One-pot synthesis of CuInS2 nanocrystals using different anions to engineer their morphology and crystal phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Aiwei; Hu, Zunlan; Yin, Zhe; Ye, Haihang; Yang, Chunhe; Teng, Feng

2015-05-21

A simple one-pot colloidal method has been described to engineer ternary CuInS2 nanocrystals with different crystal phases and morphologies, in which dodecanethiol is chosen as the sulfur source and the capping ligands. By a careful choice of the anions in the metal precursors and manipulation of the reaction conditions including the reactant molar ratios and the reaction temperature, CuInS2 nanocrystals with chalcopyrite, zincblende and wurtzite phases have been successfully synthesized. The type of anion in the metal precursors has been found to be essential for determining the crystal phase and morphology of the as-obtained CuInS2 nanocrystals. In particular, the presence of Cl(-) ions plays an important role in the formation of CuInS2 nanoplates with a wurtzite-zincblende polytypism structure. In addition, the molar ratios of Cu to In precursors have a significant effect on the crystal phase and morphology, and the intermediate Cu2S-CuInS2 heteronanostructures are formed which are critical for the anisotropic growth of CuInS2 nanocrystals. Furthermore, the optical absorption results of the as-obtained CuInS2 nanocrystals exhibit a strong dependence on the crystal phase and size.

Intermixing at the heterointerface between ZnS Zn S,O bilayer buffer and CuInS2 thin film solar cell absorber

OpenAIRE

Bär, M.; Ennaoui, A.; Klaer, J.; Kropp, T.; S ez Araoz, R.; Lehmann, S.; Grimm, A.; Lauermann, I.; Loreck, Ch.; Sokoll, St.; Schock, H. W.; Fischer, Ch. H.; Lux Steiner, M.C.; Jung, Ch

2006-01-01

The application of Zn compounds as buffer layers was recently extended to wide gap CuInS2 CIS based thin film solar cells. Using a new chemical deposition route for the buffer preparation aiming at the deposition of a single layer, nominal ZnS buffer without the need for any toxic reactants such as, e.g. hydrazine has helped to achieve a similar efficiency as respective CdS buffered reference devices. After identifying the deposited Zn compound, as ZnS Zn S,O bi layer buffer in former in...

Epitaxial growth of chalcopyrite CuInS2 films on GaAs (001) substrates by evaporation method with elemental sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozomu, Tsuboi; Satoshi, Kobayash; Nozomu, Tsuboi; Takashi, Tamogami

2010-01-01

Full text : Ternary chalcopyrite semiconductor CuInS 2 is one of the potential candidates for absorber layers in high-efficiency thin film solar cells due to its direct bandgap Eg of 1.5 eV, which matches with solar spectrum. However, CuInS 2 solar cells face the problem of lower solar conversion efficiency compared with Cu(InGa)Se 2 solar cells. Investigation of fundamental properties of CuInS 2 films is necessary to understand key issues for solar cell performance. Although in bulk CuInS 2 is known to crystallize into chalcopyrite (CH) structure, in thin film other structures such as Cu-Au (CA) and sphalerite (SP) structures may coexist. It was reported epitaxial growth of slightly Cu-rich CuInS 2 films with c-axis orientated CA only and/or with a mixture of a- and c-axes orientated CH structures on GaP (001) at substrate temperature of 500 degrees using the conventional evaporation method with three elemental sources. Successful growth of epitaxial CH structured CuInS 2 were observed for films grown on GaP at 570 degrees with slightly Cu-rich composition. In this paper, CuInS 2 films with various [Cu]/[In] ratios are grown on GaAs(001) substrates, and the composition range in terms of the [Cu]/[In] ratio where epitaxial films with CH structure grow and the structural qualities of the films are discussed in comparison with those on GaP substrates. Films with various ratios of [Cu]/[In]=0.8 ≤1.9 are grown at 500 degrees and 570 degrees using the evaporation system described in our previous reports. Regardless of the substrate temperature, noticeable X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of CH structured CuInS 2 phase are observed in slightly Cu-rich films. However, reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns of the slightly Cu-rich films grown at 570 degrees exhibit noticeable spots not only due to the CH structure but also due to the CA structure. The amount of the CA structure is considered to be small because of the absence of the XRD peaks of the CA

Characterization of sprayed CuInS2 films by XRD and Raman spectroscopy measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dong-Yeup; Kim, JunHo

2010-01-01

We studied CuInS 2 (CIS) film growth using two deposition methods, which were high electrostatic field assisted ultrasonic spray (HEFAUS) deposition and sulfurization of Cu-In metallic film. The sprayed-films were grown with chalcopyrite ordering and Cu-Au ordering mixed. In order to obtain higher quality CIS films, post-sulfurization was carried out for sprayed-films. The post-sulfurization induced improvement of crystallinity and enhancement of chalcopyrite ordering. However, it was observed that Cu-Au ordering still coexisted in the CIS film after post-sulfurization. With the same sulfurization condition, sulfurization was done to transform Cu-In metallic film into CIS film. The sulfurized metallic film was turned out to be formed as CIS film with higher crystallinity and better chalcopyrite ordering than sulfurized sprayed-films. All fabricated films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray analysis measurements.

Capped CuInS2 quantum dots for H2 evolution from water under visible light illumination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tzung-Luen; Cai, Cheng-Da; Yeh, Te-Fu; Teng, Hsisheng

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Dispersed CuInS 2 quantum dots showed remarkable photosynthetic activity using visible light. ► Photogenerated electrons in CuInS 2 were effective in H 2 production from aqueous solution. ► The bifunctional capping reagent effectively transported photogenerated electrons for reaction. ► Ru-loaded CuInS 2 quantum dots showed a quantum efficiency of 4.7% in H 2 evolution. ► Attaching CuInS 2 to TiO 2 with CdS passivation achieved a quantum efficiency of 41%. - Abstract: This study demonstrates H 2 evolution from water decomposition catalyzed by capped CuInS 2 quantum dots (QDs) that are highly dispersed in a polysulfide aqueous solution. The CuInS 2 QDs, which are obtained from solvothermal synthesis, have a size of 4.3 nm and a band gap of 1.97 eV. For photosynthetic H 2 evolution in the aqueous solution, the QDs are capped with a multidentate ligand (3-mercaptopropionic acid), which has a thiol end for attaching the QDs and a hydrophilic carboxylic end for dispersion in water. The capped QDs exhibit low activity in catalyzing H 2 evolution under visible illumination. After photodepositing 0.5 wt.% Ru, the capped QDs are active in producing H 2 with illumination. This demonstrates that the photogenerated electrons travel through the capping reagent to generate deposited Ru, which subsequently serves as an electron trap for H 2 evolution. A heterostructure formed by attaching the capped QDs on TiO 2 nanoparticles, followed by coating CdS with photodeposition, exhibits a high quantum efficiency of 41% for H 2 evolution from the polysulfide solution. These results demonstrate the potential for photosynthesis and phototherapy in biologic in vivo or microfluidic systems based on this capped QD material.

Potential effect of CuInS2/ZnS core-shell quantum dots on P3HT/PEDOT:PSS heterostructure based solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Jindal, Shikha; Giripunje, S. M.

2018-07-01

Nanostructured quantum dots (QDs) are quite promising in the solar cell application due to quantum confinement effect. QDs possess multiple exciton generation and large surface area. The environment friendly CuInS2/ZnS core-shell QDs were prepared by solvothermal method. Thus, the 3 nm average sized CuInS2/ZnS QDs were employed in the bulk heterojunction device and the active blend layer consisting of the P3HT and CuInS2/ZnS QDs was investigated. The energy level information of CuInS2/ZnS QDs as an electron acceptor was explored by ultra violet photoelectron spectroscopy. Bulk heterojunction hybrid device of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT: (CuInS2/ZnS QDs)/ZnO/Ag was designed by spin coating approach and its electrical characterization was investigated by solar simulator. Current density - voltage characteristics shows the enhancement in power conversion efficiency with increasing concentration of CuInS2/ZnS QDs in bulk heterojunction device.

Effects of Preparation Conditions on the CuInS2 Films Prepared by One-Step Electrodeposition Method

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Rongfeng Guan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available CuInS2 thin films were prepared onto indium tin oxide (ITO substrates by sulfurization of electrodeposited CuxInySz precursor films under S atmosphere. The influences of deposition potential, Cu2+/In3+ ratio, sulfurization temperature, and sulfur content on the CuInS2 thin films were investigated. Phases and structures were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy; surface morphology was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy; optical and electrical properties were characterized by UV-Vis absorption and Mott-Schottky curves, respectively. As a result, the optimal well-crystallized CuInS2 films preparation parameters were determined to be deposition potential of −0.8 V, Cu2+/In3+ ratio of 1.4, sulfur content of 1 g, and the sulfurization temperature of 550°C for 1 h; CuInS2 thin films prepared by one-step electrodeposition present the p-type semiconductor, with thickness about 4-5 μm and their optical band gaps in the range of 1.53~1.55 eV.

Formation of a ZnS Zn S,O bilayer buffer on CuInS2 thin film solar cell absorbers by chemical bath deposition

OpenAIRE

Bär, M.; Ennaoui, A.; Klaer, J.; Kropp, T.; S ez Araoz, R.; Allsop, N.; Lauermann, I.; Schock, H. W.; Lux Steiner, M.C

2006-01-01

The application of Zn compounds as buffer layers was recently extended to wide gap CuInS2 CIS based thin film solar cells. Using a new chemical deposition route for the buffer preparation aiming at the deposition of a single layer, nominal ZnS buffer without the need for any toxic reactants such as, e.g. hydrazine, has helped to achieve a similar efficiency as respective CdS buffered reference devices. In order to shed light on the differences of other Zn compound buffers deposited in con...

Post-growth annealing treatment effects on properties of Na-doped CuInS2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zribi, M.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2008-01-01

Structural and optical properties of Na-doped CuInS 2 thin films grown by double source thermal evaporation method were studied. The films were annealed from 250 to 500 deg. C in a vacuum after evaporation. X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that there are traces of Cu and In 6 S 7 , which disappeared on annealing above 350 deg. C. Good quality CuInS 2 :Na 0.3% films were obtained on annealing at 500 deg. C. Furthermore, we found that the absorption coefficient of Na-doped CuInS 2 thin films reached 1.5 x 10 5 cm -1 . The change in band gap of the doped samples annealed in the temperatures from 250 to 500 deg. C was in the range 0.038-0.105 eV

Importance of elastic finite-size effects: Neutral defects in ionic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Burr, P. A.; Cooper, M. W. D.

2017-09-01

Small system sizes are a well-known source of error in density functional theory (DFT) calculations, yet computational constraints frequently dictate the use of small supercells, often as small as 96 atoms in oxides and compound semiconductors. In ionic compounds, electrostatic finite-size effects have been well characterized, but self-interaction of charge-neutral defects is often discounted or assumed to follow an asymptotic behavior and thus easily corrected with linear elastic theory. Here we show that elastic effects are also important in the description of defects in ionic compounds and can lead to qualitatively incorrect conclusions if inadequately small supercells are used; moreover, the spurious self-interaction does not follow the behavior predicted by linear elastic theory. Considering the exemplar cases of metal oxides with fluorite structure, we show that numerous previous studies, employing 96-atom supercells, misidentify the ground-state structure of (charge-neutral) Schottky defects. We show that the error is eliminated by employing larger cells (324, 768, and 1500 atoms), and careful analysis determines that elastic, not electrostatic, effects are responsible. The spurious self-interaction was also observed in nonoxide ionic compounds irrespective of the computational method used, thereby resolving long-standing discrepancies between DFT and force-field methods, previously attributed to the level of theory. The surprising magnitude of the elastic effects is a cautionary tale for defect calculations in ionic materials, particularly when employing computationally expensive methods (e.g., hybrid functionals) or when modeling large defect clusters. We propose two computationally practicable methods to test the magnitude of the elastic self-interaction in any ionic system. In commonly studied oxides, where electrostatic effects would be expected to be dominant, it is the elastic effects that dictate the need for larger supercells: greater than 96 atoms.

Fundamental absorption edge in CuIn5Se8 and CuGa3Se5 single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, M.; Merino, J.M.; Levcenko, S.; Nateprov, A.; Tezlevan, V.; Arushanov, E.; Syrbu, N.N.

2006-01-01

Optical absorption spectra of CuIn 5 Se 8 and CuGa 3 Se 5 single crystals have been investigated. The energy gap E g for CuIn 5 Se 8 (CuGa 3 Se 5 ) was found to be varied from 1.27(1.79) to 1.21(1.71) eV in the temperature range between 10 and 300 K. The temperature dependence of E g was studied by means of the Einstein model and the Paessler model. The Einstein temperature {222(267)K}, the Debye temperature {310(380)K}, a dimensionless constant related to the electron-phonon coupling {1.62(2.65)} as well as an effective energy {20 (24) meV} and a cut-off phonon energy {35(39) meV} have been estimated for CuIn 5 Se 8 (CuGa 3 Se 5 ). It was also found that the major contribution of phonons to the shift of E g versus temperature in CuIn 5 Se 8 (CuGa 3 Se 5 ) is mainly from optical phonons. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (Abstract Copyright [2006], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Solid state reactions and diffusion processes during rapid thermal processing of Cu-In-S based semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enzenhofer, T.

2007-01-01

In this thesis thin layers of the system Cu-In-S were studied for the photovoltaic application by means of structural and electro-optical procedures. The effect of small quantities of group II elements on the absorber and component properties could be explained by a widely appointed study. The motivation to insert extraneous elements into CuInS 2 absorber layers results from the too low zero-current voltage of CuInS 2 based solar cells. It could be shown that by addition of small quantities of Zn and/or Mg ( 2 solar cells aimed efficiencies, which were also determined for the reference system. As limiting factor in the doped system the zero-current has been proved. The intensive analysis of the absorber properties showed the the extraneous atoms effect in the bulk and on the surface different modifications

Formation of uniform carrot-like Cu31S16-CuInS2 heteronanostructures assisted by citric acid at the oil/aqueous interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yongjie; Tang, Aiwei; Liu, Zhenyang; Peng, Lan; Yuan, Yi; Shi, Xifeng; Yang, Chunhe; Teng, Feng

2018-01-07

A simple two-phase strategy was developed to prepare Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 heterostructures (HNS) at the oil/aqueous interface, in which the In(OH) 3 phase was often obtained in the products due to the reaction between indium ions and hydroxyl ions in the aqueous phase. To prevent the formation of the In(OH) 3 phase, citric acid was incorporated into the aqueous phase to assist in the synthesis of uniform carrot-like Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 semiconductor HNS at the oil/aqueous interface for the first time. By manipulating the dosage of citric acid and Cu/In precursor ratios, the morphology of the Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 HNS could be tailored from mushroom to carrot-like, and the presence of citric acid played a critical role in the synthesis of high-quality Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 HNS, which inhibited the formation of the In(OH) 3 phase due to the formation of the indium(iii)-citric acid complex. The formation mechanism was studied by monitoring the morphology and phase evolution of the Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 HNS with reaction time, which revealed that the Cu 31 S 16 seeds were first formed and then the cation-exchange reaction directed the subsequent anisotropic growth of the Cu 31 S 16 -CuInS 2 HNS.

Procesamiento químico de interfases semiconductoras tipo CuInS2 / Buffer para células solares de lámina delgada

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Herrero, J.

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Some results are presented about the preparation of CuInS2 / buffer interfaces by chemical bath deposition. This type of interface has an interest for solar energy conversion by thin- film solar cells. It is shown that the deposition of buffer films with ZnSe composition onto CuInS2 is due to a combined electroless and chemical reaction process. Characterization of the CuInS2 / ZnSe structure is carried out with X-ray diffraction and microscope techniques (AFM, SEM. Solar cells of CuInS2 / ZnSe / ZnO type are characterized as a function of buffer layer deposition process.Se presentan resultados sobre la preparación mediante depósito químico de interfases CuInS2 / buffer. Estas interfases son de interés en la fabricación de células solares de lámina delgada. Se lleva a cabo el crecimiento de películas buffer de ZnSe en un baño químico, mediante a partir de reaccionesón electroless y química. La interfase CuInS2 / ZnSe resultante se caracteriza por medio de técnicas microscópicas (AFM, SEM. Se presentan resultados de células solares del tipo CuInS2 / ZnSe / ZnO, en función del tipo de depósito de la lámina buffer.

Atmospheric Pressure Spray Chemical Vapor Deposited CuInS2 Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, J. D.; Raffaelle, R. P.; Banger, K. K.; Smith, M. A.; Scheiman, D. A.; Hepp, A. F.

2002-01-01

Solar cells have been prepared using atmospheric pressure spray chemical vapor deposited CuInS2 absorbers. The CuInS2 films were deposited at 390 C using the single source precursor (PPh3)2CuIn(SEt)4 in an argon atmosphere. The absorber ranges in thickness from 0.75 - 1.0 micrometers, and exhibits a crystallographic gradient, with the leading edge having a (220) preferred orientation and the trailing edge having a (112) orientation. Schottky diodes prepared by thermal evaporation of aluminum contacts on to the CuInS2 yielded diodes for films that were annealed at 600 C. Solar cells were prepared using annealed films and had the (top down) composition of Al/ZnO/CdS/CuInS2/Mo/Glass. The Jsc, Voc, FF and (eta) were 6.46 mA per square centimeter, 307 mV, 24% and 0.35%, respectively for the best small area cells under simulated AM0 illumination.

Preparation and characterization of chalcopyrite compound for thin film solar cells

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Sh. Ebrahim

2011-03-01

Full Text Available CulnS2 thin films were electrodeposited onto indium tin oxide substrate by the electrodeposition technique. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were carried out to determine the optimum pH and the amount of sodium thiosulfate for electroplating CuInS2 compound. The composition, crystallinity and optical properties of the compounds synthesized were studied by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX, (SEM, X-ray diffraction and UV–Visible spectra. It was found that the increasing pH shifts the electrodepositions voltage toward more negative and lowers the deposition current. Increasing the amount of sodium thiosulfate also decreases the deposition current but it has no effect on the deposition potential. It was concluded that CuInS2 with atomic stoichiometric ratio was prepared at pH equals 1 and 150 ml of 0.1 M sodium thiosulfate, 5 ml of 0.1 M indium chloride and 5 ml of 0.1 M cupper acetate. The energy gaps were calculated to be 1.6, 1.7 and 1.75 eV for CuInS2 prepared at 1, 1.5 and 2 of pH, respectively. It was indicated that the amount of the sodium thiosulfate has a slight effect on the energy gap.

Hybrid density functional theory study of Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 band structure for solar cell application

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Xu-Dong Chen

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 (CIGS alloy based thin film photovoltaic solar cells have attracted more and more attention due to its large optical absorption coefficient, long term stability, low cost and high efficiency. However, the previous theoretical investigation of this material with first principle calculation cannot fulfill the requirement of experimental development, especially the accurate description of band structure and density of states. In this work, we use first principle calculation based on hybrid density functional theory to investigate the feature of CIGS, with B3LYP applied in the CuIn1−xGaxSe2 stimulation of the band structure and density of states. We report the simulation of the lattice parameter, band gap and chemical composition. The band gaps of CuGaSe2, CuIn0.25Ga0.75Se2, CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2, CuIn0.75Ga0.25Se2 and CuInSe2 are obtained as 1.568 eV, 1.445 eV, 1.416 eV, 1.275 eV and 1.205 eV according to our calculation, which agree well with the available experimental values. The band structure of CIGS is also in accordance with the current theory.

Ion channeling study of defects in compound crystals using Monte Carlo simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Turos, A.; Jozwik, P.; Nowicki, L.; Sathish, N.

2014-08-01

Ion channeling is a well-established technique for determination of structural properties of crystalline materials. Defect depth profiles have been usually determined basing on the two-beam model developed by Bøgh (1968) [1]. As long as the main research interest was focused on single element crystals it was considered as sufficiently accurate. New challenge emerged with growing technological importance of compound single crystals and epitaxial heterostructures. Overlap of partial spectra due to different sublattices and formation of complicated defect structures makes the two beam method hardly applicable. The solution is provided by Monte Carlo computer simulations. Our paper reviews principal aspects of this approach and the recent developments in the McChasy simulation code. The latter made it possible to distinguish between randomly displaced atoms (RDA) and extended defects (dislocations, loops, etc.). Hence, complex defect structures can be characterized by the relative content of these two components. The next refinement of the code consists of detailed parameterization of dislocations and dislocation loops. Defect profiles for variety of compound crystals (GaN, ZnO, SrTiO3) have been measured and evaluated using the McChasy code. Damage accumulation curves for RDA and extended defects revealed non monotonous defect buildup with some characteristic steps. Transition to each stage is governed by the different driving force. As shown by the complementary high resolution XRD measurements lattice strain plays here the crucial role and can be correlated with the concentration of extended defects.

Small GSH-Capped CuInS2 Quantum Dots: MPA-Assisted Aqueous Phase Transfer and Bioimaging Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chuanzhen; Bai, Zelong; Liu, Xiangyou; Zhang, Yijia; Zou, Bingsuo; Zhong, Haizheng

2015-08-19

An efficient ligand exchange strategy for aqueous phase transfer of hydrophobic CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots was developed by employing glutathione (GSH) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as the ligands. The whole process takes less than 20 min and can be scaled up to gram amount. The material characterizations show that the final aqueous soluble samples are solely capped with GSH on the surface. Importantly, these GSH-capped CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots have small size (hydrodynamic diameter quantum dots, for instance, CuInSe2 and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. We further demonstrated that GSH-capped quantum dots could be suitable fluorescence markers to penetrate cell membrane and image the cells. In addition, the GSH-capped CuInS2 quantum dots also have potential use in other fields such as photocatalysis and quantum dots sensitized solar cells.

Colloidal-chemistry based synthesis of quantized CuInS2/Se2 nanoparticles

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Abazović Nadica D.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Ternary chalcogenide nanoparticles, CuInS2 and CuInSe2, were synthesized in high- temperature boiling organic non-polar solvent. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that both materials have tetragonal (chalcopyrite crystal structure. Morphology of the obtained materials was revealed by using transmission electron microscopy. Agglomerated spherical CuInS2 nanoparticles with broad size distribution in the range from 2 to 20 nm were obtained. In the case of CuInSe2, isolated particles with spherical or prismatic shape in the size range from 10 to 25 nm were obtained, as well as agglomerates consisting of much smaller particles with diameter of about 2-5 nm. The particles with the smallest diameters of both materials exhibit quantum size effect.

Electrodeposited CuInS2 Using Dodecylbenzene Sulphonic Acid As a Suspending Agent for Thin Film Solar Cell

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Shaker Ebrahim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available CulnS2 thin films were electrochemically deposited onto fluoride-doped tin oxide (FTO substrate in presence of dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid to adjust pH of the solution and as a suspending agent for the sulfur. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were carried out to determine the optimum pH. The composition, crystallinity, and optical properties of the compounds synthesized were studied by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Visible spectra. It was found that the increasing of pH shifts the electrodeposited voltage toward more negative and lowers the deposition current. It was concluded that CuInS2 with atomic stoichiometric ratio was prepared at pH equal to 1.5 and 150 ml of 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate, 5 ml of 0.1 M indium chloride, and 5 ml of 0.1 M cupper chloride. The energy gaps were calculated to be 1.95 and 2.2 eV for CuInS2 prepared at 1.5 and 2.5 of pH, respectively. It was found that sc, oc, and are 1.02×10−4 A/cm2, 0.52 V, and 1.3×10−2%, respectively, for FTO/CuInS2/ZnO/FTO heterojunction solar cell.

Depth Profile of Impurity Phase in Wide-Bandgap Cu(In1-x ,Ga x )Se2 Film Fabricated by Three-Stage Process

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shenghao; Nazuka, Takehiro; Hagiya, Hideki; Takabayashi, Yutaro; Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru; Islam, Muhammad M.; Akimoto, Katsuhiro; Sakurai, Takeaki

2018-02-01

For copper indium gallium selenide [Cu(In1-x ,Ga x )Se2, CIGS]-based solar cells, defect states or impurity phase always form due to both the multinary compositions of CIGS film and the difficulty of controlling the growth process, especially for high Ga concentration. To further improve device performance, it is important to understand such formation of impurity phase or defect states during fabrication. In the work presented herein, the formation mechanism of impurity phase Cu2-δ Se and its depth profile in CIGS film with high Ga content, in particular CuGaSe2 (i.e., CGS), were investigated by applying different growth conditions (i.e., normal three-stage process and two-cycle three-stage process). The results suggest that impurity phase Cu2-δ Se is distributed nonuniformly in the film because of lack of Ga diffusion. The formed Cu2-δ Se can be removed by etching the as-deposited CGS film with bromine-methanol solution, resulting in improved device performance.

A Novel Method for Preparation of Zn-Doped CuInS2 Solar Cells and Their Photovoltaic Performance

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Cheng-Hsiung Peng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a novel method was proposed to synthesize high quality Zn-doped CuInS2 nanocrystals under high frequency magnetic field at ambient conditions. The magnetic Zn-doping gave superparamagnetic heating of the resulting nanocrystals via magnetic induction, causing an accelerating growth rate of the doped CuInS2 under ambient conditions faster than conventional autoclave synthesis. Shape evolution of the Zn-doped CuInS2 nanocrystals from initially spherical to pyramidal, to cubic, and finally to a bar geometry was detected as a function of time of exposure to magnetic induction. These colloidal solvents with different shaped nanocrystals were further used as “nanoink” to fabricate a simple thin film solar device; the best efficiency we obtained of these crystals was 1.01% with a 1.012 μm thickness absorber layer (bar geometry. The efficiency could be promoted to 1.44% after the absorber was thickened to 2.132 μm.

Energy transfer in aggregated CuInS2/ZnS core-shell quantum dots deposited as solid films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardelis, S; Georgiadou, D; Travlos, A; Nassiopoulou, A G; Fakis, M; Droseros, N

2017-01-01

We report on the morphology and optical properties of CuInS 2 /ZnS core-shell quantum dots in solid films by means of AFM, SEM, HRTEM, steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The amount of aggregation of the CuInS 2 /ZnS QDs was controlled by changing the preparation conditions of the films. A red-shift of the PL spectrum of CuInS 2 /ZnS core-shell quantum dots, deposited as solid films on silicon substrates, is observed upon increasing the amount of aggregation. The presence of larger aggregates was found to lead to a larger PL red-shift. Besides, as the degree of aggregation increased, the PL decay became slower. We attribute the observed PL red-shift to energy transfer from the smaller to the larger dots within the aggregates, with the emission being realized via a long decay recombination mechanism (100–200 ns), the origin of which is discussed. (paper)

Photovoltaic performance of bithiazole-bridged dyes-sensitized solar cells employing semiconducting quantum dot CuInS2 as barrier layer material.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Fuling; He, Jinxiang; Li, Jing; Wu, Wenjun; Hang, Yandi; Hua, Jianli

2013-10-15

In this work, the quantum dot CuInS2 layer was deposited on TiO2 film using successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method, and then two bithiazole-bridged dyes (BTF and BTB) were sensitized on the CuInS2/TiO2 films to form dye/CuInS2/TiO2 photoanodes for DSSCs. It was found that the quantum dots CuInS2 as an energy barrier layer not only could effectively improve open-circuit voltage (Voc) of solar cell, but also increase short-circuit photocurrent (Jsc) compared to the large decrease in Jsc of ZnO as energy barrier layer. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement showed that the CuInS2 formed a barrier layer to suppress the recombination from injection electron to the electrolyte and improve open-circuit voltage. Finally, the open-circuit voltage increased about 22 and 27mV for BTF and BTB-/CuInS2/TiO2-based cells, the overall conversion efficiencies also reached to 7.20% and 6.74%, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Opto-electronic characterization of polycrystalline CuInS2 and Cu(In,Ga)S2 absorber layers by photoluminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidemann, Florian

2011-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) is an established method to characterize the optoelectronic properties of solar cell absorber layers. With the help of Planck's generalized law it is in principle possible to determine the quasi-Fermi level splitting - which is the upper limit of the open circuit voltage V oc - and the absorption coefficient of a solar cell before its actual completion. For large-scale measurements (mm/cm regime) this is valid for absorber layers with lateral homogeneous properties, however it is not directly transferable to polycrystalline semiconductors due to laterally fluctuating opto-electronic and structural parameters. The lateral fluctuations in opto-electronic properties of polycrystalline Cu(In 1-ξ Ga ξ )S 2 have been analyzed (e.g. with respect to fluctuations in quasi-Fermi level splitting, optical band-gap and sub band-gap absorbance) by measuring laterally and spectrally resolved PL on the μm-scale and providing the transition towards macroscopic PL measurements on the mm-scale. To give a comprehensive characterization, surface roughness and optical properties have been studied and methods for feature extraction have been applied. On the microscopic scale variations in the quasi-Fermi level splitting Δ x,y E Fnp of about 38 meV (CuInS 2 ) and 53 meV (Cu(In,Ga)S 2 ) have been found. From local absorbance spectra extracted from PL measurements on Cu(In,Ga)S 2 fluctuations in the optical band-gap E opt with a full width at half maximum of FWHM E opt ∼80 meV could be extracted, whereas band-gap fluctuations in CuInS 2 are found to be negligible. Thus band-gap fluctuations seem to be mainly caused by a varying gallium (Ga) content. Furthermore, regions with higher E opt and with it a potential higher Ga content, show a higher quasi-Fermi level splitting. As a major limiting factor for the local quasi-Fermi level splitting E Fnp the local density of deep defects could be identified. Due to low luminescence yields of Cu(In 1-ξ Ga ξ )S 2 under

Thioglycolic acid-capped CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots as fluorescent probe for cobalt ion detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zi, Lili; Huang, Yu; Yan, Zhengyu; Liao, Shenghua

2014-01-01

A novel sensing fluorescent probe based on the fluorescence quenching of the thioglycolic acid-capped CuInS 2 /ZnS quantum dots (CuInS 2 /ZnS/TGA QDs) was established for cobalt ions detection. The fluorescence quenching of CuInS 2 /ZnS/TGA QDs was due to the increasing surface deficiency and the inner-filter effect, which were attributed to the reaction between Co 2+ and sulfur bonds on the surface of QDs. The quenching curve could be fitted by a typical Stern–Volmer-type equation, with a linear relationship between the quenching efficiency and the concentration of cobalt ions in the range of 0.3012–90.36 μmol L −1 . And the detection limit (S/N=3) for Co 2+ was 0.16 μmol L −1 . Therefore, the established probe provided a simple, rapid, cheap and sensitive method for Co 2+ detection. In a word, this method can be used to detect Co 2+ in the environment. -- Highlights: • The CuInS2/ZnS QDs were used for the first time as a fluorescent probe for Co 2+ detection. • The dramatic color change could be observed when Co 2+ was added into the QDs solution. • The quenching of QDs was due to the increasing surface deficiency and the inner-filter effect. • This rapid, cheap and sensitive method was applied to the detection of Co 2+ in simulated water

Real time observation of phase formations by XRD during Ga-rich or In-rich Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} growth by co-evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pistor, Paul; Zahedi-Azad, Setareh; Hartnauer, Stefan; Waegele, Leonard A.; Jarzembowski, Enrico; Scheer, Roland [Institute of Physics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) (Germany)

2015-09-15

Solar cells with Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} absorbers rely on the three-stage co-evaporation process with Cu-poor/Cu-rich/Cu-poor absorber deposition conditions for highest efficiency devices. During the three-stage process, the formation and evolution of different selenide phases with changing compositions throughout the process crucially determine the final absorber quality. In this contribution, we monitor the evolution of crystalline phases in real-time with an X-ray diffraction (XRD) line detector setup implemented into an evaporation setup. Using the common three-stage process, we prepare and compare samples covering the full alloying range from CuInSe{sub 2} to CuGaSe{sub 2}. The in situ XRD allows the detection of the crystalline phases present at all times of the process as well as an advanced analysis of the phase evolution through a closer look at peak shifts and the full width at half maximum. For samples with a Ga/(Ga + In) ratio (GGI) < 0.5, distinct phase transitions associated with the transition to the reported vacancy compounds Cu(In,Ga){sub 5}Se{sub 8} and Cu(In, Ga){sub 3}Se{sub 5} are observed. No such indication was found for samples with a GGI > 0.5. For Ga-rich Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} phases with a GGI of 0.55, the XRD analysis evidenced a Ga-rich phase segregation before the stoichiometric point was reached. The above findings are discussed in view of their implication on wide gap solar cell performances. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structure, morphology and optical properties of CuInS2 thin films prepared by modulated flux deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillen, C.; Herrero, J.; Gutierrez, M.T.; Briones, F.

2005-01-01

The structure, morphology and optical properties of copper indium sulfide thin films prepared by a novel modulated flux deposition procedure have been investigated for layers from 200 to 400 nm thickness. These polycrystalline CuInS 2 films grown onto glass substrates showed CuAu-like structure, similar to epitaxial CuInS 2 films grown onto monocrystalline substrates, and direct band gap values Eg=1.52-1.55 eV, optimum for single-junction photovoltaic applications. The increase in the layer thickness leads to growth of the average crystallite size and increases slightly the surface roughness and the absorption coefficient

Some Characteristics of r.f. Sputtered CuInS2 Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samaan, A.N.Y.; Al-Saffar, I.S.; Wasim, S.M.; Hill, A.E.; Armour, D.G.; Tomlinson, R.D.

1983-01-01

Electrical data from sputtered and annealed p-type CuInS 2 thin films have been obtained over a range of temperatures. An analysis of hole mobility vs. temperature data indicates that the charge carriers are predominantly scattered by neutral and ionized impurities and by acoustic-mode vibrations

Elaboration et caracterisation de couches minces de CuInS2 deposees par la pyrolyse par pulverisation ultrasonique a base de transducteur

Science.gov (United States)

Petuenju, Eric Nguwuo

The present thesis study is part of the work of The Laboratory of New Materials for Energy and Electrochemistry systems (LaNoMat) that search new techniques to elaborate new materials for photovoltaic solar applications. This aims contribute to the development of the exploitation of solar energy into electrical energy by the maximum of the population throughout the world. This work deals with the determination of CuInS2 thin film deposition parameters by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method for applications in the technology of three dimensional (3D) solar cells. The structure of the band gap of CuInS2 (a semiconductor material with a direct bandgap of 1.55 eV) makes it an excellent candidate for the role of the absorber in thin film technology for solar photovoltaic applications. 3D solar photovoltaic technology requires the production of a p-n junction with n and p-type semiconductors to make networks. The production and growth of such networks depends on the creation of thin films which have the characteristics of an ultrathin nanocomposite or extremely thin absorber (typically a few tens of nanometers) or which act as a quantum dot. To allow the emergence of 3D photovoltaic technology, it is important to develop methods for the growth of thin layers of materials such as CuInS 2, which are potentially interesting for this purpose. But the development of methods for thin film deposition, for the reasons of competition and accessibility, must be considered as an important factor in the context of the development of three-dimensional photovoltaic solar cells at low cost (production costs: of the order of 0,5 a 0,3$US/Watt-peak) (Beard et al., 2014). To do this it is necessary to use materials manufacturing technology readily available and inexpensive, and allowing to have materials on large surface, such as pyrolysis which allows to reduce costs by a factor of 100 compared to the crystallogenesis. Pyrolysis is defined as a process for decomposing one or more compounds

Influence of Sn incorporation on the properties of CuInS2 thin films grown by vacuum evaporation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zribi, M.; Rabeh, M. Ben; Brini, R.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2006-01-01

Structural, morphological and optical properties of Sn-doped CuInS 2 thin films grown by double source thermal evaporation method were studied. Firstly, the films were annealed in vacuum after evaporation from 250 to 500 deg. C for Sn deposition time equal to 3 min. Secondly, the films deposited for several Sn evaporation times were annealed in vacuum after evaporation at 500 deg. C. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that polycrystalline Sn-doped CuInS 2 films were obtained and no Sn binary or ternary phases are observed for the Sn evaporation times equal to 5 min. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed the decrease of the surface crystallinity with increasing the Sn evaporation times and the annealing temperatures. The Sn-doped samples after annealing have bandgap energy of 1.42-1.50 eV. Furthermore, we found that the Sn-doped CuInS 2 thin films exhibit N-type conductivity after annealing

Characterization of CuInS2 thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition and their implementation in a solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugo, S.; López, I.; Peña, Y.; Calixto, M.; Hernández, T.; Messina, S.

2014-01-01

CuInS 2 thin films were formed by the sequential deposition of In 2 S 3 –CuS layers on glass substrates, by chemical bath deposition technique, and heating these multilayer 1 h at 350 °C and 400 mPa. The morphology and thickness of the CuInS 2 thin films were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, showing particles with elongated shape and length about 40 nm, and thickness of 267 and 348 nm for samples from 15 and 24 h of deposition time in the chemical bath of In 2 S 3 , respectively. The energy band gap values of the films were around 1.4 eV, whereas the electrical conductivity showed values from 64.91 to 4.11 × 10 −3 Ω −1 cm −1 for the samples of 15 and 24 h of In 2 S 3 deposition bath, respectively. The obtained CuInS 2 films showed appropriate values for their application as an absorbing layer in photovoltaic structures of the type: glass/SnO 2 :F/CdS/Sb 2 S 3 /CuInS 2 /PbS/C/Ag. The whole structure was obtained through chemical bath deposition technique. The solar cell corresponding to 15 h of In 2 S 3 deposition duration bath showed energy-conversion efficiency (η) of 0.53% with open circuit voltage (V oc ) of 530 mV, short circuit current density (J sc ) of 2.43 mA cm −2 , and fill factor (FF) of 0.41. In the case of the structure with 24 h of deposition of In 2 S 3 bath, η = 0.43% was measured with the following parameters: V oc = 330 mV, J sc = 4.78 mA cm −2 and FF = 0.27. - Highlights: • CuInS 2 films were formed by chemical bath deposition followed by a heat treatment. • Prepared CuInS 2 thin films can work as an effective absorbing layer in a solar cell. • A complete solar cell structure was made by a chemical bath deposition method

The determination of extinction coefficient of CuInS2, and ZnCuInS3 multinary nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Lei; Li, Dongze; Zhang, Zhuolei; Wang, Kefei; Ding, Hong; Xie, Renguo; Yang, Wensheng

2012-10-21

A pioneering work for determining the extinction coefficient of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) has been cited over 1500 times (W. Yu, W. Guo, X. G. Peng, Chem. Mater., 2003, 15, 2854-2860), indicating the importance of calculating NC concentration for further research and applications. In this study, the size-dependent nature of the molar extinction coefficient of "greener" CuInS(2) and ZnCuInS(3) NCs with emission covering the whole visible to near infrared (NIR) is presented. With the increase of NC size, the resulting quantitative values of the extinction coefficients of ternary CuInS(2) and quaternary ZnCuInS(3) NCs are found to follow a power function with exponents of 2.1 and 2.5, respectively. Obviously, a larger value of extinction coefficient is observed in quaternary NCs for the same size of particles. The difference of the extinction coefficient from both samples is clearly demonstrated due to incorporating ZnS with a much larger extinction coefficient into CuInS(2) NCs.

Synthesis of single phase chalcopyrite CuIn1−xGaxSe2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanoparticles by one-pot method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Zhaoxia; Zhang, Dawei; Chen, Qinmiao; Hong, Ruijin; Tao, Chunxian; Huang, Yuanshen; Ni, Zhengji; Zhuang, Songlin

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A facile and rapid one-pot synthesis method is presented. • The effects of various Ga contents are investigated. • Single phase chalcopyrite CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 nanoparticles can be easily synthesized. • The phase formation sequence is from CuSe to CuGaSe 2 , then to CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 . • The possible reaction mechanism of CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 nanoparticles is proposed. - Abstract: Single phase chalcopyrite and near stoichiometric CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by using a facile and rapid one-pot method. The effects of various Ga contents on crystal phase, morphology, element composition and absorption spectrum of the as-synthesized CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 nanoparticles were investigated in detail. The XRD and Raman patterns indicated that the as-synthesized nanoparticles had a single phase chalcopyrite structure, and the diffraction peaks shifted toward larger diffraction angles or higher frequencies with increasing Ga content. The FE-SEM images showed that the as-synthesized nanoparticles were polydispersed in both size and shape, and the nanoparticles with higher Ga content were more prone to aggregate. The Vis–IR absorption spectra showed strong absorption in the entire visible light region. The estimated band gap increased from 1.00 eV to 1.68 eV as Ga content increasing

Effects of the substrate temperature on the properties of CuIn5S8 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gannouni, M.; Kanzari, M.

2011-01-01

Structural, optical and electrical properties of CuIn 5 S 8 thin films grown by thermal evaporation have been studied relating the effects of substrate heating conditions of these properties. The CuIn 5 S 8 thin films were carried out at substrate temperatures in the temperature range 100-300 deg. C. The effects of heated substrate on their physico-chemical properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), optical transmission and hot probe method. X-ray diffraction revealed that the films are strong preferred orientation along the (3 1 1) plane upon substrate temperature 200 deg. C and amorphous for the substrate temperatures below 200 deg. C. No secondary phases are observed for all the films. The composition is greatly affected by heated substrate. From the optical transmission and reflection, an important absorption coefficient exceeds 10 5 cm -1 at 800 nm was found. As increasing the substrate temperature, the optical energy band gap decreases from 1.70 eV for the unheated films to 1.25 eV for the deposited films at 300 deg. C. It was found that CuIn 5 S 8 thin film is an n-type semiconductor at 250 deg. C.

Investigation of growth and characterization of nanostructured CuIn5S8 thin films produced by glancing angle deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinaoui, A.; Chaffar-Akkari, F.; Gallas, B.; Demaille, D.; Kanzari, M.

2015-01-01

Ternary chalcogenide of copper and indium (CuIn 5 S 8 ) thin films were grown by thermal evaporation method using GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) technique. The samples were prepared under different incident angles (α = 0°, 40°, 60° and 85° measured from the normal to the substrate surface) with a substrate rotation of 2 rpm. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible-infrared spectra are employed to characterize the microstructure and optical properties of the CuIn 5 S 8 thin films deposited by this technique. Under the GLAD conditions, we demonstrate that with substrate rotation, the columns were grown vertically due to the shadowing symmetry. The optical constants of the deposited films were determined from the analysis of transmission and reflection data. The results show that the refractive index and the thickness were decreased as α rises from 0° to 85° while the porosity and the Urbach energy were increased with increasing of the incident angle. The minimum refractive index is found to be 2.03 for the helical CuIn 5 S 8 film deposited at an angle of 85° and the Urbach energy was found to increase from 0.29 to 0.5 eV as α rises from 0° to 85°. Such changes of the optical behaviors are correlated with changes of the microstructure, especially a porous architecture which is favored for high incident angle. These properties exhibit potential for use in applications such as photonic crystals, graded index optical filters, and birefrigent omnidirectional reflectors. - Highlights: • GLancing angle deposition technique was employed to prepare CuIn 5 S 8 thin films. • CuIn 5 S 8 films exhibit a spinel structure with a preferred orientation along 311. • With substrate rotation, the columns were grown vertically due to shadowing symmetry. • The refractive index decreases with increasing glancing angle deposition. • Variations of the optical behaviors were correlated to the highly porous structure

Exploitation of inimitable properties of CuInS2 quantum dots for energy conversion in bulk heterojunction hybrid solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Jindal, Shikha; Giripunje, Sushama M.

2017-11-01

Quantum dots (QDs) are the suitable material for solar cell devices owing to its distinctive optical, electrical and electronic properties. Currently, the most efficient devices have employed the toxic QDs which cause destructive impact on environment. In the present article, we have used environment benign CuInS2 QDs as an acceptor material in bulk heterojunction device of P3HT and QDs. The energy level positions corroborated from UPS spectra substantiates the acceptor property of CuInS2. We scrutinized the hybrid solar cell by tailoring the acceptor content in active layer. The increased acceptor content intensifies the performance of device. The enhancement in photovoltaic parameters is mainly due to the fast dissociation and extraction of photogenerated excitons which occurs with the larger wt% of acceptor QDs. Current density-voltage characteristics describes the greater V oc and I sc in the 60 wt% CuInS2 QDs based solar cell as compared to the low wt% of QDs in the active layer.

Phase Identification of Cu-In Alloys with 45 and 41.25 at.% In Compositions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baqué, Laura; Torrado, D.; Aurelio, G.

2014-01-01

In this work, the thermal stability of Cu-In alloys with 45.0 and 41.2 at.% In nominal compositions was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy, wavelength dispersive spectroscopy, and in-situ synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (S-PXRD) over...

Dual passivation of intrinsic defects at the compound semiconductor/oxide interface using an oxidant and a reductant.

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Tyler; Chagarov, Evgeniy; Edmonds, Mary; Droopad, Ravi; Kummel, Andrew C

2015-05-26

Studies have shown that metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors fabricated utilizing compound semiconductors as the channel are limited in their electrical performance. This is attributed to imperfections at the semiconductor/oxide interface which cause electronic trap states, resulting in inefficient modulation of the Fermi level. The physical origin of these states is still debated mainly because of the difficulty in assigning a particular electronic state to a specific physical defect. To gain insight into the exact source of the electronic trap states, density functional theory was employed to model the intrinsic physical defects on the InGaAs (2 × 4) surface and to model the effective passivation of these defects by utilizing both an oxidant and a reductant to eliminate metallic bonds and dangling-bond-induced strain at the interface. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy were employed to experimentally determine the physical and electronic defects and to verify the effectiveness of dual passivation with an oxidant and a reductant. While subsurface chemisorption of oxidants on compound semiconductor substrates can be detrimental, it has been shown theoretically and experimentally that oxidants are critical to removing metallic defects at oxide/compound semiconductor interfaces present in nanoscale channels, oxides, and other nanostructures.

Electrodeposition of Cu-In alloys for preparing CuInS sub 2 thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrero, J; Ortega, J [Inst. de Energias Renovables (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)

1990-01-01

Copper-indium alloys were prepared by electroplating from citric acid (C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 7}.H{sub 2}O) baths onto Ti substrate. Formation of the alloys was carried out by direct codeposition of the elements and by sequential electrodeposition of copper and indium. Studies of the alloy formation by electrochemical measurements and X-ray diffraction were performed. The presence of Cu{sub 7}In{sub 4} in direct deposit as well as in sequentially electrodeposited material was observed during the alloy formation. The as-deposited layers were heated in H{sub 2}S. X-ray diffraction showed the annealed layers to be CuInS{sub 2} with the chalcopyrite structure, where the CuIn{sub 5}S{sub 8} phase was included during the annealing process. Photoelectrochemical characterization of the samples allowed us to determine the photoconductivity which is related with the Cu/In ratio in the samples. The energy gap for CuInS{sub 2} photoelectrodes in polysulphide solution was 1.57 Ev. (orig.).

A High-Yield Synthesis of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 Nanoparticles with Exceptional Size Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chivin Sun

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We report high-yield and efficient size-controlled syntheses of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanoparticles by decomposing molecular single source precursors (SSPs via microwave irradiation in the presence of 1,2-ethanedithiol at reaction temperatures as low as 100°C and times as short as 30 minutes. The nanoparticles sizes were 1.8 nm to 10.8 nm as reaction temperatures were varied from 100°C to 200°C with the bandgaps from 2.71 eV to 1.28 eV with good size control and high yields (64%–95%. The resulting nanoparticles were analyzed by XRD, UV-Vis, ICP-OES, XPS, SEM, EDS, and HRTEM. Titration studies by 1H NMR using SSP 1 with 1,2-ethanedithiol and benzyl mercaptan were conducted to elucidate the formation of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanoparticles.

Low-alcohol Beers: Flavor Compounds, Defects, and Improvement Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Carlos A; Andrés-Iglesias, Cristina; Montero, Olimpio

2016-06-10

Beer consumers are accustomed to a product that offers a pleasant and well-defined taste. However, in alcohol-free and alcohol-reduced beers these characteristics are totally different from those in regular beer. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and determine the different flavor compounds that affect organoleptic characteristics to obtain a product that does not contain off-flavors, or taste of grass or wort. The taste defects in alcohol-free beer are mainly attributed to loss of aromatic esters, insufficient aldehydes, reduction or loss of different alcohols, and an indeterminate change in any of its compounds during the dealcoholization process. The dealcoholization processes that are commonly used to reduce the alcohol content in beer are shown, as well as the negative consequences of these processes to beer flavor. Possible strategies to circumvent such negative consequences are suggested.

Growth and properties of CuInS2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, M.K.; Patel, P.D.; Chaki, Sunil H.; Lakshminarayana, D.

1998-01-01

Single phase copper indium disulphide (CuInS 2 ) thin films of thickness between 60 nm and 650 nm with the chalcopyrite structure are obtained on NaCl and glass substrates by flash evaporation. The films were found to be n-type semiconducting. The influence of the substrate temperature on the crystallinity, conductivity, activation energy and optical band gap was studied. An improvement in the film properties could be achieved up to a temperature of 523 K at a molybdenum source temperature of 1873 K. (author)

Ion channeling study of defects in multicomponent semiconductor compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turos, A.; Nowicki, L.; Stonert, A.

2002-01-01

Compound semiconductor crystals are of great technological importance as basic materials for production of modern opto- and microelectronic devices. Ion implantation is one of the principal techniques for heterostructures processing. This paper reports the results of the study of defect formation and transformation in binary and ternary semiconductor compounds subjected to ion implantation with ions of different mass and energy. The principal analytical technique was He-ion channeling. The following materials were studied: GaN and InGaN epitaxial layers. First the semi empirical method of channeling spectra analysis for ion implanted multicomponent single crystal was developed. This method was later complemented by the more sophisticated method based on the Monte Carlo simulation of channeling spectra. Next, the damage buildup in different crystals and epitaxial layers as a function of the implantation dose was studied for N, Mg, Te, and Kr ions. The influence of the substrate temperature on the defect transformations was studied for GaN epitaxial layers implanted with Mg ions. Special attention was devoted to the study of growth conditions of InGaN/GaN/sapphire heterostructures, which are important component of the future blue laser diodes. In-atom segregation and tetragonal distortion of the epitaxial layer were observed and characterized. Next problem studied was the incorporation of hydrogen atoms in GaAs and GaN. Elastic recoil detection (ERDA) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) were applied for the purpose. (author)

Electrochemical deposition of thin nano-structured layers of CuInS2 for photovoltaic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayzac, R.; Boulc'h, F.; Knauth, P.

2006-01-01

In this work, it has been shown that the electrochemical deposition seems to be a promising synthesis technique because the thickness of the layers and their morphology are well adapted to the photovoltaic application. The example of CuInS 2 has been taken. (O.M.)

Spray-Pyrolyzed Three-Dimensional CuInS2 Solar Cells on Nanocrystalline-Titania Electrodes with Chemical-Bath-Deposited Inx(OH)ySz Buffer Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Duy-Cuong; Mikami, Yuki; Tsujimoto, Kazuki; Ryo, Toshihiro; Ito, Seigo

2012-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) compound solar cells with the structure of plates> have been fabricated by spray pyrolysis deposition of CuInS2 and chemical-bath deposition of Inx(OH)ySz for the light absorber and buffer layer, respectively. The effect of deposition and annealing conditions of Inx(OH)ySz on the photovoltaic properties of 3D CuInS2 solar cells was investigated. Inx(OH)ySz annealed in air ambient showed a better cell performance than those annealed in nitrogen ambient and without annealing. The improvement of the performance of cells with Inx(OH)ySz buffer layers annealed in air ambient is due to the increase in oxide concentration in the buffer layers [confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement]. Among cells with Inx(OH)ySz buffer layers deposited for 1, 1.5, 1.75, and 2 h, that with Inx(OH)ySz deposited for 1.75 h showed the best cell performance. The best cell performance was observed for Inx(OH)ySz deposited for 1.75 h with annealing at 300 °C for 30 min in air ambient, and cell parameters were 22 mA cm-2 short-circuit photocurrent density, 0.41 V open-circuit voltage, 0.35 fill factor, and 3.2% conversion efficiency.

Effect of antimony incorporation on structural properties of CuInS2 crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Rabeh, M.; Chaglabou, N.; Kanzari, M.

2010-01-01

CuInS 2 (CIS) single crystals doped with 1, 2, 3 and 4 atomic percent (at.%) of antimony (Sb) were grown by the horizontal Bridgman method. The effect of Sb doping on the structural properties of CIS crystal was studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and PL measurements. X-ray diffraction data suggests that the doping of Sb in the CIS single crystals does not affect the tetragonal (chalcopyrite) crystal structure and exhibited a (1 1 2) preferred orientation. In addition, with increasing Sb concentration, the X-ray diffraction analysis show that Sb doped CIS crystals are more crystallized and the diffraction peaks of the CuInS 2 phase were more pronounced in particular the (1 1 2) plane. EDAX study revealed that Sb atoms can occupy the indium site and/or occupying the sulfur site to make an acceptor. PL spectra of undoped and Sb doped CIS crystals show two emission peaks at 1.52 and 1.62 eV, respectively which decreased with increasing atomic percent antimony. Sb doped CIS crystals show p-type conductivity.

An investigation on silar Cu(In1-xAlx)Se2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhanam, M.; Kavitha, B.; Velumani, S.

2010-01-01

Cu(In 1-x Al x )Se 2 [CIAS] thin films were prepared for the first time by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction [SILAR] method with two different dipping cycles. The thickness of the films was measured by gravimetric technique. The structural, morphological, compositional, optical transition and electrical investigation of SILAR CIAS thin films with respect to two different dipping cycles have been discussed in this paper.

The influence of Na on metastable defect kinetics in CIGS materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erslev, Peter T.; Lee, Jin Woo; Shafarman, William N.; Cohen, J. David

2009-01-01

The electronic properties of matched pairs of Cu(In x Ga 1-x )Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, with and without normal sodium levels, were studied by junction capacitance methods including admittance spectroscopy, drive level capacitance profiling (DLCP) and transient photocapacitance spectroscopy (TPC). The capacitance profiling measurements revealed a large deep defect density in the vicinity of the barrier interface that was likely responsible for the lower performance of the reduced Na samples. The metastable properties of CIGS solar cells were also examined, and these revealed marked differences between the two types of samples. These results directly address the predictions of theoretical microscopic models that have been proposed to account for metastable effects in CIGS

The effect of Se/Te ratio on transient absorption behavior and nonlinear absorption properties of CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) amorphous semiconductor thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Karatay, Ahmet; Küçüköz, Betül; Çankaya, Güven; Ates, Aytunc; Elmali, Ayhan

2017-11-01

The characterization of the CuInSe2 (CIS), CuInGaSe (CIGS) and CuGaSe2 (CGS) based semiconductor thin films are very important role for solar cell and various nonlinear optical applications. In this paper, the amorphous CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 semiconductor thin films (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were prepared with 60 nm thicknesses by using vacuum evaporation technique. The nonlinear absorption properties and ultrafast transient characteristics were investigated by using open aperture Z-scan and ultrafast pump-probe techniques. The energy bandgap values were calculated by using linear absorption spectra. The bandgap values are found to be varying from 0.67 eV to 1.25 eV for CuIn0.7Ga0.3Te2, CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se1.6Te0.4, CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se0.4Te1.6 and CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 thin films. The energy bandgap values decrease with increasing telluride (Te) doping ratio in mixed CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 films. This affects nonlinear characteristics and ultrafast dynamics of amorphous thin films. Ultrafast pump-probe experiments indicated that decreasing of bandgap values with increasing the Te amount switches from the excited state absorption signals to ultrafast bleaching signals. Open aperture Z-scan experiments show that nonlinear absorption properties enhance with decreasing bandgaps values for 65 ps pulse duration at 1064 nm. Highest nonlinear absorption coefficient was found for CuIn0.7Ga0.3Te2 thin film due to having the smallest energy bandgap.

Triangle islands and cavities on the surface of evaporated Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorber layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Anjun; Zhang Yi; Liu Wei; Li Boyan; Sun Yun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Lots of uncommon triangle islands and cavities are found on (1 1 2) planes terminated by Se atoms of evaporated Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 thin films. ► Se ad-dimer as a nucleus, Cu atom diffusion from Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 grains brings the epitaxial triangle island. ► The triangle islands grow with a two-dimensional layered mode. ► The triangle cavities are formed due to the insufficient coalescence of triangle islands. ► The performance of solar cell without triangle islands is improved. - Abstract: Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin films are co-evaporated at a constant substrate temperature of 500 °C on the Mo/soda lime glass substrates. The structural properties and chemical composition of the CIGS films are studied by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and an X-ray fluorescent spectrometer (XRF), respectively. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface morphology. Lots of uncommon triangle islands and cavities are found on some planes of the CIGS thin films. We investigate the formation mechanism of these triangle islands. It is found that the planes with the triangle islands are (1 1 2) planes terminated by Se atoms. Se ad-dimer as a nucleus, Cu diffusion from CIGS grains brings the epitaxial triangle islands which grow with a two-dimensional layered mode. The film with Cu/(Ga + In) = 0.94–0.98 is one key of the formation of these islands. The triangle cavities are formed due to the insufficient coalescence of triangle islands. The growth of triangle islands brings a compact surface with large layered grains and many jagged edges, but no triangle cavity. Finally, we compare the performance of solar cell with triangle islands and layered gains. It is found that the performance of solar cell with large layered gains is improved.

