Abstract: Electron energy loss spectroscopy was used to investigate the bonding of plasma deposited carbon films. The experimental conditions include the use of a specific collection angle for which the shape of the spectra is free of the orientation dependency usually encountered in graphite due to its anisotropic structure. The first quantification process of the energy loss near-edge structure was performed by a standard fit of the collected spectrum, corrected for background and multiple scattering, with three Gaussian functions followed by a comparison with the graphite spectrum obtained under equivalent experimental conditions. In a second approach a fitting model directly incorporating the background subtraction and multiple scattering removal was applied. The final numerical results are interpreted in view of the deposition conditions of the films and the actual fitting procedure with the related choice of parameters.

Abstract: Expandable graphite of two types was synthesized by (1) hydrolysis of graphite nitrate of II stage and (2) anodic polarization of graphite in 60% HNO3. Exfoliated graphite samples were produced by thermal shock of expandable graphite samples in air at 900 °C. A comparative study of microstructural distinctions of both expandable and exfoliated graphite samples was carried out using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy.

Abstract: (Sr1-xCax)(33)Bi-24,partial derivative Al48O141+3 partial derivative/2 fullerenoid solid solutions have been synthesized and the effect of partial substitution of Sr by Ca has been characterized by (scanning) transmission electron microscopy, applying different imaging methods. Most of the defects commonly observed in face centered cubic compounds, have also been observed in (Sr1-xCax)(33)Bi24-partial derivative Al48O141+3 partial derivative/2. Based on purely geometrical and topological models, structural presentations for the coherent twin boundaries and stacking faults have been constructed on the basis of complex spherical “Al84O210” units. The results are compared to defects observed in the crystallite fullerite C-60.

Abstract: We present a multiple scattering package to calculate the cross-section of various spectroscopies namely photoelectron diffraction (PED), Auger electron diffraction (AED), X-ray absorption (XAS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy (APECS). This package is composed of three main codes, computing respectively the cluster, the potential and the cross-section. In the latter case, in order to cover a range of energies as wide as possible, three different algorithms are provided to perform the multiple scattering calculation: full matrix inversion, series expansion or correlation expansion of the multiple scattering matrix. Numerous other small Fortran codes or bash/csh shell scripts are also provided to perform specific tasks. The cross-section code is built by the user from a library of subroutines using a makefile.

Abstract: As part of a broad project to explore Li4MM'O-6 materials (with M and M' being selected from a wide variety of metals) as positive electrode materials for Li-ion batteries, the structures of Li4FeSbO6 materials with both stoichiometric and slightly deficient lithium contents are studied here. For lithium content varying from 3.8 to 4.0, the color changes from yellow to black and extra superstructure peaks are seen in the XRD patterns. These extra peaks appear as satellites around the four superstructure peaks affected by the stacking of the transition metal atoms. Refinements of both XRD and neutron scattering patterns show a nearly perfect ordering of Li, Fe, and Sb in the transition metal layers of all samples, although these refinements must take the stacking faults into account in order to extract information about the structure of the TM layers. The structure of the most lithium rich sample, where the satellite superstructure peaks are seen, was determined with the help of HRTEM, XRD, and neutron scattering. The satellites arise due to a new stacking sequence where not all transition metal layers are identical but instead two slightly different compositions stack in an AABB sequence giving a unit cell that is four times larger than normal for such monoclinic layered materials. The more lithium deficient samples are found to contain metal site vacancies based on elemental analysis and Mossbauer spectroscopy results. The significant changes in physical properties are attributed to the presence of these vacancies. This study illustrates the great importance of carefully determining the final compositions in these materials, as very small differences in compositions may have large impacts on structures and properties.

Abstract: Single crystal antimony-doped SnO2 whiskers have been synthesized by in situ doping process in horizontal flow reactor. The produced whiskers were modified with 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 or 2 wt.% Pd. The processes of Pd particles growth and aggregation are described on the base of AFM and STEM data. Depending on the content of introduced Pd precursor, the various mechanisms (Volmer-Weber or Stranski-Krastanov) of Pd nanoparticles growth realize. The dependence of sensor signal to CO on Pd concentration has non-monotonous character determined by the size of Pd nanoparticles and their aggregation degree. The best sensor signal toward CO was observed for whiskers decorated with 0.1 wt.% Pd. This concentration corresponds to the presence of individual 3-5 nm Pd nanoparticles on the surface of the whiskers. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Thin films of the superconducting Nd1+xBa2−xCu3O7−δ (NBCO) and Y1(NdxBa2−x)Cu3O7−δ (YNBCO) compounds have been deposited by dc magnetron sputtering and diode high pressure oxygen sputtering. Different techniques, including scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to study the film microstructures and the surface morphology. It is shown that the Nd/Ba exchange promotes a 2D heteroepitaxial growth in the case of the NBCO films deposited on (1 0 0) SrTiO3 substrates, with a suppression of the characteristic 3D spirals structures. On the contrary in YNBCO the Nd/Ba exchange does not provide a driving force for the suppression of screw-dislocations, since spirals or towers originated by screw and half loop dislocations are observed on the surface. TEM reveals that anti-phase boundaries are eliminated during the growth of NBCO films thanks to the Nd/Ba exchange while this mechanism is not operating in the case of YNBCO films.

Abstract: Oxidative deintercalation of copper ions from the sulfide layers of the layered mixed-valent manganite oxide sulfide Sr2MnO2Cu1.5S2 results in control of the copper-vacancy modulated superstructure and the ordered arrangement of magnetic moments carried by the manganese ions. This soft chemistry enables control of the structures and properties of these complex materials which complement mixed-valent perovskite and perovskite-related transition metal oxides. (C) 2015 Author(s).

Abstract: Complex [(La0.7Sr0.3MnO3)(m)(SrTiO3)(n)] [(LSMO)(m)/(STO)(8)](15) superlattices with different layer thicknesses (m=5, 8, 12, 16, 32) have been prepared using pulsed liquid injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction reveal a very clear and well-separated layer sequence. The remarkable microstructure, as well as the ferromagnetic transition temperature, depends on the LSMO layer thickness. Apart from a very clear layer sequence, electron microscopy shows evidence of a self-assembled nanostructure formation: SrMnO3 nanoinclusions and associated SrTiO3-SrMnO3 thin walls. A formation model and growth mechanism for the self-assembled structure is proposed, based on high resolution and energy filtered elemental imaging. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.

Abstract: A seriesof [TiN/TiAlN]nmultilayer coatingswith different bilayer numbers n=5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 were deposited on stainless steel substrate AISI 304 by a lateral rotating cathode arc technique in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere. The composition and microstructure of the coatings have been analyzed by using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). XRD analysis shows that the preferential orientation growth along the (111) direction is reduced in the multilayer coatings. TEM analysis reveals that the grain size of the coatings decreases with increasing bilayer number. HRTEMimaging of the multilayer coatings shows a high density misfit dislocation between the TiN and TiAlN layers. The cross-plane thermal conductivity of the coatings was measured by a pulsed photothermal reflectance technique. With increasing bilayer number, the multilayer coatings' thermal conductivity decreases gradually. This reduction of thermal conductivity can be ascribed to increased phonon scattering due to the disruption of columnar structure, reduced preferential orientation, decreased grain size of the coatings and present misfit dislocations at the interfaces.