Specific features of phase transformations in germanium monotelluride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigvava, A.D.; Gabedava, A.A.; Kunchuliya, Eh.D.; Shvangiradze, R.R.

1981-01-01

Phase transformations in germanium monotelluride are studied . using DRON-0.5 and DRON-1 plants with high-temperature chamber GPVT-1500 at Cu, Ksub(α) radiation. It is shown that in the whole homogeneity range α GeTe is a metastable phase which is formed under the conditions of fast cooling of alloy from temperatures >=Tsub(cub) (temperature of transition in cubic crystal system). An equilibrium γ-phase is obtained by annealing of dispersed powders and metal-ceramic specimens of alloys with 50.3; 50.6; 50.9 at % Te. Lattice parameters of rhombic γ-phase do not depend on tellurium content in initial α- phase. α→γ transformation is observed at any temperature less than Tsub(cub) with the change of alloy composition, namely tellurium precipitation. γ-phase transforms into β at higher temperatures than α-phase [ru

Germanium content and base doping level influence on extrinsic base resistance and dynamic performances of SiGe:C heterojunction bipolar transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez-Garcia, E; Valdez-Monroy, L A; Rodriguez-Mendez, L M; Valdez-Perez, D; Galaz-Larios, M C; Enciso-Aguilar, M A; Zerounian, N; Aniel, F

2014-01-01

We describe a reliable technique to separate the different contributions to the apparent base resistance (R B  = R Bx  + X R Bi ) of silicon germanium carbon (SiGe:C) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The extrinsic base resistance (R Bx ) is quantified using small-signal measurements. The base-collector junction distribution factor (X) and the intrinsic base resistance (R Bi ) are extracted from high frequency noise (MWN) measurements. This method is applied to five different SiGe:C HBTs varying in base doping level and germanium content. The results show that high doping levels improve high frequency noise performances while germanium gradient helps to maintain outstanding dynamic performances. This method could be used to elucidate the base technological configuration that ensures low noise together with remarkable dynamic performances in state-of-the-art SiGe:C HBTs. (paper)

Synthesis, Processing, and Thermoelectric Properties of Germanium-Antimony-Tellurium Based Compounds and Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jared Brett

Society has become increasingly more aware of the negative impacts which nonrenewable energy sources have on the environment, and therefore the search for new and more efficient means of energy production has become an important research endeavor. Thermoelectric modules possess the unique ability to convert wasted heat into useful electrical energy via solid state processes, which could vastly improve the efficiency of a number of applications. The materials which accomplish this are typically comprised of semiconductors which exhibit high electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal resistivity. Together these properties give us a gauge for the overall efficiency of the thermal to electrical energy conversion. Phase change materials are a class of materials primarily used for optical data storage in CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs. Today's state of the art phase change materials are based on alloys of GeTe and Sb2Te3. These materials have also been found to exhibit high thermoelectric efficiencies. These high efficiencies stem from their complex crystal structure and degenerate semiconducting nature. The purpose of this work was to study and engineer the thermoelectric properties of various alloys and compounds which belong to this family of materials. Specifically studied were the compounds Ge4SbTe5 and Ge17Sb2Te20. In each case various synthesis and processing strategies were implemented to increase the thermoelectric performance and better understand the fundamental electrical and thermal properties. Finally various proposals for future work on these materials are presented, all of which are based on the findings described herein.

Mesostructured metal germanium sulfides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacLachlan, M.J.; Coombs, N.; Bedard, R.L.; White, S.; Thompson, L.K.; Ozin, G.A.

1999-12-29

A new class of mesostructured metal germanium sulfide materials has been prepared and characterized. The synthesis, via supramolecular assembly of well-defined germanium sulfide anionic cluster precursors and transition-metal cations in formamide, represents a new strategy for the formation of this class of solids. A variety of techniques were employed to examine the structure and composition of the materials. Structurally, the material is best described as a periodic mesostructured metal sulfide-based coordination framework akin to periodic hexagonal mesoporous silica, MCM-41. At the molecular scale, the materials strongly resemble microstructured metal germanium sulfides, in which the structure of the [Ge{sub 4}S{sub 10}]{sup 4{minus}} cluster building-blocks are intact and linked via {mu}-S-M-S bonds. Evidence for a metal-metal bond in mesostructured Cu/Ge{sub 4}S{sub 10} is also provided.

Interaction between radiation-induced defects and lithium impurity atoms in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasil'eva, E.D.; Daluda, Yu.N.; Emtsev, V.V.; Kervalishvili, P.D.; Mashovets, T.V.

