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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Tailoring morphology in titania nanotube arrays by implantation: experiments and modelling on designed pore size—and beyond
    (London [u.a.] : Taylor & Francis, 2021) Kupferer, Astrid; Mändl, Stephan; Mayr, Stefan G.
    Titania nanotube arrays are an exceptionally adaptable material for various applications ranging from energy conversion to biomedicine. Besides electronic properties, structural morphology on nanometre scale is essential. It is demonstrated that ion implantation constitutes a versatile method for the synthesis of tailored nanotube morphologies. Experimental-phenomenological observations reveal a successive closing behaviour of nanotubes upon ion implantation. Employing molecular dynamics calculations in combination with analytical continuum models, the physical origins of this scenario are unravelled by identifying ion bombardment induced viscous flow driven by capillarity as its underlying mechanism besides minor contributions from sputtering and redeposition. These findings enable the tailoring of nanotube arrays suitable for manifold applications.
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    Unravelling the ion-energy-dependent structure evolution and its implications for the elastic properties of (V,Al)N thin films
    (Kidlington : Elsevier Science, 2021) Karimi Aghda, Soheil; Music, Denis; Unutulmazsoy, Yeliz; Sua, Heng Han; Mráz, Stanislav; Hans, Marcus; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Anders, André; Schneider, Jochen M.
    Ion irradiation-induced changes in the structure and mechanical properties of metastable cubic (V,Al)N deposited by reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering are systematically investigated by correlating experiments and theory in the ion kinetic energy (Ek) range from 4 to 154 eV. Increasing Ek results in film densification and the evolution from a columnar (111) oriented structure at Ek ≤ 24 eV to a fine-grained structure with (100) preferred orientation for Ek ≥ 104 eV. Furthermore, the compressive intrinsic stress increases by 336 % to -4.8 GPa as Ek is increased from 4 to 104 eV. Higher ion kinetic energy causes stress relaxation to -2.7 GPa at 154 eV. These ion irradiation-induced changes in the thin film stress state are in good agreement with density functional theory simulations. Furthermore, the measured elastic moduli of (V,Al)N thin films exhibit no significant dependence on Ek. The apparent independence of the elastic modulus on Ek can be rationalized by considering the concurrent and balancing effects of bombardment-induced formation of Frenkel pairs (causing a decrease in elastic modulus) and evolution of compressive intrinsic stress (causing an increase in elastic modulus). Hence, the evolution of the film stresses and mechanical properties can be understood based on the complex interplay of ion irradiation-induced defect generation and annihilation.
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    Reactive plasma cleaning and restoration of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers
    (London : Nature Publishing Group, 2021) Marinov, Daniil; de Marneffe, Jean-François; Smets, Quentin; Arutchelvan, Goutham; Bal, Kristof M.; Voronina, Ekaterina; Rakhimova, Tatyana; Mankelevich, Yuri; El Kazzi, Salim; Nalin Mehta, Ankit; Wyndaele, Pieter-Jan; Heyne, Markus Hartmut; Zhang, Jianran; With, Patrick C.; Banerjee, Sreetama; Neyts, Erik C.; Asselberghs, Inge; Lin, Dennis; De Gendt, Stefan
    The cleaning of two-dimensional (2D) materials is an essential step in the fabrication of future devices, leveraging their unique physical, optical, and chemical properties. Part of these emerging 2D materials are transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). So far there is limited understanding of the cleaning of “monolayer” TMD materials. In this study, we report on the use of downstream H2 plasma to clean the surface of monolayer WS2 grown by MOCVD. We demonstrate that high-temperature processing is essential, allowing to maximize the removal rate of polymers and to mitigate damage caused to the WS2 in the form of sulfur vacancies. We show that low temperature in situ carbonyl sulfide (OCS) soak is an efficient way to resulfurize the material, besides high-temperature H2S annealing. The cleaning processes and mechanisms elucidated in this work are tested on back-gated field-effect transistors, confirming that transport properties of WS2 devices can be maintained by the combination of H2 plasma cleaning and OCS restoration. The low-damage plasma cleaning based on H2 and OCS is very reproducible, fast (completed in a few minutes) and uses a 300 mm industrial plasma etch system qualified for standard semiconductor pilot production. This process is, therefore, expected to enable the industrial scale-up of 2D-based devices, co-integrated with silicon technology.
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    Collagen-iron oxide nanoparticle based ferrogel: Large reversible magnetostrains with potential for bioactuation
    (Bristol : IOP Publishing, 2020) Jauch, Philine; Weidner, Andreas; Riedel, Stefanie; Wilharm, Nils; Dutz, Silvio; Mayr, Stefan G.
    Smart materials such as stimuli responsive polymeric hydrogels offer unique possibilities for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. As, however, most synthetic polymer systems and their degradation products lack complete biocompatibility and biodegradability, this study aims to synthesize a highly magnetic responsive hydrogel, based on the abundant natural biopolymer collagen. As the main component of vertebratal extracellular matrix, it reveals excellent biocompatibility. In combination with incorporated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, a novel smart nano-bio-ferrogel can be designed. While retaining its basic biophysical properties and interaction with living cells, this collagen-nanoparticle hydrogel can be compressed to 38% of its original size and recovers to 95% in suitable magnetic fields. Besides the phenomenology of this scenario, the underlying physical scenarios are also discussed within the framework of network models. The observed reversible peak strains as large as 150% open up possibilities for the fields of biomedical actuation, soft robotics and beyond. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd
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    Secondary electron yield engineering of copper surfaces by 532 nm ultrashort laser pulses
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2022) Lorenz, Pierre; Bez, Elena; Himmerlich, Marcel; Ehrhardt, Martin; Taborelli, Mauro; Zimmer, Klaus
    Nanostructured surfaces exhibit outstanding properties and enable manifold industrial applications. In this study the laser surface processing of polycrystalline, flat copper surfaces by 532 nm picosecond laser irradiation for secondary electron yield (SEY) reduction is reported. The laser beam was scanned in parallel lines across the sample surface in order to modify large surface areas. Morphology and SEY are characterized in dependence of the process parameters to derive correlations and mechanisms of the laser-based SEY engineering process. The nano- and microstructure morphology of the laser-modified surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and the secondary electron yield was measured. In general, an SEY reduction with increasing accumulated laser fluence was found. In particular, at low scanning speed (1 mm/s - 10 mm/s) and “high” laser power (~ 1 W) compact nanostructures with a very low SEY maximum of 0.7 are formed.
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    Self-cleaning stainless steel surfaces induced by laser processing and chemical engineering
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2022) Lorenz, Pierre; Zajadacz, Joachim; Marquardt, Franka; Ehrhardt, Martin; Hommes, Gregor; Peter, Sebastian; Zimmer, Klaus
    Nanostructured surfaces show a variety of beneficial macroscopic effects. The combination of hierarchic nanostructures with a suitable chemical surface composition allows for the fabrication of surfaces with interesting fluidic properties beyond such effects. This approach enables the specification of nano/microstructure and chemical composition independent of each other. Various hierarchical micro- and nanostructures can be realized by laser texturing of stainless steel surfaces with infrared picosecond laser. Simultaneously, the surface is activated for chemical processing. The surface can now be tuned by bonding of a self-assembled monolayer on the laser-treated surface by chemical treatment. This two-step functionalization process allows the for separated adjusting of the surface topography and chemical composition and thus for the well-defined setting of the surface properties. The fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with self-cleaning properties are performed that can be functionalized further by subsequent laser-irradiation. Furthermore, the long-time stability of the surface functionalization in relation to the impact chemicals or radiation was investigated.