Imaging surfaces of nano‐scale roughness by atomic force microscopy with carbon nanotubes as tips: a comparative study

Accurate knowledge of the nanoroughness of surfaces is crucial for many applications related to optics, electronics or tribology. Although atomic force microscopy (AFM) can image surfaces with a nanometre spatial resolution, the finite size of standard tips means that pores, pits or grooves with dimensions similar to or smaller than the tip apex will not be accurately imaged. Furthermore, standard tips are made of silicon or silicon nitride and are prone to wear. Mitigation may arise from the availability of AFM tips with a carbon nanotube (CNT) at their foremost end. This study compares the imaging performance of ultrasharp Si tips, CNT AFM tips prepared by a Langmuir‐Blodgett (LB) technique, and of CNT AFM tips prepared by a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. The free length of the CNT AFM tips is in the range 80–200 and 600–750 nm, respectively. A polycrystalline niobium film surface is imaged that shows nanoroughness. The measurements demonstrate that CNT AFM tips allow excellent imaging if the scan parameters are adjusted very carefully. Nevertheless, in some cases distortions are found. The measured average grain diameter is 19.9 ± 3.6 nm in the case of a CNT AFM tip made by the LB technique, and 18.0 ± 3.3 nm in the case of a CNT AFM tip made by CVD. In addition to cross‐sections of topography images, also the power spectral density (PSD) is analyzed. An empirical approach for the readout of the characteristic length is suggested that involves the first derivative of the decadic logarithm of the PSD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ageing of spherulites of an industrial relevant aromatic amine derivative

Polycrystalline spherulites of an aromatic amine derivative have been precipitated in a batch process by pH‐shift with hydrochloric acid from stirred aqueous solutions. The time dependent behaviour of the spherulites has been studied during crystallization in the temperature range from 5 °C to 60 °C. Cake resistance values have been obtained from batch filtration tests performed at 2 bar pressure difference at different stages of the crystallization process. The FBRM mean chord length of the crystals decreases with time as a result of crystal ageing into plate‐like crystals. The rate of the ageing process increases with temperature. XRD‐studies show no significant differences in the crystal structure during the ageing process, and the mechanism of the transformation was not established. The filterability of aromatic amine crystals deteriorates as the crystallization progresses. The decrease in the filterability is attributed to the appearance of small plate‐like crystals and a change in the interaction between the crystal surface and the solution, during the ageing of the particles. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Hopping conductivity in polycrystalline diamond films

The results of the experimental study of the conductivity of a polycrystalline diamond film by dielectric spectroscopy are presented. A diamond film about 200 μm thick was grown by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition for 180 h. Two pronounced local peaks in the frequency dependence of the conductivity were observed. The relevant frequencies were temperature-dependent. These data permit us to hypothesize that the hopping mechanism of conductivity occurs in the polycrystalline diamond film. Two types of electrically active centers with different activation energies and relaxation times are involved in the conductivity.     

Zn1-x MgxS薄膜的磁控溅射制备及其性能研究

利用双靶磁控溅射法,在普通石英玻璃基底上成功制备出II-VI族化合物固溶体半导体Zn1-xMgxS多晶薄膜,并用X射线能量色散谱仪(EDS)、原子力显微镜(AFM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、紫外-可见(UV-V is)分光光度计、荧光分光光度计(PL)等测试手段表征了多晶薄膜的成份、表面形貌、晶体结构和光学性质。结果表明:磁控溅射法制备的Zn1-xMgxS多晶薄膜具有立方和六方相混晶相结构,晶粒生长均匀,薄膜在波长小于280nm的紫外区有强烈的吸收,在可见光区紫光范围有一个强的发光峰,而且随着Mg含量的增加,强度增加,吸收边和发光峰的蓝移也增加。蓝移说明了带隙的展宽,其禁带宽度大约从3.6 eV增至4.4 eV。较高的结晶质量和发光特性显示了它是一种制作短波光电器件和紫外探测器的理想材料。     

铝诱导非晶硅薄膜的场致低温快速晶化及其结构表征

铝诱导非晶硅薄膜晶化可以降低退火温度、缩短退火时间，是制备多晶硅薄膜的一种重要方法.在此基础上，通过在退火过程中加入电场加速了界面处硅、铝原子间的互扩散，实现了非晶硅薄膜的快速低温晶化.实验结果表明，外加电场，退火温度为400℃，退火时间为60min时，薄膜的晶化率大于60％；退火温度为450℃退火时间为30min时，薄膜已经呈现明显的晶化现象；退火温度为500℃退火时间为15min时，薄膜的x射线多晶峰强度与非晶峰强度之比为未加电场的3—4倍. 关键词： 非晶硅薄膜 多晶硅薄膜 外加电场     

