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In-situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD) and Raman scattering were carried out to delineate the phase transitions under pressure in p-type zinc-doped indium phosphide (InP:Zn) at ambient temperature. The ADXRD measurements with pressure up to 17.3(2) GPa reveal that InP:Zn transforms from zinc-blende (ZB) to rock-salt (RS) structure in a pressure range of 8.1(2) - 8.6(1) GPa. The Raman scattering measurements indicate that the phase transition proceeds continuously over a wide range of pressure and reaches completion at the highest pressure applied (14.5(2) GPa) with significant metallization, as suggested by the disappearance of the transverse optical (TO) and longitudinal optical (LO) modes. In contrast, originally absent at ambient pressure, additional Raman shift of Zn local vibrational modes (LVMs), appeared at 276 cm-1 and 420.7(1) cm-1 within the pressure range of 2.2(1) up to 10.1(2) GPa, which can be attributed to Zn3P2 and VPZnInVP LO modes, respectively. The zero-pressure isothermal bulk moduli and its first order pressure derivatives for the zinc-blende InP:Zn are 79.44(2) GPa and 3.92(1), respectively. A total enthalpy change of about 45.45 KJ•mole-1 was derived for the ZB to RS structure transformation occurring at the pressure of 8.6(1) GPa. The present results suggest that diffusion of Zn in InP:Zn may have been governed by the modified substitution and interstitial (S–I) mechanism. Moreover, comparisons on the pressure-dependent behaviors in InP:Zn, InP:S, and InP:Fe extrinsically doped systems revealed that the exact type of the defects introduced into the lattice upon doping may have played crucial roles in the pressure-induced phase transitions. • By carefully analyzing the structural phase transitions in InP:Zn, the present results suggest that diffusion of Zn in InP:Zn may have been governed by the modified substitution and interstitial (S–I) mechanism. • Extensive comparisons with the pressure-dependent behaviors exhibited in other extrinsically doped InP systems, namely InP:Zn, InP:S, and InP:Fe, revealed that the exact type of the defects introduced into the lattice upon doping may have played crucial roles in the pressure-induced phase transitions. • The smallest formation energy (E f) for phosphorous vacancy (V P) may account for the lower onset pressure required for triggering the ZB to RS phase transition in p-type InP:Zn (∼8.6 GPa) compared to that (∼10.4 GPa) required in n-type InP:S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of H2 plasma pretreatment on the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by varying the flow rate of the precursor gas mixture during microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) have been investigated in this study. Gas mixture of H2 and CH4 with a ratio of 9:1 was used as the precursor for synthesizing CNTs on Ni-coated TiN/Si(100) substrates. The structure and composition of Ni catalyst nanoparticles were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Results indicated that, by manipulating the morphology and density of the Ni catalyst nanoparticles via changing the flow rate of the precursor gas mixture, the vertically aligned CNTs could be effectively controlled. The Raman results also indicated that the intensity ratio of the G and D bands (I D/I G) is decreased with increasing gas flow rate. TEM results suggest H2 plasma pretreatment can effectively reduce the amorphous carbon and carbonaceous particles and, thus, is playing a crucial role in modifying the obtained CNTs structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multi-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) films were fabricated by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures (∼500 °C). The films when properly post-treated by laser irradiation exhibited a factor of 2–3 enhancement in the emission current, while the turn-on field (E on) was reduced from 4.89–5.22 to 2.88–3.15 V/μm. The introduction of excessive oxygen during laser irradiation, however, degrades the performance of field emission properties drastically. Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed the intimate correlation between the parameter I D/I G (intensity ratio between the two representative Raman peaks seen in carbon nanotubes) and the field emission performance. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed that the irradiation-induced modification of the tube morphology and crystallinity might be responsible for the observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A two-parametric model for a channel in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is proposed which allows for the explicit analytical solution for the problem of quantum electron transport through the constriction. Conductance step smearing appears naturally and a simple criterion for the step occurrence in terms of channel parameters is given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The pressure-induced phase transitions in CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys (HEAs) at ambient temperature at pressure up to 24.0(2) and 19.4(2) GPa, respectively, were investigated using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD). Structurally at ambient pressure, both CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeMnNi HEAs consist of face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with different lattice constants which are arisen primarily from the cellular growth of alloy during solidification. I n - situ ADXRD measurements revealed no evidence of structural transformation in CoCrFeNi HEAs up to 24.0(2) GPa. The intrinsic stacking fault (ISF) begins to appear at 1.7(1) GPa and sustains up to 19.4(2) GPa. Moreover, an fcc to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structural phase transition emerges at around 7.0(1) GPa in CoCrFeMnNi HEAs. The pressure dependent lattice constants and volume compression yield the zero-pressure isothermal bulk moduli of 187(4) GPa while the normalized c / a ratio 1.636(1) for the resultant hcp phase. The quantitative correlation of the ISF diffraction intensity shows that the appearance of ISF disrupts the crystal lattice to trigger, at around 7.0(1) GPa, fcc -to- hcp phase