Onset of hard magnetic L10 FePt phase with (001) texture

The perpendicular anisotropic magnetic properties of in-situ deposited FePt/Pt/Cr trilayer films were elucidated as functions of the deposition temperature and the sputtering rate of the FePt magnetic layer. Ordered L1₀ FePt thin films with perpendicular anisotropy and a (001) texture can be developed at a temperature as low as 300 °C with the sputtering of a FePt layer at a low rate. The larger Pt(001)[100] lattice induced an expansion of the FePt a- and b-axis, leading to the contraction of the FePt c-axis, enabling the epitaxial growth of the L1₀ FePt(001) texture to occur. A low rate of sputtering of the FePt thin film promotes the formation of the magnetically hard FePt(001) texture on the surface of the Pt(001) buffer layer at low temperature, while the high sputtering rate of FePt layer suppresses the phase transformation.     

Characterization of asymmetric rhombohedral twin in epitaxial α-Cr2O3 thin films by X-ray and electron diffraction

Epitaxial chromium oxide (α-Cr₂O₃) films grown by atomic layer deposition at 375 °C from CrO₂Cl₂ and CH₃OH on (1 1¯ 0 2) oriented α-Al₂O₃ have been studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflection (XRR). The thickness of the films ranged from 10 to 310 nm, and the average growth rate was 0.1 nm per deposition cycle. According to the XRD analysis, the orientation relationship in thinner films was (1 1¯ 0 2)[1 1 0]Cr₂O₃ || (1 1¯ 0 2)[1 1 0]Al₂O₃. Confirmed by the RHEED and XRD analyses, (1¯ 1 0 2) became the preferred growth plane at the thicknesses above 40 nm. This change has been interpreted as the appearance of an asymmetric rhombohedral twin with the orientation relationship between the layers (1¯ 1 0 2)[1 1 0]top || (1 1¯ 0 2)[1 1 0]bottom and (1¯ 1 0 2)[1 1¯ 1]top || (1 1¯ 0 2)[1¯ 1 1]bottom. The match of the anion and cation sublattices of both layers was characterized in terms of the structural model of the twin interface.     

SiO2 layer thickness effects on the (001) texture of FePtCu:SiO2 nanocomposite films

The influence of SiO₂ layer thickness of (Fe₅₂Pt₄₈)₈₈Cu₁₂:SiO₂ multilayer nanocomposite films on their structural and magnetic properties were investigated. The films were deposited on (001) textured FePt films, and then annealed at 873 K. The crystalline texture of (Fe₅₂Pt₄₈)₈₈Cu₁₂:SiO₂ films changes drastically with respect to the thickness of the SiO₂ layers. In the film with 50-Å thick SiO₂ layers, the (111) peak was strong although the (001) orientation is dominant, and self-organized spherical FePtCu particles were formed in the SiO₂ matrix. However, in the film with 19-Å thick SiO₂ layers, flat FePt grains with perfect (001) orientation were obtained. In addition, twins with different crystalline orientations were seen in the above films with different thicknesses of the SiO₂ layers. Accordingly, different perpendicular hysteresis loops were obtained.     

Deposition of ZnO thin films on SiO2/Si substrate with Al2O3 buffer layer by radio frequency magnetron sputtering for high frequency surface acoustic wave devices

ZnO films with c-axis (0002) orientation have been grown on SiO₂/Si substrates with an Al₂O₃ buffer layer by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Crystalline structures of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The center frequency of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) device with a 4.8 μm thick Al₂O₃ buffer layer was measured to be about 408 MHz, which was much higher than that (265 MHz) of ZnO/SiO₂/Si structure and approaches that (435 MHz) of ZnO/sapphire. It is a possible way as an alternative for the sapphire substrate for the high frequency SAW device applications, and is also useful to integrate the semiconductor and high frequency SAW devices on the same Si substrate.     

Translucent Y3Al5O12 ceramics

The sintering of Y₃Al₅O₁₂ to full density and translucency using either SiO₂ or MgO as a dopant is described. The resulting ceramics have a regular microstructures and low optical absorption coefficients.     

