In this study silicon-germanium quantum dots grown on silicon have been investigated. The aim of the work was to find quantum dots suitable for use as a thermistor material. The quantum dots were produced at KTH, Stockholm, using a RPCVD reactor that is designed for industrial production. The techniques used to study the quantum dots were: HRSEM, AFM, HRXRD, FTPL, and Raman spectroscopy. Quantum dots have been produced in single and multilayer structures. As a result of this work a multilayer structure with 5 layers of quantum dots was produced with a theoretical temperature coefficient of resistance of 4.1 %/K.

In this conceptual report the idea to establish an European Positron Source for Applied Research ("EPOS") based on new LINAC facilities in Germany (ELBE/Rossendorf or TTF-DESY/Hamburg) is considered. The report contains not only the outline of obvious applications in atomic physics, materials science and surface physics, but also several new methodical developments which are only possible with an intense positron beam. This opportunity will also allow the use and further development of imaging techniques being of special interest for industrial applications.

<p>In this study silicon-germanium quantum dots grown on silicon have been investigated. The aim of the work was to find quantum dots suitable for use as a thermistor material. The quantum dots were produced at KTH, Stockholm, using a RPCVD reactor that is designed for industrial production.</p><p>The techniques used to study the quantum dots were: HRSEM, AFM, HRXRD, FTPL, and Raman spectroscopy. Quantum dots have been produced in single and multilayer structures.</p><p>As a result of this work a multilayer structure with 5 layers of quantum dots was produced with a theoretical temperature coefficient of resistance of 4.1 %/K.</p>

<p>In order to produce x-ray mirrors the Thin Film Physics group at IFM grows Cr/Sc multilayers, with a typical thickness of the individual layers in the range 5-20 Å, and with as many periods as possible (a few hundred).</p><p>The quality of the multilayer interfaces is crucial for their performance as mirrors. For thick layers poly-crystalline multilayers form with an interface quality that is too poor for the use as x-ray mirrors. For thinner layers, however, amorphous layers are formed with a much better quality of the interface.</p><p>The goal of this project was to understand the formation of amorphous multilayers. Unfortunately it is impossible with the present day's theoretical tools to determine the structure of amorph interfaces. It is also impossible to calculate the interface structure for elements with large mismatch in size.</p><p>So we have to construct interface models that are both simple and based on physical arguments.</p>

Abstract Today sheet metal forming is used to make a variety of mass production because it has a high production rate. One of the biggest concerns in sheet metal forming is wear of the tool in form of galling. Galling in sheet metal forming is characterised by an increased tool surface roughness, unstable friction in the forming process and undesirable scratches on the final products. Several ways of ranking materials resistance to galling exist today but only ASM G98 is standardised. Nevertheless, some different methods developed for ranking tool materials’ tendency to galling have also been developed. The aim of this thesis is to develop and improve the Uddeholm Tooling Tribo Test rig located at Uddeholm Tooling AB. The rig, which is a variation of cylinder-on-cylinder test equipment, was improved with a new tool holder, a utilization of the real sheet material counter face and a new data acquisition system and software. The galling was detected using scratches on the sheet, metallographic analysis of the material adhered on the tool specimen, monitoring of coefficient of friction and the standard deviation of the coefficient of friction. The obtained results show difficulties with ranking of tool materials in terms of galling resistance under non-lubricated conditions. The tool steels tested were SVERKER21 and UNIMAX. AISI304-10, DC04 and DOCOL1000DP sheets were used. Additionally a low friction coating of BalinitC on SVERKER21 was also included. All specimens of the tool steels showed signs of galling on every run, only the low friction coating showed a transition in behaviour of friction coefficient corresponding to galling initiation. The standard deviation of the coefficient of friction increased at low loads. A decrease of the test loads led to stability loss of the system detected by an increase in the standard deviation of the coefficient of friction. This might happen because the Kistler platform is originally designed for larger loads. Although, the test rig does not work properly in its present state, the concept looks promising.

