Characterization of Sol-gel-derived TiO_2 and TiO_2-SiO_2 Films for Biomedical Applications

In order to improve the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of NiTi surgical alloy, TiO2 and TiO2-SiO2 thin films were prepared by sol-gel method. The surface characteristics of the film, which include surface composition, microstructure and surface morphology, were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), respectively. A scratching test was used to assess the interface adhesive strength between the film and substrate. The corrosion resistance of NiTi alloy coated with oxide films were studied by anodic polarization curves measurement in biological solution. Additionally, a preliminary study of the in vitro bioactivity of the films was conducted. The results indicated that TiO2 and TiO2-SiO2 (Ti/Si=4:1) films have higher electrochemical corrosion resistance and can be used as protective layers on NiTi alloy. In addition, TiO2-SiO2 composite films have better bioactivity than TiO2 film.

Study of SiO_2 Films Prepared by Electron CyclotronResonant Microwave Plasma

Microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositionwas used to grow silicon dioxide films on crystalline silicon substrate for planar optical waveguides.The relationship between plasma parameters and deposition rates was investigated, and the influ-ence of radio frequency substrate bias on properties of SiO2 films was also preliminarily studied.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron mi-croscopy, atomic force microscopy and elllipsometry were used to characterize the deposited films,showing that SiO2 films with good structural and optical properties prepared at low temperaturehave been achieved. They can basically meet the requirements of integrated optical waveguides.

Morphology and Structure of SiO_2 Film Using Thermal Oxidation Process on(111)Silicon Crystals in Dry Oxygen Atmosphere

By means of scanning electron microscope(SEM)and high voltage electron microscope(HVEM)we have observed and analysed morphology and micro-structure of silicon oxide film with different thickness formed on(111)silicon monocrystal under dry oxygen atmosphere at 1100℃.Compared with their oxidation kinetic curves consisted of three stages,we suggested a mechanism on forming silicon oxide film.According to electron and X-ray diffraction analyses the silicon oxide films consisted of silica with different crystal structure.We also have discussed a stacking fault and a dislocation formed in the Si-Sio_2 interface region simulaneously forming silicon oxide film.

Preparation,Characterization and Photothermal Study of PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) Composite Films

In this work,flexible photothermal PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films with different amount(0 wt%,5 wt%,10 wt%,15 wt%)of Ti_(2)O_(3) particles modified by steric acid were prepared by a simple solution casting method.The microstructures,XRD patterns,FTIR spectra,UV-Vis-NIR spectra thermo-conductivity,thermo-stability and photothermal effects of these composite films were all characterized.These results indicated that Ti_(2)O_(3) particles were well dispersed throughout the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)matrix in the PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films.And Ti_(2)O_(3) particles could also effectively improve the photothermal properties of the composite films which exhibited high light absorption and generated a high temperature(about 57.4℃for film with 15 wt%Ti_(2)O_(3) amount)on the surface when it was irradiated by a simulated sunlight source(1 kW/m^(2)).

Enhanced Electrical Properties of Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3) Nanoflake Thin Films Through Interface Engineering

The structure–property relationship at interfaces is difficult to probe for thermoelectric materials with a complex interfacial microstructure.Designing thermoelectric materials with a simple,structurally-uniform interface provides a facile way to understand how these interfaces influence the transport properties.Here,we synthesized Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3)(x=0,0.1,0.2,0.4)nanoflakes using a hydrothermal method,and prepared Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3) thin films with predominantly(0001)interfaces by stacking the nanoflakes through spin coating.The influence of the annealing temperature and Sb content on the(0001)interface structure was systematically investigated at atomic scale using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy.Annealing and Sb doping facilitate atom diffusion and migration between adjacent nanoflakes along the(0001)interface.As such it enhances interfacial connectivity and improves the electrical transport properties.Interfac reactions create new interfaces that increase the scattering and the Seebeck coefficient.Due to the simultaneous optimization of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient,the maximum power factor of the Bi_(1.8)Sb_(0.2)Te_(3) nanoflake films reaches 1.72 mW m^(−1)K^(−2),which is 43%higher than that of a pure Bi_(2)Te_(3) thin film.