Fabrication of CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots-based white light-emitting diodes with high color rendering index

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Chih-Chun; Su, Yu-Sheng; Chung, Shu-Ru

2017-09-01

Among solid-state lighting technology, phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs) are excellent candidates to replace incandescent lamps for their merit of high energy conservation, long lifetime, high luminous efficiency as well as polarized emissions. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are emerging color tunable emissive light converters. They have shown significant promise as light emitters, as solar cells, and in biological imaging. It has been demonstrated that the pc-WLED devices integrated with red emissive ZnCdSe QDs show improved color rendering index of device. However, cadmium-based QDs have limited future owing to the well-known toxicity. Recently, non-cadmium luminescence materials, i.e. CuInS2-based QDs, are investigated as desirable low toxic alternatives. Particularly, CuInS2-based QDs exhibit very broad emissions spectra with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 100-120 nm, large Stokes shifts of 200 300 meV and finely-tunable emissions. In order to adjust emission wavelengths and improved quantum yield (QY), CuInS2/ZnS (CIS/ZnS) core/shell structure was introduced. Therefore, CIS/ZnS QDs have been extensively investigated and be used as color converter in solid-state lighting. Synthesis and application of CuInS2/ZnS core/shell QDs are conducted using a hot injection route. CIS/ZnS core/shell QDs with molar ratio of Cu:In equal to 1:4 are prepared. For WLED fabrication, the CIS/ZnS QD is dispersed in toluene first, and then it is blended with transparent acrylic-based UV resin. Subsequently, the commercial green-emitting Lu3Al5O12: Ce3+ (LuAG) phosphors are mixed with QDs-resin mixture. After that, the QDs-phosphors-resin mixtures are put in the oven at 140 °C for 1 h to evaporate the toluene. Subsequently, the homogeneous QDs-phosphors-resin mixture is dropped on the top of a blue LED chip (InGaN). Then, the device is cured by 400 W UV light to form WLED. The emission wavelength of CIS/ZnS QD exhibits yellow region of 552 nm with QY

Photoluminescence of polycrystalline CuIn 0.5 Ga 0.5 Te 2 thin films grown by flash evaporation

KAUST Repository

Yandjah, L.; Bechiri, L.; Benabdeslem, M.; Benslim, N.; Amara, A.; Portier, X.; Bououdina, M.; Ziani, Ahmed

2018-01-01

Polycrystalline CuIn0.5Ga0.5Te2 films were deposited by flash evaporation from ingot prepared by reacting, in stoichiometric proportions, high purity Cu, In, Ga and Te elements in vacuum sealed quartz . The as-obtained films were characterized by X

Surface defect free growth of a spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound crystals and investigations on its optical and magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Gihun, E-mail: G.Ryu@fkf.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstraße 1, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Son, Kwanghyo [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2016-05-15

A defect-free high quality single crystal of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound is firstly synthesized at the optimal growth temperature using the vertical Bridgman method. In this study, we clearly found that the cupric chloride is easily decomposed into the Cl{sup −} deficient composition at ≥470 °C. The Cl{sup −}- related gas phase at the high temperature region also always gives rise to a pinhole-like surface defect at the surface of crystal. Therefore, we clearly verified an exotic anisotropic magnetic behavior (anisotropic ratio of M{sub b}/M{sub (201)} at 2 K, 7 T=10) using the defect-free TlCuCl{sub 3} crystals in this three-dimensional spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound, relatively stronger magnetic ordering in the H//b than that of H//(201) direction at above the transition magnetic field. - Graphical abstract: A single crystal of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound with a defect free is successfully synthesized on the basis of TG/DTA result. We newly found that this cupric chloride compound is easily decomposed into the Cl{sup −} deficient composition at ≥470 °C and Cl{sup −} related gas phases also give rise to the defects like a pinhole on the surface of TlCuCl{sub 3} crystal. Using the crystals with a surface defect free, we also clearly verified the crystal structure of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound.

Statistical thermodynamics -- A tool for understanding point defects in intermetallic compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ipser, H.; Krachler, R.

1996-01-01

The principles of the derivation of statistical-thermodynamic models to interpret the compositional variation of thermodynamic properties in non-stoichiometric intermetallic compounds are discussed. Two types of models are distinguished: the Bragg-Williams type, where the total energy of the crystal is taken as the sum of the interaction energies of all nearest-neighbor pairs of atoms, and the Wagner-Schottky type, where the internal energy, the volume, and the vibrational entropy of the crystal are assumed to be linear functions of the numbers of atoms or vacancies on the different sublattices. A Wagner-Schottky type model is used for the description of two examples with different crystal structures: for β'-FeAl (with B2-structure) defect concentrations and their variation with composition are derived from the results of measurements of the aluminum vapor pressure, the resulting values are compared with results of other independent experimental methods; for Rh 3 Te 4 (with an NiAs-derivative structure) the defect mechanism responsible for non-stoichiometry is worked out by application of a theoretical model to the results of tellurium vapor pressure measurements. In addition it is shown that the shape of the activity curve indicates a certain sequence of superstructures. In principle, there are no limitations to the application of statistical thermodynamics to experimental thermodynamic data as long as these are available with sufficient accuracy, and as long as it is ensured that the distribution of the point defects is truly random, i.e. that there are no aggregates of defects

The electronic structure of Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 alloyed with silver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erslev, Peter T.; Lee, JinWoo; Hanket, Gregory M.; Shafarman, William N.; Cohen, J. David

2011-01-01

We have examined the electronic properties of (Ag 1-x Cu x )(In 1-y Ga y )Se 2 (ACIGS) alloys over a wide range of compositions to assess whether such alloys might allow one to achieve larger values of V OC at larger band gaps compared to the Cu(In 1-y Ga y )Se 2 (CIGS) alloys. Our studies employed junction capacitance techniques such as drive level capacitance profiling (DLCP) and transient photocapacitance (TPC) spectroscopy, as well as temperature dependent J-V measurements. The TPC spectra revealed not only that the band gap did indeed increase as the Ag-fraction was increased, but also that the bandtailing (or Urbach energies) in all ACIGS samples were substantially smaller than for CIGS samples of corresponding band gaps. This indicates that the Ag alloying somehow reduces the degree of disorder present. The DLCP measurements indicated very low free carrier densities, on the order of 10 14 cm -3 , as well as evidence of defects located at the CdS/ACIGS junction. Temperature-dependent I-V measurements revealed a distinct 'kink' in the V OC vs T characteristics, suggesting a transition from an interface-trap limited regime to a bulk-limited regime. At temperatures below 250 K, the V OC increased by up to 0.1 V as the sample was light soaked. This suggests that the interface traps limiting the V OC can be passivated by exposure to light.

A novel aptamer functionalized CuInS2 quantum dots probe for daunorubicin sensing and near infrared imaging of prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Zihan; Ma, Qiang; Fei, Xiaofang; Zhang, Hao; Su, Xingguang

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The daunorubicin (DNR)-loaded MUC1 aptamer-NIR CuInS 2 QDs conjugates were developed. • DNR can intercalate into the double-stranded CG sequence of the MUC1 (CGA) 7 –QDs. The aptamer-QDs can sense DNR by the change of photoluminescence intensity of QDs. • The probe can image and sense the delivery of DNR to targeted prostate tumor cell. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel daunorubicin (DNR)-loaded MUC1 aptamer-near infrared (NIR) CuInS 2 quantum dot (DNR–MUC1–QDs) conjugates were developed, which can be used as a targeted cancer imaging and sensing system. After the NIR CuInS 2 QDs conjugated with the MUC1 aptamer–(CGA) 7 , DNR can intercalate into the double-stranded CG sequence of the MUC1–QDs. The incorporation of multiple CG sequences within the stem of the aptamers may further increase the loading efficiency of DNR on these conjugates. DNR–MUC1–QDs can be used to target prostate cancer cells. We evaluated the capacity of MUC1–CuInS 2 QDs for delivering DNR to cancer cells in vitro, and its binding affinity to MUC1-positive and MUC1-negative cells. This novel aptamer functionalized QDs bio-nano-system can not only deliver DNR to the targeted prostate cancer cells, but also can sense DNR by the change of photoluminescence intensity of CuInS 2 QDs, which concurrently images the cancer cells. The quenched fluorescence intensity of MUC1–QDs was proportional to the concentration of DNR in the concentration ranges of 33–88 nmol L −1 . The detection limit (LOD) for DNR was 19 nmol L −1 . We demonstrate the specificity and sensitivity of this DNR–MUC1–QDs probe as a cancer cell imaging, therapy and sensing system in vitro

CuInS2 thin films obtained through the annealing of chemically deposited In2S3-CuS thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pena, Y.; Lugo, S.; Calixto-Rodriguez, M.; Vazquez, A.; Gomez, I.; Elizondo, P.

2011-01-01

In this work, we report the formation of CuInS 2 thin films on glass substrates by heating chemically deposited multilayers of copper sulfide (CuS) and indium sulfide (In 2 S 3 ) at 300 and 350 deg. C in nitrogen atmosphere at 10 Torr. CIS thin films were prepared by varying the CuS layer thickness in the multilayers with indium sulfide. The XRD analysis showed that the crystallographic structure of the CuInS 2 (JCPDS 27-0159) is present on the deposited films. From the optical analysis it was estimated the band gap value for the CIS film (1.49 eV). The electrical conductivity varies from 3 x 10 -8 to 3 Ω -1 cm -1 depending on the thickness of the CuS film. CIS films showed p-type conductivity.

Strain effects on point defects and chain-oxygen order-disorder transition in 123 cuprate compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Haibin; Welch, David O.; Wong-Ng, Winnie

2004-01-01

The energetics of Schottky defects in 123 cuprate superconductor series RBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (where R=lanthandies) and YA 2 Cu 3 O 7 (A=alkali earths), were found to have unusual relations if one considers only the volumetric strain. Our calculations reveal the effect of nonuniform changes of interatomic distances within the R-123 structures, introduced by doping homovalent elements, on the Schottky defect formation energy. The energy of formation of Frenkel pair defects, which is an elementary disordering event, in 123 compounds can be substantially altered under both stress and chemical doping. Scaling the oxygen-oxygen short-range repulsive parameter using the calculated formation energy of Frenkel pair defects, the transition temperature between orthorhombic and tetragonal phases is computed by quasichemical approximations (QCA's). The theoretical results illustrate the same trend as the experimental measurements in that the larger the ionic radius of R, the lower the orthorhombic/tetragonal phase transition temperature. This study provides strong evidence of the strain effects on order-disorder transition due to oxygens in the CuO chain sites

In-situ studies of the recrystallization process of CuInS2 thin films by energy dispersive X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, D.; Mainz, R.; Rodriguez-Alvarez, H.; Marsen, B.; Abou-Ras, D.; Klaus, M.; Genzel, Ch.; Schock, H.-W.

2011-01-01

Recrystallization processes during the sulfurization of CuInS 2 (CIS) thin films have been studied in-situ using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) with synchrotron radiation. In order to observe the recrystallization isolated from other reactions occurring during film growth, Cu-poor, small grained CIS layers covered with CuS on top were heated in a vacuum chamber equipped with windows for synchrotron radiation in order to analyze the grain growth mechanism within the CIS layer. In-situ monitoring of the grain size based on diffraction line profile analysis of the CIS-112 reflection was utilized to interrupt the recrystallization process at different points. Ex-situ studies by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) performed on samples of intermediate recrystallization states reveal that during the heat treatment Cu and In interdiffuse inside the layer indicating the importance of the mobility of these two elements during CuInS 2 grain growth.

Synthesis Characterization and Decomposition Studies of tris[N-N-dibenzyidithocarbaso)Indium (III) Chemical Spray Deposition of Polycrystalline CuInS2 on Copper Films

Science.gov (United States)

Hehemann, David G.; Lau, J. Eva; Harris, Jerry D.; Hoops, Michael D.; Duffy, Norman V.

2005-01-01

This paper presents the results of the synthesis characterization and decomposition studies of tris[N-N-dibenzyidithocarbaso)Indium (III) with chemical spray deposition of polycrystalline CuInS2 on Copper Films.

Investigations of solvents and various sulfur sources influence on the shape-controlled synthesis of CuInS2 nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruszynska, Marta; Borchert, Holger; Parisi, Jürgen; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna

2011-01-01

CuInS 2 (CIS) nanocrystals were successfully synthesized through a hot-injection technique employing a reaction of copper (I) acetate and indium (III) acetate with tert-dodecanethiol as a source of sulfur, and trioctylphosphine oxide and 1-dodecanethiol were used as ligands. The reaction medium was a mixture of two solvents: oleylamine and 1-octadecene. Varying the ratio between both solvents leads to the formation of wurtzite CuInS 2 particles with shapes ranging from triangular to rod-shaped with length up to 50 nm. Oleylamine turned out to influence the reaction condition in two opposite ways: by leading to monomer depletion before the injection of the sulfur precursor, and at the same time increasing the activity of the monomers remaining in solution. By changing the sulfur source from tert-dodecanethiol to sulfur dissolved in oleylamine, triangular particles with zinc blend structure and a smaller size (∼5 nm) were synthesized. The final materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis).

GCMS investigation of volatile compounds in green coffee affected by potato taste defect and the Antestia bug.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackels, Susan C; Marshall, Eric E; Omaiye, Angelica G; Gianan, Robert L; Lee, Fabrice T; Jackels, Charles F

2014-10-22

Potato taste defect (PTD) is a flavor defect in East African coffee associated with Antestiopsis orbitalis feeding and 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IPMP) in the coffee. To elucidate the manifestation of PTD, surface and interior volatile compounds of PTD and non-PTD green coffees were sampled by headspace solid phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis of the chromatographic data revealed a profile of surface volatiles distinguishing PTD from non-PTD coffees dominated by tridecane, dodecane, and tetradecane. While not detected in surface volatiles, IPMP was found in interior volatiles of PTD coffee. Desiccated antestia bugs were analyzed by GCMS, revealing that the three most prevalent volatiles were tridecane, dodecane, and tetradecane, as was found in the surface profile PTD coffee. Coffee having visible insect damage exhibited both a PTD surface volatile profile and IPMP in interior volatiles, supporting the hypothesis linking antestia bug feeding activity with PTD profile compounds on the surface and IPMP in the interior of the beans.

Synthesis, characterization and decomposition studies of tris(N,N-dibenzyldithiocarbamato)indium(III): chemical spray deposition of polycrystalline CuInS2 on copper films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hehemann, David G.; Lau, J. Eva; Harris, Jerry D.; Hoops, Michael D.; Duffy, Norman V.; Fanwick, Philip E.; Khan, Osman; Jin, Michael H.-C.; Hepp, Aloysius F.

2005-01-01

Tris(bis(phenylmethyl)carbamodithioato-S,S'), commonly referred to as tris(N,N-dibenzyldithiocarbamato)indium(III), In(S 2 CNBz 2 ) 3 , was synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1-bar with two molecules per unit cell. The material was further characterized using a novel analytical system employing the combined powers of thermogravimetric analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to investigate its potential use as a precursor for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of thin film materials for photovoltaic applications. Upon heating, the material thermally decomposes to release CS 2 and benzyl moieties in to the gas phase, resulting in bulk In 2 S 3 . Preliminary spray CVD experiments indicate that In(S 2 CNBz 2 ) 3 decomposed on a Cu substrate reacts to produce stoichiometric CuInS 2 films

Synthesis, Characterization and Decomposition Studies of Tris(N,N-dibenzyldithiocarbamato) Indium(III): Chemical Spray Deposition of Polycrystalline CuInS2 on Copper Films

Science.gov (United States)

Hehemann, David G.; Lau, J. Eva; Harris, Jerry D.; Hoops, Michael D.; Duffy, Norman V.; Fanwick, Philip E.; Khan, Osman; Jin, Michael H.-C.; Hepp, Aloysius F.

2005-01-01

Tris(bis(phenylmethyl)carbamodithioato-S,S ), commonly referred to as tris(N,Ndibenzyldithiocarbamato) indium(III), In(S2CNBz2)3, was synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 bar with two molecules per unit cell. The material was further characterized using a novel analytical system employing the combined powers of thermogravimetric analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy to investigate its potential use as a precursor for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of thin film materials for photovoltaic applications. Upon heating, the material thermally decomposes to release CS2 and benzyl moieties in to the gas phase, resulting in bulk In2S3. Preliminary spray CVD experiments indicate that In(S2CNBz2)3 decomposed on a Cu substrate reacts to produce stoichiometric CuInS2 films.

Hydrothermal synthesis of a photovoltaic material based on CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2

Science.gov (United States)

Castellanos Báez, Y. T.; Fuquen Peña, D. A.; Gómez-Cuaspud, J. A.; Vera-López, E.; Pineda-Triana, Y.

2017-12-01

The present work report, the synthesis and characterization of the CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 system (abbreviated CIGS), by the implementation of a hydrothermal route, in order to obtain a solid with appropriate properties in terms of surface, morphological and texture properties for potential applications in the design of photovoltaic cells. The synthesis was carried out using the corresponding stoichiometric quantities (Cu:In:Ga:Se 1:0.5:0.5:2), which were mixed in a Teflon vessel under stirring conditions. The homogeneous solution was treated in a steel autoclave at 300°C for 72 hours at the end of which the resulting material was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement. The results of the structural characterization allowed to confirm the obtaining of a chalcopyrite type structure, with a I-42 d (122) structure and cell parameters a=0.570, b=0.570, c=1.140nm, α=90, β=90, γ=90° oriented along (1 0 4) facet, detecting the presence of a secondary phases, related with CuInSe and CuIn metallic selenides, derived from synthesis process. The structural refinement allowing to validate the obtaining of a nanometric crystalline material (10-20nm) for potential applications in field of photovoltaic technology.

Influence of crystal defects on the chemical reactivity of recoil atoms in oxygen-containing chromium compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costea, T.

1969-01-01

The influence of crystal defects on the chemical reactivity of recoil atoms produced by the reaction 50 Cr (n,γ) 51 Cr in oxygen-containing chromium compounds has been studied. Three methods have been used to introduce the defects: doping (K 2 CrO 4 doped with BaCrO 4 ), irradiation by ionizing radiation (K 2 CrO 4 irradiated in the presence of Li 2 CO 3 ) and non-stoichiometry (the semi-conducting oxides of the CrO 3 -Cr 2 O 3 series). The thermal annealing kinetics of the irradiated samples have been determined, and the activation energy has been calculated. In all cases it has been observed that there is a decrease in the activation energy for thermal annealing in the presence of the defects. In order to explain the annealing process, an electronic mechanism has been proposed based on the interaction between the recoil species and the charge-carriers (holes or electrons). (author) [fr

Identification of biochemical features of defective Coffea arabica L. beans.

Science.gov (United States)

Casas, María I; Vaughan, Michael J; Bonello, Pierluigi; McSpadden Gardener, Brian; Grotewold, Erich; Alonso, Ana P

2017-05-01

Coffee organoleptic properties are based in part on the quality and chemical composition of coffee beans. The presence of defective beans during processing and roasting contribute to off flavors and reduce overall cup quality. A multipronged approach was undertaken to identify specific biochemical markers for defective beans. To this end, beans were split into defective and non-defective fractions and biochemically profiled in both green and roasted states. A set of 17 compounds in green beans, including organic acids, amino acids and reducing sugars; and 35 compounds in roasted beans, dominated by volatile compounds, organic acids, sugars and sugar alcohols, were sufficient to separate the defective and non-defective fractions. Unsorted coffee was examined for the presence of the biochemical markers to test their utility in detecting defective beans. Although the green coffee marker compounds were found in all fractions, three of the roasted coffee marker compounds (1-methylpyrrole, 5-methyl- 2-furfurylfuran, and 2-methylfuran) were uniquely present in defective fractions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fabrication of CuInS2-sensitized solar cells via an improved SILAR process and its interface electron recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xueqing; Wan, Qingcui; Luan, Chunyan; Mei, Fengjiao; Zhao, Qian; An, Ping; Liang, Zhurong; Xu, Gang; Zapien, Juan Antonio

2013-11-13

Tetragonal CuInS2 (CIS) has been successfully deposited onto mesoporous TiO2 films by in-sequence growth of InxS and CuyS via a successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) process and postdeposition annealing in sulfur ambiance. X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements showed that the obtained tetragonal CIS consisted of a chalcopyrite phase and Cu-Au ordering, which related with the antisite defect states. For a fixed Cu-S deposition cycle, an interface layer of β-In2S3 formed at the TiO2/CIS interface with suitable excess deposition of In-S. In the meantime, the content of the Cu-Au ordering phase decreased to a reasonable level. These facts resulted in the retardance of electron recombination in the cells, which is proposed to be dominated by electron transfer from the conduction band of TiO2 to the unoccupied defect states in CIS via exponentially distributed surface states. As a result, a relatively high efficiency of ~0.92% (V(oc) = 0.35 V, J(sc) = 8.49 mA cm(-2), and FF = 0.31) has been obtained. Last, but not least, with an overloading of the sensitizers, a decrease in the interface area between the sensitized TiO2 and electrolytes resulted in deceleration of hole extraction from CIS to the electrolytes, leading to a decrease in the fill factor of the solar cells. It is indicated that the unoccupied states in CIS with energy levels below EF0 of the TiO2 films play an important role in the interface electron recombination at low potentials and has a great influence on the fill factor of the solar cells.

Control of gallium incorporation in sol–gel derived CuIn(1−x)GaxS2 thin films for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourlier, Yoan; Cristini Robbe, Odile; Lethien, Christophe

2015-01-01

Highlights: • CuIn (1−x) Ga x S 2 thin films were prepared by sol–gel process. • Evolution of lattice parameters is characteristic of a solid solution. • Optical band gap was found to be linearly dependent on the gallium rate. - Abstract: In this paper, we report the elaboration of Cu(In,Ga)S 2 chalcopyrite thin films via a sol–gel process. To reach this aim, solutions containing copper, indium and gallium complexes were prepared. These solutions were thereafter spin-coated onto the soda lime glass substrates and calcined, leading to metallic oxides thin films. Expected chalcopyrite films were finally obtained by sulfurization of oxides layers using a sulfur atmosphere at 500 °C. The rate of gallium incorporation was studied both at the solutions synthesis step and at the thin films sulfurization process. Elemental and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses have shown the efficiency of monoethanolamine used as a complexing agent for the preparation of CuIn (1−x) Ga x S 2 thin layers. Moreover, the replacement of diethanolamine by monoethanolamine has permitted the substitution of indium by isovalent gallium from x = 0 to x = 0.4 and prevented the precipitation of copper derivatives. XRD analyses of sulfurized thin films CuIn (1−x) Ga x S 2, clearly indicated that the increasing rate of gallium induced a shift of XRD peaks, revealing an evolution of the lattice parameter in the chalcopyrite structure. These results were confirmed by Raman analyses. Moreover, the optical band gap was also found to be linearly dependent upon the gallium rate incorporated within the thin films: it varies from 1.47 eV for x = 0 to 1.63 eV for x = 0.4

Analysis of sulphurisation processes of electrodeposited S-rich CuIn (S,Se){sub 2} layers for photovoltaic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izquierdo-Roca, V.; Fontane, X. [EME/CERMAE/IN2UB, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Calvo-Barrio, L. [EME/CERMAE/IN2UB, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Lab. Analisis de Superficies, SCT, Univ. Barcelona, C. Lluis Sole i Sabaris 1-3, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Perez-Rodriguez, A. [EME/CERMAE/IN2UB, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)], E-mail: perez-ro@el.ub.es; Morante, J.R. [EME/CERMAE/IN2UB, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Alvarez-Garcia, J. [Centre de Recerca i Investigacio de Catalunya (CRIC), Travessera de Gracia 108, 08012 Barcelona (Spain); Duault, F.; Parissi, L.; Bermudez, V. [IRDEP, Institute of Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy (UMR 71714, CNRS/EDF/ENSCP), 6 Quai Watier - BP 49, 78401 Chatou cedex (France)

2009-02-02

This work reports a microstructural analysis of S-rich CuIn (S,Se){sub 2} layers produced by electrodeposition of CuInSe{sub 2} precursors followed by annealing at 500 deg. C under sulphurising conditions, as function of the annealing time (t{sub ann}). The characterisation of the layers by Raman scattering (RS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques has allowed to observe a strong dependence of the layer microstructure and the secondary phases synthesised during the sulphurising step on the annealing parameters. The experimental data show the existence of two distinct regimes: For t{sub ann} < 20 min, increasing t{sub ann} leads to a significant improvement of the crystalline quality of the absorbers. For longer annealing times, the changes observed in the frequency of the main CuIn (S,Se){sub 2} A{sub 1} mode in the Raman spectra have been attributed to a higher incorporation of S in the chalcopyrite lattice. The characterisation of devices fabricated with these absorbers has allowed to analyse the impact of the microstructural features on the parameters of the solar cells, observing the existence of a strong correlation between the solar cell parameters and the spectral features of the main Raman mode.

Defect formation energies and homogeneity ranges of rock salt-, pyrite-, chalcopyrite- and molybdenite-type compound semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiechter, S. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Glienicker Strasse 100, Berlin D-14109 (Germany)

2004-07-01

Employing the generalisation of Van Vechten's cavity model, formation energies of neutral point defects in pyrites (FeS{sub 2}, RuS{sub 2}), chalcopyrites (II-IV-V{sub 2} and I-III-VI{sub 2}) as well as molybdenites (MoS{sub 2}, WS{sub 2}) have been estimated. As input parameters the fundamental band gaps, work functions, electron affinities, surface energies, coordination numbers, covalent or ionic radii and unit cell parameters were used. The values calculated for tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated compounds agreed well with measured values. The data obtained can be used to calculate point defect concentrations and homogeneity ranges as a function of partial pressure and temperature. Introducing charged vacancies, the conductivity type can be predicted.

Controlling morphology and crystallite size of Cu(In0.7Ga0.3)Se2 nano-crystals synthesized using a heating-up method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Wei-Hsiang; Hsiang, Hsing-I; Chia, Chih-Ta; Yen, Fu-Su

2013-01-01

CuIn 0.7 Ga 0.3 Se 2 (CIGS) nano-crystals were successfully synthesized via a heating-up process. The non-coordinating solvent (1-octadecene) and selenium/cations ratio effects on the crystalline phase and crystallite size of CIGS nano-crystallites were investigated. It was observed that the CIGS nano-crystallite morphology changed from sheet into spherical shape as the amount of 1-octadecene addition was increased. CIGS nano-crystals were obtained in 9–20 nm sizes as the selenium/cations ratio increased. These results suggest that the monomer reactivity in the solution can be adjusted by changing the solvent type and selenium/cations ratio, hence affecting the crystallite size and distribution. - Graphical abstract: CuIn 0.7 Ga 0.3 Se 2 (CIGS) nano-crystals were successfully synthesized via a heating-up process in this study. The super-saturation in the solution can be adjusted by changing the OLA/ODE ratio and selenium/cation ratio.

Point defects in solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

The principal properties of point defects are studied: thermodynamics, electronic structure, interactions with etended defects, production by irradiation. Some measuring methods are presented: atomic diffusion, spectroscopic methods, diffuse scattering of neutron and X rays, positron annihilation, molecular dynamics. Then points defects in various materials are investigated: ionic crystals, oxides, semiconductor materials, metals, intermetallic compounds, carbides, nitrides [fr

Ultraviolet emission from low resistance Cu2SnS3/SnO2 and CuInS2/Sn:In2O3 nanowires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Karageorgou

2014-11-01

Full Text Available SnO2 and Sn:In2O3 nanowires were grown on Si(001, and p-n junctions were fabricated in contact with p-type Cu2S which exhibited rectifying current–voltage characteristics. Core-shell Cu2SnS3/SnO2 and CuInS2/Sn:In2O3 nanowires were obtained by depositing copper and post-growth processing under H2S between 100 and 500 °C. These consist mainly of tetragonal rutile SnO2 and cubic bixbyite In2O3. We observe photoluminescence at 3.65 eV corresponding to band edge emission from SnO2 quantum dots in the Cu2SnS3/SnO2 nanowires due to electrostatic confinement. The Cu2SnS3/SnO2 nanowires assemblies had resistances of 100 Ω similar to CuInS2/In2O3 nanowires which exhibited photoluminescence at 3.0 eV.

Growth and process identification of CuInS 2 on GaP by chemical vapor deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, H. L.; Sun, C. Y.; Fang, C. S.; Chang, S. D.; Cheng, C. H.; Yang, M. H.; Lin, H. H.; Tuwan-Mu, H.

1981-10-01

Experimental techniques for growing CuInS 2 layers on GaP substrates by the metalorganic method have been developed. Hydrogen sulfide gas together with the vapors of CuCl( NCCH3) n and InCl3( NCCH3) both of which were generated by bubbling nitrogen through sources, using a solvent of acetonitride, were used as transport agents. Various characterization techniques such as atomic absorption (AA), neutron activation analysis (NAA), energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX), Rutherford back-scattering analysis (RBS), and X-ray analyses were used to help understand the fundamental mechanism of the CVD growth.

A Comprehensive Study of One-Step Selenization Process for Cu(In1-x Ga x )Se2 Thin Film Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Chen; Wang, Sheng-Wen; Kuo, Shou-Yi; Juang, Jenh-Yih; Lee, Po-Tsung; Luo, Chih Wei; Wu, Kaung-Hsiung; Kuo, Hao-Chung

2017-12-01

In this work, aiming at developing a rapid and environmental-friendly process for fabricating CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells, we demonstrated the one-step selenization process by using selenium vapor as the atmospheric gas instead of the commonly used H 2 Se gas. The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics indicate that there exists an optimal location with superior crystalline quality in the CIGS thin films obtained by one-step selenization. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) reveals that the Ga lateral distribution in the one-step selenized CIGS thin film is intimately correlated to the blue-shifted PL spectra. The surface morphologies examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) further suggested that voids and binary phase commonly existing in CIGS films could be successfully eliminated by the present one-step selenization process. The agglomeration phenomenon attributable to the formation of MoSe 2 layer was also observed. Due to the significant microstructural improvement, the current-voltage (J-V) characteristics and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the devices made of the present CIGS films have exhibited the remarkable carrier transportation characteristics and photon utilization at the optimal location, resulting in a high conversion efficiency of 11.28%. Correlations between the defect states and device performance of the one-step selenized CIGS thin film were convincingly delineated by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy.

A Facile Solvothermal Method for Synthesis of CuInS2 Nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Mousavi-Kamazani

2012-09-01

Full Text Available CuInS2 nanostructures were  synthesized  via  a  simple  surfactant-free solvothermal  route.  In  this  synthesis,  thiosemicarbazide  and thioglycolic acid were used as sulfur sources. The effects of different parameters such as type of precursor and time on the morphology and particle  size  of  the  samples  have  been  investigated.  The nanostructures  were  characterized  by  means  of  X-ray  diffraction (XRD,  scanning  electron microscopy  (SEM,  energy-dispersive X- ray  analysis  (EDX,  Fourier  transform  infrared  (FT-IR  and photoluminescence  (PL  spectroscopy.  The  fill  factor  (FF,  open circuit voltage  (Voc, and  short circuit current  (Isc were obtained by I–V characterization.

Characteristics of CuInSe2 thin films grown by the selenization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Deok; Kim, Hyeong Joon; Adurodija, Frederick Ojo; Yoon, Kyeong Hoon; Song, Jin Soo

1999-01-01

CuInSe 2 thin films were formed from a selenization of co-sputtered Cu-In alloy layers which consisted of only two phases, CuIn 2 and Cu 11 In 9 . A linear dependence of the Cu-In alloy film composition on the Cu/In sputtering power was found. The metallic layers were selenized in vacuum or at 1 atm. A small number of Cu-Se and In-Se compounds was observed during the early stage of selenization, and single-phase CuInSe 2 was more easily formed in vacuum than at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, CuInSe 2 films selenized in vacuum showed larger grain sizes, smoother surfaces, and denser microstructures than those selenized at 1 atm

Effects of water vapor introduction during Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 deposition on thin film properties and solar cell performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizuka, S.; Sakurai, K.; Yamada, A.; Matsubara, K.; Shibata, H.; Kojima, T.; Niki, S.; Yonemura, M.; Nakamura, S.; Nakanishi, H.

2006-01-01

The effects of water vapor introduction during the growth of Cu(In 1-x Ga x )Se 2 , specifically CuInSe 2 (CISe), Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe), and CuGaSe 2 (CGSe) thin films were studied. We have developed thus far a novel technique to improve CIGSe (x∝0.5) cell performance by means of water vapor introduction during CIGSe deposition. In this study, we have examined the effectiveness of water vapor introduction for other x-compositions (CISe and CGSe). Variations in the electrical properties observed in CIGSe (x∝0.5), that is, increasing hole density and conductivity with water vapor introduction, were also observed in CISe and CGSe. Water vapor introduction affected solar cell performance as well; open circuit voltages, short circuit current densities, and efficiencies were improved. The improvements in cell performance are thought to be related to annihilation of donor defects arising from Se-vacancies by incorporation of oxygen from the water vapor. In addition to this, the sodium content in the CIGSe layers was found to depend on the partial pressure of water vapor during deposition. This result suggests that the improvement mechanism is also related with the so-called 'Na-effects'. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (Abstract Copyright [2006], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Oxide nanoparticle-based fabrication and optical properties of Cu(In1−xGax)S2 absorber layer for solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yo-Min; Lee, Young-In; Kim, Bum-Sung; Choa, Yong-Ho

2013-01-01

The compound Cu(In 1−x Ga x )S 2 (CIGS) was synthesized using copper oxide, indium oxide and gallium oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles using salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (SAUSP). Under this method, CIGS can be produced without the complicated restrictions of a vacuum and an inert atmosphere. The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired stoichiometric quantities of starting materials. In order to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles, various NaCl/precursor ratios were used to accomplish the SAUSP process and ultimately monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles with average particle size of 9 nm without hard agglomeration were obtained. Subsequently, the CIGO nanoparticles were sulfurized to form the CIGS in H 2 S/Ar atmosphere at 500 °C. The CIGS obtained in the present study has the various band gap ranging from 1.67 to 2.34 eV depending on the Ga / (In + Ga) ratio, and those band gap correspond to the respective bulk materials. - Highlights: • CIGS is obtained using Cu, In and Ga oxide mixture (CIGO) nanoparticles. • Salt-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is used to synthesize CIGO nanoparticles. • Nine nanometers of monodisperse CIGO nanoparticles without hard agglomeration is obtained. • The band gap of CIGS can be controlled by introducing the desired ratio of precursor

Characteristics of CuInSe sub 2 thin films grown by the selenization method

CERN Document Server

Kim, S D; Adurodija, F O; Yoon, K H; Song, J S

1999-01-01

CuInSe sub 2 thin films were formed from a selenization of co-sputtered Cu-In alloy layers which consisted of only two phases, CuIn sub 2 and Cu sub 1 sub 1 In sub 9. A linear dependence of the Cu-In alloy film composition on the Cu/In sputtering power was found. The metallic layers were selenized in vacuum or at 1 atm. A small number of Cu-Se and In-Se compounds was observed during the early stage of selenization, and single-phase CuInSe sub 2 was more easily formed in vacuum than at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, CuInSe sub 2 films selenized in vacuum showed larger grain sizes, smoother surfaces, and denser microstructures than those selenized at 1 atm.

Formation of a ZnS/Zn(S,O) bilayer buffer on CuInS2 thin film solar cell absorbers by chemical bath deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Bär, M.; Ennaoui, A.; Klaer, J.; Kropp, T.; Sáez-Araoz, R.; Allsop, N.; Lauermann, I.; Schock, H.-W.; Lux-Steiner, M. C.

2006-06-01

The application of Zn compounds as buffer layers was recently extended to wide-gap CuInS2 (CIS) based thin film solar cells. Using an alternative chemical deposition route for the buffer preparation aiming at the deposition of a single-layer, nominal ZnS buffer without the need for any toxic reactants such as hydrazine has helped us to achieve a similar efficiency as respective CdS-buffered reference devices. In order to shed light on the differences of other Zn-compound buffers deposited in conventional chemical baths [chemical bath deposition (CBD)] compared to the buffer layers deposited by this alternative CBD process, the composition of the deposited buffers was investigated by x-ray excited Auger electron and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to potentially clarify their superiority in terms of device performance. We have found that in the early stages of this alternative CBD process a thin ZnS layer is formed on the CIS, whereas in the second half of the CBD the growth rate is greatly increased and Zn(S,O) with a ZnS/(ZnS+ZnO) ratio of ~80% is deposited. Thus, a ZnS/Zn(S,O) bilayer buffer is deposited on the CIS thin film solar cell absorbers by the alternative chemical deposition route used in this investigation. No major changes of these findings after a postannealing of the buffer/CIS sample series and recharacterization could be identified.

Solid state reactions and diffusion processes during rapid thermal processing of Cu-In-S based semiconductors; Festkoerperreaktionen und Diffusionsprozesse bei der schnellen Bildung von Halbleiterschichten im System Cu-In-S

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enzenhofer, T

2007-12-14

In this thesis thin layers of the system Cu-In-S were studied for the photovoltaic application by means of structural and electro-optical procedures. The effect of small quantities of group II elements on the absorber and component properties could be explained by a widely appointed study. The motivation to insert extraneous elements into CuInS{sub 2} absorber layers results from the too low zero-current voltage of CuInS{sub 2} based solar cells. It could be shown that by addition of small quantities of Zn and/or Mg (<1 at.%) the zero-current voltage can be increased by 90 mV. The best doped CuInS{sub 2} solar cells aimed efficiencies, which were also determined for the reference system. As limiting factor in the doped system the zero-current has been proved. The intensive analysis of the absorber properties showed the the extraneous atoms effect in the bulk and on the surface different modifications.

Defect formation and carrier doping in epitaxial films of the ''parent'' compound SrCuO2: Synthesis of two superconductors descendants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feenstra, R.; Norton, D.P.; Budai, J.D.; Jones, E.C.; Christen, D.K.; Kawai, T.

1995-04-01

The infinite layer or parent compounds ACuO 2 (A: Ca-Sr-Ba) constitute the simplest copper oxygen perovskites that contain the CuO 2 sheets essential for superconductivity. The stabilization of these basic ''building blocks'' as epitaxial films, therefore, provides alluring opportunities towards the search for new superconducting compounds and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms. In this work, general trends of the defect formation and carrier doping for epitaxial films of the intermediate endmember SrCuO 2 are reviewed. First results are presented from successful attempts to induce hole-doped superconductivity via the processing-controlled incorporation of charge reservoir layers

Characterization of CuIn1-xAlxS2 thin films prepared by thermal evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smaili, F.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2008-01-01

Ingots containing single crystals of the quaternary alloys CuIn 1-x Al x S 2 (CIAS) were grown by a horizontal Bridgman method for compositions with x = 0, 0.2 and x = 0.4. (CIAS) thin films were prepared by thermal evaporation technique on to glass substrates. Structural and optical properties of the films were studied in function of the Al content. Band gap, and absorption coefficients were determined from the analysis of the optical spectra (transmittance and reflectance as a function of wavelength) recorded by a spectrophotometer. The samples have direct bandgap energies of 1.95 eV (x = 0), 2.06 eV (x = 0,2) and 2.1 eV (x = 0,4). These optical results were correlated with the structural analysis by X-Ray diffraction

Role of oxygen in enhancing N-type conductivity of CuInS2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabeh, M. Ben; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2007-01-01

Post-growth treatments in air atmosphere were performed on CuInS 2 films prepared by the single-source thermal evaporation method. Their effect on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the films was studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical reflection and transmission and resistance measurements. The films were annealed from 100 to 350 deg. C in air. The stability of the observed N-type conductivity after annealing depends strongly on the annealing temperature. Indeed it is shown that for annealing temperatures above 200 deg. C the N-type conductivity is stable. The resistance of the N-CuInS 2 thin films correlates well with the corresponding annealing temperature. The samples after annealing have direct bandgap energies of 1.45-1.50 eV

Near-Infrared Emitting CuInSe2/CuInS2 Dot Core/Rod Shell Heteronanorods by Sequential Cation Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

The direct synthesis of heteronanocrystals (HNCs) combining different ternary semiconductors is challenging and has not yet been successful. Here, we report a sequential topotactic cation exchange (CE) pathway that yields CuInSe2/CuInS2 dot core/rod shell nanorods with near-infrared luminescence. In our approach, the Cu+ extraction rate is coupled to the In3+ incorporation rate by the use of a stoichiometric trioctylphosphine-InCl3 complex, which fulfills the roles of both In-source and Cu-extracting agent. In this way, Cu+ ions can be extracted by trioctylphosphine ligands only when the In–P bond is broken. This results in readily available In3+ ions at the same surface site from which the Cu+ is extracted, making the process a direct place exchange reaction and shifting the overall energy balance in favor of the CE. Consequently, controlled cation exchange can occur even in large and anisotropic heterostructured nanocrystals with preservation of the size, shape, and heterostructuring of the template NCs into the product NCs. The cation exchange is self-limited, stopping when the ternary core/shell CuInSe2/CuInS2 composition is reached. The method is very versatile, successfully yielding a variety of luminescent CuInX2 (X = S, Se, and Te) quantum dots, nanorods, and HNCs, by using Cd-chalcogenide NCs and HNCs as templates. The approach reported here thus opens up routes toward materials with unprecedented properties, which would otherwise remain inaccessible. PMID:26449673

Ellipsometric spectroscopy on polycrystalline CuIn1-xGaxSe2: Identification of optical transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Haj Moussa, G.W.; Ajaka, M.; El Tahchi, M.; Eid, E.; Llinares, C.

2005-01-01

Bulk materials have been synthesized by the Bridgman technique using the elements Cu, Ga, In, Se. Bulk samples have been characterized by EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), hot point, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The samples used were well crystallized and lended strong support to the achievement of a good stoichiometry. Energy levels above the gap in the band scheme were determined by measuring the dielectric function at ambient temperature for energies lying between 1.5 and 5.5 eV. Many transitions were observed above the gap for different samples of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (0≤x≤1) alloy. Spectroscopic ellipsometry gave evidence for the interpretation of the choice of gap values which were compatible with that obtained from solar spectrum [1]. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Evidence of significant down-conversion in a Si-based solar cell using CuInS2/ZnS core shell quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Gardelis, Spiros; Nassiopoulou, Androula G.

2014-05-01

We report on the increase of up to 37.5% in conversion efficiency of a Si-based solar cell after deposition of light-emitting Cd-free, CuInS2/ZnS core shell quantum dots on the active area of the cell due to the combined effect of down-conversion and the anti- reflecting property of the dots. We clearly distinguished the effect of down-conversion from anti-reflection and estimated an enhancement of up to 10.5% in the conversion efficiency due to down-conversion.

Evidence of significant down-conversion in a Si-based solar cell using CuInS2/ZnS core shell quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardelis, Spiros; Nassiopoulou, Androula G.

2014-01-01

We report on the increase of up to 37.5% in conversion efficiency of a Si-based solar cell after deposition of light-emitting Cd-free, CuInS 2 /ZnS core shell quantum dots on the active area of the cell due to the combined effect of down-conversion and the anti- reflecting property of the dots. We clearly distinguished the effect of down-conversion from anti-reflection and estimated an enhancement of up to 10.5% in the conversion efficiency due to down-conversion

Local structure and defect chemistry of [(SnSe)1.15]m(TaSe2) ferecrystals – A new type of layered intergrowth compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosse, Corinna; Atkins, Ryan; Kirmse, Holm; Mogilatenko, Anna; Neumann, Wolfgang; Johnson, David C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •The crystal structure of [(SnSe) 1.15 ] m (TaSe 2 ) ferecrystals was analyzed by TEM. •The layers exhibit turbostratic disorder, but we also observed a local ordering. •The structures of the SnSe and TaSe 2 layers are similar to binary SnSe and 2H-TaSe 2 . •An increasing in-plane SnSe grain size with increasing m was observed. •Defect areas with missing, substituted or additional layers were found. -- Abstract: The atomic structure of the family of ferecrystals [(SnSe) 1.15 ] m (TaSe 2 ) (m = 1, 3, and 6) was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. The tantalum in the TaSe 2 layers was observed to have trigonal prismatic coordination similar to that found in the 2H polytype of bulk TaSe 2 . The structure of the SnSe constituent was found to be similar to that of orthorhombic α-SnSe. In the compounds with m = 1 and m = 3, regions with a local ordering of the layers along a commensurate axis, similar to the ordering in conventional misfit layer compounds, were observed. However, on a longer range the ferecrystals were found to exhibit a turbostratically disordered structure. Stacking defects were occasionally found in the samples in which a layer is interrupted and the surrounding layers are bent around these defects, while maintaining abrupt interfaces instead of interdiffusing. Volume defects were found in one sample of [(SnSe) 1.15 ] 1 (TaSe 2 ) 1 in which a SnSe layer locally substitutes a part of a TaSe 2 layer without interrupting the surrounding layers

Self-organized antireflection CuIn(S,Se)_2 nano-protrusions on flexible substrates by ion erosion based on CuInS_2 nanocrystal precursor inks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, Yu-Ting; Wang, Yi-Chung; Chen, Chia-Wei; Tsai, Hung-Wei; Chen, Yu-Ze; Hu, Fan; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • CuIn(S,Se)_2 nano-protrusions were demonstrated on 36-cm"2 flexible substrates. • Nano-protrusions were created by ion erosion on selenized CuInS_2 nanocrystal precursor inks. • Tilt orientations and remarkable anti-reflectance characteristics of nano-protrusions can be precisely controlled. - Abstract: In this work, an approach to achieve surface nano-protrusions on a chalcopyrite CuIn(S,Se)_2 thin film was demonstrated. Home-made CuInS_2 nanocrystals with average diameter of 20 nm were prepared and characterized. By applying ion erosion process on the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film, large-area self-aligned nano-protrusions can be formed. Interestingly, the process can be applied on flexible substrate where the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film remains intact with no visible cracking after several bending tests. In addition, reflectance spectra reveal the extraordinary anti-reflectance characteristics of nano-protrusions on the CuIn(S,Se)_2 film with the incident light from 350 to 2000 nm. A 36-cm"2 CuIn(S,Se)_2 film with nano-protrusions on flexible molybdenum foil substrate has been demonstrated, which demonstrated the feasibility of developing low cost with a high optical absorption CuIn(S,Se)_2 flexible thin film.

Boron-substitution and defects in B2-type AlNi compound: Site-preference and influence on structural, thermodynamic and electronic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capaz, Rodrigo B. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil); ElMassalami, M., E-mail: massalam@if.ufrj.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil); Terrazos, L.A. [Centro de Educação e Saúde, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Cuité, PB 58175-000 (Brazil); Elhadi, M. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil); Takeya, H. [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, 305-0047 (Japan); Ghivelder, L. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-972 (Brazil)

2016-06-05

Using a combination of theoretical (first-principles total-energy and electronic structure calculations) as well as experimental (structural, thermodynamics) techniques, we systematically investigated the influence of B incorporation on the structural, electronic and thermodynamic properties of a series of technologically-important B-containing AlNi matrix. Special attention was paid to calculating the energy cost of placing B at various sites within the cubic unit cell. The most energetically favorable defects were identified to be, depending on initial stoichiometry, substitutional B at Al site (B{sub Al}), Ni vacancy (V{sub Ni}), or Ni antisite (Ni{sub Al}). We show that the induced variation in the lattice parameters can be correlated with the type and concentration of the involved defects: e.g. the surge of V{sub Ni} defects leads to a stronger lattice-parameter reduction, that of Ni{sub Al} ones to a relatively weaker reduction while that of B{sub Al} defects to a much weaker influence. Both electronic band structure calculations as well as thermodynamics measurements indicate that the 3d bands of Ni are fully occupied and magnetically unpolarized and that the resulting N(E{sub F}) is very small: all studied compounds are normal conductors with no trace of superconductivity or magnetic polarization.

Determination and analysis of dispersive optical constants of CuIn3S5 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khemiri, N.; Sinaoui, A.; Kanzari, M.

2011-01-01

CuIn 3 S 5 thin films were prepared from powder by thermal evaporation under vacuum (10 -6 mbar) onto glass substrates. The glass substrates were heated from 30 to 200 o C. The films were characterized for their optical properties using optical measurement techniques (transmittance and reflectance). We have determined the energy and nature of the optical transitions of films. The optical constants of the deposited films were determined in the spectral range 300-1800 nm from the analysis of transmission and reflection data. The Swanepoel envelope method was employed on the interference fringes of transmittance patterns for the determination of variation of refractive index with wavelength. Wemple-Di Domenico single oscillator model was applied to determine the optical constants such as oscillator energy E 0 and dispersion energy E d of the films deposited at different substrate temperatures. The electric free carrier susceptibility and the ratio of the carrier concentration to the effective mass were estimated according to the model of Spitzer and Fan.

A near-infrared fluorescent bioassay for thrombin using aptamer-modified CuInS2 quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Zihan; Hu, Tianyu; Liu, Ziping; Su, Xingguang; Pan, Dong

2015-01-01

We describe a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent thrombin assay using a thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) and Zn(II)-activated CuInS 2 quantum dots (Q-dots). The fluorescence of Zn(II)-activated Q-dots is quenched by the TBA via photoinduced electron transfer, but if thrombin is added, it will bind to TBA to form G-quadruplexes and the Q-dots are released. As a result, the fluorescence intensity of the system is restored. This effect was exploited to design an assay for thrombin whose calibration plot, under optimum conditions, is linear in the 0.034 to 102 nmol L −1 concentration range, with a 12 pmol L −1 detection limit. The method is fairly simple, fast, and due to its picomolar detection limits holds great potential in the diagnosis of diseases associated with coagulation abnormalities and certain kinds of cancer. (author)

Secondary defects in non-metallic solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashbee, K.H.G.; Hobbs, L.W.

1977-01-01

This paper points out features of secondary defect formation which are peculiar to non-metallic solids (excluding elemental semiconductors). Most of the materials of interest are compounds of two or more (usually more or less ionic) atomic species, and immediate consequence of which is a need to maintain both stoichiometry (or accommodate non-stoichiometry) and order. Primary defects in these solids, whether produced thermally, chemically or by irradiation, seldom are present or aggregate in exactly stoichiometric proportions, and the resulting extending defect structures can be quite distinct from those found in metallic solids. Where stoichiometry is maintained, it is often convenient to describe extended defects in terms of alterations in the arrangement of 'molecular' units. The adoption of this procedure enables several novel features of extended defect structures in non-metals to be explained. There are several ways in which a range of non-stoichiometry can be accommodated, which include structural elimination of point defects, nucleation of new coherent phases of altered stoichiometry, and decomposition. (author)

Fault and Defect Tolerant Computer Architectures: Reliable Computing with Unreliable Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2006-08-31

supply voltage, the delay of the inverter increases parabolically . 2.2.2.5 High Field Effects. A consequence of maintaining a higher Vdd than...be explained by dispro- portionate scaling of QCRIT with respect to collector efficiency. 78 Technology trends, then, indicate a moderate increase in...using clustered defects, a compounding procedure is used. Compounding considers λ as a random variable rather than a constant. Let l be this defect

Generation and alteration of the defects induced by particle irradiation and electromagnetic radiation in alkali halogen compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nistor, L.C.

1979-01-01

Interactions between electron beams, CO 2 - laser radiation and alkali halogen compound have led to interesting results: 1. The development of two types of F-centre respectively in normal lattice or near the dislocations. 2. The beginning of metal colloids development process at low temperature when a thermal treatment is applied. 3. An experimental confirmation of the Pooley-Hersh model for crystal defects has been brought up. 4. The surface penetration is an explosive process. 5. Surface polygonizations were also investigated. A model has been proposed to describe the destructive channels development within alkali halogen crystals with molecular anions impurities of less than 10 ppm. KCl monocrystals of advanced purity level was prepared for building up passive optical components of strong CO 2 lasers. (author)

Structural studies of mechano-chemically synthesized CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidhya, B.; Velumani, S.; Arenas-Alatorre, Jesus A.; Morales-Acevedo, Arturo; Asomoza, R.; Chavez-Carvayar, J.A.

2010-01-01

CuInGaSe 2 is a I-III-VI 2 semiconducting material of tetragonal chalcopyrite structure. It is a very prominent absorber layer for photovoltaic devices. Particle-based coating process for CIGS is considered to be promising technique with relatively simple procedures and low initial investment. In the present work CIGS nanoparticle precursors suitable for screen-printing ink has been prepared by ball milling. High purity elemental copper granules, selenium and indium powders and fine chips of gallium were used as starting materials. First the ball milling was carried out for CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (x = 0.5) with (i) 10 ml of ethyl alcohol (ii) 5 ml of tetra ethylene glycol (wet) and (iii) 1 ml of ethylene diamine (semi-dry) for a milling time of 3 h and the results are not stoichiometric. In order to obtain an improved stoichiometric composition dry ball milling of elemental sources for three different compositions of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 (x = 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75) has been carried out. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of (1 1 2), (2 2 0)/(2 0 4), (3 1 2)/(1 1 6), (4 0 0) and (3 3 2) reflections for all the milled powders. These reflections correspond to chalcopyrite structure of CIGS. Shift in peaks towards higher value of 2θ is observed with the increase in Ga composition. Average grain size calculated by Scherrer's formula is found to be around 13 nm for the dry samples milled for 1.5 h and 7-8 nm for the samples wet milled for 3 h. Lattice constants 'a' and 'c' are found to decrease with the increase in concentration of Gallium. FESEM analysis revealed a strong agglomeration of the particles and the particle size varied from 11 to 30 nm for the dry-milled samples. Composition of milled powders has been studied by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. TEM analysis revealed the presence of nanocrystalline particles and SAED pattern corresponds to (1 1 2), (2 2 0)/(2 0 4), (5 1 2)/(4 1 7) and (6 2 0)/(6 0 4) diffraction peaks of CIGS. From the HRTEM analysis

Heteroepitaxial growth of CuInS2 thin films on sapphire by radio frequency reactive sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Y.B.; Kriegseis, W.; Meyer, B.K.; Polity, A.; Serafin, M.

2003-01-01

Direct heteroepitaxial growth of uniform stoichiometric CuInS 2 (CIS) thin films on sapphire (0001) substrates has been achieved by radio frequency reactive sputtering. X-ray ω-2θ scans reveal that the sputtered layers grow in a (112) orientation with a chalcopyrite structure. A rocking curve full width at half maximum of about 0.05 deg. (180 arc sec) for the (112) peak demonstrates a nearly perfect out-of-plane arrangement of CIS (112) parallel sapphire (0001). X-ray diffraction Phi scans further illustrate an excellent in-plane ordering of CIS [1-bar10] parallel sapphire (101-bar0). The sputtered thin CIS epilayers had a smooth surface with a typical root-mean-square roughness of about 3.3 nm as evaluated by atomic force microscopy. The epitaxial growth of tetragonal CIS on hexagonal sapphire provides evidence that heteroepitaxial growth may be realized between structures of different symmetry, such as films of cubic or tetragonal structures on hexagonal substrates or vice versa

Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Film Solar Cell Made from CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 Wurtzite Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengyan Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 (CIGS thin film solar cells have been successfully fabricated using CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles for the first time. The structure of the cell is Glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Ag. The light absorption layer is made from CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles that are formed from single-source precursors through a microwave irradiation. The Wurtzite phase nanoparticles were converted to Chalcopyrite phase film through a single-step annealing process in the presence of argon and sulfur at 450°C. The solar cell made from Wurtzite phase nanoparticles showed 1.6% efficiency and 0.42 fill factor.

EPR of defects in semiconductors: past, present, future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watkins, G.D.

