Tuning the Transparency Window of SrVO Transparent Conducting Oxide.

Correlated transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) have gained great attention, because of their unique combination of transparency and metallic character. SrVO (SVO) was identified as a high-performance TCO in the visible range. Few studies have investigated band structure engineering through chemical doping to enhance the optical properties of SVO.

Antibacterial Zirconia Surfaces from Organocatalyzed Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization.

Antibacterial coatings are becoming increasingly attractive for application in the field of biomaterials. In this framework, we developed polymer coating zirconia with antibacterial activity using the "grafting from" methodology. First, 1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-3-butylimidazolium chloride monomer was synthesized.

Artificial Aging of Thin Films of the Indium-Free Transparent Conducting Oxide SrVO.

SrVO (SVO) is a prospective candidate to replace the conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) among the new generation of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials. In this study, the structural, electrical, and optical properties of SVO thin films, both epitaxial and polycrystalline, are determined during and after heat treatments in the 150-250 °C range and under ambient environment in order to explore the chemical stability of this material. The use of these relatively low temperatures speeds up the natural aging of the films and allows following the evolution of their related properties.

Strong Magnetic Anisotropy of Epitaxial PrVO Thin Films on SrTiO Substrates with Different Orientations.

We have probed the structural and magnetic properties of PrVO (PVO) thin films grown on the (001)-, (110)-, and (111)-oriented SrTiO (STO) substrates. By changing the substrate orientation, the film out-of-plane orientation can be tuned to [110], [100]/[010], and [011]/[311], with different in-plane crystallographic variants. Accommodation of these variants on the different substrates implies different strain states, which have direct influence on the magnetic properties of PVO films.

Transfer of Epitaxial SrTiO Nanothick Layers Using Water-Soluble Sacrificial Perovskite Oxides.

The integration of functional thin film materials with adaptable properties is essential for the development of new paradigms in information technology. Among them, complex oxides with perovskite structures have huge potential based on the particularly vast diversity of physical properties. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of transferring perovskite oxide materials like SrTiO onto a silicon substrate using an environmentally friendly process at the nanoscale by means of a water-soluble perovskite sacrificial layer, SrVO.

Textured Manganite Films Anywhere.

New paradigms are required in microelectronics when the transistor is in its downscaling limit and integration of materials presenting functional properties not available in classical silicon is one of the promising alternatives. Here, we demonstrate the possibility to grow LaSrMnO (LSMO) functional materials on amorphous substrates with properties close to films grown on single-crystalline substrates using a two-dimensional seed layer. X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction mapping demonstrate that the CaNbO nanosheet (NS) layer induces epitaxial stabilization of LSMO films with a strong out-of-plane (001) texture, whereas the growth of LSMO films on uncoated glass substrates exhibits a nontextured polycrystalline phase.

Spontaneous ordering, strain control, and multifunctionality in vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial films.

Two-phase nanocomposite heteroepitaxial films with vertical microstructures hold great promise for various (multi)functional (e.g., multiferroic) electronic device applications.

Strain control and spontaneous phase ordering in vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial thin films.

Two-phase, vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial films hold great promise for (multi)functional device applications. In order to achieve practical devices, a number of hurdles need to be overcome, including the creation of ordered structures (and their formation on a large scale), achieving different combinations of materials and control of strain coupling between the phases. Here we demonstrate major advances on all these fronts: remarkable spontaneously ordered structures were produced in newly predicted compositions, vertical strain was proven to dominate the strain state in films above 20 nm thickness and strain manipulation was demonstrated by selection of phases with the appropriate elastic moduli.