I. Reactively sputtered Ti-Si-N thin films for diffusion barrier applications. II. Oxidation, diffusion and crystallization of an amorphous Zr_(60)Al_(15)Ni_(25) alloy.

Films of Ti-Si-N obtained by reactively sputtering a TiSi_2, a Ti_5Si_3, or a Ti_3Si target are either amorphous or nanocrystalline in structure. The atomic density of some films exceeds 10^23 at./cm^3. The room-temperature resistivity of the films increases with the Si and the N content. A thermal treatment in vacuum at 700 °C for 1 hour decreases the resistivity of the Ti-rich films deposited from the Ti_5Si_3 or the Ti_3Si target, but increases that of the Si-rich films deposited from the TiSi_2 target when the nitrogen content exceeds about 30 at. %.

Ti_(34)Si_(23)N_(43) deposited from the Ti_5Si_3 target is an excellent diffusion barrier between Si and Cu. This film is a mixture of nanocrystalline TiN and amorphous SiN_x. Resistivity measurement from 80 K to 1073 K reveals that this film is electrically semiconductor-like as-deposited, and that it becomes metal-like after an hour annealing at 1000 °C in vacuum. A film of about 100 nm thick, with a resistivity of 660 µΩcm, maintains the stability of Si n+p shallow junction diodes with a 400 nm Cu overlayer up to 850 °C upon 30 min vacuum annealing. When used between Si and Al, the maximum temperature of stability is 550 °C for 30 min. This film can be etched in a CF_4/O_2 plasma.

The amorphous ternary metallic alloy Zr_(60)Al_(15)Ni_(25) was oxidized in dry oxygen in the temperature range 310 °C to 410 °C. Rutherford backscattering and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies suggest that during this treatment an amorphous layer of zirconium-aluminum-oxide is formed at the surface. Nickel is depleted from the oxide and enriched in the amorphous alloy below the oxide/alloy interface. The oxide layer thickness grows parabolically with the annealing duration, with a transport constant of 2.8x10^(-5) m^2/s x exp(-1.7 eV/kT). The oxidation rate is most likely controlled by the Ni diffusion in the amorphous alloy.

At later stages of the oxidation process, precipitates of nanocrystalline ZrO_2 appear in the oxide near the interface. Finally, two intermetallic phases nucleate and grow simultaneously in the alloy, one at the interface and one within the alloy.

Effects of TI-299423 on Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric, ligand-gated, cation channels found throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, whose endogenous ligand is acetylcholine, but which can also be acted upon by nicotine. The subunit compositions of nAChR determine their physiological and pharmacological properties, with different subunits expressed in different combinations or areas throughout the brain. The behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine are elicited by its agonistic and desensitizing actions selectively on neuronal nAChRs. The midbrain is of particular interest due to its population of nAChRs expressed on dopaminergic neurons, which are important for reward and reinforcement, and possibly contribute to nicotine dependence. The α6-subunit is found on dopaminergic neurons but very few other regions of the brain, making it an interesting drug target. We assayed a novel nicotinic agonist, called TI-299423 or TC299, for its possible selectivity for α6-containing nAChRs. Our goal was to isolate the role of α6-containing nAChRs in nicotine reward and reinforcement, and provide insight into the search for more effective smoking cessation compounds. This was done using a variety of in vitro and behavioral assays, aimed dually at understanding TI-299423’s exact mechanism of action and its downstream effects. Additionally, we looked at the effects of another compound, menthol, on nicotine reward. Understanding how reward is generated in the cholinergic system and how that is modulated by other compounds contributes to a better understand of our complex neural circuitry and provides insight for the future development of therapeutics.

Coherence measurement of a Ti:sapphire femtosecond pulsed laser

The interference patterns produced by Gaussian-shaped broad-bandwidth femtosecond pulsed laser sources are derived. The interference pattern contains both spatial and temporal properties of laser beam. Interference intensity dependent on the bandwidth of femtosecond laser are given. We demonstrate experimentally both the spatial and the temporal coherence properties of a Ti:sapphire femtosecond pulse laser, as well as its power spectrum by using a pinhole pair.

Modified porous silica antireflective coatings with laser damage resistance for Ti:sapphire

Porous SiO2 antireflective (AR) coatings are prepared from the colloidal silica solution modified with methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) based on the sol-gel route. The viscosity of modified silica suspensions changes but their stability keeps when MTES is introduced. The refractive indices of modified coatings vary little after bake treatment from 100 to 150 Celsius. The modified silica coatings on Ti:sapphire crystal, owning good homogeneity, display prominent antireflective effect within the laser output waveband (750-850 nm) of Ti:sapphire lasers, with average transmission above 98.6%, and own laser induced damage thresholds (LIDTs) of more than 2.2 J/cm2 at 800 nm with the pulse duration of 300 ps.

All solid-state, injection-seeded Ti:sapphire ring laser

In this letter, we present an all solid-state, injection-seeded Ti:sapphire laser. The laser is pumped by a laser diode pumped frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser, and injection-seeded by an external cavity laser diode with the wavelength between 770 and 780 nm. The single longitude mode and the doubling efficiency of the laser are obtained after injection seeding. The experimental setup and relative results are reported. It is a good candidate laser source for mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system.

