Effect of Synthesis Procedure on Thermoelectric Property of SiGe Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Han, Jun; Jiang, Tao; Luo, Lili; Xiang, Yongchun

2018-05-01

SiGe thermoelectric material has been synthesized by ball milling combined with hot pressing (HP) or spark plasma sintering (SPS). Effects of ball milling time, powder to ball weight ratio and sintering method on microstructure and thermoelectric properties of SiGe are studied. The results show that longer ball milling time leads to decreased density and worse electrical properties. In the sintering process, SPS results in much larger density and better electrical properties than HP. The Si0.795Ge0.2B0.005 sample prepared by 2 h ball milling combined with SPS obtains a maximum power factor of 3.0 mW m-1 K-2 at 860 K and ZT of 0.95 at 1000 K.

Atomic displacements in dilute alloys of Cr, Nb and Mo

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

physics pp. 497–514. Atomic displacements in dilute alloys of Cr, Nb and Mo ... used to calculate dynamical matrix and the impurity-induced forces up to second nearest ... origin, the lattice is strained, and the host atoms get displaced to new ...

On the interplay between phonon-boundary scattering and phonon-point-defect scattering in SiGe thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Iskandar, A.; Abou-Khalil, A.; Kazan, M.; Kassem, W.; Volz, S.

2015-03-01

This paper provides theoretical understanding of the interplay between the scattering of phonons by the boundaries and point-defects in SiGe thin films. It also provides a tool for the design of SiGe-based high-efficiency thermoelectric devices. The contributions of the alloy composition, grain size, and film thickness to the phonon scattering rate are described by a model for the thermal conductivity based on the single-mode relaxation time approximation. The exact Boltzmann equation including spatial dependence of phonon distribution function is solved to yield an expression for the rate at which phonons scatter by the thin film boundaries in the presence of the other phonon scattering mechanisms. The rates at which phonons scatter via normal and resistive three-phonon processes are calculated by using perturbation theories with taking into account dispersion of confined acoustic phonons in a two dimensional structure. The vibrational parameters of the model are deduced from the dispersion of confined acoustic phonons as functions of temperature and crystallographic direction. The accuracy of the model is demonstrated with reference to recent experimental investigations regarding the thermal conductivity of single-crystal and polycrystalline SiGe films. The paper describes the strength of each of the phonon scattering mechanisms in the full temperature range. Furthermore, it predicts the alloy composition and film thickness that lead to minimum thermal conductivity in a single-crystal SiGe film, and the alloy composition and grain size that lead to minimum thermal conductivity in a polycrystalline SiGe film.

Dissociation of dilute immiscible copper alloy thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barmak, K.; Lucadamo, G. A.; Cabral, C. Jr.; Lavoie, C.; Harper, J. M. E.

2000-01-01

The dissociation behavior of dilute, immiscible Cu-alloy thin films is found to fall into three broad categories that correlate most closely with the form of the Cu-rich end of the binary alloy phase diagrams. Available thermodynamic and tracer diffusion data shed further light on alloy behavior. Eight alloying elements were selected for these studies, with five elements from groups 5 and 6, two from group 8, and one from group 11 of the periodic table. They are respectively V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, Fe, Ru, and Ag. The progress of precipitation in approximately 500-nm-thick alloy films, containing 2.5-3.8 at. % solute, was followed with in situ resistance and stress measurements as well as with in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction. In addition, texture analysis and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the evolution of microstructure and texture of Cu(Ta) and Cu(Ag). For all eight alloys, dissociation occurred upon heating, with the rejection of solute and evolution of microstructure often occurring in multiple steps that range over several hundred degrees between approximately 100 and 900 degree sign C. However, in most cases, substantial reductions in resistivity of the films took place below 400 degree sign C, at temperatures of interest to copper metallization schemes for silicon chip technology. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Diffusion coefficients of alloying elements in dilute Mg alloys: A comprehensive first-principles study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Bi-Cheng; Shang, Shun-Li; Wang, Yi; Liu, Zi-Kui

2016-01-01

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been used to calculate the temperature-dependent dilute tracer diffusion coefficients for 47 substitutional alloying elements in hexagonal closed packed (hcp) Mg by combining transition state theory and an 8-frequency model. The minimum energy pathways and the saddle point configurations during solute migration are calculated with the climbing image nudged elastic band method. Vibrational properties are obtained using the quasi-harmonic Debye model with inputs from first-principles calculations. An improved generalized gradient approximation of PBEsol is used in the present first-principles calculations, which is able to well describe both vacancy formation energies and vibrational properties. It is found that the solute diffusion coefficients in hcp Mg are roughly inversely proportional to the bulk modulus of the dilute alloys, which reflects the solutes' bonding to Mg. Transition metal elements with d electrons show strong interactions with Mg and have large diffusion activation energies. Correlation effects are not negligible for solutes Ca, Na, Sr, Se, Te, and Y, in which the direct solute migration barriers are much smaller than the solvent (Mg) migration barriers. Calculated diffusion coefficients are in remarkable agreement with available experimental data in the literature.

Electronic structure of O-doped SiGe calculated by DFT + U method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zong-Yan; Yang, Wen; Yang, Pei-Zhi

2016-12-01

To more in depth understand the doping effects of oxygen on SiGe alloys, both the micro-structure and properties of O-doped SiGe (including: bulk, (001) surface, and (110) surface) are calculated by DFT + U method in the present work. The calculated results are as follows. (i) The (110) surface is the main exposing surface of SiGe, in which O impurity prefers to occupy the surface vacancy sites. (ii) For O interstitial doping on SiGe (110) surface, the existences of energy states caused by O doping in the band gap not only enhance the infrared light absorption, but also improve the behaviors of photo-generated carriers. (iii) The finding about decreased surface work function of O-doped SiGe (110) surface can confirm previous experimental observations. (iv) In all cases, O doing mainly induces the electronic structures near the band gap to vary, but is not directly involved in these variations. Therefore, these findings in the present work not only can provide further explanation and analysis for the corresponding underlying mechanism for some of the experimental findings reported in the literature, but also conduce to the development of μc-SiGe-based solar cells in the future. Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (Grant No. 2015FB123), the 18th Yunnan Province Young Academic and Technical Leaders Reserve Talent Project, China (Grant No. 2015HB015), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1037604).

Impact of dilution on the microstructure and properties of Ni-based 625 alloy coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Jose Antoszczyszyn

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Nickel-based alloy IN 625 is used to protect components of aircrafts, power generation and oil refinery due to an association of toughness and high corrosion resistance. These properties are associated with the chemical composition and microstructure of coatings which depend on the processing parameters and the composition of the component being protected. This paper assessed impact of dilution on the microstructure and properties of the Ni alloy IN 625 deposited by Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA on two substrates: carbon steel API 5L and stainless steel AISI 316L. Differences due to the interaction with the substrate were maximized analyzing single layer coatings, processed with three deposition current: 120, 150 and 180 A. Correlation with a cast Nickel-based alloy sample contributed to assess the impact of dilution on coatings. Dilution was determined by the area ratio and Vickers hardness measured on the transverse section of coatings. Scanning electron and Laser confocal microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were carried out to characterize the microstructure. Results indicated the increasing dilution with the deposition current was deeply influenced by the substrate. Dilution ranging from 5 to 29% was measured on coatings processed on the API 5L steel and from 22 to 51% on the low thermal conductivity AISI 316L steel substrate. Differences on the microstructure and properties of coatings can be associated with the interaction with each substrate. Higher fraction of carbides account for the higher coating hardness when processing on API 5L whereas the low thermal conductivity of AISI 316L and the higher Fe content in solid solution contributed to the lower hardness of coatings.

The solidification behavior of dilute aluminium-scandium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, A.F.; Prangnell, P.B.; McEwen, R.S.

1998-01-01

The solidification behavior of dilute Sc containing Al alloys has been investigated. In binary Al-Sc alloys, Sc additions greater than the eutectic composition (0.55 wt%) were found to produce a remarkable refinement in the grain size of aluminum castings, of two orders of magnitude, due to the formation of the primary Al 3 Sc intermetallic phase during solidification. The refinement in grain size only occurred in hypereutectic compositions and was shown to be far greater than can be achieved by conventional Al grain refiners. Grain refinement by the addition of Sc is accompanied by a change in growth morphology from dendritic, in the large unrefined grains, to fine spherical grains with a divorced eutectic appearing on the grain boundaries in the refined castings. Similar levels of refinement were observed in Al-Sc-Zr and Al-Cu-Sc alloys. In the latter, a change in the segregation behavior of Cu was observed, from a strongly interdendritic segregation pattern to a more homogeneous distribution. The supersaturated Al-Sc solid solution can decompose via a discontinuous precipitation reaction to form coherent rod-like precipitates of the L1 2 Al 3 Sc phase

Electron paramagnetic resonance studies of defects in dilute magnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suss, J.T.; Raizman, A.

1980-01-01

The EPR spectrum of erbium was used to study the effects of cold-working (rolling and mechanical polishing) in dilute gold-erbium alloys. Variation in the EPR linewidth, intensity and asymmetry parameter (A/B ratio) were investigated. Most of the results could be interpreted in terms of segregation of erbium ions to subgrain boundaries (dislocations) in a surface layer of a few thousand Angstroms. (author)

Precipitation hardening in dilute Al–Zr alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Henrique Lamarão Souza

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of solute content (hipoperitectic Al–0.22 wt.%Zr and hiperperitectic Al–0.32 wt.%Zr on the precipitation hardening and microstructural evolution of dilute Al–Zr alloys isothermally aged. The materials were conventionally cast in a muffle furnace, solidified in a water-cooled Cu mold and subsequently heat-treated at the temperature of 650 K (377 °C for 4, 12, 24, 100 and 400 h. Mechanical characterization was performed at room temperature, using a microhardness tester and microstructural characterization was carried out on a Transmission Electron Microscope – TEM. The observed microhardness values increased during isothermal aging, due to the precipitation of nanometer-scale Al3Zr L12 particles. Peak strength was achieved within 100 h of aging. After aging for 400 h, microhardness values presented a slight decrease for both alloys, thus indicating overaging due to the coalescence of precipitates. Microhardness values increased with solute content, due to the precipitation of a higher number density of finer precipitates. After 400 h of heat-treating, coalescence was higher for the alloy with lower solute content and, also, the presence of antiphase boundaries – APBs, planar faults associated with the L12 to D023 structural transition, were observed. Comparing theoretical calculations of the increment in strength due to precipitation strengthening with experimental results, it was observed that their values are in reasonable agreement. The Orowan dislocation looping mechanism takes place during precipitation hardening for both alloys in the peak hardness condition.

Numerical simulation of solute trapping phenomena using phase-field solidification model for dilute binary alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrique Silva Furtado

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Numerical simulation of solute trapping during solidification, using two phase-field model for dilute binary alloys developed by Kim et al. [Phys. Rev. E, 60, 7186 (1999] and Ramirez et al. [Phys. Rev. E, 69, 05167 (2004] is presented here. The simulations on dilute Cu-Ni alloy are in good agreement with one dimensional analytic solution of sharp interface model. Simulation conducted under small solidification velocity using solid-liquid interface thickness (2λ of 8 nanometers reproduced the solute (Cu equilibrium partition coefficient. The spurious numerical solute trapping in solid phase, due to the interface thickness was negligible. A parameter used in analytical solute trapping model was determined by isothermal phase-field simulation of Ni-Cu alloy. Its application to Si-As and Si-Bi alloys reproduced results that agree reasonably well with experimental data. A comparison between the three models of solute trapping (Aziz, Sobolev and Galenko [Phys. Rev. E, 76, 031606 (2007] was performed. It resulted in large differences in predicting the solidification velocity for partition-less solidification, indicating the necessity for new and more acute experimental data.

Magnetic susceptibility of Dirac fermions, Bi-Sb alloys, interacting Bloch fermions, dilute nonmagnetic alloys, and Kondo alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buot, Felix A., E-mail: fbuot@gmu.edu [Computational Materials Science Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); TCSE Center, Spintronics Group, Physics Department, University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu 6000 (Philippines); C& LB Research Institute, Carmen, Cebu 6005 (Philippines); Otadoy, Roland E.S.; Rivero, Karla B. [TCSE Center, Spintronics Group, Physics Department, University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu 6000 (Philippines)

2017-03-01

Wide ranging interest in Dirac Hamiltonian is due to the emergence of novel materials, namely, graphene, topological insulators and superconductors, the newly-discovered Weyl semimetals, and still actively-sought after Majorana fermions in real materials. We give a brief review of the relativistic Dirac quantum mechanics and its impact in the developments of modern physics. The quantum band dynamics of Dirac Hamiltonian is crucial in resolving the giant diamagnetism of bismuth and Bi-Sb alloys. Quantitative agreement of the theory with the experiments on Bi-Sb alloys has been achieved, and physically meaningful contributions to the diamagnetism has been identified. We also treat relativistic Dirac fermion as an interband dynamics in uniform magnetic fields. For the interacting Bloch electrons, the role of translation symmetry for calculating the magnetic susceptibility avoids any approximation to second order in the field. The expressions for magnetic susceptibility of dilute nonmagnetic alloys give a firm theoretical foundation of the empirical formulas used in fitting experimental results. The unified treatment of all the above calculations is based on the lattice Weyl-Wigner formulation of discrete phase-space quantum mechanics. For completeness, the magnetic susceptibility of Kondo alloys is also given since Dirac fermions in conduction band and magnetic impurities exhibit Kondo effect.

Incorporating an extended dendritic growth model into the CAFE model for rapidly solidified non-dilute alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Jie; Wang, Bo; Zhao, Shunli; Wu, Guangxin; Zhang, Jieyu; Yang, Zhiliang

2016-01-01

We have extended the dendritic growth model first proposed by Boettinger, Coriell and Trivedi (here termed EBCT) for microstructure simulations of rapidly solidified non-dilute alloys. The temperature-dependent distribution coefficient, obtained from calculations of phase equilibria, and the continuous growth model (CGM) were adopted in the present EBCT model to describe the solute trapping behaviors. The temperature dependence of the physical properties, which were not used in previous dendritic growth models, were also considered in the present EBCT model. These extensions allow the present EBCT model to be used for microstructure simulations of non-dilute alloys. The comparison of the present EBCT model with the BCT model proves that the considerations of the distribution coefficient and physical properties are necessary for microstructure simulations, especially for small particles with high undercoolings. Finally, the EBCT model was incorporated into the cellular automaton-finite element (CAFE) model to simulate microstructures of gas-atomized ASP30 high speed steel particles that were then compared with experimental results. Both the simulated and experimental results reveal that a columnar dendritic microstructure preferentially forms in small particles and an equiaxed microstructure forms otherwise. The applications of the present EBCT model provide a convenient way to predict the microstructure of non-dilute alloys. - Highlights: • A dendritic growth model was developed considering non-equilibrium distribution coefficient. • The physical properties with temperature dependence were considered in the extended model. • The extended model can be used to non-dilute alloys and the extensions are necessary in small particles. • Microstructure of ASP30 steel was investigated using the present model and verified by experiment.

Incorporating an extended dendritic growth model into the CAFE model for rapidly solidified non-dilute alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Jie; Wang, Bo [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Casting, Shanghai 201605 (China); Zhao, Shunli [Research Institute, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd, Shanghai 201900 (China); Wu, Guangxin [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Casting, Shanghai 201605 (China); Zhang, Jieyu, E-mail: zjy6162@staff.shu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Casting, Shanghai 201605 (China); Yang, Zhiliang [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Casting, Shanghai 201605 (China)

2016-05-25

We have extended the dendritic growth model first proposed by Boettinger, Coriell and Trivedi (here termed EBCT) for microstructure simulations of rapidly solidified non-dilute alloys. The temperature-dependent distribution coefficient, obtained from calculations of phase equilibria, and the continuous growth model (CGM) were adopted in the present EBCT model to describe the solute trapping behaviors. The temperature dependence of the physical properties, which were not used in previous dendritic growth models, were also considered in the present EBCT model. These extensions allow the present EBCT model to be used for microstructure simulations of non-dilute alloys. The comparison of the present EBCT model with the BCT model proves that the considerations of the distribution coefficient and physical properties are necessary for microstructure simulations, especially for small particles with high undercoolings. Finally, the EBCT model was incorporated into the cellular automaton-finite element (CAFE) model to simulate microstructures of gas-atomized ASP30 high speed steel particles that were then compared with experimental results. Both the simulated and experimental results reveal that a columnar dendritic microstructure preferentially forms in small particles and an equiaxed microstructure forms otherwise. The applications of the present EBCT model provide a convenient way to predict the microstructure of non-dilute alloys. - Highlights: • A dendritic growth model was developed considering non-equilibrium distribution coefficient. • The physical properties with temperature dependence were considered in the extended model. • The extended model can be used to non-dilute alloys and the extensions are necessary in small particles. • Microstructure of ASP30 steel was investigated using the present model and verified by experiment.

A Study of the Vacancy-Impurity Interaction in Dilute Nickel Alloys by Core Electron Annihilation

Science.gov (United States)

Arbuzov, V. L.; Danilov, S. E.; Druzhkov, A. P.

1997-08-01

It is shown that the angular correlation of annihilation radiation can be used to identify vacancy-impurity complexes in dilute alloys. Annihilation of trapped positrons with core electrons bears information about the chemical environment of a vacancy defect. The method is especially effective for d-matrices doped with sp-impurities since annihilation parameters of positrons with d- and sp-shell electrons differ considerably. The potentialities of the method of core-electron annihilation of positrons are demonstrated taking electron-irradiated dilute Ni-P and Ni-Si alloys as an example. It is shown that the interaction between the vacancies, which migrate at the III stage of annealing, and P atoms in Ni-P causes a considerable change in the annihilation parameters of positrons with core electrons compared to pure Ni. In Ni-Si alloys the annihilation parameters of trapped positrons with core electrons do not differ from those in Ni. This fact is an evidence that Si atoms do not interact with vacancies in Ni.

Secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands deposited on a mixed-phase microcrystalline Si by ion beam co-sputtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, S Y; Yang, J; Qiu, F; Wang, Z Q; Wang, C; Yang, Y

2015-11-06

We discuss the SiGe island co-sputtering deposition on a microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) buffer layer and the secondary island growth based on this pre-SiGe island layer. The growth phenomenon of SiGe islands on crystalline silicon (c-Si) is also investigated for comparison. The pre-SiGe layer grown on μc-Si exhibits a mixed-phase structure, including SiGe islands and amorphous SiGe (a-SiGe) alloy, while the layer deposited on c-Si shows a single-phase island structure. The preferential growth and Ostwald ripening growth are shown to be the secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands on μc-Si and c-Si, respectively. This difference may result from the effect of amorphous phase Si (AP-Si) in μc-Si on the island growth. In addition, the Si-Ge intermixing behavior of the secondary-grown islands on μc-Si is interpreted by constructing the model of lateral atomic migration, while this behavior on c-Si is ascribed to traditional uphill atomic diffusion. It is found that the aspect ratios of the preferential-grown super islands are higher than those of the Ostwald-ripening ones. The lower lateral growth rate of super islands due to the lower surface energy of AP-Si on the μc-Si buffer layer for the non-wetting of Ge at 700 °C and the stronger Si-Ge intermixing effect at 730 °C may be responsible for this aspect ratio difference.

The nature of planar faults in a dilute molybdenum-boron alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chervinskii, V.I.; Kantor, M.M.; Novikov, I.I.; Sofronova, R.M.

1982-01-01

Planar faults on (100) planes in dilute molybdenum-boron alloys consist of a mono- or a bilayer of boron atoms. The displacement vectors are of the general type and for mono- and bilayer faults, respectively, where the component d is close to 1/6 and normal to the fault plane. The planar faults are probably an intermediate stage of MoB or Mo 2 BC growth. (author)

Determination of tungsten in high-alloy steels and heat resisting alloys by isotope dilution-spark source mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Morimasa; Yamada, Kei; Okochi, Haruno; Hirose, Fumio

1983-01-01

Tungsten in high-alloy steels and heat-resisting alloys was determined by isotope dilution method combined with spark source mass spectrometry by using 183 W enriched tungsten. The spike solution was prepared by fusing tungsten trioxide in sodium carbonate. A high-alloy steel sample was dissolved in the mixture of sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid together with the spike solution; a sample of heat resisting alloy was similarly dissolved in the mixture of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid. The solution was evaporated to give dense white fumes. Tungsten was separated from the residue by a conventional cinchonine salt-precipitation method. The salt was ignited, and the residue was mixed with graphite powder and pressed into electrodes. The isotope 183 W and 184 W were measured. The method was applied to the determination of tungsten in JSS and NBS standard high-alloy steels and JAERI standard nickel- and NBS standard cobalt-base heat resisting alloys containing more than 0.05% tungsten. The results were obtained with satisfactory precision and accuracy. However, the results obtained for JSS standard high- speed steels containing molybdenum tended to be significantly lower than the certified values. (author)

Effect of Si/Ge ratio on resistivity and thermopower in Gd{sub 5}Si{sub x}Ge{sub 4-x} magnetocaloric compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raj Kumar, D.M. [Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad 500058 (India); Manivel Raja, M., E-mail: mraja@dmrl.drdo.i [Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad 500058 (India); Prabahar, K.; Chandrasekaran, V. [Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad 500058 (India); Poddar, Asok; Ranganathan, R. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata 700064 (India); Suresh, K.G. [Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India)

2011-07-15

The effect of Si/Ge ratio on resistivity and thermopower behavior has been investigated in the magnetocaloric ferromagnetic Gd{sub 5}Si{sub x}Ge{sub 4-x} compounds with x=1.7-2.3. Microstructural studies reveal the presence of Gd{sub 5}(Si,Ge){sub 4}-matrix phase (5:4-type) along with traces of secondary phases (5:5 or 5:3-type). The x=1.7 and 2.0 samples display the presence of a first order structural transition from orthorhombic to monoclinic phase followed by a magnetic transition of the monoclinic phase. The alloys with x=2.2 and 2.3 display only magnetic transitions of the orthorhombic phase. A low temperature feature apparent in the AC susceptibility and resistivity data below 100 K reflects an antiferromagnetic transition of secondary phase(s) present in these compounds. The resistivity behavior study correlates with microstructural studies. A large change in thermopower of -8 {mu}V/K was obtained at the magneto-structural transition for the x=2 compound. - Research highlights: Effect of Si/Ge ratio on microstructure, magneto-structural transitions, resistivity ({rho}) and thermopower S(T) behaviour has been investigated in Gd{sub 5}Si{sub x}Ge{sub 4-x} compounds with x=1.7, 2.0, 2.2 and 2.3. Microstructural studies reveal the presence of a Gd{sub 5}(Si,Ge){sub 4} -matrix phase (5:4-type) along with traces of secondary phases (5:5 or 5:3-type). The resistivity behaviour has shown good correlation with the microstructural studies. A large change in thermopower of -8{mu}V/K was obtained at the magneto-structural transition for the x=2 compound. The resistivity and change in thermopower values were high for the alloys with Si/Ge ratio {<=}1 compared to that of the alloys with Si/Ge ratio >1.

On the temperature dependence of the excess resistivity in dilute volatile alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uray, L.; Vicsek, T.

1978-01-01

In recrystallized wires of many important refractory alloys, an appreciable part of the temperature dependence of the measured excess resistivity is related to the radial distribution of the volatile solutes (extrinsic temperature dependence). Both the extrinsic and the intrinsic part of the temperature dependence of the excess resistivity have been determined for dilute WFe, WCo and WRe alloys, by measuring the resistance as a function of temperature and the thickness of layers removed by electrothinning. In this way the parameters of the evaporation profiles were also determined. In the surface region at low temperatures the length scale of the inhomogeneity is comparable to the mean-free path. Therefore, the observed extrinsic temperature dependence of the excess resistivity was calculated directly from the Boltzmann equation. The WCo alloy is a Kondo system, since its resistivity shows a minimum a 20 K. (author)

Study of dilute aluminum--gold alloys for superconducting stabilizer applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartwig, K.T. Jr.

1977-01-01

Control over a wide variation in mechanical and physical characteristics was achieved by subjecting Al--Au alloys to precipitation hardening treatments. Annealing phenomena were monitored by resistivity measurements at 273, 77, and 4.2 K and by yield strength measurements at 296, 77, and 4.2 K. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to confirm the presence of an intermetallic precipitate dispersion in aged Al--Au. Artificial aging of Al--Au results in a remarkable strength increase and a large decrease in resistivity at 4.2 K as numerous Al 2 Au precipitates form. The precipitation mechanism is independent of composition up to at least 0.2 wt % Au. Regardless of the heat treatment used to induce aging the alloy resistivity is directly proportional to gold concentration. At long aging times the residual resistivity ratio (RRR identical with rho/sub 273 K//rho sub 4.2 K/) of Al--0.2 wt % Au approaches 1000. The yield strength of Al--Au alloys at 4.2 K is shown to be directly proportional to gold concentration for aged alloy and is six to seven times greater than that of pure aluminum. The optimum strength-resistivity relationship was defined for Al--0.2 wt % Au. Thus, Al--Au seems to be comparable to other materials now used as stabilizers. Consideration was also given to the potential stabilizer use of dilute Al--Sb alloys, the prospect for use was not promising

Atomistic simulations of thermal transport in Si and SiGe based materials: From bulk to nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Savic, Ivana; Mingo, Natalio; Donadio, Davide; Galli, Giulia

2010-03-01

It has been recently proposed that Si and SiGe based nanostructured materials may exhibit low thermal conductivity and overall promising properties for thermoelectric applications. Hence there is a considerable interest in developing accurate theoretical and computational methods which can help interpret recent measurements, identify the physical origin of the reduced thermal conductivity, as well as shed light on the interplay between disorder and nanostructuring in determining a high figure of merit. In this work, we investigate the capability of an atomistic Green's function method [1] to describe phonon transport in several types of Si and SiGe based systems: amorphous Si, SiGe alloys, planar and nanodot Si/SiGe multilayers. We compare our results with experimental data [2,3], and with the findings of molecular dynamics simulations and calculations based on the Boltzmann transport equation. [1] I. Savic, N. Mingo, and D. A. Stewart, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 165502 (2008). [2] S.-M. Lee, D. G. Cahill, and R. Venkatasubramanian, Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 2957 (1997). [3] G. Pernot et al., submitted.

Effect of solute segregation on thermal creep in dilute nanocyrstalline Cu alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schäfer, Jonathan; Ashkenazy, Yinon; Albe, Karsten; Averback, Robert S

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Segregating solutes lower the grain boundary free volume in nanocrystalline Cu. ► Lower free volume leads to reduced atomic mobility and higher creep resistance. ► Increase in creep resistance scales with atomic size of segregating solutes. ► Atomic processes in boundaries are similar to the ones in amorphous material. - Abstract: The effect of solute segregation on thermal creep in dilute nanocrystalline alloys (Cu–Nb, Cu–Fe, Cu–Zr) was studied at elevated temperatures using molecular dynamics simulations. A combined Monte-Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation technique was first used to equilibrate the distribution of segregating solutes. Then the creep rates of the diluted Cu samples were measured as functions of temperature, composition, load and accumulated strain. In Cu–Nb samples, the creep rates were observed to increase initially with strain, but then saturate at a value close to that obtained for alloys prepared by randomly locating the solute in the grain boundaries. This behavior is attributed to an increase in grain boundary volume and energy with added chemical disorder. At high temperatures, the apparent activation energy for creep was anomalously high, 3 eV, but only 0.3 eV at lower temperatures. This temperature dependence is found to correlate with atomic mobilities in bulk Cu–Nb glasses. Calculations of creep in nanocrystalline Cu alloys containing other solutes, Fe and Zr, show that the suppression of creep rate scales with their atomic volumes when dissolved in Cu.

Precipitation and strengthening phenomena in Al-Si-Ge and Al-Cu-Si-Ge alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitlin, D.; Morris, J.W.; Dahmen, U.; Radmilovic, V.

2000-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine whether Al rich Al-Si-Ge and 2000 type Al-Cu-Si-Ge alloys have sufficient hardness to be useful for structural applications. It is shown that in Al-Si-Ge it is not possible to achieve satisfactory hardness through a conventional heat treatment. This result is explained in terms of sluggish precipitation of the diamond-cubic Si-Ge phase coupled with particle coarsening. However, Al-Cu-Si-Ge displayed a uniquely fast aging response, a high peak hardness and a good stability during prolonged aging. The high hardness of the Cu containing alloy is due to the dense and uniform distribution of fine θ' precipitates (metastable Al 2 Cu) which are heterogeneously nucleated on the Si-Ge particles. High resolution TEM demonstrated that in both alloys all the Si-Ge precipitates start out, and remain multiply twinned throughout the aging treatment. Since the twinned section of the precipitate does not maintain a low index interface with the matrix, the Si-Ge precipitates are equiaxed in morphology. Copyright (2000) AD-TECH - International Foundation for the Advancement of Technology Ltd

Low thermal budget surface preparation of Si and SiGe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbadie, A.; Hartmann, J.M.; Holliger, P.; Semeria, M.N.; Besson, P.; Gentile, P.

2004-01-01

Using a two-step cleaning, we have investigated the low thermal budget surface preparation of Si and Si 1-x Ge x (x=0.2-0.33). It consists of an ex situ 'HF-last' wet-cleaning and an in situ low thermal budget H 2 bake in a reduced pressure-chemical vapor deposition reactor. Using secondary ion mass spectrometry, we have evaluated the effects of different H 2 bake temperatures (in between 750 and 850 deg. C for 2 min) on the removal efficiency of C, O and F atoms still present on the surface of Si and SiGe virtual substrates after the 'HF-last' wet-cleaning. We have then examined the impact of the (wet-cleaning+H 2 bake) combination on the surface cross-hatch of SiGe as-grown virtual substrates, focusing on the analysis, notably by atomic force microscopy, of the surface topography before and after the miscellaneous thermal treatments. In situ hydrogen baking steps in between 775 and 850 deg. C do not modify the surface morphology and roughness. An easy and rapid optical characterization method, i.e. the optical interferometry, is presented as well to monitor in line the morphological changes induced by such processing steps as chemical mechanical polishing, wet-cleaning, H 2 bake, etc. Despite the lower resolution of the optical profilometer, the surface roughness values coming from it have been correctly correlated with those obtained from AFM. An optimized 'HF-last' wet-cleaning using a diluted chemistry in conjunction with a H 2 bake at 800 deg. C for 2 min (775 deg. C, 2') is a good compromise for SiGe (Si) surface preparation

Band structure analysis in SiGe nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amato, Michele [' Centro S3' , CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, via Campi 213/A, 41100 Modena (Italy); Dipartimento di Scienze e Metodi dell' Ingegneria, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2 Pad. Morselli, I-42100 Reggio Emilia (Italy); Palummo, Maurizia [European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF) (Italy); CNR-INFM-SMC, Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma, ' Tor Vergata' , via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma (Italy); Ossicini, Stefano, E-mail: stefano.ossicini@unimore.it [' Centro S3' , CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, via Campi 213/A, 41100 Modena (Italy) and Dipartimento di Scienze e Metodi dell' Ingegneria, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2 Pad. Morselli, I-42100 Reggio Emilia (Italy) and European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility - ETSF (Italy) and Centro Interdipartimentale ' En and Tech' , Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2 Pad. Morselli, I-42100 Reggio Emilia (Italy)

2012-06-05

One of the main challenges for Silicon-Germanium nanowires (SiGe NWs) electronics is the possibility to modulate and engine their electronic properties in an easy way, in order to obtain a material with the desired electronic features. Diameter and composition constitute two crucial ways for the modification of the band gap and of the band structure of SiGe NWs. Within the framework of density functional theory we present results of ab initio calculations regarding the band structure dependence of SiGe NWs on diameter and composition. We point out the main differences with respect to the case of pure Si and Ge wires and we discuss the particular features of SiGe NWs that are useful for future technological applications.

Band structure analysis in SiGe nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amato, Michele; Palummo, Maurizia; Ossicini, Stefano

2012-01-01

One of the main challenges for Silicon-Germanium nanowires (SiGe NWs) electronics is the possibility to modulate and engine their electronic properties in an easy way, in order to obtain a material with the desired electronic features. Diameter and composition constitute two crucial ways for the modification of the band gap and of the band structure of SiGe NWs. Within the framework of density functional theory we present results of ab initio calculations regarding the band structure dependence of SiGe NWs on diameter and composition. We point out the main differences with respect to the case of pure Si and Ge wires and we discuss the particular features of SiGe NWs that are useful for future technological applications.

Aluminium. II - A review of deformation properties of high purity aluminium and dilute aluminium alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, R. P.

1972-01-01

The elastic and plastic deformation behavior of high-purity aluminum and of dilute aluminum alloys is reviewed. Reliable property data, including elastic moduli, elastic coefficients, tensile, creep, fatigue, hardness, and impact are presented. Single crystal tensile results are discussed. Rather comprehensive reference lists, containing publications of the past 20 years, are included for each of the above categories. Defect structures and mechanisms responsible for mechanical behavior are presented. Strengthening techniques (alloys, cold work, irradiation, quenching, composites) and recovery are briefly reviewed.

Stress-directed compositional patterning of SiGe substrates for lateral quantum barrier manipulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Swapnadip; Kaiser, Daniel; Sinno, Talid; Bonilla, Jose; Han, Sang M.

2015-01-01

While vertical stacking of quantum well and dot structures is well established in heteroepitaxial semiconductor materials, manipulation of quantum barriers in the lateral directions poses a significant engineering challenge. Here, we demonstrate lateral quantum barrier manipulation in a crystalline SiGe alloy using structured mechanical fields to drive compositional redistribution. To apply stress, we make use of a nano-indenter array that is pressed against a Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 wafer in a custom-made mechanical press. The entire assembly is then annealed at high temperatures, during which the larger Ge atoms are selectively driven away from areas of compressive stress. Compositional analysis of the SiGe substrates reveals that this approach leads to a transfer of the indenter array pattern to the near-surface elemental composition, resulting in near 100% Si regions underneath each indenter that are separated from each other by the surrounding Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 bulk. The “stress transfer” process is studied in detail using multiscale computer simulations that demonstrate its robustness across a wide range of applied stresses and annealing temperatures. While the “Si nanodot” structures formed here are not intrinsically useful as quantum structures, it is anticipated that the stress transfer process may be modified by judicious control of the SiGe film thickness and indenter array pattern to form more technologically useful structures

The influence of a Si cap on self-organized SiGe islands and the underlying wetting layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brehm, M.; Grydlik, M.; Groiss, H.; Hackl, F.; Schaeffler, F.; Fromherz, T.; Bauer, G.

2011-01-01

For the prototypical SiGe/Si(001) Stranski-Krastanow (SK) growth system, the influence of intermixing caused by the deposition of a Si cap layer at temperatures T cap between 300 deg. C and 700 deg. C is studied both for the SiGe wetting layer (WL) and the SiGe islands. Systematic growth experiments were carried out with an ultrahigh resolution of down to 0.005 monolayers (ML) of deposited Ge. The properties of the samples were investigated via photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy. We studied in detail the influence of T cap in the three main coverage regions of SiGe SK growth, which are (i) the WL build-up regime, (ii) the island nucleation regime, where most of the Ge is supplied via material transfer from the WL, and (iii) the saturation regime, where the WL thickness remains initially stable. At T cap = 300 deg. C, we found that both the WL and the island are essentially preserved in composition and shape, whereas at 500 deg. C the WL becomes heavily alloyed during capping, and at 700 deg. C the islands also become alloyed. At T cap = 500 deg. C we found enhanced WL intermixing in the presence of dome-shaped islands, whereas at T cap 700 deg. C the WL properties become dominated by the dissolution of pyramid-shaped islands upon capping. At Ge coverages above ≅6 ML, we found an unexpected thickening of the WL, almost independently of T cap . This finding suggests that the density and the volume of the dome-shaped islands have an upper limit, beyond which excess Ge from the external source again becomes incorporated into the WL. Finally, we compared PL spectra with AFM-based evaluations of the integral island volumes in order to determine in a straightforward manner the average composition of the SiGe islands.

Influence of Ge content on the optical properties of X and W centers in dilute Si-Ge alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leitão, J.P.; Carvalho, A.; Marques Pereira, Rui Nuno

2011-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) measurements, performed in Si and Si1−xGex alloys (x= 0.0069 and 0.0125) irradiated with protons and annealed between 100 and 650 ∘C, are combined with first-principles calculations to assess the assignment of the W and X lines to the trigonal and tetragonal forms of the tr...

Experiments and Modeling of Si-Ge Interdiffusion with Partial Strain Relaxation in Epitaxial SiGe Heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Dong, Y.

2014-07-26

Si-Ge interdiffusion and strain relaxation were studied in a metastable SiGe epitaxial structure. With Ge concentration profiling and ex-situ strain analysis, it was shown that during thermal anneals, both Si-Ge interdiffusion and strain relaxation occurred. Furthermore, the time evolutions of both strain relaxation and interdiffusion were characterized. It showed that during the ramp-up stage of thermal anneals at higher temperatures (800°C and 840°C), the degree of relaxation, R, reached a “plateau”, while interdiffusion was negligible. With the approximation that the R value is constant after the ramp-up stage, a quantitative interdiffusivity model was built to account for both the effect of strain relaxation and the impact of the relaxation induced dislocations, which gave good agreement with the experiment data.

Fermi surface changes in dilute magnesium alloys: a pseudopotential band structure model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fung, W.K.

1976-01-01

The de Haas-van Alphen effect has been used to study the Fermi surface of pure magnesium and its dilute alloys containing lithium and indium. The quantum oscillations in magnetization were detected by means of a torque magnetometer in magnetic field up to 36 kilogauss and temperature range of 4.2 0 to 1.7 0 K. The results provide information on the effects of lithium and indium solutes on the Fermi surface of magnesium in changes of extremal cross sections and effective masses as well as the relaxation times associated with the orbits. The nonlocal pseudopotential model proposed by Kimball, Stark and Mueller has been fitted to the Fermi surface of magnesium and extended to include the dilute alloys, fitting all the observed de Haas-van Alphen frequencies with an accuracy of better than 1 percent. A modified rigid band interpretation including both Fermi energy and local band edge changes computed from the model, gives an overall satisfactory description of the observed frequency shifts. With the pseudo-wavefunctions provided by the nonlocal model, the relaxation times in terms of Dingle temperatures for several orbits have been predicted using Sorbello's multiple-plane-wave phase shift model. The calculation with phase shifts obtained from a model potential yields a greater anisotropy than has been observed experimentally, while a two-parameter phase shift model provides a good fit to the experimental results

Analytical model of radiation-induced precipitation at the surface of dilute binary alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Pechenkin, V. A.; Stepanov, I. A.; Konobeev, Yu. V.

2002-12-01

Growth of precipitate layer at the foil surface of an undersaturated binary alloy under uniform irradiation is treated analytically. Analytical expressions for the layer growth rate, layer thickness limit and final component concentrations in the matrix are derived for coherent and incoherent precipitate-matrix interfaces. It is shown that the high temperature limit of radiation-induced precipitation is the same for both types of interfaces, whereas layer thickness limits are different. A parabolic law of the layer growth predicted for both types of interfaces is in agreement with experimental data on γ '-phase precipitation at the surface of Ni-Si dilute alloys under ion irradiation. Effect of sputtering on the precipitation rate and on the low temperature limit of precipitation under ion irradiation is discussed.

Diffuse scattering from the liquid-vapor interfaces of dilute Bi:Ga, Tl:Ga, and Pb:Ga alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Dongxu; Jiang Xu; Rice, Stuart A.; Lin Binhua; Meron, Mati

2005-01-01

As part of a study of the in-plane wave-vector (q xy ) dependence of the effective Hamiltonian for the liquid-vapor interface, H(q), the wave-vector dependences of diffuse x-ray scattering from the liquid-vapor interfaces of dilute alloys of Bi in Ga, Tl in Ga, and Pb in Ga have been measured. In these dilute alloys the solute component segregates as a monolayer that forms the outermost stratum of the liquid-vapor interfaces, and the density distribution along the normal to the interface is stratified. Over the temperature ranges that the alloy interfaces were studied, the Tl and Pb monolayers exhibit both crystalline and liquid phases while the Bi monolayer is always liquid. The diffuse scattering from the liquid-vapor interfaces of these alloys displays interesting differences with that from the liquid-vapor interface of pure Ga. The presence of a segregated monolayer of solute in the liquid-vapor interface of the alloy appears to slightly suppress the fluctuations in an intermediate wave-vector range in a fashion that preserves the validity of the macroscopic capillary wave model to smaller wavelengths than in pure liquid Ga, and there is an increase in diffuse scattering when the Tl and Pb monolayers melt. The surface intrinsic roughness from fitting the wave-vector dependence of surface tension is 5.0 pm for the Tl:Ga alloy and 1.4 pm for the Bi:Ga alloy. Also, a mode of excitation that contributes to diffuse scattering from the liquid-vapor interface of Pb in Ga, but does not contribute to diffuse scattering from the liquid-vapor interface of Ga, has been identified. It is proposed that this mode corresponds to the separation of the Pb and Ga layers in the regime 1 nm -1 ≤q xy ≤10 nm -1

Effects of alloying element and temperature on the stacking fault energies of dilute Ni-base superalloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, S L; Zacherl, C L; Fang, H Z; Wang, Y; Du, Y; Liu, Z K

2012-12-19

A systematic study of stacking fault energy (γ(SF)) resulting from induced alias shear deformation has been performed by means of first-principles calculations for dilute Ni-base superalloys (Ni(23)X and Ni(71)X) for various alloying elements (X) as a function of temperature. Twenty-six alloying elements are considered, i.e., Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hf, Ir, Mn, Mo, Nb, Os, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, Sc, Si, Ta, Tc, Ti, V, W, Y, Zn, and Zr. The temperature dependence of γ(SF) is computed using the proposed quasistatic approach based on a predicted γ(SF)-volume-temperature relationship. Besides γ(SF), equilibrium volume and the normalized stacking fault energy (Γ(SF) = γ(SF)/Gb, with G the shear modulus and b the Burgers vector) are also studied as a function of temperature for the 26 alloying elements. The following conclusions are obtained: all alloying elements X studied herein decrease the γ(SF) of fcc Ni, approximately the further the alloying element X is from Ni on the periodic table, the larger the decrease of γ(SF) for the dilute Ni-X alloy, and roughly the γ(SF) of Ni-X decreases with increasing equilibrium volume. In addition, the values of γ(SF) for all Ni-X systems decrease with increasing temperature (except for Ni-Cr at higher Cr content), and the largest decrease is observed for pure Ni. Similar to the case of the shear modulus, the variation of γ(SF) for Ni-X systems due to various alloying elements is traceable from the distribution of (magnetization) charge density: the spherical distribution of charge density around a Ni atom, especially a smaller sphere, results in a lower value of γ(SF) due to the facility of redistribution of charges. Computed stacking fault energies and the related properties are in favorable accord with available experimental and theoretical data.

Quantitative determination of the solidus line in the dilute limit of succinonitrile-camphor alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Mota, F. L.; Fabietti, L. M.; Bergeon, N.; Strutzenberg, L. L.; Karma, A.; Billia, B.; Trivedi, R.

2016-08-01

Different phase diagram measurements for succinonitrile-camphor alloys to date have yielded different values of the solute partition coefficient and the freezing range of the alloy. These parameters are critical to model solidification microstructure evolution. New measurements are made to precisely characterize the dilute limit of the succinonitrile-camphor phase diagram using thin-sample directional solidification experiments where convection is negligible, so that solute transport in the melt is purely diffusive, and the temperature gradient is constant in time. These results are confirmed through complementary measurements by differential scanning calorimetry and isothermal annealing. Possible measurement uncertainties in previously measured solidus lines are discussed. Experimental results were further confirmed using a boundary layer model of transient planar interface dynamics.

Irradiation-induced patterning in dilute Cu–Fe alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stumphy, B.; Chee, S.W.; Vo, N.Q.; Averback, R.S.; Bellon, P.; Ghafari, M.

2014-01-01

Compositional patterning in dilute Cu 1−x Fe x (x ≈ 12%) induced by 1.8 MeV Kr + irradiation was studied as a function of temperature using atom probe tomography. Irradiation near room temperature led to homogenization of the sample, whereas irradiation at 300 °C and above led to precipitation and macroscopic coarsening. Between these two temperatures the irradiated alloys formed steady state patterns of composition where precipitates grew to a fixed size. The size in this regime increased somewhat with temperature. It was also observed that the steady state concentrations of Fe in Cu matrix and Cu in the Fe precipitates both greatly exceeded their equilibrium solubilities, with the degree of supersaturation in each phase decreasing with increasing temperature. In the macroscopic coarsening regime, the Fe-rich precipitates showed indications of a “cherry-pit” structure, with Cu precipitates forming within the Fe precipitates. In the patterning regime, interfaces between Fe-rich precipitates and the Cu-rich matrix were irregular and diffuse

Ultra-low Thermal Conductivity in Si/Ge Hierarchical Superlattice Nanowire.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Xin; Wang, Lili; Yang, Xueming; Zhang, Pu; To, Albert C; Luo, Tengfei

2015-11-16

Due to interfacial phonon scattering and nanoscale size effect, silicon/germanium (Si/Ge) superlattice nanowire (SNW) can have very low thermal conductivity, which is very attractive for thermoelectrics. In this paper, we demonstrate using molecular dynamics simulations that the already low thermal conductivity of Si/Ge SNW can be further reduced by introducing hierarchical structure to form Si/Ge hierarchical superlattice nanowire (H-SNW). The structural hierarchy introduces defects to disrupt the periodicity of regular SNW and scatters coherent phonons, which are the key contributors to thermal transport in regular SNW. Our simulation results show that periodically arranged defects in Si/Ge H-SNW lead to a ~38% reduction of the already low thermal conductivity of regular Si/Ge SNW. By randomizing the arrangement of defects and imposing additional surface complexities to enhance phonon scattering, further reduction in thermal conductivity can be achieved. Compared to pure Si nanowire, the thermal conductivity reduction of Si/Ge H-SNW can be as large as ~95%. It is concluded that the hierarchical structuring is an effective way of reducing thermal conductivity significantly in SNW, which can be a promising path for improving the efficiency of Si/Ge-based SNW thermoelectrics.

Structure of the liquid-vapor interface of a dilute ternary alloy: Pb and In in Ga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Bin; Li Dongxu; Rice, Stuart A.

2003-01-01

We report the results of experimental studies of how the competition between two solutes to segregate in the liquid-vapor interface of a dilute ternary alloy influences the composition and structure of that interface. The system studied has small amounts of Pb and In dissolved in Ga; it differs from a previous study of dilute alloys containing small amounts of Pb and Sn dissolved in Ga by the addition of a new variable, namely, the valence difference between the solute atoms Pb and In. This valence difference influences the electron density distribution in the alloy liquid-vapor interface in proportion to the excess concentrations of the solute species in the interface, and thereby should affect the structure of the interface. We find that for a ternary PbInGa alloy that contains 0.039 at. % Pb and 6.31 at. % In, the Pb that segregates in the liquid-vapor interface forms a two-dimensional hexagonal crystal phase that undergoes a first-order transition to a disordered phase at T=29.0±0.1 deg. C. The two-dimensional crystalline Pb forms about 0.6 of a full monolayer; the remainder of the outer stratum of the liquid-vapor interface is filled with two-dimensional liquid In. For a ternary PbInGa alloy that contains the same amount of Pb and 12.2 at. % In, the Pb that segregates in the liquid-vapor interface forms a two-dimensional liquid down to 26.0 deg. C, the lowest temperature at which data were taken. For temperatures in excess of 29.0 deg. C two-dimensional liquid Pb and two-dimensional liquid In coexist in the interface, with the fractional occupation of the monolayer by In exceeding the fractional occupation by Pb

What are the mesoscopic magnetic inhomogeneities in the dilute PdFeMn alloy? Polarized neutron study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordeev, G.; Axelrod, L.; Zabenkin, V.; Lazebnik, I.; Grigoriev, S.; Wagner, V.; Eckerlebe, H

2003-07-01

The 3D analysis of neutron depolarization was carried out for different thermomagnetic treatment of the dilute PdFeMn alloy versus temperature and magnetic field applied in magnetizing/demagnetizing cycles. Both the macroscopic magnetization and the mean fluctuation of local magnetization behavior were subtracted from experimental data. A complicated behavior of the latter was observed. The hysteresis of local magnetization fluctuations is found out but that of macroscopic magnetization is practically absent. The effort to apply the simple model for the description of magnetic inhomogeneities was made in order to understand the mesostructure of this alloy.

Thermal conductivity engineering of bulk and one-dimensional Si-Ge nanoarchitectures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandemir, Ali; Ozden, Ayberk; Cagin, Tahir; Sevik, Cem

2017-01-01

Various theoretical and experimental methods are utilized to investigate the thermal conductivity of nanostructured materials; this is a critical parameter to increase performance of thermoelectric devices. Among these methods, equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) is an accurate technique to predict lattice thermal conductivity. In this study, by means of systematic EMD simulations, thermal conductivity of bulk Si-Ge structures (pristine, alloy and superlattice) and their nanostructured one dimensional forms with square and circular cross-section geometries (asymmetric and symmetric) are calculated for different crystallographic directions. A comprehensive temperature analysis is evaluated for selected structures as well. The results show that one-dimensional structures are superior candidates in terms of their low lattice thermal conductivity and thermal conductivity tunability by nanostructuring, such as by diameter modulation, interface roughness, periodicity and number of interfaces. We find that thermal conductivity decreases with smaller diameters or cross section areas. Furthermore, interface roughness decreases thermal conductivity with a profound impact. Moreover, we predicted that there is a specific periodicity that gives minimum thermal conductivity in symmetric superlattice structures. The decreasing thermal conductivity is due to the reducing phonon movement in the system due to the effect of the number of interfaces that determine regimes of ballistic and wave transport phenomena. In some nanostructures, such as nanowire superlattices, thermal conductivity of the Si/Ge system can be reduced to nearly twice that of an amorphous silicon thermal conductivity. Additionally, it is found that one crystal orientation, [Formula: see text]100[Formula: see text], is better than the [Formula: see text]111[Formula: see text] crystal orientation in one-dimensional and bulk SiGe systems. Our results clearly point out the importance of lattice thermal conductivity

Interface Engineering for Atomic Layer Deposited Alumina Gate Dielectric on SiGe Substrates.

OpenAIRE

Zhang, L; Guo, Y; Hassan, VV; Tang, K; Foad, MA; Woicik, JC; Pianetta, P; Robertson, John; McIntyre, PC

2016-01-01

Optimization of the interface between high-k dielectrics and SiGe substrates is a challenging topic due to the complexity arising from the coexistence of Si and Ge interfacial oxides. Defective high-k/SiGe interfaces limit future applications of SiGe as a channel material for electronic devices. In this paper, we identify the surface layer structure of as-received SiGe and Al2O3/SiGe structures based on soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As-received SiGe substrates have native Si...

Study of Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping

KAUST Repository

Cai, Feiyang; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Zhang, Xixiang; Xia, Guangrui

2016-01-01

Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping was investigated by both experiments and modeling. Ge/Si1-x Ge x/Ge multi-layer structures with 0.75Si-Ge interdiffusivity, which is 2–8 times of that of the undoped sample. The doping dependence of the Si-Ge interdiffusion was modelled by a Fermi-enhancement factor. The results show that the Si-Ge interdiffusion coefficient is proportional to n2/n2i for the conditions studied, which indicates that the interdiffusion in a high Ge fraction range with n-type doping is dominated by V2− defects. The Fermi-enhancement factor was shown to have a relatively weak dependence on the temperature and the Ge fraction. The results are relevant to the structure and thermal processing condition design of n-type doped Ge/Si and Ge/SiGe based devices such as Ge/Si lasers.

Study of Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping

KAUST Repository

Cai, Feiyang

2016-10-28

Si-Ge interdiffusion with phosphorus doping was investigated by both experiments and modeling. Ge/Si1-x Ge x/Ge multi-layer structures with 0.75Si-Ge interdiffusivity, which is 2–8 times of that of the undoped sample. The doping dependence of the Si-Ge interdiffusion was modelled by a Fermi-enhancement factor. The results show that the Si-Ge interdiffusion coefficient is proportional to n2/n2i for the conditions studied, which indicates that the interdiffusion in a high Ge fraction range with n-type doping is dominated by V2− defects. The Fermi-enhancement factor was shown to have a relatively weak dependence on the temperature and the Ge fraction. The results are relevant to the structure and thermal processing condition design of n-type doped Ge/Si and Ge/SiGe based devices such as Ge/Si lasers.

The reliability studies of nano-engineered SiGe HBTs using Pelletron accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, A. P. Gnana; Praveen, K. C.; Pushpa, N.; Cressler, John D.

2015-05-01

The effects of high energy ions on the electrical characteristics of silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) were studied in the total dose of ranging from 600 krad to 100 Mrad (Si). The two generations (50 GHz and 200 GHz) of SiGe HBTs were exposed to 50 MeV lithium, 75 MeV boron and 100 MeV oxygen ions. The electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs were studied before and after irradiation. The SiGe HBTs were exposed to 60Co gamma radiation in the same total dose. The results are systematically compared in order to understand the interaction of ions and ionizing radiation with SiGe HBTs.

The reliability studies of nano-engineered SiGe HBTs using Pelletron accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prakash, A. P. Gnana, E-mail: gnanaprakash@physics.uni-mysore.ac.in; Praveen, K. C. [Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, Karnataka-570006 (India); Pushpa, N. [Department of PG Studies in Physics, JSS College, Ooty Road, Mysore-570025 (India); Cressler, John D. [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332 (United States)

2015-05-15

The effects of high energy ions on the electrical characteristics of silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) were studied in the total dose of ranging from 600 krad to 100 Mrad (Si). The two generations (50 GHz and 200 GHz) of SiGe HBTs were exposed to 50 MeV lithium, 75 MeV boron and 100 MeV oxygen ions. The electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs were studied before and after irradiation. The SiGe HBTs were exposed to {sup 60}Co gamma radiation in the same total dose. The results are systematically compared in order to understand the interaction of ions and ionizing radiation with SiGe HBTs.

Computation of infinite dilute activity coefficients of binary liquid alloys using complex formation model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awe, O.E., E-mail: draweoe2004@yahoo.com; Oshakuade, O.M.

2016-04-15

A new method for calculating Infinite Dilute Activity Coefficients (γ{sup ∞}s) of binary liquid alloys has been developed. This method is basically computing γ{sup ∞}s from experimental thermodynamic integral free energy of mixing data using Complex formation model. The new method was first used to theoretically compute the γ{sup ∞}s of 10 binary alloys whose γ{sup ∞}s have been determined by experiments. The significant agreement between the computed values and the available experimental values served as impetus for applying the new method to 22 selected binary liquid alloys whose γ{sup ∞}s are either nonexistent or incomplete. In order to verify the reliability of the computed γ{sup ∞}s of the 22 selected alloys, we recomputed the γ{sup ∞}s using three other existing methods of computing or estimating γ{sup ∞}s and then used the γ{sup ∞}s obtained from each of the four methods (the new method inclusive) to compute thermodynamic activities of components of each of the binary systems. The computed activities were compared with available experimental activities. It is observed that the results from the method being proposed, in most of the selected alloys, showed better agreement with experimental activity data. Thus, the new method is an alternative and in certain instances, more reliable approach of computing γ{sup ∞}s of binary liquid alloys.

Method for producing evaporation inhibiting coating for protection of silicon--germanium and silicon--molybdenum alloys at high temperatures in vacuum

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, P.J.

1974-01-01

A method is given for protecting Si--Ge and Si-- Mo alloys for use in thermocouples. The alloys are coated with silicon to inhibit the evaporation of the alloys at high tempenatures in a vacuum. Specific means and methods are provided. (5 fig) (Official Gazette)

First-Principle Study of the Optical Properties of Dilute-P GaN1-xPx Alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Borovac, Damir; Tan, Chee-Keong; Tansu, Nelson

2018-04-16

An investigation on the optical properties of dilute-P GaN 1-x P x alloys by First-Principle Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods is presented, for phosphorus (P) content varying from 0% up to 12.5%. Findings on the imaginary and real part of the dielectric function are analyzed and the results are compared with previously reported theoretical works on GaN. The complex refractive index, normal-incidence reflectivity and birefringence are presented and a difference in the refractive index in the visible regime between GaN and GaNP alloys of ~0.3 can be engineered by adding minute amounts of phosphorus, indicating strong potential for refractive index tunability. The optical properties of the GaN 1-x P x alloys indicate their strong potential for implementation in various III-nitride-based photonic waveguide applications and Distributed Bragg Reflectors (DBR).

Electrochemical and corrosion behavior of a 304 stainless-steel-based metal alloy wasteform in dilute aqueous environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jian; Asmussen, R. Matthew; Zagidulin, Dmitrij; Noël, James J.; Shoesmith, David W.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We investigated the corrosion behavior of a metal alloy in six reference solutions. ► Majority of rhenium used as a technetium surrogate contained within a Fe 2 Mo phase. ► This prototype alloy exhibited generally passive behavior in all environments. ► Passivity breakdown events can occur and lead to localized corrosion. - Abstract: The electrochemical and corrosion behavior of a stainless-steel-based alloy made as a prototype metallic nuclear wasteform to immobilize 99 Tc, has been studied in a number of reference solutions ranging in pH from 4 to 10. The results showed the 47SS(304)-9Zr–23Mo prototype alloy contained at least five distinct phases with the majority of the Re, used as a Tc surrogate, contained within a Fe 2 Mo intermetallic phase. Polarization studies showed this alloy exhibited generally passive behavior in a range of dilute aqueous environments. Impedance measurements indicated passivity breakdown events can occur and lead to localized corrosion, especially in slightly alkaline conditions.

Photoelectron spectroscopy study of Fe-diluted Au-Fe alloys

CERN Document Server

Nahm, T U; Choi, B; Park, J S; Oh, S J; Cho, E J

2003-01-01

The electronic structure of Fe-diluted Au-Fe alloys has been studied by taking core-level and valence-band spectra using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation. From the core-level spectroscopy, we found that the Fe 2p spectrum is composed of d sup 6 and d sup 7 multiplets from Fe impurity atoms. This behaviour is qualitatively discussed within the context of electron-electron interaction. In order to explore the electron-correlation effects in the valence band, we obtained Fe 3d partial spectral weights by taking advantage of the Cooper-minimum phenomenon of an Au 5d photoionization cross section. It was found that the spin-down states have an appreciable amount of spectral weights throughout the host Au 5d band, contrary to previous one-electron calculations predicting two-peak structure of the Fe 3d states. We suggest that this discrepancy results from the correlation effect of the Fe 3d electrons.

Phosphorus atomic layer doping in SiGe using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Heinemann, Bernd; Murota, Junichi; Tillack, Bernd

2014-01-01

Phosphorus (P) atomic layer doping in SiGe is investigated at temperatures between 100 °C to 600 °C using a single wafer reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system. SiGe(100) surface is exposed to PH 3 at different PH 3 partial pressures by interrupting SiGe growth. The impact of the SiGe buffer/cap growth condition (total pressure/SiGe deposition precursors) on P adsorption, incorporation, and segregation are investigated. In the case of SiH 4 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system, steeper P spikes due to lower segregation are observed by SiGe cap deposition at atmospheric (ATM) pressure compared with reduced pressure (RP). The steepness of P spike of ∼ 5.7 nm/dec is obtained for ATM pressure without reducing deposition temperature. This result may be due to the shift of equilibrium of P adsorption/desorption to desorption direction by higher H 2 pressure. Using Si 2 H 6 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system for SiGe cap deposition in RP, lowering the SiGe growth temperature is possible, resulting in higher P incorporation and steeper P profile due to reduced desorption and segregation. In the case of Si 2 H 6 -GeH 4 -H 2 gas system, the P dose could be simulated assuming a Langmuir-type kinetics model. Incorporated P shows high electrical activity, indicating P is adsorbed mostly in lattice position. - Highlights: • Phosphorus (P) atomic layer doping in SiGe (100) is investigated using CVD. • P adsorption is suppressed by the hydrogen termination of Ge surface. • By SiGe cap deposition at atmospheric pressure, P segregation was suppressed. • By using Si 2 H 6 -based SiGe cap, P segregation was also suppressed. • The P adsorption process is self-limited and follows Langmuir-type kinetics model

Diffuse x-ray scattering studies of defect reactions in electron-irradiated dilute nickel alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Averback, R.S.; Ehrhart, P.

