National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Publications

830 articles found

391. Thermally activated conversion of a silicate gel to an oxyfluoride glass ceramic: Optical study using Eu3+ probe ion

Authors: Secu, CE; Bartha, C; Polosan, S; Secu, M

Published: FEB 2014, JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE, 146, 543, DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2013.10.013

Sol-gel route using metal alkoxides precursor and trifluoroacetic acid as in situ fluorination reagent has been used to prepare Eu3+ -doped silicate xerogel, followed by thermal annealing to obtain oxyfluoride glass ceramic containing Eu3+ -doped BaF2 nanocrystals. We have used Eu3+ as probe ion and we analyzed its characteristic features (photoluminescence, optical absorption and magnetic circular dichroism) to get information about the local environment around the ion during thermally activated evolution of the sol to xerogel and then glass ceramic. As the drying and annealing proceeds silica network is formed accompanied by precipitation of the nanofluoride crystalline phase; Eu3+ coordination changes gradually from a random and assymetric CF3COO- one (in the sol) to a symmetric one (in the BaF2 nanocrystals) given by the fluorine ions. Glass ceramization is based on a homogenous crystallization mechanism with BaF2 nucleation centres resulted from thermal decomposition of Ba-trifluoacetate at around 300 degrees C followed by subsequent growth into BaF2 nanocrystals above 600 degrees C; Eu3+-ions are incorporated during the nanocrystals growth. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

392. Laser synthesis of nanometric iron oxide films for thermo-sensing applications

Authors: Serban, N; Ristoscu, C; Socol, G; Stefan, N; Mihailescu, CN; Socol, M; Mulenko, SA; Petrov, YN; Gorbachuk, NT; Mihailescu, IN

Published: FEB 2014, MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN, 50, 154, DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2013.10.042

KrF* excimer laser pulses of 248 nm were used for the synthesis of nanometric iron oxide films with variable thickness, stoichiometry and electrical properties. Film deposition was carried out on <1 0 0> Si and SiO2 substrates. The number of laser pulses was increased from 4000 to 6000, while ambient reactive oxygen pressure varied from 0.1 to 1.0 Pa. The film thickness depends on oxygen pressure, number of laser pulses and substrate nature. All films demonstrated semiconducting temperature behaviour with variable band gap (E-g) depending on oxygen pressure, substrate nature and temperature. Eg value was less than 1.0 eV for all deposited films. XRD analysis evidenced that films deposited on Si substrate have polycrystalline structure, while films deposited on SiO2 were amorphous. The higher oxygen pressure, the lower crystallinity of the deposited film was observed, resulting in change of thermo electromotive force coefficient (S) value. For larger substrate temperature, a better crystallization was observed in the deposited films, resulting in increased S coefficient value. The largest value of the S coefficient was about 8.7 mV/K in the range 290-295 K and it decreased to 1.0-1.6 mV/K when heating temperature changed from 240 to 330 K. The figure of merit of deposited structures was ZT = 3-6 in the range 240-330 K with a maximum of 12 at 300-304 K. We have shown that thermo-sensing characteristics of the films strongly depend on their electrical and structural properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

393. Photoluminescence of Eu-doped LiYF4 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition and matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation

Authors: Stokker-Cheregi, F; Matei, A; Dinescu, M; Secu, CE; Secu, M

Published: JAN 29 2014, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS, 47, DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/47/4/045304

Matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) has been investigated as an alternative to the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for Eu3+-doped crystalline LiYF4 thin-films deposition. MAPLE assumes laser ablation of a frozen target made of the material of interest diluted in a solvent, rather than that of a bulk target, of either pressed powder or single crystal, used in the case of PLD. Our approach stems from the assumption that laser ablation of a frozen dilute target would result in thin films with improved morphology, as compared to PLD. Indeed, we find that roughness values of samples obtained by the MAPLE technique are four times lower than in the case of PLD. A lower transmittance was noticed for PLD obtained layers with respect to those grown by MAPLE due to strong scattering of light by the morphological defects. Photoluminescence spectra are showing characteristic Eu3+-ion luminescence bands at 578, 591, 612, 650 and 698 nm (D-5(0) -> F-7(J)); crystal field splitting of the bands indicates dopant ions incorporation in the host material during transfer by either PLD or MAPLE.

394. Synthesis and Raman scattering of multiferroic Fe-Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3 core-shell wire arrays

Authors: Baibarac, M; Sima, M; Matei, E; Pasuk, I; Mihut, L

Published: JAN 2014, PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, 211, 205, DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201330062

A new method to fabricate an Fe-PZT core-shell wire arrays developed in three steps is reported in this paper. This involves the electrochemical growth of an iron wire array by template method, deposition by spin coating of the PZT precursor prepared by sol-gel technique on the iron wires surface and annealing treatment to obtain Fe-PZT core-shell structures. The structure of the Fe-PZT core-shell wire array was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman scattering. Raman lines situated at 372 and 575cm(-1) indicate the formation of the FeO particles on the Fe wires surface as a result of the use of an aqueous solution for electrochemical synthesis. An upshift of Raman lines of Fe decorated with FeO wires was observed after formation of Fe-PZT core-shell structure. The annealing treatment of this structure involves a partial transformation of the FeO into Fe2O3 particles both with structure rhombohedral and cubic that were evidenced by Raman lines peaked at 243 and 497cm(-1), respectively. (C) 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

395. OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SULPHUR-PASSIVATED n-GaAs (100) SURFACE

Authors: Ghita, RV; Grigorescu, CEA; Secu, M; Predoi, D; Frumosu, F; Cotirlan, C; Feraru, ID

Published: OCT-DEC 2014, DIGEST JOURNAL OF NANOMATERIALS AND BIOSTRUCTURES, 9, 1478, DOI:

