Jessica L. Carvalho

Surface nucleation in the crystallisation of polyethylene droplets

Abstract.The division of semi-crystalline polymeric material into small domains is an effective tool for studying crystal nucleation. The scaling behavior of the nucleation rate as a function of domain size can reveal important information about the mechanism responsible for the birth of a crystal nucleus. We have investigated the process of crystal nucleation in a system of dewetted polyethylene droplets. Through the use of a correlation sample analysis, we are able to differentiate between heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation mechanisms in a droplet sample. An analysis of the dependence of the nucleation rate on droplet size reveals that the nucleation probability scales with the surface area of the droplet.

Purified water etching of native oxides on heteroepitaxial CdTe thin films

The etching of native oxides on compound semiconductors is an important step in the production of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Although it is known that the native oxide on CdTe can be etched through a rinsing in purified water, a deeper investigation into this process has not been done. Here we present results on both surface morphology changes and reaction rates for purified water etching of the native oxide on heteroepitaxial CdTe thin films, as studied by atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Together with a characterization of both the structure and stoichiometry of the initial native oxide, we show how an altering of the pH-level of the etchant will affect the etching rates. If oxide regrowth was allowed, constant etching rates could be observed for all etchants, while a logarithmic decrease in oxide thickness was observed if regrowth was inhibited. Both acidic and basic etchants proved to be more efficient than neutral water.