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Metal Electrodes (metal + electrode)
Selected AbstractsActive Metal Electrode,Oxide Interface in Gas Sensor Operation Probed by In Situ and Time-Resolved X-Ray SpectroscopyCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 1 2010Aleksander Gurlo Dr. The feasibility of the in situ and operando methodology in studying the chemical and electronic phenomena associated with an active metal electrode,oxide interface in metal-oxide-based gas sensors (picture) is demonstrated. It is experimentally verified that the Pt electrodes in metal-oxide based gas sensors are partially oxidised and that the oxidised Pt electrodes contribute to overall sensing performance. [source] Atomic Vapor Deposition of Titanium Nitride as Metal Electrodes for Gate-last CMOS and MIM DevicesCHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, Issue 5-6 2008Mindaugas Lukosius Abstract Pure and diluted Ti[N(Et)2]4 precursors are used to grow TiN layers at 400,600,°C by using atomic vapor deposition (AVD®). The composition, microstructure, and electrical properties of TiN films with various thicknesses are investigated. The determined work function of 4.7,eV indicates the possibility of using AVD®-grown TiN as a metal gate electrode for PMOSFET and metal-insulator-metal (MIM) devices. TiN/HfO2/SiO2 stacks are integrated into gate-last PMOS transistors, and the extracted parameters are compared to poly-Si/SiO2 reference transistors. The optimized films grown at 400,°C with a thickness of 20,nm exhibit a resistivity of 400,µ,,cm. [source] Tunable Injection Barrier in Organic Resistive Switches Based on Phase-Separated Ferroelectric,Semiconductor Blends,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 19 2009Kamal Asadi Abstract Organic non-volatile resistive bistable diodes based on phase-separated blends of ferroelectric and semiconducting polymers are fabricated. The polarization field of the ferroelectric modulates the injection barrier at the semiconductor,electrode contact and, hence, the resistance of the comprising diodes. Comparison between the on- and off-current of the switching diodes, with the current measured for semiconductor-only diodes reveals that the switching occurs between bulk-limited, i.e., space-charge-limited, and injection-limited current transport. By deliberately varying the HOMO energy of the semiconductor and the work-function of the metal electrode, it is demonstrated that injection barriers up to 1.6,eV can be surmounted by the ferroelectric polarization yielding on/off current modulations of more than five orders of magnitude. The exponential dependence of the current modulation with a slope of 0.25,eV/decade is rationalized by the magnitude of the injection barrier. [source] Printable Ferroelectric PVDF/PMMA Blend Films with Ultralow Roughness for Low Voltage Non-Volatile Polymer MemoryADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 17 2009Seok Ju Kang Abstract Here, a facile route to fabricate thin ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) blend films with very low surface roughness based on spin-coating and subsequent melt-quenching is described. Amorphous PMMA in a blend film effectively retards the rapid crystallization of PVDF upon quenching, giving rise to a thin and flat ferroelectric film with nanometer scale , -type PVDF crystals. The still, flat interfaces of the blend film with metal electrode and/or an organic semi-conducting channel layer enable fabrication of a highly reliable ferroelectric capacitor and transistor memory unit operating at voltages as low as 15,V. For instance, with a TIPS-pentacene single crystal as an active semi-conducting layer, a flexible ferroelectric field effect transistor shows a clockwise I,V hysteresis with a drain current bistability of 103 and data retention time of more than 15,h at ±15,V gate voltage. Furthermore, the robust interfacial homogeneity of the ferroelectric film is highly beneficial for transfer printing in which arrays of metal/ferroelectric/metal micro-capacitors are developed over a large area with well defined edge sharpness. [source] Bi2O3,MoO3 Binary System: An Alternative Ultralow Sintering Temperature Microwave DielectricJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 10 2009Di Zhou Preparation, phase composition, microwave dielectric properties, and chemical compatibility with silver and aluminum electrodes were investigated on a series of single-phase compounds in the Bi2O3,MoO3 binary system. All materials have ultralow sintering temperatures <820°C. Eight different xBi2O3,(1,x)MoO3 compounds between 0.2,x,0.875 were fabricated and the associated microwave dielectric properties were studied. The ,-Bi2Mo2O9 single phase has a positive temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (TCF) about +31 ppm/°C, with a permittivity ,r=38 and Qf=12 500 GHz at 300 K and at a frequency of 6.3 GHz. The ,-Bi2Mo3O12 and ,-Bi2MoO6 compounds both have negative temperature