Characterization Method of Polycrystalline Materials Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

An apparatus for characterization of polycrystalline materials based on conductive atomic torce microscopy （cAFM） is developed and a quantitative measurement of electrical characteristics of individual grains in polycrystalline ZnO ceramic is demonstrated. Improvement of the experimental method is presented. Experimental results illuminate unambiguously the different electrical characteristics between individual grains, suggesting the suitability and maneuverability of this method in the study of local structure or properties and their relationship in polycrystalline materials such as semi-conducting ceramics.     

Resonant Absorption Mechanical Spectrometer and Its Applications in Solids

An improved apparatus is developed from Ke-pendulum. This new apparatus, resonant absorption mechanical spectrometer (RAMS), can measure the internal friction of solids under a forced vibration mode and the measuring frequency can change quasi-continually from a frequency that is much lower than the resonant frequency of the pendulum system, fτ, to the one that is much higher than fτ. The internal friction measurement is able to cover the frequency range from 10^-3 Hz to kHz. The measurement method and the calculation formula of the internal friction measured by a RAMS in the full frequency range are derived. A series of resonant absorption peaks are observed in copper, alumiaium, zinc, iron samples by the RAMS. The resonant absorption characteristics of the copper sample are studied in details. The experimental results indicate that the position (frequency) of the resonant absorption peaks are independent of the resonant frequency of the pendulum system. The reality of resonant absorption mechanical spectra is discussed and an inference based on the experimental results is presented such that the RAMS is able to characterize some feature of solid materials.