Investigations of MgF2 Optical Thin Films Prepared from Autoclaved Sol

MgF₂ thin films with ultra low refractive indices were obtained by sol–gel method using sols prepared from magnesium acetate and hydrofluoric acid. The sols were autoclaved in a Teflon cell at 100–180°C for 24 h and then coated on SiO₂ glass or CaF₂ crystal substrates by spin coating. Subsequently, the samples were heat treated at 150°C for 1 h. The optical properties of the thin films, such as refractive index and transmittance, were investigated in the UV region, especially in the deep UV (DUV, below 250 nm) region. Though the coatings consist of single layers, both samples exhibited high transmittance. In addition, they exhibit such antireflection effect over a very wide range of wavelength. Such a good antireflection effect was produced only by low refractive indices. It has also been confirmed that, even in the range of vacuum UV (VUV, 200–150 nm), CaF₂ samples with antireflection coatings could keep such a good antireflection effect.     

Process optimization and characterization of thin films of SrFeO3-x by the pechini method

Nanostructured coatings have recently attracted increasing interest because of the possibilities of synthesizing materials with unique physical-chemical properties. Highly sophisticated surface related properties, such as optical, magnetic, electronic, catalytic, mechanical, chemical and tribological properties can be obtained by advanced nanostructured coatings, making them attractive for various industrial applications. In this report we describe our efforts at developing methodology for the fabrication of SrFeO_3-x based thin films using a modified Pechini method. Thin films of SrFeO_3-x were fabricated using spin coating and a drop coating method developed in-house on Al₂O₃ and Si- substrates. The films annealed at 600°C for one hour show a perovskite phase. The grain size increases with increase in annealing temperature. The influence of various variables such as metal to chelant ratio, drying control reagents, calcination conditions, substrate type and mode of film formation were studied using XRD, optical microscopy, SEM and AFM.     

Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Sol–Gel Coatings in the SiO2-TiO2 System

In the present work, the influence of substituted Si-alkoxides on the structural and optical properties of films obtained in the SiO₂-TiO₂ system was studied. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) and 3-(tri-methoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TSPM) were used as SiO₂ sources and Ti(OBu)₄ was used as TiO₂ source. Acetylacetone was added to the Ti(OBu)₄ as chelating agent and the synthesis was carried out in acid medium. The films were deposited on oxidized Si-wafers by spin-coating. The films were characterized by XRD, spectro-ellipsometry (SE), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results obtained have shown that in the case of hybrid films the desired thickness could be obtained in a single deposition step. The thickness of the films and the optical properties are controlled by the bulkiness of the organic substitute bounded to Si. Among other optical applications, the potential use of such films as optical waveguides is proposed.     

Nanostructured NiO based all solid state electrochromic device

A nickel oxide film with a thickness of 445 nm was deposited from nickel acetate precursor using the sol–gel dip coating method. The NiO films exhibit optical transmission of 84% at 550 nm and direct energy gap (E _gd) value is 3.64 eV. The FTIR spectrum of the films confirms the formation of Ni–O bond. XRD spectrum reveals the formation of nano crystallites along (111) and (200) planes with a particle size of 17 nm. The electrochromic properties have been studied using cyclic voltammetric (CV) technique. The optical transmission of a glass/FTO/NiO/ZrO₂/FTO/glass EC device is reported.     

Preparation and Optical Characterization of Sol-Gel Deposited Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3 Films

Homogeneous crack-free lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr_0.45Ti_0.55)O₃: PZT 45/55) films were prepared by a chemically modified sol-gel process using lead acetate trihydrate, zirconium n-propoxide, and titanium isopropoxide precursors. The coating solutions were modified by the addition of diethanolamine. Single and multilayer films were deposited with a 2000 rpm spin rate on fused silica and MgO(100) substrates. Multiple spin coating with an intermediate heat treatment in air at 400°C for 3 min between coatings was performed to obtain films up to 2 m in thickness. The formation of the tetragonal perovskite structure was found to depend on the intermediate firing temperature, final annealing temperature, and annealing time. A 650°C rapid thermal annealing treatment in oxygen was required to crystallize the PZT film into the perovskite structure. The films were characterized using optical spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermo-gravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The optical constants of the PZT films were evaluated from spectral transmittance and reflectance measurements. Optical constants are presented over the visible and near infrared region.     

