Advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications require the epitaxial integration of multi-phase metal oxide heterostructures, however, it remains challenging to simultaneously grow complex oxide phases with highquality, crystallographically aligned interfaces. Sequential deposition and post-processing steps are commonly used in conventional fabrication techniques, which increase structural complexity, interfacial degradation risk, and fabrication time. In a single-step deposition, epitaxial Cu2O/In2O3/CuInO2 heterostructure thin films were simultaneously grown on MgO (001) substrates via the dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition technique. This approach enables the simultaneous formation of three distinct yet crystallographically aligned metal oxide phases on the MgO substrate from a single (2CuO)(1_ x)/(In2O3)x target, resulting in well-defined interfaces, precise compositional control, and high crystallinity. Additionally, it eliminates the requirement for sequential deposition and post-processing steps, reduces fabrication time, and produces uniform thin films with consistent functional characteristics. Each grain in every phase maintains epitaxial registry with the MgO substrate, indicating exceptional interface quality. The as-prepared heterostructure thin films exhibit three distinct out-of-plane epitaxial relationships: Cu2O (011) & Vert;MgO (001), In2O3 (111) & Vert;MgO (001), and CuInO2 (0001) & Vert;MgO (001). The Cu2O (001) and CuInO2 (0001) grains each exhibit two kinds of in-plane epitaxial domains, while In2O3 (111) displays four distinct in-plane orientations.

12CaO·7Al2O3 (C12A7) is a mayenite-type oxide with a distinctive cage-like framework capable of accommodating extra-framework anions or electrons, enabling tunable charge states and functional properties. In this work, lithium doping in C12A7 was systematically investigated to assess its solubility, lattice stability, and substitutional behaviour. Lithium incorporation was attempted via wet (ion-solution) and dry (solid-state) synthesis routes, targeting substitution at Ca2+ and Al3+ sites. Structural evolution and phase stability were examined using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results reveal that Li+ substitution at Ca2+ sites is structurally unfavourable, leading to volatilization losses, and the formation of secondary phases such as LiAlO2, LiAlO3, CaO, and CaAl2O4, due to the large ionic radii mismatch between Li+ and Ca2+. In contrast, Li+ substitution at Al3+ sites preserves the single-phase C12A7 structure only at very low substitution levels (≤1–2 mol

High-quality pristine ZnO and (1-x)Cu2O/xZnO heterostructure epitaxial thin films with varying molar ratios (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) were fabricated using the dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition method. The structural analysis via 2 theta/omega scans and pole figure measurements reveals that pristine ZnO exhibits a single out-of-plane of ZnO (1010) & Vert;MgO (001) orientation with four in-plane domains and Cu2O exhibits the out-of-plane orientation of Cu2O (011) & Vert;MgO (001) with two in-plane domains. In contrast, (1-x)Cu2O/x(ZnO) heterostructure thin films demonstrated distinct crystallographic behaviors: Cu2O grain regions exhibited a single out-of-plane orientation of Cu2O (011) with two in-plane domains, while ZnO grain regions displayed two out-of-plane orientations, such as ZnO (0001) and ZnO (1011). The ZnO (0001) oriented grains possessed two in-plane domains, whereas ZnO (1011) oriented grains exhibited four in-plane domains. Dynamic force microscopy revealed maze-like grain growth in pristine Cu2O and tiny grain formation in pristine ZnO. In the case of (1-x)Cu2O/x(ZnO) heterostructure thin films, both the maze-like morphology corresponding to cubic Cu2O and the small grains associated with hexagonal ZnO were observed. The as-fabricated epitaxial thin films were employed in the development of a low-cost, energy-efficient, and stable gas sensor for room-temperature NO2 detection.