1981-01-01

The effect of gamma radiation on germanium doped with lithium in the course of extraction from a melt was studied. 60 Co γ-ray irradiation with the 6.2x10 12 cm -2 x1 -1 intensity was performed at 300 K. The temperature dependences of conductivity and Hall effect was studied in the 4.2-300 K range. It was shown that using this alloying technique lithium atoms in germanium were in a ''free'' state. It was found that on irradiation the lithium atom concentration decreases as a result of production of electrically inactive complexes with participation of lithium atoms. Besides this principal process secondary ones are observed: production of radiation donor-defects with the ionization energy Esub(c) of 80 MeV and compensating acceptors

Si-Based Germanium Tin Semiconductor Lasers for Optoelectronic Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Kabi, Sattar H. Sweilim

Silicon-based materials and optoelectronic devices are of great interest as they could be monolithically integrated in the current Si complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. The integration of optoelectronic components on the CMOS platform has long been limited due to the unavailability of Si-based laser sources. A Si-based monolithic laser is highly desirable for full integration of Si photonics chip. In this work, Si-based germanium-tin (GeSn) lasers have been demonstrated as direct bandgap group-IV laser sources. This opens a completely new avenue from the traditional III-V integration approach. In this work, the material and optical properties of GeSn alloys were comprehensively studied. The GeSn films were grown on Ge-buffered Si substrates in a reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system with low-cost SnCl4 and GeH4 precursors. A systematic study was done for thin GeSn films (thickness 400 nm) with Sn composition 5 to 17.5%. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured that showed a gradual shift of emission peaks towards longer wavelength as Sn composition increases. Strong PL intensity and low defect density indicated high material quality. Moreover, the PL study of n-doped samples showed bandgap narrowing compared to the unintentionally p-doped (boron) thin films with similar Sn compositions. Finally, optically pumped GeSn lasers on Si with broad wavelength coverage from 2 to 3 mum were demonstrated using high-quality GeSn films with Sn compositions up to 17.5%. The achieved maximum Sn composition of 17.5% broke the acknowledged Sn incorporation limit using similar deposition chemistry. The highest lasing temperature was measured at 180 K with an active layer thickness as thin as 270 nm. The unprecedented lasing performance is due to the achievement of high material quality and a robust fabrication process. The results reported in this work show a major advancement towards Si-based electrically pumped mid

Superconductivity of tribolayers formed on germanium by friction between germanium and lead

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dukhovskoi, A.; Karapetyan, S.S.; Morozov, Y.G.; Onishchenko, A.S.; Petinov, V.I.; Ponomarev, A.N.; Silin, A.A.; Stepanov, B.M.; Tal' roze, V.L.

1978-04-05

A superconducting state was observed for the first time in tribolayers of germanium produced by friction of germanium with lead at 42 K. The maximum value of T/sub c/ obtained in the experiment was 19 K, which is much higher than T/sub c/ of bulk lead itself or of lead films sputtered on germanium.

High-Performance Silicon-Germanium-Based Thermoelectric Modules for Gas Exhaust Energy Scavenging

Science.gov (United States)

Romanjek, K.; Vesin, S.; Aixala, L.; Baffie, T.; Bernard-Granger, G.; Dufourcq, J.

2015-06-01

Some of the energy used in transportation and industry is lost as heat, often at high-temperatures, during conversion processes. Thermoelectricity enables direct conversion of heat into electricity, and is an alternative to the waste-heat-recovery technology currently used, for example turbines and other types of thermodynamic cycling. The performance of thermoelectric (TE) materials and modules has improved continuously in recent decades. In the high-temperature range ( T hot side > 500°C), silicon-germanium (SiGe) alloys are among the best TE materials reported in the literature. These materials are based on non-toxic elements. The Thermoelectrics Laboratory at CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives) has synthesized n and p-type SiGe pellets, manufactured TE modules, and integrated these into thermoelectric generators (TEG) which were tested on a dedicated bench with hot air as the source of heat. SiGe TE samples of diameter 60 mm were created by spark-plasma sintering. For n-type SiGe doped with phosphorus the peak thermoelectric figure of merit reached ZT = 1.0 at 700°C whereas for p-type SiGe doped with boron the peak was ZT = 0.75 at 700°C. Thus, state-of-the-art conversion efficiency was obtained while also achieving higher production throughput capacity than for competing processes. A standard deviation high reproducibility. A silver-paste-based brazing technique was used to assemble the TE elements into modules. This assembly technique afforded low and repeatable electrical contact resistance (high temperatures (up to 600°C), and thirty 20 mm × 20 mm TE modules were produced and tested. The results revealed the performance was reproducible, with power output reaching 1.9 ± 0.2 W for a 370 degree temperature difference. When the temperature difference was increased to 500°C, electrical power output increased to >3.6 W. An air-water heat exchanger was developed and 30 TE modules were clamped and connected electrically

Iron-based amorphous alloys and methods of synthesizing iron-based amorphous alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, Cheng Kiong; Bauer, William A.; Choi, Jor-Shan; Day, Dan; Farmer, Joseph C.

