Structures of indium oxide nanobelts

Indium oxide nanobelts of growth directions of [100] type (majority) and [120] type (minor) have been found. The two types of nanobelts have the top and bottom surfaces being (001), while the [100] type nanobelts have side surfaces of (010) and a rectangular cross-section, and the [120] type nanobelts have a parallelogram cross-section. The nanobelts have a perfect crystal structure without the presence of line or planar defects.     

Light-induced antifungal activity of TiO2 nanoparticles/ZnO nanowires

Antifungal activity of TiO₂/ZnO nanostructures under visible light irradiation was investigated. A simple chemical method was used to synthesize ZnO nanowires. Zinc acetate dihydrate, Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone and deionized water were used as precursor, capping and solvent, respectively. TiO₂ nanoparticles were deposited on ZnO nanowires using an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition system. X-ray diffraction pattern of TiO₂/ZnO nano-composite has represented the diffraction peaks relating to the crystal planes of the TiO₂ (anatase and rutile) and ZnO. TiO₂/ZnO nanostructure antifungal effect on Candida albicans biofilms was studied and compared with the activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles and ZnO nanowires. The high efficiency photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles leads to increased antifungal activity of ZnO nanowires. Scanning electron microscope was utilized to study the morphology of the as prepared nanostructures and the degradation of the yeast.     

Effects of indium doping on the superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3Oy sintered compounds and thin films

We investigated the effects of indium doping on the superconducting properties of YBCO sintered samples and thin films. In₂O₃-doped YBCO and YBa₂Cu_3−xIn_xO_y sintered samples showed a gradual decrease in the critical temperature (T_c) with increasing indium content; however, a T_c value above 80 K was maintained even up to 30 vol.% addition and x = 0.4, respectively. Ba₃Cu₃In₄O₁₂ was detected by X-ray diffractometry and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as a reaction product for both sintered samples. The normalized J_c under a magnetic field of 0.1 T showed a maximum at x = 0.3. Indium-doped YBCO films prepared by pulsed laser deposition showed a similar dependence of T_c on indium content as the sintered samples.     

Synthesis and electrical properties of In2O3(ZnO)m superlattice nanobelt

One-dimensional（ID） In₂O₃（ZnO）_m superlattice nanobelts are synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method.The formation of the In₂O₃（ZnO）_m superlattice is verified by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images.The typical zigzag boundaries could be clearly observed.An additional peak at 614 cm^-1 is found in the Raman spectrum,which may correspond to the superlattice structure.The study about the electrical transport properties reveals that the In₂O₃（ZnO）_m nanobelts exhibit peculiar nonlinear I-V characteristics even under the Ohmic contact measurement condition,which are different from the Ohmic behaviors of the In-doped ZnO nanobelts.The photoelectrical measurements show the differences in the photocurrent property between them,and their transport mechanisms are also discussed.     

Synthesis and performance of core-shell structured ZnO/In2O3 composites in situ growth

Core-shell structured ZnO/In₂O₃ composites were successfully synthesized via situ growth method. Phase structure, morphology, microstructure and property of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TG-DTA, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). Results show that the core-shell structures consist of spindle-like ZnO with about 800 nm in length and 200 nm in diameter, and In₂O₃ particles with a diameter of 50 nm coated on the surface of ZnO uniformly. HMTA plays an important role in the formation of core-shell structures and the addition of In₂O₃ has a great effect on PL spectrum. Possible mechanism for the formation of core-shell structures is also proposed in this paper.     

