Nanocomposites with increased energy density through high aspect ratio PZT nanowires

High energy storage plays an important role in the modern electric industry. Herein, we investigated the role of filler aspect ratio in nanocomposites for energy storage. Nanocomposites were synthesized using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with two different aspect ratio (nanowires, nanorods) fillers at various volume fractions dispersed in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The permittivity constants of composites containing nanowires (NWs) were higher than those with nanorods (NRs) at the same inclusion volume fraction. It was also indicated that the high frequency loss tangent of samples with PZT nanowires was smaller than for those with nanorods, demonstrating the high electrical energy storage efficiency of the PZT NW nanocomposite. The high aspect ratio PZT NWs showed a 77.8% increase in energy density over the lower aspect ratio PZT NRs, under an electric field of 15 kV mm(-1) and 50% volume fraction. The breakdown strength was found to decrease with the increasing volume fraction of PZT NWs, but to only change slightly from a volume fraction of around 20%-50%. The maximum calculated energy density of nanocomposites is as high as 1.158 J cm(-3) at 50% PZT NWs in PVDF. Since the breakdown strength is lower compared to a PVDF copolymer such as poly(vinylidene fluoride-tertrifluoroethylene-terchlorotrifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TreEE-CTFE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP), the energy density of the nanocomposite could be significantly increased through the use of PZT NWs and a polymer with greater breakdown strength. These results indicate that higher aspect ratio fillers show promising potential to improve the energy density of nanocomposites, leading to the development of advanced capacitors with high energy density.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of single-crystalline Fe3O4 nanowires with high aspect ratio and uniformity

Uniform, ultra-thin, single-crystalline Fe₃O₄ nanowires with narrow diameter distribution centered at 15 nm and length up to several microns, were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route with the assistance of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400. The morphologies and structure of the obtained nanowires were examined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The effect of PEG content and molecular weight on the yield and morphology of Fe₃O₄ nanowires was investigated. Saturation magnetization of Fe₃O₄ nanowires was determined to be 23.0 emu/g, which is distinctly lower than that of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles.     

Fabrication of very high aspect ratio metal nanowires by a self-propulsion mechanism

A novel synthesis method of very high aspect ratio metal nanowires is described. The synthesis utilizes a nanoporous membrane as a template and self-electrophoresis as a directed force that continuously push formed nanowires out of the pores in a rate that is identical to the rate of their elongation. As a result, while the pores of membranes are only 6 microm long, the formed nanowires could be more than 100 microm long.     

Prediction of ultra-high aspect ratio nanowires from self-assembly

We employ a combination of ab initio total energy calculations and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the possible self-assembly of nanoscale objects into ultrahigh aspect ratio chains and wires. The ab initio calculations provide key information regarding selective chemical functionalization for end-to-end attraction and the subtle interplay of the energy landscape, which is then used to fit classical potentials. MD simulations are carried out to predict short-time dynamical properties of assembly as a function of synthesis conditions, including solvent, chemical functionalization, temperature, and concentration. Our results suggest an efficient technique for bringing nanoscale objects together to form ultrahigh aspect ratio nanowires with high-quality alignment. We show that the electronic structure of the resulting nanowires depends strongly on the end functionalization.     

A systematic study of DRIE process for high aspect ratio microstructuring

Various MEMS devices like Accelerometers, Resonators, RF- Filters, Micropumps, Microvalves, Microdispensers and Microthrusters are produced by removing the bulk of the substrate materials. Fabrications of such Microsystems requires the ability to engineer precise three-dimensional structures in the silicon substrate. Fabrication of MEMS faces multiple technological challenges before it can become a commercially viable technology. One key fabrication process required is the deep silicon etching for forming high aspect ratio structures. There is an increasing interest in the use of dry plasma etching for this application because of its anisotropic etching behavior, high etch speed, good uniformity and profile control, high aspect ratio capabilities without having any undesired secondary effects i.e. RIE lags, Loading, microloading, loosing of anisotropic nature of etching as aspect ratio increases, micro-grass and even etch stalling. Developing a DRIE micro-machining process requires a thorough understanding of all plasma parameters, which can affect a silicon etching process and their use to suppress the secondary effects. In this paper our intention is to investigate the influence of etching gas flow, etching gas pressure, passivation gas pressure, ICP coil power, Platen power and etch and passivation time sequence on etch rate and side wall profile. Parameter ramping is a powerful technique used to achieve the requirements of high aspect ratio microstructures (HARMS) for MEMS applications by having high etch rate with good profile/CD control. The results presented here can be used to rationally vary processing parameters in order to meet the microstructural requirements for a particular application.     

High aspect ratio CdS nanowires synthesized in microemulsion system

CdS nanowires with typical length more than 8 μm and width of 30 nm on average have been successfully synthesized through Cd(NO₃)₂ reacting with CS₂ and ethylenediamine in microemulsion system of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SBDS). The microstructures of the as-synthesized CdS nanowires were characterized using XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and HRTEM. The possible formation mechanism was discussed. The morphologies of CdS sample strongly depend on the concentration of surfactant in solutions.     