2016-05-03

A method according to one embodiment includes combining an amorphous iron-based alloy and at least one metal selected from a group consisting of molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, boron, gadolinium, nickel phosphorous, yttrium, and alloys thereof to form a mixture, wherein the at least one metal is present in the mixture from about 5 atomic percent (at %) to about 55 at %; and ball milling the mixture at least until an amorphous alloy of the iron-based alloy and the at least one metal is formed. Several amorphous iron-based metal alloys are also presented, including corrosion-resistant amorphous iron-based metal alloys and radiation-shielding amorphous iron-based metal alloys.

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

Synthesis and evaluation of germanium organometallic compounds as precursors for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and for obtaining nanoparticles of elemental germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballestero Martinez, Ernesto

2014-01-01

The interest in the development of materials having applications such as electronics areas or biomarkers has affected the synthesis of new compounds based on germanium. This element has had two common oxidation states, +4 and +2, of them, +2 oxidation state has been the least studied and more reactive. Additionally, compounds of germanium (II) have had similarities with carbenes regarding the chemical acid-base Lewis. The preparation of compounds of germanium (II) with ligands β-decimations has enabled stabilization of new chemical functionalities and, simultaneously, provided interesting thermal properties to develop new preparation methodologies of materials with novel properties. The preparation of amides germanium(II) L'Ge(NHPh) [1, L' = {HC (CMeN-2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 ) 2 }], L'Ge(4-NHPy) [2] L'Ge(2-NHPy) [3] and LGe(2-NHPy) [4, L = {HC(CMeN-2,6- i Pr 2 C 6 H 3 ) 2 }]; the structural chemical composition were determined using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H, 13 C), other techniques are treated: elemental analysis, melting point, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction of single crystal and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA has showed that 4-1 have experimented a thermal decomposition; therefore, these compounds could be considered as potential starting materials for obtaining germanium nitride (GeN x ). Certainly, the availability of nitrogen coordinating atoms in the chemical composition in 2-4 have been interesting because it could act as ligands in reactions with transition metal complexes. That way, information could be obtained at the molecular level for some reactions and interactions that in surface chemistry have used similar link sites, for example, chemical functionalization of silicon and germanium substrates. The synthesis and structural characterization of germanium chloride compound(II) L''GeCl [5, L'' = HC{(CMe) (N-2,6-Me 2 C 6 H 3 )} 2 ], which could be used later for the

Low temperature synthesis and electrical characterization of germanium doped Ti-based nanocrystals for nonvolatile memory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Li-Wei; Chang, Chun-Yen; Chang, Ting-Chang; Tu, Chun-Hao; Wang, Pai-Syuan; Lin, Chao-Cheng; Chen, Min-Chen; Huang, Hui-Chun; Gan, Der-Shin; Ho, New-Jin; Chen, Shih-Ching; Chen, Shih-Cheng

2011-01-01

Chemical and electrical characteristics of Ti-based nanocrystals containing germanium, fabricated by annealing the co-sputtered thin film with titanium silicide and germanium targets, were demonstrated for low temperature applications of nonvolatile memory. Formation and composition characteristics of nanocrystals (NCs) at various annealing temperatures were examined by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photon-emission spectroscopy, respectively. It was observed that the addition of germanium (Ge) significantly reduces the proposed thermal budget necessary for Ti-based NC formation due to the rise of morphological instability and agglomeration properties during annealing. NC structures formed after annealing at 500 °C, and separated well at 600 °C annealing. However, it was also observed that significant thermal desorption of Ge atoms occurs at 600 °C due to the sublimation of formatted GeO phase and results in a serious decrease of memory window. Therefore, an approach to effectively restrain Ge thermal desorption is proposed by encapsulating the Ti-based trapping layer with a thick silicon oxide layer before 600 °C annealing. The electrical characteristics of data retention in the sample with the 600 °C annealing exhibited better performance than the 500 °C-annealed sample, a result associated with the better separation and better crystallization of the NC structures.

The establishment of bed type germanium-based whole body counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, M.C.; Sun, C.L.; Yeh, W.W.

