On-Chip Micro Temperature Controllers Based on Freestanding Thermoelectric Nano Films for Low-Power Electronics

Multidimensional integration and multifunctional com-ponent assembly have been greatly explored in recent years to extend Moore’s Law of modern microelectronics.However,this inevitably exac-erbates the inhomogeneity of temperature distribution in microsystems,making precise temperature control for electronic components extremely challenging.Herein,we report an on-chip micro temperature controller including a pair of thermoelectric legs with a total area of 50×50μm^(2),which are fabricated from dense and flat freestanding Bi2Te3-based ther-moelectric nano films deposited on a newly developed nano graphene oxide membrane substrate.Its tunable equivalent thermal resistance is controlled by electrical currents to achieve energy-efficient temperature control for low-power electronics.A large cooling temperature difference of 44.5 K at 380 K is achieved with a power consumption of only 445μW,resulting in an ultrahigh temperature control capability over 100 K mW^(-1).Moreover,an ultra-fast cooling rate exceeding 2000 K s^(-1) and excellent reliability of up to 1 million cycles are observed.Our proposed on-chip temperature controller is expected to enable further miniaturization and multifunctional integration on a single chip for microelectronics.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering on Self-assembled Nano Silver Film Prepared by Electrolysis Method

We demonstrate surface enhanced Raman scattering （SERS） detection of self-assembled nano silver film using a low-cost electrolysis strategy at a proper voltage and silver nitrate concentration in electrolyte. The concentration dependence of SERS from crystal violet （CV） molecules adsorbed to silver film was systematically studied. Importantly, the SERS surface enhancement factor of such nano silver film was 603, which was measured by a portable Raman spectrometer. The minimum concentration of detectable CV molecules can be as low as 10^-11 mol/L. The nano silver film prepared by this electrolysis method is an active, stable, cost-effective, and reusable SERS substrate.

Effects of acetic acid on microstructure and electrochemical properties of nano cerium oxide films coated on AA7020-T6 aluminum alloy

Nano cerium oxide films were applied on AA7020-T6 aluminum alloy and the effects of acetic acid concentration on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of the coated samples were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and potentiodynamic polarization methods. It has been found that by increasing the acetic acid/CeCl3·7H2O molar ratio, high uniform and crack-free films with well-developed grains were obtained and grain sizes of the films decreased. Elimination of cracks and decreasing grain size of the nano cerium oxide films caused corrosion resistance to increase.

Micro–Nano Water Film Enabled High‑Performance Interfacial Solar Evaporation

Interfacial solar evaporation holds great promise to address the freshwater shortage.However,most interfacial solar evaporators are always filled with water throughout the evaporation process,thus bringing unavoidable heat loss.Herein,we propose a novel interfacial evaporation structure based on the micro–nano water film,which demonstrates significantly improved evaporation performance,as experimentally verified by polypyrrole-and polydopamine-coated polydimethylsiloxane sponge.The 2D evaporator based on the as-prepared sponge realizes an enhanced evaporation rate of 2.18 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under 1 sun by fine-tuning the interfacial micro–nano water film.Then,a homemade device with an enhanced condensation function is engineered for outdoor clean water production.Throughout a continuous test for 40 days,this device demonstrates a high water production rate(WPR)of 15.9–19.4 kg kW^(−1)h^(−1)m^(−2).Based on the outdoor outcomes,we further establish a multi-objective model to assess the global WPR.It is predicted that a 1 m^(2)device can produce at most 7.8 kg of clean water per day,which could meet the daily drinking water needs of 3 people.Finally,this technology could greatly alleviate the current water and energy crisis through further large-scale applications.

Preparation of Nano Silver/Silk Fibroin Composite Films

In this study, the outstanding biocompatibility of silk fibroin （SF） and the highly efficient anti-bacterial effect of nano silver （NS） were utilized to prepare SF/NS composite film with anti- bacterial property. The structure and property of the film were characterized. The results showed that the structure of SF in the film was mainly silk I. SF in the film was almost insoluble in water. The tensile strength of film with NS was significantly lower than that of films without NS. When the addition of NS was within the range of 0%-0.6%, the elongation at break had no significant difference. The antibacterial rate of the film on staphylococcus aurens and escherichia coil increased with the amount of NS. The minimum amount of NS in the fdm was O. 1% and the maximum amount was 0.5%.

