We report a substantial reduction in the impurity concentration of semi-insulating CdTe:Ge grown by the vertical Bridgman method by using sublimation of the feed material. Specific resistivity (ρdark) values of up to 3 × 109 Ω cm were obtained for samples with a relatively high photosensitivity (PS) value and optimal compensation. Concentrations of impurities in the feed and as-grown crystals were determined by the glow discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS) method. The energy levels in the band-gap were studied by photoluminescence (PL), and the data were correlated with the GDMS measurements. The highest values of ρdark and PS were observed in the regions where the PL bands via the deep levels of Ge and Te antisite were present.

The reaction sequence and microstructure evolution of a crystalline MgB2 layer were examined during ex situ annealing of evaporated amorphous boron (a-B) with Mg vapor. Mg was found to migrate rapidly into the a-B layer in the initial stage of reaction with a uniform concentration of about 12 at.%. A thin layer of crystalline MgO was observed at the interface between a-B and the Al2O3 substrate. It was identified that an MgB2 layer started to form at the surface by the nucleation and growth process in polycrystalline form. It appears that there exists two distinct growth fronts in the MgB2 layer: one lying at the surface and the other lying at the interface between the MgB2 layer and the a-B. The microstructural evolution of this layer showed significant differences depending on the location of these two growth fronts.

A novel process for transparent oxide ceramic scintillator with a composition of Gd1.94-x Yx Eu0.06O3 was developed. The process consists of a glycine–nitrate combustion synthesis of nano-sized starting powder and subsequent controlled sintering and annealing steps. The organic molecules remaining in the as-combusted powder were efficiently removed by the combined heat-treatment at vacuum and air atmospheres. Hot-pressed ceramic scintillators show transparent optical state and high light output. Transparent optical ceramic scintillator with a high content of Gd (up to 80 mol%) was fabricated by the process. The measured light output of Gd1.54Y0.4Eu0.06O3 ceramic scintillator was about two times higher that that of CdWO4 single crystal.

Titania nanotubes synthesized by a soft chemical process are described, having diameters of 8 nm to 10 nm and lengths ranging from approximately 0.1 μm to 1 μm. X-ray diffraction studies show the structure of the as-prepared nanotubes is the same as that of the starting anatase TiO2 nanoparticles. Energy-dispersive x-ray analysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy studies further indicate that the as-prepared nanotubes are composed of titania. Studies using transmission electron microscopy verified that the nanotubes are formed during alkali treatment, with subsequent acidic treatments having no effect on nanotube structure and shape.

InN nanowires were synthesized and characterized using a variety of techniques. A two-zone chemical vapor deposition technique was used to operate the vapor generation and the nanowire growth at differential temperatures, leading to high-quality single-crystalline nanowires and growth rates as high as 4–10 μm/h. Precise diameter control was achieved by using monodispersed gold clusters as the catalyst. Photoluminescence and Raman studies have been carried out for the InN nanowires at room temperature. Devices consisting of single nanowires have been fabricated to explore their electronic transport properties. The temperature dependence of the conductance revealed thermal emission as the dominating transport mechanism.

A new Mg-based bulk amorphous alloy (i.e., Mg65Cu25Gd10) has successfully been developed by Men and Kim [H. Men and D.H. Kim, J. Mater. Res. 18, 1502 (2003)]. They showed that this alloy exhibits significantly improved glass-forming ability (GFA) in comparison with Mg65Cu25Y10 alloy. However, this improved GFA cannot be indicated by the supercooled liquid region ΔT and the reduced glass-transition temperature Trg. As shown in the current comment, the new parameter γ, Tx/(Tg + Tl) defined in our recent papers [Z.P. Lu and C.T. Liu, Acta Mater. 50, 3501 (2002); Z.P. Lu and C.T. Liu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 115505 (2003)] can well gauge GFA for bulk metallic glasses, including the current Mg-based alloys.

