Linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry of heavy metals from nitrogen doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films

Nitrogen doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:N) thin films were deposited on p-Si (1 1 1) substrates (1 × 10⁻³ to 6 × 10⁻³ Ω cm) by a filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique with different nitrogen flow rates (3 and 20 sccm). The ta-C:N film coated samples were used as working electrodes to detect trace heavy metals such as zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and mercury (Hg) by using linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry in 0.1 M KCl solutions (pH 1). The influence of nitrogen flow rate on the sensitivity of the films to the metal ions was investigated. The results showed that the current response of the ta-C:N film electrodes was significant to differentiate all the tested trace metal ions (Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺) and the three ions (Pb²⁺ + Cu²⁺ + Hg²⁺) could be simultaneously identified with good stripping peak potential separations.     

阴极电弧离子镀ZrN梯度膜和Zr/ZrN多层膜的腐蚀特性

采用阴极电弧离子镀技术在1Cr13不锈钢表面制备了ZrN梯度层和Zr/ZrN多层膜,并用电化学腐蚀方法和中性盐雾法检测了1Cr13基体、ZrN梯度层和Zr/ZrN多层膜的耐腐蚀性能.结果表明:Zr/ZrN多层膜和ZrN梯度层均能提高1Cr13基体的抗腐蚀能力,而Zr/ZrN多层膜的效果更明显:镀层的内部缺陷(如微孔)和液滴导致薄膜发生孔蚀、隙缝腐蚀和电偶腐蚀;镀层保护的实质是物理屏障作用,细化晶粒、减少膜层中的液滴及针孔等缺陷能显著提高薄膜的抗腐蚀性能.     

Evolution of the opto-electronic properties of amorphous carbon films as a function of nitrogen incorporation

The present work provides correlations between the optical, electronical and microstructural properties of amorphous carbon nitride films (a-CN_x) deposited by Direct Current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique versus the N₂/Ar + N₂ ratio. The microstructure of the films was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and optical transmission measurements. The evolution of both the density of states (DOS) located between the bandtail states and the density of states around the Fermi level N(E_f), have been investigated by electrical measurements versus temperature varying the N₂/Ar + N₂ ratio. The evolution of the microstructure versus N reveals a continuous structural ordering of the sp² phase, which is confirmed by the optical and the conductivity measurements. The conductivity variation was interpreted within the framework of the band structure model of the π electrons in a disordered carbon with the presence of localized states.     

Synthesis of amorphous carbon nitride using reactive ion beam sputtering deposition with grazing bombardment

Amorphous carbon nitride (a-C:N) thin films were synthesised on steel substrates using reactive ion beam sputtering deposition (RIBSD). A single ion beam is arranged to sputter the graphite target at 75° incidence and concurrently bombard the growing film at grazing incidence angles of the ion beam. Nanoindentation, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, FT-Raman and XPS were employed to characterise the mechanical and structural properties of the films. It was found that grazing incident bombardment has a significant effect on film structure through an increase in nitrogen content and formation of nitrogen doped structure.     

离子束增强沉积制备p-ZnO薄膜

采用离子束增强沉积技术制备了ZnO薄膜,分析了退火温度、退火气氛对所制备ZnO薄膜的结构、电学特性和发光特性的影响。利用IBED法获得的薄膜p型N-In共掺ZnO薄膜在氮气下退火,随着退火温度的升高,薄膜电阻值先降低后升高,然后再降低。而在氧气下退火,即使退火温度只有400℃,薄膜的电阻很快变大。     

Effects of surrounding confinements of Si nanoparticles on Si-based anode performance for lithium ion batteries

We report herein the effects of various surrounding confinements of Si nanoparticles on the electrochemical performance of Si nanoparticles based anode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Three different types of surrounding confinements are incorporated onto or around the surface of Si nanoparticles: Si nanoparticles-embedded carbon nanofibers (Si@CNF) via electrospinning, carbon nitride encapsulated Si nanoparticles with core/shell structure (Si@CND), and binder enriched Si nanoparticles-based anode (Si@RBD). Morphology and microstructure of the samples are characterized using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and the results were discussed in relation to the electrochemical performances. It is found that Si@CNF which has conducting hard surrounding confinements and Si@RBD exhibited high reversible specific capacity of 620 mA hg⁻¹ and 1200 mA hg⁻¹, up to 30th cycle, respectively. Meanwhile, Si@CND that has mechanically hard but poor electrical conductivity exhibits low specific capacity compared with the other two samples.     

