Electromechanical Properties of Microcantilever Actuated by Enhanced Piezoelectric PZT Thick Film

Pb(Zr_0.53,Ti_0.47)O₃ (PZT) films with thicknesses of 0.8μm, 2μm and 4μm are prepared by a sol-gel method and their longitudinal piezoelectric coefficients are analysed. The results show that the PZT thick films, whose density is closer to bulk PZT, has the better crystallization, with d₃₃ and density much larger than those of PZT thin films. A piezoelectric microcantilever actuated by a 4-μm-thick PZT film is fabricated and its displacement is measured in different frequencies and voltages. The displacement increases linearly with the increasing bias, and the maximum displacement of 0.544μm is observed at 30kHz for 5V bias. The resonant frequency obtained in the experiment matches quite well with the theoretical result, and it is shown that the resonant frequency of PZT microcantilever could be controlled and predicated.     

Effect of Aspect Ratio Distribution on Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Extinction Spectrum of Gold Nanorods

Gold nanorods with different aspect ratios are prepared in micells using a seeded growth method. Their extinction spectra are observed with an UV-visible spectrophotometer and analysed theoretically. It is known that there are two plasmon resonance peaks for gold nanorod corresponding to transverse and longitudinal plasmon resonance respectively. Moreover, the longitudinal plasmon resonance peak shifts to long wavelength when we increase the aspect ratio determined from TEM. Especially, we model the extinction spectrum using Gans' theory and compare it with our experimental result. Considering the aspect radios distribution of gold nanorods, it is found that longitudinal plasmon resonance peak will be wider than the nanorods with single aspect ratio, which is consistent with our experimental result. In addition, the effect of dielectric constant of surrounding medium is considered.     

Effect of Density and Surface Roughness on Optical Properties of Silicon Carbide Optical Components

The effect of density and surface roughness on the optical properties of silicon carbide optical components is investigated. The density is the major factor of the total reflectance while the surface roughness is the major factor of the diffuse reflectance. The specular reflectance of silicon carbide optical components can be improved by increasing the density and decreasing the surface roughness, in the form of reducing bulk absorption and surface-related scattering, respectively. The contribution of the surface roughness to the specular reflectance is much greater than that of the density. When the rms surface roughness decreases to 2.228nm, the specular reflectance decreases to less than 0. 7% accordingly.     

Quasi-Hexagonal Ordered Arrays of FePt Nanoparticles Prepared by a Micellar Method

Hexagonally ordered arrays of magnetic FePt nanoparticles on Si substrates are prepared by a self assembly of diblock copolymer PS-b-P2VP in toluene, a dip coating process and finally plasma treatment. The as-treated FePt nanoparticles are covered by an oxide layer that can be removed by a 40 s Ar＋ sputtering. The effects of the sequence of adding salts on the composition distribution are revealed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. No particle agglomeration is observed after 600℃annealing for the present ordered array of FePt nanoparticles, which exhibits advantages in patterning FePt nanoparticles by a micellar method. Moreover, magnetic properties of the annealed FePt nanoparticles at room temperature are investigated by a vibrating sample magnetometer.     

Friction Properties of Bio-mimetic Nano-fibrillar Arrays

Nano-fibrillar arrays are fabricated using polystyrene materials. The average diameter of each fiber is about 300 nm. Experiments show that such a fibrillar surface possesses a relatively hydrophobie feature with a water contact angle of 142°. Nanoscale friction properties are mainly focused on. It is found that the friction force of polystyrene nano-fibrillar surfaces is obviously enhanced in contrast to polystyrene smooth surfaces. The apparent coefficient of friction increases with the applied load, but is independent of the scanning speed. An interesting observation is that the friction force increases almost linearly with the real contact area, which abides by the fundamental Bowden-Tabor law of nano-seale friction.     

ZnO Nanostructures Grown on A1N/Sapphire Substrates by MOCVD

ZnO nanorods and nanotubes are successful synthesized on A1N/sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition （MOGVD）. The different morphology and structure properties of ZnO nanorods and nanotubes are found to be affected by the A1N under-layer. The photoluminescence spectra show the optical properties of the ZnO nanorods and nanotubes, in which a blueshift of UV emission is observed and is attributed to the surface effect.[第一段]     

Preparation of Aligned Polymer Micro/Nanofibres by Electrospinning

Polymer micro/nanofibres are prepared by typical and modified methods of electrospinning. The morphologies and microstructures of the electrospun micro/nanofibres are characterized by a scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The micro/nanofibres prepared by the typical electrospinning are usually collected in the form of nonwoven mats lacking of structural orientation, However, by modifying collector（s） of the electrospinning setup, the resulting polymer fibres show aligned structures to some extent. We analyse all the forces that the fibres experienced during electrospinning and find that the electrostatic force originating from the splitting electric field plays a key role in the alignment of the micro/nanofibres.     

