Photolithographic patterning of the charge-density-wave conductor Rb 0.30 MoO 3

Orientation of the charge-density-wave chains in thin films of Rb 0.30 MoO 3

Stress in sputter-deposited Cr films: Influence of Ar pressure

We studied the tensile stress and grain-width evolution in sputter-deposited Cr films with thickness from 20?nm to 2.7??m. Films were deposited in an industrial Hauzer 750 physical vapor deposition machine at 50–80?°C. The films exhibited a columnar microstructure. A power law behavior of the tensile stress as well as of the average grain width...

Bauschinger effect in unpassivated freestanding thin films

Two-dimensional (2D) discrete dislocation plasticity simulations are carried out to investigate the Bauschinger effect (BE) in freestanding thin films. The BE in plastic flow of polycrystalline materials is generally understood to be caused by inhomogeneous deformation during loading, leading to residual stress upon unloading. This inhomogeneity...

Solid-phase crystallization of ultra high growth rate amorphous silicon films

In this paper, we report on the deposition of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films at ultra-high growth rate (11–60?nm/s) by means of the expanding thermal plasma technique, followed by solid-phase crystallization (SPC). Large-grain (?1.5??m) polycrystalline silicon was obtained after SPC of high growth rate (?25?nm/s) deposited a-Si:H films. The...

Stress in hard metal films

In the absence of thermal stress, tensile stress in hard metal films is caused by grain boundary shrinkage and compressive stress is caused by ion peening. It is shown that the two contributions are additive. Moreover tensile stress generated at the grain boundaries does not relax by ion bombardment. In polycrystalline hard metal films the grain...

High-resistivity nanogranular Co–Al–O films for high-frequency applications

This work presents a series of high-resistivity nanogranular Co–Al–O films with maximum resistivity of ? 110?m??cm. The films were deposited using pulsed dc reactive sputtering of a Co72Al28 target in an oxygen/argon ambient. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), M-H loop measurements, and s-parameter measurements...

Electron postgrowth irradiation of platinum-containing nanostructures grown by electron-beam-induced deposition from Pt(PF3)4

The material grown in a scanning electron microscope by electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) using Pt(PF3)4 precursor is shown to be electron beam sensitive. The effects of deposition time and postgrowth electron irradiation on the microstructure and resistivity of the deposits were assessed by transmission electron microscopy, selected area...

Impedance Simulation of a Li-Ion Battery with Porous Electrodes and Spherical Li+ Intercalation Particles

We present a semimathematical model for the simulation of the impedance spectra of a rechargeable lithium batteries consisting of porous electrodes with spherical Li+ intercalation particles. The particles are considered to have two distinct homogeneous phases as a result of the intercalation and deintercalation of Li+ during charge and...

Benthic community-mediated sediment dynamics

We assessed the influence of benthic communities on sediment properties in large defaunation experiments in replicated 16 m2 plots on a tidal flat in the Westerschelde estuary (SW Netherlands). We compared microphytobenthos and benthic macrofauna recovery and recolonisation between control and defaunated sediments during 8 mo following the...

Role of Grain Size and Recrystallization Texture in the Corrosion Behavior of Pure Iron in Acidic Medium

This work investigates the role of grain size and recrystallization texture in the corrosion behavior of pure iron in 0.1 M sulfuric acid solution. Annealing heat treatment was applied to obtain samples with different average grain sizes (26, 53 and 87 µm). Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction techniques...

A multivariate grain size and orientation distribution function: Derivation from electron backscatter diffraction data and applications

Two of the microstructural parameters most influential in the properties of polycrystalline materials are grain size and crystallographic texture. Although both properties have been extensively studied and there are a wide range of analysis tools available, they are generally considered independently, without taking into account the possible...

Novel sediment sampling method provides new insights into vertical grain size variability due to marine and aeolian beach processes

In sandy beach systems, the aeolian sediment transport can be governed by the vertical structure of the sediment layers at the bed surface. Here, data collected with a newly developed sand scraper is presented to determine high-resolution vertical grain size variability and how it is affected by marine and aeolian processes. Sediment samples...

Modeling the effect of prior austenite grain size on bainite formation kinetics

While experiments show that refining the prior austenite grain size can either accelerate or decelerate bainite formation in steels, kinetic models based on the successive nucleation of bainitic ferrite subunits can only predict an acceleration. In this work we develop a physically-based model for bainite kinetics assuming a displacive growth...

Modeling Multi-Fraction Coastal Aeolian Sediment Transport With Horizontal and Vertical Grain-Size Variability

Grain size affects the rates of aeolian sediment transport on beaches. Sediment in coastal environments typically consists of multiple grain-size fractions and exhibits spatiotemporal variations. Still, conceptual and numerical aeolian transport models are simplified and often only include a single fraction that is constant over the model...