For the application of surface acoustic wave sensors at high temperatures, both a high‐temperature stable piezoelectric substrate and a suitable metallization for the electrodes are needed. Our current attempt is to use TiAl thin films as metallization because this material is also known to be high temperature stable. In this study, Ti/Al multilayers and Ti‐Al alloy layers were prepared in combination

Trace analysis of nuclear materials in solid particles collected in the environment or particles in liquid slurry generated in nuclear material manufacturing processes can pinpoint elemental, organic, and isotopic signatures of nuclear fuel cycle activities and processes. Such information can support nuclear safeguards programs by increasing our ability to detect undeclared nuclear materials, routine

Recently, most of the researchers focused on investigating the superlubricity of glycerol or glycerin/water solutions, yet all of them have no attempt to follow with performance about their lubricity under high load and fast rotational speed. In this article, the lubricity of glycerol was systematically investigated under 98 N and 1,450 rpm using a four‐ball wear machine. Interestingly, results showed

In the present work, electropolymerized polypyrrole (PPy) films were obtained on the surface of the surgical ISO 5832‐1 stainless steel. The films were obtained from solutions containing 0.1M and 0.5M of the monomer by cyclic voltammetry deposition. The correlation between the surface chemistry of the as‐deposited films and the corrosion behavior of the coated substrate is explored. X‐ray photoelectron

In order to widen the application of iron oxide yellow pigments (α‐FeOOH) in high temperature industry, α‐FeOOH coated with calcium phosphate (α‐FeOOH/Ca) were modified with stearic acid (Sa) through dry process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)

We hereby report detailed structural and morphological studies for an ultrathin NiO/ZnO bilayer structure grown on sapphire (001) substrate using pulsed laser deposition technique. The combined X‐ray reflectivity (XRR) and grazing incidence X‐ray fluorescence (GIXRF) studies revealed formation of a low‐density defective ZnO interfacial layer of thickness ~32 Å at the ZnO/sapphire interface prior to

The aim of this work was the wettability improvement of clay‐coated paper by ambient air plasma exposure. Industrial corona with a volume dielectric barrier discharge in cylindrical configuration was used as a plasma source; the exposure times varied from 0.25 up to 5 s. Water contact angle (WCA) measurement and surface free energy (SFE) evaluation were carried out for the estimation of wettability

Local AFM‐IR analysis is performed on the organic coating residues remaining on carbon steel substrates after pull‐off adhesion tests. This approach provides unique spectral information, because scattering from these rough substrates has previously prohibited transflectance FTIR analysis of such regions. The AFM‐IR spectra of epoxy‐amine residues display characteristic oxidation bands, which can only

Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) containing wastewater from dressing plant may pose a detrimental threaten to mineral beneficiation and environment. The adsorption of CTAB in aqueous solutions by graphene oxide (GO) has been studied in this work. X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometer, and atomic force spectroscopy were used to characterize

The metal–organic interface between polycrystalline gold and hexafluorotetracyanonaphthoquinodimethane (F6TCNNQ) was investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy with the focus on the charge transfer characteristics from the metal to the molecule. The valence levels, as well as the core levels of the heterojunction, indicate a full electron transfer and a change in the chemical environment. The changes

No abstract is available for this article.

The electronic structure of the epitaxial GaN, InN nanolayers, and the ultrathin Cs/GaN and Cs/InN interfaces was investigated under ultrahigh vacuum at various Cs coverages. The experiment was carried out using synchrotron‐based photoelectron spectroscopy. The photoemission spectra of the valence band and the In 4d, N 2s, Ga 3d, and Cs 4d semicore levels were studied as a function of Cs coverages

The paper presents a study of 5‐MeV energy Au+ ion implantation in polar c‐plane (0001), nonpolar a‐plane (11‐20) and m‐plane (10–10) ZnO crystallographic cuts using fluences of 5 × 1014 and 1 × 1015 cm−2. The implanted samples were subsequently annealed in O2 atmosphere at 600°C. It was shown that a‐plane ZnO exhibited a lowest level of Zn sublattice disorder evidenced by Rutherford backscattering

The greater information depth provided in hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) enables nondestructive analyses of the chemistry and electronic structure of buried interfaces. Moreover, for industrially relevant elements like Al, Si, and Ti, the combined access to the Al 1s, Si 1s, or Ti 1s photoelectron line and its associated Al KLL, Si KLL, or Ti KLL Auger transition, as required for local

Streaming potential measurements are performed to determine the zeta potential of flat surfaces, particles, or fibers. Although the zeta potential is a well‐defined property of solid surfaces in a liquid, there are indications that the absolute values of the zeta potential calculated using the Helmholtz‐Smoluchowski equation are affected by surface roughness and—in case of particle or fiber assemblies—their

Varifocal micromirrors are alternative and miniaturized mirror systems that are used for imaging procedures in biomedical diagnostics, mirror‐based tunable lenses, or the correction of spherical aberration. In this study, we demonstrate a new concept for focal length variation by electrostatic mirror deformation of a compact and integrated electroactive polymer actuator based on metallized poly(dimethylsiloxane)

No abstract is available for this article.

