Structural and electrical properties of swift heavy ion beam irradiated Fe/Si interface

The present work deals with the mixing of iron and silicon by swift heavy ions in high-energy range. The thin film was deposited on a n-Si (111) substrate at 10⁻⁶ torr and at room temperature. Irradiations were undertaken at room temperature using 120 MeV Au⁺⁹ ions at the Fe/Si interface to investigate ion beam mixing at various doses: 5 × 10¹² and 5 × 10¹³ ions/cm². Formation of different phases of iron silicide has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, which shows enhancement of intermixing and silicide formation as a result of irradiation. I-V measurements for both pristine and irradiated samples have been carried out at room temperature, series resistance and barrier heights for both as deposited and irradiated samples were extracted. The barrier height was found to vary from 0·73–0·54 eV. The series resistance varied from 102·04–38·61 kΩ.     

Structural properties of swift heavy ion beam irradiated Fe/Si bilayers

The Fe/Si multilayers were prepared by electron beam evaporation in a cryo-pumped vacuum deposition system. Ag⁺ and Au⁺ ions of 100 MeV at two different fluencies such as 1 × 10¹² ions/cm² and 1 × 10¹³ ions/cm² at a pressure of 10^− 7 torr were used to irradiate the Fe/Si samples. The irradiated samples were analyzed by High-Resolution XRD and it reveals that the irradiated films are having polycrystalline nature and it confirms the formation of the β-FeSi₂. The structural parameters such as crystallite size (D), strain (ε) and dislocation density (δ) have been evaluated from the XRD spectrum. The role of the substrates and the influence of swift heavy ions on the formation of β-FeSi₂ have been discussed in this paper.     

Mixing induced by swift heavy ion irradiation at Fe/Si interface

The present work deals with the mixing of metal and silicon by swift heavy ions in high-energy range. Threshold value for the defect creation in metal Fe calculated was found to be ∼ 40 keV/nm. A thin film of Fe (10 nm) was deposited on Si (100) at a pressure of 4 × 10⁻⁸ Torr and was irradiated with 95 MeV Au ions. Irradiation was done at RT, to a dose of 10¹³ ions/cm² and 1 pna current. The electronic energy loss was found to be 29.23 keV/nm for 95 MeV Au ions in Fe using TRIM calculation. Compositional analysis of samples was done by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Reflectivity studies were carried out on the pre-annealed and post-annealed samples to study irradiation effects. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was done to study the interface. It was observed that ion beam mixing reactions at RT lead to mixing as a result of high electronic excitations.     

1/f Noise properties of swift heavy ion irradiated epitaxial thin films of YBCO

Effect of 250 MeV¹⁰⁷Ag ion irradiation induced columnar defects on the noise properties of the YBCO superconductor in the normal and superconducting state have been investigated. Magnitude of the spectral density of the noise is found to scale inversely with the frequency and exhibit a quadratic dependence on the bias current confirming that the noise arises due to the resistance fluctuations. The magnitude ofS _v has been found to decrease with decrease in temperature and shows a noise peak in the transition region. The noise performance of these materials in the vicinity of the superconducting transition as well as in the normal state is found to improve by an order of magnitude after irradiation with 250 MeV¹⁰⁷Ag ions. The decrease in the magnitude of 1/f noise peak is due the irradiation induced enhanced flux pinning of the material which suppresses the flux motion induced noise in the vicinity ofT _c.     

Effect of annealing on magnetic properties and silicide formation at Co/Si interface

The interaction of Co (30 nm) thin films on Si (100) substrate in UHV using solid state mixing technique has been studied. Cobalt was deposited on silicon substrate using electron beam evaporation at a vacuum of 4×10^?8 Torr having a deposition rate of about 0·1 Å/s. Reactivity at Co/Si interface is important for the understanding of silicide formation in thin film system. In the present paper, cobalt silicide films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) in terms of the surface and interface morphologies and depth profile, respectively. The roughness of the samples was found to increase up to temperature, 300°C and then decreased with further rise in temperature, which was due to the formation of crystalline CoSi₂ phase. The effect of mixing on magnetic properties such as coercivity, remanence etc at interface has been studied using magneto optic Kerr effect (MOKE) techniques at different temperatures. The value of coercivity of pristine sample and 300°C annealed sample was found to be 66 Oe and 40 Oe, respectively, while at high temperature i.e. 748°C, the hysteresis disappears which indicates the formation of CoSi₂ compound.     

