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The field-emission characteristics of zirconium carbide (ZrC) nanowire with an oxidized surface are studied. When the ZrC nanowire is processed to introduce an oxidized surface, its field-emission performance is improved significantly, exhibiting a high field-emission current and enhanced emission current stability with a fluctuation of 1.7% in a vacuum of 6 × 10−8 Pa. Furthermore, a reduced turn-on voltage of the ZrC nanowire after oxidation was observed in the field-emission measurement, which is attributed to a reduction of the work function of the ZrC nanowire after oxidation treatment. Density functional theory calculations have also been performed to validate the mechanisms responsible for the improvement of field-emission stability and reduction in the work function of the ZrC nanowire.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of an individual multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) with the innermost diameter ∼1 nm, prepared by hydrogen arc discharge, show a single peak of radial breathing mode and multiple splitting of the tangential stretching G-band modes. Based on Lorentzian line shape analysis and related theoretical calculations, the G-band modes of MWNT are confirmed to be composed of both G-band modes (linewidth 4 cm−1) from the innermost tube and graphite-like mode (linewidth ∼20 cm−1) from the outer cylinders in MWNT. This observation indicates that MWNTs are unique and possess characteristic Raman spectra different from other sp2 carbon allotropes.

A processing route has been developed to grow bundles of carbon nanotubes on substrates from methane and hydrogen mixtures by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, catalyzed by iron particles reduced from ferric nitrate. Growth takes place at about 900 °C leading to nanotubes with lengths of more than 20 μm and diameters on the nanometer scale.

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study to get insight into both memory and negative differential resistance (NDR) effect in organic memory devices. The theoretical model we propose is simply a one-dimensional metallic island array embedding within two electrodes. We use scattering operator method to evaluate the tunneling current among the electrode and islands to establish the basic bistable I-V curves for several devices. The theoretical results match the experiments very well, and both memory and NDR effect could be understood comprehensively. The experimental correspondence, say, the experiment of changing the pressure of oxygen, is addressed as well., 5 pages, 3 figures

Single HfC nanowire field emitter/electrode structures have been fabricated using nano-assembling and electron beam induced deposition. Field ion microscopy has been applied to study the atomic arrangement of facets formed on a field evaporation-modified HfC nanowire tip. Field evaporation and crystal form studies suggest that the {111} and {110} crystal planes have lower work functions, while the {100}, {210}, and {311} planes have higher work functions. Field emission measurement permits us to obtain that the work function of the {111} crystal plane is about 3.4 eV.

The magnetoelectroluminescence (MEL) of organic light emitting devices with a N,N′-bis(l-naphthyl)-N,N′-diphenyl-1,l′-biphentl-4,4′-diamine:tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (NPB:Alq3) mixed emission layer (EML) has been investigated. We find that MEL is maximized when the volume ratio of NPB of the mixed EML reaches 30% and the EML thickness is 40 nm. The features of MEL under various magnetic field strengths are insensitive to the change in EML thickness and mixing ratio. Meanwhile, MEL has a close relationship with the carrier mobility. We have conducted a theoretical study to further verify the relationship. Our experimental and theoretical results confirm that MEL can function as a tool to indicate the mobility.

We present a time-dependent device model, describing the dynamical processes of both exciton induced by light illumination and charge carriers created from the exciton dissociation, to calculate the transient photovoltage (TPV) in single-layer organic photovoltaic cells. With reasonable parameters for the specific ITO (indium tin oxide)/CuPc (copper phthalocyanine)/Al (aluminum) structure, we could obtain the TPV well fitted with previous experimental observation by adjusting only the intensity of input laser pulse. Further, we saw a saturation of this TPV by changing the intensity of laser pulse from the calculation, which has been confirmed by the experimental measurement on ITO/NPB [N,N-bis(l-naphthyl)-N,N-diphenyl-1,l-biphentl-4,4-diamine]/Al structure. The saturated TPV value is found to be sensitive to the mobility of minority carriers, which might be useful in the estimation of mobilities.

We report an efficient process for controlled fabrication of high-resolution magnetic force microscope probes using preformed magnetic nanowires. Nickel and cobalt nanowires produced by electrodeposition were directly assembled onto the tip of a commercial atomic force microscope cantilever with controlled orientation and length by dielectrophoresis. The properties of these nanowire-based probes are characterized.