This paper examines the challenge posed by the measurement of thickness of sub-50 nm diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited onto silicon substrates. We compared contact profilometry (CP), optical profilometry (OP), contact atomic force microscopy (CAFM), tapping atomic force microscopy (TAFM) and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). Generally, CP, CAFM, TAFM and XRR give similar thickness values excep...

Chemical vapor deposition of graphene on copper foil is an attractive method of producing large-area graphene films, but the electronic performance is limited by defects such as creases from the film transfer process, wrinkles due to the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, and grain boundaries from the growth process. Here we present an all-optical technique to correlate defect structure wi...

The reactions in the SirTarCu metallization system produced by the sputtering process were investigated by means of sheet Ž . Ž . resistance measurements, X-ray diffraction XRD , Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy RBS , scanning electron microscopy Ž . SEM and optical microscopy. In particular, the reaction sequence was emphasized. The reaction mechanisms and their relation to the microstru...

We study the stability of soap films of a nonionic surfactant under different applied capillary pressures on the film. Depending on the pressure, either a thick common black film (CBF), or a micro-scopically thin Newton black film (NBF) is formed as a (metastable) equilibrium state, with a first-order (discontinuous) transition between the two. Studying the dynamics of the CBF-NBF transition, i...

The optical properties of carbon nanowall (CNW) films in the visible range have been studied and reported for the first time. Depending on the film structure, ultra-low total reflectance up to 0.13% can be reached, which makes the CNW films a promising candidate for the black body-like coating, and thus for a wide range of applications as a light absorber. We have estimated important trends in ...

This Review discusses nanoskiving--a simple and inexpensive method of nanofabrication, which minimizes requirements for access to cleanrooms and associated facilities, and which makes it possible to fabricate nanostructures from materials, and of geometries, to which more familiar methods of nanofabrication are not applicable. Nanoskiving requires three steps: 1) deposition of a metallic, semic...

A laser cavity formed from a single defect in a two-dimensional photonic crystal is demonstrated. The optical microcavity consists of a half wavelength-thick waveguide for vertical confinement and a two-dimensional photonic crystal mirror for lateral localization. A defect in the photonic crystal is introduced to trap photons inside a volume of 2.5 cubic half-wavelengths, approximately 0.03 cub...

We demonstrate efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from a thin film of phosphorescent dye, fac tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium (Ir(ppy)3), to a thin film of J-aggregated cyanine dye, 5,6dichloro-2-[3-[5,6-dichloro-1-ethyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-2(3H)-benzimidazolidene]-1-propenyl]-1-ethyl-3(3-sulfopropyl) benzimidazolium hydroxide (TDBC). The measurement is performed on a planar sandwi...

We present a detailed structural and magnetic characterization of sputter deposited thin film erbium, determined by x-ray diffraction, transport measurements, magnetometry and neutron diffraction. This provides information on the onset and change of the magnetic state as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. Many of the features of bulk material are reproduced. Also of interest ...