Microstructure characterization of porous silicon as studied by positron annihilation measurements at low temperatures and high vacuum

Atomic scale properties of thin porous silicon (PSi) layers, characterized by the formation of positronium, are investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy in the temperature range 20-300 K under 10⁻⁷ Torr vacuum. The longest orthopositronium as well as the shortest parapositronium components are found to have quite low intensities in the thin layer at room temperature. It is also found that at temperatures ≤240 K, these two components do not show up in the spectrum. The reason for this absence of the longest lifetime component is suggested.     

铝纳米晶的正电子湮没研究

采用自悬浮定向流-真空热压法,在不同压强下制得铝纳米晶材料,并利用X射线衍射(XRD)和正电子湮没寿命谱(PALS)分析手段对铝纳米晶的结构和微观缺陷进行表征.XRD分析表明:所制备的铝纳米晶的晶粒度为48 nm.PALS分析表明:铝纳米晶的微观缺陷主要为类空位以及空位团,而微孔洞很少;短寿命τ1,中间寿命τ2以及其对应的强度I1,I2随压强变化而呈现阶段性变化;压制压强(P)低于0.39 GPa时制得的纳米晶空位团随压强的增加而逐渐转变为类空位;0.39 GPa P 0.72 GPa时,各类缺陷发生消除;P 0.72 GPa时,各类缺陷进一步发生消除.随压强的提高,铝纳米晶的密度增加,其显微硬度也明显增高.     

Hydrogen-induced buckling of Pd films studied by positron annihilation

Hydrogen loading of thin films introduces very high compressive stresses which grow in magnitude with increasing hydrogen concentration. When the hydrogen-induced stresses exceed a certain critical in-plane stress value, the loaded film starts to detach from the substrate. This results in the formation of buckles of various morphologies in the film layer. Defect studies of a hydrogen loaded Pd film which undergoes a buckling process are presented, using slow positron implantation spectroscopy, in situ acoustic emission, and direct observations of the film structure by transmission electron and optical microscopies. It is found that buckling of the film occurs at hydrogen concentrations x_H ≥ 0.1 and causes a significant increase of the dislocation density in the film.     

Crystallinity of pure silica glass studied by positron annihilation

The crystallinity of silica glass fused from Brasilian quartz is demonstrated by positron annihilation lineshape measurements using a high resolution Ge(Li)-detector as well as by positron lifetime measurement.     

Helium bubbles in neutron-irradiated copper-boron studied by positron annihilation

The influence of helium, introduced by the ¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li reaction, on the evolution of defect structure in copper containing a few hundred ppm boron has been studied by detailed positron lifetime and two-photon angular correlation measurements, supplemented by TEM studies. In the as-irradiated state of Cu-B, two lifetime components have been resolved. The shorter lifetime, τ₁, = 167 ps of 97% intensity, has been understood as due to positron trapping at small helium-vacancy complexes, while the longer lifetime τ₂ = 450 ps of 3% intensity is explained as due to helium-free voids. Marked changes in the annihilation characteristics observed at 670 K are interpreted in terms of the nucleation of microbubbles, controlled by thermally activated helium migration to vacancy traps. Corroborative evidence for the onset of helium clustering is obtained from the change in the average size of positron traps as deduced from the smearing of the measured angular correlation spectra. Helium bubbles and helium-free voids coexisting in the system have been distinguished by a three-component analysis of the lifetime spectra. Bubbles are found to be stable beyond the temperature of dissociation of voids. The size and concentration of bubbles, determined independently by TEM measurements, are in accordance with the positron annihilation results in the growth stage. The observed positron lifetime at higher annealing temperatures has been analysed by relating the annihilation rate to helium atom density and helium pressures in bubbles evaluated. These pressures are in satisfactory agreement with the estimates of equilibrium pressures, leading to the conclusion that bubble relaxation occurs by the mechanism of thermal vacancy condensation.     

Free-volume changes at nanoscale in doped polyacrylic acid studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) doped with carbon black (CB), chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) and cupferron with different wt% (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1%) was studied using positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) technique and Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation (DBAR). Ortho-positronium lifetime components (τ₃ and I₃) were used to estimate the nanoscale free-volume hole sizes (V_f) and its fractions (f). It was found that the hole size V_f and its fractions f as well as S-parameters decreased at high value of doping concentration due to dopants-polymer formation. These results are supported by a significant narrowing in the nanoscale free-volume hole size distributions.

The correlation between positron annihilation parameters and electric conductivity are discussed.     

Irradiation-induced atomic defects in SiC studied by positron annihilation

The present paper reports on positron lifetime measurements on atomic defects in SiC after low-temperature (80 K) electron irradiation of low (0.47 MeV) and high (2.5 MeV) electron energies and doses from 1.8×10¹⁷ to 1.9×10¹⁹ e/cm² as well as after subsequent isochronal annealing up to 1900 K. For these studies the single crystals of nitrogen doped (2–3×10¹⁸ cm^–3) SiC grown by a modified Lely technique with hexagonal structure (6H polytype) were used.According to the positron lifetime measurements, very different types of vacancy-like positron traps are introducted after irradiation with electrons of either low or high energy. The formation of defect agglomerates and their decay at high temperatures is studied during isochronal annealing and related to earlier studies.Paper presented at the 132nd WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Positron Studies of Semiconductor Defects, Halle, Germany, 29 August to 2 September 1994     

Heat treatment of pure silica glass studied by positron annihilation

The crystallinity of silica glass fused from Brazilian quartz was studied by Doppler-broadening techniques after heat treatment in the temperature range between 1000°C and 1500°C. Paper F13 presented at 4th Internat'l Conf. Positron Annihilation, Helsing?r, Denmark (August 1976)     

Isothermal annealing of room temperature deformed iron studied with the positron annihilation technique

Positron-annihilation lineshape parameter measurements were performed during isothermal annealing of room temperature deformed iron. An isothermal annealing effect is seen in impure iron while in pure iron no effect is measured.     