transition which persists sluggishly to the highest experiment pressure. Neutron powder diffraction (NPD) at pressure up to 8.9(2) GPa was performed in CoCrFeMnNi HEAs at ambient temperature to clarify the significance of pressure induced suppression of local magnetic moment on destabilization of the initial fcc structure. The results, however, suggest that the magnetism may only play a minor role, if not none, in facilitating the pressure-induced fcc -to- hcp phase transition in CoCrFeMnNi HEAs. • For CoCrFeNi HEAs, there was no pressure-induced phase transition observed up to the highest applied pressure of 24 GPa. • For CoCrFeMnNi HEA, wherein the intrinsic stacking fault (ISF) began to appear at 1.7(1) GPa. • FCC to HCP structural phase transition was found to emerge at around 7.0(1) GPa in CoCrFeMnNi. • ISF appears to trigger the fcc -to- hcp phase transition at around 7.0(1) GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase evolution of Bi 2 Se 2.1 Te 0.9 driven by the applied external pressure at ambient temperature was investigated in-situ with pressure up to 30.0(2) GPa using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD) and Raman scattering spectroscopy. ADXRD measurements revealed that starting from the ambient rhombohedral structure (phase I), new forms of crystal structures are found to sequentially emerge with increasing externally applied pressure. Namely a seven-fold monoclinic structure (phase II), then an eight-fold monoclinic structure (phase III), a body-centered structure (BCC, phase IV), and finally a body-centered tetragonal structure (BCT, phase V) was observed at pressures of ~10.5(3) GPa, ~18.8(1) GPa, ~23.0(1) GPa, and ~28.0(2) GPa, respectively. The Raman scattering spectroscopy consistently showed that the pressures at which the corresponding phase appeared at ~10.2(2) GPa, ~18.9(1) GPa, and ~26.1(2) GPa, respectively. Moreover, the rhombohedral phase exhibited an even more pronounced signature of electronic topological transition in low-pressure regime, as compared with those previously observed in pristine Bi 2 Te 3 and Bi 2 Se 3. It appears that the alloying of Bi 2 Se 3 with Bi 2 Te 3 has led to more profound effects in the electronic and structural properties of the resultant system than that expected from the Vegard's law. • We evidently identified sequential structural phase transitions from the ambient rhombohedral structure to a seven-fold monoclinic structure, then an eight-fold monoclinic structure, and finally to a body-centered structure emerging at pressures of ~10.5(3) GPa, ~18.8(1) GPa, and ~23.0(1) GPa, respectively. • Moreover, the rhombohedral phase exhibited an even more pronounced signature of electronic topological transition in low-pressure regime, as compared with those previously observed in pristine Bi 2 Te 3 and Bi 2 Se 3. • Both observations indicate that the alloying of Bi 2 Se 3 with Bi 2 Te 3 has led to more profound effects in the electronic and structural properties of the resultant system than that expected from the Vegard's law. This might be mainly due to the stoichiometric-dependent preferred occupancy of Se and Te atoms in the quintuple units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, highly conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films are deposited on transparent and flexible muscovite mica substrates by using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. AZO-mica structures possess high optical transmittance at visible and near-infrared spectral range and retain low electric resistivity, even after continuous bending of up to 800 cycles. Structure performances after bending tests have been supported by atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. Based on performed optical and electrical characterizations AZO films on mica are implemented as transparent conductive electrodes in flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) devices. The measured electro-optical characteristics and response time of the proposed devices reveal the higher potential of AZO-mica for future ITO-free flexible optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Epitaxial ZnO was deposited on Si(111) substrate by atmospheric pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at 500°C. A Y2O3 buffer layer in epitaxy with Si substrate has successfully suppressed the Si oxidation before ZnO deposition. The Y2O3 film was grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on Si(111) substrate at 800°C. Also, ZnO was deposited by PLD for comparison with MOCVD. X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize microstructures of the ZnO films and their interfaces with Y2O3. The result shows ZnO(0002) parallel to Y2O3(111). With the increase of the deposition time, the grain morphology of ZnO thin films evolved from flat structure to columnar structure. Most of the columnar ZnO grains are c-axis oriented perpendicular to the interface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, samarium (Sm-10at%)-doped BiFeO 3 (SmBFO) thin films were grown on platinum-coated glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to unveil the correlation between the microstructures and nanomechanical properties of the films. The PLD-derived SmBFO thin films were prepared under various oxygen partial pressures ( P O2 ) of 10, 30, and 50 mTorr at a substrate temperature of 600 °C. The scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed a surface morphology consisting of densely packed grains, although the size distribution varied with the P O2 . X-ray diffraction results indicate that all SmBFO thin films are textured and preferentially oriented along the (110) crystallographic orientation. The crystallite sizes of the obtained SmBFO thin films calculated from the Scherrer and (Williamson-Hall) equations increased from 20 (33) nm to 25 (52) nm with increasing P O2 . In addition, the nanomechanical properties (the hardness and Young's modulus) of the SmBFO thin films were measured by using nanoindentation. The relationship between the hardness and crystalline size of SmBFO thin films appears to closely follow the Hall-Petch equation. In addition, the P O2 dependence of the film microstructure, the crystallite size, the hardness, and Young's modulus of SmBFO thin films are discussed.

