Growth and properties of CuInS2 single crystals

CuInS₂ single crystals 14–16 mm in diameter and up to 40 mm in length were grown by the traveling solvent method. The crystals were found to ben-type, with a conductivity of 0.1–10 S/cm, carrier concentration of 10¹⁶–10¹⁷ cm⁻³, and carrier mobility of 150–220 cm²/(V s). The anisotropic thermal expansion of the crystals was measured.     

ZnO nanostructured microspheres and grown structures by thermal treatment

Synthesis of flower-shaped ZnO nanostructures composed of ZnO nanosticks was achieved by the solution process using zinc acetate dihydrate, sodium hydroxide and polyethylene glycol-20000 (PEG-20000) at 180°C for 4 h. The diameter of individual nanosticks was about 100 nm. Detailed structure characterizations demonstrate that the synthesized products are wurtzite hexagonal phase, grown along the [001] direction. The infrared (IR) spectrum shows the standard peak of zinc oxide at 571 cm⁻¹. Raman scattering exhibits a sharp and strong E ₂ mode at 441 cm⁻¹ which further confirms the good crystal and wurtzite hexagonal phase of the grown nanostructures.     

Sol–gel synthesis and electrical characterization of (Pb, Ca)TiO3 thin films

Calcium modified lead titanate films have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates using a sol–gel route. The sols were prepared from propanediol solutions of Pb(CH₃COO)₂·xH₂O, Ti(OC₃H₇)₂(CH₃COCHCOCH₃)₂ and Ca(NO₃)₂·xH₂O. Tetragonal phase (Pb, Ca)TiO3 films could be produced by firing the coatings at 650°C for 30 min. The limiting thickness of crack-free single layers was ∼0.4 μm, but 3 μm thick films could be made by a multiple deposition technique. Dielectric and ferroelectric parameters were determined for single layer 0.5 μm films for compositions up to 30 mol% Ca. The average values of remanent polarization, P_r and coercive field, E_c decreased with increasing Ca content from ∼11 μC cm⁻² and ∼125 Kv cm⁻¹ for a 10 mol% Ca composition to ∼8 μC cm⁻² and 80 kV cm⁻¹ for 30 mol% Ca films. It was noted that the statistical variation in electrical values across each film was greater than in PZT films made by a similar sol–gel route. Reasons for this are discussed in terms of the incidence of physical defects in the films. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electrical and optical properties of P-doped ZnO thin films by annealing temperatures in Nitrogen ambient

The effects of post-annealing temperature on the optical and electrical properties of P-doped ZnO thin films, grown on sapphire substrate, have been investigated when the annealing is performed under nitrogen ambient. Analysis of the XRD shows that regardless of the post-annealing temperature, the P-doped ZnO thin films have grown the (002) peak. The full width of half maximum decreases from 0.194 to 0.181° as the annealing temperature increases from 700 to 900 °C. This phenomenon means that the increase of annealing temperature causes enhancement of the thin film’s crystalline properties. The results of Hall effect measurements indicate that the P-doped ZnO thin films, annealed at 750 and 800 °C exhibit p-type behavior, with hole concentrations of 5.71 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ and 1.20 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³, and hole mobilities of 0.12 cm²/Vs and 0.08 cm²/Vs, respectively. The low-temperature (10 K) photoluminescence results reveal that the peaks related to the neutral-acceptor exciton (A⁰X) at 3.355 eV, free electrons to neutral acceptor (FA) at 3.305 eV and donor acceptor pair (DAP) at 3.260 and 3.170 eV are observed in the films showing p-type behavior with the acceptors. Because P atoms replace O atoms to produce acceptors from P-doped ZnO thin films by the thermal activation process at the appropriate annealing temperature with nitrogen ambient, the p-type ZnO thin films can be fabricated in this way.     

Synthesis,characterization and properties of ferroelectric rubidium hydrogen tartrate single crystals

Rubidium hydrogen tartrate single crystals were grown in silica hydrogel. Controlled reaction was employed between tartaric acid and rubidium chloride solutions by slow diffusion process in the gel medium. Colourless transparent crystals were grown at room temperature. The average density of crystals measured pyknometrically was 2·263 g cm⁻³. Thermal stability of the materials was studied. Chemical etching was employed to determine the perfection of these crystals.     

