Elaboration of self-organized magnetic nanoparticles by selective cobalt silicidation

Self-organized magnetic nanoparticles are obtained through selective silicidation of cobalt using a silicon substrate pre-structured with tri-dimensional gold islands as template. On the step bunches array of a vicinal Si(1 1 1) surface, gold deposition results in the formation of nanodroplets aligned along the step bunches. A subsequent cobalt deposition is performed onto this gold islands-covered Si surface, with two silicidation processes investigated: reactive deposition (RD) and solid phase reaction (SPR). The cobalt is converted into a non-magnetic silicide film except where the surface is locally masked by the gold islands, giving rise to cobalt nanomagnets which can be capped by a gold layer. A scanning tunneling microscopy comparative study of RD and SPR processes demonstrates that the former induces strong surface morphology changes while the latter preserves the pristine islands. Magnetic measurements performed with alternating gradient force magnetometry at room temperature are used to demonstrate the presence of ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles on SPR-processed samples. These nanomagnets show a clear in-plane anisotropy behavior.     

Influence of epitaxial strain on the terrace and inter-layer diffusions in metal epitaxy

The influence of epitaxial strain on the surface and inter-layer diffusions are investigated using molecular statics and transition state theory with several types of embedded atom method potentials for Ag and Ni. Quantitatively to analyze the competition of the surface and inter-layer diffusions in the instability to the multi-layer growth, Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier and the attempt frequencies of the surface and inter-layer diffusions by both hopping and exchange mechanisms are considered simultaneously. The attempt frequencies of exchange mechanism are larger by order one than those of hopping mechanism and especially, the difference becomes more severe for the inter-layer diffusion. Considering both the attempt frequency and activation energy barrier shows that the layer-by-layer growth is enhanced by compressive strain for Ag(0 0 1), which is confirmed by the existing linear stability theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.     

Effects of hyperthermal proton bombardment on alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer on Au(1 1 1)

The effects of hyperthermal proton bombardment on alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on Au(1 1 1) are studied with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The STM and XPS results show that proton bombardment with proton energy as low as 2 eV can induce cross-linking of the adsorbed alkanethiols and transform the original ordered SAM lattice to an array of nanoclusters of the cross-linked alkanethiols. For a bombardment at 3 eV with a fluence of 3×10¹⁵ cm⁻², the typical cluster size is about 5 nm. In addition, the cluster size distribution is narrow, with no cluster larger than 8 nm. The cluster growth can be promoted by increasing the fluence at a fixed bombardment energy or increasing the energy at a fixed fluence. This indicates that surface diffusion of alkanethiols and cluster growth can be harnessed by the control of the bombardment energy and fluence.     

Atomic structure of CaF2/MnF2-Si(1 1 1) superlattices from X-ray diffraction

X-ray reflectivity and non-specular crystal truncation rod scans have been used to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of the buried CaF₂-Si(1 1 1) interface and ultrathin films of MnF₂ and CaF₂ within a superlattice. We show that ultrathin films of MnF₂, below a critical thickness of approximately four monolayers, are crystalline, pseudomorphic, and adopt the fluorite structure of CaF₂. High temperature deposition of the CaF₂ buffer layer produces a fully reacted, CaF₂-Si(1 1 1) type-B interface. The mature, “long” interface is shown to consist of a partially occupied layer of CaF bonded to the Si substrate, followed by a distorted CaF layer. Our atomistic, semi-kinematical scattering method extends the slab reflectivity method by providing in-plane structural information.     

A combinatorial sample-preparation robot system using the volumetric-weighing method

We have developed a new automatic sample-preparation robot system with use of the volumetric-weighing method. In this system, slurries, aqueous solutions, and other wet reagents are employed as starting materials and 64 (8×8) samples at the maximum are prepared on a library plate of 35 mm × 35 mm size. Volumetric-weighing and mixing of the starting materials and distributing reaction mixtures to the library plate are automatically performed by computer-controlled mechanisms with an easy-to-use programming software interface. While this robot is designed in terms of space saving and portability, it is able to equip with an atmosphere-controlled furnace to sinter the samples on the library plate. Typical preparation time for a library plate of 36 (6×6) samples is less than 40 min. This robot system is promising in enhancing throughput of wet-chemically synthesized materials researches.     

Anomalous effects in charging of Pd powders with high density hydrogen isotopes

A twin system for hydrogen absorption experiments has been constructed to replicate the phenomenon of heat and ⁴He generation by D₂ gas absorption in nano-sized Pd powders reported by Arata and Zhang, and to investigate the underlying physics. For Pd⋅Zr oxide nano-powders, anomalously large energies of hydrogen isotope absorption, 2.4±0.2 eV/D-atom and 1.8±0.4 eV/H-atom, as well as large loading ratio of D/Pd=1.1±0.0 and H/Pd=1.1±0.3, respectively, were observed in the phase of deuteride/hydride formation. The sample charged with D₂ also showed significantly positive output energy in the second phase after the deuteride formation.     

