Name: high temperature fabrication of nanostructured yttria-stabilized-zirconia (ysz) scaffolds by in situ carbon templating xerogels
Uploaded: 2017-04-16T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about High Temperature Fabrication of Nanostructured Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia YSZ Scaffolds by In Situ Carbon Templating Xerogels at JoVE.com

This work was supported by the Wake Forest Chemistry Department and the Wake Forest Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (CEES). We thank Charles Mooney and the Analytical Instrumentation Facility of the North Carolina State University for assistance with SEM imaging.

1. Preparing Xerogel Pellets
<ol>
	<li>Gel Synthesis
	<ol>
		<li>Add a 25 mm magnetic stir bar and 113 mL of deionized water to a 500 mL beaker. Magnetically stir the deionized water at the highest rate that does not form a vortex.</li>
		<li>Slowly add 13.05 g (0.056 mol) of anhydrous zirconium chloride to the deionized water in small increments. After all of the anhydrous zirconium chloride has dissolved, add 53.29 g (0.296 mol) of glucose to the solution.</li>
		<li>After all of the glucose has dissolved in the solu...

<ol>
	<li>Badwal, S. P. S., Giddey, S. S., Munnings, C., Bhatt, A. I., Hollenkamp, A. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Emerging+electrochemical+energy+conversion+and+storage+technologies.">Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies.</a> Front. Chem. 2 (79), 1-28 (2014).</li><li>Gross, M. D., Vohs, J. M., Gorte, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+examination+of+SOFC+anode+functional+layers+based+on+ceria+in+YSZ.">An examination of SOFC anode functional layers based on ceria in YSZ.</a> J. Electrochem. Soc. 154 (7), B694-B699 (2007).</li><li>Smith, B. H., Gross, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+highly+conductive+oxide+anode+for+solid+oxide+fuel+cells.">A highly conductive oxide anode for solid oxide fuel cells.</a> Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 14 (1), B1-B5 (2011).</li><li>Vo, N. M., Gross, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+effect+of+vanadium+deficiency+on+the+stability+of+Pd+and+Pt+catalysts+in+lanthanum+strontium+vanadate+solid+oxide+fuel+cell+anodes.">The effect of vanadium deficiency on the stability of Pd and Pt catalysts in lanthanum strontium vanadate solid oxide fuel cell anodes.</a> J. Electrochem. Soc. 159 (5), B641-B646 (2012).</li><li>Sholklapper, T. Z., Jacobson, C. P., Visco, S. J., De Jonghe, L. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+of+dispersed+and+contiguous+nanoparticles+in+solid+oxide+fuel+cell+electrodes.">Synthesis of dispersed and contiguous nanoparticles in solid oxide fuel cell electrodes.</a> Fuel Cells. 8 (5), 303-312 (2008).</li><li>Jiang, Z., Xia, C., Chen, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nano-structured+composite+cathodes+for+intermediate-temperature+solid+oxide+fuel+cells+via+an+infiltration/impregnation+technique.">Nano-structured composite cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells via an infiltration/impregnation technique.</a> Electrochim. Acta. 55 (11), 3595-3605 (2010).</li><li>Zhan, Z., Bierschenk, D. M., Cronin, J. S., Barnett, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+reduced+temperature+solid+oxide+fuel+cell+with+nanostructured+anodes.">A reduced temperature solid oxide fuel cell with nanostructured anodes.</a> Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 3951-3954 (2011).</li><li>Gross, M. D., Vohs, J. M., Gorte, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Recent+progress+in+SOFC+anodes+for+direct+utilization+of+hydrocarbons.">Recent progress in SOFC anodes for direct utilization of hydrocarbons.</a> J. Mater. Chem. 17, 3071-3077 (2007).</li><li>Gross, M. D., Carver, K. M., Deighan, M. A., Schenkel, A., Smith, B. M., Yee, A. Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Redox+stability+of+SrNbxTi1-xO3-YSZ+for+use+in+SOFC+anodes.">Redox stability of SrNbxTi1-xO3-YSZ for use in SOFC anodes.</a> J. Electrochem. Soc. 156 (4), B540-B545 (2009).</li><li>Savaniu, C. D., Irvine, J. T. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=La-doped+SrTiO3+as+anode+material+for+IT-SOFC.">La-doped SrTiO3 as anode material for IT-SOFC.</a> Solid State Ionics. 192 (1), 491-493 (2011).</li><li>Choi, S., Shin, J., Kim, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+electrochemical+and+thermodynamic+characterization+of+PrBaCo2-xFexO5+&#948;+(x=0,0.5,1)+infiltrated+into+yttria-stabilized+zirconia+scaffold+as+cathodes+for+solid+oxide+fuel+cells.">The electrochemical and thermodynamic characterization of PrBaCo2-xFexO5+&#948; (x=0,0.5,1) infiltrated into yttria-stabilized zirconia scaffold as cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells.</a> J. Power Sources. 201, 10-17 (2012).</li><li>Kungas, R., Kim, J. S., Vohs, J. M., Gorte, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Restructuring+porous+YSZ+by+treatment+in+hydrofluoric+acid+for+use+in+SOFC+cathodes.">Restructuring porous YSZ by treatment in hydrofluoric acid for use in SOFC cathodes.</a> J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 94 (7), 2220-2224 (2011).</li><li>Jung, W., Dereux, J. O., Chueh, W. C., Hao, Y., Haile, S. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+electrode+activity+of+nanostructured,+columnar+ceria+films+for+solid+oxide+fuel+cells.">High electrode activity of nanostructured, columnar ceria films for solid oxide fuel cells.</a> Energy Environ. Sci. 5, 8682-8689 (2012).</li><li>Cottam, M., Muhoza, S., Gross, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preserving+nanomorphology+in+YSZ+scaffolds+at+high+temperatures+via+in+situ+carbon+templating+of+hybrid+materials.">Preserving nanomorphology in YSZ scaffolds at high temperatures via in situ carbon templating of hybrid materials.</a> J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 99 (8), 2625-2631 (2016).</li><li>Alves, L. A., Silva, J. B. A., Giulietti, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Solubility+of+D-Glucose+in+Water+and+Ethanol/Water+Mixtures.">Solubility of D-Glucose in Water and Ethanol/Water Mixtures.</a> J. Chem. Eng. Data. 52, 2166-2170 (2007).</li><li>Thommes, M., Smarsly, B., Groenewolt, M., Ravikovitch, P. I., Neimark, A. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Adsorption+hysteresis+of+nitrogen+and+argon+in+pore+networks+and+characterization+of+novel+micro-+and+mesoporous+silicas.">Adsorption hysteresis of nitrogen and argon in pore networks and characterization of novel micro- and mesoporous silicas.</a> Langmuir. 22, 756-764 (2006).</li><li>Chervin, C. N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+non-alkoxide+sol-gel+method+for+the+preparation+of+homogeneous+nanocrystalline+powders+of+La0.85Sr0.15MnO3.">A non-alkoxide sol-gel method for the preparation of homogeneous nanocrystalline powders of La0.85Sr0.15MnO3.</a> Chem. Mater. 18, 1928-1937 (2006).</li><li>Clapsaddle, B. J., Sprehn, D. W., Gash, A. E., Satcher, J. H., Simpson, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+versatile+sol-gel+synthesis+route+to+metal-silicon+mixed+oxide+nanocomposites+that+contain+metal+oxides+as+a+major+phase.">A versatile sol-gel synthesis route to metal-silicon mixed oxide nanocomposites that contain metal oxides as a major phase.</a> J. Non-Crystalline Solids. 350, 173-181 (2004).</li><li>Gash, A. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+epoxides+in+the+sol-gel+synthesis+of+porous+iron+(III)+oxide+monoliths+from+Fe(III)+salts.">Use of epoxides in the sol-gel synthesis of porous iron (III) oxide monoliths from Fe(III) salts.</a> Chem. Mater. 13, 999-1007 (2001).</li></ol>

