Weon Cheol Lim

Covalency, hybridization and valence state effects in nano- and micro-sized ZnFe2O4

In the present work, Fe valence state, covalency effects, and metal–oxygen hybridization are discussed for ZnFe2O4 using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. A few sets of nano-sized and micro-sized zinc ferrite were synthesized using the nitrate method. Nanoparticles of ZnFe2O4 were synthesized by heating precursor at 300, 400, 500, 800, 1000, and 1200 °C for 1 h. To synthesize micro-sized ZnFe2O4, the obtained nanoparticles were annealed at 1200 °C for 12 h (bulk treatment). X-ray diffraction shows the presence of cubic spinel phase in nano-sized as well as micro-sized ZnFe2O4. Scanning electron microscopy measurements show that particle size ranges are 40–80 nm and 1–2 μm for nano-sized and micro-sized ZnFe2O4, respectively. Fe L-edge spectra of these materials envisage the presence of spectral features corresponding to t2g and eg symmetry states created due to Fe(2p3/2)-Fe(3d) and Fe(2p1/2)-Fe(3d) in octahedral crystal field. This reflects the presence of Fe3+ states in nano-sized and micro-sized ZnFe2O4. eg states dominate in micro-sized ZnFe2O4. O K-edge spectra for these materials can be distinguished by pre-edge and post-edge regions. Pre-edge and post-edge regions are associated with O(2p)–Fe(3d) and O(2p)–Fe(4s,4p) hybridized states. The extent of hybridization estimated from the intensity ratio of O(2p)–Fe(3d) and O(2p)–Fe(4s,4p) hybridized states is higher in nano-sized ZnFe2O4.

Fabrication of thin diamond membranes by using hot implantation and ion-cut methods

A thin (2 μm) and relatively large area (3 × 3 mm2) diamond membrane was fabricated by cleaving a surface from a single crystal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond wafer (3 × 3 mm2× 300 μm) using a hot implantation and ion-cut method. First, while maintaining the CVD diamond at 400 °C, a damage zone was created at a depth of 2.3 μm underneath the surface by implanting 4 MeV carbon ions into the diamond in order to promote membrane cleavage (hot implantation). According to TEM data, hot implantation reduces the thickness of the implantation damage zone by about a factor of 10 when compared to implanting carbon ions with the CVD diamond at room temperature (RT). In order to recover crystallinity, the implanted sample was then annealed at 850 °C. Next, 380 keV hydrogen ions were implanted into the sample to a depth of 2.3 μm below the surface with the CVD diamond at RT. After annealing at 850 °C, the CVD diamond surface layer was cleaved at the damage-zone due to internal pressure from H2 gas arising fro...

Microstructure, local electronic structure and optical behaviour of zinc ferrite thin films on glass substrate

Zinc ferrite thin films were deposited using a radio-frequency-sputtering method on glass substrates. As-deposited films were annealed at 200°C for 1, 3 and 5 h, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the amorphous nature of as-grown and annealed films. Thickness of as-deposited film is 96 nm as determined from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy which remains almost invariant with annealing. Transmission electron microscopic investigations envisaged a low degree of crystalline order in as-deposited and annealed films. Thicknesses estimated from these measurements were almost 62 nm. Roughness values of these films were almost 1–2 nm as determined from atomic force microscopy. X-ray reflectivity measurements further support the results obtained from TEM and AFM. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure measurements envisaged 3+ and 2+ valence states of Fe and Zn ions in these films. UV–Vis spectra of these films were characterized by a sharp absorption in the UV region. All films exhibited almost the same value of optical band gap within experimental error, which is close to 2.86 eV.