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The development of devices that exhibit both superconducting and semiconducting properties is an important endeavor for emerging quantum technologies. We investigate superconducting nanowires fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. Aluminum from deposited contact electrodes is found to interdiffuse with Si along the entire length of the nanowire, over micrometer length scales and at temperatures well below the Al-Si eutectic. The phase-transformed material is conformal with the predefined device patterns. The superconducting properties of a transformed mesoscopic ring formed on a SOI platform are investigated. Low-temperature magnetoresistance oscillations, quantized in units of the fluxoid

Copper iodide (CuI) is a promising p-type wide bandgap semiconductor for optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications. Its p-type conductivity is due to the existence of native defect copper vacancy (VCu). We report the effect of native defects on microstructural, optical, and thermoelectric properties of ion beam sputtered CuI films via vacuum annealing. X-ray diffraction results showed that the CuI film is a γ-phase with zinc blende crystal structure, further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy analysis. Cu-rich region was observed in vacuum-annealed films by cross-section transmission electron microscopy and element mapping, while as-deposited film is very uniform. As-deposited film exhibited an electrical conductivity σ = 22.9 S cm−1, hole density p = 3.3 × 1019 cm−3, hole mobility μp = 4.3 cm2 V−1 s−1, and the Seebeck coefficient α = 244.9 μV K−1 which yielded a power factor of α2σ = 137.8 μW m−1 K−2, whereas vacuum annealing led to the large increase in Seebeck coefficient α = 561.8 μV K−1 and a strongly increased power factor, α2σ = 443.5 μW m−1 K−2 along with the slightly decreased conductivity, σ = 14.0 S cm−1 when the film was annealed at 100 °C. The increase in Seebeck coefficient is attributed to the decrease in hole density along with energy-dependent scattering of charge carriers at the grain boundaries between CuI and Cu-rich region. The decreased hole density is due to the formation of less VCu in high vacuum annealing condition. In addition, the film exhibited 60–85% transmission in the visible region. The results demonstrated that by a simple vacuum annealing, a high performance transparent thermoelectric material could be achieved, which provides a simple strategy for improving the properties of thermoelectric materials.

The excellent performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on quasi-2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskites (RPPs) holds promise for their commercialization. Further improvement in the performance of 2D PSCs requires a detailed understanding of the microstructure of the quasi-2D perovskite films. Based on scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), time-resolved photoluminescence, and transient absorption measurements, a new sandwich-like structural model is proposed to describe the phase distribution of RPPs. In contrast to the conventional gradient distribution, it is found that small-n RPPs are sandwiched between large-n RPP phase layers at the front and back sides owing to crystallization initiated from both interfaces during film formation. This sandwich-like distribution profile facilitates excitons funneling from the film interior to both surfaces for dissociation while free carriers transport via large-n channels that permeate the film to ensure efficient charge collection by the corresponding electrodes, which is favorable for high-performance photovoltaics. This discovery provides a new fundamental understanding of the operating principles of 2D PSCs and has valuable implications for the design and optimization strategies of optoelectronic devices based on quasi-2D RPPs films.

Carbon exhibits a remarkable range of structural forms, due to the availability of sp3, sp2 and sp1 chemical bonds. Contrarily to other group IV elements such as silicon and germanium, the formation of an amorphous phase based exclusively on sp3 bonds is extremely challenging due to the strongly favored formation of graphitic-like structures at room temperature and pressure. As such, the formation of a fully sp3-bonded carbon phase requires an extremely careful (and largely unexplored) definition of the pressure and temperature across the phase diagram. Here, we report on the possibility of creating full-sp3 amorphous nanostructures within the bulk crystal of diamond with room-temperature ion-beam irradiation, followed by an annealing process that does not involve the application of any external mechanical pressure. As confirmed by numerical simulations, the (previously unreported) radiation-damage-induced formation of an amorphous sp2-free phase in diamond is determined by the buildup of extremely high internal stresses from the surrounding lattice, which (in the case of nanometer-scale regions) fully prevent the graphitization process. Besides the relevance of understanding the formation of exotic carbon phases, the use of focused/collimated ion beams discloses appealing perspectives for the direct fabrication of such nanostructures in complex three-dimensional geometries.

We demonstrate locally the coherent formation of silicon carbide (SiC) on diamond, a rare example of heteroepitaxy with a lattice mismatch that exceeds 20%. High-resolution transmission electron mi...