Improvement of brightness with Al2O3 passivation layers on the surface of InGaN/GaN-based light-emitting diode chips

In this study, sputtered 50, 70 and 90 nm thick Al₂O₃ thin films were evaluated as a passivation layer in the process of InGaN-based blue as LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) in order to improve the brightness of LED lamps. For packaged LED lamps, lamps with Al₂O₃ passivation layer had higher brightness than ones with SiO₂ passivation layer, and LED lamps with 90-nm Al₂O₃ passivation layer were the brightest among four kinds of lamps. Although lamps with Al₂O₃ passivation layer had a bias voltage 0.25 V at 20 mA forward current higher the lamps built with SiO₂ passivation layer, their brightness was improved about 13.6% higher than the conventional LEDs with no change in emitting wavelength.     

Charge trapping characteristics of Al2O3/Al-rich Al2O3/SiO2 stacked films fabricated by radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering

A thin-film structure comprising Al₂O₃/Al-rich Al₂O₃/SiO₂ was fabricated on Si substrate. We used radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering with Al metal plates set on an Al₂O₃ target to fabricate the Al-rich Al₂O₃ thin film, which is used as a charge storage layer for nonvolatile Al₂O₃ memory. We investigated the charge trapping characteristics of the film. When the applied voltage between the gate and the substrate is increased, the hysteresis window of capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics becomes larger, which is caused by the charge trapping in the film. For a fabricated Al-O capacitor structure, we clarified experimentally that the maximum capacitance in the C-V hysteresis agrees well with the series capacitance of insulators and that the minimum capacitance agrees well with the series capacitance of the semiconductor depletion layer and stacked insulator. When the Al content in the Al-rich Al₂O₃ is increased, a large charge trap density is obtained. When the Al content in the Al-O is changed from 40 to 58%, the charge trap density increases from 0 to 18 × 10¹⁸ cm^− 3, which is 2.6 times larger than that of the trap memory using SiN as the charge storage layer. The device structure would be promising for low-cost nonvolatile memory.     

Glasses and glass-ceramics in the SrO–TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2–B2O3 system and the effect of P2O5 additions

The glass formation abilities of various compositions in SrO–TiO₂–Al₂O₃–SiO₂, SrO–TiO₂–B₂O₃–SiO₂, SrO–TiO₂–Al₂O₃–B₂O₃, and SrO–TiO₂–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–B₂O₃ systems were studied. Many new compositions were found to be suitable for the casting of crack-free, optically clear glasses of different color and with glass transition temperatures ranging from 595 to 775 °C. The crystallization behavior, structure, and thermal expansion behavior of selected glasses were analyzed by DTA, XRD, dilatometry, and heat treatment. The effect of P₂O₅ on the glass structure and crystallization behavior was also studied. P₂O₅ played a dual role depending on composition. In some glasses it acted as a nucleating agent while in others it suppressed crystallization. Heat treatment of borate and borosilicate glasses transformed them into glass-ceramics while comparable SrO–TiO₂–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ glasses showed a lower tendency to crystallize and form glass-ceramics under the same conditions.     

SiO2 and Al2O3/SiO2 coatings for increasing emissivity of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells for space applications

In this study, optical coatings were investigated as substitutes for the coverglass on flexible thin-film space solar cells. The inherent low emissivity of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells was increased using optical coatings for thermal balance in space. Evaporated silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and an additional aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) coating on the CIGS solar cell increased the emissivity from 0.18 to 0.77. Higher emissivity was realized with the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ double-layer coating than with the SiO₂ single-layer coating. The straightforward double-layer coating gives the CIGS solar cells appropriate radiative properties for keeping the cell within a permissible temperature range in space.     

Observations of Al2O3 and free silicon at the interface between aluminum films and SiO2

Auger electron spectroscopy in conjunction with ion sputter profiling was used to study the physical distribution and chemistry of aluminum, silicon and oxygen at the interface between sputter-deposited aluminum films and SiO₂ substrates. It is expected from thermodynamic considerations that the aluminum will reduce the SiO₂ wherever the two are in direct contact, leaving Al₂O₃ and free silicon. We describe the capabilities of this experimental technique in the analysis of the reaction. Our observations of the atomic percentages of the solid state reaction products and their variation with distance through the interface show that the reduction does occur, that it results in regions with up to approximately 10% free silicon and Al₂O₃ and that the reaction products are distributed over a layer approximately 400 Å thick.     

