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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication of sub-12 nm thick silicon nanowires by processing scanning probe lithography masks

Silicon nanowires are key elements to fabricate very sensitive mechanical and electronic devices. We provide a method to fabricate sub-12 nm silicon nanowires in thickness by combining oxidation scanning probe lithography and anisotropic dry etching. Extremely thin oxide masks (0.3–1.1 nm) are transferred into nanowires of 2–12 nm in thickness. The width ratio between the mask and the silicon nanowire is close to one which implies that the nanowire width is controlled by the feature size of the nanolithography. This method enables the fabrication of very small single silicon nanowires with cross-sections below 100 nm{sup 2}. Those values are the smallest obtained with a top-down lithography method.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Liquid crystal films as on-demand, variable thickness (50–5000 nm) targets for intense lasers

We have developed a new type of target for intense laser-matter experiments that offers significant advantages over those currently in use. The targets consist of a liquid crystal film freely suspended within a metal frame. They can be formed rapidly on-demand with thicknesses ranging from nanometers to micrometers, where the particular value is determined by the liquid crystal temperature and initial volume as well as by the frame geometry. The liquid crystal used for this work, 8CB (4′-octyl-4-cyanobiphenyl), has a vapor pressure below 10{sup −6} Torr, so films made at atmospheric pressure maintain their initial thickness after pumping to high vacuum. Additionally, the volume per film is such that each target costs significantly less than one cent to produce. The mechanism of film formation and relevant physics of liquid crystals are described, as well as ion acceleration data from the first shots on liquid crystal film targets at the Ohio State University Scarlet laser facility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ferroelectric polymer-ceramic composite thick films for energy storage applications

We have successfully fabricated large area free standing polyvinylidene fluoride -Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} (PVDF-PZT) ferroelectric polymer-ceramic composite (wt% 80–20, respectively) thick films with an average diameter (d) ∼0.1 meter and thickness (t) ∼50 μm. Inclusion of PZT in PVDF matrix significantly enhanced dielectric constant (from 10 to 25 at 5 kHz) and energy storage capacity (from 11 to 14 J/cm{sup 3}, using polarization loops), respectively, and almost similar leakage current and mechanical strength. Microstructural analysis revealed the presence of α and β crystalline phases and homogeneous distribution of PZT crystals in PVDF matrix. It was also found that apart from the microcrystals, well defined naturally developed PZT nanocrystals were embedded in PVDF matrix. The observed energy density indicates immense potential in PVDF-PZT composites for possible applications as green energy and power density electronic elements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thickness dependence of magnetoelectric response for composites of Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} films on CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ceramic substrates

Using chemical solution spin-coating we grew Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} films of different thicknesses on highly dense CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ceramics. X-ray diffraction revealed no other phases except Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} and CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. In many of these samples we observed typical ferroelectric hysteresis loops, butterfly-shaped piezoelectric strains, and the magnetic-field-dependent magnetostriction. These behaviors caused appreciable magnetoelectric responses based on magnetic-mechanical-electric coupling. Our results indicated that the thickness of the Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} film was important in obtaining strong magnetoelectric coupling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of the quantum well thickness on the performance of InGaN photovoltaic cells

We report on the influence of the quantum well thickness on the effective band gap and conversion efficiency of In{sub 0.12}Ga{sub 0.88}N/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells. The band-to-band transition can be redshifted from 395 to 474 nm by increasing the well thickness from 1.3 to 5.4 nm, as demonstrated by cathodoluminescence measurements. However, the redshift of the absorption edge is much less pronounced in absorption: in thicker wells, transitions to higher energy levels dominate. Besides, partial strain relaxation in thicker wells leads to the formation of defects, hence degrading the overall solar cell performance.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hard x-ray nanofocusing by refractive lenses of constant thickness

In order to focus light or x rays, the thickness of a refractive lens is typically varied over its aperture. Here, we present a refractive x-ray lens made of lamellae of constant thickness, the refractive lamellar lens. Refractive power is created by a specific bending of the lamellae rather than by a concave lens profile. This very special design has the technological advantage that materials like sapphire or diamond can be used to make lenses by coating techniques. A first lens prototype focused x rays with a photon energy E = 15.25 keV to a lateral beam size of 164 nm × 296 nm full width at half maximum.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

The thickness-dependent dynamic magnetic property of Co{sub 2}FeAl films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Co{sub 2}FeAl films with different thickness were prepared at different temperature by molecular beam epitaxy. Their dynamic magnetic property was studied by the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. It is observed that the intrinsic damping factor of Co{sub 2}FeAl for [100] orientation is not related to the film's thickness and magnetic anisotropy as well as temperature at high-field regime, but increases with structural disorder of Co{sub 2}FeAl. The dominant contribution from the inhomogeneous magnetic anisotropy is revealed to be responsible for the observed extremely nonlinear and drastic field-dependent damping factors at low-field regime.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Epitaxial GeSn film formed by solid phase epitaxy and its application to Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3}-gated GeSn metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with sub-nm equivalent oxide thickness

