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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Superconducting thin films of (100) and (111) oriented indium doped topological crystalline insulator SnTe

Recent discovery of the topological crystalline insulator SnTe has triggered a search for topological superconductors, which have potential application to topological quantum computing. The present work reports on the superconducting properties of indium doped SnTe thin films. The (100) and (111) oriented thin films were epitaxially grown by pulsed-laser deposition on (100) and (111) BaF2 crystalline substrates respectively. The onset superconducting transition temperatures are about 3.8 K for (100) and 3.6 K for (111) orientations, slightly lower than that of the bulk. Magneto-resistive measurements indicate that these thin films may have upper critical fields higher than that of the bulk. With large surface-to-bulk ratio, superconducting indium doped SnTe thin films provide a rich platform for the study of topological superconductivity and potential device applications based on topological superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Comparative study of GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures on anomalous charging of oxide films upon water adsorption revealed by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The energy difference between the oxide and bulk peaks in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra was investigated for both GeO{sub 2}/Ge and SiO{sub 2}/Si structures with thickness-controlled water films. This was achieved by obtaining XPS spectra at various values of relative humidity (RH) of up to ∼15%. The increase in the energy shift is more significant for thermal GeO{sub 2} on Ge than for thermal SiO{sub 2} on Si above ∼10{sup −4}% RH, which is due to the larger amount of water molecules that infiltrate into the GeO{sub 2} film to form hydroxyls. Analyzing the origins of this energy shift, we propose that the positive charging of a partially hydroxylated GeO{sub 2} film, which is unrelated to X-ray irradiation, causes the larger energy shift for GeO{sub 2}/Ge than for SiO{sub 2}/Si. A possible microscopic mechanism of this intrinsic positive charging is the emission of electrons from adsorbed water species in the suboxide layer of the GeO{sub 2} film to the Ge bulk, leaving immobile cations or positively charged states in the oxide. This may be related to the reported negative shift of flat band voltages in metal-oxide-semiconductor diodes with an air-exposed GeO{sub 2} layer.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning magnetic and optical properties through strain in epitaxial LaCrO 3 thin films

We report on the effect of epitaxial strain on magnetic and optical properties of perovskite LaCrO 3 (LCO) single crystal thin films. Epitaxial LCO thin films are grown by pulsed laser deposition on proper choice of substrates to impose different strain states. A combined experimental and theoretical approach is used to demonstrate the direct correlation between lattice-strain and functional properties. The magnetization results show that the lattice anisotropy plays a critical role in controlling the magnetic behavior of LCO films. The strain induced tetragonality in the film lattice strongly affects the optical transitions and charge transfer gap in LCO. This study opens possibilities to tailor the functional properties of LCO and related materials by strain engineering in epitaxial growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of dosing sequence and film thickness on structure and resistivity of Al-ZnO films grown by atomic layer deposition

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited onto amorphous silica substrates using an atomic layer deposition process with diethyl zinc (DEZ), trimethyl aluminum (TMA), and deionized water at 200 °C. Three different Al doping sequences were used at a ZnO:Al ratio of 11:1 within the films. A minimum film resistivity of 1.6 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm was produced using sequential dosing of DEZ, TMA, DEZ, followed by H{sub 2}O for the Al doping step. This “ZAZW” sequence yielded an AZO film resistivity that is independent of film thickness, crystallographic texture, and grain size, as determined by high resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD). A pseudo-Voigt analysis method yields values for grain sizes that are smaller than those calculated using other XRD methods. Anisotropic grain sizes or variations in crystallographic texture have minimal influence on film resistivity, which suggests that factors other than film texture, such as intragrain scattering, may be important in influencing film resistivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Vanadium dioxide film protected with an atomic-layer-deposited Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film