1984-01-01

Huang diffuse scattering was employed to study defect properties in dilute Ni-Si alloys. Ni alloys containing 1 at.% and 0.05 at.% Si were irradiated with electrons at 4.2 K and were subsequently isochronally annealed. It was found that, prior to annealing, the Frenkel-pair resistivities and self-interstitial atom configurations were the same in the alloys as in pure Ni. The independence of the Frenkel-pair resistivity to Si concentration indicates that the resistivities arising from Frenkel pairs and Si solute are linearly additive in Ni. After annealing through stage I to 85 K, the defect cluster size grew to 1.5, 2.3 and 3.0 interstitial atoms for the 1 at.% Si, 0.05 at.% Si and pure Ni specimens, respectively. These results demonstrate that self-interstitial atoms are not immobilised by single Si atoms in Ni, but rather complexes involving several Si atoms and/or two interstitial atoms are the stable defects at the end of annealing stage I. It was also observed that Si solute in Ni strongly suppresses the growth of interstitial clusters in stage II. In the 1 at.% Si alloys di-interstitials were immobilised up to temperatures between 200 and 300 K. There was no indication that Si solute reduced vacancy mobility in annealing stage III. The consequences of these results for the understanding of high-temperature radiation effects in alloys are discussed. (author)

Conversion Matrix Analysis of SiGe HBT Gilbert Cell Mixers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Vidkjær, Jens; Krozer, Viktor

2004-01-01

The frequency response of SiGe HBT active mixers based on the Gilbert cell topology is analyzed theoretically. The time-varying operation of the Gilbert cell mixer is taken into account by applying conversion matrix analysis. The main bandwidth limiting mechanisms experienced in SiGe HBT Gilbert ...

Cryogenic operation of a 24 GHz MMIC SiGe HBT medium power amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Guoxuan; Jiang, Ningyue; Seo, Jung-Hun; Cho, Namki; Van der Weide, Daniel; Ma, Zhenqiang; Ponchak, George E; Ma, Pingxi; Stetson, Scott; Racanelli, Marco

2010-01-01

The performance of a SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) millimetre-wave power amplifier (PA) operating at cryogenic temperature was reported and analysed for the first time. A 24 GHz two-stage medium PA employing common-emitter and common-base SiGe power HBTs in the first and the second stage, respectively, showed a significant power gain increase at 77 K in comparison with that measured at room temperature. Detailed analyses indicate that cryogenic operation of SiGe HBT-based PAs mainly affects (improves) the performance of the SiGe HBTs in the circuits due to transconductance enhancement through magnified, favourable changes of SiGe bandgap due to cooling (ΔE g /kT) and minimized thermal effects, with little influence on the passive components of the circuits

Noise Parameter Analysis of SiGe HBTs for Different Sizes in the Breakdown Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chie-In Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Noise parameters of silicon germanium (SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs for different sizes are investigated in the breakdown region for the first time. When the emitter length of SiGe HBTs shortens, minimum noise figure at breakdown decreases. In addition, narrower emitter width also decreases noise figure of SiGe HBTs in the avalanche region. Reduction of noise performance for smaller emitter length and width of SiGe HBTs at breakdown resulted from the lower noise spectral density resulting from the breakdown mechanism. Good agreement between experimental and simulated noise performance at breakdown is achieved for different sized SiGe HBTs. The presented analysis can benefit the RF circuits operating in the breakdown region.

Suppression of dilution in Ni-Cr-Si-B alloy cladding layer by controlling diode laser beam profile

Science.gov (United States)

Tanigawa, Daichi; Funada, Yoshinori; Abe, Nobuyuki; Tsukamoto, Masahiro; Hayashi, Yoshihiko; Yamazaki, Hiroyuki; Tatsumi, Yoshihiro; Yoneyama, Mikio

2018-02-01

A Ni-Cr-Si-B alloy layer was produced on a type 304 stainless steel plate by laser cladding. In order to produce cladding layer with smooth surface and low dilution, influence of laser beam profile on cladding layer was investigated. A laser beam with a constant spatial intensity at the focus spot was used to suppress droplet formation during the cladding layer formation. This line spot, formed with a focussing unit designed by our group, suppressed droplet generation. The layer formed using this line spot with a constant spatial intensity had a much smoother surface compared to a layer formed using a line spot with a Gaussian-like beam. In addition, the dilution of the former layer was much smaller. These results indicated that a line spot with a constant spatial intensity was more effective in producing a cladding layer with smooth surface and low dilution because it suppressed droplet generation.

Stable and low contact resistance electrical contacts for high temperature SiGe thermoelectric generators

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Bo

2018-04-14

The thermal stability and contact resistance of TaAlN thin films as electrical contacts to SiGe thermoelectric elements are reported. We demonstrate that a sharp interface is maintained after the device annealed at 800°C for over 100h, indicating that no interdiffusion takes place between TaAlN and SiGe. A specific contact resistivity of (2.1±1.3)×10−6Ω-cm2 for p-type SiGe and (2.8±1.6)×10−5 Ω-cm2 for n-type SiGe is demonstrated after the high temperature annealing. These results show that TaAlN is a promising contact material for high temperature thermoelectrics such as SiGe.

Study of low dimensional SiGe island on Si for potential visible Metal-Semiconductor-Metal photodetector

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, Alhan Farhanah Abd; Zainal Badri, Nur'Amirah; Radzali, Rosfariza; Mahmood, Ainorkhilah

2017-11-01

In this paper, an investigation of design and simulation of silicon germanium (SiGe) islands on silicon (Si) was presented for potential visible metal semiconductor metal (MSM) photodetector. The characterization of the performances in term of the structural, optical and electrical properties of the structures was analyzed from the simulation results. The project involves simulation using SILVACO Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tools. The different structures of the silicon germanium (SiGe) island on silicon substrate were created, which were large SiGe, small SiGe, combination SiGe and bulk Ge. All the structures were tested for potential Metal Semiconductor Metal (MSM) photodetector. The extracted data such as current versus voltage characteristic, current gain and spectral response were obtained using ATLAS SILVACO tools. The performance of SiGe island structures and bulk Ge on Si substrate as (MSM) photodetector was evaluated by photo and dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. It was found that SiGe islands exhibited higher energy band gap compared to bulk Ge. The SiGe islands current-voltage characteristics showed improved current gain compared to bulk Ge. Specifically the enhancement of the islands gain was contributed by the enhanced photo currents and lower dark currents. The spectral responses of the SiGe islands showed peak response at 590 nm (yellow) which is at the visible wavelength. This shows the feasibility of the SiGe islands to be utilized for visible photodetections.

Study of low dimensional SiGe island on Si for potential visible Metal-Semiconductor-Metal photodetector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abd Rahim Alhan Farhanah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an investigation of design and simulation of silicon germanium (SiGe islands on silicon (Si was presented for potential visible metal semiconductor metal (MSM photodetector. The characterization of the performances in term of the structural, optical and electrical properties of the structures was analyzed from the simulation results. The project involves simulation using SILVACO Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD tools. The different structures of the silicon germanium (SiGe island on silicon substrate were created, which were large SiGe, small SiGe, combination SiGe and bulk Ge. All the structures were tested for potential Metal Semiconductor Metal (MSM photodetector. The extracted data such as current versus voltage characteristic, current gain and spectral response were obtained using ATLAS SILVACO tools. The performance of SiGe island structures and bulk Ge on Si substrate as (MSM photodetector was evaluated by photo and dark current-voltage (I-V characteristics. It was found that SiGe islands exhibited higher energy band gap compared to bulk Ge. The SiGe islands current-voltage characteristics showed improved current gain compared to bulk Ge. Specifically the enhancement of the islands gain was contributed by the enhanced photo currents and lower dark currents. The spectral responses of the SiGe islands showed peak response at 590 nm (yellow which is at the visible wavelength. This shows the feasibility of the SiGe islands to be utilized for visible photodetections.

Enhanced Emission of Quantum System in Si-Ge Nanolayer Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhong-Mei; Huang, Wei-Qi; Dong, Tai-Ge; Wang, Gang; Wu, Xue-Ke

2016-12-01

It is very interesting that the enhanced peaks near 1150 and 1550 nm are observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the quantum system of Si-Ge nanolayer structure, which have the emission characteristics of a three-level system with quantum dots (QDs) pumping and emission of quasi-direct-gap band, in our experiment. In the preparing process of Si-Ge nanolayer structure by using a pulsed laser deposition method, it is discovered that the nanocrystals of Si and Ge grow in the (100) and (111) directions after annealing or electron beam irradiation. The enhanced PL peaks with multi-longitudinal-mode are measured at room temperature in the super-lattice of Si-Ge nanolayer quantum system on SOI.

Heavy Ion Current Transients in SiGe HBTs

Science.gov (United States)

Pellish, Jonathan A.; Reed, Robert A.; Vizkelethy, Gyorgy; McMorrow, Dale; Ferlet-Cavrois, Veronique; Baggio, Jacques; Paillet, Philipe; Duhanel, Olivier; Phillips, Stanley D.; Sutton, Akil K.;

Corrosion of carbon steel and low-alloy steel in diluted seawater containing hydrazine under gamma-rays irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Junichi; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Tsukada, Takashi

2014-01-01

Seawater was injected into reactor cores of Units 1, 2, and 3 in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as an urgent coolant. It is considered that the injected seawater causes corrosion of steels of the reactor pressure vessel and primary containment vessel. To investigate the effects of gamma-rays irradiation on weight loss in carbon steel and low-alloy steel, corrosion tests were performed in diluted seawater at 50°C under gamma-rays irradiation. Specimens were irradiated with dose rates of 4.4 kGy/h and 0.2 kGy/h. To evaluate the effects of hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) on the reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, N 2 H 4 was added to the diluted seawater. In the diluted seawater without N 2 H 4 , weight loss in the steels irradiated with 0.2 kGy/h was similar to that in the unirradiated steels, and weight loss in the steels irradiated with 4.4 kGy/h increased to approximate 1.7 times of those in the unirradiated steels. Weight loss in the steels irradiated in the diluted seawater containing N 2 H 4 was similar to that in the diluted seawater without N 2 H 4 . When N 2 was introduced into the gas phase in the flasks during gamma-rays irradiation, weight loss in the steels decreased. (author)

Stress relaxation in dilute Al-0.02 at.% Mn alloy under electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bystrov, L.N.; Ivanov, L.I.; Pletnev, M.N.; Reznitsky, M.E.

1984-01-01

Stress relaxation in cold-worked and annealed (573 K for 2 hours) specimens of the dilute alloy Al-0.02 at.% Mn has been studied experimentally over a range of initial stresses 5 to 80 MPa, both with and without irradiation by 2.1 MeV electrons. Thermoactivation analysis has revealed that relaxation proceeds in two stages with different activation parameters. The deformation rate in the first stage is controlled by diffusion of the impurity (Mn), and in the second stage by the self-diffusion of aluminum. A new method has been proposed for evaluating the internal stresses from experimental data. The effect of radiation-induced diffusion on the kinetics of relaxation is discussed. (author)

SiGe Integrated Circuit Developments for SQUID/TES Readout

Science.gov (United States)

Prêle, D.; Voisin, F.; Beillimaz, C.; Chen, S.; Piat, M.; Goldwurm, A.; Laurent, P.

2018-03-01

SiGe integrated circuits dedicated to the readout of superconducting bolometer arrays for astrophysics have been developed since more than 10 years at APC. Whether for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations with the QUBIC ground-based experiment (Aumont et al. in astro-ph.IM, 2016. arXiv:1609.04372) or for the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme with the X-IFU instrument on-board of the ATHENA space mission (Barret et al. in SPIE 9905, space telescopes & instrumentation 2016: UV to γ Ray, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232432), several kinds of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) (Irwin and Hilton, in ENSS (ed) Cryogenic particle detection, Springer, Berlin, 2005) arrays have been investigated. To readout such superconducting detector arrays, we use time or frequency domain multiplexers (TDM, FDM) (Prêle in JINST 10:C08015, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/10/08/C08015) with Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUID). In addition to the SQUID devices, low-noise biasing and amplification are needed. These last functions can be obtained by using BiCMOS SiGe technology in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). ASIC technology allows integration of highly optimised circuits specifically designed for a unique application. Moreover, we could reach very low-noise and wide band amplification using SiGe bipolar transistor either at room or cryogenic temperatures (Cressler in J Phys IV 04(C6):C6-101, 1994. https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:1994616). This paper discusses the use of SiGe integrated circuits for SQUID/TES readout and gives an update of the last developments dedicated to the QUBIC telescope and to the X-IFU instrument. Both ASIC called SQmux128 and AwaXe are described showing the interest of such SiGe technology for SQUID multiplexer controls.

Quantitative SIMS analysis of SiGe composition with low energy O2+ beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Z.X.; Kim, K.; Lerma, J.; Corbett, A.; Sieloff, D.; Kottke, M.; Gregory, R.; Schauer, S.

2006-01-01

This work explored quantitative analyses of SiGe films on either Si bulk or SOI wafers with low energy SIMS by assuming a constant ratio between the secondary ion yields of Si + and Ge + inside SiGe films. SiGe samples with Ge contents ranging from 15 to 65% have been analyzed with a 1 keV O 2 + beam at normal incidence. For comparison, the samples were also analyzed with RBS and/or AES. The Ge content as measured with SIMS, based on a single SiGe/Si or SiGe/SOI standard, exhibited good agreement with the corresponding RBS and AES data. It was concluded that SIMS was capable of providing accurate characterization of the SiGe composition with the Ge content up to 65%

Atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model based on ab initio data: Simulation of microstructural evolution under irradiation of dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincent, E.; Becquart, C.S.; Domain, C.

2007-01-01

The embrittlement of pressure vessel steels under radiation has been long ago correlated with the presence of Cu solutes. Other solutes such as Ni, Mn and Si are now suspected to contribute also to the embrittlement. The interactions of these solutes with radiation induced point defects thus need to be characterized properly in order to understand the elementary mechanisms behind the formation of the clusters formed upon radiation. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed to determine the interactions of point defects with solute atoms in dilute FeX alloys (X = Cu, Mn, Ni or Si) in order to build a database used to parameterise an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model. Some results of irradiation damage in dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys obtained with this model are presented

Atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model based on ab initio data: Simulation of microstructural evolution under irradiation of dilute Fe CuNiMnSi alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, E.; Becquart, C. S.; Domain, C.

2007-02-01

The embrittlement of pressure vessel steels under radiation has been long ago correlated with the presence of Cu solutes. Other solutes such as Ni, Mn and Si are now suspected to contribute also to the embrittlement. The interactions of these solutes with radiation induced point defects thus need to be characterized properly in order to understand the elementary mechanisms behind the formation of the clusters formed upon radiation. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed to determine the interactions of point defects with solute atoms in dilute FeX alloys (X = Cu, Mn, Ni or Si) in order to build a database used to parameterise an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model. Some results of irradiation damage in dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys obtained with this model are presented.

Zirconium alloy barrier having improved corrosion resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamson, R.B.; Rosenbaum, H.S.

1983-01-01

A nuclear fuel element for use in the core of a nuclear reactor has a composite cladding container having a substrate and a dilute zirconium alloy liner bonded to the inside surface of the substrate. The dilute zirconium alloy liner forms about 1 to about 20 percent of the thickness of the cladding and is comprised of zirconium and a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, iron plus chromium, and copper. The dilute zirconium alloy liner shields the substrate from impurities or fission products from the nuclear fuel material and protects the substrate from stress corrosion and stress cracking. The dilute zirconium alloy liner displays greater corrosion resistance, especially to oxidation by hot water or steam than unalloyed zirconium. The substrate material is selected from conventional cladding materials, and preferably is a zirconium alloy. (author)

Stable and low contact resistance electrical contacts for high temperature SiGe thermoelectric generators

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Bo; Zheng, Tao; Wang, Qingxiao; Guo, Zaibing; Kim, Moon J.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Gnade, Bruce E.

2018-01-01

that no interdiffusion takes place between TaAlN and SiGe. A specific contact resistivity of (2.1±1.3)×10−6Ω-cm2 for p-type SiGe and (2.8±1.6)×10−5 Ω-cm2 for n-type SiGe is demonstrated after the high temperature annealing. These results show that TaAlN is a promising

Simulation of the microstructural evolution under irradiation of dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys by atomic kinetic monte Carlo model based on ab initio data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincent, E.; Domain, C.; Vincent, E.; Becquart, C.S.

2008-01-01

Full text of publication follows. The embrittlement and the hardening of pressure vessel steels under radiation has been correlated with the presence solutes such as Cu, Ni, Mn and Si. Indeed it has been observed that under irradiation, these solutes tend to gather to form more or less dilute clusters. The interactions of these solutes with radiation induced point defects thus need to be characterised properly in order to understand the elementary mechanisms behind the formation of these clusters. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed to determine the interactions of point defects (vacancies as well as interstitials) with solute atoms in dilute FeX alloys (X Cu, Mn, Ni or Si) in order to build a database used to parameterize an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model. The model has been applied to simulate thermal ageing as well as irradiation conditions in dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys. Results obtained with this model will be presented. (authors)

SiGe Based Low Temperature Electronics for Lunar Surface Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Mojarradi, Mohammad M.; Kolawa, Elizabeth; Blalock, Benjamin; Cressler, John

2012-01-01

The temperature at the permanently shadowed regions of the moon's surface is approximately -240 C. Other areas of the lunar surface experience temperatures that vary between 120 C and -180 C during the day and night respectively. To protect against the large temperature variations of the moon surface, traditional electronics used in lunar robotics systems are placed inside a thermally controlled housing which is bulky, consumes power and adds complexity to the integration and test. SiGe Based electronics have the capability to operate over wide temperature range like that of the lunar surface. Deploying low temperature SiGe electronics in a lander platform can minimize the need for the central thermal protection system and enable the development of a new generation of landers and mobility platforms with highly efficient distributed architecture. For the past five years a team consisting of NASA, university and industry researchers has been examining the low temperature and wide temperature characteristic of SiGe based transistors for developing electronics for wide temperature needs of NASA environments such as the Moon, Titan, Mars and Europa. This presentation reports on the status of the development of wide temperature SiGe based electronics for the landers and lunar surface mobility systems.

Hyperfine interactions in dilute Se doped Fe{sub x}Sb{sub 1−x} bulk alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Mitesh, E-mail: miteshsarkar-msu@yahoo.com; Agrawal, Naveen [The M. S. University of Baroda, Department of Physics (India); Chawda, Mukesh [Polytechnic, The M. S. University of Baroda, Department of Applied Physics (India)

2016-12-15

Hyperfine Interaction technique like Moessbauer spectroscopy is a very sensitive tool to study the local probe interactions in Iron doped alloys and compounds. We report here the Moessbauer study of the effect of Fe concentration variations in dilute magnetic semiconducting Se{sub 0.004}Fe{sub x}Sb{sub 1−x} alloys for x = 0.002, 0.004 and 0.008. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), Neutron depolarization and Moessbauer spectroscopy. The FTIR result shows the semiconducting behavior of the alloys with band gap of 0.18 eV. From Moessbauer spectroscopy two magnetic sites (A and B) were observed. The value of hyperfine magnetic fields (HMF) of ∼ 308 kOe (site A) and 270 kOe (site B) was constant with increase in Fe concentration. A nonmagnetic interaction was also observed with quadrupole splitting (QS) of 1.26 mm/sec (site C) for x = 0.004 and x = 0.008. The Neutron depolarization studies indicate that the clusters of Fe or Fe based compounds having net magnetic moments with a size greater than 100 Å is absent.

Morphology and substructure of lath martensites in dilute Zr--Nb alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, D.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Banerjee, S.

2000-01-01

The morphology and substructure of lath martensites formed in β quenched dilute Zr--Nb alloys are described. The laths are arranged in a nearly parallel manner within any given colony or packet. Packets of alternately twin related laths and clusters of three mutually twin related lath martensite variants have been observed and the twinning plane is of {1 anti 101} H type. With increasing niobium content a continuous transition from large colonies of lath martensites, through smaller lath colonies, to individual plates of the acicular martensites occurs. The lath-lath interface consists of regularly spaced parallel arrays of dislocations of type. The habit plane traces of lath martensite lie close to {334} type poles and the operating lattice invariant shear mode is { anti 1101} H H shear system. This result is consistent with results predicted by the phenomenological theory. The preferred two and three habit plane variant grouping clustering is explained on the basis of self-accommodation effects. (orig.)

Substrate Effects in Wideband SiGe HBT Mixer Circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Vidkjær, Jens; Krozer, Viktor

2005-01-01

are also applied to predict short distance substrate coupling effects. Simulation results using extracted equivalent circuit models and substrate coupling networks are compared with experimental results obtained on a wideband mixer circuit implemented in a 0.35 μm, 60 GHz ft SiGe HBT BiCMOS process.......In this paper, the influence from substrate effects on the performance of wideband SiGe HBT mixer circuits is investigated. Equivalent circuit models including substrate networks are extracted from on-wafer test structures and compared with electromagnetic simulations. Electromagnetic simulations...

A theory for the anisotropic interaction between two substitutional magnetic impurities and the magnetic anisotropic effect in dilute magnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satter, M.A.

1990-08-01

In this paper, a formalism for studying the anisotropic interaction between two substitutional magnetic impurities and the magnetic anisotropic effect in a dilute noble metal- transition metal magnetic alloy has been developed from relativistic scattering theory. The theoretical development and the computational techniques of this formalism are based on relativistic spin-polarized scattering theory and relativistic band structure frameworks. For studying the magnetic anisotropic effect a convenient ''working'' frame of reference with its axes oriented along the fcc crystal axes is set up. This formalism is applied to study the situation for two Fe impurities in paramagnetic Au hosts. For AuFe dilute alloy, the two impurity site interaction as a function of separation is not oscillatory and the anisotropic effect is found to be less than the two site interaction itself only by an order of magnitude. Apart from the anisotropic coupling of the two impurity spins to the separation vector, for the first time, another weak anisotropic coupling to the crystal axes is also contained in the two site interaction. These anisotropic effects are the results of the relativistic spin-orbit interaction which are incorporated into the formalism. (author). 22 refs, 5 figs

High-aspect-ratio and high-flatness Cu3(SiGe) nanoplatelets prepared by chemical vapor deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Klementová, Mariana; Palatinus, Lukás; Novotný, Filip; Fajgar, Radek; Subrt, Jan; Drínek, Vladislav

2013-06-01

Cu3(SiGe) nanoplatelets were synthesized by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of a SiH3C2H5/Ge2(CH3)6 mixture on a Cu-substrate at 500 degrees C, total pressure of 110-115 Pa, and Ge/Si molar ratio of 22. The nanoplatelets with composition Cu76Si15Ge12 are formed by the 4'-phase, and they are flattened perpendicular to the [001] direction. Their lateral dimensions reach several tens of micrometers in size, but they are only about 50 nm thick. Their surface is extremely flat, with measured root mean square roughness R(q) below 0.2 nm. The nanoplatelets grow via the non-catalytic vapor-solid mechanism and surface growth. In addition, nanowires and nanorods of various Cu-Si-Ge alloys were also obtained depending on the experimental conditions. Morphology of the resulting Cu-Si-Ge nanoobjects is very sensitive to the experimental parameters. The formation of nanoplatelets is associated with increased amount of Ge in the alloy.

SiGe layer thickness effect on the structural and optical properties of well-organized SiGe/SiO2 multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, E. M. F.; Toudert, J.; Rolo, A. G.; Parisini, A.; Leitão, J. P.; Correia, M. R.; Franco, N.; Alves, E.; Chahboun, A.; Martín-Sánchez, J.; Serna, R.; Gomes, M. J. M.

2017-08-01

In this work, we report on the production of regular (SiGe/SiO2)20 multilayer structures by conventional RF-magnetron sputtering, at 350 °C. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, raman spectroscopy, and x-ray reflectometry measurements revealed that annealing at a temperature of 1000 °C leads to the formation of SiGe nanocrystals between SiO2 thin layers with good multilayer stability. Reducing the nominal SiGe layer thickness (t SiGe) from 3.5-2 nm results in a transition from continuous SiGe crystalline layer (t SiGe ˜ 3.5 nm) to layers consisting of isolated nanocrystals (t SiGe ˜ 2 nm). Namely, in the latter case, the presence of SiGe nanocrystals ˜3-8 nm in size, is observed. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was applied to determine the evolution of the onset in the effective optical absorption, as well as the dielectric function, in SiGe multilayers as a function of the SiGe thickness. A clear blue-shift in the optical absorption is observed for t SiGe ˜ 2 nm multilayer, as a consequence of the presence of isolated nanocrystals. Furthermore, the observed near infrared values of n = 2.8 and k = 1.5 are lower than those of bulk SiGe compounds, suggesting the presence of electronic confinement effects in the nanocrystals. The low temperature (70 K) photoluminescence measurements performed on annealed SiGe/SiO2 nanostructures show an emission band located between 0.7-0.9 eV associated with the development of interface states between the formed nanocrystals and surrounding amorphous matrix.

Interface bond relaxation on the thermal conductivity of Si/Ge core-shell nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Weifeng; He, Yan; Ouyang, Gang, E-mail: gangouy@hunnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control of Ministry of Education, Synergetic Innovation Center for Quantum Effects and Applications(SICQEA), Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081 (China); Sun, Changqing [School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

2016-01-15

The thermal conductivity of Si/Ge core-shell nanowires (CSNWs) is investigated on the basis of atomic-bond-relaxation consideration and continuum mechanics. An analytical model is developed to clarify the interface bond relaxation of Si/Ge CSNWs. It is found that the thermal conductivity of Si core can be modulated through covering with Ge epitaxial layers. The change of thermal conductivity in Si/Ge CSNWs should be attributed to the surface relaxation and interface mismatch between inner Si nanowire and outer Ge epitaxial layer. Our results are in well agreement with the experimental measurements and simulations, suggesting that the presented method provides a fundamental insight of the thermal conductivity of CSNWs from the atomistic origin.

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)

Tracer diffusion study in binary alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocquet, Jean-Louis

1973-01-01

The diffusional properties of dilute alloys are quite well described with 5 vacancy jump frequencies: the diffusion experiments allow as to determine only 3 jump frequency ratios. The first experiment set, found by Howard and Manning, was used in order to determine the 3 frequency ratios in the dilute Cu-Fe alloy. N.V. Doan has shown that the isotope effect measurements may be replaced by easier electromigration experiments: this new method was used with success for the dilute Ag-Zn and Ag-Cd alloys. Two effects which take place in less dilute alloys cannot be explained with the 5 frequency model, these are: the linear enhancement of solute diffusion and the departure from linear enhancement of solvent diffusion versus solute concentration. To explain these effects, we have had to take account of the influence of solute pairs on diffusion via 53 new vacancy jump frequencies. Diffusion in a concentrated alloy can be described with a quasi-chemical approach: we show that a description with 'surrounded atoms' allows the simultaneous explanation of the thermodynamical properties of the binary solid solution, the dependence of atomic jump frequencies with respect to the local concentration of the alloy. In this model, the two atomic species have a jump frequency spectrum at their disposal, which seems to greatly modify Manning's correlation analysis. (author) [fr

Proofs of cluster formation and transitions in liquid metals and alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippov, E.S.

1985-01-01

Calculational and experimental proofs are presented indicating to existence of clusters in liquid metals and alloys. Systems of liquid alloys both on the base of ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals (Fe-C, Ni-C, Co-C, Fe-Ni, Ni-Mo, Co-Cr, Co-V as well as In-Sn, Bi-Sn, Si-Ge and others) are studied experimentally. It is shown that the general feature of the systems studied is sensitivity of a volume to change in structure, to replacement fcc structure on bcc or to initiation-dissociation of intermetallic compounds AxBy. It is shown that both in pure liquid metals and in their.alloys there are clusters as ordered aggregate of atoms

Trapping of self-interstitials at manganese atoms in electron-irradiated dilute AlMn alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartels, A.; Dworschak, F.

1985-01-01

Dilute AlMn alloys were irradiated isothermally at different temperatures in stage II with 1.8 MeV electrons and the resistivity damage rates were measured as a function of the residual resistivity increase. The results demonstrate that Mn atoms provide deep traps at least up to 150 K for mobile interstitials. A quantitative evaluation of the data with respect to trapping radii is somewhat handicapped by the fact that the resistivity contribution of a Mn-Al interstitial complex was found to be considerably less than the sum of the resistivity contributions of an isolated solute Mn atom and an Al self-interstitial. The results can be explained by a model which assumes that both the trapping radius and the resistivity contribution of solute-self-interstitial complexes increase with the number of trapped interstitials. (author)

The effect of surface depletion on the work function of arc-melted dilute solution tungsten-iridium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Cruz, L.A.; Bosch, D.R.; Jacobson, D.L.

1991-01-01

The requirements of thermionic electrode materials have emphasized the need for substantial improvements in microstructural stability, strength, and creep resistance at service temperature in excess of 2,500K. The present work extends an earlier study of the effective work function trends of a series of dilute solution tungsten, iridium alloys with iridium contents of 1, 3, and 5 wt%. Since the lifetime of candidate electrode materials is an important consideration, the present work attempts to evaluate the repeatability of the work function trends in these alloys. The effective work function was obtained from measurements of the current emitted from the electrode surface under UHV conditions in the temperature range of 1,800-2,500K using a Vacuum Emission Vehicle (VEV). The data generated in this work have been compared with data obtained in earlier studies performed on these alloys. It was found that the magnitude of the effective work function of these alloys was affected by changes in the subsurface iridium concentration. Furthermore, these alloys exhibited a dependence of the work function on temperature, after prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures. Such a temperature dependence can be explained by diffusion-controlled changes in the coverage of an iridium monolayer on the surface. It is proposed that the significant difference in effective work function trends obtained after prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures is a direct consequence of changes in the coverage of an iridium-rich monolayer on the electrode surface. The constitution of such a surface layer, however, would be governed by composition changes in the subsurface regions of the electrode caused thermally-activated transport processes

Theory of the electronic structure of dilute bismide and bismide-nitride alloys of GaAs: Tight-binding and k.p models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usman, Muhammad; Broderick, Christopher A.; O'Reilly, Eoin P.

2013-01-01

The addition of dilute concentrations of bismuth (Bi) into GaAs to form GaBi x As 1−x alloys results in a large reduction of the band gap energy (E g ) accompanied by a significant increase of the spin-orbit-splitting energy (Δ SO ), leading to an E g SO regime for x ∼ 10% which is technologically relevant for the design of highly efficient photonic devices. The quaternary alloy GaBi x N y As 1−x−y offers further flexibility for band gap tuning, because both nitrogen and bismuth can independently induce band gap reduction. This work reports sp 3 s* tight binding and 14-band k⋅p models for the study of the electronic structure of GaBi x As 1−x and GaBi x N y As 1−x−y alloys. Our results are in good agreement with the available experimental data

SiGe BiCMOS manufacturing platform for mmWave applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kar-Roy, Arjun; Howard, David; Preisler, Edward; Racanelli, Marco; Chaudhry, Samir; Blaschke, Volker

2010-10-01

TowerJazz offers high volume manufacturable commercial SiGe BiCMOS technology platforms to address the mmWave market. In this paper, first, the SiGe BiCMOS process technology platforms such as SBC18 and SBC13 are described. These manufacturing platforms integrate 200 GHz fT/fMAX SiGe NPN with deep trench isolation into 0.18μm and 0.13μm node CMOS processes along with high density 5.6fF/μm2 stacked MIM capacitors, high value polysilicon resistors, high-Q metal resistors, lateral PNP transistors, and triple well isolation using deep n-well for mixed-signal integration, and, multiple varactors and compact high-Q inductors for RF needs. Second, design enablement tools that maximize performance and lowers costs and time to market such as scalable PSP and HICUM models, statistical and Xsigma models, reliability modeling tools, process control model tools, inductor toolbox and transmission line models are described. Finally, demonstrations in silicon for mmWave applications in the areas of optical networking, mobile broadband, phased array radar, collision avoidance radar and W-band imaging are listed.

SiGe derivatization by spontaneous reduction of aryl diazonium salts

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, A.; Geneste, F.; Coulon, N.; Cardinaud, C.; Mohammed-Brahim, T.

2013-10-01

Germanium semiconductors have interesting properties for FET-based biosensor applications since they possess high surface roughness allowing the immobilization of a high amount of receptors on a small surface area. Since SiGe combined low cost of Si and intrinsic properties of Ge with high mobility carriers, we focused the study on this particularly interesting material. The comparison of the efficiency of a functionalization process involving the spontaneous reduction of diazonium salts is studied on Si(1 0 0), SiGe and Ge semiconductors. XPS analysis of the functionalized surfaces reveals the presence of a covalent grafted layer on all the substrates that was confirmed by AFM. Interestingly, the modified Ge derivatives have still higher surface roughness after derivatization. To support the estimated thickness by XPS, a step measurement of the organic layers is done by AFM or by profilometer technique after a O2 plasma etching of the functionalized layer. This original method is well-adapted to measure the thickness of thin organic films on rough substrates such as germanium. The analyses show a higher chemical grafting on SiGe substrates compared with Si and Ge semiconductors.

sigE facilitates the adaptation of Bordetella bronchiseptica to stress conditions and lethal infection in immunocompromised mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barchinger Sarah E

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The cell envelope of a bacterial pathogen can be damaged by harsh conditions in the environment outside a host and by immune factors during infection. Cell envelope stress responses preserve the integrity of this essential compartment and are often required for virulence. Bordetella species are important respiratory pathogens that possess a large number of putative transcription factors. However, no cell envelope stress responses have been described in these species. Among the putative Bordetella transcription factors are a number of genes belonging to the extracytoplasmic function (ECF group of alternative sigma factors, some of which are known to mediate cell envelope stress responses in other bacteria. Here we investigate the role of one such gene, sigE, in stress survival and pathogenesis of Bordetella bronchiseptica. Results We demonstrate that sigE encodes a functional sigma factor that mediates a cell envelope stress response. Mutants of B. bronchiseptica strain RB50 lacking sigE are more sensitive to high temperature, ethanol, and perturbation of the envelope by SDS-EDTA and certain β-lactam antibiotics. Using a series of immunocompromised mice deficient in different components of the innate and adaptive immune responses, we show that SigE plays an important role in evading the innate immune response during lethal infections of mice lacking B cells and T cells. SigE is not required, however, for colonization of the respiratory tract of immunocompetent mice. The sigE mutant is more efficiently phagocytosed and killed by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs than RB50, and exhibits decreased cytotoxicity toward macrophages. These altered interactions with phagocytes could contribute to the defects observed during lethal infection. Conclusions Much of the work on transcriptional regulation during infection in B. bronchiseptica has focused on the BvgAS two-component system. This study reveals that the SigE

Characterization of Nanocrystalline SiGe Thin Film Solar Cell with Double Graded-Dead Absorption Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chun Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium (nc-SiGe thin films were deposited by high-frequency (27.12 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD. The films were used in a silicon-based thin film solar cell with graded-dead absorption layer. The characterization of the nc-SiGe films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of SiGe alloy can be adjusted between 0.8 and 1.7 eV by varying the gas ratio. For thin film solar cell application, using double graded-dead i-SiGe layers mainly leads to an increase in short-circuit current and therefore cell conversion efficiency. An initial conversion efficiency of 5.06% and the stabilized efficiency of 4.63% for an nc-SiGe solar cell were achieved.

Effect of Ti/Cr additive on helium diffusion and segregation in dilute vanadium alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zou, Tingting [Information Science and Technology College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Zhang, Pengbo, E-mail: zhangpb@dlmu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Zhao, Jijun [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024 (China); Zheng, Pengfei; Chen, Jiming [Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041 (China)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • He prefers to segregate to Ti region rather than Cr region in the vanadium alloys. • He diffusion barrier decreases towards Ti while it increases towards Cr. • The He{sub n}Ti complexes are more stable than the He{sub n}Cr complexes energetically. - Abstract: The effect of Ti/Cr additive on He diffusion and segregation properties in dilute vanadium alloys is investigated using first-principles calculations. First we determined the He preference site and investigated the He-Cr/He-Ti interactions. Energetically, He prefers to segregate to Ti regions rather than Cr regions. The most stable site for interstitial He is a tetrahedral site near Ti. He-Ti interactions have a weak attraction while He-Cr interactions have a weak repulsion. Kinetically, He diffusion to Ti has a lower energy barrier; contrarily the He barrier increases towards Cr. Furthermore, we discuss the stability of He{sub n}-Cr/Ti complexes and He{sub n}-vacancy-Cr and Ti complexes with n = 1–8. It is found that the He{sub n}Ti complexes are more stable than the He{sub n}Cr complexes while the He{sub n}-vacancy-Ti complexes are less favorable than He{sub n}-vacancy-Cr. The findings give a reference for understanding the mechanism of He embrittlement under irradiation.

Electrical characterisation of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors and Si pseudo-HBTS

Science.gov (United States)

De Barros, O.; Le Tron, B.; Woods, R. C.; Giroult-Matlakowski, G.; Vincent, G.; Brémond, G.

1996-08-01

This paper reports an electrical characterisation of the emitter-base junction of Si pseudo-HBTs and SiGe HBTs fabricated in a CMOS compatible single polysilicon self-aligned process. From the reverse characteristics it appears that the definition of the emitter-base junction by plasma etching induces peripheral defects that increase the base current of the transistors. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements show a deep level in the case of SiGe base, whose spatial origin is not fully determinate up to now.

Silicon-based thin films as bottom electrodes in chalcogenide nonvolatile memories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung-Yun [IT Convergence and Components Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: seungyun@etri.re.kr; Yoon, Sung-Min; Choi, Kyu-Jeong; Lee, Nam-Yeal; Park, Young-Sam; Ryu, Sang-Ouk; Yu, Byoung-Gon; Kim, Sang-Hoon; Lee, Sang-Heung [IT Convergence and Components Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-31

The effect of the electrical resistivity of a silicon-germanium (SiGe) thin film on the phase transition in a GeSbTe (GST) chalcogenide alloy and the manufacturing aspect of the fabrication process of a chalcogenide memory device employing the SiGe film as bottom electrodes were investigated. While p-type SiGe bottom electrodes were formed using in situ doping techniques, n-type ones could be made in a different manner where phosphorus atoms diffused from highly doped silicon underlayers to undoped SiGe films. The p-n heterojunction did not form between the p-type GST and n-type SiGe layers, and the semiconduction type of the SiGe alloys did not influence the memory device switching. It was confirmed that an optimum resistivity value existed for memory operation in spite of proportionality of Joule heating to electrical resistivity. The very high resistivity of the SiGe film had no effect on the reduction of reset current, which might result from the resistance decrease of the SiGe alloy at high temperatures.

Microstructural evolution under high flux irradiation of dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys studied by an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model accounting for both vacancies and self interstitials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincent, E.; Becquart, C.S.; Domain, C.

2008-01-01

Under neutron irradiation, a large amount of point defects (vacancies and interstitials) are created. In the irradiated pressure vessel steels, weakly alloyed, these point defects are responsible for the diffusion of the solute atoms, leading to the formation of solute rich precipitates within the matrix. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed to determine the interactions of point defects with solute atoms in dilute FeX alloys (X = Cu, Mn, Ni or Si). For Mn, the results of these calculations lead to think that solute transport in α-Fe can very likely take place through an interstitial mechanism as well as via vacancies while the other solutes (Cu, Ni and Si) which establish strong bonds with vacancies diffuse more likely via vacancies only. The database thus created has been used to parameterize an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model taking into account both vacancies and interstitials. Some results of irradiation damage in dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys obtained with this model will be presented

Microstructural evolution under high flux irradiation of dilute Fe CuNiMnSi alloys studied by an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model accounting for both vacancies and self interstitials

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, E.; Becquart, C. S.; Domain, C.

2008-12-01

Under neutron irradiation, a large amount of point defects (vacancies and interstitials) are created. In the irradiated pressure vessel steels, weakly alloyed, these point defects are responsible for the diffusion of the solute atoms, leading to the formation of solute rich precipitates within the matrix. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory have been performed to determine the interactions of point defects with solute atoms in dilute FeX alloys (X = Cu, Mn, Ni or Si). For Mn, the results of these calculations lead to think that solute transport in α-Fe can very likely take place through an interstitial mechanism as well as via vacancies while the other solutes (Cu, Ni and Si) which establish strong bonds with vacancies diffuse more likely via vacancies only. The database thus created has been used to parameterize an atomic kinetic Monte Carlo model taking into account both vacancies and interstitials. Some results of irradiation damage in dilute Fe-CuNiMnSi alloys obtained with this model will be presented.

Si/SiGe heterointerfaces in one-, two-, and three-dimensional nanostructures: their impact on SiGe light emission

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, David; Wu, Xiaohua; Baribeau, Jean-Marc; Mala, Selina; Wang, Xialou; Tsybeskov, Leonid

2016-03-01

Fast optical interconnects together with an associated light emitter that are both compatible with conventional Si-based complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit technology is an unavoidable requirement for the next-generation microprocessors and computers. Self-assembled Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures, which can emit light at wavelengths within the important optical communication wavelength range of 1.3 - 1.55 μm, are already compatible with standard CMOS practices. However, the expected long carrier radiative lifetimes observed to date in Si and Si/Si1-xGex nanostructures have prevented the attainment of efficient light-emitting devices including the desired lasers. Thus, the engineering of Si/Si1-xGex heterostructures having a controlled composition and sharp interfaces is crucial for producing the requisite fast and efficient photoluminescence (PL) at energies in the range 0.8-0.9 eV. In this paper we assess how the nature of the interfaces between SiGe nanostructures and Si in heterostructures strongly affects carrier mobility and recombination for physical confinement in three dimensions (corresponding to the case of quantum dots), two dimensions (corresponding to quantum wires), and one dimension (corresponding to quantum wells). The interface sharpness is influenced by many factors such as growth conditions, strain, and thermal processing, which in practice can make it difficult to attain the ideal structures required. This is certainly the case for nanostructure confinement in one dimension. However, we demonstrate that axial Si/Ge nanowire (NW) heterojunctions (HJs) with a Si/Ge NW diameter in the range 50 - 120 nm produce a clear PL signal associated with band-to-band electron-hole recombination at the NW HJ that is attributed to a specific interfacial SiGe alloy composition. For three-dimensional confinement, the experiments outlined here show that two quite different Si1-xGex nanostructures incorporated into a Si0.6Ge0.4 wavy

Investigation of the magnetic aftereffect in dilute Fe-Ni alloys after low-temperature neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blythe, H.J.; Walz, F.; Kronmueller, H.

1982-01-01

Dilute Fe alloys containing up to 0.5 at% Ni, neutron-irradiated at 77 K, exhibit a very complicated relaxation spectrum during anneal in the temperature range 30 to 350 K. This behaviour, in which individual peaks transform from one into another, is investigated in detail. All maxima occurring in the temperature range 30 to 140 K are found to be of Debye-type with relaxation times obeying an Arrhenius equation tau = tau 0 exp (Q/kT). The major processes of these spectra are computer-analysed in order to determine their activation parameters Q and tau 0 . The complicated peak genealogy, as observed on anneal, is attributed to the presence of two configurations of reorientating Fe interstitial atoms which form small clusters together with substitutionally and interstitially dissolved Ni atoms. (author)

Void swelling and segregation in dilute nickel alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potter, D.I.; Rehn, L.E.; Okamoto, P.R.; Wiedersich, H.

1977-01-01

Five binary alloys containing 1 at.% of Al, Ti, Mo, Si and Be in nickel were irradiated at temperatures from 525 to 675 0 C with 3.5-MeV 58 Ni + ions. The resultant microstructures were examined by TEM, and void diameters, number densities and swelling are presented for each alloy over the temperature interval investigated. A systematic relation between solute misfit (size factor) and void swelling is established for these alloys. Solute concentration profiles near the irradiated surface were determined and these also exhibited a systematic behavior--undersize solutes segregated to the surface, whereas oversize solutes were depleted. The results are consistent with calculations based on strong interstitial-solute trapping by undersize solutes and vacancy-solute trapping by oversize solutes that are weak interstitial traps

Nicotinic acid as a nontoxic corrosion inhibitor for hot dipped Zn and Zn-Al alloy coatings on steels in diluted hydrochloric acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ju Hong [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071 (China); Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Li Yan [Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071 (China)], E-mail: yanlee@ms.qdio.ac.cn

2007-11-15

The inhibition effect of nicotinic acid for corrosion of hot dipped Zn and Zn-Al alloy coatings in diluted hydrochloric acid was investigated using quantum chemistry analysis, weight loss test, electrochemical measurement, and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) analysis. Quantum chemistry calculation results showed that nicotinic acid possessed planar structure with a number of active centers, and the populations of the Mulliken charge, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) were found mainly focused around oxygen and nitrogen atoms, and the cyclic of the benzene as well. The results of weight loss test and electrochemical measurement indicated that inhibition efficiency (IE%) increased with inhibitor concentration, and the highest inhibition efficiency was up to 96.7%. The corrosion inhibition of these coatings was discussed in terms of blocking the electrode reaction by adsorption of the molecules at the active centers on the electrode surface. It was found that the adsorption of nicotinic acid on coating surface followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm with single molecular layer, and nicotinic acid adsorbed on the coating surface probably by chemisorption. Nicotinic acid, therefore, can act as a good nontoxic corrosion inhibitor for hot dipped Zn and Zn-Al alloy coatings in diluted hydrochloric acid solution.

Ruderman--Kittel--Kasuya--Yosida interaction in amorphous La80Au20 alloys with dilute Gd impurities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poon, S.J.; Durand, J.

1976-09-01

From magnetization measurements on some amorphous dilute La/sub 79-x/Gd/sub x/Au 20 alloys with x less than or equal to 1, it is shown that the magnetic behavior follows the scaling laws of a spin-glass system, characteristic of the 1/r 3 dependence of the pairwise interaction. The strength of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction, V(r) = (V/sub o/cos 2k/sub F/r)/r 3 , was determined to be V/sub o/ = 0.20 x 10 -37 erg cm 3 . The corresponding value of the s-f exchange integral is vertical bar J/sub sf/ vertical bar = 0.14 eV, which is compared with values determined from other experiments. 4 figures, 1 table

Structural and electronic properties of Si1−xGex alloy nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iori, Federico; Ossicini, Stefano; Rurali, Riccardo

2014-01-01

We present first-principles density-functional calculations of Si 1−x Ge x alloy nanowires. We show that given the composition of the alloy, the structural properties of the nanowires can be predicted with great accuracy by means of Vegard's law, linearly interpolating the values of a pure Si and a pure Ge nanowire of the same diameter. The same holds, to some extent, also for electronic properties such as the band-gap. We also assess to what extend the band-gap varies as a function of disorder, i.e., how it changes for different random realization of a given concentration. These results make possible to tailor the desired properties of SiGe alloy nanowires starting directly from the data relative to the pristine wires.

Lattice damage in ion-implanted silicon-germanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynes, T.E.; Holland, O.W.

1992-08-01

The damage produced in Si 1-x Ge x alloys (0≤x≤1) by implantation of 70--100 keV 30 Si + has been measured as a function of temperature and fluence by ion channeling. For all compositions, the damage efficiency decreased sharply as the implant temperature was increased between room temperature and 150 degrees C. Furthermore, the damage efficiency in alloys of intermediate compositions (0.34≤x≤0.5) exceeds that in Ge, especially at elevated temperatures, despite the larger cascade energy density in Ge. It is shown that this behavior can be described based on a model in which the point-defect mobility is the dominant factor controlling damage retention, rather than the cascade energy density. This approach provides a framework for understanding other temperature-dependent phenomena related to damage growth in Si-Ge alloys including dose-rate effects and damage saturation in MeV implantation

Diffusion-induced quadrupole relaxation of 27Al nuclei in dilute Al-Ti, Al-Cr, Al-Mn, and Al-Cu alloys at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottyan, L.; Beke, D.L.; Tompa, K.

1983-01-01

The temperature dependence of the laboratory frame spin-lattice relaxation time of 27 Al nuclei is measured in 5N Al and in dilute Al-Ti, Al-Cr, Al-Mn, and Al-Cu alloys at 5.7 and 9.7 MHz resonance frequencies. The relaxation in pure aluminium is found to be purely due to the conduction electrons. An excess T 1 -relaxation contribution is detected in all Al-3d alloys investigated above 670 K. The excess relaxation rate is proportional to the impurity content and the temperature dependence of the excess contribution is of Arrhenius-type with an activation energy of (1.3 +- 0.3) eV for all of the investigated alloys. The relaxation contribution is found to be quadrupolar in origin and is caused by the relative diffusional jumps of solute atoms and Al atoms relatively far from the impurity. (author)

Heteroepitaxial Growth of Vacuum-Evaporated Si-Ge Films on Nano structured Silicon Substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayu Wazira Azhari; Ayu Wazira Azhari; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Saleem Hussain Zaidi

2015-01-01

In this study, a low-cost vacuum-evaporated technique is used in the heteroepitaxial growth of Si-Ge films. Three different surface variations are employed: for example polished Si, Si micro pyramids and Si nano pillars profiles. A simple metal-assisted chemical etching method is used to fabricate the Si nano pillars, with Ag acting as a catalyst. Following deposition, substrates are subjected to post-deposition thermal annealing at 1000 degree Celsius to improve the crystallinity of the Ge layer. Optical and morphological studies of surface area are conducted using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. From the infrared spectroscopy analysis, the energy bandgap for Si-Ge films is estimated to be around 0.94 eV. This high-quality Si-Ge film is most favourable for optics, optoelectronics and high-efficiency solar cell applications. (author)

Effect of diluted alloying elements on mechanical properties of iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, A.A.S.

1996-01-01

Iron and its alloys have extensive applications. The effect of solute additions on mechanical properties of iron was investigated to check the efficiency of solute atoms on strength and surface e life. Additions in the range of 0.1 wt.% and 0.3 wt.% of alloying elements of Cu,Ni and Si were used. Samples of grains size ranged from 6-40 m which have been prepared by annealing followed by furnace cooling. The recrystallization temperature increases with alloying addition (475 degree C for Fe-0.3 wt. % C alloy compared to 375 degree C for pure iron). Si and Cu additions inhibit grain growth of iron whereas Ni addition enhances it.Addition of Si or Ni to iron induced softening below room temperature whereas addition of Cu caused hardening. The work hardening parameters decreased due to alloying additions. The strength coefficient K was 290 M N/m2 for Fe-03 wt % Ni compared to 340 M N/m2 for pure iron. The work hardening exponent n is 0.12 for fe-0.3 wt. Cu alloy compared to 0.17 for pure iron. All the investigated alloys fulfilled the Hall-Petch relation at liquid Nitrogen and at room temperature. Alloying addition which caused softening addition which caused hardening increased the Half-Petch parameters. Ni addition favors ductility of iron whereas Cu addition reduces it. Alloying additions generally lead to brittle fracture and decrease the crack resistance of iron. 9 tabs., 55 figs., 103 refs

Templated self-assembly of SiGe quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dais, Christian

2009-08-19

This PhD thesis reports on the fabrication and characterization of exact aligned SiGe quantum dot structures. In general, SiGe quantum dots which nucleate via the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode exhibit broad size dispersion and nucleate randomly on the surface. However, to tap the full potential of SiGe quantum dots it is necessary to control the positioning and size of the dots on a nanometer length, e.g. for electronically addressing of individual dots. This can be realized by so-called templated self-assembly, which combines top-down lithography with bottom-up selfassembly. In this process the lithographically defined pits serve as pre-defined nucleation points for the epitaxially grown quantum dots. In this thesis, extreme ultraviolet interference lithography at a wavelength of e=13.4 nm is employed for prepatterning of the Si substrates. This technique allows the precise and fast fabrication of high-resolution templates with a high degree of reproducibility. The subsequent epitaxial deposition is either performed by molecular beam epitaxy or low-pressure chemical vapour deposition. It is shown that the dot nucleation on pre-patterned substrates depends strongly on the lithography parameters, e.g. size and periodicity of the pits, as well as on the epitaxy parameters, e.g. growth temperature or material coverage. The interrelations are carefully analyzed by means of scanning force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Provided that correct template and overgrowth parameters are chosen, perfectly aligned and uniform SiGe quantum dot arrays of different period, size as well as symmetry are created. In particular, the quantum dot arrays with the so far smallest period (35 nm) and smallest size dispersion are fabricated in this thesis. Furthermore, the strain fields of the underlying quantum dots allow the fabrication of vertically aligned quantum dot stacks. Combining lateral and vertical dot alignment results in three

Fabrication of SGOI material by oxidation of an epitaxial SiGe layer on an SOI wafer with H ions implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Xinli; Chen Zhijun; Wang Yongjin; Jin Bo; Zhang Feng; Zou Shichang

2005-01-01

SGOI materials were fabricated by thermal dry oxidation of epitaxial H-ion implanted SiGe layers on SOI wafers. The hydrogen implantation was found to delay the oxidation rate of SiGe layer and to decrease the loss of Ge atoms during oxidation. Further, the H implantation did not degrade the crystallinity of SiGe layer during fabrication of the SGOI

SigE Is a Chaperone for the Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Invasion Protein SigD

OpenAIRE

Darwin, K. Heran; Robinson, Lloyd S.; Miller, Virginia L.

2001-01-01

SigD is translocated into eucaryotic cells by a type III secretion system. In this work, evidence that the putative chaperone SigE directly interacts with SigD is presented. A bacterial two-hybrid system demonstrated that SigE can interact with itself and SigD. In addition, SigD was specifically copurified with SigE-His6 on a nickel column.

Investigation of high mobility pseudomorphic SiGe p-channels in Si MOSFETS at low and high electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer, Martin John

2001-01-01

Silicon Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) for high speed, high current applications are rapidly approaching the physical and financial limits of the technology. This opens opportunities for the incorporation of materials with intrinsically better transport characteristics. An alloy of silicon and germanium is one such material that is gaining much recognition as the active component of MOSFETs and as the secondary structures (such as the gate electrode). This work examines a batch of buried channel Si 0.64 Ge 0.36 p-MOSFETs, with a minimum effective length of 0.35 μm, under different bias conditions and at different temperatures. High current and transconductance enhancements are apparent at long gate lengths. The carrier mobility is up to a factor of 2.5 times that of silicon at room temperature and 7.5 times at 4 K. A clear trend of decreasing peak mobility with decreasing silicon cap thickness is evident. Simulations show that scattering caused by the roughness of the SiO 2 /Si interface dominates, rather than alloy scattering or Si/SiGe roughness, even for a buried channel. This scattering increases with the proximity of the carriers to the interface. An increase of interface trap density with decreasing cap thickness, demonstrates that segregated germanium exists some distance into the cap and interferes with the oxidation process. This will increase scattering through increased SiO 2 /Si roughness and increased trapped charge. The short channel, high field results are comparable or slightly worse than those of silicon due to lower saturation drift velocity. However, fitting to a drift-diffusion model shows an apparent increase in saturation velocity for short channels, especially at low temperatures. This effect correlates with the low field mobility and is greater for devices containing SiGe. This is an indication of velocity overshoot, which may enhance the performance of SiGe MOSFETs at deep submicron gate lengths. (author)

First-principles calculation on dilute magnetic alloys in zinc blend crystal structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, Hamid; Inayat, Kalsoom; Khan, S.A; Mohammad, S.; Ali, A.; Alahmed, Z.A.; Reshak, A.H.

2015-01-01

Ab-initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of spin-polarized diluted magnetic alloys in zinc blende structure. The first-principles study is carried out on Mn doped III–V semiconductors. The calculated band structures, electronic properties and magnetic properties of Ga 1−x Mn x X (X=P, As) compounds reveal that Ga 0.75 Mn 0.25 P is half metallic turned to be metallic with increasing x to 0.5 and 0.75, whereas substitute P by As cause to maintain the half-metallicity nature in both of Ga 0.75 Mn 0.25 As and Ga 0.5 Mn 0.5 As and tune Ga 0.25 Mn 0.75 As to be metallic. Calculated total magnetic moments and the robustness of half-metallicity of Ga 0.75 Mn 0.25 P, Ga 0.75 Mn 0.25 As and Ga 0.5 Mn 0.5 As with respect to the variation in lattice parameters are also discussed. The predicted theoretical evidence shows that some Mn-doped III–V semiconductors can be effectively used in spintronic devices

Novel Dilute Bismide, Epitaxy, Physical Properties and Device Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lijuan Wang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Dilute bismide in which a small amount of bismuth is incorporated to host III-Vs is the least studied III-V compound semiconductor and has received steadily increasing attention since 2000. In this paper, we review theoretical predictions of physical properties of bismide alloys, epitaxial growth of bismide thin films and nanostructures, surface, structural, electric, transport and optic properties of various binaries and bismide alloys, and device applications.

The effects of thermal-neutron irradiation on platinum and dilute platinum-gold alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piani, C.S.B.

1978-12-01

The effect of varying defect concentrations on the recovery spectrum of thermal-neutron-irradiated pure platinum after isochronal anneals was investigated. The dose-independence of substages I(A), I(B) and I(C), and the dose dependence of substage I(D) and I(E), were observed to be in agreement with electron-irradiated studies. The 120 K substage in pure platinum was shown not to be due to interstitial-interstitial reactions, but could possibly be accounted for in terms of detrapping of interstitials from impurities or intrinsic immobile defects. The 360 K stage was shown to shift and was suppressed with increasing defect concentration. The possible conversion of the crowdion to a dumbbell near 160 K in Stage ll in platinum, as predicted by the two-interstitial model, was investigated by consideration of the initial slopes of the production curves between 80 K and 300 K. A minimum in these slopes was observed near 160 K and could be interpreted as due to the conversion of the highly mobile crowdion to an immobile dumbbell at this temperature. The influence of varying gold concentrations on the recovery spectrum of platinum was investigated in dilute platinum-gold alloys. The characteristics of several additional substages in Stage ll, due to the gold alloying were comparable to the results of electron-irradiation experiments. The observations made with regard to the impurity (gold) dependence of these substages could be interpreted in terms of the concentrations of the interstitials, vacancies and impurities present in the material. The interpretation of these substages was found to be consistent, if the recovery spectrum was investigated as a function of defect concentration [af

Heavy Ion Microbeam and Broadbeam Transients in SiGe HBTs

Science.gov (United States)

Pellish, Jonathan A.; Reed, Robert A.; McMorrow, Dale; Vizkelethy, Gyorgy; Dodd, Paul E.; Ferlet-Cavrois, Veronique; Baggio, Jacques; Paillet, Philippe; Duhamel, Olivier; Phillips, Stanley D.;

De-embedding and Modelling of pnp SiGe HBTs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hadziabdic, Dzenan; Jiang, Chenhui; Johansen, Tom Keinicke

2007-01-01

In this work we present a direct parameter extraction procedure for SiGe pnp heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) large-signal and small-signal models. Test structure parasitics are removed from the measured small-signal parameters using an open-short de-embedding technique, improved to accoun...

Rhodium segregation in dilute silver-rhodium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krolas, K.; Sternik, M.