Carbonate oxygen (O) and carbon (C) isotopes are widely used as proxies for tracing the processes and physicochemical conditions of many geological events and environmental changes in Earth Science. In particular, O and C isotopic variations at micrometer scales revealed by modern microbeam analytical techniques such as SIMS and NanoSIMS are robust archives for reconstructing palaeoenvironment and

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurement of oxygen isotopes in apatite has been employed more and more in petrogenetic, metallogenic, and climate change studies. Well‐characterised reference materials are needed due to the matrix effect, but they are yet to be well established. In this study, we conducted in‐situ oxygen isotopic and chemical analyses on six commonly used apatite reference

A zircon U–Pb dating method with a high spatial resolution of 2‐ to 3‐μm was successfully implemented by using Cameca IMS‐1280HR SIMS in this study. Homemade cathode and modified intermediate pole were used to improve the intrinsic performance of duoplasmatron ion source. An O− primary beam with intensity of approximately 3 μA and stability of 0.68% over 40 minutes was achieved and could be used continuously

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has a wide range of applications in Earth Science research, thanks to its high precision and sensitivity, and its capacity in direct insitu micromeasurement. The technique is operated in ultra‐high vacuum (UHV) conditions, especially for the measurement of volatiles such as hydrogen, or the water content in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs). To minimize the

NanoSIMS has been the most widely used analytical technique for measuring the elemental and isotopic ratios of micrometer to sub‐micrometer particles, e.g., pre‐solar grains, soil particles, and fog‐helium aerosol particles. Automated sample stage movement combined with particle recognition algorithm is commonly used to improve analytical efficiency. However, due to the effect of sample topography

NanoSIMS images are usually affected by random noises because of various types of sources, which degrade the quality of ion images and increase the uncertainty of the geochemical interpretations. Here, we applied the weighted nuclear norm minimization (WNNM) method to reduce the random noise in the NanoSIMS image. The low‐rank property of the image is fully considered to suppress random noise while

Mass resolution is a very important parameter for mass spectrometry. It is necessary to compare the mass resolution between the newly developed TOF‐SIMS and the conventionally high‐performance magnetic SIMS. However, the definitions of mass resolution for these two types of instruments are quite different. Whether it is possible to compare mass resolution and how to do such comparison is a challenge

Cisplatin has been clinically used for treatment of solid tumors such as non–small‐cell lung cancer for decades. However, tumor resistance may be acquired with losing the antitumor activity of cisplatin. As cellular membrane is the first barrier that cisplatin has to overcome before its further action inside the cells, the membrane composition must play a vital role in the cisplatin uptake and excretion

Size‐fractionated aerosol particles were collected with a MOUDI 10‐stage cascade impactor from an urban roadside place in a downtown area of Hong Kong. Fine aerosol particulate samples from stage 6 (aerodynamic particle diameter between 0.56 and 1 μm) and stage 9 (aerodynamic particle diameter between 0.10 and 0.18 μm) were pretreated at a chosen temperature, including −100°C, −50°C, 25°C, and 60°C

Atmospheric aerosols collected from each season in urban Beijing have been studied using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS). The chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles during various atmospheric pollution levels was analyzed and distinguished by principal component analysis (PCA). The differences and sources of the components of the aerosol particles were explored

Pyrite is considered to be the major carrier of mercury in coal. Here, the chemical characteristics of two natural pyrite samples of different weathering degrees were characterized by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS). Thermal stability of Hg was also analyzed via temperature programmed desorption experiment (TPD). Characteristic ions such as S−, Fe+, FeS−, and FeS2− were detected

Microplastics pollution is becoming one of the most serious threats to the surface ecosystem of the earth; it is widespread in oceans, rivers, sediments, soils, and organisms. It is a growing concern as an environmental pollutant, which currently has no clear detection standard. Detection methods still need to be constantly supplemented and improved. This study explored a novel method called time‐of‐flight

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) was employed for an analysis of the rare earth element Ce in pure iron and steel. Secondary ion images showed that the amount of the segregation of Ce and its oxides was much less as the concentration of Ce decreased to about 11 ppm in the pure iron. In terms of depth profiling from the surface to the matrix, variation of the CeO+/Ce+ ratio

