Emission analysis of RE (Dy or Tb):Ca3Ln(Y,Gd)(VO4)3 powder phosphors

This paper reports on the photoluminescence results of Dy³⁺ or Tb³⁺ ions in Ca₃Ln(Y,Gd)(VO₄)₃ powder phosphors. Emission spectra of Dy³⁺:Ca₃Ln(Y,Gd)(VO₄)₃ powder phosphors have shown blue emissions (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2) at 481 nm, yellow emissions (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2) at 572 nm and a weak red emissions (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_11/2) at 661 nm upon excitation with λ_exci = 310 nm (⁶H_15/2 → ⁴L_19/2). Similarly photoluminescence spectra of Tb³⁺:Ca₃Ln(Y,Gd)(VO₄)₃ have shown green emissions (⁵D₄ → ⁷F₅) at 545 nm with λ_exci = 312 nm. For these phosphors XRD, FTIR, SEM and EDAX measurements have also been carried out.     

A reliability method for optimization of [+,−]n fiber reinforced composite pipes

This paper presents damage strength optimization of laminates using a reliability-based method. Two complementary analyses are developed: the first is a mechanical analysis of damage behavior using a thermodynamics framework that determines the failure criterion; the second is a reliability method which takes not only randomness, but also statistical uncertainties into account for failure probability calculation. This method is based on a first order reliability method that requires the resolution of a constrained problem of optimization. To solve this problem, a hybrid algorithm, combining evolutionary computation techniques with deterministic procedure is presented. Filament-wound pipe optimization under pressure is discussed as a working example.     

New 3-((2′:2″,5″:2-terthiophene)-3″-yl) acrylic acid as active layer for organic field-effect transistor

Most functionalized thiophenes are difficult to electropolymerize due to nucleophilicity that will attack the radical cation inhibiting polymerization. However, we have successfully electrodeposited a newly synthesized functionalized terthiophene monomer 3-((2′:2″,5″:2-terthiophene)-3″-yl) acrylic acid (TAA) as an active layer of a organic field-effect transistor (OFET). The polymer was then oxidized in order to increase its conductivity. Various oxidizing potentials were experimented and their effect on the OFET's charge mobility was examined. A mobility of 0.25 cm² (V s)⁻¹ is achieved with an oxidizing potential of 0.9 V after vacuum drying.     

Dielectric properties of sol-gel derived Ta2O5 thin films

The dielectric constant and the dielectric loss of tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅) thin films, produced by sol-gel spin-coated process on Corning glass substrates, have been investigated in the frequency range of 20-10⁵ Hz and the temperature range of 183-403 K, using ohmic Al electrodes. The frequency and temperature dependence of relaxation time has also been determined. The capacitance and loss factor were found to decrease with increasing frequency and increase with increasing temperature. The activation energy values were evaluated and a good agreement between the activation energy values obtained from capacitance and dielectric loss factor measurements were observed.     

-Fe2O3 thin films prepared by metalorganic deposition (MOD) from Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate

-Fe₂O₃ thin films were prepared by metalorganic deposition (MOD) using Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate as the metalorganic precursor. A series of experiments were conducted on the metalorganic spin-coated films and their correspondingly annealed samples by employing experimental techniques ranging from thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to optical property characterization. In this way a better understanding has been achieved regarding the decomposition process of the metalorganic precursor, the solid state -Fe₂O₃ film formation and crystallization process, and the relationship between the structure and the optical properties of the prepared films. The conclusions of our experiments are the following. The decomposition of Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate is a multistep process that is characterized by distinct transition temperatures and thermogravimetric loss rates. Amorphous -Fe₂O₃ film is formed at an annealing temperature of around 460°C, further annealing at higher temperatures induces the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition and grain growth. FTIR, XRD and SEM data for structural characterization are correlated and in good agreement. A new FTIR absorption band, peaking at 1085 cm^-1, is assigned to the vibration of crystalline Fe-O mode, therefore this peak is useful in monitoring the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition of -Fe₂O₃ material. Instead of columnar structure in physical vapour deposition-prepared films a granular structure is typical of MOD prepared films, the grain size is much larger near the surface of the film than near the substrate. Optical characterization shows that the refractive index and extinction coefficient of the -Fe₂O₃ thin films increase with the increase of annealing temperatures. The potential interesting applications of the MOD-prepared -Fe₂O₃ thin films include gas sensor materials, photoelectrodes and storage media.     

