Properties of individual YBCO layers in a two-layered design for energy-efficient digital data cables

We are developing two-layered Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) thin film structures for energy efficient data links for superconducting electronics and present the results of their property measurements. High temperature superconductors (HTS) are advantageous for the implementation of energy-efficient cables interconnecting low temperature superconductor-based circuits and other cryogenic electronics circuits at higher temperature stages. The advantages of the HTS cables come from their low loss and low dispersion properties, allowing ballistic transfer of low power signals with very high bandwidth, low heat conduction and negligible inter-line crosstalk. The microstrip line cable geometry for typical materials is a two-layered film, in which the two superconducting layers are separated by an insulation layer with a minimized permittivity. We have made a proof of concept design of two YBCO films grown by pulsed laser deposition and then assembled into a sandwich with uniform insulating interlayer of tens of micrometers thick. We report on results obtained from such systems assembled in different ways. Structural and electromagnetic properties have been examined on individual films and on the corresponding sandwich composite. © 2013 IEEE.

Influência da presença de um filme fino de platina na resistência de união titânio-cerâmica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Sensores de filmes finos para avaliação de etanol combustível

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Preparação de filmes finos ferroelétricos de SrBi2'('TA IND.1-x''NB IND.x)ÍND.2 'O IND.9' puro e dopado com tungstênio, obtidos pelo método dos precursores poliméricos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Filmes nanoestruturados aplicados ao sistema de língua eletrônica: um estudo de interfaces

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Materiais - FC

Influence of Different Surface Treatments on Bond Strength of Resin Composite Using the Intrinsic Characterization Technique

Objective: This study evaluated the influence of different surface treatments on the resin bond strength/light-cured characterizing materials (LCCMs), using the intrinsic characterization technique. The intrinsic technique is characterized by the use of LCCMs between the increments of resin composite (resin/thin film of LCCM/external layer of resin covering the LCCM).Materials and Methods: Using a silicone matrix, 240 blocks of composite (Z350/3M ESPE) were fabricated. The surfaces received different surface treatments, totaling four groups (n=60): Group C (control group), no surface treatment was used; Group PA, 37% phosphoric acid for one minute and washing the surface for two minutes; Group RD, roughening with diamond tip; and Group AO, aluminum oxide. Each group was divided into four subgroups (n=15), according to the LCCMs used: Subgroup WT, White Tetric Color pigment (Ivoclar/Vivadent) LCCM; Subgroup BT, Black Tetric Color pigment (Ivoclar/Vivadent) LCCM; Subgroup WK, White Kolor Plus pigment (Kerr) LCCM; Subgroup BK, Brown Kolor Plus pigment (Kerr) LCCM. All materials were used according to the manufacturer's instructions. After this, block composites were fabricated over the LCCMs. Specimens were sectioned and submitted to microtensile testing to evaluate the bond strength at the interface. Data were submitted to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (surface treatment and LCCMs) and Tukey tests.Results: ANOVA presented a value of p<0.05. The mean values (+/- SD) for the factor surface treatment were as follows: Group C, 30.05 MPa (+/- 5.88)a; Group PA, 23.46 MPa (+/- 5.45)b; Group RD, 21.39 MPa (+/- 6.36)b; Group AO, 15.05 MPa (+/- 4.57)c. Groups followed by the same letters do not present significant statistical differences. The control group presented significantly higher bond strength values than the other groups. The group that received surface treatment with aluminum oxide presented significantly lower bond strength values than the other groups.Conclusion: Surface treatments of composite with phosphoric acid, diamond tip, and aluminum oxide significantly diminished the bond strength between composite and the LCCMs.

Sn(1-x)LaxO2 thin films deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desenvolvimento de filmes finos de Bi3NbO7 pelo método dos precursores poliméricos em diferentes eletrodos óxidos

Technology always advances and thus the device miniaturization and improved performance, besides multifunctionality, they become extremely necessary. A wave of research on the area tends to grow in number and importance in today's market, it is necessary to search for new materials, new applicability of the existing ones and new processes for increasingly cheaper costs. Dielectric materials are considered a key element in this sector being the main electrical properties its high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. The Polymeric Precursor Method appears as a good alternative because is a low cost, simple process with controlled stoichiometry. In this method, two steps were performed. In a first step, the precursor solution was decomposed into powders and in a second step the precursor solution was converted in thin films. In this work, was used the polymeric precursor methods to get thin films where they were heat treated and characterized by XRD, SEM and AFM. We have obtained Bi3NbO7 thin films with good homogeneity and uniform distribution of grains were noted. We observed that the best condition to obtain the tetragonal phase is annealing the film at high temperatures for a longer soaking time and with excess of bismuth. Several oxides electrodes were evaluated aiming to obtain textured dielectric thin films

Production and Characterization of Composite Material Useful as a Protective Barrier in Electronic Applications