A diffused interface between a ceramic coating and a metallic substrate is expected to signify a more solid bonding. In addition to depth profiling, a novel 3D view and imaging approach based on ToF‐SIMS analysis was developed to investigate the diffused species around the interface. The diffusion of Al species in a Cr2AlC ceramic coating and Zircaloy substrate system was investigated in both the as‐deposited

Precise determination of composition is requisite for AlxGa1‐xN‐based energy band engineering. Secondary cluster ions in a time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) full spectrum are introduced for accurate quantification of Al in AlxGa1‐xN for AlGaN‐based devices. It was found that statistical analysis with huge number of large secondary cluster ions (without small ions) show much

Doping of semiconductors serve various purposes in metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) technology, eg, increase carrier concentration and modify electric field distribution. With the scaling down of device and the introduction of three‐dimensional fin field‐effect transistors (FinFET), precise and reliable dopant quantification of concentration at the nano‐scale is critical. Laser‐assisted atom probe

In this paper, the bisquare robust polynomial fitting (BSRPF) method for surface texture features assessment was proposed. Plateau‐honed cylinder liner bronze surfaces with additionally burnished microcavities (defined as dimple, holes, and/or cavities) were taken into consideration. Analyzed details were measured with stylus (Talyscan 150) or white light interferometer (Talysurf CCI Lite) methods

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a‐C:H) films consisting of a top a‐C:H layer, a gradient transient a‐C:H:Ti layer, and a bottom Ti layer were irradiated by 1.1‐MeV C+ ions, resulting in a maximum displacement damage of 1.0 dpa and a projected range inside the Ti layer. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, electron energy loss spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy

The Fe 2p spectrum has a very complex peak structure and a very strong background. Based on the comparison of the spectra for iron film with varying thicknesses, an experimental multiple‐peak structure for the metallic Fe 2p spectrum is proposed. The analysis required the use of state‐of‐the‐art background modeling (including the active approach) and peak‐fitting methods (including the simultaneous

Diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coatings were indented 3000 to 15 000 times cyclically using a Si3N4 sphere having a diameter of 10 mm under a normal load of approximately 107 N. DLC coatings were prepared by unbalanced magnetron (UBM) sputtering under substrate bias voltage of −200 on a heat‐treated and polished JIS SCM 415 substrates. SEM images and the energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (EDX) results

The adsorption of octadecyl phosphonic acid (ODPA) on oxide‐covered surfaces of ZnMgAl alloy coatings is described as a function of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) pretreatment step. The ODPA monolayer formation enables the investigation of the influence of the DBD treatment on the resulting interfacial bond formation and surface coverage. Surface characterisation by means of surface spectroscopy

A voltage‐applicable heating specimen holder is developed to observe solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in an environmental transmission electron microscope. An SOFC specimen can be heated and has a voltage applied in an oxygen gas atmosphere using the holder. Oxygen ion migration and redox reactions in the specimen could also be realized. The heating unit, which consists of nickel–chromium alloy mounted

The integration technology of hydrogen preparation–hydrogen storage not only can utilize hydrogen energy efficiently but also can improve the selectivity of the electrode maximally. In the present work, the structure and composition of the PtNi catalyst was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD); and its electrochemical properties, morphology, and surface binding energy were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry

Spiders capture prey by applying sticky coating substances to the spiral line of their orb webs. The main constituents of these sticky substances are glycoproteins and salts. This sticky substance is an intelligent material. Salt plays a key role regarding the properties of the sticky substance. Spiders typically weave a new orb webs by recycling used orb webs, and salts, typically salts of the alkali

Nickel supported on reduced graphene oxide was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition technique. The crystal structure and magnetic properties of the prepared sample were studied by means of Raman spectrometry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM)

Metal‐polymer nanocomposites have gained increasing attention due to the wide potential applications field. Synthesis of nanoparticles from the gas phase is an intensively studied alternative to the chemical preparation methods. We present a one‐step procedure that combines magnetron‐based gas aggregation cluster source of silver nanoparticles and simultaneous plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition

The main purpose of the present work is to analyze a series of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with different size or ligand functionalization by using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and to identify the differences in the band‐shape and energy peak position of photoemission spectra due to the particle dimension. A transmission electron microscopy characterization was performed, to verify the consistency

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) represent three surface analysis techniques heavily used in the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) industry. The maturity of these techniques is demonstrated by (a) the diversity of lab‐based instruments used in research and development (R&D) as well as to support fab‐related

The effect of substrate temperature on the direct current magnetron‐sputtered zirconium oxide (ZrO2) dielectric films was investigated. Stoichiometric of the ZrO2 thin films was obtained at an oxygen partial pressure of 4.0 × 10−2 Pa. X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that the crystallite size in the layer was increased from 4.8 to 16.1 nm with increase of substrate temperature from 303 to 673 K.

