Characterization of ZnO: Al films deposited by r.f. magnetron-sputtering at low temperature

Transparent conducting ZnO: Al thin films with good adhesion and low resistivity have been prepared on organic substrates and Corning 7059 glass substrates by r.f. magnetron-sputtering technique at low substrate temperature (25–210°C). Structural and photoelectric properties of the deposited films are investigated. The deposited films are polycrystalline with hexagonal structure and a preferred orientation with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. Only the (002) peak is observed. High quality films with resistivity as low as 1.0 x 10^-3Ω·cm and 8.4 x 10^-4Ω·cm, the average transmittance over 74% and 85% in the wavelength range of the visible spectrum have been obtained on different substrates.     

Estimation of the quality of adhesion of a metallic coating to a polymer film using the scratch method

A method of determining the quality of adhesion of a metallic coating to a polymer film at coating thicknesses of 1000–3000 Å and film thicknesses of 10–100 µ using the scratch method is described. The results of testing various aluminized polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene film specimens, differing with respect to the treatment of the polymer surface before deposition of the metal, are presented. The aluminization vacuum was 5 · 10^?4 or 9 · 10^?3 mm Hg.     

Action of a powerful light beam on polypropylene film

The changes in the supermolecular structure of polypropylene films exposed to powerful light pulses have been investigated by optical microscopy. A pulse lasting 10^–3 sec produces melting of the polymer with subsequent recrystallization and the formation of a finely spherulitic structure. In connection with the change in supermolecular structure there is an increase in the breaking stress of the melted portion of the film. A pulse lasting 2·10^–8 sec causes melting and vaporization of individual parts of the spherulites in the irradiated region. The remainder of the polymer is such that orientation of the structural elements with respect to the radius—the maltese cross pattern of the original spherulites—is preserved.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 2, No. 6, pp. 817–822, 1966     

A polarographic study of methionine complexes of cadmium and indium

The stability constants of methionine complexes of cadmium were determined polarographically by ths method of DeFord and Hume as β₁ =6·5 × 10³, β₂ = 1·7 × 10⁶ and β₃ = 2·1 · 10⁸. The indium complexes were studied by the modified method of Momoki and Ogawa and two complexes, with β₁ = 1·7 × 10⁸ and β₂ = 8·4 × 10¹³, were identified in the concentration range studied. The haf-wave potential of uncomplexed indium ion which cannot be measured directly owing to the irreversible nature of the reduction was calculated as — 0·503 Vvs. SCE.     

Determination of Newtonian gravitational constantG with swing time method

The Newtonian gravitational constantG is determined by means of the swing time method at the Cave Laboratory of Center for Gravitational Experiment of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The result value ofG is (6.669 0 ± 0.001 6) × 10^-11 m³·kg^-1·s^-2, which is consistent with the CODATA value of G obtained by Cohen and Taylor in 3σ. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 19425008 and 49674246).     

On solenoidal high‐degree polynomial approximations to solutions of the stationary Stokes equations

The cell discretization algorithm, a nonconforming extension of the finite element method, is used to obtain approximations to the velocity and pressure functions satisfying the Stokes equations. Error estimates show convergence of the method. An implementation using polynomial bases is described that permits the use of the continuous approximations of the h‐p finite element method and exactly satisfies the solenoidal requirement. We express the error estimates in terms of the diameter h of a cell and degree p of the approximation on each cell. Examples of 10^th degree polynomial approximations are described that substantiate the theoretical estimates. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 16: 480–493, 2000     

Microstructure of a-SiOx:H

A set of a-SiO_x:H (0.52 <x< 1.58) films are fabricated by plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposition (PECVD) method at the substrate temperature of 250°C. The microstructure and local bonding configurations of the films are investigated in detail using micro-Raman scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It is found that the films are structural inhomogeneous, with five phases of Si, Si₂O:H, SiO:H, Si₂O₃:H and SiO₂ that coexist. The phase of Si is composed of nonhydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si) clusters that are spatially isolated. The average size of the clusters decreases with the increasing oxygen concentration x in the films. The results indicate that the structure of the present films can be described by a multi-shell model, which suggests that a-Si cluster is surrounded in turn by the subshells of Si₂O:H, SiO:H, Si₂O₃:H, and SiO₂.     

