| 1. |
- Elhag, Sami, et al.
(författare)
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Low-temperature growth of polyethylene glycol-doped BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488. ; 5:3, s. 1112-1119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We demonstrate scalable, low-cost and low-temperature (<100 °C) aqueous chemical growth of bismuth–zinc vanadate (BiZn2VO6) nanocompounds by BiVO4 growth on ZnO nanobelts (NBs). The nanocompounds were further doped with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to tune the electronic structure of the materials, as a means to lower the charge carrier recombination rate. The chemical composition, morphology, and detailed nanostructure of the BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds were characterized. They exhibit rice-like morphology, are highly dense on the substrate and possess a good crystalline quality. Photoelectrochemical characterization in 0.1 M lithium perchlorate in carbonate propylene shows that BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds are highly suitable as anodes for solar-driven photoelectrochemical applications, providing significantly better performance than with only ZnO NBs. This performance could be attributed to the heterogeneous catalysis effect at nanocompound and ZnO NB interfaces, which have enhanced the electron transfer process on the electrode surface. Furthermore, the charge collection efficiency could be significantly improved through PEG doping of nanocompounds. The photocurrent density of PEG-doped BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds reached values of 2 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), over 60% larger than that of undoped BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds. Photoluminescence emission experiments confirmed that PEG plays a crucial role in lowering the charge carrier recombination rate. The presented BiZn2VO6 nanocompounds are shown to provide highly competitive performance compared with other state-of-the art photoelectrodes.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Halim, Joseph, 1985-
(författare)
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Synthesis and Characterization of 2D Nanocrystals and Thin Films of Transition Metal Carbides (MXenes)
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Two dimensional (2D) materials have received growing interest because of their unique properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Graphene is the archetype 2D solid, but other materials beyond graphene, such as MoS2 and BN have become potential candidates for several applications. Recently, a new family of 2D materials of early transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (Ti2CTx, Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, Ta4C3Tx, and more), labelled MXenes, has been discovered, where T stands for the surface-terminating groups.Before the present work, MXenes had only been synthesized in the form of exfoliated and delaminated powders, which is not suitable for electronic applications. In this thesis, I demonstrate the synthesis of MXenes as epitaxial thin films, a more suitable form for electronic and photonic applications. Results show that 2D epitaxial Ti3C2Tx films - produced by HF and NH4HF2 etching of magnetron sputter-grown Ti3AlC2 - exhibit metallic conductive behaviour down to 100 K and are 90% transparent to light in the visible-infrared range. The results from this work may open the door for MXenes as potential candidates for transparent conductive electrodes as well as in electronic, photonic and sensing applications.MXenes have been shown to intercalate cations and molecules between their layers that in turn can alter the surface termination groups. There is therefore a need to study the surface chemistries of synthetized MXenes to be able to study the effect of intercalation as well as altering the surface termination groups on the electronic structure and chemical states of the elements present in MXene layers. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in-depth characterization was used to investigate surface chemistries of Ti3C2Tx and Ti2CTx. This thesis includes the discussion of the effect of Ar+ sputtering and the number of layers on the surface chemistry of MXenes. This study serves as a baseline for chemical modification and tailoring of the surface chemistry groups to potential uses and applications.New MXene phases, Nb2CTx and V2CTx, are shown in this thesis to be produced from HF chemical etching of Nb2AlC and V2AlC powders. Characterization of the produced MXenes was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and XPS. Nb2CTx and V2CTx showed promising performance as electrodes for Li-ion batteries.In this thesis, electrochemical etching was used in an attempt to produce 2D metal carbides (MXene) from their ternary metal carbides, Ti3SiC2, Ti3AlC2 and Ti2AlC MAX phases. MAX phases in the form of highly dense bulk produced by Hot Isostatic Press. Several etching solutions were used such as HF, NaCl and HCl. Unlike the HF chemical etching of MAX phases, which results in MXenes, the electrochemical etching resulted in Carbide Derived Carbon (CDC). Here, I show the characterization of the produced CDC using several techniques such as XRD, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS. Electrochemical characterization was performed in the form of cyclic voltammetry, which sheds light on the etching mechanism.