With this in situ carbon templating approach, one can create and preserve nanomorphology in mixed-metal-oxides at traditional ceramic scaffold sintering temperatures. The resulting surface areas are up to 80 times higher than traditionally sintered scaffolds and up to 4 times higher than scaffolds fabricated by complex deposition techniques.14 The propylene oxide-glucose gel system is highly flexible for tuning the concentration of the carbon template, allowing one to systematically contr...

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) holds great promise as an alternative energy conversion technology for the efficient generation of clean electrical power.1 Considerable progress has been made in the research and development of this technology; however, improvements in electrode performance are still needed to achieve reliable commercialization. The electrode often comprises a porous ceramic scaffold with electrocatalytic particles decorated on the scaffold surface. A large body of research has focused on increasing the surface area of the electrocatalytic particles to increase performance,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 but there is very little research on increasing the scaffold surface area. Increasing the scaffold surface area is challenging because they are sintered at high temperatures, 1,100 &#176;C to 1,500 &#176;C.
Scaffolds processed by traditional sintering typically have a specific surface area of 0.1-1 m2&#183;g-1.8,9,10,11 There are a few reports on increasing the scaffold surface area. In one case, the surface area of a traditionally sintered scaffold was enhanced by dissolution and precipitation of the scaffold surface using hydrofluoric acid, achieving a specific surface area of 2 m2&#183;g-1.12 In another, high temperatures were avoided altogether by using pulsed laser deposition, achieving a specific surface area of 20 m2&#183;g-1.13 The rationale behind the development of our technique was to create a low cost fabrication process that provides unprecedented scaffold surface areas and uses traditional sintering temperatures so that the process can be adopted easily. With the technique reported here, scaffold surface areas up to 80 m2&#183;g-1 have been demonstrated while being processed at traditional sintering temperatures.14
Our research is primarily motivated by SOFC electrode engineering, but the technique is more broadly applicable to other fields and applications. Generally, the in situ carbon templating method is a flexible approach that can produce nanostructured, high surface area mixed-metal ceramic materials in the powder or porous scaffold form. It is flexible in that the mixed-metal ceramic composition, surface area, porosity, and pore size can all be tuned systematically. High temperatures are often needed to form the desired phase in mixed-metal ceramics, and this approach preserves ceramic nanomorphology while allowing one to choose essentially any processing temperature.
This method involves the synthesis of a hybrid inorganic-organic propylene-oxide-based gel, with a well define stoichiometry of metal ions and ratio of inorganic to organic content. The gel is dried under ambient conditions to form a xerogel. The xerogel is sintered in an argon atmosphere at the desired temperature. Upon heating, the organic component decomposes leaving behind a carbon template in situ, which remains for the duration of sintering. The carbon template is subsequently removed by low temperature oxidation in air, resulting in a nanostructured, high surface area ceramic.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Zirconium (IV) chloride, 99.5+%</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>12104</td>
			<td>Air sensitive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Yttium (III) nitrate hexadydrate, 99.9%</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>12898</td>
			<td>Oxidizer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D+ Glucose Anhydrous, &#8805; 99.5%</td>
			<td>US Biological Life Sciences</td>
			<td>G3050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>(&#177;)-Propylene Oxide, &#8805; 99%</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>110205</td>
			<td>Extremely flammable</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol 200 Proof</td>
			<td>Decon Laboratories, Inc.</td>
			<td>2716GEA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Argon, (99.997%)</td>
			<td>Airgas</td>
			<td>AR 300</td>
			<td>Industrial grade</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

high temperature fabrication of nanostructured yttria-stabilized-zirconia (ysz) scaffolds by in situ carbon templating xerogels

We demonstrate a method for the high temperature fabrication of porous, nanostructured yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ, 8 mol% yttria - 92 mol% zirconia) scaffolds with tunable specific surface areas up to 80 m2&#183;g-1. An aqueous solution of a zirconium salt, yttrium salt, and glucose is mixed with propylene oxide (PO) to form a gel. The gel is dried under ambient conditions to form a xerogel. The xerogel is pressed into pellets and then sintered in an argon atmosphere. During sintering, a YSZ ceramic phase forms and the organic components decompose, leaving behind amorphous carbon. The carbon formed in situ serves as a hard template, preserving a high surface area YSZ nanomorphology at sintering temperature. The carbon is subsequently removed by oxidation in air at low temperature, resulting in a porous, nanostructured YSZ scaffold. The concentration of the carbon template and the final scaffold surface area can be systematically tuned by varying the glucose concentration in the gel synthesis. The carbon template concentration was quantified using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the surface area and pore size distribution was determined by physical adsorption measurements, and the morphology was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phase purity and crystallite size was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). This fabrication approach provides a novel, flexible platform for realizing unprecedented scaffold surface areas and nanomorphologies for ceramic-based electrochemical energy conversion applications, e.g. solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes.

Phase purity was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as previously reported by Cottam et al.14 YSZ scaffold specific surface area as a function of carbon template concentration is shown in Figure 1. The concentration is shown as the volume percent of total solids in the sintered xerogel pellet. The carbon template concentration systematically increases with increasing glucose concentration in the gel formulation. As shown in Figur...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about High Temperature Fabrication of Nanostructured Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia YSZ Scaffolds by In Situ Carbon Templating Xerogels at JoVE.com

High Temperature Fabrication of Nanostructured Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia YSZ Scaffolds by In Situ Carbon Templating Xerogels

A protocol for fabricating porous, nanostructured yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) scaffolds at temperatures between 1,000 &#176;C and 1,400 &#176;C is presented.

High Temperature Fabrication of Nanostructured Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia (YSZ) Scaffolds by In Situ Carbon Templating Xerogels

We demonstrate a method for the high temperature fabrication of porous, nanostructured yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ, 8 mol% yttria - 92 mol% zirconia) ...

