bio-fouling by Sulphate Reducing bacteria. • Ni-Ag outperformed pure Ni in corrosion and bio-corrosion tests. - Abstract: Anti-corrosive and anti-bacterial properties of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni-Ag coatings are illustrated. Pure Ni, Ni-7 at.% Ag, & Ni-14 at.% Ag coatings were electrodeposited on Cu substrate. Coating consisted of Ni-rich and Ag-rich solid solution phases. With increase in the Ag content, the corrosion resistance of the Ni-Ag coating initially increased and then decreased. The initial increase was due to the Ni-Ag solid solution. The subsequent decrease was due to the increased galvanic coupling between the Ag-rich and Ni-rich phases. For all Ag contents, the corrosion resistance of the Ni-Ag coating was higher than the pure Ni coating. Exposure to Sulphate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) revealed that the extent of bio-fouling decreased with increase in the Ag content. After 2 month exposure to SRB, the Ni-Ag coatings demonstrated less loss in corrosion resistance (58% for Ni-7 at.% Ag and 20% for Ni-14 at.% Ag) when compared pure Ni coating (115%).

Controlling the optical properties of monocrystalline 3C-SiC heteroepitaxially grown on silicon at low temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Colston, Gerard; Myronov, Maksym

2017-11-01

Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) offers an alternative wide bandgap semiconductor to conventional materials such as hexagonal silicon carbide (4H-SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) for the detection of UV light and can offer a closely lattice matched virtual substrate for subsequent GaN heteroepitaxy. As 3C-SiC can be heteroepitaxially grown on silicon (Si) substrates its optical properties can be manipulated by controlling the thickness and doping concentrations. The optical properties of 3C-SiC epilayers have been characterized by measuring the transmission of light through suspended membranes. Decreasing the thickness of the 3C-SiC epilayers is shown to shift the absorbance edge to lower wavelengths, a result of the indirect bandgap nature of silicon carbide. This property, among others, can be exploited to fabricate very low-cost, tuneable 3C-SiC based UV photodetectors. This study investigates the effect of thickness and doping concentration on the optical properties of 3C-SiC epilayers grown at low temperatures by a standard Si based growth process. The results demonstrate the potential photonic applications of 3C-SiC and its heterogeneous integration into the Si industry.

Cubic Pencils and Painlev\\'e Hamiltonians

OpenAIRE

Kajiwara, Kenji; Masuda, Tetsu; Noumi, Masatoshi; Ohta, Yasuhiro; Yamada, Yasuhiko

2004-01-01

We present a simple heuristic method to derive the Painlev\\'e differential equations from the corresponding geometry of rational surafces. We also give a direct relationship between the cubic pencils and Seiberg-Witten curves.

Photocatalytic removal of NO and HCHO over nanocrystalline Zn2SnO4 microcubes for indoor air purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ai Zhihui; Lee Shuncheng; Huang Yu; Ho Wingkei; Zhang Lizhi

2010-01-01

Nanocrystalline Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes were hydrothermally synthesized and systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, N 2 adsorption-desorption, and UV-vis DRS analysis. The resulting Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes with the edge size ranging from 0.8 to 1.2 μm were composed of numerous nanoparticles with size of 10-20 nm, and their optical band gap energy was estimated to be 3.25 eV from the UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. On degradation of nitrogen monoxide (NO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) at typical concentrations for indoor air quality, these nanocrystalline Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes exhibited superior photocatalytic activity to the hydrothermally synthesized ZnO, SnO 2 , and Degussa TiO 2 P25, as well as C doped TiO 2 under UV-vis light irradiation. This enhanced photocatalytic activity of the nanocrystalline Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes was attributed to their bigger surface areas, smaller particle size, special porous structures, and special electronic configuration. The nanocrystalline Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes were chemically stable as there was no obvious deactivation during the multiple photocatalytic reactions. This work presents a promising approach for scaling-up industrial production of Zn 2 SnO 4 nanostructures and suggests that the synthesized nanocrystalline Zn 2 SnO 4 microcubes are promising photocatalysts for indoor air purification.

Electrochemical passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline Fe 80 Si ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Passivation behaviour of nanocrystalline coating (Fe80Si20) obtained by in situ mechanical alloying route is studied and compared with that of the commercial pure iron and cast Fe80Si20 in sodium borate buffer solution at two different pH values (7.7 and 8.4). The coating reveals single passivation at a pH of 7.7 and ...

Thermoelectric nanocrystalline YbCoSb laser prepared layers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jelínek, Miroslav; Zeipl, Radek; Kocourek, Tomáš; Remsa, Jan; Navrátil, Jiří

2016-01-01

Roč. 122, č. 3 (2016), s. 1-5, č. článku 155. ISSN 0947-8396 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-33056S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389013 Keywords : nanocrystalline YbCoSb * thermoelectric layers * pulsed laser deposition Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism; CA - Inorganic Chemistry (UMCH-V) Impact factor: 1.455, year: 2016

Integrable peakon equations with cubic nonlinearity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hone, Andrew N W; Wang, J P

2008-01-01

We present a new integrable partial differential equation found by Vladimir Novikov. Like the Camassa-Holm and Degasperis-Procesi equations, this new equation admits peaked soliton (peakon) solutions, but it has nonlinear terms that are cubic, rather than quadratic. We give a matrix Lax pair for V Novikov's equation, and show how it is related by a reciprocal transformation to a negative flow in the Sawada-Kotera hierarchy. Infinitely many conserved quantities are found, as well as a bi-Hamiltonian structure. The latter is used to obtain the Hamiltonian form of the finite-dimensional system for the interaction of N peakons, and the two-body dynamics (N = 2) is explicitly integrated. Finally, all of this is compared with some analogous results for another cubic peakon equation derived by Zhijun Qiao. (fast track communication)

Transparent nanocrystalline ZnO films prepared by spin coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berber, M. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany)]. E-mail: mete.berber@sustech.de; Bulto, V. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Kliss, R. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Hahn, H. [SusTech GmbH and Co. KG, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Hessen (Germany); Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Nanotechnology, Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Joint Research Laboratory Nanomaterials, TU Darmstadt, Institute of Materials Science, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2005-09-15

Dispersions of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the electrochemical deposition under oxidizing conditions process with organic surfactants, were spin coated on glass substrates. After sintering, the microstructure, surface morphology, and electro-optical properties of the transparent nanocrystalline zinc oxide films have been investigated for different coating thicknesses and organic solvents.

Transparent nanocrystalline ZnO films prepared by spin coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berber, M.; Bulto, V.; Kliss, R.; Hahn, H.

2005-01-01

Dispersions of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the electrochemical deposition under oxidizing conditions process with organic surfactants, were spin coated on glass substrates. After sintering, the microstructure, surface morphology, and electro-optical properties of the transparent nanocrystalline zinc oxide films have been investigated for different coating thicknesses and organic solvents

Calculations of and evidence for chain packing stress in inverse lyotropic bicontinuous cubic phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shearman, Gemma C; Khoo, Bee J; Motherwell, Mary-Lynn; Brakke, Kenneth A; Ces, Oscar; Conn, Charlotte E; Seddon, John M; Templer, Richard H

2007-06-19

Inverse bicontinuous cubic lyotropic phases are a complex solution to the dilemma faced by all self-assembled water-amphiphile systems: how to satisfy the incompatible requirements for uniform interfacial curvature and uniform molecular packing. The solution reached in this case is for the water-amphiphile interfaces to deform hyperbolically onto triply periodic minimal surfaces. We have previously suggested that although the molecular packing in these structures is rather uniform the relative phase behavior of the gyroid, double diamond, and primitive inverse bicontinuous cubic phases can be understood in terms of subtle differences in packing frustration. In this work, we have calculated the packing frustration for these cubics under the constraint that their interfaces have constant mean curvature. We find that the relative packing stress does indeed differ between phases. The gyroid cubic has the least packing stress, and at low water volume fraction, the primitive cubic has the greatest packing stress. However, at very high water volume fraction, the double diamond cubic becomes the structure with the greatest packing stress. We have tested the model in two ways. For a system with a double diamond cubic phase in excess water, the addition of a hydrophobe may release packing frustration and preferentially stabilize the primitive cubic, since this has previously been shown to have lower curvature elastic energy. We have confirmed this prediction by adding the long chain alkane tricosane to 1-monoolein in excess water. The model also predicts that if one were able to hydrate the double diamond cubic to high water volume fractions, one should destabilize the phase with respect to the primitive cubic. We have found that such highly swollen metastable bicontinuous cubic phases can be formed within onion vesicles. Data from monoelaidin in excess water display a well-defined transition, with the primitive cubic appearing above a water volume fraction of 0.75. Both of

AlN nanoparticle-reinforced nanocrystalline Al matrix composites: Fabrication and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Y.Q.; Cong, H.T.; Wang, W.; Sun, C.H.; Cheng, H.M.