High-quality pristine ZnO and (1-x)Cu2O/xZnO heterostructure epitaxial thin films with varying molar ratios (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) were fabricated using the dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition method. The structural analysis via 2θ/ω scans and pole figure measurements reveals that pristine ZnO exhibits a single out-of-plane of ZnO (1 0 1¯ 0)‖MgO (0 0 1) orientation with four in-plane domains and Cu2O exhibits the out-of-plane orientation of Cu2O (011) | MgO (0 0 1) with two in-plane domains. In contrast, (1-x)Cu2O/x(ZnO) heterostructure thin films demonstrated distinct crystallographic behaviors: Cu2O grain regions exhibited a single out-of-plane orientation of Cu2O (0 1 1) with two in-plane domains, while ZnO grain regions displayed two out-of-plane orientations, such as ZnO (0 0 0 1) and ZnO (1 0 1¯ 1). The ZnO (0001) oriented grains possessed two in-plane domains, whereas ZnO (1 0 1¯ 1) oriented grains exhibited four in-plane domains. Dynamic force microscopy revealed maze-like grain growth in pristine Cu2O and tinny grain formation in pristine ZnO. In the case of (1-x)Cu2O/x(ZnO) heterostructure thin films, exhibited both the maze-like morphology corresponding to cubic Cu2O and the small grains associated with hexagonal ZnO. The as-fabricated epitaxial thin films were employed in the development of a low-cost, energy-efficient, and stable gas sensor for room-temperature NO2 detection

We prepared (001) oriented Cd0.9Mg0.1O thin films on soda-lime glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Use of the (001) oriented Cd0.9Mg0.1O thin film as a buffer layer was attempted to prepare VO2(R) (rutile) thin film. Because the lattice mismatch between the a-axis of VO2(R) (a = 0.4555 nm) and Cd0.9Mg0.1O (a = 0.4651) is slight (12.06 %), we expected a (001) oriented VO2(R) thin film on Cd0.9Mg0.1O buffered glass. The results indicate (110) orientation, which is likely attributable to the influence of the surface energy of VO2(R). In the rutile structure, the (001) plane is unstable because the coordination number of the cations at the outermost surface is low. In contrast, the (110) plane has the lowest surface energy. Therefore, the surface energy of VO2(R) is considered to exert a stronger effect than the interaction between the substrate and the thin film. The temperature dependence of resistivity of VO2 thin films with thickness deposited on Cd0.9Mg0.1O buffered glass substrates revealed that no metal-insulator transition was observed for thinner VO2 thin film (thickness less than 59 nm). For large thickness (greater than 82 nm), then a clear metal-insulator transition was observed. This phenomenon was explained in terms of stress and oxygen vacancy. A similar result was obtained from measurement of the temperature dependence of IR transmittance with thickness. For 94-nm-thick VO2 thin film, IR transmittance change as high as 53.9 % was obtained.

High-performance SrFe12O19 meets the current demands for lightweight and high-efficiency devices. In this study, Sm-(Co/Zn/Ca) co-doped spherical SrFe12O19 powders were synthesized via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. This approach overcomes the limitation of single Sm doping in M-type strontium ferrite, which enhances coercivity but decreases saturation magnetization. The effects of co-doping on the structural and magnetic properties of the material were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, M & ouml;ssbauer spectroscopy, and both room-temperature and low-temperature vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Among all the synthesized samples, SrSm0.20Zn0.05Fe11.75O19 exhibited the highest saturation magnetization (Ms = 78.983 emu/g) while maintaining a coercivity of 7.097 kOe. Compared to SrSm0.20Fe11.80O19, Sm-Zn co-doping resulted in a 20.12% increase in Ms with only a 0.42% reduction in Hcj. The results indicate that Zn2+ preferentially substitutes Fe3+ at the 4f2 spin-down sites, reducing the contribution of reverse magnetic moments and thereby enhancing Ms. Additionally, as a non-magnetic ion, Zn2+ does not disrupt Fe-O-Fe super-exchange interactions, leading to a minimal reduction in Hcj. In contrast, Ca2+ tends to occupy the 12k and 2a spin-up sites, which reduces spin-up magnetic moments, negatively affecting Ms enhancement. Moreover, Co2+, being a magnetic ion, disturbs Fe-O-Fe super-exchange interactions when incorporated into the SrFe12O19 lattice, leading to a more significant decrease in coercivity. The magneton number (nB) calculated from low-temperature VSM confirmed the magnetic moment enhancement effect in the co-doped system, while M & ouml;ssbauer spectroscopy provided further insights into the hyperfine interactions. This study demonstrates that the Sm-(Co/Zn/Ca) co-doping strategy effectively balances Ms and Hcj, significantly improving the magnetic performance of SrFe12O19. Furthermore, ultrasonic spray pyrolysis proves to be a scalable and cost-effective synthesis method, showing great potential for the large-scale production of high-performance ferrite powders. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing SrFe12O19 magnetic properties and offer new perspectives for its application in permanent magnet technology.