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| 4. |
- Lapauw, T., et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis of the novel Zr3AlC2 MAX phase
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0955-2219 .- 1873-619X. ; 36:3, s. 943-947
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herein we report, for the first time, on the synthesis and structural characterization of the Zr-based MAX phase, Zr3AlC2, fabricated by reactive hot pressing of ZrH2, Al, and C powders. The crystal structure of Zr3AlC2 was determined by X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy to be the hexagonal space group P63/mmc. The a and c lattice parameters are 3.33308(6)angstrom and 19.9507(3)angstrom, respectively. The samples include the secondary phases ZrC and Zr-Al intermetallics as confirmed by quantitative electron probe microanalysis. The Vickers hardness, using a force of 30 N, was measured to be 4.4 +/- 0.4 GPa. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Alnoor, Hatim, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring MXenes and their MAX phase precursors by electron microscopy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Materials Today Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2590-0498. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This review celebrates the width and depth of electron microscopy methods and how these have enabled massive research efforts on MXenes. MXenes constitute a powerful recent addition to 2-dimensional materials, derived from their parent family of nanolaminated materials known as MAX phases. Owing to their rich chemistry, MXenes exhibit properties that have revolutionized ranges of applications, including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, water filtering, sensors, and catalysis. Few other methods have been more essential in MXene research and development of corresponding applications, compared with electron microscopy, which enables structural and chemical identification at the atomic scale. In the following, the electron microscopy methods that have been applied to MXene and MAX phase precursor research are presented together with research examples and are discussed with respect to advantages and challenges.
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| 6. |
- Chen, J. T., et al.
(författare)
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A GaN-SiC hybrid material for high-frequency and power electronics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 113:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We demonstrate that 3.5% in-plane lattice mismatch between GaN (0001) epitaxial layers and SiC (0001) substrates can be accommodated without triggering extended defects over large areas using a grain-boundary-free AlN nucleation layer (NL). Defect formation in the initial epitaxial growth phase is thus significantly alleviated, confirmed by various characterization techniques. As a result, a high-quality 0.2-μm thin GaN layer can be grown on the AlN NL and directly serve as a channel layer in power devices, like high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The channel electrons exhibit a state-of-the-art mobility of >2000 cm2/V-s, in the AlGaN/GaN heterostructures without a conventional thick C- or Fe-doped buffer layer. The highly scaled transistor processed on the heterostructure with a nearly perfect GaN-SiC interface shows excellent DC and microwave performances. A peak RF power density of 5.8 W/mm was obtained at VDSQ= 40 V and a fundamental frequency of 30 GHz. Moreover, an unpassivated 0.2-μm GaN/AlN/SiC stack shows lateral and vertical breakdowns at 1.5 kV. Perfecting the GaN-SiC interface enables a GaN-SiC hybrid material that combines the high-electron-velocity thin GaN with the high-breakdown bulk SiC, which promises further advances in a wide spectrum of high-frequency and power electronics.
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| 7. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, et al.
(författare)
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Phase Transformation and Superstructure Formation in (Ti-0.5, Mg-0.5)N Thin Films through High-Temperature Annealing
- 2021
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Ingår i: Coatings. - : MDPI. - 2079-6412. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- (Ti-0.5, Mg-0.5)N thin films were synthesized by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets onto c-cut sapphire substrates. Characterization by theta-2 theta X-ray diffraction and pole figure measurements shows a rock-salt cubic structure with (111)-oriented growth and a twin-domain structure. The films exhibit an electrical resistivity of 150 m omega center dot cm, as measured by four-point-probe, and a Seebeck coefficient of -25 mu V/K. It is shown that high temperature (similar to 800 degrees C) annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of a cubic LiTiO2-type superstructure as seen by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The corresponding phase formation is possibly influenced by oxygen contamination present in the as-deposited films resulting in a cubic superstructure. Density functional theory calculations utilizing the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functionals show that the LiTiO2-type TiMgN2 structure has a 0.07 eV direct bandgap.
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| 8. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, et al.
(författare)
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Phase Transformation and Superstructure Formation in (Ti0.5, Mg0.5)N Thin Films through High-Temperature Annealing
- 2021
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Ingår i: Coatings. - : MDPI. - 2079-6412. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- (Ti0.5, Mg0.5)N thin films were synthesized by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets onto c-cut sapphire substrates. Characterization by θ–2θ X-ray diffraction and pole figure measurements shows a rock-salt cubic structure with (111)-oriented growth and a twin-domain structure. The films exhibit an electrical resistivity of 150 mΩ·cm, as measured by four-point-probe, and a Seebeck coefficient of −25 µV/K. It is shown that high temperature (~800 °C) annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of a cubic LiTiO2-type superstructure as seen by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The corresponding phase formation is possibly influenced by oxygen contamination present in the as-deposited films resulting in a cubic superstructure. Density functional theory calculations utilizing the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functionals show that the LiTiO2-type TiMgN2 structure has a 0.07 eV direct bandgap.
