This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51502168; No.11504227) and the Shanghai Municipal Natural Science Foundation (No.16ZR1413600).The authors gratefully thank the Instrumental Analysis Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Ma-tek analytical lab for competent technical assistance.

1. Substrate and Target Preparation
NOTE: This section describes the preparation of the sputter deposition chamber and the single crystal SrTiO3 (STO) substrates.
<ol>
	<li>Use 10 mm x 10 mm SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates during the RF magnetron sputtering process.</li>
	<li>Sequentially clean the substrates in isopropanol and deionized water for 10 min each at room temperature in ultrasonic bath. Then dry the substrates with nitrogen, which is for uniform covering of the substrate and good film adherence.</li>
	<li>Mount the (001) STO substrates in the substrate holders with silver powder conductive glue. Load these into the vacuum chamber.</li>
	<li>Mount the LSMO target in the magnetron injection gun, and then reassemble the gun. Test the resistance with an ohmmeter, to avoid a short circuit between the magnetron and the surrounding shield. Close the vacuum chamber is closed and pump down.</li>
	<li>Once the vacuum is lower than 1 x 10-4 Pa, heat the substrates to 850 &#176;C using a heating rate of 15 &#176;C/min. set the target-substrate distance to 8 cm.</li>
	<li>Set the mass flow controller to 10 sccm of O and 5 sccm of Ar as working gas flow. Use Ar/ O mixed gas to keep O cationic ratio (3) for La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 material during growth.</li>
	<li>Before the deposition, pre-sputter the LSMO target for 20 min at 30 W. High power will lead to cracks in the target and using low power will lead to more time for a clean surface, so we choose 20 min for 30 W.</li>
</ol>
2. LSMO Nanoparticle Deposition
NOTE: This section describes the deposition of the LSMO nanoparticles by RF-magnetron sputtering.
<ol>
	<li>To obtain a chamber pressure of 25 Pa, adjust the molecular pump splint valve. If the instant value is becoming larger than 25 Pa, rotate it counter-clockwise; if it is becoming smaller than 25Pa, rotate it clockwise. Continue until the pressure has settled to a stable value.</li>
	<li>Check that the substrate temperature remains at 850 &#176;C and is stable.</li>
	<li>Increase the power of magnetron from 30 to 80 W. Wait for 10 min, until the plasma is stabilized.</li>
	<li>Open the shutter and deposit LSMO on the heated substrate. 
	NOTE: We used sputtering times of 5, 10, 30, and 60 s for four samples.</li>
	<li>Close the shutter. Shut off power to the magnetron. Close the gas valve and shut off heater power.</li>
	<li>Cool the samples to room temperature. Unusually, this takes at least two hours in this system. Vent the chamber with dry nitrogen, open it, and remove the samples.</li>
</ol>
3. GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948; Film Deposition
<ol>
	<li>Mount the GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;target in the magnetron gun, then reassemble the gun. Deposit any (Gd) BCO films, using steps similar to steps 1.4-2.8. Use similar deposition conditions for (Gd) BCO films as for the LSMO nanoparticles, except for the sputtering time which should be 30 min. After this, the growth will be over, and next step is the post-annealing.</li>
	<li>Decrease the sample temperature to 500&#176;C. Then, open the gas valve for oxygen to give a chamber pressure of 75,000 Pa. Hold the samples at this temperature for one hour. 
	NOTE: The temperature for 500 &#176;C and a chamber pressure of 75,000 Pa are for uniformly achieving LSMO nanoparticles.</li>
	<li>Cool the samples to room temperature. Vent the chamber with dry nitrogen, open it, and remove the samples.</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Here we have demonstrated that this method can be used to prepare LSMO ferromagnetic nanoparticles of uniform distribution on SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates. The (Gd) BCO films also can be deposited on both bare and LSMO decorated STO substrate. With an appropriate adjustment of deposited parameters, such as growth temperatures and target-substrate distance, this method ought to be useful for deposited different kinds of magnetic and non-magnetic particles or layers, for example, CeO2, YSZ (...