Quantum size effects of Pb overlayers at high coverages

We have studied Pb thin films as a function of the thickness up to 60 monolayers (MLs) using ab initio first principles and model calculations. Magic heights corresponding to a modulated oscillatory pattern of the energy of Pb(1 1 1) films have been measured up to about 30 MLs. We demonstrate that this behaviour continues even for higher thickness due to an extra second modulation pattern in the energetics of the metal film as a function of the number of atomic layers. The origin of this second modulation is the nesting of two close values of the Fermi wavelength in the (1 1 1) direction.     

Dynamics of electrons and holes at surfaces

We present ab initio calculation results for electron-phonon (e-ph) contribution to hole lifetime broadening of the surface state on Al(0 0 1). We show that e-ph coupling in this state is significantly stronger than in bulk Al at the Fermi level. It makes the e-ph decay channel very important in the formation of the hole decay in the surface state at . We also present the results for e-e lifetime broadening in a quantum-well state in 1 ML K/Cu(1 1 1). We show that this contribution is not negligible and is much larger than that in a surface state on Ag(1 1 1).     

Growth, coalescence, and electrical resistivity of thin Pt films grown by dc magnetron sputtering on SiO2

Ultra thin platinum films were grown by dc magnetron sputtering on thermally oxidized Si (1 0 0) substrates. The electrical resistance of the films was monitored in situ during growth. The coalescence thickness was determined for various growth temperatures and found to increase from 1.1 nm for films grown at room temperature to 3.3 nm for films grown at 400 °C. A continuous film was formed at a thickness of 2.9 nm at room temperature and 7.5 nm at 400 °C. The room temperature electrical resistivity decreases with increased growth temperature, while the in-plain grain size and the surface roughness, measured with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), increase. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the film electrical resistance was explored at various stages during growth.     

Surface restructuring process on a Ag/Ge(0 0 1) surface studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

The atomic structure and charge distribution of Ag adsorbed Ge(0 0 1) surfaces have been investigated by means of Ge 3d core- and Ag 4d core-levels photoelectron spectroscopy. A mono-atomic layer of Ag was deposited on the clean Ge(0 0 1) c(4×2) surface at 80 K. The Ge 3d spectrum measured at 80 K was deconvoluted into two surface components, which is consistent with the previously proposed Ag ad-dimer model. After annealing the surface at room temperature, the rearrangement of the charge distribution was revealed to include electron transfer from Ge to Ag in conjunction with the surface restructuring process by the annealing.     

Pressure induced anisotropy of electrical conductivity in polycrystalline molybdenum disulfide

Anisotropic specimens of MoS₂ are obtained by pressing the microcrystalline powder into special die. This inelastic compression results in a rearrangement of the disulfide micro platelets observed by atomic force microscopy and reflected in the macroscopic anisotropy in electrical conductivity in these samples. The conductivity measured parallel and perpendicular to the direction of applied pressure exhibits an anisotropy factor of ∼10 at 1 GPa. This behaviour of the conductivity as a function of applied pressure is explained as the result of the simultaneous influence of a rearrangement of the micro platelets in the solid and the change of the inter-grain distances.     

Electronic structure of dysprosium silicide films grown on a Si(1 1 1) surface

The thickness-dependent electronic structures of Dy silicide films grown on a Si(1 1 1) surface have been investigated by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Two (1×1) periodic bands, both of them cross the Fermi level, have been observed in the silicide films formed by Dy coverages of 1.0 monolayer and below, and more than five () periodic bands have been observed in thicker films. Taking the () periodic structure of Dy atoms in the submonolayer silicide film into account, the periodicity of the two metallic bands indicate that they mainly originate from the orbitals of Si atoms, which form a (1×1) structure. Of the () periodic bands observed in thick films, four of them are well explained by the folding of the (1×1) bands into a () periodicity. Regarding the other band, the three () periodic bands would originate from the electronic states related to the inner Si layers that form a () structure, and the one observed in the 3.0 ML film only might originate from the electron located at the interface between bulk Si and the Dy silicide film.     

Structural modifications of diamond like carbon films induced by MeV nitrogen ion irradiation

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrates using plasma deposition technique. The deposited films were irradiated using 2 MeV N⁺ ions at fluences of 1×10¹⁴, 1×10¹⁵ and 5×10¹⁵ ions/cm². Samples have been characterized by using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Analysis of Raman spectra shows a gradual shift of both D and G band peaks towards higher frequencies along with an increase of the intensity ratio, I(D)/I(G), with increasing ion fluence in irradiation. These results are consistent with an increase of sp² bonding. XPS results also show a monotonic increase of sp²/sp³ hybridization ratio with increasing ion fluence. Plan view TEM images show the formation of clusters in the irradiated DLC films. HRTEM micrographs from the samples irradiated at a fluence of 5×10¹⁵ ions/cm² show the lattice image with an average interplanar spacing of 0.34 nm, revealing that the clusters are graphite clusters. The crystallographic planes in these clusters are somewhat distorted compared to the perfect graphite structure.     