The mechano-bactericidal activity of nanostructured surfaces has become the focus of intensive research toward the development of a new generation of antibacterial surfaces, particularly in the current era of emerging antibiotic resistance. This work demonstrates the effects of an incremental increase of nanopillar height on nanostructure-induced bacterial cell death. We propose that the mechanical lysis of bacterial cells can be influenced by the degree of elasticity and clustering of highly ordered silicon nanopillar arrays. Herein, silicon nanopillar arrays with diameter 35 nm, periodicity 90 nm and increasing heights of 220, 360, and 420 nm were fabricated using deep UV immersion lithography. Nanoarrays of 360-nm-height pillars exhibited the highest degree of bactericidal activity toward both Gram stain-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram stain-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, inducing 95 ± 5% and 83 ± 12% cell death, respectively. At heights of 360 nm, increased nanopillar elasticity contributes to the onset of pillar deformation in response to bacterial adhesion to the surface. Theoretical analyses of pillar elasticity confirm that deflection, deformation force, and mechanical energies are more significant for the substrata possessing more flexible pillars. Increased storage and release of mechanical energy may explain the enhanced bactericidal action of these nanopillar arrays toward bacterial cells contacting the surface; however, with further increase of nanopillar height (420 nm), the forces (and tensions) can be partially compensated by irreversible interpillar adhesion that reduces their bactericidal effect. These findings can be used to inform the design of next-generation mechano-responsive surfaces with tuneable bactericidal characteristics for antimicrobial surface technologies.

To improve the usefulness of superconducting devices the critical current density ( $J_c$ ) often needs to be improved or modified. This can simply be done by increasing the amount of defects present, allowing more magnetic flux to be trapped. These defects can be introduced artificially after deposition by use of for instance controlled holes throughout the surface (antidots), or prior to deposition by manipulating the procedure or substrate type/surface. In this paper, LaAlO $_3$ substrates were annealed at 1000 °C for 2 h prior to deposition of approximately 250 nm of YBa $_2$ Cu $_3$ O $_7$ . Across several depositions, on average the $J_c$ of the annealed substrate film is improved $\sim$ 10–15% relative to a plain substrate film. Aside from a $J_c$ enhancement, the annealed substrate samples were found to have a much higher consistency between depositions, particularly at lower applied magnetic fields. Furthermore, ion beam etching is often required on the substrate for fabrication of superconducting devices. This paper has shown that annealing can restore the substrate surface to the same quality as the manufactured plain substrate, based on the very similar $J_c$ values.

Structural and magnetic measurements were performed on SiO2 films containing near-surface Ni1−xFex superparamagnetic nanoparticles made by low energy ion implantation into SiO2 with the same Ni fluences of 2 × 1016 at./cm2 and two different Fe fluences so that x = 0.47 and x = 0.20. The x = 0.47 films had larger nanoparticles, a higher fraction of ordered moments in the nanoparticle cores, and thinner spin-disordered shells. The nanoparticle core spin-stiffnesses were slightly higher for x = 0.20 and smaller than that expected for bulk Ni1−xFex for both Fe concentrations. There was no evidence for magnetic dipole interactions between the nanoparticles that have been reported in compressed superparamagnetic ferromagnetic nanoparticles. dM/dH was estimated and found to be highest for x = 0.47 where it reached 15 at 300 K and 56 at 100 K. The measured dM/dH is consistent with that expected from a derivative of the Langevin function with negligible demagnetization where larger nanoparticles are expected to have a higher dM/dH.

Hydrogen is the key element to accomplish a carbon-free based economy. Here, the first evidence of plasmonic gallium (Ga) nanoantennas is provided as nanoreactors supported on sapphire (α-Al2O3) acting as direct plasmon-enhanced photocatalyst for hydrogen sensing, storage, and spillover. The role of plasmon-catalyzed electron transfer between hydrogen and plasmonic Ga nanoparticle in the activation of those processes is highlighted, as opposed to conventional refractive index-change-based sensing. This study reveals that, while temperature selectively operates those various processes, longitudinal (LO-LSPR) and transverse (TO-LSPR) localized surface plasmon resonances of supported Ga nanoparticles open selectivity of localized reaction pathways at specific sites corresponding to the electromagnetic hot-spots. Specifically, the TO-LSPR couples light into the surface dissociative adsorption of hydrogen and formation of hydrides, whereas the LO-LSPR activates heterogeneous reactions at the interface with the support, that is, hydrogen spillover into α-Al2O3 and reverse-oxygen spillover from α-Al2O3. This Ga-based plasmon-catalytic platform expands the application of supported plasmon-catalysis to hydrogen technologies, including reversible fast hydrogen sensing in a timescale of a few seconds with a limit of detection as low as 5 ppm and in a broad temperature range from room-temperature up to 600 °C while remaining stable and reusable over an extended period of time. The authors thank all of the students and colleagues in their groups who were actively involved with nanoparticles research. M.L., Y.G., and F.M. have received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No. 899598—PHEMTRONICS. F.M. acknowledges MINECO (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, project PGC2018-096649-B-100).