The search for materials for next-generation spintronic applications has witnessed exponentially increasing interest, mainly due to the explosive development of numerous two-dimensional (2D) materials discovered in the last decade. Among them, MXenes have emerged as promising candidates for many applications due to their unique and versatile tunability in structure and properties. In particular, their excellent combination of conductivity and highly charged surfaces leads to outstanding electrochemical properties that are significant in electronic applications. Moreover, the ease of modifying the atomic and electronic structures, and thus the functionalities of MXenes, further opens up the opportunity to realize MXenes-based spintronic device applications. The explosive development of MXenes, such as tuning the bandgap and enhancing their magnetic properties, could pave the way for the integration of MXenes in device configurations suitable for spintronics. In this article, we provide an overview of the potential applications of MXenes with a special focus on spintronic device applications. We commence the discussion with various fundamental aspects of spintronics, including the understanding of materials for spintronics in general, MXenes, and their fabrication, followed by presenting perspectives on plausible strategies and future challenges in integrating MXenes into spintronic devices.

The rational design of advanced catalysts for sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries is important but remains challenging due to the limited understanding of sulfur catalytic mechanisms. Here, we propose an efficient sulfur host consisting of atomic low-coordinated Zn-N 2 sites dispersed on N-rich microporous graphene (Zn-N 2 @NG), which realizes state-of-the-art sodium-storage performance with a high sulfur content of 66 wt %, high-rate capability (467 mA h g -1 at 5 A g -1 ), and long cycling stability for 6500 cycles with an ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.0062% per cycle. Ex situ methods combined with theoretical calculations demonstrate the superior bidirectional catalysis of Zn-N 2 sites on sulfur conversion (S 8 ↔ Na 2 S). Furthermore, in situ transmission electron microscopy was applied to visualize the microscopic S redox evolution under the catalysis of Zn-N 2 sites without liquid electrolytes. During the sodiation process, both surface S nanoparticles and S molecules in the mircopores of Zn-N 2 @NG quickly convert into Na 2 S nanograins. During the following desodiation process, only a small part of the above Na 2 S can be oxidized into Na 2 S x . These results reveal that, without liquid electrolytes, Na 2 S is difficult to be decomposed even with the assistance of Zn-N 2 sites. This conclusion emphasizes the critical role of liquid electrolytes in the catalytic oxidation of Na 2 S, which was usually ignored by previous works.

