High-temperature-dependent optical properties of ZnO film on sapphire substrate

Forward osmosis (FO) membrane process is expected to realize energy-saving seawater desalination. To this end, energy-saving water recovery from a draw solution (DS) and effective DS regeneration are essential. Recently, thermo-responsive DSs have been developed to realize energy-saving water recovery and DS regeneration. We previously reported that high-temperature reverse osmosis (RO) treatment was effective in recovering water from a thermo-responsive ionic liquid (IL)-based DS. In this study, to confirm the advantages of the high-temperature RO operation, thermo-sensitive IL-based DS was treated by an RO membrane at temperatures higher than the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the DS. Tetrabutylammonium 2,4,6-trimethylbenznenesulfonate ([N4444][TMBS]) with an LCST of 58 °C was used as the DS. The high-temperature RO treatment was conducted at 60 °C above the LCST using the [N4444][TMBS]-based DS-lean phase after phase separation. Because the [N4444][TMBS]-based DS has a significantly temperature-dependent osmotic pressure, the DS-lean phase can be concentrated to an osmotic pressure higher than that of seawater at room temperature (20 °C). In addition, water can be effectively recovered from the DS-lean phase until the DS concentration increased to 40 wt%, and the final DS concentration reached 70 wt%. From the results, the advantages of RO treatment of the thermo-responsive DS at temperatures higher than the LCST were confirmed.

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Temperature Dependence of Stress and Optical Properties in AlN Films Grown by MOCVD

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11030698 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 698

Author(s):

Wenwang Wei ◽

Yi Peng ◽

Jiabin Wang ◽

Muhammad Farooq Saleem ◽

Wen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Compressive Stress ◽

Sapphire Substrate ◽

Light Transmission ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Biaxial Stress ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Patterned Sapphire Substrate ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Nano Patterning

AlN epilayers were grown on a 2-inch [0001] conventional flat sapphire substrate (CSS) and a nano-patterned sapphire substrate (NPSS) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. In this work, the effect of the substrate template and temperature on stress and optical properties of AlN films has been studied by using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectrophotometer and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The AlN on NPSS exhibits lower compressive stress and strain values. The biaxial stress decreases from 1.59 to 0.60 GPa for AlN on CSS and from 0.90 to 0.38 GPa for AlN on NPSS sample in the temperature range 80–300 K, which shows compressive stress. According to the TEM data, the stress varies from tensile on the interface to compressive on the surface. It can be deduced that the nano-holes provide more channels for stress relaxation. Nano-patterning leads to a lower degree of disorder and stress/strain relaxes by the formation of the nano-hole structure between the interface of AlN epilayers and the substrate. The low crystal disorder and defects in the AlN on NPSS is confirmed by the small Urbach energy values. The variation in bandgap (Eg) and optical constants (n, k) with temperature are discussed in detail. Nano-patterning leads to poor light transmission due to light scattering, coupling, and trapping in nano-holes.

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Temperature-Dependent Photoluminescence of ZnO Thin Films Grown on Off-Axis SiC Substrates by APMOCVD

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14041035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 1035

Author(s):

Ivan Shtepliuk ◽

Volodymyr Khranovskyy ◽

Arsenii Ievtushenko ◽

Rositsa Yakimova

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Structural Quality ◽

Organic Chemical ◽

Zno Films ◽

Vicinal Surfaces ◽

Temperature Dependent ◽

Step Flow ◽

Step Flow Growth ◽

First Time ◽

Temperature Dependent Photoluminescence

The growth of high-quality ZnO layers with optical properties congruent to those of bulk ZnO is still a great challenge. Here, for the first time, we systematically study the morphology and optical properties of ZnO layers grown on SiC substrates with off-cut angles ranging from 0° to 8° by using the atmospheric pressure meta–organic chemical vapor deposition (APMOCVD) technique. Morphology analysis revealed that the formation of the ZnO films on vicinal surfaces with small off-axis angles (1.4°–3.5°) follows the mixed growth mode: from one side, ZnO nucleation still occurs on wide (0001) terraces, but from another side, step-flow growth becomes more apparent with the off-cut angle increasing. We show for the first time that the off-cut angle of 8° provides conditions for step-flow growth of ZnO, resulting in highly improved growth morphology, respectively structural quality. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed a strong dependence of the excitonic emission on the off-cut angle. The dependences of peak parameters for bound exciton and free exciton emissions on temperature were analyzed. The present results provide a correlation between the structural and optical properties of ZnO on vicinal surfaces and can be utilized for controllable ZnO heteroepitaxy on SiC toward device-quality ZnO epitaxial layers with potential applications in nano-optoelectronics.

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PERMITTIVITY IN PERTURBED MOLECULAR NANOFILMS

International Journal of Modern Physics B ◽

10.1142/s0217979212500786 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (15) ◽

pp. 1250078 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

BRANKO MARKOSKI ◽

JOVAN P. ŠETRAJČIĆ ◽

MIROSLAVA PETREVSKA ◽

SINIŠA VUČENOVIĆ

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Dielectric Properties ◽

Green's Functions ◽

Green’S Functions ◽

Microscopic Theory ◽

2D Systems ◽

Molecular Films ◽

Temperature Dependent

A microscopic theory of dielectric properties of thin molecular films, i.e., quasi 2D systems bounded by two surfaces parallel to XY planes was formulated. Harmonic exciton states were calculated using the method of two-time, retarded, temperature dependent Green's functions. It has been shown that two types of excitations can occur: bulk and surface exciton states. Analysis of the optical properties of these crystalline systems for low exciton concentration shows that the permittivity strongly depends on boundary parameters and the thickness of the film. Conditions for the appearance of localized or unoccupied exciton states have been especially analyzed.

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