Understanding crack versus cavitation in pressure-sensitive adhesives: the role of kinetics

We perform traction experiments on viscous liquids highly confined between parallel plates, a geometry known as the probe-tack test in the adhesion community. Direct observation during the experiment coupled to force measurement shows the existence of several mechanisms for releasing the stress. Bubble nucleation and instantaneous growth had been observed in a previous work. Upon increasing further the traction velocity or the viscosity, the bubble growth is progressively delayed. At high velocities, cracks at the interface between the plate and the liquid appear before the bubbles have grown to their full size. Bubbles and cracks are thus observed concomitantly. At even higher velocities, cracks develop fully so early that the bubbles are not even visible. We present a theoretical model that describes these regimes, using a Maxwell fluid as a model for the actual fluid, a highly viscous silicon oil. We present the resulting phase diagramme for the different force peak regimes. The predictions are compatible with the data. Our results show that in addition to cavitation, interfacial cracks are encountered in a probe-tack traction test with viscoelastic, \emph{liquid} materials and not solely with viscoelastic solids like adhesives.Comment: 44 page

Field dependence of the electronic phase separation in Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3 by small angle magnetic neutron scattering

We have studied by small angle neutron scattering the evolution induced by the application of magnetic field of the coexistence of ferromagnetism (F) and antiferromagnetism (AF) in a crystal of Pr$_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_3$. The results are compared to magnetic measurements which provide the evolution of the ferromagnetic fraction. These results show that the growth of the ferromagnetic phase corresponds to an increase of the thickness of the ferromagnetic ''cabbage'' sheets

Nanoscale surface relaxation of a membrane stack

Recent measurements of the short-wavelength (~ 1--100 nm) fluctuations in stacks of lipid membranes have revealed two distinct relaxations: a fast one (decay rate of ~ 0.1 ns^{-1}), which fits the known baroclinic mode of bulk lamellar phases, and a slower one (~ 1--10 \mu s^{-1}) of unknown origin. We show that the latter is accounted for by an overdamped capillary mode, depending on the surface tension of the stack and its anisotropic viscosity. We thereby demonstrate how the dynamic surface tension of membrane stacks could be extracted from such measurements.Comment: 4 page

Very low R/sub ON/ measured on 4H-SiC accu-MOSFET high power device

International audienceThis paper describes the I-V characteristics obtained from a 4H-SiC current limiting device. Some specific aspects of the specific on-resistance are discussed in simulation with the DESSIS ISE software. The device behaviors place it in the field of the best Implanted Channel MOSFET (IC-MOSFET) obtained in the literature. The best on-resistance measured is 13 mWcm 2 and the saturation current density reaches 900 Acm-2

Dilute lamellar and L3 phases in the binary water–C12E5 system.

The binary phase diagram of water–C12E5 has been studied with emphasis on the L3 and dilute lamellar phases, which were found to swell to approximately 99.5 and 98.8 wt % of water, respectively, much further than has been reported previously. Focusing on these two phases, we have carried out static light and small-angle neutron scattering and electrical conductivity measurements. The repeat distance in the lamellar phase was found to exceed 3000 Å. A small, but significant deviation from ideal one-dimensional swelling was observed. This deviation may be explained in terms of flexibility of the bilayers that are flat only on average. Electrical conductivity and small-angle neutron scattering data from the isotropic L3 phase are, over most of the stability range, consistent with a three-dimensional continuous bilayer structure. However, at large water contents an increase in the conductivity indicates a breakup of the structure into smaller fragments. Our results show that the simpler binary system exhibits the same characteristic features as the more complex multicomponent systems, involving brine, ionic surfactant and cosurfactant

Water activity in lamellar stacks of lipid bilayers: "Hydration forces" revisited

