Properties Of Surface Oxide Layers Research Articles

Optical and electrical study of CdZnTe surfaces passivated by KOH and NH4F solutions

Performance of CdZnTe-based detectors is highly related to surface preparation. Mechanical polishing, chemical etching and passivation are routinely employed for this purpose. However, the relation between these processes and the detector performance in terms of underlying physical phenomena has not been fully explained. The dynamics and properties of CdZnTe surface oxide layers, created by passivation with KOH and NH4F/H2O2 solutions, were studied by optical ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thicknesses and growth rates of the surface oxide layers differed for each of the passivation methods. Leakage currents which influence the final spectral resolution of the detector were measured simultaneously with ellipsometry. Results of both optical and electrical investigation showed the same trends in the time evolution and correlated to each other. NH4F/H2O2 passivation showed to be a method which produces the most desirable properties of the surface oxide layer.

Surface oxide layers with an increased carbon content for applications in oil-less tribological systems

Abstract The paper presents the properties of surface oxide layers with an increased content of carbon for tribological applications. The composite surface oxide layers were produced using a two-step technology through hard anodising of the surface of an aluminium alloy, followed by thermochemical treatment of anodic oxide coatings. The surface oxide layers were subjected to tribological tests in an oil-less sliding couple with T5W plastic. The presented test results confirm the usefulness of the proposed modifications of surface oxide layers for the purpose of enhancing the operational durability of oil-less sliding couples in a reciprocating motion.

Effect of surface oxide properties on corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel for biomedical applications

Surface passivation is a promising technique for improving the corrosion resistance both in vitro and in vivo as well as the biocompatibility of 316L stainless steel. In this work, we studied the effect of different passivative processes on the in vitro corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel wire. Characterization techniques such as anodic polarization test, scanning electron microscopy, auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to co-relate the corrosion behavior to various surface characteristics and surface treatments. Results showed that all of these surface treatments did not improve the corrosion resistance of the alloy satisfactorily except amorphous oxidation. This improvement is attributed to the removal of plastically deformed native air-formed oxide layer and the replacement of a newly grown, more uniform and compact one which is composed of nano-scale oxide particles with higher oxygen and chromium concentrations. The properties of surface oxide layer, rather than its thickness, seem to be the predominant factor to explain the improvement of in vitro corrosion resistance.

Superelastic Properties of Ti-Ni-Cu Alloy Under Mild Hydrogen Absorbing Condition

Superelastic properties of a Ti-Ni-Cu alloy under mild hydrogen absorbing conditions have been studied. It was found that a Ti50Ni40Cu10 alloy indicated higher life cycles, compared with a Ti-Ni alloy, for cyclic superelasticity test under such hydrogen conditions. During cyclic tests, hydrogen induced superelastic properties by interaction with dislocations due to accumulation of plastic deformation. Possible states of hydrogen in the alloys were supposed to be solid solutioned state and weakly trapped state. Difference in the properties of surface oxide layer seemed to affect the amount of absorbed hydrogen. As a result, the Ti-Ni-Cu alloy was recomended, in comparison with the Ti-Ni alloy, to be applied under higher hydrogen absorbing conditions.