Through the technique of solid phase epitaxy (SPE), an epitaxial Ge{sub 0.955}Sn{sub 0.045} film was formed on a Ge substrate by depositing an amorphous GeSn film followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 550 °C. A process that uses a SiO{sub 2} capping layer on the amorphous GeSn film during SPE was proposed and it prevents Sn precipitation from occurring while maintaining a smooth surface due to the reduced surface mobility of Sn atoms. The high-quality epitaxial GeSn film was observed to have single crystal structure, uniform thickness and composition, and tiny surface roughness with root mean square of 0.56 nm. With a SnO{sub x}-free surface, Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3}-gated GeSn metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 0.55 nm were developed. A small amount of traps inside the Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} was verified by negligible hysteresis in capacitance measurement. Low leakage current of 0.4 A/cm{sup 2} at gate bias of flatband voltage (V{sub FB})-1 V suggests the high quality of the gate dielectric. In addition, the feasibility of using Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} to well passivate GeSn surface was also evidenced by the small interface trap density (D{sub it}) of 4.02 × 10{sup 11} eV{sup −1} cm{sup −2}, which can be attributed to smooth GeSn surface and Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} valency passivation. Both leakage current and D{sub it} performance outperform other passivation techniques at sub-nm EOT regime. The proposed epitaxial GeSn film along with Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectric paves an alternative way to enable high-performance GeSn MOS devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication of 5-20 nm thick β-W films

A technique to fabricate 5 to 20 nm thick sputter deposited β W films on SiO{sub 2} and Si substrates is presented. This is achieved by growing tungsten on a 5 nm SiO{sub 2} layer or in an oxygen controlled environment by flowing 2 sccm of O{sub 2} during deposition. Resistivity, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and reflectivity studies were performed to determine the phase and thickness of tungsten films. These results demonstrate a technique to grow this film on bare Si or a SiO{sub 2} substrate, which can enable growth on the bottom of a write unit in a non-volatile spin logic device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical and structural characteristics of high indium content InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells with varying GaN cap layer thickness

The optical and structural properties of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) with different thicknesses of low temperature grown GaN cap layers are investigated. It is found that the MQW emission energy red-shifts and the peak intensity decreases with increasing GaN cap layer thickness, which may be partly caused by increased floating indium atoms accumulated at quantum well (QW) surface. They will result in the increased interface roughness, higher defect density, and even lead to a thermal degradation of QW layers. An extra growth interruption introduced before the growth of GaN cap layer can help with evaporating the floating indium atoms, and therefore is an effective method to improve the optical properties of high indium content InGaN/GaN MQWs.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness-dependent charge ordering state in Bi{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 0.28}Ca{sub 0.32}MnO{sub 3} thin films under the anisotropic strain

We have achieved clear charge ordering (CO) state in Ca doped Bi{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 0.6−x}Ca{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (BSCMO) films on (110)-orientated SrTiO{sub 3}. The BSCMO film's CO transition temperature (T{sub CO}) was tuned to room temperature (RT) by optimum doping Ca (x = 0.32). Asymmetric x-ray reciprocal space mapping was used to determine the structure evolution of the films with thickness, in detail, under the anisotropic stress in films. We found that the CO phase only appears in thicker films, accompanied by an unique distortion in structure, in which twin-domains structure occurs with the [110] axis slightly tilting toward [1–10] and [−110] directions. The results demonstrate the effects of anisotropic stress on the structure and electronic phases in BSCMO films as thickness increases. Our works are valuable for allowing a RT study in the CO film and further operation of the devices for a practical use.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

The effect of varying Co layer thickness on the time-temperature characteristics of Co/Sb semimetal embedded magnetic nanoparticles

We report the effect of varying cobalt thickness on the temperature-dependent time decay of the electrical resistance of Co/Sb multilayer samples. We find that for a given temperature, a five fold change in the Co thickness produces a 100 fold change in the characteristic decay time of the resistance. We find that the characteristic decay time, as a function of temperature, follows an Arrhenius law. During deposition, the Co evolves single domain magnetic nanoparticles, on the Sb, in either a Volmer-Weber or Stranski-Krastanov growth mode. This metastable state is then encased in 2.5 nm of Sb producing an embedded nanoparticle system. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements taken before sample aging (annealing at a given temperature for enough time to complete the resistance decay) and after aging show that these nanoparticles undergo morphological transformations during aging. These transformations lead to well defined time dependent decays in both the magnetization and the electrical resistance, making this material an excellent candidate for an electronic time-temperature sensor.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observing the semiconducting band-gap alignment of MoS{sub 2} layers of different atomic thicknesses using a MoS{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si heterojunction tunnel diode

