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Sample records for photo-responsive metallic nitride

  1. Metal Nitrides for Plasmonic Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naik, Gururaj V.; Schroeder, Jeremy; Guler, Urcan

    2012-01-01

    Metal nitrides as alternatives to metals such as gold could offer many advantages when used as plasmonic material. We show that transition metal nitrides can replace metals providing equally good optical performance for many plasmonic applications.......Metal nitrides as alternatives to metals such as gold could offer many advantages when used as plasmonic material. We show that transition metal nitrides can replace metals providing equally good optical performance for many plasmonic applications....

  2. Hot carrier dynamics in plasmonic transition metal nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habib, Adela; Florio, Fred; Sundararaman, Ravishankar

    2018-06-01

    Extraction of non-equilibrium hot carriers generated by plasmon decay in metallic nano-structures is an increasingly exciting prospect for utilizing plasmonic losses, but the search for optimum plasmonic materials with long-lived carriers is ongoing. Transition metal nitrides are an exciting class of new plasmonic materials with superior thermal and mechanical properties compared to conventional noble metals, but their suitability for plasmonic hot carrier applications remains unknown. Here, we present fully first principles calculations of the plasmonic response, hot carrier generation and subsequent thermalization of all group IV, V and VI transition metal nitrides, fully accounting for direct and phonon-assisted transitions as well as electron–electron and electron–phonon scattering. We find the largest frequency ranges for plasmonic response in ZrN, HfN and WN, between those of gold and silver, while we predict strongest absorption in the visible spectrum for the VN, NbN and TaN. Hot carrier generation is dominated by direct transitions for most of the relevant energy range in all these nitrides, while phonon-assisted processes dominate only below 1 eV plasmon energies primarily for the group IV nitrides. Finally, we predict the maximum hot carrier lifetimes to be around 10 fs for group IV and VI nitrides, a factor of 3–4 smaller than noble metals, due to strong electron–phonon scattering. However, we find longer carrier lifetimes for group V nitrides, comparable to silver for NbN and TaN, while exceeding 100 fs (twice that of silver) for VN, making them promising candidates for efficient hot carrier extraction.

  3. Precipitation of metal nitrides from chloride melts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slater, S.A.; Miller, W.E.; Willit, J.L.

    1996-01-01

    Precipitation of actinides, lanthanides, and fission products as nitrides from molten chloride melts is being investigated for use as a final cleanup step in treating radioactive salt wastes generated by electrometallurgical processing of spent nuclear fuel. The radioactive components (eg, fission products) need to be removed to reduce the volume of high-level waste that requires disposal. To extract the fission products from the salt, a nitride precipitation process is being developed. The salt waste is first contacted with a molten metal; after equilibrium is reached, a nitride is added to the metal phase. The insoluble nitrides can be recovered and converted to a borosilicate glass after air oxidation. For a bench-scale experimental setup, a crucible was designed to contact the salt and metal phases. Solubility tests were performed with candidate nitrides and metal nitrides for which there are no solubility data. Experiments were performed to assess feasibility of precipitation of metal nitrides from chloride melts

  4. Synthesis of metal free ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride sheet for photocatalytic dye degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Shakeelur; Momin, Bilal; Higgins M., W.; Annapure, Uday S.; Jha, Neetu

    2018-04-01

    In recent times, low cost and metal free photocatalyts driven under visible light have attracted a lot of interest. One such photo catalyst researched extensively is bulk graphitic carbon nitride sheets. But the low surface area and weak mobility of photo generated electrons limits its photocatalytic performance in the visible light spectrum. Here we present the facile synthesis of ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride using a cost effective melamine precursor and its application in highly efficient photocatalytic dye degradation of Rhodamine B molecules. Compared to bulk graphitic carbon nitride, the synthesized ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride shows an increase in surface area, a a decrease in optical band gap and effective photogenerated charge separation which facilitates the harvest of visible light irradiation. Due to these optimal properties of ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride, it shows excellent photocatalytic activity with photocatalytic degradation of about 95% rhodamine B molecules in 1 hour.

  5. Process for the production of metal nitride sintered bodies and resultant silicon nitride and aluminum nitride sintered bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yajima, S.; Omori, M.; Hayashi, J.; Kayano, H.; Hamano, M.

    1983-01-01

    A process for the manufacture of metal nitride sintered bodies, in particular, a process in which a mixture of metal nitrite powders is shaped and heated together with a binding agent is described. Of the metal nitrides Si3N4 and AIN were used especially frequently because of their excellent properties at high temperatures. The goal is to produce a process for metal nitride sintered bodies with high strength, high corrosion resistance, thermal shock resistance, thermal shock resistance, and avoidance of previously known faults.

  6. Synthesis of Uranium nitride powders using metal uranium powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Jae Ho; Kim, Dong Joo; Oh, Jang Soo; Rhee, Young Woo; Kim, Jong Hun; Kim, Keon Sik

    2012-01-01

    Uranium nitride (UN) is a potential fuel material for advanced nuclear reactors because of their high fuel density, high thermal conductivity, high melting temperature, and considerable breeding capability in LWRs. Uranium nitride powders can be fabricated by a carbothermic reduction of the oxide powders, or the nitriding of metal uranium. The carbothermic reduction has an advantage in the production of fine powders. However it has many drawbacks such as an inevitable engagement of impurities, process burden, and difficulties in reusing of expensive N 15 gas. Manufacturing concerns issued in the carbothermic reduction process can be solved by changing the starting materials from oxide powder to metals. However, in nitriding process of metal, it is difficult to obtain fine nitride powders because metal uranium is usually fabricated in the form of bulk ingots. In this study, a simple reaction method was tested to fabricate uranium nitride powders directly from uranium metal powders. We fabricated uranium metal spherical powder and flake using a centrifugal atomization method. The nitride powders were obtained by thermal treating those metal particles under nitrogen containing gas. We investigated the phase and morphology evolutions of powders during the nitriding process. A phase analysis of nitride powders was also a part of the present work

  7. Conducting metal oxide and metal nitride nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiSalvo, Jr., Francis J.; Subban, Chinmayee V.

    2017-12-26

    Conducting metal oxide and nitride nanoparticles that can be used in fuel cell applications. The metal oxide nanoparticles are comprised of for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof. The metal nitride nanoparticles are comprised of, for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof. The nanoparticles can be sintered to provide conducting porous agglomerates of the nanoparticles which can be used as a catalyst support in fuel cell applications. Further, platinum nanoparticles, for example, can be deposited on the agglomerates to provide a material that can be used as both an anode and a cathode catalyst support in a fuel cell.

  8. Bone response to a titanium aluminium nitride coating on metallic implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, C O; Brook, I M

    2006-05-01

    The design, surface characteristics and strength of metallic implants are dependant on their intended use and clinical application. Surface modifications of materials may enable reduction of the time taken for osseointegration and improve the biological response of bio-mechanically favourable metals and alloys. The influence of a titanium aluminium nitride (TAN) coating on the response of bone to commercially pure titanium and austenitic 18/8 stainless steel wire is reported. TAN coated and plain rods of stainless steel and commercially pure titanium were implanted into the mid-shaft of the femur of Wistar rats. The femurs were harvested at four weeks and processed for scanning electron and light microscopy. All implants exhibited a favourable response in bone with no evidence of fibrous encapsulation. There was no significant difference in the amount of new bone formed around the different rods (osseoconduction), however, there was a greater degree of shrinkage separation of bone from the coated rods than from the plain rods (p = 0.017 stainless steel and p = 0.0085 titanium). TAN coating may result in reduced osseointegration between bone and implant.

  9. Advancing liquid metal reactor technology with nitride fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyon, W.F.; Baker, R.B.; Leggett, R.D.; Matthews, R.B.

    1991-08-01

    A review of the use of nitride fuels in liquid metal fast reactors is presented. Past studies indicate that both uranium nitride and uranium/plutonium nitride possess characteristics that may offer enhanced performance, particularly in the area of passive safety. To further quantify these effects, the analysis of a mixed-nitride fuel system utilizing the geometry and power level of the US Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor as a reference is described. 18 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

  10. Generation and Characteristics of IV-VI transition Metal Nitride and Carbide Nanoparticles using a Reactive Mesoporous Carbon Nitride

    KAUST Repository

    Alhajri, Nawal Saad

    2016-02-22

    Interstitial nitrides and carbides of early transition metals in groups IV–VI exhibit platinum-like electronic structures, which make them promising candidates to replace noble metals in various catalytic reactions. Herein, we present the preparation and characterization of nano-sized transition metal nitries and carbides of groups IV–VI (Ti, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, and W) using mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4), which not only provides confined spaces for restricting primary particle size but also acts as a chemical source of nitrogen and carbon. We studied the reactivity of the metals with the template under N2 flow at 1023 K while keeping the weight ratio of metal to template constant at unity. The produced nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, CHN elemental analysis, nitrogen sorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that Ti, V, Nb, Ta, and Cr form nitride phases with face centered cubic structure, whereas Mo and W forme carbides with hexagonal structures. The tendency to form nitride or carbide obeys the free formation energy of the transition metal nitrides and carbides. This method offers the potential to prepare the desired size, shape and phase of transition metal nitrides and carbides that are suitable for a specific reaction, which is the chief objective of materials chemistry.

  11. Effect of contact metals on the piezoelectric properties of aluminum nitride thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harman, J.P.; Kabulski, A. (West Virginia U., Morgantown, WV); Pagan, V.R. (West Virginia U., Morgantown, WV); Famouri, K. (West Virginia U., Morgantown, WV); Kasarla, K.R.; Rodak, L.E. (West Virginia U., Morgantown, WV); Hensel, J.P.; Korakakis, D.

    2008-07-01

    The converse piezoelectric response of aluminum nitride evaluated using standard metal insulator semiconductor structures has been found to exhibit a linear dependence on the work function of the metal used as the top electrode. The apparent d33 of the 150–1100 nm films also depends on the dc bias applied to the samples.

  12. Effect of contact metals on the piezoelectric properties of aluminum nitride thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harman, J.; Kabulski, A.; Pagán, V. R.; Famouri, P.; Kasarla, K. R.; Rodak, L. E.; Peter Hensel, J.; Korakakis, D.

    2008-01-01

    The converse piezoelectric response of aluminum nitride evaluated using standard metal insulator semiconductor structures has been found to exhibit a linear dependence on the work function of the metal used as the top electrode. The apparent d33 of the 150–1100 nm films also depends on the dc bias applied to the samples.

  13. Metal Immiscibility Route to Synthesis of Ultrathin Carbides, Borides, and Nitrides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zixing; Kochat, Vidya; Pandey, Prafull; Kashyap, Sanjay; Chattopadhyay, Soham; Samanta, Atanu; Sarkar, Suman; Manimunda, Praveena; Zhang, Xiang; Asif, Syed; Singh, Abhisek K; Chattopadhyay, Kamanio; Tiwary, Chandra Sekhar; Ajayan, Pulickel M

    2017-08-01

    Ultrathin ceramic coatings are of high interest as protective coatings from aviation to biomedical applications. Here, a generic approach of making scalable ultrathin transition metal-carbide/boride/nitride using immiscibility of two metals is demonstrated. Ultrathin tantalum carbide, nitride, and boride are grown using chemical vapor deposition by heating a tantalum-copper bilayer with corresponding precursor (C 2 H 2 , B powder, and NH 3 ). The ultrathin crystals are found on the copper surface (opposite of the metal-metal junction). A detailed microscopy analysis followed by density functional theory based calculation demonstrates the migration mechanism, where Ta atoms prefer to stay in clusters in the Cu matrix. These ultrathin materials have good interface attachment with Cu, improving the scratch resistance and oxidation resistance of Cu. This metal-metal immiscibility system can be extended to other metals to synthesize metal carbide, boride, and nitride coatings. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. 2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) for energy storage

    KAUST Repository

    Anasori, Babak; Lukatskaya, Maria R.; Gogotsi, Yury

    2017-01-01

    The family of 2D transition metal carbides, carbonitrides and nitrides (collectively referred to as MXenes) has expanded rapidly since the discovery of Ti3C2 in 2011. The materials reported so far always have surface terminations, such as hydroxyl, oxygen or fluorine, which impart hydrophilicity to their surfaces. About 20 different MXenes have been synthesized, and the structures and properties of dozens more have been theoretically predicted. The availability of solid solutions, the control of surface terminations and a recent discovery of multi-transition-metal layered MXenes offer the potential for synthesis of many new structures. The versatile chemistry of MXenes allows the tuning of properties for applications including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, reinforcement for composites, water purification, gas- and biosensors, lubrication, and photo-, electro- and chemical catalysis. Attractive electronic, optical, plasmonic and thermoelectric properties have also been shown. In this Review, we present the synthesis, structure and properties of MXenes, as well as their energy storage and related applications, and an outlook for future research.

  15. 2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) for energy storage

    KAUST Repository

    Anasori, Babak

    2017-01-17

    The family of 2D transition metal carbides, carbonitrides and nitrides (collectively referred to as MXenes) has expanded rapidly since the discovery of Ti3C2 in 2011. The materials reported so far always have surface terminations, such as hydroxyl, oxygen or fluorine, which impart hydrophilicity to their surfaces. About 20 different MXenes have been synthesized, and the structures and properties of dozens more have been theoretically predicted. The availability of solid solutions, the control of surface terminations and a recent discovery of multi-transition-metal layered MXenes offer the potential for synthesis of many new structures. The versatile chemistry of MXenes allows the tuning of properties for applications including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, reinforcement for composites, water purification, gas- and biosensors, lubrication, and photo-, electro- and chemical catalysis. Attractive electronic, optical, plasmonic and thermoelectric properties have also been shown. In this Review, we present the synthesis, structure and properties of MXenes, as well as their energy storage and related applications, and an outlook for future research.

  16. Metal surface nitriding by laser induced plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomann, A. L.; Boulmer-Leborgne, C.; Andreazza-Vignolle, C.; Andreazza, P.; Hermann, J.; Blondiaux, G.

    1996-10-01

    We study a nitriding technique of metals by means of laser induced plasma. The synthesized layers are composed of a nitrogen concentration gradient over several μm depth, and are expected to be useful for tribological applications with no adhesion problem. The nitriding method is tested on the synthesis of titanium nitride which is a well-known compound, obtained at present by many deposition and diffusion techniques. In the method of interest, a laser beam is focused on a titanium target in a nitrogen atmosphere, leading to the creation of a plasma over the metal surface. In order to understand the layer formation, it is necessary to characterize the plasma as well as the surface that it has been in contact with. Progressive nitrogen incorporation in the titanium lattice and TiN synthesis are studied by characterizing samples prepared with increasing laser shot number (100-4000). The role of the laser wavelength is also inspected by comparing layers obtained with two kinds of pulsed lasers: a transversal-excited-atmospheric-pressure-CO2 laser (λ=10.6 μm) and a XeCl excimer laser (λ=308 nm). Simulations of the target temperature rise under laser irradiation are performed, which evidence differences in the initial laser/material interaction (material heated thickness, heating time duration, etc.) depending on the laser features (wavelength and pulse time duration). Results from plasma characterization also point out that the plasma composition and propagation mode depend on the laser wavelength. Correlation of these results with those obtained from layer analyses shows at first the important role played by the plasma in the nitrogen incorporation. Its presence is necessary and allows N2 dissociation and a better energy coupling with the target. Second, it appears that the nitrogen diffusion governs the nitriding process. The study of the metal nitriding efficiency, depending on the laser used, allows us to explain the differences observed in the layer features

  17. Electrochemical behavior of rare earth metals and their nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Yasuhiko; Goto, Takuya

    2004-01-01

    Pyrometallurgical recycle process using molten salts is considered to be a high potential in pyro-reprocess technologies for spent nitride fuels, and it is important to understand chemical and electro-chemical behavior of nitrides and metals in molten salts. In this study, cadmium nitrates deposited on the anode Cd plate in motlen salt (LiCl-KCl) with addition of Li 3 N are examined. The cadmium nitrates deposited have various compositions corresponding to polarization potentials and then, the relationship between the deposition potential of nitride Cd and their composition is cleared. Their standard chemical potential of CdN is estimated from electrochemical measurement. And then, potential-pH 3- diagram is drawn by voltametry examination of nitride resolution behavior with using thermochemical data of nitrides. (A. Hishinuma)

  18. Turbostratic boron nitride coated on high-surface area metal oxide templates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klitgaard, Søren Kegnæs; Egeblad, Kresten; Brorson, M.

    2007-01-01

    Boron nitride coatings on high-surface area MgAl2O4 and Al2O3 have been synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by X-ray powder diffraction. The metal oxide templates were coated with boron nitride using a simple nitridation in a flow of ammonia starting from ammonium...

  19. UN2−x layer formed on uranium metal by glow plasma nitriding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, Zhong; Hu, Yin; Chen, Lin; Luo, Lizhu; Liu, Kezhao; Lai, Xinchun

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We used a very simple method to prepare nitride layer on uranium metal surface. • This modified layer is nitrogen-rich nitride, which should be written as UN 2−x . • TEM images show the nitride layer is composed of nano-sized grains. • XPS analysis indicates there is uranium with abnormal low valence in the nitride. - Abstract: Glow plasma nitriding is a simple and economical surface treatment method, and this technology was used to prepare nitride layer on the surface of uranium metal with thickness of several microns. The composition and structure of the nitride layer were analyzed by AES and XRD, indicating that this modified layer is nitrogen-rich uranium nitride, which should be written as UN 2−x . TEM images show the nitride layer is composed of nano-sized grains, with compact structure. And XPS analysis indicates there is uranium with abnormal low valence existing in the nitride. After the treated uranium storage in air for a long time, oxygen just entered the surface several nanometers, showing the nitride layer has excellent oxidation resistance. The mechanism of nitride layer formation and low valence uranium appearance is discussed

  20. UN{sub 2−x} layer formed on uranium metal by glow plasma nitriding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Long, Zhong [China Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. Box 919-71, Mianyang 621907 (China); Hu, Yin [Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 718-35, Mianyang 621907 (China); Chen, Lin [China Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. Box 919-71, Mianyang 621907 (China); Luo, Lizhu [Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 718-35, Mianyang 621907 (China); Liu, Kezhao, E-mail: liukz@hotmail.com [Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 718-35, Mianyang 621907 (China); Lai, Xinchun, E-mail: lai319@yahoo.com [Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 718-35, Mianyang 621907 (China)

    2015-01-25

    Highlights: • We used a very simple method to prepare nitride layer on uranium metal surface. • This modified layer is nitrogen-rich nitride, which should be written as UN{sub 2−x}. • TEM images show the nitride layer is composed of nano-sized grains. • XPS analysis indicates there is uranium with abnormal low valence in the nitride. - Abstract: Glow plasma nitriding is a simple and economical surface treatment method, and this technology was used to prepare nitride layer on the surface of uranium metal with thickness of several microns. The composition and structure of the nitride layer were analyzed by AES and XRD, indicating that this modified layer is nitrogen-rich uranium nitride, which should be written as UN{sub 2−x}. TEM images show the nitride layer is composed of nano-sized grains, with compact structure. And XPS analysis indicates there is uranium with abnormal low valence existing in the nitride. After the treated uranium storage in air for a long time, oxygen just entered the surface several nanometers, showing the nitride layer has excellent oxidation resistance. The mechanism of nitride layer formation and low valence uranium appearance is discussed.

  1. Performance analysis of a mixed nitride fuel system for an advanced liquid metal reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyon, W.F.; Baker, R.B.; Leggett, R.D.

    1991-01-01

    In this paper, the conceptual development and analysis of a proposed mixed nitride driver and blanket fuel system for a prototypic advanced liquid metal reactor design is performed. As a first step, an intensive literature survey is completed on the development and testing of nitride fuel systems. Based on the results of this survey, prototypic mixed nitride fuel and blanket pins is designed and analyzed using the SIEX computer code. The analysis predicts that the nitride fuel consistently operated at peak temperatures and cladding strain levels that compared quite favorably with competing fuel designs. These results, along with data available in the literature on nitride fuel performance, indicate that a nitride fuel system should offer enhanced capabilities for advanced liquid metal reactors

  2. Performance analysis of a mixed nitride fuel system for an advanced liquid metal reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyon, W.F.; Baker, R.B.; Leggett, R.D.

    1990-11-01

    The conceptual development and analysis of a proposed mixed nitride driver and blanket fuel system for a prototypic advanced liquid metal reactor design has been performed. As a first step, an intensive literature survey was completed on the development and testing of nitride fuel systems. Based on the results of this survey, prototypic mixed nitride fuel and blanket pins were designed and analyzed using the SIEX computer code. The analysis predicted that the nitride fuel consistently operated at peak temperatures and cladding strain levels that compared quite favorably with competing fuel designs. These results, along with data available in the literature on nitride fuel performance, indicate that a nitride fuel system should offer enhanced capabilities for advanced liquid metal reactors. 13 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs

  3. Black tungsten nitride as a metallic photocatalyst for overall water splitting operable at up to 765 nm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yu Lei; Li, Yu Hang; Wang, Xue Lu; Chen, Ai Ping; Yang, Hua Gui [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Nie, Ting; Gong, Xue Qing [Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Zheng, Li Rong [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

    2017-06-19

    Semiconductor photocatalysts are hardly employed for overall water splitting beyond 700 nm, which is due to both thermodynamic aspects and activation barriers. Metallic materials as photocatalysts are known to overcome this limitation through interband transitions for creating electron-hole pairs; however, the application of metallic photocatalysts for overall water splitting has never been fulfilled. Black tungsten nitride is now employed as a metallic photocatalyst for overall water splitting at wavelengths of up to 765 nm. Experimental and theoretical results together confirm that metallic properties play a substantial role in exhibiting photocatalytic activity under red-light irradiation for tungsten nitride. This work represents the first red-light responsive photocatalyst for overall water splitting, and may open a promising venue in searching of metallic materials as efficient photocatalysts for solar energy utilization. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  4. Metallurgical response of an AISI 4140 steel to different plasma nitriding gas mixtures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adão Felipe Oliveira Skonieski

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Plasma nitriding is a surface modification process that uses glow discharge to diffuse nitrogen atoms into the metallic matrix of different materials. Among the many possible parameters of the process, the gas mixture composition plays an important role, as it impacts directly the formed layer's microstructure. In this work an AISI 4140 steel was plasma nitrided under five different gas compositions. The plasma nitriding samples were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy, microhardness test, X-ray diffraction and GDOES. The results showed that there are significant microstructural and morphological differences on the formed layers depending on the quantity of nitrogen and methane added to the plasma nitriding atmosphere. Thicknesses of 10, 5 and 2.5 µm were obtained when the nitrogen content of the gas mixtures were varied. The possibility to obtain a compound layer formed mainly by γ'-Fe4N nitrides was also shown. For all studied plasma nitriding conditions, the presence of a compound layer was recognized as being the responsible to hinder the decarburization on the steel surface. The highest value of surface hardness - 1277HV - were measured in the sample which were nitrided with 3vol.% of CH4.

  5. Electrochemical properties of lanthanum nitride with calcium nitride additions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesunova, R.P.; Fishman, L.S.

    1986-01-01

    This paper reports on the electrochemical properties of lanthanum nitride with calcium nitride added. The lanthanum nitride was obtained by nitriding metallic lanthanum at 870 K in an ammonia stream. The product contained Cl, Pr, Nd, Sm, Fe, Ca, Cu, Mo, Mg, Al, Si, and Be. The calcium nitride was obtained by nitriding metallic calcium in a nitrogen stream. The conductivity on the LaN/C 3 N 2 system components are shown as a function of temperature. A table shows the solid solutions to be virtually electronic conductors and the lanthanum nitride a mixed conductor

  6. Photo-induced-heat localization on nanostructured metallic glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uzun, Ceren; Kahler, Niloofar; Grave de Peralta, Luis; Kumar, Golden; Bernussi, Ayrton A.

    2017-09-01

    Materials with large photo-thermal energy conversion efficiency are essential for renewable energy applications. Photo-excitation is an effective approach to generate controlled and localized heat at relatively low excitation optical powers. However, lateral heat diffusion to the surrounding illuminated areas accompanied by low photo-thermal energy conversion efficiency remains a challenge for metallic surfaces. Surface nanoengineering has proven to be a successful approach to further absorption and heat generation. Here, we show that pronounced spatial heat localization and high temperatures can be achieved with arrays of amorphous metallic glass nanorods under infrared optical illumination. Thermography measurements revealed marked temperature contrast between illuminated and non-illuminated areas even under low optical power excitation conditions. This attribute allowed for generating legible photo-induced thermal patterns on textured metallic glass surfaces.

  7. Nitride stabilized core/shell nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuttiyiel, Kurian Abraham; Sasaki, Kotaro; Adzic, Radoslav R.

    2018-01-30

    Nitride stabilized metal nanoparticles and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. In one embodiment the metal nanoparticles have a continuous and nonporous noble metal shell with a nitride-stabilized non-noble metal core. The nitride-stabilized core provides a stabilizing effect under high oxidizing conditions suppressing the noble metal dissolution during potential cycling. The nitride stabilized nanoparticles may be fabricated by a process in which a core is coated with a shell layer that encapsulates the entire core. Introduction of nitrogen into the core by annealing produces metal nitride(s) that are less susceptible to dissolution during potential cycling under high oxidizing conditions.

  8. TXRF analysis of trace metals in thin silicon nitride films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vereecke, G.; Arnauts, S.; Verstraeten, K.; Schaekers, M.; Heyrts, M.M.

    2000-01-01

    As critical dimensions of integrated circuits continue to decrease, high dielectric constant materials such as silicon nitride are being considered to replace silicon dioxide in capacitors and transistors. The achievement of low levels of metal contamination in these layers is critical for high performance and reliability. Existing methods of quantitative analysis of trace metals in silicon nitride require high amounts of sample (from about 0.1 to 1 g, compared to a mass of 0.2 mg for a 2 nm thick film on a 8'' silicon wafer), and involve digestion steps not applicable to films on wafers or non-standard techniques such as neutron activation analysis. A novel approach has recently been developed to analyze trace metals in thin films with analytical techniques currently used in the semiconductor industry. Sample preparation consists of three steps: (1) decomposition of the silicon nitride matrix by moist HF condensed at the wafer surface to form ammonium fluosilicate. (2) vaporization of the fluosilicate by a short heat treatment at 300 o C. (3) collection of contaminants by scanning the wafer surface with a solution droplet (VPD-DSC procedure). The determination of trace metals is performed by drying the droplet on the wafer and by analyzing the residue by TXRF, as it offers the advantages of multi-elemental analysis with no dilution of the sample. The lower limits of detection for metals in 2 nm thick films on 8'' silicon wafers range from about 10 to 200 ng/g. The present study will focus on the matrix effects and the possible loss of analyte associated with the evaporation of the fluosilicate salt, in relation with the accuracy and the reproducibility of the method. The benefits of using an internal standard will be assessed. Results will be presented from both model samples (ammonium fluoride contaminated with metallic salts) and real samples (silicon nitride films from a production tool). (author)

  9. Platinum group metal nitrides and carbides: synthesis, properties and simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanovskii, Alexander L

    2009-01-01

    Experimental and theoretical data on new compounds, nitrides and carbides of the platinum group 4d and 5d metals (ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum), published over the past five years are summarized. The extreme mechanical properties of platinoid nitrides and carbides, i.e., their high strength and low compressibility, are noted. The prospects of further studies and the scope of application of these compounds are discussed.

  10. Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet@metal-organic framework core-shell nanoparticles for photo-chemo combination therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Rui; Zhang, Jinfeng; Wang, Yu; Chen, Xianfeng; Zapien, J. Antonio; Lee, Chun-Sing

    2015-10-01

    Recently, nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) have started to be developed as a promising platform for bioimaging and drug delivery. On the other hand, combination therapies using multiple approaches are demonstrated to achieve much enhanced efficacy. Herein, we report, for the first time, core-shell nanoparticles consisting of a photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) agent and a MOF shell while simultaneously carrying a chemotherapeutic drug for effective combination therapy. In this work, core-shell nanoparticles of zeolitic-imadazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as shell embedded with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets as core are fabricated by growing ZIF-8 in the presence of g-C3N4 nanosheets. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) is then loaded into the ZIF-8 shell of the core-shell nanoparticles. The combination of the chemotherapeutic effects of DOX and the PDT effect of g-C3N4 nanosheets can lead to considerably enhanced efficacy. Furthermore, the red fluorescence of DOX and the blue fluorescence of g-C3N4 nanosheets provide the additional function of dual-color imaging for monitoring the drug release process.Recently, nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) have started to be developed as a promising platform for bioimaging and drug delivery. On the other hand, combination therapies using multiple approaches are demonstrated to achieve much enhanced efficacy. Herein, we report, for the first time, core-shell nanoparticles consisting of a photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) agent and a MOF shell while simultaneously carrying a chemotherapeutic drug for effective combination therapy. In this work, core-shell nanoparticles of zeolitic-imadazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as shell embedded with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets as core are fabricated by growing ZIF-8 in the presence of g-C3N4 nanosheets. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) is then loaded into the ZIF-8 shell of the core-shell nanoparticles. The combination of the chemotherapeutic effects of DOX

  11. Investigation of Ternary Transition-Metal Nitride Systems by Reactive Cosputtering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dover, R.B. Van; Hessen, B.; Werder, D.; Chen, C.-H.; Felder, R.J.

    1993-01-01

    A reactive dc cosputtering technique has been used to evaluate compound formation in bimetallic transition-metal nitride systems. A wide range in M-M’ composition can be studied in a single deposition run, and the method is applicable to nonalloying metal combinations. Using this technique, it was

  12. Thermal plasma synthesis of transition metal nitrides and alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ronsheim, P.; Christensen, A.N.; Mazza, A.

    1981-01-01

    Applications of arc plasma processing to high-temperature chemistry of Group V nitrides and Si and Ge alloys are studied. The transition metal nitrides 4f-VN, 4f-NbN, and 4f-TaN are directly synthesized in a dc argon-nitrogen plasma from powders of the metals. A large excess of N 2 is required to form stoichiometric 4f-VN, while the Nb and Ta can only be synthesized with a substoichiometric N content. In a dc argon plasma the alloys V 3 Si, VSi 2 , NbSi 2 , NbGe 2 , Cr 3 Si, and Mo 3 Si are obtained from powder mixtures of the corresponding elements. The compounds are identified by x-ray diffraction patterns and particle shape and size are studied by electron microscopy

  13. Preparation of uranium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, R.A.; Tennery, V.J.

    1976-01-01

    A process is described for preparing actinide-nitrides from massive actinide metal which is suitable for sintering into low density fuel shapes by partially hydriding the massive metal and simultaneously dehydriding and nitriding the dehydrided portion. The process is repeated until all of the massive metal is converted to a nitride

  14. Half-metallicity and electronic structures for carbon-doped group III-nitrides: Calculated with a modified Becke-Johnson potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Shuai-wei; Wang, Ri-gao; Xu, Pemg

    2016-09-01

    The electronic structures and magnetism for carbon-doped group III-nitrides are investigated by utilizing the first principle method with the modified Becke-Johnson potential. Calculations show that carbon substituting cations (anions) would induce the group III-nitrides to be paramagnetic metals (half-metallic ferromagnets). Single carbon substituting nitrogen could produce 1.00μB magnetic moment. Electronic structures indicate that the carriers-mediated double-exchange interaction plays a crucial role in forming the ferromagnetism. Based on the mean-field theory, the Curie temperature for carbon-doped group III-nitrides would be above the room temperature. Negative chemical pair interactions imply that carbon dopants tend to form clustering distribution in group III-nitrides. The nitrogen vacancy would make the carbon-doped group III-nitrides lose the half-metallic ferromagnetism.

  15. Photo-response of a P3HT:PCBM blend in metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Devynck, M.; Rostirolla, B.; Watson, C. P.; Taylor, D. M., E-mail: d.m.taylor@bangor.ac.uk [School of Electronic Engineering, Bangor University, Dean Street, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 1UT (United Kingdom)

    2014-11-03

    Metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors are investigated, in which the insulator is cross-linked polyvinylphenol and the active layer a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT, and the electron acceptor [6,6]-phenyl-C{sub 61}-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Admittance spectra and capacitance-voltage measurements obtained in the dark both display similar behaviour to those previously observed in P3HT-only devices. However, the photo-capacitance response is significantly enhanced in the P3HT:PCBM case, where exciton dissociation leads to electron transfer into the PCBM component. The results are consistent with a network of PCBM aggregates that is continuous through the film but with no lateral interconnection between the aggregates at or near the blend/insulator interface.

  16. Construction of stable Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} metal/non-metal nitride hybrids with enhanced visible-light photocatalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Yinhua, E-mail: yms418@126.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 2120013,PR China (China); Liu, Peipei; Chen, YeCheng; Zhou, Zhengzhong; Yang, Haijian [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 2120013,PR China (China); Hong, Yuanzhi; Li, Fan; Ni, Liang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 2120013,PR China (China); Yan, Yongsheng [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 2120013,PR China (China); Gregory, Duncan H, E-mail: duncan.gregory@glasgow.ac.uk [School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom)

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Novel Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} metal/non-metal nitride hybrids were synthesized. • The hybrid nitrides showed enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance. • The Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} hybrid nitride exhibited excellent photostability. • The hole is the main photoactive specie for the degradation of RhB. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} metal/non-metal nitride hybrid was successfully synthesized by a facile impregnation method. The photocatalytic activity of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} hybrid nitrides was evaluated by the degradation of organic dye rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, and the result indicated that all Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} samples exhibited distinctly enhanced photocatalytic activities for the degradation of RhB than pure g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The optimal Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} composite sample, with Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} mass ratio of 2%, demonstrated the highest photocatalytic activity, and its degradation rate constant was 2.71 times as high as that of pure g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of this Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} metal/metal-free nitride was predominantly attributed to the synergistic effect which increased visible-light absorption and facilitated the efficient separation of photoinduced electrons and holes. The Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} hybrid nitride exhibited excellent photostability and reusability. The possible mechanism for improved photocatalytic performance was proposed. Overall, this work may provide a facile way to synthesize the highly efficient metal/metal-free hybrid nitride photocatalysts with promising applications in environmental purification and energy conversion.

  17. Separation of zirconium--hafnium by nitride precipitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, R.N.; Parlee, N.A.

    1977-01-01

    A method is described for the separation of a light reactive metal (e.g., zirconium) from a heavy reactive metal (e.g., hafnium) by forming insoluble nitrides of the metals in a molten metal solvent (e.g., copper) inert to nitrogen and having a suitable density for the light metal nitride to form a separate phase in the upper portion of the solvent and for the heavy metal nitride to form a separate phase in the lower portion of the solvent. Nitriding is performed by maintaining a nitrogen-containing atmosphere over the bath. The light and heavy metals may be an oxide mixture and carbothermically reduced to metal form in the same bath used for nitriding. The nitrides are then separately removed and decomposed to form the desired separate metals. 16 claims, 1 figure

  18. Pressure induced phase transitions in transition metal nitrides: Ab initio study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srivastava, Anurag; Chauhan, Mamta [Advanced Material Research Lab, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior 474010 (India); Singh, R.K. [Department of Physics, ITM University, Gurgaon 122017 (India)

    2011-12-15

    We have analyzed the stability of transition metal nitrides (TMNs) XN (X = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta) in their original rocksalt (B1) and hypothetical CsCl (B2) type phases under high compression. The ground state total energy calculation approach of the system has been used through the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) type parameterization as exchange correlation functional. In the whole series of nitrides taken into consideration, tantalum nitride is found to be the most stable. We have observed that under compression the original B1-type phase of these nitrides transforms to a B2-type phase. We have also discussed the computation of ground state properties, like the lattice constant (a), bulk modulus (B{sub 0}) and first order pressure derivative of the bulk modulus (B'{sub 0}) of the TMNs and their host elements. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  19. Predicted stability, structures, and magnetism of 3d transition metal nitrides: the M4N phases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fang, C.M.; Koster, R.S.; Li, W.F.; van Huis, M.A.

    2014-01-01

    The 3d transition metal nitrides M4N (Sc4N, Ti4N, V4N, Cr4N, Mn4N, Fe4N, Co4N, Ni4N, and Cu4N) have unique phase relationships, crystal structures, and electronic and magnetic properties. Here we present a systematic density functional theory (DFT) study on these transition metal nitrides, assessing

  20. Low-temperature CVD of iron, cobalt, and nickel nitride thin films from bis[di(tert-butyl)amido]metal(II) precursors and ammonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cloud, Andrew N.; Abelson, John R.; Davis, Luke M.; Girolami, Gregory S.

    2014-01-01

    Thin films of late transition metal nitrides (where the metal is iron, cobalt, or nickel) are grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition from bis[di(tert-butyl)amido]metal(II) precursors and ammonia. These metal nitrides are known to have useful mechanical and magnetic properties, but there are few thin film growth techniques to produce them based on a single precursor family. The authors report the deposition of metal nitride thin films below 300 °C from three recently synthesized M[N(t-Bu) 2 ] 2 precursors, where M = Fe, Co, and Ni, with growth onset as low as room temperature. Metal-rich phases are obtained with constant nitrogen content from growth onset to 200 °C over a range of feedstock partial pressures. Carbon contamination in the films is minimal for iron and cobalt nitride, but similar to the nitrogen concentration for nickel nitride. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the incorporated nitrogen is present as metal nitride, even for films grown at the reaction onset temperature. Deposition rates of up to 18 nm/min are observed. The film morphologies, growth rates, and compositions are consistent with a gas-phase transamination reaction that produces precursor species with high sticking coefficients and low surface mobilities

  1. Photo-Curable Metal-Chelating Coatings Offer a Scalable Approach to Production of Antioxidant Active Packaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zhuangsheng; Goddard, Julie

    2018-02-01

    Synthetic metal chelators (for example, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA) are widely used as additives to control trace transition metal induced oxidation in consumer products. To enable removal of synthetic chelators in response to increasing consumer demand for clean label products, metal-chelating active food packaging technologies have been developed with demonstrated antioxidant efficacy in simulated food systems. However, prior work in fabrication of metal-chelating materials leveraged batch chemical reactions to tether metal-chelating ligands, a process with limited industrial translatability for large-scale fabrication. To improve the industrial translatability, we have designed a 2-step laminated photo-grafting process to introduce metal chelating functionality onto common polymeric packaging materials. Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functionalized materials were fabricated by photo-grafting poly(acrylic acid) onto polypropylene (PP) films, followed by a second photo-grafting process to graft-polymerize an IDA functionalized vinyl monomer (GMA-IDA). The photo-grafting was conducted under atmospheric conditions and was completed in 2 min. The resulting IDA functionalized metal-chelating material was able to chelate iron and copper, and showed antioxidant efficacy against ascorbic acid degradation, supporting its potential to be used synergistically with natural antioxidants for preservation of food and beverage products. The 2-step photo-grafting process improves the throughput of active packaging coatings, enabling potential roll-to-roll fabrication of metal-chelating active packaging materials for antioxidant food packaging applications. To address consumer and retail demands for "clean label" foods and beverages without a corresponding loss in product quality and shelf life, producers are seeking next generation technologies such as active packaging. In this work, we will report the synthesis of metal-chelating active packaging films, which enable removal

  2. Characterization of a glass frit free TiCuAg-thick film metallization applied on aluminium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reicher, R.; Smetana, W.; Adlassnig, A.; Schuster, J. C.; Gruber, U.

    1997-01-01

    The metallization of aluminium nitride substrates by glass frit free Ti CuAg-thick film pastes were investigated. Adhesion properties of the conductor paste were tested by measuring tensile strength and compared with commercial Cu-thick film pastes (within glass frit). Also numerical analysis of temperature-distribution and thermal extension of metallized aluminium nitride ceramic, induced by a continuous and a pulsed working electronic device were made with a finite element program. (author)

  3. Metal-functionalized single-walled graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes: a first-principles study on magnetic property

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shenoy Vivek

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The magnetic properties of metal-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes were investigated based on first-principles calculations. The graphitic carbon nitride nanotube can be either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic by functionalizing with different metal atoms. The W- and Ti-functionalized nanotubes are ferromagnetic, which are attributed to carrier-mediated interactions because of the coupling between the spin-polarized d and p electrons and the formation of the impurity bands close to the band edges. However, Cr-, Mn-, Co-, and Ni-functionalized nanotubes are antiferromagnetic because of the anti-alignment of the magnetic moments between neighboring metal atoms. The functionalized nanotubes may be used in spintronics and hydrogen storage.

  4. Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO2 under high pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, Wen-Pin; Mao, Wendy L.; Trigo, Mariano; Reis, David A.; Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo

    2014-01-01

    We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M 1 )-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M 1 ) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions

  5. High voltage photo-switch package module having encapsulation with profiled metallized concavities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, James S; Sanders, David M; Hawkins, Steven A; Sampayan, Stephen A

    2015-05-05

    A photo-conductive switch package module having a photo-conductive substrate or wafer with opposing electrode-interface surfaces metalized with first metallic layers formed thereon, and encapsulated with a dielectric encapsulation material such as for example epoxy. The first metallic layers are exposed through the encapsulation via encapsulation concavities which have a known contour profile, such as a Rogowski edge profile. Second metallic layers are then formed to line the concavities and come in contact with the first metal layer, to form profiled and metalized encapsulation concavities which mitigate enhancement points at the edges of electrodes matingly seated in the concavities. One or more optical waveguides may also be bonded to the substrate for coupling light into the photo-conductive wafer, with the encapsulation also encapsulating the waveguides.

  6. Synthesis and characterization of group V metal carbide and nitride catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Heock-Hoi

    1998-11-01

    Group V transition metal carbides and nitrides were prepared via the temperature programmed reaction (TPR) of corresponding oxides with NHsb3 or a CHsb4/Hsb2 mixture. Except for the tantalum compounds, phase-pure carbides and nitrides were prepared. The vanadium carbides and nitrides were the most active and selective catalysts. Therefore the principal focus of the research was the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of high surface area vanadium nitride catalysts. A series of vanadium nitrides with surface areas up to 60 msp2/g was prepared. Thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the solid-state reaction proceeded by the sequential reduction of Vsb2Osb5 to VOsb{0.9} and concluded with the topotactic substitution of nitrogen for oxygen in VOsb{0.9}. The transformation of Vsb2Osb5 to VN was pseudomorphic. An experimental design was executed to determine effects of the heating rates and space velocities on the VN microstructures. The heating rates had minor effects on the surface areas and pore size distributions; however, increasing the space velocity significantly increased the surface area. The materials were mostly mesoporous. Oxygen chemisorption on the vanadium nitrides scaled linearly with the surface area. The corresponding O/Vsbsurface ratio was ≈0.6. The vanadium nitrides were active for butane activation and pyridine hydrodenitrogenation. During butane activation, their selectivities towards dehydrogenation products were as high as 98%. The major product in pyridine hydrodenitrogenation was pentane. The reaction rates increased almost linearly with the surface area suggesting that these reactions were structure insensitive. The vanadium nitrides were not active for crotonaldehyde hydrogenation; however, they catalyzed an interesting ring formation reaction that produced methylbenzaldehyde and xylene from crotonaldehyde. A new method was demonstrated for the production of very

  7. Dynamic Multiaxial Response of a Hot-Pressed Aluminum Nitride

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-05

    Hutchinson, Adv. Appl . Mech. 29 (1992). [34] H. Ming-Yuan, J.W. Hutchinson, Int. J. Solids Struct. 25 (1989) 1053. [35] J. Salem , L. Ghosn, Int. J...Dynamic Multiaxial Response of a Hot- Pressed Aluminum Nitride by Guangli Hu, C. Q. Chen, K. T. Ramesh, and J. W. McCauley ARL-RP-0487...Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5066 ARL-RP-0487 June 2014 Dynamic Multiaxial Response of a Hot- Pressed Aluminum Nitride

  8. Thermionic field emission in gold nitride Schottky nanodiodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spyropoulos-Antonakakis, N.; Sarantopoulou, E.; Kollia, Z.; Samardžija, Z.; Kobe, S.; Cefalas, A. C.

    2012-11-01

    We report on the thermionic field emission and charge transport properties of gold nitride nanodomains grown by pulsed laser deposition with a molecular fluorine laser at 157 nm. The nanodomains are sandwiched between the metallic tip of a conductive atomic force microscope and a thin gold layer forming thus a metal-semiconductor-metal junction. Although the limited existing data in the literature indicate that gold nitride was synthesized previously with low efficiency, poor stability, and metallic character; in this work, it is shown that gold nitride nanodomains exhibit semiconducting behavior and the metal-semiconductor-metal contact can be modeled with the back-to-back Schottky barrier model. From the experimental I-V curves, the main charge carrier transport process is found to be thermionic field emission via electron tunneling. The rectifying, near symmetric and asymmetric current response of nanocontacts is related to the effective contact area of the gold nitride nanodomains with the metals. A lower limit for the majority charge carriers concentration at the boundaries of nanodomains is also established using the full depletion approximation, as nanodomains with thickness as low as 6 nm were found to be conductive. Current rectification and charge memory effects are also observed in "quite small" conductive nanodomains (6-10 nm) due to stored charges. Indeed, charges near the surface are identified as inversion domains in the phase shift mapping performed with electrostatic force microscopy and are attributed to charge trapping at the boundaries of the nanodomains.

  9. Chapter 19: Catalysis by Metal Carbides and Nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schaidle, Joshua A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nash, Connor P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Yung, Matthew M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chen, Yuan [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Carl, Sarah [University of Michigan; Thompson, Levi [University of Michigan

    2017-08-09

    Early transition metal carbides and nitrides (ETMCNs), materials in which carbon or nitrogen occupies interstitial sites within a parent metal lattice, possess unique physical and chemical properties that motivate their use as catalysts. Specifically, these materials possess multiple types of catalytic sites, including metallic, acidic, and basic sites, and as such, exhibit reactivities that differ from their parent metals. Moreover, their surfaces are dynamic under reaction conditions. This chapter reviews recent (since 2010) experimental and computational investigations into the catalytic properties of ETMCN materials for applications including biomass conversion, syngas and CO2 upgrading, petroleum and natural gas refining, and electrocatalytic energy conversion, energy storage, and chemicals production, and attempts to link catalyst performance to active site identity/surface structure in order to elucidate the present level of understanding of structure-function relationships for these materials. The chapter concludes with a perspective on leveraging the unique properties of these materials to design and develop improved catalysts through a dedicated, multidisciplinary effort.

  10. Evidence for photo-induced monoclinic metallic VO{sub 2} under high pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsieh, Wen-Pin, E-mail: wphsieh@stanford.edu; Mao, Wendy L. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Trigo, Mariano [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Reis, David A. [Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Photon Science and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Andrea Artioli, Gianluca; Malavasi, Lorenzo [Dipartimento di Chimica, Sezione di Chimica Fisica, INSTM (UdR Pavia), Università di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 16, 27100 Pavia (Italy)

    2014-01-13

    We combine ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with a diamond-anvil cell to decouple the insulator-metal electronic transition from the lattice symmetry changing structural transition in the archetypal strongly correlated material vanadium dioxide. Coherent phonon spectroscopy enables tracking of the photo-excited phonon vibrational frequencies of the low temperature, monoclinic (M{sub 1})-insulating phase that transforms into the metallic, tetragonal rutile structured phase at high temperature or via non-thermal photo-excitations. We find that in contrast with ambient pressure experiments where strong photo-excitation promptly induces the electronic transition along with changes in the lattice symmetry, at high pressure, the coherent phonons of the monoclinic (M{sub 1}) phase are still clearly observed upon the photo-driven phase transition to a metallic state. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthesizing and studying transient phases under extreme conditions.

  11. Simple process to fabricate nitride alloy powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Jae Ho; Kim, Dong-Joo; Kim, Keon Sik; Rhee, Young Woo; Oh, Jang-Soo; Kim, Jong Hun; Koo, Yang Hyun

    2013-01-01

    Uranium mono-nitride (UN) is considered as a fuel material [1] for accident-tolerant fuel to compensate for the loss of fissile fuel material caused by adopting a thickened cladding such as SiC composites. Uranium nitride powders can be fabricated by a carbothermic reduction of the oxide powders, or the nitriding of metal uranium. Among them, a direct nitriding process of metal is more attractive because it has advantages in the mass production of high-purity powders and the reusing of expensive 15 N 2 gas. However, since metal uranium is usually fabricated in the form of bulk ingots, it has a drawback in the fabrication of fine powders. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has a centrifugal atomisation technique to fabricate uranium and uranium alloy powders. In this study, a simple reaction method was tested to fabricate nitride fuel powders directly from uranium metal alloy powders. Spherical powder and flake of uranium metal alloys were fabricated using a centrifugal atomisation method. The nitride powders were obtained by thermal treating the metal particles under nitrogen containing gas. The phase and morphology evolutions of powders were investigated during the nitriding process. A phase analysis of nitride powders was also part of the present work. KAERI has developed the centrifugal rotating disk atomisation process to fabricate spherical uranium metal alloy powders which are used as advanced fuel materials for research reactors. The rotating disk atomisation system involves the tasks of melting, atomising, and collecting. A nozzle in the bottom of melting crucible introduces melt at the center of a spinning disk. The centrifugal force carries the melt to the edge of the disk and throws the melt off the edge. Size and shape of droplets can be controlled by changing the nozzle size, the disk diameter and disk speed independently or simultaneously. By adjusting the processing parameters of the centrifugal atomiser, a spherical and flake shape

  12. Catalytic properties of lanthanide amide, imide and nitride formed by thermal degradation of liquid ammonia solutions of Eu and Yb metal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imamura, H.; Mizuno, K.; Ohishi, K.; Suda, E.; Kanda, K.; Sakata, Y.; Tsuchiya, S.

    1998-01-01

    The catalytic properties of lanthanide amide, imide and nitride prepared by the use of liquid ammonia solutions of lanthanide metals (Ln=Eu and Yb) were studied for catalytic hydrogenation. The reaction of Eu or Yb metal solutions in liquid ammonia with silica yielded SiO 2 -grafted lanthanide amide in the divalent state. The divalent amide showed catalytic activity for the selective hydrogenation of dienes and benzene. It was found that partial hydrogenation of benzene occurred with a very high selectivity for cyclohexene. Amides of calcium, strontium and barium were examined similarly in connection with catalytic studies on divalent amides. Imide and nitride, into which the lanthanide (Ln/AC) deposited by impregnation of active carbon (AC) with liquid ammonia solutions of lanthanide metals were converted thermally, were studied catalytically. It was concluded that imide or imide-like species generated during the thermal degradation of lanthanide amide to nitride were very active in the hydrogenation of ethene. Lanthanide nitride was virtually inactive, but the nitride highly dispersed on active carbon was activated when subjected to evacuation treatment above about 1000 K. (orig.)

  13. Ultra-low threshold gallium nitride photonic crystal nanobeam laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niu, Nan, E-mail: nanniu@fas.harvard.edu; Woolf, Alexander; Wang, Danqing; Hu, Evelyn L. [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Zhu, Tongtong; Oliver, Rachel A. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Quan, Qimin [Rowland Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 (United States)

    2015-06-08

    We report exceptionally low thresholds (9.1 μJ/cm{sup 2}) for room temperature lasing at ∼450 nm in optically pumped Gallium Nitride (GaN) nanobeam cavity structures. The nanobeam cavity geometry provides high theoretical Q (>100 000) with small modal volume, leading to a high spontaneous emission factor, β = 0.94. The active layer materials are Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN) fragmented quantum wells (fQWs), a critical factor in achieving the low thresholds, which are an order-of-magnitude lower than obtainable with continuous QW active layers. We suggest that the extra confinement of photo-generated carriers for fQWs (compared to QWs) is responsible for the excellent performance.

  14. Ultra-low threshold gallium nitride photonic crystal nanobeam laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu, Nan; Woolf, Alexander; Wang, Danqing; Hu, Evelyn L.; Zhu, Tongtong; Oliver, Rachel A.; Quan, Qimin

    2015-01-01

    We report exceptionally low thresholds (9.1 μJ/cm 2 ) for room temperature lasing at ∼450 nm in optically pumped Gallium Nitride (GaN) nanobeam cavity structures. The nanobeam cavity geometry provides high theoretical Q (>100 000) with small modal volume, leading to a high spontaneous emission factor, β = 0.94. The active layer materials are Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN) fragmented quantum wells (fQWs), a critical factor in achieving the low thresholds, which are an order-of-magnitude lower than obtainable with continuous QW active layers. We suggest that the extra confinement of photo-generated carriers for fQWs (compared to QWs) is responsible for the excellent performance

  15. Nitride-based Schottky diodes and HFETs fabricated by photo-enhanced chemical wet etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Y.K.; Chang, S.J.; Kuan, T.M.; Ko, C.H.; Webb, J.B.; Lan, W.H.; Cherng, Y.T.; Chen, S.C.

    2004-01-01

    Photo-enhanced chemical (PEC) wet etching technology was used to etch GaN and AlGaN epitaxial layers. It was found that the maximum etch rates were 510, 1960, 300, and 0 nm/mm for GaN, Al 0.175 Ga 0.825 N, Al 0.23 Ga 0.77 N, and Al 0.4 Ga 0.6 N, respectively. It was also found that we could achieve a high Al 0.175 Ga 0.825 N to GaN etch rate ratio of 12.6. Nitride-based Schottky diodes and heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) were also fabricated by PEC wet etching. It was found that we could achieve a saturated I D larger than 850 mA/mm and a maximum g m about 163 mS/mm from PEC wet etched HFET with a 0.5 μm gate length. Compared with dry etched devices, the leakage currents observed from the PEC wet etched devices were also found to be smaller

  16. One-step synthesis of 2D-layered carbon wrapped transition metal nitrides from transition metal carbides (MXenes) for supercapacitors with ultrahigh cycling stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Wenyu; Cheng, Laifei; Wu, Heng; Zhang, Yani; Lv, Shilin; Guo, Xiaohui

    2018-03-13

    A novel one-step method to synthesize 2D carbon wrapped TiN (C@TiN) was proposed via using 2D metal carbides (MXenes) as precursors. This study provides a novel approach to synthesize carbon wrapped metal nitrides.

  17. The Use of Plasma Technique in Nitridation Process of Metal Alloy DIN 42CrMo4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Purwanto; Malau, Viktor; Tjipto Sujitno

    2003-01-01

    Nitridation process with plasma technique is one of technique for surface treatment of a material. Research on plasma technique for nitridation process has been carried out to find out the nitridation effect on properties of metal alloy DIN 42CrM04. Nitridation process with plasma technique was conducted in a vacuum tube under following conditions 0.36 torr of pressure, 300 o C of temperature and nitridation times 1, 2, and 3 hours. Nitridation process was followed by hardness test measurement using High Quality Micro Hardness Tester machine, serial number MM-0054, as well as microstructure test using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) EDAX-DX4. The results showed that surface hardness increased after nitridation process. For nitridation processes for 1, 2, and 3 hours, the hardness increased from 291 kg/mm 2 to 303 kg/mm 2 , 324 kg/mm 2 and 403 kg/mm 2 , respectively. The results from micro structure observation showed that new phase of Ferro Nitride (Fe 4 N) has been formed with 4.17% nitrogen weight equivalent to 14.73% nitrogen atom and with the thickness of 5.71 μm, 5.08% nitrogen weight or 17.51% nitrogen atom and 6.78 μm thickness, and 5.69% nitrogen weight or 19.24% nitrogen atom and 8.57 μm thickness. (author)

  18. Formation of titanium nitride layers on titanium metal: Results of XPS and AES investigations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moers, H.; Pfennig, G.; Klewe-Nebenius, H.; Penzhorn, R.D.; Sirch, M.; Willin, E.

    1988-09-01

    The reaction of titanium metal with gaseous nitrogen and ammonia at temperatures of 890 0 C leads to the formation of nitridic overlayers on the metallic substrate. The thicknesses of the overlayers increase with increasing reaction time. Under comparable conditions ammonia reacts much slower than nitrogen. XPS and AES depth profile analyses show continuous changes of the in-depth compositions of the overlayers. This can be interpreted in terms of a very irregular thickness of the overlayers, an assumption which is substantiated by local AES analyses and by the observation of a pronounced crystalline structure of the substrate after annealing pretreatment, which can give rise to locally different reaction rates. The depth profile is also influenced by the broad ranges of stability of the titanium nitride phases formed during the reaction. The quantitative analysis of the titanium/nitrogen overlayers by AES is difficult because of the overlap of titanium and nitrogen Auger peaks. In quantitative XPS analysis problems arise due to difficulties in defining Ti 2p peak areas. This work presents practical procedures for the quantitative evaluation by XPS and AES of nitridic overlayers with sufficient accuracy. (orig.) [de

  19. Solar selective performance of metal nitride/oxynitride based magnetron sputtered thin film coatings: a comprehensive review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, Khalil; Taha, Hatem; Mahbubur Rahman, M.; Kabir, Humayun; Jiang, Zhong-Tao

    2018-03-01

    Since solar-thermal collectors are considered to be the most direct way of converting solar energy into usable forms, in the last few years growing attention has been paid to the development of transition metal nitride and metal oxynitride based thin film selective surfaces for solar-thermal collectors, in order to harvest more solar energy. A solar-thermal energy system, generally, shows very high solar absorption of incident solar radiation from the solar-thermal collectors in the visible range (0.3 to 2.5 μm) and extremely low thermal losses through emission (or high reflection) in the infrared region (≥2.5 μm). The efficiency of a solar-thermal energy conversion system can be improved by the use of solar selective surfaces consisting of novel metallic nanoparticles embedded in metal nitride/oxynitride systems. In order to enhance the effectiveness of solar-thermal devices, solar selective surfaces with high thermal stability are a prerequisite. Over the years, substantial efforts have been made in the field of solar selective surfaces to attain higher solar absorptance and lower thermal emittance in high temperature (above 400 °C) applications. In this article, we review the present state-of-the-art transition metal nitride and/or oxynitride based vacuum sputtered nanostructured thin film coatings, with respect to their optical and solar selective surface applications. We have also summarized the solar selectivity data from recently published investigations, including discussion on some potential applications for these materials.

  20. Synthesis of IV-VI Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles Using a Reactive Mesoporous Template for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    KAUST Repository

    Alhajri, Nawal Saad

    2016-01-01

    Interstitial carbides and nitrides of early transition metals in Groups IV-VI exhibit platinum-like behavior which makes them a promising candidate to replace noble metals in a wide variety of reactions. Most synthetic methods used to prepare these materials lead to bulk or micron size powder which limits their use in reactions in particular in catalytic applications. Attempts toward the production of transition metal carbide and nitride nanoparticles in a sustainable, simple and cheap manner have been rapidly increasing. In this thesis, a new approach was presented to prepare nano-scale transition metal carbides and nitrides of group IV-VI with a size as small as 3 nm through the reaction of transition metal precursor with mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4) that not only provides confined spaces for nanoparticles formation but also acts as a chemical source of nitrogen and carbon. The produced nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reaction with mass spectroscopy (MS), CHN elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), nitrogen sorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of the reaction temperature, the ratio of the transition metal precursor to the reactive template (mpg-C3N4), and the selection of the carrier gas (Ar, N2, and NH3) on the resultant crystal phases and structures were investigated. The results indicated that different tantalum phases with cubic structure, TaN, Ta2CN, and TaC, can be formed under a flow of nitrogen by changing the reaction temperatures. Two forms of tantalum nitride, namely TaN and Ta3N5, were selectively formed under N2 and NH3 flow, respectively. Significantly, the formation of TaC, Ta2CN, and TaN can be controlled by altering the weight ratio of the C3N4 template relative to the Ta precursor at 1573 K under a flow of nitrogen where high C3N4/Ta precursor ratio generally resulted in high carbide

  1. Systematic study of formation and crystal structure of 3d-transition metal nitrides synthesized in a supercritical nitrogen fluid under 10 GPa and 1800 K using diamond anvil cell and YAG laser heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Masashi; Yagi, Takehiko

    2005-01-01

    Syntheses of 3d-transition metal (Ti-Cu) nitrides have been tried in a supercritical nitrogen fluid at high pressures (about 10 GPa) and high temperatures (about 1800 K) using diamond anvil cell and YAG laser heating system. Nitrides, such as TiN, VN, CrN, Mn 3 N 2 , Fe 2 N, Co 2 N and Ni 3 N have been successfully synthesized easily by a simple direct nitriding reaction between metal and fluid nitrogen in a short time, while any Cu nitrides were not synthesized. These results indicate that the ratio of nitrogen to metal, N/M, of the nitride decreases from 1 to 0 with the sequence from the early transition metal nitrides to the late transition metal ones. The systematic change of the N/M ratio and crystal structure of the 3d-transition metal nitrides is discussed and interpreted on the basis of the electron arrangement of the 3d-transition metal which is relevant to its coordination number

  2. New Routes to Lanthanide and Actinide Nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butt, D.P.; Jaques, B.J.; Osterberg, D.D. [Boise State University, 1910 University Dr., Boise, Idaho 83725-2075 (United States); Marx, B.M. [Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, PA (United States); Callahan, P.G. [Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Hamdy, A.S. [Central Metallurgical R and D Institute, Helwan, Cairo (Egypt)

    2009-06-15

    The future of nuclear energy in the U.S. and its expansion worldwide depends greatly on our ability to reduce the levels of high level waste to minimal levels, while maintaining proliferation resistance. Implicit in the so-called advanced fuel cycle is the need for higher levels of fuel burn-up and consequential use of complex nuclear fuels comprised of fissile materials such as Pu, Am, Np, and Cm. Advanced nitride fuels comprised ternary and quaternary mixtures of uranium and these actinides have been considered for applications in advanced power plants, but there remain many processing challenges as well as necessary qualification testing. In this presentation, the advantages and disadvantages of nitride fuels are discussed. Methods of synthesizing the raw materials and sintering of fuels are described including a discussion of novel, low cost routes to nitrides that have the potential for reducing the cost and footprint of a fuel processing plant. Phase pure nitrides were synthesized via four primary methods; reactive milling metal flakes in nitrogen at room temperature, directly nitriding metal flakes in a pure nitrogen atmosphere, hydriding metal flakes prior to nitridation, and carbo-thermically reducing the metal oxide and carbon mixture prior to nitridation. In the present study, the sintering of UN, DyN, and their solid solutions (U{sub x}, Dy{sub 1-x}) (x = 1 to 0.7) were also studied. (authors)

  3. Empirical study of the metal-nitride-oxide-semiconductor device characteristics deduced from a microscopic model of memory traps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ngai, K.L.; Hsia, Y.

    1982-01-01

    A graded-nitride gate dielectric metal-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (MNOS) memory transistor exhibiting superior device characteristics is presented and analyzed based on a qualitative microscopic model of the memory traps. The model is further reviewed to interpret some generic properties of the MNOS memory transistors including memory window, erase-write speed, and the retention-endurance characteristic features

  4. New catalysts for coal processing: Metal carbides and nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S. Ted Oyama; David F. Cox

    1999-12-03

    The subject of this research project was to investigate the catalytic properties of a new class of materials, transition metal carbides and nitrides, for treatment of coal liquid and petroleum feedstocks. The main objectives were: (1) preparation of catalysts in unsupported and supported form; (2) characterization of the materials; (3) evaluation of their catalytic properties in HDS and HDN; (4) measurement of the surface properties; and (5) observation of adsorbed species. All of the objectives were substantially carried out and the results will be described in detail below. The catalysts were transition metal carbides and nitrides spanning Groups 4--6 in the Periodic Table. They were chosen for study because initial work had shown they were promising materials for hydrotreating. The basic strategy was first to prepare the materials in unsupported form to identify the most promising catalyst, and then to synthesize a supported form of the material. Already work had been carried out on the synthesis of the Group VI compounds Mo{sub 2}C, Mo{sub 2}N, and WC, and new methods were developed for the Group V compounds VC and NbC. All the catalysts were then evaluated in a hydrotreating test at realistic conditions. It was found that the most active catalyst was Mo{sub 2}C, and further investigations of the material were carried out in supported form. A new technique was employed for the study of the bulk and surface properties of the catalysts, near edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS), that fingerprinted the electronic structure of the materials. Finally, two new research direction were explored. Bimetallic alloys formed between two transition metals were prepared, resulting in catalysts having even higher activity than Mo{sub 2}C. The performance of the catalysts in hydrodechloration was also investigated.

  5. Effect of gas pressure on active screen plasma nitriding response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimoto, Akio; Nagatsuka, Kimiaki; Narita, Ryota; Nii, Hiroaki; Akamatsu, Katsuya

    2010-01-01

    An austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 was active screen plasma nitrided using a 304 steel screen to investigate the effect of the gas pressure on the ASPN response. The sample was treated for 18 ks at 723 K in 25% N2 + 75% H2 gases. The gas pressure was changed to 100, 600 and 1200 Pa. The distance between screen and sample was also changed to 10, 30 and 50 mm. The nitrided samples were characterized by appearance observation, surface roughness, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microhardness testing. After nitriding, polygonal particles with a normal distribution were observed at the center and edges of all the ASPN-treated sample surfaces. Particles on the sample surfaces were finer with an increase in the gas pressure. The nitrided layer with a greater and homogeneous thickness was obtained at a low gas pressure of 100 Pa. (author)

  6. Use of cermet thin film resistors with nitride passivated metal insulator field effect transistor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, G. A.; Harrap, V.