Iridium (Ir)-based electrocatalysts are widely explored as benchmarks for acidic oxygen evolution reactions (OERs). However, further enhancing their catalytic activity remains challenging due to the difficulty in identifying active species and unfavorable architectures. In this work, we synthesized ultrathin Ir-IrO x /C nanosheets with ordered interlayer space for enhanced OER by a nanoconfined self-assembly strategy, employing block copolymer formed stable end-merged lamellar micelles. The interlayer distance of the prepared Ir-IrO x /C nanosheets was well controlled at ∼20 nm and Ir-IrO x nanoparticles (∼2 nm) were uniformly distributed within the nanosheets. Importantly, the fabricated Ir-IrO x /C electrocatalysts display one of the lowest overpotential (η) of 198 mV at 10 mA cm -2 geo during OER in an acid medium, benefiting from their features of mixed-valence states, rich electrophilic oxygen species (O (II-δ)- ), and favorable mesostructured architectures. Both experimental and computational results reveal that the mixed valence and O (II-δ)- moieties of the 2D mesoporous Ir-IrO x /C catalysts with a shortened Ir-O (II-δ)- bond (1.91 Å) is the key active species for the enhancement of OER by balancing the adsorption free energy of oxygen-containing intermediates. This strategy thus opens an avenue for designing high performance 2D ordered mesoporous electrocatalysts through a nanoconfined self-assembly strategy for water oxidation and beyond.

Engineering the interfaces between materials of different structures and bonding nature in a well-controlled fashion has been playing a key role in developing new devices with unprecedented functionalities. In particular, direct growth of nanostructures on van der Waals substrates not only is essential for fully exploiting the potential of a wide variety of self-assembled nano-sized heterostructures but also can expand the horizons for electronic and photonic applications that involve nanostructures of specific composition and geometry. In the present work, we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of a self-assembled vertically aligned nanocomposite of magnetoelectric oxides on a flexible substrate via van der Waals epitaxy, which evidently adds an additional dimension of flexibility to similar thin-film heteroepitaxy architectures that have been mostly realized on rigid lattice-matched substrates. It is noted that the utilization of buffer layers is essential for obtaining high-quality flexible thin films with vertically aligned nanocomposite architecture. We believe that this route can provide alternative options for developing flexible thin-film devices with heteroepitaxy architectures of other functional materials., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Metastable ε-Fe 2 O 3 is a unique phase of iron oxide, which exhibits a giant coercivity field. In this work, we grew epitaxial ε-Fe 2 O 3 films on flexible two-dimensional muscovite substrates via quasi van der Waals epitaxy. It turns out that twinning and interface energies have been playing essential roles in stabilizing metastable ε-Fe 2 O 3 on mica substrates. Moreover, the weak interfacial bonding between ε-Fe 2 O 3 and mica is expected to relieve the substrate clamping effect ubiquitously encountered in films epitaxially grown on rigid substrates, such as SrTiO 3 . It is anticipated that these flexible ε-Fe 2 O 3 thin films can serve as a platform for exploring possible interesting emergent physical properties and eventually be integrated as flexible functional devices.