A genuine GaAs surface is covered with a relatively thick layer (similar to 10 nm) of native oxide pinning the surface Fermi level within the band gap of semiconductor. The method presented in this work is related to the sulphur passivation by treating n-GaAs(100) and (110) in sulphide solutions (e.g pure ammonium sulphide and sulphur monochloride) that combines both chemical electronic passivation by reducing the surface state density. The effects of passivation were put into evidence by Photoluminescence measurements where it was observed the variation of state density. The presence of sulphur dipoles at surface was presented in a diagram of Second Harmonic Generation analysis and the general aspect of sulphur compound was identified by SEM images. The presence of the covalent bond Ga-S and the variation of surface barrier as well as the effect of crystal orientation were put into evidence by micro-Raman Spectroscopy. At the surface of n-GaAs it is developed an adherent layer of sulphur compound as a resul of chemical interaction of sulphur ions with n-GaAs surface.

396. COVERING OBLIQUELY DEPOSITED SiOx WITH POLYVINYL CARBAZOLE CHANGES THE ORIENTATION PROPERTIES

Authors: Frunza, S; Zgura, I; Frunza, L; Rasoga, O; Gheorghe, P; Petris, A; Vlad, VI

Published: 2014, ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS, 59, 744, DOI:

Alignment layers of polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) were obtained by withdrawing from different solutions in toluene onto glass plates having SiOx layers obliquely evaporated in vacuum at 82 degrees. The alignment direction of nematic liquid crystal molecules with cyan-end group imposed by bare SiOx layers is changed when these layers are coated with PVK; the same happens with over layers of polyvinylimidazole or of polyvinylcinnamate. The effect is inhibited by doping PVK with fullerene C60 (0.1%), when the liquid crystal orientation specific for bare SiOx obliquely evaporated substrates is obtained. Other nematic (with methoxy-end group) does not show change of the orientation properties by covering the SiOx obliquely deposited layers with the mentioned polymer over layers.

397. Self-organization and Size Effects in Amorphous Silicon

Authors: Popescu, M; Sava, F; Velea, A

Published: 2014, SIZE EFFECTS IN NANOSTRUCTURES: BASICS AND APPLICATIONS, 205, 45, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44479-5_2

Self-organization and size effects in amorphous silicon have been investigated by modelling of the structure at nanoscale. The size effect related to the disorder in silicon is treated by the free energy balance in nanometric clusters using valence force field theory. The computed structural and energetical parameters of three continuous random network (CRN) models of amorphous silicon with 2,052, 156 and 155 atoms are compared with the experimental values. In order to show the importance of the interfaces between different a-Si clusters, two networks of 200 and 205 atoms were modelled separately and then linked using an amorphous and a crystalline interface. Also the voids in the a-Si clusters are investigated.

398. POLYESTER FABRICS COVERED WITH ZNO PARTICLES: PARTICLE INTERACTION WITH THE SURFACE SHOWN BY DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES

Authors: Ganea, CP; Frunza, L; Zgura, I; Preda, N; Matei, E; Frunza, S

Published: OCT-DEC 2014, DIGEST JOURNAL OF NANOMATERIALS AND BIOSTRUCTURES, 9, 1503, DOI:

Polyester fabrics modified with ZnO particles by electroless deposition were investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy in a parallel capacitor between 10(-2) and 10(7) Hz in a temperature interval from ca. 123 to 473 K. Textile samples were routinely characterized for the structure and interaction of the ZnO particles with the fiber surface. Since a textile fabric material is a mixture of air and fibers, the parameters taken into consideration should be called as effective ones. The deposition of ZnO particles lead to complex dielectric spectra and to the temperature dependence of the decomposed peaks following Arrhenius law.

399. Zinc Oxide and Polysaccharides: Promising Candidates for Functional Nanomaterials

Authors: Preda, N; Enculescu, M; Zgura, I; Socol, M; Florica, C; Evanghelidis, A; Matei, E; Enculescu, I

Published: 2014, SIZE EFFECTS IN NANOSTRUCTURES: BASICS AND APPLICATIONS, 205, 136, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44479-5_5

Recently, ZnO and natural polysaccharides have received more and more attention as interesting components for designing complex functional nanomaterials, key elements being their high occurrence and low-cost. In this chapter are presented possibilities for tailoring the ZnO properties by using polysaccharides in the synthesis process as well as reports on the functionalization of cellulose-based natural fabrics with ZnO. In both cases, in the preparation step were used only simple and scalable wet chemical methods. The resulting materials with suitable characteristics, e.g. dependence of the ZnO nanostructures optical properties on their morphology or high-UV blocking and superhydrophobicity for ZnO-functionalized fabrics, can find applications in domains where such qualities are required.

400. Polyester fabrics coated with SiOx nanoparticles by vacuum deposition at small angle. Structural characterization and wetting properties

Authors: Frunza, L; Zgura, I; Enculescu, M; Frunza, S; Ganea, CP; Rasoga, O; Cotorobai, F; Dorogan, A

Published: JAN-FEB 2014, JOURNAL OF OPTOELECTRONICS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS, 16, 181, DOI:

Vacuum deposition at small angle was successfully applied in deposition of SiOx particles onto polyester textile materials; this deposition is here presented in comparison with that upon other materials made from poly(lactic acid), polyamide or hemp. Structural and spectroscopic characterization of deposited samples has been performed and compared with that of the raw materials. The deposited particles are amorphous. Contact angle measurement by the sessile drop method, was used to study the wettability behavior of the investigated composite systems. The hierarchical roughness structure generates hydrophylic properties onto polyester fabrics and the other functionalized samples after deposition. The deposition technique was proven to be highly reproducible, easy scalable and cheap, allowing a wide range of applications.