Dispersion compensation for an ultrathin metal film using LCD-CCD system

A dispersion compensation method is introduced to correct the distorted image passing through an ultrathin metal film.An LCD-CCD system is modeled by the back propagation network and used to evaluate the transmittance of the ultrathin metal film.Training samples for the network come from 729 images captured by shooting test patches,in which the RGB values are uniformity distributed between 0 and 255.The RGB value of the original image that will be distorted by the dispersion is first transformed by mapping from the LCD to the CCD,multiplied by the inverse matrix of the transmittance matrix,and finally transformed by mapping from the CCD to the LCD,then the corrected image is obtained.In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method,ultrathin aluminum films with different thicknesses are evaporated on glass substrates and laid between the CCD and LCD.Experimental results show that the proposed method compensates for the dispersion successfully.

Experimental studies of extraordinary light transmission through periodic arrays of subwavelength square and rectangular holes in metal films

We fabricate a series of periodic arrays of subwavelength square and rectangular air holes on gold films, and measure the transmission spectra of these metallic nanostructures. By changing some geometrical and physical parameters, such as array period, air hole size and shape, and the incident light polarization, we verify that both global surface plasmon resonance and localized waveguide mode resonance are influential on enhancing the transmission of light through nanostructured metal films. These two resonances induce different behaviours of transmission peak shift. The transmission through the rectangular air-hole structures exhibits an obvious polarization effect dependent on the morphology. Numerical simulations are also made by a plane-wave transfer-matrix method and in good consistency with the experimental results.

Surface Plasmon Interference Lithography Assisted by a Fabry-Perot Cavity Composed of Subwavelength Metal Grating and Thin Metal Film

A surface plasmon interference lithography assisted by a Fabry-Perot （F-P） cavity composed of subwavelength metal gratings and a thin metal fihn is proposed to fabricate high-quality nanopatterns. The calculated results indicate that uniform straight interference fringes with high contrast and high electric-field intensity are formed in the resist under the F-P cavity. The analyses of spatial frequency spectra illuminate the physical mechanism of the formation for the interference fringes. The influence of the F-P cavity spacing is discussed in detail. Moreover, the error analyses reveal that all parameters except the metal grating period in this scheme can bear large tolerances for the device fabrication.

Surface plasmon-polaritons on ultrathin metal films

We discuss the surface plasmon-polaritons used for ultrathin metal films with the aid of linear response theory and make comparisons with the known result given by Economou E N. In this paper we consider transverse electromagnetic fields and assume that the electromagnetic field in the linear response formula is the induced field due to the current of the electrons. It satisfies the Maxwell equation and thus we replace the current （charge） term in the Maxwell equation with the linear response expectation value. Finally, taking the external field to be zero, we obtain the dispersion relation of the surface plasmons from the eigenvalue equation. In addition, the charge-density and current-density in the z direction on the surface of ultrathin metal films are also calculated. The results may be helpful to the fundamental understanding of the complex phenomenon of surface plasmon-polaritons.

Competing failure mechanisms of thin metal films on polymer substrates under tension

The ductility of thin metal films on polymer substrates reported in recent experiments has a huge disparity,ranging from less than 1 % up to more than 50 %.To reveal the underpinning origins for such a large variation,this paper reports a systematic computational study of two competing failure mechanisms:metal film necking and grain boundary cracking.The quantitative results suggest that strong grain boundaries and metal/polymer interfacial adhesion are keys to achieve high ductility of polymer-supported metal films.

Enhanced optical transmission by V-shaped nanoslit in metal film

In this paper, we reveal that the enhanced transmission through a perforated metal film can be further boosted up by a V-shaped nanoslit, which consists of two connected oblique slits. The maximum transmission at resonance can be enhanced significantly by 71.5% in comparison with the corresponding vertical slit with the same exit width. The value and position of transmission resonance peak strongly depend on the apex angle of the V-shaped slit. The optimum apex angle, at which the transmission is maximal, is sensitive to the slit width. Such phenomena can be well explained by a concrete picture in which the incident wave drives free electrons on the slit walls. Moreover, we also simply analyze the splitting of the transmission peak in the symmetry broken V-shaped slit, originating from the resonances of different parts of the V-shaped slit. We expect that our findings will be used to design the nanoscale light sources based on the metal nanoslit structures.

Light focusing in linear arranged symmetric nanoparticle trimer on metal film system

Benefiting from the induced image charge on film surface,the nanoparticle aggregating on metal exhibits interesting optical properties.In this work,a linear metal nanoparticle trimer on metal film system has been investigated to explore the novel optical phenomenon.Both the electric field and surface charge distributions demonstrate the light is focused on film greatly by the nanoparticles at two sides,which could be strongly modulated by the wavelength of incident light.And the influence of nanoparticle in middle on this light focusing ability has also been studied here,which is explained by the plasmon hybridization theory.Our finding about light focusing in nanoparticle aggregating on metal film not only enlarges the novel phenomenon of surface plasmon but also has great application prospect in the field of surface-enhanced spectra,surface catalysis,solar cells,water splitting,etc.

