Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectroscopic characterization of the nitrogen profile of shallow gate oxynitride thermally grown on a silicon substrate

Silicon oxynitride has been used as a shallow gate oxide material for microelectronics and its thickness has been reduced over the years to only a few tens of angstroms due to device size scaling. The nitride distribution and density characteristic in the gate oxide thus becomes imperative for the devices. The shallow depth profiling capability using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) has huge potential for the nitrogen characterization of the shallow gate oxide film. In this article, both positive and negative spectra of TOF‐SIMS on silicon oxynitride have been extensively studied and it was found that the silicon nitride clusters Si_xN^? (x = 1–4) are able to represent the nitrogen profiles because their ion yields are high enough, especially for the low‐level nitride doping in the oxide, which is formed by the annealing of nitric oxide on SiO₂/Si. The gate oxide thickness measured by the TOF‐SIMS profiling method using ¹⁸O or CsO profile calibration was found to correlate very well with transmission electron microscope measurement. The nitrogen concentration in the gate oxide measured using the TOF‐SIMS method was consistent with the results obtained using the dynamic SIMS method, which is currently applied to relatively thicker oxynitride films. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sol‐Gel‐Process in the Ammono‐System – a Novel Access to Silicon Based Nitrides

Controlled coammonolysis of elementalkylamides in aprotic organic solvents at low temperatures have been shown to result in the formation of polyazanes. The synthetic procedure developed may be addressed as “sol‐gel‐route in the ammono system”. Pyrolysis of these novel polymer precursors gave access to multinary nitrides. For the model systems Si(NHMe)₄/B(NMe₂)₃, Si(NHMe)₄/Ti(NMe₂)₄, and Si(NHMe)₄/Ta(NMe₂)₅ polymeric boro‐, titano and tantalosilazanes were obtained. Pyrolysis in ammonia at 1000 °C yielded amorphous silicon boron nitride, silicon titanium nitride and silicon tantalum nitride powders; further heating of the nitride powders at 1500 °C in nitrogen atmosphere led to the formation of partly crystalline composites of α‐Si₃N₄ and amorphous silicon boron nitride for the Si/B/N system, a composite of finely dispersed TiN and amorphous silicon titanium nitride for the Si/Ti/N system, and crystalline TaN and amorphous silicon nitride for the Si/Ta/N system. Furthermore, the structure and pyrolysis chemistry of the polymeric intermediates, as well as the morphology of the pyrolysis products, were studied by NMR, MAS‐NMR, FT‐IR, DTA‐TG‐MS, XRD, SEM, EDX and elemental analyses.     

Charge referencing issues in XPS of insulators as evidenced in the case of Al‐Si‐N thin films

Accurate charge referencing in XPS of insulating specimens is a delicate issue. This difficulty is illustrated in the case of Al‐Si‐N composite thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering with variable composition from pure aluminum nitride to pure silicon nitride. The samples were mounted with Au‐coated metallic clamps. Argon sputter cleaning was required to remove a surface native oxide before analysis. For charge referencing implanted argon atoms from the sputter gas and a small amount of gold re‐deposited from the metallic clamps onto the specimen surface during sputter cleaning were evaluated. For the argon atoms, a surprisingly large chemical shift (～1 eV) and a significant peak broadening (0.6 eV) of the Ar 2p_3/2 photoelectron line were found with varying the Si content of the films. This could be related to chemical and structural changes of the Al‐Si‐N films. Hence implanted argon could not be used for charge referencing of Al‐Si‐N samples. In contrast to the implanted argon, the Au 4f_7/2 line width of the gold re‐deposited onto the sample surface did not depend on the Si content of Al‐Si‐N films. A constant energy shift (～1.2 eV) of the Au 4f_7/2 line as compared with bulk gold was, however, found, which was related to the size of gold particles formed on the insulating films. Therefore gold could be reliably used to study chemical shifts of sample‐relevant species in Al‐Si‐N films, but the absolute binding energies of Al 2p, Si 2p and N 1s photoelectrons could not be determined. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Silicon Nitride Capacitive Chemical Sensor for Phosphate Ion Detection Based on Copper Phthalocyanine – Acrylate‐polymer