Ferroelectric properties of epitaxial Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 films on SiO2/Si using biaxially oriented MgO as templates

High quality epitaxial Bi_3.15Nd_0.85Ti₃O₁₂ (BNT) thin films with thicknesses from 30 to 80 nm have been integrated on SiO₂/Si substrates. MgO templates deposited by ion-beam-assisted deposition and SrRuO₃ (SRO) buffer layers processed by pulsed laser deposition have been used to initiate the epitaxial growth of BNT films on the amorphous SiO₂/Si substrates. The structural and ferroelectric properties were investigated. Microstructural studies by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed high quality crystalline with an epitaxial relationship of (001)_BNT||(001)_SRO||(001)_MgO and [100]_BNT||[110]_SRO||[110]_MgO. A ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a remanent polarization of 3.1 μC/cm² has been observed for a 30 nm thick film. The polarization exhibits a fatigue-free characteristic up to 1.44 × 10¹⁰ switching cycles.     

Facile fabrication of SiO2/Al2O3 composite microspheres with a simple electrostatic attraction strategy

SiO₂/Al₂O₃ composite microspheres with SiO₂ core/Al₂O₃ shell structure and high surface area were prepared by depositing Al₂O₃ colloid particles on the surface of monodispersed microporous silica microspheres using a simple electrostatic attraction and heterogeneous nucleation strategy, and then calcined at 600 °C for 4 h. The prepared products were characterized with differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that uniform alumina coating could be deposited on the surface of silica microspheres by adjusting the pH values of the reaction solution to an optimal pH value of about 6.0. The specific surface area and pore volume of the SiO₂/Al₂O₃ composite microspheres calcined at 600 °C were 653 m² g⁻¹ and 0.34 ml g⁻¹, respectively.     

Lightweight geopolymer made of highly porous siliceous materials with various Na2O/Al2O3 and SiO2/Al2O3 ratios

The syntheses of lightweight geopolymeric materials from highly porous siliceous materials viz. diatomaceous earth (DE) and rice husk ash (RHA) with high starting SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios of 13.0-33.5 and Na₂O/Al₂O₃ ratios of 0.66-3.0 were studied. The effects of fineness and calcination temperature of DE, concentrations of NaOH and KOH, DE to RHA ratio; curing temperature and time on the mechanical properties and microstructures of the geopolymer pastes were investigated. The results indicated that the optimum calcination temperature of DE was 800 °C. Increasing fineness of DE and starting Na₂O/Al₂O₃ ratio resulted in an increase in compressive strength of geopolymer paste. Geopolymer pastes activated with NaOH gave higher compressive strengths than those with KOH. The optimum curing temperature and time were 75 °C and 5 days. The lightweight geopolymer material with mean bulk density of 0.88 g/cm³ and compressive strength of 15 kg/cm² was obtained. Incorporation of 40% RHA to increase starting SiO₂/Al₂O₃ and Na₂O/Al₂O₃ ratios to 22.5 and 1.7 and enhanced the compressive strength of geopolymer paste to 24 kg/cm² with only a marginal increase of bulk density to 1.01 g/cm³. However, the geopolymer materials with high Na₂O/Al₂O₃ (>1.5) were not stable in water submersion.     

Synthesis and characterization of Ca3Co4O9 thin films prepared by sol-gel spin-coating technique on Al2O3(001)

Ca₃Co₄O₉ thin films are deposited on Al₂O₃(001) substrates using a sol-gel spin-coating process. X-ray diffraction shows that the film exhibits a single phase of Ca₃Co₄O₉ with the (00l) planes parallel to the film surface. The temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility showed as expected the existence of two magnetic transitions similar to those observed in bulk samples: a ferrimagnetic and a spin-state transition around 19 and 375 K, respectively. At 5 K the magnetization curves along the c-axis of the Al₂O₃(001) show that the remanent magnetization and coercive field are close to those obtained for films grown by pulsed laser deposition, which evidences the interest to use such an easy technique to grow complex thin films oxides.     

Al2O3/SiO2 and HfO2/SiO2 dichroic mirrors for UV solid-state lasers

HfO₂/SiO₂ and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ multilayers to be employed as high reflectance end mirrors in Cerium-doped fluoride solid-state lasers were produced by radio frequency sputtering. The components were designed to have high transmittance at the pumping wavelength and high reflectance in a wavelength band corresponding to the active medium emission. A photoacoustic beam deflection technique and inspection of the irradiated area under a microscope were used to measure the laser induced damage threshold of the mirrors at the pumping wavelength. These coatings were tested in a laser cavity.     