Joining of CBN abrasive grains to medium carbon steel with AgCu/Ti powder mixture as active brazing alloy

In order to develop new generation brazed CBN grinding wheels, the joining experiments of CBN abrasive grains and medium carbon steel using the powder mixture of AgCu alloy and pure Ti as active brazing alloy are carried out at elevated temperature under high vacuum condition. The relevant characteristics of the special powder mixture, the microstructure of the interfacial region, which are both the key factors for determining the joining behavior among the CBN grains, the filler layer and the steel substrate, are investigated extensively by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersion spectrometer (EDS), as well X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results show that, similar to AgCuTi filler alloy, AgCu/Ti powder mixture exhibits good soakage capability to CBN grains during brazing. Moreover, Ti in the powder mixture concentrates preferentially on the surface of the grains to form a layer of needlelike TiN and TiB compounds by chemical metallurgic interaction between Ti, N and B at high temperature. Additionally, based on the experimental results, the brazing and joining mechanism is deeply discussed in a view of thermodynamic criterion and phase diagram of TiBN ternary system.     

Optimization of annealing temperature for YBa2Cu3O7 thin films post-annealed at a low oxygen partial pressure

Post-annealing of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) thin films is usually performed at 850–900°C in atmospheric-pressure oxygen. In this study, coevaporated YBCO films on LaAlO₃ were post-annealed in an oxygen partial pressure of 29 Pa at temperatures in the range 700–825°C. Zero resistance transition temperatures were 89–90 K. Both d.c. (room-temperature resistance and critical-current density) and a.c. parameters (extracted from eddy-current response measurements at 25 MHz) were monitored. The optimum temperature is close to 750°C, which is on the YBCO thermodynamic stability line at this low oxygen partial pressure.     

Mechanical and dielectric properties of porous Si3N4–SiO2 composite ceramics

In order to prepare a structural/functional material with not only higher mechanical properties but also lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss, a novel process combining oxidation-bonding with sol–gel infiltration-sintering was developed to fabricate a porous Si₃N₄–SiO₂ composite ceramic. By choosing 1250 °C as the oxidation-bonding temperature, the crystallization of oxidation-derived silica was prevented. Sol–gel infiltration and sintering process resulted in an increase of density and the formation of well-distributed micro-pores with both uniform pore size and smooth pore wall, which made the porous Si₃N₄–SiO₂ composite ceramic show both good mechanical and dielectric properties. The ceramic with a porosity of 23.9% attained a flexural strength of 120 MPa, a Vickers hardness of 4.1 GPa, a fracture toughness of 1.4 MPa m^1/2, and a dielectric constant of 3.80 with a dielectric loss of 3.11 × 10⁻³ at a resonant frequency of 14 GHz.     

Silver cofirable Bi1.5Zn0.92Nb1.5O6.92 microwave ceramics containing CuO-based dopants

Bi₂O₃–ZnO–Nb₂O₅ system has emerged as a good low sintering (1050 °C) microwave material because it exhibits high dielectric constant and low temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (τ_f). We have lowered the sintering temperature of Bi_1.5Zn_0.92Nb_1.5O_6.92 (BZN) below 900 °C by using 3 wt.% of CuO-based dopants, such as 0.21BaCO₃–0.79CuO (BC) and 0.81MoO₃–0.19CuO (MC). The doped BZN exhibits high microwave dielectric constant at 2.3 GHz (k  120). The interfacial behavior between BZN and silver was investigated by using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electronic microscope, and electronic probe microanalyzer. The extent of silver migration of MC and BC dopants is reduced at least by one order of magnitude as compared with V₂O₅ dopant when the samples was prepared at 900 °C for 4 h. Thus, CuO-based dopants can replace V₂O₅ to lower the sintering temperature of BZN and to be cofired with silver.     

