Microstructure and magnetic properties of (0 0 1)-oriented L10 FePt films: Role of Ag underlayer and Fe/Pt ratio

FePt multilayer films were deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrate with thermally grown SiO₂ film and sputtered Ag underlayer at room temperature by dc magnetron sputtering and subsequently annealing in vacuum. Experimental results suggest that proper thickness of Ag underlayer and slightly rich of Fe content can effectively induce the (0 0 1) texture of FePt films. A Fe_57.4Pt_42.6 thin film on the 8 nm Ag underlayer exhibits a large perpendicular coercivity of 7.6 kOe with magnetic remanence close to 1.     

Structural and magnetic study of thin films based on anisotropic ternary alloys FeNiPt2

L1₀ ordered (Fe–Ni)₅₀Pt₅₀ alloy films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were successfully prepared by interdiffusing FePt(0 0 1) and NiPt(0 0 1) layers co-deposited on MgO(0 0 1) substrates by MBE. The [0 0 1] growth direction corresponds to the epitaxy of the alloy on the substrate and is the interesting growth orientation to get a perpendicular magnetization. The X-ray diffraction shows a high L1₀ chemical order (S = 0.7 ± 0.1). The easy magnetization direction is perpendicular for all samples. The MFM images display highly interconnected stripes corresponding to up and down orientations of the magnetization. Large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (K_u = 9.10⁵ J/m³) and suitable magnetic transition temperature (T_C = 400 K) are obtained. The addition of Ni changes the spin–orbit interaction in the FePt compound system, hence causes a decrease of anisotropy, saturation magnetization and coercivity.     

Microstructure and magnetic properties of the FePt film on a membrane of anodized aluminum oxide

By making use of the dc magnetron sputtering system, the Au/FePt bilayers have been prepared on glass substrates and anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with an average pore diameter of around 200 nm. In both cases, the FePt films can be converted into the magnetically hard phase, namely L1₀ phase, after a heat treatment above 500 °C for 1 h. A nanoparticle-like structure can be observed in the 15-nm-thick FePt film on the AAO membrane. The experimental observations of the structure and the magnetism of the FePt films on the AAO membranes are firstly established.     

Synthesis and characteristics of nature-superlattice-structured Bi3TiNbO9–Bi4Ti3O12 ferroelectric thin films by MOD

Natural-superlattice-structured ferroelectric thin films, Bi₃TiNbO₉–Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ (BTN–BIT), have been synthesized on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si by metal organic decomposition (MOD) using BTN–BIT (1 mol:1 mol) solution. BTN–BIT films show natural-superlattice peaks below 2θ = 20° in X-ray diffraction patterns, which indicate that the BTN–BIT films annealed at 700–800 °C in O₂ ambient are consisted of iteration of two unit cells of Bi₃TiNbO₉ and one unit cell of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂. As the annealing temperature increases from 600 to 750 °C, uniform and crack-free films, better crystallinity and ferroelectric properties can be obtained, but the pyrochlore phase in BTN–BIT films annealed over 800 °C would impair the ferroelectric properties. With the increase of O₂ flow rate from 0.5 to 1.5 L/min, both remanent polarization P_r and coercive electric field E_C increase, which are mainly attributed to reduction of the vacanvies of Bi and oxide ions in the films. Natural-superlattice-structured BTN–BIT thin films having 2–1 superlattice annealed at 750 °C in O₂ ambient with a flow rate of 1.5 L/min exhibit superior ferroelectric properties of P_r = 23.5 μC/cm² and E_C = 135 kV/cm.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence study of La1.8Eu0.2O3 coating on nanometric α-Al2O3