1999-01-01

Important physical concepts learned from early EPR studies of defects in silicon are reviewed. Highlighted are the studies of shallow effective-mass-liked donors and acceptors of deep transition element impurities, and of vacancies and interstitials. It is shown that the concepts learned in silicon translate remarkable well to the corresponding defects in the other elemental and compound semiconductors. The introduction of sensitive optical and electrical detection methods and the recent progress in single defects detection insure the continued vital role of EPR in the future

Serine biosynthesis and transport defects.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Hattab, Ayman W

2016-07-01

l-serine is a non-essential amino acid that is biosynthesized via the enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH), phosphoserine aminotransferase (PSAT), and phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP). Besides its role in protein synthesis, l-serine is a potent neurotrophic factor and a precursor of a number of essential compounds including phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin, glycine, and d-serine. Serine biosynthesis defects result from impairments of PGDH, PSAT, or PSP leading to systemic serine deficiency. Serine biosynthesis defects present in a broad phenotypic spectrum that includes, at the severe end, Neu-Laxova syndrome, a lethal multiple congenital anomaly disease, intermediately, infantile serine biosynthesis defects with severe neurological manifestations and growth deficiency, and at the mild end, the childhood disease with intellectual disability. A serine transport defect resulting from deficiency of the ASCT1, the main transporter for serine in the central nervous system, has been recently described in children with neurological manifestations that overlap with those observed in serine biosynthesis defects. l-serine therapy may be beneficial in preventing or ameliorating symptoms in serine biosynthesis and transport defects, if started before neurological damage occurs. Herein, we review serine metabolism and transport, the clinical, biochemical, and molecular aspects of serine biosynthesis and transport defects, the mechanisms of these diseases, and the potential role of serine therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vacancy-type defects in electron and proton irradiated II-VI compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunner, S.; Puff, W.; Balogh, A.G.; Baumann, H.

1997-01-01

In this contribution, the authors present a study aimed at investigating the basic properties of radiation induced defects in ZnS and ZnO and the influence of the atmosphere on the annealing characteristics of the defects. Positron annihilation experiments (both lifetime and Doppler-broadening measurements) were performed on both single- and polycrystalline samples, irradiated with 3 MeV protons or 1 MeV electrons. For ZnS it was found that both electron and proton irradiation caused significant changes in the positron annihilation characteristics. The annealing of proton irradiated ZnS in air leads to significant oxidation and eventual transformation into ZnO

High-Performance CuInS ₂ Quantum Dot Laminated Glass Luminescent Solar Concentrators for Windows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergren, Matthew R. [UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, United States; Makarov, Nikolay S. [UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, United States; Ramasamy, Karthik [UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, United States; Jackson, Aaron [UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, United States; Guglielmetti, Rob [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States; McDaniel, Hunter [UbiQD, Inc., Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, United States

2018-01-30

Building-integrated sunlight harvesting utilizing laminated glass luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) is proposed. By incorporating high quantum yield (>90%), NIR-emitting CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots into the polymer interlayer between two sheets of low-iron float glass, a record optical efficiency of 8.1% is demonstrated for a 10 cm x 10 cm device that transmits ~44% visible light. After completing prototypes by attaching silicon solar cells along the perimeter of the device, the electrical power conversion efficiency was certified at 2.2% with a black background and at 2.9% using a reflective substrate. This 'drop-in' LSC solution is particularly attractive because it fits within the existing glazing industry value chain with only modest changes to typical glazing products. Performance modeling predicts >1 GWh annual electricity production for a typical urban skyscraper in most major U.S. cities, enabling significant energy cost savings and potentially 'net-zero' buildings.

Photoluminescence of polycrystalline CuIn 0.5 Ga 0.5 Te 2 thin films grown by flash evaporation

KAUST Repository

Yandjah, L.

2018-04-03

Polycrystalline CuIn0.5Ga0.5Te2 films were deposited by flash evaporation from ingot prepared by reacting, in stoichiometric proportions, high purity Cu, In, Ga and Te elements in vacuum sealed quartz . The as-obtained films were characterized by X – ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). XRD and TEM results showed that the layer has a chalcopyrite-type structure, predominantly oriented along (112) planes, with lattice parameters a = 0.61 nm and c = 1.22 nm. The optical properties in the near - infrared and visible range 600 - 2400 nm have been studied. The analysis of absorption coefficient yielded an energy gap value of 1.27 eV. Photoluminescence analysis of as-grown sample shows two main emission peaks located at 0.87 and 1.19 eV at 4 K.

Proceedings of the European Meeting on Positron Studies of Defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The meeting dealt with both theoretical and experimental aspects of positron studies of defects using conventional and novel positron techniques. The subjects are indicated in the following headings: (1) theory of positrons in imperfect solids, (2) vacancies in metals and alloys, (3) dislocation and deformation effects, (4) amorphous alloys and fine-grained materials, (5) phase transitions, (6) precipitation phenomena, (7) gas impurity-defect interaction and irradiation effects, (8) defects in elemental semiconductors, (9) defects in compound semiconductors, (10) slow positron studies of defects, (11) defects in oxides and halides, (12) defects in molecular solids, and (13) advances in experimental techniques and data treatment. Althogether 141 contributions (invited plenary lectures, short lectures, and posters) are presented as titles with abstracts. Most of them are in INIS scope and are processed individually for the database

The Effect of Ga2Se3 Doping Ratios on Structure, Composition, and Electrical Properties of CuIn0.5Ga0.5Se2 Absorber Formed by Thermal Sintering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung Ping Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Chalcopyrite compounds of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS absorber were fabricated by using binary-particle (Cu2Se, In2Se3, and Ga2Se3 precursors with thermal sintering method. The binary-particle ink was firstly prepared by milling technology and then printed onto a soda lime glass substrate, which was baked at a low temperature to remove solvents and form a dry precursor. Following milling, the average particle size of agglomerated CIGS powder is smaller than 1.1 μm. Crystallographic, stoichiometric, and electrical properties of precursor CIGS films with various doping amounts of Ga2Se3 had been widely investigated by using thermal sintering in a nonvacuum environment without selenization. Analytical results reveal that the CIGS absorption layer prepared with a Ga2Se3 doping ratio of 3 has a chalcopyrite structure and favorable composition. The mole ratio of Cu : In : Ga : Se of this sample was 1.03 : 0.49 : 0.54 : 1.94, and related ratios of Ga/(In + Ga and Cu/(In + Ga were 0.52 and 0.99, respectively. The resistivity and carrier concentration were 3.77 ohm-cm and 1.15 E  +  18 cm-3.

Study of radiation defects by in-situ measurements of the Hall effect in narrow-gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favre, J.

1990-01-01

Semiconducting compounds of II-VI, III-V and IV-VI groups were irradiated in liquid hydrogen by high energy (0.7 to 2.7 MeV) electrons. The Hall coefficient and resistivity variations were measured in situ during irradiation. The doping by irradiation induced defects is of p-type in III-V group compounds, while n-type doping occurs in II-VI and IV-VI group materials. A semiconductor to insulator or reverse transition was observed under irradiation when the chemical potential crossed the band edges. In IV-VI group compounds the two successive transitions take place in initially p-type samples. A metastable behaviour, characteristic to strong compensation, appears in the vicinity of those semiconductor - insulator transitions in IV-VI compounds. The slope of free carrier concentration vs. fluence variation was analyzed. It was compared to defect creation rates, calculated in the framework of a cascade model. The charge state of created defects was deduced in this way. - In IV-VI group compounds, the presence of localized levels degenerated with the conduction band and, in PbTe, of additional defect associated levels in the forbidden gap, was demonstrated. Those results are consistent with the saturation of electron concentration increase at high fluence as well as with the analysis of annealing experiments. - In Hg 1-x Cd x Te compounds, the analysis of electron concentration versus fluence increase indicates that only mercury Frenkel pairs are electrically active. The variation with cadmium content of the defect associated level energy was deduced from the saturation values of the electron concentration [fr

THE SENSORY CHARACTERISTIC DEFECT OF "CACHAÇA" DISTILLED IN ABSENCE OF COOPER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOãO BOSCO FARIA

2009-07-01

Full Text Available

Sugar cane spirit or "cachaça", the most popular Brazilian beverage, is made by distilling fermented sugar cane juice. When distilled in equipment build without copper, that beverage, may present a particular sulfury sensory defect. In order to identify the compound(s responsable for this defect, paired samples of "cachaça" from the same wine, but distilled in presence and absence of copper, were compared. Based on the composition of the headspace samples determined by HRGC-MS, on sensory characteristic of each component, evaluated by sniffing the GC column effluents and on sensory analysis results, dimethyl sulfide was identified as the main responsable for the sensory defect of cachaça distilled in absence of copper. Results also indicate 4.3-5.2 mg/L of dimethyl sulfide as limit for causing this sensory defect. KEYWORDS: "Cachaça"; dimethyl sulfide; sensory defect; copper and stainless steel distillers.

Thermal management approaches of Cu(In x ,Ga1-x )Se2 micro-solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sancho-Martínez, Diego; Schmid, Martina

2017-11-01

Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) is a cost-effective method for generating electricity in regions that have a large fraction of direct solar radiation. With the help of lenses, sunlight is concentrated onto miniature, highly efficient multi-junction solar cells with a photovoltaic performance above 40%. To ensure illumination with direct radiation, CPV modules must be installed on trackers to follow the sun’s path. However, the costs of huge concentration optics and the photovoltaic technology used, narrow the market possibilities for CPV technology. Efforts to reduce these costs are being undertaken by the promotion of Cu(In x ,Ga1-x )Se2 solar cells to take over the high cost multi-junction solar cells and implementing more compact devices by minimization of solar cell area. Micrometer-sized absorbers have the potential of low cost, high efficiencies and good thermal dissipation under concentrated illumination. Heat dissipation at low (account: absorber area, substrate area and thickness, structure design, heat transfer mechanism, concentration factor and illumination profile. A close study on them will be carried out to determine the best structure to enhance and reach the highest possible thermal management pointing to an efficiency improvement.

Transparent CuInS2/PMMA nanocomposites luminescent in the visible and NIR region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gugula, Krzysztof; Bredol, Michael

2014-01-01

Nanocomposites combining functional nanoparticles and transparent polymers allow for stabilization of filler properties over long periods of time while retaining transparency of the polymer matrix. Here we employ CuInS 2 /ZnS quantum dots (QDs), ternary visible- and NIR-emitting semiconductors as wavelength-tunable luminescent fillers. Luminescence in the near infrared (NIR) is of particular interest in medicine which allows deep penetration into human tissue enabling in vivo diagnostics and treatment, while visible emitters may serve as color converters in displays or lighting. To stabilize the optical properties of QDs and prevent agglomeration, polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA) was chosen as a matrix. These novel polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) show good optical properties and stability under ambient conditions, and can be easily deposited over large areas. High-quality QDs and hydrophobic functionalization with long-chain hydrocarbons are a prerequisite for embedding into a PMMA matrix. Transparent PNC films without visible scattering losses were obtained for 1 wt-% QD loading with respect to the polymer. Partial transparency is retained up to 10 wt-% QD loading and vanishes rapidly at higher loading. Luminescence properties increase up to 5 wt-% and then decrease rapidly due to QD agglomeration and reabsorption between adjacent particles. Potential applications include converter materials for medical applications, laser layers, displays and white LEDs. (orig.)

Hot injection synthesis of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 nanocrystals with tunable bandgap

Science.gov (United States)

Latha, M.; Aruna Devi, R.; Velumani, S.

2018-05-01

CuIn1-xGaxSe2 nanocrystals (CIGSe NCs) were synthesized with different gallium (Ga) content by the hot injection process at low reaction temperature for the first time. The Ga content [x = Ga(In + Ga)] was varied such as 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 to study their influences on the structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of CIGSe NCs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the peak shift towards higher 2θ angle. The lattice parameters a and c were decreased linearly as x value increases which propitiated Vegard's law. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed a decrease in the particle size from 55 to 22 nm. Ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) absorption spectra indicated a blue shift towards the lower wavelength and bandgap was tuned from 1.04 to 1.41eV. Apart from this, CIGSe thin films were prepared by doctor blade coating method followed by annealing under Se/Ar atmosphere. The mobility of CIGSe thin film increased whereas resistivity decreased. Moreover, the photoconductivity of CIGSe annealed thin film exhibited almost 2-fold increase under an illumination of light. We realize from these results that the synthesized CIGSe NCs with x = 0.25 is expected to have the important perspective to be efficiently exploited as an absorber layer in cost-effective thin film solar cells.

Proposed suitable electron reflector layer materials for thin-film CuIn1-xGaxSe2 solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sharbati, Samaneh; Gharibshahian, Iman; Orouji, Ali A.

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the electrical properties of electron reflector layer to survey materials as an electron reflector (ER) for chalcopyrite CuInGaSe solar cells. The purpose is optimizing the conduction-band and valence-band offsets at ER layer/CIGS junction that can effectively reduce the electron recombination near the back contact. In this work, an initial device model based on an experimental solar cell is established, then the properties of a solar cell with electron reflector layer are physically analyzed. The electron reflector layer numerically applied to baseline model of thin-film CIGS cell fabricated by ZSW (efficiency = 20.3%). The improvement of efficiency is achievable by electron reflector layer materials with Eg > 1.3 eV and -0.3 AsS4 as well as CuIn1-xGaxSe (x > 0.5) are efficient electron reflector layer materials, so the potential improvement in efficiency obtained relative gain of 5%.

Deep-level defects in semiconductors: studies by magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammerlaan, C.A.J.

1983-01-01

This work is divided into two parts. In the first one, the following topics are discussed: paramagnetic centers in semiconductors, principles of magnetic resonance, spin-Hamiltonian, g-tensor, hyperfine interaction, magnetic resonance spectrometer. In the second part it is dicussed defects studied by magnetic resonance including vacancy and divacancy in silicon, iron in silicon, nitrogen in diamond and antisite defects in III-V compounds. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

The negative binomial distribution as a model for external corrosion defect counts in buried pipelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valor, Alma; Alfonso, Lester; Caleyo, Francisco; Vidal, Julio; Perez-Baruch, Eloy; Hallen, José M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Observed external-corrosion defects in underground pipelines revealed a tendency to cluster. • The Poisson distribution is unable to fit extensive count data for these type of defects. • In contrast, the negative binomial distribution provides a suitable count model for them. • Two spatial stochastic processes lead to the negative binomial distribution for defect counts. • They are the Gamma-Poisson mixed process and the compound Poisson process. • A Rogeŕs process also arises as a plausible temporal stochastic process leading to corrosion defect clustering and to negative binomially distributed defect counts. - Abstract: The spatial distribution of external corrosion defects in buried pipelines is usually described as a Poisson process, which leads to corrosion defects being randomly distributed along the pipeline. However, in real operating conditions, the spatial distribution of defects considerably departs from Poisson statistics due to the aggregation of defects in groups or clusters. In this work, the statistical analysis of real corrosion data from underground pipelines operating in southern Mexico leads to conclude that the negative binomial distribution provides a better description for defect counts. The origin of this distribution from several processes is discussed. The analysed processes are: mixed Gamma-Poisson, compound Poisson and Roger’s processes. The physical reasons behind them are discussed for the specific case of soil corrosion.

Structural trends in off stoichiometric chalcopyrite type compound semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephan, Christiane

2011-03-15

Energy supply is one of the most controversial topics that are currently discussed in our global community. Most of the energy delivered to the customer today has its origin in fossil and nuclear power plants. Indefinable risks and the radioactive waste repository problem of the latter as well as the global scarcity of fossil resources cause the renewable energies to grow more and more important for achieving sustainability. The main renewable energy sources are wind power, hydroelectric power and solar energy. On the photovoltaic (PV) market different materials are competing as part of different kinds of technologies, with the largest contribution still coming from wafer based crystalline silicon solar cells (95 %). Until now thin film solar cells only contribute a small portion to the whole PV market, but large capacities are under construction. Thin film photovoltaic shows a number of advantages in comparison to wafer based crystalline silicon PV. Among these material usage and production cost reduction are two prominent examples. The type of PV materials, which are analyzed in this work, are high potential compounds that are widely used as absorber layer in thin film solar cells. These are compound semiconductors of the type CuB{sup III}C{sup VI}{sub 2} (B{sup III} = In, Ga and C{sup VI} = Se, S). Several years of research have already gone into understanding the efficiency limiting factors for solar cell devices fabricated from this compound. Most of the studies concerning electronic defects are done by spectroscopic methods mostly performed using thin films from different kinds of synthesis, without any real knowledge regarding the structural origin of these defects. This work shows a systematic fundamental structural study of intrinsic point defects that are present within the material at various compositions in CuB{sup III}C{sup VI}{sub 2} compound semiconductors. The study is done on reference powder samples with well determined chemical composition and

Structural trends in off stoichiometric chalcopyrite type compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephan, Christiane

2011-01-01

Energy supply is one of the most controversial topics that are currently discussed in our global community. Most of the energy delivered to the customer today has its origin in fossil and nuclear power plants. Indefinable risks and the radioactive waste repository problem of the latter as well as the global scarcity of fossil resources cause the renewable energies to grow more and more important for achieving sustainability. The main renewable energy sources are wind power, hydroelectric power and solar energy. On the photovoltaic (PV) market different materials are competing as part of different kinds of technologies, with the largest contribution still coming from wafer based crystalline silicon solar cells (95 %). Until now thin film solar cells only contribute a small portion to the whole PV market, but large capacities are under construction. Thin film photovoltaic shows a number of advantages in comparison to wafer based crystalline silicon PV. Among these material usage and production cost reduction are two prominent examples. The type of PV materials, which are analyzed in this work, are high potential compounds that are widely used as absorber layer in thin film solar cells. These are compound semiconductors of the type CuB III C VI 2 (B III = In, Ga and C VI = Se, S). Several years of research have already gone into understanding the efficiency limiting factors for solar cell devices fabricated from this compound. Most of the studies concerning electronic defects are done by spectroscopic methods mostly performed using thin films from different kinds of synthesis, without any real knowledge regarding the structural origin of these defects. This work shows a systematic fundamental structural study of intrinsic point defects that are present within the material at various compositions in CuB III C VI 2 compound semiconductors. The study is done on reference powder samples with well determined chemical composition and using advanced diffraction techniques

Nature of the defects in irradiated A-15 compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pande, C.S.; Viswanathan, R.

1978-01-01

From transmission electron microscopy and heat capacity measurements radiation induced damage in A-15 compounds was found to be inhomogeneous, consisting of small disordered regions in an ordered matrix. Some consequences of this result are discussed

Defects in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} chalcopyrite semiconductors: a comparative study of material properties, defect states, and photovoltaic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Qing; Gunawan, Oki; Copel, Matthew; Reuter, Kathleen B; Chey, S Jay; Mitzi, David B [IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY (United States); Deline, Vaughn R [IBM Almaden Resesarch Center, San Jose, CA (United States)

2011-10-15

Understanding defects in Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S){sub 2} (CIGS), especially correlating changes in the film formation process with differences in material properties, photovoltaic (PV) device performance, and defect levels extracted from admittance spectroscopy, is a critical but challenging undertaking due to the complex nature of this polycrystalline compound semiconductor. Here we present a systematic comparative study wherein varying defect density levels in CIGS films were intentionally induced by growing CIGS grains using different selenium activity levels. Material characterization results by techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and medium energy ion scattering indicate that this process variation, although not significantly affecting CIGS grain structure, crystal orientation, or bulk composition, leads to enhanced formation of a defective chalcopyrite layer with high density of indium or gallium at copper antisite defects ((In, Ga){sub Cu}) near the CIGS surface, for CIGS films grown with insufficient selenium supply. This defective layer or the film growth conditions associated with it is further linked with observed current-voltage characteristics, including rollover and crossover behavior, and a defect state at around 110 meV (generally denoted as the N1 defect) commonly observed in admittance spectroscopy. The impact of the (In, Ga){sub Cu} defects on device PV performance is also established. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Influence of defects and disorder on anomalous Hall effect and spin Seebeck effect on permalloy and Heusler compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vilanova Vidal, Enrique

2012-09-19

In this work Heusler thin films have been prepared and their transport properties have been studied. Of particularly interest is the anomalous Hall effect (AHE). The effect is a long known but still not fully understood transport effect. Most theory papers focus on the influence of one particular contribution to the AHE. Actual measured experimental data, however, often are not in accordance with idealized assumptions. This thesis discusses the data analysis for materials with low residual resistivity ratios. As prototypical materials, half metallic Heusler compounds are studied. Here, the influence of defects and disorder is apparent in a material with a complex topology of the Fermi surface. Using films with different degrees of disorder, the different scattering mechanisms can be separated. For Co{sub 2}FeSi{sub 0.6}Al{sub 0.4} and Co{sub 2}FeGa{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5}, the AHE induced by B2-type disorder and temperature-dependent scattering is positive, while DO{sub 3}-type disorder and possible intrinsic contributions possess a negative sign. For these compounds, magneto-optical Kerr effects (MOKE) are investigated. First order contributions as a function of intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are qualitatively analyzed. The relation between the crystalline ordering and the second order contributions to the MOKE signal is studied. In addition, sets of the Heusler compound Co{sub 2}MnAl thin films were grown on MgO(100) and Si(100) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Composition, magnetic and transport properties were studied systematically for samples deposited at different conditions. In particular, the anomalous Hall effect resistivity presents an extraordinarily temperature independent behavior in a moderate magnetic field range from 0 to 0.6 T. The off-diagonal transport at temperatures up to 300 C was analyzed. The data show the suitability of the material for Hall sensors working well above room temperature. Recently, the spin Seebeck effect

Antimony assisted low-temperature processing of CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Min; Mitzi, David B.; Gunawan, Oki; Kellock, Andrew J.; Chey, S. Jay; Deline, Vaughn R.

2010-01-01

Application of the Sb-doping method to low-temperature (≤ 400 o C) processing of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2-y S y (CIGS) solar cells is explored, using a hydrazine-based approach to deposit the absorber films. Power conversion efficiencies of 10.5% and 8.4% have been achieved for CIGS devices (0.45 cm 2 device area) processed at 400 o C and 360 o C, respectively, with an Sb-incorporation level at 1.2 mol % (relative to the moles of CIGS). Significant Sb-induced grain size enhancement was confirmed for these low processing temperatures using cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, and an average 2-3% absolute efficiency improvement was achieved in Sb-doped samples compared to their Sb-free sister samples. With Sb inclusion, the CIGS film grain growth temperature is lowered to well below 450 o C, a range compatible with flexible polymer substrate materials such as polyimide. This method opens up access to opportunities in low-temperature processing of CIGS solar cells, an area that is being actively pursued using both traditional vacuum-based as well as other solution-based deposition techniques.

Role of defects on the electronic and magnetic properties of CrAs, CrSe and CrSb zinc-blende compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galanakis, I.; Pouliasis, S.G.

2009-01-01

We present an extended study of single impurity atoms and atomic swaps in half-metallic CrAs, CrSb and CrSe zinc-blende compounds. Although the perfect alloys present a rather large gap in the minority-spin band, all defects under study, with the exception of void impurities at Cr and sp sites and Cr impurities at sp sites (as long as no swap occurs), induce new states within the gap. The Fermi level can be pinned within these new minority states depending on the lattice constant used for the calculations and the electronegativity of the sp atoms. Although these impurity states are localized in space around the impurity atoms and very fast we regain the bulk behavior, their interaction can lead to wide bands within the gap and thus loss of the half-metallic character

Growth and properties of the CuInS2 thin films produced by glancing angle deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akkari, F. Chaffar; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2008-01-01

We use the glancing angle deposition technique (GLAD) to grow CuInS 2 thin films by a vacuum thermal method onto glass substrates. During deposition, the substrate temperature was maintained at 200 deg. C. Due to shadowing effect the oblique angle deposition technique can produce nanorods tilted toward the incident deposition flux. The evaporated atoms arrive at the growing interface at a fixed angle θ measured from the substrate normal. The substrate is rotated with rotational speed ω fixed at 0.033 rev s -1 . We show that the use of this growth technique leads to an improvement in the optical properties of the films. Indeed high absorption coefficients (10 5 -3.10 5 cm -1 ) in the visible range and near-IR spectral range are reached. In the case of the absence of the substrate rotation, scanning electron microscopy pictures show that the structure of the resulting film consists of nanocolumns that are progressively inclined towards the evaporation source as the incident angle was increased. If a rapid azimuthal rotation accompanies the substrate tilt, the resulting nanostructure is composed of an array of pillars normal to the substrate. The surface morphology show an improvement without presence of secondary phases for higher incident angles (θ > 60 deg.)

Persistent Epithelial Defects and Corneal Opacity After Collagen Cross-Linking With Substitution of Dextran (T-500) With Dextran Sulfate in Compounded Topical Riboflavin.

Science.gov (United States)

Höllhumer, Roland; Watson, Stephanie; Beckingsale, Peter

2017-03-01

Collagen cross-linking (CXL) is a commonly performed procedure to prevent the progression of keratoconus. Riboflavin is an essential part of the procedure, which facilitates both the cross-linking process and protection of intraocular structures. Dextran can be added to riboflavin to create an isotonic solution. This case report highlights the importance of compounding riboflavin with the correct dextran solution. A retrospective case series. Six eyes of 4 male patients with keratoconus aged from 20 to 38 years underwent CXL with substitution of 20% dextran (T-500) with 20% dextran sulfate in a compounded riboflavin 0.1% solution. Postoperatively, persistent corneal epithelial defects, stromal haze, and then scarring occurred. Corneal transplantation was performed for visual rehabilitation but was complicated by graft rejection followed by failure (n = 1 eye), dehiscence (n = 4), cataract (n = 2), post-laser ablation haze (n = 1), and steroid-induced glaucoma (n = 2). The visual outcome was dextran (T-500) with dextran sulfate in riboflavin solutions during CXL results in loss of vision from permanent corneal opacity. Residual host changes may compromise the results of corneal transplantation.

Enhancement of solar hydrogen evolution from water by surface modification with CdS and TiO2 on porous CuInS2 photocathodes prepared by an electrodeposition-sulfurization method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jiao; Minegishi, Tsutomu; Zhang, Li; Zhong, Miao; Gunawan; Nakabayashi, Mamiko; Ma, Guijun; Hisatomi, Takashi; Katayama, Masao; Ikeda, Shigeru; Shibata, Naoya; Yamada, Taro; Domen, Kazunari

2014-10-27

Porous films of p-type CuInS2, prepared by sulfurization of electrodeposited metals, are surface-modified with thin layers of CdS and TiO2. This specific porous electrode evolved H2 from photoelectrochemical water reduction under simulated sunlight. Modification with thin n-type CdS and TiO2 layers significantly increased the cathodic photocurrent and onset potential through the formation of a p-n junction on the surface. The modified photocathodes showed a relatively high efficiency and stable H2 production under the present reaction conditions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interventional treatment of common congenital heart diseases: the common view of Chinese medical experts. Part Five-transcatheter intervention for the treatment of compound congenital cardiac anomalies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Committee on Congenital Heart Diseases, Internal Medicine Branch of Cadiovascular Diseases of China Physicians' Association

2011-01-01

Compound congenital cardiac anomalies refer to two or more congenital cardiovascular defects coexisting in the same patient. Transcatheter intervention for compound congenital cardiac anomalies has got satisfactory results in recent years. However, the percutaneous closure procedure used for compound congenital cardiac defects does not mean the simple addition of single interventional technique. Clinically, it needs more specialist expertise to deal with such complex defects. This chapter will briefly describe the pathophysiology and clinical features of the following compound congenital cardiac anomalies: the ventricular septal defect (VSD) with coexistence of atrial septal defect (ASD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) or pulmonary valve stenosis (PS), the ASD coexistence of PDA, PS or mitral stenosis (Lutembacher's syndrome), and coarctation of aorta compound with PDA. The indications and contraindications, the therapeutic principles, the matters needing attention, the postoperative management, the judgment of curative effect, etc. of using transcatheter for the treatment of such compound anomalies will also be discussed. (authors)

Interventional treatment of common congenital heart diseases: the common view of Chinese medical experts. Part Five-transcatheter intervention for the treatment of compound congenital cardiac anomalies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Committee on Congenital Heart Diseases, Internal Medicine Branch of Cadiovascular Diseases of China Physicians' Association

2011-05-15

Compound congenital cardiac anomalies refer to two or more congenital cardiovascular defects coexisting in the same patient. Transcatheter intervention for compound congenital cardiac anomalies has got satisfactory results in recent years. However, the percutaneous closure procedure used for compound congenital cardiac defects does not mean the simple addition of single interventional technique. Clinically, it needs more specialist expertise to deal with such complex defects. This chapter will briefly describe the pathophysiology and clinical features of the following compound congenital cardiac anomalies: the ventricular septal defect (VSD) with coexistence of atrial septal defect (ASD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) or pulmonary valve stenosis (PS), the ASD coexistence of PDA, PS or mitral stenosis (Lutembacher's syndrome), and coarctation of aorta compound with PDA. The indications and contraindications, the therapeutic principles, the matters needing attention, the postoperative management, the judgment of curative effect, etc. of using transcatheter for the treatment of such compound anomalies will also be discussed. (authors)

Multilevel characteristics and memory mechanisms for nonvolatile memory devices based on CuInS2 quantum dot-polymethylmethacrylate nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yang; Yun, Dong Yeol; Kim, Tae Whan; Kim, Sang Wook

2014-01-01

Nonvolatile memory devices based on CuInS 2 (CIS) quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) layer were fabricated using spin-coating method. The memory window widths of the capacitance-voltage (C-V) curves for the Al/CIS QDs embedded in PMMA layer/p-Si devices were 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 V for sweep voltages of ±3, ±5, and ±7 V, respectively. Capacitance-cycle data demonstrated that the charge-trapping capability of the devices with an ON/OFF ratio value of 2.81 × 10 −10 was maintained for 8 × 10 3 cycles without significant degradation and that the extrapolation of the ON/OFF ratio value to 1 × 10 6 cycles converged to 2.40 × 10 −10 , indicative of the good stability of the devices. The memory mechanisms for the devices are described on the basis of the C-V curves and the energy-band diagrams

Study of reticular defects in V3Si (A15 structure)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Lamine, Abdelmottaleb

1980-01-01

The A15 crystal structure is that of superconductive compounds with high critical temperature. This research thesis aims at studying its possible reticular defects. In a first part, the author presents this structure and more particularly its crystallographic properties, reports the indexing of electronic diffraction diagrams (point diagrams and line diagrams of Kikuchi) in the case of V 3 Si. Then, after having described the sample preparation technique, the author reports the study of reticular defects by high voltage electronic microscopy on a raw V 3 Si crystal. The existence of a specific defect is highlighted and the crystallographic study of this defect is reported. It has been performed by means of computer-based simulation of contrast (TWODIS software). Results are then discussed

Point defects in thorium nitride: A first-principles study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pérez Daroca, D., E-mail: pdaroca@tandar.cnea.gov.ar [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina); Llois, A.M. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina); Mosca, H.O. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (Argentina); Instituto de Tecnología Jorge A. Sabato, UNSAM-CNEA (Argentina)

2016-11-15

Thorium and its compounds (carbides and nitrides) are being investigated as possible materials to be used as nuclear fuels for Generation-IV reactors. As a first step in the research of these materials under irradiation, we study the formation energies and stability of point defects in thorium nitride by means of first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory. We focus on vacancies, interstitials, Frenkel pairs and Schottky defects. We found that N and Th vacancies have almost the same formation energy and that the most energetically favorable defects of all studied in this work are N interstitials. These kind of results for ThN, to the best authors' knowledge, have not been obtained previously, neither experimentally, nor theoretically.

Point defects in thorium nitride: A first-principles study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez Daroca, D.; Llois, A.M.; Mosca, H.O.

2016-01-01

Thorium and its compounds (carbides and nitrides) are being investigated as possible materials to be used as nuclear fuels for Generation-IV reactors. As a first step in the research of these materials under irradiation, we study the formation energies and stability of point defects in thorium nitride by means of first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory. We focus on vacancies, interstitials, Frenkel pairs and Schottky defects. We found that N and Th vacancies have almost the same formation energy and that the most energetically favorable defects of all studied in this work are N interstitials. These kind of results for ThN, to the best authors' knowledge, have not been obtained previously, neither experimentally, nor theoretically.

Core-level photoabsorption study of defects and metastable bonding configurations in boron nitride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimenez, I.; Jankowski, A.F.; Terminello, L.J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

1997-04-01

Boron nitride is an interesting material for technological applications and for fundamental solid state physics investigations. It is a compound isoelectronic with carbon and, like carbon can possess sp{sup 2} and sp{sup 3} bonded phases resembling graphite and diamond. BN crystallizes in the sp{sup 2}-bonded hexagonal (h-BN), rhombohedral (r-BN) and turbostratic phases, and in the sp{sup 3}-bonded cubic (c-BN) and wurtzite (w-BN) phases. A new family of materials is obtained when replacing C-C pairs in graphite with isoelectronic B-N pairs, resulting in C{sub 2}BN compounds. Regarding other boron compounds, BN is exceptional in the sense that it has standard two-center bonds with conventional coordination numbers, while other boron compounds (e.g. B{sub 4}C) are based on the boron icosahedron unit with three-center bonds and high coordination numbers. The existence of several allotropic forms and fullerene-like structures for BN suggests a rich variety of local bonding and poses the questions of how this affects the local electronic structure and how the material accommodates the stress induced in the transition regions between different phases. One would expect point defects to play a crucial role in stress accommodation, but these must also have a strong influence in the electronic structure, since the B-N bond is polar and a point defect will thus be a charged structure. The study of point defects in relationship to the electronic structure is of fundamental interest in these materials. Recently, the authors have shown that Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) is sensitive to point defects in h-BN, and to the formation of metastable phases even in amorphous materials. This is significant since other phase identification techniques like vibrational spectroscopies or x-ray diffraction yield ambiguous results for nanocrystalline and amorphous samples. Serendipitously, NEXAFS also combines chemical selectivity with point defect sensitivity.

Bulk heterojunction formation between indium tin oxide nanorods and CuInS2 nanoparticles for inorganic thin film solar cell applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Jin Woo; Park, Se Jin; Kim, Jaehoon; Kim, Woong; Park, Hoo Keun; Do, Young Rag; Min, Byoung Koun

2012-02-01

In this study, we developed a novel inorganic thin film solar cell configuration in which bulk heterojunction was formed between indium tin oxide (ITO) nanorods and CuInS(2) (CIS). Specifically, ITO nanorods were first synthesized by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition method followed by deposition of a dense TiO(2) layer and CdS buffer layer using atomic layer deposition and chemical bath deposition method, respectively. The spatial region between the nanorods was then filled with CIS nanoparticle ink, which was presynthesized using the colloidal synthetic method. We observed that complete gap filling was achieved to form bulk heterojunction between the inorganic phases. As a proof-of-concept, solar cell devices were fabricated by depositing an Au electrode on top of the CIS layer, which exhibited the best photovoltaic response with a V(oc), J(sc), FF, and efficiency of 0.287 V, 9.63 mA/cm(2), 0.364, and 1.01%, respectively.

Growth and structural properties of reactively co-sputtered CIGS films and their solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jeha [Cheongju University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Park, Nae-Man [Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-02-15

Using reactive sputtering, we fabricated stoichiometric CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films. Both Cu{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4} (CuGa) and Cu{sub 0.4}In{sub 0.6} (CuIn) alloy targets were simultaneously sputtered under the delivery of elemental Se produced from a thermal cracker. By changing the sputtering rates of the CuGa and the CuIn, we were able to obtain the composition ratios of Cu/(Ga+In) and Ga/(Ga+In) in the range of 0.71-0.95 and 0.10-0.30, respectively. Both the grain size and the surface roughness of the CIGS film increased as the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio increased. In the X-ray diffraction analysis on CIGS films of 0.9 m, preferential growth with a [112] orientation was found, and reflections from the (211), (220)/(204), (301), (312)/(116), (400)/(008), and (332)/(316) planes were observed. The CIGS films showed the existence of Cu{sub 2-x}Se phases in the Cu-rich samples and ordered defect compound (ODC) phases in the Cu-poor films, as confirmed in the Raman measurements. A best device performance of η = 8.1%, V{sub oc} = 0.442 V, J{sub sc} = 34.3 mA/cm{sup 2}, and FF = 53.4% was obtained from a cell fabricated with a CIGS layer (t = 0.9 μm) with the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.71 and the Ga/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.10.

Intermixing at the heterointerface between ZnS /Zn(S,O) bilayer buffer and CuInS2 thin film solar cell absorber

Science.gov (United States)

Bär, M.; Ennaoui, A.; Klaer, J.; Kropp, T.; Sáez-Araoz, R.; Lehmann, S.; Grimm, A.; Lauermann, I.; Loreck, Ch.; Sokoll, St.; Schock, H.-W.; Fischer, Ch.-H.; Lux-Steiner, M. C.; Jung, Ch.

2006-09-01

The application of Zn compounds as buffer layers was recently extended to wide-gap CuInS2 (CIS) based thin-film solar cells. Using an alternative chemical deposition route for the buffer preparation aiming at the deposition of a single-layer, nominal ZnS buffer without the need for any toxic reactants such as hydrazine has helped us to achieve a similar efficiency as respective CdS-buffered reference devices. After identifying the deposited Zn compound, as ZnS /Zn(S,O) bilayer buffer in former investigations [M. Bär et al., J. Appl. Phys. 99, 123503 (2006)], this time the focus lies on potential diffusion/intermixing processes at the buffer/absorber interface possibly, clarifying the effect of the heat treatment, which drastically enhances the device performance of respective final solar cells. The interface formation was investigated by x-ray photoelectron and x-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy. In addition, photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) measurements were also conducted using tunable monochromatized synchrotron radiation in order to gain depth-resolved information. The buffer side of the buffer/absorber heterointerface was investigated by means of the characterization of Zn(S ,O)/ZnS/CIS structures where the ZnS /Zn(S,O) bilayer buffer was deposited successively by different deposition times. In order to make the (in terms of PES information depth) deeply buried absorber side of the buffer/absorber heterointerface accessible for characterization, in these cases the buffer layer was etched away by dilute HClaq. We found indications that while (out-leached) Cu from the absorber layer forms together with the educts in the chemical bath a [Zn(1-Z ),Cu2Z]S-like interlayer between buffer and absorber, Zn is incorporated in the uppermost region of the absorber. Both effects are strongly enhanced by postannealing the Zn(S ,O)/ZnS/CIS samples. However, it was determined that the major fraction of the Cu and Zn can be found quite close to the heterointerface in

Structural study and electronic band structure investigations of the solid solution Na xCu1-xIn5S8 and its impact on the Cu(In,Ga)Se2/In2S3 interface of solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafond, A.; Guillot-Deudon, C.; Harel, S.; Mokrani, A.; Barreau, N.; Gall, S.; Kessler, J.

2007-01-01

The present work reports investigations on the new In 2 S 3 containing Cu and/or Na compounds, which are expected to be formed at the Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 /In 2 S 3 interface. The knowledge of these materials properties is very important in order to better understand the operation of the devices based on these junction partners. It has been observed that a solid solution Na x Cu 1-x In 5 S 8 exists from CuIn 5 S 8 (x = 0) to NaIn 5 S 8 (x = 1) with a spinel-like structure. The single crystal structure determination shows that indium, copper and sodium atoms are statistically distributed on the tetrahedral sites. XPS investigations on the CuIn 5 S 8 , Na 0.5 Cu 0.5 In 5 S 8 and NaIn 5 S 8 compounds combined with the band gap changes reported in a previous work show that these variations are mainly due to valence band maximum shift; it is moved downward when x increases from 0 to 1. These observations are confirmed by the electron structure calculations based on the density functional theory, which additionally demonstrate that the pure sodium compound has direct gap whereas the copper-containing compounds have indirect gaps

P-N defect in GaNP studied by optically detected magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.M.; Thinh, N.Q.; Vorona, I.P.; Buyanova, I.A.; Xin, H.P.; Tu, C.W.

2003-01-01

We provide experimental evidence for an intrinsic defect in GaNP from optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). This defect is identified as a P-N complex, exhibiting hyperfine structure due to interactions with a nuclear spin I=((1)/(2)) of one P atom and also a nuclear spin I=1 due to one N atom. The introduction of the defect is assisted by the incorporation of N within the studied N composition range of up to 3.1%, under non-equilibrium growth conditions during gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. The corresponding ODMR spectrum was found to be isotropic, suggesting an A 1 symmetry of the defect state. The localization of the electron wave function at the P-N defect in GaNP is found to be even stronger than that for the isolated P Ga antisite in its parent binary compound GaP

Study of defectiveness in orthosilicates of alkali earth metals by the method of radiospectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bikbau, M.Ya.; Akramov, R.

1978-01-01

With a view to investigating the defectiveness of the orthosilicates of alkali-earth metals, the spectra of the electronic paramagnetic resonance of γ-irradiated orthosilicates of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba have been examined. The spectra are obtained at 77 and 298 K. The maximum concentration and stability of paramagnetic centers is observed on the defects of the crystalline-optical structure of orthosilicates of Sr and Ba, as well as of β-Ca 2 SiO 4 . This is attributed to a great defectiveness of those compounds. On the basis of an analysis of the possible nature of electron and hole paramagnetic centers that are formed in the compounds examined by means of γ-irradiation, it has been suggested to form the electron centers of [M 2+ ]sub(n)sup(e) type. The formation of hole centers has been shown in aluminium used as addition

Defects and defect processes in nonmetallic solids

CERN Document Server

Hayes, W

2004-01-01

This extensive survey covers defects in nonmetals, emphasizing point defects and point-defect processes. It encompasses electronic, vibrational, and optical properties of defective solids, plus dislocations and grain boundaries. 1985 edition.

Magnetic and electrical properties of (FeIn2S4)1−x(CuIn5S8)x solid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trukhanov, S.V.; Bodnar, I.V.; Zhafar, M.A.

2015-01-01

In this study, single crystals of FeIn 2 S 4 and CuIn 5 S 8 compounds, and (FeIn 2 S 4 ) 1−x (CuIn 5 S 8 ) x solid solutions were grown using the Bridgman method. The magnetic and electrical properties of the samples obtained were investigated at temperatures of 5–300 K and in a magnetic field range of 0–14 T. It was established that all of the solid solutions were paramagnets down to low temperatures of ~10 K. It was shown that the ground state of the magnetic phase of the samples was a spin glass state, where the freezing temperature increased monotonically with the increase in the concentration of Fe 2+ cations. All of the samples exhibited semiconductor characteristics in terms of electrical resistivity. The concentration-dependent critical magnetic temperatures, magnetic moment, and activation energy were plotted, which are probably explained by the magnetic state formation of the (FeIn 2 S 4 ) 1−x (CuIn 5 S 8 ) x solid solution single crystals based on the empirical Goodenough–Kanamori rules

Improved performance of low cost CuInS2 superstrate-type solar cells using Zinc assisted spray pyrolysis processing

Science.gov (United States)

Cheshme Khavar, Amir Hossein; Mahjoub, Ali Reza; Taghavinia, Nima

2017-12-01

Superstrate configuration CuInS2 (CIS) solar cells are fabricated using a spray pyrolysis method. We avoided selenization process, cyanide etching and CdS buffer layer, to keep the process ‘green’. CIS layers are formed by spray pyrolysis of an aqueous precursor ink containing metal chloride salts and thiourea at 350 °C. We investigated the effect of intentional Zn doping on structural, morphological and photovoltaic response of the fabricated CIS films by dissolving ZnCl2 in aqueous precursor solution. At a zinc doping level ranging between 0.25 and 1.00 mol%, Zn doping is found to improve the CIS crystal growth and surface morphology of CIS films. Compared with the performance of the non-doped CIS cell, the Zn-doped CIS solar cell displayed a remarkable efficiency enhancement of 58-97% and the maximum enhancement was obtained at a Zn content of 0.5 mol%. The device structure consists of    and show promising PCE of 4.29 % without any anti-reflection coating. Over the course of 300 d under ambient condition, the fabricated device showed only 1% loss in efficiency.

Comparison of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films deposited on different preferred oriented Mo back contact by RF sputtering from a quaternary target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Jing [Sichuan University, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chengdu (China); Solar Energy Research Institute, Yunnan Normal University, Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Kunming (China); Peng, Lianqin; Chen, Jinwei; Wang, Gang; Wang, Xueqin; Kang, Hong; Wang, Ruilin [Sichuan University, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chengdu (China)

2014-09-15

The Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were deposited on bare glass and DC sputtered preferential oriented Mo-coated glass by RF sputtering from a single quaternary target. The structural and morphological properties of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Preferred orientation of the Mo back contact was tuned between (110) and (211) plane by controlling the thickness. All the deposited CIGS thin films show (112) preferred oriented chalcopyrite structures. The films prepared on Mo-coated glass show higher quality crystallinity, better stoichiometry composition and more smooth surface morphology. Especially, the film on (211) oriented Mo-coated glass with the best integrated performance is expected to be a candidate absorber for high-efficiency CIGS solar cell device. (orig.)

CuInS2/ZnS QD-ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures for faster electro-optical devices and their energy storage aspects

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Dharmendra Pratap; Vimal, Tripti; Mange, Yatin J.; Varia, Mahesh C.; Nann, Thomas; Pandey, K. K.; Manohar, Rajiv; Douali, Redouane

2018-01-01

CuInS2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (CIS/ZnS QDs) dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) mixtures have been characterized for their application in electro-optical devices, energy storage, and solar cells. Physical properties of the CIS/ZnS QD-FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal) mixtures have also been investigated with varying QD concentrations in order to optimize the critical concentration of QDs in mixtures. The presence of QDs breaks the geometrical symmetry in the FLC matrix, which results in a change in the physical properties of the mixtures. We observed the reduced values of primary and secondary order parameters (tilt angle and spontaneous polarization, respectively) for mixtures, which also depend on the concentration of QDs. The reduction of spontaneous polarization in QDs-FLC mixtures is attributed to the adverse role of flexoelectric contribution in the mixtures. The 92% faster electro-optic response and enhanced capacitance indicate the possible application of these mixtures in electro-optical devices and solar cells. Photoluminescence emission of pure FLC and QDs-FLC mixtures has been thermally tailored, which is explained by suitable models.

Positron-annihilation 2D-ACAR studies of disordered and defected alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bansil, A.; Prasad, R.; Smedskjaer, L.C.; Benedek, R.; Mijnarends, P.E.

1987-09-01

Theoretical and experimental progess in connection with 2D-ACAR positron annihilation studies of ordered, disordered, and defected alloys is discussed. We present, in particular, some of the recent developments concerning the electronic structure of disordered alloys, and the work in the area of annihilation from positrons trapped at vacancy-type defects in metals and alloys. The electronic structure and properties of a number of compounds are also discussed briefly; we comment specifically on high T/sub c/ ceramic superconductors, Heusler alloys, and transition-metal aluminides. 58 refs., 116 figs

Hybrid solar cells based on CuInS2 and organic buffer-sensitizer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bereznev, S.; Koeppe, R.; Konovalov, I.; Kois, J.; Guenes, S.; Opik, A.; Mellikov, E.; Sariciftci, N.S.

2007-01-01

Hybrid solar cells on the basis of CuInS 2 (CIS) photoabsorber on Cu-tape (CISCuT) in combination with organic buffer layers of Zn-phthalocyanine (ZnPc), ZnPc:fullerene (ZnPc:C 60 ) composite and conductive polymer buffer layers of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) were prepared using vacuum evaporation and spin-casting techniques. To prepare solar cells with an active area of 2 cm 2 , the appropriate deposition parameters and thickness of ZnPc, ZnPc:C 60 and PEDOT-PSS layers were selected experimentally. For preparation of semitransparent contact-window layers, chromium and gold were evaporated on the surface of ZnPc, ZnPc:C 60 and PEDOT-PSS films. It was found that an intermediate chromium layer improves PV properties of the structures with organic buffer layers. The photosensitivity at small illumination intensities of complete structures with ZnPc and ZnPc:C 60 layers increased more than one order of magnitude in comparison with the structures where the PEDOT-PSS buffer layer was deposited. The presence of C 60 in the composite-buffer layer results in increased photoconductivity. The best structure with composite ZnPc:C 60 buffer layer showed an open-circuit voltage of 560 mV, a short-circuit current density of around 10 mA/cm 2 and a photoconversion efficiency of around 3.3% under the light illumination with an intensity of 100 mW/cm 2 from a tungsten-halogen lamp. The low transmission of the semitransparent chromium-gold window layer is the reason for relatively low current density

Optical constants of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} for arbitrary Cu and Ga compositions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minoura, Shota; Kodera, Keita; Nakane, Akihiro; Fujiwara, Hiroyuki, E-mail: fujiwara@gifu-u.ac.jp [Center of Innovative Photovoltaic Systems (CIPS), Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193 (Japan); Maekawa, Takuji [Research and Development Headquarters, ROHM Co., Ltd., 21 Saiin Mizosaki-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8585 (Japan); Niki, Shigeru [Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central2, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

2015-05-21

The optical constants of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS)-based polycrystalline layers with different Cu and Ga compositions are parameterized completely up to a photon energy of 6.5 eV assuming several Tauc-Lorentz transition peaks. Based on the modeled optical constants, we establish the calculation procedure for the CIGS optical constants in a two-dimensional compositional space of (Cu, Ga) by taking the composition-induced shift of the critical point energies into account. In particular, we find that the variation of the CIGS optical constants with the Cu composition can be modeled quite simply by a spectral-averaging method in which the dielectric function of the target Cu composition is estimated as a weighted average of the dielectric functions with higher and lower Cu compositions. To express the effect of the Ga composition, on the other hand, an energy shift model reported earlier is adopted. Our model is appropriate for a wide variety of CIGS-based materials having different Cu and Ga compositions, although the modeling error increases slightly at lower Cu compositions [Cu/(In + Ga) < 0.69]. From our model, the dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and absorption coefficient for the arbitrary CIGS composition can readily be obtained. The optical database developed in this study is applied further for spectroscopic ellipsometry analyses of CIGS layers fabricated by single and multi-stage coevaporation processes. We demonstrate that the compositional and structural characterizations of the CIGS-based layers can be performed from established analysis methods.

Oxygen defects in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: A hybrid functional study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Zhendong, E-mail: zhendong.guo@epfl.ch; Ambrosio, Francesco; Pasquarello, Alfredo [Chaire de Simulation à l' Echelle Atomique (CSEA), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2016-08-08

The electronic properties of the oxygen vacancy and interstitial in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are studied via ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and hybrid functional calculations. Our results indicate that these defects do not occur in amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, due to structural rearrangements which assimilate the defect structure and cause a delocalization of the associated defect levels. The imbalance of oxygen leads to a nonstoichiometric compound in which the oxygen occurs in the form of O{sup 2–} ions. Intrinsic oxygen defects are found to be unable to trap excess electrons. For low Fermi energies, the formation of peroxy linkages is found to be favored leading to the capture of holes. The relative +2/0 defect levels occur at 2.5 eV from the valence band.

Studying physical properties of CuInS2 absorber layers grown by spin coating method on different kinds of substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Amerioun, M. H.; Ghazi, M. E.; Izadifard, M.

2018-03-01

In this work, first the CuInS2 (CIS2) layers are deposited on Aluminum and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as flexible substrates, and on glass and soda lime glass (SLG) as rigid substrates by the sol-gel method. Then the samples are analyzed by x-ray diffractomery (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate the crystal structures and surface roughness of the samples. The I-V curve measurements and Seebeck effect setup are used to measure the electrical properties of the samples. The XRD data obtained for the CIS2 layers show that all the prepared samples have a single phase with a preferred orientation that is substrate-dependent. The samples grown on the rigid substrates had higher crystallite sizes. The results obtained for the optical measurements indicate the dependence of the band gap energy on the substrate type. The measured Seebeck coefficient showed that the carriers were of p-type in all the samples. According to the AFM images, the surface roughness also varied in the CIS2 layers with different substrates. In this regard, the type of substrate could be an important parameter for the final performance of the fabricated CIS2 cells.

Use of autologous tissue engineered skin to treat porcine full-thickness skin defects

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CAI Xia; CAO Yi-lin; CUI Lei; LIU Wei; GUAN Wen-xiang

2005-01-01

Objective: To explore a feasible method to repair full-thickness skin defects utilizing tissue engineered techniques. Methods: The Changfeng hybrid swines were used and the skin specimens were cut from the posterior limb girdle region, from which the keratinocytes and fibroblasts were isolated and harvested by trypsin, EDTA, and type II collagenase. The cells were seeded in Petri dishes for primary culture. When the cells were in logarithmic growth phase, they were treated with trypsin to separate them from the floor of the tissue culture dishes. A biodegradable material, Pluronic F-127, was prefabricated and mixed with these cells, and then the cell-Pluronic compounds were seeded evenly into a polyglycolic acid (PGA). Then the constructs were replanted to the autologous animals to repair the full-thickness skin defects. Histology and immunohistochemistry of the neotissue were observed in 1, 2, 4, and 8 postoperative weeks. Results: The cell-Pluronic F-127-PGA compounds repaired autologous full-thickness skin defects 1 week after implantation. Histologically, the tissue engineered skin was similar to the normal skin with stratified epidermis overlying a moderately thick collageneous dermis. Three of the structural proteins in the epidermal basement membrane zone, type IV collagen, laminin, and type VII collagen were detected using immunohistochemical methods. Conclusions: By studying the histology and immunohistochemistry of the neotissue, the bioengineered skin graft holds great promise for improving healing of the skin defects.

Optoelectronic and Defect Properties in Earth Abundant Photovoltaic Materials: First-principle Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Tingting

In this dissertation, a series of earth-abundant photovoltaic materials including lead halide perovskites, copper based compounds, and silicon are investigated via density functional theory (DFT). Firstly, we study the unique optoelectronic properties of perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbBr 3. First-principle calculations show that CH3NH3PbI 3 perovskite solar cells exhibit remarkable optoelectronic properties that account for the high open circuit voltage (Voc) and long electron-hole diffusion lengths. Our results reveal that for intrinsic doping, dominant point defects produce only shallow levels. Therefore lead halide perovskites are expected to exhibit intrinsic low non-radiative recombination rates. The conductivity of perovskites can be tuned from p-type to n-type by controlling the growth conditions. For extrinsic defects, the p-type perovskites can be achieved by doping group-IA, -IB, or -VIA elements, such as Na, K, Rb, Cu, and O at I-rich growth conditions. We further show that despite a large band gap of 2.2 eV, the dominant defects in CH3 NH3PbBr3 also create only shallow levels. The photovoltaic properties of CH3NH3PbBr3 - based perovskite absorbers can be tuned via defect engineering. Highly conductive p-type CH3NH3PbBr3 can be synthesized under Br-rich growth conditions. Such CH3NH3PbBr 3 may be potential low-cost hole transporting materials for lead halide perovskite solar cells. All these unique defect properties of perovskites are largely due to the strong Pb lone-pair s orbital and I p (Br p) orbital antibonding coupling and the high ionicity of CH3NH3PbX3 (X=I, Br). Secondly, we study the optoelectronic properties of Cu-V-VI earth abundant compounds. These low cost thin films may have the good electronic and optical properties. We have studied the structural, electronic and optical properties of Cu3-V-VI4 compounds. After testing four different crystal structures, enargite, wurtzite-PMCA, famatinite and zinc-blend-PMCA, we find that Cu3PS4 and

Electronic structure of epitaxial chalcopyrite surfaces and interfaces for photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, Andreas

2012-01-01

This thesis constitutes a comprehensive study of the surface physics of epitaxial CuInSe 2 films. It comprises analyses of the surface morphology and reconstruction, electronic band structure as well as hetero-junctions relevant to photovoltaic applications. Therefore, especially the aspect of stoichiometry variation from the CuInSe 2 to the copper-deficient defect phases was considered. Preparation and analysis was completely performed under ultra-high vacuum conditions in order to ensure the investigation of well-defined samples free of contaminants. For some of the analysis techniques, single-crystalline samples are indispensable: They allow for the determination of surface periodicity by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). In combination with concentration depth profiling by angle-resolved x-ray photoemission, to types of surface reconstructions could be distinguished for the near-stoichiometric CuInSe 2 (112) surface. In the copper-rich case, it is stabilized by Cu In anti-site defects and on the indium-rich side by 2 V Cu defects, as predicted by surface total energy calculations by Jaffe and Zunger. Both configurations correspond to a c(4 x 2) reconstruction of the zinc blende type (111) surface. For the defect compound CuIn 3 Se 5 , a sphalerite order of the surface was found, which points at a weakening or absence of the chalcopyrite order in the bulk of the material. The unusual stability of the (112) surface could also be proven by comparison with the reconstruction and surface order of (001) and (220) surfaces. The results from surface analysis were used to measure the valence band structure of the epitaxial samples by synchrotron-based angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuInSe 2 (001) surface gives access to the high symmetry directions Γ-T and Γ-N of momentum space. By contrasting the data obtained for the stoichiometric surface with the copper-poor defect compound, a reduction of the valence band dispersion and a broadening of

Biocompatible and highly luminescent near-infrared CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots embedded silica beads for cancer cell imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Foda, Mohamed F; Huang, Liang; Shao, Feng; Han, He-You

2014-02-12

Bright and stable CuInS2/ZnS@SiO2 nanoparticles with near-infrared (NIR) emission were competently prepared by incorporating the as-prepared hydrophobic CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) directly into lipophilic silane micelles and subsequently an exterior silica shell was formed. The obtained CuInS2/ZnS@SiO2 nanoparticles homogeneously comprised both single-core and multicore remarkable CuInS2/ZnS QDs, while the silica shell thickness could be controlled to within 5-10 nm and their overall size was 17-25 nm. Also, the functionalized CuInS2/ZnS QDs encapsulated in the silica spheres, expedited their bioconjugation with holo-Transferrin (Tf) for further cancer cell imaging. The CuInS2/ZnS@SiO2 nanoparticles not only showed a dominant NIR band-edge luminescence at 650-720 nm with a quantum yield (QY) between 30 and 50%, without a recognized photoluminescence (PL) red shift, but also exhibited excellent PL and colloidal stability in aqueous media. Impressively, the cytotoxicity studies revealed minor suppression on cell viability under both CuInS2/ZnS@SiO2 and CuInS2/ZnS@SiO2@Tf concentrations up to 1 mg/mL. The application in live-cell imaging revealed that the potential of CuInS2/ZnS QDs as biocompatible, robust, cadmium-free, and brilliant NIR emitters is considered promising for fluorescent labels.

