Study on the surface decorating of nanoTb2O3 in the ethanol sol and its fluorescence characteristics

 A sort of surface fine-decorated in situ Tb₂O₃ nanoparticles in ethanol sols were successively prepared by focused pulsed laser ablation at the interface of Tb₂O₃ target submerged in flowing liquid containing modifiers, and it is found that the nanoTb₂O₃ sol decorated by acac and 2,2′-bipy can emit very intense characteristic fluorescence at 549 nm of Tb³⁺ ions, which is different from nondecorated nanoTb₂O₃ ethanol sols with only low fluorescence at 415 nm.     

Improvement of polyacrylate coating by filling modified nano-TiO2

Nano-TiO₂ is modified by a method, by which nano-TiO₂ first reacts with silane coupling agent WD-70 with double bond group which subsequently copolymerizes with methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate to produce a thin polymer shell on the nanoparticles. The modified nanoparticles have stable organophilicity. They are applied to polyacrylate coating and performances of the coating are measured by different methods. The modification of nano-TiO₂ particles can improve their dispersibility in coating, enhance hardness of coating and reduce water absorption and permeability of polyacrylate coating. The mechanism has been analyzed in this paper.     

VO2-WO3 nanocomposite thin films synthesized by pulsed laser deposition technique

Pure VO₂ and VO₂-WO₃ composite thin films were grown on quartz substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The influence of varying WO₃ molar concentration in the range from x = 0.0 to x = 0.4 on structural, electrical and optical properties of VO₂-WO₃ nanocomposite thin films has been systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction studies reveal the single crystalline monoclinic VO₂ phase (m-VO₂) up to 10% of WO₃ content whereas both m-VO₂ as well as h-WO₃ (hexagonal WO₃) phases were present at higher WO₃ content (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.4). Optical transmittance spectra of the films showed blue shift in the absorption edge with increase in WO₃ content. Temperature dependence of resistivity (R-T) measurements indicates significant variation in metal-insulator transition temperature, width of the hysteresis, and shape of the hysteresis curve. Cyclic Voltammetry measurements were performed on VO₂-WO₃ thin films. A direct correlation between V/W ratio and structure-property relationship was established. The present investigations reveal that doping of WO₃ in VO₂ is effective to increase the optical transmittance and to reduce the semiconductor to metal phase transition temperature close to room temperature.     

Structural and optical properties of SrCu2O2 films deposited on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition

We deposited SrCu₂O₂ (SCO) films on sapphire (Al₂O₃) (0 0 0 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The crystallographic orientation of the SCO thin film showed clear dependence on the growth temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the film deposited at 400 °C was mainly oriented in the SCO [2 0 0] direction, whereas when the growth temperature was increased to 600 °C, the SCO film showed a dominant orientation of SCO [1 1 2]. The SCO film deposited at 500 °C was obvious polycrystalline, showing multi peaks from (2 0 0), (1 1 2), and (2 1 1) diffraction in the XRD spectrum. The SCO film deposited at 600 °C showed a band gap energy of 3.3 eV and transparency up to 80% around 500 nm. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the SCO films grown at 500 °C and 600 °C mainly showed blue-green emission, which was attributed to the intra-band transition of the isolated Cu⁺ and Cu⁺–Cu⁺ pairs according to the temperature dependent-PL analysis.     

CO2 laser assisted removal of UO2 and ThO2 particulates from metal surface

Pulsed laser assisted removal of uranium dioxide and thorium dioxide particulates from stainless steel surface have been studied using a TEA CO₂ laser. Decontamination efficiency is measured as a function of laser fluence and number of pulses. Threshold fluence for the removal of UO₂ particulates has been found to be lower than that required for the removal ThO₂ particulates. Usage of a ZnSe substrate, that is transparent to the laser wavelength used here, enabled us to decouple the cleaning effect arising out of absorption in the particulates from that in the substrate and has contributed towards understanding the mechanism responsible for cleaning. The experimental observations are also corroborated by simple theoretical calculations.     