    1971-01-01

    Film deposition of cermet resistors on same chip with metal nitride oxide silicon field effect transistors permits protection of contamination sensitive active devices from contaminants produced in cermet deposition and definition processes. Additional advantages include lower cost, greater reliability, and space savings.

  7. New routes to nitrogen-rich transition metal nitrides: Synthesis of novel polymorphs of Hf3N4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamat, Ashkan; Hector, A.; Gray, B.; Kimber, S.; Bouvier, P.; McMillan, P.

    2013-06-01

    One of the most obvious features of transition metal nitride chemistry is that the maximum formal oxidation state of the metal is rarely as high as in the corresponding oxides or fluorides. Much of the interest in the high oxidation phases stems from the desire to identify the next generation of photocatalytic materials with tuneable bandgaps. Experiments in the laser heated diamond anvil cell (LHDAC) between the direct reaction of metals and nitrogen have previously produced a number of important new main group nitride phases. This technique has also demonstrated its potential for formation of new nitrogen-rich transition metal nitride phases. Alternative methods with the development of ``soft'' routes to new phases with high nitrogen content also offer the possibility of obtaining metastable phases through topotactic conversions. Using LHDAC in situ with synchrotron angle dispersive diffraction techniques we have crystallised at high pressures and temperatures two novel polymorphs of Hf3N4. Starting with an amide-derived nanocrystalline Hf3N4 sample we have identified a novel tetragonal (I4/ m) polymorph at 15 GPa and 1500K and a second high pressure orthorhombic (Pnma) polymorph at 30 GPa and 2000 K. This study demonstrates that the combination of precursor-based synthesis and high-pressure crystallization could be very productive in synthesis of such nitrogen-rich phases.

  8. Binary and ternary carbides and nitrides of the transition metals and their phase relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holleck, H.

    1981-01-01

    The occurrance and the structure of the binary and ternary transition metal carbides and nitrides are described. Phase diagrams are assessed for most of the binary and ternary systems. Many ternary phase diagrams are published in this report for the first time. (orig.) [de

  9. Estimation of sensing characteristics for refractory nitrides based gain assisted core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishodia, Manmohan Singh; Pathania, Pankaj

    2018-04-01

    Refractory transition metal nitrides such as zirconium nitride (ZrN), hafnium nitride (HfN) and titanium nitride (TiN) have emerged as viable alternatives to coinage metals based plasmonic materials, e.g., gold (Au) and silver (Ag). The present work assesses the suitability of gain assisted ZrN-, HfN- and TiN-based conventional core-shell nanoparticles (CCSNPs) and multilayered core-shell nanoparticles (MCSNPs) for refractive index sensing. We report that the optical gain incorporation in the dielectric layer leads to multifold enhancement of the scattering efficiency (Qsca), substantial reduction of the spectral full width at half maximum, and a higher figure of merit (FOM). In comparison with CCSNPs, the MCSNP system exhibits superior sensing characteristics such as higher FOM, ˜ 45% reduction in the critical optical gain, response shift towards the biological window, and higher degree of tunability. Inherent biocompatibility, growth compatibility, chemical stability and flexible spectral tuning of refractory nitrides augmented by superior sensing properties in the present work may pave the way for refractory nitrides based low cost sensing.

  10. Extreme conditions synthesis, processing and characterization of metal-nitrides and alloys of mechanical and optoelectronic importance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serghiou, G; McGaff, A J; Russell, N; Morniroli, J P; Frost, D J; Odling, N; Boehler, R; Troadec, D; Lathe, C

    2010-01-01

    High density nitrides and group IV alloys are of growing importance for both ceramic and optoelectronic applications. We present here new data and processes in our ongoing preparation of alkaline earth and transition metal nitrides as well as group IV alloys, here, up to 25 GPa and 2300 K. We employ large volume and laser-heated diamond anvil cell techniques for synthesis, processing tools including focused ion beam, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for characterization.

  11. III-nitrides, 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and their heterojunctions

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Pawan

    2017-04-01

    Group III-nitride materials have attracted great attention for applications in high efficiency electronic and optoelectronics devices such as high electron mobility transistors, light emitting diodes, and laser diodes. On the other hand, group VI transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) in the form of MX2 has recently emerged as a novel atomic layered material system with excellent thermoelectric, electronic and optoelectronic properties. Also, the recent investigations reveal that the dissimilar heterojunctions formed by TMDs and III-nitrides provide the route for novel devices in the area of optoelectronic, electronics, and water splitting applications. In addition, integration of III-nitrides and TMDs will enable high density integrated optoelectronic circuits and the development of hybrid integration technologies. In this work, we have demonstrated kinetically controlled growth processes in plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) for the III-nitrides and their engineered heterostructures. Techniques such as Ga irradiation and nitrogen plasma exposure has been utilized to implement bulk GaN, InGaN and their heterostructures in PAMBE. For the growth of III-nitride based heterostructures, the in-situ surface stoichiometry monitoring (i-SSM) technique was developed and used for implementing stepped and compositionally graded InGaN-based multiple quantum wells (MQWs). Their optical and microstrain analysis in conjunction with theoretical studies confirmed improvement in the radiative recombination rate of the graded-MQWs as compared to that of stepped-MQWs, owing to the reduced strain in graded-MQWs. Our achievement also includes the realization of the p-type MoS2 by engineering pristine MoS2 layers in PAMBE. Mainly, Ga and nitrogen plasma irradiation on the pristine MoS2 in PAMBE has resulted in the realization of the p-type MoS2. Also, GaN epitaxial thin layers were deposited on MoS2/c-sapphire, WSe2/c-sapphire substrates by PAMBE to study the band

  12. Influence of porewidening duration on the template assisted growth of graphitic carbon nitride nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suchitra, S. M.; Udayashankar, N. K.

    2018-01-01

    Porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes with a highly ordered pore arrangement are typically used as ideal templates for the synthesis of numerous nanostructured materials. Highly ordered templates gained significant attraction due to the fact that they are readily fabricated through self-organised simple anodization process. In this paper, the effect of different pore-widening treatments on the quality of the pores of the AAO templates prepared with different electrolytes were inspected. Results confirmed that, without altering the interpore distance different pore dimensions and diameters of the AAO templates can be easily achieved by chemical pore widening process at room temperature. Also, graphitic carbon nitride nanorods of different dimension have been fabricated from AAO template after porewidening process. These nanostructures are widely used in case of metal free visible light driven photo catalysis, photo degradation of organic pollutants, photo electric conversion and water splitting applications.

  13. The photo-assisted heat current and its Peltier coefficient in a metal/dot/metal junction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crépieux, A

    2012-01-01

    The photo-assisted heat current through a metal/dot/metal junction and its associated Peltier coefficient are computed in the framework of the time-dependent out-of-equilibrium Keldysh formalism in the presence of a dot energy modulation. When the frequency of the modulation is much larger than the amplitude of the modulation, the heat current follows the sinusoidal time evolution of the dot energy. This is no longer the case when the modulation frequency becomes of the order of or smaller than the amplitude of the modulation. To characterize this non-sinusoidal behavior, we have calculated the harmonics of the photo-assisted heat current. The zero-order harmonic can be expressed as an infinite sum of dc heat currents associated with a dot with shifted energies. It exhibits a devil's staircase profile with non-horizontal steps, whereas it is established that the steps are horizontal for the zero-order harmonic of the photo-assisted electric current. This particularity is related to the fact that the dot heat is not a conserved quantity due to energy dissipation within the tunnel barriers.

  14. Photo and pH dual-responsive polydiacetylene smart nanocontainer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jingguo; Yu, Zhiqiang; Jiang, Hao; Zou, Gang; Zhang, Qijin

    2012-01-01

    Herein, a novel smart nanocontainer was developed by incorporating photo-responsive azobenzene derivative/cyclodextrin (Azo–CD) supramolecular complex into pH-responsive polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles matrix. The designed nanocontainer exhibited excellent cell-toxicity, and the controlled release property response to external photo and pH stimuli. The photo-controlled inclusion and exclusion reaction between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and azobenzene moiety were used to act as the driving force to induce photo-triggered controlled release behavior of the designed nanocontainer. Moreover, the pH-responsive PDA vesicle matrix endowed the designed system with a controlled release property upon pH variation. The facile preparation procedures and their efficiency of response to the external stimuli render the novel smart nanocontainer potential candidate for future applications in remote controlled drug release. -- Graphical abstract: Herein, we developed a novel smart nanocontainer comprising the azobenzene derivative/cyclodextrin supramolecular complex and polydiacetylene vesicles, which exhibited excellent biocompatibility, and controlled release property response to external photo and pH stimuli. Highlights: ► We developed a novel dual-responsive smart polydiacetylene nanocontainer. ► The azobenzene/cyclodextrin complex was introduced into polydiacetylene vesicles. ► The designed nanocontainer exhibited excellent biocompatibility and stability. ► 365 and 435 nm light irradiations are used to realize photo controlled release. ► The smart nanocontainer exhibited controlled release property upon pH variation.

  15. Preparation and characteristics of various rare earth nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imamura, H.; Imahashi, T.; Zaimi, M.; Sakata, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Active nanocrystalline nitrides of EuN and YbN with high surface areas were successfully prepared by the thermal decomposition of the rare earth amides (Eu(NH 2 ) 2 , Yb(NH 2 ) 2 and Yb(NH 2 ) 3 ). For the preparation of CeN, PrN and NdN, the direct reaction of the rare earth metals with ammonia was extensively studied to determine optimal conditions. In the reaction of rare earth metals with ammonia, hydrides besides the nitrides were competitively formed. The reaction conditions such as temperatures and ratios of ammonia to rare earth metal were crucial in preferential formation of nitride. The nanocrystalline YbN and EuN readily absorbed large amounts of ammonia even at room temperature upon contact with ammonia (13.3 kPa). The absorbed ammonia existed in at least two forms on/in the nitride; the one was surface-adsorbed ammonia and the other ammonia absorbed in the nitride in a decomposed state. The properties of ammonia absorbed by the nitride were further evaluated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), FT-IR and XRD techniques

  16. The passivation of uranium metal surfaces by nitrogen bombardment - the formation of uranium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, G.C.; Holmes, N.R.

    1987-08-01

    As part of a detailed investigation of the behaviour of metallic uranium in various atmospheres, we have examined the reaction between nitrogen gas and uranium metal. At room temperature there was no evidence of reaction between nitrogen gas and a clean metal surface; the only changes observed could be attributed to reaction between the metal and traces of oxygen (less than 0.1 ppm) in the nitrogen gas. Reaction between the metal and nitrogen was induced however by accelerating nitrogen towards the surface using a fast atom gun. The resulting nitrided surface was characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and its oxidation behaviour was monitored over an extended period in UHV and in air. (author)

  17. The passivation of uranium metal surfaces by nitrogen bombardment - the formation of uranium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, G.C.; Holmes, N.R.

    1988-01-01

    As part of a detailed investigation of the behaviour of metallic uranium in various atmospheres, we have examined the reaction between nitrogen gas and uranium metal. At room temperature there was no evidence of reaction between nitrogen gas and a clean metal surface; the only changes observed could be attributed to reaction between the metal and traces of oxygen (less than 0.1 ppm) in the nitrogen gas. Reaction between the metal and nitrogen was induced, however, by accelerating nitrogen towards the surface using a fast atom gun. The resulting nitrided surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and its oxidation behaviour was monitored over an extended period in UHV and in air. (orig.)

  18. Synchrotron radiation studies of local structure and bonding in transition metal aluminides and rare earth transition metal magnetic nitrides. Final report, August 1, 1990--July 14, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budnick, J.I.; Pease, D.M.

    1995-01-01

    The following areas of study are reported on: bonding and near neighbor force constants in NiAl, CoAl, FeAl via temperature dependent EXAFS; alloys formed when Fe or Ga is microalloyed into a NiAl matrix; EXAFS studies of nitrided versus non nitrided Y 2 Fe 17 ; and transition metal x-ray spectra as related to magnetic moments

  19. Hydrogen Sensors Using Nitride-Based Semiconductor Diodes: The Role of Metal/Semiconductor Interfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshihiro Irokawa

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, I review my recent results in investigating hydrogen sensors using nitride-based semiconductor diodes, focusing on the interaction mechanism of hydrogen with the devices. Firstly, effects of interfacial modification in the devices on hydrogen detection sensitivity are discussed. Surface defects of GaN under Schottky electrodes do not play a critical role in hydrogen sensing characteristics. However, dielectric layers inserted in metal/semiconductor interfaces are found to cause dramatic changes in hydrogen sensing performance, implying that chemical selectivity to hydrogen could be realized. The capacitance-voltage (C-V characteristics reveal that the work function change in the Schottky metal is not responsible mechanism for hydrogen sensitivity. The interface between the metal and the semiconductor plays a critical role in the interaction of hydrogen with semiconductor devises. Secondly, low-frequency C-V characterization is employed to investigate the interaction mechanism of hydrogen with diodes. As a result, it is suggested that the formation of a metal/semiconductor interfacial polarization could be attributed to hydrogen-related dipoles. In addition, using low-frequency C-V characterization leads to clear detection of 100 ppm hydrogen even at room temperature where it is hard to detect hydrogen by using conventional current-voltage (I-V characterization, suggesting that low-frequency C-V method would be effective in detecting very low hydrogen concentrations.

  20. Tribocorrosion studies of metallic biomaterials: The effect of plasma nitriding and DLC surface modifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Guo-Hua; Aune, Ragnhild E; Espallargas, Nuria

    2016-10-01

    The medical grade pure titanium, stainless steel and CoCrMo alloy have been utilized as biomaterials for load-bearing orthopedic prosthesis. The conventional surgery metals suffer from a combined effect of wear and corrosion once they are implanted, which may significantly accelerate the material degradation process. In this work, the tribocorrosion performance of the metallic biomaterials with different surface modifications was studied in the simulated body fluid for the purpose of investigating the effect of the surface treatments on the tribocorrosion performance and eventually finding the most suitable implantation materials. The metals were subjected to surface modifications by plasma nitriding in different treatment temperatures or physical vapor deposition (PVD) to produce diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, respectively. The dry wear and tribocorrosion properties of the samples were evaluated by using a reciprocating ball-on-disc tribometer equipped with an electrochemical cell. Prior to the tribocorrosion tests, their electrochemical behavior was measured by the potentiodynamic polarization in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution at room temperature. Both stainless steel and CoCrMo after low temperature nitriding kept their passive nature by forming an expanded austenite phase. The DLC coated samples presented the low anodic corrosion current due to the chemical inertness of the carbon layer. During the tribocorrosion tests at open circuit potential, the untreated and low temperature nitrided samples exhibited significant potential drop towards the cathodic direction, which was a result of the worn out of the passive film. Galvanic coupling was established between the depassivated (worn) area and the still passive (unworn) area, making the materials suffered from wear-accelerated corrosion. The DLC coating performed as a solid lubricant in both dry wear and tribocorrosion tests, and the resulting wear after the tests was almost negligible. Copyright

  1. Synthesis of IV-VI Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles Using a Reactive Mesoporous Template for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    KAUST Repository

    Alhajri, Nawal Saad

    2016-01-01

    Interstitial carbides and nitrides of early transition metals in Groups IV-VI exhibit platinum-like behavior which makes them a promising candidate to replace noble metals in a wide variety of reactions. Most synthetic methods used to prepare

  2. Process for producing ceramic nitrides anc carbonitrides and their precursors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, G.M.; Maya, L.

    1987-02-25

    A process for preparing ceramic nitrides and carbon nitrides in the form of very pure, fine particulate powder. Appropriate precursors is prepared by reaching a transition metal alkylamide with ammonia to produce a mixture of metal amide and metal imide in the form of an easily pyrolyzable precipitate.

  3. Leachability of nitrided ilmenite in hydrochloric acid

    OpenAIRE

    Swanepoel, J.J.; van Vuuren, D.S.; Heydenrych, M.

    2011-01-01

    Titanium nitride in upgraded nitrided ilmenite (bulk of iron removed) can selectively be chlorinated to produce titanium tetrachloride. Except for iron, most other components present during this low temperature (ca. 200°C) chlorination reaction will not react with chlorine. It is therefore necessary to remove as much iron as possible from the nitrided ilmenite. Hydrochloric acid leaching is a possible process route to remove metallic iron from nitrided ilmenite without excessive dissolution o...

  4. The passivation of uranium metal surfaces by nitrogen bombardment — the formation of uranium nitride

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Geoffrey C.; Holmes, Nigel R.

    1988-05-01

    As part of a detailed investigation of the behaviour of metallic uranium in various atmospheres, we have examined the reaction between nitrogen gas and uranium metal. At room temperature there was no evidence of reaction between nitrogen gas and a clean metal surface; the only changes observed could be attributed to reaction between the metal and traces of oxygen (less than 0.1 ppm) in the nitrogen gas. Reaction between the metal and nitrogen was induced, however, by accelerating nitrogen towards the surface using a fast atom gun. The resulting nitrided surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and its oxidation behaviour was monitored over an extended period in UHV and in air.

  5. Synthesis of Binary Transition Metal Nitrides, Carbides and Borides from the Elements in the Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell and Their Structure-Property Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lkhamsuren Bayarjargal

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides have a high potential for industrial applications as they not only have a high melting point but are generally harder and less compressible than the pure metals. Here we summarize recent advances in the synthesis of binary transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides focusing on the reaction of the elements at extreme conditions generated within the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. The current knowledge of their structures and high-pressure properties like high-(p; T stability, compressibility and hardness is described as obtained from experiments.

  6. Synthesis of Binary Transition Metal Nitrides, Carbides and Borides from the Elements in the Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell and Their Structure-Property Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, Alexandra; Winkler, Björn; Juarez-Arellano, Erick A.; Bayarjargal, Lkhamsuren

    2011-01-01

    Transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides have a high potential for industrial applications as they not only have a high melting point but are generally harder and less compressible than the pure metals. Here we summarize recent advances in the synthesis of binary transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides focusing on the reaction of the elements at extreme conditions generated within the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. The current knowledge of their structures and high-pressure properties like high-(p,T) stability, compressibility and hardness is described as obtained from experiments. PMID:28824101

  7. Iron Carbides and Nitrides: Ancient Materials with Novel Prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Zhantong; Zhang, Peng; Lei, Xiang; Wang, Xiaobai; Zhao, Nan; Yang, Hua

    2018-02-07

    Iron carbides and nitrides have aroused great interest in researchers, due to their excellent magnetic properties, good machinability and the particular catalytic activity. Based on these advantages, iron carbides and nitrides can be applied in various areas such as magnetic materials, biomedical, photo- and electrocatalysis. In contrast to their simple elemental composition, the synthesis of iron carbides and nitrides still has great challenges, particularly at the nanoscale, but it is usually beneficial to improve performance in corresponding applications. In this review, we introduce the investigations about iron carbides and nitrides, concerning their structure, synthesis strategy and various applications from magnetism to the catalysis. Furthermore, the future prospects are also discussed briefly. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Effects of radiation and temperature on gallium nitride (GaN) metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet photodetectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiamori, Heather C.; Angadi, Chetan; Suria, Ateeq; Shankar, Ashwin; Hou, Minmin; Bhattacharya, Sharmila; Senesky, Debbie G.

    2014-06-01

    The development of radiation-hardened, temperature-tolerant materials, sensors and electronics will enable lightweight space sub-systems (reduced packaging requirements) with increased operation lifetimes in extreme harsh environments such as those encountered during space exploration. Gallium nitride (GaN) is a ceramic, semiconductor material stable within high-radiation, high-temperature and chemically corrosive environments due to its wide bandgap (3.4 eV). These material properties can be leveraged for ultraviolet (UV) wavelength photodetection. In this paper, current results of GaN metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) UV photodetectors behavior after irradiation up to 50 krad and temperatures of 15°C to 150°C is presented. These initial results indicate that GaN-based sensors can provide robust operation within extreme harsh environments. Future directions for GaN-based photodetector technology for down-hole, automotive and space exploration applications are also discussed.

  9. Metal nitride cluster as a template to tune the electronic and magnetic properties of rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yang

    2013-01-01

    Rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes have attracted much attention due to the feasibility of encaging metal atom, atoms or cluster inside of carbon cages. By switching the metal atom or cluster entrapped inside of the carbon cage the physical and chemical properties of the fullerene compounds can be tuned. The understanding of magnetic and electrochemical properties of endohedral fullerenes plays an essential role in fundamental scientific researches and potential applications in materials science. In this thesis, synthesizing novel rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerene structures, studying the properties of these isolated endohedral fullerenes and the strategies of tuning the electronic and magnetic properties of endohedral fullerenes were introduced. The DC-arc discharging synthesis of different lanthanide metal-based (Ho, Ce and Pr) mixed metal nitride clusterfullerenes was achieved. Those rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes were isolated by multi-step HPLC. The isolated samples were characterized by spectroscopic techniques included UV-vis-NIR, FTIR, Raman, LDI-TOF mass spectrometry, NMR and electrochemistry. The Ho-based mixed metal nitride clusterfullerenes Ho x M 3-x N rate at C 80 (M= Sc, Lu, Y; x=1, 2) were synthesized by ''reactive gas atmosphere'' method or ''selective organic solid'' route. The isolated samples were characterized by LDI-TOF mass spectrometry, UV-vis-NIR, FTIR, Raman and NMR spectroscopy. The 13 C NMR spectroscopic studies demonstrated exceptional NMR behaviors that resulted from switching the second metal inside of the mixed metal nitride cluster Ho x M 3-x N from Sc to Lu and further to Y. The LnSc 2 N rate at C 80 (Ln= Ce, Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Lu) MMNCFs were characterized by 13 C and 45 Sc NMR study respectively. According to Bleaney's theory and Reilley method, the separation of δ PC and δ con from δ para was achieved by the primary 13 C and 45 Sc NMR analysis of LnSc 2 N rate at C 80 (I). The

  10. Raman Enhancement and Photo-Bleaching of Organic Dyes in the Presence of Chemical Vapor Deposition-Grown Graphene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaxin Weng

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescent organic dyes photobleach under intense light. Graphene has been shown to improve the photo-stability of organic dyes. In this paper, we investigated the Raman spectroscopy and photo-bleaching kinetics of dyes in the absence/presence of chemical vapor deposition (CVD-grown graphene. We show that graphene enhances the Raman signal of a wide range of dyes. The photo-bleaching of the dyes was reduced when the dyes were in contact with graphene. In contrast, monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN was much less effective in reducing the photo-bleaching rate of the dyes. We attribute the suppression of photo-bleaching to the energy or electron transfer from dye to graphene. The results highlight the potential of CVD graphene as a substrate for protecting and enhancing Raman response of organic dyes.

  11. Direct comparison of the electrical properties in metal/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon and metal/aluminum oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon capacitors with equivalent oxide thicknesses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    An, Ho-Myoung; Seo, Yu Jeong; Kim, Hee Dong; Kim, Kyoung Chan; Kim, Jong-Guk [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Won-Ju; Koh, Jung-Hyuk [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Sung, Yun Mo [Department of Materials and Science Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.k [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-07-31

    We examine the electrical properties of metal/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon (MONOS) capacitors with two different blocking oxides, SiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, under the influence of the same electric field. The thickness of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer is set to 150 A, which is electrically equivalent to a thickness of the SiO{sub 2} layer of 65 A, in the MONOS structure for this purpose. The capacitor with the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} blocking layer shows a larger capacitance-voltage memory window of 8.6 V, lower program voltage of 7 V, faster program/erase speeds of 10 ms/1 {mu}s, lower leakage current of 100 pA and longer data retention than the one with the SiO{sub 2} blocking layer does. These improvements are attributed to the suppression of the carrier transport to the gate electrode afforded by the use of an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} blocking layer physically thicker than the SiO{sub 2} one, as well as the effective charge-trapping by Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} at the deep energy levels in the nitride layer.

  12. Effect of alloying on elastic properties of ZrN based transition metal nitride alloys

    KAUST Repository

    Kanoun, Mohammed; Goumri-Said, Souraya

    2014-01-01

    We report the effect of composition and metal sublattice substitutional element on the structural, elastic and electronic properties of ternary transition metal nitrides Zr1-xMxN with M=Al, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, W and Mo. The analysis of the elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio provides insights regarding the mechanical behavior of Zr1-xMxN. We predict that ternary alloys are more ductile compared to their parent binary compounds. The revealed trend in the mechanical behavior might help for experimentalists on the ability of tuning the mechanical properties during the alloying process by varying the concentration of the transition metal. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

  13. Effect of alloying on elastic properties of ZrN based transition metal nitride alloys

    KAUST Repository

    Kanoun, Mohammed

    2014-09-01

    We report the effect of composition and metal sublattice substitutional element on the structural, elastic and electronic properties of ternary transition metal nitrides Zr1-xMxN with M=Al, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, W and Mo. The analysis of the elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young\\'s modulus, and Poisson\\'s ratio provides insights regarding the mechanical behavior of Zr1-xMxN. We predict that ternary alloys are more ductile compared to their parent binary compounds. The revealed trend in the mechanical behavior might help for experimentalists on the ability of tuning the mechanical properties during the alloying process by varying the concentration of the transition metal. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

  14. Toward an Aqueous Solar Battery: Direct Electrochemical Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitrides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podjaski, Filip; Kröger, Julia; Lotsch, Bettina V

    2018-03-01

    Graphitic carbon nitrides have emerged as an earth-abundant family of polymeric materials for solar energy conversion. Herein, a 2D cyanamide-functionalized polyheptazine imide (NCN-PHI) is reported, which for the first time enables the synergistic coupling of two key functions of energy conversion within one single material: light harvesting and electrical energy storage. Photo-electrochemical measurements in aqueous electrolytes reveal the underlying mechanism of this "solar battery" material: the charge storage in NCN-PHI is based on the photoreduction of the carbon nitride backbone and charge compensation is realized by adsorption of alkali metal ions within the NCN-PHI layers and at the solution interface. The photoreduced carbon nitride can thus be described as a battery anode operating as a pseudocapacitor, which can store light-induced charge in the form of long-lived, "trapped" electrons for hours. Importantly, the potential window of this process is not limited by the water reduction reaction due to the high intrinsic overpotential of carbon nitrides for hydrogen evolution, potentially enabling new applications for aqueous batteries. Thus, the feasibility of light-induced electrical energy storage and release on demand by a one-component light-charged battery anode is demonstrated, which provides a sustainable solution to overcome the intermittency of solar radiation. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Isolation and characterization of a uranium(VI)-nitride triple bond

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, David M.; Tuna, Floriana; McInnes, Eric J. L.; McMaster, Jonathan; Lewis, William; Blake, Alexander J.; Liddle, Stephen T.

    2013-06-01

    The nature and extent of covalency in uranium bonding is still unclear compared with that of transition metals, and there is great interest in studying uranium-ligand multiple bonds. Although U=O and U=NR double bonds (where R is an alkyl group) are well-known analogues to transition-metal oxo and imido complexes, the uranium(VI)-nitride triple bond has long remained a synthetic target in actinide chemistry. Here, we report the preparation of a uranium(VI)-nitride triple bond. We highlight the importance of (1) ancillary ligand design, (2) employing mild redox reactions instead of harsh photochemical methods that decompose transiently formed uranium(VI) nitrides, (3) an electrostatically stabilizing sodium ion during nitride installation, (4) selecting the right sodium sequestering reagent, (5) inner versus outer sphere oxidation and (6) stability with respect to the uranium oxidation state. Computational analyses suggest covalent contributions to U≡N triple bonds that are surprisingly comparable to those of their group 6 transition-metal nitride counterparts.

  16. Metal nitride cluster as a template to tune the electronic and magnetic properties of rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yang

    2013-10-16

    Rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes have attracted much attention due to the feasibility of encaging metal atom, atoms or cluster inside of carbon cages. By switching the metal atom or cluster entrapped inside of the carbon cage the physical and chemical properties of the fullerene compounds can be tuned. The understanding of magnetic and electrochemical properties of endohedral fullerenes plays an essential role in fundamental scientific researches and potential applications in materials science. In this thesis, synthesizing novel rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerene structures, studying the properties of these isolated endohedral fullerenes and the strategies of tuning the electronic and magnetic properties of endohedral fullerenes were introduced. The DC-arc discharging synthesis of different lanthanide metal-based (Ho, Ce and Pr) mixed metal nitride clusterfullerenes was achieved. Those rare-earth metal containing endohedral fullerenes were isolated by multi-step HPLC. The isolated samples were characterized by spectroscopic techniques included UV-vis-NIR, FTIR, Raman, LDI-TOF mass spectrometry, NMR and electrochemistry. The Ho-based mixed metal nitride clusterfullerenes Ho{sub x}M{sub 3-x}N rate at C{sub 80} (M= Sc, Lu, Y; x=1, 2) were synthesized by ''reactive gas atmosphere'' method or ''selective organic solid'' route. The isolated samples were characterized by LDI-TOF mass spectrometry, UV-vis-NIR, FTIR, Raman and NMR spectroscopy. The {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopic studies demonstrated exceptional NMR behaviors that resulted from switching the second metal inside of the mixed metal nitride cluster Ho{sub x}M{sub 3-x}N from Sc to Lu and further to Y. The LnSc{sub 2}N rate at C{sub 80} (Ln= Ce, Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Lu) MMNCFs were characterized by {sup 13}C and {sup 45}Sc NMR study respectively. According to Bleaney's theory and Reilley method, the separation of δ{sup PC} and δ{sup con

  17. Reaction factors for photo-electrochemical deposition of metal silver on polypyrrole as conducting polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawakita, Jin; Boter, Jelmer M.; Shova, Neupane; Fujihira, Hiroshi; Chikyow, Toyohiro

    2015-01-01

    Composite of metal and conducting polymer is expected for electrical application by the use of their advantages. For improvement of the composite’s characteristics, it is important to control formation rate and structure of the composites obtained by simultaneous metal deposition and polymerization under photo irradiation. The purpose of this research was to reveal the effects of UV irradiation and dopant type for conducting polymer on photo-electrochemical deposition of metal. Cathodic polarization curves for silver deposition on polypyrrole doped with different types of anion at different intensity of the UV light were compared. Deposited particles were evaluated by the statistical analysis. The experimental results showed that silver deposition on polypyrrole was enhanced by UV introduction and depended on the dopant type.

  18. Synthesis of hexagonal boron nitride with the presence of representative metals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Budak, Erhan, E-mail: erhan@ibu.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Art and Science, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu 14280 (Turkey); Bozkurt, Cetin [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Art and Science, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu 14280 (Turkey)

    2010-11-15

    Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) samples were prepared using the modified O'Connor method with KNO{sub 3} and Ca(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} at different temperatures (1050, 1250, and 1450 deg. C). The samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques. Usage of representative metals exhibited a positive effect on the crystallization of h-BN and they caused the formation of nano-scale products at relatively low temperature. XRD results indicated that there was an increase in interlayer spacing due to the d-{pi} interaction. The calculated lattice constants were very close to the reported value for h-BN.

  19. Simultaneous Patterning of Independent Metal/Metal Oxide Multi-Layer Films Using Two-Tone Photo-Acid Generating Compound Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hideo Honma

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available (1 The photo-induced solubility and positive-tone direct photo-patterning of iron, copper and lanthanides chelated with 4-(2-nitrobenzyloxycarbonylcatechol (NBOC or 4-(6-nitroveratryloxycarbonylcatechol (NVOC was investigated. Photo-patterning of iron, copper, cerium, samarium, europium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium and lutetium complexes was accomplished. Continuous films were formed by the pyrolysis of metal complex films at 500 °C. (2 Based on the difference in the photo-reaction excitation wavelength profile of NBOC and NVOC complexes, a short and simple method for simultaneous micro-patterning of two independent films on each side of a transparent glass substrate was developed. Using the developed procedure, indium tin oxide and/or titanium oxide films were formed on each side of a quartz substrate without use of resist or etching.

  20. Method of activating an article of passive ferrous or non-ferrous metal prior to carburising, nitriding and /or nitrocarburising

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2011-01-01

    Source: US2012111456A A method of activating an article of passive ferrous or non-ferrous metal by heating at least one compound containing nitrogen and carbon, wherein the article is treated with gaseous species derived from the compound. The activated article can be subsequently carburised......, nitrided or nitrocarburised in shorter time at lower temperature and resulting superior mechanical properties compared with non-activated articles and even articles of stainless steel, nickel alloy, cobalt alloy or titanium based material can be carburised, nitrided or nitrocarburised....

  1. Rocksalt nitride metal/semiconductor superlattices: A new class of artificially structured materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, Bivas; Shakouri, Ali; Sands, Timothy D.

    2018-06-01

    Artificially structured materials in the form of superlattice heterostructures enable the search for exotic new physics and novel device functionalities, and serve as tools to push the fundamentals of scientific and engineering knowledge. Semiconductor heterostructures are the most celebrated and widely studied artificially structured materials, having led to the development of quantum well lasers, quantum cascade lasers, measurements of the fractional quantum Hall effect, and numerous other scientific concepts and practical device technologies. However, combining metals with semiconductors at the atomic scale to develop metal/semiconductor superlattices and heterostructures has remained a profoundly difficult scientific and engineering challenge. Though the potential applications of metal/semiconductor heterostructures could range from energy conversion to photonic computing to high-temperature electronics, materials challenges primarily had severely limited progress in this pursuit until very recently. In this article, we detail the progress that has taken place over the last decade to overcome the materials engineering challenges to grow high quality epitaxial, nominally single crystalline metal/semiconductor superlattices based on transition metal nitrides (TMN). The epitaxial rocksalt TiN/(Al,Sc)N metamaterials are the first pseudomorphic metal/semiconductor superlattices to the best of our knowledge, and their physical properties promise a new era in superlattice physics and device engineering.

  2. Lattice dynamics and electron/phonon interactions in epitaxial transition-metal nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Antonio Rodolph Bighetti

    Transition metal (TM) nitrides, due to their unique combination of remarkable physical properties and simple NaCl structure, are presently utilized in a broad range of applications and as model systems in the investigation of complex phenomena. Group-IVB nitrides TiN, ZrN, and HfN have transport properties which include superconductivity and high electrical conductivity; consequentially, they have become technologically important as electrodes and contacts in the semiconducting and superconducting industries. The Group-VB nitride VN, which exhibits enhanced ductility, is a fundamental component in superhard and tough nanostructured hard coatings. In this thesis, I investigate the lattice dynamics responsible for controlling superconductivity and electrical conductivities in Group-IVB nitrides and elasticity and structural stability of the NaCl-structure Group-VB nitride VN. Our group has already synthesized high-quality epitaxial TiN, HfN, and CeN layers on MgO(001) substrates. By irradiating the growth surface with high ion fluxes at energies below the bulk lattice-atom displacement threshold, dense epitaxial single crystal TM nitride films with extremely smooth surfaces have been grown using ultra-high vacuum magnetically-unbalanced magnetron sputter deposition. Using this approach, I completed the Group-IVB nitride series by growing epitaxial ZrN/MgO(001) films and then grew Group-VB nitride VN films epitaxially on MgO(001), MgO(011), and MgO(111). The combination of high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) reciprocal lattice maps (RLMs), high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HR-XTEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) show that single-crystal stoichiometric ZrN films grown at 450 °C are epitaxially oriented cube-on-cube with respect to their MgO(001) substrates, (001) ZrN||(001)MgO and [100]ZrN||[100]MgO. The layers are essentially fully relaxed with a lattice parameter of 0.4575 nm. X-ray reflectivity results reveal that

  3. Large patternable metal nanoparticle sheets by photo/e-beam lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Noboru; Wang, Pangpang; Okamoto, Koichi; Ryuzaki, Sou; Tamada, Kaoru

    2017-10-01

    Techniques for micro/nano-scale patterning of large metal nanoparticle sheets can potentially be used to realize high-performance photoelectronic devices because the sheets provide greatly enhanced electrical fields around the nanoparticles due to localized surface plasmon resonances. However, no single metal nanoparticle sheet currently exists with sufficient durability for conventional lithographical processes. Here, we report large photo and/or e-beam lithographic patternable metal nanoparticle sheets with improved durability by incorporating molecular cross-linked structures between nanoparticles. The cross-linked structures were easily formed by a one-step chemical reaction; immersing a single nanoparticle sheet consisting of core metals, to which capping molecules ionically bond, in a dithiol ethanol solution. The ligand exchange reaction processes were discussed in detail, and we demonstrated 20 μm wide line and space patterns, and a 170 nm wide line of the silver nanoparticle sheets.

  4. Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy of transition metal oxides: Bulk compounds and device-ready metal-oxide interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borgatti, F.; Torelli, P.; Panaccione, G.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) applied to buried interfaces of systems involving Transition Metal Oxides. • Enhanced contribution of the s states at high kinetic energies both for valence and core level spectra. • Sensitivity to chemical changes promoted by electric field across metal-oxide interfaces in resistive switching devices. - Abstract: Photoelectron spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tool to unravel the electronic structure of strongly correlated materials also thanks to the extremely large dynamic range in energy, coupled to high energy resolution that this form of spectroscopy covers. The kinetic energy range typically used for photoelectron experiments corresponds often to a strong surface sensitivity, and this turns out to be a disadvantage for the study of transition metal oxides, systems where structural and electronic reconstruction, different oxidation state, and electronic correlation may significantly vary at the surface. We report here selected Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) results from transition metal oxides, and from buried interfaces, where we highlight some of the important features that such bulk sensitive technique brings in the analysis of electronic properties of the solids.

  5. Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy of transition metal oxides: Bulk compounds and device-ready metal-oxide interfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borgatti, F., E-mail: francesco.borgatti@cnr.it [Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna I-40129 (Italy); Torelli, P.; Panaccione, G. [Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM)-CNR, Laboratorio TASC, Area Science Park, Trieste I-34149 (Italy)

    2016-04-15

    Highlights: • Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) applied to buried interfaces of systems involving Transition Metal Oxides. • Enhanced contribution of the s states at high kinetic energies both for valence and core level spectra. • Sensitivity to chemical changes promoted by electric field across metal-oxide interfaces in resistive switching devices. - Abstract: Photoelectron spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tool to unravel the electronic structure of strongly correlated materials also thanks to the extremely large dynamic range in energy, coupled to high energy resolution that this form of spectroscopy covers. The kinetic energy range typically used for photoelectron experiments corresponds often to a strong surface sensitivity, and this turns out to be a disadvantage for the study of transition metal oxides, systems where structural and electronic reconstruction, different oxidation state, and electronic correlation may significantly vary at the surface. We report here selected Hard X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) results from transition metal oxides, and from buried interfaces, where we highlight some of the important features that such bulk sensitive technique brings in the analysis of electronic properties of the solids.

  6. Nitriding behavior of Ni and Ni-based binary alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fonovic, Matej

    2015-01-15

    Gaseous nitriding is a prominent thermochemical surface treatment process which can improve various properties of metallic materials such as mechanical, tribological and/or corrosion properties. This process is predominantly performed by applying NH{sub 3}+H{sub 2} containing gas atmospheres serving as the nitrogen donating medium at temperatures between 673 K and 873 K (400 C and 600 C). NH{sub 3} decomposes at the surface of the metallic specimen and nitrogen diffuses into the surface adjacent region of the specimen whereas hydrogen remains in the gas atmosphere. One of the most important parameters characterizing a gaseous nitriding process is the so-called nitriding potential (r{sub N}) which determines the chemical potential of nitrogen provided by the gas phase. The nitriding potential is defined as r{sub N} = p{sub NH{sub 3}}/p{sub H{sub 2}{sup 3/2}} where p{sub NH{sub 3}} and p{sub H{sub 2}} are the partial pressures of the NH{sub 3} and H{sub 2} in the nitriding atmosphere. In contrast with nitriding of α-Fe where the nitriding potential is usually in the range between 0.01 and 1 atm{sup -1/2}, nitriding of Ni and Ni-based alloys requires employing nitriding potentials higher than 100 atm{sup -1/2} and even up to ∞ (nitriding in pure NH{sub 3} atmosphere). This behavior is compatible with decreased thermodynamic stability of the 3d-metal nitrides with increasing atomic number. Depending on the nitriding conditions (temperature, nitriding potential and treatment time), different phases are formed at the surface of the Ni-based alloys. By applying very high nitriding potential, formation of hexagonal Ni{sub 3}N at the surface of the specimen (known as external nitriding) leads to the development of a compound layer, which may improve tribological properties. Underneath the Ni{sub 3}N compound layer, two possibilities exist: (i) alloying element precipitation within the nitrided zone (known as internal nitriding) and/or (ii) development of metastable and

  7. Light-matter Interactions in Semiconductors and Metals: From Nitride Optoelectronics to Quantum Plasmonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narang, Prineha

    This thesis puts forth a theory-directed approach coupled with spectroscopy aimed at the discovery and understanding of light-matter interactions in semiconductors and metals. The first part of the thesis presents the discovery and development of Zn-IV nitride materials. The commercial prominence in the optoelectronics industry of tunable semiconductor alloy materials based on nitride semiconductor devices, specifically InGaN, motivates the search for earth-abundant alternatives for use in efficient, high-quality optoelectronic devices. II-IV-N2 compounds, which are closely related to the wurtzite-structured III-N semiconductors, have similar electronic and optical properties to InGaN namely direct band gaps, high quantum efficiencies and large optical absorption coefficients. The choice of different group II and group IV elements provides chemical diversity that can be exploited to tune the structural and electronic properties through the series of alloys. The first theoretical and experimental investigation of the ZnSnxGe1--xN2 series as a replacement for III-nitrides is discussed here. The second half of the thesis shows ab-initio calculations for surface plasmons and plasmonic hot carrier dynamics. Surface plasmons, electromagnetic modes confined to the surface of a conductor-dielectric interface, have sparked renewed interest because of their quantum nature and their broad range of applications. The decay of surface plasmons is usually a detriment in the field of plasmonics, but the possibility to capture the energy normally lost to heat would open new opportunities in photon sensors, energy conversion devices and switching. A theoretical understanding of plasmon-driven hot carrier generation and relaxation dynamics in the ultrafast regime is presented here. Additionally calculations for plasmon-mediated upconversion as well as an energy-dependent transport model for these non-equilibrium carriers are shown. Finally, this thesis gives an outlook on the

  8. Plasmonic spectral tunability of conductive ternary nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kassavetis, S.; Patsalas, P., E-mail: ppats@physics.auth.gr [Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Bellas, D. V.; Lidorikis, E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR-45110 Ioannina (Greece); Abadias, G. [Institut Pprime, Département Physique et Mécanique des Matériaux, Université de Poitiers-CNRS-ENSMA, 86962 Chasseneuil-Futuroscope (France)

    2016-06-27

    Conductive binary transition metal nitrides, such as TiN and ZrN, have emerged as a category of promising alternative plasmonic materials. In this work, we show that ternary transition metal nitrides such as Ti{sub x}Ta{sub 1−x}N, Ti{sub x}Zr{sub 1−x}N, Ti{sub x}Al{sub 1−x}N, and Zr{sub x}Ta{sub 1−x}N share the important plasmonic features with their binary counterparts, while having the additional asset of the exceptional spectral tunability in the entire visible (400–700 nm) and UVA (315–400 nm) spectral ranges depending on their net valence electrons. In particular, we demonstrate that such ternary nitrides can exhibit maximum field enhancement factors comparable with gold in the aforementioned broadband range. We also critically evaluate the structural features that affect the quality factor of the plasmon resonance and we provide rules of thumb for the selection and growth of materials for nitride plasmonics.

  9. Comparative sodium void effects for different advanced liquid metal reactor fuel and core designs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobbin, K.D.; Kessler, S.F.; Nelson, J.V.; Gedeon, S.R.; Omberg, R.P.

    1991-01-01

    An analysis of metal-, oxide-, and nitride-fueled advanced liquid metal reactor cores was performed to investigate the calculated differences in sodium void reactivity, and to determine the relationship between sodium void reactivity and burnup reactivity swing using the three fuel types. The results of this analysis indicate that nitride fuel has the least positive sodium void reactivity for any given burnup reactivity swing. Thus, it appears that a good design compromise between transient overpower and loss of flow response is obtained using nitride fuel. Additional studies were made to understand these and other nitride advantages. (author)

  10. Dynamic properties of a metal photo-thermal micro-actuator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, B; Zhang, H J; Wang, B; Yi, F T; Jiang, J Z; Zhang, D X

    2015-02-20

    This work presents the design, modeling, simulation, and characterization of a metal bent-beam photo-thermal micro-actuator. The mechanism of actuation is based on the thermal expansion of the micro-actuator which is irradiated by a laser, achieving noncontact control of the power supply. Models for micro-actuators were established and finite-element simulations were carried out to investigate the effects of various parameters on actuation properties. It is found that the thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity, and the geometry size largely affected actuation behavior whereas heat capacity, density, and Young's modulus did not. Experiments demonstrated the dynamic properties of a Ni micro-actuator fabricated via LIGA technology with 1100/30/100 μm (long/wide/thick) arms. The tip displacement of the micro-actuator could achieve up to 42 μm driven by a laser beam (1064 nm wavelength, 1.2 W power, and a driving frequency of 1 HZ). It is found that the tip displacement decreases with increasing laser driving frequency. For 8 Hz driving frequency, 17 μm (peak-valley value) can be still reached, which is large enough for the application as micro-electro-mechanical systems. Metal photo-thermal micro actuators have advantages such as large displacement, simple structure, and large temperature tolerance, and therefore they will be promising in the fields of micro/nanotechnology.

  11. Exploring electrolyte preference of vanadium nitride supercapacitor electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Bo; Chen, Zhaohui; Lu, Gang [Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Wang, Tianhu [School of Electrical Information and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001 (China); Ge, Yunwang, E-mail: ywgelit@126.com [Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China)

    2016-04-15

    Highlights: • Hierarchical VN nanostructures were prepared on graphite foam. • Electrolyte preference of VN supercapacitor electrodes was explored. • VN showed better capacitive property in organic and alkaline electrolytes than LiCl. - Abstract: Vanadium nitride hierarchical nanostructures were prepared through an ammonia annealing procedure utilizing vanadium pentoxide nanostructures grown on graphite foam. The electrochemical properties of hierarchical vanadium nitride was tested in aqueous and organic electrolytes. As a result, the vanadium nitride showed better capacitive energy storage property in organic and alkaline electrolytes. This work provides insight into the charge storage process of vanadium nitride and our findings can shed light on other transition metal nitride-based electrochemical energy storage systems.

  12. III-Nitride Membranes for Thermal Bio-Sensing and Solar Hydrogen Generation

    KAUST Repository

    Elafandy, Rami T.

    2017-01-01

    demonstrate the versatility of III-nitride membranes where we develop a thermal bio-sensor nanomembrane and solar energy photo-anode membrane. First, we present a novel preparation technique of nanomembranes with new characteristics; having no threading

  13. Water-dispersed thermo-responsive boron nitride nanotubes: synthesis and properties

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kalay, S.; Stetsyshyn, Y.; Lobaz, Volodymyr; Harhay, K.; Ohar, H.; Ҫulha, M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 27, č. 3 (2016), 035703_1-035703_8 ISSN 0957-4484 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-08336S; GA MPO(CZ) FR-TI4/625 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : boron nitride nanotubes * thermo-responsive polymer brushes * poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 3.440, year: 2016

  14. An Affect-Responsive Interactive Photo Frame

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dibeklioğlu, H.; Kosunen, I.; Ortega Hortas, M.; Salah, A.A.; Zuzánek, P.; Salah, A.A.; Gevers, T.

    2010-01-01

    We develop an interactive photo-frame system in which a series of videos of a single person are automatically segmented and a response logic is derived to interact with the user in real-time. The system is composed of five modules. The first module analyzes the uploaded videos and prepares segments

  15. Relative SHG measurements of metal thin films: Gold, silver, aluminum, cobalt, chromium, germanium, nickel, antimony, titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, zinc, silicon and indium tin oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franklin Che

    Full Text Available We have experimentally measured the surface second-harmonic generation (SHG of sputtered gold, silver, aluminum, zinc, tungsten, copper, titanium, cobalt, nickel, chromium, germanium, antimony, titanium nitride, silicon and indium tin oxide thin films. The second-harmonic response was measured in reflection using a 150 fs p-polarized laser pulse at 1561 nm. We present a clear comparison of the SHG intensity of these films relative to each other. Our measured relative intensities compare favorably with the relative intensities of metals with published data. We also report for the first time to our knowledge the surface SHG intensity of tungsten and antimony relative to that of well known metallic thin films such as gold and silver. Keywords: Surface second-harmonic generation, Nonlinear optics, Metal thin films

  16. The influence of metal Mg on micro-morphology and crystallinity of spherical hexagonal boron nitride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ning, E-mail: zhangning5832@163.com; Liu, Huan; Kan, Hongmin; Wang, Xiaoyang; Long, Haibo; Zhou, Yonghui

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • The action mechanism of Mg to the synthesis of spherical BN was explored. • The influence of Mg content on the crystallinity of h-BN powders was studied. • Even if not added any template, the spherical h-BN could be prepared. - Abstract: This search used the boric acid and borax as a source of boron, urea as a nitrogen source, Mg as metal catalyst, and thus prepared different micro-morphology and crystallinity hexagonal boron nitride powders under a flowing ammonia atmosphere at a nitriding temperature of 750 °C. The effect of Mg content on the crystallinity and micro-morphology of hexagonal boron nitride powders was studied, and the Mg action mechanism was explored. Without the added surfactant, the graphitization index (GI) was 6.87, and the diameter of the spherical h-BN was bigger. When the added Mg were 0.1 g, 0.3 g, 0.5 g and 0.7 g, the (GI) decreased to 6.04, 5.67, 4.62 and 4.84, respectively. When the Mg content was higher (0.9 g), GI value increased rapidly, and the crystallinity became bad. When the Mg content was 0.5 g, the dispersion of h-BN powders was at its optimum and refinement apparently, and the crystallinity at its highest.

  17. High voltage photo switch package module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, James S; Sanders, David M; Hawkins, Steven A; Sampayan, Stephen E

    2014-02-18

    A photo-conductive switch package module having a photo-conductive substrate or wafer with opposing electrode-interface surfaces, and at least one light-input surface. First metallic layers are formed on the electrode-interface surfaces, and one or more optical waveguides having input and output ends are bonded to the substrate so that the output end of each waveguide is bonded to a corresponding one of the light-input surfaces of the photo-conductive substrate. This forms a waveguide-substrate interface for coupling light into the photo-conductive wafer. A dielectric material such as epoxy is then used to encapsulate the photo-conductive substrate and optical waveguide so that only the metallic layers and the input end of the optical waveguide are exposed. Second metallic layers are then formed on the first metallic layers so that the waveguide-substrate interface is positioned under the second metallic layers.

  18. Probing the structural dependency of photoinduced properties of colloidal quantum dots using metal-oxide photo-active substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patty, Kira; Campbell, Quinn; Hamilton, Nathan; West, Robert G.; Sadeghi, Seyed M.; Mao, Chuanbin

    2014-01-01

    We used photoactive substrates consisting of about 1 nm coating of a metal oxide on glass substrates to investigate the impact of the structures of colloidal quantum dots on their photophysical and photochemical properties. We showed during irradiation these substrates can interact uniquely with such quantum dots, inducing distinct forms of photo-induced processes when they have different cores, shells, or ligands. In particular, our results showed that for certain types of core-shell quantum dot structures an ultrathin layer of a metal oxide can reduce suppression of quantum efficiency of the quantum dots happening when they undergo extensive photo-oxidation. This suggests the possibility of shrinking the sizes of quantum dots without significant enhancement of their non-radiative decay rates. We show that such quantum dots are not influenced significantly by Coulomb blockade or photoionization, while those without a shell can undergo a large amount of photo-induced fluorescence enhancement via such blockade when they are in touch with the metal oxide.

  19. Safety performance comparation of MOX, nitride and metallic fuel based 25-100 MWe Pb-Bi cooled long life fast reactors without on-site refuelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su'ud, Zaki

    2008-01-01

    In this paper the safety performance of 25-100 MWe Pb-Bi cooled long life fast reactors based on three types of fuels: MOX, nitride and metal is compared and discussed. In the fourth generation NPP paradigm, especially for Pb-Bi cooled fast reactors, inherent safety capability is necessary against some standard accidents such as unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), unprotected rod run-out transient over power (UTOP), unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS). Selection of fuel type will have important impact on the overall system safety performance. The results of safety analysis of long life Pb-Bi cooled fast reactors without on-site fuelling using nitride, MOX and metal fuel have been performed. The reactors show the inherent safety pattern with enough safety margins during ULOF and UTOP accidents. For MOX fuelled reactors, ULOF accident is more severe than UTOP accident while for nitride fuelled cores UTOP accident may push power much higher than that comparable MOX fuelled cores. (author)

  20. Chemical vapor deposition of refractory ternary nitrides for advanced diffusion barriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Custer, Jonathan S.; Fleming, James G.; Roherty-Osmun, Elizabeth; Smith, Paul Martin

    1998-09-22

    Refractory ternary nitride films for diffusion barriers in microelectronics have been grown using chemical vapor deposition. Thin films of titanium-silicon-nitride, tungsten-boron-nitride, and tungsten-silicon-nitride of various compositions have been deposited on 150 mm Si wafers. The microstructure of the films are either fully amorphous for the tungsten based films, or nauocrystalline TiN in an amorphous matrix for titanium-silicon-nitride. All films exhibit step coverages suitable for use in future microelectronics generations. Selected films have been tested as diffusion barriers between copper and silicon, and generally perform extremely weH. These fiIms are promising candidates for advanced diffusion barriers for microelectronics applications. The manufacturing of silicon wafers into integrated circuits uses many different process and materials. The manufacturing process is usually divided into two parts: the front end of line (FEOL) and the back end of line (BEOL). In the FEOL the individual transistors that are the heart of an integrated circuit are made on the silicon wafer. The responsibility of the BEOL is to wire all the transistors together to make a complete circuit. The transistors are fabricated in the silicon itself. The wiring is made out of metal, currently aluminum and tungsten, insulated by silicon dioxide, see Figure 1. Unfortunately, silicon will diffuse into aluminum, causing aluminum spiking of junctions, killing transistors. Similarly, during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of tungsten from ~fj, the reactivity of the fluorine can cause "worn-holes" in the silicon, also destroying transistors. The solution to these problems is a so-called diffusion barrier, which will allow current to pass from the transistors to the wiring, but will prevent reactions between silicon and the metal.

  1. Effect of functionalization of boron nitride flakes by main group metal clusters on their optoelectronic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Debdutta; Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar

    2017-10-01

    The possibility of functionalizing boron nitride flakes (BNFs) with some selected main group metal clusters, viz. OLi4, NLi5, CLi6, BLI7 and Al12Be, has been analyzed with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) based computations. Thermochemical as well as energetic considerations suggest that all the metal clusters interact with the BNF moiety in a favorable fashion. As a result of functionalization, the static (first) hyperpolarizability (β ) values of the metal cluster supported BNF moieties increase quite significantly as compared to that in the case of pristine BNF. Time dependent DFT analysis reveals that the metal clusters can lower the transition energies associated with the dominant electronic transitions quite significantly thereby enabling the metal cluster supported BNF moieties to exhibit significant non-linear optical activity. Moreover, the studied systems demonstrate broad band absorption capability spanning the UV-visible as well as infra-red domains. Energy decomposition analysis reveals that the electrostatic interactions principally stabilize the metal cluster supported BNF moieties.

  2. Iron-based alloy and nitridation treatment for PEM fuel cell bipolar plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Michael P [Oak Ridge, TN; Yang, Bing [Oak Ridge, TN; Maziasz, Philip J [Oak Ridge, TN

    2010-11-09

    A corrosion resistant electrically conductive component that can be used as a bipolar plate in a PEM fuel cell application is composed of an alloy substrate which has 10-30 wt. % Cr, 0.5 to 7 wt. % V, and base metal being Fe, and a continuous surface layer of chromium nitride and vanadium nitride essentially free of base metal. A oxide layer of chromium vanadium oxide can be disposed between the alloy substrate and the continuous surface nitride layer. A method to prepare the corrosion resistant electrically conductive component involves a two-step nitridization sequence by exposing the alloy to a oxygen containing gas at an elevated temperature, and subsequently exposing the alloy to an oxygen free nitrogen containing gas at an elevated temperature to yield a component where a continuous chromium nitride layer free of iron has formed at the surface.

  3. Synthesis, reactivity, and electronic structure of molecular uranium nitrides

    OpenAIRE

    Cleaves, Peter A.

    2016-01-01

    The study of metal-ligand multiple bonding offers insight into the electronic structure and bond of metal systems. Until recently, for uranium, such systems were limited to uranyl, and terminal chalcogenide, imide and carbene complexes. In 2012, this was extended to nitrides with the first preparation of a uranium–nitride (U≡N) species isolable under standard conditions, namely [U(TrenTIPS)(N)][Na(12C4)2] (52), which is prepared by the two-electron reduction of sodium azide with a trivalent u...

  4. Photo-Detection on Narrow-Bandgap High-Mobility 2D Semiconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charnas, Adam; Qiu, Gang; Deng, Yexin; Wang, Yixiu; Du, Yuchen; Yang, Lingming; Wu, Wenzhuo; Ye, Peide

    Photo-detection and energy harvesting device concepts have been demonstrated widely in 2D materials such as graphene, TMDs, and black phosphorus. In this work, we demonstrate anisotropic photo-detection achieved using devices fabricated from hydrothermally grown narrow-bandgap high-mobility 2D semiconductor. Back-gated FETs were fabricated by transferring the 2D flakes onto a Si/SiO2 substrate and depositing various metal contacts across the flakes to optimize the access resistance for optoelectronic devices. Photo-responsivity was measured and mapped by slightly biasing the devices and shining a laser spot at different locations of the device to observe and map the resulting photo-generated current. Optimization of the Schottky barrier height for both n and p at the metal-2D interfaces using asymmetric contact engineering was performed to improve device performance.

  5. Effect of ion nitridation process on hardness and the corrosion resistance of biomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirjoadi; Lely Susita; Bambang Siswanto; Sudjatmoko

    2012-01-01

    Ion nitriding process has been performed on metal biomaterials to improve their mechanical properties of materials, particularly to increase hardness and corrosion resistance. This metallic biomaterials used for artificial bone or a prosthetic graft and used as devices of orthopedic biomaterials are usually of 316L SS metal-type and Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The purpose of this study is to research the development and utilization of ion nitridation method in order to get iron and titanium nitride thin films on the metallic biomaterials for artificial bone that has wear resistance and corrosion resistance is better. Microhardness of the samples was measured using a microhardness tester, optimum hardness of SS 316L samples are about 582 VHN, this was obtained at the nitriding temperature of 500 °C, the nitriding time of 3 hours and the nitrogen gas pressure of 1.6 mbar, while optimum hardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is 764 VHN, this was obtained at the nitriding temperature of 500 °C, the nitriding time of 4 hours and the nitrogen gas pressure of 1.6 mbar. The hardness value of SS 316L sample and Ti-6Al-4V alloy increase to 143% and 153%, if compared with standard samples. The optimum corrosion resistance at temperature of 350 °C for SS 316L and Ti-6Al-4V are 260,12 and 110,49 μA/cm 2 or corrosion rate are 29,866 and 15,189 mpy, respectively. (author)

  6. Photo-responsive liquid crystalline epoxy networks with exchangeable disulfide bonds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yuzhan [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Zhang, Yuehong [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Rios, Orlando [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Keum, Jong K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kessler, Michael R. [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States)

    2017-07-27

    The increasing demand for intelligent materials has driven the development of polymers with a variety of functionalities. However, combining multiple functionalities within one polymer is still challenging because of the difficulties encountered in coordinating different functional building blocks during fabrication. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of a multifunctional liquid crystalline epoxy network (LCEN) using the combination of thermotropic liquid crystals, photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, and exchangeable disulfide bonds. In addition to shape memory behavior enabled by the reversible liquid crystalline phase transition and photo-induced bending behavior resulting from the photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, the introduction of dynamic disulfide bonds into the LCEN resulted in a structurally dynamic network, allowing the reshaping, repairing, and recycling of the material.

  7. Cosmic Ray Measurements by Scintillators with Metal Resistor Semiconductor Avalanche Photo Diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanco, Francesco; La Rocca, Paola; Riggi, Francesco; Akindinov, Alexandre; Mal'kevich, Dmitry

    2008-01-01

    An educational set-up for cosmic ray physics experiments is described. The detector is based on scintillator tiles with a readout through metal resistor semiconductor (MRS) avalanche photo diode (APD) arrays. Typical measurements of the cosmic angular distribution at sea level and a study of the East-West asymmetry obtained by such a device are…

  8. Electronic structure and mechanical properties of plasma nitrided ferrous alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Portolan, E. [Centro de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, 95070-560 Caxias do Sul-RS (Brazil); Baumvol, I.J.R. [Centro de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, 95070-560 Caxias do Sul-RS (Brazil); Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91509-970 (Brazil); Figueroa, C.A., E-mail: cafiguer@ucs.br [Centro de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, 95070-560 Caxias do Sul-RS (Brazil)

    2009-04-15

    The electronic structures of the near-surface regions of two different nitrided steels (AISI 316 and 4140) were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoelectron groups from all main chemical elements involved were addressed for steel samples with implanted-N concentrations in the range 16-32 at.%. As the implanted-N concentrations were increased, rather contrasting behaviors were observed for the two kinds of steel. The N1s photoelectrons had spectral shifts toward lower (nitrided AISI 316) or higher (nitrided AISI 4140) binding energies, whereas the Fe2p{sub 3/2} photoelectron spectrum remains at a constant binding energy (nitrided AISI 316) or shifts toward higher binding energies (AISI 4140). These trends are discussed in terms of the metallic nitride formation and the overlapping of atomic orbitals. For nitrided AISI 316, a semi-classical approach of charge transfer between Cr and N is used to explain the experimental facts (formation of CrN), while for nitrided AISI 4140 we propose that the interaction between orbitals 4s from Fe and 2p from N promotes electrons to the conduction band increasing the electrical attraction of the N1s and Fe2p electrons in core shells (formation of FeN{sub x}). The increase in hardness of the steel upon N implantation is attributed to the localization of electrons in specific bonds, which diminishes the metallic bond character.

  9. Electronic structure and mechanical properties of plasma nitrided ferrous alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portolan, E.; Baumvol, I. J. R.; Figueroa, C. A.

    2009-04-01

    The electronic structures of the near-surface regions of two different nitrided steels (AISI 316 and 4140) were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoelectron groups from all main chemical elements involved were addressed for steel samples with implanted-N concentrations in the range 16-32 at.%. As the implanted-N concentrations were increased, rather contrasting behaviors were observed for the two kinds of steel. The N1s photoelectrons had spectral shifts toward lower (nitrided AISI 316) or higher (nitrided AISI 4140) binding energies, whereas the Fe2p 3/2 photoelectron spectrum remains at a constant binding energy (nitrided AISI 316) or shifts toward higher binding energies (AISI 4140). These trends are discussed in terms of the metallic nitride formation and the overlapping of atomic orbitals. For nitrided AISI 316, a semi-classical approach of charge transfer between Cr and N is used to explain the experimental facts (formation of CrN), while for nitrided AISI 4140 we propose that the interaction between orbitals 4s from Fe and 2p from N promotes electrons to the conduction band increasing the electrical attraction of the N1s and Fe2p electrons in core shells (formation of FeN x). The increase in hardness of the steel upon N implantation is attributed to the localization of electrons in specific bonds, which diminishes the metallic bond character.

  10. Electronic structure and mechanical properties of plasma nitrided ferrous alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Portolan, E.; Baumvol, I.J.R.; Figueroa, C.A.

    2009-01-01

    The electronic structures of the near-surface regions of two different nitrided steels (AISI 316 and 4140) were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoelectron groups from all main chemical elements involved were addressed for steel samples with implanted-N concentrations in the range 16-32 at.%. As the implanted-N concentrations were increased, rather contrasting behaviors were observed for the two kinds of steel. The N1s photoelectrons had spectral shifts toward lower (nitrided AISI 316) or higher (nitrided AISI 4140) binding energies, whereas the Fe2p 3/2 photoelectron spectrum remains at a constant binding energy (nitrided AISI 316) or shifts toward higher binding energies (AISI 4140). These trends are discussed in terms of the metallic nitride formation and the overlapping of atomic orbitals. For nitrided AISI 316, a semi-classical approach of charge transfer between Cr and N is used to explain the experimental facts (formation of CrN), while for nitrided AISI 4140 we propose that the interaction between orbitals 4s from Fe and 2p from N promotes electrons to the conduction band increasing the electrical attraction of the N1s and Fe2p electrons in core shells (formation of FeN x ). The increase in hardness of the steel upon N implantation is attributed to the localization of electrons in specific bonds, which diminishes the metallic bond character.