Management of segmental bony defects: the role of osteoconductive orthobiologics.

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Michael D

2006-01-01

Our knowledge about, and the availability of, orthobiologic materials has increased exponentially in the last decade. Although previously confined to the experimental or animal-model realm, several orthobiologics have been shown to be useful in a variety of clinical situations. As surgical techniques in vascular anastomosis, soft-tissue coverage, limb salvage, and fracture stabilization have improved, the size and frequency of bony defects (commensurate with the severity of the initial injury) have increased, as well. Because all methods of managing segmental bony defects have drawbacks, a need remains for a readily available, void-filling, inexpensive bone substitute. Such a bone substitute fulfills a permissive role in allowing new bone to grow into a given defect. Such potential osteoconductive materials include ceramics, calcium sulfate or calcium phosphate compounds, hydroxyapatite, deproteinized bone, corals, and recently developed polymers. Some materials that have osteoinductive properties, such as demineralized bone matrix, also display prominent osteoconductive properties.

Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels

2016-01-01

Background: The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac...... defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge...... in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Case presentation: Our first case was a white girl...

Application of pulsed flash thermography method for specific defect estimation in aluminum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomić Ljubiša D.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nondestructive thermal examination can uncover the presence of defects via temperature distribution profile anomalies that are created on the surface as a result of a defect. There are many factors that affect the temperature distribution map of the surface being tested by Infrared Thermography. Internal defect properties such as thermal conductivity, heat capacity and defect depth, play an important role in the temperature behavior of the pixels or regions being analyzed. Also, it is well known that other external factors such as the convection heat transfer, variations on the surface emissivity and ambient radiation reflectivity can affect the thermographic signal received by the infrared camera. In this paper we considered a simple structure in the form of flat plate covered with several defects, whose surface we heated with a uniform heat flux impulse. We conducted a theoretical analysis and experimental test of the method for case of defects on an aluminum surface. First, experiments were conducted on surfaces with intentionally created defects in order to determine conditions and boundaries for application of the method. Experimental testing of the pulsed flash thermography (PFT method was performed on simulated defects on an aluminum test plate filled with air and organic compound n-hexadecane, hydrocarbon that belongs to the Phase Change Materials (PCMs. Study results indicate that it is possible, using the PFT method, to detect the type of material inside defect holes, whose presence disturbs the homogeneous structure of aluminum.

Evaluation of Die-Attach Bonding Using High-Frequency Ultrasonic Energy for High-Temperature Application

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong-Bum; Aw, Jie-Li; Rhee, Min-Woo

2014-09-01

Room-temperature die-attach bonding using ultrasonic energy was evaluated on Cu/In and Cu/Sn-3Ag metal stacks. The In and Sn-3Ag layers have much lower melting temperatures than the base material (Cu) and can be melted through the heat generated during ultrasonic bonding, forming intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Samples were bonded using different ultrasonic powers, bonding times, and forces and subsequently aged at 300°C for 500 h. After aging, die shear testing was performed and the fracture surfaces were inspected by scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that the shear strength of Cu/In joints reached an upper plateau after 100 h of thermal aging and remained stable with aging time, whereas that of the Cu/Sn-3Ag joints decreased with increasing aging time. η-Cu7In4 and (Cu,Au)11In9 IMCs were observed at the Cu/In joint, while Cu3Sn and (Ag,Cu)3Sn IMCs were found at the Cu/Sn-3Ag joint after reliability testing. As Cu-based IMCs have high melting temperatures, they are highly suitable for use in high-temperature electronics, but can be formed at room temperature using an ultrasonic approach.

Chemical analysis using coincidence Doppler broadening and supporting first-principles theory: Applications to vacancy defects in compound semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makkonen, I.; Rauch, C.; Mäki, J.-M.; Tuomisto, F.

2012-01-01

The Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation radiation contains information on the chemical environment of vacancy defects trapping positrons in solids. The measured signal can, for instance, reveal impurity atoms situated next to vacancies. As compared to integrated quantities such as the positron annihilation rate or the annihilation line shape parameters, the full Doppler spectrum measured in the coincidence mode contains much more useful information for defect identification. This information, however, is indirect and complementary understanding is needed to fully interpret the results. First-principles calculations are a valuable tool in the analysis of measured spectra. One can construct an atomic-scale model for a given candidate defect, calculate from first principles the corresponding Doppler spectrum, and directly compare results between experiment and theory. In this paper we discuss recent examples of successful combinations of coincidence Doppler broadening measurements and supporting first-principles calculations. These demonstrate the predictive power of state-of-the-art calculations and the usefulness of such an approach in the chemical analysis of vacancy defects.

What Every Chemist Should Know About Teratogens--Chemicals that Cause Birth Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Beyler, Roger E.; Meyers, Vera Kolb

1982-01-01

Teratogens are agents which act during pregnancy producing physical/functional defects in the embryo, fetus, or offspring. Discusses teratogenic hazards in the workplace and academic environment, classes of teratogenic compounds, precautions for interpreting Teratogen List from Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS), and how…

Birth Defects

Science.gov (United States)

A birth defect is a problem that happens while a baby is developing in the mother's body. Most birth defects happen during the first 3 months of ... in the United States is born with a birth defect. A birth defect may affect how the ...

Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals in the Research Spotlight: Stability and Defect Tolerance

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

This Perspective outlines basic structural and optical properties of lead halide perovskite colloidal nanocrystals, highlighting differences and similarities between them and conventional II–VI and III–V semiconductor quantum dots. A detailed insight into two important issues inherent to lead halide perovskite nanocrystals then follows, namely, the advantages of defect tolerance and the necessity to improve their stability in environmental conditions. The defect tolerance of lead halide perovskites offers an impetus to search for similar attributes in other related heavy metal-free compounds. We discuss the origins of the significantly blue-shifted emission from CsPbBr3 nanocrystals and the synthetic strategies toward fabrication of stable perovskite nanocrystal materials with emission in the red and infrared parts of the optical spectrum, which are related to fabrication of mixed cation compounds guided by Goldschmidt tolerance factor considerations. We conclude with the view on perspectives of use of the colloidal perovskite nanocrystals for applications in backlighting of liquid-crystal TV displays. PMID:28920080

Synthesis and structural characterization of defect spinels in the Lithium-Manganese-Oxide system

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Thackeray, MM

1993-10-01

Full Text Available Lithium-manganese-oxides prepared at moderate temperatures are under investigation as insertion electrodes for rechargeable lithium batteries. The structures of two defect-spinel compounds synthesised by the reaction of MnCO3 and Li2CO3 at 400...

Electronic structure of semiconductor thin films (chalcopyrites) as absorbermaterials for thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmann, Carsten

2007-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine for the first time the band structure of CuInS 2 . For this purpose a new GSMBE process with TBDS as sulphur precursor was established to prevent the use of elemental sulphur in an UHV system. Additionally to the deposited films a cleave surface was prepared. The samples were characterized in situ by XPS/UPS and LEED. XRD and SEM were used for further ex situ investigations. The band structure was determined by ARUPS using synchrotron light. CuInS(001) and CuInS 2 (112) were deposited on Si and GaAs. The deposition of CuInS 2 on GaAs showed a strong dependence on the existing surface reconstruction. A 2 x 1 reconstruction of GaAs(001) yielded CuInS 2 (001) films featuring terraces. A deposition on 2 x 2 reconstructed GaAs(111)A surfaces led to a facetted CuInS 2 surface. On sulphur-passivated non-reconstructed GaAs(111)B a deposition of chalcopyrite ordered CuInS 2 free of facets was possible. On the surface of Cu-rich CuInS 2 films CuS crystallites formed. This yields ARUPS spectra showing the electronic stucture of CuInS 2 superimposed by non-dispergative states of the polycrystalline CuS segregations. The effective hole masses were derived from the k vertical stroke vertical stroke measurements. Finally the results of this work showed that the use of a (111) substrate leads to domain formation of the deposited CuInS 2 (112) films. Thus ARUPS spectra of such films show a superposition of the band structures along different directions. (orig.)

Clinical concepts for regenerative therapy in intrabony defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortellini, Pierpaolo; Tonetti, Maurizio S

2015-06-01

Evidence indicates that periodontal regeneration is an efficacious and predictable procedure for the treatment of isolated and multiple intrabony defects. Meta-analyses from systematic reviews indicate an added benefit, in terms of clinical attachment level gain, when demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft, barrier membranes and active biologic products/compounds are applied in addition to open flap debridement. On the other hand, a consistent amount of variability of the outcomes is evident among different studies and within the experimental population of each study. This variability is explained, at least in part, by different patient and defect characteristics. Patient-related factors include smoking habit, compliance with home oral hygiene and residual inflammation after cause-related therapy. Defect-associated factors include defect depth and radiographic angle, the number of residual bony walls, pocket depth and the degree of hypermobility. In addition, surgical-related variables, such as surgical skill, clinical experience and knowledge, and application of the different regenerative materials, have a significant impact on clinical outcomes. This paper presents a strategy to optimize the clinical outcomes of periodontal regeneration. The surgical design of the flap, the use of different regenerative materials and the application of appropriate passive sutures are discussed in this review along with the scientific foundations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Positron annihilation lifetime studies of changes in free volume on some biorelevant nitrogen heterocyclic compounds and their S-glycosylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, K.R.; Khodair, A.I.; Shaban, S.Y.

2015-01-01

A series of N-heterocyclic compounds was investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy as well as Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation (DBAR) at room temperature. The results showed that the formation probability and life time of ortho-positronium in this series are structure and electron-donation character dependent, and can give more information about the structure. The DBAR provides direct information about the change of core and valance electrons as well as the number of defect types present in these compounds. - Highlights: • N-heterocyclic compounds were studied by PALS and DBAR at room temperature. • These compounds contain thiohydantoins which have wide applications as anticarcinogenic, antiviral, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and antimicrobial activity. • The DBAR provides direct information about the change of core and valance electrons as well as the number of defect types present in these compounds.

Synthesis and structural characterization of defect spinels in the lithium-manganese-oxide system

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Thackeray, MM

1993-10-01

Full Text Available Lithium-manganese-oxides prepared at moderate temperatures are under investigation as insertion electrodes for rechargeable lithium batteries. The structures of two defect-spinel compounds synthesized by the reaction of MnCO3 and Li2CO3 at 400°C...

Point Defects in Binary Laves-Phase Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liaw, P.K.; Liu, C.T.; Pike, L.M.; Zhu, J.H.

1999-01-11

Point defects in the binary C15 NbCrQ and NbCoz, and C 14 NbFe2 systems on both sides of stoichiometry were studied by both bulk density and X-ray Iattiee parameter measurements. It was found that the vacancy concentrations in these systems after quenching from 1000"C are essentially zero. The constitutional defects on both sides of stoichiometry for these systems were found to be of the anti-site type in comparison with the model predictions. Thermal vacancies exhibiting a maximum at the stoichiometric composition were obtained in NbCr2 Laves phase alloys after quenching from 1400"C. However, there are essentially no thermal vacancies in NbFe2 alloys after quenching from 1300oC. Anti-site hardening was found on both sides of stoichiometry for all the tie Laves phase systems studied, while the thermal vacancies in NbCr2 alloys quenched from 1400'C were found to soften the Laves phase. The anti-site hardening of the Laves phases is similar to that of the B2 compounds and the thermal vacancy softening is unique to the Laves phase. Neither the anti-site defects nor the thermal vacancies affect the fracture toughness of the Laves phases significantly.

Measurement of defects in carbon fiber reinforced polymer drilled

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pascual Víctor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Increasingly, fiber-reinforced materials are more widely used because of their good mechanical properties. It is usual to join pieces of these materials through screws and rivets, for which it is necessary to make a hole in the piece, usually by drilling. One of the problems of use CFRP resides in the appearance of defects due to the machining. The main defect to be taken into account is the delamination. Delamination implies poor tolerance when assembling parts, reducing the structural integrity of the part, and areas with high wear, as a series of stresses arise when mounting the screws. Much has been published about delamination and the factors that influence its appearance, so we are not going to focus on it. The present study aims to quantify and measure the defects associated with the drilling of compounds reinforced with carbon fibers, in relation to the cutting parameters used in each case. For this purpose, an optical measurement system and a posterior digital image processing will be used through Deltec Vision software.

Structural defects in cubic semiconductors characterized by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arroyo Rojas Dasilva, Yadira; Kozak, Roksolana; Erni, Rolf; Rossell, Marta D., E-mail: marta.rossell@empa.ch

2017-05-15

The development of new electro-optical devices and the realization of novel types of transistors require a profound understanding of the structural characteristics of new semiconductor heterostructures. This article provides a concise review about structural defects which occur in semiconductor heterostructures on the basis of micro-patterned Si substrates. In particular, one- and two-dimensional crystal defects are being discussed which are due to the plastic relaxation of epitaxial strain caused by the misfit of crystal lattices. Besides a few selected examples from literature, we treat in particular crystal defects occurring in GaAs/Si, Ge/Si and β-SiC/Si structures which are studied by high-resolution annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The relevance of this article is twofold; firstly, it should provide a collection of data which are of help for the identification and characterization of defects in cubic semiconductors by means of atomic-resolution imaging, and secondly, the experimental data shall provide a basis for advancing the understanding of device characteristics with the aid of theoretical modelling by considering the defective nature of strained semiconductor heterostructures. - Highlights: • The heterogeneous integration of high-quality compound semiconductors remains a challenge. • Lattice defects cause severe degradation of the semiconductor device performances. • Aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM allows atomic-scale characterization of defects. • An overview of lattice defects found in cubic semiconductors is presented. • Theoretical modelling and calculations are needed to determine the defect properties.

Compact Models for Defect Diffusivity in Semiconductor Alloys.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, Alan F. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nanostructure Physics Department; Modine, Normand A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nanostructure Physics Department; Lee, Stephen R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Materials Sciences Department; Foiles, Stephen M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Computational Materials and Data Science Department

2017-09-01

Predicting transient effects caused by short - pulse neutron irradiation of electronic devices is an important part of Sandia's mission. For example , predicting the diffusion of radiation - induced point defects is needed with in Sandia's Qualification Alternative to the Sandia Pulsed Reactor (QASPR) pro gram since defect diffusion mediates transient gain recovery in QASPR electronic devices. Recently, the semiconductors used to fabricate radiation - hard electronic devices have begun to shift from silicon to III - V compounds such as GaAs, InAs , GaP and InP . An advantage of this shift is that it allows engineers to optimize the radiation hardness of electronic devices by using alloy s such as InGaAs and InGaP . However, the computer codes currently being used to simulate transient radiation effects in QASP R devices will need to be modified since they presume that defect properties (charge states, energy levels, and diffusivities) in these alloys do not change with time. This is not realistic since the energy and properties of a defect depend on the types of atoms near it and , therefore, on its location in the alloy. In particular, radiation - induced defects are created at nearly random locations in an alloy and the distribution of their local environments - and thus their energies and properties - evolves with time as the defects diffuse through the alloy . To incorporate these consequential effects into computer codes used to simulate transient radiation effects, we have developed procedures to accurately compute the time dependence of defect energies and properties and then formulate them within compact models that can be employed in these computer codes. In this document, we demonstrate these procedures for the case of the highly mobile P interstitial (I P ) in an InGaP alloy. Further dissemination only as authorized to U.S. Government agencies and their contractors; other requests shall be approved by the originating facility or higher DOE

First-principles study of point defects in thorium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez Daroca, D.; Jaroszewicz, S.; Llois, A.M.; Mosca, H.O.

2014-01-01

Thorium-based materials are currently being investigated in relation with their potential utilization in Generation-IV reactors as nuclear fuels. One of the most important issues to be studied is their behavior under irradiation. A first approach to this goal is the study of point defects. By means of first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory, we study the stability and formation energies of vacancies, interstitials and Frenkel pairs in thorium carbide. We find that C isolated vacancies are the most likely defects, while C interstitials are energetically favored as compared to Th ones. These kind of results for ThC, to the best authors’ knowledge, have not been obtained previously, neither experimentally, nor theoretically. For this reason, we compare with results on other compounds with the same NaCl-type structure

First-principles study of point defects in thorium carbide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pérez Daroca, D., E-mail: pdaroca@tandar.cnea.gov.ar [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (1033) Buenos Aires (Argentina); Jaroszewicz, S. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Instituto de Tecnología Jorge A. Sabato, UNSAM-CNEA, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Llois, A.M. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (1033) Buenos Aires (Argentina); Mosca, H.O. [Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Instituto de Tecnología Jorge A. Sabato, UNSAM-CNEA, Av. General Paz 1499, (1650) San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2014-11-15

Thorium-based materials are currently being investigated in relation with their potential utilization in Generation-IV reactors as nuclear fuels. One of the most important issues to be studied is their behavior under irradiation. A first approach to this goal is the study of point defects. By means of first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory, we study the stability and formation energies of vacancies, interstitials and Frenkel pairs in thorium carbide. We find that C isolated vacancies are the most likely defects, while C interstitials are energetically favored as compared to Th ones. These kind of results for ThC, to the best authors’ knowledge, have not been obtained previously, neither experimentally, nor theoretically. For this reason, we compare with results on other compounds with the same NaCl-type structure.

Defect-Induced Luminescence of a Self-Activated Borophosphate Phosphor

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Bing; Liu, Beibei; Dai, Yazhou; Zhang, Jie

2018-05-01

A self-activated borophosphate phosphor Ba3BPO7 was prepared via typical solid-state reaction in thermal-carbon reduction atmosphere. The structural and luminescence properties were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Upon excitation with ultraviolet (UV) light, the as-prepared phosphor shows bright greenish-yellow emission with a microsecond-level fluorescence lifetime, which could result from the oxygen vacancies produced in the process of solid-state synthesis. The possible luminescence mechanism is proposed. Through the introduction of defects in the host, this work realizes visible luminescence in a pure borophosphate compound that does not contain any rare earth or transition metal activators, so it is helpful to develop defect-related luminescent materials in view of energy conservation and environmental protection for sustainable development.

Defect and phase stability of solid solutions of Mg2X with an antifluorite structure: An ab initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viennois, Romain; Jund, Philippe; Colinet, Catherine; Tédenac, Jean-Claude

2012-01-01

First principles calculations are done for Mg 2 X (X=Si, Ge or Sn) antifluorite compounds and their solid solutions in order to investigate their pseudo-binary phase diagram. The formation energies of the end-member compounds agree qualitatively with the experiments. For X=Si and Ge, there is a complete solubility, but we observe a miscibility gap in the pseudo-binary phase diagram Mg 2 Si–Mg 2 Sn. This agrees with the most recent experiments and phase diagram assessments. Calculated electronic properties of Mg 2 Si 1−x Sn x alloys qualitatively agree with experiments and in particular the energy bandgap decreases when Si is substituted by Sn. Supercell calculations are also done in order to determine the most stable defects and the doping induced by these defects in the three end-member compounds. We find that the intrinsic n-doping in pure Mg 2 Si can be attributed to the presence of magnesium atoms in interstitial positions. In Mg 2 Ge and Mg 2 Sn, since other defects are stable, they can be also of p-type. - Graphical abstract: Evidence of a miscibility gap from the plot of the formation energy vs x Si (silicon content) for the solid solutions Mg 2 Si–Mg 2 Sn. Highlights: ► First-principles study of the stability of Mg 2 Si–Mg 2 X alloys (X=Ge or Sn) and their defects. ► Mg 2 Si–Mg 2 Ge alloys form a complete series of solid solutions. ► Miscibility gap is found in Mg 2 Si–Mg 2 Sn alloys. ► Interstitial defects are more stable in Mg 2 Si and induce n-doping.

Defect physics vis-à-vis electrochemical performance in layered mixed-metal oxide cathode materials

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Khang; Johannes, Michelle

Layered mixed-metal oxides with different compositions of (Ni,Co,Mn) [NCM] or (Ni,Co,Al) [NCA] have been used in commercial lithium-ion batteries. Yet their defect physics and chemistry is still not well understood, despite having important implications for the electrochemical performance. In this presentation, we report a hybrid density functional study of intrinsic point defects in the compositions LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM1/3) and LiNi1/3Co1/3Al1/3O2 (NCA1/3) which can also be regarded as model compounds for NCM and NCA. We will discuss defect landscapes in NCM1/3 and NCA1/3 under relevant synthesis conditions with a focus on the formation of metal antisite defects and its implications on the electrochemical properties and ultimately the design of NCM and NCA cathode materials.

[Antiseptic effect of compound lysostaphin disinfectant and its preventive effect on infection of artificial dermis after graft on full-thickness skin defect wound in rats].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, J; Zhou, H; Cui, Z C; Wang, L; Luo, P F; Ji, S Z; Hu, X Y; Ma, B; Wang, G Y; Zhu, S H; Xia, Z F

2018-04-20

Objective: To study the antiseptic effect of compound lysostaphin disinfectant and its preventive effect on infection of artificial dermis after graft on full-thickness skin defect wound in rats. Methods: (1) Each one standard strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus were selected. Each 20 clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus were collected from those isolated from wound exudates of burn patients hospitalized in our wards from January 2014 to December 2016 according to the random number table. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of compound lysostaphin disinfectant to above-mentioned strains were detected. The experiment was repeated 3 times. Compared with the corresponding standard strain, the clinical strain with higher MIC and/or MBC was considered as having decreased sensitivity to the disinfectant. The percentage of strains of each of the three kinds of bacteria with decreased sensitivity was calculated. (2) Artificial dermis pieces were soaked in compound lysostaphin disinfectant for 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h, respectively, with 21 pieces at each time point. After standing for 0 (immediately), 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 h (with 3 pieces at each time point), respectively, the diameters of their inhibition zones to standard strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus were measured. The experiment was repeated 3 times. The shortest soaking time corresponding to the longest standing time, after which the disinfectant-soaked artificial dermis could form an effective inhibition zone (with diameter more than 7 mm), was the sufficient soaking time of the disinfectant to the artificial dermis. (3) Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into post injury day (PID) 3, 7, 14, and 21 sampling groups according to the random number table, with 10 rats in each group. A full-thickness skin

A study of the electrical properties of defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blood, A.M.

1998-01-01

This work contains the most comprehensive qualitative and quantitative electron beam induced current (EBIC) study of recombination at contaminated defects in silicon. It is also a rigorous quantitative investigation of the effect of hydrogen on individual transition metal contaminated defects. In addition, the recombination behaviour exhibited by point and extended defects has been investigated using EBIC and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). As a result of these measurements, techniques for the preparation of transition metal contaminated specimens have been refined. Successful hydrogen passivation of copper, nickel and iron contaminated silicon specimens containing oxidation-induced stacking faults has been achieved in two experimental systems. It is found that hydrogen passivates those states that are deepest in the semiconductor band gap in preference to those that are shallow. Furthermore, it has been concluded that during hydrogen passivation treatment, even at low temperatures, unwanted metallic impurities can be introduced. Three types of recombination behaviour have been identified from the defects-studied in this work and they are discussed with relevance to present recombination models. An investigation of the recombination behaviour of defects that lie in the depletion region and in the specimen bulk has concluded that the recombination type observed is independent of the depth of the defect. Evidence for the presence of compound defects showing mixed recombination behaviour type is presented. In conclusion, it is postulated that the transition metal impurities introduce a 'band of states' with a range of energies rather than a single energy state. This proposal is provided as an explanation for the recombination types found in this work and the effect of the hydrogen passivation. This work is placed in context of previous investigations into the behaviour of dislocations in silicon in the presence of transition metals, and the ability of

PyCDT: A Python toolkit for modeling point defects in semiconductors and insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Broberg, Danny; Medasani, Bharat; Zimmermann, Nils E. R.; Yu, Guodong; Canning, Andrew; Haranczyk, Maciej; Asta, Mark; Hautier, Geoffroy

2018-05-01

Point defects have a strong impact on the performance of semiconductor and insulator materials used in technological applications, spanning microelectronics to energy conversion and storage. The nature of the dominant defect types, how they vary with processing conditions, and their impact on materials properties are central aspects that determine the performance of a material in a certain application. This information is, however, difficult to access directly from experimental measurements. Consequently, computational methods, based on electronic density functional theory (DFT), have found widespread use in the calculation of point-defect properties. Here we have developed the Python Charged Defect Toolkit (PyCDT) to expedite the setup and post-processing of defect calculations with widely used DFT software. PyCDT has a user-friendly command-line interface and provides a direct interface with the Materials Project database. This allows for setting up many charged defect calculations for any material of interest, as well as post-processing and applying state-of-the-art electrostatic correction terms. Our paper serves as a documentation for PyCDT, and demonstrates its use in an application to the well-studied GaAs compound semiconductor. We anticipate that the PyCDT code will be useful as a framework for undertaking readily reproducible calculations of charged point-defect properties, and that it will provide a foundation for automated, high-throughput calculations.

Immobile defects in ferroelastic walls: Wall nucleation at defect sites

Science.gov (United States)

He, X.; Salje, E. K. H.; Ding, X.; Sun, J.

2018-02-01

Randomly distributed, static defects are enriched in ferroelastic domain walls. The relative concentration of defects in walls, Nd, follows a power law distribution as a function of the total defect concentration C: N d ˜ C α with α = 0.4 . The enrichment Nd/C ranges from ˜50 times when C = 10 ppm to ˜3 times when C = 1000 ppm. The resulting enrichment is due to nucleation at defect sites as observed in large scale MD simulations. The dynamics of domain nucleation and switching is dependent on the defect concentration. Their energy distribution follows the power law with exponents during yield between ɛ ˜ 1.82 and 2.0 when the defect concentration increases. The power law exponent is ɛ ≈ 2.7 in the plastic regime, independent of the defect concentration.

First-principles study of defect formation in a photovoltaic semiconductor Cu2ZnGeSe4

Science.gov (United States)

Nishihara, Hironori; Maeda, Tsuyoshi; Wada, Takahiro

2018-02-01

The formation energies of neutral Cu, Zn, Ge, and Se vacancies in kesterite-type Cu2ZnGeSe4 were evaluated by first-principles pseudopotential calculations using plane-wave basis functions. The calculations were performed at typical points in Cu-(Zn1/2Ge1/2)-Se and Cu3Se2-ZnSe-GeSe2 pseudoternary phase diagrams for Cu2ZnGeSe4. The results were compared with those for Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2ZnGeS4, and Cu2ZnSnS4 calculated using the same version of the CASTEP program code. The results indicate that Cu vacancies are easily formed in Cu2ZnGeSe4 under the Cu-poor condition as in the above compounds and CuInSe2, suggesting that Cu2ZnGeSe4 is also a preferable p-type absorber material for thin-film solar cells. The formation energies of possible antisite defects, such as CuZn and CuGe, and of possible complex defects, such as CuZn+ZnCu, were also calculated and compared within the above materials. The antisite defect of CuZn, which has the smallest formation energy within the possible defects, is concluded to be the most hardly formed in Cu2ZnGeSe4 among the compounds.

Nature and strength of defect interactions in cubic stabilized zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogicevic, A.; Wolverton, C.

2003-01-01

The intrinsic ordering tendencies that limit ionic conduction in doped zirconia electrolytes are fully elucidated using first-principles calculations. A detailed analysis of nearly 300 yttria- and scandia-stabilized cubic-zirconia-ordered vacancy compounds reveals a delicate balance between competing elastic and electrostatic interactions. These results explain several outstanding experimental observations and provide substantial insight needed for improving ionic conduction and enabling low-temperature operation of zirconia-based electrolytes. We show that the surprising vacancy ordering in dilute solid solutions is a consequence of repulsive electrostatic and attractive elastic interactions that balance at third-neighbor vacancy separations. In contrast, repulsive elastic vacancy-dopant interactions prevail over electrostatic attraction at all probed defect separations in YSZ and lead to very weak ordering preferences in ScSZ. The total electronic contribution to the defect interactions is shown to be strongly dominated by simple point-charge electrostatics, leaving speciation of defect ordering for a given class of aliovalent dopants to the elastic term. Thus, ion size becomes a critical parameter in controlling the ionic conductivity of doped oxide electrolytes

Identification of the DNA repair defects in a case of Dubowitz syndrome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingyin Yue

Full Text Available Dubowitz Syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder with a unique set of clinical features including microcephaly and susceptibility to tumor formation. Although more than 140 cases of Dubowitz syndrome have been reported since 1965, the genetic defects of this disease has not been identified. In this study, we systematically analyzed the DNA damage response and repair capability of fibroblasts established from a Dubowitz Syndrome patient. Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation, bleomycin, and doxorubicin. However, they have relatively normal sensitivities to mitomycin-C, cisplatin, and camptothecin. Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts also have normal DNA damage signaling and cell cycle checkpoint activations after DNA damage. These data implicate a defect in repair of DNA double strand break (DSB likely due to defective non-homologous end joining (NHEJ. We further sequenced several genes involved in NHEJ, and identified a pair of novel compound mutations in the DNA Ligase IV gene. Furthermore, expression of wild type DNA ligase IV completely complement the DNA repair defects in Dubowitz syndrome fibroblasts, suggesting that the DNA ligase IV mutation is solely responsible for the DNA repair defects. These data suggests that at least subset of Dubowitz syndrome can be attributed to DNA ligase IV mutations.

Studies of defects and defect agglomerates by positron annihilation spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eldrup, Morten Mostgaard; Singh, B.N.

1997-01-01

A brief introduction to positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), and in particular lo its use for defect studies in metals is given. Positrons injected into a metal may become trapped in defects such as vacancies, vacancy clusters, voids, bubbles and dislocations and subsequently annihilate from...... the trapped state iri the defect. The annihilation characteristics (e.g., the lifetime of the positron) can be measured and provide information about the nature of the defect (e.g., size, density, morphology). The technique is sensitive to both defect size (in the range from monovacancies up to cavities...

Defect modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norgett, M.J.

1980-01-01

Calculations, drawing principally on developments at AERE Harwell, of the relaxation about lattice defects are reviewed with emphasis on the techniques required for such calculations. The principles of defect modelling are outlined and various programs developed for defect simulations are discussed. Particular calculations for metals, ionic crystals and oxides, are considered. (UK)

Positron trapping at defects in copper oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMullen, T.; Jena, P.; Khanna, S.N.; Li, Y.; Jensen, K.O.

1991-01-01

Positron states and lifetimes at defects in the copper oxide superconductors La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 , YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x , and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x are calculated with use of the superposed-atom model. In the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x compound, we find that the smaller metal-ion vacancies appear to only bind positrons weakly, while missing oxygens do not trap positrons. In contrast, metal-ion vacancies in La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x bind positrons by ∼1 eV, and oxygen-related defects appear to be the weak-binding sites in these materials. The sites that bind positrons only weakly, by energies ∼k BT , are of particular interest in view of the complex temperature dependences of the annihilation characteristics that are observed in these materials

In-Situ Probing Plasmonic Energy Transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Solar Cells by Ultrabroadband Femtosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shih-Chen; Wu, Kaung-Hsiung; Li, Jia-Xing; Yabushita, Atsushi; Tang, Shih-Han; Luo, Chih Wei; Juang, Jenh-Yih; Kuo, Hao-Chung; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-12-18

In this work, we demonstrated a viable experimental scheme for in-situ probing the effects of Au nanoparticles (NPs) incorporation on plasmonic energy transfer in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells by elaborately analyzing the lifetimes and zero moment for hot carrier relaxation with ultrabroadband femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. The signals of enhanced photobleach (PB) and waned photoinduced absorption (PIA) attributable to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au NPs were in-situ probed in transient differential absorption spectra. The results suggested that substantial carriers can be excited from ground state to lower excitation energy levels, which can reach thermalization much faster with the existence of SPR. Thus, direct electron transfer (DET) could be implemented to enhance the photocurrent of CIGS solar cells. Furthermore, based on the extracted hot carrier lifetimes, it was confirmed that the improved electrical transport might have been resulted primarily from the reduction in the surface recombination of photoinduced carriers through enhanced local electromagnetic field (LEMF). Finally, theoretical calculation for resonant energy transfer (RET)-induced enhancement in the probability of exciting electron-hole pairs was conducted and the results agreed well with the enhanced PB peak of transient differential absorption in plasmonic CIGS film. These results indicate that plasmonic energy transfer is a viable approach to boost high-efficiency CIGS solar cells.

Band gap engineering of tandem structured CIGS compound absorption layer fabricated by sputtering and selenization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, San; Sharma, Rahul; Sim, Jae-Kwan; Lee, Cheul-Ro

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Systematic band gap engineering to fabricate tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 absorption layers. ► XRD shows prominent (1 1 2) reflection shift for attributed CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases. ► Optical transmittance and reflectance spectrum are improved towards infrared region. ► The Cu/In + Ga and Ga/In + Ga effect is matched with highest efficient solar cell. ► Tandem CIS/CIGS/CGS layer, the band gap is increased from 1.15 to 2.06 eV. -- Abstract: Band gap engineering was executed to fabricate a multi-junction stacked i.e. tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorption layer. The CIGS absorption layers consist of multi-junction stacked CIS/CIGS/CGS thin films from bottom to top with increasing band gap. Tandem CIGS layers were fabricated by using three precursor of CuIn, In/CuGa/In, and CuGa onto the Mo coated soda-lime glass (SLG) by the sequential sputtering of CuIn, CuGa, and In targets. The CIG precursors were converted into CIGS absorption thin film by selenization process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer, with the prominent peak shift for (1 1 2) reflections was attributed to the individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases at 26.76°, 27.15°, and 27.65° diffraction angles, respectively. The morphologies and atomic (at%) composition uniformity onto the surface and along the depth were extensively analyzed with field effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) attached energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance and absorbance were found to improve in the infrared region for all the tandem CIGS layers. Near the fundamental absorption edge, the absorption coefficient was approached to 10 5 cm −1 for CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer. The straight-line behavior indicates that the films have a direct band gap. The band gap was found to increase from 1.15 to 1.74 eV with the Ga-grading along the depth of individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS thin films

Cold-storage defects in butter and their relation to the autoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Badings, H.T.

1970-01-01

In this thesis investigations are described of the identification of aroma compounds which are formed as a result of oxidative deterioration of butter during cold storage, producing a typical trainy (fishy) off-flavour. As these flavour defects are caused chiefly by autoxidative breakdown of

Maternal dietary intake of nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines and selected birth defects in offspring: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, John C; Brender, Jean D; Zheng, Qi; Sharkey, Joseph R; Vuong, Ann M; Shinde, Mayura U; Griesenbeck, John S; Suarez, Lucina; Langlois, Peter H; Canfield, Mark A; Romitti, Paul A; Weyer, Peter J

2013-03-21

Dietary intake of nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines can increase the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds in the stomach. Results from animal studies suggest that these compounds might be teratogenic. We examined the relationship between maternal dietary intake of nitrates, nitrites (including plant and animal sources as separate groups), and nitrosamines and several types of birth defects in offspring. For this population-based case-control study, data from a 58-question food frequency questionnaire, adapted from the short Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire and administered as part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), were used to estimate daily intake of dietary nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines in a sample of 6544 mothers of infants with neural tube defects (NTD)s, oral clefts (OC)s, or limb deficiencies (LD)s and 6807 mothers of unaffected control infants. Total daily intake of these compounds was divided into quartiles based on the control mother distributions. Odds ratios (OR)s and 95% confidence intervals (CI)s were estimated using logistic regression; estimates were adjusted for maternal daily caloric intake, maternal race-ethnicity, education, dietary folate intake, high fat diet (>30% of calories from fat), and state of residence. While some unadjusted ORs for NTDS had 95% (CI)s that excluded the null value, none remained significant after adjustment for covariates, and the effect sizes were small (adjusted odds ratios [aOR]nitrate, nitrite, and nitrosamines.

Effects of in-cascade defect clustering on near-term defect evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinisch, H.L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

1997-08-01

The effects of in-cascade defect clustering on the nature of the subsequent defect population are being studied using stochastic annealing simulations applied to cascades generated in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of the simulations illustrates the strong influence of the defect configuration existing in the primary damage state on subsequent defect evolution. The large differences in mobility and stability of vacancy and interstitial defects and the rapid one-dimensional diffusion of small, glissile interstitial loops produced directly in cascades have been shown to be significant factors affecting the evolution of the defect distribution. In recent work, the effects of initial cluster sizes appear to be extremely important.

Properties of vacancies type defects in intermetallic compounds of the Al-Mo system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascuet, M.I; Fernandez, J.R; Monti, A.M

2006-01-01

There are five intermetallic compounds in the Al-Mo system that are stable at low temperatures. Of these, the richest phases in some of the two components are the compounds Al 12 Mo and AlMo 3 , whose Pearson symbols are cI26 and cP8, respectively. In both structures, the atoms of the minority component occupy positions bcc and each one of them is surrounded by 12 atoms first neighbors of the other component. These 13 atoms form icosahedron shaped units or heaps. Unlike what occurs in Al 12 Mo, the AlMo 3 heaps are superposed by sharing atoms from the majority component. The neighboring environment of the majority component is mixed but differs considerably in one or another intermetallic. In each structure, the sites occupied by any given species are crystallographically equivalent, that is, they can self generate from one of the positions and from the crystalline structure's elements of symmetry. This work studies the energy of vacancies and antisites in both compounds and the atomic-jump processes to vacant sites. Computer simulation techniques were used based on minimizing the system's energy. Many-body embedded-atom potentials were used to represent the atomic interactions. The potential mixture used resulted in an adjustment to the crystalline structure of the AlMo 3 phase at low temperatures and to its formation energy (cw)

Substrate temperature optimization for Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells on flexible stainless steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, X.; Zhu, H.; Chen, J., E-mail: chenjingwei@126.com; Zhou, D.; Zhang, C.; Guo, Y.; Niu, X.; Li, Z.; Mai, Y., E-mail: yaohuamai@hbu.edu.cn

2016-04-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • CIGS thin films are deposited on flexible SS substrates at different substrate temperatures. • CIGS thin films deposited at different T{sub S2} show different Ga/(Ga + In) ratio profiles. • All CIGS thin films show (112) and (220/204) preferred orientations with a shift to higher angles. • Conversion efficiency of 11.3% is obtained for CIGS solar cells deposited at 500 °C. - Abstract: Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films are deposited on flexible stainless steel (SS) substrates using the so called 3-stage co-evaporation process at different substrate temperatures ranging from 440 °C to 640 °C during the 2nd stage and the 3rd stage (T{sub S2}). The effects of T{sub S2} on the properties of CIGS thin films are systematically investigated. It is found by secondary ion mass spectrometry measurement that CIGS thin films deposited at different T{sub S2} show different Ga/(Ga + In) ratio (GGI) profiles along the growth direction. High T{sub S2} facilitates the grain growth and leads to larger grain size. However, high T{sub S2} worsens the spectral response of CIGS solar cells in the long wavelength range, which is partly attributed to the too much iron atom diffusion from the SS substrates into the CIGS thin films. All CIGS thin films show (112) preferred orientations with a shift to higher angle due to variation of compositions. A shoulder-like two-peak structure of (112) and (220/204) peaks appears for CIGS thin films deposited at lower T{sub S2}. Conversion efficiency of 11.3% is obtained for CIGS thin film solar cells deposited at the T{sub S2} of 500 °C.

Irradiation defects in the A-15 compounds V3Si and Nb3Ge: effects on superconducting and transport properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rullier-Albenque, F.

1984-11-01

In the first part the mechanisms of atomic displacements under electron irradiation in these diatomic ordered solids are studied. In the case of superconducting alloys, simultaneous measurements of electrical resistivity at 20 K and critical temperature allow to distinguish the influence of point defects created in each sub-lattice and antisite defects. The threshold energies have been determined. In the case of V 3 Si, Frenkel pairs have been characterized by their specific resistivities and the decrease of Tsub(c) by vanadium vacancies. The Tsub(c) results obtained on V 3 Si also reveal the existence of a threshold electron energy to produce antisite defects. The second part is a comparative study of irradiation effects in Nb 3 Ge with very different kinds of projectiles: 2.5 MeV electrons, fast neutrons or 100 MeV heavy ions (uranium fission fragments). For these three types of irradiation, resistivity and critical temperature damage can be described in terms of point defects: Frenkel pairs and antisite defects. In the third part we have studied the influence of 2.5 MeV electron or fission fragment-irradiation on the resistivity versus temperature curves of Nb 3 Ge. For both projectiles, negative temperature coefficients of resistivity drho)/dT, were measured and correlated with resistivity at 280 K and 25 K. These anomalous transport properties are related to an electron localization process assisted by electron-phonon and electron-electron interaction [fr

Dirichlet topological defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, S.M.; Trodden, M.

1998-01-01

We propose a class of field theories featuring solitonic solutions in which topological defects can end when they intersect other defects of equal or higher dimensionality. Such configurations may be termed open-quotes Dirichlet topological defects,close quotes in analogy with the D-branes of string theory. Our discussion focuses on defects in scalar field theories with either gauge or global symmetries, in 3+1 dimensions; the types of defects considered include walls ending on walls, strings on walls, and strings on strings. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Preparation of CulnS2 Thin Films on the Glass Substrate by DC Sputtering for Solar Cell Component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bambang Siswanto; Wirjoadi; Darsono

2007-01-01

The CuInS 2 alloys were deposited on glass substrate using plasma DC sputtering technique. A CuInS 2 alloy target was made from Cu, In, Se powder with impurity of 99.998%. The deposition process was done with the following process parameter variations: deposition time and substrate temperature were the range of 15 to 45 min and 150 to 300 ℃, the gas pressure was kept at 1.4x10 -1 Torr. The purpose of the research is to obtain the solar cell component of CuInS 2 thin films. The electrical and optical properties measurement has been done by four-point probe and UV-Vis. Crystal structure was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The result shows that minimum resistance of CuInS 2 thin films is 35.7 kΩ and optical transmittance is 14.7 %. The crystal structure of CuInS 2 is oriented at (112) plane and by Touc-plot method was obtained that the band gap energy of thin films is 1.45 eV. It could be concluded that the CuInS 2 thin film can be used as a solar cell component. (author)

Indium-defect interactions in FCC and BCC metals studied using the modified embedded atom method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacate, M. O., E-mail: zacatem1@nku.edu [Northern Kentucky University, Department of Physics, Geology, and Engineering Technology (United States)

2016-12-15

With the aim of developing a transferable potential set capable of predicting defect formation, defect association, and diffusion properties in a wide range of intermetallic compounds, the present study was undertaken to test parameterization strategies for determining empirical pair-wise interaction parameters in the modified embedded atom method (MEAM) developed by Baskes and coworkers. This report focuses on indium-solute and indium-vacancy interactions in FCC and BCC metals, for which a large set of experimental data obtained from perturbed angular correlation measurements is available for comparison. Simulation results were found to be in good agreement with experimental values after model parameters had been adjusted to reproduce as best as possible the following two sets of quantities: (1) lattice parameters, formation enthalpies, and bulk moduli of hypothetical equiatomic compounds with the NaCl crystal structure determined using density functional theory and (2) dilute solution enthalpies in metals as predicted by Miedema’s semi-empirical model.

Self-assembled synthesis of 3D Cu(In1 − xGax)Se2 nanoarrays by one-step electroless deposition into ordered AAO template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bin; Zheng, Maojun; Xiong, Zuzhou; Zhu, Changqing; Li, Hong; Wang, Faze; Shen, Wenzhong; Zhou, Tao; Ma, Li

2014-01-01

Quaternary nanostructured Cu(In 1 − x Ga x )Se 2 (CIGS) arrays were successfully fabricated via a novel and simple solution-based protocol on the electroless deposition method, using a flexible, highly ordered anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) substrate. This method does not require electric power, complicated sensitization processes, or complexing agents, but provides nearly 100% pore fill factor to AAO templates. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show that we obtained uniformly three-dimensional nanostructured CIGS arrays, and we can tailor the diameter and wall thicknesses of the nanostructure by adjusting the pore diameter of the AAO and metal Mo layer. Their chemical composition was determined by energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis, which is very close to the stoichiometric value. The Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirm the formation of nanostructured CIGS with prominent chalcopyrite structure. The nanostructured CIGS arrays can support the design of low-cost, highlight-trapping, and enhanced carrier collection nanostructured solar cells. (paper)

Defect forces, defect couples and path integrals in fracture mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, R.L.

1979-07-01

In this work, it is shown that the path integrals can be introduced without any reference to the material behavior. The method is based on the definition in a continuous medium of a set of vectors and couples having the dimension of a force or a moment. More precisely, definitions are given of volume defect forces, surface defect forces, volume defect couples, and surface defect couples. This is done with the help of the stress working variation of a particule moving through the solid. The most important result is: the resultant of all the defect forces included in a volume V is the J integral on the surface surrounding V and the moment resultant is the L integral. So these integrals are defined without any assumption on the material constitutive equation. Another result is the material form of the virtual work principle - defect forces are acting like conventional forces in the conventional principles of virtual work. This lead to the introduction of the energy momentum tensor and of the associated couple stress. Application of this method is made to fracture mechanics in studying the defect forces distribution around a crack [fr

Neural Tube Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the ... that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In ...

Highly Efficient Defect Emission from ZnO:Zn and ZnO:S Powders

Science.gov (United States)

Everitt, Henry

2013-03-01

Bulk Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor with an ultraviolet direct band gap energy of 3.4 eV and a broad, defect-related visible wavelength emission band centered near 2 eV. We have shown that the external quantum efficiency can exceed 50% for this nearly white emission band that closely matches the human dark-adapted visual response. To explore the potential of ZnO as a rare earth-free white light phosphor, we investigated the mechanism of efficient defect emission in three types of ZnO powders: unannealed, annealed, and sulfur-doped. Annealing and sulfur-doping of ZnO greatly increase the strength of defect emission while suppressing the UV band edge emission. Continuous wave and ultrafast one- and two-photon excitation spectroscopy are used to examine the defect emission mechanism. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) spectra were measured for all three compounds, and it was found that bound excitons mediate the defect emission. Temperature-dependent PLE spectra for the defect and band edge emission were measured to estimate trapping and activation energies of the bound excitons and clarify the role they play in the defect emission. Time-resolved techniques were used to ascertain the role of exciton diffusion, the effects of reabsorption, and the spatial distributions of radiative and non-radiative traps. In unannealed ZnO we find that defect emission is suppressed and UV band edge emission is inefficient (reduced, and a high density of defects responsible for the broad visible emission are created near the surface. Interestingly, nearly identical PLE spectra are found for both the band edge and the defect emission, one of many indications that the defect emission is deeply connected to bound excitons. Quantum efficiency, also measured as a function of excitation wavelength, closely mirrors the PLE spectra for both emission bands. Sulfur-doped ZnO exhibits additional PLE and X-ray features indicative of a ZnS-rich surface

Acoustic wave propagation in Ni3 R (R = Mo, Nb, Ta) compounds

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tile and stable, and contains few defects in the crystal structure in comparison to other compounds. 4. Conclusions. Based on the above discussion it is worthwhile to state that. • Present method to evaluate second-order elastic constants involving many- body interaction potential for hexagonal wurtzite crystal structured ...

On holographic defect entropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estes, John; Jensen, Kristan; O’Bannon, Andy; Tsatis, Efstratios; Wrase, Timm

2014-01-01

We study a number of (3+1)- and (2+1)-dimensional defect and boundary conformal field theories holographically dual to supergravity theories. In all cases the defects or boundaries are planar, and the defects are codimension-one. Using holography, we compute the entanglement entropy of a (hemi-)spherical region centered on the defect (boundary). We define defect and boundary entropies from the entanglement entropy by an appropriate background subtraction. For some (3+1)-dimensional theories we find evidence that the defect/boundary entropy changes monotonically under certain renormalization group flows triggered by operators localized at the defect or boundary. This provides evidence that the g-theorem of (1+1)-dimensional field theories generalizes to higher dimensions

Immortalized human myotonic dystrophy muscle cell lines to assess therapeutic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Arandel, Ludovic; Polay Espinoza, Micaela; Matloka, Magdalena; Bazinet, Audrey; De Dea Diniz, Damily; Naouar, Naïra; Rau, Frédérique; Jollet, Arnaud; Edom-Vovard, Frédérique; Mamchaoui, Kamel; Tarnopolsky, Mark; Puymirat, Jack; Battail, Christophe; Boland, Anne; Deleuze, Jean-Francois; Mouly, Vincent; Klein, Arnaud F.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2) are autosomal dominant neuromuscular diseases caused by microsatellite expansions and belong to the family of RNA-dominant disorders. Availability of cellular models in which the DM mutation is expressed within its natural context is essential to facilitate efforts to identify new therapeutic compounds. Here, we generated immortalized DM1 and DM2 human muscle cell lines that display nuclear RNA aggregates of expanded repeats, a hallmark of myotonic dystrophy. Selected clones of DM1 and DM2 immortalized myoblasts behave as parental primary myoblasts with a reduced fusion capacity of immortalized DM1 myoblasts when compared with control and DM2 cells. Alternative splicing defects were observed in differentiated DM1 muscle cell lines, but not in DM2 lines. Splicing alterations did not result from differentiation delay because similar changes were found in immortalized DM1 transdifferentiated fibroblasts in which myogenic differentiation has been forced by overexpression of MYOD1. As a proof-of-concept, we show that antisense approaches alleviate disease-associated defects, and an RNA-seq analysis confirmed that the vast majority of mis-spliced events in immortalized DM1 muscle cells were affected by antisense treatment, with half of them significantly rescued in treated DM1 cells. Immortalized DM1 muscle cell lines displaying characteristic disease-associated molecular features such as nuclear RNA aggregates and splicing defects can be used as robust readouts for the screening of therapeutic compounds. Therefore, immortalized DM1 and DM2 muscle cell lines represent new models and tools to investigate molecular pathophysiological mechanisms and evaluate the in vitro effects of compounds on RNA toxicity associated with myotonic dystrophy mutations. PMID:28188264

Immortalized human myotonic dystrophy muscle cell lines to assess therapeutic compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludovic Arandel

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1 and type 2 (DM2 are autosomal dominant neuromuscular diseases caused by microsatellite expansions and belong to the family of RNA-dominant disorders. Availability of cellular models in which the DM mutation is expressed within its natural context is essential to facilitate efforts to identify new therapeutic compounds. Here, we generated immortalized DM1 and DM2 human muscle cell lines that display nuclear RNA aggregates of expanded repeats, a hallmark of myotonic dystrophy. Selected clones of DM1 and DM2 immortalized myoblasts behave as parental primary myoblasts with a reduced fusion capacity of immortalized DM1 myoblasts when compared with control and DM2 cells. Alternative splicing defects were observed in differentiated DM1 muscle cell lines, but not in DM2 lines. Splicing alterations did not result from differentiation delay because similar changes were found in immortalized DM1 transdifferentiated fibroblasts in which myogenic differentiation has been forced by overexpression of MYOD1. As a proof-of-concept, we show that antisense approaches alleviate disease-associated defects, and an RNA-seq analysis confirmed that the vast majority of mis-spliced events in immortalized DM1 muscle cells were affected by antisense treatment, with half of them significantly rescued in treated DM1 cells. Immortalized DM1 muscle cell lines displaying characteristic disease-associated molecular features such as nuclear RNA aggregates and splicing defects can be used as robust readouts for the screening of therapeutic compounds. Therefore, immortalized DM1 and DM2 muscle cell lines represent new models and tools to investigate molecular pathophysiological mechanisms and evaluate the in vitro effects of compounds on RNA toxicity associated with myotonic dystrophy mutations.

Immortalized human myotonic dystrophy muscle cell lines to assess therapeutic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Arandel, Ludovic; Polay Espinoza, Micaela; Matloka, Magdalena; Bazinet, Audrey; De Dea Diniz, Damily; Naouar, Naïra; Rau, Frédérique; Jollet, Arnaud; Edom-Vovard, Frédérique; Mamchaoui, Kamel; Tarnopolsky, Mark; Puymirat, Jack; Battail, Christophe; Boland, Anne; Deleuze, Jean-Francois; Mouly, Vincent; Klein, Arnaud F; Furling, Denis

2017-04-01

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2) are autosomal dominant neuromuscular diseases caused by microsatellite expansions and belong to the family of RNA-dominant disorders. Availability of cellular models in which the DM mutation is expressed within its natural context is essential to facilitate efforts to identify new therapeutic compounds. Here, we generated immortalized DM1 and DM2 human muscle cell lines that display nuclear RNA aggregates of expanded repeats, a hallmark of myotonic dystrophy. Selected clones of DM1 and DM2 immortalized myoblasts behave as parental primary myoblasts with a reduced fusion capacity of immortalized DM1 myoblasts when compared with control and DM2 cells. Alternative splicing defects were observed in differentiated DM1 muscle cell lines, but not in DM2 lines. Splicing alterations did not result from differentiation delay because similar changes were found in immortalized DM1 transdifferentiated fibroblasts in which myogenic differentiation has been forced by overexpression of MYOD1. As a proof-of-concept, we show that antisense approaches alleviate disease-associated defects, and an RNA-seq analysis confirmed that the vast majority of mis-spliced events in immortalized DM1 muscle cells were affected by antisense treatment, with half of them significantly rescued in treated DM1 cells. Immortalized DM1 muscle cell lines displaying characteristic disease-associated molecular features such as nuclear RNA aggregates and splicing defects can be used as robust readouts for the screening of therapeutic compounds. Therefore, immortalized DM1 and DM2 muscle cell lines represent new models and tools to investigate molecular pathophysiological mechanisms and evaluate the in vitro effects of compounds on RNA toxicity associated with myotonic dystrophy mutations. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Low temperature formation of CuIn{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} solar cell absorbers by all printed multiple species nanoparticulate Se + Cu-In + Cu-Ga precursors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Möckel, Stefan A., E-mail: Stefan.A.Moeckel@FAU.de [Department of Materials Science, Chair of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstr, 7, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Wernicke, Tobias; Arzig, Matthias; Köder, Philipp [Department of Materials Science, Chair of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstr, 7, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Brandl, Marco [Chair for Crystallography and Structural Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Ahmad, Rameez; Distaso, Monica; Peukert, Wolfgang [Institute of Particle Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Cauerstr. 4, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Hock, Rainer [Chair for Crystallography and Structural Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Wellmann, Peter J. [Department of Materials Science, Chair of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstr, 7, 91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2015-05-01

In this work an all nanoparticulate precursor for application in Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})Se{sub 2} solar cell absorbers is presented. Binary Cu-In nanoparticles, Cu-Ga powder and elemental Se nanoparticles were mixed in dispersion and deposited on Mo-coated substrates. Research was focused on Cu(In{sub 1−x}Ga{sub x})Se{sub 2} layer formation kinetics, phase composition characterised by differential scanning calorimetry and in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore phase composition and morphology were studied by ex-situ XRD, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed a fast consumption of the precursor and the formation of CuInSe{sub 2} below 340 °C. Binary secondary phases were not observed at any temperature. - Highlights: • All printable precursor for CIGSe • Formation of Ga droplets • Complete consumption below 340 °C.

