Plastic Versus Glass Support for an Immunoassay on Metal-Coated Surfaces in Optically Dense Samples Utilizing Directional Surface Plasmon-Coupled Emission

We compared plastic (polycarbonate) and high-quality glass support materials for gold-coated slides, when performing a model immunoassay against rabbit IgG using fluorescently labeled (AlexaFluor-647) anti-rabbit IgG, and detecting surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) signals. Both, glass and plastic slides were simultaneously coated with a 48-nm layer of gold and protected with a 10-nm layer of silica. The maximum SPCE signal of AlexaFluor-647 was only two- to three-fold smaller on plastic slides than on glass slides. A small difference in the SPCE angles on glass (θ _F = 55°) and plastic (θ _F = 52.5°) slides was observed and can be explained with a slightly smaller refractive index of the plastic. We have not found any difference in the angle distribution (sharpness of the fluorescence signal at optimal SPCE angle) for the plastic slide compared to the glass slide. The kinetics of binding was monitored on the plastic slide as well as on the glass slide. Optically dense samples, a 4% red blood cell suspension and a 15% hemoglobin solution, are causing a reduction in the immunoassay SPCE signal by approximately 15% and three times, respectively, and the percentage of the reduction is the same for plastic and for glass slides. We believe that plastic substrates can be readily used in any SPCE assay, with only marginally lower total signal compared to high-quality glass slides.     

Improved InGaP/GaAs/InGaP δ-doped double-HBT with InGaP passivation layer and effects of layer-thickness on device performance

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of InGaP/GaAs/InGaP δ-doped double heterojunction bipolar transistors (δ-DHBTs) with an InGaP passivation layer. Effects of passivation layer thickness on the performance of the studied devices were investigated. Various passivation layer thicknesses (1000Å to 0Å at a rate of −200Å) were employed in the device fabrication. Experimental findings show that both collector current and current gain are enhanced at fixed base currents when a 400 ∼  600-Å thick InGaP passivation layer is used. We obtained current gains of 350 and 280 at a base current of 100 μÅ for δ-DHBTs with a 400-Å thick InGaP passivation layer and without one, respectively. Furthermore, all devices exhibit a collector current saturation voltage (knee voltage) of less than 2.5 V. A control DHBT without a doping spike at the B–C heterointerface has a knee voltage of 3.5 V. At the same time, its current gains as a function of collector current are strongly dependent on the B–C reverse voltage. These high current gains with small knee voltages obtained in improved δ-DHBTs suggested that both the E–B and the B–C potential spikes are eliminated by δ-doped spikes.     

Protein deposition on field-emitter tips and its removal by UV radiation

Protein deposition on field-emitter tips has been examined using Transmission Electron Microscopy to view the protein coated tip profile. A single layer of adsorbed protein is barely if at all detectable, but double and triple layers produced by the immunologic reaction can be directly observed. As a result, the thickness and morphology of antigen-antibody layers has been directly observed for the first time. Tips exposed first to Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and then to anti-BSA rabbit serum are covered with a reasonably uniform, double protein layer ≈130 Å thick. This layer can be built-up to a triple layer ≈275 Å thick by additional exposure to anti-rabbit IgG goat serum. Surface tension forces during the drying process which follows protein deposition appear to affect the thickness and morphology of the protein layers. The oxidation and subsequent change in the morphology of a protein layer exposed to ultraviolet radiation has also been observed using TEM. The destruction of a triple protein layer at a rate of ≈0.5 Å/s is observed for tungsten tips exposed to ≈6 W of UV radiation from a high-pressure mercury arc in laboratory ambient. These results are compared to those obtained from a simple, visual test for protein layer adsorption in which submonolayer coverages of protein can be detected with the unaided eye.     

Detection of protective oxide layers on Cr formed by exposure to air by STEM-ELS method

Relatively thick (1000 Å) and very thin (30 Å) Cr specimens have been observed with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy-loss spectroscopy (ELS). They show marked differences in both diffraction (selected area electron diffraction and microdiffraction) and composition (ELS) data. The extra 2.5 Å ring in SAED and oxygen K edge loss peak in ELS are attributed to the protective oxide layer formed at the surface of Cr by exposure to air at 25°C. The average thickness of the layer is estimated to be about 10 Å.     

