In this paper, we present a study on the formation of gold colloids by laser ablation of a gold metal target in alkanes and thiol-alkane solutions. The results show a decrease of the gold particles’ size up to 2 nm when thiol molecules are present in the liquid environment. The observation of a blue-shift of the surface plasmon resonance is discussed together with transmission electron microscopy analyses accounting the cluster size decrease and the stabilization of the obtained suspensions.

Tin whiskers formed on sputter-deposited films on Muntz metal substrates have been examined following long-term aging at room temperature. It was found that while the initial annealing conditions determined the original nucleation and growth rates, whisker nucleation and growth was a continuous process and appeared to be occurring throughout the duration of the study. Whisker densities increased for all samples during aging, and samples that initially showed no whiskers during high-temperature annealing had a population density of 2.5 mm−2 after storage for 15 months.

Void evolution during electromigration was studied by recording void nucleation, growth, and displacements at various intervals during thermal (240 °C) and electrical stress tests (2 × 106 amps/cm2) of Cu interconnects. Structural data was collected for various serially arranged line segment lengths and correlated with resistance and increases in resistance due to electromigration-induced thinning and voiding. These results allowed determination of void growth rates in Cu interconnects. Void nucleation and growth show a clear dependence on segment length. Void formation did not occur at the via/interconnect interface, which improved interconnect reliability by allowing extensive voiding before catastrophic failure.

Tensile stretching of a two-dimensional model crystal was computationally studied using molecular statics simulations. Attention was directed to the atomistics of defect activities throughout the deformation history. It is shown that the incorporation of an initial point defect is able to trigger dislocation slip in a repetitive and controlled manner. The initial defect is also seen to have potential bearing on the formation of voiding damage that leads to ductile fracture of the crystal. Implications to the nanoscale mechanical behavior and its modeling are discussed.

High-rate (10 nm/s) in situ YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) film growth was demonstrated by molecular beam epitaxy with electron beam co-evaporation at a system pressure of approximately 5 × 10-5 Torr. To explain the phase stability observed, it is suggested that activated oxygen is generated in the process. Growth of very good YBCO, with a Jc of more than 2 MA/cm2, is possible at this very high rate because the growth is in a liquid (Ba–Cu–O), which forms along with the YBCO epitaxy. This liquid seems essential for high Jc-YBCO film growth at very high in situ growth rates and may be essential for all high-rate processes, including postanneal ex situ processes.

A relationship is derived for spherical indentation relating the dissipated energy to the ratio of hardness to elastic modulus and the ratio of indentation depth to radius. The result agrees with recent findings obtained on the basis of scaling relationships in combination with finite element simulations. Furthermore, relationships are given for hardness, elastic modulus and contact area, which permit a determination of these properties independent of the strain hardening characteristics and independent of pileup and sink-in.

The control of hybrid interfaces in polymer-based electronic devices may be enabling in many applications. The engineering of hybrid interface involves (requires) an understanding of the electronic structure of materials—one organic and one inorganic—that form the two halves of hybrid interfaces, as well as the electronic and chemical consequences of the coupling of the two. Although much literature exists describing the interfaces between vapor-deposited organic molecules and model molecules for polymers on the surfaces of clean metals in ultrahigh vacuum, few studies have been reported on spin-coated, semiconducting polymer films on realistic substrates. Spin coating in an inert atmosphere (or even air) is a central part of the process of the fabrication of polymer-based light-emitting devices and other modern polymer-based electronic components. Here, work on the electronic structure of semiconducting (conjugated) polymer films spin-coated onto selected inorganic substrates, carried out using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, is reviewed and summarized to generate a generalized picture of the hybrid interfaces formed under realistic device fabrication conditions.

Crystallization of amorphous Y- and La-doped HfO2 and ZrO2 nanophase powders was studied using thermal analysis and high-temperature x-ray diffraction. Substantial increase of crystallization temperature of amorphous hafnium and zirconium oxides could be achieved by alloying with La2O3. The crystallization temperature of Hf2La2O7 composition is higher than 900 °C, which makes it a candidate for advanced gate dielectrics. In contrast, Y-doping did not significantly raise the crystallization temperature.

In this study, the effect of addition of Nb on glass formation in Ni–Ti–Zr–Si–Sn alloys has been studied. The composition range for bulk glass formation with Dmax > 2 mm (Dmax, maximum diameter for glass formation by injection cast method) becomes wider when compared with the non-Nb–containing alloy. The ΔTx (= Tx – Tg; Tx, crystallization onset temperature; Tg, glass transition temperature), Trg (= Tg/Tl; Tl, liquidus temperature) and γ [= Tx/(Tl + Tg)] values for the alloys Dmax > 2 mm are in the range of 40–59, 0.638–0.651, and 0.410–0.419, respectively. The compositions of the alloys (Dmax > 2 mm) are closer to pseudo-eutectic composition than that of the alloy without Nb, showing an improved glass forming ability. The critical cooling rate for glass formation (Dmax = 5 mm) is estimated to be order of approximately 40 K/s.

A perspective on the issue of scale in the fracture and deformation properties of ordinarily brittle covalent–ionic solids (ceramics) is presented. Characteristic scaling dimensions for nanomechanical properties of this class of solids are identified—specimen size or layer thickness, microstructural scale, and contact dimension. Transitions in mechanical damage processes occur as the characteristic dimensions diminish from the macroscale to the submicroscale. Such transitions generally preclude unconditional extrapolations of macroscopic-scale fracture and deformation laws into the nanomechanics region. Strength of brittle solids tends to increase while toughness tends to decrease as the scaling dimensions diminish. The nature of flaws that control strength in the submicroscale region also undergoes fundamental changes—even flaws without well-developed microcracks can be deleterious to strength.