The overall goal of this materials processing method is to create and preserve nanostructured ceramics at typical centering temperatures by carbon templating hybrid materials in situ. This method can help answer key questions in the materials engineering, and processing fields, such as how to control ceramic nanostructures at conditions far from equilibrium. The main advantage of this technique is that it generates ceramic materials with 80 times more surface area than traditional techniques.Though this method can provide insight into Yttria stabilized Zirconia nanostructures, it can also be applied to essentially any mixed metal oxide material. First, add a 25 millimeter magnetic stir bar and 113 milliliters of deionized water to a 500 milliliter beaker. Stir the deionized water at the highest rate that does not form a vortex.Slowly add 13.05 grams of anhydrous Zirconium Chloride to the deionized water in small increments. After all of the Zirconium Chloride has dissolved, add 53.29 grams of glucose to the solution. After all of the glucose has dissolved, add 3.73 grams of Yttrium nitrate hexahydrate to the solution.Increase the rate of stirring to approximately 700 RPM and wait for all of the solid to dissolve in solution. Following this, add 42 milliliters of propylene oxide to the solution. Once the solution is sufficiently mixed, decrease the stirring to approximately 150 RPM.Continue stirring until the magnetic stir bar has stopped moving due to gel formation. Then tightly cover the beaker containing the gel with parafilm. After allowing the gel to age for 24 hours, remove the parafilm from the beaker and decant the liquid on top of the gel.Next, add 300 milliliters of absolute ethanol to the beaker containing the gel. Tightly cover the beaker with parafilm and leave the covered beaker at room temperature for 24 hours. After repeating the previous step twice, remove the gel from the beaker and place it in a two liter porcelain evaporating dish using a laboratory spatula.Break the gel into pieces with the spatula and spread the pieces over the surface of the evaporating dish. After allowing the gel pieces to dry under ambient conditions, grind the resulting xerogel into a fine powder with an agate mortar and pestle. Now, place one gram of xerogel powder into a 13 millimeter cylindrical pellet press die.Using a hydraulic press, apply 22 kilo Newtons of force for 90 seconds to press the xerogel gel into a pellet. Slowly release the force applied by the press. Then, carefully remove the pellet out of the pellet die.Place the xerogel pellet onto a YSZ plate and load the plate into the center of a tube furnace. Blow Argon at a rate of one third the volume of the working tube per minute for at least 15 minutes, venting the gas outlet to a fume hood. While continuously flowing Argon at a constant rate, program the tube furnace temperature controller to the appropriate heating schedule.Start the program and double check that the tube furnace is heating up following the schedule. After the heating program has completed, remove the pellet from the tube furnace. Using a utility knife, cut a 50 milligram piece out of the centered xerogel pellet.Then grind the xerogel into a fine powder with an agate mortar and pestle. Place approximately 50 milligrams of the fine powder into an Alumina sample cup for thermal gravimetric analysis. Using a thermo gravimetric analyzer, heat the sample at a rate of 10 degrees Celsius per minute from ambient temperature to 1200 degrees Celsius while flowing air over the sample at a rate of 100 milliliters per minute.Calculate the percent change in weight that occurs between 350 and 700 degrees Celsius which corresponds to the total carbon content in the sample. At this point, place the centered xerogel pellet in an Alumina crucible. Place the crucible into a box furnace at 700 degrees Celsius for two hours.Carefully remove the hot crucible from the box furnace with stainless steel crucible tongs. After cooling to room temperature for one hour, remove the porous white YSZ scaffold from the crucible. YSZ scaffold specific surface area as a function of carbon template concentration is shown here.The carbon template concentration and specific surface area systematically increase with increasing glucose concentration and increasing glucose metals molar ratio respectively. The carbon template concentration as quantified by thermo gravimetric analysis was four weight percent and 64 weight percent of total solids for the glucose metals molar ratios of zero to one and 4.5 to one respectively. SEM images show that the particles of YSZ xerogel with glucose additive are several times smaller than those without glucose additive.The formation of smaller particles by adding glucose to the gel in consistent with their high carbon content and surface area. XRD patterns of the strongest YSZ peak for YSZ scaffold as a function of glucose metals molar ratio is shown here. The crystallite size decreased as the molar ratio increased and the crystallite size progression is consistent with the observed increase in surface area with increasing molar ratio.The YSZ scaffold pore size distribution as a function of glucose metals molar ratio shows both the number and size of pores increase with an increase in molar ratio. While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to maintain a leak tight flow of inert gas through the tube furnace. Following this procedure, other ceramic structures can be created such as here our structures prepared by infiltration of hybrids into traditional progress scaffolds.After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to create, preserve, and control ceramic nano morphology at high temperatures.

