Ultra-Low Loss Microwave Dielectric Ceramic Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> and Low-Temperature Firing Via B<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Addition

Li₂Mg₂TiO₅, a rock-salt structured ceramic fabricated by a solid-state sintering technique, was characterized at the microwave frequency band. As a result, a microwave dielectric permittivity (ε_r) of 13.4, a quality factor of 95,000 GHz (at 11.3 GHz), and a temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (τ_f) of ? 32.5 ppm/°C have been obtained at 1320°C. Li₂Mg₂TiO₅ ceramics have low permittivity, a broad processing temperature region, and a low loss, making them potential applications in millimeter-wave devices. Furthermore, B₂O₃ addition efficiently lowered the sintering temperature of Li₂Mg₂TiO₅ to 900°C, which opens up their possible applications in low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Pb(Zr<Subscript>0.53</Subscript>,Ti<Subscript>0.47</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Pb(Nb<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>,Zn<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Thin Films on Cantilever Stacks

0.9Pb(Zr_0.53,Ti_0.47)O₃-0.1Pb(Zn_1/3,Nb_2/3)O₃ (PZT–PZN) thin films and integrated cantilevers have been fabricated. The PZT–PZN films were deposited on SiO₂/Si or SiO₂/Si₃N₄/SiO₂/poly-Si/Si membranes capped with a sol–gel-derived ZrO₂ buffer layer. It is found that the membrane layer stack, lead content, existence of a template layer of PbTiO₃ (PT), and ramp rate during film crystallization are critical for obtaining large-grained, single-phase PZT–PZN films on the ZrO₂ surface. By controlling these parameters, the electrical properties of the PZT–PZN films, their microstructure, and phase purity were significantly improved. PZT–PZN films with a dielectric constant of 700 to 920 were obtained, depending on the underlying stack structure.     

Superior suppression of gate current leakage in Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Si<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> bilayer-based AlGaN/GaN insulated gate heterostructure field-effect transistors

AlGaN/GaN-based metal-insulator-semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors (MIS-HFETs) with Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄ bilayer as insulator have been investigated in detail, and compared with the conventional HFET and Si₃N₄-based MIS-HFET devices. Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄ bilayer-based MIS-HFETs exhibited much lower gate current leakage than conventional HFET and Si₃N₄-based MIS devices under reverse gate bias, and leakage as low as 1×10⁻¹¹ A/mm at −15 V has been achieved in Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄-based MIS devices. By using ultrathin Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄ bilayer, very high maximum transconductance of more than 180 mS/mm with ultra-low gate leakage has been obtained in the MIS-HFET device with gate length of 1.5 μm, a reduction less than 5% in maximum transconductance compared with the conventional HFET device. This value was much smaller than the more than 30% reduction in the Si₃N₄-based MIS device, due to the employment of ultra-thin bilayer with large dielectric constant and the large conduction band offset between Al₂O₃ and nitrides. This work demonstrates that Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄ bilayer insulator is a superior candidate for nitrides-based MIS-HFET devices.     

Study and simulation of magnetic susceptibility of Si and Si<Subscript>0.95</Subscript>Ge<Subscript>0.05</Subscript> whiskers

The magnetic susceptibilities of Si and Si_0.95Ge_0.05 alloy whiskers of different diameters have been studied. Its significant difference from the magnetic susceptibility of a bulk material has been found. The presence of paramagnetic centers, some of which form magnetic nanoclusters in samples, is assumed. To explain the experimental results obtained, a model within Langevin superparamagnetism has been suggested. The distribution function of clusters over their magnetic moments has been constructed. The most probable sizes and magnetic moments of clusters are determined.     