Spectroellipsometric Characterization of Multilayer Sol-Gel Fe2O3 Films

Multilayer Fe₂O₃ films were deposited by the sol-gel method on glass substrates using three successive deposition procedures. The films were thermally treated for 1 h at 300°C.The optical and microstructural properties of these films were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) in the 500–1000 nm range. The optical gap was found by fitting the dispersion of the film refractive index (n) with the Wemple-DiDomenico (WDD) formula.The ellipsometric measurements showed also that the Fe₂O₃ films are anisotropic. The birefringence values (n) of the sol-gel films (0.05–0.08) are smaller than the large values of the Fe₂O₃ (which are around 0.28) but increase with the crystalization of the films. AFM mesurements showed that the films treated at 300°C start to crystallize.     

Synthesis and optical characterizations of undoped and rare-earth-doped CaF2 nanoparticles

The synthesis of undoped as well as Yb or Er-doped CaF₂ nanocrystals using a reverse micelle method is reported. X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the products were single phased and rather monodispersed with an average particles size around 20 nm. The emission spectra and fluorescence decay times of both Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ rare earths (RE) ions in CaF₂ nanoparticles are presented. The particles size is increased by heating the as-obtained nanoparticles at different temperatures. The effect of annealing on the optical properties of the two RE ions in CaF₂ is also investigated.     

Soluble Powders as Precursors for TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Thin Films

Amorphous precursor powders have proven to be highly advantageous for the sol–gel processing of TiO₂ thin films. Oxide yield, density, solubility, and thermal degradation of powders prepared under various conditions were determined; the thermoanalytical data could be assigned to the oxidative decomposition of different organic constituents. Certain powders are suitable for the preparation of alcohol-based sols, whereas also aqueous coating solutions can be prepared from others. Thin films prepared from both systems show excellent adhesion and optical properties when deposited on borosilicate glass substrates.     

Study on parylene/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite films for protection of KDP crystals

In this paper, parylene/SiO₂ composite films were reported to protect KDP crystals, indispensable cells in ICF experiments, from moisture. FTIR, UV-NIR spectra and XPS were used to analyze the properties of films. Laser damage threshold of films was also measured. With porous silica coating on surface of parylene film, the transmittance of dual layers can be raised to more than 91%. KDP crystals with poly(p-xylylene)/SiO₂ coating could work well in ambient atmosphere for more than half a year.     

Basic Indole Ring Enantiomer Separation on Cellulose Tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) Coated TiO2/SiO2 Chiral Stationary Phase

Abstract

Cellulose tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC) coated TiO₂/SiO₂ has been prepared by coating CDMPC on TiO₂/SiO₂ which consists of micrometer‐sized silica spheres as core and nanometer‐sized titania particles as surface coating. Eight basic indole ring derivative enantiomers were separated on this CDMPC coated CSP and symmetrical peaks were obtained using hexane as the mobile phase and various alcohols as modifiers. The influence of the mobile phase composition and structural variation of the solutes on the enantioseparation was investigated and discussed.     

Oxidation of alcohols by chlorine dioxide in organic solvents

The kinetics of oxidation of a series of alcohols (propan-2-ol, 2-methylpropan-1-ol, butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol, 3-methylpentan-1-ol, heptan-4-ol, decan-2-ol, cyclohexanol, borneol) by chlorine dioxide in organic solvents was studied using spectrophotometry. The reaction is described by the second-order rate equation w = k[ROH][ClO₂]. The rate constants were measured in the range of 10–60 °C, and the activation parameters of the processes were calculated. The products were identified, and the yields were determined.     

Inorganic Thin Films Prepared from Soluble Powders and Their Applications

Sol-gel processing has proved to be a useful method for the preparation of a wide range of inorganic thin films. However, gelation or precipitation of coating solutions and thus limited shelf-life have been drawbacks for the industrial application of this technology.Soluble powders of various compositions can be prepared from modified metal alkoxides commonly employed in sol-gel processing. Even though these powders contain a considerable amount of organic moieties they can be stored indefinitely under ambient conditions, thus diminishing shelf life problems. Redissolution in polar organic solvents, solvent mixtures or even water yields ready-to-use coating solutions. Coating solutions for the preparation of titania (TiO₂), zirconia (ZrO₂) and lead zirconate titanate (PbTi _x Zr_1–x O₃, PZT) films have been synthesized by this method. Thickness, microstructure and properties of the resulting films can be varied by modification of the solvent, the coating procedure and thermal treatment. Inorganic thin films for various applications have been prepared.     