Water activity and its relationship with interactions stabilising lamellar stacks of mixed lipid bilayers in their fluid state are investigated by means of osmotic pressure measurements coupled with small-angle x-ray scattering. The (electrically-neutral) bilayers are composed of a mixture in various proportions of lecithin, a zwitterionic phospholipid, and Simulsol, a non-ionic cosurfactant with an ethoxylated polar head. For highly dehydrated samples the osmotic pressure profile always exhibits the "classical" exponential decay as hydration increases but, depending on Simulsol to lecithin ratio, it becomes either of the "bound" or "unbound" types for more water-swollen systems. A simple thermodynamic model is used for interpreting the results without resorting to the celebrated but elusive "hydration forces"Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in The European Physical Journal

Microphase separation in Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3 by small angle neutron scattering

We have evidenced by small angle neutron scattering at low temperature the coexistence of ferromagnetism (F) and antiferromagnetism (AF) in Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3. The results are compared to those obtained in Pr0.80Ca0.20MnO3 and Pr0.63Ca0.37MnO3, which are F and AF respectively. Quantitative analysis shows that the small angle scattering is not due to a mesoscopic mixing but to a nanoscopic electronic and magnetic ''red cabbage'' structure, in which the ferromagnetic phase exists in form of thin layers in the AF matrix (stripes or 2D ''sheets'').Comment: 4 figure

Large area Al₂O₃–Au raspberry-like nanoclusters from iterative block-copolymer self-assembly

In the field of functional nanomaterials, core–satellite nanoclusters have recently elicited great interest due to their unique optoelectronic properties. However, core–satellite synthetic routes to date are hampered by delicate and multistep reaction conditions and no practical method has been reported for the ordering of these structures onto a surface monolayer. Herein we show a reproducible and simplified thin film process to fabricate bimetallic raspberry nanoclusters using block copolymer (BCP) lithography. The fabricated inorganic raspberry nanoclusters consisted of a ∼36 nm alumina core decorated with ∼15 nm Au satellites after infusing multilayer BCP nanopatterns. A series of cylindrical BCPs with different molecular weights allowed us to dial in specific nanodot periodicities (from 30 to 80 nm). Highly ordered BCP nanopatterns were then selectively infiltrated with alumina and Au species to develop multi-level bimetallic raspberry features. Microscopy and X-ray reflectivity analysis were used at each fabrication step to gain further mechanistic insights and understand the infiltration process. Furthermore, grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering studies of infiltrated films confirmed the excellent order and vertical orientation over wafer scale areas of Al2O3/Au raspberry nanoclusters. We believe our work demonstrates a robust strategy towards designing hybrid nanoclusters since BCP blocks can be infiltrated with various low cost salt-based precursors. The highly controlled nanocluster strategy disclosed here could have wide ranging uses, in particular for metasurface and optical based sensor applications

Cavitation-induced force transition in confined viscous liquids under traction

We perform traction experiments on simple liquids highly confined between parallel plates. At small separation rates, we observe a simple response corresponding to a convergent Poiseuille flow. Dramatic changes in the force response occur at high separation rates, with the appearance of a force plateau followed by an abrupt drop. By direct observation in the course of the experiment, we show that cavitation accounts for these features which are reminiscent of the utmost complex behavior of adhesive films under traction. Surprisingly enough, this is observed here in purely viscous fluids.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letters on May 31, 2002. Related informations on http://www.crpp.u-bordeaux.fr/tack.htm

Instability of Myelin Tubes under Dehydration: deswelling of layered cylindrical structures

We report experimental observations of an undulational instability of myelin figures. Motivated by this, we examine theoretically the deformation and possible instability of concentric, cylindrical, multi-lamellar membrane structures. Under conditions of osmotic stress (swelling or dehydration), we find a stable, deformed state in which the layer deformation is given by \delta R ~ r^{\sqrt{B_A/(hB)}}, where B_A is the area compression modulus, B is the inter-layer compression modulus, and h is the repeat distance of layers. Also, above a finite threshold of dehydration (or osmotic stress), we find that the system becomes unstable to undulations, first with a characteristic wavelength of order \sqrt{xi d_0}, where xi is the standard smectic penetration depth and d_0 is the thickness of dehydrated region.Comment: 5 pages + 3 figures [revtex 4