Distribution of <Superscript>28</Superscript>Si, <Superscript>29</Superscript>Si,and <Superscript>30</Superscript>Si isotopes under plastic deformation in subsurface layers of Si: B crystals

The redistribution of ²⁸Si, ²⁹Si, and ³⁰Si isotopes in subsurface layers of Si: B single crystals after their plastic deformation has been revealed. It has been found that the distribution profile of ²⁸Si and ²⁹Si isotopes becomes smoother after deformation, whereas the ³⁰Si isotope distribution remains unchanged. A change in the subsurface profile of the ²⁹SiO oxide is observed, which indicates the migration of the ²⁹Si isotope in the composition of oxygen complexes during plastic deformation.     

<Superscript>29</Superscript>Si, <Superscript>27</Superscript>Al, <Superscript>1</Superscript>H and <Superscript>23</Superscript>Na MAS NMR Study of the Bonding Character in Aluminosilicate Inorganic Polymers

²⁹Si, ²⁷Al, ¹H and ²³Na solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to relate nominal composition, bonding character and compressive strength properties in aluminosilicate inorganic polymers (AIPs). The ²⁹Si chemical shift varies systematically with Si-to-Al ratio, indicating that the immediate structural environment of Si is altering with nominal composition. Fast ¹H MAS and ²⁹Si T _SiH/T _1ρ relaxation measurements demonstrated that occluded pore H₂O mobility within the disordered cavities is slow in comparison with H₂O mobility characteristics observed within the ordered channel structures of zeolites. The ²⁷Al MAS NMR data show that the Al coordination remains predominantly 4-coordinate. In comparison with the ²⁹Si MAS data, the corresponding ²⁷Al MAS line shapes are relatively narrow, suggesting that the AlO₄ tetrahedral geometry is largely unperturbed and the dominant source of structural disorder is propagated by large distributions of Si–O bond angles and bond lengths. Corresponding ²³Na MAS and multiple-quantum MAS NMR data indicate that Na speciation is dominated by distributions of hydration states; however, more highly resolved ²³Na resonances observed in some preparations supported the existence of short-range order. New structural elements are proposed to account for the existence of these Na resonances and an improved model for the structure of AIPs has also been proposed. Authors' address: John V. Hanna, NMR Facility, Institute of Materials and Engineering Science, Lucas Heights Research Laboratories, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Private Mail Bag 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia     

Examination of the <Superscript>16</Superscript>O + <Superscript>28</Superscript>Si system with microscopic and phenomenological potentials

The ¹⁶O + ²⁸Si reaction has been widely studied both experimentally and theoretically and has been claimed to show indications of chaotic scattering. In order to examine this claim and to address whether reaction models such as the optical one could explain the experimental data, we have analyzed the ¹⁶O + ²⁸Si system within the framework of the optical model for ten energies from 29.0 to 45.0 MeV, by using microscopic folded potentials, which are based on M3Y nucleon-nucleon, alpha-alpha effective interactions and a phenomenological shallow potential. All potentials describe the individual angular distributions very well at forward angles. However, they fail to describe the individual angular distributions over the whole angular range up to 180°. Nevertheless, we have been able to explain the experimental data by modifying the surface region of the microscopic real potentials by adding two surface potentials. With these correction potentials, we have obtained very good agreement for the individual angular distributions over the whole angular range for the given energies as well as for the experimental data near the Coulomb barrier. The failure of these optical potentials in explaining the scattering observables of this reaction without corrections puts a question mark on the model and supports the idea of a chaotic behavior. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Composition and properties of nanoscale Si structures formed on the CoSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Si(111) surface by Ar<Superscript>+</Superscript> ion bombardment

The variations in the composition and structure of CoSi₂/Si(111) surface layers under Ar⁺ ion bombardment with subsequent annealing has been studied. It has been demonstrated that nanocluster phases enriched with Si atoms form on the CoSi₂ surface at low doses D ≤ 10¹⁵ cm^–2, and a pure Si nanofilm forms at high doses.     

