Rapid thermal annealing effects on the structural and optical properties of Na–N codoped ZnO films

Polycrystalline ZnO thin films codoped with Na and N were obtained by chemical bath deposition. The structural characteristic and the optical properties of the rapid thermal annealed ZnO:(Na,N) films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Raman spectrum and room-temperature photoluminescence. After RTA treatment, the XRD spectra showed a continuous decrease of the full- width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the (0 0 2) diffraction peak of the ZnO:(Na,N) film. The Raman spectra revealed that the intensity of the mode around 582 cm⁻¹ increased with the increase of the RTA temperature. The PL spectra showed different trends in the UV luminescence of ZnO:(Na,N) films after RTA treatments.     

Effects of （LiCe） co-substitution on the structural and electrical properties of CaBi2Nb209 ceramics

The piezoelectric,dielectric,and ferroelectric properties of the(LiCe) co-substituted calcium bismuth niobate(CaBi2Nb2O9,CBNO) are investigated.The piezoelectric properties of CBNO ceramics are significantly enhanced and the dielectric loss tan δ decreased.This makes poling using(LiCe) co-substitution easier.The ceramics(where represents A-site Ca2+ vacancies,possess a pure layered structure phase and no other phases can be found.The Ca0.88(LiCe)0.04 0.04Bi2Nb2O9 ceramics possess optimal piezoelectric properties,with piezoelectric coefficient(d 33) and Curie temperature(TC) found to be 13.3 pC/N and 960 C,respectively.The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the(LiCe) co-substituted CBNO ceramics exhibit very stable temperature behaviours.This demonstrates that the CBNO ceramics are a promising candidate for ultrahigh temperature applications.     

Effects of high temperature rapid thermal annealing on Ge films grown on Si（001） substrate

Tensile strain,crystal quality,and surface morphology of 500 nm thick Ge films were improved after rapid thermal annealing at 900 C for a short period(20 s).The films were grown on Si(001)substrates by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition.These improvements are attributed to relaxation and defect annihilation in the Ge films.However,after prolonged(20 s)rapid thermal annealing,tensile strain and crystal quality degenerated.This phenomenon results from intensive Si–Ge mixing at high temperature.     

Effects of annealing temperature on the electrical property and microstructure of aluminum contact on n-type 3C–SiC

The 3C-SiC thin films used herein are grown on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition. A1 contacts with differ- ent thickness values are deposited on the 3C-SiC/Si （100） structure by the magnetron sputtering method and are annealed at different temperatures. We focus on the effects of the annealing temperature on the ohmic contact properties and mi- crostructure of A1/3C-SiC structure. The electrical properties of A1 contacts to n-type 3C-SiC are characterized by the transmission line method. The crystal structures and chemical phases of A1 contacts are examined by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. It is found that the A1 contacts exhibit ohmic contact behaviors when the annealing temperature is below 550 ℃, and they become Schottky contacts when the annealing tem- perature is above 650 ℃. A minimum specific contact resistance of 1.8 × 10-4 Ω cm2 is obtained when the A1 contact is annealed at 250 ℃.     

Magnetic, structural, and thermal properties of CoV?O?

In this paper, we investigate the electric, magnetic, structural, and thermal properties of spinel CoV(2)O(4). The temperature dependence of magnetization shows that, in addition to the paramagnetic-to-ferrimagnetic transition at T(C) = 142 K, two magnetic anomalies exist at 100 K, T(1) = 59 K. Consistent with the anomalies, the thermal conductivity presents two valleys at 100 K and T(1). At the temperature T(1), the heat capacity shows one peak, which cannot be attributed to the structural transition as revealed by the x-ray diffraction patterns for CoV(2)O(4). Below the transition temperature T(1), the ac susceptibility displays the characteristics of a glass. The series of phenomena at T(1) and the orbital state on V(3+) sites are discussed.     

Effects of barium on the nonlinear electrical characteristics and dielectric properties of SnO2-based varistors

The effects of barium on electrical and dielectric properties of the SnO_2·Co_2O_3·Ta_2O_5 varistor system sintered at 1250℃ for 60min were investigated. It is found that barium significantly improves the nonlinear properties. The breakdown electrical field increases from 378.0 to 2834.5V/mm, relative dielectric constant (at 1kHz) falls from 1206 to 161 and the resistivity (at 1kHz) rises from 60.3 to 1146.5kΩ·cm with an increase of BaCO_3 concentration from 0mol% to 1.00mol%. The sample with 1.00mol% barium has the best nonlinear electrical property and the highest nonlinear coefficient (α=29.2). A modified defect barrier model is introduced to illustrate the grain-boundary barrier formation of barium-doped SnO_{2}-based varistors.     