Preparation of Scratch-Resistant Nano-Porous Silica Films Derived by Sol-Gel Process and Their Anti-reflective Properties

Structural strengthening of the nano porous silica films has been reported. The films were prepared with a base/acid two-step catalyzed TEOS-based sol-gel processing and dip-coating, and then baked in the mixed gas of ammonia and water vapor. The silica films were characterized with TEM, AFM, FTIR, spectrophotometer, ellipsometer, and abrasion test, respectively. The experimental results have shown that the films have a nanostructure with a low refractive index and can form an excellent scratch-resistant broadband anti-reflectance. The two-step catalysis noticeably strengthens the films, and the mixed gas treatment further improves mechanical strength of the silica network. Finally the strengthening mechanism has been discussed.

Alternating current characterization of nano-Pt(Ⅱ)octaethylporphyrin(PtOEP) thin film as a new organic semiconductor

Alternating current（AC） conductivity and dielectric properties of thermally evaporated Au/Pt OEP/Au thin films are investigated each as a function of temperature（303 K–473 K） and frequency（50 Hz–5 MHz）.The frequency dependence of AC conductivity follows the Jonscher universal dynamic law.The AC-activation energies are determined at different frequencies.It is found that the correlated barrier hopping（CBH） model is the dominant conduction mechanism.The variation of the frequency exponent s with temperature is analyzed in terms of the CBH model.Coulombic barrier height Wm,hopping distance Rω,and the density of localized states N（EF） are valued at different frequencies.Dielectric constant ε1（ω,T） and dielectric loss ε2（ω,T） are discussed in terms of the dielectric polarization process.The dielectric modulus shows the non-Debye relaxation in the material.The extracted relaxation time by using the imaginary part of modulus（M’’）is found to follow the Arrhenius law.

Experimental Study on Molecular Arrangement of Nanoscale Lubricant Films——A Review

In order to understand lubrication mechanism at the nanoscale, researchers have used many physical experimental approaches, such as surface force apparatus, atomic force microscopy and ball-on-disk tribometer. The results show that the variation rules of the friction force, film thicknessand viscosity of the lubricant at the nanoscale are different from elastohydrodynamic lubrication （EHL）. It is speculated that these differences are attributed to the special arrangement of the molecules at the nanoscale. However, it is difficult to obtain the molecular orientation and distribution directly from the lubricant molecules in these experiments. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to use new techniques to overcome the shortcomings of traditional experiments, including various spectral methods. The most representative achievements in the experimental research of molecular arrangement are reviewed in this paper： The change of film structure of a liquid crystal under confinement has been obtained using X-ray method. The molecular orientation change of lubricant films has been observed using absorption spectroscopy. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to measure the anisotropy of molecular orientation in the contact region when the lubricant film thickness is reduced to a few tens of nanometers. In situ Raman spectroscopy has been performed to measure the molecular orientation of the lubricant film semi-quantitatively. These results prove that confinement and shear in the contact region can change the arrangement of lubricant molecules. As a result, the lubrication characteristics are affected. The shortages of these works are also discussed based on practicable results. Further work is needed to separate the information of the solid-liquid interface from the bulk liquid film.

Preparation of Sn nano-film by direct current magnetron sputtering and its performance as anode of lithium ion battery

Sn thin film on Cu foil substrate as the anode of lithium ion battery was prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering(DCMS). The surface morphology,composition and thickness and the electrochemical behaviors of the prepared Sn thin film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry(ICP),cyclic voltammetry(CV) and galvanostatic charge/ discharge(GC) measurements. It is found that the Sn film is consists of pure Sn with an average particle diameter of 100 nm. The thickness of the film is about 320 nm. The initial lithium insertion capacity of the Sn film is 771 mA·h/g. The reversible capacity of the film is 570 mA·h/g and kept at 270 mA·h/g after 20 cycles.