  11. Characterization of plasma nitrided layers produced on sintered iron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Alves Fontes

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Plasma nitriding is a thermo-physical-chemical treatment process, which promotes surface hardening, caused by interstitial diffusion of atomic nitrogen into metallic alloys. In this work, this process was employed in the surface modification of a sintered ferrous alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD analyses, and wear and microhardness tests were performed on the samples submitted to ferrox treatment and plasma nitriding carried out under different conditions of time and temperature. The results showed that the nitride layer thickness is higher for all nitrided samples than for ferrox treated samples, and this layer thickness increases with nitriding time and temperature, and temperature is a more significant variable. The XRD analysis showed that the nitrided layer, for all samples, near the surface consists in a mixture of γ′-Fe4N and ɛ-Fe3N phases. Both wear resistance and microhardness increase with nitriding time and temperature, and temperature influences both the characteristics the most.

  12. Photoionization spectroscopy of deep defects responsible for current collapse in nitride-based field effect transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, P B; Binari, S C

    2003-01-01

    This review is concerned with the characterization and identification of the deep centres that cause current collapse in nitride-based field effect transistors. Photoionization spectroscopy is an optical technique that has been developed to probe the characteristics of these defects. Measured spectral dependences provide information on trap depth, lattice coupling and on the location of the defects in the device structure. The spectrum of an individual trap may also be regarded as a 'fingerprint' of the defect, allowing the trap to be followed in response to the variation of external parameters. The basis for these measurements is derived through a modelling procedure that accounts quantitatively for the light-induced drain current increase in the collapsed device. Applying the model to fit the measured variation of drain current increase with light illumination provides an estimate of the concentrations and photoionization cross-sections of the deep defects. The results of photoionization studies of GaN metal-semiconductor field effect transistors and AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) are presented and the conclusions regarding the nature of the deep traps responsible are discussed. Finally, recent photoionization studies of current collapse induced by short-term (several hours) bias stress in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs are described and analysed for devices grown by both MOCVD and molecular beam epitaxy. (topical review)

  13. From melamine sponge towards 3D sulfur-doping carbon nitride as metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jingjing; Li, Bin; Li, Songmei; Liu, Jianhua

    2017-07-01

    Development of new and efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for replacing Pt to improve the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great importance to emerging renewable energy technologies such as metal-air batteries and polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Herein, 3D sulfur-doping carbon nitride (S-CN) as a novel metal-free ORR electrocatalyst was synthesized by exploiting commercial melamine sponge as raw material. The sulfur atoms were doping on CN networks uniformly through numerous S-C bonds which can provide additional active sites. And it was found that the S-CN exhibited high catalytic activity for ORR in term of more positive onset potential, higher electron transfer number and higher cathodic density. This work provides a novel choice of metal-free ORR electrocatalysts and highlights the importance of sulfur-doping CN in metal-free ORR electrocatalysts.

  14. Different shape normal metal interlayers between niobium based SIS junctions and niobium titanium nitride leads and their influence on the electron temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selig, S; Westig, M P; Jacobs, K; Honingh, C E

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we demonstrate the reduction of heating in a niobium superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junction with aluminum-oxide tunnel barrier embedded in a niobium-titanium-nitride circuit. Nonequilibrium quasiparticles which are created due to the Andreev trap at the interface between the niobium and the niobium-titanium-nitride layers are relaxed by inserting a normal-metal conductor of gold between these two layers. In an earlier work we explained the observed relaxation of nonequilibrium quasiparticles due to the geometrically assisted cooling effect. In this paper we investigate this cooling effect in dependence of the normal-metal layer shape and size. We expect that an adapted normal-metal layer is necessary for implementation in practical terahertz SIS heterodyne mixer circuits. We observe in DC-measurements of a large number of devices a clear relation between the volume of the gold layer and the effective electron temperature in the device. Our central finding is that the shape of the gold layer does not influence the cooling provided that the volume is sufficient.

  15. Sulfur-Doped Carbon Nitride Polymers for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutant and Reduction of Cr(VI).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yun; Yu, Zihao; Lin, Feng; Guo, Fangsong; Alamry, Khalid A; Taib, Layla A; Asiri, Abdullah M; Wang, Xinchen

    2017-04-01

    As a promising conjugated polymer, binary carbon nitride has attracted extensive attention as a metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst in the area of photon-involving purification of water and air. Herein, we report sulfur-doped polymeric carbon nitride microrods that are synthesized through thermal polymerization based on trithiocyanuric acid and melamine (TM) supramolecular aggregates. By tuning the polymerization temperature, a series of sulfur-doped carbon nitride microrods are prepared. The degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and the reduction of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) are selected as probe reactions to evaluate the photocatalytic activities. Results show that increasing pyrolysis temperature leads to a large specific surface area, strong visible-light absorption, and accelerated electron-hole separation. Compared to bulk carbon nitride, the highly porous sulfur-doped carbon nitride microrods fabricated at 650 °C exhibit remarkably higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of RhB and reduction of Cr(VI). This work highlights the importance of self-assembly approach and temperature-control strategy in the synthesis of photoactive materials for environmental remediation.

  16. Synthesis of aluminum nitride films by plasma immersion ion implantation-deposition using hybrid gas-metal cathodic arc gun

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Liru; Fu, Ricky K.Y.; Chu, Paul K.

    2004-01-01

    Aluminum nitride (AlN) is of interest in the industry because of its excellent electronic, optical, acoustic, thermal, and mechanical properties. In this work, aluminum nitride films are deposited on silicon wafers (100) by metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID) using a modified hybrid gas-metal cathodic arc plasma source and with no intentional heating to the substrate. The mixed metal and gaseous plasma is generated by feeding the gas into the arc discharge region. The deposition rate is found to mainly depend on the Al ion flux from the cathodic arc source and is only slightly affected by the N 2 flow rate. The AlN films fabricated by this method exhibit a cubic crystalline microstructure with stable and low internal stress. The surface of the AlN films is quite smooth with the surface roughness on the order of 1/2 nm as determined by atomic force microscopy, homogeneous, and continuous, and the dense granular microstructures give rise to good adhesion with the substrate. The N to Al ratio increases with the bias voltage applied to the substrates. A fairly large amount of O originating from the residual vacuum is found in the samples with low N:Al ratios, but a high bias reduces the oxygen concentration. The compositions, microstructures and crystal states of the deposited films are quite stable and remain unchanged after annealing at 800 deg. C for 1 h. Our hybrid gas-metal source cathodic arc source delivers better AlN thin films than conventional PIIID employing dual plasmas

  17. Investigation into the use of molecular hydrogen on the growth of gallium nitride via metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Billingsley, Daniel; Pritchett, David; Henderson, Walter; Carver, Alexander G.; Burnham, Shawn D.; Doolittle, W.A. [Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 777 Atlantic Dr., Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

    2008-07-01

    Molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) has been investigated as a means to improve ammonia nitridation efficiency and attempts to reduce carbon contamination in ammonia-based metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE). A 30% improvement in crystalline quality, inferred from XRD, as well as an increase in subsequent GaN bulk growth rate was observed when bare sapphire was subject to H{sub 2} annealing before nitridation. However, the use of H{sub 2} during GaN homoepitaxy on GaN templates resulted in increased carbon contamination and decreased growth rate of GaN. The results demonstrate promise and proper uses of H{sub 2} during GaN growth under certain conditions. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  18. Response function for the characterization of photo-induced anisotropy in azobenzene containing polymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sajti, S.; Kerekes, Á.; Ramanujam, P.S.

    2002-01-01

    A response function is derived for the description of photo-induced birefringence and dichroism in case of materials where the underlying process is photo-isomerization. Our result explains the usefulness of the theoretical formulae derived earlier by Kakichashvili for photo-anisotropic materials...

  19. Molybdenum Nitride Films: Crystal Structures, Synthesis, Mechanical, Electrical and Some Other Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Jauberteau

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Among transition metal nitrides, molybdenum nitrides have been much less studied even though their mechanical properties as well as their electrical and catalytic properties make them very attractive for many applications. The δ-MoN phase of hexagonal structure is a potential candidate for an ultra-incompressible and hard material and can be compared with c-BN and diamond. The predicted superconducting temperature of the metastable MoN phase of NaCl-B1-type cubic structure is the highest of all refractory carbides and nitrides. The composition of molybdenum nitride films as well as the structures and properties depend on the parameters of the process used to deposit the films. They are also strongly correlated to the electronic structure and chemical bonding. An unusual mixture of metallic, covalent and ionic bonding is found in the stoichiometric compounds.

  20. Graphitic carbon nitride based nanocomposites: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zaiwang; Sun, Yanjuan; Dong, Fan

    2014-11-01

    Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as an intriguing earth-abundant visible light photocatalyst, possesses a unique two-dimensional structure, excellent chemical stability and tunable electronic structure. Pure g-C3N4 suffers from rapid recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs resulting in low photocatalytic activity. Because of the unique electronic structure, the g-C3N4 could act as an eminent candidate for coupling with various functional materials to enhance the performance. According to the discrepancies in the photocatalytic mechanism and process, six primary systems of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites can be classified and summarized: namely, the g-C3N4 based metal-free heterojunction, the g-C3N4/single metal oxide (metal sulfide) heterojunction, g-C3N4/composite oxide, the g-C3N4/halide heterojunction, g-C3N4/noble metal heterostructures, and the g-C3N4 based complex system. Apart from the depiction of the fabrication methods, heterojunction structure and multifunctional application of the g-C3N4-based nanocomposites, we emphasize and elaborate on the underlying mechanisms in the photocatalytic activity enhancement of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites. The unique functions of the p-n junction (semiconductor/semiconductor heterostructures), the Schottky junction (metal/semiconductor heterostructures), the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, photosensitization, superconductivity, etc. are utilized in the photocatalytic processes. Furthermore, the enhanced performance of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites has been widely employed in environmental and energetic applications such as photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen generation, carbon dioxide reduction, disinfection, and supercapacitors. This critical review ends with a summary and some perspectives on the challenges and new directions in exploring g-C3N4-based advanced nanomaterials.

  1. Study on the nitride fuel fabrication for FBR cycle (1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinkai, Yasuo; Ono, Kiyoshi; Tanaka, Kenya

    2002-07-01

    In the phase-II of JNC's 'Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fuel Reactor Cycle System (the F/S)', the nitride fuels are selected as candidate for fuels for heavy metal cooled reactor, gas cooled reactor, and small scale reactor. In particular, the coated fuel particles are a promising concept for gas cooled reactor. In addition, it is necessary to study in detail the application possibility of pellet nitride fuel and vibration compaction nitride fuel for heavy metal cooled reactor and small scale reactor in the phase-II. In 2001, we studied more about additional equipments for the nitride fuel fabrication in processes from gelation to carbothermic reduction in the vibration compaction method. The result of reevaluation of off-gas mass flow around carbothermic reduction equipment in the palletizing method, showed that quantity of off-gas flow reduced and its reduction led the operation cost to decrease. We studied the possibility of fabrication of large size particles in the coated fuel particles for helium gas cooled reactor and we made basic technical issues clear. (author)

  2. Hardness of carbides, nitrides, and borides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeter, W.

    1981-01-01

    Intermetallic compounds of metals with non-metals such as C, N, and B show different hardness. Wagner's interaction parameter characterizes manner and extent of the interaction between the atoms of the substance dissolved and the additional elements in metallic mixed phases. An attempt has been made to correlate the hardness of carbides, nitrides, and borides (data taken from literature) with certain interaction parameters and associated thermodynamic quantities (ΔH, ΔG). For some metals of periods 4, 5, and 6 corresponding relations were found between microhardness, interaction parameters, heat of formation, and atomic number

  3. Fabrication of aluminum nitride crucibles for molten salt and plutonium compatibility studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillips, J.A.

    1991-01-01

    The overall objective of this research was to fabricate a calcium oxide sinter-aided aluminum nitride crucible and determine the compatibility of this crucible with molten chloride salts and plutonium metal in the DOR process. Calcium oxide sinter-aided aluminum nitride was preferred over yttrium oxide sinter-aided aluminum nitride because of (1) the presence of calcium chloride, calcium oxide, and calcium metal in the molten salts utilized in the DOR process, and (2) the higher volatility of the secondary phases formed compared with phases resulting from the addition of yttrium oxide during the aluminum nitride sintering process. The calcium oxide system may yield a higher purity crystal structure with fewer secondary phases present than in the yttrium oxide system. The secondary phases that are present in the grain boundaries may be unreactive with the calcium chloride salt due to the presence of calcium in the secondary phases

  4. Preparation of phosphorus targets using the compound phosphorus nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maier-Komor, P.

    1987-01-01

    Commercially available phosphorus nitride (P 3 N 5 ) shows a high oxygen content. Nevertheless, this material is attractive for use as phosphorus targets in experiments where red phosphorus would disappear due to its high vapor pressure and where a metal partner in the phosphide must be excluded due to its high atomic number. Methods are described to produce phosphorus nitride targets by vacuum evaporation condensation. (orig.)

  5. First principles calculations of interstitial and lamellar rhenium nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soto, G., E-mail: gerardo@cnyn.unam.mx [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada Baja California (Mexico); Tiznado, H.; Reyes, A.; Cruz, W. de la [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada Baja California (Mexico)

    2012-02-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The possible structures of rhenium nitride as a function of composition are analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The alloying energy is favorable for rhenium nitride in lamellar arrangements. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structures produced by magnetron sputtering are metastable variations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structures produced by high-pressure high-temperature are stable configurations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lamellar structures are a new category of interstitial dissolutions. - Abstract: We report here a systematic first principles study of two classes of variable-composition rhenium nitride: i, interstitial rhenium nitride as a solid solution and ii, rhenium nitride in lamellar structures. The compounds in class i are cubic and hexagonal close-packed rhenium phases, with nitrogen in the octahedral and tetrahedral interstices of the metal, and they are formed without changes to the structure, except for slight distortions of the unit cells. In the compounds in class ii, by contrast, the nitrogen inclusion provokes stacking faults in the parent metal structure. These faults create trigonal-prismatic sites where the nitrogen residence is energetically favored. This second class of compounds produces lamellar structures, where the nitrogen lamellas are inserted among multiple rhenium layers. The Re{sub 3}N and Re{sub 2}N phases produced recently by high-temperature and high-pressure synthesis belong to this class. The ratio of the nitrogen layers to the rhenium layers is given by the composition. While the first principle calculations point to higher stability for the lamellar structures as opposed to the interstitial phases, the experimental evidence presented here demonstrates that the interstitial classes are synthesizable by plasma methods. We conclude that rhenium nitrides possess polymorphism and that the two-dimensional lamellar structures might represent an emerging class of materials

  6. First principles calculations of interstitial and lamellar rhenium nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soto, G.; Tiznado, H.; Reyes, A.; Cruz, W. de la

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The possible structures of rhenium nitride as a function of composition are analyzed. ► The alloying energy is favorable for rhenium nitride in lamellar arrangements. ► The structures produced by magnetron sputtering are metastable variations. ► The structures produced by high-pressure high-temperature are stable configurations. ► The lamellar structures are a new category of interstitial dissolutions. - Abstract: We report here a systematic first principles study of two classes of variable-composition rhenium nitride: i, interstitial rhenium nitride as a solid solution and ii, rhenium nitride in lamellar structures. The compounds in class i are cubic and hexagonal close-packed rhenium phases, with nitrogen in the octahedral and tetrahedral interstices of the metal, and they are formed without changes to the structure, except for slight distortions of the unit cells. In the compounds in class ii, by contrast, the nitrogen inclusion provokes stacking faults in the parent metal structure. These faults create trigonal-prismatic sites where the nitrogen residence is energetically favored. This second class of compounds produces lamellar structures, where the nitrogen lamellas are inserted among multiple rhenium layers. The Re 3 N and Re 2 N phases produced recently by high-temperature and high-pressure synthesis belong to this class. The ratio of the nitrogen layers to the rhenium layers is given by the composition. While the first principle calculations point to higher stability for the lamellar structures as opposed to the interstitial phases, the experimental evidence presented here demonstrates that the interstitial classes are synthesizable by plasma methods. We conclude that rhenium nitrides possess polymorphism and that the two-dimensional lamellar structures might represent an emerging class of materials within binary nitride chemistry.

  7. Conductive and robust nitride buffer layers on biaxially textured substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankar, Sambasivan [Chicago, IL; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Barnett, Scott A [Evanston, IL; Kim, Ilwon [Skokie, IL; Kroeger, Donald M [Knoxville, TN

    2009-03-31

    The present invention relates to epitaxial, electrically conducting and mechanically robust, cubic nitride buffer layers deposited epitaxially on biaxially textured substrates such as metals and alloys. The invention comprises of a biaxially textured substrate with epitaxial layers of nitrides. The invention also discloses a method to form such epitaxial layers using a high rate deposition method as well as without the use of forming gases. The invention further comprises epitaxial layers of oxides on the biaxially textured nitride layer. In some embodiments the article further comprises electromagnetic devices which may have superconducting properties.

  8. Cr-doped III-V nitrides: Potential candidates for spintronics

    KAUST Repository

    Amin, Bin

    2011-02-19

    Studies of Cr-doped III-V nitrides, dilute magnetic alloys in the zincblende crystal structure, are presented. The objective of the work is to investigate half-metallicity in Al 0.75Cr 0.25N, Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N, and In 0.75Cr 0.25N for their possible application in spin-based electronic devices. The calculated spin-polarized band structures, electronic properties, and magnetic properties of these compounds reveal that Al 0.75Cr 0.25N and Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N are half-metallic dilute magnetic semiconductors while In 0.75Cr 0.25N is metallic in nature. The present theoretical predictions provide evidence that some Cr-doped III-V nitrides can be used in spintronics devices. © 2011 TMS.

  9. Cr-doped III-V nitrides: Potential candidates for spintronics

    KAUST Repository

    Amin, Bin; Arif, Suneela K.; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Maqbool, Muhammad; Ahmad, Roshan; Goumri-Said, Souraya; Prisbrey, Keith A.

    2011-01-01

    Studies of Cr-doped III-V nitrides, dilute magnetic alloys in the zincblende crystal structure, are presented. The objective of the work is to investigate half-metallicity in Al 0.75Cr 0.25N, Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N, and In 0.75Cr 0.25N for their possible application in spin-based electronic devices. The calculated spin-polarized band structures, electronic properties, and magnetic properties of these compounds reveal that Al 0.75Cr 0.25N and Ga 0.75Cr 0.25N are half-metallic dilute magnetic semiconductors while In 0.75Cr 0.25N is metallic in nature. The present theoretical predictions provide evidence that some Cr-doped III-V nitrides can be used in spintronics devices. © 2011 TMS.

  10. Uranium sesqui nitride synthesis and its use as catalyst for the thermo decomposition of ammonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rocha, Soraya Maria Rizzo da

    1996-01-01

    The preoccupation to have a secure destination for metallic uranium scraps and wastes and to search new non-nuclear uses for the huge amount of depleted metal uranium accumulated at the nuclear industry encouraged the study of the uranium sesqui nitride synthesis and its use. The use of uranium sesqui nitride as a catalyst for the thermo decomposition of ammonia for the hydrogen production has enormous significance. One of the most important nuclear cycle step is the reduction of the higher uranium oxides for the production of uranium dioxide and its conversion to uranium tetrafluoride. The reduction of the UO 3 and U 3 O 8 oxides is accomplished by the gas-solid reaction with elementary hydrogen. For economical purposes and for the safety concern the nuclear industry prefers to manufacture the hydrogen gas at the local and at the moment of use, exploring the catalytic decomposition of ammonia vapor. Using metallic uranium scraps as the raw material the obtention of its nitride was achieved by the reaction with ammonia. The results of the chemical and physical characterization of the prepared uranium sesqui nitride and its behavior as a catalyst for the cracking of ammonia are commented. A lower ammonia cracking temperature (550 deg C) using the uranium sesqui nitride compared with recommended industrial catalysts iron nitride (650 deg C) and manganese nitride (700 deg C) sounds reliable and economically advantageous. (author)

  11. Electrochemical Solution Growth of Magnetic Nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monson, Todd C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Pearce, Charles [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2014-10-01

    Magnetic nitrides, if manufactured in bulk form, would provide designers of transformers and inductors with a new class of better performing and affordable soft magnetic materials. According to experimental results from thin films and/or theoretical calculations, magnetic nitrides would have magnetic moments well in excess of current state of the art soft magnets. Furthermore, magnetic nitrides would have higher resistivities than current transformer core materials and therefore not require the use of laminates of inactive material to limit eddy current losses. However, almost all of the magnetic nitrides have been elusive except in difficult to reproduce thin films or as inclusions in another material. Now, through its ability to reduce atmospheric nitrogen, the electrochemical solution growth (ESG) technique can bring highly sought after (and previously inaccessible) new magnetic nitrides into existence in bulk form. This method utilizes a molten salt as a solvent to solubilize metal cations and nitrogen ions produced electrochemically and form nitrogen compounds. Unlike other growth methods, the scalable ESG process can sustain high growth rates (~mm/hr) even under reasonable operating conditions (atmospheric pressure and 500 °C). Ultimately, this translates into a high throughput, low cost, manufacturing process. The ESG process has already been used successfully to grow high quality GaN. Below, the experimental results of an exploratory express LDRD project to access the viability of the ESG technique to grow magnetic nitrides will be presented.

  12. Metal-free hybrids of graphitic carbon nitride and nanodiamonds for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Li; Zhang, Huayang; Guo, Xiaochen; Sun, Hongqi; Liu, Shaomin; Tade, Moses O; Wang, Shaobin

    2017-05-01

    Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) has been considered as a metal-free, cost-effective, eco-friendly and efficient catalyst for various photoelectrochemical applications. However, compared to conventional metal-based photocatalysts, its photocatalytic activity is still low because of the low mobility of carriers restricted by the polymer nature. Herein, a series of hybrids of g-C 3 N 4 (GCN) and nanodiamonds (NDs) were synthesized using a solvothermal method. The photoelectrochemical performance and photocatalytic efficiency of the GCN/NDs were investigated by means of the generation of photocurrent and photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) solutions under UV-visible light irradiations. In this study, the sample of GCN/ND-33% derived from 0.1g GCN and 0.05g NDs displayed the highest photocatalytic activity and the strongest photocurrent density. The mechanism of enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances was also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Using photographs to study animal social cognition and behaviour: Do capuchins' responses to photos reflect reality?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morton, F Blake; Brosnan, Sarah F; Prétôt, Laurent; Buchanan-Smith, Hannah M; O'Sullivan, Eoin; Stocker, Martina; D'Mello, Daniel; Wilson, Vanessa A D

    2016-03-01

    Behavioural responses to photos are often used to infer what animals understand about their social environment, but are rarely validated against the same stimuli in real life. If subjects' responses to photos do not reflect responses to the same live stimuli, it is difficult to conclude what happens in reality based on photo responses alone. We compared capuchins' responses to photos versus live stimuli in an identical scenario within research cubicles. Subjects had the opportunity to approach food placed in front of an alpha group member and, in a separate condition, photos depicting the same individual. Subjects' latencies to approach food when placed in front of the real alpha negatively correlated with time subjects spent in close proximity to the alpha in their main enclosure. We therefore predicted subjects' latencies to approach food in the presence of photos would positively correlate with their latencies to approach food in the presence of the real alpha inside the cubicles, but negatively correlate with time they spent in proximity to the alpha in their enclosure. Neither prediction was supported. While not necessarily surprising, we explain why these results should be an important reminder that care is needed when interpreting results from photo studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Aluminum Nitride Micro-Channels Grown via Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy for MEMs Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodak, L.E.; Kuchibhatla, S.; Famouri, P.; Ting, L.; Korakakis, D.

    2008-01-01

    Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a promising material for a number of applications due to its temperature and chemical stability. Furthermore, AlN maintains its piezoelectric properties at higher temperatures than more commonly used materials, such as Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) [1, 2], making AlN attractive for high temperature micro and nanoelectromechanical (MEMs and NEMs) applications including, but not limited to, high temperature sensors and actuators, micro-channels for fuel cell applications, and micromechanical resonators. This work presents a novel AlN micro-channel fabrication technique using Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE). AlN easily nucleates on dielectric surfaces due to the large sticking coefficient and short diffusion length of the aluminum species resulting in a high quality polycrystalline growth on typical mask materials, such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride [3,4]. The fabrication process introduced involves partially masking a substrate with a silicon dioxide striped pattern and then growing AlN via MOVPE simultaneously on the dielectric mask and exposed substrate. A buffered oxide etch is then used to remove the underlying silicon dioxide and leave a free standing AlN micro-channel. The width of the channel has been varied from 5 ìm to 110 ìm and the height of the air gap from 130 nm to 800 nm indicating the stability of the structure. Furthermore, this versatile process has been performed on (111) silicon, c-plane sapphire, and gallium nitride epilayers on sapphire substrates. Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Raman measurements have been taken on channels grown on each substrate and indicate that the substrate is influencing the growth of the AlN micro-channels on the SiO2 sacrificial layer.

  15. Response of CMS avalanche photo-diodes to low energy neutrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, R. M.; Deiters, K.; Ingram, Q.; Renker, D.

    2012-12-01

    The response of the Avalanche Photo-diodes (APDs) installed in the CMS detector at the LHC to neutrons from 241AmBe and 252Cf sources is reported. Signals in size equivalent to those of up to 106 photo-electrons with the nominal APD gain are observed. Measurements with an APD with the protective epoxy coating removed and with the source placed behind the APD show that there is an important response due to recoil protons from neutron interactions with the hydrogen in the epoxy, in addition to signals from neutron interactions with the silicon of the diode. The effective gain of these signals is much smaller than the diode's nominal gain.

  16. High-Responsivity Graphene-Boron Nitride Photodetector and Autocorrelator in a Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiue, Ren-Jye; Gao, Yuanda; Wang, Yifei; Peng, Cheng; Robertson, Alexander D; Efetov, Dmitri K; Assefa, Solomon; Koppens, Frank H L; Hone, James; Englund, Dirk

    2015-11-11

    Graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising materials for broadband and ultrafast photodetection and optical modulation. These optoelectronic capabilities can augment complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices for high-speed and low-power optical interconnects. Here, we demonstrate an on-chip ultrafast photodetector based on a two-dimensional heterostructure consisting of high-quality graphene encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride. Coupled to the optical mode of a silicon waveguide, this 2D heterostructure-based photodetector exhibits a maximum responsivity of 0.36 A/W and high-speed operation with a 3 dB cutoff at 42 GHz. From photocurrent measurements as a function of the top-gate and source-drain voltages, we conclude that the photoresponse is consistent with hot electron mediated effects. At moderate peak powers above 50 mW, we observe a saturating photocurrent consistent with the mechanisms of electron-phonon supercollision cooling. This nonlinear photoresponse enables optical on-chip autocorrelation measurements with picosecond-scale timing resolution and exceptionally low peak powers.

  17. Preparation and study of the nitrides and mixed carbide-nitrides of uranium and of plutonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anselin, F.

    1966-06-01

    A detailed description is given of a simple method for preparing uranium and plutonium nitrides by the direct action of nitrogen under pressure at moderate temperatures (about 400 C) on the partially hydrogenated bulk metal. It is shown that there is complete miscibility between the UN and PuN phases. The variations in the reticular parameters of the samples as a function of temperature and in the presence of oxide have been used to detect and evaluate the solubility of oxygen in the different phases. A study has been made of the sintering of these nitrides as a function of the preparation conditions with or without sintering additives. A favorable but non-reproducible, effect has been found for traces of oxide. The best results were obtained for pure UN at 1600 C (96 per cent theoretical density) on condition that a well defined powder, was used. The criterion used is the integral width of the X-ray diffraction lines. The compounds UN and PuN are completely miscible with the corresponding carbides. This makes it possible to prepare carbide-nitrides of the general formula (U,Pu) (C,N) by solid-phase diffusion, at around 1400 C. The sintering of these carbide-nitrides is similar to that of the carbides if the nitrogen content is low; in particular, nickel is an efficient sintering agent. For high contents, the sintering is similar to that of pure nitrides. (author) [fr

  18. Mechanical properties and electronic structure of anti-ReO3 structured cubic nitrides, M3N, of d block transition metals M: An ab initio study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Xiuquan; Gall, Daniel; Khare, Sanjay V.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We use DFT to model the anti-ReO 3 structured transition metal nitrides M 3 N. • We predict their lattice constants, electronic structures and mechanical properties. • We correlate the metal d and nitrogen 2p orbitals with stability and hardness. • We established a high-throughput database for materials design. - Abstract: We report a systematic study of the anti-ReO 3 structured transition metal nitrides, M 3 N, using ab initio density functional theory computations in the local density approximation. Here M denotes all the 3d, 4d and 5d transition metals. Our calculations indicate that all M 3 N compounds except V 3 N of group 5 and Zn 3 N and Hg 3 N of group 12 are mechanically stable. For the stable M 3 N compounds, we report a database of predictions for their lattice constants, electronic properties and mechanical properties including bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, shear modulus, ductility, hardness and Debye temperature. It is found that most M 3 N compounds exhibit ductility with Vickers hardness between 0.4 GPa and 11.2 GPa. Our computed lattice constant for Cu 3 N, the only M 3 N compound where experiments exist, agrees well with the experimentally reported values. We report ratios of the melting points of all M 3 N compounds to that of Cu 3 N. The local density of states for all M 3 N compounds are obtained, and electronic band gaps are observed only for M of group 11 (Cu, Ag and Au) while the remaining M 3 N compounds are metallic without band gaps. Valence electron density along with the hybridization of the metal d and nitrogen 2p orbitals play an important role in determining the stability and hardness of different compounds. Our high-throughput databases for the cubic anti-ReO 3 structured transition metal nitrides should motivate future experimental work and shorten the time to their discovery

  19. Feasibility study of using thin aluminum nitride film as a buffer layer for dual metal gate process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Chang Seo; Cho, Byung Jin; Balasubramanian, N.; Kwong, Dim-Lee

    2004-01-01

    We evaluated the feasibility of using an ultra thin aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer for dual metal gates CMOS process. Since the buffer layer should not affect the thickness of gate dielectric, it should be removed or consumed during subsequent process. In this work, it was shown that a thin AlN dielectric layer would be reacted with initial gate metals and would be consumed during subsequent annealing, resulting in no increase of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT). The reaction of AlN layer with tantalum (Ta) and hafnium (Hf) during subsequent annealing, which was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, shifted the flat-band voltage of AlN buffered MOS capacitors. No contribution to equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) was also an indication showing the full consumption of AIN, which was confirmed with TEM analysis. The work functions of gate metals were modulated through the reaction, suggesting that the consumption of AlN resulted in new thin metal alloys. Finally, it was found that the barrier heights of the new alloys were consistent with their work functions

  20. Preparation of high-pressure phase boron nitride films by physical vapor deposition

    CERN Document Server

    Zhu, P W; Zhao, Y N; Li, D M; Liu, H W; Zou Guang Tian

    2002-01-01

    The high-pressure phases boron nitride films together with cubic, wurtzic, and explosive high-pressure phases, were successfully deposited on the metal alloy substrates by tuned substrate radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The percentage of cubic boron nitride phase in the film was about 50% as calculated by Fourier transform infrared measurements. Infrared peak position of cubic boron nitride at 1006.3 cm sup - sup 1 , which is close to the stressless state, indicates that the film has very low internal stress. Transition electron microscope micrograph shows that pure cubic boron nitride phase exits on the surface of the film. The growth mechanism of the BN films was also discussed.

  1. Topotactic Transformation of Metal-Organic Frameworks to Graphene-Encapsulated Transition-Metal Nitrides as Efficient Fenton-like Catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuning; Ao, Zhimin; Liu, Jiayi; Sun, Hongqi; Rykov, Alexandre I; Wang, Junhu

    2016-12-27

    Innovation in transition-metal nitride (TMN) preparation is highly desired for realization of various functionalities. Herein, series of graphene-encapsulated TMNs (Fe x Mn 6-x Co 4 -N@C) with well-controlled morphology have been synthesized through topotactic transformation of metal-organic frameworks in an N 2 atmosphere. The as-synthesized Fe x Mn 6-x Co 4 -N@C nanodices were systematically characterized and functionalized as Fenton-like catalysts for catalytic bisphenol A (BPA) oxidation by activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The catalytic performance of Fe x Mn 6-x Co 4 -N@C was found to be largely enhanced with increasing Mn content. Theoretical calculations illustrated that the dramatically reduced adsorption energy and facilitated electron transfer for PMS activation catalyzed by Mn 4 N are the main factors for the excellent activity. Both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were identified during the PMS activation, and the BPA degradation pathway mainly through hydroxylation, oxidation, and decarboxylation was investigated. Based on the systematic characterization of the catalyst before and after the reaction, the overall PMS activation mechanism over Fe x Mn 6-x Co 4 -N@C was proposed. This study details the insights into versatile TMNs for sustainable remediation by activation of PMS.

  2. Ion nitriding in 316=L stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojas-Calderon, E.L.

    1989-01-01

    Ion nitriding is a glow discharge process that is used to induce surface modification in metals. It has been applied to 316-L austenitic stainless steel looking for similar benefits already obtained in other steels. An austenitic stainless steel was selected because is not hardenable by heat treatment and is not easy to nitride by gas nitriding. The samples were plastically deformed to 10, 20, 40, 50 AND 70% of their original thickness in order to obtain bulk hardening and to observe nitrogen penetration dependence on it. The results were: an increase of one to two rockwell hardness number (except in 70% deformed sample because of its thickness); an increase of even several hundreds per cent in microhardness knoop number in nitrided surface. The later surely modifies waste resistance which would be worth to quantify in further studies. Microhardness measured in an internal transversal face to nitrided surface had a gradual diminish in its value with depth. Auger microanalysis showed a higher relative concentration rate C N /C F e near the surface giving evidence of nitrogen presence till 250 microns deep. The color metallography etchant used, produced faster corrosion in nitrited regions. Therefore, corrosion studies have to be done before using ion nitrited 316-L under these chemicals. (Author)

  3. Photo-switching element

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masaki, Yuichi

    1987-10-31

    Photo-input MOS transistor (Photo-switching element) cannot give enough ON/OFF ratio but requires an auxiliary condenser for a certain type of application. In addition, PN junction of amorphous silicon is not practical because it gives high leak current resulting in low electromotive force. In this invention, a solar cell was constructed with a lower electrode consisting of a transparent electro-conducting film, a photosensitive part consisting of an amorphous Si layer of p-i-n layer construction, and an upper metal electrode consisting of Cr or Nichrome, and a thin film transistor was placed on the solar cell, and further the upper metal electrode was co-used as a gate electrode of the thin film transistor; this set-up of this invention enabled to attain an efficient photo-electric conversion of the incident light, high electromotive force of the solar cell, and the transistor with high ON/OFF ratio. (3 figs)

  4. Size-controlled synthesis of transition metal nanoparticles through chemical and photo-chemical routes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangeysh, Behzad

    The central objective of this work is developing convenient general procedures for controlling the formation and stabilization of nanoscale transition metal particles. Contemporary interest in developing alternative synthetic approaches for producing nanoparticles arises in large part from expanding applications of the nanomaterials in areas such as catalysis, electronics and medicine. This research focuses on advancing the existing nanoparticle synthetic routes by using a new class of polymer colloid materials as a chemical approach, and the laser irradiation of metal salt solution as a photo-chemical method to attain size and shape selectivity. Controlled synthesis of small metal nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 5nm is still a continuing challenge in nanomaterial synthesis. This research utilizes a new class of polymer colloid materials as nano-reactors and protective agents for controlling the formation of small transition metal nanoparticles. The polymer colloid particles were formed from cross-linking of dinegatively charged metal precursors with partially protonated poly dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (PDMAEMA). Incorporation of [PtCl6]2- species into the colloidal particles prior to the chemical reduction was effectively employed as a new strategy for synthesis of unusually small platinum nanoparticles with narrow size distributions (1.12 +/-0.25nm). To explore the generality of this approach, in a series of proof-of-concept studies, this method was successfully employed for the synthesis of small palladium (1.4 +/-0.2nm) and copper nanoparticles (1.5 +/-0.6nm). The polymer colloid materials developed in this research are pH responsive, and are designed to self-assemble and/or disassemble by varying the levels of protonation of the polymer chains. This unique feature was used to tune the size of palladium nanoparticles in a small range from 1nm to 5nm. The procedure presented in this work is a new convenient room temperature route for synthesis of

  5. Investigations on the structural and optical properties of sphere-shaped indium nitride (InN)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bagavath, C.; Kumar, J. [Anna University, Crystal Growth Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (India); Nasi, L. [IMEM-CNR, Parma (Italy)

    2017-04-15

    Indium nitride (InN) sphere-shaped micro crystals and nano crystals were made using sol-gel method. The crystalline size of the samples were calculated using X-ray diffraction, which were found to increase with the increase of nitridation temperature and time. High resolution-transmission electron microscopy images exhibited the distinct sphere shape of InN with different size of micro and nanometers. The calculated band gap of InN spheres using photo luminescence and UV-visible absorption spectra, was found to be 1.2 eV. Optical phonon modes of InN were determined from micro-Raman studies. (orig.)

  6. Amorphous Metal Tungsten Nitride and its Application for Micro and Nanoelectromechanical Applications

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.

    2016-05-01

    The objective of this doctoral thesis is to develop, engineer and investigate an amorphous metal tungsten nitride (aWNx) and to study its functionality for applications focused on electromechanical system at the nano-scale. Charge transport based solid state device oriented complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics have reached a level where they are scaled down to nearly their fundamental limits regarding switching speed, off state power consumption and the on state power consumption due to the fundamental limitation of sub-threshold slope (SS) remains at 60 mV/dec. NEM switch theoretically and practically offers the steepest sub-threshold slope and practically has shown zero static power consumption due to their physical isolation originated from the nature of their mechanical operation. Fundamental challenges remain with NEM switches in context of their performance and reliability: (i) necessity of lower pull-in voltage comparable to CMOS technology; (ii) operation in ambient/air; (iii) increased ON current and decreased ON resistance; (iv) scaling of devices and improved mechanical and electrical contacts; and (v) high endurance. The “perfect” NEM switch should overcome all the above-mentioned challenges. Here, we show such a NEM switch fabricated with aWNx to show (i) sub-0.3-volt operation; (ii) operation in air and vacuum; (iii) ON current as high as 0.5 mA and ON resistance lower than 5 kΩ; (iv) improved mechanical contact; and the most importantly (v) continuous switching of 8 trillion cycles for more than 10 days with the highest switching speed is 30 nanosecond without hysteresis. In addition, tungsten nitride could be the modern life vine by fulfilling the demand of biodegradable material for sustainable life regime. Transient electronics is a form of biodegradable electronics as it is physically disappearing totally or partially after performing the required function. The fabricated aWNx suites this category very well, despite not

  7. Superconducting structure with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murduck, J.M.; Lepetre, Y.J.; Schuller, I.K.; Ketterson, J.B.

    1989-01-01

    A superconducting structure is formed by depositing alternate layers of aluminum nitride and niobium nitride on a substrate. Deposition methods include dc magnetron reactive sputtering, rf magnetron reactive sputtering, thin-film diffusion, chemical vapor deposition, and ion-beam deposition. Structures have been built with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride having thicknesses in a range of 20 to 350 Angstroms. Best results have been achieved with films of niobium nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 70 Angstroms and aluminum nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 20 Angstroms. Such films of niobium nitride separated by a single layer of aluminum nitride are useful in forming Josephson junctions. Structures of 30 or more alternating layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride are useful when deposited on fixed substrates or flexible strips to form bulk superconductors for carrying electric current. They are also adaptable as voltage-controlled microwave energy sources. 8 figs

  8. A first-principles study of half-metallic ferromagnetism in binary alkaline-earth nitrides with rock-salt structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, G.Y.; Yao, K.L.; Liu, Z.L.; Zhang, J.; Min, Y.; Fan, S.W.

    2008-01-01

    In this Letter, using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method, we extend the electronic structure and magnetism studies on zinc-blende structure of II-V compounds MX (M=Ca,Sr,Ba; X=N,P,As) [M. Sieberer, J. Redinger, S. Khmelevskyi, P. Mohn, Phys. Rev. B 73 (2006) 024404] to the rock-salt structure. It is found that, in the nine compounds, only alkaline-earth nitrides CaN, SrN and BaN exhibit ferromagnetic half-metallic character with a magnetic moment of 1.00μ B per formula unit. Furthermore, compared with the zinc-blende structure of CaN, SrN and BaN, the rock-salt structure has lower energy, which makes them more promising candidates of possible growth of half-metallic films on suitable substrates

  9. Nanostructured and nanolayer coatings based on nitrides of the metals structure study and structure and composition standard samples set development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. B. Chabina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Researches by methods of analytical microscopy and the x-ray analysis have allowed to develop a set of standard samples of composition and structure of the strengthening nanostructured and nanolayer coatings for control of the strengthening nanostructured and nanolayer coatings based on nitrides of the metals used to protect critical parts of the compressor of the gas turbine engine from dust erosion, corrosion and oxidation.

  10. Plasma nitriding - an eco friendly surface hardening process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukherjee, S.

    2015-01-01

    Surface hardening is a process of heating the metal such that the surface gets only hardened. This process is adopted for many components like gears, cams, and crankshafts, which desire high hardness on the outer surface with a softer core to withstand the shocks. So, to attain such properties processes like carburising, nitriding, flame hardening and induction hardening are employed. Amongst these processes nitriding is the most commonly used process by many industries. In nitriding process the steel material is heated to a temperature of around 550 C and then exposed to atomic nitrogen. This atomic nitrogen reacts with iron and other alloying elements and forms nitrides, which are very hard in nature. By this process both wear resistance and hardness of the product can be increased. The atomic nitrogen required for this process can be obtained using ammonia gas (gas nitriding), cyanide based salt bath (liquid nitriding) and plasma medium (plasma nitriding). However, plasma nitriding has recently received considerable industrial interest owing to its characteristic of faster nitrogen penetration, short treatment time, low process temperature, minimal distortion, low energy use and easier control of layer formation compared with conventional techniques such as gas and liquid nitriding. This process can be used for all ferrous materials including stainless steels. Plasma nitriding is carried out using a gas mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen gas at sub atmospheric pressures hence, making it eco-friendly in nature. Plasma nitriding allows modification of the surface layers and hardness profiles by changing the gas mixture and temperature. The wide applicable temperature range enables a multitude of applications, beyond the possibilities of gas or salt bath processes. This has led to numerous applications of this process in industries such as the manufacture of machine parts for plastics and food processing, packaging and tooling as well as pumps and hydraulic, machine

  11. III-Nitride Membranes for Thermal Bio-Sensing and Solar Hydrogen Generation

    KAUST Repository

    Elafandy, Rami Tarek Mahmoud

    2017-09-01

    III-nitride nanostructures have generated tremendous scientific and technological interests in studying and engineering their low dimensional physics phenomena. Among these, 2D planar, free standing III-nitride nanomembranes are unrivalled in their scalability for high yield manufacture and can be mechanically manipulated. Due to the increase in their surface to volume ratio and the manifestation of quantum phenomena, these nanomembranes acquire unique physical properties. Furthermore, III-nitride membranes are chemically stable and biocompatible. Finally, nanomembranes are highly flexible and can follow curvilinear surfaces present in biological systems. However, being free-standing, requires especially new techniques for handling nanometers or micrometers thick membrane devices. Furthermore, effectively transferring these membrane devices to other substrates is not a direct process which requires the use of photoresists, solvents and/or elastomers. Finally, as the membranes are transferred, they need to be properly attached for subsequent device fabrications, which often includes spin coating and rinsing steps. These engineering complications have impeded the development of novel devices based on III-nitride membranes. In this thesis, we demonstrate the versatility of III-nitride membranes where we develop a thermal bio-sensor nanomembrane and solar energy photo-anode membrane. First, we present a novel preparation technique of nanomembranes with new characteristics; having no threading dislocation cores. We then perform optical characterization to reveal changes in their defect densities compared to the bulk crystal. We also study their mechanical properties where we successfully modulate their bandgap emission by 55 meV through various external compressive and tensile strain fields. Furthermore, we characterize the effect of phonon-boundary scattering on their thermal properties where we report a reduction of thermal conductivity from 130 to 9 W/mK. We employ

  12. Synthesis by reactive grinding of molybdenum iron bimetallic nitride; Sintesis por molienda reactiva del nitruro bimetalico Mo-Fe: Mo{sub 3}Fe{sub 3}N

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roldan, M. A.; Ortega, A.; Palencia, I.; Real, C.

    2008-07-01

    The transition metal nitride ternary show similar properties to the binary nitride and some times this behaviour are improved. In the present work, the molybdenum-iron nitride has been prepared by reactive grinding form the two metals under nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of 11 bar. The characterization of the compounds is presented and it is also shown a study of the stability of the nitride under several atmospheres. (Author) 42 refs.

  13. Electrical and structural properties of group-4 transition-metal nitride (TiN, ZrN, and HfN) contacts on Ge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, Keisuke; Nakashima, Hiroshi, E-mail: nakasima@astec.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Noguchi, Ryutaro; Wang, Dong [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Mitsuhara, Masatoshi; Nishida, Minoru [Department of Engineering Sciences for Electronics and Materials, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Hara, Toru [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

    2015-09-21

    Electrical and structural properties were investigated for group-4 transition-metal nitride contacts on Ge (TiN/Ge, ZrN/Ge, and HfN/Ge), which were prepared by direct sputter depositions using nitride targets. These contacts could alleviate the intrinsic Fermi-level pinning (FLP) position toward the conduction band edge. It was revealed that this phenomenon is induced by an amorphous interlayer (a-IL) containing nitrogen atoms at the nitride/Ge interfaces. The strength of FLP alleviation positively depended on the thickness of a-IL. TiN/Ge and ZrN/Ge contacts with ∼2 nm-thick a-ILs showed strong FLP alleviations with hole barrier heights (Φ{sub BP}) in the range of 0.52–56 eV, and a HfN/Ge contact with an ∼1 nm-thick a-IL showed a weaker one with a Φ{sub BP} of 0.39 eV. However, TaN/Ge contact without a-IL did not show such FLP alleviation. Based on the results of depth distributions for respective elements, we discussed the formation kinetics of a-ILs at TiN/Ge and ZrN/Ge interfaces. Finally, we proposed an interfacial dipole model to explain the FLP alleviation.

  14. Low temperature gaseous nitriding of Ni based superalloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eliasen, K. M.; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Somers, Marcel A. J.

    2010-01-01

    In the present work the nitriding response of selected Ni based superalloys at low temperatures is addressed. The alloys investigated are nimonic series nos. 80, 90, 95 and 100 and nichrome (Ni/Cr......In the present work the nitriding response of selected Ni based superalloys at low temperatures is addressed. The alloys investigated are nimonic series nos. 80, 90, 95 and 100 and nichrome (Ni/Cr...

  15. Oxide-nitride-oxide dielectric stacks with Si nanoparticles obtained by low-energy ion beam synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ioannou-Sougleridis, V; Dimitrakis, P; Vamvakas, V Em; Normand, P; Bonafos, C; Schamm, S; Mouti, A; Assayag, G Ben; Paillard, V

    2007-01-01

    Formation of a thin band of silicon nanoparticles within silicon nitride films by low-energy (1 keV) silicon ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing is demonstrated. Electrical characterization of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors reveals that oxide/Si-nanoparticles-nitride/oxide dielectric stacks exhibit enhanced charge transfer characteristics between the substrate and the silicon nitride layer compared to dielectric stacks using unimplanted silicon nitride. Attractive results are obtained in terms of write/erase memory characteristics and data retention, indicating the large potential of the low-energy ion-beam-synthesis technique in SONOS memory technology

  16. Analytical and experimental evaluation of joining silicon nitride to metal and silicon carbide to metal for advanced heat engine applications. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, S.; Selverian, J.H.; O`Neil, D.; Kim, H. [GTE Labs., Inc., Waltham, MA (US); Kim, K. [Brown Univ., Providence, RI (US). Div. of Engineering

    1993-05-01

    This report summarizes the results of Phase 2 of Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of Joining Silicon Nitride to Metal and Silicon Carbide to Metal for Advanced Heat Engine Applications. A general methodology was developed to optimize the joint geometry and material systems for 650{degrees}C applications. Failure criteria were derived to predict the fracture of the braze and ceramic. Extensive finite element analyses (FEA) were performed to examine various joint geometries and to evaluate the affect of different interlayers on the residual stress state. Also, material systems composed of coating materials, interlayers, and braze alloys were developed for the program based on the chemical stability and strength of the joints during processing, and service. The FEA results were compared with experiments using two methods: (1) an idealized strength relationship of the ceramic, and (2) a probabilistic analysis of the ceramic strength (NASA CARES). The results showed that the measured strength of the joint reached 30--80% of the strength predicted by FEA. Also, potential high-temperature braze alloys were developed and evaluated for the high-temperature application of ceramic-metal joints. 38 tabs, 29 figs, 20 refs.

  17. Crystallo-chemistry of actinide nitrides (U1-yPuy)N and effect of impurities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beauvy, M.; Coulon-Picard, E.; Pelletier, M.

    2004-01-01

    Investigations on actinide nitrides has been done in our Laboratories for Fast Breeder Reactors since the seventies and some properties are reported to show the interest for these fuels. Today, the actinide nitrides are reconsidered as possible fuels for the future fission reactors (GFR and LMFR selected by the international forum Generation IV). The results of new investigations on crystal structure of mixed mono-nitrides (U,Pu)N, and the effects of oxygen and carbon contaminations on this structure are presented. The cubic 'NaCl-fcc' type structure of actinide nitrides AnN with space group O5/h-Fm3m does not respect the 'Vegard law' model for the mixed nitrides (U 1-y Pu y )N. These nitrides are usually considered with strong metallic character associated with partial ionic bonding, but the ionic contribution in the An-N bonding determined in this work is very important and near 41.6% for UN and PuN. From results published on resistivity of mixed nitrides, the data on bonding must be also modified for partial covalence. This is in good agreement with the experimental lattice parameters which are not compatible with dominant metallic bonding. The numbers of bonding electrons in the nitrides (U 1-y Pu y )N are reevaluated and the low values proposed comparatively with those previously published confirm the strong ionic character with high concentration of An 3+ ions. The solubility of oxygen and carbon in actinide nitrides (U 1-y Pu y )N are discussed from measurements on volume concentration of actinide oxide phase, total oxygen and carbon contents, and lattice parameter of nitrides. The oxygen solubility limit in UN is near 1000 ppm, with a lightly higher value of 1200 ppm for the mixed nitride (U 0.8 Pu 0.2 )N. The effects of oxygen or carbon atoms in the lattice of (U 1-y Pu y )N are analysed

  18. Decomposed Photo Response Non-Uniformity for Digital Forensic Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yue; Li, Chang-Tsun

    The last few years have seen the applications of Photo Response Non-Uniformity noise (PRNU) - a unique stochastic fingerprint of image sensors, to various types of digital forensic investigations such as source device identification and integrity verification. In this work we proposed a new way of extracting PRNU noise pattern, called Decomposed PRNU (DPRNU), by exploiting the difference between the physical andartificial color components of the photos taken by digital cameras that use a Color Filter Array for interpolating artificial components from physical ones. Experimental results presented in this work have shown the superiority of the proposed DPRNU to the commonly used version. We also proposed a new performance metrics, Corrected Positive Rate (CPR) to evaluate the performance of the common PRNU and the proposed DPRNU.

  19. Tuning the optical response in carbon doped boron nitride nanodots

    KAUST Repository

    Mokkath, Junais Habeeb

    2014-09-04

    Time dependent density functional theory and the hybrid B3LYP functional are used to investigate the structural and optical properties of pristine and carbon doped hexagonal boron nitride nanodots. In agreement with recent experiments, the embedded carbon atoms are found to favor nucleation. Our results demonstrate that carbon clusters of different shapes promote an early onset of absorption by generating in-gap states. The nanodots are interesting for opto-electronics due to their tunable optical response in a wide energy window. We identify cluster sizes and shapes with optimal conversion efficiency for solar radiation and a wide absorption range form infrared to ultraviolet. This journal is

  20. Thermo-, photo-, and mechano-responsive liquid crystal networks enable tunable photonic crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akamatsu, N; Hisano, K; Tatsumi, R; Aizawa, M; Barrett, C J; Shishido, A

    2017-10-25

    Tunable photonic crystals exhibiting optical properties that respond reversibly to external stimuli have been developed using liquid crystal networks (LCNs) and liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). These tunable photonic crystals possess an inverse opal structure and are photo-responsive, but circumvent the usual requirement to contain dye molecules in the structure that often limit their applicability and cause optical degradation. Herein, we report tunable photonic crystal films that reversibly tune the reflection peak wavelength under thermo-, photo- and mechano-stimuli, through bilayering a stimuli-responsive LCN including azobenzene units with a colourless inverse opal film composed of non-responsive, flexible durable polymers. By mechanically deforming the azobenzene containing LCN via various stimuli, the reflection peak wavelength from the bilayered film assembly could be shifted on demand. We confirm that the reflection peak shift occurs due to the deformation of the stimuli-responsive layer propagating towards and into the inverse opal layer to change its shape in response, and this shift behaviour is repeatable without optical degradation.

  1. Nanoencapsulation of the sasanquasaponin from Camellia oleifera, its photo responsiveness and neuroprotective effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye Y

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Yong Ye, Haiting Xing, Yue Li Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Sasanquasaponin, a bioactive compound isolated from seeds of Camellia oleifera, shows central effects in our previous research. In order to investigate its neuroprotective effects, a new kind of nanocapsule with photo responsiveness was designed to deliver sasanquasaponin into the brain and adjusted by red light. The nanocapsule was prepared using sasanquasaponin emulsified with soybean lecithin and cholesterol solution. The natural phaeophorbide from silkworm excrement as a photosensitizer was added in the lipid phase to make the nanocapsules photo responsive. The physicochemical properties of encapsulation efficiency, size distribution, morphology and stability were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography, particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. Photo responsiveness was determined by the sasanquasaponin release in pH 7.5 phosphate buffer under the laser at 670 nm. The neuroprotective effects were evaluated by the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, decrease of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß in the brain, and amelioration of kainic acid-induced behavioral disorder in mice. The nanocapsules had higher encapsulation efficiency and stability when the phaeophorbide content was 2% of lecithin weight. The average size was 172.2 nm, distributed in the range of 142–220 nm. The phaeophorbide was scattered sufficiently in the outer lecithin layer of the nanocapsules and increased the drug release after irradiation. TH expression in brain tissues and locomotive activities in mice were reduced by kainic acid, but could be improved by the sasanquasaponin nanocapsules after tail vein injection with 15 minutes of irradiation at the nasal cavity. The

  2. Electronic properties of Mn-decorated silicene on hexagonal boron nitride

    KAUST Repository

    Kaloni, Thaneshwor P.; Gangopadhyay, S.; Jones, Burton; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Singh, Nirpendra

    2013-01-01

    We study silicene on hexagonal boron nitride, using first-principles calculations. Since hexagonal boron nitride is semiconducting, the interaction with silicene is weaker than for metallic substrates. It therefore is possible to open a 50 meV band gap in the silicene. We further address the effect of Mn decoration by determining the onsite Hubbard interaction parameter, which turns out to differ significantly for decoration at the top and hollow sites. The induced magnetism in the system is analyzed in detail.

  3. Electronic properties of Mn-decorated silicene on hexagonal boron nitride

    KAUST Repository

    Kaloni, Thaneshwor P.

    2013-12-17

    We study silicene on hexagonal boron nitride, using first-principles calculations. Since hexagonal boron nitride is semiconducting, the interaction with silicene is weaker than for metallic substrates. It therefore is possible to open a 50 meV band gap in the silicene. We further address the effect of Mn decoration by determining the onsite Hubbard interaction parameter, which turns out to differ significantly for decoration at the top and hollow sites. The induced magnetism in the system is analyzed in detail.

  4. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Haibao; Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo

    2017-01-01

    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O3, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O3 catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O3 removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O3 was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as rad OH and rad O for benzene oxidation.

  5. III-nitrides, 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and their heterojunctions

    KAUST Repository

    Mishra, Pawan

    2017-01-01

    Group III-nitride materials have attracted great attention for applications in high efficiency electronic and optoelectronics devices such as high electron mobility transistors, light emitting diodes, and laser diodes. On the other hand, group VI

  6. Remote activation of a microactuator using a photo-responsive nanoparticle-polymer composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeberoff, Anthony

    Stimulus response materials are a class of novel materials that are currently being explored in various technologies, including biomedical devices and components, food packaging, fabrics, energy harvesting and conversion, and other elementary components such as sensors and actuators. Hybrid organic-inorganic materials such as nanoparticle-polymer composites are attractive candidates as their properties can be significantly tuned for particular applications where selectivity and localized responses are critical factors. In this work we developed and optimized a photo-responsive microactuator that can operate selectively to a specific wavelength of light. The photo-responsive microactuator is comprised of monodispersed microspheres that contain gold nanoparticles. Upon irradiation, these microspheres transduce optical energy to thermal energy, driving a localized phase change in the matrix in which they are embedded. Our remotely powered microactuator can be further realized in applications where decoupling the physical connection of the energy/control source from the actuating component is necessary.

  7. Surface Preparation and Deposited Gate Oxides for Gallium Nitride Based Metal Oxide Semiconductor Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul C. McIntyre

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The literature on polar Gallium Nitride (GaN surfaces, surface treatments and gate dielectrics relevant to metal oxide semiconductor devices is reviewed. The significance of the GaN growth technique and growth parameters on the properties of GaN epilayers, the ability to modify GaN surface properties using in situ and ex situ processes and progress on the understanding and performance of GaN metal oxide semiconductor (MOS devices are presented and discussed. Although a reasonably consistent picture is emerging from focused studies on issues covered in each of these topics, future research can achieve a better understanding of the critical oxide-semiconductor interface by probing the connections between these topics. The challenges in analyzing defect concentrations and energies in GaN MOS gate stacks are discussed. Promising gate dielectric deposition techniques such as atomic layer deposition, which is already accepted by the semiconductor industry for silicon CMOS device fabrication, coupled with more advanced physical and electrical characterization methods will likely accelerate the pace of learning required to develop future GaN-based MOS technology.

  8. Discontinuous precipitation in a nickel-free high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel on solution nitriding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mohammadzadeh, Roghayeh; Akbari, Alireza; Grumsen, Flemming Bjerg

    2017-01-01

    Chromium-rich nitride precipitates in production of nickel-free austenitic stainless steel plates via pressurised solution nitriding of Fe–22.7Cr–2.4Mo ferritic stainless steel at 1473 K (1200 °C) under a nitrogen gas atmosphere was investigated. The microstructure, chemical and phase composition......, morphology and crystallographic orientation between the resulted austenite and precipitates were investigated using optical microscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD). On prolonged nitriding, Chromium-rich nitride...... precipitates were formed firstly close to the surface and later throughout the sample with austenitic structure. Chromium-rich nitride precipitates with a rod or strip-like morphology was developed by a discontinuous cellular precipitation mechanism. STEM-EDS analysis demonstrated partitioning of metallic...

  9. Multilayer-Forming Behavior of Cr Nitrides and Carbides for Thermoreactive Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyeongmo Park

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The effect of a nitride layer on the forming behavior of CrN and (Cr, Fe7C3 multilayers for thermoreactive deposition (TRD was investigated. Plasma nitriding followed by TRD (PN-TRD produced a larger coating thickness than the case of direct TRD with no plasma nitriding. For PN-TRD, an Fe2-3N layer of 10 μm in thickness was produced on AISI 52100 steels using plasma nitriding, followed by TRD using a mixed powder composed of 30 wt % Cr, 2 wt % NH4Cl, and 68 wt % Al2O3. During TRD at 800 °C, a CrN layer of 2 μm in thickness was formed along with a thin layer of mixed carbide (Cr7C3 and nitride (CrN on top. As the deposition temperature was increased to 950 °C, a new layer of Cr7C3 was formed underneath the outermost layer composed of mixed Cr7C3 and CrN. At 950 °C, a Cr-rich zone indicated a thickness of ~7 μm. As the deposition time increased to 3 h at 950 °C, a new layer of (Cr, Fe7C3 was produced at the interface between the CrN formed at 800 °C and the base metal. This layer formed because of the abundant resources of Cr and C provided from the TRD powder and base metal, respectively. The multilayer and interface were concretely filled without the formation of voids as the TRD time increased to 6 h at 950 °C. The TRD process on a pre-nitrided layer was successfully applied to produce multilayers of CrN and Cr7C3.

  10. Nitride alloy layer formation of duplex stainless steel using nitriding process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maleque, M. A.; Lailatul, P. H.; Fathaen, A. A.; Norinsan, K.; Haider, J.

    2018-01-01

    Duplex stainless steel (DSS) shows a good corrosion resistance as well as the mechanical properties. However, DSS performance decrease as it works under aggressive environment and at high temperature. At the mentioned environment, the DSS become susceptible to wear failure. Surface modification is the favourable technique to widen the application of duplex stainless steel and improve the wear resistance and its hardness properties. Therefore, the main aim of this work is to nitride alloy layer on the surface of duplex stainless steel by the nitriding process temperature of 400°C and 450°C at different time and ammonia composition using a horizontal tube furnace. The scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyzer are used to analyse the morphology, composition and the nitrided alloy layer for treated DSS. The micro hardnesss Vickers tester was used to measure hardness on cross-sectional area of nitrided DSS. After nitriding, it was observed that the hardness performance increased until 1100 Hv0.5kgf compared to substrate material of 250 Hv0.5kgf. The thickness layer of nitride alloy also increased from 5μm until 100μm due to diffusion of nitrogen on the surface of DSS. The x-ray diffraction results showed that the nitride layer consists of iron nitride, expanded austenite and chromium nitride. It can be concluded that nitride alloy layer can be produced via nitriding process using tube furnace with significant improvement of microstructural and hardness properties.

  11. Origin of interfacial charging in irradiated silicon nitride capacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hughes, R.C.

    1984-01-01

    Many experiments show that when metal-silicon nitride-silicon dioxide-silicon (MNOS) devices are irradiated in short circuit, a large interfacial charge builds up near the nitride-SiO 2 -Si interface. This effect cannot be explained by simple models of radiation-induced conductivity of the nitride, but it is reported here that inclusion of carrier diffusion and recombination in the photoconductivity equations can predict the observed behavior. Numerical solutions on a computer are required, however, when these complications are added. The simulations account for the magnitude and radiation dose dependence of the results, as well as the occurrence of a steady state during the irradiation. The location of the excess trapped charge near the interface is also predicted, along with the large number of new traps which must be introduced to influence the steady-state charge distribution

  12. Methods for and products of processing nanostructure nitride, carbonitride and oxycarbonitride electrode power materials by utilizing sol gel technology for supercapacitor applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yuhong; Wei, Oiang; Chu, Chung-tse; Zheng, Haixing

    2001-01-01

    Metal nitride, carbonitride, and oxycarbonitride powder with high surface area (up to 150 m.sup.2 /g) is prepared by using sol-gel process. The metal organic precursor, alkoxides or amides, is synthesized firstly. The metal organic precursor is modified by using unhydrolyzable organic ligands or templates. A wet gel is formed then by hydrolysis and condensation process. The solvent in the wet gel is then be removed supercritically to form porous amorphous hydroxide. This porous hydroxide materials is sintered to 725.degree. C. under the ammonia flow and porous nitride powder is formed. The other way to obtain high surface area nitride, carbonitride, and oxycarbonitride powder is to pyrolyze polymerized templated metal amides aerogel in an inert atmosphere. The electrochemical capacitors are prepared by using sol-gel prepared nitride, carbonitride, and oxycarbonitride powder. Two methods are used to assemble the capacitors. Electrode is formed either by pressing the mixture of nitride powder and binder to a foil, or by depositing electrode coating onto metal current collector. The binder or coating is converted into a continuous network of electrode material after thermal treatment to provide enhanced energy and power density. Liquid electrolyte is soaked into porous electrode. The electrochemical capacitor assembly further has a porous separator layer between two electrodes/electrolyte and forming a unit cell.

  13. Suppression of persistent photo-conductance in solution-processed amorphous oxide thin-film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Minkyung; Kim, Minho; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

    2018-01-01

    This study offers a combinatorial approach for suppressing the persistent photo-conductance (PPC) characteristic in solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) in order to achieve rapid photo-recovery. Various analyses were used to examine the photo-instability of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) TFTs including negative-bias-illumination-stress (NBIS) and transient photo-response behaviors. It was found that the indium ratio in metallic components had a significant impact on their PPC and photo-recovery characteristics. In particular, when the indium ratio was low (51.5%), the PPC characteristic was significantly suppressed and achieving rapid photo-recovery was possible without significantly affecting the electrical performance of AOSs. These results imply that the optimization of the indium composition ratio may allow achieving highly photo-stable and near PPC-free characteristics while maintaining high electrical performance of AOSs. It is considered that the negligible PPC behavior and rapid photo-recovery observed in IGZO TFTs with a lower indium composition are attributed to the less activation energy required for the neutralization of ionized oxygen vacancies.