TE013 Mode High Temperature Superconductor Millimeter Resonator

This paper describes a TE₀₁₃ mode dielectric resonator at 36.098 GHz. The dielectric resonator was formed by sandwiching a cylindrical piece of polished dielectric (sapphire) rod between two GdBa₂Cu₃O_7–x (GBCO) High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) thin films. The resonator was tested as a two-port device at a temperature of 77 K. A 62700 unload quality factor Q ₀ was obtained. The surface resistance (Rs) of the HTS film had been determined as 9.4 m at 77 K and 36 GHz.     

Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Fe-doped BaTiO3 thin film deposited on LaNiO3/Si substrate by sol–gel technique

The ferroelectric thin films of Fe-doped BaTiO₃ and undoped BaTiO₃ were prepared on LaNiO₃ coating Si substrates by sol–gel technique. It was found that a small amount of Fe dopant could significantly enhance the ferroelectric properties of the BaTiO₃ thin film. The remnant polarization of Fe-doped BaTiO₃ thin film at room temperature reached to 14.9 μC/cm². The loss tangent, compared to the undoped BaTiO₃ film, was increased with frequency increasing and the dielectric constant was decreased. The possible mechanism of enhanced ferroelectric properties of Fe-doped BaTiO₃ thin film was discussed. The results show the potential role of Fe dopant in improving the ferroelectric properties of BaTiO₃ thin film.     

Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 thin films on 2 in. LaAlO3(0 0 1) substrates

High quality Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (Tl-2212) superconducting thin films are prepared on both sides of 2 in. LaAlO₃(0 0 1) substrates by off-axis magnetron sputtering and post-annealing process. XRD measurements show that these films possess pure Tl-2212 phase with C-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The thickness unhomogeneity of the whole film on the 2 in. wafer is less than 5%. The superconducting transition temperatures T_cs of the films are around 105 K. At zero applied magnetic field, the critical current densities J_cs of the films on both sides of the wafer were measured to be above 2 × 10⁶ A/cm² at 77 K. The microwave surface resistance R_s of film was as low as 350 μΩ at 10 GHz and 77 K. In order to test the suitability of Tl-2212 thin films for passive microwave devices, 3-pole bandpass filters have been fabricated from double-sided Tl-2212 films on LaAlO₃ substrates.     

Piezoelectric, ferroelectric and dielectric properties of La2O3-doped (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.94Ba0.06TiO3 lead-free ceramics

La₂O₃ (0–0.8 wt.%)-doped (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.94Ba_0.06TiO₃ (abbreviated as BNBT6) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. The influences of La₂O₃ on the microstructure, the dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the composites were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that 0.2-0.8 wt.% of La₂O₃ has diffused into the lattice of BNBT6 ceramics. Consequently, a pure perovskite phase is formed. SEM images show that the microstructure of the ceramics is changed with the addition of a small amount of La₂O₃. The temperature dependence of the relative dielectric constant shows that Curie point decreases with the increase of La₂O₃. At room temperature, the ceramics doped with 0.6 wt.% La₂O₃ show superior performance with high piezoelectric constant (d₃₃ = 167 pC/N), high planar electromechanical coupling factor (k_p = 0.30), high mechanical quality factor (Q_m = 118), high relative dielectric constant (ε_r = 1470) and lower dissipation factor (tanδ = 0.056) at a frequency of 10 kHz.     

Film thickness dependence of critical current density for YBa2Cu3O7 films post-annealed at a low oxygen partial pressure

The variation of critical current density at 77 K as a function of film thickness was studied for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ films on (100) LaAlO₃ substrates. Film thicknesses were in the range 0.2–1.6m. The films were deposited by co-evaporation and post-annealed under conditions which have previously resulted in high-quality films (750°C and an oxygen partial pressure of 29 Pa). The critical current density at 77 K exceeds 1 MA cm^–2 for the thinner films, and decreases with increasing film thickness in excess of about 0.4m. The decrease is in rough agreement with a switch fromc-axis toa-axis growth at about this critical thickness. A good anticorrelation was found between room temperature resistivity and critical current density at 77 K. The results are compared to those obtained before by post-annealing at 850°C in 1 atm of oxygen.     

