360-nm Photoluminescence from Silicon Oxide Films Embedded with Silicon Nanocrystals

Si-rich silicon oxide films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering onto composite Si/SiO2 targets. After annealed at different temperature, the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals were obtained. The photoluminescenee（PL） from the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals was observed at room temperature. The strong peak is at 360 nm, its position is independent of the annealing temperature. The origin of the 360-nm PL in the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanoerystals was discussed.

Polymeric fullerene oxide films produced by decomposition of hexanitro[60]fullerene

A new poly(fullerene oxide) thin film material has been fabricated by thermal activation and electron bombardment on hexanitro[60]fullerene (HNF) film deposited on a An substrate, all under vacuum conditions. The reaction products in the polymerization process are analyzed by XPS, UPS, IR, TGA-MS and LDI-MS techniques. It is found that the main effect of thermal and radiation treatments is to induce cleavage of -NO bonds from HNF molecules resulted in the release of nitric oxide gas and the formation of fullerene-bound oxyradicals, C-60-C-6. Spectroscopic evidence strongly suggests that rearrangement of fullerenic nitro moieties into nitrito groups is involved in the HNF decomposition process prior to the generation of reactive oxyradical intermediates. Consequently, the intermolecular coupling reaction of these oxyradicals leads to carbon polymer networks containing oxygen-bridged fullerenes. The thermally generated polymeric thin film is stable up to 900 K. Electron bombardment is also effective in both the decomposition of -NO2 groups and the removal of -OH groups present in HNF films. UV irradiation at 365 nm alone is shown to be not as efficient for the polymer formation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic, structural, and reactive properties of ultrathin aluminum oxide films on Pt(111)

Low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and temperature-programmed reaction spectrometry results are reported for the structural and reactive behavior of alumina films grown on Pt(111) as a function of thickness and oxidation temperature. Submonolayer Al films undergo compete oxidation at 300 K, annealing at 1100 K resulting in formation of somewhat distorted crystalline gamma-alumina, Thicker deposits require 800 K oxidation to produce Al2O3, and these too undergo crystallization at 800 K, yielding islands of apparently undistorted gamma-alumina on the Pt(111) surface. Oxidation of a p(2 x 2) Pt3Al surface alloy occurs only at>800 K, resulting in Al extraction, These alumina films on Pt(lll) markedly increase the coverage of adsorbed SO4 resulting from SO2 chemisorption onto oxygen-precovered surfaces. This results in enhanced propane uptake and subsequent reactivity relative to SO4/Pt(111). A bifunctional mechanism is proposed to account for our observations, and the relevance of these to an understanding of the corresponding dispersed systems is discussed.

Dielectric Properties of Electron Beam Evaporated Samarium Oxide Films

The dielectric properties of electron beam evaporated Sm2O3 films have been investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz at various temperatures (300 K-453 K). The dielectric constant is found to depend on film thickness and it attains a constant value beyond 1000 A. The present electron beam evaporated Sm2O3 films have a high dielectric constant of 43. The frequency dependence of and tan teeta at various temperatures is also studied.

Dielectric and optical properties of europium oxide films

The dielectric properties of vacuum-deposited europium oxide films have been investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz at various temperatures (300-543 K). The dielectric constant is found to depend on film thickness and it attains a constant value beyond 1000 Å. Films deposited at higher substrate temperatures (above 423 K) exhibit improved dielectric properties owing to the recovery of stoichiometry. The frequency variation of the loss factor exhibits a minimum which increases with rise in temperature. The breakdown field strength (about 106V cm-1) is found to be thickness dependent and it varies in accordance with the Forlani-Minnaja relation. The films exhibit ohmic conduction with an activation energy of 0.86 eV at low electric fields but at higher fields the conductivity becomes space charge limited. X-ray studies show that the films are amorphous in nature. The a.c. conductivity is proportional to ω at low frequency, whereas a square law dependence is observed at higher frequencies. The optical constants n, α and k and optical band gap are calculated from the UV-visible-near-IR spectra.

Characterization of anodic silicon oxide films grown in room temperature ionic liquids

The electroformation of silicon oxide was performed in two room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL), 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide (BMITFSI) and N-n-butyl-N-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide (BMPTFSI). This phenomenon was studied by electrochemical techniques and it was observed that the oxide growth follows a high-field mechanism. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy experiments have shown that a non-stoichiometric oxide film was formed, related to the low water content present in both RTILs (< 30 ppm). The roughness values obtained by using AFM technique of the silicon surface after etching with HF was 1.5 nm (RMS). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at low frequencies range was interpreted as a resistance in parallel with a CPE element, the capacitance obtained was associated with the dielectric nature of the oxide formed and the resistance was interpreted considering the chemical dissolution of the oxide by the presence of the TFSI anion. The CPE element was associated with the surface roughness and the very thin oxide film obtained. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Al-based anodic oxide films structure observation using field emission gun scanning electron microscopy