Epitaxial CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO)/CoO bilayers were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition on flexible muscovite mica substrate. Samples with different CFO thicknesses were employed to study the phenomenon of exchange bias involving strongly anisotropic ferromagnet. Magnetic measurements exhibited great enhancement in the features of exchange bias. Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopies indicated that a new phase emerged within the CFO layer because of the cation charge redistribution in CFO layer under bending, which in turn gave rise to anomalous hysteresis loops exhibited in the bent bilayers. These results provide a fundamental understanding about the mechanisms of exchange bias prevailing in these bilayers and call attention to the implementation of spintronic devices using flexible heterostructures such as the present CFO/CoO bilayers.

The correlations between the microstructure and nanomechanical properties of a series of thermal annealed Co thin films were investigated. The Co thin films were deposited on glass substrates using a magnetron sputtering system at ambient conditions followed by subsequent annealing conducted at various temperatures ranging from 300 C to 800 C. The XRD results indicated that for annealing temperature in the ranged from 300 C to 500 C, the Co thin films were of single hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. Nevertheless, the coexistence of hcp-Co (002) and face-centered cubic (fcc-Co (111)) phases was evidently observed for films annealed at 600 C. Further increasing the annealing temperature to 700 C and 800 C, the films evidently turned into fcc-Co (111). Moreover, significant variations in the hardness and Young's modulus are observed by continuous stiffness nanoindentation measurement for films annealed at different temperatures. The correlations between structures and properties are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The employment of flexible muscovite substrates has given us the feasibility of applying strain to heterostructures dynamically by mechanical bending. In this study, this novel approach is utilized to investigate strain effects on the exchange coupling in ferromagnetic Co and anti-ferromagnetic CoO (Co/CoO) bilayers. Two different Co/CoO bilayer heterostructures were grown on muscovite substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy, with the CoO layer being purely (111)- and (100)-oriented. The strain-dependent exchange coupling effect can only be observed on Co/CoO(100)/mica but not on Co/CoO(111)/mica. The origin of this phenomenon is attributed to the anisotropic spin re-orientation induced by mechanical bending. The strain-dependent magnetic anisotropy of the bilayers determined by anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements confirms this conjecture. This study elucidates the fundamental understanding of how magnetic exchange coupling can be tuned by externally applied strain via mechanical bending and, hence, provides a novel approach for implementing flexible spintronic devices.

The deformation behaviors and fracture features of GaP(100) single-crystal are investigated by using nano- and micro-scale indentation techniques. The hardness and Young's modulus were measured by nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond indenter with continuous contact stiffness measurements (CSM) mode and the values obtained were 12.5 ± 1.2 GPa and 152.6 ± 12.8 GPa, respectively. In addition, the characteristic "pop-in" was observed in the loading portion of load-displacement curve, which was caused by the nucleation and/or propagation of dislocations. An energetic estimation methodology on the associated nanoindentation-induced dislocation numbers resulting from the pop-in events was discussed. Furthermore, the Vickers indentation induced fracture patterns of GaP(100) single-crystal were observed and analyzed using optical microscopy. The obtained fracture toughness K C of GaP(100) single-crystal was ~1.7 ± 0.1 MPa·m 1/2 , which is substantially higher than the K IC values of 0.8 MPa·m 1/2 and 1.0 MPa·m 1/2 previously reported for of single-crystal and polycrystalline GaP, respectively.

The indentation-induced deformation mechanisms in InP(100) single crystals were investigated by using nanoindentation and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) techniques. The results indicated that there were multiple "pop-in" events randomly distributed in the loading curves, which were conceived to arise primarily from the dislocation nucleation and propagation activities. An energetic estimation on the number of nanoindentation-induced dislocations associated with pop-in effects is discussed. Furthermore, the fracture patterns were performed by Vickers indentation. The fracture toughness and the fracture energy of InP(100) single crystals were calculated to be around 1.2 MPa·m 1/2 and 14.1 J/m², respectively.

