Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are electrochemically synthesized in the presence of tetra-alkylammonium stabilizers and used as active element in Field Effect capacitive gas sensors. Before use, the sensing area is treated by a relatively mild annealing procedure aimed to partially remove the organic stabilizer without loosing the nano-structured character of the particles. Both pristine and annealed materials have been subjected to a spectroscopic and morphological characterization (by means of UV-Vis, XPS, TEM, SEM techniques). Preliminary results on the application of AuNPs as gate material for NO, sensing are reported. The sensor is able to detect NO, with appreciable selectivity and low response towards the other tested gases (C3H6, CO, H-2, NH3).

An environmental pollutant of great concern is NOx (nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide). Here we report the utilisation of electrochemically synthesised gold and palladium nanoparticles as catalytically active gate material on gas sensitive field effect sensor devices. The synthesised nanoparticles have been characterised by TEM and XPS, and the morphology of the thermally treated nanostructured sensing layers has been investigated using SEM and XPS. Measurements on the gas response of the palladium as well as the gold nanoparticle sensors towards a number of analytes found in automotive gas exhausts were performed and their response patterns were compared. The initial gas response measurements show interesting sensing properties for both the gold and the palladium nanoparticle sensors towards NOx detection.

Thin films in the Ti-Pt-C system were deposited by non-reactive, DC-magnetron sputtering. Samples were characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. A previously not reported metastable solid solution carbide, (Ti1-xPtx)C-y with a Pt/Ti ratio of up to 0.43 was observed. This solid solution phase was present both as single phase in polycrystalline samples, and together with amorphous carbon (a-C) in nanocomposite samples. Annealing of nanocomposite samples leads to the decomposition of the solid solution phase and the formation of a nc-TiCx/a-C/nc-Pt nanocomposite. Test sensors for automotive gas exhausts manufactured from such a three-phase material suffer from complete oxidation of the coating at 400 degrees C with no observed sensor activity.

Epitaxial Ti3SiC2 (0001) thin film contacts were grown on doped 4H-SiC (0001) using magnetron sputtering in an ultra high vacuum system. The specific contact resistance was investigated using linear transmission line measurements. Rapid thermal annealing at 950 degrees C for 1 min of as-deposited films yielded ohmic contacts to n-type SiC with contact resistances in the order of 10(-4) Omega cm(2). Transmission electron microscopy shows that the interface between Ti3SiC2 and n-type SiC is atomically sharp with evidence of interfacial ordering after annealing.

Epitaxial Ti3GeC2 thin films were deposited on 4 degrees off-cut 4H-SiC(0001) using magnetron sputtering from high purity Ti, C, and Ge targets. Scanning electron microscopy and helium ion microscopy show that the Ti3GeC2 films grow by lateral step-flow with {11 (2) over bar0} faceting on the SiC surface. Using elastic recoil detection analysis, atomic force microscopy, and X-Ray diffraction the films were found to be substoichiometric in Ge with the presence of small Ge particles at the surface of the film.

Epitaxial Ti3SiC2(0 0 0 1) films were deposited on 4 degrees off-cut 4H-SiC(0 0 0 1) wafers using magnetron sputtering. A lateral step-flow growth mechanism of the Ti3SiC2 was discovered by X-ray diffraction, elastic recoil detection analysis, atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy. Helium ion microscopy revealed contrast variations on the Ti3SiC2 terraces, suggesting a mixed Si and Ti(C) termination. Si-rich growth conditions results in Ti3SiC2 layers with pronounced {1 1 (2) over bar 0) faceting and off-oriented TiSi2 crystallites, while stoichiometric growth yields truncated {1 (1) over bar 0 0) terrace edges.

Phase-pure epitaxial thin films of (Ti,V)(2)GeC have been grown onto Al(2)O(3)(0001) substrates via magnetron sputtering. The c lattice parameter is determined to be 12.59 A, corresponding to a 50/50 Ti/V solid solution according to Vegards law, and the overall (Ti,V): Ge: C composition is 2:1:1 as determined by elastic recoil detection analysis. The minimum temperature for the growth of (Ti,V)(2)GeC is 700 degrees C, which is the same as for Ti(2)GeC but higher than that required for V(2)GeC (450 degrees C). Reduced Ge content yields films containing (Ti,V)(3)GeC(2) and (Ti,V)(4)GeC(3). These results show that the previously unknown phases V(3)GeC(2) and V(4)GeC(3) can be stabilized through alloying with Ti. For films grown on 4H-SiC(0001), (Ti,V)(3)GeC(2) was observed as the dominant phase, showing that the nucleation and growth of (Ti,V)(n+1)GeC(n) is affected by the choice of substrate; the proposed underlying physical mechanism is that differences in the local substrate temperature enhance surface diffusion and facilitate the growth of the higher-order phase (Ti,V)(3)GeC(2) compared to (Ti,V)(2)GeC.