Physical properties of a new cuprate superconductor Pr2Ba4Cu7O15−δ

We present studies of the thermal, magnetic, and electrical transport properties of reduced polycrystalline Pr₂Ba₄Cu₇O_15−δ (Pr247) showing a superconducting transition at T_c=10–16 K, and compare them with those of as-sintered non-superconducting Pr247. The electrical resistivity in the normal state exhibited T² dependence up to approximately 150 K. A clear specific heat anomaly was observed at T_c for Pr247 reduced in a vacuum for 24 h, proving the bulk nature of the superconducting state. By the reduction treatment, the magnetic ordering temperature T_N of Pr moments decreased from 16 to 11 K, and the entropy associated with the ordering increased, while the effective paramagnetic moments obtained from the DC magnetic susceptibility varied from 2.72 to 3.13μ_B. The sign of Hall coefficient changed from positive to negative with decreasing temperature in the normal state of a superconducting Pr247, while that of the as-sintered one was positive down to 5 K. The electrical resistivity under high magnetic fields was found to exhibit T^α dependence (α=0.08–0.4) at low temperatures. A possibility of superconductivity in the so-called CuO double chains is discussed.     

Effect of Ca Substitution on the Superconductivity of La2.5Y0.5CaBa3(Cu0.88Fe0.12)7Oz

The structural and superconducting properties of single-phase La_2.5–y Y_0.5Ca_1+y Ba₃ (Cu_0.88Fe_0.12)₇O _z (LYCaBCuFe) (y= 0.0–1.0) compounds with triple perovskite structure are investigated using X-ray diffraction, resistivity, a.c. susceptibility, and oxygen content measurements. Increasing Ca substitution for La resulted in a decrease in unit cell axes and volume. T _c ^R=0 shows a marginal increase from 31 K to 37 K for y = 0.0–0.21 and thereafter it decreases with increasing y leading to zero T _c ^R=0 at y 0.84. This shows that the suppression of T _c from 80 K to 31 K by Fe doping at x = 0.12 La_2.5Y_0.5CaBa₃(Cu_1–x Fe _x )₇O _z cannot be compensated by appropriate hole doping with Ca in LaYCaBCuFe.     

Microstructures and thermoelectric properties of p-type pseudo-binary AgxBi0.5Sb1.5−xTe3 (x = 0.05–0.4) alloys prepared by cold pressing

The p-type pseudo-binary Ag_xBi_0.5Sb_1.5−xTe₃ (x = 0.05–0.4) alloys were prepared by cold pressing. The thermal conductivities (κ) were calculated from the values of heat capacities, densities and thermal diffusivities measured, and range approximately from 0.66 to 0.56 (W K^− 1 m^− 1) for the Ag_xBi_0.5Sb_1.5−xTe₃ alloy with molar fraction x being 0.4. Combining with the electrical properties obtained in the previous study, the maximum dimensionless figure of merit ZT of 1.1 was obtained at the temperature of 558 K.     

Optical Conductivity of La1.875Ba0.04Sr0.085CuO4

The in-plane optical conductivity and dc resistivity of La_1.875Ba_0.125–YSr _Y CuO₄ with y = 0.085 was measured from 30 to 20,000 cm^–1 and from 295 to 8 K. A strong extra-Drude absorption at finite frequency is detected both in the normal and superconducting state, and remains unchanged when the free carriers condensate. The present results confirm and extend recent infrared data on La_2–xSr_xCuO₄.     

Long multifilament Bi-2223 Ag-sheathed superconducting tapes and solenoids

Multifilament Ag-sheathed BiPbSrCaCuO (2223) superconducting tapes containing 49 filaments were fabricated by the powder-in-tube route and the roll-anneal process. The transport critical current densityJ _c was 1.3×10⁴ A cm^–2 at 77 K and 7×10⁴ A cm^–2 at 4.2 K in self-field. A 12-m-long tape was used to construct superconducting solenoids (50, 28, and 14 mm internal diameters) generating dc fields 380–1070 G at 4.2 K. Measurements of the variation ofJ _c with field (0–1.6 T) and bend strain (0–5%) are used to explain the performance of the solenoids. The critical bend strain of tapes was about 1.5%.