Spins in the ``semiconductor vacuum'' of silicon-28 ($^{28}\mathrm{Si}$) are suitable qubit candidates due to their long coherence times. An isotopically purified substrate or epilayer of $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ is required to limit the decoherence pathway caused by magnetic perturbations from surrounding $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$ nuclear spins ($I=1/2$), present in natural Si ($^{\text{nat}}\mathrm{Si}$) at an abundance of 4.67%. We isotopically enrich surface layers of $^{\text{nat}}\mathrm{Si}$ by sputtering using high fluence ${}^{28}{\text{Si}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ implantation. Phosphorus (P) donors implanted into one such $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ layer with $\ensuremath{\sim}3000$ ppm $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$, produced by implanting 30 keV ${}^{28}{\text{Si}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions at a fluence of $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, were measured with pulsed electron spin resonance, confirming successful donor activation upon annealing. The monoexponential decay of the Hahn echo signal indicates a depletion of $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$. A coherence time of ${T}_{2}=285\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}14\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ is extracted, which is longer than that obtained in ${}^{\text{nat}}\text{Si}$ for similar doping concentrations and can be increased by reducing the P concentration in the future. Guided by simulations, the isotopic enrichment was improved by employing one-for-one ion sputtering using 45 keV ${}^{28}{\text{Si}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ implanted with a fluence of $2.63\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{18}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ into ${}^{\text{nat}}\text{Si}$. This resulted in an isotopically enriched surface layer $\ensuremath{\sim}100$ nm thick, suitable for providing a sufficient volume of $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ for donor qubits implanted into the near-surface region. We observe a depletion of $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$ to 250 ppm as measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The impurity content and the crystallization kinetics via solid phase epitaxy are discussed. The $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ layer is confirmed to be a single crystal using transmission electron microscopy. This method of Si isotopic enrichment shows promise for incorporation into the fabrication process flow of Si spin-qubit devices.

Copper oxide composites were successfully synthesized by a catalyst-free method, plasma arc technology. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analysis revealed a mixture of crystalline copper oxide (CuO), cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and copper (Cu) phases of the copper oxide composites constitute of irregularly spheroidal particlesµ with nanoparticles aggregate on the surface. Gas pressure during plasma arc process noticeably influences the composition and solar radiative properties of the composite materials. Among the samples studied, the composites synthesized with an arc current of 80 A and a pressure of 300 Torr exhibited the highest near infrared diffuse reflectance, providing a total solar reflectance of 22.96%. The mixed phase composition together with the nanostructures among the composites are considered to contribute to the excellent near infrared reflectance of copper oxide composites. Low reflectance in the visible region combined with high reflectance in the near infrared region make this composite material a good candidate for solar reflective coating which will demonstrate black appearance but keep a cool surface under solar irradiation.

Design of flux profile and guided motion of magnetic flux quanta (also known as vortices) are central issues for functionality of superconducting devices. Anchoring vortex movement by trapping flux lines through the use of defects and preventing vortex entry by shielding magnetic field have been broadly explored, which can also enable reduction of noise for optimal device operation. Removing vortices entirely via the so-called ratchet effect (employing an asymmetric energy potential) is another alternative. This ratcheting potential is also used in DNA splitting, particle separation, surface atom electromigration, and electrophoresis. Utilizing a superconductor with the ratchet vortex pinning potential induces a dominant motion direction, which can be used to pump flux out from device functional zones. In this work, a varying thickness superconductor with its tailored intrinsic pinning mechanism has been simulated and proven to provide this preferential vortex motion. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that a varying thickness superconducting ratchet is indeed possible. Furthermore, the sawtooth shape of the bridge provides a tunability to the preferred vortex motion direction, dependent on the ramp gradient and intrinsic pinning strength.

New approaches to synthesize decorative black coatings on metallic surfaces are of significant research and commercial interest to manufacturing industries. In this work, decorative hard black coatings were deposited on a titanium surface by carbon ion implantation at ambient temperature. A 10 keV C+ beam was implanted on a Ti substrate to a fluence of 1–1.25 × 1018 C cm−2. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy results show that the implantation resulted in a bi-layered coating structure with a ~50 nm amorphous carbon layer at the surface followed by a ~50 nm amorphous titanium carbide intermixing layer deposited on top of a crystalline Ti surface. Raman spectroscopy confirms the formation of carbide intermixing layer and shows that the amorphous carbon layer has 15–20% sp3 content. Nanoindentation measurements show that the surface hardness of the implanted surface has increased by 72%, from 3.7 to 6.6 GPa, upon carbon implantation. Scratch tests further demonstrate a reduction in coefficient of friction in the implanted surface by 25%, signifying an improvement in wear-resistance of the coated materials. Colorimetry measurements reveal that carbon implantation reduces the luminosity of the Ti surface from 77 to 49 and chromaticity from 4.67 to 1.36, confirming incorporation of black color on Ti surface. The results demonstrate that C implantation onto a Ti surface at high fluence results in a black coating with high surface hardness and wear-resistance that can be employed in decorative surface applications for manufacturing industries.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles have been made by a co-precipitation method with an average size of 13 nm. Raman measurements show that there is also a small fraction of maghemite that is not seen in the XRD data. The saturation magnetization is high for this preparation method and the coercive field is low at 300 K. The high field magnetic moment cannot be fitted to a Bloch temperature dependence over the full temperature range, which is likely due to the effect of the Verwey transition at 120 K. Pressed powders shows a magnetoresistance of up to −6.5% at 8 T and 300 K. The magnetoresistance can be fitted to a model where there is a spin-dependent tunnelling between nanoparticles with a spin-disordered shell. The temperature dependence of the resistivity can be attributed to nanoparticle electrostatic charging effects.

