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The present review reports on the preparation and atomic‐scale characterization of the thinnest possible films of the glass‐forming materials silica and germania. To this end state‐of‐the‐art surface science techniques, in particular scanning probe microscopy, and density functional theory calculations have been employed. The investigated films range from monolayer to bilayer coverage where both, the crystalline and the amorphous films, contain characteristic XO4 (X=Si,Ge) building blocks. A side‐by‐side comparison of silica and germania monolayer, zigzag phase and bilayer films supported on Mo(112), Ru(0001), Pt(111), and Au(111) leads to a more general comprehension of the network structure of glass former materials. This allows us to understand the crucial role of the metal support for the pathway from crystalline to amorphous ultrathin film growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Who is Ivan Stranski, you ask? If you Google his name you will find thousands of sites that talk about him. In fact, the Kossel – Stranski model of crystal growth and the Stranski–Krastanov mode of growth of thin epitaxial films are named after him – just of two of the many scientific ideas and concepts Professor Stranski introduced in science (and through which a whole new field in science was born). Today thousands of physicists, chemists and material scientists all over the world are working in the field of crystal growth, particularly in epitaxial growth and nucleation which are necessary for the invention of new materials and high technologies. In this respect, the life, personality and way of thinking of this remarkable scientist should be of great interest in both beginners and professionals in science. The book describe the life and scientific achievements of Ivan Stranski, Bulgarian – German physical chemist and the father of crystal growth, against the historical backdrop of wars, massacres, and remarkable scientific discoveries in the 20th century. It covers his family roots, which are remarkable in their own right, the life and career both in Bulgaria and Germany (West Berlin), and his scientific achievements, including his most important contribution to the physics of crystal growth. The book captures Professor Stranski’s personality and way of thinking as much as possible from the recollections of his disciples and contemporaries. Short biographical notes about the most renowned students in Bulgaria, Rostislav Kaischew and Lyubomir Krastanov with whom Stranski developed his most fundamental ideas are also included (World Scientific). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new two‐dimensional (2D) germanium dioxide film has been prepared. The film consists of interconnected germania tetrahedral units forming a bilayer structure, weakly coupled to the supporting Pt(111) metal‐substrate. Density functional theory calculations predict a stable structure of 558‐membered rings for germania films, while for silica films 6‐membered rings are preferred. By varying the preparation conditions the degree of order in the germania films is tuned. Crystalline, intermediate ordered and purely amorphous film structures are resolved by analysing scanning tunnelling microscopy images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the seasonal performance of different grid-connected photovoltaic technologies installed both in the warm climate of Nicosia, Cyprus, and in the moderate climate of Stuttgart, Germany, was evaluated. The technologies presented include mono-crystalline-silicon, multi-crystalline-silicon and thin-film amorphous-silicon, cadmium-telluride and copper-indium gallium-diselenide technologies. The crystalline-silicon technologies exhibited maximum performance ratio (PR) peaks during the winter and minimum peaks during the warmer summer seasons in Nicosia. This signifies that the performance of these technologies installed in the warm climate is strongly dependent on temperature. The identical type crystalline-silicon technologies in Stuttgart exhibited a similar behaviour as in Nicosia with the exception of rapid decreases in performance due to snow in the winter. In contrast, the amorphous-silicon thin-film technologies exhibited a different seasonal performance compared with the remaining installed technologies, as their operating PR was higher during the summer and autumn months and lower during the winter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Thin-film photovoltaic modules which use the chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGS) as the light-absorbing layer have now entered the decisive industrial phase. Companies located mainly in Germany and Japan will produce more than 100 MWp CIGS modules in 2008, demonstrating that the CIGS technology has already achieved a certain maturity. Whereas key features of the technology are already well-optimized, there are several approaches to further improve the productivity of new lines. The ZSW operates a line for 30×30 cm2 modules in which all process steps – from glass cleaning to module encapsulation – are being developed. A major goal of the development is the very fast and efficient transfer of promising new materials and processes from cells to the industrial module level. Therefore, ZSW is focusing on processes like the in-line co-evaporation method for CIS or chemical bath deposition for buffer layers to optimize the junction. We could demonstrate efficiencies close to 18% for small test cells and 14–15% for modules with modified processes. Different cell and material data from optoelectronic measurements and microscopic analysis will be presented in this contribution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The potential of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) imaging for the characterisation of the chemical components of paint cross sections from old master paintings was investigated. Three cross sections were chosen to cover a variety of the analytical problems encountered in samples from paintings. The binding medium and degradation products in a green paint sample from a fifteenth-century Florentine painting were imaged, as well as a thin layer within a cross-section from a fifteenth-century German painting, and multiple thin surface coatings on a painting of the 1760s by Peter Romney. The application of chemometric methods for further analysis of the large data set generated for each sample was also explored. The study demonstrated the advantages of ATR-FTIR imaging, which allowed images to be obtained with high spatial resolution (ca. 3-4 μm) without the need to microtome the sample. The gain in sensitivity in detecting trace materials and the information derived from the location of these compounds in the sample was especially valuable, improving interpretation of the FTIR analysis and extending knowledge of the sample composition beyond that obtainable with other analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industry has myriad spray-on, brush-on and scrape-on products to offer, the producers of which claim them to have corrosion- and wear-reducing effects. Until now, pump users have had to take a trial-and-error approach to finding out which, if any, such products actually do help. Now, in order to shed some light on the dark area of coating technology, KSB has conducted an extensive series of pertinent tests at its materials laboratory in Pegnitz, Germany. Bernd Schramm, Anja Dwars and Andreas Kühl describe the studies and their results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Keywords: amorphous structures; crystalline materials; germania; metal-supported films; silica EN amorphous structures crystalline materials germania metal-supported films silica 1 1 1 01/29/21 20210126 NES 210126 B The thinnest possible films b of the glass-forming materials silica and germania were so far investigatd by employing scanning probe microscopy and density functional theory calculations. A more general comprehension of the network structure of glass former materials allows to understand the crucial role of the metal support for the pathway from crystalline to amorphous ultrathin film growth. Amorphous structures, crystalline materials, germania, metal-supported films, silica. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: The year 2005 saw the opening of the new NEutron ReflectOmeter (NERO) at the GKSS research centre in Geesthacht, Germany for the investigation of magnetic and non-magnetic systems as well as soft matter nano-structures. NERO operates with a monochromatic beam of neutrons of wavelength 0.433nm with a resolution better than 2%. An angular range of −20°<2θ<100° allows for both reflectometry and high-angle diffraction measurements to be made. NERO has both a position-sensitive detector and a pencil detector installed for flexibility when making specular and diffuse measurements. NERO has been designed to accommodate heavy-sample environments such as cryo-furnaces and various kinds of magnets. Polarization analysis is available for the investigation of magnetic nano-structures. A supermirror stack with a wide angular-acceptance range will be available in 2006 for time-efficient measurements of magnetic diffuse reflectivity. Further information and proposal forms can be obtained online at http//:genf.gkss.de. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