多晶薄膜表面粗化与生长方式转变

采用原子力显微镜研究了磁控溅射多晶薄膜表面粗化行为对归一化沉积温度T_s/T_m(T_s是沉积温度，T_m是材料熔点)的依赖性与薄膜生长方式转变行为.随着T_s/T_m增加，薄膜表面粗糙度增加，而表征粗糙度随时间演化特征的生长指数β历经了先减小再增加的过程.β对T_s/T_m的依赖关系反映了薄膜生长方式的转变行为，即薄膜生长依次由随机生长方式向表面扩散驱动生长方式与异常标度行为生长方式转变.在低于体扩散控制薄膜生长的温度时，晶界扩散机理导致多晶薄膜的表面粗化的异常标度行为. 关键词： 多晶薄膜 表面粗化 温度 生长     

Dynamic Ni gettered by PSG from S-MIC poly-Si and its TFTs

A dynamic phosphor-silicate glass （PSG） gettering method is proposed in which the processes of the gettering of Ni by PSC and the crystallizing of α-Si into poly-Si by Ni take place simultaneously. The effects of PSC gettering process on the performances of solution-based metal induced crystallized （S-MIC） poly-Si materials and their thin film transistors （TFTs） are discussed. The crystallization rate is much reduced due to the fact that the Ni as a medium source of crystallization is extracted by the PSC during crystallization at the same time. The boundary between two neighbouring grains in S-MIC poly-Si with PSG looks blurrier than without PSG. Compared with the TFTs made from S-MIC poly-Si without PSC gettering, the TFTs made with PSC gettering has a reduced gate induced leakage current.     

Specific Features of the Adsorption of Carbon Monoxide on a Smooth Polycrystalline Platinum Electrode Modified with Adsorbed Silver Atoms

The adsorption of carbon monoxide at the surface of smooth polycrystalline platinum (smPt) is studied in conditions of a preliminary accumulation of various quantities of silver (θ_Ag) on the surface. A comparison with similar data obtained previously for Pt/Pt is conducted. It is discovered that on smPt, exactly as in the case of Pt/Pt, carbon monoxide undergoes adsorption at sites that are not occupied by adsorbed silver, without forcing the preliminarily adsorbed silver out. At small and intermediate Ag_ad, as opposed to Pt/Pt, a mere two peaks are observed in a voltametric curve in the region of electrodesorption of the mixed layer on smPt. It is shown that, in the region of potentials of the first peak, there occurs practically no transition of silver into solution in the course of oxidation of the mixed layer. Specific features that characterize the behavior of the CO_ads + Ag_ad mixed layer are discussed under the assumption about an “islet” character of the adsorption of silver.     

多晶La0.7Sr0.3MnO3的低温输运性质和磁电阻效应

详细研究了由纳米晶粒组成的块体多晶La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃(LSM)的电阻率和磁电阻效应,以及它们的温度依赖性.随着温度从室温降低,电阻率(ρ)在250K附近存在一最大值,低于该温度后,样品表现为金属导电特性,随后在50K附近存在一极小值.也就是说在低于50K的温度范围内,随着温度降低ρ反而升高,表现为绝缘体性的导电特性.经研究发现,这种随温度降低ρ反而增加的现象与隧穿效应的理论模型(lnρ∝T^-1/2)符合得很好 关键词： 0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃')" href="#">多晶La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ 隧道效应 隧道磁电阻效应     

多晶硅薄膜低温生长中晶粒大小的控制

以SiCl4H2为气源,用等离子体增强化学气相沉积(PECVD)方法低温快速沉积多晶硅薄膜.实验发现,在多晶硅薄膜的生长过程中,气相空间各种活性基团的相对浓度是影响晶粒大小的重要因素,随功率、H2/SiCl4流量比的减小和反应室气压的增加,晶粒增大.而各种活性基团的相对浓度依赖于PECVD工艺参数,通过工艺参数的改变,分析生长过程中空间各种活性基团相对浓度的变化,指出“气相结晶”过程是晶粒长大的一个重要因素. 关键词： 气相结晶 多晶硅薄膜 晶粒生长 SiCl4