Browsing by Author "Tseng, Yuan-Chieh"

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A facile green antisolvent approach to Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals with visible-light-responsive photoactivities
(2014-08-07)
Lu, Yi-Hsuan
;
Lin, Wei-Hao
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Chiu, Yi-Hsuan
;
Pu, Ying-Chih
An environmentally benign antisolvent method has been developed to prepare Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals with controllable dopant concentrations. A room temperature ionic liquid, known as a deep eutectic solvent (DES), was used as the solvent to dissolve ZnO powders. Upon the introduction of the ZnO-containing DES into a bad solvent which shows no solvation to ZnO, ZnO was precipitated and grown due to the dramatic decrease of solubility. By adding Cu2+ ions to the bad solvent, the growth of ZnO from the antisolvent process was accompanied by Cu2+ introduction, resulting in the formation of Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals. The as-prepared Cu2+-doped ZnO showed an additional absorption band in the visible range (400-800 nm), which conduced to an improvement in the overall photon harvesting efficiency. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra, together with the photovoltage information, suggested that the doped Cu2+ may otherwise trap photoexcited electrons during the charge transfer process, inevitably depressing the photoconversion efficiency. The photoactivity of Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals for photoelectrochemical water oxidation was effectively enhanced in the visible region, which achieved the highest at 2.0 at% of Cu2+. A further increase in the Cu2+ concentration however led to a decrease in the photocatalytic performance, which was ascribed to the significant carrier trapping caused by the increased states given by excessive Cu2+. The photocurrent action spectra illustrated that the enhanced photoactivity of the Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals was mainly due to the improved visible photon harvesting achieved by Cu2+ doping. These results may facilitate the use of transition metal ion-doped ZnO in other photoconversion applications, such as ZnO based dye-sensitized solar cells and magnetism-assisted photocatalytic systems.
A facile green antisolvent approach to Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals with visible-light-responsive photoactivities
(2014-08-07)
Lu, Yi-Hsuan
;
Lin, Wei-Hao
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Chiu, Yi-Hsuan
;
Pu, Ying-Chih
An environmentally benign antisolvent method has been developed to prepare Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals with controllable dopant concentrations. A room temperature ionic liquid, known as a deep eutectic solvent (DES), was used as the solvent to dissolve ZnO powders. Upon the introduction of the ZnO-containing DES into a bad solvent which shows no solvation to ZnO, ZnO was precipitated and grown due to the dramatic decrease of solubility. By adding Cu2+ ions to the bad solvent, the growth of ZnO from the antisolvent process was accompanied by Cu2+ introduction, resulting in the formation of Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals. The as-prepared Cu2+-doped ZnO showed an additional absorption band in the visible range (400-800 nm), which conduced to an improvement in the overall photon harvesting efficiency. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra, together with the photovoltage information, suggested that the doped Cu2+ may otherwise trap photoexcited electrons during the charge transfer process, inevitably depressing the photoconversion efficiency. The photoactivity of Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals for photoelectrochemical water oxidation was effectively enhanced in the visible region, which achieved the highest at 2.0 at% of Cu2+. A further increase in the Cu2+ concentration however led to a decrease in the photocatalytic performance, which was ascribed to the significant carrier trapping caused by the increased states given by excessive Cu2+. The photocurrent action spectra illustrated that the enhanced photoactivity of the Cu2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals was mainly due to the improved visible photon harvesting achieved by Cu2+ doping. These results may facilitate the use of transition metal ion-doped ZnO in other photoconversion applications, such as ZnO based dye-sensitized solar cells and magnetism-assisted photocatalytic systems.
