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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 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Epitaxial growth of 100-μm thick M-type hexaferrite crystals on wide bandgap semiconductor GaN/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates

Thick barium hexaferrite BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} (BaM) films having thicknesses of ∼100 μm were epitaxially grown on GaN/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates from a molten-salt solution by vaporizing the solvent. X-ray diffraction measurement verified the growth of BaM (001) textured growth of thick films. Saturation magnetization, 4πM{sub s}, was measured for as-grown films to be 4.6 ± 0.2 kG and ferromagnetic resonance measurements revealed a microwave linewidth of ∼100 Oe at X-band. Scanning electron microscopy indicated clear hexagonal crystals distributed on the semiconductor substrate. These results demonstrate feasibility of growing M-type hexaferrite crystal films on wide bandgap semiconductor substrates by using a simple powder melting method. It also presents a potential pathway for the integration of ferrite microwave passive devices with active semiconductor circuit elements creating system-on-a-wafer architectures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Impact of thermal annealing on bulk InGaAsSbN materials grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Two different thermal annealing techniques (rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and in-situ post-growth annealing in the metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) chamber) were employed to investigate their impact on the optical characteristics of double-heterostructures (DH) of InGaAsSbN/GaAs and on the performance of single-junction solar cell structures, all grown by MOVPE. We find that an optimized RTA procedure leads to a similar improvement in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity compared with material employing a multi-step optimized anneal within the MOVPE reactor. Time-resolved photoluminescence techniques at low temperature (LT) and room temperature (RT) were performed to characterize the carrier dynamics in bulk InGaAsSbN layers. Room temperature carrier lifetimes were found to be similar for both annealing methods, although the LT-PL (16 K) measurements of the MOVPE-annealed sample found longer lifetimes than the RTA-annealed sample (680 ps vs. 260 ps) for the PL measurement energy of 1.24 eV. InGaAsSbN-based single junction solar cells processed with the optimized RTA procedure exhibited an enhancement of the electrical performance, such as improvements in open circuit voltage, short circuit current, fill factor, and efficiency over solar cells subjected to the in-situ MOVPE annealing technique.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of Ag addition to L1{sub 0} FePt and L1{sub 0} FePd films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

L1{sub 0} ordered FePt-Ag (5 nm) and FePd-Ag (5 nm) films were grown on MgO (001) substrate at temperatures of 250–400 °C by using molecular beam epitaxy method, and their crystal and surface structures, perpendicular magnetic anisotropies and Curie temperatures were investigated. In the case of FePt-Ag, Ag addition with the amount of 10–20 at. % was effective to promote L1{sub 0} ordering and granular growth, resulting in the increase of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and coercivity of the FePt-Ag films. On the other hand, in the case of FePd-Ag, Ag addition changed the surface morphology from island to continuous film associated with the reductions of its coercivity and perpendicular anisotropy. The variations of lattice constants and Curie temperature with Ag addition were significantly different between FePt-Ag and FePd-Ag. For FePd-Ag, the c and a axes lattice spacings and Curie temperature gradually changed with increasing Ag content, while they unchanged for FePt-Ag. These results suggest the possibility of the formation of FePdAg alloy in FePd-Ag, while Ag segregation in FePt-Ag.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Native defects affecting the Li atom distribution tune the optical emission of ZnO:Li epitaxial thin film

It is found that the oxygen vacancy (V{sub O}) defect concentration affecting the separation between individual species in Li{sub Zn}-Li{sub i} complex influences the optical emission property of Li{sub 0.06}Zn{sub 0.94}O epitaxial thin film grown by pulsed laser deposition. The film grown under low oxygen partial pressure (n-type conductivity)/higher partial pressure (resistive-type) has broad emission at ∼2.99 eV/∼2.1 eV and a narrower emission at 3.63 eV/3.56 eV, respectively. First principle based mBJLDA electronic structure calculation suggests that the emission at 2.99 eV is due to the Li{sub Zn}-Li{sub i} pair complex and the emission at 2.1 eV is when the component species are away from each other.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of high hole mobility In{sub 0.41}Ga{sub 0.59}Sb/Al{sub 0.91}Ga{sub 0.09}Sb quantum well structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Modulation-doped In{sub 0.41}Ga{sub 0.59}Sb/Al{sub 0.91}Ga{sub 0.09}Sb quantum-well (QW) structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies show high crystalline quality and smooth surface morphology. X-ray diffraction investigations confirm 1.94% compressive strain within In{sub 0.41}Ga{sub 0.59}Sb channel. High room temperature hole mobility with high sheet density of 1000 cm{sup 2}/Vs, 0.877 × 10{sup 12}/cm{sup 2}, and 965 cm{sup 2}/Vs, 1.112 × 10{sup 12}/cm{sup 2} were obtained with different doping concentrations. Temperature dependent Hall measurements show different scattering mechanisms on hole mobility at different temperature range. The sheet hole density keeps almost constantly from 300 K to 77 K. This study shows great potential of In{sub 0.41}Ga{sub 0.59}Sb/Al{sub 0.91}Ga{sub 0.09}Sb QW for high-hole-mobility device applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