In this work the La_1.8Eu_0.2O₃ coating on nanometric alpha-alumina, α-Al₂O₃@La_1.8Eu_0.2O₃, was prepared for the first time by a soft chemical method. The powder was heat-treated at 100, 400, 800 and 1200 °C for 2 h. X-ray powder diffraction patterns (XRD), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), emission and excitation spectra, as well as Eu³⁺ lifetime were used to characterize the material and to follow the changes in structure as the heating temperature increases. The Eu³⁺ luminescence data revealed the characteristic transitions ⁵D₀ → ⁷F_J (J = 0, 1 and 3) of Eu³⁺ at around 580, 591 and 613 nm, respectively, when the powders were excited by 393 nm. The red color of the samples changed to yellow when the powder was annealed at 1200 °C. The decrease in the (⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂)/(⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁) ratio from around 5.0 for samples heated at lower temperatures to 3.1 for samples annealed at 1200 °C is consistent with a higher symmetry of the Eu³⁺ at higher temperature. The excitation spectra of the samples also confirms this change by the presence of a more intense and broad band at around 317 nm, instead of the presence of the characteristic peak at 393 nm, which corresponds to the ⁷F₀ → ⁵L₆ transition of the Eu³⁺. The lifetimes of the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺ for the samples heat-treated at 100, 400, 800 and 1200 °C was evaluated as 0.57, 0.72, 0.43 and 0.31 ms, respectively.     

Effect of substrate temperature on the properties of pyrolytically deposited nitrogen-doped zinc oxide thin films

The effect of substrate temperature (T_s) on the properties of pyrolytically deposited nitrogen (N) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films was investigated. The T_s was varied from 300 °C to 500 °C, with a step of 50 °C. The positive sign of Hall coefficient confirmed the p-type conductivity in the films deposited at 450 °C and 500 °C. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the ZnO structure with a dominant peak from (1 0 0) crystal plane, irrespective of the variation in T_s. The presence of N in the ZnO structure was evidenced through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The obtained high N concentration reveals that the 450 °C is the optimal T_s. Atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis showed that the surface roughness was increased with the increasing T_s until 400 °C but then decreased. It is found that the transmittance of the deposited films is increased with the increasing T_s. The optical band gap calculated from the absorption edge showed that the films deposited with T_s of 300 °C and 350 °C possess higher values than those deposited at higher T_s.     

Structure,nonstoichiometry, sintering and oxygen permeability of perovskite SrCo1−2x(Fe,Nb)xO3−δ (x = 0.05, 0.10) oxides

The novel Fe/Nb co-substituted SrCo_1?2x(Fe,Nb)_xO_3?δ (x = 0.05, 0.10) oxides have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD and DSC results demonstrate that the structural stability of the Fe/Nb co-substituted samples x = 0.05, 0.10 is improved greatly compared to the sample x = 0.00. The Fe/Nb co-doping in the SrCoO_3?δ oxide results in the improved structural stability of the SrCo_1?2x(Fe,Nb)_xO_3?δ (x = 0.05, 0.10) oxides. The nonstoichiometric and sintering properties were investigated by TG and SEM, and the oxygen permeation fluxes were measured at 800–950 °C for the sample x = 0.10. The improved oxygen permeability of the ceramic SrCo_1?2x(Fe,Nb)_xO_3?δ (x = 0.10) membrane compared to the (Ba_0.5Sr_0.5)(Co_0.8Fe_0.2)O_3?δ and SrCo_0.8Fe_0.2O_3–δ membranes, was observed under an air/He oxygen partial pressure gradient at 800–950 °C.     

Powder synthesis and properties of LiTaO3 ceramics

The LiTaO₃ powders with sub micrometer grade grain size have been synthesized successfully using a molten salt method. Lithium tantalate began to form at 400 °C reaction temperature and transformed to pure phase without residual reactants when it was processed at 500 °C for 4 h in static air. The undoped LiTaO₃ ceramics with a Curie temperature about 663 °C were obtained by pressureless sintering at 1300 °C for 3 h. The relative dielectric constant (ɛ_r) increases from 50 to 375 at temperature ranging from 30 to 663 °C and then decreases quickly as the temperature increases above 663 °C. The ceramics shows a relative dielectric constant of 49.4, a dielectric loss factor (tan δ) of 0.007, a coercive field (Ec) of 28.66 kV/cm and a remnant polarization (Pr) of 32.48 μC/cm² at room temperature.     