Peculiarities in total cross sections of reactions with weakly bound nuclei <Superscript>6</Superscript>He, <Superscript>9</Superscript>Li

The energy dependence of the total cross sections for the ⁶He + Si and ⁹Li + Si reactions was measured at beam energies between 5 and 20 MeV per nucleon. The results agree with experimental data published for the ⁶He + Si reaction. New data are obtained for the ⁹Li + Si reaction in the vicinity of a local enhancement of the total cross section. A theoretical analysis of the possible reasons behind the appearance of this peculiarity in the case of collisions of ⁶He and ⁹Li nuclei with silicon target nuclei is performed. In particular, the enhancement may owe its origin to the effect of loosely bound projectile nucleons.     

Qualitative sims analysis of<Superscript>28,29,30</Superscript>Si isotope concentration in silicon using a Tof.Sims-5 Setup

The possibility of quantitative SIMS determination of^28-30Si isotope concentrations in silicon samples using a TOF.SIMS-5 spectrometer is shown. Th e isotope composition of a large number of Si samples, namely epitaxial Si layers with a natural isotope ratio, amorphous Si films depleted of²⁸Si isotope (deposited on natural Si substrates), and samples enriched with ²⁸Si isotope (manufactured by VITCON) is investigated. Substantial variations in the ²⁹Si/³⁰Si isotope ratio (from 1.51 for the natural content up to 25 in the case of limiting enrichment with ²⁸Si isotope) are revealed.     

Investigating <Superscript>64</Superscript>Zn<Superscript>+</Superscript> ion-doped silicon under conditions of hot implantation

The results from visualizing the structure and identifying the composition of surface and the nearsurface layers of CZ n-Si (100) implanted by ⁶⁴Zn⁺ ions with dose of 5 × 10¹⁶ cm^–2 and energy of 50 keV under conditions of a substrate heated to 350°C are presented. It is found that there is no Si amorphization after Zn implantation, and only one layer 200 nm thick forms and is damaged because of radiation-induced defects. Zn nanoparticles 10–100 nm in size are found on a sample’s surface and in its near-surface layer. Computer analysis and mapping of the elemental and phase composition of FIB crater walls and the surface show that the main elements (54%) in the sample near-surface layer are Si, O, and Zn. The presence of ZnO phase is recorded to a depth of 20 nm in the sample.     

<Superscript>29</Superscript>Si nuclear spin relaxation in microcrystals of plastically deformed Si: B samples

Single crystals and microcrystals Si: B enriched with ²⁹Si isotopes have been studied using nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in the temperature range from 300 to 800 K. It has been found that an increase in the temperature from 300 to 500 K leads to a change in the kinetics of the relaxation of the saturated nuclear spin system. At 300 K, the relaxation kinetics corresponds to direct electron–nuclear interaction with inhomogeneously distributed paramagnetic centers introduced by the plastic deformation of the crystals. At 500 K, the spin relaxation occurs through the nuclear spin diffusion and electron–nuclear interaction with an acceptor impurity. It has been revealed that the plastic deformation affects the EPR spectra at 9 K.     

Cluster radioactivity leading to doubly magic <Superscript>100</Superscript>Sn and <Superscript>132</Superscript>Sn daughters

Decay of neutron-deficient ^{128 − 137}Gd parents emitting ⁴He to ³²S clusters are studied within the Coulomb and proximity potential model. The predicted half-lives are compared with other models and most of the values are well within the present experimental limit for measurements (T _1/2 < 10³⁰ s). The lowest T _1/2 value for ²⁸Si emission from ¹²⁸Gd indicates the role of doubly magic ¹⁰⁰Sn daughter in cluster decay process. It is also found that neutron excess in the parent nuclei slows down the cluster decay process. Geiger–Nuttal plots for all clusters are found to be linear with different slopes and intercepts. The α-decay half-lives of ^{148 − 152}Gd parents are computed and are in agreement with experimental data. The role of doubly magic ¹³²Sn daughter in cluster decay process is also examined for various neutron-rich Ba, Ce, Nd, Sm and Gd parents emitting clusters ranging from ⁴He to ³²Si. Alpha-like structures are most probable in the decays leading to ¹⁰⁰Sn, while non-α-like structures are probable in the decays leading to ¹³²Sn. The neutron–proton asymmetry in parent and daughter nuclei is responsible for the reduced decay rate in the decay leading to ¹³²Sn.     

