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Graphene has amazing applications for sensors due to its excellent performances like high strength and good conductivity, but the transfer issue is in the way of its application perspective. Direct growth of spherical graphene films (SGFs) on cemented carbide may offer a good avenue for various applications in sensor technology, especially for electrochemical sensors. Four common methods for graphene preparation are chemical stripping, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), metal catalysis, and laser fabrication; and subject to transfer issues during usage. In order to overcome this limitation, the fabrication of in-situ growth of SGFs on carbide is proposed as a solution for constructing sensor matrices. This review explores various in-situ SGFs and their potential applications in sensors. The findings presented here shed light on transfer-free graphene with controllable structures that can serve as excellent candidates for sensor matrices.

Diamond films were synthesized on a Mo substrate using combustion flame. During the cooling process, most diamond films delaminated. From previous work it was shown that diamond films delaminated at a synthesis temperature less than 1300K (low temperature), and films did not delaminate at synthesis temperature more than 1400K (high temperature). In this study, to clarify the influences on the delamination of the interface, films synthesized at high temperature and low temperature were investigated by SEM and X-ray diffraction. The results show that in the case of low temperature, diamond films were synthesized on the Mo substrate, case of high temperature, Mo₂C and diamond phases were synthesized on the Mo substrate. Thermally induced interfacial stress occurs due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the synthesized film and the Mo substrate. The interfacial stress by high temperature and low temperature was determined as the cause of the delamination. Thus, the interfacial stress of each synthesized temperature was calculated by a finite element method. The results show that the interfacial stress in the film synthesized by high temperature was smaller than that by the low temperature. As the buffer phases prevent the delamination, synthesized films by high temperature will be useful as hardcoating layer for a metal surface.

To develop high-quality film device with good reliability, it is often essential to be able to evaluate the parameters such as stress, the biaxial elastic modulus, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of film. Based on the stress measurement in situ during the thermal cycle by laser scanning method, two techniques were used to measure the biaxial elastic modulus and CTE of BaTiO₃ films deposited on substrate. The value of the biaxial elastic modulus and CTE for BaTiO₃ films determined from two methods is close, in which the biaxial elastic modulus of BaTiO₃ films is higher than that of corresponding bulk while the CTE of BaTiO₃ films is a little smaller than that of bulk material.

Materials having nanoscale structures have shown potentials for applications in microelectronics, biomedicine and energy storage. A continuing challenge is the capability of fabricating multi-function nanodevices with controlled nanostructures and excellent performances. Measurement platforms, which provide accurate and detailed information on internal structures, surface morphologies, mechanical properties and electrochemical properties are a key to this challenge. In this review, we, in particular, highlight the crucial role of measurement techniques in quantifying these nanostructures and their properties.

Nd-Ca-Ba-Cu-O thick films with a tetragonal structure have been successfully grown on NdGaO₃ (110) single crystals by a liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) technique using a Nd-BaCu-O powder as a solute, BaCuO₂-CuO powder as a flux and CaO as a crucible. The films epitaxially grown at temperatures between 1173 K and 1273 K showed perfect a-axis orientated growth. The chemical composition of the grown film was found to be Nd_0.81Ca_0.18Ba_2.1Cu_3.0O_y. The film showed a sharp superconducting transition with T_c(onset) = 79.5 K and a transition width of 0.5 K. The a-axis orientated film showed a very smooth surface.

In this paper, we present a comparative study of structural and optical properties of polycrystalline p-type 6H-SiC and thin SiC layer growth onto Si. The thin SiC layer was grown on a p-type Si(100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using KrF excimer laser from a 6H-SiC hot pressed target. The properties of polycrystalline 6H-SiC and thin SiC layer were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), high resolution X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), FT-IR spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectrometry. XRD analysis showed that the two materials have the same hexagonal structure (6H-SiC) as identified by ASTM 72-0018. In addition, a SIMS analysis gives a ratio Si/C of the thin SiC layer around 1.15 but the ratio Si/C of the target was found equal to 1.06, whereas one should have 1.0. This is due to the higher ionization efficiency of Si by the report of C atoms and in photoluminescence, the two materials exhibit the same emission bands (blue and green). Finally, a crystalline thin SiC layer of 1.6 μm was elaborated using the PLD method at low-temperature indicating that the technique reproduces the same macroscopic property (optical, structural, mechanical, etc.) of the target.

The $c$-axis oriented Ca₃Co₄O₉ (CCO) films without and with 5 wt.% Ag addition were prepared by chemical solution deposition (CSD) through multiple annealing processing on single crystal LaAlO₃ (001) substrates. With Ag addition, the resistivity at 300 K is decreased to 2.25 m$\mathrm{\Omega }\cdot$cm, the Seebeck coefficient at 300 K is enhanced to 106 $\mu$V/K and the power factor at 300 K can reach as high as 0.5 mW$\cdot$K${}^{-1}\cdot$m${}^{-2}$, which is the highest value among CCO films prepared by CSD. The results suggest that Ag addition is a very effective route to improve the thermoelectric properties of CCO films through multiple annealing processing.