Preparation and Size Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Femtosecond Laser Ablation in Water

Femtosecond laser ablation of silver plate placed in water is used to produce nanoparticle suspension. The method is easy to operate and the suspension is relatively stable. The optical properties and the size distribution of the suspension are studied with UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering, respectively. The shape of the nanoparticles is investigated by an atomic force microscope, which is near spherical. There are two kinds of nanoparticles, small particles with diameter about 35 nm, and large particles with diameter about 120 nm.     

Large-scale synthesis of GaN nanorods and their photoluminescence

Large quantities of gallium nitride (GaN) nanorods have been synthesized via direct reaction of metallic gallium vapor with flowing ammonia at 970 °C in a quartz tube. The nanorods have been confirmed as crystalline wurzite GaN by powder X-ray diffraction, selected-area electron diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy reveal that the nanorods are straight and uniform, with diameters ranging from 40 nm to 150 nm and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers. The growth mechanism is discussed briefly. Photoluminescence measurements on bulk GaN nanorods at room temperature show two strong peaks at 377 nm (3.28 eV) and 360 nm (3.44 eV) attributed to the zero-phonon donor-acceptor pair transition and the donor-bound exciton, respectively. Received: 19 April 2001 / Accepted: 10 May 2001 / Published online: 20 June 2001     

Catalysed growth of novel aluminium oxide nanorods

Micron-scale coral-like aluminium oxide structures have been generated by heating a mixture of AlB₂ and Co powders in a quartz boat at ca. 1050 °C under N₂. Upon sonication in acetone, the structures break down into elongated single-crystal aluminium oxide nanorods ranging from 20 to 200 nm in diameter and up to 5 μm in length. Single Co particles are often found attached to nanorod tips. A vapour–liquid–solid (V–L–S) mechanism appears to be responsible for the aluminium oxide nanorod growth. Received: 21 January 2003 / Accepted: 22 January 2003 / Published online: 28 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. E-mail: d.walton@sussex.ac.uk     

Homoepitaxial Growth and Optical Properties of ZnO Polar Nanoleaves

Using a mixture of ZnO and Te powders as the source material, ZnO nanoleaves with high yield and uniform morphology are fabricated by thermal evaporation. Each nanoleaf is constructed with a nanowire and a nanodisc on one side of the nanowire near the top. The polygonal nanodisc is in symmetric distribution in relation to the nanowires and has polar planes ±（0001） as surfaces. A local homoepitaxial growth mechanism of ZnO polar nanodiscs induced by Te is proposed. With thin nanodiscs, the ZnO nanoleaves could be used in nanolasers, sensors, and photoelectronic nanodevices. Room-temperature photoluminescence result implies good crystalline quality of the ZnO nanoleaves.     

Enhanced photoluminescence from gallium arsenide semiconductor coated with Au nanoparticles

We demonstrate a method for improving photoluminescence of gallium arsenide semiconductor by simply coating a thin layer of Au nanoparticles on its surface. Further focused ion beam bombardment at the sputter-coated Au film was conducted to control the size, the distribution, and the morphology of the Au nanoparticles via the changes of the focused ion-beam irradiation conditions. Photoluminescence of GaAs coated with the Au nanoparticles with average size of 5 nm in diameter is enhanced to about threefold relative to that of pure GaAs. Numerical calculations were conducted based on finite-different time-domain method. Results indicated that the enhancement is mainly attributed to the contribution of local surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles.     

Preparation and capacitances of oriented attachment CuO nanosheets and the MWNT/CuO nanocomposites

CuO nanosheets formed by oriented attachment of adjacent particles and the MWNT/CuO nanocomposites have been prepared through a simple hydrothermal process. The oriented attachment of adjacent particles through [111] and [002] crystallographic planes give rise to the formation of sheetlike morphology and the related mechanisms are discussed. Some needlelike and tubelike CuO nanocrystals came into being when the nanosheets rolled up and the capacitances of as-prepared MWNT/CuO nanocomposites were measured.     

Magnetic Properties and Nanostructures of FePtCu：C Thin Films with FePt Underlayers

Magnetic properties and nanostructures of FePtCu：C thin films with FePt underlayers （ULs） are studied. The effect of FePt ULs on the orlentation and magnetic properties of the thin films are investigated by adjusting FePt UL thicknesses from 2nm to 14nm. X-ray diffraction （XRD） scans reveal that the orientation of the films is dependent on FePt UL thickness. For a 5-nm FePtCu：C nanocomposite thin film with a 2-nm FePt UL, the coercivity is 6.S KOe, the correlation length is 59 nm, the desired face-centred-tetragonal （fct） ordered structure [Llo phase] is formed and the c axis normal to the film plane [（001） texture] is obtained. These results indicate that the beffer orientation and magnetic properties of the films can be tuned by decreasing the thockness of the FePt UL.     