Thermoelectric Properties of Sb-Doped Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>

Mg₂(Si_0.3Sn_0.7)_1−y Sb _y (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.04) solid solutions were prepared by a two-step solid-state reaction method combined with the spark plasma sintering technique. Investigations indicate that the Sb doping amount has a significant impact on the thermoelectric properties of Mg₂(Si_0.3Sn_0.7)_1−y Sb _y compounds. As the Sb fraction y increases, the electron concentration and electrical conductivity of Mg₂(Si_0.3Sn_0.7)_1−y Sb _y first increase and then decrease, and both reach their highest value at y = 0.025. The sample with y = 0.025, possessing the highest electrical conductivity and one of the higher Seebeck coefficient values among all the samples, has the highest power factor, being 3.45 mW m⁻¹ K⁻² to 3.69 mW m⁻¹ K⁻² in the temperature range of 300 K to 660 K. Meanwhile, Sb doping can significantly reduce the lattice thermal conductivity (κ _ph) of Mg₂(Si_0.3Sn_0.7)_1−y Sb _y due to increased point defect scattering, and κ _ph for Sb-doped samples is 10% to 20% lower than that of the nondoped sample for 300 K < T < 400 K. Mg₂(Si_0.3Sn_0.7)_0.975Sb_0.025 possesses the highest power factor and one of the lower κ _ph values among all the samples, and reaches the highest ZT value: 1.0 at 640 K.     

Study of Critical Behavior in Amorphous Fe<Subscript>85</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>5</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>10</Subscript> Alloy Ribbon

We have investigated the critical behavior in amorphous Fe₈₅Sn₅Zr₁₀ alloy ribbon prepared using a single-roller melt-spinning method. This alloy shows a second-order magnetic transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (FM) state at the Curie temperature T _C (～306 K). To obtain more information on the features of the magnetic transition, a detailed critical exponent study was carried out using isothermal magnetization M (H, T) data in the vicinity of the T _C. Modified Arrott plot, Kouvel–Fisher plot, Widom’s scaling relation and critical isotherm analysis techniques were used to investigate the critical behavior of this alloy system around its phase transition point. The values of critical exponents determined using the above methods are self-consistent. The estimated critical exponents are fairly close to the theoretical prediction of the three-dimensional (3D) Heisenberg model, implying that short-range FM interactions dominate the critical behavior in amorphous Fe₈₅Sn₅Zr₁₀ alloy ribbon.     

The nanoindentation characteristics of Cu<Subscript>6</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>5</Subscript>, Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sn,and Ni<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>4</Subscript> intermetallic compounds in the solder bump

In general, formation and growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) play a major role in the reliability of the solder joint in electronics packaging and assembly. The formation of Cu-Sn or Ni-Sn IMCs have been observed at the interface of Sn-rich solders reacted with Cu or Ni substrates. In this study, a nanoindentation technique was employed to investigate nanohardness and reduced elastic moduli of Cu₆Sn₅, Cu₃Sn, and Ni₃Sn₄ IMCs in the solder joints. The Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-37Pb solder pastes were placed on a Cu/Ti/Si substrate and Ni foil then annealed at 240°C to fabricate solder joints. In Sn-3.5Ag joints, the magnitude of the hardness of the IMCs was in the order Ni₃Sn₄>Cu₆Sn₅>Cu₃Sn, and the elastic moduli of Cu₆Sn₅, Cu₃Sn, and Ni₃Sn₄ were 125 GPa, 136 GPa, and 142 GPa, respectively. In addition, the elastic modulus of the Cu₆Sn₅ IMC in the Sn-37Pb joint was similar to that for the bulk Cu₆Sn₅ specimen but less than that in the Sn-3.5Ag joint. This might be attributed to the strengthening effect of the dissolved Ag atoms in the Cu₆Sn₅ IMC to enhance the elastic modulus in the Sn-3.5Ag/Cu joint.     