Atomic origin of the spin-polarization of the Co2FeAl Heusler compound
(2016-02-25)
Liang, Jaw-Yeu
;
Lam, Tu-Ngoc
;
Lin, Yan-Cheng
;
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Lin, Hong-Ji
Using synchrotron x-ray techniques, we studied the Co2FeAl spin-polarization state that generates the half-metallicity of the compound during an A(2) (low-spin) -> B-2 (high-spin) phase transition. Given the advantage of element specificity of x-ray techniques, we could fingerprint the structural and magnetic cross-reactions between Co and Fe within a complex Co2FeAl structure deposited on a MgO (0 0 1) substrate. X-ray diffraction and extended x-ray absorption fine structure investigations determined that the Co atoms preferably populate the (1/4,1/4,1/4) and (3/4,3/4,3/4) sites during the development of the B-2 phase. X-ray magnetic spectroscopy showed that although the two magnetic elements were ferromagnetically coupled, they interacted in a competing manner via a charge-transfer effect, which enhanced Co spin polarization at the expense of Fe spin polarization during the phase transition. This means that the spin-polarization of Co2FeAl was electronically dominated by Fe in A(2) whereas the charge transfer turned the dominance to Co upon B-2 formation. Helicity-dependent x-ray absorption spectra also revealed that only the minority state of Co/Fe was involved in the charge-transfer effect whereas the majority state was independent of it. Despite an overall increase of Co2FeAl magnetization, the charge-transfer effect created an undesired trade-off during the Co-Fe exchange interactions, because of the presence of twice as many X sites (Co) as Y sites (Fe) in the Heusler X(2)YZ formula. This suggests that the spin-polarization of Co2FeAl is unfortunately regulated by compromising the enhanced X (Co) sites and the suppressed Y (Fe) sites, irrespective of the development of the previously known high-spin-polarization phase of B-2. This finding provides a possible cause for the limited half-metallicity of Co2FeAl discovered recently. Electronic tuning between the X and Y sites is necessary to further increase the spin-polarization, and likely the half-metallicity as well, of the compound.
Broadband antireflection sub-wavelength structure of InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple junction solar cell with composition-graded SiNx
(2015-05)
Chung, Chen-Chen
;
Lo, Hsiao-Chieh
;
Lin, Yen-Ku
;
Yu, Hung-Wei
;
Binh Tinh Tran
This work reports a fabrication strategy to improve the antireflective ability of a InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cell, by combining a nano-templating technique and a chemical-synthesis approach. SiH4 and N-2 were used as ammonia-free reaction gases in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to prepare Si3N4 as an original antireflective coating (ARC) layer with better chemical stability. Composition-graded SiNx was successfully integrated with sub-wavelength structure by modulating SiH4/N-2 ratio during PECVD deposition, and followed by a controllable gold-nanoparticle masking technique on top of the solar cell. Finite-difference time-domain solution was employed to simulate and optimize the aspect-ratio of the ARC, under the condition of variable refractive index over a broad wavelength window, and followed by the masking technique to obtain the desired ARC dimension. This enabled a low light reflectance (<10%) over a broad spectral bandwidth (300-1800 nm) for the solar cell with excellent stability, because of the triple advantages of structural optimization, better chemical stability and graded refractive index of the ARC. The solar cell\'s performance was tested and showed great competitiveness to those of forefront studies, suggesting the feasibility of the proposed technology.
Competing Anisotropy-Tunneling Correlation of the CoFeB/MgO Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junction: An Electronic Approach
(2015-11-24)
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Lee, Min-Han
;
Shen, Kuei-Hung
;
Yang, Shan-Yi
We intensively investigate the physical principles regulating the tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR) and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of the CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) by means of angle-resolved x-ray magnetic spectroscopy. The angle-resolved capability was easily achieved, and it provided greater sensitivity to symmetry-related d-band occupation compared to traditional x-ray spectroscopy. This added degree of freedom successfully solved the unclear mechanism of this MTJ system renowned for controllable PMA and excellent TMR. As a surprising discovery, these two physical characteristics interact in a competing manner because of opposite band-filling preference in space-correlated symmetry of the 3d-orbital. An overlooked but harmful superparamagnetic phase resulting from magnetic inhomogeneity was also observed. This important finding reveals that simultaneously achieving fast switching and a high tunneling efficiency at an ultimate level is improbable for this MTJ system owing to its fundamental limit in physics. We suggest that the development of independent TMR and PMA mechanisms is critical towards a complementary relationship between the two physical characteristics, as well as the realization of superior performance, of this perpendicular MTJ. Furthermore, this study provides an easy approach to evaluate the futurity of any emerging spintronic candidates by electronically examining the relationship between their magnetic anisotropy and transport.