In this work, we report the development of a highly sensitive capacitance chemical sensor based on a copper C,C,C,C‐ tetra‐carboxylic phthalocyanine‐acrylate polymer adduct (Cu(II)TCPc‐PAA) for phosphate ions detection. A capacitance silicon nitride substrate based Al−Cu/Si‐p/SiO₂/Si₃N₄ structure was used as transducer. These materials have provided good stability of electrochemical measurements. The functionalized silicon‐based transducers with a Cu(II)Pc‐PAA membrane were characterized by using Mott‐Schottky technique measurements at different frequency ranges and for different phosphate concentrations. The morphological surface of the Cu(II)Pc‐PAA modified silicon‐nitride based transducer was characterized by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy. The pH effect was also investigated by the Mott‐Schottcky technique for different Tris‐HCl buffer solutions. The sensitivity of silicon nitride was studied at different pH of Tris‐HCl buffer solutions. This pH test has provided a sensitivity value of 51 mV/decade. The developed chemical sensor showed a good performance for phosphate ions detection within the range of 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻⁵ M with a Nernstian sensitivity of 27.7 mV/decade. The limit of detection of phosphate ions was determined at 1 nM. This chemical sensor was highly specific for phosphate ions when compared to other interfering ions as chloride, sulfate, carbonate and perchlorate. The present capacitive chemical sensor is thus very promising for sensitive and rapid detection of phosphate in environmental applications.     

Synthesis,Characterization, Electronic and Gas‐Sensing Properties towards H2 and CO of Transparent,Large‐Area,Low‐Layer Graphene

Low‐layered, transparent graphene is accessible by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique on a Ni‐catalyst layer, which is deposited on a <100> silicon substrate. The number of graphene layers on the substrate is controlled by the grain boundaries in the Ni‐catalyst layer and can be studied by micro Raman analysis. Electrical studies showed a sheet resistance (R_sheet) of approximately 1435 Ω per □, a contact resistance (R_c) of about 127 Ω, and a specific contact resistance (R_sc) of approximately 2.8×10^?4 Ω cm² for the CVD graphene samples. Transistor output characteristics for the graphene sample demonstrated linear current/voltage behavior. A current versus voltage (I_ds–V_ds) plot clearly indicates a p‐conducting characteristic of the synthesized graphene. Gas‐sensor measurements revealed a high sensor activity of the low‐layer graphene material towards H₂ and CO. At 300 °C, a sensor response of approximately 29 towards low H₂ concentrations (1 vol %) was observed, which is by a factor of four higher than recently reported.     

Functional membranes prepared by layer‐by‐layer assembly and its metal ions adsorption property

PVDF/(PEI‐C/PAA)_n functional membranes were prepared by layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly, and their heavy metal ions adsorption capability was investigated. The changes in the chemical compositions of membrane surfaces were determined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS results show that the surface of the PVDF membrane can be alternatively functionalized by PEI‐C and PAA. The membrane surface hydrophilicity was evaluated through water contact angle measurement. Contact angle results show that the surface hydrophilicity of the membrane surface depends on the outermost deposited layer. Morphological changes of membrane surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The water fluxes for these membranes were elevated after modification. The performances of the PVDF/(PEI‐C/PAA)_n membranes on the adsorption of copper ions (Cu²⁺) from aqueous solutions were investigated by inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The results indicate that the PVDF/(PEI‐C/PAA)_n functional membranes show high copper ions adsorption ability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creating and Modulating Microdomains in Pore‐Spanning Membranes