  14. Layered lithium transition metal nitrides as novel anodes for lithium secondary batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yu; Horikawa, Kumi; Fujiyosi, Minako; Imanishi, Nobuyuki; Hirano, Atsushi; Takeda, Yasuo

    2004-01-01

    We report the approach to overcome the deterrents of the hexagonal Li 2.6 Co 0.4 N as potential insertion anode for lithium ion batteries: the rapid capacity fading upon long cycles and the fully Li-rich state before cycling. Research reveals that the appropriate amount of Co substituted by Cu can greatly improve the cycling performance of Li 2.6 Co 0.4 N. It is attributed to the enhanced electrochemical stability and interfacial comparability. However, doped Cu leads to a slightly decreased capacity. High energy mechanical milling (HEMM) was found to effectively improve the reversible capacity associated with the electrochemical kinetics by modifying the active hosts' morphology characteristics. Moreover, the composite based on mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) and Li 2.6 Co 0.4 N was developed under HEMM. The composite demonstrates a high first cycle efficiency at 100% and a large reversible capacity of ca. 450 mAh g -1 , as well as a stable cycling performance. This work may contribute to a development of the lithium transition metal nitrides as novel anodes for lithium ion batteries

  15. Explosion of lithium-thionyl-chloride battery due to presence of lithium nitride

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hennesø, E.; Hedlund, Frank Huess

    2015-01-01

    An explosion of a lithium–thionyl-chloride (Li–SOCl2) battery during production (assembly) leads to serious worker injury. The accident cell batch had been in a dry-air intermediate storage room for months before being readied with thionyl chloride electrolyte. Metallic lithium can react...... with atmospheric nitrogen to produce lithium nitride. Nodules of lithium nitride were found to be present on the lithium foil in other cells of the accident batch. The investigation attributed the explosion to the formation of porous lithium nitride during intermediate storage and a violent exothermal...... decomposition with the SOCl2–LiAlCl4 electrolyte triggered by welding. The literature is silent on hazards of explosion of Li–SOCl2 cells associated with the presence of lithium nitride. The silence is intriguing. Possible causes may be that such explosions are very rare, that explosions go unpublished...

  16. Microwave irradiation-assisted deposition of Ga2O3 on III-nitrides for deep-UV opto-electronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaiswal, Piyush; Ul Muazzam, Usman; Pratiyush, Anamika Singh; Mohan, Nagaboopathy; Raghavan, Srinivasan; Muralidharan, R.; Shivashankar, S. A.; Nath, Digbijoy N.

    2018-01-01

    We report on the deposition of Ga2O3 on III-nitride epi-layers using the microwave irradiation technique. We also report on the demonstration of a Ga2O3 device: a visible-blind, deep-UV detector, with a GaN-based heterostructure as the substrate. The film deposited in the solution medium, at <200 °C, using a metalorganic precursor, was nanocrystalline. XRD confirms that the as-deposited film, when annealed at high temperature, turns to polycrystalline β-Ga2O3. SEM shows the as-deposited film to be uniform, with a surface roughness of 4-5 nm, as revealed by AFM. Interdigitated metal-semiconductor-metal devices with Ni/Au contact exhibited a peak spectral response at 230 nm and a good visible rejection ratio. This demonstration of a deep-UV detector on the β-Ga2O3/III-nitride stack is expected to open up possibilities of functional and physical integration of β-Ga2O3 and GaN material families towards enabling next-generation high-performance devices by exciting band and heterostructure engineering.

  17. Nanopillar arrays of amorphous carbon nitride

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sai Krishna, Katla; Pavan Kumar, B. V. V. S.; Eswaramoorthy, Muthusamy

    2011-07-01

    Nanopillar arrays of amorphous carbon nitride have been prepared using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as a template. The amine groups present on the surface of these nanopillars were exploited for functionalization with oleic acid in order to stabilize the nanostructure at the aqueous-organic interface and also for the immobilization of metal nanoparticles and protein. These immobilised nanoparticles were found to have good catalytic activity.

  18. Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets for Fast-Response and Highly Sensitive Luminescent Sensing of Fe3+

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Hui; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt

    of graphene, Since the discovery of graphene, series of two-dimensional (2-D) nanosheets materials such as metal oxides, metal hydroxides, transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs), boron nitride (BN) and black phosphorus have been of great interests, and have been extensively investigated for applications...... in electronics, lithium-ion batteries, catalysis and mechanical properties, etc. 2-D MOF nanosheets materials, as a new member of the 2-D nanomaterials family, are still at the very early stage. However, to the best of our knowledge, the 2-D MOF nanosheets materials for luminescent sensing have been rarely...

  19. Chemical trends of Schottky barrier behavior on monolayer hexagonal B, Al, and Ga nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Haichang; Guo, Yuzheng; Robertson, John

    2016-08-01

    The Schottky Barrier Heights (SBH) of metal layers on top of monolayer hexagonal X-nitrides (X = B, Al, Ga, and h-XN) are calculated using supercells and density functional theory so as to understand the chemical trends of contact formation on graphene and the 2D layered semiconductors such as the transition metal dichalcogenides. The Fermi level pinning factor S of SBHs on h-BN is calculated to be nearly 1, indicating no pinning. For h-AlN and h-GaN, the calculated pinning factor is about 0.63, less than for h-BN. We attribute this to the formation of stronger, chemisorptive bonds between the nitrides and the contact metal layer. Generally, the h-BN layer remains in a planar sp2 geometry and has weak physisorptive bonds to the metals, whereas h-AlN and h-GaN buckle out of their planar geometry which enables them to form the chemisorptive bonds to the metals.

  20. Anomalous response of superconducting titanium nitride resonators to terahertz radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bueno, J.; Baselmans, J. J. A; Coumou, P. C. J. J.; Zheng, G.; Visser, P. J. de; Klapwijk, T. M.; Driessen, E. F. C.; Doyle, S.

    2014-01-01

    We present an experimental study of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) fabricated of atomic layer deposited TiN films and characterized at radiation frequencies of 350 GHz. The responsivity to radiation is measured and found to increase with the increase in radiation powers, opposite to what is expected from theory and observed for hybrid niobium titanium nitride/aluminium (NbTiN/Al) and all-aluminium (all-Al) KIDs. The noise is found to be independent of the level of the radiation power. The noise equivalent power improves with higher radiation powers, also opposite to what is observed and well understood for hybrid NbTiN/Al and all-Al KIDs. We suggest that an inhomogeneous state of these disordered superconductors should be used to explain these observations

  1. Anomalous response of superconducting titanium nitride resonators to terahertz radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bueno, J., E-mail: j.bueno@sron.nl; Baselmans, J. J. A [SRON, Netherlands Institute of Space Research, Utrecht (Netherlands); Coumou, P. C. J. J.; Zheng, G. [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Visser, P. J. de [SRON, Netherlands Institute of Space Research, Utrecht (Netherlands); Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Klapwijk, T. M. [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Physics Department, Moscow State Pedagogical University, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Driessen, E. F. C. [Université Grenoble Alpes, INAC-SPSMS, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, INAC-SPSMS, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Doyle, S. [Cardiff University, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queens Buildings, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom)

    2014-11-10

    We present an experimental study of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) fabricated of atomic layer deposited TiN films and characterized at radiation frequencies of 350 GHz. The responsivity to radiation is measured and found to increase with the increase in radiation powers, opposite to what is expected from theory and observed for hybrid niobium titanium nitride/aluminium (NbTiN/Al) and all-aluminium (all-Al) KIDs. The noise is found to be independent of the level of the radiation power. The noise equivalent power improves with higher radiation powers, also opposite to what is observed and well understood for hybrid NbTiN/Al and all-Al KIDs. We suggest that an inhomogeneous state of these disordered superconductors should be used to explain these observations.

  2. Explosion of lithium-thionyl-chloride battery due to presence of lithium nitride

    OpenAIRE

    Hennesø, E.; Hedlund, Frank Huess

    2015-01-01

    An explosion of a lithium–thionyl-chloride (Li–SOCl2) battery during production (assembly) leads to serious worker injury. The accident cell batch had been in a dry-air intermediate storage room for months before being readied with thionyl chloride electrolyte. Metallic lithium can react with atmospheric nitrogen to produce lithium nitride. Nodules of lithium nitride were found to be present on the lithium foil in other cells of the accident batch. The investigation attributed the explosion t...

  3. Nanometric resolution in glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry depth profiling of metal (Cr, Al) nitride multilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escobar Galindo, R.; Gago, R.; Fornies, E.; Munoz-Martin, A.; Climent Font, A.; Albella, J.M.

    2006-01-01

    In this work, we address the capability of glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) for fast and accurate depth profiling of multilayer nitride coatings down to the nanometer range. This is shown by resolving the particular case of CrN/AlN structures with individual thickness ranging from hundreds to few nanometers. In order to discriminate and identify artefacts in the GDOES depth profile due to the sputtering process, the layered structures were verified by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interfaces in the GDOES profiles for CrN/AlN structures are sharper than the ones measured for similar metal multilayers due to the lower sputtering rate of the nitrides. However, as a consequence of the crater shape, there is a linear degradation of the depth resolution with depth (approximately 40 nm/μm), saturating at a value of approximately half the thickness of the thinner layer. This limit is imposed by the simultaneous sputtering of consecutive layers. The ultimate GDOES depth resolution at the near surface region was estimated to be of 4-6 nm

  4. Photo-Responsive Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes to Control and Tackle Biological Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardano, Francesca; Frasconi, Marco; Giordani, Silvia

    2018-01-01

    Photo-responsive multifunctional nanomaterials are receiving considerable attention for biological applications because of their unique properties. The functionalization of the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, among other carbon based nanomaterials, with molecular switches that exhibit reversible transformations between two or more isomers in response to different kind of external stimuli, such as electromagnetic radiation, temperature and pH, has allowed the control of the optical and electrical properties of the nanomaterial. Light-controlled molecular switches, such as azobenzene and spiropyran, have attracted a lot of attention for nanomaterial's functionalization because of the remote modulation of their physicochemical properties using light stimulus. The enhanced properties of the hybrid materials obtained from the coupling of carbon based nanomaterials with light-responsive switches has enabled the fabrication of smart devices for various biological applications, including drug delivery, bioimaging and nanobiosensors. In this review, we highlight the properties of photo-responsive carbon nanomaterials obtained by the conjugation of CNTs and graphene with azobenzenes and spiropyrans molecules to investigate biological systems, devising possible future directions in the field. PMID:29707534

  5. Photo-Responsive Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes to Control and Tackle Biological Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardano, Francesca; Frasconi, Marco; Giordani, Silvia

    2018-04-01

    Photo-responsive multifunctional nanomaterials are receiving considerable attention for biological applications because of their unique properties. The functionalization of the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, among other carbon based nanomaterials, with molecular switches that exhibit reversible transformations between two or more isomers in response to different kind of external stimuli, such as electromagnetic radiation, temperature and pH, has allowed the control of the optical and electrical properties of the nanomaterial. Light-controlled molecular switches, such as azobenzene and spiropyran, have attracted a lot of attention for nanomaterial’s functionalization because of the remote modulation of their physicochemical properties using light stimulus. The enhanced properties of the hybrid materials obtained from the coupling of carbon based nanomaterials with light-responsive switches has enabled the fabrication of smart devices for various biological applications, including drug delivery, bioimaging and nanobiosensors. In this review, we highlight the properties of photo-responsive carbon nanomaterials obtained by the conjugation of CNTs and graphene with azobenzenes and spiropyrans molecules to investigate biological systems, devising possible future directions in the field.

  6. Neutron detection using boron gallium nitride semiconductor material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katsuhiro Atsumi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we developed a new neutron-detection device using a boron gallium nitride (BGaN semiconductor in which the B atom acts as a neutron converter. BGaN and gallium nitride (GaN samples were grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy, and their radiation detection properties were evaluated. GaN exhibited good sensitivity to α-rays but poor sensitivity to γ-rays. Moreover, we confirmed that electrons were generated in the depletion layer under neutron irradiation. This resulted in a neutron-detection signal after α-rays were generated by the capture of neutrons by the B atoms. These results prove that BGaN is useful as a neutron-detecting semiconductor material.

  7. Electrical transport and capacitance characteristics of metal-insulator-metal structures using hexagonal and cubic boron nitride films as dielectrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teii, Kungen; Kawamoto, Shinsuke; Fukui, Shingo; Matsumoto, Seiichiro

    2018-04-01

    Metal-insulator-metal capacitor structures using thick hexagonal and cubic boron nitride (hBN and cBN) films as dielectrics are produced by plasma jet-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and their electrical transport and capacitance characteristics are studied in a temperature range of 298 to 473 K. The resistivity of the cBN film is of the order of 107 Ω cm at 298 K, which is lower than that of the hBN film by two orders of magnitude, while it becomes the same order as the hBN film above ˜423 K. The dominant current transport mechanism at high fields (≥1 × 104 V cm-1) is described by the Frenkel-Poole emission and thermionic emission models for the hBN and cBN films, respectively. The capacitance of the hBN film remains stable for a change in alternating-current frequency and temperature, while that of the cBN film has variations of at most 18%. The dissipation factor as a measure of energy loss is satisfactorily low (≤5%) for both films. The origin of leakage current and capacitance variation is attributed to a high defect density in the film and a transition interlayer between the substrate and the film, respectively. This suggests that cBN films with higher crystallinity, stoichiometry, and phase purity are potentially applicable for dielectrics like hBN films.

  8. Nanoencapsulation of the sasanquasaponin from Camellia oleifera, its photo responsiveness and neuroprotective effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Yong; Xing, Haiting; Li, Yue

    2014-01-01

    Sasanquasaponin, a bioactive compound isolated from seeds of Camellia oleifera, shows central effects in our previous research. In order to investigate its neuroprotective effects, a new kind of nanocapsule with photo responsiveness was designed to deliver sasanquasaponin into the brain and adjusted by red light. The nanocapsule was prepared using sasanquasaponin emulsified with soybean lecithin and cholesterol solution. The natural phaeophorbide from silkworm excrement as a photosensitizer was added in the lipid phase to make the nanocapsules photo responsive. The physicochemical properties of encapsulation efficiency, size distribution, morphology and stability were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography, particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. Photo responsiveness was determined by the sasanquasaponin release in pH 7.5 phosphate buffer under the laser at 670 nm. The neuroprotective effects were evaluated by the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), decrease of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the brain, and amelioration of kainic acid-induced behavioral disorder in mice. The nanocapsules had higher encapsulation efficiency and stability when the phaeophorbide content was 2% of lecithin weight. The average size was 172.2 nm, distributed in the range of 142-220 nm. The phaeophorbide was scattered sufficiently in the outer lecithin layer of the nanocapsules and increased the drug release after irradiation. TH expression in brain tissues and locomotive activities in mice were reduced by kainic acid, but could be improved by the sasanquasaponin nanocapsules after tail vein injection with 15 minutes of irradiation at the nasal cavity. The sasanquasaponin took effect through inflammatory alleviation in central tissues. The sasanquasaponin nanocapsules with phaeophorbide have photo responsiveness and neuroprotective effects under the irradiation of red light. This

  9. A study of nitride formation during the oxidation of titanium-tantalum alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanrahan, R.J. Jr.; Lu, Y.C.; Kung, H.; Butt, D.P.

    1996-01-01

    The oxidation rates of Ti rich titanium-tantalum alloys are significantly lower in air than in oxygen. This nitrogen effect has been shown to be associated with the formation of a nitride layer at or near the scale-metal interface. In the present work the authors used transmission electron microscopy and microdiffraction to identify the nitrides formed on Ti5Ta and Ti40Ta (5 and 40 weight percent Ta alloys) during identical exposures. In both alloys the nitride develops in contact with the oxygen stabilized α-phase in the substrate. In Ti5Ta a continuous layer of TiN forms, while in Ti40Ta a discontinuous layer of Ti 2 N interspersed with Ta 2 O 5 (formed from the Ta rich β-phase) is formed. The nitride layer acts as an oxygen diffusion barrier, reducing the dissolution of oxygen in the substrate

  10. Active Control of Nitride Plasmonic Dispersion in the Far Infrared.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaner, Eric A.; Dyer, Gregory Conrad; Seng, William Francis; Bethke, Donald Thomas; Grine, Albert Dario,; Baca, Albert G.; Allerman, Andrew A.

    2014-11-01

    We investigate plasmonic structures in nitride-based materials for far-infrared (IR) applications. The two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the GaN/AlGaN material system, much like metal- dielectric structures, is a patternable plasmonic medium. However, it also permits for direct tunability via an applied voltage. While there have been proof-of-principle demonstrations of plasma excitations in nitride 2DEGs, exploration of the potential of this material system has thus far been limited. We recently demonstrated coherent phenomena such as the formation of plasmonic crystals, strong coupling of tunable crystal defects to a plasmonic crystal, and electromagnetically induced transparency in GaAs/AlGaAs 2DEGs at sub-THz frequencies. In this project, we explore whether these effects can be realized in nitride 2DEG materials above 1 THz and at temperatures exceeding 77 K.

  11. Plasma nitriding of steels

    CERN Document Server

    Aghajani, Hossein

    2017-01-01

    This book focuses on the effect of plasma nitriding on the properties of steels. Parameters of different grades of steels are considered, such as structural and constructional steels, stainless steels and tools steels. The reader will find within the text an introduction to nitriding treatment, the basis of plasma and its roll in nitriding. The authors also address the advantages and disadvantages of plasma nitriding in comparison with other nitriding methods. .

  12. Kinetics of the nitridation of dysprosium during mechanochemical processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alanko, Gordon A.; Osterberg, Daniel D.; Jaques, Brian J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Hurley, Michael F. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States); Butt, Darryl P., E-mail: darrylbutt@boisestate.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States)

    2015-01-25

    Highlights: • DyN was mechanochemically synthesized by milling pure metal under nitrogen. • Temperature and pressure were monitored to investigate reaction progress. • The effects of metal adhered to media on the impact energetics was measured. • The reactive milling kinetics are described in terms of reactive surface formation. - Abstract: Dysprosium nitride was synthesized by the reactive milling of the rare earth metal under 400 kPa nitrogen gas in a planetary ball mill. The nitrogen consumption rate was calculated from in situ temperature and pressure measurements to find the reaction extent as a function of milling time at milling speeds from 350 to 650 rpm. The results are analyzed in terms of a fundamental milling dynamics model in which the input milling energy is the primary driving force for reaction and the rate limiting step of the nitridation kinetics is the formation of chemically active surfaces. The model differs from traditional gas–solid reactions which are often limited by diffusion of a species through a surface layer or by dissociation of the gas molecule. These results give fresh insight into reactive gas–solid milling kinetics.

  13. Core-level spectra and binding energies of transition metal nitrides by non-destructive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy through capping layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greczynski, G., E-mail: grzgr@ifm.liu.se [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Primetzhofer, D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Lu, J.; Hultman, L. [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • First non-destructive measurements of XPS core level binding energies for group IVb-VIb transition metal nitrides are presented. • All films are grown under the same conditions and analyzed in the same instrument, providing a useful reference for future XPS studies. • Extracted core level BE values are more reliable than those obtained from sputter-cleaned N-deficient surfaces. • Comparison to Ar+-etched surfaces reveals that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer. • The N/metal concentration ratios from capped samples are found to be 25-90% higher than those from the corresponding ion-etched surfaces. - Abstract: We present the first measurements of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level binding energies (BE:s) for the widely-applicable group IVb-VIb polycrystalline transition metal nitrides (TMN’s) TiN, VN, CrN, ZrN, NbN, MoN, HfN, TaN, and WN as well as AlN and SiN, which are common components in the TMN-based alloy systems. Nitride thin film samples were grown at 400 °C by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets in Ar/N{sub 2} atmosphere. For XPS measurements, layers are either (i) Ar{sup +} ion-etched to remove surface oxides resulting from the air exposure during sample transfer from the growth chamber into the XPS system, or (ii) in situ capped with a few nm thick Cr or W overlayers in the deposition system prior to air-exposure and loading into the XPS instrument. Film elemental composition and phase content is thoroughly characterized with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-E ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and x-ray diffraction. High energy resolution core level XPS spectra acquired with monochromatic Al Kα radiation on the ISO-calibrated instrument reveal that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer that substantially affects the extracted binding energy

  14. Core-level spectra and binding energies of transition metal nitrides by non-destructive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy through capping layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greczynski, G.; Primetzhofer, D.; Lu, J.; Hultman, L.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • First non-destructive measurements of XPS core level binding energies for group IVb-VIb transition metal nitrides are presented. • All films are grown under the same conditions and analyzed in the same instrument, providing a useful reference for future XPS studies. • Extracted core level BE values are more reliable than those obtained from sputter-cleaned N-deficient surfaces. • Comparison to Ar+-etched surfaces reveals that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer. • The N/metal concentration ratios from capped samples are found to be 25-90% higher than those from the corresponding ion-etched surfaces. - Abstract: We present the first measurements of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level binding energies (BE:s) for the widely-applicable group IVb-VIb polycrystalline transition metal nitrides (TMN’s) TiN, VN, CrN, ZrN, NbN, MoN, HfN, TaN, and WN as well as AlN and SiN, which are common components in the TMN-based alloy systems. Nitride thin film samples were grown at 400 °C by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets in Ar/N 2 atmosphere. For XPS measurements, layers are either (i) Ar + ion-etched to remove surface oxides resulting from the air exposure during sample transfer from the growth chamber into the XPS system, or (ii) in situ capped with a few nm thick Cr or W overlayers in the deposition system prior to air-exposure and loading into the XPS instrument. Film elemental composition and phase content is thoroughly characterized with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-E ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and x-ray diffraction. High energy resolution core level XPS spectra acquired with monochromatic Al Kα radiation on the ISO-calibrated instrument reveal that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer that substantially affects the extracted binding energy values. These

  15. Ultra-wide frequency response measurement of an optical system with a DC photo-detector

    KAUST Repository

    Kuntz, Katanya B.; Wheatley, Trevor A.; Song, Hongbin; Webb, James G.; Mabrok, Mohamed; Huntington, Elanor H.; Yonezawa, Hidehiro

    2017-01-01

    Precise knowledge of an optical device's frequency response is crucial for it to be useful in most applications. Traditional methods for determining the frequency response of an optical system (e.g. optical cavity or waveguide modulator) usually rely on calibrated broadband photo-detectors or complicated RF mixdown operations. As the bandwidths of these devices continue to increase, there is a growing need for a characterization method that does not have bandwidth limitations, or require a previously calibrated device. We demonstrate a new calibration technique on an optical system (consisting of an optical cavity and a high-speed waveguide modulator) that is free from limitations imposed by detector bandwidth, and does not require a calibrated photo-detector or modulator. We use a low-frequency (DC) photo-detector to monitor the cavity's optical response as a function of modulation frequency, which is also used to determine the modulator's frequency response. Knowledge of the frequency-dependent modulation depth allows us to more precisely determine the cavity's characteristics (free spectral range and linewidth). The precision and repeatability of our technique is demonstrated by measuring the different resonant frequencies of orthogonal polarization cavity modes caused by the presence of a non-linear crystal. Once the modulator has been characterized using this simple method, the frequency response of any passive optical element can be determined to a fine resolution (e.g. kilohertz) over several gigahertz.

  16. Single-layer graphene on silicon nitride micromembrane resonators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmid, Silvan; Bagci, Tolga; Zeuthen, Emil

    2014-01-01

    Due to their low mass, high quality factor, and good optical properties, silicon nitride (SiN) micromembrane resonators are widely used in force and mass sensing applications, particularly in optomechanics. The metallization of such membranes would enable an electronic integration with the prospect...... for exciting new devices, such as optoelectromechanical transducers. Here, we add a single-layer graphene on SiN micromembranes and compare electromechanical coupling and mechanical properties to bare dielectric membranes and to membranes metallized with an aluminium layer. The electrostatic coupling...

  17. Characteristics of the epitaxy of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes grown by nanoscale epitaxial lateral overgrowth using a nitrided titanium buffer layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shieh, Chen-Yu; Li, Zhen-Yu; Chang, Jenq-Yang; Chi, Gou-Chung

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a buffer layer of nitrided titanium (Ti) achieved through the nitridation of a Ti metal layer on a sapphire substrate was used for the epitaxial growth of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) achieved by low pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The effect of in-situ Ti metal nitridation on the performance of these InGaN-based LEDs was then investigated. It was very clear that the use of the nitrided Ti buffer layer (NTBL) induced the formation of a nanoscale epitaxial lateral overgrowth layer during the epitaxial growth. When evaluated by Raman spectroscopy, this epi-layer exhibited large in-plane compressive stress releasing with a Raman shift value of 567.9 cm -1 . Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results indicated that the InGaN-based LEDs with an NTBL have improved crystal quality, with a low threading dislocations density being yielded via the strain relaxation in the InGaN-based LEDs. Based on the results mentioned above, the electroluminescence results indicate that the light performance of InGaN-based LEDs with an NTBL can be enhanced by 45% and 42% at 20 mA and 100 mA, respectively. These results suggest that the strain relaxation and quality improvement in the GaN epilayer could be responsible for the enhancement of emission power. - Highlights: • The crystal-quality of InGaN-based LEDs with NTBL by NELOG was improved. • The InGaN-based LEDs with NTBL have strain releases by NELOG. • The optical properties of InGaN-based LEDs were shown by CL and EL measurements

  18. Functionalized Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Metal-free, Flexible and Rewritable Nonvolatile Memory Device via Direct Laser-Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Fei; Cheng, Huhu; Hu, Yue; Song, Long; Zhang, Zhipan; Jiang, Lan; Qu, Liangti

    2014-07-01

    Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (g-C3N4-NS) has layered structure similar with graphene nanosheet and presents unusual physicochemical properties due to the s-triazine fragments. But their electronic and electrochemical applications are limited by the relatively poor conductivity. The current work provides the first example that atomically thick g-C3N4-NSs are the ideal candidate as the active insulator layer with tunable conductivity for achieving the high performance memory devices with electrical bistability. Unlike in conventional memory diodes, the g-C3N4-NSs based devices combined with graphene layer electrodes are flexible, metal-free and low cost. The functionalized g-C3N4-NSs exhibit desirable dispersibility and dielectricity which support the all-solution fabrication and high performance of the memory diodes. Moreover, the flexible memory diodes are conveniently fabricated through the fast laser writing process on graphene oxide/g-C3N4-NSs/graphene oxide thin film. The obtained devices not only have the nonvolatile electrical bistability with great retention and endurance, but also show the rewritable memory effect with a reliable ON/OFF ratio of up to 105, which is the highest among all the metal-free flexible memory diodes reported so far, and even higher than those of metal-containing devices.

  19. Niobium Nitride Nb4N5 as a New High-Performance Electrode Material for Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Houlei; Zhu, Guilian; Liu, Xiangye; Liu, Fengxin; Xie, Yian; Yang, Chongyin; Lin, Tianquan; Gu, Hui; Huang, Fuqiang

    2015-12-01

    Supercapacitors suffer either from low capacitance for carbon or derivate electrodes or from poor electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability for metal oxide or conducting polymer electrodes. Transition metal nitrides possess fair electrical conductivity but superior chemical stability, which may be desirable candidates for supercapacitors. Herein, niobium nitride, Nb 4 N 5 , is explored to be an excellent capacitive material for the first time. An areal capacitance of 225.8 mF cm -2 , with a reasonable rate capability (60.8% retention from 0.5 to 10 mA cm -2 ) and cycling stability (70.9% retention after 2000 cycles), is achieved in Nb 4 N 5 nanochannels electrode with prominent electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity. Faradaic pseudocapacitance is confirmed by the mechanistic studies, deriving from the proton incorporation/chemisorption reaction owing to the copious +5 valence Nb ions in Nb 4 N 5 . Moreover, this Nb 4 N 5 nanochannels electrode with an ultrathin carbon coating exhibits nearly 100% capacitance retention after 2000 CV cycles, which is an excellent cycling stability for metal nitride materials. Thus, the Nb 4 N 5 nanochannels are qualified for a candidate for supercapacitors and other energy storage applications.

  20. Niobium Nitride Nb4N5 as a New High‐Performance Electrode Material for Supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Houlei; Zhu, Guilian; Liu, Xiangye; Liu, Fengxin; Xie, Yian; Yang, Chongyin; Lin, Tianquan; Gu, Hui

    2015-01-01

    Supercapacitors suffer either from low capacitance for carbon or derivate electrodes or from poor electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability for metal oxide or conducting polymer electrodes. Transition metal nitrides possess fair electrical conductivity but superior chemical stability, which may be desirable candidates for supercapacitors. Herein, niobium nitride, Nb4N5, is explored to be an excellent capacitive material for the first time. An areal capacitance of 225.8 mF cm−2, with a reasonable rate capability (60.8% retention from 0.5 to 10 mA cm−2) and cycling stability (70.9% retention after 2000 cycles), is achieved in Nb4N5 nanochannels electrode with prominent electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity. Faradaic pseudocapacitance is confirmed by the mechanistic studies, deriving from the proton incorporation/chemisorption reaction owing to the copious +5 valence Nb ions in Nb4N5. Moreover, this Nb4N5 nanochannels electrode with an ultrathin carbon coating exhibits nearly 100% capacitance retention after 2000 CV cycles, which is an excellent cycling stability for metal nitride materials. Thus, the Nb4N5 nanochannels are qualified for a candidate for supercapacitors and other energy storage applications. PMID:27980920

  1. Facile synthesis of phosphorus doped graphitic carbon nitride polymers with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Ligang; Chen, Xiufang; Guan, Jing; Jiang, Yijun; Hou, Tonggang; Mu, Xindong

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • P-doped g-C 3 N 4 has been prepared by a one-pot green synthetic approach. • The incorporation of P resulted in favorable textural and electronic properties. • Doping with P enhanced the visible-light photocatalytic activity of g-C 3 N 4 . • A postannealing treatment further enhanced the activity of P-doped g-C 3 N 4 . • Photogenerated holes were the main species responsible for the activity. - Abstract: Phosphorus-doped carbon nitride materials were prepared by a one-pot green synthetic approach using dicyandiamide monomer and a phosphorus containing ionic liquid as precursors. The as-prepared materials were subjected to several characterizations and investigated as metal-free photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants (dyes like Rhodamine B, Methyl orange) in aqueous solution under visible light. Results revealed that phosphorus-doped carbon nitride have a higher photocatalytic activity for decomposing Rhodamine B and Methyl orange in aqueous solution than undoped g-C 3 N 4 , which was attributed to the favorable textural, optical and electronic properties caused by doping with phosphorus heteroatoms into carbon nitride host. A facile postannealing treatment further improved the activity of the photocatalytic system, due to the higher surface area and smaller structural size in the postcalcined catalysts. The phosphorus-doped carbon nitride showed high visible-light photocatalytic activity, making them promising materials for a wide range of potential applications in photochemistry

  2. Superconducting nitride halides MNX (M = Ti, Zr, Hf; X = Cl, Br, I)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schurz, Christian M.; Shlyk, Larysa; Schleid, Thomas; Niewa, Rainer [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische Chemie

    2011-07-01

    Two different polymorphs of the metal nitride halides MNX (M = Ti, Zr, Hf; X = Cl, Br, I) are known to crystallize in layered structures. The two crystal structures differ in the way {sub {infinity}}{sup 2}{l_brace}X[M{sub 2}N{sub 2}]X{r_brace} slabs are stacked along the c-axes. Metal atoms and/or organic molecules can be intercalated into the van-der-Waals gap between these layers. After such an electron-doping via intercalation the prototypic band insulators change into superconductors with moderate high critical temperatures T{sub c} up to 25.5 K. This review gathers information on synthesis routes, structural characteristics and properties of the prototypic nitride halides and the derivatives after electron-doping with a focus on superconductivity. (orig.)

  3. Mechanisms of hydrogen retention in metallic beryllium and beryllium oxide and properties of ion-induced beryllium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oberkofler, Martin

    2011-01-01

    In the framework of this thesis laboratory experiments on atomically clean beryllium surfaces were performed. They aim at a basic understanding of the mechanisms occurring upon interaction of a fusion plasma with a beryllium first wall. The retention and the temperature dependent release of implanted deuterium ions are investigated. An atomistic description is developed through simulations and through the comparison with calculations based on density functional theory. The results of these investigations are compared to the behaviour of hydrogen upon implantation into thermally grown beryllium oxide layers. Furthermore, beryllium nitride is produced by implantation of nitrogen into metallic beryllium and its properties are investigated. The results are interpreted with regard to the use of beryllium in a fusion reactor. (orig.)

  4. Fast photo-induced color changes of Ag particles deposited on single-crystalline TiO2 surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Y. J.; Liu, W. Z.; Chen, A.; Shi, L.; Liu, X. H.; Zi, J.

    2018-05-01

    It is well known that surface-plasmon enhanced photo-electrochemical effect or photo-thermal effect of metallic particles on a semiconductor substrate or in a suspension may result in color changes. Such character could be potentially applicable to colorimetric sensors, optical filters, and data storage devices. However, usually the response time for color changes is too long to be practically applied. In this letter, we found that the response rate of color changes could be controlled by the annealing condition of the semiconductor substrate, and changes larger than 10% in spectra were observed after only 1-min exposure to light. Furthermore, such fast response was applied to realize wavelength-dependent "write" and "read" applications with high spatial resolution.

  5. Diagnostic of corrosion–erosion evolution for [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Escobar, C.; Villarreal, M. [Thin Film Group, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360, Cali (Colombia); Caicedo, J.C., E-mail: jcaicedoangulo1@gmail.com [Powder Metallurgy and Processing of Solid Recycled Research Group, Universidad del Valle, Cali (Colombia); Aperador, W. [Ingeniería Mecatrónica, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá (Colombia); Caicedo, H.H. [Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612 (United States); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612 (United States); Prieto, P. [Thin Film Group, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360, Cali (Colombia); Center of Excellence for Novel Materials, CENM, Cali (Colombia)

    2013-10-31

    HfN/VN multilayered systems were grown on 4140 steel substrates with the aim to improve their electrochemical behavior. The multilayered coatings were grown via reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering technique by systematically varying the bilayer period (Λ) and the bilayer number (n) while maintaining constant the total coating thickness (∼ 1.2 μm). The coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were studied by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Tafel curves. XRD results showed preferential growth in the face-centered cubic (111) crystal structure for [HfN/VN]{sub n} multilayered coatings. The maximum corrosion resistance was obtained for coatings with (Λ) equal to 15 nm, corresponding to bilayer n = 80. Polarization resistance and corrosion rate was around 112.19 kΩ cm{sup 2} and 0.094*10{sup −3} mmy respectively; moreover, these multilayered system showed a decrease of 80% on mass loss due to the corrosive–erosive process, in relation to multilayered systems with n = 1 and Λ = 1200. HfN/VN multilayers have been designed and deposited on Si (100) and AISI 4140 steel substrates with bilayer periods (Λ) in a broad range, from nanometers to hundreds of nanometers to study the microstructural evolution and electrochemical progress with decreasing bilayer thickness. - Highlights: • Enhancements on surface electrochemical properties and response to surface corrosion attack. • Superficial phenomenon that occurs in corrosion surface of [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n • Corrosion–erosion evolution for [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n structures.

  6. Diagnostic of corrosion–erosion evolution for [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escobar, C.; Villarreal, M.; Caicedo, J.C.; Aperador, W.; Caicedo, H.H.; Prieto, P.

    2013-01-01

    HfN/VN multilayered systems were grown on 4140 steel substrates with the aim to improve their electrochemical behavior. The multilayered coatings were grown via reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering technique by systematically varying the bilayer period (Λ) and the bilayer number (n) while maintaining constant the total coating thickness (∼ 1.2 μm). The coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were studied by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Tafel curves. XRD results showed preferential growth in the face-centered cubic (111) crystal structure for [HfN/VN] n multilayered coatings. The maximum corrosion resistance was obtained for coatings with (Λ) equal to 15 nm, corresponding to bilayer n = 80. Polarization resistance and corrosion rate was around 112.19 kΩ cm 2 and 0.094*10 −3 mmy respectively; moreover, these multilayered system showed a decrease of 80% on mass loss due to the corrosive–erosive process, in relation to multilayered systems with n = 1 and Λ = 1200. HfN/VN multilayers have been designed and deposited on Si (100) and AISI 4140 steel substrates with bilayer periods (Λ) in a broad range, from nanometers to hundreds of nanometers to study the microstructural evolution and electrochemical progress with decreasing bilayer thickness. - Highlights: • Enhancements on surface electrochemical properties and response to surface corrosion attack. • Superficial phenomenon that occurs in corrosion surface of [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n • Corrosion–erosion evolution for [Hf-Nitrides/V-Nitrides]n structures

  7. The mechanical design of hybrid graphene/boron nitride nanotransistors: Geometry and interface effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einalipour Eshkalak, Kasra; Sadeghzadeh, Sadegh; Jalaly, Maisam

    2018-02-01

    From electronic point of view, graphene resembles a metal or semi-metal and boron nitride is a dielectric material (band gap = 5.9 eV). Hybridization of these two materials opens band gap of the graphene which has expansive applications in field-effect graphene transistors. In this paper, the effect of the interface structure on the mechanical properties of a hybrid graphene/boron nitride was studied. Young's modulus, fracture strain and tensile strength of the models were simulated. Three likely types (hexagonal, octagonal and decagonal) were found for the interface of hybrid sheet after relaxation. Although Csbnd B bonds at the interface were indicated to result in more promising electrical properties, nitrogen atoms are better choice for bonding to carbon for mechanical applications.

  8. Structure and electrochemical properties of plasma-nitrided low alloy steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chyou, S.D.; Shih, H.C. (Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu (Taiwan))

    1990-10-01

    Plasma-nitrided SAE 4140 steel has been widely applied industrially because of its superior resistance to wear and fatigue. However, its corrosion behaviour in aqueous environments has not been completely explored. The effects of nitriding on corrosion were investigated by performing electrochemical tests on both nitrided and untreated SAE 4140. It was found that, by plasma nitriding, the corrosion resistance improved significantly in HNO{sub 3} and Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aqueous environments. A reaction model is proposed to explain the beneficial effect of nitride on corrosion resistance. It is concluded that nitrogen and chromium (an alloying element) act synergistically to form a dense protective layer which is responsible for the corrosion resistance. Characterization of the surface layers by Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the protective layer is composed of (Fe, Cr){sub 4}N, (Fe, Cr){sub 2-3}N and CrN in the inner layer, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} together with nitrides in the middle layer, and nitrides, {gamma}'-FeOOH, and Cr(OH){sub 3}.H{sub 2}O in the outermost layer. (orig.).

  9. Ultra-wide frequency response measurement of an optical system with a DC photo-detector

    KAUST Repository

    Kuntz, Katanya B.

    2017-01-09

    Precise knowledge of an optical device\\'s frequency response is crucial for it to be useful in most applications. Traditional methods for determining the frequency response of an optical system (e.g. optical cavity or waveguide modulator) usually rely on calibrated broadband photo-detectors or complicated RF mixdown operations. As the bandwidths of these devices continue to increase, there is a growing need for a characterization method that does not have bandwidth limitations, or require a previously calibrated device. We demonstrate a new calibration technique on an optical system (consisting of an optical cavity and a high-speed waveguide modulator) that is free from limitations imposed by detector bandwidth, and does not require a calibrated photo-detector or modulator. We use a low-frequency (DC) photo-detector to monitor the cavity\\'s optical response as a function of modulation frequency, which is also used to determine the modulator\\'s frequency response. Knowledge of the frequency-dependent modulation depth allows us to more precisely determine the cavity\\'s characteristics (free spectral range and linewidth). The precision and repeatability of our technique is demonstrated by measuring the different resonant frequencies of orthogonal polarization cavity modes caused by the presence of a non-linear crystal. Once the modulator has been characterized using this simple method, the frequency response of any passive optical element can be determined to a fine resolution (e.g. kilohertz) over several gigahertz.

  10. Short-range order studies in nonstoichiometric transition metal carbides and nitrides by neutron diffuse scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Priem, Thierry

    1988-01-01

    Short-range order in non-stoichiometric transition metal carbides and nitrides (TiN 0.82 , TiC 0.64 , TiC 0.76 , NbC 0.73 and NbC 0.83 ) was investigated by thermal neutron diffuse scattering on G4-4 (L.L.B - Saclay) and D10 (I.L.L. Grenoble) spectrometers. From experimental measurements, we have found that metalloid vacancies (carbon or nitrogen) prefer the f.c.c. third neighbour positions. Ordering interaction energies were calculated within the Ising model framework by three approximations: mean field (Clapp and Moss formula), Monte-Carlo simulation, Cluster variation Method. The energies obtained by the two latter methods are very close, and in qualitative agreement with theoretical values calculated from the band structure. Theoretical phase diagrams were calculated from these ordering energies for TiN x and TiC x ; three ordered structures were predicted, corresponding to compositions Ti 6 N 5 Ti 2 C and Ti 3 C 2 . On the other hand, atomic displacements are induced by vacancies. The metal first neighbours were found to move away from a vacancy, whereas the second neighbours move close to it. Near neighbour atomic displacements were theoretically determined by the lattice statics formalism with results in good agreement with experiment. (author) [fr

  11. Ion nitriding of aluminium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fitz, T.

    2002-09-01

    The present study is devoted to the investigation of the mechanism of aluminium nitriding by a technique that employs implantation of low-energy nitrogen ions and diffusional transport of atoms. The nitriding of aluminium is investigated, because this is a method for surface modification of aluminium and has a potential for application in a broad spectrum of fields such as automobile, marine, aviation, space technologies, etc. However, at present nitriding of aluminium does not find any large scale industrial application, due to problems in the formation of stoichiometric aluminium nitride layers with a sufficient thickness and good quality. For the purposes of this study, ion nitriding is chosen, as an ion beam method with the advantage of good and independent control over the process parameters, which thus can be related uniquely to the physical properties of the resulting layers. Moreover, ion nitriding has a close similarity to plasma nitriding and plasma immersion ion implantation, which are methods with a potential for industrial application. (orig.)

  12. Progress in efficient doping of high aluminum-containing group III-nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Y.-H.; Towe, E.

    2018-03-01

    The group III-nitride (InN, GaN, and AlN) class of semiconductors has become one of two that are critical to a number of technologies in modern life—the other being silicon. Light-emitting diodes made from (In,Ga)N, for example, dominate recent innovations in general illumination and signaling. Even though the (In,Ga)N materials system is fairly well established and widely used in advanced devices, challenges continue to impede development of devices that include aluminum-containing nitride films such as (Al,Ga)N. The main difficulty is efficient doping of films with aluminum-rich compositions; the problem is particularly severe for p-type doping, which is essential for Ohmic contacts to bipolar device structures. This review briefly summarizes the fundamental issues related to p-type doping, and then discusses a number of approaches that are being pursued to resolve the doping problem or for circumventing the need for p-type doping. Finally, we discuss an approach to doping under liquid-metal-enabled growth by molecular beam epitaxy. Recent results from a number of groups appear to indicate that p-type doping of nitride films under liquid-metal-enabled growth conditions might offer a solution to the doping problem—at least for materials grown by molecular beam epitaxy.

  13. Photo-response behavior of organic transistors based on thermally annealed semiconducting diketopyrrolopyrrole core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarsoly, Gergely; Pyo, Seungmoon

    2018-06-01

    We report the opto-electrical response of organic field-effect transistors based on a thin-film of a semiconducting diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) core, a popular building block for molecular semiconductors, and a polymeric gate dielectric. The thin-film of the DPP core was thermally annealed at different temperatures under N2 atmosphere to investigate the relationship between the annealing temperature and the electrical properties of the device. The results showed that the annealing process induces morphological changes in the thin film, and properly controlling the thermal annealing conditions can enhance the device performance. In addition, we also investigated in detail the photo-response behaviors by analyzing the responsivity (R) of the device with the optimally annealed DPP-core thin film under two light illumination conditions by considering the irradiance absorbed by the thin film instead of the total irradiance of the light source. We found that the proposed model could lead to a light-source-independent description of the photo-response behavior of the device, and which can be used for other applications.

  14. Surface modification of austenitic steel by various glow-discharge nitriding methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Borowski

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have seen intensive research on modifying glow-discharge nitriding processes. One of the most commonly used glow-discharge methods includes cathodic potential nitriding (conventional method, and active screen plasma nitriding. Each of these methods has a number of advantages. One very important, common feature of these techniques is full control of the microstructure, chemical and phase composition, thickness and the surface topography of the layers formed. Another advantage includes the possibility of nitriding such materials as: austenitic steels or nickel alloys, i.e. metallic materials which do not diffuse nitrogen as effectively as ferritic or martensitic steels. However, these methods have some disadvantages as well. In the case of conventional plasma nitriding, engineers have to deal with the edge effect, which makes it difficult to use this method for complexly shaped components. In turn, in the case of active screen plasma nitriding, the problem disappears. A uniform, smooth layer forms, but is thinner, softer and is not as resistant to friction compared to layers formed using the conventional method. Research is also underway to combine these methods, i.e. use an active screen in conventional plasma nitriding at cathodic potential. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data presenting a comparison between these three nitriding processes and the impact of pulsating current on the formation of the microstructure and functional properties of austenitic steel surfaces. The article presents a characterisation of nitrided layers produced on austenitic X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (AISI 316L stainless steel in the course of glow-discharge nitriding at cathodic potential, at plasma potential and at cathodic potential incorporating an active screen. All processes were carried out at 440 °C under DC glow-discharge conditions and in 100 kHz frequency pulsating current. The layers were examined in terms of their microstructure, phase and

  15. Dynamic response of multiwall boron nitride nanotubes subjected to ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Page 1 ... 1. Introduction. Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are like carbon nanotubes. (CNTs) in structure in which carbon atoms are replaced by alternate boron and nitrogen atoms. Thus, BNNTs demon- ... istic analyser for intermediate landing situation of inserted mass.15 Also, a macroscopic continuum simulation is sug-.

  16. Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) on Mono-uranium Nitride Fuel Development for SSTAR and Space Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J; Ebbinghaus, B; Meiers, T; Ahn, J

    2006-01-01

    The US National Energy Policy of 2001 advocated the development of advanced fuel and fuel cycle technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, less waste-intensive, and more proliferation resistant. The need for advanced fuel development is emphasized in on-going DOE-supported programs, e.g., Global Nuclear Energy Initiative (GNEI), Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), and GEN-IV Technology Development. The Directorates of Energy and Environment (E and E) and Chemistry and Material Sciences (C and MS) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are interested in advanced fuel research and manufacturing using its multi-disciplinary capability and facilities to support a design concept of a small, secure, transportable, and autonomous reactor (SSTAR). The E and E and C and MS Directorates co-sponsored this Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Project on Mono-Uranium Nitride Fuel Development for SSTAR and Space Applications. In fact, three out of the six GEN-IV reactor concepts consider using the nitride-based fuel, as shown in Table 1. SSTAR is a liquid-metal cooled, fast reactor. It uses nitride fuel in a sealed reactor vessel that could be shipped to the user and returned to the supplier having never been opened in its long operating lifetime. This sealed reactor concept envisions no fuel refueling nor on-site storage of spent fuel, and as a result, can greatly enhance proliferation resistance. However, the requirement for a sealed, long-life core imposes great challenges to research and development of the nitride fuel and its cladding. Cladding is an important interface between the fuel and coolant and a barrier to prevent fission gas release during normal and accidental conditions. In fabricating the nitride fuel rods and assemblies, the cladding material should be selected based on its the coolant-side corrosion properties, the chemical/physical interaction with the nitride fuel, as well as their thermal and neutronic properties. The US

  17. Anomalous piezoelectricity in two-dimensional graphene nitride nanosheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelisko, Matthew; Hanlumyuang, Yuranan; Yang, Shubin; Liu, Yuanming; Lei, Chihou; Li, Jiangyu; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Sharma, Pradeep

    2014-06-27

    Piezoelectricity is a unique property of materials that permits the conversion of mechanical stimuli into electrical and vice versa. On the basis of crystal symmetry considerations, pristine carbon nitride (C3N4) in its various forms is non-piezoelectric. Here we find clear evidence via piezoresponse force microscopy and quantum mechanical calculations that both atomically thin and layered graphitic carbon nitride, or graphene nitride, nanosheets exhibit anomalous piezoelectricity. Insights from ab inito calculations indicate that the emergence of piezoelectricity in this material is due to the fact that a stable phase of graphene nitride nanosheet is riddled with regularly spaced triangular holes. These non-centrosymmetric pores, and the universal presence of flexoelectricity in all dielectrics, lead to the manifestation of the apparent and experimentally verified piezoelectric response. Quantitatively, an e11 piezoelectric coefficient of 0.758 C m(-2) is predicted for C3N4 superlattice, significantly larger than that of the commonly compared α-quartz.

  18. Photo-assisted cyanation of transition metal nitrates coupled with room temperature C-C bond cleavage of acetonitrile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Shihui; Li, Renhong; Kobayashi, Hisayoshi; Liu, Juanjuan; Fan, Jie

    2013-03-07

    It is a challenge to use acetonitrile as a cyanating agent because of the difficulty in cleaving its C-CN bond. Herein, we report a mild photo-assisted route to conduct the cyanation of transition metal nitrates using acetonitrile as the cyanating agent coupled with room-temperature C-C bond cleavage. DFT calculations and experimental observations suggest a radical-involved reaction mechanism, which excludes toxicity from free cyanide ions.

  19. High Kinetic Energy Penetrator Shielding and High Wear Resistance Materials Fabricated with Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTS) and BNNT Polymer Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jin Ho (Inventor); Sauti, Godfrey (Inventor); Smith, Michael W. (Inventor); Jordan, Kevin C. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor); Bryant, Robert George (Inventor); Lowther, Sharon E. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphites, or combinations, are incorporated into matrices of polymer, ceramic or metals. Fibers, yarns, and woven or nonwoven mats of BNNTs are used as toughening layers in penetration resistant materials to maximize energy absorption and/or high hardness layers to rebound or deform penetrators. They can be also used as reinforcing inclusions combining with other polymer matrices to create composite layers like typical reinforcing fibers such as Kevlar.RTM., Spectra.RTM., ceramics and metals. Enhanced wear resistance and usage time are achieved by adding boron nitride nanomaterials, increasing hardness and toughness. Such materials can be used in high temperature environments since the oxidation temperature of BNNTs exceeds 800.degree. C. in air. Boron nitride based composites are useful as strong structural materials for anti-micrometeorite layers for spacecraft and space suits, ultra strong tethers, protective gear, vehicles, helmets, shields and safety suits/helmets for industry.

  20. Joining technique of silicon nitride and silicon carbide in a mixture and/or in contact with high-melting metals and alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller-Zell, A.

    1980-01-01

    The following work gives a survey on possible joining techniques of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) and silicon carbide (SiC) in a mixture and/or in contact with high-melting metals and alloys. The problem arose because special ceramic materials such as Si 3 N 4 and SiC are to be used in gas turbines. The special ceramics in use may unavoidably come into contact with metals or the one hand, or form intended composite systems with them on the other hand, like e.g. the joining of a Si 3 N 4 disc with a metallic drive axis or ceramic blades with a metal wheel. The mixed body of X% ceramic (Si 3 N 4 , SiC) and Y% metal powder were prepared depending on the material combination at 1200 0 C-1750 0 C by hot-pressing or at 1200 0 C-2050 0 C by hot-pressing or pressureless sintering. The following possible ways were chosen as interlaminar bonding ceramic/metal/ceramic: on the one hand pressure welding (composite hot pressing) and the solid-state bonding in direct contact and by means of artificially included transition mixed layers, as well as material intermediate layers between metal and ceramic and on the other hand, soldering with active solder with molten phase. (orig./RW) [de

  1. Valence electronic structure of tantalum carbide and nitride

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    FAN; ChangZeng

    2007-01-01

    The valence electronic structures of tantalum carbide (TaC) and tantalum nitride (TaN) are studied by using the empirical electronic theory (EET). The results reveal that the bonds of these compounds have covalent, metallic and ionic characters. For a quantitative analysis of the relative strength of these components, their ionicities have been calculated by implanting the results of EET to the PVL model. It has been found that the ionicity of tantalum carbide is smaller than that of tantalum nitride. The EET results also reveal that the covalent electronic number of the strongest bond in the former is larger than that of the latter. All these suggest that the covalent bond of TaC is stronger than that of TaN, which coincides to that deduced from the first-principles method.……

  2. Valence electronic structure of tantalum carbide and nitride

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2007-01-01

    @@ The valence electronic structures of tantalum carbide (TaC) and tantalum nitride (TaN) are studied by using the empirical electronic theory (EET). The results reveal that the bonds of these compounds have covalent, metallic and ionic characters. For a quantitative analysis of the relative strength of these components, their ionicities have been calculated by implanting the results of EET to the PVL model. It has been found that the ionicity of tantalum carbide is smaller than that of tantalum nitride. The EET results also reveal that the covalent electronic number of the strongest bond in the former is larger than that of the latter. All these suggest that the covalent bond of TaC is stronger than that of TaN, which coincides to that deduced from the first-principles method.

  3. Cavitation contributes substantially to tensile creep in silicon nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luecke, W.E.; Wiederhorn, S.M.; Hockey, B.J.; Krause, R.F. Jr.; Long, G.G.

    1995-01-01

    During tensile creep of a hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) silicon nitride, the volume fraction of cavities increases linearly with strain; these cavities produce nearly all of the measured strain. In contrast, compressive creep in the same stress and temperature range produces very little cavitation. A stress exponent that increases with stress (var-epsilon ∝ σ n , 2 < n < 7) characterizes the tensile creep response, while the compressive creep response exhibits a stress dependence of unity. Furthermore, under the same stress and temperature, the material creeps nearly 100 times faster in tension than in compression. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that the cavities formed during tensile creep occur in pockets of residual crystalline silicate phase located at silicon nitride multigrain junctions. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) from crept material quantifies the size distribution of cavities observed in TEM and demonstrates that cavity addition, rather than cavity growth, dominates the cavitation process. These observations are in accord with a model for creep based on the deformation of granular materials in which the microstructure must dilate for individual grains t slide past one another. During tensile creep the silicon nitride grains remain rigid; cavitation in the multigrain junctions allows the silicate to flow from cavities to surrounding silicate pockets, allowing the dilation of the microstructure and deformation of the material. Silicon nitride grain boundary sliding accommodates this expansion and leads to extension of the specimen. In compression, where cavitation is suppressed, deformation occurs by solution-reprecipitation of silicon nitride

  4. Recombination and photosensitivity centres in boron nitride irradiated with ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabyshev, A.; Konusov, F.; Lopatin, V.

    2001-01-01

    The physical-chemical processes, taking place during the irradiation of dielectrics with ions distort the electron structure of the compounds and generate additional localise state in the forbidden zone (FZ). Consequently, the semiconductor layer with the specific surface density of σ ≥ 10 -10 S/ forms on the surface of the dielectric. In addition to his, the high concentration of the radiation-induced defects changes the optical and photoelectric properties of the materials and also the energy characteristics. Analysis of the photoelectric properties indicates that the recombination processes take part in electric transport. These processes restricted the increase of the photosensitivity and changing the kinetics of relaxation of photo conductivity (σ hv ). The practical application of the boron nitride (BN) the in the thermonuclear systems (for example, Ref. 7), stimulates research into the reasons for the deceleration of its properties under the effect of radiation of various types. The conductivity of non-irradiated boron nitride is of the electron-hole nature with a large fraction of the activation component in exchange of the charge carriers between the levels of the defects and the forbidden zones. On the basis of the correlation of the energy and kinetic parameters of luminescence and , the authors of Ref. 8 constructed a model of electron transfers accompanying the electric transport of the boron nitride. In addition to ion-thermal modification, the conductivity of boron nitride is also of the electron-hole nature and is accompanied by luminescence. Examination of the characteristics of luminescence may be useful for obtaining more information on the transport mechanism. In this work, in order to clarify the main parameters of the forbidden band, detailed investigations were carried out into the spectrum of the electronic states of radiation defects which determine the photoelectric and luminescence properties of the modified boron nitride. The

  5. Syntheses, Characterization and Kinetics of Nickel-Tungsten Nitride Catalysts for Hydrotreating of Gas Oil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botchwey, Christian

    This thesis summarizes the methods and major findings of Ni-W(P)/gamma-Al 2O3 nitride catalyst synthesis, characterization, hydrotreating activity, kinetic analysis and correlation of the catalysts' activities to their synthesis parameters and properties. The range of parameters for catalyst synthesis were W (15-40 wt%), Ni (0-8 wt%), P (0-5 wt%) and nitriding temperature (TN) (500-900 °C). Characterization techniques used included: N2 sorption studies, chemisorption, elemental analysis, temperature programmed studies, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray absorption near edge structure. Hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodearomatization (HDA) were performed at: temperature (340-380 °C), pressure (6.2-9.0 MPa), liquid hourly space velocity (1-3 h-1) and hydrogen to oil ratio (600 ml/ml, STP). The predominant species on the catalyst surface were Ni3N, W2N and bimetallic Ni2W3N. The bimetallic Ni-W nitride species was more active than the individual activities of the Ni3N and W2N. P increased weak acid sites while nitriding temperature decreased amount of strong acid sites. Low nitriding temperature enhanced dispersion of metal particles. P interacted with Al 2O3 which increased the dispersion of metal nitrides on the catalyst surface. HDN activity increased with Ni and P loading but decreased with increase in nitriding temperature (optimum conversion; 60 wt%). HDS and HDA activities went through a maximum with increase in the synthesis parameters (optimum conversions; 88. wt% for HDS and 47 wt% for HDA). Increase in W loading led to increase in catalyst activity. The catalysts were stable to deactivation and had the nitride structure conserved during hydrotreating in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. The results showed good correlation between hydrotreating activities (HDS and HDN) and the catalyst nitrogen content, number of exposed

  6. Discontinuous precipitation in a nickel-free high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel on solution nitriding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadzadeh, Roghayeh; Akbari, Alireza; Grumsen, Flemming B.; Somers, Marcel A. J.

    2017-10-01

    Chromium-rich nitride precipitates in production of nickel-free austenitic stainless steel plates via pressurised solution nitriding of Fe-22.7Cr-2.4Mo ferritic stainless steel at 1473 K (1200 °C) under a nitrogen gas atmosphere was investigated. The microstructure, chemical and phase composition, morphology and crystallographic orientation between the resulted austenite and precipitates were investigated using optical microscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD). On prolonged nitriding, Chromium-rich nitride precipitates were formed firstly close to the surface and later throughout the sample with austenitic structure. Chromium-rich nitride precipitates with a rod or strip-like morphology was developed by a discontinuous cellular precipitation mechanism. STEM-EDS analysis demonstrated partitioning of metallic elements between austenite and nitrides, with chromium contents of about 80 wt.% in the precipitates. XRD analysis indicated that the Chromium-rich nitride precipitates are hexagonal (Cr, Mo)2N. Based on the TEM studies, (Cr, Mo)2N precipitates presented a (1 1 1)γ//(0 0 2)(Cr, Mo)2N, ?γ//?(Cr, Mo)2N orientation relationship with respect to the austenite matrix. EBSD studies revealed that the austenite in the regions that have transformed into austenite and (Cr, Mo)2N have no orientation relation to the untransformed austenite.

  7. Fabrication of vanadium nitride by carbothermal nitridation reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xitang; Wang Zhuofu; Zhang Baoguo; Deng Chengji

    2005-01-01

    Vanadium nitride is produced from V 2 O 5 by carbon-thermal reduction and nitridation. When the sintered temperature is above 1273 K, VN can be formed, and the nitrogen content of the products increased with the firing temperature raised, and then is the largest when the sintered temperature is 1573 K. The C/V 2 O 5 mass ratio of the green samples is the other key factor affecting on the nitrogen contents of the products. The nitrogen content of the products reaches the most when the C/V 2 O 5 mass ratio is 0.33, which is the theoretical ratio of the carbothermal nitridation of V 2 O 5 . (orig.)

  8. Functionalized Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Metal-free, Flexible and Rewritable Nonvolatile Memory Device via Direct Laser-Writing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Fei; Cheng, Huhu; Hu, Yue; Song, Long; Zhang, Zhipan; Jiang, Lan; Qu, Liangti

    2014-01-01

    Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (g-C3N4-NS) has layered structure similar with graphene nanosheet and presents unusual physicochemical properties due to the s-triazine fragments. But their electronic and electrochemical applications are limited by the relatively poor conductivity. The current work provides the first example that atomically thick g-C3N4-NSs are the ideal candidate as the active insulator layer with tunable conductivity for achieving the high performance memory devices with electrical bistability. Unlike in conventional memory diodes, the g-C3N4-NSs based devices combined with graphene layer electrodes are flexible, metal-free and low cost. The functionalized g-C3N4-NSs exhibit desirable dispersibility and dielectricity which support the all-solution fabrication and high performance of the memory diodes. Moreover, the flexible memory diodes are conveniently fabricated through the fast laser writing process on graphene oxide/g-C3N4-NSs/graphene oxide thin film. The obtained devices not only have the nonvolatile electrical bistability with great retention and endurance, but also show the rewritable memory effect with a reliable ON/OFF ratio of up to 105, which is the highest among all the metal-free flexible memory diodes reported so far, and even higher than those of metal-containing devices. PMID:25073687

  9. Effect of post-deposition implantation and annealing on the properties of PECVD deposited silicon nitride films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shams, Q.A.

    1988-01-01

    Recently it has been shown that memory-quality silicon nitride can be deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Nitrogen implantation and post-deposition annealing resulted in improved memory properties of MNOS devices. The primary objective of the work described here is the continuation of the above work. Silicon nitride films were deposited using argon as the carrier gas and evaluated in terms of memory performance as the charge-trapping layer in the metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) capacitor structure. The bonding structure of PECVD silicon nitride was modified by annealing in different ambients at temperatures higher than the deposition temperature. Post-deposition ion implantation was used to introduce argon into the films in an attempt to influence the transfer, trapping, and emission of charge during write/erase exercising of the MNOS devices. Results show that the memory performance of PECVD silicon nitride is sensitive to the deposition parameters and post-deposition processing

  10. Method for producing polycrystalline boron nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexeevskii, V.P.; Bochko, A.V.; Dzhamarov, S.S.; Karpinos, D.M.; Karyuk, G.G.; Kolomiets, I.P.; Kurdyumov, A.V.; Pivovarov, M.S.; Frantsevich, I.N.; Yarosh, V.V.

    1975-01-01

    A mixture containing less than 50 percent of graphite-like boron nitride treated by a shock wave and highly defective wurtzite-like boron nitride obtained by a shock-wave method is compressed and heated at pressure and temperature values corresponding to the region of the phase diagram for boron nitride defined by the graphite-like compact modifications of boron nitride equilibrium line and the cubic wurtzite-like boron nitride equilibrium line. The resulting crystals of boron nitride exhibit a structure of wurtzite-like boron nitride or of both wurtzite-like and cubic boron nitride. The resulting material exhibits higher plasticity as compared with polycrystalline cubic boron nitride. Tools made of this compact polycrystalline material have a longer service life under impact loads in machining hardened steel and chilled iron. (U.S.)

  11. A Difference in Using Atomic Layer Deposition or Physical Vapour Deposition TiN as Electrode Material in Metal-Insulator-Metal and Metal-Insulator-Silicon Capacitors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenland, A.W.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Schmitz, Jurriaan

    2011-01-01

    In this work, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) and metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors are studied using titanium nitride (TiN) as the electrode material. The effect of structural defects on the electrical properties on MIS and MIM capacitors is studied for various electrode configurations. In the

  12. Formation of zirconium nitride via mechanochemical decomposition of zircon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puclin, T.; Kaczmarek, W.A.

    1996-01-01

    In this paper we report some results of the mechanochemical reduction of zircon, and for the first time subsequent reaction with nitrogen to form zirconium nitride (ZrN). This process can be described by the equation: 3ZrSiO 4 + 8Al + 1.5N 2 = 4Al 2 O 3 + 3ZrN + 3Si. Milling was carried out in three steps: 1) low speed grinding of Al+ZrSiO 4 in vacuum, 2) high speed milling to effect the reduction, and 3) continued milling after the addition of nitrogen. Powders produced were examined by X-ray diffraction. The first step showed no reaction occurred during low speed grinding. The second step proved to be a slow reaction without the 'ignition' often seen in other mechanochemical reduction works. The final step was also gradual, and did not always go to full nitridation over the duration of the experiment, giving a product of composition ZrN 0.6 to ZrN l.0 . This is quite acceptable as transition metal nitrides are often non-stoichiometric. These results show that the formation of a useful hard material such as ZrN can be formed from a raw mineral by two stage mechanochemical processing. Further investigations are currently being undertaken to eliminate Fe contamination and produce pure ceramic oxide-nitride composites

  13. Determination of Carrier Polarity in Fowler-Nordheim Tunneling and Evidence of Fermi Level Pinning at the Hexagonal Boron Nitride/Metal Interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hattori, Yoshiaki; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Nagashio, Kosuke

    2018-04-11

    Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an important insulating substrate for two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure devices and possesses high dielectric strength comparable to SiO 2 . Here, we report two clear differences in their physical properties. The first one is the occurrence of Fermi level pinning at the metal/h-BN interface, unlike that at the metal/SiO 2 interface. The second one is that the carrier of Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling through h-BN is a hole, which is opposite to an electron in the case of SiO 2 . These unique characteristics are verified by I- V measurements in the graphene/h-BN/metal heterostructure device with the aid of a numerical simulation, where the barrier height of graphene can be modulated by a back gate voltage owing to its low density of states. Furthermore, from a systematic investigation using a variety of metals, it is confirmed that the hole F-N tunneling current is a general characteristic because the Fermi levels of metals are pinned in the small energy range around ∼3.5 eV from the top of the conduction band of h-BN, with a pinning factor of 0.30. The accurate energy band alignment at the h-BN/metal interface provides practical knowledge for 2D heterostructure devices.