Competing magnetic interactions and interfacial frozen-spins in Ni-NiO core-shell nano-rods
(2012-03-15)
Hsu, Hao-Chun
;
Lo, Chih-Chieh
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
材料科學與工程學系
;
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
This paper investigates the subtle interfacial magnetism of highly-aligned, free-standing Ni-NiO core-shell rods on a Si substrate, fabricated by electroless-plating and an anodic aluminum oxide template. Transmission electron microscopy found that the NiO shell was uniformly present along the entire rod. Vertical magnetization shift, arising from opposite field cooling conditions, suggests frozen spins (FS) at the Ni-NiO interface. The FS were related to the pinning effects of the NiO on the Ni. The pinning strength depended on the NiO thickness, displaying a tunable fashion from 6 to 10 nano-meters with thermal annealing. The FS mediated the antiferromagnetic (AFM)-ferromagnetic (FM) interfacial coupling, leading to the temperature-dependent properties of the rods. FS were evident below 100 K, at which the NiO-AFM dominated the properties with a suppressed coercive field and non-saturated magnetization. At 100 K, however, the Ni-FM was superior to the NiO-AFM with a restored FM phase. Meanwhile, the interfacial magnetic frustration occurred due to the disappearance of FS. These two factors resulted in the coercivity enhancement at 100 K. The uniqueness of the structure opens opportunities to tailoring the properties of the rods by manipulating the core-shell inter-dependency, as well as inspiring further researches concerning its applications in spintronics. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [ http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3699039]
Complex magnetic interactions and charge transfer effects in highly ordered NixFe1-x nano-wires
(2013-04-01)
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Ma, Hao-Chung
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
材料科學與工程學系
This work investigates the subtle magnetic interactions within the NixFe1-x (x=0.3, 0.5, and 1.0) nano-wires by probing spin-dependent behaviors of the two constituted elements. The wires were fabricated by electro-deposition and an anode aluminum oxide template to produce free-standing nature, and the Ni-Fe interactions were probed by x-ray magnetic spectroscopy across a BCC -> FCC structural transition. The wires' magneto-structural properties were predominated by Ni, as reflected by a decrease but an increase in total magnetization and FCC x-ray intensity with increasing x, even if the Fe moment increased simultaneously. Upon annealing, a prominent charge transfer, together with the changes of spin-dependent states, took place in the Ni and Fe 3d orbitals, and a structural disordering was also obtained, for the wires at x=0.3. The charge transfer led to a local magnetic-compensation for the two elements, explaining the minor change in total magnetization for x=0.3 probed by a vibrational sample magnetometer. When x was increased to 0.5, however, the charge transfer became inactive due to persistent structural stability supported by Ni, albeit resulting in nearly invariant magnetization similar to that of x=0.3. The complexity of the Ni-Fe interactions varied with the composition and involved the modifications of the coupled magnetic, electronic and structural degrees of freedom. The study identifies the roles of Ni and Fe as unequally-influential in NixFe1-x, which provides opportunities to re-investigate the compound's properties concerning its technological applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Conformal Electrodeposition of Co-Ni to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Three-Dimensional Ordered Macroporous Ni Films
(2020-01-22)
Wang, Guang-Ren
;
Hung, Pei-Sung
;
Chang, Shou-Yi
;
Yang, Jenn-Ming
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
Three-dimensional ordered macroporous Ni films, known as Ni inverse opals, are fabricated via a template approach in which polystyrene (PS) microspheres (820 nm in diameter) are assembled in closely-packed colloidal crystals via a vertical electrophoresis process, followed by electroplating of Ni into the interstitial voids within the colloidal crystals and the selective removal of PS microspheres. To improve its mechanical strength, a conformal Ni-Co layer (45 similar to 64 nm) is electrodeposited on the skeletons of the Ni inverse opals by cyclic voltammetry. After coating, from nano-indentation tests, the hardness and reduced elastic modulus are enhanced considerably (172 similar to 220% for hardness; 72 similar to 79% for reduced elastic modulus), as compared to those of pristine inverse opals. After an annealing treatment for the interdiffusion of Ni and Co, the sample reveals an even stronger hardness. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the finite thickness of the inverse opals skeletons induces preferential growth of the (111) plane. In short, a combined effect of solid solution alloying, thickening of inverse opals skeletons for greater load bearing, and a predominant (111) plane is responsible for the improved mechanical strength of the Ni inverse opals. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published on behalf of The Electrochemical Society by IOP Publishing Limited.