Nanodiamond crystallites embedded in carbon films prepared by thermionic vacuum arc method

Nanostructured carbon films with thicknesses of 100 and 200 nm have been deposited from pure vapour carbon plasma using an original thermionic vacuum arc method. Silicon single crystalline wafers, glass and stainless steel held at 400 °C were used for substrates. The films consist of diamond nanoparticles of 5 nm diameter on the average embedded in a disordered graphite matrix as revealed by HRTEM, XPS and visible Raman measurements. The graphitic cluster diameters La range from 1.5 to 2.3 nm. Thicker films (200 nm) on stainless steel exhibit the largest clusters.     

生长温度对激光分子束外延A1N薄膜的影响

采用激光分子束外延法在Al2O3基片上制备AlN薄膜。用反射高能电子衍射、X射线衍射和原子力显微镜研究沉积温度对薄膜微结构的影响,通过光致发光谱和透射光谱对六方AlN薄膜的光学性能进行研究。结果表明：沉积温度为450℃时,沉积的AlN薄膜为非晶态;沉积温度为650℃时,在Al2O3基片上得到c轴单一取向的的六方AlN薄膜,且AlN和Al2O3之间的外延匹配关系为AlN[1210]//Al2O3[1100],AlN[1100]//Al2O3[1210]和AlN（0001）//Al2O3（0001）,这种面内相对旋转30°,可以减小AlN薄膜与Al2O3基片之间的晶格失配度和界面能。此外,650℃沉积的AlN的透射率达到85%,禁带宽度为5.6 eV。沉积温度升高到750℃时,AlN薄膜的透射率和光学能隙变小     

生长温度对激光分子束外延A1N薄膜的影响

采用激光分子束外延法在Al2O3基片上制备AlN薄膜。用反射高能电子衍射、X射线衍射和原子力显微镜研究沉积温度对薄膜微结构的影响,通过光致发光谱和透射光谱对六方AlN薄膜的光学性能进行研究。结果表明：沉积温度为450℃时,沉积的AlN薄膜为非晶态;沉积温度为650℃时,在Al2O3基片上得到c轴单一取向的的六方AlN薄...     

离子束加速电压对真空电弧沉积Ti(C,N)涂层性能的影响

利用等离子辅助真空电孤沉积技术分别在高速钢片和单晶硅片制备了Ti(C,N）涂层，通过X-射线衍射和扫描电镜研究了不同离子加速电压对单晶硅片上涂层结构和组织形貌的影响，并测定了高速钢片上涂层的显微硬度，同时进行了耐磨性实验。结果表明：涂层主要由TiN和Ti(C,N）组成，随着离子束加速电压的增大，涂层的沉积速度增大，Ti(C,N）的衍射峰不断宽化，晶格尺寸发生变化，但其表面形貌不受影响；当离子束加速电压为1500V时，涂层有较高的耐磨性和显微硬度，当离子束加速电压为2500V时，涂层的耐磨性和显微硬度都有所下降：     

Room temperature deposition of functional ceramic films on low-cost metal substrate

In various practical applications, such as high power actuators, high sensitivity sensors, and energy harvesting devices, polycrystalline piezoelectric films of 1–100?µm thickness and sizes ranging from several µm² to several cm² are required. With conventional film deposition processes, such as sol-gel, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, or pulsed laser deposition, it is difficult to fabricate films with higher thickness due to their low deposition rate and high interfacial stress. The aerosol deposition method (AD), a relatively new deposition technique, can be used to fabricate highly dense thick films at room temperature by the consolidation of submicrometer-sized ceramic particles on various ceramic, metal, glass, and polymer substrates. Ferroelectric BaTiO₃ ceramic films of different thicknesses ranging from 1 to 30?µm were fabricated on a low-cost metallic substrate at room temperature using the AD method. Surface morphology and adhesion of the film were analyzed. Analysis of internal residual stresses revealed an equibiaxial compressive stress state in the as-processed film. Electrical characterization of films annealed at 500?°C shows an enhanced polarization value of ~?14?µC/cm² over that of the as-processed film. This improved property is related to the decreasing internal residual stress. In addition, the BT films prepared in this work were found to withstand electric fields greater than 100?kV/mm, which is possibly related to the inherent relatively defect-free structure of AD films.     

