Physical and electrical investigations of conducting polymer films produced by Ar+ irradiation of HPR-204

Abstract

Ar⁺ beams of 1.5 MeV energy have been used to produce highly conducting films from the previously insulating photoresist HPR-204. Typical recuctions are from 10¹² Ωcm to 10^?2 Ωcm. When utilising a beam of an inert gas such as Ar, the choice of beam energy coupled with film thickness is critical because a significant amount of Ar is stopped in the polymer film and agglomerates causing blistering and peeling of the film, confirmed by micrographic evidence and measurement of film thickness which indicate competition between component loss and gas incorporation processes. This also causes the films to be very sensitive to subsequent temperature treatment.

Resistivity and excess electrical noise measurements indicate fundamental changes in the conduction mechanism as dose increases, but attempts to measure carrier concentrations and mobilities have proved unsuccessful. There is evidence, both from resistivity and excess noise measurements that the films are sensitive to aging effects.     

Critical angles and minimum yields for planar channeling

Abstract

Local regions on the surface of a sample of ZnO: Zn phosphor powder were deteriorated by low energy heavy ions to a depth of a few hundred Angstrom units. These regions behave as ‘thin films’ in which a negligible small amount of light is produced when an energetic projectile passes through it. The sample was then scanned across energetic ion beams. The scintillation response diminished when the beam impinged onto a film. The decrease, ΔL, in light intensity is the amount of light produced in a phosphor region whose thickness is equivalent to the film thickness. For ¹H and ⁴He the luminescent efficiency, ΔL/ΔE (the ratio of the light produced to the observed energy loss), is approximately independent of energy indicating that the scintillation response depends primarily on the inelastic projectile-electron collisions rather than the elastic projectile target atom encounters.

At a given velocity, a plot of ΔL versus the atomic number of the projectile exhibits oscillatory structure for which a tentative explanation is suggested.     

Approaching the dry limit in foam

The approach to the dry limit of a foam is analysed within the model of constant surface tension and negligible film thickness. Higher-order corrections to the commonly assumed asymptotic forms of energy and shear elastic modulus are identified. These are discussed in terms of an approximate model in which the effect of finite liquid fraction is represented by a negative line tension associated with Plateau borders. In implementing this numerically, care has to be taken to eliminate unstable short-wavelength modes of deformation.     

Oxidation behavior with quantum dots formation from amorphous GaAs thin films

ABSTRACT

We investigated the oxidation behaviour of an amorphous GaAs thin film deposited onto a micro/nanotextured Si surface by an electron beam. After the deposited film was exposed to air, microcrystallites were formed with octahedral cubic and monoclinic structures of arsenic oxides. Short time exposure after thin film deposition showed the formation of cubic arsenolite while long time exposure showed the formation of monoclinic claudetites as well as cubic arsenolites. These oxide microcrystallites at the GaAs thin film surface disappeared after the sample annealing process. However, the amorphous GaAs thin film included high-density GaAs nanodots. From UV and inverse photoemission spectroscopies, the thin film showed n-type band structure with an energy gap of 2.73?eV. Photoluminescence measurement showed an emission peak at (450–513)?nm with the energy of (2.41–2.75)?eV corresponding to dot size of (4.1–4.5)?nm.     

Time-of-flight studies of emission of μt from frozen hydrogen films

In recent TRIUMF experiments, a μ^- beam is stopped in a solid hydrogen film with a small fraction of T₂. The Ramsauer-Townsend (RT) mechanism allows μt to escape into vacuum with a few eV of energy. To study the emission process, an imaging system was used to determine the position of muon decays. Experimental histograms are in good agreement with a Monte Carlo simulation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kinetic energy spectrum and polarization of neutrons from the reaction 12C(p,n)X at 590 MeV

Abstact: The kinetic energy spectrum and the polarization of the PSI neutron beam produced in the reaction ¹²C(p,n)X at 0° with 590 MeV polarized protons were investigated. A strong energy dependence of the neutron beam polarization is observed which was not expected at the time the neutron beam was built. Received: 3 April 1998     

Emission of positronium in a nanometric PMMA film

Positron beam experiments have been performed for the first time on a self-supporting polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA) film of 310 nm-thick made by spin coating. The positronium (Ps) emission from the PMMA surface is studied as a function of the positron implantation energy by using Doppler profile spectroscopy and Compton-to-peak ratio analysis. When the sample and the Ge-detector are perpendicular to the positron beam, the emission of para-positronium (p-Ps) is detected as a narrow central peak. By rotating the sample 45° with respect to the beam, the emission of p-Ps is detected as a blue-shifted fly-away peak. The bulk Ps fraction, the efficiency for the emission of Ps by picking up an electron from the surface, and the diffusion lengths of positrons (thermal and or epithermal), p-Ps and ortho-positronium (o-Ps) are obtained.     

