Electrical Properties of Natural Pyroxenite

The complex electrical properties of natural pyroxenite were measured over a frequency range from 0.01 to 10^6 Hz, at 3.0GPa and 1266-1504K, using the solid buffers (Mo-MoO2) to control the oxygen fugacity. The frequency dependence of electrical properties for the natural pyroxenite is investigated. Two distinct conduction mechanisms of the natural pyroxenite are observed: grain interior and grain boundary conduction. Grain interiortr ansport controls the response above 100Hz, whereas grain boundary transport dominates between - 100 and 0.01 Hz. Electrical response of natural pyroxenite is modelled with an equivalent circuit in which parallel RC circuit elements representing grain interior and grain boundary responses act in series. The grain boundaries do not enhance the total conductivity of natural pryoxenite. The total electrical conductivity of natural pyroxenite is lower than either grain interior or grain boundary conductivity alone.     

Local thermal conductivity of polycrystalline AlN ceramics measured by scanning thermal microscopy and complementary scanning electron microscopy techniques

The local thermal conductivity of polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics is measured and imaged by using a scanning thermal microscope (SThM) and complementary scanning electron microscope (SEM) based techniques at room temperature.The quantitative thermal conductivity for the AlN sample is gained by using a SThM with a spatial resolution of sub-micrometer scale through using the 3ω method.A thermal conductivity of 308 W/m·K within grains corresponding to that of high-purity single crystal AlN is obtained.The slight differences in thermal conduction between the adjacent grains are found to result from crystallographic misorientations,as demonstrated in the electron backscattered diffraction.A much lower thermal conductivity at the grain boundary is due to impurities and defects enriched in these sites,as indicated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.     

Oxygen-vacancy-related dielectric relaxation and conduction mechanisms in Bi5TiNbWO15 ceramics

This paper reports that the intergrowth ceramics Bi5TiNbWO15 （BW-BTN） have been prepared with the conventional solid-state reaction method. The dielectric and conductivity properties of samples were studied by using the dielectric relaxation and AC impedance spectroscopy in detail. Two distinct relaxation mechanisms were detected both in the plots of dielectric loss （tanδ） and the imaginary part （Z″） versus frequency in the frequency range of 10 Hz-13 MHz. We attribute the higher frequency relaxation process to the hopping process of the oxygen vacancies inside the grains, while the other seems to be associated with the space charges bound at the grain boundary layers. The AC impedance spectroscopy indicates that the conductivities at 625 K for bulk and grain boundary are about 1.12 × 10^-2 S/m and 1.43 × 10^-3 S/m respectively. The accumulation of the space charges in the grain boundary layers induces a space charge potential of 0.52 eV.     

Local thermal conductivity of polycrystalline AlN ceramics measured by scanning thermal microscopy and complementary scanning electron microscopy techniques

The local thermal conductivity of polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics is measured and imaged by using a scanning thermal microscope (SThM) and complementary scanning electron microscope (SEM) based techniques at room temperature. The quantitative thermal conductivity for the AlN sample is gained by using a SThM with a spatial resolution of sub-micrometer scale through using the 3ω method. A thermal conductivity of 308 W/m·K within grains corresponding to that of high-purity single crystal AlN is obtained. The slight differences in thermal conduction between the adjacent grains are found to result from crystallographic misorientations, as demonstrated in the electron backscattered diffraction. A much lower thermal conductivity at the grain boundary is due to impurities and defects enriched in these sites, as indicated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.     

