National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

The paper presents the phototransport and photoluminescence investigations on nanocrystalline porous silicon. Spectral dependence curves of the phototransport and photoluminescence were taken at room temperature. A typical phototransport curve presents several maxima and shoulders, while the photoluminescence curves present only one maximum. The temperature dependence of the phototransport was measured in the 85 - 250 K range for different wavelengths. All these curves present only one activation energy on the whole temperature interval. The experimental results are interpreted taking into account a quantum confinement model. Previous microstructure investigations proved that the studied nanocrystalline porous silicon is formed by a nanowire network. Then, the electron Hamiltonian can be split into the sum of a 1D longitudinal Bloch part and a 2D transversal part, the nanowire wall acting like a potential well. Thus, a number of discrete energy levels will appear into the band gap. Both phototransport and photoluminescence maxima are due to the transitions between these levels, corresponding to a mean nanowire diameter of 3.2 nm, in good agreement with the previous microstructure and electrical transport investigations. On the contrary, the temperature dependence of the phototransport is determined by the surface states located on the internal surface and/or the interface between nanocrystallites.

Current-voltage characteristics of samples containing silicon nanodots embedded in an amorphous silicon dioxide matrix were investigated. A percolation mechanism was evidenced by the dependence on the concentration of the initial differential conductance and by the appearance of several thresholds in the I-V characteristics.

We report the synthesis of well crystallized stoichiometric Er:YAG thin films by pulsed laser deposition from Er:YAG targets in low pressure oxygen, followed by a post-deposition treatment at 1400 degrees C in environmental air for 19 h. The structure and morphology of the films were examined by transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. We demonstrated that the subsequent application of pulsed laser deposition and heat treatment resulted in the formation of well crystallized single phase cubic Er:YAG nanostructured coatings. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amorphous SnSe, films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) from solid polycrystalline targets. The atomic scale structure has been revealed by X-ray diffraction. Hardness and electrical properties were measured. Strong gas sensing properties have been evidenced for the first time in heat treated films. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simple investigation of the electrical resistance does not permit to draw up the conduction mechanism of thin SnSe2 layers. The presence of reducing gas atmospheres, respectively CH4, CO and H2O could change the concentration of the free charge carriers, beside electron affinity changes induced by the appearance of surface dipoles. Work function and electrical resistance were simultaneous investigated for thin SnSe2 films. The experimental results permit the evaluation of electron affinity and band-bending behavior. Conduction mechanism can be discussed in terms of surface or bulk contribution.

Results regarding the growth of carbon nanostructures by using a low-pressure expanding radiofrequency plasma jet are reported. The growth was performed in an argon plasma injected with acetylene precursor, in the presence of ammonia or hydrogen, on a substrate covered with nickel or cobalt catalysts. Various forms of nanostructured carbon material were obtained, depending on the catalyst size, ammonia or hydrogen / acetylene ratio and substrate temperature. The results exemplified in the paper describe nickel nanoparticles coated in highly ordered graphite shells, granular carbon, two dimensional carbon nanoflakes, nanowires and nanorods.

Metallic nanowires with magnetic properties were prepared by electrochemical deposition in nanoporous ion track membranes. Thus, we prepared Co-Cu alloy and Co/Cu multilayered nanowires. The technique allows the preparation of uniform arrays of parallel nanowires with desired properties. The process of electrochemical deposition of metals in nanoporous membranes was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The influences of deposition conditions such as bath composition, temperature and deposition potential on the morphological, structural and compositional properties of the nanowires were systematically studied.

The formation of the electron trapped Fe+(IV) centre, produced by X-ray irradiation at 80 K and further annealing at temperatures of up to 700 K in chlorinated SrCl2: Fe crystals, has been investigated by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. Our studies report the transformation of the monoclinic Fe+(III) centre into the axial Fe+(IV) centre above 450 K. The formation of the Fe+(IV) centre is attributed to the presence and thermally activated movement of neighbouring interstitial chlorine and alkali impurity Ne ions. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silicon hydrogenation is nowadays studied with the aim of developing and improving a technological method known as 'smart cut' used in the fabrication of 'silicon-on-insulator' devices. The goal of our study is to characterize the defects induced in silicon wafers after exposure to hydrogen RF plasma. Si < 001 > wafers have been treated at 250 degrees C under hydrogen RF plasma at 110 MHz, for various durations. The main features observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are surface roughening and the presence of three kinds of defects: {111} planar defects, {100} planar defects and H bubbles. In this work a study using conventional TEM and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques is presented on H bubbles and {100} planar defects induced in Si wafers by H-plasma treatment. The strain field around the defects is qualitatively characterized by diffraction contrast analysis and quantitatively by the geometrical phase method, by processing the HRTEM images.

The present paper analyzes the appearance of voltage percolation thresholds in the current - voltage characteristics measured on silicon-based nanocrystalline systems that present random space distribution of the nanocrystallites. This percolation phenomenon is explained on the basis of the probability of tunneling under applied bias and is related to the samples microstructure.