Effect of annealing on the structural,electrical and optical properties of nanostructured TiO2 thin films

Nanostructured titanium dioxide thin films were prepared using reactive pulsed laser ablation technique. Effects of annealing on the structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties are discussed. The structural, electrical and optical properties of TiO₂ films are found to be sensitive to annealing temperature and are described with GIXRD, SEM, AFM, UV‐Visible spectroscopy and electrical studies. X‐ray diffraction studies showed that the as‐deposited films were amorphous and at first changed to anatase and then to rutile phase with increase of annealing temperature. Optical constants of these films were derived from the transmission spectra and the refractive index dispersion of the films, subjected to annealing at different temperatures, is discussed in terms of the single oscillator‐Wemple and Didomenico model. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electrical properties of TiO2 thin films

The electrical properties of n-type titanium dioxide thin films deposited by magnetron-sputtering method have been investigated by temperature-dependent conductivity. We observed that the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of titanium dioxide films exhibits a crossover from T^?1/4 to T^?1/2 dependence in the temperature range between 80 and 110 K. Characteristic parameters describing conductivity, such as the characteristic temperature (T₀), hopping distance (R_hop), average hopping energy (Δ_hop), Coulomb gap (Δ_C), localization length (ξ) and density of states (N(E_F)), were determined, and their values were discussed within the models describing conductivity in TiO₂ thin films.     

Synthesis,structural and optical properties of well dispersed anatase TiO2 nanoparticles by non‐hydrothermal method

The formation of nanocrystalline TiO₂ particles has been investigated via a surfactant‐free synthetic non‐hydrothermal method. Titanium isopropoxide and toluene were used as the starting materials. At a low temperature of 250 °C for 6 h, the reaction mixture turned in to a white precipitate (TiO₂) as a result of the thermal decomposition of metal alkoxide. The obtained product was found to crystallize purely in the anatase phase with well defined morphology. The powder XRD study confirms that the average size of the particle is close to ∼15 nm. The TEM analysis indicates the sizes of the primary and secondary particles in the range between 8‐10 nm and 15‐20 nm respectively. The quantum size confinement of the crystallites is evident from the blue shift of the absorption edge in the UV‐Visible absorption spectrum. The luminescence property of the TiO₂ nanoparticles studied by the emission spectrum confirms the presence of defect levels caused by the oxygen vacancies. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of the preparation method on the structural and magnetic properties of the Fe2Nb alloy

In this paper we carried out the structural and magnetic study of the Fe₂Nb stoichiometric alloy by means of x‐rays diffraction and Mössbauer spectrometry. The samples were obtained by two different techniques, arc‐melting and mechanical alloying, and then they were thermally treated. The structural properties of the alloy depend on the method of preparation: by the melting method it was possible to obtain the hcp‐Fe₂Nb ordered structure; while by mechanical alloying besides of the hcp structure also were formed the fcc‐NbO and bcc‐FeNb structures. After heat treatment of the melted alloy, this was submitted to mechanical alloying during 16 and 32 hours. Mechanical alloying allows the formation of bcc‐FeNb grains which behave as superparamagnetic due to their small size and they are surrounded by hcp grains. Before heat treatment of the alloy obtained by mechanical alloying it was also found the existence of superparamagnetic bcc grains and the heat treatment increases the size of these bcc grains and the superparamagnetic‐ferromagnetic transition is induced.     

Investigation of structural,electronic and optical properties of pure and Ag‐doped TiO2 nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning

Pure and 1, 2, and 3 wt% Ag doped TiO₂ nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning method at different applied voltages and heights at a constant flow rate of 2 mL/h. Characterization of the prepared samples was performed by x‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microcopy (AFM),four point probe method (FPPM), the differential scanning calorimetry/the thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC/TGA), ultraviolet/visible spectrometry (UV/VIS), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer (EDX). It was found that the thermally untreated pure TiO₂ nanofibers and thermally treated (at 500 °C) samples have the crystalline phase of anatase (A), and mixed anatase and rutile (A+R) phases, respectively. It was also observed that the content of the silver does not affect the crystal structure, but plays strengthening role in the rutile structure. SEM micrographs showed that all fabricated nanofiber samples have uniform morphologies, and AFM measurements indicated that the nanofibers were formed in three‐dimensional coils. The band gap values of the nanofiber samples obtained from UV/VIS measurements revealed that band gap values of the nanofiber samples decrease while the diameter of the nanofiber increases.     

Evolution of the structural and superconducting properties of FeSe crystals upon long-term storage

A comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the structural and superconducting properties of FeSe crystals stored in air for several years has been performed. It is established that the structure and phase composition of the samples remained invariable, while the superconducting parameters significantly degraded. These changes may be due to the stress relaxation or redistribution of defects in the samples.     

