WO3 pillar-type and helical-type thin film structures to be used in microbatteries

In the present study WO₃ thin films were deposited by sputtering onto ITO glass, W/ITO and Si substrates by using the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique, with the objective of applying these materials in electrochemical intercalation devices. The thin films microstructure and electrochemical behavior were determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cycling at constant current with potential limitation. By mainly adjusting the substrate holder speed rotation, pillar-type and helical-type structures were obtained under high and low speed rotation levels, respectively. The electrochemical results showed that the best charge capacity performance was obtained for the WO₃/W/ITO films with pillar-type structures, which are more porous.     

Heat transfer in YBaCuO thin film/sapphire substrate system

The thermal boundary resistance at the YBaCuO thin film/Al₂O₃ substrate interface was investigated. The transparency for thermal phonons incident on the interface as well as for phonons moving from the substrate was determined. We have measured a transient voltage response of current-biased films to continuously modulated radiation. The observed knee in the modulation frequency dependence of the response reflects the crossover from the diffusion regime to the contact resistance regime of the heat transfer across the interface. The values of transparency were independently deduced both from the phonon escape time and from the time of phonon return to the film which were identified with peculiarities in the frequency dependence. The results are much more consistent with the acoustic mismatch theory than the diffuse mismatch model.We are grateful to A. Elantev for helpful discussion. We acknowledge the financial support of the Russian Scientific Council on the HTS problem (Project No. 90462).     

液晶光阀用ZnSSe薄膜的光电特性研究

用分子束外延法(MBE),在铟锡氧化物(ITO)导电玻璃衬底上生长了ZnSSe薄膜,详细研究了薄膜的光电特性.通过控制反应时的生长参数,制备出了符合紫外液晶光阀设计要求的光导层薄膜.室温下,该薄膜光谱响应截止边的响应度为0.01A/W,紫外/可见光响应对比度大于103.薄膜的暗电阻率随薄膜晶粒增大而减小,在衬底温度为2900C时,所获得的ZnSSe薄膜具有4.3×1011Ω@cm的暗电阻率.频率从40Hz到4000Hz的交流特性测试,也证实该薄膜符合器件紫外成像的工作要求.     

Adsorption and decomposition of NO on carbon and carbon-supported catalysts

The interactions of NO with carbon and carbon-supported catalysts have been investigated by means Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Nitric oxide direct decomposition over carbon-supported catalysts (Cu, Pt) was studied in a temperature ranging from 473 to 623 K. NO conversion increased with increasing reaction temperature in the whole temperature range. The carbon-supported Pt catalyst has a very high activity for the decomposition of NO in the absence of oxygen. As a result of NO chemisorption isocyanate (-NCO) species on the surface of carbon containing Cu were observed. When the reaction temperature was increased, the -NCO band at 2229 cm⁻¹ became more intense.     

SEM observation of the “orange peel effect” of materials

This study investigated the peculiar “orange peel” effect often observed in nanomaterials using high-resolution scanning electron microscopes. The study used different materials, including semiconductor thin films and ceramic nanoparticles. The investigation established that the “orange peel” is of an artifact caused by the metallic coating of the samples in sample preparation. This discovery is important in eliminating the misinterpretation of such effect on the true surface feature of materials, hence avoiding the confusion in the discussion of the properties of nanomaterials.     

Defect formation in epitaxial oxide dielectric layers due to substrate surface relief

