Influence of Oxygen Pressure on Structural and Sensing Properties of β-Ga2O3 Nanomaterial by Thermal Evaporation

We prepare the gallium oxide （β-Ga2O3） nanomaterials from gallium and oxygen by thermal evaporation in the argon atmosphere and research their oxygen sensing under UV illumination with different oxygen pressures. X-ray diffraction reveals that the synthesized product is monoclinic gallium oxide, it is further confirmed by electron diffraction of transmission electron microscope, and its morphology through the observation using scanning electron microscope reveals thatβ-Ga2O3 nanobelts with a breadth less than lOOnm and length of severai micrometers are synthesized under low oxygen pressure, while the nano/microbelts are synthesized under high oxygen pressure. Room-temperature oxygen sensing is tested under at 254 nm illumination and it is found that the current decreases quickly first and then slowly with oxygen pressure from low to high.

First-Principles Study of Structural Stabilities, Electronic and Optical Properties of SrF2 under High Pressure

An investigation of structural stabilities, electronic and optical properties of SrF2 under high pressure is conducted using a first-principles calculation based on density functional theory （DFT） with the plane wave basis set as implemented in the CASTEP code. Our results predict that the second high-pressure phase of SrF2 is of a Ni2In- type structure, and demonstrate that the sequence of the pressure-induced phase transition of SrF2 is the fluorite structure （Fm3m） to the PbC12-type structure （Pnma）, and to the Ni2In-type phase （P63/mmc）. The first and second phase transition pressures are 5. 77 and 45.58 GPa, respectively. The energy gap increases initially with pressure in the Fm3m, and begins to decrease in the Pnma phases at 30 GPa. The band gap overlap metallization does not occur up to 210 GPa. The pressure effect on the optical properties is discussed.

Mechanical Reinforcement and Piezoelectric Properties of PZT Ceramics Embedded with Nano-Crystalline

The double-scale lead zirconate titanate （PZT） piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the solid state processing with PZT nano-crystalline and micro-powder. The microstructures, electrical and mechanical properties of the double-scale PZT are investigated. All the sintered ceramics exhibit a single perovskite structure and the grain size of the dou ble-scale PZT reduces due to the incorporation of PZT nano-crystalline. Compared to normal PZT, the mechanical properties increase significantly and the piezoelectric properties decrease slightly. Mechanisms responsible for the reinforcement of the double-scale PZT are discussed.

Preparation and Thermal Characterization of Diamond-Like Carbon Films

Diamond-like carbon （DLC） films are prepared on silicon substrates by microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Raman spectroscopy indicates that the films have an amorphous structure and typical characteristics. The topographies of the films are presented by AFM images. Effective thermal conductivities of the films are measured using a nanosecond pulsed photothermal reflectance method. The results show that thermal conductivity is dominated by the microstructure of the films.

Effects of Annealing Temperature on Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Films

The effects of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of ZnO films grown on Si （100） substrates by sol-gel spin-coating are investigated. The structural and optical properties are characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectra. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the crystal quality of ZnO films becomes better after annealing at high temperature. The grain size increases with the temperature increasing. It is found that the tensile stress in the plane of ZnO films first increases and then decreases with the annealing temperature increasing, reaching the maximum value of 1.8 GPa at 700℃. PL spectra of ZnO films annealed at various temperatures consists of a near band edge emission around 380 nm and visible emissions due to the electronic defects, which are related to deep level emissions, such as oxide antisite （OZn）, interstitial oxygen （Oi）, interstitial zinc （Zni） and zinc vacancy （VZn^-）, which are generated during annealing process. The evolution of defects is analyzed by PL spectra based on the energy of the electronic transitions.

A Fractal Model for Effective Thermal Conductivity of Isotropic Porous Silica Low-k Materials

We establish a new model based on fractal theory and cubic spline interpolation to study the effective thermal conductivity of isotropic porous silica low-k materials. A 3D fractal model is introduced to describe the structure of the silica xerogel and silica hybrid materials （such as methylsilsesquioxane, MSQ）. Combined with fractal structure, a more suitable medium approximation is developed to study the isotropic porous silica xerogel and MSQ materials. Cubic spline interpolation for fitting discrete predictions from the fractal model is used to obtain the continuous function of the effective thermal conductivity versus porosity. Compared with other common models, the effective thermal conductivity predicted by our model presents better agreement with the experimental data for all porosity. These results indicate that the proposed model is valid.

Nanoscale Thermal Response in ZnO Varistors by Atomic Force Microscopy

We report the application of customer-built scanning thermal microscopy （SThM） based on a commercial atomic force microscope to investigate local thermal inhomogeneity of ZnO varistors. The so-called 3ω method, generally used for measuring macroscale thermal conductivity, is set up and integrated with an atomic force microscope to probe the nanoseale thermal property. Remarkably, thermal contrasts of ZnO varistors are firstly imaged by the SThM, indicating the uniform distribution of spinel phases at triple points. The frequency-dependent thermal signal of ZnO varistors is also studied to present quantitative evaluation of local thermal conductivity of the sample.