The nanomechanical properties and nanoindentation responses of bismuth selenide (Bi₂Se₃) thin films are investigated in this study. The Bi₂Se₃ thin films are deposited on c -plane sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The microstructural properties of Bi₂Se₃ thin films are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results indicated that Bi₂Se₃ thin films are exhibited the hexagonal crystal structure with a c -axis preferred growth orientation. Nanoindentation results showed the multiple "pop-ins" displayed in the loading segments of the load-displacement curves, suggesting that the deformation mechanisms in the hexagonal-structured Bi₂Se₃ films might have been governed by the nucleation and propagation of dislocations. Further, an energetic estimation of nanoindentation-induced dislocation associated with the observed pop-in effects was made using the classical dislocation theory.

Transforming thermal energy into electric energy and vice versa needs the decoupling of electrical transport from thermal transport. An innovative strategy is proposed by forming/disrupting electrically triggered conductive nanofilaments within semiconducting thin films to switch thermoelectric properties between two states without further material modification and manufacturing processes. It can also controllably adjust the degree of decoupling, providing a potential resolution and performance adjustability for heat/coldness control or power consumption reduction on demand., (© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The evolution of iron local vibrational mode (Fe LVM) and phase transitions in n-type iron-doped indium phosphide (InP:Fe) were investigated at ambient temperature. In-situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that InP:Fe starts to transform from zinc-blende (ZB) to rock-salt (RS) structure around 8.2(2) GPa and completes around 16.0(2) GPa. The Raman shift of both transverse and longitudinal optical modes increases monotonically with increasing pressure, while their intensities become indiscernible at 11.6(2) GPa, suggesting that the pressure-induced phase transition is accompanied by significant metallization. In contrast, originally absent at ambient pressure, the Raman shift of Fe LVM appears at ∼420 cm -1 near 1.2 GPa and exhibits a dome shape behavior with increasing pressure, reaching a maximum value of ∼440 cm -1 around 5 GPa, with an apparent kink occurring around the ZB-RS transition pressure of ∼8.5(2) GPa. The Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) confirmed the tetrahedral site occupation of Fe 3+ with a crystal field splitting parameter Δ t  = 38 kJ·mole -1 . Our calculations indicate that the energy parameters governing the phase transition are Δ t =  0.49 and Δ o  = 1.10 kJ·mole -1 , respectively, both are much smaller than Δ t  = 38 kJ·mole -1 at ambient.

In this work, aiming at developing a rapid and environmental-friendly process for fabricating CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, we demonstrated the one-step selenization process by using selenium vapor as the atmospheric gas instead of the commonly used H 2 Se gas. The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics indicate that there exists an optimal location with superior crystalline quality in the CIGS thin films obtained by one-step selenization. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) reveals that the Ga lateral distribution in the one-step selenized CIGS thin film is intimately correlated to the blue-shifted PL spectra. The surface morphologies examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) further suggested that voids and binary phase commonly existing in CIGS films could be successfully eliminated by the present one-step selenization process. The agglomeration phenomenon attributable to the formation of MoSe 2 layer was also observed. Due to the significant microstructural improvement, the current-voltage (J-V) characteristics and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the devices made of the present CIGS films have exhibited the remarkable carrier transportation characteristics and photon utilization at the optimal location, resulting in a high conversion efficiency of 11.28%. Correlations between the defect states and device performance of the one-step selenized CIGS thin film were convincingly delineated by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy.

Ink-printing method emerges as a viable way for manufacturing large-scale flexible Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin film photovoltaic (TFPV) devices owing to its potential for the rapid process, mass production, and low-cost nonvacuum device fabrication. Here, we brought the femtosecond laser annealing (fs-LA) process into the ink-printing CIGS thin film preparation. The effects of fs-LA treatment on the structural and optoelectronic properties of the ink-printing CIGS thin films were systematically investigated. It was observed that, while the film surface morphology remained essentially unchanged under superheating, the quality of crystallinity was significantly enhanced after the fs-LA treatment. Moreover, a better stoichiometric composition was achieved with an optimized laser scanning rate of the laser beam, presumably due to the much reduced indium segregation phenomena, which is believed to be beneficial in decreasing the defect states of In Se , V Se , and In Cu . Consequently, the shunt leakage current and recombination centers were both greatly decreased, resulting in a near 20% enhancement in photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