The influence of initial defects on mechanical stress and deformation distribution in oxidized silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kulinich O. A.

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The near-surface silicon layers in silicon – dioxide silicon systems with modern methods of research are investigated. It is shown that these layers have compound structure and their parameters depend on oxidation and initial silicon parameters. It is shown the influence of initial defects on mechanical stress and deformation distribution in oxidized silicon.

InP layers with low density of defects: effect of holmium and erbium admixture

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Procházková, Olga; Novotný, Jan; Zavadil, Jiří; Kohout, Jindřich; Žďánský, Karel

Roč. 48, 9 Special Issue (1997), s. 66-69 ISSN 0013-578X. [Development of Materials Science in Research and Education - DMS-RE 1997 /7./. Kočovce, 09.06.1997-11.06.1997] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/96/1238 Keywords : semiconductors * epitaxial growth * rare earth compounds * crystal defects Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry

Defect identification in semiconductors with positron annihilation: experiment and theory

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomisto, Filip

2015-03-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is a very powerful technique for the detection, identification and quantification of vacancy-type defects in semiconductors. In the past decades, it has been used to reveal the relationship between opto-electronic properties and specific defects in a wide variety of materials - examples include parasitic yellow luminescence in GaN, dominant acceptor defects in ZnO and broad-band absorption causing brown coloration in natural diamond. In typical binary compound semiconductors, the selective sensitivity of the technique is rather strongly limited to cation vacancies that possess significant open volume and suitable charge (negative of neutral). On the other hand, oxygen vacancies in oxide semiconductors are a widely debated topic. The properties attributed to oxygen vacancies include the inherent n-type conduction, poor p-type dopability, coloration (absorption), deep level luminescence and non-radiative recombination, while the only direct experimental evidence of their existence has been obtained on the crystal surface. We will present recent advances in combining state-of-the-art positron annihilation experiments and ab initio computational approaches. The latter can be used to model both the positron lifetime and the electron-positron momentum distribution - quantities that can be directly compared with experimental results. We have applied these methods to study vacancy-type defects in III-nitride semiconductors (GaN, AlN, InN) and oxides such as ZnO, SnO2, In2O3andGa2O3. We will show that cation-vacancy-related defects are important compensating centers in all these materials when they are n-type. In addition, we will show that anion (N, O) vacancies can be detected when they appear as complexes with cation vacancies.

Thermodynamic, electronic, and magnetic properties of intrinsic vacancy defects in antiperovskite Ca3SnO

Science.gov (United States)

Batool, Javaria; Alay-e-Abbas, Syed Muhammad; Amin, Nasir

2018-04-01

The density functional theory based total energy calculations are performed to examine the effect of charge neutral and fully charged intrinsic vacancy defects on the thermodynamic, electronic, and magnetic properties of Ca3SnO antiperovskite. The chemical stability of Ca3SnO is evaluated with respect to binary compounds CaO, CaSn, and Ca2Sn, and the limits of atomic chemical potentials of Ca, Sn, and O atoms for stable synthesis of Ca3SnO are determined within the generalized gradient approximation parametrization scheme. The electronic properties of the pristine and the non-stoichiometric forms of this compound have been explored and the influence of isolated intrinsic vacancy defects (Ca, Sn, and O) on the structural, bonding, and electronic properties of non-stoichiometric Ca3SnO are analyzed. We also predict the possibility of achieving stable ferromagnetism in non-stoichiometric Ca3SnO by means of charge neutral tin vacancies. From the calculated total energies and the valid ranges of atomic chemical potentials, the formation energetics of intrinsic vacancy defects in Ca3SnO are evaluated for various growth conditions. Our results indicate that the fully charged calcium vacancies are thermodynamically stable under the permissible Sn-rich condition of stable synthesis of Ca3SnO, while tin and oxygen vacancies are found to be stable under the extreme Ca-rich condition.

Defects in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Romano, Lucia; Jagadish, Chennupati

2015-01-01

This volume, number 91 in the Semiconductor and Semimetals series, focuses on defects in semiconductors. Defects in semiconductors help to explain several phenomena, from diffusion to getter, and to draw theories on materials' behavior in response to electrical or mechanical fields. The volume includes chapters focusing specifically on electron and proton irradiation of silicon, point defects in zinc oxide and gallium nitride, ion implantation defects and shallow junctions in silicon and germanium, and much more. It will help support students and scientists in their experimental and theoret

Effect of point defects on the electronic density states of SnC nanosheets: First-principles calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soleyman Majidi

Full Text Available In this work, we investigated the electronic and structural properties of various defects including single Sn and C vacancies, double vacancy of the Sn and C atoms, anti-sites, position exchange and the Stone–Wales (SW defects in SnC nanosheets by using density-functional theory (DFT. We found that various vacancy defects in the SnC monolayer can change the electronic and structural properties. Our results show that the SnC is an indirect band gap compound, with the band gap of 2.10 eV. The system turns into metal for both structure of the single Sn and C vacancies. However, for the double vacancy contained Sn and C atoms, the structure remains semiconductor with the direct band gap of 0.37 eV at the G point. We also found that for anti-site defects, the structure remains semiconductor and for the exchange defect, the structure becomes indirect semiconductor with the K-G point and the band gap of 0.74 eV. Finally, the structure of SW defect remains semiconductor with the direct band gap at K point with band gap of 0.54 eV. Keywords: SnC nanosheets, Density-functional theory, First-principles calculations, Electronic density of states, Band gap

Fibrous metaphyseal defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschl, P.; Hajek, P.C.; Pechmann, U.

1989-01-01

Sixteen patients with fibrous metaphyseal defects were examined with both plain radiography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Depending on the age of the fibrous metaphyseal defects, characteristic radiomorphologic changes were found which correlated well with MR images. Following intravenous Gadolinium-DTPA injection, fibrous metaphyseal defects invariably exhibited a hyperintense border and signal enhancement. (orig./GDG)

Band gap engineering of tandem structured CIGS compound absorption layer fabricated by sputtering and selenization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, San; Sharma, Rahul; Sim, Jae-Kwan [Semiconductor Materials Processing Laboratory, School of Advanced Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Materials Development (RCAMD), Chonbuk National University, Deokjin-dong 664-14, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Cheul-Ro, E-mail: crlee7@jbnu.ac.kr [Semiconductor Materials Processing Laboratory, School of Advanced Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Research Center for Advanced Materials Development (RCAMD), Chonbuk National University, Deokjin-dong 664-14, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-06-25

Highlights: ► Systematic band gap engineering to fabricate tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorption layers. ► XRD shows prominent (1 1 2) reflection shift for attributed CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases. ► Optical transmittance and reflectance spectrum are improved towards infrared region. ► The Cu/In + Ga and Ga/In + Ga effect is matched with highest efficient solar cell. ► Tandem CIS/CIGS/CGS layer, the band gap is increased from 1.15 to 2.06 eV. -- Abstract: Band gap engineering was executed to fabricate a multi-junction stacked i.e. tandem Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) absorption layer. The CIGS absorption layers consist of multi-junction stacked CIS/CIGS/CGS thin films from bottom to top with increasing band gap. Tandem CIGS layers were fabricated by using three precursor of CuIn, In/CuGa/In, and CuGa onto the Mo coated soda-lime glass (SLG) by the sequential sputtering of CuIn, CuGa, and In targets. The CIG precursors were converted into CIGS absorption thin film by selenization process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer, with the prominent peak shift for (1 1 2) reflections was attributed to the individual CIS, CIGS, and CGS phases at 26.76°, 27.15°, and 27.65° diffraction angles, respectively. The morphologies and atomic (at%) composition uniformity onto the surface and along the depth were extensively analyzed with field effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) attached energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance and absorbance were found to improve in the infrared region for all the tandem CIGS layers. Near the fundamental absorption edge, the absorption coefficient was approached to 10{sup 5} cm{sup −1} for CIS/CIGS/CGS tandem layer. The straight-line behavior indicates that the films have a direct band gap. The band gap was found to increase from 1.15 to 1.74 eV with the Ga-grading along the depth of individual CIS, CIGS

Vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome in co-occurrence: two case reports and a review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørsum-Meyer, Thomas; Herlin, Morten; Qvist, Niels; Petersen, Michael B

2016-12-21

The vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome are rare conditions. We aimed to present two cases with the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser co-occurrence from our local surgical center and through a systematic literature search detect published cases. Furthermore, we aimed to collect existing knowledge in the embryopathogenesis and genetics in order to discuss a possible link between the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Our first case was a white girl delivered by caesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation; our second case was a white girl born at a gestational age of 40 weeks. A co-occurrence of vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal defect, and limb defect association and Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome was diagnosed in both cases. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed ((VACTERL) OR (VATER)) AND ((MRKH) OR (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser) OR (mullerian agenesis) OR (mullerian aplasia) OR (MURCS)) without limitations. A similar search was performed in Embase and the Cochrane library. We added two cases from our local center. All cases (n = 9) presented with anal atresia and renal defect. Vertebral defects were present in eight patients. Rectovestibular fistula was confirmed in seven patients. Along with the uterovaginal agenesis, fallopian tube aplasia appeared in five of nine cases and in two cases ovarian involvement also existed. The co-occurrence of the vertebral defect, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia, renal

ILT based defect simulation of inspection images accurately predicts mask defect printability on wafer

Science.gov (United States)

Deep, Prakash; Paninjath, Sankaranarayanan; Pereira, Mark; Buck, Peter

2016-05-01

At advanced technology nodes mask complexity has been increased because of large-scale use of resolution enhancement technologies (RET) which includes Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), Inverse Lithography Technology (ILT) and Source Mask Optimization (SMO). The number of defects detected during inspection of such mask increased drastically and differentiation of critical and non-critical defects are more challenging, complex and time consuming. Because of significant defectivity of EUVL masks and non-availability of actinic inspection, it is important and also challenging to predict the criticality of defects for printability on wafer. This is one of the significant barriers for the adoption of EUVL for semiconductor manufacturing. Techniques to decide criticality of defects from images captured using non actinic inspection images is desired till actinic inspection is not available. High resolution inspection of photomask images detects many defects which are used for process and mask qualification. Repairing all defects is not practical and probably not required, however it's imperative to know which defects are severe enough to impact wafer before repair. Additionally, wafer printability check is always desired after repairing a defect. AIMSTM review is the industry standard for this, however doing AIMSTM review for all defects is expensive and very time consuming. Fast, accurate and an economical mechanism is desired which can predict defect printability on wafer accurately and quickly from images captured using high resolution inspection machine. Predicting defect printability from such images is challenging due to the fact that the high resolution images do not correlate with actual mask contours. The challenge is increased due to use of different optical condition during inspection other than actual scanner condition, and defects found in such images do not have correlation with actual impact on wafer. Our automated defect simulation tool predicts

Defect detection based on extreme edge of defective region histogram

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zouhir Wakaf

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Automatic thresholding has been used by many applications in image processing and pattern recognition systems. Specific attention was given during inspection for quality control purposes in various industries like steel processing and textile manufacturing. Automatic thresholding problem has been addressed well by the commonly used Otsu method, which provides suitable results for thresholding images based on a histogram of bimodal distribution. However, the Otsu method fails when the histogram is unimodal or close to unimodal. Defects have different shapes and sizes, ranging from very small to large. The gray-level distributions of the image histogram can vary between unimodal and multimodal. Furthermore, Otsu-revised methods, like the valley-emphasis method and the background histogram mode extents, which overcome the drawbacks of the Otsu method, require preprocessing steps and fail to use the general threshold for multimodal defects. This study proposes a new automatic thresholding algorithm based on the acquisition of the defective region histogram and the selection of its extreme edge as the threshold value to segment all defective objects in the foreground from the image background. To evaluate the proposed defect-detection method, common standard images for experimentation were used. Experimental results of the proposed method show that the proposed method outperforms the current methods in terms of defect detection.

Synthetic Defects for Vibrothermography

Science.gov (United States)

Renshaw, Jeremy; Holland, Stephen D.; Thompson, R. Bruce; Eisenmann, David J.

2010-02-01

Synthetic defects are an important tool used for characterizing the performance of nondestructive evaluation techniques. Viscous material-filled synthetic defects were developed for use in vibrothermography (also known as sonic IR) as a tool to improve inspection accuracy and reliability. This paper describes how the heat-generation response of these VMF synthetic defects is similar to the response of real defects. It also shows how VMF defects can be applied to improve inspection accuracy for complex industrial parts and presents a study of their application in an aircraft engine stator vane.

High capacity orthorhombic LiMnO{sub 2} phases: role of piling up defects; Phases LiMnO{sub 2} orthorhombiques a haute capacite: role des defauts d`empilement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deniard, P.; Croguennec, L.; Brec, R. [IMN Laboratoire de Chimie des Solides, 44 - Nantes (France); Lecerf, A. [Institut National des Sciences Appliquees (INSA), 35 - Rennes (France)

1996-12-31

The electrochemical performances of orthorhombic LiMnO{sub 2} compounds are analyzed in order to find a structural and/or morphological origin to the differences of electrochemical behaviours observed in compounds with different size of crystallites and different amounts of lattice defects. Energy capacity performances of 200 Ah/kg are reached for materials with crystallites of about 10{sup 7} Angstrom{sup 3} and with about 7% of defects, while energy capacities of only 80 Ah/kg are obtained for materials with ten times bigger crystallites. (J.S.) 3 refs.

High capacity orthorhombic LiMnO{sub 2} phases: role of piling up defects; Phases LiMnO{sub 2} orthorhombiques a haute capacite: role des defauts d`empilement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deniard, P; Croguennec, L; Brec, R [IMN Laboratoire de Chimie des Solides, 44 - Nantes (France); Lecerf, A [Institut National des Sciences Appliquees (INSA), 35 - Rennes (France)

1997-12-31

The electrochemical performances of orthorhombic LiMnO{sub 2} compounds are analyzed in order to find a structural and/or morphological origin to the differences of electrochemical behaviours observed in compounds with different size of crystallites and different amounts of lattice defects. Energy capacity performances of 200 Ah/kg are reached for materials with crystallites of about 10{sup 7} Angstrom{sup 3} and with about 7% of defects, while energy capacities of only 80 Ah/kg are obtained for materials with ten times bigger crystallites. (J.S.) 3 refs.

Application of Quantum Dot nanocrystal in Luminescent solar concentrators

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhoda, Shokoufeh; Khalaji Assadi, Morteza; Ahmadi Kandjani, Sohrab; Kayiem, Hussain H. Al; Hussain Bhat, Aamir

2018-03-01

The basic design of luminescent solar concentrator is a transparent plate doped with an appropriate luminescent material (organic dyes, quantum dots), which is able to absorb sunlight (direct and diffuse), and then guides photons produced by photoluminescence to its narrow edges where they are converted by photovoltaic cells. Unfortunately, LSCs have suffered from numerous efficiency losses. Therefore, new luminescent species and novel approaches are needed for its practical application. This paper deals with investigation of nonhazardous, environmental friendly luminescent species include CuInS2/ZnS core/shell QDs. The CuInS2/ZnS QDs possess advantages of Stocks shift as large as more than 130 nm and high photoluminescence quantum yield of 80%. The paper presents the effect of large stock shift CuInS2/ZnS QDs on reducing the reabsorption losses in LSC by using experimental investigation. The LSC sheets were fabricated by dispersing CuInS2/ZnS QDs particles in a polymethylmethacrylate waveguide. A series of LSCs (dimension 4.0 cm × 3.0 cm × 0.3cm) with different CuInS2/ZnS QDs particles concentration (0.015 and 0.03 wt.%) were fabricated and their optical properties (absorptions/emissions) were characterized. The results show that the CuInS2/ZnS QDs-LSC provides a promising way for the reduction of reabsorption losses in LSCs.

Radiation defects in lithium salts of normal oxyacids of the sixth B subgroup elements. [Gamma radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurilenko, L.N.; Saunin, E.I.; Gromov, V.V.

1984-05-01

EPR and thermoluminescence methods are used to investigate radiation defects in the series of compounds Li/sub 2/ElO/sub 4/(El=W, Mo, Cr) belonging to the structural type of phenacite. The example of polycrystalline Li/sub 2/WO/sub 4/ of hexagonal modification is used to show that three-axis anisotropic signal (g/sub 1/=1.997, g/sub 2/=2.007, g/sub 3/=2.023) observed after effect of ..gamma..-quanta and completely disappearing at 570 K is conditioned by preliminary localization of the hole on oxygen of octahedral mononuclear groupings of admixture cubic phases, i.e. defects of WO/sub 6//sup 5 -/ type. Li/sub 2/WO/sub 4/ of cubic modification is the main impurity. Thermal stability of WO/sub 6//sup 5 -/ defects is much higher than stability of proper tetrahedral hole centres. Mo admixture does not make a noticeable contribution to the stabilization of high-temperature hole centres in Li/sub 2/WO/sub 4/ simultaneously changing localization conditions for electrons and holes in the range of low temperatures. It is shown that Li/sub 2/MoO/sub 4/ and Li/sub 2/CrO/sub 4/ radiolysis occurs analogously to Li/sub 2/WO/sub 4/ radiolysis, but stabilization conditions of defects observed are different. It is found that thermal stability of hole paramagnetic centres of the ElO/sub 6//sup 5 -/ type correlates with ..delta..H/sub 298//sup 0/ values formation heat of compounds studied, and energy characteristics of electron paramagnetic centres of the ElO/sub 4//sup 3 -/ type change according to the values of ionization potential of El/sup 5 +/ ions.

Facts about Birth Defects

Science.gov (United States)

... label> Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Birth Defects Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on ... having a baby born without a birth defect. Birth Defects Are Common Every 4 ½ minutes, a ...

Spray Chemical Vapor Deposition of CulnS2 Thin Films for Application in Solar Cell Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Hollingsworth, Jennifer A.; Buhro, William E.; Hepp, Aloysius F.; Jenkins. Philip P.; Stan, Mark A.

1998-01-01

Chalcopyrite CuInS2 is a direct band gap semiconductor (1.5 eV) that has potential applications in photovoltaic thin film and photoelectrochemical devices. We have successfully employed spray chemical vapor deposition using the previously known, single-source, metalorganic precursor, (Ph3P)2CuIn(SEt)4, to deposit CuInS2 thin films. Stoichiometric, polycrystalline films were deposited onto fused silica over a range of temperatures (300-400 C). Morphology was observed to vary with temperature: spheroidal features were obtained at lower temperatures and angular features at 400 C. At even higher temperatures (500 C), a Cu-deficient phase, CuIn5S8, was obtained as a single phase. The CuInS2 films were determined to have a direct band gap of ca. 1.4 eV.

Defect production in ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zinkle, S.J. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Kinoshita, C. [Kyushu Univ. (Japan)

1997-08-01

A review is given of several important defect production and accumulation parameters for irradiated ceramics. Materials covered in this review include alumina, magnesia, spinel silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride and diamond. Whereas threshold displacement energies for many ceramics are known within a reasonable level of uncertainty (with notable exceptions being AIN and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}), relatively little information exists on the equally important parameters of surviving defect fraction (defect production efficiency) and point defect migration energies for most ceramics. Very little fundamental displacement damage information is available for nitride ceramics. The role of subthreshold irradiation on defect migration and microstructural evolution is also briefly discussed.

Defects in dilute nitrides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.M.; Buyanova, I.A.; Tu, C.W.; Yonezu, H.

2005-01-01

We provide a brief review our recent results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in non-radiative defects in dilute nitrides, i.e. Ga(In)NAs and Ga(Al,In)NP. Defect complexes involving intrinsic defects such as As Ga antisites and Ga i self interstitials were positively identified.Effects of growth conditions, chemical compositions and post-growth treatments on formation of the defects are closely examined. These grown-in defects are shown to play an important role in non-radiative carrier recombination and thus in degrading optical quality of the alloys, harmful to performance of potential optoelectronic and photonic devices based on these dilute nitrides. (author)

Genital and Urinary Tract Defects

Science.gov (United States)

... conditions > Genital and urinary tract defects Genital and urinary tract defects E-mail to a friend Please fill ... and extra fluids. What problems can genital and urinary tract defects cause? Genital and urinary tract defects affect ...

Point defects and defect clusters examined on the basis of some fundamental experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuppiroli, L.

1975-01-01

On progressing from the centre of the defect to the surface the theoretical approach to a point defect passes from electronic theories to elastic theory. Experiments by which the point defect can be observed fall into two categories. Those which detect long-range effects: measurement of dimensional variations in the sample; measurement of the mean crystal parameter variation; elastic X-ray scattering near the nodes of the reciprocal lattice (Huang scattering). Those which detect more local effects: low-temperature resistivity measurement; positron capture and annihilation; local scattering far from the reciprocal lattice nodes. Experiments involving both short and long-range effects can always be found. This is the case for example with the dechanneling of α particles by defects. Certain of the experimental methods quoted above apply also to the study of point defect clusters. These methods are illustrated by some of their most striking results which over the last twenty years have refined our knowledge of point defects and defect clusters: length and crystal parameter measurements; diffuse X-ray scattering; low-temperature resistivity measurements; ion emission microscopy; electron microscopy; elastoresistivity [fr

Birth Defects (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Birth Defects KidsHealth / For Parents / Birth Defects What's in ... Prevented? Print en español Anomalías congénitas What Are Birth Defects? While still in the womb, some babies ...

Precise design-based defect characterization and root cause analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Qian; Venkatachalam, Panneerselvam; Lee, Julie; Chen, Zhijin; Zafar, Khurram

2017-03-01

As semiconductor manufacturing continues its march towards more advanced technology nodes, it becomes increasingly important to identify and characterize design weak points, which is typically done using a combination of inline inspection data and the physical layout (or design). However, the employed methodologies have been somewhat imprecise, relying greatly on statistical techniques to signal excursions. For example, defect location error that is inherent to inspection tools prevents them from reporting the true locations of defects. Therefore, common operations such as background-based binning that are designed to identify frequently failing patterns cannot reliably identify specific weak patterns. They can only identify an approximate set of possible weak patterns, but within these sets there are many perfectly good patterns. Additionally, characterizing the failure rate of a known weak pattern based on inline inspection data also has a lot of fuzziness due to coordinate uncertainty. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) Review attempts to come to the rescue by capturing high resolution images of the regions surrounding the reported defect locations, but SEM images are reviewed by human operators and the weak patterns revealed in those images must be manually identified and classified. Compounding the problem is the fact that a single Review SEM image may contain multiple defective patterns and several of those patterns might not appear defective to the human eye. In this paper we describe a significantly improved methodology that brings advanced computer image processing and design-overlay techniques to better address the challenges posed by today's leading technology nodes. Specifically, new software techniques allow the computer to analyze Review SEM images in detail, to overlay those images with reference design to detect every defect that might be present in all regions of interest within the overlaid reference design (including several classes of defects

Enhanced gamma ray sensitivity in bismuth triiodide sensors through volumetric defect control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johns, Paul M.; Baciak, James E.; Nino, Juan C.

2016-01-01

Some of the more attractive semiconducting compounds for ambient temperature radiation detector applications are impacted by low charge collection efficiency due to the presence of point and volumetric defects. This has been particularly true in the case of BiI_3, which features very attractive properties (density, atomic number, band gap, etc.) to serve as a gamma ray detector, but has yet to demonstrate its full potential. We show that by applying growth techniques tailored to reduce defects, the spectral performance of this promising semiconductor can be realized. Gamma ray spectra from >100 keV source emissions are now obtained from high quality Sb:BiI_3 bulk crystals with limited concentrations of defects (point and extended). The spectra acquired in these high quality crystals feature photopeaks with resolution of 2.2% at 662 keV. Infrared microscopy is used to compare the local microstructure between radiation sensitive and non-responsive crystals. This work demonstrates that BiI_3 can be prepared in melt-grown detector-grade samples with superior quality and can acquire the spectra from a variety of gamma ray sources.

Defect of the Eyelids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Guanning Nina; Pelton, Ron W; Humphrey, Clinton D; Kriet, John David

2017-08-01

Eyelid defects disrupt the complex natural form and function of the eyelids and present a surgical challenge. Detailed knowledge of eyelid anatomy is essential in evaluating a defect and composing a reconstructive plan. Numerous reconstructive techniques have been described, including primary closure, grafting, and a variety of local flaps. This article describes an updated reconstructive ladder for eyelid defects that can be used in various permutations to solve most eyelid defects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CRYSTAL-QUASICHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DEFECT SUBSYSTEM OF DOPED PbTe: Sb CRYSTALS AND Pb-Sb-Te SOLID SOLUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.M. Freik

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Within crystalquasichemical formalism models of point defects of crystals in the Pb-Sb-Te system were specified. Based on proposed crystalquasichemical formulae of antimony doped crystals PbTe:Sb amphoteric dopant effect was explained. Mechanisms of solid solution formation for РbТе-Sb2Те3: replacement of antimony ions lead sites  with the formation of cation vacancies  (I or neutral interstitial tellurium atoms  (II were examined. Dominant point defects in doped crystals PbTe:Sb and РbТе-Sb2Те3 solid solutions based on p-PbTe were defined. Dependences of concentration of dominant point defects, current carriers and Hall concentration on content of dopant compound and the initial deviation from stoichiometry in the basic matrix were calculated.

Ionization effects on Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0031 (Japan); Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime [Institute of National Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568 (Japan); Okuda, Shuichi [Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuenmachi, Sakai 599-8570 (Japan)

2017-06-15

Cu (In, Ga) Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells were irradiated with 60, 100, and 250 keV electrons to reveal the characteristics of radiation induced defects. Electrons with less than 200 keV energy cannot generate any displacement defects in CIGS materials. In addition, a low amount of the electrons can improve the roll-over behavior in current-voltage characteristics of CIGS solar cells. However, the deterioration of the electrical performance in CIGS solar cells irradiated with a high amount of electrons was observed. The deterioration rate on the cells irradiated with lower-energy electrons was higher than that induced by electrons with higher-energy. The degradation curve of J{sub SC} based on the ionizing dose estimated from the ionizing energy loss model does not depend on the energy of electrons. Therefore, it implies that the electrons can degrade CIGS solar cells due to the ionization effect. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

[Effect of simvastatin on inducing endothelial progenitor cells homing and promoting bone defect repair].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Quansheng; Wang, Lingying; Zhu, Jinglin; Han, Xiaoguang; Li, Xu; Yang, Yanlin; Sun, Yan; Song, Chunli

2010-09-01

To investigate the effect of simvastatin on inducing endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) homing and promoting bone defect repair, and to explore the mechanism of local implanting simvastatin in promoting bone formation. Simvastatin (50 mg) compounded with polylactic acid (PLA, 200 mg) or only PLA (200 mg) was dissolved in acetone (1 mL) to prepare implanted materials (Simvastatin-PLA material, PLA material). EPCs were harvested from bone marrow of 2 male rabbits and cultured with M199; after identified by immunohistochemistry, the cell suspension of EPCs at the 3rd generation (2 x 10(6) cells/mL) was prepared and transplanted into 12 female rabbits through auricular veins (2 mL). After 3 days, the models of cranial defect with 15 cm diameter were made in the 12 female rabbits. And the defects were repaired with Simvastatin-PLA materials (experimental group, n=6) and PLA materials (control group, n=6), respectively. The bone repair was observed after 8 weeks of operation by gross appearance, X-ray film, and histology; gelatin-ink perfusion and HE staining were used to show the new vessels formation in the defect. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to show the EPCs homing at the defect site. All experimental animals of 2 groups survived to the end of the experiment. After 8 weeks in experimental group, new bone formation was observed in the bone defect by gross and histology, and an irregular, hyperdense shadow by X-ray film; no similar changes were observed in control group. FISH showed that the male EPC containing Y chromosome was found in the wall of new vessels in the defect of experimental group, while no male EPC containing Y chromosome was found in control group. The percentage of new bone formation in defect area was 91.63% +/- 4.07% in experimental group and 59.45% +/- 5.43% in control group, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). Simvastatin can promote bone defect repair, and its mechanism is probably associated with inducing EPCs

Formation of topological defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vachaspati, T.

1991-01-01

We consider the formation of point and line topological defects (monopoles and strings) from a general point of view by allowing the probability of formation of a defect to vary. To investigate the statistical properties of the defects at formation we give qualitative arguments that are independent of any particular model in which such defects occur. These arguments are substantiated by numerical results in the case of strings and for monopoles in two dimensions. We find that the network of strings at formation undergoes a transition at a certain critical density below which there are no infinite strings and the closed-string (loop) distribution is exponentially suppressed at large lengths. The results are contrasted with the results of statistical arguments applied to a box of strings in dynamical equilibrium. We argue that if point defects were to form with smaller probability, the distance between monopoles and antimonopoles would decrease while the monopole-to-monopole distance would increase. We find that monopoles are always paired with antimonopoles but the pairing becomes clean only when the number density of defects is small. A similar reasoning would also apply to other defects

Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in sugar maple

Science.gov (United States)

Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

1991-01-01

To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for sugar maple. Eleven types of external...

Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in yellow-poplar

Science.gov (United States)

Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

1991-01-01

To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for yellow-poplar. Twelve types of external...

Photographic guide of selected external defect indicators and associated internal defects in yellow birch

Science.gov (United States)

Everette D. Rast; John A. Beaton; David L. Sonderman

1991-01-01

To properly classify or grade logs or trees, one must be able to correctly identify defect indicators and assess the effect of the underlying defect on possible end products. This guide assists the individual in identifying the surface defect indicator and shows the progressive stages of the defect throughout its development for yellow birch. Eleven types of external...

Distribution of defects in wind turbine blades and reliability assessment of blades containing defects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stensgaard Toft, Henrik; Branner, Kim; Berring, Peter

2009-01-01

on the assumption that one error in the production process tends to trigger several defects. For both models additional information about number, type and size of the defects is included as stochastic variables. The probability of failure for a wind turbine blade will not only depend on variations in the material......In the present paper two stochastic models for the distribution of defects in wind turbine blades are proposed. The first model assumes that the individual defects are completely randomly distributed in the blade. The second model assumes that the defects occur in clusters of different size based...... properties and the load but also on potential defects in the blades. As a numerical example the probability of failure is calculated for the main spar both with and without defects in terms of delaminations. The delaminations increase the probability of failure compared to a perfect blade, but by applying...

Entanglement entropy in integrable field theories with line defects II. Non-topological defect

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yunfeng

2017-08-01

This is the second part of two papers where we study the effect of integrable line defects on bipartite entanglement entropy in integrable field theories. In this paper, we consider non-topological line defects in Ising field theory. We derive an infinite series expression for the entanglement entropy and show that both the UV and IR limits of the bulk entanglement entropy are modified by the line defect. In the UV limit, we give an infinite series expression for the coefficient in front of the logarithmic divergence and the exact defect g-function. By tuning the defect to be purely transmissive and reflective, we recover correctly the entanglement entropy of the bulk and with integrable boundary respectively.

Natural defects and defects created by ionic implantation in zinc tellurium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, J.P.; Dupuy, M.; Pfister, J.C.

1977-01-01

Various defects have been studied in ZnTe crystals by transmission electron microscope and by scanning electron microscope in cathodo-luminescence mode: grain boundaries, sub-grain boundaries, twins. Ionic implants of boron (100 keV - 2x10 14 and 10 15 ions cm -2 ) were made on these crystals followed by isochrone annealing (30 minutes) of zinc under partial pressure at 550, 650 and 750 0 C. The nature of the defects was determined by transmission electron microscope: these are interstitial loops (b=1/3 ) the size of which varies between 20 A (non-annealed sample) and 180A (annealed at 750 0 C). The transmission electron microscope was also used to make concentration profiles of defects depending on depth. It is found that for the same implant (2x10 14 ions.cm -2 ), the defect peak moves towards the exterior of the crystal as the annealing temperature rises (400 - 1000 and 7000 A for the three annealings). These results are explained from a model which allows for the coalescence of defects and considers the surface of the sample as being the principal source of vacancies. During the annealings, the migration of vacancies brings about the gradual annihilation of the implant defects. The adjustment of certain calculation parameters on the computer result in giving 2 eV as energy value for the formation of vacancies [fr

Obtaining Target for Solar Cells with Unconventional Supports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Buga

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The main technological aim is to develop experimental models of magnetron targets of CuInS2 and CuInSe2, controlled Ga doped in concentrations ranging between 7% and 17%. Advantage of using CuInS2 in manufacturing of solar cells is the presence of nontoxic sulfur. The optimum concentration of Ga determine surely the best crystalline phase of CuInS2 and results are an improvement of the absorbtion band and therefore an increase of quantum efficiency of the quaternary mixture – CIGS in double thin layer.

Influence of oxygen incorporation on the defect structure of GaN microrods and nanowires. An XPS and CL study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzmán, G; Herrera, M; Silva, R; Vásquez, G C; Maestre, D

2016-01-01

We report a cathodoluminescence (CL) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study of the influence of oxygen incorporation on the defect structure of GaN microrods and nanowires. The micro- and nanostructures were synthesized by a thermal evaporation method, which enables us to incorporate oxygen at different concentrations by varying the growth temperature. HR-TEM measurements revealed that oxygen generates stacking fault defects and edge dislocations along the GaN nanowires. Amorphous GaO x N y compounds were segregated on the surface of the nanowires. XPS, XRD and CL measurements suggests that the microrods and nanowires were composed of amorphous oxynitride compounds at their surface and GaN at their inner region. CL measurements revealed that the nanostructures generated an emission of 2.68 eV that increased in intensity proportionally to their oxygen content. We have attributed this emission to electronic transitions between donor substitutional-oxygen (O N ) and acceptor interstitial-oxygen (O i ) state levels. (paper)

Modeling the relationships among internal defect features and external Appalachian hardwood log defect indicators

Science.gov (United States)

R. Edward. Thomas

2009-01-01

As a hardwood tree grows and develops, surface defects such as branch stubs and wounds are overgrown. Evidence of these defects remain on the log surface for decades and in many instances for the life of the tree. As the tree grows the defect is encapsulated or grown over by new wood. During this process the appearance of the defect in the tree's bark changes. The...

Study of magnetic defects in Nb{sub 2}VSbO{sub 10}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Typek, J., E-mail: typjan@zut.edu.pl [Institute of Physics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Al. Piastow 48, 70-311 Szczecin (Poland); Cyran, A.; Zolnierkiewicz, G.; Bobrowska, M. [Institute of Physics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Al. Piastow 48, 70-311 Szczecin (Poland); Filipek, E.; Piz, M. [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Al. Piastow 42, 71-065 Szczecin (Poland)

2017-02-15

Magnetic properties of Nb{sub 2}VSbO{sub 10}, the compound formed in V–Sb–Nb oxide system, were investigated by dc magnetisation measurements using an MPMS-7 SQUID magnetometer and EPR conventional X–band Bruker E 500 spectrometer. Although the nominal valences of the constituting metal ions indicated a diamagnetic material, Nb{sub 2}VSbO{sub 10} displayed rich and interesting magnetic behaviour due to the existence of numerous defects related to oxygen vacancies. Isothermal magnetisation has revealed the presence of three spin subsystems – two different paramagnetic systems and antiferromagnetic spin clusters. EPR spectra showed the presence of three components, involving isolated and interacting V{sup 4+} ions as well as antiferromagnetic spin clusters. All these magnetic defects are the result of valence changes of metal ions due to charge compensation in the neighborhood of oxygen vacancies, most probably located on grains boundaries.

Automatic classification of blank substrate defects

Science.gov (United States)

Boettiger, Tom; Buck, Peter; Paninjath, Sankaranarayanan; Pereira, Mark; Ronald, Rob; Rost, Dan; Samir, Bhamidipati

2014-10-01

Mask preparation stages are crucial in mask manufacturing, since this mask is to later act as a template for considerable number of dies on wafer. Defects on the initial blank substrate, and subsequent cleaned and coated substrates, can have a profound impact on the usability of the finished mask. This emphasizes the need for early and accurate identification of blank substrate defects and the risk they pose to the patterned reticle. While Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) is a well-developed technology for inspection and analysis of defects on patterned wafers and masks in the semiconductors industry, ADC for mask blanks is still in the early stages of adoption and development. Calibre ADC is a powerful analysis tool for fast, accurate, consistent and automatic classification of defects on mask blanks. Accurate, automated classification of mask blanks leads to better usability of blanks by enabling defect avoidance technologies during mask writing. Detailed information on blank defects can help to select appropriate job-decks to be written on the mask by defect avoidance tools [1][4][5]. Smart algorithms separate critical defects from the potentially large number of non-critical defects or false defects detected at various stages during mask blank preparation. Mechanisms used by Calibre ADC to identify and characterize defects include defect location and size, signal polarity (dark, bright) in both transmitted and reflected review images, distinguishing defect signals from background noise in defect images. The Calibre ADC engine then uses a decision tree to translate this information into a defect classification code. Using this automated process improves classification accuracy, repeatability and speed, while avoiding the subjectivity of human judgment compared to the alternative of manual defect classification by trained personnel [2]. This paper focuses on the results from the evaluation of Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) product at MP Mask

Holographic Chern-Simons defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Mitsutoshi; Melby-Thompson, Charles M.; Meyer, René; Sugimoto, Shigeki

2016-01-01

We study SU(N) Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory in the presence of defects that shift the Chern-Simons level from a holographic point of view by embedding the system in string theory. The model is a D3-D7 system in Type IIB string theory, whose gravity dual is given by the AdS soliton background with probe D7 branes attaching to the AdS boundary along the defects. We holographically renormalize the free energy of the defect system with sources, from which we obtain the correlation functions for certain operators naturally associated to these defects. We find interesting phase transitions when the separation of the defects as well as the temperature are varied. We also discuss some implications for the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect and for 2-dimensional QCD.

Stacking Defects in Synthetic and Meteoritic Hibonites: Implications for High-Temperature Processes in the Solar Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

Han, J.; Keller, L. P.; Brearley, A. J.; Danielson, L. R.

2016-01-01

Hibonite (CaAl12O19) is a primary, highly refractory phase occurring in many Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) from different chondrite groups, except CI chondrites. Hibonite is predicted to be one of the earliest minerals to condense during cooling of the solar nebula at higher temperatures than any other major CAI mineral. Therefore, hibonite has great potential to reveal the processes and conditions of the very early, high-temperature stages of the solar nebular evolution. Previous microstructural studies of hibonite in CAIs and their Wark-Lovering (WL) rims showed the presence of numerous stacking defects in hibonite. These defects are interpreted as the modification of the stacking sequences of spinel and Ca-containing blocks within the ideal hexagonal hibonite structure, as shown by experimental studies of reaction-sintered ceramic CaO-Al2O3 compounds. We performed preliminary experiments in the CaO-Al2O3-MgO system to understand the formation processes and conditions of defect-structured hibonite found in meteorites.

Defect detection using transient thermography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Zaki Umar; Ibrahim Ahmad; Ab Razak Hamzah; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah

2008-08-01

An experimental research had been carried out to study the potential of transient thermography in detecting sub-surface defect of non-metal material. In this research, eight pieces of bakelite material were used as samples. Each samples had a sub-surface defect in the circular shape with different diameters and depths. Experiment was conducted using one-sided Pulsed Thermal technique. Heating of samples were done using 30 kWatt adjustable quartz lamp while infra red (IR) images of samples were recorded using THV 550 IR camera. These IR images were then analysed with ThermofitTMPro software to obtain the Maximum Absolute Differential Temperature Signal value, ΔΤ m ax and the time of its appearance, τ m ax (ΔΤ). Result showed that all defects were able to be detected even for the smallest and deepest defect (diameter = 5 mm and depth = 4 mm). However the highest value of Differential Temperature Signal (ΔΤ m ax), were obtained at defect with the largest diameter, 20 mm and at the shallowest depth, 1 mm. As a conclusion, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique to detect sub-surface defects of bakelite material is proportionately related with the size of defect diameter if the defects are at the same depth. On the contrary, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique inversely related with the depth of defect if the defects have similar diameter size. (Author)

A Yeast/Drosophila Screen to Identify New Compounds Overcoming Frataxin Deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Seguin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Friedreich’s ataxia (FA is a rare neurodegenerative disease which is very debilitating for the patients who progressively lose their autonomy. The lack of efficient therapeutic treatment of the disease strongly argues for urgent need to search for new active compounds that may stop the progression of the disease or prevent the appearance of the symptoms when the genetic defect is diagnosed early enough. In the present study, we used a yeast strain with a deletion of the frataxin homologue gene as a model of FA cells in a primary screen of two chemical libraries, a fraction of the French National Chemical Library (5500 compounds and the Prestwick collection (880 compounds. We ran a secondary screen on Drosophila melanogaster flies expressing reduced levels of frataxin during larval development. Half of the compounds selected in yeast appeared to be active in flies in this developmental paradigm, and one of the two compounds with highest activities in this assay partially rescued the heart dilatation phenotype resulting from heart specific depletion of frataxin. The unique complementarity of these two frataxin-deficient models, unicellular and multicellular, appears to be very efficient to select new compounds with improved selectivity, bringing significant perspectives towards improvements in FA therapy.

Mechanism of Osmotic Activation of the Quaternary Ammonium Compound Transporter (QacT) of Lactobacillus plantarum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Glaasker, Erwin; Heuberger, Esther H.M.L.; Konings, Wil N.; Poolman, Bert

1998-01-01

The accumulation of quaternary ammonium compounds in Lactobacillus plantarum is mediated via a single transport system with a high affinity for glycine betaine (apparent Km of 18 μM) and carnitine and a low affinity for proline (apparent Km of 950 μM) and other analogues. Mutants defective in the

EUV actinic defect inspection and defect printability at the sub-32 nm half pitch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huh, Sungmin; Kearney, Patrick; Wurm, Stefan; Goodwin, Frank; Han, Hakseung; Goldberg, Kenneth; Mochi, Iacopp; Gullikson, Eric M.

2009-08-01

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks with embedded phase defects were inspected with a reticle actinic inspection tool (AIT) and the Lasertec M7360. The Lasertec M7360, operated at SEMA TECH's Mask Blank Development Center (MBDC) in Albany, NY, has a sensitivity to multilayer defects down to 40-45 nm, which is not likely sufficient for mask blank development below the 32 nm half-pitch node. Phase defect printability was simulated to calculate the required defect sensitivity for a next generation blank inspection tool to support reticle development for the sub-32 nm half-pitch technology node. Defect mitigation technology is proposed to take advantage of mask blanks with some defects. This technology will reduce the cost of ownership of EUV mask blanks. This paper will also discuss the kind of infrastructure that will be required for the development and mass production stages.

Degradation of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin-film solar cells due to the ionization effect of low-energy electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakita, Shirou, E-mail: kawakita.shirou@jaxa.jp [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Imaizumi, Mitsuru [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Ishizuka, Shogo; Shibata, Hajime; Niki, Shigeru [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Okuda, Shuichi [Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), Sakai, Osaka 599-8570 (Japan); Kusawake, Hiroaki [Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan)

2015-05-01

Cu (In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells were irradiated with 100 keV electrons to reveal the characteristics of created radiation defects. 100 keV electrons cannot produce any displacement defects in CIGS. Low-fluence electrons improve the electrical performance of the CIGS solar cells due to the change in the conductive type of donor to acceptor in a metastable defect, which is equivalent to the light-soaking effect. However, high fluence electrons cause the cell performance to decline. From analysis based on changes in carrier density and electroluminescence, defects causing the decline in performance include donor- and non-radiative types. In addition, red-on-bias experiments showed an increase in III{sub Cu} defects due to electron irradiation. Based on these results, the degradation in the electrical performance of the CIGS solar cells irradiated with high electron fluence would be attributable to a change in the conductive type of III{sub Cu} defects. - Highlights: • Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar cells were irradiated with 100 and 250 keV electrons at low temperature. • These electrons degraded the electrical performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 sola cells. • The electrons induced ⅢCu defects in Cu(In,Ga)Se2.

Accurate defect die placement and nuisance defect reduction for reticle die-to-die inspections

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Vincent; Huang, L. R.; Lin, C. J.; Tseng, Y. N.; Huang, W. H.; Tuo, Laurent C.; Wylie, Mark; Chen, Ellison; Wang, Elvik; Glasser, Joshua; Kelkar, Amrish; Wu, David

2015-10-01

Die-to-die reticle inspections are among the simplest and most sensitive reticle inspections because of the use of an identical-design neighboring-die for the reference image. However, this inspection mode can have two key disadvantages: (1) The location of the defect is indeterminate because it is unclear to the inspector whether the test or reference image is defective; and (2) nuisance and false defects from mask manufacturing noise and tool optical variation can limit the usable sensitivity. The use of a new sequencing approach for a die-to-die inspection can resolve these issues without any additional scan time, without sacrifice in sensitivity requirement, and with a manageable increase in computation load. In this paper we explore another approach for die-to-die inspections using a new method of defect processing and sequencing. Utilizing die-to-die double arbitration during defect detection has been proven through extensive testing to generate accurate placement of the defect in the correct die to ensure efficient defect disposition at the AIMS step. The use of this method maintained the required inspection sensitivity for mask quality as verified with programmed-defectmask qualification and then further validated with production masks comparing the current inspection approach to the new method. Furthermore, this approach can significantly reduce the total number of defects that need to be reviewed by essentially eliminating the nuisance and false defects that can result from a die-to-die inspection. This "double-win" will significantly reduce the effort in classifying a die-to-die inspection result and will lead to improved cycle times.

Multiscale crystal defect dynamics: A coarse-grained lattice defect model based on crystal microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Dandan; Li, Shaofan

2017-10-01

Crystal defects have microstructure, and this microstructure should be related to the microstructure of the original crystal. Hence each type of crystals may have similar defects due to the same failure mechanism originated from the same microstructure, if they are under the same loading conditions. In this work, we propose a multiscale crystal defect dynamics (MCDD) model that models defects by considering its intrinsic microstructure derived from the microstructure or material genome of the original perfect crystal. The main novelties of present work are: (1) the discrete exterior calculus and algebraic topology theory are used to construct a scale-up (coarse-grained) dual lattice model for crystal defects, which may represent all possible defect modes inside a crystal; (2) a higher order Cauchy-Born rule (up to the fourth order) is adopted to construct atomistic-informed constitutive relations for various defect process zones, and (3) an hierarchical strain gradient theory based finite element formulation is developed to support an hierarchical multiscale cohesive (process) zone model for various defects in a unified formulation. The efficiency of MCDD computational algorithm allows us to simulate dynamic defect evolution at large scale while taking into account atomistic interaction. The MCDD model has been validated by comparing of the results of MCDD simulations with that of molecular dynamics (MD) in the cases of nanoindentation and uniaxial tension. Numerical simulations have shown that MCDD model can predict dislocation nucleation induced instability and inelastic deformation, and thus it may provide an alternative solution to study crystal plasticity.

Surface defects and chiral algebras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Córdova, Clay [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Gaiotto, Davide [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline St N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Shao, Shu-Heng [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

2017-05-26

We investigate superconformal surface defects in four-dimensional N=2 superconformal theories. Each such defect gives rise to a module of the associated chiral algebra and the surface defect Schur index is the character of this module. Various natural chiral algebra operations such as Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction and spectral flow can be interpreted as constructions involving four-dimensional surface defects. We compute the index of these defects in the free hypermultiplet theory and Argyres-Douglas theories, using both infrared techniques involving BPS states, as well as renormalization group flows onto Higgs branches. In each case we find perfect agreement with the predicted characters.

Laterality defects in the national birth defects prevention study 1998-2007 birth prevalence and descriptive epidemiology

Science.gov (United States)

Little is known epidemiologically about laterality defects. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a large multi-site case-control study of birth defects, we analyzed prevalence and selected characteristics in children born with laterality defects born from 1998 to 2007...

Correlation between electronic structure and energy band in Eu-doped CuInTe2 semiconductor compound with chalcopyrite structure

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tai Wang; Yong-Quan Guo; Shuai Li

2017-01-01

The Eu-doped Cu(In,Eu)Te2 semiconductors with chalcopyrite structures are promising materials for their applications in the absorption layer for thin-film solar cells due to their wider band-gaps and better optical properties than those of CulnTe2.In this paper,the Eu-doped CulnTe2 (Culn1-xEuxTe2,x =0,0.1,0.2,0.3) are studied systemically based on the empirical electron theory (EET).The studies cover crystal structures,bonding regularities,cohesive energies,energy levels,and valence electron structures.The theoretical values fit the experimental results very well.The physical mechanism of a broadened band-gap induced by Eu doping into CuInTe2 is the transitions between different hybridization energy levels induced by electron hopping between s and d orbitals and the transformations from the lattice electrons to valence electrons for Cu and In ions.The research results reveal that the photovoltaic effect induces the increase of lattice electrons of In and causes the electric resistivity to decrease.The Eu doping into CuInTe2 mainly influences the transition between different hybridization energy levels for Cu atoms,which shows that the 3d electron numbers of Cu atoms change before and after Eu doping.In single phase CuIn1-xEuxTe2,the number of valence electrons changes regularly with increasing Eu content,and the calculated band gap Eg also increases,which implies that the optical properties of Eu-doped CuIn1-xEuxTe2 are improved.

Thermodynamic properties of nonstoichiometric H-Nb2 Osub(5-x) derived from a statistical model of its defect structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, O.F.

1986-01-01

A statistical method for the treatment of the defect structure of oxides is applied to H-Nb 2 Osub(5-x) and its thermodynamic properties are derived as a function of x and temperature. The results based on a model of Nb O 3 vacancy clusters located at the tetrahedral columns of the structure presented very good agreement with experimental data in the literature [2]. Further, the predicted arrangement of the clusters of vacancies along the columns at the limiting composition of the H-Nb 2 O 5 phase indicates, according to recent electron microscopy experiments [18, 19], that the initial step of the transformation is the collapse of the structure around rows of defective sites along the columns, involving Andersson and Wadsley's [20] cooperative migration of atoms. The limiting compositions of the H-Nb 2 O 5 and Nb 53 O 132 phases are also correctly predicted on the basis of electrostatic interactions among defect units only. Thus elastic interactions among planar defects appear to affect only the arrangement of such defects, and not the compositions of the initial and final compounds. (author)

Annealing enhancement effect by light illumination on proton irradiated Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru; Matsuda, Sumio; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Kushiya, Katsumi; Ohshima, Takeshi; Itoh, Hisayoshi

2002-01-01

In this paper, we investigated the high radiation tolerance of copper indium gallium di-selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells by conducting in situ measurements of short circuit current and open circuit voltage of CIGS thin-film solar cells during and after proton irradiation under short circuit condition. We found that the annealing rate of proton-induced defects in CIGS thin-film solar cells under light illumination with an AM0 solar simulator is higher than that under dark conditions. The activation energy of proton-induced defects in the CIGS thin-film solar cells with (without) light illumination is 0.80 eV (0.92 eV), which implies on enhanced defect annealing rate in CIGS thin-film solar cells due to minority-carrier injection. (author)

Novel CLCN7 compound heterozygous mutations in intermediate autosomal recessive osteopetrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Nana; Kohmoto, Tomohiro; Naruto, Takuya; Masuda, Kiyoshi; Komori, Takahide; Imoto, Issei

2017-01-01

Osteopetrosis is a heritable disorder of the skeleton that is characterized by increased bone density on radiographs caused by defects in osteoclast formation and function. Mutations in >10 genes are identified as causative for this clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease in humans. We report two novel missense variations in a compound heterozygous state in the CLCN7 gene, detected through targeted exome sequencing, in a 15-year-old Japanese female with intermediate autosomal recessive osteopetrosis.

Defects at oxide surfaces

CERN Document Server

Thornton, Geoff

2015-01-01

This book presents the basics and characterization of defects at oxide surfaces. It provides a state-of-the-art review of the field, containing information to the various types of surface defects, describes analytical methods to study defects, their chemical activity and the catalytic reactivity of oxides. Numerical simulations of defective structures complete the picture developed. Defects on planar surfaces form the focus of much of the book, although the investigation of powder samples also form an important part. The experimental study of planar surfaces opens the possibility of applying the large armoury of techniques that have been developed over the last half-century to study surfaces in ultra-high vacuum. This enables the acquisition of atomic level data under well-controlled conditions, providing a stringent test of theoretical methods. The latter can then be more reliably applied to systems such as nanoparticles for which accurate methods of characterization of structure and electronic properties ha...

Influence of cooking methods on bioactive compounds in beetroot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Arruda Ramos

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Beetroot is rich in bioactive compounds that may provide health benefits. However, vegetable tissues are physically and chemically damaged by cooking, causing major changes to compounds in cell membranes. The current study aimed to evaluate the influence of several cooking methods on bioactive compounds in beetroot. Four heat treatments were carried out: steam cooking, pressure cooking, baking in an oven, and boiling in water. Beets were matched in uniformity of size, color, and absence of defects. They were washed thoroughly in running water to remove dirt. Next, one of the four cooking methods was applied. After cooking, beets were peeled by hand. Analysis was carried out on both uncooked and cooked beets to evaluate antioxidant activity, content of phenolic compounds, pigments, flavonoids, and betalains. The experiment was completely randomized design (CRD and carried out in triplicate. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (F test, p < 0.05 and mean values compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. There was no change in antioxidant activity or total phenolic and anthocyanin content by any of the cooking methods compared to that in raw beetroots. However, pressure-cooking resulted in lower carotenoid levels compared to that in raw beet. Furthermore, flavonoid and betalain content decreased by all the cooking methods.

48 CFR 1615.407-1 - Rate reduction for defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data. 1615.407-1 Section 1615.407-1 Federal Acquisition... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Contract Pricing 1615.407-1 Rate reduction for defective pricing or defective cost or pricing data. The clause set forth in section 1652.215-70...

48 CFR 1652.215-70 - Rate Reduction for Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data. 1652.215-70 Section 1652.215-70 Federal Acquisition... CLAUSES AND FORMS CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of FEHBP Clauses 1652.215-70 Rate Reduction for Defective Pricing or Defective Cost or Pricing Data. As prescribed in 1615.407-1, the following clause shall be...

Neurotoxicity of fungal volatile organic compounds in Drosophila melanogaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Inamdar, Arati A; Masurekar, Prakash; Bennett, Joan Wennstrom

2010-10-01

Many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in indoor environment as products of microbial metabolism. In damp indoor environments, fungi are associated with poor air quality. Some epidemiological studies have suggested that microbial VOCs have a negative impact on human health. Our study was designed to provide a reductionist approach toward studying fungal VOC-mediated toxicity using the inexpensive model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, and pure chemical standards of several important fungal VOCs. Low concentrations of the following known fungal VOCs, 0.1% of 1-octen-3-ol and 0.5% of 2-octanone; 2,5 dimethylfuran; 3-octanol; and trans-2-octenal, caused locomotory defects and changes in green fluorescent protein (GFP)- and antigen-labeled dopaminergic neurons in adult D. melanogaster. Locomotory defects could be partially rescued with L-DOPA. Ingestion of the antioxidant, vitamin E, improved the survival span and delayed the VOC-mediated changes in dopaminergic neurons, indicating that the VOC-mediated toxicity was due, in part, to generation of reactive oxygen species.

Point defects in platinum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piercy, G.R.

1960-01-01

An investigation was made of the mobility and types of point defect introduced in platinum by deformation in liquid nitrogen, quenching into water from 1600 o C, or reactor irradiation at 50 o C. In all cases the activation energy for motion of the defect was determined from measurements of electrical resistivity. Measurements of density, hardness, and x-ray line broadening were also made there applicable. These experiments indicated that the principal defects remaining in platinum after irradiation were single vacant lattice sites and after quenching were pairs of vacant lattice sites. Those present after deformation In liquid nitrogen were single vacant lattice sites and another type of defect, perhaps interstitial atoms. (author)

Spectroscopic study of defects and inclusions in bulk poly- and nanocrystalline diamond aggregates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiryaev, A A; Iakoubovskii, K; Grambole, D; Dubrovinskaia, N

2006-01-01

Recently, a novel form of nanodiamond exhibiting unusual mechanical properties has been synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) treatment of C 60 fullerene, amorphous carbon and diamond powder. In this study, we have characterized the dominant defects in this nanodiamond by a combination of optical absorption, luminescence, Raman, electron spin resonance and elastic recoil detection techniques. Unusually high concentrations (∼0.4 at.%) of hydrogen and very low concentrations of nitrogen (∼10 -5 at.%) have been detected in diamond grown from C 60 . Although most of hydrogen is shown to originate from inclusions of foreign phases, such as water, significant concentrations (∼0.01 at.%) of hydrogen were also detected as a point defect in the nanodiamond grains. Observed structural differences between the samples made from various carbonaceous materials are attributed to different behaviour of the starting compounds during HPHT treatment. (letter to the editor)

Isotopic exchange in mixed valence compounds in the solid state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez Valverde, S.M.

