A study of structural, compositional and optical properties of spray-deposited non-stoichiometric (Zn,Fe)S thin films

Non-stoichiometric ternary chalcogenides (Zn,Fe)S were prepared in the film form by pyrolytic spray deposition technique, using air/nitrogen as the carrier gas. The precursor solution comprised of ZnCl₂, FeCl₂ and thiourea. The depositions were carried out under optimum conditions of experimental parameters viz. carrier gas (air/nitrogen) flow rate, concentration of precursor constituents, nozzle substrate distance and temperature of quartz substrate. The deposited thin films were later sintered in argon at 1073 K for 120 min.The structural, compositional and optical properties of the sintered thin films were studied. X-ray diffraction studies of the thin films indicated the presence of (Zn,Fe)S solid solution with prominent cubic sphalerite phase while surface morphology as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a granular structure.The chemical composition of the resulting thin films as analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) reflected the composition of the precursor solutions from which the depositions were carried out with Fe at% values ranging from 0.4 up to 33.SEM micrographs of thin films reveal that the grain sizes of the thin films prepared using air as carrier gas and N₂ as carrier gas are in the vicinity of 300 and 150 nm, respectively.The diffuse transmittance measurements for thin films, as a function of wavelength reveal the dependence of direct optical band gap on Fe content and type of phase.     

Cosmic dust and our origins

The small solid particles in the space between the stars provide the surfaces for the production of many simple and complex molecules. Processes involving the effects of ultraviolet irradiation of the thin (hundredth micron) mantles are shown to produce a wide range of molecules and ions also seen in comets. Some of the more complex ones inferred from laboratory experiments are expected to play an important role in the origin of life. An outline of the chemical evolution of interstellar dust as observed and as studied in the laboratory is presented. Observations of comets are shown to provide substantial evidence for their being fluffy aggregates of interstellar dust as it was in the protosolar nebula, i.e. the interstellar cloud which collapsed to form the solar system. The theory that comets may have brought the progenitors of life to the earth is summarized.     

Electrochemical C-V Characteristics and Photoluminescence of a-C∶N Films

Amorphous carbon (a-C) films and amorphous carbon films incorporating with the nitrogen (a-C∶N) were deposited on silicon substrates in a radio-frequency driven plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition system, while the surface electrical properties of films were investigated by electrochemical capacitance-voltage measurements. It was examined the effect of the interface defects on the properties and deduced that the conducting type of a-C∶N films was n-type. Subsequently, a comparative studies of a-C and a-C∶N films were performed by photoluminescence spectra depending on the temperature. With the decrease of the temperature, the main band with peak energy of 2.48 eV in the a-C∶N films was more intense compared with the other three bands caused by amorphous C in the a-C films.     

NMR investigation of concentrated alumina and silica slurries

The longitudinal relaxation times (T₁) of water in concentrated silica and alumina slurries were measured as a function of solids content. It was shown that the results could be fit very well with a two-phase fast-exchange model between free and surface-bound water. As expected, values of T₁ for bound water were in the order of 20–2000 times lower than that for free water, indicating a higher effective viscosity of the surface-bound water. The strength of the interaction depended on the particular surface, and all of the aluminas examined interacted more strongly with water than the two silicas studied, which themselves differed considerably. The chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) removal rate of tantalum by silica slurries was shown to be directly correlated with the interaction parameters, derived from the NMR relation times rather than with total surface hydroxyl group concentration.     

Cl/HN3/I2全气相化学激光体系的化学动力学模拟计算

 对Cl/HN₃/I₂产生NCl(a)/I激光的过程进行了化学动力学计算，主要考察了Cl,HN₃和I₂的初始粒子数密度及其配比对小信号增益系数的影响。结果发现,当温度为400K, 初始Cl粒子数密度为1×10¹⁵，1×10¹⁶和1×10¹⁷cm^-3时,小信号增益系数分别达到1.6×10^-4,1.1×10^-3和1.1×10^-2cm^-1，获得最佳小信号增益系数的HN₃和I₂的初始粒子数密度分别为初始Cl粒子数密度的1～2倍和2%～4%。同时，对Cl，HN₃和I₂配比对小信号增益系数和增益持续时间的影响进行了讨论。     