A VO{sub 2} film exposed to ambient air is prone to oxidation, which will degrade its thermochromic properties. In this work, the authors deposited an ultrathin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film with atomic layer deposition (ALD) to protect the underlying VO{sub 2} film from degradation, and then studied the morphology and crystalline structure of the films. To assess the protectiveness of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capping layer, the authors performed a heating test and a damp heating test. An ultrathin 5-nm-thick ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film was sufficient to protect the underlying VO{sub 2} film heated at 350 °C. However, in a humid environment at prolonged durations, a thicker ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film (15 nm) was required to protect the VO{sub 2}. The authors also deposited and studied a TiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} bilayer, which significantly improved the protectiveness of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film in a humid environment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-566: Absolute Film Dosimetry for Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Quality Assurance Using Gafchromic EBT3 Films

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric uncertainty associated with Gafchromic (EBT3) films and establish an absolute dosimetry protocol for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods: EBT3 films were irradiated at each of seven different dose levels between 1 and 15 Gy with open fields, and standard deviations of dose maps were calculated at each color channel for evaluation. A scanner non-uniform response correction map was built by registering and comparing film doses to the reference diode array-based dose map delivered with the same doses. To determine the temporal dependence of EBT3 films, the average correction factors of different dose levels as a function of time were evaluated up to four days after irradiation. An integrated film dosimetry protocol was developed for dose calibration, calibration curve fitting, dose mapping, and profile/gamma analysis. Patient specific quality assurance (PSQA) was performed for 93 SRS/SBRT treatment plans. Results: The scanner response varied within 1% for the field sizes less than 5 × 5 cm{sup 2}, and up to 5% for the field sizes of 10 × 10 cm{sup 2}. The scanner correction method was able to remove visually evident, irregular detector responses found for larger field sizes. The dose response of the film changed rapidly (∼10%) in the first two hours and plateaued afterwards, ∼3% change between 2 and 24 hours. The mean uncertainties (mean of the standard deviations) were <0.5% over the dose range 1∼15Gy for all color channels for the OD response curves. The percentage of points passing the 3%/1mm gamma criteria based on absolute dose analysis, averaged over all tests, was 95.0 ± 4.2. Conclusion: We have developed an absolute film dose dosimetry protocol using EBT3 films. The overall uncertainty has been established to be approximately 1% for SRS and SBRT PSQA. The work was supported by a Research Scholar Grant, RSG-15-137-01-CCE from the American Cancer Society.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Understanding How Processing Additives Tune the Nanoscale Morphology of High Efficiency Organic Photovoltaic Blends: From Casting Solution to Spun-Cast Thin Film

Adding a small amount of a processing additive to the casting solution of photoactive organic blends has been demonstrated to be an effective method for achieving improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, an understanding of the nano-structural evolution occurring in the transformation from casting solution to thin photoactive films is still lacking. In this report, the effects of the processing additive diiodooctane (DIO) on the morphology of the established blend of PBDTTT-C-T polymer and the fullerene derivative PC71BM used for OPVs are investigated, starting in the casting solution and tracing the effects in spun-cast thin films by using neutron/X-ray scattering, neutron reflectometry, and other characterization techniques. The results reveal that DIO has no observable effect on the structures of PBDTTT-C-T and PC71BM in solution; however, in the spun-cast films, it significantly promotes their molecular ordering and phase segregation, resulting in improved PCE. Thermodynamic analysis based on Flory-Huggins theory provides a rationale for the effects of DIO on different characteristics of phase segregation due to changes in concentration resulting from evaporation of the solvent and additive during film formation. Such information may help improve the rational design of ternary blends to more consistently achieve improved PCE for OPVs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

MeV Au Ion Irradiation in Silicon and Nanocrystalline Zirconia Film Deposited on Silicon Substrate

