Role of boron diffusion in CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions

Several scientific issues concerning the latest generation read heads for magnetic storage devices, based on CoFeB/MgO/CoFeBmagnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are known to be controversial, including such fundamental questions as to the behavior and the role of B in optimizing the physical properties of these devices. Quantitatively establishing the internal structures of several such devices with different annealing conditions using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we resolve these controversies and establish that the B diffusion is controlled by the capping Ta layer, though Ta is physically separated from the layer with B by several nanometers. While explaining this unusual phenomenon, we also provide insight into why the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) is optimized at an intermediate annealing temperature, relating it to B diffusion, coupled with our studies based on x-ray diffraction and magnetic studies.

Low temperature giant magnetocaloric effect in multiferroic GdMnO3 single crystals

Magnetocaloric (MC) properties of GdMnO3 single crystals are investigated using magnetic and magneto-thermal measurements. GdMnO3 exhibits a giant MC effect (isothermal change in magnetic entropy (-Delta S-M) similar to 31 J (kg K)(-1) at 7 K and adiabatic change in temperature similar to 10 K at 19 K for magnetic field variation 0-80 kOe). Complex interactions between 3d and 4f magnetic sublattices influence MC properties. The rare-earth antiferromagnetic ordering induces an inverse MC effect (positive Delta S-M) along `a' and `c' axes whereas it's not seen along the `b' axis, revealing complex anisotropic magnetic ordering. The antiferromagnetic ordering possibly changes to ferromagnetic ordering at higher fields.

Inductively coupled reactive ion etching studies on sputtered yttria stabilized zirconia thin films in SF6, Cl-2, and BCl3 chemistries

Downscaling of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) based electrochemical devices and gate oxide layers requires successful pattern transfer on YSZ thin films. Among a number of techniques available to transfer patterns to a material, reactive ion etching has the capability to offer high resolution, easily controllable, tunable anisotropic/isotropic pattern transfer for batch processing. This work reports inductively coupled reactive ion etching studies on sputtered YSZ thin films in fluorine and chlorine based plasmas and their etch chemistry analyses using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Etching in SF6 plasma gives an etch rate of 7 nm/min chiefly through physical etching process. For same process parameters, in Cl-2 and BCl3 plasmas, YSZ etch rate is 17 nm/min and 45 nm/min, respectively. Increased etch rate in BCl3 plasma is attributed to its oxygen scavenging property synergetic with other chemical and physical etch pathways. BCl3 etched YSZ films show residue-free and smooth surface. The surface atomic concentration ratio of Zr/Y in BCl3 etched films is closer to as-annealed YSZ thin films. On the other hand, Cl-2 etched films show surface yttrium enrichment. Selectivity ratio of YSZ over silicon (Si), silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) are 1:2.7, 1:1, and 1:0.75, respectively, in BCl3 plasma. YSZ etch rate increases to 53 nm/min when nonoxygen supplying carrier wafer like Si3N4 is used. (C) 2015 American Vacuum Society.

CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PRE-TWISTED THICK BEAMS USING VARIATIONAL ASYMPTOTIC METHOD

An asymptotically-exact methodology is presented for obtaining the cross-sectional stiffness matrix of a pre-twisted moderately-thick beam having rectangular cross sections and made of transversely isotropic materials. The anisotropic beam is modeled from 3-D elasticity, without any further assumptions. The beam is allowed to have large displacements and rotations, but small strain is assumed. The strain energy of the beam is computed making use of the constitutive law and the kinematical relations derived with the inclusion of geometrical nonlinearities and initial twist. Large displacements and rotations are allowed, but small strain is assumed. The Variational Asymptotic Method is used to minimize the energy functional, thereby reducing the cross section to a point on the reference line with appropriate properties, yielding a 1-D constitutive law. In this method as applied herein, the 2-D cross-sectional analysis is performed asymptotically by taking advantage of a material small parameter and two geometric small parameters. 3-D strain components are derived using kinematics and arranged as orders of the small parameters. Warping functions are obtained by the minimization of strain energy subject to certain set of constraints that renders the 1-D strain measures well-defined. Closed-form expressions are derived for the 3-D non-linear warping and stress fields. The model is capable of predicting interlaminar and transverse shear stresses accurately up to first order.