We demonstrate a tunnel diode composed of a vertical MoS{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si heterostructure. A MoS{sub 2} flake consisting four areas of different thicknesses functions as a gate terminal of a silicon field-effect transistor. A thin gate oxide allows tunneling current to flow between the n-type MoS{sub 2} layers and p-type Si channel. The tunneling-current characteristics show multiple negative differential resistance features, which we interpret as an indication of different conduction-band alignments of the MoS{sub 2} layers of different thicknesses. The presented tunnel device can be also used as a hybrid-heterostructure device combining the advantages of two-dimensional materials with those of silicon transistors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Hall and Seebeck measurements estimate the thickness of a (buried) carrier system: Identifying interface electrons in In-doped SnO{sub 2} films

We propose a simple method based on the combination of Hall and Seebeck measurements to estimate the thickness of a carrier system within a semiconductor film. As an example, this method can distinguish “bulk” carriers, with homogeneous depth distribution, from “sheet” carriers, that are accumulated within a thin layer. The thickness of the carrier system is calculated as the ratio of the integral sheet carrier concentration, extracted from Hall measurements, to the volume carrier concentration, derived from the measured Seebeck coefficient of the same sample. For rutile SnO{sub 2}, the necessary relation of Seebeck coefficient to volume electron concentration in the range of 3 × 10{sup 17} to 3 × 10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3} has been experimentally obtained from a set of single crystalline thin films doped with varying Sb-doping concentrations and unintentionally doped bulk samples, and is given as a “calibration curve.” Using this calibration curve, our method demonstrates the presence of interface electrons in homogeneously deep-acceptor (In) doped SnO{sub 2} films on sapphire substrates.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Tuning resistance states by thickness control in an electroforming-free nanometallic complementary resistance random access memory

Tuning low resistance state is crucial for resistance random access memory (RRAM) that aims to achieve optimal read margin and design flexibility. By back-to-back stacking two nanometallic bipolar RRAMs with different thickness into a complementary structure, we have found that its low resistance can be reliably tuned over several orders of magnitude. Such high tunability originates from the exponential thickness dependence of the high resistance state of nanometallic RRAM, in which electron wave localization in a random network gives rise to the unique scaling behavior. The complementary nanometallic RRAM provides electroforming-free, multi-resistance-state, sub-100 ns switching capability with advantageous characteristics for memory arrays.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO{sub 2} evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO{sub 3}) which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to the presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO{sub 3} is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO{sub 3} nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

The thickness design of unintentionally doped GaN interlayer matched with background doping level for InGaN-based laser diodes

In order to reduce the internal optical loss of InGaN laser diodes, an unintentionally doped GaN (u-GaN) interlayer is inserted between InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well active region and Al{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}N electron blocking layer. The thickness design of u-GaN interlayer matching up with background doping level for improving laser performance is studied. It is found that a suitably chosen u-GaN interlayer can well modulate the optical absorption loss and optical confinement factor. However, if the value of background doping concentration of u-GaN interlayer is too large, the output light power may decrease. The analysis of energy band diagram of a LD structure with 100 nm u-GaN interlayer shows that the width of n-side depletion region decreases when the background concentration increases, and may become even too small to cover whole MQW, resulting in a serious decrease of the output light power. It means that a suitable interlayer thickness design matching with the background doping level of u-GaN interlayer is significant for InGaN-based laser diodes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of lateral size and thickness on the electronic structure and optical properties of quasi two-dimensional CdSe and CdS nanoplatelets

The effect of lateral size and vertical thickness of CdSe and CdS nanoplatelets (NPLs) on their electronic structure and optical properties are investigated using an effective-mass envelope function theory based on the 8-band k ⋅ p model with valence force field considerations. Volumetrically larger NPLs have lower photon emission energy due to limited quantum confinement, but a greater transition matrix element (TME) due to larger electron-hole wavefunction overlap. The optical gain characteristics depend on several factors such as TME, Fermi factor, carrier density, NPL dimensions, material composition, and dephasing rate. There is a red shift in the peak position, more so with an increase in thickness than lateral size. For an increasing carrier density, the gain spectrum undergoes a slight blue shift due to band filling effect. For a fixed carrier density, the Fermi factor is higher for volumetrically larger NPLs and so is the difference between the quasi-Fermi level separation and the effective bandgap. The transparency injection carrier density (and thus input current density threshold) is dimension dependent and falls for volumetrically larger NPLs, as they can attain the requisite exciton count for transparency with a relatively lower density. Between CdSe and CdS, CdSe has lower emission energy due to smaller bandgap, but a higher TME due to lower effective mass. CdS, however, has a higher so hole contribution due to a lower spin-orbit splitting energy. Both CdSe and CdS NPLs are suitable candidates for short-wavelength LEDs and lasers in the visible spectrum, but CdSe is expected to exhibit better optical performance.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