We show from density-functional calculations that Pb 100 thin films exhibit quantum size effect with a bilayer periodicity in film energies, film relaxations, and work functions, which originate from different symmetry of the stacking geometry of odd and even layer films. This symmetry-driven quantum size effect on the film energy could allow for growth of “magically” thick even-layer Pb 100 fi...

The stratification of thin liquid films formed from micellar solutions or latex suspensions can be explained by layer-by-layer destruction of a colloid crystal structure inside the film. The stepwise decrease of the film thickness is due to appearance and growth of dark spots (of less thickness) in the film. This phenomenon is analyzed in the present paper, and an explanation is proposed. The d...

We review the design and fabrication of thin-film composite optical waveguides (OWG) with high refractive index for sensor applications. A highly sensitive optical sensor device has been developed on the basis of thin-film, composite OWG. The thin-film OWG was deposited onto the surface of a potassium-ion-exchanged (K(+)) glass OWG by sputtering or spin coating (5-9mm wide, and with tapers at b...

Anode aluminum oxide-supported thin-film fuel cells having a sub-500-nm-thick bilayered electrolyte comprising a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) layer and an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layer were fabricated and electrochemically characterized in order to investigate the effect of the YSZ protective layer. The highly dense and thin YSZ layer acted as a blockage against electron and oxygen per...

The polarity of the ZnO film grown on sapphire using an ultra-thin Ga wetting layer has been investigated by electron energyloss spectroscopy (EELS). The intensity of the oxygen K-edge in electron energy-loss spectrum from the ZnO film shows a prominent difference when the film orientation changes from the (0002) Bragg condition to the (0002̄) Bragg condition. The EELS study reveals that the ZnO...

We investigate the origin of undesirable transverse cracks often observed in thin films obtained by the layer transfer technique. During this process, two crystals bonded to each other containing a weak plan produced by ion implantation are heated to let a thin layer of one of the material on the other. The level of stress imposed on the film during the heating phase due to the mismatch of ther...

The Layer-by-layer deposition of positively and negatively charged macromolecular species is an ideal method for constructing thin films incorporating biological molecules. We investigate the adsorption of fibronectin onto polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films using optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). PEM films are formed by adsorption onto Si(Ti)...

In this study, polyamide-aluminum foil-polypropylene (PA-Al-PP) composite films with different orientation status of the PP layer were prepared, and their morphology, tensile, peeling and heat seal behavior were studied. The comparative study of tensile and fracture behaviors of single-layer film of PA, Al and PP, as well as the composite films of PA-Al, PP-Al and PA-Al-PP revealed that in PA-A...

PURPOSE To visualize the in vivo structure and to investigate the composition of rat precorneal tear film. METHODS An in vivo cryofixation with freeze substitution method of electron microscopy was used for the study. For light and transmission electron microscopy, a small amount of aluminum powder was used as a tracer spread on the corneal surface. The eyeballs were immediately and quickly f...

Mn3Ge has a tetragonal Heusler-like D022 crystal structure, exhibiting a large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and small saturation magnetization due to its ferrimagnetic spin structure; thus, it is a hard ferrimagnet. In this report, epitaxial growth of a Mn3Ge film on a Rh buffer layer was investigated for comparison with that of a film on a Cr buffer layer in terms of the lattice mismatch betwe...