The work function of hydrothermally synthesized UO2 and the implications for semiconductor device fabrication

The photoelectric work function of nearly stoichiometric (111) and (100) hydrothermally grown UO₂ was measured to be 6.28 ± 0.36 eV and 5.80 ± 0.36 eV, respectively. Candidate metals for electrical contacts are identified for both rectifying and non‐rectifying contacts based on work function, lattice compatibility, and electrical conductivity.     

氯原子在Cu(111)表面的吸附结构和电子态

密度泛函理论(DFT)总能计算研究了不同覆盖度下氯原子在Cu(111)表面的吸附结构和表面电子态。计算结果表明,清洁Cu(111)表面自由能 为15.72 ,表面功函数φ为4.753eV。在1/4ML和1/3ML覆盖度下,每个氯原子在Cu(111)表面fcc谷位的吸附能分别等于3.278eV/atom和3.284eV/atom。在1/2ML覆盖度下,两个紧邻氯原子分别吸附于fcc和hcp谷位,氯原子的平均吸附能为2.631eV/atom。在1/3ML覆盖度下,fcc和hcp两个位置每个氯原子吸附能的差值约为2meV/atom,与正入射X光驻波实验结合蒙特卡罗方法得到结果(<10meV/atom)基本一致。在1/4ML、1/3ML和1/2ML覆盖度下,吸附后Cu(111)表面的功函数依次为5.263eV、5.275eV和5.851eV。吸附原子和衬底价轨道杂化形成的局域表面电子态位于费米能级以下约1.2eV、3.6eV和4.5eV等处。吸附能和电子结构的计算结果表明,氯原子间的直接作用和表面铜原子紧邻氯原子数目是决定表面结构的两个重要因素。     

Sn/Ge(1 1 1) α-phase: characterization of image resonances by specular electron reflection and selective electron scattering

Image potential resonances on the Sn/Ge(1 1 1) α-phase are investigated by two closely related methods: specular electron reflection and so-called selective electron scattering. Electrons from image resonances are detected on this surface at 120 and 300 K, i.e. below and above the phase transition at about 200 K. The dispersion of the image resonances reveals at these two temperatures equivalent effective electron masses, which are characteristic for this type of electronic surface states. The results of the two methods are consistent according to the similarity of the scattering processes. Changes in the loss peak intensity with the annealing temperature are assigned to the surface quality and are reflected by characteristic photoemission intensities.     

Analysis on cohesive crack opening displacement considering the strain softening effect

In order to investigate the crack propagation in quasi-brittle materials like rock, ceramic and concrete, Hillerborg and his co-researchers abstracted the fracture process zone in front of a stress free crack in terms of a “fictitious crack zone”. On the fictitious crack zone, cohesive stresses distribute following a given softening relationship of stress vs. crack opening. Based on the polynomial or power series expression of cohesive crack opening displacement, the relationship of the cohesive stress vs. the crack opening displacement is established using elastic theory and integral equation, and some unknown physics variables are obtained using variation approach. The calculation results gained in this paper are close to the experimentally test ones.     

Quantum Coherences and Classical Inhomogeneities as Equivalent Thermodynamics Resources

Quantum energy coherences represent a thermodynamic resource, which can be exploited to extract energy from a thermal reservoir and deliver that energy as work. We argue that there exists a closely analogous classical thermodynamic resource, namely, energy-shell inhomogeneities in the phase space distribution of a system’s initial state. We compare the amount of work that can be obtained from quantum coherences with the amount that can be obtained from classical inhomogeneities, and find them to be equal in the semiclassical limit. We thus conclude that coherences do not provide a unique thermodynamic advantage of quantum systems over classical systems, in situations where a well-defined semiclassical correspondence exists.     

稀土X (X=La、Ce、Pr、Nd)修饰单层h-MoS2的NO气敏性

为提高h-MoS₂对NO的气敏性,采用第一性原理研究了X(X=La、Ce、Pr和Nd)对h-MoS₂的稳定性、吸附特性、功函数和伏安特性的影响.研究结果表明：X(X=La、Ce、Pr和Nd)取代Mo原子后得到的形成能均为负,说明掺杂体系容易形成且稳定存在.同时X掺杂后的h-MoS₂布居数相比于未掺杂前的大,也说明掺杂有利于体系稳定.NO吸附在La、Ce原子顶部位置的吸附能为-1.215 eV、-1.225 eV,吸附距离分别为2.475?、2.854?,具有明显的化学吸附特征.同时Hirshfeld转移电荷分别为0.213e和0.325e,具有明显的受体特征,提高了气敏性.La和Ce掺杂后能明显改变功函数的大小,也说明La和Ce能提高h-MoS₂对NO的气敏性.施加电场后能有效提高Pr掺杂体系的吸附强度,增大Hirshfeld转移电荷,对功函数的改变最大,所以电场对Pr掺杂体系的影响非常明显.通过分析掺杂体系的伏安特性曲线,La、Ce两掺杂体系的电流分别由0增大到5.3μA和4.8μA,而Pr、Nd...     

