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At least 1,603 records · Page 89

Driven microswimmers on a 2D substrate: A stochastic towed sled model

We investigate, both numerically and analytically, the diffusion properties of a stochastic sled sliding on a substrate, subject to a constant towing force. The problem is motivated by the growing interest in controlling transport of artificial microswimmers in 2D geometries at low Reynolds numbers. We simulated both symmetric and asymmetric towed sleds. Remarkable properties of their mobilities and diffusion constants include sidewise drifts and excess diffusion peaks. We interpret our numerical findings by making use of stochastic approximation techniques.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Strain-effect transistors: Theoretical study on the effects of external strain on III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors on flexible substrates

This paper presents strain-effect transistors (SETs) based on flexible III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) through theoretical calculations. We show that the electronic band structures of InAlGaN/GaN thin-film heterostructures on flexible substrates can be modified by external bending with a high degree of freedom using polarization properties of the polar semiconductor materials. Transfer characteristics of the HEMT devices, including threshold voltage and transconductance, are controlled by varied external strain. Equilibrium 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is enhanced with applied tensile strain by bending the flexible structure with the concave-side down (bend-down condition). 2DEG density is reduced and eventually depleted with increasing compressive strain in bend-up conditions. The operation mode of different HEMT structures changes from depletion- to enchantment-mode or vice versa depending on the type and magnitude of external strain. The results suggest that the operation modes and transfer characteristics of HEMTs can be engineered with an optimum external bending strain applied in the device structure, which is expected to be beneficial for both radio frequency and switching applications. In addition, we show that drain currents of transistors based on flexible InAlGaN/GaN can be modulated only by external strain without applying electric field in the gate. The channel conductivity modulation that is obtained by only external strain proposes an extended functional device, gate-free SETs, which can be used in electro-mechanical applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Charge movement in a GaN-based hetero-structure field effect transistor structure with carbon doped buffer under applied substrate bias

Charge trapping and transport in the carbon doped GaN buffer of a GaN-based hetero-structure field effect transistor (HFET) has been investigated under both positive and negative substrate bias. Clear evidence of redistribution of charges in the carbon doped region by thermally generated holes is seen, with electron injection and capture observed during positive bias. Excellent agreement is found with simulations. It is shown that these effects are intrinsic to the carbon doped GaN and need to be controlled to provide reliable and efficient GaN-based power HFETs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Raman spectroscopy and electrical properties of InAs nanowires with local oxidation enabled by substrate micro-trenches and laser irradiation

The thermal gradients along indium arsenide nanowires were engineered by a combination of fabricated micro-trenches in the supporting substrate and focused laser irradiation. This allowed local spatial control of thermally activated oxidation reactions of the nanowire on the scale of the diffraction limit. The locality of the oxidation was detected by micro-Raman mapping, and the results were found to be consistent with numerical simulations of the temperature profile. Applying the technique to nanowires in electrical devices the locally oxidized nanowires remained conducting with a lower conductance as expected for an effectively thinner conducting core.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO:TiO{sub 2} nano composites thin films deposited on glass substrate by sol-gel spray coating technique

In this work, (ZnO){sub x}:(TiO{sub 2}){sub 1-x} nano composites thin films, with x = 1, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25, and 0, have been prepared by sol–gel spray coating technique onto glass substrate. Pure TiO{sub 2} and ZnO thin films were synthesized from titanium isopropoxide-based and zinc acetate-based precursor solutions, respectively, whereas the composite films were obtained from the mixture of these solutions at the specific % vol ratios. The properties and performance of nano composite ZnO, TiO{sub 2} and ZnO:TiO{sub 2} thin films at different composition have been investigated. Ultraviolet – Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometer and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were employed in order to get morphology and transmittance of thin films. Testing the ability of photocatalytic activity of obtained films was conducted on photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye and organic pollutants of wastewater under a 30 watt UV light irradiation, then testing BOD, COD and TPC were conducted. Using the Tauc model, the band-gap energy decreased from 3.12 eV to 3.02 eV for the sample with x = 1 and 0, respectively. This decrease occured along with the replacement of percentage of ZnO by TiO{sub 2} on the films. This decrease also reduced the minimum energy that required for electron excitation. Obtained thin films had nanoscale roughness level with range 3.64 to 17.30 nm. The film with x= 0 has the biggest removal percentage on BOD, COD and TPC mesurements with percentage 54.82%, 62.73% and 99.88%, respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microwave sintering of Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate

Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate were subjected to microwave sintering by use of a single-mode waveguide applicator. A two-step sintering process was employed. First, at low conductivities of the film, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum electric field and subjected to microwave irradiation. Second, when the conductivity of the film increased, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum magnetic field and again subjected to microwave irradiation. The microwave sintering process was completed within 1.5 min, which is significantly lower than the time required for the oven heating process. The resulting conductivity of the film, albeit only 30% of that of the bulk material, was seven times that of a film annealed at the same temperature in a furnace. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the nanoparticles underwent both grain necking and grain growth during microwave sintering. In addition, this sintering process was equivalent to the oven heating process performed at a 50 °C higher annealing temperature. An electromagnetic wave simulation and a heat transfer simulation of the microwave sintering process were performed to gain a thorough understanding of the process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Simple method for the growth of 4H silicon carbide on silicon substrate

