Conversion of a 3D printer for versatile automation of dip coating processes

The necessity of increased sample throughput has led to increased usage of robotic systems and automation of sample preparation processes. Many devices, especially for dip coating applications, are mechanically simple but, nevertheless, require large financial investments. Here, a low-cost alternative to commercial dip coaters based on a readily available 3D printer is presented and resulting films are compared to those obtained from an exemplary commercial device. The 3D printer-based device is able to automate the dip coating process by performing complex multi-layer procedures using up to six different dipping solutions for a batch of up to six samples, potentially saving the many person-hours otherwise spent changing solutions and/or samples of more simple but also more expensive commercial systems. Coatings can be defined in terms of the sample used, dipping height, acceleration, speed, and the solution to be dipped into. The film quality from the home-built is compared to a representative commercial system with exemplary dip coating processes based on the deposition of thin films of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) from an ethyl acetate solution. The thin film quality is investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry and profilometry. The film thicknesses achieved by both systems were comparable, and the home-built system performs similarly and, in some instances, better than the commercial one in terms of uniformity and roughness. Due to the similar performance, the higher level of automation, and significantly lower cost, the presented conversion of a 3D printer is a viable alternative to acquiring a commercial dip coating device.

Broadband electrically detected magnetic resonance using adiabatic pulses

We present a broadband microwave setup for electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) based on microwave antennae with the ability to apply arbitrarily shaped pulses for the excitation of electron spin resonance (ESR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of spin ensembles. This setup uses non-resonant stripline structures for on-chip microwave delivery and is demonstrated to work in the frequency range from 4 MHz to 18 GHz. π pulse times of 50 ns and 70 μs for ESR and NMR transitions, respectively, are achieved with as little as 100 mW of microwave or radiofrequency power. The use of adiabatic pulses fully compensates for the microwave magnetic field inhomogeneity of the stripline antennae, as demonstrated with the help of BIR4 unitary rotation pulses driving the ESR transition of neutral phosphorus donors in silicon and the NMR transitions of ionized phosphorus donors as detected by electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR).

Organophosphonate biofunctionalization of diamond electrodes

The modification of the diamond surface with organic molecules is a crucial aspect to be considered for any bioapplication of this material. There is great interest in broadening the range of linker molecules that can be covalently bound to the diamond surface. In the case of protein immobilization, the hydropathicity of the surface has a major influence on the protein conformation and, thus, on the functionality of proteins immobilized at surfaces. For electrochemical applications, particular attention has to be devoted to avoid that the charge transfer between the electrode and the redox center embedded in the protein is hindered by a thick insulating linker layer. This paper reports on the grafting of 6-phosphonohexanoic acid on OH-terminated diamond surfaces, serving as linkers to tether electroactive proteins onto diamond surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the formation of a stable layer on the surface. The charge transfer between electroactive molecules and the substrate is studied by electrochemical characterization of the redox activity of aminomethylferrocene and cytochrome c covalently bound to the substrate through this linker. Our work demonstrates that OH-terminated diamond functionalized with 6-phosphonohexanoic acid is a suitable platform to interface redox-proteins, which are fundamental building blocks for many bioelectronics applications.

PEMBE-Growth of Gallium Nitride on (0001) Sapphire: A comparison to MOCVD grown GaN

Thin films of GaN on c-plane sapphire were grown by plasma-enhanced molecular beam epitaxy (PEMBE). The influence of different growth conditions on the quality of the epitaxial layers was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Hall measurements. For low deposition temperatures, the growth of a thin buffer layer of AlN results in a decrease of the XRD rocking curve full width at half maximum (FWHM) but also in poorer quality in electronic and optical properties. Samples of 3μm thickness with 570 arcsec FWHM in the XRD rocking curve, a near band gap PL-emission FWHM at 5 K of 7 meV, charge carrier densities of ne = 2 × 1017 cm−3, and Hall mobilities of 270 cm2/Vs at 300 K were grown without a buffer layer. A comparison of the morphology and XRD rocking curves with those of GaN films deposited by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) shows that the two methods have different growth mechanisms.

AlGaN-Based Bragg Reflectors

We have studied the dependence of the absorption edge and the refractive index of wurtzite AlxGa1−xN films on composition using transmission, ellipsometry and photothermal deflection spectroscopy. The Al molar fraction of the AlxGa1−xN films grown by plasma-induced molecular beam epitaxy was varied through the entire range of composition (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). We determined the absorption edges of AlxGa1−xN films and a bowing parameter of 1.3 ± 0.2 eV. The refractive index below the bandgap was deduced from the interference fringes, the dielectric function between 2.5 and 25 eV from ellipsometry measurements. The measured absorption coefficients and refractive indices were used to calculate the design and reflectivity of AlGaN-based Bragg reflectors working in the blue and near-ultraviolet spectral region.