The hole-doped manganite La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) have unique properties such as wide-band gaps, half-metallic ferromagnetism, and entangled electronic states, which provide extraordinary opportunities for potential spintronic applications1,2,3,4. Currently, many researchers are endeavoring to take advantage of the unique properties of LSMO to inhabit the vortex movement for high temperature superconducting (HTS) films, such as (RE) Ba2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948; films (REBCO, RE= rare-earth element)5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Nanoscale decoration of the substrate surfaces with ferromagnetic nanoparticles will provide well-defined sites for inducing magnetic pinning centers of expected density13,14. However, the ability to control the density and geometry of the nanoparticles on highly textured surfaces, such as on single-crystal substrates and highly textured metal substrates is very difficult. Most commonly, nanoparticles are synthesized and coated on surfaces using metal organic decomposition methods15, and pulsed laser deposition methods16,17. Although pulse laser deposition methods can provide nanoparticles coated on various substrates, it is difficult to realize large area homogeneous nanoparticles deposition. As for metal organic decomposition methods, they are proper for large area deposition of nanoparticles. However, the nanoparticles are often non-uniform and easily damaged by small physical stresses.
Among these techniques, RF-magnetron sputtering has many advantages. Sputtering has a high deposition rate, low cost, and a lack of toxic gas emission. Also, it is easy to expand to large scale area substrates18,19. This method provides single-step formation of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) nanoparticles, and the nanoparticles are easy to be deposited on single-crystal substrates. RF magnetron sputtering can create large area nanoparticles uniformly on a diverse range of substrates, irrespective of surface texture, and surface roughness20.The particle control can be achieved by adjust sputtering time. Homogeneity can be achieved by adjust target-substrate distance. The disadvantage of RF-magnetron sputtering is its lower growth rate for some oxides21. In this approach, target atoms (or molecules) are sputtered out of the target by argon ion, and then nanoparticles are deposited on substrates in the vapor phase22. Nanoparticles formation occurs on the substrate in a single step23. This method is theoretically applicable to any materials including superconducting thin film, resistance film, semiconductor film, ferromagnetic thin film etc. However, to date, reports about protocols for depositing ferromagnetic nanoparticles are very scarce.
Here, we demonstrate the deposition of GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 quasi-bilayer films on SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. Two kinds of target materials, GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948; and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 target are used in the process. SrTiO3 (STO) single-crystal substrates were coated with GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;films and GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 quasi-bilayer films.
In this protocol, GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer films are deposited with RF magnetron sputtering on STO (001) substrates. The target diameter is 60 mm and the distance between the target and substrates is about 10 cm. The heaters are bulbs positioned 1 cm above the substrates. The maximum temperature is 850&#176;C in this system. There are 5 different substrates in this system. RF magnetron sputtering GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948;/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 quasi-bilayer films consists of two steps, which are the preparation of substrates and the RF magnetron sputtering process. A picture of the sputtering system is shown in Figure&#160;S1.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Sputter Deposition System</td>
			<td>Shenyang scientific instruments Limited by Share Ltd</td>
			<td>Bespoke</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SrTiO3 Single Crystal Substrate</td>
			<td>Hefei Ke crystal material technology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>Single-sided epi-polished</td>
			<td>(001) orientation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 sputtering target</td>
			<td>Hefei Ke crystal material technology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>Bespoke</td>
			<td>60 mm diameter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GdBa2Cu3O7&#8722;&#948; sputtering target</td>
			<td>Hefei Ke crystal material technology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>Bespoke</td>
			<td>60 mm diameter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Atomic Force Microscope</td>
			<td>Br&#252;ker</td>
			<td>Dimension Icon</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>X-ray Diffractometer</td>
			<td>Br&#252;ker</td>
			<td>D8 Discover</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Physical Property Measurement System</td>
			<td>Quantum Design</td>
			<td>PPMS 9</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

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.

The thickness of (Gd) BCO films on both bare and LSMO decorated STO substrate was 500nm, which was measured by a surface profilometer. The film thickness was controlled by sputtering time. Figure 1a,b shows the AFM image of LSMO nanoparticle (sputtering time of 10 s) on 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm single-crystal STO substrates to prove that the LSMO nanoparticles grown on STO substrates uniformly. The surface and to measure the roughness of the films was...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7âˆ'Î´/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO3 STO Single-crystal Substrates at JoVE.com

Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬Â 'ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ Â´/ 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.

