Mean thickness measurement of distributed fine particles by using alpha-ray absorption curves (author's transl)

The mean superficial density of fine particles, such as polystyrene latex particles or ion exchange resin particles, dispersed on a thin supporting film was measured by means of the thickness gauge which used the absorption curves of alpha-rays. The measured absorption curves coincided with the ones calculated from the particle diameter, density, number of particles per unit area and equivalent film thickness to an absorption gas of 1 mmHg. On the other hand, when the particle diameter exceeded a certain limit, the measured mean superficial density which was derived from the pressure displacement of absorption curve considerably differed from the true mean superficial density. This limit can be calculated from the shape of absorption curve, which depends on the alpha-ray spectrum emitted from the source. In the case of the 241Am source used in this study, the limit was about 450 microgram/cm2 for polystyrene latex particles. The mean superficial density of a sample can easily be obtained by measuring the pressure displacement of absorption curve when the maximum thickness difference is below the limit. However, when the maximum thickness difference exceeds the limit, it is necessary to estimate the whole shape of absorption curves.     

Theory of slope-dependent disjoining pressure with application to Lennard-Jones liquid films

A liquid film of thickness h<100 nm is subject to additional intermolecular forces, which are collectively called disjoining pressure Pi. Since Pi dominates at small film thicknesses, it determines the stability and wettability of thin films. Current theory derived for uniform films gives Pi=Pi(h). This solution has been applied recently to non-uniform films and becomes unbounded near a contact line as h-->0. Consequently, many different effects have been considered to eliminate or circumvent this singularity. We present a mean-field theory of Pi that depends on the slope h(x) as well as the height h of the film. When this theory is implemented for Lennard-Jones liquid films, the new Pi=Pi(h,h(x)) is bounded near a contact line as h-->0. Thus, the singularity in Pi(h) is artificial because it results from extending a theory beyond its range of validity. We also show that the new Pi can capture all three regimes of drop behavior (complete wetting, partial wetting, and pseudo-partial wetting) without altering the signs of the long and short-range interactions. We find that a drop with a precursor film is linearly stable.     

Theoretical analysis of gold-deposited optical fiber sensor and characterization of the gold film.

Gold-deposited optical fiber sensors with film thicknesses from 30 to 60 nm were prepared, and the responses to a wide range of a refractivity (1.33-1.54 refractive index (RI) units) were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The response curve of the sensor has two minima in the refractivity range from 1.33 to 1.44 and at 1.462 RI units. The former minimum is due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in the thin gold film, and shifts to a lower refractivity as the film becomes thicker. The response curves of the sensors with film thicknesses of 45 and 60 nm agreed well with those calculated from SPR theoretical equations. Morphology observations of the surfaces of deposited gold films on glass by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a variation in resistance of the films with various thicknesses show the structure of the gold films. We concluded that the thin deposited gold films have many defects, and that the core of the gold-deposited optical fiber leaks light through the defects to the sample solution with the same refractivity (1.462 RI units) as that of the core.     

Diffusion in glassy polymers. IV. Diffusion of methyl ethyl ketone in atactic polystyrene above the critical concentration

Integral absorption and desorption of methyl ethyl ketone in atactic polystyrene were studied as functions of film thickness at 25 and 45°C. with concentrations above the critical concentration of the system. In all cases investigated, the reduced absorption and desorption curves for films of different thicknesses did not give a single curve, though the individual absorption and desorption curves appeared to have the shape expected from the Fickian diffusion mechanism. The initial slopes of the reduced curves increased with increasing film thickness for both absorption and desorption. The quantity R₀, the value of the reciprocal of the half-time for absorption or desorption extrapolated to zero concentration increment, provides a measure of absorption rate at a given initial concentration. The dependence of R₀, on film thickness was almost unaltered in the concentration region concerned at both temperatures. The values of the mutual diffusion coefficient D of the system were calculated by assuming absorption and desorption processes for hypothetical film of infinite thickness to be controlled by the purely Fickian mechanism. The values of D evaluated by this method agreed quite well with those deduced by Kishimoto from steady-state permeation measurements.     