Hydrophobic interaction and charge accumulation at the diamond-electrolyte interface

The hydrophobic interaction of surfaces with water is a well-known phenomenon, but experimental evidence of its influence on biosensor devices has been lacking. In this work we investigate diamond field-effect devices, reporting on Hall effect experiments and complementary simulations of the interfacial potential at the hydrogen-terminated diamond/aqueous electrolyte interface. The interfacial capacitance, derived from the gate-dependent Hall carrier concentration, can be modeled only when considering the hydrophobic nature of this surface and its influence on the structure of interfacial water. Our work demonstrates how profoundly the performance of potentiometric biosensor devices can be affected by their surfaces' hydrophobicity.

Ionization Energy and Electron Affinity of Clean and Oxidized AlxGa1−xN(0001) Surfaces

Ionization energies and electron affinities of clean AlxGa1−xN(0001) surfaces were investigated by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy over the whole composition range. The samples were cleaned with cycles of N+-ion sputtering and annealing partly within a Ga atom flux. The ionization energy is measured as 6.5 eV and is almost independent of the aluminum content in good agreement with the general chemical trend. The electron affinity decreases linearly with composition from 3.1 eV for GaN to 0.25 eV for AlN. No evidence for negative electron affinity at AlN(0001) surfaces was found. Adsorption of oxygen at room temperature leads to a significant increase of the ionization energy and electron affinity. With AlN(0001) surfaces, an oxygen uptake of 0.6 monolayers is observed after exposures of 108 Langmuirs and the ionization energy increases by approximately 2 eV.

Lateral polarity heterostructures by overgrowth of patterned AlxGa1-xN nucleation layers

In this study thin AlxGa1−xN nucleation layers on sapphire were patterned and overgrown by plasma-induced molecular beam epitaxy (PIMBE) and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to obtain adjacent regions of GaN and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with different polarities. The role of polarity on the structural and electrical properties of epitaxial layers and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures was investigated for samples grown on patterned AlN or GaN nucleation layers. Epitaxial GaN and AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown on Al-face AlN or N- face GaN nucleation layers were found to be Ga-face or N-face, respectively, independent of the technique used for the overgrowth.

Visible Luminescence from Porous Silicon and Siloxene: Recent Results

The optical properties of porous Si (p-Si) are compared to those of siloxene and its derivatives in order to gain more insight into the mechanism of the luminescence observed in p-Si. We report new results of photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), time-dependent and pressure-dependent photoluminescence, and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). Important information about the structural, electronic, and microscopic nature of the two classes of materials are deduced from these experiments. Annealed siloxene and p-Si show very similar properties, suggesting that siloxene-related structures, e.g. electrically isolated Si6-rings, might be responsible for the luminescence in p-Si. The Si-planes in as-prepared siloxene, with their green luminescence, are metastable and are readily oxidized into red-luminescent siloxene configurations.

ESR and LESR Studies in CVD Diamond

CVD diamond films with nitrogen content varying from 10 ppm to 132 ppm have been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR), light-induced ESR (LESR) as well as spin-dependent conductivity (SDC). Two characteristic signals have been observed. A carbon-related defect line with g = 2.0029 ± 0.0002 and width 4 ± 1 G, is observed in ESR, LESR and SDC. The intensity of this line measured by ESR increases linearly with nitrogen content. For low-defect-density samples, or after illuminating the high-defect-density samples with UV light, a second signal is observed both in ESR and LESR, but not in SDC, with a central line at g = 2.0024 ± 0.001 and width 0.2 ± 0.1 G and related hyperfine satellites ≈30 G away from the central line. This line is assigned to isolated substitutional nitrogen, the so-called P1 center. The density of N-related paramagnetic states is strongly affected by illumination and heat treatments. Spin-dependent conductivity measurements show that the dark conductivity at room temperature in CVD-diamond is dominated by hopping at the g = 2.0029 defects.

