Effect of MgO/ZnO ratio on the formation process of MgZnO ceramics.

The structural characteristics, chemical composition, and element spatial distribution in MgZnO ceramics were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and cathodoluminescence techniques. The study revealed that the morphology of the ceramic samples, as well as the mechanism of solid solution formation, depend on the relative contribution of both oxides in the charge. It was discovered that hexagonal and cubic phases of the solid solution were found to form simultaneously.

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Analysis of Scandia-Ceria-Stabilized Zirconia Composites with Different Transport Properties.

This work aims to study a possible modification in the electronic structure of scandia-ceria-stabilized zirconia (10Sc1CeSZ) ceramics sintered at different temperatures. In addition to using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and impedance spectroscopy to investigate the structural and electrical properties, we employed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the chemical state information of the atoms involved, along with compositional analysis. As expected, a significant increase in grain ionic conductivity with the sintering temperature was present.

Effect of Ge Content on the Formation of Ge Nanoclusters in Magnetron-Sputtered GeZrO-Based Structures.

Ge-rich ZrO films, fabricated by confocal RF magnetron sputtering of pure Ge and ZrO targets in Ar plasma, were studied by multi-angle laser ellipsometry, Raman scattering, Auger electron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction for varied deposition conditions and annealing treatments. It was found that as-deposited films are homogeneous for all Ge contents, thermal treatment stimulated a phase separation and a formation of crystalline Ge and ZrO. The "start point" of this process is in the range of 640-700 °C depending on the Ge content.

Impurity-Governed Modification of Optical and Structural Properties of ZrO-Based Composites Doped with Cu and Y.

The influence of calcination temperature on copper spatial localization in Y-stabilized ZrO powders was studied by attenuated total reflection, diffuse reflectance, electron paramagnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies. It was found that calcination temperature rise in the range of 500-700 °C caused the increase of copper concentration in the volume of ZrO nanocrystals. This increase was due to Cu in-diffusion from surface complexes that contained copper ions linked with either water molecules or OH groups.

Si-rich Al2O3 films grown by RF magnetron sputtering: structural and photoluminescence properties versus annealing treatment.

Silicon-rich Al2O3 films (Six(Al2O3)1-x) were co-sputtered from two separate silicon and alumina targets onto a long silicon oxide substrate. The effects of different annealing treatments on the structure and light emission of the films versus x were investigated by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman scattering, and micro-photoluminescence (PL) methods. The formation of amorphous Si clusters upon the deposition process was found for the films with x ≥ 0.