Homogeneous SiGe crystals grown by using the traveling liquidus-zone method

It is indispensable to estimate a diffusion coefficient in a solution zone in order to grow a homogeneous crystal by using the traveling liquidus-zone (TLZ) method. To estimate the diffusion coefficient of Ge in the SiGe solution zone, result of a two-dimensional numerical simulation is compared with an experimental result. From the comparison, the diffusion coefficient is estimated to be 9.5×10⁻⁵ cm²/s. By using this coefficient, a sample translation rate for obtaining a homogeneous SiGe crystal is determined. By translating samples with appropriate rates, homogeneous Si_0.5Ge_0.5 crystals are successfully grown. The typical Ge composition is 0.496±0.006 for more than 13 mm long. The experimental result shows the homogeneity of ±1.2% in the mole fraction. This deviation corresponds to the variation of less than ±0.03% in the lattice constant. Since this variation is negligibly small, the homogeneity is excellent. Thus it is found that the TLZ method is the universal growth technique, which is applicable to the crystal growth of not only the III–V compounds but also the IV–IV compounds.     

Cyclopolycondensations. VIII. New Thermally Stable Aromatic Polybenzoxazinones by Solution Polymerization in Polyphosphoric Acid

High molecular weight polybenzoxazinones have been prepared by cyclo-polycondensation reaction of 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid with a variety of aromatic carbonyl compounds using a solution polymerization technique in polyphosphoric acid. From the model reactions of anthranilic acid, and 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid with benzoyl chloride in polyphosphoric acid, it is established that the cyclopolycondensation proceeds through the formation of an open-chain tractable precursor, polyamic acid of high molecular weight (ninh = 2.66) in the first step, which subsequently undergoes thermal or chemical cyclodehydration along the polymer chain, to yield, in the second step, a fully aromatic polybenz-oxazinone. Polybenzoxazinones thus obtained have excellent thermal stability both in nitrogen and in air.

The optimum polymerization conditions for obtaining polyamic acid of high molecular weight are determined by the study of reaction variables such as polymerization temperatures, monomer concentrations, and reaction time as well as the effect of P₂O₅ concentrations in polyphosphoric acid.     

Nuclear resonant time spectra for Sn in Co2TiSn Heusler alloy films

Co₂TiSn Heusler alloy films were grown on MgO substrates at the substrate temperature between 200 and 600 °C using atomically controlled alternate deposition and magnetic hyperfine field at the Sn nuclei was measured by the Mössbauer spectroscopy and the nuclear resonant scattering method. The relation between the hyperfine field and the structural disorder estimated by X-ray diffraction measurements was also examined. The results showed that the sample prepared at higher substrate temperature has higher degree of L2₁ order and larger hyperfine field. For the Co₂TiSn film grown at 600 °C, the hyperfine field estimated from the oscillatory pattern of the nuclear resonant time spectra was 6.1 T at room temperature and increased with a decrease of temperature to 7.5, 8.1, and 8.3 T at 200, 100, and 5 K, respectively, which shows that the film prepared by this method and condition has almost the same magnetization value and Curie temperature as bulk samples.     

Acoustically induced streaming flows near a model cod otolith and their potential implications for fish hearing

The ears of fishes are remarkable sensors for the small acoustic disturbances associated with underwater sound. For example, each ear of the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) has three dense bony bodies (otoliths) surrounded by fluid and tissue, and detects sounds at frequencies from 30 to 500 Hz. Atlantic cod have also been shown to localize sounds. However, how their ears perform these functions is not fully understood. Steady streaming, or time-independent, flows near a 350% scale model Atlantic cod otolith immersed in a viscous fluid were studied to determine if these fluid flows contain acoustically relevant information that could be detected by the ear's sensory hair cells. The otolith was oscillated sinusoidally at various orientations at frequencies of 8-24 Hz, corresponding to an actual frequency range of 280-830 Hz. Phase-locked particle pathline visualizations of the resulting flows give velocity, vorticity, and rate of strain fields over a single plane of this mainly two-dimensional flow. Although the streaming flows contain acoustically relevant information, the displacements due to these flows are likely too small to explain Atlantic cod hearing abilities near threshold. The results, however, may suggest a possible mechanism for detection of ultrasound in some fish species.     

Structural and valence changes of europium hydride induced by application of high-pressure H₂

Europium hydride EuH(x), when exposed to high-pressure H?, has been found to exhibit the following structural and valence changes: Pnma(x = 2, divalent) → P6?/mmc(x = 2, 7.2-8.7 GPa) → I4/m(x > 2, 8.7-9.7 GPa) → I4/mmm(x > 2, 9.7 GPa-,trivalent). With a trivalent character and a distorted cubic fcc structure, the I4/mmm structure is the β phase commonly observed for other rare-earth metal hydrides. Our study clearly demonstrates that EuH(x) is no longer an irregular member of the rare-earth metal hydrides.     

Asymmetrical contribution of eutectic growth kinetics on the coupled growth behaviour in rapid eutectic solidification

The interface undercooling in classical eutectic growth theories consists of solute and curvature undercooling with different expression formats. However, a significant difference in interface kinetic coefficients arises for a disordered non-facetted solid solution and an ordered facetted intermetallic compound in that different growth kinetics govern the attachment kinetics at the solid–liquid interface, which correspond to a typical eutectic reaction with a solid solution and an intermetallic compound as its terminal eutectic phases. Following the pioneering work of Jackson and Hunt (Trans. Metall. Soc. AIME 236 1129 (1966) ), the kinetic undercooling is supplemented to interface undercooling and two eutectic phases are considered separately so as to diagnose the effect of the asymmetrical contribution of kinetic undercooling on the coupled eutectic growth behaviour. Further analysis indicates that it is the asymmetrical contribution of kinetic undercoolings of the facetted and non-facetted phases that enables the coupled eutectic composition shift to the facetted phase side so as to weaken the solute undercooling of the facetted phase and balance the kinetic contribution in the rapid solidification of coupled eutectics.     

Studies on spintronics-related thin films using synchrotron-radiation-based Mössbauer spectroscopy

Applications of synchrotron-radiation-based Mössbauer spectroscopy in the “energy domain” to the studies on magnetism of thin films are introduced on the basis of the experiments recently performed at SPring-8, Japan. The measured samples are spintronics-related thin films, such as Co₂MnSn films, layered Fe/Cr films, layered Fe/Fe₃O₄ films, and Fe₄N films. The validity of the energy domain measurements is demonstrated in the light of industrial applications of magnetic thin films.