Impurity Layer Research Articles

Ab initio design and experimental confirmation of Fabry–Perot cavities based on freestanding porous silicon multilayers

In this article, we report a hybrid quantum–classical design of Fabry–Perot multilayer cavities. Such design starts from an ab initio calculation of the dielectric function for each semiconducting layer with a specific atomic structure, followed by a study of wave scattering through the device using the transfer matrix method within the classical electromagnetic theory. This optical cavity consists of two multilayer reflectors separated by a single impurity layer, which is tuned to exhibit a resonant peak at the center of reflection band. The validation of this multiscale design was carried out on a freestanding nanostructured porous silicon multilayer film fabricated by electrochemical etching of a highly-doped p-type [100]-oriented crystalline Si wafer alternating two anodic current densities and finishing with a high current to separate the multilayer from the substrate. The measured infrared transmittance spectra are compared with those predicted from the hybrid design.

Wavefunction of plasmon excitations with space charge effects

The one dimensional (1D) driven quantum coupled pseudoforce system governing the dynamics of collective Langmuir electron oscillations is used in order to investigate the effects of variety of space charge distributions on plasmon excitations of a nearly free electron gas with an arbitrary degree of degeneracy and electron fluid temperature. A generalized closed form analytic expression for the grand wavefunction of collective excitations in the presence of an arbitrary space charge distribution is presented based on the stationary solutions of the driven coupled pseudoforce system which has been derived from the Schrödinger-Poisson model. The wavefunction and electrostatic potential profiles for some special cases such as the Heaviside charge distribution, Dirac charge sheet, impurity charge sheet in the 1D plasmonic lattice, and the Kroning-Penney Dirac charge distributions with particular applications in plasmonics and condensed matter physics are investigated in this paper. It is remarkably found that two parallel Dirac charged sheets completely shield all interior plasmon excitations with any given energy value from outside electrostatic fields and charge densities. It is also found that the presence of even a weakly charged impurity layer within a perfect 1D plasmonic crystal profoundly alters the periodic electrostatic field of the crystal lattice, and hence, the Bloch character of the wavefunction is considered in the bandgap theory of solids. The current investigation of electron excitations in arbitrary degenerate electron gas in the presence of static charge distributions may be used to develop analytic models for a variety of real physical situations. It also helps in further developments of the rapidly growing fields of nanotechnology and plasmonics.

Impurities Limit the Capacitance of Carbon-Based Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors cannot fulfill their potential as energy storage devices without substantially improving their comparatively low energy density. Doing so requires improving their capacitance. Unfortunately, predicting the capacitance of the carbon-based materials that typically make up supercapacitor electrodes is very difficult. Carbon materials can have an areal capacitance that is an order of magnitude lower than both that of standard metals and theoretical expectations. Here, we provide new quantum mechanical calculations to demonstrate that the standard explanation of this unusually low capacitance in terms of the space charge capacitance is inadequate. We then demonstrate that a layer of hydrocarbon impurities, which has recently been shown to form on graphite, is likely the dominant cause of the low capacitance of graphite. We develop a model of this effect, which accounts for the penetration of solvent into the hydrocarbon layer as the voltage increases. This model explains the characteristic V shape of the capacitance as a function of voltage. We present evidence that this layer may also play a role in limiting the capacitance in real supercapacitor materials such as activated carbon.

Local, electronic and surface structure of multi-component Fe-doped CdTe(S) systems

Local structural and electronic properties around Fe in multi-component Cd0.99Fe0.01Te0.97S0.03 system were studied by means of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). Composition of non-polar (110) surfaces of Cd0.97Fe0.03Te and Cd0.99Fe0.01Te0.97S0.03 systems and mechanism of their oxidation in ambient conditions were studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It has been found that Fe preferentially substitutes Cd, but due to much smaller covalent radius and preferences for paring with S, it causes local distortion of the host CdTe lattice. The distortion is confined to the Fe-immediate surrounding and the second and third coordination shell atoms are (inside experimental uncertainties) placed at distances expected in CdTe. Although local structure around Fe is well defined in the bulk of both samples, their near-surface region is completely depleted from Fe, and in case of Cd0.99Fe0.01Te0.97S0.03 somewhat enriched in S. Special attention is, therefore, paid to characterization of the near-surface region and evaluation of its composition and structure. To that end we have introduced a general standard-free algorithm for XPS data analysis of the two-layer surface structure (bulk, oxide layer, and the impurity layer). Results of the in-depth composition analysis revealed that despite different bulk composition and impurity layer thickness, underneath the topmost impurity layer lays approximately one monolayer of CdTeO3 which passivates the surface.

