Laser-induced self-organization in Se–Te–Sn–Cd glassy semiconductor for developing novel light-sensing dielectrics

The laser-induced effects on dielectric properties of chalcogenide glass(Ch Gs) have been present in a glassy system of Se–Te–Sn–Cd for possible applications in optics and optoelectronics such as light-controlled capacitance-based touch displays. The temperature/frequency dependence of dielectric relaxation before and after laser exposure was investigated by using laser sources of different wavelengths(405 nm, 532 nm, 690 nm, and 785 nm). The result showed the presence of laser-induced residual effects on dielectric properties(dielectric constant/loss and a.c. conductivity) after the exposure of continuous-wave laser sources of chosen wavelengths.Further analysis indicates that the modification in the meta-stable state due to self-organization is the feasible mechanism of observed persistent light-sensing effects.     

Development of multi-functional nano-paint for energy harvesting applications

The multi-functionality of lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate/paint(PMN-PT/paint) nanocomposite films for energy harvesting via piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects is described. PMN-PT/paint films have been fabricated by a conventional paint-brushing technique to provide a low-cost, low-temperature and low–energy route to create multi-functional films. The properties investigated included dielectric constants, ε' and ε', as a function of temperature, frequency and composition. From these parameters, it is indicated that the dielectric constants and AC conductivity(σ_(AC)) increase with an increase of filler content and temperature, implying an improvement of the functionality of the films. The results revealed that σ_(AC) obeyed the relation σ_(AC) =Aω~s, and exponents, was found to decrease by increasing the temperature. The correlated barrier hopping was the dominant conduction mechanism in the nanocomposite films. The efforts were made to investigate the performance of nanocomposite films to mechanical vibrations and thermal variations. A cantilever system was designed and examined to assess its performance as energy harvesters. The highest output voltage and power for a PMN-PT/paint based harvester with a broad frequency response operating in the-31-piezoelectric mode were 65 mV and 1 nW, respectively.Voltage and power were shown to be enhanced by application of thermal variations. Thus, films could be utilized for combined energy harvesting via piezoelectric and pyroelectric characteristics.     

Complex conductivity and permittivity of single wall carbon nanotubes/polymer composite at microwave frequencies:A theoretical estimation

Based on an equivalent resistance-capacitance network, the complex conductivity and the relative complex permittivity of single wall carbon nanotubes （SWNTs）/polymer composite are theoretically investigated in the frequency range of 0.30-18 GHz using the logarithmic rule. Both the real and imaginary parts of the permittivities of SWNTs and polymer are considered in detail. The calculated complex permittivity spectra of SWNTs/poly（ethyl methacrylate） composite films are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The influences of SWNTs concentration on both the complex conductivity and the dielectric loss tangent of the composite are presented in the microwave frequency range. A linear relationship between microwave conductivity and frequency is found.     

Transient photoconductivity in a-(Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) thin films

Bulk material of (Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) system was prepared by using a conventional melt quenching technique. Thin films of a-(Se80Te20)100 xAgx (0rxr4) were deposited by the vacuum evaporation technique at a base pressure of 10 4 mbar onto well-cleaned glass substrates. Temperature dependence of electrical conductivity in the temperature range of 263–333 K has been studied. There is increase in the value of conductivity with increase in temperature as well as with Ag content. The measurements of intensity dependence of photoconductivity show that the photoconductivity increases with intensity as a power law where the power is found to be between 0.5 and 1.0, representing the continuous distribution of traps. Rise and decay of photocurrent with time at room temperature at different light intensities for (Se80Te20)98Ag2 thin film samples have also been reported. The results have been explained on the basis of the Dember voltage and interaction between photoexcited holes and the trapped electrons on the surface.     

