Fabrication and characterization of NiO/ZnO/ITO p-i-n heterostructure

Transparent oxide semiconductors (TOSs) are promising materials for a variety of optoelectronic applications such as UV detectors. While several TOS-based p-n and p-i-n diodes have been recently reported, the high reverse dark current still poses a major issue. In this work, we report on a NiO/ZnO/ITO p-i-n heterostructure with reduced dark current level suitable for practical applications. Ion beam-assisted e-beam evaporation was used to deposit both p-type NiO and intrinsic ZnO layers, while a conventional sputtering system was used to prepare the ITO layer. Samples with sputtered ZnO layer were also fabricated for comparison. The diodes demonstrated clear rectifying I-V characteristics with a current rectification ratio up to 10⁴ at bias voltages of ± 1 V. The lowest level of reverse dark current (∼ 10 nA/cm² at − 5 V) is observed in samples with ZnO deposited by ion beam-assisted e-beam evaporation. In comparison, diodes with sputtered ZnO layer show two orders of magnitude higher dark current. Analysis of the quasi-static J-V characteristics, including time dependence behavior, shows that the dark current can be attributed to thermal generation of charge carriers via deep defects states in the ZnO layer and charge injection from the contacts. Electrical and optical properties of the TOS films are presented and discussed along with deposition conditions and device performance.     

Photoneutron interrogation of low-enriched uranium induced by bremsstrahlung from a 4 MeV linac

Revealing smuggled nuclear material by passive γ-detection is hindered, because the weak radiation can easily be shielded. Neutrons, as penetrate shielding, represent a detection potential, by inducing fission in the nuclear material. A 4 MeV linear accelerator was used as a pulsed neutron source for active interrogation of U-bearing material. Produced in heavy water by bremsstrahlung, neutrons subsequently induced fissions in UO₂ samples. Delayed fission neutrons were detected in a neutron collar built up by ³He counters in a polyamide container. The counters were gated to be detached from high voltage during the electron pulse. Irradiation-measurement cycles were carried out with a 25 Hz pulse repetition rate as optimum setting. The time analyser start-up was externally triggered and synchronised by the electron beam pulse. The response of the system was studied as a function of the intensity of the electron current, the amount of heavy water, U enrichment, and total U content. Sensitivity limit was achieved as 0.5 g ²³⁵U and/or 30 g ²³⁸U in a 20 s measurement time (500 cycles) with the amount of heavy water of 100 g and a mean electron current of 2 μA. Because of the long decay time of the prompt (interrogating and fission) neutron pulse, about a half of the time interval (40 ms) between pulses is only available for counting delayed neutrons.     

Swift heavy ion induced phase transition in CdTe films deposited by spray pyrolysis in presence of electric field

CdTe polycrystalline thin films possessing hexagonal phase regions are obtained by spray deposition in presence of a high electric field. Thin film samples are irradiated with 100 MeV Ag ions using Pelletron accelerator to study the swift heavy ion induced effects. The ion irradiation results in the transformation of the metastable hexagonal regions in the films to stable cubic phase due to the dense electronic excitations induced by beam irradiation. The phase transformation is seen from the X-ray diffraction patterns. The band gap of the CdTe film changes marginally due to ion irradiation induced phase transformation. The value changes from 1.47 eV for the as deposited sample to 1.44 eV for the sample irradiated at the fluence 1×10¹³ ions/cm². The AFM images show a gradual change in the shape of the particles from rod shape to nearly spherical ones after irradiation.     

Optimal control of the delay linear systems with allowance for the terminal state constraints

Consideration was given to the linear problem of optimal control of one type of the delay systems where the delay appears in one equation of the system mathematical model. The terminal states of the system are bounded, the optimal control is realized by the discrete control actions obeying the geometrical constraints. Consideration was given to two types of solutions—program and positional. A dual method of calculation of the optimal programs was presented. Described was an algorithm of the optimal controller generating in real time the current values of the positional solution (optimal feedback). The results obtained were illustrated by the example of control of a system with the fourth-order delay.     