1996-01-01

A coaxial germanium detector was installed in a shadow-shield counter for the in-vivo measurement of γ emitters in the body. It is divided into two subparts, automatic liquid nitrogen transfer system and the Ge-based counting system. The automatic liquid nitrogen transfer system and a complete gamma spectroscopy software package were manufactured by EG and G ORTEC company. Some experiments were finished to get the optimum three setting parameters for how to operate the auto liquid nitrogen transfer system in good conditions. The filling interval should be setting at eight hours, the filling time should be setting at ten minutes, and the pressure of dewar should operate in a range from 14 to 26 PSI. The RMC-II phantom that is designed by Canberra company is used as standard man for all kinds of calibrations. The detector has resolutions that are less than 2.5 keV with an average of 1.87 keV for the 60 Co 1.33-MeV γ-ray peak. The efficiency value of thyroid geometry for four different organs is highest in the phantom. The resolution of the Germanium detector for measuring radioactivity in the body that is better than the sodium iodide detector is used to measure the internal depositions of radionuclide mixtures. So, the advantage of the germanium counter can just compensate the disadvantage of the NaI(TI) detector. The qualitative and quantitative analysis for whole body counting can keep in the best conditions if both whole body counters are operated at the same time for routine measurement purpose in the laboratory

Deposition and cyclic oxidation behavior of a protective (Mo,W)(Si,Ge) 2 coating on Nb-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, A.; Wang, G.

1992-01-01

A multicomponent diffusion coating has been developed to protect Nb-base alloys from high-temperature environmental attach. A solid solution of molybdenum and tungsten disilicide (Mo, W)Si 2 , constituted the primary coating layer which supported a slow-growing protective silica scale in service. Germanium additions were made during the coating process to improve the cyclic oxidation resistance by increasing the thermal expansion coefficient of the vitreous silica film formed and to avoid pesting by decreasing the viscosity of the protective film. In this paper, the development of the halide-activated pack cementation coating process to produce this (Mo,W)(Si,Ge) 2 coating on Nb-base alloys is described. The results of cyclic oxidation for coupons coated under different conditions in air at 1370 degrees C are presented. Many coupons have successfully passed 200 1 h cyclic oxidation tests at 1370 degrees C with weight-gain values in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 mg/cm 2

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

Germanium and indium

Science.gov (United States)

Shanks, W.C. Pat; Kimball, Bryn E.; Tolcin, Amy C.; Guberman, David E.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

2017-12-19

Germanium and indium are two important elements used in electronics devices, flat-panel display screens, light-emitting diodes, night vision devices, optical fiber, optical lens systems, and solar power arrays. Germanium and indium are treated together in this chapter because they have similar technological uses and because both are recovered as byproducts, mainly from copper and zinc sulfides.The world’s total production of germanium in 2011 was estimated to be 118 metric tons. This total comprised germanium recovered from zinc concentrates, from fly ash residues from coal burning, and from recycled material. Worldwide, primary germanium was recovered in Canada from zinc concentrates shipped from the United States; in China from zinc residues and coal from multiple sources in China and elsewhere; in Finland from zinc concentrates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and in Russia from coal.World production of indium metal was estimated to be about 723 metric tons in 2011; more than one-half of the total was produced in China. Other leading producers included Belgium, Canada, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. These five countries accounted for nearly 95 percent of primary indium production.Deposit types that contain significant amounts of germanium include volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits, sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits, Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc deposits (including Irish-type zinc-lead deposits), Kipushi-type zinc-lead-copper replacement bodies in carbonate rocks, and coal deposits.More than one-half of the byproduct indium in the world is produced in southern China from VMS and SEDEX deposits, and much of the remainder is produced from zinc concentrates from MVT deposits. The Laochang deposit in Yunnan Province, China, and the VMS deposits of the Murchison greenstone belt in Limpopo Province, South Africa, provide excellent examples of indium-enriched deposits. The SEDEX deposits at Bainiuchang, China (located in

Near-infrared emission from mesoporous crystalline germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boucherif, Abderraouf; Aimez, Vincent; Arès, Richard, E-mail: richard.ares@usherbrooke.ca [Institut Interdisciplinaire d’Innovation Technologique (3IT), Université de Sherbrooke, 3000 Boulevard Université, Sherbrooke, J1K OA5, Québec (Canada); Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystèmes (LN2)-CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000 Boulevard Université, Sherbrooke, J1K OA5, Québec (Canada); Korinek, Andreas [Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4M1 (Canada)

2014-10-15

Mesoporous crystalline germanium was fabricated by bipolar electrochemical etching of Ge wafer in HF-based electrolyte. It yields uniform mesoporous germanium layers composed of high density of crystallites with an average size 5-7 nm. Subsequent extended chemical etching allows tuning of crystallites size while preserving the same chemical composition. This highly controllable nanostructure exhibits photoluminescence emission above the bulk Ge bandgap, in the near-infrared range (1095-1360nm) with strong evidence of quantum confinement within the crystallites.

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

Lattice site and thermal stability of transition metals in germanium

CERN Document Server

Augustyns, Valérie; Pereira, Lino

Although the first transistor was based on germanium, current chip technology mainly uses silicon due to its larger abundance, a lower price and higher quality silicon-oxide. However, a very important goal in microelectronics is to obtain faster integrated circuits. The advantages of germanium compared to silicon (e.g. a higher mobility of the charge carriers) motivates further research on germanium based materials. Semiconductor doping (e.g. introducing impurities into silicon and germanium in order to alter - and control - their properties) can be done by ion implantation or by in situ doping, whereby the host material is doped during growth. This thesis focuses on introducing dopants by ion implantation. The implantation as well as the subsequent measurements were performed in ISOLDE (CERN) using the emission channeling technique. Although ion implantation generates undesired defects in the host material (e.g. vacancies), such damage can be reduced by performing the implantation at an elevated temperature....

