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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Ordered gold nanostructures on sapphire surfaces: Fabrication and optical investigations

The possibilities of obtaining ordered gold nanoarrays on sapphire surfaces with oriented nanorelief are demonstrated. The structures are morphologically described using atomic force microscopy data. A study of the angular dependence of the reflectivity in the visible range of electromagnetic waves has revealed some features which are likely to indicate surface plasmon-polariton excitation at the air-gold interface under exposure to p-polarized radiation. The experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical calculations.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Atomic Composition and Morphology of Thin Films of Resveratrol Deposited on Oxidized Silicon and Polycrystalline Gold Surfaces

The atomic composition of films of a polyphenol antioxidant, namely, resveratrol (RVL), with a thickness of up to 50 nm thermally deposited on an oxidized silicon surface is studied by the method of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the surface area of pores in the RVL film is about 15% of the total surface area. The results of studying the stability of the RVL films when their surface is treated with Ar{sup +} ions of 3 keV under the electric current of 1 μA passing through the sample for 30 s are given. The treatment gives rise to an increase in the area of pores to 30–40%, while the ratio of the concentration of C atoms to the concentration of O atoms in the RVL film both before and after the treatment of the surface with ions does not correspond to the chemical formula of RVL molecules. Using the method of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in contact mode with a scanning area size of about 10 × 10 μm, RVL coatings deposited on the oxidized silicon and polycrystalline Au surfaces are studied. It is found that the RVL films produce grainy and porous coatings on the substrate surfaces. The typical size of grains in the sample surface plane is 150–300 nm, and the characteristic elevation reaches 30 nm.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Local electrical degradations of solid-state electrolyte by nm-scale operando imaging of ionic and electronic transports

We report on degradation mechanisms of solid-state electrolyte (SSE) based on insights from nm-scale ionic conduction and electronic leakage for solid-state batteries. The significantly different local degradations revealed by nm-scale ionic and electronic transport imaging demonstrate the need for this nm-scale investigation. State-of-the-art lithium-ion conductive glass ceramic (Li 2 O–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –P 2 O5–TiO2-GeO2) SSE shows at least two types of degradations spatially separated within the SSE, namely: (1) ionic conduction blocking and slight electronic leaking and (2) highly electronic shunting. Degradation was significantly suppressed by application of a Li-containing polyacrylonitrile thin coating on both sides of the ceramic SSE. With this coating, the ionic conduction was not reduced by the extensive cycling; instead, it improved slightly, although accompanied by a slight increase in electronic leaking. Our nm-scale transport imaging was achieved using an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based half-cell setup and a logarithmic-scale amplifier with current sensitivity down to the fA (10-15 A) range. This half-cell setup consisting of an AFM-probe/SSE/Li structure can distinguish the ionic from the electronic current by flipping the bias-voltage polarity. This nm-scale operando imaging opens up novel characterization of ionic and electronic transport in the field of solid-state batteries.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2010

High-quality ZrO{sub 2}/Si(001) thin films by a sol-gel process: Preparation and characterization

ZrO{sub 2} films with a sub-10-nm thickness and a roughness of about 0.2 nm have been prepared on Si(001) by a sol-gel process based on zirconium-(IV)-n-propoxide. The topography of the obtained samples has been controlled by atomic force microscopy. Chemical composition and interface reactions of the deposited films have been studied by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. The ZrO{sub 2} films are stable against heating (up to 700 deg. C) in a moderate oxygen atmosphere (2x10{sup -5} mbar oxygen partial pressure). Minor changes in the surface composition occur after rapid annealing up to 1000 deg. C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Surface topography and crystal and domain structures of films of ferroelectric copolymer of vinylidene difluoride and trifluoroethylene

The crystallization of a copolymer from a solution at room temperature is found to lead to the formation of a metastable structure, characterized by the coexistence of ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. The fraction of the latter decreases after annealing above the Curie point. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has revealed a difference in the surface topographies between the films contacting with air and the films contacting with a glass substrate. The microstructure of copolymer chains has been investigated by {sup 19}F NMR spectroscopy. The chain fragments with “defect” attached monomeric units are ejected to the surface. The character of the ferroelectric domains formed during crystallization and their size distribution are analyzed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

Structural and spectral features of MOCVD Al{sub x}Ga{sub y}In{sub 1-x-y}As{sub z}P{sub 1-z}/GaAs (100) alloys

The study is concerned with MOCVD epitaxial heterostructures grown on the basis of Al{sub x}Ga{sub y}In{sub 1-x-y}As{sub z}P{sub 1-z} quinary alloys in the region of alloy compositions isoperiodic to GaAs. By the X-ray diffraction technique and atomic force microscopy, it is shown that, on the surface of the heterostructures, there are nanometric objects capable of lining up along a certain direction. From calculations of the crystal lattice parameters with consideration for internal strains, it can be inferred that the new compound is a phase based on the Al{sub x}Ga{sub y}In{sub 1-x-y}As{sub z}P{sub 1-z} alloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Note: Mechanical etching of atomic force microscope tip and microsphere attachment for thermal radiation scattering enhancement

