TY - CONF A1 - Hertwig, Andreas T1 - On the use of spectroscopic imaging ellipsometry for quantification and characterisation of defects in thin films for power electronics N2 - Compound semiconductors (CS) are promising materials for the development of high-power electrical applications. They have low losses, can withstand high temperatures and can operate at very high voltages and currents. This makes them a key technology for the electrification of many high energy applications, especially electromobility and HVDC power lines. The challenge with CS technology is that most of the process technology has to be developed anew to the high standards required by electronic applications. Today, compound semiconductors can be produced in thin layers on top of substrates fabricated from classical crystal growth processes that are already well established. A promising method for this is metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE). With this method, many different compounds with semiconducting properties can be synthesized. Additionally, this process technology is a direct thin layer deposition method. Therefore, complex multilayer systems can be generated directly by the deposition process and without the need of doping after growing. There are a number of critical defects that can originate from the deposition process of these thin film devices. Within this project, we intend to develop new correlative imaging and analysis techniques to determine defect types, to quantify defect size and number density, as well as to characterise defects for process optimisation. We report here on the use of spectroscopic ellipsometry and imaging ellipsometry to investigate defects in several different compound semiconductor materials used in high-power electronic devices. The materials we investigated are β-Ga2O3, SiC, GaN, AlN, and AlGaN materials as well as oxidised SiC surfaces. All of these materials have their typical defects and require optimised measurement and analysis schemes for reliable detection and analysis. Spectroscopic ellipsometry is a highly sensitive method for determining the thicknesses and dielectric function of thin layers, yielding potentially a high number of microscopic properties. The combined method between ellipsometry and optical microscopy is called imaging ellipsometry and is especially powerful for the large amount of data it produces. We have analysed defects in SiC- and AlN-based thin film semiconductors as well as characterised the properties of different types of SiO2 layers created on top of SiC monocrystals. We developed ellipsometric models for the data analysis of the different semiconductor materials. If the defects have geometric features, it is useful to combine the ellipsometric analysis with topometry method like interference microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. We have successfully characterised function-critical defects in MOVPE SiC layers and correlated the findings with topography from WLIM measurements. We have developed an imaging ellipsometric measurement methodology that allows to estimate the relative defect area on a surface by a statistical raw data analysis. T2 - EMRS Spring Meeting 2024 - ALTECH 2024 CY - Strasbourg, France DA - 27.05.2024 KW - compound semiconductors KW - Ellipsometry KW - Layer Materials KW - Defect Analysis PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61005 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kimiaei, E. A1 - Farooq, M. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Ahmadi, Shayan A1 - Babaeipour, S. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Österberg, M. T1 - The role of lignin as interfacial compatibilizer in designing lignocellulosic-polyester composite films N2 - Advancing nanocomposites requires a deep understanding and careful design of nanoscale interfaces, as interfacial interactions and adhesion significantly influence the physical and mechanical properties of these materials. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) as interfacial compatibilizer between hydrophilic cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and a hydrophobic polyester, polycaprolactone (PCL). In this context, we conducted a detailed analysis of surface-to-bulk interactions in both wet and dry conditions using advanced techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle (WCA) measurements, broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), and inverse gas chromatography (IGC). QCM-D was employed to quantify the adsorption behavior of LNPs on CNF and PCL surfaces, demonstrating LNPs’ capability to interact with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases, thereby enhancing composite material properties. LNPs showed extensive adsorption on a CNF model film (1186 ± 178 ng.cm−2) and a lower but still significant adsorption on a PCL model film (270 ± 64 ng.cm−2). In contrast, CNF adsorption on a PCL model film was the lowest, with a sensed mass of only 136 ± 35 ng.cm−2. These findings were further supported by comparing the morphology and wettability of the films before and after adsorption, using AFM and WCA analyses. Then, to gain insights into the molecular-level interactions and molecular mobility within the composite in dry state, BDS was employed. The BDS results showed that LNPs improved the dispersion of PCL within the CNF network. To further investigate the impact of LNPs on the composites’ interfacial properties, IGC was employed. This analysis showed that the composite films containing LNPs exhibited lower surface energy compared to those composed of only CNF and PCL. The presence of LNPs likely reduced the availability of surface hydroxyl groups, thus modifying the physicochemical properties of the interface. These changes were particularly evident in the heterogeneity of the surface energy profile, indicating that LNPs significantly altered the interfacial characteristics of the composite materials. Overall, these findings emphasize the necessity to control the