The internal friction of a silicon nitride with a sintering aid of yttrium oxide was measured from room temperature to 1400 °C. A mechanical loss peak was typically observed at 1000 °C on heating the as-sintered specimen; however, it disappeared on cooling. Also, the peak was not observed upon heating a specimen that had been heated above 1400 °C. When we carried out thermal cycling, raising terminal temperatures from 1050 to 1400 °C, the integrated intensity of the peak gradually decreased due to the progressive crystallization of a grain-boundary amorphous phase.

An accurate and reliable electrical technique for continuous monitoring of crack growth in fracture specimens containing technologically relevant thin-film device structures has been developed. Both adhesive and cohesive crack growth measurements are reported using a SiO2 passivation layer and a conducting titanium film deposited on the side face of fracture specimens. Crack velocity measurements approaching 10−12 m/s were achieved, representing nearly an order of magnitude improvement over commonly used compliance-based techniques. The technique may be particularly useful for elucidating near threshold crack velocity behavior, which is important for thin-film reliability.

Effect of nano ZnO on the hydrogen absorption performance of Ti-30V-15Mn-15Cr alloy was investigated. It was found that a small amount addition of nano ZnO (3 wt%) drastically improves the hydrogen absorption property of this alloy powder. The modification enables the air-exposed powder to absorb hydrogen quickly without activation. It could be attributed to the synergetic action of nano ZnO, which might expedite the dissociation of hydrogen on the oxidized alloy surface and play as entrance for hydrogen into the bulk alloy. The fact that nano ZnO addition improves the hydrogen absorption performance of Ti-30V-15Mn-15Cr alloy pioneers a new way for developing highly active Ti-V-based body-centered-cubic phase alloys.

Single-crystal penetrators of tungsten having orientations of [100], [111], and [110] were ballistically deformed into targets of standard armor material and characterized by optical metallography, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods, which showed significant differences in their deformation mechanisms and microstructures corresponding to their deformation performance as measured by the penetration of the target. The [100] single-crystal penetrator, which produced the most energy efficient deformation, provided a new, alternative mechanism for ballistic deformation by forming small single-crystal blocks, defined by {100} oriented cracks, which rotated during extrusion from the interior to the side of the penetrator while maintaining their single crystal integrity. The [111] single-crystal penetrator transferred mass along allowed, high-angle deformation planes to the penetrator’s side where a buildup of mass mushroomed the tip until the built-up mass let go along the sides of the penetrator, creating a wavy cavity. The [110] penetrator, which produced the least energy-efficient deformation, has only two allowed deformation planes, cracked and rotated to invoke other deformation planes.

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.

The formation of Au nanoclusters in MgO using ion implantation and subsequent annealing was investigated. Approximately 1200 and 1400 Au2+ ions/nm2 were implanted in MgO(100) substrates at 300 and 975 K, respectively. Subsequent annealing in air for 10 h at 1275 K promoted the formation of Au nanostructures in MgO. The sample implanted at 300 K showed severe radiation damage. In addition, two-dimensional plateletlike structures with possible composition of Au and MgO were formed during implantation in the sample that was implanted at 300 K. In contrast, Au implantation at 975 K promoted the nucleation of Au nanostructures during implantation. Subsequent annealing of both samples show three-dimensional clusters in MgO. However, the 975 K implanted sample shows clean, high-quality, single-crystal Au clusters that have an epitaxial relationship to MgO(100).

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.

This paper reports modifications of the chemical and structural properties of MgAl2O4 single crystals implanted with Cs ions and submitted to high-temperature annealing. The composition changes, the damage created in the three sublattices (Al, Mg and O) of the crystals, and the behavior of implanted ions were studied by Rutherford backscattering and channeling experiments as a function of the Cs fluence and annealing temperature. The data show that annealing above 700–800 °C induces a huge modification of the stoichiometry of the material, a decrease of the lattice disorder, and an increase of the fraction of Cs atoms located in substitutional lattice sites. These results have to be taken into account for the future use of spinel as a matrix for the transmutation of nuclear waste.

During the solidification of solder joints composed of near-eutectic Sn–Ag–Cu alloys, the Sn phase grows rapidly with a dendritic growth morphology, characterized by copious branching. Notwithstanding the complicated Sn growth topology, the Sn phase demonstrates single crystallographic orientations over large regions. Typical solder ball grid array joints, 900 μm in diameter, are composed of 1 to perhaps 12 different Sn crystallographic domains (Sn grains). When such solder joints are submitted to cyclic thermomechanical strains, the solder joint fatigue process is characterized by the recrystallization of the Sn phase in the higher deformation regions with the production of a much smaller grain size. Grain boundary sliding and diffusion in these recrystallized regions then leads to extensive grain boundary damage and results in fatigue crack initiation and growth along the recrystallized Sn grain boundaries.

TiO2-derived nanotubes were prepared by hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 powder in NaOH aqueous solution. High-temperature x-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) andthermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) demonstrated the formation of TiO2 (B) phase (a metastable polymorph of titanium dioxide) from the nanotubes under heating at ∼800 °C, which indicates the as-prepared nanotubes should be composed of layered titanate, most probably as H2Ti3O7·nH2O (n < 3). Dehydration behavior and phase transformation confirmed by the HT-XRD study have suggested reliable reaction path and have well-solved the contradictions on the nanotube-formation mechanism among previous studies.