The semiconductor ZnO has gained substantial interest in the research community in part because of its large exciton binding energy (60meV) which could lead to lasing action based on exciton recombination even above room temperature. Even though research focusing on ZnO goes back many decades, the renewed interest is fueled by availability of high-quality substrates and reports of p-type conduction and ferromagnetic behavior when doped with transitions metals, both of which remain controversial. It is this renewed interest in ZnO which forms the basis of this review. As mentioned already, ZnO is not new to the semiconductor field, with studies of its lattice parameter dating back to 1935 by Bunn [Proc. Phys. Soc. London 47, 836 (1935)], studies of its vibrational properties with Raman scattering in 1966 by Damen et al. [Phys. Rev. 142, 570 (1966)], detailed optical studies in 1954 by Mollwo [Z. Angew. Phys. 6, 257 (1954)], and its growth by chemical-vapor transport in 1970 by Galli and Coker [Appl. Phys. ...

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A comprehensive review of zno materials and devices

This article presents an overview of the developments in stainless steels made since the 1990s. Some of the new applications that involve the use of stainless steel are also introduced. A brief introduction to the various classes of stainless steels, their precipitate phases and the status quo of their production around the globe is given first. The advances in a variety of subject areas that have been made recently will then be presented. These recent advances include (1) new findings on the various precipitate phases (the new J phase, new orientation relationships, new phase diagram for the Fe–Cr system, etc.); (2) new suggestions for the prevention/mitigation of the different problems and new methods for their detection/measurement and (3) new techniques for surface/bulk property enhancement (such as laser shot peening, grain boundary engineering and grain refinement). Recent developments in topics like phase prediction, stacking fault energy, superplasticity, metadynamic recrystallisation and the calculation of mechanical properties are introduced, too. In the end of this article, several new applications that involve the use of stainless steels are presented. Some of these are the use of austenitic stainless steels for signature authentication (magnetic recording), the utilisation of the cryogenic magnetic transition of the sigma phase for hot spot detection (the Sigmaplugs), the new Pt-enhanced radiopaque stainless steel (PERSS) coronary stents and stainless steel stents that may be used for magnetic drug targeting. Besides recent developments in conventional stainless steels, those in the high-nitrogen, low-Ni (or Ni-free) varieties are also introduced. These recent developments include new methods for attaining very high nitrogen contents, new guidelines for alloy design, the merits/demerits associated with high nitrogen contents, etc.

Recent developments in stainless steels

van der Waals heterostructures assembled from atomically thin crystalline layers of diverse two-dimensional solids are emerging as a new paradigm in the physics of materials. We used infrared nanoimaging to study the properties of surface phonon polaritons in a representative van der Waals crystal, hexagonal boron nitride. We launched, detected, and imaged the polaritonic waves in real space and altered their wavelength by varying the number of crystal layers in our specimens. The measured dispersion of polaritonic waves was shown to be governed by the crystal thickness according to a scaling law that persists down to a few atomic layers. Our results are likely to hold true in other polar van der Waals crystals and may lead to new functionalities.

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Tunable Phonon Polaritons in Atomically Thin van der Waals Crystals of Boron Nitride

Several hundred thousands of tons of ZnO are used by per year, e.g. as an additive to concrete or to rubber. In the field of optoelectronics, ZnO holds promises as a material for a blue/UV optoelectronics, alternatively to GaN, as a cheap, transparent, conducting oxide, as a material for electronic circuits, which are transparent in the visible or for semiconductor spintronics. The main problem is presently, however, a high, reproducible and stable p-doping. We review in this contribution partly critically the material growth, fundamental properties of ZnO and of ZnO-based nanostructures, doping as well as present and future applications, with emphasis on the electronic and optical properties including stimulated emission. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

