ZnO nanobelt based conductometric H2 and NO2 gas sensors

Conductometric H2 and NO2 gas sensors based on single-crystalline ZnO nanobelt sensitive layers have been developed. These layers were deposited using a rf magnetron sputterer. TEM and SEM characterization methods were employed to study the morphology of the nanobelts. These sensors were exposed to H2 and NO2 gases at operating temperatures between 225degC and 420degC. Study showed that sensors responded with highest magnitude at above 300degC. The fastest response and recovery times, with greater repeatability occurred at 385degC and 350degC for H2 and NO2 gases, respectively. Sensor with ZnO nanobelts has a much lower optimum operational temperature than that of conductometric sensors with other forms of ZnO crystal layers

Superconducting cuprates and magnetoresistive manganites: similarities and contrasts

We report on three different experiments on high temperature superconducting (HTS) cuprates and colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) manganites, which clearly bring out some of the important similarities and differences between the two material systems. The experiments involve the measurement of temperature dependence of the mean squared displacement of Cu and Mn ions from their equilibrium site in the case of the cuprates and the manganites, respectively, and their correlation with the transport property. In both cases the key ions in the materials (Cu for HTS and Mn for CMR) exhibit vibration amplitudes larger than that of ions in simple Debye solids and clearly show discontinuities in the vibration amplitudes as a function of temperature close to the phase transition temperatures. These point to the unequivocal participation of phonons in the transport processes and possibly in the onset of the phase transitions (i.e. superconductivity and ferromagnetism). The second set of experiments, involves femtosecond optical excitation of micro-strip resistors made of cuprates or manganites, and the subsequent measurement of the changes in the impedance on a 20 ps time scale. In the case of the manganites one measures the time scales involved in the ionization and reformation of a Jahn-Teller polaron and also the decay times of magnon excitors. In the case of the cuprates one sees a highly efficient pair breaking process with a very sharp resonance, with a width of only 100 meV, which is indicative of the role of a large intermediate excitation in the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity. In the third experiment, spin-polarized electrons injected from a manganite electrode into a superconductor are observed to break pairs at a rate far larger than unpolarized electrons. This effect seems very orientation dependent for the case of YBCO, which may shed new light on the transport of quasi-particles at YBCO interfaces

Physical and Electrical Performance of Vapor–Solid Grown ZnO Straight Nanowires

Physical and electrical properties of wurtzitic ZnO straight nanowires grown via a vapor–solid mechanism were investigated. Raman spectrum shows four first-order phonon frequencies and a second-order Raman frequency of the ZnO nanowires. Electrical and photoconductive performance of individual ZnO straight nanowire devices was studied. The results indicate that the nanowires reported here are n-type semi-conductors and UV light sensitive, and a desirable candidate for fabricating UV light nanosensors and other applications

Electrospun ZnO Nanowires as Gas Sensors for Ethanol Detection

ZnO nanowires were produced using an electrospinning method and used in gas sensors for the detection of ethanol at 220 °C. This electrospinning technique allows the direct placement of ZnO nanowires during their synthesis to bridge the sensor electrodes. An excellent sensitivity of nearly 90% was obtained at a low ethanol concentration of 10 ppm, and the rest obtained at higher ethanol concentrations, up to 600 ppm, all equal to or greater than 90%

ZnO nanobelts based conductometric H2 and NO2 gas sensors

Conductometric H2 and NO2 gas sensors based on single-crystalline ZnO nanobelt sensitive layers have been developed. These layers were deposited using a rf magnetron sputterer. TEM and SEM characterization methods were employed to study the morphology of the nanobelts. These sensors were exposed to H2 and NO2 gases at operating temperatures between 225°C and 420°C. Study showed that sensors responded with highest magnitude at above 300°C. The fastest response and recovery times, with greater repeatability occurred at 385°C and 350°C for H2 and NO2 gases, respectively. Sensor with ZnO nanobelts has a much lower optimum operational temperature than that of conductometric sensors with other forms of ZnO crystal layers

Oxygen Pressure-Tuned Epitaxy and Optoelectronic Properties of Laser-Deposited ZnO Films on Sapphire

Influence of oxygen pressure on the epitaxy, surface morphology, and optoelectronic properties has been studied in the case of ZnO thin films grown on sapphire ~0001! by pulsed-laser deposition. Results of Rutherford backscattering and ion channeling in conjunction with atomic force microscopy clearly indicate that the growth mode, degree of epitaxy, and the defect density strongly depend on the oxygen background pressure during growth. It is also found that the growth mode and the defects strongly influence the electron mobility, free-electron concentration, and the luminescence properties of the ZnO films. By tuning the oxygen pressure during the initial and the final growth stages, smooth and epitaxial ZnO films with high optical quality, high electron mobility, and low background carrier concentration have been obtained. The implication of these results towards the fabrication of superlattices and controlled n- and p-type doping is discussed