Synthesis of Highly Conductive, Uniformly Silver-Coated Carbon Nanofibers by Electroless Deposition.

Noble-metal-coated carbon-based nanoparticles, when used as electrically conductive fillers, have the potential to provide excellent conductivity without the high weight and cost normally associated with metals such as silver and gold. To this effect, many attempts were made to deposit uniform metallic layers on core nanoparticles with an emphasis on silver for its high conductivity. The results so far were disheartening with the metal morphology being better described as a decoration than a coating with small effects on the electrical conductivity of the bulk particles.

Effect of postdeposition annealing on the structure, composition, and the mechanical and optical characteristics of niobium and tantalum oxide films.

Optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of optical thin films are very important for a reliable device performance. In the present work, the effect of annealing on the stability and the characteristics of niobium and tantalum oxide films grown at room temperature (RT) by dual ion beam sputtering were studied. The refractive index (n(λ)), extinction coefficient (k(λ)), hardness (H), reduced Young's modulus (E(r)), and film stress (σ) were investigated as a function of the annealing temperature (T(A)).