Secondary Electron Intensity Contrast Imaging and Friction Properties of Micromechanically Cleaved Graphene Layers on Insulating Substrates

We report on the surface properties (friction and work function) of micromechanically cleaved graphene layers placed on thermally gown thick insulating (～295 nm of SiO₂) films on commercial Si (001) substrates. By employing atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy with varying primary-electron acceleration voltage (V _acc) in secondary electron imaging (SEI) mode, we determined the coefficient of friction (μ) and electronic work function (Φ), respectively, as functions of the number of graphene layers (n). The friction coefficient was deduced from line scans of friction maps obtained simultaneously while measuring AFM topography. The findings show that supported mono-, bi-, and trilayer graphene all yield similar results (～0.03), in contrast to multilayer (～0.027) and thicker graphite (～0.015) flakes. From the SEI contrast variation, we obtained a reproducible discrete distribution of SE intensity stemming from atomically thick graphene layers on a thick insulating substrate. We were able to determine the number of graphene layers (i.e., n) from the SE intensity contrast or the SE intensity itself. Moreover, we found a distinct linear relationship between the relative SE intensity from the graphene layers and their number, provided a relatively lower V _acc was used. The different contrast in SEI micrographs at lower V _acc is attributed to the fact that the generation of secondary electrons emitted from the graphene was affected by the different work functions corresponding to different n values (or thickness contrast, C). This simple and facile method is superior to the conventional optical method in its capability to characterize graphene over sub-1-μm² areas on various insulating substrates. These results are supplemented by optical microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy and Raman mapping that yield the structural quality (or disorder) of the graphene layers, albeit semiquantitatively.     

Large area synthesis of conical carbon nanotube arrays on graphite and tungsten foil substrates

Conical carbon nanotube (CCNT) arrays were synthesized over a large area of approximately 1 cm² or more on graphite and tungsten foil substrates. Experimental observations reveal that nucleation is caused by catalyst metal cluster in the initial stages, but the tapered morphology occurs due to the difference in the rates of vertical growth by attachment carbon atoms at edges of growing graphene sheets and radial growth with epitaxial nucleation of new graphene layers near bottom at the substrate. The above mechanism is supported through re-growth experiments on straight multi-walled nanotubes and growth kinetics data, which suggest a linear relationship between the growth rate and ratio of diameter to length (d/l) of CCNT.     

Evaluation of 316 L porous stainless steel for SOFC support

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) supported on porous steel substrates are recently gaining much attention, because fabrication cost of SOFC might be significantly reduced. In this paper high temperature properties of porous stainless steel 316 L for application in SOFCs are evaluated. The 316 L was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, XRD analysis and electrical measurements of scales formed on steel surface. The YSZ ceramic electrolyte was deposited on the 316 L and interaction of formed interlayer was evaluated. The results show that the 316 L is applicable only for SOFCs operated below 500 °C.     

Evaluation of porous 430L stainless steel for SOFC operation at intermediate temperatures

In this paper a 430L porous stainless steel is evaluated for possible SOFC applications. Recently, there are extensive studies related to dense stainless steels for fuel cell purposes, but only very few publications deal with porous stainless steel. In this report porous substrates, which are prepared by die-pressing and sintering in hydrogen of commercially available 430L stainless steel powders, are investigated. Prepared samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and cyclic thermogravimetry in air and humidified hydrogen at 400 °C and 800 °C. The electrical properties of steel and oxide scale measured in air are investigated as well. The results show that at high temperatures porous steel in comparison to dense steel behaves differently. It was found that porous 430L has reduced oxidation resistance both in air and in humidified hydrogen. This is connected to its high surface area and grain boundaries, which after sintering are prone to oxidation. Formed oxide scale is mainly composed of iron oxide after the oxidation in air and chromium oxide after the oxidation in humidified hydrogen. In case of dense substrates only chromium oxide scale usually occurs. Iron oxide is also a cause of relatively high area-specific resistance, which reaches the literature limit of 100 mΩ cm² when oxidizing in air only after about 70 h at 800 °C.     

Characterization of GaN and In x Ga1−x N films grown by MOCVD and MBE on free-standing GaN templates and quantum well structures