Nanocrystalline zirconia (ZrO2) film with thickness of 305 nm deposited on a silicon substrate was irradiated with 2 MeV Au ions to different fluences at different temperatures. The implanted ion profiles were measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and simulated using the stopping and range of ions inmatter (SRIM) code, respectively. The experimental results show that a large fraction of the incident Au ions penetrates through the ZrO2 film and are deposited into the Si substrate. At the interface of ZrO2 and Si, a sudden decrease of Au concentration is observed due to the much larger scattering cross section of Au in ZrO2 than in Si. The depth profile of the Au ions is measured in both the ZrO2 films and the Si substrates, and the results show that the Au distribution profiles do not exhibit a dependence on irradiation temperature. The local Au concentration increases proportionally with the irradiation fluence, suggesting that no thermal or irradiation-induced redistribution of the implanted Au ions. However, the Au concentration in the ZrO2 films, as determined by SIMS, is considerably lower than that predicted by the SRIM results, and the penetration depth from the SIMS measurements is much deeper than that from the SRIM predictions. These observations can be explained by an overestimation of the electronic stopping power, used in the SRIM program, for heavy incident ions in light targets. Over-estimation of the heavy-ion electronic stopping power may lead to errors in local dose calculation and underestimation of the projected range of slow heavy ions in targets that contain light elements. A quick estimate based on a reduced target density may be used to compensate the overestimation of the electronic stopping power in the SRIM program to provide better ion profile prediction.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2016

Surface and bulk crystallization of amorphous solid water films: Confirmation of “top-down” crystallization

The crystallization kinetics of nanoscale amorphous solid water (ASW) films are investigated using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). TPD measurements are used to probe surface crystallization and RAIRS measurements are used to probe bulk crystallization. Isothermal TPD results show that surface crystallization is independent of the film thickness (from 100 to 1000 ML). Conversely, the RAIRS measurements show that the bulk crystallization time increases linearly with increasing film thickness. These results suggest that nucleation and crystallization begin at the ASW/vacuum interface and then the crystallization growth front propagates linearly into the bulk. This mechanism was confirmed by selective placement of an isotopic layer (5% D2O in H2O) at various positions in an ASW (H2O) film. In this case, the closer the isotopic layer was to the vacuum interface, the earlier the isotopic layer crystallized. These experiments provide direct evidence to confirm that ASW crystallization in vacuum proceeds by a “top-down” crystallization mechanism.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2016

Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behaviour, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures or enhanced catalytic activity. Here we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In2O3 films grown on ionically conducting Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygen vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the film and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behaviour is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.

Veal, Boyd W.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Li iontronics in single-crystalline T-Nb2O5 thin films with vertical ionic transport channels

Abstract The niobium oxide polymorph T -Nb 2 O 5 has been extensively investigated in its bulk form especially for applications in fast-charging batteries and electrochemical (pseudo)capacitors. Its crystal structure, which has two-dimensional (2D) layers with very low steric hindrance, allows for fast Li-ion migration. However, since its discovery in 1941, the growth of single-crystalline thin films and its electronic applications have not yet been realized, probably due to its large orthorhombic unit cell along with the existence of many polymorphs. Here we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of single-crystalline T -Nb 2 O 5 thin films, critically with the ionic transport channels oriented perpendicular to the film’s surface. These vertical 2D channels enable fast Li-ion migration, which we show gives rise to a colossal insulator–metal transition, where the resistivity drops by 11 orders of magnitude due to the population of the initially empty Nb 4 d 0 states by electrons. Moreover, we reveal multiple unexplored phase transitions with distinct crystal and electronic structures over a wide range of Li-ion concentrations by comprehensive in situ experiments and theoretical calculations, which allow for the reversible and repeatable manipulation of these phases and their distinct electronic properties. This work paves the way for the exploration of novel thin films with ionic channels and their potential applications.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2016

Comparison of solution-mixed and sequentially processed P3HT: F4TCNQ films: effect of doping-induced aggregation on film morphology

