National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

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838 articles found

661. Short-circuit photocurrent in epitaxial lead zirconate-titanate thin films

Authors: Pintilie, L; Vrejoiu, I; Rhun, GL; Alexe, M

Published: MAR 15 2007, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 101, DOI: 10.1063/1.2560217

Photovoltaic properties of the metal-ferroelectric-metal structures, having SrRuO3 metal oxide electrodes and Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 (PZT) as ferroelectric layer, are investigated by the short-circuit photocurrent (SC-PHC) in the 200-800 nm wavelength domain. The band-gap dependence on the Zr content was determined from the spectral distribution of the SC-PHC signal. It was found that the band-gap value increases linearly with the Zr content, from about 3.9 eV to about 4.4 eV. It is shown that the sign and the magnitude of the signal depend on the internal bias and on the spontaneous polarization direction and value. The photocurrent describes a hysteresis loop similar to that of the ferroelectric polarization and can be used as a nondestructive readout of the nonvolatile memories based on PZT films. The existence of a significant SC-PHC signal at wavelengths corresponding to subgap energies is attributed to the presence of charged, deep levels in the forbidden band. It is also shown that the epitaxial PZT films have the potential for solid-state UV detectors, with current responsivity as high as 1 mA/W. The results are not entirely consistent with a bulk photovoltaic effect and are discussed in the frame of a Schottky barrier model for the metal-ferroelectric interface. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

662. Ferroelectric polarization-leakage current relation in high quality epitaxial Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3 films

Authors: Pintilie, L; Vrejoiu, I; Hesse, D; LeRhun, G; Alexe, M

Published: MAR 2007, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 75, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.104103

Leakage current measurements were performed on epitaxial, single-crystal quality Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 films with thicknesses in the 50-300 nm range. It was found that the voltage behavior of the leakage current has a minor dependence on thickness, which rules out the space-charge limited currents as main leakage source. Temperature-dependent measurements were performed to obtain more information on the transport mechanism through the metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) structure. The results are analyzed in the frame of interface-controlled Schottky emission. A surprisingly low value of only 0.12-0.13 eV was obtained for the potential barrier, which is much smaller than the reported value of 0.87 eV [I. Stolichnov , Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 1790 (1999)]. The result is explained by the effect of the ferroelectric polarization on the potential barrier height. The low value of the effective Richardson constant, of the order of 10(-7)-10(-6) A/cm(2) K-2, suggests that the pure thermionic emission is not the adequate conduction mechanism for epitaxial MFM structures. The true mechanism might be interface-controlled injection, followed by a low mobility drift through the film volume.

663. Localized energy levels generated in Magnetic Czochralski silicon by proton irradiation and their influence on the sign of space charge density

Authors: Scaringella, M; Menichelli, D; Bruzzi, M; Macchiolo, A; Piemonte, C; Zorzi, N; Candelori, A; Eremin, V; Verbitskaya, E; Pintilie, I

Published: JAN 11 2007, NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 570, 329, DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2006.09.033

The microscopic damage produced in diodes made of n-type Magnetic Czochralski (MCz) silicon by 24 GeV and 26 MeV protons, up to the fluence of 1.3 x 10(15) cm(-2) 1 MeV equivalent neutrons, has been investigated and results are compared to the damage produced in devices made of standard Floating Zone (STFZ) silicon. It is found by means of Thermally Stimulated Currents (TSC) that the production of a radiation induced charged defect is enhanced in MCz, and might be in part responsible for the differences observed in the two materials at room temperature. The influence of defects on the sign of the space charge density has been studied by current transients at constant temperature i(T, t) and by Transient Current Technique (TCT). Type inversion is not revealed up to the highest investigated fluence. Full depletion voltage V-dep measurements versus fluence exhibits a minimum close to 2 x 10(14) cm(-2) 1 MeV equivalent neutrons; at the same fluence, V-dep measured as a function of annealing time changes its initial slope from positive to negative. It is shown by numerical simulations that these features can be accounted by the formation of a double junction, even in absence of type inversion. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

664. Temperature dependence of the main piezoelectric parameters of a Nb-Li doped PZT ceramic

Authors: Miclea, C; Tanasoiu, C; Amarande, L; Cioangher, M; Trupina, L; Miclea, CT; David, C

Published: 2007, 2006 INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CONFERENCE, VOLS 1 AND 2, +, DOI:

A study was made on the temperature behavior of the main piezoelectric parameters, namely the electromechanical coupling factor k(p), the mechanical quality factor Q, the dielectric permittivity (real and imaginary part), the loss tangent t(g) and the piezoelectric charge constants 6133 and d(31) of a soft type piezoelectric material. It was evidenced that temperatures under 150 degrees C do not influence these parameters, which means that every transducer made from this type of material may be successfully used up to this temperature. Between 150 degrees C and 250 degrees C, the piezoelectric properties undergo more or less important changes, mainly due to the depoling effect. After that, at temperatures over 250 degrees C, they degrade very rapidly, tending to zero.