The anatase form of TiO₂ is a widely studied material due to its broad range of applications. Epitaxial anatase thin films have attracted significant attention because of their enhanced electrical and optical properties. However, fabricating anatase thin films remains challenging due to their metastability and the need for highly sophisticated fabrication techniques. On-site controlled hydrolysis is a simple, cost-effective, and rapid method for producing smooth, compact thin films on various surfaces. In this study, we demonstrate a straightforward approach to fabricating highly oriented epitaxial anatase thin films on LaAlO₃ substrates using different solvent mixtures. The epitaxial orientation and film quality were analyzed using X-ray diffraction pole figures and rocking curves, while surface morphology was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Our results indicate that thin film quality and morphology are primarily influenced by the annealing temperature rather than the choice of solvent or titanium precursor, confirming the feasibility of a scalable, low-cost epitaxial fabrication technique for anatase thin films.

Solid electrolyte Ta-substituted Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZTO) epitaxial thin films were grown using LiOH-flux liquid phase epitaxy at 600 degrees C under the flow of N2 and H2O vapor mixture. Prior to the liquid phase epitaxy, amorphous La-Zr-Ta-O thin films were deposited on garnet-type Ga3Gd5O12 (GGG) substrates by dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition for the thickness limitation and uniform film formation. Obtained thin films after liquid phase epitaxy, include Li content by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The epitaxial growth of LLZTO thin films on GGG(001), (110) and (111) substrates were confirmed by pole figures. The thin films had relatively low surfaces consist of radially spreading regions with about 5-20 m, which implies that the growth condition in this study was at higher supersaturation degree.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films/coatings have a wide range of potential applications due to their semiconducting properties and chemical stability under extreme conditions. A number of different techniques have been reported for the synthesis of smooth, crack-free TiO2 thin films under controlled conditions which have their own strengths and weaknesses. Altogether, there is a requirement of a thin film fabrication method which is simple, cost-effective, efficient, environmentally benign, and rapid. In this article, we report a new, simple, fast, and inexpensive method of synthesizing thin, smooth continuous TiO2 films in a controllable way by varying the rate of hydrolysis and temperature. We also report the chemical and physical parameters of the method and their effect on film morphology. Experiments were carried out using five different alcohols and two titanium alkoxides under different temperatures and Partial pressure of water vapor (p(H2O)). Formation of TiO2 thin films was confirmed by X-ray diffractometry and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis. The morphology of the thin film was confirmed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and the roughness values of the surfaces were measured by a laser microscope. Chemical compositions of liquids estimated by Infrared spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry. Overall, lower hydrolysis rate of titanium alkoxides in alcohols and higher evaporation rates of alcohols were observed as key factors that facilitate the formation of smooth, crack-free thin TiO2 coatings. Partial hydrolysis of the alkoxide on the substrate is the key factor in smooth thin film formation.