Photocatalytic Oxidation of NO_ x with Porous TiO_2 Nanometer Thin Film

A new kind of porous nano-'IiO_2 composite films was prepared on the glasssubstrate with the water glass as binders and the sodium fluorosilicate as solidifying reagent. Themorphologies of the films were studied by scanning electron microscope(SEM).The UV-Visspcctiophotometer was also used to investigate the absorption of the films. The gas-phasephotocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen oxides on the composite film was carried out in Ti0_2/UVsystem, and some important factors affecting the photocatalytic oxidation were also studied such asthe catalyst concentration, vapor pressure and the presence of oxygen. The results showed theconversion of NO_x reached 97.5% alter 2 h UV-irradiation. The final product of photo-oxidation wasdetected to be HNO_3 by FT-IR. The way of photocatalytic oxidation of NO_x was possibly useful inthe practical application.

Electron field emission characteristics of nano-catkin carbon films deposited by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

This paper reported that the nano-catkin carbon films were prepared on Si substrates by means of electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition in a hydrogen and methane mixture. The surface morphology and the structure of the fabricated films were characterized by using scanning electron microscopes and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The stable field emission properties with a low threshold field of 5V/μm corresponding to a current density of about 1μA/cm^2 and a current density of 3.2mA/cm^2 at an electric field of 10V/μm were obtained from the carbon film deposited at CH4 concentration of 8%. The mechanism that the threshold field decreased with the increase of the CH4 concentration and the high emission current appeared at the high CH4 concentration was explained by using the Fowler-Nordheim theory.

Preparation and Characterization of Nano-Structured SiO_(2) Thin Films on Carbon Steel

Nano-structured SiO2 thin films were prepared on the surface of carbon steel for the first time by LPD. The compositions of the films were analyzed by XPS, and the surface morphology of the thin films were observed by AFM. The thin films were constituted by compact particles of SiO2, and there was no Fe in the films. In the process of film forming, the SiO2 colloid particles were deposited or absorbed directly onto the surface of carbon steel substrates that were activated by acid solution containing inhibitor, and corrosion of the substrates was avoided. The nano-structured SiO2 thin films that were prepared had excellent protective efficiency to the carbon steel.

SURFACE-ENHANCED CANTILEVER SENSORS WITH NANO-POROUS FILMS

Developing surface-enhanced microcantilevers with improved sensitivities is of longstanding interest. In this paper, the design of surface-enhanced cantilever sensors using nano- （micro-） porous films as surface layers is proposed. The static deformation and resonance frequencies of these surface-enhanced sensors with the simultaneous effects of the eigenstrain, the surface stress and the adsorption mass are analyzed. It is shown that the sensitivities of these novel cantilever sensors for the static deformation and resonance frequencies can be tuned by the porosity, the size of the pores and the structure of the porous films. For the three kinds of cantilever consisting of solid films, films with aligned cylindrical micro-scale pores, and those with nano-scale pores, the nano-porous one has the highest static and dynamic sensitivities, whereas the solid one has the lowest.

Controllable fabrication of self-organized nano-multilayers in copper–carbon films

In order to clarify the influence of methane concentration and deposition time on self-organized nano-multilayers,three serial copper-carbon films have been prepared at various methane concentrations with different deposition times using a facile magnetron sputtering deposition system. The ratios of methane concentration(CH4/Ar+CH4) used in the experiments are 20%, 40%, and 60%, and the deposition times are 5 minutes, 20 minutes, and 40 minutes, respectively.Despite the difference in the growth conditions, self-organizing multilayered copper-carbon films are prepared at different deposition times by changing methane concentration. The film composition and microstructure are investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), x-ray diffraction(XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM). By comparing the composition and microstructure of three serial films, the optimal growth conditions and compositions for self-organizing nano-multilayers in copper-carbon film are acquired. The results demonstrate that the self-organized nano-multilayered structure prefers to form in two conditions during the deposition process. One is that the methane should be curbed at low concentration for long deposition time,and the other condition is that the methane should be controlled at high concentration for short deposition time. In particular, nano-multilayered structure is self-organized in the copper-carbon film with copper concentration of 10-25 at.%.Furthermore, an interesting microstructure transition phenomenon is observed in copper-carbon films, that is, the nanomultilayered structure is gradually replaced by a nano-composite structure with deposition time and finally covered by amorphous carbon.

