Tin dioxide sol-gel derived thin films deposited on porous silicon

Undoped and Sb-doped SnO2 sol¿gel derived thin films have been prepared for the first time from tin (IV) ethoxide precursor and SbCl3 in order to be utilised for gas sensing applications where porous silicon is used as a substrate. Transparent, crack-free and adherent layers were obtained on different types of substrates (Si, SiO2/Si). The evolution of the Sn¿O chemical bonds in the SnO2 during film consolidation treatments was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. By energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy performed on the cross section of the porosified silicon coupled with transmission electron microscopy, the penetration of the SnO2 sol¿gel derived films in the nanometric pores of the porous silicon has been experimentally proved

Compared efficacy of preservation solutions on the outcome of liver transplantation: Meta-analysis

AIM: To compare the effects of the four most commonly used preservation solutions on the outcome of liver transplantations. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases up to January 31(st), 2017. The inclusion criteria were comparative, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for deceased donor liver (DDL) allografts with adult and pediatric donors using the gold standard University of Wisconsin (UW) solution or histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK), Celsior (CS) and Institut Georges Lopez (IGL-1) solutions. Fifteen RCTs (1830 livers) were included; the primary outcomes were primary non-function (PNF) and one-year post-transplant graft survival (OGS-1). RESULTS: All trials were homogenous with respect to donor and recipient characteristics. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of PNF with the use of UW, HTK, CS and IGL-1 (RR = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.01-0.03, P = 0.356). Comparing OGS-1 also failed to reveal any difference between UW, HTK, CS and IGL-1 (RR = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.80-0.80, P = 0.369). Two trials demonstrated higher PNF levels for UW in comparison with the HTK group, and individual studies described higher rates of biliary complications where HTK and CS were used compared to the UW and IGL-1 solutions. However, the meta-analysis of the data did not prove a statistically significant difference: the UW, CS, HTK and IGL-1 solutions were associated with nearly equivalent outcomes. CONCLUSION: Alternative solutions for UW yield the same degree of safety and effectiveness for the preservation of DDLs, but further well-designed clinical trials are warranted

Ca silicide films—promising materials for silicon optoelectronics

Single-phase films of semiconductor and semimetallic calcium silicides (Ca2Si, CaSi, and CaSi2), as well as films with a significant contribution of Ca5Si3 and Ca14Si19 silicides, were grown on single-crystal silicon and sapphire substrates. The analysis of the crystal structure of the grown films was carried out and the criterion of their matching with silicon and sapphire substrates was determined. Some lattice-matching models were proposed, and the subsequent deformations of the silicide lattices were estimated. Film’s optical functions, including the optical transparency, were calculated from the optical spectroscopy data and an extended comparison was performed with the results of ab initio calculations. The real limits of the optical transparency for the films on sapphire substrates were established. The maximum transparency limit (3.9 eV) was observed for the CaSi film. Based on an analysis of the photoelectric properties of Ca2Si/Si diodes on n- and p-type silicon substrates, a perspective of their applications in silicon optoelectronics was discussed

Conductive CaSi2 transparent in the near infra-red range

The methods of heteroepitaxial growth of Si/CaSi2/Si(111) double heterostructures (DHS) at 500 °C have been developed. Thin CaSi2 layers with the thicknesses of 14-40 nm have been successfully embedded in the silicon matrix. The hR6-CaSi2(001)||Si(111) with hR6-CaSi2[100]||Si[110] epitaxial relationship has been conserved for the embedded CaSi2 layer regardless of its thickness and the Si overgrowth mode (molecular beam epitaxy or solid phase epitaxy). The embedded CaSi2 layers are characterized by the lattice parameter distortion of about ±4% due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the silicide and silicon. Two types of Si overgrowth atop CaSi2(001) planes have been observed: (i) {111}-twinned Si crystals were found onto the CaSi2(001) surface in the DHS with CaSi2 thickness of 32-40 nm, which have preserved the {111} planes parallel to the Si(111) ones of the substrate; (ii) a polycrystalline twinned Si capping layer with a variable thickness has been formed in the samples with the smallest CaSi2 thickness (14-16 nm). Experimentally determined optical functions for the CaSi2 layer embedded in the silicon matrix have shown the presence of degenerate semiconducting properties with strong absorbance at the photon energies higher than 2.3 eV and small contribution from the free carrier absorption at 0.4-1.2 eV. Ab initio calculations within the generalized gradient approximation and screened hybrid functional of the hR-6 CaSi2 bulk with and without lattice distortion (by ±3%) have demonstrated the metal or gapless semiconductor energy band structure, because the Fermi level crosses several bands also assuming a huge free carrier concentration. The low-temperature Hall measurements and magnetoresistance measurements have proved that CaSi2 films on silicon are a gapless semiconductor with two types of carrier “pockets” (holes and electrons) that determine the resulting conductivity, concentration and mobility as a function of the Fermi level shift with the temperature increase. Mechanisms of the experimentally observed optical transparency of CaSi2 in the infra-red range are discussed