This Note describes a mechanical etching technique which can be used to prepare silicon tips used in atomic force microscopy apparatus. For such devices, dedicated tips with specific shapes are now commonly used to probe surfaces. Yet, the control of the tip morphology where characteristic scales are lower than 1 μm remains a real challenge. Here, we detail a controlled etching process of AFM probes apex allowing micrometer-sized sphere attachment. The technique used and influent parameters are discussed and SEM images of the achieved tips are given. Deceptive problems and drawbacks that might occur during the process are also covered.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Angular-dependent Raman study of a- and s-plane InN

Angular-dependent polarized Raman spectroscopy was utilized to study nonpolar a-plane (11{sup ¯}20) and semipolar s-plane (101{sup ¯}1) InN epilayers. The intensity dependence of the Raman peaks assigned to the vibrational modes A{sub 1}(TO), E{sub 1}(TO), and E{sub 2}{sup h} on the angle ψ that corresponds to rotation around the growth axis, is very well reproduced by using expressions taking into account the corresponding Raman tensors and the experimental geometry, providing thus a reliable technique towards assessing the sample quality. The s- and a-plane InN epilayers grown on nitridated r-plane sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) exhibit good crystalline quality as deduced from the excellent fitting of the experimental angle-dependent peak intensities to the theoretical expressions as well as from the small width of the Raman peaks. On the contrary, in the case of the s-plane epilayer grown on non-nitridated r-plane sapphire, fitting of the angular dependence is much worse and can be modeled only by considering the presence of two structural modifications, rotated so as their c-axes are almost perpendicular to each other. Although the presence of the second variant is verified by transmission electron and atomic force microscopies, angular dependent Raman spectroscopy offers a non-destructive and quick way for its quantification. Rapid thermal annealing of this sample did not affect the angular dependence of the peak intensities. The shift of the E{sub 1}(TO) and E{sub 2}{sup h} Raman peaks was used for the estimation of the strain state of the samples.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structural and optical properties of Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}O thin films

Thin films of Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}O (x=0, 0.05, 0.1) were deposited on glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique. The structural and optical properties of the prepared thin film samples were investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic force Microscopy, UV-visible and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. XRD results confirm that deposited films were oriented along c-axis and contain wurtzite crystalline symmetry. XRD and AFM result reveled that, the grain size decreases with increasing Cd concentration. UV-visible spectroscopy results reveal high transmittance for all the thin film samples. A reduction in the optical band gap energy with increasing Cd composition was observed through the Tauc plot method.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Study of nanoparticles TiO{sub 2} thin films on p-type silicon substrate using different alcoholic solvents

In this paper, sol-gel method spin coating technique is adopted to prepare nanoparticles titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) thin films. The prepared TiO{sub 2} sol was synthesized using titanium butoxide act as a precursor and subjected to deposited on the p-type silicon oxide (p-SiO{sub 2}) and glass slide substrates under room temperature. The effect of different alcoholic solvents of methanol and ethanol on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties were systematically investigated. The coated TiO{sub 2} thin films were annealed in furnace at 773 K for 1 h. The structural properties of the TiO{sub 2} films were examined with X-ray Diffraction (XRD). From the XRD analysis, both solvents showing good crystallinity with anatase phase were the predominant structure. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was employed to study the morphological of the thin films. The optical properties were investigated by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy were found that ethanol as a solvent give a higher optical transmittance if compare to the methanol solvent. The electrical properties of the nanoparticles TiO{sub 2} thin films were measured using two-point-probe technique.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Local Anodic Oxidation of Graphene Layers on SiC

A method of local anodic oxidation has been used to obtain graphene-oxide regions on SiC. The change of the surface properties was confirmed by atomic-force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Experimental data were obtained on the conductivity, potential, and topography of the oxidized regions. It was shown that the oxidation leads to a rise in the surface potential. A relationship was found between oxidation parameters, such as the scanning velocity and the probe voltage. The method of local anodic oxidation was used to obtain by lithography an ~20-nm-wide nanoribbon and an ~10-nm-wide nanoconstriction.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

High efficiency multilayer blazed gratings for EUV and soft X-rays: Recent developments