Photocatalytic properties of TiO2/ZnO thin film

ABSTRACT

TiO₂, ZnO and ZnO/TiO₂ thin films have been prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method under different temperatures. Their photo catalytic activities have been investigated. The structural of the thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The photo catalytic activities of TiO₂ and ZnO/TiO₂ samples were evaluated by the photo decomposition of methylene blue. We note that the structural proprieties of the thin films showed a perfect crystallization along the (002) for ZnO, Rutile (110) for TiO₂ and Anatase (101) for TiO₂. The experimental results show that the bilayer ZnO/TiO₂ were the most efficient photo catalysts compared to the layer of TiO₂. This increased catalytic effect can attributed to the interface between the ZnO layer and the TiO₂ one, which modify significantly the chemical potential of the bilayer.     

First-principles calculations of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of transition-metal glasses

Ab-initio calculations of the atomic structure, the electronic density of states, the photoemission spectrum, and the magnetic properties of transition-metal glasses are presented. This approach is based on a tight-binding-bond approach to the interatomic forces, molecular dynamics simulations of the atomic structure and self-consistent spin-polarized linear-muffin-tin-orbital supercell calculations for the electronic and magnetic properties.     

Preparation of TiO2–Na2O glass by sol–gel method and structural characterization

The applicability of sol–gel process in glass formation of binary system, (100 − x)TiO₂–xNa₂O (x = 10, 20, 30), was investigated and the glasses were prepared successfully by the sol–gel process for the first time. The process of glass formation was checked by using X-ray diffraction measurement and DTA–TG analysis. In the baking step, a DTA peak related to the crystallization of gel was found. The short-range structure of glassified samples was studied by neutron scattering measurement. It is found from the results of neutron scattering measurement that the coordination number of O atom around Ti atom is about 4, and the O atoms around Ti atom form a planer square rather than a regular tetrahedron.     

Syntheses and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline CuCr2Se4

Nanocrystalline powder of ferromagnetic spinel CuCr₂Se₄ is synthesized with an average particle size of about 20–50 nm. The nano-powder is characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. The Curie temperature of the nanocrystals exceeds the value obtained for usual bulk polycrystalline spinel sample. Exposure of the samples by laser radiation at wavelength of 1.5 μm under an external field leads to an increase in magnetization, that is caused by photo and thermo stimulated remagnetization of monodomain nanocrystals.     

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of some Mn2Sb-based alloys

The results of the investigation of structural and magnetic properties of the Mn₂(Ni)Sb, Mn₂(Cr,Cu)Sb Mn₂(Ti,Zn)Sb alloys are reported. The solubility limits of the elements substituting Mn in the Mn₂Sb matrix, keeping the crystal structure of the Cu₂Sb(C38)-type, are established and the lattice parameters temperatures of magnetic phase transitions, specific magnetization of the materials are determined. The influence of thermal treatment and thermal cycling on the magnetic properties of the alloys, which is interpreted by the quantitative redistribution, depending on temperature, of the amount of the main δ-phase (C38) in the samples, with the phase composition changing, and that of an additional nickel-arsenide ϵ-phase has been found.     

Structural and optical properties of TiO2:SnO2 thin films prepared by sol gel method

ABSTRACT

TiO₂:SnO₂ thin films were deposited on glass substrates, by using sol gel spin coating method with different ratio (3%, 5% and 7%) at 3200 rpm, to study their effect on different properties of TiO₂: SnO₂ thin films. The structural and optical properties of films have studied for different ratio. These deposited films have been characterized by various methods such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultra Visible spectroscopy. The (XRD) can be used to identify crystal structure of as deposited films. The Transmission spectra have shown the transparent and opaque parts in the visible and UV wavelengths.     

Role of oxygen in structural properties of annealed CuAlO2 films

CuAlO₂ films were sputtered on quartz substrates at different oxygen partial pressures (OPP) and carried out the annealing at 900 °C for 5 h in N₂ ambient. The structural properties of these films have been studied in detail by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Annealed CuAlO₂ films are grown along the (0 0 1) preferential orientation. The film deposited at 20% OPP demonstrates the excellent crystalline behavior and the smallest electrical resistivity (41.8 Ω cm). At higher OPP, the crystalline behavior begins to degenerate up to the amorphous state at 60% OPP, and some micro-caves presented in the film surface become larger and deeper with the increase in OPP. We believe that the negative thermal expansion behavior associated with excess oxygen atoms is the primary responsibility for the change in structural properties.     