The threat of a global rise in the number of untreatable infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria calls for the design and fabrication of a new generation of bactericidal materials. Here, we report a concept for the design of antibacterial surfaces, whereby cell death results from the ability of the nanofeatures to deflect when in contact with attaching cells. We show, using three-dimensional transmission electron microscopy, that the exceptionally high aspect ratio (100-3000) of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) imparts extreme flexibility, which enhances the elastic energy storage in CNTs as they bend in contact with bacteria. Our experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that, for high aspect ratio structures, the bending energy stored in the CNTs is a substantial factor for the physical rupturing of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The highest bactericidal rates (99.3% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 84.9% for Staphylococcus aureus) were obtained by modifying the length of the VACNTs, allowing us to identify the optimal substratum properties to kill different types of bacteria efficiently. This work highlights that the bactericidal activity of high aspect ratio nanofeatures can outperform both natural bactericidal surfaces and other synthetic nanostructured multifunctional surfaces reported in previous studies. The present systems exhibit the highest bactericidal activity of a CNT-based substratum against a Gram-negative bacterium reported to date, suggesting the possibility of achieving close to 100% bacterial inactivation on VACNT-based substrata.

Understanding of the implantation process of the hydrogen ions into diamond is of great technological interest for the fabrication of the color centers required for quantum computing and sensing applications. Here, the hydrogen range and defect-depth distribution in (1 1 1) HPHT diamond irradiated with 10–350 keV/proton H + and H 2 + ions in non channeling direction are experimentally measured by means of cross-section transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy. It is found that the proton ranges at energies below 100 keV are significantly (more than 50%) underestimated in TRIM simulations whereas measured profiles coincide well with simulated ones at ion energies above 100 keV. The difference at low energies is due to approximations used in TRIM code. First is overestimation of electron energy losses. In addition, binary collision approximation and/or ZBL potential in this energy range are not suitable for proton stopping in diamond.

Multiferroic nanocrystalline BiFeO3films have been successfully made by room temperature sputtering and thermal annealing in oxygen at 500�C. Nanocrystalline Bi was seen before annealing as well asb-Bi2O3 and the iron oxide phases, magnetite, maghemite, and FeO. Superparamagnetism was observed that can be attributed to magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles. The thermally annealed film contained BiFeO3 nanoparticles and magnetite, maghemite, and hematite as well as unidentified BiFexOyphases. Superparamagnetism was also seen after annealing and the magnetic properties are predominately due to magnetite and maghemite nanoparticles rather than from multiferroic BiFeO3. The saturation magnetic moment was 60% lower after annealing, which was due to some of the Fe in the iron oxide nanoparticles being incorporated into the BiFeO3nanoparticles. An exchange bias was observed before and after annealing that cannot be attributed to a structure that includes BiFeO3. It is likely to arise from magnetite and maghemite cores with spin-disordered shells.

Magnetic nanoparticles have been made by Ni and Fe implantation into a SiO 2 film with a Ni:Fe ratio of 82:18 both before and after electron beam annealing (EBA). Superparamagnetic nanoparticles with diameters ∼4 nm were observed after implantation. The moment per implanted ion at high magnetic fields was significantly lower than that reported for bulk Ni 1− x Fe x with a similar x , which may be due to some implanted ions not magnetically ordering and the appearance of antiferromagnetic phases. The high field moment did not follow Bloch's T 3/2 law where T is the temperature. This behaviour is likely to be due to spin-waves propagating in the nanoparticle/Ni y Fe 1− y Si z O n matrix as well as the effect of disordered spins on the surfaces of the nanoparticles. After EBA, a bimodal size distribution was observed with large isolated particles closer to the surface and smaller nanoparticles further into the film. Such a distribution has not been previously reported for similar Fe or Ni implantation. All of the Ni and Fe moments have magnetically ordered and the high field moment can be modelled using Bloch's law and a small contribution from disordered moments in the shell with an average thickness of ∼0.3 nm.

We have used high pressure high temperature annealing (HPHT) for graphitisation of implanted layers in diamond created by 30 keV Ga+ focused ion beam. Electron microscopy has been used to investigate the implanted layers. It has been revealed that, unlike annealing at vacuum pressure, the graphitization during HPHT annealing occurred through epitaxial growth of graphite (002) planes parallel to (111) diamond planes. High quality of graphite was confirmed by high resolution electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy.

The single-crystal structure of cooperite, a natural platinum sulfide PtS, is studied by X-ray diffraction supported by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray spectrum microanalysis. It is found that, in addition to the main reflections corresponding to the known tetragonal cell (a = 3.47 and c = 6.11 A; space group P42/mmc), many weak reflections with intensities I ≤ 60σ(I) are clearly observed. These reflections fit the tetragonal cell (space group I4/mmm) with doubled parameters. In structures with small (P42/mmc) and large (I4/mmm) cells, the S atoms occupy statistically two special positions. It is shown that the chemical composition of the cooperite crystals deviates from the stoichiometric composition: sulfur-deficient specimens predominate.