Photoelectronic properties of HgI2 crystals for nuclear radiation detection

Photoelectronic properties of red mercuric iodide single crystals, grown from its saturated solution in tetrahydrofuran, have been studied for the wavelength range 450–700 nm at temperatures 80,110, 175, 235 and 300 K. Various aspects of the optical generation of charge carriers have been discussed. The computer simulation of the room temperature photoconductivity has generated the optimized values of the mobility-lifetime products μ_eτ_e = 5.67 × 10⁻⁵ cm²/V, μ_hτ_h = 0.18 × 10⁻⁵ cm²/V), and surface recombination velocities (S_e = 3.2 × 10⁵ cm/s, S_h = 4.5 × 10⁵ cm/s) of the charge carriers in these crystals. The estimated values of the electron and hole drift lengths for typical electric fields suggest that, under the negative electrode illumination, THF α-HgI₂ crystals have high potential as regards to their use as photodetectors in most of the scintillation spectrometers.     

Dislocation etching of GaSe single crystals

Dislocation etching of GaSe single crystals was investigated by using a dilute chromic-sulphuric acid mixture, when conical etch pits were revealed on the (0001) surfaces. At the apices of spiral growth hills, bunches of spiral dislocations were revealed, proving that it is not a single screw dislocation of large Burgers vector, but a bunch of co-operating screw dislocations that were responsible for the spiral growth formations of large step-height. In the case of GaSe crystals, grown by vapour transport methods, dislocation densities of 10² to 10⁶ cm⁻² were found. The Bridgman crystals investigated were completely free from non-basal dislocations.     

Glass formation region and electrical conductivity in the system B2O3-Li2O-Li3PO4

Glass formation region was determined for the B₂O₃-Li₂O-Li₃PO₄ system. Under the present experimental conditions, binary lithium borate glasses could be formed containing a maximum of 27 mol% Li₂O. However, this could be increased to 36 mol% in the ternary system. Electrical conductivity was measured at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 350°C. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of these glasses follows Arrhenius equation. The conductivity increased with increasingly alkali content. Maximum conductivity of the order of 10⁻⁴ ohm⁻¹ cm⁻¹ was obtained with the glass containing about 36 mol% Li₂O at 250°C. Activation energy for conduction also varied with total Li₂O content.     

Effect of substrate temperature on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition

ZnO thin films were grown by the pulse laser deposition (PLD) method using Si (100) substrates at various substrate temperatures. The influence of the substrate temperature on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the ZnO thin films was investigated. All of the thin films showed c-axis growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. At a substrate temperature of 500 °C, the ZnO thin film showed the highest (002) peak with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.39°. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) study showed that Zn was in excess irrespective of the substrate temperature and that the thin film had a nearly stoichiometrical composition at a substrate temperature of 500 °C. The photoluminescence (PL) investigation showed that the narrowest UV FWHM of 15.8 nm and the largest ratio of the UV peak to the deep-level peak of 32.9 were observed at 500 °C. Hall effect measurement systems provided information about the carrier concentration, mobility and resistivity. At a substrate temperature of 500 °C, the Hall mobility was the value of 37.4 cm²/Vs with carrier concentration of 1.36 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and resistivity of 2.08 × 10⁻¹ Ω cm.     

Linear field emission cathode with ZnO grown in aqueous solutions

A new type of linear field emission cathode with ZnO nanostructure grown on nickel wires was prepared by hydrothermal approach. The obtained ZnO nanotapers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the ZnO nanotapers with sharp tips were high quality single crystals, and grow along (002) direction. The field emission properties were investigated by ZnO nanotapers on nickel wire as the cathode in the centre of a cylindrical ITO anode. The field enhancement factor β was about 2.23 × 10⁴ cm⁻¹, which improved greatly for the cylindrical configuration and sharp geometry of the ZnO nanotapers tip.     