  14. Corrosion-resistant titanium nitride coatings formed on stainless steel by ion-beam-assisted deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baba, K.; Hatada, R.

    1994-01-01

    Titanium films 70nm thick were deposited on austenitic type 316L stainless steel substrates, and these specimens were irradiated with titanium ions of energy 70kV at a fluence of 1x10 17 ioncm -2 , using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) IV metallic ion source at room temperature. After irradiation, titanium nitride (TiN) films were deposited by titanium evaporation and simultaneous irradiation by a nitrogen ion beam, with transport ratios of Ti to N atoms from 0.5 to 10.0 and an ion acceleration voltage of 2kV. The preferred orientation of the TiN films varied from left angle 200 right angle to left angle 111 right angle normal to the surface when the transport ratio was increased. With the help of Auger electron spectroscopy, interfacial mixing was verified. Nitrogen atoms were present in the state of titanium nitride for all transport ratios from 0.5 up to 10.0. However, the chemical bonding state of titanium changed from titanium nitride to the metallic state with increasing transport ratio Ti/N. The corrosion behavior was evaluated in an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid saturated with oxygen, using multisweep cyclic voltammetry measurements. Thin film deposition of pure titanium and titanium implantation prior to TiN deposition have beneficial effects on the suppression of transpassive chromium dissolution. ((orig.))

  15. Work Function Tuning in Sub-20nm Titanium Nitride (TiN) Metal Gate: Mechanism and Engineering

    KAUST Repository

    Hasan, Mehdi

    2011-07-01

    Scaling of transistors (the building blocks of modern information age) provides faster computation at the expense of excessive power dissipation. Thus to address these challenges, high-k/metal gate stack has been introduced in commercially available microprocessors from 2007. Since then titanium nitride (TiN) metal gate’s work function (Wf) tunability with its thickness (thickness increases, work function increases) is a well known phenomenon. Many hypotheses have been made over the years which include but not limited to: trap charge and metal gate nucleation, nitrogen concentration, microstructure agglomeration and global stress, metal oxide formation, and interfacial oxide thickness. However, clear contradictions exist in these assumptions. Also, nearly all these reports skipped a comprehensive approach to explain this complex paradigm. Therefore, in this work we first show a comprehensive physical investigation using transmission electron microcopy/electron energy loss spectroscopy (TEM/EELS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) to show replacement of oxygen by nitrogen in the metal/dielectric interface, formation of TiONx, reduction of Ti/N concentration and grain size increment happen with TiN thickness increment and thus may increase the work function. Then, using these finding, we experimentally show 100meV of work function modulation in 10nm TiN Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor by using low temperature oxygen annealing. A low thermal budget flow (replicating gate-last) shows similar work function boost up. Also, a work function modulation of 250meV has been possible using oxygen annealing and applying no thermal budget. On the other hand, etch-back of TiN layer can decrease the work function. Thus this study quantifies role of various factors in TiN work function tuning; it also reproduces the thickness varied TiN work function modulation in single thickness TiN thus reducing the

  16. Thermal Response of Cooled Silicon Nitride Plate Due to Thermal Conductivity Effects Analyzed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baaklini, George Y.; Abdul-Aziz, Ali; Bhatt, Ramakrishna

    2003-01-01

    Lightweight, strong, tough high-temperature materials are required to complement efficiency improvements for next-generation gas turbine engines that can operate with minimum cooling. Because of their low density, high-temperature strength, and high thermal conductivity, ceramics are being investigated as materials to replace the nickelbase superalloys that are currently used for engine hot-section components. Ceramic structures can withstand higher operating temperatures and a harsh combustion environment. In addition, their low densities relative to metals help reduce component mass (ref. 1). To complement the effectiveness of the ceramics and their applicability for turbine engine applications, a parametric study using the finite element method is being carried out. The NASA Glenn Research Center remains very active in conducting and supporting a variety of research activities related to ceramic matrix composites through both experimental and analytical efforts (ref. 1). The objectives of this work are to develop manufacturing technology, develop a thermal and environmental barrier coating (TBC/EBC), develop an analytical modeling capability to predict thermomechanical stresses, and perform a minimal burner rig test on silicon nitride (Si3N4) and SiC/SiC turbine nozzle vanes under simulated engine conditions. Moreover, we intend to generate a detailed database of the material s property characteristics and their effects on structural response. We expect to offer a wide range of data since the modeling will account for other variables, such as cooling channel geometry and spacing. Comprehensive analyses have begun on a plate specimen with Si3N4 cooling holes.

  17. XPS study of the ultrathin a-C:H films deposited onto ion beam nitrided AISI 316 steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meskinis, S.; Andrulevicius, M.; Kopustinskas, V.; Tamulevicius, S.

    2005-01-01

    Effects of the steel surface treatment by nitrogen ion beam and subsequent deposition of the diamond-like carbon (hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) and nitrogen doped hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-CN x :H)) films were investigated by means of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experimental results show that nitrogen ion beam treatment of the AISI 316 steel surface even at room temperature results in the formation of the Cr and Fe nitrides. Replacement of the respective metal oxides by the nitrides takes place. Formation of the C-N bonds was observed for both ultrathin a-C:H and ultrathin a-CN x :H layers deposited onto the nitrided steel. Some Fe and/or Cr nitrides still were presented at the interface after the film deposition, too. Increased adhesion between the steel substrate and hydrogenated amorphous carbon layer after the ion beam nitridation was explained by three main factors. The first two is steel surface deoxidisation/passivation by nitrogen as a result of the ion beam treatment. The third one is carbon nitride formation at the nitrided steel-hydrogenated amorphous carbon (or a-CN x :H) film interface

  18. Waste conversion into high-value ceramics: Carbothermal nitridation synthesis of titanium nitride nanoparticles using automotive shredder waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayyas, Mohannad; Pahlevani, Farshid; Maroufi, Samane; Liu, Zhao; Sahajwalla, Veena

    2017-03-01

    Environmental concern about automotive shredder residue (ASR) has increased in recent years due to its harmful content of heavy metals. Although several approaches of ASR management have been suggested, these approaches remain commercially unproven. This study presents an alternative approach for ASR management where advanced materials can be generated as a by-product. In this approach, titanium nitride (TiN) has been thermally synthesized by nitriding pressed mixture of automotive shredder residue (ASR) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ). Interactions between TiO 2 and ASR at non-isothermal conditions were primarily investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry. Results indicated that TiO 2 influences and catalyses degradation reactions of ASR, and the temperature, at which reduction starts, was determined around 980 °C. The interaction between TiO 2 and ASR at isothermal conditions in the temperature range between 1200 and 1550 °C was also studied. The pressed mixture of both materials resulted in titanium nitride (TiN) ceramic at all given temperatures. Formation kinetics were extracted using several models for product layer diffusion-controlled solid-solid and solid-fluid reactions. The effect of reactants ratio and temperature on the degree of conversion and morphology was investigated. The effect of reactants ratio was found to have considerable effect on the morphology of the resulting material, while temperature had a lesser impact. Several unique structures of TiN (porous nanostructured, polycrystalline, micro-spherical and nano-sized structures) were obtained by simply tuning the ratio of TiO 2 to ASR, and a product with appreciable TiN content of around 85% was achieved after only one hour nitridation at 1550 °C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Enhancing the Hardness of Sintered SS 17-4PH Using Nitriding Process for Bracket Orthodontic Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suharno, B.; Supriadi, S.; Ayuningtyas, S. T.; Widjaya, T.; Baek, E. R.

    2018-01-01

    Brackets orthodontic create teeth movement by applying force from wire to bracket then transferred to teeth. However, emergence of friction between brackets and wires reduces load for teeth movement towards desired area. In order to overcome these problem, surface treatment like nitriding chosen as a process which could escalate efficiency of transferred force by improving material hardness since hard materials have low friction levels. This work investigated nitriding treatment to form nitride layer which affecting hardness of sintered SS 17-4PH. The nitride layers produced after nitriding process at various temperature i.e. 470°C, 500°C, 530°C with 8hr holding time under 50% NH3 atmosphere. Optical metallography was conducted to compare microstructure of base and surface metal while the increasing of surface hardness then observed using vickers microhardness tester. Hardened surface layer was obtained after gaseous nitriding process because of nitride layer that contains Fe4N, CrN and Fe-αN formed. Hardness layers can achieved value 1051 HV associated with varies thickness from 53 to 119 μm. The presence of a precipitation process occurring in conjunction with nitriding process can lead to a decrease in hardness due to nitrogen content diminishing in solid solution phase. This problem causes weakening of nitrogen expansion in martensite lattice.

  20. Ab initio calculations of non-stoichiometric copper nitride, pure and with palladium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreno-Armenta, Maria G.; Soto, Gerardo; Takeuchi, Noboru

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The most stable arrangement corresponds to the Cu 3 N-anti ReO 3 structure. → Formation energy of Cu 32 Vac 0 N 8 and Cu 24 Pd 8 Vac 0 N 8 are very similar. → The biggest volume in the compound is Cu 31 Pd 1 Vac 0 N 8/ . → Small amount introduction of extra metal atoms in copper nitride is possible. - Abstract: We present first principles calculations of copper nitride by using periodic density functional theory within a plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme. The insertions of extra Cu and/or Pd atoms in the empty sites, vacancy reorganization, and substitution of Cu by Pd atoms were studied. We have used an equivalent reduced-symmetry 2 x 2 x 2 Cu 3 N-like cubic super-cell. Small Cu and/or Pd concentrations and vacancy rearrangements in the copper sub-lattice were conveniently calculated in these low-symmetry cells. We cover probable situations like: the occupation of the initially empty copper sites by (1) copper atoms, and by (2) palladium; (3) the relocation of vacancies in the copper sub-lattice; and (4) the substitution of small quantities of copper by palladium atoms in the copper sub-lattice. The equilibrium volumes and energies after relaxing the atomic positions are compared to those of intrinsic copper nitride. We found that the most stable arrangement corresponds to the ideal stoichiometric Cu 3 N. We also found that any deviation from this ideal configuration shift the semiconductor state to a metallic or semi-metallic one.

  1. Tantalum Nitride Electron-Selective Contact for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Xinbo

    2018-04-19

    Minimizing carrier recombination at contact regions by using carrier‐selective contact materials, instead of heavily doping the silicon, has attracted considerable attention for high‐efficiency, low‐cost crystalline silicon (c‐Si) solar cells. A novel electron‐selective, passivating contact for c‐Si solar cells is presented. Tantalum nitride (TaN x ) thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition are demonstrated to provide excellent electron‐transporting and hole‐blocking properties to the silicon surface, due to their small conduction band offset and large valence band offset. Thin TaNx interlayers provide moderate passivation of the silicon surfaces while simultaneously allowing a low contact resistivity to n‐type silicon. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 20% is demonstrated with c‐Si solar cells featuring a simple full‐area electron‐selective TaNx contact, which significantly improves the fill factor and the open circuit voltage (Voc) and hence provides the higher PCE. The work opens up the possibility of using metal nitrides, instead of metal oxides, as carrier‐selective contacts or electron transport layers for photovoltaic devices.

  2. Optical characterisation of III-V nitride-based multiphase and diluted magnetic semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wegscheider, M.

    2009-01-01

    The present work is devoted to the investigation of the optical properties of transition metal doped Gallium nitride. The Gallium nitride layers are epitaxially grown in a full metalorganic chemical vapour deposition process whereas the transition metals iron or manganese as well as the n and p-type dopants silicon and magnesium are incorporated simultaneously. Background and driving force of the realization of such material systems is basically the evocation of ferromagnetic spin alignment where free carriers ensure the correspondence between the localized spin state provided by the metal ions. The production of completely new devices for semiconductor industries based on the possibility to switch on or off the ferrimagnetic alignment by changing the free carrier concentration can be expected in the near future. In this context photoluminescence studies in the ultraviolet and mid infrared spectral range at temperatures between the liquid helium point and room temperature at atmospheric pressure were made. These measurements basically provide information on optical transitions between the conduction and valence band and deep defects as well as on crystal field forced transitions within the d-orbitals of the metal ion involved. In this context valuable knowledge could have been gained on doping concentrations, growth fashions and parameters, formation of secondary phases as well as on the doping efficiency and incorporation sites of the metal atoms. (author) [de

  3. Optimization studies of photo-neutron production in high-Z metallic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Monte Carlo calculations have been performed using MCNP code to study the optimization of photo-neutron yield for different electron beam energies impinging on Pb, W and Ta cylindrical targets of varying thickness. It is noticed that photo-neutron yield can be increased for electron beam energies ≥ 100 MeV for ...

  4. Phase formation, thermal stability and magnetic moment of cobalt nitride thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachana Gupta

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Cobalt nitride (Co-N thin films prepared using a reactive magnetron sputtering process are studied in this work. During the thin film deposition process, the relative nitrogen gas flow (RN2 was varied. As RN2 increases, Co(N, Co4N, Co3N and CoN phases are formed. An incremental increase in RN2, after emergence of Co4N phase at RN2 = 10%, results in a linear increase of the lattice constant (a of Co4N. For RN2 = 30%, a maximizes and becomes comparable to its theoretical value. An expansion in a of Co4N, results in an enhancement of the magnetic moment, to the extent that it becomes even larger than pure Co. Such larger than pure metal magnetic moment for tetra-metal nitrides (M4N have been theoretically predicted. Incorporation of N atoms in M4N configuration results in an expansion of a (relative to pure metal and enhances the itinerary of conduction band electrons leading to larger than pure metal magnetic moment for M4N compounds. Though a higher (than pure Fe magnetic moment for Fe4N thin films has been evidenced experimentally, higher (than pure Co magnetic moment is evidenced in this work.

  5. Plasmonic Titanium Nitride Nanostructures via Nitridation of Nanopatterned Titanium Dioxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guler, Urcan; Zemlyanov, Dmitry; Kim, Jongbum

    2017-01-01

    Plasmonic titanium nitride nanostructures are obtained via nitridation of titanium dioxide. Nanoparticles acquired a cubic shape with sharper edges following the rock-salt crystalline structure of TiN. Lattice constant of the resulting TiN nanoparticles matched well with the tabulated data. Energy...

  6. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Haibao; Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Mn nanoparticles are highly dispersed on ZSM-5 and most efficient in benzene degradation in the VUV-OZCO process. - Highlights: • Vacuum UV irradiation is well combined with O_3 catalytic oxidation. • O_3 byproducts was used to enhance catalytic oxidation of VOCs. • Mn/ZSM-5 achieved the best catalytic activity for benzene degradation. - Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O_3, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O_3 catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O_3 removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O_3 was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as ·OH and ·O for benzene oxidation.

  7. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Haibao, E-mail: seabao8@gmail.com [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University) (China); Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University (China)

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Mn nanoparticles are highly dispersed on ZSM-5 and most efficient in benzene degradation in the VUV-OZCO process. - Highlights: • Vacuum UV irradiation is well combined with O{sub 3} catalytic oxidation. • O{sub 3} byproducts was used to enhance catalytic oxidation of VOCs. • Mn/ZSM-5 achieved the best catalytic activity for benzene degradation. - Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O{sub 3}, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O{sub 3} catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O{sub 3} removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O{sub 3} was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as ·OH and ·O for benzene oxidation.

  8. Additive-assisted synthesis of boride, carbide, and nitride micro/nanocrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Bo; Yang, Lishan; Heng, Hua; Chen, Jingzhong; Zhang, Linfei; Xu, Liqiang; Qian, Yitai; Yang, Jian

    2012-01-01

    General and simple methods for the syntheses of borides, carbides and nitrides are highly desirable, since those materials have unique physical properties and promising applications. Here, a series of boride (TiB 2 , ZrB 2 , NbB 2 , CeB 6 , PrB 6 , SmB 6 , EuB 6 , LaB 6 ), carbide (SiC, TiC, NbC, WC) and nitride (TiN, BN, AlN, MgSiN 2 , VN) micro/nanocrystals were prepared from related oxides and amorphous boron/active carbon/NaN 3 with the assistance of metallic Na and elemental S. In-situ temperature monitoring showed that the reaction temperature could increase quickly to ∼850 °C, once the autoclave was heated to 100 °C. Such a rapid temperature increase was attributed to the intense exothermic reaction between Na and S, which assisted the formation of borides, carbides and nitrides. The as-obtained products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM techniques. Results in this report will greatly benefit the future extension of this approach to other compounds. - Graphical abstract: An additive-assisted approach is successfully developed for the syntheses of borides, carbides and nitrides micro/nanocrystals with the assistance of the exothermic reaction between Na and S. Highlights: ► An additive-assisted synthesis strategy is developed for a number of borides, carbides and nitrides. ► The reaction mechanism is demonstrated by the case of SiC nanowires. ► The formation of SiC nanowires is initiated by the exothermic reaction of Na and S.

  9. Hot pressing of uranium nitride and mixed uranium plutonium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, J.Y.

    1975-01-01

    The hot pressing characteristics of uranium nitride and mixed uranium plutonium nitride were studied. The utilization of computer programs together with the experimental technique developed in the present study may serve as a useful purpose of prediction and fabrication of advanced reactor fuel and other high temperature ceramic materials for the future. The densification of nitrides follow closely with a plastic flow theory expressed as: d rho/ dt = A/T(t) (1-rho) [1/1-(1-rho)/sup 2/3/ + B1n (1-rho)] The coefficients, A and B, were obtained from experiment and computer curve fitting. (8 figures) (U.S.)

  10. Study the gas sensing properties of boron nitride nanosheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sajjad, Muhammad; Feng, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We synthesized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) on silicon substrate. • We analyzed gas sensing properties of BNNSs-based gas-sensor device. • CH 4 gas is used to measure gas-sensing properties of the device. • Quick response and recovery time of the device is recorded. • BNNSs showed excellent sensitivity to the working gas. - Abstract: In the present communication, we report on the synthesis of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and study of their gas sensing properties. BNNSs are synthesized by irradiating pyrolytic hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) target using CO 2 laser pulses. High resolution transmission electron microscopic measurements (HRTEM) revealed 2-dientional honeycomb crystal lattice structure of BNNSs. HRTEM, electron diffraction, XRD and Raman scattering measurements clearly identified h-BN. Gas sensing properties of synthesized BNNSs were analyzed with prototype gas sensor using methane as working gas. A systematic response curve of the sensor is recorded in each cycle of gas “in” and “out”; suggesting excellent sensitivity and high performance of BNNSs-based gas-sensor

  11. Plasma assisted nitriding for micro-texturing onto martensitic stainless steels*

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katoh Takahisa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Micro-texturing method has grown up to be one of the most promising procedures to form micro-lines, micro-dots and micro-grooves onto the mold-die materials and to duplicate these micro-patterns onto metallic or polymer sheets via stamping or injection molding. This related application requires for large-area, fine micro-texturing onto the martensitic stainless steel mold-die materials. A new method other than laser-machining, micro-milling or micro-EDM is awaited for further advancement of this micro-texturing. In the present paper, a new micro-texturing method is developed on the basis of the plasma assisted nitriding to transform the two-dimensionally designed micro-patterns to the three dimensional micro-textures in the martensitic stainless steels. First, original patterns are printed onto the surface of stainless steel molds by using the dispenser or the ink-jet printer. Then, the masked mold is subjected to high density plasma nitriding; the un-masked surfaces are nitrided to have higher hardness, 1400 Hv than the matrix hardness, 200 Hv of stainless steels. This nitrided mold is further treated by sand-blasting to selectively remove the soft, masked surfaces. Finally, the micro-patterned martensitic stainless steel mold is fabricated as a tool to duplicate these micro-patterns onto the plastic materials by the injection molding.

  12. Characteristics of Au/PZT/TiO2/Nitride/Si structure capacitors with ICP nitride treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Hyung Seob; Kim, Tae Ho; Jeon, Chang Bae; Lee, Jae Gab; Kim, Ji Young

    2002-01-01

    In this study, the characteristics of PZT/TiO 2 ferroelectric gate stack capacitors with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) nitridation were investigated for field effect transistor (FET)-type Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) applications. If a high accumulation capacitance is to be had, the ICP nitridation time needs to be optimized. While a short ICP treatment time results in thermal oxide growth due to lack of nitrogen, a long nitridation time causes a nitride layer which is too thick. Au/PZT(200 nm)/TiO 2 (40 nm)/Nitride/Si (MeFINS) structure capacitors show a memory window (ΔV) of 1.6 V under ±3-V operation while Au/PZT(200 nm)/TiO 2 (40 nm)/Si (MeFIS) capacitors without nitride treatment exhibit a small memory window of 0.6 V. At the same time, the capacitance of the MeFINS device is almost twice that of the MeFIS capacitor. This result implies that the ICP nitride treatment suppresses the formation of a low dielectric constant interfacial SiO x layer and alleviates the series capacitance problem

  13. Route to Photo-Enabled Random Terahertz Metasurfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Peters, Luke; Gongora, J. S. Totero; Tunesi, Jacob D.; Fratalocchi, Andrea; Pasquazi, Alessia; Peccianti, Marco

    2017-01-01

    We experimentally investigate the enhancement and phase change of the THz emission from photo-excited randomly structured black silicon substrates mediated by an induced metallic state of the nanostructured surface.

  14. Route to Photo-Enabled Random Terahertz Metasurfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Peters, Luke

    2017-07-17

    We experimentally investigate the enhancement and phase change of the THz emission from photo-excited randomly structured black silicon substrates mediated by an induced metallic state of the nanostructured surface.

  15. Properties of minor actinide nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takano, Masahide; Itoh, Akinori; Akabori, Mitsuo; Arai, Yasuo; Minato, Kazuo

    2004-01-01

    The present status of the research on properties of minor actinide nitrides for the development of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle based on nitride fuel and pyrochemical reprocessing is described. Some thermal stabilities of Am-based nitrides such as AmN and (Am, Zr)N were mainly investigated. Stabilization effect of ZrN was cleary confirmed for the vaporization and hydrolytic behaviors. New experimental equipments for measuring thermal properties of minor actinide nitrides were also introduced. (author)

  16. Experimental and computational study on the phase stability of Al-containing cubic transition metal nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rovere, Florian; Mayrhofer, Paul H; Music, Denis; Ershov, Sergey; Baben, Moritz to; Schneider, Jochen M; Fuss, Hans-Gerd

    2010-01-01

    The phase stability of Al-containing cubic transition metal (TM) nitrides, where Al substitutes for TM (i.e. TM 1-x Al x N), is studied as a function of the TM valence electron concentration (VEC). X-ray diffraction and thermal analyses data of magnetron sputtered Ti 1-x Al x N, V 1-x Al x N and Cr 1-x Al x N films indicate increasing phase stability of cubic TM 1-x Al x N at larger Al contents and higher temperatures with increasing TM VEC. These experimental findings can be understood based on first principle investigations of ternary cubic TM 1-x Al x N with TM = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Y, Zr and Nb where the TM VEC and the lattice strain are systematically varied. However, our experimental data indicate that, in addition to the decomposition energetics (cubic TM 1-x Al x N → cubic TMN + hexagonal AlN), future stability models have to include nitrogen release as one of the mechanisms that critically determine the overall phase stability of TM 1-x Al x N.

  17. Plasma Nitriding of AISI 304 Stainless Steel in Cathodic and Floating Electric Potential: Influence on Morphology, Chemical Characteristics and Tribological Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yang; He, Yongyong; Wang, Wei; Mao, Junyuan; Zhang, Lei; Zhu, Yijie; Ye, Qianwen

    2018-03-01

    In direct current plasma nitriding (DCPN), the treated components are subjected to a high cathodic potential, which brings several inherent shortcomings, e.g., damage by arcing and the edging effect. In active screen plasma nitriding (ASPN) processes, the cathodic potential is applied to a metal screen that surrounds the workload, and the component to be treated is placed in a floating potential. Such an electrical configuration allows plasma to be formed on the metal screen surface rather than on the component surface; thus, the shortcomings of the DCPN are eliminated. In this work, the nitrided experiments were performed using a plasma nitriding unit. Two groups of samples were placed on the table in the cathodic and the floating potential, corresponding to the DCPN and ASPN, respectively. The floating samples and table were surrounded by a steel screen. The DCPN and ASPN of the AISI 304 stainless steels are investigated as a function of the electric potential. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscope. Dry sliding ball-on-disk wear tests were conducted on the untreated substrate, DCPN and ASPN samples. The results reveal that all nitrided samples successfully produced similar nitrogen-supersaturated S phase layers on their surfaces. This finding also shows the strong impact of the electric potential of the nitriding process on the morphology, chemical characteristics, hardness and tribological behavior of the DCPN and ASPN samples.

  18. Stable Solar-Blind Ultraviolet III-Nitride Photocathode for Astronomy Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Lloyd

    In this effort, we propose to develop a new type of cesium-free photocathode using III- nitride materials (GaN, AlN, and their alloys) to achieve highly efficient, solar blind, and stable ultraviolet (UV) response. Currently, detectors used in UV instruments utilize a photocathode to convert UV photons into electrons that are subsequently detected by microchannel plate or CCD. The performance of these detectors critically depends on the efficiency and stability of their photocathodes. In particular, photocathode instability is responsible for many of the fabrication difficulties commonly experienced with this class of detectors. In recent years, III-nitride (in particular GaN) photocathodes have been demonstrated with very high quantum efficiency (>50%) in parts of UV spectral range; however, these photocathodes still rely on cesiation for activation. The proposed photocathode structure will achieve activation through methods for band structure engineering such as delta- doping and polarization field engineering. Compared to the current state-of-the-art in flight-ready microchannel plate/Cs2Te sealed tubes, photocathodes based on III-nitride materials will increase the quantum efficiency by nearly an order of magnitude and significantly enhance both fabrication yield and reliability, since they will not require cesium or other highly reactive materials for activation. This performance will enable a next-generation UV spectroscopic and imaging mission that is of high scientific priority for NASA. This photocathode uses near-surface band-structure engineering to create a permanently activated surface, with high efficiency and air-stable UV response. We will combine this III-nitride structure with our unique III-nitride processing technology to optimize the efficiency and uniformity of the photocathode. In addition, through our design, growth, and processing techniques, we will extend the application of these photocathodes into far UV for both semitransparent and

  19. Fundamental characterization of the effect of nitride sidewall spacer process on boron dose loss in ultra-shallow junction formation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kohli, P. [Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX 75243 (United States) and Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78758 (United States)]. E-mail: puneet.kohli@sematech.org; Chakravarthi, S. [Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX 75243 (United States); Jain, Amitabh [Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX 75243 (United States); Bu, H. [Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX 75243 (United States); Mehrotra, M. [Silicon Technology Development, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX 75243 (United States); Dunham, S.T. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Banerjee, S.K. [Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78758 (United States)

    2004-12-15

    A nitride spacer with an underlying deposited tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) oxide that behaves as a convenient etch stop layer is a popular choice for sidewall spacer in modern complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process flows. In this work, we have investigated the effect of the silicon nitride spacer process chemistry on the boron profile in silicon and the related dose loss of B from Si into silicon dioxide. This is reflected as a dramatic change in the junction depth, junction abruptness and junction peak concentration for the different nitride chemistries. We conclude that the silicon nitride influences the concentration of hydrogen in the silicon dioxide and different nitride chemistries result in different concentrations of hydrogen in the silicon dioxide during the final source/drain anneal. The presence of H enhances the diffusivity of B in the silicon dioxide and thereby results in a significant dose loss from the Si into the silicon dioxide. In this work, we show that this dose loss can be minimized and the junction profile engineered by choosing a desirable nitride chemistry.

  20. Physical and Chemical Properties of TiOxNy Prepared by Low-Temperature Oxidation of Ultrathin Metal Nitride Directly Deposited on SiO2

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    HAN Yue-Ping; HAN Yan

    2009-01-01

    Physical and chemical properties of titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) formed by low-temperature oxidation of titanium nitride (TIN) layer are investigated for advanced metal-oxide--semiconductor (MOS) gate dielectric application.TiOx Ny exhibits polycrystalline properties after the standard thermal process for MOS device fabrication,showing the preferred orientation at [200].Superior electrical properties of TiOxNy can be maintained before and after the annealing,probably due to the nitrogen incorporation in the oxide bulk and at the interface.Naturally formed transition layer between TiOxNy and SiO2 is also confirmed.

  1. Electronic properties and relative stabilities of heterogeneous edge-decorated zigzag boron nitride nanoribbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, L.L.; Yu, X.F.; Yang, X.J.; Zhang, X.H.; Xu, X.W.; Jin, P.; Zhao, J.L.; Wang, X.X.; Tang, C.C.

    2015-01-01

    The wide band gap of boron nitride (BN) materials has been a major bottleneck for a wider application of BN in electronics. In this work, density functional theory computations were used to study the band structure of zigzag BN nanoribbons (BNNRs). Due to the ionic origin of the BN band gap, a heterogeneous edge decoration is an effective way to modulate the electronic band structure of BNNRs. This study demonstrates that a metallic behavior and magnetism can be realized by applying a NO 2 –NH 2 pair edge decoration. Although the lone electron pair of the NH 2 group is partly responsible for the metallic behavior, the effective potential difference induced by the donor–acceptor pair is also crucial for metallic behavior. Furthermore, these newly formed BNNRs were found to be more stable than H-passivated BNNRs. This simple chemical modification method offers great opportunities for the development of future BNNR-based electronic devices. - Graphical abstract: Due to the ionic origin of a BN band gap, heterogeneous edge decoration is an effective way to modulate its electronic structures. Metallicity and magnetism can be realized by NO 2 –NH 2 pair decoration. Although the N lone pair electrons in NH 2 group are responsible for the metallicity, the effective potential difference induced by a donor–acceptor pair is crucial for the formation of metallicity. - Highlights: • Heterogeneous edge decoration is effective for tuning BNNRs' electronic structures. • NO 2 –NH 2 pair decoration can lead to metallic behavior and magnetism for BNNRs. • The effective potential difference is crucial for the formation of metallicity. • NO 2 –NH 2 pair decorated BNNRs is more stable than H-passivated ones

  2. Study of low dimensional SiGe island on Si for potential visible Metal-Semiconductor-Metal photodetector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Alhan Farhanah Abd; Zainal Badri, Nur'Amirah; Radzali, Rosfariza; Mahmood, Ainorkhilah

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, an investigation of design and simulation of silicon germanium (SiGe) islands on silicon (Si) was presented for potential visible metal semiconductor metal (MSM) photodetector. The characterization of the performances in term of the structural, optical and electrical properties of the structures was analyzed from the simulation results. The project involves simulation using SILVACO Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tools. The different structures of the silicon germanium (SiGe) island on silicon substrate were created, which were large SiGe, small SiGe, combination SiGe and bulk Ge. All the structures were tested for potential Metal Semiconductor Metal (MSM) photodetector. The extracted data such as current versus voltage characteristic, current gain and spectral response were obtained using ATLAS SILVACO tools. The performance of SiGe island structures and bulk Ge on Si substrate as (MSM) photodetector was evaluated by photo and dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. It was found that SiGe islands exhibited higher energy band gap compared to bulk Ge. The SiGe islands current-voltage characteristics showed improved current gain compared to bulk Ge. Specifically the enhancement of the islands gain was contributed by the enhanced photo currents and lower dark currents. The spectral responses of the SiGe islands showed peak response at 590 nm (yellow) which is at the visible wavelength. This shows the feasibility of the SiGe islands to be utilized for visible photodetections.

  3. Study of low dimensional SiGe island on Si for potential visible Metal-Semiconductor-Metal photodetector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abd Rahim Alhan Farhanah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an investigation of design and simulation of silicon germanium (SiGe islands on silicon (Si was presented for potential visible metal semiconductor metal (MSM photodetector. The characterization of the performances in term of the structural, optical and electrical properties of the structures was analyzed from the simulation results. The project involves simulation using SILVACO Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD tools. The different structures of the silicon germanium (SiGe island on silicon substrate were created, which were large SiGe, small SiGe, combination SiGe and bulk Ge. All the structures were tested for potential Metal Semiconductor Metal (MSM photodetector. The extracted data such as current versus voltage characteristic, current gain and spectral response were obtained using ATLAS SILVACO tools. The performance of SiGe island structures and bulk Ge on Si substrate as (MSM photodetector was evaluated by photo and dark current-voltage (I-V characteristics. It was found that SiGe islands exhibited higher energy band gap compared to bulk Ge. The SiGe islands current-voltage characteristics showed improved current gain compared to bulk Ge. Specifically the enhancement of the islands gain was contributed by the enhanced photo currents and lower dark currents. The spectral responses of the SiGe islands showed peak response at 590 nm (yellow which is at the visible wavelength. This shows the feasibility of the SiGe islands to be utilized for visible photodetections.

  4. High temperature mechanical performance of a hot isostatically pressed silicon nitride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wereszczak, A.A.; Ferber, M.K.; Jenkins, M.G.; Lin, C.K.J. [and others

    1996-01-01

    Silicon nitride ceramics are an attractive material of choice for designers and manufacturers of advanced gas turbine engine components for many reasons. These materials typically have potentially high temperatures of usefulness (up to 1400{degrees}C), are chemically inert, have a relatively low specific gravity (important for inertial effects), and are good thermal conductors (i.e., resistant to thermal shock). In order for manufacturers to take advantage of these inherent properties of silicon nitride, the high-temperature mechanical performance of the material must first be characterized. The mechanical response of silicon nitride to static, dynamic, and cyclic conditions at elevated temperatures, along with reliable and representative data, is critical information that gas turbine engine designers and manufacturers require for the confident insertion of silicon nitride components into gas turbine engines. This final report describes the high-temperature mechanical characterization and analyses that were conducted on a candidate structural silicon nitride ceramic. The high-temperature strength, static fatigue (creep rupture), and dynamic and cyclic fatigue performance were characterized. The efforts put forth were part of Work Breakdown Structure Subelement 3.2.1, {open_quotes}Rotor Data Base Generation.{close_quotes} PY6 is comparable to other hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) silicon nitrides currently being considered for advanced gas turbine engine applications.

  5. Synthesis of nanocrystalline magnesium nitride (Mg3N2) powder using thermal plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dong-Wook; Kim, Tae-Hee; Park, Hyun-Woo; Park, Dong-Wha

    2011-01-01

    Nanocrystalline magnesium nitride (Mg 3 N 2 ) powder was synthesized from bulk magnesium by thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure. Magnesium vapor was generated through heating the bulk magnesium by DC plasma jet and reacted with ammonia gas. Injecting position and flow rates of ammonia gas were controlled to investigate an ideal condition for Mg 3 N 2 synthesis. The synthesized Mg 3 N 2 was cooled and collected on the chamber wall. Characteristics of the synthesized powders for each experimental condition were analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravity analysis (TGA). In absence of NH 3 , magnesium metal powder was formed. The synthesis with NH 3 injection in low temperature region resulted in a formation of crystalline magnesium nitride with trigonal morphology, whereas the mixture of magnesium metal and amorphous Mg 3 N 2 was formed when NH 3 was injected in high temperature region. Also, vaporization process of magnesium was discussed.

  6. Titanium oxide modification with oxides of mixed cobalt valence for photo catalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alanis O, R.; Jimenez B, J.

    2010-01-01

    In the present work, heterogenous photo catalysis, a technique often used for organic compound degradation toxic in water, was used. The photo catalyst most often used in this technique is TiO 2 , which due to its physical and chemical properties, can degrade a great number of organic compounds. In addition, in recent years it has been verified that the doping of semiconductors with metals or metallic oxides increases the photo catalytic activity of these semiconductors, which is why it was proposed for doping by the impregnating method using commercial TiO 2 synthesized by the Degussa company (TiO 2 Degussa P25) with and oxide of mixed cobalt valence (Co 3 O 4 ) synthesized using the sol-gel method. The synthesized photo catalyst TiO 2 /Co 3 O 4 was characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and finally, photo catalytic tests by means of the degradation of methylene blue. (Author)

  7. Development of transgenic crops based on photo-biotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganesan, Markkandan; Lee, Hyo-Yeon; Kim, Jeong-Il; Song, Pill-Soon

    2017-11-01

    The phenotypes associated with plant photomorphogenesis such as the suppressed shade avoidance response and de-etiolation offer the potential for significant enhancement of crop yields. Of many light signal transducers and transcription factors involved in the photomorphogenic responses of plants, this review focuses on the transgenic overexpression of the photoreceptor genes at the uppermost stream of the signalling events, particularly phytochromes, crytochromes and phototropins as the transgenes for the genetic engineering of crops with improved harvest yields. In promoting the harvest yields of crops, the photoreceptors mediate the light regulation of photosynthetically important genes, and the improved yields often come with the tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and heavy metal ions. As a genetic engineering approach, the term photo-biotechnology has been coined to convey the idea that the greater the photosynthetic efficiency that crop plants can be engineered to possess, the stronger the resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Development of GM crops based on photoreceptor transgenes (mainly phytochromes, crytochromes and phototropins) is reviewed with the proposal of photo-biotechnology that the photoreceptors mediate the light regulation of photosynthetically important genes, and the improved yields often come with the added benefits of crops' tolerance to environmental stresses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. β-Molybdenum nitride: synthesis mechanism and catalytic response in the gas phase hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cárdenas-Lizana, F.; Gómez-Quero, S.; Perret, N.; Kiwi-Minsker, L.; Keane, M.A.

    2011-01-01

    A temperature programmed treatment of MoO3 in flowing N2 + H2 has been employed to prepare β-phase molybdenum nitride (β-Mo2N) which has been used to promote, for the first time, the catalytic hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene. The reduction/nitridation synthesis steps have been monitored in

  9. Gallium nitride based thin films for photon and particle radiation dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hofstetter, Markus

    2012-07-23

    Ionization chambers have been used since the beginning of the 20th century for measuring ionizing radiation and still represent the ''gold standard'' in dosimetry. However, since the sensitivity of the devices is proportional to the detection volume, ionization chambers are not common in numerous medical applications, such as imaging. In these fields, spatially resolved dose information is, beside film-systems, usually measured with scintillators and photo-multipliers, which is a relatively complex and expensive technique. For thus much effort has been focused on the development of novel detection systems in the last decades and especially in the last few years. Examples include germanium or silicon photoconductive detectors, MOSFETs, and PIN-diodes. Although for these systems, miniaturization for spatially resolved detection is possible, they suffer from a range of disadvantages. Characteristics such as poor measurement stability, material degradation, and/or a limited measurement range prevent routine application of these techniques in medical diagnostic devices. This work presents the development and evaluation of gallium nitride (GaN) thin films and heterostructures to validate their application in x-ray detection in the medical regime. Furthermore, the impact of particle radiation on device response was investigated. Although previous publications revealed relatively low energy absorption of GaN, it is possible to achieve very high signal amplification factors inside the material due to an appropriate sensor configuration, which, in turn, compensates the low energy absorption. Thus, gallium nitride can be used as a photo-conductor with ohmic contacts. The conductive volume of the sensor changes in the presence of external radiation, which results in an amplified measurement signal after applying a bias voltage to the device. Experiments revealed a sensitivity of the device between air kerma rates of 1 {mu}Gy/s and 20 mGy/s. In this range

  10. Effective carrier sweepout in a silicon waveguide by a metal-semiconductor-metal structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ding, Yunhong; Hu, Hao; Ou, Haiyan

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate effective carrier depletion by metal-semiconductor-metal junctions for a silicon waveguide. Photo-generated carriers are efficiently swept out by applying bias voltages, and a shortest carrier lifetime of only 55 ps is demonstrated.......We demonstrate effective carrier depletion by metal-semiconductor-metal junctions for a silicon waveguide. Photo-generated carriers are efficiently swept out by applying bias voltages, and a shortest carrier lifetime of only 55 ps is demonstrated....

  11. Thermal expansion of TRU nitride solid solutions as fuel materials for transmutation of minor actinides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takano, Masahide; Akabori, Mitsuo; Arai, Yasuo; Minato, Kazuo

    2009-01-01

    The lattice thermal expansion of the transuranium nitride solid solutions was measured to investigate the composition dependence. The single-phase solid solution samples of (Np 0.55 Am 0.45 )N, (Pu 0.59 Am 0.41 )N, (Np 0.21 Pu 0.52 Am 0.22 Cm 0.05 )N and (Pu 0.21 Am 0.18 Zr 0.61 )N were prepared by carbothermic nitridation of the respective transuranium dioxides and nitridation of Zr metal through hydride. The lattice parameters were measured by the high temperature X-ray diffraction method from room temperature up to 1478 K. The linear thermal expansion of each sample was determined as a function of temperature. The average thermal expansion coefficients over the temperature range of 293-1273 K for the solid solution samples were 10.1, 11.5, 10.8 and 8.8 x 10 -6 K -1 , respectively. Comparison of these values with those for the constituent nitrides showed that the average thermal expansion coefficients of the solid solution samples could be approximated by the linear mixture rule within the error of 2-3%.

  12. Second-harmonic generation in substoichiometric silicon nitride layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pecora, Emanuele; Capretti, Antonio; Miano, Giovanni; Dal Negro, Luca

    2013-03-01

    Harmonic generation in optical circuits offers the possibility to integrate wavelength converters, light amplifiers, lasers, and multiple optical signal processing devices with electronic components. Bulk silicon has a negligible second-order nonlinear optical susceptibility owing to its crystal centrosymmetry. Silicon nitride has its place in the microelectronic industry as an insulator and chemical barrier. In this work, we propose to take advantage of silicon excess in silicon nitride to increase the Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) efficiency. Thin films have been grown by reactive magnetron sputtering and their nonlinear optical properties have been studied by femtosecond pumping over a wide range of excitation wavelengths, silicon nitride stoichiometry and thermal processes. We demonstrate SHG in the visible range (375 - 450 nm) using a tunable 150 fs Ti:sapphire laser, and we optimize the SH emission at a silicon excess of 46 at.% demonstrating a maximum SHG efficiency of 4x10-6 in optimized films. Polarization properties, generation efficiency, and the second order nonlinear optical susceptibility are measured for all the investigated samples and discussed in terms of an effective theoretical model. Our findings show that the large nonlinear optical response demonstrated in optimized Si-rich silicon nitride materials can be utilized for the engineering of nonlinear optical functions and devices on a Si chip.

  13. Visible light photoreactivity from hybridization states between carbon nitride bandgap states and valence states in Nb and Ti oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hosik, E-mail: hosiklee@gmail.com [School of Mechanical and Advanced Materials Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Unist-gil 100 Eonyang-eup, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea, Republic of); Ohno, Takahisa, E-mail: OHNO.Takahisa@nims.go.jp [Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials Science (GREEN), National Institute for Material Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba (Japan); Computational Materials Science Unit (CMSU), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan)

    2013-03-29

    Highlights: ► Origin of bandgap reduction for visible photoreactivity is suggested. ► Carbon nitride adsorption in interlayer space can induce the bandgap reduction. ► The electronic structures are studied by density functional theory calculations. - Abstract: For better efficiency as photocatalysts, N-doping for visible light reactivity has been intensively studied in Lamellar niobic and titanic solid acids (HNb{sub 3}O{sub 8}, H{sub 2}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 9}), and its microscopic structures have been debated in this decade. We calculate the layered solid acids’ structures and bandgaps. Bandgap reduction by carbon nitride adsorption in interlayer space is observed computationally. It originates from localized nitrogen states which form delocalized top-valence states by hybridizing with the host oxygen states and can contribute to photo-current.

  14. Compressibility measurements and phonon spectra of hexagonal transition-metal nitrides at high pressure: ε-TaN, δ-MoN, and Cr2N

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soignard, Emmanuel; Shebanova, Olga; McMillan, Paul F.

    2007-01-01

    We report compressibility measurements for three transition metal nitrides (ε-TaN, δ-MoN, Cr 2 N) that have structures based on hexagonal arrangements of the metal atoms. The studies were performed using monochromatic synchrotron x-ray diffraction at high pressure in a diamond anvil cell. The three nitride compounds are well-known high hardness materials, and they are found to be highly incompressible. The bulk modulus values measured for ε-TaN, Cr 2 N, and δ-MoN are K 0 =288(6) GPa, 275(23) GPa, and 345(9) GPa, respectively. The data were analyzed using a linearized plot of reduced pressure (F) vs the Eulerian finite strain variable f within a third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state formulation. The K 0 ' values for ε-TaN and δ-MoN were 4.7(0.5) and 3.5(0.3), respectively, close to the value of K 0 ' =4 that is typically assumed in fitting compressibility data in equation of state studies using a Birch-Murnaghan equation. However, Cr 2 N was determined to have a much smaller value, K 0 ' =2.0(2.0), indicating a significantly smaller degree of structural stiffening with increased pressure. We also present Raman data for ε-TaN and δ-MoN at high pressure in order to characterize the phonon behavior in these materials. All of the Raman active modes for ε-TaN were identified using polarized spectroscopy. Peaks at low frequency are due to Ta motions, whereas modes at higher wave number contain a large component of N motion. The high frequency modes associated with Ta-N stretching vibrations are more sensitive to compression than the metal displacements occurring at lower wave number. The mode assignments can be generally extended to δ-MoN, that has a much more complex Raman spectrum. The x-ray and Raman data for ε-TaN show evidence for structural disordering occurring above 20 GPa, whereas no such change is observed for δ-MoN

  15. A nano-engineered graphene/carbon nitride hybrid for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xiaobo Li; Yao Zheng; Anthony F.Masters; Thomas Maschmeyer

    2016-01-01

    A metal-free photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system was successfully fabricated using heteroatom doped graphene materials as electron-transfer co-catalysts and carbon nitride as a semiconductor.The catalytic role of graphene is significantly dependent on the heteroatom dopant of the graphene,such as O,S,B,N doped/undoped graphene co-catalysts,and N-graphene shows the best catalytic hydrogen evolution rate.

  16. Inverse magnetostrictive characteristics of Fe-Co composite materials using gas-nitriding process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakajima, Kenya; Yang, Zhenjun; Narita, Fumio

    2018-03-01

    The inverse magnetostrictive response, known as the Villari effect, of magnetostrictive materials is a change in magnetization due to an applied stress. It is commonly used for sensor applications. This work deals with the inverse magnetostrictive characteristics of Fe-Co bimetal plates that were subjected gas-nitriding process. Gas-nitriding was performed on bimetal plates for 30 min at 853 K as a surface heat treatment process. The specimens were cooled to room temperature after completing the nitriding treatment. Three-point bending tests were performed on the plates under a magnetic field. The changes on the magnetic induction of the plates due to the applied load are discussed. The effect of the nitriding treatment on the inverse magnetostrictive characteristics, magnetostrictive susceptibility, and magnetic hysteresis loop was examined. Our work represents an important step forward in the development of magnetostrictive sensor materials.

  17. Surface modification of 17-4PH stainless steel by DC plasma nitriding and titanium nitride film duplex treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, F.; Leng, Y.X.; Huang, N.; Bai, B.; Zhang, P.Ch.

    2007-01-01

    17-4PH stainless steel was modified by direct current (DC) plasma nitriding and titanium nitride film duplex treatment in this study. The microstructure, wear resistance and corrosion resistance were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), pin-on-disk tribological test and polarization experiment. The results revealed that the DC plasma nitriding pretreatment was in favor of improving properties of titanium nitride film. The corrosion resistance and wear resistance of duplex treatment specimen was more superior to that of only coated titanium nitride film

  18. On the buckling of hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons via structural mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannopoulos, Georgios I.

    2018-03-01

    Monolayer hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons have similar crystal structure as graphene nanoribbons, have excellent mechanical, thermal insulating and dielectric properties and additionally present chemical stability. These allotropes of boron nitride can be used in novel applications, in which graphene is not compatible, to achieve remarkable performance. The purpose of the present work is to provide theoretical estimations regarding the buckling response of hexagonal boron nitride monolayer under compressive axial loadings. For this reason, a structural mechanics method is formulated which employs the exact equilibrium atomistic structure of the specific two-dimensional nanomaterial. In order to represent the interatomic interactions appearing between boron and nitrogen atoms, the Dreiding potential model is adopted which is realized by the use of three-dimensional, two-noded, spring-like finite elements of appropriate stiffness matrices. The critical compressive loads that cause the buckling of hexagonal boron nitride nanoribbons are computed with respect to their size and chirality while some indicative buckled shapes of them are illustrated. Important conclusions arise regarding the effect of the size and chirality on the structural stability of the hexagonal boron nitride monolayers. An analytical buckling formula, which provides good fitting of the numerical outcome, is proposed.

  19. Steel bonded dense silicon nitride compositions and method for their fabrication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landingham, Richard L.; Shell, Thomas E.

    1987-01-01

    A two-stage bonding technique for bonding high density silicon nitride and other ceramic materials to stainless steel and other hard metals, and multilayered ceramic-metal composites prepared by the technique are disclosed. The technique involves initially slurry coating a surface of the ceramic material at about 1500.degree. C. in a vacuum with a refractory material and the stainless steel is then pressure bonded to the metallic coated surface by brazing it with nickel-copper-silver or nickel-copper-manganese alloys at a temperature in the range of about 850.degree. to 950.degree. C. in a vacuum. The two-stage bonding technique minimizes the temperature-expansion mismatch between the dissimilar materials.

  20. Nitriding of high speed steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyle, E.D.; Pagon, A.M.; Hubbard, P.; Dowey, S.J.; Pilkington, A.; McCulloch, D.G.; Latham, K.; DuPlessis, J.

    2010-01-01

    Current practice when nitriding HSS cutting tools is to avoid embrittlement of the cutting edge by limiting the depth of the diffusion zone. This is accomplished by reducing the nitriding time and temperature and eliminating any compound layer formation. However, in many applications there is an argument for generating a compound layer with beneficial tribological properties. In this investigation results are presented of a metallographic, XRD and XPS analysis of nitrided surface layers generated using active screen plasma nitriding and reactive vapour deposition using cathodic arc. These results are discussed in the context of built up edge formation observed while machining inside a scanning electron microscope. (author)

  1. Influence of post-annealing on the electrical properties of metal/oxide/silicon nitride/oxide/silicon capacitors for flash memories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hee Dong; An, Ho-Myoung; Kim, Kyoung Chan; Seo, Yu Jeong; Kim, Tae Geun

    2008-01-01

    We report the effect of post-annealing on the electrical properties of metal/oxide/silicon nitride/oxide/silicon (MONOS) capacitors. Four samples, namely as-deposited and annealed at 750, 850 and 950 °C for 30 s in nitrogen ambient by a rapid thermal process, were prepared and characterized for comparison. The best performance with the largest memory window of 4.4 V and the fastest program speed of 10 ms was observed for the sample annealed at 850 °C. In addition, the highest traps density of 6.84 × 10 18 cm −3 was observed with ideal trap distributions for the same sample by capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement. These results indicate that the memory traps in the ONO structure can be engineered by post-annealing to improve the electrical properties of the MONOS device

  2. The role of titanium aluminide in n-gallium nitride ohmic contact technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelto, Christopher M.

    Ohmic contacts are essential to the realization of efficient and affordable nitride-based electronic and optoelectronic devices. Currently, the most successful ohmic contact schemes to n-GaN are based on the Al/Ti bilayer structure, although the mechanism responsible for the low resistance in these contacts is not sufficiently understood. In this work, the intermetallic TiAl3 has been employed both as a model ohmic contact system to help understand the essential features of the Al/Ti standard contact, as well as a thermally stable oxidation cap for the bilayer structure. A quaternary isotherm of the Al-Ti-Ga-N system was calculated at 600°C, which showed that a sufficient phase topology was present to apply the exchange mechanism to the TiAl 3/GaN couple. The exchange mechanism rationalized the selection of the TiAl3 intermetallic by predicting that an Al-rich AlGaN layer will form at the metal/semiconductor interface. As part of the investigation of these novel contact systems, a thorough characterization was undertaken on both a standard Al/Ti and Au/Ni/Al/Ti contact to n-GaN in which the essential processing parameters and metallurgical properties were identified. The TiAl 3 contact was found to exhibit inferior electrical behavior compared to the Al/Ti bilayer, requiring significantly higher annealing temperatures to achieve comparable specific contact resistance. It is conjectured that this is due to the early formation of a TiN layer at the metal/semiconductor interface of the bilayer contact, even though both contacts are suspected to form the Al-rich nitride layer at higher temperature. As an oxidation cap, the TiAl3 metallization was found to provide much improved performance characteristics compared to the four-layer Au/Al/Ni/Ti standard. The TiAl 3/Al/Ti contact proved to achieve optimal performance at a much lower temperature than the standard, and furthermore showed complete insensitivity to the oxidation content of the annealing ambient. Reaction

  3. Solvothermal synthesis: a new route for preparing nitrides

    CERN Document Server

    Demazeau, G; Denis, A; Largeteau, A

    2002-01-01

    Solvothermal synthesis appears to be an interesting route for preparing nitrides such as gallium nitride and aluminium nitride, using ammonia as solvent. A nitriding additive is used to perform the reaction and, in the case of gallium nitride, is encapsulated by melt gallium. The syntheses are performed in the temperature range 400-800 deg. C and in the pressure range 100-200 MPa. The synthesized powders are characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Finely divided gallium nitride GaN and aluminium nitride AlN, both with wurtzite-type structure, can be obtained by this route.

  4. Nitridation of U and Pu recovered in liquid Cd cathode by molten salt electrorefining of (U,Pu)N

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Satoh, Takumi; Iwai, Takashi; Arai, Yasuo [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (Japan)

    2009-06-15

    Solid solutions of actinide mono-nitrides have been proposed as a candidate fuel of the accelerator-driven system (ADS) and Gen.IV-type fast reactors because the thermal conductivity and metal density are higher than those of actinide oxides and also they have high melting temperature. Pyrochemical process has several advantages over conventional wet process in treating of spent nitride fuel. One of the key technologies of the pyrochemical reprocessing of nitride fuel is the formation of the nitrides from actinides in the liquid Cd cathode. The nitridation-distillation combined method was developed and has been adopted to convert the actinides to the nitrides. In this method, the nitridation of actinides and the distillation of Cd occurred simultaneously by heating the actinide-Cd alloys in N{sub 2} gas stream. In the present study, the nitride formation behavior of U and Pu recovered in Cd cathode by molten salt electrorefining of (U,Pu)N was experimentally investigated. In addition, the nitride pellet was prepared form the powder obtained by the nitridation of U and Pu recovered in Cd cathode. (U,Pu)N (PuN = 80 mol %) was used as the starting material in the experiment. Molten salt electrorefining of (U,Pu)N pellet was carried out in the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt with 1.2 wt% PuCl{sub 3} and 0.3 wt% UCl{sub 3} of about 110 g at the constant anodic potential of -0.60 to -0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl for about 9 hours at 773 K. After the electrorefining, about 42 % of U and Pu in the starting (U,Pu)N pellet was dissolved at the anode and recovered into the liquid Cd cathode. The recovered U-Pu-Cd alloy was heated in an alumina crucible at 973 K for 10 hours under N{sub 2} gas (99.999 %) stream (0.015 L/min). Fine black powder was recovered after heating the U-Pu-Cd alloy. The powder was identified as the single phase solid solution of (U,Pu)N by the XRD analysis. After milling in the agate mortar for 1 hour, the powder was compacted into green pellet under a pressure of about

  5. Titanium oxide modification with oxides of mixed cobalt valence for photo catalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alanis O, R.; Jimenez B, J., E-mail: jaime.jimenez@inin.gob.m [ININ, Departamento de Quimica, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

    2010-07-01

    In the present work, heterogenous photo catalysis, a technique often used for organic compound degradation toxic in water, was used. The photo catalyst most often used in this technique is TiO{sub 2}, which due to its physical and chemical properties, can degrade a great number of organic compounds. In addition, in recent years it has been verified that the doping of semiconductors with metals or metallic oxides increases the photo catalytic activity of these semiconductors, which is why it was proposed for doping by the impregnating method using commercial TiO{sub 2} synthesized by the Degussa company (TiO{sub 2} Degussa P25) with and oxide of mixed cobalt valence (Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}) synthesized using the sol-gel method. The synthesized photo catalyst TiO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} was characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and finally, photo catalytic tests by means of the degradation of methylene blue. (Author)

  6. Preparation of aluminum nitride-silicon carbide nanocomposite powder by the nitridation of aluminum silicon carbide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Itatani, K.; Tsukamoto, R.; Delsing, A.C.A.; Hintzen, H.T.J.M.; Okada, I.

    2002-01-01

    Aluminum nitride (AlN)-silicon carbide (SiC) nanocomposite powders were prepared by the nitridation of aluminum-silicon carbide (Al4SiC4) with the specific surface area of 15.5 m2·g-1. The powders nitrided at and above 1400°C for 3 h contained the 2H-phases which consisted of AlN-rich and SiC-rich

  7. Geochemical prospect ion results of Mariscala aerial photo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filippini, J.

    1989-01-01

    This report shows the geochemical prospect ion results carried out within the framework of the metalical mining prospect ion in Mariscala aerial photo. Lavalleja district belong to the Mining inventory programme of Uruguay.

  8. Decolorization and mineralization of Diarylide Yellow 12 (PY12) by photo-Fenton process: the Response Surface Methodology as the optimization tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    GilPavas, Edison; Dobrosz-Gómez, Izabela; Gómez-García, Miguel Ángel

    2012-01-01

    The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied as a tool for the optimization of the operational conditions of the photo-degradation of highly concentrated PY12 wastewater, resulting from a textile industry located in the suburbs of Medellin (Colombia). The Box-Behnken experimental Design (BBD) was chosen for the purpose of response optimization. The photo-Fenton process was carried out in a laboratory-scale batch photo-reactor. A multifactorial experimental design was proposed, including the following variables: the initial dyestuff concentration, the H(2)O(2) and the Fe(+2) concentrations, as well as the UV wavelength radiation. The photo-Fenton process performed at the optimized conditions resulted in ca. 100% of dyestuff decolorization, 92% of COD and 82% of TOC degradation. A kinetic study was accomplished, including the identification of some intermediate compounds generated during the oxidation process. The water biodegradability reached a final DBO(5)/DQO = 0.86 value.

  9. Deposition of single-layer and graded aluminum nitride coatings on vanadium substrates using ion-beam assisted reactive evaporation (ITER task no. ETA-EC-BLR26)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamarani, F.; Lang, R.; Owles, R.

    1994-06-01

    The objective of the project has been to develop a reactive evaporation process for the fabrication of aluminum nitride coatings on pure vanadium substrates. The aluminum nitride coatings are to be used as electrical insulators on the surfaces of structural materials in contact with liquid metal coolants. (author). 9 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  10. Development of White-Light Emitting Active Layers in Nitride Based Heterostructures for Phosphorless Solid State Lighting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jan Talbot; Kailash Mishra

    2007-12-31

    This report provides a summary of research activities carried out at the University of California, San Diego and Central Research of OSRAM SYLVANIA in Beverly, MA partially supported by a research contract from US Department of Energy, DE-FC26-04NT422274. The main objective of this project was to develop III-V nitrides activated by rare earth ions, RE{sup 3+}, which could eliminate the need for phosphors in nitride-based solid state light sources. The main idea was to convert electron-hole pairs injected into the active layer in a LED die to white light directly through transitions within the energy levels of the 4f{sup n}-manifold of RE{sup 3+}. We focused on the following materials: Eu{sup 3+}(red), Tb{sup 3+}(green), Er{sup 3+}(green), Dy{sup 3+}(yellow) and Tm{sup 3+}(blue) in AlN, GaN and alloys of AlN and GaN. Our strategy was to explore candidate materials in powder form first, and then study their behavior in thin films. Thin films of these materials were to be deposited on sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The photo- and cathode-luminescence measurements of these materials were used to investigate their suitability for white light generation. The project proceeded along this route with minor modifications needed to produce better materials and to expedite our progress towards the final goal. The project made the following accomplishments: (1) red emission from Eu{sup 3+}, green from Tb{sup 3+}, yellow from Dy{sup 3+} and blue from Tm{sup 3+} in AlN powders; (2) red emission from Eu{sup 3+} and green emission from Tb{sup 3+} in GaN powder; (3) red emission from Eu{sup 3+} in alloys of GaN and AlN; (4) green emission from Tb{sup 3+} in GaN thin films by PLD; (5) red emission from Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+} in GaN thin films deposited by MOVPE; (6) energy transfer from host to RE{sup 3+}; (7) energy transfer from Tb{sup 3+} to Eu{sup 3+} in AlN powders; (8) emission from AlN powder samples

  11. Ternary nitrides for hydrogen storage: Li-B-N, Li-Al-N and Li-Ga-N systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langmi, Henrietta W.; McGrady, G. Sean

    2008-01-01

    This paper reports an investigation of hydrogen storage performance of ternary nitrides based on lithium and the Group 13 elements boron, aluminum and gallium. These were prepared by ball milling Li 3 N together with the appropriate Group 13 nitride-BN, AlN or GaN. Powder X-ray diffraction of the products revealed that the ternary nitrides obtained are not the known Li 3 BN 2 , Li 3 AlN 2 and Li 3 GaN 2 phases. At 260 deg. C and 30 bar hydrogen pressure, the Li-Al-N ternary system initially absorbed 3.7 wt.% hydrogen, although this is not fully reversible. We observed, for the first time, hydrogen uptake by a pristine ternary nitride of Li and Al synthesized from the binary nitrides of the metals. While the Li-Ga-N ternary system also stored a significant amount of hydrogen, the storage capacity for the Li-B-N system was near zero. The hydrogenation reaction is believed to be similar to that of Li 3 N, and the enthalpies of hydrogen absorption for Li-Al-N and Li-Ga-N provide evidence that AlN and GaN, as well as the ball milling process, play a significant role in altering the thermodynamics of Li 3 N

  12. Influence of the ion nitriding temperature in the wear resistance of AISI H13 tool steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heck, Stenio Cristaldo; Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Pereira, Ricardo Gomes; Casteletti, Luiz Carlos; Totten, George Edward

    2010-01-01

    The AISI H13 tool steel for hot work is the most used in its category. This steel was developed for injection molds and extrusion of hot metals as well as for conformation in hot presses and hammers. Plasma nitriding can improve significantly the surface properties of these steels, but the treatments conditions, such as temperature, must be optimized. In this work the influence of nitriding treatment temperature on the wear behavior of this steel is investigated. Samples of AISI H13 steel were quenched and tempered and then ion nitrided in the temperatures of 450, 550 and 650 deg C, at 4mbar pressure, during 5 hours. Samples of the treated material were characterized by optical microscopy, Vickers microhardness, x-ray analysis and wear tests. Plasma nitriding formed hard diffusion zones in all the treated samples. White layers were formed in samples treated at 550 deg C and 650 deg C. The treatment temperature of 450 deg C produced the highest hardness. Treatment temperature showed great influence in the diffusion layer thickness. X-ray analysis indicated the formation of the Fe_3N, Fe_4N and CrN phases for all temperatures, but with different concentrations. Nitriding increased significantly the AISI H13 wear resistance. (author)

  13. Microstructural characterization of an AISI-SAE 4140 steel without nitridation and nitrided

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medina F, A.; Naquid G, C.

    2000-01-01

    It was micro structurally characterized an AISI-SAE 4140 steel before and after of nitridation through the nitridation process by plasma post-unloading microwaves through Optical microscopy (OM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) by means of secondary electrons and retrodispersed, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersion spectra (EDS) and mapping of elements. (Author)

  14. Metal-based anode for high performance bioelectrochemical systems through photo-electrochemical interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yuxiang; Feng, Huajun; Shen, Dongsheng; Long, Yuyang; Li, Na; Zhou, Yuyang; Ying, Xianbin; Gu, Yuan; Wang, Yanfeng

    2016-08-01

    This paper introduces a novel composite anode that uses light to enhance current generation and accelerate biofilm formation in bioelectrochemical systems. The composite anode is composed of 316L stainless steel substrate and a nanostructured α-Fe2O3 photocatalyst (PSS). The electrode properties, current generation, and biofilm properties of the anode are investigated. In terms of photocurrent, the optimal deposition and heat-treatment times are found to be 30 min and 2 min, respectively, which result in a maximum photocurrent of 0.6 A m-2. The start-up time of the PSS is 1.2 days and the maximum current density is 2.8 A m-2, twice and 25 times that of unmodified anode, respectively. The current density of the PSS remains stable during 20 days of illumination. Confocal laser scanning microscope images show that the PSS could benefit biofilm formation, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicates that the PSS reduce the charge-transfer resistance of the anode. Our findings show that photo-electrochemical interaction is a promising way to enhance the biocompatibility of metal anodes for bioelectrochemical systems.