We report the effects of implantation-induced-sputtering in determining the true magnetisation of iron nitrides formed by nitrogen implantation into iron films and the changes subsequently observed in their magnetic anisotropy. Iron thin films (40 nm) capped with gold layers were synthesized by ion beam sputtering. Nitrogen was implanted onto the thin film to a dose of 7 × 1016 cm-2. Dynamic ion-solid interaction simulations calculate the average nitrogen concentration within the iron thin films to be 13 at.%. Ion beam analysis was used to evaluate the composition and depth profile of the thin films before and after implantation. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy helped in identifying the implantation induced effects at the surface and interface of the thin film structure. Magnetisation measurements show that nitrogen implantation enhances the magnetisation of thin films and reduces their in-plane magnetic anisotropy. High resolution TEM and magnetisation results suggest formation of α’/α”-Fe16N2 with large magnetic moments and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The enhancement in magnetisation of the thin film with and without considering the sputtering losses is determined to be 15% and 5%, respectively. Our review of literature shows that underestimating the sputtering losses from implantation leads to reporting of inconsistent and reduced magnetic moments for Fe16N2.

In order to enhance and/or control critical current density (Jc) in superconducting YBa2Cu3O$_{7-\delta}$ (YBCO) thin films, different arrays of 3 µm large ferromagnetic (iron) dots with differing configurations and shapes have been deposited on top of high-quality YBCO thin films post-buffered with a layer of CeO2. Some tremendous Jc enhancement of up to nearly 100% have been obtained at high temperatures and low fields. However, the Jc performance is strongly dependent on the array configurations, shape and amount of ferromagnetic iron involved. We show that it is possible to enhance Jc at high or low magnetic field ranges. The results are clearly different to similar non magnetic array structures used to previously manipulate Jc in YBCO films, which proves the magnetic origin of the changes in Jc we observed. The enhancement is likely due to the flux localization and magnetic pinning effects, rather than magnetic shielding alone, which is effective at relatively low fields only. The results also suggest that the observed Jc changes depend on rather minor variations in initial pinning and corresponding Jc levels of the films. At the same time a common trend for all of the various investigated magnetic arrays could not be established due to explained factors.

A hydrogen-terminated diamond (H-terminated diamond) surface supports a two-dimensional (2D) p-type surface conductivity when exposed to the atmosphere, as a result of the surface transfer doping process. The formation of reliable Ohmic contacts that persist to cryogenic temperature is essential for the exploration of quantum transport in the diamond 2D conducting channel. Herein, the contact properties of Pd on H-terminated diamond have been fully investigated down to 4 K using transmission line method measurements. Pd is shown to form an Ohmic contact on H-terminated diamond with linear I-V characteristics and low specific contact resistance in the range of (8.4 ± 1) ×10-4 ω·cm2 to (1.3 ± 0.2) ×10-3 ω·cm2 for the temperature range of 300 K-4 K. This is in stark contrast to reference devices with Au/Pt/Ti contacts, which exhibit a significant temperature dependence and non-Ohmic behavior at low temperature. Using 2D thermionic emission theory, a negative Schottky barrier height (SBH), - 23 ± 1 meV, between Pd and H-terminated diamond has been determined, in comparison to a positive SBH of 42 ± 1 meV for the Au/Pt/Ti/H-terminated diamond interface. These results show that Pd serves as an excellent candidate for forming reliable Ohmic contacts on H-terminated diamond for enabling precise electrical transport measurements at cryogenic temperature.

Magnetite from hydrothermal ore deposits can contain up to tens of thousands of parts per million (ppm) of elements such as Ti, Si, V, Al, Ca, Mg, Na, which tend to either structurally incorporate into growth and sector zones or form mineral micro- to nano-sized particles. Here, we report micro- to nano-structural and chemical data of hydrothermal magnetite from the Los Colorados iron oxide–apatite deposit in Chile, where magnetite displays both types of trace element incorporation. Three generations of magnetites (X–Z) were identified with concentrations of minor and trace elements that vary significantly: SiO2, from below detection limit (bdl) to 3.1 wt%; Al2O3, 0.3–2.3 wt%; CaO, bdl–0.9 wt%; MgO, 0.02–2.5 wt%; TiO2, 0.1–0.4 wt%; MnO, 0.04–0.2 wt%; Na2O, bdl–0.4 wt%; and K2O, bdl–0.4 wt%. An exception is V2O3, which is remarkably constant, ranging from 0.3 to 0.4 wt%. Six types of crystalline nanoparticles (NPs) were identified by means of transmission electron microscopy in the trace element-rich zones, which are each a few micrometres wide: (1) diopside, (2) clinoenstatite; (3) amphibole, (4) mica, (5) ulvospinel, and (6) Ti-rich magnetite. In addition, Al-rich nanodomains, which contain 2–3 wt% of Al, occur within a single crystal of magnetite. The accumulation of NPs in the trace element-rich zones suggest that they form owing to supersaturation from a hydrothermal fluid, followed by entrapment during continuous growth of the magnetite surface. It is also concluded that mineral NPs promote exsolution of new phases from the mineral host, otherwise preserved as structurally bound trace elements. The presence of abundant mineral NPs in magnetite points to a complex incorporation of trace elements during growth, and provides a cautionary note on the interpretation of micron-scale chemical data of magnetite.