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 ...

radio-frequency-magnetron-sputtering-gdba2cu3o7-la067sr033mno3-quasi

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Engineering

7.5K Views.  Shanghai University of Electric Power. Deze methode kan de LSMO nanodeeltjes uniform maken op een STO single-crystal substraat. Ook kan de GBCO-film via dezelfde methode in dezelfde vacuümkamer worden verkregen. Het belangrijkste voordeel van deze technologie is dat LSMO nanodeeltjes met uniforme grootte en hoogwaardige supergeleidende GBCO-folie in dezelfde vacuümkamer kunnen worden gedeponeerd.Deze methode kan inzicht geven in filmdepositiegebied, nanodeeltjesgroeigebied, et cetera. Het kan ook worden toegepast op metaa...

Video: Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa2Cu3O7ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬Â 'ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ Â´/ La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO3 STO Single-crystal Substrates

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Conducting polymers have attracted great attention since the discovery of high conductivity in doped polyacetylene in 19771. They offer the advantages of low weight, easy tailoring of properties and a wide spectrum of applications2,3. Due to sensitivity of conducting polymers to environmental conditions (e.g., air, oxygen, moisture, high temperature and chemical solutions), lithographic techniques present significant technical challenges when working with these materials4. For example, current photolithographic methods, such as ultra-violet (UV), are unsuitable for patterning the conducting polymers due to the involvement of wet and/or dry etching processes in these methods. In addition, current micro/nanosystems mainly have a planar form5,6. One layer of structures is built on the top surfaces of another layer of fabricated features. Multiple layers of these structures are stacked together to form numerous devices on a common substrate. The sidewall surfaces of the microstructures have not been used in constructing devices. On the other hand, sidewall patterns could be used, for example, to build 3-D circuits, modify fluidic channels and direct horizontal growth of nanowires and nanotubes.
A macropunching method has been applied in the manufacturing industry to create macropatterns in a sheet metal for over a hundred years. Motivated by this approach, we have developed a micropunching lithography method (MPL) to overcome the obstacles of patterning conducting polymers and generating sidewall patterns. Like the macropunching method, the MPL also includes two operations (Fig. 1): (i) cutting; and (ii) drawing. The "cutting" operation was applied to pattern three conducting polymers4, polypyrrole (PPy), Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophen)-poly(4-styrenesulphonate) (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI). It was also employed to create Al microstructures7. The fabricated microstructures of conducting polymers have been used as humidity8, chemical8, and glucose sensors9. Combined microstructures of Al and conducting polymers have been employed to fabricate capacitors and various heterojunctions9,10,11. The "cutting" operation was also applied to generate submicron-patterns, such as 100- and 500-nm-wide PPy lines as well as 100-nm-wide Au wires. The "drawing" operation was employed for two applications: (i) produce Au sidewall patterns on high density polyethylene (HDPE) channels which could be used for building 3D microsystems12,13,14, and (ii) fabricate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillars on HDPE substrates to increase the contact angle of the channel15.

A micropunching lithography approach is developed to generate micro- and submicron-patterns on top, sidewall and bottom surfaces of polymer substrates. It overcomes the obstacles of patterning conducting polymers and generating sidewall patterns. This method allows rapid fabrication of multiple features and is free of aggressive chemistry.

Conducting polymers have attracted great attention since the discovery of high conductivity in doped polyacetylene in 19771. They offer the advantages of ...

Characterization of Surface Modifications by White Light Interferometry: Applications in Ion Sputtering, Laser Ablation, and Tribology Experiments

In materials science and engineering it is often necessary to obtain quantitative measurements of surface topography with micrometer lateral resolution. From the measured surface, 3D topographic maps can be subsequently analyzed using a variety of software packages to extract the information that is needed.
In this article we describe how white light interferometry, and optical profilometry (OP) in general, combined with generic surface analysis software, can be used for materials science and engineering tasks. In this article, a number of applications of white light interferometry for investigation of surface modifications in mass spectrometry, and wear phenomena in tribology and lubrication are demonstrated. We characterize the products of the interaction of semiconductors and metals with energetic ions (sputtering), and laser irradiation (ablation), as well as ex situ measurements of wear of tribological test specimens.
Specifically, we will discuss:
<ol class="lroman">
	<li>Aspects of traditional ion sputtering-based mass spectrometry such as sputtering rates/yields measurements on Si and Cu and subsequent time-to-depth conversion.</li>
	<li>Results of quantitative characterization of the interaction of femtosecond laser irradiation with a semiconductor surface. These results are important for applications such as ablation mass spectrometry, where the quantities of evaporated material can be studied and controlled via pulse duration and energy per pulse. Thus, by determining the crater geometry one can define depth and lateral resolution versus experimental setup conditions.</li>
	<li>Measurements of surface roughness parameters in two dimensions, and quantitative measurements of the surface wear that occur as a result of friction and wear tests.</li>
</ol>
Some inherent drawbacks, possible artifacts, and uncertainty assessments of the white light interferometry approach will be discussed and explained.