X-ray determination of threading dislocation densities in GaN/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) films grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Densities of a- and a+c-type threading dislocations for a series of GaN films grown in different modes by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy are determined from the x-ray diffraction profiles in skew geometry. The reciprocal space maps are also studied. Theory of x-ray scattering from crystals with dislocations is extended in order to take into account contribution from both threading and misfit dislocations. The broadening of the reciprocal space maps along the surface normal and the rotation of the intensity distribution ellipse is attributed to misfit dislocations at the interface. We find that the presence of a sharp AlN/GaN interface leads to an ordering of misfit dislocations and reduces strain inhomogeneity in GaN films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Transport and optical properties of c-axis oriented wedge shaped GaN nanowall network grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The transport and optical properties of wedge-shaped nanowall network of GaN grown spontaneously on cplane sapphire substrate by Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy (PAMBE) show interesting behavior. The electron mobility at room temperature in these samples is found to be orders of magnitude higher than that of a continuous film. Our study reveals a strong correlation between the mobility and the band gap in these nanowall network samples. However, it is seen that when the thickness of the tips of the walls increases to an extent such that more than 70% of the film area is covered, it behaves close to a flat sample. In the sample with lower surface coverage (≈40% and ≈60%), it was observed that the conductivity, mobility as well as the band gap increase with the decrease in the average tip width of the walls. Photoluminescence (PL) experiments show a strong and broad band edge emission with a large (as high as ≈ 90 meV) blue shift, compared to that of a continuous film, suggesting a confinement of carriers on the top edges of the nanowalls. The PL peak width remains wide at all temperatures suggesting the existence of a high density of tail states at the band edge, which is further supported by the photoconductivity result. The high conductivity and mobility observed in these samples is believed to be due to a “dissipation less” transport of carriers, which are localized at the top edges (edge states) of the nanowalls.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Efficient long wavelength interband photoluminescence from HgCdTe epitaxial films at wavelengths up to 26 μm

Photoluminescence (PL) and photoconductivity (PC) studies of Hg{sub 1−x}Cd{sub x}Te (0.19 ≤ x ≤ 0.23) epitaxial films are presented. Interband PL is observed at wavelengths from 26 to 6 μm and in the temperature range 18 K–200 K. The PL line full width at half maximum is about 6 meV (4kT) at 18 K and approaches its theoretical limit of 1.8kT at higher temperatures. Carrier recombination process is also investigated by time resolved studies of PL and PC at pulsed excitation. Radiative transitions are shown to be the dominating mechanism of carrier recombination at high excitation levels.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Improved metal-insulator-transition characteristics of ultrathin VO{sub 2} epitaxial films by optimized surface preparation of rutile TiO{sub 2} substrates

Key to the growth of epitaxial, atomically thin films is the preparation of the substrates on which they are deposited. Here, we report the growth of atomically smooth, ultrathin films of VO{sub 2} (001), only ∼2 nm thick, which exhibit pronounced metal-insulator transitions, with a change in resistivity of ∼500 times, at a temperature that is close to that of films five times thicker. These films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition on single crystalline TiO{sub 2}(001) substrates that were treated by dipping in acetone, HCl and HF in successive order, followed by an anneal at 700–750 °C in flowing oxygen. This pretreatment removes surface contaminants, TiO{sub 2} defects, and provides a terraced, atomically smooth surface.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ge quantum dots encapsulated by AlAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs without extended defects

We demonstrate nearly spherical, strain-free, self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) fully encapsulated by AlAs, grown on (100) GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy. The QDs were formed without a wetting layer using a high temperature, in situ anneal. Subsequent AlAs overgrowth was free from anti-phase domains and threading dislocations in cross section transmission electron microscopy. The straddling band alignment for Ge in AlAs promises strong and tunable confinement for both electrons and holes. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction pattern changed from 2 × 3 to 2 × 5 with anneal, which can be explained by surface reconstructions based on the electron-counting model.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Elimination of columnar microstructure in N-face InAlN, lattice-matched to GaN, grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy in the N-rich regime

The microstructure of N-face InAlN layers, lattice-matched to GaN, was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. These layers were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) in the N-rich regime. Microstructural analysis shows an absence of the lateral composition modulation that was previously observed in InAlN films grown by PAMBE. A room temperature two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) mobility of 1100 cm{sup 2}/V s and 2DEG sheet charge density of 1.9 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} was measured for N-face GaN/AlN/GaN/InAlN high-electron-mobility transistors with lattice-matched InAlN back barriers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of substrate quality on structural properties of AlGaN/GaN superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Short-period AlGaN/GaN superlattices were established as versatile test structures to investigate the structural properties of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown GaN and AlGaN layers and their dependence on the GaN substrate quality. X-ray diffractometry data of the investigated superlattices allow access to relevant structural parameters such as aluminum mole fraction and layer thicknesses. The occurrence of theoretically predicted intense high-order satellite peaks and pronounced interface fringes in the diffraction pattern reflects abrupt interfaces and perfect 2-dimensional growth resulting in smooth surfaces. The data unambiguously demonstrate that the structural quality of the MBE grown layers is limited by the structural properties of the GaN substrate.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Epitaxial growth of metastable multiferroic AlFeO{sub 3} film on SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrate

GaFeO{sub 3}-type AlFeO{sub 3} is consisted of oxygen octahedra and tetrahedra containing Al and Fe ions and is known to have a non-centrosymmetric polar structure with space group Pna2{sub 1}. We tried to grow epitaxial GaFeO{sub 3}-type AlFeO{sub 3} films on SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. Both the atomic arrangement of close-packed and the atomic distance of the substrate surface played important roles in stabilizing GaFeO{sub 3}-type AlFeO{sub 3} on the substrate. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements clearly showed that GaFeO{sub 3}-type AlFeO{sub 3} films have ferroelectricity at room temperature. In addition, AlFeO{sub 3} film also showed pinched-like hysteresis loop with T{sub N} ∼ 317 K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of stoichiometry and growth temperature on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of epitaxial L1{sub 0} Fe-Pd (001) films

To investigate the crystallographic structure and the magnetic properties as a function of chemical composition (40–62 at. %) and substrate temperature (T{sub s} = 300–550 °C), we fabricated epitaxial FePd films of thickness 20 ± 2 nm by sputtering on MgO (100) single-crystal substrates. The ordering parameter, measured by x-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation, and the perpendicular anisotropy of the Fe{sub 54}Pt{sub 46} films increased with increasing substrate temperature. For FePd films (T{sub s} = 550 °C) with varied Fe content, a direct correlation between the ordering parameter and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy field is found. The greatest ordering parameter, 0.84, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy field, ∼20 kOe, were obtained for FePd films of Fe concentration 54 at. %, indicating that an off-stoichiometric L1{sub 0} FePd might be preferable for engineering and applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Atomic oxidation of large area epitaxial graphene on 4H-SiC(0001)

Structural and electronic properties of epitaxial graphene on 4H-SiC were studied before and after an atomic oxidation process. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicates that oxygen penetrates into the substrate and decouples a part of the interface layer. Raman spectroscopy demonstrates the increase of defects due to the presence of oxygen. Interestingly, we observed on the near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectra a splitting of the π* peak into two distinct resonances centered at 284.7 and 285.2 eV. This double structure smears out after the oxidation process and permits to probe the interface architecture between graphene and the substrate.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

In situ X-ray investigation of changing barrier growth temperatures on InGaN single quantum wells in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy

The effects of GaN quantum barriers with changing growth temperatures on the interfacial characteristics of GaN/InGaN single quantum well (SQW) grown on GaN templates by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy were in situ investigated by X-ray crystal truncation rod (CTR) scattering and X-ray reflectivity measurements at growth temperature using a laboratory level X-ray diffractometer. Comparing the curve-fitting results of X-ray CTR scattering spectra obtained at growth temperature with that at room temperature, the In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N with indium composition less than 0.11 was stabile of the indium distribution at the interface during the whole growth processes. By using several monolayers thickness GaN capping layer to protect the InGaN well layer within temperature-ramping process, the interfacial structure of the GaN/InGaN SQW was drastically improved on the basis of the curve-fitting results of X-ray CTR scattering spectra, and the narrow full width at half-maximum and strong luminous intensity were observed in room temperature photoluminescence spectra.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Epitaxial growth of large-area bilayer graphene on Ru(0001)

Large-area bilayer graphene (BG) is grown epitaxially on Ru(0001) surface and characterized by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The lattice of the bottom layer of BG is stretched by 1.2%, while strain is absent from the top layer. The lattice mismatch between the two layers leads to the formation of a moiré pattern with a periodicity of ∼21.5 nm and a mixture of AA- and AB-stacking. The √3 × √3 superstructure around atomic defects is attributed to the inter-valley scattering of the delocalized π-electrons, demonstrating that the as-grown BG behaves like intrinsic free-standing graphene.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Epitaxial Ba{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} thin-films grown on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates by pulsed laser deposition

We have synthesized epitaxial Ba{sub 2}IrO{sub 4} (BIO) thin-films on SrTiO{sub 3} (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition and studied their electronic structure by dc-transport and optical spectroscopic experiments. We have observed that BIO thin-films are insulating but close to the metal-insulator transition boundary with significantly smaller transport and optical gap energies than its sister compound, Sr{sub 2}IrO{sub 4}. Moreover, BIO thin-films have both an enhanced electronic bandwidth and electronic-correlation energy. Our results suggest that BIO thin-films have great potential for realizing the interesting physical properties predicted in layered iridates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