Multilayer coated blazed gratings with high groove density are the best candidates for use in high resolution EUV and soft x-ray spectroscopy. Theoretical analysis shows that such a grating can be potentially optimized for high dispersion and spectral resolution in a desired high diffraction order without significant loss of diffraction efficiency. In order to realize this potential, the grating fabrication process should provide a perfect triangular groove profile and an extremely smooth surface of the blazed facets. Here we report on recent progress achieved at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in fabrication of high quality multilayer coated blazed gratings. The blazed gratings were fabricated using scanning beam interference lithography followed by wet anisotropic etching of silicon. A 200 nm period grating coated with a Mo/Si multilayer composed with 30 bi-layers demonstrated an absolute efficiency of 37.6percent in the 3rd diffraction order at 13.6 nm wavelength. The groove profile of the grating was thoroughly characterized with atomic force microscopy before and after the multilayer deposition. The obtained metrology data were used for simulation of the grating efficiency with the vector electromagnetic PCGrate-6.1 code. The simulations showed that smoothing of the grating profile during the multilayer deposition is the main reason for efficiency losses compared to the theoretical maximum. Investigation of the grating with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed a complex evolution of the groove profile in the course of the multilayer deposition. Impact of the shadowing and smoothing processes on growth of the multilayer on the surface of the sawtooth substrate is discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Nucleation Of Ge 3D-islands On Pit-patterned Si Substrates

Joint experimental and theoretical study of Ge nanoislands growth on pit-patterned Si substrate is carried out. Si substrates that have been templated by means of electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching have been used to grow Ge by molecular-beam epitaxy. Atomic-force-microscopy studies show that at Si(100) substrate temperature 550 deg. C, Ge nanoislands are formed at the pits' edges, rather than between the pits. The effect is interpreted in terms of energy barrier, that is formed near the edge of a pit and prevents Ge transport inside the pit. By molecular dynamics calculations the value of the energy barrier 0.9 eV was obtained.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Initial growth process of Co (Pd) layers on a Pd (Co) surface

The deposition process of ultra-thin Co and Pd layers is studied using DC magnetron sputtering and ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is found that observation with AFM in the air atmosphere is reliable to discuss nucleation of Co and Pd crystallites. It is discussed that a Co ultra-thin layer is formed primarily through the process of two-dimensional island formation, whereas a Pd ultra-thin layer is formed through the process of mixed two- and three-dimensional island formation. On the basis of those results, Co/Pd multilayers having a flat top surface are prepared successfully.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

In Vitro Calcite Crystal Morphology Is Modulated by Otoconial Proteins Otolin-1 and Otoconin-90

Otoconia are formed embryonically and are instrumental in detecting linear acceleration and gravity. Degeneration and fragmentation of otoconia in elderly patients leads to imbalance resulting in higher frequency of falls that are positively correlated with the incidence of bone fractures and death. In this work we investigate the roles otoconial proteins Otolin-1 and Otoconin 90 (OC90) perform in the formation of otoconia. We demonstrate by rotary shadowing and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments that Otolin-1 forms homomeric protein complexes and self-assembled networks supporting the hypothesis that Otolin-1 serves as a scaffold protein of otoconia. Our calcium carbonate crystal growth data demonstrate that Otolin-1 and OC90 modulate in vitro calcite crystal morphology but neither protein is sufficient to produce the shape of otoconia. Coadministration of these proteins produces synergistic effects on crystal morphology that contribute to morphology resembling otoconia.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Infrared optical properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films

The optical constants of tantalum pentoxide (Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}) are determined in a broad spectral region from the visible to the far infrared. Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} films of various thicknesses from approximately 170 to 1600 nm are deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. X-ray diffraction shows that the as-deposited films are amorphous, and annealing in air at 800 °C results in the formation of nanocrystalline Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}. Ellipsometry is used to obtain the dispersion in the visible and near-infrared. Two Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers are used to measure the transmittance and reflectance at wavelengths from 1 to 1000 μm. The surface topography and microstructure of the samples are examined using atomic force microscopy, confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Classical Lorentz oscillators are employed to model the absorption bands due to phonons and impurities. A simple model is introduced to account for light scattering in the annealed films, which contain micro-cracks. For the unannealed samples, an effective-medium approximation is used to take into account the adsorbed moisture in the film and a Drude free-electron term is also added to model the broad background absorption.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of Ar{sup +} ion irradiation on the microstructure of pyrolytic carbon

Pyrolytic carbon (PyC) coatings prepared by chemical vapor deposition were irradiated by 300 keV Ar{sup +} ions. Then, atomic force microscopy, synchrotron-based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to study how Ar{sup +} irradiation affects the microstructure of PyC, including the microstructural damage mechanisms and physics driving these phenomena. The 300 keV Ar{sup +} ion irradiation deteriorated the structure along the c-axis, which increased the interlayer spacing between graphene layers. With increasing irradiation dose, the density of defect states on the surface of PyC coating increases, and the basal planes gradually loses their initial ordering resulting in breaks in the lattice and turbulence at the peak damage dose reaches 1.58 displacement per atom (dpa). Surprisingly, the PyC becomes more textured as it becomes richer in structural defects with increasing irradiation dose.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