En studie i hur känsligheten avtar från ytan hos biosensorer med höga frekvenser presenteras. Med ny teknologi som avancerade elektroakustiska tunnfilms komponenter, så kallade FBARs, blir tidigare outforskade områden som decay längden möjliga att studera. För att undersöka hur frekvenssvaret och känsligheten påverkas av interaktioner långt ut från en sensoryta används proteinkemi. Ett protokoll har optimerats innehållande aktivering med EDC/NHS och fibrinogen för att säkerställa en jämn tjocklek och fördelning av ett adsorberat proteinlager över en yta. Dessa ytor kontrollerades först med hjälp av ellipsometri och sedan i ett QCM instrument. Alla experiment med de högfrekventa FBAR sensorerna utfördes vid Ångströmslaboratoriet i Uppsala där pågående forskning inom området finns. Resultaten bekräftar teorin om en avtagande känslighet i och med ett ökat avstånd från ytan. En experimentell genomförd och beräknad tjocklek för decay längden uppskattades som inte helt stämde överens med den teoretiskt beräknade. En ny term föreslås då frekvenssvaret hos en biosensor planar ut. Detta är en effekt som sker vid dubbla tjockleken av den teoretisk beräknade tjockleken av decay längden och har fått namnet; detection length. Efter denna längd eller gräns observeras en inverterad signal som det än så länge inte finns någon förklaring till. / A study of the sensitivity decrease of biosensors working at high frequencies is presented. With new technology such as film bulk acoustic resonators (FBAR), issues like the decay length is no longer irrelevant theory but may cause limitation in the system as well as it offers new detection possibilities. To investigate the frequency response and sensitivity, layer-on-layer construction chemistry was used. A protocol involving activation with EDC/NHS and coupling chemistry with fibrinogen was optimized to ensure accurate thickness and uniformly distribution of each layer over the surface. Surfaces were characterized using null ellipsometry and the protocol was tested in a traditional quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Experiments with the FBAR were preformed at the Ångström laboratory in Uppsala were there is ongoing research and development in FBAR technology. The results confirmed the theory of decreasing frequency and sensitivity further out from the surface. An experimental and estimated thickness was calculated which to some extent correlates to the theoretically calculated decay length. A new terminology is suggested when the frequency levels off. It occurs approximately at twice the distance and thickness of the theoretically calculated decay length and is given the name; detection length. Beyond the detection length an inverted signal is observed which cannot yet be explained for.

In order to produce x-ray mirrors the Thin Film Physics group at IFM grows Cr/Sc multilayers, with a typical thickness of the individual layers in the range 5-20 Å, and with as many periods as possible (a few hundred). The quality of the multilayer interfaces is crucial for their performance as mirrors. For thick layers poly-crystalline multilayers form with an interface quality that is too poor for the use as x-ray mirrors. For thinner layers, however, amorphous layers are formed with a much better quality of the interface. The goal of this project was to understand the formation of amorphous multilayers. Unfortunately it is impossible with the present day's theoretical tools to determine the structure of amorph interfaces. It is also impossible to calculate the interface structure for elements with large mismatch in size. So we have to construct interface models that are both simple and based on physical arguments.

Hydration is known to be crucial in biomolecular interactions including ligand binding and self-assembly. In our earlier studies we have shown the key role of water in stabilizing the specific parts of the collagen triple helix depending on the imino acid content. We further showed that the primary hydration shell around collagen could act as a lubricating layer aiding in collagen assembly. But key details on the structure and dynamics of water near protein surfaces and its role in protein-protein interactions remain unclear. In the current study we have developed a novel method to analyze hydration maps around peptides at 1-A resolution around three self-assembling lament systems with known structures, that respectively have hydrated (collagen), dry non-polar and dry polar (amyloid) interfaces. Using computer simulations, we calculate local hydration maps and hydration forces. We find that the primary hydration shells are formed all over the surface, regardless of the types of the underlying amino acids. The weakly oscillating hydration force arises from coalescence and depletion of hydration shells as two laments approach, whereas local water diffusion, orientation, or hydrogen bonding events have no direct effect. Hydration forces between hydrated, polar, and non-polar interfaces differ in the amplitude and phase of the oscillation relative to the equilibrium surface separation. Therefore, water-mediated interactions between these protein surfaces ranging in character from ‘hydrophobic’ to ‘hydrophilic,’ have a common molecular origin based on the robustly formed hydration shells, which is likely applicable to a broad range of biomolecular assemblies whose interfacial geometry is similar in length scale to those of the present study. In a related study through simulations we show that the rate of tissue optical clearing by chemical agents correlated with the preferential formation of hydrogen bond bridges between agent and collagen. Hydrogen bond bridge formation disrupts the collagen hydration layer and facilitates replacement by a chemical agent to destabilize the tertiary structure of collagens thereby reducing light scattering. This study suggests that the clearing ability of an alcohol not only depends on its molecular size, but also on the position of hydroxyl groups on its backbone.