Effect of phonon scattering mechanisms on the lattice thermal conductivity of skutterudite-related compound

We have prepared the skutterudite-related compounds FeCo_3Sb_{12} and La_{0.75}Fe_3CoSb_{12} with different average grain sizes (about 0.8 and 3.9μm) by hot pressing. Samples were characterized by XRD, EPMA and SEM. The lattice thermal conductivity was investigated in the temperature range from room temperature to 200℃. Based on the Debye model, we analyse the change in lattice thermal conductivity due to various phonon scattering mechanisms by examining the relationship between the weighted phonon relaxation time τ(ω/ω_D)^2 and the reduced phonon frequency ω/ω_D. The effect of grain boundary scattering to phonon is negligible within the range of grain sizes considered in this study. The large reduction in lattice thermal conductivity of FeCo_3Sb_{12} compound contributes to the electron－phonon scattering. As for La_{0.75}Fe_3CoSb_{12} compound, the atoms of La filled into the large voids in the structure of the skutterudite produce more significant electron－phonon scattering as well as more substitute of Fe at Co site at the same time. Moreover, the point-defect scattering appears due to the difference between the atoms of La and the void. In addition, the scattering by the rattling of the rare-earth atoms in the void is another major contribution to the reduced lattice thermal conductivity. Introducing the coupling of the electron－phonon scattering with the point-defect scattering and the scattering by the rattling of the rare-earth atom is an effective method to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity of the skutterudite-related compounds by substitution of Fe for Co and the atoms of La filled in the large voids in the skutterudite structure.     

Experimental determination of interfacial energies for Ag2Al solid solution in the CuAl2--Ag2Al system

The equilibrated grain boundary groove shapes of solid solution Ag2Al in equilibrium with an Al-Cu-Ag liquid were observed from a quenched sample with a radial heat flow apparatus.The Gibbs-Thomson coefficient,solid-liquid interfacial energy and grain boundary energy of the solid solution Ag2Al have been determined from the observed grain boundary groove shapes.The thermal conductivity of the solid phase and the thermal conductivity ratio of the liquid phase to solid phase for Ag2Al-28.3 at the %CuAl2 alloy at the melting temperature have also been measured with a radial heat flow apparatus and Bridgman type growth apparatus,separately.     

Effects of bismuth on structural and dielectric properties of cobalt-cadmium spinel ferrites fabricated via micro-emulsion route

Spinel ferrites have a significant role in high-tech applications. In the present work nano-crystalline ferrites having general formula Co_(0.5)Cd_(0.5)Bi_xFe_(2-x)O_4 with(x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25) are synthesized via micro-emulsion route. Powder x-ray diffraction(XRD) studies discover the FCC spinel structure. Crystalline size is calculated in a range of 11 nm–15 nm. Lattice parameter calculations are reduced due to its substitution which leads to the exchange of large ionic radius of Fe~(3+)for small ionic radius of Bi~(3+). The x-ray density is analyzed to increase with doping. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) is performed to analyze absorption band spectra. The two absorption bands are observed in a range of 400 cm~(-1)–600 cm~(-1), and they are the characteristic feature of spinel structure. Thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA) reveals the total weight loss of nearly 1.98%. Dielectric analysis is carried out by impedance analyzer in a frequency span from 1 MHz to 3 GHz by using the Maxwell Wagner model. Dielectric studies reveal the decrease of dielectric parameters. The alternating current(AC) conductivity exhibits a plane behavior in a low frequency range and it increases with the applied frequency increasing. This is attributed to the grain effects in a high frequency range or may be due to the reduction of porosity. Real and imaginary part of impedance show the decreasing trend which corresponds to the grain boundary action. The imaginary modulus shows the occurrence of peak that helps to understand the interfacial polarization. Cole-Cole graph shows a single semicircle which confirms that the conduction mechanism is due to the grain boundaries at low frequency. Dielectric studies reveal the applicability of these ferrites in high frequency equipment,microwave applications, high storage media, and semiconductor devices.     

A new model for electromigration grain boundary noise based on free volume

Grain boundary plays a key role in electromigration process of polycrystal interconnection. We take a free volume to represent a 'vacancy--ion complex' as a function of grain boundary specific resistivity, and develop a new characterisation model for grain boundary noise. This model reveals the internal relation between the boundary scattering section and electromigration noise. Comparing the simulation result with our experimental result, we find the source as well as the form of noise change in the electromigration process. In order to describe the noise enhancement at grain boundary quantitatively, we propose a new parameter-grain boundary noise enhancement factor, which reflects that the grain boundary noise can characterise the electromigration damage sensitively.     