1995-01-01

Segregation of Rh in Ag-based alloys has been studied using the perturbed angular correlation of γ-rays emitted in the nuclear decay of radioactive 111 In. The formation of impurity complexes, consisting of an 111 In probe atom and one or more Rh atoms, was observed as a function of annealing time and temperature. Rhodium atom aggregation starts at about 600 K. From the fraction of 111 In bound to isolated Rh atoms the solute rhodium atom concentration was determined. It increases with the nominal alloy concentration up to about 0.04 at.% and then it is essentially constant for the nominal Rh concentration varying between 0.1 and 0.5 at.%. The solute rhodium atom concentration is 3 times larger at the melting point than at 750 K

A dilute Cu(Ni) alloy for synthesis of large-area Bernal stacked bilayer graphene using atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madito, M. J.; Bello, A.; Dangbegnon, J. K.; Momodu, D. Y.; Masikhwa, T. M.; Barzegar, F.; Manyala, N., E-mail: ncholu.manyala@up.ac.za [Department of Physics, Institute of Applied Materials, SARCHI Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028 (South Africa); Oliphant, C. J.; Jordaan, W. A. [National Metrology Institute of South Africa, Private Bag X34, Lynwood Ridge, Pretoria 0040 (South Africa); Fabiane, M. [Department of Physics, Institute of Applied Materials, SARCHI Chair in Carbon Technology and Materials, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028 (South Africa); Department of Physics, National University of Lesotho, P.O. Roma 180 (Lesotho)

2016-01-07

A bilayer graphene film obtained on copper (Cu) foil is known to have a significant fraction of non-Bernal (AB) stacking and on copper/nickel (Cu/Ni) thin films is known to grow over a large-area with AB stacking. In this study, annealed Cu foils for graphene growth were doped with small concentrations of Ni to obtain dilute Cu(Ni) alloys in which the hydrocarbon decomposition rate of Cu will be enhanced by Ni during synthesis of large-area AB-stacked bilayer graphene using atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition. The Ni doped concentration and the Ni homogeneous distribution in Cu foil were confirmed with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and proton-induced X-ray emission. An electron backscatter diffraction map showed that Cu foils have a single (001) surface orientation which leads to a uniform growth rate on Cu surface in early stages of graphene growth and also leads to a uniform Ni surface concentration distribution through segregation kinetics. The increase in Ni surface concentration in foils was investigated with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The quality of graphene, the number of graphene layers, and the layers stacking order in synthesized bilayer graphene films were confirmed by Raman and electron diffraction measurements. A four point probe station was used to measure the sheet resistance of graphene films. As compared to Cu foil, the prepared dilute Cu(Ni) alloy demonstrated the good capability of growing large-area AB-stacked bilayer graphene film by increasing Ni content in Cu surface layer.

Critical Role of a Single Position in the −35 Element for Promoter Recognition by Mycobacterium tuberculosis SigE and SigH▿

OpenAIRE

Song, Taeksun; Song, Seung-Eun; Raman, Sahadevan; Anaya, Mauricio; Husson, Robert N.

2008-01-01

Mycobacterial SigE and SigH both initiate transcription from the sigB promoter, suggesting that they recognize similar sequences. Through mutational and primer extension analyses, we determined that SigE and SigH recognize nearly identical promoters, with differences at the 3′ end of the −35 element distinguishing between SigE- and SigH-dependent promoters.

Ge nanobelts with high compressive strain fabricated by secondary oxidation of self-assembly SiGe rings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Weifang; Li, Cheng; Lin, Guangyang

2015-01-01

Curled Ge nanobelts were fabricated by secondary oxidation of self-assembly SiGe rings, which were exfoliated from the SiGe stripes on the insulator. The Ge-rich SiGe stripes on insulator were formed by hololithography and modified Ge condensation processes of Si0.82Ge0.18 on SOI substrate. Ge...... nanobelts under a residual compressive strain of 2% were achieved, and the strain should be higher before partly releasing through bulge islands and breakage of the curled Ge nanobelts during the secondary oxidation process. The primary factor leading to compressive strain is thermal shrinkage of Ge...... nanobelts, which extrudes to Ge nanobelts in radial and tangent directions during the cooling process. This technique is promising for application in high-mobility Ge nano-scale transistors...

Nitride passivation of the interface between high-k dielectrics and SiGe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sardashti, Kasra [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0358 (United States); Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0411 (United States); Hu, Kai-Ting [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0358 (United States); Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0411 (United States); Tang, Kechao; McIntyre, Paul [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Madisetti, Shailesh; Oktyabrsky, Serge [Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York 12222 (United States); Siddiqui, Shariq; Sahu, Bhagawan [TD Research, GLOBALFOUNDRIES US, Inc., Albany, New York 12203 (United States); Yoshida, Naomi; Kachian, Jessica; Dong, Lin [Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California 95054 (United States); Fruhberger, Bernd [California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0436 (United States); Kummel, Andrew C., E-mail: akummel@ucsd.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0358 (United States)

2016-01-04

In-situ direct ammonia (NH{sub 3}) plasma nitridation has been used to passivate the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiGe interfaces with Si nitride and oxynitride. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the buried Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiGe interface shows that NH{sub 3} plasma pre-treatment should be performed at high temperatures (300 °C) to fully prevent Ge nitride and oxynitride formation at the interface and Ge out-diffusion into the oxide. C-V and I-V spectroscopy results show a lower density of interface traps and smaller gate leakage for samples with plasma nitridation at 300 °C.

Significant reduction of thermal conductivity in Si/Ge core-shell nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ming; Giapis, Konstantinos P; Goicochea, Javier V; Zhang, Xiaoliang; Poulikakos, Dimos

2011-02-09

We report on the effect of germanium (Ge) coatings on the thermal transport properties of silicon (Si) nanowires using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that a simple deposition of a Ge shell of only 1 to 2 unit cells in thickness on a single crystalline Si nanowire can lead to a dramatic 75% decrease in thermal conductivity at room temperature compared to an uncoated Si nanowire. By analyzing the vibrational density states of phonons and the participation ratio of each specific mode, we demonstrate that the reduction in the thermal conductivity of Si/Ge core-shell nanowire stems from the depression and localization of long-wavelength phonon modes at the Si/Ge interface and of high frequency nonpropagating diffusive modes.

First-principles calculation on dilute magnetic alloys in zinc blend crystal structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ullah, Hamid, E-mail: hamidullah@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Government Post Graduate Jahanzeb College, Saidu Sharif Swat (Pakistan); Inayat, Kalsoom [Department of Physics, Government Post Graduate Jahanzeb College, Saidu Sharif Swat (Pakistan); Khan, S.A; Mohammad, S. [Department of Physics, Materials Modeling Laboratory, Hazara University, Mansehra 21300 (Pakistan); Ali, A. [Department of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Hanseo University, Seosan-si, Chungnam-do 356-706 (Korea, Republic of); Alahmed, Z.A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Reshak, A.H. [New Technologies-Research Center, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14 Pilsen (Czech Republic); Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology, School of Material Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, 01007 Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia)

2015-07-01

Ab-initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of spin-polarized diluted magnetic alloys in zinc blende structure. The first-principles study is carried out on Mn doped III–V semiconductors. The calculated band structures, electronic properties and magnetic properties of Ga{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}X (X=P, As) compounds reveal that Ga{sub 0.75}Mn{sub 0.25}P is half metallic turned to be metallic with increasing x to 0.5 and 0.75, whereas substitute P by As cause to maintain the half-metallicity nature in both of Ga{sub 0.75}Mn{sub 0.25}As and Ga{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}As and tune Ga{sub 0.25}Mn{sub 0.75}As to be metallic. Calculated total magnetic moments and the robustness of half-metallicity of Ga{sub 0.75}Mn{sub 0.25}P, Ga{sub 0.75}Mn{sub 0.25}As and Ga{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 0.5}As with respect to the variation in lattice parameters are also discussed. The predicted theoretical evidence shows that some Mn-doped III–V semiconductors can be effectively used in spintronic devices.

High field Moessbauer study of dilute Ir-(Fe) alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takabatake, Toshiro; Mazaki, Hiromasa; Shinjo, Teruya.

1981-01-01

The magnetic behavior of very dilute Fe impurities in Ir has been studied by means of Moessbauer measurement in external fields up to 80 kOe at 4.2 K. The saturation hyperfine field increases in proportion to the external field up to the maximum magnetic field available. This means that for a localized spin fluctuation system IrFe, the effective magnetic moment associated with Fe impurities is induced in proportion to the external field. No anomalous spectrum was observed with a very dilute sample (--10 ppm 57 Co), indicating that the interaction between impurities is responsible for the anomalous spectrum previously observed with a less homogeneous sample. (author)

Transformation of point defects under annealing of neutron-irradiated Si and Si:Ge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomozov, Yu.V.; Khirunenko, L.I.; Shakhovtsev, V.I.; Yashnik, V.I.

1990-01-01

Transformation of point radiation defects under isochronous annealing of neurton-irradaited Si and Si:Ge is studied. It is determined, that occurence of several new centers which produce A-centre range absorption bands is observed at annealing within 423-493 K temperature range. It is shown that vacancy and oxygen are included in the centers composition. It is found that VO centre transformation into VO 2 at annealing occurs via intermediate stage in contrast to that occuring in electron-irradiated crystals via VO direct diffusion to interstitial oxygen. Transformation of centers under Si ansd Si:Ge annealing occurs similarly

Aging of a complex Al-Cu based alloy modified by microalloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maksimovic, Vesna; Jovanovic, Milan T.; Radmilovic, Velimir; Nikolic, Ruzica

2003-01-01

The results of the effect of small addition (0.25 at.%) of Ge on aging kinetics of a complex aluminum alloy containing (wt.%) 5.9% Cu, 0.28% Si and 0.6% (total amount of Fe, Ti, Mn, Zr and V) are presented in this paper. Aging was performed at 190 o C in the interval ranging from 10min to 256h. Hardness measurements, light (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used for microstructural characterization during aging. It was shown that the maximum of hardness in alloy containing Ge was achieved three times faster than in the alloy without Ge. TEM results clearly revealed that the accelerated kinetics should be ascribed to heterogeneously nucleated Si-Ge particles serving as sites for dense and fine distribution of θ' strengthening precipitates. Accelerated kinetics of aging was accompanied by increase in hardness. (Original)

Mechanical and electrical evaluation of a dilute aluminium alloy heat treated for application in electrical cables and wires; Avaliacao mecanica e eletrica de uma liga diluida de aluminio tratada termicamente para aplicacao em fios e cabos eletricos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitas, E.S. [Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica - Unicamp - Campinas, SP (Brazil)], e-mail: manu@fem.unicamp.br; Kamizono, K.A.; Nogueira, P.; Nogueira, A.T.; Quaresma, Jose Maria do Vale [Universidade Federal do Para - UFPA, PA (Brazil)

2010-07-01

With the need to investigate new materials developed and presented to the market of non-ferrous materials and in particular those developed for the transmission and distribution of electricity, we conducted a study on a dilute alloy Al-EC-0, 7% Si, where from his previous characterization and thus knowing their good mechanical and electrical properties, we developed a new aluminum alloy in an attempt to know the properties of the alloy Al-EC-0, 7% Si in the presence of alloying elements, titanium. Being the new alloy under different thermal treatment temperature in order to observe their behavior under such mechanical and electrical conditions. (author)

270GHz SiGe BiCMOS manufacturing process platform for mmWave applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kar-Roy, Arjun; Preisler, Edward J.; Talor, George; Yan, Zhixin; Booth, Roger; Zheng, Jie; Chaudhry, Samir; Howard, David; Racanelli, Marco

2011-11-01

TowerJazz has been offering the high volume commercial SiGe BiCMOS process technology platform, SBC18, for more than a decade. In this paper, we describe the TowerJazz SBC18H3 SiGe BiCMOS process which integrates a production ready 240GHz FT / 270 GHz FMAX SiGe HBT on a 1.8V/3.3V dual gate oxide CMOS process in the SBC18 technology platform. The high-speed NPNs in SBC18H3 process have demonstrated NFMIN of ~2dB at 40GHz, a BVceo of 1.6V and a dc current gain of 1200. This state-of-the-art process also comes with P-I-N diodes with high isolation and low insertion losses, Schottky diodes capable of exceeding cut-off frequencies of 1THz, high density stacked MIM capacitors, MOS and high performance junction varactors characterized up to 50GHz, thick upper metal layers for inductors, and various resistors such as low value and high value unsilicided poly resistors, metal and nwell resistors. Applications of the SBC18H3 platform for millimeter-wave products for automotive radars, phased array radars and Wband imaging are presented.

Sensitivity of the crystal quality of SiGe layers grown at low temperatures by trisilane and germane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abedin, A., E-mail: aabedin@kth.se; Moeen, M.; Cappetta, C.; Östling, M.; Radamson, H.H., E-mail: rad@kth.se

2016-08-31

This work investigates the crystal quality of SiGe layers grown at low temperatures using trisilane, and germane precursors. The crystal quality sensitivity was monitored for hydrogen chloride and/or minor oxygen amount during SiGe epitaxy or at the interface of SiGe/Si layers. The quality of the epi-layers was examined by quantifying noise parameter, K{sub 1/f} obtained from the power spectral density vs. 1/f curves. The results indicate that while it is difficult to detect small defect densities in SiGe layers by physical material characterization, the noise measurement could reveal the effects of oxygen contamination as low as 0.16 mPa inside and in the interface of the layers. - Highlights: • SiGe layers were grown using trisilane and germane. • Effect of HCl flow on Ge content and growth rate was investigated. • O{sub 2} partial pressures up to 4.3 mPa did not affect x-ray diffraction pattern. • O{sub 2} partial pressures as low as 0.16 mPa increased the noise level. • HCl increased metal contaminations of the layers and the noise level consequently.

The Relationship between Nanocluster Precipitation and Thermal Conductivity in Si/Ge Amorphous Multilayer Films: Effects of Cu Addition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Ehsan Mohd Tamidi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We have used a molecular dynamics technique to simulate the relationship between nanocluster precipitation and thermal conductivity in Si/Ge amorphous multilayer films, with and without Cu addition. In the study, the Green-Kubo equation was used to calculate thermal conductivity in these materials. Five specimens were prepared: Si/Ge layers, Si/(Ge + Cu layers, (Si + Cu/(Ge + Cu layers, Si/Cu/Ge/Cu layers, and Si/Cu/Ge layers. The number of precipitated nanoclusters in these specimens, which is defined as the number of four-coordinate atoms, was counted along the lateral direction of the specimens. The observed results of precipitate formation were considered in relation to the thermal conductivity results. Enhancement of precipitation of nanoclusters by Cu addition, that is, densification of four-coordinate atoms, can prevent the increment of thermal conductivity. Cu dopant increases the thermal conductivity of these materials. Combining these two points, we concluded that Si/Cu/Ge is the best structure to improve the conversion efficiency of the Si/Ge amorphous multilayer films.

Ultra-broadband Nonlinear Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuits in SiGe, GaAs and InP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krozer, Viktor; Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Djurhuus, Torsten

2006-01-01

.5 GHz and ≫ 10 GHz for SiGe BiCMOS and GaAs MMIC, respectively. Analysis of the frequency behaviour of frequency converting devices is presented for improved mixer design. Millimeter-wave front-end components for advanced microwave imaging and communications purposes have also been demonstrated......Analog MMIC circuits with ultra-wideband operation are discussed in view of their frequency limitation and different circuit topologies. Results for designed and fabricated frequency converters in SiGe, GaAs, and InP technologies are presented in the paper. RF type circuit topologies exhibit a flat...... conversion gain with a 3 dB bandwidth of 10 GHz for SiGe and in excess of 20 GHz for GaAs processes. The concurrent LO-IF isolation is better than -25 dB, without including the improvement due to the combiner circuit. The converter circuits exhibit similar instantaneous bandwidth at IF and RF ports of ≫ 7...

Interfacial Phonon Transport Through Si/Ge Multilayer Film Using Monte Carlo Scheme With Spectral Transmissivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Ran

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The knowledge of interfacial phonon transport accounting for detailed phonon spectral properties is desired because of its importance for design of nanoscale energy systems. In this work, we investigate the interfacial phonon transport through Si/Ge multilayer films using an efficient Monte Carlo scheme with spectral transmissivity, which is validated for cross-plane phonon transport through both Si/Ge single-layer and Si/Ge bi-layer thin films by comparing with the discrete-ordinates solution. Different thermal boundary conductances between even the same material pair are declared at different interfaces within the multilayer system. Furthermore, the thermal boundary conductances at different interfaces show different trends with varying total system size, with the variation slope, very different as well. The results are much different from those in the bi-layer thin film or periodic superlattice. These unusual behaviors can be attributed to the combined interfacial local non-equilibrium effect and constraint effect from other interfaces.

Structural and electronic properties of Si{sub 1–x}Ge{sub x} alloy nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iori, Federico [Dipartimento di Scienze e Metodi dell' Ingegneria, Centro Interdipartimentale Intermech and En and tech, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2 Pad. Morselli, I-42122 Reggio Emilia (Italy); European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF) and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB–CSIC), Campus de Bellaterra, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Ossicini, Stefano [Dipartimento di Scienze e Metodi dell' Ingegneria, Centro Interdipartimentale Intermech and En and tech, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Amendola 2 Pad. Morselli, I-42122 Reggio Emilia (Italy); “Centro S3”, CNR-Istituto di Nanoscienze, Via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena (Italy); Rurali, Riccardo, E-mail: rrurali@icmab.es [Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB–CSIC), Campus de Bellaterra, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain)

2014-10-21

We present first-principles density-functional calculations of Si{sub 1–x}Ge{sub x} alloy nanowires. We show that given the composition of the alloy, the structural properties of the nanowires can be predicted with great accuracy by means of Vegard's law, linearly interpolating the values of a pure Si and a pure Ge nanowire of the same diameter. The same holds, to some extent, also for electronic properties such as the band-gap. We also assess to what extend the band-gap varies as a function of disorder, i.e., how it changes for different random realization of a given concentration. These results make possible to tailor the desired properties of SiGe alloy nanowires starting directly from the data relative to the pristine wires.

Unlocking the Origin of Superior Performance of a Si-Ge Core-Shell Nanowire Quantum Dot Field Effect Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhungana, Kamal B; Jaishi, Meghnath; Pati, Ranjit

2016-07-13

The sustained advancement in semiconducting core-shell nanowire technology has unlocked a tantalizing route for making next generation field effect transistor (FET). Understanding how to control carrier mobility of these nanowire channels by applying a gate field is the key to developing a high performance FET. Herein, we have identified the switching mechanism responsible for the superior performance of a Si-Ge core-shell nanowire quantum dot FET over its homogeneous Si counterpart. A quantum transport approach is used to investigate the gate-field modulated switching behavior in electronic current for ultranarrow Si and Si-Ge core-shell nanowire quantum dot FETs. Our calculations reveal that for the ON state, the gate-field induced transverse localization of the wave function restricts the carrier transport to the outer (shell) layer with the pz orbitals providing the pathway for tunneling of electrons in the channels. The higher ON state current in the Si-Ge core-shell nanowire FET is attributed to the pz orbitals that are distributed over the entire channel; in the case of Si nanowire, the participating pz orbital is restricted to a few Si atoms in the channel resulting in a smaller tunneling current. Within the gate bias range considered here, the transconductance is found to be substantially higher in the case of a Si-Ge core-shell nanowire FET than in a Si nanowire FET, which suggests a much higher mobility in the Si-Ge nanowire device.

Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckelmeyer, K.H.

1980-01-01

The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt. % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt. % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt. % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed. It is shown that the residual stress relief which accompanies age hardening of uranium - 0.75% titanium more than compensates for the reduction in K/sub ISCC/ caused by aging. As a result, age hardening actually decreases the susceptibility of this alloy to residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking

Strain-induced formation of fourfold symmetric SiGe quantum dot molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinovyev, V A; Dvurechenskii, A V; Kuchinskaya, P A; Armbrister, V A

2013-12-27

The strain field distribution at the surface of a multilayer structure with disklike SiGe nanomounds formed by heteroepitaxy is exploited to arrange the symmetric quantum dot molecules typically consisting of four elongated quantum dots ordered along the [010] and [100] directions. The morphological transition from fourfold quantum dot molecules to continuous fortresslike quantum rings with an increasing amount of deposited Ge is revealed. We examine key mechanisms underlying the formation of lateral quantum dot molecules by using scanning tunneling microscopy and numerical calculations of the strain energy distribution on the top of disklike SiGe nanomounds. Experimental data are well described by a simple thermodynamic model based on the accurate evaluation of the strain dependent part of the surface chemical potential. The spatial arrangement of quantum dots inside molecules is attributed to the effect of elastic property anisotropy.

Cast bulk metallic glass alloys: prospects as wear materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawk, Jeffrey A.; Dogan, Omer N.; Shiflet, Gary J. (Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA)

2005-01-01

Bulk metallic glasses are single phase materials with unusual physical and mechanical properties. One intriguing area of possible use is as a wear material. Usually, pure metals and single phase dilute alloys do not perform well in tribological conditions. When the metal or alloy is lightweight, it is usually soft leading to galling in sliding situations. For the harder metals and alloys, their density is usually high, so there is an energy penalty when using these materials in wear situations. However, bulk metallic glasses at the same density are usually harder than corresponding metals and dilute single phase alloys, and so could offer better wear resistance. This work will discuss preliminary wear results for metallic glasses with densities in the range of 4.5 to 7.9 g/cc. The wear behavior of these materials will be compared to similar metals and alloys.

Effect of high temperature annealing on the thermoelectric properties of GaP doped SiGe

Science.gov (United States)

Vandersande, Jan W.; Wood, Charles; Draper, Susan

1987-01-01

Silicon-germanium alloys doped with GaP are used for thermoelectric energy conversion in the temperature range 300-1000 C. The conversion efficiency depends on Z = S-squared/rho lambda, a material's parameter (the figure of merit), where S is the Seebeck coefficient, rho is the electrical resistivity and lambda is the thermal conductivity. The annealing of several samples in the temperature range of 1100-1300 C resulted in the power factor P (= S-squared/rho) increasing with increased annealing temperature. This increase in P was due to a decrease in rho which was not completely offset by a drop in S-squared suggesting that other changes besides that in the carrier concentration took place. SEM and EDX analysis of the samples indicated the formation of a Ga-P-Ge rich phase as a result of the annealing. It is speculated that this phase is associated with the improved properties. Several reasons which could account for the improvement in the power factor of annealed GaP doped SiGe are given.

Amorphization threshold in Si-implanted strained SiGe alloy layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, T.W.; Love, D.; Endisch, E.; Goldberg, R.D.; Mitchell, I.V.; Haynes, T.E.; Baribeau, J.M.

1994-12-01

The authors have examined the damage produced by Si-ion implantation into strained Si 1-x Ge x epilayers. Damage accumulation in the implanted layers was monitored in situ by time-resolved reflectivity and measured by ion channeling techniques to determine the amorphization threshold in strained Si 1-x Ge x (x = 0.16 and 0.29) over the temperature range 30--110 C. The results are compared with previously reported measurements on unstrained Si 1-x Ge x , and with the simple model used to describe those results. They report here data which lend support to this model and which indicate that pre-existing strain does not enhance damage accumulation in the alloy layer

High-throughput ab-initio dilute solute diffusion database.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Henry; Mayeshiba, Tam; Morgan, Dane

2016-07-19

We demonstrate automated generation of diffusion databases from high-throughput density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A total of more than 230 dilute solute diffusion systems in Mg, Al, Cu, Ni, Pd, and Pt host lattices have been determined using multi-frequency diffusion models. We apply a correction method for solute diffusion in alloys using experimental and simulated values of host self-diffusivity. We find good agreement with experimental solute diffusion data, obtaining a weighted activation barrier RMS error of 0.176 eV when excluding magnetic solutes in non-magnetic alloys. The compiled database is the largest collection of consistently calculated ab-initio solute diffusion data in the world.

First-principles calculations of impurity diffusion coefficients in dilute Mg alloys using the 8-frequency model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganeshan, S.; Hector, L.G.; Liu, Z.-K.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Implemented the eight frequency model for impurity diffusion in hexagonal metals. → Model inputs were energetics/vibrational properties from first princples. → Predicted diffusion coefficients for Al, Ca, Zn and Sn impurity diffusion in Mg. → Successful prediction of partial correlation factors and jump frequencies. → Good agreement between calculated and experimental results. - Abstract: Diffusion in dilute Mg-X alloys, where X denotes Al, Zn, Sn and Ca impurities, was investigated with first-principles density functional theory in the local density approximation. Impurity diffusion coefficients were computed as a function of temperature using the 8-frequency model which provided the relevant impurity and solvent (Mg) jump frequencies and correlation factors. Minimum energy pathways for impurity diffusion and associated saddle point structures were computed with the climbing image nudged elastic band method. Vibrational properties were obtained with the supercell (direct) method for lattice dynamics. Calculated diffusion coefficients were compared with available experimental data. For diffusion between basal planes, we find D Mg-Ca > D Mg-Zn > D Mg-Sn > D Mg-Al, where D is the diffusion coefficient. For diffusion within a basal plane, the same trend holds except that D Mg-Zn overlaps with D Mg-Al at high temperatures and D Mg-Sn at low temperatures. These trends were explored with charge density contours in selected planes of each Mg-X alloy, the variation of the activation energy for diffusion with the atomic radius of each impurity and the electronic density of states. The theoretical methodology developed herein can be applied to impurity diffusion in other hexagonal materials.

Comparative study of the luminescence of structures with Ge nanocrystals formed by dry and wet oxidation of SiGe films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

RodrIguez, A; Ortiz, M I; Sangrador, J; RodrIguez, T; Avella, M; Prieto, A C; Torres, A; Jimenez, J; Kling, A; Ballesteros, C

2007-01-01

The luminescence emission of structures containing Ge nanocrystals embedded in a dielectric matrix obtained by dry and wet oxidation of polycrystalline SiGe layers has been studied as a function of the oxidation time and initial SiGe layer thickness. A clear relationship between the intensity of the luminescence, the structure of the sample, the formation of Ge nanocrystals and the oxidation process parameters that allows us to select the appropriate process conditions to get the most efficient emission has been established. The evolution of the composition and thickness of the growing oxides and the remaining SiGe layer during the oxidation processes has been characterized using Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. For dry oxidation, the luminescence appears suddenly, regardless of the initial SiGe layer thickness, when all the Si of the SiGe has been oxidized and the remaining layer of the segregated Ge starts to be oxidized forming Ge nanocrystals. Luminescence is observed as long as Ge nanocrystals are present. For wet oxidation, the luminescence appears from the first stages of the oxidation, and is related to the formation of Ge-rich nanoclusters trapped in the mixed (Si and Ge) growing oxide. A sharp increase of the luminescence intensity for long oxidation times is also observed, due to the formation of Ge nanocrystals by the oxidation of the layer of segregated Ge. For both processes the luminescence is quenched when the oxidation time is long enough to cause the full oxidation of the Ge nanocrystals. The intensity of the luminescence in the dry oxidized samples is about ten times higher than in the wet oxidized ones for equal initial thickness of the SiGe layer

Tungsten silicide contacts to polycrystalline silicon and silicon-germanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, G.; Bain, M.F.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Baine, P.; Armstrong, B.M.; Gamble, H.S.; McNeill, D.W.

2004-01-01

Silicon-germanium alloy layers will be employed in the source-drain engineering of future MOS transistors. The use of this technology offers advantages in reducing series resistance and decreasing junction depth resulting in reduction in punch-through and SCE problems. The contact resistance of metal or metal silicides to the raised source-drain material is a serious issue at sub-micron dimensions and must be minimised. In this work, tungsten silicide produced by chemical vapour deposition has been investigated as a contact metallization scheme to both boron and phosphorus doped polycrystalline Si 1- x Ge x , with 0 ≤x ≤ 0.3. Cross bridge Kelvin resistor (CKBR) structures were fabricated incorporating CVD WSi 2 and polycrystalline SiGe. Tungsten silicide contacts to control polysilicon CKBR structures have been shown to be of high quality with specific contact resistance ρ c values 3 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 and 6 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 obtained to boron and phosphorus implanted samples respectively. The SiGe CKBR structures show that the inclusion of Ge yields a reduction in ρ c for both dopant types. The boron doped SiGe exhibits a reduction in ρ c from 3 x 10 -7 to 5 x 10 -8 ohm cm 2 as Ge fraction is increased from 0 to 0.3. The reduction in ρ c has been shown to be due to (i) the lowering of the tungsten silicide Schottky barrier height to p-type SiGe resulting from the energy band gap reduction, and (ii) increased activation of the implanted boron with increased Ge fraction. The phosphorus implanted samples show less sensitivity of ρ c to Ge fraction with a lowest value in this work of 3 x 10 -7 ohm cm 2 for a Ge fraction of 0.3. The reduction in specific contact resistance to the phosphorus implanted samples has been shown to be due to increased dopant activation alone

Microstructures and phase transformations in interstitial alloys of tantalum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahmen, U.

1979-01-01

The analysis of microstructures, phases, and possible ordering of interstitial solute atoms is fundamental to an understanding of the properties of metal-interstitial alloys in general. As evidenced by the controversies on phase transformations in the particular system tantalum--carbon, our understanding of this class of alloys is inferior to our knowledge of substitutional metal alloys. An experimental clarification of these controversies in tantalum was made. Using advanced techniques of electron microscopy and ultrahigh vacuum techology, an understanding of the microstructures and phase transformations in dilute interstitial tantalum--carbon alloys is developed. Through a number of control experiments, the role and sources of interstitial contamination in the alloy preparation (and under operating conditions) are revealed. It is demonstrated that all previously published work on the dilute interstitially ordered phase Ta 64 C can be explained consistently in terms of ordering of the interstitial contaminants oxygen and hydrogen, leading to the formation of the phases Ta 12 O and Ta 2 H

The effects of hot carrier and swift heavy ion irradiation on electrical characteristics of advanced 200 GHz SiGe HBTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinayakprasanna, N. H.; Praveen, K. C.; Prakash, A. P. Gnana, E-mail: gnanaprakash@physics.uni-mysore.ac.in [Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore-570006 (India); Cressler, J. D. [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta-30332, GA (United States)

2016-05-23

The 200 GHz SiGe HBTs were irradiated with 80 MeV Carbon ions up to a total dose of 100 Mrad to understand the degradation in electrical characteristics. The degradation in the electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs was also studied by mixed mode electrical stress up to 10,000 s. The electrical characteristics were measured before and after every total dose and after fixed stress time. The normalized peak h{sub FE} of the stressed and irradiated SiGe HBTs are compared to estimate the equivalent stress time for a particular total dose. These correlations are drawn for the first time and the results will establish a systematic relation between stress time and total dose.

The effects of hot carrier and swift heavy ion irradiation on electrical characteristics of advanced 200 GHz SiGe HBTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinayakprasanna, N. H.; Praveen, K. C.; Prakash, A. P. Gnana; Cressler, J. D.

2016-01-01

The 200 GHz SiGe HBTs were irradiated with 80 MeV Carbon ions up to a total dose of 100 Mrad to understand the degradation in electrical characteristics. The degradation in the electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs was also studied by mixed mode electrical stress up to 10,000 s. The electrical characteristics were measured before and after every total dose and after fixed stress time. The normalized peak h_F_E of the stressed and irradiated SiGe HBTs are compared to estimate the equivalent stress time for a particular total dose. These correlations are drawn for the first time and the results will establish a systematic relation between stress time and total dose.

Performance enhancement in p-channel charge-trapping flash memory devices with Si/Ge super-lattice channel and band-to-band tunneling induced hot-electron injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Li-Jung; Chang-Liao, Kuei-Shu; Jian, Yi-Chuen; Wang, Tien-Ko; Tsai, Ming-Jinn

2013-01-01

P-channel charge-trapping flash memory devices with Si, SiGe, and Si/Ge super-lattice channel are investigated in this work. A Si/Ge super-lattice structure with extremely low roughness and good crystal structure is obtained by precisely controlling the epitaxy thickness of Ge layer. Both programming and erasing (P/E) speeds are significantly improved by employing this Si/Ge super-lattice channel. Moreover, satisfactory retention and excellent endurance characteristics up to 10 6 P/E cycles with 3.8 V memory window show that the degradation on reliability properties is negligible when super-lattice channel is introduced. - Highlights: ► A super-lattice structure is proposed to introduce more Ge content into channel. ► Super-lattice structure possesses low roughness and good crystal structure. ► P-channel flash devices with Si, SiGe, and super-lattice channel are investigated. ► Programming/erasing speeds are significantly improved. ► Reliability properties can be kept for device with super-lattice channel

Boron diffusion in strained and strain-relaxed SiGe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.C.; Sheu, Y.M.; Liu, Sally; Duffy, R.; Heringa, A.; Cowern, N.E.B.; Griffin, P.B.

2005-01-01

SiGe has been utilized for aggressive CMOS technologies development recently and there are many references [M. Shima, T. Ueno, T. Kumise, H. Shido, Y. Sakuma, S. Nakamura, Symposium on VLSI Technology Technical Digest, 2002, pp. 94-95; T. Ghani, M. Armstrong, C. Auth, M. Bost, P. Charvat, G. Glass, T. Hoffmann, K. Johnson, C. Kenyon, J. Klaus, B. McIntyre, K. Mistry, A. Murthy, J. Sandford, M. Silberstein, S. Sivakumar, P. Smith, K. Zawadzki, S. Thompson, M. Bohr, International Electron Devices Meeting Technical Digest, December 2003, pp. 978-980; P. Bai, C. Auth, S. Balakrishnan, M. Bost, R. Brain, V. Chikarmane, R. Heussner, M. Hussein, J. Hwang, D. Ingerly, R. James, J. Jeong, C. Kenyon, E. Lee, S. Lee, N. Lindert, M. Liu, Z. Ma, T. Marieb, A. Murthy, R. Nagisetty, S. Natarajan, J. Neirynck, A. Ott, C. Parker, J. Sebastian, R. Shaheed, S. Sivakumar, J. Steigerwald, S. Tyagi, C. Weber, B. Woolery, A. Yeoh, K. Zhang, M. Bohr, International Electron Devices Meeting Technical Digest, December 2004, pp. 657-660] presenting the advantages brought by it. A better understanding regarding the boron diffusion behavior within and in the vicinity of SiGe is necessary to optimize the extension and the source/drain in pMOSFET. In order to achieve the goal, both effects from mechanical strain and Ge doping on boron diffusion have been investigated. However, only a few publications discuss the impacts of both. Furthermore, most researches investigate these two effects under the conditions of low boron concentration [P. Kuo, J.L. Hoyt, J.F. Gibbons, J.E. Turner, D. Lefforge, Appl. Phys. Lett. 66 (January (5)) (1995) 580-582; N.R. Zangenberg, J. Fage-Pedersen, J. Lundsgaard Hansen, A. Nylandsted Larsen, J. Appl. Phys. 94 (September (6)) (2003) 3883-3890] and high thermal budget anneal [P. Kuo, J.L. Hoyt, J.F. Gibbons, J.E. Turner, D. Lefforge, Appl. Phys. Lett. 66 (January (5)) (1995) 580-582; N.R. Zangenberg, J. Fage-Pedersen, J. Lundsgaard Hansen, A. Nylandsted Larsen, J. Appl

Structural, Dynamic, and Vibrational Properties during Heat Transfer in Si/Ge Superlattices: A Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics Study

OpenAIRE

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2016-01-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during the heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices, are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) ar...

Mobile Melt-Dilute Treatment for Russian Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peacock, H.

2002-01-01

Treatment of spent Russian fuel using a Melt-Dilute (MD) process is proposed to consolidate fuel assemblies into a form that is proliferation resistant and provides critically safety under storage and disposal configurations. Russian fuel elements contain a variety of fuel meat and cladding materials. The Melt-Dilute treatment process was initially developed for aluminum-based fuels so additional development is needed for several cladding and fuel meat combinations in the Russian fuel inventory (e.g. zirconium-clad, uranium-zirconium alloy fuel). A Mobile Melt-Dilute facility (MMD) is being proposed for treatment of spent fuels at reactor site storage locations in Russia; thereby, avoiding the costs of building separate treatment facilities at each site and avoiding shipment of enriched fuel assemblies over the road. The MMD facility concept is based on laboratory tests conducted at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), and modular pilot-scale facilities constructed at the Savannah River Site for treatment of US spent fuel. SRTC laboratory tests have shown the feasibility of operating a Melt-Dilute treatment process with either a closed system or a filtered off-gas system. The proposed Mobile Melt-Dilute process is presented in this paper

Ion beam analysis of the dry thermal oxidation of thin polycrystalline SiGe films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kling, A.; Soares, J.C.; Prieto, A.C.; Jimenez, J.; Rodriguez, A.; Sangrador, J.; Rodriguez, T.

2005-01-01

Nanoparticles of Ge embedded in a formed dielectric matrix appear as very promising systems for electronic and photonic applications. We present here an exhaustive characterization of the oxidation process of polycrystalline SiGe layers from the starting of its oxidation process to the total oxidation of it. We have characterized the process by RBS, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, showing the necessity to use different techniques in order to get a full view of the process. First the Si-Si and Si-Ge bonds are oxidized growing SiO 2 , and Ge segregates from the SiO 2 . As soon as all Si is oxidized GeO 2 is growing gradually. RBS has demonstrated to be very useful to characterize the SiO 2 and the remaining non-oxidized poly-SiGe layer thickness, as well as for the determination of the Ge fraction, where the high sensitivity of this technique allows to explore its whole range. On the other hand, for the reliable determination of the GeO 2 thickness, information on the amount of Ge-O bonding had to be obtained from FTIR spectra. Raman spectroscopy yields detailed information about the oxidation processes for different bonds (Si-Si, Si-Ge, Ge-Ge)

Gibbsian and radiation-induced segregation in Cu--Li and Al--Li alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruen, D.M.; Krauss, A.R.; Susman, S.; Venugopalan, M.; Ron, M.

1983-01-01

Previous experiments on segregation in dilute alloys of lithium in aluminum have demonstrated rapid enrichment of lithium in the uppermost monolayer, as well as a slower buildup in the subsurface region as a result of radiation-induced segregation effects during sputtering. Surface and subsurface enrichment of lithium in copper and aluminum alloys has been observed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The activation energies for lithium diffusion in Cu and Al have been measured and segregation kinetics are compared for dilute alloys of Li in Cu and Al, and a high lithium content copper alloy. The results are interpreted in terms of both Gibbsian and radiation-induced segregation effects

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy of SiGe layer evolution on Si(100) induced by dewetting

Science.gov (United States)

Shklyaev, A. A.; Volodin, V. A.; Stoffel, M.; Rinnert, H.; Vergnat, M.

2018-01-01

High temperature annealing of thick (40-100 nm) Ge layers deposited on Si(100) at ˜400 °C leads to the formation of continuous films prior to their transformation into porous-like films due to dewetting. The evolution of Si-Ge composition, lattice strain, and surface morphology caused by dewetting is analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The Raman data reveal that the transformation from the continuous to porous film proceeds through strong Si-Ge interdiffusion, reducing the Ge content from 60% to about 20%, and changing the stress from compressive to tensile. We expect that Ge atoms migrate into the Si substrate occupying interstitial sites and providing thereby the compensation of the lattice mismatch. Annealing generates only one type of radiative recombination centers in SiGe resulting in a PL peak located at about 0.7 and 0.8 eV for continuous and porous film areas, respectively. Since annealing leads to the propagation of threading dislocations through the SiGe/Si interface, we can tentatively associate the observed PL peak to the well-known dislocation-related D1 band.

Application of a Pelletron accelerator to study total dose radiation effects on 50 GHz SiGe HBTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praveen, K.C.; Pushpa, N.; Naik, P.S. [Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570 006 (India); Cressler, John D. [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Tripathi, Ambuj [Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi 110 067 (India); Gnana Prakash, A.P., E-mail: gnanaprakash@physics.uni-mysore.ac.in [Department of Studies in Physics, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570 006 (India)

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Total dose effects of 50 MeV Li3+ ion on 50 GHz SiGe HBTs is investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ion irradiated results were compared with Co-60 gamma results. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 50 MeV Li ions create more damage in E-B spacer oxide when compared to Co-60 gamma radiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-60 gamma radiation create more damage in STI oxide when compared to 50 MeV Li ions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Worst case total dose radiation effects can be studied using Pelletron accelerator facilities. - Abstract: We have investigated the effects of 50 MeV lithium ion irradiation on the DC electrical characteristics of first-generation silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (50 GHz SiGe HBTs) in the dose range of 600 krad to 100 Mrad. The results of 50 MeV Li{sup 3+} ion irradiation on the SiGe HBTs are compared with 63 MeV proton and Co-60 gamma irradiation results in the same dose range in order to understand the damage induced by different LET species. The radiation response of emitter-base (EB) spacer oxide and shallow trench isolation (STI) oxide to different irradiation types are discussed in this paper. We have also focused on the efficacy in the application of a Pelletron accelerator to study total dose irradiation studies in SiGe HBTs.

Thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si and SiGe by ab initio based Monte Carlo simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lina; Minnich, Austin J

2017-03-14

Nanocrystalline thermoelectric materials based on Si have long been of interest because Si is earth-abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic. However, a poor understanding of phonon grain boundary scattering and its effect on thermal conductivity has impeded efforts to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit. Here, we report an ab-initio based computational study of thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si-based materials using a variance-reduced Monte Carlo method with the full phonon dispersion and intrinsic lifetimes from first-principles as input. By fitting the transmission profile of grain boundaries, we obtain excellent agreement with experimental thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline Si [Wang et al. Nano Letters 11, 2206 (2011)]. Based on these calculations, we examine phonon transport in nanocrystalline SiGe alloys with ab-initio electron-phonon scattering rates. Our calculations show that low energy phonons still transport substantial amounts of heat in these materials, despite scattering by electron-phonon interactions, due to the high transmission of phonons at grain boundaries, and thus improvements in ZT are still possible by disrupting these modes. This work demonstrates the important insights into phonon transport that can be obtained using ab-initio based Monte Carlo simulations in complex nanostructured materials.

Magnetic behavior of Si-Ge bond in SixGe4-x nano-clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Nahali, Masoud; Mehri, Ali

2018-06-01

The structure of SixGe4-x nano-clusters were optimized by MPW1B95 level of theory using MG3S and SDB-aug-cc-PVTZ basis set. The agreement of the calculated ionization and dissociation energies with experimental values validates the reported structures of nano-clusters and justifies the use of hybrid meta density functional method. Since the Si-Si bond is stronger than Si-Ge and Ge-Ge bonds, the Si-Si, Si-Ge, and Ge-Ge diagonal bonds determine the precedence of the stability in these nano-clusters. The hybrid meta density functional calculations were carried out to investigate the adsorption of CO on all possible SixGe4-x nano-clusters. It was found that the silicon atom generally makes a stronger bond with CO than germanium and thereby preferentially affects the shape of structures having higher multiplicity. In Si-Ge structures with higher spin more than 95% of spins accumulate on positions with less bonds to other atoms of the cluster. Through CO adsorption on these clusters bridge structures are made that behave as spin bridge which conduct the spin from the nano-cluster surface to the adsorbate atoms. A better understanding of bridged structures was achieved upon introducing the 'spin bridge' concept. Based on exhaustive spin density analysis, it was found that the reason for the extra negative charge on oxygen in the bridged structures is the relocation of spin from the surface through the bridge.

Sulfur passivation for the formation of Si-terminated Al{sub 2}O{sub 3/}SiGe(0 0 1) interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sardashti, Kasra [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Hu, Kai-Ting [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Tang, Kechao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA (United States); Park, Sangwook; Kim, Hyonwoong [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Madisetti, Shailesh [Department of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany—State University of New York, Albany, NY (United States); McIntyre, Paul [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA (United States); Oktyabrsky, Serge [Department of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany—State University of New York, Albany, NY (United States); Siddiqui, Shariq; Sahu, Bhagawan [TD Research, GLOBALFOUNDRIES USA, Inc., Albany, NY (United States); Yoshida, Noami; Kachian, Jessica [Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States); Kummel, Andrew, E-mail: akummel@ucsd.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

2016-03-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Effect of wet sulfur passivation on the electrical properties of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiGe(0 0 1) interfaces has been determined. • EOT of 2.1 nm has been achieved for ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} deposited directly on SiGe(0 0 1) surfaces. • Sulfur passivation has been found to passivate the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface with Si−O−Al bonds. • Sulfur passivation is found to significantly reduce the GeO{sub x} or Ge−O−Al content at the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiGe interface therefore improving the reliability. • Sulfur passivation extends the surface stability prior to oxide ALD to up to an hour with no dramatic change in D{sub it}, C{sub ox} or V{sub FB} of the resulting devices. - Abstract: Sulfur passivation is used to electrically and chemically passivate the silicon–germanium (SiGe) surfaces before and during the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}). The electrical properties of the interfaces were examined by variable frequency capacitance–voltage (C–V) spectroscopy. Interface compositions were determined by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS). The sulfur adsorbs to a large fraction of surface sites on the SiGe(0 0 1) surface, protecting the surface from deleterious surface reactions during processing. Sulfur passivation (a) improved the air stability of the cleaned surfaces prior to ALD, (b) increased the stability of the surface during high-temperature deposition, and (c) increased the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD nucleation density on SiGe, thereby lowering the leakage current. S passivation suppressed formation of Ge−O bonds at the interface, leaving the majority of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–SiGe interface terminated with direct Si−O−Al bonding.

Total dose hardness of a commercial SiGe BiCMOS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Vonno, N.; Lucas, R.; Thornberry, D.

1999-01-01

Over the past decade SiGe HBT technology has progress from the laboratory to actual commercial applications. When integrated into a BiMOS process, this technology has applications in low-cost space systems. In this paper, we report results of total dose testing of a SiGe/CMOS process accessible through a commercial foundry. (authors)

Influencing factors on the size uniformity of self-assembled SiGe quantum rings grown by molecular beam epitaxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, J; Lv, Y; Yang, X J; Fan, Y L; Zhong, Z; Jiang, Z M

2011-03-25

The size uniformity of self-assembled SiGe quantum rings, which are formed by capping SiGe quantum dots with a thin Si layer, is found to be greatly influenced by the growth temperature and the areal density of SiGe quantum dots. Higher growth temperature benefits the size uniformity of quantum dots, but results in low Ge concentration as well as asymmetric Ge distribution in the dots, which induces the subsequently formed quantum rings to be asymmetric in shape or even broken somewhere in the ridge of rings. Low growth temperature degrades the size uniformity of quantum dots, and thus that of quantum rings. A high areal density results in the expansion and coalescence of neighboring quantum dots to form a chain, rather than quantum rings. Uniform quantum rings with a size dispersion of 4.6% and an areal density of 7.8×10(8) cm(-2) are obtained at the optimized growth temperature of 640°C.

μ+ studies of dilute PdFe alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagamine, K.; Nishida, N.; Yamazaki, T.; British Columbia Univ., Vancouver

1976-08-01

In order to investigate the ordering mechanism among giant moments around Fe impurities in Pd, μ + was used to probe the conduction electron polarization in PdFe alloys above and below the critical concentration of 0.1 at. % with reference to pure Pd. Below the ordering temperatures the broadening of the μ + field for 0.015 at. % Fe is substantially larger than that for 0.28 at. % Fe, when normalized to the bulk magnetization. The results can be explained in terms of an RKKY spin oscillation in the region outside the giant moment. (author)

Characterization and structure of precipitates in 6xxx Aluminium Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmestad, Randi; Bjørge, Ruben; Ehlers, Flemming J H; Torsæter, Malin; Marioara, Calin D; Andersen, Sigmund J

2012-01-01

Solute atom nanoscale precipitates are responsible for the favourable mechanical properties of heat treatable aluminium alloys such as Al-Mg-Si (6xxx). The shape, structure and strengthening properties of age-hardening precipitates depend on alloy composition and thermo-mechanical history. We seek an improved understanding of the physics related to nucleation and precipitation on the atomistic level in these alloys. Once these mechanisms are sufficiently well described and understood, the hope is that 'alloy design' simulations can assist tailoring of materials with desired properties. In pure Al-Mg-Si we have determined the structure of nearly all the known metastable precipitate phases, by combining advanced TEM techniques (such as high resolution TEM and nano-beam diffraction) with atom probe tomography and density functional theory. We are now studying effects of additions /substitutions of Cu, Ag and/or Ge that promote formation of more disordered precipitates, employing aberration corrected high angle annular dark field scanning TEM. We find that all metastable precipitates contain variations of a widely spaced 'Si/Ge network'. In spite of disorder or defects, this network is surprisingly well ordered, with hexagonal projected sub-cell dimensions a = b ≅ 0.4 nm and c (along the fully coherent precipitate main growth direction) equal to 0.405 nm or a multiple of it.

Delayed plastic relaxation limit in SiGe islands grown by Ge diffusion from a local source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanacore, G. M.; Zani, M.; Tagliaferri, A., E-mail: alberto.tagliaferri@polimi.it [CNISM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Nicotra, G. [IMM-CNR, Stradale Primosole 50, I-95121 Catania (Italy); Bollani, M. [CNR-IFN, LNESS, Via Anzani 42, I-22100 Como (Italy); Bonera, E.; Montalenti, F.; Picco, A.; Boioli, F. [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali and L-NESS, Università Milano-Bicocca, via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Capellini, G. [Department of Sciences at the Università Roma Tre, Via Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Roma (Italy); Isella, G. [CNISM, LNESS, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano (Polo di Como), Via Anzani 42, I-22100 Como (Italy); Osmond, J. [ICFO–The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss, 3, E-08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona) (Spain)

2015-03-14

The hetero-epitaxial strain relaxation in nano-scale systems plays a fundamental role in shaping their properties. Here, the elastic and plastic relaxation of self-assembled SiGe islands grown by surface-thermal-diffusion from a local Ge solid source on Si(100) are studied by atomic force and transmission electron microscopies, enabling the simultaneous investigation of the strain relaxation in different dynamical regimes. Islands grown by this technique remain dislocation-free and preserve a structural coherence with the substrate for a base width as large as 350 nm. The results indicate that a delay of the plastic relaxation is promoted by an enhanced Si-Ge intermixing, induced by the surface-thermal-diffusion, which takes place already in the SiGe overlayer before the formation of a critical nucleus. The local entropy of mixing dominates, leading the system toward a thermodynamic equilibrium, where non-dislocated, shallow islands with a low residual stress are energetically stable. These findings elucidate the role of the interface dynamics in modulating the lattice distortion at the nano-scale, and highlight the potential use of our growth strategy to create composition and strain-controlled nano-structures for new-generation devices.

Microstructure Development and Characteristics of Semisolid Aluminum Alloys; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merton Flemings; Srinath Viswanathan

2001-01-01

A drop forge viscometer was employed to investigate the flow behavior under very rapid compression rates of A357, A356 diluted with pure aluminum and Al-4.5%Cu alloys. The A357 alloys were of commercial origin (MHD and SIMA) and the rheocast, modified A356 and Al-4.5Cu alloys were produced by a process developed at the solidification laboratory of MIT

Integrated X-band FMCW front-end in SiGe BiCMOS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suijker, Erwin; de Boer, Lex; Visser, Guido; van Dijk, Raymond; Poschmann, Michael; van Vliet, Frank Edward

2010-01-01

An integrated X-band FMCW front-end is reported. The front-end unites the core functionality of an FMCW transmitter and receiver in a 0.25 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. The chip integrates a PLL for the carrier generation, and single-side band and image-reject mixers for up- and down-conversion of the

Unusual morphology of the omega phase in a Zr-1.75 At. pct Ni alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, D.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Ramadasan, E.; Banerjee, S.

1993-01-01

The observations reported in the present communication were made in the course of a microstructural investigation on dilute Zr-Ni alloys. The alloys were prepared from nuclear-grade sponge zirconium and high-purity nickel by nonconsumable arc melting. Repeated melting was carried out to enhance homogeneity. A master alloy was used in the preparation of very dilute alloys. The observations reported here clearly indicate that the formation of the ω phase on β quenching, can occur in the binary Zr-Ni system at very low solute concentrations, suggesting that nickel is a strong ω stabilizer. Such a situation is known to obtain in the binary Zr-Mo system also. However, the unusual ω morphology observed in the present work has not been reported in the context of dilute Zr-Mo alloys. The appearance of sharp ω reflections and the absence of streaking and diffuse distributions in the selected area electron diffraction (SAD) patterns suggest that the Zr-1.75 at. pct Ni composition lies toward the solute lean end of the composition range associated with the formation of the athermal ω phase in the binary Zr-Ni system. In a more dilute Zr-Ni alloy (Zr-1.30 at. pct Ni), no athermal ω could be observed in β quenched specimens. The absence of streaking is also consistent with the fact that the ω phase in the β quenched Zr-1.75 at. pct Ni alloy did not occur in the form of very fine precipitates. The unusual ω morphology encountered in this work merits further investigation

Towards rhombohedral SiGe epitaxy on 150mm c-plane sapphire substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Duzik, Adam J.; Park, Yeonjoon; Choi, Sang H.

2015-04-01

Previous work demonstrated for the first time the ability to epitaxially grow uniform single crystal diamond cubic SiGe (111) films on trigonal sapphire (0001) substrates. While SiGe (111) forms two possible crystallographic twins on sapphire (0001), films consisting primarily of one twin were produced on up to 99.95% of the total wafer area. This permits new bandgap engineering possibilities and improved group IV based devices that can exploit the higher carrier mobility in Ge compared to Si. Models are proposed on the epitaxy of such dissimilar crystal structures based on the energetic favorability of crystallographic twins and surface reconstructions. This new method permits Ge (111) on sapphire (0001) epitaxy, rendering Ge an economically feasible replacement for Si in some applications, including higher efficiency Si/Ge/Si quantum well solar cells. Epitaxial SiGe films on sapphire showed a 280% increase in electron mobility and a 500% increase in hole mobility over single crystal Si. Moreover, Ge possesses a wider bandgap for solar spectrum conversion than Si, while the transparent sapphire substrate permits an inverted device structure, increasing the total efficiency to an estimated 30-40%, much higher than traditional Si solar cells. Hall Effect mobility measurements of the Ge layer in the Si/Ge/Si quantum well structure were performed to demonstrate the advantage in carrier mobility over a pure Si solar cell. Another application comes in the use of microelectromechanical devices technology, where high-resistivity Si is currently used as a substrate. Sapphire is a more resistive substrate and offers better performance via lower parasitic capacitance and higher film carrier mobility over the current Si-based technology.

The Effect of Dilution on Microsegregation in AWS ER NiCrMo-14 Alloy Welding Claddings

Science.gov (United States)

Miná, Émerson Mendonça; da Silva, Yuri Cruz; Dille, Jean; Silva, Cleiton Carvalho

2016-12-01

Dilution and microsegregation are phenomena inherent to claddings, which, in turn, directly affect their main properties. This study evaluated microsegregation in the fusion zone with different dilution levels. The overlays were welded by the TIG cold wire feed process. Dilution was calculated from the geometric characteristics of the claddings and from the conservation of mass equation using chemical composition measurements. Microsegregation was calculated using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements of the dendrites and the chemical composition of the fusion zone. The dilution of the claddings was increased by reducing the wire feed rate. Fe showed potential to be incorporated into the solid phase ( k > 1), and this increased with the increase of dilution. Mo, in turn, was segregated into the liquid phase ( k < 1) and also increased with the increase of dilution. However, Cr and W showed a slight decrease in their partition coefficients ( k) with the increase of dilution.

Self-Passivation by Fluorine Plasma Treatment and Low-Temperature Annealing in SiGe Nano wires for Biochemical Sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, K.; Chen, C.; Kuo, P.; Chen, Y.; Chang, T.; Lai, C.; Whang, A. J.; Lai, Y.; Chen, H.; Hsieh, I.

2014-01-01

Nano wires are widely used as highly sensitive sensors for electrical detection of biological and chemical species. Modifying the band structure of strained-Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors by applying the in-plane tensile strain reportedly improves electron and hole mobility. The oxidation-induced Ge condensation increases the Ge fraction in a SiGe-on-insulator (SGOI) and substantially increases hole mobility. However, oxidation increases the number of surface states, resulting in hole mobility degradation. In this work, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) was used as a biochemical reagent. The hydroxyl molecule on the oxide surface was replaced by the methoxy groups of the APTMS molecule. We proposed a surface plasma treatment to improve the electrical properties of SiGe nano wires. Fluorine plasma treatment can result in enhanced rates of thermal oxidation and speed up the formation of a self-passivation oxide layer. Like a capping oxide layer, the self-passivation oxide layer reduces the rate of follow-up oxidation. Pre oxidation treatment also improved the sensitivity of SiGe nano wires because the Si-F binding was held at a more stable interface state compared to bare nano wire on the SiGe surface. Additionally, the sensitivity can be further improved by either the N 2 plasma posttreatment or the low-temperature post annealing due to the suppression of out diffusion of Ge and F atoms from the SiGe nano wire surface.

A note on the Sumerian expression SI-ge4-de3/dam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Widell, Magnus

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The expression SI-ge4-dam/de3 appears in some of the loan documents of the Ur III period where it was used to establish the interest rate or the loan fee. In addition, it is sometimes preceded by ki-ba 'in its/this place/ground' or, in some cases, ma2 -a 'in the boat'. The regular verb SI.g was closely related, perhaps even synonymous with, the reduplication verb ḡar/ḡa2-ḡa2 'to put' or 'to place'. While it may be concluded that SI-ge4-dam/de3 had nothing to do with the verb si 'to fill' or gi4 'to return', the correct analysis of the expression remains somewhat uncertain. The article proposes that the SI should be read se and understood as a phonetic writing for the regular verb se3.g 'to put', 'to place'. The combination of the verb with the ki-ba may suggest that a more parochial form of keeping products existed side by side with the large centralized granaries and storehouses of the city.La expresión SI-ge4-dam/de3 aparece en algunos contratos de préstamo del período de Ur III, donde se empleaba para determinar el interés de dicho préstamo. Por otra parte, este término se hallaba a veces precedido de ki-ba 'en su/este lugar/suelo', y en algunos casos por ma2 -a 'en la barca'. El verbo regular SI.g está muy relacionado (quizás es incluso sinónimo con el verbo de la clase de la reduplicación ḡar/ḡa2-ḡa2 'poner' o 'colocar'. Mientras que puede concluirse que SI-ge4-dam/de3 no tiene nada que ver con el verbo si 'llenar', ni con gi4 'regresar, devolver', el análisis correcto de la expresión sigue siendo, de algún modo, incierto. En el artículo se propone que SI puede leerse como se , entendiéndolo como una escritura fonética del verbo regular se3.g 'poner', 'colocar'. La combinación del verbo con ki-ba podría indicar que, junto a los grandes graneros y almacenes centrales de la ciudad, había un modo distinto y más modesto de conservar los productos.

Interaction between impurities in Ag dilute alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krolas, K.; Wodniecka, B.; Wodniecki, P.; Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Krakow

1977-01-01

Time dependent perturbed angular correlation measurements of gamma radiation in 111 Cd after 111 In decay were performed in AgPd and AgPt alloys. The concentration of Pd or Pt atoms being the nearest neighbours to the probe atoms is much higher than that one deduced from random impurity distribution. This effect results from the attractive interaction between the In probe atoms and Pt or Pd impurity atoms in silver host lattice. The binding energy of InPd and InPt complexes was measured as 135 +- 9 meV and 171 +- 9 meV, respectively. (author)

μ+ depolarization in AlGd alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohn, S.; Brown, J.A.; Heffner, R.H.; Huang, C.Y.; Kitchens, T.A. Jr.; Leon, M.; Olsen, C.E.; Schillaci, M.E.

1979-01-01

The μ + depolarization rate in dilute AlGd alloys containing 50 and 450 atomic ppm Gd was measured in a transverse field of 80 Oe over the temperature range 6-300 K. For both alloys, Λ increased dramatically above 200 K, reaching values of 0.69 and 0.93 μs -1 , respectively, near room temperature. The results are interpreted as providing evidence for a thermally-activated trapping mechanism. (Auth.)

Alternative Sigma Factors SigF, SigE, and SigG Are Essential for Sporulation in Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502

OpenAIRE

Kirk, David G.; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia

2014-01-01

Clostridium botulinum produces heat-resistant endospores that may germinate and outgrow into neurotoxic cultures in foods. Sporulation is regulated by the transcription factor Spo0A and the alternative sigma factors SigF, SigE, SigG, and SigK in most spore formers studied to date. We constructed mutants of sigF, sigE, and sigG in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 and used quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and electron microscopy to assess their expression of the sporulation pathway on transcription...

