Optical Properties of Polyimide Films in the Infrared

The objective of this study is to determine the infrared optical constants of polyimide films in the spectral range between 2000 and 7000 cm^-1using a five-oscillator Lorentz model. Model parameters are presented, in addition to the derived values of the complex refractive index and dielectric constant. The parameters were obtained using electromagnetic theory for thin films to model reflectivity data from two film samples with different thicknesses (5.17 and 12.4 m) on gold substrates examined at two incident angles. Measurements were taken using a polarizable reflectometer device in a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The real part of the refractive index, n, is shown to be about 1.67, while the imaginary part, k, is less than 0.01 over the spectral range examined. Results are consistent with findings of other experimentalists, and new data presented here show that polarization effects on thin film layers are predictable from the proposed model.     

Field emission characteristics of CNTs synthesized by bias-assisted ICPHFCVD and ICPCVD techniques

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were vertically well-grown on Ni/Cr-deposited glass substrates at 580 °C by ICPCVD and bias-assisted ICPHFCVD techniques. The vertically well-aligned CNTs showed multi-walled type with hollow structure. The measured critical current density on CNTs grown by the ICPCVD technique was 1.0×10^–6 A cm^–2 at 5 V m^–1 of turn-on field and 7.7×10^–5 A cm^–2 at 7.8 V m^–1 of the critical field. On the other hand, the critical current density on CNTs grown by the bias-assisted ICPHFCVD technique was 3.7×10^–7 A cm^–2 at 3 V m of turn-on field and 3.3×10^–4 A cm^–2 at 6.8 V m^–1 of the critical field, respectively. On comparing the two processes, it can be concluded that CNTs grown by bias-assisted ICPHFCVD are more suitable than those grown by ICPCVD for the possible application of field emission displays (FEDs).     

Electrical and optical properties of PLZT thin films on ITO coated glass by sol-gel processing

Sol-gel processed PLZT thin films were fabricated on ITO-coated glass substrates with RTA (rapid thermal annealing). The electrical and optical properties such as hysteresis curves, dielectric constant, dielectric loss and optical transmittance of thin films were investigated. The PLZT thin films were crystallized to the perovskite structure by RTA at 750°C for 5 min. As the La percentage was increased, the dielectric constant increased, and that of 9/65/35 PLZT thin film was 1750. The coercive field and remnant polarization decreased with La increase from 33.82 kV/cm to 14.71 kV/cm and from 39.26 C/cm² to 9.57 C/cm² respectively. As the Zr percentage increased at 2% La, the coercive field decreased from 52.94 kV/cm to 30 kV/cm, but the remnant polarization increased from 22.74 C/cm² to 50.75 C/cm², and the dielectric constant had a maximum value of 1269 at 2/55/45 composition. The optical transmittance was increased as La percentage increased but was decreased as the annealing temperature increased.     

Study of light absorption in n-type and p-type GaInAs and the possibility of making 1.55-μm GaInAs/InP Bragg mirrors

Effects of impurity doping on optical properties of epitaxially grown Ga_0.47In_0.53As semiconductors lattice-matched to InP have been studied. The absorption coefficient decreased and the photoluminescent peak energy increased at very high doping levels, due to a Burstein–Moss shift. Absorption in n-type Ga_0.47In_0.53As was negligible at a wavelength of 1.55 m when the donor (Si) concentration was higher than 7.7 × 10¹⁸cm^–3, but was higher than 4000 cm^–1 at = 1.3 m. Absorption in p-type Ga_0.47In_0.53As was 2600 cm^–1 and 7000 cm^–1 at 1.55 and 1.3 m, respectively, when the acceptor (Be) concentration was 3.4 × 10¹⁹cm^–3. Emission from n-type Ga_0.47In_0.53As experienced a maximum shift of 170 meV towards higher energies relative to emission from undoped Ga_0.47In_0.53As, while emission from p-type Ga_0.47In_0.53As shifted 45 meV. The Burstein–Moss effect was used in growth of 1.55-m distributed Bragg mirrors having 20 pairs of quarter-wave n–Ga_0.47In_0.53As/InP layers. Reflectivity greater than 95% and a stop-band width of 60 nm were demonstrated.     

Proton conducting polymer electrolyte: II poly ethylene oxide + NH4l system

A new proton conducting polymer electrolyte PEO + NH₄l system has been investigated. The solution-cast films of different stochiometric ratios have been prepared and characterized. Proton transport has been established using various experimental studies, namely optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, infrared, coulometry transient ionic current and electrical conductivity measurements at different temperatures and humidity. The maximum conductivity of the complexed material has been found to be 10^–5 S cm^–1. Both H⁺ ion and I^– anion movements are involved with respective transference numbers and mobilities ast _H+=0.74, ,t _l–=0.09, _H+=4.97 × 10^–6 cm² V^–1 s^–1 and _l–=7.65.     

Ion-implantation technology for improved GaAs MESFETs performance

Electrical properties of Si-implanted and co-implanted with Mg or Be in semi-insulating GaAs was studied. The Si-implanted MESFETs with and without buried p-layer (formed by Mg or Be) have been fabricated and characterized by their d.c. and r.f. performance. The experimental results showed that the device with a buried p-layer can effectively suppress the substrate leakage current (thus good pinch-off characteristic) and obtained higher gain linearity than these without a buried p-layer. For 1 m×100 m MESFETs device with co-implantation of Si (8×10¹² cm^–2) and Be (6×10¹¹ cm^–2) demonstrated uniform transconductance (g_m) of 115 mS mm^–1 with the gate voltage ranging from –1 to 1 V and reduced pinch-off voltage compared to those with co-implantation of Si and Mg (6×10¹¹ cm^–2). The measured f_T and f_max of a 1 m×25 m MESFET with co-implantation of Si and Be are 10 and 39 GHz, respectively. However, FETs with increased Mg dose (from 6×10¹¹ cm^–2 to 2×10¹² cm^–2) in a buried p-layer can obtain higher transconductance and saturation current.     