665. Sintering behavior of hard-soft PZT-Type composite ceramics

Authors: Miclea, C; Tanasoiu, C; Miclea, CF; Spanulescu, I; Trupina, L; Cioangher, M; Miclea, CT

Published: 2007, FERROELECTRICS, 351, 186, DOI: 10.1080/00150190701354265

Functionally graded materials represent a new class of composite type materials characterized by a continuous variation of properties through the thickness direction. Due to this they found numerous applications in aerospace, automobile, biomedical or nuclear industries. Bilayered structures made from typically hard and typically soft PZT type materials as well as plain hard and soft and intimately mixed hard and soft samples were prepared by green pressed powdersfollowed by sintering at different temperatures between 1000 and 1300 degrees C. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of sintered compacts were determined in relation with the nature of the interdiffusion layer involved. Electron microscopy as well as X-Ray diffractometry was used to get an insight into the interfacial diffusion process. The composition and the width of the interdiffusion layer depend on temperature. The mechanism of the interdiffusion layer and materials properties were discussed in terms of the ionic diffusion coefficients and activation energies of the species which take place into the diffusion process.

666. Barium strontium titanate-based perovskite materials for microwave applications

Authors: Ioachim, A; Toacsan, MI; Banciu, MG; Nedelcu, L; Vasiliu, F; Alexandru, HV; Berbecaru, C; Stoica, G

Published: 2007, PROGRESS IN SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY, 35, 520, DOI: 10.1016/j.progsolidstchem.2007.01.017

Ba1-xSrxTiO3 solid solutions were prepared by solid-state reaction from raw materials. Four compositions with x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 0.90 have been investigated. The perovskite type and polycrystalline structure of the BST samples were revealed by X-ray diffraction data. The morphology, grain size distribution, porous structure and elemental composition of the sintered ceramics were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis. The temperature dependence of permittivity and of dielectric loss tangent at low frequency (1 kHz) showed decrease of Curie temperature with increase of Sr content. Microwave measurements (1 GHz) showed substantial decrease of the dielectric constant from about 1600 to 200 and also of the losses from 12% to less than 2% with the Sr concentration increase from x = 0.25 to x = 0.90. Moreover, the addition of MgO and MnO2 1 wt.% each, improved sintering process and lowered the microwave losses up to 0.2%. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

667. Dielectric properties of fine grains barium titanate ceramics prepared by mechanochemical synthesis

Authors: Miclea, C; Tanasoiu, C; Spanulescu, I; Miclea, CF; Gheorghiu, A; Amarande, L; Cioangher, M

Published: 2007, 2006 INTERNATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CONFERENCE, VOLS 1 AND 2, +, DOI:

Barium titanate was prepared by the advanced procedure of mechanochemical synthesis from barium and titanium oxides after 50 hours of milling. The X-ray examination of the milled powders showed the phase evolution during synthesis and the perovskite phase was initiated after 5 hours and was completed after 50 hours. Sintered samples from these nanopowders show different dielectric properties for fine and coarse grained ceramics. Samples with an average grain size of 2 mu m showed the highest dielectric constant of 5800 at room temperature. A sharp maximum of the dielectric constant with values of about 16000 was recorded at the Curie temperature.

668. Effect of the sintering temperature on the Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O-3 dielectric properties

Authors: Ioachim, A; Toacsan, MI; Banciu, MG; Nedelcu, L; Dutu, CA; Feder, M; Plapcianu, C; Lifei, F; Nita, P

Published: 2007, JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, 27, 1122, DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2006.05.023

Preparation of dielectric materials with optimal properties for wireless applications requires special thermal treatments due to the difficult control of the cationic ordering. The BZT samples prepared by solid-state reaction were sintered at temperatures in the range 1400-1600 degrees C for 4 h. For compositional, structural and morphological characterization, XRD, SEM and EDX were employed. The order-disorder transition of the BZT material was analyzed. With the increase of the sintering temperature, a long-range order with a 2:1 ratio of Ta and Zn cations on the octahedral positions of the perovskite structure was observed. The dielectric parameters were measured in the microwave range and were correlated with morphological and structural properties. In order to improve the microwave properties, annealing treatment at 1400 degrees C for 10 h was performed. Sintering temperatures greater than 1550 degrees C are required for undoped BZT compositions, in order to obtain low microwave loss (Qf > 100,000). (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

669. A. comparative study of micro crystalline and nanocrystalline lead sulfide based PbS/SiO2/Si heterostructures

Authors: Stancu, V; Pentia, E; Goldenblum, A; Buda, M; Iordache, G; Botila, T

Published: 2007, ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 10, 66, DOI:

The PbS micro-crystalline and nano-crystalline films were obtained using the Chemical Bath Deposition method. We investigated comparatively the structural, electrical and photoconductive properties of these films deposited on glass. PbS/SiO2/Si heterostructures made with nanocrystalline PbS layers present interesting peculiarities. Their C-V curves show hysterezis. In a field effect arrangement it is possible to control the photoconductive short and long wavelength ratio response. The heterostructure properties were explained by taking into account the interface charged traps.

670. Thermal treatments effects on microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O-3 ceramics

Authors: Ioachim, A; Toacsan, MI; Nedelcu, L; Banciu, MG; Dutu, CA; Andronescu, E; Jinga, S

Published: 2007, ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 10, 268, DOI:

Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O-3 dielectric materials were prepared by solid state reaction. The samples were sintered at temperatures in the range 1 400 divided by 1 600 degrees C for 4 h. Morphostructural characterization was performed by using SEM and XRD. The dielectric properties were measured in the microwave range (6 divided by 7 GHz). An additional annealing at 1 400 degrees C for 10 hours was performed in order to improve the dielectric parameters. The best parameters were achieved for the samples sintered at 1 600 degrees C with additional thermal treatment.