Black silicon with high density and high aspect ratio nanowhiskers

The physical properties of black silicon (b-Si) formed on Si wafers by reactive ion etching in chlorine plasma are reported in an attempt to clarify the formation mechanism and the origin of the observed optical and electrical phenomena, which are promising for a variety of applications. The b-Si consisting of high density and high aspect ratio sub-micron length whiskers or pillars with tip diameters of well under 3 nm exhibits strong photoluminescence (PL) both in the visible and the infrared, which is interpreted in conjunction with defects, confinement effects and near band-edge emission. Structural analysis indicates that the whiskers are all crystalline and encapsulated by a thin Si oxide layer. The infrared vibrational spectrum of Si-O-Si bondings in terms of transverse-optic (TO) and longitudinal-optic (LO) phonons indicates that disorder induced LO-TO optical mode coupling can be an effective tool in assessing the structural quality of the b-Si. The same phonons are likely coupled to electrons in visible region PL transitions. Field emission properties of these nanoscopic features are demonstrated indicating the influence of the tip shape on the emission. Overall properties are discussed in terms of the surface morphology of the nanowhiskers.     

深高宽比微结构的干法刻蚀

介绍了深高宽比微结构在干法刻蚀过程中遇到的刻蚀滞后、刻蚀中止、侧壁弯曲和开槽效应等与传统器件刻蚀不同的现象,讨论了制作高深宽比结构所需的关键技术和检测手段.     

A novel and high yield synthesis of CdSe nanowires

CdSe nanowires (CdSe-NWs) at large scale were obtained through a simple and clean method. The reaction was carried out without complexing agents which often facilitate the preferential nanostructure growth. In this work, CdSe-NWs with lineal and zigzag shape around 40 and 130 nm in diameter with a wurtzite-type structure were synthesized. Quantitative EDX analysis indicated the stoichiometric formation of CdSe, while both HRTEM and HAADF-STEM analysis ruled out the presence of other phases such as CdO or nanotubes formation, respectively. Diameter and length of the nanowires varied with the reaction time and temperature. This synthesis method makes the nanostructures purification process easier and also is non-toxic and its high conversion make it an efficient method for obtaining CdSe-NWs.     

Profile simulation of high aspect ratio contact etch

A semi-empirical profile simulator was employed to better understand fundamental mechanisms of feature evolution in a high aspect ratio contact plasma etch process. Simulation results showed that the net deposition rate of polymer on sidewall defined the necking and surface scattering of ions from the secondary facet caused the formation of bowing. As neutral depositor flux was increased, the resulting profile showed a monotonic increase in necking. In contrast, the extent of bowing showed a maximum, such that minimal bowing was obtained at low and at high depositor fluxes. Primary faceting of photo resist showed only a small influence on the SiO₂ etch profile.     

Formation of high aspect ratio GaAs nanostructures with metal-assisted chemical etching

Periodic high aspect ratio GaAs nanopillars with widths in the range of 500-1000 nm are produced by metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) using n-type (100) GaAs substrates and Au catalyst films patterned with soft lithography. Depending on the etchant concentration and etching temperature, GaAs nanowires with either vertical or undulating sidewalls are formed with an etch rate of 1-2 μm/min. The realization of high aspect ratio III-V nanostructure arrays by wet etching can potentially transform the fabrication of a variety of optoelectronic device structures including distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers, where the surface grating is currently fabricated by dry etching.     

大展弦比机翼随动加载方法与装置研究

大展弦比机翼载荷标定实验中,随着载荷的增加,机翼会发生弯曲变形,导致加载点的法向载荷方向发生变化,对载荷标定实验的准确性产生影响。为解决此问题,设计了一套大展弦比随动加载装置,该装置通过电缸控制加载点竖直方向的位移,通过位移台控制电缸水平方向的位移,利用联动控制系统使载荷标定实验中施加在机翼翼面的作用力与翼面始终保持垂直,保证机翼所受载荷始终沿法向。开展随动加载与砝码垂向加载对比实验,结果表明：随动加载获得的数据相关系数达到0.999,相较砝码垂向加载获得的数据相关系数0.976更优,验证了随动加载装置的有效性。该装置不仅具有体积较小、操作简便的优点,还为推动大展弦比机翼性能研究提供了有力支撑。     

超厚SU-8负胶高深宽比结构及工艺研究

采用新型SU-8光刻胶在UV-LIGA技术基础上制备了各种高深宽比MEMS微结构,研究了热处理和曝光两个重要因素对高深宽比微结构的影响,解决了微结构的开裂和倒塌等问题;优化了SU-8胶工艺,从而获得了最大深宽比为27：1的微结构。     

Fabrication of KSr2Nb5O15 particles with high aspect ratio by two-step molten salt synthesis

KSr₂Nb₅O₁₅ (KSN) particles with high aspect ratios (>50) were synthesized by a two-step molten salt synthesis from two kinds of seeds. The effect of KSN seed on the particles size and morphology was investigated, and the crystal growth mechanism was discussed. The results show that only seeds with (0 0 1) surface act as a site for further growth. KSN particles synthesized by the two-step MSS preserved the shape of seed and had a high aspect ratio. When the rod-like seed prepared by a molten salt synthesis was used, the aspect ratio of obtained particles increased to a maximum value (40–60 μm in length and 0.5–1 μm in diameter) at the seed content of 10 wt%, then decreased with the increasing of seed content. The product is an ideal template for fabricating fiber with tungsten bronze structure by a combination of the co-extrusion and template grain growth process.     