2009-01-01

To improve the specific strength and stiffness of Al-based composites, AlN/Al nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized by arc plasma evaporation of Al in nitrogen atmosphere and consolidated by hot-pressing to fabricate AlN nanoparticle-reinforced nanocrystalline Al composites (0-39 vol.% AlN). Microstructure characterization shows that AlN nanoparticles homogeneously distribute in the matrix of Al nanocrystalline, which forms atomically bonded interfaces of AlN/Al. The hardness and the elastic modulus of the nanocomposite have been improved dramatically, up to 3.48 GPa and 142 GPa, respectively. Such improvement is believed to result from the grain refinement strengthening and the interface strengthening (load transfer) between the Al matrix and AlN nanoparticles

Analysis of a nanocrystalline polymer dispersion of ebselen using solid-state NMR, Raman microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Frederick G; Williams, Glenn R

2012-07-01

Nanocrystalline drug-polymer dispersions are of significant interest in pharmaceutical delivery. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the applicability of methods based on two-dimensional (2D) and multinuclear solid-state NMR (SSNMR) to a novel nanocrystalline pharmaceutical dispersion of ebselen with polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate (PVP-VA), after initial characterization with other techniques. A nanocrystalline dispersion of ebselen with PVP-VA was prepared and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), confocal Raman microscopy and mapping, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and then subjected to detailed 1D and 2D SSNMR analysis involving ¹H, ¹³C, and ⁷⁷Se isotopes and ¹H spin diffusion. PXRD was used to show that dispersion contains nanocrystalline ebselen in the 35-60 nm size range. Confocal Raman microscopy and spectral mapping were able to detect regions where short-range interactions may occur between ebselen and PVP-VA. Spin diffusion effects were analyzed using 2D SSNMR experiments and are able to directly detect interactions between ebselen and the surrounding PVP-VA. The methods used here, particularly the 2D SSNMR methods based on spin diffusion, provided detailed structural information about a nanocrystalline polymer dispersion of ebselen, and should be useful in other studies of these types of materials.

Grain size effect in corrosion behavior of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni coatings in alkaline solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Liping; Zhang Junyan; Gao Yan; Xue Qunji; Hu Litian; Xu Tao

2006-01-01

Effects of grain size reduction on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline Ni produced by pulse electrodeposition were characterized using potentiodynamic polarization testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to confirm the electrochemical measurements and the suggested mechanisms. The corrosion resistance of Ni coatings in alkaline solutions considerably increased as the grain size decreased from microcrystalline to nanocrystalline. The higher corrosion resistance of NC Ni may be due to the more rapid formation of continuous Ni(OH) 2 passive films compared with coarse-grained Ni coatings

Tailoring the magnetic properties and magnetorheological behavior of spinel nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite by varying annealing temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlacik, Michal; Pavlinek, Vladimir; Peer, Petra; Filip, Petr

2014-05-14

Magnetic nanoparticles of spinel nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite were synthesized via the sol-gel method and subsequent annealing. The influence of the annealing temperature on the structure, magnetic properties, and magnetorheological effect was investigated. The finite crystallite size of the particles, determined by X-ray diffraction and the particle size observed via transmission electron microscopy, increased with the annealing temperature. The magnetic properties observed via a vibrating sample magnetometer showed that an increase in the annealing temperature leads to the increase in the magnetization saturation and, in contrast, a decrease in the coercivity. The effect of annealing on the magnetic properties of ferrite particles has been explained by the recrystallization process at high temperatures. This resulted in grain size growth and a decrease in an imposed stress relating to defects in the crystal lattice structure of the nanoparticles. The magnetorheological characteristics of suspensions of ferrite particles in silicone oil were measured using a rotational rheometer equipped with a magnetic field generator in both steady shear and small-strain oscillatory regimes. The magnetorheological performance expressed as a relative increase in the magnetoviscosity appeared to be significantly higher for suspensions of particles annealed at 1000 °C.

Hot corrosion of arc ion plating NiCrAlY and sputtered nanocrystalline coatings on a nickel-based single-crystal superalloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jinlong; Chen, Minghui; Cheng, Yuxian; Yang, Lanlan; Bao, Zebin; Liu, Li; Zhu, Shenglong; Wang, Fuhui

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Hot corrosion of three metallic coatings was investigated. •NiCrAlY coating loses protectiveness against hot corrosion due to scale spallation. •The two nanocrystalline coatings perform better than NiCrAlY in hot corrosion. •Ta oxidation leads to scale pitting and corrosion of the nanocrystalline coating. •Y addition in the nanocrystalline coating reduces such harmful effect of Ta. -- Abstract: Hot corrosion in sulfate salt at 850 °C of three metallic coatings is investigated comparatively. The NiCrAlY coating loses its protectiveness after 200 h corrosion. Its oxide scale spalls off partly and becomes porous as a consequence of basic fluxing. The nanocrystalline coating (SN) performs better than the NiCrAlY one, but its scale is porous as well. Oxidation and/or sulfidation of Ta account for the formation of pores. The yttrium modified nanocrystalline coating (SNY) provides the highest corrosion resistance. Yttrium completely inhibits oxidation and sulfidation of Ta. Its scale is intact and adherent, and exclusively composted of alumina.

Investigating the Thermal and Phase Stability of Nanocrystalline Ni-W Produced by Electrodeposition, Sputtering, and Mechanical Alloying

Science.gov (United States)

Marvel, Christopher Jonathan

The development of nanocrystalline materials has been increasingly pursued over the last few decades. They have been shown to exhibit superior properties compared to their coarse-grain counterparts, and thus present a tremendous opportunity to revolutionize the performance of nanoscale devices or bulk structural materials. However, nanocrystalline materials are highly prone to grain growth, and if the nanocrystalline grains coarsen, the beneficial properties are lost. There is a strong effort to determine the most effective thermal stability mechanisms to avoid grain growth, but the physical nature of nanocrystalline grain growth is still unclear due to a lack of detailed understanding of nanocrystalline microstructures. Furthermore, the influence of contamination has scarcely been explored with advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques, nor has there been a direct comparison of alloys fabricated with different bulk processes. Therefore, this research has applied aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy to characterize nanocrystalline Ni-W on the atomic scale and elucidate the physical grain growth behavior. Three primary objectives were pursued: (1) explore the thermal stability mechanisms of nanocrystalline Ni-W, (2) evaluate the phase stability of Ni-W and link any findings to grain growth behavior, and (3) compare the influences of bulk fabrication processing, including electrodeposition, DC magnetron sputtering, and mechanical alloying, on the thermal stability and phase stability of Ni-W. Several thermal stability mechanisms were identified throughout the course of this research. First and foremost, W-segregation was scarcely observed to grain boundaries, and it is unclear if W-segregation improves thermal stability contrary to most reports in the 2 literature. Long-range Ni4W chemical ordering was observed in alloys with more than 20 at.% W, and it is likely Ni4W domains reduce grain boundary mobility. In addition, lattice

The Combinatorial Rigidity Conjecture is False for Cubic Polynomials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Christian

2003-01-01

We show that there exist two cubic polynomials with connected Julia sets which are combinatorially equivalent but not topologically conjugate on their Julia sets. This disproves a conjecture by McMullen from 1995.......We show that there exist two cubic polynomials with connected Julia sets which are combinatorially equivalent but not topologically conjugate on their Julia sets. This disproves a conjecture by McMullen from 1995....

Silicon effect on the composition and structure of nanocalcium phosphates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomoaia, Gheorghe [Orthophedics and Traumatology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 47 Traian Mosoiu Str., Cluj-Napoca 400132 (Romania); Mocanu, Aurora [Department of Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, 11 Arany J. Str., Cluj-Napoca 400028 (Romania); Vida-Simiti, Ioan; Jumate, Nicolae [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 103-105 Muncii Bd., Cluj-Napoca 400641 (Romania); Bobos, Liviu-Dorel [Department of Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, 11 Arany J. Str., Cluj-Napoca 400028 (Romania); Soritau, Olga [Oncology Institute of Cluj-Napoca, 34-36 Republicii Str., 400015 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Tomoaia-Cotisel, Maria, E-mail: mtcotisel.ubbcluj@yahoo.ro [Department of Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, 11 Arany J. Str., Cluj-Napoca 400028 (Romania)

2014-04-01

Nanostructured calcium phosphates, such as nanohydroxyapatite (HAP) and HAP with silicon content (HAP-Si) of 0.47 wt.% (1% SiO{sub 2}), 2.34 wt.% (5% SiO{sub 2}) and 4.67 wt.% (10% SiO{sub 2}) in the final product, were synthesized by aqueous precipitation, freeze dried and then calcined at 650, 950 and 1150 °C. The obtained materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. From the analysis of the XRD patterns, the HAP and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) phases were identified and their amounts in the samples were estimated. The size of HAP and β-TCP crystallites was estimated to be in the nanocrystalline domain. FTIR spectra showed the presence of characteristic vibrations for P–O, H–O and Si–O groups and their modification with Si content and calcination temperature. TEM, SEM and AFM images also revealed the morphology of the particles and of their aggregates. These materials have been used to manufacture scaffolds which were tested for their influence on adhesion and proliferation of cells, in human osteoblast culture, considering their further use in bone reconstruction. It was found that an appropriate addition of silicon in nanocalcium phosphate scaffolds leads to an enhanced adhesion and proliferation of cells in osteoblasts in vitro. - Highlights: • Nanostructured calcium phosphates with different silicon contents were synthesized. • Scaffolds made from hydroxyapatites with Si were used in human osteoblast cultures. • All scaffolds proved to be biocompatible to human osteoblasts in vitro. • Cell adhesion and proliferation were improved for scaffolds with 0.47 and 2.34% Si.