Crevice corrosion kinetics of nickel alloys bearing chromium and molybdenum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zadorozne, N.S.; Giordano, C.M.; Rodríguez, M.A.; Carranza, R.M.; Rebak, R.B.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The crevice corrosion resistance of the tested alloys increased with PREN, which is mainly affected by their Mo content. ► Crevice corrosion kinetics was controlled by ohmic drop only in the more dilute chloride solutions. ► Charge transfer control was observed in concentrated chloride solutions. ► A critical ohmic drop was not necessary for crevice corrosion to occur. ► Ohmic drop was a consequence of the crevice corrosion process in certain conditions. - Abstract: The crevice corrosion kinetics of alloys C-22, C-22HS and HYBRID-BC1 was studied in several chloride solutions at 90 °C. The crevice corrosion resistance of the alloys increased with PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number), which is mainly affected by the Mo content in the alloys. The crevice corrosion kinetics of the three alloys was analyzed at potentials slightly higher than the repassivation potential. Crevice propagation was controlled by ohmic drop in the more dilute chloride solutions, and by charge transfer in the more concentrated chloride solutions. Ohmic drop was not a necessary condition for crevice corrosion to occur.

Dilution Confusion: Conventions for Defining a Dilution

Science.gov (United States)

Fishel, Laurence A.

2010-01-01

Two conventions for preparing dilutions are used in clinical laboratories. The first convention defines an "a:b" dilution as "a" volumes of solution A plus "b" volumes of solution B. The second convention defines an "a:b" dilution as "a" volumes of solution A diluted into a final volume of "b". Use of the incorrect dilution convention could affect…

Formation and stability of Fe-rich precipitates in dilute Zr(Fe) single-crystal alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, H.; Hood, G.M.; Roy, J.A.; Schultz, R.J.

1993-02-01

The formation and stability of Fe-rich precipitates in two α-Zr(Fe) single-crystal alloys with nominal compositions (I, 50 ppma Fe, and II, 650 ppma Fe) have been investigated (the maximum solid solubility of Fe in α-Zr is 180 ppma - 800 C). Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to examine the characteristics of Fe-rich precipitates. SEM and TEM micrographs show that in as-grown alloy II, Zr 2 Fe precipitates are located at 'stringers'. Precipitates were not observed in as-grown alloy I. During annealing, below the solvus, Fe diffuses to the surfaces to form Zr 3 Fe precipitates in both alloys. The precipitates on the surfaces of alloy I tend to be star-like (0001) or pyramidal (1010), and their distribution is heterogeneous. Dissolution of Zr 3 Fe surface precipitates of alloy I (annealing above the solvus) leaves precipitate-like features on the surfaces. Zr 2 Fe precipitates in as-grown alloy II can be dissolved only by β-phase annealing. (Author) 8 figs., 18 refs

Characterisation of diode-connected SiGe BiCMOS HBTs for space applications

Science.gov (United States)

Venter, Johan; Sinha, Saurabh; Lambrechts, Wynand

2016-02-01

Silicon-germanium (SiGe) bipolar complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) transistors have vertical doping profiles reaching deeper into the substrate when compared to lateral CMOS transistors. Apart from benefiting from high-speed, high current gain and low-output resistance due to its vertical profile, BiCMOS technology is increasingly becoming a preferred technology for researchers to realise next-generation space-based optoelectronic applications. BiCMOS transistors have inherent radiation hardening, to an extent predictable cryogenic performance and monolithic integration potential. SiGe BiCMOS transistors and p-n junction diodes have been researched and used as a primary active component for over the last two decades. However, further research can be conducted with diode-connected heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) operating at cryogenic temperatures. This work investigates these characteristics and models devices by adapting standard fabrication technology components. This work focuses on measurements of the current-voltage relationship (I-V curves) and capacitance-voltage relationships (C-V curves) of diode-connected HBTs. One configuration is proposed and measured, which is emitterbase shorted. The I-V curves are measured for various temperature points ranging from room temperature (300 K) to the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K). The measured datasets are used to extract a model of the formed diode operating at cryogenic temperatures and used as a standard library component in computer aided software designs. The advantage of having broad-range temperature models of SiGe transistors becomes apparent when considering implementation of application-specific integrated circuits and silicon-based infrared radiation photodetectors on a single wafer, thus shortening interconnects and lowering parasitic interference, decreasing the overall die size and improving on overall cost-effectiveness. Primary applications include space-based geothermal

Viscosity of Ga-Li liquid alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Vidyaev, Dmitriy; Boretsky, Evgeny; Verkhorubov, Dmitriy

2018-03-01

The measurement of dynamic viscosity of Ga-Li liquid alloys has been performed using low-frequency vibrational viscometer at five temperatures in the range 313-353 K and four gallium-based dilute alloy compositions containing 0-1.15 at.% Li. It was found that the viscosity of the considered alloys increases with decreasing temperature and increasing lithium concentration in the above ranges. It was shown that dependence of the viscosity of Ga-Li alloys in the investigated temperature range has been described by Arrhenius equation. For this equation the activation energy of viscous flow and pre-exponential factor were calculated. This study helped to determine the conditions of the alkali metals separating process in gallam-exchange systems.

Charge-density-shear-moduli relationships in aluminum-lithium alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Eberhart, M

2001-11-12

Using the first principles full-potential linear-augmented-Slater-type orbital technique, the energies and charge densities of aluminum and aluminum-lithium supercells have been computed. The experimentally observed increase in aluminum's shear moduli upon alloying with lithium is argued to be the result of predictable changes to aluminum's total charge density, suggesting that simple rules may allow the alloy designer to predict the effects of dilute substitutional elements on alloy elastic response.

SiGe HBT linear-in-dB high dynamic range RF envelope detectors and wideband high linearity amplifiers

OpenAIRE

Pan, Hsuan-yu

2010-01-01

This research work aims on exploiting SiGe HBT technologies in high dynamic range wideband RF linear-in- dB envelope detectors and linear amplifiers. First, an improved all-npn broadband highly linear SiGe HBT differential amplifier is presented based on a variation of Caprio's Quad. A broadband linear amplifier with 46dBm OIP₃ at 20MHz, 34dBm OIP₃ at 1GHz, 6dB noise figure and 10.3dBm P₁dB is demonstrated. Second, an improved exact dynamic model of a fast-settling linear-in-dB Automatic Gain...

Nanogrids and Beehive-Like Nanostructures Formed by Plasma Etching the Self-Organized SiGe Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yuan-Ming; Jian, Sheng-Rui; Juang, Jenh-Yih

2010-09-01

A lithography-free method for fabricating the nanogrids and quasi-beehive nanostructures on Si substrates is developed. It combines sequential treatments of thermal annealing with reactive ion etching (RIE) on SiGe thin films grown on (100)-Si substrates. The SiGe thin films deposited by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition form self-assembled nanoislands via the strain-induced surface roughening (Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability) during thermal annealing, which, in turn, serve as patterned sacrifice regions for subsequent RIE process carried out for fabricating nanogrids and beehive-like nanostructures on Si substrates. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations confirmed that the resultant pattern of the obtained structures can be manipulated by tuning the treatment conditions, suggesting an interesting alternative route of producing self-organized nanostructures.

Absorption of hydrogen by vanadium-palladium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artman, D.; Lynch, J.F.; Flanagan, T.B.

1976-01-01

Pressure composition isotherms (273-373 K) have been determined for the absorption of hydrogen by a series of six palladium alloys (f.c.c) in the composition range from 1 to 8 at.% vanadium. At a given hydrogen content, the equilibrium hydrogen pressure progressively increases with vanadium content. Thermodynamic parameters for the absorption of hydrogen are reported at infinite dilution of hydrogen and for the formation of the nonstoichiometric hydride from the hydrogen-saturated alloy. The relative, partial molar enthalpy of solution of hydrogen at infinite dilution increases slightly with vanadium content. The presence of vanadium, which absorbs hydrogen itself in its normal b.c.c. structure, greatly inhibits the ability of palladium to absorb hydrogen. For example, the isobaric solubility of hydrogen (1 atm, 298K) decreases from H/Pd=0.7 (palladium) to 0.024 (V(6%)-Pd). The lattice expansion due to the presence of interstitial hydrogen has been determined by X-ray diffraction. From these data it can be concluded that the formation of two non-stoichiometric hydride phases does not occur at vanadium contents greater that 5 at.% (298 K). Electrical resistance has been measured as a function of the hydrogen content of the alloys. The electrical resistance increases more markedly with hydrogen content for these alloys than for any of the palladium alloys previously examined. (Auth.)

On the transition from short-range diffusion-limited to collision-limited growth in alloy solidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, M.J.; Boettinger, W.J.

1994-01-01

Short-range diffusion-limited growth, collision-limited growth, and the transition between the two regimes are explained as natural consequences of a single model for the kinetics of alloy solidification. Analytical expressions are developed for the velocity-undercooling function of a planar interface during dilute alloy solidification, using Turnbull's collision-limited growth model and the Continuous Growth Solute Trapping Model of Aziz and Kaplan both with and without a solute drag effect. The interface mobility, -dv/dT, is shown to be very high (proportional to the speed of sound) if the alloy is sufficiently dilute or if the growth rate is sufficiently rapid for nearly complete solute trapping. The interface mobility is reduced by the three orders of magnitude (becoming proportional to the diffusive speed) at intermediate growth rates where partial solute trapping occurs. Differences in low velocity predictions of the models with and without solute drag are also discussed. Comparison of the results of the analytical expressions to numerical solutions of the non-dilute kinetic model for Al-Be alloys shows that the dilute approximation breaks down at melt compositions on the order of 10 at.%. Similar variations in the interface mobility are shown for the disorder-trapping model of Boettinger and Aziz

Mechanistic origin and prediction of enhanced ductility in magnesium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhaoxuan; Ahmad, Rasool; Yin, Binglun; Sandlöbes, Stefanie; Curtin, W. A.

2018-01-01

Development of ductile magnesium alloys is key to their use in reducing the weight of vehicles and other applications. Wu et al. tackle this issue by determining the underlying mechanisms in unprocessed magnesium alloys. Dilute amounts of solutes enhanced certain ductility-improving mechanisms over ones that cause brittle fracture. From this, the authors developed a theory that may be helpful for screening the large number of potential magnesium alloy compositions.

Effect of Ge atoms on crystal structure and optoelectronic properties of hydrogenated Si-Ge films

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tianwei; Zhang, Jianjun; Ma, Ying; Yu, Yunwu; Zhao, Ying

2017-07-01

Optoelectronic and structural properties of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon-germanium (μc-Si1-xGex:H) alloys prepared by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) were investigated. When the Ge atoms were predominantly incorporated in amorphous matrix, the dark and photo-conductivity decreased due to the reduced crystalline volume fraction of the Si atoms (XSi-Si) and the increased Ge dangling bond density. The photosensitivity decreased monotonously with Ge incorporation under higher hydrogen dilution condition, which was attributed to the increase in both crystallization of Ge and the defect density.

Oxidation kinetics of Si and SiGe by dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation and dry furnace oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Rozé, Fabien; Gourhant, Olivier; Blanquet, Elisabeth; Bertin, François; Juhel, Marc; Abbate, Francesco; Pribat, Clément; Duru, Romain

2017-06-01

The fabrication of ultrathin compressively strained SiGe-On-Insulator layers by the condensation technique is likely a key milestone towards low-power and high performances FD-SOI logic devices. However, the SiGe condensation technique still requires challenges to be solved for an optimized use in an industrial environment. SiGe oxidation kinetics, upon which the condensation technique is founded, has still not reached a consensus in spite of various studies which gave insights into the matter. This paper aims to bridge the gaps between these studies by covering various oxidation processes relevant to today's technological needs with a new and quantitative analysis methodology. We thus address oxidation kinetics of SiGe with three Ge concentrations (0%, 10%, and 30%) by means of dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation, and dry furnace oxidation. Oxide thicknesses in the 50 Å to 150 Å range grown with oxidation temperatures between 850 and 1100 °C were targeted. The present work shows first that for all investigated processes, oxidation follows a parabolic regime even for thin oxides, which indicates a diffusion-limited oxidation regime. We also observe that, for all investigated processes, the SiGe oxidation rate is systematically higher than that of Si. The amplitude of the variation of oxidation kinetics of SiGe with respect to Si is found to be strongly dependent on the process type. Second, a new quantitative analysis methodology of oxidation kinetics is introduced. This methodology allows us to highlight the dependence of oxidation kinetics on the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface, which is modulated by the pile-up mechanism. Our results show that the oxidation rate increases with the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface.

Evidence of zirconium nano-agglomeration in as-cast dilute U–Zr alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, S.; Kaity, S.; Saify, M.T.; Jha, S.K.; Pujari, P.K.

2014-01-01

Microstructure evaluation of as-cast and annealed U–Zr (Zr = 2, 6 and 10 wt.%) alloys has been carried out for the first time using positrons as a probe. The chemical signature in the matter–antimatter annihilation gamma and the positron lifetime data suggests that majority of positrons are annihilating from Zr sites in the as-cast alloys. The results have been interpreted as due to the presence of Zr nano-agglomerates in the as-cast alloys which have a higher positron affinity as compared to the rest of the U matrix. A minimum agglomerate size of ∼2 nm diameter has been calculated from the difference in positron affinity between the agglomerates and the matrix. Upon annealing, the Zr signature in the annihilation gamma photons vanishes suggesting that the Zr agglomerates diffuse out of U matrix and form micron-sized precipitates. This has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy which shows a 3 times increase in the surface density of the precipitates in the annealed alloys as compared to the as-cast ones. Shorter positron diffusion length (measured using slow positron beam) as compared to precipitate separation has been invoked to explain the observed data

Ordered Arrays of SiGe Islands from Low-Energy PECVD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chrastina D

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract SiGe islands have been proposed for applications in the fields of microelectronics, optoelectronics and thermoelectrics. Although most of the works in literature are based on MBE, one of the possible advantages of low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (LEPECVD is a wider range of deposition rates, which in turn results in the possibility of growing islands with a high Ge concentration. We will show that LEPECVD can be effectively used for the controlled growth of ordered arrays of SiGe islands. In order to control the nucleation of the islands, patterned Si (001 substrates were obtained by e-beam lithography (EBL and dry etching. We realized periodic circular pits with diameters ranging from 80 to 300 nm and depths from 65 to 75 nm. Subsequently, thin films (0.8–3.2 nm of pure Ge were deposited by LEPECVD, resulting in regular and uniform arrays of Ge-rich islands. LEPECVD allowed the use of a wide range of growth rates (0.01–0.1 nm s−1 and substrates temperatures (600–750°C, so that the Ge content of the islands could be varied. Island morphology was characterized by AFM, while μ-Raman was used to analyze the Ge content inside the islands and the composition differences between islands on patterned and unpatterned areas of the substrate.

Thermal stress relieving of dilute uranium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckelmeyer, K.H.

1981-01-01

The kinetics of thermal stress relieving of uranium - 2.3 wt % niobium, uranium - 2.0 wt % molybdenum, and uranium - 0.75 wt % titanium are reported and discussed. Two temperature regimes of stress relieving are observed. In the low temperature regime (T 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by an athermal microplasticity mechanism which can be completely suppressed by prior age hardening. In the high temperature regime (300 0 C 0 C) the process appears to be controlled by a classical diffusional creep mechanism which is strongly dependent on temperature and time. Stress relieving is accelerated in cases where it occurs simultaneously with age hardening. The potential danger of residual stress induced stress corrosion cracking of uranium alloys is discussed

Investigating ESD sensitivity in electrostatic SiGe MEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sangameswaran, Sandeep; De Coster, Jeroen; Linten, Dimitri; Scholz, Mirko; Thijs, Steven; Groeseneken, Guido; De Wolf, Ingrid

2010-01-01

The sensitivity of electrostatically actuated SiGe microelectromechanical systems to electrostatic discharge events has been investigated in this paper. Torsional micromirrors and RF microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators have been used as two case studies to perform this study. On-wafer electrostatic discharge (ESD) measurement methods, such as the human body model (HBM) and machine model (MM), are discussed. The impact of HBM ESD zap tests on the functionality and behavior of MEMS is explained and the ESD failure levels of MEMS have been verified by failure analysis. It is demonstrated that electrostatic MEMS devices have a high sensitivity to ESD and that it is essential to protect them.

A Passive X-Band Double Balanced Mixer Utilizing Diode Connected SiGe HBTs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michaelsen, Rasmus Schandorph; Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Tamborg, Kjeld

2013-01-01

In this paper, a passive double balanced mixer in SiGe HBT technology is presented. Due to lack of suitable passive mixing elements in the technology, the mixing elements are formed by diode connected HBTs. The mixer is optimized for use in doppler radars and is highly linear with 1 dB compressio...

Crystal Fields in Dilute Rare-Earth Metals Obtained from Magnetization Measurements on Dilute Rare-Earth Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Touborg, P.; Høg, J.

1974-01-01

Crystal field parameters of Tb, Dy, and Er in Sc, Y, and Lu are summarized. These parameters are obtained from magnetization measurements on dilute single crystals, and successfully checked by a number of different methods. The crystal field parameters vary unpredictably with the rare-earth solute....... B40, B60, and B66 are similar in Y and Lu. Crystal field parameters for the pure metals Tb, Dy, and Er are estimated from the crystal fields in Y and Lu....

Visible and infrared emission from Si/Ge nanowires synthesized by metal-assisted wet etching.

Science.gov (United States)

Irrera, Alessia; Artoni, Pietro; Fioravanti, Valeria; Franzò, Giorgia; Fazio, Barbara; Musumeci, Paolo; Boninelli, Simona; Impellizzeri, Giuliana; Terrasi, Antonio; Priolo, Francesco; Iacona, Fabio

2014-02-12

Multi-quantum well Si/Ge nanowires (NWs) were realized by combining molecular beam epitaxy deposition and metal-assisted wet etching, which is a low-cost technique for the synthesis of extremely dense (about 1011 cm-2) arrays of NWs with a high and controllable aspect ratio. In particular, we prepared ultrathin Si/Ge NWs having a mean diameter of about 8 nm and lengths spanning from 1.0 to 2.7 μm. NW diameter is compatible with the occurrence of quantum confinement effects and, accordingly, we observed light emission assignable to the presence of Si and Ge nanostructures. We performed a detailed study of the photoluminescence properties of the NWs, with particular attention to the excitation and de-excitation properties as a function of the temperature and of the excitation photon flux, evaluating the excitation cross section and investigating the presence of non-radiative phenomena. PACS: 61.46.Km; 78.55.-m; 78.67.Lt.

Point defects in dilute nitride III-N-As and III-N-P

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2006-01-01

We provide a brief review of our recent results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in non-radiative defects in two most important dilute nitride systems-Ga(In)NAs grown on GaAs substrates and Ga(Al,In)NP grown on Si and GaP substrates. These results have led to the identification of defect complexes in the alloys, involving intrinsic defects such as As Ga antisites and Ga i self-interstitials. They have also shed light on formation mechanisms of the defects and on their role in non-radiative carrier recombination that is harmful to the performance of potential optoelectronic and photonic devices based on these dilute nitrides

Heavy Ion Microbeam- and Broadbeam-Induced Transients in SiGe HBTs

Science.gov (United States)

Pellish, Jonathan A.; Reed, Robert A.; McMorrow, Dale; Vizkelethy, Gyorgy; Ferlet-Cavrois, Veronique; Baggio, Jacques; Duhamel, Olivier; Moen, Kurt A.; Phillips, Stanley D.; Diestelhorst, Ryan M.;

Observation of divergent La3+ ion dilute effect in two series of 3-D fluorescent lanthanide-MOFs-based molecular alloys RExLa1−x–EBTC (RE3+=Eu3+ or Tb3+; EBTC4−=1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-etracarboxylate)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Lu; Zhang, Wen-Wei; Ren, Xiao-Ming; Zuo, Jing-Lin

2015-01-01

The lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Ln 2 (EBTC) 1.5 (CH 3 OH) 4 ]·6H 2 O are isostructural to each other, where EBTC 4− =1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-tetracarboxylate; Ln 3+ =La 3+ , Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ ; and the corresponding MOF is abbreviated as Ln–EBTC. MOFs Eu–EBTC and Tb–EBTC emit intense red and green luminescence (visible by bare eyes), respectively. The molecular alloys of Eu x La 1−x –EBTC and Tb x La 1−x –EBTC have been successfully prepared by mixing Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ and La 3+ salts with the desired molar ratio in the starting material. Two series of Eu x La 1−x –EBTC and Tb x La 1−x –EBTC molecular alloys are isomorphic to the parent Ln–EBTC MOFs, while exhibit divergent La 3+ ion diluting effect, namely, with increasing the relative amount of La 3+ , the intensity of characteristic emission arising from Tb 3+ ion monotonely increases in Tb x La 1−x –EBTC molecular alloys, whereas that of Eu 3+ ion shows non-monotone decrease in Eu x La 1−x –EBTC molecular alloys. The possible origin is discussed for such a divergent behavior between Eu x La 1−x –EBTC and Tb x La 1−x –EBTC molecular alloys. - Graphical abstract: Two series of 3-D fluorescent lanthanide-MOFs-based molecular alloys RE x La 1−x –EBTC (RE 3+ =Eu 3+ or Tb 3+ ; EBTC 4− =1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-tetracarboxylate) have been successfully prepared by mixing Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ and La 3+ salts with the desired molar ratio in the starting material and showed photoluminescence property with divergent La 3+ ion dilute effect. - Highlights: • 3-D molecular alloys of Eu x La 1−x –EBTC and Tb x La 1−x –EBTC were prepared. • They are isomorphic to the parent Ln–EBTC MOFs. • They show photoluminescence property with divergent La 3+ ion diluting effect. • The possible origin is discussed for such a divergent behavior

Investigations of the Optical Properties of GaNAs Alloys by First-Principle.

Science.gov (United States)

Borovac, Damir; Tan, Chee-Keong; Tansu, Nelson

2017-12-11

We present a Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis of the optical properties of dilute-As GaN 1-x As x alloys with arsenic (As) content ranging from 0% up to 12.5%. The real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function are investigated, and the results are compared to experimental and theoretical values for GaN. The analysis extends to present the complex refractive index and the normal-incidence reflectivity. The refractive index difference between GaN and GaNAs alloys can be engineered to be up to ~0.35 in the visible regime by inserting relatively low amounts of As-content into the GaN system. Thus, the analysis elucidates on the birefringence of the dilute-As GaNAs alloys and comparison to other experimentally characterized III-nitride systems is drawn. Our findings indicate the potential of GaNAs alloys for III-nitride based waveguide and photonic circuit design applications.

Depth concentrations of deuterium ions implanted into some pure metals and alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Didyk, A.Yu.; Wisniewski, R.; Kitowski, K.; Wilczynska, T.; Hofman, A.; Kulikauskas, V.; Shiryaev, A.A.; Zubavichyus, Ya.V.

2011-01-01

Pure metals (Cu, Ti, Zr, V, Pd) and diluted Pd alloys (Pd-Ag, Pd-Pt, Pd-Ru, Pd-Rh) were implanted by 25-keV deuterium ions at fluences in the range (1.2-2.3) x 10 22 D + /m 2 . The post-treatment depth distributions of deuterium ions were measured 10 days and three months after the implantation by using Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS). Comparison of the obtained results allowed us to make conclusions about relative stability of deuterium and hydrogen gases in pure metals and diluted Pd alloys. Very high diffusion rates of implanted deuterium ions from V and Pd pure metals and Pd alloys were observed. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed formation of nanosized defects in implanted corundum and titanium

Thermal stability improvement of a multiple finger power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor under different power dissipations using non-uniform finger spacing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Liang; Zhang Wan-Rong; Jin Dong-Yue; Shen Pei; Xie Hong-Yun; Ding Chun-Bao; Xiao Ying; Sun Bo-Tao; Wang Ren-Qing

2011-01-01

A method of non-uniform finger spacing is proposed to enhance thermal stability of a multiple finger power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor under different power dissipations. Temperature distribution on the emitter fingers of a multi-finger SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor is studied using a numerical electro-thermal model. The results show that the SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor with non-uniform finger spacing has a small temperature difference between fingers compared with a traditional uniform finger spacing heterojunction bipolar transistor at the same power dissipation. What is most important is that the ability to improve temperature non-uniformity is not weakened as power dissipation increases. So the method of non-uniform finger spacing is very effective in enhancing the thermal stability and the power handing capability of power device. Experimental results verify our conclusions. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Magnetic properties of metastable bcc and fcc Fe-Cu alloys produced by vapor quenching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumiyama, Kenji; Yoshitake, Tsutomu; Nakamura, Yoji

1984-01-01

High concentration Fesub(1-x)Cusub(x) alloys have been obtained by rf sputtering technique and investigated by X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. The bcc phase is extended over the region with x=0-0.4, while the fcc phase with x=0.6-1.0. For x=0.4-0.6, we have the mixed phase of bcc and fcc. The lattice constant of bcc phase increases slightly and that of fcc phase decreases with increasing x. In the bcc alloys, the average magnetic moment decreases with increasing x and deviates upwards from the simple dilution law. In the fcc alloys, the magnetic moment also decreases with increasing x but it deviates downwards from the simple dilution law. The Curie temperature, Tsub(c), of the Fesub(1-x)Cusub(x) alloys decreases abruptly with increasing x: Tsub(c) is higher than 750 K for the bcc alloys, while it is lower than 320 K for the fcc alloys and become 0 K at about x=0.92. (author)

Observation of spin-selective tunneling in SiGe nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsaros, G; Golovach, V N; Spathis, P; Ares, N; Stoffel, M; Fournel, F; Schmidt, O G; Glazman, L I; De Franceschi, S

2011-12-09

Spin-selective tunneling of holes in SiGe nanocrystals contacted by normal-metal leads is reported. The spin selectivity arises from an interplay of the orbital effect of the magnetic field with the strong spin-orbit interaction present in the valence band of the semiconductor. We demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically that spin-selective tunneling in semiconductor nanostructures can be achieved without the use of ferromagnetic contacts. The reported effect, which relies on mixing the light and heavy holes, should be observable in a broad class of quantum-dot systems formed in semiconductors with a degenerate valence band.

Si, Ge and SiGe wires for sensor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Druzhinin, A.A.; Khoverko, Yu.M.; Ostrovskii, I.P.; Nichkalo, S.I.; Nikolaeva, A.A.; Konopko, L.A.; Stich, I.

2011-01-01

Resistance and magnetoresistance of Si, Ge and Si-Ge micro- and nanowires were studied in temperature range 4,2-300 K at magnetic fields up to 14 T. The wires diameters range from 200 nm to 20 μm. Ga-In gates were created to wires and ohmic I-U characteristics were observed in all temperature range. It was found high elastic strain for Ge nanowires (of about 0,7%) as well as high magnitude of magnetoresistance (of about 250% at 14 T), which was used to design multifunctional sensor of simultaneous measurements of strain and magnetic field intensity. (authors)

The role of SiGe buffer in growth and relaxation of Ge on free-standing Si(001) nano-pillars.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaumseil, P; Kozlowski, G; Schubert, M A; Yamamoto, Y; Bauer, J; Schülli, T U; Tillack, B; Schroeder, T

2012-09-07

We study the growth and relaxation processes of Ge nano-clusters selectively grown by chemical vapor deposition on free-standing 90 nm wide Si(001) nano-pillars with a thin Si(0.23)Ge(0.77) buffer layer. We found that the dome-shaped SiGe layer with a height of about 28 nm as well as the Ge dot deposited on top of it partially relaxes, mainly by elastic lattice bending. The Si nano-pillar shows a clear compliance behavior-an elastic response of the substrate on the growing film-with the tensile strained top part of the pillar. Additional annealing at 800 °C leads to the generation of misfit dislocation and reduces the compliance effect significantly. This example demonstrates that despite the compressive strain generated due to the surrounding SiO(2) growth mask it is possible to realize an overall tensile strain in the Si nano-pillar and following a compliant substrate effect by using a SiGe buffer layer. We further show that the SiGe buffer is able to improve the structural quality of the Ge nano-dot.

An X-band Schottky diode mixer in SiGe technology with tunable Marchand balun

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michaelsen, Rasmus Schandorph; Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Tamborg, Kjeld M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we propose a double balanced mixer with a tunable Marchand balun. The circuit is designed in a SiGe BiCMOS process using Schottky diodes. The tunability of the Marchand balun is used to enhance critical parameters for double balanced mixers. The local oscillator-IF isolation can...

Newly developed EMF cell with zirconia solid electrolyte for measurement of low oxygen potentials in liquid Cu-Cr and Cu-Zr alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katayama I.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to measure the very low oxygen potential by use of stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte emf method, a new cell construction was devised. The idea was based on Janke but a zirconia rod was used instead of the zirconia crucible which contacts liquid alloy electrode. The cell was used for determination of the oxygen potentials in liquid dilute Cu-Cr and Cu-Zr alloys. The reference electrode was Cr,Cr2O3. Emf measurements were performed in the temperature range of 1400-1580K and composition range of 0.198-3.10at%Cr-Cu alloys, and 1380-1465K, 0.085-0.761at%Zr-Cu alloys. The composition of liquid alloys were determined by picking up from the liquid alloys and ICP analysis. By use of the newly devised cell construction in this study, stable emf values were obtained at each temperature and alloy composition. Emf values were corrected by using the parameter for electronic contribution of the YSZ. Activity of Cr obeys Henry’s law and activity coefficient at infinitely dilute alloys of Cr in Cu-Cr alloys are: lng0 Cr =(3.80 at 1423K, (3.57 at 1473K, (3.38 at 1523K and (3.20 at 1573K. At 1423 K activity coefficient of Zr at infinitely diluted alloy is lnγo Zr = -4.0.

Multifold Seebeck increase in RuO2 films by quantum-guided lanthanide dilute alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Music, Denis; Basse, Felix H.-U.; Schneider, Jochen M.; Han, Liang; Borca-Tasciuc, Theo; Devender; Gengler, Jamie J.; Voevodin, Andrey A.; Ramanath, Ganpati

2014-01-01

Ab initio predictions indicating that alloying RuO 2 with La, Eu, or Lu can increase the Seebeck coefficient α manifold due to quantum confinement effects are validated in sputter-deposited La-alloyed RuO 2 films showing fourfold α increase. Combinatorial screening reveals that α enhancement correlates with La-induced lattice distortion, which also decreases the thermal conductivity twentyfold, conducive for high thermoelectric figures of merit. These insights should facilitate the rational design of high efficiency oxide-based thermoelectrics through quantum-guided alloying

SiGe epitaxial memory for neuromorphic computing with reproducible high performance based on engineered dislocations

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Shinhyun; Tan, Scott H.; Li, Zefan; Kim, Yunjo; Choi, Chanyeol; Chen, Pai-Yu; Yeon, Hanwool; Yu, Shimeng; Kim, Jeehwan

2018-01-01

Although several types of architecture combining memory cells and transistors have been used to demonstrate artificial synaptic arrays, they usually present limited scalability and high power consumption. Transistor-free analog switching devices may overcome these limitations, yet the typical switching process they rely on—formation of filaments in an amorphous medium—is not easily controlled and hence hampers the spatial and temporal reproducibility of the performance. Here, we demonstrate analog resistive switching devices that possess desired characteristics for neuromorphic computing networks with minimal performance variations using a single-crystalline SiGe layer epitaxially grown on Si as a switching medium. Such epitaxial random access memories utilize threading dislocations in SiGe to confine metal filaments in a defined, one-dimensional channel. This confinement results in drastically enhanced switching uniformity and long retention/high endurance with a high analog on/off ratio. Simulations using the MNIST handwritten recognition data set prove that epitaxial random access memories can operate with an online learning accuracy of 95.1%.

Moessbauer effect studies of magnetic interactions in iron and dilute iron alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woude, F. van der; Schurer, P.J.; Sawatzky, G.A.

1975-01-01

A temperature-dependent Moessbauer study was conducted in FeX alloys, where X = Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, and Ni, aimed at solving the problem of 'what is localized and what is itinerant in iron ferromagnetism'. The experimental results are interpreted using a phenomenological model based on a modified Zener-Vonsovskij theory. Absorption spectra of FeX alloys were measured as a function of temperature. It was found that the 3d magnetic moments in iron were mainly localized while exchange coupling was provided by partly itinerant 3d electrons. (L.D.)

A comparative study of the effects of thermal- and fast-neutron irradiation on some selected dilute face centered cubic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piani, C.S.B.

1981-12-01

Point defect reactions in Pt and Cu and certain dilute alloys were investigated using a resistivity method following either fast-neutron or thermal-neutron irradiation at 4 K. An enhanced irradiation-induced resistivity in certain of the alloys could be attributed to actual enhanced defect production. This was related to a mechanism involving defocussing of replacement collision chains at impurities, together with possible nucleation of interstitial clusters at impurities. The close-pair recovery substages I(A), I(B) and I(C), strongly evident in thermal-neutron-irradiated materials, were suppressed by fast-neutron irradiation. This could be related to the higher energy transfers during irradiation and to significant amounts of irradiation annealing (spontaneous recombination). Fast-neutron cascades favoured interstitial clustering and reduced recovery of the interstitial migration substages I(D) and I(E). Interstitial trapping at impurities during I(D) and I(E) although evident, was less effective in fast-neutron irradiation. Higher concentrations of impurities reduced close-pair recovery as well. Stage II detrapping was related to the trapping efficiency of impurities, as well as to the effective defect concentration. Oversized impurities (Au in Pt or Cu) acted as weak traps, while undersized impurities (Cu or Ni in Pt) appeared to from deeper 'mixed-dumbbell' traps. The 120 K substage in Pt had a unique activation energy approximately 0,37 plus minus 0,03 eV, but did not seem to be due to an impurity detrapping process. It was not possible to attribute the 360 K stage in Pt with a unique activation energy in fast-neutron irradiation

Evaluation of COTS SiGe, SOI, and Mixed Signal Electronic Parts for Extreme Temperature Use in NASA Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Richard L.; Hammoud, Ahmad

2010-01-01

The NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program sponsors a task at the NASA Glenn Research Center titled "Reliability of SiGe, SOI, and Advanced Mixed Signal Devices for Cryogenic Space Missions." In this task COTS parts and flight-like are evaluated by determining their performance under extreme temperatures and thermal cycling. The results from the evaluations are published on the NEPP website and at professional conferences in order to disseminate information to mission planners and system designers. This presentation discusses the task and the 2010 highlights and technical results. Topics include extreme temperature operation of SiGe and SOI devices, all-silicon oscillators, a floating gate voltage reference, a MEMS oscillator, extreme temperature resistors and capacitors, and a high temperature silicon operational amplifier.

Capacitor-less memory cell fabricated on nano-scale strained Si on a relaxed SiGe layer-on-insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae-Hyun; Park, Jea-Gun

2013-01-01

We investigated the combined effect of the strained Si channel and hole confinement on the memory margin enhancement for a capacitor-less memory cell fabricated on nano-scale strained Si on a relaxed SiGe layer-on-insulator (ε-Si SGOI). The memory margin for the ε-Si SGOI capacitor-less memory cell was higher than that of the memory cell fabricated on an unstrained Si-on-insulator (SOI) and increased with increasing Ge concentration of the relaxed SiGe layer; i.e. the memory margin for the ε-Si SGOI capacitor-less memory cell (138.6 µA) at a 32 at% Ge concentration was 3.3 times higher than the SOI capacitor-less memory cell (43 µA). (paper)

Irradiation Stability of Uranium Alloys at High Exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonell, W.R.

2001-01-01

Postirradiation examinations were begun of a series of unrestrained dilute uranium alloy specimens irradiated to exposures up to 13,000 MWD/T in NaK-containing stainless steel capsules. This test, part of a program of development of uranium metal fuels for desalination and power reactors sponsored by the Division of Reactor Development and Technology, has the objective of defining the temperature and exposure limits of swelling resistance of the alloyed uranium. This paper discusses those test results

A self-ordered, body-centered tetragonal superlattice of SiGe nanodot growth by reduced pressure CVD

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Zaumseil, Peter; Capellini, Giovanni; Schubert, Markus Andreas; Hesse, Anne; Albani, Marco; Bergamaschini, Roberto; Montalenti, Francesco; Schroeder, Thomas; Tillack, Bernd

2017-12-01

Self-ordered three-dimensional body-centered tetragonal (BCT) SiGe nanodot structures are fabricated by depositing SiGe/Si superlattice layer stacks using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition. For high enough Ge content in the island (>30%) and deposition temperature of the Si spacer layers (T > 700 °C), we observe the formation of an ordered array with islands arranged in staggered position in adjacent layers. The in plane periodicity of the islands can be selected by a suitable choice of the annealing temperature before the Si spacer layer growth and of the SiGe dot volume, while only a weak influence of the Ge concentration is observed. Phase-field simulations are used to clarify the driving force determining the observed BCT ordering, shedding light on the competition between heteroepitaxial strain and surface-energy minimization in the presence of a non-negligible surface roughness.

Properties of laser-crystallized polycrystalline SiGe thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weizman, Moshe

2008-06-06

In this thesis, structural, electrical, and optical properties of laser-crystallized polycrystalline Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} thin films with 0SiGe samples that are exposed to a single laser pulse exhibit a ripple structure that evolves into a hillock structure when the samples are irradiated with additional laser pulses. - It is maintained that the main mechanism behind the structure formation is an instability of the propagating solid-liquid interface during solidification. - The study of defects with electron spin resonance showed that laser-crystallized poly-Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} thin films with 0SiGe films was lower and amounted to N{sub s}=7 x 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3}. - Germanium-rich laser-crystallized poly-SiGe thin films exhibited mostly a broad atypical electric dipole spin resonance (EDSR) signal that was accompanied by a nearly temperature-independent electrical conductivity in the range 20-100 K. - Most likely, the origin of the grain boundary conductance is due to dangling-bond defects and not impurities. Metallic-like conductance occurs when the dangling-bond defect density is above a critical value of about N{sub C} {approx} 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}. - Laser crystallized poly-Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} thin films with x{>=}0.5 exhibit optical absorption behavior that is characteristic for disordered SiGe, implying that the absorption occurs primarily at the grain boundaries. A sub-band-gap absorption peak was found for

Dilution and Ferrite Number Prediction in Pulsed Current Cladding of Super-Duplex Stainless Steel Using RSM

Science.gov (United States)

Eghlimi, Abbas; Shamanian, Morteza; Raeissi, Keyvan

2013-12-01

Super-duplex stainless steels have an excellent combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance at relatively low temperatures and can be used as a coating to improve the corrosion and wear resistance of low carbon and low alloy steels. Such coatings can be produced using weld cladding. In this study, pulsed current gas tungsten arc cladding process was utilized to deposit super-duplex stainless steel on high strength low alloy steel substrates. In such claddings, it is essential to understand how the dilution affects the composition and ferrite number of super-duplex stainless steel layer in order to be able to estimate its corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. In the current study, the effect of pulsed current gas tungsten arc cladding process parameters on the dilution and ferrite number of super-duplex stainless steel clad layer was investigated by applying response surface methodology. The validity of the proposed models was investigated by using quadratic regression models and analysis of variance. The results showed an inverse relationship between dilution and ferrite number. They also showed that increasing the heat input decreases the ferrite number. The proposed mathematical models are useful for predicting and controlling the ferrite number within an acceptable range for super-duplex stainless steel cladding.

Local lattice relaxations in random metallic alloys: Effective tetrahedron model and supercell approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruban, Andrei; Simak, S.I.; Shallcross, S.

2003-01-01

We present a simple effective tetrahedron model for local lattice relaxation effects in random metallic alloys on simple primitive lattices. A comparison with direct ab initio calculations for supercells representing random Ni0.50Pt0.50 and Cu0.25Au0.75 alloys as well as the dilute limit of Au-ri......-rich CuAu alloys shows that the model yields a quantitatively accurate description of the relaxtion energies in these systems. Finally, we discuss the bond length distribution in random alloys....

SiGe HBTs Optimization for Wireless Power Amplifier Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre-Marie Mans

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with SiGe HBTs optimization for power amplifier applications dedicated to wireless communications. In this work, we investigate the fT-BVCEO tradeoff by various collector optimization schemes such as epilayer thickness and dopant concentration, and SIC and CAP characteristics. Furthermore, a new trapezoidal base Germanium (Ge profile is proposed. Thanks to this profile, precise control of Ge content at the metallurgical emitter-base junction is obtained. Gain stability is obtained for a wide range of temperatures through tuning the emitter-base junction Ge percent. Finally, a comprehensive investigation of Ge introduction into the collector (backside Ge profile is conducted in order to improve the fT values at high injection levels.

Stage I/sub E/ recovery of electron-irradiated pure silver and of its dilute alloys with cadmium and indium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizk, R.; Vajda, P.; Maury, F.; Lucasson, A.; Lucasson, P.

1977-01-01

Irradiations of silver specimens with electrons in the energy range 0.4--1.7 MeV were performed at liquid-helium temperatures. A subthreshold phenomenon has been observed which is taking over below approx. 750 keV. After separation of this effect, we have studied the annealing spectra of pure silver and of AgCd (25 and 50 ppm Cd) and AgIn (15 and 50 ppm In) diluted alloys following irradiation with different doses of 1.7-MeV electrons and after irradiation doping. The stage I/sub E/ recovery has been analyzed in terms of the chemical reaction rate theory. The corresponding rate equations have been solved numerically, and and the following values for the capture radii of a silver self-interstitial atom by a Cd and an In impurity were obtained: r/sub Cd//sup Ag/ = 0.15r/sub v/, r/sub In//sup Ag/ = (0.05--0.10) r/sub v/, where r/sub v/ is its annihilation radius at a vacancy. The best fit was obtained with a value of E/sub m/ = 88 meV for the migration energy of a self-interstitial

A cluster-bethe-lattice approach to spin-waves in dilute ferromagnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salzberg, J.B.; Silva, C.E.T.G. da; Falicov, L.M.

1975-01-01

The spin-wave spectra of a dilute ferromagnet within the cluster-bethe-lattice approximation is studied. Short range order effects for the alloy are included. A study of finite size clusters connected at their edges to Bethe lattices of the same coordination number allows one to determine:(i) the stability condition for the magnetic system; (ii) the continuum spin-wave local density of states and (iii) the existence of localized states below and above the continuum states

Antiferromagnetism in chromium alloy single crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerrum Møller, Hans; Trego, A.L.; Mackintosh, A.R.

1965-01-01

The antiferromagnetism of single crystals of dilute alloys of V, Mn and Re in Cr has been studied at 95°K and 300°K by neutron diffraction. The addition of V causes the diffraction peaks to decrease in intensity and move away from (100), while Mn and Re cause them to increase and approach (100) s...

Multifold Seebeck increase in RuO{sub 2} films by quantum-guided lanthanide dilute alloying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Music, Denis, E-mail: music@mch.rwth-aachen.de; Basse, Felix H.-U.; Schneider, Jochen M. [Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen (Germany); Han, Liang; Borca-Tasciuc, Theo [Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, New York 12180 (United States); Devender [Materials Science and Engineering Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, New York 12180 (United States); Gengler, Jamie J. [Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, WPAFB, Ohio 45433 (United States); Spectral Energies, LLC, Dayton, Ohio 45431 (United States); Voevodin, Andrey A. [Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, WPAFB, Ohio 45433 (United States); Ramanath, Ganpati [Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr. 10, D-52074 Aachen (Germany); Materials Science and Engineering Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

2014-02-03

Ab initio predictions indicating that alloying RuO{sub 2} with La, Eu, or Lu can increase the Seebeck coefficient α manifold due to quantum confinement effects are validated in sputter-deposited La-alloyed RuO{sub 2} films showing fourfold α increase. Combinatorial screening reveals that α enhancement correlates with La-induced lattice distortion, which also decreases the thermal conductivity twentyfold, conducive for high thermoelectric figures of merit. These insights should facilitate the rational design of high efficiency oxide-based thermoelectrics through quantum-guided alloying.

Influence of the crystallization process on the luminescence of multilayers of SiGe nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avella, M.; Prieto, A.C.; Jimenez, J.; Rodriguez, A.; Sangrador, J.; Rodriguez, T.; Ortiz, M.I.; Ballesteros, C.

2008-01-01

Multilayers of SiGe nanocrystals embedded in an oxide matrix have been fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of SiGe and SiO 2 onto Si wafers (in a single run at 390 deg. C and 50 mTorr, using GeH 4 , Si 2 H 6 and O 2 ) followed by a rapid thermal annealing treatment to crystallize the SiGe nanoparticles. The main emission band is located at 400 nm in both cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence experiments at 80 K and also at room temperature. The annealing conditions (temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000 deg. C and for times of 30 and 60 s) have been investigated in samples with different diameter of the nanoparticles (from ∼3 to ≥5 nm) and oxide interlayer thickness (15 and 35 nm) in order to establish a correlation between the crystallization of the nanoparticles, the degradation of their composition by Ge diffusion and the intensity of the luminescence emission band. Structures with small nanoparticles (3-4.5 nm) separated by thick oxide barriers (∼35 nm) annealed at 900 deg. C for 60 s yield the maximum intensity of the luminescence. An additional treatment at 450 deg. C in forming gas for dangling-bond passivation increases the intensity of the luminescence band by 25-30%

Development of melt dilute technology for disposition of aluminum based spent nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swift, W.F. [Nuclear Material Management Division Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Savannah River Site Building 707-C, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States)

2002-07-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has for many years had a program for receipt and disposition of spent nuclear fuels of US origin from research reactors around the world. The research reactor spent nuclear fuel that consists of aluminum alloy composition has historically been returned to the Savannah River Site (SRS) and dispositioned via chemical reprocessing. In 1995, the DOE evaluated a number of alternatives to chemical reprocessing. In 2000, the DOE selected the melt-dilute alternative as the primary disposition path and direct disposal as the backup path. The melt-dilute technology has been developed from lab-scale demonstration up through the construction of a pilot-scale facility. The pilot-scale L-Area Experimental Facility (LEF) has been constructed and is ready for operation. The LEF will be used primarily, to confirm laboratory research on zeolite media for off- gas trapping and remote operability. Favorable results from the LEF are expected to lead to final design of the production melt-dilute facility identified as the Treatment and Storage Facility (TSF). This paper will describe the melt-dilute process and provide a status of the program development. (author)

Development of melt dilute technology for disposition of aluminum based spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swift, W.F.

2002-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has for many years had a program for receipt and disposition of spent nuclear fuels of US origin from research reactors around the world. The research reactor spent nuclear fuel that consists of aluminum alloy composition has historically been returned to the Savannah River Site (SRS) and dispositioned via chemical reprocessing. In 1995, the DOE evaluated a number of alternatives to chemical reprocessing. In 2000, the DOE selected the melt-dilute alternative as the primary disposition path and direct disposal as the backup path. The melt-dilute technology has been developed from lab-scale demonstration up through the construction of a pilot-scale facility. The pilot-scale L-Area Experimental Facility (LEF) has been constructed and is ready for operation. The LEF will be used primarily, to confirm laboratory research on zeolite media for off- gas trapping and remote operability. Favorable results from the LEF are expected to lead to final design of the production melt-dilute facility identified as the Treatment and Storage Facility (TSF). This paper will describe the melt-dilute process and provide a status of the program development. (author)

Study of magnetism in Ni-Cr hardface alloy deposit on 316LN stainless steel using magnetic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kishore, G. V. K.; Kumar, Anish; Chakraborty, Gopa; Albert, S. K.; Rao, B. Purna Chandra; Bhaduri, A. K.; Jayakumar, T.

2015-07-01

Nickel base Ni-Cr alloy variants are extensively used for hardfacing of austenitic stainless steel components in sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) to avoid self-welding and galling. Considerable difference in the compositions and melting points of the substrate and the Ni-Cr alloy results in significant dilution of the hardface deposit from the substrate. Even though, both the deposit and the substrate are non-magnetic, the diluted region exhibits ferromagnetic behavior. The present paper reports a systematic study carried out on the variations in microstructures and magnetic behavior of American Welding Society (AWS) Ni Cr-C deposited layers on 316 LN austenitic stainless steels, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The phase variations of the oscillations of a Co-Cr alloy coated magnetic field sensitive cantilever is used to quantitatively study the magnetic strength of the evolved microstructure in the diluted region as a function of the distance from the deposit/substrate interface, with the spatial resolution of about 100 nm. The acquired AFM/MFM images and the magnetic property profiles have been correlated with the variations in the chemical compositions in the diluted layers obtained by the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The study indicates that both the volume fraction of the ferromagnetic phase and its ferromagnetic strength decrease with increasing distance from the deposit/substrate interface. A distinct difference is observed in the ferromagnetic strength in the first few layers and the ferromagnetism is observed only near to the precipitates in the fifth layer. The study provides a better insight of the evolution of ferromagnetism in the diluted layers of Ni-Cr alloy deposits on stainless steel.

Effects of thermal aging on microstructures of low alloy steel–Ni base alloy dissimilar metal weld interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Kim, Jong Jin; Lee, Bong Ho; Bahn, Chi Bum; Kim, Ji Hyun

2013-01-01

In this study, the advanced instrumental analysis has been performed to investigate the effect of long-term thermal aging on the microstructural evolution in the fusion boundary region between weld metal and low alloy steel in dissimilar metal welds. A representative dissimilar weld mock-up made of Alloy 690-Alloy 152-A533 Gr. B was fabricated and aged at 450 °C for 2750 h. The micro- and nano-scale characterization were conducted mainly near in a weld root region by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and three dimensional atom probe tomography. It was observed that the weld root was generally divided into several regions including dilution zone in the Ni-base alloy weld metal, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. A steep gradient was shown in the chemical composition profile across the interface between A533 Gr. B and Alloy 152. The precipitation of carbides was also observed along and near the fusion boundary of as-welded and aged dissimilar metal joints. It was also found that the precipitation of Cr carbides was enhanced by the thermal aging near the fusion boundary

Effects of thermal aging on microstructures of low alloy steel–Ni base alloy dissimilar metal weld interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Kim, Jong Jin [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Bong Ho [National Center for Nanomaterials Technology (NCNT), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Bahn, Chi Bum [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave, Lemont, IL 60439 (United States); Kim, Ji Hyun, E-mail: kimjh@unist.ac.kr [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 100 Banyeon-ri, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

In this study, the advanced instrumental analysis has been performed to investigate the effect of long-term thermal aging on the microstructural evolution in the fusion boundary region between weld metal and low alloy steel in dissimilar metal welds. A representative dissimilar weld mock-up made of Alloy 690-Alloy 152-A533 Gr. B was fabricated and aged at 450 °C for 2750 h. The micro- and nano-scale characterization were conducted mainly near in a weld root region by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and three dimensional atom probe tomography. It was observed that the weld root was generally divided into several regions including dilution zone in the Ni-base alloy weld metal, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. A steep gradient was shown in the chemical composition profile across the interface between A533 Gr. B and Alloy 152. The precipitation of carbides was also observed along and near the fusion boundary of as-welded and aged dissimilar metal joints. It was also found that the precipitation of Cr carbides was enhanced by the thermal aging near the fusion boundary.

Alloys of nickel-iron and nickel-silicon do not swell under fast neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestre, G.; Silvent, A.; Regnard, C.; Sainfort, G.

1975-01-01

This research is concerned with the effect of fast-neutron irradiation on the swelling of nickel and nickel alloys. Ni-Fe (0-60at%Fe) and Ni-Si (0-8at%Si) were studied, and the fluences were in the range 10 20 -4.3x10 22 n/cm 2 . In dilute alloys, the added elements are dissolved and reduce swelling, silicon being particularly effective. In more concentrated alloys, irradiation of Ni-Fe and Ni-Si alloys brings about the formation of plate-shaped precipitates of Ni 3 X and these alloys do not swell. (Auth.)

Growth of light-emitting SiGe heterostructures on strained silicon-on-insulator substrates with a thin oxide layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baidakova, N. A., E-mail: banatale@ipmras.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Bobrov, A. I. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Drozdov, M. N.; Novikov, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Pavlov, D. A. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Shaleev, M. V.; Yunin, P. A.; Yurasov, D. V.; Krasilnik, Z. F. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation)

2015-08-15

The possibility of using substrates based on “strained silicon on insulator” structures with a thin (25 nm) buried oxide layer for the growth of light-emitting SiGe structures is studied. It is shown that, in contrast to “strained silicon on insulator” substrates with a thick (hundreds of nanometers) oxide layer, the temperature stability of substrates with a thin oxide is much lower. Methods for the chemical and thermal cleaning of the surface of such substrates, which make it possible to both retain the elastic stresses in the thin Si layer on the oxide and provide cleaning of the surface from contaminating impurities, are perfecte. It is demonstrated that it is possible to use the method of molecular-beam epitaxy to grow light-emitting SiGe structures of high crystalline quality on such substrates.

Dynamical scaling and crossover from algebraic to logarithmic growth in dilute systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouritsen, Ole G.; Shah, Peter Jivan

1989-01-01

The ordering dynamics of the two-dimensional Ising antiferromagnet with mobile vacancies and nonconserved order parameter is studied by Monte Carlo temperature-quenching experiments. The domain-size distribution function is shown to obey dynamical scaling. A crossover is found from an algebraic...... growth law for the pure system to effectively logarithmic growth behavior in the dilute system, in accordance with recent experiments on ordering kinetics in impure chemisorbed overlayers and off-stoichiometric alloys....

Spin glass transition in canonical AuFe alloys: A numerical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Kai-Cheng; Li, Yong-Feng; Liu, Gui-Bin; Zhu, Yan

2012-01-01

Although spin glass transitions have long been observed in diluted magnetic alloys, e.g. AuFe and CuMn alloys, previous numerical studies are not completely consistent with the experiment results. The abnormal critical exponents of the alloys remain still puzzling. By employing parallel tempering algorithm with finite-size scaling analysis, we investigated the phase transitions in canonical AuFe alloys. Our results strongly support that spin glass transitions occur at finite temperatures in the alloys. The calculated critical exponents agree well with those obtained from experiments. -- Highlights: ► By simulation we investigated the abnormal critical exponents observed in canonical SG alloys. ► The critical exponents obtained from our simulations agree well with those measured from experiments. ► Our results strongly support that RKKY interactions lead to SG transitions at finite temperatures.

Influence of airborne pollen counts and length of pollen season of selected allergenic plants on the concentration of sIgE antibodies on the population of Bratislava, Slovakia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Ščevková

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction and objective. The association between airborne pollen counts or duration of pollen season and allergy symptoms is not always distinguished. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between pollen exposure (annual total pollen quantity and main pollen season length of selected allergenic plants in the atmosphere of Bratislava, and concentration of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE in serum of patients with seasonal allergy during 2002–2003. Materials and methods. The concentration of pollen was monitored by a Burkard volumetric pollen trap. At the same time, 198 pollen allergic patients were testing to determine the values of sIgE antibodies against selected pollen allergens; a panel of 8 purified allergens was used. Results. The highest percentages of sensitization were detected for Poaceae and [i]Ambrosia[/i] pollen allergens. The most abundant airborne pollen types were Urticaceae, [i]Betula[/i], [i]Populus[/i], Fraxinus, Pinus and Poaceae. The length of the pollen season varied. The longest pollen season was that of the [i]Plantago[/i] – 105 days, and the shortest, [i]Corylus[/i] – 20 days. A significant correlation was found between annual total pollen quantity and median sIgE values, especially in 2002. Conclusions. A strong and significant positive correlation was observed between pollen counts, excluding [i]Betula[/i], and sIgE levels in both analysed years. The correlation was weaker and negative in the case of length of pollen season and sIgE values.

Formation of metastable phases and nanocomposite structures in rapidly solidified Al-Fe alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayak, S.S.; Chang, H.J.; Kim, D.H.; Pabi, S.K.; Murty, B.S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Structures of nanocomposites in rapidly solidified Al-Fe alloys were investigated. → Nanoquasicrystalline, amorphous and intermetallics phases coexist with α-Al. → Nanoquasicrystalline phase was observed for the first time in the dilute Al alloys. → Thermodynamic driving force plays dominant role in precipitation of Fe-rich phases. → High hardness (3.57 GPa) was observed for nanocomposite of Al-10Fe alloy. - Abstract: In the present work the structure and morphology of the phases of nanocomposites formed in rapidly solidified Al-Fe alloys were investigated in details using analytical transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Nanoquasicrystalline phases, amorphous phase and intermetallics like Al 5 Fe 2 , Al 13 F 4 coexisted with α-Al in nanocomposites of the melt spun alloys. It was seen that the Fe supersaturation in α-Al diminished with the increase in Fe content and wheel speed indicating the dominant role of the thermodynamic driving force in the precipitation of Fe-rich phases. Nanoquasicrystalline phases were observed for the first time in the dilute Al alloys like Al-2.5Fe and Al-5Fe as confirmed by high resolution TEM. High hardness (3.57 GPa) was measured in nanocomposite of Al-10Fe alloy, which was attributed to synergistic effect of solid solution strengthening due to high solute content (9.17 at.% Fe), dispersion strengthening by high volume fraction of nanoquasicrystalline phase; and Hall-Petch strengthening from finer cell size (20-30 nm) of α-Al matrix.

Legirani praški za navarjanje z večžično elektrodo: Alloyed fluxes for surfacing with multiple - wire electrode:

OpenAIRE

Kejžar, Božena; Kejžar, Rajko

1997-01-01

Submerged arc surfacing with alloyed agglomerated fluxes permits unalloyed and low-alloy structural steels to be surfaced in one layer of high-alloyed claddings. Surfacing dilution produced by fusion of the parent metal, and burn-off of alloying elements are substituted by additional alloying by means of a welding flux, which is, in the case of the above-mentioned surfacing processes, the main carrier of alloying elements for surfacing alloying. With alloyed agglomerated fluxes, it is recomme...

The role of iridium in the work-function behavior of dilute-solution tungsten, iridium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Cruz, L.A.

1991-01-01

Requirements of thermionic electrode materials have emphasized the need for substantial improvements in microstructural stability, strength and creep resistance at service temperatures in excess of 2,500K. This study utilized both chemical alloying and mechanical alloying procedures for the addition of iridium to submicron W powder followed by cold compaction and sintering. The shrinkage characteristics and microstructural development were studied in iridium-added tungsten compacts with a range of additive levels. An electron-emission study was subsequently carried out in order to evaluate the work-function behavior of the consolidated alloys. The work function was obtained from current-emission measurements from the electrode surface under UHV conditions in the temperature range of 1,800 to 2,500K using a Vacuum Emission Vehicle (VEV). The data show that the magnitude of the work function in these alloys varied with temperature and was sensitive to sub-surface iridium content

Thermoelectric Properties of Silicon Germanium: An Investigation of the Reduction of Lattice Thermal Conductivity and Enhancement of Power Factor

Science.gov (United States)

Lahwal, Ali Sadek

Thermoelectric materials are of technological interest owing to their ability of direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion. In thermoelectricity, thermal gradients can be used to generate an electrical power output. Recent efforts in thermoelectrics are focused on developing higher efficient power generation materials. In this dissertation, the overall goal is to investigate both the n-type and p-type of the state of the art thermoelectric material, silicon germanium (SiGe), for high temperature power generation. Further improvement of thermoelectric performance of Si-Ge alloys hinges upon how to significantly reduce the as yet large lattice thermal conductivity, and optimizing the thermoelectric power factor PF. Our methods, in this thesis, will be into two different approaches as follow: The first approach is manipulating the lattice thermal conductivity of n and p-type SiGe alloys via direct nanoparticle inclusion into the n-type SiGe matrix and, in a different process, using a core shell method for the p-type SiGe. This approach is in line with the process of in-situ nanocomposites. Nanocomposites have become a new paradigm for thermoelectric research in recent years and have resulted in the reduction of thermal conductivity via the nano-inclusion and grain boundary scattering of heat-carrying phonons. To this end, a promising choice of nano-particle to include by direct mixing into a SiGe matrix would be Yttria Stabilized Zirconia ( YSZ). In this work we report the preparation and thermoelectric study of n-type SiGe + YSZ nanocomposites prepared by direct mechanical mixing followed by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) processing. Specifically, we experimentally investigated the reduction of lattice thermal conductivity (kappaL) in the temperature range (30--800K) of n-type Si 80Ge20P2 alloys with the incorporation of YSZ nanoparticles (20 ˜ 40 nm diameter) into the Si-Ge matrix. These samples synthesized by SPS were found to have densities > 95% of the

Fabrication and Magnetic Properties of Co₂MnAl Heusler Alloys by Mechanical Alloying.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chung-Hyo

2018-02-01

We have applied mechanical alloying (MA) to produce nanocrystalline Co2MnAl Heusler alloys using a mixture of elemental Co50Mn25Al25 powders. An optimal milling and heat treatment conditions to obtain a Co2MnAl Heusler phase with fine microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter and vibrating sample magnetometer measurements. α-(Co, Mn, Al) FCC phases coupled with amorphous phase are obtained after 3 hours of MA without any evidence for the formation of Co2MnAl alloys. On the other hand, a Co2MnAl Heusler alloys can be obtained by the heat treatment of all MA samples up to 650 °C. X-ray diffraction result shows that the average grain size of Co2MnAl Heusler alloys prepared by MA for 5 h and heat treatment is in the range of 95 nm. The saturation magnetization of MA powders decreases with MA time due to the magnetic dilution by alloying with nonmagnetic Mn and Al elements. The magnetic hardening due to the reduction of the grain size with ball milling is also observed. However, the saturation magnetization of MA powders after heat treatment increases with MA time and reaches to a maximum value of 105 emu/g after 5 h of MA. It can be also seen that the coercivity of 5 h MA sample annealed at 650 °C is fairly low value of 25 Oe.