Structural and dielectric properties of doped ferrite nanomaterials suitable for microwave and biomedical applications

The sol–gel auto-combustion method was adopted to synthesize nanomaterials of single-phase X-type hexagonal ferrites with the composition of Sr2?xGdxNi2Fe28?yCdyO46 (x=0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10 and y=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5). The structural properties were carried out by XRD analysis and the lattice parameters show variation with the doping of Gd–Cd. The average particle size measured by TEM was in the range of 8–10 nm which is beneficial in obtaining suitable signal-to-noise ratio in recording media and biomedical applications. The room temperature resistivity enhanced with the increase of the dopant concentration. The increase in resistivity indicates that the synthesized materials can be considered good for the formation of the multilayer chip inductors (MLCIs) as well as for the reduction of eddy current losses. The dielectric constant decreased with the increase in the frequency which is the general reported trend of the hexagonal ferrites and can be explained on the basis of Koop?s theory and Maxwell–Wagner polarization-model. The abnormal dielectric behavior indicates the formation of small polarons in the material. The maximum value of tangent loss at low frequencies reflects the application of these materials in medium frequency devices (MF).     

Electrical and band-gap properties of amorphous zinc–ind ium–tin oxide thin films

Zinc–indium–tin oxide (ZITO) films were grown by pulsed-laser deposition. Three different material compositions were investigated: ZITO-30, ZITO-50 and ZITO-70 in which 30%,50% and 70%, respectively, of the indium in the In2O3 structure was replaced by substitution with zinc and tin in equal molar proportions (co-substitution): In22xZnxSnxO3, where x=0.3, 0.5, 0.7. All ZITO films grown at room temperature were amorphous. The first evidence of crystallinity was observed at higher deposition-temperature as the degree of co-substitution was increased. A decrease in mobility and conductivity was also observed as the degree of co-substitution was increased. The highest mobility for ZITO-30 and ZITO-50 was observed at deposition temperatures just prior to crystallization. The effect of deposition temperature on carrier concentration was minor compared to the effect of oxygen partial pressure during deposition.     

Enhanced deposition of Zn O films by Li doping using radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering

Radio frequency(RF) reactive magnetron sputtering was utilized to deposit Li-doped and undoped zinc oxide(Zn O) films on silicon wafers. Various Ar/O2 gas ratios by volume and sputtering powers were selected for each deposition process. The results demonstrate that the enhanced Zn O films are obtained via Li doping. The average deposition rate for doped Zn O films is twice more than that of the undoped films. Both atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that Li doping significantly contributes to the higher degree of crystallinity of wurtzite–Zn O. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that Li doping promotes the(002) preferential orientation in Li-doped Zn O films. However, an increase in the Zn O lattice constant, broadening of the(002) peak and a decrease in the peak integral area are observed in some Li-doped samples, especially as the form of Li2 O. This implies that doping with Li expands the crystal structure and thus induces the additional strain in the crystal lattice. The oriented-growth Li-doped Zn O will make significant applications in future surface acoustic wave devices.     

Effect of addition of poly（ethylene glycol） on electrical conductivity of poly（3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene）-poly（styrenesulfonate） hybrid

By mixing various concentrations of poly (ethylene glycol), a series of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styeenesuffonate) composite thin films were prepared.The electrical conductivity of the PEDOT-PSS/PEG thin films was measured by the four-pcobe method. Experimental results showed that the inclusion of poly(ethylene glycol) influenced the electrical conductivity of PEDOT-PSS film significantly. With the increase of PEG concentrations, the electrical conductivity sharply increased to reach a maximum and then slowly decreased down. Furthermore, the PEG molecular weight and environment temperature also played important roles on the electrical conductivity of PEDOT-PSS/PEG thin films. A good linear relationship was found between in σDC and T^-1/2 within the entire temperature range detected.     