Structural Feature and Solute Trapping of Rapidly Grown Ni3Sn Intermetallic Compound

The rapid dendritic growth of primary Ni3Sn phase in undercooled Ni-30.9%Sn-5%Ge alloy is investigated by using the glass fluxing technique. The dendritic growth velocity of Ni3Sn compound is measured as a function of undercooling, and a velocity of 2.47m/s is achieved at the maximum undercooling of 251 K （0.17TL）. The addition of the Ge element reduces its growth velocity as compared with the binary Ni75Sn25 alloy. During rapid solidification, the Ni3Sn compound behaves like a normal solid solution and it displays a morphological transition of ＂coarse dendrite-equiaxed grain-vermicular structure＂ with the increase of undereooling. Significant solute trapping of Ge atoms occurs in the whole undercooling range.

Production of ZnO Nanobelts and Meso-Scale Study of Mechanical Properties

We investigate a peculiar phenomenon by processing ZnO nanobelts with an atomic force microscope （AFM）. In the contact mode of AFM, peculiar bending occurs in meso-scale when the nanobelt is applied with force in lateral direction. We study the mechanical properties of ZnO nanobelts under the influence of small size effect, with finite element analysis and mathematical analysis by means of Matlab. Based on this abnormal effect, a novel measuring method is proposed, which allows the surface morphology and surface properties to be characterized at the same time.

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Sm Implanted GaN

The structural and magnetic properties of Sm ion-implanted GaN with different Sm concentrations are investigated. XRD results do not show any peaks associated with second phase formation. Magnetic investigations performed by superconducting quantum interference device reveal ferromagnetic behavior with an ordering tem- perature above room temperature in all the implanted samples, while the effective magnetic moment per Sin obtained from saturation magnetization gives a much higher value than the atomic moment of Sm. These results could be explained by the phenomenological model proposed by Dhar et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94（2005）037205, Phys. Rev. B 72（2005）245203] in terms of a long-range spin polarization of the GaN matrix by the Sm atoms.

Effect of Temperature on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Laser Ablated Iron Oxide Deposited on Si（100）

We fabricate Fe3O4 thin films on Si（100） substrates at different temperatures using pulsed laser deposition, and study the effect of annealing and deposition temperature on the structural and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 thin films. Subsequently, the films are characterized by x-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and vibrating sample magnetometery （VSM）. The XRD results of these films confirm the presence of the Fe3O4 phase and show room-temperature ferromagnetism, as observed with VSM. We demonstrate the optimized deposition and annealing conditions for an enhanced magnetization of 854 emu/cm3 that is very high when compared to the bulk sample.

Thermal Properties of Poly（vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxypropyl acrylate） （PVVH） Polymer and Its Application in ZnO Based Nanogenerators ：

A novel piezoelectricity based nano energy conversion device using vertically aligned ZnO nanowires/PVVH matrix as the working unit is proposed. Thermal energy is converted to electricity via the interaction of the PVVH polymer and ZnO nanowires. The thermal properties of PVVH ave studied using Raman spectroscopy under different temperatures. The results show that the structure of PVVH is sensitive to fluctuations of the environmental temperatures. With the increasing temperature, PVVH tends to be crystallized and stress can be developed inside the polymer. The stress is responsible for the deformation and voltage generation of the ZnO nanowires.

Effects of Rapid Thermal Processing on Microstructure and Optical Properties of As-Deposited Ag2O Films by Direct-Current Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

（111） preferentially oriented Ag2O film deposited by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering is annealed by rapid thermal processing at different annealing temperatures for 5 min. The film microstructure and optical properties are then characterized by x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and spectrophotometry, respectively. The results indicate that no clear Ag diffraction peak is discernable in the Ag2O film annealed below 200°C. In comparison, the Ag2O film annealed at 200°C begins to exhibit characteristic Ag diffraction peaks, and in particular the Ag2O film annealed at 250°C can demonstrate enhanced Ag diffraction peaks. This implies that the threshold of the thermal decomposition reaction to produce Ag particles is approximately 200°C for the Ag2O film. In addition, an evolution of the film surface morphology from compact and pyramid-like to a rough and porous structure clearly occurred with increasing annealing temperature. The porous structure might be attributable to the escape of the oxygen produced during annealing, while the rough surface might originate from the reconstruction of the surface. The dispersion of interference peak intensity in the reflectance and transmission spectra could be attributed to the Ag particles produced. The lowered crystallinity and Ag particles produced induce a lattice defect, which results in an enhanced transmissivity in the violet region and a weakened transmissivity in the infrared region.