Flexible Low-power SiGe HBT Amplifier Circuits for Fast Single-shot Spin Readout

Science.gov (United States)

England, Troy; Lilly, Michael; Curry, Matthew; Carr, Stephen; Carroll, Malcolm

Fast, low-power quantum state readout is one of many challenges facing quantum information processing. Single electron transistors (SETs) are potentially fast, sensitive detectors for performing spin readout of electrons bound to Si:P donors. From a circuit perspective, however, their output impedance and nonlinear conductance are ill suited to drive the parasitic capacitance of coaxial conductors used in cryogenic environments, necessitating a cryogenic amplification stage. We will introduce two new amplifier topologies that provide excellent gain versus power tradeoffs using silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The AC HBT allows in-situ adjustment of power dissipation during an experiment and can provide gain in the millikelvin temperature regime while dissipating less than 500 nW. The AC Current Amplifier maximizes gain at nearly 800 A/A. We will also show results of using these amplifiers with SETs at 4 K. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences user facility. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000. Flexible Low-power SiGe HBT Amplifier Circuits for Fast Single-shot Spin Readout.

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen, E-mail: zhangyu@missouri.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 (United States); Yang, Mo [College of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China)

2013-12-21

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2013-01-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2013-12-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.

A study of the performance of tight-binding models for silicon and silicon-germanium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Amanda Killen

1998-11-01

resulted in a superior reproduction of a wide variety of physical properties of these systems, which is particularly evident in improved defect formation energies. We have also found that our SiGe model gives a good reproduction of Vegard's law for SiGe alloys containing up to 50% Ge. Given these results, we expect our Si, Ge, and SiGe models to perform well in dynamical studies of dopants and defects.

Radioisotope space power generator. Annual report for the period July 1, 1973--June 30, 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsner, N.B.; Chin, J.

1975-01-01

During the Isotec Technology Program in FY 1974, fabrication of the first ring converter segment was completed. In subsequent performance testing at Jet Propulsion Laboratories it demonstrated good agreement with the expected performance. The segment has accumulated over 7000 hours at a T/sub H/ of 450 0 C and the degradation rate over the last 5000 hours has been 0.1 percent. In the area of SiGe technology, continued compatibility tests between candidate insulation materials and SiGe, SiMo, and Si 3 N 4 were conducted. Si 3 N 4 in all cases continued to perform satisfactorily as a high temperature insulator. Low temperature Si 3 N 4 coating development on SiGe thermocouples was performed by ion plating. While the ion plating process was successful in coating a whole couple, the Si 3 N 4 deposited was silicon rich. Further process control of the stoichiometry of the material being deposited is required. The development of a more stable TAGS type alloy did not result in any alloys that had enhanced thermal stability; however, it may be possible to use one of the developed alloys in segmenting with TPM-217. (auth)

Cathodic protection of steel by electrodeposited zinc-nickel alloy coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldwin, K.R.; Smith, C.J.E. [Defence Research Agency, Farnborough (United Kingdom). Structural Materials Centre; Robinson, M.J. [Cranfield Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Industrial and Manufacturing Science

1995-12-01

The ability of electrodeposited zinc-nickel alloy coatings to cathodically protect steel was studied in dilute chloride solutions. The potential distribution along steel strips partly electroplated with zinc-nickel alloys was determined, and the length of exposed steel that was held below the minimum protection potential (E{sub prot}) was taken as a measure of the level of cathodic protection (CP) provided by the alloy coatings. The level of CP afforded by zinc alloy coatings was found to decrease with increasing nickel content. When nickel content was increased to {approx} {ge} 21 wt%, no CP was obtained. Surface analysis of uncoupled zinc-nickel alloys that were immersed in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions showed the concentration of zinc decreased in the surface layers while the concentration of nickel increased, indicating that the alloys were susceptible to dezincification. The analysis of zinc-nickel alloy coatings on partly electroplated steel strips that were immersed in chloride solution showed a significantly higher level of dezincification than that found for uncoupled alloy coatings. This effect accounted for the rapid loss of CP afforded to steel by some zinc alloy coatings, particularly those with high initial nickel levels.

Local structure of disordered Au-Cu and Au-Ag alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenkel, A. I.; Machavariani, V. Sh.; Rubshtein, A.; Rosenberg, Yu.; Voronel, A.; Stern, E. A.

2000-01-01

X-ray-absorption fine structure (XAFS) and x-ray-diffraction (XRD) measurements of disordered alloys Au x Cu 1-x and Au 0.5 Ag 0.5 prepared by melt spinning were performed. In the Au 0.5 Ag 0.5 alloy, no significant local deviations of the atoms from the average fcc lattice were detected while in Au x Cu 1-x alloys, significant deviations of atoms from the average fcc lattice were found. Mean-square vibrations of the Cu-Cu distances revealed by the XAFS in Au x Cu 1-x alloys indicate the weakening of contact between Cu atoms in the dilute limit. Our computer simulation for Au x Cu 1-x clusters of 10 5 atoms reproduces the main features of both the XAFS and XRD data

Mechanical behaviour of Zn–Al–Cu–Mg alloys: Deformation mechanisms of as-cast microstructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Zhicheng; Sandlöbes, Stefanie; Wu, Liang; Hu, Weiping; Gottstein, Günter; Korte-Kerzel, Sandra, E-mail: Korte-Kerzel@imm.rwth-aachen.de

2016-01-10

We study the effects of dilute Mg addition on the microstructure formation and mechanical properties of a ZnAl4Cu1 alloy. On the basis of the composition of the commercial alloy Z410 (4 wt% Al, 1 wt% Cu, and 0.04 wt% Mg), three laboratory alloys with different Mg contents (0.04 wt%, 0.21 wt% and 0.31 wt%) are characterised in terms of their mechanical properties and microstructures using ex-situ and in-situ tensile tests in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Increasing Mg content causes the precipitation of Mg{sub 2}Zn{sub 11} phase precipitates and refined lamellar spacings in the eutectoid phase. The alloy with a medium Mg content (0.21 wt%) exhibits the highest yield strength both at room temperature and at elevated temperatures. Further, we show that dilute Mg alloying causes an improvement of the ductility of ZnAl4Cu1 base-alloys, especially at elevated temperatures. In addition, the alloys reveal two distinct deformation regimes distinguishable close to room temperature and at commonly employed strain rates, with work hardening and brittle fracture exhibited at room temperature and/or elevated strain rate (5×10{sup −4} s{sup −1}), and work softening and ductile fracture at elevated temperature and/or low strain rate (6×10{sup −6} s{sup −1}). The deformation mechanisms and fracture behaviour in both regimes are investigated and the underlying physical mechanisms of the observed phenomena are discussed.

Mechanical behaviour of Zn–Al–Cu–Mg alloys: Deformation mechanisms of as-cast microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Zhicheng; Sandlöbes, Stefanie; Wu, Liang; Hu, Weiping; Gottstein, Günter; Korte-Kerzel, Sandra

2016-01-01

We study the effects of dilute Mg addition on the microstructure formation and mechanical properties of a ZnAl4Cu1 alloy. On the basis of the composition of the commercial alloy Z410 (4 wt% Al, 1 wt% Cu, and 0.04 wt% Mg), three laboratory alloys with different Mg contents (0.04 wt%, 0.21 wt% and 0.31 wt%) are characterised in terms of their mechanical properties and microstructures using ex-situ and in-situ tensile tests in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Increasing Mg content causes the precipitation of Mg_2Zn_1_1 phase precipitates and refined lamellar spacings in the eutectoid phase. The alloy with a medium Mg content (0.21 wt%) exhibits the highest yield strength both at room temperature and at elevated temperatures. Further, we show that dilute Mg alloying causes an improvement of the ductility of ZnAl4Cu1 base-alloys, especially at elevated temperatures. In addition, the alloys reveal two distinct deformation regimes distinguishable close to room temperature and at commonly employed strain rates, with work hardening and brittle fracture exhibited at room temperature and/or elevated strain rate (5×10"−"4 s"−"1), and work softening and ductile fracture at elevated temperature and/or low strain rate (6×10"−"6 s"−"1). The deformation mechanisms and fracture behaviour in both regimes are investigated and the underlying physical mechanisms of the observed phenomena are discussed.

Heavy Ion Microbeam- and Broadbeam-Induced Current Transients in SiGe HBTs

Science.gov (United States)

Pellish, Jonathan A.; Reed, R. A.; McMorrow, D.; Vizkelethy, G.; Ferlet-Cavrois, V.; Baggio, J.; Duhamel, O.; Moen, K. A.; Phillips, S. D.; Diestelhorst, R. M.;

Capas de SiGe policristalino hidrogenado y su aplicación en transistores de película delgada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodríguez, A.

2004-04-01

Full Text Available The hydrogenation of polycrystalline SiGe layers, obtained by solid phase crystallization, by an electron ciclotron resonance hydrogen plasma and the influence of this hydrogenation process on the electrical characteristics of thin film transistors fabricated using this material as active layer have been studied. The hydrogenation processes were carried out at 150 and 250 ºC for several times, up to 11 hours. Infrared transmission spectra of these samples show only the absorption bands corresponding to Si-H bonds, indicating that hydrogen atoms are bonded mainly to silicon atoms. Ultraviolet reflectance measurements show that the surface damage caused by the plasma exposure increases as the Ge content of the film does. The transistors fabricated using polycrystalline SiGe films as active layer show a degradation phenomenon, consisting of a progressive decrease of the drain current at constant gate and drain bias. The degradation slows down as the hydrogenation time increases at constant temperature.

En este trabajo se ha caracterizado el proceso de hidrogenación en un plasma generado por resonancia ciclotrónica de electrones de capas de SiGe policristalino obtenidas mediante cristalización en fase sólida y el efecto de la hidrogenación en las características eléctricas de transistores de película delgada fabricados usando dicho material. Los procesos de hidrogenación se realizaron a 150 y 250 ºC, con duraciones de hasta 11 horas. Los espectros de transmitancia en infrarrojo muestran solamente las bandas de absorción características de los enlaces Si-H. Estas bandas indican que el hidrógeno se incorpora al material enlazándose principalmente con los átomos de silicio. Las medidas de reflectancia en el ultravioleta indican que se crea daño en la superficie de la muestra y que éste aumenta a medida que lo hace el contenido en Ge. Los transistores de película delgada con capa activa de SiGe policristalino muestran un fen

Order-disorder transformation in the Ni-4.49 at.% Al alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adorno, A.T.; Garlipp, W.; Cilense, M.; Silva, R.A.G.

2006-01-01

The order-disorder transformation in the Ni-4.49 at.% Al alloy was studied using electrical resistivity measurements, microhardness measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirmed the ordering behavior expected for Ni-Al dilute alloys and the suggested relation between resistivity changes and microhardness changes with anti-ferromagnetic spin ordering. The higher value obtained for the activation energy of vacancy migration was associated with a decrease in the Al concentration gradient near solute-depleted regions

Technology computer aided design for Si, SiGe and GaAs integrated circuits

CERN Document Server

Armstrong, GA

2007-01-01

The first book to deal with a broad spectrum of process and device design, and modelling issues related to semiconductor devices, bridging the gap between device modelling and process design using TCAD. Examples for types of Si-, SiGe-, GaAs- and InP-based heterostructure MOS and bipolar transistors are compared with experimental data from state-of-the-art devices. With various aspects of silicon heterostructures, this book presents a comprehensive perspective of emerging fields and covers topics ranging from materials to fabrication, devices, modelling and applications. Aimed at research-and-

Measurement of low-frequency base and collector current noise and coherence in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors using transimpedance amplifiers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruce, S.P.O.; Vandamme, L.K.J.; Rydberg, A.

1999-01-01

Transimpedance amplifiers have been used for direct study of current noise in silicon germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's) at different biasing conditions. This has facilitated a wider range of resistances in the measurement circuit around the transistor than is possible when

Solid solutions of hydrogen in niobium, molybdenum and their alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, T.T.

1981-01-01

The solubility of hydrogen in niobium, molybdenum and niobium-molybdenum alloys with varying atomic fraction of molybdenum from 0.15 to 0.75 was measured on the temperature range of 673 0 K to 1273 0 k for one atmosphere hydrogen pressure. The experimental technique involved the saturation of the solvent metal or alloy with hydrogen, followed by quenching and analysis of the solid solution. The results obtained of hydrogen solubility are consistent with the quasi-regular model for the dilute interstitial solid solutions. The partial molar enthalpy and partial molar entropy in excess of the dissolved hydrogen atoms were calculated from data of solubility versus reciprocal doping temperature. The variation of the relative partial molar enthalpy of hydrogen dissolved in niobium-molybdenum alloys, with the increase of molybdenum content of the alloy was analized. (Author) [pt

Determination of localized magnetic moments in Fe-Cr-Al alloys and the electron structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blau, W.

1977-01-01

The localized magnetic moments of Fe and Cr are determined by combination of saturation magnetization measurements and magnetic diffuse scattering. Power series characterizing the interactions between the different kinds of atoms in the alloys are chosen to describe the concentration dependence of the magnetic moments. The different terms are discussed on the basis of band structure models valid for dilute alloys taking into account their modification by impurity interactions. (author)

Internal friction in Al alloys after neutron irradiation at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamura, S.; Kobiyama, M.

1985-01-01

Internal friction and elastic modulus of dilute Al alloys have been measured after fast neutron irradiation at about 5 K. The internal friction spectra in Al-Pb, Al-Si, Al-Zn, Al-Ag, Al-Sn and Al-In are very similar. This result suggests that the configuration of the interstitial-solute atom complex in these alloys is very similar. In Al-Mg, the main complexes have the configuration with nearly symmetry, but its internal friction spectrum is different from that of the above-mentioned alloys. The internal friction spectra and their annealing behavior in Al-Be, Al-Mn, Al-Fe and Al-Cu demonstrate that the configuration of their interstitial-solute atom complex seems to be different from each other and the main complex in these alloys is immobile until stage III. (author)

Surface and interfacial structural characterization of MBE grown Si/Ge multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, Biswajit; Sharma, Manjula; Sarma, Abhisakh; Rath, Ashutosh; Satyam, P.V.; Chakraborty, Purushottam; Sanyal, Milan K.

2009-01-01

Si/Ge multilayer structures have been grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si (1 1 1) and (1 0 0) substrates and were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-depth-resolution secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and cross-section high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). A reasonably good agreement has been obtained for layer thickness, interfacial structure and diffusion between SIMS and HRTEM measurements. Epitaxial growth and crystalline nature of the individual layer have been probed using cross-sectional HRTEM and XRD measurements. Surface and interface morphological studies by AFM and HRTEM show island-like growth of both Si and Ge nanostructures.

Low-field susceptibilities of rare-earth spin glass alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkissian, B.V.B.

1978-01-01

The low-field AC susceptibilities of the dilute rare-earth spin glass alloys Sc-Gd, Sc-Tb, Pr-Tb and Pr-Gd are reported and compared with low-field DC susceptibilities of the same samples. The similarities between their behaviour and that of Au-Fe spin glass alloys is also considered. When single-ion anisotropy is important, this can cause a dramatic broadening of the sharp peak. Broadening in the AC peak has also observed as the frequency of the deriving field is increased. These data can be qualitatively discussed in terms of a recent magnetic-cluster model for spin glasses. (author)

Study of magnetism in Ni–Cr hardface alloy deposit on 316LN stainless steel using magnetic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kishore, G.V.K.; Kumar, Anish, E-mail: anish@igcar.gov.in; Chakraborty, Gopa; Albert, S.K; Rao, B. Purna Chandra; Bhaduri, A.K.; Jayakumar, T.

2015-07-01

Nickel base Ni–Cr alloy variants are extensively used for hardfacing of austenitic stainless steel components in sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) to avoid self-welding and galling. Considerable difference in the compositions and melting points of the substrate and the Ni–Cr alloy results in significant dilution of the hardface deposit from the substrate. Even though, both the deposit and the substrate are non-magnetic, the diluted region exhibits ferromagnetic behavior. The present paper reports a systematic study carried out on the variations in microstructures and magnetic behavior of American Welding Society (AWS) Ni Cr–C deposited layers on 316 LN austenitic stainless steels, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The phase variations of the oscillations of a Co–Cr alloy coated magnetic field sensitive cantilever is used to quantitatively study the magnetic strength of the evolved microstructure in the diluted region as a function of the distance from the deposit/substrate interface, with the spatial resolution of about 100 nm. The acquired AFM/MFM images and the magnetic property profiles have been correlated with the variations in the chemical compositions in the diluted layers obtained by the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The study indicates that both the volume fraction of the ferromagnetic phase and its ferromagnetic strength decrease with increasing distance from the deposit/substrate interface. A distinct difference is observed in the ferromagnetic strength in the first few layers and the ferromagnetism is observed only near to the precipitates in the fifth layer. The study provides a better insight of the evolution of ferromagnetism in the diluted layers of Ni–Cr alloy deposits on stainless steel. - Highlights: • Study of evolution of ferromagnetism in Comonoy-6 deposit on austenitic steel. • Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) exhibited ferromagnetic matrix in first two layers. • The maximum MFM

Magnetic properties of Fe–Al for quenched diluted spin-1 Ising model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitas, A.S. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000, São Cristovão, SE (Brazil); Coordenadoria de Física, Instituto Federal de Sergipe, 49400-000 Lagarto, SE (Brazil); Albuquerque, Douglas F. de, E-mail: douglas@ufs.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000, São Cristovão, SE (Brazil); Departamento de Matemática, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000, São Cristovão, SE (Brazil); Fittipaldi, I.P. [Representação Regional do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação no Nordeste - ReNE, 50740-540 Recife, PE (Brazil); Moreno, N.O. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000, São Cristovão, SE (Brazil)

2014-08-01

We study the phase diagram of Fe{sub 1−q}Al{sub q} alloys via the quenched site diluted spin-1 ferromagnetic Ising model by employing effective field theory. One suggests a new approach to exchange interaction between nearest neighbors of Fe that depends on the powers of the Al (q) instead of the linear dependence proposed in other papers. In such model we propose the same kind of the exchange interaction in which the iron–nickel alloys obtain an excellent theoretical description of the experimental data of the T–q phase diagram for all Al concentration q. - Highlights: • We apply the quenched Ising model spin-1 to study the properties of Fe–Al. • We employ the EFT and suggest a new approach to ferromagnetic coupling. • The new probability distribution is considered. • The phase diagram is obtained for all values of q in T–q plane.

Magnetic properties of Fe–Al for quenched diluted spin-1 Ising model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas, A.S.; Albuquerque, Douglas F. de; Fittipaldi, I.P.; Moreno, N.O.

2014-01-01

We study the phase diagram of Fe 1−q Al q alloys via the quenched site diluted spin-1 ferromagnetic Ising model by employing effective field theory. One suggests a new approach to exchange interaction between nearest neighbors of Fe that depends on the powers of the Al (q) instead of the linear dependence proposed in other papers. In such model we propose the same kind of the exchange interaction in which the iron–nickel alloys obtain an excellent theoretical description of the experimental data of the T–q phase diagram for all Al concentration q. - Highlights: • We apply the quenched Ising model spin-1 to study the properties of Fe–Al. • We employ the EFT and suggest a new approach to ferromagnetic coupling. • The new probability distribution is considered. • The phase diagram is obtained for all values of q in T–q plane

Sealing of Anodised Aluminium Alloys with Rare Earth Metal Salt Solutions

OpenAIRE

Mansfield, C.; Chen, F.; Breslin, Carmel B.; Dull, D.

1998-01-01

Boric‐sulfuric acid anodized (BSAA) aluminum alloys have been sealed in hot solutions of cerium or yttrium salts. For comparison, sealing has also been performed in the presently used dilute chromate solution, boiling water, and a cold nickel fluoride solution. The corrosion resistance of the sealed BSAA Al alloys Al 2024, Al 6061, and Al 7075 has been evaluated by recording impedance spectra during exposure in 0.5 N NaCl for 7 days. Shorter or longer exposure times have also been used depend...

Thermodynamics of oxygen in solid solution in vanadium and niobium--vanadium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steckel, G.L.

1977-01-01

A thermodynamic study was made of the vanadium-oxygen and niobium-vanadium-oxygen systems utilizing the solid state galvanic cell technique. Investigations were made with a ThO 2 /Y 2 O 3 electrolyte over the temperature ranges 700 to 1200 0 C (973 to 1473 K) for the binary system and 650 to 1150 0 C (923 to 1423 K) for the ternary system. The activity of oxygen in vanadium obeys Henry's law for the temperatures of this investigation for concentrations up to 3.2 at. percent oxygen. For higher concentrations the activity coefficient shows positive deviations from Henry's law. The terminal solubility of oxygen in vanadium was determined. The activity of oxygen in Nb--V alloys obeys Henry's law for the temperatures of this study for oxygen concentrations less than approximately 2 at. percent. For certain Nb/V ratios Henry's law is obeyed for concentrations as high as 6.5 at. percent oxygen. First order entropy and enthalpy interaction coefficients have been determined to describe the effect on the oxygen activity of niobium additions to vanadium-rich alloys with dilute oxygen concentrations. Niobium causes relatively small decreases in the oxygen activity of V-rich alloys and increases the oxygen solubility limit. Vanadium additions to Nb-rich alloys also increases the oxygen solubility and causes substantial decreases in the dilute solution oxygen activities. The change in the thermodynamic properties when molecular oxygen dissolves in vanadium and niobium--vanadium alloys and the equilibrium oxygen pressure over the binary and ternary systems were also determined

Band structure of Si/Ge core-shell nanowires along the [110] direction modulated by external uniaxial strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Xihong; Tang Fu; Logan, Paul

2011-01-01

Strain modulated electronic properties of Si/Ge core-shell nanowires along the [110] direction were reported, on the basis of first principles density-functional theory calculations. In particular, the energy dispersion relationship of the conduction/valence band was explored in detail. At the Γ point, the energy levels of both bands are significantly altered by applied uniaxial strain, which results in an evident change of the band gap. In contrast, for the K vectors far away from Γ, the variation of the conduction/valence band with strain is much reduced. In addition, with a sufficient tensile strain (∼1%), the valence band edge shifts away from Γ, which indicates that the band gap of the Si/Ge core-shell nanowires experiences a transition from direct to indirect. Our studies further showed that effective masses of charge carriers can also be tuned using the external uniaxial strain. The effective mass of the hole increases dramatically with tensile strain, while strain shows a minimal effect on tuning the effective mass of the electron. Finally, the relation between strain and the conduction/valence band edge is discussed thoroughly in terms of site-projected wavefunction characters.

Soft x-ray emission studies of several aluminum alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, K.L.; Zhang, C.H.; Callcott, T.A.; Arakawa, E.T.; Ederer, D.L.; Biancaniello, F.; Curelaru, I.

1986-01-01

During the first few months of operation of our soft x-ray spectrometer at the NSLS, we have measured the L emission spectrum for three classes of aluminum alloys: dilute aluminum-magnesium alloys to extend the Al-Mg system to the impurity limit; a 50-50 alloy of aluminum-lithium to characterize the band structure of bulk samples of this potential battery electrolite; and the icosahedral and normal Al-Mn alloys to see if the two phases had measurably different density of states which have been predicted. All spectra shown are produced when core holes generated by energetic electrons or photons are filled by radiative transitions from conduction band states. Dipole selection rules govern the transitions. Thus, K spectra provide a measure of the p-symmetic partial density of states (DOS) near the atom. Similarly, L spectra produced by transitions to p-core holes map the s and d symmetric DOS in the vicinity of the atom with the core hole

Soft x-ray emission studies of several aluminum alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsang, K.L.; Zhang, C.H.; Callcott, T.A.; Arakawa, E.T.; Ederer, D.L.; Biancaniello, F.; Curelaru, I.

1986-09-23

During the first few months of operation of our soft x-ray spectrometer at the NSLS, we have measured the L emission spectrum for three classes of aluminum alloys: dilute aluminum-magnesium alloys to extend the Al-Mg system to the impurity limit; a 50-50 alloy of aluminum-lithium to characterize the band structure of bulk samples of this potential battery electrolite; and the icosahedral and normal Al-Mn alloys to see if the two phases had measurably different density of states which have been predicted. All spectra shown are produced when core holes generated by energetic electrons or photons are filled by radiative transitions from conduction band states. Dipole selection rules govern the transitions. Thus, K spectra provide a measure of the p-symmetic partial density of states (DOS) near the atom. Similarly, L spectra produced by transitions to p-core holes map the s and d symmetric DOS in the vicinity of the atom with the core hole.

Irradiation induced surface segregation in concentrated alloys: a contribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grandjean, Y.

1996-01-01

A new computer modelization of irradiation induced surface segregation is presented together with some experimental determinations in binary and ternary alloys. The model we propose handles the alloy thermodynamics and kinetics at the same level of sophistication. Diffusion is described at the atomistic level and proceeds vis the jumps of point defects (vacancies, dumb-bell interstitials): the various jump frequencies depend on the local composition in a manner consistent with the thermodynamics of the alloy. For application to specific alloys, we have chosen the simplest statistical approximation: pair interactions in the Bragg Williams approximation. For a system which exhibits the thermodynamics and kinetics features of Ni-Cu alloys, the model generates the behaviour parameters (flux and temperature) and of alloy composition. Quantitative agreement with the published experimental results (two compositions, three temperatures) is obtained with a single set of parameters. Modelling austenitic steels used in nuclear industry requires taking into account the contribution of dumbbells to mass transport. The effects of this latter contribution are studied on a model of Ni-Fe. Interstitial trapping on dilute impurities is shown to delay or even suppress the irradiation induced segregation. Such an effect is indeed observed in the experiments we report on Fe 50 Ni 50 and Fe 49 Ni 50 Hf 1 alloys. (author)

An investigation of group IV alloys and their applications in bipolar transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anteney, I.M.

2000-09-01

This thesis investigates the use of carbon in group IV alloys and their potential uses in bipolar transistors. The first part of the thesis investigates the ability of carbon to suppress transient enhanced diffusion in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors, whilst the second part deals with the impact of carbon incorporation on the electrical properties of polycrystalline silicon and silicon-germanium films. A background doping concentration (10 20 cm -3 ) of C has been introduced into the base of SiGe HBTs with the aim of studying the effects of C on TED of B from the base. An electrical method is used to extract the bandgap narrowing in the base of SiGe and SiGe:C HBTs through measurements of the temperature dependence of I c at different C/B reverse biases. The method is very sensitive to small amounts of dopant out-diffusion from the base and hence is ideal for determining the effect of C on TED. Extracted BGN values of 115meV and 173meV were obtained for the SiGe and SiGe:C HBTs respectively, for a C/B reverse bias of 0V. Increasing the C/B reverse bias to 1V increased the extracted BGN of the SiGe HBT to 145meV, but left the SiGe:C value unchanged. This demonstrates that no parasitic energy barrier exists in the SiGe:C HBT and that TED has been suppressed. The effect of carbon position and concentration has been studied by introducing a peak C concentration of 10 20 cm -3 in the collector and 1.1x10 19 cm -3 or 1.5x10 19 cm -3 C in the base. From these measurements it has been shown that TED is only suppressed in the device with 1.5x10 19 cm -3 C in the base, indicating that a C concentration of 1.5x10 19 cm -3 is needed to suppress TED and that the C needs to be co-located with the B profile. The effects of carbon on the electrical properties of polycrystalline Si and SiGe films have been investigated. The resistivity, Hall mobility (μ H ) and effective carrier concentration (N EFF ) of n- and p-type polySi 1-y C y and polySi 0.82-y Ge 0.18 C y layers

Gas cluster ion beam assisted NiPt germano-silicide formation on SiGe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozcan, Ahmet S., E-mail: asozcan@us.ibm.com [IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120 (United States); Lavoie, Christian; Jordan-Sweet, Jean [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Alptekin, Emre; Zhu, Frank [IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center, 2070 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, New York 12533 (United States); Leith, Allen; Pfeifer, Brian D.; LaRose, J. D.; Russell, N. M. [TEL Epion Inc., 900 Middlesex Turnpike, Bldg. 6, Billerica, Massachusetts 01821 (United States)

2016-04-21

We report the formation of very uniform and smooth Ni(Pt)Si on epitaxially grown SiGe using Si gas cluster ion beam treatment after metal-rich silicide formation. The gas cluster ion implantation process was optimized to infuse Si into the metal-rich silicide layer and lowered the NiSi nucleation temperature significantly according to in situ X-ray diffraction measurements. This novel method which leads to more uniform films can also be used to control silicide depth in ultra-shallow junctions, especially for high Ge containing devices, where silicidation is problematic as it leads to much rougher interfaces.

Effect of strain, substrate surface and growth rate on B-doping in selectively grown SiGe layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghandi, R.; Kolahdouz, M.; Hallstedt, J.; Wise, R.; Wejtmans, Hans; Radamson, H.H.

2008-01-01

In this work, the role of strain and growth rate on boron incorporation in selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of B-doped Si 1-x Ge x (x = 0.15-0.25) layers in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and B incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers

Effect of strain, substrate surface and growth rate on B-doping in selectively grown SiGe layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghandi, R. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)], E-mail: ghandi@kth.se; Kolahdouz, M.; Hallstedt, J. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden); Wise, R.; Wejtmans, Hans [Texas Instrument, 13121 TI Boulevard, Dallas, Tx 75243 (United States); Radamson, H.H. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)

2008-11-03

In this work, the role of strain and growth rate on boron incorporation in selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of B-doped Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.15-0.25) layers in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and B incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers.

A SiGe High Gain and Highly Linear F-Band Single-Balanced Subharmonic Mixer

OpenAIRE

Seyedhosseinzadeh, Neda; Nabavi, Abdolreza; Carpenter, Sona; He, Zhongxia Simon; Bao, Mingquan; Zirath, Herbert

2017-01-01

A compact, broadband, high gain, second-order active down-converter subharmonic mixer is demonstrated using a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The mixer adopts a bottom-LO Gilbert topology, on-chip RF and LO baluns and two emitter-follower buffers to realize a high gain wideband operation in both RF and IF frequencies. The measured performance exhibits a flat conversion gain (CG) of about 11 dB from 90 to 130 GHz with an average LO power of +3 dBm and high 2LO-RF isolation better than 60 dB. Th...

EIS pitting temperature determination of A182 nickel based alloy in simulated BWR environment containing dilute seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavigne, Olivier; Shoji, Tetsuo; Takeda, Yoichi

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Stable pitting events in function of the temperature are monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. • The pitting temperature for the nickel based alloy A182 in solution containing 450 ppm Cl − is defined as above 160 °C. • The presented method can be applied for others passive alloys as stainless steel in solution containing aggressive anions. - Abstract: A method based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements to monitor the pitting temperature of passive alloys in a given media is developed in this communication. The pitting corrosion behavior of the nickel based alloy 182 in water containing 450 ppm by weight of chloride is presented in this study. The analysis of the EIS fit parameters from the proposed equivalent electrical circuit allows to determine the temperature from which stable pitting event occurs at open circuit potential. For the A182 sample this temperature is measured above 160 °C

High strain amount in recessed junctions induced by selectively deposited boron-doped SiGe layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radamson, H.H.; Kolahdouz, M.; Ghandi, R.; Ostling, M.

2008-01-01

This work presents the selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of Si 1-x Ge x (x = 0.15-0.315) layers with high amount of boron (1 x 10 20 -1 x 10 21 cm -3 ) in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. The influence of the growth rate and strain on boron incorporation has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and boron incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers

A high linearity SiGe HBT LNA for GPS receiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Yanbin; Shi Jian; Ma Chengyan; Gan Yebing; Qian Min

2014-01-01

A high linearity 1.575 GHz SiGe:HBT low noise amplifier (LNA) for global positioning system applications is described. The bipolar cascoded with an MOSFET LNA was fabricated in a commercial 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. A resistor bias feed circuit with a feedback resistor was designed for the LNA input transistor to improve its intermodulation and compression performance. The packaged chip tested on board has displayed a noise figure of 1.11 dB, a power gain of 18 dB, an output 1 dB compression point of +7.8 dBm and an input third-order intercept point of +1.8 dBm. The chip occupies a 500 × 560 μm 2 area and consumes 3.6 mA from a 2.85 V power supply. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Observation of divergent La{sup 3+} ion dilute effect in two series of 3-D fluorescent lanthanide-MOFs-based molecular alloys RE{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC (RE{sup 3+}=Eu{sup 3+} or Tb{sup 3+}; EBTC{sup 4−}=1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-etracarboxylate)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhai, Lu [State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering and College of Science, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009 (China); State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhang, Wen-Wei, E-mail: wwzhang@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Ren, Xiao-Ming, E-mail: xmren@njtech.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering and College of Science, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009 (China); Zuo, Jing-Lin [State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

2015-10-15

The lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Ln{sub 2}(EBTC){sub 1.5}(CH{sub 3}OH){sub 4}]·6H{sub 2}O are isostructural to each other, where EBTC{sup 4−}=1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-tetracarboxylate; Ln{sup 3+}=La{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+}; and the corresponding MOF is abbreviated as Ln–EBTC. MOFs Eu–EBTC and Tb–EBTC emit intense red and green luminescence (visible by bare eyes), respectively. The molecular alloys of Eu{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC and Tb{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC have been successfully prepared by mixing Eu{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+} and La{sup 3+} salts with the desired molar ratio in the starting material. Two series of Eu{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC and Tb{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC molecular alloys are isomorphic to the parent Ln–EBTC MOFs, while exhibit divergent La{sup 3+} ion diluting effect, namely, with increasing the relative amount of La{sup 3+}, the intensity of characteristic emission arising from Tb{sup 3+} ion monotonely increases in Tb{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC molecular alloys, whereas that of Eu{sup 3+} ion shows non-monotone decrease in Eu{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC molecular alloys. The possible origin is discussed for such a divergent behavior between Eu{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC and Tb{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC molecular alloys. - Graphical abstract: Two series of 3-D fluorescent lanthanide-MOFs-based molecular alloys RE{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC (RE{sup 3+}=Eu{sup 3+} or Tb{sup 3+}; EBTC{sup 4−}=1,1′-ethynebenzene-3,3′,5,5′-tetracarboxylate) have been successfully prepared by mixing Eu{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+} and La{sup 3+} salts with the desired molar ratio in the starting material and showed photoluminescence property with divergent La{sup 3+} ion dilute effect. - Highlights: • 3-D molecular alloys of Eu{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC and Tb{sub x}La{sub 1−x}–EBTC were prepared. • They are isomorphic to the parent Ln–EBTC MOFs. • They show photoluminescence property with divergent La

High strain amount in recessed junctions induced by selectively deposited boron-doped SiGe layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radamson, H.H. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)], E-mail: rad@kth.se; Kolahdouz, M.; Ghandi, R.; Ostling, M. [School of Information and Communication Technology, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) Isafjordsg. 22-26, Electrum 229, 16640 Kista (Sweden)

2008-12-05

This work presents the selective epitaxial growth (SEG) of Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.15-0.315) layers with high amount of boron (1 x 10{sup 20}-1 x 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3}) in recessed or unprocessed (elevated) openings for source/drain applications in CMOS has been studied. The influence of the growth rate and strain on boron incorporation has been studied. A focus has been made on the strain distribution and boron incorporation in SEG of SiGe layers.

Density functional study of the decomposition pathways of SiH₃ and GeH₃ at the Si(100) and Ge(100) surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceriotti, M; Montalenti, F; Bernasconi, M

2012-03-14

By means of first-principles calculations we studied the decomposition pathways of SiH₃ on Ge(100) and of GeH₃ on Si(100), of interest for the growth of crystalline SiGe alloys and Si/Ge heterostructures by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We also investigated H desorption via reaction of two adsorbed SiH₂/GeH₂ species (β₂ reaction) or via Eley-Rideal abstraction of surface H atoms from the impinging SiH₃ and GeH₃ species. The calculated activation energies for the different processes suggest that the rate-limiting step for the growth of Si/Ge systems is still the β₂ reaction of two SiH₂ as in the growth of crystalline Si.

Hydrogen in niobium-titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, J.R.G. da; Cabral, F.A.O.; Florencio, O.

1985-01-01

High purity Nb-Ti polycrystalline alloys were doped with hydrogen in equilibrium with the gaseous atmosphere at a pressure of 80 torr. at different temperatures. The partial molar enthalpy and entropy of the hydrogen solution at high dilution, ΔH sup(-) 0 and ΔS sup(-) 0 , were calculated from the equilibrium solubility data. The ΔH sup(-) 0 values are compared with the electron screened proton model of metal-hydrogen solutions. The addition of titanium to niobium has the effect to increase the hydrogen solubility at a given equilibrium temperature. (Author) [pt

Molecular analysis of two mouse dilute locus deletion mutations: Spontaneous dilute lethal20J and radiation-induced dilute prenatal lethal Aa2 alleles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strobel, M.C.; Seperack, P.K.; Copeland, N.G.; Jenkins, N.A.

1990-01-01

The dilute (d) coat color locus of mouse chromosome 9 has been identified by more than 200 spontaneous and mutagen-induced recessive mutations. With the advent of molecular probes for this locus, the molecular lesion associated with different dilute alleles can be recognized and precisely defined. In this study, two dilute mutations, dilute-lethal20J (dl20J) and dilute prenatal lethal Aa2, have been examined. Using a dilute locus genomic probe in Southern blot analysis, we detected unique restriction fragments in dl20J and Aa2 DNA. Subsequent analysis of these fragments showed that they represented deletion breakpoint fusion fragments. DNA sequence analysis of each mutation-associated deletion breakpoint fusion fragment suggests that both genomic deletions were generated by nonhomologous recombination events. The spontaneous dl20J mutation is caused by an interstitial deletion that removes a single coding exon of the dilute gene. The correlation between this discrete deletion and the expression of all dilute-associated phenotypes in dl20J homozygotes defines the dl20J mutation as a functional null allele of the dilute gene. The radiation-induced Aa2 allele is a multilocus deletion that, by complementation analysis, affects both the dilute locus and the proximal prenatal lethal-3 (pl-3) functional unit. Molecular analysis of the Aa2 deletion breakpoint fusion fragment has provided access to a previously undefined gene proximal to d. Initial characterization of this new gene suggests that it may represent the genetically defined pl-3 functional unit

Measurements of Thermophysical Properties of Molten Silicon and Geranium

Science.gov (United States)

Rhim, Won-Kyu

2001-01-01

The objective of this ground base program is to measure thermophysical properties of molten/ undercooled silicon, germanium, and Si-Ge alloys using a high temperature electrostatic levitator and in clearly assessing the need of the microgravity environment to achieve the objective with higher degrees of accuracy. Silicon and germanium are two of the most important semiconductors for industrial applications: silicon is unsurpassed as a microelectronics material, occupying more than 95% of the electronics market. Si-Ge alloy is attracting keen interest for advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications in view of its variable band gap and lattice parameter depending upon its composition. Accurate thermophysical properties of these materials are very much needed in the semiconductor industry for the growth of large high quality crystals.

Density-functional theory molecular dynamics simulations of a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe and a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge with a-SiO2 and a-SiO suboxide interfacial layers

Science.gov (United States)

Chagarov, Evgueni A.; Kavrik, Mahmut S.; Fang, Ziwei; Tsai, Wilman; Kummel, Andrew C.

2018-06-01

Comprehensive Density-Functional Theory (DFT) Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate interfaces between a-HfO2 and SiGe or Ge semiconductors with fully-stoichiometric a-SiO2 or sub-oxide SiO interlayers. The electronic structure of the selected stacks was calculated with a HSE06 hybrid functional. Simulations were performed before and after hydrogen passivation of residual interlayer defects. For the SiGe substrate with Ge termination prior to H passivation, the stacks with a-SiO suboxide interlayer (a-HfO2/a-SiO/SiGe) demonstrate superior electronic properties and wider band-gaps than the stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers (a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe). After H passivation, most of the a-HfO2/a-SiO2/SiGe defects are passivated. To investigate effect of random placement of Si and Ge atoms additional simulations with a randomized SiGe slab were performed demonstrating improvement of electronic structure. For Ge substrates, before H passivation, the stacks with a SiO suboxide interlayer (a-HfO2/a-SiO/Ge) also demonstrate wider band-gaps than the stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers (a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge). However, even for a-HfO2/a-SiO/Ge, the Fermi level is shifted close to the conduction band edge (CBM) consistent with Fermi level pinning. Again, after H passivation, most of the a-HfO2/a-SiO2/Ge defects are passivated. The stacks with fully coordinated a-SiO2 interlayers have much stronger deformation and irregularity in the semiconductor (SiGe or Ge) upper layers leading to multiple under-coordinated atoms which create band-edge states and decrease the band-gap prior to H passivation.

Enhancement in figure-of-merit with superlattices structures for thin-film thermoelectric devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatasubramanian, R; Colpitts, T

1997-07-01

Thin-film superlattice (SL) structures in thermoelectric materials are shown to be a promising approach to obtaining an enhanced figure-of-merit, ZT, compared to conventional, state-of-the-art bulk alloyed materials. In this paper the authors describe experimental results on Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures, relevant to thermoelectric cooling and power conversion, respectively. The short-period Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures appear to indicate reduced thermal conductivities compared to alloys of these materials. From the observed behavior of thermal conductivity values in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} SL structures, a distinction is made where certain types of periodic structures may correspond to an ordered alloy rather than an SL, and therefore, do not offer a significant reduction in thermal conductivity values. The study also indicates that SL structures, with little or weak quantum-confinement, also offer an improvement in thermoelectric power factor over conventional alloys. They present power factor and electrical transport data in the plane of the SL interfaces to provide preliminary support for the arguments on reduced alloy scattering and impurity scattering in Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures. These results, though tentative due to the possible role of the substrate and the developmental nature of the 3-{omega} method used to determine thermal conductivity values, suggest that the short-period SL structures potentially offer factorial improvements in the three-dimensional figure-of-merit (ZT3D) compared to current state-of-the-art bulk alloys. An approach to a thin-film thermoelectric device called a Bipolarity-Assembled, Series-Inter-Connected Thin-Film Thermoelectric Device (BASIC-TFTD) is introduced to take advantage of these thin-film SL structures.

Self-diffusion and solute diffusion in alloys under irradiation: Influence of ballistic jumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roussel, Jean-Marc; Bellon, Pascal

2002-01-01

We have studied the influence of ballistic jumps on thermal and total diffusion of solvent and solute atoms in dilute fcc alloys under irradiation. For the diffusion components that result from vacancy migration, we introduce generalized five-frequency models, and show that ballistic jumps produce decorrelation effects that have a moderate impact on self-diffusion but that can enhance or suppress solute diffusion by several orders of magnitude. These could lead to new irradiation-induced transformations, especially in the case of subthreshold irradiation conditions. We also show that the mutual influence of thermal and ballistic jumps results in a nonadditivity of partial diffusion coefficients: the total diffusion coefficient under irradiation may be less than the sum of the thermal and ballistic diffusion coefficients. These predictions are confirmed by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, it is shown that the method introduced here can be extended to take into account the effect of ballistic jumps on the diffusion of dumbbell interstitials in dilute alloys

Plain defects and their vortex configuration in dilute Mo-B alloys in dissipative structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofronova, R.M.

1992-01-01

Electron microscopic study of single crystal of Mo-0.003 mas.% B alloy after zone melting and annealing at 2373 K was conducted to reveal the nature of planar defects and the role of boron in their formation. It was shown that planar defects should be considered as preprecipitations of MoB nonequilibrous phase out of molybdenum base solid solution. A planar defect was found to constitute a monolayer of boron atoms which consisted of B-B zigzag-like chains. Inturn the chains were surrounded by Mo atoms which formed hexagonal prism. The coherency of planar defects with matrix was due to close lattice parameters of Mo, β-MoB and δ-MoB. The planar defects in molybdenum base alloy were considered as elements of dissipative structure. They determined formation of supercellular dislocation structure under deformation

Sc-45 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of precipitation in dilute Al-Sc alloys

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Celotto, S; Bastow, TJ

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with Sc-45 is used to determine the solid solubility of scandium in aluminium and to follow the precipitation of Al3Sc during the ageing of an Al-0.06 at.% Sc alloy via the two fully resolved peaks, corresponding to Sc in the solid solution Al matrix and to Sc in the

Point defects and diffusion in alloys: correlation effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbe, Vincent

2006-01-01

Kinetic models in alloys aim at predicting the transport properties of a system starting from the microscopic jump frequencies of defects. Such properties are of prior importance in systems which stay out of equilibrium for a long time, as for example irradiated alloys in nuclear reactors. We hereby propose several developments of the recent self-consistent mean field (SCMF) kinetic theory, which deals particularly with the correlation effects due to the coupling of atomic and defect fluxes. They are taken into account through a non-equilibrium distribution function of the system, which is derived from the time evolution of small clusters (of two or more atoms or defects). We therefore introduce a set of 'dynamic' interactions called effective Hamiltonian. The SCMF theory is extended to treat high jump frequency ratios for the vacancy mechanism, as well as the transport through interstitial defects. We use in both cases an atomic model which accounts for the thermodynamic properties of the alloy, as e.g. the short-range order. Those models are eventually applied to predict the diffusion properties in two model alloys of nuclear interest: the concentrated Fe-Ni-Cr solid solution and the dilute Fe(P) alloy. We present adapted atomic models and compare our predictions to experimental data. (author)

Tetrasilane and digermane for the ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition of SiGe alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, John; Hazbun, Ramsey; Eldridge, David; Hickey, Ryan; Fernando, Nalin; Adam, Thomas; Zollner, Stefan; Kolodzey, James

2016-01-01

Tetrasilane and digermane were used to grow epitaxial silicon germanium layers on silicon substrates in a commercial ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition tool. Films with concentrations up to 19% germanium were grown at temperatures from 400 °C to 550 °C. For all alloy compositions, the growth rates were much higher compared to using mono-silane and mono-germane. The quality of the material was assessed using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry; all indicating high quality epitaxial films with low surface roughness suitable for commercial applications. Studies of the decomposition kinetics with regard to temperature were performed, revealing an unusual growth rate maximum between the high and low temperature deposition regimes. - Highlights: • Higher order precursors tetrasilane and digermane • Low temperature deposition • Thorough film characterization with temperature • Arrhenius growth rate peak

Hybridizing pines with diluted pollen

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Z. Callaham

1967-01-01

Diluted pollens would have many uses by the tree breeder. Dilutions would be particularly advantageous in making many controlled pollinations with a limited amount of pollen. They also would be useful in artificial mass pollinations of orchards or single trees. Diluted pollens might help overcome troublesome genetic barriers to crossing. Feasibility o,f using diluted...

Determination of Nb and Zr in U-Nb-Zr alloys by ICP-AES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Cuiping; Dong Shizhe; Li Lin; He Meiying

2003-01-01

The U-Nb-Zr alloy sample is dissolved by HNO 3 , H 2 O 2 and HF, and the contents of Nb and Zr in the sample are determined on the JY-70 II type ICP-AES by using the internal standard synchronous dilution method. The range of determination is 1%-10% and 0.33%-3.33%, respectively for Nb and Zr. The relative standard deviation is better than 3.2% for Nb, and 2.5% for Zr. The method is rapid and convenient for determining Nb and Zr in U-Nb-Zr alloy sample

Si/Ge intermixing during Ge Stranski–Krastanov growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alain Portavoce

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Stranski–Krastanov growth of Ge islands on Si(001 has been widely studied. The morphology changes of Ge islands during growth, from nucleation to hut/island formation and growth, followed by hut-to-dome island transformation and dislocation nucleation of domes, have been well described, even at the atomic scale, using techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Although it is known that these islands do not consist of pure Ge (due to Si/Ge intermixing, the composition of the Ge islands is not precisely known. In the present work, atom probe tomography was used to study the composition of buried dome islands at the atomic scale, in the three-dimensional space. The core of the island was shown to contain about 55 atom % Ge, while the Ge composition surrounding this core decreases rapidly in all directions in the islands to reach a Ge concentration of about 15 atom %. The Ge distribution in the islands follows a cylindrical symmetry and Ge segregation is observed only in the {113} facets of the islands. The Ge composition of the wetting layer is not homogeneous, varying from 5 to 30 atom %.

Low Thermal Conductivity of Bulk Amorphous Si1- x Ge x Containing Nano-Sized Crystalline Particles Synthesized by Ball-Milling Process

Science.gov (United States)

Muthusamy, Omprakash; Nishino, Shunsuke; Ghodke, Swapnil; Inukai, Manabu; Sobota, Robert; Adachi, Masahiro; Kiyama, Makato; Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki; Takeuchi, Tsunehiro; Santhanakrishnan, Harish; Ikeda, Hiroya; Hayakawa, Yasuhiro

2018-06-01

Amorphous Si0.65Ge0.35 powder containing a small amount of nano-sized crystalline particles was synthesized by means of the mechanical alloying process. Hot pressing for 24 h under the pressure of 400 MPa at 823 K, which is below the crystallization temperature, allowed us to obtain bulk amorphous Si-Ge alloy containing a small amount of nanocrystals. The thermal conductivity of the prepared bulk amorphous Si-Ge alloy was extremely low, showing a magnitude of less than 1.35 Wm-1 K-1 over the entire temperature range from 300 K to 700 K. The sound velocity of longitudinal and transverse waves for the bulk amorphous Si0.65Ge0.35 were measured, and the resulting values were 5841 m/s and 2840 m/s, respectively. The estimated mean free path of phonons was kept at the very small value of ˜ 4.2 nm, which was mainly due to the strong scattering limit of phonons in association with the amorphous structure.

51Cr diffusion in Zr-Sn alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolai, L.I.; Migoni, R.L.; Hojvat de Tendler, Ruth

1982-01-01

The 51 Cr volume diffusion in Zr-Sn alloys is measured in polycrystals with big grains by the thin-film method. The Sn content in the alloys ranges from 0.39% at to 6.66 % at. In the beta-phase the analysed temperature range is 982 deg C-1240 deg C. The Sn dehances the 51 Cr diffusion in beta-Zr, the effect being small but well defined. Assuming the formation of Sn-Cr dimers, the linear dehancement coefficient b and the parameters for the variation of b with temperature were calculated. The parameters Q and D o were calculated for the more diluted alloys and, upon application of the Zener theory for D o , a negative contribution to the activation entropy is found. Three experiments at different temperatures were performed in the alpha-phase. 51 Cr diffuses very fast in alpha-Zr-Sn. No definite correlation is found between the 51 Cr diffusivity and the increasing Sn concentration, probably due to the anisotropy of the alfa-phase. (M.E.L.) [es

Generation of uniaxial tensile strain of over 1% on a Ge substrate for short-channel strained Ge n-type Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors with SiGe stressors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriyama, Yoshihiko; Kamimuta, Yuuichi; Ikeda, Keiji; Tezuka, Tsutomu

2012-01-01

Tensile strain of over 1% in Ge stripes sandwiched between a pair of SiGe source-drain stressors was demonstrated. The Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET)-like structures were fabricated on a (001)-Ge substrate having SiO 2 dummy-gate stripes with widths down to 26 nm. Recess-regions adjacent to the dummy-gate stripes were formed by an anisotropic wet etching technique. A damage-free and well-controlled anisotropic wet etching process is developed in order to avoid plasma-induced damage during a conventional Reactive-ion Etching process. The SiGe stressors were epitaxially grown on the recesses to simulate strained Ge n-channel Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MISFETs) having high electron mobility. A micro-Raman spectroscopy measurement revealed tensile strain in the narrow Ge regions which became higher for narrower regions. Tensile strain of up to 1.2% was evaluated from the measurement under an assumption of uniaxial strain configuration. These results strongly suggest that higher electron mobility than the upper limit for a Si-MOSFET is obtainable in short-channel strained Ge-nMISFETs with the embedded SiGe stressors.

Nickel recovery from electronic waste II Electrodeposition of Ni and Ni–Fe alloys from diluted sulfate solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robotin, B. [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 11 Arany Janos Street, RO-400028 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Ispas, A. [Fachgebiet Elektrochemie und Galvanotechnik II, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693 Ilmenau (Germany); Coman, V. [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 11 Arany Janos Street, RO-400028 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Bund, A. [Fachgebiet Elektrochemie und Galvanotechnik II, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693 Ilmenau (Germany); Ilea, P., E-mail: pilea@chem.ubbcluj.ro [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 11 Arany Janos Street, RO-400028 Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

2013-11-15

Highlights: • Ni can be recovered from EG wastes as pure Ni or as Ni–Fe alloys. • The control of the experimental conditions gives a certain alloy composition. • Unusual deposits morphology shows different nucleation mechanisms for Ni vs Fe. • The nucleation mechanism was progressive for Ni and instantaneous for Fe and Ni–Fe. - Abstract: This study focuses on the electrodeposition of Ni and Ni–Fe alloys from synthetic solutions similar to those obtained by the dissolution of electron gun (an electrical component of cathode ray tubes) waste. The influence of various parameters (pH, electrolyte composition, Ni{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 2+} ratio, current density) on the electrodeposition process was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA) were used to provide information about the obtained deposits’ thickness, morphology, and elemental composition. By controlling the experimental parameters, the composition of the Ni–Fe alloys can be tailored towards specific applications. Complementarily, the differences in the nucleation mechanisms for Ni, Fe and Ni–Fe deposition from sulfate solutions have been evaluated and discussed using cyclic voltammetry and potential step chronoamperometry. The obtained results suggest a progressive nucleation mechanism for Ni, while for Fe and Ni–Fe, the obtained data points are best fitted to an instantaneous nucleation model.

Study of the thermal and kinetic parameters during directional solidification of zinc-aluminum eutectic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gueijman, Sergio Fabian; Ares, Alicia Esther; Schvezov, Carlos Enrique

2008-01-01

Much work has been done recently on investigating zinc-based binary alloys, with different aluminum content, and modified or not with small amounts of other alloying elements. Some of these alloys have interesting properties, such as, the ZA alloys that have properties similar to some bronzes that are used in applications that require pieces with enough resistance to mechanical stresses. The longitudinal thermal gradients, the minimal gradients, the velocities of the liquid interphases, the velocities of the solid interphases and the accelerations of both interphases as a function of time and position were determined for each diluted alloy of the eutectic concentration considered (Zn-5%Al, % in weight), solidified horizontally with caloric extraction from both ends of the test pieces. The values obtained from the horizontal solidification with two directions of predominant caloric extraction are compared to previous values obtained for the same vertically solidified alloy system with a predominantly caloric extraction direction

Examination Of Si-Ge Heterostructure Nanowire Growth Using Monte Carlo Simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nastovjak, A. G.; Neizvestny, I. G.; Shwartz, N. L.

2011-01-01

The process of Si-Ge heterostructures formation in nanowires (NWs) grown by vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. Dependences of catalyst drop composition on temperature, flux intensity and nanowire diameter were obtained. Periodical oscillations of drop composition near mean value were observed. Oscillation results from layer-by-layer growth at the drop-whisker interface and necessity of supersaturation onset to start new layer formation. It was demonstrated that it is impossible to grow atomically abrupt axial heterojunctions via classical vapor-liquid-solid mechanism due to gradual change of catalyst drop composition when switching the fluxes. This phenomenon is the main reason of heterojunction blurriness. Junction abruptness was found to be dependent on nanowhisker diameter: in adsorption-induced growth mode abruptness of heterojunction decreases with diameter and in diffusion-induced mode it increases.

Self-assembly of InAs and Si/Ge quantum dots on structured surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patella, F; Sgarlata, A; Arciprete, F; Nufris, S; Szkutnik, P D; Placidi, E; Fanfoni, M; Motta, N; Balzarotti, A

2004-01-01

We discuss the self-aggregation process of InAs and Si-Ge quantum dots (QDs) on natural and patterned GaAs(001) and Si(001) and Si(111) surfaces, with reference to our recent studies with scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy and current experimental and theoretical works. Various methods for obtaining naturally structured surfaces are briefly surveyed, as the patterning formed by the surface instability and by the strain in mismatched heteroepitaxy, and the latest methods of pre-patterning and growth at selected sites are discussed. Basic topics are also addressed that determine the final morphology of QDs, such as the wetting layer formation, the elastic strain field and the two-dimensional to three-dimensional phase transition

Mixed-signal 0.18μm CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS foundry technologies for ROIC applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kar-Roy, Arjun; Howard, David; Racanelli, Marco; Scott, Mike; Hurwitz, Paul; Zwingman, Robert; Chaudhry, Samir; Jordan, Scott

2010-10-01

Today's readout integrated-circuits (ROICs) require a high level of integration of high performance analog and low power digital logic. TowerJazz offers a commercial 0.18μm CMOS technology platform for mixed-signal, RF, and high performance analog applications which can be used for ROIC applications. The commercial CA18HD dual gate oxide 1.8V/3.3V and CA18HA dual gate oxide 1.8V/5V RF/mixed signal processes, consisting of six layers of metallization, have high density stacked linear MIM capacitors, high-value resistors, triple-well isolation and thick top aluminum metal. The CA18HA process also has scalable drain extended LDMOS devices, up to 40V Vds, for high-voltage sensor applications, and high-performance bipolars for low noise requirements in ROICs. Also discussed are the available features of the commercial SBC18 SiGe BiCMOS platform with SiGe NPNs operating up to 200/200GHz (fT/fMAX frequencies in manufacturing and demonstrated to 270 GHz fT, for reduced noise and integrated RF capabilities which could be used in ROICs. Implementation of these technologies in a thick film SOI process for integrated RF switch and power management and the availability of high fT vertical PNPs to enable complementary BiCMOS (CBiCMOS), for RF enabled ROICs, are also described in this paper.

A Physics-Based Engineering Methodology for Calculating Soft Error Rates of Bulk CMOS and SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Integrated Circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Fulkerson, David E.

2010-02-01

This paper describes a new methodology for characterizing the electrical behavior and soft error rate (SER) of CMOS and SiGe HBT integrated circuits that are struck by ions. A typical engineering design problem is to calculate the SER of a critical path that commonly includes several circuits such as an input buffer, several logic gates, logic storage, clock tree circuitry, and an output buffer. Using multiple 3D TCAD simulations to solve this problem is too costly and time-consuming for general engineering use. The new and simple methodology handles the problem with ease by simple SPICE simulations. The methodology accurately predicts the measured threshold linear energy transfer (LET) of a bulk CMOS SRAM. It solves for circuit currents and voltage spikes that are close to those predicted by expensive 3D TCAD simulations. It accurately predicts the measured event cross-section vs. LET curve of an experimental SiGe HBT flip-flop. The experimental cross section vs. frequency behavior and other subtle effects are also accurately predicted.