Structural, electrical, dielectric and magnetic properties of Mn-Nd substituted CoFeO3 nano sized multiferroics

A series of Mn x Co_(1-x) Fe_(1-y) Nd_yO_3(where x=0.0–1.0 y=0.0–0.1) multiferroic nanocrystals was synthesized via sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction(XRD)while morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The electrical resistivity was observed to increase from 2.14 * 10~7 to 8.77 * 10~9 Ω-cm and activation energy was found to increase from 0.64 to 0.75 e V, while the drift mobility decreased from 4.75 * 10~(-13) to 1.27 * 10~(-15)cm~2V~(-1)S~(-1) by the substitution of Mn and Nd contents. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss and dielectric loss factor decrease with frequency and Mn-Nd contents. The saturation magnetization was increased from 34 to 70 emu g~(-1) while the coercivity decreased from 705 to 262 Oe with the increase of substituents.The increase in electrical resistivity and saturation magnetization while decrease in dielectric parameters and coercivity make these nanomaterials suitable for applications in microwave devices and longitudinal magnetic recording media.     

A.C. conductivity and relaxation dynamics in zinc–borate glasses

The frequency-dependent dielectric dispersion of ZnO–Na2O–Al2O3–B2O3(in mol%) glass prepared by the melt quenching technique is investigated in the temperatur e ranges from room temperature to 420 K. Dielectric relaxation has been analyzed based on the behavior of electric modulus behavior. An analysis of the real and imaginary parts of dielectric is performed assuming the ideal Debye behavior as confirmed by Cole–Cole plot. The activation energy associated with the dielectric relaxation determined from the electric modulus spectra was found to be 1.863 eV, which is close to that the activation energy for d.c. conductivity (1.871 eV), indicating the similar nature of relaxation and conductivity.     

Improvements of dielectric properties of Cu doped LaTiO_(3+δ)

The ceramic composites of Cu-doped La_(1-x )Cu_x TiO_(3+δ)(x=0.05, 0.15, 0.3, 0.5) were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. The complex dielectric properties of the composites were investigated as a function of temperature(77 K ≤T≤ 320 K) and frequency(100 Hz ≤ f ≤1 MHz) separately. In all composites, the dielectric constants increase monotonously and the dielectric loss undulates with temperature. And it is clearly observed that extraordinarily high low-frequency dielectric constant(～10~4)appear at room temperature in La_0.5Cu_0.5TiO_(3+δ), which is 100 times larger than that of La_0.95Cu_0.05 TiO_(3+δ). Interestingly, the dielectric constants increase remarkably with the doped Cu contents, meanwhile the dielectric loss for all samples is ideal lower than 1 at room temperature in the measured frequency range. By means of complex impedance analysis, the improvements of dielectric properties are attributed to both bulk contribution and grain boundary effect, in which the bulk polaronic relaxation and the Maxwell–Wagner relaxation due to grain boundary response are heightened remarkably with the high doped Cu contents.     

Fabrication of SrFe_(12-x)Ni_xO_(19) nanoparticles and investigation on their structural,magnetic and dielectric properties

Sr Fe12-xNixO19 nanoparticles(x = 0–1) were synthesized by a combustion sol–gel method. Their structure, dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), an LCR metry, and vibrating sample magnetometry(VSM).The results reveal that all samples of Ni doped compounds(Sr Fe12-xNixO19) with x 0.2 are single phase. It appears that the Fe3+ ions are substituted by Ni2+ ions on the crystallographic sites of the Sr Fe12O19 structure; however, for x ≥ 0.2, the secondary Ni phase ferrite(Ni Fe2O3) appears, which reduces the saturation magnetization and coercivity. In addition, Ni doping reduces the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and alternating current(ac) electrical conductivity of the samples. The variation in ac conductivity(σac) with frequency shows that the electrical conductivity in these ferrites is mainly attributed to the electron hopping mechanism.Therefore; all the single-phase Ni doped samples are suitable for use in magnetic recording media and microwave devices.     

