Optical, electrical and thermoelectric power studies of Al-Sb thin film bilayer structure

The III-V semiconductors are of great importance due to their applications in various electro-optic devices. The Al-Sb thin film was deposited on glass substrate by thermal evaporation method at a pressure of 10^-5 torr. The samples were annealed for 3 h at different constant temperatures in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of 10^-5 torr. The electrical resistance vs temperature studies show phase transformation from metallic to semiconducting. The observed positive thermoelectric power indicates that Al-Sb thin films arep-type in nature. The Rutherford back scattering analysis and optical band gap measurements also indicate that the inter-diffusion concentration varies with temperature.     

Flow-based autocorrelation studies for the detection and investigation of single-particle surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopic events

We report on the characterization and detection of single metallic nanoparticles using a combination of correlation spectroscopy and surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS). Minimizing the number of independent characterization steps is critical to efficiently perform such an analysis. In this article, we improve upon conventional diffusion-limited approaches by implementing a flow-based system with high temporal resolution detection. The benefits of flow over diffusion measurements allow for a higher throughput of detected events resulting in shorter analysis times. The nanoparticles are sized using their rotational diffusion time calculated with a modified autocorrelation function. Experiments are performed using Au nanoparticles labeled with the reporter molecule malachite green isothiocyanate on a custom-built Raman spectrometer.     

Raman spectroscopic investigation of sodium borosilicate glass structure

Raman spectra of sodium borosilicate glasses with a wide range of Na₂O/B₂O₃ ratios were systematically measured. Variations of the spectra with glass composition were studied to interpret the implied distribution of Na⁺ ions between silicate and borate units. When Na₂O/B₂O₃ is less than 1, all Na⁺ ions are associated with borate units as indicated by the absence of the 1100 cm⁻¹ band of Si-O⁻ non-bridging bond stretching. For the (1−x)Na₂O · SiO₂ ·xB₂O₃ glass withx≦0.4 the peak-height ratio of the 950 cm⁻¹ band to the 1080 cm⁻¹ band was used to analyse semiquantitatively the distribution of the Na⁺ ions between silicate and borate units. Sodium ions are divided between silicate and borate units approximately in proportion to the amount of SiO₂ and B₂O₃ present in these glasses. Some of the high sodium content glasses were crystallized and their spectra were compared with the bulk glass spectra. The distribution of Na⁺ ions in the glass was quite different from their distribution after crystallization. Spectra of high silica glasses that had been heat-treated for phase separation indicated exclusion of borate units from the silica network and the formation of borate groups. For high boron content glasses, no change was observed on heat treatment. Raman bands due to borate groups seem to be little affected by their environments. Also affiliated with the Department of Geosciences.     

Analysis of thermally induced delamination of thermoelectric thin film/substrate system

Thermoelectric thin film/substrate structures have many practical applications such as in heat recovery systems. The general problem of thermally induced delamination between a thermoelectric thin film and a substrate is investigated. The temperature varies along the length direction but is constant along the thickness direction of the film. Analytical solutions of the temperature field in the film and the stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the delamination crack tips are obtained. The combined heat convection and heat radiation between the film surfaces and the surrounding medium (i.e., the air) are taken into account. Numerical results show that the SIFs sharply increase as the tips of the delamination crack approach the ends of the film. The combined heat convection and heat radiation can increase or decrease the SIFs. The mechanism for the delamination propagation in the thermoelectric film/substrate system is examined. The critical (permissible) temperature difference across the film governing the delamination propagation is identified.     

The growth of heavily Mg-doped GaN thin film on Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy

This paper reports the growth of p-GaN by molecular beam epitaxy. During growth, reflection high electron energy diffraction displayed streaky pattern. Hall Effect measurement indicated a hole concentration of 3.90 × 10²⁰ cm^− 3. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that p-GaN has high structural quality. Photoluminescence spectrum showed that band edge emission was found at 354.1 nm, significantly shifted from usual reported value, i.e. 364 nm. The shift was attributed to Burstein-Moss effect. In addition, a broad emission peak at 387.5 nm was also observed which was due to the transition from conduction band edge to Mg acceptor level. Moreover, the presence of 657 cm^− 1 Raman peak also confirmed the heavy Mg-doped characteristic in p-GaN.     