1986-01-01

This work aims at the determination of isotopic exchange kinetics and mechanism in two mixed valence compounds: Cs 10 (Sbsup(V)Cl 6 ) (Sbsup(III)Cl 6 ) 3 and Tl 3 sup(I)(Tlsup(III)Cl 6 ). The synthesis of the first compound is very difficult because in most of the cases mixtures of chloroantimoniates are obtained. Exchange in Tl 4 Cl 6 labelled on Tlsup(III) is studied in detail by radiochemical analysis and physical techniques: ionic conductivity and positon annihilation. Cation vacancies are easily created in the lattice with formation enthalpy of 0.35 eV and migration enthalpy of 0.52 eV. Isochronic and isothermal exchange curves are described by a kinetic based on species diffusion. Models are given. Exchange is increased by grinding probably because extrinseque defects are introduced [fr

On the influence of extrinsic point defects on irradiation-induced point-defect distributions in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhellemont, J.; Romano-Rodriguez, A.

1994-01-01

A semi-quantitative model describing the influence of interfaces and stress fields on {113}-defect generation in silicon during 1-MeV electron irradiation, is further developed to take into account also the role of extrinsic point defects. It is shown that the observed distribution of {113}-defects in high-flux electron-irradiated silicon and its dependence on irradiation temperature and dopant concentration can be understood by taking into account not only the influence of the surfaces and interfaces as sinks for intrinsic point defects but also the thermal stability of the bulk sinks for intrinsic point defects. In heavily doped silicon the bulk sinks are related with pairing reactions of the dopant atoms with the generated intrinsic point defects or related with enhanced recombination of vacancies and self-interstitials at extrinsic point defects. The obtained theoretical results are correlated with published experimental data on boron-and phosphorus-doped silicon and are illustrated with observations obtained by irradiating cross-section transmission electron microscopy samples of wafer with highly doped surface layers. (orig.)

[Indoor air pollution by polychlorinated biphenyl compounds in permanently elastic sealants].

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhardt, U; Bork, M; Balfanz, E; Leidel, J

1990-10-01

A common cause for indoor pollution by polycholorinated biphenyls (PCB) are defective capacitors of luminous discharge lamps. This paper describes elastic sealing compounds as another source of PCB pollution in buildings. In several rooms of a large school building indoor concentrations of 1000 ng PCB/m3 and more were registered. The total PCB concentration in sealing compounds ranged between 124,000 and 327,000 ppm. Blood specimens drawn from the school's personnel did not show elevated PCB concentrations, but additional incorporation of PCB via the respiratory tract cannot be excluded. We do not presume that any impairment of the health has been caused by this pollutant, but we think that reduction of the PCB indoor concentrations would be advisable for prophylactic purposes. Attention should be given to so-called open PCB systems such as elastic sealing compounds. Although they have been prohibited 1978, there might be a widespread use in older buildings.

Congenital Heart Defects and CCHD

Science.gov (United States)

... and more. Stony Point, NY 10980 Close X Home > Complications & Loss > Birth defects & other health conditions > Congenital heart defects and ... in congenital heart defects. You have a family history of congenital heart ... syndrome or VCF. After birth Your baby may be tested for CCHD as ...

Neutron diffraction and lattice defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamaguchi, Yoshikazu

1974-01-01

Study on lattice defects by neutron diffraction technique is described. Wave length of neutron wave is longer than that of X-ray, and absorption cross-section is small. Number of defects observed by ESR is up to several defects, and the number studied with electron microscopes is more than 100. Information obtained by neutron diffraction concerns the number of defects between these two ranges. For practical analysis, several probable models are selected from the data of ESR or electron microscopes, and most probable one is determined by calculation. Then, defect concentration is obtained from scattering cross section. It is possible to measure elastic scattering exclusively by neutron diffraction. Minimum detectable concentration estimated is about 0.5% and 10 20 - 10 21 defects per unit volume. A chopper and a time of flight system are used as a measuring system. Cold neutrons are obtained from the neutron sources inserted into reactors. Examples of measurements by using similar equipments to PTNS-I system of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute are presented. Interstitial concentration in the graphite irradiated by fast neutrons is shown. Defects in irradiated MgO were also investigated by measuring scattering cross section. Study of defects in Ge was made by measuring total cross section, and model analysis was performed in comparison with various models. (Kato, T.)

Varying stiffness and load distributions in defective ball bearings: Analytical formulation and application to defect size estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Dick; Howard, Carl; Prime, Zebb

2015-02-01

This paper presents an analytical formulation of the load distribution and varying effective stiffness of a ball bearing assembly with a raceway defect of varying size, subjected to static loading in the radial, axial and rotational degrees of freedom. The analytical formulation is used to study the effect of the size of the defect on the load distribution and varying stiffness of the bearing assembly. The study considers a square-shaped outer raceway defect centered in the load zone and the bearing is loaded in the radial and axial directions while the moment loads are zero. Analysis of the load distributions shows that as the defect size increases, defect-free raceway sections are subjected to increased static loading when one or more balls completely or partly destress when positioned in the defect zone. The stiffness variations that occur when balls pass through the defect zone are significantly larger and change more rapidly at the defect entrance and exit than the stiffness variations that occur for the defect-free bearing case. These larger, more rapid stiffness variations generate parametric excitations which produce the low frequency defect entrance and exit events typically observed in the vibration response of a bearing with a square-shaped raceway defect. Analysis of the stiffness variations further shows that as the defect size increases, the mean radial stiffness decreases in the loaded radial and axial directions and increases in the unloaded radial direction. The effects of such stiffness changes on the low frequency entrance and exit events in the vibration response are simulated with a multi-body nonlinear dynamic model. Previous work used the time difference between the low frequency entrance event and the high frequency exit event to estimate the size of the defect. However, these previous defect size estimation techniques cannot distinguish between defects that differ in size by an integer number of the ball angular spacing, and a third feature

The role of diffusion measurements in the study of crystal lattice defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kidson, G V

1965-07-15

Measurements of atomic mobility in solids are frequently of direct interest to those concerned with the design, development and utilization of materials in engineering. Increasing attention, however, is currently devoted to an under standing of such properties in terms of the occurrence and nature of point and line defects in the crystals. This paper reviews some recent diffusion studies conducted at C.R,N.L. that provide, in addition to data of interest in nuclear technology, a means of gaining some insight into the more fundamental nature of the lattice defects occurring in the materials. The systems discussed are (i) self diffusion in the high temperature phase of pure zirconium (ii) solute diffusion in lead and (iii) interdiffusion of aluminum and zirconium The unusual and at present incompletely understood results described in (i) are briefly reviewed. Evidence is given to suggest that diffusion occurs either through a dense dislocation network produced as a result of a martensitic phase transformation, or, alternatively, by excess vacancies introduced into the crystal by impurities. In (ii) the extraordinarily rapid diffusion of noble metal solutes in high purity lead single crystals will be discussed n terms of the state of solution of the solute atoms. It will be shown that their diffusion behaviour can be understood by assuming that a fraction f{sub i} of the dissolved solute atoms occupy interstitial sites, The measured diffusion coefficient D{sub m} is related to the interstitial diffusion coefficient by D{sub m} = f{sub i} D{sub i}. In (iii) the formation and rapid growth of single intermetallic compound ZrAl{sub 3} in the diffusion zone formed between pure zirconium and pure aluminum is described and the diffusion mechanism is interpreted in terms of the structure of the compound lattice. The results indicate that ZrAl{sub 3} forms a defect lattice, leading to the relatively rapid migration of aluminum atoms. (author)

Lattice stability and formation energies of intrinsic defects in Mg2Si and Mg2Ge via first principles simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jund, Philippe; Viennois, Romain; Tédenac, Jean-Claude; Colinet, Catherine; Hug, Gilles; Fèvre, Mathieu

2013-01-01

We report an ab initio study of the semiconducting Mg 2 X (with X = Si, Ge) compounds and in particular we analyze the formation energies of the different point defects with the aim of understanding the intrinsic doping mechanisms. We find that the formation energy of Mg 2 Ge is 50% larger than that of Mg 2 Si, in agreement with the experimental tendency. From a study of the stability and the electronic properties of the most stable defects, taking into account the growth conditions, we show that the main cause of the n doping in these materials comes from interstitial magnesium defects. Conversely, since other defects acting like acceptors such as Mg vacancies or multivacancies are more stable in Mg 2 Ge than in Mg 2 Si, this explains why Mg 2 Ge can be of n or p type, in contrast to Mg 2 Si. The finding that the most stable defects are different in Mg 2 Si and Mg 2 Ge and depend on the growth conditions is important and must be taken into account in the search for the optimal doping to improve the thermoelectric properties of these materials.

Computer simulation of defect cluster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuramoto, Eiichi [Kyushu Univ., Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

1996-04-01

In order to elucidate individual element process of various defects and defect clusters of used materials under irradiation environments, interatomic potential with reliability was investigated. And for comparison with experimental results, it is often required to adopt the temperature effect and to investigate in details mechanism of one dimensional motion of micro conversion loop and so forth using the molecular dynamic (MD) method. Furthermore, temperature effect is also supposed for stable structure of defects and defect clusters, and many problems relating to alloy element are also remained. And, simulation on photon life at the defects and defect clusters thought to be important under comparison with equipment can also be supposed an improvement of effectiveness due to relation to theses products. In this paper, some topics in such flow was extracted to explain them. In particular, future important problems will be potential preparation of alloy, structure, dynamic behavior and limited temperature of intralattice atomic cluster. (G.K.)

Norwegian Pitched Roof Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Gullbrekken

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The building constructions investigated in this work are pitched wooden roofs with exterior vertical drainpipes and wooden load-bearing system. The aim of this research is to further investigate the building defects of pitched wooden roofs and obtain an overview of typical roof defects. The work involves an analysis of the building defect archive from the research institute SINTEF Building and Infrastructure. The findings from the SINTEF archive show that moisture is a dominant exposure factor, especially in roof constructions. In pitched wooden roofs, more than half of the defects are caused by deficiencies in design, materials, or workmanship, where these deficiencies allow moisture from precipitation or indoor moisture into the structure. Hence, it is important to increase the focus on robust and durable solutions to avoid defects both from exterior and interior moisture sources in pitched wooden roofs. Proper design of interior ventilation and vapour retarders seem to be the main ways to control entry from interior moisture sources into attic and roof spaces.

Congenital platelet function defects

Science.gov (United States)

... pool disorder; Glanzmann's thrombasthenia; Bernard-Soulier syndrome; Platelet function defects - congenital ... Congenital platelet function defects are bleeding disorders that cause reduced platelet function. Most of the time, people with these disorders have ...

Metallography of defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisova, E.A.; Bochvar, G.A.; Brun, M.Ya.

1980-01-01

Different types of defects of metallurgical, technological and exploitation origin in intermediate and final products of titanium alloys, are considered. The examples of metallic and nonmetallic inclusions, chemical homogeneity, different grains, bands, cracks, places of searing, porosity are given; methods of detecting the above defects are described. The methods of metallography, X-ray spectral analysis, measuring microhardness are used

Large-scale exfoliation of inorganic layered compounds in aqueous surfactant solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Ronan J.; King, Paul J.; Lotya, Mustafa; Wirtz, Christian; Khan, Umar; De, Sukanta; O' Neill, Arlene; Coleman, Jonathan N. [School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Duesberg, Georg S. [CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Grunlan, Jaime C.; Moriarty, Gregory [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States); Chen, Jun [Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, AIIM Facility, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Wang, Jiazhao [Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Minett, Andrew I. [Laboratory for Sustainable Technology, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Nicolosi, Valeria [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom)

2011-09-08

A method to exfoliate MoS{sub 2} in large quantities in surfactant-water solutions is described. The layered material tends to be exfoliated as dispersions of thin, relatively defect-free flakes with lateral sizes of hundreds of nanometers. This method can be extended to a range of other layered compounds. The dispersed flakes can be mixed with nanotubes or graphene to greate functional hybrid materials. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Lattice dynamics and electronic properties of superconducting Nbsub(x)Vsub(1-x)N compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geibel, C.; Rietschel, H.; Pelizzone, M.; Junod, A.; Muller, J.

1982-01-01

The Nbsub(x)Vsub(1-x)N-system presents a pronounced minimum in Tsub(c) at the composition Nbsub(0.5)Vsub(0.5)N. We investigated the structural, the electronic properties and the lattice dynamics of these compounds to study whether this minimum is induced by structural defects, a decrease of the electron-phonon-coupling or by spin fluctuations. (orig.)

A proposed defect tracking model for classifying the inserted defect reports to enhance software quality control.

Science.gov (United States)

Sultan, Torky; Khedr, Ayman E; Sayed, Mostafa

2013-01-01

NONE DECLARED Defect tracking systems play an important role in the software development organizations as they can store historical information about defects. There are many research in defect tracking models and systems to enhance their capabilities to be more specifically tracking, and were adopted with new technology. Furthermore, there are different studies in classifying bugs in a step by step method to have clear perception and applicable method in detecting such bugs. This paper shows a new proposed defect tracking model for the purpose of classifying the inserted defects reports in a step by step method for more enhancement of the software quality.

Implications of defect clusters formed in cascades on free defect generation and microstructural development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiedersich, H.

1992-12-01

A large fraction of the defects produced by irradiation with energetic neutrons or heavy ions originates in cascades. Not only increased recombination of vacancy and interstitial defects but also significant clustering of like defects occur. Both processes reduce the number of point defects available for long range migration. Consequences of defect clustering in cascades will be discussed in a semi-quantitative form with the aid of calculations using a very simplified model: Quasi-steady-state distributions of immobile vacancy and/or interstitial clusters develop which, in turn, can become significant sinks for mobile defects, and, therefore reduce their lifetime. Although cluster sinks will cause segregation and, potentially, precipitation of second phases due to local changes of composition, the finite lifetime of clusters will not lead to lasting, local compositional changes. A transition from highly dense interstitial and vacancy cluster distributions to the void swelling regime occurs when the thermal evaporation of vacancies from small vacancy clusters becomes significant at higher temperatures. Unequal clustering of vacancies and interstitials leads to an imbalance of their fluxes of in the matrix and, hence, to unequal contributions to atom transport by interstitials and by vacancies even in the quasi-steady state approximation

Characterization of point defects in monolayer arsenene

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xiongyi; Ng, Siu-Pang; Ding, Ning; Wu, Chi-Man Lawrence

2018-06-01

Topological defects that are inevitably found in 2D materials can dramatically affect their properties. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, the structural, thermodynamic, electronic and magnetic properties of six types of typical point defects in arsenene, i.e. the Stone-Wales defect, single and double vacancies and adatoms, were systemically studied. It was found that these defects were all more easily generated in arsenene with lower formation energies than those with graphene and silicene. Stone-Wales defects can be transformed from pristine arsenene by overcoming a barrier of 2.19 eV and single vacancy defects tend to coalesce into double vacancy defects by diffusion. However, a type of adatom defect does not exhibit kinetic stability at room temperature. In addition, SV defects and another type of adatom defect can remarkably affect the electronic and magnetic properties of arsenene, e.g. they can introduce localized states near the Fermi level, as well as a strongly local magnetic moment due to dangling bond and unpaired electron. Furthermore, the simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and Raman spectroscopy were computed and the types of point defects can be fully characterized by correlating the STM images and Raman spectra to the defective atomistic structures. The results provide significant insights to the effect of defects in arsenene for potential applications, as well as identifications of two helpful tools (STM and Raman spectroscopy) to distinguish the type of defects in arsenene for future experiments.

Beating Birth Defects

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Each year in the U.S., one in 33 babies is affected by a major birth defect. Women can greatly improve their chances of giving birth to a healthy baby by avoiding some of the risk factors for birth defects before and during pregnancy. In this podcast, Dr. Stuart Shapira discusses ways to improve the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

Toward Intelligent Software Defect Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Markland J.

2011-01-01

Source code level software defect detection has gone from state of the art to a software engineering best practice. Automated code analysis tools streamline many of the aspects of formal code inspections but have the drawback of being difficult to construct and either prone to false positives or severely limited in the set of defects that can be detected. Machine learning technology provides the promise of learning software defects by example, easing construction of detectors and broadening the range of defects that can be found. Pinpointing software defects with the same level of granularity as prominent source code analysis tools distinguishes this research from past efforts, which focused on analyzing software engineering metrics data with granularity limited to that of a particular function rather than a line of code.

Thyroid Medication Use and Birth Defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Howley, Meredith M; Fisher, Sarah C; Van Zutphen, Alissa R; Waller, Dorothy K; Carmichael, Suzan L; Browne, Marilyn L

2017-11-01

Thyroid disorders are common among reproductive-aged women, with hypothyroidism affecting 2 to 3% of pregnancies, and hyperthyroidism affecting an additional 0.1 to 1%. We examined associations between thyroid medications and individual birth defects using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). The NBDPS is a multisite, population-based, case-control study that included pregnancies with estimated delivery dates from 1997 to 2011. We analyzed self-reported thyroid medication use from mothers of 31,409 birth defect cases and 11,536 unaffected controls. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression for birth defects with five or more exposed cases, controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and study center. Crude ORs and exact 95% CIs were estimated for defects with 3 to 4 exposed cases. Thyroid hormone was used by 738 (2.3%) case and 237 (2.1%) control mothers, and was associated with anencephaly (OR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.03-2.73), holoprosencephaly (OR = 2.48; 95% CI, 1.13-5.44), hydrocephaly (1.77; 95% CI, 1.07-2.95) and small intestinal atresia (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.15). Anti-thyroid medication was used by 34 (0.1%) case and 10 (<0.1%) control mothers, and was associated with aortic valve stenosis (OR = 6.91; 95% CI, 1.21-27.0). While new associations were identified, our findings are relatively consistent with previous NBDPS analyses. Our findings suggest thyroid medication use is not associated with most birth defects studied in the NBDPS, but may be associated with some specific birth defects. These results should not be interpreted to suggest that medications used to treat thyroid disease are teratogens, as the observed associations may reflect effects of the underlying thyroid disease. Birth Defects Research 109:1471-1481, 2017.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Residential agricultural pesticide exposures and risks of selected birth defects among offspring in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmichael, Suzan L; Yang, Wei; Roberts, Eric; Kegley, Susan E; Brown, Timothy J; English, Paul B; Lammer, Edward J; Shaw, Gary M

2016-01-01

We examined associations of birth defects with residential proximity to commercial agricultural pesticide applications in California. Subjects included 367 cases representing five types of birth defects and 785 nonmalformed controls born 1997 to 2006. Associations with any versus no exposure to physicochemical groups of pesticides and specific chemicals were assessed using logistic regression adjusted for covariates. Overall, 46% of cases and 38% of controls were classified as exposed to pesticides within a 500 m radius of mother's address during a 3-month periconceptional window. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) for 85 groups and 95 chemicals with five or more exposed cases and control mothers. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) excluded 1.0 for 11 ORs for groups and 22 ORs for chemicals, ranging from 1.9 to 3.1 for groups and 1.8 to 4.9 for chemicals except for two that were <1 (noted below). For groups, these ORs were for anotia/microtia (n = 95 cases) and dichlorophenoxy acids/esters and neonicotinoids; anorectal atresia/stenosis (n = 77) and alcohol/ethers and organophosphates (these ORs were < 1.0); transverse limb deficiencies (n = 59) and dichlorophenoxy acids/esters, petroleum derivatives, and triazines; and craniosynostosis (n = 79) and alcohol/ethers, avermectins, neonicotinoids, and organophosphates. For chemicals, ORs were: anotia/microtia and five pesticides from the groups dichlorophenoxy acids/esters, copper-containing compounds, neonicotinoids, organophosphates, and triazines; transverse limb deficiency and six pesticides - oxyfluorfen and pesticides from the groups copper-containing compounds, 2,6-dinitroanilines, neonicotinoids, petroleum derivatives and polyalkyloxy compounds; craniosynostosis and 10 pesticides - oxyfluorfen and pesticides from the groups alcohol/ethers, avermectins, n-methyl-carbamates, neonicotinoids, ogranophosphates (two chemicals), polyalkyloxy compounds (two chemicals), and pyrethroids; and

The genetic basis underlying variation in production of the flavour compound diacetyl by Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains in milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Raquel; Ho, Van Thi Thuy; Bansal, Nidhi; Turner, Mark S

2018-01-16

Diacetyl and the closely related compound acetoin impart desirable buttery flavour and odour to many foods including cheese and are generated through the metabolism of citrate by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). To increase the levels of these compounds, adjunct cultures capable of producing them can be added to cheese fermentations. In this study, we compared the diacetyl and acetoin producing abilities of 13 Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains from cheese sources. Diacetyl and acetoin production was found to be a common feature of Lb. rhamnosus grown in milk, with 12 strains producing these compounds. Whole genome sequencing of four strains revealed that genes encoding the citrate metabolising pathway present in other LAB are conserved in Lb. rhamnosus. One strain was, however, totally defective in diacetyl and acetoin production. This was likely due to an inability to produce the diacetyl/acetoin precursor compound acetolactate resulting from a frameshift mutation in the acetolactate synthase (als) gene. Complementation of this defective strain with a complete als gene from a diacetyl producing strain restored production of diacetyl and acetoin to levels equivalent to naturally high producing strains. Introduction of the same als-containing plasmid into the probiotic Lb. rhamnosus strain GG also increased diacetyl and acetoin levels. In model cheesemaking experiments, the als-complemented strain produced very high levels of diacetyl and acetoin over 35days of ripening. These findings identify the genetic basis for natural variation in production of a key cheese flavour compound in Lb. rhamnosus strains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expanding the clinical spectrum associated with defects in CNTNAP2 and NRXN1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ullmann Reinhard

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Heterozygous copy-number and missense variants in CNTNAP2 and NRXN1 have repeatedly been associated with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders such as developmental language and autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy and schizophrenia. Recently, homozygous or compound heterozygous defects in either gene were reported as causative for severe intellectual disability. Methods 99 patients with severe intellectual disability and resemblance to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and/or suspected recessive inheritance were screened for mutations in CNTNAP2 and NRXN1. Molecular karyotyping was performed in 45 patients. In 8 further patients with variable intellectual disability and heterozygous deletions in either CNTNAP2 or NRXN1, the remaining allele was sequenced. Results By molecular karyotyping and mutational screening of CNTNAP2 and NRXN1 in a group of severely intellectually disabled patients we identified a heterozygous deletion in NRXN1 in one patient and heterozygous splice-site, frameshift and stop mutations in CNTNAP2 in four patients, respectively. Neither in these patients nor in eight further patients with heterozygous deletions within NRXN1 or CNTNAP2 we could identify a defect on the second allele. One deletion in NRXN1 and one deletion in CNTNAP2 occurred de novo, in another family the deletion was also identified in the mother who had learning difficulties, and in all other tested families one parent was shown to be healthy carrier of the respective deletion or mutation. Conclusions We report on patients with heterozygous defects in CNTNAP2 or NRXN1 associated with severe intellectual disability, which has only been reported for recessive defects before. These results expand the spectrum of phenotypic severity in patients with heterozygous defects in either gene. The large variability between severely affected patients and mildly affected or asymptomatic carrier parents might suggest the presence of a second hit, not

Numerical modeling of mechanical behavior of multilayered composite plates with defects under static loading

Science.gov (United States)

Korepanov, V. V.; Serovaev, G. S.

2017-06-01

Evaluation of the mechanical state of a structure or its components in the process of operation based on detection of internal damages (damage detection) becomes especially important in such rapidly developing spheres of production as machine building, aerospace industry, etc. One of the most important features of these industries is the application of new types of materials among which polymer based composite materials occupy a significant position. Hence, they must have sufficient operational rigidity and strength. However, defects of various kinds may arise during the manufacture. Delamination is the most common defect in structures made from composite materials and represents a phenomenon that involves the complex fracture of layers and interlayer compounds. Among the reasons of delamination occurrence are: disposition of anti-adhesive lubricants, films; insufficient content of binder, high content of volatile elements; violation of the molding regime; poor quality of anti-adhesive coating on the surface of the tooling. One of the effective methods for analyzing the influence of defects is numerical simulation. With the help of numerical methods, it is possible to track the evolution of various parameters when the defect size and quantity change. In the paper, a multilayered plate of an equally resistant carbon fiber reinforced plastic was considered, with a thickness of each layer equal to 0.2 mm. Various static loading cases are studied: uniaxial tension, three and four-point bending. For each type of loading, a numerical calculation of the stress-strain state was performed for healthy and delaminated plates, with different number and size of the defects. Contact interaction between adjacent surfaces in the zone of delamination was taken into account.

Embedded defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barriola, M.; Vachaspati, T.; Bucher, M.

1994-01-01

We give a prescription for embedding classical solutions and, in particular, topological defects in field theories which are invariant under symmetry groups that are not necessarily simple. After providing examples of embedded defects in field theories based on simple groups, we consider the electroweak model and show that it contains the Z string and a one-parameter family of strings called the W(α) string. It is argued that although the members of this family are gauge equivalent when considered in isolation, each member becomes physically distinct when multistring configurations are considered. We then turn to the issue of stability of embedded defects and demonstrate the instability of a large class of such solutions in the absence of bound states or condensates. The Z string is shown to be unstable for all values of the Higgs boson mass when θ W =π/4. W strings are also shown to be unstable for a large range of parameters. Embedded monopoles suffer from the Brandt-Neri-Coleman instability. Finally, we connect the electroweak string solutions to the sphaleron

Study of residue type defect formation mechanism and the effect of advanced defect reduction (ADR) rinse process

Science.gov (United States)

Arima, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Yuichi; Yoshihara, Kosuke; Shibata, Tsuyoshi; Kushida, Yuki; Nakagawa, Hiroki; Nishimura, Yukio; Yamaguchi, Yoshikazu

2009-03-01

Residue type defect is one of yield detractors in lithography process. It is known that occurrence of the residue type defect is dependent on resist development process and the defect is reduced by optimized rinsing condition. However, the defect formation is affected by resist materials and substrate conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the development process condition by each mask level. Those optimization steps require a large amount of time and effort. The formation mechanism is investigated from viewpoint of both material and process. The defect formation is affected by resist material types, substrate condition and development process condition (D.I.W. rinse step). Optimized resist formulation and new rinse technology significantly reduce the residue type defect.

Strained interface defects in silicon nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Benjamin G.; Stradins, Paul [National Center for Photovoltaics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Hiller, Daniel; Zacharias, Margit [IMTEK - Faculty of Engineering, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg (Germany); Luo, Jun-Wei; Beard, Matthew C. [Chemical and Materials Science, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Semonin, Octavi E. [Chemical and Materials Science, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

2012-08-07

The surface of silicon nanocrystals embedded in an oxide matrix can contain numerous interface defects. These defects strongly affect the nanocrystals' photoluminescence efficiency and optical absorption. Dangling-bond defects are nearly eliminated by H{sub 2} passivation, thus decreasing absorption below the quantum-confined bandgap and enhancing PL efficiency by an order of magnitude. However, there remain numerous other defects seen in absorption by photothermal deflection spectroscopy; these defects cause non-radiative recombination that limits the PL efficiency to <15%. Using atomistic pseudopotential simulations, we attribute these defects to two specific types of distorted bonds: Si-Si and bridging Si-O-Si bonds between two Si atoms at the nanocrystal surface. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Craniotomy Frontal Bone Defect

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2018-03-01

Mar 1, 2018 ... Defect reconstruction and fixation of the graft: The defect of ... where all loose fragments of fractured frontal bone was removed via the ... Mandible. • Ilium. • Allograft ... pediatric patients owing to skull growth. Thus, autologous ...

Who named the quantum defect?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rau, A.R.P.; Inokuti, M.

1997-01-01

The notion of the quantum defect is important in atomic and molecular spectroscopy and also in unifying spectroscopy with collision theory. In the latter context, the quantum defect may be viewed as an ancestor of the phase shift. However, the origin of the term quantum defect does not seem to be explained in standard textbooks. It occurred in a 1921 paper by Schroedinger, preceding quantum mechanics, yet giving the correct meaning as an index of the short-range interactions with the core of an atom. The authors present the early history of the quantum-defect idea, and sketch its recent developments

Deciphering the mode of action of clinically relevant next generation c2 corrector compounds GLPG2737 and GLPG3221

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, F.; Sahasrabudhe, P.; Gross-Wilde, H.; Kleizen, Bertrand; Conrath, K.; Braakman, I.

2017-01-01

The current therapeutic strategy to repair cystic fibrosis-causing defects in the chloride channel CFTR is to develop novel and better correctors (to improve folding) and potentiators (to improve function). Galapagos- AbbVie identified C2 correctors by high-throughput compound screening and Med Chem

Structural and elastic properties of defect chalcopyrite HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} under high pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomis, O., E-mail: osgohi@fis.upv.es [Centro de Tecnologías Físicas: Acústica, Materiales y Astrofísica, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València (Spain); Santamaría-Pérez, D. [Departamento de Física Aplicada-ICMUV, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat de València, Edificio de Investigación, C/Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, 46100 València (Spain); Departamento de Química Física I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, MALTA Consolider Team, Avenida Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Vilaplana, R.; Luna, R. [Centro de Tecnologías Físicas: Acústica, Materiales y Astrofísica, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València (Spain); Sans, J.A.; Manjón, F.J. [Instituto de Diseño para la Fabricación y Producción Automatizada, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València (Spain); Errandonea, D. [Departamento de Física Aplicada-ICMUV, MALTA Consolider Team, Universitat de València, Edificio de Investigación, C/Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, 46100 València (Spain); and others

2014-01-15

Highlights: • Single crystals of HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} with defect-chalcopyrite (DC) structure were synthesized. • High-pressure X-ray diffraction in DC-HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} was performed. • Equation of state of DC-HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} determined (bulk modulus of 48.4 GPa). • Calculated elastic constants of DC-HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} reported at different pressures. • DC-HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} becomes mechanically unstable above 13.8 GPa. -- Abstract: In this work, we focus on the study of the structural and elastic properties of mercury digallium sulfide (HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4}) at high pressures. This compound belongs to the family of AB{sub 2}X{sub 4} ordered-vacancy compounds and exhibits a tetragonal defect chalcopyrite structure. X-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature have been performed under compression up to 15.1 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. Our measurements have been complemented and compared with ab initio total energy calculations. The axial compressibility and the equation of state of the low-pressure phase of HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} have been experimentally and theoretically determined and compared to other related ordered-vacancy compounds. The pressure dependence of the theoretical cation–anion and vacancy-anion distances and compressibilities in HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} are reported and discussed in comparison to other related ordered-vacancy compounds. Finally, the pressure dependence of the theoretical elastic constants and elastic moduli of HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} has been studied. Our calculations indicate that the low-pressure phase of HgGa{sub 2}S{sub 4} becomes mechanically unstable above 13.8 GPa.

Paternal occupation and birth defects: findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Desrosiers, T.A.; Herring, A.H.; Shapira, S.K.; Hooiveld, M.; Luben, T.J.; Herdt-Losavio, M.L.; Lin, S.; Olshan, A.F.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Several epidemiological studies have suggested that certain paternal occupations may be associated with an increased prevalence of birth defects in offspring. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, the authors investigated the association between paternal occupation

[Inconformity between soft tissue defect and bony defect in incomplete cleft palate].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xia; Ma, Lian

2014-12-01

To evaluate the inconformity between soft tissue defect and bony defect by observing the cleft extent of palate with complete secondary palate bony cleft in incomplete cleft palate patient. The patients with incomplete cleft palate treated in Hospital of Stomatology Peking University from July 2012 to June 2013 were reviewed, of which 75 cases with complete secondary palate bony cleft were selected in this study. The CT scan and intraoral photograph were taken before operation. The patients were classified as four types according to the extent of soft tissue defect. Type 1: soft tissue defect reached incisive foremen region, Type 2 was hard and soft cleft palate, Type 3 soft cleft palate and Type 4 submucous cleft palate. Type 1 was defined as conformity group (CG). The other three types were defined as inconformity group (ICG) and divided into three subgroups (ICG-I), (ICG-II) and (ICG-III). Fifty-seven patients were in ICG group, and the rate of inconformity was 76% (57/75). The percentage of ICG-I, ICG-II and ICG-III was 47% (27/57), 23% (13/57) and 30% (17/57), respevtively. There are different types of soft tissue deformity with complete secondary palate bony cleft. The inconformity between soft tissue and hard tissue defect exits in 3/4 of isolated cleft palate patients.

Chemical characterisation of non-defective and defective green arabica and robusta coffees by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).

Science.gov (United States)

Mendonça, Juliana C F; Franca, Adriana S; Oliveira, Leandro S; Nunes, Marcella

2008-11-15

The coffee roasted in Brazil is considered to be of low quality, due to the presence of defective coffee beans that depreciate the beverage quality. These beans, although being separated from the non-defective ones prior to roasting, are still commercialized in the coffee trading market. Thus, it was the aim of this work to verify the feasibility of employing ESI-MS to identify chemical characteristics that will allow the discrimination of Arabica and Robusta species and also of defective and non-defective coffees. Aqueous extracts of green (raw) defective and non-defective coffee beans were analyzed by direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and this technique provided characteristic fingerprinting mass spectra that not only allowed for discrimination of species but also between defective and non-defective coffee beans. ESI-MS profiles in the positive mode (ESI(+)-MS) provided separation between defective and non-defective coffees within a given species, whereas ESI-MS profiles in the negative mode (ESI(-)-MS) provided separation between Arabica and Robusta coffees. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topological defects from the multiverse

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Blanco-Pillado, Jose J.; Garriga, Jaume; Vilenkin, Alexander

2015-05-01

Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble.

Topological defects from the multiverse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jun [Institute of Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 (United States); Blanco-Pillado, Jose J. [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); Garriga, Jaume [Departament de Fisica Fonamental i Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques, 1, 08028, Barcelona (Spain); Vilenkin, Alexander [Institute of Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 (United States)

2015-05-28

Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble.

Topological defects from the multiverse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jun; Vilenkin, Alexander; Blanco-Pillado, Jose J.; Garriga, Jaume

2015-01-01

Many theories of the early universe predict the existence of a multiverse where bubbles continuously nucleate giving rise to observers in their interior. In this paper, we point out that topological defects of several dimensionalities will also be produced in de Sitter like regions of the multiverse. In particular, defects could be spontaneously nucleated in our parent vacuum. We study the evolution of these defects as they collide with and propagate inside of our bubble. We estimate the present distribution of defects in the observable part of the universe. The expected number of such nearby defects turns out to be quite small, even for the highest nucleation rate. We also study collisions of strings and domain walls with our bubble in our past light cone. We obtain simulated full-sky maps of the loci of such collisions, and find their angular size distribution. Similarly to what happens in the case of bubble collisions, the prospect of detecting any collisions of our bubble with ambient defects is greatly enhanced in the case where the cosmological constant of our parent vacuum is much higher than the vacuum energy density during inflation in our bubble

Metastable gravity on classical defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringeval, Christophe; Rombouts, Jan-Willem

2005-01-01

We discuss the realization of metastable gravity on classical defects in infinite-volume extra dimensions. In dilatonic Einstein gravity, it is found that the existence of metastable gravity on the defect core requires violation of the dominant energy condition for codimension N c =2 defects. This is illustrated with a detailed analysis of a six-dimensional hyperstring minimally coupled to dilaton gravity. We present the general conditions under which a codimension N c >2 defect admits metastable modes, and find that they differ from lower codimensional models in that, under certain conditions, they do not require violation of energy conditions to support quasilocalized gravity

Simulation based mask defect repair verification and disposition

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Eric; Zhao, Shirley; Zhang, Skin; Qian, Sandy; Cheng, Guojie; Vikram, Abhishek; Li, Ling; Chen, Ye; Hsiang, Chingyun; Zhang, Gary; Su, Bo

2009-10-01

As the industry moves towards sub-65nm technology nodes, the mask inspection, with increased sensitivity and shrinking critical defect size, catches more and more nuisance and false defects. Increased defect counts pose great challenges in the post inspection defect classification and disposition: which defect is real defect, and among the real defects, which defect should be repaired and how to verify the post-repair defects. In this paper, we address the challenges in mask defect verification and disposition, in particular, in post repair defect verification by an efficient methodology, using SEM mask defect images, and optical inspection mask defects images (only for verification of phase and transmission related defects). We will demonstrate the flow using programmed mask defects in sub-65nm technology node design. In total 20 types of defects were designed including defects found in typical real circuit environments with 30 different sizes designed for each type. The SEM image was taken for each programmed defect after the test mask was made. Selected defects were repaired and SEM images from the test mask were taken again. Wafers were printed with the test mask before and after repair as defect printability references. A software tool SMDD-Simulation based Mask Defect Disposition-has been used in this study. The software is used to extract edges from the mask SEM images and convert them into polygons to save in GDSII format. Then, the converted polygons from the SEM images were filled with the correct tone to form mask patterns and were merged back into the original GDSII design file. This merge is for the purpose of contour simulation-since normally the SEM images cover only small area (~1 μm) and accurate simulation requires including larger area of optical proximity effect. With lithography process model, the resist contour of area of interest (AOI-the area surrounding a mask defect) can be simulated. If such complicated model is not available, a simple

Defects in new protective aprons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaze, S.; LeBlanc, A.D.; Bushong, S.C.

1984-01-01

Upon careful examination, several defects have been detected in new protective aprons. The nature of the defects is identified and described. Although the occurrence of such defects has not exceeded 5%, they are significant enough to warrant return of the lead apron to the supplier. It is recommended that the integrity of all new protective aprons be verified upon receipt as well as at yearly intervals

Relations between anisotropic defects, structural evolution, and van der Waals bonding in 2H-NbSe2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavarri, J.R.; Mokrani, R.; Boulesteix, C.; Vacquier, G.

1988-01-01

Correlations between anisotropic defects and van der Waals interactions have been established for the layer compound 2H-NbSe 2 which is investigated by low temperature X-ray diffraction techniques. Thermal expansion coefficients and anisotropic Debye temperatures are determined. A diffraction profile analysis reveals the existence of lattice distortions independent of the temperature. They are due to layer defects. To interpret the structural evolution data, the thermal expansion functions, α a (T) and α c (T) are simulated in the low temperature range which yield the elastic constants and the Grueneisen parameters. Using bond energy models, the Van der Waals nature of interlayer Se-Se interactions is confirmed by a model of thermal expansion of bonds and connected with the C 13 component of the elastic tensor. Such interactions can explain the presence of some layer defects that can be 4H-NbSe 2 nuclei in the 2H host lattice. In addition, no strong change in the Grueneisen parameters is clearly shown to occur at the 35 K transition of 2H-NbSe 2 . (author)

Platelet rich fibrin in jaw defects

Science.gov (United States)

Nica, Diana; Ianes, Emilia; Pricop, Marius

2016-03-01

Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is a tissue product of autologous origin abundant in growth factors, widely used in regenerative procedures. Aim of the study: Evaluation of the regenerative effect of PRF added in the bony defects (after tooth removal or after cystectomy) Material and methods: The comparative nonrandomized study included 22 patients divided into 2 groups. The first group (the test group) included 10 patients where the bony defects were treated without any harvesting material. The second group included 12 patients where the bony defects were filled with PRF. The bony defect design was not critical, with one to two walls missing. After the surgeries, a close clinically monitoring was carried out. The selected cases were investigated using both cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) and radiographic techniques after 10 weeks postoperatively. Results: Faster bone regeneration was observed in the bony defects filled with PRF comparing with the not grafted bony defects. Conclusions: PRF added in the bony defects accelerates the bone regeneration. This simplifies the surgical procedures and decreases the economic costs.

Little string origin of surface defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haouzi, Nathan; Schmid, Christian [Center for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Berkeley,LeConte Hall, Berkeley (United States)

2017-05-16

We derive a large class of codimension-two defects of 4d N=4 Super Yang-Mills (SYM) theory from the (2,0) little string. The origin of the little string is type IIB theory compactified on an ADE singularity. The defects are D-branes wrapping the 2-cycles of the singularity. We use this construction to make contact with the description of SYM defects due to Gukov and Witten https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0612073. Furthermore, we provide a geometric perspective on the nilpotent orbit classification of codimension-two defects, and the connection to ADE-type Toda CFT. The only data needed to specify the defects is a set of weights of the algebra obeying certain constraints, which we give explicitly. We highlight the differences between the defect classification in the little string theory and its (2,0) CFT limit.

First-Principles Investigations of Defects in Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Ashok K.

2011-07-01

The ideal crystal has an infinite 3-dimensional repetition of identical units which may be atoms or molecules. But real crystals are limited in size and they have disorder in stacking which as called defects. Basically three types of defects exist in solids: 1) point defects, 2) line defects, and 3) surface defects. Common point defects are vacant lattice sites, interstitial atoms and impurities and these are known to influence strongly many solid-state transport properties such as diffusion, electrical conduction, creep, etc. In thermal equilibrium point defects concentrations are determined by their formation enthalpies and their movement by their migration barriers. Line and surface defects are though absent from the ideal crystal in thermal equilibrium due to higher energy costs but they are invariably present in all real crystals. Line defects include edge-, screw- and mixed-dislocations and their presence is essential in explaining the mechanical strength and deformation of real crystals. Surface defects may arise at the boundary between two grains, or small crystals, within a larger crystal. A wide variety of grain boundaries can form in a polycrystal depending on factors such growth conditions and thermal treatment. In this talk we will present our first-principles density functional theory based defect studies of SiO2 polymorphs (stishovite, CaCl2-, α-PbO2-, and pyrite-type), Mg2SiO4 polymorphs (forsterite, wadsleyite and ringwoodite) and MgO [1-3]. Briefly, several native point defects including vacancies, interstitials, and their complexes were studied in silica polymorphs upto 200 GPa. Their values increase by a factor of 2 over the entire pressure range studied with large differences in some cases between different phases. The Schottky defects are energetically most favorable at zero pressure whereas O-Frenkel pairs become systematically more favorable at pressures higher than 20 GPa. The geometric and electronic structures of defects and migrating

Various Stone-Wales defects in phagraphene

Science.gov (United States)

Openov, L. A.; Podlivaev, A. I.

2016-08-01

Various Stone-Wales defects in phagraphene, which is a graphene allotrope, predicted recently are studied in terms of the nonorthogonal tight-binding model. The energies of the defect formation and the heights of energy barriers preventing the formation and annealing of the defects are found. Corresponding frequency factors in the Arrhenius formula are calculated. The evolution of the defect structure is studied in the real-time mode using the molecular dynamics method.

The impact of twinning on the local texture of chalcopyrite-type thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou-Ras, Daniel; Pantleon, Karen

2007-01-01

Twinning in a CuInS 2 layer in a completed thin-film solar cell was analyzed by means of electron backscatter diffraction. This technique revealed the microstructure of the CuInS 2 thin films and local orientation relationships between the grains. At various locations within the layer it was possible to retrace how twinning occurred comparing the local orientations with the theoretically possible changes in orientation by twinning. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) EBSD map of a CuInS 2 cross-section with Σ3 boundaries highlighted by red lines. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Quantum computing with defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, J R; Koehl, W F; Varley, J B; Janotti, A; Buckley, B B; Van de Walle, C G; Awschalom, D D

2010-05-11

Identifying and designing physical systems for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum information, are critical steps in the development of a quantum computer. Among the possibilities in the solid state, a defect in diamond known as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV(-1)) center stands out for its robustness--its quantum state can be initialized, manipulated, and measured with high fidelity at room temperature. Here we describe how to systematically identify other deep center defects with similar quantum-mechanical properties. We present a list of physical criteria that these centers and their hosts should meet and explain how these requirements can be used in conjunction with electronic structure theory to intelligently sort through candidate defect systems. To illustrate these points in detail, we compare electronic structure calculations of the NV(-1) center in diamond with those of several deep centers in 4H silicon carbide (SiC). We then discuss the proposed criteria for similar defects in other tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors.

Charged Semiconductor Defects Structure, Thermodynamics and Diffusion

CERN Document Server

Seebauer, Edmund G

2009-01-01

The technologically useful properties of a solid often depend upon the types and concentrations of the defects it contains. Not surprisingly, defects in semiconductors have been studied for many years, in many cases with a view towards controlling their behavior through various forms of "defect engineering." For example, in the bulk, charging significantly affects the total concentration of defects that are available to mediate phenomena such as solid-state diffusion. Surface defects play an important role in mediating surface mass transport during high temperature processing steps such as epitaxial film deposition, diffusional smoothing in reflow, and nanostructure formation in memory device fabrication. Charged Semiconductor Defects details the current state of knowledge regarding the properties of the ionized defects that can affect the behavior of advanced transistors, photo-active devices, catalysts, and sensors. Features: Group IV, III-V, and oxide semiconductors; Intrinsic and extrinsic defects; and, P...

Phase transformations during HLnTiO{sub 4} (Ln=La, Nd) thermolysis and photocatalytic activity of obtained compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silyukov, Oleg I., E-mail: olegsilyukov@yandex.ru; Abdulaeva, Liliia D.; Burovikhina, Alena A.; Rodionov, Ivan A.; Zvereva, Irina A.

2015-03-15

Layered HLnTiO{sub 4} (Ln=La, Nd) compounds belonging to Ruddlesden–Popper phases were found to form partially hydrated compounds Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}·xH{sub 2}O during thermal dehydration as well as defect oxides Ln{sub 2}□Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} as final products. Further heating of metastable defect Ln{sub 2}□Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} substances leads to the formation of pyrochlore-type oxides Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} {sub (p)}, with subsequent transformation under higher temperatures to stable layered 110-type perovskites Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}. The occurring structure transformations lead to an increase of photocatalytic activity in the order of HLnTiO{sub 4}compounds form partially hydrated Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}·xH{sub 2}O compounds during thermal dehydration, further heating results to the formation to defect oxides Ln{sub 2}□Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}, pyrochlor-type oxides Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} {sub (p)}, with subsequent transformation to layered 110-type perovskites Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}. Structure transformations lead to an increase of photocatalytic activity in the order of HLnTiO{sub 4}compounds. • XRD, STA and solid state IR studies were carried out. • A new series of metastable Ln{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}·yH{sub 2}O compounds was obtained. • We examined the photocatalytic activity of all obtained compounds. The hydrogen evolution rate increased in the course of the structure changes during thermolysis.

Syndromes and Disorders Associated with Omphalocele (III: Single Gene Disorders, Neural Tube Defects, Diaphragmatic Defects and Others

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Ping Chen

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Omphalocele can be associated with single gene disorders, neural tube defects, diaphragmatic defects, fetal valproate syndrome, and syndromes of unknown etiology. This article provides a comprehensive review of omphalocele-related disorders: otopalatodigital syndrome type II; Melnick–Needles syndrome; Rieger syndrome; neural tube defects; Meckel syndrome; Shprintzen–Goldberg omphalocele syndrome; lethal omphalocele-cleft palate syndrome; cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome; fetal valproate syndrome; Marshall–Smith syndrome; fibrochondrogenesis; hydrolethalus syndrome; Fryns syndrome; omphalocele, diaphragmatic defects, radial anomalies and various internal malformations; diaphragmatic defects, limb deficiencies and ossification defects of skull; Donnai–Barrow syndrome; CHARGE syndrome; Goltz syndrome; Carpenter syndrome; Toriello–Carey syndrome; familial omphalocele; Cornelia de Lange syndrome; C syndrome; Elejalde syndrome; Malpuech syndrome; cervical ribs, Sprengel anomaly, anal atresia and urethral obstruction; hydrocephalus with associated malformations; Kennerknecht syndrome; lymphedema, atrial septal defect and facial changes; and craniosynostosis- mental retardation syndrome of Lin and Gettig. Perinatal identification of omphalocele should alert one to the possibility of omphalocele-related disorders and familial inheritance and prompt a thorough genetic counseling for these disorders.

Application of elastic net and infrared spectroscopy in the discrimination between defective and non-defective roasted coffees.

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Ana Paula; Franca, Adriana S; Oliveira, Leandro S; Irudayaraj, Joseph; Ileleji, Klein

2014-10-01

The quality of the coffee beverage is negatively affected by the presence of defective coffee beans and its evaluation still relies on highly subjective sensory panels. To tackle the problem of subjectivity, sophisticated analytical techniques have been developed and have been shown capable of discriminating defective from non-defective coffees after roasting. However, these techniques are not adequate for routine analysis, for they are laborious (sample preparation) and time consuming, and reliable, simpler and faster techniques need to be developed for such purpose. Thus, it was the aim of this study to evaluate the performance of infrared spectroscopic methods, namely FTIR and NIR, for the discrimination of roasted defective and non-defective coffees, employing a novel statistical approach. The classification models based on Elastic Net exhibited high percentage of correct classification, and the discriminant infrared spectra variables extracted provided a good interpretation of the models. The discrimination of defective and non-defective beans was associated with main chemical descriptors of coffee, such as carbohydrates, proteins/amino acids, lipids, caffeine and chlorogenic acids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetoencephalography signals are influenced by skull defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, S; Flemming, L; Haueisen, J

2014-08-01

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals had previously been hypothesized to have negligible sensitivity to skull defects. The objective is to experimentally investigate the influence of conducting skull defects on MEG and EEG signals. A miniaturized electric dipole was implanted in vivo into rabbit brains. Simultaneous recording using 64-channel EEG and 16-channel MEG was conducted, first above the intact skull and then above a skull defect. Skull defects were filled with agar gels, which had been formulated to have tissue-like homogeneous conductivities. The dipole was moved beneath the skull defects, and measurements were taken at regularly spaced points. The EEG signal amplitude increased 2-10 times, whereas the MEG signal amplitude reduced by as much as 20%. The EEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was under the edge of the defect, whereas the MEG signal amplitude deviated more when the source was central under the defect. The change in MEG field-map topography (relative difference measure, RDM(∗)=0.15) was geometrically related to the skull defect edge. MEG and EEG signals can be substantially affected by skull defects. MEG source modeling requires realistic volume conductor head models that incorporate skull defects. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of CdS Buffer Layers on Photoluminescence Properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells

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A. Le Donne

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS absorber layers grown by sputtering were investigated by photoluminescence before and after the chemical bath deposition of CdS in order to evaluate the possible passivation of point defects by Cd atoms at the absorber/buffer layer interface. According to the literature, a broad emission around 1.21 eV was observed at low temperature under above bandgap excitation of the as-grown CZTS samples. Broad bands at 1.075 eV and 0.85 eV were detected for the first time under below bandgap excitation of the as-grown CZTS samples at low temperature, which were explained in terms of radiative transitions involving point defect-related levels determined in the literature by first-principles calculations. The emissions observed in the as-grown samples were monitored by both above and below bandgap excitations also in standard CZTS solar cells produced on the same layers. The obtained results suggest that, as in the case of Cu(In, GaSe2, Cd atoms passivate point defects at the absorber/buffer layer interface also in CZTS.

SrFe1‑xMoxO2+δ : parasitic ferromagnetism in an infinite-layer iron oxide with defect structures induced by interlayer oxygen

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jianhui; Shi, Lei; Zhao, Jiyin; Wang, Yang; Yuan, Xueyou; Li, Yang; Wu, Liang

2018-04-01

The recent discovered compound SrFeO2 is an infinite-layer-structure iron oxide with unusual square-planar coordination of Fe2+ ions. In this study, SrFe1‑xMoxO2+δ (x parasitic ferromagnetism of the compound and its relationship to the defect structures are investigated. It is found that substitution of high-valent Mo6+ for Fe2+ results in excess oxygen anions O2‑ inserted at the interlayer sites for charge compensation, which further causes large atomic displacements along the c-axis. Due to the robust but flexible Fe-O-Fe framework, the samples are well crystallized within the ab-plane, but are significantly poorer crystallized along the c-axis. Defect structures including local lattice distortions and edge dislocations responsible for the lowered crystallinity are observed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Both the magnetic measurements and electron spin resonance spectra provide the evidence of a parasitic ferromagnetism (FM). The week FM interaction originated from the imperfect antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering could be ascribed to the introduction of uncompensated magnetic moments due to substitution of Mo6+ (S = 0) for Fe2+ (S = 2) and the canted/frustrated spins resulted from defect structures.

Electrical fingerprint of pipeline defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mica, Isabella; Polignano, Maria Luisa; Marco, Cinzia De

2004-01-01

Pipeline defects are dislocations that connect the source region of the transistor with the drain region. They were widely reported to occur in CMOS, BiCMOS devices and recently in SOI technologies. They can reduce device yield either by affecting the devices functionality or by increasing the current consumption under stand-by conditions. In this work the electrical fingerprint of these dislocations is studied, its purpose is to enable us to identify these defects as the ones responsible for device failure. It is shown that the pipeline defects are responsible for a leakage current from source to drain in the transistors. This leakage has a resistive characteristic and it is lightly modulated by the body bias. It is not sensitive to temperature; vice versa the off-current of a good transistor exhibits the well-known exponential dependence on 1/T. The emission spectrum of these defects was studied and compared with the spectrum of a good transistor. The paper aims to show that the spectrum of a defective transistor is quite peculiar; it shows well defined peaks, whereas the spectrum of a good transistor under saturation conditions is characterized by a broad spectral light emission distribution. Finally the deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) is tried on defective diodes

Defect spectroscopy of single ZnO microwires

Science.gov (United States)

Villafuerte, M.; Ferreyra, J. M.; Zapata, C.; Barzola-Quiquia, J.; Iikawa, F.; Esquinazi, P.; Heluani, S. P.; de Lima, M. M.; Cantarero, A.

2014-04-01

The point defects of single ZnO microwires grown by carbothermal reduction were studied by microphotoluminescence, photoresistance excitation spectra, and resistance as a function of the temperature. We found the deep level defect density profile along the microwire showing that the concentration of defects decreases from the base to the tip of the microwires and this effect correlates with a band gap narrowing. The results show a characteristic deep defect levels inside the gap at 0.88 eV from the top of the VB. The resistance as a function of the temperature shows defect levels next to the bottom of the CB at 110 meV and a mean defect concentration of 4 × 1018 cm-3. This combination of techniques allows us to study the band gap values and defects states inside the gap in single ZnO microwires and opens the possibility to be used as a defect spectroscopy method.

Effect of irradiation on the critical currents of alloy and compound superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekula, S.T.

1977-06-01

The effects of energetic-particle irradiation on the critical-current density J/sub c/(H) of several superconducting compounds and Nb-Ti alloys have been examined by a number of workers. The irradiations used in the investigations include electrons, fast neutrons, ions, and fission fragments. The results of these studies are reviewed and summarized. In the alloys, changes in J/sub c/(H) on irradiation depend on the metallurgical history of the material and indicate that radiation defects modify the strength of the interaction between the fluxoid array and the sample microstructure. Radiation defects in alloys can also affect J/sub c/(H) through small decreases in T/sub c/, the transition temperature and rho, the normal-state resistivity. Irradiations of A15 compounds up to moderate fluences (dependent on the type and energy of irradiating particle) lead to decreases in T/sub c/ of approximately 1 0 K and increases in J/sub c/(H) with dose for most of the samples investigated. This result can be qualitatively understood as resulting from radiation-induced changes in rho and the pinning force acting on the fluxoids. At higher dose levels, significant depressions of T/sub c/ and possibly gamma, the electronic specific heat coefficient, lead to drastic reductions in J/sub c/(H). The effect of various energetic particles and irradiation temperature on changes in J/sub c/(H) are discussed

Impurity Role In Mechanically Induced Defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, R.H.; Asoka-Kumar, P.; Hartley, J.; Sterne, P.

2000-01-01

An improved understanding of dislocation dynamics and interactions is an outstanding problem in the multi scale modeling of materials properties, and is the current focus of major theoretical efforts world wide. We have developed experimental and theoretical tools that will enable us to measure and calculate quantities defined by the defect structure. Unique to the measurements is a new spectroscopy that determines the detailed elemental composition at the defect site. The measurements are based on positron annihilation spectroscopy performed with a 3 MeV positron beam [1]. Positron annihilation spectroscopy is highly sensitive to dislocations and associated defects and can provide unique elements of the defect size and structure. Performing this spectroscopy with a highly penetrating positron beam enables flexibility in sample handling. Experiments on fatigued and stressed samples have been done and in situ measurement capabilities have been developed. We have recently performed significant upgrades to the accelerator operation and novel new experiments have been performed [2-4] To relate the spectrographic results and the detailed structure of a defect requires detailed calculations. Measurements are coupled with calculated results based on a description of positions of atoms at the defect. This gives an atomistic view of dislocations and associated defects including impurity interactions. Our ability to probe impurity interactions is a unique contribution to defect understanding not easily addressed by other atomistic spectroscopies

Magnetic properties of FeZr{sub 2} and Fe{sub 2}Zr intermetallic compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prajapat, C. L., E-mail: prajapat@barc.gov.in; Singh, M. R.; Mishra, P. K. [Technical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Chattaraj, D. [Product Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Mishra, R. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India); Ravikumar, G. [Scientific Information Resources Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, INDIA-400085 (India)

2016-05-23

Magnetic properties of Fe-Zr system, viz., FeZr{sub 2} and Fe{sub 2}Zr have been studied. Both the compounds show soft ferromagnetic behavior. Curie temperature is well above the room temperature. Lower saturation magnetization for the zirconium rich sample, FeZr{sub 2}, could be due to possible donation of electrons from the Zr-rich neighbors to Fe atoms or diminution of long range magnetic order by defects.