First-Principles Study of Structural and Electronic Properties of Layered B2CN Crystals

Based on the hexagonal BN structure, six possible layered B~ CN structures are constructed. Their total energies, lattice constants as well as electronic properties are calculated using the ab initio pseudopotential density functional method within the local density approximation. The calculated results show that the B2 CN-V configuration with AA stacking sequence is the most stable among the six B2CN layered structures. The characteristics of electronic structures indicate that the B2 CN-V shows metallicity, which mainly comes from -B1-C-B1-C- chains.     

ZnO–CuO core–shell nanorods and CuO-nanoparticle–ZnO-nanorod integrated structures

ZnO–CuO core–shell nanorods and CuO-nanoparticle–ZnO-nanorod integrated structures were synthesized for the first time by a two-stage solution process. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show that the diameter and the length of the nanorods are around 60 and 800 nm, respectively. The morphologies of outer CuO could be varied from nanoparticles to nanoshells by adjusting the solvent and dipping processes of copper (II) nitrate solution. The CuO nanoparticles are single-crystalline or highly textured structures with size of around 30 nm. The CuO shell with thickness of around 10 nm is constructed of nanocrystals with sizes in the range of 3–10 nm embedded in an amorphous matrix. Room-temperature cathodoluminescence measurements of the CuO–ZnO nanocomposites exhibit relatively sharp ultraviolet emissions at 380 nm as well as broad green and yellow emissions at 500 and 585 nm. The p-CuO/n-ZnO one-dimensional nanocomposites are promising for optoelectronic nanodevice applications.     

Preparation of ferromagnetic γ - Fe2O3 nanocrystallites by oxidative co-decomposition of PEG 6000 and ferrocene

Highly crystalline and ferromagnetic γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystallites were prepared by controlled oxidative co-decomposition of PEG 6000 and ferrocene at a temperature of 450 ^°C under air atmosphere. The morphology, crystalline structure and preliminary magnetic properties of the as-synthesized nanocrystallites have been characterized by using transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The highly crystalline γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystallites are in quasi-cubic shape with an average size of 30 nm and exhibit room-temperature ferromagnetism. The capping effect of PEG 6000 has also been investigated by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) regarding controlling the size of the nanocrystallites and preventing the volatilization of ferrocene and thus raising the yield of the products. This simple method has a high yield of over 80% as well as low cost.     

Mechanical Reinforcement and Piezoelectric Properties of PZT Ceramics Embedded with Nano-Crystalline

The double-scale lead zirconate titanate （PZT） piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the solid state processing with PZT nano-crystalline and micro-powder. The microstructures, electrical and mechanical properties of the double-scale PZT are investigated. All the sintered ceramics exhibit a single perovskite structure and the grain size of the dou ble-scale PZT reduces due to the incorporation of PZT nano-crystalline. Compared to normal PZT, the mechanical properties increase significantly and the piezoelectric properties decrease slightly. Mechanisms responsible for the reinforcement of the double-scale PZT are discussed.     

Catalytic growth and characterization of Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanowires

β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires have been synthesized using Ga metal and H₂O vapor at 800 °C in the presence of Ni catalyst on the substrate. Remarkable reduction of the diameter and increase of the length of the Ga₂O₃ nanowires are achieved by separation of Ga metal and H₂O vapor before they reach the substrate. Transmission electron microscopy analyses indicate that the β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires possess a single-crystalline structure. Photoluminescence measurements show two broad emission bands centered at 290 nm and 390 nm at room temperature. Received: 27 June 2002 / Accepted: 7 October 2002 / Published online: 17 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +886-6/234-4496, E-mail: wujj@mail.ncku.edu.tw     

Single Crystal Si Layers on Glass Fabricated by Hydrophilic Fusion Bonding and Smart-Cut Technology

A single crystal Si thin film on a glass substrate has been obtained successfully by hydrophilic fusion bonding and the smart-cut technology. Tensile strength testing shows that the bonded interface has strong adhesion and the bonding strength is about 8.7MPa. Crystallinity and microstructure of the samples have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrical properties have also been investigated by Hall measurements and four-point probe. The mobility of the transferred Si layer on glass is about 122cm^2//V.s. The results show that the single-crystal silicon layer transferred onto glass by direct bonding keeps good quality for the applications of integrated circuits, transducers, and fiat panel display.