high-temperature-fabrication-nanostructured-yttria-stabilized

Research

JoVE Journal

Engineering

Fabrication, Densification, and Replica Molding of 3D Carbon Nanotube Microstructures

The introduction of new materials and processes to microfabrication has, in large part, enabled many important advances in microsystems, lab-on-a-chip devices, and their applications. In particular, capabilities for cost-effective fabrication of polymer microstructures were transformed by the advent of soft lithography and other micromolding techniques 1, 2, and this led a revolution in applications of microfabrication to biomedical engineering and biology. Nevertheless, it remains challenging to fabricate microstructures with well-defined nanoscale surface textures, and to fabricate arbitrary 3D shapes at the micro-scale. Robustness of master molds and maintenance of shape integrity is especially important to achieve high fidelity replication of complex structures and preserving their nanoscale surface texture. The combination of hierarchical textures, and heterogeneous shapes, is a profound challenge to existing microfabrication methods that largely rely upon top-down etching using fixed mask templates. On the other hand, the bottom-up synthesis of nanostructures such as nanotubes and nanowires can offer new capabilities to microfabrication, in particular by taking advantage of the collective self-organization of nanostructures, and local control of their growth behavior with respect to microfabricated patterns. 
Our goal is to introduce vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which we refer to as CNT "forests", as a new microfabrication material. We present details of a suite of related methods recently developed by our group: fabrication of CNT forest microstructures by thermal CVD from lithographically patterned catalyst thin films; self-directed elastocapillary densification of CNT microstructures; and replica molding of polymer microstructures using CNT composite master molds. In particular, our work shows that self-directed capillary densification ("capillary forming"), which is performed by condensation of a solvent onto the substrate with CNT microstructures, significantly increases the packing density of CNTs. This process enables directed transformation of vertical CNT microstructures into straight, inclined, and twisted shapes, which have robust mechanical properties exceeding those of typical microfabrication polymers. This in turn enables formation of nanocomposite CNT master molds by capillary-driven infiltration of polymers. The replica structures exhibit the anisotropic nanoscale texture of the aligned CNTs, and can have walls with sub-micron thickness and aspect ratios exceeding 50:1. Integration of CNT microstructures in fabrication offers further opportunity to exploit the electrical and thermal properties of CNTs, and diverse capabilities for chemical and biochemical functionalization 3.

We present methods for fabrication of patterned microstructures of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and their use as master molds for production of polymer microstructures with organized nanoscale surface texture. The CNT forests are densified by condensation of solvent onto the substrate, which significantly increases their packing density and enables self-directed formation of 3D shapes.

The introduction of new materials and processes to microfabrication has, in large part, enabled many important advances in microsystems, lab-on-a-chip ...

