Epitaxial PbZr0.5Ti0.5O3 (PZT) thin films were grown on top of a SrRuO3 epitaxial electrode layer on a (100) SrTiO3 substrate by the chemical solution deposition method at 600 °C. The microstructure of the PZT thin film was investigated by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, and the ferroelectric properties were measured using the Ag/PZT/SRO capacitor structure. The PZT thin film has the epitaxial orientational relationship of (001) [010]PZT ║ (001) [010]SRO ║ (001) [010]STO with the substrate. The remnant (Pr ) and saturation polarization (Ps) density were measured to be Pr ~ 51.4 µC/cm2 and Ps ~ 62.1 µC/cm2 at 5 V, respectively. Ferroelectric fatigue measurements show that the net-switching polarization begins to drop (to 98% of its initial value) after 7 × 108 cycles.

This paper presents a large-scale atomic resolution simulation of nanoindentation into a thin aluminum film using the recently introduced quasicontinuum method. The purpose of the simulation is to study the initial stages of plastic deformation under the action of an indenter. Two different crystallographic orientations of the film and two different indenter geometries (a rectangular prism and a cylinder) are studied. We obtain both macroscopic load versus indentation depth curves, as well as microscopic quantities, such as the Peierls stress and density of geometrically necessary dislocations beneath the indenter. In addition, we obtain detailed information regarding the atomistic mechanisms responsible for the macroscopic curves. A strong dependence on geometry and orientation is observed. Two different microscopic mechanisms are observed to accommodate the applied loading: (i) nucleation and subsequent propagation into the bulk of edge dislocation dipoles and (ii) deformation twinning.

Two new compounds, GdBa4Cu3O8.5+δ (Gd143) and DyBa4Cu3O8.5+δ (Dy143), were synthesized from precursors Gd2O3, Dy2O3, BaO2, and CuO at 1000 °C in an oxygen atmosphere. The oxygen stoichiometric value δ was found to be 0.68 for Gd143 and 0.6 for Dy143 by iodometric titration. Rietveld refinement of x-ray powder diffraction data showed that Gd143 belongs to the space group Pm3 while Dy143 belongs to the space group P23. The two space groups, Pm3 and P23, are very similar. Their main difference is that P23 does not have the inversion symmetry of Pm3. Both compounds have a cubic unit cell with a lattice parameter of 8.16528 ± 0.00006 Å for Gd143 and 8.10807 ± 0.00010 Å for Dy143. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurement indicated that neither compound was superconductive down to 5 K.

We investigated the growth of high-quality homoepitaxial diamond on the (111) face in a microwave-assisted plasma chemical-vapor-deposition system incorporating an individual substrate heating/cooling device. The grown diamond films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The (111) diamond films show a tendency to incorporate a significant amount of hydrogen during chemical-vapor-deposition growth. Hydrogen incorporation degrades the crystal quality and surface smoothness. The amount of incorporated hydrogen decreases with the decrease in deposition temperature. We have shown that the crystal quality and surface smoothness of homoepitaxial diamond strongly depend on the substrate temperature. Independent control of the substrate temperature and incident microwave power is essential for high-quality diamond homoepitaxy.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to investigate microstructures of heteroepitaxial SiC/Si films, grown from single-source precursors such as tetramethylsilane [TMS, Si(CH3)4], hexamethyldisilane [HMDS, Si2(CH3)6], and 1,3-disilabutane [1,3-DSB, H3SiCH2SiH2CH3]. In the case of TMS/H2 and HMDS/H2 samples, SiC/Si films grown at relatively high precursor concentration and/or low temperatures showed columnar grains with a high degree of epitaxial relationship with the Si substrate. Higher quality films with larger grains were observed in the case of high temperature and/or low precursor concentration samples, although a high density of interfacial voids was observed. Samples grown from pure 1,3-DSB at a low pressure showed high quality single crystalline films with few interfacial voids. It was suggested that the microstructural behavior of these films closely resembles that of the SiC films formed during the carbonization of Si surfaces by the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, in which the nucleation rate of the film at the initial stage plays a key role. The improvement achieved during the 1,3-DSB growth is proposed to be due to the low growth pressure and the 1 : 1 ratio of Si and C associated with this precursor.

Epitaxially laterally overgrown GaN on sapphire was used to reduce the number of threading dislocations originating from the interface of the GaN epilayer with the sapphire substrate. The GaN layer above the SiO2 mask area surrounding the window and corresponding to the lateral overgrowth was nearly free of threading dislocations. A high density of threading dislocations was observed in the vicinity of GaN grown in the window regions. InGaN multiquantum well-structure laser diodes (LDs) grown on pure GaN substrates, which were fabricated by removing the sapphire substrate, were demonstrated. The LDs with an output power of 5 mW exhibited a lifetime of more than 290 h and an estimated lifetime of 10,000 h despite a relatively large threshold current density. The far-field pattern of the LDs with a cleaved mirror facet revealed single-mode emission without any interference effects.