Interdiffusion and Carrier Recombination in High Intensity Transient Gratings

Transient grating (TG) experiments were performed to study carrier diffusion and recombination in amorphous silicon films (a-Si:H) at high light intensities using 8 ns pulses from a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser. The ambipolar diffusion coefficients reached about 10−2cm2/s, which is 2 orders of magnitude larger than the steady-state value. Similar results were obtained in intrinsic, p-, and n-doped a-Si:H films, indicating that the diffusion coefficients in all cases reflect the near band edge mobility of the slower carriers, that is holes. In particular, the p-type sample shows an initially fast, then a slow grating efficiency decay, consistent with dispersive transport.

Laser-Processing for Patterned and Free-Standing Nitride Films

Films of GaN and related materials can be processed by methods that invoke thermal decomposition, induced by intense illumination with a pulsed laser. At elevated temperatures, the nitride semiconductors undergo decomposition, with the effusion of nitrogen gas. We exploit this mechanism as an alternative to etching for the patterning of nitride films and for the opening of buried interfaces. Films of GaN have been etched to a depth of 1 μm in less than three seconds. This interface decomposition allows in particular the separation of nitride films from transparent growth substrates such as sapphire.

Electroelastic hyperfine tuning of phosphorus donors in silicon

We demonstrate an electroelastic control of the hyperfine interaction between nuclear and electronic spins opening an alternative way to address and couple spin-based qubits. The hyperfine interaction is measured by electrically detected magnetic resonance in phosphorus-doped silicon epitaxial layers employing a hybrid structure consisting of a silicon-germanium virtual substrate and a piezoelectric actuator. By applying a voltage to the actuator, the hyperfine interaction is changed by up to 0.9 MHz, which would be enough to shift the phosphorus donor electron spin out of resonance by more than one linewidth in isotopically purified 28Si.

Electronic transport in phosphorus-doped silicon nanocrystal networks

We have investigated the role of doping and paramagnetic states on the electronic transport of networks assembled from freestanding Si nanocrystals (Si-NCs). Electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) studies on Si-NCs films, which show a strong increase of conductivity with doping of individual Si-NCs, reveal that P donors and Si dangling bonds contribute to dark conductivity via spin-dependent hopping, whereas in photoconductivity, these states act as spin-dependent recombination centers of photogenerated electrons and holes. Comparison between EDMR and conventional electron paramagnetic resonance shows that different subsets of P-doped nanocrystals contribute to the different transport processes.

Hydroxyapatite growth induced by native extracellular matrix deposition on solid surfaces

Biological systems have a remarkable capability to produce perfect fine structures such as seashells, pearls, bones, teeth and corals. These structures are composites of interacting inorganic (calcium phosphate or carbonate minerals) and organic counterparts. It is difficult to say with certainty which part has the primary role. For example, the growth of molluscan shell crystals is thought to be initiated from a solution by the extracellular organic matrix (ECM). According to this theory, the matrix induces nucleation of calcium containing crystals. Recently, an alternative theory has been put forward, stating that a class of granulocytic hemocytes would be directly involved in shell crystal production in oysters. In the work presented here the surface of AISI 316 stainless steel was modified by deposition of ECM proteins. The ability of the modified substrates to induce nucleation and growth of hydroxyapatite (HA) from simulated body fluid (SBF) was examined by a kinetic study using two methods: (1) a simple soaking process in SBF and (2) a laser-liquid-solid interaction (LLSI) process which allows interaction between a scanning laser beam and a solid substrate immersed in SBF. The deposited HA layers were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that a coating of stainless steel surface with native ECM proteins induced nucleation and growth of HA and facilitated its crystallization. By the process of simple soaking of the samples, irrespective of their horizontal or vertical position in the solution, HA layers were grown due to the reactive ECM-coated stainless steel surface. It was shown that the process occurring in the first stages of the growth was not only a result of the force of gravity. The application of the LLSI process strongly influenced HA formation on the ECM-modified substrates by promoting and enhancing the HA nucleation and growth through a synergistic effect of a few stimuli, i.e., the modified solid surface, the laser beam and the aqueous solution.

Microscopic identification of the origin of generation-recombination noise in hydrogenated amorphous silicon with noise-detected magnetic resonance

Spin-dependent changes in the noise power of undoped amorphous hydrogenated silicon ( a-Si:H) are observed under electron spin resonance conditions. The noise-detected magnetic resonance (NDMR) signal has the g value of holes in the valence band tail of a-Si:H. Both the sign of the NDMR signal and the frequency dependence of its intensity can be quantitatively accounted for by a resonant reduction of the generation-recombination noise time constant tau. This identifies hopping in the valence-band tail as the dominant spin-dependent step governing noise in this material.