Ion-Beam and X-ray Chemical Analysis of MOxNy (M=Zr,Ti) Thin Films
EMSL Project ID
42795
Abstract
The development of new/novel functional materials, which can exhibit superior structural and electronic properties at the reduced dimensions, for application in energy technologies is a challenging problem of the 21st century. The focus of the present project is on oxide and oxynitride thin-films and nano-laminates of Zr and Ti for application in photoelectrochemical cells. The overall goal of the this funded research at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is to demonstrate unique materials and structures, by carefully controlling the growth conditions, in the M-O-N (M=Zr,Ti) system. Understanding the fundamental science and the microstructure chnages upon nitorgen doping and/or substition of oxygen in the materials is a key to tune the materials with the desired electronic properties. The present research project is, therefore, intended to use the state-of-art ion-beam and x-ray analytical techniques existing at the Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) within the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNL) to explore the fundamental science of M-O-N materials. The use of ion-beam and x-ray analytical techniques will help to understand the site-location of specific atoms, doping/substituion induced changes in the crystal structure and chemistry, and electronic-charge redistribution. The experiments will also help to derive the functional microstructure-property relationships, which will provide a roadmap for effective utilization of the Zr/Ti-based oxides and oxynitrides in solar-assited hydrogen energy production.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2010-12-30
End Date
2012-01-01
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Vemuri RS, G Carbjal-Franco, DA Ferrer, MH Engelhard, and CV Ramana. 2012. "Physical properties and surface/interface analysis of nanocrystalline WO3 films grown under variable oxygen gas flow rates." Applied Surface Science.
Vemuri VRS, MH Engelhard, and CV Ramana. 2012. "Correlation between surface chemistry, density and band gap in nanocrystalline WO3 thin films ." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 4(3):1371-1377.
Vemuri VRSR, M Noor-A-Alam, SK Gullapalli, MH Engelhard, and CV Ramana. 2011. "Nitrogen-incorporation induced changes in the microstructure of nanocrystalline WO3 thin films." Thin Solid Films 520(5):1446-1450. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2011.08.080