Effect of Nitrogen Atmosphere Annealing of Alloyed Powders on the Microstructure and Properties of ODS Ferritic Steels.

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) ferritic steels are promising materials for the nuclear power sector. This paper presents the results of a study on the sintering process using the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique, focusing on ODS ferritic steel powders with different contents (0.3 and 0.

Oxycarbide MXenes and MAX phases identification using monoatomic layer-by-layer analysis with ultralow-energy secondary-ion mass spectrometry.

The MXene family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides already includes ~50 members with distinct numbers of atomic layers, stoichiometric compositions and solid solutions, in-plane or out-of-plane ordering of atoms, and a variety of surface terminations. MXenes have shown properties that make them attractive for applications ranging from energy storage to electronics and medicine. Although this compositional variability allows fine-tuning of the MXene properties, it also creates challenges during the analysis of MXenes because of the presence of multiple light elements (for example, H, C, N, O, and F) in close proximity.

Formation of GeO under Graphene on Ge(001)/Si(001) Substrates Using Water Vapor.

The problem of graphene protection of Ge surfaces against oxidation is investigated. Raman, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements of graphene epitaxially grown on Ge(001)/Si(001) substrates are presented. It is shown that the penetration of water vapor through graphene defects on Gr/Ge(001)/Si(001) samples leads to the oxidation of germanium, forming GeO.

Resistivity contrast imaging in semiconductor structures using ultra-low energy scanning electron microscopy.

The damage-induced voltage alteration (DIVA) contrast mechanism in scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been studied in broad range of the primary electron beam energies, with a special emphasis on the ultra-low energy range. The SEM imaging contrast related to resistivity changes in the InAl)P irradiated with He ions of 600 keV was subjected to an analysis in a range of 10 keV down to 10 eV of primary electron energies. The problem of specimen charging in ultra-low energy range and its effect on the contrast in SEM images has been tackled for the first time.

3D Depth Profile Reconstruction of Segregated Impurities using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.

The presented protocol combines excellent detection limits (1 ppm to 1 ppb) using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with reasonable spatial resolution (~1 µm). Furthermore, it describes how to obtain realistic three-dimensional (3D) distributions of segregated impurities/dopants in solid state materials. Direct 3D depth profile reconstruction is often difficult to achieve due to SIMS-related measurement artifacts.

Highly Conductive Doped Hybrid Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Wires.

The following paper explores the nature of electronic transport in a hybrid carbon nanotube-graphene conductive network. These networks may have a tremendous impact on the future formation of new electrical conductors, batteries, and supercapacitors, as well as many other electronic and electrical applications. The experiments described show that the deposition of graphene nanoflakes within a carbon nanotube network improves both its electrical conductivity and its current-carrying capacity.

Damage-induced voltage alteration (DIVA) contrast in SEM images of ion-irradiated semiconductors.

The ion-irradiation damage effects in semiconductors were directly visualized by means of scanning electron microscopy at low beam acceleration voltages (low-kV SEM). The AlGaAs (p-type and n-type) epitaxial layers grown over GaAs substrates were irradiated with energetic He ions with fluencies ranging from 8e12 to 8e13 cm and studied in cross-sectional view after cleavage. Secondary electron images collected at low energy (0.

High resolution SEM characterization of nano-precipitates in ODS steels.

The performance of the present-day scanning electron microscopy (SEM) extends far beyond delivering electronic images of the surface topography. Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel is on of the most promising materials for the future nuclear fusion reactor because of its good radiation resistance, and higher operation temperature up to 750°C. The microstructure of ODS should not exceed tens of nm, therefore there is a strong need in a fast and reliable technique for their characterization.

Graphene growth on Ge(100)/Si(100) substrates by CVD method.

The successful integration of graphene into microelectronic devices is strongly dependent on the availability of direct deposition processes, which can provide uniform, large area and high quality graphene on nonmetallic substrates. As of today the dominant technology is based on Si and obtaining graphene with Si is treated as the most advantageous solution. However, the formation of carbide during the growth process makes manufacturing graphene on Si wafers extremely challenging.