coefficient values of TCF,,215 and ,,114 ppm/°C, with permittivities of ,r=19 and 31, Qf=21 800 and 16 700 GHz at 300 K measured at resonant frequencies of 7.6 and 6.4 GHz, respectively. Through sintering the Bi2O3,2.2MoO3 at 620°C for 2 h, a composite dielectric containing both , and , phase can be obtained with a near-zero temperature coefficient of frequency TCF=,13 ppm/°C and a relative dielectric constant ,r=35, and a large Qf,12 000 GHz is also observed. Owing to the frequent difficulty of thermochemical interactions between low sintering temperature materials and the electrode materials during the cofiring, preliminary investigations are made to determine any major interactions with possible candidate electrode metals, Ag and Al. From the above results, the low sintering temperature, good microwave dielectric properties, chemical compatibility with Al metal electrode, nontoxicity and price advantage of the Bi2O3,MoO3 binary system, all indicate the potential for a new material system with ultralow temperature cofiring for multilayer devices application. [source] Optimized electrode structure for a high-Q electro-optic microdisk-based optical phase modulatorMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2007Song Li Abstract A novel spatial pattern of the metal electrode for a high-Q electro-optic microdisk-based optical phase modulator, which can be used to construct a photonic antenna, is proposed. This structure of electrode can help acquire resonant standing wave distribution along the electrode. The simulation results show that the electro-optic modulation efficiency can be increased significantly. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 313,316, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22114 [source] Molecular rectification in metal,bridge molecule,metal junctionsPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 4 2010Yaqing Liu Abstract Molecular bridged nanocontacts allow direct electrical addressing of electroactive molecules, which is of interest for the development of molecular based electronic devices. In the present paper, the electroactive molecule 6-ferrocenyl-1-hexanethiol (Fc-HT) was integrated into metal,bridge,metal (MBM) junctions assembled in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) setup. A diode-like behavior was observed from the current/bias (It/Vb) signal through Au (substrate)/Fc-HT/Au (tip) junction, which presented an asymmetric current response due to the resonant tunneling between metal electrode and ferrocenylthiol molecules. With gate electrode modulation, the enhancement of the tunneling current can be controlled, which allows to tune the direction of the current rectification. Our investigations demonstrated that ferrocenylthiol bridged MBM nanostructure has potential applications in the future design of higher-order heterojunctions components in combination with electrochemical logic gates. [source] Surface texturing of p-GaN layer for efficient GaN LED by maskless selective etchingPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2005Seok-In Na Abstract The maskless selective wet etching of p-GaN layer with KOH in ethylene glycol (KE) and H3PO4/H2SO4 (HH) acids was developed for the highly efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The p-GaN surfaces textured by the selective wet etching process without using etch mask showed hexagonal and stripe shapes in the KE and HH solutions, respectively. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the LED textured by KE and HH solutions showed improved electrical properties compared to the non-etched LED. This result could be attributed to a reduced contact resistance due to an increased contact area between the metal electrode and p-GaN layer. In addition, the light-output power of the LED textured by KE and HH solutions was improved by 29.4% and 36.8% relative to that of the non-etched LED. This result was attributed to the increase in probability of escaping photons from the LED and the reduction of surface defects by the maskless selective wet etching process. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Active Metal Electrode,Oxide Interface in Gas Sensor Operation Probed by In Situ and Time-Resolved X-Ray SpectroscopyCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 1 2010Aleksander Gurlo Dr. The feasibility of the in situ and operando methodology in studying the chemical and electronic phenomena associated with an active metal electrode,oxide interface in metal-oxide-based gas sensors (picture) is demonstrated. It is experimentally verified that the Pt electrodes in metal-oxide based gas sensors are partially oxidised and that the oxidised Pt electrodes contribute to overall sensing performance. [source] Amperometric Determination of Glucose at Conventional vs.ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 12 2010Nanostructured Gold Electrodes in Neutral Solutions Abstract The conventional gold electrodes were compared with recently published electrodes based on gold nanoparticles and gold nanostructured films as amperometric sensors for glucose in pH,7.40 phosphate buffer solutions. The conventional electrodes provided similar electroanalytical benefits while required much simpler and shorter preparation. It is recommended that the future reports on the development of electrochemical sensors based on metal nanoparticles/nanostructures include also the analytical figures of merit obtained at relevant conventional metal electrodes. The voltammetric studies indicated that, in contrast to phosphate buffers, the Tris buffers were not suitable for activation of gold surface toward the direct oxidation of glucose. [source] Working Electrodes from Amalgam Paste for Electrochemical MeasurementsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 4 2008Bogdan Yosypchuk Abstract Paste electrode with paste amalgam as an active electrode material is described here for the first time. Designed electrode from silver paste amalgam (AgA-PE) is solely metallic and does not contain any organic binder. Mechanical surface regeneration of AgA-PE is performed in the same way as for classical carbon paste electrodes and reproducibility of such regeneration is about 10%. Electrochemical surface regeneration appeared very efficient for most measurements. In dependence on paste metal content, the electrode surface can be liquid (resembling a film) or rather solid. The hydrogen overvoltage on AgA-PE is high, and the electrode allows measurements at highly negative potentials. AgA-PE is well suited for study of reduction or oxidation processes without an accumulation step. Anodic stripping voltammetry of some metals tested on the electrode is influenced by formation of intermetallic compounds. The measurement based on cathodic stripping voltammetry (adenine, cysteine) and on catalytic processes from adsorbed state (complex of osmium tetroxide with 2,2,-bipyridine) can be performed on AgA-PE practically under the same conditions as found earlier for HMDE and for silver solid amalgam electrode. The working electrode from paste amalgam combines the advantages of paste and metal electrodes. [source] Microwave Activation of Electrochemical Processes at Glassy Carbon and Boron-Doped Diamond ElectrodesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2005Kumar Sur, Ujjal Abstract Voltammetric experiments under intense microwave field conditions have been carried out at a carbon microfiber electrode, an array of carbon microfiber electrodes, and at a boron-doped diamond electrode. For the reversible one electron redox systems Fe(CN) and Ru(NH3) in aqueous KCl solution increased currents (up to 16 fold at a 33,,m diameter carbon microelectrode) and superheating (up to ca. 400,K at all types of electrodes) are observed. Electrodes with smaller diameter allow better signal enhancements to be achieved. From the missing effect of the supporting electrolyte concentration on the microwave enhanced currents, it can be concluded that effects observed at carbon electrodes (microwave absorbers) are due to the interaction of microwaves with the electrode material whereas for metal electrodes (microwave conductors) effects are dominated by the interaction of the microwaves with the aqueous dielectric. Short heat pulses can be applied by pulsing the microwave field and relatively fast temperature transients are observed for small electrodes. For the irreversible two electron oxidation of L -dopa in aqueous phosphate buffer, different types of effects are observed at glassy carbon and at boron-doped diamond. Arrays of carbon microfibers give the most reproducible and analytically useful current signal enhancements in the presence of microwaves. [source] Characteristics of Subtractive Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Lead, Cadmium and Thallium at Silver-Gold Alloy ElectrodesELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 17 2003Y. Bonfil Abstract Silver-gold alloy electrodes have been studied for the purpose of the quantitative determination of heavy metals by subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry, (SASV). The results have been compared with those obtained with the silver and gold electrodes. The 50/50 a/o Ag/Au alloy electrode is the most suitable for quantifying thallium in the presence of lead and cadmium. The separation of its peak from those of lead and cadmium is 200,mV, which is about twice the separation obtained on the pure metal electrodes and is also better than on mercury. The silver electrode is suitable for the simultaneous determination of thallium, lead and cadmium. The peaks of lead and cadmium overlap on the 50/50 alloy. Pure silver or pure gold can be used for simultaneous quantification of these two metals. The use of gold for quantifying lead and cadmium is more limited because the peak potential of cadmium is shifted in the negative direction as its concentration increases and at [Cd2+]>200,nM, the two peaks merge. SASV enables correction