2014 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
ナノ薄膜の創製と熱電的性質の解明および閉じ込め効果の検証
| Project/Area Number |
14F04736
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| Research Institution | National Institute for Materials Science |
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Principal Investigator |
森 孝雄 独立行政法人物質・材料研究機構, 無機ナノ構造ユニット, グループリーダー (90354430)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TYNELL Tommi 独立行政法人物質・材料研究機構, 無機ナノ構造ユニット, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-25 – 2016-03-31
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| Keywords | 薄膜 / 熱電 |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Research on the JSPS postdoctoral fellowship with the theme “Thermoelectric properties of nanostructured thin films fabricated with molecular beam epitaxy” was commenced in the beginning of May 2014 with a focus on fabricating thin films of alkaline earth hexaborides using the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. Initial difficulties with achieving crystalline films were overcome during the summer, and strontium boride thin films of relatively high crystallinity have now been successfully fabricated. While this already enables the evaluation and potential improvement of the films’ thermoelectric performance, the focus of the research effort for the latter half of the fiscal year has been the realization of epitaxially grown films, as this would open further possibilities for nanostructuring. The results of this research have also been presented at two different scientific conferences during fiscal year 2014.
In addition to the progress described above, an effort has been made during the latter half of the fiscal year 2014 to prepare a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system for the deposition of various boride thin films. The intent is to use the system as a different approach to the challenge of fabricating nanostructured boride films, and the expectation is to compare results obtained from both techniques (MBE and CVD) to build a more robust picture of the different ways to optimize boride thin films for thermoelectric applications. The CVD system has now been brought online, and initial tests on boron growth have been successful.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Regarding the progress, we think it has been satisfactory, since we have been successful at the very challenging topic of fabricating thin films of thermoelectric borides using the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. Borides are very high temperature materials and MBE usually cannot be used but we overcame experimental difficulties, and strontium boride thin films of relatively high crystallinity have now been successfully fabricated. And as a very pro-active research approach we have even successfully prepared a CVD system to become able to access the deposition of various boride thin films, and where initial tests on boron growth have been successful.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Regarding the future plan, it is two-fold. First, the thermoelectric properties evaluation and potential improvement of the films’ thermoelectric performance will be carried out on the alkaline earth hexaborides MBE thin films. Secondly, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system will be utilized as a different approach to the challenge of fabricating nanostructured boride films, and the expectation is to compare results obtained from both techniques (MBE and CVD) to build a more robust picture of the different ways to optimize boride thin films for thermoelectric applications.
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Research Products
(2 results)
