H-2-sensing characteristics of nanocrystalline La0.8Pb0.2FeO3 prepared by sol-gel method

Nanocrystalline La0.8Pb0.2FeO3 has been prepared by the sol-gel method. XRD patterns show that the nanocrystalline La0.8Pb0.2FeO3 is a perovskite phase with the orthorhombic structure and its mean crystallite size is about 19 nm. The influence of Pb ions which replaced the La ions on A-sites can be directly observed from the electrical and sensing properties to H-2 gas. The conductance of La0.8Pb0.2FeO3-based sensor is considerably higher than that of LaFeO3-based sensor, and Pb-doping can enhance the sensitivity to H2 gas. An empirical relationship of R = KCH2alpha with alpha = 0.668 was obtained.

Influences of annealing on residual stress and structure of HfO2 films

HfO2 Elms are deposited on BK7 glass substrates by electron beam evaporation. The influences of annealing between 100 degrees C and 400 degrees C on residual stresses and structures of HfO2 films are studied. It is found that little differences of spectra, residual stresses and structures are obtained after annealing at lower temperatures. After annealing at higher temperatures, the spectra shift to short wavelength, the residual stress increases with the increasing annealing temperature. At the same time, the crystallite size increases and interplanar distance decreases. The variations of optical spectra and residual stress correspond to the evolutions of structures induced by annealing.

退火对HfO2/SiO2多层膜残余应力的影响

用电子束蒸发方法在BK7基底上沉积了HfO2/SiO2多层膜。研究了200℃到400℃的退火对残余应力的影响。结果表明退火前的薄膜残余应力为压应力，在200℃退火后发展为张应力，然后张应力值随着退火温度的升高而增大。在400℃退火后，由于张应力太大，薄膜表面出现了裂纹。同时，随着退火温度的升高，晶粒尺寸长大，晶面间距降低。残余应力的变化与结构的演变相对应。

Structural evolution of mechanically alloyed nanocrystalline FeAl intermetallics

Nanostructured FeAl intermetallics were prepared directly by mechanical alloying (MA) in a high-energy planetary ball-mill. The phase transformations and structural changes occurring in the studied material during mechanical alloying were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to examine the morphology of the powders. Thermal behavior of the milled powders was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Disordered Fe(Al) solid solution was formed at the early stage. After 30 h of milling, Fe(Al) solid solution transformed into an ordered FeAl phase. The average crystallite size reduction down to about 12 nm was accompanied by the introduction of the average lattice strain up to 1.7%. The TEM picture showed that the size of milled powders was less than 30 nm. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxygen pressure dependences of structure and properties of ZnO films deposited on amorphous glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition

ZnO films are prepared on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at different oxygen pressures, and the effects of oxygen pressure on the structure and optoelectrical properties of as-grown ZnO films are investigated. The results show that the crystallite size and surface roughness of the films increase, but the carrier concentration and optical energy gap E-g decrease with increasing oxygen pressure. Only UV emission is found in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of all the samples, and its intensity increases with oxygen pressure. Furthermore, there are marked differences in structure and properties between the films grown at low oxygen pressures (0.003 and 0.2 Pa) and the films grown at high oxygen pressures (24 and 150 Pa), which is confirmed by the fact that the crystallite size and UV emission intensity markedly increase, but the carrier concentration markedly decreases as oxygen pressure increases from 0.2 to 24 Pa. These results show that the crystal quality, including the microstructural quality and stoichiometry proportion, of the prepared ZnO films improves as oxygen pressure increases, particularly from 0.2 to 24 Pa.

Structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films on glass substrate grown by laser-ablating Zn target in oxygen atmosphere

C-axis-orientated ZnO thin films were prepared on glass substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) technique in an oxygen-reactive atmosphere, using a metallic Zn target. The effects of growth condition such as laser energy and substrate temperature on the structural and optical properties of ZnO films had been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission spectra and room-temperature (RT) photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The results showed that the thickness, crystallite size, and compactness of ZnO films increased with the laser energy and substrate temperature. Both the absorption edges and the UV emission peaks of the films exhibited redshift, and UV emission intensity gradually increased as the laser energy and substrate temperature increased. From these results, it was concluded that crystalline quality of ZnO films was improved with increasing laser energy and substrate temperature. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.N. All rights reserved.

Microstructure characterization of transition films from amorphous to nanocrocrystalline silicon

Hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) films near the threshold of crystallinity were prepared by very high-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) using a wide range of hydrogen dilution R-H = [H-2]/[SiH4] values of 2-100. The effects of H dilution R-H on the structural properties of the films were investigated using micro-Raman scattering and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy. The obtained Raman spectra show that the H dilution leads to improvements in the short-range order and the medium-range order of the amorphous network and then to the morphological transition from amorphous to crystalline states. The onset of this transition locates between R-H = 30 and 40 in our case, and with further increasing R-H from 40 to 100, the nanocrystalline volume fraction increases from similar to23% to 43%, and correspondingly the crystallite size enlarges from similar to2.8 to 4.4 nm. The FTIR spectra exhibit that with R-H increasing, the relative intensities of both the SiH stretching mode component at 2100 cm(-1) and wagging mode component at 620 cm(-1) increase in the same manner. We assert that these variations in IR spectra should be associated with the formation of paracrystalline structures in the low H dilution films and nanocrystalline structures in the high H dilution films. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

MULTIPLE PEAK PHOTOLUMINESCENCE OF POROUS SILICON

The photoluminescence (PL) response of porous silicon is usually in the form of a single broad peak. Recently, however, PL response with two peaks has been reported. Here we report the observation of multiple peaks in the PL spectrum of porous silicon. A simple modeling of the line shape indicates that four peaks exist within the response curve, and analysis suggests that the PL of porous silicon is derived from quantum confinement in the silicon crystallites. The line shapes can be due to either minibands within the conduction and valence bands or crystallite size variation or a combination of the two.