The values of effective activation energy (Q) and pre-exponential factor (D0) reported in the literature for diffusion in the novel bulk metallic glasses, both in the glassy and the deeply supercooled liquid regions, are found to follow the same correlation as reported earlier in conventional metallic glasses, namely D0 = A exp(Q/B), where A and B are fitting parameters with values A = 4.8 × 10−19 m2 s−1 and B = 0.056 eV atom−1. A possible explanation for the observed values of A and B is given by combining an activation energy and a free volume term. The interpretation favors a cooperative mechanism for diffusion in the glassy and deeply supercooled liquid states.

We report on the fabrication and structural characterization of arrays of superconducting nanowires by electroplating lead into the nanopores of track-etched polymer membranes. The diameters of the lead nanowires range from 400 down to 70 nm, whereas their length is about 20 μm. Large enhancement of the critical field has been observed in good agreement with the Ginsburg–Landau–Silin theory. By comparing the predicted critical field enhancement for thin cylinders with experimental results, we have extracted the effective penetration depth. The dependence of the effective penetration depth and electron mean free path on the wire diameter is also discussed.

The chemical reactions and the compositional characteristics of liquids which lead to the phase formation of the Bi(Pb)-2223 [(Bi, Pb): Sr: Ca: Cu: O] superconductor have been studied for a precursor composition of Bi1.8Pb0.4Sr2Ca2.2Cu3Ox. The combined techniques of quenching, powder x-ray diffraction, differential thermal/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the subsolidus phases and the presence of liquid. Samples were annealed under purified air and under a volume fraction mixture of 7.5% O2/92.5% Ar. The effects of Ag in both the pure air and the 7.5% O2/92.5% Ar experiments were also studied. Results are discussed with respect to their processing implications.

This paper presents the results of drop-tube experiments performed on YxNd1–xBa2Cu3Oy (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) to understand some of the effects of partial substitutions of Nd for Y on the phase relationships in these systems at elevated temperatures. Powders from 50 to 100 μm in diameter were processed in pure O2 at furnace temperatures from 1400 to 1800 °C, every 25 °C. The resulting samples were examined microstructurally using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and optical microscopy. Powder x-ray diffraction was performed for phase identification. It was verified that Nd substitution alters phase selection by introducing at least one new phase and allowing for solidification of the superconducting composition directly from the melt via undercooling to below the peritectic transformation temperature. In addition, solidification pathways are altered for samples processed at temperatures just below the liquidus temperature. Microstructural and x-ray diffraction evidence was used to map the liquidus with increasing Nd substitution. It was found that a minimum in this liquidus occurs at or near the composition Y0.1Nd0.9Ba2Cu3Ox and at a temperature of 1500 °C (±25 °C).

Variations of the properties of submicron vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCFs) and nanofibers, with diameters around 0.1–0.2 μm and 80–100 nm, respectively, are observed by Raman spectroscopy as a function of heat-treatment temperature. The microstructural evolution strongly depends on the original properties of the material, such that the main transition temperatures associated with the onset for establishing two-dimensional graphene ordering are defined below 1500 °C for the nanofibers and 2000 °C for the submicron VGCFs, respectively. The relative intensities (ID/IG) of the as-grown phase for submicron VGCFs and nanofibers are 3.44 and 1.35, while those for the corresponding graphitized samples are 0.393 and 0.497, respectively.

The sintering characteristics of Y–Ba–Cu–oxide (YBCO)–Agx (x = 0 to 1.2) using thermomechanical analyzer were systematically investigated to understand the sintering mechanism of the metal superconductor composites. The addition of Ag was observed to lower the sintering temperatures, and the apparent densities of the sintered compacts increased with x from 0 to 0.6. A further increase of x above 0.6 decreased the apparent densities of the sintered compacts. The presence of Ag globules in the YBCO–Ag compacts was observed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The apparent activation energies for sintering of the powder compacts were estimated and observed to vary between 900 to 2000 kJ/mol. The formation of AgOx by absorbing oxygen from YBCO and sintering atmosphere possibly controls the sintering and superconducting behavior. Incorporation of Ag into the matrix modifies the weak-link characteristics from superconductor–insulator– normal–superconductor (S–I–N–S) to superconductor–normal–superconductor (S–N–S) type.

We studied the effect of lead content (x = 0.20−0.40) on the critical current density Jc (0 T, 77 K), irreversibility field H* (77 K), and microstructure of monocore, Ag-clad Bi1.8PbxSr2Ca2Cu3Oy (2223) tapes, finding that tapes with lower lead contents (x = 0.20–0.25) required higher processing temperatures (840 and 832 °C, respectively) to complete 2223 formation, as compared to the optimum 820 °C reaction temperature of the x = 0.30–0.40 tapes. We found that both the zero-field and the in-field properties correlated strongly to the phase purity with Jc (0 T, 77 K) reaching a maximum of ˜20 kA/cm2 for x = 0.30, and then decreasing with increasing lead content to ˜12 kA/cm2 for x = 0.40. H* (77 K) increased from ˜165 mT at x = 0.20 to ˜265 mT at x = 0.30, then declined to 195 mT at x = 0.40. Optimizing the lead content at x = 0.30 maximized both the connectivity and the flux pinning contributions to the critical current density.

