Nanosystems Initiative Munich

About: Nanosystems Initiative Munich is a facility organization based out in Munich, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Quantum dot & Perovskite (structure). The organization has 323 authors who have published 549 publications receiving 24316 citations.

A versatile platform for magnetostriction measurements in thin films

Abstract: We present a versatile nanomechanical sensing platform for the investigation of magnetostriction in thin films. It is based on a doubly clamped silicon nitride nanobeam resonator covered with a thin magnetostrictive film. Changing the magnetization direction within the film plane by an applied magnetic field generates a magnetoelastic stress and thus changes the resonance frequency of the nanobeam. A measurement of the resulting resonance frequency shift, e.g., by optical interferometry, allows to quantitatively determine the magnetostriction constants of the thin film. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we determine the magnetostriction constants of a 10 nm thick polycrystalline cobalt film, showing very good agreement with literature values. The presented technique aims, in particular, for the precise measurement of magnetostriction in a variety of (conducting and insulating) thin films, which can be deposited by, e.g., electron beam deposition, thermal evaporation, or sputtering.

Screen-Printing of ZnO Nanostructures from Sol-Gel Solutions for Their Application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Abstract: Diblock copolymers have been used in sol-gel synthesis to successfully tailor the nanoscale morphology of thin ZnO films. As the fabrication of several-micron-thick mesoporous films such as those required in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was difficult with this approach, we exploited the benefits of diblock-copolymer-directed synthesis that made it compatible with screen printing. The simple conversion of the diblock copolymer ZnO precursor sol to a screen-printing paste was not possible as it resulted in poor film properties. To overcome this problem, an alternative route is proposed in which the diblock copolymer ZnO precursor sol is first blade coated and calcined, then converted to a screen-printing paste. This allows the benefits of diblock-copolymer-directed particle formation to be compatible with printing methods. The morphologies of the ZnO nanostructures were studied by SEM and correlated with the current density-voltage characteristics.

Anhydrous Ethanol Dehydrogenation on Metal–Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown GaN(0001)

Abstract: In this ultrahigh vacuum study, temperature-programmed desorption, Auger electron spectroscopy, and ex-situ atomic force microscopy are used to evaluate the surface chemistry of ethanol on the GaN(0001) surface. Ethanol undergoes dehydration and dehydrogenation reactions on the GaN(0001) surface to a larger extend than on the TiO2(110) surface. This enhanced reactivity is attributed to a higher amount of metal-bound ethoxy. In addition, molecular H2 has been identified as a byproduct of the ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde. We attribute the reactivity, including the formation of molecular hydrogen, to the combination of wurtzite structure and nitride chemistry, since surface amines are considered to be less stable than surface hydroxyls on other model oxides.