Experimental study of Ti : sapphire laser end-pumped Nd : YAG ceramic laser Q-switched by Cr4+: YAG saturable absorber

By employing a continuous-wave (CW) Ti:sapphire tunable laser as a pumping source and a Cr4+:YAG single crystal as the saturable absorber (SA), a passively Q-switched Nd:YAG ceramic laser has been demonstrated at room temperature. With an absorbed pumping power of 541 mW at 808 nm, an average output power of 61 mW at 1064 nm has been obtained with 3.5 mu J pulse energy, 15 ns pulse width and 18.18 kHz repetition rate, and the corresponding slope-efficiency is 15%. The relationships between the pulse width, repetition rate, average output power, pulse energy, and peak power on the absorbed pumping power for different initial transmission of the Cr4+:YAG SA are discussed separately. The Nd:YAG ceramic is one of the most promising laser materials for compact, efficient, all-solid-state pulsed lasers.

Growth of composite sapphire/Ti : sapphire by the hydrothermal method

Composite sapphire/Ti:sapphire crystals for high-power laser application were grown by the hydrothermal method. The results of the X-ray rocking curve analysis indicate high crystalline quality of the surface Al2O3 material. The strong bonding between the overgrown Al2O3 and seed Ti:Al2O3 crystals is indispensable for withstanding high thermal stresses produced by intense optical pumping. The optical loss at the boundary of the composite crystal is considerably low, indicating the lack of scattering centers. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ti：LiAlO2新型晶体的结构分析

通过研究提拉法生长的掺杂Ti浓度为0.2at%的LiAlO2晶体吸收光谱,荧光光谱和红外光谱,来分析此新型晶体的结构.分析发现光谱中仅出现了四价Ti离子的196nm的特征吸收峰,用235nm光激发得到384nm的特征发射峰;针对吸收光谱中660-820nm出现的四个弱小吸收峰提出了一个色心模型,从而解释了空气和富Li气氛处理后吸收峰消失的现象;对比纯LiAlO2晶体的红外光谱发现,Ti的掺入仅影响了[AlO4]键强,而[LiO4]及相关键强几乎不变;结合ICP测试估算出直径50mm,厚1mm的Ti：LiA

Mg，Ti共掺Al2O3透明多晶陶瓷光谱性能研究

Transparent polycrystalline MgO and TiO2 codoped Al2O3 ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid-state pressureless processing. The absorption, emission and excitation spectra of ( Mg, Ti : Al2O3 ceramics were measured. Owing to charge compensation of Mg2+, only UV absorption around 250nm was observed due to O2- -> Ti4+ charge transfer transitions (CT) when Ti content was low. As a result, the emission peaks of isolated Ti4+ ion located at 280-290nm and 410-420nm were observed. Besides absorption peak of V, ion, the characteristic absorption peak of V, ion centered at 490nm was observed in Mg, Ti) : Al2O3 ceramics when Ti content was high. The emission spectra of Ti3+, ion in polycrystalline Al2O3 ceramics coincide with that of Ti: Al2O3 single crystal.

Ti:sapphire laser pumped high average power laser crystal Nd:GGG with high efficiency output

High-quality neodymium doped GGG laser crystals have been grown by Czochralski (Cz) method. Results of Nd:GGG thin chip laser operating at 1.064 μm pumped by Ti:sapphire laser operating at 808 nm were reported. The slop efficiency was as high as 20%.

Spectra analysis of a novel Ti-doped LiAlO2 single crystal

LiAlO2 single crystals doped with Ti at concentration 0.2 at.% are grown by the Czochralskl technique with dimensions Phi 42 x 55 mm. Ti ions in the crystal are quadrivalence proven by comparing the absorption and fluorescence spectra of pure LiAlO2 and Ti: LiAlO2. After air and Li-rich atmosphere annealing, the absorption peaks in the range of 600-800nm disappear. We conclude that 682 and 756nm absorption peaks are attributed to the V-Li and V-O absorptions, respectively. The peaks at 716nm and 798nm may stem from the V-Li(+) and F+ absorptions. The colour-centre model can be applied to explain the experimental phenomena. Ti4+-doping produces more lithium vacancies in the LiAlO2 crystal. The intensities of [LiO4] and the associated bonds remain unchanged, which improves the anti-hydrolyzation and thermal stability of LiAlO2 crystals.

温梯法生长的Ti：Al2O3晶体的光谱分析

本文研究了不同掺Ti^3＋浓度对温梯法生长的Ti：Al2O3晶体吸收光谱、荧光光谱和X射线衍射光谱的影响。根据吸收光谱提出了一个色心模型。对比了样品各处420nm荧光谱，发现掺Ti^3＋浓度越大，该处荧光强度越弱，同时解释了420肿处荧光峰的起源。对比了样品各处720nm处的荧光谱，发现掺Ti^3＋浓度越大，该处荧光强度越强。X射线衍射谱（XRD）表明，衍射峰强度随掺Ti^3＋浓度的增大而逐渐增强。

Ti：Al2O3透明多晶陶瓷光谱特性分析

采用传统无压烧结工艺制备出透明性良好的掺Ti氧化铝陶瓷；测定了该陶瓷的吸收光谱、荧光光谱和激发光谱。结果表明，掺Ti氧化铝透明陶瓷样品在Mg与Ti掺入离子的摩尔比（NMg／NTi）较小时，表现出Ti^3＋离子的490nm特征吸收峰，即^2T2→^2E跃迁产生的宽带吸收；NMg／NTi较大时，陶瓷样品吸收光谱中不存在Ti^3＋离子吸收，其250nm处吸收为O^2-→Ti^4＋的转移吸收。掺Ti氧化铝透明陶瓷样品Ti^3＋离子的发射谱线与单晶的相吻合，同时Ti^3＋在氧化铝陶瓷中分布很均匀，且Ti^3＋浓度较