Structural and optical studies have been performed on GaN, InGaN layers, In_0.08Ga_0.92N/GaN heterostructures, In_0.08Ga_0.92N/In_0.02Ga_0.98N single and multiquantum wells grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and GaN by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaN templates by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL). The layers are found to be high quality with low defect density, on the order of 10⁶ cm^?2, which are mainly related to the threading dislocations originating/propagating from the hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) GaN template. The interface between the layers and substrate could not be detected by TEM and was therefore deemed to be of high quality. Convergent beam electron diffraction studies revealed that the polarity of the films is Ga-polarity, which is the same as that of the substrate. A dual structure with different compositions and having thicknesses of 10 and 25 nm was observed in InGaN layers grown on GaN in one of the heterostructure samples. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD rocking curves of (0 0 0 2) for heterostructures and quantum wells were found to be in the range of 15–28 arcmin for a slit width of 2 mm. PL studies on GaN layers grown by MBE and MOCVD on GaN templates are reasonably similar. The PL spectra from all the MBE and MOCVD epilayers and the substrate contain a plethora of sharp peaks related to excitonic transitions. With the presence of donor-bound exciton peaks and their associated two-electron satellites, the binding energies of two distinct shallow donors (28.8 and 32.6 meV), which are attributed to Si and O, respectively, were determined. PL measurements revealed that the FWHM of the main donor bound exciton peak increased from 0.6 to 2.9 meV but no change in peak position (3.472 eV) was observed in GaN when doping with Si (5×10¹⁷ cm^?3). However, the intensities of the yellow band and the shallow donor–acceptor pair band increased 10 times as compared to that in the undoped GaN samples. In the case of InGaN/GaN heterostructures, a similar trend was observed when compared to the doped samples. In the multiquantum well In_0.08Ga_0.92N/In_0.02Ga_0.98N heterostructures, the activation energy of the exciton emission, found to be 18 meV, was the lowest in the samples studied. The peak at 3.02 eV related to the InGaN was strongly pronounced in the In_0.08Ga_0.92N/In_0.02Ga_0.98N multiquantum well structure. In the In_0.08Ga_0.92N/In_0.02Ga_0.98N quantum well structures, the change in peak position with variation of temperature from 15 to 300 K in PL spectra is “S”-shaped. The cause for the “S” shape, i.e., a red–blue–red shift, is discussed.     

Estimation of subpixel vegetation density of natural regions usingsatellite multispectral imagery

A procedure is presented for estimating the subpixel fractional canopy density of natural or undisturbed semivegetated regions on a pixel-by-pixel basis using one satellite multispectral image and a physical modeling approach. The method involves applying a model of the bulk, nondimensional plant geometry combined with a simple model of canopy reflectance and transmittance to the red and near-infrared reflectance space of the atmospherically corrected satellite image. Shadow effects are parameterized assuming Poisson-distributed and geometrically similar plant canopies. The method is applied to the estimation of fractional cover and leaf area index, using Landsat thematic mapper imagery, of two physiologically different plant communities. The first is the Landes Forest, a coniferous region in south central France, during the June 1986 HAPEX-Mobilhy Experiment. The second is the semiarid Walnut Gulch basin of southeast Arizona that contains predominantly shrubs and grasses, during the June 1990 MONSOON Experiment. The procedure offers a physically based alternative to empirical vegetation indices for estimating regionally variable canopy densities of natural, homogeneous systems with little or no ground truth     

Electrical and structural properties of Nb-doped SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

Niobium-doped strontium titanate synthesized via conventional solid-state reaction has been studied. Influence of niobium content on the lattice parameters and electrical conductivity has been reported. Various reduction conditions have been investigated. For samples reduced in hydrogen at 1400°C, a transition from thermally activated to metallic behavior has been observed. Maximum electrical conductivity (ca. 55 Scm⁻¹ at 650°C) has been observed for the SrTi_0.98Nb_0.02O_3-δ sample. The relation of electrical conductivity with the porosity of the samples has been shown.     

Characteristics of LaCo0.4Ni0.6-xCuxO3-δ ceramics as a cathode material for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

In this study, the effects of Cu-ion substitution on the densification, microstructure, and physical properties of LaCo_0.4Ni_0.6-xCu_xO_3-δ ceramics were investigated. The results indicate that doping with Cu ions not only enhances the densification but also promotes the grain growth of LaCo_0.4Ni_0.6-xCu_xO_3-δ ceramics. The Cu substitution at x ≤ 0.2 can suppress the formation of La₄Ni₃O₁₀, while the excess Cu triggers the formation of La₂CuO_4.032 phase. The p-type conduction of LaCo_0.4Ni_0.6O_3-δ ceramic was significantly raised by Cu substitution because the acceptor doping ($\begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill C{u}_{Ni}^{\text{'}}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}$) triggered the formation of hole carriers; this effect was maximized in the case of LaCo_0.4Ni_0.4Cu_0.2O_3-δ composition (1480 S cm^?1 at 500 °C). Thermogravimetric data revealed a slight weight increase of 0.29% for LaCo_0.4Ni_0.4Cu_0.2O_3-δ compact up to 871 °C; this is due to the incorporation of oxygen that creates metal vacancies and additional $\begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill h^{?}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \end{array}$carriers, partially compensating the conductivity loss due to the spin-disorder scattering. As the temperature of the LaCo_0.4Ni_0.4Cu_0.2O_3-δ compacts rose above 871 °C, significant weight loss with temperature was observed because of the release of lattice oxygen to the ambient air as a result of Co (IV) thermal reduction accompanied by the formation of oxygen vacancies. A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) single cell with Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_2-δ (electrolyte) and LaCo_0.4Ni_0.4Cu_0.2O_3-δ (cathode) was built and characterized. The Ohmic (0.256 Ω cm²) and polarization (0.434 Ω cm²) resistances of the single cell at 700 °C were determined; and the maximum power density was 0.535 W cm^?2. These results show that LaCo_0.4Ni_0.4Cu_0.2O_3-δ is a very promising cathode material for SOFC applications.     

Effects of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+ substitutions on the microstructure and electrical properties of GdCoO3 ceramics

Journal of Electroceramics - GdCoO3-δ, Gd0.975Na0.025CoO3-δ, Gd0.98K0.02CoO3-δ, Gd0.98Ca0.02CoO3-δ, and GdCo0.99Mg0.01O3-δ ceramics were prepared via a solid-state reaction...