Semiconductors and related low-dimensional nanostructures are extremely important in the modern world. They have been extensively studied and applied in industry/military areas such as ultraviolet optoelectronics, light emitting diodes, quantum-dot photodetectors and lasers. The knowledge of growth dynamics of semiconductor nanostructures by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) is very important then. MOCVD, which is widely applied in industry, is a kind of chemical vapour deposition method of epitaxial growth for compound semiconductors. In this method, one or several of the precursors are metalorganics which contain the required elements for the deposit materials. Theoretical studies of growth mechanism by MOCVD from a realistic reactor dimension down to atomic dimensions can give fundamental guidelines to the experiment, optimize the growth conditions and improve the quality of the semiconductor-nanostructure-based devices. Two main types of study methods are applied in the present thesis in order to understand the growth dynamics of semiconductor nanostructures at the atomic level: (1) Kinetic Monte Carlo method which was adopted to simulate film growths such as diamond, Si, GaAs and InP using the chemical vapor deposition method; (2) Computational fluid dynamics method to study the distribution of species and temperature in the reactor dimension. The strain energy is introduced by short-range valence-force-field method in order to study the growth process of the hetero epitaxy. The Monte Carlo studies show that the GaN film grows on GaN substrate in a two-dimensional step mode because there is no strain over the surface during homoepitaxial growth. However, the growth of self-assembled GaSb quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs substrate follows strain-induced Stranski-Krastanov mode. The formation of GaSb nanostructures such as nanostrips and nanorings could be determined by the geometries of the initial seeds on the surface. Furthermore, the growth rate and aspect ratio of the GaSb QD are largely determined by the strain field distribution on the growth surface. / QC 20100713

DANTAS, Davi Soares. Estruturas de confinamento de baixa dimensionalidade em superfícies de hélio líquido suspensas. 2012. 73 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2012. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-10-21T21:20:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dsdantas.pdf: 7266499 bytes, checksum: 9ac270f80eddaf4378a655a66bd0d2e6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-10-22T21:33:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dsdantas.pdf: 7266499 bytes, checksum: 9ac270f80eddaf4378a655a66bd0d2e6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-22T21:33:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dsdantas.pdf: 7266499 bytes, checksum: 9ac270f80eddaf4378a655a66bd0d2e6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / The system of electrons on liquid helium (EoH) is one of the most ideal objects for investigating the fundamental principles of the physics of low dimensionality, since they do not have the inhomogeneities and impurities generally found on semiconductors. Besisdes, these systems are expected to have future technological applications as quantum bits, which are of fundamental importance as building blocks of future quantum computers. Usually, the low-dimensional confinements structures for EoH suggested in the literature are based on a planar surface, where the lateral confinement is induced by an external potential controlled by electrodes. In this work, we suggest an alternative way to produce lateral confinement in liquid helium surfaces, namely, we demonstrate that the shape of the surface can be designed to produce single and double quantum dots by adjusting the shape of a cavity in the substrate. The surface was calculated for four different shapes of substrate cavity: i) a cilyndrical cavity, generating a single quantum dot; ii) a ring-shaped cavity, generating a quantum ring; iii) two cubic cavities connected by a channel, creating a coupled double-dot structure; and iv) two channel-shaped cavities that intersect perpendicularly to each other, where a single dot is formed in the intersection point. The electron is then deposited and confined to move on each surface by an external electric field. Our results show that the electron energy levels in these systems can be tuned by varying the electric field and the bulk level, which are easily adjustably. The effect of an external magnetic field on the energy spectrum in one of these systems is also investigated. / O sistema de elétrons na superfície de hélio líquido é considerado um dos melhores objetos na investigação de príncipios fundamentais da Física de baixa dimensionalidade, uma vez que estes não apresentam heterogeneidades e impurezas geralmente encontradas em heteroestruturas semicondutoras. Além disso, espera-se que estes sistemas tenham uma aplicação tecnológica futura como extit{bits} quânticos, que são fundamentais na construção de blocos dos futuros computadores quânticos. Geralmente, as estruturas de confinamento de baixa dimensionalidade sugeridas para elétrons na superfície de hélio líquido na literatura são baseadas em superfícies planas, onde o confinamento lateral é induzido por um potencial externo controlado por eletrodos. No presente trabalho, é sugerida uma forma alternativa de produzir o confinamento lateral em superfícies de hélio líquido, isto é, é demonstrado que a forma da superfície pode ser projetada para produzir anéis, fios e pontos quânticos apenas variando a forma da cavidade do substrato no qual o hélio líquido se encontra suspenso. A superfície foi calculada para quatro formas diferentes de cavidade: i) uma cavidade cilíndrica, gerando um ponto quântico simples; ii) uma cavidade em forma de anel circular, gerando um anel quântico; iii) duas cavidades em forma de canais que se interceptam perpendicularmente, formando um ponto quântico simples no ponto de interceptação; e iv) duas cavidades retangulares conectadas por um canal estreito, gerando um ponto duplo. O elétron é então depositado sobre a superfície e confinado a se mover em cada superfície devido à ação de um campo elétrico externo. Os resultados apresentados aqui mostram que os níveis de energia para estes sistemas podem ser alterados através da variação do campo elétrico e do banho de hélio, que são facilmente ajustáveis. O efeito de um campo magnético externo é também investigado em um destes sistemas.