Optimal parameter space for stabilizing the ferroelectric phase of Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2) thin films under strain and electric fields

Hafnia-based ferroelectric materials, like Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2)(HZO), have received tremendous attention owing to their potentials for building ultra-thin ferroelectric devices. The orthorhombic(O)-phase of HZO is ferroelectric but metastable in its bulk form under ambient conditions, which poses a considerable challenge to maintaining the operation performance of HZO-based ferroelectric devices. Here, we theoretically addressed this issue that provides parameter spaces for stabilizing the O-phase of HZO thin-films under various conditions. Three mechanisms were found to be capable of lowering the relative energy of the O-phase, namely, more significant surface-bulk portion of(111) surfaces, compressive c-axis strain,and positive electric fields. Considering these mechanisms, we plotted two ternary phase diagrams for HZO thin-films where the strain was applied along the in-plane uniaxial and biaxial, respectively. These diagrams indicate the O-phase could be stabilized by solely shrinking the film-thickness below 12.26 nm, ascribed to its lower surface energies. All these results shed considerable light on designing more robust and higher-performance ferroelectric devices.

基于瞬态平面热源法测定SiO_2气凝胶导热系数的试验

阐述基于瞬态平面热源法的Hot Disk热常数分析仪的测试原理,利用测试标准304不锈钢对仪器准确性及重复性进行了验证,同时研究了不同孔隙率SiO_2气凝胶的导热系数随温度和压力变化的特点。结果表明:Hot Disk热常数分析仪在测试SiO_2气凝胶导热系数方面具有优异的准确性和重复性;在相同的温度和压力下,SiO_2气凝胶的导热系数随着孔隙率增大而变小;当环境压力小于5×10~3 Pa时,导热系数随环境压力改变而变化不明显,当环境压力大于5×10~3 Pa,导热系数随环境压力升高而变化较大;当环境温度在100~500℃范围内,SiO_2气凝胶的导热系数随环境温度升高而略微变大,当环境温度继续升高时,导热系数随环境温度升高而迅速增大。

Numerical Analysis on the Effect of n-Si on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Based Thin-Films for High-Performance Solar Cells by 1D-SCAPS

We report the performances of a chalcopyrite Cu(In, Ga)Se2 CIGS-based thin-film solar cell with a newly employed high conductive n-Si layer. The data analysis was performed with the help of the 1D-Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (1D-SCAPS) software program. The new device structure is based on the CIGS layer as the absorber layer, n-Si as the high conductive layer, i-In2S3, and i-ZnO as the buffer and window layers, respectively. The optimum CIGS bandgap was determined first and used to simulate and analyze the cell performance throughout the experiment. This analysis revealed that the absorber layer’s optimum bandgap value has to be 1.4 eV to achieve maximum efficiency of 22.57%. Subsequently, output solar cell parameters were analyzed as a function of CIGS layer thickness, defect density, and the operating temperature with an optimized n-Si layer. The newly modeled device has a p-CIGS/n-Si/In2S3/Al-ZnO structure. The main objective was to improve the overall cell performance while optimizing the thickness of absorber layers, defect density, bandgap, and operating temperature with the newly employed optimized n-Si layer. The increase of absorber layer thickness from 0.2 - 2 µm showed an upward trend in the cell’s performance, while the increase of defect density and operating temperature showed a downward trend in solar cell performance. This study illustrates that the proposed cell structure shows higher cell performances and can be fabricated on the lab-scale and industrial levels.

Structure and internal stress of Au films deposited on SiO_2/Si(100) and mica by dc sputtering

Au films with a thickness of about 300 nm were deposited on SiO_2/Si(100) andmica substrates by dc sputtering. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and field emission scanningelectron microscopy were used to analyze the structure and internal stress of the Au films. Thefirms grown on SiO_2/Si(100) show a preferential orientation of [111] in the growth direction.However the films grown on mica have mixture crystalline orientations of [111], [200], [220] and[311] in the growth direction and the orientations of [200] and [311] are slightly more than thoseof [111] and [220]. An internal stress in the films grown on SiO_2/Si(100) is tensile. For Au filmsgrown on mica the internal stresses in the [111]- and [311]-orientation grains are compressive whilethose in the [200]- and [220]-orientation grains are tensile. Au films grown SiO_2/Si(100) havesome very large grains with a size of about 400 nm and have a wider grain size distribution comparedwith those grown on mica.

Controlling Shell Thickness of PS/SiO_2 Core-Shell Particles and Their Crystallization into 3-D Ordered Thin Film

PS/SiO2 particles with core-shell structure were synthesized by coating silica on surface of polystyrene(PS) colloidal particles.The reaction parameters,such as initial tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS) concentration,water concentration and reaction temperature,have been investigated to control the thickness of silica shells.The shell thickness was prepositional to the square root of the initial concentration of TEOS and first increased with increasing water concentration,reached a maximum at about 2.0 mol/L and then started decreasing beyond that concentration.It was also found that the shell thickness decreased firstly with the reaction temperature added,then tended to a constant.The so-synthesized PS/SiO2 core-shell particles were directly crystallized into 3-D ordered thin film,then sintered at 570℃ into the ordered macroporous thin film.Compared with the conditional method,the present approach avoids repeatedly filling the precursor in the templetes and save time more.