Controlled synthesis and magnetic properties of nickel phosphide and bimetallic iron-nickel phosphide nanorods
(2012-02-01)
Singh, Bhupendra
;
Ho, Chia-Ling
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Lo, Chieh-Tsung
;
材料科學與工程學系
Nickel phosphide (Ni2P) and bimetallic iron-nickel phosphides [(FexNiy)(2)P] nanorods were fabricated by a seeded growth strategy. This strategy utilized pre-synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles as seeds and the thermal decomposition of metal precursors by multiple injections in a solution containing trioctylphosphine and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). The nanorods were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and magnetic measurements were carried out using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The rod length was tunable, ranging from 10 to 110 nm depending on the number of injections, whereas the diameter of the rods was nearly 6 nm. It was found that the rod size increased with the number of injections under the constant total injection concentration and reaction time. In addition, the effect of the DDAB quantity used as a co-surfactant was studied, which showed that an optimum quantity was required to achieve uniform nanorods. Magnetic characterizations were performed over the two kinds of nanorods to identify their respective magnetic phases. The results demonstrated that the Ni2P nanorods were defined as a Curie-Weiss paramagnet, whereas the (FexNiy)(2)Pnanorods exhibited superparamagnetic characteristics.
Core-Shell Ni-NiO Nano Arrays for UV Photodetection without an External Bias
(2012)
Liu, Chien-Min
;
Chen, Chih
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
材料科學與工程學系
;
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
This work demonstrates a simple method for fabricating a nano-structured device that performs notable photodetecting capabilities. With a template of anodic aluminum oxide, highly ordered Ni-NiO nano core-shell arrays were fabricated by annealing the electroless-deposited Ni arrays at 300 degrees C for 30 minutes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrated that a NiO layer with a thickness of similar to 5 nm was developed on the surface of the Ni arrays. The effects of annealing time and temperature on NiO were probed by HRTEM. Results show that temperature has a greater effect on the development of NiO. The Ni/NiO interface forms naturally a Schottky nanojunction, which covers most of the array surface when patterned with an indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The ITO/Ni-NiO/Si device was found to yield photocurrent when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light without an external voltage bias. The device takes great advantage of the large junction area and one-dimensional configuration of the core-shell array, displaying rapid photoresponse to UV light and subsequent steady photocurrent. These features make the proposed device a viable alternative to the UV photodetector. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.067204jes] All rights reserved.