for background currents and is of utmost importance for obtaining well-defined peaks. The peaks of lead, cadmium and thallium appear over a relatively narrow potential range (ca. 200,mV) on all the electrodes presented in this work. For this reason, the quantifying of a peak is based on the derivative at the inflection point of only one of its branches (ascending or descending). All SASV measurements were carried out without removal of oxygen. [source] Enhancement of Anodic Response for DMSO at Ruthenium Oxide Film Electrodes as a Result of Doping with Iron(III)ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2 2003Brett Abstract The oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) is representative of numerous anodic oxygen-transfer reactions of organosulfur compounds that suffer from slow kinetics at noble metal electrodes. Anodic voltammetric data for DMSO are examined at various RuO2 -film electrodes prepared by thermal deposition on titanium substrates. The response for DMSO is slightly larger at RuO2 films prepared in a flame as compared with films prepared in a furnace; however, temperature is more easily controlled in the furnace. Doping of the RuO2 films with Fe(III) further improves the sensitivity of anodic response for DMSO. Optimal response is obtained at an Fe(III)-doped RuO2 -film electrode prepared using a deposition solution of 50,mM RuCl3 and 10,mM FeCl3 in a 1,:,1 mixture of isopropanol and 12,M HCl at an annealing temperature of 450,°C. The Levich plot (i vs. ,1/2) and Koutecky-Levich plot (1/i vs. 1/,1/2) of amperometric data for the oxidation of DMSO at an Fe(III)-doped RuO2 -film electrode configured as a rotated disk are consistent with an anodic response controlled by mass-transport processes at low rotational velocities. Flow injection data demonstrate that Fe(III)-doped RuO2 -film electrodes exhibit detection capability for methionine and cysteine in addition to DMSO. Detection limits for 100-,L injections of the three compounds are ca. 3.2×10,4,mM, i.e., ca. 32,pmol. [source] Red blood cell quantification microfluidic chip using polyelectrolytic gel electrodesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 9 2009Kwang Bok Kim Abstract This paper reports on a novel microfluidic chip with polyelectrolytic gel electrodes (PGEs) used to rapidly count the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in diluted whole blood. The proposed microdevice is based on the principle that the impedance across a microchannel between two PGEs varies sensitively as RBCs pass through it. The number and amplitude of impedance peaks provide the information about the number and size of RBCs, respectively. This system features a low-voltage dc detection method and non-contact condition between cells and metal electrodes. Major advantages include stable detection under varying cellular flow rate and position in the microchannel, little chance of cell damage due to high electric field gradient and no surface fouling of the metal electrodes. The performance of this PGEs-based system was evaluated in three steps. First, in order to observe the size-only dependence of the impedance signal, three different sizes of fluorescent microbeads (7.2, 10.0, and 15.0,,m; Bangs laboratories, USA) were used in the experiment. Second, the cell counting performance was evaluated by using 7.2,,m fluorescent microbeads, similar in size to RBCs, in various concentrations and comparing the results with an animal hematoanalyzer (MS 9-5; Melet schloesing laboratories, France). Finally, in human blood sample tests, intravenously collected whole blood was just diluted in a PBS without centrifuge or other pretreatments. The PGE-based system produced almost identical number of RBCs in over 800-fold diluted samples to the results from a commercialized human hematoanalyzer (HST-N402XE; Sysmex, Japan). [source] Optimization of Si NC/P3HT Hybrid Solar CellsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 13 2010Chin-Yi Liu Abstract Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) are shown to be an electron acceptor in hybrid solar cells combining Si NCs with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The effects of annealing and different metal electrodes on Si NC/P3HT hybrid solar cells are studied in this paper. After annealing at 150,°C, Si NC/P3HT solar cells exhibit power conversion efficiencies as high as 1.47%. The hole mobility in the P3HT phase extracted from space-charge-limited current measurements of hole-only devices increases from 2.48,×,10,10 to 1.11,×,10,9 m2 V,1 s,1 after annealing, resulting in better transport in the solar cells. A quenching of the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current is observed when high work function metals are deposited as the cathode on Si NC/P3HT hybrid devices. [source] Electronic Structure of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Au(111) Surfaces: The Impact of Backbone PolarizabilityADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 