On the optimization of the shell thickness of superficially porous particles

The thickness of the porous shells of superficially porous particles influences the separation power of columns packed with these packing materials. Models of the mass transfer kinetics across porous adsorbents permit the prediction of the HETP curves of columns packed with particles having shells of different thicknesses, for molecules of different sizes. Decreasing the thickness of the porous layer potentially results in lower values of the “C-term” of the HETP curve and of the minimum of these curves. The Poppe plots calculated under isocratic and gradient conditions show that the separation power of columns packed with superficially porous particles increases significantly with decreasing thickness of the porous layer but this increase is more important for larger than for smaller molecules. The resolution between pairs of compounds increases at constant values of their retention factors when the strength of the eluent must be reduced to compensate for the decrease of their retention that is caused by the reduction of the surface area of the stationary phase. Thus, the separation power of columns packed with superficially porous particles increases with decreasing shell thickness. In contrast, if analysts do not compensate for the retention decrease, the resolution between small molecular weight compounds becomes worse with thin than with thick superficially porous particles. Finally, the importance of using instruments providing low extra-column band broadening contributions is stressed.     

Forming extremely smooth ZnO thin film on silicon substrates for growth of large and well-aligned ZnO rods with the hydrothermal method

Sol–gel zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films generally have non-uniform stripes. After annealing at high temperatures, these thin films are rough and granular. When ZnO rods are grown on such rough and non-uniform surface with the hydrothermal method, collimation, crystalline structure, and defect density are very poor. Here we explore a method to solve this problem. The ZnO thin film is first coated with an Au layer to prohibit the vertical extension of crystallization during the annealing period. As a result, the surface morphology of ZnO thin film is very flat and uniform after annealing. Afterwards, the ZnO rods are grown on the flat and uniform thin film, which gives rise to ZnO rods with very good collimation and crystalline structure. The extremely flat ZnO thin film even enables the fabrication of patterned ZnO rod arrays with regular shapes through lithography.     

Moisture absorption and absorption kinetics in polyelectrolyte films: influence of film thickness

Specular X-ray reflectivity (XR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements were used to determine the absorption of water into thin poly(4-ammonium styrenesulfonic acid) films from saturated vapor at 25 degrees C. The effect of film thickness on the absorption kinetics and overall absorption was investigated in the range of thickness from (3 to 200) nm. The equilibrium swelling of all the films irrespective of film thickness was (0.57+/-0.03) volume fraction. Although the equilibrium absorption is independent ofthickness, the absorption rate substantially decreases for film thickness < 100 nm. For the thinnest film (3 nm), there is a 5 orders of magnitude decrease in the diffusion coefficient for water.     

Ag-PVA和Ag-PVA/TiO2复合超薄膜的制备及性能研究

用3种方法制备了银纳米粒子-聚乙烯醇复合体系,其中用加热还原法所得体系中Ag纳米粒子的尺寸较大(15nm),其表面等离子体共振吸收峰较宽,最大吸收波长位于420nm;用室温硼氢化钠还原法得到的复合体系的吸收峰蓝移至409nm,且峰形较窄,Ag纳米粒子的平均粒径为8.7nm;低温NaBH4还原法所得体系吸收峰进一步蓝移至397nm,此时Ag纳米粒子粒径最小(3.5nm).将室温还原法所得Ag-PVA复合体系旋涂成膜,所得薄膜光滑、透明、均匀性好,该法适用于制备多层薄膜,以调控薄膜的厚度和光谱性质.将Ag-PVA复合体系与钛酸四丁酯(Ti(O_nBu)₄)的乙醇溶液交替旋涂得到Ag-PVA/TiO₂有机/无机复合薄膜.紫外-可见吸收光谱研究表明,随着Ag-PVA层数的增加,薄膜的表面等离子体共振吸收强度呈线性增加,但是TiO₂层数的增加对吸收光谱没有明显影响.Ag-PVA/TiO₂有机/无机复合薄膜将金属纳米粒子、有机高分子与无机半导体材料结合在一起,这种多层纳米结构在光电、催化功能薄膜等方面具有潜在的应用前景.     