A bimorph composed of ferrimagnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 , CFO) and flexible muscovite was fabricated via van der Waals epitaxy. The combination of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy was conducted to reveal the heteroepitaxy of the CFO/muscovite system. The robust magnetic behaviors against mechanical bending were characterized by hysteresis measurements and magnetic force microscopy, which maintain a saturation magnetization (M s ) of ∼120-150 emu/cm 3 under different bending states. The large magnetostrictive response of the CFO film was then determined by digital holographic microscopy, where the difference of magnetostrction coefficient (Δλ) is -104 ppm. The superior performance of this bimorph is attributed to the nature of weak interaction between film and substrate. Such a flexible CFO/muscovite bimorph provides a new platform to develop next-generation flexible magnetic devices.

Spintronics has captured a lot of attention since it was proposed. It has been triggering numerous research groups to make their efforts on pursuing spin-related electronic devices. Recently, flexible and wearable devices are in a high demand due to their outstanding potential in practical applications. In order to introduce spintronics into the realm of flexible devices, we demonstrate that it is feasible to grow epitaxial Fe 3 O 4 film, a promising candidate for realizing spintronic devices based on tunneling magnetoresistance, on flexible muscovite. In this study, the heteroepitaxy of Fe 3 O 4 /muscovite is characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition and magnetic feature are investigated by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The electrical and magnetic properties are examined to show the preservation of the primitive properties of Fe 3 O 4 . Furthermore, various bending tests are performed to show the tunability of functionalities and to confirm that the heterostructures retain the physical properties under repeated cycles. These results illustrate that the Fe 3 O 4 /muscovite heterostructure can be a potential candidate for the applications in flexible spintronics.

Nanosized aluminum-doped zinc oxide Zn 1- x Al x O (AZO) powders (AZO-NPs) with x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09 and 0.11 were synthesized by chemical precipitation method. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the precursors were converted to oxides from hydroxides near 250 °C, which were then heated to 500 °C for subsequent thermal processes to obtain preliminary powders. The obtained preliminary powders were then calcined at 500 °C for three hours. The structure and morphology of the products were measured and characterized by angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ADXRD results showed that AZO-NPs with Al content less than 11% exhibited würtzite zinc oxide structure and there was no other impurity phase in the AZO-NPs, suggesting substitutional doping of Al on Zn sites. The Zn 0.97 Al 0.03 O powders (A₃ZO-NPs) with grain size of about 21.4 nm were used for high-pressure measurements. The in situ ADXRD measurements revealed that, for loading run, the pressure-induced würtzite (B4)-to-rocksalt (B1) structural phase transition began at 9.0(1) GPa. Compared to the predicted phase-transition pressure of ~12.7 GPa for pristine ZnO nanocrystals of similar grain size (~21.4 nm), the transition pressure for the present A₃ZO-NPs exhibited a reduction of ~3.7 GPa. The significant reduction in phase-transition pressure is attributed to the effects of highly selective site occupation, namely Zn 2+ and Al 3+ , were mainly found in tetrahedral and octahedral sites, respectively.

Magnetic and multiferroic nanocomposites with two distinct phases have been a topic of intense research for their profound potential applications in the field of spintronics. In addition to growing high-quality phase separated heteroepitaxial nanocomposites, the strain engineering that is conducive to enhance the tunability of material properties, in general, and the magnetic properties, in particular, is of utmost importance in exploring new possibilities. Here, we investigated the magneto-structural coupling between antiferromagnetic BiFeO3 (BFO) and ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 (CFO) in self-assembled vertically aligned nanocomposites grown on LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. We found that BFO exhibits tetragonal (T) and rhombohedral (R) structures as the stable phases and CFO has high magnetocrystalline anisotropy even in the form of nanocomposites. The temperature and magnetic field dependent magnetizations of T_BFO-CFO/LAO and R_BFO-CFO/STO nanocomposites primarily demonstrate the magnetoelastic coupling between these variants.