Fabrication of Silica Ultra High Quality Factor Microresonators

Whispering gallery resonant cavities confine light in circular orbits at their periphery.1-2 The photon storage lifetime in the cavity, quantified by the quality factor (Q) of the cavity, can be in excess of 500ns for cavities with Q factors above 100 million. As a result of their low material losses, silica microcavities have demonstrated some of the longest photon lifetimes to date1-2. Since a portion of the circulating light extends outside the resonator, these devices can also be used to probe the surroundings. This interaction has enabled numerous experiments in biology, such as single molecule biodetection and antibody-antigen kinetics, as well as discoveries in other fields, such as development of ultra-low-threshold microlasers, characterization of thin films, and cavity quantum electrodynamics studies.3-7
The two primary silica resonant cavity geometries are the microsphere and the microtoroid. Both devices rely on a carbon dioxide laser reflow step to achieve their ultra-high-Q factors (Q&gt;100 million).1-2,8-9 However, there are several notable differences between the two structures. Silica microspheres are free-standing, supported by a single optical fiber, whereas silica microtoroids can be fabricated on a silicon wafer in large arrays using a combination of lithography and etching steps. These differences influence which device is optimal for a given experiment.
Here, we present detailed fabrication protocols for both types of resonant cavities. While the fabrication of microsphere resonant cavities is fairly straightforward, the fabrication of microtoroid resonant cavities requires additional specialized equipment and facilities (cleanroom). Therefore, this additional requirement may also influence which device is selected for a given experiment.
Introduction
An optical resonator efficiently confines light at specific wavelengths, known as the resonant wavelengths of the device. 1-2 The common figure of merit for these optical resonators is the quality factor or Q. This term describes the photon lifetime (&tau;o) within the resonator, which is directly related to the resonator's optical losses. Therefore, an optical resonator with a high Q factor has low optical losses, long photon lifetimes, and very low photon decay rates (1/&tau;o). As a result of the long photon lifetimes, it is possible to build-up extremely large circulating optical field intensities in these devices. This very unique property has allowed these devices to be used as laser sources and integrated biosensors.10
A unique sub-class of resonators is the whispering gallery mode optical microcavity. In these devices, the light is confined in circular orbits at the periphery. Therefore, the field is not completely confined within the device, but evanesces into the environment. Whispering gallery mode optical cavities have demonstrated some of the highest quality factors of any optical resonant cavity to date.9,11 Therefore, these devices are used throughout science and engineering, including in fundamental physics studies and in telecommunications as well as in biodetection experiments. 3-7,12
Optical microcavities can be fabricated from a wide range of materials and in a wide variety of geometries. A few examples include silica and silicon microtoroids, silicon, silicon nitride, and silica microdisks, micropillars, and silica and polymer microrings.13-17 The range in quality factor (Q) varies as dramatically as the geometry. Although both geometry and high Q are important considerations in any field, in many applications, there is far greater leverage in boosting device performance through Q enhancement. Among the numerous options detailed previously, the silica microsphere and the silica microtoroid resonator have achieved some of the highest Q factors to date.1,9 Additionally, as a result of the extremely low optical loss of silica from the visible through the near-IR, both microspheres and microtoroids are able to maintain their Q factors over a wide range of testing wavelengths.18 Finally, because silica is inherently biocompatible, it is routinely used in biodetection experiments.
In addition to high material absorption, there are several other potential loss mechanisms, including surface roughness, radiation loss, and contamination loss.2 Through an optimization of the device size, it is possible to eliminate radiation losses, which arise from poor optical field confinement within the device. Similarly, by storing a device in an appropriately clean environment, contamination of the surface can be minimized. Therefore, in addition to material loss, surface scattering is the primary loss mechanism of concern.2,8
In silica devices, surface scattering is minimized by using a laser reflow technique, which melts the silica through surface tension induced reflow. While spherical optical resonators have been studied for many years, it is only with recent advances in fabrication technologies that researchers been able to fabricate high quality silica optical toroidal microresonators (Q&gt;100 million) on a silicon substrate, thus paving the way for integration with microfluidics.1
The present series of protocols details how to fabricate both silica microsphere and microtoroid resonant cavities. While silica microsphere resonant cavities are well-established, microtoroid resonant cavities were only recently invented.1 As many of the fundamental methods used to fabricate the microsphere are also used in the more complex microtoroid fabrication procedure, by including both in a single protocol it will enable researchers to more easily trouble-shoot their experiments.

We describe the use of a carbon dioxide laser reflow technique to fabricate silica resonant cavities, including free-standing microspheres and on-chip microtoroids. The reflow method removes surface imperfections, allowing long photon lifetimes within both devices. The resulting devices have ultra high quality factors, enabling applications ranging from telecommunications to biodetection.

Whispering gallery resonant cavities confine light in circular orbits at their periphery.1-2 The photon storage lifetime in the cavity, quantified by the ...

Fabrication of Low Temperature Carbon Nanotube Vertical Interconnects Compatible with Semiconductor Technology

We demonstrate a method for the low temperature growth (350 &#176;C) of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) bundles on electrically conductive thin-films. Due to the low growth temperature, the process allows integration with modern low-&#954; dielectrics and some flexible substrates. The process is compatible with standard semiconductor fabrication, and a method for the fabrication of electrical 4-point probe test structures for vertical interconnect test structures is presented. Using scanning electron microscopy the morphology of the CNT bundles is investigated, which demonstrates vertical alignment of the CNT and can be used to tune the CNT growth time. With Raman spectroscopy the crystallinity of the CNT is investigated. It was found that the CNT have many defects, due to the low growth temperature. The electrical current-voltage measurements of the test vertical interconnects displays a linear response, indicating good ohmic contact was achieved between the CNT bundle and the top and bottom metal electrodes. The obtained resistivities of the CNT bundle are among the average values in the literature, while a record-low CNT growth temperature was used.

A method for the growth of low temperature vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes, and the subsequent fabrication of vertical interconnect electrical test structures using semiconductor fabrication is presented.

We demonstrate a method for the low temperature growth (350 &#176;C) of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) bundles on electrically conductive ...