A specially designed, named Dynamic Aurora pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been developed to in situ grow thin films in a magnetic field up to 2000 G. Spontaneous superlattice formation occurs in the case of perovskite structure ceramics due to the application of magnetic field during thin films deposition. In this study, we examine the possibility and optimize the conditions of spontaneous superlattice formation in the case of fluorite structure, stabilized zirconia thin films under in situ magnetic field grown by Dynamic Aurora PLD. Although, a superlattice structure was not formed in this fluorite material system. To explain this discrepancy, several factors can be considered such as the number of the cation sites in the crystal structure. Perovskite structure has two cation sites, while the fluorite structure has only one cation site. This study provides necessary information for further research in developing self-organized superlattice structure synthesis techniques under magnetic-field associated pulsed laser deposition technique and simultaneously, also can play important roles in the processing of another materials system. Jagannath University Journal of Science, Volume 10, Number I, Jun. 2023, pp. 55-63

The epitaxial Cu2O films are grown on MgO (001) substrate by the dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The structure and epitaxial growth of the as-prepared thin films at different substrate temperatures (25°C to 600°C) were investigated. The thin film prepared at room temperature (RT, 25°C) exhibits (111) plane of monoclinic CuO phase with poor crystallinity. The thin films deposited at 200°C to 600°C show single-phase cubic Cu2O with good crystallinity. The highly oriented epitaxial Cu2O thin film on the MgO substrate is achieved at low temperatures of 200°C by applying an induced electromagnetic field during thin film growth. The quality and crystallinity of epitaxial Cu2O thin films remarkably improved with increasing temperature from 200°C to 600°C and all these thin films exhibited an out-of-plane epitaxial relationship of Cu2O (011) ‖ MgO (001). The CuO thin film grown on MgO substrate at RT show a single domain structure whereas Cu2O films grown at 200°C to 600°C exhibit two different kinds of domain structure with corresponding in-plane epitaxial relationship of Cu2O [100] ‖ MgO [110] and Cu2O [100] ‖ MgO [11¯0]. This report reveals, for the first time, the feasibility of epitaxial growth of highly oriented Cu2O (011) thin film achieved at the low temperature of 200°C by the dynamic aurora PLD method. The quality of epitaxial Cu2O (011) is significantly enhanced with increasing substrate temperature from 200°C to 600°C.

Periodic nanomaterials like superlattices find extensive use in diverse applications. Epitaxial growth has been extensively recorded in semiconductors, leading to the spontaneous formation of layer structures. However, this phenomenon is almost not observed in ceramics. In this study, we aimed to form the spontaneous superlattice of (La, Sr)CoO3 thin films having an A-site excess by dynamic aurora PLD method with the presence of magnetic field. The spontaneous superlattice was formed by varying several parameters (magnetic field, annealing oxygen pressure, and A/B ratio) in pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and its thermoelectric properties were studied. The (La, Sr)CoO3 spontaneous superlattice was successfully formed by depositing the thin film under an applied magnetic field ranging from 100 to 200 mT. Moreover, thin film A-site excess composition was optimized around A/B = 1.2 to 1.4 in atomic ratio and the in-plane lattice parameter of the thin film coincided with the substrate. The presence of a satellite peak of (La1-xSrx)CoO3 was observed by the XRD analysis, providing confirmation of the formation of a superlattice, and its superlattice period was calculated. The thermoelectric measurement was performed for (La, Sr)CoO3 thin films with a superlattice period of 12 nm and exhibited the maximum Seebeck coefficient was about 28.4 μVK−1 at 880 K. The electrical conductivity was obtained as 50 Scm−1 at 850 K due to the higher density of states in the valence band near EF. Moreover, the decreasing trend of the Seebeck coefficient was observed with an increasing superlattice period due to the presence of oxygen vacancy that occurred by the PLD deposition under the low annealing oxygen pressure. The power factor was calculated as 2.3 μWm−1K−2 at 783 K. This measurement demonstrates the thin film’s adequate capacity to conduct electric current.

