Preparation and electroactive properties of a PVDF/nano-TiO2 composite film

In the present study, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/nano-TiO₂ electroactive film was prepared by coating a substrate with an acetone/DMF solution, which was evaporated at a high temperature (110 °C). The crystallisation behaviour, dynamic mechanical properties and electroactive properties of this PVDF/nano-TiO₂ electroactive film were investigated. The cross-section and surface of the film were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the film containing the PVDF β phase, the desired ferroelectric phase, was obtained by crystallising the mixed solution of nano-TiO₂ and PVDF at 110 °C, while the film containing the α phase was obtained from the crystallisation of the pure PVDF solution at the same temperature. It was found that the storage modulus, the room-temperature dielectric constant and the electric breakdown strength of the composite films were much higher than those of a pure PVDF film. TiO₂ improved the mechanical properties and electroactive properties of the film. The results indicate that PVDF/nano-TiO₂ composite films can be applied to the fabrication of self-sensing actuator devices.     

Influence of processing methods on starch properties

Native potato starch was prepared using different processing methods. The samples were characterized by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and microhardness. Compression molding of the starch granules led to sintered relatively brittle materials. Here, the amylopectin crystals of the native powder remained grossly preserved. Preparation of dry films from aqueous gels resulted in disintegration of the structure of the native starch granules and in the formation of a new semicrystalline structure comprised of crystallized amylose molecules. Injection molding of native starch was found to be a processing method that gives rise to amorphous materials with superior mechanical properties.     

Photoacoustic study of thermal properties of biological tissues detected by PVDF film transducer

A PVDF piezoelectric film transducer is used in a photoacoustic piezoelectric technique for studying thermal diffusivities of biological tissues. The experimental precision may be improved by using PVDF films because the acoustic impedance of PVDF films is close to that of biological tissues. Thermal diffusivities of several fresh porcine tissues in vitro are studied and the results are compared with previously obtained ones.     

Field emission properties of carbon nanotube film using a spray method

We fabricated carbon nanotube (CNT) emitters by a spray method using a CNT suspension with ethanol. Indium with a low melting pointing metal or indium tin oxide (ITO) was deposited on the glass substrate. The CNTs were sprayed on these layers and thermally annealed. The sprayed CNTs on an ITO were obtained a high emission current density, field enhancement factor, and a uniform emission pattern than the sprayed CNTs on an ITO layer. We found that the sprayed emitters on the indium layer had good field emission characteristics because of the strong adherence between the metal layer and CNTs.     

Influence of thickness of electrochemically deposited hole-transport film on electroluminescent properties

Polybithiophene (PBTh) film was used as a hole-transport layer in an electroluminescent (EL) device. The PBTh was electropolymerized on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass acting as a working electrode. From the change of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the EL spectrum with the thickness of the PBTh film, it could be deduced that the PBTh film efficiently blocks the injection of electrons into the ITO electrode. The thickness of the hole-transport layer used in the EL device has a significant influence on the EL intensity and efficiency. Experimental data showed that there is an optimal thickness of the electrodeposited PBTh-hole-transport layer for high-efficiency EL devices.     

Influence of iodine on the electrical properties of magnesium phthalocyanines thin film devices

The influence of iodine on the electrical properties of sandwich structures of magnesium phthalocyanine (Mg Pc) thin films with gold and aluminium electrodes has been investigated. The various electrical properties and different electrical parameters of the iodine-doped Mg Pc thin film devices have been estimated and compared with the values of normal Mg Pc devices from the analysis of the current-voltage characteristics. Generally samples showed an asymmetric conductivity both under forward and reverse bias. From our study we found that iodine doped Mg Pc films showed an enhanced electrical conductivity of nearly ten times that of typical Mg Pc. At low voltages the films showed an ohmic conduction with a hole concentration of P₀ = 6.34 × 10¹⁸ m⁻³ and hole mobility μ = 9.16 × 10⁻⁵ m ² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, whereas at higher voltage levels the conduction is dominated by space charged limited conduction (SCLC) with a discrete trapping level of 1.33 × 10²² m⁻³ at 0.63 eV above the valance band edge. The ratio of the free charges to trapped charges (trapping factor) for the doped samples was found to be 1.07 × 10⁻⁷. Furthermore the reverse conduction mechanisms have also been investigated. From the current limitations in the reverse condition a strong rectifying behaviour was evident which was attributed to Poole-Frankel emission with a field-lowering coefficient of value 2.24 × 10⁻⁵ eV m^1/2 V^−1/2.     

Influence of thermal processing on the properties of Sn-doped GaAs epitaxial layers

The influence of annealing at a temperature of 750–830°C on the electrophysical, luminescent, and structural characteristics of GaAs layers doped with various concentrations of tin is studied. It is shown that, for low doping levels, the layers possess properties with high thermal stability. During annealing, one observes a lowering of the concentration of electrons, a reduction of the lattice periodicity, and a change in the photoluminescence spectra of strongly-doped layers, which is explained by the process of the formation of complexes and by the decomposition of supersaturated solid solutions of impurity dopants.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 54–59, January, 1989.The authors express gratitude to M. P. Yakuben for x-ray topographical studies.     

