Optical properties of activated reactive evaporated TiO2 films

This paper discusses the optical properties of single-layer TiO2 films deposited using an activated reactive evaporation process. The combined effects of substrate temperature (in the range 70–200 °C) and discharge currents (0–400 mA) on refractive index, extinction coefficient and packing density of these films are investigated. Significant changes in refractive index values have been observed with increases in substrate temperature and discharge current. The change in refractive index is correlated with the variation in packing density. The variation in extinction coefficient was reduced using the combined effects of substrate temperature and discharge currents. A comparison with films deposited in neutral oxygen has also been made.

A Photoelectron Spectroscopic Study Of The Interaction Of Oxygen, Nitrogen And Transition-Metals With C-60 Films

Evidence is presented for the strong interaction of oxygen and nitrogen with solid films of buckminsterfullerene based on core-level spectroscopic studies. Cr, Ni and Cu deposited on C60 films interact strongly giving rise to large changes in the C(Is) and C(2p) binding energies as well as the (2p) binding energies of the transition metals.

Formation of Single-Phase Indium Selenide Thin Films by Elemental Evaporation

Formation of crystalline, monophasic indium selenide (InSe) thin solid films by elemental evaporation on hot glass substrates (400 to 530 K) is reported. The compound formation as well as the composition of the formed films are confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The crystallinity of the rhombohedral InSe films can be improved by post-depositional annealing for t < 30 min at 533 K. The InSe thin films become Se-deficient at higher temperatures of deposition or longer duration of annealing. Optical studies reveal the bandgap to be around 1.29 eV. Under optimum conditions of preparations the lowest resistivity of ≈ 12.8 Ω cm is obtained. Durch Verdampfen aus den Elementen auf heiße Glassubstrate (400 bis 530 k) werden dünne, kristalline, einphasige Indiumselenid (InSe)-Festkörperschichten gebildet. Sowohl die Bildung der Verbindung als auch die Zusammensetzung der Schichten werden durch Röntgen-Photoelektronenspektroskopie (XPS) untersucht. Die Kristallinität der rhomboedrischen InSe-Schichten kann durch eine Temperung bei 533 K für t < 30 min nach der Abscheidung verbessert werden. Die dünnen InSe-Schichten zeigen nach Abscheidung bei höheren Temperaturen oder längerer Temperungsdauer einen Se-Unterschuß. Optische Untersuchungen ergeben, daß die Bandlücke bei etwa 1,29 eV liegt. Unter optimalen Präperationsbedingungen wird ein niedrigster Widerstand von ≈ 12.8 Ω cm erreicht.

dc reactive magnetron sputtering of titanium‐structural and optical characterization of TiO2 films

This paper deals with the reactive sputtering of titanium in an argon and oxygen mixture. The variation in cathode potential as a function of oxygen partial pressure has been explained in terms of cathode poisoning effects. The titania films deposited during this process have been studied for their structural and optical characteristics. The effect of substrate temperature (from 25 to 400 °C) and annealing (from 250 to 700 °C) on the packing density, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and crystallinity has been investigated. The refractive index varied from 2.24 to 2.46 and extinction coefficient from 2.6 × 10-3 to 10.4× 10-3 at 500 nm as the substrate temperature increased from 25 to 400 °C. The refractive index increased from 2.19 to 2.35 and extinction coefficient changed from 3.2× 10-3 to 11.6 × 10-3 at 500 nm as the annealing temperature was increased from 250 to 700 °C. Anatase and rutile phases have been observed in the films deposited at 400 °C substrate temperature and annealed at 300 °C. The changes in the optical constants at higher substrate temperature have been attributed to an increase in packing density, oxygen content, and crystallinity of the films.

Effect of substrate temperature on the properties of ZrO2 films prepared by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering

Studies of ZrO2 films prepared by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering are described. The effects of substrate temperature on the packing density, refractive index, extinction coefficient and crystallinity phase have been investigated in the temperature range 25–450 °C. The refractive index varied from 1.84 to 1.95 and extinction coefficient from 2 × 10−3 to 9.6 × 10−3. This was explained on the basis of an increase in packing density from 0.686 to 0.813. The change in packing density has been attributed to a decrease in the oxygen condensation at higher temperatures. Annealing results in a decrease in refractive index and increase in extinction coefficient. The films deposited at 150 °C showed a monoclinic phase which transforms to a tetragonal phase at higher substrate temperatures.

Two-Fermi liquid model for high Tc superconductivity involving suppression of tunnelling by decoherence

We consider a model system of two interacting Fermi-liquids, one of which is light and the other much heavier. In the normal state the lighter component provides a quantum mechanical bath coupled 'ohmically' to the heavier component in the sense of Caldeira and Leggett, suppressing thereby the band (tunnelling) matrix elements of the heavier component. Thus we lose the energy of delocalization. On the other hand, a superconducting ordering stiffens the bath spectral function at low energies and so restores the tunnelling. The resulting regain of the delocalization energy bootstraps so as to stabilize the superconducting order that caused it. It is conceivable that the motions parallel to the easy ab-plane and along the hard c-axis may also effectively correspond to the light and the heavy Fermi-liquids, respectively.