White light microscope interferometry is an optical, noncontact and quick method for measuring the topography of surfaces. It is shown how the method can be applied toward mechanical wear analysis, where wear scars on tribological test samples are analyzed; and in materials science to determine ion beam sputtering or laser ablation volumes and depths.

In materials science and engineering it is often necessary to obtain quantitative measurements of surface topography with micrometer lateral resolution. ...

Ultrahigh Density Array of Vertically Aligned Small-molecular Organic Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates

In recent years &pi;-conjugated organic semiconductors have emerged as the active material in a number of diverse applications including large-area, low-cost displays, photovoltaics, printable and flexible electronics and organic spin valves. Organics allow (a) low-cost, low-temperature processing and (b) molecular-level design of electronic, optical and spin transport characteristics. Such features are not readily available for mainstream inorganic semiconductors, which have enabled organics to carve a niche in the silicon-dominated electronics market. The first generation of organic-based devices has focused on thin film geometries, grown by physical vapor deposition or solution processing. However, it has been realized that organic nanostructures can be used to enhance performance of above-mentioned applications and significant effort has been invested in exploring methods for organic nanostructure fabrication.	
A particularly interesting class of organic nanostructures is the one in which vertically oriented organic nanowires, nanorods or nanotubes are organized in a well-regimented, high-density array. Such structures are highly versatile and are ideal morphological architectures for various applications such as chemical sensors, split-dipole nanoantennas, photovoltaic devices with radially heterostructured "core-shell" nanowires, and memory devices with a cross-point geometry. Such architecture is generally realized by a template-directed approach. In the past this method has been used to grow metal and inorganic semiconductor nanowire arrays. More recently &pi;-conjugated polymer nanowires have been grown within nanoporous templates. However, these approaches have had limited success in growing nanowires of technologically important &pi;-conjugated small molecular weight organics, such as tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), rubrene and methanofullerenes, which are commonly used in diverse areas including organic displays, photovoltaics, thin film transistors and spintronics.	
Recently we have been able to address the above-mentioned issue by employing a novel "centrifugation-assisted" approach. This method therefore broadens the spectrum of organic materials that can be patterned in a vertically ordered nanowire array. Due to the technological importance of Alq3, rubrene and methanofullerenes, our method can be used to explore how the nanostructuring of these materials affects the performance of aforementioned organic devices. The purpose of this article is to describe the technical details of the above-mentioned protocol, demonstrate how this process can be extended to grow small-molecular organic nanowires on arbitrary substrates and finally, to discuss the critical steps, limitations, possible modifications, trouble-shooting and future applications.

We report a simple method for fabricating an ultrahigh density array of vertically ordered small-molecular organic nanowires. This method allows for synthesis of complex heterostructured hybrid nanowire geometries, which can be inexpensively grown on arbitrary substrates. These structures have potential applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, chemical sensing, photovoltaics and spintronics.

In  recent years &pi;-conjugated  organic semiconductors have emerged as the active material in a number of  diverse applications including large-area, ...

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Biomolecules Using EBL Fabricated Nanostructured Substrates

Fabrication and characterization of conjugate nano-biological systems interfacing metallic nanostructures on solid supports with immobilized biomolecules is reported. The entire sequence of relevant experimental steps is described, involving the fabrication of nanostructured substrates using electron beam lithography, immobilization of biomolecules on the substrates, and their characterization utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Three different designs of nano-biological systems are employed, including protein A, glucose binding protein, and a dopamine binding DNA aptamer. In the latter two cases, the binding of respective ligands, D-glucose and dopamine, is also included. The three kinds of biomolecules are immobilized on nanostructured substrates by different methods, and the results of SERS imaging are reported. The capabilities of SERS to detect vibrational modes from surface-immobilized proteins, as well as to capture the protein-ligand and aptamer-ligand binding are demonstrated. The results also illustrate the influence of the surface nanostructure geometry, biomolecules immobilization strategy, Raman activity of the molecules and presence or absence of the ligand binding on the SERS spectra acquired.