Instabilities of the Conventional Nucleus-Nucleus Interactions for (<Superscript>3</Superscript>H<Superscript>4</Superscript>He) Proton Pickup Cross-Sections

The angular distributions of the ²⁶Mg, ²⁸Si, ³⁰Si(³H, ⁴He) reactions have been analyzed using the exact finite-range DWBA calculations. The optical model potential is assumed to have the conventional spin-orbit potential. The obtained cross-sections with the spin-orbit potential are not significantly different from those calculated using the phenomenological Woods–Saxon form factors in the forward angle regions. The inclusion of the spin-orbit potential gives the best fit to the data and greatly improves the large angle cross-sections. Different reasonable spectroscopic factors are found to account well for the cross-section magnitudes.     

Perturbative role in the inelastic electron scattering from <Superscript>29</Superscript>Si

Inelastic electron scattering form factors away from the closed sd -shell are investigated. This investigation covers the low-lying states in ²⁹Si , which is considered according to the many-particle configuration mixing shell model as the ¹⁶O core, plus thirteen nucleons distributed over the entire sd -shell orbits. The investigation concentrates on the perturbative role of the core, which is called core polarization effects, on the inelastic electron scattering form factors. Core polarization effects are taken into consideration through the excitation of nucleons from 1s and 1p core orbits, and also from the 2s -1d valence orbits into higher shells, with 2ℏω excitations. Core polarization matrix elements are calculated with the M3Y effective interaction. For the sd -shell model space, a new Hamiltonian, based on a renormalized G -matrix, USDB, is used. All calculations are performed without adjusting any parameters.     

A high efficient antireflective down-conversion Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>:Bi<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, Yb<Superscript>3+</Superscript> thin films

The high efficient antireflective down-conversion Y₂O₃:Bi, Yb films have been prepared successfully on Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, Upon excitation of ultraviolet photon varying from 300 to 400 nm, near-infrared emission of Yb³⁺ was observed for the film, can be efficiently absorbed by silicon (Si) solar cell. Most interestingly, there is a very low average reflectivity 1.46% for the incident light from 300 to 1100 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest reflectance for the down-conversion thin films prepared by cost efficient method. The surface topography of the high efficient antireflective films can be controllably tuned through the substrate template regulation by optimizing process parameters. Besides, the results showed that there is a close relationship between luminescent property and morphology of the film. With the change of the surface morphology, the intensity of Bi³⁺ and Yb³⁺ emission peaks increase first and then decrease. The obtained results demonstrate that this film can enhance the Si solar cell efficiency through light trapping and spectrum shifting.     

Micro-Raman spectroscopic investigation of NiSi films formed on BF<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript>-, B<Superscript>+</Superscript>- and non-implanted (100)Si substrates

The micro-Raman spectroscopic technique was used to investigate vibrational properties of NiSi thin films formed on three different (100)Si substrates: non-implanted, 20 keV BF₂⁺-implanted, and 20 keV B⁺-implanted. Raman measurements were also performed on NiSi powder to identify various phonon modes associated with different selection rules of group theory. It was found that the Raman peaks for NiSi thin films formed on the BF₂⁺-implanted substrate were broader and shifted to lower frequencies compared to those for films formed on the other substrates. The broadening of the Raman peaks for these films, which also exhibit much improved thermal stability, is attributed to the small grains that probably result from the segregation of fluorine to grain boundaries and interfaces. It is further proposed that grain boundary segregation influences the stress in the silicide film, resulting in shifts in phonon peak positions. PACS 78.30.Am; 74.25.Kc; 68.35.Dv; 68.55.Ln; 66.30.Jt     

Asymptotic Similarity of Time Correlation Functions and Shape of the <Superscript>13</Superscript>C and <Superscript>29</Superscript>Si NMR Spectra in Diamond and Silicon