Printing Fabrication of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells and In Situ Morphology Characterization

Polymer-based materials hold promise as low-cost, flexible efficient photovoltaic devices. Most laboratory efforts to achieve high performance devices have used devices prepared by spin coating, a process that is not amenable to large-scale fabrication. This mismatch in device fabrication makes it difficult to translate quantitative results obtained in the laboratory to the commercial level, making optimization difficult. Using a mini-slot die coater, this mismatch can be resolved by translating the commercial process to the laboratory and characterizing the structure formation in the active layer of the device in real time and in situ as films are coated onto a substrate. The evolution of the morphology was characterized under different conditions, allowing us to propose a mechanism by which the structures form and grow. This mini-slot die coater offers a simple, convenient, material efficient route by which the morphology in the active layer can be optimized under industrially relevant conditions. The goal of this protocol is to show experimental details of how a solar cell device is fabricated using a mini-slot die coater and technical details of running in situ structure characterization using the mini-slot die coater.

Printing Fabrication of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells and In Situ Morphology Characterization

Here, we present a protocol to fabricate organic thin film solar cells using a mini-slot die coater and related in-line structure characterizations using synchrotron scattering techniques.

Polymer-based materials hold promise as low-cost, flexible efficient photovoltaic devices. Most laboratory efforts to achieve high performance devices ...

Fabrication of 3D Carbon Microelectromechanical Systems (C-MEMS)

A wide range of carbon sources are available in nature, with a variety of micro-/nanostructure configurations. Here, a novel technique to fabricate long and hollow glassy carbon microfibers derived from human hairs is introduced. The long and hollow carbon structures were made by the pyrolysis of human hair at 900 &#176;C in a N2 atmosphere. The morphology and chemical composition of natural and pyrolyzed human hairs were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively, to estimate the physical and chemical changes due to pyrolysis. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the glassy nature of the carbon microstructures. Pyrolyzed hair carbon was introduced to modify screen-printed carbon electrodes ; the modified electrodes were then applied to the electrochemical sensing of dopamine and ascorbic acid. Sensing performance of the modified sensors was improved as compared to the unmodified sensors. To obtain the desired carbon structure design, carbon micro-/nanoelectromechanical system (C-MEMS/C-NEMS) technology was developed. The most common C-MEMS/C-NEMS fabrication process consists of two steps: (i) the patterning of a carbon-rich base material, such as a photosensitive polymer, using photolithography; and (ii) carbonization through the pyrolysis of the patterned polymer in an oxygen-free environment. The C-MEMS/NEMS process has been widely used to develop microelectronic devices for various applications, including in micro-batteries, supercapacitors, glucose sensors, gas sensors, fuel cells, and triboelectric nanogenerators. Here, recent developments of a high-aspect ratio solid and hollow carbon microstructures with SU8 photoresists are discussed. The structural shrinkage during pyrolysis was investigated using confocal microscopy and SEM. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the crystallinity of the structure, and the atomic percentage of the elements present in the material before and after pyrolysis was measured using EDX.

Fabrication of 3D Carbon Microelectromechanical Systems C-MEMS

Long and hollow glassy carbon microfibers were fabricated based on the pyrolysis of a natural product, human hair. The two fabrication steps of carbon microelectromechanical and carbon nanoelectromechanical systems, or C-MEMS and C-NEMS, are: (i) photolithography of a carbon-rich polymer precursor and (ii) pyrolysis of the patterned polymer precursor.

A wide range of carbon sources are available in nature, with a variety of micro-/nanostructure configurations. Here, a novel technique to fabricate long ...

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication of LiPON-based Solid-state Lithium-ion Nanobatteries for In Situ Testing

Solid-state electrolytes are a promising replacement for current organic liquid electrolytes, enabling higher energy densities and improved safety of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. However, a number of setbacks prevent their integration into commercial devices. The main limiting factor is due to nanoscale phenomena occurring at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces, ultimately leading to degradation of battery operation. These key problems are highly challenging to observe and characterize as these batteries contain multiple buried interfaces. One approach for direct observation of interfacial phenomena in thin film batteries is through the fabrication of electrochemically active nanobatteries by a focused ion beam (FIB). As such, a reliable technique to fabricate nanobatteries was developed and demonstrated in recent work. Herein, a detailed protocol with a step-by-step process is presented to enable the reproduction of this nanobattery fabrication process. In particular, this technique was applied to a thin film battery consisting of LiCoO2/LiPON/a-Si, and has further been previously demonstrated by in situ cycling within a transmission electron microscope.

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication of LiPON-based Solid-state Lithium-ion Nanobatteries for In Situ Testing

A protocol for the fabrication of electrochemically active LiPON-based solid-state lithium-ion nanobatteries using a focused ion beam is presented.

Solid-state electrolytes are a promising replacement for current organic liquid electrolytes, enabling higher energy densities and improved safety of ...