The crystallization of (NiCu)ZrTiAlSi glass/crystalline composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czeppe, T.; Sypien, A.; Ochin, P.; Anastassova, S.

2007-01-01

Alloys of composition (Ni 1-x Cu x ) 60 Zr 18 Ti 13 A1 5 Si 4 were investigated in the form of ribbons and massive samples. The microstructure of the massive samples consists of dendritic crystals in the amorphous or nanocrystalline matrix. The amount of the amorphous phase is the lowest in the sample with the highest Cu content. The segregation in the liquid phase, leading to the local differences in density and the composition of the crystallizing dendrites in the samples crystallized in the copper mould was shown. The typical compositions of the multi-component crystals could be distinguished; one with the increased content of aluminum, the second with the high content of silicon and third, with the high content of (NiCu) and (ZrTi). The cubic phase Ni(Cu)Ti(Zr) with Cu and Zr dissolved could be identified. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Strain-delocalizing effect of a metal substrate on nanocrystalline Ni film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi, Dexing [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210009 (China); Zhou, Jianqiu, E-mail: zhouj@njut.edu.cn [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210009 (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430070 (China); Liu, Hongxi; Dong, Shuhong [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210009 (China); Wang, Ying [Department of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Suzhou Institute of Industrial Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215104 (China)

2015-07-29

Uniaxial tensile test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are introduced to study the tensile properties of electrodeposited nanocrystalline nickel/coarse-grained copper (N/C) composite in this paper. Compared to the stress strain response of pure nanocrystalline (NC) nickel (Ni), the tensile ductility of N/C composite is enhanced significantly. Based on the experimental results, a multi-phase composite model is proposed to investigate the micromechanical behaviors of the NC Ni film and N/C composite plate. The constitutive models are implemented into ABAQUS/Explicit in the form of VUMAT subroutine. A series of numerical simulations are carried out and the predications were in good agreement with experimental results. It can be concluded that the coarse-grained (CG) substrate work well in suppressing the strain localization in the NC Ni film.

Generalized Born-Infeld actions and projective cubic curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrara, S. [Department of Physics, CERN Theory Division, CH - 1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); INFN - Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 40, I-00044, Frascati (Italy); Porrati, M. [CCPP, Department of Physics, NYU, 4 Washington Pl., New York, NY, 10003 (United States); Sagnotti, A. [Department of Physics, CERN Theory Division, CH - 1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Stora, R. [Department of Physics, CERN Theory Division, CH - 1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Laboratoire d' Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Theorique (LAPTH), F-74941, Annecy-le-Vieux, Cedex (France); Yeranyan, A. [INFN - Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 40, I-00044, Frascati (Italy); Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Via Panisperna 89A, 00184, Roma (Italy)

2015-04-01

We investigate U(1){sup n} supersymmetric Born-Infeld Lagrangians with a second non-linearly realized supersymmetry. The resulting non-linear structure is more complex than the square root present in the standard Born-Infeld action, and nonetheless the quadratic constraints determining these models can be solved exactly in all cases containing three vector multiplets. The corresponding models are classified by cubic holomorphic prepotentials. Their symmetry structures are associated to projective cubic varieties. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effect of Co addition on the magnetic properties and microstructure of FeNbBCu nanocrystalline alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, Lin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China); Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); School of Sciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116 (China); Yang, Weiming [School of Sciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116 (China); Liu, Haishun, E-mail: liuhaishun@126.com [School of Sciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116 (China); Men, He [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Wang, Anding, E-mail: anding@nimte.ac.cn [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Chang, Chuntao [Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Shen, Baolong, E-mail: blshen@seu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China)

2016-12-01

Through gradient substitution of Co for Fe, the magnetic properties and microstructures of (Fe{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 83}Nb{sub 2}B{sub 14}Cu{sub 1} (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) nanocrystalline alloys were investigated. Because of the strong ferromagnetic exchange coupling between Co and Fe, substantial improvement in saturation magnetization was achieved with proper levels of Co addition. Meanwhile, the Curie temperature increased noticeably with increasing Co addition. After heat treatment, the (Fe{sub 0.9}Co{sub 0.1}){sub 83}Nb{sub 2}B{sub 14}Cu{sub 1} nanocrystalline alloy showed a refined microstructure with an average grain size of 10–20 nm, exhibiting a comparatively high saturation magnetization of 1.82 T and a lower coercivity of 12 A/m compared to other Hitperm-type alloys with higher Co contents. Additionally, the Curie temperature reached 1150 K upon introduction of Co. As the soft magnetic properties are strengthened by adding a small amount of Co, the combination of fine, soft magnetic properties and low cost make this nanocrystalline alloy a potential magnetic material. - Highlights: • New (Fe{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 83}Nb{sub 2}B{sub 14}Cu{sub 1} nanocrystalline alloys are successfully synthesized. • Minor Co addition improves the Curie temperature of (Fe{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 83}Nb{sub 2}B{sub 14}Cu{sub 1} alloy system. • (Fe{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}){sub 83}Nb{sub 2}B{sub 14}Cu{sub 1} nanocrystalline alloys exhibit high saturation magnetization above 1.82 T.

Thermal Stability of Nanocrystalline Copper for Potential Use in Printed Wiring Board Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Patrick Kai Fai

Copper is a widely used conductor in the manufacture of printed wiring boards (PWB). The trends in miniaturization of electronic devices create increasing challenges to all electronic industries. In particular PWB manufacturers face great challenges because the increasing demands in greater performance and device miniaturization pose enormous difficulties in manufacturing and product reliability. Nanocrystalline and ultra-fine grain copper can potentially offer increased reliability and functionality of the PWB due to the increases in strength and achievable wiring density by reduction in grain size. The first part of this thesis is concerned with the synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline and ultra-fine grain-sized copper for potential applications in the PWB industry. Nanocrystalline copper with different amounts of sulfur impurities (25-230ppm) and grain sizes (31-49nm) were produced and their hardness, electrical resistivity and etchability were determined. To study the thermal stability of nanocrystalline copper, differential scanning calorimetry and isothermal heat treatments combined with electron microscopy techniques for microstructural analysis were used. Differential scanning calorimetry was chosen to continuously monitor the grain growth process in the temperature range from 40?C to 400?C. During isothermal annealing experiments samples were annealed at 23?C, 100?C and 300?C to study various potential thermal issues for these materials in PWB applications such as the long-term room temperature thermal stability as well as for temperature excursions above the operation temperature and peak temperature exposure during the PWB manufacturing process. From all annealing experiments the various grain growth events and the overall stability of these materials were analyzed in terms of driving and dragging forces. Experimental evidence is presented which shows that the overall thermal stability, grain boundary character and texture evolution of

Structure and coercivity of nanocrystalline Fe–Si–B–Nb–Cu alloys

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Fe–Si–B–Nb–Cu alloy; melt-spinning; crystallization; nanocrystalline ... to possess a unique combination of soft magnetic properties ... meability and high electrical resistivity (Yoshizawa et al ... ture and thermal stability of the alloy ribbons.

Magnetotransport in nanocrystalline SmB6 thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Yong

2015-07-01

Full Text Available SmB6 has been predicted to be a prototype of topological Kondo insulator (TKI but its direct experimental evidence as a TKI is still lacking to date. Here we report on our search for the signature of a topological surface state and investigation of the effect of disorder on transport properties in nanocrystalline SmB6 thin films through longitudinal magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient measurements. The magnetoresistance (MR at 2 K is positive and linear (LPMR at low field and become negative and quadratic at higher field. While the negative part is understood from the reduction of the hybridization gap due to Zeeman splitting, the positive dependence is similar to what is observed in other topological insulators (TI. We conclude that the LPMR is a characteristic of TI and is related to the linear dispersion near the Dirac cone. The Hall resistance shows a sign change around 50K. It peaks and becomes nonlinear around 10 K then decreases below 10 K. This indicates that carriers with opposite signs emerge below 50 K. These properties indicate that the surface states are robust and probably topological in our nanocrystalline films.

Hysteresis properties of conventionally annealed and Joule-heated nanocrystalline Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiberto, P.; Basso, V.; Beatrice, C.; Bertotti, G.

1996-01-01

The dependence of magnetic properties on the thermal treatment used to induce the amorphous-to-nanocrystalline transformation in Fe 73.5 Cu 1 Nb 3 Si 13.5 B 9 alloy has been studied. Quasi-static hysteresis loops and initial permeability measurements were performed on nanocrystalline samples obtained by conventional annealing and Joule heating. A comparison between the magnetic properties of nanocrystalline samples obtained by the two heating procedures is presented. (orig.)