In the recent years graphitization of ion-beam induced amorphous layers became the basic tool for device fabrication in diamond. The etchable graphitic layers can be removed to form free-standing membranes into which the desired structures can be sculpted using FIB milling. The optical properties of the devices fabricated using this method are assumed on the model of sharp diamond-air interface. The real quality of this interface could depend on degree of graphitization of the amorphous damage layers after annealing. In the present work the graphitization process was studied using conventional and analytical TEM. It was found that annealing at 550 {\deg}C results in a partial graphitization of the implanted volume with formation of the nano-crystalline graphitic phase sandwiched between layers of tetrahedral amorphous carbon. Annealing at 1400 {\deg}C resulted in complete graphitization of the amorphous layers. The average size of graphite nano-crystals did not exceed 5 nm with predominant orientation of c-planes normal to the sample surface., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

We report the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of erbium (Er) implanted zinc oxide (ZnO) single crystals. Rutherford backscattering and channeling results showed that the majority of Er atoms resided in Zn substitutional lattice sites. Annealing led to a fraction of Er atoms moving into random interstitial sites. Transmission electron microscopy micrographs revealed that doped Er atoms were located in the near-surface region, consistent with the results obtained from DYNAMIC-TRIM calculations. A non-linear Hall-voltage was observed near 100 K, which is associated with inhomogeneous transport in the material. The Er implanted and annealed ZnO exhibited persistent magnetic ordering to room temperature. Ferromagnetism was likely from the presence of intrinsic defects in ZnO, which mediates the magnetic ordering in Er implanted and annealed ZnO.

Hypervelocity dust has a speed of greater than 5 km/s and is a significant problem for equipment deployed in space such as satellites because of impacts that damage vulnerable components. Photovoltaic (PV) arrays are especially vulnerable because of their large surface area and the performance can be degraded owing to the disruption of the structure of the junction in the cells making up the array. Satellite PV arrays returned to Earth after service in orbit reveal a large number of craters larger than 5 μm in diameter arising from hypervelocity dust impacts. Extensive prior work has been done on the analysis of the morphology of craters in PV cells to understand the origin of the micrometeoroid that caused the crater and to study the corresponding mechanical damage to the structure of the cell. Generally, about half the craters arise from natural micrometeoroids, about one third from artificial Al-rich debris, probably from solid rocket exhausts, and the remainder from miscellaneous sources both known and unknown. However to date there has not been a microscopic study of the degradation of the electrical characteristics of PV cells exposed to hypervelocity dust impacts. Here we present an ion beam induced charge (IBIC) pilot study by a 2 MeV He microbeam of craters induced on a Hamamatsu PIN diode exposed to artificial hypervelocity Al dust from a dust accelerator. Numerous 5–30 μm diameter craters were identified and the charge collection efficiency of the crater and surrounds mapped with IBIC with bias voltages between 0 and 20 V. At highest bias, it was found the efficiency of the crater had been degraded by about 20% compared to the surrounding material. The speed distribution achieved in the Al dust accelerator was peaked at about 4 km/s compared to 11–68 km/s for dust encountered in low Earth orbit. We are able to extrapolate the charge collection efficiency degradation rate of unbiased cells in space based on our current measurements and the differences in the structure of the targets.

A device fabrication method is reported to efficiently produce CH3NH3PbI3-based planar perovskite solar cells on polymer substrates with the entire process conducted at 150 °C or below. The hole blocking layer employed is a solution processed 100 nm thick mesoporous TiO2 layer. A gas-assisted perovskite deposition method is used to produce excellent coverage of the hole blocking layer by a ∼350 nm thick CH3NH3PbI3 film, resulting in high device performance reproducibility. We show that an average efficiency of 10.6 ± 1.2%, and a maximum efficiency of 12.3% are obtained for flexible perovskite solar cells, offering great promise for further improvement of this low-temperature, low-cost processing solar technology.

International audience; In Accumulated Low Schottky Barrier metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) on SOl structures, very thin silicide layers are used for ohmic contacts. Silicide contacts form due to metallurgical reaction of metal with semiconductor. In order to get a broad vision of the most interesting metal/silicide solution several material stacks were evaluated including platinum and iridium. In this work cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy was used to study the process of silicide formation in metal/Si and metal/SiGe/Si structures. Novel structure architectures have been developed. They are mainly based on the use of a very thin film SOl substrate with typical active silicon layer thicknesses ranging between 2 and 20 nm for 10-40 nm gate length MOSFETs. In Accumulation LowSchottky Barrier -SOI MOSFET structures very thin silicides are used for ohmic contacts. Silicide contacts form due to metallurgical reaction of metal with semiconductor.