Fabrication and growth mechanism of hexagonal zinc oxide nanorods via solution process

This article presents, the fabrication of perfectly hexagonal zinc oxide nanorods performed via solution process using zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) at various concentrations of i.e. 1 × 10⁻³ to 10 × 10⁻² M in 50 mL distilled water and refluxed at 100 °C for 1 h. We used HMT because it acts as a template for the nucleation and growth of zinc oxide nanorods, and it also works as a surfactant for the zinc oxide structures. The X-ray diffraction patterns clearly reveal that the grown product is pure zinc oxide. The diameters and lengths of the synthesized nanorods lie in the range of 200–800 nm and 2–4 μm, respectively as observed from the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The morphological observation was also confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and clearly consistent with the FESEM observations. The chemical composition was analyzed by the FTIR spectroscopy, and it shows the ZnO band at 405 cm⁻¹. On the basis of these observations, the growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures was also proposed.     

Electrical characterization of low temperature deposited oxide films on ZnO/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-Si substrate

Thin films of silicon dioxide are deposited on ZnO/n-Si substrate at a low temperature using tetra-ethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The ZnO/n-Si films have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The border trap density (Q_bt) and fixed oxide charge density (Q_f/q) of the SiO₂/ZnO/n-Si films are found to be 3.9 × 10¹⁰ cm⁻² and 1.048 × 10¹¹ cm⁻², respectively. The trapping characteristics and stress induced leakage current (SILC) have also been studied under Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) constant current stressing.     

Microwave dielectric ceramics in the BaO–TiO2–ZnO system doped with Nb2O5

The microwave dielectric properties of BaO–TiO₂–ZnO (BTZ) system ceramics were studied as a function of the amount of Nb₂O₅ dopant. With the addition of 0–0.025 mol% Nb₂O₅, the substitution of Ti⁴⁺ ions with Nb⁵⁺ ions decreased the sintering temperature and increased the dielectric constant ε_r and quality factor Q of the system due to the similar atomic radius of Nb⁵⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ ions. When the amount of Nb⁵⁺ increased further (>0.025 mol%), Q was decreased by increasing the titanium vacancies. When the system doped with 0.025 mol% Nb₂O₅ was sintered at 1160 °C for 6 h, the ε_r, Qf₀, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) were 36.7, 41,000 GHz, and −5.0 ppm/°C, respectively, at 5 GHz.     

Ferromagnetic Resonance and Hall Effect Characterization of GaMnSb Layers

The electrical and magnetic properties of GaSb:Mn layers deposited on (100)GaAs substrates from a laser plasma in vacuum have been studied. It is shown that the films deposited at 200–440 °C are mosaic single crystalline and epitaxial to the substrate, with p-type conduction. Manganese-doped layers had a hole concentration higher than 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and fairly high values of mobility (up to 40 cm²/V s at 300 K). The layers grown at 200 °C exhibited an anomalous Hall effect up to approximately room temperature. On the contrary, a normal Hall effect was observed in the layers grown at 440 °C. Ferromagnetic resonance measurements have revealed the existence of ferromagnetism in the sample grown at 200 °C. The transition temperature is close to room temperature, in full agreement with the Hall data. In the sample grown at 440 °C, the formation of ferromagnetic clusters has tentatively been concluded.     

Thermal and Doping Effect on Sn/(n)ZnO Schottky Junction and Its Performance as a <Emphasis Type="Italic">PV</Emphasis> Effect

Thin film Sn/(n)ZnO Schottky junctions with different doping concentrations were prepared by vacuum evaporation. Different junction parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, Richardson’s constant, short-circuit current, etc. were determined from I–V characteristics. These parameters were found to change significantly with variations of doping concentration and temperature. The structures showed the change of the PV effect, giving a fill factor of 0.42 (efficiency of 0.39 %) with an open-circuit voltage of 124mV and a short-circuit current density of 113 × 10⁻⁵ A ·cm⁻² for a doping concentration, N _d = 3.88 × 10¹⁵ cm ⁻³(2.74 % Al-doped ZnO). However, by increasing the doping concentration, the efficiency was found to increase by up to 4.54 % for doping concentration, N _d = 2.28 × 10¹⁷ cm ⁻³. The conversion efficiencies varied with temperature and were observed to have an overall improvement up to 343 K. Proper doping, annealing, and hydrogenation are necessary to reduce the series resistance so as to achieve an ideal and high efficiency PVconverter.     