The Effect of SiO_2 Additive on Super-hydrophilic Property of TiO_2-SiO_2 Thin Film by Sol-gel Method

TiO2-SiO2 thin films have been prepared on slide glass substrates by sol-gel method, and the effect of SiO2 additive on photo-generated hydrophilicity of TiO2 thin film was investigated by measuring the contact angle of water, the microstructure, the transmittance, the photocatalytic activity and the specific surface area . The results showed that 10mol% of SiO2 additive was the most effective for decreasing contact angle of water. The SiO2 additive of less than 30mol% has a suppressive effect on the crystal growth of anatase in calcinations, resulting in a large surface area. Consequently, the super-hydrophilicity was improved.

Laser-induced damage threshold in HfO_2/SiO_2 multilayer films irradiated by β-ray

Post-processing can effectively improve the resistance to laser damage in multilayer films used in a high power laser system. In this work, HfO_2/SiO_2 multilayer films are prepared by e-beam evaporation and then β-ray irradiation is employed as the post-processing method. The particle irradiation affects the laser induced damage threshold(LIDT),which includes defects, surface roughness, packing density and residual stress. The residual stress that is relaxed during irradiation changes from compressive stress into tensile stress. Our results indicate that appropriate tensile stress can improve LIDT remarkably. In view of the fact that LIDT rises from 8 J/cm^2 to 12 J/cm^2, i.e., 50% increase, after the film has been irradiated by 2.2×10^(13)/cm^2 β-ray, the particle irradiation can be used as a controllable and desirable postprocessing method to improve the resistance to laser induced damage.

Hydrophilic property of SiO_2-TiO_2 overlayer films and TiO_2/SiO_2 mixing films

The photo-induced hydrophilicity of SiO2 overlayer on TiO2 films prepared by sol-gel method was investigated by means of soak angle measurement, XPS, UV-VIS and FTIR spectra. The results show that, compared with the TiO2 film without SiO2 overlayer, when the TiO2 film is thoroughly covered by SiO2 overlayer, the hydrophilicity and the sustained effect are enhanced. It is found that the significant growth of the OH- group occurs in the surface of SiO2 overlayer. The different mechanism of enhanced hydrophilicity between SiO2 overlayer on TiO2 films and TiO2/SiO2 mixing films was analyzed. The result suggests that the photo-generated electrons created in the interface between TiO2 and SiO2 tend to reduce the Ti（Ⅳ） cation to the Ti（Ⅲ） state, and the photogenerated holes transmit through the SiO2 layer to uppermost surface efficiently. Once the holes go up to the surface, they tend to make the surface hydrophilic. The stable hydrophilicity of SiO2 overlayer which adsorbs more stable OH groups, enhances the sustained effect, i.e. the super-hydrophilic state can be maintained for a long time in dark place.

Microstructures and magnetic properties of [SiO_2/FePt]_5/Ag thin films

[SiO2/FePt]5/Ag thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on the glass substrates and post annealing at 550 ℃ for 30 min in vacuum. Vibrating sample magnetometer and X-ray diffraction analyser were applied to study the magnetic properties and microstructures of the films. The results show that without Ag underlayer [SiO2/FePt]5 films deposited onto the glass are FCC disordered; with the addition of Ag underlayer [SiO]FePt]5/Ag films are changed into L10 and （111） mixed texture. The variation of the SiO2 nonmagnetic layer thickness in [SiO2/FePt]5/Ag films indicates that SiO2-doping plays an important role in improving the order parameter and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and reducing the grain size and intergrain interactions. By controlling SiO2 thickness the highly perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be obtained in the [SiO2 （0.6 nm）/FePt （3 nm）]5/Ag （50 nm） films and highly （001）-oriented films can be obtained in the [SiO2 （2 nm）/FePt （3 nm）]5/Ag （50 nm） films.

