Lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN)–PbTiO3 (PT)] films were synthesized using pulsed laser deposition, and the effect of substrates on the deposition behavior of the PMN–PT film was investigated. Phase evolution of PMN–PT thin films was found to depend significantly on the type of the substrate used during deposition. Though a mixture of pyrochlore and perovskite was observed when films were deposited on a Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate, the oxide substrates, such as (Ba0.5Sr0.5)RuO3/Si, SrTiO3, and LaAlO3, enabled the deposition of pure perovskite. Scanning Auger microprobe, transmission electron microscope, and x-ray diffraction analysis showed that an interfacial layer between the substrates and the oxide film was central to the phase evolution behavior. On the Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate, an interfacial layer of lead–platinum (Pb–Pt) played a major role in the formation of the pyrochlore phase. However, on oxide substrates, there was no interfacial layer and interdiffusion of A-site cations was observed between the PMN film and the oxide electrodes.

The combustion process of a titanium–carbon system with sodium chloride as an inert diluent was investigated. The combustion laws and microstructure of final products according to diluent content were obtained. It was shown that sodium chloride not only decreases combustion temperature but also makes effective protective shells around primary carbide crystals and keeps this ultrafine structure up to the end of combustion. As a result, nano-sized titanium carbide powders were successfully obtained.

Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) has been used to synthesize high-surface-area ceria from cerium acetate in acetic acid solution. With the addition of an iso-octane/2-butanol mixture to that solution, homogeneous CeO2 nanoparticles were obtained. The specific surface area of the powders ranged from 240 to 101 m2/g by controlling the oxygen dispersion and liquid precursor flow rates through the flame. Furthermore, for production rates from 2 to 10 g/h a constant average primary particle size could be obtained at selected process parameters. The ceria showed high crystallinity and primary particles with a stepped surface. The powder exhibited good thermal stability and conserved up to 40% of its initial specific surface area when calcinated for 2 h at 900 °C. This shows the potential of FSP made ceria for high-temperature applications as in three-way catalysts or fuel cells.

In accordance with magnetization studies, the fast-cooled TbBaCo2O5.4 is characterized by spontaneous magnetization around 0.18 μB per cobalt ion, which develops below TN = 245 K. The neutron diffraction study of this compound revealed that magnetic moments of Co3+; ions adopting intermediate spine state are ordered antiferromagnetically. Both magnetization and neutron diffraction study showed that there is a spin reorientation process in the wide temperature range. The crystal and magnetic structures are discussed.

The diffuse dielectric anomaly observed in the temperature range of 400–700 °C was investigated in MnO2-doped Pb0.9La0.1TiO3 ceramic. The frequency and the temperature dependence of the dielectric relaxation behavior in the diffuse dielectric anomaly were analyzed with the modified Debye equation. The dielectric relaxation strength was considered an important fitting variable in the modified Debye equation. The temperature-dependent behavior of the diffuse dielectric anomaly was successfully described by introduction of the exponential decay form for the relaxation strength inthe modified Debye equation.

Room-temperature ductility of two Ti–Al–Nb intermetallic alloys with close chemical compositions was investigated by tensile testing. The two alloys' ductilities in the B2 single-phase state were significantly different, which indicated that the ductility of B2 phase state was sensitive to the chemical composition. The alloy with more ductile B2 phase exhibited higher ductility in O + B2 two-phase state.

A novel method was developed for low-temperature preparation of thin films. Pulsed laser ablation was combined with electron cyclotron resonance microwave discharge, constituting a novel hybrid film preparation method called electron cyclotron resonance plasma–assisted reactive pulsed laser deposition. We demonstrated the feasibility of the method by preparing compound films of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, and aluminum nitride from elemental starting materials. The mechanisms responsible for efficient compound formation and film growth are discussed, together with characterization of the prepared films, analysis of the plasma composition, and comparison of the films prepared with and without assistance of the plasma. The unique features of the method make it suitable for one-step preparation of compound thin films at low temperatures.

Cellular metal foams are of interest because of the ability to tailor their mechanical, thermal, acoustic, and electrical properties by varying the relative density and cell morphology. Here, a tetrakaidecahedral unit-cell approach is used to represent an open-cell aluminum foam and a simplified electrical resistor network derived to model low frequency current flow through the foam. The analysis indicates that for the range of relative densities studied (4–12%), the conductivity of tetrakaidecahedral foams has a linear dependence upon relative density. The distribution of metal in the cell ligaments was found to significantly affect the conductivity. Increasing the fraction of metal at the ends of the ligaments resulted in a decrease in electrical conductivity at a fixed relative density. Low frequency electrical conductivity measurements of an open-cell aluminum foam (ERG Duocel) confirmed the linear dependence upon density, but the slope was smaller than that predicted by the unit-cell model. The difference between the model and experiment was found to be the result of the presence of a distribution of cell sizes and types in real samples. This effect is due to the varying number of ligaments, ligament lengths, and the cross-sectional areas available for current conduction across the cellular structure.

