National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Publications

847 articles found

571. Structural and electrical properties of yttrium-doped ceria ceramic composites

Authors: Ionascu, AM; Mercioniu, I; Notingher, PV; Popescu-Pogrion, N

Published: JUL 2011, OPTOELECTRONICS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS-RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, 5, 777, DOI:

The attractive properties of Yttria doped ceria, particularly the structural and material properties, have led to vast research efforts to investigate and develop such materials. One of the main applications of this ceramic is in the IT-SOFC. The aim of this paper is the preparation and characterization of Y doped Ceria and low doped alpha-Al2O3, a new composite for IT-SOFC (10 mol %) Y:CeO2 and (150 ppm) Y:alpha-Al2O3 composite were obtained by sol-gel or mechanical route for 10YDC and 150 Y:alpha-Al2O3. Shapes, size distributions and the mean of grains were determined by SEM, EDX and statistical investigations.

572. Solid-state synthesis and spark plasma sintering of SrZrO3 ceramics

Authors: Popescu, B; Enache, S; Ghica, C; Valeanu, M

Published: JUN 2 2011, JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, 509, 6399, DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.03.009

SrZrO3 powders are obtained by solid state reaction from SrCO3 and ZrO2 precursors, without involving intermediate calcination and grinding steps. The resulted powders are essentially within a single phase, with sub-micron average crystallite size. Pellets of these powders show a relatively poor sintering behavior, when fired up to 1600 degrees C. Alternatively, spark plasma sintering technique is used in order to obtain nearly 100% dense samples at the expense of excessive grain coarsening (i.e., up to 5 mu m in diameter). Crystalline structure, composition and morphology of the specimens obtained in this work are investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

573. Accurate determination of the spin Hamiltonian parameters for Mn2+ ions in cubic ZnS nanocrystals by multifrequency EPR spectra analysis

Authors: Stefan, M; Nistor, SV; Barascu, JN

Published: JUN 2011, JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE, 210, 209, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2011.03.004

Accurate determination of the spin Hamiltonian (SH) parameters, describing the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of paramagnetic impurity ions in wide band gap semiconductor nanocrystals, is essential for determining their localization and quantum properties. Here we present a procedure, based on publicly available software, for determining with higher accuracy the SH parameters of isolated Mn2+ impurity ions in small cubic ZnS nanocrystals. The procedure, which can be applied to other cubic II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals as well, is based on the analysis of both low and high frequency EPR spectra with line shape simulation and fitting computing programs, which include the hyperfine forbidden transitions and line broadening effects. The difficulties, limitations and errors which can affect the accuracy in determining some of the SH parameters are also discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

574. Numerical analysis of J-V characteristics of a polymer solar cell

Authors: Mitroi, MR; Iancu, V; Fara, L; Ciurea, ML

Published: MAY 2011, PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS, 19, 306, DOI: 10.1002/pip.1026

A numerical method to determine the cell parameters from the analysis of the J-V characteristics of a polymer solar cell is proposed. This method uses the equations given by the diode model, experimental data from the literature, and an adequate fitting procedure with seven fit parameters. Different aspects of the obtained results are discussed. Information concerning cell design optimization is also obtained. The method is of general application in the field of polymer solar cells, as well as to any kind of diode-like cell. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

575. Characterization of martensitic transformation in some Ni-Fe-Co-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Authors: Tolea, F; Sofronie, M; Ghica, C; Valeanu, M

Published: MAY 2011, OPTOELECTRONICS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS-RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, 5, 566, DOI:

The martensitic transformation characteristics in two series of cobalt substituted Ni-Fe-Ga Ferromagnetic Shape Memory alloys have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity and thermomagnetic measurements. Co substitution for Fe or Ni promotes an increase of the Curie temperatures but the changes of the martensitic transformation temperatures are in agreement with the valence electron concentration and unit cell volume variations. A large hysteresis observed between cooling and heating curves as feature of a first order phase transition was evidenced by r(T) and thermomagnetic measurements.