Sensing characteristics of a metal film coated long-period fiber grating

To obtain the influence rules of the coating parameters of a long-period fiber grating(LPFG)with respect to temperature,strain and refractive index sensing properties,based on the mode coupling theory,a strict four-layer theorietical model of a metal film coated LPFG is established,and these parameters that affect the spectral characteristics of the metal film coated LPFG are studied.The simulation results show that there is an optimal metal film thickness on the surface of the LPFG that will induce the surface-plasmon resonance(SP R)effect,which results in higher sensitivity to the environmental temperature and refractive index but has little influence on the strain There is theoretical evidence that when the silver thickness is between0.8and1.2nm,the refractive index sensitivity will reach the peak point of42.4026,at which the refractive index sensor sensitivity is increased by4.S%.The theoretical results of coating a long-period fiber grating provide a good theoretical basis and guidance for LPFG design and parameters optimization

MHD Effect of Liquid Metal Film Flows as Plasma-Facing Components

Stability of liquid metal film flow under gradient magnetic field is investigated. Three dimensional numerical simulations on magnetohydrodynamics （MHD） effect of free surface film flow were carried out, with emphasis on the film thickness variation and its surface stability. Three different MHD phenomena of film flow were observed in the experiment, namely, retardant, rivulet and flat film flow. From our experiment and numerical simulation it can be concluded that flat film flow is a good choice for plasma-facing components （PFCs）

AFM Study on Interface of HTHP As-grown Diamond Single Crystal and Metallic Film

The study for the interface of as-grown diamond and metallic film surrounding diamond is an attractive way for understanding diamond growth mechanism at high temperature and high pressure (HTHP), because it is that through the interface carbon atom groups from the molten film are transported to growing diamond surface. It is of great interest to perform atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiment; which provides a unique technique different from that of normal optical and electron microscopy studies, to observe the interface morphology. In the present paper, we report first that the morphologies obtained by AFM on the film are similar to those of corresponding diamond surface, and they are the remaining traces after the carbon groups moving from the film to growing diamond. The fine particles and a terrace structure with homogeneous average step height are respectively found on the diamond (100) and (111) surface. Diamond growth conditions show that its growth rates and the temperature gradients in the boundary layer of the molten film at HTHP result in the differences of surface morphologies on diamond planes, being rough on (100) plane and even on the (111) plane. The diamond growth on the (100) surface at HPHT could be considered as a process of unification of these diamond fine particles or of carbon atom groups recombination on the growing diamond crystal surface. Successive growth layer steps directly suggest the layer growth mechanism of the diamond (111) plane. The sources of the layer steps might be two-dimensional nuclei and dislocations.

Enhanced optical transmission through a nanoslit by coupling light between periodic strips and metal film

Surface plasmon resonance （SPR） is obtained by exciting the surface plasmon （SP） at the metal and dielectric interface, which can greatly enhance the extraordinary optical transmission （EOT） through a nanoslit milled in the metal film. We present a structure with a 50-nm-wide silver nanoslit for EOT by coupling light into the dielectric interlayer between periodic strips and a metal film. When the period of the metallic strips is equal to the wavelength of the SPR, the transmission efficiency of 187.6 through the nanoslit is enhanced. The metallic strip width over the nanoslit is optimized to improve transmission efficiency, and the maximal efficiency of 204.3 is achieved.

Fatigue of metals at nanoscale: Metal thin films and conductive interconnects for flexible device application

As electrodes and electrical interconnects in flexible electronic devices,metal films are one of the weakest components in the system against mechanical deformation in daily use.Fatigue reliability at nanoscale becomes a practical concern for these flexible electronic devices.This review introduces state-of-the-art fatigue testing techniques and evaluation methods for thin metal films and conductive interconnect materials constrained by a substrate.Then,experimental results about fatigue damage behaviors,fatigue properties and fatigue life prediction are summarized.Furthermore,fundamental insights into fatigue mechanisms of metals at the nanoscale and the size effects on fatigue properties are elucidated.Finally,the perspectives of studies on fatigue of thin metal films constrained by a substrate are proposed.

Effect of High Electric Field on Lifetime Performance of Metalized Film Capacitor in Pulsed-power Applications

High energy density capacitor is a key device to power supply source for electromagnetic gun (EMG) system, and extending its lifetime is important for increasing the reliability of the power source. Working in high electric field could affect the capacitor lifetime, and this effect on metallized polypropylene film capacitors (MPPFCs) in pulsed-power applications is studied and presented. Experimental re- sults show that the lifetime of MPPFCs decreases with the increasing peak value of charged electric field, and this decrease could be described by function (L/L0) ∝ (E/E0)–m, where, m=7.32. The lifetime of MPPFCs also decreases with the increase of the reversal coeffi- cients in underdamped circuits, which could be described by (L/L0) ∝ (ln(1/K0)/(ln(1/K))–b, where, b=0.7. These results provide a basis for the lifetime prediction of MPPFCs in pulsed-power applications.