Doping polymeric semiconductors often drastically reduces the solubility of the polymer, leading to difficulties in processing doped films. Here, we compare optical, electrical, and morphological properties of P3HT films doped with F4TCNQ, both from mixed solutions and using sequential solution processing with orthogonal solvents. We demonstrate that sequential doping occurs rapidly (<1 s), and that the film doping level can be precisely controlled by varying the concentration of the doping solution. Furthermore, the choice of sequential doping solvent controls whether dopant anions are included or excluded from polymer crystallites. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that sequential doping produces significantly more uniform films on the nanoscale than the mixed-solution method. In addition, we show that mixed-solution doping induces the formation of aggregates even at low doping levels, resulting in drastic changes to film morphology. Sequentially coated films show 3–15 times higher conductivities at a given doping level than solution-doped films, with sequentially doped films processed to exclude dopant anions from polymer crystallites showing the highest conductivities. In conclusion, we propose a mechanism for doping induced aggregation in which the shift of the polymer HOMO level upon aggregation couples ionization and solvation energies. To show that the methodology is widely applicable, we demonstrate that several different polymer:dopant systems can be prepared by sequential doping.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene)–polyacrylamide nanocomposite films

Polymer nanocomposite films are of great interest due to their enhanced properties over base polymers. By incorporating 2D titanium carbide a representative of a new family of 2D materials, MXenes, as nanofillers into a water soluble polyacrylamide (PAM) matrix, the resulting films benefit from the flexibility, robustness, and processability of PAM, as well as the conductivity and mechanical properties of MXene fillers. We report on manufacturing and characterization of MXene-PAM nanocomposite films. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) intercalation in-between the Ti 3 C 2 -based MXene layers led to full delamination of the MXene layers and hence a uniform dispersion of hydrophilic MXene nanosheets in aqueous PAM solutions was achieved. Moreover, the polymer composite solutions of up to 75 wt.% MXene loading were sonicated and cast onto large Teflon trays and dried at room temperature to produce shiny black films. The observation of reduced 0002 peaks of Ti 3 C 2 T x phase in X-ray diffraction patterns and TEM images indicate the presence of well dispersed nanoflakes. The as-prepared composite films are flexible and the conductivity was increased significantly to 3 x 10 -3 S cm -1 for 6 wt. % MXene-PAM films. With high MXene loading, some non-uniformity between the top and bottom surfaces was observed. This could be due to the segregation of MXene layers in composite films during drying. Finally, the power law dependence of conductivity above the percolation threshold is presented through detailed conductivity measurements.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Strain-dependence Of The Structure And Ferroic Properties Of Epitaxial NiTiO3 Thin Films Grown On Different Substrates

Polarization-induced weak ferromagnetism has been predicted a few years back in perovskite MTiO3 (M = Fe, Mn, Ni) [Fennie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 167203 (2008)]. We set out to stabilize this metastable perovskite structure by growing NiTiO3 epitaxially on different substrates, and to investigate the dependence of polar and magnetic properties on strain. Epitaxial NiTiO3 films were deposited on Al2O3, Fe2O3, and LiNbO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition, and characterized using several techniques. The effect of substrate choice on lattice strain, film structure, and physical properties was investigated. Our structural data from x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy shows that substrate-induced strain has a marked effect on the structure and crystalline quality of the films. Physical property measurements reveal a dependence of the weak ferromagnetism and lattice polarization on strain, and highlight our ability to control the ferroic properties in NiTiO3 thin films by the choice of substrate. Our results are also consistent with the theoretical prediction that the ferromagnetism in acentric NiTiO3 is polarization-induced. From the substrates studied here, the perovskite substrate LiNbO3 proved to be the most promising one for strong multiferroism.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
NASA NTRS2000

Friction and Wear Properties of Selected Solid Lubricating Films: Ion-Plated Lead Films - Part 2

