Infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies were made on hydrotalcite-like materials, Mg6Al2(OH)16(NO3)2·4H2O, anion exchanged in aqueous solution of K3Fe(CN)6, K4Fe(CN)6·3H2O, or Na2Fe(CN)5NO·2H2O. The material anion-exchanged in aqueous solution of K3Fe(CN)6 gave infrared (IR) absorption bands at 2120 and 2040 cm-1 in the C≡N stretching region, suggesting that part of the ferrate(III) complex was reduced to ferrate(II) complex on the intercalation chiefly because pure K3Fe(III)(CN)6 and K4Fe(II)(CN)6·3H2O gives bands at 2120 and 2040 cm-1, respectively. On the intercalation of Fe(CN)64-, no change in the oxidation state of iron was observed. These features were confirmed by Mössbauer spectroscopy. In the IR spectra of material anion-exchanged in aqueous solution of Na2Fe(CN)5NO·2H2O, the intensity of bands due to N≡O (1940 cm-1) and C≡N stretching was much less than that observed for Na2Fe(CN)5NO·2H2O, indicating that most of N≡O ligand was eliminated during the intercalation. Four bands were observed in the C≡N stretching region: a band at 2143 cm-1 was assigned to C≡N groups in Fe(CN)5NO2-; a band at 2120 cm-1 was tentatively assigned to Fe(CN)5H2O2-; bands at 2040–2050 cm-1 were assigned to Fe(CN)5H2O3-.

Hydrotalcite-like minerals, containing Mg2+-Al3+-Xn− (Xn− = NO3−, Cl−, SO42−, or CrO42−), Zn2+-Al3+-NO3−, or Zn2+-Cr3+-NO3− ions, were intercalated with Co(CN)63− by an anion exchange method. For most of the minerals examined, the degree of anion exchange was 79–90%. X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the ion-exchanged samples revealed two peaks at about 8° and 11°2θ (CuKα radiation) attributable to reflections from expanded and non-expanded interlayers, respectively. The intensity of the peak at about 8°2θ was a linear function of the degree of anion exchange. The amount of hexane adsorbed onto the anion-exchanged sample increased linearly with the increase in degree of anion exchange. From these results, anions near the edge of the interlayers appear to have been preferentially replaced by Co(CN)63− at a low degree of anion exchange, whereas those at some distance from the edge were replaced only at a high degree of anion exchange. The adsorption capacity of the Co(CN)63−-exchanged sample for hydrocarbons was: hexane ≃ 2-methylpentane ≫ cyclohexane > methylcyclohexane. The adsorption of chain hydrocarbons and cyclic hydrocarbons was different.

The three-dimensional distribution of melt in partially molten synthetic samples compositionally corresponding to diopside (90 wt.%)–anorthite (10 wt.%) and doped with PbO, WO3, MoO3, or Cs2O to enhance contrast was studied by X-ray computed tomography (CT) with synchrotron radiation. The heavy elements were strongly concentrated in the melt and contributed to an increase of the X-ray linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of it. PbO was found to be compatible with silicate melt (>20 wt.% in solution) and incompatible with diopside crystals. Other oxides WO3 (∼10 wt.%), MoO3 (∼5 wt.%) and Cs2O (< 5 wt.%) are also soluble only in the melt. Such doping is useful not only for LAC control in X-ray CT measurements, but also for systematic control of the structure (wetting properties, distribution and connectivity) of partial melt. This technique gives basic information for discussion of the 3D distribution of partial melt having different wetting properties. As PbO was most effective in visualization of the diopside–anorthite partially molten system, CT images of the PbO-bearing sample were used for further 3D investigation of distribution. A distribution of dihedral angles at solid-melt-solid triple junctions ranging from 22 to 55° was observed with the 3D data. This range in angle distribution was probably caused by anisotropy of crystals and the result supports the argument that there is some limitation in a theoretical framework of stereology which estimates the 3D structure based on 2D observations. Investigators have begun to apply X-ray CT to the study of the 3D distribution of partial melts in rocks using synchrotron radiation. Our study on the effect of doping is one approach for developing a technique to investigate 3D melt distribution.

The in situ X-ray reciprocal space mapping (in situ RSM) of symmetric diffraction measurements during lattice-mismatched InGaAs/GaAs(001) growth were performed to investigate the strain relaxation mechanisms. The evolution of the residual strain and crystal quality were obtained as a function of InGaAs film thickness. Based on the results, the correlation between the strain relaxation and the dislocations during the film growth were evaluated. As a result, film thickness ranges with different relaxation mechanisms were classified, and dominant dislocation behavior in each phase were deduced. From the data obtained in in situ measurements, the quantitative strain relaxation models were proposed based on a dislocation kinetic model developed by Dodson and Tsao. Good agreement between the in situ data and the model ensured the validity of the dominant dislocation behavior deduced from the present study.

We report magnetic properties of [Ca2CoO3-δ]0.62CoO2 (Ca349) powders with various average size and the Bi- and Sr-doping effects on thermoelectric properties for the magnetically grain-aligned and densified Ca349 thick films. Magnetic anisotropy at 300 K depended on the initial average size of Ca349 powders and decreased with the decrease in the size. This presumably suggests that distortion of crystal structure was induced by a ball-milling process and led to the change of magnetic anisotropy. On the Bi- and Sr-doping effects, an obvious enhancement of thermoelectric properties did not emerge in the case of the Sr-doping, whereas the enhancement was observed for the Bi-doped Ca349 thick films. However, a drastic decrease of magnetic anisotropy was caused by the Bi-doping. For usage of the p-type layer in multilayered thermoelectric module, tuning of the Bi-doping levels in which both enhancement of thermoelectric properties and a certain level of magnetic anisotropy are achieved is required.

We report thermoelectric (TE) properties of mono-layer thick films of p-type [Ca2CoO3-δ]0.62CoO2 (Ca349) and n-type compounds of Ca0.9La0.1MnO3 (Mn113) and LaNi0.98Mo0.02O3 (Ni113) for the improvement of TE performance in multi-layered TE modules. In the case of magnetically aligned Ca349 film, the improvement of TE properties due to the reduction of resistivity (ρ) was achieved by optimization of hot-pressing temperature and ρ was sensitive to relative density of the Ca349 layer. For the decrease in ρ of the n-type layers, two different approaches, the choice of Ni113 as a n-type compound and usage of fine powders of Mn113, were attempted. Both approaches were effective for reducing ρ even in the sintering at ∼900°C.

The amount of residual carbon in the GaAsN film deposited by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) is decreased by the flow rate modulation growth method (FM-CBE). The number of carbon atoms remained in the grown film increases as the growth temperature decreases. At low temperatures below 440°C, the carbon atoms are mainly originated from the nitrogen source gas mono-methylhydrazine. However, increasing the substrate temperature during the growth causes the deterioration of film qualities and the high growth temperature is not the solution for reducing the impurities. On the other hand, by intermitting the supply of gallium source triethylgallium while the arsenic and nitrogen sources are continuously supplied, the carbon concentration drastically decreases as compared with that grown by the conventional CBE growth. The results of temperature programmed desorption and ab initio calculations suggest that the desorption of adsorbates that contain C atom, such as, NHCH3, is enhanced by the FM-CBE growth, resulting in the decrease of the residual C concentration.

To clarify the reaction process of Co and Fe with a oxide layer on Si substrates, the annealing processes were analyzed using spectroscopic photoemission and low-energy electron microscopy for a special surface where oxide areas and clean substrate areas (voids) coexist closely in a micrometer-order view. From analyses of XAS spectra and edge jump ratios obtained from the photoemission electron microscopy image, we clarified that Co atoms in the void area remain because of the formation of silicides, but that those on the oxide layer disappear because metallic Co atoms easily diffuse. In contrast, in the case of Fe, we found the formation of various silicides and their gradual diffusion into Si substrate even in the form of silicides.

We report the preparation of grain-aligned [Ca2CoO3−δ]0.62CoO2 (Ca349) thick films and the conversion of the easy axis of magnetization from the a-axis to the c-axis. The thick films were fabricated by a simultaneous usage of electrophoretic deposition and magnetic alignment methods (MEPD) at high deposition rate with the order of 10 mm/min. Moreover, a multi-layered thick film of Al2O3/Ca349/Al2O3/Ca0.9La0.1MnO3/Al2O3 was also fabricated by the MEPD method by the optimization of condition of each suspension. The conversion of the easy axis was performed crystallochemically for a [Bi2Sr2O4]0.55CoO2 (BiSr222) compound with the easy axis parallel to the a-axis in order to fabricate c-axis grain-oriented bulks by the magnetic alignment method. The substitution of Ca for Sr in the [(Bi0.5Pb0.5)2Sr2O4] block layer induced the change of the easy axis into the c-axis direction, and the magnetic anisotropy was increased by the partial substitution of rare earth elements of Pr, Nd, Tb and Dy for Ca. Using a compound of [(Bi0.5Pb0.5)2(Ca0.8Pr0.2)2O4]0.55CoO2, we have successfully prepared the c-axis grain-aligned bulk by the magneto-scientific method. Our present results indicate that the magneto-scientific method is one of the useful and realistic processes for production of thermoelectric modules.

The electrophoretic deposition of single-crystalline α-alumina particles dispersed in aqueous media was performed in a strong magnetic field of 10 T. The α-alumina particles in the stable suspension were aligned due to their anisotropic diamagnetic susceptibility and then deposited on a cathodic substrate. The orientation of the α-alumina crystallites was confirmed by x-ray diffraction of the sintered specimen.

The motility of the avian cloaca is under neural control, but little is known about the neural network that accomplishes this function. This present study was designed to determine the distribution of nitric oxide-synthesising neurons in the pigeon cloaca by enzyme histochemistry for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d). NADPH-d-positive staining was seen in the neurons and fibres in the cloaca. The highest density of nerve fibres was noted in the coprodeum and the lowest in the proctodeum. In the coprodeum, NADPH-d neurons were found singly, formed small groups of 2–10 neurons, or were seen in plexuses in the muscle layer, lamina propria, or around the arterioles. Several NADPH-d-positive neurons were also observed in the ganglia of the cloaca. NADPH-d fibres ran in the muscle layer, lamina muscularis mucosae and lamina propria, or surrounded blood vessels. The distribution pattern of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-stained neurons and fibres in the cloaca was similar to that of NADPH-d. Double staining for NADPH-d and AChE showed colocalisation of the 2 enzymes in many neurons of the cloaca. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive nerve fibres originating outside the cloaca were also noted. In the urodeum and proctodeum, neurons or fibres positive for NADPH-d, AChE or TH were scattered in the lamina propria. Nerve fibres immunoreactive for calcitonin-gene related peptide, galanin, methionine-enkephalin, substance P, and vasoactive intestinal peptide were found sparsely in the cloaca. Our results demonstrate that nitrergic neurons constitute a subpopulation which is closely associated with the cholinergic system in the pigeon cloaca.

Whisker-originated short in the self-aligned contact (SAC) W polymetal gate was directly observed for the first time. Short points between gate electrodes and poly-Si plugs in the test structure were identified by emission microscope and cross-sectional TEM samples of those points were made by using focused ion beam (FIB).

Whiskers are formed during high-temperature processing such as LP-CVD SiN. We have proposed that NH3 de-oxidation step inserted in the SiN deposition sequence is effective for suppressing whisker growth. [1] In this study it was also confirmed that 600°C NH 3 pre-flow improved leakage current between gate electrode and contact plugs.