High temperature superconducting tapes based on cuprate compounds are nowadays available on long lengths by several companies. Because high superconducting properties are strongly influenced by the crystallographic orientation of the superconducting film, and because the appropriate crystallographic orientation is obtained through epitaxial film growth, the development of an oriented template is of crucial technological importance. In the rolling assisted biaxially textured substrate (RABiTS) technique, a strong cube texture is obtained by cold rolling fcc metal tape and high temperature annealing, followed by the deposition of one or more buffer layer by either physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical solution deposition (CSD). Using the latter approach, it has been recently shown that it is possible to combine substrate recrystallization and buffer layer growth in a single step if the onset of recrystallization occurs at a temperature lower than buffer layer nucleation. In the present contribution, a detailed investigation of biaxially-oriented La2Zr2O7 (LZO) buffer layer grown on cold-rolled Ni-W substrate by combined EBSD, AFM and TEM analyses is reported. It is shown that it is possible to obtain highly {001}〈110〉-textured LZO film directly on cold-rolled Ni-W substrate. Although some small polycrystalline regions appear, this approach leads to a strong suppression of grain boundary grooving typically occurring in RABiT-type substrates. Further, it is shown that, notwithstanding the microstructure of the metal substrate continues to evolve during the conversion heat treatment, the obtained LZO film is well adherent, without cracks or delamination.

We report the structural and optical properties of ZnS thin films fabricated by ion-beam sputtering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed a polycrystalline ZnS film with zinc blende phase as manifested by diffraction from the (111), (220) and (311) planes. Annealing resulted in the appearance of a metastable wurtzite phase with a concentration up to 26.6%. An energy bandgap, estimated from absorption spectra, was found to vary between 3.32 and 3.40 eV. The lower energy of this bandgap, as compared to bulk ZnS, is associated with the structural point defects along with mixed zinc blende and wurtzite phases of the polycrystalline ZnS films. Ion beam sputtering deposition can be used to tune the optical bandgap for potential applications in optoelectronic materials.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopowders with different polymorphic phases were successfully synthesized by an arc discharge method. Samples were characterized using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction, high resolution scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscope and near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Spherical structures were obtained after arc discharge. A mixture of both anatase and rutile phases was discovered in TiO2 samples synthesized at an arc current of 50 A, showing a majority particle size of 34 nm with size distribution between 5 nm and 60 nm. Completed anatase to rutile phase transformation was observed when the arc current increased from 50 A to 74 A. The crystallite size of the TiO2 nanopowders was significant effected by the arc discharge current during synthesis. After the arc current increased from 74 A to 110 A, the majority particle size of the obtained TiO2 increased to 85 nm with a size distribution in the range between 50 nm and 1800 nm. Diffuse reflectance of the TiO2 nanopowders synthesized at different arc discharge currents was measured. Broadband near infrared reflection (800–950 nm) of up to 50% was observed for TiO2 nanopowders synthesized at an arc current of 74 A. It is considered that rutile phase together with an appropriate mean crystallite size of the TiO2 nanopowders synthesized at an arc current of 74 A contributes to the best near infrared reflectivity in this study. The developed TiO2 nanoppowders will be of immense use in NIR reflective pigment.

In this work, we present the effect of extremely high fluence ion implantation on microstructure of single crystalline YSZ samples with three major low index orientations: (1 0 0), (1 1 0) and (1 1 1). The samples were implanted at room temperature with 150 keV Ar + ions to a fluence of 1 × 10 17 Ar/cm −2 corresponding to the peak damage level of ∼120 dpa and peak Ar atom concentration of ∼12 at.%. Rutherford backscattering/channeling spectrometry (RBS/C), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and associated analytical tools were used to determine the orientation dependent damage, surface morphology, and microstructure modifications of the implanted layers. Ar + ion implantation resulted in formation of severely damaged layers, which however remained crystalline. The damage peak maximum, determined by RBS/C, indicated that the fourth damage accumulation stage, previously predicted for Ar-implanted YSZ, was achieved. The (1 1 0) oriented YSZ demonstrated slightly better radiation tolerance, as observed by RBS/C, compared to the other low index orientations. Microstructural studies revealed large cavities aligned parallel to the specimen surface, which emerged in a form of circular blisters on the surface. The origin of the cavities was related to the segregation of Ar atoms into pressurized gas filled bubbles. The crystallographic anisotropy of microstructural parameters (thickness of the damages layer, surface blister density and diameter, cavity dimensions) remains uncertain.

The electrical transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) boron-doped delta layers were investigated by a comprehensive analysis of physical, electrochemical and microscopic methods. The boron concentration profile was determined physically by elastic recoil detection (ERD) and compared to the doping (acceptor) profile extracted from capacitance–voltage (CV) measurements, giving a boron concentration of 2–4 × 1013 cm−2. Corresponding field effect transistor (FET) characteristics, based on the boron-doped delta channel concept, measured in electrolyte, show good modulation behaviour but field effect mobilities in the range of 10−2–10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1 that are far below expected values. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis was employed to shed new light on the transport behaviour of boron-doped delta layers, revealing an inhomogeneous and interrupted morphology. Based on this finding, a hypothesis is proposed, modelling the delta layer transport behaviour via hopping and tunnelling processes between boron clusters.

