National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Radio-frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (in different methane dilutions) was used to synthesize adherent and haemocompatible diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on medical grade titanium substrates. The improvement of the adherence has been achieved by interposing a functional buffer layer with graded composition TixTiC1-x (x = 0-1) synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. Bonding strength values of up to similar to 67 MPa have been measured by pull-out tests. Films with different sp(3)/sp(2) ratio have been obtained by changing the methane concentration in the deposition chamber. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were employed for the physical-chemical characterization of the samples. The highest concentration of sp(3)-C (similar to 87 %), corresponding to a lower DLC surface energy (28.7 mJ/m(2) ), was deposited in a pure methane atmosphere. The biological response of the DLC films was assayed by a state-of-the-art biological analysis method (surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectroscopy), in conjunction with other dedicated testing techniques: Western blot and partial thromboplastin time. The data support a cause-effect relationship between sp(3)-C content, surface energy and coagulation time, as well as between platelet-surface adherence properties and protein adsorption profiles.

A high-performance polymeric nanostructured sensing layer for a surface acoustic wave sensor, deposited using a modified matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation direct write technique, exhibited improved performance in terms of response time and frequency deviation. In the present work, we assessed the factors and mechanisms that account for the layer's increased sensing capabilities. The increase in the sensing performance was attributed to an increased diffusion constant, due to greater molecular mobility of polymeric chains caused by the nanoparticles embedded in the polymer matrix.

This paper analyses in detail the core levels evolution of Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3, i.e. Pb 4f, Zr 3d, Ti 2p, O 1s in various conditions: absolutely freshly prepared sample, sample stored under air, and the effects of in vacuum annealing. The aim of the study is to quantify separately the chemical reactivity at the surface and the band bending effects due to the ferroelectric polarization. It is found that freshly prepared samples present mostly inwards (down arrow) polarization. This phenomenon is mostly revealed by the Ti 2p and O 1s spectra, manifested as a distinct component with 1.8 eV lower binding energy in the O 1s binding energy and by 1.1 eV in the Ti 2p binding energy. Sample aging under air suppresses the inwards polarization, and most signal comes from surfaces not presenting ferroelectric permanent polarization perpendicular to the sample surface. This process conducts also to the formation of Pb(CO3)(2) on the surface. Annealing to temperatures up to 400 degrees C stabilizes a surface composed by a main part of surface without polarization perpendicular to the surface, and with some areas presenting outwards (up arrow) polarization. These areas have, most probably, different terminations, the polarized area being (Ti,Zr)O-2 terminated. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Double perovskite Sr2FeMoO6 was prepared by two ways consisting in sol gel technique and solid-state reaction method. The resulting powders from gel and mixed oxides precursors showed microstructures consisting of very fine grains (0.5-0.8 mu m) and a crystalline perovskite structure. The structural and microstructural properties of the double perovskite Sr2FeMoO6 powders as-prepared and ceramics were compared. Tetragonal Sr2FeMoO6 pellets were prepared from the two powders by spark plasma sintering at: 1000, 1100 and 1200 degrees C and then annealing at 1200 degrees C, 2 h in 5%H-2/Ar. The pellets presented different magnetic characteristics. The saturation magnetization of the samples prepared by sol-gel is close to those prepared by conventional synthesis method. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This work presents a systematic investigation by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the mechanisms of interface formation and band bending for Au/Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 (PZT) layers grown on SrTiO3(001) with a SrRuO3 buffer layer, as function on the initial state of the PZT surface. After isolating the chemical effects, such as the formation of metal Pb at some surfaces, the evolution of the core levels with Au deposition allows one to simultaneously investigate the Schottky barrier formation and the built-in potential effects (charging induced by the static ferroelectric polarization). Areas of the sample with outwards P(+) and no polarization perpendicular to the surface P-(0) are identified for all samples. Only the freshly prepared sample exhibited inward polarization areas P(-). The built-in potential is on the order of 0.9 eV, while the Schottky band bending ranges from 0.2 to 0.6 eV towards lower absolute energies, therefore indicating that the work function of PZT exceeds that of Au deposited. We report also a chemically differentiate value of the built-in potential, manifested by a preferential distribution of the charge accumulated at the surface on Ti and O atoms. The O 1s and Ti 2p core levels manifest quite strong variations with the Au thickness for freshly prepared samples, resulting in shifts on the order of 2 eV towards lower binding energies. Au deposited on areas with an outward polarization is positively charged by the same potential as atoms from the PZT film (0.8-0.9 eV), whereas Au deposited on areas with an inward polarization forms a continuous grounded layer, which progressively pumps the accumulated charge and removes the polarization of these areas. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