After six years of development work, BASF SE is preparing to launch a new light stabilizer at this autumn''s K 2010 show in Düsseldorf, Germany. Tinuvin® XT 200 protects film made from thermoplastic resins against overly fast degradation when exposed to UV light and is designed particularly for use in agricultural films used to make greenhouses. According to BASF, the new ‘economical additive’ ensures the efficacy of these films over a longer period of time even in the presence of severe concentrations of agricultural chemicals such as elemental sulphur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This section offers news briefs related to glass as of June 2009. It notes that 500,000 U.S. dollars has been pledged by PPG Industries Foundation to the University of Pittsburgh in Massachusetts for the establishment of a laboratory for nanoscience research. Doctor Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, German Federal Minister of Economics, has permitted the start of the production of solar thin film modules by Malibu. A 70% controlling interest has been obtained by yarn firm AGY in electronic glass yarn producer Shanghai Grace Technology Co. Ltd.

The article discusses the highlights of the 15th Conference on Applied Surface Analysis held in Soest, Germany on September 8-10, 2008 in Soest, Germany. The conference is said to provide an opportunity for developers and users of surface analysis methods to meet to exchange experience and information. Topics discussed at the conference include the analysis and characterization of the surface of materials and layer systems, chemical reaction at the surface and internal interfaces and particle transport on surfaces and thin films.

The article discusses a study that used a stencilling method to create a high-density array of ferroelectric nanocapacitors that could be used in ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) chips. One of the advantages of stencilling is that it provides a low-cost option for nanoscale patterning. Researchers from Korea and Germany electrochemically anodized the surface of high-purity aluminium sheets to create thin films of porous aluminium oxide in which pseudo-regular arrays of nanoscale holes form naturally.

Features the products that will be presented at the Semicon Europa 2005. E-beam systems from Leica Microsystems Semiconductor GmbH; Getter thin films from SAES Getters Group; Film-chip system from Datacon Technology AG.

In Germany, joint development work carried out by FILK Freiberg and Fraunhofer IST has created a plasma-based technology that allows the deposition of very thin films that are capable of providing an effective barrier to the migration of plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports that Signet Solar Inc. has its thin film photovoltaics (TFPV) process monitoring tool integrated and validated by BrightView Systems Ltd. in Mochau, Germany.