Magnetic particles can be used to take advantage of both defect and magnetic pinning in high-temperature superconductors. We combined layers of ferrite+cerium oxide with YBCO to see their effect both on the structure of the YBCO and on flux pinning. The deposition temperature of the ferrite greatly affects its structure and also the saturation magnetization. Combined with YBCO, the magnetic layer distorts the structure of YBCO, although, for example, the critical temperature remains rather unchanged. According to the structural results achieved here, the magnetic pinning layer is best positioned on the top of YBCO. This way, an improvement in J c (B) is seen in all the field range, and also, a clear improvement of the accommodation field was measured. However, it does not play a huge role whether the ferrite is CoFe 2 O 4 , NiFe 2 O 4 , or ZnFe 2 O 4 , all mixed with CeO 2 .

Donor doping of perovskite oxides has emerged as an attractive technique to create high performance and low energy non-volatile analog memories. Here, we examine the origins of improved switching performance and stable multi-state resistive switching in Nb-doped oxygen-deficient amorphous SrTiO

Gallium (Ga), a group III metal, is of fundamental interest due to its polymorphism and unusual phase transition behaviours. New solid phases have been observed when Ga is confined at the nanoscale. Herein, we demonstrate the stable coexistence, from 180 K to 800 K, of the unexpected solid γ-phase core and a liquid shell in substrate-supported Ga nanoparticles. We show that the support plays a fundamental role in determining Ga nanoparticle phases, with the driving forces for the nucleation of the γ-phase being the Laplace pressure in the nanoparticles and the epitaxial relationship of this phase to the substrate. We exploit the change in the amplitude of the evolving surface plasmon resonance of Ga nanoparticle ensembles during synthesis to reveal in real time the solid core formation in the liquid Ga nanoparticle. Finally, we provide a general framework for understanding how nanoscale confinement, interfacial and surface energies, and crystalline relationships to the substrate enable and stabilize the coexistence of unexpected phases.

Alloying is a versatile tool for engineering the optical and electronic properties of materials. Here, we explore the use of CdTe and CdSe nanocrystals in developing sintered CdSe(x)Te(1-x) alloys as bandgap tunable, light-absorbing layers for solution-processed solar cells. Using a layer-by-layer approach, we incorporate such alloyed materials into single- and graded-composition device architectures. Nanostructured solar cells employing CdSe(x)Te(1-x) layers are found to exhibit a spectral response deeper into the IR region than bulk CdTe devices as a result of optical bowing and achieve power conversion efficiencies as high as 7.1%. The versatility of the layer-by-layer approach is highlighted through the fabrication of compositionally graded solar cells in which the [Se]:[Te] ratio is varied across the device. Each of the individual layers can be clearly resolved through cross-sectional imaging and show limited interdiffusion. Such devices demonstrate the importance of band-alignment in the development of highly efficient, nanostructured solar cells.

We present a study of the nitrogen-implanted SiC, with the focus being to understand the structure and composition of the implanted region and its evolution with annealing. The implantation region was probed as a function of implant and annealing conditions using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based imaging and spectroscopy techniques as well as Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy revealed carbon bands at ∼1600 cm −1 and 1370 cm −1 and silicon nitride bands at ∼460 cm −1 and 790 cm −1 for the samples processed at high temperatures. TEM showed that nitrogen ion implantation of the silicon carbide followed by thermal annealing creates complicated nanocomposite structure. Elemental maps obtained using energy-filtered TEM revealed concentration variation across the implanted layer with carbon accumulation observed at the interfaces and the center of the implanted layer. The nitrogen atoms substitution of carbon in SiC and the segregation of implantation-induced carbon atoms are believed to be the reason for the observed structure.

We report the structural and magnetic properties of ZnO single crystals implanted with Gd ions at 40 keV. Ion beam analysis shows that after implantation up to 12% of the near-surface atoms are Gd, with most of the Gd ions occupying substitutional lattice sites. The carrier concentration of implanted films is up to several orders of magnitude larger than in unimplanted ZnO. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed in Gd implanted and annealed ZnO. Zero-field cooled magnetisation curves reveal the presence of super-paramagnetic clusters. The annealing can cause the diffusion and/or migration of implanted ions and intrinsic defects and possibly the formation of super-paramagnetic clusters suggesting that the annealing plays a significant role towards the observed magnetic properties.

The microstructure and compositions of the bulk nanocomposite SmCo/Fe permanent magnet were studied using transmission electron microscopy and 3-dimensional atom probe techniques. The excellent magnetic properties were related to the uniform nanocomposite structure with nanometer α-Fe particles uniformly distributed in the SmCo phase matrix. The α-Fe phase contained ∼26 at% Co, and the SmCo phase contained ∼19 at% Fe, confirming that the interdiffusion of Fe and Co atoms between the two phases occurred. The formation of the α-Fe(Co) phase explained why the saturation magnetization of the nanocomposite permanent magnet was higher than that expected from the original pure α-Fe and SmCo 5 powders, which enhanced further the maximum energy product of the nanocomposite permanent magnet.