Coupled microstructural and magnetic transition in Co-doped Ni nano-arrays
(2011-10-01)
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Huang, Chun-Chao
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Liu, Chien-Min
;
Chen, Chih
A superparamagnetic (SM) to ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition was investigated in Co-doped (similar to 6%) electroless plated Ni arrays. The introduction of Co altered the microstructure of the Ni arrays from nanocrystalline to polycrystalline, resulting in a SM -> FM transition. This Co-induced magnetic phase transition is similar to that observed after heat treatment of undoped samples [C. M. Liu, Y. C. Tseng, C. Chen, M. C. Hsu, T. Y. Chao, and Y. T. Cheng, Nanotechnology 20, 415703 (2009); C. C. Huang, C. C. Lo, Y. C. Tseng, C. M. Liu, and C. Chen, J. Appl. Phys. 109, 113905 (2011)]. The role of Co dopant was identified electronically using x-ray magnetic spectroscopy, revealing that the transition modified the Ni host's electronic structure and enhanced its moment by effectively spin-polarizing the Ni 3d conduction band. This was distinctly different than in the heat treatment case, which underwent an electronically independent phase transition. The element-specific magnetic hysteresis of Co and Ni was also probed, which showed that the two elements were magnetically coupled. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3647753]
Direct probe of heterojunction effects upon photoconductive properties of TiO(2) nanotubes fabricated by atomic layer deposition
(2010-06-04)
Chang, Yung-Huang
;
Liu, Chien-Min
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Chen, Chih
;
Chen, Chia-Chuan
This study investigated Schottky- and ohmic-contact effects upon the photoresponses of ITO/TiO(2)/Si and Ti/TiO(2)/Si nanotube-based photodiodes. The TiO(2) tube arrays were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and shaped by an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template on a p-type Si substrate. The contact area between the electrode (Ti or ITO) and the TiO(2)'s tip was varied by tuning the tube's inner wall thickness with ALD, providing a direct and systematic probe of the heterojunction effects upon the photodiodes' responses. Results show that the Ti/TiO(2)/Si diode exhibits a highly thickness-dependent photoresponse. This is because the photocurrent is driven by the p-n junction at TiO(2)/Si alone and it faces no retarding at the ohmic contact of Ti/TiO(2). For the ITO/TiO(2)/Si diode, the Schottky contact at ITO/TiO(2) regulates photocurrent overriding TiO(2)/Si as a result of higher efficiency in photogeneration, leading to the opposite response compared with the Ti/TiO(2)/Si diode. Respective energy band diagrams are provided to support the statements above, and a consistent picture is obtained for both time response and quantum efficiency measurements.
Direct probe of heterojunction effects upon photoconductive properties of TiO2 nanotubes fabricated by atomic layer deposition
(2010-06-04)
Chang, Yung-Huang
;
Liu, Chien-Min
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Chen, Chih
;
Chen, Chia-Chuan
This study investigated Schottky- and ohmic-contact effects upon the photoresponses of ITO/TiO2/Si and Ti/TiO2/Si nanotube-based photodiodes. The TiO2 tube arrays were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and shaped by an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template on a p-type Si substrate. The contact area between the electrode (Ti or ITO) and the TiO2's tip was varied by tuning the tube's inner wall thickness with ALD, providing a direct and systematic probe of the heterojunction effects upon the photodiodes' responses. Results show that the Ti/TiO2/Si diode exhibits a highly thickness-dependent photoresponse. This is because the photocurrent is driven by the p-n junction at TiO2/Si alone and it faces no retarding at the ohmic contact of Ti/TiO2. For the ITO/TiO2/Si diode, the Schottky contact at ITO/TiO2 regulates photocurrent overriding TiO2/Si as a result of higher efficiency in photogeneration, leading to the opposite response compared with the Ti/TiO2/Si diode. Respective energy band diagrams are provided to support the statements above, and a consistent picture is obtained for both time response and quantum efficiency measurements.
Effect of Si doping and applied pressure upon magnetostructural properties of Tb(5)(Si(x)Ge(1-x))(4) magnetocaloric compounds
(2011-03-28)
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Ma, Hao-Jhong
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Mudryk, Yaroslav
;
Pecharsky, Vitalij K.
The composition-and pressure-dependent magnetostructural properties of Tb(5)(Si(x)Ge(1-x))(4) (x = 0.4, 0.485, 0.625, and 0.7) were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism in a diamond anvil cell, respectively. Substituting the smaller-size Si for Ge stabilizes a single-phase, ferromagnetic (FM) orthorhombic O(I) structure for x >= 0.7. Similarly, application of external pressure causes a canted antiferromagnetic orthorhombic O(II) sample (x=0.4) to transform into an FMO(I) phase at 4 GPa. The element- and orbital-specific x-ray absorption data indicate that the Tb 4f orbital occupation changes with external pressure, likely through 4f-5d electronic mixing, yet no changes in Tb 4f electronic structure are observed with Si doping. The results point to different mechanisms behind the enhancement of FM exchange interactions in Tb(5)(Si(x)Ge(1-x))(4) with chemical and applied pressure, respectively.