Alternating current characterization of nano-Pt(Ⅱ)octaethylporphyrin(PtOEP) thin film as a new organic semiconductor

Alternating current(AC) conductivity and dielectric properties of thermally evaporated Au/Pt OEP/Au thin films are investigated each as a function of temperature(303 K–473 K) and frequency(50 Hz–5 MHz).The frequency dependence of AC conductivity follows the Jonscher universal dynamic law.The AC-activation energies are determined at different frequencies.It is found that the correlated barrier hopping(CBH) model is the dominant conduction mechanism.The variation of the frequency exponent s with temperature is analyzed in terms of the CBH model.Coulombic barrier height Wm,hopping distance Rω,and the density of localized states N(EF) are valued at different frequencies.Dielectric constant ε_1(ω,T) and dielectric loss ε_2(ω,T) are discussed in terms of the dielectric polarization process.The dielectric modulus shows the non-Debye relaxation in the material.The extracted relaxation time by using the imaginary part of modulus(M')is found to follow the Arrhenius law.     

Different effects of grain boundary scattering on chargeand heat transport in polycrystalline platinum and goldnanofilms

The in-plane electrical and thermal conductivities of several polycrystalline platinum and gold nanofilms with different thicknesses are measured in a temperature range between the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77K) and room temperature by using the direct current heating method. The result shows that both the electrical and thermal conductivities of the nanofilms reduce greatly compared with their corresponding bulk values. However, the electrical conductivity drop is considerably greater than the thermal conductivity drop, which indicates that the influence of the internal grain boundary on heat transport is different from that of charge transport, hence leading to the violation of the Wiedemann--Franz law. We build an electron relaxation model based on Matthiessen's rule to analyse the thermal conductivity and employ the Mayadas & Shatzkes theory to analyse the electrical conductivity. Moreover, a modified Wiedemann--Franz law is provided in this paper, the obtained results from which are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Crystal structure and ionic conductivity of Mg-doped apatite-type lanthanum silicates LaloSi6-xMgxO27-x （x= 0-0.4）

Lanthanum silicates LaloSi6 xMgxO27_x （x = 0-0.4） were prepared by solid state synthesis to investigate the effect of Mg doping on crystal structure and ionic conductivity. Rietveld analysis of the powder XRD patterns reveals that Mg substitution on Si site results in significant enlargement of channel triangles, favoring oxide-ion conduction. Furthermore, an increase of Mg concentration significantly influences the linear density of interstitial oxygen, which plays an important role in ionic conductivity. The Arrhenius plots of LaloSi6_xMgxO27 x （x = 0-0.4） suggest that Mg-doped samples present higher conductivity and lower activation energy than non-doped La10Si6027, and LaloSis.8Mgo.2026.8 exhibits the highest conductivity with a value of 3.0× 10-2 S .cm 1 at 700 ℃. Such conductive behavior agrees well with the refined results. The corresponding mechanism has been discussed in this paper.     

Influence of anisotropy on the electrical conductivity and diffusion coefficient of dry K-feldspar: Implications of the mechanism of conduction

The electrical conductivities of single-crystal K-feldspar along three different crystallographic directions are investigated by the Solartron-1260 Impedance/Gain-phase analyzer at 873 K–1223 K and 1.0 GPa–3.0 GPa in a frequency range of 10-1 Hz–106 Hz. The measured electrical conductivity along the ⊥ [001] axis direction decreases with increasing pressure, and the activation energy and activation volume of charge carriers are determined to be 1.04 ± 0.06 e V and 2.51 ± 0.19 cm~3/mole, respectively. The electrical conductivity of K-feldspar is highly anisotropic, and its value along the⊥ [001] axis is approximately three times higher than that along the ⊥ [100] axis. At 2.0 GPa, the diffusion coefficient of ionic potassium is obtained from the electrical conductivity data using the Nernst–Einstein equation. The measured electrical conductivity and calculated diffusion coefficient of potassium suggest that the main conduction mechanism is of ionic conduction, therefore the dominant charge carrier is transferred between normal lattice potassium positions and adjacent interstitial sites along the thermally activated electric field.     