Influence of post-deposition annealing on the structural,optical and electrical properties of Li and Mg co-doped ZnO thin films deposited by sol–gel technique

Lithium (Li) and magnesium (Mg) co-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited by sol–gel method using spin coating technique. The films were deposited on glass substrates and annealed at different temperatures. The effects of annealing temperature on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet–Visible absorption spectra (UV–VIS), photoluminescence spectra (PL), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) and Hall measurements. XRD patterns indicated that the deposited films had a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred (0 0 0 2) orientation. All films were found to exhibit a good transparency in the visible range. Analysis of the absorption edge revealed that the optical band gap energies of the films annealed at different temperatures varies between 3.49 eV and 3.69 eV. Room temperature PL spectra of the deposited films annealed at various temperatures consist of a near band edge emission and visible emission due to the electronic defects, which are related to deep level emissions, such as oxide antisite (O_Zn), interstitial zinc (Zn_i), interstitial oxygen (O_i) and zinc vacancy (V_Zn) which are generated during annealing process. The influence of annealing temperature on the chemical state of the dopants in the film was analysed by XPS spectra. Ion beam analysis (Rutherford back scattering) experiments were performed to evaluate the content of Li and Mg in the films. Hall measurements confirmed the p-type nature of the deposited films.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on the structural,thermal and optical properties of Makrofol BL 2–4

Makrofol BL 2–4 is an extrusion film based on Makrolon polycarbonate. It comprises excellent die-cutting performance combined with high light transmission and moderate light scattering properties. It is a class of polymeric solid state nuclear track detectors which has many applications in various radiation detection fields. In the present work, Makrofol samples were irradiated using different gamma doses ranging from 10 to 350 kGy. The structural modifications in the gamma-irradiated Makrofol samples have been studied as a function of dose using different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, intrinsic viscosity, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, refractive index and color difference studies. The gamma irradiation in the dose range 20–200 kGy led to a more compact structure of Makrofol polymer, which resulted in an improvement in its thermal stability with an enhancement in its structural and optical properties.     

Effect of annealing temperature on the microstructure and optical–electrical properties of Cu–Al–O thin films

We have successfully prepared Cu–Al–O thin films on silicon (100) and quartz substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The as-deposited Cu–Al–O film is amorphous in nature and post-annealing treatment in argon ambience results in crystallization of the films and the formation of CuAlO₂. The annealing temperature plays an important role in the surface morphology, phase constitution and preferred growth orientation of CuAlO₂ phase, thus affecting the properties of the film. The film annealed at 900 °C is mainly composed of CuAlO₂ phase and shows smooth surface morphology with well-defined grain boundaries, thus exhibiting the optimum optical–electrical properties with electrical resistivity being 79.7 Ω·cm at room temperature and optical transmittance being 80% in visible region. The direct optical band gaps of the films are found in the range of 3.3–3.8 eV depending on the annealing temperature.     

Effects of A-site disorder on magnetic,electrical and thermal properties of La0.5−xLnxCa0.5−ySryMnO3manganites

The magnetic, electrical and thermal properties in the La_0.5?xLn_xCa_0.5?ySr_yMnO₃ (Ln=Pr, Nd, Sm) bulk system were investigated. Detailed dc magnetization and linear ac susceptibility measurements reveal that the samples first undergo phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase and then to an antiferromagnetic phase upon further cooling. It is found that both the Curie and Neel temperatures decrease systematically with increasing A-site disorder in these manganites. The electrical resistivity exhibits semiconducting behavior throughout the temperature range investigated and the electronic conduction mechanism can be conveniently described within the framework of the variable range hopping model above T=150 K. The Seebeck coefficient (S) in the magnetically ordered regime infers that the complicated temperature dependence of S is an indication of electron–magnon scattering. Specific heat measurements depict a broadened hump in the vicinity of T_C, indicating the existence of magnetic ordering and magnetic inhomogeneity in the samples. The temperature dependence of thermal conductivity, κ(T), reveals a positive dκ/dT in the paramagnetic region, which may be related to the local anharmonic lattice distortions associated with small polarons.     

Effect of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel method

In this work, ZnO thin films were synthesized by sol–gel method on glass substrates followed by calcinations on different temperatures. The effect of annealing temperature on the structure and optical properties of the films was studied. The structural characteristics of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope. The optical properties were studied by a UV-visible spectrophotometer. The results show that all the prepared ZnO thin films have a high preferential oriented c-axis orientation with compact hexagonal wurtzite structure. With the increasing annealing temperature (mse.ufl.edu), the intensity of (002) peak, particle size, surface RMS roughness, and absorbance of the ZnO thin films were increased as well. On the contrary, the transmittance and optical band gaps were decreased.     

Effect of ethylene carbonate concentration on structural and electrical properties of PEO–PMMA polymer blends

Polyethylene oxide–polymethyl methacrylate (PEO–PMMA) polymer blend electrolyte system complexed with silver salt having different ethylene carbonate (EC) concentrations was prepared using solution cast technique. Complex formation and change in structural and microstructural properties have been studied by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The thermal properties of polymer films have been examined by the differential scanning calorimetry technique. Addition of plasticizer is observed to lower melting temperature. Electrical response of polymer films has been measured as a function of EC concentration and temperature using complex impedance spectroscopy. Complex impedance data are used to analyze the conductivity, permittivity, and modulus formalism to understand the conduction mechanism. The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity of polymer electrolytes shows a sudden rise at the melting temperature of PEO.     

