Phosphorene: Enhanced Photoresponse from Phosphorene–Phosphorene‐Suboxide Junction Fashioned by Focused Laser Micromachining (Adv. Mater. 21/2016)
On page 4090, B. Özyilmaz, C. H. Sow, and co-workers use a focused laser beam to modify the surface of a phosphorene device. With a simple focused laser beam, a part of the phosphorene can be scanned and converted into phosphorene-suboxide species, leaving behind a functional and active phosphorene-phosphorene suboxide junction in the device. Once the junction is formed, the photoresponsivity and photocurrent distribution of the device can be significantly altered with a qualitative difference in behavior. Photovoltaic-like behavior is observed, which is not found in the pristine sample.
A study of the effects of surface treatment of polypropylene on the deposition of thin metal films is presented. The polypropylene samples were treated in a low-pressure air plasma in one case and sputtered by argon ions in the other case. XPS was used to detect compositional surface modifications. Plasma treatment leads to surface oxidation, whereas the sputtering results in oxygen-free surfaces for in-situ analysis. After surface treatment, thin films of Mg, Ca and Ce were deposited. Depending on the surface treatment, we find indications for different bonding mechanisms and very different sticking probabilities. For the case of oxidized surfaces, the formation of a metal-oxygen-polymer complex is anticipated, whereas for oxygen-free surfaces a metal-carbon bond is likely to be formed.