Mapping the intriguing transient morphologies and the demixing behavior in PS/PVME blends in the presence of rod-like nanoparticles

The demixing behavior, transient morphologies and mechanism of phase separation in PS/PVME blends were greatly altered in the presence of a very low concentration of rod-like particles (multiwall carbon nanotubes, MWNTs). This phenomenon is due to the specific interaction of one of the phases (PVME) with the anisotropic MWNTs, which creates a heterogeneous environment in the blend. This specific interaction alters the chain dynamics in the interfacial region as against the bulk. A comprehensive analysis using isochronal temperature sweep was performed to understand the demixing temperature in the blends. The evolution of phase morphology as a function of time and temperature was assessed by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The addition of MWNTs increased the rheological demixing temperature and the spinodal temperature in almost all the compositions. The intriguing transient morphologies were mapped, which varied from nucleation and growth to coalescence-induced viscoelastic phase separation (C-VPS) in PVME-rich blends, to spinodal decomposition in the near-critical compositions, to transient gel-induced VPS (T-VPS) in the PS-rich compositions. Mapping of the morphology development displayed two types of fracture mechanisms: ductile fracture for near-critical compositions and brittle fracture for off-critical composition. The change in the phase separation mechanism in the presence of MWNTs was due to the variation in dynamic asymmetry brought about by these anisotropic particles. All these observations were correlated by POM, SEM and AFM studies. The length of the cooperatively rearranging region (CRR), as evaluated using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) measurements, was found to be composition-independent. The observed variation of effective glass transition of PVME (low T-g component) on blending with PS (high Tg component) and by the addition of MWNTs accounts for the dynamic heterogeneity introduced by MWNTs in the system.

Analysis of Transverse Shear Strains in Pre-Twisted Thick Beams using Variational Asymptotic Method

The cross-sectional stiffness matrix is derived for a pre-twisted, moderately thick beam made of transversely isotropic materials and having rectangular cross sections. An asymptotically-exact methodology is used to model the anisotropic beam from 3-D elasticity, without any further assumptions. The beam is allowed to have large displacements and rotations, but small strain is assumed. The strain energy is computed making use of the beam constitutive law and kinematical relations derived with the inclusion of geometrical nonlinearities and an initial twist. The energy functional is minimized making use of the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM), thereby reducing the cross section to a point on the beam reference line with appropriate properties, forming a 1-D constitutive law. VAM is a mathematical technique employed in the current problem to rigorously split the 3-D analysis of beams into two: a 2-D analysis over the beam cross-sectional domain, which provides a compact semi-analytical form of the properties of the cross sections, and a nonlinear 1-D analysis of the beam reference curve. In this method, as applied herein, the cross-sectional analysis is performed asymptotically by taking advantage of a material small parameter and two geometric small parameters. 3-D strain components are derived using kinematics and arranged in orders of the small parameters. Closed-form expressions are derived for the 3-D non-linear warping and stress fields. Warping functions are obtained by the minimization of strain energy subject to certain set of constraints that render the 1-D strain measures well-defined. The zeroth-order 3-D warping field thus yielded is then used to integrate the 3-D strain energy density over the cross section, resulting in the 1-D strain energy density, which in turn helps identify the corresponding cross-sectional stiffness matrix. The model is capable of predicting interlaminar and transverse shear stresses accurately up to first order.

Tuning the metal-insulator transition in NdNiO3 heterostructures via Fermi surface instability and spin fluctuations

We employed in situ pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to investigate the mechanism of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in NdNiO3 (NNO) thin films, grown on NdGaO3(110) and LaAlO3(100) substrates. In the metallic phase, we observe three-dimensional hole and electron Fermi surface (FS) pockets formed from strongly renormalized bands with well-defined quasiparticles. Upon cooling across the MIT in NNO/NGO sample, the quasiparticles lose coherence via a spectral weight transfer from near the Fermi level to localized states forming at higher binding energies. In the case of NNO/LAO, the bands are apparently shifted upward with an additional holelike pocket forming at the corner of the Brillouin zone. We find that the renormalization effects are strongly anisotropic and are stronger in NNO/NGO than NNO/LAO. Our study reveals that substrate-induced strain tunes the crystal field splitting, which changes the FS properties, nesting conditions, and spin-fluctuation strength, and thereby controls the MIT via the formation of an electronic order parameter with QAF similar to (1/4,1/4,1/4 +/- delta).