Thermal conductivity of the amorphous and nanocrystalline phases of the beech wood biocarbon nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Kartenko, N. F.; Orlova, T. S.; Parfen'eva, L. S.; Smirnov, B. I.; Smirnov, I. A.

2014-11-01

Natural composites (biocarbons) obtained by carbonization of beech wood at different carbonization temperatures T carb in the range of 800-2400°C have been studied using X-ray diffraction. The composites consist of an amorphous matrix and nanocrystallites of graphite and graphene. The volume fractions of the amorphous and nanocrystalline phases as functions of T carb have been determined. Temperature dependences of the phonon thermal conductivity κ( T) of the biocarbons with different temperatures T carb (1000 and 2400°C) have been analyzed in the range of 5-300 K. It has been shown that the behavior of κ( T) of the biocarbon with T carb = 1000°C is controlled by the amorphous phase in the range of 5-50 K and by the nanocrystalline phase in the range of 100-300 K. The character of κ( T) of the biocarbon with T carb = 2400°C is determined by the heat transfer (scattering) in the nanocrystalline phase over the entire temperature range of 5-300 K.

Effect of nanocrystalline phase on the electrochemical behavior of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathur, Shubhra, E-mail: shubhramathur3@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jaipur 303905 (India); Jain, Rohit [Department of Physics, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jaipur 303905 (India); Kumar, Praveen [Surface Physics and Nanostructure Group, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India); Sachdev, K.; Sharma, S.K. [Department of Physics, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, JLN-Marg, Jaipur 302017 (India)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Polarization studies carried out on different structural states of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanocrystalline state exhibits superior corrosion resistance as compared to other states of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer XPS results show that nanocrystalline specimen contains only TiO{sub 2} species. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It leads to the formation of adherent and stable film and improves the corrosion resistance. - Abstract: Polarization studies were carried out on crystalline, amorphous and nanocrystalline states of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40} in 1 M NaCl aqueous medium at room temperature. It was observed that nanocrystalline state exhibits superior corrosion resistance as compared to other states of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40}. Cyclic voltammetry studies and weight loss data corroborates the polarization studies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique was used in order to decipher the nature of the oxide film formed after corrosion test on the specimens of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40}. The crystalline specimen of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40} shows the presence of Ti{sup 2+}, Ti{sup 3+} and Ti{sup 4+} species along with some unoxidized Ti in metallic form (Ti{sup 0}) whereas the amorphous specimen consists of Ti{sup 3+} and Ti{sup 4+} species. On the other hand nanocrystalline specimen contains only Ti{sup 4+} species. Thus it is likely that the presence of fewer species and the absence of Ti{sup 3+} in the oxide film formed on nanocrystalline specimen of Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40} lead to the formation of a film with greater homogeneity and protective quality in comparison to the films formed on crystalline and amorphous states of the alloy Ti{sub 60}Ni{sub 40} in 1 M NaCl aqueous medium.

Osteoblastic cells trigger gate currents on nanocrystalline diamond transistor

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ižák, Tibor; Krátká, Marie; Kromka, Alexander; Rezek, Bohuslav

2015-01-01

Roč. 129, May (2015), 95-99 ISSN 0927-7765 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP108/12/0996 Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100101209 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : field-effect transistors * nanocrystalline diamond * osteoblastic cells * leakage currents Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.902, year: 2015

Some elements go cubic under pressure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Legut, Dominik

2007-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 10 (2007), s. 17-17 ISSN 0031-9228 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : ab initio * polonium * cubic structure Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 5.133, year: 2007

Nanostructured silicon nitride from wheat and rice husks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qadri, S. B.; Rath, B. B.; Gorzkowski, E. P.; Wollmershauser, J. A.; Feng, C. R. [Materials Science and Component Technology Directorate, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States)

2016-04-07

Nanoparticles, submicron-diameter tubes, and rods of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} were synthesized from the thermal treatment of wheat and rice husks at temperatures at and above 1300 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The whole pattern Rietveld analysis of the observed diffraction data from treatments at 1300 °C showed the formation of only hexagonal α-phase of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} with an R-factor of 1%, whereas samples treated at 1400 °C and above showed both α- and β-phases with an R-factor of 2%. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of tubes, rods, and nanoparticles of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. In a two-step process, where pure SiC was produced first from rice or wheat husk in an argon atmosphere and subsequently treated in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1450 °C, a nanostructured composite material having α- and β-phases of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} combined with cubic phase of SiC was formed. The thermodynamics of the formation of silicon nitride is discussed in terms of the solid state reaction between organic matter (silica content), which is inherently present in the wheat and rice husks, with the nitrogen from the furnace atmosphere. Nanostructures of silicon nitride formed by a single direct reaction or their composites with SiC formed in a two-step process of agricultural byproducts provide an uncomplicated sustainable synthesis route for silicon nitride used in mechanical, biotechnology, and electro-optic nanotechnology applications.

Neutron irradiation induced amorphization of silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snead, L.L.; Hay, J.C.

1998-01-01

This paper provides the first known observation of silicon carbide fully amorphized under neutron irradiation. Both high purity single crystal hcp and high purity, highly faulted (cubic) chemically vapor deposited (CVD) SiC were irradiated at approximately 60 C to a total fast neutron fluence of 2.6 x 10 25 n/m 2 . Amorphization was seen in both materials, as evidenced by TEM, electron diffraction, and x-ray diffraction techniques. Physical properties for the amorphized single crystal material are reported including large changes in density (-10.8%), elastic modulus as measured using a nanoindentation technique (-45%), hardness as measured by nanoindentation (-45%), and standard Vickers hardness (-24%). Similar property changes are observed for the critical temperature for amorphization at this neutron dose and flux, above which amorphization is not possible, is estimated to be greater than 130 C

Interface effects on effective elastic moduli of nanocrystalline materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Gangfeng; Feng Xiqiao; Yu Shouwen; Nan Cewen

2003-01-01

Interfaces often play a significant role in many physical properties and phenomena of nanocrystalline materials (NcMs). In the present paper, the interface effects on the effective elastic property of NcMs are investigated. First, an atomic potential method is suggested for estimating the effective elastic modulus of an interface phase. Then, the Mori-Tanaka effective field method is employed to determine the overall effective elastic moduli of a nanocrystalline material, which is regarded as a binary composite consisting of a crystal or inclusion phase with regular lattice connected by an amorphous-like interface or matrix phase. Finally, the stiffening effects of strain gradients are examined on the effective elastic property by using the strain gradient theory to analyze a representative unit cell. Our analysis shows two physical mechanisms of interfaces that influence the effective stiffness and other mechanical properties of materials. One is the softening effect due to the distorted atomic structures and the increased atomic spacings in interface regions, and another is the baffling effect due to the existence of boundary layers between the interface phase and the crystalline phase

Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline palladium prepared by magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castrup, Anna; Hahn, Horst [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany); Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany); Scherer, Torsten; Ivanisenko, Yulia; Choi, In-Suk; Kraft, Oliver [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany)

2009-07-01

Nanocrystalline metals and alloys with grain sizes well below 100 nm often demonstrate unique deformation behaviour and therefore attract a great interest in material science. The understanding of deformation mechanisms operating in nanocrystalline materials is important to predict their mechanical properties. In the present study Pd films of 1{mu}m thickness were prepared using UHV rf magnetron sputtering on dog bone shaped Kapton substrates and on Si/SiO2 wafers. The films were sputtered using multilayer technology with an individual layer thickness of 10 nm. This resulted in grain sizes of about 20 nm. Initial microstructure and texture were characterized using conventional XRD measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in both cross section- and plane view. The mechanical properties were investigated using tensile testing and nanoindentation at several strain rates. An increased hardness and strength as compared to coarse grained Pd was observed, as well as high strain rate sensitivity. The microstructure in the gauge section after tensile testing was again analyzed using TEM in order to reveal signatures of deformation mechanisms like dislocation motion or twinning.

Trace spaces in a pre-cubical complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raussen, Martin

2009-01-01

In directed algebraic topology, directed irreversible (d)-paths and spaces consisting of d-paths are studied from a topological and from a categorical point of view. Motivated by models for concurrent computation, we study in this paper spaces of d-paths in a pre-cubical complex. Such paths...... are equipped with a natural arc length which moreover is shown to be invariant under directed homotopies. D-paths up to reparametrization (called traces) can thus be represented by arc length parametrized d-paths. Under weak additional conditions, it is shown that trace spaces in a pre-cubical complex...... are separable metric spaces which are locally contractible and locally compact. Moreover, they have the homotopy type of a CW-complex....

Alloy-dependent deformation behavior of highly ductile nanocrystalline AuCu thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lohmiller, Jochen; Spolenak, Ralph; Gruber, Patric A.