The cathodic electrodeposition of molybdenum oxide thin films prepared from aqueous solutions containing iso-polymolybdates and peroxo-polymolybdates is described. Chronocoulometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, and electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry were used to establish corresponding reaction mechanisms for films grown at different deposition potentials. Electrodeposition from acidified iso-polymolybdate solutions proceeds by the reduction of molybdic acid, whereas deposition from aqueous peroxo-based solutions involves the graded reduction of several solution components, primarily comprising molybdic acid and peroxo-polymolybdates. Careful regulation of the deposition potential allows for controlled growth of distinct molybdenum oxide compositions producing films with varied water content and valency.

Thin films Ni−Ti (<100 nm) having surface Ni content below 5 at.% were prepared by ion-implanting Ni into Ti surfaces. The Ni-containing phase exposed or buried within the Ti matrix was amorphous. Following an anodic oxidation in NaOH, the material was shown to be redox active and to promote the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose depending on the surface Ni–Ti composition. Compared to the Ni–Ti bulk alloy (55.9:44.08), the Ni-implanted Ti displayed a more efficient catalytic activity and improved corrosion resistance.

A metal–organic thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach was developed for the growth of ultrathin tantalum nitride (TaNx) films by alternate pulses of tert-butylimido trisdiethylamido tantalum (TBTDET) and ammonia (NH3). An optimized ALD process window was established by investigating saturation of film-growth rate versus TBTDET and NH3 exposures, as controlled by the length of reactant pulses and the duration of the inert gas purge cycles separating the reactant pulses. The resulting low-temperature (250 °C) ALD process yielded uniform, continuous, and conformal TaNx films with a Ta:N ratio of 1:1. Carbon and oxygen impurity levels were in the 5–8 at.% range. Associated film conformality in 100-nm trench structures with 11:1 aspect ratio was nearly 100%.

The Young's modulus of WS2 nanotubes is an important property for various applications. Measurements of the mechanical properties of individual nanotubes are challenged by their small size. In the current work, atomic force microscopy was used to determine the Young's modulus of an individual multiwall WS2 nanotube, which was mounted on a silicon cantilever. The buckling force was measured by pushing the nanotube against a mica surface. The average Young's modulus of an individual WS2 nanotube, which was calculated by using Euler's equation, was found to be 171 GPa. First-principle calculations of the Young's modulus of MoS2 single-wall nanotubes using density-functional–based tight-binding method resulted in a value (230 GPa) that is close to that of the bulk material. Furthermore, the diameter dependence of the Young's modulus in both zigzag and armchair configuration was studied and was found to approach the bulk value for nanotubes with few-nanometer diameters. Similar behavior is expected for WS2 nanotubes. The mechanical behavior of the WS2 nanotubes as atomic force microscope imaging tips gave further support for the measured Young's modulus.

Pt thin films of various thicknesses (30 nm ∼ 200 nm) were deposited on Si wafers with SiO2, Ti, TiO2, or IrO2 buffer layers at various temperatures (room temperature ∼200 °C) by a direct current magnetron sputtering process. The Pt films showed a strong (111)-preferred texture irrespective of the thickness, under-layer, and growth temperature. The authors previously reported [J-E. Lim, D-Y. Park, J.K. Jeong, G. Darlinski, H.J. Kim, and C.S. Hwang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 3224 (2002)] that the films were composed of three kinds of grains with slightly different (111) lattice parameters (bulklike, 1.0% and 2.1% larger). This study details the microstructural variations of the Pt films according to the variations of experimental parameters. The different deposition conditions produced slightly different crystalline structures, but the three different (111) lattice parameters were always found. Epitaxial (200) Pt films on a (200) MgO substrate and a highly (111) textured Au thin film on a SiO2/Si did not show the same splitting in the lattice parameter. The grains with 1.0% and 2.1% larger (111) lattice parameter almost disappeared after postannealing at 1000 °C. However, surface chemical binding of the Pt film before and after annealing was unchanged. Therefore, it is believed that the lattice parameter splitting in the (111) textured Pt film originated from the interfacial grains with the distorted crystal structure due probably to growth stress.