In this paper, all solution processing is used to prepare both the transparent conducting Ba${}_{0.92}$La${}_{0.08}$SnO₃ (BLSO) thin films as bottom electrodes and ferroelectric Bi₆Fe₂Ti₃O${}_{18}$ (BFTO) thin films. The derived BFTO thin films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The derived thin film is polycrystalline with dense microstructures. The remnant polarization $2P_r$ at the measurement frequency of 2 kHz can reach $\sim 16.8\mu {\mathrm{\text{C/cm}}}^2$ under the 500 kV/cm electric field and the coercive field $2E_c$ is 410 kV/cm. The results will provide a feasible route to prepare BFTO thin films on transparent conducting bottom electrodes to realize multifunctionality.

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a good method in the fabrication of the coating materials. Its processing parameters are easy to be operate. It is a nonbeeline process and can be used in the deposition on complex shape and porous surface. It has been widely used in many ways. This paper reviews the principles and fabrication steps of EPD and points out the influencing factors. The developments of EPD in the fabrication of materials, such as solid surface coatings, porous structure materials and gradient materials, are introduced in detail. The future of the application of EPD is also discussed.

The relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–PbTiO₃ compositions are of interest owing to their excellent dielectric, electromechanical, electro-optical, and other properties. In this paper, the 0.80Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–0.20PbTiO₃ (PMN–PT 80/20) films with pure perovskite structure were synthesized by a single step at 150°C. The corresponding oxides were used as starting materials, namely PbO, MgO, Nb₂O₅, and TiO₂. By using oxides as precursors, we simplified the hydrothermal process, allowing the process to be more economical. The influences of the Ti metal substrate on the PMN–PT 80/20 films are investigated. By surveying the variations of films, it was suggested that the substrate reacted with the ions in the solution. The films were smooth and homogeneous. There were no cracks and abnormity crystals on the surface of the films. The thickness was about 20 μm. The frequencies dependence of the dielectric properties of PMN–PT 80/20 films was stable even at a high frequency range over 1 MHz.

LaTiO₃ films were prepared at room temperature, 60, 140 and 220°C using a thermal vapor deposition technique with an electronic beam gun to investigate the relationship between deposition temperatures and the optical properties of the samples. In the ellipsometric analysis, the corresponding refractive indexes were 1.8993, 1.9123, 1.9197 and 1.9283 at a wavelength of 1064 nm. At the same time, extremely low absorption characteristics of all the samples presented in the visible and IR regions. With the same high-energy testing laser of 200 mJ (about 40 J/cm²) at a wavelength of 1064 nm and a pulse width of 10 ns, the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the LaTiO₃ samples prepared at different temperatures were 15.5, 16.7, 18.5 and 18.2 J/cm², respectively. This shows that a higher LIDT may be obtained at higher deposition temperatures.

This paper describes a simple and economic approach for fabrication of surface wettability gradient on poly(butyl acrylate – methyl methacrylate) [P (BA–MMA)] and poly(butyl acrylate – methyl methacrylate – 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [P (BA–MMA–HEMA)] films. The (meth)acrylate copolymer [including P (BA–MMA) and P (BA–MMA–HEMA)] films are hydrolyzed in an aqueous solution of NaOH and the transformation of surface chemical composition is achieved by hydrolysis in NaOH solution. The gradient wetting properties are generated based on different functional groups on the P (BA–MMA) and P (BA–MMA–HEMA) films. The effects of both the surface chemical and surface topography on wetting of the (meth)acrylate copolymer film are discussed. Surface chemical composition along the materials length is determined by XPS, and surface topography properties of the obtained gradient surfaces are analyzed by FESEM and AFM. Water contact angle system (WCAs) results show that the P (BA–MMA–HEMA) films provide a larger slope of the gradient wetting than P (BA–MMA). Moreover, this work demonstrates that the gradient concentration of chemical composition on the poly(meth) acrylate films is owing to the hydrolysis processes of ester group, and the hydrolysis reactions that have negligible influence on the surface morphology of the poly(meth) acrylate films coated on the glass slide. The gradient wettability surfaces may find broad applications in the field of polymer coating due to the compatibility of (meth) acrylate polymer.

An environment-friendly technique for depositing a Mg–Al hydrotalcite (HT) (Mg₆Al₂(OH)${}_{16}$-CO${}_3\cdot 4$H₂O) conversion film was developed to protect the Mg–Gd–Zn alloy from corrosion. The morphology and chemical compositions of the film were analyzed by scanning electronic microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy (RS), respectively. The electrochemical test and hydrogen evolution test were employed to evaluate the biocorrosion behavior of Mg–Gd–Zn alloy coated with the Mg–Al HT film in the simulated body fluid (SBF). It was found that the formation of Mg–Al HT film was a transition from amorphous precursor to a crystalline HT structure. The HT film can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy. It indicates that the process provides a promising approach to modify Mg–Gd–Zn alloy.