This work describes the production and characterization of a selective membrane useful for electronic devices. The membrane was a composite made by a thin film of plasma-polymerized HFE (methyl nonafluoro(iso)butyl ether) immersed in plasma-polymerized HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) film, a third phase being 5 µm starch particles included in this matrix. The film was deposited on silicon substrates and its physical, chemical and adsorption characteristics were determined. Infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed fluorine and carboxyl groups on the bulk and the surface, respectively. SEM results indicate the film is conformal even if starch is present. Optical microscopy analysis showed good resistance toward acid and base solutions. Quartz crystal microbalance indicated adsorption of polar organic compounds on ppm range. This thin film is environment-friendly and can be used as a protective layer or in electronic devices due to adsorption of volatile organic compounds.

Sistemas bioinspirados aplicados no estudo de interação e sensoriamento de derivados xantênicos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Burning Graphene Layer-by-Layer

Graphene, in single layer or multi-layer forms, holds great promise for future electronics and high-temperature applications. Resistance to oxidation, an important property for high-temperature applications, has not yet been extensively investigated. Controlled thinning of multi-layer graphene (MLG), e.g., by plasma or laser processing is another challenge, since the existing methods produce non-uniform thinning or introduce undesirable defects in the basal plane. We report here that heating to extremely high temperatures (exceeding 2000 K) and controllable layer-by-layer burning (thinning) can be achieved by low-power laser processing of suspended high-quality MLG in air in "cold-wall" reactor configuration. In contrast, localized laser heating of supported samples results in non-uniform graphene burning at much higher rates. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were also performed to reveal details of oxidation mechanisms leading to uniform layer-by-layer graphene gasification. The extraordinary resistance of MLG to oxidation paves the way to novel high-temperature applications as continuum light source or scaffolding material.

Investigação das propriedades ópticas, morfológicas e elétricas da heterojunção SnO2: Ce3+/ GaAs

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Growth and Characterization of Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using a Nontraditional Hollow Cathode Sputtering Technique

Silicon carbide (SiC) is considered a suitable candidate for high-power, high-frequency devices due to its wide bandgap, high breakdown field, and high electron mobility. It also has the unique ability to synthesize graphene on its surface by subliming Si during an annealing stage. The deposition of SiC is most often carried out using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, but little research has been explored with respect to the sputtering of SiC. Investigations of the thin film depositions of SiC from pulse sputtering a hollow cathode SiC target are presented. Although there are many different polytypes of SiC, techniques are discussed that were used to identify the film polytype on both 4H-SiC substrates and Si substrates. Results are presented about the ability to incorporate Ge into the growing SiC films for the purpose of creating a possible heterojunction device with pure SiC. Efforts to synthesize graphene on these films are introduced and reasons for the inability to create it are discussed. Analysis mainly includes crystallographic and morphological studies about the deposited films and their quality using x-ray diffraction (XRD), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and Raman spectroscopy. Optical and electrical properties are also discussed via ellipsometric modeling and resistivity measurements. The general interpretation of these analytical experiments indicates that the films are not single crystal. However, the majority of the films, which proved to be the 3C-SiC polytype, were grown in a highly ordered and highly textured manner on both (111) and (110) Si substrates.

Stability of Order in Solvent-Annealed Block Copolymer Thin Films

ABSTRACT: One way to produce high order in a block copolymer thin film is by solution casting a thin film and slowly evaporating the solvent in a sealed vessel. Such a solvent-annealing process is a versatile method to produce a highly ordered thin film of a block copolymer. However, the ordered structure of the film degrades over time when stored under ambient conditions. Remarkably, this aging process occurs in mesoscale thin films of polystyrene-polyisoprene triblock copolymer where the monolayer of vitrified 15 nm diameter polystyrene cylinders sink in a 20 nm thick film at 22 °C. The transformation is studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We describe the phenomena, characterize the aging process, and propose a semiquantitative model to explain the observations. The residual solvent effects are important but not the primary driving force for the aging process. The study may lead to effective avenue to improve order and make the morphology robust and possibly the solvent-annealing process more effective.

MEH-PPV Thin Films for Radiation Sensor Applications

This work deals with MEH-PPV thin films to be used as gamma radiation sensors. The polymer thin films with two different thicknesses (30 and 100 nm) were irradiated at room temperature with different gamma radiation doses (up to 25 kGy). Optical properties of the material were investigated with FTIR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Results show that gamma radiation does not degrade substantially the thin-film material, suggesting that a crosslink effect may be occurring. The characteristic absorption peak of MEH-PPV, around 500 nm is shifted to shorter wavelengths with the increase of gamma radiation doses for both thicknesses samples. The 30-nm-thick samples showed a larger variation absorbance at a specific wavelength and a larger peak shift. These results indicate their potential for use in monitoring the radiation doses used on the sterilization of health care products.