Papers by Keyword: Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffractometry (GI-XRD)

Abstract: In order to give experimental insights on the atomic structure of the Si atomic wires developing on the β-SiC(100) surface, we use synchrotron radiation-based x-ray diffraction at grazing incidence to study a network of such atomic lines in a 5x2 surface array. Our results lead to an accurate surface and sub-surface structure determination evidencing a structure in agreement with a two adlayer symmetric dimer reconstruction. This atomic structure is significantly different from the 3x2 surface structure, giving new insights on the Si atomic lines stability.

Abstract: The physical properties of graphene nano-structures are highly anisotropic and generally correlated to the graphene sheet orientation. We investigated the capability to grow nano-graphene structured carbon films and to control their texturing by pulsed laser ablation of a pyrolytic graphite target (Nd:YAG laser, 2nd harmonic: λ=532 nm, hν=2.33 eV, τ=7 ns, ν=10 Hz, φ=7 J/cm2), operating at different temperature conditions. Carbon films were deposited on Si <100> substrates. Detailed characterisation by synchrotron X-ray measurements were performed on samples deposited in vacuum (~10-3 Pa) at high substrate temperatures (>800°C) and at room temperature followed by post-annealing at high temperature (>800°C). The X-ray measurements established the formation of nano-sized graphene structures for both sample sets. In the first set, the nano-particles are correlated among them, their size increases with substrate temperature and a longitudinal growth of parallel graphene layers occurs, with the ˆc axis parallel to the substrate. In post annealed sample set, on the contrary, the nano-particles size is smaller and depends weakly on annealing temperature. The graphene ˆc axis results to be randomly oriented up to ~850°C. Above this temperature it seems that a transition phase occurs and the c axis results to lie parallel to substrate plane.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is the residual stress evaluation in dental implants and the improvement of adherence at the metal-ceramic interface. This study is focused on the development of a multi-layer system model of Hydroxyapatite/TiO2/Ti components. Our aim is to validate new methods of laser ablation deposition and sol-gel, by controlling the residual stresses and actual adherence to titanium substrates. We present a report of the growth of hydroxyapatite layers by PLD (pulsed laser deposition) and sol-gel deposition, and the measurement of their residual stresses.

Abstract: The use of heteroepitaxial Si / Pr2O3 / Si(111) systems as semiconductor-insulatorsemiconductor (SIS) stacks in future applications requires a detailed structural characterization. We used X-ray reflectivity (XRR) to control layer thickness and interface roughness, standard X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze the Pr2O3 phase, orientation and crystal perfection, and grazing incidence XRD to study the thin epitaxial Si top layer. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to prove the results by direct imaging on a microscopic scale. Pr2O3 grows epitaxially in its hexagonal phase and (0001) orientation on Si(111) substrates. An epitaxial Si overgrowth in (111) orientation and good perfection is possible, but such Si layers exhibit two stacking twins, one with the same in-plane orientation as the substrate and one rotated by 180° around the Si [111] direction.