The dispersability of Si and Si3N4 powders in aqueous media was monitored by particle-size distribution, sedimentation behavior, viscosity/rheological studies, and electrokinetic behavior [zeta potential (ZP) analysis] as a function of pH of their slips. The pH values of 4 and 8 for Si and 10 for Si3N4 resulted in optimum dispersion, characterized by minimum in sedimentation height, minimum in viscosity, and maximum in ZP. The optimum slips of Si + Si3N4 mixtures conditioned in the pH range 8 to 10 were slip cast to obtain green compacts having a density in the range of 59% to 66% theoretical value. When nitrided, these compacts yielded nitride-bonded Si3N4 products having a density of 2.06 to 2.28 g cm−3, Si3N4 bonding phase of 20–60%, and 3-point flexural strength values in the range of 50 to 150 MPa. The microstructure consisted of very fine particles as well as fibrous or whiskerlike α–Si3N4 binding phase enveloping the matrix Si3N4, in total consisting of 90% α–Si3N4 and the rest being β–Si3N4 phase.

The new generation of semiconductor metallization is based on Cu-film technology. In this paper we report on detrimental changes in surface morphology of self-passivated-Cu–1 at.% Al films which were magnetron-sputtered on Si substrates. Large voids appeared at grain boundaries after annealing, oxidation at temperatures at or above 500 °C, and cooling to room temperature under vacuum. Grain-orientation imaging with electron backscatter diffraction revealed that preferentially high-energy grain boundaries were voided. Contrary to reports in the literature, void growth was not prevented by the extremely clean ultrahigh-vacuum conditions during film fabrication nor by the strong and very sharp grain texture. Instead, it was clearly correlated with the stable surface oxide on the self-passivated films. Void growth was not found after annealing passivation-free films such as pure Cu or unoxidized Cu–1 at.% Al films.

The electron irradiation sensitivities of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) and Pb1−xLax[Mg(1+x)/3Nb(2−x)/3]O3 (PLMN) ceramics were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Nanoscale Pb particles formed in these materials under electron beam radiation. It was found that these fine Pb particles generally had a preferred crystallographic orientation relationship with the PMN/PLMN host and always existed at positions slightly rich in Mg2+. A preliminary mechanism involving defect chemistry reactions is proposed to interpret this unusual Pb precipitation. Possible limitations to the practical applications of these materials are discussed.

A novel photochromic complex composed of Keggin-type tungstophosphate acid (PW12) and polyacrylamide (PAM) was prepared. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric study, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), ultraviolet–visiblea bsorption spectra (UV-VIS), and electron resonance spectra (ESR) were used to investigate the surface topography, composition, and photochromic behavior and mechanism of the film. Under UV irradiation, the film was reduced photochemically to yield a blue species. AFM images indicated that surface topography of the polymer matrix changed after adding PW12. FTIR results showed that the Keggin geometry of PW12 was still preserved inside the matrix, and a charge-transfer bridge was built between PW12 and PAM by hydrogen bonding. The characteristic signal of W (V) and the formation of a radical signal in ESR spectra indicated that PAM was a hydrogen donor and the photoreduced process was in accordance with the radical mechanism.The diffusion of oxygen in the polymeric network plays an important role in the reversibility of photochromism.

The mechanism and kinetic parameters for the thermal decomposition of four functionalized addition-polymerized polynorbornenes were studied by dynamic and isothermal thermogravimetric analyses and by mass spectrometry. The dynamic and isothermal thermogravimetric analyses showed a first-order degradation reaction mechanism with an activation energy of 229.6 ± 12.5 kJ/mol. Based on the polymer structure, reference mass spectra for related molecules, and a cross-comparison of the mass spectra, the backbone, free-radical scission mechanism was found to occur by cleavage of the linkages between bicyclic rings and the production of volatile monomer and oligomers. The degradation of polynorbornene occurred via a depropagation and transfer reaction process. Initially, the depropagation pathway was preferred, but with increasing conversion, intra- and intermolecular hydrogen transfer reactions dominated.

The cationic dyes rhodamine 6G (R6G) and oxazine 4 (Ox4) were intercalated into oriented lithium hectorite (LiHT, a synthetic fluor-mica) films by ion-exchange, and their orientation was studied by x-ray and polarized spectroscopy. Orientation of dyes was determined by basal spacing obtained by x-ray diffraction data, showing that angles of the long axis were 60° for R6G and 47° for Ox4 against the layer. Polarized ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy showed that the high-order H-aggregate of R6G and Ox4 were oriented at 64° and 52° against layers, respectively; other states of dyes were oriented at much lower angles. The interlayer distance was mostly determined by dimensions of the high-order H-aggregate.