To evaluate commercially developed dry solid film lubricants for aerospace bearing applications, an investigation was conducted to examine the friction and wear behavior of ion-plated lead films in sliding contact with 6-mm-diameter American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 440C stainless steel balls. Unidirectional sliding friction experiments were conducted with a load of 5.9 N (600 g), a mean Hertzian contact pressure of 0.79 GPa (maximum Hertzian contact pressure of 1.2 GPa), and a sliding velocity of 0.2 m/s. The experiments were conducted at room temperature in three environments: ultrahigh vacuum (vacuum pressure, 7 x 10(exp -7 Pa), humid air (relative humidity, approx. 20 percent), and dry nitrogen (relative humidity, less then 1 percent). The resultant films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and surface profilometry. Marked differences in the friction and wear of the ion-plated lead films investigated herein resulted from the environmental conditions. The main criteria for judging the performance of the ion-plated lead films were coefficient of friction and wear rate, which had to be less than 0.3 and on the order of 1(exp -6) cu mm/N.m or less, respectively. The ion-plated lead films met both criteria only in ultrahigh vacuum but failed in humid air and in dry nitrogen, where the coefficient of friction was higher than the criterion. Both the lead film wear rate and the ball wear rate met that criterion in all three environments. Adhesion and plastic deformation played important roles in the friction and wear of the ion-plated lead films in contact with 440C stainless steel balls in the three environments. All sliding involved adhesive transfer of materials: transfer of lead wear debris to the counterpart 440C stainless steel and transfer of 440C stainless steel wear debris to the counterpart lead.

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa↗
DOE OSTI2011

Dot arrays of L1{sub 0}-type FePt ordered alloy perpendicular films fabricated using low-temperature sputter film deposition

Using ultrahigh vacuum sputter film deposition, we fabricated L1{sub 0}-type Fe{sub 50}Pt{sub 50} ordered alloy perpendicular films on MgO(001) single-crystal substrates and 2.5 in. glass disks at low substrate temperatures of 200-350 deg. C. Then we examined the magnetic properties of the dot arrays made from these films. The uniaxial magnetic anisotropy K{sub u} for L1{sub 0}-type FePt films (10 nm in thickness) deposited with a Pd underlayer on MgO(001) substrates reached about 2 x 10{sup 7} erg/cm{sup 3} at the substrate temperature T{sub s} of 200 deg. C, and 3 x 10{sup 7} erg/cm{sup 3} at T{sub s} = 250 deg. C. The order parameter S was about 0.46 at T{sub s} = 300 deg. C. Moreover, K{sub u} for L1{sub 0}-FePt films fabricated on glass disks using MgO/Cr underlayers shows 3.4 x 10{sup 7} erg/cm{sup 3} at T{sub s} = 300 deg. C, which was almost equal to that for FePt single-crystal films deposited on Pd/MgO(001). The switching field distribution {sigma}/H{sub c} for dot arrays made from L1{sub 0}-FePt film [5 nm in thickness, on Pd/MgO(001) at T{sub s} = 250 deg. C] was small; {sigma}/H{sub c}= 0.11 for a dot diameter of 15 nm. This value was smaller than that of hcp-Co{sub 75}Pt{sub 25} dot arrays ({sigma}/H{sub c} = 0.18). The difference was mainly attributable to the degree of the easy axis distribution. This result demonstrates the homogeneous formation of a L1{sub 0}-type ordered structure in the FePt layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Exchange bias in polycrystalline magnetite films made by ion-beam assisted deposition

Iron oxide films were produced using ion-beam-assisted deposition, and Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction indicate single-phase magnetite. However, incorporation of significant fractions of argon in the films from ion bombardment is evident from chemical analysis, and Fe/O ratios are lower than expected from pure magnetite, suggesting greater than normal disorder. Low temperature magnetometry and first-order reversal curve measurements show strong exchange bias, which likely arises from defects at grain boundaries, possibly amorphous, creating frustrated spins. Since these samples contain grains ∼6 nm, a large fraction of the material consists of grain boundaries, where spins are highly disordered and reverse independently with external field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