  15. Proton Irradiation-Induced Metal Voids in Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    ABBREVIATIONS 2DEG two-dimensional electron gas AlGaN aluminum gallium nitride AlOx aluminum oxide CCD charged coupled device CTE coefficient of...frequency of FETs. Such a device may also be known as a heterojunction field-effect transistor (HFET), modulation-doped field-effect transistor (MODFET...electrons. This charge attracts electrons to the interface, forming the 2DEG channel. The HEMT includes a heterojunction of two semiconducting

  16. Effective Duration of Gas Nitriding Process on AISI 316L for the Formation of a Desired Thickness of Surface Nitrided Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud Hassan R. S.

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available High temperature gas nitriding performed on AISI 316L at the temperature of 1200°C. The microstructure of treated AISI 316L samples were observed to identify the formation of the microstructure of nitrided surface layer. The grain size of austenite tends to be enlarged when the nitriding time increases, but the austenite single phase structure is maintained even after the long-time solution nitriding. Using microhardness testing, the hardness values drop to the center of the samples. The increase in surface hardness is due to the high nitrogen concentration at or near the surface. At 245HV, the graph of the effective duration of nitriding process was plotted to achieve the maximum depth of nitrogen diffuse under the surface. Using Sigma Plot software best fit lines of the experimental result found and plotted to find out effective duration of nitriding equation as Y=1.9491(1-0.7947x, where Y is the thickness of nitrided layer below the surface and X is duration of nitriding process. Based on this equation, the duration of gas nitriding process can be estimated to produce desired thickness of nitrided layer.

  17. Toward Edge-Defined Holey Boron Nitride Nanosheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yi; Liao, Yunlong; Chen, Zhongfan; Connell, John W.

    2015-01-01

    "Holey" two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets with well-defined holy morphology and edge chemistry are highly desirable for applications such as energy storage, catalysis, sensing, transistors, and molecular transport/separation. For example, holey grapheme is currently under extensive investigation for energy storage applications because of the improvement in ion transport due to through the thickness pathways provided by the holes. Without the holes, the 2D materials have significant limitations for such applications in which efficient ion transport is important. As part of an effort to apply this approach to other 2D nanomaterials, a method to etch geometrically defined pits or holes on the basal plane surface of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets has been developed. The etching, conducted via heating in ambient air using metal nanoparticles as catalysts, was facile, controllable, and scalable. Starting h-BN layered crystals were etched and subsequently exfoliated into boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs). The as-etched and exfoliated h-BN nanosheets possessed defined pit and hole shapes that were comprised of regulated nanostructures at the edges. The current finding are the first step toward the bulk preparation of holey BNNSs with defined holes and edges.

  18. Large scale 2D/3D hybrids based on gallium nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kehao; Jariwala, Bhakti; Li, Jun; Briggs, Natalie C; Wang, Baoming; Ruzmetov, Dmitry; Burke, Robert A; Lerach, Jordan O; Ivanov, Tony G; Haque, Md; Feenstra, Randall M; Robinson, Joshua A

    2017-12-21

    Two and three-dimensional (2D/3D) hybrid materials have the potential to advance communication and sensing technologies by enabling new or improved device functionality. To date, most 2D/3D hybrid devices utilize mechanical exfoliation or post-synthesis transfer, which can be fundamentally different from directly synthesized layers that are compatible with large scale industrial needs. Therefore, understanding the process/property relationship of synthetic heterostructures is priority for industrially relevant material architectures. Here we demonstrate the scalable synthesis of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) via metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on gallium nitride (GaN), and elucidate the structure, chemistry, and vertical transport properties of the 2D/3D hybrid. We find that the 2D layer thickness and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) choice plays an important role in the transport properties of the hybrid structure, where monolayer TMDs exhibit direct tunneling through the layer, while transport in few layer TMDs on GaN is dominated by p-n diode behavior and varies with the 2D/3D hybrid structure. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal a strong intrinsic dipole and charge transfer between n-MoS 2 and p-GaN, leading to a degraded interface and high p-type leakage current. Finally, we demonstrate integration of heterogeneous 2D layer stacks of MoS 2 /WSe 2 on GaN with atomically sharp interface. Monolayer MoS 2 /WSe 2 /n-GaN stacks lead to near Ohmic transport due to the tunneling and non-degenerated doping, while few layer stacking is Schottky barrier dominated.

  19. Metal-free spin and spin-gapless semiconducting heterobilayers: monolayer boron carbonitrides on hexagonal boron nitride.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Hongzhe; Zhang, Hongyu; Sun, Yuanyuan; Ding, Yingchun; Chen, Jie; Du, Youwei; Tang, Nujiang

    2017-06-07

    The interfaces between monolayer boron carbonitrides and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) play an important role in their practical applications. Herein, we respectively investigate the structural and electronic properties of two metal-free heterobilayers constructed by vertically stacking two-dimensional (2D) spintronic materials (B 4 CN 3 and B 3 CN 4 ) on a h-BN monolayer from the viewpoints of lattice match and lattice mismatch models using density functional calculations. It is found that both B 4 CN 3 and B 3 CN 4 monolayers can be stably adsorbed on the h-BN monolayer due to the van der Waals interactions. Intriguingly, we demonstrate that the bipolar magnetic semiconductor (BMS) behavior of the B 4 CN 3 layer and the spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) property of the B 3 CN 4 layer can be well preserved in the B 4 CN 3 /BN and B 3 CN 4 /BN heterobilayers, respectively. The magnetic moments and spintronic properties of the two systems originate mainly from the 2p z electrons of the carbon atoms in the B 4 CN 3 and B 3 CN 4 layers. Furthermore, the BMS behavior of the B 4 CN 3 /BN bilayer is very robust while the electronic property of the B 3 CN 4 /BN bilayer is sensitive to interlayer couplings. These theoretical results are helpful both in understanding the interlayer coupling between B 4 CN 3 or B 3 CN 4 and h-BN monolayers and in providing a possibility of fabricating 2D composite B 4 CN 3 /BN and B 3 CN 4 /BN metal-free spintronic materials theoretically.

  20. Nitrides and carbides of molybdenum and tungsten with high specific-surface area: their synthesis, structure, and catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volpe, L.

    1985-01-01

    Temperature-programmed reactions between trioxides of molybdenum or tungsten and ammonia provide a new method to synthesize dimolybdenum and ditungsten nitrides with specific surface areas to two-hundred-and-twenty and ninety-one square meters per gram, respectively. These are the highest values on record for any unsupported metallic powders. They correspond to three-four nonometer particles. The reaction of molybdenum trioxide with ammonia is topotactic in the sense that one-zero-zero planes of dimolybdenum nitride are parallel to zero-one-zero planes of molybdenum trioxide. As the trioxide transforms, it passes through an oxynitride intermediate with changing bulk structure and increasing surface area and extent of reduction. The nitride product consists of platelets, pseudomorphous with the original trioxide, which can be regarded as highly porous defect single crystals. By treating small particles of dimolybdenum or ditungsten nitride with methane-dihydrogen mixtures it is possible to replace interstitial nitrogen atoms by carbon atoms, without sintering, and thus to prepare carbides of molybdenum and tungsten with very high specific surface areas. Molybdenum nitride powders catalyze ammonia synthesis. A pronounced increase in the catalytic activity with increasing particle size confirms the structure-sensitive character of this reaction

  1. Effect of explosion hardening on the properties of the near-surface layer of glow-discharged nitrided 33H3MF steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudnicki, J.; Fleszar, A.; Wierzchon, T.; Maranda, A.; Nowaczewski, J.

    1999-01-01

    The study was concerned with the effect of explosion hardening of 33H3MF steel, realized by the impact of the detonation products of a metallic plate driven by the detonation of an explosive plastic material, upon the microhardness and thickness of the nitrided layers forming during the glow discharge assisted nitridation process. Nitrided layers containing a compound zone, diffusion layers and layers with braunite content were formed on explosion-hardened steel surfaces. The corrosion resistance of the nitrided layers thus obtained was compared with that of the layers formed on non-hardened surfaces and on non-hardened and nitrided surfaces. The layers examined have a higher corrosion resistance than the starting material, but lower than the nitrided layers formed without the explosive load. The impact strength of the steel samples was examined before and after the explosion hardening and also after glow discharge assisted nitriding. It has been found that the explosion hardening followed by nitriding increases the impact strength, which is an advantageous effect. This also gives evidence that the changes in the hardness and structure of the samples examined, which are only observed in the layers whose thickness falls between 0.1 and 1.5 mm do not affect the notch present on the sample surface and thus have no influence upon the character of the sample fracture. (author)

  2. Fabrication of high responsivity deep UV photo-detector based on Na doped ZnO nanocolumns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrawal, Jitesh; Dixit, Tejendra; Palani, I. A.; Ramachandra Rao, M. S.; Singh, Vipul

    2018-05-01

    We report a variety of the hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanostructures with a significant suppression in defect-related emission and huge enhancement in the photo-current to the dark current ratio (approximately six orders of magnitude) upon UV light illumination. Interestingly, the photo-detector shows lower dark current of 1.6 nA with high responsivity of 507 A W‑1 at 254 nm. Here, a systematic analysis of the growth process as well as the physical, chemical and electrical properties of as-grown ZnO nanostructures has been performed. We have utilized the duo effect of both the inorganic (KMnO4) and organic (Na3C6H5O7) additives, which has facilitated the precise tuning of the morphology and intrinsic defects in nanostructures that have made an impact on the photo-responsivity, photoluminescence (PL) and adhesivity of the film on to the underlying substrate. PL analysis of as-grown ZnO nanostructures has suggested 11 times improvement in the near band emission (NBE) to defect level emission (DLE) ratio. Interestingly, thermal annealing of the samples has shown a dramatic change in the morphology with significant improvement in the crystallinity. Notably, the band gap was observed to be modulated from 3.3 eV to 3.1 eV after annealing. In addition to UV photo-detector based applications, the work presented here has provided a subtle solution towards the rectification of various problems pertaining to hydrothermal processes like poor adhesivity, feeble UV emission and problem in precise tuning of the morphology along with the bandgap in one go. Therefore, these investigations assume critical significance towards the development of next-generation optoelectronic devices.

  3. Nitride fuels irradiation performance data base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brozak, D.E.; Thomas, J.K.; Peddicord, K.L.

    1987-01-01

    An irradiation performance data base for nitride fuels has been developed from an extensive literature search and review that emphasized uranium nitride, but also included performance data for mixed nitrides [(U,Pu)N] and carbonitrides [(U,Pu)C,N] to increase the quantity and depth of pin data available. This work represents a very extensive effort to systematically collect and organize irradiation data for nitride-based fuels. The data base has many potential applications. First, it can facilitate parametric studies of nitride-based fuels to be performed using a wide range of pin designs and operating conditions. This should aid in the identification of important parameters and design requirements for multimegawatt and SP-100 fuel systems. Secondly, the data base can be used to evaluate fuel performance models. For detailed studies, it can serve as a guide to selecting a small group of pin specimens for extensive characterization. Finally, the data base will serve as an easily accessible and expandable source of irradiation performance information for nitride fuels

  4. Toxicity evaluation of boron nitride nanospheres and water-soluble boron nitride in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang N

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Ning Wang,1 Hui Wang,2 Chengchun Tang,3 Shijun Lei,1 Wanqing Shen,1 Cong Wang,1 Guobin Wang,4 Zheng Wang,1,4 Lin Wang1,5 1Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, 2Department of Medical Genetics, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 3Boron Nitride Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 4Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 5Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China Abstract: Boron nitride (BN nanomaterials have been increasingly explored for potential biological applications. However, their toxicity remains poorly understood. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model for toxicity analysis of two representative types of BN nanomaterials – BN nanospheres (BNNSs and highly water-soluble BN nanomaterial (named BN-800-2 – we found that BNNSs overall toxicity was less than soluble BN-800-2 with irregular shapes. The concentration thresholds for BNNSs and BN-800-2 were 100 µg·mL-1 and 10 µg·mL-1, respectively. Above this concentration, both delayed growth, decreased life span, reduced progeny, retarded locomotion behavior, and changed the expression of phenotype-related genes to various extents. BNNSs and BN-800-2 increased oxidative stress levels in C. elegans by promoting reactive oxygen species production. Our results further showed that oxidative stress response and MAPK signaling-related genes, such as GAS1, SOD2, SOD3, MEK1, and PMK1, might be key factors for reactive oxygen species production and toxic responses to BNNSs and BN-800-2 exposure. Together, our results suggest that when concentrations are lower than 10 µg·mL-1, BNNSs are more biocompatible than BN-800-2 and are potentially biocompatible material. Keywords: boron nitride nanomaterials, Caenorhabditis elegans, nanotoxicology

  5. Microhardness and microplasticity of zirconium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neshpor, V.S.; Eron'yan, M.A.; Petrov, A.N.; Kravchik, A.E.

    1978-01-01

    To experimentally check the concentration dependence of microhardness of 4 group nitrides, microhardness of zirconium nitride compact samples was measured. The samples were obtained either by bulk saturation of zirconium iodide plates or by chemical precipitation from gas. As nitrogen content decreased within the limits of homogeneity of zirconium nitride samples where the concentration of admixed oxygen was low, the microhardness grew from 1500+-100 kg/mm 2 for ZrNsub(1.0) to 27000+-100 kg/mm 2 for ZrNsub(0.78). Microplasticity of zirconium nitride (resistance to fracture) decreased, as the concentration of nitrogen vacancies was growing

  6. Surface analysis in steel nitrides by using Moessbauer spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Figueiredo, R.S. de.

    1991-07-01

    The formation of iron nitride layer at low temperatures, 600-700 K, by Moessbauer spectroscopy is studied. These layers were obtained basically through two different processes: ion nitriding and ammonia gas nitriding. A preliminary study about post-discharge nitriding was made using discharge in hollow cathode as well as microwave excitation. The assembly of these chambers is also described. The analysis of the nitrided samples was done by CEMS and CXMS, aided by optical microscopy, and the CEMS and CXMS detectors were constructed by ourselves. We also made a brief study about these detectors, testing as acetone as the mixture 80% He+10% C H 4 as detection gases for the use of CEMS. The surface analysis of the samples showed that in the ammonia gas process nitriding the nitrided layer starts by the superficial formation of an iron nitride rich nitrogen. By thermal evolution this nitride promotes the diffusion of nitrogen and the formation of other more stable nitrides. (author)

  7. [Cr(N)(acac)2]: A simple chromium nitride complex and its reactivity towards late transition metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Erik Donovan; Schau-Magnussen, Magnus; Bendix, Jesper

    2011-01-01

    A new simple chromium(V) nitride complex, Cr(N)(acac)2 (1) has been prepared by nitrogen atom transfer. X-ray crystallography shows a short Cr-N bond at 1.5564(11) Å and equatorial Cr-O distances in the range 1.9387(9) – 1.9485(9) Å. 1 reacts as a p-backbonding ligand ......A new simple chromium(V) nitride complex, Cr(N)(acac)2 (1) has been prepared by nitrogen atom transfer. X-ray crystallography shows a short Cr-N bond at 1.5564(11) Å and equatorial Cr-O distances in the range 1.9387(9) – 1.9485(9) Å. 1 reacts as a p-backbonding ligand ...

  8. Enhancement of the oxygen reduction on nitride stabilized pt-M (M=Fe, Co, and Ni) core–shell nanoparticle electrocatalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Kuttiyiel, Kurian A.; Choi, YongMan; Hwang, Sun-Mi; Park, Gu-Gon; Yang, Tae-Hyun; Su, Dong; Sasaki, Kotaro; Liu, Ping; Adzic, Radoslav R.

    2015-01-01

    Given the harsh operating conditions in hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells, the stability of catalysts is one of the critical questions affecting their commercialization. We describe a distinct class of oxygen reduction (ORR) core–shell electrocatalysts comprised of nitride metal cores enclosed by thin Pt shells that is easily synthesized. The synthesis is reproducible and amenable to scale up. Our theoretical analysis and the experimental data indicate that metal nitride nanoparticle cores could significantly enhance the ORR activity as well as the durability of the core–shell catalysts as a consequence of combined geometrical, electronic and segregation effects on the Pt shells. In addition to its fuel cells application, this class of catalysts holds promise to significantly contribute in resolving the problem of platinum scarcity and furthermore indicates the guidelines for future research and development.

  9. Enhancement of the oxygen reduction on nitride stabilized pt-M (M=Fe, Co, and Ni) core–shell nanoparticle electrocatalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Kuttiyiel, Kurian A.

    2015-04-01

    Given the harsh operating conditions in hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells, the stability of catalysts is one of the critical questions affecting their commercialization. We describe a distinct class of oxygen reduction (ORR) core–shell electrocatalysts comprised of nitride metal cores enclosed by thin Pt shells that is easily synthesized. The synthesis is reproducible and amenable to scale up. Our theoretical analysis and the experimental data indicate that metal nitride nanoparticle cores could significantly enhance the ORR activity as well as the durability of the core–shell catalysts as a consequence of combined geometrical, electronic and segregation effects on the Pt shells. In addition to its fuel cells application, this class of catalysts holds promise to significantly contribute in resolving the problem of platinum scarcity and furthermore indicates the guidelines for future research and development.

  10. Highly aligned vertical GaN nanowires using submonolayer metal catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, George T [Albuquerque, NM; Li, Qiming [Albuquerque, NM; Creighton, J Randall [Albuquerque, NM

    2010-06-29

    A method for forming vertically oriented, crystallographically aligned nanowires (nanocolumns) using monolayer or submonolayer quantities of metal atoms to form uniformly sized metal islands that serve as catalysts for MOCVD growth of Group III nitride nanowires.

  11. Charge carrier transport properties in layer structured hexagonal boron nitride

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. C. Doan

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Due to its large in-plane thermal conductivity, high temperature and chemical stability, large energy band gap (˜ 6.4 eV, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN has emerged as an important material for applications in deep ultraviolet photonic devices. Among the members of the III-nitride material system, hBN is the least studied and understood. The study of the electrical transport properties of hBN is of utmost importance with a view to realizing practical device applications. Wafer-scale hBN epilayers have been successfully synthesized by metal organic chemical deposition and their electrical transport properties have been probed by variable temperature Hall effect measurements. The results demonstrate that undoped hBN is a semiconductor exhibiting weak p-type at high temperatures (> 700 °K. The measured acceptor energy level is about 0.68 eV above the valence band. In contrast to the electrical transport properties of traditional III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors, the temperature dependence of the hole mobility in hBN can be described by the form of μ ∝ (T/T0−α with α = 3.02, satisfying the two-dimensional (2D carrier transport limit dominated by the polar optical phonon scattering. This behavior is a direct consequence of the fact that hBN is a layer structured material. The optical phonon energy deduced from the temperature dependence of the hole mobility is ħω = 192 meV (or 1546 cm-1, which is consistent with values previously obtained using other techniques. The present results extend our understanding of the charge carrier transport properties beyond the traditional III-nitride semiconductors.

  12. A perceptual metric for photo retouching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kee, Eric; Farid, Hany

    2011-12-13

    In recent years, advertisers and magazine editors have been widely criticized for taking digital photo retouching to an extreme. Impossibly thin, tall, and wrinkle- and blemish-free models are routinely splashed onto billboards, advertisements, and magazine covers. The ubiquity of these unrealistic and highly idealized images has been linked to eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in men, women, and children. In response, several countries have considered legislating the labeling of retouched photos. We describe a quantitative and perceptually meaningful metric of photo retouching. Photographs are rated on the degree to which they have been digitally altered by explicitly modeling and estimating geometric and photometric changes. This metric correlates well with perceptual judgments of photo retouching and can be used to objectively judge by how much a retouched photo has strayed from reality.

  13. Alloy Effects on the Gas Nitriding Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, M.; Sisson, R. D.

    2014-12-01

    Alloy elements, such as Al, Cr, V, and Mo, have been used to improve the nitriding performance of steels. In the present work, plain carbon steel AISI 1045 and alloy steel AISI 4140 were selected to compare the nitriding effects of the alloying elements in AISI 4140. Fundamental analysis is carried out by using the "Lehrer-like" diagrams (alloy specific Lehrer diagram and nitriding potential versus nitrogen concentration diagram) and the compound layer growth model to simulate the gas nitriding process. With this method, the fundamental understanding for the alloy effect based on the thermodynamics and kinetics becomes possible. This new method paves the way for the development of new alloy for nitriding.

  14. Magnetic behavior study of samarium nitride using density functional theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Som, Narayan N.; Mankad, Venu H.; Dabhi, Shweta D.; Patel, Anjali; Jha, Prafulla K.

    2018-02-01

    In this work, the state-of-art density functional theory is employed to study the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of samarium nitride (SmN). We have performed calculation for both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states in rock-salt phase. The calculated results of optimized lattice parameter and magnetic moment agree well with the available experimental and theoretical values. From energy band diagram and electronic density of states, we observe a half-metallic behaviour in FM phase of rock salt SmN in while metallicity in AFM I and AFM III phases. We present and discuss our current understanding of the possible half-metallicity together with the magnetic ordering in SmN. The calculated phonon dispersion curves shows dynamical stability of the considered structures. The phonon density of states and Eliashberg functional have also been analysed to understand the superconductivity in SmN.

  15. Ion nitridation - physical and technological aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elbern, A.W.

    1980-01-01

    Ion nitridation, is a technique which allows the formation of a controlled thickness of nitrides in the surface of the material, using this material as the cathode in a low pressure glow discharge, which presents many advantages over the conventional method. A brief review of the ion nitriding technique, the physical fenomena involved, and we discuss technological aspects of this method, are presented. (Author) [pt

  16. Silicon nitride-fabrication, forming and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yehezkel, O.

    1983-01-01

    This article, which is a literature survey of the recent years, includes description of several methods for the formation of silicone nitride, and five methods of forming: Reaction-bonded silicon nitride, sintering, hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing and chemical vapour deposition. Herein are also included data about mechanical and physical properties of silicon nitride and the relationship between the forming method and the properties. (author)

  17. Synthesis of reduced carbon nitride at the reduction by hydroquinone of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kharlamov, Alexey [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine); Bondarenko, Marina, E-mail: mebondarenko@ukr.net [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine); Kharlamova, Ganna [Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, Volodymyrs' ka St. 64, 01601 Kiev (Ukraine); Fomenko, Veniamin [Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St. 3, 03680 Kiev (Ukraine)

    2016-09-15

    For the first time at the reduction by hydroquinone of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O reduced carbon nitride (or reduced multi-layer azagraphene) is obtained. It is differed from usually synthesized carbon nitride by a significantly large (on 0.09 nm) interplanar distance is. At the same time, the chemical bonds between atoms in a heteroatomic plane of reduced carbon nitride correspond to the bonds in a synthesized g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The samples of water-soluble carbon nitride oxide were synthesized under the special reactionary conditions of a pyrolysis of melamine and urea. We believe that reduced carbon nitride consists of weakly connected carbon-nitrogen monosheets (azagraphene sheets) as well as reduced (from graphene oxide) graphene contains weakly connected graphene sheets. - Graphical abstract: XRD pattern and schematic atomic model of one layer of reduced carbon nitride, carbon nitride oxide and synthesized carbon nitride. For the first time at the reduction by hydroquinone of the water-soluble carbon nitride oxide (g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4})O is obtained the reduced carbon nitride (or reduced multi-layer azagraphene). Display Omitted - Highlights: • First the reduced carbon nitride (RCN) at the reduction of the carbon nitride oxide was obtained. • Water-soluble carbon nitride oxide was reduced by hydroquinone. • The chemical bonds in a heteroatomic plane of RCN correspond to the bonds in a synthesized g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. • Reduced carbon nitride consists of poorly connected heteroatomic azagraphene layers.

  18. TiO2 assisted photo-oxidative pretreatment of wheat straw for biogas production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Awais, Muhammad; Alvarado-Morales, Merlin; Tsapekos, Panagiotis

    Photo-catalytic oxidation is an advanced oxidation process in which a catalyst is used to absorb light energy and oxidize the target substrates such as organic polymers. A number of metal oxides and metal ions can efficiently increase substrate’s depolymerisation during the process of photo...... to be markedly higher in the pretreated samples that were exposed for 180min with 1.5 wt% and 2 wt% of TiO2 compared to the untreated wheat straw. Moreover, it was concluded that the products of lignin oxidation and also, the presence of TiO2 did not inhibit the AD process. Finally, UV treatment or TiO2 alone......-catalytic oxidation. Titanium oxide (TiO2) is a photo-catalyst that in its rutile and anatase forms presents the property to enhance the photo-oxidation of lignin-containing substrates. Due to lignin is one of the major obstacles in methane production from lignocellulosic biomass, its destruction is a necessary step...

  19. Application of a brain-computer interface for person authentication using EEG responses to photo stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Zhendong; Yin, Jinhai; Hu, Jianfeng

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, a person authentication system that can effectively identify individuals by generating unique electroencephalogram signal features in response to self-face and non-self-face photos is presented. In order to achieve a good stability performance, the sequence of self-face photo including first-occurrence position and non-first-occurrence position are taken into account in the serial occurrence of visual stimuli. In addition, a Fisher linear classification method and event-related potential technique for feature analysis is adapted to yield remarkably better outcomes than that by most of the existing methods in the field. The results have shown that the EEG-based person authentications via brain-computer interface can be considered as a suitable approach for biometric authentication system.

  20. Constructing ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} hybrids with enhanced photoelectrochemical performance in photo-generated cathodic protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Weiwei, E-mail: vivizhg@yahoo.com [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); State Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co-founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590 (China); Guo, Hanlin; Sun, Haiqing [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Zeng, Rongchang [College of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); State Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co-founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590 (China)

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • Ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} hybrids were synthesized. • Flat band potential shift facilitates electron injection to the coupled metal. • Electrons and holes transfer in the hybrids promotes electron–hole separation. • Synergistic effects of the ternary components make the hybrids photo-chargeable. - Abstract: Ternary polyaniline-graphene-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposites were constructed through a stepwise synthetic route. The hybrids exhibit remarkable enhancement in photoelectrochemical performance. The transfer of photo-excited carriers in the ternary composites facilitates the photo-induced electron-hole separation. Meanwhile, the flat band potential shift of the hybrids increases the inner electric field intensity that drives the photo-excited electron migration from the composites to the coupled metal. Furthermore, the ternary hybrids were found firstly to be photo-chargeable, which shows application potentials in photo-generated cathodic protection in dark.

  1. Topotactic synthesis of vanadium nitride solid foams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyama, S.T.; Kapoor, R.; Oyama, H.T.; Hofmann, D.J.; Matijevic, E.

    1993-01-01

    Vanadium nitride has been synthesized with a surface area of 120 m 2 g -1 by temperature programmed nitridation of a foam-like vanadium oxide (35 m 2 g -1 ), precipitated from vanadate solutions. The nitridation reaction was established to be topotactic and pseudomorphous by x-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The crystallographic relationship between the nitride and oxide was {200}//{001}. The effect of precursor geometry on the product size and shape was investigated by employing vanadium oxide solids of different morphologies

  2. Microstructure and mechanical properties of silicon nitride structural ceramics of silicon nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strohaecker, T.R.; Nobrega, M.C.S.

    1989-01-01

    The utilization of direct evaluation technic of tenacity for fracturing by hardness impact in silicon nitride ceramics is described. The microstructure were analysied, by Scanning Electron Microscopy, equiped with a microanalysis acessory by X ray energy dispersion. The difference between the values of K IC measure for two silicon nitride ceramics is discussed, in function of the microstructures and the fracture surfaces of the samples studied. (C.G.C.) [pt

  3. Growth, morphology, and structural properties of group-III-nitride nanocolumns and nanodisks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calleja, E.; Ristic, J.; Fernandez-Garrido, S.; Sanchez-Garcia, M.A.; Grandal, J.; Cerutti, L.; Trampert, A.; Jahn, U.; Sanchez, G.; Griol, A.; Sanchez, B.

    2007-01-01

    The growth conditions to achieve group-III-nitride nanocolumns and nanocolumnar heterostructures by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy are studied. The evolution of the nanocolumnar morphology with the growth conditions is determined for (Ga,Al)N and (In,Ga)N nanocolumns. The mechanisms behind the nanocolumnar growth under high N-rich conditions are clarified in the sense that no seeding or catalysts are required, as it is the case in the vapour-liquid-solid model that applies to most nanocolumns grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition, either with group-III nitrides, II-VI or III-V compounds. Some examples of nanocolumnar heterostructures are given, like quantum disks and cylindrical nanocavities. Preliminary results on the growth of arrays of ordered GaN nanocolumns are reported. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  4. Anti corrosion layer for stainless steel in molten carbonate fuel cell - comprises phase vapour deposition of titanium nitride, aluminium nitride or chromium nitride layer then oxidising layer in molten carbonate electrolyte

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2000-01-01

    Forming an anticorrosion protective layer on a stainless steel surface used in a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) - comprises the phase vapour deposition (PVD) of a layer comprising at least one of titanium nitride, aluminium nitride or chromium nitride and then forming a protective layer in situ...

  5. Electronic structure of superlattices of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

    KAUST Repository

    Kaloni, Thaneshwor P.

    2011-11-14

    We study the electronic structure of superlattices consisting of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride slabs, using ab initio density functional theory. We find that the system favors a short C–B bond length at the interface between the two component materials. A sizeable band gap at the Dirac point is opened for superlattices with single graphene layers but not for superlattices with graphene bilayers. The system is promising for applications in electronic devices such as field effect transistors and metal-oxide semiconductors.

  6. Electronic structure of superlattices of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

    KAUST Repository

    Kaloni, Thaneshwor P.; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2011-01-01

    We study the electronic structure of superlattices consisting of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride slabs, using ab initio density functional theory. We find that the system favors a short C–B bond length at the interface between the two component materials. A sizeable band gap at the Dirac point is opened for superlattices with single graphene layers but not for superlattices with graphene bilayers. The system is promising for applications in electronic devices such as field effect transistors and metal-oxide semiconductors.

  7. The prospect of uranium nitride (UN) and mixed nitride fuel (UN-PuN) for pressurized water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syarifah, Ratna Dewi; Suud, Zaki

    2015-01-01

    Design study of small Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) core loaded with uranium nitride fuel (UN) and mixed nitride fuel (UN-PuN), Pa-231 as burnable poison, and Americium has been performed. Pa-231 known as actinide material, have large capture cross section and can be converted into fissile material that can be utilized to reduce excess reactivity. Americium is one of minor actinides with long half life. The objective of adding americium is to decrease nuclear spent fuel in the world. The neutronic analysis results show that mixed nitride fuel have k-inf greater than uranium nitride fuel. It is caused by the addition of Pu-239 in mixed nitride fuel. In fuel fraction analysis, for uranium nitride fuel, the optimum volume fractions are 45% fuel fraction, 10% cladding and 45% moderator. In case of UN-PuN fuel, the optimum volume fractions are 30% fuel fraction, 10% cladding and 60% coolant/ moderator. The addition of Pa-231 as burnable poison for UN fuel, enrichment U-235 5%, with Pa-231 1.6% has k-inf more than one and excess reactivity of 14.45%. And for mixed nitride fuel, the lowest value of reactivity swing is when enrichment (U-235+Pu) 8% with Pa-231 0.4%, the excess reactivity value 13,76%. The fuel pin analyze for the addition of Americium, the excess reactivity value is lower than before, because Americium absorb the neutron. For UN fuel, enrichment U-235 8%, Pa-231 1.6% and Am 0.5%, the excess reactivity is 4.86%. And for mixed nitride fuel, when enrichment (U-235+Pu) 13%, Pa-231 0.4% and Am 0.1%, the excess reactivity is 11.94%. For core configuration, it is better to use heterogeneous than homogeneous core configuration, because the radial power distribution is better

  8. The prospect of uranium nitride (UN) and mixed nitride fuel (UN-PuN) for pressurized water reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syarifah, Ratna Dewi; Suud, Zaki

    2015-09-01

    Design study of small Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) core loaded with uranium nitride fuel (UN) and mixed nitride fuel (UN-PuN), Pa-231 as burnable poison, and Americium has been performed. Pa-231 known as actinide material, have large capture cross section and can be converted into fissile material that can be utilized to reduce excess reactivity. Americium is one of minor actinides with long half life. The objective of adding americium is to decrease nuclear spent fuel in the world. The neutronic analysis results show that mixed nitride fuel have k-inf greater than uranium nitride fuel. It is caused by the addition of Pu-239 in mixed nitride fuel. In fuel fraction analysis, for uranium nitride fuel, the optimum volume fractions are 45% fuel fraction, 10% cladding and 45% moderator. In case of UN-PuN fuel, the optimum volume fractions are 30% fuel fraction, 10% cladding and 60% coolant/ moderator. The addition of Pa-231 as burnable poison for UN fuel, enrichment U-235 5%, with Pa-231 1.6% has k-inf more than one and excess reactivity of 14.45%. And for mixed nitride fuel, the lowest value of reactivity swing is when enrichment (U-235+Pu) 8% with Pa-231 0.4%, the excess reactivity value 13,76%. The fuel pin analyze for the addition of Americium, the excess reactivity value is lower than before, because Americium absorb the neutron. For UN fuel, enrichment U-235 8%, Pa-231 1.6% and Am 0.5%, the excess reactivity is 4.86%. And for mixed nitride fuel, when enrichment (U-235+Pu) 13%, Pa-231 0.4% and Am 0.1%, the excess reactivity is 11.94%. For core configuration, it is better to use heterogeneous than homogeneous core configuration, because the radial power distribution is better.

  9. Preparation of Boron Nitride Nanoparticles with Oxygen Doping and a Study of Their Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Qing; Zhao, Qi; Yang, Tianye; Zhai, Chengbo; Wang, Dongxue; Zhang, Mingzhe

    2018-04-18

    In this work, oxygen-doped boron nitride nanoparticles with room-temperature ferromagnetism have been synthesized by a new, facile, and efficient method. There are no metal magnetic impurities in the nanoparticles analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The boron nitride nanoparticles exhibit a parabolic shape with increase in the reaction time. The saturation magnetization value reaches a maximum of 0.2975 emu g -1 at 300 K when the reaction time is 12 h, indicating that the Curie temperature ( T C ) is higher than 300 K. Combined with first-principles calculation, the coupling between B 2p orbital, N 2p orbital, and O 2p orbital in the conduction bands is the main origin of room-temperature ferromagnetism and also proves that the magnetic moment changes according the oxygen-doping content change. Compared with other room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors, boron nitride nanoparticles have widely potential applications in spintronic devices because of high temperature oxidation resistance and excellent chemical stability.

  10. Humidity-dependent stability of amorphous germanium nitrides fabricated by plasma nitridation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutsuki, Katsuhiro; Okamoto, Gaku; Hosoi, Takuji; Shimura, Takayoshi; Watanabe, Heiji

    2007-01-01

    We have investigated the stability of amorphous germanium nitride (Ge 3 N 4 ) layers formed by plasma nitridation of Ge(100) surfaces using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We have found that humidity in the air accelerates the degradation of Ge 3 N 4 layers and that under 80% humidity condition, most of the Ge-N bonds convert to Ge-O bonds, producing a uniform GeO 2 layer, within 12 h even at room temperature. After this conversion of nitrides to oxides, the surface roughness drastically increased by forming GeO 2 islands on the surfaces. These findings indicate that although Ge 3 N 4 layers have superior thermal stability compared to the GeO 2 layers, Ge 3 N 4 reacts readily with hydroxyl groups and it is therefore essential to take the best care of the moisture in the fabrication of Ge-based devices with Ge 3 N 4 insulator or passivation layers

  11. Lability of Nanoparticulate Metal Complexes at a Macroscopic Metal Responsive (Bio)interface

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duval, Jérôme F.L.; Town, Raewyn M.; Leeuwen, Van Herman P.

    2018-01-01

    The lability of metal complexes expresses the extent of the dissociative contribution of the complex species to the flux of metal ions toward a macroscopic metal-responsive (bio)interface, for example, an electrodic sensor or an organism. While the case of molecular ligands is well-established, it

  12. Optical characterization of gallium nitride

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kirilyuk, Victoria

    2002-01-01

    Group III-nitrides have been considered a promising system for semiconductor devices since a few decades, first for blue- and UV-light emitting diodes, later also for high-frequency/high-power applications. Due to the lack of native substrates, heteroepitaxially grown III-nitride layers are usually

  13. Nanorods on surface of GaN-based thin-film LEDs deposited by post-annealing after photo-assisted chemical etching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lung-Chien; Lin, Wun-Wei; Liu, Te-Yu

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the optoelectronic characteristics of gallium nitride (GaN)-based thin-film light-emitting diodes (TF-LEDs) that are formed by a two-step transfer process that involves wet etching and post-annealing. In the two-step transfer process, GaN LEDs were stripped from sapphire substrates by the laser lift-off (LLO) method using a KrF laser and then transferred onto ceramic substrates. Ga-K nanorods were formed on the surface of the GaN-based TF-LEDs following photo-assisted chemical etching and photo-enhanced post-annealing at 100 °C for 1 min. As a result, the light output power of GaN-based TF-LEDs with wet etching and post-annealing was over 72% more than that of LEDs that did not undergo these treatments.

  14. Effect of gas flow on the selective area growth of gallium nitride via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodak, L. E.; Kasarla, K. R.; Korakakis, D.

    2007-08-01

    The effect of gas flow on the selective area growth (SAG) of gallium nitride (GaN) grown via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) has been investigated. In this study, the SAG of GaN was carried out on a silicon dioxide striped pattern along the GaN direction. SAG was initiated with the striped pattern oriented parallel and normal to the incoming gas flow in a horizontal reactor. The orientation of the pattern did not impact cross section of the structure after re-growth as both orientations resulted in similar trapezoidal structures bounded by the (0 0 0 1) and {1 1 2¯ n} facets ( n≈1.7-2.2). However, the growth rates were shown to depend on the orientation of the pattern as the normally oriented samples exhibited enhanced vertical and cross-sectional growth rates compared to the parallel oriented samples. All growths occurred under identical conditions and therefore the difference in growth rates must be attributed to a difference in mass transport of species.

  15. Growth, morphological properties and pulsed photo response of MoTe2 single crystal synthesized by DVT technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixit, Vijay; Vyas, Chirag; Patel, Abhishek; Pathak, V. M.; Solanki, G. K.; Patel, K. D.

    2018-05-01

    Molybednum Di Telluride of group VI belongs to the family of layered transition metal di-chalcogenides (TMDCs). These TMDCs show good potential for applications in the field of optoelectronic devices as they are chemically inert trilayered structure of MX2 type. In the present investigation crystals of MoTe2 are grown by direct vapor transport technique in a dual zone horizontal furnace. The grown crystals were characterized by Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) to study its elemental and stoichiometric composition, Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) confirms the hexagonal structure. Spot pattern of electron diffraction shows formation of single phase. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) shows the layer by layer growth of the crystals, Thermo Electric Power (TEP) reflects the p-type semiconducting nature of the grown crystals. As this material is photosensitive material having band gap of approximately 1.0 eV, a transient photo response against polychromatic radiation (40 mW/cm2) of photodetector is also measured which showed slow decay in generated photocurrent due to low trapping density within the active area of the prepared device. Thus, it shows that this material can be a good photovoltaic material for constructing a solar cell also.

  16. Hydrogen diffusion between plasma-deposited silicon nitride-polyimide polymer interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, S.V.; Kerbaugh, M.

    1988-01-01

    This paper reports a nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) for hydrogen technique used to analyze the hydrogen concentration near plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride-polyimide interfaces at various nitride-deposition and polyimide-polymer-curing temperatures. The CF 4 + O 2 (8% O 2 ) plasma-etch-rate variation of PECVD silicon nitride films deposited on polyimide appeared to correlate well with the variation of hydrogen-depth profiles in the nitride films. The NRA data indicate that hydrogen-depth-profile fluctuation in the nitride films is due to hydrogen diffusion between the nitride-polyimide interfaces during deposition. Annealing treatment of polyimide films in a hydrogen atmosphere prior to the nitride film deposition tends to enhance the hydrogen-depth-profile uniformity in the nitride films, and thus substantially reduces or eliminates variation in the nitride plasma-etch rate

  17. Nucleation of iron nitrides during gaseous nitriding of iron; the effect of a preoxidation treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friehling, Peter B.; Poulsen, Finn Willy; Somers, Marcel A.J.

    2001-01-01

    grains. On prolonged nitriding, immediate nucleation at the surface of iron grains becomes possible. Calculated incubation times for the nucleation of gamma'-Fe4N1-x during nitriding are generally longer than those observed experimentally in the present work. The incubation time is reduced dramatically...

  18. RF plasma nitriding of severely deformed iron-based alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferkel, H.; Glatzer, M.; Estrin, Y.; Valiev, R.Z.; Blawert, C.; Mordike, B.L.

    2003-01-01

    The effect of severe plastic deformation by cold high pressure torsion (HPT) on radio frequency (RF) plasma nitriding of pure iron, as well as St2K50 and X5CrNi1810 steels was investigated. Nitriding was carried out for 3 h in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of 10 -5 bar and temperatures of 350 and 400 deg. C. Nitrided specimens were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and micro hardness measurements. It was found that HPT enhances the effect of nitriding leading almost to doubling of the thickness of the nitrided layer for pure iron and the high alloyed steel. The largest increase in hardness was observed when HPT was combined with RF plasma nitriding at 350 deg. C. In the case of pure iron, the X-ray diffraction spectra showed the formation of ε and γ' nitrides in the compound layer, with a preferential formation of γ' at the expense of the α-phase at the higher nitriding temperature. The corresponding surface hardness was up to 950 HV0.01. While the HPT-processed St2K50 exhibits both nitride phases after nitriding at 350 deg. C, only the γ'-phase was observed after nitriding at 400 deg. C. A surface hardness of up to 1050 HV0.01 was measured for this steel. The high alloyed steel X5CrNi1810 exhibited the highest increase in surface hardness when HPT was combined with nitriding at 350 deg. C. The surface hardness of this steel was greater than 1400 HV0.025. The XRD analyses indicate the formation of the expanded austenite (S-phase) in the surface layer as a result of RF plasma nitriding. Furthermore, after HPT X5CrNi1810 was transformed completely into deformation martensite which did not transform back to austenite under thermochemical treatment. However, in the case of nitriding of the HPT-processed high alloyed steel at 400 deg. C, the formation of the S-phase was less pronounced. In view of the observed XRD peak broadening, the formation of nitrides, such as e.g. CrN, cannot be ruled out

  19. High-density plasma etching of III-nitrides: Process development, device applications and damage remediation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Rajwinder

    Plasma-assisted etching is a key technology for III-nitride device fabrication. The inevitable etch damage resulting from energetic pattern transfer is a challenge that needs to be addressed in order to optimize device performance and reliability. This dissertation focuses on the development of a high-density inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) etch process for III-nitrides, the demonstration of its applicability to practical device fabrication using a custom built ICP reactor, and development of techniques for remediation of etch damage. A chlorine-based standard dry etch process has been developed and utilized in fabrication of a number of electronic and optoelectronic III-nitride devices. Annealing studies carried out at 700°C have yielded the important insight that the annealing time necessary for making good-quality metal contacts to etch processed n-GaN is very short (water, prior to metallization, removes some of the etch damage and is helpful in recovering contact quality. In-situ treatment consisting of a slow ramp-down of rf bias at the end of the etch is found to achieve the same effect as the ex-situ treatment. This insitu technique is significantly advantageous in a large-scale production environment because it eliminates a process step, particularly one involving treatment in hydrochloric acid. ICP equipment customization for scaling up the process to full 2-inch wafer size is described. Results on etching of state of the art 256 x 256 AlGaN focal plane arrays of ultraviolet photodetectors are reported, with excellent etch uniformity over the wafer area.

  20. Toxicological responses of environmental mixtures: Environmental metal mixtures display synergistic induction of metal-responsive and oxidative stress genes in placental cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adebambo, Oluwadamilare A. [Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University (United States); Ray, Paul D. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (United States); Shea, Damian [Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University (United States); Fry, Rebecca C., E-mail: rfry@unc.edu [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (United States)

    2015-12-15

    Exposure to elevated levels of the toxic metals inorganic arsenic (iAs) and cadmium (Cd) represents a major global health problem. These metals often occur as mixtures in the environment, creating the potential for interactive or synergistic biological effects different from those observed in single exposure conditions. In the present study, environmental mixtures collected from two waste sites in China and comparable mixtures prepared in the laboratory were tested for toxicogenomic response in placental JEG-3 cells. These cells serve as a model for evaluating cellular responses to exposures during pregnancy. One of the mixtures was predominated by iAs and one by Cd. Six gene biomarkers were measured in order to evaluate the effects from the metal mixtures using dose and time-course experiments including: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and metallothionein isoforms (MT1A, MT1F and MT1G) previously shown to be preferentially induced by exposure to either iAs or Cd, and metal transporter genes aquaporin-9 (AQP9) and ATPase, Cu{sup 2+} transporting, beta polypeptide (ATP7B). There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F, and MT1G in mixture-treated cells compared to the iAs or Cd only-treated cells. Notably, the genomic responses were observed at concentrations significantly lower than levels found at the environmental collection sites. These data demonstrate that metal mixtures increase the expression of gene biomarkers in placental JEG-3 cells in a synergistic manner. Taken together, the data suggest that toxic metals that co-occur may induce detrimental health effects that are currently underestimated when analyzed as single metals. - Highlights: • Toxicogenomic responses of environmental metal mixtures assessed • Induction of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F and MT1G by metal mixtures observed in placental cells • Higher gene induction in response to metal mixtures versus single metal treatments.

  1. Toxicological responses of environmental mixtures: Environmental metal mixtures display synergistic induction of metal-responsive and oxidative stress genes in placental cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adebambo, Oluwadamilare A.; Ray, Paul D.; Shea, Damian; Fry, Rebecca C.

    2015-01-01

    Exposure to elevated levels of the toxic metals inorganic arsenic (iAs) and cadmium (Cd) represents a major global health problem. These metals often occur as mixtures in the environment, creating the potential for interactive or synergistic biological effects different from those observed in single exposure conditions. In the present study, environmental mixtures collected from two waste sites in China and comparable mixtures prepared in the laboratory were tested for toxicogenomic response in placental JEG-3 cells. These cells serve as a model for evaluating cellular responses to exposures during pregnancy. One of the mixtures was predominated by iAs and one by Cd. Six gene biomarkers were measured in order to evaluate the effects from the metal mixtures using dose and time-course experiments including: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and metallothionein isoforms (MT1A, MT1F and MT1G) previously shown to be preferentially induced by exposure to either iAs or Cd, and metal transporter genes aquaporin-9 (AQP9) and ATPase, Cu 2+ transporting, beta polypeptide (ATP7B). There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F, and MT1G in mixture-treated cells compared to the iAs or Cd only-treated cells. Notably, the genomic responses were observed at concentrations significantly lower than levels found at the environmental collection sites. These data demonstrate that metal mixtures increase the expression of gene biomarkers in placental JEG-3 cells in a synergistic manner. Taken together, the data suggest that toxic metals that co-occur may induce detrimental health effects that are currently underestimated when analyzed as single metals. - Highlights: • Toxicogenomic responses of environmental metal mixtures assessed • Induction of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F and MT1G by metal mixtures observed in placental cells • Higher gene induction in response to metal mixtures versus single metal treatments

  2. Plant responses to metal toxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Briat, J.F. [Montpellier-2 Univ., 34 (France). Biochimie et physiologie moleculaire des plantes, CNRS, URA 2133; Lebrun, M. [Montpellier-2 Univ., 34 (France). Biochimie et physiologie vegetale appliquee

    1999-01-01

    Increased metal concentration in the soils, up to toxic levels, is becoming an important environmental problem. Safety rule evolution will require solutions in order to cope with food safety rules, and to freeze metal leakage from heavily metal-poisoned soils, such as those from industrial fallows. In this context, plants could serve to develop bio-assays in order to promote new standards, more realistic than the mass of a given metal per kg of soil, that does not consider the metal bio-disponibility. Plants could also be used for phyto-extraction and/or phyto-stabilization. To reach these objectives, a genetic approach could be useful to generate metal-tolerant plants with enough biomass. In this work is more particularly studied the plant responses to metal toxicity. Metal toxicity for living organisms involves oxidative and /or genotoxic mechanisms. Plant protection against metal toxicity occurs, at least in part, through control of root metal uptake and of long distance metal transport. Inside cells, proteins such as ferritins and metallothioneins, and glutathione-derived peptides named phyto-chelatins, participate in excess metal storage and detoxification. Low molecular weight organic molecules, mainly organic acids and amino acids and their derivatives, also play an important role in plant metal homeostasis. When these systems are overloaded, oxidative stress defense mechanisms are activated. Molecular and cellular knowledge of these processes will be necessary to improve plant metal resistance. Occurrence of naturally tolerant plants which hyper accumulate metals provides helpful tools for this research. (authors) 130 refs.

  3. Development of pseudocapacitive molybdenum oxide–nitride for electrochemical capacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ting, Yen-Jui Bernie [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada); Wu, Haoran [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada); Kherani, Nazir P. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada); Lian, Keryn, E-mail: keryn.lian@utoronto.ca [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4 (Canada)

    2015-03-15

    A thin film Mo oxide–nitride pseudocapacitive electrode was synthesized by electrodeposition of Mo oxide on Ti and a subsequent low-temperature (400 °C) thermal nitridation. Two nitridation environments, N{sub 2} and NH{sub 3}, were used and the results were compared. Surface analyses of these nitrided films showed partial conversion of Mo oxide to nitrides, with a lower conversion percentage being the film produced in N{sub 2}. However, the electrochemical analyses showed that the surface of the N{sub 2}-treated film had better pseudocapacitive behaviors and outperformed that nitrided in NH{sub 3}. Cycle life of the resultant N{sub 2}-treated Mo oxide–nitride was also much improved over Mo oxide. A two-electrode cell using Mo oxide–nitride electrodes was demonstrated and showed high rate performance. - Highlights: • Mo(O,N){sub x} was developed by electrodeposition and nitridation in N{sub 2} or NH{sub 3}. • N{sub 2} treated Mo(O,N){sub x} showed a capacitive performance superior to that treated by NH{sub 3}. • The promising electrochemical performance was due to the formation of γ-Mo{sub 2}N.

  4. Structure, phonons and related properties in zinc-IV-nitride (IV = silicon, germanium, tin), scandium nitride, and rare-earth nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paudel, Tula R.

    This thesis presents a study of the phonons and related properties in two sets of nitride compounds, whose properties are until now relatively poorly known. The Zn-IV-N2 group of compounds with the group IV elements Si, Ge and Sn, form a series analogous to the well known III-N nitride series with group III element Al, Ga, In. Structurally, they can be derived by doubling the period of III-V compounds in the plane in two directions and replacing the group-III elements with Zn and a group-IV element in a particular ordered pattern. Even though they are similar to the well-known III-V nitride compounds, the study of the properties of these materials is in its early stages. The phonons in these materials and their relation to the phonons in the corresponding group-III nitrides are of fundamental interest. They are also of practical interest because the phonon related spectra such as infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy are sensitive to the structural quality of the material and can thus be used to quantify the degree of crystalline perfection of real samples. First-principles calculations of the phonons and related ground state properties of these compounds were carried out using Density Functional Perturbation Theory (DFPT) with the Local Density Approximation (LDA) for exchange and correlation and using a pseudopotential plane wave implementation which was developed by several authors over the last decades. The main focus of our study is on the phonons at the center of the Brillouin zone because the latter are most directly related to commonly used spectroscopies to probe the vibrations in a solid: infrared reflectivity and Raman spectroscopy. For a semiconducting or insulating compound, a splitting occurs between transverse and longitudinal phonons at the Gamma-point because of the long-range nature of electrostatic forces. The concepts required to handle this problem are reviewed. Our discussion emphasizes how the various quantities required are related to

  5. A Stable, Non-Cesiated III-Nitride Photocathode for Ultraviolet Astronomy Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Lloyd

    In this effort, we propose to develop a new type of cesium-free photocathode using III-nitride (III-N) materials (GaN, AlN, and their alloys) and to achieve highly efficient, solar blind, and stable UV response. Currently, detectors used in UV instruments utilize a photocathode to convert UV photons into electrons that are subsequently detected by microchannel plate or CCD. The performance of these detectors critically depends on the efficiency and stability of their photocathodes. In particular, photocathode instability is responsible for many of the fabrication difficulties commonly experienced with this class of detectors. In recent years, III-N (in particular GaN) photocathodes have been demonstrated with very high QE (>50%) in parts of UV spectral range. Moreover, due to the wide bandgaps of III-nitride materials, photocathode response can be tailored to be intrinsically solar-blind. However, these photocathodes still rely on cesiation for activation, necessitating all-vacuum fabrication and sealed-tube operation. The proposed photocathode structure will achieve activation through methods for band structure engineering such as delta-doping and polarization field engineering. Compared to the current state-of-the-art in flight-ready microchannel plate sealed tubes, photocathodes based on III-N materials will yield high QE and significantly enhance both fabrication yield and reliability, since they do not require cesium or other highly reactive materials for activation. This performance will enable a ~4 meter medium class UV spectroscopic and imaging mission that is of high scientific priority for NASA. This work will build on the success of our previous APRA-funded effort. In that work, we demonstrated III-nitride photocathode operation without the use of cesium and stable response with respect to time. These accomplishments represent major improvements to the state-of-the-art for photocathode technologies. In the proposed effort, we will implement III-nitride

  6. Structure-chemical and metallurgical investigations in boride- and boron nitride systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smid, I.

    1987-01-01

    Thermodynamic phase equilibria in the systems (Ti, Zv, Hf)-B-N were determined in an isothermal cut at 1500 O C and 1 atm. The phase field separation is dominated by the high stability of the metal mononitrides and metal diborides. No ternery compounds were found. There are varying solubilities of B and N in the nitrides and borides. The system Cr-B-N was investigated at 1000 O C under 1 atm argon and vacuum, and at 1400 O C at 1 atm argon and 1 atm nitrogen. For the system Mn-B-N the phase field separation was determined at 900 O C under 1 atm Ar and under vacuum. The properties of hard metals with various binding phases and TiBr as hard constituents were investigated. 6 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs. (qui)

  7. Role of Metal Contacts in High-Performance Phototransistors Based on WSe 2 Monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Wenjing; Chiu, Ming-Hui; Chen, Chang-Hsiao; Chen, Wei; Li, Lain-Jong; Wee, Andrew Thye Shen

    2014-01-01

    Phototransistors based on monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have high photosensitivity due to their direct band gap transition. However, there is a lack of understanding of the effect of metal contacts on the performance of atomically thin TMD phototransistors. Here, we fabricate phototransistors based on large-area chemical vapor deposition (CVD) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) monolayers contacted with the metals of different work function values. We found that the low Schottky-contact WSe2 phototransistors exhibit a very high photo gain (105) and specific detectivity (1014Jones), values higher than commercial Si- and InGaAs-based photodetectors; however, the response speed is longer than 5 s in ambient air. In contrast, the high Schottky-contact phototransistors display a fast response time shorter than 23 ms, but the photo gain and specific detectivity decrease by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, the fast response speed of the high Schottky-contact devices is maintained for a few months in ambient air. This study demonstrates that the contact plays an important role in TMD phototransistors, and barrier height tuning is critical for optimizing the photoresponse and photoresponsivity. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  8. Role of Metal Contacts in High-Performance Phototransistors Based on WSe 2 Monolayers

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Wenjing

    2014-08-26

    Phototransistors based on monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have high photosensitivity due to their direct band gap transition. However, there is a lack of understanding of the effect of metal contacts on the performance of atomically thin TMD phototransistors. Here, we fabricate phototransistors based on large-area chemical vapor deposition (CVD) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) monolayers contacted with the metals of different work function values. We found that the low Schottky-contact WSe2 phototransistors exhibit a very high photo gain (105) and specific detectivity (1014Jones), values higher than commercial Si- and InGaAs-based photodetectors; however, the response speed is longer than 5 s in ambient air. In contrast, the high Schottky-contact phototransistors display a fast response time shorter than 23 ms, but the photo gain and specific detectivity decrease by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, the fast response speed of the high Schottky-contact devices is maintained for a few months in ambient air. This study demonstrates that the contact plays an important role in TMD phototransistors, and barrier height tuning is critical for optimizing the photoresponse and photoresponsivity. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  9. Inorganic and Metallic Nanotubular Materials Recent Technologies and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Kijima, Tsuyoshi

    2010-01-01

    This book describes the synthesis, characterization and applications of inorganic and metallic nanotubular materials. It cover a wide variety of nanotubular materials excluding carbon nanotubes, ranging from metal oxides, sulfides and nitrides such as titanium oxide, tungsten sulfide, and boron nitride, as well as platinum and other noble-metals to unique nanotubes consisting of water, graphene or fullerene. Based on their structural and compositional characteristics, these nanotubular materials are of importance for their potential applications in electronic devices, photocatalysts, dye-sensitized solar cells, nanothermometers, electrodes for fuel cells and batteries, sensors, and reinforcing fillers for plastics, among others. Such materials are also having a great impact on future developments, including renewable-energy sources as well as highly efficient energy-conversion and energy-saving technologies. This book will be of particular interest to experts in the fields of nanotechnology, material science ...

  10. Single-layer graphene on silicon nitride micromembrane resonators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmid, Silvan; Guillermo Villanueva, Luis; Amato, Bartolo; Boisen, Anja [Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Nanotech, Building 345 East, 2800 Kongens Lyngby (Denmark); Bagci, Tolga; Zeuthen, Emil; Sørensen, Anders S.; Usami, Koji; Polzik, Eugene S. [QUANTOP, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Taylor, Jacob M. [Joint Quantum Institute/NIST, College Park, Maryland 20899 (United States); Herring, Patrick K.; Cassidy, Maja C. [School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Marcus, Charles M. [Center for Quantum Devices, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Cheol Shin, Yong; Kong, Jing [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

    2014-02-07

    Due to their low mass, high quality factor, and good optical properties, silicon nitride (SiN) micromembrane resonators are widely used in force and mass sensing applications, particularly in optomechanics. The metallization of such membranes would enable an electronic integration with the prospect for exciting new devices, such as optoelectromechanical transducers. Here, we add a single-layer graphene on SiN micromembranes and compare electromechanical coupling and mechanical properties to bare dielectric membranes and to membranes metallized with an aluminium layer. The electrostatic coupling of graphene covered membranes is found to be equal to a perfectly conductive membrane, without significantly adding mass, decreasing the superior mechanical quality factor or affecting the optical properties of pure SiN micromembranes. The concept of graphene-SiN resonators allows a broad range of new experiments both in applied physics and fundamental basic research, e.g., for the mechanical, electrical, or optical characterization of graphene.

  11. The influence of plasma nitriding on the fatigue behavior of austenitic stainless steel types AISI 316 and AISI 304

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varavallo, Rogerio; Manfrinato, Marcos Dorigao; Rossino, Luciana Sgarbi; Spinelli, Dirceu; Riofano, Rosamel Melita Munoz

    2010-01-01

    The plasma nitriding process has been used as an efficient method to optimize the surface properties of steel and alloy in order to increase their wear, fatigue and corrosion resistance. This paper reports on a study of the composition and influence of the nitrided layer on the high-cycle fatigue properties of the AISI 316 and 304 type austenitic stainless steels. Test specimens of AISI 316 and 304 steel were nitrided at 400 deg C for 6 hours under a pressure of 4.5 mbar, using a gas mixture of 80% volume of H 2 and 20% volume of N 2 . The rotary fatigue limit of both nitrided and non-nitrided steels was determined, and the effect of the treatment on the fatigue limit of the two steels was evaluated. The mechanical properties of the materials were evaluated based on tensile tests, and the nitrided layer was characterized by microhardness tests, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The resulting nitride layer showed high hardness and mechanical strength, increasing the fatigue limit of the nitrided material in comparison with the non-nitrided one. The fatigue limit of the 316 steel increased from 400 MPa to 510 MPa in response to nitriding, while that of the 304 steel increased from 380 MPa to 560 MPa. One of the contributing factors of this increase was the introduction of residual compressive stresses during the surface hardening process, which reduce the onset of crack formation underneath the nitride layer. (author)

  12. Low Working-Temperature Acetone Vapor Sensor Based on Zinc Nitride and Oxide Hybrid Composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Fengdong; Yuan, Yao; Guarecuco, Rohiverth; Yang, Minghui

    2016-06-01

    Transition-metal nitride and oxide composites are a significant class of emerging materials that have attracted great interest for their potential in combining the advantages of nitrides and oxides. Here, a novel class of gas sensing materials based on hybrid Zn3 N2 and ZnO composites is presented. The Zn3 N2 /ZnO (ZnNO) composites-based sensor exhibits selectivity and high sensitivity toward acetone vapor, and the sensitivity is dependent on the nitrogen content of the composites. The ZnNO-11.7 described herein possesses a low working temperature of 200 °C. The detection limit (0.07 ppm) is below the diabetes diagnosis threshold (1.8 ppm). In addition, the sensor shows high reproducibility and long-term stability. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Waveguide silicon nitride grating coupler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litvik, Jan; Dolnak, Ivan; Dado, Milan

    2016-12-01

    Grating couplers are one of the most used elements for coupling of light between optical fibers and photonic integrated components. Silicon-on-insulator platform provides strong confinement of light and allows high integration. In this work, using simulations we have designed a broadband silicon nitride surface grating coupler. The Fourier-eigenmode expansion and finite difference time domain methods are utilized in design optimization of grating coupler structure. The fully, single etch step grating coupler is based on a standard silicon-on-insulator wafer with 0.55 μm waveguide Si3N4 layer. The optimized structure at 1550 nm wavelength yields a peak coupling efficiency -2.6635 dB (54.16%) with a 1-dB bandwidth up to 80 nm. It is promising way for low-cost fabrication using complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor fabrication process.

  14. Modeling the Gas Nitriding Process of Low Alloy Steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, M.; Zimmerman, C.; Donahue, D.; Sisson, R. D.

    2013-07-01

    The effort to simulate the nitriding process has been ongoing for the last 20 years. Most of the work has been done to simulate the nitriding process of pure iron. In the present work a series of experiments have been done to understand the effects of the nitriding process parameters such as the nitriding potential, temperature, and time as well as surface condition on the gas nitriding process for the steels. The compound layer growth model has been developed to simulate the nitriding process of AISI 4140 steel. In this paper the fundamentals of the model are presented and discussed including the kinetics of compound layer growth and the determination of the nitrogen diffusivity in the diffusion zone. The excellent agreements have been achieved for both as-washed and pre-oxided nitrided AISI 4140 between the experimental data and simulation results. The nitrogen diffusivity in the diffusion zone is determined to be constant and only depends on the nitriding temperature, which is ~5 × 10-9 cm2/s at 548 °C. It proves the concept of utilizing the compound layer growth model in other steels. The nitriding process of various steels can thus be modeled and predicted in the future.

  15. The oxidation of titanium nitride- and silicon nitride-coated stainless steel in carbon dioxide environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, D.R.G.; Stott, F.H.

    1992-01-01

    A study has been undertaken into the effects of thin titanium nitride and silicon nitride coatings, deposited by physical vapour deposition and chemical vapour deposition processes, on the oxidation resistance of 321 stainless steel in a simulated advanced gas-cooled reactor carbon dioxide environment for long periods at 550 o C and 700 o C under thermal-cycling conditions. The uncoated steel contains sufficient chromium to develop a slow-growing chromium-rich oxide layer at these temperatures, particularly if the surfaces have been machine-abraded. Failure of this layer in service allows formation of less protective iron oxide-rich scales. The presence of a thin (3-4 μm) titanium nitride coating is not very effective in increasing the oxidation resistance since the ensuing titanium oxide scale is not a good barrier to diffusion. Even at 550 o C, iron oxide-rich nodules are able to develop following relatively rapid oxidation and breakdown of the coating. At 700 o C, the coated specimens oxidize at relatively similar rates to the uncoated steel. A thin silicon nitride coating gives improved oxidation resistance, with both the coating and its slow-growing oxide being relatively electrically insulating. The particular silicon nitride coating studied here was susceptible to spallation on thermal cycling, due to an inherently weak coating/substrate interface. (Author)

  16. Nanorods on surface of GaN-based thin-film LEDs deposited by post-annealing after photo-assisted chemical etching

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Lung-Chien; Lin, Wun-Wei; Liu, Te-Yu

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the optoelectronic characteristics of gallium nitride (GaN)-based thin-film light-emitting diodes (TF-LEDs) that are formed by a two-step transfer process that involves wet etching and post-annealing. In the two-step transfer process, GaN LEDs were stripped from sapphire substrates by the laser lift-off (LLO) method using a KrF laser and then transferred onto ceramic substrates. Ga-K nanorods were formed on the surface of the GaN-based TF-LEDs following photo-assisted ...

  17. Surface modification of titanium by plasma nitriding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kapczinski Myriam Pereira

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available A systematic investigation was undertaken on commercially pure titanium submitted to plasma nitriding. Thirteen different sets of operational parameters (nitriding time, sample temperature and plasma atmosphere were used. Surface analyses were performed using X-ray diffraction, nuclear reaction and scanning electron microscopy. Wear tests were done with stainless steel Gracey scaler, sonic apparatus and pin-on-disc machine. The obtained results indicate that the tribological performance can be improved for samples treated with the following conditions: nitriding time of 3 h; plasma atmosphere consisting of 80%N2+20%H2 or 20%N2+80%H2; sample temperature during nitriding of 600 or 800 degreesC.

