Evaluation of Performance and Longevity of Ti-Cu Dry Electrodes: Degradation Analysis Using Anodic Stripping Voltammetry.

This study aimed to investigate the degradation of dry biopotential electrodes using the anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) technique. The electrodes were based on Ti-Cu thin films deposited on different polymeric substrates (polyurethane, polylactic acid, and cellulose) by Direct Current (DC) magnetron sputtering. TiCu thin films (chemical composition of 25.

Tuning the Refractive Index Sensitivity of LSPR Transducers Based on Nanocomposite Thin Films Composed of Noble Metal Nanoparticles Dispersed in TiO.

This work reports on the development of nanoplasmonic thin films consisting of Au, Ag, or Au-Ag nanoparticles dispersed in a TiO matrix and the optimization of the deposition parameters to tune their optical response. The thin films were produced by reactive DC magnetron sputtering of a Ti target with Au and/or Ag pellets placed on the erosion zone. The thicknesses (50 and 100 nm) of the films, the current density (75 and 100 A/m) applied to the target (titanium), and the number of pellets placed on its surface were the deposition conditions that were used to tailor the optical (LSPR) response.

The Role of Hydrogen Incorporation into Amorphous Carbon Films in the Change of the Secondary Electron Yield.

Over the last few years, there has been increasing interest in the use of amorphous carbon thin films with low secondary electron yield (SEY) to mitigate electron multipacting in particle accelerators and RF devices. Previous works found that the SEY increases with the amount of incorporated hydrogen and correlates with the Tauc gap. In this work, we analyse films produced by magnetron sputtering with different contents of hydrogen and deuterium incorporated via the target poisoning and sputtering of CD molecules.

Addressing forensic science challenges with nuclear analytical techniques - A review.

We review the application of Nuclear Analytical Techniques (NATs) to forensic problems for the first time. NATs include neutron activation analysis (NAA), carried out in nuclear reactors for elemental analysis; accelerator-based techniques, mainly Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) for elemental and molecular analysis; and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) for dating of traces of forensic interest by "radiocarbon dating" and other related methods. Applications include analysis of drugs of abuse, food fraud, counterfeit medicine, gunshot residue, glass fragments, forgery of art objects and documents, and human material.

Optimization of Au:CuO Thin Films by Plasma Surface Modification for High-Resolution LSPR Gas Sensing at Room Temperature.

In this study, thin films composed of gold nanoparticles embedded in a copper oxide matrix (Au:CuO), manifesting Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) behavior, were produced by reactive DC magnetron sputtering and post-deposition in-air annealing. The effect of low-power Ar plasma etching on the surface properties of the plasmonic thin films was studied, envisaging its optimization as gas sensors. Thus, this work pretends to attain the maximum sensing response of the thin film system and to demonstrate its potential as a gas sensor.

Me-Doped Ti-Me Intermetallic Thin Films Used for Dry Biopotential Electrodes: A Comparative Case Study.

In a new era for digital health, dry electrodes for biopotential measurement enable the monitoring of essential vital functions outside of specialized healthcare centers. In this paper, a new type of nanostructured titanium-based thin film is proposed, revealing improved biopotential sensing performance and overcoming several of the limitations of conventional gel-based electrodes such as reusability, durability, biocompatibility, and comfort. The thin films were deposited on stainless steel (SS) discs and polyurethane (PU) substrates to be used as dry electrodes, for non-invasive monitoring of body surface biopotentials.

Metallic filamentary conduction in valence change-based resistive switching devices: the case of TaO thin film with x∼ 1.

The resistive switching in metal-oxide thin films typically occurs via modulation of the oxygen content in nano-sized conductive filaments. For TaO-based resistive switching devices, the two current models consider filaments composed of oxygen vacancies and those containing metallic Ta clusters. The present work tries to resolve this dispute.

Influence of annealing conditions on the formation of regular lattices of voids and Ge quantum dots in an amorphous alumina matrix.

