Solid State Phenomena Vol. 310

Abstract: Solid electrolyte Li_1.4Al_0.4Ti_1.6 (PO₄)₃ was used to coat high voltage (5V) spinel lithium manganate. The modified high voltage spinel lithium manganate was used as positive electrode and the lithium titanate as negative electrode. A type of 10Ah energy storage battery was assembled. Charge-discharge and cycle life tests of these batteries were carried out at different temperatures and rates. The results show that coating high voltage spinel lithium manganate improves the high temperature cycle performance of the lithium titanate batteries. The capacity retention ratio of the lithium titanate batteries with the coated high voltage lithium manganate as cathode material increases from 74.8% to 86.5% at 60°Cafter 2000 cycles compared to the lithium titanate batteries with the uncoated high voltage lithium manganite as cathode material. However, the cycle performance is not affected at-30 °C. The low temperature rate performance of lithium titanate batteries is improved by coating high voltage lithium manganate. When the discharge rate is 20 C at-30°C, 90.6% of the 1 C charge capacity at room temperature of the lithium titanate battery with the coated high voltage lithium manganate as cathode materialcan be delivered, while the lithium titanate battery with the un-coated high voltage lithium manganate as cathode material can only deliver 80.2% of the 1 C charge capacity at room temperature.

Abstract: Modern electronics is based on semiconductor nanostructures in practically all main parts: from microprocessor circuits and memory elements to high frequency and light-emitting devices, sensors and photovoltaic cells. Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) with ultimately low gate length in the order of tens of nanometers and less is nowadays one of the basic elements of microprocessors and modern electron memory chips. Principally new physical peculiarities of semiconductor nanostructures are related to quantum effects like tunneling of charge carriers, controlled changing of energy band structure, quantization of energy spectrum of a charge carrier and a pronounced spin-related phenomena. Superposition of quantum states and formation of entangled states of photons offers new opportunities for the realization of quantum bits, development of nanoscale systems for quantum cryptography and quantum computing. Advanced growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapour epitaxy, atomic layer deposition as well as optical, electron and probe nanolithography for nanostructure fabrication have been widely used. Nanostructure characterization is performed using nanometer resolution tools including high-resolution, reflection and scanning electron microscopy as well as scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy. Quantum properties of semiconductor nanostructures have been evaluated from precise electrical and optical measurements. Modern concepts of various semiconductor devices in electronics and photonics including single-photon emitters, memory elements, photodetectors and highly sensitive biosensors are developed very intensively. The perspectives of nanostructured materials for the creation of a new generation of universal memory and neuromorphic computing elements are under lively discussion. This paper is devoted to a brief description of current achievements in the investigation and modeling of single-electron and single-photon phenomena in semiconductor nanostructures, as well as in the fabrication of a new generation of elements for micro-, nano, optoelectronics and quantum devices.

Abstract: Silicon-rich silicon nitride thin films have been grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 13.56MHZ on glass and N-type monocrystalline silicon substrate using high purity NH3,N2 and SiH4 as reactant gas sources by changing of radio-frequency (RF) power and deposition pressure. The samples were characterized by the ultraviolet-visible (UV-UIS) light transmittance spectra, Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR) and an X-ray (XRD) diffraction, respectively. The results showed that both the RF power and deposition pressure increase promote the deposition rates. However, the increase of rf power leads to the decrease of optical band gap, the increase of refractive index, and the increase of deposition pressure leads to the widening of optical band gap. The increase of rf power leads to the increase of the silicon atoms in the thin films and the transition of the films to the silicon-rich state. As the deposition pressure increase, the probability of N atoms entering the films increase and the thin films change to a nitrogen-rich state. At a certain pressure, when the rf power is changed, the average grain size in the films decrease by XRD analysis. Based on the above analysis, both the deposition pressure and rf power have an important effect on the microstructure, and optical properties of the thin films. By properly adjusting these two parameters, the silicon-rich silicon nitride films with good density can be obtained.

Abstract: Spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) is one of the most promising candidate anode material for Li-ion battery (LIB) known, as zero strain material, it has poor intrinsic electronic properties. In order to enhance it, we have investigated effect of doping on electronic conductivity of spinel LTO phase structure. We consider the carrier and transition metal doping effect on structure and electronic structure of spinel LTO. It is shown that the doping can improve the electronic conduction of spinel LTO. Our calculations were based on the projector augmented wave (PAW) method with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA+U+J₀) including the Hubbard U parameter for exchange correlation functional within the framework of density functional theory (DFT).