  18. Formation of conductive spontaneous via holes in AlN buffer layer on n+Si substrate by filling the vias with n-AlGaN by metal organic chemical vapor deposition and application to vertical deep ultraviolet photo-sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Kurose

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We have grown conductive aluminum nitride (AlN layers using the spontaneous via holes formation technique on an n+-Si substrate for vertical-type device fabrication. The size and density of the via holes are controlled through the crystal growth conditions used for the layer, and this enables the conductance of the layer to be controlled. Using this technique, we demonstrate the fabrication of a vertical-type deep ultraviolet (DUV photo-sensor. This technique opens up the possibility of fabrication of monolithically integrated on-chip DUV sensors and DUV light-emitting devices (LEDs, including amplifiers, controllers and other necessary functional circuits, on a Si substrate.

  19. Alkali metal control over N-N cleavage in iron complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grubel, Katarzyna; Brennessel, William W; Mercado, Brandon Q; Holland, Patrick L

    2014-12-03

    Though N2 cleavage on K-promoted Fe surfaces is important in the large-scale Haber-Bosch process, there is still ambiguity about the number of Fe atoms involved during the N-N cleaving step and the interactions responsible for the promoting ability of K. This work explores a molecular Fe system for N2 reduction, particularly focusing on the differences in the results obtained using different alkali metals as reductants (Na, K, Rb, Cs). The products of these reactions feature new types of Fe-N2 and Fe-nitride cores. Surprisingly, adding more equivalents of reductant to the system gives a product in which the N-N bond is not cleaved, indicating that the reducing power is not the most important factor that determines the extent of N2 activation. On the other hand, the results suggest that the size of the alkali metal cation can control the number of Fe atoms that can approach N2, which in turn controls the ability to achieve N2 cleavage. The accumulated results indicate that cleaving the triple N-N bond to nitrides is facilitated by simultaneous approach of least three low-valent Fe atoms to a single molecule of N2.

  20. Observation of a Slater-type metal-to-insulator transition in Sr$_2$IrO$_4$ from time-resolved photo-carrier dynamics

    OpenAIRE

    Hsieh, D.; Mahmood, F.; Torchinsky, D. H.; Cao, G.; Gedik, N.

    2012-01-01

    We perform a time-resolved optical study of Sr$_2$IrO$_4$ to understand the influence of magnetic ordering on the low energy electronic structure of a strongly spin-orbit coupled $J_{eff}$=1/2 Mott insulator. By studying the recovery dynamics of photo-carriers excited across the Mott gap, we find that upon cooling through the N\\'{e}el temperature $T_N$ the system evolves continuously from a metal-like phase with fast ($\\sim$50 fs) and excitation density independent relaxation dynamics to a ga...

  1. Simulation of the Nitriding Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krukovich, M. G.

    2004-01-01

    Simulation of the nitriding process makes it possible to solve many practical problems of process control, prediction of results, and development of new treatment modes and treated materials. The presented classification systematizes nitriding processes and processes based on nitriding, enables consideration of the theory and practice of an individual process in interrelation with other phenomena, outlines ways for intensification of various process variants, and gives grounds for development of recommendations for controlling the structure and properties of the obtained layers. The general rules for conducting the process and formation of phases in the layer and properties of the treated surfaces are used to create a prediction computational model based on analytical, numerical, and empirical approaches.

  2. A review of oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide brazing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santella, M.L.; Moorhead, A.J.

    1987-01-01

    There is growing interest in using ceramics for structural applications, many of which require the fabrication of components with complicated shapes. Normal ceramic processing methods restrict the shapes into which these materials can be produced, but ceramic joining technology can be used to overcome many of these limitations, and also offers the possibility for improving the reliability of ceramic components. One method of joining ceramics is by brazing. The metallic alloys used for bonding must wet and adhere to the ceramic surfaces without excessive reaction. Alumina, partially stabilized zirconia, and silicon nitride have high ionic character to their chemical bonds and are difficult to wet. Alloys for brazing these materials must be formulated to overcome this problem. Silicon carbide, which has some metallic characteristics, reacts excessively with many alloys, and forms joints of low mechanical strength. The brazing characteristics of these three types of ceramics, and residual stresses in ceramic-to-metal joints are briefly discussed

  3. Surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrazine: Simple way for noble-metal free hydrogen evolution catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Yin

    2015-11-02

    The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) usually is thought to be an inert material and it’s difficult to have the surface terminated NH2 groups functionalized. By modifying the g-C3N4 surface with hydrazine, the diazanyl group was successfully introduced onto the g-C3N4 surface, which allows the introduction with many other function groups. Here we illustrated that by reaction of surface hydrazine group modified g-C3N4 with CS2 under basic condition, a water electrolysis active group C(=S)SNi can be implanted on the g-C3N4 surface, and leads to a noble metal free hydrogen evolution catalyst. This catalyst has 40% hydrogen evolution efficiency compare to the 3 wt% Pt photo precipitated g-C3N4, with only less than 0.2 wt% nickel.

  4. Surface modification of g-C3N4 by hydrazine: Simple way for noble-metal free hydrogen evolution catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Yin; Lin, Bin; Wang, Hong; Yang, Yong; Zhu, Haibo; Yu, Weili; Basset, Jean-Marie

    2015-01-01

    The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) usually is thought to be an inert material and it’s difficult to have the surface terminated NH2 groups functionalized. By modifying the g-C3N4 surface with hydrazine, the diazanyl group was successfully introduced onto the g-C3N4 surface, which allows the introduction with many other function groups. Here we illustrated that by reaction of surface hydrazine group modified g-C3N4 with CS2 under basic condition, a water electrolysis active group C(=S)SNi can be implanted on the g-C3N4 surface, and leads to a noble metal free hydrogen evolution catalyst. This catalyst has 40% hydrogen evolution efficiency compare to the 3 wt% Pt photo precipitated g-C3N4, with only less than 0.2 wt% nickel.

  5. Innovative boron nitride-doped propellants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thelma Manning

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The U.S. military has a need for more powerful propellants with balanced/stoichiometric amounts of fuel and oxidants. However, balanced and more powerful propellants lead to accelerated gun barrel erosion and markedly shortened useful barrel life. Boron nitride (BN is an interesting potential additive for propellants that could reduce gun wear effects in advanced propellants (US patent pending 2015-026P. Hexagonal boron nitride is a good lubricant that can provide wear resistance and lower flame temperatures for gun barrels. Further, boron can dope steel, which drastically improves its strength and wear resistance, and can block the formation of softer carbides. A scalable synthesis method for producing boron nitride nano-particles that can be readily dispersed into propellants has been developed. Even dispersion of the nano-particles in a double-base propellant has been demonstrated using a solvent-based processing approach. Stability of a composite propellant with the BN additive was verified. In this paper, results from propellant testing of boron nitride nano-composite propellants are presented, including closed bomb and wear and erosion testing. Detailed characterization of the erosion tester substrates before and after firing was obtained by electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This promising boron nitride additive shows the ability to improve gun wear and erosion resistance without any destabilizing effects to the propellant. Potential applications could include less erosive propellants in propellant ammunition for large, medium and small diameter fire arms.

  6. Micro-Scale Gallium Nitride Pressure Sensors for Advanced Harsh Environment Space Technology

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The goal of this research is to study the high-temperature response of the 2-dimesional electron gas (2DEG) that occurs at the interface of aluminum gallium nitride...

  7. The encapsulation of trimetallic nitride clusters in fullerene cages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorn, H.C.; Stevenson, S.; Craft, J.; Cromer, F.; Duchamp, J.; Rice, G.; Glass, T.; Harich, K.; Fowler, P.W.; Heine, T.; Hajdu, E.; Bible, R.; Olmstead, M.M.; Maitra, K.; Fisher, A.J.; Balch, A.L.

    2000-01-01

    The Kratschmer-Huffman electric-arc generator typically produces endohedral metallofullerenes in low yields with a wide array of different products, but the introduction of nitrogen leads to a new family of encapsulates. A family of endohedral metallofullerenes A n B 3-n N at C 2n (n=0-3, x=34, 39, and 40) where A and B are Group III and rare-earth metals is formed by a trimetallic nitride template (TNT) process in relatively high yields. The archetypal representative of this new class is the stable endohedral metallofullerene, Sc 3 N at C 80 containing a triscandium nitride cluster encapsulated in an icosahedron (I h ), C 80 cage. The Sc 3 N at C 80 is formed in yields even exceeding empty-cage C 84 . Other prominent scandium TNT members are Sc 3 N at C 68 and Sc 3 N at C 78 . The former Sc 3 N at C 68 molecule represents an exception to the well known isolated pentagon rule (IPR). These new molecules were purified by chromatography with corresponding characterization by various spectroscopic approaches. In this paper we focus on the characterization and properties of this fascinating new class of materials

  8. One-step route to a hybrid TiO2/TixW1−xN nanocomposite by in situ selective carbothermal nitridation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoë Schnepp, Martin J Hollamby, Masahiko Tanaka, Yoshitaka Matsushita, Yoshio Katsuya and Yoshio Sakka

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Metal oxide/nitride nanocomposites have many existing and potential applications, e.g. in energy conversion or ammonia synthesis. Here, a hybrid oxide/nitride nanocomposite (anatase/TixW1−xN was synthesized by an ammonia-free sol–gel route. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction, complemented with electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, was used to study the structure, composition and mechanism of formation of the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite contained nanoparticles (<5 nm diameter of two highly intermixed phases. This was found to arise from controlled nucleation and growth of a single oxide intermediate from the gel precursor, followed by phase separation and in situ selective carbothermal nitridation. Depending on the preparation conditions, the composition varied from anatase/TixW1−xN at low W content to an isostructural mixture of Ti-rich and W-rich TixW1−xN at high W content. In situ selective carbothermal nitridation offers a facile route to the synthesis of nitride-oxide nanocomposites. This conceptually new approach is a significant advance from previous methods, which generally require ammonolysis of a pre-synthesized oxide.

  9. High performance vertical tunneling diodes using graphene/hexagonal boron nitride/graphene hetero-structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwan Lee, Seung; Lee, Jia; Ho Ra, Chang; Liu, Xiaochi; Hwang, Euyheon [Samsung-SKKU Graphene Center (SSGC), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Sup Choi, Min [Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Center for Human Interface Nano Technology (HINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Hee Choi, Jun [Frontier Research Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Yongin, Gyeonggi-do 446-711 (Korea, Republic of); Zhong, Jianqiang; Chen, Wei [Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543 (Singapore); Jong Yoo, Won, E-mail: yoowj@skku.edu [Samsung-SKKU Graphene Center (SSGC), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Center for Human Interface Nano Technology (HINT), Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-02-03

    A tunneling rectifier prepared from vertically stacked two-dimensional (2D) materials composed of chemically doped graphene electrodes and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) tunneling barrier was demonstrated. The asymmetric chemical doping to graphene with linear dispersion property induces rectifying behavior effectively, by facilitating Fowler-Nordheim tunneling at high forward biases. It results in excellent diode performances of a hetero-structured graphene/h-BN/graphene tunneling diode, with an asymmetric factor exceeding 1000, a nonlinearity of ∼40, and a peak sensitivity of ∼12 V{sup −1}, which are superior to contending metal-insulator-metal diodes, showing great potential for future flexible and transparent electronic devices.

  10. Application of metal oxide refractories for melting and casting reactive metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jessen, N.C. Jr.; Holcombe, C.E. Jr.; Townsend, A.B.

    1979-01-01

    Extensive investigations have been conducted to develop metal oxide refractories for containment of molten uranium and uranium alloys. Since uranium and uranium alloys are readily susceptable to the formation of complex oxides, carbides, nitrides, intermetallic compounds, and suboxide reactions, severe problems exist for the production of quality castings. These contamination reactions are dependent on temperature, pressure, and molten metal interfacial reactions. The need for high purity metals to meet specification repeatedly has resulted in the development of improved metal oxide refractories and sophisticated furnace controls. Applications of Y 2 O 3 for use as a crucible and mold coating, precision molds and cores, and high temperature castable ceramics are discussed. Experimental results on melt impurity levels, thermal controls during melting, surface interactions and casting quality are presented

  11. Joining and Integration of Silicon Nitride Ceramics for Aerospace and Energy Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, M.; Asthana, R.

    2009-01-01

    Light-weight, creep-resistant silicon nitride ceramics possess excellent high-temperature strength and are projected to significantly raise engine efficiency and performance when used as turbine components in the next-generation turbo-shaft engines without the extensive cooling that is needed for metallic parts. One key aspect of Si3N4 utilization in such applications is its joining response to diverse materials. In an ongoing research program, the joining and integration of Si3N4 ceramics with metallic, ceramic, and composite materials using braze interlayers with the liquidus temperature in the range 750-1240C is being explored. In this paper, the self-joining behavior of Kyocera Si3N4 and St. Gobain Si3N4 using a ductile Cu-based active braze (Cu-ABA) containing Ti will be presented. Joint microstructure, composition, hardness, and strength as revealed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Knoop microhardness test, and offset compression shear test will be presented. Additionally, microstructure, composition, and joint strength of Si3N4/Inconel 625 joints made using Cu-ABA, will be presented. The results will be discussed with reference to the role of chemical reactions, wetting behavior, and residual stresses in joints.

  12. Biophysical response of living cells to boron nitride nanoparticles: uptake mechanism and bio-mechanical characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rasel, Md. Alim Iftekhar; Li, Tong; Nguyen, Trung Dung; Singh, Sanjleena [Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering (Australia); Zhou, Yinghong; Xiao, Yin [Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (Australia); Gu, YuanTong, E-mail: yuantong.gu@qut.edu.au [Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering (Australia)

    2015-11-15

    Boron nitride nanomaterials have attracted significant interest due to their superior chemical and physical properties. Despite these novel properties, investigation on the interaction between boron nitride nanoparticle (BN NP) and living systems has been limited. In this study, BN NP (100–250 nm) is assessed as a promising biomaterial for medical applications. The toxicity of BN NP is evaluated by assessing the cells behaviours both biologically (MTT assay, ROS detection etc.) and physically (atomic force microscopy). The uptake mechanism of BN NP is studied by analysing the alternations in cellular morphology based on cell imaging techniques. The results demonstrate in vitro cytocompatibility of BN NP with immense potential for use as an effective nanoparticle for various bio-medical applications.

  13. Ultrafast photo-induced hidden phases in strained manganite thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jingdi; McLeod, A. S.; Zhang, Gu-Feng; Stoica, Vladimir; Jin, Feng; Gu, Mingqiang; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Freeland, John W.; Wu, Wenbin; Rondinelli, James; Wen, Haidan; Basov, D. N.; Averitt, R. D.

    Correlated transition metal oxides (TMOs) are particularly sensitive to external control because of energy degeneracy in a complex energy landscape that promote a plethora of metastable states. However, it remains a grand challenge to actively control and fully explore the rich landscape of TMOs. Dynamic control with pulsed photons can overcome energetic barriers, enabling access to transient or metastable states that are not thermally accessible. In the past, we have demonstrated that mode-selective single-laser-pulse excitation of a strained manganite thin film La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 initiates a persistent phase transition from an emergent antiferromagnetic insulating ground state to a ferromagnetic metallic metastable state. Beyond the photo-induced insulator to metal transition, we recently discovered a new peculiar photo-induced hidden phase, identified by an experimental approach that combines ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, THz spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, cryogenic near-field spectroscopy and SHG probe. This work is funded by the DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Science under Award Numbers DE-SC0012375 and DE-SC0012592.

  14. Tribological Characteristic of Titanium Alloy Surface Layers Produced by Diode Laser Gas Nitriding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisiecki A.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the tribological properties of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V composite surface layers Ti/TiN were produced during laser surface gas nitriding by means of a novel high power direct diode laser with unique characteristics of the laser beam and a rectangular beam spot. Microstructure, surface topography and microhardness distribution across the surface layers were analyzed. Ball-on-disk tests were performed to evaluate and compare the wear and friction characteristics of surface layers nitrided at different process parameters, base metal of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V and also the commercially pure titanium. Results showed that under dry sliding condition the commercially pure titanium samples have the highest coefficient of friction about 0.45, compared to 0.36 of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V and 0.1-0.13 in a case of the laser gas nitrided surface layers. The volume loss of Ti6Al4V samples under such conditions is twice lower than in a case of pure titanium. On the other hand the composite surface layer characterized by the highest wear resistance showed almost 21 times lower volume loss during the ball-on-disk test, compared to Ti6Al4V samples.

  15. Humidity effects on the electrical properties of hexagonal boron nitride thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soltani, A. [Institut d' Electronique, de Microelectronique et de Nanotechnologie/CNRS UMR 8520, Cite Scientifique, Avenue Poincare, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France)]. E-mail: ali.soltani@iemn.univ-lille1.fr; Thevenin, P. [Laboratoire Materiaux Optiques Photonique et Systemes/CNRS FRE 2304, Universite de Metz and Supelec, 2 rue Edouard Belin, 57070 Metz (France); Bakhtiar, H. [Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Technology University of Malaysia, Karung Berkunci 791, 80990, Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Bath, A. [Laboratoire Materiaux Optiques Photonique et Systemes/CNRS FRE 2304, Universite de Metz and Supelec, 2 rue Edouard Belin, 57070 Metz (France)]. E-mail: bath@metz.supelec.fr

    2005-01-03

    Thin films of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) were grown by a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) technique. The quality of the films was assessed by infrared spectroscopy, microRaman spectroscopy as a function of annealing temperature and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The films proved to be thermally stable up to 1370 K. Current-voltage measurements were performed, as a function of humidity, using metal-insulator-semiconductor and metal-insulator-metal structures. Typical resistivities were found in the range 10{sup 13}-10{sup 14} {omega} cm in dry air and exhibit high sensitivity against humidity. The influence of the mean orientation of the c-axis of the BN films was considered. Sawtooth voltage pulse trains were also applied. Threshold switching phenomena were observed, but only in atmosphere containing humidity. The values of the switching voltages depend strongly on the relative humidity (RH), on the characteristics of the applied sawtooth voltage pulse trains, as well as on the nature of the metallic electrode.

  16. Corrective action investigation plan: Area 2 Photo Skid 16 Wastewater Pit, Corrective Action Unit 332. Revision 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-01-01

    This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains a detailed description and plan for an environmental investigation of the Area 2 Photo Skid 16 Wastewater Pit. The site is located in Area 2 of the Nevada Test Site. The Photo Skid Wastewater Pit was used for disposal of photochemical process waste, and there is a concern that such disposal may have released photochemicals and metals to the soil beneath the pit and adjacent to it. The purpose of this investigation is to identify the presence and nature of contamination present in and adjacent to the wastewater pit and to determine the appropriate course of environmental response action for the site. The potential courses of action for the site are clean closure through remediation, closure in place (with or without remediation), or no further action.

  17. Photo-electrocatalytic hydrogen generation at dye-sensitised electrodes functionalised with a heterogeneous metal catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoogeveen, Dijon A.; Fournier, Maxime; Bonke, Shannon A.; Fang, Xi-Ya; Mozer, Attila J.; Mishra, Amaresh; Bäuerle, Peter; Simonov, Alexandr N.; Spiccia, Leone

    2016-01-01

    Dye-sensitised photocathodes promoting hydrogen evolution are usually coupled to a catalyst to improve the reaction rate. Herein, we report on the first successful integration of a heterogeneous metal particulate catalyst, viz., Pt aggregates electrodeposited from acidic solutions on the surface of a NiO-based photocathode sensitised with a p-type perylenemonoimid-sexithiophene-triphenylamine dye (PMI-6T-TPA). The platinised dye-NiO electrodes generate photocurrent density of ca −0.03 mA cm −2 (geom.) with 100% faradaic efficiency for the H 2 evolution at 0.059 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode under 1 sun visible light irradiation (AM1.5G, 100 mW cm −2 , λ > 400 nm) for more than 10 hours in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 (aq.). The Pt-free dye-NiO and dye-free Pt-modified NiO cathodes show no photo-electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution under these conditions. The performance of these Pt-modified PMI-6T-TPA-based photoelectrodes compares well to that of previously reported dye-sensitised photocathodes for H 2 evolution.

  18. Demonstration of high-responsivity epitaxial β-Ga2O3/GaN metal–heterojunction-metal broadband UV-A/UV-C detector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalra, Anisha; Vura, Sandeep; Rathkanthiwar, Shashwat; Muralidharan, Rangarajan; Raghavan, Srinivasan; Nath, Digbijoy N.

    2018-06-01

    We demonstrate epitaxial β-Ga2O3/GaN-based vertical metal–heterojunction-metal (MHM) broadband UV-A/UV-C photodetectors with high responsivity (3.7 A/W) at 256 and 365 nm, UV-to-visible rejection >103, and a photo-to-dark current ratio of ∼100. A small (large) conduction (valence) band offset at the heterojunction of pulsed laser deposition (PLD)-grown β-Ga2O3 on metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown GaN-on-silicon with epitaxial registry, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) azimuthal scanning, is exploited to realize detectors with an asymmetric photoresponse and is explained with one-dimensional (1D) band diagram simulations. The demonstrated novel vertical MHM detectors on silicon are fully scalable and promising for enabling focal plane arrays for broadband ultraviolet sensing.

  19. A micro-spectroscopy study on the influence of chemical residues from nanofabrication on the nitridation chemistry of Al nanopatterns

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi, B., E-mail: bing@raunvis.hi.is [Physics Department, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3,107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Olafsson, S. [Physics Department, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3,107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Zakharov, A.A. [MAX-lab, Lund University, S-22100 Lund (Sweden); Agnarsson, B. [Physics Department, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3,107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, S-41296 Gothenburg (Sweden); Gislason, H.P. [Physics Department, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3,107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Goethelid, M. [Materialfysik, MAP, ICT, KTH, ELECTRUM 229, 16440 Kista (Sweden)

    2012-03-01

    We applied spatially resolved photoelectron spectroscopy implemented with an X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) using soft X-ray synchrotron radiation to identify the compositional and morphological inhomogeneities of a SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate surface nanopatterned with Al before and after nitridation. The nanofabrication was conducted by a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-based e-beam lithography and a fluorine-based reactive ion etching (RIE), followed by Al metalization and acetone lift-off. Three types of chemical residues were identified before nitridation: (1) fluorocarbons produced and accumulated mainly during RIE process on the sidewalls of the nanopatterns; (2) a thick Al-bearing PMMA layer and/or (3) a thin PMMA residue layer owing to unsuccessful or partial lift-off of the e-beam unexposed PMMA between the nanopatterns. The fluorocarbons actively influenced the surface chemical composition of the nanopatterns by forming Al-F compounds. After nitridation, in the PMMA residue-free area, the Al-F compounds on the sidewalls were decomposed and transformed to AlN. The PMMA residues between the nanopatterns had no obvious influence on the surface chemical composition and nitridation properties of the Al nanopatterns. They were only partially decomposed by the nitridation. The regional surface morphology of the nanopatterns revealed by the secondary electron XPEEM was consistent with the scanning electron microscopy results.

  20. Metal Matrix Composites Reinforced by Nano-Particles—A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riccardo Casati

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Metal matrix composites reinforced by nano-particles are very promising materials, suitable for a large number of applications. These composites consist of a metal matrix filled with nano-particles featuring physical and mechanical properties very different from those of the matrix. The nano-particles can improve the base material in terms of wear resistance, damping properties and mechanical strength. Different kinds of metals, predominantly Al, Mg and Cu, have been employed for the production of composites reinforced by nano-ceramic particles such as carbides, nitrides, oxides as well as carbon nanotubes. The main issue of concern for the synthesis of these materials consists in the low wettability of the reinforcement phase by the molten metal, which does not allow the synthesis by conventional casting methods. Several alternative routes have been presented in literature for the production of nano-composites. This work is aimed at reviewing the most important manufacturing techniques used for the synthesis of bulk metal matrix nanocomposites. Moreover, the strengthening mechanisms responsible for the improvement of mechanical properties of nano-reinforced metal matrix composites have been reviewed and the main potential applications of this new class of materials are envisaged.

  1. The photodeposition of surface plasmon Ag metal on SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites sphere for enhancement of the photo-Fenton behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uma, Kasimayan; Arjun, Nadarajan; Pan, Guan-Ting; Yang, Thomas C.-K.

    2017-12-01

    In this study, a simple sol-gel method was used for the synthesis of a core-shell structure of SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites for employment as a visible light photocatalyst. It was observed that Ag nanoparticles about 20 nm in size were successfully deposited on the surface of the SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of the Ag-SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites catalyst was investigated by observing the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in a photo-Fenton process. The results showed that the Ag nanoparticles acted as centers for photo induced electron transfer. The catalytic activity in the SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites were enhanced due to the plasmoni c effect of Ag metal under visible light irradiation. The addition of H2O2 played an important role, generating more OH radicals which improved the photo-Fenton catalytic activity, resulting in quicker degradation of the MB dye using the Ag-SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite catalyst.

  2. Ultraviolet–Visible photo-response of p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction prepared on flexible (PET) substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elfadill, Nezar G.; Hashim, M.R.; Saron, K.M.A.; Chahrour, Khaled M.; Qaeed, M.A.; Bououdina, M.

    2015-01-01

    The deposition of monocrystalline ZnO nanostructures (using different concentration of reaction solution) on Cu 2 O thin film by hydrothermal method is reported. The mechanism of growing different ZnO nanostructures i.e. nanoneedles, nanotubes and nanorods are explained based on the gradient of Zn + species (resulting from precipitation) in reaction solution. The UV-VIS photo-detection properties of the three selected p-Cu 2 O/n-ZnO heterojunctions are studied by illuminated I–V characteristic and the wavelength dependent photo-responsivity properties. The spectral responsivity curves can be divided into three regions (1.9–2.17 eV), (2.2–2.9 eV) and (>3.2 eV) denoted as A, B and C. The regions A and C are assigned for band to band level absorption in Cu 2 O and ZnO respectively, while region C is associated with a combination of two absorption process: part of photons were absorbed by the band to deep level absorption in ZnO and the transmitted photons were absorbed in Cu 2 O. It is found that the heterojunctions with nanotubes exhibit higher responsivity than other nanostructures, which is mainly due to the large surface-to-volume ratio. - Highlights: • Fabrication of p-Cu 2 O/n-ZnO heterojunction on flexible PET substrate. • Synthesis of different ZnO nanostructures i.e. nanoneedles, nanotubes and nanorods. • The UV-VIS photo-detection properties of p-Cu 2 O/n-ZnO heterojunctions

  3. Method of preparation of uranium nitride

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiplinger, Jaqueline Loetsch; Thomson, Robert Kenneth James

    2013-07-09

    Method for producing terminal uranium nitride complexes comprising providing a suitable starting material comprising uranium; oxidizing the starting material with a suitable oxidant to produce one or more uranium(IV)-azide complexes; and, sufficiently irradiating the uranium(IV)-azide complexes to produce the terminal uranium nitride complexes.

  4. Viewing photos and reading nouns of natural graspable objects similarly modulate motor responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara FM Marino

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available It is well known that the observation of graspable objects recruits the same motor representations involved in their actual manipulation. Recent evidence suggests that the presentation of nouns referring to graspable objects may exert similar effects. So far, however, it is not clear to what extent the modulation of the motor system during object observation overlaps with that related to noun processing. To address this issue, 2 behavioral experiments were carried out using a go-no go paradigm. Healthy participants were presented with photos and nouns of graspable and non-graspable natural objects. Also scrambled images and pseudowords obtained from the original stimuli were used. At a go-signal onset (150 ms after stimulus presentation participants had to press a key when the stimulus referred to a real object, using their right (Experiment 1 or left (Experiment 2 hand, and refrain from responding when a scrambled image or a pseudoword was presented. Slower responses were found for both photos and nouns of graspable objects as compared to non-graspable objects, independent of the responding hand. These findings suggest that processing seen graspable objects and written nouns referring to graspable objects similarly modulates the motor system.

  5. Microstructural Characterization of Low Temperature Gas Nitrided Martensitic Stainless Steel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Somers, Marcel A. J.

    2015-01-01

    The present work presents microstructural investigations of the surface zone of low temperature gas nitrided precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel AISI 630. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate the present phases after successive removal of very thin sections...... of the sample surface. The development of epsilon nitride, expanded austenite and expanded martensite resulted from the low temperature nitriding treatments. The microstructural features, hardness and phase composition are discussed with emphasis on the influence of nitriding duration and nitriding potential....

  6. Pyrochemical reprocessing of nitride fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakazono, Yoshihisa; Iwai, Takashi; Arai, Yasuo

    2004-01-01

    Electrochemical behavior of actinide nitrides in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt was investigated in order to apply pyrochemical process to nitride fuel cycle. The electrode reaction of UN and (U, Nd)N was examined by cyclic voltammetry. The observed rest potential of (U, Nd)N depended on the equilibrium of U 3+ /UN and was not affected by the addition of NdN of 8 wt.%. (author)

  7. Review about laser nitriding of titanium alloys; Revision sobre nitruraciones laser de aleaciones de titanio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perez-Artieda, M.G.; Fernandez-Carrasquilla, J.

    2010-07-01

    A common technique used to improve the wear response of titanium alloys is to nitride the surface, using chemical or physical vapour deposition, ion implantation or surface remelting in a nitrogen atmosphere. In this revision nitriding systems with laser technology are studied, used in titanium alloys surface treatments.For high temperature, high strength applications, titanium based alloys are an attractive light-weight alternative to steel, due to their high strength to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. In applications that require good wear resistance, titanium alloys pose a problem due to their poor tribological characteristics.Titanium alloys used with a suitable nitriding treatment could allow the replacement of steel in different applications, obtaining weight savings in fabricated components. (Author). 68 refs.

  8. Fusion bonding of silicon nitride surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reck, Kasper; Østergaard, Christian; Thomsen, Erik Vilain

    2011-01-01

    While silicon nitride surfaces are widely used in many micro electrical mechanical system devices, e.g. for chemical passivation, electrical isolation or environmental protection, studies on fusion bonding of two silicon nitride surfaces (Si3N4–Si3N4 bonding) are very few and highly application...

  9. EDITORIAL: Non-polar and semipolar nitride semiconductors Non-polar and semipolar nitride semiconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Jung; Kneissl, Michael

    2012-02-01

    Throughout the history of group-III-nitride materials and devices, scientific breakthroughs and technological advances have gone hand-in-hand. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the discovery of the nucleation of smooth (0001) GaN films on c-plane sapphire and the activation of p-dopants in GaN led very quickly to the realization of high-brightness blue and green LEDs, followed by the first demonstration of GaN-based violet laser diodes in the mid 1990s. Today, blue InGaN LEDs boast record external quantum efficiencies exceeding 80% and the emission wavelength of the InGaN-based laser diode has been pushed into the green spectral range. Although these tremenduous advances have already spurred multi-billion dollar industries, there are still a number of scientific questions and technological issues that are unanswered. One key challenge is related to the polar nature of the III-nitride wurtzite crystal. Until a decade ago all research activities had almost exclusively concentrated on (0001)-oriented polar GaN layers and heterostructures. Although the device characteristics seem excellent, the strong polarization fields at GaN heterointerfaces can lead to a significant deterioration of the device performance. Triggered by the first demonstration non-polar GaN quantum wells grown on LiAlO2 by Waltereit and colleagues in 2000, impressive advances in the area of non-polar and semipolar nitride semiconductors and devices have been achieved. Today, a large variety of heterostructures free of polarization fields and exhibiting exceptional electronic and optical properties have been demonstrated, and the fundamental understanding of polar, semipolar and non-polar nitrides has made significant leaps forward. The contributions in this Semiconductor Science and Technology special issue on non-polar and semipolar nitride semiconductors provide an impressive and up-to-date cross-section of all areas of research and device physics in this field. The articles cover a wide range of

  10. Plasma nitridation optimization for sub-15 A gate dielectrics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cubaynes, F.N; Schmitz, Jurriaan; van der Marel, C.; Snijders, J.H.M.; Veloso, A.; Rothschild, A.; Olsen, C.; Date, L.

    The work investigates the impact of plasma nitridation process parameters upon the physical properties and upon the electrical performance of sub-15 A plasma nitrided gate dielectrics. The nitrogen distribution and chemical bonding of ultra-thin plasma nitrided films have been investigated using

  11. High-efficient photo-electron transport channel in SiC constructed by depositing cocatalysts selectively on specific surface sites for visible-light H{sub 2} production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Da; Peng, Yuan; Wang, Qi; Pan, Nanyan; Guo, Zhongnan; Yuan, Wenxia, E-mail: wxyuanwz@163.com [Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2016-04-18

    Control cocatalyst location on a metal-free semiconductor to promote surface charge transfer for decreasing the electron-hole recombination is crucial for enhancing solar energy conversion. Based on the findings that some metals have an affinity for bonding with the specific atoms of polar semiconductors at a heterostructure interface, we herein control Pt deposition selectively on the Si sites of a micro-SiC photocatalyst surface via in-situ photo-depositing. The Pt-Si bond forming on the interface constructs an excellent channel, which is responsible for accelerating photo-electron transfer from SiC to Pt and then reducing water under visible-light. The hydrogen production is enhanced by two orders of magnitude higher than that of bare SiC, and 2.5 times higher than that of random-depositing nano-Pt with the same loading amount.

  12. Nano-particulate Aluminium Nitride/Al: An Efficient and Versatile Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Biginelli Scaffolds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekale, S. U.; Tekale, A. B.; Kanhe, N. S.; Bhoraskar, S. V.; Pawar, R. P.

    2011-12-01

    Nano-particulate aluminium nitride/Al (7:1) is reported as a new heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of 3, 4-dihydroxypyrimidi-2-(1H)-ones and their sulphur analogues using the Biginelli reaction. This method involves short reaction time, easy separation, high yields and purity of products.

  13. Single-Nanoflake Photo-Electrochemistry Reveals Champion and Spectator Flakes in Exfoliated MoSe2 Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Link, Elisa M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nanayakkara, Sanjini U [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Todt, Michael A. [Colorado State University; Isenberg, Allan E. [Colorado State University; Sambur, Justin B. [Colorado State University

    2018-03-06

    Semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanoflake thin films are promising large-area electrodes for photo-electrochemical solar energy conversion applications. However, their energy conversion efficiencies are typically much lower than those of bulk electrodes. It is unclear to what extent this efficiency gap stems from differences among nanoflakes (e.g., area, thickness, and surface structural features). It is also unclear whether individual exfoliated nanoflakes can achieve energy conversion efficiencies similar to those of bulk crystals. Here, we use a single-nanoflake photo-electrochemical approach to show that there are both highly active and completely inactive nanoflakes within a film. For the exfoliated MoSe2 samples studied herein, 7% of nanoflakes are highly active champions, whose photocurrent efficiency exceeds that of the bulk crystal. However, 66% of nanoflakes are inactive spectators, which are mostly responsible for the overall lower photocurrent efficiency compared to the bulk crystal. The photocurrent collection efficiency increases with nanoflake area and decreases more at perimeter edges than at interior step edges. These observations, which are hidden in ensemble-level measurements, reveal the underlying performance issues of exfoliated TMD electrodes for photo-electrochemical energy conversion applications.

  14. Amorphous Metal Tungsten Nitride and its Application for Micro and Nanoelectromechanical Applications

    KAUST Repository

    Mayet, Abdulilah M.

    2016-01-01

    In addition, tungsten nitride could be the modern life vine by fulfilling the demand of biodegradable material for sustainable life regime. Transient electronics is a form of biodegradable electronics as it is physically disappearing totally or partially after performing the required function. The fabricated aWNx suites this category very well, despite not being a universal bio-element. It has been found that aWNx dissolves in ground water with a rate of ≈ 20-60 nm h-1. This means that a 100 nm thick aWNx disappears in ground water in less than a day and three days are enough to dissolve completely a 300 nm thickness device.

  15. Polymeric carbon nitride nanomesh as an efficient and durable metal-free catalyst for oxidative desulfurization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Lijuan; Lei, Ganchang; Fang, Yuanxing; Cao, Yanning; Wang, Xinchen; Jiang, Lilong

    2018-03-06

    We report the first use of polymeric carbon nitride (CN) for the catalytic selective oxidation of H 2 S. The as-prepared CN with unique ultrathin "nanomeshes" structure exhibits excellent H 2 S conversion and high S selectivity. In particular, the CN nanomesh also displays better durability in the desulfurization reaction than traditional catalysts, such as carbon- and iron-based materials.

  16. Thermal conductivity of nitride films of Ti, Cr, and W deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jagannadham, Kasichainula

    2015-01-01

    Nitride films of Ti, Cr, and W were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering from metal targets in argon and nitrogen plasma. TiN films with (200) orientation were achieved on silicon (100) at the substrate temperature of 500 and 600 °C. The films were polycrystalline at lower temperature. An amorphous interface layer was observed between the TiN film and Si wafer deposited at 600 °C. TiN film deposited at 600 °C showed the nitrogen to Ti ratio to be near unity, but films deposited at lower temperature were nitrogen deficient. CrN film with (200) orientation and good stoichiometry was achieved at 600 °C on Si(111) wafer but the film deposited at 500 °C showed cubic CrN and hexagonal Cr 2 N phases with smaller grain size and amorphous back ground in the x-ray diffraction pattern. An amorphous interface layer was not observed in the cubic CrN film on Si(111) deposited at 600 °C. Nitride film of tungsten deposited at 600 °C on Si(100) wafer was nitrogen deficient, contained both cubic W 2 N and hexagonal WN phases with smaller grain size. Nitride films of tungsten deposited at 500 °C were nonstoichiometric and contained cubic W 2 N and unreacted W phases. There was no amorphous phase formed along the interface for the tungsten nitride film deposited at 600 °C on the Si wafer. Thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance of all the nitride films of Ti, Cr, and W were determined by transient thermoreflectance technique. The thermal conductivity of the films as function of deposition temperature, microstructure, nitrogen stoichiometry and amorphous interaction layer at the interface was determined. Tungsten nitride film containing both cubic and hexagonal phases was found to exhibit much higher thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance. The amorphous interface layer was found to reduce effective thermal conductivity of TiN and CrN films

  17. Mesoporous coaxial titanium nitride-vanadium nitride fibers of core-shell structures for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xinhong; Shang, Chaoqun; Gu, Lin; Dong, Shanmu; Chen, Xiao; Han, Pengxian; Li, Lanfeng; Yao, Jianhua; Liu, Zhihong; Xu, Hongxia; Zhu, Yuwei; Cui, Guanglei

    2011-08-01

    In this study, titanium nitride-vanadium nitride fibers of core-shell structures were prepared by the coaxial electrospinning, and subsequently annealed in the ammonia for supercapacitor applications. These core-shell (TiN-VN) fibers incorporated mesoporous structure into high electronic conducting transition nitride hybrids, which combined higher specific capacitance of VN and better rate capability of TiN. These hybrids exhibited higher specific capacitance (2 mV s(-1), 247.5 F g(-1)) and better rate capability (50 mV s(-1), 160.8 F g(-1)), which promise a good candidate for high-performance supercapacitors. It was also revealed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization that the minor capacitance fade originated from the surface oxidation of VN and TiN.

  18. Additive Manufacturing of Dense Hexagonal Boron Nitride Objects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marquez Rossy, Andres E [ORNL; Armstrong, Beth L [ORNL; Elliott, Amy M [ORNL; Lara-Curzio, Edgar [ORNL

    2017-05-12

    The feasibility of manufacturing hexagonal boron nitride objects via additive manufacturing techniques was investigated. It was demonstrated that it is possible to hot-extrude thermoplastic filaments containing uniformly distributed boron nitride particles with a volume concentration as high as 60% and that these thermoplastic filaments can be used as feedstock for 3D-printing objects using a fused deposition system. Objects 3D-printed by fused deposition were subsequently sintered at high temperature to obtain dense ceramic products. In a parallel study the behavior of hexagonal boron nitride in aqueous solutions was investigated. It was shown that the addition of a cationic dispersant to an azeotrope enabled the formulation of slurries with a volume concentration of boron nitride as high as 33%. Although these slurries exhibited complex rheological behavior, the results from this study are encouraging and provide a pathway for manufacturing hexagonal boron nitride objects via robocasting.

  19. Plasmonic characterization of photo-induced silver nanoparticles extracted from silver halide based TEM film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sudheer,, E-mail: sudheer@rrcat.gov.in; Tiwari, P.; Rai, V. N.; Srivastava, A. K. [Indus Synchrotrons Utilization Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India); Varshney, G. K. [Laser Bio-medical Applications & Instrumentation Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India)

    2016-05-23

    The plasmonic responses of silver nanoparticles extracted from silver halide based electron microscope film are investigated. Photo-reduction process is carried out to convert the silver halide grains into the metallic silver. The centrifuge technique is used for separating the silver nanoparticles from the residual solution. Morphological study performed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) shows that all the nanoparticles have an average diameter of ~120 nm with a high degree of mono dispersion in size. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption peak at ~537 nm confirms the presence of large size silver nanoparticles.

  20. Aluminum nitride insulating films for MOSFET devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewicki, G. W.; Maserjian, J.

    1972-01-01

    Application of aluminum nitrides as electrical insulator for electric capacitors is discussed. Electrical properties of aluminum nitrides are analyzed and specific use with field effect transistors is defined. Operational limits of field effect transistors are developed.

  1. Rectified tunneling current response of bio-functionalized metal-bridge-metal junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yaqing; Offenhäusser, Andreas; Mayer, Dirk

    2010-01-15

    Biomolecular bridged nanostructures allow direct electrical addressing of electroactive biomolecules, which is of interest for the development of bioelectronic and biosensing hybrid junctions. In the present paper, the electroactive biomolecule microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) was integrated into metal-bridge-metal (MBM) junctions assembled from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) setup. Before immobilization of MP-11, the Au working electrode was first modified by a self-assembled monolayer of 1-undecanethiol (UDT). A symmetric and potential independent response of current-bias voltage (I(t)/V(b)) was observed for the Au (substrate)/UDT/Au (tip) junction. However, the I(t)/V(b) characteristics became potential dependent and asymmetrical after binding of MP-11 between the electrodes of the junction. The rectification ratio of the asymmetric current response varies with gate electrode modulation. A resonant tunneling process between metal electrode and MP-11 enhances the tunneling current and is responsible for the observed rectification. Our investigations demonstrated that functional building blocks of proteins can be reassembled into new conceptual devices with operation modes deviating from their native function, which could prove highly useful in the design of future biosensors and bioelectronic devices. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Capacitive performance of molybdenum nitride/titanium nitride nanotube array for supercapacitor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Yibing, E-mail: ybxie@seu.edu.cn; Tian, Fang

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA is fully converted from MoO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} NTA by one-step nitridation process. • MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA is used as feasible electrode material of high-performance supercapacitor. • MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA shows high capacitance, rate capability and cycling stability. - Abstract: Molybdenum nitride (MoN{sub x}) depositing on titanium nitride nanotube array (TiN NTA) was designed as MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA for supercapacitor electrode material. MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA was fabricated by electrodepositing molybdenum oxide onto titanium dioxide NTA and one-step nitridation treatment in ammonia. MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA involved top-surface layer of MoN{sub x} nanoparticles and underlying layer of TiN NTA, which contributed to electric double layer capacitance in aqueous lithium-ion electrolyte solution. The specific capacitance was increased from 69.05 mF cm{sup −2} for TiN NTA to 121.50 mF cm{sup −2} for MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA at 0.3 mA cm{sup −2}, presenting the improved capacitance performance. MoN{sub x} exhibited the capacitance of 174.83 F g{sup −1} at 1.5 A g{sup −1} and slightly declined to 109.13 F g{sup −1} at 30 A g{sup −1}, presenting high rate capability. MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA exhibited the capacitance retention ratio of 93.8% at 3.0 mA cm{sup −2} after 1000 cycles, presenting high cycling stability. MoN{sub x}/TiN NTA could act as a promising electrode material of supercapacitor.

  3. Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of carbon doped boron nitride nanowire: Ab initio study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jalilian, Jaafar, E-mail: JaafarJalilian@gmail.com [Young Researchers and Elite Club, Kermanshah Br anch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box: 6718997551, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kanjouri, Faramarz, E-mail: kanjouri@khu.ac.ir [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Kharazmi University, University Square, P.O. Box: 3197937551, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-11-15

    Using spin-polarized density functional theory calculations, we demonstrated that carbon doped boron nitride nanowire (C-doped BNNW) has diverse electronic and magnetic properties depending on position of carbon atoms and their percentages. Our results show that only when one carbon atom is situated on the edge of the nanowire, C-doped BNNW is transformed into half-metal. The calculated electronic structure of the C-doped BNNW suggests that doping carbon can induce localized edge states around the Fermi level, and the interaction among localized edge states leads to semiconductor to half-metal transition. Overall, the bond reconstruction causes of appearance of different electronic behavior such as semiconducting, half-metallicity, nonmagnetic metallic, and ferromagnetic metallic characters. The formation energy of the system shows that when a C atom is doped on surface boron site, system is more stable than the other positions of carbon impurity. Our calculations show that C-doped BNNW may offer unique opportunities for developing nanoscale spintronic materials.

  4. Nitride coating enhances endothelialization on biomedical NiTi shape memory alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ion, Raluca [University of Bucharest, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 91-95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Luculescu, Catalin [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor, P.O. Box MG-36, 077125 Magurele-Bucharest (Romania); Cimpean, Anisoara, E-mail: anisoara.cimpean@bio.unibuc.ro [University of Bucharest, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 91-95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Marx, Philippe [AMF Company, Route de Quincy, 18120 Lury-sur-Arnon (France); Gordin, Doina-Margareta; Gloriant, Thierry [INSA Rennes, UMR CNRS 6226 ISCR, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, 35708 Rennes Cedex 7 (France)

    2016-05-01

    Surface nitriding was demonstrated to be an effective process for improving the biocompatibility of implantable devices. In this study, we investigated the benefits of nitriding the NiTi shape memory alloy for vascular stent applications. Results from cell experiments indicated that, compared to untreated NiTi, a superficial gas nitriding treatment enhanced the adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), cell spreading and proliferation. This investigation provides data to demonstrate the possibility of improving the rate of endothelialization on NiTi by means of nitride coating. - Highlights: • Gas nitriding process of NiTi is competent to promote cell spreading. • Surface nitriding of NiTi is able to stimulate focal adhesion formation and cell proliferation. • Similar expression pattern of vWf and eNOS was exhibited by bare and nitrided NiTi. • Gas nitriding treatment of NiTi shows promise for better in vivo endothelialization.

  5. Hydrogen-mediated Nitrogen Clustering in Dilute III-V Nitrides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, M.-H.; Limpijumnong, S.; Zhang, S. B

    2006-01-01

    First-principles calculation reveals multi-N clusters to be the ground states for hydrogenated N in dilute III-V nitrides. While hydrogenation of a single N, forming H*{sub 2}(N), can relax the large strain induced by the size-mismatched N, formation of the clusters will relax the strain even more effectively. This suppresses the formation of H*{sub 2}(N), the existence of which has recently been debated. More importantly, postgrowth dehydrogenation of the N-H clusters provides an explanation to the observed metastable bare N clusters in GaAsN grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.

  6. Hydrogen-Mediated Nitrogen Clustering in Dilute III-V Nitrides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Mao-Hua; Limpijumnong, Sukit; Zhang, S. B.

    2006-08-01

    First-principles calculation reveals multi-N clusters to be the ground states for hydrogenated N in dilute III-V nitrides. While hydrogenation of a single N, forming H2*(N), can relax the large strain induced by the size-mismatched N, formation of the clusters will relax the strain even more effectively. This suppresses the formation of H2*(N), the existence of which has recently been debated. More importantly, postgrowth dehydrogenation of the N-H clusters provides an explanation to the observed metastable bare N clusters in GaAsN grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.

  7. Fast Photo-detection in Phototransistors based on Group III-VI Layered Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Prasanna; Ghosh, Sujoy; Wasala, Milinda; Lei, Sidong; Vajtai, Robert; Ajayan, Pulickel; Talapatra, Saikat

    Response time of a photo detector is one of the crucial aspect of photo-detection. Recently it has been shown that direct band gap of few layered group III-VI materials helps in increased absorption of light thereby enhancing the photo responsive properties of these materials. Ternary system of Copper Indium Selenide has been extensively used in optoelectronics industry and it is expected that 2D layered structure of Copper Indium Selenide will be a key component of future optoelectronics devices based on 2D materials. Here we report fast photo detection in few layers of Copper Indium Selenide (CuIn7Se11) phototransistor. Few-layers of CuIn7Se11 flakes were exfoliated from crystals grown using chemical vapor transport technique. Our photo response characterization indicates responsivity of 104 mA/W with external quantum efficiency exceeding 103. We have found response time of few μs which is one of the fastest response among photodetectors based on 2D materials. We also found specific detectivity of 1012 Jones which is an order higher than conventional photodetectors. A comparison between response times of various layered group III-VI materials will be presented and discussed. This work is supported by the U.S. Army Research Office through a MURI Grant # W911NF-11-1-0362.

  8. Leachability of nitrided ilmenite in hydrochloric acid

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Swanepoel, JJ

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Titanium nitride in upgraded nitrided ilmenite (bulk of iron removed) can selectively be chlorinated to produce titanium tetrachloride. Except for iron, most other components present during this low temperature (ca. 200 °C) chlorination reaction...

  9. High-Efficiency Graphene Photo Sensor Using a Transparent Electrode

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LIU Tao; HUANG Zheng

    2011-01-01

    We report the first implementation of transparent electrodes in bottom-gate graphene transistors used for photo detection.Compared to conventional nontransparent electrodes,the transparent electrodes allow photons to transmit through to the graphene beneath,providing an enlarged absorption area and thereby giving rise to an enhancement of photocurrent generation.The devices are fabricated with an asymmetric metallization scheme and the experimental results show that the maximum photocurrent density using the transparent electrodes (ITO and Pd/ITO) is over two times higher than that using the nontransparent electrodes (Ti and Pd),indicating a significant enhancement in the performance of graphene photo sensors.Graphene,a single-atomic-layer of carbon atoms with a zero-gap band structure has received great attention recently.[1-4] One promising application of graphene is in high-speed photodetection,owing to its high Fermi velocity (~1/300 of the speed of light),high electrical mobility (200000 cm2/Vs for both electrons and holes) and zero-gap induced wide absorption spectrum (in the visible-to-infrared range).[5,6]%We report the first implementation of transparent electrodes in bottom-gate graphene transistors used for photo detection. Compared to conventional nontransparent electrodes, the transparent electrodes allow photons to transmit through to the graphene beneath, providing an enlarged absorption area and thereby giving rise to an enhancement of photocurrent generation. The devices are fabricated with an asymmetric metallization scheme and the experimental results show that the maximum photocurrent density using the transparent electrodes (ITO and Pd/ITO) is over two times higher than that using the nontransparent electrodes (Ti and Pd), indicating a significant enhancement in the performance of graphene photo sensors.

  10. Thermodynamics, kinetics and process control of nitriding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mittemeijer, Eric J.; Somers, Marcel A. J.

    1999-01-01

    As a prerequisite for predictability of properties obtained by a nitriding treatment of iron-based workpieces, the relation between the process parameters and the composition and structure of the surface layer produced must be known. At present (even) the description of thermodynamic equilibrium...... of pure iron-nitrogen phases has not been achieved fully. It has been shown that taking into account ordering of nitrogen in the epsilon and gamma' iron-nitride phases, leads to an improved understanding of the Fe-N phase diagram. Although thermodynamics indicate the state the system strives for......, the nitriding result is determined largely by the kinetics of the process. The nitriding kinetics have been shown to be characterised by the occurring local near-equilibria and stationary states at surfaces and interfaces, and the diffusion coefficient of nitrogen in the various phases, for which new data have...

  11. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride photonic crystals for improved-performance surface electromagnetic wave biosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinibaldi, Alberto; Descrovi, Emiliano; Giorgis, Fabrizio; Dominici, Lorenzo; Ballarini, Mirko; Mandracci, Pietro; Danz, Norbert; Michelotti, Francesco

    2012-10-01

    We exploit the properties of surface electromagnetic waves propagating at the surface of finite one dimensional photonic crystals to improve the performance of optical biosensors with respect to the standard surface plasmon resonance approach. We demonstrate that the hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride technology is a versatile platform for fabricating one dimensional photonic crystals with any desirable design and operating in a wide wavelength range, from the visible to the near infrared. We prepared sensors based on photonic crystals sustaining either guided modes or surface electromagnetic waves, also known as Bloch surface waves. We carried out for the first time a direct experimental comparison of their sensitivity and figure of merit with surface plasmon polaritons on metal layers, by making use of a commercial surface plasmon resonance instrument that was slightly adapted for the experiments. Our measurements demonstrate that the Bloch surface waves on silicon nitride photonic crystals outperform surface plasmon polaritons by a factor 1.3 in terms of figure of merit.

  12. Residual Stress Induced by Nitriding and Nitrocarburizing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Somers, Marcel A.J.

    2005-01-01

    The present chapter is devoted to the various mechanisms involved in the buildup and relief of residual stress in nitrided and nitrocarburized cases. The work presented is an overview of model studies on iron and iron-based alloys. Subdivision is made between the compound (or white) layer......, developing at the surfce and consisting of iron-based (carbo)nitrides, and the diffusion zone underneath, consisting of iron and alloying element nitrides dispersed in af ferritic matrix. Microstructural features are related directly to the origins of stress buildup and stres relief....

  13. Effects of plasma-deposited silicon nitride passivation on the radiation hardness of CMOS integrated circuits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clement, J.J.

    1980-01-01

    The use of plasma-deposited silicon nitride as a final passivation over metal-gate CMOS integrated circuits degrades the radiation hardness of these devices. The hardness degradation is manifested by increased radiation-induced threshold voltage shifts caused principally by the charging of new interface states and, to a lesser extent, by the trapping of holes created upon exposure to ionizing radiation. The threshold voltage shifts are a strong function of the deposition temperature, and show very little dependence on thickness for films deposited at 300 0 C. There is some correlation between the threshold voltage shifts and the hydrogen content of the PECVD silicon nitride films used as the final passivation layer as a function of deposition temperature. The mechanism by which the hydrogen contained in these films may react with the Si/SiO 2 interface is not clear at this point

  14. Theoretical assessment of the electro-optical features of the group III nitrides (B{sub 12}N{sub 12}, Al{sub 12}N{sub 12} and Ga{sub 12}N{sub 12}) and group IV carbides (C{sub 24}, Si{sub 12}C{sub 12} and Ge{sub 12}C{sub 12}) nanoclusters encapsulated with alkali metals (Li, Na and K)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tahmasebi, Elham [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Lorestan University, Khorram Abad, Lorestan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shakerzadeh, Ehsan, E-mail: e.shakerzadeh@scu.ac.ir [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Biglari, Zeinab [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Lorestan University, Khorram Abad, Lorestan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Encapsulation of Li, Na and K narrow the HOMO–LUMO gaps of the clusters. • The group III nitrides nanoclusters strongly interacted with the alkali metals. • First hyperpolarizabilities remarkably enhance for B{sub 12}N{sub 12} encapsulated with Na/K. - Abstract: Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out to study the influence of alkali metals (Li, Na and K) encapsulation within the group III nitrides (B{sub 12}N{sub 12}, Al{sub 12}N{sub 12} and Ga{sub 12}N{sub 12}) and the group IV carbides (C{sub 24}, Si{sub 12}C{sub 12}and Ge{sub 12}C{sub 12}) nanoclusters. The encapsulation of Li, Na and K atoms is found to narrow the HOMO–LUMO gaps of the considered clusters. The electronic properties of these clusters, especially the group III nitrides nanoclusters, are strongly sensitive to interaction with the alkali metals. Moreover it is observed that the encapsulation of alkali metals enhances the first hyperpolarizabilities of B{sub 12}N{sub 12} nanocluster. Surprisingly, due to the alkali metals encapsulation within B{sub 12}N{sub 12} nanocluster, the first hyperpolarizability values are remarkably increased to 8505.49 and 122,503.76 a.u. for Na@B{sub 12}N{sub 12} and K@B{sub 12}N{sub 12}, respectively. Also the TD-DFT calculations at both CAM-B3LYP/6-311+G(d) and PBE0/6-311+G(d) levels of theory are also performed to investigate the origin of first hyperpolarizabilities.

  15. Self-assembly graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots anchored on TiO_2 nanotube arrays: An efficient heterojunction for pollutants degradation under solar light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Jingyang; Zhu, Lin; Geng, Ping; Chen, Guohua

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs) were decorated onto TiO_2 nanotube arrays (NTAs). • The CNQDs/TiO_2 NTAs exhibits much improved photoelectrochemical activity. • The heterojunction displays efficient removal efficiencies for RhB and phenol. • Pollutants degradation mechanism over CNQDs/TiO_2 NTAs was clarified. - Abstract: In this study, an efficient heterojunction was constructed by anchoring graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots onto TiO_2 nanotube arrays through hydrothermal reaction strategy. The prepared graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots, which were prepared by solid-thermal reaction and sequential dialysis process, act as a sensitizer to enhance light absorption. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the charge transfer and separation in the formed heterojunction were significantly improved compared with pristine TiO_2. The prepared heterojunction was used as a photoanode, exhibiting much improved photoelectrochemical capability and excellent photo-stability under solar light illumination. The photoelectrocatalytic activities of prepared heterojunction were demonstrated by degradation of RhB and phenol in aqueous solution. The kinetic constants of RhB and phenol degradation using prepared photoelectrode are 2.4 times and 4.9 times higher than those of pristine TiO_2, respectively. Moreover, hydroxyl radicals are demonstrated to be dominant active radicals during the pollutants degradation.

  16. Chemical exfoliation and optical characterization of threading-dislocation-free gallium-nitride ultrathin nanomembranes

    KAUST Repository

    Elafandy, Rami T.

    2014-11-13

    Semiconductor nanostructures have generated tremendous scientific interests as well as practical applications stemming from the engineering of low dimensional physics phenomena. Unlike 0D and 1D nanostructures, such as quantum dots and nanowires, respectively, 2D structures, such as nanomembranes, are unrivalled in their scalability for high yield manufacture and are less challenging in handling with the current transfer techniques. Furthermore, due to their planar geometry, nanomembranes are compatible with the current complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Due to these superior characteristics, there are currently different techniques in exfoliating nanomembranes with different crystallinities, thicknesses and compositions. In this work we demonstrate a new facile technique of exfoliating gallium nitride (GaN) nanomembranes with novel features, namely with the non-radiative cores of their threading-dislocations (TDs) being etched away. The exfoliation process is based on engineering the gallium vacancy (VGa) density during the GaN epitaxial growth with subsequent preferential etching. Based on scanning and transmission electron microscopies, as well as micro-photoluminescence measurements, a model is proposed to uncover the physical processes underlying the formation of the nanomembranes. Raman measurements are also performed to reveal the internal strain within the nanomembranes. After transferring these freely suspended 25 nm thin GaN nanomembranes to other substrates, we demonstrate the temperature dependence of their bandgap by photoluminescence technique, in order to shed light on the internal carrier dynamics. © (2014) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

  17. 3D-atom probe analysis of Cr and Cu added nitriding steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, J.; Kawakami, K.; Sugiyama, M.; Kawasaki, K.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Nitriding treatment is a very effective method for hardening the surface of steels and realizing improvement in wear-resistance. Although this technology has been performed for many years, the precipitation and hardening mechanisms are not completely clear. It was not easy to observe very fine precipitates which may be generated in nitriding steels. We performed a three-dimensional atom probe analysis of the nitriding steel plate in which two kinds of precipitates were generated. Hot-rolled steel plates, which mainly contained Cr 1.0wt.% and Cu 1.3wt.%, were nitrided by annealing (550-6000 o ) in a mainly NH 3 atmosphere. The material before the nitriding had a hardness of about 100 Hv. By the nitriding, the surface hardness increased to more than 700 Hv, and the inside hardness also increased to 200 Hv. The specimens were taken from 0.15 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm depth from the surface, which mostly correspond to the peak, the half and the inside hardness, respectively. In the specimen of 0.8 mm depth, prolate spheroidal Cu precipitates of more than 8 nm in diameter were observed. In the specimen of 0.3 mm depth, plate-shape nitride precipitates of 6-10 nm in diameter were observed in addition to the Cu precipitates. Each Cu precipitate made a pair with the nitride precipitate. In the 0.15 mm depth specimen, Cr nitride precipitates of high volume density in addition to the pairs consisting of a Cu precipitate and a Cr nitride precipitate were observed. The size of the nitride precipitate forming the pair was slightly larger than that of the single Cr nitride precipitates. Furthermore, the denuded zone where the nitride precipitate does not exist was observed around the pairs. From these results, it was concluded that three stages of precipitation arose as follows: By the heat treatment of nitriding processing, Cu precipitates were generated first. Then, Cr nitride nucleated at the surface of the Cu precipitates inhomogeneously, and surrounding solute Cr was

  18. Photos

    Science.gov (United States)

    GPS U.S. Air Force Academy Warrior Care Warrior Games Women's History Month Tag: Search Tag Sort By Squadron Ruck March Download Full Image Photo Details F-22 Demonstration Download Full Image Photo Details

  19. Effects of structure and oxygen flow rate on the photo-response of amorphous IGZO-based photodetector devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Jun Tae; Ko, Daehyun; Choi, Sungju; Kang, Hara; Kim, Jae-Young; Yu, Hye Ri; Ahn, Geumho; Jung, Haesun; Rhee, Jihyun; Lee, Heesung; Choi, Sung-Jin; Kim, Dong Myong; Kim, Dae Hwan

    2018-02-01

    In this study, we investigated how the structure and oxygen flow rate (OFR) during the sputter-deposition affects the photo-responses of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO)-based photodetector devices. As the result of comparing three types of device structures with one another, which are a global Schottky diode, local Schottky diode, and thin-film transistor (TFT), the IGZO TFT with the gate pulse technique suppressing the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is the most promising photodetector in terms of a high photo-sensitivity and uniform sensing characteristic. In order to analyze the IGZO TFT-based photodetectors more quantitatively, the time-evolution of sub-gap density-of-states (DOS) was directly observed under photo-illumination and consecutively during the PPC-compensating period with applying the gate pulse. It shows that the increased ionized oxygen vacancy (VO2+) defects under photo-illumination was fully recovered by the positive gate pulse and even overcompensated by additional electron trapping. Based on experimentally extracted sub-gap DOS, the origin on PPC was successfully decomposed into the hole trapping and the VO ionization. Although the VO ionization is enhanced in lower OFR (O-poor) device, the PPC becomes more severe in high OFR (O-rich) device because the hole trapping dominates the PPC in IGZO TFT under photo-illumination rather than the VO ionization and more abundant holes are trapped into gate insulator and/or interface in O-rich TFTs. Similarly, the electron trapping during the PPC-compensating period with applying the positive gate pulse becomes more prominent in O-rich TFTs. It is attributed to more hole/electron traps in the gate insulator and/or interface, which is associated with oxygen interstitials, or originates from the ion bombardment-related lower quality gate oxide in O-rich devices.

  20. Photocatalytic degradation and photo-Fenton oxidation of Congo red dye pollutants in water using natural chromite—response surface optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaban, Mohamed; Abukhadra, Mostafa R.; Ibrahim, Suzan S.; Shahien, Mohamed. G.

    2017-12-01

    Refined natural Fe-chromite was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, reflected polarized microscope, XRF and UV spectrophotometer. Photocatalytic degradation and photo-Fenton oxidation of Congo red dye by Fe-chromite was investigated using 1 mL H2O2. The degradation of dye was studied as a function of illumination time, chromite mass, initial dye concentration, and pH. Fe-chromite acts as binary oxide system from chromium oxide and ferrous oxide. Thus, it exhibits photocatalytic properties under UV illumination and photo-Fenton oxidation after addition of H2O2. The degradation in the presence of H2O2 reached the equilibrium stage after 8 h (59.4%) but in the absence of H2O2 continued to 12 h (54.6%). Photocatalytic degradation results fitted well with zero, first order and second order kinetic model but it represented by second order rather than by the other models. While the photo-Fenton oxidation show medium fitting with the second order kinetic model only. The values of kinetic rate constants for the photo-Fenton oxidation were greater than those for the photocatalytic degradation. Thus, degradation of Congo red dye using chromite as catalyst is more efficient by photo-Fenton oxidation. Based on the response surface analysis, the predicted optimal conditions for maximum removal of Congo red dye by photocatalytic degradation (100%) were 12 mg/l, 0.14 g, 3, and 11 h for dye concentration, chromite mass, pH, and illumination time, respectively. Moreover, the optimum condition for photo-Fenton oxidation of dye (100%) is 13.5 mg/l, 0.10 g, 4, and 10 h, respectively.