We describe the fabrication and characterization of nano-biological systems interfacing nanostructured substrates with immobilized proteins and aptamers. The relevant experimental steps involving lithographic fabrication of nanostructured substrates, bio-functionalization, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) characterization, are reported. SERS detection of surface-immobilized proteins, and probing of protein-ligand and aptamer-ligand binding is demonstrated.

Fabrication and characterization of conjugate nano-biological systems interfacing metallic nanostructures on solid supports with immobilized biomolecules ...

Formation of Thick Dense Yttrium Iron Garnet Films Using Aerosol Deposition

Aerosol deposition (AD) is a thick-film deposition process that can produce layers up to several hundred micrometers thick with densities greater than 95% of the bulk. The primary advantage of AD is that the deposition takes place entirely at ambient temperature; thereby enabling film growth in material systems with disparate melting temperatures. This report describes in detail the processing steps for preparing the powder and for performing AD using the custom-built system. Representative characterization results are presented from scanning electron microscopy, profilometry, and ferromagnetic resonance for films grown in this system. As a representative overview of the capabilities of the system, focus is given to a sample produced following the described protocol and system setup. Results indicate that this system can successfully deposit 11 &#181;m thick yttrium iron garnet films that are &#160;&#62; 90% of the bulk density during a single 5 min deposition run. A discussion of methods to afford better control of the aerosol and particle selection for improved thickness and roughness variations in the film is provided.

This report describes the use of a custom-built system to perform aerosol deposition of thick films of yttrium iron garnet onto sapphire substrates at RT. The deposited films are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, profilometry, and ferromagnetic resonance to give a representative overview of the capabilities of the technique.

Aerosol deposition (AD) is a thick-film deposition process that can produce layers up to several hundred micrometers thick with densities greater than 95% ...

Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60 Chalcogenide Glass Films

Solution-based electrospray film deposition, which is compatible with continuous, roll-to-roll processing, is applied to chalcogenide glasses. Two chalcogenide compositions are demonstrated: Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60, which have both been studied extensively for planar mid-infrared (mid-IR) microphotonic devices. In this approach, uniform thickness films are fabricated through the use of computer numerical controlled (CNC) motion. Chalcogenide glass (ChG) is written over the substrate by a single nozzle along a serpentine path. Films were subjected to a series of heat treatments between 100 &#176;C and 200 &#176;C under vacuum to drive off residual solvent and densify the films. Based on transmission Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and surface roughness measurements, both compositions were found to be suitable for the fabrication of planar devices operating in the mid-IR region. Residual solvent removal was found to be much quicker for the As40S60 film as compared to Ge23Sb7S70. Based on the advantages of electrospray, direct printing of a gradient refractive index (GRIN) mid-IR transparent coating is envisioned, given the difference in refractive index of the two compositions in this study.

Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60 Chalcogenide Glass Films

A method of uniform thickness solution-derived chalcogenide glass film deposition is demonstrated using computer numerical controlled motion of a single-nozzle electrospray.

Solution-based electrospray film deposition, which is compatible with continuous, roll-to-roll processing, is applied to chalcogenide glasses. Two ...

Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling immensely. However, in soft electronics, in which organic semiconductors play a critical role, the devices will be bent or folded repeatedly. The effect of bending on the crystal packing and thus the charge transport is crucial to the performance of the device. In this manuscript, we describe the protocol to bend a single crystal of 5,7,12,16-tetrachloro-6,13-diazapentacene (TCDAP) in the field-effect transistor configuration and to obtain reproducible I-V characteristics upon bending the crystal. The results show that bending a field-effect transistor prepared on a flexible substrate results in nearly reversible yet opposite trends in charge mobility, depending on the bending direction. The mobility increases when the device is bent toward the top gate/dielectric layer (upward, compressive state) and decreases when bent toward the crystal/substrate side (downward, tensile state). The effect of bending curvature was also observed, with greater mobility change resulting from higher bending curvature. It is suggested that the intermolecular &#960;-&#960; distance changes upon bending, thereby influencing the electronic coupling and the subsequent carrier transport ability.