Topologically protected states in δ -doped junctions with band inversion

A topological boundary can be formed at the interface between a trivial and a topological insulator. The difference in the topological index across the junction leads to robust gapless surface states. Optical studies of these states are scarce in the literature, the reason being the difficulty in isolating their response from that of the bulk. In this work, we propose to deposit a $\ensuremath{\delta}$ layer of donor impurities in close proximity to a topological boundary to help in detecting gapless surface states. As we will show, gapless surface states are robust against this perturbation and they enhance intraband optical transitions as measured by the oscillator strength. These results help us to understand the interplay of surface and bulk states in topological insulators.

Electrochemical Degradation Mechanism and Thermal Behaviors of the Stored LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 Cathode Materials.

The degradation mechanism of the stored LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) electrode has been systematically investigated by combining physical and electrochemical tests. After stored at 55 °C and 80% relative humidity for 4 weeks, the NCM523 materials are coated with a layer of impurities containing adsorbed species, Li2CO3 and LiOH, resulting in both the weight gains of the materials and the electrochemical performance deterioration of the electrode. The impurities generated in air will react with the electrolyte and instantly turn into Li xPO yF z and other species containing the decomposition products of electrolyte when the stored NCM523 materials are soaked into the electrolyte, causing the charge potential plateau and the impedance to ascend. For the stored NCM523 electrodes, the huge and changeable impedance deteriorates the discharge capacity in the first 10 cycles and the discharge capacity will slowly recover and stabilize within 10 cycles when charging/discharging in 0.1 or 0.2 C. The thermal stability of the stored NCM523 materials get slightly better due to the relatively lower delithiated state after charged to 4.3 V.

The Effects of Gd-Free Impurity Phase on the Aging Behavior for the Microwave Surface Resistance of Ag-coated GdBa2Cu3O7−δ at Cryogenic Temperatures

High-TC GdBa2Cu3O7−δ (GdBCO) superconductor has been popular for making superconductive tapes that have much potential for various fields of large-scale applications. We investigated aging effects on the microwave surface resistance (RS) of Ag-coated GdBCO layer on Hastelloy substrate, so called GdBCO coated conductors (CCs), and Ag-coated GdBCO films on LaAlO3 (LAO) single-crystal substrates at cryogenic temperatures and compared them with each other. Unlike the RS of Ag-coated GdBCO films showing significant degradation in 4 weeks, no significant aging effects were found in our Ag-coated GdBCO CCs aged 85 weeks. The reactive co-evaporation deposition and reaction (RCE-DR) method was used for preparing the Ag-coated GdBCO CCs. Such durability of the Ag-coated GdBCO CCs in terms of the RS could be explained by existence of a protective impurity phase, i.e., Gd-free Ba–Cu–O phase as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy study combined with the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. Although the scope of this study is limited to the Ag-coated GdBCO CCs prepared by using the RCE-DR method, our results suggest that a solution for preventing the aging effects on transport properties of other kinds of Ag-coated GdBCO CCs could be realized by means of an artificially-grown protective impurity layer.

Intermediate band materials obtained by rapid thermal process of Co-implanted silicon

The intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) is a kind of novel photovoltaic device with very high efficiency limit. The intermediate band (IB) material is a key factor for fabricating high-performance IBSC. We explore to prepare IB material by Co implantation in silicon followed by a rapid thermal process (RTP). The results show that an IB is successfully formed in Si layer. The IB is located at about 0.3eV above the valence band edge. Moreover, no impurity phase is formed in the samples. Our results indicated that it is effective to form IB materials with the combination of ion implantation and RTP method. This approach is attractive since the RTP technique is beneficial to fabricate IB materials with thick impurity layers and convenient to use for mass production.