interfaces between components for next-generation nanocomposite materials across diverse applications. KW - Lignin KW - Nanocomposites PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-615098 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.10.083 SN - 0021-9797 VL - 679 SP - 263 EP - 275 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-61509 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - INPR A1 - Kalady, Mohammed Fayis A1 - Schultz, Johannes A1 - Weinel, Kristina A1 - Wolf, Daniel A1 - Lubk, Axel T1 - Localization of Hybridized Surface Plasmon Modes on Random Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies N2 - Assemblies of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) support hybridized modes of localized surface plasmons (LSPs), which delocalize in geometrically well-ordered arrangements. Here, the hybridization behavior of LSPs in geometrically completely disordered arrangements of Au NPs fabricated by an e-beam synthesis method is studied. Employing electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope in combination with numerical simulations, the disorder-driven spatial and spectral localization of the coupled LSP modes that depend on the NP thickness is revealed. Below 0.4nm sample thickness (flat NPs), localization increases towards higher hybridized LSP mode energies. In comparison, above 10nm thickness, a decrease of localization (an increase of delocalization) with higher mode energies is observed. In the intermediate thickness regime, a transition of the energy dependence of the localization between the two limiting cases, exhibiting a transition mode energy with minimal localization, is observed. This behavior is mainly driven by the energy and thickness dependence of the polarizability of the individual NPs. KW - Plasmonics KW - Electron-Energy Loss Spectroscopy KW - Discrete Dipole Approximation KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-618323 DO - https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2410.10514 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Cornell University CY - Ithaca, NY AN - OPUS4-61832 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Minenkov, Alexey A1 - Hollweger, Sophia A1 - Duchoslav, Jiri A1 - Erdene-Ochir, Otgonbayar A1 - Weise, Matthias A1 - Ermilova, Elena A1 - Hertwig, Andreas A1 - Schiek, Manuela T1 - Monitoring the Electrochemical Failure of Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes via Operando Ellipsometry Complemented by Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy N2 - Transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are standards for thin film electrodes, providing a synergy of high optical transparency and electrical conductivity. In an electrolytic environment, the determination of an inert electrochemical potential window is crucial to maintain a stable material performance during device operation. We introduce operando ellipsometry, combining cyclic voltammetry (CV) with spectroscopic ellipsometry, as a versatile tool to monitor the evolution of both complete optical (i.e., complex refractive index) and electrical properties under wet electrochemical operational conditions. In particular, we trace the degradation of ITO electrodes caused by electrochemical reduction in a pH-neutral, water-based electrolyte environment during electrochemical cycling. With the onset of hydrogen evolution at negative bias voltages, indium and tin are irreversibly reduced to the metallic state, causing an advancing darkening, i.e., a gradual loss of transparency, with every CV cycle, while the conductivity is mostly conserved over multiple CV cycles. Post-operando analysis reveals the reductive (loss of oxygen) formation of metallic nanodroplets on the surface. The reductive disruption of the ITO electrode happens at the solid–liquid interface and proceeds gradually from the surface to the bottom of the layer, which is evidenced by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy imaging and complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping. As long as a continuous part of the ITO layer remains at the bottom, the conductivity is largely retained, allowing repeated CV cycling. We consider operando ellipsometry a sensitive and nondestructive tool to monitor early stage material and property changes, either by tracing failure points, controlling intentional processes, or for sensing purposes, making it suitable for various research fields involving solid–liquid interfaces and electrochemical activity. KW - General Materials Science PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597625 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c17923 SN - 1944-8252 VL - 16 IS - 7 SP - 9517 EP - 9531 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-59762 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Knapic, D. A1 - Mardare, A. I. A1 - Voss, Heike A1 - Bonse, Jörn A1 - Hassel, A. W. T1 - Corrosion study of picosecond-laser structured and anodized Ti6Al4V for bone screws N2 - A corrosion study is performed on six variations of titanium grade 5 (Ti6Al4V) samples. Samples are prepared in different conditions by variation of preanodization, postanodization, and picosecond-laser (ps-laser) surface treatment, while polished and anodized samples serve as reference. Microcones and nanosized periodic surface features are successfully produced on Ti6Al4V samples. The morphology and topography of the structures are visualized by scanning electron microscopy and white light interference microscopy. Furthermore, the relative electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is determined for the ps-laser-treated samples. It is determined that the preanodized and laser-treated sample has 3.5 times larger ECSA than a polished sample, and that the laser-treated sample has 4.1 times larger area. Moreover, Tafel analysis is performed to determine the corrosion properties of the samples. It is shown that the corrosion resistance improves for both laser-structured samples after