Effect of Si doping and applied pressure upon magnetostructural properties of Tb-5(SixGe1-x)(4) magnetocaloric compounds
(2011-03-28)
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Ma, Hao-Jhong
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Mudryk, Yaroslav
;
Pecharsky, Vitalij K.
The composition-and pressure-dependent magnetostructural properties of Tb-5(SixGe1-x)(4) (x = 0.4, 0.485, 0.625, and 0.7) were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism in a diamond anvil cell, respectively. Substituting the smaller-size Si for Ge stabilizes a single-phase, ferromagnetic (FM) orthorhombic O(I) structure for x >= 0.7. Similarly, application of external pressure causes a canted antiferromagnetic orthorhombic O(II) sample (x=0.4) to transform into an FMO(I) phase at 4 GPa. The element- and orbital-specific x-ray absorption data indicate that the Tb 4f orbital occupation changes with external pressure, likely through 4f-5d electronic mixing, yet no changes in Tb 4f electronic structure are observed with Si doping. The results point to different mechanisms behind the enhancement of FM exchange interactions in Tb-5(SixGe1-x)(4) with chemical and applied pressure, respectively.
Effects of synthetic antiferromagnetic coupling on back-hopping of spin-transfer torque devices
(2020-08-17)
Chen, Kuan-Ming
;
Cheng, Chih-Wei
;
Wei, Jeng-Hua
;
Hsin, Yu-Chen
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
A synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer is a key component in spin-transfer torque magneto-resistive random-access memory devices. This study reveals that slight fluctuations in SAF coupling at the margin of the reference layer and hard layer (i.e., concurrent reversal) can lead to write errors in the form of back-hopping (BH). It appears that variable BH behavior can be attributed to competition between antiparallel (AP) -> parallel (P) and P -> AP transitions associated with SAF coupling. Our conclusions are supported by careful analysis of switching phase diagrams and measurements of self-heating and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy. We also observed that one form of coupling provided higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropic energy and thermal stability, which is likely due to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) effect. Thus, minimizing variations in DMI by optimizing SAF coupling is crucial for minimizing write error rates.
Element-specific study of the coupled magneto-structural and magneto-electronic properties of CoNi nanoarrays
(2013-04-01)
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
;
Lin, Hong-Ji
;
材料科學與工程學系
;
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
The magneto-structural (MS) and magneto-electronic (ME) effects, as well as their coupling relationship, were investigated in electroless-plated (EL) Co0.5Ni0.5 arrays treated by post N-2 annealing and in situ field plating. Separately and combined, these two treatments have been widely employed to improve the properties of magnetic nanostructures. This work aimed to discriminate between treatments with respect to electronic and structural properties, and magnetic degrees of freedom of Co0.5Ni0.5 nanostructures. The field-plated sample exhibited a strong MS-ME coupling due to magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA), arising from a FCC (111) preferred orientation with lattice planes stacking orthogonally to the long axial direction of the arrays. A large coercivity was observed in this structure, arising from high magnetic stability. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism revealed that magnetization was enhanced primarily by Co magnetism, while the field-plated sample underwent a MS/ME transition with corresponding increase of the plating field. Conversely, the heat-treated sample comprised isotropically oriented nanocrystals approximately 20 +/- 3 nm in diameter, coated with an oxidation layer (approximately 5 +/- 2 nm thick). The absence of MCA in these samples ensured a weak MS-ME coupling. Although the Ni magnetization of heat-treated samples remained close to that of the field-plated sample, the Co constituent exhibited CoO and Co3O4 phases in addition to the metallic state. By contrast, the Co constituent of the field-plated sample was mainly metallic. The lack of MCA, combined with a complex Co magnetic state, appears responsible for the divergent macroscopic magnetic behaviors of the heat-treated and the field-plated samples. By isolating changes in local magnetic moments of Ni and Co, we gained a fundamental understanding of the effects of post-N-2 annealing and field plating on CoNi. Such knowledge may assist researches in improving the magnetic properties of bimetallic nanostructures.