Preparation of nano-Ag/TiO_2 thin-film

Steady TiO2 water-sol was prepared by peptization and the effects of pH value, temperature, concentration of colloid and peptizator on sol were investigated. Laser grain analyzer was used to verify nano-particles in the sol. The photocatalytic degradation ratio and antibacterial property of nano-Ag/TiO2 thin-film on ceramics were used as the main index in addition to XRD analysis. The effect of film layers, embedding Ag+, annealing temperature and time on the degradation ratio and antibacterial property was studied. The temperature 30-80 ℃, pH 1.2-2.0, concentrations of 0.05-0.3 mol/L sol and 5% HNO3 would be the optimal parameters for the TiO2 water-sol preparation. The nano-Ag/TiO2 film of three layers with 3% AgNO3 embedded and treated at 350 ℃ for 2 h exhibits good performance. The elementary research on the kinetics of degradation shows that the reactions are on the first order kinetics equation.

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.

A Novel Biomolecular Immobilization Matrix Based on Nanoporous ZnO/Chitosan Composite Film for Amperometric Hydrogen Peroxide Biosensor

A novel ZnO/Chitosan composite matrix was developed to fabricate the H2O2 biosensor. This material combined the advantages of inorganic species, ZnO, and organic polymer, chitosan. Horseradish peroxidase immobilized in the material maintained its activity well as the usage of glutaraldehyde was avoided. The activity of enzyme was 7.9 times greater than the cross-linked enzyme. The parameters affecting the fabrication and experimental conditions of biosensors were optimized. With the aid of hydroquinone mediator, the biosensor had a fast response of less than 10 s. The linear range was 5.0×10-6 to 2.0× 10-3 mol/L with a sensitivity of 43.8 μA L/mmol. This matrix can also be used to immobilize other biomolecule.

Field emission characteristics of nano-sheet carbon films deposited by quartz-tube microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

Nano-sheet carbon films are prepared on Si wafers by means of quartz-tube microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition （MPCVD） in a gas mixture of hydrogen and methane. The structure of the fabricated films is investigated by using field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM） and Raman spectroscopy. These nano^carbon films are possessed of good field emission （FE） characteristics with a low threshold field of 2.6 V/μm and a high current density of 12.6 mA/cm^2 at an electric field of 9 V/μm. As the FE currents tend to be saturated in a high E region, no simple Fowler-Nordheim （F-N） model is applicable. A modified F N model considering statistic effects of FE tip structures and a space-charge-limited-current （SCLC） effect is applied successfully to explaining the FE data observed at low and high electric fields, respectively.

Enhanced field emission characteristics of thin-Au-coated nano-sheet carbon films

This paper reports that the nano-sheet carbon films （NSCFs） were fabricated on Si wafer chips with hydrogen- methane gas mixture by means of quartz-tube-type microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition （MWPCVD）. In order to further improve the field emission （FE） characteristics, a 5-nm Au film was prepared on the samples by using electron beam evaporation. The FE properties were obviously improved due to depositing Au thin film on NSCFs. The FE current density at a macroscopic electric field, E, of 9 V/μm was increased from 12.4 mA/cm2 to 27.2 mA/cm2 and the threshold field was decreased from 2.6 V/μm to 2.0 V/μm for Au-coated carbon films. A modified F-N model considering statistic effects of FE tip structures in the low E region and a space-chavge-limited-current effect in the high E region were applied successfully to explain the FE data of the Au-coated NSCF.

Preparation and Characterization of Nano-ZnFe_2O_4/TiO_2 Films

The nano-ZnFe2O4/TiO2 films possess the functions of desulfurization and degradation for organic pollutants. The sols of ZnFe2O4/TiO2 were prepared by sol-gel method and coated on glass and porous ceramic by vertical coating and dipping-lift processes, respectively, and the samples were obtained after drying and sintering. The composition, appearance, absorption spectrum of the films, and the influence of the film on porous ceramic performances were analyzed using SEM, AFM, UVVis spectrometer, and mercury porosimeter, respectively, to determine the operation parameters of the multifunction porous ceramic elements for gas-purification.