Effective elastic properties of 3D polypropylene microstructures of an injection moulded plate via different homogenization schemes

The mechanical properties of a polypropylene (PP) part depend on its morphology and degree of crystallinity. To evaluate its effective elastic behaviour two upscaling schemes are developed and compared. In the 1^st method the spherulites are assumed to be isotropic and vary linearly with the spherulite diameter. In the 2^nd one, the homogenization is performed successively on two scales. At the nanoscale, the bilamina of amorphous and crystalline phases is homogenized. Then, at the microscale, a 3D radial distribution of effective bilamina is homogenized. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Interaction of Elastic and Scalar Fields

The three-dimensional mathematical problems of the interaction of an elastic and some scalar fields are investigated. It is assumed that the elastic structure under consideration is a bounded homogeneous anisotropic body occupying domain Ω¯⁺⊂ℝ³ and the physical scalar field is defined in the exterior domain Ω⁻ = ℝ³\Ω⁺. These two fields satisfy the governing equations in the corresponding domains together with the transmission conditions on the interface ∂Ω⁺. The problems are studied by the potential method and the existence and uniqueness theorems are proved.     

Study of ion implanted Al0.25Ga0.75As/GaAs by Raman spectroscopy

This paper reported the effect of the weak damage in the Al_0.25Ga_0.75As/GaAs epitaxial layer induced by 0.8 MeV Si ions implantation with ion dose from 1 × 10¹⁴ to 5 × 10¹⁵ cm^-2. The Raman spectra measured on these samples showed that there were two kinds of phonon modes existing in the epitaxial Al_0.25Ga_0.75As films. The strains induced in the implanted layer and the corresponding lattice parameters were also evaluated as a function of the implanted dose. In addition, the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry/channeling (RBS/C) was also measured on these samples. These two measurement techniques all confirmed that the implantation only induced weak damage in the material.     

Microstructure of a-SiOx:H

A set of a-SiO_x:H (0.52 <x< 1.58) films are fabricated by plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposition (PECVD) method at the substrate temperature of 250°C. The microstructure and local bonding configurations of the films are investigated in detail using micro-Raman scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It is found that the films are structural inhomogeneous, with five phases of Si, Si₂O:H, SiO:H, Si₂O₃:H and SiO₂ that coexist. The phase of Si is composed of nonhydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si) clusters that are spatially isolated. The average size of the clusters decreases with the increasing oxygen concentration x in the films. The results indicate that the structure of the present films can be described by a multi-shell model, which suggests that a-Si cluster is surrounded in turn by the subshells of Si₂O:H, SiO:H, Si₂O₃:H, and SiO₂.     

A polarographic study of methionine complexes of cadmium in mixed solvents

Methionine complexes of cadmium in 25 and 50 per cent aqueous mixtures of ethyl and methyl alcohol and dioxan have been studied. The half-wave potentials measured in both the alcohols were the same and the reduction was reversible. Three complex species withβ ₁=1·0×10⁴,β ₂=1·1×10⁷ andβ ₃=1·2×10⁹ were found in 25 per cent alcohol while four complexes withβ ₁=3·0×10⁴,β ₂=4·3×10⁷,β ₃=4·0×10⁹ andβ ₄=1·6×10¹¹ were observed in 50 per cent solutions. In the case of dioxan, the reduction was quasi-reversible (k _s=1·0×10^?3 cm sec^?1) in 25 per cent and irreversible (k _s=2·0×10^?4 cm sec^?1) in 50 per cent solutions. The stability constants, evaluated using the formal potentials, wereβ ₁=7·0×10³,β ₂-3·9×10⁵;β ₂=3·9×10⁸ andβ ₄=3·4×10¹⁰ in 25 per cent dioxan andβ ₁=1·5×10⁴,β ₂=3·4×10⁷.β ₃=7·5×10⁹ andβ ₄=9·0×10¹¹ in 50 per cent solutions.     

Good candidates for least area soap films

Soap films are presented as potential global area minimizers subject to a topological constraint. Experimentally, this constraint is the shape of the soapy water in a soap film experiment. In this context, soap films which are probable area minimizers for rectangular n-prisms are described. By allowing area minimizers which arise as deformations of higher genus surfaces, we are able to discover previously unknown soap films spanning rectangular n-prisms with large aspect ratios and n ≥ 5. For n = 3, 4, 5, we show that the central film contracts to a point as the aspect ratio of the prism increases. We also prove that the area of the central hexagon for a soap film spanning a tall 6-prism approaches zero like (height)^?4 as the height approaches infinity, provided we fix the length of the hexagon base. Finally, we prove that, if the aspect ratio is large enough, the soap film produced experimentally spanning a 4-prism has films which look planar but in reality are non-planar.     