Rectifying barrier at GaN/SiC hetero-junction studied with positron annihilation spectroscopy

Positron annihilation spectroscopy on GaN films grown on SiC substrate with MBE are presented. It is shown that the GaN/SiC interface is rectifying towards positrons, such that positrons can only travel from SiC to GaN and not vice versa. Potential steps seen by the positron at the GaN/SiC interface are calculated from experimental values of electron and positron work function. This “rectifying” effect has been successfully mimicked by inserting a thin region of very high electric field in the Variable Energy Positron Fit （VEPF） analysis. The built-in electric field is attributed to different positron affinities, dislocation and/or interface defects at the GaN/SiC interface.     

Hydrogen behaviour in electron-irradiated titanium alloys studied by positron annihilation method

Measurements of angular distribution of annihilation photons are applied to investigations of hydrogen behavior in annealed, plastically deformed, and irradiated titanium alloys. It is shown that hydrogen interaction with materials becomes more intensive in presence of structural imperfections of deformational and radiation origin. Probable mechanisms of hydrogen interaction with deformational and radiation defects are discussed.     

正电子湮没谱和光致发光谱研究掺锌GaSb质子辐照缺陷

用正电子湮没谱和光致发光谱研究了质子辐照后掺锌GaSb中的缺陷.通过分析正电子的缺陷寿命τ₂及强度I₂的变化发现,在高能质子的辐照下产生了双空位缺陷V_GaV_Sb,可能同时产生了小的空位团.正电子平均寿命τ_av和S参数随着质子辐照剂量的变化也证明了这一结论.通过分析不同质子辐照剂量下掺锌GaS     

Lattice defects of V3Si single crystals studied by positron annihilation

The sensitivity of positrons to point defects created by the irradiation of V₃Si with neutrons is demonstrated. We found no indication of thermal vacancies by thermal equilibrium measurement up to 1273 K which indicates that the monovacancy formation enthalpy for V₃Si isH _1V ^F ≧(1.84±0.14) eV. Investigations within the range of homogeneity for excess vanadium suppot the idea that substitutional defects are the dominating defect type, whereas for excess silicon a direct confirmation of existing structural vacancies as the dominating defect type is given.     

用正电子研究NaCl在NaY沸石上的固溶过程

用正电子湮没谱学研究NaCl与NaY沸石机械混合后, NaCl在NaY中的固溶扩散过程.分别测量不同质量比的NaCl/NaY［(1—20)%］经500℃烘烤1h，NaCl/NaY(15%)经不同温度烘烤1h,以及NaCl/NaY(15%)经500℃烘烤不同时间后的正电子寿命谱.所有寿命谱都出现了5个寿命分量, 其中第3，4，5寿命分别与β笼、超笼及沸石微粒界面空洞的大小和数量相关.实验表明正电子湮没谱学能敏感地表征NaCl在NaY中的固溶扩散过程. 关键词： 正电子湮没谱学 氯化钠 沸石     

Positronium annihilation in silica aerogel studied by a positron age-momentum correlation technique

A high-performance positron age-momentum correlation (AMOC) spectrometer was newly developed.The counting rate is increased up to 200 cps much larger than the value 20 cps reported by other international groups.And at the same time,the time resolution still keeps at the international level of 220 ps.Furthermore,positronium (Ps) annihilation in silica aerogel was investigated by AMOC,which indicates:(1) Ps annihilation between the grains dominantly undergoes pick-off process and spin conversion from o-Ps to p-Ps;(2) Annealing below 400 ℃ changes the grain surface conditions,i.e.the desorption of hydrogen and the decrease of the defect centers concentration.     

Positronium annihilation in silica aerogel studied by a positron age-momentum correlation technique

A high-performance positron age-momentum correlation (AMOC) spectrometer was newly developed. The counting rate is increased up to 200 cps much larger than the value 20~cps reported by other international groups. And at the same time, the time resolution still keeps at the international level of 220 ps. Furthermore, positronium (Ps) annihilation in silica aerogel was investigated by AMOC, which indicates: (1) Ps annihilation between the grains dominantly undergoes pick-off process and spin conversion from o-Ps to p-Ps; (2) Annealing below 400 ℃ changes the grain surface conditions, i. e. the desorption of hydrogen and the decrease of the defect centers concentration.     

Correlation between ferromagnetism and defects in MgO nanocrystals studied by positron annihilation

High purity MgO nanopowders were pressed into pellets and annealed in air from 100 to 1400 °C. Variation of the microstructures was investigated by X-ray diffraction and positron annihilation spectroscopy. Annealing induces an increase in the MgO grain size from 27 to 60 nm with temperature increasing up to 1400 °C. Positron annihilation measurements reveal vacancy defects including Mg vacancies, vacancy clusters, microvoids and large pores in the grain boundary region. Rapid recovery of Mg monovacancies and vacancy clusters was observed after annealing above 1200 °C. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed for MgO nanocrystals annealed at 100, 700, and 1000 °C. However, after 1400 °C annealing, MgO nanocrystals turn into diamagnetic. Our results suggest that the room temperature ferromagnetism in MgO nanocrystals might originate from the interfacial defects.     

A first sub-stage in stage III in quenched pure aluminium studied by positron annihilation

It has been found for the first time by positron annihilation that the line-shape parameter h increases and subsequently decreases in the initial region of stage III annealing, below ≈-60°C, in quenched pure aluminium. It is deduced that the change in h parameter in this temperature region seems to correspond to the formation and sebsequent collapse of small vacancy clusters.