Effects of deposition temperature on the structural and morphological properties of SnO2 films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

Tin oxide (SnO₂) thin films were grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in O₂ gas ambient (10 Pa) and at different substrate temperatures (RT, 150, 300 and 400 °C). The influence of the substrate temperature on the structural and morphological properties of the films was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD measurements showed that the almost amorphous microstructure transformed into a polycrystalline SnO₂ phase. The film deposited at 400 °C has the best crystalline properties, i.e. optimum growth conditions. However, the film grown at 300 °C has minimum average root mean square (RMS) roughness of 3.1 nm with average grain size of 6.958 nm. The thickness of the thin films determined by the ellipsometer data is also presented and discussed.     

LiFePO4 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition: Effect of the substrate on the film structure and morphology

Well crystallized and homogeneous LiFePO₄/C (LFPO) thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The targets were prepared by the sol-gel process at 600 °C. The structure of the polycrystalline powders was analyzed with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) data. The XRD patterns were indexed having a single phase olivine structure (Pnma). LFPO thin films have been deposited on three different substrates: aluminum (Al), stainless steel (SS) and silicon (Si) by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The structure of the films was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is found that the crystallinity of the thin films depends on the substrate temperature which was set at 500 °C. When annealed treatments were used, secondary phases were found, so, one step depositions at 500 °C were made.Stainless steel is demonstrated to be the best choice to act as substrate for phosphate deposition. LiFePO₄ thin films grown on stainless steel plates exhibited the presence of carbon, inducing a slight conductivity enhancement that makes these films promising candidates as one step produced cathodes in Li-ion microbatteries.     

Visible-light photocatalytic activity of nitrogen-doped TiO2 thin film prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiO_2−xN_x) thin films have been prepared by pulse laser deposition on quartz glass substrates by ablated titanium dioxide (rutile) target in nitrogen atmosphere. The x value (nitrogen concentration) is 0.567 as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. UV-vis spectroscopy measurements revealed two characteristic deep levels located at 1.0 and 2.5 eV below the conduction band. The 1.0 eV level is attributable to the O vacancy state and the 2.5 eV level is introduced by N doping, which contributes to narrowing the band-gap by mixing with the O2p valence band. The enhanced degradation efficiency in a broad visible-light range was observed from the degradation of methylene blue and methylene orange by the TiO_2−xN_x film.     

Preparation and characterization of SnO2 nanoparticles using high power pulsed laser

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles having 3 nm size were synthesized by irradiating pure tin metal using high power Nd:YAG laser in deionized water. Formation of nano-SnO₂ crystallites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and AFM study. UV-vis absorption spectral studies showed a peak at 240 nm. FTIR spectrum showed a band in the range of 400-700 cm⁻¹ which was assigned to Sn-O antisymmetric vibrations. Photoluminescence spectrum of synthesized SnO₂ nanoparticles showed peak corresponding to 3.175, 2.901 and 2.613 eV respectively.     

Surface texturing of Si, porous Si and TiO2 by laser ablation

Excimer laser ablation at 308 nm has been used to texture the surfaces of a variety of materials of interest for optoelectronic and biotechnological applications. Using a range of pre- and post-processing methods, we are able to produce nano-, micro- and meso-scale features over large areas rapidly in materials such as crystalline Si, porous silicon and TiO₂. Texturing of porous silicon leads to the growth of crystalline dendritic structures, which distinguishes them dramatically from the conical pillars formed from crystalline silicon. Regular arrays of Si microdots are formed by irradiating a Si surface pre-covered with a Cr thin film grating. Nano-crystalline porous TiO₂ films are easily ablated or compacted with laser irradiation. However, at low enough laser fluence, surface roughening without complete loss of porosity is possible.     

Synthesis and properties of silicon dioxide films prepared by pulsed laser deposition using ceramic SiO2 target

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) thin films were deposited on BK7 substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method using ceramic SiO₂ targets (C-SiO₂-Ts), which was sintered by solid state sintering. The reason for using C-SiO₂-T instead of the silicon target is to reduce the oxygen-deficiency phenomenon in deposited SiO₂ thin films. The influence of substrate-temperatures, oxygen-pressures and oxygen-plasma-assistance on the properties of synthesized films was studied. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared scanning spectrophotometry were used to characterize the crystallinity, morphology and optical properties of deposited films. Results show that the root-mean-square roughness of films increased with the increase of oxygen-pressure, substrate-temperature and with the employment of oxygen-plasma. The transmittance of films increased with the increase of oxygen-pressure and decreased with the increase of substrate-temperature and with the employment of oxygen-plasma. Stoichiometric SiO₂ thin film with high optical quality was synthesized at room-temperature and 20 Pa oxygen-pressure using C-SiO₂-T.     