Fabrication of SrFe12-xNixO19 nanoparticles and investigation on their structural,magnetic and dielectric properties

SrFe12?xNixO19 nanoparticles (x = 0–1) were synthesized by a combustion sol–gel method. Their structure, dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an LCR metry, and vibrating sample mag-netometry (VSM).The results reveal that all samples of Ni doped compounds (SrFe12?xNixO19) withx < 0.2 are single phase. It appears that the Fe3+ions are substituted by Ni2+ ions on the crystallographic sites of the SrFe12O19 structure; however, forx≥ 0.2, the secondary Ni phase ferrite (NiFe2O3) appears, which reduces the saturation magnetization and coercivity. In addition, Ni doping reduces the dielectric con-stant, dielectric loss, and alternating current (ac) electrical conductivity of the samples. The variation in ac conductivity (σac) with frequency shows that the electrical conductivity in these ferrites is mainly attributed to the electron hopping mechanism.Therefore; all the single-phase Ni doped samples are suitable for use in magnetic recording media and microwave devices.     

Influence of particle size and temperature on the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to establish the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with particle sizes that varied from 28.6 to 5.8 nm. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical coprecipitation method. The particle sizes were calculated accord-ing to the Scherrer formula using X-ray diffraction （XRD） peaks, and the particle size distribution curves were constructed by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） images. The dielectric permittivity and loss tangents of the samples were determined in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 300 to 10 K. Both the dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent were found to decrease with increasing frequency and decreasing temperature. For the smallest CoFe2O4 nanoparticle size, the dielectric per-mittivity and loss tangent exhibited their highest and lowest values, respectively. This behavior is very useful for materials used in devices that operate in the microwave or radio frequency ranges.     

Structural and spectroscopic analysis of wurtzite (ZnO)1-x(Sb2O3)x composite semiconductor

The structural, vibrational and impedance analysis for(Zn O)1 x(Sb2O3)xcomposite synthesized by solid state reaction technique were carried out in the present investigation. X-ray diffraction(XRD) study showed that(Zn O)1 x(Sb2O3)xcomposite has hexagonal(wurtzite) crystal structure. Variation in lattice constants with Sb-doping indicated the proper incorporation of Sb dopant in Zn O host matrix. The results of Raman spectroscopy test suggested the signature of E2(high) and E1(TO) Raman modes, and verified the wurtzite structure of(Zn O)1 x(Sb2O3)x composite. Two additional phonon bands(671, 712) cm 1appeared in Raman spectra of composite samples due to the existence of the lattice defects caused by Sb doping or may be other intrinsic lattice defects formed during the synthesis of(Zn O)1 x(Sb2O3)xcomposite. The frequency dependent on the electrical characteristics, such as, impedance(Z), dielectric constant(ε) and AC conductivity(σ) have been studied in a range of frequencies for different Sb concentration at room temperature. The electrical measurement results showed that the impedance increased with Sb dopant concentration, while dielectric constant and AC conductivity decreased with Sb dopant concentration.     

Study of phase separation in Ga25Se75 xTex chalcogenide thin films

The effects of composition and thermal annealing in between glass transition and crystallization temperature on the optical and structural properties of Ga25Se75-xTex were investigated. The glass transition and crystallization temperature of the synthesized samples was measured by non-isothermal DSC measurements. Amorphous thin films of Ga25Se75-xTex glasses were grown onto ultra clean glass/Si wafer (100) substrates using the vacuum evaporation technique. The effect of thermal annealing on the optical gap (Eg) for Ga25Se75-xTex thin films in the temperature range 358-388K is studied. As-prepared and annealed thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and optical absorption. Thermal annealing was found to be accompanied by structural effects, which in turn, lead to changes in the optical constants. The optical absorption coefficient (a) for as-deposited and thermally annealed films was calculated from the absorbance data. From the knowledge of absorption coefficient at different wavelengths, the optical band gap (Eg) was calculated for all compositions of Ga25Se75-xTex thin films before and after thermal annealing. Results indicate that allowed indirect optical transition is predominated in as-deposited and thermally annealed thin films. The influence of Te incorporation and thermal annealing in Ga25Se75-xTex thin films results in a gradual decrease in the indirect optical gap, this behaviorcan be explained as increased tailing. The decrease in optical band gap and an increase in absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient with thermal annealing can be attributed to transformation from amorphous to crystalline phase.     