Effect of Al2O3 concentration on zirconolite (Ca(Zr,Hf)Ti2O7) crystallization in (TiO2,ZrO2,HfO2)-rich SiO2–Al2O3–CaO–Na2O glasses

Glass-ceramic matrices containing zirconolite (nominally Ca(Zr,Hf)Ti₂O₇) crystals in their bulk that would incorporate high proportions of minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm) or plutonium could be envisaged for their immobilization. Zirconolite-based glass-ceramics can be prepared by controlled crystallization of zirconolite in glasses belonging to SiO₂–Al₂O₃–CaO–Na₂O–TiO₂–ZrO₂–HfO₂ system. In this study, neodymium was used as trivalent actinides surrogate. Increasing Al₂O₃ concentration in glass composition had a strong effect on the nucleation rate I _z of zirconolite crystals in the bulk, on the amount of neodymium incorporated in zirconolite phase and on the crystal growth rate of silicate phases (titanite + anorthite) from glass surface. These results could be explained by the existence of competition—in favor of aluminum—between Al³⁺ and (Ti⁴⁺, Zr⁴⁺, Hf⁴⁺) ions for their association with charge compensators cations to facilitate their incorporation in the glassy network. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was used to study exothermal effects associated with bulk and surface crystallization. ²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectra showed that aluminum enters glasses network predominantly in 4-fold coordination. Neodymium optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies showed that the Al₂O₃ concentration changes performed in this study had not significant effect on Nd³⁺ ions environment in glasses.     

Investigation of electronic structure of Si nanocrystals and their interface with host matrix in P-doped SiO2:Si and Al2O3:Si nanocomposites

The system of the nanoinclusions of Si in the SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ matrix (SiO₂:Si, Al₂O₃:Si) attracts great attention due to its ability of the luminescence in visible and near-IR range of spectrum. The influence of the P ion alloying on the electronic structure of nanocomposites was investigated. The P ion doping and post-annealed at T = 1000 °C (2 h) results in the enhancement of the photoluminescence (PL) peak connected with the Si nanocrystals. The electronic structure was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution electron energy losses spectroscopy (HREELS) methods. Ion surface modification and annealing forms the special nanostructure with Si nanocrystals in SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ matrix having high density of interfaces with special atomic structure and various degree of oxidation of Si atoms on the boundaries. HREELS investigations show that the P ion doping increases the probability of interband transitions in SiO₂:Si and Al₂O₃:Si composites.     

L10 ordered FePt based double-layered perpendicular recording media with (002) oriented FeCo films as a soft magnetic underlayer

The introduction of the soft magnetic underlayer (SUL) in perpendicular recording technology is to further increase the recording areal density. However, problems such as growth of the uncontrollable recording layer and additional media noise contributed from the SUL could be resulted. In this work, a synthetic antiferromagnetically (SAF) coupled (002) oriented Fe₆₅Co₃₅ film as an SUL was developed for L1₀ ordered FePt based double-layered recording media. The crystallography of hetero-epitaxially grown double-layered media CrRu/(Ru/FeCo)₂/Pt/FePt/Ru was demonstrated. The L1₀ ordered FePt based double-layered perpendicular recording media with SAF coupled FeCo films as the SUL were developed.     

Improvement of Al2O3/Ge interfacial properties by O2-annealing

The electrical properties of an Al₂O₃/Ge gate stack structure were improved by O₂-annealing. The interface state density can be decreased by O₂-annealing without the formation of a GeO₂ interfacial layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed that Ge diffusion into the Al₂O₃ layer occurs and Ge is uniformly distributed in the oxide layer after O₂-annealing. Crystallization of the Al₂O₃ film was observed after O₂-annealing at 550 °C and was identified as an Al-Ge-O compound using cross sectional transmission electron microscopy and transmission electron diffraction measurement.     

Influence of TiO2 incorporation in HfO2 and Al2O3 based capacitor dielectrics

Atomic layer deposition was applied to fabricate metal oxide films on planar substrates and also in deep trenches with appreciable step coverage. Atomic layer deposition of Ru electrodes was realized on planar substrates. Electrical and structural behaviour of HfO₂-TiO₂ and Al₂O₃-TiO₂ nanolaminates and mixtures as well as Al₂O₃ films were evaluated. The lowest leakage current densities with the lowest equivalent oxide thickness were achieved in mixed Al₂O₃-TiO₂ films annealed at 700 °C, compared to all other films in as-deposited state as well as annealed at 900 °C. The highest permittivities in this study were measured on HfO₂-TiO₂ nanolaminates.