On boundary observability of elastic vibrations of connected objects with distributed and lumped parameters

In this paper, a boundary observation problem (recovery of the initial state) of vibrations of an object with distributed and lumped parameters is solved.     

Structural characterisation of CdS layers deposited on porous p-type GaAs

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the initial stage of cadmium sulphide (CdS) layer deposited on porous p-type GaAs substrate by vacuum evaporation technique. The deposited CdS layer was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM imaging shows that the CdS was penetrated deeply in the porous structure down to the bottom and reaching the interface GaAs/porous GaAs. The AFM image demonstrates that the CdS deposited are grains of several nanometres and XRD patterns exhibit that the deposited layer has a hexagonal prominent phase.     

Calculations for very low energy scattering of positrons by molecular hydrogen

We give a progress report on ongoing calculations of phase shifts for very low energy elastic scattering of positrons by molecular hydrogen, using the generalised Kohn variational method. Further, provisional calculations of Z_eff for molecular hydrogen at low energies are presented and discussed. The preliminary nature of the work is emphasised throughout.     

Feasibility of BNCT radiobiological experiments at the HYTHOR facility

HYTHOR (HYbrid Thermal spectrum sHifter tapirO Reactor) is a new thermal-neutron irradiation facility, which was installed and became operative in mid 2005 at the TAPIRO (TAratura PIla Rapida potenza 0) fast reactor, in the Casaccia research centre (near Rome) of ENEA (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie Energia ed Ambiente). The facility has been designed for in vivo radiobiological studies. In HYTHOR irradiation cavity, 1-6 mice can be simultaneously irradiated to study skin melanoma treatments with the BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy). The therapeutic effects of HYTHOR radiation field on mouse melanoma has been studied as a preliminary investigation before studying the tumour local control due to boron neutron capture effect after boronated molecule injection. The method to properly irradiate small animals has been precisely defined. Results show that HYTHOR radiation field is by itself effective in reducing the tumour-growth rate. This finding has to be taken into account in studying the effectiveness of new ¹⁰B carriers. A method to properly measure the reduction of the tumour-growth rate is reported and discussed.     

Diffracted phase and amplitude measurements by energy-filtered convergent-beam holography (CHEF)

Interference between transmitted and diffracted disks in convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns using the CBED+EBI method proposed by Herring et al. is explored using different optical configurations on a spherical aberration corrected transmission electron microscope equipped with a biprism and imaging energy filter: the SACTEM-Toulouse. We will relate the amplitude and phase of these interference patterns, which we call convergent-beam holography (CHEF), to microscope transfer theory and the complex amplitudes of the diffracted beams. Experimental CHEF patterns recorded in the absence of aberration correction will be compared with simulations to validate the theory concerning the effect of microscope aberrations and current instabilities. Then, using aberration correction, we propose a scheme for eliminating the effect of the microscope, so that the diffracted amplitudes and phase due to dynamical scattering within the specimen can be studied. Experimental results are compared with simulations performed using the full dynamical theory. The potential for studying diffracted amplitudes and phases using CHEF analysis is discussed.     

Effects of growth atmosphere and homo-buffer layer on properties of ZnO films prepared on Si(1 1 1) by PLD

ZnO films were synthesized on Si(1 1 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) under four different growth conditions. The structural and optical properties of the samples were characterized by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. It is found that when ZnO film is directly prepared on Si, oxygen atmosphere can significantly enhance the near-band-edge (NBE) emission and decrease the deep-level (DL) emission, but cause a polycrystalline film. By introducing a homo-buffer layer fabricated at 500 °C in vacuum, epitaxial ZnO film with three-dimensional (3D) growth mode is achieved instead of the polycrystalline film. In particular, the epitaxial film with the buffer layer shows more intensive NBE emission and narrower full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 98 meV than the film without the buffer layer. The experimental results suggest that both oxygen atmosphere and buffer layer are quite efficient during PLD to grow high-quality ZnO/Si heteroepitaxial films suitable for applications in optoelectronic devices.