Growth, morphology and optical properties of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum/zinc oxide hybrid nanowires

Hybrid tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum/zinc oxide (Alq₃/ZnO) nanowires were successfully grown from a one-step solution method at very low temperature. The transformation of amorphous Alq₃ into α-phase crystalline nanowires was achieved by incorporating a certain weight fraction of crystalline ZnO nanomaterials. A growth mechanism was proposed to validate the formation of crystalline Alq₃-ZnO hybrid nanowires with the help of nucleation initiated by the ZnO nanomaterials, followed by Alq₃ molecular aggregation. Effects of temperature on the evolution of morphologies of hybrid nanowires were examined by the field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of hybrid nanowires showed a significant threefold enhancement in PL intensity, along with a slight blue-shift emission, when compared to the pure Alq₃ molecules, which were attributed due to the incorporation of crystalline ZnO nanomaterials and also the shielding effect of ZnO nanomaterials to avoid the excimer formation between the Alq₃ molecules in the excited state.     

Structural-optical study of high-dielectric-constant oxide films

High-k polycrystalline Pr₂O₃ and amorphous LaAlO₃ oxide thin films deposited on Si(0 0 1) are studied. The microstructure is investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Optical properties are determined in the 0.75-6.5 eV photon energy range using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The polycrystalline Pr₂O₃ films have an optical gap of 3.86 eV and a dielectric constant of 16-26, which increases with film thickness. Similarly, very thin amorphous LaAlO₃ films have the optical gap of 5.8 eV, and a dielectric constant below 14 which also increases with film thickness. The lower dielectric constant compared to crystalline material is an intrinsic characteristic of amorphous films.     

Effects of RE2O3 (RE = Tm, Sc, Yb) addition on the superconducting properties of ErBa2Cu3Oy

We investigated the effects of added Tm₂O₃, Sc₂O₃, and Yb₂O₃ on the superconducting properties of sintered Er123 samples. Tm₂O₃ addition caused the least T_c degradation, exhibiting a T_c above 90 K even for 17 vol% addition. Samples with added Sc₂O₃ maintained a T_c at above 90 K up to an addition of 7.2 vol%, while Yb₂O₃-containing samples showed a monotonic decrease in T_c with increased vol% of added Yb₂O₃. Tm₂O₃-containing samples exhibited a slight increase in J_c(0.1 T)/J_c(0) and had constant J_c values even for 17 vol% addition. XRD and SEM results indicate that the Tm₂O₃ is very stable in the superconducting matrix.     

Optical and structural properties of Eu-diffused and doped ZnO nanowires

Single crystal ZnO nanowires diffused with europium (Eu) from a solid source at 900 °C for 1 h or doped with Eu during growth have been characterized. The ZnO nanowires were grown by chemical vapor deposition on Si substrates employing Au as a catalyst. The diameter of the resulting nanowires was 200 nm with a length of 1 μm. Photoluminescence spectra excited by a He–Cd laser at room temperature showed the green luminescence at 515 nm in Eu-diffused nanowires. A small red shift of near-band-edge emission of ZnO nanowires was observed in the diffused wires, but sharp emission from Eu³ ions was not present. Transmission electron microscopy shows crystalline Eu₂O₃ formation on the diffused nanowire surface, which forms a coaxial heterostructure system. When Eu was incorporated during the nanowire growth, the sharp ⁵D_O–⁷F₂ transition of the Eu³⁺ ion at around 615 nm was observed.     

Towards anode with low indium content as effective anode in organic solar cells

In₂O₃ thin films (100 nm thick) have been deposited by reactive evaporation of indium, in an oxygen partial atmosphere. Conductive (σ = 3.5 × 10³ S/cm) and transparent films are obtained using the following experimental conditions: oxygen partial pressure = 1 × 10⁻¹ Pa, substrate temperature = 300 °C and deposition rate = 0.02 nm/s. Layers of this In₂O₃ thick of 5 nm have been introduced in AZO/In₂O₃ and FTO/In₂O₃ multilayer anode structures. The performances of organic photovoltaic cells, based on the couple CuPc/C₆₀, are studied using the anode as parameter. In addition to these bilayers, other structures have been used as anode: AZO, FTO, AZO/In₂O₃/MoO₃, FTO/In₂O₃/MoO₃ and FTO/MoO₃. It is shown that the use of the In₂O₃ film in the bilayer structures improves significantly the cell performances. However the open circuit voltage is quite small while better efficiencies are achieved when MoO₃ is present. These results are discussed in the light of surface roughness and surface work function of the different anodes.     

