Comparison between double crystals X-ray diffraction micro-Raman measurement on composition determination of high Ge content Si1_xGex layer epitaxied on Si substrate

It is important to acquire the composition of Si1-xGex layer, especially that with high Ge content, epitaxied on Si substrate. Two nondestructive examination methods, double crystals X-ray diffraction (DCXRD) and micro-Raman measurement, were introduced comparatively to determine x value in Si1-xGex: layer, which show that while the two methods are consistent with each other when x is low, the results obtained from double crystals X-ray diffraction are not credible due to the large strain relaxation occurring in Si1-xGex layers when Ge content is higher than about 20%. Micro-Raman measurement is more appropriate for determining high Ge content than DCXRD.

Raman scattering detection of stacking faults in free-standing cubic-SiC epilayer

We report on stacking fault (SF) detection in free-standing cubic-SiC epilayer by the Raman measurements. The epilayer with enhanced SFs is heteroepitaxially grown by low pressure chemical vapour deposition on a Si(100) substrate and is released in KOH solution by micromechanical manufacture, on which the Raman measurements are performed in a back scattering geometry. The TO line of the Raman spectra is considerably broadened and distorted. We discuss the influence of SFs on the intensity profiles of TO mode by comparing our experimental data with the simulated results based on the Raman bond polarizability (BP) model in the framework of linear-chain concept. Good agreement with respect to the linewidth and disorder-induced peak shift is found by assuming the mean distance of the SFs to be 11 angstrom in the BP model.

High-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis of the Bragg peak integrated intensity in highly mismatched III-N epilayers

A new method of measuring the thickness of GaN epilayers on sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrates by using double crystal X-ray diffraction was proposed. The ratio of the integrated intensity between the GaN epilayer and the sapphire substrate showed a linear relationship with the GaN epilayer thickness up to 2.12 mum. It is practical and convenient to measure the GaN epilayer thickness using this ratio, and can mostly eliminate the effect of the reabsorption, the extinction and other scattering factors of the GaN epilayers. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence properties of Eu3+-doped ZnS nanocrystals prepared in a water/methanol solution

Monodispersed ZnS and Eu3+-doped ZnS nanocrystals have been prepared through the co-precipitation reaction of inorganic precursors ZnCl2, EuCl3, and Na2S in a water/methanol binary solution. The mean particle sizes are about 3-5 nm. The structures of the as-prepared ZnS nanoparticles are cubic (zinc blende) as demonstrated by an x-ray powder diffraction. Photoluminescence studies showed a stable room temperature emission in the visible spectrum region for all the samples, with a broadening in the emission band and, in particular, a partially overlapped twin peak in the Eu3+-doped ZnS nanocrystals. The experimental results also indicated that Eu3+-doped ZnS nanocrystals, prepared by controlling synthetic conditions, were stable. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in tetra-n-butylammonium bromide aqueous solution by benzotriazole and Na3PO4

The corrosion inhibition behavior of benzotriazole, Na3PO4 and their mixture on carbon steel in 20 wt.% (0.628 mol l(-1)) tetra-n-butylammonium bromide aerated aqueous solution was investigated by weight-loss test, potentiodynamic polarization measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray techniques. The inhibition action of BTA or SP or inhibitors mixture on the corrosion of carbon steel is mainly due to the inhibition of anodic process of corrosion. The results revealed that inhibitors mixtures have shown synergistic effects at lower concentration of inhibitors. At 2 g l(-1) BTA and 2 g l(-1) SP showed optimum enhanced inhibition compared with their individual effects.

Synthesis of novel hexagon SnO2 nanosheets in ethanol/water solution by hydrothermal process

The novel hexagon SnO2 nanosheets are successfully synthesized in ethanol/water solution by hydrothermal process. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared ray (IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By changing the reaction conditions, the size and the morphology can be controlled. Comparison experiments show that when the temperature increased from 140 degrees C to 180 degrees C, the edge length of the hexagon nanoparticles increases from 300-450 nm to 700-900 nm. On the other hand, by adjusting the ratios of water to ethanol from 2 to 0.5, SnO2 nanoparticles with different morphologies of triangle and sphere are obtained. When the concentration of NaOH is increased from 0.15 M to 0.30 M, a hollow ring structure can be obtained. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic degradation of AZO dyes by supported TiO2+UVin aqueous solution