The architecture of the plasma membrane is not only determined by the lipid and protein composition, but is also influenced by its attachment to the underlying cytoskeleton. Herein, we show that microscopic phase separation of “raft‐like” lipid mixtures in pore‐spanning bilayers is strongly determined by the underlying highly ordered porous substrate. In detail, lipid membranes composed of DOPC/sphingomyelin/cholesterol/Gb₃ were prepared on ordered pore arrays in silicon with pore diameters of 0.8, 1.2 and 2 μm, respectively, by spreading and fusion of giant unilamellar vesicles. The upper part of the silicon substrate was first coated with gold and then functionalized with a thiol‐bearing cholesterol derivative rendering the surface hydrophobic, which is prerequisite for membrane formation. Confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy was used to investigate the phase behavior of the obtained pore‐spanning membranes. Coexisting liquid‐ordered‐ (l_o) and liquid‐disordered (l_d) domains were visualized for DOPC/sphingomyelin/cholesterol/Gb₃ (40:35:20:5) membranes. The size of the l_o‐phase domains was strongly affected by the underlying pore size of the silicon substrate and could be controlled by temperature, and the cholesterol content in the membrane, which was modulated by the addition of methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin. Binding of Shiga toxin B‐pentamers to the Gb₃‐doped membranes increased the l_o‐phase considerably and even induced l_o‐phase domains in non‐phase separated bilayers composed of DOPC/sphingomyelin/cholesterol/Gb₃ (65:10:20:5).     

Spin‐State‐Controlled Photodissociation of Iron(III) Azide to an Iron(V) Nitride Complex

The generation of iron(V) nitride complexes, which are targets of biomimetic chemistry, is reported. Temperature‐dependent ion spectroscopy shows that this reaction is governed by the spin‐state population of their iron(III) azide precursors and can be tuned by temperature. The complex [(MePy₂TACN)Fe(N₃)]²⁺ (MePy₂TACN=N ‐methyl‐N ,N ‐bis(2‐picolyl)‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane) exists as a mixture of sextet and doublet spin states at 300 K, whereas only the doublet state is populated at 3 K. Photofragmentation of the sextet state complex leads to the reduction of the iron center. The doublet state complex photodissociates to the desired iron(V) nitride complex. To generalize these findings, we show results for complexes with cyclam‐based ligands.     

Copper‐supported β‐cyclodextrin‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: Efficient multifunctional catalyst for one‐pot ‘green’ synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazolylquinazolinone derivatives

The green synthesis of 2‐(4‐((1‐phenyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)oxy)phenyl)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives is reported. The catalyst for this synthesis is copper‐supported β‐cyclodextrin‐functionalized magnetic silica–iron oxide nanoparticles ([Cu@BCD@SiO₂@SPION]). [Cu@BCD@SiO₂@SPION] simultaneously catalyses ‘click’ reaction, oxidation of C? N bond and multicomponent reaction. The desired 1,2,3‐triazolylquinazolinone product is easily obtained in water at room temperature under mild reaction conditions. Another advantage of the catalyst is its reusability. It can simply be isolated using an external magnet and reused in reactions with no significant decrease in catalyst efficiency. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used for exact characterization of the [Cu@BCD@SiO₂@SPION] catalyst.     

Prometabolites of 5‐Diphospho‐myo‐inositol Pentakisphosphate

Diphospho‐myo‐inositol phosphates (PP‐InsP_y) are an important class of cellular messengers. Thus far, no method for the transport of PP‐InsP_y into living cells is available. Owing to their high negative charge density, PP‐InsP_y will not cross the cell membrane. A strategy to circumvent this issue involves the generation of precursors in which the negative charges are masked with biolabile groups. A PP‐InsP_y prometabolite would require twelve to thirteen biolabile groups, which need to be cleaved by cellular enzymes to release the parent molecules. Such densely modified prometabolites of phosphate esters and anhydrides have never been reported to date. This study discloses the synthesis of such agents and an analysis of their metabolism in tissue homogenates by gel electrophoresis. The acetoxybenzyl‐protected system is capable of releasing 5‐PP‐InsP₅ in mammalian cell/tissue homogenates within a few minutes and can be used to release 5‐PP‐InsP₅ inside cells. These molecules will serve as a platform for the development of fundamental tools required to study PP‐InsP_y physiology.     

