Electrical properties of Si4+ substituted copper ferrite

The electrical resistivity, , and Seebeck coefficient, , for the system Cu_1+xSi_xFe_2–2xO₄ (where x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.3) have been studied as a function of temperature. Temperature variation of the resistivity exhibits two breaks. Each break is associated with a change in activation energy. The conduction process at low temperature is governed by the reaction Cu _A ¹⁺ + Cu _A ²⁺ Cu _A ²⁺ + Cu _A ¹⁺ . However, at higher temperature, it is due to intersite cation exchange and reoxidation such as Cu _A ²⁺ + Fe _B ³⁺ Cu _B ²⁺ + Fe _A ³⁺ . Measurement of the Seebeck coefficient, , from room temperature to 800 K reveals n-type conduction for the sample with x= 0.05, while the measurements for other samples show p-type conduction for lower temperatures and n-type conduction at higher temperatures. The activation energies in the paramagnetic region are found to be less than those in the ferrimagnetic region.     

Electrical properties of electroplated Cu(Ag) thin films

To increase the electromigration resistance of copper interconnects copper alloy systems are of interest. In the present paper electrical properties of Cu(Ag) films will be discussed with respect to heat treatment and in comparison to copper and other alloy systems. The investigations show that the electrical resistivity of Cu(Ag) films is very low in comparison to other copper alloy systems. Up to an alloy content of about 2 at.% Ag the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors criterion of 2.2 μΩcm (scattering by geometrical constraints neglected) can be fulfilled after heat treatment. The various components of the electrical resistivity will be discussed in detail. The investigations show that grain growth and the redistribution of silver and impurities dominate the electrical resistivity evolution.     

Electrical transport properties of iron (II) molybdate

Electrical conductivity, thermoelectric power and static dielectric constant of iron (II) molybdate have been measured in the temperature range 300 to 1000 K on pressed pellets of polycrystalline sample. It has been found that FeMoO₄ is a p-type semiconductor with energy gap 4.1 eV. Different conduction mechanisms have been found below and above 700 K. Below 700 K conduction is due to a small polaron hopping mechanism and above 700 K conduction is due to large polarons as well as normal band conduction mechanism. Activation energy W, ₀ (T) and charge carrier mobility have been estimated in the two temperature ranges 300 to 700 K and 700 to 1000 K. Dielectric constant increases slowly with temperature up to 700 K and above 700 K, it increases exponentially with temperature.     

Electrical properties of cement paste obtained from impedance spectroscopy

The impedance spectra of hydrating Portland cement paste showed a small part of a large depressed arc and a single depressed arc at low- and high-frequency regions, respectively. A new equivalent circuit was proposed for hydrating cement paste, which consists of a serial combination of a resistor and a constant phase element (CPE) with a resistor in parallel for the bulk effects, and a parallel combination of a resistor and a CPE for the electrode effects. The microstructural evolution in hydrating cement paste was associated with the changes in the resistances, capacitance and the critical relaxation time.     

Microstructure and electrical properties of Cu films obtained by chemical vapor deposition of copper(I) pentafluoropropionate complexes with vinyltrialkylsilanes

Copper thin layers were deposited on Si(111) and glass substrates by chemical vapor deposition method using [Cu(OOCC₂F₅)(L)], L = vinyltrimethylsilane (1), vinyltriethylsilane (2) as precursors. Application of multistage depositions of Cu films on a glass surfaces resulted in formation of the metallic membranes. Fabricated crystalline copper layers, which contains some carbon (5-9%) and oxygen (1-5%) impurities, have been characterized by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron methods. The morphology studies exhibited metallic layers composed of copper grains, their size and packed density depends on deposition parameters. Electrical properties of metallic films were studied by four-point probe, as a function of temperature in 103-333 K range.     

Electrical transport properties of polycrystalline HgTe films grown from mercury-rich HgTe

Measurements of the Hall coefficient and the d.c. conductivity were made on polycrystalline films prepared from mercury-rich HgTe. It was found that, in addition to grain boundary potential barrier scattering, the contribution of ionized impurity scattering is also quite significant. The effect of excess mercury in HgTe is to increase the mobility and to reduce compensating effects.     

Photoluminescent properties of nanostructured Y2O3:Eu3+ powders obtained through aerosol synthesis

Red emitting Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ (5 and 10 at.%) submicronic particles were synthesized through ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method from the pure nitrate solutions at 900 °C. The employed synthesis conditions (gradual increase of temperature within triple zone reactor and extended residence time) assured formation of spherical, dense, non-agglomerated particles that are nanostructured (crystallite size ∼20 nm). The as-prepared powders were additionally thermally treated at temperatures up to 1200 °C. A bcc Ia-3 cubic phase presence and exceptional powder morphological features were maintained with heating and are followed with particle structural changes (crystallite growth up to 130 nm). Emission spectra were studied after excitation with 393 nm wavelength and together with the decay lifetimes for Eu³⁺ ion ⁵D₀ and ⁵D₁ levels revealed the effect of powder nanocrystalline nature on its luminescent properties. The emission spectra showed typical Eu^{3+ 5}D₀ → ⁷F_i (i = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions with dominant red emission at 611 nm, while the lifetime measurements revealed the quenching effect with the rise of dopant concentration and its more consistent distribution into host lattice due to the thermal treatment.     