Amorphous and nanocrystalline fraction calculus for the Fe{sub 73.5}Si{sub 3.5}Ge{sub 10}Nb{sub 3}B{sub 9}Cu{sub 1} alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muraca, D. [Laboratorio de Solidos Amorfos, Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Moya, J. [Laboratorio de Solidos Amorfos, Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Carrera del Investigador, CONICET (Argentina); Cremaschi, V.J. [Laboratorio de Solidos Amorfos, Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Carrera del Investigador, CONICET (Argentina)]. E-mail: vcremas@fi.uba.ar; Sirkin, H.R.M. [Laboratorio de Solidos Amorfos, Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Carrera del Investigador, CONICET (Argentina)

2007-09-01

We studied the relationship between the saturation magnetization (M {sub S}) of the Fe{sub 73.5}Si{sub 3.5}Ge{sub 10}Nb{sub 3}B{sub 9}Cu{sub 1} alloy and its nanocrystalline structure. Amorphous ribbons obtained by the melt spinning technique were heat-treated for 1 h at different temperatures. The optimal treatment to obtain a homogeneous structure of Fe{sub 3}(Si,Ge) nanocrystals with a grain size of around 10 nm embedded in an amorphous matrix involved heating at 540 C for 1 h. We calculated the magnetic contribution of the nanocrystals to the heat treated alloy using a linear model and measured the M {sub S} of the Fe{sub 73.5}Si{sub 3.5}Ge{sub 10}Nb{sub 3}B{sub 9}Cu{sub 1} nanocrystalline and of an amorphous alloy of the same composition of the amorphous matrix: Fe{sub 58}Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 3.5}Cu{sub 3}Nb{sub 9}B{sub 26}. Using experimental data and theoretical calculations, we obtained the amorphous and crystalline fraction of the heat-treated ribbons.

Degradation mode survey candidate titanium-base alloys for Yucca Mountain project waste package materials. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gdowski, G.E.

1997-12-01

The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) is evaluating materials from which to fabricate high-level nuclear waste containers (hereafter called waste packages) for the potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Because of their very good corrosion resistance in aqueous environments titanium alloys are considered for container materials. Consideration of titanium alloys is understandable since about one-third (in 1978) of all titanium produced is used in applications where corrosion resistance is of primary importance. Consequently, there is a considerable amount of data which demonstrates that titanium alloys, in general, but particularly the commercial purity and dilute {alpha} grades, are highly corrosion resistant. This report will discuss the corrosion characteristics of Ti Gr 2, 7, 12, and 16. The more highly alloyed titanium alloys which were developed by adding a small Pd content to higher strength Ti alloys in order to give them better corrosion resistance will not be considered in this report. These alloys are all two phase ({alpha} and {beta}) alloys. The palladium addition while making these alloys more corrosion resistant does not give them the corrosion resistance of the single phase {alpha} and near-{alpha} (Ti Gr 12) alloys.

Incorporation of transition metal ions and oxygen generation during anodizing of aluminium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habazaki, H.; Konno, H.; Shimizu, K.; Nagata, S.; Skeldon, P.; Thompson, G.E.

2004-01-01

Enrichment of nickel at the alloy/film interface and incorporation of nickel species into the anodic film have been examined for a sputtering-deposited Al-1.2at.%Ni alloy in order to assist understanding of oxygen generation in barrier anodic alumina films. Anodizing of the alloy proceeds in two stages similarly to other dilute aluminium alloys, for example Al-Cr and Al-Cu alloys, where the Gibbs free energies per equivalent for formation of alloying element oxide exceeds the value for alumina. In the first stage, a nickel-free alumina film is formed, with nickel enriching in an alloy layer, 2 nm thick, immediately beneath the anodic oxide film. In the second stage, nickel atoms are oxidized together with aluminium, with oxygen generation forming gas bubbles within the anodic oxide film. This stage commences after accumulation of about 5.4 x 10 15 nickel atoms cm -2 in the enriched alloy layer. Oxygen generation also occurs when a thin layer of the alloy, containing about 2.0 x 10 19 nickel atoms m -2 , on electropolished aluminium, is completely anodized, contrasting with thin Al-Cr and Al-Cu alloy layers on electropolished aluminium, for which oxygen generation is essentially absent. A mechanism of oxygen generation, based on electron impurity levels of amorphous alumina and local oxide compositions, is discussed in order to explain the observations

Microstructure and mechanical property change of dissimilar metal welds Alloy 600 - Alloy 182 - A508 Gr. 3 according to thermal aging effect at 400 .deg. C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, Jun Hyuk; Choi, Kyoung Joon; Kim, Ji Hyun [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

To prevent such critical matters above mentioned, investigation about degradation mechanism of materials by thermal aging should be conducted. However, there are no sufficient studies on this field. Therefore, the final goal of this study is to investigate microstructure along the DMW undergone thermal aging process. Firstly, in order to get a reference data for further comparison analysis which is expected to show degradation mechanism of the weld joint, un-heated weld joint was investigated with several instruments, Vickers hardness tester, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). Detail instrumental analysis in Alloy 600 - Alloy 182 - A508 Gr. 3 DMW joint were performed in order to investigate microstructure and mechanical properties of material. Following conclusions can be drawn from this study. Alloy 182 has austenitic dendrite structure which is formed by heat flow during welding process. Type-II boundaries were observed at the interface between Alloy 182 and A508 Gr. 3. Chemical composition shows rapid transition at the interface which makes 3000 µm of chromium dilution zone. Microstructure of A508 Gr. 3 was investigated from the interface between Alloy 182 to base metal.

Local magnetic moments in dilute Cr-Nb alloys: the effects of applied magnetic field and Nb concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, P E N de; Oliveira, L M de; Ortiz, W A; Camargo, P C de; Oliveira, A J A de

2005-01-01

In this work we present magnetic susceptibility results for Cr-x at.% Nb alloys (x = 0.2, 0.6, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.0), showing that a local short-range order spin-density wave (L-SDW) appears at a characteristic temperature (T loc ) above the Neel temperature. The evidence for L-SDW is based on a Curie-Weiss-like behaviour, which is suppressed when large magnetic fields are applied or for alloys with Nb concentration above x = 2.0 at.%

PREDICTION OF THE MIXING ENTHALPIES OF BINARY LIQUID ALLOYS BY MOLECULAR INTERACTION VOLUME MODEL

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

H.W.Yang; D.P.Tao; Z.H.Zhou

2008-01-01

The mixing enthalpies of 23 binary liquid alloys are calculated by molecular interaction volume model (MIVM), which is a two-parameter model with the partial molar infinite dilute mixing enthalpies. The predicted values are in agreement with the experimental data and then indicate that the model is reliable and convenient.

The localized effect of the Bi level on the valence band in the dilute bismuth GaBixAs1-x alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chuan-Zhen; Zhu, Min-Min; Wang, Jun; Wang, Sha-Sha; Lu, Ke-Qing

2018-05-01

The research on the temperature dependence of the band gap energy of the dilute bismuth GaBixAs1-x alloy has been done. It is found that its temperature insensitiveness is due to the enhanced localized character of the valence band state and the small decrease of the temperature coefficient for the conduction band minimum (CBM). The enhanced localized character of the valence band state is the main factor. In order to describe the localized effect of the Bi levels on the valence band, the localized energy is introduced into the Varshni's equation. It is found that the effect of the localized Bi level on the valence band becomes strong with increasing Bi content. In addition, it is found that the pressure dependence of the band gap energy of GaBixAs1-x does not seem to be influenced by the localized Bi levels. It is due to two factors. One is that the pressure dependence of the band gap energy is mainly determined by the D CBM of GaBixAs1-x. The D CBM of GaBixAs1-x is not influenced by the localized Bi levels. The other is that the small variation of the pressure coefficient for the D valence band maximum (VBM) state of GaBixAs1-x can be cancelled by the variation of the pressure coefficient for the D CBM state of GaBixAs1-x.

Microstructural and wear characteristics of cobalt free, nickel base intermetallic alloy deposited by laser cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awasthi, Reena; Kumar, Santosh; Viswanadham, C.S.; Srivastava, D.; Dey, G.K.; Limaye, P.K.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the microstructural and wear characteristics of Ni base intermetallic hardfacing alloy (Tribaloy-700) deposited on stainless steel-316 L substrate by laser cladding technique. Cobalt base hardfacing alloys have been most commonly used hardfacing alloys for application involving wear, corrosion and high temperature resistance. However, the high cost and scarcity of cobalt led to the development of cobalt free hardfacing alloys. Further, in the nuclear industry, the use of cobalt base alloys is limited due to the induced activity of long lived radioisotope 60 Co formed. These difficulties led to the development of various nickel and iron base alloys to replace cobalt base hardfacing alloys. In the present study Ni base intermetallic alloy, free of Cobalt was deposited on stainless steel- 316 L substrate by laser cladding technique. Traditionally, welding and thermal spraying are the most commonly employed hardfacing techniques. Laser cladding has been explored for the deposition of less diluted and fusion-bonded Nickel base clad layer on stainless steel substrate with a low heat input. The laser cladding parameters (Laser power density: 200 W/mm 2 , scanning speed: 430 mm/min, and powder feed rate: 14 gm/min) resulted in defect free clad with minimal dilution of the substrate. The microstructure of the clad layer was examined by Optical microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The phase analysis was performed by X-ray diffraction technique. The clad layer exhibited sharp substrate/clad interface in the order of planar, cellular, and dendritic from the interface upwards. Dilution of clad with Fe from substrate was very low passing from ∼ 15% at the interface (∼ 40 μm) to ∼ 6% in the clad layer. The clad layer was characterized by the presence of hexagonal closed packed (hcp, MgZn 2 type) intermetallic Laves phase dispersed in the eutectic of Laves and face centered cubic (fcc) gamma solid solution. The

Contribution to the theoretical study of order-disorder phenomena in the electrical properties of alloys (1963)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beal, M.T.

1963-01-01

We have study theoretically the ordering of alloys and its influence an electrical resistivity. We have looked at the cases of concentrated, non magnetic alloys such as Cu Zn β or Cu 3 Au and of diluted, magnetic alloys such as noble matrix with rare earth impurities. In both cases, a simple method of molecular field with nearest neighbour interactions is used. Scattering cross sections are calculated with free electrons and Born approximation. The electrical properties are described with a good accuracy by single diffusions on each center (long range order). But some anomalies near to the ordering temperature are caused by double diffusions on pairs of interacting atoms or spins (local order). (author) [fr

Linear microstructural features in R5(Si,Ge)4-type alloys: Difficulties in identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chumbley, L.S.; Ugurlu, O.; McCallum, R.W.; Dennis, K.W.; Mudryk, Y.; Gschneidner, K.A.; Pecharsky, V.K.

2008-01-01

A brief review of the current literature concerning compounds based upon the R 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 structure reveals that essentially all examined alloys contain 'linear features' similar to those first observed by Szade et al. on the surface of Gd 5 Si 4 , Gd 5 Si 2 Ge 2 and Gd 5 Ge 4 samples. Attempts to characterize these features, using a variety of techniques, have proven to be a difficult task. Rather than becoming clearer and better understood, discrepancies in the reported data have resulted in much confusion. A series of comprehensive experiments involving optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements have been performed in an attempt to clarify the situation. These experiments, coupled with a critical examination of published data, allow certain misconceptions and apparent contradictions to be understood and explained. Of major importance is the discovery that the volume fraction of the linear feature present is far lower than what one may estimate on the basis of etched samples. The results of this study support previous data that show the linear features are a second phase of composition R 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 3 , and reveal the various difficulties associated with proper identification of this phase due to its small size scale and low volume percentage

Segregation across the metal/oxide interface occurring during oxidation at high temperatures of diluted iron based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geneve, D.; Rouxel, D.; Weber, B.; Confente, M.

2006-01-01

Industrial steels being elaborated in air at high temperature oxidize and cover with a complex oxide layer. The oxidation reaction drastically alters the surface composition. Such modifications have been investigated, in this work, by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) using an original method to characterize the composition of the metal/oxide interfaces. Analysis of the concentration gradients across the interfaces allows to better understand how the alloy elements contribute to the oxidation process. The development of new alloy phases, the interdependencies between elements and the diffusion of different species are discussed considering thermodynamic properties of each element

Effect of Alloy 625 Buffer Layer on Hardfacing of Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel Using Nickel Base Hardfacing Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Gopa; Das, C. R.; Albert, S. K.; Bhaduri, A. K.; Murugesan, S.; Dasgupta, Arup

2016-04-01

Dashpot piston, made up of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, is a part of diverse safety rod used for safe shutdown of a nuclear reactor. This component was hardfaced using nickel base AWS ER NiCr-B alloy and extensive cracking was experienced during direct deposition of this alloy on dashpot piston. Cracking reduced considerably and the component was successfully hardfaced by application of Inconel 625 as buffer layer prior to hardface deposition. Hence, a separate study was undertaken to investigate the role of buffer layer in reducing the cracking and on the microstructure of the hardfaced deposit. Results indicate that in the direct deposition of hardfacing alloy on modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, both heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed and the deposit layer are hard making the thickness of the hard layer formed equal to combined thickness of both HAZ and deposit. This hard layer is unable to absorb thermal stresses resulting in the cracking of the deposit. By providing a buffer layer of Alloy 625 followed by a post-weld heat treatment, HAZ formed in the modified 9Cr-1Mo steel is effectively tempered, and HAZ formed during the subsequent deposition of the hardfacing alloy over the Alloy 625 buffer layer is almost completely confined to Alloy 625, which does not harden. This reduces the cracking susceptibility of the deposit. Further, unlike in the case of direct deposition on modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, dilution of the deposit by Ni-base buffer layer does not alter the hardness of the deposit and desired hardness on the deposit surface could be achieved even with lower thickness of the deposit. This gives an option for reducing the recommended thickness of the deposit, which can also reduce the risk of cracking.

Magnetic cluster mean-field description of spin glasses in amorphous La-Gd-Au alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poon, S.J.; Durand, J.

1978-03-01

Bulk magnetic properties of splat-cooled amorphous alloys of composition La/sub 80-x/Gd/sub x/Au 20 (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 80) were studied. Zero-field susceptibility, high-field magnetization (up to 75 kOe) and saturated remanence were measured between 1.8 and 290 0 K. Data were analyzed using a cluster mean-field approximation for the spin-glass and mictomagnetic alloys (x less than or equal to 56). Mean-field theories can account for the experimental freezing-temperatures of dilute spin-glasses in which the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction is dominant. For the dilute alloys, the role of amorphousness on the magnetic interactions is discussed. By extending the mean-field approximation, the concentrated spin-glasses are represented by rigid ferromagnetic clusters as individual spin-entities interacting via random forces. Scaling laws for the magnetization M and saturation remanent magnetization M/sub rs/ are obtained and presented graphically for the x less than or equal to 32 alloys in which M/x = g(H/x*, T/x), M/sub rs/(T)/x = M/sub rs/(0)/x/ exp (-α*T/x/sup p/) where x* is the concentration of clusters, α* is a constant, and p is the freezing-temperature exponent given by T/sub M/ infinity x/sup p/. It is found that p = 1 and 1.3 for the regions 4 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 40 respectively. An attempt is also made to account for the freezing temperatures of concentrated spin glasses. The strength of the interaction among clusters is determined from high-field magnetization measurements using the Larkin-Smith method modified for clusters. It is shown that for the x < 24 alloys, the size of the clusters can be correlated to the structural short-range order in the amorphous state. More concentrated alloys are marked by the emergence of cluster percolation

Anomalous dose rate effects in gamma irradiated SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, G.; Niu, G.; Cressler, J.D.; Clark, S.D.; Palmer, M.J.; Ahlgren, D.C.

1999-01-01

Low dose rate (LDR) cobalt-60 (0.1 rad(Si)/s) gamma irradiated Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) were studied. Comparisons were made with devices irradiated with 300 rad(Si)/s gamma radiation to verify if LDR radiation is a serious radiation hardness assurance (RHA) issue. Almost no LDR degradation was observed in this technology up to 50 krad(Si). The assumption of the presence of two competing mechanisms is justified by experimental results. At low total dose (le20 krad), an anomalous base current decrease was observed which is attributed to self-annealing of deep-level traps to shallower levels. An increase in base current at larger total doses is attributed to radiation induced generation-recombination (G/R) center generation. Experiments on gate-assisted lateral PNP transistors and 2D numerical simulations using MEDICI were used to confirm these assertions

Micromachined single-level nonplanar polycrystalline SiGe thermal microemitters for infrared dynamic scene projection

Science.gov (United States)

Malyutenko, V. K.; Malyutenko, O. Yu.; Leonov, V.; Van Hoof, C.

2009-05-01

The technology for self-supported membraneless polycrystalline SiGe thermal microemitters, their design, and performance are presented. The 128-element arrays with a fill factor of 88% and a 2.5-μm-thick resonant cavity have been grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and fabricated using surface micromachining technology. The 200-nm-thick 60×60 μm2 emitting pixels enforced with a U-shape profile pattern demonstrate a thermal time constant of 2-7 ms and an apparent temperature of 700 K in the 3-5 and 8-12 μm atmospheric transparency windows. The application of the devices to the infrared dynamic scene simulation and their benefit over conventional planar membrane-supported emitters are discussed.

Origin of the suppression in low frequency terahertz conductivity in dilute GaAs nitride and bismide alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cocker, Tylor; Lu, Xianfeng; Cooke, David

We have performed time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy on GaAs1-xBix (x=7%) and observed a low-frequency suppression of the real conductivity previously seen only in dilute GaAs nitrides. We have developed a modified Drude model with a frequency-dependent scattering time that provides excellent...

Lithium uptake and the corrosion of zirconium alloys in aqueous lithium hydroxide solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramasubramanian, N.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on corrosion films on zirconium alloys that were analyzed for lithium by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), and Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (IRAS). The oxides grown in reactor in dilute lithium hydroxide solution, specimens cut from Zircaloy, and Zr-2.5Nb alloy pressure tubes removed from CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium, Registered Trademark) reactors showed low concentrations of lithium (4 to 50 ppm). The lithium was not leachable in a warm dilute acid. 6 Li undergoes transmutation by the 6 Li(n,t) 4 He reaction. However, SIMS profiles for d 7 Li were identical through the bulk oxide and the isotopic ratio was close to the natural abundance value. The lithium in the oxide, existing as adsorbed lithium on the surface, has been in dynamic equilibrium with lithium in the coolant, and, in spite of many Effective Full Power Years (EFPY) of operation, lithium added to the CANDU coolant at ∼2.5 ppm is not concentrating in the oxides. On the other hand, corrosion films grown in the laboratory in concentrated lithium hydroxide solutions were very porous and contained hundreds of ppm of lithium in the oxide

Optimization of pulsed TIG cladding process of stellite alloy on carbon steel using RSM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madadi, F., E-mail: f.madadi@ma.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ashrafizadeh, F. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shamanian, M., E-mail: shamanian@cc.iut.ac.ir [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2012-01-05

Highlights: > This study is useful to optimize the welding process variables in order to control the heat input and cooling rates such that the hardness and dilution of the clad could be estimated. > Central composite rotatable design technique with five-level, four-factor full-factorial design matrix and mathematical models was used to predict hardness and dilution of pulsed gas tungsten arc weld cladding of stellite6 on carbon steel with high accuracy. > The welding current is an effective parameter affecting heat input and melting. In this regard, it is the most important process parameter which influences the dilution. Increase welding current leads to increase in dilution percentage and vice versa. The effect of percentage on time is less important when compared to the other factors. > The results predicted by mathematical models were close to those obtained by experiments. The confirmation tests also indicated high correlation between the mentioned values. > All of the chosen pulse GTAW parameters were significant and showed a noticeable influence on clad dilution. - Abstract: Stellite 6 is a cobalt-base alloy which is resistant to wear and corrosion and retains these properties at high temperatures. The exceptional wear resistance of Stellite 6 is mainly due to the unique inherent characteristics of the hard carbides dispersed in a Co-Cr alloy matrix. In this study, pulsed tungsten inert gas (TIG) cladding process was carried out to deposit Stellite 6 on plain carbon steel plate. The beneficial effects of this cladding process are low heat input, low distortion, controlled weld bead volume, less hot cracking tendency, less absorption of gases by weld pool and better control of the fusion zone. The dilution effect is a key issue in the quality of cladded layers and, in this regard, the pulsed current tungsten inert gas (PCTIG) was performed to decrease excess heat input and melting of substrate. This paper deals with the investigation of the hardness and

Modeling copper precipitation hardening and embrittlement in a dilute Fe-0.3at.%Cu alloy under neutron irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Xian-Ming; Ke, Huibin; Zhang, Yongfeng; Spencer, Benjamin W.

2017-11-01

Neutron irradiation in light water reactors can induce precipitation of nanometer sized Cu clusters in reactor pressure vessel steels. The Cu precipitates impede dislocation gliding, leading to an increase in yield strength (hardening) and an upward shift of ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (embrittlement). In this work, cluster dynamics modeling is used to model the entire Cu precipitation process (nucleation, growth, and coarsening) in a Fe-0.3at.%Cu alloy under neutron irradiation at 300°C based on the homogenous nucleation mechanism. The evolution of the Cu cluster number density and mean radius predicted by the modeling agrees well with experimental data reported in literature for the same alloy under the same irradiation conditions. The predicted precipitation kinetics is used as input for a dispersed barrier hardening model to correlate the microstructural evolution with the radiation hardening and embrittlement in this alloy. The predicted radiation hardening agrees well with the mechanical test results in the literature. Limitations of the model and areas for future improvement are also discussed in this work.

Impacts of doping on epitaxial germanium thin film quality and Si-Ge interdiffusion

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Guangnan

2018-04-03

Ge-on-Si structures with three different dopants (P, As and B) and those without intentional doping were grown, annealed and characterized by several different material characterization methods. All samples have a smooth surface (roughness < 1.5 nm), and the Ge films are almost entirely relaxed. B doped Ge films have threading dislocations above 1 × 10 cm, while P and As doping can reduce the threading dislocation density to be less than 10 cm without annealing. The interdiffusion of Si and Ge of different films have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. A quantitative model of Si-Ge interdiffusion under extrinsic conditions across the full x range was established including the dislocationmediated diffusion. The Kirkendall effect has been observed. The results are of technical significance for the structure, doping, and process design of Ge-on-Si based devices, especially for photonic applications.

Impacts of doping on epitaxial germanium thin film quality and Si-Ge interdiffusion

KAUST Repository

Zhou, Guangnan; Lee, Kwang Hong; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Xixiang; Tan, Chuan Seng; Xia, Guangrui

2018-01-01

Ge-on-Si structures with three different dopants (P, As and B) and those without intentional doping were grown, annealed and characterized by several different material characterization methods. All samples have a smooth surface (roughness < 1.5 nm), and the Ge films are almost entirely relaxed. B doped Ge films have threading dislocations above 1 × 10 cm, while P and As doping can reduce the threading dislocation density to be less than 10 cm without annealing. The interdiffusion of Si and Ge of different films have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. A quantitative model of Si-Ge interdiffusion under extrinsic conditions across the full x range was established including the dislocationmediated diffusion. The Kirkendall effect has been observed. The results are of technical significance for the structure, doping, and process design of Ge-on-Si based devices, especially for photonic applications.

Spectro-photometric determinations of Mn, Fe and Cu in aluminum master alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Rehan; Naveed, A.; Shan, A.; Afzal, M.; Saleem, J.; Noshad, M. A.

2016-08-01

Highly reliable, fast and cost effective Spectro-photometric methods have been developed for the determination of Mn, Fe & Cu in aluminum master alloys, based on the development of calibration curves being prepared via laboratory standards. The calibration curves are designed so as to induce maximum sensitivity and minimum instrumental error (Mn 1mg/100ml-2mg/100ml, Fe 0.01mg/100ml-0.2mg/100ml and Cu 2mg/100ml-10mg/ 100ml). The developed Spectro-photometric methods produce accurate results while analyzing Mn, Fe and Cu in certified reference materials. Particularly, these methods are suitable for all types of Al-Mn, Al-Fe and Al-Cu master alloys (5%, 10%, 50% etc. master alloys).Moreover, the sampling practices suggested herein include a reasonable amount of analytical sample, which truly represent the whole lot of a particular master alloy. Successive dilution technique was utilized to meet the calibration curve range. Furthermore, the workout methods were also found suitable for the analysis of said elements in ordinary aluminum alloys. However, it was observed that Cush owed a considerable interference with Fe, the later one may not be accurately measured in the presence of Cu greater than 0.01 %.

The Generation of AlmFe in Dilute Aluminium Alloys with Different Grain Refining Additions

Science.gov (United States)

Meredith, M. W.; Greer, A. L.; Evans, P. V.; Hamerton, R. G.

Al13Fe4, Al6Fe and AlmFe are common intermetallics in commercial AA1XXX series Al alloys. Grain-refining additions (based on either Al-Ti-B or Al-Ti-C) are usually added to such alloys during solidification processing to aid the grain structure development. They also influence the favoured intermetallic and, hence, can affect the materials' properties. This work simulates commercial casting practices in an attempt to determine the mechanisms by which one intermetallic phase is favoured over another by the introduction of grain-refining additions. Directional solidification experiments on Al-0.3wt.%Fe-0.15wt.%Si with and without grain refiner are conducted using Bridgman apparatus. The type, amount and effectiveness of the grain-refining additions are altered and the resulting intermetallic phase selection followed. The materials are characterised using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. AlmFe is seen to form when Al-Ti-B grain-refiner is introduced but only when the refinement is successful; reducing the effectiveness of the refiner led to Al6Fe forming under all conditions. Al-Ti-C refiners are seen to promote AlmFe at lower solidification velocities than when Al-Ti-B was used even though the grain structure was not as refined. These trends can be explained within existing eutectic theory, by considering growth undercooling.

PECVD Tekniği ile Büyütülmüş İnce Filmlerde Oluşan Ge ve SiGe Nanokristallerin Geçirgen Elektron Mikroskobu (TEM) ,Raman ve Fotoışıma Spektroskopisi Teknikleri ile İncelenmesi

OpenAIRE

Şahin, Bünyamin; Ağan, Sedat

2009-01-01

We report an experimental study, optical properties of Ge and SiGe nanocrystals in SiOx structures are investigated by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman and Photlüminescence Spectroscopy techniques. Ge nanocrystals in silicon oxide thin films have been grown with different annealing time by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique. The aim of our work is to determine size and size distiributions Ge, SiGe nanocrystals in SiOx martix due to annealing process...

Reliability of high mobility SiGe channel MOSFETs for future CMOS applications

CERN Document Server

Franco, Jacopo; Groeseneken, Guido

2014-01-01

Due to the ever increasing electric fields in scaled CMOS devices, reliability is becoming a showstopper for further scaled technology nodes. Although several groups have already demonstrated functional Si channel devices with aggressively scaled Equivalent Oxide Thickness (EOT) down to 5Å, a 10 year reliable device operation cannot be guaranteed anymore due to severe Negative Bias Temperature Instability. This book focuses on the reliability of the novel (Si)Ge channel quantum well pMOSFET technology. This technology is being considered for possible implementation in next CMOS technology nodes, thanks to its benefit in terms of carrier mobility and device threshold voltage tuning. We observe that it also opens a degree of freedom for device reliability optimization. By properly tuning the device gate stack, sufficiently reliable ultra-thin EOT devices with a 10 years lifetime at operating conditions are demonstrated. The extensive experimental datasets collected on a variety of processed 300mm wafers and pr...

Hot vacuum extraction-isotopic dilution mass spectrometry for determination of hydrogen isotopes in zircaloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Y.; Leeson, P.K.; Wilkin, D.; Britton, A.; Macleod, R.

2016-01-01

A hot vacuum extraction-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (HVE-IDMS) was studied for determination of hydrogen isotopes in zirconium metal and alloys as nuclear reactor materials. A theoretical assessment of the completeness of the extraction of hydrogen isotopes under the chosen condition was carried out based on the hydrogen and deuterium solubility data for zirconium. The optimal isotopic spiking condition for conventional IDMS was further explored for the special case IDMS where the isotope abundance of the samples is varied and non-natural. Applying the optimal conditions, the accurate IDMS determination was realized. The agreement between the measured values and the certified or prepared values of standard reference materials and homemade standard materials validate the method developed. (author)

Study of annealing effects on the giant magnetoresistance in ferromagnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju Sheng; Li Zhenya

2005-01-01

A self-consistent macroscopic theory is developed to improve on that of Gu et al (1996 Phys. Rev. B 53 11685) and to provide a physical understanding of some new experimental observations in ferromagnetic alloys. For composites with non-spherical inclusions, which is the general case in artificial granular systems, previous models based on the calculation of a spherical particle in the dilute limit are inadequate. By considering the particle shape distribution and its evolution with annealing effects, we have studied the shape dependence of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in ferromagnetic alloys. It is found that both the particle shape and its orientation are effective factors in determining the magnitude of the GMR. Based on a comparison between our calculations and experimental data, a comprehensive picture of the effects of annealing on GMR is obtained

Effect of process parameters on formability of laser melting deposited 12CrNi2 alloy steel

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Qian; Dong, Shiyun; Kang, Xueliang; Yan, Shixing; Men, Ping

2018-03-01

As a new rapid prototyping technology, the laser melting deposition technology not only has the advantages of fast forming, high efficiency, but also free control in the design and production chain. Therefore, it has drawn extensive attention from community.With the continuous improvement of steel performance requirements, high performance low-carbon alloy steel is gradually integrated into high-tech fields such as aerospace, high-speed train and armored equipment.However, it is necessary to further explore and optimize the difficult process of laser melting deposited alloy steel parts to achieve the performance and shape control.This article took the orthogonal experiment on alloy steel powder by laser melting deposition ,and revealed the influence rule of the laser power, scanning speed, powder gas flow on the quality of the sample than the dilution rate, surface morphology and microstructure analysis were carried out.Finally, under the optimum technological parameters, the Excellent surface quality of the alloy steel forming part with high density, no pore and cracks was obtained.

Conventional and improved cytotoxicity test methods of newly developed biodegradable magnesium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hyung-Seop; Kim, Hee-Kyoung; Kim, Yu-Chan; Seok, Hyun-Kwang; Kim, Young-Yul

2015-11-01

Unique biodegradable property of magnesium has spawned countless studies to develop ideal biodegradable orthopedic implant materials in the last decade. However, due to the rapid pH change and extensive amount of hydrogen gas generated during biocorrosion, it is extremely difficult to determine the accurate cytotoxicity of newly developed magnesium alloys using the existing methods. Herein, we report a new method to accurately determine the cytotoxicity of magnesium alloys with varying corrosion rate while taking in-vivo condition into the consideration. For conventional method, extract quantities of each metal ion were determined using ICP-MS and the result showed that the cytotoxicity due to pH change caused by corrosion affected the cell viability rather than the intrinsic cytotoxicity of magnesium alloy. In physiological environment, pH is regulated and adjusted within normal pH (˜7.4) range by homeostasis. Two new methods using pH buffered extracts were proposed and performed to show that environmental buffering effect of pH, dilution of the extract, and the regulation of eluate surface area must be taken into consideration for accurate cytotoxicity measurement of biodegradable magnesium alloys.

Electrochemical synthesis of mesoporous Pt-Au binary alloys with tunable compositions for enhancement of electrochemical performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, Yusuke; Tonegawa, Akihisa; Komatsu, Masaki; Wang, Hongjing; Wang, Liang; Nemoto, Yoshihiro; Suzuki, Norihiro; Kuroda, Kazuyuki

2012-03-21

Mesoporous Pt-Au binary alloys were electrochemically synthesized from lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) containing corresponding metal species. Two-dimensional exagonally ordered LLC templates were prepared on conductive substrates from diluted surfactant solutions including water, a nonionic surfactant, ethanol, and metal species by drop-coating. Electrochemical synthesis using such LLC templates enabled the preparation of ordered mesoporous Pt-Au binary alloys without phase segregation. The framework composition in the mesoporous Pt-Au alloy was controlled simply by changing the compositional ratios in the precursor solution. Mesoporous Pt-Au alloys with low Au content exhibited well-ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructures, reflecting those of the original templates. With increasing Au content, however, the mesostructural order gradually decreased, thereby reducing the electrochemically active surface area. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction profiles, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and elemental mapping showed that both Pt and Au were atomically distributed in the frameworks. The electrochemical stability of mesoporous Pt-Au alloys toward methanol oxidation was highly improved relative to that of nonporous Pt and mesoporous Pt films, suggesting that mesoporous Pt-Au alloy films are potentially applicable as electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells. Also, mesoporous Pt-Au alloy electrodes showed a highly sensitive amperometric response for glucose molecules, which will be useful in next-generation enzyme-free glucose sensors.

High temperature oxidation of copper and copper aluminium alloys: Impact on furnace side wall cooling systems

Science.gov (United States)

Plascencia Barrera, Gabriel

The high temperature oxidation behaviours of copper and dilute Cu-Al alloys were investigated. Experiments were carried out by: (i) Oxidizing under various oxygen potentials at different temperatures using a combined TG-DTA apparatus. (ii) Oxidizing in a muffle furnace (in air) at different temperatures for extended periods of time. The oxidation mechanisms were evaluated based upon the kinetic data obtained as well as by X-ray diffraction and microscopical (SEM and optical) analyses. It was found that oxidation of copper strongly depends on the temperature. Two distinct mechanisms were encountered. Between 300 and 500°C, the oxidation rate is controlled by lateral growth of the oxide on the metal surface, whereas between 600 and 1000°C oxidation is controlled by lattice diffusion of copper ions through the oxide scale. On the other hand, the partial pressure of oxygen only has a small effect on the oxidation of copper. Alloy oxidation is also dependent on the temperature. As temperature increases, more aluminium is required to protect copper from being oxidized. It was shown that if the amount of oxygen that dissolves in the alloy exceeds the solubility limit of oxygen in copper, an internal oxidation layer will develop, leading to the formation of a tarnishing scale. On the other hand if the oxygen content in the alloy lies below the solubility limit of oxygen in copper, no oxidation products will form since a tight protective alumina layer will form on the alloy surface. Surface phenomena may affect the oxidation behaviour of dilute Cu-Al alloys. Immersion tests in molten copper matte and copper converting slag, using laboratory scale cooling elements with various copper based materials, were conducted. Results from these tests showed that alloying copper with 3 to 4 wt% Al decreases the oxidation rate of pure copper by 4 orders of magnitude; however due to a significant drop in thermal conductivity, the ability to extract heat is compromised, leading to

Dilution Refrigeration of Multi-Ton Cold Masses

CERN Document Server

Wikus, P; CERN. Geneva

2007-01-01

Dilution refrigeration is the only means to provide continuous cooling at temperatures below 250 mK. Future experiments featuring multi-ton cold masses require a new generation of dilution refrigeration systems, capable of providing a heat sink below 10 mK at cooling powers which exceed the performance of present systems considerably. This thesis presents some advances towards dilution refrigeration of multi-ton masses in this temperature range. A new method using numerical simulation to predict the cooling power of a dilution refrigerator of a given design has been developed in the framework of this thesis project. This method does not only allow to take into account the differences between an actual and an ideal continuous heat exchanger, but also to quantify the impact of an additional heat load on an intermediate section of the dilute stream. In addition, transient behavior can be simulated. The numerical model has been experimentally verified with a dilution refrigeration system which has been designed, ...

A Fundamental Study of Laser Beam Welding Aluminum-Lithium Alloy 2195 for Cryogenic Tank Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Martukanitz, R. P.; Jan. R.

1996-01-01

Based on the potential for decreasing costs of joining stiffeners to skin by laser beam welding, a fundamental research program was conducted to address the impediments identified during an initial study involving laser beam welding of aluminum-lithium alloys. Initial objectives of the program were the identification of governing mechanism responsible for process related porosity while establishing a multivariant relationship between process parameters and fusion zone geometry for laser beam welds of alloy 2195. A three-level fractional factorial experiment was conducted to establish quantitative relationships between primary laser beam processing parameters and critical weld attributes. Although process consistency appeared high for welds produced during partial completion of this study, numerous cracks on the top-surface of the welds were discovered during visual inspection and necessitated additional investigations concerning weld cracking. Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of filler alloy additions on crack sensitivity: the first experiment was used to ascertain the effects of various filler alloys on cracking and the second experiment involved modification to process parameters for increasing filler metal dilution. Results indicated that filler alloys 4047 and 4145 showed promise for eliminating cracking.

Spin diffusion in the Mn2+ ion system of II-VI diluted magnetic semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Maksimov, A. A.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Debus, J.; Tartakovskii, I. I.; Waag, A.; Karczewski, G.; Wojtowicz, T.; Kossut, J.; Bayer, M.

2010-07-01

The magnetization dynamics in diluted magnetic semiconductor heterostructures based on (Zn,Mn)Se and (Cd,Mn)Te were studied optically and simulated numerically. In samples with inhomogeneous magnetic ion distribution, these dynamics are contributed by spin-lattice relaxation and spin diffusion in the Mn spin system. A spin-diffusion coefficient of 7×10-8cm2/s was evaluated for Zn0.99Mn0.01Se from comparison of experiment and theory. Calculations of the exciton giant Zeeman splitting and the magnetization dynamics in ordered alloys and digitally grown parabolic quantum wells show perfect agreement with the experimental data. In both structure types, spin diffusion contributes essentially to the magnetization dynamics.

Crystal fields of dilute Tb, Dy, Ho, or Er in Lu obtained by magnetization measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Touborg, P.; Hog, J.

1975-01-01

Magnetization measurements are reported on single crystals of dilute Tb, Dy, Ho, or Er in Lu. These measurements were performed in the temperature range 1.5--100 K and field range 0--6 T and include measurements of initial susceptibility, isothermal and isofield magnetization, and basal-plane anisotropy. The results show features similar to the corresponding Y-R alloys, where R is a rare earth. Crystal-field and molecular-field parameters could be unabiguously deduced from the experimental data. The effects of crystal-field level broadening were investigated and demonstrated for Ho. Comparison of the Y-R and Lu-R results makes possible an estimate of the crystal-field parameters in the pure-rare-earth metals

Diffusion of hydrogen in Pd-(Ce, Y, B) alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Y.; Kaneko, H.; Tsukahara, T.; Hirata, S.

1987-01-01

The study has been carried out to determine the diffusivity of hydrogen in Pd alloys containing Ce, Y and B in atom fractions up to θ/sub μ/ = 0.1 by an electrochemical permeation method, and to examine the lattice dilation effect on the diffusivity in these alloys. Ce and Y have been chosen because the solid solubility of both in Pd is about 13 at% in spite of the very large atomic size-factor difference between Pd and the solutes, and thus the expansion of the Pd lattice by Ce and Y is much larger than by Ag. Furthermore, it is of interest that the partial enthalpy of the dissolved hydrogen at infinite dilution ΔH 0 /sub H/ for Ce and Y is much smaller than for Pd. On the other hand, B atom also expands the Pd lattice in a way similar to Y, and sometimes B atoms may dissolve in the octahedral interstitial sites in the same way as hydrogen atoms

Degradation of Au–Ti contacts of SiGe HBTs during electromagnetic field stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alaeddine, A; Genevois, C; Cuvilly, F; Daoud, K; Kadi, M

2011-01-01

This paper addresses electromagnetic field stress effects on SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs)' reliability issues, focusing on the relationship between the stress-induced current and device structure degradations. The origin of leakage currents and electrical parameter shifts in failed transistors has been studied by complementary failure analysis techniques. Characterization of the structure before and after ageing was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For the stressed samples, interface deformations of the titanium (Ti) thin film around all gold (Au) contacts have been clearly detected. These degradations include localized interface reaction between Au and Ti layers as well as their lateral atomic migration causing a significant reduction of Ti thickness. EDS analysis of the disordered region which is near the Si 3 N 4 interface has shown significant signals from Au. These observations could be attributed to the coupling between high current densities induced by stress and thermal effects due to local heating effects

Electrical Resistance Alloys and Low-Expansion Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjer, Torben

1996-01-01

The article gives an overview of electrical resistance alloys and alloys with low thermal expansion. The electrical resistance alloys comprise resistance alloys, heating alloys and thermostat alloys. The low expansion alloys comprise alloys with very low expansion coefficients, alloys with very low...... thermoelastic coefficients and age hardenable low expansion alloys....

Effects of aging temperature on electrical conductivity and hardness of Cu-3 at. pct Ti alloy aged in a hydrogen atmosphere

KAUST Repository

Semboshi, S.; Nishida, T.; Numakura, H.; Al-Kassab, T.; Kirchheim, R.

2011-01-01

To improve the balance of the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength for dilute Cu-Ti alloys by aging in a hydrogen atmosphere, the influence of aging temperature ranging from 673 K to 773 K (400 °C to 500 °C) on the properties of Cu-3 at

Aluminum alloy weldability. Identification of weld solidification cracking mechanisms through novel experimental technique and model development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coniglio, Nicolas

2008-07-01

The objective of the present thesis is to make advancements in understanding solidification crack formation in aluminum welds, by investigating in particular the aluminum 6060/4043 system. Alloy 6060 is typical of a family of Al-Mg-Si extrusion alloys, which are considered weldable only when using an appropriate filler alloy such as 4043 (Al-5Si). The effect of 4043 filler dilution (i.e. weld metal silicon content) on cracking sensitivity and solidification path of Alloy 6060 welds are investigated. Afterwards, cracking models are developed to propose mechanisms for solidification crack initiation and growth. Cracking Sensitivity. Building upon the concept that silicon improves weldability and that weldability can be defined by a critical strain rate, strain rate-composition combinations required for solidification crack formation in the Al- 6060/4043 system were determined using the newly developed Controlled Tensile Weldability (CTW) test utilizing local strain extensometer measurements. Results, presented in a critical strain rate - dilution map, show a crack - no crack boundary which reveals that higher local strain rates require higher 4043 filler dilution to avoid solidification cracking when arc welding Alloy 6060. Using the established crack - no crack boundary as a line of reference, additional parameters were examined and their influence on cracking characterized. These parameter influences have included studies of weld travel speed, weld pool contaminants (Fe, O, and H), and grain refiner additions (TiAl{sub 3} + Boron). Each parameter has been independently varied and its effect on cracking susceptibility quantified in terms of strain rate - composition combinations. Solidification Path. Solidification path of the Al-6060/4043 system was characterized using thermal analysis and phase identification. Increasing 4043 filler dilution from 0 to 16% in Alloy 6060 arc welds resulted in little effect on thermal arrests and microstructure, no effect on

Preferential incorporation of substitutional nitrogen near the atomic step edges in diluted nitride alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cornet, C.; Nguyen Thanh, T.; Almosni, S.; Rohel, T.; Kuyyalil, J.; Rambaud, A.; Letoublon, A.; Bertru, N.; Durand, O.; Le Corre, A. [Universite Europeenne de Bretagne, INSA Rennes, France and CNRS, UMR 6082 Foton, 20 avenue des Buttes de Coeesmes, 35708 Rennes (France); Quinci, T. [Universite Europeenne de Bretagne, INSA Rennes, France and CNRS, UMR 6082 Foton, 20 avenue des Buttes de Coeesmes, 35708 Rennes (France); CEA LCP, INES, Savoie Technolac, 73375 Le Bourget du Lac (France)

2012-12-17

We have investigated the influence of the surface roughness on nitrogen incorporation during the molecular beam epitaxy of diluted nitrides, independently of the other growth parameters. GaPN/GaP layers grown simultaneously on surfaces displaying different roughnesses reveal a large difference in nitrogen incorporation despite the same growth temperature and growth rate. The same difference is found on quasi-lattice-matched GaAsPN demonstrating that the phenomenon is not related to any strain-induced mechanisms. The tendency is clearly confirmed when varying the growth conditions. As a direct consequence, the incorporation of substitutional nitrogen near the atomic step edges is found to be 6.7 times more probable than the in-plane nitrogen incorporation. The formation of N-N{sub i} clusters and their stability on the surface is discussed.

Simulation of thermal stress and buckling instability in Si/Ge and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Suvankar; Moitra, Amitava; Bhattacharya, Mishreyee; Dutta, Amlan

2015-01-01

The present study employs the method of atomistic simulation to estimate the thermal stress experienced by Si/Ge and Ge/Si, ultrathin, core/shell nanowires with fixed ends. The underlying technique involves the computation of Young's modulus and the linear coefficient of thermal expansion through separate simulations. These two material parameters are combined to obtain the thermal stress on the nanowires. In addition, the thermally induced stress is perceived in the context of buckling instability. The analysis provides a trade-off between the geometrical and operational parameters of the nanostructures. The proposed methodology can be extended to other materials and structures and helps with the prediction of the conditions under which a nanowire-based device might possibly fail due to elastic instability.

Effect of Laser Power on Metallurgical, Mechanical and Tribological Characteristics of Hardfaced Surfaces of Nickel-Based Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Gnanasekaran, S.; Padmanaban, G.; Balasubramanian, V.

2017-12-01

In this present work, nickel based alloy was deposited on 316 LN austenitic stainless steel (ASS) by a laser hardfacing technique to investigate the influence of laser power on macrostructure, microstructure, microhardness, dilution and wear characteristics. The laser power varied from 1.1 to 1.9 kW. The phase constitution, microstructure and microhardness were examined by optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy and Vickers microhardness tester. The wear characteristics of the hardfaced surfaces and substrate were evaluated at room temperature (RT) under dry sliding wear condition (pin-on-disc). The outcome demonstrates that as the laser power increases, dilution increases and hardness of the deposit decreases. This is because excess heat melts more volume of substrate material and increases the dilution; subsequently it decreases the hardness of the deposit. The microstructure of the deposit is characterized by Ni-rich carbide, boride and silicide.

Theoretical modeling of diluted antiferromagnetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pozo, J; Elgueta, R; Acevedo, R

2000-01-01

Some magnetic properties of a Diluted Antiferromagnetic System (DAFS) are studied. The model of the two sub-networks for antiferromagnetism is used and a Heisenberg Hamiltonian type is proposed, where the square operators are expressed in terms of boson operators with the approach of spin waves. The behavior of the diluted system's fundamental state depends basically on the competition effect between the anisotropy field and the Weiss molecular field. The approach used allows the diluted system to be worked for strong anisotropies as well as when these are very weak

Effects of cell size and macrosegregation on the corrosion behavior of a dilute Pb-Sb alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosa, Daniel M.; Spinelli, Jose E.; Osorio, Wislei R.; Garcia, Amauri [Department of Materials Engineering, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6122, 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2006-11-08

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cooling rate on the cellular growth of a Pb-0.85wt%Sb alloy and to evaluate the influences of cell size and of the corresponding macrosegregation profile on the resultant corrosion behavior. In order to obtain the as-cast samples a water-cooled unidirectional solidification system was used. Such experimental set-up has permitted the development of a clear cellular structural array even for relative high cooling rates and has allowed a wide range of solidification conditions to be analyzed. Macrostructural and microstructural aspects along the casting were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique and potentiodynamic curves (Tafel extrapolation) were used to analyze the corrosion resistance of samples collected along the casting length and immersed in a 0.5M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution at 25{sup o}C. It was found that the corrosion rate decreases with increasing cell spacing and that the pre-programming of microstructure cell size can be used as an alternative way to produce as-cast components of Pb-Sb alloys, such as battery grids, with better corrosion resistance. (author)

Comparison of dilution factors for German wastewater treatment plant effluents in receiving streams to the fixed dilution factor from chemical risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Link, Moritz; von der Ohe, Peter C; Voß, Katharina; Schäfer, Ralf B

2017-11-15

Incomplete removal during wastewater treatment leads to frequent detection of compounds such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products in municipal effluents. A fixed standard dilution factor of 10 for effluents entering receiving water bodies is used during the exposure assessment of several chemical risk assessments. However, the dilution potential of German receiving waters under low flow conditions is largely unknown and information is sparse for other European countries. We calculated dilution factors for two datasets differing in spatial extent and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) size: a national dataset comprising 1225 large WWTPs in Central and Northern Germany and a federal dataset for 678 WWTPs of a single state in Southwest Germany. We found that the fixed factor approach overestimates the dilution potential of 60% and 40% of receiving waters in the national and the federal dataset, with median dilution factors of 5 and 14.5, respectively. Under mean flow conditions, 8% of calculated dilution factors were below 10, with a median dilution factor of 106. We also calculated regional dilution factors that accounted for effluent inputs from upstream WWTPs. For the national and the federal dataset, 70% and 60% of calculated regional dilution factors fell below 10 under mean low flow conditions, respectively. Decrease of regional dilution potential in small receiving streams was mainly driven by the next WWTP upstream with a 2.5 fold drop of median regional dilution factors. Our results show that using the standard dilution factor of 10 would result in the underestimation of environmental concentrations for authorised chemicals by a factor of 3-5 for about 10% of WWTPs, especially during low flow conditions. Consequently, measured environmental concentrations might exceed predicted environmental concentrations and ecological risks posed by effluents could be much higher, suggesting that a revision of current risk assessment practices may be required

Dilute acid/metal salt hydrolysis of lignocellulosics

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Quang A.; Tucker, Melvin P.

2002-01-01

A modified dilute acid method of hydrolyzing the cellulose and hemicellulose in lignocellulosic material under conditions to obtain higher overall fermentable sugar yields than is obtainable using dilute acid alone, comprising: impregnating a lignocellulosic feedstock with a mixture of an amount of aqueous solution of a dilute acid catalyst and a metal salt catalyst sufficient to provide higher overall fermentable sugar yields than is obtainable when hydrolyzing with dilute acid alone; loading the impregnated lignocellulosic feedstock into a reactor and heating for a sufficient period of time to hydrolyze substantially all of the hemicellulose and greater than 45% of the cellulose to water soluble sugars; and recovering the water soluble sugars.

Compresibility and sinterability of HCx PM steel diluted with stainless steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Gordo

2003-12-01

Full Text Available HCx powder metallurgy steel contains in its composition high contents of Cr and C, and significant quantities of alloy elements typical of tool steels (Mo, V, W, to provide the corrosion resistance of stainless steel with wear resistance of tool steels. HCx appears to be a suitable material for applications in aggressive environments, as valve seat inserts in automotive engines. However, this steel presents a low compressibility leading to high production costs. In this work, some results carried out to improve the compressibility of HCx are presented. The way to attempt this improvement is the dilution of base material with two stainless steels, the ferritic 430LHC and the austenitic 316L. The powder mixes prepared were uniaxially pressed to study the compressibility. The sinterability was study by determining of density, hardness, transverse rupture strength (TRS and microstructural evolution after vacuum sintering at different temperatures. As a result, better compressibility is observed in the mixes although not all of them present the properties required.

Dilution thermodynamics of the biologically relevant cation mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaczyński, Marek; Borowik, Tomasz; Przybyło, Magda; Langner, Marek

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Dilution energetics of Ca 2+ can be altered by the aqueous phase ionic composition. • Dissipated heat upon Ca 2+ dilution is drastically reduced in the K + presence. • Reduction of the enthalpy change upon Ca 2+ dilution is K + concentration dependent. • The cooperativity of Ca 2+ hydration might be of great biological relevance providing a thermodynamic argument for the specific ionic composition of the intracellular environment. - Abstract: The ionic composition of intracellular space is rigorously controlled by a variety of processes consuming large quantities of energy. Since the energetic efficiency is an important evolutional criterion, therefore the ion fluxes within the cell should be optimized with respect to the accompanying energy consumption. In the paper we present the experimental evidence that the dilution enthalpies of the biologically relevant ions; i.e. calcium and magnesium depend on the presence of monovalent cations; i.e. sodium and potassium. The heat flow generated during the dilution of ionic mixtures was measured with the isothermal titration calorimetry. When calcium was diluted together with potassium the dilution enthalpy was drastically reduced as the function of the potassium concentration present in the solution. No such effect was observed when the potassium ions were substituted with sodium ones. When the dilution of magnesium was investigated the dependence of the dilution enthalpy on the accompanying monovalent cation was much weaker. In order to interpret experimental evidences the ionic cluster formation is postulated. The specific organization of such cluster should depend on ions charges, sizes and organization of the hydration layers

The effect of weld chemistry on the likely primary water stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of alloy 82 dissimilar metal welds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persaud, S.Y., E-mail: suraj.persaud@mail.utoronto.ca [University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Ramamurthy, S. [Surface Science Western, London, ON (Canada); Newman, R.C. [University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

Alloy 82 dissimilar weld joints between carbon steel and Alloy 600 were exposed to a simulated primary water environment consisting of hydrogenated steam at 480 {sup o}C and 1 bar. Dilution from the carbon steel to the weld was significant, particularly in the root where Fe was enriched to 35 at. % and Cr was depleted to 10 at. %. The heterogeneous composition of the weld from root to crown resulted in differences in internal and external oxidation tendency. An Fe-rich external surface oxide formed on the weld root which may help to prevent embrittlement and SCC by internal intergranular oxidation. (author)

Diffusion and coupled fluxes in concentrated alloys under irradiation: a self-consistent mean-field approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nastar, M.

2008-01-01

When an alloy is irradiated, atomic transport can occur through the two types of defects which are created: vacancies and interstitials. Recent developments of the self-consistent mean field (SCMF) kinetic theory could treat within the same formalism diffusion due to vacancies and interstitials in a multi-component alloy. It starts from a microscopic model of the atomic transport via vacancies and interstitials and yields the fluxes with a complete Onsager matrix of the phenomenological coefficients. The jump frequencies depend on the local environment through a 'broken bond model' such that the large range of frequencies involved in concentrated alloys is produced by a small number of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. Kinetic correlations are accounted for through a set of time-dependent effective interactions within a non-equilibrium distribution function of the system. The different approximations of the SCMF theory recover most of the previous diffusion models. Recent improvements of the theory were to extend the multi-frequency approach usually restricted to dilute alloys to diffusion in concentrated alloys with jump frequencies depending on local concentrations and to generalize the formalism first developed for the vacancy diffusion mechanism to the more complex diffusion mechanism of the interstitial in the dumbbell configuration. (author)

Atomic and magnetic correlations in a copper - 5% manganese alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murani, A P; Schaerpf, O; Andersen, K [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin (ILL), 38 - Grenoble (France); Raphel, R [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 38 - Grenoble (France)

1997-04-01

Interest in magnetism of Cu-Mn alloys has been revived and sustained by a number of very interesting neutron investigations on single-crystal samples which show `spin-density wave` (SDW) peaks at incommensurate wave-vectors. Recently such peaks have been observed even in very dilute samples with Mn concentration as low as {approx} 0.5 at.%. The proposed interpretation by the authors that these peaks represent incommensurate antiferromagnetic ordering, therefore, questions the widely-held view that at low enough temperatures the solute spins in this and similar alloys freeze with random or quasi-random orientations, forming a spin-glass state. Atomic and magnetic correlations have been investigated in a single crystal of Cu-5 at.% Mn within the first Brillouin zone using polarised neutrons and making use of the multi-angle three-dimensional polarisation analysis capability of the D7 spectrometer as a firs step in our aim to shed further light on the phenomenon. (author). 6 refs.

Simulating characteristics of Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gnilenko A. B.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In spite of many efforts to propose new semiconductor materials and sophisticated constructions of solar cells, crystalline silicone remains the main photovoltaic material widely used up to now. There are various methods to enhance the efficiency of silicone solar cells. One of them is to combine silicone with an additional semiconductor material with the different bandgap to form a tandem construction. For example, the germanium sub-cell used as the bottom cascade for the silicone sub-cell in the tandem monolithic solar cell makes it possible to utilize the "red" sub-band of solar spectra increasing overall solar cell efficiency. The problem of the 4.2% mismatch in lattice constant between Si and Ge can be resolved in such a case by the use of SiGe buffer layer. In the paper the results of the computer simulation for Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer are presented. In the solar cell under consideration, the step graded Si1-xGex buffer layer is located between the top silicone and the bottom germanium cascades to reduce the threading dislocation density in mismatched materials. The cascades are commutated by the use of the germanium tunnel diode between the bottom sub-cell and the buffer layer. For the solar cell modeling, the physically-based device simulator ATLAS of Silvaco TCAD software is employed to predict the electrical behavior of the semiconductor structure and to provide a deep insight into the internal physical processes. The voltage-current characteristic, photovoltaic parameters and the distribution of basic physical values are obtained for the investigated tandem solar cell. The influence of layer thicknesses on the photovoltaic parameters is studied. The calculated efficiency of the tandem solar cell reaches 13% which is a quarter more than the efficiency of a simple silicone solar cell with the same constructive parameters and under the same illumination conditions.

Silicon Alloying On Aluminium Based Alloy Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suryanto

2002-01-01

Silicon alloying on surface of aluminium based alloy was carried out using electron beam. This is performed in order to enhance tribological properties of the alloy. Silicon is considered most important alloying element in aluminium alloy, particularly for tribological components. Prior to silicon alloying. aluminium substrate were painted with binder and silicon powder and dried in a furnace. Silicon alloying were carried out in a vacuum chamber. The Silicon alloyed materials were assessed using some techniques. The results show that silicon alloying formed a composite metal-non metal system in which silicon particles are dispersed in the alloyed layer. Silicon content in the alloyed layer is about 40% while in other place is only 10.5 %. The hardness of layer changes significantly. The wear properties of the alloying alloys increase. Silicon surface alloying also reduced the coefficient of friction for sliding against a hardened steel counter face, which could otherwise be higher because of the strong adhesion of aluminium to steel. The hardness of the silicon surface alloyed material dropped when it underwent a heating cycle similar to the ion coating process. Hence, silicon alloying is not a suitable choice for use as an intermediate layer for duplex treatment

Fiber laser cladding of nickel-based alloy on cast iron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arias-González, F., E-mail: felipeag@uvigo.es [Applied Physics Dpt., University of Vigo, EEI, Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo E-36310 (Spain); Val, J. del [Applied Physics Dpt., University of Vigo, EEI, Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo E-36310 (Spain); Comesaña, R. [Materials Engineering, Applied Mechanics and Construction Dpt., University of Vigo, EEI, Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo E-36310 (Spain); Penide, J.; Lusquiños, F.; Quintero, F.; Riveiro, A.; Boutinguiza, M.; Pou, J. [Applied Physics Dpt., University of Vigo, EEI, Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo E-36310 (Spain)

2016-06-30

Highlights: • Fiber laser cladding of Ni-based alloy on cast iron was experimentally studied. • Two different types of cast iron have been analyzed: gray and ductile cast iron. • Suitable processing parameters to generate a Ni-based coating were determined. • Dilution is higher in gray cast iron samples than in ductile cast iron. • Ni-based coating presents higher hardness than cast iron but similar Young's modulus. - Abstract: Gray cast iron is a ferrous alloy characterized by a carbon-rich phase in form of lamellar graphite in an iron matrix while ductile cast iron presents a carbon-rich phase in form of spheroidal graphite. Graphite presents a higher laser beam absorption than iron matrix and its morphology has also a strong influence on thermal conductivity of the material. The laser cladding process of cast iron is complicated by its heterogeneous microstructure which generates non-homogeneous thermal fields. In this research work, a comparison between different types of cast iron substrates (with different graphite morphology) has been carried out to analyze its impact on the process results. A fiber laser was used to generate a NiCrBSi coating over flat substrates of gray cast iron (EN-GJL-250) and nodular cast iron (EN-GJS-400-15). The relationship between processing parameters (laser irradiance and scanning speed) and geometry of a single laser track was examined. Moreover, microstructure and composition were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The hardness and elastic modulus were analyzed by means of micro- and nanoindentation. A hardfacing coating was generated by fiber laser cladding. Suitable processing parameters to generate the Ni-based alloy coating were determined. For the same processing parameters, gray cast iron samples present higher dilution than cast iron samples. The elastic modulus is similar for the coating and the substrate, while the Ni

Uranium determination in U-Al alloy with statistical tools support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furusawa, Helio Akira; Medalla, Felipe Quirino; Cotrim, Marycel Elena Barbosa; Pires, Maria Aparecida Faustino

2011-01-01

ICP-OES was used to quantify total uranium in natural UAl x powder alloy. A simple solubilisation procedure using diluted HNO 3 /HCl was successfully applied. Only 100 mg of sample were used which is an advantage over the volumetric methodologies. Only two dilutions were needed to reach measurable concentration. No other treatment was applied to the solutions. Calibration curves of three uranium lines (367.007, 385.958 and 409.014 nm) were evaluated using ANOVA. Comparing the indicators, the 367.007 nm line was the poorer one but exhibiting a R 2 = 0.998 and 0.9996 and 0.999 for the other two lines. No significant difference was found between these two lines. If needed, the 385.958 nm line could be used to quantify uranium in very low concentrations but with few advantages over the 409.014 nm line, if so. The average uranium concentration found was 0.80±0.01 μg.g-1, as expected for a predominant UAl 2 phase alloy. Higher uranium concentrations are also expected to be successfully quantified using these lines. In order to verify possibly inhomogeneity due to the high uranium concentration, one-way ANOVA was applied to 3 replicates. Homogeneity was confirmed measuring in both 385.958 and 409.014 nm lines. The uncertainty of solution homogeneity was estimated also in these two emission lines giving 0.006 and 0.005 μg.g-1, respectively. These two values are in compliance with the standard deviation of the average. (author)

Gas Source Techniques for Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Highly Mismatched Ge Alloys

OpenAIRE

Chad A. Stephenson; Miriam Gillett-Kunnath; William A. O’Brien; Robert Kudrawiec; Mark A. Wistey

2016-01-01

Ge and its alloys are attractive candidates for a laser compatible with silicon integrated circuits. Dilute germanium carbide (Ge1−xCx) offers a particularly interesting prospect. By using a precursor gas with a Ge4C core, C can be preferentially incorporated in substitutional sites, suppressing interstitial and C cluster defects. We present a method of reproducible and upscalable gas synthesis of tetrakis(germyl)methane, or (H3Ge)4C, followed by the design of a hybrid gas/solid-source molecu...