Active deicing of technical surfaces, such as for wind turbines and heat exchangers, currently requires the usage of heat or chemicals. Passive coating strategies that postpone the freezing of covering water would be beneficial in order to save costs and energy. One hypothesis is that pyroelectric active materials can achieve this because of the surface charges generated on these materials when they

Regular nanoscopic ripple and dot patterns are fabricated on poly‐crystalline titanium samples by irradiation with 1.5 keV argon ions at normal incidence. The morphology of the nanostructures is investigated by scanning electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy. The ripple structures exhibit a saw‐tooth cross‐section profile. Electron backscatter diffraction experiments are performed to analyze

Low‐energy inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (LEIPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) incorporated into the multitechnique XPS system were used to probe the ionization potential and the electron affinity of organic materials, respectively. By utilizing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), in situ analyses and depth profiling of LEIPS and UPS were also demonstrated. The band structures of the

Cr martensitic steels are promising materials for structural applications in future nuclear fusion reactors. Because the embrittlement after tempering treatments can be a serious problem, the fracture mode of a steel with 10.5 wt% of Cr treated at 700°C for 18 h has been investigated through Charpy tests in the temperature range from −100°C to +150°C. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses

In the present study were studied the ferromagnetic La1−xSrx (Mn1−yCoy)zO3 (LSMCO) films with Co content y = 0 to 0.18, grown on LaAlO3 substrates by advantageous pulsed‐injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique. The LSMCO films exhibit negative colossal magnetoresistance effect; therefore, they are interesting as potential material for the applications in magnetic field sensing. The

Robust fitting of core level photoemission spectra is often central to reliable interpretation of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data. One key element is employment of the correct line shape function for each spectral component. In this study, we consider this topic, focusing on XPS data from atomic adsorbates, namely, O and S, on Fe(110). The potential of employing density functional theory

In this study, the formation of Ag–S bond was systematically elucidated by thickness‐dependent ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) in order to understand the L‐cysteine interaction with silver surface. A clean Ag(111) as the model system for silver surface was used, and L‐cysteine films on silver substrate were formed by vacuum evaporation. The orbital configurations at the interface was estimated

MoS2/a‐C:H multilayer film and MoS2/a‐C:H composite film exhibit excellent tribological properties in vacuum, which can be used as the potential space lubricant. The radiation‐protective properties of these two films in atomic oxygen (AO) are evaluated. The influences of AO radiation on structure, morphology, and tribological properties of the films were investigated. The results show that AO radiation

A complex of resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine (RH) was utilized to modify nanocellulose (NCC) using in‐suit solution method, where NCC was extracted from eucalyptus pulp paper with ultrasonic oxidation steps. The modified NCC was then put into vulcanized condition to simulate vulcanization process of rubber; the product was called vulcanized RH‐NCC model compound. In this paper, we study whether

The present study evaluates and correlates the morphology of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) nanofibres with their internal structure to determine dielectric and tensile properties for future applications as long‐lasting and resistant cell scaffolds. This work generates electrospun nanofibres mixing SA concentration in a PVA solution cross‐linked in calcium chloride media. The dielectric

TiO2 nanowire‐nanoparticle hetero‐structured films were prepared via a sol–gel method and coated on glass substrates by dipping method for photocatalytic activity. In this study 0, 1, 3, and 5 mol% of Ni doped were studied. One‐dimensional TiO2 nanowires (NWs) were prepared by hydrothermal treatment with TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) which are commercially available. XRD, FESEM, DRS, and XPS were used to

A simple semi‐empirical model that correlates the Auger parameter to the ground state valence charge of the core‐ionized atom with closed valence shell configuration, and which was previously applied to Cu(I) (3d10) compounds, is extended to Ba (II) (5d10), Pb (II) (5d104s2), and Zn (II) (3d10) compounds (halides and chalcogenides). Until now, the Auger parameter was employed to separate initial and

An X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) instrument is utilized for sputter depth profiling of thin films. Relevant instrumental parameters are the ion gun sputter rate, the contamination level of the sputter ion gun, and the purity of the sputter ion gun gas supply as well as the vacuum quality of the instrument at the sample position. A long‐term recording of these instrumental parameters ensures