Etching and forward transfer of fused silica in solid-phase by femtosecond laser-induced solid etching (LISE)

We present a femtosecond laser-based technique for etching and forward transfer of bulk transparent materials in solid-phase. Femtosecond laser pulses with were focused through a fused silica block onto an absorbing thin film of Cr. A constraining Si wafer was pressed into tight contact with the Cr film to prevent lift-off of the film. A combination of the high temperature and pressure of the Cr, and compressive stress from the Si, resulted in etching of smooth features from the fused silica by cracking. Unlike in conventional ablative or chemical etching, the silica was removed from the bulk as single solid-phase pieces which could be collected on the Si. Using this so-called laser-induced solid etching (LISE) technique, 1-2 m deep pits and channels have been produced in the silica surface, and corresponding dots and lines deposited on the Si. The threshold fluence for etching was found to be with duration pulses. The morphology of the etched features are investigated as functions of fluence and exposure to multiple pulses.     

Metallic nanosieves formed by ultra-short-pulse laser ablation

The formation of free-standing gold nanosieves by ablation with ultra-short laser pulses is demonstrated. Macroscopic areas are generated fast and efficiently by the application of a parallel production technique. The technique is based on a lens array formed by self-assembling quartz microspheres on a thin metal foil. The evaporated foils have a final thickness of 400 nm, and the hole spacing is set by the diameter of the microspheres (∼7 m) while the pore size is ∼700 nm. The characteristic spacing of the generated hole structure is verified by an optical diffraction technique.     

Observation of internal-conversion electrons induced by inelastic nuclear resonant scattering

Measurements of the internal-conversion electron emission due to the inelastic nuclear resonant excitation are reported. thin films of 20 and 1.3 nm thickness were deposited on Si(1 1 1), and the internal-conversion electrons were measured as a function of the photon energy. From the inelastic part of the spectra, the phonon density of states was obtained. Whereas the phonon density of states of 20-nm thick film resembles that of bulk -Fe, the 1.3-nm thick film revealed an obvious softening of the acoustic mode.     

Temperature dependent photoluminescence down to 4.2 K in EuTFC

The temperature dependence of photoluminescence in Europium tris[3-(trifluoro-methylhydroxymethylene)-(+)-camphorate] (EuTFC) embedded in polymer films has been examined from 40 K down to 4.2 K with the goal of preparing sensor films for low-temperature thermal imaging. The behavior of EuTFC showed significant difference when based on polystyrene compared to poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s. In poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s prepared by standard methods for imaging applications, the photoluminescence is fully saturated below 30 K, whereas in polystyrene films there is a strong temperature dependence even down to 4.2 K. By optimizing the preparation procedure for films made of poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and poly(methyl methacrylate), also these polymers became very sensitive down to liquid helium temperature. The maximum temperature sensitivity of EuTFC in PBMA is found to be 1.0%/K at 4.2 K. The problem of delamination and cracking of the polymer film at cryogenic temperature is also avoided by the special preparation method.     

Variational approach to strong correlation in the photoemission of electron-doped superconductors

We use a variational approach with strictly strong-correlated constraint to gain insight into low-energy states of t-t^′-t^″-J model in the electron-doped regime. Compared with the recent results on the electron-doped cuprates obtained by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we show that based on the long-range ordered antiferromagnetic metallic state prohibiting vacant sites, our results lead to qualitatively similar trends in ARPES spectra and Fermi surface topology. Additionally, the results about the evolution of the energy gap and spectral weight as a function of doping will be discussed.     

Co-induced nano-structures on Si(1 1 1) surface

The interaction of cobalt atoms with silicon (1 1 1) surface has been investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). Besides the Co silicide islands, we have successfully distinguished two inequivalent Co-induced reconstructions on Si(1 1 1) surface. Our high-resolution STM images provide some structural properties of the two different derived phases. Both of the two phases seem to form islands with single domain. The new findings will help us to understand the early stage of Co silicide formations.     

Thickness and temperature dependence of the dynamic magnetic behavior in disordered FePt films

We present in this work an investigation of the magnetic behavior of FePt films as a function of film thickness and thermal treatment. The films have been sputter-deposited on oxidized Si (1 0 0) crystals and are ferromagnetic at room temperature. Using ferromagnetic resonance techniques at 9.5 GHz we have studied a series of four films with a thickness in the range . The resonance spectra of these films were measured at and also above room temperature. The high temperature measurements produce irreversible changes in the samples which depend on the maximum temperature reached during the experiment. For relatively low measuring temperatures () the magnetic properties are generally improved, probably due to the release of stress formed during film fabrication. For larger temperatures () the absorption linewidth gradually broadens and the line could be hardly observed at room temperature if the measuring temperature exceeded . This behavior is due to the partial transformation of the metastable FCC phase to the ordered L1₀ high anisotropy phase. These data are consistent with the results found in samples annealed outside the resonant cavity.