Application of invariant plane strain (IPS) theory to γ hydride formation in dilute Zr-Nb alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, D.; Neogy, S.; Dey, G.K.; Banerjee, S.; Ranganathan, S.

2005-01-01

The crystallographic aspects associated with the formation of the γ hydride phase (fct) from the α (hcp) phase and the β (bcc) phase in Zr-Nb alloys have been studied in two distinct situations, viz., in the α matrix in pure Zr and Zr-2.5Nb and in the β matrix in β stabilized Zr-20Nb alloy. The β-γ formation can be treated primarily as a simple shear on the basal plane involving a change in the stacking sequence. A possible mechanism for α-γ transformation has been presented in this paper. In this paper the β->γ transformation has been considered in terms of the invariant plane strain theory (IPS) in order to predict the crystallographic features of the γ hydride formed. The lattice invariant shear (LIS) (110) β [1-bar 10] β ||(111) γ [12-bar 1] γ has been considered and the crystallographic parameters associated with bcc->fct transformation, such as the habit plane and the magnitude of the LIS and the shape strain have been computed. The predictions made in the present analysis have been compared with experimentally observed habit planes. The α/γ and β/γ interface has been examined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) technique to compare with the interfaces observed in martensitic transformations

Non‐diluted seawater enhances nasal ciliary beat frequency and wound repair speed compared to diluted seawater and normal saline

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnomet, Arnaud; Luczka, Emilie; Coraux, Christelle

2016-01-01

Background The regulation of mucociliary clearance is a key part of the defense mechanisms developed by the airway epithelium. If a high aggregate quality of evidence shows the clinical effectiveness of nasal irrigation, there is a lack of studies showing the intrinsic role of the different irrigation solutions allowing such results. This study investigated the impact of solutions with different pH and ionic compositions, eg, normal saline, non‐diluted seawater and diluted seawater, on nasal mucosa functional parameters. Methods For this randomized, controlled, blinded, in vitro study, we used airway epithelial cells obtained from 13 nasal polyps explants to measure ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and epithelial wound repair speed (WRS) in response to 3 isotonic nasal irrigation solutions: (1) normal saline 0.9%; (2) non‐diluted seawater (Physiomer®); and (3) 30% diluted seawater (Stérimar). The results were compared to control (cell culture medium). Results Non‐diluted seawater enhanced the CBF and the WRS when compared to diluted seawater and to normal saline. When compared to the control, it significantly enhanced CBF and slightly, though nonsignificantly, improved the WRS. Interestingly, normal saline markedly reduced the number of epithelial cells and ciliated cells when compared to the control condition. Conclusion Our results suggest that the physicochemical features of the nasal wash solution is important because it determines the optimal conditions to enhance CBF and epithelial WRS thus preserving the respiratory mucosa in pathological conditions. Non‐diluted seawater obtains the best results on CBF and WRS vs normal saline showing a deleterious effect on epithelial cell function. PMID:27101776

Study of austenitic stainless steel welded with low alloy steel filler metal. [tensile and impact strength tests

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, F. A.; Dyke, R. A., Jr.

1979-01-01

The tensile and impact strength properties of 316L stainless steel plate welded with low alloy steel filler metal were determined. Tests were conducted at room temperature and -100 F on standard test specimens machined from as-welded panels of various chemical compositions. No significant differences were found as the result of variations in percentage chemical composition on the impact and tensile test results. The weldments containing lower chromium and nickel as the result of dilution of parent metal from the use of the low alloy steel filler metal corroded more severely in a marine environment. The use of a protective finish, i.e., a nitrile-based paint containing aluminum powder, prevented the corrosive attack.

The enhancement of the interdiffusion in Si/Ge amorphous artificial multilayers by additions of B and Au

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, B.; Spaepen, F.; Poate, J.M.; Jacobson, D.C.

1990-01-01

Amorphous Si/amorphous Ge artificial multilayers were prepared by ion beam sputtering. Boron or gold impurities were introduced into the Si/Ge multilayers by ion implantation or during the sputtering deposition. Diffusion coefficients were determined by measuring the decrease in the intensity of the first order X-ray diffraction peak resulting from the composition modulation. It was found that the interdiffusion of Si and Ge in their amorphous phase can be enhanced by doping. The enhancement factor is independent of the degree of structural relaxation, as observed by the decrease of diffusivity with annealing time, of the amorphous phase. A model is proposed that describes this behavior in terms of electronic effects, introduced by the dopants, on the pre-existing structural defects governing diffusion

Photonic metasurface made of array of lens-like SiGe Mie resonators formed on (100) Si substrate via dewetting

Science.gov (United States)

Poborchii, Vladimir; Shklyaev, Alexander; Bolotov, Leonid; Uchida, Noriyuki; Tada, Tetsuya; Utegulov, Zhandos N.

2017-12-01

Metasurfaces consisting of arrays of high-index Mie resonators concentrating/redirecting light are important for integrated optics, photodetectors, and solar cells. Herein, we report the optical properties of low-Ge-content SiGe lens-like Mie resonator island arrays fabricated via dewetting during Ge deposition on a Si(100) surface at approximately 900 °C. We observe enhancement of the Si interaction with light owing to the efficient island-induced light concentration in the submicron-depth Si layer, which is mediated by both near-field Mie resonance leaking into the substrate and far-field light focusing. Such metasurfaces can improve the Si photodetector and solar-cell performance.

Electronic tuning of the transport properties of off-stoichiometric PbxSn1−xTe thermoelectric alloys by Bi2Te3 doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guttmann, Gilad M.; Dadon, David; Gelbstein, Yaniv

2015-01-01

The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type Pb x Sn 1−x Te alloys by tuning of Bi 2 Te 3 doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZTs, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb 0.5 Sn 0.5 Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected

Growth and characterization of low composition Ge, x in epi-Si1‑x Gex (x  ⩽  10%) active layer for fabrication of hydrogenated bottom solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Ajmal Khan, M.; Sato, R.; Sawano, K.; Sichanugrist, P.; Lukianov, A.; Ishikawa, Y.

2018-05-01

Semiconducting epi-Si1‑x Ge x alloys have promising features as solar cell materials and may be equally important for some other semiconductor device applications. Variation of the germanium compositional, x in epi-Si1‑x Ge x , makes it possible to control the bandgap between 1.12 eV and 0.68 eV for application in bottom solar cells. A low proportion of Ge in SiGe alloy can be used for photovoltaic application in a bottom cell to complete the four-terminal tandem structure with wide bandgap materials. In this research, we aimed to use a low proportion of Ge—about 10%—in strained or relaxed c-Si1‑x Ge x /c-Si heterojunctions (HETs), with or without insertion of a Si buffer layer grown by molecular beam epitaxy, to investigate the influence of the relaxed or strained SiGe active layer on the performance of HET solar cells grown using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. Thanks to the c-Si buffer layer at the hetero-interface, the efficiency of these SiGe based HET solar cells was improved from 2.3% to 3.5% (fully strained and with buffer layer). The Jsc was improved, from 8 mA cm‑2 to 15.46 mA cm‑2, which might be supported by strained c-Si buffer layer at the hetero-interface, by improving the crystalline quality.

Gluconeogenesis from labeled carbon: estimating isotope dilution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelleher, J.K.

1986-01-01

To estimate the rate of gluconeogenesis from steady-state incorporation of labeled 3-carbon precursors into glucose, isotope dilution must be considered so that the rate of labeling of glucose can be quantitatively converted to the rate of gluconeogenesis. An expression for the value of this isotope dilution can be derived using mathematical techniques and a model of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The present investigation employs a more complex model than that used in previous studies. This model includes the following pathways that may affect the correction for isotope dilution: 1) flux of 3-carbon precursor to the oxaloacetate pool via acetyl-CoA and the TCA cycle; 2) flux of 4- or 5-carbon compounds into the TCA cycle; 3) reversible flux between oxaloacetate (OAA) and pyruvate and between OAA and fumarate; 4) incomplete equilibrium between OAA pools; and 5) isotope dilution of 3-carbon tracers between the experimentally measured pool and the precursor for the TCA-cycle OAA pool. Experimental tests are outlined which investigators can use to determine whether these pathways are significant in a specific steady-state system. The study indicated that flux through these five pathways can significantly affect the correction for isotope dilution. To correct for the effects of these pathways an alternative method for calculating isotope dilution is proposed using citrate to relate the specific activities of acetyl-CoA and OAA

Storm Sewage Dilution in Smaller Streams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Torben; Vestergaard, Kristian

1987-01-01

A numerical model has been used to show how dilution in smaller streams can be effected by unsteady hydraulic conditions caused by a storm sewage overflow.......A numerical model has been used to show how dilution in smaller streams can be effected by unsteady hydraulic conditions caused by a storm sewage overflow....

Thermal boundary resistance at Si/Ge interfaces by molecular dynamics simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianzhuo Zhan

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the temperature dependence and size effect of the thermal boundary resistance at Si/Ge interfaces by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD simulations using the direct method with the Stillinger-Weber potential. The simulations were performed at four temperatures for two simulation cells of different sizes. The resulting thermal boundary resistance decreased with increasing temperature. The thermal boundary resistance was smaller for the large cell than for the small cell. Furthermore, the MD-predicted values were lower than the diffusion mismatch model (DMM-predicted values. The phonon density of states (DOS was calculated for all the cases to examine the underlying nature of the temperature dependence and size effect of thermal boundary resistance. We found that the phonon DOS was modified in the interface regions. The phonon DOS better matched between Si and Ge in the interface region than in the bulk region. Furthermore, in interface Si, the population of low-frequency phonons was found to increase with increasing temperature and cell size. We suggest that the increasing population of low-frequency phonons increased the phonon transmission coefficient at the interface, leading to the temperature dependence and size effect on thermal boundary resistance.

Thin SiGe virtual substrates for Ge heterostructures integration on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecchi, S.; Chrastina, D.; Frigerio, J.; Isella, G.; Gatti, E.; Guzzi, M.; Müller Gubler, E.; Paul, D. J.

2014-01-01

The possibility to reduce the thickness of the SiGe virtual substrate, required for the integration of Ge heterostructures on Si, without heavily affecting the crystal quality is becoming fundamental in several applications. In this work, we present 1 μm thick Si 1−x Ge x buffers (with x > 0.7) having different designs which could be suitable for applications requiring a thin virtual substrate. The rationale is to reduce the lattice mismatch at the interface with the Si substrate by introducing composition steps and/or partial grading. The relatively low growth temperature (475 °C) makes this approach appealing for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration. For all the investigated designs, a reduction of the threading dislocation density compared to constant composition Si 1−x Ge x layers was observed. The best buffer in terms of defects reduction was used as a virtual substrate for the deposition of a Ge/SiGe multiple quantum well structure. Room temperature optical absorption and photoluminescence analysis performed on nominally identical quantum wells grown on both a thick graded virtual substrate and the selected thin buffer demonstrates a comparable optical quality, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed approach

LAPAS: A SiGe Front End Prototype for the Upgraded ATLAS LAr Calorimeter

CERN Document Server

Dressnandt, N; Rescia, S; Vernon, E

2009-01-01

We have designed and fabricated a very low noise preamplifier and shaper to replace the existing ATLAS Liquid Argon readout for use at the Large Hadron Collider upgrade (sLHC). IBM’s 8WL 130nm SiGe process was chosen for it’s radiation tolerance, low noise bipolar NPN devices, wide voltage rand and potential use in other sLHC detector subsystems. Although the requirements for the final design can not be set at this time, the prototype was designed to accommodate a 16 bit dynamic range. This was accomplished by using a single stage, low noise, wide dynamic range preamp followed by a dual range shaper. The low noise of the preamp is made possible by the low base spreading resistance of the Silicon Germanium NPN bipolar transistors. The relatively high voltage rating of the NPN transistors is exploited to allow a gain of 650V/A in the preamplifier which eases the input voltage noise requirement on the shaper. Each shaper stage is designed as a cascaded differential operational amplifier doublet with a common...

Homogeneous SiGe crystal growth in microgravity by the travelling liquidus-zone method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, K; Arai, Y; Inatomi, Y; Sakata, K; Takayanagi, M; Yoda, S; Miyata, H; Tanaka, R; Sone, T; Yoshikawa, J; Kihara, T; Shibayama, H; Kubota, Y; Shimaoka, T; Warashina, Y

2011-01-01

Homogeneous SiGe crystal growth experiments will be performed on board the ISS 'Kibo' using a gradient heating furnace (GHF). A new crystal growth method invented for growing homogeneous mixed crystals named 'travelling liquidus-zone (TLZ) method' is evaluated by the growth of Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 crystals in space. We have already succeeded in growing homogeneous 2mm diameter Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 crystals on the ground but large diameter homogeneous crystals are difficult to be grown due to convection in a melt. In microgravity, larger diameter crystals can be grown with suppressing convection. Radial concentration profiles as well as axial profiles in microgravity grown crystals will be measured and will be compared with our two-dimensional TLZ growth model equation and compositional variation is analyzed. Results are beneficial for growing large diameter mixed crystals by the TLZ method on the ground. Here, we report on the principle of the TLZ method for homogeneous crystal growth, results of preparatory experiments on the ground and plan for microgravity experiments.

Cryogen-free dilution refrigerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhlig, K

2012-01-01

We review briefly our first cryogen-free dilution refrigerator (CF-DR) which was precooled by a GM cryocooler. We then show how today's dry DRs with pulse tube precooling have developed. A few examples of commercial DRs are explained and noteworthy features pointed out. Thereby we describe the general advantages of cryogen-free DRs, but also show where improvements are still desirable. At present, our dry DR has a base temperature of 10 mK and a cooling capacity of 700 μW at a mixing chamber temperature of 100 mK. In our cryostat, in most recent work, an additional refrigeration loop was added to the dilution circuit. This 4 He circuit has a lowest temperature of about 1 K and a refrigeration capacity of up to 100 mW at temperatures slightly above 1 K; the dilution circuit and the 4 He circuit can be run separately or together. The purpose of this additional loop is to increase the cooling capacity for experiments where the cooling power of the still of the DR is not sufficient to cool cold amplifiers and cables, e.g. in studies on superconducting quantum circuits or astrophysical applications.

Cryogen-free dilution refrigerators

Science.gov (United States)

Uhlig, K.

2012-12-01

We review briefly our first cryogen-free dilution refrigerator (CF-DR) which was precooled by a GM cryocooler. We then show how today's dry DRs with pulse tube precooling have developed. A few examples of commercial DRs are explained and noteworthy features pointed out. Thereby we describe the general advantages of cryogen-free DRs, but also show where improvements are still desirable. At present, our dry DR has a base temperature of 10 mK and a cooling capacity of 700 μW at a mixing chamber temperature of 100 mK. In our cryostat, in most recent work, an additional refrigeration loop was added to the dilution circuit. This 4He circuit has a lowest temperature of about 1 K and a refrigeration capacity of up to 100 mW at temperatures slightly above 1 K; the dilution circuit and the 4He circuit can be run separately or together. The purpose of this additional loop is to increase the cooling capacity for experiments where the cooling power of the still of the DR is not sufficient to cool cold amplifiers and cables, e.g. in studies on superconducting quantum circuits or astrophysical applications.

Dilute chemical decontamination program review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anstine, L.D.; Blomgren, J.C.; Pettit, P.J.

1980-01-01

The objective of the Dilute Chemical Decontamination Program is to develop and evaluate a process which utilizes reagents in dilute concentrations for the decontamination of BWR primary systems and for the maintenance of dose rates on the out-of-core surfaces at acceptable levels. A discussion is presented of the process concept, solvent development, advantages and disadvantages of reagent systems, and VNC loop tests. Based on the work completed to date it is concluded that (1) rapid decontamination of BWRs using dilute reagents is feasible; (2) reasonable reagent conditions for rapid chemical decontamination are: 0.01M oxalic acid + 0.005M citric acid, pH3.0, 90/degree/C, 0.5 to 1.0 ppm dissolved oxygen; (3) control of dissolved oxygen concentration is important, since high levels suppress the rate of decontamination and low levels allow precipitation of ferrous oxalate. 4 refs

LAPAS: A SiGe Front End Prototype for the Upgraded ATLAS LAr

CERN Document Server

Rescia, S; Newcomer, F M; Dressnandt, N

2009-01-01

We have designed and fabricated a very low noise preamplifier and shaper with a (RC)2 – CR response to replace the existing ATLAS Liquid Argon readout for use at SLHC. IBM’s 8WL 130nm SiGe process was chosen for its radiation tolerance wide voltage range and potential for use in other LHC detector subsystems. The required dynamic range of 15 bits is accomplished by utilization of a single stage, low noise, wide dynamic range preamp connected to a dual range shaper. The low noise of the preamp (~.01nA / √Hz) is achieved by utilizing the process Silicon Germanium bipolar transistors. The relatively high voltage rating of the npn transistors is exploited to allow a gain of 650V/A. With this gain the equivalent input voltage noise requirement on the shaper to about 2.2nV/ √Hz. Each shaper stage is designed as a cascaded differential op amp doublet with a common mode operating point regulated by an internal feedback loop. The shaper outputs are designed to be compatible with the 130nm CMOS ADC being develo...

Quantifying dilution caused by execution efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taís Renata Câmara

Full Text Available Abstract In open pit mining, dilution is not always a factor systematically analyzed and calculated. Often it is only an adjusted number, for example, calculated or even empirically determined for a certain operational condition perpetuating along time in the form of a constant applied to calculating reserves or mine planning in attendance of audit requirements. Dilution and loss are factors that should be always considered for tonnage and grade estimates. These factors are always associated and can be determined considering several particularities of the deposit and the operation itself. In this study, a methodology was determined to identify blocks adjacent to the blocks previously planned to be mined. Thus, it is possible to estimate the dilution caused by poor operating efficiency, taking into account the inability of the equipment to perfectly remove each block, respecting its limits. Mining dilution is defined as the incorporation of waste material to ore due to the operational incapacity to efficiently separate the materials during the mining process, considering the physical processes, and the operating and geometric configurations of the mining with the equipment available.

Non-diluted seawater enhances nasal ciliary beat frequency and wound repair speed compared to diluted seawater and normal saline.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnomet, Arnaud; Luczka, Emilie; Coraux, Christelle; de Gabory, Ludovic

2016-10-01

The regulation of mucociliary clearance is a key part of the defense mechanisms developed by the airway epithelium. If a high aggregate quality of evidence shows the clinical effectiveness of nasal irrigation, there is a lack of studies showing the intrinsic role of the different irrigation solutions allowing such results. This study investigated the impact of solutions with different pH and ionic compositions, eg, normal saline, non-diluted seawater and diluted seawater, on nasal mucosa functional parameters. For this randomized, controlled, blinded, in vitro study, we used airway epithelial cells obtained from 13 nasal polyps explants to measure ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and epithelial wound repair speed (WRS) in response to 3 isotonic nasal irrigation solutions: (1) normal saline 0.9%; (2) non-diluted seawater (Physiomer®); and (3) 30% diluted seawater (Stérimar). The results were compared to control (cell culture medium). Non-diluted seawater enhanced the CBF and the WRS when compared to diluted seawater and to normal saline. When compared to the control, it significantly enhanced CBF and slightly, though nonsignificantly, improved the WRS. Interestingly, normal saline markedly reduced the number of epithelial cells and ciliated cells when compared to the control condition. Our results suggest that the physicochemical features of the nasal wash solution is important because it determines the optimal conditions to enhance CBF and epithelial WRS thus preserving the respiratory mucosa in pathological conditions. Non-diluted seawater obtains the best results on CBF and WRS vs normal saline showing a deleterious effect on epithelial cell function. © 2016 The Authors International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, published by ARSAAOA, LLC.

Dynamic dilution exponent in monodisperse entangled polymer solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shahid, T.; Huang, Qian; Oosterlinck, F.

2017-01-01

of concentration but also depends on the molar mass of the chains. While the proposed approach successfully explains the viscoelastic properties of a large number of semi-dilute solutions of polymers in their own oligomers, important discrepancies are found for semi-dilute entangled polymers in small-molecule......We study and model the linear viscoelastic properties of several entangled semi-dilute and concentrated solutions of linear chains of different molar masses and at different concentrations dissolved in their oligomers. We discuss the dilution effect of the oligomers on the entangled long chains....... In particular, we investigate the influence of both concentration and molar mass on the value of the effective dynamic dilution exponent determined from the level of the storage plateau at low and intermediate frequencies. We show that the experimental results can be quantitatively explained by considering...

Improvement in Microstructure Performance of the NiCrBSi Reinforced Coating on TA15 Titanium Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Li

2012-10-01

This work is based on the dry sliding wear of NiCrBSi reinforced coating deposited on TA15 titanium alloy using the laser cladding technique, the parameters of which were such as to provide almost crack-free coatings with minimum dilution and very low porosity. SEM results indicated that a laser clad coating with metallurgical joint to the substrate was formed. Compared with TA15 substrate, an improvement of the micro-hardness and wear resistance was observed for this composite coating. Rare earth oxide Y2O3 was beneficial in producing of the amorphous phases in laser clad coating. With addition of Y2O3, more amorphous alloys were produced, which increased the micro-hardness and wear resistance of the coating.

Gas Source Techniques for Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Highly Mismatched Ge Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad A. Stephenson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Ge and its alloys are attractive candidates for a laser compatible with silicon integrated circuits. Dilute germanium carbide (Ge1−xCx offers a particularly interesting prospect. By using a precursor gas with a Ge4C core, C can be preferentially incorporated in substitutional sites, suppressing interstitial and C cluster defects. We present a method of reproducible and upscalable gas synthesis of tetrakis(germylmethane, or (H3Ge4C, followed by the design of a hybrid gas/solid-source molecular beam epitaxy system and subsequent growth of defect-free Ge1−xCx by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and contactless electroreflectance confirm the presence of carbon with very high crystal quality resulting in a decrease in the direct bandgap energy. This technique has broad applicability to growth of highly mismatched alloys by MBE.

Mechanical properties of molybdenum-titanium alloys micro-structurally controlled by multi-step internal nitriding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagae, M.; Yoshio, T.; Takemoto, Y.; Takada, J.; Hiraoka, Y.

2001-01-01

Internally nitrided dilute Mo-Ti alloys having a heavily deformed microstructure near the specimen surface were prepared by a novel two-step nitriding process at 1173 to 1773 K in N 2 gas. For the nitrided specimens three-point bend tests were performed at temperatures from 77 to 298 K in order to investigate the effect of microstructure control by internal nitriding on the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of the alloy Yield strength obtained at 243 K of the specimen maintaining the deformed microstructure by the two-step nitriding was about 1.7 times as much as recrystallized specimen. The specimen subjected to the two-step nitriding was bent more than 90 degree at 243 K, whereas recrystallized specimen was fractured after showing a slight ductility at 243 K. DBTT of the specimen subjected to the two-step nitriding and recrystallized specimen was about 153 K and 203 K, respectively. These results indicate that multi-step internal nitriding is very effective to the improvement in the embrittlement by the recrystallization of molybdenum alloys. (author)

Cost effectiveness of dilute chemical decontamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeSurf, J.E.; Weyman, G.D.

The basic principles of dilute chemical decontamination are described, as well as the method of application. Methods of computing savings in radiation dose and costs are presented, with results from actual experience and illustrative examples. It is concluded that dilute chemical decontamination is beneficial in many cases. It reduces radiation exposure of workers, saves money, and simplifies maintenance work

Application of invariant plane strain (IPS) theory to {gamma} hydride formation in dilute Zr-Nb alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srivastava, D. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra (India)]. E-mail: dsrivastavabarc@yahoo.co.in; Neogy, S. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra (India); Dey, G.K. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra (India); Banerjee, S. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra (India); Ranganathan, S. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, Maharashtra (India)

2005-04-25

The crystallographic aspects associated with the formation of the {gamma} hydride phase (fct) from the {alpha} (hcp) phase and the {beta} (bcc) phase in Zr-Nb alloys have been studied in two distinct situations, viz., in the {alpha} matrix in pure Zr and Zr-2.5Nb and in the {beta} matrix in {beta} stabilized Zr-20Nb alloy. The {beta}-{gamma} formation can be treated primarily as a simple shear on the basal plane involving a change in the stacking sequence. A possible mechanism for {alpha}-{gamma} transformation has been presented in this paper. In this paper the {beta}->{gamma} transformation has been considered in terms of the invariant plane strain theory (IPS) in order to predict the crystallographic features of the {gamma} hydride formed. The lattice invariant shear (LIS) (110){sub {beta}}[1-bar 10]{sub {beta}}||(111){sub {gamma}}[12-bar 1]{sub {gamma}} has been considered and the crystallographic parameters associated with bcc->fct transformation, such as the habit plane and the magnitude of the LIS and the shape strain have been computed. The predictions made in the present analysis have been compared with experimentally observed habit planes. The {alpha}/{gamma} and {beta}/{gamma} interface has been examined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) technique to compare with the interfaces observed in martensitic transformations.

Microstructure and stress corrosion cracking of the fusion boundary region in an alloy 182-A533B low alloy steel dissimilar weld joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Juan; Peng, Qunjia; Takeda, Yoichi; Kuniya, Jiro; Shoji, Tetsuo

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → High-angle misorientation at FB, type-II and type-I boundaries. → Highest residual strain and hardness in the zone between FB and type-II boundary. → Type-II and type-I boundaries had lower resistance to SCC growth than the FB. → Crack growth blunted by pitting at the FB. → Reactivation of crack growth from the pitting by oxidation along the grain boundary. - Abstract: Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the fusion boundary (FB) region of an Alloy 182-A533B low alloy steel (LAS) dissimilar weld joint in high temperature water doped with sulfate was studied following a microstructure characterization of the FB region. The microstructure characterization suggested the type-II and type-I boundaries in the dilution zone (DZ) adjacent to the FB had lower resistance to SCC growth than the FB. Crack propagating perpendicular to the FB in the DZ was observed to be blunted by pitting at the FB, followed by the reactivation from the pitting by localized oxidation along the grain boundary in LAS.

Fabrication of a micrometer Ni–Cu alloy column coupled with a Cu micro-column for thermal measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, J C; Chang, T K; Yang, J H; Jeng, J H; Lee, D L; Jiang, S B

2009-01-01

Micrometer Ni–Cu alloy columns have been fabricated by the micro-anode-guided electroplating (MAGE) process in the citrate bath. The surface morphology and chemical composition of the micro-columns were determined by copper concentration in the bath and by the electrical bias of MAGE. When fabricated in a bath of dilute copper (i.e. 4 mM) at lower voltages (e.g. 3.8 and 4.0 V), the alloy micro-columns revealed uniform diameter and smooth appearance. The alloy composition demonstrated an increase in the wt% ratio of Ni/Cu from 75/25, 80/20, 83/17 to 87/13 with increasing electrical bias from 3.8, 4.0, 4.2 to 4.4 V. However, it decreases from 75/25, 57/43 to 47/53 with increasing copper concentration from 4, 8 to 12 mM in the bath. Citrate plays a role in forming complexes with nickel and copper at similar reduction potentials, thus reducing simultaneously to Ni–Cu alloy. The mechanism for fabricating alloy micro-columns could be delineated on the basis of cathodic polarization of the complexes. A couple of micro-columns were fabricated using MAGE in constructing a pure copper micro-column on the top of a Ni/Cu (at 47/53) alloy micro-column. This micro-thermocouple provides a satisfactory measurement with good sensitivity and precision

The IDA-80 measurement evaluation programme on mass spectrometric isotope dilution analysis of uranium and plutonium. Vol. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyrich, W.; Golly, W.; Spannagel, G.; Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe G.m.b.H.; Bievre, P. de; Wolters, W.

1984-12-01

The main objective was the acquisition of basic data on the uncertainties involved in the mass spectrometric isotope dilution analysis as applied to the determination of uranium and plutonium in active feed solutions of reprocessing plants. The element concentrations and isotopic compositions of all test materials used were determined by CBNM and NBS with high accuracy. The more than 60000 analytical data reported by the participating laboratories were evaluated by statistical methods applied mainly to the calculation of estimates of the variances for the different uncertainty components contributing to the total uncertainty of this analytical technique. Attention was given to such topics as sample ageing, influence of fission products, spike calibration, ion fractionation, Pu-241 decay correction, minor isotope measurement and errors in data transfer. Furthermore, the performance of the 'dried sample' technique and the 'in-situ' spiking method of undiluted samples of reprocessing fuel solution with U-235/Pu-242 metal alloy spikes, were tested successfully. Considerable improvement of isotope dilution analysis in this safeguards relevant application during the last decade is shown as compared to the results obtained in the IDA-72 interlaboratory experiment, organized by KfK in 1972 on the same subject. (orig./HP) [de

Isotope dilution analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fudge, A.

1978-12-15

The following aspects of isotope dilution analysis are covered in this report: fundamental aspects of the technique; elements of interest in the nuclear field, choice and standardization of spike nuclide; pre-treatment to achieve isotopic exchange and chemical separation; sensitivity; selectivity; and accuracy.

Mechanism of swelling suppression in phosphorous-modified Fe-Ni-Cr alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, E.H.; Mansur, L.K.

1986-01-01

Five simple alloys were ion irradiated at 948 0 K in an experiment designed to investigate the mechanism of swelling suppression associated with phosphorous additions. One of the alloys was the simple ternary Fe-15Ni-13Cr, another had 0.05% P added and the other three had further additions of the phosphide precipitate-forming elements Ti and/or Si. Ion irradiations were carried out with heavy ions only (Ni or Fe) or with heavy ions followed by dual heavy ions and helium. The ternary with and without P swelled readily early in dose with or without helium. The other three alloys only showed swelling in the presence of helium and exhibited a long delay in dose prior to the onset of swelling. These displayed fine distributions of Fe 2 P type phosphide precipitates enhanced by irradiation. The phosphide particles gave rise to very high concentrations of stable helium filled cavities at the precipitate matrix interfaces. The results were analyzed in terms of the theory of cavity swelling. The accumulation of the critical number of gas atoms in an individual cavity is required in the theory for point defect driven swelling to begin. It is concluded that the primary mechanism leading to swelling suppression is therefore the dilution of injected helium over a very large number of cavities. It is suggested that this mechanism may offer a key for alloy design for swelling resistance in high helium environments

Processing of Cu-Cr alloy for combined high strength and high conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.O Olofinjanaa

2017-11-01

Full Text Available High strength and high conductivity (HSHC are two intrinsic properties difficult to combine in metallic alloy design because; almost all strengthening mechanisms also lead to reduced conductivity. Precipitation hardening by nano-sized precipitates had proven to be the most adequate way to achieve the optimum combination of strength and conductivity in copper based alloys. However, established precipitation strengthened Cu- alloys are limited to very dilute concentration of solutes thereby limiting the volume proportion hardening precipitates. In this work, we report the investigation of the reprocessing of higher Cr concentration Cu- based alloys via rapid solidification. It is found that the rapid solidification in the as-cast ribbon imposed combined solution extension and ultra-refinement of Cr rich phases. X-ray diffraction evidences suggest that the solid solution extension was up to 6wt%Cr. Lattice parameters determined confirmed the many folds extension of solid solution of Cr in Cu.  Thermal aging studies of the cast ribbons indicated that peak aging treatments occurred in about twenty minutes. Peak aged hardness ranged from about 200 to well over 300Hv. The maximum peak aged hardness of 380Hv was obtained for alloy containing 6wt.%Cr but with conductivity of about 50%IACS. The best combined strength/conductivity was obtained for 4wt.%Cr  alloy with hardness of 350HV and conductivity of 80% IACS. The high strengths observed are attributed to the increased volume proportion of semi-coherent Cr rich nano-sized precipitates that evolved from the supersaturated solid solution of Cu-Cr that was achieved from the high cooling rates imposed by the ribbon casting process. The rapid overaging of the high Cr concentration Cu-Cr alloy is still a cause for concern in optimising the process for reaching peak HSHC properties. It is still important to investigate a microstructural design to slow or severely restrict the overaging process. The optimum

Creep properties and precipitate evolution in Al-Li alloys microalloyed with Sc and Yb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krug, Matthew E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Seidman, David N. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Northwestern Center for Atom Probe Tomography, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Dunand, David C., E-mail: dunand@northwestern.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)

2012-07-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examine the creep behavior of Al-alloys with Li and rare earth element additions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These alloys exhibit threshold stresses below which no measurable creep occurs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Larger precipitate size and lattice parameter mismatch increase creep resistance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A simple parameter describes the threshold stress behavior in ternary Al-Sc-X alloys. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The findings are explained by a recent model of dislocation-precipitate interactions. - Abstract: A dilute Al-Sc alloy (Al-0.12 Sc, at.%, Al-Sc), its counterpart with a Li addition (Al-2.9 Li-0.11 Sc, at.%, Al-Li-Sc), as well as a quaternary alloy (Al-5.53 Li-0.048 Sc-0.009 Yb, at.%, Al-Li-Sc-Yb) were isothermally aged at 325 Degree-Sign C, and in some cases isochronally aged to 450 Degree-Sign C. As the {alpha} Prime -Al{sub 3}(Li,Sc) and Al{sub 3}(Li,Sc,Yb) precipitates, with L1{sub 2} structure, coarsen in the two Li-containing alloys, their Li and Yb concentrations decrease and their Sc concentration increases. A significant interfacial excess of Li also segregates at the {alpha}-Al matrix/{alpha} Prime -Al{sub 3}Sc(Li,Sc,Yb) precipitate interface: 5.99 {+-} 0.05 atoms nm{sup -2} in Al-Li-Sc and 13.2 {+-} 0.4 atoms nm{sup -2} in Al-Li-Sc-Yb after aging isochronally to 450 Degree-Sign C. During compression creep at 300 Degree-Sign C, the aged alloys exhibit threshold stresses between 8 and 22 MPa. A recent threshold stress model based on elastic interactions between dislocations and precipitates predicts correctly that Li additions in the Al-Li-Sc alloy reduce the threshold stress, while Yb in the Al-Li-Sc-Yb alloy increases it. The model is also in agreement with the threshold stresses of all Al-Sc-X alloys published to date.

High field magnetic behavior in Boron doped Fe{sub 2}VAl Heusler alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatesh, Ch., E-mail: venkyphysicsiitm@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India); DCMP & MS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (India); Vasundhara, M., E-mail: vasu.mutta@gmail.com [Materials Science and Technology Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum 695019 (India); Srinivas, V. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (India); Rao, V.V. [Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India)

2016-11-15

We have investigated the magnetic behavior of Fe{sub 2}VAl{sub 1−x}B{sub x} (x=0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.1) alloys under high temperature and high magnetic field conditions separately. Although, the low temperature DC magnetization data for the alloys above x>0 show clear magnetic transitions, the zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) curves indicate the presence of spin cluster like features. Further, critical exponent (γ) deduced from the initial susceptibility above the T{sub c}, does not agree with standard models derived for 3 dimensional long range magnetic systems. The deviation in γ values are consistent with the short range magnetic nature of these alloys. We further extend the analysis of magnetic behavior by carrying the magnetization measurements at high temperatures and high magnetic fields distinctly. We mainly emphasize the following observations; (i) The magnetic hysteresis loops show sharp upturns at lower fields even at 900 K for all the alloys. (ii) High temperature inverse susceptibility do not overlap until T=900 K, indicating the persistent short range magnetic correlations even at high temperatures. (iii) The Arrott's plot of magnetization data shows spontaneous moment (M{sub S}) for the x=0 alloy at higher magnetic fields which is absent at lower fields (<50 kOe), while the Boron doped samples show feeble M{sub S} at lower fields. The origin of this short range correlation is due to presence of dilute magnetic heterogeneous phases which are not detected from the X-ray diffraction method. - Highlights: • Short range magnetic character has been confirmed by the critical exponents analysis. • Magnetoresistace is about −14% with non-saturating tendency even at 150 kOe for Fe{sub 2}VAl alloy. • Boron doped Fe{sub 2}VAl alloys show a weak magnetism even at T=900 K.

Morphology of the boron-rich phase along columnar grain boundary and its effect on the compression crack of Fe-6.5Si-0.05B alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Huadong; Zhang Zhihao; Yang Qiang; Xie Jianxin

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Three morphologies of alloy phases were observed under different conditions. → Three different morphologies were thick-strip, fish-bone like and thin-strip. → These phases were all with enrichment of boron and dilution of silicon. → Three morphologies of alloy phases had different influences on mechanical property. - Abstract: The morphology of precipitated phases along Fe-6.5Si-0.05B columnar grain boundary and its effect on the initiation and propagation of compression cracks were investigated. Under the present experimental condition, alloy phases along the grain boundary exhibited three different morphologies, i.e., thick-strip, fish-bone like and thin-strip. These phases were all with enrichment of boron and dilution of silicon. The grain boundary with dendrite growth mode was apt to generate the thick-strip and fish-bone like phases, while the boundary with cellular growth mode was easy to form the thin-strip phase. The thick-strip phase was favorable to form 'weak plane' containing numerous micropores, which ultimately led to intergranular cracks. The fish-bone like phase was one of the main crack sources under the compression processing and easily caused transgranular cracks. The thin-strip phase enhanced the bond strength of the grain boundary and detained the crack propagation.

Tunneling and migration of the dumbbell defect in electron irradiated aluminum-zinc alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, P.W.

1983-01-01

Ultrasonic attenuation and velocity measurements have been made on irradiated Al-Zn alloys (Zn concentrations of .01%, .1%, and .5% atomic). They provide strong evidence for a tunneling relaxation of the predominant mixed dumbbell defect at low temperatures and for mixed dumbbell migration at the Stage II anneal temperature. The effect of an internal strain varying with the zinc concentration of the measured decrement and modulus change is striking. Evaluated in the framework of a six level system, this reveals the simultaneous action of resonance and non-classical relaxation processes. Using Fe as a probe atom, it is shown that mixed dumbbell dissociation is in an insignificant component of the annealing of this defect. The decrease of the annealing temperature at higher zinc concentrations provides evidence that the mixed dumbbell migrates as a unit during annealing. The energies associated with dumbbell migration and interstitial escape are derived. Further evidence for the migration mechanism is obtained from successive irradiation and annealing measurements on the Al-Zn .01% alloy, and from a comparison of these results with published radiation damage rate measurements of dilute Al-Zn alloys

Laser surface alloying of aluminium-transition metal alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, A.; Vilar, R.

1998-01-01

Laser surface alloying has been used as a tool to produce hard and corrosion resistant Al-transition metal (TM) alloys. Cr and Mo are particularly interesting alloying elements to produce stable high-strength alloys because they present low diffusion coefficients and solid solubility in Al. To produce Al-TM surface alloys a two-step laser process was developed: firstly, the material is alloyed using low scanning speed and secondly, the microstructure is modified by a refinement step. This process was used in the production of Al-Cr, Al-Mo and Al-Mo and Al-Nb surface alloys by alloying Cr, Mo or Nb powder into an Al and 7175 Al alloy substrate using a CO 2 laser . This paper presents a review of the work that has been developed at Instituto Superior Tecnico on laser alloying of Al-TM alloy, over the last years. (Author) 16 refs

Low temperature heat capacity of scandium and alloys of scandium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsang, T. W.E.

1977-12-01

The heat capacity of three electrotransport purified scandium samples has been measured from 1 to 20/sup 0/K. The resultant electronic specific heat constant and Debye temperature are 10.337 +- 0.015 mJ/gm-atom K/sup 2/ and 346.7 +- 0.8/sup 0/K respectively, and these values are believed to be truly representative of intrinsic scandium. Alloying studies have also been carried out to investigate the band structure of scandium based on the rigid band model, with zirconium to raise the electron concentration and magnesium to lower it. The results are then compared to the theoretical band structure calculations. Low temperature heat capacity measurements have also been made on some dilute Sc-Fe alloys. An anomaly is observed in the C/T vs. T/sup 2/ plot, but the C vs. T curve shows no evidence of magnetic ordering down to 1/sup 0/K, and electrical resistance measurement from 4 to 0.3/sup 0/K also indicates that no magnetic ordering took place.

Use of diluted urine for cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaatinen, Sanna; Lakaniemi, Aino-Maija; Rintala, Jukka

2016-01-01

Our aim was to study the biomass growth of microalga Chlorella vulgaris using diluted human urine as a sole nutrient source. Batch cultivations (21 days) were conducted in five different urine dilutions (1:25-1:300), in 1:100-diluted urine as such and with added trace elements, and as a reference, in artificial growth medium. The highest biomass density was obtained in 1:100-diluted urine with and without additional trace elements (0.73 and 0.60 g L(-1), respectively). Similar biomass growth trends and densities were obtained with 1:25- and 1:300-diluted urine (0.52 vs. 0.48 gVSS L(-1)) indicating that urine at dilution 1:25 can be used to cultivate microalgal based biomass. Interestingly, even 1:300-diluted urine contained sufficiently nutrients and trace elements to support biomass growth. Biomass production was similar despite pH-variation from < 5 to 9 in different incubations indicating robustness of the biomass growth. Ammonium formation did not inhibit overall biomass growth. At the beginning of cultivation, the majority of the biomass consisted of living algal cells, while towards the end, their share decreased and the estimated share of bacteria and cell debris increased.

Influence of extragent dilution upon light rare earths separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korpusova, R.D.; Smirnova, N.N.

1978-01-01

The effect of diluting the extragent on separation of REE in the presence of 6 g-equiv. of LiNO 3 has been studied. For experiments use was made of TBP diluted with kerosene or butylbenzene (40,50,70 vol.%). The separation coefficients have been determined under conditions of saturation. The content of trace amounts of the components has been determined by the weight method; the content of macroimpurities - by the radiometric method. It has been established that the coefficient of Ce-La, Pr-La separation is not affected by the dilution of the extragent. The only exception is the Pr 142 -La pair; in the presence of trace amounts of better extracted element and two-fold dilution the separation coefficient increases almost by 150%. For the Pr-Ce pair the effect of dilution is better noticeable in that case when more extracted element is present in trace amounts. However, a comparison of the effect of dilution on separation coefficients of all REE pairs under study has shown that this effect is the strongest for the samarium-neodymium pair. The data obtained allow an assumption to be made that kerosene, as a diluent, affects the steric factor and coordination. Therefore, upon dilution the coefficient of the samarium-neodymium pair separation is affected most of all

Determination of the growth restriction factor and grain size for aluminum alloys by a quasi-binary equivalent method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitrašinović, A.M.; Robles Hernández, F.C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new method to determine the growth restricting factor. (Q) is proposed ► The proposed method is highly accurate (R 2 = 0.99) and simple. ► A major novelty of this method is the determination of Q for non-dilute samples. ► The method proposed herein is based on quasi-binary phase diagrams and composition. ► This method can be easily implemented industrially or as a research tool. - Abstract: In the present research paper is suggested a new methodology to determine the growth restricting factor (Q) and grain size (GS) for various Al-alloys. The present method combines a thermodynamical component based on the liquidus behavior of each alloying element that is later incorporated into the well known growth restricting models for multi-component alloys. This approach that can be used to determine Q and/or GS based on the chemical composition and the slope of the liquidus temperature of any Al-alloy solidified in close to equilibrium conditions. This method can be modified further in order to assess the effect of cooling rate or thermomechanical processing on growth restricting factor and grain size. In the present paper is proposed a highly accurate (R 2 = 0.99) and validated model for Al–Si alloys, but it can be modified for any other Al–X alloying system. The present method can be used for alloys with relatively high solute content and due to the use of the thermodynamics of liquidus this system considers the poisoning effects of single and multi-component alloying elements.

Recent developments using TowerJazz SiGe BiCMOS platform for mmWave and THz applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kar-Roy, Arjun; Howard, David; Preisler, Edward J.; Racanelli, Marco

2013-05-01

In this paper, we report on the highest speed 240GHz/340GHz FT/FMAX NPN which is now available for product designs in the SBC18H4 process variant of TowerJazz's mature 0.18μm SBC18 silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS technology platform. NFMIN of ~2dB at 50GHz has been obtained with these NPNs. We also describe the integration of earlier generation NPNs with FT/FMAX of 240GHz/280GHz into SBC13H3, a 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology platform. Next, we detail the integration of the deep silicon via (DSV), through silicon via (TSV), high-resistivity substrate, sub-field stitching and hybrid-stitching capability into the 0.18μm SBC18 technology platform to enable higher performance and highly integrated product designs. The integration of SBC18H3 into a thick-film SOI substrate, with essentially unchanged FT and FMAX, is also described. We also report on recent circuit demonstrations using the SBC18H3 platform: (1) a 4-element phased-array 70-100GHz broadband transmit and receive chip with flat saturated power greater than 5dBm and conversion gain of 33dB; (2) a fully integrated W-band 9-element phase-controllable array with responsivity of 800MV/W and receiver NETD is 0.45K with 20ms integration time; (3) a 16-element 4x4 phased-array transmitter with scanning in both the E- and H-planes with maximum EIRP of 23-25 dBm at 100-110GHz; (4) a power efficient 200GHz VCO with -7.25dBm output power and tuning range of 3.5%; and (5) a 320GHz 16-element imaging receiver array with responsivity of 18KV/W at 315GHz, a 3dB bandwidth of 25GHz and a low NEP of 34pW/Hz1/2. Wafer-scale large-die implementation of the phased-arrays and mmWave imagers using stitching in TowerJazz SBC18 process are also discussed.

A probabilistic analysis of rapid boron dilution scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohut, P.; Diamond, D.J.

1993-01-01

A probabilistic and deterministic analysis of a rapid boron dilution scenario related to reactor restart was performed. The event is initiated by a loss of off-site power during the startup dilution process. The automatic restart of the charging pump in such cases may lead to the accumulation of a diluted slug of water in the lower plenum. The restart of the reactor coolant pumps may send the diluted slug through the core, adding sufficient reactivity to overcome the shutdown margin and cause a power excursion. The concern is that the power excursion is sufficient in certain circumstances to cause fuel damage. The estimated core damage frequency based on the scoping analysis is 1.0--3.0E-05/yr for the plants analyzed. These are relatively significant values when compared to desirable goals. The analysis contained assumptions related to plant specific design characteristics which may lead to non-conservative estimates. The most important conservative assumptions were that mixing of the injected diluted water is insignificant and that fuel damage occurs when the slug passes through the core

Corrosive and cytotoxic properties of compact specimens and microparticles of Ni-Cr dental alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ristic, Ljubisa; Vucevic, Dragana; Radovic, Ljubica; Djordjevic, Snezana; Nikacevic, Milutin; Colic, Miodrag

2014-04-01

Nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) dental alloys have been widely used in prosthodontic practice, but there is a permanent concern about their biocompatibility due to the release of metal ions. This is especially important when Ni-Cr metal microparticles are incorporated into gingival tissue during prosthodontic procedures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine and compare the corrosion and cytotoxic properties of compact specimens and microparticles of Ni-Cr dental alloy. Ni-Cr alloy, Remanium CSe bars (4 mm diameter), were made by the standard casting method and then cut into 0.5-mm-thick disks. Metal particles were obtained by scraping the bars using a diamond instrument for crown preparation. The microstructure was observed by an optical microscope. Quantitative determination and morphological and dimensional characterization of metal particles were carried out by a scanning electron microscope and Leica Application Suite software for image analysis. Corrosion was studied by conditioning the alloy specimens in the RPMI 1640 medium, containing 10% fetal calf serum in an incubator with 5% CO2 for 72 hours at 37°C. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry was used to assess metal ion release. The cytotoxity of conditioning medium (CM) was investigated on L929 cells using an MTT test. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. After casting, the microstructure of the Remanium CSe compact specimen composed of Ni, Cr, Mo, Si, Fe, Al, and Co had a typical dendritic structure. Alloy microparticles had an irregular shape with a wide size range: from less than 1 μm to more than 100 μm. The release of metal ions, especially Ni and Mo from microparticles, was significantly higher, compared to the compact alloy specimen. The CM prepared from compact alloy was not cytotoxic at any tested dilutions, whereas CM from alloy microparticles showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity (90% CM and 45% CM versus control; p alloy. This could affect health on long

Magnetic properties of ball-milled Fe0.6Mn0.1Al0.3 alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebolledo, A.F.; Romero, J.J.; Cuadrado, R.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Pigazo, F.; Palomares, F.J.; Medina, M.H.; Perez Alcazar, G.A.

2007-01-01

The FeMnAl-disordered alloy system exhibits, depending on the composition and the temperature, a rich variety of magnetic phases including the occurrence of ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, paramagnetism and spin-glass and reentrant spin glass behaviors. These latter phases result from the presence of atomic disorder and magnetic dilution and from the competing exchange interactions taking place between an Fe atom and its Mn and Fe first neighbors. The use of mechanical alloying in order to prepare these alloys is specially interesting since it allows to introduce in a progressive way large amounts of disorder. In this work, we describe the evolution with the milling time of the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties of mechanically alloyed Fe 0.6 Mn 0.1 Al 0.3 samples. The materials were prepared in a planetary ball mill using a balls-to-powder mass ratio of 15:1 and pure (99.95 at%) Fe, Mn and Al powders for times up to 19 h. The X-rays diffraction (XRD) spectra show the coexistence of three phases at short milling times. For milling times over 6 h, only the FeMnAl ternary alloy BCC phase is observed. Moesbauer spectroscopy reveals the complete formation of the FeMnAl alloy after 9 h milling time. The magnetic characterization showed that all the samples were ferromagnetic at room temperature with coercivities decreasing from 105 Oe (3 h milled sample) down to 5 Oe in the case of the sample milled for 19 h

Helium dilution refrigerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

A new system of continuous heat exchange for a helium dilution refrigerator is proposed. The 3 He effluent tube is concurrent with the affluent mixed helium tube in a vertical downward direction. Heat exchange efficiency is enhanced by placing in series a number of elements with an enlarged surface area

Relative volatility of dilute solutions of Rb-Cs system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gromov, P.B.; Izotov, V.P.; Nisel'son, L.A.

1984-01-01

Relative volatility of diluted solutions Rb-Cs in the temperature range 650-820 K and pressures 13-200 gPa has been studied. The system Rb-Cs in the range of diluted solutions obeys the Henry law. It is shown, that liquid-vapour equilibrium in diluted solutions of cesium in rubidium is characterized by negative deviation from perfection

Effect of crystalline electric fields and long-range magnetic order on superconductivity in rare earth alloys and compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCallum, R.W.

1977-01-01

The behavior of rare earth ions in a superconducting matrix has been studied in two distinct regimes. First, the effects of crystal field splitting of the 4f levels of a magnetic rare earth ion in the alloy system (LaPr)Sn 3 were investigated in the limit of low Pr 3+ concentration. In this system the rare earth impurity ions occupy random La sites in the crystal lattice. Second, the interaction of long-range magnetic order and superconductivity was explored in the ternary rare earth molybdenum chalcogenide systems. In these compounds the rare earth ions occupy periodic lattice sites in contrast to the random distribution of magnetic ions in dilute impurity alloy systems such as (LaPr)Sn 3

A thermostatistical theory for solid solution effects in the hot deformation of alloys: an application to low-alloy steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galindo-Nava, E I; Rivera-Díaz-del-Castillo, P E J; Perlade, A

2014-01-01

The hot deformation of low-alloy steels is described by a thermostatistical theory of plastic deformation. This is based on defining a statistical entropy term that accounts for the energy dissipation due to possible dislocation displacements. In this case, dilute substitutional and interstitial atom effects alter such paths. The dislocation population is described by a single parameter equation, with the parameter being the average dislocation density. Solute effects incorporate additional dislocation generation sources. They alter the energy barriers corresponding to the activation energies for dislocation recovery, grain nucleation and growth. The model is employed to describe work hardening and dynamic recrystallization softening in fifteen steels for a wide range of compositions, temperatures and strain rates. Maps for dynamic recrystallization occurrence are defined in terms of processing conditions and composition. (paper)

Effect of a static magnetic field on silicon transport in liquid phase diffusion growth of SiGe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armour, N.; Dost, S. [Crystal Growth Laboratory, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 (Canada)

2010-03-15

Liquid phase diffusion experiments have been performed without and with the application of a 0.4 T static magnetic field using a three-zone DC furnace system. SiGe crystals were grown from the germanium side for a period of 72 h. Experiments have led to the growth of single crystal sections varying from 0 to 10 mm thicknesses. Examination of the processed samples (single and polycrystalline sections) has shown that the effect of the applied static magnetic field is significant. It alters the temperature distribution in the system, reduces mass transport in the melt, and leads to a much lower growth rate. The initial curved growth interface was slightly flattened under the effect of magnetic field. There were no growth striations in the single crystal sections of the samples. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Electroless plating of low-resistivity Cu–Mn alloy thin films with self-forming capacity and enhanced thermal stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Sung-Te, E-mail: stchen@mail.hust.edu.tw [Department of Electronic Engineering, Hsiuping University of Science and Technology, Dali 412, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Giin-Shan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Seatwen 407, Taichung, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-05

Previous studies have typically used sputter deposition to fabricate Cu–Mn alloy thin films with concentrated solute additions which have exceeded several atomic percentages, and the electrical resistivity values of the resultant films from previous studies are relatively high, ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 μΩ-cm. Herein, we proposed a different approach by using electroless process to plate dilute Cu–Mn (0.1 at.%) alloy thin films on dielectric layers (SiO{sub 2}). Upon forming-gas annealing, the Mn incorporated into Cu–Mn films was segregated toward the SiO{sub 2} side, eventually converting itself into a few atomic layer thickness at the Cu/SiO{sub 2} interface, and forming films with a low level of resistivity the same as that of pure Cu films (2.0 μΩ-cm). The interfacial layer served as not only a diffusion barrier, but also an adhesion promoter that prevented the film’s agglomeration during annealing at elevated temperatures. The mechanism for the dual-function performance by the Mn addition was elucidated by interfacial bonding analysis, as well as dynamic (adhesive strength) and thermodynamic (surface-tension) measurements. - Highlights: • Electroless plating is proposed to grow dilute (0.1%) Cu–Mn films on SiO{sub 2} layers. • Adequate annealing results in a self-forming of MnO{sub x} at the Cu/SiO{sub 2} interface. • The role of interfacial MnO{sub x} as a barrier and adhesion promoter is demonstrated. • The treated dilute film has a low ρ level of pure Cu, in contrast to concentrated films. • Its potential as a single entity replacement of Cu interconnect is presented.

Corrosion behaviour of ion implanted aluminium alloy in 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, J.W.; Evans, P.J. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Sood, D.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

Aluminum and its alloys are widely used in industry because of their light weight, high strength and good corrosion resistance which is due to the formation of a protective oxide layer. However, under saline conditions such as those encountered in marine environments, this group of metals are vulnerable to localised degradation in the form of pitting corrosion. This type of corrosion involves the adsorption of an anion, such as chlorine, at the oxide solution interface. Ion implantation of metal ions has been shown to improve the corrosion resistance of a variety of materials. This effect occurs : when the implanted species reduces anion adsorption thereby decreasing the corrosion rate. In this paper we report on the pitting behavior of Ti implanted 2011 Al alloy in dilute sodium chloride solution. The Ti implanted surfaces exhibited an increased pitting potential and a reduced oxygen uptake. 5 refs., 3 figs.

Corrosion behaviour of ion implanted aluminium alloy in 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, J W; Evans, P J [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Sood, D K [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

Aluminum and its alloys are widely used in industry because of their light weight, high strength and good corrosion resistance which is due to the formation of a protective oxide layer. However, under saline conditions such as those encountered in marine environments, this group of metals are vulnerable to localised degradation in the form of pitting corrosion. This type of corrosion involves the adsorption of an anion, such as chlorine, at the oxide solution interface. Ion implantation of metal ions has been shown to improve the corrosion resistance of a variety of materials. This effect occurs : when the implanted species reduces anion adsorption thereby decreasing the corrosion rate. In this paper we report on the pitting behavior of Ti implanted 2011 Al alloy in dilute sodium chloride solution. The Ti implanted surfaces exhibited an increased pitting potential and a reduced oxygen uptake. 5 refs., 3 figs.

Stability and migration of vacancy in V–4Cr–4Ti alloy: Effects of Al, Si, Y trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Chong; Zhang, Pengbo; Li, Ruihuan; Zhao, Jijun; Dong, Chuang

2013-01-01

Addition of trace amounts of Al, Si and Y into V–4Cr–4Ti alloy is beneficial for the mechanical properties under irradiation. It is thus important to investigate the influence of solute/trace elements on stabilities, energetics and diffusion behaviors of vacancy defects. We performed first-principles calculations to evaluate vacancy–solute/trace interaction inside dilute V–X (X = Ti, Cr, Al, Si, Y) and V–4Cr–4Ti–(Al, Si, Y) alloys. With addition of Si and Y, vacancy-based complexes tend to form near Ti–Si and Ti–Y pairs, while the effect of Al is negligible. Moreover, diffusion coefficients of solute/trace element in vanadium were derived using nine-frequency model. With high binding energy and low diffusion coefficient, Si atom is strongly attractive to vacancy in vanadium matrix. Our theoretical results suggest that the interactions between vacancy and solute/trace elements play some role in the evolution of microstructures inside vanadium alloys

Tribological coating of titanium alloys by laser processing

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Wang

were carried out and the results showed that the kinetic coefficient of friction of the laser fabricated Ti-Mo-WC MMC coatings was much lower than that of the CP-Ti and Ti6A14V substrate. The wear resistance of this Ti-Mo-WC MMC was found to be between 60 to 150 times better than those of CP-Ti. The experimental results also identified a key issue of mixing efficiency that the density of WC was much higher than that of Ti and Mo and this rendered poor mixing between the different constituents. This resulted in a relatively poor repeatability of the coating quality. To solve this issue, a lower density carbide phase, TiC, was used. The hardness and dry sliding wear resistance of the Ti-Mo-TiC MMC was found to be lower than those of Ti-Mo-WC MMC. The mixing efficiency of the TiC in the Ti-Mo-MMC was found to be better than the WC in Ti-Mo-WC MMC. This combination gave a harder and more wear resistant MMC with more uniform properties across the width and depth of the alloyed layer formed. A mathematical model for predicting the melt depth of the alloyed MMC layer was developed together with a heat transfer mechanism between layers of powders under the laser irradiation. The model facilitates the prediction of melt depth of the alloyed layer and the dilution ratio of the MMC layer. It thus enabled the composition of the MMC layer to be predicted and tailor made. The project results contribute significantly to the knowledge of improving the wear and frictional properties of one of the most important engineering metals for the automobile and aerospace industries.

An overview the boron dilution issue in PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyvaerinen, J.

1994-01-01

The presentation is an overview of boron (boric acid) dilution in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Boric acid has been widely used in PWRs as a dissolved poison, as one of the main reactivity controlling means, for a long time, from nearly but not quite from the beginning of the design, construction and operation of PWRs in the present-day sense. The specific safety issue, namely the risk of uncontrolled reactivity insertion due to inadvertent boron dilution, is discussed first, followed by a brief look on the history of boron usage in PWRs. A discussion of boron dilution phenomenology is presented next in general terms. Some particular concerns that boron dilution phenomena arouse in the minds of a regulator will also be presented before concluding with a brief look on the future of dissolved poisons. (11 refs.)

Specific heat in diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum ring

Science.gov (United States)

Babanlı, A. M.; Ibragimov, B. G.