Influence of deposition temperature on the structural and morphological properties of Be3N2 thin films grown by reactive laser ablation

Be₃N₂ thin films have been grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition method at different substrate temperatures: room temperature (RT), 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C and 700 °C. Additionally, two samples were deposited at RT and were annealed after deposition in situ at 600 °C and 700 °C. In order to obtain the stoichiometry of the samples, they have been characterized in situ by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). The influence of the substrate temperature on the morphological and structural properties of the films was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that all prepared films presented the Be₃N₂ stoichiometry. Formation of whiskers with diameters of 100-200 nm appears at the surface of the films prepared with a substrate temperature of 600 °C or 700 °C. However, the samples grown at RT and annealed at 600 °C or 700 °C do not show whiskers on the surface. The average root mean square (RMS) roughness and the average grain size of the samples grown with respect the substrate temperature is presented. The films grown with a substrate temperature between the room temperature to 400 °C, and the sample annealed in situ at 600 °C were amorphous; while the αBe₃N₂ phase was presented on the samples with a substrate temperature of 600 °C, 700 °C and that deposited with the substrate at RT and annealed in situ at 700 °C.     

Silver nanoparticles generated by pulsed laser ablation in supercritical CO2 medium

Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) has been widely employed in industrial and biological applications and in other fields. The environmental conditions in which PLA is conducted are important parameters that affect both the solid particle cloud and the deposition produced by the plume. In this work, the generation of nanoparticles (NPs) has been developed by performing PLA of silver (Ag) plates in a supercritical CO₂ medium. Ag NPs were successfully generated by allowing the selective generation of clusters. Laser ablation was performed with an excitation wavelength of 532 nm under various pressures and temperatures of CO₂ medium. On the basis of the experimental result, both surface of the irradiated Ag plate and structure of Ag NPs were significantly affected by the changes in supercritical CO₂ pressure and temperature. With increasing irradiation pressure, plume deposited in the surrounding crater created by the ablation was clearly observed. In Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) the image of the generated Ag NPs on the silicon wafer and the morphology of Ag particles were basically a sphere-like structure. Ag particles contain NPs with large-varied diameter ranging from 5 nm to 1.2 μm. The bigger Ag NPs melted during the ablation process and then ejected smaller spherical Ag NPs, which formed nanoclusters attached on the molten Ag NPs. The smaller Ag NPs were also formed around the bigger Ag NPs. Based on the results, this new method can also be used to obtain advanced nano-structured materials.     

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Nd-doped BiFeO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Nd-doped BiFeO₃ thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on quartz substrate and their structural, optical and magnetic properties have been studied. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Nd addition caused structural distortion even with 5% of Nd concentration, additional secondary phase appeared in all samples but its intensity was greatly reduced with Nd addition. Doping-induced variations in texture and structure modifying both magnetic and optical properties of BiFeO₃ thin films. The energy band gap decreases while the refractive index increases with addition of Nd³⁺ in BiFeO₃ for Bi³⁺. These variations in energy band gap and refractive index have been explained on the basis of density of states and increase in disorders in the system. All the samples were found to exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature and the saturation magnetization increases with the increase in structural distortion with addition of Nd. Finally, Nd-doping modifies the physical properties of BiFeO₃ in comparison to undoped BiFeO₃ thin films.     

KrF pulsed laser deposition of La5Ca9Cu24O41 thin films on various substrates

Recent studies on single crystals of cuprate oxides containing spin chains and ladders have reported large anisotropic magnon-mediated thermal conductivity. A potential use of thin films of such materials could be in the thermal management of electronic devices for the guiding of unwanted heat to a heat sink. In this article, the pulsed laser deposition and characterization of La₅Ca₉Cu₂₄O₄₁ thin films on SrLaAlO₄, SrTiO₃, MgO, and Si substrates are reported for the first time. The films were grown using a pulsed UV laser (KrF, 248 nm) and various substrate temperatures up to 650 °C. The XRD spectra revealed successful target-film stoichiometric transfer and high texturing of the thin films with (0 k 0) preferred orientation.     

