Publications

New luminescent centers with a large near-infrared emissions were obtained by unusual electrolytic coloration method (low temperature and high electric field) in the KBr:Pb2+ crystals co-doped with alkali-earth ions (Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+). These so-called Tx centers involve Pb--negative metal ions and the presence of at least one alkali-earth ion, which enhances the photoluminescence properties of those centers. The formation of these new centers is due to the presence of F-centers created in the process of electrolytical coloration. The photoluminescence properties, together with the magnetic circular dichroism spectra, prove the existence of at least one paramagnetic luminescent center. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Barium strontium titanate (BST) bulk ceramic c was used as target for PLD thin film deposition. In order to avoid stoichiometry modification during the deposition, a more reactive oxidant ambient in the chamber was produced by, using a radiofrequency discharge 13.56 MHz, 150 W. Thin films of stoichiometric BST was deposited on alumina substrate with the thickness between 400 and 500 nm heated at 650 degrees C. An aditional anealing was made at 800 degrees C for 6 hours. XRD and SEM were used,for sample characterization, Capacity measurements tit 100 kHz were performed versus temperature.

The paper presents an analysis of the electrical transport, phototransport and photoluminescence measurements performed on silicon-based nanocrystalline systems. The experimental results are discussed within the frame of a quantum confinement model. It is proved that the differences between the energy levels identified in the measurements are related to the quantum selection rules specific to each process. It is also proved that, at nanometric scale, the nature of the atoms composing the nanocrystal represents a first order correction, while the size represents a zero order factor.

This paper presents the manufacturing and the characterization of AlN membrane supported F-BAR structures. The 2 mu m thin AlN layer was grown using sputtering techniques, on a high resistivity (111) oriented silicon substrate. Conventional contact lithography, e-gun Ti/Au evaporation and lift-off techniques were used to define top-side metallization of the the FBAR structures. Bulk micromachinig techniques were used for the release of the AlN membrane. The bottom side metallization of the micromachined structure was obtained by means of sputtered gold. S-parameter measurements have shown a resonance around 1.6 GHz. The extracted value of acoustic velocity is in good agreement with that reported by other authors on materials fabricated by other methods.

The mechanism of charge storage in p Si/SiO2 /nano-crystalline PbS heterostructures is investigated using capacitance - voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) measurements at different frequencies. The nano-crystalline thin PbS films were obtained using the Chemical Bath Deposition method with a shorter reaction time and without doping element in the reducing bath. The C-V curves show hysterezis indicating charge storage with a maximum charge density of 3x10(11) cm(-2) for the highest measurement frequency of 100 kHz. The charge storage capacity is enhanced in the rase of using a nano-crystalline PbS thin film instead of a standard macro-crystalline film.

The combined investigation techniques (EMPA, ME, NGR) evidenced the third level of the inclusions at nano-size scale for different metamorphic deposits. So, NGR technique reveals the contribution of the (Mn, Fe) oxides - small particles at standard (RT) at very low temperature (LHeT) in the Fe-57 gamma- ray signal. On the other hand the ME techniques confirmed the presence of the nanometric Fe and Mn oxides inclusions in manganoan fayalites (Razoare deposit) and "coral like" aggregates of nanometric Au -"solid-bubbles" in the gold ores of the Southern Carpathians.

The spectroscopic investigation of the highly transparent rare earth (Pr3+, Nd3+, Ho3+, Er3+ Tm3+, Yb3+) doped Sc2O3 ceramics produced by the solid-state synthesis technique indicate that these materials could substitute the single crystals in construction of solid-state lasers. These studies indicate also that the rare earth doped transparent ceramics could extend considerably the variety and performances (new active systems, wavelength ranges or emission schemes) of these lasers.

The paper presents a quantum confinement model which describes the phototransport processes in nanocrystalline porous silicon. The model supposes that the nanocrystallites surface/interface acts as the walls of an infinite rectangular quantum well, introducing discrete confinement energy levels. This model is proved able to also describe the photoluminescence and the temperature dependence of the dark current in the same samples. Its results are in agreement with the Microstructure investigations.

The temperature behavior of the main piezoelectric parameters, such as the electromechanical coupling factor k(p), the mechanical quality factor Qm, the dielectric permittivity epsilon (real and imaginary part), the loss tangent tan delta, the piezoelectric charge constants d(33) and d(31) and the voltage constants 933 and 931 of a soft type piezoelectric material was investigated. The results showed that temperatures under 150 degrees C do not influence these parameters, which indicate 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 and above that, at temperatures over 250 degrees C, they degrade very rapidly, tending to zero.

We investigated the behaviour of YBa(2)CU(3)o(7-delta) ceramics by multiharmonic ac-susceptibility. We have found an unexpected improvement of the intragranular response at the highest fluence 9.98 10(17) neutrons/cm(2). However, this fact is accompanied with a continuous suppression of the intergranular properties. We assume that this behavior is the result of the change of the nature of defect distribution at high fluence, when the uniform distribution of defects starts to develop space instabilities as a result of the subtle interplay of the in-cascade rate of interstitial loops production, cascade collapse of the vacancy loops, and the excess network bias.