镍氢电池的循环性能与活性物质微结构的研究

与循环试验大致同步, 用静态(初态和终态)或准动态(增加若干个中间态)的模式对MH/H电池循环性能、电极(包括负极和正极)材料的微结构进行了X射线衍射(XRD)研究, 发现循环性能衰减与正极材料β-Ni(OH)₂的点阵参数、平均晶粒尺度、微应变和总的层错几率均随循环周期增加而减小以及负极材料中腐蚀产物A(OH)₃和B相出现和增加有一定的对应关系, 发现MH/Ni 电池循环性能的衰减是正极材料和负极材料的结构和微结构随着循环次数的增加发生明显变化, 恶化了正负极材料的电化学性能, 同时消耗和恶化了电解液的综合结果. 为了提高电池的循环性能, 采用不同正极材料的添加剂. 结果表明, CaF₂和Lu₂O₃有明显的效果, 其中CaF₂效果最好, 并有广泛的实用性.     

室温下制备以{211}晶面为主的Ti1-xVxO2薄膜及其可见光催化性能

以金属Ti和V作为靶材,采用直流反应共溅射技术在室温下制备了以{211}晶面为主的锐钛矿相Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜,研究了不同V靶功率对Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的薄膜成分、晶相结构和可见光催化性能的影响。研究表明,Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的晶相结构为锐钛矿相,择优取向为(211),而结晶度受V靶功率的影响。随着V靶功率的增加,薄膜中V元素含量逐渐增加,同时,晶粒和沉积速率也逐渐增加。另外,当V靶功率为150 W时,薄膜的表面粗糙度值有一个最大值。V的掺杂导致薄膜的能带间隙变窄,对光的吸收向可见光区偏移,从而有效地改善了薄膜的可见光催化能力。当V靶功率为150 W时,Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的能带间隙值为 2.82 eV,其在2 h的可见光照射下分解了80%的RhB染料。这被归结于能带间隙窄,高能晶面{211}和结晶度高的共同作用。     

室温下制备以{211}晶面为主的Ti1-xVxO2薄膜及其可见光催化性能

以金属Ti和V作为靶材,采用直流反应共溅射技术在室温下制备了以{211}晶面为主的锐钛矿相Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜,研究了不同V靶功率对Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的薄膜成分、晶相结构和可见光催化性能的影响。研究表明,Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的晶相结构为锐钛矿相,择优取向为(211),而结晶度受V靶功率的影响。随着V靶功率的增加,薄膜中V元素含量逐渐增加,同时,晶粒和沉积速率也逐渐增加。另外,当V靶功率为150W时,薄膜的表面粗糙度值有一个最大值。V的掺杂导致薄膜的能带间隙变窄,对光的吸收向可见光区偏移,从而有效地改善了薄膜的可见光催化能力。当V靶功率为150W时,Ti_1-xV_xO₂薄膜的能带间隙值为2.82eV,其在2h的可见光照射下分解了80%的RhB染料。这被归结于能带间隙窄,高能晶面{211}和结晶度高的共同作用。     

Spectral properties and microstructure of sputtered WOx films for solar conversion applications

Tungsten oxides (WO_x) films have gained promising attention in terms of selective solar absorption due to its high intrinsic absorption properties. We fabricated a series of single-layer WO_x films on aluminum substrates by a magnetron sputtering system. The optical absorption properties of the film were investigated by spectrophotometer and ellipsometry. We found that the optical properties of the film were very sensitive to the change of the thickness. The result showed the highest α value can reach up 0.82 with the thickness of 26 nm at 0.6 Pa or 70 nm at 1.5 Pa, and both ε values was around 0.05, indicating the high spectral selectivity properties. The different reflectance evolutions presented a wide range of color appearances, such as yellow, reddish, cyan, and blue. Moreover, the surface morphologies and phase structures of single-layer WO_x films were investigated by SEM, XRD, and Raman. A WO_x/SiO₂ solar selective absorber coating indicated that the as-obtained WO_x film was a promising application in solar-thermal conversion.     