Novel photoluminescence properties of InAlO3（ZnO）m superlattice nanowires

One-dimension InAlO 3 (ZnO) m superlattice nanowires were successfully synthesized via chemical vapor deposition.Transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that the nanowires have a periodic layered structure along the 0001 direction.The photoluminescence properties of InAlO 3 (ZnO) m superlattice nanowires are studied for the first time.The near-band-edge emissions exhibit an obvious red shift due to the formation of the localized tail states.The two peaks centered at 3.348 eV and 3.299 eV indicate a lever phenomenon at the low-temperature region.A new luminescence mechanism is proposed,combined with the special energy band structure of InAlO 3 (ZnO) m.     

Synthesis and characterization of Zn3P2/ZnS core/shell nanowires

Fully-surrounded Zn₃P₂/ZnS core/shell nanowires (NWs) were synthesized for the first time via a two-step method: a catalyst free chemical vapor deposition followed by a low-pressure vulcanization process. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and high-angle angular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphologies, crystal structure, and element composition of the core/shell NWs. The band structure analysis demonstrates that the Zn₃P₂/ZnS core-shell NW type-II heterostructures have bright potential in photovoltaic nanodevice applications. The core/shell NW growth method used here can be extended to other material system.     

Synthesis and characterization of vanadium nanoparticles on activated carbon and their catalytic activity in thiophene hydrodesulphurization

Vanadium nanoparticles (∼7 nm) stabilized on activated carbon were synthesized by the reduction of VCl₃·3THF with K[BEt₃H]. This material was characterized by inductive coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The catalytic performance of the carbon-supported vanadium was studied using thiophene hydrodesulfurization (HDS) as model reaction at 300 °C and P = 1 atm. The catalytic activity of the vanadium carbide phase on the activated carbon carrier was more significant than that of the reference catalysts, alumina supported NiMoS. The method proposed for the synthesis of such a catalyst led to an excellent performance of the HDS process.     

The effect of annealing on the room temperature ferromagnetism in co-sputtered In2O3: C thin films

In this paper, we report investigation of room temperature (RT) ferromagnetism in In₂O₃ (InO) thin films doped with carbon prepared by the co-sputtering method. InO thin films both undoped and C doped with varied thicknesses in the range of 45 to 80 nm were synthesized on Si substrates with varied C concentrations. The carbon concentration was varied from 1.6 to 9.3 at%. The undoped InO films showed no trace of ferromagnetism. Carbon doped films (InO:C) exhibited ferromagnetism at RT, which was of the orders of 10⁻⁵ emu and varied strongly with C concentrations. It is observed that the magnetization reached a maximum value of 5.7 emu/cm³ at 4 at% C. Annealing of the InO:C films in an oxygen environment resulted in a decrease in the magnetization, indicating the crucial role of oxygen vacancies in the films. It is concluded that the oxygen vacancies were important and compete with C substitution for the RT ferromagnetism.     

Influence of postdeposition annealing on structural properties and electrical characteristics of thin Tm2O3 and Tm2Ti2O7 dielectrics

We describe the structural properties and electrical characteristics of thin thulium oxide (Tm₂O₃) and thulium titanium oxide (Tm₂Ti₂O₇) as gate dielectrics deposited on silicon substrates through reactive sputtering. The structural and morphological features of these films were explored by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and atomic force microscopy, measurements. It is found that the Tm₂Ti₂O₇ film annealed at 800 °C exhibited a thinner capacitance equivalent thickness of 19.8 Å, a lower interface trap density of 8.37 × 10¹¹ eV⁻¹ cm⁻², and a smaller hysteresis voltage of ∼4 mV than the other conditions. We attribute this behavior to the Ti incorporated into the Tm₂O₃ film improving the interfacial layer and the surface roughness. This film also shows negligible degrees of charge trapping at high electric field stress.     