In this study we report thermal evaporation technique as a simple method for the growth of 4H silicon carbide on p-type silicon substrate. A mixture of Si and C{sub 60} powder of high purity (99.99%) was evaporated from molybdenum boat. The as grown film was characterized by XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and Hall Measurements. The XRD pattern displayed four peaks at 2Θ angles 28.55{sup 0}, 32.70{sup 0}, 36.10{sup 0} and 58.90{sup 0} related to Si (1 1 1), 4H-SiC (1 0 0), 4H-SiC (1 1 1) and 4H-SiC (2 2 2), respectively. FTIR, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and electrical properties further strengthened the 4H-SiC growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Communication: Enhanced chemical reactivity of graphene on a Ni(111) substrate

Due to the unique combination of structural, mechanical, and transport properties, graphene has emerged as an exceptional candidate for catalysis applications. The low chemical reactivity caused by sp{sup 2} hybridization and strongly delocalized π electrons, however, represents a main challenge for straightforward use of graphene in its pristine, free-standing form. Following recent experimental indications, we show that due to charge hybridization, a Ni(111) substrate can enhance the chemical reactivity of graphene, as exemplified by the interaction with the CO molecule. While CO only physisorbs on free-standing graphene, chemisorption of CO involving formation of ethylene dione complexes is predicted in Ni(111)-graphene. Higher chemical reactivity is also suggested in the case of oxidized graphene, opening the way to a simple and efficient control of graphene chemical properties, devoid of complex defect patterning or active metallic structures deposition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ge auto-doping and out-diffusion in InGaP grown on Ge substrate and their effects on the ordering of InGaP

We report on the Ge auto-doping and out-diffusion in InGaP epilayer with Cu-Pt ordering grown on 4-in. Ge substrate. Ge profiles determined from secondary ion mass spectrometry indicate that the Ge out-diffusion depth is within 100 nm. However, the edge of the wafer suffers from stronger Ge gas-phase auto-doping than the center, leading to ordering deterioration in the InGaP epilayer. In the edge, we observed a residual Cu-Pt ordering layer left beneath the surface, suggesting that the ordering deterioration takes place after the deposition rather than during the deposition and In/Ga inter-diffusion enhanced by Ge vapor-phase auto-doping is responsible for the deterioration. We thus propose a di-vacancy diffusion model, in which the amphoteric Ge increases the di-vacancy density, resulting in a Ge density dependent diffusion. In the model, the In/Ga inter-diffusion and Ge out-diffusion are realized by the random hopping of In/Ga host atoms and Ge atoms to di-vacancies, respectively. Simulation based on this model well fits the Ge out-diffusion profiles, suggesting its validity. By comparing the Ge diffusion coefficient obtained from the fitting and the characteristic time constant of ordering deterioration estimated from the residual ordering layer, we found that the hopping rates of Ge and the host atoms are in the same order of magnitude, indicating that di-vacancies are bound in the vicinity of Ge atoms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Polarity enhancement in high oriented ZnO films on Si (100) substrate

Zinc oxide films with hexagonal crystal structures have been grown on Si substrate (100) using the DC-unbalanced magnetron sputtering at temperature of 300°C with growth time variation. The films have been characterized using X-Ray Diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared measurement to show the crystal parameter and atomic bonding. The results show that the films have a dominant orientation in the hkl plane (002), while peak positions are shift to lower diffraction angle with addition of growth time. In addition, the bonding between Zn and O atoms (Zn-O) tend to be weaker as indicated by transmittance peak shifting to lower energy. The weakening of Zn-O bonding is due to the contribution of addition of bond length. These conditions make the films tend to have a high polarity. Further analysis of these studies will bring us to have a good undestanding to explain the ferroelectric properties of the ZnO films.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Dielectric constant extraction of graphene nanostructured on SiC substrates from spectroscopy ellipsometry measurement using Gauss–Newton inversion method

The extraction of the dielectric constant of nanostructured graphene on SiC substrates from spectroscopy ellipsometry measurement using the Gauss-Newton inversion (GNI) method has been done. This study aims to calculate the dielectric constant and refractive index of graphene by extracting the value of ψ and Δ from the spectroscopy ellipsometry measurement using GNI method and comparing them with previous result which was extracted using Drude-Lorentz (DL) model. The results show that GNI method can be used to calculate the dielectric constant and refractive index of nanostructured graphene on SiC substratesmore faster as compared to DL model. Moreover, the imaginary part of the dielectric constant values and coefficient of extinction drastically increases at 4.5 eV similar to that of extracted using known DL fitting. The increase is known due to the process of interband transition and the interaction between the electrons and electron-hole at M-points in the Brillouin zone of graphene.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Atomic structure and stoichiometry of In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots grown on an exact-oriented GaP/Si(001) substrate