Described is a method for preparing crystalline silver nanorods in water, in the absence of a surfactant or polymer to direct nanoparticle growth, and without externally added seed crystallites. The procedure used is one in which a silver salt is reduced to silver metal by sodium citrate under the influence of microwave irradiation. Key aspects for the production of these nanorods are the use of a closed-chamber microwave heating system that allows precise temperature control and judicious choice of the citrate concentration. This novel finding demonstrates the utility of microwave-assisted synthesis and provides a promising method for the preparation of silver nanorods.

Nanocrystalline yttria-doped ceria powder, with the composition Ce0.55Y0.45O1.775, was synthesized by a combustion technique using citric acid as the fuel and the corresponding metal nitrates as oxidants. This process involves mild conditions as the external temperature required to initiate the combustion is only approximately 250 °C. The product was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) to ascertain the phase purity. The crystallite size of these calcined samples, as seen by transmission electron microscopy, was found to be in the range 6 nm to 50 nm. The surface area of the fine powder, as obtained from the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique, was about 140 m2/g. The agglomeration behavior as a function of temperature and the lattice thermal expansion studies were carried out using high-temperature XRD. This nanocrystalline powder resulted in nearly theoretical bulk density at a relatively lower temperature, which is attributed to the superior powder properties. The sintered microstructure, as studied by scanning electron microscopy, revealed the presence of fine grains.

Sequential lateral solidification (SLS) is known to be a promising method to make low-temperature poly-Si thin film transistors (LTPS TFTs) with superior performance for fabrication of highly circuit-integrated flat panel displays such as TFT liquid crystal display and TFT organic light-emitting diode. The dependence of TFT characteristics on the details of the SLS poly-Si microstructures was studied by varying the size, direction, and shape of the grains by applying different SLS crystallization mask patterns and processing details. The TFTs results demonstrated that various device properties and characteristics are obtained depending on the specifics of the microstructures. Nearly direction-insensitive TFTs of mobility about 300 cm2/V·s (within 5% variation of average value) were successfully fabricated by controlling the microstructures. Such a characteristic is recognized as being desirable for an optimal integration of the peripheral circuits.

Perovskite-structured solid solutions intended for use as microwave dielectric resonators were studied by Raman spectroscopy. Two distinct categories were investigated: (i) simple perovskite–simple perovskite solid solutions, that is, CaTiO3–SrTiO3 (CTST), CaTiO3–CaZrO3 (CTCZ), CaTiO3–NdAlO3 (CTNA), and CaTiO3–LaGaO3 (CTLG); and (ii) simple perovskite–complex perovskite solid solutions, such as CaTiO3–SrMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (CTSMN). In the latter category, the influence of A-site ion radius was also addressed by examining 0.5CaTiO3– 0.5LaMg1/2Ti1/2O3 (0.5CT–0.5LMT), 0.5SrTiO3 (ST)–0.5LMT, and 0.5BaTiO3 (BT)–0.5LMT. Raman data from the end members and solid solutions are compared, paying particular attention to F2g and A1g mode bands, often associated with ordering of B-site species.

Hydrothermal reaction of phosphomolybdic acid (PMo12) and phosphotungstic acid (PW12) with the surfactant template 1,10-decanediamine (1,10-DAD) yielded two new nanocomposites, [C10H20(NH2)2]2·H3PMo12O40·(H2O)7.5 and [C10H20(NH2)2]2·H3PW12O40·(H2O)2.4. The produced needlelike crystals of the two nanocomposites have fine-layered structures. X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that change of polyoxometallates has little effect on the tilt angle of the 1,10-DAD molecules for such polyoxometallates–organic amine systems. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectra show that in the hybrid, the PMo12 forms infinite two-dimensional networks, and the PW12 keeps its Keggin structure in the hybrid except distortion to some degree. The two nanocomposites show different photochromic properties; PMo12–DAD hybrid can be colored under ultraviolet irradiation, whereas PW12–DAD hybrid cannot.