Vapor‐Surface Sol‐Gel Deposition of Titania Alternated with Protein Adsorption for Assembly of Electroactive,Enzyme‐Active Films

Combining vapor‐surface sol‐gel deposition of titania with alternate adsorption of oppositely charged iron heme proteins provided ultrathin {TiO₂/protein}_n films with reversible voltammetry extended to 15 TiO₂/protein bilayers, more than twice that of more conventional polyion‐protein or nanoparticle‐protein films made by alternate layer‐by‐layer adsorption. Catalytic activity toward O₂, H₂O₂, and NO was also improved significantly compared to the conventionally fabricated films. The method involves vaporization of titanium butoxide into thin films of water, forming porous TiO₂ sol‐gel layers. Myoglobin (Mb), hemoglobin (Hb), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were assembled by adsorption alternated with the vapor‐deposited TiO₂ layers. Improved electrochemical and catalytic performance may be related to better film permeability leading to better mass transport within the films, as suggested by studies with soluble voltammetric probes, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical and electrocatalytic activity of the films can be controlled by tailoring the amount of water with which the metal alkoxide precursor vapor reacts and the number of bilayers deposited in the assembly.     

Voltammetric Studies of Cadmium‐ and Zinc‐Containing Metallothioneins at Nafion‐Coated Mercury Thin Film Electrodes

Voltammetric studies of rabbit liver metallothioneins (MTs, containing both Zn and Cd ions) and Zn₇‐MT were carried out at Nafion‐coated mercury film electrodes (NCMFEs). The accumulation of MT molecules into the NCMFEs enhances the voltammetric signals and the electrostatic interaction between the Nafion membrane and MT facilitates facile electron transfer reactions. Two well‐defined redox waves, with reduction potential (E_pc) values at ?0.740 and ?1.173 V, respectively, were observed. The peak at E_pc =?0.740 V is attributable to the reduction of the Cd‐MT complex, whereas that at E_pc=?1.173 V was assigned to the reduction of the Zn‐MT complex. Zn₇‐MT exhibits only one redox wave with E_pc=?1.198 V. The NCMFE was found to be more advantageous than thin mercury film electrode (MFE), because the pristine metal ions in MTs (e.g., Cd²⁺ and/or Zn²⁺) are not significantly replaced by Hg²⁺. The NCMFE is also complementary to Nafion‐coated bismuth film electrode in that it has a greater hydrogen overpotential, which allows the reduction of the Zn‐MT complex to be clearly observed. Moreover, intermetallic compound formation between Cd and Zn appears to be less serious at NCMFEs. Consequently, the amounts of Cd and Zn deposited into the electrode upon the reduction reactions can be quantified more accurately.     

Hydrogen Production by Water Dissociation in Surface‐Modified BaCoxFeyZr1−x−yO3−δ Hollow‐Fiber Membrane Reactor with Improved Oxygen Permeation

A porous perovskite BaCo_xFe_yZr_0.9?x?yPd_0.1O_3?δ (BCFZ‐Pd) coating was deposited onto the outer surface of a BaCo_xFe_yZr_1?x?yO_3?δ (BCFZ) perovskite hollow‐fiber membrane. The surface morphology of the modified BCFZ fiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicating the formation of a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer on the outer surface of a dense BCFZ hollow‐fiber membrane. The oxygen permeation flux of the BCFZ membrane with a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer increased 3.5 times more than that of the blank BCFZ membrane when feeding reactive CH₄ onto the permeation side of the membrane. The blank BCFZ membrane and surface‐modified BCFZ membrane were used as reactors to shift the equilibrium of thermal water dissociation for hydrogen production because they allow the selective removal of the produced oxygen from the water dissociation system. It was found that the hydrogen production rate increased from 0.7 to 2.1 mL H₂ min^?1 cm^?2 at 950 °C after depositing a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer onto the BCFZ membrane.     