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| 9. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis and characterization of single-phase epitaxial Cr2N thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Science. - : SPRINGER. - 0022-2461 .- 1573-4803. ; 54:2, s. 1434-1442
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cr2N is commonly found as a minority phase or inclusion in stainless steel, CrN-based hard coatings, etc. However, studies on phase-pure material for characterization of fundamental properties are limited. Here, Cr2N thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering onto (0001) sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction and pole figure texture analysis show Cr2N (0001) epitaxial growth. Scanning electron microscopy imaging shows a smooth surface, while transmission electron microscopy and X-ray reflectivity show a uniform and dense film with a density of 6.6gcm(-3), which is comparable to theoretical bulk values. Annealing the films in air at 400 degrees C for 96h shows little signs of oxidation. Nano-indentation shows an elastic-plastic behavior with H=18.9GPa and E-r=265GPa. The moderate thermal conductivity is 12Wm(-1)K(-1), and the electrical resistivity is 70cm. This combination of properties means that Cr2N may be of interest in applications such as protective coatings, diffusion barriers, capping layers and contact materials.
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| 10. |
- Greczynski, Grzegorz, et al.
(författare)
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Control of Ti1-xSixN nanostructure via tunable metal-ion momentum transfer during HIPIMS/DCMS co-deposition
- 2015
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Ingår i: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 280, s. 174-184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ti1-xSixN (0 less than= x less than= 0.26) thin films are grown in mixed Ar/N-2 discharges using hybrid high-power pulsed and dc magnetron co-sputtering (HIPIMS/DCMS). In the first set of experiments, the Si target is powered in HIPIMS mode and the Ti target in DCMS; the positions of the targets are then switched for the second set. In both cases, the Si concentration in co-sputtered films, deposited at T-s = 500 degrees C, is controlled by adjusting the average DCMS target power. A pulsed substrate bias of -60 V is applied in synchronous with the HIPIMS pulse. Depending on the type of pulsed metal-ion irradiation incident at the growing film, Ti+/Ti2+ vs. Si+/Si2+, completely different nanostructures are obtained. Ti+/Ti2+ irradiation during Ti-HIPIMS/Si-DCMS deposition leads to a phase-segregated nanocolumnar structure with TiN-rich grains encapsulated in a SiNz tissue phase, while Si+/Si2+ ion irradiation in the Si-HIPIMS/Ti-DCMS mode results in the formation of Ti1-xSixN solid solutions with x less than= 024. Film properties, including hardness, modulus of elasticity, and residual stress exhibit a dramatic dependence on the choice of target powered by HIPIMS. Ti-HIPIMS/Si-DCMS TiSiN nanocomposite films are superhard over a composition range of 0.04 less than= x less than= 0.26, which is significantly wider than previously reported. The hardness H of films with 0.13 less than= x less than= 0.26 is similar to 42 GPa; however, the compressive stress is also high, ranging from -6.7 to -8.5 GPa. Si-HIPIMS/Ti-DCMS films are softer at H similar to 14 GPa with 0.03 less than= x less than= 0.24, and essentially stress-free (sigma similar to 0.5 GPa). Mass spectroscopy analyses at the substrate position reveal that the doubly-to-singly ionized metal-ion flux ratio during HIPIMS pulses is 0.05 for Si and 029 for Ti due to the difference between the second ionization potentials of Si and Ti vs. the first ionization potential of the sputtering gas. The average momentum transfer to the film growth surface per deposited atom per pulse less than p(d)greater than is similar to 20 x higher during Ti-HIPIMS/Si-DCMS, which results in significantly higher adatom mean-free paths (mfps) leading, in turn, to a phase-segregated nanocolumnar structure. In contrast, relatively low less than p(d)greater than values during Si-HIPIMS/Ti-DCMS provide near-surface mixing with lower adatom mfps to form Ti1-xSixN solid solutions over a very wide composition range with x up to 0.24. Relaxed lattice constants decrease linearly, in agreement with ab-initio calculations for random Ti1-xSixN alloys, with increasing x. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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