Physico-mechanical properties and structure of diamond polycrystalline composite materials produced from variously dispersed powders

A nanostructural diamond composite material having grains of average size 0.08 μm and hardness corresponding to the hardness of diamond composite materials with grains of average size 30 μm has been produced using nanotechnologies of powder materials. Temperature dependences of hardness of nanostructural diamond composites of various dispersions have been compared. The thermostability of a diamond composite has been shown to depend not only on the composition of a sintering aid but on the size of diamond powders as well. Our findings have indicated that the material obtained holds promise in finishing products of nonferrous metals and alloys instead of natural diamonds.     

Sensor properties of ZnO:Al nanofibres obtained by electrospinning

An electrospinning technology have been developed to obtain zinc oxide nanofibres doped with aluminum. Properties of the obtained nanostructures can be controlled by both the composition of a precursor and subsequent annealing treatment. The gas sensors manufactured with the use of ZnO:Al nanofibres exhibit good response to NO₂ at relatively low operating temperatures. For some samples it was observed that interaction with ambient NO₂ gas causes the change of conductivity from n-type to p-type at higher operating temperatures. This phenomenon was not observed for the samples annealed at higher temperature.     

Electrical and photoconducting properties of CdS (Cu,Cl) thin films

Dielectric and photoconductive properties of thin films of cadmium sulphide activated with copper and chlorine have been studied. Films are shown to have good dielectric properties over the frequency range 10²–10⁴ Hz and to have high photosensitivity over the whole visible radiation range.     

ZnTe:Cu多晶薄膜结构和电性质

用共蒸发法在室温下制备了ZnTe：Cu多晶薄膜,利用XRD、AFM和XPS等测试技术对样品进行了表征,研究了掺Cu浓度和退火温度对薄膜物相和晶粒度的影响,分析了薄膜表面的元素状态。根据铜离子的变价行为对异常的电阻率温度关系作了解释。并确定了最佳掺铜浓度和退火温度。     

Photoanodic properties of ZnO thin films prepared from zinc acetate solutions containing cobalt acetate and polyvinylpyrrolidone

ZnO thin films were deposited on nesa silica glass substrates via sol-gel method using Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O—Co(CH₃COO)₂ ·4H₂O—polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)—diethanolamine—2-methoxyethanol solutions. The effects of the Co²⁺ ions and PVP in coating solutions on the photoanodic properties of the resultant films were studied by measuring photocurrent—potential curves and action spectra in a three-electrode cell with a supporting electrolyte of pH = 9.18. The photoanodic current under xenon lamp light decreased with increasing amount of Co²⁺ ions due to the decreased quantum efficiency in the UV regions. The photoresponse was extended to wavelengths of ca. 450 nm when the Co/Zn mole ratios were 0.05 and 0.15, while the response to the visible light diminished at Co/Zn > 0.3. The UV photoresponse of Co²⁺-free ZnO films increased when PVP was added in the coating solutions, where the maximum quantum yield of 0.62 was obtained at a wavelength of 364 nm. On the other hand, the UV photoresponse rather decreased when PVP was added in Co²⁺-containing solutions.     

Preparation of ultrafine Cu2O powders with different morphologies from Cu(OH)2 gel

Monodispersed Cu₂O particles with different morphologies were successfully synthesized by using two different facile methods without any surfactants, and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The two methods resulted in two different particle formation mechanisms. Spherical Cu₂O particles were formed due to solely aggregation of subunits, in comparison with the formation of cubic, polyhedral, and octahedral particles resulting from aggregation followed by diffusion control. Aggregation accounted for the size of particles, while diffusion influenced their morphology. Further controlled experiments were performed to investigate the factors affecting the morphology of the particles, demonstrating that the precursor solid and NaOH concentration significantly influenced the morphology of the Cu₂O particles. The preparation methods as well as the formation mechanisms presented in this study have broad prospects for industrial application.     

Synthesis and properties of a copper(I) cobalt(II) double sulfite

The Pourbaix diagrams of the Cu–H₂SO₄–H₂O and Co–H₂SO₄–H₂O systems have been refined and the stability regions of sulfite phases in the diagrams have been identified. Phase diagrams of copper(I) copper( II) and copper(I) cobalt(II) double sulfites have been mapped out. The double sulfites Cu₂SO₃ · СuSO₃ and Cu₂SO₃ · СoSO₃ have been isolated from an aqueous solution saturated with sulfur dioxide. We have obtained electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the double sulfite Cu₂SO₃ · СoSO₃ and characterized it by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and thermogravimetry. A foundation has been laid for the thermodynamic prediction of the synthesis of the Cu₂SO₃ · MSO₃ (M = Cu, Co) double sulfites.     