Defect properties from X-ray scattering experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peisl, H.

1976-01-01

Lattice distortions due to defects in crystals can be studied most directly by elastic X-ray or neutron scattering experiments. The 'size' of the defects can be determined from the shift of the Bragg reflections. Defect induced diffuse scattering intensity close to and between Bragg reflections gives information on the strength and symmetry of the distortion fields and yields the atomic structure of point defects (interstitials, vacancies, small aggregates). Diffuse scattering is a very sensitive method to decide whether defects are present as isolated point defects or have formed aggregates. X-ray scattering has been used to study defects produced in various ionic crystals by γ- and neutron irradiation. After an introduction to the principles of the method the experimental results will be reviewed and discussed in some detail. (orig.) [de

Modeling of Powder Bed Manufacturing Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Mindt, H.-W.; Desmaison, O.; Megahed, M.; Peralta, A.; Neumann, J.

2018-01-01

Powder bed additive manufacturing offers unmatched capabilities. The deposition resolution achieved is extremely high enabling the production of innovative functional products and materials. Achieving the desired final quality is, however, hampered by many potential defects that have to be managed in due course of the manufacturing process. Defects observed in products manufactured via powder bed fusion have been studied experimentally. In this effort we have relied on experiments reported in the literature and—when experimental data were not sufficient—we have performed additional experiments providing an extended foundation for defect analysis. There is large interest in reducing the effort and cost of additive manufacturing process qualification and certification using integrated computational material engineering. A prerequisite is, however, that numerical methods can indeed capture defects. A multiscale multiphysics platform is developed and applied to predict and explain the origin of several defects that have been observed experimentally during laser-based powder bed fusion processes. The models utilized are briefly introduced. The ability of the models to capture the observed defects is verified. The root cause of the defects is explained by analyzing the numerical results thus confirming the ability of numerical methods to provide a foundation for rapid process qualification.

Determination of defect content and defect profile in semiconductor heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubiaga, A; Garcia, J A; Plazaola, F; Zuniga-Perez, J; Munoz-Sanjose, V

2011-01-01

In this article we present an overview of the technique to obtain the defects depth profile and width of a deposited layer and multilayer based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. In particular we apply the method to ZnO and ZnO/ZnCdO layers deposited on sapphire substrates. After introducing some terminology we first calculate the trend that the W/S parameters of the Doppler broadening measurements must follow, both in a qualitative and quantitative way. From this point we extend the results to calculate the width and defect profiles in deposited layer samples.

Determination of defect content and defect profile in semiconductor heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zubiaga, A [Laboratory of Physics, HUT, PO Box 1100, 02015 TKK, Espoo (Finland); Garcia, J A; Plazaola, F [Zientzia eta Teknologia Fakultatea, Euskal Herriko Unbertsitatea, P. K. 644, 48080, Bilbao (Spain); Zuniga-Perez, J; Munoz-Sanjose, V, E-mail: fernando.plazaola@ehu.es [Universitat de Valencia, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada i Electromagnetisme, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

2011-01-10

In this article we present an overview of the technique to obtain the defects depth profile and width of a deposited layer and multilayer based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. In particular we apply the method to ZnO and ZnO/ZnCdO layers deposited on sapphire substrates. After introducing some terminology we first calculate the trend that the W/S parameters of the Doppler broadening measurements must follow, both in a qualitative and quantitative way. From this point we extend the results to calculate the width and defect profiles in deposited layer samples.

Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Shi-Min

2017-01-01

Yuan SM. Congenital heart defects in Williams syndrome. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 225-232. Williams syndrome (WS), also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder involving multiple systems including the circulatory system. However, the etiologies of the associated congenital heart defects in WS patients have not been sufficiently elucidated and represent therapeutic challenges. The typical congenital heart defects in WS were supravalvar aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis (both valvular and peripheral), aortic coarctation and mitral valvar prolapse. The atypical cardiovascular anomalies include tetralogy of Fallot, atrial septal defects, aortic and mitral valvular insufficiencies, bicuspid aortic valves, ventricular septal defects, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, double chambered right ventricle, Ebstein anomaly and arterial anomalies. Deletion of the elastin gene on chromosome 7q11.23 leads to deficiency or abnormal deposition of elastin during cardiovascular development, thereby leading to widespread cardiovascular abnormalities in WS. In this article, the distribution, treatment and surgical outcomes of typical and atypical cardiac defects in WS are discussed.

Synthesis and Thermoelectric Properties of Ni-Doped ZrCoSb Half-Heusler Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Degang Zhao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Ni-doped ZrCo1−xNixSb half-Heusler compounds were prepared by arc-melting and spark plasma sintering technology. X-ray diffraction analysis results showed that all samples were crystallized in a half-Heusler phase. Thermoelectric properties of ZrCo1−xNixSb compounds were measured from room temperature to 850 K. The electrical conductivity and the absolute value of Seebeck coefficient increased with the Ni-doping content increasing due to the Ni substitution at Co. sites. The lattice thermal conductivity of ZrCo1−xNixSb samples was depressed dramatically because of the acoustic phonon scattering and point defect scattering. The figure of merit of ZrCo1−xNixSb compounds was improved due to the decreased thermal conductivity and improved power factor. The maximum ZT value of 0.24 was achieved for ZrCo0.92Ni0.08Sb sample at 850 K.

Ionic compounds lamination reaction and characteristics of photosensitive copper indium sulfide on titania nanotube arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Horng-Yi, E-mail: hychang@mail.ntou.edu.tw [Department of Marine Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan (China); Tzeng, Wei-Jei [Department of Marine Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan (China); Lin, Chia-Hsin; Cheng, Syh-Yuh [Ceramic Microengineering Laboratory, Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Chutung 31060, Taiwan (China)

2011-09-01

Graphical abstract: Highlights: > Only good photocurrent density under UV irradiation for TiO{sub 2} (or TiCl{sub 4}) modified titania nanotubes (T-TNAs) demonstrates the response to visible light actually due to the CuInS{sub 2} photosensitivity on T-TNAs. > The suitable CuInS{sub 2} (CIS) film thickness can be completed to achieve the well crystallinity, coverage and high photosensitivity of CIS by combining the precursor concentration with deposition cycles. > An n-type CIS with a lower band gap (<1.5 eV) extending the absorption of the large solar spectrum into the infra-red range demonstrates the inorganic CIS potentially instead of organic dye to use in photosensitive solar cells by simple ionic compounds lamination reaction (ICLR) process. - Abstract: This study investigates using an inorganic photosensitive CuInS{sub 2} (CIS) coating instead of an organic dye on TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TNAs). The stoichiometric characteristics by use of various deposition parameters such as precursor concentrations (0.1 M, 0.05 M, and 0.01 M) and deposition cycles (1-60 cycles) are then analyzed in relation to the crystallinity and photosensitivity. TNAs are synthesized by anodic oxidation of Ti metal, modified by the TiO{sub 2} film, and are subsequently annealed at 450 deg. C for 30 min, producing what are named T-TNAs. They show high photocatalytic efficiency and photosensitivity under UV-illumination. The photosensitive CIS coatings on the T-TNAs are processed by an ionic compounds lamination reaction (ICLR) method. The more immersion cycles and the higher the precursor concentration of copper sulfide, the more CIS peeled off as precipitates formed, which result in less indium sulfide deposition being required for reacting with the copper sulfide to reach stoichiometry. Near stoichiometric CIS can be obtained by controlling the precursor concentration and deposition cycles of the ICLR process. Good crystallinity and n-type characteristics are achieved by controlling

Defining defect specifications to optimize photomask production and requalification

Science.gov (United States)

Fiekowsky, Peter

2006-10-01

Reducing defect repairs and accelerating defect analysis is becoming more important as the total cost of defect repairs on advanced masks increases. Photomask defect specs based on printability, as measured on AIMS microscopes has been used for years, but the fundamental defect spec is still the defect size, as measured on the photomask, requiring the repair of many unprintable defects. ADAS, the Automated Defect Analysis System from AVI is now available in most advanced mask shops. It makes the use of pure printability specs, or "Optimal Defect Specs" practical. This software uses advanced algorithms to eliminate false defects caused by approximations in the inspection algorithm, classify each defect, simulate each defect and disposition each defect based on its printability and location. This paper defines "optimal defect specs", explains why they are now practical and economic, gives a method of determining them and provides accuracy data.

Metastable and bistable defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukashev, Bulat N; Abdullin, Kh A; Gorelkinskii, Yurii V

2000-01-01

Existing data on the properties and structure of metastable and bistable defects in silicon are analyzed. Primary radiation-induced defects (vacancies, self-interstitial atoms, and Frenkel pairs), complexes of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and other impurity atoms and defects with negative correlation energy are considered. (reviews of topical problems)

Influence of laser wavelength on the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy measurement of thin CuIn1−xGaxSe2 solar cell films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chan Kyu; In, Jung Hwan; Lee, Seok Hee; Jeong, Sungho

2013-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurement of thin CuIn x Ga 1−x Se 2 (CIGS) films (1.2–1.9 μm) with varying Ga to In ratios was carried out using the fundamental (1064 nm) and second harmonic (532 nm) wavelength Nd:YAG lasers (τ = 5 ns, spot diameter = 150 μm, top-hat profile) in air. The concentration ratios of Ga to In, x Ga ≡ Ga/(Ga + In), of the CIGS samples ranged from 0.027 to 0.74 for which the band gap varied nearly proportionally to x Ga from 0.96 to 1.42. It was found that the LIBS signal of 1064 nm (1.17 eV) wavelength laser was significantly influenced by x Ga , whereas that of the 532 nm (2.34 eV) laser was consistent for all values of x Ga . The observed dependency of the LIBS signal intensity on the laser wavelength was attributed to the large difference of photon energy of the two wavelengths that changed the absorption of incident laser energy by the film. The 532 nm wavelength was found to be advantageous for multi-shot analysis that enabled depth profile analysis of the thin CIGS films and for improving measurement precision by averaging the multi-shot LIBS spectra. - Highlights: • The ablation characteristics of CIGS solar cell films change drastically with laser wavelength. • The LIBS signal intensity of 1064 nm wavelength laser depends strongly on Ga concentration. • Multi-shot LIBS analysis using a 532 nm laser is more advantageous for accuracy and consistency

Selective removal of CuIn1−xGaxSe2 absorber layer with no edge melting using a nanosecond Nd : YAG laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S H; Kim, C K; In, J H; Jeong, S H; Shim, H S

2013-01-01

This paper reports that selective removal of a CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) thin film on a Mo-coated glass substrate can be achieved with no edge melting or damage of the Mo layer using a nanosecond Nd : YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm. It is shown that the two crucial parameters that determine the possibility of clean removal of only the CIGS layer are Ga concentration of the CIGS film and laser fluence. For CIGS films with Ga/(Ga+In) ratio greater than about 0.2 for which the band gap energy is close to or over the photon energy (1.17 eV), laser-induced thermal expansion proved to be the mechanism of film removal that drives an initial bulging of the film and then fracture into tens of micrometre sized fragments as observed in in situ shadowgraph images. The fracture-type removal of CIGS films was further verified by scanning electron micrographs of the craters showing that the original shapes of the CIGS polycrystals remain intact along the crater rim. A numerical simulation of film temperature under the irradiation conditions of selective removal was carried out to show that the magnitude of induced thermal stress within the film closely agreed to the yield strength of the CIGS thin film. The results confirmed that a nanosecond laser could be a better choice for P2 and P3 scribing of CIGS thin films if process conditions are properly determined. (paper)

Topological defects in extended inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copeland, E.J.; Kolb, E.W.; Chicago Univ., IL; Liddle, A.R.

1990-04-01

We consider the production of topological defects, especially cosmic strings, in extended inflation models. In extended inflation, the Universe passes through a first-order phase transition via bubble percolation, which naturally allows defects to form at the end of inflation. The correlation length, which determines the number density of the defects, is related to the mean size of bubbles when they collide. This mechanism allows a natural combination of inflation and large-scale structure via cosmic strings. 18 refs

Topological defects in extended inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copeland, E.J.; Kolb, E.W.; Liddle, A.R.

1990-01-01

We consider the production of topological defects, especially cosmic strings, in extended-inflation models. In extended inflation, the Universe passes through a first-order phase transition via bubble percolation, which naturally allows defects to form at the end of inflation. The correlation length, which determines the number density of the defects, is related to the mean size of the bubbles when they collide. This mechanism allows a natural combination of inflation and large-scale structure via cosmic strings

Defect accumulation under cascade damage conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trinkaus, H.; Singh, B.N.; Woo, C.H.

1994-01-01

in terms of this reaction kinetics taking into account cluster production, dissociation, migration and annihilation at extended sinks. Microstructural features which are characteristic of cascade damage and cannot be explained in terms of the conventional single defect reaction kinetics are emphasized......There is now ample evidence from both experimental and computer simulation studies that in displacement cascades not only intense recombination takes place but also efficient clustering of both self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) and vacancies. The size distributions of the two types of defects produced...... reactions kinetics associated with the specific features of cascade damage is described, with emphasis on asymmetries between SIA and vacancy type defects concerning their production, stability, mobility and interactions with other defects. Defect accumulation under cascade damage conditions is discussed...

Building defects in Danish construction: project characteristics influencing the occurrence of defects at handover

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Casper Siebken; Jørgensen, Kirsten; Bonke, Sten

2015-01-01

Defects in construction have gained much attention from both the public and academia. Danish construction is no exception and a number of political initiatives have been established to address the unsatisfying amounts of defects. One of the political initiatives, benchmarking, collects and provides...... those with many and/or serious defects. The article reviews the results from studying two quantitative data sets: (I) benchmarking data from 329 building projects and 621 contracts and (II) questionnaire data from an electronic survey comprising 130 contractors. This study provides in-depth knowledge...

Quantum computing with defects

Science.gov (United States)

Varley, Joel

2011-03-01

The development of a quantum computer is contingent upon the identification and design of systems for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum information. One of the most promising candidates consists of a defect in diamond known as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV-1) center, since it is an individually-addressable quantum system that can be initialized, manipulated, and measured with high fidelity at room temperature. While the success of the NV-1 stems from its nature as a localized ``deep-center'' point defect, no systematic effort has been made to identify other defects that might behave in a similar way. We provide guidelines for identifying other defect centers with similar properties. We present a list of physical criteria that these centers and their hosts should meet and explain how these requirements can be used in conjunction with electronic structure theory to intelligently sort through candidate systems. To elucidate these points, we compare electronic structure calculations of the NV-1 center in diamond with those of several deep centers in 4H silicon carbide (SiC). Using hybrid functionals, we report formation energies, configuration-coordinate diagrams, and defect-level diagrams to compare and contrast the properties of these defects. We find that the NC VSi - 1 center in SiC, a structural analog of the NV-1 center in diamond, may be a suitable center with very different optical transition energies. We also discuss how the proposed criteria can be translated into guidelines to discover NV analogs in other tetrahedrally coordinated materials. This work was performed in collaboration with J. R. Weber, W. F. Koehl, B. B. Buckley, A. Janotti, C. G. Van de Walle, and D. D. Awschalom. This work was supported by ARO, AFOSR, and NSF.

Fully Ab-Initio Determination of the Thermoelectric Properties of Half-Heusler NiTiSn: Crucial Role of Interstitial Ni Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Berche, Alexandre; Jund, Philippe

2018-05-23

For thermoelectric applications, ab initio methods generally fail to predict the transport properties of the materials because of their inability to predict properly the carrier concentrations that control the electronic properties. In this work, a methodology to fill in this gap is applied on the NiTiSn half Heusler phase. For that, we show that the main defects act as donor of electrons and are responsible of the electronic properties of the material. Indeed, the presence of Ni i interstitial defects explains the experimental valence band spectrum and its associated band gap reported in the literature. Moreover, combining the DOS of the solid solutions with the determination of the energy of formation of charged defects, we show that Ni i defects are also responsible of the measured carrier concentration in experimentally supposed "pure" NiTiSn compounds. Subsequently the thermoelectric properties of NiTiSn can be calculated using a fully ab initio description and an overall correct agreement with experiments is obtained. This methodology can be extended to predict the result of extrinsic doping and thus to select the most efficient dopant for specific thermoelectric applications.

Defect identification using positrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.

2001-01-01

The current use of the lifetime and Doppler broadening techniques in defect identification is demonstrated with two studies, the first being the identification of carbon vacancy in n-6H SiC through lifetime spectroscopy, and the second the production of de-hydrogenated voids in α-Si:H through light soaking. Some less conventional ideas are presented for more specific defect identification, namely (i) the amalgamation of lifetime and Doppler techniques with conventional deep level transient spectroscopy in what may be called ''positron-deep level transient spectroscopy'', and (ii) the extraction of more spatial information on vacancy defects by means of what may be called ''Fourier transform Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation spectroscopy'' (orig.)

Positron lifetime calculation for defects and defect clusters in graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onitsuka, T.; Ohkubo, H.; Takenaka, M.; Tsukuda, N.; Kuramoto, E.

2000-01-01

Calculations of positron lifetime have been made for vacancy type defects in graphite and compared with experimental results. Defect structures were obtained in a model graphite lattice after including relaxation of whole lattice as determined by the molecular dynamics method, where the interatomic potential given by Pablo Andribet, Dominguez-Vazguez, Mari Carmen Perez-Martin, Alonso, Jimenez-Rodriguez [Nucl. Instrum. and Meth. 115 (1996) 501] was used. For the defect structures obtained via lattice relaxation positron lifetime was calculated under the so-called atomic superposition method. Positron lifetimes 204 and 222 ps were obtained for the graphite matrix and a single vacancy, respectively, which can be compared with the experimental results 208 and 233 ps. For planar vacancy clusters, e.g., vacancy loops, lifetime calculation was also made and indicated that lifetime increases with the number of vacancies in a cluster. This is consistent with the experimental result in the region of higher annealing temperature (above 1200 deg. C), where the increase of positron lifetime is seen, probably corresponding to the clustering of mobile vacancies

Synthesis and characterization of nanometer sized thermoelectric lead-antimony-silver-tellurium compounds and related materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petri, Denis

2012-01-01

The present dissertation deals with different variants of synthesis and processing of nanocrystalline composites of various thermoelectric compounds based on lead telluride including LAST-m (AgPb m SbTe m+2 ), LASTT-m-x (AgPb m-x Sn x SbTe m+2 ), LABST-m-x (AgPb m Sb 1-x Bi x Te m+2 ), doped LAST-m and (PbTe) m (M 15 2 Te 3 ) and the characterization thereof. A new route of manufacturing nanocrystalline composites was developed. The so called co-ball milling-route includes the synthesis of bi- or multinary compounds by conventional solid state melting methods followed by combined milling of appropriate amounts in a planetary ball mill; a process related to the widely used mechanical alloying of elemental powders. The as produced powders were shortly annealed for one hour and a.erwards compacted either at room temperature followed by pressureless sintering or combined application of high pressure and elevated temperatures via spark-plasma-sintering or short-term-sintering. The ball milling yielded micron-sized agglomerates consisting of crystallites with diameters ranging from 10 to 50 nm. These crystallites exhibited complicated internal nanostructures severe crystal defects as a consequence of the high energy processing. During short-term annealing some grain coarsening occured and the crystal defects partly healed, which was confirmed by TEM and HRTEM investigations as well as profile analysis of XRD powder pattern. Local EDX-analysis showed different compositions at every point as a consequence of synthesis and decomposition of the compounds. Measurements of thermopower, electrical and thermal conductivity were carried out and the values of the figure of merit ZT and the powerfactor were calculated. In general the compounds exhibited larger thermopower than corresponding bulk materials, which might be attributed to energy filtering of charge carriers at partly oxidized grain boundaries. Due to enhanced phonon scattering at grain boundarys, nanoscopic

Electronic structure of point defects in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruneval, Fabien

2014-01-01

This 'Habilitation a diriger des Recherches' memoir presents most of my scientific activities during the past 7 years, in the field of electronic structure calculations of defects in solids. Point defects (vacancies, interstitials, impurities) in functional materials are a key parameter to determine if these materials will actually fill the role they have been assigned or not. Indeed, the presence of defects cannot be avoided when the temperature is increased or when the material is subjected to external stresses, such as irradiation in the nuclear reactors and in artificial satellites with solar radiations. However, in many cases, defects are introduced in the materials on purpose to tune the electronic transport, optical or even magnetic properties. This procedure is called the doping of semiconductors, which is the foundation technique for transistors, diodes, or photovoltaic cells. However, doping is not always straightforward and unexpected features may occur, such as doping asymmetry or Fermi level pinning, which can only be explained by complex phenomena involving different types of defects or complexes of defects. In this context, the calculations of electronic structure ab initio is an ideal tool to complement the experimental observations, to gain the understanding of phenomena at the atomic level, and even to predict the properties of defects. The power of the ab initio calculations comes from their ability to describe any system of electrons and nuclei without any specific adjustment. But although there is a strong need for numerical simulations in this field, the ab initio calculations for defects are still under development as of today. The work presented in this memoir summarizes my contributions to methodological developments on this subject. These developments have followed two main tracks. The first topic is the better understanding of the unavoidable finite size effects. Indeed, defects in semiconductors or insulators are generally present in

Point defects and atomic transport in crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidiard, A.B.

1981-02-01

There are two principle aspects to the theory of atomic transport in crystals as caused by the action of point defects, namely (1) the calculation of relevant properties of the point defects (energies and other thermodynamic characteristics of the different possible defects, activation energies and other mobility parameters) and (2) the statistical mechanics of assemblies of defects, both equilibrium and non-equilibrium assemblies. In the five lectures given here both these aspects are touched on. The first two lectures are concerned with the calculation of relevant point defect properties, particularly in ionic crystals. The first lecture is more general, the second is concerned particularly with some recent calculations of the free volumes of formation of defects in various ionic solids; these solve a rather long-standing problem in this area. The remaining three lectures are concerned with the kinetic theory of defects mainly in relaxation, drift and diffusion situations

Antigravity from a spacetime defect

OpenAIRE

Klinkhamer, F. R.; Queiruga, J. M.

2018-01-01

We argue that there may exist spacetime defects embedded in Minkowski spacetime, which have negative active gravitational mass. One such spacetime defect then repels a test particle, corresponding to what may be called "antigravity."

Sub-surface defect detection using transient thermography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Zaki Umar; Huda Abdullah; Abdul Razak Hamzah; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah; Ibrahim Ahmad; Vavilov, Vladimir

2009-04-01

An experimental research had been carried out to study the potential of transient thermography in detecting sub-surface defect of non-metal material. In this research, eight pieces of bakelite material were used as samples. Each samples had a sub-surface defect in the circular shape with different diameters and depths. Experiment was conducted using one-sided Pulsed Thermal technique. Heating of samples were done using 30 k Watt adjustable quartz lamp while infra red (IR) images of samples were recorded using THV 550 IR camera. These IR images were then analysed with thermo fit TM Pro software to obtain the Maximum Absolute Differential Temperature Signal value, ΔT max and the time of its appearance, τ max (ΔT). Result showed that all defects were able to be detected even for the smallest and deepest defect (diameter = 5 mm and depth = 4 mm). However the highest value of Differential Temperature Signal (ΔT max ), were obtained at defect with the largest diameter, 20 mm and at the shallowest depth, 1 mm. As a conclusion, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique to detect sub-surface defects of bakelite material is proportionately related with the size of defect diameter if the defect area at the same depth. On the contrary, the sensitivity of the pulsed thermography technique inversely related with the depth of defect if the defects have similar diameter size. (author)

Non-stoichiometry Defects and Radiation Hardness of Lead Tungstate Crystals PbWO4

CERN Document Server

Devitsin, E G; Kozlov, V A; Nefedov, L; Polyansky, E V; Potashov, S Yu; Terkulov, A R; Zadneprovski, B I

2001-01-01

It has been stated many times that the formation of radiation infringements in PbWO4 is to big extent stipulated by non-stoichiometry defects of the crystals, arising in the process of their growth and annealing. To refine the idea of characteristics of non-stoichiometry defects and their effect on the radiation hardness of PbWO4 the current study is aimed at the melt composition infringements during its evaporation and at optical transmission of crystals obtained in these conditions after their irradiation (137Cs source). In the optical transmission measurements along with traditional techniques a method "in situ" was used, which provided the measurements in fixed points of the spectrum (380, 470 and 535 nm) directly in the process of the irradiation. X-ray phase and fluorescence analysis of condensation products of vapours over PbWO4 melt has found PbWO4 phase in their content as well as compounds rich in lead, PbO, Pb2WO5, with overall ratio Pb/W = 3.2. Correspondingly the lack of lead and variations in th...

Positron annihilation lifetime studies of changes in free volume on some biorelevant nitrogen heterocyclic compounds and their S-glycosylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, K R; Khodair, A I; Shaban, S Y

2015-11-01

A series of N-heterocyclic compounds was investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy as well as Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation (DBAR) at room temperature. The results showed that the formation probability and life time of ortho-positronium in this series are structure and electron-donation character dependent, and can give more information about the structure. The DBAR provides direct information about the change of core and valance electrons as well as the number of defect types present in these compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron irradiation-induced defects in {beta}-SiC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oshima, Ryuichiro [Osaka Prefectural Univ., Sakai (Japan). Reseach Inst. for Advanced Science and Technology

1996-04-01

To add information of point defects in cubic crystal SiC, polycrystal {beta}-SiC on the market was used as sample and irradiated by neutron and electron. In situ observation of neutron and electron irradiation-induced defects in {beta}-SiC were carried out by ultra high-voltage electronic microscope (UHVEM) and ordinary electronic microscope. The obtained results show that the electron irradiation-induced secondary defects are micro defects less than 20 nm at about 1273K, the density of defects is from 2x10{sup 17} to 1x10{sup 18}/cc, the secondary defects may be hole type at high temperature and the preexistant defects control nuclear formation of irradiation-induced defects, effective sink. (S.Y.)

Computer programs for eddy-current defect studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pate, J. R.; Dodd, C. V. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

1990-06-01

Several computer programs to aid in the design of eddy-current tests and probes have been written. The programs, written in Fortran, deal in various ways with the response to defects exhibited by four types of probes: the pancake probe, the reflection probe, the circumferential boreside probe, and the circumferential encircling probe. Programs are included which calculate the impedance or voltage change in a coil due to a defect, which calculate and plot the defect sensitivity factor of a coil, and which invert calculated or experimental readings to obtain the size of a defect. The theory upon which the programs are based is the Burrows point defect theory, and thus the calculations of the programs will be more accurate for small defects. 6 refs., 21 figs.

Computer programs for eddy-current defect studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pate, J.R.; Dodd, C.V.

1990-06-01

Several computer programs to aid in the design of eddy-current tests and probes have been written. The programs, written in Fortran, deal in various ways with the response to defects exhibited by four types of probes: the pancake probe, the reflection probe, the circumferential boreside probe, and the circumferential encircling probe. Programs are included which calculate the impedance or voltage change in a coil due to a defect, which calculate and plot the defect sensitivity factor of a coil, and which invert calculated or experimental readings to obtain the size of a defect. The theory upon which the programs are based is the Burrows point defect theory, and thus the calculations of the programs will be more accurate for small defects. 6 refs., 21 figs

Exploring atomic defects in molybdenum disulphide monolayers

KAUST Repository

Hong, Jinhua; Hu, Zhixin; Probert, Matt; Li, Kun; Lv, Danhui; Yang, Xinan; Gu, Lin; Mao, Nannan; Feng, Qingliang; Xie, Liming; Zhang, Jin; Wu, Dianzhong; Zhang, Zhiyong; Jin, Chuanhong; Ji, Wei; Zhang, Xixiang; Yuan, Jun; Zhang, Ze

2015-01-01

Defects usually play an important role in tailoring various properties of two-dimensional materials. Defects in two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulphide may be responsible for large variation of electric and optical properties. Here we present a comprehensive joint experiment-theory investigation of point defects in monolayer molybdenum disulphide prepared by mechanical exfoliation, physical and chemical vapour deposition. Defect species are systematically identified and their concentrations determined by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and also studied by ab-initio calculation. Defect density up to 3.5 × 10 13 cm '2 is found and the dominant category of defects changes from sulphur vacancy in mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapour deposition samples to molybdenum antisite in physical vapour deposition samples. Influence of defects on electronic structure and charge-carrier mobility are predicted by calculation and observed by electric transport measurement. In light of these results, the growth of ultra-high-quality monolayer molybdenum disulphide appears a primary task for the community pursuing high-performance electronic devices.

Areva solutions for management of defective fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morlaes, I.; Vo Van, V.

2014-01-01

Defective fuel management is a major challenge for nuclear operators when all fuel must be long-term managed. This paper describes AREVA solutions for managing defective fuel. Transport AREVA performs shipments of defective fuel in Europe and proposes casks that are licensed for that purpose in Europe and in the USA. The paper presents the transport experience and the new European licensing approach of defective fuel transport. Dry Interim Storage AREVA is implementing the defective fuel storage in the USA, compliant with the Safety Authority's requirements. In Europe, AREVA is developing a new, more long-term oriented storage solution for defective fuel, the best available technology regarding safety requirements. The paper describes these storage solutions. Treatment Various types of defective fuel coming from around the world have been treated in the AREVA La Hague plant. Specific treatment procedures were developed when needed. The paper presents operational elements related to this experience. (authors)

Exploring atomic defects in molybdenum disulphide monolayers

KAUST Repository

Hong, Jinhua

2015-02-19

Defects usually play an important role in tailoring various properties of two-dimensional materials. Defects in two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulphide may be responsible for large variation of electric and optical properties. Here we present a comprehensive joint experiment-theory investigation of point defects in monolayer molybdenum disulphide prepared by mechanical exfoliation, physical and chemical vapour deposition. Defect species are systematically identified and their concentrations determined by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and also studied by ab-initio calculation. Defect density up to 3.5 × 10 13 cm \\'2 is found and the dominant category of defects changes from sulphur vacancy in mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapour deposition samples to molybdenum antisite in physical vapour deposition samples. Influence of defects on electronic structure and charge-carrier mobility are predicted by calculation and observed by electric transport measurement. In light of these results, the growth of ultra-high-quality monolayer molybdenum disulphide appears a primary task for the community pursuing high-performance electronic devices.

Defect-impurity interactions in ion-implanted metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turos, A.

1986-01-01

An overview of defect-impurity interactions in metals is presented. When point defects become mobile they migrate towards the sinks and on the way can be captured by impurity atoms forming stable associations so-called complexes. In some metallic systems complexes can also be formed athermally during ion implantation by trapping point defects already in the collision cascade. An association of a point defect with an impurity atom leads to its displacement from the lattice site. The structure and stability of complexes are strongly temperature dependent. With increasing temperature they dissociate or grow by multiple defect trapping. The appearance of freely migrating point defects at elevated temperatures, due to ion bombardment or thermal annealing, causes via coupling with defect fluxes, important impurity redistribution. Because of the sensitivity of many metal-in-metal implanted systems to radiation damage the understanding of this processes is essential for a proper interpretation of the lattice occupancy measurements and the optimization of implantation conditions. (author)

Congenital Heart Defects (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... to be associated with genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome . But the cause of most congenital heart defects isn't known. While they can't be prevented, many treatments are available for the defects and related health ...

Momentum conserving defects in affine Toda field theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bristow, Rebecca; Bowcock, Peter [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University,Durham, DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2017-05-30

Type II integrable defects with more than one degree of freedom at the defect are investigated. A condition on the form of the Lagrangian for such defects is found which ensures the existence of a conserved momentum in the presence of the defect. In addition it is shown that for any Lagrangian satisfying this condition, the defect equations of motion, when taken to hold everywhere, can be extended to give a Bäcklund transformation between the bulk theories on either side of the defect. This strongly suggests that such systems are integrable. Momentum conserving defects and Bäcklund transformations for affine Toda field theories based on the A{sub n}, B{sub n}, C{sub n} and D{sub n} series of Lie algebras are found. The defect associated with the D{sub 4} affine Toda field theory is examined in more detail. In particular classical time delays for solitons passing through the defect are calculated.

Dual approaches for defects condensation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rougemont, Romulo; Grigorio, Leonardo de Souza; Wotzasek, Clovis [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil); Guimaraes, Marcelo Santos [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

Full text. Due to the fact that the QCD running coupling constant becomes larger as we go into the low energy (or large distance) limit of the theory, a perturbative treatment of its infrared (IR) region is impossible. In particular, a formal mathematical demonstration of color confinement and a complete physical understanding of the exact mechanism that confines quarks and gluons are two missing points in our current knowledge of the IR-QCD. It was known that due to the Meissner effect of expulsion of magnetic fields in a electric condensate that usual superconductors should confine magnetic monopoles. That point led to the conjecture that the QCD vacuum could be a condensate of chromomagnetic monopoles, a dual superconductor (DSC). Such a chromomagnetic condensate should be responsible for the dual Meissner effect which is expected to lead to the confinement of color charges immersed in this medium. In dual superconductor models of color confinement, magnetic monopoles appear as topological defects in points of the space where the abelian projection becomes singular. Also, condensation of other kinds of defects such as vortices in superfluids and line-like defects in solids are responsible for a great variety of phase transitions, which once more proves the relevance of the subject. In the present work we review two methods that allow us to approach the condensation of defects: the Kleinert Mechanism (KM) and the Julia-Toulouse Mechanism (JTM). We show that in the limit where the vortex gauge field goes to zero, which we identify as the signature of the condensation of defects in the dual picture, these are two equivalent dual prescriptions for obtaining an effective theory for a phase where defects are condensed, starting from the fundamental theory defined in the normal phase where defects are diluted. (author)

Polydispersity-driven topological defects as order-restoring excitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zhenwei; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

2014-04-08

The engineering of defects in crystalline matter has been extensively exploited to modify the mechanical and electrical properties of many materials. Recent experiments on manipulating extended defects in graphene, for example, show that defects direct the flow of electric charges. The fascinating possibilities offered by defects in two dimensions, known as topological defects, to control material properties provide great motivation to perform fundamental investigations to uncover their role in various systems. Previous studies mostly focus on topological defects in 2D crystals on curved surfaces. On flat geometries, topological defects can be introduced via density inhomogeneities. We investigate here topological defects due to size polydispersity on flat surfaces. Size polydispersity is usually an inevitable feature of a large variety of systems. In this work, simulations show well-organized induced topological defects around an impurity particle of a wrong size. These patterns are not found in systems of identical particles. Our work demonstrates that in polydispersed systems topological defects play the role of restoring order. The simulations show a perfect hexagonal lattice beyond a small defective region around the impurity particle. Elasticity theory has demonstrated an analogy between the elementary topological defects named disclinations to electric charges by associating a charge to a disclination, whose sign depends on the number of its nearest neighbors. Size polydispersity is shown numerically here to be an essential ingredient to understand short-range attractions between like-charge disclinations. Our study suggests that size polydispersity has a promising potential to engineer defects in various systems including nanoparticles and colloidal crystals.

Defects in conformal field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billò, Marco; Gonçalves, Vasco; Lauria, Edoardo; Meineri, Marco

2016-01-01

We discuss consequences of the breaking of conformal symmetry by a flat or spherical extended operator. We adapt the embedding formalism to the study of correlation functions of symmetric traceless tensors in the presence of the defect. Two-point functions of a bulk and a defect primary are fixed by conformal invariance up to a set of OPE coefficients, and we identify the allowed tensor structures. A correlator of two bulk primaries depends on two cross-ratios, and we study its conformal block decomposition in the case of external scalars. The Casimir equation in the defect channel reduces to a hypergeometric equation, while the bulk channel blocks are recursively determined in the light-cone limit. In the special case of a defect of codimension two, we map the Casimir equation in the bulk channel to the one of a four-point function without defect. Finally, we analyze the contact terms of the stress-tensor with the extended operator, and we deduce constraints on the CFT data. In two dimensions, we relate the displacement operator, which appears among the contact terms, to the reflection coefficient of a conformal interface, and we find unitarity bounds for the latter.

Defects in conformal field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Billò, Marco [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - sezione di Torino,Via P. Giuria 1 I-10125 Torino (Italy); Gonçalves, Vasco [Centro de Física do Porto,Departamento de Física e Astronomia Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research Instituto de Física Teórica,UNESP - University Estadual Paulista,Rua Dr. Bento T. Ferraz 271, 01140-070, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Lauria, Edoardo [Institute for Theoretical Physics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Meineri, Marco [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Scuola Normale Superiore, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - sezione di Pisa,Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 I-56126 Pisa (Italy)

2016-04-15

We discuss consequences of the breaking of conformal symmetry by a flat or spherical extended operator. We adapt the embedding formalism to the study of correlation functions of symmetric traceless tensors in the presence of the defect. Two-point functions of a bulk and a defect primary are fixed by conformal invariance up to a set of OPE coefficients, and we identify the allowed tensor structures. A correlator of two bulk primaries depends on two cross-ratios, and we study its conformal block decomposition in the case of external scalars. The Casimir equation in the defect channel reduces to a hypergeometric equation, while the bulk channel blocks are recursively determined in the light-cone limit. In the special case of a defect of codimension two, we map the Casimir equation in the bulk channel to the one of a four-point function without defect. Finally, we analyze the contact terms of the stress-tensor with the extended operator, and we deduce constraints on the CFT data. In two dimensions, we relate the displacement operator, which appears among the contact terms, to the reflection coefficient of a conformal interface, and we find unitarity bounds for the latter.

Concurrence of metaphyseal fibrous defect and osteosarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriakos, M.; Murphy, W.A.

1981-01-01

The case of a 15-year-old girl with juxtaposition of a femoral metaphyseal fibrous defect (fibrous cortical defect) and an osteosarcoma is reported. Despite the relatively common occurrence of metaphyseal fibrous defects, their reported association with other bone tumors is exceedingly rare. Only two previous acceptable examples of this association were found. Reports of malignant transformation of metaphyseal fibrous defect were reviewed and rejected because they lacked convincing radiologic or histopathologic evidence of a pre-existent benign fibrous lesion. The finding of a malignant bone tumor in association with a metaphyseal fibrous defect appears to be a chance occurrence. (orig.)

Extrusion product defects: a statistical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qamar, S.Z.; Arif, A.F.M.; Sheikh, A.K.

2003-01-01

In any manufacturing environment, defects resulting in rework or rejection are directly related to product cost and quality, and indirectly linked with process, tooling and product design. An analysis of product defects is therefore integral to any attempt at improving productivity, efficiency and quality. Commercial aluminum extrusion is generally a hot working process and consists of a series of different but integrated operations: billet preheating and sizing, die set and container preheating, billet loading and deformation, product sizing and stretching/roll-correction, age hardening, and painting/anodizing. Product defects can be traced back to problems in billet material and preparation, die and die set design and maintenance, process variable aberrations (ram speed, extrusion pressure, container temperature, etc), and post-extrusion treatment (age hardening, painting/anodizing, etc). The current paper attempts to analyze statistically the product defects commonly encountered in a commercial hot aluminum extrusion setup. Real-world rejection data, covering a period of nine years, has been researched and collected from a local structural aluminum extrusion facility. Rejection probabilities have been calculated for all the defects studied. The nine-year rejection data have been statistically analyzed on the basis of (i) an overall breakdown of defects, (ii) year-wise rejection behavior, (iii) breakdown of defects in each of three cost centers: press, anodizing, and painting. (author)

Automatic classification of defects in weld pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anuar Mikdad Muad; Mohd Ashhar Hj Khalid; Abdul Aziz Mohamad; Abu Bakar Mhd Ghazali; Abdul Razak Hamzah

2000-01-01

With the advancement of computer imaging technology, the image on hard radiographic film can be digitized and stored in a computer and the manual process of defect recognition and classification may be replace by the computer. In this paper a computerized method for automatic detection and classification of common defects in film radiography of weld pipe is described. The detection and classification processes consist of automatic selection of interest area on the image and then classify common defects using image processing and special algorithms. Analysis of the attributes of each defect such as area, size, shape and orientation are carried out by the feature analysis process. These attributes reveal the type of each defect. These methods of defect classification result in high success rate. Our experience showed that sharp film images produced better results

Primordial inhomogeneities from massive defects during inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Firouzjahi, Hassan; Karami, Asieh; Rostami, Tahereh, E-mail: firouz@ipm.ir, E-mail: karami@ipm.ir, E-mail: t.rostami@ipm.ir [School of Astronomy, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-10-01

We consider the imprints of local massive defects, such as a black hole or a massive monopole, during inflation. The massive defect breaks the background homogeneity. We consider the limit that the physical Schwarzschild radius of the defect is much smaller than the inflationary Hubble radius so a perturbative analysis is allowed. The inhomogeneities induced in scalar and gravitational wave power spectrum are calculated. We obtain the amplitudes of dipole, quadrupole and octupole anisotropies in curvature perturbation power spectrum and identify the relative configuration of the defect to CMB sphere in which large observable dipole asymmetry can be generated. We observe a curious reflection symmetry in which the configuration where the defect is inside the CMB comoving sphere has the same inhomogeneous variance as its mirror configuration where the defect is outside the CMB sphere.

Automatic classification of defects in weld pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anuar Mikdad Muad; Mohd Ashhar Khalid; Abdul Aziz Mohamad; Abu Bakar Mhd Ghazali; Abdul Razak Hamzah

2001-01-01

With the advancement of computer imaging technology, the image on hard radiographic film can be digitized and stored in a computer and the manual process of defect recognition and classification may be replaced by the computer. In this paper, a computerized method for automatic detection and classification of common defects in film radiography of weld pipe is described. The detection and classification processes consist of automatic selection of interest area on the image and then classify common defects using image processing and special algorithms. Analysis of the attributes of each defect such area, size, shape and orientation are carried out by the feature analysis process. These attributes reveal the type of each defect. These methods of defect classification result in high success rate. Our experience showed that sharp film images produced better results. (Author)

Large-Scale Molecular Simulations on the Mechanical Response and Failure Behavior of a defective Graphene: Cases of 5-8-5 Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuaiwei; Yang, Baocheng; Yuan, Jinyun; Si, Yubing; Chen, Houyang

2015-10-01

Understanding the effect of defects on mechanical responses and failure behaviors of a graphene membrane is important for its applications. As examples, in this paper, a family of graphene with various 5-8-5 defects are designed and their mechanical responses are investigated by employing molecular dynamics simulations. The dependence of fracture strength and strain as well as Young’s moduli on the nearest neighbor distance and defect types is examined. By introducing the 5-8-5 defects into graphene, the fracture strength and strain become smaller. However, the Young’s moduli of DL (Linear arrangement of repeat unit 5-8-5 defect along zigzag-direction of graphene), DS (a Slope angle between repeat unit 5-8-5 defect and zigzag direction of graphene) and DZ (Zigzag-like 5-8-5 defects) defects in the zigzag direction become larger than those in the pristine graphene in the same direction. A maximum increase of 11.8% of Young’s modulus is obtained. Furthermore, the brittle cracking mechanism is proposed for the graphene with 5-8-5 defects. The present work may provide insights in controlling the mechanical properties by preparing defects in the graphene, and give a full picture for the applications of graphene with defects in flexible electronics and nanodevices.

Lectures on cosmic topological defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vachaspati, T [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Colaba, Mumbai (India) and Physics Department, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (United States)

2001-11-15

These lectures review certain topological defects and aspects of their cosmology. Unconventional material includes brief descriptions of electroweak defects, the structure of domain walls in non-Abelian theories, and the spectrum of magnetic monopoles in SU(5) Grand Unified theory. (author)

Defect-Tolerant Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pandey, Mohnish; Rasmussen, Filip Anselm; Kuhar, Korina

2016-01-01

Localized electronic states formed inside the band gap of a semiconductor due to crystal defects can be detrimental to the material's optoelectronic properties. Semiconductors with a lower tendency to form defect induced deep gap states are termed defect-tolerant. Here we provide a systematic first...... the gap. These ideas are made quantitative by introducing a descriptor that measures the degree of similarity of the conduction and valence band manifolds. Finally, the study is generalized to nonpolar nanoribbons of the TMDs where we find that only the defect sensitive materials form edge states within......-principles investigation of defect tolerance in 29 monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) of interest for nanoscale optoelectronics. We find that the TMDs based on group VI and X metals form deep gap states upon creation of a chalcogen (S, Se, Te) vacancy, while the TMDs based on group IV metals form only...

Production of freely-migrating defects during irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehn, L.E.; Okamoto, P.R.

1986-09-01

During irradiation at elevated temperatures, vacancy and interstitial defects that escape can produce several different types of microstructural changes. Hence the production rate of freely-migrating defects must be known as a function of irradiating particle species and energy before quantitative correlations can be made between microstructural changes. Our fundamental knowledge of freely-migrating defect production has increased substantially in recent years. Critical experimental findings that led to the improved understanding are reviewed in this paper. A strong similarity is found for the dependence of freely-migrating defect production on primary recoil energy as measured in a variety of metals and alloys by different authors. The efficiency for producing freely-migrating defects decreases much more strongly with increasing primary recoil energy than does the efficiency for creating stable defects at liquid helium temperatures. The stronger decrease can be understood in terms of additional intracascade recombination that results from the nonrandom distribution of defects existing in the primary damage state for high primary recoil energies. Although the existing data base is limited to fcc materials, the strong similarity in the reported investigations suggests that the same dependence of freely-migrating defect production on primary recoil energy may be characteristic of a wide variety of other alloy systems as well. 52 refs., 4 figs

Human diseases associated with defective DNA repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedberg, E.C.; Ehmann, U.K.; Williams, J.I.

1979-01-01

The observations on xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) cells in culture were the first indications of defective DNA repair in association with human disease. Since then, a wealth of information on DNA repair in XP, and to a lesser extent in other diseases, has accumulated in the literature. Rather than clarifying the understanding of DNA repair mechanisms in normal cells and of defective DNA repair in human disease, the literature suggests an extraordinary complexity of both of the phenomena. In this review a number of discrete human diseases are considered separately. An attempt was made to systematically describe the pertinent clinical features and cellular and biochemical defects in these diseases, with an emphasis on defects in DNA metabolism, particularly DNA repair. Wherever possible observations have been correlated and unifying hypotheses presented concerning the nature of the basic defect(s) in these diseases. Discussions of the following diseases are presented: XP, ataxia telangiectasia; Fanconi's anemia; Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome; Bloom's syndrome, Cockayne's syndrome; Down's syndrome; retinoblastoma; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; and other miscellaneous human diseases with possble DNA repair defects

Defect identification for the AsGa family

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Overhof, H.; Spaeth, J.-M.

2003-01-01

The As Ga family consists of at least four distinctly different point defects including the technologically important EL2 defect. While the different members are easily distinguished from their MCDA spectra, the differences of the hf and shf interactions as derived from ODEPR and ODENDOR are rather small. We present ab initio calculations using the LMTO-ASA Green's function method for a variety of defect models that might be relevant for the identification of As Ga -related defects. We confirm the identification of the isolated As Ga and show that the {As Ga -X 2 } defect must be identified with the nearest-neighbor antistructure pair rather than with the {As Ga -V As } pair. For the {As Ga -X 1 } defect a distant antistructure pair is a likely candidate. For the EL2, the most important member of the As Ga family, we have not found a conclusive defect model. The recent ODENDOR data are similar to those of the distant orthorhombic {As Ga -V Ga } pair, which, however is a triple acceptor and not a donor

Defect tolerance in resistor-logic demultiplexers for nanoelectronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuekes, Philip J; Robinett, Warren; Williams, R Stanley

2006-05-28

Since defect rates are expected to be high in nanocircuitry, we analyse the performance of resistor-based demultiplexers in the presence of defects. The defects observed to occur in fabricated nanoscale crossbars are stuck-open, stuck-closed, stuck-short, broken-wire, and adjacent-wire-short defects. We analyse the distribution of voltages on the nanowire output lines of a resistor-logic demultiplexer, based on an arbitrary constant-weight code, when defects occur. These analyses show that resistor-logic demultiplexers can tolerate small numbers of stuck-closed, stuck-open, and broken-wire defects on individual nanowires, at the cost of some degradation in the circuit's worst-case voltage margin. For stuck-short and adjacent-wire-short defects, and for nanowires with too many defects of the other types, the demultiplexer can still achieve error-free performance, but with a smaller set of output lines. This design thus has two layers of defect tolerance: the coding layer improves the yield of usable output lines, and an avoidance layer guarantees that error-free performance is achieved.

Altering graphene line defect properties using chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Vasudevan, Smitha; White, Carter; Gunlycke, Daniel

2012-02-01

First-principles calculations are presented of a fundamental topological line defect in graphene that was observed and reported in Nature Nanotech. 5, 326 (2010). These calculations show that atoms and smaller molecules can bind covalently to the surface in the vicinity of the graphene line defect. It is also shown that the chemistry at the line defect has a strong effect on its electronic and magnetic properties, e.g. the ferromagnetically aligned moments along the line defect can be quenched by some adsorbates. The strong effect of the adsorbates on the line defect properties can be understood by examining how these adsorbates affect the boundary-localized states in the vicinity of the Fermi level. We also expect that the line defect chemistry will significantly affect the scattering properties of incident low-energy particles approaching it from graphene.

Iatrogenic Urethral Defect Repairment: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulas Fidan

2013-10-01

Full Text Available    Iatrogenic urethral defect is a complication that occurs after vaginal surgical procedures. Many surgical methods according to place of defect are described in case of injury of urethra. In this article, we reported the repairment of distal urethral defect with the help of greft taken from labia minor. This defect is made by the excision of the granulation tissue that occurred after chronic paraurethral  gland infection.

Repairing Nanoparticle Surface Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Marino, Emanuele; Kodger, Thomas E; Crisp, Ryan W; Timmerman, Dolf; MacArthur, Katherine E; Heggen, Marc; Schall, Peter

2017-10-23

Solar devices based on semiconductor nanoparticles require the use of conductive ligands; however, replacing the native, insulating ligands with conductive metal chalcogenide complexes introduces structural defects within the crystalline nanostructure that act as traps for charge carriers. We utilized atomically thin semiconductor nanoplatelets as a convenient platform for studying, both microscopically and spectroscopically, the development of defects during ligand exchange with the conductive ligands Na 4 SnS 4 and (NH 4 ) 4 Sn 2 S 6 . These defects can be repaired via mild chemical or thermal routes, through the addition of L-type ligands or wet annealing, respectively. This results in a higher-quality, conductive, colloidally stable nanomaterial that may be used as the active film in optoelectronic devices. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Therapeutic effect of the compound Danshen dripping pill combined with laser acupoint irradiation on early diabetic retinopathy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui-Hui; Xiong, Guo-Xin; Zhang, Li-Ping

2017-06-01

To investigate the therapeutic effect of the compound Danshen dripping pill combined with laser acupoint irradiation on early diabetic retinopathy, 19 patients with early diabetic retinopathy were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The TaiYang, YangBai, YuYao and ZanZhu acupoints of patients in the treatment group were irradiated with a semiconductor laser combined with the oral compound Danshen dropping pills, while those in the control group only used the oral compound Danshen dropping pills. The indicators of vision, mean defect of light sensitivity in the visual field, renal function and fasting blood glucose, were examined to evaluate the efficacy. After treatment, the above indicators of patients in the two groups were significantly improved and there was a significant difference between the two groups. This showed that the compound Danshen dripping pills combined with the laser acupoint irradiation can improve the ischemic and anoxic state of early diabetic retinopathy and improve the visual field.

[Progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Qudong; Sun, Zhenzhong; Gu, Sanjun

2013-10-01

To summarize the progress of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect. The recent literature concerning the application of Masquelet technique to repair bone defect was extensively reviewed and summarized. Masquelet technique involves a two-step procedure. First, bone cement is used to fill the bone defect after a thorough debridement, and an induced membrane structure surrounding the spacer formed; then the bone cement is removed after 6-8 weeks, and rich cancellous bone is implanted into the induced membrane. Massive cortical bone defect is repaired by new bone forming and consolidation. Experiments show that the induced membrane has vascular system and is also rich in vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor beta1, bone morphogenetic protein 2, and bone progenitor cells, so it has osteoinductive property; satisfactory results have been achieved in clinical application of almost all parts of defects, various types of bone defect and massive defect up to 25 cm long. Compared with other repair methods, Masquelet technique has the advantages of reliable effect, easy to operate, few complications, low requirements for recipient site, and wide application. Masquelet technique is an effective method to repair bone defect and is suitable for various types of bone defect, especially for bone defects caused by infection and tumor resection.

Defect pin behaviour in the DFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloss, W.M.; Bagley, K.Q.; Edmonds, E.; Potter, P.E.

1979-01-01

A program of defective fuel pin irradiations has been carried out in the DFR. This program employed fuel pins which had failed during previous irradiations (natural defects) and pins in which simulated failures (artificial defects) had been induced prior to irradiation or during an intermediate examination stage at moderate or substantial burnups. The artificial defects simulated longitudinal ruptures and were normally located at positions near the top, middle and bottom of the pin where clad temperatures were 450, 540 and 630 0 C respectively. The fuel was mixed U-Pu oxide, and fuel form, stoichiometry, clad type, pin diameter, linear rating, and burnup were among the variables examined. The defect pin tests were normally carried out in single pin or trefoil type vehicles. After irradiation all the pins were subjected to the normal nondestructive examination procedures and the visual, radiographic, gamma-scanning, and dimensional change results are presented. Several pins were destructively examined and the metallographic data are discussed

Defect kinetics in novel detector materials

CERN Document Server

MacEvoy, B C

2000-01-01

Silicon particle detectors will be used extensively in experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, where unprecedented particle fluences will cause significant atomic displacement damage. We present a model of the evolution of defect concentrations and consequent electrical behaviour in "novel" detector materials with various oxygen and carbon impurity concentrations. The divacancy-oxygen (V/sub 2/O) defect is identified as the cause of changes in device characteristics during /sup 60/Co gamma irradiation. In the case of hadron irradiation changes in detector doping concentration (N/sub eff/) are dominated by cluster defects, in particular the divacancy (V/sub 2/), which exchange charge directly via a non-Shockley-Read- Hall mechanism. The V/sub 2/O defect also contributes to Ne/sub eff/. This defect is more copiously produced during 24 GeV/c proton irradiation than during 1 MeV neutron irradiation on account of the higher vacancy introduction rate, hence the radiation hardness of materials is more sensiti...

Topological defects in open string field theory

Science.gov (United States)

Kojita, Toshiko; Maccaferri, Carlo; Masuda, Toru; Schnabl, Martin

2018-04-01

We show how conformal field theory topological defects can relate solutions of open string field theory for different boundary conditions. To this end we generalize the results of Graham and Watts to include the action of defects on boundary condition changing fields. Special care is devoted to the general case when nontrivial multiplicities arise upon defect action. Surprisingly the fusion algebra of defects is realized on open string fields only up to a (star algebra) isomorphism.

Local defect resonance for sensitive non-destructive testing

Science.gov (United States)

Adebahr, W.; Solodov, I.; Rahammer, M.; Gulnizkij, N.; Kreutzbruck, M.

2016-02-01

Ultrasonic wave-defect interaction is a background of ultrasound activated techniques for imaging and non-destructive testing (NDT) of materials and industrial components. The interaction, primarily, results in acoustic response of a defect which provides attenuation and scattering of ultrasound used as an indicator of defects in conventional ultrasonic NDT. The derivative ultrasonic-induced effects include e.g. nonlinear, thermal, acousto-optic, etc. responses also applied for NDT and defect imaging. These secondary effects are normally relatively inefficient so that the corresponding NDT techniques require an elevated acoustic power and stand out from conventional ultrasonic NDT counterparts for their specific instrumentation particularly adapted to high-power ultrasonic. In this paper, a consistent way to enhance ultrasonic, optical and thermal defect responses and thus to reduce an ultrasonic power required is suggested by using selective ultrasonic activation of defects based on the concept of local defect resonance (LDR). A strong increase in vibration amplitude at LDR enables to reliably detect and visualize the defect as soon as the driving ultrasonic frequency is matched to the LDR frequency. This also provides a high frequency selectivity of the LDR-based imaging, i.e. an opportunity of detecting a certain defect among a multitude of other defects in material. Some examples are shown how to use LDR in non-destructive testing techniques, like vibrometry, ultrasonic thermography and shearography in order to enhance the sensitivity of defect visualization.