Preparation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Blue CoAl2O4 Coatings

Optically selective thin films of CoAl₂O₄ with a spinel structure were produced for an automotive lamps application by the sol-gel process using aluminum sec-butoxide, ethylacetoacetate chelating agent and cobalt nitrate hexahydrate. The use of two metal-oxide precursors is advantageous over the single bimetallic alkoxide precursor (aluminum cobalt isopropoxide), because it allows us to vary the Co/Al ratio in the precursor solution. We found that the Co/Al ratio should not exceed 0.3 if we are to achieve films with the characteristic blue colour at 700°C. The structural characteristics of the oxide powders were determined from infrared (IR) spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, while the optical properties of the films were investigated with UV-VIS spectroscopy.     

Low-temperature processing of sol-gel derived Pb(Zr,Ti)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> thick films using CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser annealing

Fabrication of ferroelectric Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) thick films on a Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrate using powder-mixing sol-gel spin coating and continuous wave CO₂ laser annealing technique to treat the specimens with at a relatively low temperature was investigated in the present work. PZT fine powders were prepared by drying and pyrolysis of sol-gel solutions and calcined at temperatures from 400 to 750°C. After fine powder-containing sol-gel solutions were spin-coated on a substrate and pyrolyzed, CO₂ laser annealing was carried out to heat treat the specimens. The results show that laser annealing provides an extremely efficient way to crystallize the materials, but an amorphous phase may also form in the case of overheating. Thicker films absorb laser energy more effectively and therefore melt at shorter periods, implying a significant volume effect. A film with thickness of 1 μm shows cracks and rough surface morphology and it was difficult to obtain acceptable electrical properties, indicating importance of controlling interfacial stress and choosing appropriate size of the mixing powders. On the other hand, a thick film of 5 μm annealed at 100 W/cm² for 15 s exhibits excellent properties (P _r = 36.1 μC/cm², E _c = 19.66 kV/cm). Films of 10 μm form a melting zone at the surface and a non-crystallized bottom layer easily at an energy density of 100 W/cm², showing poor electrical properties. Besides, porosity and electrical properties of thick films can be controlled using appropriate processing parameters, suggesting that CO₂ laser annealing of modified sol-gel films is suitable for fabricating films of low dielectric constants and high crystallinity.     

Synthesis,Ferroelectric and Optical Properties of (Pb,Ca)TiO3 Thin Films by Soft Solution Processing

Calcium modified lead titanate sol was synthesized using a soft solution processing, the so-called polymeric precursor method. In soft chemistry method, soluble precursors such as lead acetate trihydrate, calcium carbonate and titanium isopropoxide, as starting materials, were mixed in aqueous solution. Pb_0.7Ca_0.3TiO₃ thin films were deposited on platinum-coated silicon and quartz substrates by means of the spinning technique. The surface morphology and crystal structure, dielectric and optical properties of the thin films were investigated. The electrical measurements were conducted on metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors. The typical measured small signal dielectric constant and dissipation factor at a frequency of 100 kHz were 299 and 0.065, respectively, for a thin film with 230 nm thickness annealed at 600°C for 2 h. The remanent polarization (2P_r) and coercive field (E _c) were 32 C/cm² and 100 kV/cm, respectively. Transmission spectra were recorded and from them, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and band gap energy were calculated. Thin films exhibited good optical transmissivity, and had optical direct transitions. The present study confirms the validity of the DiDomenico model for the interband transition, with a single electronic oscillator at 6.858 eV. The optical dispersion behavior of PCT thin film was found to fit well the Sellmeir dispersion equation. The band gap energy of the thin film, annealed at 600°C, was 3.56 eV. The results confirmed that soft solution processing provides an inexpensive and environmentally friendly route for the preparation of PCT thin films.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Photocatalytic Porous Fe3+/TiO2 Layers on Glass

Wet chemical synthesis and preliminary photocatalytical characteristics of titania and Fe(III)-containing TiO₂ layers are presented. A highly stable coating colloids could be prepared under base- as well as acid-catalyzed condensation conditions. Structural properties of the as-prepared wet gels and sintered films were investigated using SEM, TEM, XRD as well as optical absorption spectroscopy, DTA-TG analysis and photomineralisation studies. X-ray amorphous wet titania gel layers start to crystallize at 500°C forming the characteristic anatase phase. In the presence of iron ions (Fe/Ti = 1), nanocrystalline FeTiO₃ ilmenite phase forms. Both TiO₂ and Fe-containing TiO₂ films demonstrate a photocatalytic activity in the process of the photomineralization of dichloroacetic acid.