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline thin films on compliant substrates become increasingly important for the development of flexible electronic devices. In this study, nanocrystalline AuCu thin films on polyimide substrate were tested in tension while using a synchrotron-based in situ testing technique. Analysis of X-ray diffraction profiles allowed identifying the underlying deformation mechanisms. Initially, elastic and microplastic deformation is observed, followed by dislocation-mediated shear band formation, and eventually macroscopic crack formation. Particularly the influence of alloy composition, heat-treatment, and test temperature were investigated. Generally, a highly ductile behavior is observed. However, high Cu concentrations, annealing, and/or large plastic strains lead to localized deformation and hence reduced ductility. On the other hand, enhanced test temperature allows for a delocalized deformation and extended ductility

Alloy-dependent deformation behavior of highly ductile nanocrystalline AuCu thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lohmiller, Jochen [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Materials, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Laboratory for Nanometallurgy, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Spolenak, Ralph [Laboratory for Nanometallurgy, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Gruber, Patric A., E-mail: patric.gruber@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Materials, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2014-02-10

Nanocrystalline thin films on compliant substrates become increasingly important for the development of flexible electronic devices. In this study, nanocrystalline AuCu thin films on polyimide substrate were tested in tension while using a synchrotron-based in situ testing technique. Analysis of X-ray diffraction profiles allowed identifying the underlying deformation mechanisms. Initially, elastic and microplastic deformation is observed, followed by dislocation-mediated shear band formation, and eventually macroscopic crack formation. Particularly the influence of alloy composition, heat-treatment, and test temperature were investigated. Generally, a highly ductile behavior is observed. However, high Cu concentrations, annealing, and/or large plastic strains lead to localized deformation and hence reduced ductility. On the other hand, enhanced test temperature allows for a delocalized deformation and extended ductility.

The planar cubic Cayley graphs

CERN Document Server

Georgakopoulos, Agelos

2018-01-01

The author obtains a complete description of the planar cubic Cayley graphs, providing an explicit presentation and embedding for each of them. This turns out to be a rich class, comprising several infinite families. He obtains counterexamples to conjectures of Mohar, Bonnington and Watkins. The author's analysis makes the involved graphs accessible to computation, corroborating a conjecture of Droms.

Preparation of high-quality ultrathin transmission electron microscopy specimens of a nanocrystalline metallic powder.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedl, Thomas; Gemming, Thomas; Mickel, Christine; Eymann, Konrad; Kirchner, Alexander; Kieback, Bernd

2012-06-01

This article explores the achievable transmission electron microscopy specimen thickness and quality by using three different preparation methods in the case of a high-strength nanocrystalline Cu-Nb powder alloy. Low specimen thickness is essential for spatially resolved analyses of the grains in nanocrystalline materials. We have found that single-sided as well as double-sided low-angle Ar ion milling of the Cu-Nb powders embedded into epoxy resin produced wedge-shaped particles of very low thickness (coating on the sections consisting of epoxy deployed as the embedding material and considerable nanoscale thickness variations. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Structural, elastic and electronic Properties of isotropic cubic crystals of carbon and silicon nanotubes : Density functional based tight binding calculations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander L. Ivanovskii

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Atomic models of cubic crystals (CC of carbon and graphene-like Si nanotubes are offered and their structural, cohesive, elastic and electronic properties are predicted by means of the DFTB method. Our main findings are that the isotropic crystals of carbon nanotubes adopt a very high elastic modulus B and low compressibility β, namely B = 650 GPa, β = 0.0015 1/GPa. In addition, these crystals preserve the initial conductivity type of their “building blocks”, i.e. isolated carbon and Si nanotubes. This feature may be important for design of materials with the selected conductivity type.

Molecular dynamics simulations of tension–compression asymmetry in nanocrystalline copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Kai, E-mail: kaizhou@aliyun.com; Liu, Bin; Shao, Shaofeng; Yao, Yijun

2017-04-04

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate uniaxial tension and compression of nanocrystalline copper with mean grain sizes of 3.8–11.9 nm. The simulation results show an apparent asymmetry in the flow stress, with nanocrystalline copper stronger in compression than in tension. The asymmetry exhibits a maximum at the mean grain size of about 10 nm. The dominant mechanism of the asymmetry depends on the mean grain size. At small grain sizes, grain-boundary based plasticity dominates the asymmetry, while for large grain sizes the asymmetry mainly arises from the pressure dependent dislocation emission from grain boundaries. - Highlights: • The tension–compression asymmetry in strength exhibits a maximum at the mean grain size of about 10 nm. • The main mechanisms govern the asymmetry are grain-boundary mediated plasticity and dislocation based plasticity. • The above-mentioned mechanisms are both grain size and pressure dependent. • The transition of the asymmetry with the mean grain size is not influenced by strain rate.

Compaction simulation of nano-crystalline metals with molecular dynamics analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khoei A.R.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The molecular-dynamics analysis is presented for 3D compaction simulation of nano-crystalline metals under uniaxial compaction process. The nano-crystalline metals consist of nickel and aluminum nano-particles, which are mixed with specified proportions. The EAM pair-potential is employed to model the formation of nano-particles at different temperatures, number of nano-particles, and mixing ratio of Ni and Al nano-particles to form the component into the shape of a die. The die-walls are modeled using the Lennard-Jones inter-atomic potential between the atoms of nano-particles and die-walls. The forming process is model in uniaxial compression, which is simulated until the full-dense condition is attained at constant temperature. Numerical simulations are performed by presenting the densification of nano-particles at different deformations and distribution of dislocations. Finally, the evolutions of relative density with the pressure as well as the stress-strain curves are depicted during the compaction process.

Void initiation from interfacial debonding of spherical silicon particles inside a silicon-copper nanocomposite: a molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yi; Chen, Zengtao

2017-02-01

Silicon particles with diameters from 1.9 nm to 30 nm are embedded in a face-centered-cubic copper matrix to form nanocomposite specimens for simulation. The interfacial debonding of silicon particles from the copper matrix and the subsequent growth of nucleated voids are studied via molecular dynamics (MD). The MD results are examined from several different perspectives. The overall mechanical performance is monitored by the average stress-strain response and the accumulated porosity. The ‘relatively farthest-traveled’ atoms are identified to characterize the onset of interfacial debonding. The relative displacement field is plotted to illustrate both subsequent interfacial debonding and the growth of a nucleated void facilitated by a dislocation network. Our results indicate that the initiation of interfacial debonding is due to the accumulated surface stress if the matrix is initially dislocation-free. However, pre-existing dislocations can make a considerable difference. In either case, the dislocation emission also contributes to the subsequent debonding process. As for the size effect, the debonding of relatively larger particles causes a drop in the stress-strain curve. The volume fraction of second-phase particles is found to be more influential than the size of the simulation box on the onset of interfacial debonding. The volume fraction of second-phase particles also affects the shape of the nucleated void and, therefore, influences the stress response of the composite.

Combustion synthesis and photoluminescence in novel red emitting yttrium gadolinium pyrosilicate nanocrystalline phosphor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hedaoo, V.P., E-mail: vraikwar@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, R. J. College, Ghatkopar, Mumbai, MS 400086 (India); Bhatkar, V.B. [Department of Physics, Shri Shivaji Science College, Amravati, MS 444602 (India); Omanwar, S.K. [Department of Physics, SGB Amravati University, Amravati, MS 444602 (India)

2016-07-05

Yttrium Gadolinium Pyrosilicate Y{sub 2-x}Gd{sub x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7}:Eu{sup 3+} (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) phosphor powder was prepared by facile and time efficient modified combustion method for the first time. The phosphor was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and emission (PL) spectroscopy and color chromaticity coordinates. XRD revealed the monoclinic crystal structure with space group P1¯. The crystallite size was calculated by Williamson-Hall (W–H) analysis. Nanoplates-like morphology was observed in FESEM analysis with size in the range 50–80 nm. TEM images confirmed the particle size and shape. Upon excitation by 254 nm UV light, the phosphor showed the characteristic red emission peaks at 589 nm and 613 nm corresponding to {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 1} and {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 2} transitions respectively. It was observed that the nanocrystalline phosphor Y{sub 2-x}Gd{sub x}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7}:Eu{sup 3+}can be tuned to emit orange to red color by adjusting the ratio Y/Gd. This phosphor thus can be a potential candidate as orange to red color emitting tunable nanocrystalline phosphor for optical devices. - Highlights: • A novel Yttrium Gadolinium Pyrosilicate doped with Eu{sup 3+} is reported. • Facile and time efficient modified combustion method is used. • The nanocrystalline structure was shown by X-ray diffraction, W–H analysis. • FESEM and TEM images confirmed the nanocrystalline structure. • The reported phosphor can be tuned from orange to red by varying Y/Gd ratio.