GdFe0.8Ni0.2O3: A Multiferroic Material for Low-Power Spintronic Devices with High Storage Capacity
(2019-08-28)
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Chung, Ming-Han
;
Kao, Ming-Yi
;
Lee, Shang-Fan
;
Yu, Yi-Hsing
Multiferroic materials are strong candidates for reducing the energy consumption of voltage-controlled spintronic devices because of the coexistence of ferroelectric (FE) and magnetic orders in a single phase. In this article, we present a new multiferroic perovskite, GdNixFe1-xO3 (GFNO), produced via sputtering on a SrTiO3 substrate. The proposed GFNO is FE and canted antiferromagnetic (AFM) within a monoclinic framework at room temperature. The FE polarization of the GFNO is up to 37 mu C/cm(2). When capped with a Co layer, the resulting heterostructure exhibits voltage-controlled magnetism (VCM). The heterostructured device exhibits two distinct features. First, its VCM depends on the magnitude as well as the polarity of the applied bias, thereby doubling the number of available magnetic readout states under a fixed voltage. Furthermore, the magnetic order of the device can be controlled very effectively within +/- 1 V. These two characteristics satisfy the requirements for low-power and high-storage technology. Theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate the importance of Ni dopant in regulating the polarity-dependent multiferroicity of this gadolinium ferrite system.
Heterostructured ferromagnet-topological insulator with dual-phase magnetic properties
(2018-01-01)
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Chuang, Pei-Yu
;
Chong, Cheong-Wei
;
Chen, Yu-Jung
;
Huang, Jung-Chun Andrew
The introduction of ferromagnetism at the surface of a topological insulator (TI) produces fascinating spin-charge phenomena. It has been assumed that these fascinating effects are associated with a homogeneous ferromagnetic (FM) layer possessing a single type of magnetic phase. However, we obtained phase separation within the FM layer of a Ni80Fe20/Bi2Se3 heterostructure. This phase separation was caused by the diffusion of Ni into Bi2Se3, forming a ternary magnetic phase of Ni:Bi2Se3. The inward diffusion of Ni led to the formation of an FeSe phase outward, transforming the original Ni80Fe20/Bi2Se3 into a sandwich structure comprising FeSe/Ni:Bi2Se3/Bi2Se3 with dual-phase magnetic characteristics similar to that driven by the proximity effect. Such a phenomenon might have been overlooked in previous studies with a strong focus on the proximity effect. X-ray magnetic spectroscopy revealed that FeSe and Ni:Bi2Se3 possess horizontal and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, respectively. The overall magnetic order of the heterostructure can be easily tuned by adjusting the thickness of the Bi2Se3 as it compromises the magnetic orders of the two magnetic phases. This discovery is essential to the quantification of spin-charge phenomena in similar material combinations where the FM layer is composed of multiple elements.
Instrument for x-ray absorption spectroscopy with in situ electrical control characterizations
(2013-12-01)
Huang, Chun-Chao
;
Chang, Shu-Jui
;
Yang, Chao-Yao
;
Chou, Hsiung
;
Tseng, Yuan-Chieh
We report a synchrotron-based setup capable of performing x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism with simultaneous electrical control characterizations. The setup can enable research concerning electrical transport, element-and orbital-selective magnetization with an in situ fashion. It is a unique approach to the real-time change of spin-polarized electronic state of a material/device exhibiting magneto-electric responses. The performance of the setup was tested by probing the spin-polarized states of cobalt and oxygen of Zn1-xCoxO dilute magnetic semiconductor under applied voltages, both at low (similar to 20 K) and room temperatures, and signal variations upon the change of applied voltage were clearly detected. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.