Hydrogenated silicon carbide films (SiC :H) were deposited using the electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) technique from a mixture of methane, silane, and hydrogen, and using diborane and phosphine as doping gases. The effects of changes in the microwave power on the deposition rate and optical band gap were investigated, and variations in the photo- and dark-conductivities and activation energy were studied in conjunction with film analysis using the Raman scattering technique. In the case of boron-doped samples, the conductivity increased rapidly to a maximum, followed by rapid reduction at high microwave powers. The ratio of the photo- to dark-conductivity (σph/σd) peaked at microwave power of ∼600 W. Under conditions of high microwave power, Raman scattering analysis showed evidence of the formation and increase in the silicon microcrystalline and diamond-like phases in the films, the former of which could account for the rapid increase and the latter the subsequent decrease in the conductivity. In the case of phosphorus-doped SiC :H samples, it was found that increase in the microwave power has the effect of enhancing the formation of the silicon microcrystalline phase in the films which occurred in correspondence to a rapid increase in the conductivity and reduction in the activation energy. The conductivity increase stabilized in samples deposited at microwave powers exceeding 500 W probably as a result of dopant saturation. Results from Raman scattering measurements also showed that phosphorus doping has the effect of enhancing the formation of the silicon microcrystals in the film whereas the presence of boron has the effect of preserving the amorphous structure.

Thin Si0.8Ge0.2 layers epitaxially grown on (100) Si substrates were oxidized at temperatures from 150 to 450 °C under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation emitted by an excimer lamp working with Xe (λ = 172 nm). The structure and composition of the grown dielectric layers were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nuclear reactions analysis, ellipsometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These investigations have shown that, during the VUV-assisted oxidation process, Ge atoms were initially rejected from the grown SiO2 layer even at temperatures as low as those employed here. After a certain quantity of Ge accumulated at the interface, nanocrystalline Ge regions were directly excised from the remaining SiGe layer becoming embedded within the advancing SiO2 layer. The layers containing these nanocrystalline Ge particles exhibited the same visible photoluminescence spectra as those recorded from layers already known to contain nanocrystalline Ge or GeO2 particles, porous Ge, or nanocrystalline Ge particles exhibiting a different crystalline structure. This seems to indicate that the shell region of the nanocrystalline particle, and not its crystalline core, is the source of the photoluminescence.

Compared to entrapped spherical pores in YBa2Cu3O7−y (123) crystals melt-textured without additives, the pores entrapped within 123 crystals melt-textured with 5 wt% BaCeO3 are elongated and aligned parallel to (100), (010), and (001) growth planes of the 123 crystals. The front side of the pores that meets first the growth front of the 123 crystal is faceted but the backside is wavy. Many BaCeO3 particles are segregated at the wavy surface. The crystallographic alignment of the elongated pores and the segregation of BaCeO3 particles are discussed in terms of the contact angle of the pores on the growth front and interfacial energy relationships between the related phases.

Patterned epitaxial SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) lines with (00l) out-of-plane orientation were grown on a (001) SrTiO3 substrate by the novel “channel stamping” method. Parallel channels in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamp were filled with a metalorganic precursor solution by spin coating. After solvent evaporation, the solid precursor within the channels was transferred to the substrate by stamping. Stamped precursor lines were pyrolyzed at 350 °C/1 h and then heated to 850 °C/1 h. It was shown by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy that patterned SBT lines were epitaxial, had a smooth surface with c-axis out-of-plane orientation, and a single in-plane orientation.

A new method has been developed to achieve a better understanding of submicron indent-induced plastic deformation. This method combines numerical modeling and various experimental data and techniques. Three-dimensional discrete dislocation dynamics simulation and the finite element method (FEM) were used to model the experimental conditions associated with nanoindentation testing in fcc crystals. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the indent-induced plastic volume and analysis of the experimental loading curve help in defining a complete set of dislocation nucleation rules, including the shape of the nucleated loops and the corresponding macroscopic loading. A validation of the model is performed through direct comparisons between a simulation and experiments for a nanoindentation test on a [001] copper single crystal up to 50 nm deep.

In this paper we present a new approach of surface pretreatment for enhancing diamond nucleation. The copper substrates were fixed inside a plastic cylinder container with diamond powder diluted in water. This container was coupled to a vibration unit moving up and down at ˜300 cycles/min with a stroke of 15 mm. Finally, samples pretreated for 30 min were deposited with diamond. A high nucleation density comparable to that on substrate abraded with diamond powder was achieved. This method proved to be more effective than our ultrasonic treatment, keeping the advantages of surface preservation. Being simple and straightforward, this “shaking” pretreatment most fits the cases where a thin interlayer has to be used (like diamond coating on steel) and where the samples have a complex shape.

Large grain polycrystalline Si films were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto TiB2 substrates using the SiCl4–H2 reagent system. A statistically designed processing study was used to correlate the film growth rate, crystallographic orientation, and grain size with deposition temperature, the SiCl4 : H2 ratio, and the level of B doping. Each process variable influenced grain size with temperature having the dominant effect. Grains as large as 15 to 20 μm were achieved for a coating thickness of about 50 μm.