Electrical conduction properties of Sr-doped Bi<Subscript>4</Subscript>(SiO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> with the eulytite-type structure

Electrical conduction in 1 mol% Sr-doped Bi₄(SiO₄)₃ with the eulytite-type structure at elevated temperatures was investigated with conductivity measurements. Conductivity of the material under wet condition was higher than that under dry condition, and were 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ – 9.7 × 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ at 500–850 ^°C. From H/D isotope effects and p(O₂)-dependencies of the conductivity, it was found that the Sr-doped Bi₄(SiO₄)₃ exhibited protonic conduction at all the temperatures investigated while contribution of p-type conduction became significant with increasing p(O₂) and/or temperature. Protonic and p-type conductions in the material were discussed in terms of defect equilibria.     

n-CuInS2/polysulfide photoelectrochemical solar cells prepared by spray pyrolysis

n-CuInS₂ photoanode has been prepared by spray pyrolysis onto SnO₂ deposited glass substrate at 350°C. The conductivity type of the photoanode was tested by hot-probe method and was ofn type. The conductivity of the photoanode was of the order of 2–4Θ⁻¹cm⁻¹ and was measured by using four-probe method. The effect of etching (HCl:HNO₃ = 5:1 by volume) on photoanode properties has been studied. The best cell had the following parameters:V _oc = 0·29V,I _sc = 5·33 mA/cm²,ff = 0·571 and η = 1·275%.     

Low temperature preparation of stabilized zirconia

The preparation of stabilized zirconia by thermal decomposition of metal alkoxides is reported. Formation of stabilized zirconia takes place at 400° C. The a.c. conductivity of the samples has been measured from 400 to 1000°C. The best conductivity is found in ZrO₂doped with 15 per cent CaO, which at 400° C is 2.37×10⁻⁶ Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ and at 1000°C is 1.26×10⁻² Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹, with an activation energy of 1.16eV. Transport number measurements show that stabilized zirconia prepared by this method is purely an oxygen ion conductor.     

Influence of Nb addition on microstructure,electrical, dielectric properties,and aging behavior of MnCoDy modified Zn–V-based varistors

The microstructure, electrical properties, dielectric characteristics, and DC accelerated aging behavior of the MnCoDy modified Zn–V-based varistors were investigated for Nb amount of 0.0–0.25 mol% by sintering at 900 °C. The microstructure of the MnCoDy modified Zn–V-based varistors consisted of ZnO grain as a main phase and Zn₃(VO₄)₂, ZnV₂O₄, and DyVO₄ as the secondary phases. The Nb addition led to the increase of grain size, whereas it does not have an effect on the sintered density. The nonlinear coefficient improved with the increase of Nb amount up to 0.1 mol%, whereas the further Nb additions impaired it. A maximum of the nonlinear coefficient (35) was obtained at 0.1 mol% Nb. The Nb acted as a donor less than 0.1 mol% and an acceptor more than 0.25 mol%. The best stability of system against DC accelerated aging stress was obtained at 0.1 mol% Nb, in which %ΔE_1 mA = −0.24%, %Δα = −15.4%, %Δ ε′_APP = −1.4%, and %Δ tanδ = +12.5% for stress state of 0.85 E_1 mA/85 °C/24 h.     

Infrared absorption spectra of defects in carbon doped neutron-irradiated Si

Experimental data of infrared (IR) absorption measurements carried out on fast neutron irradiated carbon rich Cz–Si crystals were studied. Data from similar crystals, subjected prior to irradiation to thermal treatments at 1000 °C [(HT)] and thermal treatments at 1000 °C under high hydrostatic pressure [(HTHP)] of 11Kbar, were also studied. The time duration of both treatments was 5 h. After the irradiation the intensities of most of the observed bands were always stronger in the pre-treated material. Transformation of the defects upon post-irradiation isochronal anneals was investigated. Two out of six IR bands of the C_iC_s defect in the neutral charge state, at 543.5 and 635 cm⁻¹, were detected at room temperature [(RT)]. It is argued that another two bands at 918 and 1006 cm⁻¹ arising in the spectra upon annealing of the C_iC_s bands are associated with the same carbon-related structure giving rise to the Si-PT4 electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum. A band at 533 cm⁻¹ shows the same thermal evolution with a defect giving rise to the Si-P6 EPR spectrum attributed to a multi-interstitial cluster in silicon. Differences observed in the evolution curves of the C_iC_s(Si_I) defect (987, 993 cm⁻¹) between the as-grown and the pre-treated samples are considered and discussed.