Mathematical Modeling and Experimental Validation of Mixed Metal Oxide Thin Film Deposition by Spray Pyrolysis

The deposition of metal oxide films using Spray Pyrolysis Technique (SPT) is investigated through mathematical and physical modeling. A comprehensive model is developed in the processes including atomization, spray, evaporation, chemical reaction and deposition. The predicted results including particle size and film thickness are compared with the experimental data obtained in a complementary study. The predicted film thickness is in a good agreement with the measurements when the temperature is high enough for the chemical reaction to proceed. The model also adequately predicts the size distribution when the nanocrystals are well-structured at controlled temperature and concentration.

Corrosion behaviors of thermally grown oxide films on Fe-based bulk metallic glasses

Oxide films formed on the surfaces of Fe-based bulk metallic glasses in the temperature range between 373 K and 573 K were characterized and their effects on the corrosion behaviors were investigated by microstructural and electrochemical analysis. The oxide film formed at 573 K is iron-rich oxide and it exhibits an n-type semiconductor at a higher potential than 0.35 V and a p-type semiconductor at a lower potential than 0.35 V. Capacitance measurements show that the donor density decreases with the increase in oxidation temperature, while the thickness of the space charge layer increases with the oxidation temperature rising. The result of immersion tests shows that the mass loss rate increases with the oxidation temperature rising. Therefore, the correlation between microstructure and corrosion resistance needs to be proposed because the corrosion resistance is deteriorated with the development of the oxide films.

MHD Stability Analysis and Flow Controls of Liquid Metal Free Surface Film Flows as Fusion Reactor PFCs

Numerical and experimental investigation results on the magnetohydrodynamics（MHD） film flows along flat and curved bottom surfaces are summarized in this study. A simplified modeling has been developed to study the liquid metal MHD film state, which has been validated by the existing experimental results. Numerical results on how the inlet velocity（V）, the chute width（W） and the inlet film thickness（d0） affect the MHD film flow state are obtained. MHD stability analysis results are also provided in this study. The results show that strong magnetic fields make the stable V decrease several times compared to the case with no magnetic field,especially small radial magnetic fields（Bn） will have a significant impact on the MHD film flow state. Based on the above numerical and MHD stability analysis results flow control methods are proposed for flat and curved MHD film flows. For curved film flow we firstly proposed a new multi-layers MHD film flow system with a solid metal mesh to get the stable MHD film flows along the curved bottom surface. Experiments on flat and curved MHD film flows are also carried out and some firstly observed results are achieved.

The effect of fiber orientation on fracture response of metallic fiber-reinforced adhesive thin films

Incorporation of metallic fibers into the adhesive layer can significantly improve the mechanical behavior of the adhesive joint. This paper aims to assess the fracture behavior of an epoxy adhesive reinforced by longitudinal and lateral metallic fibers. Double cantilever beam(DCB) specimens were used to obtain the fracture energy of both non-reinforced and reinforced adhesives under mode I loading condition. In addition to the fiber orientation, the distance between the metal fibers was considered as the second key parameter in the experiments. It was concluded that although incorporation of metallic fibers in the adhesive layer improves the fracture behavior of neat adhesive, however, higher improvements were observed for the adhesive reinforced with longitudinal fibers. Furthermore, reducing the fiber distances resulted in higher values of fracture energy.

Quantum Transport and Surface Scattering in Magnetic Metallic Film

Taking into account the quantum size effect and the spin dependence of the electronic band structure,and including the spin dependence of the scattering from bulk impurities and two different sets of surface roughness,wepresent a theory on the electronic transport in magnetic film,in which the average autocorrelation function (ACF) forsurface roughness is described by a Gaussion model.Our result shows that the conductivity is a sensitive function ofsurface roughness and exchange energy.It is also found that in the thin film limit and in the lower-order approximationof the surface scattering,the total conductivity is given by a sum of conductivities of all the subbands and the two spinchannels,for each subband and each spin channel the scattering rates due to the impurities and two surfaces are additive.

Partial electrical potential distribution around nanospheres in metallic nanostructured films

In light of the nanostructured surface model, where half-spherical nanoparticles grow out symmetrically from a plane metallic film, the mathematical model for the partial electrical potential around nanospheres is developed when a uniform external electric field is applied. On the basis of these models, the three-dimensional spatial distribution of the partial electrical potential is obtained and given in the form of a curved surface using a numerical computation method. Our results show that the electrical potential distribution around the nanospheres exhibits an obvious geometrical symmetry. These results could serve as a reference for investigating many abnormal phenomena such as abnormal infrared effects, which are found when CO molecules are adsorbed on the surface of nanostructured transition metals.