In the present work, the anodic oxide films of Al, Al-Cu 4.5% and Al-Si 6.5% alloys are formed using direct and pulse current. In the case of Al-Cu and Al-Si alloys, the electrolyte used contains sulfuric acid and oxalic acid, meanwhile for Al the electrolyte contains sulfuric acid only. Al-Cu alloy was submitted to a heat treatment in order to decrease the effect of inter metallic phase theta upon the anodic film structure. Fractured samples were observed using a field emission gun scanning electron microscope JSM-6330F at (LME)/Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), Campinas, SP, Brazil. The oxide film images enable evaluation of the pore size and form with a resolution similar to the transmission electron microscope (TEM) resolution. It is also observed that the anodizing process using pulse current produces an irregular structure of pore walls, and by direct cur-rent it is produced a rectilinear pore wall. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photo-electrochemical investigation of anodic oxide films on cast Ti-Mo alloys I. Anodic behaviour and effect of alloy composition

The anodic behaviour of cast Ti-Mo alloys, having different Mo contents (6-20 wt.%), was investigated in acidic and neutral aerated aqueous solutions. All sample showed a valve-metal behaviour, owing to formation and thickening of barrier-type anodic oxides displaying interference colours Growth kinetics. of passive films is influenced by both anodizing electrolyte and composition of the starting alloy. This last parameter was found to change also the solid-state properties of the films, explored by photoelectrochemical and impedance spectroscopy experiments. Thicker films (U(f) = 8 V/MSE) grown on alloys richer in Mo showed more resistive character and a photocurrent sign inversion under negative bias, that revealed an insulating character, whereas corresponding films grown on alloys with lower Mo content, as well as thinner films, behaved as n-type semiconductors. Results are discussed in terms of formation of a mixed Ti-Mo oxide phase. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Indium tin oxide films prepared via wet chemical route

In this work, indium tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared using a wet chemical route, the Pechini method. This consists of a polyesterification reaction between an alpha-hydroxicarboxylate complex (indium citrate and tin citrate) with a polyalcohol (ethylene glycol) followed by a post annealing at 500 degrees C. A 10 at.% of doping of Sn4+ ions into an In2O3 matrix was successfully achieved through this method. In order to characterize the structure, the morphology as well as the optical and electrical properties of the produced ITO films, they were analyzed using different experimental techniques. The obtained films are highly transparent, exhibiting transmittance of about 85% at 550 nm. They are crystalline with a preferred orientation of [222]. Microscopy discloses that the films are composed of grains of 30 nm average size and 0.63 nm RMS roughness. The films' measured resistivity, mobility and charge carrier concentration were 5.8 x 10(-3) Omega cm, 2.9 cm(2)/V s and -3.5 x 10(20)/cm(3), respectively. While the low mobility value can be related to the small grain size, the charge carrier concentration value can be explained in terms of the high oxygen concentration level resulting from the thermal treatment process performed in air. The experimental conditions are being refined to improve the electrical characteristics of the films while good optical, chemical, structural and morphological qualities already achieved are maintained. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical stability of anodic titanium oxide films grown at potentials higher than 3 V in a simulated physiological solution

The cathodic behaviour of oxides formed on titanium electrodes in physiological solutions at potentials between 3 and 5 V (vs. SCE) was studied by cyclic voltammetry. In case of anodic polarization at potentials higher than 3 V (vs. SCE), a cathodic peak at similar to 0.4 V (vs. SCE) appears in the cathodic scan, which could be due to the reduction of unstable peroxides. The results show that this peak depends on the anodic potential and the oxidation time. This behaviour supposedly is due to the formation of unstable titanium peroxides like TiO3 during anodization. Based on repetitive oxidation-reduction processes can be concluded that the created amount of TiO3 inside of the TiO2 surface layer seems to be constant. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport and sensors properties of nanostructured antimony-doped tin oxide films

Tin oxide thin films doped with 7 mol% antimony oxide multilayer were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. Morphological characterization revealed films with round-shaped grains, nanometric size (similar to 13 nm), and low roughness. These films display high transmittance (similar to 80%) in the visible range of transmittance spectra, which is desirable for transparent conductive oxide films. Analysis on electrical resistivity versus temperature data showed two different conduction mechanisms toward the temperature range. The gas sensor properties measurement of the thicker thin film revealed good sensibility for the NOx. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low voltage electroluminescence of terbium- and thulium-doped zinc oxide films

Strong interest in developing technology for visual information. stimulates research for thin film electroluminescent devices. Here, for the first time, we report that thulium- and terbium-doped zinc-oxide films are suitable for electroluminescence applications. Two different devices were assembled as lTO/LiF/ZnO:RE/LiF/Al or ITO/SiO2/ZnO:RE/SiO2/Al, where ZnO:RE is a film of zinc oxide containing 10 at% of Tb3+ or Tm3+. Electroluminescence spectra show that besides a broad emission band with maximum around 650 nm assigned to ZnO, also emission lines from Tb3+ at 484 nm (D-5(4) -> F-7(6)), 543 nm (D-5(4) -> F-7(6)), and 589 nm (D-5(4) -> F-7(4)), or from Tm3+ at 478 nm ((1)G(4) -> H-3(6)), and 511 mn (D-1(2) -> H-3(5)) were detected. Intensity of emission as function of applied voltage and current-voltage characteristic are shown and discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wettability and photodegradation activity of sol-gel dip-coated zinc oxide films

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