Positron annihilation spectroscopy in defects of semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujinami, Masanori

2002-01-01

Interaction of positron and defects, application to research of defects of semiconductor and defects on the surface of semiconductor are explained. Cz (Czochralski)-Si single crystal with 10 18 cm -3 impurity oxygen was introduced defects by electron irradiation and the positron lifetime was measured at 90K after annealing. The defect size and recovery temperature were determined by the lifetime measurement. The distribution of defects in the depth direction is shown by S-E curve. The chemical state analysis is possible by CBS (Coincidence Doppler Broadening) spectra. The application to silicon-implanted (100 keV, 2x10 15 cm -2 ) silicon and oxygen-implanted (180 keV, 2x10 15 cm -2 ) silicon are stated. On the oxygen-implanted silicon, the main product was V2 after implantation, V 6 O 2 at 600degC and V 10 O 6 at 800degC. (S.Y.)

Perception of risk from automobile safety defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Slovic, P; MacGregor, D; Kraus, N N

1987-10-01

Descriptions of safety engineering defects of the kind that compel automobile manufacturers to initiate a recall campaign were evaluated by individuals on a set of risk characteristic scales that included overall vehicle riskiness, manufacturer's ability to anticipate the defect, importance for vehicle operation, severity of consequences and likelihood of compliance with a recall notice. A factor analysis of the risk characteristics indicated that judgments could be summarized in terms of two composite scales, one representing the uncontrollability of the damage the safety defect might cause and the other representing the foreseeability of the defect by the manufacturer. Motor vehicle defects were found to be highly diverse in terms of the perceived qualities of their risks. Location of individual defects within the factor space was closely associated with perceived riskiness, perceived likelihood of purchasing another car from the same manufacturer, perceived likelihood of compliance with a recall notice, and actual compliance rates.

Defects in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pimentel, C.A.F.

1983-01-01

Some problems openned in the study of defects in semiconductors are presented. In particular, a review is made of the more important problems in Si monocrystals of basic and technological interest: microdefects and the presence of oxigen and carbon. The techniques usually utilized in the semiconductor material characterization are emphatized according its potentialities. Some applications of x-ray techniques in the epitaxial shell characterization in heterostructures, importants in electronic optics, are shown. The increase in the efficiency of these defect analysis methods in semiconductor materials with the use of synchrotron x-ray sources is shown. (L.C.) [pt

Wafer plane inspection for advanced reticle defects

Science.gov (United States)

Nagpal, Rajesh; Ghadiali, Firoz; Kim, Jun; Huang, Tracy; Pang, Song

2008-05-01

Readiness of new mask defect inspection technology is one of the key enablers for insertion & transition of the next generation technology from development into production. High volume production in mask shops and wafer fabs demands a reticle inspection system with superior sensitivity complemented by a low false defect rate to ensure fast turnaround of reticle repair and defect disposition (W. Chou et al 2007). Wafer Plane Inspection (WPI) is a novel approach to mask defect inspection, complementing the high resolution inspection capabilities of the TeraScanHR defect inspection system. WPI is accomplished by using the high resolution mask images to construct a physical mask model (D. Pettibone et al 1999). This mask model is then used to create the mask image in the wafer aerial plane. A threshold model is applied to enhance the inspectability of printing defects. WPI can eliminate the mask restrictions imposed on OPC solutions by inspection tool limitations in the past. Historically, minimum image restrictions were required to avoid nuisance inspection stops and/or subsequent loss of sensitivity to defects. WPI has the potential to eliminate these limitations by moving the mask defect inspections to the wafer plane. This paper outlines Wafer Plane Inspection technology, and explores the application of this technology to advanced reticle inspection. A total of twelve representative critical layers were inspected using WPI die-to-die mode. The results from scanning these advanced reticles have shown that applying WPI with a pixel size of 90nm (WPI P90) captures all the defects of interest (DOI) with low false defect detection rates. In validating CD predictions, the delta CDs from WPI are compared against Aerial Imaging Measurement System (AIMS), where a good correlation is established between WPI and AIMSTM.

Non-stoichiometry defects and radiation hardness of lead tungstate crystals PbWO sub 4

CERN Document Server

Devitsin, E G; Potashov, S Yu; Terkulov, A R; Nefedov, V A; Polyansky, E V; Zadneprovski, B I; Kjellberg, P; Korbel, V

2002-01-01

It has been stated many times that the formation of radiation infringements in PbWO sub 4 is to a big extent stipulated by the non-stoichiometry defects of the crystals, arising in the process of their growth and annealing. To refine the idea of characteristics of the non-stoichiometry defects and their effect on the radiation hardness of PbWO sub 4 , the current study is aimed at the melt composition infringements during its evaporation and at optical transmission of crystals obtained in these conditions after their irradiation ( sup 1 sup 3 sup 7 Cs source). In the optical transmission measurements along with traditional techniques a method 'in situ' was used, which provided the measurements in fixed points of the spectrum (380, 470 and 535 nm) directly in the process of the irradiation. X-ray phase and fluorescence analysis of condensation products of vapours over PbWO sub 4 melt has found PbWO sub 4 phase in their content as well as compounds rich in lead PbO, Pb sub 2 WO sub 5 with overall ratio Pb/W (3....

Reduction of Defects in Jewelry Manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Ayudhya, Phitchaya Phanomwan na; Tangjitsitcharoen, Somkiat

2017-06-01

The aim of this research was to reduce the defects of gem bracelet found during manufacturing process at a jewelry company. It was found that gem bracelet product has the highest rejects compared to the rejects found in ring, earring, and pendant products. Types of defect were classified by using Pareto Diagram consisting of gem falling, seam, unclean casting, impinge, and deformation. The causes of defect were analyzed by Cause and Effect Diagram and applied Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was applied during manufacturing processes. This research found that the improvement of manufacturing process could reduce the Risk Priority Number (RPN) and total of all defects by 48.70% and 48.89%, respectively.

Ultrasonic defect detection method for socket welding joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tominaga, Masaaki; Matsuo, Toshiyuki; Ueno, Akihiro; Watanabe, Kunimichi; Kawamata, Kunio.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a method of detecting defects over a wide range of a socket weld portion of various kinds of pipelines used, for example, in a nuclear power plant. Namely, an inclined probe is disposed to a jig for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves. This is rotated at least by one turn along the peripheral surface of the material to be detected such as weld tube joints. Defects of weld portion of the material can be detected automatically by using ultrasonic waves during the rotation. The inclined probe for detecting defects by ultrasonic waves comprises a transmission portion having a planar transmittance oscillator disposed to a wedge on the transmission side and a receiving portion comprising a planar receiving oscillator disposed to a wedge on the receiving side. With such a constitution, ultrasonic waves are emitted from the transmission portion to the defect detection portion in the welded portion. If a defect is present, defective echo is reflected to the receiving portion disposed ahead of the probe. Since the defective echo changes depending on the height of the detective portion, the estimation of the height of the defect can be facilitated. (I.S.)

Tracking architectural defects in university building in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Isa Haryati

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Building defects are always the key concern in the construction industry. Defects represent not only a loss to the project but also hamper the smooth operation of a building. Recognising the need to resolve these continuing problems, a research was mooted to track from the study of defects that occurred during the Defects Liability Period in a public university in Malaysia. This paper presents part of the research which investigates what can be learnt from the analysis of architectural defects in these projects. Two research objectives were developed (1 to investigate types of architectural defects that occurred and (2 to analyse the causes of the defects. A mixed methods approach is adopted. Data for the quantitative element of the research was drawn from defects audit records of the project. They were sorted, grouped and transferred into the SPSS software for analysis using the measure of central tendencies and frequency analysis. The findings suggest that with a proper methodology in place, defects can be effectively traced and categorised. This can provide very useful insights to their root cause and how this can be avoided in future projects.

Defect ordering in aliovalently doped cubic zirconia from first principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogicevic, A.; Wolverton, C.; Crosbie, G.M.; Stechel, E.B.

2001-01-01

Defect ordering in aliovalently doped cubic-stabilized zirconia is studied using gradient corrected density-functional calculations. Intra- and intersublattice ordering interactions are investigated for both cation (Zr and dopant ions) and anion (oxygen ions and vacancies) species. For yttria-stabilized zirconia, the crystal structure of the experimentally identified, ordered compound δ-Zr 3 Y 4 O 12 is established, and we predict metastable zirconia-rich ordered phases. Anion vacancies repel each other at short separations, but show an energetic tendency to align as third-nearest neighbors along directions. Calculations with divalent (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) and trivalent (Y, Sc, B, Al, Ga, In) oxides show that anion vacancies prefer to be close to the smaller of the cations (Zr or dopant ion). When the dopant cation is close in size to Zr, the vacancies show no particular preference, and are thus less prone to be bound preferentially to any particular cation type when the vacancies traverse such oxides. This ordering tendency offers insight into the observed high conductivity of Y 2 O 3 - and Sc 2 O 3 -stabilized zirconia, as well as recent results using, e.g., lanthanide oxides. The calculations point to In 2 O 3 as a particularly promising stabilizer for high ionic conductivity. Thus we are able to directly link (thermodynamic) defect ordering to (kinetic) ionic conductivity in cubic-stabilized zirconia using first-principles atomistic calculations

Experimental study of defect power reactor fuel. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsyth, R.S.; Jonsson, T.

1982-01-01

Two BWR fuel rods, one intact and one defect, with the same manufacturing and irradiation data have been examined in a comparative study. The defect rod has been irradiated in a defect condition during approximately one reactor cycle and has consequently some secondary defects. The defect rod has two penetrating defects at a distance of about 1.5 meters from each other. Comparison with the intact rod shows a large Cs loss from the defect rod, especially between the cladding defects, where the loss is measured to about 30 %. The leachibility in deionized water is higher for Cs, U and Cm for fuel from the defect rod. The leaching results are more complex for Sr-90, Pu and Am. The fuel in the defect rod has undergone a change of structure with gain growth and formation of oriented fuel structure. The cladding of the defect rod is hydrided locally in some parts of the lower part of the rod and furthermore over a more extended region near the end of the rod. (Authors)

Channeling studies of impurity-defect interactions in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiggers, L.W.

1978-01-01

This thesis deals with the mechanism of defect production and interaction of introduced defects with impurity atoms in silicon single crystals. Defects are created by irradiation with energetic light particles (.2 - 3 MeV H + or He + ions). Mostly simple defects like vacancies and interstitials are produced during bombardment. (Auth.)

Ultrasonic defect characterization using parametric-manifold mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Velichko, A.; Bai, L.; Drinkwater, B. W.

2017-06-01

The aim of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation includes the detection and characterization of defects, and an understanding of the nature of defects is essential for the assessment of structural integrity in safety critical systems. In general, the defect characterization challenge involves an estimation of defect parameters from measured data. In this paper, we explore the extent to which defects can be characterized by their ultrasonic scattering behaviour. Given a number of ultrasonic measurements, we show that characterization information can be extracted by projecting the measurement onto a parametric manifold in principal component space. We show that this manifold represents the entirety of the characterization information available from far-field harmonic ultrasound. We seek to understand the nature of this information and hence provide definitive statements on the defect characterization performance that is, in principle, extractable from typical measurement scenarios. In experiments, the characterization problem of surface-breaking cracks and the more general problem of elliptical voids are studied, and a good agreement is achieved between the actual parameter values and the characterization results. The nature of the parametric manifold enables us to explain and quantify why some defects are relatively easy to characterize, whereas others are inherently challenging.

Fibrous metaphyseal defect (fibrous cortical defect, non-ossifying fibroma)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freyschmidt, J.; Saure, D.; Dammenhain, S.

1981-01-01

Fibrous cortical defect and nonossifying fibromas can be classified together as fibrous metaphyseal defects (FMD) since they have the same pahtological substrate, with a tendency to the same localisation around the knee, and occuring at the same age. They have a tendency to spontaneous healing, are clinically silent and are usually discovered accidentally during radiological examination. A radiological survey fo 5.674 metaphyseal regions in the upper and lower extremities of 2.065 unselected patients aged one to 20 years revealed an incidence of 1.8%; exlcusive examination of the distal femur showed an incidence of 2.7%. 96% of all lesions were in the lower extremities and only 4% in the upper. The marked discrepancy in the incidence rate between American and German publications is discussed. (orig.) [de

Emission Mechanisms of Si Nanocrystals and Defects in SiO2 Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Antonio Rodríguez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Motivated by the necessity to have all silicon optoelectronic circuits, researchers around the world are working with light emitting silicon materials. Such materials are silicon dielectric compounds with silicon content altered, such as silicon oxide or nitride, enriched in different ways with Silicon. Silicon Rich Oxide or silicon dioxide enriched with silicon, and silicon rich nitride are without a doubt the most promising materials to reach this goal. Even though they are subjected to countless studies, the light emission phenomenon has not been completely clarified. So, a review of different proposals presented to understand the light emission phenomenon including emissions related to nanocrystals and to point defects in SiO2 is presented.

A novel inspection system for cosmetic defects

Science.gov (United States)

Hazra, S.; Roy, R.; Williams, D.; Aylmore, R.; Hollingdale, D.

2013-12-01

The appearance of automotive skin panels creates desirability for a product and differentiates it from the competition. Because of the importance of skin panels, considerable care is taken in minimizing defects such as the 'hollow' defect that occur around door-handle depressions. However, the inspection process is manual, subjective and time-consuming. This paper describes the development of an objective and inspection scheme for the 'hollow' defect. In this inspection process, the geometry of a panel is captured using a structured lighting system. The geometry data is subsequently analyzed by a purpose-built wavelet-based algorithm to identify the location of any defects that may be present and to estimate the perceived severity of the defects without user intervention. This paper describes and critically evaluates the behavior of this physically-based algorithm on an ideal and real geometry and compares its result to an actual audit. The results show that the algorithm is capable of objectively locating and classifying 'hollow' defects in actual panels.

Peculiarities of radiation defect formation and annealing in n-Si due to their interaction with each other and defect clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugakov, P.F.; Lukyanitsa, V.V.

1984-01-01

Rearrangement processes proceeding during annealing (T/sub a/ = 50 to 500 0 C) of radiation defects in 60 Co γ-irradiated (T/sub irr/ 0 C) n-Si crystals (rho = 100 to 600 Ωcm) grown by the vacuum float-zone technique are studied. The temperature dependences of the Hall coefficient are measured. The results obtained are interpreted taking into account the interaction during annealing of vacancy-type defects (E-centres, divacancies) with each other and interstitial radiation defects (C/sub i/-C/sub s/ complexes, interstitial carbon C/sub i/). Phosphorus-two vacancies complexes, stable to T/sub a/ >= 500 0 C, are shown to be formed as a result of rearrangements and interaction of E-centres between themselves. The character of interaction of vacancy defects with interstitial ones is found to change significantly in the presence of defect clusters in the bulk of the crystal which are formed under heat treatment (T = 800 0 C, two hours) of the samples preliminary irradiated with fast neutrons (flux PHI/sub n/ = 1x10 14 to 1x10 16 cm -2 ). The peculiarities of radiation defects annealing observed in this case are explained taking into account the influence of defect clusters on the migration processes of mobile defects. Nature of radiation defects being formed at various stages of annealing is discussed. (author)

Pullout Performances of Grouted Rockbolt Systems with Bond Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chang; Li, Zihan; Wang, Shanyong; Wang, Shuren; Fu, Lei; Tang, Chunan

2018-03-01

This paper presents a numerical study on the pullout behaviour of fully grouted rockbolts with bond defects. The cohesive zone model (CZM) is adopted to model the bond-slip behaviour between the rockbolt and grout material. Tensile tests were also conducted to validate the numerical model. The results indicate that the defect length can obviously influence the load and stress distributions along the rockbolt as well as the load-displacement response of the grouted system. Moreover, a plateau in the stress distribution forms due to the bond defect. The linear limit and peak load of the load-displacement response decrease as the defect length increases. A bond defect located closer to the loaded end leads to a longer nonlinear stage in the load-displacement response. However, the peak loads measured from the specimens made with various defect locations are almost approximately the same. The peak load for a specimen with the defects equally spaced along the bolt is higher than that for a specimen with defects concentrated in a certain zone, even with the same total defect length. Therefore, the dispersed pattern of bond defects would be much safer than the concentrated pattern. For the specimen with dispersed defects, the peak load increases with an increase in the defect spacing, even if the total defect length is the same. The peak load for a grouted rockbolt system with defects increases with an increases in the bolt diameter. This work leads to a better understanding of the load transfer mechanism for grouted rockbolt systems with bond defects, and paves the way towards developing a general evaluation method for damaged rockbolt grouted systems.

Defect detection of wall thinning defect in pipes using lock-in photo-infrared thermography technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Su Ok; Park, Jong Hyun; Choi, Tae Ho; Jung, Hyun Chul; Kim, Kyoung Suk [Chosun Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2008-07-01

Piping in the Nuclear Power plants (NPP) are mostly consisted of carbon steel pipe. The wall thinning defect is mainly occurred by the affect of the Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) of fluid which flows in carbon steel pipes. This type of defect becomes the cause of damage or destruction of piping. Therefore, it is very important to measure defect which is existed not only on the welding partbut also on the whole field of pipe. Over the years, Infrared Thermography (IRT) has been used as a non destructive testing methods of the various kinds of materials. This technique has many merits and applied to the industrial field but has limitation to the materials. Therefore, this method was combined with lock-in technique. So IRT detection resolution has been progressively improved using lock-in technique. In this paper, the quantitative analysis results of the location and the size of wall thinning defect that is artificially processed inside the carbon steel pipe by using IRT are obtained.

Disc defect classification for optical disc drives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helvoirt, van J.; Leenknegt, G.A.L.; Steinbuch, M.; Goossens, H.J.

2005-01-01

Optical disc drives are subject to various disturbances and faults. A special type of fault is the so-called disc defect. In this paper we present an approach for disc defect classification. It is based on hierarchical clustering of measured signals that are affected by disc defects. The

Defect grating modes as superimposed grating states

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Groesen, Embrecht W.C.; Sopaheluwakan, A.; Andonowati, A.; de Ridder, R.M; de Ridder, R.M.; Altena, G; Altena, G.; Geuzebroek, D.H.; Geuzenboek, D.; Dekker, R.; Dekker, R

2003-01-01

For a symmetric grating structure with a defect, we show that a fully transmitted defect mode in the band gap can be obtained as a superposition of two steady states: an amplified and an attenuated defect state. Without scanning the whole band gap by transmission calculations, this simplifies the

Defect engineering of ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, M.H. [Center for Materials Research and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2711 (United States)], E-mail: m_weber@wsu.edu; Selim, F.A.; Solodovnikov, D.; Lynn, K.G. [Center for Materials Research and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2711 (United States)

2008-10-31

The defect responsible for the transparent to red color change of nominally undoped ZnO bulk single crystals is investigated. Upon annealing in the presence of metallic Zn as reported by Halliburton et al. and also Ti and Zr a native defect forms with an energy level about 0.7 eV below the conduction band. This change is reversible upon annealing in oxygen. Optical transmission data along with positron depth profiles and annealing studies are combined to identify the defect as oxygen vacancies. Vacancy clustering occurs at about 500 deg. C if isolated zinc and oxygen vacancies. In the absence of zinc vacancies, clusters form at about 800 deg. C.

Defect engineering of ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, M.H.; Selim, F.A.; Solodovnikov, D.; Lynn, K.G.

2008-01-01

The defect responsible for the transparent to red color change of nominally undoped ZnO bulk single crystals is investigated. Upon annealing in the presence of metallic Zn as reported by Halliburton et al. and also Ti and Zr a native defect forms with an energy level about 0.7 eV below the conduction band. This change is reversible upon annealing in oxygen. Optical transmission data along with positron depth profiles and annealing studies are combined to identify the defect as oxygen vacancies. Vacancy clustering occurs at about 500 deg. C if isolated zinc and oxygen vacancies. In the absence of zinc vacancies, clusters form at about 800 deg. C

Eddy current inspection of weld defects in tubing

Science.gov (United States)

Katragadda, G.; Lord, W.

1992-01-01

An approach using differential probes for the inspection of weld defects in tubing is studied. Finite element analysis is used to model the weld regions and defects. Impedance plane signals are predicted for different weld defect types and compared wherever possible with signals from actual welds in tubing. Results show that detection and sizing of defects in tubing is possible using differential eddy current techniques. The phase angle of the impedance plane trajectory gives a good indication of the sizing of the crack. Data on the type of defect can be obtained from the shape of the impedance plane trajectory and the phase. Depending on the skin depth, detection of outer wall, inner wall, and subsurface defects is possible.

Infrared computations of defect Schur indices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Córdova, Clay [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr., Princeton, NJ (United States); Gaiotto, Davide [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline St., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Shao, Shu-Heng [Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard University,17 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA (United States); School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr., Princeton, NJ (United States)

2016-11-18

We conjecture a formula for the Schur index of four-dimensional N=2 theories in the presence of boundary conditions and/or line defects, in terms of the low-energy effective Seiberg-Witten description of the system together with massive BPS excitations. We test our proposal in a variety of examples for SU(2) gauge theories, either conformal or asymptotically free. We use the conjecture to compute these defect-enriched Schur indices for theories which lack a Lagrangian description, such as Argyres-Douglas theories. We demonstrate in various examples that line defect indices can be expressed as sums of characters of the associated two-dimensional chiral algebra and that for Argyres-Douglas theories the line defect OPE reduces in the index to the Verlinde algebra.

Holographic entanglement entropy of surface defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentle, Simon A.; Gutperle, Michael; Marasinou, Chrysostomos

2016-01-01

We calculate the holographic entanglement entropy in type IIB supergravity solutions that are dual to half-BPS disorder-type surface defects in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The entanglement entropy is calculated for a ball-shaped region bisected by a surface defect. Using the bubbling supergravity solutions we also compute the expectation value of the defect operator. Combining our result with the previously-calculated one-point function of the stress tensor in the presence of the defect, we adapt the calculation of Lewkowycz and Maldacena http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2014)025 to obtain a second expression for the entanglement entropy. Our two expressions agree up to an additional term, whose possible origin and significance is discussed.

Holographic entanglement entropy of surface defects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gentle, Simon A.; Gutperle, Michael; Marasinou, Chrysostomos [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California,Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

2016-04-12

We calculate the holographic entanglement entropy in type IIB supergravity solutions that are dual to half-BPS disorder-type surface defects in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The entanglement entropy is calculated for a ball-shaped region bisected by a surface defect. Using the bubbling supergravity solutions we also compute the expectation value of the defect operator. Combining our result with the previously-calculated one-point function of the stress tensor in the presence of the defect, we adapt the calculation of Lewkowycz and Maldacena http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2014)025 to obtain a second expression for the entanglement entropy. Our two expressions agree up to an additional term, whose possible origin and significance is discussed.

Solid-state quantum chemistry and materials science: Solid compounds of the d and f elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gubanov, V.A.

1989-01-01

Methods have been developed for calculating electron structures for solid compounds of d and f elements and for simulating physicochemical properties of materials based on them. Cluster and band calculations are considered for refractory compounds of d metals formed with light elements. There are bond and property regularities in doping by meals and metalloids, and defects and impurities have certain effects, where studies have been made on the electron structures for disordered phases and solid solutions in relation to sublattice compositions. Quantum-chemical simulation methods have been developed for optically active and fluorescent materials based on d and f metal oxides, fluorides, and chalcogenides, and compositions have been proposed for new optically active composites and protective coatings. New approaches have been defined to the magnetic parameters of metals, alloys, and compounds; these can be applied in simulating new magnetic materials. Calculations are given on energy spectra for high-temperature oxide superconductors. There is interesting scope for quantum-chemical methods in application to many topics in materials science

Phosphorous–vacancy–oxygen defects in silicon

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao

2013-07-30

Electronic structure calculations employing the hybrid functional approach are used to gain fundamental insight in the interaction of phosphorous with oxygen interstitials and vacancies in silicon. It recently has been proposed, based on a binding energy analysis, that phosphorous–vacancy–oxygen defects may form. In the present study we investigate the stability of this defect as a function of the Fermi energy for the possible charge states. Spin polarization is found to be essential for the charge neutral defect.

An Mcm10 Mutant Defective in ssDNA Binding Shows Defects in DNA Replication Initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Arnaiz, Patricia; Kaplan, Daniel L

2016-11-20

Mcm10 is an essential protein that functions to initiate DNA replication after the formation of the replication fork helicase. In this manuscript, we identified a budding yeast Mcm10 mutant (Mcm10-m2,3,4) that is defective in DNA binding in vitro. Moreover, this Mcm10-m2,3,4 mutant does not stimulate the phosphorylation of Mcm2 by Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) in vitro. When we expressed wild-type levels of mcm10-m2,3,4 in budding yeast cells, we observed a severe growth defect and a substantially decreased DNA replication. We also observed a substantially reduced replication protein A- chromatin immunoprecipitation signal at origins of replication, reduced levels of DDK-phosphorylated Mcm2, and diminished Go, Ichi, Ni, and San (GINS) association with Mcm2-7 in vivo. mcm5-bob1 bypasses the growth defect conferred by DDK-phosphodead Mcm2 in budding yeast. However, the growth defect observed by expressing mcm10-m2,3,4 is not bypassed by the mcm5-bob1 mutation. Furthermore, origin melting and GINS association with Mcm2-7 are substantially decreased for cells expressing mcm10-m2,3,4 in the mcm5-bob1 background. Thus, the origin melting and GINS-Mcm2-7 interaction defects we observed for mcm10-m2,3,4 are not explained by decreased Mcm2 phosphorylation by DDK, since the defects persist in an mcm5-bob1 background. These data suggest that DNA binding by Mcm10 is essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical study of quaternary compounds as thin-film solar cell absorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Huai Wei

2010-01-01

Full text : Design of chalcogenide photovoltaic absorbers is carried out systematically through sequential cation mutation, from binary to ternary to quaternary compounds, using first-principles electronic structure calculations. Several universal trends are found for the ternary and two classes of quaternary chalcogenides. For example, the lowest-energy structure always has larger lattice constant a, smaller tetragonal distortion parameter η=c/2a, and larger band gap than the metastable structures for common-row cation mutations. The band gap is reduced during the mutation. The band gap decreases from binary II-VI to ternary I-III-VI 2 are mostly due to the p-d repulsion in the valence band, the decreases from ternary I-III-VI 2 to quaternary I 2 -II-IV-VI 4 chalcogenides are due to the downshift in the conduction band caused by the wavefunction localization on the group IV cation site. It was found that I 2 -II-IV-VI 4 compounds are more stable in the kesterite structure, whereas the widely-assumed stannite structure reported in the literature is most likely due to partial disorder in the I-II layer of the kesterite phase. Among the derived quaternary compounds, Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) is one of the ideal candidate absorber materials for thin-film solar cells with an optimal band gap, high absorption coefficient, abundant elemental components, and is adaptable to various growth techniques. It was performed a series of first-principles electronic structure calculations for CZTS. Also it was found that in the ground state kesterite structure, (i) the chemical potential region that CZTS can form is very small. Therefore, it will be very difficult to obtain high quality stoichiometric CZTS samples; (ii) The dominant p-type acceptor in CZTS is CuZn, however, the associated acceptor level is relatively high, suggesting that p-type doping in CZTS is more difficult than ternary compounds such as CuInSe 2 ; (iii) The formation of the self-compensated defect pair [Cu

Lumber defect detection by ultrasonics

Science.gov (United States)

K. A. McDonald

1978-01-01

Ultrasonics, the technology of high-frequency sound, has been developed as a viable means for locating most defects In lumber for use in digital form in decision-making computers. Ultrasonics has the potential for locating surface and internal defects in lumber of all species, green or dry, and rough sawn or surfaced.

Angiographic differentiation of type of ventricular septal defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheon, Mal Soon; Park, Hee Young; Kim, Yang Sook

1989-01-01

Defects of the ventricular septum are the commonest type of congenital cardiac malformations. A classification with axial angiography of the subtypes of ventricular septal defects is proposed on the study of 126 patients with defects of the ventricular septum. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of the ventricular septal defects was 39.6% of congenital heart malformation. 2. The sex distribution of cases were 70 males and 56 females, the age ranged from 13 months to 26 years. 3. Angiographic features seen by axial angiography were as follows: a. Perimembranous defects as seen on long axial view of left ventriculogram were in continuity wity aortic valve. The relation of the defect to the tricuspid valve allows distinction of the extension of the preimembranous defect toward inlet, trabecular, or infundibular zones. This relation was determined angiographically, using the course of the contrast medium from the left ventricle through the ventricular septal defect, opacifying the right ventricle. In inlet excavation, the shunted blood opacified the recess between septal leaflet of tricuspid valve and interventricular septum in early phase, in infundibular excavation, opacified the recess between anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve and anterior free wall of right ventricle and in trabecular excavation, the shunted blood traversed anterior portion of tricuspid valve ring, opacified trabecular portion of right ventricle. b. Muscular defects were separated from the semilunar and atrioventricular valves. c, Subarterial defects were related to both semilunar valves, and they were best demonstrated on the elongated right anterior oblique view of the left ventriculogram. d. Total infundibular defects were profiled in right anterior oblique 30 and long axial view, subaortic in location in both views

Chemicalome and metabolome profiling of polymethoxylated flavonoids in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium based on an integrated strategy combining background subtraction and modified mass defect filter in a Microsoft Excel Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Su-Ling; Duan, Li; Chen, Bai-Zhong; Li, Ping; Liu, E-Hu

2017-07-28

Detection of metabolites in complex biological matrixes is a great challenge because of the background noise and endogenous components. Herein, we proposed an integrated strategy that combined background subtraction program and modified mass defect filter (MMDF) data mining in a Microsoft Excel platform for chemicalome and metabolome profiling of the polymethoxylated flavonoids (PMFs) in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP). The exogenously-sourced ions were firstly filtered out by the developed Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) program incorporated in the Microsoft Office. The novel MMDF strategy was proposed for detecting both target and untarget constituents and metabolites based on narrow, well-defined mass defect ranges. The approach was validated to be powerful, and potentially useful for the metabolite identification of both single compound and homologous compound mixture. We successfully identified 30 and 31 metabolites from rat biosamples after oral administration of nobiletin and tangeretin, respectively. A total of 56 PMFs compounds were chemically characterized and 125 metabolites were captured. This work demonstrated the feasibility of the integrated approach for reliable characterization of the constituents and metabolites in herbal medicines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Defect Chemistry of Oxides for Energy Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweke, Danielle; Mordehovitz, Yuval; Halabi, Mahdi; Shelly, Lee; Hayun, Shmuel

2018-05-31

Oxides are widely used for energy applications, as solid electrolytes in various solid oxide fuel cell devices or as catalysts (often associated with noble metal particles) for numerous reactions involving oxidation or reduction. Defects are the major factors governing the efficiency of a given oxide for the above applications. In this paper, the common defects in oxide systems and external factors influencing the defect concentration and distribution are presented, with special emphasis on ceria (CeO 2 ) based materials. It is shown that the behavior of a variety of oxide systems with respect to properties relevant for energy applications (conductivity and catalytic activity) can be rationalized by general considerations about the type and concentration of defects in the specific system. A new method based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), recently reported by the authors for mapping space charge defects and measuring space charge potentials, is shown to be of potential importance for understanding conductivity mechanisms in oxides. The influence of defects on gas-surface reactions is exemplified on the interaction of CO 2 and H 2 O with ceria, by correlating between the defect distribution in the material and its adsorption capacity or splitting efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Defect assessment procedures at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ainsworth, R.A.

1991-01-01

A comprehensive assessment procedure for the high-temperature response of structures is being produced. The procedure is referred to as R5 and is written as a series of step-by-step instructions in a number of volumes. This paper considers in detail those parts of R5 which address the behaviour of defects. The defect assessment procedures may be applied to defects found in service, postulated defects, or defects formed during operation as a result of creep-fatigue loading. In the last case, a method is described for deducing from endurance data the number of cycles to initiate a crack of a specified size. Under steady loading, the creep crack tip parameter C * is used to assess crack growth. Under cyclic loading, the creep crack growth during dwell periods is stiell governed by C * but crack growth due to cyclic excursions must also be included. This cyclic crack growth is described by an effective stress intensity factor range. A feature of the R5 defect assessment procedures in that they are based on simplified methods and approximate reference stress methods are described which enable C * in a component to be evaluated. It is shown by comparison with theoretical calculations and experimental data that reliable estimates of C * and the associated crack growth are obtained provided realistic creep strain rate date are used in the reference stress approximation. (orig./HP)

Endotracheal tube defects: Hidden causes of airway obstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofi Khalid

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Manufacturing defects of endotracheal tube (ETT are still encountered in anesthesia practice. Many such defects go unnoticed during routine inspection prior to their use. Such defects in ETT may lead to partial or complete airway obstruction in an intubated patient. We report a case of partial airway obstruction with a prepacked, single use, uncuffed ETT due to a manufacturing defect in the form of a plastic meniscus at the distal end of the tube. This case report highlights the significance of standard monitoring of ventilation and the role of a vigilant clinician in detecting such defects in avoiding critical events as can arise from the use of such defective ETTs. It also emphasizes the need for double checking ETTs prior to their use.

Teratology: from science to birth defects prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Sonja A; Erickson, J David; Reef, Susan E; Ross, Danielle S

2009-01-01

One of the goals of birth defects research is to better understand risk or preventive factors for birth defects so that strategies for prevention can be developed. In this article, we have selected four areas of birth defects research that have led to the development of prevention strategies. These areas include rubella virus as a cause of congenital rubella syndrome, folic acid as a preventive factor for neural tube defects, cytomegalovirus infection as a cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities, and alcohol as a cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. For each of these areas, we review key clinical and research findings that led to the identification of the risk or preventive factor, milestones in the development of prevention strategies, and the progress made thus far toward prevention.

Dissociation and diffusion of hydrogen on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces: A density functional theory study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Zongying [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Union Research Center of Fuel Cell, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Chen, Haipeng [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); Zhou, Shixue, E-mail: zhoushixue66@163.com [College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China); College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590 (China)

2017-02-01

Highlights: • Clarify the effect of vacancy defect on H{sub 2} dissociation on Mg (0001) surface. • Demonstrate the effects of vacancy defect on H atom diffusion. • Reveal the minimum energy diffusion path of H atom from magnesium surface into bulk. - Abstract: First-principles calculations with the density functional theory (DFT) have been carried out to study dissociation and diffusion of hydrogen on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces. Results show that energy barriers of 1.42 eV and 1.28 eV require to be overcome for H{sub 2} dissociation on defect-free and vacancy defective Mg (0001) surfaces respectively, indicating that reactivity of Mg (0001) surface is moderately increased due to vacancy defect. Besides, the existence of vacancy defect changes the preferential H atom diffusion entrance to the subsurface and reduces the diffusion energy barrier. An interesting remark is that the minimum energy diffusion path of H atom from magnesium surface into bulk is a spiral channel formed by staggered octahedral and tetrahedral interstitials. The diffusion barriers computed for H atom penetration from the surface into inner-layers are all less than 0.70 eV, which is much smaller than the activation energy for H{sub 2} dissociation on the Mg (0001) surface. This suggests that H{sub 2} dissociation is more likely than H diffusion to be rate-limiting step for magnesium hydrogenation.

Vibration of carbon nanotubes with defects: order reduction methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Robert B.; Sinha, Alok

2018-03-01

Order reduction methods are widely used to reduce computational effort when calculating the impact of defects on the vibrational properties of nearly periodic structures in engineering applications, such as a gas-turbine bladed disc. However, despite obvious similarities these techniques have not yet been adapted for use in analysing atomic structures with inevitable defects. Two order reduction techniques, modal domain analysis and modified modal domain analysis, are successfully used in this paper to examine the changes in vibrational frequencies, mode shapes and mode localization caused by defects in carbon nanotubes. The defects considered are isotope defects and Stone-Wales defects, though the methods described can be extended to other defects.

Type conversion by high-energy particles in Hg1-xCdxTe compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, C.; Favre, J.; Barbot, J.F.; Desoyer, J.C.; Toulemonde, M.; Konczykowski, M.; Le Scoul, D.; Dessus, J.L.

1990-01-01

p-type crystals of the ternary compounds Hg 1-x Cd x Te have been irradiated with high-energy ions and electrons. Electron-beam-induced current signals on xenon- and krypton-irradiated Hg 1-x Cd x Te show that n-type conversion, occurring all along the ion path, is related to the presence of mercury atoms. Resistivity and Hall measurements on carbon-, oxygen-, xenon- and electron-irradiated Hg 0.8 Cd 0.2 Te crystals allow us to determine the effective cross section for atomic displacement. We observe, for electron-irradiated samples, a saturation in carrier concentration interpreted as the pinning of the Fermi level at a resonant donor state 370 meV above the bottom of the conduction band. Comparison between ion and electron irradiations shows that electrically active produced defects are mainly due to atomic collisions. Additional reduction of defect production efficiency for xenon ions may be the onset of some energy transfer from electronic loss to target atoms

Defect branes as Alice strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, Takashi; Sakatani, Yuho

2015-01-01

There exist various defect-brane backgrounds in supergravity theories which arise as the low energy limit of string theories. These backgrounds typically have non-trivial monodromies, and if we move a charged probe around the center of a defect, its charge will be changed by the action of the monodromy. During the process, the charge conservation law seems to be violated. In this paper, to resolve this puzzle, we examine a dynamics of the charge changing process and show that the missing charge of the probe is transferred to the background. We then explicitly construct the resultant background after the charge transfer process by utilizing dualities. This background has the same monodromy as the original defect brane, but has an additional charge which does not have any localized source. In the literature, such a charge without localized source is known to appear in the presence of Alice strings. We argue that defect branes can in fact be regarded as a realization of Alice strings in string theory and examine the charge transfer process from that perspective.

Defect branes as Alice strings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okada, Takashi [Theoretical Biology Laboratory, RIKEN,Wako 351-0198 (Japan); Sakatani, Yuho [Department of Physics and Astronomy,Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-25

There exist various defect-brane backgrounds in supergravity theories which arise as the low energy limit of string theories. These backgrounds typically have non-trivial monodromies, and if we move a charged probe around the center of a defect, its charge will be changed by the action of the monodromy. During the process, the charge conservation law seems to be violated. In this paper, to resolve this puzzle, we examine a dynamics of the charge changing process and show that the missing charge of the probe is transferred to the background. We then explicitly construct the resultant background after the charge transfer process by utilizing dualities. This background has the same monodromy as the original defect brane, but has an additional charge which does not have any localized source. In the literature, such a charge without localized source is known to appear in the presence of Alice strings. We argue that defect branes can in fact be regarded as a realization of Alice strings in string theory and examine the charge transfer process from that perspective.

Positron annihilation spectroscopy in defects of semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Fujinami, M

2002-01-01

Interaction of positron and defects, application to research of defects of semiconductor and defects on the surface of semiconductor are explained. Cz (Czochralski)-Si single crystal with 10 sup 1 sup 8 cm sup - sup 3 impurity oxygen was introduced defects by electron irradiation and the positron lifetime was measured at 90K after annealing. The defect size and recovery temperature were determined by the lifetime measurement. The distribution of defects in the depth direction is shown by S-E curve. The chemical state analysis is possible by CBS (Coincidence Doppler Broadening) spectra. The application to silicon-implanted (100 keV, 2x10 sup 1 sup 5 cm sup - sup 2) silicon and oxygen-implanted (180 keV, 2x10 sup 1 sup 5 cm sup - sup 2) silicon are stated. On the oxygen-implanted silicon, the main product was V2 after implantation, V sub 6 O sub 2 at 600degC and V sub 1 sub 0 O sub 6 at 800degC. (S.Y.)

Theory of Defects in Semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Drabold, David A

2007-01-01

Semiconductor science and technology is the art of defect engineering. The theoretical modeling of defects has improved dramatically over the past decade. These tools are now applied to a wide range of materials issues: quantum dots, buckyballs, spintronics, interfaces, amorphous systems, and many others. This volume presents a coherent and detailed description of the field, and brings together leaders in theoretical research. Today's state-of-the-art, as well as tomorrow’s tools, are discussed: the supercell-pseudopotential method, the GW formalism,Quantum Monte Carlo, learn-on-the-fly molecular dynamics, finite-temperature treatments, etc. A wealth of applications are included, from point defects to wafer bonding or the propagation of dislocation.

Defect CFTs and holographic multiverse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiol, Bartomeu

2010-01-01

We investigate some aspects of a recent proposal for a holographic description of the multiverse. Specifically, we focus on the implications on the suggested duality of the fluctuations of a bubble separating two universes with different cosmological constants. We do so by considering a similar problem in a 2+1 CFT with a codimension one defect, obtained by an M5-brane probe embedding in AdS 4 × S 7 , and studying its spectrum of fluctuations. Our results suggest that the kind of behavior required by the spectrum of bubble fluctuations is not likely to take place in defect CFTs with an AdS dual, although it might be possible if the defect supports a non-unitary theory

Actinic inspection of multilayer defects on EUV masks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barty, A; Liu, Y; Gullikson, E; Taylor, J S; Wood, O

2005-01-01

The production of defect-free mask blanks, and the development of techniques for inspecting and qualifying EUV mask blanks, remains a key challenge for EUV lithography. In order to ensure a reliable supply of defect-free mask blanks, it is necessary to develop techniques to reliably and accurately detect defects on un-patterned mask blanks. These inspection tools must be able to accurately detect all critical defects whilst simultaneously having the minimum possible false-positive detection rate. There continues to be improvement in high-speed non-actinic mask blank inspection tools, and it is anticipated that these tools can and will be used by industry to qualify EUV mask blanks. However, the outstanding question remains one of validating that non-actinic inspection techniques are capable of detecting all printable EUV defects. To qualify the performance of non-actinic inspection tools, a unique dual-mode EUV mask inspection system has been installed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In high-speed inspection mode, whole mask blanks are scanned for defects using 13.5-nm wavelength light to identify and map all locations on the mask that scatter a significant amount of EUV light. In imaging, or defect review mode, a zone plate is placed in the reflected beam path to image a region of interest onto a CCD detector with an effective resolution on the mask of 100-nm or better. Combining the capabilities of the two inspection tools into one system provides the unique capability to determine the coordinates of native defects that can be used to compare actinic defect inspection with visible light defect inspection tools under commercial development, and to provide data for comparing scattering models for EUV mask defects

Defect Depth Measurement of Straight Pipe Specimen Using Shearography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ho Seob; Kim, Kyung Suk

2012-01-01

In the nuclear industry, wall thinning defect of straight pipe occur the enormous loss in life evaluation and safety evaluation. To use non-destructive technique, we measure deformation, vibration, defect evaluation. But, this techniques are a weak that is the measurement of the wide area is difficult and the time is caught long. In the secondary side of nuclear power plants mostly used steel pipe, artificiality wall thinning defect make in the side and different thickness make to the each other, wall thinning defect part of deformation measure by using shearography. In addition, optical measurement through deformation, vibration, defect evaluation evaluate pipe and thickness defects of pressure vessel is to evaluate quantitatively. By shearography interferometry to measure the pipe's internal wall thinning defect and the variation of pressure use the proposed technique, the quantitative defect is to evaluate the thickness of the surplus. The amount of deformation use thickness of surplus prediction of the actual thickness defect and approximately 7 percent error by ensure reliability. According to pressure the amount of deformation and the thickness of the surplus through DB construction, nuclear power plant pipe use wall thinning part soundness evaluation. In this study, pressure vessel of thickness defect measure proposed nuclear pipe of wall thinning defect prediction and integrity assessment technology development. As a basic research defected theory and experiment, pressure vessel of advanced stability and soundness and maintainability is expected to contribute foundation establishment

Ab initio study of point defects in magnesium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, C. A.; Kenny, S. D.; Smith, R.; Sanville, E.

2007-01-01

Energetics of a variety of point defects in MgO have been considered from an ab initio perspective using density functional theory. The considered defects are isolated Schottky and Frenkel defects and interstitial pairs, along with a number of Schottky defects and di-interstitials. Comparisons were made between the density functional theory results and results obtained from empirical potential simulations and these generally showed good agreement. Both methodologies predicted the first nearest neighbor Schottky defects to be the most energetically favorable of the considered Schottky defects and that the first, second, and fifth nearest neighbor di-interstitials were of similar energy and were favored over the other di-interstitial configurations. Relaxed structures of the defects were analyzed, which showed that empirical potential simulations were accurately predicting the displacements of atoms surrounding di-interstitials, but were overestimating O atom displacement for Schottky defects. Transition barriers were computed for the defects using the nudged elastic band method. Vacancies and Schottky defects were found to have relatively high energy barriers, the majority of which were over 2 eV, in agreement with conclusions reached using empirical potentials. The lowest barriers for di-interstitial transitions were found to be for migration into a first nearest neighbor configuration. Charges were calculated using a Bader analysis and this found negligible charge transfer during the defect transitions and only small changes in the charges on atoms surrounding defects, indicating why fixed charge models work as well as they do

Nanoscale interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurevich, Sebastian; Provatas, Nikolas; Rey, Alejandro

2017-08-01

Interfacial defect shedding is the most recent known mechanism for defect formation in a thermally driven isotropic-to-nematic phase transition. It manifests in nematic-isotropic interfaces going through an anchoring switch. Numerical computations in planar geometry established that a growing nematic droplet can undergo interfacial defect shedding, nucleating interfacial defect structures that shed into the bulk as +1/2 point defects. By extending the study of interfacial defect shedding in a growing nematic droplet to larger length and time scales, and to three dimensions, we unveil an oscillatory growth mode involving shape and anchoring transitions that results in a controllable regular distributions of point defects in planar geometry, and complex structures of disclination lines in three dimensions.

Defective Reduction in Frozen Pie Manufacturing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Nooted, Oranuch; Tangjitsitcharoen, Somkiat

2017-06-01

The frozen pie production has a lot of defects resulting in high production cost. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) technique has been applied to improve the frozen pie process. Pareto chart is also used to determine the major defects of frozen pie. There are 3 main processes that cause the defects which are the 1st freezing to glazing process, the forming process, and the folding process. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) obtained from FMEA is analyzed to reduce the defects. If RPN of each cause exceeds 45, the process will be considered to be improved and selected for the corrective and preventive actions. The results showed that RPN values decreased after the correction. Therefore, the implementation of FMEA technique can help to improve the performance of frozen pie process and reduce the defects approximately 51.9%.

Predicting internal red oak (Quercus rubra) log defect features using surface defect defect measurements

Science.gov (United States)

R. Edward. Thomas

2013-01-01

Determining the defects located within a log is crucial to understanding the tree/log resource for efficient processing. However, existing means of doing this non-destructively requires the use of expensive x-ray/CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or microwave technology. These methods do not lend themselves to fast, efficient, and cost-...

Structural peculiarities and point defects of bulk-ZnO single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaurova, I.A.; Kuz’micheva, G.M.; Rybakov, V.B.; Cousson, A.; Gayvoronsky, V.Ya.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • ZnO single crystals of different color were grown by the hydrothermal method. • Point defects in ZnO have been firstly investigated by neutron diffraction. • Presence of additional reflections caused by kinetic growth effects was revealed. • The relationship between the color and zinc and oxygen vacancies was found. • Photoinduced variation of transmittance versus the CW laser intensity was analyzed. - Abstract: ZnO single crystals are related to promising direct wide band gap semiconductor materials belonging to the A II B VI type of compounds with wurtzite structure. “Unintentional” n-type conductivity in ZnO may be caused by zinc and oxygen vacancies, and interstitial zinc atoms. To date, the comprehensive structural investigation and analysis of point defects in ZnO is absent in literature. Green, light green and almost colorless ZnO single crystals grown by the hydrothermal method in concentrated alkali solutions 4M(KOH) + 1M(LiOH) + 0.1M(NH 4 OH) on monohedral seeds [0 0 0 1] at crystallization temperatures in the range of 330–350 °C and pressures in the range of 30–50 MPa have been firstly investigated by neutron diffraction. It was revealed the presence of additional reflections (∼12–∼16%) for all the crystals caused by kinetic growth effects that give grounds to assign them to the space group P3 rather than to P6 3 mc. Analysis of the refined compositions together with the color of ZnO crystals does not rule out the relationship between the color and vacancies in the zinc and oxygen positions whose concentration decreases with the discoloration of the samples. The analysis of the photoinduced variation of the total and on-axis transmittance versus the CW laser intensity showed that the colored samples have profound deep defects related to oxygen vacancies

Reduction in Defect Content in ODS Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritherdon, J.; Jones, A.R.

2000-02-01

The work detailed within this report is a continuation of earlier work that was carried out under contract number IDX-SY382V. The earlier work comprised a literature review of the sources and types of defects found principally in Fe-based ODS alloys together with a series of experiments designed to identify defects in ODS Fe{sub 3}Al material and recommend methods of defect reduction. Defects found in the Mechanically Alloyed (MA) ODS Fe{sub 3}Al included regions of incomplete MA, porosity, intrusions and fine-grained stringers. Some defects tended to be found in association with one another e.g. intrusions and fine-grained stringers. Preliminary powder separation experiments were also performed. The scope and objectives of the present work were laid out in the technical proposal ``Reduction in Defect Content in ODS Alloys--II'' which formed the basis of amendment 3 of the current contract. The current studies were devised in the context of the preceding work with a view to extending and concluding certain experiments while exploring new avenues of investigation of defect control and reduction where appropriate. All work proposed was within the context of achieving an ODS Fe{sub 3}Al alloy of improved overall quality and potential creep performance (particularly) in the consolidated, release condition. The interim outturn of the experimental work performed is also reported.

Phonons, defects and optical damage in crystalline acetanilide

Science.gov (United States)

Kosic, Thomas J.; Hill, Jeffrey R.; Dlott, Dana D.

1986-04-01

Intense picosecond pulses cause accumulated optical damage in acetanilide crystals at low temperature. Catastrophic damage to the irradiated volume occurs after an incubation period where defects accumulate. The optical damage is monitored with subanosecond time resolution. The generation of defects is studied with damage-detected picosecond spectroscopy. The accumulation of defects is studied by time-resolved coherent Raman scattering, which is used to measure optical phonon scattering from the accumulating defects.

Congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Rosana Cardoso M; Rosa, Rafael Fabiano M; Zen, Paulo Ricardo G; Paskulin, Giorgio Adriano

2013-06-01

To review the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations. Scientific articles were searched in the Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO databases, using the descriptors "congenital heart disease," "congenital heart defects," "congenital cardiac malformations," "extracardiac defects," and "extracardiac malformations." All case series that specifically explored the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations were included. Congenital heart diseases are responsible for about 40% of birth defects, being one of the most common and severe malformations. Extracardiac malformations are observed in 7 to 50% of the patients with congenital heart disease, bringing a greater risk of comorbidity and mortality and increasing the risks related to heart surgery. Different studies have attempted to assess the presence of extracardiac abnormalities in patients with congenital heart disease. Among the changes described, those of the urinary tract are more often reported. However, no study has evaluated all patients in the same way. Extracardiac abnormalities are frequent among patients with congenital heart disease, and patients with these alterations may present an increased risk of morbimortality. Therefore, some authors have been discussing the importance and cost-effectiveness of screening these children for other malformations by complementary exams.

Micro-bridge defects: characterization and root cause analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Gaetano; Van den Heuvel, Dieter; Braggin, Jennifer; Rosslee, Craig; Leray, Philippe J.; Cheng, Shaunee; Jehoul, Christiane; Schreutelkamp, Robert; Hillel, Noam

2010-03-01

Defect review of advanced lithography processes is becoming more and more challenging as feature sizes decrease. Previous studies using a defect review SEM on immersion lithography generated wafers have resulted in a defect classification scheme which, among others, includes a category for micro-bridges. Micro-bridges are small connections between two adjacent lines in photo-resist and are considered device killing defects. Micro-bridge rates also tend to increase as feature sizes decrease, making them even more important for the next technology nodes. Especially because micro-bridge defects can originate from different root causes, the need to further refine and split up the classification of this type of defect into sub groups may become a necessity. This paper focuses on finding the correlation of the different types of micro-bridge defects to a particular root cause based on a full characterization and root cause analysis of this class of defects, by using advanced SEM review capabilities like high quality imaging in very low FOV, Multi Perspective SEM Imaging (MPSI), tilted column and rotated stage (Tilt&Rotation) imaging and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) cross sectioning. Immersion lithography material has been mainly used to generate the set of data presented in this work even though, in the last part of the results, some EUV lithography data will be presented as part of the continuing effort to extend the micro-bridge defect characterization to the EUV technology on 40 nm technology node and beyond.

Mass defect effects in atomic clocks

Science.gov (United States)

Yudin, Valeriy; Taichenachev, Alexey

2018-03-01

We consider some implications of the mass defect on the frequency of atomic transitions. We have found that some well-known frequency shifts (the gravitational shift and motion-induced shifts such as quadratic Doppler and micromotion shifts) can be interpreted as consequences of the mass defect in quantum atomic physics, i.e. without the need for the concept of time dilation used in special and general relativity theories. Moreover, we show that the inclusion of the mass defect leads to previously unknown shifts for clocks based on trapped ions.

Tibial and fibular developmental fields defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, N.J.; Haddad, M.C.; Hourani, M.H.

1999-01-01

Malformations of the lower limbs are rare and heterogeneous anomalies. To explain the diversity and complexity of these abnormalities, authors introduced the concept of tibial and fibular developmental fields. Defects in these fields are responsible for different malformations, which have been described, to our knowledge, in only one report in the radiology literature. We present a case of a newborn with femoral bifurcation, absent fibulae and talar bones, ankle and foot malformations, and associated atrial septal defect. Our case is an example of defects in both fibular and tibial developmental fields. (orig.)

EUV mask defect inspection and defect review strategies for EUV pilot line and high volume manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Y. David; Rastegar, Abbas; Yun, Henry; Putna, E. Steve; Wurm, Stefan

2010-04-01

Reducing mask blank and patterned mask defects is the number one challenge for extreme ultraviolet lithography. If the industry succeeds in reducing mask blank defects at the required rate of 10X every year for the next 2-3 years to meet high volume manufacturing defect requirements, new inspection and review tool capabilities will soon be needed to support this goal. This paper outlines the defect inspection and review tool technical requirements and suggests development plans to achieve pilot line readiness in 2011/12 and high volume manufacturing readiness in 2013. The technical specifications, tooling scenarios, and development plans were produced by a SEMATECH-led technical working group with broad industry participation from material suppliers, tool suppliers, mask houses, integrated device manufacturers, and consortia. The paper summarizes this technical working group's assessment of existing blank and mask inspection/review infrastructure capabilities to support pilot line introduction and outlines infrastructure development requirements and tooling strategies to support high volume manufacturing.

Identification of genetic defects in primary immunodeficiencies by whole exome sequencing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Mette; Jensen, Jens Magnus Bernth; Veirum, Jens Erik

2014-01-01

to hypogammaglobulinaemia, and increased risk of both infections as well as cancer. We employed whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify mutations associated with primary immunodeficiency in severely affected children. We present WES data on 2 patients with severe immunodeficiency. WES was performed using TruSeq exome kit...... and severe infections including sepsis. Second, we identified compound heterozygote stopgain mutations in RAD52 and a heterozygote mutation in LRRC8A in a 7 year-old girl with T-cell deficiency, reduced T-cell mediated B-cell activity, hypogammaglobulinaemia, prolonged splenomegali and benign adenopathy. RAD......52 has not previously been linked to immunodeficiency and we are currently investigating the functional consequences. Knowledge of the mechanisms underlying immunodeficiencies is a prerequisite for understanding disease pathogenesis. WES allows the demonstration of immune defects that may result from...

Logistic planning and control of reworking perishable production defectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.H. Teunter (Ruud); S.D.P. Flapper

2001-01-01

textabstractWe consider a production line that is dedicated to a single product. Produced lots may be non-defective, reworkable defective, or non-reworkable defective. The production line switches between production and rework. After producing a fixed number (N) of lots, all reworkable defective

Defect CFTs and holographic multiverse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)