Influence of thermopolar processing on the electrophysical properties of anodic tantalum oxide

We have studied the physical mechanisms which lead to failure of Ta-Ta₂O₅-Al thin film capacitors during prolonged exposure to an electric field and elevated temperature. Using a thermally stimulated depolarization technique we have determined the energy spectrum of the point defect levels in the band gap of the oxide in the original structure and in that subjected to fields at high temperature. The changes observed demonstrate an increase in the shallow trap and donor concentration at the interface between the oxide and the external electrode. The transition layer which develops reduces the barrier at the Al-Ta₂O₅ interface, leading to increased injection and, as a result, to increased conductivity. It is shown that the stability of the structure depends on the deposition technique used for the metallic layers: an electrothermal technique yields a more stable structure than a magnetron.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 120–125, September, 1991.     

Effect of electrodes on the properties of a thin ferroelectric film

The effect of various metal electrodes on the properties of thin ferroelectric films is considered using the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory. The electric field produced by charges on electrodes is taken into account (with allowance for the screening of the charges in the metals) in the free energy functional and in the Euler-Lagrange equation for the film polarization. This equation is solved using the variational method, and the free energy functional is reduced to the conventional free energy with a renormalized coefficient of P ². This coefficient is dependent on the properties and thickness of the film and the properties of the electrode. Therefore, the physical characteristics of the size effect can be found by merely substituting the renormalized coefficient into the usual formulas from phenomenological theory. The calculations are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data for Pt, Ir, IrO₂, and SrRuO₃.     

Electrical properties of a nanoparticle-networked film

We have developed a new technique for the preparation of conducting nanoparticle films, which consisted of gold nanoparticles networked with binding molecules such as butanethiol, pentanehtiol, hexanethiol, and heptanethiol, on a polystyrene substrate through a one-step straightforward procedure. The film conductivity became significantly higher with a decrease in the alkylchain length, depending on the number of carbon atoms (n) of the binder molecule between adjacent Au nanoparticles, in which it was changed from an insulator (n > 10) to conductor (n = 4). The film resistivity (2.1 μΩ cm) prepared using butanethiol corresponds to that of planar gold (1.3 μΩ cm).     

Magnetic properties of Terfenol-D film on a compliant substrate

Substrate thickness effects on the magnetization and magnetostriction of Terfenol-D films was studied by using a nonlinear constitutive model combined with the Timosheko elastic theory. Results show that characteristics of Terfenol-D films on compliant substrates are different from those of their bulk counterpart. Tunable properties can be obtained by adjusting the film/substrate thickness ratio.     

Influence of localized states in a semiconducting film of critical thickness on the electrical properties of thinfilm ms' is structures

The current-voltage and high-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics have been used to investigate the electrical properties of thin Ga₂Ses films in Me-Ga₂Se₃-Si structures (n and p type). The features of the high-frequency C-V dependences of the structures based on p-type Si are explained in the framework of a model of the MS' IS structure with donor type centers in the semiconducting S'film (the thickness of the S' film is comparable with the generalized screening length). It is shown that in the investigated structures the charge transport mechanism is due to ionization of volume centers (the activation energy of a deep donor center is 0.72 eV) in the Ga₂Se₃ film, the mechanism being enhanced by an electric field. Analysis of the high-frequency C-V characteristics showed that the majority carriers in the Ga₂Se₃ films are electrons with concentration 10¹² cm^–3; the concentration of the deep donor centers is 5·10¹⁶ cm^–3.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 83–88, January, 1981.     

Deposition of sputtered iridium oxide—Influence of oxygen flow in the reactor on the film properties

Thin films of iridium oxide have been deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The influence of oxygen partial pressure in the sputtering plasma on the composition, surface structure and morphology of the films has been studied by XRD, SEM and AFM analysis. An optimal combination of sputtering parameters yields stable microporous amorphous films with highly extended fractal surface. The electrochemical properties of these films have been investigated in view of their application as catalysts for water splitting, using the electrochemical techniques of cyclovoltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and steady state polarization. The SIROFs have shown an excellent electrochemical reversibility and a high catalytic activity toward the oxygen evolution reaction in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. A current density of 150 mA cm⁻² at potential of 1.7 V (versus Ag/AgCl) has been obtained at catalyst load of only 100 μg cm⁻². These results combined with the established long-term mechanical stability of the sputtered iridium oxide films (SIROFs) proved the advantages of the reactive magnetron sputtering as simple and reliable method for preparation of catalysts with precisely controlled composition, loading, and surface characteristics.     

Influence of the film thickness and additional elements (Al,O, and N) on the properties of FeCo film structures

The magnetic properties and domain structure of FeCoAlON thin films with thicknesses varying from 55 to 550 nm have been studied, and conditions favoring preparation of FeCoAlON films with uniaxial anisotropy in the direction normal to the film plane, which is required for designing “perpendicular” super-high-density information recording, have been established. In FeCoAlON films with a thickness up to 300 nm, the domain structure consists of cross-linked domain walls, because strong demagnetizing field suppresses formation of stripe domains. After the film thickness has reached 320 nm, cross-linked domain walls transform into stripe domains, with uniaxial anisotropy in the film plane disappearing, to become replaced by uniaxial anisotropy in the direction normal to the film plane, which can be assigned to magnetoelastic stresses induced by nitrogen atoms filling up interstitial space in the (110) plane. A further increase in the film thickness (up to 550 nm) leads to a rotational anisotropy due to the increase of nitrogen concentration in interstitials and the increase of magnetoelastic stresses.     

Effect of excimer laser annealing on the properties of ZnO thin film prepared by sol-gel method

Pristine ZnO thin films have been deposited with zinc acetate [Zn(CH₃COO)₂], mono-ethanolamine (stabilizer), and isopropanol solutions by sol-gel method. After deposition, pristine ZnO thin films have been irradiated by excimer laser (λ = 248, KrF) source with energy density of 50 mJ/cm² for 30 sec. The effect of excimer laser annealing on the optical and structural properties of ZnO thin films are investigated by photoluminescence and field emission scanning electron microscope. As-grown ZnO thin films show a huge peak of visible region and a wide full width at half maximum (FWHM) of UV region due to low quality with amorphous ZnO thin films. After KrF excimer laser annealing, ZnO thin films show intense near-band-edge (NBE) emission and weak deep-level emission. The optically improved pristine ZnO thin films have demonstrated that excimer laser annealing is novel treatment process at room temperature.     

Research on the optical properties of collodion film

This paper centers on the deposition process and optical properties of collodion film. Collodion film was prepared on the double side polished silicon and k9 optical glass using the sol–gel method. The studying results have showed four characteristics of collodion film. First of all, the thickness of collodion film decreases with increasing the revolution speed. Secondly, the refractive index of collodion film changes from 1.529306 to 1.500128, which accords with the normal dispersion. Thirdly, the transmittance of collodion film is higher in the visible wavelength range 380–760 nm and its average transmittance is 91.9%. At last, the absorption property is very well in the infrared region. The infrared absorption coefficient is greater than 0.69/μm in range of 3–5 μm, and it is up to 1.433528/μm in 8–14 μm because of its many strong infrared absorption peaks. In addition, the absorption characteristics have been analyzed in detail.     

Analysis of the scattering properties of a nanometric insertion in a film on a substrate

The scattering characteristics of an insertion in a gold film deposited on a glass prism are analyzed using the method of discrete sources. The effect of extreme energy transmission through the film is revealed in the range of total internal reflection.     

Influence of disorders on the optical properties of butterfly wing: Analysis with a finite-difference time-domain method

Many butterfly wing scales (BWSs) possess novel periodic fine structures and can influence and manipulate the propagation of light in a certain wavelength range though an interaction similar to that occurring in photonic crystals. Such optical properties and their physical origin can be theoretically analysed by solving Maxwell’s equations. Many previous works have successfully applied a model of strict periodic pine-tree structure to the analysis of the scattering property of BWSs. However, fluctuation of the periodicity is common in the structure of BWSs. Thus clarification of the influence of size or periodicity variations on the optical properties of BWSs is then needed. In the present article, size variations have been considered and their influence on the scattering properties of BWSs is simulated in detail using a Finite-Difference-Time-Domain method (FDTD). The calculated reflectance spectrum will be more representative to the experimental result in the case where disorders, caused by size or periodicity variations, are considered. A detailed analysis shows that the main reflectance peak will be broadened and red-shifted especially when the angle of incidence is confined to a narrow range within 0° ± 10° (?10° ≤ θ ≤ 10°). The results will be stable if the maximal deviation – the pine-tree unit away from its original equilibrium position – is smaller than 50 nm. Finally, we test the visible spectrum of the butterfly Morpho Didius and compare the results to those of our simulation. It is shown that the present results are in good agreement with experimentally observed trends, and this work will be helpful for a better understanding of the colorisation mechanism of materials with the structure of BWSs.     

Influence of the substrate temperature during deposition on film characteristics of copper phthalocyanine and field-effect transistor properties

In this paper, we employ different substrate temperatures during the deposition process and observe a highly ordered structure and strong orientation of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecules on Si/SiO₂ by using X-ray-diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The results show the effect of CuPc morphology at different substrate temperatures on the organic field-effect-transistor performance. When the substrate temperature for deposition of CuPc is 120 °C, a mobility of 3.75×10^-3 cm²/V s can be obtained. PACS 73.61.Ph; 85.30.Tv; 78.66.Tr