[en] The objective of this study was to examine the transport properties of two YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ thin films with (Y_0.9Ca_0.1)₂BaCuO₅ additions deposited on vicinal SrTiO₃ 6⁰ bi-crystal substrates and to investigate the possible correlations between spatial calcium distribution and local electromagnetic properties across bi-crystal grain boundaries using evanescent microwave microscopy (EMM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The samples under consideration differed in transport critical current measurements by a factor of two although they were deposited on the same type of bi-crystal substrate. A near-field evanescent microwave microscope based on a coaxial transmission line resonator with an end-wall aperture was used to measure changes in conductivity local to the bi-crystal boundary of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ thin films below (79.2 K) and above (room temperature) the superconducting transition temperature. Atomic concentration measurements by electron microprobe analysis were performed in the same regions, and a clear correlation between calcium distribution and conductivity at 79.2 K (as represented by the change in quality factor) was found. Surface potential imaging (SPI) and quality factor scans in the area of the bi-crystal grain boundaries were performed at room temperature using AFM and EMM, respectively, to evaluate local electromagnetic properties in the normal state and investigate their correlation with superconducting properties

[en] A series of nanostructured ferroelectric thin films of barium strontium titanate were fabricated using a pulsed laser deposition system with real-time in situ process control. Pulsed laser deposition parameters were controlled during the growth of nanostructured thin films for use in the development of high frequency tunable microwave devices. The thin films were all grown at the same substrate temperature and laser beam energy density, but the chamber oxygen partial pressure (COPP) was varied systematically from 19 mTorr through 1000 Torr. Structural and electromagnetic characterization was performed using atomic force microscopy and evanescent microwave microscopy, respectively. Atomic force microscopy showed a linear increase in grain size with increases in the ambient oxygen pressure from 38 to 150 mTorr and from 300 mTorr to 1000 Torr. The correlation of the microwave properties with the epitaxial film microstructure can be attributed to stresses and polarizability in the film. Microwave characterization showed that a COPP of 75 mTorr yielded the most desirable film in terms of tunability and loss tangent over a wide frequency range.

[en] In this paper, we present an inkjet printing approach suited for the deposition of photocatalytically active, transparent titanium oxide coatings from an aqueous, colloidal suspension. We used a bottom-up approach in which a microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of titanium propoxide aqueous solutions in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and triethanolamine was used to create suspensions containing titania nanoparticles. Different inkjet printing set-ups, electromagnetic and piezoelectric driven, were tested to deposit the inks on glass substrates. The presence of preformed titania nanoparticles was expected to make it possible to reduce the heating temperature necessary to obtain the functionality of photocatalysis which can widen the application range of the approach to heat-sensitive substrates. We investigated the crystallinity and size of the obtained nanoparticles by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The rheological properties of the suspensions were evaluated against the relevant criteria for inkjet printing and the jettability was analyzed. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained layers was analyzed by following the decomposition of a methylene blue solution under UV illumination. The influence of the heat treatment temperature on the film roughness, thickness and photocatalytic activity was studied. Good photocatalytic performance was achieved for heat treatments at temperatures as low as 150 °C, introducing the possibility of using this approach for heat-sensitive substrates. (paper)

[en] Carbon nanotube fibres are a new class of materials highly promising for many electrical/electronic applications. The range of applications could be extended through the modification of their electrical transport properties by inclusions of foreign materials. However, the changes in electrical transport are often difficult to assess. Here, we propose that the analysis of resistance–temperature dependencies of modified fibres supported by a recently developed theoretical model may aid research in this area and accelerate real life applications of the fibres