Optical and Magnetic Properties of Fe_2O_3/SiO_2 Nano-composite Films

Fe2O3/SiO2 nano-composite films were prepared by sol-gel technique combining heat treatment in the range of 100-900 ℃. The particle size was observed by FE-SEM. Optical properties of the films were investigated by UV-visible spectra. Structural and magnetic characteristics were investigated through FT-IR and VSM. The transparency of the Fe2O3/SiO2 nano-composite films decreased with the content of the Fe2O3. Water and organic solvent in the films were evaporated with heat treatment, so the transparency of the films was enhanced under high temperature. It is also found that the saturation magnetization （Ms） of the films increases with the temperature. As the content of the Fe2O3 increases, when the content of the Fe2O3 is around 30wt%, the Ms of the films has a maximum value.

Fabrication and Luminescence Properties of Eu^(3+) Doped SiO_2 Thin Films

Rare earth doped silica films were prepared by sol-gel method accompanied with the spin-coating process. It was found that the photoluminescence (PL) property of the thin films was dependent strongly on the doping amount of Eu3+. For thin films annealed at 700 ℃, the PL intensity increased constantly as elevating the doping amount up to 10% without any evident concentration quench, which indicated the good doping property of the SiOmatrix. In order to further improve the PL efficiency, co-doping of Tb3+ into SiO∶Eu3+ thin films were also investigated. It was found that the luminescence intensity was obviously enhanced by co-doping which could be explained in terms of the effective energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+.

A STUDY OF LOW-TEMPERATURE UV Hg SENSITIZED PHOTOCHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION SiO_2 FILMS

Photo-Chemical Vapor Deposition （Photo-CVD） is a promising technique of lowtemperature semiconductor. SiO2 films made by this technique are used for diffusion mask, VLSI multilayer interconnection, active device isolation, dielectric grid of MOS device and passivation of semiconductor devices. Dielectric films were manufactured by

The effects of radiation damage on power VDMOS devices with composite SiO_2-Si_3N_4 films

Total dose effects and single event effects on radiation-hardened power vertical double-diffusion metal oxide semiconductor（VDMOS） devices with composite SiO2-Si3N4 film gates are investigated.The relationships among the important electrical parameters of the samples with different thickness SiO2-Si3N4 films,such as threshold voltage,breakdown voltage,and on-state resistance in accumulated dose,are discussed.The total dose experiment results show that the breakdown voltage and the on-state resistance barely change with the accumulated dose.However,the relationships between the threshold voltages of the samples and the accumulated dose are more complex,and not only positively drift,but also negatively drift.At the end of the total dose experiment,we select the group of samples which have the smaller threshold voltage shift to carry out the single event effect studies.We find that the samples with appropriate thickness ratio SiO2-Si3N4 films have a good radiation-hardening ability.This method may be useful in solving both the SEGR and the total dose problems with the composite SiO2-Si3N4 films.

Uniform deposition of ultra-thin TiO_(2) film on mica substrate by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition: Effect of precursor concentration

The performance of pearlescent pigment significantly affected by the grain size and the roughness of deposited film. The effect of TiCl_(4) concentration on the initial deposition of TiO_(2) on mica by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition(APCVD) was investigated. The precursor concentration significantly affected the deposition and morphology of TiO_(2) grains assembling the film. The deposition time for fully covering the surface of mica decreased from 120 to 10 s as the TiCl_(4) concentration increased from 0.38%to 2.44%. The grain size increased with the TiCl_(4) concentration. The AFM and TEM analysis demonstrated that the aggregation of TiO_(2) clusters at the initial stage finally result to the agglomeration of fine TiO_(2) grains at high TiCl_(4) concentrations. Following the results, it was suggested that the nucleation density and size was easy to be adjusted when the TiCl_(4) concentration is below 0.90%.

Transparent Thermally Tunable Microwave Absorber Prototype Based on Patterned VO2 Film

Transparent microwave absorbers that exhibit high optical transmittance and microwave absorption capability are ideal,although having a fixed absorption performance limits their applicability.Here,a simple,transparent,and thermally tunable microwave absorber is proposed,based on a patterned vanadium dioxide(VO_(2))film.Numerical calculations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed VO_(2)absorber has a high optical transmittance of 84.9%at 620 nm;its reflection loss at 15.06 GHz can be thermally tuned from–4.257 to–60.179 dB,and near-unity absorption is achieved at 523.750 K.Adjusting only the patterned VO_(2)film duty cycle can change the temperature of near-unity absorption.Our VO_(2)absorber has a simple composition,a high optical transmittance,a thermally tunable microwave absorption performance,a large modulation depth,and an adjustable temperature tuning range,making it promising for application in tunable sensors,thermal emitters,modulators,thermal imaging,bolometers,and photovoltaic devices.