Ultrathin-film growth of para-sexiphenyl (I): submonolayer thin-film growth as a function of the substrate temperature

The para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) monolayer film induces weak epitaxy growth (WEG) of disk-like organic semiconductors, and their charge mobilities are increased dramatically to the level of the corresponding single crystals [Wang et al., Adv. Mater. 2007, 19, 2168]. The growth behavior and morphology of p-6P monolayer film play decisive roles on WEG. Here, we investigated the growth behavior of p-6P submonolayer film as a function of the substrate temperature. Its growth exhibited two different mechanisms at high and low substrate temperature. At high substrate temperature (>60 degrees C), the mechanism of diffusion-limited aggregation controlled the growth of submonolayer thin film with fractal islands, whereas at low substrate temperature (< or =60 degrees C), the submonolayer thin film was composed of the compact islands. Its growth exhibited another growth mechanism in which the stable compact islands were formed by dissociation and reorganization of the metastable disordered film. The substrate temperature of about 180 degrees C may be optimal to fabricate high-quality p-6P monolayer film with large-size domains and low saturated island density of about 0.018 microm(-2).     

Crystal growth of para-sexiphenyl on clean and oxygen reconstructed Cu(110) surfaces

The formation of crystalline para-sexiphenyl (6P) films on Cu(110) and Cu(110)-(2 × 1)O (Cu-O) has been studied by low energy electron diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and both in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction methods to elucidate the transition from the initial monolayers to crystalline thin films. It is found that, for Cu-O, a single and, for Cu(110), a double wetting layer is formed which then acts as a template for the subsequent 3D crystal growth. For both substrates the orientation of the long molecular axes of the 6P molecules in the first layers is conserved for the molecules in the bulk crystals growing on them. The main difference between both systems is that on Cu-O the first monolayer assembles in a form close to that of a 6P bulk plane which can be easily continued by crystallites grown upon them, while on the Cu(110) surface the 6P mono- and bi-layers differ substantially from the bulk structure. The bi-layer forms a complex periodically striped phase. Thin 6P films grow with the 6P(203) crystal plane parallel to the Cu-O substrate surface. For this orientation, the 6P molecules are stacked in layers and the molecules demonstrate only one tilt of the mean molecular plane with respect to the sample surface. On clean Cu(110), a more complex 6P(629) plane is parallel to the substrate surface and this orientation is likely a consequence of the super-molecular long-range periodicity of the second molecular layer striped phase.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of thin film formation by energetic cluster impact (ECI)

Langevin Molecular Dynamics Simulations have been performed in order to understand thin film formation by impact of energetic clusters. The impact of Mo₁₀₂₄ clusters on a Mo surface is simulated at kinetic energies between 1 and 10 eV per atom. The results are in qualitative agreement with the experiments. Due to the high temperature induced locally at the impact zone, the method can be used to form compact, smooth, and strongly adhering thin films on room temperature substrates.     

Structures and growth mechanisms of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) crystallized from solution and thin melt film

The spherulitic structures and morphologies of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) crystallized from a so- lution and a thin melt film were investigated in this study. The formation mechanisms of banded spherulites under different crystallization conditions are proposed. It was found that the formation of banded spherulites was caused by the rhythmic crystal growth of the spherulites and lamellar twisting growth for the polymer crystallization from a thin melt film and a solution, respectively.     

Electrodeposition and characterization of copper sulfide (CuS) thin film: towards an understanding of the growth mechanism

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Copper sulfide (CuS) thin film was electrodeposited onto stainless steel (SS 316L) substrate under pulse potential control, from an aqueous acidic solution...     

ITO薄膜的制备和性质

本文研究了用喷涂法制备高透明、高电导率的ITO薄膜,建立了简单、适宜的喷涂实验装置,探讨了不同In/Sn重量比、温度等工艺条件对膜透光率、电阻率的影响,对膜的光电性能和结构进行了测试;波长在500—800nm范围内分别在普通玻璃和硼硅酸盐玻璃片上获得了方块电阻达2—5Ω/口,透光率大于80%的ITO膜和方块电阻达6Ω/口,透光率达90—98%的ITO薄膜。     

Determination of Tl(I), Pb(II) and Cu(II) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry with a thin mercury film electrode

Summary Small amounts of thallium(I), lead(II) and copper(II) can be determined, each of them in the presence of a thousand-fold excess of the other ones, by means of differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry with a thin mercury-film electrode in unstirred solutions. The supporting electrolyte is a potassium nitrate solution at pH 3.5. The mercury film is plated in situ on a glassy carbon electrode. Thanks to the small film thickness a resolution between the lead and thallium redissolution peaks is obtained, while with a hanging mercury drop electrode there is a considerable overlap. In the nanogram/ml-range the standard deviation is not larger than 5–10%.

