Photochemical removal of NO(2) by using 172-nm Xe(2) excimer lamp in N(2) or air at atmospheric pressure

Photochemical removal of NO(2) in N(2) or air (5-20% O(2)) mixtures was studied by using 172-nm Xe(2) excimer lamps to develop a new simple photochemical aftertreatment technique of NO(2) in air at atmospheric pressure without using any catalysts. When a high power lamp (300 mW/cm(2)) was used, the conversion of NO(2) (200-1000 ppm) to N(2) and O(2) in N(2) was >93% after 1 min irradiation, whereas that to N(2)O(5), HNO(3), N(2), and O(2) in air (10% O(2)) was 100% after 5s irradiation in a batch system. In a flow system, about 92% of NO(2) (200 ppm) in N(2) was converted to N(2) and O(2), whereas NO(2) (200-400 ppm) in air (20% O(2)) could be completely converted to N(2)O(5), HNO(3), N(2), and O(2) at a flow rate of 1l/min. It was found that NO could also be decomposed to N(2) and O(2) under 172-nm irradiation, though the removal rate is slower than that of NO(2) by a factor of 3.8. A simple model analysis assuming a consecutive reaction NO(2)-->NO-->N+O indicated that 86% of NO(2) is decomposed directly into N+O(2) and the rest is dissociated into NO+O under 172-nm irradiation. These results led us to conclude that the present technique is a new promising catalyst-free photochemical aftertreatment method of NO(2) in N(2) and air in a flow system.     

Structural analysis by synchrotron X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption fine structure and transmission electron microscopy for aluminum-substituted α-type nickel hydroxide electrode

The detailed structural change in the charge-discharge process was investigated for the 20 mol% aluminum-substituted α-nickel hydroxide by using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The 20 mol% aluminum-substituted α-nickel hydroxide showed the α-Ni(OH)₂/γ-NiOOH phase transformation in the charge-discharge process. The structural refinement has been done successfully on the basis of two phase models of the ideal phases and the fault ones, including the occupation sites for the potassium ions and H₂O (OH⁻) molecules. The substituted aluminum ions were situated on both nickel sites and 18h sites in the interlayer. The α-Ni(OH)₂ structure would be stabilized by the presence of the aluminum ions on the 18h sites. The α-Ni(OH)₂ phases were transformed to the β-Ni(OH)₂ phases after 50 cycles because the aluminum ions on the 18h sites would be migrated from the bulk to the surface.     

Patterned Growth of Graphene over Epitaxial Catalyst

Rectangle‐ and triangle‐shaped microscale graphene films are grown on epitaxial Co films deposited on single‐crystal MgO substrates with (001) and (111) planes, respectively. A thin film of Co or Ni metal is epitaxially deposited on a MgO substrate by sputtering while heating the substrate. Thermal decomposition of polystyrene over this epitaxial metal film in vacuum gives rectangular or triangular pit structures whose orientation and shape are strongly dependent on the crystallographic orientation of the MgO substrate. Raman mapping measurements indicate preferential formation of few‐layer graphene films inside these pits. The rectangular graphene films are transferred onto a SiO₂/Si substrate while maintaining the original shape and field‐effect transistors are fabricated using the transferred films. These findings on the formation of rectangular/triangular graphene give new insights on the formation mechanism of graphene and can be applied for more advanced/controlled graphene growth.     

炭纳米纤维-天然石墨复合材料的制备及其作为锂离子电池阳极材料的电化学性能(英文)

制备一种炭纳米纤维-天然石墨复合材料,以改善作为锂离子电池阳极材料的天然石墨的倍率性能。通过优化控制天然石墨上炭纳米纤维的生长量及其形状提高了天然石墨的循环性能和倍率性能。与天然石墨原料相比,炭纳米纤维-天然石墨复合材料第一次放电容量达到了95%。炭纳米纤维的生长量被严格地控制在天然石墨质量的15%以下。研究发现:由于炭纳米纤维对充放电过程中阳极的体积膨胀和收缩程度的控制作用,天然石墨表面边位上生长的类似常青藤形的炭纳米纤维对倍率性能的提高最为有效。提出采用炭纳米纤维-天然石墨复合材料的原理结构模型解释重复充放电过程中电极的体积稳定性。通过在石墨表面上生长类常青藤形炭纳米纤维而使得SEI(固体电解质界面)变薄并减少了充放电过程中阳极的体积变化,因而提高了倍率性能。     

Advanced research and development for plasma processing of polymers with combinatorial plasma-process analyzer

A plasma-process analyzer has been developed on the basis of combinatorial method, in which process examinations with continuous variations of plasma-process conditions can be carried out on a substrate holder with an inclined distribution of process parameters. Combinatorial plasma-process analyses have been demonstrated for examinations of plasma-polymer interactions in terms of etching characteristics and surface morphologies in order to show feasibility and effectiveness of the methodology as advanced research and development for next-generation plasma nano processes. The etching properties and surface morphologies have been investigated for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films exposed to argon-oxygen mixture plasmas. The etching depth data obtained from three independent batches of the experiments showed universal and almost linear dependence with increasing product of (ion saturation current) × (exposure time); i.e. ion dose. Surface roughness of the polymer slightly increased with increasing ion dose, while the mean spacing after plasma exposure was found to decrease monotonically with increasing ion dose but was saturated at the level of approximately 250 nm.     