Precipitation of lithium in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masaik, M.; Furgolle, B.

1969-01-01

The precipitation of Lithium in Germanium was studied. Taking account of the interactions Ga LI, LiO, we calculated the oxygen content in germanium samples from the resistivity measurements. (authors)

1-Dodecanethiol based highly stable self-assembled monolayers for germanium passivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Qi; Xu, Baojian; Ye, Lin; Di, Zengfeng; Huang, Shanluo; Du, Xiaowei; Zhang, Jishen; Jin, Qinghui; Zhao, Jianlong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A simple and effective approach for higly stable germanium passivation. • 1-Dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayers for germanium oxidation resistance. • The influence factors of germanium passivation were systematically studied. • The stability of the passivated Ge was more than 10 days even in water conditions. - Abstract: As a typical semiconductor material, germanium has the potential to replace silicon for future-generation microelectronics, due to its better electrical properties. However, the lack of stable surface state has limited its extensive use for several decades. In this work, we demonstrated highly stable self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Ge surface to prevent oxidization for further applications. After the pretreatment in hydrochloric acid, the oxide-free and Cl-terminated Ge could be further coated with 1-dodecanethiol (NDM) SAMs. The influence factors including reaction time, solvent component and reaction temperature were optimized to obtain stable passivated monolayer for oxidation resistance. Contact angle analysis, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to characterize the functionalized Ge surface respectively. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism and stability of thiols SAMs on Ge (1 1 1) surface were investigated. Finally, highly stable passivated NDM SAMs on Ge surface could be formed through immersing oxide-free Ge in mixture solvent (water/ethanol, v/v = 1:1) at appropriately elevated temperature (∼80 °C) for 24 h. And the corresponding optimized passivated Ge surface was stable for more than 10 days even in water condition, which was much longer than the data reported and paved the way for the future practical applications of Ge.

1-Dodecanethiol based highly stable self-assembled monolayers for germanium passivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Qi [State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A, Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049 (China); Xu, Baojian, E-mail: xbj@mail.sim.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Shanghai Internet of Things Co., LTD, No. 1455, Pingcheng Road, Shanghai 201899 (China); Ye, Lin [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A, Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049 (China); Di, Zengfeng [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Huang, Shanluo; Du, Xiaowei [State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A, Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang, Jishen; Jin, Qinghui [State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China); Zhao, Jianlong, E-mail: jlzhao@mail.sim.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 865, Changning Road, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2015-10-30

Highlights: • A simple and effective approach for higly stable germanium passivation. • 1-Dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayers for germanium oxidation resistance. • The influence factors of germanium passivation were systematically studied. • The stability of the passivated Ge was more than 10 days even in water conditions. - Abstract: As a typical semiconductor material, germanium has the potential to replace silicon for future-generation microelectronics, due to its better electrical properties. However, the lack of stable surface state has limited its extensive use for several decades. In this work, we demonstrated highly stable self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Ge surface to prevent oxidization for further applications. After the pretreatment in hydrochloric acid, the oxide-free and Cl-terminated Ge could be further coated with 1-dodecanethiol (NDM) SAMs. The influence factors including reaction time, solvent component and reaction temperature were optimized to obtain stable passivated monolayer for oxidation resistance. Contact angle analysis, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to characterize the functionalized Ge surface respectively. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism and stability of thiols SAMs on Ge (1 1 1) surface were investigated. Finally, highly stable passivated NDM SAMs on Ge surface could be formed through immersing oxide-free Ge in mixture solvent (water/ethanol, v/v = 1:1) at appropriately elevated temperature (∼80 °C) for 24 h. And the corresponding optimized passivated Ge surface was stable for more than 10 days even in water condition, which was much longer than the data reported and paved the way for the future practical applications of Ge.

Silicon-Germanium Front-End Electronics for Space-Based Radar Applications

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Over the past two decades, Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology has emerged as a strong platform for high-frequency...

New hydrogen donors in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pokotilo, Yu.M.; Petukh, A.N.; Litvinov, V.V.

