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Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an important insulating layered material for two-dimensional heterostructure devices. Among many applications, few-layer h-BN films have been employed as superior tunneling barrier films. However, it is difficult to construct a heterostructure with ultra-thin h-BN owing to the poor visibility of flakes on substrates, especially on a metallic surface substrate. Since reflectance from a metallic surface is generally high, a h-BN film on a metallic surface does not largely influence reflection spectra. In the present study, a thin Au layer with a thickness of ∼10 nm deposited on a Si substrate with a thermally grown SiO2 was used for visualizing h-BN flakes. The thin Au layer possesses conductivity and transparency. Thus, the Au/SiO2/Si structure serves as an electrode and contributes to the visualization of an ultra-thin film according to optical interference. As a demonstration, the wavelength-dependent contrast of exfoliated few-layer h-BN flakes on the substrate was investigated under a quasi-monochromatic light using an optical microscope. A monolayer h-BN film was recognized in the image taken by a standard digital camera using a narrow band-pass filter of 490 nm, providing maximum contrast. Since the contrast increases linearly with the number of layers, the appropriate number of layers is identified from the contrast. Furthermore, the insulating property of a h-BN flake is examined using a conductive atomic force microscope to confirm whether the thin Au layer serves as an electrode. The tunneling current through the h-BN flake is consistent with the number of layers estimated from the contrast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed monolayers consisting of 4-fluorobenzenethiolate and 1-octadecanethiolate on Au surfaces were formed by immersing in an ethanol solution of 4-fluorobenzenethiol (FBT), and subsequently by immersing in that of 1-octadecanethiol (ODT). To obtain systematically a mixed monolayer, the formation of FBT- and ODT-monolayers was investigated with respect to the reaction time and concentration of the solution. The monolayer formed on a Au surface was evaluated based on the work function, the water contact angle, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra measured. The XPS measurement of substrates prepared for formation of a mixed monolayer exhibited F 1s and C 1s spectra supporting the presence of a mixed monolayer consisting of 4-fluorobenezenethiolate and 1-octadecanethiolate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation and stability of a benzenedithiol monolayer on a Si substrate with a Au layer have been investigated to obtain a monolayer having high thermal stability as compared to that formed by use of a benzenethiol derivative. The monolayer was formed by immersing into an ethanol solution of 1,2-benzenedithiol (BDT). The work function of BDT-monolayer surface was measured for the investigation. The association constant for the adsorption of the molecules was estimated from the change of the work function. The subsequent annealing of the substrate with a BDT-monolayer at 500 K or lower did not lead to the change of the work function. Substrates with a BDT-monolayer were also examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The work function and XPS spectra measured indicated that a BDT-monolayer formed on a Au surface is stable to annealing at temperatures up to about 473 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the shape of the electrode to generate 2.45 GHz microwave plasma in pure water is examined. Three variations of a common coaxial electrode are proposed, and compared according to the power required for plasma ignition and the position of plasma ignition in pure water at 6 kPa using a high-speed camera. These coaxial electrodes are calculated using three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method calculations. The superior shape of coaxial electrode is found to be one with a flat plane on the tip of the inner electrode and dielectric substance located below the tip of the outer electrode. The position of the plasma ignition is related to the shape of the coaxial electrode. By solving the heat-conduction equation of water around the coaxial electrode taking into account the absorption of the microwave energy, the position of the plasma ignition is found to be not where electric field is the largest, but rather where temperature is maximized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]