2017-11-01

In the present paper, we have calculated the specific heat and magnetization of a quantum ring of a diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) material in the presence of magnetic field. We take into account the effect of Rashba spin-orbital interaction, the exchange interaction and the Zeeman term on the specific heat. We have calculated the energy spectrum of the electrons in diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum ring. Moreover we have calculated the specific heat dependency on the magnetic field and Mn concentration at finite temperature of a diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum ring.

Investigation of the passive behaviour of AZ31B alloy in alkaline solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Fattah-alhosseini

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, the passivity of AZ31B alloy in NaOH solutions was studied by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS and Mott–Schottky analysis. Potentiodynamic polarization results indicated that decreasing NaOH concentration leads to decrease the corrosion rate of this alloy. EIS results showed that the reciprocal capacitance (1/C of the passive film is directly proportional to its thickness which increases with decreasing NaOH concentration. Therefore, it is clear that dilute NaOH solutions offer better conditions for forming the passive films with higher protection behaviour, due to the growth of a much thicker and less defective films. The Mott–Schottky analysis revealed that the passive films displayed n-type semiconductive characteristics, where the oxygen vacancies and interstitials (over the cation vacancies preponderated. Also, Mott–Schottky results showed that the donor densities evaluated from Mott–Schottky plots are in the range of 1020 cm−3 and decreased with decreasing NaOH concentration.

Experimental study of the spin density of metastable fcc ferromagnetic Fe-Cu alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bove, L. E.; Petrillo, C.; Sacchetti, F.; Mazzone, G.

2000-01-01

Magnetization density measurements on metastable Fe x Cu 1-x alloys at four compositions (x=20, 40, 50, and 60 at. %) and at 5 K temperature were carried out by means of polarized neutron diffraction. The samples were produced by high-energy ball milling and characterized by x-ray diffraction and fluorescence measurements. Additional bulk magnetization measurements were carried out on the two samples at high Fe concentration. Over the present concentration region, the Fe-Cu system is ferromagnetic and the four samples were found to be in the fcc phase. Fe-Cu is therefore a very suitable system to investigate the magnetic state of Fe in an fcc environment. Other than confirming that the Fe-Cu system is not a simple dilution alloy, the present results were compatible with a two-state model for fcc Fe--that is, two different coexisting electronic states associated with different magnetic moments and form factors

The dilution effect on the extinction of wall diffusion flame

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghiti Nadjib

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The dynamic process of the interaction between a turbulent jet diffusion methane flame and a lateral wall was experimentally studied. The evolution of the flame temperature field with the Nitrogen dilution of the methane jet flame was examined. The interaction between the diffusion flame and the lateral wall was investigated for different distance between the wall and the central axes of the jet flame. The dilution is found to play the central role in the flame extinction process. The flame response as the lateral wall approaches from infinity and the increasing of the dilution rate make the flame extinction more rapid than the flame without dilution, when the nitrogen dilution rate increase the flame temperature decrease.

Auger electron spectroscopy study of surface segregation in the binary alloys copper-1 atomic percent indium, copper-2 atomic percent tin, and iron-6.55 atomic percent silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrante, J.

1973-01-01

Auger electron spectroscopy was used to examine surface segregation in the binary alloys copper-1 at. % indium, copper-2 at. % tin and iron-6.55 at. % silicon. The copper-tin and copper-indium alloys were single crystals oriented with the /111/ direction normal to the surface. An iron-6.5 at. % silicon alloy was studied (a single crystal oriented in the /100/ direction for study of a (100) surface). It was found that surface segregation occurred following sputtering in all cases. Only the iron-silicon single crystal alloy exhibited equilibrium segregation (i.e., reversibility of surface concentration with temperature) for which at present we have no explanation. McLean's analysis for equilibrium segregation at grain boundaries did not apply to the present results, despite the successful application to dilute copper-aluminum alloys. The relation of solute atomic size and solubility to surface segregation is discussed. Estimates of the depth of segregation in the copper-tin alloy indicate that it is of the order of a monolayer surface film.

Determination of hafnium, molybdenum, and vanadium in niobium and niobium-based alloys by atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ide, Kunikazu; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Sudo, Emiko.

1985-01-01

The analytical procedure is as follows: Weigh 1 g of a sample and put it into a 100 cm 3 PTFE beaker. Add 5 ml of distilled water and 5 ml of hydrofluoric acid, and then heat the solution on a hot plate, adding 3 ml of nitric acid dropwise. Dilute the solution to 100 cm 3 with distilled water. When hafnium is determined, add 2 g of diammonium titanium hexafluoride ((NH 4 ) 2 TiF 6 )) before dilution. Working standard solutions are prepared by adding the stock standard solutions of hafnium, molybdenum, and vanadium into niobium solutions. When hafnium is determined, add 2 g of (NH 4 ) 2 TiF 6 and the alloying elements in amounts corresponding to those in sample solutions into the working standard solutions. The tolerable amounts of hydrofluoric acid were 2.9 M, 2.1 M, and 3.1 M and those of nitric acid were 1.0 M, 1.6 M, and 1.6 M for hafnium, molybdenum, and vanadium, respectively. It was found that (NH 4 ) 2 TiF 6 greatly increased the sensitivity for hafnium determination. Niobium showed minus effect for hafnium and plus effect for molybdenum and vanadium. The atomic absorption of molybdenum and vanadium were not influenced by the presence of 20 % of each alloying element, while the atomic absorption of hafnium was given plus effect by 20 % of zirconium, iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium or vanadium and minus effect by 20 % tungsten. The analytical values of hafnium, molybdenum, and vanadium in niobium-based alloys by this method showed a good agreement with those by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The lower limits of determination (S/N=2) were 0.05, 0.001, and 0.002 % and the relative standard deviation were 3, 1, and 1.5 % for hafnium, molybdenum, and vanadium, respectively. (author)

Comparison of electrochemical performance of as-cast Pb-1 wt.% Sn and Pb-1 wt.% Sb alloys for lead-acid battery components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osorio, Wislei R.; Peixoto, Leandro C.; Garcia, Amauri [Department of Materials Engineering, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, PO Box 612, 13083-970 Campinas, SP (Brazil)

2010-03-15

A comparative experimental study of the electrochemical features of as-cast Pb-1 wt.% Sn and Pb-1 wt.% Sb alloys is carried out with a view to applications in the manufacture of lead-acid battery components. The as-cast samples are obtained using a water-cooled unidirectional solidification system. Pb-Sn and Pb-Sb alloy samples having similar coarse cell arrays are subjected to corrosion tests in order to assess the effect of Sn or Sb segregation in the cell boundary on the electrochemical performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) diagrams, potentiodynamic polarization curves and an equivalent circuit analysis are used to evaluate the electrochemical parameters in a 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution at 25 C. Both the experimental and simulated EIS parameters evidence different kinetics of corrosion. The Pb-1 wt.% Sn alloy is found to have a current density which is of about three times lower than that of the Pb-1 wt.% Sb alloy which indicates that dilute Pb-Sn alloys have higher potential for application as positive grid material in maintenance-free Pb-acid batteries. (author)

Corrosion mitigation of rare-earth metals containing magnesium EV31A-T6 alloy via chrome-free conversion coating treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamdy, Abdel Salam; Butt, Darryl P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Protective stannate coatings have been proposed for rare-earth-EV31A-T6 magnesium alloy. • A simple coating method based on direct treatment of EV31A-T6 in a diluted stannate was found promising. • Surface modification prior to stannate coating offer no substantial advantage over directly coating. • Stannate conversion coatings decrease corrosion rates by a factor of 1/7. • The coating does not display any self-healing characteristics as shown in AZ91D. -- Abstract: Magnesium alloys posses unique mechanical and physical characteristics making them attractive light-weight materials for several strategic industries such as electronics, computer, automotive and aerospace. Due to their high chemical reactivity and poor corrosion resistance, the protection of magnesium alloys from corrosion is one of the hottest topics in materials science and engineering. Addition of rare-earth metals (RE) as alloying elements to magnesium alloys is one of the common approaches to improve their mechanical properties and, sometimes, the corrosion resistance. However, the potential difference between the RE metals phase formed in the Mg matrix enhances the galvanic corrosion at the interfaces where RE metals inert phase acts as cathode and the active Mg matrix acts as anode. This paper introduces a simple one-step clean conversion coating treatment for improving the protection of RE containing magnesium EV31A-T6 alloy in Cl − media

A novel high-strength and highly corrosive biodegradable Fe-Pd alloy: Structural, mechanical and in vitro corrosion and cytotoxicity study.

Science.gov (United States)

Čapek, Jaroslav; Msallamová, Šárka; Jablonská, Eva; Lipov, Jan; Vojtěch, Dalibor

2017-10-01

Recently, iron-based materials have been considered as candidates for the fabrication of biodegradable load-bearing implants. Alloying with palladium has been found to be a suitable approach to enhance the insufficient corrosion rate of iron-based alloys. In this work, we have extensively compared the microstructure, the mechanical and corrosion properties, and the cytotoxicity of an FePd2 (wt%) alloy prepared by three different routes - casting, mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS), and mechanical alloying and the space holder technique (SHT). The properties of the FePd2 (wt%) were compared with pure Fe prepared in the same processes. The preparation route significantly influenced the material properties. Materials prepared by SPS possessed the highest values of mechanical properties (CYS~750-850MPa) and higher corrosion rates than the casted materials. Materials prepared by SHT contained approximately 60% porosity; therefore, their mechanical properties reached the lowest values, and they had the highest corrosion rates, approximately 0.7-1.2mm/a. Highly porous FePd2 was tested in vitro according to the ISO 10993-5 standard using L929 cells, and two-fold diluted extracts showed acceptable cytocompatibility. In general, alloying with Pd enhanced both mechanical properties and corrosion rates and did not decrease the cytocompatibility of the studied materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silicon transport under rotating and combined magnetic fields in liquid phase diffusion growth of SiGe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armour, N.; Dost, S. [Crystal Growth Laboratory, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6 (Canada)

2010-04-15

The effect of applied rotating and combined (rotating and static) magnetic fields on silicon transport during the liquid phase diffusion growth of SiGe was experimentally studied. 72-hour growth periods produced some single crystal sections. Single and polycrystalline sections of the processed samples were examined for silicon composition. Results show that the application of a rotating magnetic field enhances silicon transport in the melt. It also has a slight positive effect on flattening the initial growth interface. For comparison, growth experiments were also conducted under combined (rotating and static) magnetic fields. The processed samples revealed that the addition of static field altered the thermal characteristics of the system significantly and led to a complete melt back of the germanium seed. Silicon transport in the melt was also enhanced under combined fields compared with experiments with no magnetic field. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Magnesium secondary alloys: Alloy design for magnesium alloys with improved tolerance limits against impurities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blawert, C., E-mail: carsten.blawert@gkss.d [GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany); Fechner, D.; Hoeche, D.; Heitmann, V.; Dietzel, W.; Kainer, K.U. [GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany); Zivanovic, P.; Scharf, C.; Ditze, A.; Groebner, J.; Schmid-Fetzer, R. [TU Clausthal, Institut fuer Metallurgie, Robert-Koch-Str. 42, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)

2010-07-15

The development of secondary magnesium alloys requires a completely different concept compared with standard alloys which obtain their corrosion resistance by reducing the levels of impurities below certain alloy and process depending limits. The present approach suitable for Mg-Al based cast and wrought alloys uses a new concept replacing the {beta}-phase by {tau}-phase, which is able to incorporate more impurities while being electro-chemically less detrimental to the matrix. The overall experimental effort correlating composition, microstructure and corrosion resistance was reduced by using thermodynamic calculations to optimise the alloy composition. The outcome is a new, more impurity tolerant alloy class with a composition between the standard AZ and ZC systems having sufficient ductility and corrosion properties comparable to the high purity standard alloys.

Thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement of silicon-germanium through nanocomposite concept

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dezhi

SiGe alloy has been the thermoelectric material element of RTGs (Radioisotope thermoelectric power generators) for more than 20 years because of its good performance at high temperature. It also has a very high potential application in converting exhaust heat into useful electricity, which currently attracts a lot of research interest in the automotive industry where 40% of the energy was rejected as exhaust heat. However, its low conversion efficiency (8%) is a major concern although it is the best in practice. A new concept, namely Si-Ge nanocomposite, was proposed to enhance thermoelectric figure-of-merit. Fast heating pressure sintering was found to be an appropriate synthesizing method and a lab-made direct current-induced hot press system was established. It can reach l200°C within several minutes and many parameters can be controlled. The uniquely designed graphite die assembly can stand l60MPa pressure which is better than the best commercial products (127MPa). Numerous Si-Ge nanocomposite samples were pressed using our DC hot press. Fully dense n-type Si-Ge nanocomposite samples of nanoSi80nanoGe20P were finally obtained. The nanocomposite structure was characterized via XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM. The proposed nanocomposite structure, dots in a matrix, was observed. Most importantly, the thermoelectric property measurements showed that the Si-Ge nanocomposite of n-type nanoSi80nanoGe20 possessed higher electrical conductivity but lower thermal conductivity, thus a higher ZT than that of n-type nanoSi80microGe20. This result proved that thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement through the nanocomposite concept was the right direction.

Alloying principles for magnesium base heat resisting alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drits, M.E.; Rokhlin, L.L.; Oreshkina, A.A.; Nikitina, N.I.

1982-01-01

Some binary systems of magnesium-base alloys in which solid solutions are formed, are considered for prospecting heat resistant alloys. It is shown that elements having essential solubility in solid magnesium strongly decreasing with temperature should be used for alloying maqnesium base alloys with high strength properties at increased temperatures. The strengthening phases in these alloys should comprise essential quantity of magnesium and be rather refractory

Effects of dissolved species on radiolysis of diluted seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Kasahara, Shigeki; Motooka, Takafumi; Tsukada, Takashi; Muroya, Yusa; Yamashita, Shinichi; Katsumura, Yosuke

2014-01-01

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) experienced seawater injection into the cores and fuel pools as an emergent measure after the accident. After the accident, retained water has been continuously desalinized, and subsequently the concentration of chloride ion (Cl"-) has been kept at a lower level these days. These ions in seawater are known to affect water radiolysis, which causes the production of radiolytic products, such as hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2), molecular hydrogen (H_2) and molecular oxygen (O_2). However, the effects of dissolved ions relating seawater on the production of the stable radiolytic products are not well understood in the diluted seawater. To understand of the production behavior in diluted seawater under radiation, radiolysis calculations were carried out. Production of H_2 is effectively suppressed by diluting by up to vol10%. The concentrations of oxidants (H_2O_2 and O_2) are also suppressed by dilution of dissolved species. The effect of oxidants on corrosion of materials is thought to be low when the seawater was diluted by less than 1 vol% by water. It is also shown that deaeration is one of the effective measure to suppress the concentrations of oxidants at a lower level for any dilution conditions. (author)

Near-wall molecular ordering of dilute ionic liquids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jitvisate, Monchai; Seddon, James Richard Thorley

2017-01-01

The interfacial behavior of ionic liquids promises tunable lubrication as well as playing an integral role in ion diffusion for electron transfer. Diluting the ionic liquids optimizes bulk parameters, such as electric conductivity, and one would expect dilution to disrupt the near-wall molecular

Magneto-optical detection of the relaxation dynamics of alloy nanoparticles with a high-stability magnetic circular dichroism setup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavigli, L. [L.E.N.S. University of Florence, via N. Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy); INSTM Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 5, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy); Julian Fernandez, C. de [Department of Physics, University of Padua, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Gatteschi, D. [INSTM Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 5, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy); Gurioli, M. [L.E.N.S. University of Florence, via N. Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy); Sangregorio, C. [INSTM Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 5, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy)]. E-mail: claudio.sangregorio@unifi.it; Mattei, G. [Department of Physics, University of Padua, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Mazzoldi, P. [Department of Physics, University of Padua, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Bogani, L. [L.E.N.S. University of Florence, via N. Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy); INSTM Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 5, I-50019 Sesto F.no (Italy)

2007-09-15

We present a versatile high-stability and high-sensitivity magneto-optical setup that allows transmission and reflection measurements at high fields and low temperatures. We apply the technique to measure the decay in time of the magnetization of highly monodisperse 3.3nm Co{sub 33}Ni{sub 67} alloy nanoparticles embedded in a silica host. We demonstrate the possibility of observing the dynamics of the magnetization over a macroscopic timescale in dilute samples, where other techniques are unavailable.

Magneto-optical detection of the relaxation dynamics of alloy nanoparticles with a high-stability magnetic circular dichroism setup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavigli, L.; Julian Fernandez, C. de; Gatteschi, D.; Gurioli, M.; Sangregorio, C.; Mattei, G.; Mazzoldi, P.; Bogani, L.

2007-01-01

We present a versatile high-stability and high-sensitivity magneto-optical setup that allows transmission and reflection measurements at high fields and low temperatures. We apply the technique to measure the decay in time of the magnetization of highly monodisperse 3.3nm Co 33 Ni 67 alloy nanoparticles embedded in a silica host. We demonstrate the possibility of observing the dynamics of the magnetization over a macroscopic timescale in dilute samples, where other techniques are unavailable

Magneto-optical detection of the relaxation dynamics of alloy nanoparticles with a high-stability magnetic circular dichroism setup

Science.gov (United States)

Cavigli, L.; de Julián Fernández, C.; Gatteschi, D.; Gurioli, M.; Sangregorio, C.; Mattei, G.; Mazzoldi, P.; Bogani, L.

2007-09-01

We present a versatile high-stability and high-sensitivity magneto-optical setup that allows transmission and reflection measurements at high fields and low temperatures. We apply the technique to measure the decay in time of the magnetization of highly monodisperse 3.3 nm Co33Ni67 alloy nanoparticles embedded in a silica host. We demonstrate the possibility of observing the dynamics of the magnetization over a macroscopic timescale in dilute samples, where other techniques are unavailable.

On the Wigner law in dilute random matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Khorunzhy, A.; Rodgers, G. J.

1998-12-01

We consider ensembles of N × N symmetric matrices whose entries are weakly dependent random variables. We show that random dilution can change the limiting eigenvalue distribution of such matrices. We prove that under general and natural conditions the normalised eigenvalue counting function coincides with the semicircle (Wigner) distribution in the limit N → ∞. This can be explained by the observation that dilution (or more generally, random modulation) eliminates the weak dependence (or correlations) between random matrix entries. It also supports our earlier conjecture that the Wigner distribution is stable to random dilution and modulation.

Asymptotic Distribution of Eigenvalues of Weakly Dilute Wishart Matrices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khorunzhy, A. [Institute for Low Temperature Physics (Ukraine)], E-mail: khorunjy@ilt.kharkov.ua; Rodgers, G. J. [Brunel University, Uxbridge, Department of Mathematics and Statistics (United Kingdom)], E-mail: g.j.rodgers@brunel.ac.uk

2000-03-15

We study the eigenvalue distribution of large random matrices that are randomly diluted. We consider two random matrix ensembles that in the pure (nondilute) case have a limiting eigenvalue distribution with a singular component at the origin. These include the Wishart random matrix ensemble and Gaussian random matrices with correlated entries. Our results show that the singularity in the eigenvalue distribution is rather unstable under dilution and that even weak dilution destroys it.

Modeling syngas-fired gas turbine engines with two dilutants

Science.gov (United States)

Hawk, Mitchell E.

2011-12-01

Prior gas turbine engine modeling work at the University of Wyoming studied cycle performance and turbine design with air and CO2-diluted GTE cycles fired with methane and syngas fuels. Two of the cycles examined were unconventional and innovative. The work presented herein reexamines prior results and expands the modeling by including the impacts of turbine cooling and CO2 sequestration on GTE cycle performance. The simple, conventional regeneration and two alternative regeneration cycle configurations were examined. In contrast to air dilution, CO2 -diluted cycle efficiencies increased by approximately 1.0 percentage point for the three regeneration configurations examined, while the efficiency of the CO2-diluted simple cycle decreased by approximately 5.0 percentage points. For CO2-diluted cycles with a closed-exhaust recycling path, an optimum CO2-recycle pressure was determined for each configuration that was significantly lower than atmospheric pressure. Un-cooled alternative regeneration configurations with CO2 recycling achieved efficiencies near 50%, which was approximately 3.0 percentage points higher than the conventional regeneration cycle and simple cycle configurations that utilized CO2 recycling. Accounting for cooling of the first two turbine stages resulted in a 2--3 percentage point reduction in un-cooled efficiency, with air dilution corresponding to the upper extreme. Additionally, when the work required to sequester CO2 was accounted for, cooled cycle efficiency decreased by 4--6 percentage points, and was more negatively impacted when syngas fuels were used. Finally, turbine design models showed that turbine blades are shorter with CO2 dilution, resulting in fewer design restrictions.

Alloy materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hans Thieme, Cornelis Leo (Westborough, MA); Thompson, Elliott D. (Coventry, RI); Fritzemeier, Leslie G. (Acton, MA); Cameron, Robert D. (Franklin, MA); Siegal, Edward J. (Malden, MA)

2002-01-01

An alloy that contains at least two metals and can be used as a substrate for a superconductor is disclosed. The alloy can contain an oxide former. The alloy can have a biaxial or cube texture. The substrate can be used in a multilayer superconductor, which can further include one or more buffer layers disposed between the substrate and the superconductor material. The alloys can be made a by process that involves first rolling the alloy then annealing the alloy. A relatively large volume percentage of the alloy can be formed of grains having a biaxial or cube texture.

Improved high-frequency equivalent circuit model based on distributed effects for SiGe HBTs with CBE layout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Ya-Bin; Li Xiao-Jin; Zhang Jin-Zhong; Shi Yan-Ling

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present an improved high-frequency equivalent circuit for SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with a CBE layout, where we consider the distributed effects along the base region. The actual device structure is divided into three parts: a link base region under a spacer oxide, an intrinsic transistor region under the emitter window, and an extrinsic base region. Each region is considered as a two-port network, and is composed of a distributed resistance and capacitance. We solve the admittance parameters by solving the transmission-line equation. Then, we obtain the small-signal equivalent circuit depending on the reasonable approximations. Unlike previous compact models, in our proposed model, we introduce an additional internal base node, and the intrinsic base resistance is shifted into this internal base node, which can theoretically explain the anomalous change in the intrinsic bias-dependent collector resistance in the conventional compact model. (paper)

Novel magnesium alloy Mg–2La caused no cytotoxic effects on cells in physiological conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weizbauer, Andreas, E-mail: weizbauer.andreas@mh-hannover.de [Laboratory for Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Anna-von-Borries-Straße 1-7, 30625 Hannover (Germany); CrossBIT, Center for Biocompatibility and Implant-Immunology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 31, 30625 Hannover (Germany); Seitz, Jan-Marten [Institute of Materials Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, An der Universität 2, 30823 Garbsen (Germany); Werle, Peter [ABB AG, Trafoweg 4, 06112 Halle (Germany); Hegermann, Jan [Institute of Functional and Applied Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover (Germany); Willbold, Elmar [Laboratory for Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Anna-von-Borries-Straße 1-7, 30625 Hannover (Germany); CrossBIT, Center for Biocompatibility and Implant-Immunology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 31, 30625 Hannover (Germany); Eifler, Rainer [Institute of Materials Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, An der Universität 2, 30823 Garbsen (Germany); Windhagen, Henning [Laboratory for Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Anna-von-Borries-Straße 1-7, 30625 Hannover (Germany); Reifenrath, Janin [Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover (Germany); Waizy, Hazibullah [Laboratory for Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Anna-von-Borries-Straße 1-7, 30625 Hannover (Germany)

2014-08-01

Using several different in vitro assays, a new biodegradable magnesium alloy Mg–2La, composed of 98% magnesium and 2% lanthanum, was investigated as a possible implant material for biomedical applications. An in vitro cytotoxicity test, according to EN ISO 10993-5/12, with L929 and human osteoblastic cells identified no toxic effects on cell viability at physiological concentrations (at 50% dilutions and higher). The metabolic activity of human osteoblasts in the 100% extract was decreased to < 70% and was therefore rated as cytotoxic. The degradation rates of Mg–2La were evaluated in phosphate buffered saline and four different cell culture media. The degradation rates were shown to be influenced by the composition of the solution, and the addition of fetal bovine serum slightly accelerated the corrosive process. The results of these in vitro experiments suggest that Mg–2La is a promising candidate for use as an orthopedic implant material. - Highlights: • A new magnesium alloy (Mg–2La) has been developed. • Magnesium alloy Mg–2La revealed no toxic effect in physiological concentrations. • Degradation rates were influenced by the corrosion media. • The addition of fetal bovine serum increased the corrosive process slightly.

Novel magnesium alloy Mg–2La caused no cytotoxic effects on cells in physiological conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weizbauer, Andreas; Seitz, Jan-Marten; Werle, Peter; Hegermann, Jan; Willbold, Elmar; Eifler, Rainer; Windhagen, Henning; Reifenrath, Janin; Waizy, Hazibullah

2014-01-01

Using several different in vitro assays, a new biodegradable magnesium alloy Mg–2La, composed of 98% magnesium and 2% lanthanum, was investigated as a possible implant material for biomedical applications. An in vitro cytotoxicity test, according to EN ISO 10993-5/12, with L929 and human osteoblastic cells identified no toxic effects on cell viability at physiological concentrations (at 50% dilutions and higher). The metabolic activity of human osteoblasts in the 100% extract was decreased to < 70% and was therefore rated as cytotoxic. The degradation rates of Mg–2La were evaluated in phosphate buffered saline and four different cell culture media. The degradation rates were shown to be influenced by the composition of the solution, and the addition of fetal bovine serum slightly accelerated the corrosive process. The results of these in vitro experiments suggest that Mg–2La is a promising candidate for use as an orthopedic implant material. - Highlights: • A new magnesium alloy (Mg–2La) has been developed. • Magnesium alloy Mg–2La revealed no toxic effect in physiological concentrations. • Degradation rates were influenced by the corrosion media. • The addition of fetal bovine serum increased the corrosive process slightly

Dilution refrigeration with multiple mixing chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coops, G.M.

1981-01-01

A dilution refrigerator is an instrument to reach temperatures in the mK region in a continuous way. The temperature range can be extended and the cooling power can be enlarged by adding an extra mixing chamber. In this way we obtain a double mixing chamber system. In this thesis the theory of the multiple mixing chamber is presented and tested on its validity by comparison with the measurements. Measurements on a dilution refrigerator with a circulation rate up to 2.5 mmol/s are also reported. (Auth.)

Effects of biodegradable Mg–6Zn alloy extracts on apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhanhui; Yan Jun; Li Jianan; Zheng Qi; Wang Zhigang; Zhang Xiaonong; Zhang Shaoxiang

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We evaluated the effects of Mg–6Zn alloys on apoptosis of IEC-6 cells. ► The apoptosis was evaluated by investigating the expression of caspase-1 and Bcl-2. ► The IEC-6 cells displayed better cell functions in 60% or 20% extract. ► The conspicuous alkaline environment is disadvantageous to apoptosis of IEC cells. ► The excessive Mg concentration is disadvantageous to apoptosis of IEC-6 cells. - Abstract: In this study, intestinal epithelial cells (IEC)-6 were cultured in different concentration extracts of Mg–6Zn alloys for different time periods. To achieve a total of three concentrations (100%, 60% and 20% concentration), the extracts were serially diluted with Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium High Glucose to observe a dose–response relationship. We studied the indirect effects of Mg–6Zn alloys on IEC-6 cells apoptosis. The apoptosis of IEC-6 cells was measured using flow cytometry. And the apoptosis of IEC-6 cells was evaluated by investigating the expression of caspase-1and Bcl-2 using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting tests. It was found that the levels of apoptosis in IEC-6 cells cultured in 100% Mg–6Zn alloy extracts were significantly higher than those in 60% and 20% extracts; the 100% extract can down-regulate expression of Bcl-2 after culture. The in vitro results indicated that the conspicuous alkaline environment and excessive Mg concentration, even Zn concentration caused by rapid corrosion of Mg–6Zn alloys promote IEC-6 cells apoptosis, although further experiments will be necessary to formally prove our conclusions. Therefore, the adjustment of the degradation rate is needed for using Mg–Zn alloy as a surgical suture material.

Sugar yields from dilute oxalic acid pretreatment of maple wood compared to those with other dilute acids and hot water.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Taiying; Kumar, Rajeev; Wyman, Charles E

2013-01-30

Dilute oxalic acid pretreatment was applied to maple wood to improve compatibility with downstream operations, and its performance in pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis was compared to results for hydrothermal and dilute hydrochloric and sulfuric acid pretreatments. The highest total xylose yield of ∼84% of the theoretical maximum was for both 0.5% oxalic and sulfuric acid pretreatment at 160 °C, compared to ∼81% yield for hydrothermal pretreatment at 200 °C and for 0.5% hydrochloric acid pretreatment at 140 °C. The xylooligomer fraction from dilute oxalic acid pretreatment was only 6.3% of the total xylose in solution, similar to results with dilute hydrochloric and sulfuric acids but much lower than the ∼70% value for hydrothermal pretreatment. Combining any of the four pretreatments with enzymatic hydrolysis with 60 FPU cellulase/g of glucan plus xylan in the pretreated maple wood resulted in virtually the same total glucose plus xylose yields of ∼85% of the maximum possible. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SiGe HBT cryogenic preamplification for higher bandwidth donor spin read-out

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Matthew; Carr, Stephen; Ten-Eyck, Greg; Wendt, Joel; Pluym, Tammy; Lilly, Michael; Carroll, Malcolm

2014-03-01

Single-shot read-out of a donor spin can be performed using the response of a single-electron-transistor (SET). This technique can produce relatively large changes in current, on the order of 1 (nA), to distinguish between the spin states. Despite the relatively large signal, the read-out time resolution has been limited to approximately 100 (kHz) of bandwidth because of noise. Cryogenic pre-amplification has been shown to extend the response of certain detection circuits to shorter time resolution and thus higher bandwidth. We examine a SiGe HBT circuit configuration for cryogenic preamplification, which has potential advantages over commonly used HEMT configurations. Here we present 4 (K) measurements of a circuit consisting of a Silicon-SET inline with a Heterojunction-Bipolar-Transistor (HBT). We compare the measured bandwidth with and without the HBT inline and find that at higher frequencies the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) with the HBT inline exceeds the SNR without the HBT inline. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences user facility. The work was supported by the Sandia National Laboratories Directed Research and Development Program. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Suspended mid-infrared fiber-to-chip grating couplers for SiGe waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Favreau, Julien; Durantin, Cédric; Fédéli, Jean-Marc; Boutami, Salim; Duan, Guang-Hua

2016-03-01

Silicon photonics has taken great importance owing to the applications in optical communications, ranging from short reach to long haul. Originally dedicated to telecom wavelengths, silicon photonics is heading toward circuits handling with a broader spectrum, especially in the short and mid-infrared (MIR) range. This trend is due to potential applications in chemical sensing, spectroscopy and defense in the 2-10 μm range. We previously reported the development of a MIR photonic platform based on buried SiGe/Si waveguide with propagation losses between 1 and 2 dB/cm. However the low index contrast of the platform makes the design of efficient grating couplers very challenging. In order to achieve a high fiber-to-chip efficiency, we propose a novel grating coupler structure, in which the grating is locally suspended in air. The grating has been designed with a FDTD software. To achieve high efficiency, suspended structure thicknesses have been jointly optimized with the grating parameters, namely the fill factor, the period and the grating etch depth. Using the Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) method we obtained a configuration where the fiber-to-waveguide efficiency is above 57 %. Moreover the optical transition between the suspended and the buried SiGe waveguide has been carefully designed by using an Eigenmode Expansion software. Transition efficiency as high as 86 % is achieved.

Total dose effects on the shallow-trench isolation leakage current characteristics in a 0.35microm SiGe BiCMOS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu, G.; Mathew, S.J.; Banerjee, G.; Cressler, J.D.; Clark, S.D.; Palmer, M.J.; Subbanna, S.

1999-01-01

The effects of gamma irradiation on the Shallow-Trench Isolation (STI) leakage currents in a SiGe BiCMOS technology are investigated for the first time, and shown to be strongly dependent on the irradiation gate bias and operating substrate bias. A positive irradiation gate bias significantly enhances the STI leakage, suggesting a strong field assisted nature of the charge buildup process in the STI. Numerical simulations also suggest the existence of fixed positive charges deep in the bulk along the STI/Si interface. A negative substrate bias, however, effectively suppresses the STI leakage, and can be used to eliminate the leakage produced by the charges deep in the bulk under irradiation

Study of point defect clustering in electron and ion irradiated zirconium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellio, C.; Boulanger, L.

1986-09-01

Dislocation loops created by 500 keV Zr + ions and 1 MeV electrons in zirconium have a/3 type Burgers vectors, and in ion irradiated samples, loops lie preferentially on planes close to (1010). From in-situ observations of loop growth under 1 MeV electron irradiation in zirconium and dilute Zr (Nb,O) alloys, a strong increase of the vacancy migration energy with oxygen concentration was observed, from 0.72 eV for pure zirconium to 1.7 eV for Zr and Zr-1% Nb doped with 1800 ppm weight oxygen, indicating large trapping of vacancies by O single interstitials or clusters

Dilution Ratios for HB Line Phase I Eductor System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steimke, J.L.

2002-01-01

HB Line Phase I product transfer includes an eductor which transfers liquid from Product Hold Tank (PHT) RT-33 or RT-34 to Tank 11.1. The eductor also dilutes the liquid from the PHT with eductant. Dilution must be reliably controlled because of criticality concerns with H Canyon Tanks. The eductor system, which contains a 1 inch Model 264 Schutte and Koerting eductor, was previously modeled [1] in 1998 and dilution ratios were calculated for different flow restrictors, eductant pressures and densities for the eductant and the contents of the PHT. The previous calculation was performed using spreadsheet software no longer supported at SRS. For the previous work dilution ratio was defined as the volume of eductant consumed divided by volume of PHT contents transferred. Since 1998 HB Line Engineering has changed the definition of dilution ratio to the total volume of liquid, eductant consumed plus the volume of PHT liquid transferred, divided by the volume of PHT liquid transferred. The 1998 base case calculation was for a restrictor diameter of 0.334 inches, an eductant supply pressure of 15 psig, full PHT, an eductant specific gravity of 1.385 and a PHT density of 1.015. The base case dilution ratio calculated in 1998 using the current definition was 3.52. After accounting for uncertainty the minimum dilution ratio decreased to 3.23. In 2001 HB Line Engineering requested that the calculation be repeated for a manganous nitrate solution eductant and also a process water eductant. The other conditions were the same as for the 1998 calculation. The objective of this report is to document the calculations and the results

Cytotoxicity studies of AZ31D alloy and the effects of carbon dioxide on its biodegradation behavior in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jiali, E-mail: wangjialicsu@yahoo.cn [Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China); Qin, Ling [Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR (China); Wang, Kai [School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208 (China); Wang, Jue; Yue, Ye [Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Li, Yangde [Guangdong Innovation Team for Biodegradable Magnesium and Medical Implants, E-ande, Dongguan 523660 (China); Tang, Jian [Center for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Li, Weirong [Guangdong Innovation Team for Biodegradable Magnesium and Medical Implants, E-ande, Dongguan 523660 (China)

2013-10-01

Magnesium alloys have been advocated as potential artificial bone materials due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. The understanding of their corrosive mechanism in physiological environments is therefore essential for making application-orientated designs. Thus, this in vitro study was designed to assess the effects of CO{sub 2} on corrosive behavior of AZ31D to mimic in vivo special ingredient. Electrochemical technologies accompanied with Scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Energy dispersive spectroscopy and hydrogen evolution measurement were employed to analyze corrosive rates and mechanisms of AZ31D. Moreover, the biocompatibility of AZ31D was assessed with a direct cell attachment assay and an indirect cytotoxicity test in different diluted extracts. The ion concentrations in extracts were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to offer explanations on the differences of cell viability in the indirect test. The results of the direct cytotoxicity assay showed that the corrosive rate of AZ31D was too rapid to allow for cell adhesion. Extracts diluted less than 20 times would cause adverse effects on cell proliferation, likely due to excessive ions and gas release. Moreover, the presence of CO{sub 2} did not cause significant differences on corrosive behavior of AZ31D according to the results of electrochemical testing and hydrogen evolution measurement. This might be caused by the simultaneous process of precipitation and dissolution of MgCO{sub 3} due to the penetration role of CO{sub 2}. This analysis of corrosive atmospheres on the degradation behavior of magnesium alloys would contribute to the design of more scientific in vitro testing systems in the future. - Highlights: • We evaluate the effects of CO{sub 2} on corrosion behavior of magnesium alloys. • We assess the feasibility of commercial AZ31D alloy as potential implants. • CO{sub 2} is not the key factor to minimize

Formation and evolution of nanoporous bimetallic Ag-Cu alloy by electrochemically dealloying Mg-(Ag-Cu)-Y metallic glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ran; Wu, Na; Liu, Jijuan; Jin, Yu; Chen, Xiao-Bo; Zhang, Tao

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Uniform nanoporous Ag-Cu alloy was fabricated by dealloying Mg-based metallic glass. • The nanoporous structure was built up with numerous Ag-Cu ligaments. • The nanoporous ligaments show two-stage coarsening behavior with dealloying time. • The formation and evolution mechanisms of the nanoporous structure were clarified. • It could provide new guidance to the synthesis of nanoporous multi-component alloys. - Abstract: A three-dimensional nanoporous bimetallic Ag-Cu alloy with uniform chemical composition has been fabricated by dealloying Mg_6_5Ag_1_2_._5Cu_1_2_._5Y_1_0 metallic glass in dilute (0.04 M) H_2SO_4 aqueous solution under free-corrosion conditions. The nanoporous Ag-Cu evolves through two distinct stages. First, ligaments of the nanoporous structure, consisting of supersaturated Ag(Cu) solid solution with a constant Ag/Cu mole ratio of 1:1, are yielded. Second, with excessive immersion, some Cu atoms separate from the metastable nanoporous matrix and form spherical Cu particles on the sample surface. Formation and evolution mechanisms of the nanoporous structure are proposed.

Behaviour of humic-bentonite aggregates in diluted suspensions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Formation and disaggregation of micron-size aggregates in a diluted suspension made up of HSs and bentonite (B) were studied by tracing distribution of aggregate sizes and their counts in freshly prepared and aged suspensions, and at high (10 000) and low (1.0) [HS]/[B] ratios. Diluted HSB suspensions are unstable ...

Ge-rich graded-index Si1-xGex devices for MID-IR integrated photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, J. M.; Vakarin, V.; Liu, Q.; Frigerio, J.; Ballabio, A.; Le Roux, X.; Benedikovic, D.; Alonso-Ramos, C.; Isella, G.; Vivien, L.; Marris-Morini, D.

2018-02-01

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) silicon photonics is becoming a prominent research with remarkable potential in several applications such as in early medical diagnosis, safe communications, imaging, food safety and many more. In the quest for the best material platform to develop new photonic systems, Si and Ge depart with a notable advantage over other materials due to the high processing maturity accomplished during the last part of the 20th century through the deployment of the CMOS technology. From an optical viewpoint, combining Si with Ge to obtain SiGe alloys with controlled stoichiometry is also of interest for the photonic community since permits to increase the effective refractive index and the nonlinear parameter, providing a fascinating playground to exploit nonlinear effects. Furthermore, using Ge-rich SiGe gives access to a range of deep mid-IR wavelengths otherwise inaccessible (λ 2-20 μm). In this paper, we explore for the first time the limits of this approach by measuring the spectral loss characteristic over a broadband wavelength range spanning from λ = 5.5 μm to 8.5 μm. Three different SiGe waveguide platforms are compared, each one showing higher compactness than the preceding through the engineering of the vertical Ge profile, giving rise to different confinement characteristics to the propagating modes. A flat propagation loss characteristic of 2-3 dB/cm over the entire wavelength span is demonstrated in Ge-rich graded-index SiGe waveguides of only 6 μm thick. Also, the role of the overlap fraction of the confined optical mode with the Si-rich area at the bottom side of the epitaxial SiGe waveguide is put in perspective, revealing a lossy characteristic compared to the other designs were the optical mode is located in the Ge-rich area at the top of the waveguide uniquely. These Ge-rich graded-index SiGe waveguides may pave the way towards a new generation of photonic integrated circuits operating at deep mid-IR wavelengths.

Diluted magnetic semiconductor nanowires exhibiting magnetoresistance

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Peidong [El Cerrito, CA; Choi, Heonjin [Seoul, KR; Lee, Sangkwon [Daejeon, KR; He, Rongrui [Albany, CA; Zhang, Yanfeng [El Cerrito, CA; Kuykendal, Tevye [Berkeley, CA; Pauzauskie, Peter [Berkeley, CA

2011-08-23

A method for is disclosed for fabricating diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) nanowires by providing a catalyst-coated substrate and subjecting at least a portion of the substrate to a semiconductor, and dopant via chloride-based vapor transport to synthesize the nanowires. Using this novel chloride-based chemical vapor transport process, single crystalline diluted magnetic semiconductor nanowires Ga.sub.1-xMn.sub.xN (x=0.07) were synthesized. The nanowires, which have diameters of .about.10 nm to 100 nm and lengths of up to tens of micrometers, show ferromagnetism with Curie temperature above room temperature, and magnetoresistance up to 250 Kelvin.

Non-equilibrium GaNAs Alloys with Band Gap Ranging from 0.8-3.4 eV

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

isova- lent atoms substitute more electronegative host atoms as occurs in the dilute N-rich GaN1-xAsx alloys. In this case due to the substantial...6]. In this study low temperature MBE (LT-MBE) has been employed to overcome the mis- cibility gap in the GaN1-xAsx, allowing the synthesis of GaN1...600 °C. The same active N flux with the total N beam equivalent pressure ( BEP ) ~1.5 10-5 Torr and the same deposition time (2hr) were used for the

Electronic tuning of the transport properties of off-stoichiometric Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1−x}Te thermoelectric alloys by Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} doping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guttmann, Gilad M. [The Unit of Energy Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Dadon, David [Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Gelbstein, Yaniv [The Unit of Energy Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel)

2015-08-14

The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1−x}Te alloys by tuning of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZTs, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb{sub 0.5}Sn{sub 0.5}Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected.

Amorphous-crystalline interface evolution during Solid Phase Epitaxy Regrowth of SiGe films amorphized by ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Angelo, D.; Piro, A.M.; Mirabella, S.; Bongiorno, C.; Romano, L.; Terrasi, A.; Grimaldi, M.G.

2007-01-01

Transmission Electron Microscopy was combined with Time Resolved Reflectivity to study the amorphous-crystalline (a-c) interface evolution during Solid Phase Epitaxy Regrowth (SPER) of Si 0.83 Ge 0.17 films deposited on Si by Molecular Beam Epitaxy and amorphized with Ge + ion implantation. Starting from the Si/SiGe interface, a 20 nm thick layer regrows free of defects with the same SPER rate of pure Si. The remaining SiGe regrows with planar defects and dislocations, accompanied by a decrease of the SPER velocity. The sample was also studied after implantation with B or P. In these cases, the SPER rate raises following the doping concentration profile, but no difference in the defect-free layer thickness was observed compared to the un-implanted sample. On the other hand, B or P introduction reduces the a-c interface roughness, while B-P co-implantation produces roughness comparable to the un-implanted sample

Plutonium determination by isotope dilution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, M.

1980-01-01

The principle is to add to a known amount of the analysed solution a known amount of a spike solution consisting of plutonium 242. The isotopic composition of the resulting mixture is then determined by surface ionization mass spectrometry, and the plutonium concentration in the solution is deduced, from this measurement. For irradiated fuels neutronic studies or for fissile materials balance measurements, requiring the knowledge of the ratio U/Pu or of concentration both uranium and plutonium, it is better to use the double spike isotope dilution method, with a spike solution of known 233 U- 242 Pu ratio. Using this method, the ratio of uranium to plutonium concentration in the irradiated fuel solution can be determined without any accurate measurement of the mixed amounts of sample and spike solutions. For fissile material balance measurements, the uranium concentration is determined by using single isotope dilution, and the plutonium concentration is deduced from the ratio Pu/U and U concentration. The main advantages of isotope dilution are its selectivity, accuracy and very high sensitivity. The recent improvements made to surface ionization mass spectrometers have considerably increased the precision of the measurements; a relative precision of about 0.2% to 0.3% is obtained currently, but it could be reduced to 0.1%, in the future, with a careful control of the experimental procedures. The detection limite is around 0.1 ppb [fr

Investigation on mechanical alloying process for v-cr-ti alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanciulescu, M.; Carlan, P.; Mihalache, M.; Bucsa, G.; Abrudeanu, M.; Galateanu, A.

2015-01-01

Mechanical alloying (MA) is an efficient approach for fabricating oxide-dispersion alloys and structural materials including vanadium alloys for fusion and fission application. Dissolution behaviour of the alloying elements is a key issue for optimizing the mechanical alloying process in fabricating vanadium alloys. This paper studies the MA process of V-4wt.%Cr-4wt.%Ti alloy. The outcomes of the MA powders in a planetary ball mill are reported in terms of powder particle size and morphology evolution and elemental composition. The impact of spark-plasma sintering process on the mechanically alloyed powder is analysed. An optimal set of sintering parameters, including the maximum temperature, the dwell time and the heating rate are determined. (authors)

Bubble formation upon crystallization of high nitrogen iron base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svyazhin, A.G.; Sivka, E.; Skuza, Z.

2000-01-01

A study is made into the conditions of nitrogen bubble formation during crystallization of unalloyed iron, alloys of Fe-O, Fe-O-S systems, steels 1Kh13, 0Kh18N9 and a two-phase Fe-11%Cr-1%Mo-0.2%V steel. It is revealed that the amount of bubbles in a high nitrogen steel casting increases with a degree of nitrogen supersaturation and decreases with a cooling rate growth and with a rise of surfactant concentration in the metal. In sound castings a nitrogen content can be increased due to a cooling rate growth, nitrogen dilution with inert gas, an increase of nitrogen pressure during crystallization as well as due to the introduction of such surfactants as sulphur, selenium, tellurium, tin [ru

Calculations for BDAS Setpoint with Non-conservative Boron Dilution Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hwan Soo; Shin, Ho Cheol; Kim, Yong Bae

2014-01-01

BDAS (Boron Dilution Alarm System) utilizes the ex-core detector instrumentation signals to detect a possible inadvertent boron dilution event during operation mode 3, 4, 5, 6. For boron dilution analysis, discrepancies in the active coolant volume and the assumed linearity of the ex-core instrumentation response were identified for CE type PWR and they were reported by NASL-04-02 These discrepancies have potential to impact to determine BDAS setpoint in a non-conservative manner Therefore, in this study, the calculation of BDAS setpoint with those discrepancies condition about OPR1000 was performed and analyzed for checking the safety of BDAS. The new BDAS setpoint is calculated with conservative condition which recommended from Westinghouse Electric Company. The setpoint of BDAS using non-linear ICRR curve decrease to about 5% compared to the setpoint of that using linear ICRR curve. And this effect of the non-linearity is to slightly delay the boron dilution alarm during the inadvertence boron dilution at mode 3, 4, and 5

Laser surface alloying of aluminium-transition metal alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almeida, A.

1998-04-01

Full Text Available Laser surface alloying has been used as a tool to produce hard and corrosion resistant Al-transition metal (TM alloys. Cr and Mo are particularly interesting alloying elements to produce stable highstrength alloys because they present low diffusion coefficients and solid solubility in Al. To produce Al-TM surface alloys a two-step laser process was developed: firstly, the material is alloyed using low scanning speed and secondly, the microstructure is modified by a refinement step. This process was used in the production of Al-Cr, Al-Mo and Al-Nb surface alloys by alloying Cr, Mo or Nb powder into an Al and 7175 Al alloy substrate using a CO₂ laser. This paper presents a review of the work that has been developed at Instituto Superior Tecnico on laser alloying of Al-TM alloys, over the last years.

En el presente trabajo se estudia la aleación superficial mediante láser de aluminio con metales de transición. El cromo y el molibdeno son particularmente interesantes porque producen aleaciones de alta resistencia y por el bajo coeficiente de difusión y solución sólida en aluminio. Para producir estas aleaciones se ha seguido un procedimiento desarrollado en dos partes. En primer lugar, el material se alea usando una baja velocidad de procesado y en segundo lugar la estructura se modifica mediante un refinamiento posterior. Este procedimiento se ha empleado en la producción de aleaciones Al-Cr, Al-Mo y Al-Nb mediante aleación con láser de CO₂ de polvos de Cr, Mo o Nb en aluminio y la aleación 7175. Este trabajo es una revisión del desarrollado en el Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa en los últimos años.

A Metallurgical Investigation of the Direct Energy Deposition Surface Repair of Ferrous Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Marya, Manuel; Singh, Virendra; Hascoet, Jean-Yves; Marya, Surendar

2018-02-01

Among additive manufacturing (AM) processes, the direct energy deposition (DED) by laser is explored to establish its applicability for the repair of ferrous alloys such as UNS G41400 low-alloy steel, UNS S41000 martensitic stainless steel, UNS S17400 precipitation-strengthened martensitic stainless steel, and UNS S32750 super-duplex stainless steel. Unlike plating, thermal spray, and conventional cladding weld, DED laser powder deposition offers potential advantages, e.g., thin deposits, limited dilutions, narrow heat-affected zones (HAZ), potentially improved surface properties. In this investigation, all AM deposits were completed with an IREPA CLAD™ system using a powder feed of UNS N06625, an alloy largely selected for its outstanding corrosion resistance. This investigation first addresses topological aspects of AM deposits (including visual imperfections) before focusing on changes in microstructure, microhardness, chemical composition across AM deposits and base materials. It has been established that dense, uniform, hard ( 300 HVN), crack-free UNS N06625-compliant AM deposits of fine dendritic microstructures are reliably produced. However, except for the UNS S32750 steel, a significant martensitic hardening was observed in the HAZs of UNS G41400 ( 650 HVN), UNS S41000 ( 500 HVN), and UNS S17400 ( 370 HVN). In summary, this investigation demonstrates that the DED laser repair of ferrous parts with UNS N06625 may restore damaged surfaces, but it also calls for cautions and complementary investigations for alloys experiencing a high HAZ hardening, for which industry standard recommendations are exceeded and lead to an increased risk of delayed cracking in corrosive environments.

Irradiation induced surface segregation in concentrated alloys: a contribution; Contribution a l`etude de la segregation de surface induite par irradiation dans les alliages concentres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grandjean, Y.

1996-12-31

A new computer modelization of irradiation induced surface segregation is presented together with some experimental determinations in binary and ternary alloys. The model we propose handles the alloy thermodynamics and kinetics at the same level of sophistication. Diffusion is described at the atomistic level and proceeds vis the jumps of point defects (vacancies, dumb-bell interstitials): the various jump frequencies depend on the local composition in a manner consistent with the thermodynamics of the alloy. For application to specific alloys, we have chosen the simplest statistical approximation: pair interactions in the Bragg Williams approximation. For a system which exhibits the thermodynamics and kinetics features of Ni-Cu alloys, the model generates the behaviour parameters (flux and temperature) and of alloy composition. Quantitative agreement with the published experimental results (two compositions, three temperatures) is obtained with a single set of parameters. Modelling austenitic steels used in nuclear industry requires taking into account the contribution of dumbbells to mass transport. The effects of this latter contribution are studied on a model of Ni-Fe. Interstitial trapping on dilute impurities is shown to delay or even suppress the irradiation induced segregation. Such an effect is indeed observed in the experiments we report on Fe{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} and Fe{sub 49}Ni{sub 50}Hf{sub 1} alloys. (author). 190 refs.

Size Control of Alloyed Cu-In-Zn-S Nanoflowers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björn Kempken

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Uniform, alloyed Cu-In-Zn-S nanoflowers with sizes of 11.5±2.1 nm and 31±5 nm composed of aggregated 4.1 nm and 5.6 nm primary crystallites, respectively, were obtained in a one-pot, heat-up reaction between copper, indium, and zinc acetate with tert-dodecanethiol in the presence of trioctylphosphine oxide. Larger aggregates were obtained by diluting tert-dodecanethiol with oleylamine, which lowered the reactivity of the indium and zinc precursors and led to the formation of copper rich particles. The thermal decomposition of tert-dodecanethiol stabilizing the primary crystallites induced their agglomeration, while the presence of trioctylphosphine oxide on the surface of the nanoflowers provided them with colloidal stability and prevented them from further aggregation.

Paradigms in isotope dilution mass spectrometry for elemental speciation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meija, Juris; Mester, Zoltan

2008-01-01

Isotope dilution mass spectrometry currently stands out as the method providing results with unchallenged precision and accuracy in elemental speciation. However, recent history of isotope dilution mass spectrometry has shown that the extent to which this primary ratio measurement method can deliver accurate results is still subject of active research. In this review, we will summarize the fundamental prerequisites behind isotope dilution mass spectrometry and discuss their practical limits of validity and effects on the accuracy of the obtained results. This review is not to be viewed as a critique of isotope dilution; rather its purpose is to highlight the lesser studied aspects that will ensure and elevate current supremacy of the results obtained from this method

Advances in research and development modeling of film deposition for microelectronic applications

CERN Document Server

Francombe, Maurice H

1997-01-01

Significant progress has occurred during the last few years in device technologies and these are surveyed in this new volume. Included are Si/(Si-Ge) heterojunctions for high-speed integrated circuits, Schottky-barrier arrays in Si and Si-Ge alloys for infrared imaging, III-V quantum-well detector structures operated in the heterodyne mode for high-data-rate communications, and III-V heterostructures and quantum-wells for infrared emissions.

Characteristics of mechanical alloying of Zn-Al-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Y.H.; Hong Kong Polytechnic; Perez Hernandez, A.; Lee, W.B.

2001-01-01

Three pure elemental powder mixtures of Zn-22%Al-18%Cu, Zn-5%Al-11%Cu, and Zn-27%Al-3%Cu (in wt.%) were mechanically alloyed by steel-ball milling processing. The mechanical alloying characteristics were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. It was explored that mechanical alloying started with the formation of phases from pure elemental powders, and this was followed by mechanical milling-induced phase transformation. During mechanical alloying, phases stable at the higher temperatures formed at the near room temperature of milling. Nano-structure Zn-Al-based alloys were produced by mechanical alloying. (orig.)

A Dilute-Limit Heat of Solution of 3d Transition Metals in Iron Studied with 57Fe Moessbauer Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chojcan, Jan

2004-01-01

The room-temperature 57 Fe Moessbauer spectra for binary iron-based solid solutions Fe 1-x D x with D=V, Cr, Mn and Co, were analysed in terms of binding energy E b between two D atoms in the Fe-D system. The extrapolated values of E b for x=0 were used for computation of the dilute-limit heat of solution of D metals in iron. The results were compared with those derived from calorimetric data concerning the heat of formation of the systems mentioned as well as with those resulting from the Miedema's model of alloys. The comparison shows that our Moessbauer spectroscopy findings are in a qualitative agreement with the available calorimetric data and they are at variance with corresponding Miedema's values for Fe-Mn and Fe-Co systems.

Simultaneous multielement analysis of zirconium alloys by chlorination separation of matrix/ICP-AES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Kaneharu

1990-01-01

An analytical method combined chlorination separation of matrix with ICP-AES has been developed for reactor grade Zr alloys (Zircaloy-2). A sample (1 g) is taken into a Pt boat and chlorinated with HCl gas of 100 ml/min in a glass reaction tube at ca. 330degC. Matrix Zr of the sample is volatilized and separated as ZrCl 4 . The analytic elements remaining quantitatively as chlorination residue are dissolved in a mixture of mineral acids (6 M HCl 3 ml+conc. HNO 3 0.5 ml+conc. H 2 SO 4 0.2 ml) and diluted to 20 ml with distilled water after filtration. ICP-AES was used for simultaneous multielement determination using a calibration curve method. The present method has the following advantages: simple sample preparation procedure; applicability to any form of samples to determine multielements; simple ICP-AES calibration procedure. This method was successfully applied to the determination of Fe, Ni, Cu, Co, Mn and Pb in the Zr alloys of JAERI CRM's and NBS SRM's. (author)

Measurement, modeling, and simulation of cryogenic SiGe HBT amplifier circuits for fast single spin readout

Science.gov (United States)

England, Troy; Curry, Matthew; Carr, Steve; Swartzentruber, Brian; Lilly, Michael; Bishop, Nathan; Carrol, Malcolm

2015-03-01

Fast, low-power quantum state readout is one of many challenges facing quantum information processing. Single electron transistors (SETs) are potentially fast, sensitive detectors for performing spin readout of electrons bound to Si:P donors. From a circuit perspective, however, their output impedance and nonlinear conductance are ill suited to drive the parasitic capacitance typical of coaxial conductors used in cryogenic environments, necessitating a cryogenic amplification stage. We will discuss calibration data, as well as modeling and simulation of cryogenic silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) circuits connected to a silicon SET and operating at 4 K. We find a continuum of solutions from simple, single-HBT amplifiers to more complex, multi-HBT circuits suitable for integration, with varying noise levels and power vs. bandwidth tradeoffs. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences user facility. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Quantifying the dilution effect for models in ecological epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, M G; Heesterbeek, J A P

2018-03-01

The dilution effect , where an increase in biodiversity results in a reduction in the prevalence of an infectious disease, has been the subject of speculation and controversy. Conversely, an amplification effect occurs when increased biodiversity is related to an increase in prevalence. We explore the conditions under which these effects arise, using multi species compartmental models that integrate ecological and epidemiological interactions. We introduce three potential metrics for quantifying dilution and amplification, one based on infection prevalence in a focal host species, one based on the size of the infected subpopulation of that species and one based on the basic reproduction number. We introduce our approach in the simplest epidemiological setting with two species, and show that the existence and strength of a dilution effect is influenced strongly by the choices made to describe the system and the metric used to gauge the effect. We show that our method can be generalized to any number of species and to more complicated ecological and epidemiological dynamics. Our method allows a rigorous analysis of ecological systems where dilution effects have been postulated, and contributes to future progress in understanding the phenomenon of dilution in the context of infectious disease dynamics and infection risk. © 2018 The Author(s).

Investigation of the Precipitation Behavior in Aluminum Based Alloys

KAUST Repository

Khushaim, Muna S.

2015-11-30

ternary Al-Li-Cu alloys. Atom probe tomography and statistical testing are combined to investigate the fine scale segregation effects of dilute solutes in aluminum alloys. The optimum application of atom probe tomography in a wide range of materials is enabled by the integration of a laser pulse mode in the atom probe analysis. However, the nature of the laser mechanism used during atom probe tomography analyses is still debated. Systematic investigation of the microstructural change of δ′(Al3Li) precipitates influenced by different pulsed laser energies are used to describe the important phenome associated with the laser pulse mode. In this study, atom probe tomography presented a series of snapshots during in-situ reversion of ′(Al3Li) precipitates, initiated by laser irradiation, using different laser energies for the first time. An estimation method to investigate real sample temperatures during laser-APT analyses using an interface reaction itself as a probe has been proposed. Finally, the considerable potential of aluminum liquid is demonstrated as a powerful synthesis solvent of important intermetallic phases such as: Mg2Si, Al2Mg and CaMgSi .The atom probe tomography technique is utilized to characterize the intermediate reaction steps of the flux-grown intermetallic phases. The study proposed a direct approach to investigate the involved reactions during the formation of the synthesized intermetallic phase.

Multi-element isotope dilution analyses using ICP-MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volpe, A.M.

1996-01-01

Presently, 37 elements ranging from light (Li,B) through transition metals, noble, rare earth and heavy elements, to actinides and transuranics (Pu, Am, Cm) are measured by isotope dilution at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Projects range from geological and hydrological to biological. The research goal is to measure accurately many elements present in diverse matrices at trace (ppb) levels using isotope dilution methods. Major advantages of isotope dilution methods are accuracy, elimination of ion intensity calibration, and quantitation for samples that require chemical separation. Accuracy depends on tracer isotope calibration, tracer-sample isotopic equilibration, and appropriate background, isobaric and mass bias corrections. Propagation of isotope ratio error due to improper tracer isotope addition is a major concern with multi-element analyses when abundances vary widely. 11 refs., 3 figs

Electrode kinetics of ethanol oxidation on novel CuNi alloy supported catalysts synthesized from PTFE suspension