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    On the Promotion of Catalytic Reactions by Surface Acoustic Waves
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) von Boehn, Bernhard; Foerster, Michael; von Boehn, Moritz; Prat, Jordi; Macià, Ferran; Casals, Blai; Khaliq, Muhammad Waqas; Hernández-Mínguez, Alberto; Aballe, Lucia; Imbihl, Ronald
    Surface acoustic waves (SAW) allow to manipulate surfaces with potential applications in catalysis, sensor and nanotechnology. SAWs were shown to cause a strong increase in catalytic activity and selectivity in many oxidation and decomposition reactions on metallic and oxidic catalysts. However, the promotion mechanism has not been unambiguously identified. Using stroboscopic X-ray photoelectron spectro-microscopy, we were able to evidence a sub-nanosecond work function change during propagation of 500 MHz SAWs on a 9 nm thick platinum film. We quantify the work function change to 455 μeV. Such a small variation rules out that electronic effects due to elastic deformation (strain) play a major role in the SAW-induced promotion of catalysis. In a second set of experiments, SAW-induced intermixing of a five monolayers thick Rh film on top of polycrystalline platinum was demonstrated to be due to enhanced thermal diffusion caused by an increase of the surface temperature by about 75 K when SAWs were excited. Reversible surface structural changes are suggested to be a major cause for catalytic promotion. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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    Polarization manipulation of surface acoustic waves by metallization patterns on a piezoelectric substrate
    (Melville, NY : AIP Publishing, 2020) Weser, R.; Darinskii, A.N.; Schmidt, H.
    Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) with large normal (vertical) surface displacement at the surface are commonly utilized in microfluidic actuators in order to provide the desired momentum transfer to the fluid. We present an alternative concept using a SAW with comparatively small vertical displacement. Such a SAW passes underneath the microfluidic vessel walls with minimum losses but it needs to be converted inside the vessel into surface vibrations with large vertical displacements. The principal operability of the above idea is illustrated by experimental and numerical studies of the polarization conversion of a leaky SAW on 64° rotated Y-cut of lithium niobate owing to the partial metallization of the substrate surface. In particular, it is found that vertical displacements on the metallized surface can be up to 3.5 times higher as compared to their values on the free surface. Results of computations agree reasonably well with measurements carried out with a laser Doppler vibrometer and allow the clarification of some specific features of this polarization conversion by means of spatial frequency analysis. © 2020 Author(s).
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    Capability study of Ti, Cr, W, Ta and Pt as seed layers for electrodeposited platinum films on γ-Al2O3 for high temperature and harsh environment applications
    (Basel : MDPI, 2017) Seifert, Marietta; Brachmann, Erik; Rane, Gayatri K.; Menzel, Siegfried B.; Gemming, Thomas
    High temperature surface acoustic wave sensors based on radio frequency identification technology require adequate antennas of high efficiency and thermal stability for the signal transmission. Platinum is well known and frequently used as a material of choice for high temperature and harsh environment applications because of the high melting point and its chemical stability. Therefore, one way to realize high temperature stable antennas is the combination of a Pt metallization on an Al 2 O 3 substrate. As a cost-effective technique, the Pt film is deposited via electrochemical deposition. For this growth procedure, a pre-deposited metallization on the Al 2 O 3 layer is required. This paper analyzes the influence of various seed layers (Ta, Ti, W, Cr, Pt) on the morphology, stability and electrical properties of the electrochemically-grown Pt thick film after heat treatments up to 1000 ∘ C in air. We find an oxidation of all adhesion layers except for Pt, for which the best electrical properties were measured. Although significant areas of the films delaminate from the substrate, individual anchor structures retain a stable connection between the Pt layer and the rough Al 2 O 3 substrate.
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    The Influence of the Composition of Ru100−xAlx (x = 50, 55, 60, 67) Thin Films on Their Thermal Stability
    (Basel : MDPI, 2017-3-10) Seifert, Marietta; Rane, Gayatri K.; Oswald, Steffen; Menzel, Siegfried B.; Gemming, Thomas
    RuAl thin films possess a high potential as a high temperature stable metallization for surface acoustic wave devices. During the annealing process of the Ru-Al films, Al2O3 is formed at the surface of the films even under high vacuum conditions, so that the composition of a deposited Ru50Al50 film is shifted to a Ru-rich alloy. To compensate for this effect, the Al content is systematically increased during the deposition of the Ru-Al films. Three Al-rich alloys—Ru45Al55, Ru40Al60 and Ru33Al67—were analyzed concerning their behavior after high temperature treatment under high vacuum and air conditions in comparison to the initial Ru50Al50 sample. Although the films’ cross sections show a more homogeneous structure in the case of the Al-rich films, the RuAl phase formation is reduced with increasing Al content.
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    Phase formation and high-temperature stability of very thin co-sputtered Ti-Al and multilayered Ti/Al films on thermally oxidized si substrates
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2020) Seifert, M.; Lattner, E.; Menzel, S.B.; Oswald, S.; Gemming, T.
    Ti-Al thin films with a thickness of 200 nm were prepared either by co-sputtering from elemental Ti and Al targets or as Ti/Al multilayers with 10 and 20 nm individual layer thickness on thermally oxidized Si substrates. Some of the films were covered with a 20-nm-thick SiO2 layer, which was used as an oxidation protection against the ambient atmosphere. The films were annealed at up to 800 °C in high vacuum for 10 h, and the phase formation as well as the film architecture was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, cross section, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results reveal that the co-sputtered films remained amorphous after annealing at 600 °C independent on the presence of the SiO2 cover layer. In contrast to this, the γ-TiAl phase was formed in the multilayer films at this temperature. After annealing at 800 °C, all films were degraded completely despite the presence of the cover layer. In addition, a strong chemical reaction between the Ti and SiO2 of the cover layer and the substrate took place, resulting in the formation of Ti silicide. In the multilayer samples, this reaction already started at 600 °C.