23 2009LinJun Wang Abstract Modifying metal electrodes with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has promising applications in organic and molecular electronics. The two key electronic parameters are the modification of the electrode work function because of SAM adsorption and the alignment of the SAM conducting states relative to the metal Fermi level. Through a comprehensive density-functional-theory study on a series of organic thiols self-assembled on Au(111), relationships between the electronic structure of the individual molecules (especially the backbone polarizability and its response to donor/acceptor substitutions) and the properties of the corresponding SAMs are described. The molecular backbone is found to significantly impacts the level alignment; for molecules with small ionization potentials, even Fermi-level pinning is observed. Nevertheless, independent of the backbone, polar head-group substitutions have no effect on the level alignment. For the work-function modification, the larger molecular dipole moments achieved when attaching donor/acceptor substituents to more polarizable backbones are largely compensated by increased depolarization in the SAMs. The main impact of the backbone on the work-function modification thus arises from its influence on the molecular orientation on the surface. This study provides a solid theoretical basis for the fundamental understanding of SAMs and significantly advances the understanding of structure,property relationships needed for the future development of functional organic interfaces. [source] Integration of a Rib Waveguide Distributed Feedback Structure into a Light-Emitting Polymer Field-Effect TransistorADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009Michael C. Gwinner Abstract Ambipolar light-emitting organic field-effect transistors (LEFETs) possess the ability to efficiently emit light due to charge recombination in the channel. Since the emission can be made to occur far from the metal electrodes, the LEFET structure has been proposed as a potential architecture for electrically pumped organic lasers. Here, a rib waveguide distributed feedback structure consisting of tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) integrated within the channel of a top gate/bottom contact LEFET based on poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene- alt -benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) is demonstrated. The emitted light is coupled efficiently into the resonant mode of the DFB waveguide when the recombination zone of the LEFET is placed directly above the waveguide ridge. This architecture provides strong mode confinement in two dimensions. Mode simulations are used to optimize the dielectric thickness and gate electrode material. It is shown that electrode absorption losses within the device can be eliminated and that the lasing threshold for optical pumping of the LEFET structure with all electrodes (4.5,µJ cm,2) is as low as that of reference devices without electrodes. These results enable quantitative judgement of the prospects for realizing an electrically pumped organic laser based on ambipolar LEFETs. The proposed device provides a powerful, low-loss architecture for integrating high-performance ambipolar organic semiconductor materials into electrically pumped lasing structures. [source] Simple Patterning via Adhesion between a Buffered-Oxide Etchant-Treated PDMS Stamp and a SiO2 Substrate,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 13 2007Y.-K. Kim Abstract A very simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pattern-transfer method is devised, called buffered-oxide etchant (BOE) printing. The mechanism of pattern transfer is investigated, by considering the strong adhesion between the BOE-treated PDMS and the SiO2 substrate. PDMS patterns from a few micrometers to sub-micrometer size are transferred to the SiO2 substrate by just pressing a stamp that has been immersed in BOE solution for a few minutes. The patterned PDMS layers work as perfect physical and chemical passivation layers in the fabrication of metal electrodes and V2O5 nanowire channels, respectively. Interestingly, a second stamping of the BOE-treated PDMS on the SiO2 substrate pre-patterned with metal as well as PDMS results in a selective transfer of the PDMS patterns only to the bare SiO2. In this way, the fabrication of a device structure consisting of two Au electrodes and V2O5 nanowire network channels is possible; non-ohmic semiconducting I,V characteristics, which can be modeled by serially connected percolation, are observed. [source] Single-Layer Pentacene Field-Effect Transistors Using Electrodes Modified With Self-assembled Monolayers,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 41 2009Kamal Asadi Pentacene field-effect transistor performance can be improved by modifying metal electrodes with self-assembled monolayers. The dominant role in performance is played by pentacene