Fabrication and characterization of n-type aluminum-boron co-doped ZnO on p-type silicon (n-AZB/p-Si) heterojunction diodes

In this paper, the growth of n-type aluminum boron co-doped ZnO (n-AZB) on a p-type silicon (p-Si) substrate by sol–gel method using spin coating technique is reported. The n-AZB/p-Si heterojunctions were annealed at different temperatures ranging from 400 to 800 °C. The crystallite size of the AZB nanostructures was found to vary from 28 to 38 nm with the variation in annealing temperature. The band gap of the AZB decreased from 3.29 to 3.27 eV, with increasing annealing temperature from 400 to 700 °C and increased to 3.30 eV at 800 °C probably due to the formation of Zn₂SiO₄ at the interface. The band gap variation is explained in terms of annealing induced stress in the AZB. The n-AZB/p-Si heterojunction exhibited diode behavior. The best rectifying behavior was exhibited at 700 °C.     

Effect of characteristics of (Sm,Ce)O2 powder on the fabrication and performance of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells

Effect of characteristics of Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 (SDC) powder as a function of calcination temperature on the fabrication of dense and flat anode-supported SDC thin electrolyte cells has been studied. The results show that the calcination temperature has a significant effect on the particle size, degree of agglomeration, and sintering profiles of the SDC powder. The characteristics of SDC powders have a significant effect on the structure integrity and flatness of the SDC electrolyte film/anode substrate bilayer cells. The SDC electrolyte layer delaminates from the anode substrate for the SDC powder calcined at 600 °C and the bilayer cell concaves towards the SDC electrolyte layer for the SDC powder calcined at 800 °C. When the calcinations temperature increased to 1000 °C, strongly bonded SDC electrolyte film/anode substrate bilayer structures were achieved. An open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.82–0.84 V and maximum power density of ～1 W cm^?2 were obtained at 600 °C using hydrogen as fuel and stationary air as the oxidant. The results indicate that the matching of the onset sintering temperature and maximum sintering rate temperature is most critical for the development of a dense and flat Ni/SDC supported SDC thin electrolyte cells for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells.     

Oxidation behavior of amorphous metallic Ni3(SbTe3)2 compound

Amorphous Ni₃(SbTe₃)₂ compound was prepared from a metathesis between Zintl phase K₃SbTe₃ and NiBr₂ in solution and its oxidation behavior was investigated in the temperature range of 200–700 °C in air. To characterize the sample, thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) analyses were performed and electrical conductivity was measured as a function of temperature in the range of 25–800 °C in air. The specimen showed a metallic conducting-like behavior below 585 °C while a semiconducting-like behavior above 585 °C. At a first oxidation step of Ni₃(SbTe₃)₂ below 500 °C, TeO₂ phase is formed. Above 500 °C, NiO phase is formed, then some NiO reacts with TeO₂ to form NiTeO₃ and NiSb₂O₆ is simultaneously formed. Above 700 °C, NiTeO₃ is further reacted with TeO₂ to form NiTe₂O₅. Both NiTeO₃ and NiTe₂O₅ are decomposed above 774 °C.     

Promotion of L10 ordering in Pt-rich nonepitaxially grown FePt films

Multilayer Fe/Pt films with atomic ratios Fe_xPt_100-x (x = 36 ~ 58) were deposited directly onto quartz glass substrates at room temperature through magnetron sputtering. Post-annealing from 300 °C to 600 °C was carried out to investigate the effect of varied compositions on the L1₀ ordering process. The result, which is different from that of co-sputtering growth, shows an obvious promotion of the phase transformation for slightly Pt-rich off-stoichiometric compositions with x between 40 and 50. The in-plane coercivity of Fe₄₈Pt₅₂ can reach 4.1 kOe even after annealing at 300 °C. This facilitated atomic diffusion and ordering might be related to the lattice expansion due to excessive Pt content.     

Flux growth and thermal properties of LiBaB9O15 single crystal

A large LiBaB₉O₁₅ single crystal has been grown by the top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method using a Li₂Mo₃O₁₀ flux system. The crystal obtained exhibits (1 1 0), (1 1 3) and (1 0 2) faces. For the first time, thermal properties of the as-grown crystal, including thermal expansion, specific heat and thermal conductivity, have been investigated as a function of temperature. The specific heat of the LiBaB₉O₁₅ crystal was measured to be 0.663–1.110 J g^?1 K^?1 over the temperature range of 20–400 °C. The crystal exhibits thermal expansion along the a- and b-axis, coupled with thermal contraction along the c-axis, over the measured temperature range of 25–500 °C. The average thermal expansion coefficients along the a- and c-axis of the LiBaB₉O₁₅ crystal from 25 to 500 °C are calculated to be α_a = 6.56 × 10^?6 K^?1 and α_c = ?4.82 × 10^?6 K^?1, respectively.     