2003-01-01

The electrophysical properties of the n-type conductivity germanium, irradiated through protons, is studied by the volt-farad method. It is shown that the heat treatment of the implanted germanium at the temperature of 200-300 deg C leads to formation of the fast-diffusing second-rate donors. It is established that the diffusion coefficient of the identified donors coincides with the diffusion coefficient of the atomic hydrogen with an account of the capture on the traps. The conclusion is made, that the atomic hydrogen is the second-rate donor center in germanium [ru

Radiation exposure during transmission measurements: comparison between CT- and germanium-based techniques with a current PET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Tung-Hsin; Huang, Yung-Hui; Lee, Jason J.S.; Wang, Shih-Yuan; Wang, Su-Cheng; Su, Cheng-Tau; Chen, Liang-Kung; Chu, Tieh-Chi

2004-01-01

In positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, transmission measurements for attenuation correction are commonly performed by using external germanium-68 rod sources. Recently, combined PET and computed tomographic (CT) scanners have been developed in which the CT data can be used for both anatomical-metabolic image formation and attenuation correction of the PET data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference between germanium- and CT-based transmission scanning in terms of their radiation doses by using the same measurement technique and to compare the doses that patients receive during brain, cardiac and whole-body scans. Measurement of absorbed doses to organs was conducted by using a Rando Alderson phantom with thermoluminescent dosimeters. Effective doses were calculated according to the guidelines in the International Commission on Radiation Protection Publication Number 60. Compared with radionuclide doses used in routine 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET imaging, doses absorbed during germanium-based transmission scans were almost negligible. On the other hand, absorbed doses from CT-based transmission scans were significantly higher, particularly with a whole-body scanning protocol. Effective doses were 8.81 mSv in the high-speed mode and 18.97 mSv in the high-quality mode for whole-body CT-based transmission scans. These measurements revealed that the doses received by a patient during CT-based transmission scanning are more than those received in a typical PET examination. Therefore, the radiation doses represent a limitation to the generalised use of CT-based transmission measurements with current PET/CT scanner systems. (orig.)

Bandgap-customizable germanium using lithographically determined biaxial tensile strain for silicon-compatible optoelectronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukhdeo, David S; Nam, Donguk; Kang, Ju-Hyung; Brongersma, Mark L; Saraswat, Krishna C

2015-06-29

Strain engineering has proven to be vital for germanium-based photonics, in particular light emission. However, applying a large permanent biaxial tensile strain to germanium has been a challenge. We present a simple, CMOS-compatible technique to conveniently induce a large, spatially homogenous strain in circular structures patterned within germanium nanomembranes. Our technique works by concentrating and amplifying a pre-existing small strain into a circular region. Biaxial tensile strains as large as 1.11% are observed by Raman spectroscopy and are further confirmed by photoluminescence measurements, which show enhanced and redshifted light emission from the strained germanium. Our technique allows the amount of biaxial strain to be customized lithographically, allowing the bandgaps of different germanium structures to be independently customized in a single mask process.

Zone refining high-purity germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubbard, G.S.; Haller, E.E.; Hansen, W.L.

1977-10-01

The effects of various parameters on germanium purification by zone refining have been examined. These parameters include the germanium container and container coatings, ambient gas and other operating conditions. Four methods of refining are presented which reproducibly yield 3.5 kg germanium ingots from which high purity (vertical barN/sub A/ - N/sub D/vertical bar less than or equal to2 x 10 10 cm -3 ) single crystals can be grown. A qualitative model involving binary and ternary complexes of Si, O, B, and Al is shown to account for the behavior of impurities at these low concentrations

Silver antimony Ohmic contacts to moderately doped n-type germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dumas, D. C. S.; Gallacher, K.; Millar, R.; Paul, D. J., E-mail: Douglas.Paul@glasgow.ac.uk [School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LT (United Kingdom); MacLaren, I. [SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Kelvin Building, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Myronov, M.; Leadley, D. R. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2014-04-21

A self doping contact consisting of a silver/antimony alloy that produces an Ohmic contact to moderately doped n-type germanium (doped to a factor of four above the metal-insulator transition) has been investigated. An evaporation of a mixed alloy of Ag/Sb (99%/1%) onto n-Ge (N{sub D}=1×10{sup 18} cm{sup −3}) annealed at 400 °C produces an Ohmic contact with a measured specific contact resistivity of (1.1±0.2)×10{sup −5} Ω-cm{sup 2}. It is proposed that the Ohmic behaviour arises from an increased doping concentration at the Ge surface due to the preferential evaporation of Sb confirmed by transmission electron microscope analysis. It is suggested that the doping concentration has increased to a level where field emission will be the dominate conduction mechanism. This was deduced from the low temperature electrical characterisation of the contact, which exhibits Ohmic behaviour down to a temperature of 6.5 K.

Time dependent argon glow discharge treatment of Al-alloy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The energy dispersive microanalysis by X-rays (EDX) is used to determine ... surface preparation of vacum components and vacuum system of any size. ... In this work, samples of aluminium alloy are treated under dc glow discharge .... (ii) For ałuninium, iron and germanium, relative weight percentage decreases or in-.

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.)