Influence of post-deposition annealing on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel and spin-coating method

Thin films of zinc oxide have been deposited onto (0001) sapphire substrate by sol–gel and spin-coating methods. The XRD pattern showed that the crystallinity of the annealed ZnO films had improved in comparison with that of the as-grown films. Photoluminescence spectra revealed a two-line structure, which is identified in terms of UV emission and defect-related emission. The emission intensity was found to be greatly dependent on heat treatment. Host phonons of ZnO and a shift of the _E2$E_2$ (high) peak from its position have been observed from Raman spectra. The surface morphologies of the film had been improved after annealing was observed from AFM images.     

Effects of underlayer materials and substrate temperatures on the structural and magnetic properties of Nd2Fe14B films

Thin films of Nd_2Fe_{14}B were fabricated on heated glass substrates by dc magnetron sputtering. Different material underlayers (Ta, Mo, or W) were used to examine the underlayer influence on the structural and magnetic properties of the NdFeB films. Deposited on a Ta buffer layer at 420℃, the 300 nm thick NdFeB films were shown to be isotropic. But when the substrate temperature T_s was elevated to 520℃, the Nd_2Fe_{14}B crystallites of (00l) plane were epitaxially grown on Ta (110) underlayer. In contrast, Mo (110) buffer layer could not induce any preferential orientation in NdFeB film irrespective of the substrate temperature or film thickness. The W buffer layer was found to be most effective for the nucleation of Nd_2Fe_{14}B crystallites with c-axis alignment perpendicular to the film plane when T_s<490℃. But at T_s=490℃ the magnetic layer became isotropic. The maximum coercivity obtained was about 995 kA/m for the 100nm film deposited on W underlayer at 490℃. These variations were tentatively explained in terms of the lattice misfit between the underlayer and the magnetic layer, combined with the considerations of underlayer morphologies.     

Investigation of the structural and electrical properties of air-annealed ruthenium thin films on 6H–SiC at different temperatures

Ruthenium (Ru) Schottky contacts and thin films on n-type 6H–SiC were fabricated and characterised by physical and electrical methods. The characterisation was done after annealing the samples in air at various temperatures. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) analysis of the thin films indicated the oxidation of Ru after annealing at a temperature of 400 °C, and interdiffusion of Ru and Si at the Ru–6H–SiC interface at 500 °C. XRD analysis of the thin films indicated the formation of RuO₂ and RuSi in Ru–6H–SiC after annealing at a temperature of 600 °C. The formation of the oxide was also corroborated by Raman spectroscopy. The ideality factor of the Schottky barrier diodes (SBD) was seen to generally decrease with annealing temperature. The series resistance increased astronomically after annealing at 700 °C, which was an indication that the SBD had broken down. The failure mechanism of the SBD is attributed to deep inter-diffusions of Ru and Si at the Ru–6H–SiC interface as evidenced by the RBS of the thin films.     

Effect of lithium thiocyanate addition on the structural and electrical properties of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) polymer films

Polymer electrolyte films of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) doped with LiSCN salt in different weight ratios were prepared using solution cast technique. The effect of crystallinity and interaction between lithium ions and carbonyl groups of PCL on the ionic conduction of PCL:LiSCN polymer electrolytes was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and AC impedance analysis. The XRD results revealed that the crystallinity of the PCL polymer matrix decreased with an increase in LiSCN salt concentration. The complexation of the salt with the polymer and the interaction of lithium ions with carbonyl groups of PCL were confirmed by FTIR. The ionic conductivity was found to increase with increasing salt concentration until 15 wt% and then to decrease with further increasing salt concentration. In addition, the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte films followed an Arrhenius relation and the activation energy for conduction decreased with increasing LiSCN concentration up to 15 wt%. UV–vis absorption spectra were used to evaluate the optical energy band gaps of the materials. The optical energy band gap shifted to lower energies with increasing LiSCN salt concentration.     

Effect of dopants on the structural,optical and electrical properties of sol–gel derived ZnO semiconductor thin films

Undoped, Ga-, In-, Zr-, and Sn-doped ZnO transparent semiconductor thin films were deposited on alkali-free glasses by sol–gel method. 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) and diethanolamine (DEA) were chosen as a solvent and a stabilizer, respectively. The doping concentration was maintained at 2 at.% in the impurity doping precursor solutions. The effects of different dopants on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated. XRD results show that all annealed ZnO-based thin films had a hexagonal (wurtzite) structure. ZnO thin films doped with impurity elements obviously improved the surface flatness and enhanced the optical transmittance. All impurity doped ZnO thin films showed high transparency in the visible range (>91%). The Ga- and In- doped ZnO thin films exhibited higher Hall mobility and lower resistivity than did the undoped ZnO thin film.