  1. Synthesis and characterization of titanium-vanadium ternary nitride (Ti{sub x}V{sub 1}-xN).; Sintesis y caracterizacion del nitruro ternario de titanio y vanadio (Ti{sub x}V{sub 1}-xN)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roldan, M. A.; Alcala, M. D.; Ortega, A.; Real, C.

    2011-07-01

    Titanium-Vanadium nitride (TiVN) has been prepared from carbothermal reduction of corresponding oxides and also by direct nitridation of a mix of two metals employing the ATVC method. The characterization of the final product by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron energy loss (EELS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is presented. The synthesis of the ternary nitride has been possible in all range of composition and the final product is obtained with nano metric particle size and a high microhardness after sintering. (Author) 58 refs.

  2. The Advanced Aluminum Nitride Synthesis Methods and Its Applications: Patent Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishkin, Roman A; Elagin, Andrey A; Mayorova, Ekaterina S; Beketov, Askold R

    2016-01-01

    High purity nanosized aluminum nitride synthesis is a current issue for both industry and science. However, there is no up-to-date review considering the major issues and the technical solutions for different methods. This review aims to investigate the advanced methods of aluminum nitride synthesis and its development tendencies. Also the aluminum nitride application patents and prospects for development of the branch have been considered. The patent search on "aluminum nitride synthesis" has been carried out. The research activity has been analyzed. Special attention has been paid to the patenting geography and the leading researchers in aluminum nitride synthesis. Aluminum nitride synthesis methods have been divided into 6 main groups, the most studied approaches are carbothermal reduction (88 patents) and direct nitridation (107 patents). The current issues for each group have been analyzed; the main trends are purification of the final product and nanopowder synthesis. The leading researchers in aluminum nitride synthesis have represented 5 countries, namely: Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and USA. The main aluminum nitride application spheres are electronics (59,1 percent of applications) and new materials manufacturing (30,9 percent). The review deals with the state of the art data in nanosized aluminum nitride synthesis, the major issues and the technical solutions for different synthesis methods. It gives a full understanding of the development tendencies and of the current leaders in the sphere.

  3. Demonstration of AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors with silicon-oxy-nitride as the gate insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balachander, K.; Arulkumaran, S.; Egawa, T.; Sano, Y.; Baskar, K.

    2005-01-01

    AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MOSHEMTs) were fabricated with plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon oxy-nitride (SiON) as an insulating layer. The compositions of SiON thin films were confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The fabricated MOSHEMTs exhibited a very high saturation current density of 1.1 A/mm coupled with high positive operational gate voltage up to +7 V. The MOSHEMTs also exhibited four orders of low gate leakage current and high forward-on voltage when compared with the conventional HEMTs. The drain current collapse using gate pulse measurements showed only a negligible difference in the saturation current density revealing the drastic improvement in passivation of the surface states due to the high quality of dielectric thin films deposited. Thus, based on the improved direct-current operation, SiON can be considered to be a potential gate oxide comparable with other dielectric insulators

  4. Effect of temperature and pressure on wear properties of ion nitrided AISI 316 and 409 stainless steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Heck, Stenio Cristaldo; Pereira, Ricardo Gomes; Casteletti, Luiz Carlos; Nascente, Pedro Augusto de Paula

    2010-01-01

    Stainless steels are widely used in chemical and other industries due to their corrosion resistance property. However, because of their low hardness and wear properties, their applications are limited. Many attempts have been made to increase the surface hardness of these materials by using plasma techniques. Plasma nitriding is distinguished by its effectiveness, and for presenting a relatively low cost and being a clean process, producing hard surface layers on stainless steels. Aiming to verify the influence of the temperature and pressure on the modified resultant layers, samples of AISI 316 and 409 stainless steels were plasma nitrided in two different temperatures (450 and 500°C) and pressures of 400, 500, and 600Pa for 5h. After the nitriding treatment, the layers were analyzed by means of optical microscopy and wear tests. Wear tests were conducted in a fixed-ball micro-wear machine without lubrication. After the plasma nitriding treatment on AISI 316 and 409 samples, homogeneous and continuous layers were produced and their thicknesses increased as the temperature increased, and as the pressure decreased. The nitriding treatment on the AISI 316 steel sample resulted on the formation of expanded austenite layers at 450°C, and chromium nitrides (CrN and Cr_2N) phases at 500°C. The nitriding treatment on AISI 409 sample yielded the formation of similar layers for both treatment temperatures; these layers constituted mainly by chromium (Cr_2N) and iron (Fe_2N, Fe3_N, and Fe_4N) nitrides. After the nitriding treatment, the AISI 316 steel sample presented higher wear resistance for lower temperature and pressure values. The increase on layer fragility, for higher temperature and pressure values can be responsible for this inverse tendency. The wear resistance of the nitrided AISI 409 sample followed a logic tendency: the harder the layer the better the performance, i.e. the performance was improved with the increase in both the temperature and pressure

  5. Fabrication of Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride MESFET And It's Applications in Biosensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alur, Siddharth

    Gallium Nitride has been researched extensively for the past three decades for its application in Light Emitting Diodes (LED's), power devices and UV photodetectors. With the recent developments in crystal growth technology and the ability to control the doping there has been an increased interest in heterostructures formed between Gallium nitride and it's alloy Aluminium Gallium Nitride. These heterostructures due to the combined effect of spontaneous and piezoelectric effect can form a high density and a high mobility electron gas channel without any intentional doping. This high density electron gas makes these heterostructures ideal to be used as sensors. Gallium Nitride is also chemically very stable. Detection of biomolecules in a fast and reliable manner is very important in the areas of food safety and medical research. For biomolecular detection it is paramount to have a robust binding of the probes on the sensor surface. Therefore, in this dissertation, the fabrication and application of the AlGaN/GaN heterostructures as biological sensors for the detection of DNA and Organophosphate hydrolase enzyme is discussed. In order to use these AlGaN/GaN heterostructures as biological sensors capable of working in a liquid environment photodefinable polydimethyl-siloxane is used as an encapsulant. The immobilization conditions for a robust binding of thiolated DNA and the catalytic receptor enzyme organophosphate hydrolase on gold surfaces is developed with the help of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. DNA and OPH are detected by measuring the change in the drain current of the device as a function of time.

  6. Nanocarbon/elastomer composites: Characterization and applications in photo-mechanical actuation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loomis, Robert James, III

    The magnitude and direction of photo-mechanical actuation responses generated in carbon nanostructure/elastomer composites depend on applied pre-strains. At low levels of pre-strains (3--9%), actuators show reversible photo-induced expansion while at high levels (15--40%), actuators exhibit reversible contraction. Large, light-induced reversible and elastic responses of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) polymer composites were demonstrated for the first time, with an extraordinary optical-to-mechanical energy conversion factor (etaM) of 7--9 MPa/W. Following this demonstration, similar elastomeric composite were fabricated with a variety of carbon nanostructures. Investigation into photo-actuation properties of these composites revealed both layer-dependent, as well as dimensionally-dependent responses. For a given carbon concentration, both steady-state photo-mechanical stress response and energy conversion efficiency were found to be directly related to dimensional state of carbon nanostructure additive, with one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes demonstrating the highest responses (˜60 kPa stress and ˜5 x 10-3% efficiency at just 1 wt% loading) and three-dimensional (3D) highly ordered pyrolytic graphite demonstrating the lowest responses. Furthermore, development of an advanced dispersion technique (evaporative mixing) resulted in the ability to fabricate conductive composites. Actuation and relaxation kinetics responses were investigated and found to be related not to dimensionality, but rather the percolation threshold of carbon nanostructure additive in the polymer. Establishing a connective network of carbon nanostructure additive allowed for energy transduction responsible for photo-mechanical effect to activate carbon beyond the infrared (IR) illumination point, resulting in enhanced actuation. Additionally, in the conductive samples photo-conductivity as a function of applied pre-strain was also measured. Photo-conductive response was found to be inversely

  7. Study of the dosimetric response of Gallium Nitride (GaN): modeling, simulation and characterization on radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Ruoxi

    2015-01-01

    The work in this thesis has the objective to increase the measurement precision of the dosimetry based on the Gallium Nitride (GaN) transducer and develop its applications on radiotherapy. The study includes the aspects of modeling, simulation and characterization of this response in external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. In modeling, we have proposed two approaches to model the GaN transducer's response in external radiotherapy. For the first approach, a model has been built based on experimental data, while separating the primary and scattering component of the beam. For the second approach, we have adopted a response model initially developed for the silicon diodes for the GaN radioluminescent transducer. We have also proposed an original concept of bi-media dosimetry which evaluates the dose in tissue according to different responses from two media without prior information on the conditions of irradiation. This concept has been shown by Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, for High Dose Rate brachytherapy, the response of GaN transducer irradiated by iridium 192 and cobalt 60 sources has been evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation and confirmed by the measurements. Studies on the property characterization of GaN radioluminescent transducer has been carried out with these sources as well. An instrumented phantom prototype with GaN probe has been developed for the HDR brachytherapy quality control. It allows a real-time verification of the physics parameters of a treatment (source dwell position, source dwell time, source activity). (author) [fr

  8. Plasma nitriding of CA-6NM steel: effect of H2 + N2 gas mixtures in nitride layer formation for low N2 contents at 500 ºC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela Nardelli Allenstein

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available This work aims to characterize the phases, thickness, hardness and hardness profiles of the nitride layers formed on the CA-6NM martensitic stainless steel which was plasma nitrided in gas mixtures containing different nitrogen amounts. Nitriding was performed at 500 ºC temperature, and 532 Pa (4 Torr pressure, for gas mixtures of 5% N2 + 95% H2, 10% N2 + 90% H2, and 20% N2 + 80% H2, and 2 hours nitriding time. A 6 hours nitriding time condition for gas mixture of 5% N2 + 95% H2 was also studied. Nitrided samples results were compared with non-nitrided condition. Thickness and microstructure of the nitrided layers were characterized by optical microscopy (OM, using Villela and Nital etchants, and the phases were identified by X-ray diffraction. Hardness profiles and hardness measured on surface steel were determined using Vickers hardness and nanoindentation tester, respectively. It was verified that nitrided layer produced in CA-6NM martensitc stainless steel is constituted of compound layer, being that formation of the diffusion zone was not observed for the studied conditions. The higher the nitrogen amounts in gas mixture the higher is the thickness of the nitrided layer and the probability to form different nitride phases, in the case γ'-Fe4N, ε-Fe2-3N and CrN phases. Intrinsic hardness of the nitrided layers produced in the CA-6NM stainless steel is about 12-14 GPa (~1200-1400 HV.

  9. Problems and possibilities of development of boron nitride ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rusanova, L.N.; Romashin, A.G.; Kulikova, G.I.; Golubeva, O.P.

    1988-01-01

    The modern state of developments in the field of technology of ceramics produced from boron nitride is analyzed. Substantial difficulties in production of pure ceramics from hexagonal and wurtzite-like boron nitride are stated as related to the structure peculiarities and inhomogeneity of chemical bonds in elementary crystal cells of various modifications. Advantages and disadvantages of familiar technological procedures in production of boron nitride ceramics are compared. A new technology is suggested, which is based on the use of electroorganic compounds for hardening and protection of porous high-purity boron-nitride die from oxidation, and as high-efficient sintered elements for treatment of powders of various structures and further pyrolisis. The method is called thermal molecular lacing (TML). Properties of ceramics produced by the TML method are compared with characteristics of well-known brands of boron nitride ceramics

  10. Toward High Performance 2D/2D Hybrid Photocatalyst by Electrostatic Assembly of Rationally Modified Carbon Nitride on Reduced Graphene Oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jian; Xu, Xiaochan; Li, Tao; Pandiselvi, Kannusamy; Wang, Jingyu

    2016-11-01

    Efficient metal-free visible photocatalysts with high stability are highly desired for sufficient utilization of solar energy. In this work, the popular carbon nitride (CN) photocatalyst is rationally modified by acid exfoliation of molecular grafted CN, achieving improved visible-light utilization and charge carriers mobility. Moreover, the modification process tuned the surface electrical property of CN, which enabled it to be readily coupled with the oppositely charged graphene oxide during the following photo-assisted electrostatic assembly. Detailed characterizations indicate the formation of well-contacted 2D/2D heterostructure with strong interfacial interaction between the modified CN nanosheets (CNX-NSs) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The optimized hybrid (with a RGO ratio of 20%) exhibits the best photocatalytic performance toward MB degradation, which is almost 12.5 and 7.0 times of CN under full spectrum and visible-light irradiation, respectively. In addition, the hybrid exhibits high stability after five successive cycles with no obvious change in efficiency. Unlike pure CNX-NSs, the dye decomposition mostly depends on the H2O2 generation by a two-electron process due to the electron reservoir property of RGO. Thus the enhancement in photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to the improved light utilization and increased charge transfer ability across the interface of CNX-NSs/RGO heterostructure.

  11. CERN Photo club

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Photo club

    2016-01-01

    The CERN Photo Club organizes in collaboration with Canon Switzerland a photo contest open to all members of the CERN (Persons with a CERN access card). The only restriction is that the photos must have been taken with a CANON camera (DSLR, bridge or compact) between 1 and 31 October 2016. Send your three best pictures at  Photo.Contest@cern.ch with a short description explaining the images. Further information on the Photo club website: http://photoclub.web.cern.ch/content/photo-contest-october-2016

  12. Development of nitride fuel and pyrochemical process for transmutation of minor actinides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, Yasuo; Akabori, Mitsuo; Minato, Kazuo; Uno, Masayoshi

    2010-01-01

    Nitride fuel cycle for transmutation of minor actinides has been investigated under the double-strata fuel cycle concept. Mononitride solid solutions containing minor actinides have been prepared and characterised. Thermo-physical properties, such as thermal expansion, heat capacity and thermal diffusivity, have been measured by use of minor actinide nitride and burn-up simulated nitride samples. Irradiation behaviour of nitride fuel has been examined by irradiation tests. Pyrochemical process for treatment of spent nitride fuel has been investigated mainly by electrochemical measurements and nitride formation behaviour in pyrochemical process has been studied for recycled fuel fabrication. Recent results of experimental study on nitride fuel and pyrochemical process are summarised in the paper. (authors)

  13. Corrosion fatigue behaviour of ion nitrided AISI 4140 steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Genel, K. [Sakarya Univ., Adapazari (Turkey). Mech. Eng. Dept.; Demirkol, M.; Guelmez, T. [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Guemuessuyu, 80191, Istanbul (Turkey)

    2000-08-31

    Machine components suffer from corrosion degradation of fatigue characteristics and improvement can be attained by the application of a nitriding treatment, particularly to low alloy steels. In the present study, the effect of ion nitriding on corrosion fatigue performance of AISI 4140 steel has been investigated by conducting a series of rotary bending corrosion fatigue tests at 95 Hz, in 3% NaCl aqueous solution. Hourglass shaped, 4 mm diameter fatigue specimens were ion nitrided at 748 K for 1, 3, 8 and 16 h prior to the tests. It was observed that distinct fatigue limit behaviour of ion nitrided steel in air completely disappeared in corrosive environment besides severe degradation in fatigue characteristics. An improvement reaching to 60% in corrosion fatigue strength can be attained by successive ion nitriding practice based on a fatigue life of 10{sup 7} cycles. An attempt was made to establish an empirical relationship between corrosion fatigue strength and relative case depth, which considers the size of the ion nitrided specimen. It was also determined that a power relationship holds between corrosion fatigue strength and fatigue life of ion nitrided steel. The presence of white layer has resulted in additional improvement in corrosion fatigue resistance, and it was observed that corrosion fatigue cracks were initiated dominantly under the white layer by pit formation mechanism. (orig.)

  14. Corrosion fatigue behaviour of ion nitrided AISI 4140 steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genel, K.

    2000-01-01

    Machine components suffer from corrosion degradation of fatigue characteristics and improvement can be attained by the application of a nitriding treatment, particularly to low alloy steels. In the present study, the effect of ion nitriding on corrosion fatigue performance of AISI 4140 steel has been investigated by conducting a series of rotary bending corrosion fatigue tests at 95 Hz, in 3% NaCl aqueous solution. Hourglass shaped, 4 mm diameter fatigue specimens were ion nitrided at 748 K for 1, 3, 8 and 16 h prior to the tests. It was observed that distinct fatigue limit behaviour of ion nitrided steel in air completely disappeared in corrosive environment besides severe degradation in fatigue characteristics. An improvement reaching to 60% in corrosion fatigue strength can be attained by successive ion nitriding practice based on a fatigue life of 10 7 cycles. An attempt was made to establish an empirical relationship between corrosion fatigue strength and relative case depth, which considers the size of the ion nitrided specimen. It was also determined that a power relationship holds between corrosion fatigue strength and fatigue life of ion nitrided steel. The presence of white layer has resulted in additional improvement in corrosion fatigue resistance, and it was observed that corrosion fatigue cracks were initiated dominantly under the white layer by pit formation mechanism. (orig.)

  15. Radiofrequency cold plasma nitrided carbon steel: Microstructural and micromechanical characterizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouanis, F.Z.; Bentiss, F.; Bellayer, S.; Vogt, J.B.; Jama, C.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → C38 carbon steel samples were plasma nitrided using a radiofrequency (rf) nitrogen plasma discharge. → RF plasma treatment enables nitriding for non-heated substrates. → The morphological and chemical analyses show the formation of a uniform thickness on the surface of the nitrided C38 steel. → Nitrogen plasma active species diffuse into the samples and lead to the formation of Fe x N. → The increase in microhardness values for nitrided samples with plasma processing time is interpreted by the formation of a thicker nitrided layer on the steel surface. - Abstract: In this work, C38 carbon steel was plasma nitrided using a radiofrequency (rf) nitrogen plasma discharge on non-heated substrates. General characterizations were performed to compare the chemical compositions, the microstructures and hardness of the untreated and plasma treated surfaces. The plasma nitriding was carried out on non-heated substrates at a pressure of 16.8 Pa, using N 2 gas. Surface characterizations before and after N 2 plasma treatment were performed by means of the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Vickers microhardness measurements. The morphological and chemical analysis showed the formation of a uniform structure on the surface of the nitrided sample with enrichment in nitrogen when compared to untreated sample. The thickness of the nitride layer formed depends on the treatment time duration and is approximately 14 μm for 10 h of plasma treatment. XPS was employed to obtain chemical-state information of the plasma nitrided steel surfaces. The micromechanical results show that the surface microhardness increases as the plasma-processing time increases to reach, 1487 HV 0.005 at a plasma processing time of 8 h.

  16. Radiofrequency cold plasma nitrided carbon steel: Microstructural and micromechanical characterizations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouanis, F.Z. [Universite Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); Unite Materiaux et Transformations (UMET), Ingenierie des Systemes Polymeres, CNRS UMR 8207, ENSCL, BP 90108, F-59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Bentiss, F. [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination et d' Analytique, Faculte des Sciences, Universite Chouaib Doukkali, B.P. 20, M-24000 El Jadida (Morocco); Bellayer, S.; Vogt, J.B. [Universite Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); Unite Materiaux et Transformations (UMET), Ingenierie des Systemes Polymeres, CNRS UMR 8207, ENSCL, BP 90108, F-59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Jama, C., E-mail: charafeddine.jama@ensc-lille.fr [Universite Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille (France); Unite Materiaux et Transformations (UMET), Ingenierie des Systemes Polymeres, CNRS UMR 8207, ENSCL, BP 90108, F-59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France)

    2011-05-16

    Highlights: {yields} C38 carbon steel samples were plasma nitrided using a radiofrequency (rf) nitrogen plasma discharge. {yields} RF plasma treatment enables nitriding for non-heated substrates. {yields} The morphological and chemical analyses show the formation of a uniform thickness on the surface of the nitrided C38 steel. {yields} Nitrogen plasma active species diffuse into the samples and lead to the formation of Fe{sub x}N. {yields} The increase in microhardness values for nitrided samples with plasma processing time is interpreted by the formation of a thicker nitrided layer on the steel surface. - Abstract: In this work, C38 carbon steel was plasma nitrided using a radiofrequency (rf) nitrogen plasma discharge on non-heated substrates. General characterizations were performed to compare the chemical compositions, the microstructures and hardness of the untreated and plasma treated surfaces. The plasma nitriding was carried out on non-heated substrates at a pressure of 16.8 Pa, using N{sub 2} gas. Surface characterizations before and after N{sub 2} plasma treatment were performed by means of the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Vickers microhardness measurements. The morphological and chemical analysis showed the formation of a uniform structure on the surface of the nitrided sample with enrichment in nitrogen when compared to untreated sample. The thickness of the nitride layer formed depends on the treatment time duration and is approximately 14 {mu}m for 10 h of plasma treatment. XPS was employed to obtain chemical-state information of the plasma nitrided steel surfaces. The micromechanical results show that the surface microhardness increases as the plasma-processing time increases to reach, 1487 HV{sub 0.005} at a plasma processing time of 8 h.

  17. Photo darkening in Rare earth doped silica: Model and Experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mattsson, Kent Erik

    2011-01-01

    A model for photo darkening based on chemical bond formation is presented. The formation process, color center spectral response and bleaching is discussed and model predictions is found to follow high power fiber laser operation......A model for photo darkening based on chemical bond formation is presented. The formation process, color center spectral response and bleaching is discussed and model predictions is found to follow high power fiber laser operation...

  18. Morphological and structural characterizations of dendrimer-mediated metallic Ti and Al thin film nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Curry, M. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Li, X. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Zhang, J. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Weaver, M.L. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Street, S.C. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States) and Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States)]. E-mail: sstreet@bama.ua.edu

    2007-02-26

    Evidence is presented here for significant influence on the surface topography of Ti and Al films in the presence of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer monolayers [generations G(4-8)] on SiO {sub x}. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis clearly indicates formation of nitrides and carbides for Ti metal grown on dendrimer monolayers. In addition, obvious trends in measured correlation lengths and crystalline growth modes of Ti films indicate grain sizes tracking the intrinsic roughness of dendrimer monolayers. No formation of metal nitride is observed for Al depositions. Atomic force microscopy analyses show significant changes in rms vertical roughness and aggregation of as-deposited Ti or Al in presence of dendrimer monolayers.

  19. Intrinsic ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Si, M. S.; Gao, Daqiang, E-mail: gaodq@lzu.edu.cn, E-mail: xueds@lzu.edu.cn; Yang, Dezheng; Peng, Yong; Zhang, Z. Y.; Xue, Desheng, E-mail: gaodq@lzu.edu.cn, E-mail: xueds@lzu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Liu, Yushen [Jiangsu Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and College of Physics and Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500 (China); Deng, Xiaohui [Department of Physics and Electronic Information Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421008 (China); Zhang, G. P. [Department of Physics, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809 (United States)

    2014-05-28

    Understanding the mechanism of ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, which possess only s and p electrons in comparison with normal ferromagnets based on localized d or f electrons, is a current challenge. In this work, we report an experimental finding that the ferromagnetic coupling is an intrinsic property of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, which has never been reported before. Moreover, we further confirm it from ab initio calculations. We show that the measured ferromagnetism should be attributed to the localized π states at edges, where the electron-electron interaction plays the role in this ferromagnetic ordering. More importantly, we demonstrate such edge-induced ferromagnetism causes a high Curie temperature well above room temperature. Our systematical work, including experimental measurements and theoretical confirmation, proves that such unusual room temperature ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets is edge-dependent, similar to widely reported graphene-based materials. It is believed that this work will open new perspectives for hexagonal boron nitride spintronic devices.

  20. Indium gallium nitride/gallium nitride quantum wells grown on polar and nonpolar gallium nitride substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Kun-Yu

    Nonpolar (m-plane or a-plane) gallium nitride (GaN) is predicted to be a potential substrate material to improve luminous efficiencies of nitride-based quantum wells (QWs). Numerical calculations indicated that the spontaneous emission rate in a single In0.15Ga0.85N/GaN QW could be improved by ˜2.2 times if the polarization-induced internal field was avoided by epitaxial deposition on nonpolar substrates. A challenge for nonpolar GaN is the limited size (less than 10x10 mm2) of substrates, which was addressed by expansion during the regrowth by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE). Subsurface damage in GaN substrates were reduced by annealing with NH3 and N2 at 950°C for 60 minutes. It was additionally found that the variation of m-plane QWs' emission properties was significantly increased when the substrate miscut toward a-axis was increased from 0° to 0.1°. InGaN/GaN QWs were grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) on c-plane and m-plane GaN substrates. The QWs were studied by cathodoluminescence spectroscopy with different incident electron beam probe currents (0.1 nA ˜ 1000 nA). Lower emission intensities and longer peak wavelengths from c-plane QWs were attributed to the Quantum-confined Stark Effect (QCSE). The emission intensity ratios of m-plane QWs to c-plane QWs decreased from 3.04 at 1 nA to 1.53 at 1000 nA. This was identified as the stronger screening effects of QCSE at higher current densities in c-plane QWs. To further investigate these effects in a fabricated structure, biased photoluminescence measurements were performed on m-plane InGaN/GaN QWs. The purpose was to detect the possible internal fields induced by the dot-like structure in the InGaN layer through the response of these internal fields under externally applied fields. No energy shifts of the QWs were observed, which was attributed to strong surface leakage currents.

  1. Quantum chemical molecular dynamical investigation of alkyl nitrite photo-dissociated on copper surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiaojing; Wang Wei; Han Peilin; Kubo, Momoji; Miyamoto, Akira

    2008-01-01

    An accelerated quantum chemical molecular dynamical code 'Colors-Excite' was used to investigate the photolysis of alkyl nitrites series, RONO (R=CH 3 and C(CH 3 ) 3 ) on copper surfaces. Our calculations showed that the photo-dissociated processes are associated with the alkyl substituents of RONO when adsorbed on copper surfaces. For R=CH 3 , a two-step photolysis reaction occurred, yielding diverse intermediate products including RO radical, NO, and HNO, consistent with those reported in gas phase. While for R=C(CH 3 ) 3 , only one-step photolysis reaction occurred and gave intermediate products of RO radical and NO. Consequently, pure RO species were achieved to adsorb on metal surfaces by removing the NO species in photolysis reaction. The detailed photo-dissociated behaviors of RONO on copper surfaces with different alkyl substituents which are uncovered by the present simulation can be extended to explain the diverse dissociative mechanism experimentally observed. The quantum chemical molecular dynamical code 'Colors-Excite' is proved to be highly applicable to the photo-dissociations on metal surfaces

  2. Powder-XRD and (14) N magic angle-spinning solid-state NMR spectroscopy of some metal nitrides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempgens, Pierre; Britton, Jonathan

    2016-05-01

    Some metal nitrides (TiN, ZrN, InN, GaN, Ca3 N2 , Mg3 N2 , and Ge3 N4 ) have been studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and (14) N magic angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR spectroscopy. For Ca3 N2 , Mg3 N2 , and Ge3 N4 , no (14) N NMR signal was observed. Low speed (νr  = 2 kHz for TiN, ZrN, and GaN; νr  = 1 kHz for InN) and 'high speed' (νr  = 15 kHz for TiN; νr  = 5 kHz for ZrN; νr  = 10 kHz for InN and GaN) MAS NMR experiments were performed. For TiN, ZrN, InN, and GaN, powder-XRD was used to identify the phases present in each sample. The number of peaks observed for each sample in their (14) N MAS solid-state NMR spectrum matches perfectly well with the number of nitrogen-containing phases identified by powder-XRD. The (14) N MAS solid-state NMR spectra are symmetric and dominated by the quadrupolar interaction. The envelopes of the spinning sidebands manifold are Lorentzian, and it is concluded that there is a distribution of the quadrupolar coupling constants Qcc 's arising from structural defects in the compounds studied. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Atomic Resolution Microscopy of Nitrides in Steel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danielsen, Hilmar Kjartansson

    2014-01-01

    MN and CrMN type nitride precipitates in 12%Cr steels have been investigated using atomic resolution microscopy. The MN type nitrides were observed to transform into CrMN both by composition and crystallography as Cr diffuses from the matrix into the MN precipitates. Thus a change from one...

  4. Today’s Mumbai as Photo-Textuality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Concilio

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this essay is to enquire into representations of the city of Mumbai whose urban development has produced images of heaven and hell, sometimes within enclosed boundaries. What is interesting to tackle here is its aestheticisation in a photo-book which presents itself as ‘image-text’ (Mitchel, Stafford, Bombay/Mumbai. Immersions (2013. Not differently from what happens in other cities, such as Cape Town, for instance, here considered only very briefly as counterpoint, the Indian megalopolis’s development has produced disconnected images of urban heaven and hell. The photo-text here discussed presents itself as a composite narrative of words and photos, as the product of the cooperation between an Indian woman poet, Priya Sarukkai Chabria, and an English photographer now based in France, Christopher Taylor. Last but certainly not least in a long sequence of urban photo-texts, this new project requires the reader’s attention in order to try and clarify its role, its meaning, its function, its ethical/aesthetic responsibilities.

  5. Defects in dilute nitrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, W.M.; Buyanova, I.A.; Tu, C.W.; Yonezu, H.

    2005-01-01

    We provide a brief review our recent results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in non-radiative defects in dilute nitrides, i.e. Ga(In)NAs and Ga(Al,In)NP. Defect complexes involving intrinsic defects such as As Ga antisites and Ga i self interstitials were positively identified.Effects of growth conditions, chemical compositions and post-growth treatments on formation of the defects are closely examined. These grown-in defects are shown to play an important role in non-radiative carrier recombination and thus in degrading optical quality of the alloys, harmful to performance of potential optoelectronic and photonic devices based on these dilute nitrides. (author)

  6. Strain- and electric field-induced band gap modulation in nitride nanomembranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amorim, Rodrigo G; Zhong Xiaoliang; Mukhopadhyay, Saikat; Pandey, Ravindra; Rocha, Alexandre R; Karna, Shashi P

    2013-01-01

    The hexagonal nanomembranes of the group III-nitrides are a subject of interest due to their novel technological applications. In this paper, we investigate the strain- and electric field-induced modulation of their band gaps in the framework of density functional theory. For AlN, the field-dependent modulation of the bandgap is found to be significant whereas the strain-induced semiconductor-metal transition is predicted for GaN. A relatively flat conduction band in AlN and GaN nanomembranes leads to an enhancement of their electronic mobility compared to that of their bulk counterparts. (paper)

  7. Low temperature anodic bonding to silicon nitride

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weichel, Steen; Reus, Roger De; Bouaidat, Salim

    2000-01-01

    Low-temperature anodic bonding to stoichiometric silicon nitride surfaces has been performed in the temperature range from 3508C to 4008C. It is shown that the bonding is improved considerably if the nitride surfaces are either oxidized or exposed to an oxygen plasma prior to the bonding. Both bu...

  8. Review of actinide nitride properties with focus on safety aspects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albiol, Thierry [CEA Cadarache, St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Arai, Yasuo [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    2001-12-01

    This report provides a review of the potential advantages of using actinide nitrides as fuels and/or targets for nuclear waste transmutation. Then a summary of available properties of actinide nitrides is given. Results from irradiation experiments are reviewed and safety relevant aspects of nitride fuels are discussed, including design basis accidents (transients) and severe (core disruptive) accidents. Anyway, as rather few safety studies are currently available and as many basic physical data are still missing for some actinide nitrides, complementary studies are proposed. (author)

  9. Colloidal Plasmonic Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles: Properties and Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guler, Urcan; Suslov, Sergey; Kildishev, Alexander V.

    2015-01-01

    Optical properties of colloidal plasmonic titanium nitride nanoparticles are examined with an eye on their photothermal and photocatalytic applications via transmission electron microscopy and optical transmittance measurements. Single crystal titanium nitride cubic nanoparticles with an average ...

  10. Microstructure and Hardness of High Temperature Gas Nitrided AISI 420 Martensitic Stainless Steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibrahim Nor Nurulhuda Md.

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the microstructure and hardness of as-received and nitrided AISI 420 martensitic stainless steels. High temperature gas nitriding was employed to treat the steels at 1200°C for one hour and four hours using nitrogen gas, followed by furnace cooled. Chromium nitride and iron nitride were formed and concentrated at the outmost surface area of the steels since this region contained the highest concentration of nitrogen. The grain size enlarged at the interior region of the nitrided steels due to nitriding at temperature above the recrystallization temperature of the steel and followed by slow cooling. The nitrided steels produced higher surface hardness compared to as-received steel due to the presence of nitrogen and the precipitation of nitrides. Harder steel was produced when nitriding at four hours compared to one hour since more nitrogen permeated into the steel.

  11. Electronic and thermodynamic properties of transition metal elements and compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haeglund, J.

    1993-01-01

    This thesis focuses on the use of band-structure calculations for studying thermodynamic properties of solids. We discuss 3d-, 4d- and 5d-transition metal carbides and nitrides. Through a detailed comparison between theoretical and experimental results, we draw conclusions on the character of the atomic bonds in these materials. We show how electronic structure calculations can be used to give accurate predictions for bonding energies. Part of the thesis is devoted to the application of the generalized gradient approximation in electronic structure calculations on transition metals. For structures with vibrational disorder, we present a method for calculating averaged phonon frequencies without using empirical information. For magnetic excitations, we show how a combined use of theoretical results and experimental data can yield information on magnetic fluctuations at high temperatures. The main results in the thesis are: Apart for an almost constant shift, theoretically calculated bonding energies for transition metal carbides and nitrides agree with experimental data or with values from analysis of thermochemical information. The electronic spectrum of transition metal carbides and nitrides can be separated into bonding, antibonding and nonbonding electronic states. The lowest enthalpy of formation for substoichiometric vanadium carbide VC 1-X at zero temperature and pressure occurs for a structure containing vacancies (x not equal to 0). The generalized gradient approximation improves theoretical calculated cohesive energies for 3d-transition metals. Magnetic phase transitions are sensitive to the description of exchange-correlation effects in electronic structure calculations. Trends in Debye temperatures can be successfully analysed in electronic structure calculations on disordered lattices. For the elements, there is a clear dependence on the crystal structure (e.g., bcc, fcc or hcp). Chromium has fluctuating local magnetic moments at temperatures well above

  12. Influence of plastic deformation on nitriding of a molybdenum-hafnium alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakhtin, Yu.M.; Kogan, Ya.D.; Shashkov, D.P.; Likhacheva, T.E.

    1982-01-01

    The influence of a preliminary plastic strain on the structure and properties of molybdenum alloy with 0.2 wt.% Hf upon nitriding in the ammonia medium at 900-1200 deg C during 1-6 h is investigated. The study of microhardness distribution across the nitrided layer thickness has shown that with increase of the degree of preliminary plastic strain up to 50 % the nitrided layer hardness decreases and with further reduction growth up to 90 % - increases. Nitriding sharply (hundred times) increases wear resistance of molybdenum alloy with hafnium addition. At the reduction degree 25 % the wear resistance is less than at other values of percentage reduction in area owing to the minimum thickness of the nitride zone. The alloy strained before nitriding by 25 % has shown the best results during heat resistance testing

  13. Photo-induced Mass Transport through Polymer Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Yuan; Anthamatten, Mitchell

    2014-03-01

    Among adaptable materials, photo-responsive polymers are especially attractive as they allow for spatiotemporal stimuli and response. We have recently developed a macromolecular network capable of photo-induced mass transport of covalently bound species. The system comprises of crosslinked chains that form an elastic network and photosensitive fluorescent arms that become mobile upon irradiation. We form loosely crosslinked polymer networks by Michael-Addition between multifunctional thiols and small molecule containing acrylate end-groups. The arms are connected to the network by allyl sulfide, that undergoes addition-fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) in the presence of free radicals, releasing diffusible fluorophore. The networks are loaded with photoinitiator to allow for spatial modulation of the AFCT reactions. FRAP experiments within bulk elastomers are conducted to establish correlations between the fluorophore's diffusion coefficient and experimental variables such as network architecture, temperature and UV intensity. Photo-induced mass transport between two contacted films is demonstrated, and release of fluorophore into a solvent is investigated. Spatial and temporal control of mass transport could benefit drug release, printing, and sensing applications.

  14. Synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes with SiC nanowire as template

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong, B.; Song, L.; Huang, X.X.; Wen, G.W.; Xia, L.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have been fabricated using SiC nanowires as template. → SiC nanowires could be effectively etched out by the vapors decomposed from ammonia borane, leading to the formation of BNNTs. → A template self-sacrificing mechanism is responsible for the formation of BNNTs. -- Abstract: A novel template method for the preparation of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) using SiC nanowire as template and ammonia borane as precursor is reported. We find out that the SiC nanowires could be effectively etched out by the vapors decomposed from ammonia borane, leading to the formation of BNNTs. The as-prepared products are well characterized by means of complementary analytical techniques. A possible formation mechanism is disclosed. The method developed here paves the way for large scale production of BNNTs.

  15. LIGHT INTENSITY INFLUENCE ON STRONTIUM TITANATE BASED PHOTO- ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Hertkorn

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The influence of light intensity on photo-electrochemical cells (PECs consisting of an n-type strontium titanate (SrTiO₃ photoanode and nickel cathode in potassium hydroxide electrolyte is studied. The band levels of an electrolyte-metal-semiconductor-electrolyte system are presented and the effect of different light intensities on the energy levels is investigated. Photocurrent density, quantum efficiency, and open circuit potential measurements are performed on the processed PECs under different light intensities (375 nm. It is demonstrated that a threshold value of the light intensity has to be reached in order to obtain positive photo activity and that beyond this value the performance remains nearly constant.

  16. Enhanced Electroluminescence from Silicon Quantum Dots Embedded in Silicon Nitride Thin Films Coupled with Gold Nanoparticles in Light Emitting Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Luz Muñoz-Rosas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the use of plasmonic metal layers to improve the photonic emission characteristics of several semiconductor quantum dots is a booming tool. In this work, we report the use of silicon quantum dots (SiQDs embedded in a silicon nitride thin film coupled with an ultra-thin gold film (AuNPs to fabricate light emitting devices. We used the remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (RPECVD in order to grow two types of silicon nitride thin films. One with an almost stoichiometric composition, acting as non-radiative spacer; the other one, with a silicon excess in its chemical composition, which causes the formation of silicon quantum dots imbibed in the silicon nitride thin film. The ultra-thin gold film was deposited by the direct current (DC-sputtering technique, and an aluminum doped zinc oxide thin film (AZO which was deposited by means of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, plays the role of the ohmic metal-like electrode. We found that there is a maximum electroluminescence (EL enhancement when the appropriate AuNPs-spacer-SiQDs configuration is used. This EL is achieved at a moderate turn-on voltage of 11 V, and the EL enhancement is around four times bigger than the photoluminescence (PL enhancement of the same AuNPs-spacer-SiQDs configuration. From our experimental results, we surmise that EL enhancement may indeed be due to a plasmonic coupling. This kind of silicon-based LEDs has the potential for technology transfer.

  17. A novel photo-active Cd:1,4-benzene dicarboxylate metal organic framework templated using [Ru(ii)(2,2'-bipyridine)3]2+: synthesis and photophysics of RWLC-5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Randy W; Mayers, Jacob M; Wojtas, Lukasz

    2017-09-26

    The development of photoactive porous materials is of significant importance for applications ranging from sustainable energy to pharmaceutical development and catalysis. A particularly attractive class of photo-active materials is the metal-organic framework (MOF)-based platform in which the photo-active elements are components of the framework itself or photo-active guests encapsulated within the MOF cavities. It has now been demonstrated that the photo-active [Ru(2,2'-bipyridine) 3 ] 2+ (RuBpy) complex can template the formation of MOFs with varying three dimensional structures. Here we report the synthesis and structural and photo-physical characterization of a new RuBpy-templated MOF composed of Cd 2+ ions with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate ligands (RWLC-5) that contains crystallographically resolved RuBpy complexes. The new material displays a biphasic emission decay (130 ns and 1180 ns, T = 20 °C) and a bathochromically shifted emission maximum, relative to RuBpy in solution (603 nm for RuBpy in ethanol vs. 630 nm for RWLC-5). The emission lifetimes also do not display temperature-dependent decays which are characteristic of RuBpy type complexes as well as other RuBpy templated MOFs. The lack of temperature dependence is consistent with the complete deactivation of the 3 LF state of the encapsulated RuBpy complex due to a constrained environment. The fast phase decay is attributed to a water molecule hydrogen bonded to a bipyridine ligand associated with ∼38% of the encapsulated RuBpy complexes resulting in the nonradiative deactivation of the 3 MLCT state.

  18. P and Si functionalized MXenes for metal-ion battery applications

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Jiajie; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2017-01-01

    MXenes are a family of two-dimensional materials, composed of early transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, with great potential in energy storage systems, in particular in electrodes for Li, Na, K-ion batteries. However, so far

  19. Structure and properties of nitrided surface layer produced on NiTi shape memory alloy by low temperature plasma nitriding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czarnowska, Elżbieta; Borowski, Tomasz; Sowińska, Agnieszka; Lelątko, Józef; Oleksiak, Justyna; Kamiński, Janusz; Tarnowski, Michał; Wierzchoń, Tadeusz

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Low temperature plasma nitriding process of NiTi shape memory alloy is presented. • The possibility of treatment details of sophisticated shape. • TiN surface layer has diffusive character. • TiN surface layer increases corrosion resistance of NiTi alloy. • Produced TiN layer modify the biological properties of NiTi alloy. - Abstract: NiTi shape memory alloys are used for bone and cardiological implants. However, on account of the metallosis effect, i.e. the release of the alloy elements into surrounding tissues, they are subjected to various surface treatment processes in order to improve their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility without influencing the required shape memory properties. In this paper, the microstructure, topography and morphology of TiN surface layer on NiTi alloy, and corrosion resistance, both before and after nitriding in low-temperature plasma at 290 °C, are presented. Examinations with the use of the potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods were carried out and show an increase of corrosion resistance in Ringer's solution after glow-discharge nitriding. This surface titanium nitride layer also improved the adhesion of platelets and the proliferation of osteoblasts, which was investigated in in vitro experiments with human cells. Experimental data revealed that nitriding NiTi shape memory alloy under low-temperature plasma improves its properties for bone implant applications

  20. Structure and properties of nitrided surface layer produced on NiTi shape memory alloy by low temperature plasma nitriding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czarnowska, Elżbieta [Children' s Memorial Health Institute, Pathology Department, Al. Dzieci Polskich 20, 04-730 Warsaw (Poland); Borowski, Tomasz [Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Sowińska, Agnieszka [Children' s Memorial Health Institute, Pathology Department, Al. Dzieci Polskich 20, 04-730 Warsaw (Poland); Lelątko, Józef [Silesia University, Faculty of Computer Science and Materials Science, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzów (Poland); Oleksiak, Justyna; Kamiński, Janusz; Tarnowski, Michał [Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Wierzchoń, Tadeusz, E-mail: twierz@inmat.pw.edu.pl [Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • Low temperature plasma nitriding process of NiTi shape memory alloy is presented. • The possibility of treatment details of sophisticated shape. • TiN surface layer has diffusive character. • TiN surface layer increases corrosion resistance of NiTi alloy. • Produced TiN layer modify the biological properties of NiTi alloy. - Abstract: NiTi shape memory alloys are used for bone and cardiological implants. However, on account of the metallosis effect, i.e. the release of the alloy elements into surrounding tissues, they are subjected to various surface treatment processes in order to improve their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility without influencing the required shape memory properties. In this paper, the microstructure, topography and morphology of TiN surface layer on NiTi alloy, and corrosion resistance, both before and after nitriding in low-temperature plasma at 290 °C, are presented. Examinations with the use of the potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods were carried out and show an increase of corrosion resistance in Ringer's solution after glow-discharge nitriding. This surface titanium nitride layer also improved the adhesion of platelets and the proliferation of osteoblasts, which was investigated in in vitro experiments with human cells. Experimental data revealed that nitriding NiTi shape memory alloy under low-temperature plasma improves its properties for bone implant applications.

  1. Method of production of hollow silicon nitride articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parr, N.L.; Brown, R.L.

    1971-01-01

    The hollow articles prepared according to the invention have a high density, exhibit no internal stresses and correspond to high demands of tolerance and surface quality. One obtains these by flame spraying silicon powder on a pre-heated form designed with separating agent - e.g. NaCl. After removing the form, the silicon is nitridated to silicon nitride by heating in N 2 or in an atmosphere of ammonia. This process can be interrupted if the article is also to be mechanically processed, and then the nitridation can be completed. (Hoe/LH) [de

  2. Functionalization of carbon nanotubes/graphene by polyoxometalates and their enhanced photo-electrical catalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Shuang-Shuang; Liu Rong-Ji; Zhang Guang-Jin; Gu Zhan-Jun

    2014-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes and graphene are carbon-based materials, which possess not only unique structure but also properties such as high surface area, extraordinary mechanical properties, high electronic conductivity, and chemical stability. Thus, they have been regarded as an important material, especially for exploring a variety of complex catalysts. Considerable efforts have been made to functionalize and fabricate carbon-based composites with metal nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of our research on the decoration of carbon nanotubes/graphene with metal nanoparticles by using polyoxometalates as key agents, and their enhanced photo-electrical catalytic activities in various catalytic reactions. The polyoxometalates play a key role in constructing the nanohybrids and contributing to their photo-electrical catalytic properties. (invited review — international conference on nanoscience and technology, china 2013)

  3. Ion beam induces nitridation of silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petravic, M.; Williams, J.S.; Conway, M.

    1998-01-01

    High dose ion bombardment of silicon with reactive species, such as oxygen and nitrogen, has attracted considerable interest due to possible applications of beam-induced chemical compounds with silicon. For example, high energy oxygen bombardment of Si is now routinely used to form buried oxide layers for device purposes, the so called SIMOX structures. On the other hand, Si nitrides, formed by low energy ( 100 keV) nitrogen beam bombardment of Si, are attractive as oxidation barriers or gate insulators, primarily due to the low diffusivity of many species in Si nitrides. However, little data exists on silicon nitride formation during bombardment and its angle dependence, in particular for N 2 + bombardment in the 10 keV range, which is of interest for analytical techniques such as SIMS. In SIMS, low energy oxygen ions are more commonly used as bombarding species, as oxygen provides stable ion yields and enhances the positive secondary ion yield. Therefore, a large body of data can be found in the literature on oxide formation during low energy oxygen bombardment. Nitrogen bombardment of Si may cause similar effects to oxygen bombardment, as nitrogen and oxygen have similar masses and ranges in Si, show similar sputtering effects and both have the ability to form chemical compounds with Si. In this work we explore this possibility in some detail. We compare oxide and nitride formation during oxygen and nitrogen ion bombardment of Si under similar conditions. Despite the expected similar behaviour, some large differences in compound formation were found. These differences are explained in terms of different atomic diffusivities in oxides and nitrides, film structural differences and thermodynamic properties. (author)

  4. Friction and wear of some ferrous-base metallic glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

    1984-01-01

    Sliding friction experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and electron microscopy and diffraction studies were conducted with ferrous base metallic glasses (amorphous alloys) in contact with aluminium oxide at temperatures to 750 C in a vacuum. Sliding friction experiments were also conducted in argon and air atmospheres. The results of the investigation indicate that the coefficient of friction increases with increasing temperature to 350 C in vacuum. The increase in friction is due to an increase in adhesion resulting from surface segregation of boric oxide and/or silicon oxide to the surface of the foil. Above 500 C the coefficient of friction decreased rapidly. The decrease correlates with the segregation of boron nitride to the surface. Contaminants can come from the bulk of the material to the surface upon heating and impart boric oxide and/or silicon oxide at 350 C and boron nitride above 500 C. The segregation of contaminants is responsible for the friction behavior. The amorphous alloys have superior wear resistance to crystalline 304 stainless steel. The relative concentrations of the various constituents at the surfaces of the amorphous alloys are very different from the nominal bulk compositions.

  5. Nitridation of porous GaAs by an ECR ammonia plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naddaf, M; Hullavarad, S S; Ganesan, V; Bhoraskar, S V

    2006-01-01

    The effect of surface porosity of GaAs on the nature of growth of GaN, by use of plasma nitridation of GaAs, has been investigated. Porous GaAs samples were prepared by anodic etching of n-type (110) GaAs wafers in HCl solution. Nitridation of porous GaAs samples were carried out by using an electron-cyclotron resonance-induced ammonia plasma. The formation of mixed phases of GaN was investigated using the grazing angle x-ray diffraction method. A remarkable improvement in the intensity of photoluminescence (PL) compared with that of GaN synthesized by direct nitriding of GaAs surface has been observed. The PL intensity of nitrided porous GaAs at the temperature of 380 deg. C was found to be about two orders of magnitude higher as compared with the directly nitrided GaAs at the temperature of 500 deg. C. The changes in the morphology of nitrided porous GaAs have been investigated using both scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy

  6. Nitridation of porous GaAs by an ECR ammonia plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naddaf, M [Center for Advanced Studies in Material Science and Solid State Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Department of Physics, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, PO Box 6091, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic); Hullavarad, S S [Center for Superconductivity Research, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Ganesan, V [Inter University Consortium, Indore (India); Bhoraskar, S V [Center for Advanced Studies in Material Science and Solid State Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India)

    2006-02-15

    The effect of surface porosity of GaAs on the nature of growth of GaN, by use of plasma nitridation of GaAs, has been investigated. Porous GaAs samples were prepared by anodic etching of n-type (110) GaAs wafers in HCl solution. Nitridation of porous GaAs samples were carried out by using an electron-cyclotron resonance-induced ammonia plasma. The formation of mixed phases of GaN was investigated using the grazing angle x-ray diffraction method. A remarkable improvement in the intensity of photoluminescence (PL) compared with that of GaN synthesized by direct nitriding of GaAs surface has been observed. The PL intensity of nitrided porous GaAs at the temperature of 380 deg. C was found to be about two orders of magnitude higher as compared with the directly nitrided GaAs at the temperature of 500 deg. C. The changes in the morphology of nitrided porous GaAs have been investigated using both scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

  7. Nitridation of porous GaAs by an ECR ammonia plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naddaf, M.; Hullavarad, S. S.; Ganesan, V.; Bhoraskar, S. V.

    2006-02-01

    The effect of surface porosity of GaAs on the nature of growth of GaN, by use of plasma nitridation of GaAs, has been investigated. Porous GaAs samples were prepared by anodic etching of n-type (110) GaAs wafers in HCl solution. Nitridation of porous GaAs samples were carried out by using an electron-cyclotron resonance-induced ammonia plasma. The formation of mixed phases of GaN was investigated using the grazing angle x-ray diffraction method. A remarkable improvement in the intensity of photoluminescence (PL) compared with that of GaN synthesized by direct nitriding of GaAs surface has been observed. The PL intensity of nitrided porous GaAs at the temperature of 380 °C was found to be about two orders of magnitude higher as compared with the directly nitrided GaAs at the temperature of 500 °C. The changes in the morphology of nitrided porous GaAs have been investigated using both scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

  8. Toxicological Responses of Environmental Mixtures: Environmental Metals Mixtures Display Synergistic Induction of Metal-Responsive and Oxidative Stress Genes in Placental Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adebambo, Oluwadamilare A.; Ray, Paul D.; Shea, Damian; Fry, Rebecca C.

    2016-01-01

    Exposure to elevated levels of the toxic metals inorganic arsenic (iAs) and cadmium (Cd) represents a major global health problem. These metals often occur as mixtures in the environment, creating the potential for interactive or synergistic biological effects different from those observed in single exposure conditions. In the present study, environmental mixtures collected from two waste sites in China and comparable mixtures prepared in the laboratory were tested for toxicogenomic response in placental JEG-3 cells. These cells serve as a model for evaluating cellular responses to exposures during pregnancy. One of the mixtures was predominated by iAs and one by Cd. Six gene biomarkers were measured in order to evaluate the effects from the metals mixtures using dose and time-course experiments including: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and metallothionein isoforms (MT1A, MT1F and MT1G) previously shown to be preferentially induced by exposure to either iAs or Cd, and metal transporter genes aquaporin-9 (AQP9) and ATPase, Cu2+ transporting, beta polypeptide (ATP7B). There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F, and MT1G in mixture-treated cells compared to the iAs or Cd only-treated cells. Notably, the genomic responses were observed at concentrations significantly lower than levels found at the environmental collection sites. These data demonstrate that metal mixtures increase the expression of gene biomarkers in placental JEG-3 cells in a synergistic manner. Taken together, the data suggest that toxic metals that co-occur may induce detrimental health effects that are currently underestimated when analyzed as single metals. PMID:26472158

  9. Analysis of mechanical properties of steel 1045 plasma nitriding: with and without tempering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machado, N.T.B.; Passos, M.L.M. dos; Riani, J.C.; Recco, A.A.C.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of tempering during the nitriding of AISI 1045 steel. The objective was to evaluate the possibility of eliminating this phase, with the nitriding properties remaining unaltered. For this, three parameter samples were compared: quenched, tempered and nitrided for 2h; quenching and nitrided for 2h and quenching and nitrided for 4h. The analysis techniques used for characterizing the samples before and after nitriding were optical microscopy, hardness Rockwell C (HRC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that phase γ is the most favorable of all parameters tested. The hardness assays showed that samples with different initial hardness (with and without tempering) and even nitriding time showed similar mechanical properties. This fact suggests that the tempering process occurred parallel to the nitriding process. (author)

  10. Surface Area, and Oxidation Effects on Nitridation Kinetics of Silicon Powder Compacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, R. T.; Palczer, A. R.

    1998-01-01

    Commercially available silicon powders were wet-attrition-milled from 2 to 48 hr to achieve surface areas (SA's) ranging from 1.3 to 70 sq m/g. The surface area effects on the nitridation kinetics of silicon powder compacts were determined at 1250 or 1350 C for 4 hr. In addition, the influence of nitridation environment, and preoxidation on nitridation kinetics of a silicon powder of high surface area (approximately equals 63 sq m/g) was investigated. As the surface area increased, so did the percentage nitridation after 4 hr in N2 at 1250 or 1350 C. Silicon powders of high surface area (greater than 40 sq m/g) can be nitrided to greater than 70% at 1250 C in 4 hr. The nitridation kinetics of the high-surface-area powder compacts were significantly delayed by preoxidation treatment. Conversely, the nitridation environment had no significant influence on the nitridation kinetics of the same powder. Impurities present in the starting powder, and those accumulated during attrition milling, appeared to react with the silica layer on the surface of silicon particles to form a molten silicate layer, which provided a path for rapid diffusion of nitrogen and enhanced the nitridation kinetics of high surface area silicon powder.

  11. Anomalous response of supported few-layer hexagonal boron nitride to DC electric fields: a confined water effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Camilla; Matos, Matheus; Mazzoni, Mário; Chacham, Hélio; Neves, Bernardo

    2013-03-01

    Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a two-dimensional compound from III-V family, with the atoms of boron and nitrogen arranged in a honeycomb lattice, similar to graphene. Unlike graphene though, h-BN is an insulator material, with a gap larger than 5 eV. Here, we use Electric Force Microscopy (EFM) to study the electrical response of mono and few-layers of h-BN to an electric field applied by the EFM tip. Our results show an anomalous behavior in the dielectric response for h-BN for different bias orientation: for a positive bias applied to the tip, h-BN layers respond with a larger dielectric constant than the dielectric constant of the silicon dioxide substrate; while for a negative bias, the h-BN dielectric constant is smaller than the dielectric constant of the substrate. Based on first-principles calculations, we showed that this anomalous response may be interpreted as a macroscopic consequence of confinement of a thin water layer between h-BN and substrate. These results were confirmed by sample annealing and also also by a comparative analysis with h-BN on a non-polar substrate. All the authors acknowledge financial support from CNPq, Fapemig, Rede Nacional de Pesquisa em Nanotubos de Carbono and INCT-Nano-Carbono.

  12. Hidroxyapatite Coating on CoCrMo Alloy Titanium Nitride Coated Using Biomimetic Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charlena; Sukaryo, S.G.; Fajar, M.

    2016-01-01

    Bone implants is a way to cure broken bones which is being developed. The implants can be made of metals, ceramics and polymers. Metallic materials commonly used are titanium (Ti), stainless steel, and metal alloys. This study used Co-based alloys, i.e. CoCrMo coated with titanium nitride (TiN) which was then coated on hidroxyapatite (HAp). The HAp coating on the surface of CoCrMo alloy was done by biomimetic methods, first by soaking the metal alloys in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for 18, 24, and 36 hours. The immersion in the SBF solution produced white coat on the surface of the metal alloy. The layers formed were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD). Based on the SEM results of 36 hours treatment, the morphology of apatite crystal formed fine grains. According to XRD result, there were HAp peaks at angles 2θ 31.86, 32.25, dan 39.48. However, there were also CaCO 3 peaks at angles 2θ 29.46, 36.04, and 46.79. It indicated the pure HAp is not yet formed. (paper)

  13. Hidroxyapatite Coating on CoCrMo Alloy Titanium Nitride Coated Using Biomimetic Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlena; Sukaryo, S. G.; Fajar, M.

    2016-11-01

    Bone implants is a way to cure broken bones which is being developed. The implants can be made of metals, ceramics and polymers. Metallic materials commonly used are titanium (Ti), stainless steel, and metal alloys. This study used Co-based alloys, i.e. CoCrMo coated with titanium nitride (TiN) which was then coated on hidroxyapatite (HAp). The HAp coating on the surface of CoCrMo alloy was done by biomimetic methods, first by soaking the metal alloys in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for 18, 24, and 36 hours. The immersion in the SBF solution produced white coat on the surface of the metal alloy. The layers formed were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and characterized by x-ray diffractometer (XRD). Based on the SEM results of 36 hours treatment, the morphology of apatite crystal formed fine grains. According to XRD result, there were HAp peaks at angles 2θ 31.86, 32.25, dan 39.48. However, there were also CaCO3 peaks at angles 2θ 29.46, 36.04, and 46.79. It indicated the pure HAp is not yet formed.

  14. Surface enrichment with chrome and nitriding of IF steel under an abnormal glow discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meira, S.R.; Borges, P.C.; Bernardelli, E.A.

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of surface enrichment of IF steel with chrome, and nitriding, the formation of the nitrided layer. Thus, IF steel samples were subjected to surface enrichment process, using 409 stainless steel as a target for sputtering, followed by plasma nitriding, both under a dc abnormal glow discharge. The enrichment treatment was operated at 1200 ° C for 3h. The nitriding treatment was operated at 510 ° C for 2 h. The influence of the treatments on the layers formed was studied through optical microscopy (OM), scan electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Vickers microindentation. The results show that the enrichment is effective to enrich the IF surface, furthermore, improves the characteristics of nitriding, comparing nitriding samples to nitriding and enriched, was observed needles of nitrides, as well as a higher hardness, which is associated with the nitrides of chrome, on the nitriding and enriched samples. (author)

  15. Continuum modelling for carbon and boron nitride nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thamwattana, Ngamta; Hill, James M

    2007-01-01

    Continuum based models are presented here for certain boron nitride and carbon nanostructures. In particular, certain fullerene interactions, C 60 -C 60 , B 36 N 36 -B 36 N 36 and C 60 -B 36 N 36 , and fullerene-nanotube oscillator interactions, C 60 -boron nitride nanotube, C 60 -carbon nanotube, B 36 N 36 -boron nitride nanotube and B 36 N 36 -carbon nanotube, are studied using the Lennard-Jones potential and the continuum approach, which assumes a uniform distribution of atoms on the surface of each molecule. Issues regarding the encapsulation of a fullerene into a nanotube are also addressed, including acceptance and suction energies of the fullerenes, preferred position of the fullerenes inside the nanotube and the gigahertz frequency oscillation of the inner molecule inside the outer nanotube. Our primary purpose here is to extend a number of established results for carbon to the boron nitride nanostructures

  16. Comparative study involving the uranium determination through catalytic reduction of nitrates and nitrides by using decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguiar, Marco Antonio Souza; Gutz, Ivano G. Rolf

    1999-01-01

    This paper reports a comparative study on the determination of uranium through the catalytic reduction of nitrate and nitride using the decoupled plasma nitridation. The uranyl ions are a good catalyst for the reduction of NO - 3 and NO - 2 ions on the surface of a hanging drop mercury electrode (HDME). The presence of NO - in a solution with p H = 3 presented a catalytic signal more intense than the signal obtained with NO - 3 (concentration ten times higher). A detection limit of 1x10 9 M was obtained using the technique of decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN), suggesting the development of a sensitive way for the determination of uranium in different matrixes

  17. Synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride by reaction of melamine and uric acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dante, Roberto C.; Martin-Ramos, Pablo; Correa-Guimaraes, Adriana; Martin-Gil, Jesus

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Graphitic carbon nitrides by CVD of melamine and uric acid on alumina. → The building blocks of carbon nitrides are heptazine nuclei. → Composite particles with alumina core and carbon nitride coating. - Abstract: Graphitic carbon nitrides were synthesized starting from melamine and uric acid. Uric acid was chosen because it thermally decomposes, and reacts with melamine by condensation at temperatures in the range of 400-600 deg. C. The reagents were mixed with alumina and subsequently the samples were treated in an oven under nitrogen flux. Alumina favored the deposition of the graphitic carbon nitrides layers on the exposed surface. This method can be assimilated to an in situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Infrared (IR) spectra, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, are in accordance with the formation of a graphitic carbon nitride with a structure based on heptazine blocks. These carbon nitrides exhibit poor crystallinity and a nanometric texture, as shown by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The thermal degradation of the graphitic carbon nitride occurs through cyano group formation, and involves the bridging tertiary nitrogen and the bonded carbon, which belongs to the heptazine ring, causing the ring opening and the consequent network destruction as inferred by connecting the IR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results. This seems to be an easy and promising route to synthesize graphitic carbon nitrides. Our final material is a composite made of an alumina core covered by carbon nitride layers.

  18. Some new aspects of microstructural development during sintering of silicon nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feuer, H.; Woetting, G.; Gugel, E.

    1994-01-01

    The mechanical properties of silicon nitride ceramics strongly depend on their microstructure. However, there is still a lively discussion about the parameters controlling the microstructural development. The current research was stimulated by the observation that a bimodal grain-size distribution in dense silicon nitride has a very beneficial effect on the mechanical properties, especially on the fracture toughness. This paper is focused on the relationship between the α-β-transformation and the densification of silicon nitride powders with different characteristics and sintering additives. Effects of β-grains originally present in the silicon nitride powder, of added β-silicon nitride seeds and of β-crystals formed by the α/β-transformation on the resulting microstructure and on the properties are discussed. The results are summarised in a model describing prerequisites and processing conditions, which are necessary to achieve a bimodal microstructure, i. e. a self-reinforced silicon nitride ceramic. (orig.)

  19. Tribological properties of plasma and pulse plasma nitrided AISI 4140 steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Podgornik, B.; Vizintin, J. [Ljubljana Univ. (Slovenia). Center of Tribology and Tech. Diagnostics; Leskovsek, V. [Inst. of Metals and Technologies, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    1998-10-10

    Plasma nitriding is usually used for ferrous materials to improve their surface properties. Knowledge of the properties of thin surface layers is essential for designing engineering components with optimal wear performance. In our study, we investigated the microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of plasma- and pulse plasma-nitrided AISI 4140 steel in comparison to hardened steel. The influence of nitriding case depth as well as the presence of a compound layer on its tribological behaviour was also examined. Plasma and pulse plasma nitriding were carried out using commercial nitriding processes. Nitrided samples were fully characterised, using metallographic, SEM microscopic, microhardness and profilometric techniques, before and after wear testing. Wear tests were performed on a pin-on-disc wear testing machine in which nitrided pins were mated to hardened ball bearing steel discs. The wear tests were carried out under dry conditions where hardened samples were used as a reference. The resulting wear loss as well as the coefficient of friction was monitored as a function of load and test time. Several microscopic techniques were used to analyse the worn surfaces and wear debris in order to determine the dominant friction and wear characteristics. Results showed improved tribological properties of AISI 4140 steel after plasma and pulse plasma nitriding compared to hardening. However, the compound layer should be removed from the surface by mechanical means or by decreasing the amount of nitrogen in the nitriding atmosphere, to avoid impairment of the tribological properties by fracture of the hard and brittle compound layer followed by the formation of hard abrasive particles. (orig.) 10 refs.

  20. Microstructure and antibacterial properties of microwave plasma nitrided layers on biomedical stainless steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Li-Hsiang; Chen, Shih-Chung; Wu, Ching-Zong; Hung, Jing-Ming; Ou, Keng-Liang

    2011-01-01

    Nitriding of AISI 303 austenitic stainless steel using microwave plasma system at various temperatures was conducted in the present study. The nitrided layers were characterized via scanning electron microscopy, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Vickers microhardness tester. The antibacterial properties of this nitrided layer were evaluated. During nitriding treatment between 350 deg. C and 550 deg. C, the phase transformation sequence on the nitrided layers of the alloys was found to be γ → (γ + γ N ) → (γ + α + CrN). The analytical results revealed that the surface hardness of AISI 303 stainless steel could be enhanced with the formation of γ N phase in nitriding process. Antibacterial test also demonstrated the nitrided layer processed the excellent antibacterial properties. The enhanced surface hardness and antibacterial properties make the nitrided AISI 303 austenitic stainless steel to be one of the essential materials in the biomedical applications.