Imaging the Proton Concentration and Mapping the Spatial Distribution of the Electric Field of Catalytic Micropumps

Catalytic engines can use hydrogen peroxide as a chemical fuel in order to drive motion at the microscale. The chemo-mechanical actuation is a complex mechanism based on the interrelation between catalytic reactions and electro-hydrodynamics phenomena. We studied catalytic micropumps using fluorescence confocal microscopy to image the concentration of protons in the liquid. In addition, we measured the motion of particles with different charges in order to map the spatial distributions of the electric field, the electrostatic potential and the fluid flow. The combination of these two techniques allows us to contrast the gradient of the concentration of protons against the spatial variation in the electric field. We present numerical simulations that reproduce the experimental results. Our work sheds light on the interrelation between the different processes at work in the chemomechanical actuation of catalytic pumps. Our experimental approach could be used to study other electrochemical systems with heterogeneous electrodes

Imaging the Proton Concentration and Mapping the Spatial Distribution of the Electric Field of Catalytic Micropumps

Catalytic engines can use hydrogen peroxide as a chemical fuel in order to drive motion at the microscale. The chemo-mechanical actuation is a complex mechanism based on the interrelation between catalytic reactions and electro-hydrodynamics phenomena. We studied catalytic micropumps using fluorescence confocal microscopy to image the concentration of protons in the liquid. In addition, we measured the motion of particles with different charges in order to map the spatial distributions of the electric field, the electrostatic potential and the fluid flow. The combination of these two techniques allows us to contrast the gradient of the concentration of protons against the spatial variation in the electric field. We present numerical simulations that reproduce the experimental results. Our work sheds light on the interrelation between the different processes at work in the chemomechanical actuation of catalytic pumps. Our experimental approach could be used to study other electrochemical systems with heterogeneous electrodes

Selective Growth of B- and C-Doped SiGe Layers in Unprocessed and Recessed Si Openings for p-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors Application

This work presents the pattern dependency of the selective epitaxial growth of boron- and carbon-doped SiGe layers in recessed and unprocessed openings. The layer profile is dependent on deposition time, chip layout, and growth parameters. Carbon and boron doping compensates for the strain in SiGe layers, and when both dopants are introduced, the strain reduction is additive. The incorporation of boron and carbon in the SiGe matrix is a competitive action. The concentration of carbon decreases, whereas the boron amount increases in SiGe layers with higher Ge content. In recessed openings, the Ge content is independent of the recess depth. The strain amount in the grown layers is graded vertically, which is due to the thickness of the epilayer exceeding the critical thickness