Measurements of Soil Carbon by Neutron-Gamma Analysis in Static and Scanning Modes

The herein described application of the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) method for soil carbon analysis is based on the registration and analysis of gamma rays created when neutrons interact with soil elements. The main parts of the INS system are a pulsed neutron generator, NaI(Tl) gamma detectors, split electronics to separate gamma spectra due to INS and thermo-neutron capture (TNC) processes, and software for gamma spectra acquisition and data processing. This method has several advantages over other methods in that it is a non-destructive in situ method that measures the average carbon content in large soil volumes, is negligibly impacted by local sharp changes in soil carbon, and can be used in stationary or scanning modes. The result of the INS method is the carbon content from a site with a footprint of ~2.5 - 3 m2 in the stationary regime, or the average carbon content of the traversed area in the scanning regime. The measurement range of the current INS system is &#62;1.5 carbon weight % (standard deviation &#177; 0.3 w%) in the upper 10 cm soil layer for a 1 hmeasurement.

Here, we present the protocol for in situ measurement of soil carbon using the neutron-gamma technique for single point measurements (static mode) or field averages (scanning mode). We also describe system construction and elaborate data treatment procedures.

The herein described application of the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) method for soil carbon analysis is based on the registration and analysis of ...

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

We demonstrate the use of two nuclear-based analytical methods that can follow the modifications of microstructural arrangement of iron-based metallic glasses (MGs). Despite their amorphous nature, the identification of hyperfine interactions unveils faint structural modifications. For this purpose, we have employed two techniques that utilize nuclear resonance among nuclear levels of a stable 57Fe isotope, namely M&#246;ssbauer spectrometry and nuclear forward scattering (NFS) of synchrotron radiation. The effects of heat treatment upon (Fe2.85Co1)77Mo8Cu1B14 MG are discussed using the results of ex situ and in situ experiments, respectively. As both methods are sensitive to hyperfine interactions, information on structural arrangement as well as on magnetic microstructure is readily available. M&#246;ssbauer spectrometry performed ex situ describes how the structural arrangement and magnetic microstructure appears at room temperature after the annealing under certain conditions (temperature, time), and thus this technique inspects steady states. On the other hand, NFS data are recorded in situ during dynamically changing temperature and NFS examines transient states. The use of both techniques provides complementary information. In general, they can be applied to any suitable system in which it is important to know its steady state but also transient states.

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Here, we present a protocol to describe ex situ and in situ investigations of structural transformations in metallic glasses. We employed nuclear-based analytical methods which inspect hyperfine interactions. We demonstrate the applicability of M&#246;ssbauer spectrometry and nuclear forward scattering of synchrotron radiation during temperature-driven experiments.

We demonstrate the use of two nuclear-based analytical methods that can follow the modifications of microstructural arrangement of iron-based metallic ...

Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO3 (STO) Single-crystal Substrates

Here, we demonstrate a method of coating ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) nanoparticles on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. LSMO nanoparticles were deposited with diameters from 10 to 20 nm and heights between 20 and 50 nm. At the same time, (Gd) Ba2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948; ((Gd) BCO) films were fabricated on both undecorated and LSMO nanoparticle decorated STO substrates using RF magnetron sputtering. This report also describes the properties of GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 quasi-bilayer films structures (e.g., crystalline phase, morphology, chemical composition); magnetization, magneto-transport, and superconducting transport properties were also evaluated.

Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7ÃƒÂ¢Ã‹â€ 'ÃƒÅ½ ´/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO3 STO Single-crystal Substrates

Here, we present a protocol to grow LSMO nanoparticles and (Gd) BCO films on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering.

Here, we demonstrate a method of coating ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) nanoparticles on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates by radio ...

Hybrid Printing for the Fabrication of Smart Sensors

A method to combine additively manufactured substrates or foils and multilayer inkjet printing for the fabrication of sensor devices is presented. First, three substrates (acrylate, ceramics, and copper) are prepared. To determine the resulting material properties of these substrates, profilometer, contact angle, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and focused ion beam (FIB) measurements are done. The achievable printing resolution and suitable drop volume for each substrate are, then, found through the drop size tests. Then, layers of insulating and conductive ink are inkjet printed alternately to fabricate the target sensor structures. After each printing step, the respective layers are individually treated by photonic curing. The parameters used for the curing of each layer are adapted depending on the printed ink, as well as on the surface properties of the respective substrate. To confirm the resulting conductivity and to determine the quality of the printed surface, four-point probe and profilometer measurements are done. Finally, a measurement set-up and results achieved by such an all-printed sensor system are shown to demonstrate the achievable quality.

Here we present a protocol for the fabrication of inkjet-printed multilayer sensor structures on additively manufactured substrates and foil.

A method to combine additively manufactured substrates or foils and multilayer inkjet printing for the fabrication of sensor devices is presented. First, ...