Quantum interference magnetoconductance of polycrystalline germanium films in the variable-range hopping regime

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhaoguo; Peng, Liping; Zhang, Jicheng; Li, Jia; Zeng, Yong; Zhan, Zhiqiang; Wu, Weidong

2018-06-01

Direct evidence of quantum interference magnetotransport in polycrystalline germanium films in the variable-range hopping (VRH) regime is reported. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of germanium films fulfilled the Mott VRH mechanism with the form of ? in the low-temperature regime (?). For the magnetotransport behaviour of our germanium films in the VRH regime, a crossover, from negative magnetoconductance at the low-field to positive magnetoconductance at the high-field, is observed while the zero-field conductivity is higher than the critical value (?). In the regime of ?, the magnetoconductance is positive and quadratic in the field for some germanium films. These features are in agreement with the VRH magnetotransport theory based on the quantum interference effect among random paths in the hopping process.

Germanium content in Polish hard coals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makowska Dorota

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the policy of the European Union, it is necessary to search for new sources of scarce raw materials. One of these materials is germanium, listed as a critical element. This semi-metal is widely used in the electronics industry, for example in the production of semiconductors, fibre optics and solar cells. Coal and fly ash from its combustion and gasification for a long time have been considered as a potential source of many critical elements, particularly germanium. The paper presents the results of germanium content determination in the Polish hard coal. 23 coal samples of various coal ranks were analysed. The samples were collected from 15 mines of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and from one mine of the Lublin Coal Basin. The determination of germanium content was performed with the use of Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with Electrothermal Atomization (GFAAS. The investigation showed that germanium content in the analysed samples was at least twice lower than the average content of this element in the hard coals analysed so far and was in the range of 0.08 ÷ 1.28 mg/kg. Moreover, the content of Ge in the ashes from the studied coals does not exceed 15 mg/kg, which is lower than the average value of Ge content in the coal ashes. The highest content of this element characterizes coals of the Lublin Coal Basin and young coals type 31 from the Vistula region. The results indicate a low utility of the analysed coal ashes as a source of the recovery of germanium. On the basis of the analyses, the lack of the relationship between the content of the element and the ash content in the tested coals was noted. For coals of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, the relationship between the content of germanium in the ashes and the depth of the seam was observed.

Niobium nitride Josephson junctions with silicon and germanium barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cukauskas, E.J.; Carter, W.L.

1988-01-01

Niobium nitride based junctions with silicon, germanium, and composite silicon/germanium barriers were fabricated and characterized for several barrier compositions. The current-voltage characteristics were analyzed at several temperatures using the Simmons model and numerical integration of the WKB approximation for the average barrier height and effective thickness. The zero voltage conductance was measured from 1.5 K to 300 K and compared to the Mott hopping conductivity model and the Stratton tunneling temperature dependence. Conductivity followed Mott conductivity at temperatures above 60 K for junctions with less than 100 angstrom thick barriers

Application of mechanical alloying to synthesis of intermetallic phases based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dymek, S.

2001-01-01

Mechanical alloying is the process of synthesis of powder materials during milling in high energetic mills, usually ball mills. The central event in mechanical alloying is the ball-powder-ball collision. Powder particles are trapped between the colliding balls during milling and undergo deformation and/or fracture. Fractured parts are cold welded. The continued fracture and cold welding results in a uniform size and chemical composition of powder particles. The main applications of mechanical alloying are: processing of ODS alloys, syntheses of intermetallic phases, synthesis of nonequilibrium structures (amorphous alloys, extended solid solutions, nanocrystalline, quasi crystals) and magnetic materials. The present paper deals with application of mechanical alloying to synthesis Ni A l base intermetallic phases as well as phases from the Nb-Al binary system. The alloy were processed from elemental powders. The course of milling was monitored by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After milling, the collected powders were sieved by 45 μm grid and hot pressed (Nb alloys and NiAl) or hot extruded (NiAl). The resulting material was fully dense and exhibited fine grain (< 1 μm) and uniform distribution of oxide dispersoid. The consolidated material was compression and creep tested. The mechanical properties of mechanically alloys were superior to properties of their cast counterparts both in the room and elevated temperatures. Higher strength of mechanically alloyed materials results from their fine grains and from the presence of dispersoid. At elevated temperatures, the Nb-Al alloys have higher compression strength than NiAl-based alloys processed at the same conditions. The minimum creep rates of mechanically alloyed Nb alloys are an order of magnitude lower than analogously processed NiAl-base alloys. (author)

Status report on the International Germanium Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodzinski, R.L.; Avignone, F.T.; Collar, J.I.; Courant, H.; Garcia, E.; Guerard, C.K.; Hensley, W.K.; Kirpichnikov, I.V.; Miley, H.S.; Morales, A.; Morales, J.; Nunez-Lagos, R.; Osetrov, S.B.; Pogosov, V.S.; Pomansky, A.A.; Puimedon, J.; Reeves, J.H.; Ruddick, K.; Saenz, C.; Salinas, A.; Sarsa, M.L.; Smolnikov, A.A.; Starostin, A.S.; Tamanyan, A.G.; Vasiliev, S.I.; Villar, J.A.