Defects were characterized in epitaxial (001) CeO₂ films deposited and planarizedin situ on patterned (001) LaAlO₃ substrates by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). A hill and valley structure with steps running parallel to the [100] LaAlO₃ axis was produced on the surface of the substrate by photolithography and ion beam etching prior to film deposition. A conformai epitaxial CeO₂ layer of ∼ 100 nm thickness was deposited on the heated substrate by e-beam evaporation. Lattice-matching between the e-beam film and the substrate was of the type: (001) CeO₂∥(001) LaAlO₃ and [110] CeO₂∥[100] LaAlO₃. Evaporative deposition of additional film onto the conformai layer was accompanied by bombardment with a 500 eV argon/oxygen ion beam to promotein situ planarization. Extreme lattice misfit for the orientation (001) CeO₂∥(001)LaAlO₃ and [001] CeO₂∥[001] LaAlO₃ caused formation of dislocations in the e-beam CeO₂ film in the vicinity of individual ledges in the substrate surface. Coherence of the CeO₂ film was locally lost in the step regions of the hill and valley structure. The large patterned steps, which are composed of numerous adjacent ledges in the LaAlO₃ surface, caused nucleation of CeO₂ with a tilt misalignment of up to ∼5‡ about the substrate [100]. Nucleation and growth of nonepitaxial CeO₂ crystallites was observed along the step regions of the film during the IBAD portion of deposition. Defect formation in the e-beam ceria layer due to substrate surface relief indicates that “lattice engineering≓ of multilayer epitaxial structures may not be possible when nonplanar surfaces are created during device fabrication. The IBAD CeO₂ layer was more defective than the conformai layer deposited without the impinging ion beam, even in the portions of the film where epitaxy was maintained throughout both layers.     

真空阴极弧离子镀类金刚石碳（DLC）膜的碳弧稳定性研究

选用氩气、氩气加氢气、氩气加乙炔等气体作为介质，石墨作为靶材进行真空阴极弧离子镀来制备类金刚石碳膜。石墨电弧有其独特的电弧特性曲线，不同气体介质对碳弧特性的影响不同，磁场的大小对电弧的稳定性有很大作用，碳弧下基片偏流随电弧电压的增加而减小，试验得到表面光滑的类金刚石碳（DLC）膜，对膜的表面进行了SEM分析。     

基于SOI的硅微谐振式压力传感器芯片制作

采用SOI硅片,基于MEMS技术,设计并加工了一种新型三明治结构的硅微谐振式压力传感器,根据传感器敏感单元的结构设计,制定了相应的制备工艺步骤,并且针对湿法深刻蚀过程中谐振子的刻蚀保护等问题,提出了一种基于氮化硅、氧化硅和氮化硅三层薄膜的保护工艺,实验表明,在采用三层薄膜保护工艺下进行湿法刻蚀10 h后,谐振子被完全释放,三层薄膜保护工艺对要求采用湿法刻蚀镂空释放可动结构具有较高的实用价值。最后对加工完成的谐振式压力传感器进行了初步的性能测试,结果表明,在标准大气压力下谐振子的固有频率为9.932 kHz,品质因数为34。     

CO2 laser annealing of plasma-deposited high-Tcsuperconducting thick films

Recent advances in the fabrication of high-T _c superconducting thick films demand processing techniques which can eliminate film/substrate interdifiusion that occurs during subsequent post-annealing heat treatment after the film is deposited, thereby limiting the application of the thick films for devices. The present study evaluates laser annealing techniques for plasma-deposited Y-Ba-Cu-O thick films using a high-energy CO₂ laser (10.6m) in a continuous wave mode. The results are compared with those obtained by conventional furnace annealing techniques necessary for post-heat treatment of as-deposited superconducting thick films. The high-T _c superconducting phase is recovered by cationic diffusion during subsequent post-annealing heat treatment. Crystallographic phases and microstructural characterization have been performed using XRD, SEM, and EPMA analytical techniques. The significance of the technology lies in the elimination of film/substrate interdiffusion problems, thereby resulting in high-quality superconducting thick films. The technology will significantly reduce the post-annealing times usually required by conventional furnace annealing techniques.     

Electrochemical behaviour of Invar in phosphate solutions at pH=6.0

Electrochemical studies were carried out with disk electrodes of Invar (Fe-36%Ni) in phosphate solution at pH 6.0, using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques, comparing the results with those for low carbon steel and pure Ni. Invar shows a reduced corrosion when compared to carbon steel in the weakly inhibitive solution though inferior to pure Ni. Phosphate anion is responsible for the formation of a protecting and stable film on the alloy surface at pH 6.0.Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with Invar disk electrodes (Fe-36%Ni) in phosphate solutions at pH=6.0 were carried out. Results were compared with those of carbon steel and pure Ni.