Anisotropy of the ΔE Effect in Ni-Based Magnetoelectric Cantilevers: A Finite Element Method Analysis.

In recent investigations of magnetoelectric sensors based on microelectromechanical cantilevers made of TiN/AlN/Ni, a complex eigenfrequency behavior arising from the anisotropic ΔE effect was demonstrated. Within this work, a FEM simulation model based on this material system is presented to allow an investigation of the vibrational properties of cantilever-based sensors derived from magnetocrystalline anisotropy while avoiding other anisotropic contributions. Using the magnetocrystalline ΔE effect, a magnetic hardening of Nickel is demonstrated for the (110) as well as the (111) orientation.

Electrogravimetry and Structural Properties of Thin Silicon Layers Deposited in Sulfolane and Ionic Liquid Electrolytes.

Potentiostatic deposition of silicon is performed in sulfolane (SL) and ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with damping monitoring (EQCM-D) is used as main analytical tool for the characterization of the reduction process. The apparent molar mass () is applied for estimation of the layer contamination.

Automated Parameter Extraction Of ScAlN MEMS Devices Using An Extended Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory.

Magnetoelectric sensors provide the ability to measure magnetic fields down to the pico tesla range and are currently the subject of intense research. Such sensors usually combine a piezoelectric and a magnetostrictive material, so that magnetically induced stresses can be measured electrically. Scandium aluminium nitride gained a lot of attraction in the last few years due to its enhanced piezoelectric properties.

Processing Strategies for High-Performance Schottky Contacts on n-Type Oxide Semiconductors: Insights from InO.

Preparation of rectifying Schottky contacts on n-type oxide semiconductors, such as indium oxide (InO), is often challenged by the presence of a distinct surface electron accumulation layer. We investigated the material properties and electrical transport characteristics of platinum contact/indium oxide heterojunctions to define routines for the preparation of high-performance Schottky diodes on n-type oxide semiconductors. Combining the evaluation of different Pt deposition methods, such as electron-beam evaporation and (reactive) sputtering in an (O and) Ar atmosphere, with oxygen plasma interface treatments, we identify key parameters to obtain Schottky-type contacts with high electronic barrier height and high rectification ratio.

Microgravimetric and Spectroscopic Analysis of Solid-Electrolyte Interphase Formation in Presence of Additives.

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) with damping monitoring is applied for real-time analysis of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in diphenyl octyl phosphate (DPOP) and vinylene carbonate (VC) modified electrolytes. Fast SEI formation is observed for the DPOP containing electrolyte, whereas slow growth is detected in VC-modified and reference electrolytes. QCM measurements in a dry state show considerable reduction of the mass quantity for DPOP and reference samples and minor mass decrease for the SEI layer formed in the presence of VC.

Morphology, Crystal Structure and Charge Transport in Donor-Acceptor Block Copolymer Thin Films.

We studied structure and charge transport properties of thin films of donor-acceptor block copolymers, poly(3-hexylthiophene-block-perylene bisimide acrylate), using a combination of X-ray scattering, AFM and vertical charge transport measurements in diode devices. Block copolymer self-assembly and crystallization of the individual components are interrelated and different structural states of the films could be prepared by varying preparation conditions and thermal history. Generally the well-defined microphase structures found previously in bulk could also be prepared in thin films, in addition alignment induced by interfacial interactions was observed.

Modification of the active layer/PEDOT:PSS interface by solvent additives resulting in improvement of the performance of organic solar cells.

The influence of various polar solvent additives with different dipole moments has been investigated since the performance of a photovoltaic device comprising a donor-acceptor copolymer (benzothiadiazole-fluorene-diketopyrrolopyrrole (BTD-F-DKPP)) and phenyl-C60-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was notably increased. A common approach for controlling bulk heterojunction morphology and thereby improving the solar cell performance involves the use of solvent additives exhibiting boiling points higher than that of the surrounding solvent in order to allow the fullerene to aggregate during the host solvent evaporation and film solidification. In contrast to that, we report the application of polar solvent additives with widely varied dipole moments, where intentionally no dependence on their boiling points was applied.

Nanometer precise adjustment of the silver shell thickness during automated Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticle synthesis in micro fluid segment sequences.

In this work, a wet-chemical synthesis method for gold-silver core-shell particles with nanometer precise adjustable silver shell thicknesses is presented. Typically wet-chemical syntheses lead to relatively large diameter size distributions and losses in the yield of the desired particle structure due to thermodynamical effects. With the here explained synthesis method in micro fluidic segment sequences, a combinatorial in situ parameter screening of the reactant concentration ratios by programmed flow rate shifts in conjunction with efficient segment internal mixing conditions is possible.

Thermal functionalization of GaN surfaces with 1-alkenes.

A thermally induced functionalization process for gallium nitride surfaces with 1-alkenes is introduced. The resulting functionalization layers are characterized with atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and compared to reference samples without and with a photochemically generated functionalization layer. The resulting layers show very promising characteristics as functionalization for GaN based biosensors.

Preparation and characterization of poly(L-histidine)/poly(L-glutamic acid) multilayer on silicon with nanometer-sized surface structures.

The specific design and modification of surfaces is of great interest, especially for functional surfaces and medical applications. In order to obtain films on a surface, the layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolytes represents a well-established methodology. The alternating deposition of poly(L-histidine) and poly(L-glutamic acid) results in a defined, continuous surface coating that was thoroughly characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry, X-ray reflectometry, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, and electrokinetic measurements.

Surface electronic structure of [XMIm]Cl probed by surface-sensitive spectroscopy.

We apply electron spectroscopy methods with different surface sensitivities to elucidate the DOS of the surface and the near-surface region of [XMIm]Cl (X=octyl, hexyl, butyl, and ethyl alkyl chain) ionic liquids. Using metastable induced electron spectroscopy (MIES) we are able to detect the density of states in front of the outermost surface, whereas ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS) measurements provide lower surface sensitivity. The assignment of certain structures in the valence band spectra to particular atoms/functional groups of the ionic liquid based on DFT calculations and the reconstruction of PES spectra enables us to obtain information on the dominating groups at the surface, or in other words, on the molecular/ionic arrangement and orientation at the surface.

Theoretical reconstruction and elementwise analysis of photoelectron spectra for imidazolium-based ionic liquids.

We have recently measured core level and valence band XPS, UPS, and MIES spectra of two room temperature ionic liquids composed of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anions ([Tf(2)N](-)) and either 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ([EMIm](+)) or 1-octyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cations ([OMIm](+)). [T. Ikari, A.

Changes of the near-surface chemical composition of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide room temperature ionic liquid under the influence of irradiation.

Radiation induced degradation effects are studied for a model ionic liquid (IL)--[EMIm]Tf(2)N--in order to distinguish in which way the results of X-ray based material analysis methods can be falsified by the radiation supplied by typical X-ray sources itself. Photoelectron spectroscopy is commonly used for determining the electronic structure of ionic liquids. Degradation effects, which often occur e.

Effect of annealing on the properties of indium-tin-oxynitride films as ohmic contacts for gan-based optoelectronic devices.

Indium-tin-oxynitride (ITON) films have been fabricated by rf sputtering from an indium-tin-oxide target in nitrogen plasma. The influence of postdeposition annealing up to 800 degrees C is analyzed by electrical, optical, and surface characterization of the films in comparison to indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films fabricated in argon plasma. High-temperature annealing resulted in ITO(N) films with similar carrier concentrations.