Ferromagnetism appears in nitrogen implanted nanocrystalline diamond films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Remeš, Zdeněk; Sun, S. J.; Varga, M.; Chou, H.; Hsu, H.S.; Kromka, A.; Horák, Pavel

2015-01-01

Roč. 394, Nov (2015), s. 477-480 ISSN 0304-8853 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108; GA MŠk(CZ) LD14011 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) COST Action MP1202 HINT Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389005 Keywords : diamond * nonmetallic ferromagnetic materials * fine-particle systems * nanocrystalline materials Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.357, year: 2015

Influence of coating on nanocrystalline magnetic properties during high temperature thermal ageing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lekdim, Atef, E-mail: atef.lekdim@univ-lyon1.fr; Morel, Laurent; Raulet, Marie-Ange

2017-05-15

Since their birth or mergence the late 1980s, the nanocrystalline ultrasoft magnetic materials are taking a great importance in power electronic systems conception. One of the main advantages that make them more attractive nowadays is their ability to be packaged since the reduction of the magnetostrictive constant to almost zero. In aircraft applications, due to the high component compactness and to their location (for example near the jet engine), the operating temperature increases and may reach easily 200 °C and more. Consequently, the magnetic thermal ageing may occur but is, unfortunately, weakly studied. This paper focuses on the influence of the coating (packaging type) on the magnetic nanocrystalline performances during a thermal ageing. This study is based on monitoring the magnetic characteristics of two types of nanocrystalline cores (naked and coated) during a thermal activated ageing (100, 150 and 200 °C). Based on a dedicated monitoring protocol, a large magnetic characterization has been done and analyzed. Elsewhere, X-Ray Diffraction and magnetostriction measurements were carried out to support the study of the anisotropy energies evolution with ageing. This latter is discussed in this paper to explain and give hypothesis about the ageing phenomena. - Highlights: • The coating impacts drastically the magnetic properties during thermal ageing. • Irreversible ageing phenomena after the total coating breakage. • The deteriorations are related to the storage of the magnetoelastic anisotropy.

Effects of quadratic and cubic nonlinearities on a perfectly tuned parametric amplifier

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neumeyer, Stefan; Sorokin, Vladislav; Thomsen, Jon Juel

2016-01-01

We consider the performance of a parametric amplifier with perfect tuning (two-to-one ratio between the parametric and direct excitation frequencies) and quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. A forced Duffing–Mathieu equation with appended quadratic nonlinearity is considered as the model system......, and approximate analytical steady-state solutions and corresponding stabilities are obtained by the method of varying amplitudes. Some general effects of pure quadratic, and mixed quadratic and cubic nonlinearities on parametric amplification are shown. In particular, the effects of mixed quadratic and cubic...... nonlinearities may generate additional amplitude–frequency solutions. In this case an increased response and a more phase sensitive amplitude (phase between excitation frequencies) is obtained, as compared to the case with either pure quadratic or cubic nonlinearity. Furthermore, jumps and bi...

Releasing cation diffusion in self-limited nanocrystalline defective ceria thin films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esposito, Vincenzo; Ni, D. W.; Gualandris, Fabrizio

2017-01-01

Acceptor-doped nanocrystalline cerium oxide thin films are mechanically constrained nano-domains, with film/substrate interfacial strain and chemical doping deadlock mass diffusion. In contrast, in this paper we show that chemical elements result in highly unstable thin films under chemical...

[Multimodal medical image registration using cubic spline interpolation method].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yuanlie; Tian, Lianfang; Chen, Ping; Wang, Lifei; Ye, Guangchun; Mao, Zongyuan

2007-12-01

Based on the characteristic of the PET-CT multimodal image series, a novel image registration and fusion method is proposed, in which the cubic spline interpolation method is applied to realize the interpolation of PET-CT image series, then registration is carried out by using mutual information algorithm and finally the improved principal component analysis method is used for the fusion of PET-CT multimodal images to enhance the visual effect of PET image, thus satisfied registration and fusion results are obtained. The cubic spline interpolation method is used for reconstruction to restore the missed information between image slices, which can compensate for the shortage of previous registration methods, improve the accuracy of the registration, and make the fused multimodal images more similar to the real image. Finally, the cubic spline interpolation method has been successfully applied in developing 3D-CRT (3D Conformal Radiation Therapy) system.

Regularizing cubic open Neveu-Schwarz string field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkovits, Nathan; Siegel, Warren

2009-01-01

After introducing non-minimal variables, the midpoint insertion of Y Y-bar in cubic open Neveu-Schwarz string field theory can be replaced with an operator N ρ depending on a constant parameter ρ. As in cubic open superstring field theory using the pure spinor formalism, the operator N ρ is invertible and is equal to 1 up to a BRST-trivial quantity. So unlike the linearized equation of motion Y Y-bar QV = 0 which requires truncation of the Hilbert space in order to imply QV = 0, the linearized equation N ρ QV = 0 directly implies QV = 0.

Synthesis characterization and luminescence studies of gamma irradiated nanocrystalline yttrium oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Shivaramu, N. J.; Lakshminarasappa, B. N.; Nagabhushana, K. R.; Singh, Fouran

2016-02-01

Nanocrystalline Y2O3 is synthesized by solution combustion technique using urea and glycine as fuels. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of as prepared sample shows amorphous nature while annealed samples show cubic nature. The average crystallite size is calculated using Scherrer's formula and is found to be in the range 14-30 nm for samples synthesized using urea and 15-20 nm for samples synthesized using glycine respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) image of 1173 K annealed Y2O3 samples show well separated spherical shape particles and the average particle size is found to be in the range 28-35 nm. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy reveals a stretching of Y-O bond. Electron spin resonance (ESR) shows V- center, O2- and Y2 + defects. A broad photoluminescence (PL) emission with peak at 386 nm is observed when the sample is excited with 252 nm. Thermoluminescence (TL) properties of γ-irradiated Y2O3 nanopowder are studied at a heating rate of 5 K s- 1. The samples prepared by using urea show a prominent and well resolved peak at 383 K and a weak one at 570 K. It is also found that TL glow peak intensity (Im1) at 383 K increases with increase in γ-dose up to 6.0 kGy and then decreases with increase in dose. However, glycine used Y2O3 shows a prominent TL glow with peaks at 396 K and 590 K. Among the fuels, urea used Y2O3 shows simple and well resolved TL glows. This might be due to fuel and hence particle size effect. The kinetic parameters are calculated by Chen's glow curve peak shape method and results are discussed in detail.

Mobility lifetime product in doped and undoped nanocrystalline CdSe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripathi, S.K.; Al-Kabbi, Alaa S.; Sharma, Kriti; Saini, G.S.S.

2013-01-01

This paper reports the effect of doping on the charge transport in nanocrystalline CdSe thin film. The X-ray study confirms that the doping is achieved and the physical properties are improved. The energy resolution of a semiconductor radiation detector depends on the charge transport properties of the semiconductor and the mobility-lifetime (μτ) product is a key figure of merit for the charge transport. μτ product in nanocrystalline CdSe, CdSe:In and CdSe:Zn thin films has been estimated from temperature dependence of the photoconductivity, which increases with increase in temperature and doping. Also, μτ product of electrons in pure and doped nanocrystalline CdSe thin films has been determined by spectral photoconductivity at different applied voltages. Both the μτ and photoconductivity increase linearly with the bias voltage but the wavelength dependence remains qualitatively similar in all samples. The μτ products increase at photon energies > energy gap, which indicates that the recombination process depends on the excitation energy. The doped CdSe thin films have higher drift length in comparison with undoped films which suggest that these thin films can be used in charge collecting devices. - Highlights: • The structure of thin films has been studied using X-ray diffraction. • Spectral dependence of μτ product in pure and doped nc-CdSe thin films is studied. • The mobility-lifetime product shows dependence on temperature and doping type. • The drift length increases linearly with increasing applied field and doping. • The transport properties of nc-CdSe thin films are enhanced with doping

Nanocrystalline material in toroidal cores for current transformer: analytical study and computational simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedito Antonio Luciano

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Based on electrical and magnetic properties, such as saturation magnetization, initial permeability, and coercivity, in this work are presented some considerations about the possibilities of applications of nanocrystalline alloys in toroidal cores for current transformers. It is discussed how the magnetic characteristics of the core material affect the performance of the current transformer. From the magnetic characterization and the computational simulations, using the finite element method (FEM, it has been verified that, at the typical CT operation value of flux density, the nanocrystalline alloys properties reinforce the hypothesis that the use of these materials in measurement CT cores can reduce the ratio and phase errors and can also improve its accuracy class.

Cubic phase nanoparticles for sustained release of ibuprofen: formulation, characterization, and enhanced bioavailability study

Science.gov (United States)

Dian, Linghui; Yang, Zhiwen; Li, Feng; Wang, Zhouhua; Pan, Xin; Peng, Xinsheng; Huang, Xintian; Guo, Zhefei; Quan, Guilan; Shi, Xuan; Chen, Bao; Li, Ge; Wu, Chuanbin

2013-01-01

In order to improve the oral bioavailability of ibuprofen, ibuprofen-loaded cubic nanoparticles were prepared as a delivery system for aqueous formulations. The cubic inner structure was verified by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. With an encapsulation efficiency greater than 85%, the ibuprofen-loaded cubic nanoparticles had a narrow size distribution around a mean size of 238 nm. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction determined that ibuprofen was in an amorphous and molecular form within the lipid matrix. The in vitro release of ibuprofen from cubic nanoparticles was greater than 80% at 24 hours, showing sustained characteristics. The pharmacokinetic study in beagle dogs showed improved absorption of ibuprofen from cubic nanoparticles compared to that of pure ibuprofen, with evidence of a longer half-life and a relative oral bioavailability of 222% (P ibuprofen-loaded cubic nanoparticles provide a promising carrier candidate with an efficient drug delivery for therapeutic treatment. PMID:23468008

Aqueous slip casting of MgAl2O4 spinel powder

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The reaction proceeds by counter diffusion of the cations through the product layer, .... tain powders, such as Ube E10 silicon nitride Starck, B10 silicon carbide .... 779 kg/mm2 for a nanocrystalline dense MAS consolidated by aqueous slip ...