Fabrication and Electromagnetic Properties of Conjugated NH<Subscript>2</Subscript>-CuPc@Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Conjugated amino-phthalocyanine copper containing carboxyl groups/magnetite (NH₂-CuPc@Fe₃O₄) has been fabricated from FeCl₃·6H₂O and NH₂-CuPc via a simple solvothermal method and its electromagnetic properties investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the NH₂-CuPc@Fe₃O₄ was a waxberry-like nanomaterial with NH₂-CuPc molecules effectively embedded in the interior of Fe₃O₄ particles in the form of beads. Introduction of NH₂-CuPc effectively improved the complementarity between the dielectric and magnetic losses of the system, resulting in excellent electromagnetic performance. The minimum reflection loss of the as-prepared composite reached ?33.4 dB at 7.0 GHz for coating layer thickness of 4.0 mm and bandwidth below ?10.0 dB (90% absorption) of up to 3.8 GHz. These results indicate that introduction of NH₂-CuPc results in a composite with potential for use as an electromagnetic microwave absorption material.     

Growth Mechanism of a Ternary (Cu,Ni)<Subscript>6</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>5</Subscript> Compound at the Sn(Cu)/Ni(P) Interface

The growth mechanism of an interfacial (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ compound at the Sn(Cu) solder/Ni(P) interface under thermal aging has been studied in this work. The activation energy for the formation of the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ compound for cases of Sn-3Cu/Ni(P), Sn-1.8Cu/Ni(P), and Sn-0.7Cu/Ni(P) was calculated to be 28.02 kJ/mol, 28.64 kJ/mol, and 29.97 kJ/mol, respectively. The obtained activation energy for the growth of the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ compound layer was found to be close to the activation energy for Cu diffusion in Sn (33.02 kJ/mol). Therefore, the controlling step for formation of the ternary (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ layer could be Cu diffusion in the Sn(Cu) solder matrix.     

Effect of Sb Doping on the Thermoelectric Properties of Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>0.3</Subscript> Solid Solutions

This study focuses on Sb-doped Mg₂(Si,Sn) thermoelectric material. Samples were successfully fabricated using a hybrid synthesis method consisting of three different processes: induction melting, solid-state reaction, and a hot-press sintering technique. We found that the carrier concentration increased with Sb content, while the Seebeck coefficient exhibited a decreasing trend. Sb doping was shown to improve the power factor and thermoelectric figure of merit compared with the undoped material, yielding a peak figure of merit (ZT) of ~0.55 at 620 K, while leaving the band gap of Mg₂Si_0.7Sn_0.3 almost unchanged.     

Electronic structure and spectral properties of Si<Subscript>46</Subscript> and Na<Subscript>8</Subscript>Si<Subscript>46</Subscript> clathrates

The electronic structure of Si₄₆ and Na₈Si₄₆ clathrates has been calculated using the linearized augmented plane wave method. The calculation yielded their band structure, total and partial electron densities of states, and SiK_{β1, 3} and SiL_{2, 3} X-ray emission spectra. The calculated and experimental spectra for the Na₈Si₄₆ clathrate were compared.     

Solid-State Reaction Mechanism and Deliquescence Phenomenon of K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Al<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Ceramic

Development of (K,Na)NbO₃-based ceramics has attracted much attention in recent decades. In this work, K_0.5Na_0.5Nb_0.7Al_0.3O₃ ceramic was prepared using conventional solid-state processing. A deliquescence phenomenon was observed when the specimen was exposed to moist atmosphere. The reaction mechanism and cause of deliquescence were investigated using x-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, electron microprobe analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetric analysis. The results revealed interactions mainly amongst the raw materials K₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, and Nb₂O₅ as well as K₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, and Al₂O₃, which can influence the sintering behavior of the mixture. (K,Na)NbO₃ and (K,Na)AlO₂ were present in the sintered K_0.5Na_0.5Nb_0.7Al_0.3O₃ ceramic, with the latter leading to deliquescence. During the sintering process, Al₂O₃ reacts with alkali oxides (Na₂O and K₂O), which are the decomposition products of carbonates, to form (K,Na)AlO₂. In addition, Al₂O₃ is more likely to react with K₂O compared with Na₂O.     