Low temperature heat capacity and thermal stability of nanocrystalline nickel

The heat capacity (C-p) of nanocrystalline nickel (nc-Ni, 40 mn crystallite size) has been measured over the temperature range of 78-370 K with a high-resolution automated adiabatic calorimeter. The measured results are compared with the C-p values of the corresponding coarse-grained crystal, and an enhancement of heat capacity of the nanocrystalline nickel was observed to be 2-4% in the temperature range between 100 and 370 K. The thermal stability of the nanocrystalline nickel sample was determined by a differential scanning calorimeter and a thermogravimetric system. The melting point of nc-Ni is the same as that of the corresponding coarse-grained crystalline nickel and the sample is stable at temperature lower than 500 K. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and upconversion luminescence of nanocrystalline Gd2O3 : Er3+, Yb3+

Nanocrystalline Gd1.77Yb0.2 Er0.03O3 samples were prepared by combustion and precipitation methods. Structures and upconversion luminescence properties of samples were studied. The results of XRD show that all samples are cubic structure, the average crystallite size could be calculated as 23 nm and 39 nm, respectively. The lattice constants were obtained. The FT-IR spectra were measured to investigate the vibrational feature of the samples.

Combustion synthesis and luminescent properties of the Eu3+-doped yttrium oxysulfide nanocrystalline

Nanocrystallinc Y2O2S:Eu3+ was successfully prepared with a combustion synthesis method, the corresponding bulk Y2O2S:Eu3+ was synthesized by conventional sulfur flux method. The results of XRD indicated that both bulk and nanocrystalline Y2O2S:Eu3+ have Pure hexagonal phases. The crystallite size was calculated to be about 20 nm according to Scherrer formula, which was consistent with the size as indicated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

The effect of multiwall carbon nanotube on the crystallization, morphology, and rheological properties of nylon1010 nanocomposites

Nanocomposites based on poly(iminosebacoyl imino-decamethylene) (PA1010) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were successfully prepared by melt blending technique. environmental scanning electron microscope micrographs of the fracture surfaces showed that not only is there an evenly dispersion of MWNTs throughout the PA1010 matrix but also a strongly interfacial adhesion with the matrix. The combined effect of more defects on MWNTs and low temperature buckling fracture is mainly responsible for the broken tubes. Differential scanning calorimeter results showed that the MWNTs acted as a nucleation agent and increased the crystallization rate and decreased crystallite size. In the linear region, rheological measurements showed a distinct change in the frequency dependence of storage modulus, loss modulus, and complex viscosity particularly at low frequencies. We conclude that the rheological percolation threshold might occur when the content of MWNTs is over 2 wt% in the composites.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of nanocrystalline Gd2O3 : Eu3+ by combustion process

The nanocrystalline Gd2O3:Eu3+ powders with cubic phase were prepared by a combustion method in the presence of urea and glycol. The effects of the annealing temperature on the crystallization and luminescence properties were studied. The results of XRD show pure phase can be obtained, the average crystallite size could be calculated as 7, 8, 45, and 23 run for the precursor and samples annealed at 600, 700 and 800 degrees C, respectively, which coincided with the results from TEM images. The emission intensity, host absorption and charge transfer band intensity increased with increasing the temperature. The slightly broad emission peak at 610 nm for smaller particles can be observed. The ratio of host absorption to O-2-Eu3+ charge transfer band of smaller nanoparticles is much stronger compared with that for larger nanoparticles, furthermore, the luminescence lifetimes of nanoparticles increased with increasing particles size. The effects of doping concentration of Eu3+ on luminescence lifetimes and intensities were also discussed. The samples exhibited a higher quenching concentration of Eu3+, and luminescence lifetimes of nanoparticles are related to annealing temperature of samples and the doping concentration of Eu3+ ions.

Nonisothermal crystallization and melting behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and maleated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

Nonisothermal crystallization and melting behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and maleated PHB were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry using various cooling rates. The results show that the crystallization behavior of maleated PHB from the melt greatly depends on cooling rates and its degree of grafting. With the increase in cooling rate, the crystallization process for PHB and maleated PHB begins at lower temperature. For maleated PHB, the introduction of maleic anhydride group hinders its crystallization, causing crystallization and nucleation rates to decrease, and crystallite size distribution becomes wider. The Avrami analysis, modified by Jeziorny, was used to describe the nonisothermal crystallization of PHB and maleated PHB. Double melting peaks for maleated PHB were observed, which was caused by recrystallization during the heating process.

Nanocrystalline SnO2 synthesised by means of hydrothermal precipitation

Nanocrystalline SnO2 with different particle sizes has been prepared by means of hydrothermal precipitation. The resulting SnO2 nanometer size powders, which are basically spherical in shape according to TEM, are tetragonal in structure with space group P4/mnm. Calculation shows that the crystallite size of SnO2 increases with increase of the calcination temperature, but that the average crystal lattice distortion rate decreases with increase of crystallite size. The smaller the particle, the bigger the crystal lattice distortion and the slower the crystal growth rate. Weight loss analysis indicates the prepared SnO2 is very slightly impure.