Formation of the Co/Si(110) interface: Phase composition and magnetic properties

The formation of the Co/Si(110)16 × 2 interface and its magnetic properties are studied by high-energy-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation and magnetic linear dichroism in the photoemission of core electrons. It is shown that a cobalt coating less than 7 Å thick deposited on the silicon surface at room temperature results in the formation of an ultrathin (1.7 Å) interfacial cobalt silicide layer and a layer of silicon-cobalt solid solution. The ferromagnetic ordering of the interface is observed at an evaporation dose corresponding to 6–7 Å in which case a cobalt metal film begins to grow on the solid solution layer. During 300°C-annealing of the sample covered by a nanometer-thick cobalt layer, the metal film gradually disappears and four silicide phases arise: metastable ferromagnetic silicide Co₃Si and three stable nonmagnetic silicides (Co₂Si, CoSi, and CoSi₂).     

Magnetization of layered Mn-Ni and Mn-Co thin films

We report magnetization hysteresis loops for compositionally modulated films of Ni-Mn and Co-Mn. The films, prepared by evaporation, have nominal layer thicknesses of 5 to 25 Å and total thickness of 1 μm. Measurements were made on a SQUID magnetometer at 5 and 50 K with a maximum applied field of 10 kOe. The magnetic behavior observed ranges from ferromagnetism to spin-glassiness. Marked field cooling effects were observed for films with nominal layer thicknesses of 6 Å Ni-6 Å Mn, 13 Å Ni-13 Å Mn, 25 Å Ni-25 Å Mn and 5 Å Co-15 Å Mn.     

Influence of a Cr seed layer on the magnetic anisotropy of epitaxial Fe/Ag films on MgO(001)

The magnetic anisotropy of epitaxial 300 Å thick Fe films on Ag and Ag/Cr buffer layers on MgO(001) has been studied by ferromagnetic resonance and magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements. The samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at ambient temperature. A reduction of the effective magnetization for the samples with a Ag buffer layer is attributed to strain and dislocation formation as seen from X-ray diffraction measurements at low and high angles. In the samples with a Cr seed layer, a higher magnetic anisotropy is found which correlates with a reduced roughness.     

Interface corrugation effect on the polarization anisotropy of photoluminescence from (311)A GaAs/AlAs short-period superlattices

Studying GaAs/AlAs superlattices containing a quantum-well-wire array revealed photoluminescence polarization anisotropy for samples with GaAs layers less than 21 Å thick. It was found that polarization for a thickness of more than 40 Å was mainly due to valence band anisotropy, whereas polarization for a thickness of less than 21 Å was equally attributable to both valence band anisotropy and anisotropy associated with interface corrugation. For a GaAs layer thickness of less than 21 Å, a blueshift of the Γ electron-Γ heavy hole transition was observed. In this transition, the position of the peak of photoluminescence from the GaAs/AlAs (311)A superlattices containing a quantum-well-wire array is shifted toward higher energies compared to the (311)B and (100) superlattices containing no quantum-well wire with the same GaAs layer thickness. The conclusion was made that a blueshift is observed in GaAs/AlAs superlattices with GaAs layers less than 21 Å thick and a red-shift is observed when the thickness is larger than 43 Å.     

A Mössbauer investigation of SnO2 films with preferred orientation of crystallites

The textured SnO₂ films with different thickness in the range of 600–11200Å prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) have been characterized by using conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) couping with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The evidence for the existence of an interaction between SnO₂ and glass substrate with the formation of a interface layer about 200Å thick has been discussed. SnO₂ existing in polycrystalline state with preferred crystal face orientation is found as long as the SnO₂ films are thick than 1800Å.     

197Au Mössbauer study of Au/Ni artificial multilayers

¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer measurements have been performed at 16 K on the Au/Ni artificial multilayers having three different thickness of the layers those are 10Å Au/10Å Ni, 30Å Au/30Å Ni and 53Å Au/53Å Ni on a 250Å pure Au buffer layer. Mössbauer spectra obtained can be decomposed into mainly two components. One is an unperturbed component having an identical isomer shift value to the bulk Au metal. The other is the component perturbed strongly by the Ni layer indicating a broad contribution at positive velocity side and its intensity depends on the thickness of the Au layer. The spectrum from 10Å Au/10Å Ni multilayer is an entirely perturbed one and its area ratio to the component rising from pure Au buffer layer indicates the large Debye-Waller-factor suggesting the supermodulus effect in this multilayer.     

Magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection in multilayer FeCr nanostructures

The magnetotransmission and magnetoreflection spectra of a seven-layer Cr(28 Å)/Fe(36 Å)/Cr(13 Å)/Fe(18 Å)/Cr(13 Å)/Fe(36 Å)/Cr(28 Å) film, their temperature and field dependences measured at various directions of a magnetic field with respect to the film plane, and the correlations between these effects are studied. The experimental results are compared with the data on the magnetization and transverse Kerr effect. The magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance are calculated for this film in terms of the magnetorefractive effect theory. Apart from the film layer thickness, the effective relaxation time, the plasma frequency, and the spin asymmetry parameter are shown to strongly affect both the magnitudes and spectral dependences of the magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance. Although the calculation results qualitatively describe the signs and the spectral and field dependences of the magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance, they do not agree quantitatively with the experimental results, in particular, near the visible region. The causes of the quantitative discrepancies are discussed.     

Surface plasmon dispersion for surfaces covered by thin layers supporting longitudinal plasma waves

We analyse the effect of a superficial plasma layer on the substrate surface plasmon dispersion taking into account non local effects related to plasma oscillations in the surface layer. Surface plasmon dispersion and ATR reflectivity curves for an Aluminium surface covered by a potassium film 20 Å thick are computed. We show that new branches exist when longitudinal polarization waves are considered in the surface layer.     

Steady state and time-resolved magneto-luminescence in ZnSe/(Zn,Mn)Se Heterostructures

We report on optical measurements performed on two 53Å and 106Å wide ZnSe quantum wells separated by a 350Å thick Zn_0.73Mn_0.27Se barrier. The measurements were performed by means of cw photoluminescence up to 20T, cw photoluminescence excitation and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies up to 9T, at low temperature (4.2K). The fundamental optical transition changes its nature from a type-I light hole excition to a type-II heavy hole exciton as a function of applied magnetic field. Calculations taking into account the strain, Zeeman, and excitonic effects support the experimental findings and allows us to specify the value of the relative valence band offset.     

The effect of oxidized surface layers on the inner core of fine iron particles

Mössbauer measurements on fine iron particles with the size ranging from 150 to 350 Å with oxidized surface layer are carried out between 81 and 300K. The spectra consist of two components, a component due to metallic iron and a second component with a larger hyperfine field. The thickness of the oxide surface layer calculated from the area ratio of the subspectra is about 19 Å, and is independent of the average diameter of the particles. A slight enhancement of the hyperfine field of the iron core with a decrease of particle size has been observed. It results from the contribution of the atoms at the interface layer and the dipole interaction between the particles. The dipole interaction decreases owing to the effects of the oxide surface layer on the dipole field.     

Thickness dependent magnetic and structural properties of Co films grown on GaAs (100)

The structural, magnetic and transport properties measurements carried out on Co thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation on GaAs substrate as a function of layer thickness ranging from 50 Å to 1000 Å are presented here. Structural measurements show the film to be amorphous in nature at lower thickness which becomes crystalline at higher thickness. Magnetic measurements show an increase in saturation magnetization (M_S) with film thickness. M_S values are found to vary from 521 emu/cm³ to 1180 emu/cm³ for thicknesses ranging from 50 Å to 1000 Å. The coercivity and saturation field value shows a systematic decrease up to 600 Å thickness and increase thereafter. Various microstructural parameters were also calculated using GIXRR technique. A clear grain growth is observed in AFM technique with film thickness and its influence on transport properties was also seen. Different surface morphology and magnetic domain structures were obtained on different thin film samples by AFM and MFM techniques, respectively. XPS measurements reveal formation of CoAs phase at the interface between Co and GaAs. All these results are discussed and interpreted in detail in this communication.     

Interface study of Ag/57Fe/Ag trilayer using Mössbauer and X-ray standing wave analysis

Interface of Ag/⁵⁷Fe/Ag trilayer has been studied with a depth resolution of a fraction of a nanometer using x-ray standing waves generated by a W/Si multilayer mirror used as a substrate. Two interfaces of 38 Å thick Fe layer in Ag/⁵⁷Fe/Ag trilayer are clearly resolved. It is found that the rms roughness of the two interfaces Fe-on-Ag and Ag-on-Fe are 10 ± 1.0 and 6 ± 1.0 Å, respectively. Conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) has been used to get information about the volume fraction of the intermixed region and the estimated roughness from the relative area of the two sextets of CEMS spectra is found to be 7.0 Å which is consistent with the average roughness obtained by X-ray fluorescence measurements. However, the asymmetry of the interfaces can not be inferred from CEMS measurements.     

