National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Electrical and photoconductive properties of films consisting of amorphous Ge nanoparticles uniformly distributed in amorphous SiO2 were studied. These films were prepared by sol-gel method and treated by rapid thermal annealing technique. Measurements of current-voltage and conductance-temperature characteristics, spectral and bias dependences of the photocurrent on samples with coplanar geometry of electrodes, were performed. The current-voltage characteristics have a weak rectifying behaviour. The variable range hopping transport mechanism, described by the Mott law, in amorphous materials, in the absence of dominant Coulomb interactions, was evidenced in the temperature dependence of the dark current. The samples exhibit very good photoconductive properties, explained by taking into account the Ge clusters and defects, produced by the rapid thermal annealing.

GeSiO nanostructures obtained by using two different preparation methods, sol-gel and magnetron-sputtering were studied. They are formed from Ge nanoparticles dispersed in amorphous matrix, with different morphology depending on the preparation method. Electrical investigations (current-voltage and current-temperature measurements) were performed and experimental results were modelled. It was shown that preparation conditions induce the electrical behaviour of GeSiO films, so that the electrical transport in sputtered films is governed by a hopping mechanism, while in sol-gel ones it is dominated by the junction formed at the interface with Si substrate. Also, the temperature dependence of current shows different hopping mechanisms.

The electrical behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotube network embedded in amorphous silicon nitride is studied by measuring the voltage and temperature dependences of the current. The microstructure of the network is investigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The multi-walled carbon nanotube network has an uniform spatial extension in the silicon nitride matrix. The current-voltage and resistance-temperature characteristics are both linear, proving the metallic behavior of the network. The I-V curves present oscillations that are further analyzed by computing the conductance-voltage characteristics. The conductance presents minima and maxima that appear at the same voltage for both bias polarities, at both 20 and 298 K, and that are not periodic. These oscillations are interpreted as due to percolation processes. The voltage percolation thresholds are identified with the conductance minima.

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 solid oxides fuel cells for intermediate temperatures IT-SOFC. The aim of this paper is the preparation and characterization of Y doped Ceria - low Y 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 10YSC, mechanical route for 150 Y : alpha - Al2O3. Grain shapes, grain size distributions and the mean grain value were determined by SEM, EDX and statistical investigations.

The synthesis of a new garnet, Er3Li0.275Nb0.275Ga4.45O12 (ErLNGG), by solid-state reaction, is reported. A comparison of the fluorescence spectra of Er3+ in ErLNGG and in Er-doped (5 at. %) Calcium Lithium Niobium Gallium Garnet (CLNGG) suggests an ordering of the partially disordered CLNGG when Ca2+ ions are completely substituted by Er3+ ions.

A designed experimental configuration for the simultaneous study of magnetization reversal and giant magnetoresistance effects in layered systems is reported. The suitability of the device, designed mainly for didactical purposes, to prove giant magneto-resistance effects is exemplified in case of exchange coupled spin valve structures. The multilayer structures were prepared by theromo-ionic vacuum arc methods and initially characterized by X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy. According to the performed experiments, it has been clearly proven the presence of magnetoresistance maxima ever ranges of applied fields inducing antiparallel magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic layers interfacing a thin conductive layer.

The first step of the smartcut (TM) process consists in inducing structural defects below the free surface of a silicon wafer, usually by implantation of light elements, such as hydrogen or helium. An alternative way to induce subsurface defects is by plasma treatment. In this work, we present a morphological and structural study on silicon wafers submitted to hydrogen plasma treatment, using two plasma-processing geometries. The parameters of the plasma treatment have been varied in order to limit the surface roughness and to confine the induced defects in a narrow region (50 nm) below the wafer surface. The morphological and structural investigations have been performed by AFM and TEM.

Many nanovectors used for therapy (drug targeting radiation therapy) or diagnostic such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have a composite structure consisting of an organic core or organic coverage encapsulating magnetic nanoparticles and they are commonly dispersed in liquid suspensions for intravenous injection Here is presented the application of a new Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) mode in transmission so called Wet-STEM for transmission imaging of droplets of such suspensions This is illustrated by Wet-STEM images from PLLA/Re nanospheres (about 100-300 nm in diameter) loaded with magnetite nanoparticles (about 10 nm in diameter) and from iron oxide core (about 5 nm in size) MRI contrast agents both examples in aqueous suspensions It is shown that the Wet STEM mode allows both the collective behavior of such nanovectors in suspension to be characterized and the inner composite structure of individual vectors to be revealed Such experimental results are discussed by comparison with Monte Carlo computer simulations of the distribution of the electrons scattered through the samples in rather large solid angles (between 20 degrees and 47 degrees) corresponding to the detection conditions (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved

The interaction between CO and WO3 based gas sensors was investigated in operando conditions by using resistance, catalytic conversion and DRIFTS measurements. The experimental results are showing that the sensing involves the reduction of the metal oxide, which is the opposite of the case of SnO2, the other extremely relevant material for semiconducting oxides based gas sensors. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Undoped and neodymium doped quartz glasses were obtained by the hybrid sol-gel method. The vitrification was performed in He atmosphere. The Nd(3+) characteristic absorption bands in the UV and VIS were put into evidence. Investigations in the NIR range revealed a small amount (86 ppm) of OH(-) in the vitreous matrix. FTIR and Raman spectra exhibit the SiO(2) glass characteristic vibrations and also the characteristic vibrations of Si-OH and Si-Cl bonds. The photoluminescence peaks at 640, 920 and 1080 nm belonging to the Nd(3+) doped quartz glass were evidenced.