Diffraction of picosecond bulk longitudinal and shear waves in micron thick films

Investigation of thin metallic film properties by means of picosecond ultrasonics [C. Thomsen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 989 (1984)] has been under the scope of several studies. Generation of longitudinal and shear waves [T. Pézeril et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 132301 (2006); O. Matsuda et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 095501 (2004)] with a wave vector normal to the film free surface has been demonstrated. Such measurements cannot provide complete information about properties of anisotropic films. Extreme focusing of a laser pump beam (≈0.5 μm) on the sample surface has recently allowed us to provide evidence of picosecond acoustic diffraction in thin metallic films (≈1 μm) [C. Rossignol et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 166106 (2005)]. The resulting longitudinal and shear wavefronts propagate at group velocity through the bulk of the film. To interpret the received signals, source directivity diagrams are calculated taking into account material anisotropy, optical penetration, and laser beam width on the sample surface. It is shown that acoustic diffraction increases with optical penetration, so competing with the increasing of directivity caused by beam width. Reflection with mode conversion at the film-substrate interface is discussed.     

Periodic arrays of submicron Si and Ni dots on SiO2 fabricated using linearly polarized Nd:YAG pulsed laser

Periodic arrays of submicron Si and Ni dots were fabricated by only irradiating a linearly polarized Nd:YAG pulsed laser beam to Si and Ni thin films deposited on silicon dioxide (SiO₂) film. The interference between an incident beam and a scattered surface wave leads to the spatial periodicity of beam energy density distribution on the surface of the irradiated samples. A thin film was melted using a laser beam, and the molten film was split and condensed owing to its surface tensile according to the periodic energy density distribution. Then, the fine lines (line and space structure) were formed periodically. After the formation of fine lines, the sample was rotated by 90°, and the laser beam was irradiated. The periodic energy density distribution was generated on the fine lines, and the lines were split and condensed. Eventually, the periodically aligned submicron dots were fabricated on the SiO₂ film. PACS 79.20.Ds; 42.62.-b; 81.40.-z     

Search for a channelling effect in single crystal beam foil spectroscopy

Abstract

Light emission from a 60 keV He⁺ beam excited by an 80Å thick single crystal gold film has been measured. The line intensity was monitored as function of crystal orientation (parallel and near to the ?100? string). To avoid the influences of forward scattering a special experimental arrangement was devised. The results demonstrate that there is little, if any, effect of channelling in single crystal beam foil spectroscopy.     

Applications of molecular dynamics methods to low energy ion beams and film deposition processes

Abstract

Molecular dynamics methods are used to model the impingement of low energy ions onto crystalline targets, and the effects of these beams on thin film deposition. Simulations of the deposition of silicon films show that the structure of deposits can often be improved by the use of low energy ion beams instead of the conventional thermal beam. We examine the influence of beam energy on the formation of amorphous or crystalline deposits. The influence of ion beams on surface diffusion rates and the interdiffusion between atomic layers near the surface are also considered. Cluster deposition is treated, and the results suggest that cluster beams would be effective for depositing smooth films of materials that do not wet the substrate. We discuss the use of special purpose computers and signal processing boards to extend the time scales of molecular dynamics simulations. Rapid advances in computer hardware, algorithms, and the development of accurate interatomic potentials are dramatically increasing the power of these simulations.     

Angular dispersive diffraction using a diamond-anvil pressure cell and synchrotron X-ray source

Abstract

Wavelength dispersive diffraction studies have been performed using a diamond-anvil pressure cell and bending magnet synchrotron produced radiation. A double-crystal monochromator was used to select 15 and 17 keV photons and a 80 μm diameter collimator was used to restrict the beam entering the pressure cavity. Parallelism between the incident beam and the collimator axis was assisted by computer control of the collimator. The image of the transmitted beam was observed using a Hamamatsu x-ray Vidicon and TV monitor, for this alignment. The diffracted beam was recorded on x-ray film using a double film cassette and exposure times ranged from 6 to 8 hours. Neither the exposure time nor the line width of the diffraction lines was significantly altered by replacement of the incident beam collimator with a slit system.     

Electron irradiation induced reduction of magnesium chloride thin films deposited on gold: XPS and ISS study

The ion and electron beam stimulated desorption from MgCl₂ ultra-thin films is reported. The films are prepared by gas phase deposition of MgCl₂ on a polycrystalline Au foil in ultra-high vacuum conditions. The MgCl₂ film, held at 330 K, is uniformly bombarded with Ar-ions or electrons of 1 keV of energy. The chemical composition of the film is monitored by XPS and ISS. The ionic film surface is terminated by Cl atoms, as shown by ISS. The ion bombardment sputters the MgCl₂ film, without changing the chemical composition of the film surface. In contrast, the electron beam damages markedly the film, with the reduction of Mg²⁺ to the metallic state. Only 10% of the original Cl is left in the film after 30 min of electron bombardment. The ISS analysis shows that Mg atoms appear on the film surface after electron irradiation.     