The review describes the noise properties of the high temperature superconducting (HTS) bolometers developed for the applications in the optical electronic devices of infrared and submillimeter wave-lengths. The principle of high-T_c transition edge bolometer operation and bolometer noise theory are considered, taking into account the peculiarities of constant bias current and constant bias voltage modes. The published results of bolometer noise modeling are discussed. Various sources of the excess 1/f-noise in HTS films as temperature sensitive element for bolometer are reviewed, including the experimental data and modern noise models. Comparative analysis of noise characteristics of the most developed HTS bolometers for application (antenna-coupled microbolometers and bolometers based on silicon micromachining technology) is reported.

The manganese-doped ZnS (ZnS:Mn²⁺) nanocrystals were prepared by addition of Na₂S to an Zinc Oleate and Mn(NO₃)₂ solution. It was done using auto-clave method. The aging in auto-clave resulted in Mn²⁺-doped ZnS particle. The emitting band ZnS:Mn²⁺ showed red-shift from that of ZnS and results in the emission band at 500 nm ~ 650 nm (λ_max=575 nm). ZnS:Mn²⁺ particles dispersed in polymer for production of the green house films. So this film will be used as light wavelength modification materials for the utilization of plant growth acceleration. Luminescence properties of the film were measured by luminescence spectrometer.

Prussian Blue (PB) films were directly grown on FTO glass by a hydrothermal method only using potassium ferricyanide and hydrobromic acid as raw reagents. Hydrobromic acid plays the role of both providing acidic conditions and as a reducing agent which improves the atomic utilization of the raw materials. The as-prepared PB devices exhibited multicolor electrochromic properties: Blue, green and transparent states, reversibly. The maximum optical modulations of PB device could reach the range of 47.7%. The PB films also have a fast coloration/bleaching time of 1.9/1.3s, respectively. This study provided a novel method for preparing PB films by a facile hydrothermal method.

The red V₂O₅ sol was prepared by facile alternating stirring and ultrasonic dispersion route. A V₂O₅ film fabricated on ITO-PET by electrophoresis method was used to demonstrate a flexible electrochromic device. The effects of applied voltage and electrophoresis time for V₂O₅films were investigated in detail. When the electrophoresis time was kept 30 s, the applied voltage was above 3 V to deposit uniform V₂O₅-PET film. The electrophoresis time could more significantly regulate the deposition of V₂O₅ on ITO-PET film. A flexible electrochromic device with “sandwich” structure was fabricated using V₂O₅ film, and its electrochromic performance of the device was evaluated. The flexible V₂O₅ electrochromic devices show the multicolor electrochromic performance of yellow, yellow-green, green and orange-red. The coloration efficiency values of V₂O₅ devices were 21.6 cm²C${}^{-1}$ (from initial yellow to green) and 26.9 cm²C${}^{-1}$ (from green to orange-red), respectively, and the highest transmittance modulation range was 51% at 741 nm. The work provided a facile and green method for fabrication of flexible V₂O₅ electrochromic device.

This paper reports a case study on how knowledge is transferred through a film project and how it has been utilised. Prior literature and knowledge transfer theory is used to review the studied project and to draw recommendations on how best to utilise knowledge as well as to create an awareness on the importance of knowledge transfer in a film project. In order to gain the insight into the realm of the transfer of knowledge in the film industry, a project entitled Chemman Chaalai and produced by One Hundred Eye Sdn. Bhd. Production House was chosen. An in-depth interview approach was used to study the real phenomenon of knowledge transfer during the production of the film work.

A new type of aromatic tetraamine containing biphenyl moiety in the side chain was synthesized via a modified Chichibabin's reaction. 3-Nitro-4-acetamidoacetophenone was reacted with 4-phenyl benzaldehyde in the presence of ammonium acetate to obtain 2,6-bis(3′,4′-diaminophenyl)-4-biphenyl pyridine (DPPA). A series of polypyrrolones (PPys) were prepared using tetraamine and various aromatic dianhydrides via a two-step cyclization procedure. All the PPys show excellent high temperature stabilities with the initial decomposition temperatures of 530–549°C and residual weight ratio of 49%–80% at 750°C in nitrogen. The polymers exhibit no apparent glass transition temperatures (T_gs) except PPy-1 (T_g = 327°C), which is derived from tetraamine DPPA and 2,2-bis[4-(3′,4′-dicarboxyphenoxy)-phenyl]propane dianhydride (BPADA). In addition, the polymers have acceptable mechanical properties with the tensile strength of 65–94 MPa. The PPy films show excellent hydrolysis-resistance in alkaline aqueous medium and could maintain most of the properties even after boiling in 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution for a week.

In the weak segregation limit, the structure evolution of the hexagonal cylindrical phase of diblock copolymers in films was investigated. Employing the Landau-Brazovskii mean field theory, we obtained three amplitude parameters as functions of temperature, surface field strength and film thickness. By controlling confinement size and surface field strength, lamellae and undulated lamellae appear in the cylindrical bulk phase of diblock copolymers. "Phase diagrams" of confinement-induced structures are constructed at different surface field strengths. The obtained theoretical results are in agreement with relevant theoretical and experimental results.