Stable drop shapes under disjoining pressure. II. Multiplicity and stability

The stability of the contact line region as affected by the disjoining pressure has been analyzed by solving the augmented Young-Laplace equation. Because of the results in Part I (Zhang, X., Neogi, P., and Ybarra, R. M., J. Colloid Interface Sci.), we have concentrated on obtaining multiple solutions for the same set of conditions. As many as five solutions were obtained: drops that end in a thin film with uniform thickness and where the film shape oscillates, drops that end with microscopic contact angles, as well as uniform thin films of two different thicknesses. The results of linear stability analysis were used to show that most cases were unstable to infinitesimal disturbances. Only two stable drop shapes for the particular disjoining pressure investigated are stable, a thin film of constant thickness and a thin drop that ends in a film of same thickness. Both multiplicity and stability have been discussed here for the first time and shed considerable light on the role of the attractive and repulsive forces.     

Determination of lead concentration and film thickness in electroluminescent calcium sulfide thin films by X-ray fluorescence

Summary For the analysis of electroluminescent thin films, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) provides a convenient method as both the concentration of the dopant and the film thickness can be determined rapidly and non-destructively. An XRF method for the determination of thickness and lead concentration in lead doped calcium sulfide thin films was developed. Calibration standards made of polyvinyl alcohol and gelatin as well as filter paper standards were used. In addition, the applicability of a fundamental parameter program UniQuant was investigated. For comparison, the concentrations of lead and calcium were determined after dissolution by atomic absorption spectrometry. Generally, the correlation between the different methods excluding the use of filter paper standards was satisfactory. When the dopant concentration was very low or very high, however, the fundamental parameter program yielded best results. Determination of thicknesses by XRF was made by comparing the sulfur K intensities of the sample and those of a zinc sulfide standard. A correction factor for molar masses and densities was applied. The thicknesses obtained were compared to those measured with a profilometer after etching and the deviations were found to be less than 10%.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Phase diagrams of nonionic foam films: construction by means of disjoining pressure versus thickness curves

The thickness h of foam films can be measured as a function of the disjoining pressure Pi using a thin film pressure balance. Experimental Pi-h curves of foam films stabilized with nonionic surfactants measured at various concentrations resemble the p-V(m) isotherms of real gases measured at various temperatures (p is the pressure and V(m) is the molar volume of the gas). This observation led us to adopt the van der Waals approach for describing real gases to thin foam films, where the thickness h takes the role of V(m) and the disjoining pressure Pi replaces the ordinary pressure p. Our analysis results in a phase diagram for a thin foam film with spinodal, binodal as well as a critical point. The thicker common black film corresponds to the gas phase and the compact Newton black film for which the two surfaces are in direct contact corresponds to the dense liquid. We show that the tuning parameter for the phase behavior of the film is the surface charge density, which means that Pi-h curves should not be referred to as isotherms. In addition to the equilibrium properties the driving force for the phase transition from a common black film to a Newton black film or vice versa is calculated. We discuss how this transition can be controlled experimentally.     

Observation of surface contamination layer by X‐ray reflectometry (XRR) analyses

Ultra‐thin HfO₂ films of 3.5, 5.0, and 8.0 nm nominal thicknesses were prepared, respectively, on silicon substrates by using atomic layer deposition method. Through the analyses of X‐ray reflectometry (XRR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy for HfO₂ films with and without sample cleaning, the effects of surface contamination on XRR curve and film thickness were investigated, and contamination layer was observed and the thickness of the layer was determined. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the amount of surface contamination varied considerably because of the surface cleaning. XRR curve shapes and the positions of thickness fringes changed and the thickness from Fourier analyses of the curves were different for the same sample due to the different surface contamination. Contamination layer of about 1 nm thickness was observed by Fourier analysis of XRR curve. Simulation for XRR curve showed the best fit to data when contamination layer of about 1 nm thickness was considered, and the result was consistent with that of the Fourier analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scanning angle Raman spectroscopy measurements of thin polymer films for thickness and composition analyses