Based on the proposed theory, we have investigated the shape of the NMR absorption spectra for ¹³C and ²⁹Si nuclei in diamond and silicon crystals attributable to the internuclear dipole–dipole interaction. In accordance with the available experimental data, we have considered both crystals with a 100% content of magnetoactive isotopes and crystals with a comparatively low dilution by nonmagnetic nuclei. The time correlation functions (the first of which is the Fourier transform of the NMR spectrum) arising in an infinite chain of coupled differential equations are shown to be mutually similar with a slight time delay. The proposed theory allows the spectrum to be calculated analytically. The results obtained agree satisfactorily with the experimental ones. It is noted that the mutual similarity of the time correlation functions is probably a corollary of the development of dynamical chaos in the system     

Alpha-decay half-life of <Superscript>221</Superscript>Fr in different environments

A possible dependence of the alpha decay process on the solid-state environment of the decaying nucleus has been investigated by measuring the alpha-decay half-life of ²²¹Fr at room temperature in different materials ( Au, W, Si and polyethylene). The change in half-life between the insulator Si and the metals Au/ W is found to be 0.30(17)% / 0.42(21)%, respectivly. Furthermore an improved value of 4.79(2)min was found for the absolute half-life of ²²¹Fr.     

DX<Superscript>−</Superscript> center formation in planar-doped GaAs:Si in strong electric fields

The kinetics of current decay and partial restoration in planar doped GaAs:Si due to the formation of DX^? centers in strong electric fields has been experimentally studied. The existence of thresholds with respect to the field strength and donor concentration is explained. A model of the DX^? center formation is proposed, which is based on the notions about variation of the depth and width of a potential well created by planar doping, caused by the redistribution of hot electrons between quantum confinement subbands. As a result, the energy level of DX^? centers, which is situated above the potential well depth in the absence of strong field, decreases and falls within the potential well. This makes possible the DX^? center formation, provided that hot electrons, occupying the resonance electron levels in the conduction band, simultaneously excite local vibrational modes.     

First observation of isomeric transition from <Superscript>148<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>Pr and parity assignment for excited levels in <Superscript>148</Superscript>Pr

Internal conversion electrons from the decay of ¹⁴⁸Ce and ^148mPr have been measured with a Si(Li) detector. The radioactive sources were produced by the thermal neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U, followed by an on-line mass separation. K- and L-conversion electrons of the isomeric transition from ^148mPr were newly observed at 34.6 and 70.8 keV, respectively. The M3 multipolarity was assigned to this transition from the experimental conversion coefficients, and, consequently, the 76.8 keV isomeric level was found to be a 4^- state. Parities of some excited levels in ¹⁴⁸Pr were also deduced.     

Kinetics of radiation-induced segregation in 12Cr-MoWSiVNbB steel after Ni<Superscript>++</Superscript> and He<Superscript>+</Superscript> ion irradiation

Ferritic-martensitic 12Cr-MoWSiVNbB (EP-823) steel was irradiated with 7 MeV Ni⁺⁺ ions within fluence interval 5 × 10¹⁸−5.4 × 10¹⁹ ions/m² and with 30 and 70 keV He⁺ ions within fluence interval 10²⁰–10²¹ ions/m² at 500°C. Results from a comparative analysis of Cr and Si radiation-induced segregation profiles near the surface are presented. Dependence of the amount of surface segregation on damage dose, displacement generation rate, and radiation-induced point defects concentration is established.     

Near-barrier neutron transfer in reactions <Superscript>6</Superscript>He + <Superscript>45</Superscript>Sc, <Superscript>64</Superscript>Zn,and <Superscript>197</Superscript>Au

Experimental cross sections of formation of isotopes ⁴⁶Sc (in reaction ⁶He + ⁴⁵Sc), ^196,198Au (in reaction ⁶He + ¹⁹⁷Au), and ⁶⁵Zn (in reaction ⁶He + ⁶⁴Zn) are analyzed. The time-dependent Schrödinger equation for the outer neutrons of ⁶He and ¹⁹⁷Au nuclei is solved numerically to calculate the probability of neutron transfer and transfer cross sections. In reaction ⁶He + ¹⁹⁷Au, the contribution of fusion and subsequent evaporation to experimental data can be neglected, while the corresponding contributions to reactions ⁶He + ⁴⁵Sc and ⁶He + ⁶⁴Zn are considerable. Fusion–evaporation is taken into account using the computational code of the NRV knowledge base. The results of calculations are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.