High resistivity In-doped ZnTe: electrical and optical properties

Semi-insulating <111> ZnTe prepared by In doping during Bridgman growth was found to have a resistivity of 5.74 × 10⁷ ohm-cm, the highest reported so far in ZnTe, with hole concentration of 2.4 × 10⁹/cm³ and hole mobility of 46 cm² /V.s at 300 K. The optical band gap was 2.06 eV at 293 K compared with 2.26 eV for undoped semiconducting ZnTe. Thermally stimulated current (TSC) studies revealed 2 trap levels at depths of 202–222 meV and 412–419 meV, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) studies at 10 K showed strong peaks at 1.37 eV and 1.03 eV with a weak shoulder at 1.43 eV. Short anneal for 3 min at 250°C led to conversion to a p-type material with resistivity, 14.5 ohm-cm, indicating metastable behaviour. Raman studies carried out on undoped and In-doped samples showed small but significant differences. Possible models for semi-insulating behaviour and meta-stability are proposed.     

Electric and dielectric properties of solution-gas interface-grown PbS films

Dielectric properties andI–V characteristics of solution-gas interface-formed PbS thin-film capacitors (Al/PbS/Al) of various thicknesses have been studied in the frequency range 10-10⁶ Hz at various temperatures (300–443 K). Current-voltage (I–V) characteristics show space-charge-limited conduction. Dielectric constant (ε) increases with increasing film thickness and temperature and decreases with increase of frequency. The loss factor (tanδ) peaks observed in tanδ vs frequency and tanδ vs temperature reveal relaxation effect from dipolar orientation. These maxima shift to higher-temperature region with increasing frequency. The large increase in capacitance (C) and dielectric constant (ε) towards low-frequency (f) region indicates the possibility of an interfacial polarization mechanism in this region.     

Conduction mechanism in codeposited AgSe thin films

Thin films of AgSe of varying compositions and thicknesses have been formed on glass substrates employing the three-temperature method.I–V characteristics and thermoelectric power, α, of annealed samples have been measured as functions of composition, thickness and temperature of the films. Films exhibitn-type conductivity. Nonohmic conduction in films of Ag _x Se_1−x (0<x<0·5) and Ag _x Se_1−x (0>x>0·5) have been accounted for on the basis of the theory of Rose of defect insulator containing shallow traps and on Schottky emission respectively.     

Magnetic properties of the mixed spinel Co1+x Si x Fe2−2x O4

The structural and magnetic properties of the mixed spinel Co_1+x Si _x Fe_2?2x O₄ system for 0·1≤x≤0·6 have been studied by means of X-ray diffraction, magnetization, and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements. X-ray intensity calculations indicate that Si⁴⁺ ions occupy only tetrahedral (A) sites replacing Fe³⁺ ions, and the added Co²⁺ ions substitute for (B) site Fe³⁺ ions. The Mössbauer spectra at 300 K have been fitted with two sextets in the ferrimagnetic state corresponding to Fe³⁺ at the A and B sites, forx≤0·3. The Mössbauer intensity data shows that Si possesses a preference for the A site of the spinel. The variation of the saturation magnetic moment per formula unit measured at 300 K with the Si content, is explained on the basis of Neel’s collinear spin ordering model forx≤0·3 which is supported by Mössbauer, and X-ray data. The Curie temperature decreases nearly linearly with increase of the Si content, forx=0·1–0·6.     

Effect of assist ion beam voltage on intrinsic stress and optical properties of Ta2O5 thin films deposited by dual ion beam sputtering

The optical properties and intrinsic stress of Ta₂O₅ thin films deposited by dual ion beam sputtering (DIBS) were studied as a function of the assist ion beam voltage (250-650 V). When the assist ion beam voltage was in the range of 350-450 V, the transmittance at the quarter-wave point reached its highest value (lowest absorption). The refractive index increased to 2.185 as the assist ion beam voltage increased from 250 to 350 V, but decreased as the assist ion beam voltage was further increased from 350 to 650 V.     

