Growth Characteristics of Calcium Silicides Films from the Deposited Ca Films at the Different Sputtering Ar Pressure
Thin Ca films were deposited directly on Si(100) substrates at the different deposition Ar pressure using Radio Frequency (R.F.) magnetron sputtering system (MS) and subsequent annealed at 800°C for 2.5h or 1.5h in a vacuum furnace, respectively. The double-structure Ca2Si films and Ca5Si3 film are grown directly and individually on Si(100) substrates by an interdiffusion process between the deposited Ca atoms and Si bulk crystals, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the selective grown of a single phase calcium silicide in multiple silicide phases in Ca-Si system depends on sputtering condition, annealing temperature and annealing time, especially sputtering condition is the principal factor for the selective grown because it is close contacted with the morphological character, the bombardment defect, the nucleation density of a calcium silicide in a calcium silicides system by bombardment intensity and so on. Besides, 800°C is the adaptive annealing temperature for a single calcium silicide film growth. Keywords-Ca2Si; Ca5Si3; Nucleation; Semiconducting silicides; MS; Annealing
Silicon valence states in calcium silicides: A Si L2,3VV Auger line-shape analysis.
We present a Si ${\mathit{L}}_{2,3}$VV Auger line-shape analysis of the whole set of Ca silicides, ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$Si, CaSi, and ${\mathrm{CaSi}}_{2}$. Measured spectra are compared, after data processing, to theoretical ones, computed within the framework of a one-electron picture. The overall good agreement found in this comparison allows us to understand the observed Si ${\mathit{L}}_{2,3}$VV spectral changes in terms of the Si valence states' evolution across the whole family of Ca silicides. The narrowing of the pp spectral region and the appearance of a distinct sp shoulder observed on going from ${\mathrm{CaSi}}_{2}$ to ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$Si are related, respectively, to the decreased width of the Si 3p band and to the narrowing of the Si 3s states together with their increased energy separation from the Si 3p states. A breakdown of the one-electron picture is observed in ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$Si. We find that this effect is due to the quasiatomic configuration of the Si 3s states in this compound. The introduction of a correlation energy between two sp-like\char21{}final-state holes improves the comparison between theory and experiment, but does not appear to fully account for the Si ${\mathit{L}}_{2,3}$VV spectrum from ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$Si. New theoretical effort is therefore needed to understand this spectrum.
A single amino acid substitution in elongation factor Tu disrupts interaction between the ternary complex and the ribosome
Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu).GTP has the primary function of promoting the efficient and correct interaction of aminoacyl-tRNA with the ribosome. Very little is known about the elements in EF-Tu involved in this interaction. We describe a mutant form of EF-Tu, isolated in Salmonella typhimurium, that causes a severe defect in the interaction of the ternary complex with the ribosome. The mutation causes the substitution of Val for Gly-280 in domain II of EF-Tu. The in vivo growth and translation phenotypes of strains harboring this mutation are indistinguishable from those of strains in which the same tuf gene is insertionally inactivated. Viable cells are not obtained when the other tuf gene is inactivated, showing that the mutant EF-Tu alone cannot support cell growth. We have confirmed, by partial protein sequencing, that the mutant EF-Tu is present in the cells. In vitro analysis of the natural mixture of wild-type and mutant EF-Tu allows us to identify the major defect of this mutant. Our data shows that the EF-Tu is homogeneous and competent with respect to guanine nucleotide binding and exchange, stimulation of nucleotide exchange by EF-Ts, and ternary complex formation with aminoacyl-tRNA. However various measures of translational efficiency show a significant reduction, which is associated with a defective interaction between the ribosome and the mutant EF-Tu.GTP.aminoacyl-tRNA complex. In addition, the antibiotic kirromycin, which blocks translation by binding EF-Tu on the ribosome, fails to do so with this mutant EF-Tu, although it does form a complex with EF-Tu. Our results suggest that this region of domain II in EF-Tu has an important function and influences the binding of the ternary complex to the codon-programmed ribosome during protein synthesis. Models involving either a direct or an indirect effect of the mutation are discussed.