Abstract: Epitaxial thin films of GdBaCo2O5.5+δ (GBCO) grown by pulsed laser deposition have been studied as a function of deposition conditions. The variation in film structure, domain orientation, and microstructure upon deviations in the cation composition have been correlated with the charge transport properties of the films. The epitaxial GBCO films mainly consist of single- and double-perovskite regions that are oriented in different directions depending on the deposition temperature. Additionally, cobalt depletion induces the formation of a high density of stacking defects in the films, consisting of supplementary GdO planes along the c-axis of the material. The presence of such defects progressively reduces the electrical conductivity. The films closer to the stoichiometric composition have shown p-type electronic conductivity at high pO2 with values as high as 800 S/cm at 330 °C in 1 atm O2, and with a pO2 power dependence with an exponent as low as 1/25, consistent with the behavior reported for bulk GBCO. These values place GBCO thin films as a very promising material to be applied as cathodes in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nowadays routinely grown in a thermal CVD setup. State-of-the-art plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) growth, however, offers advantages over thermal CVD. A lower growth temperature and the growth of aligned freestanding single-walled CNTs (SWNTs) makes the technique very attractive. The atomic scale growth mechanisms of PECVD CNT growth, however, remain currently entirely unexplored. In this contribution, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to focus on the effect of applying an electric field on the SWNT growth process, as one of the effects coming into play in PECVD. Using sufficiently strong fields results in (a) alignment of the growing SWNTs, (b) a better ordering of the carbon network, and (c) a higher growth rate relative to thermal growth rate. We suggest that these effects are due to the small charge transfer occurring in the Ni/C system. These simulations constitute the first study of PECVD growth of SWNTs on the atomic level.

Abstract: Iron is a widely used catalyst for the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs) by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. However, both Fe and FeC compounds (generally, Fe3C) have been found to catalyze the growth of CNTs/CNFs, and a comparison study of their respective catalytic activities is still missing. Furthermore, the control of the crystal structure of iron-based catalysts, that is α-Fe or Fe3C, is still a challenge, which not only obscures our understanding of the growth mechanisms of CNTs/CNFs, but also complicates subsequent procedures, such as the removal of catalysts for better industrial applications. Here, we show a partial control of the phase of iron catalysts (α-Fe or Fe3C), obtained by varying the growth temperatures during the synthesis of carbon-based nanofibers/nanotubes in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor. We also show that the structure of CNFs originating from Fe3C is bamboo-type, while that of CNFs originating from Fe is not. Moreover, we directly compare the growth rates of carbon-based nanofibers/nanotubes during the same experiments and find that CNFs/CNTs grown by α-Fe nanoparticles are longer than CNFs grown from Fe3C nanoparticles. The influence of the type of catalyst on the growth of CNFs is analyzed and the corresponding possible growth mechanisms, based on the different phases of the catalysts, are discussed.

Abstract: A new Tl-doped strontium ferrite Fe2(Sr2-Tl)Sr3Fe4O14.65, with an original structure, has been synthesized and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The TGA and Mssbauer studies evidence a mixed valence of iron. The structure exhibits a commensurate modulation, with a F-type subcell a ≈ b ≈ 5.4 Å (≈ ap√2), c ≈ 42 Å with a modulation vector q = αa* with α = 0.4. The supercell parameters have been refined as a= 27.1101(8) Å, b= 5.5187(2) Å and c= 42.0513(9) Å, in the space group Fmmm. The electron diffraction and electron microscopy data of this novel ferrite show that it can be described as a FeTl-2234-type structure corresponding to the intergrowth of a quadruple perovskite slice [(SrFeO2.8)4], with a complex rock salt related slice [Fe2(Sr2-Tl)O3.4]∞, built up of one double iron layer [Fe2O2.4] sandwiched between two [SrO] layers. The HRTEM images show that the oxygen atoms and vacancies are randomly distributed in the perovskite layers while the HAADF STEM images evidence the absence of Tl segregation in the matrix. Fe2(Sr2-Tl)Sr3Fe4O14.65 exhibits a very large value of χ (11emu/mol) at 5 K, which remains large at 400 K; the M(H) loop presents a shape characteristic of ferrimagnetism, with a large coercive field of 0.3 T. The value of magnetization saturates at 400 K at 0.68 μB/Fe. At 10 K, the value of magnetization reaches a maximum of 2 μB/Fe. The resistivity presents a semiconducting-like behavior, with ρ 800 Ω·cm at 300 K.