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Bestimmung von Tl(I), Pb(II) und Cu(II) durch anodische Differentia-ulse-Stripping-Voltammetrie mit einer Quecksilber-Dünnfilm-Elektrode

Zusammenfassung Kleine Mengen Thallium(I), Blei(II) und Kupfer(II) können nebeneinander in jeweils tausendfachem Überschuß mit Hilfe einer anodischen Differential-Pulse 'stripping Voltammetrie mit Quecksilber-Dünnfilm-Elektrode in ungerührter Lösung bestimmt werden. Grundelektrolyt ist eine Kaliumnitratlösung vom pH 3,5. Die Quecksilberschicht wird in situ an einer glasigen Kohlenstoff-Elektrode gebildet. Dank der geringen Schichtdicke kann eine gute Trennung der Wiederauflösungspitzen von Blei und Thallium erreicht werden, während an einem hängenden Quecksilbertropfen eine beträchtliche Überlappung auftritt. Im Nanogramm/Milliliter-Bereich ist die Standardabweichung nicht größer als 5–10%.

     

A study of surface diffusion of ternary (Cu-Ag-Zr) adatoms clusters for applications in thin film formation

This study presents the diffusion of heterogeneous ternary (Cu-Ag-Zr) adatoms clusters on Ag(111) using molecular dynamics techniques which could be important for the surface phenomena's and helpful for the ternary cluster's growth and formation of ternary alloy-based thin films. The mechanism of nanoscale surface diffusion is investigated for 1Cu-1Ag-1Zr, 2Cu-2Ag-2Zr, 3Cu-3Ag-3Zr, and 4Cu-4Ag-4Zr clusters at temperatures 300, 500, and 700 K. The diffusion mechanism displays that the diffusion of trimer cluster exhibits hopping, sliding, and shearing at 300 K, whereas for hexamer, nonamer, and decamer, the diffusion rate is low; however, breathing, anchoring, and concentrated motion dominates. At 500 K, trimer and hexamer show the process of atomic exchange; however, the atomic exchange is not observed in the case of nonamer and decamer diffusion. The atomic exchange mechanism of Cu and Zr adatoms dominates at 700 K for all size clusters, except Ag adatoms, where Zr adatoms show a relatively more tendency. Separation and rejoining of the one and two adatoms (likely Zr adatom) are also witnessed at high temperature. The pop-up of Ag adatoms also occurs in very short intervals over the remaining adatoms of clusters. Interestingly, during trimer diffusion, the adsorption of the Zr- or Cu-adatom among the trimer cluster into the substitutional site is found. At 700 K, vacancy generation, filling of vacancies, and migration of vacancy, in the neighborhood of the adatoms cluster, also observed. Moreover, the rate of diffusion decreases with the size increase of the clusters and increases with the increase in temperature.     

Theoretical research on structures of aminopyrimidine germanium(II) precursors and their application in film formation

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - Structures of aminopyrimidine Ge(II) precursors have been elucidated by density functional theory calculations. Calculation data indicated that the structure...     

Optical properties of the poly(N-benzylaniline) thin film

The optical properties of the poly(N-benzylaniline) thin film were investigated by optical characterization. The optical constants such as refractive index and dielectric constant were determined from the transmittance and reflectance spectra of the film. The refractive index dispersion was analyzed by the Wemple-DiDomenico model. The n(infinity) values changed from 6.37 to 5.71 and these values did not show any certain trend with annealing temperatures. The average oscillator parameter So value, which is the strength of the individual dipole oscillator, was found to be in the range of 1.15 x 10(13) to 1.03 x 10(13) m(-2). The optical band was determined from the direct optical transitions in K space. The optical band Eg of the film decreases from 2.089 to 2.046 eV with increasing annealing temperatures while the Urbach energy Eu called the width of localized states in the optical band gap increases from 0.544 to 0.598 eV. Consequently, the optical constants and optical band gap of the poly(N-benzylaniline) change with the annealing temperatures.     