The high-temperature and high-humidity storage behaviors and electrochemical degradation mechanism of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material for lithium ion batteries

The high-temperature and high-humidity storage behaviors and electrochemical degradation mechanism of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material are investigated systematically. After stored at 55 °C and 80% relative humidity, three kinds of changes are observed compared to the fresh materials. The first change is adsorbed species on the surface of the materials caused by atmospheric H2O and CO2. The second is a layer of impurities consisting of LiOH and Li2CO3 coated on the surface of the materials non-uniformly. The third is a delithiation layer directly contacting with the bulk materials in the near-surface region, which is believed to be formed by lithium-ions migrating out from the lattice accompanied by the generation of the impurities. A different combination of heating temperature, heating time and heating atmosphere is performed to achieve the separation of the adsorbed species and the delithiation layer (together with the impurities) and study the role of different part in electrochemical degradation, respectively. For the first and the following cycles, the effect of the adsorbed species on the electrochemical properties takes a larger proportion than that of the delithiation layer and impurities.

Study of the “metal–insulator” transition induced by the impurity fluctuation potential using the Shubnikov–de Haas effect

Heterostructures with a GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum well and aMn magnetic impurity layer separated from it, which have different conductivity types, are studied. At a Mn content not exceeding the amount corresponding to 0.5 monolayer of MnAs, a percolation cluster formed in the quantum well plane is not simply connected, but consists of metal drops separated by low-conductivity interspaces. Despite the absence of the simply connected conducting channel, Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations are observed in all studied systems, which are controlled by carrier properties in conducting drops, independent of Mn content. The estimate of drop sizes corresponds to theoretical values.

Thermal effects induced by laser ablation in non-homogeneous limestone covered by an impurity layer

Abstract This paper reports preliminary results concerning thermal effects induced by urban/industrial air pollutants deposited on a limestone rock when heated by pulsed laser in the cleaning process. The process of laser cleaning treatment of the crust is simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics 4.4, finite element analysis software. Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy techniques have been used to analyze the chemical composition of the samples. Two elements found as being present into the dust and in the crust, such as iron and magnesium particles are used for simulation in COMSOL. Therefore, the profiles heat evolutions on the crust surface and inside limestone are obtained as thermal interactions between the three components (iron, magnesium and limestone), simulating the non-homogeneous materials. It has been observed that iron impurities caused by the dust deposition may damage the limestone through a process of overheating, as a consequence of a high thermal conduction phenomenon, recorded for the region with iron impurities and sizes of micrometric order are localized. The thermal contact between the three components results in plots that reflect their thermal interactions.

Effect of boron impurity in a carbon nanotube superlattice

In this work, the influence of boron atom impurity is investigated on the electronic properties of a single-wall carbon nanotube superlattice which is connected by pentagon–heptagon topological defects along the circumference of the heterojunction of these superlattices. Our calculation is based on tight-binding [Formula: see text]-electron method in nearest-neighbor approximation. The density of states (DOS) and electronic band structure in presence of boron impurity has been calculated. Results show that when boron atom impurity and nanotube atomic layers have increased, electronic band structure and the DOS have significant changes around the Fermi level.

Impurity diagnosis of a KSTAR graphite divertor tile using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been tested to diagnose impurity elements on a Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) divertor tile. Spectral lines of various impurity elements such as iron, chromium, and nickel were detected from the divertor surface. The variation of spectra with consecutive laser pulses demonstrates the potential for depth profiling analysis for the deposited impurity layer. The LIBS plasma parameters have been qualitatively determined from analysis of the relative line intensities and linewidths for each element. The validity of this analysis has been checked with atomic spectral simulations.

