Substrates of different roughness spin coated with Ti0.7Ru 0.3O2 films have been evaluated as model system for fundamental studies of the industrially and scientifically interesting (Ti,Ru)O2 based electrodes. The approach allowed for much more accurate control over the material synthesis than the traditionally used brush-, dip-, or spray-coating, on titanium-metal substrates. It moreover yielded well-defined samples suitable for basic studies of the surface properties that are of fundamental importance for understanding the electrochemical functionality of the electrode. We have compared the films on silicon substrates to films prepared by spin coating the same material on titanium-metal substrates. Samples have been characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cyclic voltammetry. The samples displayed a uniformity of the films appropriate for AFM characterization. The smoother the substrate the less cracks in the coating. Using easily broken silicon wafers as substrate, a straightforward sample preparation technique was demonstrated for cross-section SEM. In addition, using high spinning velocities we have deposited the oxide films directly on silicon-nitride grids, thin enough to allow for studies with transmission electron microscopy without further sample preparation.
Sputter deposited Ti/W barrier layers have been found to be Ti deficient with respect to the target composition, which is attributed to the preferential resputtering of Ti from the deposited films by energetic neutrals or ions from the discharge. On the o
The effects of precursor and calcination temperature on the nano morphology of ruthenium dioxide on titanium, prepared from thermal decomposition of aqueous salt solutions were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction, gas porosimetry and cyclic voltammetry showed that lower calcination temperature yielded smaller crystallites. The crystallites were between 6 and 22 nm in diameter. When using ruthenium nitrosyl nitrate the firing temperature had a large impact on the grain size, but for chloride there was only a minor effect in the temperature range 350-550 degrees C.
We present spectral generalized magneto-optical ellipsometry as an optical tool to investigate magnetic and electronic properties of ferromagnetic materials. The advantage of the simultaneous observation of the dielectric and the magnetic responses within one measurement procedure is crucial for materials with coupled degrees of freedom near a phase transition or during annealing procedures to improve the film quality by removing grain boundaries. Moreover, we show the implementation of this technique within an UHV-cryostat for a temperature range between 4.2 and 800 K and fields up to 40 mT. Examplary measurements on iron and Permalloy demonstrate the comfortable application of this technique. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
We demonstrate that spectral ellipsometry is a suitable optical tool to investigate biological samples such as liver tissue, human nails, and human skin. We have performed ex-vivo as well as in-vivo measurements to obtain via the measured optical parameters psi and Delta information’s such as layer thicknesses or hydration conditions. As an example for in-vivo studies, a tape stripping study of human skin is shown. Furthermore, we present a hydration study of nails over 48 h following a hydration schedule. The dehydration behavior of the nail is compared with the dehydration behavior of liver tissue. By investigating the change of (n) over tilde upon hydration and dehydration, we reveal three different time domains, corresponding to ’free’ and ’bound’ water and their respective rate changes. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.