Fabrication of bulk superconductors YBa2Cu3?xTexO7?δ with highly oriented layer structure using the melt-texture growth process

We report on the successful fabrication of bulk samples satisfying the nominal composition YBa₂Cu_3–x Te _x O_7– and containing highly single-crystal-like texture. While this type of crystal growing process is not new, our process requires only the existence of spatial temperature gradient in some parts of the common tube furnace. The samples with tellurium were found to be much more stable and better superconductors than the Y-123 specimen. Large layer textures with cross-section 50×500m² were observed to grow inside the usual bulk sample. The critical currents were measured by the d.c. magnetization method and found to be easily greater than 6000 A cm^–2 for the samples with Te.     

Absorption Spectrum of ZnO Precipitates in ZnSe

The absorption spectrum of ZnO precipitates in ZnSe saturated with oxygen is studied in the spectral range 500–2000 cm^–1 and is shown to correlate with the transmission spectrum of single-crystal ZnO. Saturation of ZnSe with oxygen in the course of growth leads to ZnO precipitation during cooling. The precipitates give rise to narrow absorption bands in the range 5.8–7.1 m, which correlate with the components of the multiphonon absorption spectrum of ZnO, formed by combinations of LO and TO phonons. The 2LO mode defines the long-wavelength transmission edge of ZnO. In addition, the spectrum shows strong absorptions due to the LO + TO(10.2 m) and 2TO (11.3 and 12.7 m) modes. The possible role of SeO₂ is discussed. It is suggested that ZnO with a high carrier concentration may act as a gray filter in the spectral range 2–9 m.     

Characteristics of sol-gel derived PZT thin films with lead oxide cover layers and lead titanate interlayers

The sol-gel derived PbZr_0.53Ti_0.47O₃ (PZT) films were fabricated on the bare Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates or the same substrates coated by the PbTiO₃ (PT) interlayers. The post-deposition annealing temperature and time were optimized when the PbO cover layers and PbO vapour-containing atmosphere were compared with each other and adopted as the method to diminish the lead-loss problem during the high-temperature post-deposition annealing. The X-ray diffraction patterns, microstructures, and electrical properties such as relative permittivity, _r, remanent polarization, P _r, and coercive electrical field, E _c, were investigated in relation to the annealing conditions. The PZT films deposited on the bare Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates under the PbO vapour-containing atmosphere showed better electrical properties. This indicates that the PbO vapour-containing atmosphere may be the better method of lead-loss-prevention to process the lead-containing films rather than the PbO cover layer method. The electrical characteristics of the PZT films, _r=1150, a dissipation factor of 0.039, P _r=26 C cm^–2, and E _c=40.5 kV cm^–1 were measured at 1 kHz. When PZT films were deposited on substrates coated by the PT layers, PZT-PT films with single perovskite phase were derived by post-deposition annealing at 500 °C for 1 h. However, the relative electrical properties are very poor, i.e. E _r=160, P _r=2.0 C cm^–2 and E _c=75 kVcm^–1. The optimum combination for preparing PZT-PT films is a 40 nm PbTiO₃ interlayer and annealing conditions of 6 h at 550 °C in a PbO vapour-containing atmosphere; the derived films exhibit electrical properties of E _r=885, P _r=21.5 C cm^–2 and E _c=64 kV cm^–1. The combination of inserting a PT interlayer and annealing in a PbO vapour-containing atmosphere can prevent the formation of electrical short paths. In this case, nearly pin-hole-free PZT films can be grown on the PT (interlayer) /Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates. It is believed that it is possible to prepare the PZT films with nano-scale uniformity, reproducible quality, which may be worth considering for commercial applications.     

Space charge limited current, variable range hopping and mobility gap in thermally evaporated amorphous InSe thin films

We have analyzed the properties of as-deposited InSe thin films, deposited onto well cleaned glass substrates under a vacuum of 10^–5 Torr, using X-ray diffraction, Rutherford back scattering, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, optical transmittance and current–voltage (120–390 K) measurements. Allowed and indirect transition was identified and the mobility gap was determined as 1.44 eV. Under low field (<1×10⁵ V cm^–1) and in the temperature range of 130–200 K, the conductivity in the films was behaving like that of Mott's variable-range hopping (VRH) type. Mott's parameters such as characteristics temperature (T ₀), hopping range (R _hop), hopping energy (W _hop), values of localized states density N (E _F), and activation energy (E _a) were estimated. In the temperature range 210–290 K, thermionic conduction mechanism plays a dominant role and its activation energy was calculated. At high field (>2×10⁵ V cm^–1) and in the temperature range of 300–390 K, space charge limited conduction currents (SCLC) mechanism was observed and the related parameters, such as electron density (n ₀), trap density (n _t), the ratio between free electron density to the total electron density (), mobility () and the effective mobility (_eff) of the InSe film of typical thickness 265 nm were calculated and the results are discussed.