A model for static foam drainage

A model for static foam drainage, based on the pentagonal dodecahedral shape of bubbles, that takes into account the surface mobility of both films and Plateau border walls has been developed. The model divides the Plateau borders into nearly horizontal and nearly vertical categories and assigns different roles to them. The films are assumed to drain into all the adjacent Plateau borders equally. The horizontal Plateau borders are assumed to receive liquid from films and drain into vertical Plateau borders, which in turn form the main component for gravity drainage. The model yields the liquid holdup values for films, horizontal Plateau borders and vertical Plateau borders as functions of height and time. The model has been tested on static foams whose cumulative drainage was measured as a function of time. The experimental data on the effect of foam height, initial holdup, surface viscosity, etc. can be explained by the model quantitatively.

Effect of Substrate and Annealing Temperatures on Mechanical Properties of Ti-rich NiTi Films

The effect of substrate and annealing temperatures on mechanical properties of Ti-rich NiTi films deposited on Si (100) substrates by DC magnetron sputtering was studied by nanoindentation. NiTi films were deposited at two substrate temperatures viz. 300 and 400 degrees C. NiTi films deposited at 300 degrees C were annealed for 4 h at four different temperatures, i.e. 300, 400, 500 and 600 degrees C whereas films deposited at 400 degrees C were annealed for 4 h at three different temperatures, i.e. 400, 500 and 600 degrees C. The elastic modulus and hardness of the films were found to be the same in the as-deposited as well as annealed conditions for both substrate temperatures. For a given substrate temperature, the hardness and elastic modulus were found to remain unchanged as long as the films were amorphous. However, both elastic modulus and hardness showed an increase with increasing annealing temperature as the films become crystalline. The results were explained on the basis of the change in microstructure of the film with change in annealing temperature.

Comparison of the effect of processing parameters and degradation on the DC and microwave properties of thin films and polycrystalline bulk high-Tc superconducting materials

The sharp increase in microwave power loss (the reverse of what has previously been reported) at the transition temperature in high-Tc superconducting systems such as YBaCu oxide (polycrystalline bulk and thin films obtained by the laser ablation technique) and BiPbSrCaCu oxide is reported. The differences between DC resistivity ( rho ) and the microwave power loss (related to microwave surface resistance) are analysed from the data obtained by a simultaneous measurement set-up. The influence of various parameters, such as preparation conditions, thickness and aging of the sample and the probing frequency (6-18 GHz), on the variation of microwave power loss with temperature is outlined.

Drainage and separation factors for static foams containing agglomerates of microbial cells

The presence of cell agglomerates has been found to influence significantly the rates of liquid drainage from static foams. The process of drainage has been modelled by considering the foam to be made of pentagonal dodecahedral bubbles yielding films, nearly horizontal and nearly vertical Plateau borders. The films are assumed to drain into both kinds of Plateau borders equally. The horizontal Plateau borders are assumed to receive liquid from the films and drain into the vertical Plateau borders, which, in turn, form the main flow paths for gravity drainage. The drainage process is assumed to be similar to that for pure liquid until a stage is reached where the size of the cell agglomerates become equivalent to those of films and Plateau borders. Thereafter, a squeezing flow mechanism has been formulated where the aggromerates deform and flow. The model based on the above assumptions has been verified against experimental results and has been found to predict not only drainage data but also the separation of cell agglomerates from broths.

Effects of thermal annealing on the properties of zirconia films prepared by ion-assisted deposition

The effect of thermal annealing in the range 300–800 °C on the properties of zirconia films prepared by ion assisted deposition was studied. It was found that at low temperature the cubic phase is formed. This phase is stable up to 700 °C. All the films exhibit a monophasic monoclinic structure at 800 °C. The stress, estimated from X-ray patterns, shows a transition from tensile to compressive with increasing ion fluence. The refractive index and extinction coefficient do not seem to change appreciably up to 700 °C, showing a marked degradation thereafter. Single step annealing to the highest temperature was found to result in better stability than multistep annealing.

Epitaxial metallic LaNiO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial LaNiO3(LNO) thin films on LaAlO3(LAO), SrTiO3(STO), and YSZ are grown by pulsed laser deposition method at 350 mTorr oxygen partial pressure and 700 °C substrate temperature. As‐deposited LNO films are metallic down to 10 K. c‐axis oriented YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films were grown on LNO/LAO as well as LNO/STO surfaces without affecting superconducting transition temperature of YBCO. Textured LNO thin films were grown on c‐axis oriented YBCO/STO and YBCO/YSZ . Transport measurements of these bilayer films showed that LNO is a good metallic contact material for YBCO.

Interaction of solid films of C60 and C70 with nickel

Interaction of varying coverages of Ni metal with solid films of C60 and C70 has been investigated by UV and X-ray photemission spectroscopy. The shifts in the valence bands of C60 (as well as of C70) with increasing Ni coverage accompanied by a shift of the C is level of the fullerene to lower binding energies suggest charge-transfer from the metal to the fullerene as in transition metal complexes of π-systems.

Microscopic theory of solvation of an ion in a binary dipolar liquid

A microscopic theory of the statics and the dynamics of solvation of an ion in a binary dipolar liquid is presented. The theory properly includes the different intermolecular correlations that are present in a binary mixture. As a result, the theory can explain several important aspects of both the statics and the dynamics of solvation that are observed in experiments. It provides a microscopic explanation of the preferential solvation of the more polar species by the solute ion. The dynamics of solvation is predicted to be highly non-exponential, in general. The average relaxation time is found to change nonlinearly with the composition of the mixture. These predictions are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.