采用空心阴极放电等离子体化学气相沉积方法制备a-CH薄膜

 研究了不同衬底-阴极距离、直流电压和H₂流量对a-CH薄膜沉积速率的影响。结果表明：衬底-阴极距离必须大于0.5cm，随着该距离的增加，薄膜的沉积速率减少；直流电压达550V时沉积速率最大；随着H2含量的增加，CH₄含量相对减少，沉积速率随之降低。用AFM观察了以该方法制得的448.4nm CH薄膜的表面形貌，表面粗糙度约为10nm。最后测出了不同条件下CH薄膜的UV-VIS谱，由此可以计算得到薄膜的禁带宽度及折射率。     

红外化学遥感数字信号处理算法的研究进展

介绍了几种为远距离红外蒸汽信号监测开发的分类器设计，频域数字滤波，时域数字滤波等数字信号处理技术。对线性分类器，分段线性分类器和神经网络分类器等在红外化学遥感系统中的应用做了初步的探讨。对背景扣除技术，频域数字滤波技术，数字滤波的切趾方法等做了简要的描述。阐述了时域滤波技术的基本原理及实际应用。展望了红外化学遥感数字信号处理算法的研究前景。     

射流式单重态氧发生器研究

单重态氧O2 (a1Δg)是迄今唯一能用纯化学反应高效产生的具有长寿命的亚稳激发态分子 .为了考察提出的用两个O2 (1Δ)能量汇集反应生成氧第二单重激发态O2 (b1Σ+ g)以实现近可见短波长化学激光方案的现实性 ,设计和实验了一个氯流量为 3～ 10mmol/s的射流式单重态氧发生器 (JSOG) .考察了三种具有不同孔径和孔数目的喷头、氯气流量和脱水冷阱温度等对JSOG出口的O2 (1Δ)浓度、O2 (1Δ)分压、氯利用率及水蒸气含量的影响 .发现用聚氯乙烯管作冷阱时 ,最佳冷阱介质温度为 - 140～ - 15 0℃ ,对此提出了O2 (1Δ)表面脱活与脱水互相竞争的解释 .在最佳条件下 ,可将O2 (1Δ)气中水分压降低至 4Pa ,这一结果是首次报导     

On practical metrology and chemical analysis: etalons and traceability systems

 National measurement systems are infrastructures to ensure, for each nation, a consistent and internationally recognised basis for measurement. Such complex systems have historical, technical, legal, organisational and institutional aspects to connect scientific metrology with practical measurements. Underlying any valid measurement is a chain of comparisons linking the measurement to an accepted standard. The ways the links are forged and the etalons (measurement standards) to which they connect are defining characteristics of all measurement systems. This is often referred to as traceability which aims at basing measurements in common measurement units – a key issue for the integration of quantitative chemical analysis with the evolving physical and engineering measurement systems. Adequate traceability and metrological control make possible new technical capabilities and new levels of quality assurance and confidence by users in the accuracy and integrity of quantitative analytical results. Traceability for chemical measurements is difficult to achieve and harder to demonstrate. The supply of appropriate etalons is critical to the development of metrology systems for chemical analysis. An approach is suggested that involves the development of networks of specialised reference laboratories able to make matrix-independent reference measurements on submitted samples, which may then be used as reference materials by an originating laboratory using its practical measurement procedures. Received: 31 July 1995 Accepted: 19 August 1995     

Shape transition from InAs quantum dash to quantum dot on InP(3 1 1)A

We report on the shape transition from InAs quantum dashes to quantum dots (QDs) on lattice-matched GaInAsP on InP(3 1 1)A substrates. InAs quantum dashes develop during chemical-beam epitaxy of 3.2 monolayers InAs, which transform into round InAs QDs by introducing a growth interruption without arsenic flux after InAs deposition. The shape transition is solely attributed to surface properties, i.e., increase of the surface energy and symmetry under arsenic deficient conditions. The round QD shape is maintained during subsequent GaInAsP overgrowth because the reversed shape transition from dot to dash is kinetically hindered by the decreased ad-atom diffusion under arsenic flux.