Iron crystals were deposited by thermally activated chemical vapor deposition with imposition of magnetic field. In this study, the deposition was conducted by imposing a magnetic field up to 3.5 T in a temperature range between 0.48 and 0.51 of TmFe (melting point of iron), which is below the Curie point of iron (0.58 TmFe). The microstructures and crystal orientations of the deposits were investigated. In the deposition process, island-shaped crystals were formed on a scale of several microns; then a film was grown by their coalescence. As the magnetic field magnitude increased, population of the island-shaped crystals having a cubic shape increased. Simultaneously, their ω-scanned (200) profile became sharper. Their degree of (100) preferred orientation was dependent on the magnetic field up to 3.5 T, which is usually high enough for the saturated magnetization of iron crystals. However, when the substrate was placed parallel to the magnetic field, (100) preferred orientation was not observed for the island-shaped crystals. A large and bimodal ω-scanned (110) profile having sharp peaks was obtained when the substrate was inclined 45° to the field. Preferred (100) orientation was not obtained from the iron films, for which two reasons were pointed out. The first is the secondary grown crystals on the island-shaped crystals having different orientations, and the second is the observed zone III grain structure of the films, where grain boundary migration occurred.

The dislocation configurations in SrTiO3 thin films grown epitaxially on LaAlO3 (100) substrates were studied by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Misfit dislocations had, in most cases, a Burgers vector a〈100〉 and line directions of 〈100〉 These dislocations constitute orthogonal arrays of parallel dislocations at the interface, relieving the lattice mismatch between SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. Threading dislocations were found to be the major defects in the films. Two types of threading dislocations with the Burgers vectors a〈100〉?and a〈100〉?were identified. The relations of these threading dislocations with the misfit dislocations were investigated and are discussed in this paper.

A titanium composite reinforced by in situ dual-scale particle, high-aspect-ratio TiB whiskers and fine TiC particulates was fabricated by a reactive hot pressing technique from a B4C–Ti system. The composite was subjected to creep investigations in compression at 873–923 K. This composite exhibited a stress exponent of 4.5–4.6 and a creep activation energy of 298 kJ/mol. By comparison, unreinforced Ti exhibited a stress exponent of 5.2–5.3 and a creep activation energy of 259 kJ/mol. No change in the stress exponent with varying creep rates was observed in both composite and unreinforced Ti under the investigated creep rates. The creep resistance of the composite was more than one order of magnitude higher than that of the unreinforced Ti. The load transfer mechanism accounted for this result. The creep of both composite and unreinforced Ti was controlled by lattice diffusion in the titanium matrix.

β–BaB2O4 (β-BBO) films with the (00l) preferred orientation were successfully fabricated on Si(100) and fused quartz substrates by the chemical solution deposition technique. The films were characterized by x-ray diffractometry in out-of-plane and in-plane geometry, reciprocal space mapping, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The degree of orientation of the films is as high as 95% and the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve for the films is as low as 2.9°. The films have a mosaic structure. The (00l) planes of some of the crystallites tilt to the substrate and the in-plane orientation of each crystallite is random. The size of each crystallite is 0.5–1.5 μm, and crystallite thickness is equal to the film thickness. The degree of orientation of the films increases and the FWHM of rocking curve for the films decreases with increasing film thickness. The thicker the films are, the larger the crystallite size and the more definite the crystallite boundaries are. These phenomena are thought to be closely related with the increase in internal stress with film thickness. The films irradiated by Nd3+: YAG laser light generated second harmonic wave.

The effect of the mechanical activation of the reactants on the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) of niobium silicides was investigated. SHS experiments were performed on reactant powder blends of composition Nb:Si = 1:2 and Nb:Si = 5:3 pretreated for selected milling times. A self-sustaining reaction could be initiated when a sufficiently long milling time was employed. At short milling times, the reactions self-extinguished or propagated in an unsteady mode. Combustion peak temperature, wave velocity, and product composition were markedly influenced by the length of the milling treatment. Single-phase products could be obtained for sufficiently long milling times. Observation of microstructural evolution in quenched reactions together with isothermal experiments allowed clarification of the mechanism of the combustion process and the role played by the mechanical activation of the reactants.

Antimony oxide nanorods were synthesized by the microemulsion method. The nanorods had diameter in the range of 507–175 nm and a length of up to several micrometers. The microstructure of the nanorods was examined by analytical transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Large-angle tilt diffraction experiments on the normal nanorods (about 90 nm in diameter) showed that they have an orthorhombic structure. Combining the results of internal standards using the silicon single crystal, it could be concluded that the synthesized nanorod is Sb2O4. The common growth direction of the nanorods was along the long axis. HRTEM images showed it had a periodic layer structure, and some defects and a layer of amorphous on the nanorods surface were found. The formation mechanism of Sb2O4 nanorods is briefly discussed.