Real-space study of the growth of magnesium on ruthenium

The growth of magnesium on ruthenium has been studied by low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In LEEM, a layer-by-layer growth is observed except in the first monolayer, where the completion of the first layer in inferred by a clear peak in electron reflectivity. Desorption from the films is readily observable at 400 K. Real-space STM and low-energy electron diffraction confirm that sub-monolayer coverage presents a moiré pattern with a 12 Å periodicity, which evolves with further Mg deposition by compressing the Mg layer to a 22 Å periodicity. Layer-by-layer growth is followed in LEEM up to 10 ML. On films several ML thick a substantial density of stacking faults are observed by dark-field imaging on large terraces of the substrate, while screw dislocations appear in the stepped areas. The latter are suggested to result from the mismatch in heights of the Mg and Ru steps. Quantum size effect oscillations in the reflected LEEM intensity are observed as a function of thickness, indicating an abrupt Mg/Ru interface.     

The interference of an electron beam with the surface reaction between oxygen and germanium

Electron beam assisted adsorption and desorption of oxygen was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Beam assisted adsorption was observed on clean as well as on oxidized surfaces. After an oxygen exposure of 1000 × 10^?7 Torr min and continuous irradiation with beam voltage of 1.5 kV and beam current density 2 microA mm^?2, the oxygen 510 eV signal amplitude from the point of beam impact was 2.5 times greater than the signal from the non-irradiated region. The Ge 89 eV signal showed a corresponding decrease. Enhanced adsorption occurred at beam energies as low as 16.5 eV. After irradiation, the oxidized surface was not carbon contaminated. Following an oxygen exposure of 30 min at 0.1 Torr and 550°C and subsequent additional beam assisted exposure of 1000 × 10^?7 Torr min, the maximum oxide thickness was about 18 Å. Beam assisted desorption did not occur from thin oxygen layers (0–510 eV signal strength less than 5 units, calculated oxide thickness about 6 Å), but occurred from thick oxides and stopped after the signal amplitude had decreased to 5 units. Based on these results, a model for the structure of the oxygen layer covering the Ge(111) surface is proposed. Mechanisms for adsorption and desorption are discussed. The implications of beam assisted adsorption and desorption on electron beam operated surface measurements (LEED, AES, ELS, APS etc.) are stressed.     

Mössbauer spectroscopical investigation of the exchange biased Fe/MnF2 interface

Two different Fe/MnF₂ samples have been prepared by e-beam evaporation on MgO(001) substrates. The Fe layer in the samples includes a 10 Å thick ⁵⁷Fe probe layer either at the Fe/MnF₂ interface (interface sample) or 35 Å away from the interface (center sample). The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and SQUID magnetometry. ⁵⁷Fe CEMS has been employed to study the depth dependent hyperfine interactions in Fe/MnF₂ as a function of temperature between 18 K to 300 K. The hyperfine field B _hf has been obtained for the interfacial and off-interfacial ⁵⁷Fe layers. At the interface, besides B _hf of bcc-Fe, the presence of a component with a distribution P(B _hf ) is observed. The latter is assigned to interfacial ⁵⁷Fe atoms, indicating some (～15%, equivalent to ～1 Fe atomic layer) intermixing at the Fe/MnF₂ interface and a decrease of the average hf > by 21%. The influence of the interface disappears as the ⁵⁷Fe probe layer is placed away from the interface. The temperature dependence of the average hf > of the interface has been measured. The Fe spins, at remanence, are found to lie in the film plane.     

ZnSe MIS二极管蓝色电致发光的空间分布

本文研究了用ZnS多晶薄膜作绝缘层时制备的ZnSe MIS二极管,在正向电压激发下的蓝色电致发光的空间分布,在光学显微镜下观察到电致发光呈稀疏的点状分布。为了了解发光点的起因,用扫描电镜观测了二极管的二次电子像(SEI),束感生电流像(EBICI)和吸收电流像(AEI)。一个重要的发现是二极管的电致发光点(ELS)和EBICI有相当好的对应关系。文中指出了发光点的存在与绝缘层(Ⅰ)的引入有关。绝缘层一半导体(I-S)界面较大的能带失配和较差的结合,从而产生较多的无辐射复合中心,是产生稀疏发光点可能的原因。文中根据对发光点起因的分析,提出用ZnSe多晶薄膜取代ZnS多晶薄膜作绝缘层来铡备ZnSe MIS二极管。当用显微镜观察时,电致发光点呈密集分布,而用肉眼观察时是均匀的蓝色发光。文中还指出了进一步改进电致发光空间分布的可能途径。