Synthesis and studying properties of the GNPs@FexOy structure

An article presents a study of the regularities of the formation of gold up to 8 nm thick, deposited by vacuum thermal deposition on silicon wafers with a natural oxide, its annealing and subsequent deposition of iron oxide by chemical vapor deposition. The stages were accompanied by SEM analysis of the sample surface, as well as fixation of the optical and FTIR spectra, I–V characteristics of the obtained structures.

Effects of cobalt deposition and pretreatment process on electrical properties of products

The preferable conditions for formation of high quality CoSi2 films and effect of process parameters on properties of products were investigated. The pretreatment should not only remove the natural oxide layer completely, but also could not damage Si substrate. The good static random access memory (SRAM) proportion of products is high when pretreatment thickness is 20 Å, reached 96.5%. The radio frequency (RF) bias power process parameter should also take an optimal value. When RF bias power is 150 W, the good SRAM proportion of products is greater than 98%. The 100 Å Co can just completely react with Si substrate after twice annealing (500℃ 30s and 750℃ 30s), and if it exceeds 100 Å, Co will be residual. Decreasing Co thickness leads to contact resistance (RC) increase whatever in N-well or P-well. The overall standby current (Isb) of product is least when Co thickness is 80 Å. Finally, the products achieved good electrical properties when Co thickness is 80 Å, pretreatment thickness is 20 Å and RF bias power is 150 W.

Effect of Deformation Structure of AISI 316L in Low-Temperature Vacuum Carburizing

The effect of plastic deformation applied to AISI 316L in low-temperature vacuum carburizing without surface activation was investigated. To create a difference in the deformation states of each specimen, solution and stress-relieving heat treatment were performed using plastically deformed AISI 316L, and the deformation structure and the carburized layer were observed with EBSD and OM. The change in lattice parameter was confirmed with XRD, and the natural oxide layers were analyzed through TEM and XPS. In this study, the carburized layer on the deformed AISI 316L was the thinnest and the dissolved carbon content of the layer was the lowest. The thickness and composition of the natural oxide layer on the surface were changed due to the deformed structure. The natural oxide layer on the deformed AISI 316L was the thickest, and the layer was formed with a bi-layer structure consisting of an upper Cr-rich layer and a lower Fe-rich layer. The thick and Cr-rich oxide layer was difficult to decompose due to the requirement for lower oxygen partial pressure. In conclusion, the oxide layer is the most influential factor, and its thickness and composition may determine carburizing efficiency in low-temperature vacuum carburizing without surface activation.

Effect of heat and surface pre-treatment processes on the nitriding ability of stainless steel SUS420

As-supplied SUS420 stainless steel was annealed at 880 °C for1 h and quenched (1040 °c, 30 min), followed by tempering at 530 °c for 1 h. The sample surface after tempering was polished with different roughness levels by mechanical grinding. Samples in the states of as-annealed, as-quenched and as-tempered samples as well as ground tempered ones with different surface roughness were gas nitrided with NH3 gas at 520 °c for 5 h. The microstructure and mechanical properties of SUS420 steel before and after the heat and surface treatments were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and micro-hardness testing. The results show that if the natural oxide layer on the surface of the SUS420 samples was not removed, the nitriding process was very difficult or even imposible. The annealed steel gave the highest nitriding depth but low surface hardness. The samples after quenching and/or tempering had lower nitriding depth but higher hardness. The surface hardness of the as-supplied steel (333 HV) decreased with annealing (181 HV). After quenching, tempering, and gas nitriding, the values were 632, 560 and > 1000 HV, respectively. The samples after nitriding showed the appearance of fine CrN phase in the nitrided layer. The highest nitriding depth (125 pm) was obtained for the annealed samples, and subsequently decreased for the quenched samples and tempered samples. The lower the roughness of the sample, the higher is the hardness. The nitrided layer thickness tended to increase as the roughness decreased.

Oxide Thin Films and Nanostructures

Nanostructured oxide materials ultra-thin films, nanoparticles and other nanometer-scale objects play prominent roles in many aspects of our every-day life, in nature and in technological applications, among which is the all-oxide electronics of tomorrow. Due to their reduced dimensions and dimensionality, they strongly interact with their environment gaseous atmosphere, water or support. Their novel physical and chemical properties are the subject of this book from both a fundamental and an applied perspective. It reviews and illustrates the various methodologies for their growth, fabrication, experimental and theoretical characterization. The role of key parameters such as film thickness, nanoparticle size and support interactions in driving their fundamental properties is underlined. At the ultimate thickness limit, two-dimensional oxide materials are generated, whose functionalities and potential applications are described. The emerging field of cation mixing is mentioned, which opens new avenues for engineering many oxide properties, as witnessed by natural oxide nanomaterials such as clay minerals, which, beyond their role at the Earth surface, are now widely used in a whole range of human activities. Oxide nanomaterials are involved in many interdisciplinary fields of advanced nanotechnologies: catalysis, photocatalysis, solar energy materials, fuel cells, corrosion protection, and biotechnological applications are amongst the areas where they are making an impact; prototypical examples are outlined. A cautious glimpse into future developments of scientific activity is finally ventured to round off the treatise.