掺硅类金刚石薄膜的制备及其微观机械性能研究

采用射频感应耦合离子源（ICP）在硅基底上沉积了DLC薄膜,并利用离子束溅射固体单晶石墨的方法掺入Si元素。通过原子力显微镜（AFM）和拉曼光谱对DLC薄膜的表面形貌及结构进行了分析表征。并用UTM-2摩擦磨损试验仪对薄膜进行了刻划测试,通过临界载荷的对比,分析了掺硅和纯DLC薄膜与基底的结合能力。结果表明,掺硅DLC薄膜具有良好的膜-基结合能力。     

气相沉积BN膜的性能及形成机制的研究

用射频等离子体辅助化学气相沉积技术制备了ＢＮ膜,对以Ａｒ＋１０％Ｈ２（体系分数）,Ｈ２和Ｎ２气为载气沉积的膜,进行了ＦＴＩＲ,ＴＥＭ,ＳＥＭ等分析,比较了不同载气下膜层的立方氮化硼含量,膜基结合力,膜层残余应力,硬度和耐磨性,对立方氮化硼的形成机制进行了探讨。     

Adhesion studies of radio-frequency sputtered SiO2 films on Ti,stainless steel,Ni and Inconel substrates. Effects of substrate surface ion bombardment etching

The scratch test was applied to determine the adhesion strength of radio-frequency (RF) sputtered SiO₂ films to Ti, stainless steel, Ni and Inconel substrates. The effect of substrate ion bombardment etching was investigated by using a mean critical load derived from a Weibull-like statistical analysis. It was found that the mean critical load values obtained on substrates etched by ion bombardment for a sufficiently long time were two to three times those obtained on mechanically polished substrates. Scratch tracks were observed by scanning electron microscopy and some X-ray spectra were measured after the electron beam of the scanning electron microscope was focused inside the scratch channel. Depth composition profiles were also recorded by Auger electron spectroscopy. No important presence of contamination was observed in the interfacial domain even after mechanical polishing, but the width of this interfacial domain was higher after ion bombardment than after mechanical polishing. This difference in width could result from the formation of microcavities and vacancies at the substrate surface during ion bombardment. In such a case, the significant adhesion improvement should principally occur from an enhanced interlocking of the coating to its substrate.     

Influence mechanism of radio frequency heating on moisture transfer and drying stress in larch boxed-heart square timber

Abstract

Radio frequency heating combined with convection (RF/C) drying of larch boxed-heart square timber and its influence on drying kinetics such as rate, moisture content distribution, and stresses was explored. Results revealed that RF heating increased the drying rate and in RF/C drying was twice as high as in conventional drying. Below fiber saturation point, RF heating reduced internal moisture gradients, especially around moisture content of 20%. The effect of RF heating on moisture transfer was strongly associated with moisture content. Specifically, above the fiber saturation point, RF heating played a minor role in moisture transfer however, it reached maximum around fiber saturation point and thereafter, it largely decreased with moisture content. RF heating relieved some drying stresses during RF/C drying and reduced residual stresses in the timber surface layers. Furthermore, it changed the original development pattern of drying stresses in conventional drying.     

3D characterisation of indentation induced sub-surface cracking in silicon nitride using FIB tomography

In this study, a combination of 3D FIB tomography and incremental surface polishing has been used to characterize cracking beneath 0.5 kg and 1 kg Vickers indentations on silicon nitride. It is shown that a half-penny cracking regime exists even for low indentation loads with c/a ratios < 2 indicating that the c/a ratio cannot reliably be used to predict sub-surface crack morphology. For the first time, the presence of deep lateral cracks interconnected with radial cracks was also observed surrounding indentations of low loads on silicon nitride, and it is likely that these could contribute to material removal via spalling.     

Fabrication of a miniaturized cell using microsystem technologies for electrochemical applications

A new type of electrochemical cell has been developed for use in electrochemical, chemical and biological applications. Using a platinum microelectrode as working electrode, this cell incorporates a silver microelectrode as reference electrode. These microelectrodes, whose area is equal to 1 μm², were fabricated using photolithography, sputtering, and focused ion beam (FIB) technologies since these micro-fabrication techniques allow us to develop miniaturized electrochemical cells useful either for nanoelectrochemistry or biosensors applications. In this study, we show it is possible to coat a surface by chemical or biological compounds by immersing the microelectrodes in a solution, then setting a difference of potential between the two microelectrodes of the cell. For example, we used this miniaturized cell to realize the electrochemical polymerization of aniline into polyaniline to show that this electrochemical cell is efficient to coat a surface with a thin film of polymer.