Impedance spectroscopy of PEO-lithium triflate confined in nanopores of alumina membranes

Polymeric electrolytes are very useful for their technological applications in different electrochemical devices such as batteries, electrochromic devices, smart windows, etc. One of the most studied solid electrolyte system is PEO (poly-ethylene oxide) complexed with various lithium salts. A limitation of this polymer electrolyte is low ionic conductivity. However, nanoscale manipulation of the solid polymer electrolyte has the potential to address this issue. This work discusses how it is possible to increase the PEO conductivity when this polymer is contained in nanostructures, specifically nanopores. The nanostructures used are alumina filtration membranes (thickness=6 μm, diameter=13 mm) with three different pore sizes 0.02 μm, 0.1 μm and 0.2 μm. Electrochemical characterization has been performed with an HP4194A Impedance/Gain phase analyser and Solartron 1260 Impedance/Gain phase analyser. The former instrument tests these films at a high frequency (from 100 Hz to 40 MHz) while the later at low frequency (from 1 Hz to 1 MHz). From these experiments, it has been determined that two regions of ion conduction exit. One is conduction through the bulk polymer electrolyte in the pores while the other is an interfacial conduction at the interface between the pore walls and the PEO electrolyte. The conductivity of the PEO is increased when confined in these nanostructures. Invited Scholar Research from: LiCryl — INFM (Liquid Crystal Regional Laboratory) c/o Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci Cubo 31C, I-87036 Rende (CS) Italy Paper presented at the Patras Conference on Solid State Ionics - Transport Properties, Patras, Greece, Sept. 14 – 18, 2004.     

Thermal conductivity of GaAs／A1As superlattices： The Umklapp process

The thermal conductivity of GaAs/AlAs superlattices limited by the three-phonon Umklapp process and boundary scattering has been studied theoretically based on the model of lattice dynamics with force constant matrix. It was found that the Umklapp relaxation rate approximates BTω^2/n with a fitting parameter B. The thermal conductivity increases with the increase of temperature at low temperatures, and would show a peak behaviour at about 60K before falling off at high temperatures. In addition, the thermal conductivity increases with the increase of period thickness of the superlattices.     

Frequency Response of Near-Wall Coherent Structures to Localized Periodic Blowing and Suction in Turbulent Boundary Layer

We experimentally investigate the frequency response of near-wall coherent structures to localized periodic blow- ing and suction through a spanwise slot in a turbulent boundary layer by changing the frequency of periodic disturbance at similar velocities of free stream. The effects of blowing and suction disturbance on energy redistri- bution, turbulent intensity U^＋ rums over y^＋ and waveforms of phase-averaged velocity during sweeping process are respectively discussed under three frequencies of periodic blowing and suction in near-wall region of turbulent boundary layer, compared with those in a standard turbulent boundary layer. The most effective disturbance frequency is figured out in this system.     

Influence of Annealing Temperature on Berthelot-Type Hopping Conduction Mechanism in Carbon-Nickel Composite Films

Electrical conductivity of carbon-nickel composite films annealed at temperatures 300,500 and 800℃ is studied over a temperature range of 50-300 K.While the conductivity data above room temperature show extended state conduction,lowering the temperature from 150 to 50 K leads to the Berthelot-type conduction mechanism.It can be seen that the films annealed at 500℃ have the maximum conductivity.The extent of the carrier wave function at 500℃ has the minima 2.87 × 10~(-7) cm and 2.45 × 10~(-7) cm in octahedral-metal stretching vibrations and intrinsic stretching vibrations of the metal at the tetrahedral site,respectively.The average distances between two vibration octahedral and tetrahedral sites at 500℃ also have the minima 1.13 × 10~(-7) cm and 0.97 × 10~(-7) cm,respectively.The Berthelot temperature for films annealed at 800℃ has the minimum of 94.3K.     