576. Influence of humidity on CO sensing with p-type CuO thick film gas sensors

Authors: Hubner, M; Simion, CE; Tomescu-Stanoiu, A; Pokhrel, S; Barsan, N; Weimar, U

Published: APR 20 2011, SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL, 153, 353, DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2010.10.046

A model for the detection of CO in the presence of humidity is proposed for thick porous film gas sensors based on p-type CuO. The sensing mechanism is investigated by means of simultaneous DC electrical resistance and work function changes measurements combined with appropriate modeling of the conduction in the polycrystalline sensing film. The experiments were performed at 150 degrees C in dry and humid air backgrounds. The conclusion is that, very similarly to the case of undoped SnO2, the explanation of the cross-interference of water in the CO detection is the fact that both react with pre-adsorbed oxygen ions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

577. Calculation of the quantum efficiency for the absorption on confinement levels in quantum dots

Authors: Iancu, V; Mitroi, MR; Lepadatu, AM; Stavarache, I; Ciurea, ML

Published: APR 2011, JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH, 13, 1612, DOI: 10.1007/s11051-010-9913-6

The quantum efficiency of the absorption on quantum confinement levels is investigated. This is achieved by modeling the electron confinement in a spherical quantum dot (QD). The confinement levels are calculated using both infinite and finite rectangular quantum wells. The spectral internal quantum efficiency is evaluated within both the models, by computing Einstein's coefficients for the transitions between confinement levels. The size of QDs (1-3 nm radius) leads to negligible many body effects. The nature of the QD material and of the matrix embedding is taken into account in the finite rectangular quantum well approximation and introduces only a small correction. The temperature dependence of the efficiency is also taken into account. A numerical application is performed for a silicon QD of 2.5 nm radius, embedded in amorphous silica. It is proved that the absorption threshold shifts toward the far infrared limit and that the spectral internal quantum efficiency reaches 4-5% at the threshold.

578. Introduction of the Ge nanostructures in a Si matrix via nanosphere lithography deposition

Authors: Ulmeanu, M; Ghica, C

Published: MAR 2011, OPTOELECTRONICS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS-RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, 5, 280, DOI:

Experimental studies on patterning hexagonal Ge nanostructures have been conducted on Si substrates through deposition of Ge with polystyrene spheres as a mask. The size distribution of the patterned Ge nanostructures is narrow with the full width at half maximum being less than 10% of the dot size. The two-dimensional patterned Ge nanostructures were further introduced in a Si matrix. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy reveals periodic dark stripes representing the deposited Ge dots in an a-Si matrix.

579. Eu3+-doped CaF2 nanocrystals in sol-gel derived glass-ceramics

Authors: Secu, M; Secu, CE; Ghica, C

Published: FEB 2011, OPTICAL MATERIALS, 33, 617, DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2010.11.016

Glass-ceramics containing Eu3+-doped CaF2 nanocrystals of about 16 nm size have been made using the controlled crystallization at higher temperatures of the Eu3+-doped CaF2-SiO2 xerogels. In the glass-ceramic material the Eu3+ ions are embedded in both silica network and in the non-centrosymmetric sites of the CaF2 nanocrystals structure. Lower phonon energy of CaF2 and the dehydratation processes reduce the probability of non-radiative de-excitations and as a result a luminescence enhancement and an increase of the PL lifetime is observed. Eu-doping modifies the traps distribution within the glass-ceramics and as a result an additional broad thermoluminescence peak at about 380 degrees C was observed. The peak was assigned to the recombination of the electrons thermal released from the Eu3+-related traps in the glass matrix and in the CaF2 nanocrystals. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

580. Substitutional and surface Mn2+ centers in cubic ZnS:Mn nanocrystals. A correlated EPR and photoluminescence study

Authors: Stefan, M; Nistor, SV; Ghica, D; Mateescu, CD; Nikl, M; Kucerkova, R

Published: JAN 20 2011, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 83, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.83.045301

The EPR, radioluminescence, and photoluminescence of cubic ZnS (cZnS) nanocrystals (NCs) with a narrow size distribution centered at 2 nm, doped with 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 at.% Mn2+ ions were investigated. Besides the main lines from substitutional Mn2+ ions localized in the core of the NCs next to a stacking defect, the EPR spectra exhibited two broader hyperfine sextets, attributed to the so-called Mn(II)and Mn(III) surface centers, which could be separated by adequate thermal treatments. The contribution to the photoluminescence from the Mn2+ ions at various sites was further determined from the analysis of the steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence data from cZnS: Mn NCs subjected to thermal treatments and from cZnS: Mn single crystals. Thus, the main emission consisting of two intense overlapping bands peaking at 596 and 630 nm was attributed to the T-4(1)-(6)A(1) transition of the substitutional Mn2+ ions in the core of the cZnS nanocrystals and to residual aggregated Mn2+ ions, respectively, the last ones being responsible for a broad EPR line observed in the X-band spectrum. The Mn(II) and Mn(III) centers, consisting of Mn2+ ions in the oxidized and hydrolyzed surface layer of the NCs, respectively, are only indirectly involved in the energy transfer to the substitutional Mn2+ centers, very likely through pairs interaction.