Si3O cluster: excited properties under external electric field and oxygen-deficient defect models

This paper investigates the excited states of Si₃O molecule by using the single-excitation configuration interaction and density functional theory. It finds that the visible light absorption spectrum of Si₃O molecule comprises the yellow and the purple light without external electric field, however all the visible light is included except the green light under the action of external electric field. Oxygen-deficient defects, which also can be found in Si₃O molecule, have been used to explain the luminescence from silicon-based materials but the microstructures of the materials are still uncertain. Our results accord with the experimental values perfectly, this fact suggests that the structure of Si₃O molecule is expected to be one of the main basic structures of the materials, so the oxygen-deficient defect structural model for Si₃O molecule also has been provided to research the structures of materials.     

Characterization of single-crystalline In2O3 films deposited on Y-stabilized ZrO2 (1 0 0) substrates by MOCVD

Epitaxial In₂O₃ films have been deposited on Y-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) (1 0 0) substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The films were deposited at different substrate temperatures (450-750 °C). The film deposited at 650 °C has the best crystalline quality, and observation of the interface area shows a clear cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship of In₂O₃(1 0 0)||YSZ(1 0 0) with In₂O₃[0 0 1]||YSZ[0 0 1]. The Hall mobility of the single-crystalline In₂O₃ film deposited at 650 °C is as high as 66.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ with carrier concentration of 1.5 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and resistivity of 6.3 × 10⁻³ Ω cm. The absolute average transmittance of the obtained films in the visible range exceeds 95%.     

Optical properties of In2O3 oxidized from InN deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

Unintentionally doped and zinc-doped indium nitride (U-InN and InN:Zn) films were deposited on (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates by radio-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering, and all samples were then treated by annealing to form In₂O₃ films. U-InN and InN:Zn films have similar photon absorption characteristics. The as-deposited U-InN and InN:Zn film show the absorption edge, ∼1.8-1.9 eV. After the annealing process at 500 °C for 20 min, the absorption coefficient at the visible range apparently decreases, and the absorption edge is about 3.5 eV. Two emission peaks at 3.342 eV (371 nm) and 3.238 eV (383 nm) in the 20 K photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of In₂O₃:Zn films were identified as the free-exciton (FE) or the near band-to-band (B-B) and conduction-band-to-acceptor (C-A) recombination, respectively.     

Two-step synthesis of one-dimensional single crystalline GaN nanowires

Straight and smooth GaN nanowires were synthesized on quartz substrates through the direct reaction of Ga₂O₃ thin films with flowing ammonia in a horizontal oven without using a template or catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the samples. The straight and smooth cylindrical nanostructures are high quality single crystalline hexagonal wurtzite GaN nanowires with diameters ranging from 5 to 30 nm and lengths up to 20 μm. The near-band-edge emission peak located at 367 nm was observed at room temperature.     

Electrical and structural properties of a stacked metal layer contact to n-InP

In this study, we found that the double metal contact structure in Pt/Al/n-InP diodes provides better rectification characteristics than conventional single-metal/n-InP Schottky diodes. The effective barrier height was measured to be 0.67 eV for a 400 °C-annealed Pt/Al/n-InP diode sample. The increase in the barrier height is attributed to the formation of Al₂O₃ at the metal/n-InP contact interface during thermal annealing. The formation of the phase Al₂O₃ phase was monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The corresponding element profiles of Al and O were also confirmed at the metal/n-InP contact interface using secondary ion mass spectrum (SIMS) analysis. The lowering of the Schottky barrier height due to the inhomogeneity at the metal/n-InP junction is also discussed on the basis of the TE theory. The distribution of local effective Schottky barrier heights was explained by a model incorporating the existence of double Gaussian barrier heights, which represent the high barrier and low barrier of the full distribution in the temperature ranges of 83-198 and 198-300 K.