Synthesis and Electrochemical Study of Antifluorite‐type Phases in the Li‐M‐N‐O (M = Ti,V) Systems

Antifluorite‐type phases have been prepared in the Li‐M‐N‐O (M = Ti, V) systems by solid state reaction under nitrogen starting from mixtures of lithium nitride, different amounts of lithium oxide and the transition metal nitride. The two series of samples obtained can be formulated as Li₅TiN₃ · xLi₂O and Li₇VN₄ · xLi₂O solid solutions. X‐ray diffraction data indicate that, as the amount of oxygen increases, the superstructure peaks decrease in intensity without changing their position, whereas the peaks corresponding to the simple anti‐fluorite structure increase. Thus, samples with low oxygen content are a mixture of two phases: the corresponding ternary nitride (either Li₅TiN₃ or Li₇VN₄) and the quaternary oxinitride with a disordered antifluorite structure and hence structural disorder does not seem to be induced progressively, as previously believed. In agreement with previous studies, a decrease of the cell parameter with oxygen content is observed in both solid solutions. Even though no deintercalation/intercalation reactions were expected (no cationic vacancies exist in the sample and the transition metals are present in their highest oxidation states) an evaluation of the electrochemical performances of the samples vs. metallic lithium was done to test the possibility of conversion reactions taking place. However, none of them showed any electroactivity.     

Matrix‐assisted laser ablation production of gold cluster ions from Au‐coated photonic crystals

A new strategy was explored to generate pure gold cluster ions, Au_n^+/?, from gold films deposited on solid substrates via a matrix‐assisted laser ablation technique. The gold films deposited on SiO₂‐particle‐assembled photonic crystals were demonstrated to be the most ideal compared with the films deposited on various glass slides. Dropped with a matrix of 2‐(4‐hydroxyphenylazo) benzoic acid and bombarded by nitrogen pulse laser (355 nm), they could release a series of Au_n⁺ with n more than 110 or Au_n^? with n more than 60 according to the data obtained by inline time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The gold‐deposited photonic crystal substrates could be stored at room temperature for at least 6 months. The method is hence steady and convenient in use. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Redox‐Mediator‐Free Solar‐Driven Z‐Scheme Water‐Splitting System Consisting of Modified Ta3N5 as an Oxygen‐Evolution Photocatalyst

Tantalum nitride (Ta₃N₅) modified with various O₂‐evolution cocatalysts was employed as a photocatalyst for water oxidation under visible light (λ>420 nm) in an attempt to construct a redox‐mediator‐free Z‐scheme water‐splitting system. Ta₃N₅ was prepared by nitriding Ta₂O₅ powder under a flow of NH₃ at 1023–1223 K. The activity of Ta₃N₅ for water oxidation from an aqueous AgNO₃ solution as an electron acceptor without cocatalyst was dependent on the generation of a well‐crystallized Ta₃N₅ phase with a low density of anionic defects. Modification of Ta₃N₅ with nanoparticulate metal oxides as cocatalysts for O₂ evolution improved water‐oxidation activity. Of the cocatalysts examined, cobalt oxide (CoO_x) was found to be the most effective, improving the water‐oxidation efficiency of Ta₃N₅ by six to seven times. Further modification of CoO_x/Ta₃N₅ with metallic Ir as an electron sink allowed one to achieve Z‐scheme water splitting under simulated sunlight through interparticle electron transfer without the need for a shuttle redox mediator in combination with Ru‐loaded SrTiO₃ doped with Rh as a H₂‐evolution photocatalyst.     