Complex formation of copper(II) and nickel(II) with N-arylthiopicolinamides

The reactions of N-arylthiopicolinamides (HL) with copper(II) and nickel(II) ions in organic and aqueous-organic solutions were studied. On addition of HCl, the transformation of ML₂ complexes into M(HL)Cl₂ occurs, while the reverse reaction takes place under the action of amphoteric protic solvents. The structures of the isolated complexes were established by IR and UV spectroscopy.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1546–1550, September, 1993.     

Anisotropic island growth: a new approach to thin film electrocrystallization

The electrochemical deposition of metals onto foreign substrates usually occurs through Volmer-Weber island growth, and hence the structure and properties of thin films are critically dependent on the mechanism of nucleation and growth. For example, high nucleus densities are essential for achieving island coalescence at small thickness. Here we demonstrate a new approach to controlling thin film microstructure through the control of island geometry. By promoting anisotropic island growth, film coalescence can be achieved at smaller thickness and with lower island densities.     

A solution growth technique for the preparation of copper (II) selenide thin films

A solution growth technique has been developed for the deposition of thin films of copper(II) selenide on glass substrate using a copper(II) salt solution, triethanolamine, ammonia, and sodium selenosulfate as the reacting agents. The material has been characterized through X-ray powder photography, optical absorption, and Hall measurements at room temperature. The films are found to be degenerate and p type with a Moss-Burstein shifted direct band gap of 2.14 eV.     

In-plane interdigitated (IPID) electrodes for thin film applications

Summary Microstructured substrates featuring interdigitated electrodes with a large length to width ratio allow the evaluation of thin films with very high sheet resistivity even in environments with large electromagnetic interference. However thin phthalocyanine (Pc) films, vacuum evaporated on substrates with conventional interdigitated (ID) electrodes deposited on top of a planar surface, develop cracks at the edges of the contact stripes. For samples with a film thickness of 200 monolayers (ML) corresponding to 80 nm this causes a resistance two orders of magnitude higher than that expected for the chosen length to width ratio. A new microstructured Si-substrate with in-plane interdigitated (IPID) electrodes has been designed to achieve minimum height differences on the surface. This substrate features interdigitated electrodes with a length to width ratio of 52,000:1 and additionally an integrated heating element and a temperature sensitive resistor. Thin Pc-films with various thicknesses between 50 ML (=20 nm) and 500 ML (=200 nm) exhibit sheet resistivities as were expected for the chosen length to width ratio. These sensing elements were successfully employed in the detection of NO_x emissions in cars and their stability and sensitivity have been proved over several months in polluted air.     

Synchronous determination of mercury (II) and copper (II) based on quantum dots-multilayer film

A sensitive sensor for mercury (II) and copper (II) synchronous detection was established via the changed photoluminescence of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) multilayer films in this work. QDs were deposited on the quartz slides to form QDs-multilayer films by electrostatic interactions with poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA). Hg²⁺ or Cu²⁺ could quench the photoluminescence of the QDs-multilayer films, and glutathione (GSH) was used to remove Hg²⁺ or Cu²⁺ from QDs-multilayer films due to strong affinity of GSH-metal ions, which resulted in the recovered photoluminescence of QDs-multilayer films. There are good linear relationships between the metal ions concentration and the photoluminescence intensity of QDs in the quenched and recovered process. It was found that the Stern–Volmer constants for Hg²⁺ are higher than that for Cu²⁺. Based on different quenching and recovery constant between Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺, the synchronous detection of Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ can be achieved. The linear ranges of this assay were obtained from 0.005 to 0.5 μM for Hg²⁺ and from 0.01 to 1 μM for Cu²⁺, respectively. And the artificial water samples were determined by this method with satisfactory results, the recoveries for Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions were found in the range of 90.4–106.4%. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report about the synchronous detection of Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ by using quenched and recovered photoluminescence of quantum dots multilayer films.     