DEPOSITION OF TLBACACUO FILMS ON SAPPHIRE AND CEO2/SAPPHIRE SUBSTRATES

Superconducting thin films of TBCCO have been prepared directly on R-plane sapphire substrates and on CeO2 buffer layers on sapphire. The superconducting properties of the films on the buffered sapphire are quite encouraging, with Jc values in excess of 5.104 A/cm2. However, a potential problem with this buffer layer has been identified; the formation of a BaCeO3 layer by reaction of the superconducting film with the CeO2. © 1994

Single-crystal hexagonal and cubic GaN growth directly on vicinal (001) GaAs substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy

Single-crystal hexagonal and cubic GaN thin films have been grown by radio-frequency nitrogen plasma source molecular beam epitaxy directly on vicinal (001) GaAs substrates, misoriented by 2 degrees toward [100], without using an incident As beam during oxide desorption or the following stages of growth. Both the GaAs nitridation and GaN growth conditions were found to control the structure of the layers. Cubic layers could be grown only without nitridation and under stoichiometric N/Ga flux ratio conditions. N-rich conditions favored the growth of hexagonal layers, which exhibited significantly higher photoluminescence intensities compared to cubic ones. Hexagonal single crystalline GaN films were grown with (10(1) over bar 2) planes and presented characteristic surface roughness striations along a [110] substrate direction. On the contrary, a stepped surface morphology was observed for cubic GaN. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04818-X]

Post-metallization annealing and photolithography effects in p-type Ge/Al 2 O 3 /Al MOS structures

In this work, the combined effect of negative tone photolithography and post-metallization annealing (PMA) on the electrical behavior of Al/Al2O3/p-Ge MOS structures are investigated. During photoresist development, the exposed upper part of the Al2O3 film weakens due to the reaction with the developer. Subsequent processes of Al deposition and PMA at 350 °C result in alumina thickness reduction. The gate electrode formation seems to involve at least three processes: (a) germanium substrate out-diffusion and accumulation at the top of the alumina layer that takes place during the alumina deposition, (b) alumina destabilization, and (c) germanium diffusion into the deposited Al metal and Al diffusion into the alumina. The overall effect is the reduction of the alumina thickness due to its partial consumption. It is shown that the germanium diffusion depends on the annealing duration, and not on the annealing ambient (inert or forming gas). Although PMA passivates interface traps near the valence band edge, the insulating properties of the stacks are degraded. This degradation appears as a low-level ac loss, attributed to a hopping current that flows through the Al2O3 layer. The results are discussed and compared to recently reported on Pt/Al2O3/p-Ge structures formed and treated under the same conditions

Optical and structural studies of high-quality bulk-like GaN grown by HVPE on a MOVPE AIN buffer layer

High-quality 400 mu m thick GaN has been grown by hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) on (0 0 0 1) sapphire with a 2 Am thick AIN buffer layer. The material's crystalline quality and homogeneity was verified by x-ray diffraction (XRD), low-temperature photoluminesence (LT-PL) and LT cathodoluminescence. Plan-view transmission electron microscopy images reveal a low dislocation density of similar to 1.25 x 10(7) cm(-2). The residual stress of the material was studied by two complementary techniques. LT-PL spectra show the main neutral donor bound exciton line at 3.4720 eV. This line position suggests virtually strain-free material with a high crystalline quality as indicated by the small full width at half maximum value of 0.78 mev The presence of well resolved A- and B-free excitons in the LT-PL spectra and the absence of a yellow luminescence band prove the high quality of the HVPE-GaN in terms of purity and crystallinity. These findings are consistent with the XRD results, implying the high crystalline quality of the material grown. Hence, the material studied is well suited as a lattice parameter and thermal-expansion-coefficient matched substrate for further homoepitaxy, as needed for high-quality Ill-nitride device applications. Strain-free homoepitaxy on native substrates is needed to decrease considerably the defect density and in that way an improvement of the device's performance and lifetime can be achieved

Ellipsometric characterization of thin nanocomposite films with tunable refractive index for biochemical sensors

ABSTRACTCreating optical quality thin films with a high refractive index is increasingly important for waveguide sensor applications. In this study, we present optical models to measure the layer thickness, vertical and lateral homogeneity, the refractive index and the extinction coefficients of the polymer films with nanocrystal inclusions using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical properties can be determined in a broad wavelength range from 190 to 1700 nm. The sensitivity of spectroscopic ellipsometry allows a detailed characterization of the nanostructure of the layer, i.e. the surface roughness down to the nm scale, the interface properties, the optical density profile within the layer, and any other optical parameters that can be modeled in a proper and consistent way. In case of larger than about 50 nm particles even the particle size can be determined from the onset of depolarization due to light scattering. Besides the refractive index, the extinction coefficient, being a critical parameter for waveguiding layers, was also determined in a broad wavelength range. Using the above information from the ellipsometric models the preparation conditions can be identified. A range of samples were investigated including doctor bladed films using TiO2 nanoparticles.</jats:p

TBCCO thin films and passive microwave devices

Thin films of Tl-based HTS have been deposited on various substrates with and without buffer layers. A variety of microwave devices have been fabricated from such films (both single side and double sided). These include planar filters and a low phase noise oscillator. Experimental results for these devices demonstrate performance enhancements over similar copper implementations of the devices