Nd2Ba2CaCu2−xZnxTi3O14: a new family of tunable dielectric oxides showing a compositionally controlled tetragonal to cubic transition

Oxides of the formula Nd₂Ba₂CaCu_2−xZn_xTi₃O₁₄ (x=0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) have been successfully prepared by high temperature ceramic route at 1025 °C, as well as by the low temperature citrate precursor route at 800 °C. The copper-rich compounds obtained by the ceramic route (x=0–1.0) are found to have a tetragonal structure, with the a and c parameters increasing with zinc substitution, from a=3.913(8) Å and c=19.63(1) Å for x=0, to a=3.925(1) Å and c=19.64(1) Å for x=1. The tetragonal distortion decreases with increase in zinc substitution and the oxides with x>1.5 were found to crystallize in the cubic structure with a=3.933(2) and a=3.937(1) Å for the x=1.5 and two compositions, respectively. The entire range of oxides (0≤x≤2) could be obtained as pure phases at 800 °C and crystallize in the cubic structure when prepared by the citrate precursor route. The room temperature dielectric constant (ε) at 100 kHz varies from 8 for the pure Cu composition and increased to 59 for the pure Zn analog. The dielectric constant depends on the synthetic route—the pure Zn compound Nd₂Ba₂CaZn₂Ti₃O₁₄ gave much lower dielectric constant (ε) of 23 at 100 kHz when prepared by the citrate precursor method (ε=59, solid state route).     

Sodium niobate particles with controlled morphology synthesized by hydrothermal method and their use as templates in KNN fibers

Sodium niobate – NN (NaNbO₃) powders were synthesized by hydrothermal process to be used as template particles in the fabrication of textured lead free piezoelectric ceramics. Sodium hexaniobate–Na₈Nb₆O₁₉⋅13H₂O particles with rod-like morphology were synthesized at 120 °C. Particles with needle-like morphology and Na₂(Nb₂O₆)(H₂O) phase started to form at temperatures of 130 °C and above. Synthesis at 150 °C yields particles with totally needle-like morphology and consisting entirely of the Na₂(Nb₂O₆)(H₂O) phase. Sodium niobate–NaNbO₃ particles with cubic morphology were synthesized at temperatures of 160 °C and above. Rod-like and needle-like morphology was retained even after annealing at 400 °C for 1 h. A preliminary study was also done to integrate these anisometric template particles in the preparation of textured potassium sodium niobate (KNN) fibers.     

A study on the phase transformation of the nanosized hydroxyapatite synthesized by hydrolysis using in situ high temperature X-ray diffraction

The biodegradable hydroxyapatite (HA) was synthesized by hydrolysis and characterized using high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD), differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in situ phase transformation of the HA synthesized from CaHPO₄·2H₂O (DCPD) and CaCO₃ with a Ca / P = 1.5 in 2.5 M NaOH_(aq) at 75 °C for 1 h was investigated by HT-XRD between 25 and 1500 °C. The HA was crystallized at 600 °C and maintained as the major phase until 1400 °C. The HA steadily transformed to the α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) which became the major phosphate phase at 1500 °C. At 700 °C, the minor CaO phase appeared and vanished at 1300 °C. The Na⁺ impurity from the hydrolysis process was responsible for the formation of the NaCaPO₄ phase, which appeared above 800 °C and disappeared at 1200 °C.     