Electron beam evaporation deposition and properties of Abrupt GST/Si heterojunction structure

The ternary alloy, Ge₂Te₂Sb₅ is one of the most important compounds of the GeTe-Sb₂Te₃ pseudobinary systems. Ge₂Te₂Sb₅ thin films of thickness of 100 nm-300 nm were deposited by electron beam evaporation. After annealing at different temperatures, we did X-ray diffraction measurement to characterize the structure transformation of the material. In-situ resistance measurement depending on the temperature shows that there is about three orders of magnitude change between the high resistance state (amorphous state) and the low resistance state (face-centered cubic state). To construct a heterojunction diode, we deposited Ge₂Te₂Sb₅ thin films on n-type silicon wafers. Rectification effects were observed in voltage-current measurements of the abrupt heterojunctions. Traditional voltage-current relationship of p-n junctions and metal-semiconductor junctions are used to explain the characteristics of Ge₂Te₂Sb₅/n-Si heterojunctions.     

Preparation and properties of Bi2−x As x S3 thin films by solution-gas interface technique

The solution gas interface technique by which thin films of Bi_2−x As _x S₃ were deposited is described in this paper. The semiconducting properties of the interface grown Bi_2−x As _x S₃ thin films are studied. The optical absorption, dark resistivity and thermoelectric power of the films were studied and results are reported.     

Structures and light emission properties of nanocrystalline FeSi2/Si formed by ion beam synthesis with a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

Thin layers of nanocrystalline FeSi₂ embedded in Si structures have been formed by Fe implantation using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) ion source under various implantation and thermal annealing conditions. The microstructures were studied in details and correlated with the photoluminescence (PL) properties. It is found that higher lattice coherence between the FeSi₂ nanocrystals and the Si matrix is associated with better light emission efficiency. Multiple-cycle implantation schemes were introduced and it is shown that with appropriate process design the dose quenching effect can be suppressed to achieve light emission enhancement in higher dose samples. De-convolution of the PL spectra into two or three peaks was performed and their temperature and excitation power dependence were analyzed. The analysis results indicate that the 1.55-μm emission really originated from FeSi₂ and that the emission peaks are likely donor- or accepted-level-related. MOS structures with the incorporation of implanted nanocrystalline FeSi₂ were fabricated. Electroluminescence (EL) spectra from these devices showed two peak features of which one peak corresponds to FeSi₂ emission and the other corresponds to enhanced Si band-edge emission. Clear room-temperature EL signals from these device structures were observed. A model is proposed to qualitatively understand the temperature dependence of the EL spectra.     

Field, temperature, and angle dependence of the critical current density in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O10/Ag ribbons

Current-voltage characteristics of high-critical-current Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₁₀/Ag ribbons were measured using both transport and magnetization techniques. The slope of these curves changes with magnetic field and temperature in a way very similar to the observedj _c (H, T) behavior. This correspondence between the critical current and the slope of theI–V characteristics can be explained within the thermally activated flux creep framework. The dependence ofj _c on the angle between field and ribbon is compared to the existing intrinsic anisotropy models.     

Optical and electrical properties of TiOx thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation

The TiO_x thin films were prepared by electron beam evaporation using TiO as the starting material. The effect of the annealing temperature on the optical and electrical properties was investigated. The spectra of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that Ti in the films mainly exist in the forms of Ti²⁺ and Ti³⁺ below 400 °C 24 h annealing. The charge transfer between different titanium ion contribute greatly to the color, absorption, and electrical resistance of the films.     