This manuscript describes the bending process of an organic single crystal-based field-effect transistor to maintain a functioning device for electronic property measurement. The results suggest that bending causes changes in the molecular spacing in the crystal and thus in the charge hopping rate, which is important in flexible electronics.

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling ...

Growth and Electrostatic/chemical Properties of Metal/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterostructures

The quasi 2D electron system (q2DES) that forms at the interface between LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) has attracted much attention from the oxide electronics community. One of its hallmark features is the existence of a critical LAO thickness of 4 unit-cells (uc) for interfacial conductivity to emerge. Although electrostatic mechanisms have been proposed in the past to describe the existence of this critical thickness, the importance of chemical defects has been recently accentuated. Here, we describe the growth of metal/LAO/STO heterostructures in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) cluster system combining pulsed laser deposition (to grow the LAO), magnetron sputtering (to grow the metal) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We study step by step the formation and evolution of the q2DES and the chemical interactions that occur between the metal and the LAO/STO. Additionally, magnetotransport experiments elucidate on the transport and electronic properties of the q2DES. This systematic work not only demonstrates a way to study the electrostatic and chemical interplay between the q2DES and its environment, but also unlocks the possibility to couple multifunctional capping layers with the rich physics observed in two-dimensional electron systems, allowing the fabrication of new types of devices.

Growth and Electrostatic/chemical Properties of Metal/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterostructures

We fabricate metal/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures using a combination of pulsed laser deposition and in situ magnetron sputtering. Through magnetotransport and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments, we investigate the interplay between electrostatic and chemical phenomena of the quasi two-dimensional electron gas formed in this system.

The quasi 2D electron system (q2DES) that forms at the interface between LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) has attracted much attention from the oxide ...

Film Control to Study Contributions of Waves to Droplet Impact Dynamics on Thin Flowing Liquid Films

Droplet impact is a very common phenomenon in nature and attracts attention due to its aesthetic fascination and wide-ranging applications. Previous studies on flowing liquid films have neglected the contributions of spatial structures of waves to the impact outcome, while this has recently been shown to have a significant influence on the drop impact dynamics. In this report, we outline a step-by-step procedure to investigate the effect of periodic inlet forcing of a flowing liquid film leading to the production of spatiotemporally regular wave structures on drop impact dynamics. A function generator in connection with a solenoid valve is used to excite these spatiotemporally regular wave structures on the film surface while the impact dynamics of uniform-sized droplets are captured using a high-speed camera. Three distinct regions are then studied; viz. the capillary wave region preceding the large wave peak, the flat film region, and the wave hump region. The effects of important dimensionless quantities such as film Reynolds, drop Weber and Ohnesorge numbers parameterized by the film flow rate, drop speed, and drop size are also examined. Our results show interesting, hitherto undiscovered dynamics brought about by this application of film inlet forcing of the flowing film for both low and high inertia drops.

A protocol to study the contributions of waves to droplet impact dynamics on flowing liquid films is presented.

Droplet impact is a very common phenomenon in nature and attracts attention due to its aesthetic fascination and wide-ranging applications. Previous ...

Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 Thin Films

This article describes a procedure for growing Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 films by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The films are grown on 100 oriented MgO substrates with N2 gas as the nitrogen source. The method for preparing the substrates and the MBE growth process are described. The orientation and crystalline order of the substrate and film surface are monitored by the reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) before and during growth. The specular reflectivity of the sample surface is measured during growth with an Ar-ion laser with a wavelength of 488 nm. By fitting the time dependence of the reflectivity to a mathematical model, the refractive index, optical extinction coefficient, and growth rate of the film are determined. The metal fluxes are measured independently as a function of the effusion cell temperatures using a quartz crystal monitor. Typical growth rates are 0.028 nm/s at growth temperatures of 150 &#176;C and 330 &#176;C for Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 films, respectively.

Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 Thin Films

This article describes the growth of epitaxial films of Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 on MgO substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy with N2 gas as the nitrogen source and optical growth monitoring.

This article describes a procedure for growing Mg3N2 and Zn3N2 films by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The films are grown on 100 oriented ...

Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering of GdBa₂Cu₃O₇₋_δ/ La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ Quasi-bilayer Films on SrTiO₃ (STO) Single-crystal Substrates

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