Robust local and nonlocal transport in the topological Kondo insulator SmB6 in the presence of a high magnetic field

SmB6 has been predicted to be a Kondo topological insulator with topologically protected conducting surface states. We have studied quantitatively the electrical transport through surface states in high-quality single crystals of SmB6. We observe a large nonlocal surface signal at temperatures lower than the bulk Kondo gap scale. Measurements and finite-element simulations allow us to distinguish unambiguously between the contributions from different transport channels. In contrast to general expectations, the electrical transport properties of the surface channels were found to be insensitive to high magnetic fields. We propose possible scenarios that might explain this unexpected finding. Local and nonlocal magnetoresistance measurements allowed us to identify possible signatures of helical spin states and strong interband scattering at the surface.

Anisotropy in the mechanical properties of organic crystals: temperature dependence

The nanoindentation technique has recently been utilized for quantitative evaluation of the mechanical properties of molecular materials successfully, including their temperature (T) dependence. In this paper, we examine how the mechanical anisotropy varies with T in saccharin and L-alanine single crystals. Our results show that elastic modulus (E) decreases linearly in all the cases examined, with the T-dependence of E being anisotropic. Correspondence between directional dependence of the slopes of the E vs. T plots and the linear thermal expansion coefficients was found. The T-dependence of hardness (H), on the other hand, was found to be nonlinear and significant when (100) of saccharin and (001) of L-alanine are indented. While the anisotropies in E and H of saccharin and E of L-alanine enhance with T, the anisotropy in H of L-alanine was found to reduce with T. Possible mechanistic origins of these variations are discussed.

Dual Stress and Thermally Driven Mechanical Properties of the Same Organic Crystal: 2,6-Dichlorobenzylidene-4-fluoro-3-nitroaniline

An elastic organic crystal, 2,6-dichlorobenzylidine-4-fluoro-3-nitroaniline (DFNA), which also shows thermosalient behavior, is studied. The presence of these two distinct properties in the same crystal is unusual and unprecedented because they follow respectively from isotropy and anisotropy in the crystal packing. Therefore, while both properties lead from the crystal structure, the mechanisms for bending and thermosalience are quite independent of one another. Crystals of the low-temperature (a) form of the title compound are bent easily without any signs of fracture with the application of deforming stress, and this bending is within the elastic limit. The crystal structure of the a-form was determined (P2(1)/c, Z = 4, a = 3.927(7) angstrom, b = 21.98(4) angstrom, c = 15.32(3) angstrom). There is an irreversible phase transition at 138 degrees C of this form to the high-temperature beta-form followed by melting at 140 degrees C. Variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction was used to investigate the structural changes across the phase transition and, along with an FTIR study, establishes the structure of the beta-form. A possible rationale for strain build-up is given. Thermosalient behavior arises from anisotropic changes in the three unit cell parameters across the phase transition, notably an increase in the b axis parameter from 21.98 to 22.30 angstrom. A rationale is provided for the existence of both elasticity and thermosalience in the same crystal. FTIR studies across the phase transition reveal important mechanistic insights: (i) increased pi...pi repulsions along 100] lead to expansion along the a axis; (ii) change in alignment of C-Cl and NO2 groups result from density changes; and (iii) competition between short-range repulsive (pi...pi) interactions and long-range attractive dipolar interactions (C-Cl and NO2) could lie at the origin of the existence of two distinctive properties.

Directional bilateral filters for smoothing fluorescence microscopy images

Images obtained through fluorescence microscopy at low numerical aperture (NA) are noisy and have poor resolution. Images of specimens such as F-actin filaments obtained using confocal or widefield fluorescence microscopes contain directional information and it is important that an image smoothing or filtering technique preserve the directionality. F-actin filaments are widely studied in pathology because the abnormalities in actin dynamics play a key role in diagnosis of cancer, cardiac diseases, vascular diseases, myofibrillar myopathies, neurological disorders, etc. We develop the directional bilateral filter as a means of filtering out the noise in the image without significantly altering the directionality of the F-actin filaments. The bilateral filter is anisotropic to start with, but we add an additional degree of anisotropy by employing an oriented domain kernel for smoothing. The orientation is locally adapted using a structure tensor and the parameters of the bilateral filter are optimized for within the framework of statistical risk minimization. We show that the directional bilateral filter has better denoising performance than the traditional Gaussian bilateral filter and other denoising techniques such as SURE-LET, non-local means, and guided image filtering at various noise levels in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). We also show quantitative improvements in low NA images of F-actin filaments. (C) 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

In-plane elastic responses of circular cell honeycombs and bundled circular tubes in a diamond array structure