Abstract: The computer simulation method was used to examine condensation of 90124 Cu and Au atoms from the gas phase. To analyze the synthesis processes, there were selected chemical compositions Cu₃Au, Cu-Au, Cu₉₀Au₁₀ and Cu₆₀Au₄₀ being cooled with liquid nitrogen during the condensation. The undertaken simulation showed that the increase in the percentage of gold atoms in the initial couple decreases the number of clusters of a relatively large size. Moreover, the analysis of the external view and the structure of Cu-Au nanoparticles of various chemical composition allowed us to conclude that a large number of binary nanoparticles were of an icosahedral structure.

Abstract: The design and technological conditions for the manufacture of photoconductive antennas based on low-temperature gallium arsenide (LT-GaAs) have been developed. The optimized photoconductive THz antenna is made based on LT-GaAs with the flag geometry of the contacts and with the interdigitated structure including metal closing through the dielectric of each second period. LT-GaAs samples were obtained by molecular beam epitaxy at temperatures of 210 °C, 230 °C, 240 °C on GaAs substrates (100). Dark and photocurrent were measured depending on the bias voltage of the LT-GaAs heterostructure at the EP6 probe station. Full wave finite element method solver has been used to investigate the proposed plasmon PCA electrical and optical behavior by combining the Maxwell's wave equation with the drift-diffusion/Poisson equations.

Abstract: Copper nanopowders were obtained by the gas-phase method under the influence of an electron beam of different powers. Thermodynamic modeling of the phase equilibrium state of the Cu-O2-C system during heating in argon and atmospheric pressure was carried out using the TERRA software package. The obtained nanopowders of copper were studied by X-ray phase analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The morphology, structure, size distribution, and average size of copper nanoparticles are determined. The dependence of the content of copper oxides in a copper-containing nanopowder on the electron beam power has been established. It is shown that copper nanopowders obtained at high power are not oxidized.

Abstract: In this study, we aimed to estimate the weight fraction of crystalline phases in a cathode deposition formed by DC arc-discharge between graphite electrodes in water via the XRD method and CARBON XS program based on Shi model, which takes into account disorder and stacking faults in a graphite structure. The structural computation of graphitic carbon materials for comparison was done by using CARBON XS according to Shi model. From the study, we observed that the total weight fraction of 2H hexagonal and 3R rhombohedral ordered structures of graphitic carbon decreases from 77.69% to 48.98%, whereas the weight fraction of random shift and stacking faults increases from 22.31% to 51.02% as compared to these parameters belonging to pure graphite structure during the arc-discharge process.

Abstract: Herein, the spinel Co_1-xZn_xFe₂O₄ (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) powder samples have been prepared by the solid-state reaction method. We have carried out the measurements of crystal structure, element analysis, material characterization, magnetic property and Curie temperature using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer, and the first-principles calculations within the framework of the density functional theory (DFT). The EDS measurement indicates that the Co_1-xZn_xFe₂O₄ powder samples have been successfully synthesized and exhibited the cubic spinel structures. Both the lattice constant and crystallite size increase with the Zn concentration due to the larger ionic radius of Zn²⁺ ion than the Co²⁺ ion. The concentration ratio of the Co²⁺ and Co³⁺ ions can be predicted by the distribution of cations between the A and B sites by the XPS measurement. For the magnetic properties, the residual magnetization, coercivity and Curie temperature decrease monotonically as the Zn concentration increases, while the saturation magnetization initially increases and then decreases at the room temperature. For the Co_0.8Zn_0.2Fe₂O₄ sample, the magnetic saturation reaches the maximum value of 62.98 Am²kg^-1, due to a large amount of the Co³⁺ ions. The adequate replacement of Zn ion for the Co site can improve the magnetic properties of spinel Co_1-xZn_xFe₂O₄ powders, and effectively regulates the Curie temperature.

Abstract: Aspects of increasing the strength of silumin due to the introduction of ultrafine silica powders into its melt are considered. The calculation of the surface energy of silicon oxide nanoparticles showed the promise of this modification. The method is proposed for increasing the adhesion of silicon to aluminum, due to the surface-active properties of magnesium and the high surface energy of nanoparticles, which contributes to the formation of chemical compounds of silicon with aluminum, and as a result, to hardening of the alloy. Due to the large difference in the surface energies of magnesium and silicon, the possibility of producing Si @ Mg core-shell nanoparticles in the one-step method under the action of an electron beam has been shown. The layout of substances in the graphite crucible, the dependence of the electron beam current to obtain Si @ Mg nanoparticles are presented.