The forward current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of Au/n-GaAs Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have been studied over a wide temperature range (80–300 K). The barrier height inhomogeneities by assuming a Gaussian distribution of barrier heights at the interface were observed. The evaluation of the experimental I-V data reveals a non-linear increase of the zero-bias barrier height ( $q\Phi _{0}$ ). To remove the spatial inhomogeneity of the barrier height based on small regions or patches and to increase the barrier height compared to the reference sample Au/n-GaAs, the front surface of the n-type GaAs semiconductor has been oxidized by the anodic oxidation method and metal/insulating/semiconductor (MIS) Au/n-GaAs SBDs have been formed. The ln( $I_{0}/T^{2}$ ) versus 1/T and $q\Phi _{0}$ versus T plots of the MIS have exhibited the linear behavior in the temperature range of 80–300 K. Thus, the I-V data of the MIS diodes have obeyed the interfacial layer model due to the interfacial layer and it has been concluded that the inhomogeneity of the barrier height can be disappeared by a formed interfacial layer at the metal and semiconductor interface.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely utilized in numerous industrial applications due to its unique combined properties of transparency to visible light and electrical conductivity. ITO films were deposited on glass substrates by an electron beam evaporation technique at room temperature from bulk samples, with different thicknesses. The film with 1500 Å thick was selected to perform annealing in the temperature range of 200–400 °C and annealing for varying times from 15 to 120 min at 400 °C. The X-ray diffraction of the films was analyzed in order to investigate its dependence on thickness, and annealing. Electrical and optical measurements were also carried out. Transmittance, optical energy gap, refractive index, carrier concentration, thermal emissivity and resistivity were investigated. It was found that the as-deposited films with different thicknesses were highly absorbing and have relatively poor electrical properties. The films become opaque with increasing the film thickness. After thermal annealing, the resistance decreases and a simultaneous variation in the optical transmission occurs. A transmittance value of 85.5% in the IR region and 82% in the visible region of the spectrum and a resistivity of 2.8 $ \times\, 10^{-4}\,{\rm \Omega}$ Cm were obtained at annealing temperature of 400 °C for 120 min.

The effect of both annealing and In content on the properties of ZnO films prepared by electron beam evaporation were investigated. The evaporation was carried out at room temperature from bulk samples prepared by sintering technique. X-ray diffraction showed that the structure of ZnO-In2O3 films depends on both the In content and annealing temperature. Amorphous, highly transparent and relatively low resistive films which can be suitable for the usage as transparent electrode of organic light-emitting diode were obtained upon annealing at 300  $^{\circ}$ C. Partially crystalline, highly transparent and highly resistive films which can be used in piezoelectric applications were obtained upon annealing at 500  $^{\circ}$ C. For each composition the refractive index has no monotonic variation upon increasing annealing temperature.

Copper (260 nm) and Ag (1000 nm) films deposited on glass substrates, at different substrate temperatures. Their optical properties were measured by ellipsometry (single wavelength of 589.3 nm) and spectrophotometry in the spectral range of 200–2600 nm. Kramers Kronig method was used for the analysis of the reflectivity curves of Cu and Ag films to obtain the optical constants of the films, while ellipsometry measurements was carried out as an independent method. The influence of substrate temperature on the microstructure of thin metallic films [Structure Zone Model (SZM)] is well established [Movchan and Demchishin, Phys. Met. Metall. 28, 83 (1969); Thornton, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 12, 830 (1975); Savaloni and Bagheri Najmi, Vacuum 66, 49 (2002); Savaloni and Player, Vacuum 46, 167 (1995); Savaloni et al., Vacuum 43, 965 (1992)]. The Effective Medium Approximation (EMA) analysis was used to establish the relationship between the SZM and EMA predictions. Good agreements between SZM as a function of substrate temperature and the values of volume fraction of voids obtained from EMA analysis, is achieved; by increasing the substrate temperature the separation of the metallic grains decreases, hence, the volume fraction of voids decreases and denser films formed. The predictions of the Drude free-electron theory are compared with experimental results for dielectric functions of Cu and Ag films of different substrate temperature. The real part of the dielectric constant is decreased with increasing the substrate temperature, while the imaginary part of the dielectric constant increased with temperature for both materials over the whole energy range measured, including intraband and interband regions. The increase of the imaginary part in the interband region suggests a temperature and frequency dependence of the relaxation time in the Drude model, namely $\tau ^{-1}\left( \omega \right)=\tau _0^{-1} +\beta \omega ^2.$

A general-purpose formulae for the nonretarded two-dimensional Green functionin the case of arbitrary geometrical shapes of lossy dielectricsis derived by the method of complex variables. Spectral powerdensities of fluctuating electromagnetic fields are determined byreal and imaginary parts of the Green function. Spectralproperties of fluctuating fields in given geometrical domains maybe obtained by appropriate conformal mappings. The applicabilityof the method is illustrated by in comparison with some exactsolutions, in particular, related to a cylinder, to an arbitrarywedge, and to a plane slit. The impact of curved surfaces uponspectral characteristics is analyzed by numerical calculations offields inside the “open” parabolic domain and inside or outside of“close” cylindrical domains as compare with a plane case. Thecontrollability of spectral properties by a local curvature ofsurface is demonstrated.

An optical apparatus designed for the mapping of binaryor ternary phase diagrams is described. A polychromatic polarizedlight illuminates a sample and the rotation of its polarization ismeasured with a spectrometer for various magnetic fields. Themeasured parameters are the natural and magnetic rotatory power ofthe sample which allow the concentration retrieval of everycompound to be done. Results show that the apparatus issuitable for correct positioning of single phase boundary on theternary water - n-dodecyl-β-d maltoside - sodium chloridesystem.

In this paper, we analyze in detail the etching parameters that are used for manufacturing gold tips for tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy and spectroscopy. From the current variation versus time, we first demonstrate that the sharpest tips are obtained if the etching is stopped at a specific time where the curve presents an inflexion point. We then analyze the influence of the concentration of the etching solution and the applied voltage on the roughness and the tip apex. As a result, we propose a set of parameters allowing for reproducible production of gold tips with 20 nm radius of curvature.

A new laboratory apparatus devoted to the characterization of various devices for the X-UV range (100–5000 eV), such as mirrors, diffraction gratings, spectrometers or detectors is described. The apparatus includes open X-ray tubes as X-ray sources, a two-crystal monochromator for wavelength selection and a goniometer. Various examples of its use are presented: dispersive mode where the radiation coming from the X-ray tube is dispersed by the two-crystal monochromator, spectrometric mode where the goniometer is used as a plane X-ray spectrometer and reflectometric mode where a selected wavelength is used to perform absolute reflectivity measurements.