Effect of chlorine doping on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of spray deposited CdS thin films

CdS and chlorine doped CdS(CdS:Cl) thin films with different Cl-doping levels(0,2,4,6 and 8 at%) have been deposited on glass substrates by a spray pyrolysis technique using a perfume atomizer.The effect of Cl doping on the structural,morphological,optical and electrical properties of the films was investigated.XRD patterns revealed that all the films exhibit hexagonal crystal structure with a preferential orientation along the(0 0 2) plane irrespective of the Cl doping level.The particle size value decreases from 22.03 nm to 18.12 nm with increase in Cl concentration.Optical band gap is blue-shifted from 2.48 eV to 2.73 eV with increase in Cl doping concentration.All the films have resistivity in the order of 10~4 Ω cm.The obtained results confirm that chlorine as an anionic dopant material can enhance the physical properties of CdS thin films to a large extent.     

Relaxation mechanism analysis of synthetic fused quartz glass investigated by electrical impedance spectra

The synthetic fused quartz glasses with bare metal impurities have been analyzed by temperature- dependent electrical impedance spectroscopy. The complex electric impedance and the overlapping of the normalized dielectric modulus imply the single mechanism of dielectric and conduction relaxation in the fused quartz glass. Besides, the dependence of conductivity on temperature may attribute to the predominant electric relaxation to the delocalized or long range electronic hopping between the nonbridged dangling oxygen.     

Effect of La and Co-doping on microstructure and electrical properties of Bi FeO_3 thin films

Adding both La3＋and Co3＋was used to tune the microstructure and electrical properties of Bi Fe O3（BFO） thin films, and Bi1-xLaxFe0.90Co0.10O3 thin films were grown on the Sr Ru O3-buffered Pt-coated silicon substrates by a radio frequency sputtering. A polycrystalline structure with（110） orientation was shown in thin films, and their resistivity dramatically increases as the La3＋content increases. Their dielectric constant increases,and dielectric loss decreases with increasing La3＋content.In addition, their ferroelectric and fatigue properties were enhanced with rising La3＋content. The thin films with x = 0.03 have optimum electrical properties（e.g., remanent polarization 2Pr＊ 175.6 l C/cm2, coercive field2Ec＊ 699.5 k V/mm, dielectric constant er＊ 257 and tan d ＊ 0.038）, together with a good fatigue behavior. The impendence analysis of the films was conducted to identify the defects type during conductivity, and both hopping electrons and single-charged oxygen vacancies are mainly responsible for the conduction of grain and grain boundaries regardless of La3＋content. As a result, the doping with both La3＋and Co3＋benefits the improvement in the electrical properties of BFO thin films.     

Impedance Studies on Starch-NH_4NO_3 Films

1 Results Starch is considered a suitable source material because of its inherent biodegradability,ready viability and relatively low cost[1].In the present work,polymer electrolytes based on starch have been prepared by the solution cast technique.The conductivity of the films is characterized using impedance spectroscopy at room temperatures.The imaginary impedance (Zi) versus real impedance (ZR) plot of pure starch films consists of a semicircle.The bulk resistance (Rb) was taken from the intercept on the real axis at the higher frequency side and the calculated value of electrical conductivity is 6.28×10-10 S·cm-1.The value of Rb for the salted film is smaller compared to that obtained for the pure starch film.This implies that the conductivity has increased with addition of salt to 3.93×10-5 S·cm-1 for the film containing 25 wt.% salts.Samples prepared with greater than 30 wt.% of NH4NO3,did not result in good quality films.The plot of conductivity versus concentration of NH4NO3 is shown in Fig.1.The Rice and Roth model was used to calculate the number density of mobile ions.Mobility and diffusion coefficients of the systems were also calculated using appropriate equations.