As-grown n-4H-SiC/SiO2 capacitors exhibit anomalous capacitance-vs.-voltage (C-V) characteristics at low temperatures. Abrupt minima appear in the C-V curves at specific values of the gate voltages independent of the sample temperature, strongly suggesting the presence of resonant electron tunneling. We put forward a qualitative model where neutral donor states present at the SiC/SiO2 interface enable electron tunneling into distinct energy levels in the oxide. Numerical simulations based on this model show close agreement with the anomalous C-V characteristics observed experimentally. The model implies that under given conditions, i.e., the existence of a sufficient density of neutral donors at the semiconductor/oxide interface and empty electron states in the oxide layer, abrupt minima are in general to be expected during C-V measurements of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Electric and magnetic properties of symmetric and asymmetric Pb(Zr-0.2 Ti-0.8)O-3-CoFe2O4 (PZT/CFO) heterostructures, grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (100) substrates with a 25 nm SrRuO3 (SRO) buffer layer as bottom electrode, were investigated by using hysteresis and capacitance measurements. X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy investigations reveal the high quality crystalline structure and the epitaxial relationship between SRO, PZT and CFO. The electric polarization-voltage hysteresis reveals that the remnant polarization and the coercive field are significantly affected by the CFO layer. The frequency dependence of capacitance suggests a Maxwell-Wagner type relaxation at low frequencies and is also affected by the presence of the PZT/CFO interface(s). The magnetic hysteresis measurements infer the possible presence of another spinel phase (Co3O4) in the CFO film, due to the lattice mismatch at the PZT/CFO interfaces, and with direct influence on the magnetic response of the structure. According to the electric and magnetic characterization, better room temperature multiferroic properties would be expected for the symmetric heterostructure. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B. V.

The paper investigates the dependence of the optical properties on cation concentration of amorphous-like indium gallium zinc oxide thin films (Inx-wGawZn1-xO1+0.5x-delta) with various (In + Ga)/(In + Ga + Zn) and Ga/(In + Ga) ratios obtained by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray reflectivity and spectroscopic ellipsometry thickness results were in good agreement. The proportionality between density and the refractive index in the transparency range is evidenced. The extracted physical parameters are clearly influenced by the variation of cation concentration. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Bioglasses (BG) are the inorganic materials exhibiting the highest indices of bioactivity. Their appliance as films for bio-functionalization of metallic implant surfaces has been regarded as an optimal solution for surpassing their limited bulk mechanical properties. This study reports on magnetron sputtering of alkali-free BG thin films by varying the target-to-substrate working distance, which proved to play an important role in determining the films' properties. Post deposition heat-treatments at temperatures slightly above the glass transformation temperature were then applied to induce inter-diffusion processes at the BG/titanium substrate interface and strengthening the bonding as determined by pull-out adherence measurements. The morphological and structural features assessed by SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR revealed a good correlation between the formations of inter-metallic titanium silicide phases and the films' bonding strength. The highest mean value of pull-out adherence (60.3 +/- 4.6 MPa), which is adequate even for load-bearing biomedical applications, was recorded for films deposited at a working distance of 35 mm followed by a heat-treatment at 750 degrees C for 2 h in air. The experimental findings are explained on the basis of structural, compositional and thermodynamic considerations. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We study the ternary clathrate Pr3Pd20Si6 in specific heat and ac susceptibility measurements on a high-quality single crystal, distinguishing antiferromagnetic and antiferroquadrupolar ordering, as well as a hitherto unknown magnetic low-temperature transition. The specific heat shows the direct involvement of nuclear spin degrees of freedom in the antiferromagnetic ordering, which is well supported by our calculation of the hyperfine level scheme without adjustable parameters. Pr3Pd20Si6 is, therefore, one of the rare materials where the nuclear moments are involved in the formation of the magnetic ground state.