Abstract: The structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 was investigated on different length scales using a combination of electron diffraction, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. In the 80300 K temperature range, the average crystal structure of Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 is a cubic Pm3̅m perovskite with a = 3.95368(3) Å at T = 300 K. The (Pb2+, Bi3+) cations and O2 anions are randomly displaced along the 110 cubic directions, indicating the steric activity of the lone pair on the Pb2+ and Bi3+ cations and a tilting distortion of the perovskite framework. The charge imbalance induced by the heterovalent Bi3+ → Pb2+ substitution is compensated by the formation of oxygen vacancies preserving the trivalent state of the Fe cations. On a short scale, oxygen vacancies are located in anion-deficient (FeO1.25) layers that are approximately 6 perovskite unit cells apart and transform every sixth layer of the FeO6 octahedra into a layer with a 1:1 mixture of corner-sharing FeO4 tetrahedra and FeO5 tetragonal pyramids. The anion-deficient layers act as twin planes for the octahedral tilting pattern of adjacent perovskite blocks. They effectively randomize the octahedral tilting and prevent the cooperative distortion of the perovskite framework. The disorder in the anion sublattice impedes cooperative interactions of the local dipoles induced by the off-center displacements of the Pb and Bi cations. Magnetic susceptibility measurements evidence the antiferromagnetic ordering in Bi0.81Pb0.19FeO2.905 at low temperatures.

Abstract: Germanium combined with high-κ dielectrics is investigated for the next generations of CMOS devices. Therefore, we study reaction mechanisms for Al2O3 atomic layer deposition on sulfur passivated Ge using calculations based on density functional theory and total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). TXRF indicates 6 S/nm2 and 4 Al/nm2 after the first TMA/H2O reaction cycle, and growth inhibition from the second reaction cycle on. Calculations are performed on molecular clusters representing −GeSH surface sites. The calculations confirm that the TMA reaction does not affect the S content. On fully SH-terminated Ge, TMA favorably reacts with up to three −GeSH sites, resulting in a near tetrahedral Al coordination. Electron deficient structures with a GeS site shared between two Al atoms are proposed. The impact of the cluster size on the structures and reaction energetics is systematically investigated.

Abstract: Reduction of La1xCaxMnO3 (0.6 ≤ x ≤ 1) perovskite phases with sodium hydride yields materials of composition La1xCaxMnO2+δ. The calcium-rich phases (x = 0.9, 1) adopt (La0.9Ca0.1)0.5Mn0.5O disordered rocksalt structures. However local structure analysis using reverse Monte Carlo refinement of models against pair distribution functions obtained from neutron total scattering data reveals lanthanum-rich La1xCaxMnO2+δ (x = 0.6, 0.67, 0.7) phases adopt disordered structures consisting of an intergrowth of sheets of MnO6 octahedra and sheets of MnO4 tetrahedra. X-ray absorption data confirm the presence of Mn(I) centers in La1xCaxMnO2+δ phases with x < 1. Low-temperature neutron diffraction data reveal La1xCaxMnO2+δ (x = 0.6, 0.67, 0.7) phases become antiferromagnetically ordered at low temperature.