Low-damage surface modification of polymethylmethacrylate with argon-oxygen mixture plasmas driven by multiple low-inductance antenna units

Surface modification of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films has been investigated with argon-oxygen mixture plasmas sustained with multiple low-inductance antenna units. PMMA films were exposed to argon-oxygen mixture (20%) plasmas on a water-cooled substrate holder. Average ion energies bombarding onto the PMMA films was estimated to be as low as 6 eV, which was evaluated from the gap between plasma potential and floating potential. The etching depth of PMMA surface increased linearly with increasing plasma-exposure time and the etching rate was 170 nm/min. Surface roughness of PMMA slightly increased from 0.3 nm to 1.4 nm with increasing exposure time. Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HXPES) was carried out to examine chemical bonding states of the PMMA surface in deeper regions (about 54 nm) as compared with those observed in shallower regions (27 nm).     

Microstructuring of SU-8 photoresist by UV-assisted thermal imprinting with non-transparent mold

In this study, we explored a rapid and low-cost process for patterning in a SU-8 photoresist by thermal imprinting with a non-transparent mold such as Ni mold. One of major obstacles in the process is that the extremely good formability of uncured SU-8 even near room temperature causes the collapse of imprinted patterns during and after de-molding because a sample cannot be exposed to UV light during imprinting owing to the non-transparency of a mold. To overcome this problem, un-cured SU-8 resists were pre-treated with UV light, heat, and O₂ plasma for controlling their formability, and applied to thermal imprint tests to be compared each other in terms of the replication fidelity. As a result, a SU-8 sample pre-treated with UV light for 8 s resulted in the best replication quality for given imprint conditions and mold dimensions, and we could successfully replicate micro patterns in SU-8 resist without a quartz mold. As compared with conventional UV-imprint processes, this process has potential merits such as a lower mold cost, an easier mold release and a less air-entrapment.     

半导体芯片切割加工品质的评价方法

在对日本一些著名半导体生产企业实际生产中所用的质量控制方法和企业生产规范进行认真分析的基础上,提出了一组具有代表性的主要检测项目和相应的检测方法.设计了一组芯片切割实验方案并进行了切割实验,对所提出的检测项目及要求逐项进行了检测.明确了在正常切割条件下各项指标出现不合格品可能性的大小,证明了所提出的检测项目和检测方法对于控制芯片切割品质的有效性.研究成果对于芯片切割加工品质评价方法的规范化和标准化,对于高速切割机的设计和切割工艺的制定等均具有重要的参考价值.     

Intralaminar fracture mechanism in unidirectional CFRP composites: Part I: Intralaminar toughness and AE characteristics

Three types of representative carbon fiber reinforced unidirectional composite materials were used and their intralaminar fracture behavior was investigated using the double-cantilever beam specimen with a simultaneous acoustic emission measurement. The intralaminar fracture toughness was evaluated by both the compliance method and energy area method. As a result, it was found that the intralaminar fracture toughness without bridging fibers had a constant value during crack propagation but it increased greatly when bridging fibers were present. The effect of bridging fibers on the intralaminar fracture toughness was estimated quantitatively by cutting the bridging fibers. Distinct differences in load–displacement curves, compliance, crack propagating behavior and acoustic emission signal characteristics between these three types of unidirectional composite materials were observed. It was also found that bridging fiber failure generated relatively large power spectra and contributed to the peak frequencies of 600–700 kHz in the spectrum analysis of acoustic emission (AE) signals. This suggested that the bridging fibers were also an important source of AE signals. Furthermore, a linear relationship between crack length and normalized cumulative AE event count rate was obtained.     

Intralaminar fracture mechanism in unidirectional CFRP composites — part II: analysis

Three kinds of representative carbon fiber reinforced unidirectional composite materials are used, and their intralaminar fracture behavior is investigated by using the double-cantilever beam (DCB) specimen with a simultaneous acoustic emission measuring. In Part I, the experimental results on the crack propagation, the bridging fibers, the intralaminar fracture toughness acoustic emission characteristics and microscope observations were obtained. Here, we use a bridging fiber model to analyze the debonding force acting on a bridging fiber and try to estimate the number of bridging fibers during the crack propagating process. At the same time, the intralaminar fracture toughness is calculated by both the adhesive force model and the finite element analysis. As a result, it is found that the intralaminar fracture toughness without the bridging fibers will have a constant value during the crack propagation, but it increases greatly when bridging fibers exist. It is clear that the bridging fibers play an important role in the intralaminar fracture toughness. The debonding forces acting on the bridging fibers and the number of bridging fibers are obtained. Furthermore, the quantitative estimation of the increment of the intralaminar fracture toughness contributed by bridging fibers is made according to the adhesive force model and it is comparable with the results obtained by the finite element analysis.