Scanning angle (SA) Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the thickness and composition of polystyrene films. A sapphire prism was optically coupled to a sapphire substrate on which 6–12% (w/v) polystyrene in toluene was spin coated. Raman spectra were collected as the incident angle of the p-polarized, 785-nm excitation laser was varied from 56 to 70°. These angles span above and below the critical angle for a sapphire/polystyrene interface. The thickness of the polystyrene film was determined using a calibration curve constructed by calculating the integrated optical energy density distribution as a function of incident angle, distance from the prism interface and polymer thickness. The calculations were used to determine the incident angle where waveguide modes are excited within the polymer film, which is the angle with the highest integrated optical energy density. The film thicknesses measured by SA Raman spectroscopy ranged from less than 400 nm to 1.8 μm. The average percent uncertainty in the SA Raman determinations for all films was 4%, and the measurements agreed with those obtained from optical interferometery within the experimental uncertainty for all but two films. For the 1270-nm and 580-nm polystyrene films, the SA Raman measurements overestimated the film thickness by 5 and 18%, respectively. The dependence of the calibration curve on excitation polarization and composition of the polymer and bulk layers was evaluated. This preliminary investigation demonstrates that scanning angle Raman spectroscopy is a versatile method applicable whenever the chemical composition and thickness of interfacial polymer layers needs to be measured.     

旋涂水溶液前驱体制备氧化锌薄膜及其性质

通过旋涂法, 采用Zn(OAc)2·2H2O和聚环氧乙烷(PEO)的水溶液为前驱体在不同的热处理温度下制备了ZnO薄膜. PEO的加入增加了溶液的成膜性, 其较低的热分解温度有利于制得纯净的ZnO薄膜. 文中考察了在不同热处理温度下制备的ZnO薄膜的形貌、结晶性、带隙(Eg)以及电导性. 原子力显微镜(AFM)测试表明在热处理温度为400、450和500 ℃制备的ZnO薄膜的粗糙度均方根值分别为3.3、2.7和3.6 nm. 采用透射电子显微镜(TEM)测试发现ZnO薄膜中含有大量纳晶粒子. 通过测试ZnO薄膜的UV-Vis吸收光谱, 根据薄膜位于373 nm处的吸收带边计算得到ZnO的带隙为3.3 eV. 通过对薄膜的电流-电压(I-V)曲线的测试计算得到在热处理温度为400、450和500 ℃制备的ZnO薄膜的电阻率分别为3.3×109、2.7×109和6.6×109 Ω·cm. 450 ℃时制备的ZnO薄膜的电阻率最小, 主要是由于较高的热处理温度有利于提高薄膜的纯度、密度和吸附氧. 而纯度较高、密度较大的薄膜电阻率比较小; 吸附氧含量增加, 晶界势垒增大, 电阻率增大. 因此在纯度和吸附氧的双重作用下450 ℃时制备的ZnO薄膜的电阻率最小, 而500 ℃时制备的ZnO薄膜的电阻率最大.     

Plasma Polymerization on Metals

An ellipsometric technique is described for accurately measuring the film thickness of plasma-polymerized polymers on metallic substrates. The index of refraction n and absorption index Kof the plasma polymer film can also be studied by ellipsometry. Films of plasma polystyrene and polyepichlorohydrin were deposited on evaporated aluminum substrates and their thickness and optical constants determined. Plasma polystyrene films from 20 to 1600 Å thick have optical constants n = 1.63 and K =0 independent of film thickness. Plasma polyepichlorohydrin films over the same range of thickness give n ? 1.70 and K? 0.01. By utilizing the ellipsometric method the effect of plasma polymer film thickness on surface energy properties was determined. Advancing contact angle measurements and surface energy analysis detail the polar γSV^P dispersion γSV^Pcontributions to the solid-vapor surface tension γSV = γSV^d + γSV^P Polystyrene and polyepichlorohydrin films on etched aluminum. For thin plasma polystyrene films (600 Å), anomalies in the calculated surface energy are discussed and related to possible surface nonuniformity caused by film growth. Thicker films of plasma polystyrene are shown to have normal surface energy properties as does plasma poly-epichlorohydrin over the entire range of film thickness measured. The adhesive and cohesive properties of plasma polystyrene and polyepichlorohydrin films are discussed as estimated from a lap-shear bond strength study. Etched aluminum coated with various thicknesses of these two polymers and bonded with an epoxy-phenolic adhesive shows a decreasing shear strength with increasing plasma film thickness but begins to level off at ～1600 psi for films >1600 Å thick.     