Abstract: Pb cations in PbS quantum rods made from CdS quantum rods by successive complete cationic exchange reactions are partially re-exchanged for Cd cations. Using STEM-HAADF, we show that this leads to the formation of unique multiple dot-in-rod PbS/CdS heteronanostructures, with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 4555%. We argue that the formation of multiple dot-in-rods is related to the initial polycrystallinity of the PbS quantum rods, where each PbS crystallite transforms in a separate PbS/CdS dot-in-dot. Effective mass modeling indicates that electronic coupling between the different PbS conduction band states is feasible for the multiple dot-in-rod geometries obtained, while the hole states remain largely uncoupled.

Abstract: Continued miniaturization of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) requires an ever-decreasing thickness of the gate oxide. The structure of ultrathin silicon oxide films, however, critically depends on the oxidation mechanism. Using reactive atomistic simulations, we here demonstrate how the oxidation mechanism in hyperthermal oxidation of such structures may be controlled by the oxidation temperature and the oxidant energy. Specifically, we study the interaction of hyperthermal oxygen with energies of 15 eV with thin SiOx (x ≤ 2) films with a native oxide thickness of about 10 Å. We analyze the oxygen penetration depth probability and compare with results of the hyperthermal oxidation of a bare Si(100){2 × 1} (c-Si) surface. The temperature-dependent oxidation mechanisms are discussed in detail. Our results demonstrate that, at low (i.e., room) temperature, the penetrated oxygen mostly resides in the oxide region rather than at the SiOx|c-Si interface. However, at higher temperatures, starting at around 700 K, oxygen atoms are found to penetrate and to diffuse through the oxide layer followed by reaction at the c-Si boundary. We demonstrate that hyperthermal oxidation resembles thermal oxidation, which can be described by the DealGrove model at high temperatures. Furthermore, defect creation mechanisms that occur during the oxidation process are also analyzed. This study is useful for the fabrication of ultrathin silicon oxide gate oxides for metal-oxide-semiconductor devices as it links parameters that can be straightforwardly controlled in experiment (oxygen temperature, velocity) with the silicon oxide structure.

Abstract: Development of efficient production methods of nanodiamond (ND) particles containing substitutional nitrogen and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) complexes remains an important goal in the nanodiamond community. ND synthesized from explosives is generally not among the preferred candidates for imaging applications owing to lack of optically active particles containing NV centers. In this paper, we have systematically studied representative classes of NDs produced by detonation shock wave conversion of different carbon precursor materials, namely, graphite and a graphite/hexogen mixture into ND, as well as ND produced from different combinations of explosives using different cooling methods (wet or dry cooling). We demonstrate that (i) the N content in nanodiamond particles can be controlled through a correct selection of the carbon precursor material (addition of graphite, explosives composition); (ii) particles larger than approximately 20 nm may contain in situ produced optically active NV centers, and (iii) in ND produced from explosives, NV centers are detected only in ND produced by wet synthesis. ND synthesized from a mixture of graphite/explosive contains the largest amount of NV centers formed during synthesis and thus deserves special attention.

Abstract: The crystalline and defect structure of epitaxial hexagonal RExMnyO3 (RE = Er, Dy) films with varying cationic composition was investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The films are composed of a strained layer at the interface with the substrate and of a relaxed layer on top of it. The critical thickness is of 10 to 25 nm. For Mn-rich films (or RE deficient), an off-stoichiometric composition maintaining the hexagonal LuMnO3-type structure is stabilized over a large range of the RE/Mn ratio (0.72−1.00), with no Mn-rich secondary phases observed. A linear dependence of the out-of-plane lattice parameter with RE/Mn is observed in this range. Out-of-phase boundary (OPB) extended defects are observed in all films and exhibit a local change in stoichiometry. Such a large solubility limit in the RE deficient region points toward the formation of vacancies on the RE site (RExMnO3−δ, with 0.72 ≤ x < 1), a phenomenon that is encountered in perovskite manganites such as LaxMnO3−δ (x < 1) and that may strongly impact the physical properties of hexagonal manganites.