Low Energy Ar+ Ions Scattering from SiO2 (001)<Ῑ10> Surface under Grazing Incidence

This article presents the results of computer modeling of small-angle scattering of Ar+ ions from the surface of the SiO2 thin film under bombardment by low-energy. The study of the trajectory of the scattered ions showed that the trajectories with two focuses are observed not only near the center of the semichannel but also nearby the surface of the atomic chain. An increase in the value of the initial energy of incident particles leads to a narrowing of the trajectory of the scattered ions, which leads to the appearance of low-intensity peaks in the energy spectrum of the scattered ions.

Additive Effect on the Structure of PEDOT:PSS Dispersions and Its Correlation with the Structure and Morphology of Thin Films

We reported on the interaction between poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and high-boiling-point additives in PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersions and in the final polymer films with the aim of stablishing correlations between the structure of both inks and solid thin films. By Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) using synchrotron radiation, it was found that the structural changes of dispersions of PEDOT:PSS with high-boiling-point additives can be explained as a two-step mechanism depending on the additive concentration. A compaction of PEDOT:PSS grains was observed at low concentrations while a swelling of the grains together with a phase segregation between PEDOT and PSS segments was evidenced at larger concentrations. Thin films’ morphology and structure were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and synchrotron Grazing Incidence Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (GIWAXS) respectively. Our two-step model provides an explanation for the small and sharp domains of PEDOT:PSS thin films observed for low-additive concentrations (first step) and larger domains and roughness found for higher-additive concentrations (second step). A reduction of the ratio of PSS in PEDOT:PSS thin films upon the presence of additives was also observed. This can be related to a thinning of the PSS shells of PEDOT:PSS grains in the dispersion. The results discussed in this work provide the basis for a controlled tuning of PEDOT:PSS thin films structure and the subsequent electrical properties.

Spectroscopic analysis of M- and N-intrashell transitions in Co-like to Na-like Yb ions

The M-intrashell spectra from Co-like Yb43+ through Na-like Yb59+ ions produced in an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have been studied in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A few N-intrashell transitions for Co-like Yb43+ and Fe-like Yb44+ are also reported. The EUV radiation was observed with a flat-field grazing incidence spectrometer in the wavelength region of about 7.5 nm to 26.2 nm. The electron beam energies were varied between 3.6 keV and 18 keV to produce the ionization stages of interest. The line identifications were based on the large-scale simulations of the EBIT plasma emission using the non-Maxwellian collisional-radiative code NOMAD. A total of 76 previously unobserved spectral lines corresponding to electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole transitions in the above mentioned ions were identified and discussed. In particular, our accurate wavelength of 24.3855±0.0005 nm for a magnetic-dipole (M1) transition in the ground configuration of Co-like ion presents a solid benchmark for comparisons with the most advanced theories of atomic structure.

indexGIXS – software for visualizing and interactive indexing of grazing-incidence scattering data

Grazing incidence small- and wide-angle scattering (GISAXS, GIWAXS) are widely applied for the study of organic thin films, be it for the characterization of nanostructured morphologies in block copolymers, nanocomposites, or nanoparticle assemblies, or the packing and orientation of small aromatic molecules and conjugated polymers. Organic thin films typically are uniaxial powders, with specific crystallographic planes oriented parallel to the substrate surface. The associated fiber texture scattering patterns are complicated by refraction corrections and multiple scattering. We present an interactive graphics tool to index such patterns.

Graded Morphologies and the Performance of PffBT4T-2OD:PC71BM Devices Using Additive Choice

The impact of several solvent processing additives (1-chloronaphthalene, methylnaphthalene, hexadecane, 1-phenyloctane, and p-anisaldehyde), 3% v/v in o-dichlorobenzene, on the performance and morphology of poly[(5,6-difluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4,7-diyl)-alt-(3,3‴-di(2-octyldodecyl)-2,2′,5′,22033,5″,2‴-quaterthiophen-5,5‴-diyl)] (PffBT4T-2OD):[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM)-based polymer solar cells was investigated. Some additives were shown to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by ~6%, while others decreased the PCE by ~17–25% and a subset of the additives tested completely eliminated any power conversion efficiency and the operation as a photovoltaic device. Grazing-Incidence Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (GIWAXS) revealed a clear stepwise variation in the crystallinity of the systems when changing the additive between the two extreme situations of maximum PCE (1-chloronaphthalene) and null PCE (hexadecane). Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) revealed that the morphology of devices with PCE ~0% was composed of large domains with correlation lengths of ~30 nm, i.e., much larger than the typical exciton diffusion length (~12 nm) in organic semiconductors. The graded variations in crystallinity and in nano-domain size observed between the two extreme situations (1-chloronaphthalene and hexadecane) were responsible for the observed graded variations in device performance.

Full characterization of a phase-locked DUV double pulse generated in an all-reflective shaping setup working under grazing incidence in a broad spectral range

Controlling the temporal and spectral properties of ultrashort laser pulses in the visible and near-infrared spectral range by means of a femtosecond pulse-shaping device is a powerful tool with many applications in ultrafast spectroscopy. A major and successful concept is known as the 4f design, which has a symmetric zero-dispersion-compressor geometry. Most 4f pulse shapers rely on using transmissive optics in their beam path limiting the operational wavelength ranges. In the present contribution, we use an all-reflective shaping setup to generate a phase-locked 266 nm double pulse to benchmark its performance in the limit of short wavelengths. The setup comprises the complete spectral amplitude and phase diagnostics for quantitative analysis of the pulse properties before and after the shaper using the technique of frequency-resolved optical gating. The measured time–frequency spectra are in good agreement with optical simulations. The geometry and hardware of the device including the optical components are designed, such that all harmonics of the deep UV pulses travel the same path, giving the instrument the ability to work with soft X-ray pulses, under vacuum conditions, down to the few-nanometer wavelength scale.

Investigation of resistive switching in Ag/Ge/Si(001) stack by conductive atomic force microscopy

We report on an experimental study of resistive switching (RS) of individual dislocations in Ag/Ge/Si(001) memristors by combined grazing incidence ion sputtering of the Ag electrodes and application of Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy to provide an electrical contact to individual Ag-filled dislocations in the Ge layer. Two types of RS were observed corresponding to two different RS mechanisms: (i) drift of Ag+ ions inside the dislocation cores and (ii) RedOx reactions in residual GeO x in the etch pits on the Ge layer surface.

Effect of various additives on aluminum oxide thin films prepared by dip coating, thermal behavior, kinetics and optical properties

Aluminum oxide thin films attract research interest due to their properties. Aluminum acetate was used as an Al source with acetic acid, oxalic acid, and nitric acid as additives. The transmittance and the thickness of the films strongly depend on the additives, with the approximate bandgap energy changing from 5 ev to 5.4 ev. The aluminum oxide film deposited by dip-coating is presented great uniform surface morphology. The knowledge of the degradation kinetics of materials is essential for investigating the thermal stability of compounds. The acetic acid thin film proved to be the most efficient additive by demonstrating interesting optoelectronic properties. The thin films deposited by dip-coating were characterized by using X-ray grazing incidence diffraction, SEM, UV-Visible spectroscopy. Gamma aluminum oxide thin films prepared by acetic acid can be a good candidate for a wide range of optical applications.