Sensitive Determination of 6-Thioguanine Using Caffeic Acid-functionalized Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> Nanoparticles as an Electrochemical Sensor

The study demonstrates the potential application of caffeic acid-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (CA-Fe₃O₄ NPs) as an effective electrode modifying material for the electrochemical oxidation of the 6-thioguanine (6-TG) drug. The functionalized Fe₃O₄ NPs were prepared using simple wet-chemical methodology where the used caffeic acid acted simultaneously as growth controlling and functionalizing agent. The study discusses the influence of an effective functionalization on the signal sensitivity observed for the electro-oxidation of 6-TG over CA-Fe₃O₄ NPs in comparison to a glassy carbon electrode modified with bare and nicotinic acid (NA)-functionalized Fe₃O₄ NPs. The experiment results provided sufficient evidence to support the importance of favorable functionality to achieve higher signal sensitivity for the electro-oxidation of 6-TG. The presence of favorable interactions between the active functional moieties of caffeic acid and 6-TG synergized with the greater surface area of magnetic NPs produces a stable electro-oxidation signal within the working range of 0.01–0.23 μM with sensitive up to 0.001 μM. Additionally, the sensor showed the strong anti-interference potential against the common co-existing drug molecules such as benzoic acid, acetaminophen, epinephrine, norepinephrine, glucose, ascorbic acid and l-cysteine. In addition, the successful quantification of 6-TG from the commercial tablets obtained from local pharmacy further signified the practical capability of the discussed sensor.     

Influence of Indium-Tin Oxide Additive on the Sintering Process and Conductivity of Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>12</Subscript> Solid Electrolyte

Because of the poor sintering ability and low phase purity limit in the application of a Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ solid electrolyte, it is important to find an effective way to obtain a pure and dense Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ ceramic at reduced temperature. In this study, high conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) was innovatively used as the sintering additive to improve the purity and density of the Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ ceramic. The influence of ITO additive on density, phase, microstructure and conductivity of the Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ ceramic was investigated. Archimedes method, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy and complex impedance spectroscopy were used as experimental techniques to evaluate the effect of the additive. The results show that the ITO sintering additive increases not only the purity and density but also the conductivity of the Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ ceramic. The Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ ceramic with 3 wt.% ITO additive sintered at 1150°C for 4 h possesses a high density of 3.15 g/cm³ and good conductivity of (3.95 ± 0.12) × 10^?4 S/cm.     

Nanotribological Characteristics of Cu<Subscript>6</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>5</Subscript>, Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sn,and Ni<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>4</Subscript> Intermetallic Compounds

Nanotribological characteristics, including the coefficient of friction, wear coefficient, and wear resistance, of Cu₆Sn₅, Cu₃Sn, and Ni₃Sn₄ intermetallic compounds developed by the annealing of Sn–Cu or Sn–Ni diffusion couples were investigated in this work. The scratch test conditions combined a constant normal load of 10 mN, 20 mN, or 30 mN and a scratch rate of 0.1 μm/s, 1 μm/s, or 10 μm/s. Experimental results indicated that, as the normal load increases, the pile-up grows taller and the scratch deepens, leading to a greater coefficient of friction and wear coefficient, and reduced wear resistance. Moreover, the scratch rate does not have a significant effect on the nanotribological characteristics except for those of Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn under a normal load of 10 mN. Though the hardness of Cu₆Sn₅, Cu₃Sn, and Ni₃Sn₄ is similar, Ni₃Sn₄ appears to be more prone to wear damage.     

Magnetic properties of the FeIn<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>4</Subscript> ternary-compound crystals

Crystals of the ternary compound FeIn₂S₄ are grown by directional crystallization of a melt (the horizontal Bridgman method). Composition of the crystals and their crystal structure are determined. Magnetic properties of the FeIn₂S₄ crystals are studied in the temperature range 4–310 K in magnetic fields of 0–140 kOe. It is shown that the crystals under study are paramagnets up to ∼12 K and their specific magnetic moment monotonically increases with decreasing temperature. The antiferromagnetic character of indirect interactions between Fe²⁺ cations is established. The most probable causes and the mechanism of the formation of the magnetic state in the FeIn₂S₄ crystals are discussed.     