Assemblages of circular tubes and circular honeycombs in close packed arrangement are presently both competing and complementing regular honeycomb structures (HCS). The intrinsic isotropy of bundled tubes/rings in hexagonal arrays restricts their use to applications with isotopic need. With the aim of extending the utility of tubes/rings assemblages to anisotropic needs, this paper explores the prospects of bundled tubes and circular honeycombs in a general diamond array structure (DAS) to cater these needs. To this end, effective transverse Young's moduli and Poisson's ratio for thick/thin DAS are obtained theoretically. Analysis frameworks including thin ring theory (TRT), curved beam theory (CBT) and elasticity formulations are tested and corroborated by FEA employing contact elements. Results indicate that TRT and CBT are reasonable for thin tubes and honeycombs. Nevertheless, TRT yields compact formulae to study the anisotropy ratio, moduli spectrum and sensitivity of the assemblage as a function of thicknesses and array structure. These formulae supplement designers as a guide to tailor the structures. On the other hand, elasticity formulation can estimate over a larger range including very thick tubes/rings. In addition, this formulation offers to estimate refined transverse strengths of assemblages. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

H2O-CH4 and H2S-CH4 complexes: a direct comparison through molecular beam experiments and ab initio calculations

New molecular beam scattering experiments have been performed to measure the total ( elastic plus inelastic) cross sections as a function of the velocity in collisions between water and hydrogen sulfide projectile molecules and the methane target. Measured data have been exploited to characterize the range and strength of the intermolecular interaction in such systems, which are of relevance as they drive the gas phase molecular dynamics and the clathrate formation. Complementary information has been obtained by rotational spectra, recorded for the hydrogen sulfide-methane complex, with a pulsed nozzle Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Extensive ab initio calculations have been performed to rationalize all the experimental findings. The combination of experimental and theoretical information has established the ground for the understanding of the nature of the interaction and allows for its basic components to be modelled, including charge transfer, in these weakly bound systems. The intermolecular potential for H2S-CH4 is significantly less anisotropic than for H2O-CH4, although both of them have potential minima that can be characterized as `hydrogen bonded'.

Influence of Anisotropy on Pavement Responses Using Adaptive Sparse Polynomial Chaos Expansion

Modeling the spatial variability that exists in pavement systems can be conveniently represented by means of random fields; in this study, a probabilistic analysis that considers the spatial variability, including the anisotropic nature of the pavement layer properties, is presented. The integration of the spatially varying log-normal random fields into a linear-elastic finite difference analysis has been achieved through the expansion optimal linear estimation method. For the estimation of the critical pavement responses, metamodels based on polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) are developed to replace the computationally expensive finite-difference model. The sparse polynomial chaos expansion based on an adaptive regression-based algorithm, and enhanced by the combined use of the global sensitivity analysis (GSA) is used, with significant savings in computational effort. The effect of anisotropy in each layer on the pavement responses was studied separately, and an effort is made to identify the pavement layer wherein the introduction of anisotropic characteristics results in the most significant impact on the critical strains. It is observed that the anisotropy in the base layer has a significant but diverse effect on both critical strains. While the compressive strain tends to be considerably higher than that observed for the isotropic section, the tensile strains show a decrease in the mean value with the introduction of base-layer anisotropy. Furthermore, asphalt-layer anisotropy also tends to decrease the critical tensile strain while having little effect on the critical compressive strain. (C) 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Probing 2D black phosphorus by quantum capacitance measurements

Two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures have emerged as a new class of materials, not only for fundamental physics but also for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Black phosphorus (BP) is a relatively new addition to this class of materials. Its strong in-plane anisotropy makes BP a unique material for making conceptually new types of electronic devices. However, the global density of states (DOS) of BP in device geometry has not been measured experimentally. Here, we report the quantum capacitance measurements together with the conductance measurements on an hBN-protected few-layer BP (similar to six layers) in a dual-gated field effect transistor (FET) geometry. The measured DOS from our quantum capacitance is compared with density functional theory (DFT). Our results reveal that the transport gap for quantum capacitance is smaller than that in conductance measurements due to the presence of localized states near the band edge. The presence of localized states is confirmed by the variable range hopping seen in our temperature dependence conductivity. A large asymmetry is observed between the electron and hole side. This asymmetric nature is attributed to the anisotropic band dispersion of BP. Our measurements establish the uniqueness of quantum capacitance in probing the localized states near the band edge, hitherto not seen in conductance measurements.