Molecular dynamical simulations on a-C:H film growth from atomic flux of C and H: Effect of H fraction

Molecular dynamical simulations are carried out to studying the hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) film growth from C and H atoms. The effects of the H fraction in source atoms and incident energy on the film formation are investigated. Our simulations show that almost all the H atoms incorporating into the films bond to carbon and the amount of H₂ molecules is very slight. Increasing the H fraction in source atoms raises the sp³-C fraction, leads to a linear increase of H concentration in film, but decreases the film growth rate. The influence of H fraction on the film growth mechanism is also discussed.     

Investigation of electron beam induced phase change in Si2Sb2Te5 material

The Si₂Sb₂Te₅ phase change material for applications of chalcogenide random access memory was investigated. Electron irradiation induced crystallization in a nano-sized area was studied by means of in situ transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. Amorphous Si₂Sb₂Te₅ film changes to a polycrystalline state after electron beam exposure with sufficiently high energy and after a long time. Crystallization of the film strongly depends on the electron beam energy, current density, as well as exposure time. According to our study, the electron beam induced crystallization is a displacement damage dominant process. PACS 64.60.Cn; 71.55.Jv; 78.66.Jg; 68.37.Lp; 85.40.-e     

Q-Switched Thulium-Doped Fiber Laser with Pure Titanium-Film-Based Saturable Absorber

ABSTRACT

We demonstrate the generation of Q-switching pulse train in thulium-doped fiber laser (TDFL) cavity by employing titanium-based saturable absorber (Ti-SA). The Ti-SA was fabricated by depositing titanium particles molecules using electron beam evaporation on the surface of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film. Subsequently, stable Q-switched pulses were obtained within the 1,552 nm pump power range from 272.1 to 467 mW, with repetition rate tuned from 21.8 to 39.1 kHz. At the maximum pump power, the TDFL showed that the pulse duration of 2.22 μs and the maximum pulse energy of 124 nJ.     

同步辐射软X射线源用于软X射线探测元件定标

用于惯性约束聚变诊断的软Ｘ射线探测元器件的能量响应曲线定标，利用北京同步辐射装置（BSRF-3B1束线，束流为20—80mA，光子能量为250—1000eV,通量约为10¹²photon/s·mm²·mr²·0.1%band width）及反射率计靶室，采用AXUV-100硅光二极管作源强绝对监测．对X射线二极管（XRD）及金刚石光电导探测器等五种探测元件进行能量响应曲线定标，获得初步实验结果，并对数据进行了分析 关键词：     

Thermal conductive performance of deposited amorphous carbon materials by molecular dynamics simulation

A series of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with different microstructure were prepared by depositing carbon atoms on diamond surface with incident energy ranging from 1 to 100 eV. The thermal conductivity of the deposited films and the Kapitza resistance between the film and the diamond substrate were investigated. Results show that the average density, the average fraction of sp³ bonding and the thermal conductivity of the DLC films increase first, reaching a maximum around 20–40 eV before decreasing, while the Kapitza resistance decreases gradually with increased deposition energy. The analysis suggests that the thermal resistance of the interface layer is in the order of 10^?10 m²K/W, which is not ignorable when measuring the thermal conductivity of the deposited film especially when the thickness of the DLC film is not large enough. The fraction of sp³ bonding in the DLC film decreases gradually normal to the diamond surface. However, the thermal conductivity of the film in normal direction is not affected obviously by this kind of structural variation but depends linearly on the average fraction of sp³ bonding in the entire film. The dependence of the thermal conductivity on the fraction of sp³ bonding was analysed by the phonon theory.     

Study on the orientation of silver films by ion-beam assisted deposition

Low energy ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was employed to prepare Ag films on Mo/Si (100) substrate. It was found that Ag films deposited by sputtering method without ion beam bombardment were preferred (111) orientation. When the depositing film was simultaneously bombardment by Ar⁺ beam perpendicular to the film surface at ion/atom arrival ratio of 0.18, the prepared films exhibited weak (111) and (200) mixed orientations. When the direction of Ar⁺ beam was off-normal direction of the film surface, Ag films showed highly preferred (111) orientation. Monte Carlo method was used to calculate the sputtering yields of Ar⁺ ions at various incident and azimuth angles. The effects of channeling and surface free energy on the crystallographic orientation of Ag films were discussed.     

Efficiency of an electron-beam-pumped chemical laser with an SF6-H2 working mixture

Results are presented from a study of HF lasers pumped by non-chain chemical reactions initiated by a radially convergent and by a planar electron beam. The main channels of formation of vibrationally excited HF molecules are analyzed. The distribution of the energy density of the radiation in the output beam of a wide-aperture laser is measured. In 30 liters of a mixture of SF₆:H₂=8:1 at a pressure of 1.1 atm an output energy of ∼200 J is obtained at an ∼11% efficiency with respect to the energy deposition. It is shown that the admixture of a buffer gas of neon or argon improves the uniformity of the radiation energy distribution in the output beam of an HF laser pumped by a non-chain chemical reaction and initiated by an electron beam, and it also increases the output energy. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 76–81 (January 1999)