The photocatalytic degradation performance of photocatalysts TiO2 supported on 13-X, Na-Y, 4A zeolites with different loading content was evaluated using the photocatalytic oxidation of dyes direct fast scarlet 4BS and acid red 3B in aqueous medium. The results showed that the best reaction dosage of TiO2-zeolite catalysts is about 2 g/l and the photocatalytic kinetics follows first order for all supported catalysts. The photocatalytic activity order of the three series catalysts is 13X type >Y type >4A type. The physical state of titanium dioxide on the supports is evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, and FTIR. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of aggregation behaviors between branched and linear block polyethers: MesoDyn simulation study

The comparison of aggregation behaviors between the branched block polyether T1107 (polyether A) and linear polyether (EO)(60)(PO)(40)(EO)(60) (polyether B) in aqueous solution are investigated by the MesoDyn simulation. Polyether A forms micelles at lower concentration and has a smaller aggregation number than B. Both the polyethers show the time-dependent micellar growth behaviors. The spherical micelles appear and then change to rod-like micelles with time evolution in the 10 vol% solution of polyether A. The micellar cluster appears and changes to pseudo-spherical micelles with time evolution in the 20 vol% solution of polyether A. However, the spherical micelles appear and change to micellar cluster with time evolution in the 20 vol% polyether B solution. The shear can induce the micellar transition of both block polyethers. When the shear rate is 1x10(5) s(-1), the shear can induce the sphere-to-rod transition of both polyethers at the concentration of 10 and 20 vol%. When the shear rate is lower than 1x10(5) s(-1), the huge micelles and micellar clusters can be formed in the 10 and 20 vol% polyether A systems under the shear, while the huge micelles are formed and then disaggregated with the time evolution in the 20 vol% polyether B system.

Measurement of the inelastic branch of the stellar O-14(alpha,p)F-17 reaction occurring in the explosive burning in Novae and X-ray busters

The inelastic component of the key astrophysical resonance (1(-), E-x=6.15 MeV) in the O-14(alpha,p)F-17 reaction has been studied by using the resonant scattering of F-17+p. The experiment was done at REX-ISOLDE CERN with the Miniball setup. The thick target method in inverse kinematics was utilized in the present experiment where a 44.2 MeV F-17 beam bombarded a similar to 40 mu m thick (CH2)(n) target. The inelastic scattering protons in coincidence with the de-excited 495 keV gamma rays have been clearly seen and they are from the inelastic branch to the first excited state in F-17 following decay of the 1(-) resonance in Ne-18. Some preliminary results are reported.

Enhanced resonance light scattering based on biocatalytic growth of gold nanoparticles for biosensors design

The biocatalytic growth of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) has been employed in the design of new optical biosensors based on the enhanced resonance light scattering (RLS) signals. Both absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed Au-NP seeds could be effectively enlarged upon the reaction with H2O2, an important metabolite that could be generated by many biocatalytic reactions.

Rhythmic Growth-Induced Ring-Banded Spherulites with Radial Periodic Variation of Thicknesses Grown from Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) Solution with Constant Concentration

Birefringent ring-banded spherulites with radial periodic variation of thicknesses were grown from poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) solutions under conditions for which the Solution concentration was held constant during the whole development of the morphology. The as-grown ring-banded spherulites were investigated by optical (OM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopies, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of samples sectioned parallel to the plane of film, and also by electron diffraction (ED) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) techniques.

Facile fabrication of large area of aggregated gold nanorods film for efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering

An effective and facile method for fabrication of large area of aggregated gold nanorods (AuNRs) film was proposed by self-assembly of AuNRs at a toluene/water interface for the first time. It was found that large area of aggregated AuNRs film could be formed at the interface of toluene and water due to the interfacial tension between the two phases. The obtained large area of aggregated AuNRs film exhibits strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and 2-aminothiophenol (2-ATP) as the probe molecules based on the strong electromagnetic coupling effect between the very adjacent AuNRs.

Improving performance of polymer photovoltaic devices using an annealing-free approach via construction of ordered aggregates in solution

Low crystalline order has been proved to be one of the main hindrances for achieving high performance devices based on thin films composed of crystallizable polymer. In this work, we use a facile method to substantially improve crystallinity of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in its pure or composite film via the construction of ordered precursors in the solution used for thin film deposition. These improvements have been confirmed by bright-field transmission electron micrography, electron diffraction, UV-Vis absorption and wide-angle X-ray diffraction.

Ag2S morphology controllable via simple template-free solution route

Different morphologies of Ag2S nano- and micro-materials, including spokewise micrometer bars, microfibers, nanowires, worm-like nanoparticles and nanopolyhedrons have been obtained controllably by a facile one-step method at room temperature. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed to characterize the structure and compositions of those nanomaterials. Furthermore, ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectra of Ag2S with different morphologies show different spectral features.