Electrical properties of LiNbO3 (electrolyte)/Cu (anode) bi-layers

In this work specific film structures of Li-Nb-O/Li/Li-Nb-O are investigated by AC Impedance Spectroscopy measurements at different temperatures. This gives the opportunity to investigate properties of the material itself and, at the same time, to consider the influence of the grain boundaries on the ionic behavior of the polycrystalline Lithium Niobate. On the other hand, LiNbO₃/Li/Cu multi-layers are studied as electrolyte/anode bi-layers and potential parts of “Li-free” microbatteries. The Li deficiency in the as deposited Li-Nb-O films is cured by forming a “sandwich” of Li-Nb-O/Li/Li-Nb-O, which after annealing becomes ionic conductor. The electrical behavior of an annealed film depends on two sources. The first is due to properties of the material itself and the second is based on the network of the grain boundaries. The average size of the grains is strongly influenced by the structure of the ohmic-contact/substrate. The electrical behavior of the electrolyte/anode interface of the “Li-free” structure LiNbO₃/Li/Cu/Au is very similar to the impedance measurements of the single LiNbO₃ single films. The whole multilayer structure, though, presents a third relaxation time which is consistent of a small resistance. This resistance is independent of temperature and it seems that is due to the metallic interface Li/Cu/Au.     

Study of polycrystalline ZnTe (ZnTe:Cu) thin films for photovoltaic cells

In our work, polycrystalline ZnTe and ZnTe:Cu thin films were deposited by vacuum co-evaporation technology. The conductivity–temperature relationship was measured. And the properties of films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and differential scanning calorimety (DSC). The results show that the as-deposited films are cubic and that the films annealed at 185°C are cubic and hexagonal. Cu _x Te are observed by XRD and XPS. DSC shows ZnTe:Cu film has a peak of decalescence at 170°C, which means that there can be a change. Therefore we assume ZnTe:Cu thin films have structure changes at 185°C and the existence of Cu _x Te leads to the abnormal conductivity–temperature relationship. During annealing, copper diffuse from grain boundary to lattices. 1/C ²-V curves show that Cu _x Te can form tunneling junction with CdTe, which can improve the back contact.     

Recovery of EDTA from complex solution using Cu(II) as precipitant and Cu(II) subsequent removal by electrolysis

Ethylendiaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is a chelating agent widely used in industry and agriculture. Resistant to chemical and biological degradation EDTA represents a serious ecological problem. In order to avoid the outlet into the environment a new method of EDTA recycling has been proposed. The method involves substituting of the metal ions in EDTA complexes by Cu(II) and formation of an insoluble Cu2EDTA.4H2O compound at the excess of Cu(II) ions in weakly acidic solutions. Cu(II) ions substitute such metal ions as Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Ca(II) and Mg(II). After treatment of the precipitate with water only, acidic or alkaline solutions the copper from the suspension formed can be removed by electrolysis. The highest current efficiency under galvanostatic conditions is in alkaline solutions, however, the highest yield of EDTA recovery is in acidic solutions. FT-IR investigations and chemical analysis of the precipitate formed have shown that in acidic and in alkaline solutions, H4EDTA and Na2H2EDTA.2H2O were formed, respectively. Electrolysis in acidic solutions gives the best results, i.e. the formed H4EDTA contains the highest amount of EDTA (95%) and the lowest amount of copper (0.01%).     

Hydrophilic olive cake extracts: characterization by physicochemical properties and Cu(II) complexation

Disposed olive cake generates hydrophilic components that can be mobilized in the aquatic environment. This paper deals with the characterization of such components, isolated by alkaline extraction. It is shown that these substances possess properties very much resembling humic acid, including a substantial inventory of proton exchanging groups. Extraction and purification of the hydrophilic components from the disposed olive cake was performed by the standard approach for isolation of humic acids from solid sources, i.e. alternating alkaline dissolution and acid flocculation, leaving the purified extract in the protonated form. The purified sample was characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AFFFF). The complex formation properties were investigated by potentiometry using Cu(II) ion selective electrode under atmospheric conditions at I=0.1M NaClO(4) (aqueous solution) and pH 6. The formation constant for the CuHA complex is found to be logbeta=5.3+/-0.4 which is close to the corresponding value (logbeta=5.2+/-0.4) obtained from similar investigations with the commercially available Aldrich humic acid (this study) and corresponding published values for various humic acids. Both, structural properties and complex formation data show that the olive cake extract has considerable similarities with humic acids from different sources, pointing towards potential similarities in environmental behavior and impact.