Micro-Scale Device-An Alternative Route for Studying the Intrinsic Properties of Solid-State Materials: The Case of Semiconducting TaGeIr.

An efficient application of a material is only possible if we know its physical and chemical properties, which is frequently obstructed by the presence of micro- or macroscopic inclusions of secondary phases. While sometimes a sophisticated synthesis route can address this issue, often obtaining pure material is not possible. One example is TaGeIr, which has highly sample-dependent properties resulting from the presence of several impurity phases, which influence electronic transport in the material. The effect of these minority phases was avoided by manufacturing, with the help of focused-ion-beam, a µm-scale device containing only one phase-TaGeIr. This work provides evidence for intrinsic semiconducting behavior of TaGeIr and serves as an example of selective single-domain device manufacturing. This approach gives a unique access to the properties of compounds that cannot be synthesized in single-phase form, sparing costly and time-consuming synthesis efforts.

Surface origin of high conductivities in undoped In2O3 thin films.

The microscopic cause of conductivity in transparent conducting oxides like ZnO, In{2}O{3}, and SnO{2} is generally considered to be a point defect mechanism in the bulk, involving intrinsic lattice defects, extrinsic dopants, or unintentional impurities like hydrogen. We confirm here that the defect theory for O-vacancies can quantitatively account for the rather moderate conductivity and off-stoichiometry observed in bulk In{2}O{3} samples under high-temperature equilibrium conditions. However, nominally undoped thin-films of In{2}O{3} can exhibit surprisingly high conductivities exceeding by 4-5 orders of magnitude that of bulk samples under identical conditions (temperature and O{2} partial pressure). Employing surface calculations and thickness-dependent Hall measurements, we demonstrate that surface donors rather than bulk defects dominate the conductivity of In{2}O{3} thin films.

Ag(6)Mo(2)O(7)F(3)Cl: a new silver cathode material for enhanced ICD primary lithium batteries.

As a potential cathode material for the ICD lithium battery, one advantage of Ag(6)Mo(2)O(7)F(3)Cl (SMOFC) is its enhanced gravimetric capacity of ca. 133 mAh/g above 3 V (vs Li(+)/Li) delivered by two biphasic transitions at 3.46 and 3.39 V (vs Li(+)/Li). The unique crystal structure of SMOFC enables a high silver ion conduction: sigma( perpendicular[001]) = 3.10(-2) S/cm (+/-2.10(-2) S/cm) and sigma(//[001]) = 4.10(-3) S/cm (+/-2.10(-3) S/cm) and, hence, an excellent discharge rate capability. Lithium insertion has been monitored by in situ XRD measurements with HRTEM investigations. There is a linear isotropic collapse of the structure leading to a fully amorphous structure beyond four inserted lithiums.

Atomic-scale structure of biogenic materials by total X-ray diffraction: a study of bacterial and fungal MnOx.

Biogenic materials are produced by microorganisms and are typically found in a nanophase state. As such, they are difficult to characterize structurally. In this report, we demonstrate how high-energy X-ray diffraction and atomic pair distribution function analysis can be used to determine the atomic-scale structures of MnO(x) produced by bacteria and fungi. These structures are well-defined, periodic, and species-specific, built of Mn-O(6) octahedra forming birnessite-type layers and todorokite-type tunnels, respectively. The inherent structural diversity of biogenic material may offer opportunities for practical applications.

Surface Reconstruction with a Fractional Hole: (sqrt[5] x sqrt[5])R26.6 degrees LaAlO3 (001).

The structure of the (sqrt[5] x sqrt[5])R26.6 degrees reconstruction of LaAlO3 (001) has been determined using transmission electron diffraction combined with direct methods. It has a lanthanum oxide termination with one lanthanum vacancy per surface unit cell. Density functional calculations indicate that charge compensation occurs by a fractional number of highly delocalized holes, and that the surface contains no oxygen vacancies and the holes are not filled with hydrogen. The reconstruction can be understood in terms of expulsion of the more electropositive cation from the surface and increased covalency.

Polar compounds constructed with the [Cr2O7]2- anion.

Crystalline KTiOPO4 (KTP), an inorganic nonlinear optical material with a waveguide figure-of-merit that is twice that of other mixed-metal oxides, contains helical chains of TiO(4/2)O(2/2) octahedra in which a long, short Ti-O bond motif results in a net c-directed polarization. The alternating long and short Ti-O bonds that occur along these chains are the major contributors to the large nonlinear optic and electrooptic coefficients. Analogous chains have been constructed using dichromate [Cr2O7]2- anions and [M(py)4]2+ (M = Cu, Zn) cations; these new transition metal oxides crystallize in the same space group as KTP. Crystal data for Cu(py)4Cr2O7: orthorhombic, space group Pna2(1) (No. 33), with a = 15.941(7) A, b = 16.324(3) A, c = 8.857(2) A, and Z = 4; for Zn(py)4Cr2O7, orthorhombic, space group Pna2(1) (No. 33), with a = 16.503(1) A, b = 16.005(1) A, c = 8.8130(5) A, and Z = 4; for Cd(py)4Cr2O7, monoclinic, space group C2/c (No. 15), with a = 14.8034(9) A, b = 11.1847(7) A, c = 15.788(1) A, beta = 110.023(1) degrees, and Z = 4.

Cation disorder in Ga1212.

Substitution of calcium for strontium in LnSr2-xCaxCu2GaO7 (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb) materials at ambient pressure and 975 degrees C results in complete substitution of calcium for strontium in the lanthanum and praseodymium systems and partial substitution in the other lanthanide systems. The calcium saturation level depends on the size of the Ln cation, and in all cases, a decrease in the lattice parameters with calcium concentration was observed until a common, lower bound, average A-cation size is reached. Site occupancies from X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments for LnSr2-xCaxCu2GaO7 (x = 0 and x = 2) confirm that the A-cations distribute between the two blocking-layer sites and the active-layer site based on size. A quantitative link between cation distribution and relative site-specific cation enthalpy for calcium, strontium, and lanthanum within the gallate structure is derived. The cation distribution in other similar materials can potentially be modeled.

Site-specific vanadates Co4Fe3.33(VO4)6 and Mn3Fe4(VO4)6.

Single crystals of Co4Fe3.33(VO4)6 and Mn3Fe4(VO4)6 were grown from equivalent CoO/Fe2O3/V2O5 and MnO/Fe2O3/V2O5 melts, respectively. The former crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma with parameters a = 4.965(1) A, b = 10.211(1) A, c = 17.188(3) A, and Z = 2 and is a homeotype of such catalysts as Mg2.5VMoO8. The latter crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with parameters a = 6.703(2) A, b = 8.137(1) A, c = 9.801(2) A, alpha = 105.56(1) degrees, beta = 105.58(2) degrees, gamma = 102.35(1) degrees, and Z = 1 and is a homeotype of beta-Cu3Fe4(VO4)6, the low-pressure form of alpha-Cu3Fe4(VO4)6. The cobalt analogue deviates in stoichiometry from the reactant melt to form the more dense alpha-Cu3Fe4(VO4)6 structure type comprised of partially occupied face-sharing octahedral and trigonal prismatic coordination sites.