Abstract: In this paper a particularly simple but efficient method is presented by which samples of alkali-doped C-60 materials or other air-sensitive materials can be prepared and transferred into a transmission electron microscope for direct observations and investigations. Flexible, transparent glove bags are used which are filled to a slight overpressure with dry nitrogen. Under this protective atmosphere, the air-sensitive sample is mounted in the specimen holder and inserted in the vacuum of the electron microscope. Rb6C60 which is prepared and transferred into the microscope in this way has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirm the bcc structure and especially the location of the rubidium atoms.

Abstract: Results are discussed of a transmission electron microscopy study of high-dose oxygen implanted silicon. In addition to the general high temperature (> 1200-degrees-C) annealing treatments also annealings at 'low' temperatures (1000-1100-degrees-C) were performed in order to slow down the precipitate and defect reactions. The observed dissolution of the oxide precipitates during prolonged high temperature annealing is explained by critical radius considerations. Threading dislocations are the remaining lattice defects in the silicon overlayer and cannot be removed by further annealing. Low temperature annealing results in the formation and subsequent unfaulting of extrinsic stacking fault loops below the buried oxide layer.

Abstract: High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) studies of the microstructure and specific defects in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) precursors and cubic boron nitride (c-BN) crystals made under high-pressure high-temperature conditions revealed the presence of half-nanotubes at the edges of the h-BN particles. Their sp(3) bonding tendency could strongly influence the nucleation rates of c-BN. The atomic resolution at extended dislocations was insufficient to allow us to determine the stacking fault energy in the c-BN crystals. Its mean value of 191 +/- 15 mJ m(-2) is of the same order of magnitude as that of diamond. High-frequency (94 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance studies on c-BN single crystals have produced new data on the D1 centres associated with the boron species. Ion-beam-induced luminescence measurements have indicated that c-BN is a very interesting luminescent material, which is characterized by four luminescence bands and exhibits a better resistance to ionizing radiation than CVD diamond.

Abstract: The recently discovered structural transition in polymerized KC60 at about 50 K results in a doubling of the unit cell volume and accompanies the metal-insulator transition. Here we show that the ((a) over right arrow+(c) over right arrow,(b) over right arrow,(a) over right arrow-(c) over right arrow) superstructure results from small orientational charge density waves along the polymer chains and concomitant displacements of the surrounding K+ ions. The effect is specific for the space group Pmnn of KC60 and is absent in RbC60 and CsC60 (space group I2/m). The mechanism is relevant for the metal-insulator transition.

Abstract: Single-chain elasticity of polyethylene at theta point up to 90% of stretching with respect to its contour length is computed by Monte Carlo simulation of an atomistic model in continuous space. The elasticity law together with the free-energy and the internal energy variations with stretching are found to be very well represented by the wormlike chain model up to 65% of the chain elongation, provided the persistence length is treated as a temperature-dependent parameter. Beyond this value of elongation simple ideal chain models are not able to describe the Monte Carlo data in a thermodynamic consistent way. This study reinforces the use of the wormlike chain model to interpret experimental data on the elasticity of synthetic polymers in the finite extensibility regime, provided the chain is not yet in its fully stretched regime. Specific solvent effects on the elasticity law and the partition between energetic and entropic contributions to single chain elasticity are investigated. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: A calculation of the energy of a biexciton in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wen is presented. We compare the results obtained using two different techniques. We discuss the dependence of the biexciton correlation energy and binding energy on the electron/hole mass ratio and on the well width. The structure of the biexciton is also investigated.

Abstract: A comparative study is made of the strain distribution in cylindrical InAs/GaAs and InP/InGaP self-assembled quantum dots as obtained from isotropic elasticity theory, the anisotropic continuum mechanical model, and from atomistic calculations. For the isotropic case, the recently proposed approach [J. H. Davies, J. Appl. Phys. 84, 1358 (1998)] is used, while the finite-element method, the valence force field method, and Stillinger-Weber potentials are employed to calculate the strain in anisotropic structures. We found that all four methods result in strain distributions of similar shapes, but with notable quantitative differences inside the dot and near the disk-matrix boundary. The variations of the diagonal strains with the height of the quantum dot, with fixed radius, as calculated from all models, are almost linear. Furthermore, the energies of the band edges in the two types of quantum dots are extracted from the multiband effective-mass theory by inserting the strain distributions as obtained by the four models. We demonstrated that all strain models produce effective potentials for the heavy and light holes which agree very well inside the dot. A negligible anisotropy of all normal strains in the (x,y) plane is found, which, providing the axial symmetry of the kinetic part of the multiband effective-mass Hamiltonian, justifies the use of the axial approximation. Strain propagation along the vertical direction is also considered with the aim to study the influence of strain on the electron coupling in stacks of quantum dots. We found that the interaction between the strain fields of the individual quantum dots makes the effective quantum wells for the electrons in the conduction band shallower, thereby counteracting the quantum mechanical coupling. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.