Synthesis and Characterization of SrFe<Subscript>11.2</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>O<Subscript>19</Subscript> Nanoparticles for Enhanced Microwave Absorption

SrFe₁₂O₁₉/ZnFe₂O₄ (SrFe_11.2Zn_0.8O₁₉) nanoparticles having superparamagnetic nature were synthesized by coprecipitation of chloride salts using 7.5 M sodium hydroxide solution. The resulting precursors were heat-treated at 900°C and 1200°C for 4 h in nitrogen atmosphere. During heat treatment (HT), transformation proceeds through instantaneous nucleation and three-dimensional diffusion-controlled growth with an activation energy of 175.9 kJ/mole. The hysteresis loops showed an increase in saturation magnetization from 1.044 emu/g to 61.227 emu/g with increasing HT temperature. As-synthesized particles had sizes in the range of 20 nm to 25 nm with spherical shape. Further, these spherically shaped nanoparticles tended to change their morphology to hexagonal plate and pyramidal shape with increasing HT temperature. The effects of this systematic morphological transformation of nanoparticles on dielectric (complex permittivity and permeability) and microwave absorption properties were estimated in the X-band (8.2 GHz to 12.2 GHz). The maximum reflection loss of the composite powder reached −29.81 dB at 10.37 GHz, making it suitable for application in radar-absorbing materials.     

Magnetic susceptibility of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Sb<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> alloys

The magnetic susceptibility of Czochralski-grown single crystals of Bi₂Te₃-Sb₂Te₃ alloys containing 0, 10, 25, 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, 80, 90, 99.5, or 100 mol % Sb₂Te₃ has been investigated. The magnetic susceptibility of these crystals was determined at the temperature T = 291 K and the magnetic field H oriented parallel (χ_‖) and perpendicularly (χ_⊥) to the trigonal crystallographic axis C ₃. A complicated concentration dependence of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility χ_‖/χ_⊥ has been revealed. The crystals with the free carrier concentration p ≈ 5 × 10¹⁹ cm^?3 do not exhibit anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility. The transition to the isotropic magnetic state occurs for the compositions characterized by a significantly increased (from 200 to 300 meV) optical bandgap.     

Influence of Si<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> passivation on surface trapping in SiC metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors

The SiC metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) have been reported to have current instability and strong dispersion caused by trapping phenomena at the surface and in the substrate, which degrade direct-current (DC) and radio-frequency (RF) performance. This paper illustrates the change in electrical characteristics of SiC MESFETs after Si₃N₄ passivation. Because of a reduction of surface trapping effects, Si₃N₄ passivation can diminish current collapse under pulsed DC conditions, increasing the RF power performance. The reduction of surface trapping effects is verified by the change in the ratio of the drain current to the gate current under pinch-off conditions.     

Magnetoresistance and the planar Hall effect in multilayer Co<Subscript>0.45</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>0.45</Subscript> Zr<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>/(a-Si) structures

The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of multilayer Co_0.45 Fe_0.45Zr_0.1/(a-Si) nanostructures with a 0.7-to 3.5-nm-thick amorphous silicon layer and a 2.5-to 3.5-nm-thick metal layer that are produced via ion-beam sputtering are investigated. It is demonstrated that the resistance of these structures depends on temperature as R _xx ∝-log T, which is typical of metal/dielectric nanocomposites on the metal side of the percolation transition. A negative magnetoresistance (～0.15%) is observed at a thickness of the amorphous silicon layers of no greater than 1 nm. This effect is related to spin-dependent electron transitions between the neighboring layers in the presence of the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between them. Under the same conditions, a transverse (between the Hall probes) magnetoresistive effect amounts to 6–9%. This phenomenon is related to the anisotropic magnetoresistance and the planar Hall effect, which has not been observed in metal/dielectric nanocomposites in the vicinity of the percolation transition. It is demonstrated that a magnetic memory cell based on such a film structure with the induced magnetic anisotropy can be created.