morphology rather than the work function of the modified electrodes. With optimized processing conditions, hysteresis-free transfer curves with very small switch-on voltages are obtained for single-monolayer pentacene active channels. [source] Multilayer Construction with Various Ceramic Films for Electronic Devices Fabricated by Aerosol DepositionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Hironori Hatono Aerosol deposition (AD) is applicable as a fabrication technology for microstructures comprising different materials. We used this method for electronic devices that consist of ceramic films and metal electrodes. Various ceramic thick films (5,50 ,m thickness), for example, Al2O3, 2MgO·SiO2, and BaTiO3, were deposited on substrates using room-temperature aerosol deposition. The dielectric constant of BaTiO3 was 78 at 1 MHz. Multilayer constructions with ceramic films and copper electrodes were obtained using aerosol deposition and sputtering. During deposition, photoresist film masks were applied to produce patterns of ceramic films and connections between upper and lower electrodes through the ceramic films. [source] All-Solution-Processed n-Type Organic Transistors Using a Spinning Metal Process,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 18 2005T.-W. Lee An all-solution-processed n-type transistor of soluble fullerene derivatives, based on a photosensitive organic silver precursor route to deposit source and drain metal electrodes, is reported (see Figure). The field-effect mobility of such devices is strongly dependent on the morphology of the spin-cast semiconducting thin film. The devices fabricated in this manner show a higher electron mobility than devices fabricated by vacuum-shadow deposition. [source] Preparation and self-assembly of polyaniline nanorods and their application as electroactive actuatorsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010Seong Hun Kim Abstract To improve the performance of ion-exchange polymer,metal composite (IPMC) actuators, an electrical pathway material for enhancing the surface adhesion between the membrane and the metal electrodes of the IPMC was studied. As an efficient electrical pathway material, polyaniline nanorods (PANI-NRs) doped with p -toluene sulfonic acid (TSA) were synthesized with a template-free method. The factors affecting polyaniline morphology were studied with various dopant concentrations and oxidant feeding rates. Highly conductive PANI-NRs were formed when they were synthesized with ammonium persulfate at a 5.0 mL/min oxidant feeding rate and doped with 0.125M TSA. The conductivity of the PANI-NRs was 1.15 × 10,1 S/cm, and their diameters and lengths were 120,180 nm and 0.6,2 ,m, respectively. To apply the membrane as an actuator, perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion)/PANI-NR blends were prepared by solution blending and casting. The actuating ability of the three-layered membrane consisting of Nafion/PANI-NR blends was then examined and compared with that of Nafion only. The actuating ability of the IPMC was improved when Nafion/PANI-NRs were used as electrical pathways. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with ultraviolet excitationJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 6-7 2005Xu-Feng Lin Abstract Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy excited with a UV laser was successfully developed and the UV,SER spectra of various adsorbates, including pyridine and SCN,, on different transition metal electrodes were obtained. The experimental requirements for obtaining UV,SERS in an electrochemical system are given. The surface enhancement factor of a roughened Rh electrode covered with thiocyanate as a model molecule was estimated to be about two orders of magnitude in the UV region, consistent with our preliminary theoretical calculation based on the electromagnetic model. The investigation of SERS in the UV region will improve the understanding of the SERS enhancement mechanism and broaden the research field of SERS in areas such as surface science and the life sciences. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Role of Length Scale on Pressure Increase and Yield of Poly(vinyl butyral),Barium Titanate,Platinum Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors during Binder BurnoutJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 11 2000Leo C.-K. The binder-burnout kinetics of poly(vinyl) butyral from BaTiO3 multilayer ceramic capacitors with platinum metal electrodes were analyzed by combining thermogravimetric analysis with infrared spectroscopy. The rate of weight loss was accelerated when both BaTiO3 and platinum metal were present, and the presence of both metal and ceramic enhanced the production of CO2. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined by analysis of the weight-loss data with a first-order kinetics model. Then, the decomposition kinetics were incorporated into a coupled heat- and mass-transport model to predict pressure increases as a function of the heating cycle. The heating cycles determined in this manner then were used to evaluate the yield of capacitors 1.3,3.8 cm long and 0.3,1.3 cm high. The optimum yield was realized at an aspect ratio (height:length) of 1:3. [source] Atomic study of molecular wires composed of thiophene oligomersPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 6 2007P. Bai Abstract In this paper, we study the electron conductance of thiophene oligomers based molecular wires through atomic structures using the first principles method based on density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function. The molecular wires are built by sandwiching various thiophene oligomers between two metal electrodes via terminal groups at atomic levels. The effects of alkyl substituents on the thiophene oligomers are modelled by varying inter-ring angles of the oligomers. Thiophene dimers, tetramers and hexamers are used to studied thiophene size effects. The projected orbitals, energy gaps, transmission functions and current,voltage characteristics of the molecular wires are calculated and analyzed. Results show that the molecular wires with the planar structures of thiophene oligomers have larger electron transmission functions, hence better electronic conductance than those with twist structures. The conductance of molecular wires decreases when the chain length of the thiophene oligomer increases. The results can provide guidance for design of thiophene molecular electronic wires and other devices. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] FIB fabrication of ZnO nanotetrapod and cross-sensorPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2010Lee Chow Abstract This article presents the fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanotetrapod and cross-nanorods-based sensors. This low-dimensional device is made in a focused ion beam set-up by using nanodeposition for metal electrodes. The gas response of the sensor based on an individual zinc oxide nanotetrapod and on crossed ZnO nanorod for detection of ultraviolet (UV) light and hydrogen at room temperature is presented. It is shown that ZnO tetrapod has potential application as UV and as chemical sensor with multi-terminal construction. The chemisorbed gas molecules on the ZnO surface can extract or donate electrons to ZnO and this effect was used to monitor the electrical resistance values change of the tetrapod sensor. ZnO tetrapod sensor demonstrates sensitivity and selectivity in resistance upon exposure to UV light, H2, O2, NH3, CO, CO2, and LPG gas. The resistivity change is different for UV and for H2 gas sensing. The presented ZnO sensor proves to be promising for application in various processes. [source] Control of composition and structure of ferroelectric oxide thin films grown by pulsed laser depositionPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 10 2008Maryline Guilloux-Viry Abstract SrBi2Nb2O9 and KTa1,xNbxO3 high quality thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition. An accurate optimization of deposition conditions is a prerequisite for the control of composition, mainly according to the high volatility of Bi and K. In order to take benefit of the ferroelectric characteristics for new microelectronic devices, thin films were epitaxially grown on various substrates and seed layers adapted to application requirements. For that purpose metal electrodes and ferroelectric oxides were associated in a planar capacitor geometry or in a coplanar configuration depending on the targeted applications. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Fabrication of Nanoelectrodes and Metal Clusters by ElectrodepositionCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 13 2010Jeyavel Velmurugan Abstract Most nanometer-sized electrodes reported to date are made from either Pt or Au. For technical reasons, it is difficult to make nanoelectrodes from many other metals (e.g. Hg) by heat-sealing microwires into glass capillaries or by other established techniques. Such nanoelectrodes can be useful for a wide range of analytical and physicochemical applications from high sensitivity stripping analysis (Hg) to pH nano-sensors to studies of electrocatalysis. In this paper, nanometer-sized metal electrodes are prepared by electrodeposition of Hg or Pt on disk-type, polished or recessed nanoelectrodes. The deposition of Hg is monitored chronoamperometrically to produce near-hemispherical electrodes, which are characterized by voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The well-shaped deposits of a solid metal (Pt) at Au nanoelectrodes are prepared and imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Catalytic metal clusters can also be prepared using this methodology. Electrodes with the metal surface flush with glass insulator, most suitable for quantitative voltammetric and SECM experiments are fabricated by electrodeposition of a metal inside an etched nanocavity. [source] |