Mathematics learning support and engagement in first year engineering

This paper considers the effects of both free optional mathematics learning support and engagement on the mathematics performance in a foundation mathematics subject of a cohort of engineering students entering university with poor mathematical skills. New engineering students were directed to either a foundation or standard mathematics subject based on the results of a placement test. For students in the foundation subject, it was found that high levels of learning support were associated with greater improvement over the semester. Some form of learning support was used by 57.9% of the students, a reasonably high proportion of the cohort. Some factors for this high level of use of learning support are considered. One possible factor, the placement test, appears to have had a positive effect. Engagement in the subject activities as measured by tutorial attendance and learning management system use was found to have a positive association with final mark. Students who utilized a high level of learning support were more likely to be more engaged with the subject, making it impossible to draw conclusions about improvements being solely due to the use of learning support.     

XPS与UPS测量几种材料功函数的比较

为比较X射线光电子能谱(XPS)与紫外光电子能谱(UPS)测量材料功函数结果间的差异,依次对经氩离子清洁表面吸附层的Au、Ag薄膜样品和单晶硅片,以及未进行表面清洁的Au、Ag、MoO_3薄膜样品,单晶硅片及ITO导电玻璃的功函数进行测量。给出了XPS和UPS测量功函数的计算方法,并探讨了影响材料功函数测量结果不确定性的因素。研究发现XPS及UPS在测量表面清洁的金属样品时,测量结果基本一致,具有较高的准确度,表面清洁的Au、Ag样品一经暴露空气后其表面覆盖一层吸附层,功函数很快发生变化。利用UPS或XPS测量金属和半导体的功函数时应避免暴露空气,若金属样品在空气中暴露时建议使用氩离子清洁表面。研究结果对科研人员按实际测试需求合理选择测量方法具有一定的指导意义。     

Thermodynamic molecular switch in sequence‐specific hydrophobic interactions

This communication will demonstrate the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch in the pairwise, sequence‐specific hydrophobic interaction of Ile–Ile, Leu–Ile, Val–Leu, or Ala–Leu over the temperature range of 273–333 K reported by Nemethy and Scheraga in 1962. Based on Chun's development of the Planck–Benzinger methodology, the change in inherent chemical bond energy at 0 K, ΔH°(T₀), is 3.0 kcal mol^?1 for Ile–Ile, 2.4 for Leu–Ile, 1.8 for Val–Leu, and 1.2 kcal mol^?1 for Ala–Leu. The value of ΔH°(T₀) decreases as the length of the hydrophobic side chain decreases. It is clear that the strength and stability of the hydrophobic interaction is determined by the packing density of the side chains, with Ala–Leu being the most stable. At 〈T_m〉, the thermal agitation energy, $\int^{T}_{0}\Delta Cp^{\circ}(T)\,dT$, is about five times greater than ΔH°(T₀) in each case. Additionally, the thermal agitation energy for the same series, evaluated at 〈T_m〉, decreases in the same order, that is, as the length of the side chain decreases. This pairwise, sequence‐specific hydrophobic interaction is highly similar in its thermodynamic behavior to that of other biological systems, except that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at 〈T_s〉 occurs at a considerably higher temperature, 355 K compared to about 300 K. The melting temperature, 〈T_m〉, is also high, 470 K compared to 343 K in a biological system. The implication is that the negative Gibbs free energy minimum at a well‐defined 〈T_s〉 has it origin in the hydrophobic interactions, which are highly dependent on details of molecular structure. In addition to the four specific dipeptide interactions described, we have shown in our unpublished work the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch in the interactions of 32 dipeptides wherein a change of sign in ΔCp°(T)_reaction leads to a true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy of reaction, and hence, a maximum in the related K_eq. Indeed, all interacting biological systems that we have thus far examined using the Planck–Benzinger approach point to the universality of thermodynamic molecular switches. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Particle dynamics and particle heat and mass transfer in thermal plasmas. Part III. Thermal plasma jet reactors and multiparticle injection

Thermal plasma processing involves complex interactions of particulates with plasmas. In previous studies (see Parts I and II of this series), an assessment of different effects has been made considering the dynamics and heat and mass transfer of a single particle immersed into a thermal plasma. The last paper of this sequence is concerned with the simulation of thermal plasma jet reactors and the effects caused by multiparticle injection.A mathematical model is proposed for the simulation of thermal plasma jet reactors, including the mixing phenomena between the jet and the surrounding gases by generalizing the governing equations for simple mixing flows. Also included is the density fluctuation effect by extending the K- model to a four-equation turbulence model combined with a probability density function. This model is internally consistent covering additional physical phenomena which are not covered by existing models. Unfortunately, its expected higher accuracy cannot be proven because of the present uncertainties associated with the input.For multiparticle injection, the simulation repeats calculations for single-particle injection, but with different initial conditions correcting the solutions by considering the coupling effects between particles and the plasma.The results indicate that (i) thermal plasmas show different mixing behavior in different gases; (ii) the density fluctuation effect is important since it causes large differences between the mass-weighted and unweighted time-averaged temperatures of thermal plasma jets; (iii) coupling effects become important when the particle loading rate exceeds half of the plasma mass flow rate; (iv) there are 16 constraints imposed on the modeling work which have to be considered for establishing a base for comparison with future experimental studies.