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    Polarized recombination of acoustically transported carriers in GaAs nanowires
    (London : BioMed Central, 2012) Möller, Michael; Hernández-Mínguez, Alberto; Breuer, Steffen; Pfüller, Carsten; Brandt, Oliver; de Lima Jr, Mauricio M.; Cantarero, Andrés; Geelhaar, Lutz; Riechert, Henning; Santos, Paulo V.
    The oscillating piezoelectric field of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is employed to transport photoexcited electrons and holes in GaAs nanowires deposited on a SAW delay line on a LiNbO3 crystal. The carriers generated in the nanowire by a focused light spot are acoustically transferred to a second location where they recombine. We show that the recombination of the transported carriers occurs in a zinc blende section on top of the predominant wurtzite nanowire. This allows contactless control of the linear polarized emission by SAWs which is governed by the crystal structure. Additional polarization-resolved photoluminescence measurements were performed to investigate spin conservation during transport.
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    In situ surface acoustic wave field probing in microfluidic structures using optical transmission interferometry
    (Melville, NY : American Inst. of Physics, 2021) Weser, R.; Schmidt, H.
    The generation of mechanical driving forces in fluids at the microscale can be efficiently realized using acoustic actuators. For this purpose, bulk or surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are typically excited by an electroacoustic transducer, and the acoustic energy is subsequently coupled to the fluid. The resultant acoustic pressure field in the fluid allows for precise manipulation of immersed objects and also for the agitation of the fluid itself. In general, the fluidic actuation capability is mainly determined by the mechanical displacement amplitude at the interface between the fluid and the acoustically active surface. In the case of SAW-based actuators, the fluid most often is directly attached to the substrate surface along which the surface waves propagate. Hence, the lateral distribution of surface displacement amplitude, i.e., the surface acoustic wave field, at the fluid–substrate interface is of particular interest in order to achieve full control of the fluidic actuation. Here, we present a reliable experimental method for the in situ determination of the SAW field on fluid loaded substrate surfaces based on laser interferometry. The optical accessibility of the fluid–substrate interface is realized via transmission through the anisotropic, piezoelectric substrate material requiring only an additional calibration procedure in order to compensate the parasitic influence of effects based on different indices of refraction as well as on complex acousto-optic effects. Finally, the proposed method is demonstrated to yield reliable results of displacement amplitude on the fluid loaded surface and thus, to provide a valuable insight into acoustofluidic coupling that was not available so far.
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    Dynamics of indirect exciton transport by moving acoustic fields
    (Bristol : IOP, 2014) Violante, A.; Cohen, K.; Lazić, S.; Hey, R.; Rapaport, R.; Santos, P.V.
    We report on the modulation of indirect excitons (IXs) as well as their transport by moving periodic potentials produced by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The potential modulation induced by the SAW strain modifies both the band gap and the electrostatic field in the quantum wells confining the IXs, leading to changes in their energy. In addition, this potential captures and transports IXs over several hundreds of μm. While the IX packets keep to a great extent their spatial shape during transport by the moving potential, the effective transport velocity is lower than the SAW group velocity and increases with the SAW amplitude. This behavior is attributed to the capture of IXs by traps along the transport path, thereby increasing the IX transit time. The experimental results are well-reproduced by an analytical model for the interaction between trapping centers and IXs during transport.
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    Slowness curve surface acoustic wave transducers for optimized acoustic streaming
    (Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020) O'Rorke, R.; Winkler, A.; Collins, D.; Ai, Y.
    Surface acoustic waves can induce force gradients on the length scales of micro- and nanoparticles, allowing precise manipulation for particle capture, alignment and sorting activities. These waves typically occupy a spatial region much larger than a single particle, resulting in batch manipulation. Circular arc transducers can focus a SAW into a narrow beam on the order of the particle diameter for highly localised, single-particle manipulation by exciting wavelets which propagate to a common focal point. The anisotropic nature of SAW substrates, however, elongates and shifts the focal region. Acousto-microfluidic applications are highly dependent on the morphology of the underlying substrate displacement and, thus, become dependent on the microchannel position relative to the circular arc transducer. This requires either direct measurement or computational modelling of the SAW displacement field. We show that the directly measured elongation and shift in the focal region are recapitulated by an analytical model of beam steering, derived from a simulated slowness curve for 128° Y-cut lithium niobate. We show how the negative effects of beam steering can be negated by adjusting the curvature of arced transducers according to the slowness curve of the substrate, for which we present a simple function for convenient implementation in computational design software. Slowness-curve adjusted transducers do not require direct measurement of the SAW displacement field for microchannel placement and can capture smaller particles within the streaming vortices than can circular arc IDTs.
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    New electronic device for driving surface acoustic wave actuators
    (Amsterdam : Elsevier, 2009) Brünig, R.; Mensel, K.; Kunze, R.; Schmidt, H.
    Surface acoustic wave (SAW) actuators are driven by a high frequency signal. The frequency range for an ideal SAW-generation is usually very narrow banded and may shift depending on various environmental conditions. We present a new electronic device which self-aligns to the optimal excitation frequency within a wide range. Any kind of SAW-actuator can be used. The device continuously scans a certain frequency range and characterizes the SAW-component. The ideal excitation frequency is then determined and used to drive the SAW-device. In case of changes like loading conditions or temperature variations the device automatically readjusts to the optimal frequency and prevents possible damage of the device or actuator in case of an error. © 2009.