The effect of process conditions on the biaxial texture of MgO films grown by ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) was studied. The texture showed a strong dependence on the Ar+/MgO flux ratio, but a weak dependence on the divergence of Ar+ beam. One hundred-nanometer-thick epi-MgO on less than 10-nm-thick textured IBAD-MgO films that were grown on 7-nm-thick Y2O3 layers on fused silica, metal alloy tape, and polished Si substrates showed biaxial texture with in- and out-of-plane orientation distributions of less than 4° and 2°, respectively. These results strengthen the notion that the IBAD technique could serve as a universal technological process to integrate amorphous and polycrystalline substrates with various oxide and semiconductor films that need to be grown with good biaxial texture.

The effect of continuous heating and isothermal heat treatments on ductile Cu60Zr20Ti20 amorphous ribbons was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, synchrotron radiation transmission, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Upon continuous heating, the alloy exhibited a glass transition, followed by a supercooled liquid region and two exothermic crystallization stages. Decomposition of the amorphous phase was also observed. The first crystallization stage resulted in the formation of a nanocomposite structure with hexagonal Cu51Zr14 particles embedded in the amorphous matrix, while in the second crystallization stage hexagonal Cu2TiZr-like phase was precipitated. The released enthalpies were 19 J/g and 30 J/g for each crystallization stage. Crystallization kinetics was studied by the classical nucleation theory. Deviations from the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov theory may be explained by the contribution of the decomposition of the amorphous matrix.

The size effects on indentation creep were studied on single-crystal Ni3Al, polycrystalline pure Al, and fused quartz samples at room temperature. The stress exponents were measured by monitoring the displacement during constant indentation loads after correction for thermal drift effects. The stress exponents were found to exhibit a very strong size effect. In the two metals Al and Ni3Al, the stress exponent for very small indents is very small, and for Al, this even approaches unity, suggesting that linear diffusional flow may be the controlling mechanism. The stress exponents in these two metals rise rapidly to over 100 as the indent size gets larger, indicating a rapid change of the dominating mechanism to climb-controlled to eventually glide-controlled events. In fused quartz, the stress exponent also exhibits a sharply rising trend as the indent size increases. The stress exponent is also close to unity at the smallest indents studied, and it rises rapidly to a few tens as the indent size gets larger.

Thin films of Ti1–x–y Six Ny were produced on unheated Si(100) substrates by reactive unbalanced dc-magnetron sputtering of titanium and silicon in an Ar–N2 gas mixture. The effects of silicon incorporation on surface morphology and structural properties of these films as well as the influence of postdeposition annealing have been studied. These films were characterized ex situ in terms of their core-level electron bonding configuration by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, their microstructure by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction, their hardness by nanoindentation measurements, and their roughening kinetics by atomic force microscopy (AFM) with the scaling analysis. It was found that a linear increase in the Si concentration of the films was observed with increasing Si target current up to 2 A whereas the reverse trend was seen for the Ti concentration. The films consisted of 15–20-nm-sized TiN crystallites embedded in an amorphous SiNx matrix. They had a hardness of about 32.8 GPa with silicon concentration x = 0.1. The improved mechanical properties of Ti1–x–y Six Ny films with the addition of Si into TiN were attributed to their densified microstructure with development of fine grain size and reduced surface roughness. The reduction in grain size has been supported by means of a Monte Carlo simulation that reveals that the average size of TiN grains decreases with the volume fraction of amorphous SiNx approximately according to a power law, showing a reasonable agreement with the experimental results. By applying the height–height correlation functions to the measured AFM images, a steady growth roughness exponent α = 0.89 ± 0.05 was determined for all the films with different Si additions. It was also found that the nanocomposite films were thermodynamically stable up to 800 °C. The effect of thin SiNx layer in stabilizing nanocrystalline TiN structure is also elucidated and explained on the basis of structural and thermodynamic stability.