A 532 nm molecular iodine optical frequency standard based on modulation transfer spectroscopy

We report construction of an iodine-stabilized laser frequency standard at 532 nm based on modulation transfer spectroscopy(MTS) technology with good reproducibility. A frequency stability of 2.5 × 10~(-14) at 1 s averaging time is achieved,and the frequency reproducibility has a relative uncertainty of 3.5×10~(-13), demonstrating the great stability of our setup.The systematic uncertainty of the iodine-stabilized laser frequency standard is evaluated, especially the contribution of the residual amplitude modulation(RAM). The contribution of the RAM in MTS cannot be evaluated directly. To solve this problem, we theoretically deduce the MTS signal with RAM under large modulation depth, and prove that the nonsymmetric shape of the MTS signal is directly related to the MTS effect. The non-symmetric shape factor r can be calibrated with a frequency comb, and in real experiments, this r value can be obtained by least-squares fitting of the MTS signal,from which we can infer the RAMinduced frequency shift. The full frequency uncertainty is evaluated to be 5.3 k Hz(corresponding to a relative frequency uncertainty of 9.4×10~(-12)). The corrected transition frequency has a difference from the BIPM-recommended value of 2 k Hz, which is within 1σ uncertainty, proving the validity of our evaluation.     

Optical and magnetic properties of InFeP layers prepared by Fe~+ implantation

InFeP layers are prepared by ion implantation of InP with 100-keV Fe＋ ions to a dose of 5 ×10^16 cm-2 and investigated by optical, magnetic, and ion beam analysis measurements. Photoluminescence measurements show a deep-level peak at 1.035 eV due to Fe in InP and two exciton-related luminescences at 1.426 eV and 1.376 eV in the implanted samples annealed at 400℃. Conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy reveals a doublet corresponding to Fe3＋ ions in the indium sites. Atomic force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy show that magnetic clusters are formed in the annealing process. The magnetization-field hysteresis loops show ferromagnetic properties persisting up to room temperature with a coercive field of 100 0e （10e = 79.5775 A-m-1）, saturation magnetization of 4.35 × 10-5 emu, and remnant magnetization of 4.4× 10 6 emu.     

Physical meaning of conductivity spectra for ZnO ceramics

With the help of broadband dielectric spectroscopy in a wide temperature and frequency range, the conductivity spectra of ZnO polycrystalline ceramics are measured and the direct-current-like (DC-like) conductivity and relaxation polarization conductivity are observed successively along the frequency axis. According to the classical Debye theory and Cole-Cole equation, the physical meanings of the two conductivities are discussed. It is found that the DC-like conductivity corresponds to electron transportation over the Schottky barrier at the grainboundary. The relaxation polarization conductivity corresponds to electronic trap relaxation of intrinsic point defects (zinc interstitial and oxygen vacancy). When in the high frequency region, the relaxation conductivity obeys the universal law with the index n equal to the index α in the Cole-Cole equation as an indictor of disorder degree.     

Fe–Al Phase Formation Studied by Internal Friction during Heating Process

We systematically investigate the internal friction properties of a Fe-(43 at.%)Al powder mixture compact during the heating process with the expectation to understand the phase formation and transition process.Three internal friction peaks are successively observed during the heating process from room temperature to 750℃,but almost completely disappear in the subsequent cooling process.Three internal friction peaks exhibit obvious measuring frequency dependence,which increases with decreasing the frequency.The first internal friction peak originates from the micro-sliding of weak bonding interface between Al particles corresponding to a recr.ystallization process of deformed Al particles.The second internal friction peak is attributed to a phase formation process associated with the formation of the intermediate phase Fe_2 Al_5.The third internal friction peak is considered to result from the formation of the FeAl intermetallic compound owing to the reaction of Fe_2 Al_5 and residual Fe initiated by a dramatic thermal explosion reaction.