The Effect of Hydrofluoric Acid Concentration in Sulfuric Acid-Based Desmutting Solution for Aluminium Alloys

The natural oxide layer, which spontaneously covers the surface of aluminium and its alloys, is well adherent to the surface, but it does not show adequate corrosion resistance in many conditions. In order to improve the material anti-corrosion performance, it is necessary to replace the surface oxide by a conversion coating. The first step to do this is to prepare the alloy surface to subsequent treatments. The pre-treatment implemented before the conversion treatment is one of the main factors responsible for the performance of the conversion coating. It involves several phases, including desmutting that encompasses the part immersion in an acid or alkaline solution bath. In this work, the influence of hydrofluoric acid concentration in the desmutting bath's formulation was investigated. The samples surface were characterised by using electrochemical techniques, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry and contact angle measurements.

O PROCESSO DE ANODIZAÇÃO DO ALUMÍNIO E SUAS LIGAS: UMA ABORDAGEM HISTÓRICA E ELETROQUÍMICA

THE ANODIZING PROCESS OF ALUMINUM AND ITS ALLOYS: A HISTORICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL APPROACH. Al and its alloys are found in several industrial applications. However, like most metals, this material is not immune to corrosion, being necessary to be protected against corrosion. One of the methods most commonly employed to improve the corrosion resistance of Al alloys is the anodizing process, which consists of thickening of the natural oxide (Al2O3) presents in Al through anodic oxidation. The anodizing process is accomplished by immersion of the Al alloy into an acid bath and passing an electric current through it. This process produces two layers: a barrier layer thicker than the natural oxide and a layer with regular arrangement of nanopores (porous layer). This duplex structure forms the anodized layer with a large specific surface area. With the advent of nanotechnology, this layer has been applied in other areas due to its low cost, stability, absence of toxicity, and biocompatibility. In this context, this paper addresses a historical and electrochemical review of the anodizing process of Al and its alloys, presenting the main events that culminated in the development of the current processes and the understanding of the relationship between the chemical reactions and the mechanisms that occur during nucleation and development of the oxide layer

Anodizing under conditions of oxygen activation of the inter-electrode gap

Structured alumina is currently used in a wide range of applications. Interest in a surface with a wear-resistant coating motivates creation of methods for high-speed oxidation with an increase in the thickness and hardness of the layer, with obligatory observance of environmental parameters and a decrease in the energy intensity of production. Considering the activity of aluminum towards oxygen, a very important aspect is the search for conditions to increase the natural oxide film to the level of functional significance. The generally accepted scheme of classical anodizing represents a closed system of an electrolytic cell, inside which the elements are activated in the interelectrode gap to the state of ionic excitation under the action of an electric field. The efficiency of interaction depends on the medium’s nature and variability of the volt-ampere parameters. This work proposes a different mechanism for intensifying the process. Oxygen is activated outside the electrolytic cell and in the allotropic state, in the form of ozone, is transmitted into the interelectrode gap. The phase composition, structure, thickness, and microhardness are investigated. The aim of the research is to establish the effect of ozone on the oxidation process.

The Influence of Temperature on the Tribological Properties of the Ti6Al4V Alloy Treated by Plasma Oxidation

The purpose of the plasma oxidation process is to increase the hardness, corrosion resistance and to improve the biocompatibility properties of Ti6Al4V alloys by thickening the natural oxide in the material, which is produced by this treatment. The aim of this work is to verify the effect of temperature on the thickness, hardness and wear resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy treated with plasma oxidation. The treatment was performed using a Pulsed DC vacuum reactor, with a gas ratio of 60% Ar and 40% O2 and 1.65 torr pressure for 1 hour of treatment, at temperatures of 480°C, 520°C, 670°C and 705°C. In regards to the multilayer formation of anatase and rutile, it was observed that the layer thickness increased as the treatment temperature increased. The increase of surface hardness provided by the treatment caused a considerable increase in the wear resistance of the studied material. The greatest layer thickness and surface hardness were obtained for the material treated at 705°C, but the lowest wear volume was obtained for the material treated at 520°C.