Numbers for reducible cubic scrolls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Israel Vainsencher

2004-12-01

Full Text Available We show how to compute the number of reducible cubic scrolls of codimension 2 in (math blackboard symbol Pn incident to the appropriate number of linear spaces.Mostramos como calcular o número de rolos cúbicos redutíveis de codimensão 2 em (math blackboard symbol Pn incidentes a espaços lineares apropriados.

Influence of surfactant and annealing temperature on optical properties of sol-gel derived nano-crystalline TiO2 thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Vishwas, M; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar; Rao, K Narasimha; Mohan, S; Gowda, K V Arjuna; Chakradhar, R P S

2010-03-01

Titanium dioxide thin films have been synthesized by sol-gel spin coating technique on glass and silicon substrates with and without surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG). XRD and SEM results confirm the presence of nano-crystalline (anatase) phase at an annealing temperature of 300 degrees C. The influence of surfactant and annealing temperature on optical properties of TiO(2) thin films has been studied. Optical constants and film thickness were estimated by Swanepoel's (envelope) method and by ellipsometric measurements in the visible spectral range. The optical transmittance and reflectance were found to decrease with an increase in PEG percentage. Refractive index of the films decreased and film thickness increased with the increase in percentage of surfactant. The refractive index of the un-doped TiO(2) films was estimated at different annealing temperatures and it has increased with the increasing annealing temperature. The optical band gap of pure TiO(2) films was estimated by Tauc's method at different annealing temperature. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quartz crystal microbalance gas sensor with nanocrystalline diamond sensitive layer

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Varga, Marián; Laposa, A.; Kulha, Pavel; Kroutil, J.; Husák, M.; Kromka, Alexander

2015-01-01

Roč. 252, č. 11 (2015), s. 2591-2597 ISSN 0370-1972 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : gas sensor * nanocrystalline diamond * quartz resonator * thickness shear mode Subject RIV: JB - Sensor s, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 1.522, year: 2015

On preparation of nanocrystalline chromites by co-precipitation andautocombustion methods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matulková, Irena; Holec, Petr; Pacáková, Barbara; Kubíčková, Simona; Mantlíková, Alice; Plocek, Jiří; Němec, I.; Nižňanský, D.; Vejpravová, Jana

2015-01-01

Roč. 195, May (2015), s. 66-73 ISSN 0921-5107 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP108/10/1250 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61388980 Keywords : transition metal chromites * nanocrystalline particles * microstructural analysis * vibrational spectroscopy Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.331, year: 2015

Characterizing deformed ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials using transmission Kikuchi diffraction in a scanning electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trimby, Patrick W.; Cao, Yang; Chen, Zibin; Han, Shuang; Hemker, Kevin J.; Lian, Jianshe; Liao, Xiaozhou; Rottmann, Paul; Samudrala, Saritha; Sun, Jingli; Wang, Jing Tao; Wheeler, John; Cairney, Julie M.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Abstract: The recent development of transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in a scanning electron microscope enables fast, automated orientation mapping of electron transparent samples using standard electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) hardware. TKD in a scanning electron microscope has significantly better spatial resolution than conventional EBSD, enabling routine characterization of nanocrystalline materials and allowing effective measurement of samples that have undergone severe plastic deformation. Combining TKD with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) provides complementary chemical information, while a standard forescatter detector system below the EBSD detector can be used to generate dark field and oriented dark field images. Here we illustrate the application of this exciting new approach to a range of deformed, ultrafine grained and nanocrystalline samples, including duplex stainless steel, nanocrystalline copper and highly deformed titanium and nickel–cobalt. The results show that TKD combined with EDS is a highly effective and widely accessible tool for measuring key microstructural parameters at resolutions that are inaccessible using conventional EBSD

A variational multiscale constitutive model for nanocrystalline materials

KAUST Repository

Gurses, Ercan

2011-03-01

This paper presents a variational multi-scale constitutive model in the finite deformation regime capable of capturing the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline (nc) fcc metals. The nc-material is modeled as a two-phase material consisting of a grain interior phase and a grain boundary effected zone (GBAZ). A rate-independent isotropic porous plasticity model is employed to describe the GBAZ, whereas a crystal-plasticity model which accounts for the transition from partial dislocation to full dislocation mediated plasticity is employed for the grain interior. The constitutive models of both phases are formulated in a small strain framework and extended to finite deformation by use of logarithmic and exponential mappings. Assuming the rule of mixtures, the overall behavior of a given grain is obtained via volume averaging. The scale transition from a single grain to a polycrystal is achieved by Taylor-type homogenization where a log-normal grain size distribution is assumed. It is shown that the proposed model is able to capture the inverse HallPetch effect, i.e., loss of strength with grain size refinement. Finally, the predictive capability of the model is validated against experimental results on nanocrystalline copper and nickel. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanocrystalline materials: recent advances in crystallographic characterization techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilie Ringe

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Most properties of nanocrystalline materials are shape-dependent, providing their exquisite tunability in optical, mechanical, electronic and catalytic properties. An example of the former is localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR, the coherent oscillation of conduction electrons in metals that can be excited by the electric field of light; this resonance frequency is highly dependent on both the size and shape of a nanocrystal. An example of the latter is the marked difference in catalytic activity observed for different Pd nanoparticles. Such examples highlight the importance of particle shape in nanocrystalline materials and their practical applications. However, one may ask `how are nanoshapes created?', `how does the shape relate to the atomic packing and crystallography of the material?', `how can we control and characterize the external shape and crystal structure of such small nanocrystals?'. This feature article aims to give the reader an overview of important techniques, concepts and recent advances related to these questions. Nucleation, growth and how seed crystallography influences the final synthesis product are discussed, followed by shape prediction models based on seed crystallography and thermodynamic or kinetic parameters. The crystallographic implications of epitaxy and orientation in multilayered, core-shell nanoparticles are overviewed, and, finally, the development and implications of novel, spatially resolved analysis tools are discussed.

Change of magnetic properties of nanocrystalline alloys under influence of external factors

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, Jozef; Holková, Dominika; Dekan, Julius; Novák, Patrik

2016-10-01

Nanocrystalline (Fe3Ni1)81Nb7B12 alloys were irradiated using different types of radiation and subsequently studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. External magnetic field of 0.5 T, electron-beam irradiation up to 4 MGy, neutron irradiation up to 1017 neutrons/cm2 and irradiation with Cu ions were applied on the samples. All types of external factors had an influence on the magnetic microstructure manifested as a change in the direction of the net magnetic moment, intensity of the internal magnetic field and volumetric fraction of the constituent phases. The direction of the net magnetic moment was the most sensitive parameter. Changes of the microscopic magnetic parameters were compared after different external influence and results of nanocrystalline samples were compared with their amorphous precursors.

Preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline porous TiO2/WO3 composite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, C.-S.; Lin, C.-K.; Chan, C.-C.; Chang, C.-C.; Tsay, C.-Y.

2006-01-01

TiO 2 materials possessing not only photocatalytic but also electrochromic properties have attracted many research and development interests. Though WO 3 exhibits excellent electrochromic properties, the much higher cost and water-sensitivity of WO 3 as compared with the TiO 2 may restrict the practical application of WO 3 materials. In the present study, the feasibility of preparing nanocrystalline porous TiO 2 /WO 3 composite thin films was investigated. Precursors of sols TiO 2 and/or WO 3 and polystyrene microspheres were used to prepare nanocrystalline pure TiO 2 , WO 3 , and composite TiO 2 /WO 3 thin films by spin coating. The spin-coated thin films were amorphous and, after heat treating at a temperature of 500 o C, nanocrystalline TiO 2 , TiO 2 /WO 3 , and WO 3 thin films with or without pores were prepared successfully. The heat-treated thin films were colorless and coloration-bleaching phenomena can be observed during cyclic voltammetry tests. The heat-treated thin films exhibited good reversible electrochromic behavior while the porous TiO 2 /WO 3 composite film exhibited improved electrochromic properties

Photoluminescence and electrical properties of silicon oxide and silicon nitride superlattices containing silicon nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuleiko, D V; Ilin, A S

2016-01-01

Photoluminescence and electrical properties of superlattices with thin (1 to 5 nm) alternating silicon-rich silicon oxide or silicon-rich silicon nitride, and silicon oxide or silicon nitride layers containing silicon nanocrystals prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with subsequent annealing were investigated. The entirely silicon oxide based superlattices demonstrated photoluminescence peak shift due to quantum confinement effect. Electrical measurements showed the hysteresis effect in the vicinity of zero voltage due to structural features of the superlattices from SiOa 93 /Si 3 N 4 and SiN 0 . 8 /Si 3 N 4 layers. The entirely silicon nitride based samples demonstrated resistive switching effect, comprising an abrupt conductivity change at about 5 to 6 V with current-voltage characteristic hysteresis. The samples also demonstrated efficient photoluminescence with maximum at ∼1.4 eV, due to exiton recombination in silicon nanocrystals. (paper)

High Pressure X-Ray Diffraction Studies on Nanocrystalline Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Palosz, B.; Stelmakh, S.; Grzanka, E.; Gierlotka, S.; Pielaszek, R.; Bismayer, U.; Werner, S.; Palosz, W.