In this work, the influence of air pressure during the annealing of Ge quantum dot (QD) lattices embedded in an amorphous Al(2)O(3) matrix on the structural, morphological and compositional properties of the film is studied. The formation of a regularly ordered void lattice after performing a thermal annealing process is explored. Our results show that both the Ge desorption from the film and the regular ordering of the QDs are very sensitive to the annealing parameters.

Accurate determination of quantity of material in thin films by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry.

Ion beam analysis (IBA) is a cluster of techniques including Rutherford and non-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Recently, the ability to treat multiple IBA techniques (including PIXE) self-consistently has been demonstrated. The utility of IBA for accurately depth profiling thin films is critically reviewed.

Low-temperature fabrication of layered self-organized Ge clusters by RF-sputtering.

In this article, we present an investigation of (Ge + SiO2)/SiO2 multilayers deposited by magnetron sputtering and subsequently annealed at different temperatures. The structural properties were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, grazing incidence small angles X-ray scattering, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. We show a formation of self-assembled Ge clusters during the deposition at 250°C.

Mn-doped ZnO nanocrystals embedded in Al2O3: structural and electrical properties.

We report on the structural and electrical properties of Mn-doped ZnO/Al(2)O(3) nanostructures produced by the pulsed laser deposition technique. Grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry revealed the multilayered structure in as-deposited samples. Annealing of the nanostructures was shown to promote the formation of nanocrystals embedded in the Al(2)O(3) matrix, as was evidenced by GISAXS and high resolution transmission microscopy.

Electrical and Raman scattering studies of ZnO:P and ZnO:Sb thin films.

A study on the structure, electrical and optical properties of ZnO thin films produced by r.f. magnetron sputtering and implanted either with phosphorous (P) or antimony (Sb) is reported in this work.

N-doped photocatalytic titania thin films on active polymer substrates.

Active polymer substrates have found their way in the semiconductor industry as a base layer for flexible electronics, as well as in sensor and actuator applications. The optimum performance of these systems may be affected by dirt adsorbed on its surface, which can also originate mechanisms for the degradation of the polymer. Titanium dioxide (titania) semiconductor photocatalytic thin films have been deposited by unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering on one of the most applied and investigated electroactive polymer: poly(vinilidene fluoride), PVDF.

Intrinsic p type ZnO films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering.

ZnO films were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates in Ar atmosphere by rf magnetron sputtering and were post-annealed at 400 degrees C in green gas (95% N2 + 5% H2). The properties of the as-grown and annealed films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering (RBS), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), Hall measurement and photoluminescence spectra. XRD studies confirmed the variation in strain and an improvement in crystallinity.

Determination of the composition of light thin films with artificial neural network analysis of Rutherford backscattering experiments.

AlO(x)N(y) ultrathin films are used as insulating layers in advanced microelectronic devices. Structural characterization of these films is often done by the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) analysis. The RBS analysis of these oxinitrides is a difficult task since the relevant signals of the spectrum are washed out by the large substrate background and a considerable time is required for an analyst to characterize the sample.

Artificial neural networks for automation of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy experiments and data analysis.

We present an algorithm based on artificial neural networks able to determine optimized experimental conditions for Rutherford backscattering measurements of Ge-implanted Si. The algorithm can be implemented for any other element implanted into a lighter substrate. It is foreseeable that the method developed in this work can be applied to still many other systems.

Bayesian inference analysis of ellipsometry data.

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry is a nondestructive technique for accurately determining the thicknesses and refractive indices of thin films. Experimentally, the ellipsometry parameters psi and Delta are measured, and the sample structure is then determined by one of a variety of approaches, depending on the number of unknown variables. The ellipsometry parameters have been inverted analytically for only a small number of sample types.

Artificial neural network algorithm for analysis of rutherford backscattering data.

Rutherford backscattering (RBS) is a nondestructive, fully quantitative technique for accurately determining the compositional depth profile of thin films. The inverse RBS problem, which is to determine from the data the corresponding sample structure, is, however, in general ill posed. Skilled analysts use their knowledge and experience to recognize recurring features in the data and relate them to features in the sample structure.