Surface cavities produced by high‐dose nitrogen ion implantation into silicon

Nitrogen ion implantation (24 keV, 4.6 × 10¹⁷ cm^?2) into (100) a p‐type silicon wafer material and a subsequent electron beam annealing at 1100 °C for 15 s under high vacuum conditions leads to the formation of an uneven surface in the implanted region caused by nitrogen bubbles beneath the surface. Annealing at 1200 °C for 300 s results in surface cavities with a mean diameter of 350 nm and a surface coverage of 3–4% and an average depth of ～60 nm. Nuclear reaction analysis reveals that the nitrogen concentration in the as‐implanted state exceeds 57 at%, the value of stoichiometric Si₃N₄. Annealing at 1100 °C for 15 s slightly reduces the nitrogen peak concentration, whereas annealing at 1200 °C for 300 s induces a significant alteration to the shape of the nitrogen depth profile coupled with the lowering of the concentration close to the stoichiometry of Si₃N₄. The results present a new method of producing sub‐micrometre cavities embedded in a thin silicon nitride film on wafer silicon which may lead to novel micro‐electronic and biotechnology applications. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interface formation of Al2O3 on n‐GaN(0001): Photoelectron spectroscopy studies

Al₂O₃ insulator layers were deposited step by step by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) method onto gallium nitride in the wurtzite form, n‐type and (0001)‐oriented. The substrate surface and the early stages of Al₂O₃/n‐GaN(0001) interface formation were characterized in situ under ultra‐high vacuum conditions by X‐ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UPS). The electron affinity (EA) of the substrate cleaned by annealing was 3.6 eV. Binding energies of the Al 2p (76.0 eV) and the O 1s (532.9 eV) confirmed the creation of the Al₂O₃ compound in the deposited film for which the EA was 1.6 eV. The Al₂O₃ film was found to be amorphous with a bandgap of 6.9 eV determined from the O 1s loss feature. As a result, the calculated Al₂O₃/n‐GaN(0001) valence band offset (VBO) is ?1.3 eV and the corresponding conduction band offset (CBO) 2.2 eV.     

Highly Active GaN‐Stabilized Ta3N5 Thin‐Film Photoanode for Solar Water Oxidation

Ta₃N₅ is a very promising photocatalyst for solar water splitting because of its wide spectrum solar energy utilization up to 600 nm and suitable energy band position straddling the water splitting redox reactions. However, its development has long been impeded by poor compatibility with electrolytes. Herein, we demonstrate a simple sputtering‐nitridation process to fabricate high‐performance Ta₃N₅ film photoanodes owing to successful synthesis of the vital TaO_δ precursors. An effective GaN coating strategy is developed to remarkably stabilize Ta₃N₅ by forming a crystalline nitride‐on‐nitride structure with an improved nitride/electrolyte interface. A stable, high photocurrent density of 8 mA cm⁻² was obtained with a CoPi/GaN/Ta₃N₅ photoanode at 1.2 V_RHE under simulated sunlight, with O₂ and H₂ generated at a Faraday efficiency of unity over 12 h. Our vapor‐phase deposition method can be used to fabricate high‐performance (oxy)nitrides for practical photoelectrochemical applications.     

From the Lithium‐2‐anilide‐2‐fluoro‐1,3‐diaza‐2‐sila‐cyclopentene‐GaCl3 Adduct to 1,4,6‐Triaza‐5‐gallium‐7‐sila‐cyclo‐3‐heptene ‐ Experimental and Quantum‐chemical Results

The lithium salt (HC–NCMe₃)₂SiFNLiR ( 1 ) R = C₆H₃(2,6‐CHMe₂)₂ reacts with trichlorogallium under displacement of the lithium ion by GaCl₃ to give the adduct [(HC–NCMe₃)₂SiFN]^– [(GaCl₃)R·Li(thf)₄]⁺ ( 1 ). Compound 1 thermally loses LiCl and forms the bicyclic ring intermediates V and VI . Compound  VI adds the aniline H₂NC₆H₃(2,6‐CHMe₂)₂ and the unsaturated, seven‐membered ring compound –NCMe₃–CH₂–CH=NCMe₃GaCl₂–NR–SiFNHR– ( 2 ) is obtained. The addition is accompanied by an enamine‐imine‐tautomerism and proves the Lewis acid character of the silicon atom in an unknown 3‐center‐2‐electron interaction of one nitrogen atom with the silicon and gallium atoms. Quantum chemical calculations of the thermal isomerisation process and crystal structures of 1 and 2 are reported.