Spin-dependent tunneling recombination in heterostructures with a magnetic layer

We propose a mechanism for the generation of spin polarization in semiconductor heterostructures with a quantum well and a magnetic impurity layer spatially separated from it. The spin polarization of carriers in a quantum well originates from spin-dependent tunneling recombination at impurity states in the magnetic layer, which is accompanied by a fast linear increase in the degree of circular polarization of photoluminescence from the quantum well. Two situations are theoretically considered. In the first case, resonant tunneling to the spin-split sublevels of the impurity center occurs and spin polarization is caused by different populations of resonance levels in the quantum well for opposite spin projections. In the second, nonresonant case, the spin-split impurity level lies above the occupied states of electrons in the quantum well and plays the role of an intermediate state in the two-stage coherent spin-dependent recombination of an electron from the quantum well and a hole in the impurity layer. The developed theory allows us to explain both qualitatively and quantitatively the kinetics of photoexcited electrons in experiments with photoluminescence with time resolution in Mn-doped InGaAs heterostructures.

Tibetan Plateau Geladaindong black carbon ice core record (1843–1982): Recent increases due to higher emissions and lower snow accumulation

Black carbon (BC) deposited on snow and glacier surfaces can reduce albedo and lead to accelerated melt. An ice core recovered from Guoqu glacier on Mt. Geladaindong and analyzed using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) provides the first long-term (1843–1982) record of BC from the central Tibetan Plateau. Post 1940 the record is characterized by an increased occurrence of years with above average BC, and the highest BC values of the record. The BC increase in recent decades is likely caused by a combination of increased emissions from regional BC sources, and a reduction in snow accumulation. Guoqu glacier has received no net ice accumulation since the 1980s, and is a potential example of a glacier where an increase in the equilibrium line altitude is exposing buried high impurity layers. That BC concentrations in the uppermost layers of the Geladaindong ice core are not substantially higher relative to deeper in the ice core suggests that some of the BC that must have been deposited on Guoqu glacier via wet or dry deposition between 1983 and 2005 has been removed from the surface of the glacier, potentially via supraglacial or englacial meltwater.

Analysis of Etched CdZnTe Substrates

State-of-the-art as-received (112)B CdZnTe substrates have been examined for surface impurity contamination and polishing residue. Two 4 cm × 4 cm and one 6 cm × 6 cm (112)B state-of-the-art as-received CdZnTe wafers were analyzed. A maximum surface impurity concentration of Al = 1.7 × 1015 atoms cm−2, Si = 3.7 × 1013 atoms cm−2, Cl = 3.12 × 1015 atoms cm−2, S = 1.7 × 1014 atoms cm−2, P = 1.1 × 1014 atoms cm−2, Fe = 1.0 × 1013 atoms cm−2, Br = 1.2 × 1014 atoms cm−2, and Cu = 4 × 1012 atoms cm−2 was observed on the as-received CdZnTe wafers. CdZnTe particulates and residual SiO2 polishing grit were observed on the surface of the as-received (112)B CdZnTe substrates. The polishing grit/CdZnTe particulate density on CdZnTe wafers was observed to vary across a 6 cm × 6 cm wafer from ∼4 × 107 cm−2 to 2.5 × 108 cm−2. The surface impurity and damage layer of the (112)B CdZnTe wafers dictate that a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) preparation etch is required. The contamination for one 4 cm × 4 cm and one 6 cm × 6 cm CdZnTe wafer after a standard MBE Br:methanol preparation etch procedure was also analyzed. A maximum surface impurity concentration of Al = 2.4 × 1015 atoms cm−2, Si = 4.0 × 1013 atoms cm−2, Cl = 7.5 × 1013 atoms cm−2, S = 4.4 × 1013 atoms cm−2, P = 9.8 × 1013 atoms cm−2, Fe = 1.0 × 1013 atoms cm−2, Br = 2.9 × 1014 atoms cm−2, and Cu = 5.2 × 1012 atoms cm−2 was observed on the MBE preparation-etched CdZnTe wafers. The MBE preparation-etched surface contamination consists of Cd(Zn)Te particles/flakes. No residual SiO2 polishing grit was observed on the (112)B surface.

Electron-bombarded ⟨110⟩-oriented tungsten tips for stable tunneling electron emission.

