Determination of temperature in a plasma jet emanating from a plasma torch with sectioned inter-electrode insert from the molecular emission spectrum of nitrogen

Results of application of a method for measuring the distribution of temperature in a nitrogen plasma jet emanating from a dc plasma torch with sectioned inter-electrode insert from the relative intensities of the molecular emission bands of nitrogen in the N₂ ⁺(B²Σ_u ⁺ − X²Σ_g ⁺) first negative and N₂(C³Π_u ⁺ − B³Π_g ⁺) second positive systems are reported. The emission spectra were registered using a small-size spectrometer with medium-range spectral resolution enabling a contour analysis of ro-vibrational bands in molecular emission spectra. The obtained distribution of temperature was compared with the distribution that was determined from the emission lines due to copper atoms and with the mean-mass plasma temperature of the air plasma jet.     

The desorption of CO from small Pt particles on Al2O3

The adsorption of CO on small Pt particles supported on alumina was studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Samples were prepared by vapor deposition of Pt onto a flat substrate in ultra high vacuum. Metal coverages were reproducibly obtained using a film thickness monitor which was calibrated with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). AES results indicated that Pt grew in a layer-by-layer manner on alumina at both 90 and 300 K and that these metal films aggregated into particles when heated above 650 K in vacuum. The average particle size could be estimated from the amount of CO desorbing in TPD and from the metal coverage and could be varied from 1.1 nm up to a continuous film. For the smallest particles, CO desorbed in a single state at 510 K. For larger particles, a second desorption state at 400 K was also observed. Since the desorption of CO occurs at similar temperatures on single crystals of Pt, these results indicate that the adsorption properties for CO on small particles of Pt on alumina are very similar to those for CO on bulk Pt. The change in the relative populations of the two desorption states with increasing particle size is interpreted as evidence for the formation of (111)-type facets on the larger particles.     

Interfacial structure of sub-micron Al2O3 particles in aluminum matrix

The surfaces of ellipsoidal Al₂O₃ particles with average size of 0.15 μm and the interfaces between the Al₂O₃ particles and 1070Al were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM).The results show that the surfaces of Al₂O₃ particles appear to be polyhedrons consisting of crystal planes with small angle, while every plane of the polyhedrons could be considered as a stepped structure composed of close-packed planes along the close-packed direction. The interfaces of the 0.15 μm Al₂O₃p/1070Al composite bond well, without any interfacial reaction products. It is proposed that there are several kinds of crystallographic orientation relationships between the aluminum matrix and Al₂O₃particles due to the polyhedral structure. In our study, such orientation relationships are found to be {110} _Al ||{1100} _Al2O3 and ?110? _Al ||?1126? _Al2O3 .     

Accumulation and flow of charge in MOS structures with Al2O3 and SiO2-Al2O3 films on silicon

A expérimental study has been carried out on the processes involved in the accumulation and flow of charge in MOS structures with thin films of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂-Al₂O₃ under various polarization conditions. The activation energy, the frequency factors, the sites of the trapping centers of the polarization charge, and the character of the flow of charge on thermal depolarization have been studied. It is shown that in a structure with a double-layer dielectric, the instability of the charge cannot be explained by the Maxwell-Wagner polarization model in its pure form because of the accumulation of charge in the spatially distributed trapping centers throughout the Al₂O₃ film. The parameters of the traps at the interface between the dielectrics have been determined and the contribution made to the instability of the charge by the migration of ions in these particular structures has been evaluated.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 7–14, April, 1978.     

Influence of a heterogeneous Al2O3 surface on the electronic properties of single Pd atoms

Electronic properties of single Pd atoms, deposited on Al(2)O(3)/NiAl(110), have been characterized by scanning tunneling spectroscopy at 12 K. The spectra reveal distinct conductivity resonances, assigned to discrete electronic levels in the atom. The energy position of the resonances reflects adsorption properties of Pd atoms on different sites of the oxide support. Mapping the spatial extent of conductivity channels in the Pd atoms yields the symmetry of the underlying electronic states. The results demonstrate the effect of a heterogeneous oxide surface on the electronic structure of adsorbed metal atoms.     

The effect of supports (Al2O3, Al2O3-CeO2 and Al2O3-CeZrO2) on the nature of gold-species in supported gold catalysts

This work is concerned with the study of Au specimens produced by gold deposition on nanosized mixed oxides (alumina, ceria, zirconia) prepared by the sol-gel method using organometallic precursors. According to X-ray absorption near edge structure, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, transmission electron microscopy data, and ultraviolet-visible and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, mixed Al-Ce-Zr oxides are quite effective for stabilization of different gold specimens. The samples pre- treated in hydrogen at 150°C are characterized by the presence of gold Au³⁺ cations located on the surface in slightly disordered octahedral oxygen coordination. Metallic gold nanoparticles with a size of about 2 nm and gold clusters were found in the samples treated in hydrogen at 300°C.     