Deposition of Au/TiO2 film by pulsed laser

Au nanoparticles, which were photoreduced by a Nd:YAG laser in HAuCl₄ solution containing TiO₂ colloid and accompanied by the TiO₂ particles, were deposited on the substrate surface. The film consisting of Au/TiO₂ particles was characterized by the absorption spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The adhesion between the film and substrate was evaluated by using adhesive tape test. It was found that the presence of TiO₂ dramatically enhanced the adhesion strength between the film and the substrate, as well as the deposition rate of film. The mechanism for the deposition of Au/TiO₂ film was also discussed.     

Optically pumped submillimeter laser lines from CD2Cl2 using a large tunability CW CO2 laser

Twenty-five new laser lines have been obtained in the wavelength region from 155 to 830 μm by optically pumping the CD₂Cl₂ (deuterated dichloromethane) molecule with a CW CO₂ laser having a tunability range of 300 MHz. The wavelength, polarization relative to that of CO₂ pumping radiation, and offset relative to the CO₂ center frequency were determined for all of the new lines and some other already known laser emissions. For all of them we give also the relative intensity and the optimum pressure of operation. Permanent address: Depto de Física e Química da FEIS — UNESP 15.378-000 Ilha Solteira-SP, Brazil     

Uniform thin films of TiO2 nanoparticles deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation

We report morphological and optical properties of a colloidal TiO₂ nanoparticle film, deposited on a quartz substrate by using the Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique. Atomic Force Microscopy demonstrated that a good uniformity of the deposition can be obtained. The presence of agglomerates with dimensions of about 1 μm in size was noticed. Form UV-vis transmission spectra, recorded in the 200-800 nm range, the optical constants and the energy gap were determined besides the film thickness. The optical constants resulted in agreement with the values reported in literature for TiO₂ nanoparticle thin films.     

Pulsed laser deposition of Bi2Te3 thermoelectric films

Bi₂Te₃ is one of the most used materials for thermoelectric applications at ambient temperature. An improvement of thermoelectric performances through a suitable modification of electron and phonon transport mechanisms is predicted for low dimensional or nanostructured systems, but this requires a control of the material structure down to the nanoscale. We show that pulsed laser deposition provides control on film composition, phase and structure, necessary for a comprehension of the relationship between structure and thermoelectric properties. We have explored the role of deposition temperature, background inert gas type and pressure, laser fluence and target-to-substrate distance and we found the experimental condition ranges to obtain crystalline films containing the Bi₂Te₃ phase only, by comparing energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Variations of substrate temperature and deposition gas pressure prove to be crucial also for the control of film morphology and crystallinity. Substrate type has no influence on film stoichiometry and crystallinity, but highly oriented growth can be achieved on mica due to van der Waals epitaxy.     

Enhanced field emission from LaB6 thin films with nanoprotrusions grown by pulsed laser deposition on Zr foil

Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB₆) films have been deposited on a zirconium foil by pulsed laser deposition method. The field emission studies of the LaB₆ deposited film have been performed in the planar diode configuration under ultra high vacuum conditions. The Fowler-Nordheim plots were found to be linear in accordance with the quantum mechanical tunneling phenomenon. A typical field emission current of 7.02 μA was drawn at an applied electric field of 2 V/μm. The field enhancement factor is calculated to be 8913 cm⁻¹, indicating that the field emission is from nanoscale protrusions present on the emitter surface. The atomic force microscope (AFM) investigation of the surface clearly shows the conical shaped nanoprotrusions of few hundred nanometers with asperities of 20-40 nm on its top. The emission current-time plot recorded at the pre-set value of emission current of 5 μA over a period of more than 3 h exhibits an initial increase and subsequent stabilization of the current. The results reveal that the LaB₆/Zr field emitter obtained by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a promising cathode material for practical applications in field emission-based devices.