Mechanical Properties and Anisotropy in PbWO4 Single Crystal

The mechanical properties of PbWO4 （PWO） crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman method are systematically investigated using the microindentation technique. In the present work, the Vickers microhardness Hν, fracture toughness Kc, yield strength σy and friability index Bi of PbWO4 crystals are measured. The Vickers microhardness Hν on the （100） wafer is about 140 MPa, which means that PWO is a little soft＇＇ scintillator. The anisotropy of mechanical properties is also investigated under a steady load of 0.5 kg. The （100） wafer of the crystal exhibits combined mechanical properties more excellent than those of （111） and （001） wafers, and the values of Kc, σy, and Bi are 0.538 MPa＆#12539;m1/2, 51.11 kg/mm2 and 284.96 νm-1/2, respectively.

Mechanical and Magnetic Properties of Rh and RhH： First-Principles Calculations

Mechanical and magnetic properties of Rh in bcc, fcc structures and RhH in cubic structure are investigated by using first-principles calculations. Theoretical strengths of these structures are given for the first time. The results show that the NaCl-type cubic RhH has a lower bulk modulus and a theoretical strength larger than those of Rh in bcc and fcc structures. A strong magneto-volume effect of a transition from low magnetic moment-low cell volume＇＇ to high magnetic moment-large cell volume＇＇ is also found for both the bcc and fcc Rh structures as well as RhH.

Evolution of Structural and Magnetic Properties of BaFe12O19 with B2O3 Addition

We investigate the effects of B2O3 addition on structural and magnetic properties of hard magnetic BaFe12O19 particles. The conventional solid state reaction method is used as the synthesis route. Single phase BaFe12O19 could be synthesized with very small amounts of B2O3 addition and with calcination at low temperatures （850°C） in short times （1 h）. B2O3 addition also improves the magnetic parameters significantly. Remanence magnetization and specific magnetization at 1.5 T increase by ～40% in magnitude although no significant variations on coercivity is observed.

Formability and Thermal Stability of Ce62Al15Fe8Co15 Bulk Metallic Glass

The formability and thermal stability of Ce62Al15Fe8Co15 bulk metallic glass （BMG） are studied by x-ray diffraction （XRD） and differential scanning calorimetry. The critical diameter of Ce62Al15Fe8Co15 BMG predicted by the parameter γ is about 3.1 mm, which is roughly in agreement with the XRD results. Stability of the BMG is investigated by means of continuous crystallization diagrams obtained from the extension of the Kissinger and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann （VFT） equations comparatively. It is found that the dependence of crystallization temperature of the BMG on heating rates follows a nonlinear relationship rather than Kissinger and Lasoka＇s linear fittings. The thermal stability of the BMG is investigated by the VFT equation.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Thermal Properties of Solid Uranium Dioxide

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed with the recently developed empirical interaction potential by Morelon et al. Thermodynamics properties of solid UO2 that have been assessed include melt point, density, enthalpy, heat capacity, lattice parameter variation with temperature, mean-square-displacement and diffusion coefficients of oxygen ion. The results are compared with the data in literature and it is suggested that the rigid ionic potential provides perfect results below the superionic range. The data showing thermodynamics properties will become unacceptable when the temperature is higher than 2500 K. Compared with the previous empirical potentials, the empirical potential developed by Morelon et al. improves the agreement of these data with the recommend ones.

Mechanical Behavior of Nanometer Ni by Simulating Nanoindentation

An indentation simulation of the crystal Ni is carried out by a molecular dynamics technique （MD） to study the mechanical behavior at nanometer scales. Indenter tips with both sphere shape and conical shape with 60° cone angle are used, and simulation samples with different crystal orientations are adopted. Some defects such as dislocations and point defects are observed. It is found that nucleated defects （dislocations, amorphous atoms） are from the local region near the pin tip or the sample surface. The temperature distribution of the local region is analyzed and it can explain our MD simulation results.

Electromechanical Behavior of Interdigitated SiO2 Cantilever Arrays

Bending and first flexural mode vibration behavior of electrostatic actuated nanometer-sized interdigitated cantilever arrays are characterized under vacuum conditions. The pull-in＇＇ effect in dc driving and the hard spring effect＇＇ in ac driving are observed. A mass sensitivity of 20 fg is expected for our devices due to the ultra-small mass of the arm and relative high Q factor. The mass-spring lump model combined with Green＇s function method is used to fit the dc driving behaviors including the pull-in voltage. For the ac driving case, the polynomial expansion of the capacitive force is used in the model. The successfully fittings of the pull-in voltage and the hard spring effect prove that our simulation method could be used for guiding the geometrical design of cantilever-based sensors.