Characterization of laser-induced plasma plume: Comparison between Al and Al2O3 targets

Characterization of the plasma plume produced by laser ablation from Al and Al₂O₃ targets was carried out on the basis of the line profile analysis of Al(I) (²P°–²S) emission. The spatial distribution and density parameters of electrons and Al atoms in the plume were obtained by comparing observed spectral line profiles with a theoretical calculation. The results showed different behavior for the Al and Al₂O₃ targets. The Al atoms from the Al₂O₃ target were populated in a smaller region than those from the Al target. PACS 52.38.MF; 52.70.Kz; 52.25.Os     

The response of thermally and optically stimulated luminescence from Al2O3:C to high-energy heavy charged particles

The thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) response of Al₂O₃ dosimeters to high-energy heavy charged particles (HCP) has been studied using the heavy ion medical accelarator at Chiba, Japan. The samples were Al₂O₃ single-crystal chips, of the type usually known as TLD-500, and Luxel^TM dosimeters (Al₂O₃:C powder in plastic) from Landauer Inc. The samples were exposed to ⁴He (150 MeV/u), ¹²C (400 MeV/u), ²⁸Si (490 MeV/u) and ⁵⁶Fe (500 MeV/u) ions, with linear energy transfer values covering the range from 2.26 to 189 keV/μm in water and doses from 1 to 100 mGy (to water). A ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta source, calibrated against a ⁶⁰Co secondary standard, was used for calibration purposes. For OSL, we used both continuous-wave OSL measurements (CW-OSL, using green light stimulation at 525 nm) and pulsed OSL measurements (POSL, using 532 nm stimulation from a Nd:YAG Q-switched laser). The efficiencies (η_HCP,γ) of the different HCPs at producing OSL or TL were observed to depend not only upon the linear energy transfer (LET) of the HCP, but also upon the sample type (single crystal chip or Luxel^TM) and the luminescence method used to define the signal—i.e. TL, CW-OSL initial intensity, CW-OSL total area, or POSL. Observed changes in shape of the decay curve lead to potential methods for extracting LET information of unknown radiation fields. A discussion of the results is given, including the potential use of OSL from Al₂O₃ in the areas of space radiation dosimetry and radiation oncology.     

Al2O3 ceramics under high-fluence irradiation: plasma plume dynamics through space- and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy

The expansion in vacuum of the plume generated by the UV ablation of a LiYF₄ crystal was analysed as a function of several parameters: distance from the target along the plume axis, laser fluency and angular dislocation with respect to the plume axis. The study was carried out by the optical time of flight technique. Time-resolved signals of the optical emission of the neutral as well as ionised species in the plume were recorded and analysed for different experimental situations. The most probable velocity for each species was calculated and confirmed by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution fits of the relative emission temporal profiles. An angular distribution of the ablated species could also be provided.     

Three—dimensional modelling of the flow and heat transfer in a laminar non—transferred arc plasma torch

By experimental observation we show that the plasma flow and heat transfer within a direct current (DC) nontransferred arc plasma torch always show appreciable three-dimensional (3D) peculiarity even when the geometrical construction of the torch and working gas admission and external electrical collection conditions are completely axisymmetrical.Previous two-dimensional (2D) modelling studies cannot predict the 3D peculiarity of the plasma torch.We have successfully performed 3D modelling,and in this paper we present the modelling results for the plasma flow and heat transfer characteristics in a laminar DC non-transferred are argon plasma torch.The predicted arc-root location on the surface of the torch anode and arc voltage compare favourably with the corresponding experimental results.     

The effects of different nano particles of Al2O3 and Ag on the MHD nano fluid flow and heat transfer in a microchannel including slip velocity and temperature jump

The forced convection of nanofluid flow in a long microchannel is studied numerically according to the finite volume approach and by using a developed computer code. Microchannel domain is under the influence of a magnetic field with uniform strength. The hot inlet nanofluid is cooled by the heat exchange with the cold microchannel walls. Different types of nanoparticles such as Al₂O₃ and Ag are examined while the base fluid is considered as water. Reynolds number are chosen as Re=10 and Re=100. Slip velocity and temperature jump boundary conditions are simulated along the microchannel walls at different values of slip coefficient for different amounts of Hartmann number. The investigation of magnetic field effect on slip velocity and temperature jump of nanofluid is presented for the first time. The results are shown as streamlines and isotherms; moreover the profiles of slip velocity and temperature jump are drawn. It is observed that more slip coefficient corresponds to less Nusselt number and more slip velocity especially at larger Hartmann number. It is recommended to use Al₂O₃-water nanofluid instead of Ag-water to increase the heat transfer rate from the microchannel walls at low values of Re. However at larger amounts of Re, the nanofluid composed of nanoparticles with higher thermal conductivity works better.     