ZnO : From basics towards applications

We present $GW$ calculations for small and large gap systems comprising typical semiconductors (Si, SiC, GaAs, GaN, ZnO, ZnS, CdS, and AlP), small gap semiconductors (PbS, PbSe, and PbTe), insulators (C, BN, MgO, and LiF), and noble gas solids (Ar and Ne). It is shown that the ${G}_{0}{W}_{0}$ approximation always yields too small band gaps. To improve agreement with experiment, the eigenvalues in the Green's function $G$ $(G{W}_{0})$ and in the Green's function and the dielectric matrix $(GW)$ are updated until self-consistency is reached. The first approximation leads to excellent agreement with experiment, whereas an update of the eigenvalues in $G$ and $W$ gives too large band gaps for virtually all materials. From a pragmatic point of view, the $G{W}_{0}$ approximation thus seems to be an accurate and still reasonably fast method for predicting quasiparticle energies in simple $sp$-bonded systems. We furthermore observe that the band gaps in materials with shallow $d$ states (GaAs, GaN, and ZnO) are systematically underestimated. We propose that an inaccurate description of the static dielectric properties of these materials is responsible for the underestimation of the band gaps in $G{W}_{0}$, which is itself a result of the incomplete cancellation of the Hartree self-energy within the $d$ shell by local or gradient corrected density functionals.

Self-consistent G W calculations for semiconductors and insulators

Infrared dielectric function spectra and phonon modes of high-quality, single crystalline, and highly resistive wurtzite ZnO films were obtained from infrared (300–1200 cm−1) spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman scattering studies. The ZnO films were deposited by pulsed-laser deposition on c-plane sapphire substrates and investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Rutherford backscattering experiments. The crystal structure, phonon modes, and dielectric functions are compared to those obtained from a single-crystal ZnO bulk sample. The film ZnO phonon mode frequencies are highly consistent with those of the bulk material. A small redshift of the longitudinal optical phonon mode frequencies of the ZnO films with respect to the bulk material is observed. This is tentatively assigned to the existence of vacancy point defects within the films. Accurate long-wavelength dielectric constant limits of ZnO are obtained from the infrared ellipsometry anal...

Infrared dielectric functions and phonon modes of high-quality ZnO films

The importance of the ion incidence angle in self-organized pattern formation during low energy Xe+ ion beam erosion of silicon is elaborated. By a small step variation of the ion incidence angle, a variety of nanostructured patterns can develop. In this context, the angular distribution of ions within the ion beam is explored as an additional parameter controlling the evolution of the surface topography. Due to a controlled variation of these two parameters, hitherto unknown phenomena are found: (i) formation of rotated ripples, (ii) continuous transitions between patterns, and (iii) long range square ordered dot pattern.

Ripple rotation, pattern transitions, and long range ordered dots on silicon by ion beam erosion

We measured the energy distributions of negative ions during reactive sputtering of silicon in oxygen. Various oxygen containing negative ions are formed in the cathode sheath or directly at the sputter target, respectively. These negative ions are accelerated away from the cathode by the electrical field, and can be detected using a mass spectrometer facing the sputter magnetron. The origin of each ion can be determined from peak structures in the energy distribution. Additionally the flux of different negative ions provides information on poisoning of the target by oxide films.

Sputter process diagnostics by negative ions

Generalized variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (gVASE) over the photon energy range from 1.5 to 3.5 eV has been used to study and distinguish the hexagonal and cubic phases of boron nitride in thin films (50–500 nm) deposited by magnetron sputtering onto (100) silicon. Furthermore, gVASE is used to characterize the anisotropic reflectivity of the hexagonal phase films with different microstructures.

Anisotropy of boron nitride thin-film reflectivity spectra by generalized ellipsometry

Infrared dielectric function spectra and phonon modes with polarization parallel and perpendicular to the c axis of high quality, highly relaxed, and single crystalline wurtzite MgxZn1−xO films with 0⩽x⩽0.2 prepared by pulsed-laser deposition on c-plane sapphire substrates were obtained from infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry (380–1200 cm−1) and Raman scattering studies. A two-mode behavior is found for the modes with E1 symmetry, a lattice mode and an impurity-type mode are obtained for the A1 symmetry phonons. Model dielectric function spectra will become useful for future infrared ellipsometry analysis of complex MgxZn1−xO-based heterostructures.

Horst Neumann

Papers

Infrared dielectric functions and phonon modes of high-quality ZnO films

Ripple rotation, pattern transitions, and long range ordered dots on silicon by ion beam erosion

Sputter process diagnostics by negative ions

Anisotropy of boron nitride thin-film reflectivity spectra by generalized ellipsometry

Infrared dielectric functions and phonon modes of wurtzite MgxZn1−xO (x⩽0.2)