Nanoindentation studies of thin film coated systems

In this paper we report the results of ultralow load indentation (“nanoindentation”) tests carried out on a range of thin film coated systems. In addition to characterizing the properties of each system at high resolutions, a further principal aim has been to explore the extent to which it is possible to generalize the nanoindentation response of the various systems in terms of the relative mechanical properties of the coating and the substrate. In this case we classify the substrate and coating in terms of the relative elastic and plastic responses (i.e. the ratio of yield stress to Young's modulus). Some of the different possible responses are shown together with the transitions in response (elasticity-dominated to plasticity-dominated and vice versa) which can occur. We also report on the various steps which can occur in loading curves and our attempts to relate them, via high resolution scanning electron microscopy, to the fracture patterns (through-thickness cracks and interfacial cracks) within and around the indentations.     

Raman spectroscopic investigation of the structure and crystallization of binary alkali germanate glasses

Raman spectra have been measured on bulk GeO₂ glass and the alkali germanate glasses of composition M₂OxGeO₂ where M=K, Na, Li, and x varies from 19 to 1, as well as on crystallized glasses. The low alkali content glasses (x3) retain a completely polymerized structure of germania polyhedra. Addition of small amounts of alkali oxide to GeO₂ glass does not break the Ge-O-Ge bridging bonds and creates higher co-ordination of germanium atoms. Further addition of alkali oxide eventually breaks up some of the Ge-O-Ge bonds to create Ge-O^– non-bridging oxygens. In the K- and Na-glasses a small number of non-bridging oxygens already exist at x=4.5, while in the Li-glasses they do not exist even at x=4. The structures of the low alkali content glasses start to disappear at x between 4 and 3 and they disappear almost completely at x=2. At x between 2 and 1, glass structures become analogous to the silicate glass structures. At x=2, the glass consists of disordered (Ge₂O₅) _n sheet-like structures and at x=1 disordered (GeO₃) _n chain structures.     

Raman spectroscopic and visible absorption investigation of LiCrSi2O6 pyroxene under pressure

The first observation of the vibrational spectrum of the synthetic pyroxene Li-kosmochlor (LiCrSi2O6) is reported herein. The Raman and visible spectra are reported as a function of pressure. Though the pyroxene retains its P21/c symmetry, changes in the Raman spectra are observed between 6.8 and 7.7 GPa, possibly due to the formation of an additional bond between Li and O3 or some other transition that retains the mineral's P21/c space group. Splitting of the peak appearing at approximately 700 cm(-1), used to characterize the P21/c phase in other studies, is not observed. Comparison is made with the Raman spectra of LiAlSi2O6 and LiFeSi2O6 in the P21/c phase and the visible spectra of NaCrSi2O6 at high pressures.     

Raman spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction investigations of epitaxial BiCrO3 thin films

Epitaxial BiCrO₃ thin films were grown onto NdGaO₃ (110)- and (LaAlO₃)_0.3-(Sr₂AlTaO₆)_0.7 (100)-oriented substrates by pulsed laser deposition. High resolution X-ray diffraction and pole figure measurements were performed in order to obtain information about the crystal structure of the films, about their quality and about the mutual crystallographic orientation between the films and the substrates. The monoclinic (111) plane of BiCrO₃ was found out to be parallel to the substrate surface. The epitaxial relation between films and substrates was verified by using polarisation dependent Raman spectroscopic experiments and theoretical calculations based on symmetry.     

Structural investigation of bulk and thin film PLZT using X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Thin film electro-optic and non-linear optical materials are of interest for applications in high-speed integrated optical devices. Materials of the system Pb_1−x/100La_x/100(Zr_y/100 Ti_1−y/100)_1−x/400O₃ or PLZT x/y/(100−y) are attractive since they can be integrated into Si and GaAs substrates using suitable deposition techniques. In this investigation we examine the structural properties of r.f. magnetron sputter-deposited PLZT using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES). For XANES analysis, four samples were selected: (1) a highly oriented PLZT 28/0/100 film of ≈ 4500 Å deposited on SiO₂; (2) a highly oriented PLZT 28/0/100 film of ≈ 4500 Å deposited on a 2 ωm SiO₂ buffer layer over a Si(100) substrate; (3) a highly oriented PLZT 28/0/100 film of ≈4500 Å deposited on Al₂O₃ (1 02); and (4) a commercial ceramic wafer of PLZT 9/65/35. The XANES experiments were performed at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) using electron yield and fluorescence techniques. Data was taken at the Ti K-edge (4966.4eV) and compared to reference spectra. Of the reference spectra, the Ti K-edge spectra of the PLZT most closely resemble perovskite (SrTiO₃). The surface and bulk thin film are similar and all the 28/0/100 spectra resemble the spectra of 9/65/35, indicating similar cubic perovskite structures for these materials.     