Calculations of van der Waals forces in thin liquid films using Lifshitz' theory

For the study of thin, free liquid films (soap films) van der Waals dispersion forces were calculated from Lifshitz' theory for some three-layer models with film thicknesses between 5 and 150 nm. The complete expression as given by [2.] was used to calculate the force, the energy, and the second derivative of the energy after the thickness, as a function of film thickness. The second derivative of the energy after the thickness is needed in light scattering of soap films. The calculations are based on the dielectric data of [14.]. Some effects of the hydrocarbon layers on and electrolyte in the aqueous layer are considered. In order to make the results readily usable, the calculations are presented in the form of accurate empirical equations.     

TiO2光催化薄膜在陶瓷器具上抗菌效果的研究

抗菌薄膜;TiO2光催化薄膜在陶瓷器具上抗菌效果的研究     

A molecular dynamics study of nanoindentation on a methyl methacrylate ultrathin film on a Au(111) substrate: interface and thickness effects

The molecular dynamics simulation model of nanoindentation is proposed in order to study the mechanical and structural deformation properties of an ultrathin MMA (methyl methacrylate) film on a Au(111) surface. First, the significant differences in the structural arrangement of MMA thin films with different thicknesses are observed. Two layers are apparent in the thinnest MMA thin film next to the Au(111) surface, while three layer structures are apparent in the thicker film. Second, this study examines the indentation tip that penetrates the MMA thin film into the Au(111) substrate in order to understand the influence of the interface on the properties and deformation behavior in both the thin film and substrate. The result shows that the indentation force is influenced both by the layer structure and by the thickness of the MMA film. The thinnest case exhibits different deformation behavior from that of the thicker cases. In addition, the deformation of MMA molecules becomes significant at the interface between the MMA film and the Au(111) surface with the increase of film thickness, and detailed deformation behavior of the Au surface for different thicknesses of MMA film is reported in this paper. Finally, both the rigid and the active models for the indentation tip are utilized in the simulation to examine the interaction differences between the tip and the film and the deformation mechanism.     

Differential permeation and absorption of water vapor in polyacrylamide film

An investigation has been made of successive differential absorption and differential permeation of water vapor in polyacrylamide a t 30°C. The successive differential ab sorptions showed two types of non-Fickian anomalies: sigmoid type and two-stage type curves. The experimental data have been analyzed in terms of the Fick diffusion equation assuming a time-dependent approach of the surface concentration. The calculated family of absorption curves agreed with the experimental results. The permeation curves in the region of high and low pressure increments were apparently normal, but at medium pressures they showed anomalous behavior. It was found that in the differential type of permeation experiment the stress effect induced by a concentration gradient between the surfaces of the film was eliminated. By assuming the time-dependent approach of the equilibrium surface concentration, we calculated the time lag as a function of film thickness and applied the theory to the data for permeation through polyacrylamide film with different film thicknesses a t relatively small pressure intervals. The rate parameter calculated from permeation data was found to be in good agreement with that from successive differential absorption data.     

Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Films with Different Thicknesses Grown on Sapphire by MOCVD

IntroductionZnOis one of the most promising materials for pro-ducing ultraviolet laser at room temperature because ofits wide direct band gap(Eg=3.37eV)and large ex-citonic binding energy of60meV.Recently,much at-tention has been paid to short-wavelength …