A clean tungsten (W) tip apex with a robust atomic plane is required for producing a stable tunneling electron emission under strong electric fields. Because a tip apex fabricated from a wire by aqueous chemical etching is covered by impurity layers, heating treatment in ultra-high vacuum is experimentally known to be necessary. However, strong heating frequently melts the tip apex and causes unstable electron emissions. We investigated quantitatively the tip apex and found a useful method to prepare a tip with stable tunneling electron emissions by controlling electron-bombardment heating power. Careful characterizations of the tip structures were performed with combinations of using field emission I-V curves, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (transmitted Debye-Scherrer and Laue) with micro-parabola capillary, field ion microscopy, and field emission microscopy. Tips were chemically etched from (1) polycrystalline W wires (grain size ∼1000 nm) and (2) long-time heated W wires (grain size larger than 1 mm). Heating by 10-40 W (10 s) was found to be good enough to remove oxide layers and produced stable electron emission; however, around 60 W (10 s) heating was threshold power to increase the tip radius, typically +10 ± 5 nm (onset of melting). Further, the grain size of ∼1000 nm was necessary to obtain a conical shape tip apex.

Long-term fuel retention in JET ITER-like wall

Post-mortem studies with ion beam analysis, thermal desorption, and secondary ion mass spectrometry have been applied for investigating the long-term fuel retention in the JET ITER-like wall components. The retention takes place via implantation and co-deposition, and the highest retention values were found to correlate with the thickness of the deposited impurity layers. From the total amount of retained D fuel over half was detected in the divertor region. The majority of the retained D is on the top surface of the inner divertor, whereas the least retention was measured in the main chamber on the mid-plane of the inner wall limiter. The recessed areas of the inner wall showed significant contribution to the main chamber total retention. Thermal desorption spectroscopy analysis revealed the energetic T from DD reactions being implanted in the divertor. The total T inventory was assessed to be .

Long-term degradation of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ IT-SOFC cathodes due to silicon poisoning

The impact of silicon on the long-term stability of the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode material La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) was investigated during 2400h at 700°C. The area-specific resistance (ASR) of symmetric cells of LSCF on Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95-δ (GDC) was determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in ambient air without and with Si contamination of the electrodes. The ASR of the fresh LSCF electrode was 0.3Ωcm2. During 1060h without Si contamination, an increase in the cathode ASR by a factor of 4.5 was observed, which may be attributed to a decrease in the surface oxygen exchange coefficient of LSCF due to changes in the surface elemental composition. Subsequently, 10nm thick silicon layers were sputtered onto the LSCF electrodes. This contamination resulted in a strong increase in the ASR by a factor of 5.9 during additional 1340h at 700°C. Post-test analyses by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the degradation of the cathode is caused by the phase decomposition of LSCF within an approximately 50nm thick surface region. A continuous La-Sr-silicate layer is formed in addition to isolated (Co,Fe)xOy nanoparticles. In agreement with the changes in the shape of the impedance spectra, it is assumed that this impurity layer leads to limitations in the gas diffusion towards the electrode and/or oxygen adsorption on the surface of the electrode.

Fatigue analysis of adhesive joints with laser treated substrates

Recent literature works focused on the analysis of laser irradiation on the strength of adhesive joints under quasi-static loading conditions. It has been demonstrated that laser surface preparation allows to remove impurity and weak boundary layers from the mating substrates and, depending on the energy density, it is also able to modify surface morphology promoting mechanical interlocking. In previous works, the authors assessed the effect of Yb-fiber laser ablation over the quasi-static strength and toughness, of aluminum and stainless steel adhesively bonded joints. The experimental results demonstrated the ability of laser irradiation to improve the mechanical properties of the joints. The aim of this work is to extend the scope of previous investigations to fatigue loading. Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) samples with laser treated aluminum substrates have been bonded with a two component epoxy adhesive. For comparison standard degreasing and grit blasting have been also deployed for samples preparation. The results have been compared in terms of cycles to failure and the fracture surfaces have been analyzed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the mechanism of failure.