Photocatalytic properties of Cr-doped TiO2 films prepared by oxygen cluster ion beam assisted deposition

We prepared Cr-doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films by oxygen (O₂) cluster ion beam assisted deposition method, and investigated photocatalytic properties of the films as well as crystallographic property, optical property and surface morphology. The films prepared at a substrate temperature below 200 °C were found to be amorphous from the X-ray diffraction measurement. For the substrate temperatures such as 300 °C and 400 °C, the films exhibited rutile and/or anatase structures. The film surface measured by the atomic force microscope (AFM) was smooth at an atomic level. Furthermore, the optical band gap decreased with increase of Cr-composition, and it was approximately 3.3 eV for the non-doped films, 3.2 eV for the 1% Cr-doped films and 3.1 eV for the 10% Cr-doped films, respectively. With regard to the photocatalytic properties of the Cr-doped TiO₂ films, we measured the change of contact angle as well as the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by the UV light irradiation. Compared with the non-doped films, the 1% Cr-doped films prepared at a substrate temperature of 400 °C showed high degradation efficiency. In addition, the contact angle of the 1% Cr-doped films with an initial value of 60° decreased to 10° by the UV light irradiation for 20 min, and the films exhibited the predominant properties of photocatalytic hydrophilicity even for the UV light irradiation with longer wavelengths.     

Role of Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>Al/silicides on tensile properties of Timetal 834 at various temperatures

Extremely fine coherent precipitates of ordered Ti₃Al and relatively coarse incoherent precipitates of S₂ silicide exist together in the near α-titanium alloy, Timetal 834, in the dual phase matrix of primary α and transformed β. In order to assess the role of these precipitates, three heat treatments viz. WQ, WQ-A and WQ-OA, were given to have no precipitates, Ti₃Al and silicide and only silicide precipitates in the respective conditions. Tensile properties in the above three heat treated conditions were determined at room temperature, 673 K and 873 K. It was observed that largely Ti₃Al precipitates were responsible for increase in the yield strength and decrease in ductility in this alloy.     

Structural, electronic and optical properties of Sn1−xSbxO2

The goal of this paper is to undertake a detailed first principle calculation of the structural, electronic and optical properties of Sn_1−xSb_xO₂. The results show that the stability of Sn_1−xSb_xO₂ in the full range of Sb content points to the probability of a continuous solid solution, where the increasing Sb content leads to volume expansion with different variation trends in the lattice constants. The increase of Sb concentration in the semiconductor–metal–semimetal transition occurs in consonance with the corresponding changes in its structural, electronic and optical properties. Two competing mechanisms play essential roles in this transition, namely; the many body effect and the atom disorder. Our calculations concur with previous X-ray diffraction, sheet resistance, resistivity and optical parameters detections. The studies present a practical way of tailoring the physical behaviors of Sn_1−xSb_xO₂ through the alloying technique.     

Chemical structure and electrical properties of sputtered HfO2 films on Si substrates annealed by rapid thermal annealing

The chemical structure and electrical properties of HfO₂ thin film grown by rf reactive magnetron sputtering after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) were investigated. The chemical composition of HfO₂ films and interfacial chemical structure of HfO₂/Si in relation to the RTA process were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Hf 4f and O 1s core level spectra suggest that the as-deposited HfO₂ film is nonstoichiometric and the peaks shift towards lower binding energy after RTA. The Hf-Si bonds at the HfO₂/Si interface can be broken after RTA to form Hf-Si-O bonds. The electrical characteristics of HfO₂ films were determined by capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current density-voltage (J-V) measurements. The results showed that the density of fixed charge and leakage current density of HfO₂ film were decreased after the RTA process in N₂ atmosphere.     

Structural, electrochemical and thermal properties of LiNi0.8−xCo0.2CexO2 as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

A series of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries with the formula LiNi_0.8−xCo_0.2Ce_xO₂ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03) were synthesized by sol–gel method using citric acid as a chelating agent. The effects of cerium substitution on the structural, electrochemical and thermal properties of the cathode materials are investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), charge–discharge cycling, cyclic voltammogram (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results show that the Ce substitution made the layered structure of materials more regular and less cation-ion mixing. An effective improved cycling performance is observed for cerium-doped cathode materials, which is interpreted to a significant suppression of phase transitions and charge-transfer impedance increasing during cycling. The thermal stability of cerium-doped materials is also improved, which can be attributed to its lower oxidation ability and enhanced structural stability at delithiated state.