The successful integration of the strain-driven nanoscale phase boundary of BiFeO3 onto a silicon substrate is demonstrated with extraordinary ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism. The detailed strain history is delineated through a reciprocal space mapping technique. We have found that a distorted monoclinic phase forms prior to a tetragonal-like phase, a phenomenon which may correlates with the thermal strain induced during the growth process.

In this work, CuIn1 - x Ga x Se2 (CIGS) thin films were prepared by nanosecond (ns)- and femtosecond (fs)-pulsed laser deposition (PLD) processes. Different film growth mechanisms were discussed in perspective of the laser-produced plasmas and crystal structures. The fs-PLD has successfully improved the inherent flaws, Cu2 - x Se, and air voids ubiquitously observed in ns-PLD-derived CIGS thin films. Moreover, the prominent antireflection and excellent crystalline structures were obtained in the fs-PLD-derived CIGS thin films. The absorption spectra suggest the divergence in energy levels of radiative defects brought by the inhomogeneous distribution of elements in the fs-PLD CIGS, which has also been supported by comparing photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ns- and fs-PLD CIGS thin films at 15 K. Finally, the superior carrier transport properties in fs-PLD CIGS were confirmed by fs pump-probe spectroscopy and four-probe measurements. The present results indicate a promising way for preparing high-quality CIGS thin films via fs-PLD.

The nanomechanical properties of BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films are subjected to nanoindentation evaluation. BFO thin films are grown on the Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering with various deposition temperatures. The structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and the results confirmed the presence of BFO phases. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the average film surface roughness increased with increasing of the deposition temperature. A Berkovich nanoindenter operated with the continuous contact stiffness measurement option indicated that the hardness decreases from 10.6 to 6.8 GPa for films deposited at 350°C and 450°C, respectively. In contrast, Young's modulus for the former is 170.8 GPa as compared to a value of 131.4 GPa for the latter. The relationship between the hardness and film grain size appears to follow closely with the Hall-Petch equation.

The structural and nanomechanical properties of GaSe thin films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nanoindentation techniques. The GaSe thin films were deposited on Si(111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. XRD patterns reveal only the pure (000 l)-oriented reflections originating from the hexagonal GaSe phase and no trace of any impurity or additional phases. Nanoindentation results exhibit discontinuities (so-called multiple 'pop-in' events) in the loading segments of the load-displacement curves, and the continuous stiffness measurements indicate that the hardness and Young's modulus of the hexagonal GaSe films are 1.8 ± 0.2 and 65.8 ± 5.6 GPa, respectively.

The gas discharge and photo-luminance properties of a planar lighting source featuring highly uniform light emission and mercury-free design were studied. The current density-voltage characteristics and the associated gas discharge of the devices operating with the values of the ratio of electric field to gas pressure (E/p) between 4.3 kV/Torr-cm and 35.7 kV/Torr-cm indicate that the width of the cathode fall extends over the entire gap between the two electrodes and the device is mostly in the obstructed discharge regime. The optical emission analysis confirmed the electron collision-induced gas emissions and strong effect of gas pressure on the phosphor emission when operated at constant current density, both are indicative of the primary roles played by the electron energy.

A lithography-free method for fabricating the nanogrids and quasi-beehive nanostructures on Si substrates is developed. It combines sequential treatments of thermal annealing with reactive ion etching (RIE) on SiGe thin films grown on (100)-Si substrates. The SiGe thin films deposited by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition form self-assembled nanoislands via the strain-induced surface roughening (Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability) during thermal annealing, which, in turn, serve as patterned sacrifice regions for subsequent RIE process carried out for fabricating nanogrids and beehive-like nanostructures on Si substrates. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations confirmed that the resultant pattern of the obtained structures can be manipulated by tuning the treatment conditions, suggesting an interesting alternative route of producing self-organized nanostructures.