Magnetic behavior of arrays of nickel nanowires: Effect of microstructure and aspect ratio

Arrays of nickel nanowires with aspect ratio of ∼1200 and diameters ranging between 25 and 100 nm have been fabricated by electrodeposition in etched ion track templates. Samples with different areal densities ranging from 1 × 10⁶ cm⁻² to 1 × 10⁸ cm⁻² have been prepared for this study. Magnetic measurements were performed at room temperature for different aspect ratios and diameters of the wires. Coercivity of the wires showed a strong dependence on aspect ratio (l/d), diameter and microstructure. In the case of parallel applied field coercivity of the wires has maximum value at ∼40 nm diameter. The wires with high areal densities showed relatively lower coercivities as compared to the low density samples. The results have been discussed by taking into account various magnetic anisotropies originating from the shape and crystalline nature of the wires, and the magnetostatic interactions among the wires.     

Facile synthesis of LiCoO2 nanowires with high electrochemical performance

Cobalt precursor Co(CO₃)_0.35Cl_0.2(OH)_1.1 nanowire bunches have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method and transformed into Co₃O₄ nanowires by calcination at 500 °C for 3 h. The Co₃O₄ nanowires were then mixed with LiOH and formed the LiCoO₂ nanowires by calcination at 750 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the LiCoO₂ nanowires were composed of nanoparticles with most of the nanoparticles having exposed (010) planes. The electrochemical performance of the LiCoO₂ nanowires was thoroughly investigated by galvanostatic tests. The as-prepared LiCoO₂ nanowires exhibited excellent rate capability and satisfactory cycle stability, where the charge and discharge capacity still stabilized at 100 mA·h/g at a rate of 1000 mA/g after 100 cycles. The favorable electrochemical performance of the LiCoO₂ nanowires may result from their one-dimensional nanostructure and the exposure of (010) planes, since the (010) plane is electrochemically active for layered LiCoO₂ with the α-NaFeO₂ structure and favors fast Li⁺ transportation.      

纳米晶Mg-Al水滑石的水热合成及晶粒度调控

以水不溶性的化合物为前驱物，水热法一步合成了纳米晶Mg-Al水滑石。用XRD、SEM和FT-IR对合成产物进行了表征。通过系统分析前驱物类型、反应温度、时间和碱度与水热反应产物物相组成和晶粒度的关系，提出了调控Mg-Al水滑石晶粒度的方法：升高温度、延长反应时间、适度提高碱度，均会使晶粒度均匀增大。其它条件相同时，前驱物间的竞争性水解能力是影响物相纯度和晶粒度的主要因素。     

高深宽比微结构深度测量技术的研究进展

高深宽比孔/槽微结构现广泛应用于微机电系统（MEMS）与三维集成电路（3D-IC）等领域,是微纳器件的基础性工艺结构。随着器件微型化与功能化的发展需求,孔/槽微结构的深宽比不断提升。深度作为重要参数对器件加工工艺、器件性能有直接影响,微孔/槽结构深度的精确测量具有重要意义,但测量方法面临巨大挑战,成为测量领域的难题之一。针对这一问题,按照非光学和光学测量方式将测量方法分为两大类,介绍了扫描电子显微镜、扫描探针术、白光显微干涉技术、共焦显微技术和反射光谱技术等测量方法的工作原理,在微孔/槽深度测量方面的研究现状,尝试从中总结每种测量方法的优缺点,最后,讨论了未来高深宽比微结构深度测量发展趋势以及研究重点,为之后高深宽比微结构深度的测量技术研究提供帮助。     

GaN nanowires sputtered with Ag shell layers

We have demonstrated the fabrication of GaN-core/Ag shell nanowires and investigated their annealing effects. Scanning electron microscopy has revealed that the thermal annealing facilitated the surface-roughening of the heteronanowires. TEM investigations indicated that the thermal annealing has changed the shell morphology from continuous Ag layer to the discrete Au nanoparticles or islands. X-ray diffraction suggested that the thermal annealing has enhanced the crystallinity of Ag shell. Photoluminescence measurements revealed that the Ag-sputtering has induced an UV peak, in addition to the GaN-associated emission peaks. Thermal annealing has further changing the overall shape of the PL spectrum and we have discussed the possible emission mechanisms.