Effects of the sulfidation temperature on the structure,composition and optical properties of ZnS films prepared by sulfurizing ZnO films

Nanocrystalline ZnS films have been prepared by sulfidation of the reactive magnetron sputtered ZnO films. The structure, composition and optical properties of the sulfurized ZnO films as a function of the sulfidation temperature (T_S) have been systematically studied. It is found that at T_S ⩾ 400 °C ZnO is completely converted to ZnS with the hexagonal structure. The ZnS films have a strongly (0 0 2) preferred orientation and an optical transparency of about 80% in the visible region. In addition, at T_S < 444.6 °C (boiling point of sulfur), some residual sulfur decomposed from H₂S gas can adhere to the sulfurized film surface while at T_S = 580 °C a S/Zn ratio much higher than the ideal stoichiometric proportion of ZnS is obtained for the ZnS films. ZnS films with a minimum XRD FWHM value of 0.165° and a good S/Zn ratio of 0.99 are obtained at a temperature of 500 °C indicating the ZnS films to be suitable for use in the thin film solar cells.     

Nanosized pure and Cr doped Al2−xScx(WO4)3 solid solutions

Nanosized solid solutions of the formula Al_2?x?ySc_xCr_y(WO₄)₃, where x varies from 0 to 2 and y from 0.02 to 0.1 are synthesized for the first time by the co-precipitation method. X-ray powder diffraction, DTA/TG and TEM analyses demonstrate that the powders are pure solid solution compounds with orthorhombic structure, space group Pnca. Particle sizes between 10 and 70 nm are obtained after thermal treatment of the precipitates at 550 °C for 1 h for all compositions except in the case of Sc_1.9Cr_0.1(WO₄)₃. For the last one mean particle size of 64 nm was obtained after thermal treatment at 500 °C. The influence of the concentrations of Sc and Cr as well as of the temperature and duration of the thermal treatment on the particle size and size distribution are established and discussed.     

Effect of Sb5+ substitution on the dielectric properties of Ag(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3 ceramics

Sb₂O₅ were selected to substitute (Nb_0.8Ta_0.2)₂O₅ and the effects of substitution on the dielectric properties of Ag(Nb_0.8Ta_0.2)O₃ ceramics were studied. The dielectric properties of Ag(Nb_0.8Ta_0.2)_1−xSb_xO₃ ceramics were found to be improved by the substitution of Sb for Nb/Ta. The ε value of Ag(Nb_0.8Ta_0.2)_1−xSb_xO₃ ceramics sintered at 1060 °C increased from 430 to 825 with x increasing from 0 to 0.08, the tanδ value decreased sharply from 0.0085 to 0.0023 (at 1 MHz) with x increasing from 0 to 0.04, and then kept to a lower tanδ value ∼ 0.0024 with x to 0.08. The TCC values decreased from + 1450 ppm/°C for x = 0 to − 38.5 ppm/°C for x = 0.08. The Ag(Nb_0.8Ta_0.2)_1−xSb_xO₃ ceramics with x = 0.08 sintered at 1050 °C exhibited the optimum dielectric properties of ε ∼ 854, tanδ ∼ 0.0024 (1 MHz), and TCC ∼ 36.86 ppm/°C.     

Characterization and electromagnetic properties of Ni1−xCuxFe2O4 nanoparticle ferrites synthesized by using egg white

Polycrystalline ferrite nano-powders, Ni_1−xCu_xFe₂O₄ (where x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8) were synthesized by using egg white route at 520 °C for 6 h, then pre-sintered and sintered into ceramics under 800 °C for 3 h and 900 °C for 3 h, respectively. X-ray diffraction, laser particle size analyzer, TEM, vibrating sample magnetometer, SEM and precision impedance analyzer were carried out to investigate phase formation, microstructural and influence of Cu content on magnetic and electrical properties of Ni–Cu ferrite samples. The results of XRD revealed that all samples were got the principal phase and there was no extra second phase except x = 0.2, the lattice parameter was found to vary from 8.337 Å to 8.378 Å, and the crystalline size was from 55.19 nm to 60.75 nm. The effect of Cu concentration on saturation magnetization and coercive force were calculated from hysteresis loop, the maximum value of saturation magnetization was 39.46 emu/g. Electrical resistivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent and permeability were measured from 10 MHz to 110 MHz. Two main contributing factors decrease the electrical properties: the reduction of the fraction of the grain boundary and the electron hopping mechanism between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions. All results indicated that the Cu content has a significant influence on the properties.