Morphological, structural and ellipsometric investigations of Cr doped TiO2 thin films prepared by sol-gel and spin coating

International audiencePure and chromium doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films at different atomic percentages (0.5%, 1.3% and 2.9%) have been elaborated on ITO/Glass substrates by sol-gel and spin-coating methods using titanium (IV) isopropoxide as a precursor. The surface morphology of films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), the structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM). SEM and HRTEM show homogenous and polycrystalline films. XRD patterns indicate a phase transition from anatase to anatase-rutile leading to expand the absorption band of TiO2 molecules around 520 cm(-1) in FTIR spectra. The optical constants such as the refractive index (n), the extinction coefficient (K) and the band gap (E-g) as well as the film thickness are determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry technique and Fourouhi-Blommer dispersion model. Results show three major changes; (i) the thickness of pure TiO2 layer is 54 nm, which linearly decreases when the layer is doped with chromium and reaches 33 nm for a doping concentration of 2.9%, (ii) the band gap energy (E-g) is also linearly reduced from 3.24 eV to 2.80 eV when the Cr-doping agent increases, and, (iii) a phase transition from anatase to anatase-rutile is observed causing an increase in values of n(lambda) for wavelength greater than 350 nm. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved

The Concept of Hospitalization of Children from the View Point of Parents and Children

Objective: Disease and hospitalization can be the first crisis that a child encounters. The aim of this study is to reveal a clear picture of the meaning of hospitalization in children, to show the experience and behavior of hospitalized children and to discover the meaning and understanding of hospitalization in them. Methods: This study is a phenomenology study of qualitative research within the framework of Husserl Eidetic phenomenology through comprehensive interviewing. The objective group consisted of children 7-11 years old and their parents hospitalized in the children's ward of 22 Bahman Hospital and the surgery ward of 15 Khordad Hospital during the study (2008). Method of selection of participants was as follows: having experience of hospitalization, having ability to answer the questions, and being volunteered. Sample size was detected by data saturation. In the method of sampling, an object group of 20 (12 children and 8 parents) were chosen and interviewed. The Seven Colaizzi Stages were used for analysis of data. Findings: The analysis of the interviews and the written narrations of the participants led to the extraction of 6 inner themes consisting of sickness, environment, reciprocal relationship, parents'personal problems, mental and emotional matters and a spiritual dimension; all of which define a specific aspect of the experience of hospital in children and parents. Conclusion: The experience of hospitalization in children can be considered as a process of effort for returning to health and, on the whole, the regaining of the individual's status in the world. Nurses can ease this process by showing the importance of experience and feelings of individuals at the time of hospitalization and help people to adapt themselves to their new surroundings. This matter can enable the nurses to utilize methods of helping in the adaptation of individuals and thus guide the unique powers present in every individual to ease and quicken recovery