2003-01-01

Application of in situ high pressure powder diffraction technique for examination of specific structural properties of nanocrystals based on the experimental data of SiC nanocrystalline powders of 2 to 30 nrn diameter in diameter is presented. Limitations and capabilities of the experimental techniques themselves and methods of diffraction data elaboration applied to nanocrystals with very small dimensions (nanoparticles of different grain size.

Stress-assisted grain growth in nanocrystalline metals: Grain boundary mediated mechanisms and stabilization through alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yang; Tucker, Garritt J.; Trelewicz, Jason R.

2017-01-01

The mechanisms of stress-assisted grain growth are explored using molecular dynamics simulations of nanoindentation in nanocrystalline Ni and Ni-1 at.% P as a function of grain size and deformation temperature. Grain coalescence is primarily confined to the high stress region beneath the simulated indentation zone in nanocrystalline Ni with a grain size of 3 nm. Grain orientation and atomic displacement vector mapping demonstrates that coalescence transpires through grain rotation and grain boundary migration, which are manifested in the grain interior and grain boundary components of the average microrotation. A doubling of the grain size to 6 nm and addition of 1 at.% P eliminates stress-assisted grain growth in Ni. In the absence of grain coalescence, deformation is accommodated by grain boundary-mediated dislocation plasticity and thermally activated in pure nanocrystalline Ni. By adding solute to the grain boundaries, the temperature-dependent deformation behavior observed in both the lattice and grain boundaries inverts, indicating that the individual processes of dislocation and grain boundary plasticity will exhibit different activity based on boundary chemistry and deformation temperature.

Modeling the dispersion of atmospheric pollution using cubic splines and chapeau functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pepper, D W; Kern, C D; Long, P E

1979-01-01

Two methods that can be used to solve complex, three-dimensional, advection-diffusion transport equations are investigated. A quasi-Lagrangian cubic spline method and a chapeau function method are compared in advecting a passive scalar. The methods are simple to use, computationally fast, and reasonably accurate. Little numerical dissipation is manifested by the schemes. In simple advection tests with equal mesh spacing, the chapeau function method maintains slightly more accurate peak values than the cubic spline method. In tests with unequal mesh spacing, the cubic spline method has less noise, but slightly more damping than the standard chapeau method has. Both cubic splines and chapeau functions can be used to solve the three-dimensional problem of gaseous emissions dispersion without excessive programing complexity or storage requirements. (10 diagrams, 39 references, 2 tables)

Unified treatment of coupled optical and acoustic phonons in piezoelectric cubic materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willatzen, Morten; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-01-01

A unified treatment of coupled optical and acoustic phonons in piezoelectric cubic materials is presented whereby the lattice displacement vector and the internal ionic displacement vector are found simultaneously. It is shown that phonon couplings exist in pairs only; either between the electric...... piezoelectricity in a cubic structured material slab. First, it is shown that isolated optical phonon modes generally cannot exist in piezoelectric cubic slabs. Second, we prove that confined acousto-optical phonon modes only exist for a discrete set of in-plane wave numbers in piezoelectric cubic slabs. Third...... potential and the lattice displacement coordinate perpendicular to the phonon wave vector or between the two other lattice displacement components. The former leads to coupled acousto-optical phonons by virtue of the piezoelectric effect. We then establish three new conjectures that entirely stem from...

A chemical route to room-temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pathan, Habib M.; Kim, Woo Young; Jung, Kwang-Deog; Joo, Oh-Shim

2005-01-01

A lot of methods are developed for the deposition of TiO 2 thin films; however, in each of these methods as-deposited films are amorphous and need further heat treatment at high temperature. In the present article, a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method was used for the preparation of TiO 2 thin films. We investigated nanocrystalline TiO 2 thin films using CBD at room temperature onto glass and ITO coated glass substrate. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The chemically synthesized films were nanocrystalline and composed of crystal grains of 2-3 nm

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-05-01

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

Nanocrystalline Iron-Cobalt Alloys for High Saturation Indutance

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-24

film deposited just like the pick-up of a turn-table music player. The contact pads provide the electrical contacts to the starting and end point of...anisotropy using the geometry of the thin toroid. We have shown experimentally that the thin film toroid calculations may be applicable to up to millimeter...thin film as well as bulk devices. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Micromagnetic Calculations, Nanocrystalline cobalt-iron, Thin Film Toroids 16. SECURITY

Shock-induced microstructural response of mono- and nanocrystalline SiC ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Branicio, Paulo S.; Zhang, Jingyun; Rino, José P.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Vashishta, Priya

2018-04-01

The dynamic behavior of mono- and nanocrystalline SiC ceramics under plane shock loading is revealed using molecular-dynamics simulations. The generation of shock-induced elastic compression, plastic deformation, and structural phase transformation is characterized at different crystallographic directions as well as on a 5-nm grain size nanostructure at 10 K and 300 K. Shock profiles are calculated in a wide range of particle velocities 0.1-6.0 km/s. The predicted Hugoniot agree well with experimental data. Results indicate the generation of elastic waves for particle velocities below 0.8-1.9 km/s, depending on the crystallographic direction. In the intermediate range of particle velocities between 2 and 5 km/s, the shock wave splits into an elastic precursor and a zinc blende-to-rock salt structural transformation wave, which is triggered by shock pressure over the ˜90 GPa threshold value. A plastic wave, with a strong deformation twinning component, is generated ahead of the transformation wave for shocks in the velocity range between 1.5 and 3 km/s. For particle velocities greater than 5-6 km/s, a single overdriven transformation wave is generated. Surprisingly, shocks on the nanocrystalline sample reveal the absence of wave splitting, and elastic, plastic, and transformation wave components are seamlessly connected as the shock strength is continuously increased. The calculated strengths 15.2, 31.4, and 30.9 GPa for ⟨001⟩, ⟨111⟩, and ⟨110⟩ directions and 12.3 GPa for the nanocrystalline sample at the Hugoniot elastic limit are in excellent agreement with experimental data.

Polarization Change in Face-Centered Cubic Opal Films

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, Christian; Romanov, Sergei; Küchenmeister, Jens; Peschel, Ulf; Busch, Kurt

2011-10-01

Artificial opals are a popular platform for investigating fundamental properties of Photonic Crystals (PhC). In this work, we provide a theoretical analysis of polarization-resolved transmission experiments through thin opal films. Despite the full cubic symmetry of the PhC, this system provides a very efficient mechanism for manipulating the polarization state of light. Based on band structure calculations and Bloch mode analysis, we find that this effect closely resembles classical birefringence. Due to the cubic symmetry, however, a description using tensorial quantities is not possible. This indicates fundamental limitations of effective material models for Photonic Crystals and demonstrates the importance of accurately modelling the microscopic geometry of such systems.

Effects of Hypervelocity Impacts on Silicone Elastomer Seals and Mating Aluminum Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

deGroh, Henry C., III; Steinetz, Bruce M.

2009-01-01

While in space silicone based elastomer seals planned for use on NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) are exposed to threats from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD). An understanding of these threats is required to assess risks to the crew, the CEV orbiter, and missions. An Earth based campaign of hypervelocity impacts on small scale seal rings has been done to help estimate MMOD threats to the primary docking seal being developed for the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). LIDS is being developed to enable the CEV to dock to the ISS (International Space Station) or to Altair (NASA's next lunar lander). The silicone seal on LIDS seals against aluminum alloy flanges on ISS or Altair. Since the integrity of a seal depends on both sealing surfaces, aluminum targets were also impacted. The variables considered in this study included projectile mass, density, speed, incidence angle, seal materials, and target surface treatments and coatings. Most of the impacts used a velocity near 8 km/s and spherical aluminum projectiles (density = 2.7 g/cubic cm), however, a few tests were done near 5.6 km/s. Tests were also performed using projectile densities of 7.7, 2.79, 2.5 or 1.14 g/cubic cm. Projectile incidence angles examined included 0 deg, 45 deg, and 60 deg from normal to the plane of the target. Elastomer compounds impacted include Parker's S0383-70 and Esterline's ELA-SA-401 in the as received condition, or after an atomic oxygen treatment. Bare, anodized and nickel coated aluminum targets were tested simulating the candidate mating seal surface materials. After impact, seals and aluminum plates were leak tested: damaged seals were tested against an undamaged aluminum plate; and undamaged seals were placed at various locations over craters in aluminum plates. It has been shown that silicone elastomer seals can withstand an impressive level of damage before leaking beyond allowable limits. In general on the tests performed to date, the diameter of the crater in