Creation of damage-free ferroelectric nanocapacitors via focused ion beam milling

We present a novel method for creating damage-free ferroelectric nanostructures with a focused ion beam milling machine. Using a standard e-beam photoresist followed by a dilute acid wash, nanostructures ranging in size from 1 mu m down to 250 nm were created in a 90 nm thick lead zirconate titanate ( PZT) wafer. Transmission electron microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy ( PFM) confirmed that the surfaces of the nanostructures remained damage free during fabrication, and showed no gallium implantation, and that there was no degradation of ferroelectric properties. In fact DC strain loops, obtained using PFM, demonstrated that the nanostructures have a higher piezoresponse than unmilled films. As the samples did not have any top hard mask, the method presented is unique as it allows for imaging of the top surface to understand edge effects in well-defined nanostructures. In addition, as no post-mill annealing was necessary, it facilitates investigation of nanoscale domain mechanisms without process-induced artefacts.

Thin film capacitor cut from single crystals using focused ion beam milling

The focused ion beam microscope (FIB) has been used to fabricate thin parallel-sided ferroelectric capacitors from single crystals of BaTiO3 and SrTiO3. A series of nano-sized capacitors ranging in thickness from similar to660 nm to similar to300 nm were made. Cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed that during capacitor fabrication, the FIB rendered around 20 nm of dielectric at the electrode-dielectric interface amorphous, associated with local gallium impregnation. Such a region would act electrically in series with the single crystal and would presumably have a considerable negative influence on the dielectric properties. However, thermal annealing prior to gold electrodes deposition was found to fully recover the single crystal capacitors and homogenise the gallium profile. The dielectric testing of the STO ultra-thin single crystal capacitors was performed yielding a room temperature dielectric constant of similar to300, as is the case in bulk. Therefore, there was no evidence of a collapse in dielectric constant associated with thin film dimensions.

Effective collision strengths for allowed transitions among the n

Aims.In this paper we report on calculations of collision strengths and effective collision strengths for allowed transitions among the $n \le$ 5 degenerate levels of Al XIII.
Methods.The Dirac atomic R-matrix code (DARC) has been adopted for these calculations.
Results.Collision strengths are reported over a wide energy range below 300 Ryd, and effective collision strengths are provided for electron temperatures of 4.4 $\le$ log $T_{\rm e} \le$ 6.8 K.

Effective collision strengths for transitions in Ni XIX

Aims. In this paper we report electron impact collision strengths and excitation rates for transitions among the lowest 89 levels of Ni XIX.
Methods. The Dirac atomic R-matrix code (DARC) is adopted for the calculations of collision strengths and subsequently the effective collision strengths.
Results. Collision strengths for resonance transitions among 89 levels arising from the (1s2) 2s22p6, 2s22p53$\ell$, 2s2p63$\ell$, 2s22p54$\ell$, and 2s2p64$\ell$ configurations of Ni XIX are reported over a wide energy range below 250 Ryd. Additionally, effective collision strengths for all 3916 transitions among the 89 levels are listed over a wide temperature range below 107 K. Comparisons are made among different calculations and the accuracy of the data is assessed. Finally, comparisons between theoretical and experimental intensity ratios of some prominent lines of Ni XIX are discussed.

Effective collision strengths for inner shell transitions of Fe XVI

Collision strengths for transitions among the energetically lowest 134 levels of the (1s(2)2s(2)) 2p(6)3l, 2p(5)3s(2), 2p(5)3s3p, 2p(5)3s3d, 2p(5)3p3d and 2p(5)3d(2) configurations of Fe XVI are computed, over an electron energy range below 570 Ryd, using the Dirac atomic R-matrix code (DARC) and the flexible atomic code (FAC). All partial waves with J

Collision strengths for transitions in Ni XIX

In this paper we present calculations of electron impact excitation collision strengths for transitions among the 89 fine-structure levels of the 2S(2) 2p(,)(6) 2S(2) 2P(5) 3l, 2s(2)p(6) 3l, 2s(2) 2p(5) 4l, and 2s(2)p(6) 2l configurations of Ni XIX, for which flexible atomic code (FAC) has been adopted. Comparisons are made with the earlier available results in the literature, and the anomalies observed have been discussed.