Study of ion implanted Al0.25Ga0.75As/GaAs by Raman spectroscopy

This paper reported the effect of the weak damage in the Al_0.25Ga_0.75As/GaAs epitaxial layer induced by 0.8 MeV Si ions implantation with ion dose from 1 × 10¹⁴ to 5 × 10¹⁵ cm^-2. The Raman spectra measured on these samples showed that there were two kinds of phonon modes existing in the epitaxial Al_0.25Ga_0.75As films. The strains induced in the implanted layer and the corresponding lattice parameters were also evaluated as a function of the implanted dose. In addition, the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry/channeling (RBS/C) was also measured on these samples. These two measurement techniques all confirmed that the implantation only induced weak damage in the material.     

High quality YBCO superconductive thin films fabricated by laser molecular beam epitaxy

High quality YBa₂.Cu₃O_{6 +x}(YBCO) superconductive thin films have been fabricated on the SrTiO₃(100) substrate using laser molecular beam epitaxy (laser-MBE). The active oxygen source was used, which made the necessary ambient oxygen pressure be 2–3 orders lower than that in pulsed laser deposition (PLD). T_c0 is 85–87 K, and J_c, 1.0 × 10⁶ A/cm². Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements show that no obvious particulates can be observed and the root mean square roughness is 7.8 nm. High stability DC superconducting quantum interference devices (DC-SQUID) was fabricated using this YBCO thin film.     

Studies on efficiencies of electrochemiluminescence of rubrene

The electrochemiluminescence efficiencies of rubrene system has been obtained by using the transient method in a variety of solvents. The efficiencies are in the range of 0·11 × 10^?3?4·1×10^?2. The mixed system efficiencies are less at least by an order of magnitude in all the solvents except in dimethylsulphoxide. The variation in efficiencies of the pure and mixed systems is explained on the basis of mechanistic differences. In the applied magnetic field, the electrochemiluminescence efficiency of the pure system increases by about 7% and of the mixed system by about 18–25%.     

Edge‐decompositions of Kn,n into isomorphic copies of a given tree

We construct an incidence structure using certain points and lines in finite projective spaces. The structural properties of the associated bipartite incidence graphs are analyzed. These n × n bipartite graphs provide constructions of C₆‐free graphs with Ω(n^4/3 edges, C₁₀‐free graphs with Ω(n^6/5) edges, and Θ(7,7,7)‐free graphs with Ω(n^8/7) edges. Each of these bounds is sharp in order of magnitude. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 49: 1–10, 2005     

Nuclear disintegrations produced in nuclear emulsions by α-particles of great energy

A study of nuclear disintegrations caused by α-particles of primary cosmic radiation with energies > 5 BeV per nucleon, has been carried out. In a systematic survey in nuclear emulsions using ‘along the track’ scanning method, 479 α-particles with a total track length of 40·84 metres and 242 interactions were obtained. From the angular distribution of shower particles associated with these interactions, a procedure has been found for distinguishing protons, which originally formed part of the incident α-particle and which have not taken part in the interaction, from other charged particles. The mean free path for nuclear interaction in G-5 emulsion is found to be 17·5±1·1 cm. (68·9±4·3 gm./cm.²). Assigning both to the incident α-particle and to the target nuclei a radius R=r _oA^1/2, one obtains an effective nuclear radiusr _o=1·13±0·04 ×10^?13 cm. Using the number of protons emerging from disintegrations of heavy nuclei (Silver and Bromine) without having participated in the interaction (as can be deduced from the angular distribution) and assuming spherical nuclei of uniform density, the mean free path of nucleons in nuclear matter is calculated to be less than 3·2×10^?13 cm.     

Critical random graphs and the structure of a minimum spanning tree

We consider the complete graph on n vertices whose edges are weighted by independent and identically distributed edge weights and build the associated minimum weight spanning tree. We show that if the random weights are all distinct, then the expected diameter of such a tree is Θ(n^1/3). This settles a question of Frieze and Mc‐Diarmid (Random Struct Algorithm 10 (1997), 5–42). The proofs are based on a precise analysis of the behavior of random graphs around the critical point. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2009     

On the several differences between primes

Enumeration of the primes with difference 4 between consecutive primes, is counted up to 5×10¹⁰, yielding the counting function π_2,4(5 × 10¹⁰) = 118905303. The sum of reciprocals of primes with gap 4 between consecutive primes is computedB ₄(5×10¹⁰)=1.197054473029 andB ₄=1.197054±7×10^?6. And Enumeration of the primes with difference 6 between consecutive primes, is counted up to 5×10¹⁰, yielding the counting function π_2,6(5 × 10¹⁰) = 215868063. The sum of reciprocals of primes with gap 6 between consecutive primes is computedB ₆(5×10¹⁰)=0.93087506039231 andB ₆=1.135835±1.2×10^?6.