The atomic structure and stoichiometry of InAs/InGaAs quantum-dot-in-a-well structures grown on exactly oriented GaP/Si(001) are revealed by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. An averaged lateral size of 20 nm, heights up to 8 nm, and an In concentration of up to 100% are determined, being quite similar compared with the well-known quantum dots grown on GaAs substrates. Photoluminescence spectra taken from nanostructures of side-by-side grown samples on GaP/Si(001) and GaAs(001) show slightly blue shifted ground-state emission wavelength for growth on GaP/Si(001) with an even higher peak intensity compared with those on GaAs(001). This demonstrates the high potential of GaP/Si(001) templates for integration of III-V optoelectronic components into silicon-based technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Studies on morphology of Langmuir-Blodgett films of stearic acid deposited with different orientation of substrates with respect to compression

The Langmuir monolayer at an air-water interface shows remarkably different surface pressure – area isotherm, when measured with the surface normal of a Wilhemly plate parallel or perpendicular to the direction of compression of the monolayer. Such difference arises due to difference in stress exerted by the monolayer on the plate in different direction. In this article, we report the effect of changing the direction of substrate normal with respect to the compression of the monolayer during Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film deposition on the morphology of the films. The morphology of the LB film of stearic acid was studied using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The morphology of the LB films was found to be different due to difference in the stress in different directions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Thickness dependent optical properties of PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique on ITO substrate

In this paper, poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films for 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes have been deposited by spray pyrolysis technique on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated substrate. The effect of thickness of the film on the morphological and optical properties of PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films are studied. The morphological and optical properties of pure PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films are compared. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows that as the thickness of film increases, uniformity of films increases. It is found from UV-Visible spectra that the energy band gap decreases with increasing the deposition time and refractive index increases with increasing the thickness of the film. The band gap of the nanocomposites is found less than the pure polymer film and opposite trend is observed for refractive index. The optical absorption of PEMA/ZnO nanocomposite films is higher than pure PEMA film. The thickness of the nanocomposite film plays a significant role in the tunability of the optical properties.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Direct graphene growth from highly ordered pyrolytic graphite using pulsed Nd: YAG laser on p-Si (100) substrate at 700°c

Few layer graphene was deposited on p-type Si (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) target at a relatively low temperature of 700 °C, without any catalytic layer. Effect of laser energy on the ability to produce the crystalline graphene was studied. It was observed that a laser energy of 220 mJ/pulse lead to form few layer graphene while higher laser energy of 440 mJ/pulse was detrimental to precipitation process. The reasons behind this observation are also discussed. Graphene samples were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy and surface morphology of graphene samples was confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM).

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Controlling the size of gold nanoparticles grown on indium tin oxide substrates prepared by seed mediated growth method

One of the unique optical properties of gold nanoparticles is the enhanced absorption and scattering light around metal nanoparticles commonly called the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) effect of gold nanoparticles. This property is determined by the shape and size of gold nanoparticles. In this work, we observed the role of three materials used in synthesis process on the morphology and the LSPR effect of gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles were directly grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates using the seed mediated growth method with three different concentrations of trisodium citrate (Na{sub 3}C{sub 6}H{sub 5}O{sub 7}), C{sub 16}TAB and ascorbic acid (C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 6}). Based on the FESEM image and optical absorption spectrum of gold nanoparticles, it was found that the higher concentration of those materials has decreased the size of gold nananoparticles and shifted the LSPR peaks to lower wavelength.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Raman spectroscopic investigations of tetragonal to cubic transition in BaTiO{sub 3} films grown on LaAlO{sub 3} substrate

BaTiO{sub 3} [BTO] films have been grown on LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) substrate using pulse laser deposition technique. The film is found highly oriented, possess 400 nm thickness and single phase in nature. However, the out-of-plane lattice parameter of the film obtained from the x-ray diffraction was found to be lower when compared to bulk compound indicating towards strain reversal. The Raman spectra recorded at room temperature showed that the film is tetragonal with C4v symmetry. Raman spectra collected at high temperatures for the film and the bulk compound showed that the tetragonal to cubic transition temperature in film is enhanced by 100 K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Aluminum induced crystallization of amorphous Ge thin films on insulating substrate

Aluminium (metal) induced crystallization of amorphous Ge in bilayer and multilayer Ge/Al thin films deposited on quartz substrate at temperature well below the crystallization temperature of bulk Ge is reported. The crystallization of poly-Ge proceeds via formations of dendritic crystalline Ge grains in the Al matrix. The observed phases were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The microstructure of Al thin film layer was found to have a profound influence on such crystallization process and formation of dendritic grains.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