the anodization. To further study the surface of the samples, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements are conducted. The study indicates that the ps-laser-treated and anodized Ti6Al4V is suitable to be used for the fabrication of bone screws and plates due to its improved corrosion resistance as compared to nonanodized samples. KW - Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) KW - Anodization KW - Bone screws KW - Implant material KW - Titanium alloys PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597890 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202300609 SN - 1862-6319 VL - 221 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Wiley-VCH GmbH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-59789 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Raab, A. A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Busch, M. A1 - Grunwald, M. A1 - Demel, F. A1 - Bertram, F. A1 - Kityk, A. V. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Laschat, S. A1 - Huber, P. T1 - Self-Assembly of Ionic Superdiscs in Nanopores N2 - Discotic ionic liquid crystals (DILCs) consist of self-assembled superdiscs of cations and anions that spontaneously stack in linear columns with high one-dimensional ionic and electronic charge mobility, making them prominent model systems for functional soft matter. Compared to classical nonionic discotic liquid crystals, many liquid crystalline structures with a combination of electronic and ionic conductivity have been reported, which are of interest for separation membranes, artificial ion/proton conducting membranes, and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, a homogeneous alignment of the DILCs on the macroscale is often not achievable, which significantly limits the applicability of DILCs. Infiltration into nanoporous solid scaffolds can, in principle, overcome this drawback. However, due to the experimental challenges to scrutinize liquid crystalline order in extreme spatial confinement, little is known about the structures of DILCs in nanopores. Here, we present temperaturedependent high-resolution optical birefringence measurement and 3D reciprocal space mapping based on synchrotron X-ray scattering to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of dopamine-based ionic liquid crystals confined in cylindrical channels of 180 nm diameter in macroscopic anodic aluminum oxide membranes. As a function of the membranes’ hydrophilicity and thus the molecular anchoring to the pore walls (edge-on or face-on) and the variation of the hydrophilic−hydrophobic balance between the aromatic cores and the alkyl side chain motifs of the superdiscs by tailored chemical synthesis, we find a particularly rich phase behavior, which is not present in the bulk state. It is governed by a complex interplay of liquid crystalline elastic energies (bending and splay deformations), polar interactions, and pure geometric confinement and includes textural transitions between radial and axial alignment of the columns with respect to the long nanochannel axis. Furthermore, confinement-induced continuous order formation is observed in contrast to discontinuous first-order phase transitions, which can be quantitatively described by Landau-de Gennes free energy models for liquid crystalline order transitions in confinement. Our observations suggest that the infiltration of DILCs into nanoporous solids allows tailoring their nanoscale texture and ion channel formation and thus their electrical and optical functionalities over an even wider range than in the bulk state in a homogeneous manner on the centimeter scale as controlled by the monolithic nanoporous scaffolds. KW - Ionic Liquid Crystals KW - Nanopropous materials KW - Landau de-Gennes analysis KW - X-ray scattering KW - Optical birefringence PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-600797 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c01062 SN - 1936-0851 VL - 18 IS - 22 SP - 14414 EP - 14426 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-60079 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grundmann, Jana A1 - Bodermann, Bernd A1 - Ermilova, Elena A1 - Weise, Matthias A1 - Hertwig, Andreas A1 - Klapetek, Petr A1 - Rafighdoost, Jila A1 - Pereira, Silvania F. T1 - Optical and tactile measurements on SiC sample defects N2 - Abstract. In power electronics, compound semiconductors with large bandgaps, like silicon carbide (SiC), are increasingly being used as material instead of silicon. They have a lot of advantages over silicon but are also intolerant of nanoscale material defects, so that a defect inspection with high accuracy is needed. The different defect types on SiC samples are measured with various measurement methods, including optical and tactile methods. The defect types investigated include carrots, particles, polytype inclusions and threading dislocations, and they are analysed with imaging ellipsometry, coherent Fourier scatterometry (CFS), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These different measurement methods are used to investigate which method is most sensitive for which type of defect to be able to use the measurement methods more effectively. It is important to be able to identify the defects to classify them as critical or non-critical for the functionality of the end product. Once these investigations have been completed, the measurement systems can be optimally distributed to the relevant defects in further work to realize a hybrid analysis of the defects. In addition to the identification and classification of defects, such a future hybrid analysis could also include characterizations, e.g. further evaluation of ellipsometric data by using numerical simulations. KW - Compound semiconductors KW - Hybrid metrology KW - Material defects KW - Spectroscopic ellipsometry KW - Scanning probe microscopy KW - White-light interference microscopy PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-601220 DO - https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-13-109-2024 SN - 2194-878X VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 109 EP - 121 PB - Copernicus Publ. CY - Göttingen AN - OPUS4-60122 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - da Costa, P. F. G. M. A1 - Merízio, L. G. A1 - Wolff, N. A1 - Terraschke, H. A1 - de Camargo, Andrea Simone Stucchi T1 - Real-time monitoring of CdTe quantum dots growth in aqueous solution N2 - Quantum dots (QDs) are remarkable semiconductor nanoparticles, whose optical properties are strongly size-dependent. Therefore, the real-time monitoring of crystal growth pathway during synthesis gives an excellent opportunity to a smart design of the QDs luminescence. In this work, we present a new approach for monitoring the formation of QDs in aqueous solution up to 90 °C, through in situ luminescence analysis, using CdTe as a model system. This technique allows a detailed examination of the evolution of their light emission. In contrast to in situ absorbance analysis, the in situ luminescence measurements in reflection geometry are particularly advantageous once they are not hindered by the concentration increase of the colloidal suspension. The synthesized particles were additionally characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis, transition electron microscopy, UV-Vis absorption and infrared spectroscopy. The infrared spectra showed that 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-based thiols are covalently bound on the surface of QDs and microscopy revealed the formation of CdS. Setting a total of 3 h of reaction time, for instance, the QDs synthesized at 70, 80 and 90 °C exhibit emission maxima centered at 550, 600 and 655 nm. The in situ monitoring approach opens doors for a more precise achievement of the desired emission wavelength of QDs. KW - CdTe quantum dots KW - In situ synthesis KW - Real time growth control PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-603596 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57810-8 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-60359 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Fengchan A1 - Oiticica, Pedro Ramon Almeida A1 - Abad-Arredondo, Jaime A1 - Arai, Marylyn Setsuko A1 - Oliveira, Osvaldo N. A1 - Jaque, Daniel A1 - Fernandez Dominguez, Antonio I. A1 - de Camargo, Andrea Simone Stucchi A1 - Haro-González, Patricia T1 - Brownian Motion Governs the Plasmonic Enhancement of Colloidal Upconverting Nanoparticles N2 - Upconverting nanoparticles are essential in modern photonics due to their ability to convert infrared light to visible light. Despite their significance, they exhibit limited brightness, a key drawback that can be addressed by combining them with plasmonic nanoparticles. Plasmon-enhanced upconversion has been widely demonstrated in dry environments, where upconverting nanoparticles are immobilized, but constitutes a challenge in liquid media where Brownian motion competes against immobilization. This study employs optical tweezers for the three-dimensional manipulation of an individual upconverting nanoparticle, enabling the exploration of plasmon-enhanced upconversion luminescence in water. Contrary to expectation, experiments reveal a long-range (micrometer scale) and moderate (20%) enhancement in upconversion luminescence due to the plasmonic resonances of gold nanostructures. Comparison between experiments and numerical simulations evidences the key role of Brownian motion. It is demonstrated how the three-dimensional Brownian fluctuations of the upconverting nanoparticle lead to an “average effect” that explains the magnitude and spatial extension of luminescence enhancement. KW - Upconversion KW - Plasmon enhancement KW - Optical tweezers KW - Brownian motion KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-603551 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00379 VL - 24 IS - 12 SP - 3785 EP - 3792 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-60355 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Weinel, Kristina T1 - Plasmonic Behavior in Assemblies of Disordered Gold Nanoparticles N2 - Plasmons are collective oscillations of the free electron density in metals which can be described by an electromagnetic field. Surface plasmons are longitudinal waves propagating at the surface of the metallic material coupled to an external field. Localized surface plasmons on a nanoparticle reveal the behavior of standing waves with discrete resonance frequencies whose dominating mode is called dipole mode. Coupling of nanoparticles leads eventually to a hybridization of those dipole modes and therefore to spectral and spatial delocalization which was already investigated in ordered systems. In disordered systems, there are a lot of open questions regarding the propagation behavior which changes from delocalization to localization for instance due to the disorder. This phenomenon is then called Anderson localization. To investigate the propagation behavior of plasmonic waves in an assembly of disordered gold NPs, we combine experimental results of electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission microscope with simulation results of the self-consistent dipole modelling. We indeed find experimentally localization of plasmon modes and with the simulation we could exclude other localization mechanism such as life-time damping or retardation. In conclusion, we could found Anderson localization of surface plasmons in assemblies of disordered gold nanoparticles which will enhance the understanding of this kind of vector waves to the Anderson localization as a general wave behavior in disordered systems. T2 - PhD seminar Leipniz Institut for solid state and material research (IFW Dresden) CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 19.06.2024 KW - Plasmonic KW - EELS in STEM KW - Self-consistent dipole model KW - Assemblies of gold nanoparticles PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60945 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -