Ordering of Zn-centered porphyrin and phthalocyanine on TiO₂(011): STM studies

• Piotr Olszowski,
• Lukasz Zajac,
• Szymon Godlewski,
• Bartosz Such,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Res Jöhr,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Ernst Meyer and
• Marek Szymonski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 99–107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.11

• annealing. Furthermore, we used ZnTPP molecules as wetting layers. Comparing the ordering of ZnPc islands on the ZnTPP buffer layer with the one previously observed for the CuPc/ZnTPP heterostructures [5], we found that although the basic building blocks of phthalocyanine second layer structures are

Monolayer graphene/SiC Schottky barrier diodes with improved barrier height uniformity as a sensing platform for the detection of heavy metals

• Ivan Shtepliuk,
• Jens Eriksson,
• Volodymyr Khranovskyy,
• Tihomir Iakimov,
• Anita Lloyd Spetz and
• Rositsa Yakimova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1800–1814, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.173

• molecular orbital (LUMO). It should be mentioned that in reality Equation 6 is more complex, since the effect of buffer layer, doping, functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl and epoxy groups) on the electronic properties of graphene cannot be ignored. The ionization potential was estimated as the energy

Scanning probe microscopy studies on the adsorption of selected molecular dyes on titania

• Jakub S. Prauzner-Bechcicki,
• Lukasz Zajac,
• Piotr Olszowski,
• Res Jöhr,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Bartosz Such,
• Ernst Meyer and
• Marek Szymonski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1642–1653, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.156

• comprising molecules that are aligned with the given review. The first system comprises FePc molecules deposited on a monolayer of bipyridine (BiPy) used as a buffer layer [48], and the second is composed of CuPc molecules deposited on a wetting layer made of ZnTPP molecules [49]. The study of the FePc/BiPy

• oxide substrate [48]. Indeed, the BiPy molecules formed a buffer layer of upright molecules that, by spatial separation of FePc from the TiO2(110) surface, allows for its electronic decoupling. As soon as iron phthalocyanine molecules are deposited on the buffer layer, they adsorb and form molecular

• with STM [33][43]. One of the prerequisites of DSSCs, however, is the ability to function at least at room temperature. The introduction of ZnTPP molecules as a buffer layer changes the stability of the CuPc overlayers dramatically, finally allowing high-resolution room temperature STM measurements [49

Filled and empty states of Zn-TPP films deposited on Fe(001)-p(1×1)O

• Gianlorenzo Bussetti,
• Alberto Calloni,
• Rossella Yivlialin,
• Andrea Picone,
• Federico Bottegoni and
• Marco Finazzi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1527–1531, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.146

• a template for the deposition of other organic molecules or (ii) as a buffer layer in flat organic devices. On the other hand, a detailed analysis of the electronic properties of the porphyrin single layer requires a reference sample for comparison. Generally, as well as in this paper, a thick

Customized MFM probes with high lateral resolution

• Óscar Iglesias-Freire,
• Miriam Jaafar,
• Eider Berganza and
• Agustina Asenjo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1068–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.100

• thin film with no buffer layer, using a custom-built AC magnetron sputtering system with a substrate holder designed on purpose to favour the growth of the magnetic layer on one side of the pyramidal tip. The deposition parameters are carefully chosen to yield highly flat surfaces with small grain size

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanomaterials for energy generation and storage

• Marco Notarianni,
• Jinzhang Liu,
• Kristy Vernon and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 149–196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.17

• grown on a C face. The advantages are the absence of a buffer layer and the possibility to easily grow multilayer graphene (MLG) in all directions on the SiC surface (Figure 29a) [171]. The different graphene layers are not stacked in the same direction and are usually rotated about 23° with respect to

• cell consists of two electrodes (one of which is transparent) and an active layer between them where the generation of free charge carriers occurs. A buffer layer is usually included between each electrode and the active layer in order to prevent charge recombination, which reduces the efficiency of

Plasma fluorination of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes: functionalization and thermal stability

• Claudia Struzzi,
• Mattia Scardamaglia,
• Axel Hemberg,
• Luca Petaccia,
• Jean-François Colomer,
• Rony Snyders and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2263–2271, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.232

• a fine selection of grafted species and tuning of electronic properties. Experimental vCNTs were produced by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) at atmospheric pressure. The catalysts were prepared by magnetron sputtering; first, a 30 nm Al2O3 buffer layer was deposited on Si wafers with

• native SiO2, next, a 6 nm Fe layer was then added on top of the Al2O3 buffer layer to form (after annealing) nanoparticles which catalyze the nanotube growth. For the vCNTs growth, the catalyst was placed inside the reactor, heated to 750 °C at atmospheric pressure under Ar flow (120 sccm), then an

Graphene on SiC(0001) inspected by dynamic atomic force microscopy at room temperature

• Mykola Telychko,
• Jan Berger,
• Zsolt Majzik,
• Pavel Jelínek and
• Martin Švec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 901–906, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.93

• physical corrugation of SLG and its contribution to the observed STM contrast, as it has already been successfully studied on graphene/Ir(111) [16][17][18]. However, it is well-known that the morphological modulations of the SLG arise from the interaction with the so-called buffer layer – a C-rich phase

• passing the direct current. The deposition rate was 1 mL per 5 min. The temperature of the sample was measured using an optical pyrometer with spectral emissivity set to 0.6, operating at 1.6 μm wavelength, focused onto a spot on the sample with a diameter <2 mm. Buffer layer and graphene growth were

• images taken over an incomplete layer of graphene grown on 6H-SiC(0001). Figure 1a shows the main features of the surface morphology, terraces divided by steps of various heights, areas covered with SLG and BLG and areas of buffer layer. All of them have a common pattern – the quasiperiodic (q-6

Electrical contacts to individual SWCNTs: A review

• Wei Liu,
• Christofer Hierold and
• Miroslav Haluska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2202–2215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.229

• , neither wet-cleaning nor dry-cleaning techniques are applicable to remove the resist residue from the contact area, as they would destroy the preferably undercut profile of the resists required for the subsequent metal lift-off process. Khamis et al. [70] introduced a buffer layer between SWCNTs and a

Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

• Prasantha R. Mudimela,
• Mattia Scardamaglia,
• Oriol González-León,
• Nicolas Reckinger,
• Rony Snyders,
• Eduard Llobet,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Jean-François Colomer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 910–918, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.104

• CVD reactor using C2H4 as carbon source. Si wafers with native SiO2 were used as substrates. Al2O3 (30 nm) were used as buffer layer on wafer pieces and Fe (6 nm) used as active catalyst. The multilayer system composed of Si/native SiO2/Al2O3/Fe will be called from now the catalyst. The Al2O3 and Fe

Interaction of iron phthalocyanine with the graphene/Ni(111) system

• Lorenzo Massimi,
• Simone Lisi,
• Daniela Pacilè,
• Carlo Mariani and
• Maria Grazia Betti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 308–312, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.34

• Graphene grown on crystalline metal surfaces is a good candidate to act as a buffer layer between the metal and organic molecules that are deposited on top, because it offers the possibility to control the interaction between the substrate and the molecules. High-resolution angular-resolved ultraviolet

• (111). The results have been compared to the deposition of iron phthalocyanine on graphene/Ir(111), for which a higher decoupling of the organic molecule from the underlying metal is exerted by the graphene buffer layer. Keywords: angular-resolved photo-electron spectroscopy (ARPES); buffer layer

• appropriate buffer layer. Graphene (Gr), thanks to its unique electronic properties [8] and to the quite easy experimental preparation on many metal substrates [9], is a good candidate to tune the MPc–metal interface. Moreover, the self-assembling capabilities of organometallic molecules offer the possibility

STM tip-assisted engineering of molecular nanostructures: PTCDA islands on Ge(001):H surfaces

• Amir A. Ahmad Zebari,
• Marek Kolmer and
• Jakub S. Prauzner-Bechcicki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 927–932, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.104

• several strategies to minimize or even eliminate the influence of the underlying substrate on a molecular nanostructure on-top of it [4]. From an industrial perspective, a very promising approach is to cover the chosen substrate by an additional ultra-thin buffer layer, i.e., either a few monolayers of an

Synthesis of indium oxi-sulfide films by atomic layer deposition: The essential role of plasma enhancement

• Cathy Bugot,
• Nathanaëlle Schneider,
• Daniel Lincot and
• Frédérique Donsanti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 750–757, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.85

• tuned. Keywords: atomic layer deposition; buffer layer; indium oxi-sulfide; plasma enhancement; thin film solar cells; Introduction Chalcopyrite-type thin film solar cells that are based on a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) absorber have reached high efficiencies, up to 20.3% [1] in 2011 and 20.4% [2] on flexible

• substrates in 2013. The best efficiencies were obtained by using cadmium sulfide (CdS) as buffer layer in solar cells with a glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al stack. The buffer layer is an n-type semiconductor that forms the p–n junction with the p-type CIGS absorber, and also modifies the CIGS surface

• during the O2 plasma pulses. Due to the reactivity of the plasma, the film surfaces cannot be considered as a static system but should rather be seen as continually re-structured surfaces. In our future studies, those films will be applied as buffer layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells to investigate their

Plasticity of nanocrystalline alloys with chemical order: on the strength and ductility of nanocrystalline Ni–Fe

• Jonathan Schäfer and
• Karsten Albe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 542–553, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.63

• sizes, where the grains stay ordered and the GBs act as a buffer layer. The experimentally observed disordered state of nc Ni–Fe with an Fe content of up to 28% [5] produced by electrodeposition is therefore considered to result from the route of processing, leading to a kinetically trapped disordered

• extending the compositional phase field of the L12 structure, where perfect ordering in the grain interior is observed, since the GBs act as buffer layer accommodating excess components. The segregation of either Ni or Fe to the GB is therefore energetically in favor as compared to the loss of order inside

Grating-assisted coupling to nanophotonic circuits in microcrystalline diamond thin films

• Patrik Rath,
• Svetlana Khasminskaya,
• Christoph Nebel,
• Christoph Wild and
• Wolfram H.P. Pernice

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 300–305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.33

• ) substrates we employ silicon dioxide as the lower buffer layer and air as the top cladding, to realize diamond-on-insulator (DOI) substrates [17][19]. Commercial, high-purity silicon wafers with atomically flat surfaces are thermally oxidized to a thickness of 2 μm. The resulting amorphous silica provides

Functionalization of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

• Eloise Van Hooijdonk,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Rony Snyders and
• Jean-François Colomer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 129–152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.14

• floating buffer layer is a crucial step, it allows the control of the CNTs diameter while forming a covalent bond between both elements. The particularity of this hybrid material is that it extends to three dimensions the excellent electrical conductivities and the large specific surface areas (SSA) of

Tuning the properties of magnetic thin films by interaction with periodic nanostructures

• Ulf Wiedwald,
• Felix Haering,
• Stefan Nau,
• Carsten Schulze,
• Herbert Schletter,
• Denys Makarov,
• Alfred Plettl,
• Karsten Kuepper,
• Manfred Albrecht,
• Johannes Boneberg and
• Paul Ziemann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 831–842, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.93

• (0.3 nm)/Pt(0.8 nm)]8 was deposited on a 5 nm thick Pt buffer layer. An additional 3 nm thick Pt cover layer was deposited to protect the samples from oxidation. The deposition of the metal films was performed simultaneously on particle assemblies as well as on planar substrates for reference. Magnetic

• realizing percolated perpendicular media is the deposition of magnetic films with out-of-plane anisotropy on a densely packed array of hard spheres. This method was tested by growing a [Co(0.3 nm)/Pt(0.8 nm)]8 multilayer stack (sandwiched between 5 nm Pt buffer layer and a 3 nm Pt capping layer) on

Low-temperature synthesis of carbon nanotubes on indium tin oxide electrodes for organic solar cells

• Andrea Capasso,
• Luigi Salamandra,
• Aldo Di Carlo,
• John M. Bell and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 524–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.60

• believe that using a mat of MWCNTs as a functional buffer layer for ITO should guarantee an increase in both the charge collection and in the lifetime of the device. In order to test the last statement, test organic solar cells were built with two of our CNT-enhanced anodes: sample C (whose

Junction formation of Cu₃BiS₃ investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy and surface photovoltage measurements

• Fredy Mesa,
• William Chamorro,
• William Vallejo,
• Robert Baier,
• Thomas Dittrich,
• Alexander Grimm,
• Martha C. Lux-Steiner and
• Sascha Sadewasser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 277–284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.31

• distribution for In2S3 compared to that of CdS and ZnS. For In2S3 and CdS buffer layers the KPFM experiments indicate negatively charged Cu3BiS3 grain boundaries resulting from the deposition of the buffer layer. Macroscopic measurements of the surface photovoltage at variable excitation wavelength indicate

• the influence of defect states below the band gap on charge separation and a surface-defect passivation by the In2S3 buffer layer. Our findings indicate that Cu3BiS3 may become an interesting absorber material for thin-film solar cells; however, for photovoltaic application the band bending at the

• charge-selective contact has to be increased. Keywords: buffer layer; Cu3BiS3; Kelvin probe force microscopy; solar cells; Introduction Thin-film solar cells based on absorbers made from Cu(In,Ga)Se2 [1] or CdTe [2] reach the highest efficiencies currently available. Both semiconductors are interesting

Generation and agglomeration behaviour of size-selected sub-nm iron clusters as catalysts for the growth of carbon nanotubes

• Ravi Joshi,
• Benjamin Waldschmidt,
• Jörg Engstler,
• Rolf Schäfer and
• Jörg J. Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 734–739, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.80

• application of a high voltage pulse to the 90° mirror, which was aligned to the target (11). The incident energy of the mass-selected clusters was 2550 eV with an energy spread of approximately 150 eV (FWHM). Chemical vapour deposition of CNTs A 10 nm thick aluminium buffer layer was deposited by means of

• either thermal evaporation (heating Al in a boron nitride crucible with a tungsten filament) or electron beam evaporation onto a commercial TEM grid (SiOx; Fa. Plano, Wetzlar). Aluminium buffer layer (10 nm) deposition was monitored by means of a quartz crystal microbalance (Cressington MTM 10). After

Dense lying self-organized GaAsSb quantum dots on GaAs for efficient lasers

• Thomas H. Loeber,
• Dirk Hoffmann and
• Henning Fouckhardt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 333–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.39

• wavelength around 0.900 µm, see Figure 5. The growth process started with a 200 nm thick n-doped GaAs buffer layer followed by a 1500 nm n-doped Al0.50Ga0.50As as lower cladding. The active region consisted of eight layers of GaAsSb QDs, separated by 50 nm thick GaAs barriers. As upper cladding a 1500 nm