Thermodynamics and vapor formation features of zinc(II) and tin(II) pivalates

Vapor formation of tin(II) and zinc(II) pivalates were studied using the Knudsen effusion method and mass spectrometry analysis of the gas phase. Sublimation of the tin complex is shown to be accompanied by polymerization of the condensed phase, changing its thermodynamic parameters. The vapor formation of zinc pivalate in the presence of trace amounts of water is accompanied by partial hydrolysis of the condensed phase and sublimation of the sample in the form of Zn₄O(piv)₆ and Zn₂piv₄. The absolute partial pressures and heats of sublimation of the components of the gas phase above tin and zinc complexes are calculated.     

C60 thin film growth on graphite: Coexistence of spherical and fractal-dendritic islands

The initial growth stage of C(60) thin film on graphite substrate has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum at room temperature. The C(60) layer grows in a quasi-layer-by-layer mode and forms round, monolayer high islands on the graphite surface. The islands are confined by terraces on the graphite surface and the mobility of C(60) fullerenes across steps is low in all layers. The second and all subsequent layers adopt a fractal-dendritic shape, which was confirmed by calculating the fractal dimension (D=1.74 prior to island coalescence) and is in agreement with a diffusion limited aggregation. The profound differences between the growth of C(60) layers on graphite (first layer) and on C(60) surfaces (second and higher layers) are caused by the restriction of the C(60) mobility on the highly corrugated fullerene surfaces. The orientation of the fractal islands follows the hexagonal symmetry of the densely packed (111) surface of the fullerene lattice, which introduces a bias in the direction of molecule movement. The differences in surface topography on the nanoscale determine the mode of film growth in this van der Waals bonded system.     

Synthesis of block copolymers based on poly(2,3-epithiopropylmethacrylate) via RAFT polymerization and preliminary investigations on thin film formation

New block copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution based on (2,3-epithiopropylmethacrylate) (ETMA), methylmethacrylate (MMA) and n-butylmethacrylate (nBMA) have been successfully synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization. First, RAFT homopolymerization of ETMA and MMA was carried out using 2-(2-cyanopropyl) dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as the chain transfer agent (CTA) and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. PETMA-b-P(nBMA) copolymers were synthesized using PETMA homopolymers as the macro-chain transfer agent (MCTA), while PMMA-b-PETMA diblock copolymers were synthesized using PMMA as the MCTA. The evolution of the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the homo- and co-polymers were compatible with the RAFT polymerization features. Thin films from the block copolymers were prepared by spin coating a 1 wt% polymer solution from toluene, chloroform or THF. After the preparation, the films were annealed under 80% vapor pressure of chloroform for 1, 2 and 4 h and investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The most interesting results were found in the films prepared using PETMA-b-P(nBMA) copolymers (). The observed images suggested the formation of hybrid lamellar structures, ascribed to the combination of its higher molecular weight and solvents viscosity.     

From clusters to fibers: parameters for discontinuous para-hexaphenylene thin film growth

All relevant steps of discontinuous thin film growth of para-hexaphenylene on muscovite mica (0 0 1) from wetting layer over small and large clusters to nanofibers are observed and investigated in detail by a combined polarized fluorescence and atomic force microscopy study. From a variation of film thickness and surface temperature, we determine effective activation energies for cluster growth of 0.17 eV, for nanofiber length growth of 0.46 eV, for width growth of 0.19 eV, and for height growth of 0.07 eV. The corresponding exponential prefactors for the nanofiber growth are 1 x 10(9), 6 x 10(4), and 3 x 10(2) nm. Polarized fluorescence studies reveal that nanofibers grow along the grooves of the mica surface and that they do not change direction if they cross an even number of mica surface steps, while they change direction by 120 degrees for an odd number of steps. These results are taken as an input for a model of the unidirectional growth process on mica. Absolute parameters allowing one to grow nanofibers of predetermined morphology via organic molecular beam epitaxy are also given.     

Morphological phase separation in unstable thin films: pattern formation and growth

We present results from a comprehensive numerical study of morphological phase separation (MPS) in unstable thin liquid films on a 2-dimensional substrate. We study the quantitative properties of the evolution morphology via several experimentally relevant markers, e.g., correlation function, structure factor, domain-size and defect-size probability distributions, and growth laws. Our results suggest that the late-stage morphologies exhibit dynamical scaling, and their evolution is self-similar in time. We emphasize the analogies and differences between MPS in films and segregation kinetics in unstable binary mixtures.