Interparticle photo-cross-linkable suspension, which is a suspension photocurable via polymer crosslinking reaction among ceramic particles stabilized by a reactive polymer dispersant, is one of the promising materials to realize three-dimensional structuring of ceramic components through hybridized approaches of photocuring and green machining. Reactive silane oligomers functionalized with acryloyl groups (A-Si) have been reported to copolymerize in the interparticle cross-links, effectively inhibiting cracking during rapid debinding of green bodies. However, the role of A-Si in crack suppression during debinding remains poorly understood. Herein, the impact of A-Si copolymerization on the crack prevention of photo-cured bodies during rapid debinding is systematically investigated by high-temperature in situ three-point bending tests of photo-cured bodies and characterization of the microstructures and chemical structures of interparticle photo-crosslinks. Co-polymerization of A-Si in the cross-links improved the three-point bending strength of debinded bodies at 500-600 degrees C, where the green bodies without A-Si cracked. The prevention of cracking during debinding in samples containing A-Si was attributed to the generation of inorganic siloxane cross-links. This study provides a perspective on crafting machinable photo-cured green compacts, enabling their processing through time- and cost-effective rapid debinding methods. (c) 2024 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier BV and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

InN, one of III–V group compounds, has attracted attention owing to its optical properties in the infrared region. A high quality crystal growth for InN, however, is a key issue because InN is unstable at high temperature due to its thermal instability. Moreover, a microstructure control of InN by controlling a growth condition is desired for various optical applications. Atmospheric pressure halide chemical vapor deposition (APHCVD) method enables a single-crystal growth of InN at moderate growth temperature. In the present study, influence of the growth temperature and time on microstructure of hexagonal-pillar-structure InN single crystals by the APHCVD method on sapphire (1120) substrate is investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The growing temperature of the InN influences significantly to the microstructure of the InN crystal; flower like structures at low temperature of 560 °C, pillar structures at moderate temperature of 590 to 610 °C, and coalesced pillar structure at 640 °C.

InN, one of III -V group compounds, has attracted attention owing to its optical properties in the infrared region. A high quality crystal growth for InN, however, is a key issue because InN is unstable at high temperature due to its thermal instability. Moreover, a microstructure control of InN by controlling a growth condition is desired for various optical applications. Atmospheric pressure halide chemical vapor deposition (APHCVD) method enables a single-crystal growth of InN at moderate growth temperature. In the present study, influence of the growth temperature and time on microstructure of hexagonal-pillar-structure InN single crystals by the APHCVD method on sapphire o112 0 thorn substrate is investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The growing temperature of the InN influences significantly to the microstructure of the InN crystal; flower like structures at low temperature of 560 & DEG;C, pillar structures at moderate temperature of 590 to 610 & DEG;C, and coalesced pillar structure at 640 & DEG;C.& COPY;2023 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.

Crystal orientation is the key aspect of epitaxially grown ceramic thin films because it significantly affects their properties. In this study, the evaluation of thin-film orientation using scanning transmission electron microscopy moire fringes (SMF) is demonstrated. The SMF result from the combination of the crystal lattice fringes in the bright-field image and raster of the scanned electron beam. As the SMF reflect the crystal orientation against the scanning lines, it is possible to observe the crystal orientation distribution in epitaxial thin films. The accuracy of the orientation degrees measured by the SMF is quantitatively evaluated and discussed. As a typical example of an epitaxial film, an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) film on a Si(001) substrate is subjected to the SMF method to analyze the misorientation degree through the cross section and plan view observations.& COPY;2023 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.

A simulation program for phase separation using the phase-field method was developed to simulate the spinodal decomposition process in the growth of Sr excess SrTiO3 films using dynamic aurora pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Effects of magnetic field application of dynamic aurora PLD and growth processes were introduced into the phase-field model. Consequently, spontaneous superlattice formation in film growth was reproduced. Furthermore, the validity of this simulation was discussed based on the relation between the superlattice period and the amount of cation impingement, and growth temperature. The simulation results reproduced the experimentally obtained data, showing no superlattice formation when the amount of impinging cations was low. The activation energy for diffusion was obtained from the simulation results as 0.49 eV, which is similar to the 0.25 eV obtained from the experimentally obtained data. Results obtained from simulations are qualitatively appropriate. (c) 2023 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.