The diffusion of silicon atoms in stack structures of La2O3 and Al2O3

The interfacial reactions and electrical characteristics of stack structures of La₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ were investigated as a function of the annealing temperature. In the case of Al₂O₃/La₂O₃/Si (ALO structure), the La₂O₃ in contact with the Si substrate was readily transformed into La-silicate by the diffusion of Si atoms, while in the case of La₂O₃/Al₂O₃/Si (LAO structure), interfacial reactions between the Al₂O₃ layer and the Si substrate were suppressed. After an annealing treatment at 700 °C, the Al₂O₃ in the ALO structure can play an effective role in blocking the hydration of La₂O₃, resulting in an unchanged interfacial layer. However, the Al₂O₃ layer in the LAO structure was unable to suppress the diffusion of Si atoms into the La₂O₃ film. When the annealing temperature reached 900 °C, both structures showed a similar depth distribution with a high content of Si atoms diffused into the films. The change in the elemental distributions via the diffusion and reaction of Si atoms affected the electrical characteristics at the interface between ALO/LAO structure and Si substrate, specifically the trap charge density (D_it) and band gap (E_g) values.     

Acoustic phonon dynamics in strained cubic and hexagonal GaN/Al2O3 superlattices

We study the acoustic-phonon spectra in periodic and quasiperiodic (Fibonacci type) superlattices made up from III–V nitride materials (GaN) intercalated by sapphire (Al₂O₃). Due to the misalignments between the sapphire and the GaN layers that can lead to threading dislocation densities as high as 10⁸-10¹⁰ cm^-1, and a significant lattice mismatch (~14%), the phonon dynamics is described beyond the continuum elastic model using coupled elastic and electromagnetic equations, stressing the importance of the piezoelectric polarization field in a strained condition. We use a transfer-matrix treatment to simplify the algebra, which would be otherwise quite complicated, allowing a neat analytical expressions for the phonon dispersion relation. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the localization and magnitude of the allowed band widths in the phonon's spectra, as well as their scale law and the parametric spectrum of singularities f(α), are presented and discussed.     

Molecular dynamics simulations on the direct sputtering of Al2O3 insulating film in a magnetic tunneling junction

The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is used to study the direct deposition of aluminum-oxide (Al₂O₃) to grow an insulating thin film on cobalt substrate in a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ). The direct deposition of Al₂O₃ may produce a very thin film with very smooth surface and form an averagely oxidized insulator. A high magnetoresistance ratio is desired in an MTJ device, so that smooth surface and good structural integrity for the insulating thin film is anticipated. The MD simulation is an effective way in determining optimal processing parameters that can be used to fabricate high-quality MTJ devices. The Buckingham and many-body tight-binding potentials are applied in the MD simulations for different interactions between particles. The effects of the cluster size and the incident energy on the thin film’s surface morphology and Al₂O₃ purity are investigated. Some optimal parameters that could be used as the reference for practical processing purposes are derived.     

Fabrication of low-loss channel waveguides in Al2O3 and Y2O3 layers by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching

Etching of amorphous Al₂O₃ and polycrystalline Y₂O₃ films has been investigated using an inductively coupled reactive ion etch system. The etch behaviour has been studied by applying various common process gases and combinations of these gases, including CF₄/O₂, BCl₃, BCl₃/HBr, Cl₂, Cl₂/Ar and Ar. The observed etch rates of Al₂O₃ films were much higher than Y₂O₃ for all process gases except for Ar, indicating a much stronger chemical etching component for the Al₂O₃ layers. Based on analysis of the film etch rates and an investigation of the selectivity and patterning feasibility of possible mask materials, optimized optical channel-waveguide structures were fabricated in both materials. In Al₂O₃, channel waveguides were fabricated with BCl₃/HBr plasma and using a standard resist mask, while in Y₂O₃, channel waveguides were fabricated with Ar and using either a resist or a sputter deposited Al₂O₃ mask layer. The etched structures in both materials exhibit straight sidewalls with minimal roughness and sufficient etch depths (up to 530 nm for Al₂O₃ and 250 nm for Y₂O₃) for defining waveguides with strong optical confinement. Using the developed etch processes, low additional optical propagation losses (on the order of 0.1 dB/cm) were demonstrated in single-mode ridge waveguides in both Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ layers at 1550 nm. PACS 42.70.-a; 42.82.-m; 42.82.Cr     

Structural and Magnetic Properties of the Al2O3/Ge-p/Al2O3/Co System

Technical Physics - The Al2O3/Ge-p/Al2O3/Co system with an Al2O3 buffer layer deposited by ion-plasma sputtering has been experimentally investigated. The dependences of the magnetic properties of...