Analysis of thin film coatings on poly(ethylene terephthalate) by confocal Raman microscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

The characterization of thin coatings on polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is required in order to study chemical composition and coating continuity. Two different methods of applying Raman spectroscopy for this purpose are compared in this paper. Using confocal Raman microscopy, thick coatings (> 10 microns) are relatively easily identified; however, the Raman scattering from the acrylic coatings commonly used is much weaker than that of PET and consequently, there is a background due to the substrate. Thin acrylic coatings (< 1 micron) usually cannot be detected. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of uncoated PET gives intense signals and if the spectra are taken from the metal-coated side, there is no evidence of the underlying Raman scattering from the bulk. Acrylic coatings do not give sufficiently strong or reproducible SERS to be reliably identified, but even thin (20 nm) coatings completely block the SERS from the substrate. Only where gaps appear in the coating is the SERS of the underlying PET seen. To detect a positive signal from the coating, SERS active labels were incorporated into the acrylic at low concentrations either as a physical mixture or as reactive co-monomers. This uniquely labels the coating and allows detection and, in principle, mapping of the coverage. Thus, for thick (> > 1 micron) coatings, normal Raman spectroscopy is an effective technique for detecting the presence of the surface coating. However, it is ineffective with thin (< 1 micron) coatings, and SERS alone only indicates where the coating is incomplete or defective. However, when a SERS label is added, spectra can be detected from very thin coatings (20 nm). The concentration of the labels is sufficiently low for the coating to remain colorless.     

Raman spectroscopic studies of the phase transitions in hexane at high pressure

Raman spectroscopic study of n-hexane was carried out in a cubic zirconia anvil cell up to approximately 2.0 GPa. Under high pressure, the C-H stretching region of the spectrum at 2850-3000 cm(-1) shows measurable changes in frequency, bandwidth, and intensity. These Raman bands shift towards higher frequencies with increasing pressure. At about 1.4 GPa, phase transition from liquid to solid was induced by compression, as was simultaneously observed with the built-in microscope.     

Growth and thermoelectric properties of multilayer thin film of bismuth telluride and indium selenide via rf magnetron sputtering

A bismuth telluride (BT)/indium selenide (IS) multilayer film was deposited at room temperature by rf magnetron sputtering on a sapphire substrate in order to investigate how the multilayered structure affects the microstructure and thermoelectric properties. The effect of annealing at different temperatures was also studied. The results were compared with those from a BT film with the same thickness. A TEM study showed that the interface between the BT and IS layers became vague as the annealing temperature increased, and the BT layer crystallized while the IS layer did not. The presence of thin IS layers can help to limit the evaporation of Te from the BT/IS multilayer film, thus increasing the amount of Bi2Te3 phase in the multilayer film as compared with that of the BT film. An abrupt increase in the Seebeck coefficient of the multilayer film was observed when annealed at 300 degrees C, and the resistivity of the annealed multilayer film was high compared to that of the BT film. This result can also be explained by the proposed role of the IS layer, which limits the evaporation of Te at high temperature. The highest power factor of -3.9 x 10(-6) W/K2 cm was obtained at room temperature from the multilayer film annealed at 300 degrees C.     

Mg掺杂ZnO薄膜的结构及其光学性能研究

利用射频磁控溅射技术在(100)Si和玻璃衬底上沉积系列Mg掺杂ZnO(x=0~0.20)薄膜,XRD分析结果表明,Zn1-xMgxO薄膜均为六角纤锌矿结构,薄膜呈现出c轴择优生长特性,但随着x值的增加,晶格常数c逐渐减小。当x=0.20时,薄膜出现(100)面衍射峰,薄膜的c轴择优生长特性减弱。SEM分析表明,x=0.10时,薄膜表面平坦光滑,晶粒大小均匀,结构更加致密,结晶质量最佳。紫外可见光透射光谱表明,Mg的掺入提高薄膜在可见光范围内的透过率;同时增大了薄膜的禁带宽度;室温PL谱分析显示所有薄膜均出现了紫外发射峰和蓝光发射带,且紫外发射峰和蓝光发光带都随x值的增加而蓝移。