Electrical and magnetotransport properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/TiO2 composites

The composite samples with nominal compositions of (1‐x) La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ + x TiO₂ (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) were synthesized via solid state reaction process. The X‐ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy observations reveal no reaction between La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) and TiO₂ phases. Temperature dependence resistivity measurements show that TiO₂ phase shifts the metal‐insulator transition temperature (T_p) towards lower temperature and increases the resistivity. Moreover, the magnetization of the composite samples decreases with TiO₂ content. An enhancement in magnetoresistance is observed in the composite samples with x = 0.05 and x = 0.10 at low magnetic fields, which is encouraging for potential application of magnetoresistive materials at low field. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spray pyrolysis deposition of undoped SnO2 and In2O3 films and their structural properties

In this paper the results of structural analysis of the SnO₂ and In₂O₃ films deposited by spray pyrolysis are presented. The main goals of this analysis are summarizing the results obtained in this field, highlighting a correlation between parameters of film deposition and the material structure and formulating some general regularities, typical for metal oxides. Peculiarities and mechanisms of pyrosol deposition as well as advantages and disadvantages of this technology for deposition of the films with required parameters were also discussed. It is shown that this technology has great potential for controlling structural parameters of metal oxides such as thickness, the grain size, texturing, roughness, the grain faceting and the porosity.     

Cu替位与空位及Cu、S共掺SnO2的光磁性质研究

运用第一性原理,基于密度泛函理论,计算了Cu分别以替位和空位两种方式掺杂SnO2的电子结构和光电特性,并对两种掺杂方式做了一定的比较研究;磁性方面,主要研究了Cu、S共掺SnO2后的磁学性能.计算表明,两种方式掺杂,都使SnO2具有半金属特性,Cu原子将与周围的O原子发生强烈的交换作用,Cu原子对态密度的贡献主要在费米能级附近.相比之下,空位掺杂后的晶胞体积略大于替位掺杂后的SnO2,对光的能量损耗也比替位掺杂的低.对于Cu、S共掺的体系,计算表明:每个Cu原子的掺入将产生0.46μB的磁矩,而一个S原子将引入0.36μB的磁矩,Cu原子周围的O原子也对磁矩有一定的贡献.经过分析,发现体系的磁性来源主要是Cu-3d和S-3p,以及Cu-3 d与O-2 p间的强烈耦合作用.     

硅铝共掺杂对TiO2薄膜结构及性能的影响

采用非水解溶胶-凝胶法制备了Si、Al共掺杂的TiO2薄膜.应用X射线衍射、紫外可见分光光度计研究了Si、Al掺杂对TiO2薄膜晶型转变、晶粒尺寸、光吸收性能及光催化性能的影响.结果表明:适量引入Si、Al后,可显著提高1000℃热处理后TiO2薄膜的光催化活性;当Si/Ti物质的量比为0.2时,薄膜由于混晶结构光催化活性最佳;Si、Al共掺杂能抑制TiO2的晶型转变及TiO2的晶粒生长,且Si、Al共掺杂的抑制作用比单一Si掺杂更有效;当Si/Ti物质的量比为0.15、Al/Ti物质的量比为0.05时,TiO2锐钛矿向金红石的转变温度从750℃提高到1200℃.     

Evolution of the structural and optical properties from cobalt cordierite glass to glass-ceramic based on spinel crystalline phase materials

Co²⁺-containing cordierite stoichiometric glasses have been prepared by melting colloidal gel precursors. After controlled thermal processing in the range of temperatures between 900 and 1300 °C different polycrystalline, almost single phase materials displaying μ-, α-, and β-cordierite crystalline forms were synthesized. In addition, spinel glass-ceramic materials were also prepared from the base glasses. All these materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Room temperature (RT) absorption and emission spectra of Co²⁺– cordierites and – spinel-glass material have allowed determining the local environment of the Co²⁺ in the crystalline structure of final materials. Results indicated that whereas in parent glasses and in the μ-cordierite forms there are a large fraction of Co²⁺ in octahedral coordination, in the low (β-) and high (α-) temperature crystalline forms the proportion of Co²⁺ in tetrahedral coordination increased. The final CoAl₂O₄-glass composite showed absorption and emission spectra very similar to the sol–gel CoAl₂O₄ spinel, both displaying pure Co²⁺ tetrahedral coordination.     

Alteration of the optical properties of poly 9,9′-dioctylfluorene by TiO2 nanocrystalline

A poly 9,9′-dioctylfluorene (PFO)/TiO₂ composite was successfully prepared by adsorbing the polymer on the surface of a TiO₂ nanocrystalline film. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the obtained nanocomposite film showed 28 nm of red-shift, compared to that of the bulk polymer film. The maximum of the PL emission peaks of the pure bulk polymer occurred at 442 nm, while the maximal emission for the nanocomposite film appeared at 470 nm. The interaction between the conjugated polymer chains and the nanopores of the TiO₂ film played a key role in the resulting red-shift.