1993-01-01

Phase II detector fabrication for the International Germanium Experiment is in progress. Sources of background observed during Phase I are discussed. Cosmogenic 7 Be is measured in germanium. Radium contamination, presumably in electroformed copper, is reported. (orig.)

Status report on the International Germanium Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brodzinski, R L; Avignone, F.T.; Collar, J I; Courant, H; Garcia, E; Guerard, C K; Hensley, W K; Kirpichnikov, I V; Miley, H S; Morales, A; Morales, J; Nunez-Lagos, R; Osetrov, S B; Pogosov, V S; Pomansky, A A; Puimedon, J; Reeves, J H; Ruddick, K; Saenz, C; Salinas, A; Sarsa, M L; Smolnikov, A A; Starostin, A S; Tamanyan, A G; Vasiliev, S I; Villar, J A [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States) Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States) Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States) Univ. of Zaragoza (Spain) Inst. for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation) Inst. for Nuclear Research, Baksan Neutrino Observatory (Russian Federation) Yerevan Physical Inst., Yerevan (Armenia)

1993-04-01

Phase II detector fabrication for the International Germanium Experiment is in progress. Sources of background observed during Phase I are discussed. Cosmogenic [sup 7]Be is measured in germanium. Radium contamination, presumably in electroformed copper, is reported. (orig.)

Dissolution chemistry and biocompatibility of silicon- and germanium-based semiconductors for transient electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Seung-Kyun; Park, Gayoung; Kim, Kyungmin; Hwang, Suk-Won; Cheng, Huanyu; Shin, Jiho; Chung, Sangjin; Kim, Minjin; Yin, Lan; Lee, Jeong Chul; Lee, Kyung-Mi; Rogers, John A

2015-05-06

Semiconducting materials are central to the development of high-performance electronics that are capable of dissolving completely when immersed in aqueous solutions, groundwater, or biofluids, for applications in temporary biomedical implants, environmentally degradable sensors, and other systems. The results reported here include comprehensive studies of the dissolution by hydrolysis of polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon-germanium, and germanium in aqueous solutions of various pH values and temperatures. In vitro cellular toxicity evaluations demonstrate the biocompatibility of the materials and end products of dissolution, thereby supporting their potential for use in biodegradable electronics. A fully dissolvable thin-film solar cell illustrates the ability to integrate these semiconductors into functional systems.

Vanadium-base alloys for fusion reactor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.L.; Loomis, B.A.; Diercks, D.R.

1984-10-01

Vanadium-base alloys offer potentially significant advantages over other candidate alloys as a structural material for fusion reactor first wall/blanket applications. Although the data base is more limited than that for the other leading candidate structural materials, viz., austenitic and ferritic steels, vanadium-base alloys exhibit several properties that make them particularly attractive for the fusion reactor environment. This paper presents a review of the structural material requirements, a summary of the materials data base for selected vanadium-base alloys, and a comparison of projected performance characteristics compared to other candidate alloys. Also, critical research and development (R and D) needs are defined

Vanadium-base alloys for fusion reactor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, D.L.; Loomis, B.A.; Diercks, D.R.

1984-10-01

Vanadium-base alloys offer potentially significant advantages over other candidate alloys as a structural material for fusion reactor first wall/blanket applications. Although the data base is more limited than that for the other leading candidate structural materials, viz., austenitic and ferritic steels, vanadium-base alloys exhibit several properties that make them particularly attractive for the fusion reactor environment. This paper presents a review of the structural material requirements, a summary of the materials data base for selected vanadium-base alloys, and a comparison of projected performance characteristics compared to other candidate alloys. Also, critical research and development (R and D) needs are defined.

Imaging capabilities of germanium gamma cameras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steidley, J.W.

1977-01-01

Quantitative methods of analysis based on the use of a computer simulation were developed and used to investigate the imaging capabilities of germanium gamma cameras. The main advantage of the computer simulation is that the inherent unknowns of clinical imaging procedures are removed from the investigation. The effects of patient scattered radiation were incorporated using a mathematical LSF model which was empirically developed and experimentally verified. Image modifying effects of patient motion, spatial distortions, and count rate capabilities were also included in the model. Spatial domain and frequency domain modeling techniques were developed and used in the simulation as required. The imaging capabilities of gamma cameras were assessed using low contrast lesion source distributions. The results showed that an improvement in energy resolution from 10% to 2% offers significant clinical advantages in terms of improved contrast, increased detectability, and reduced patient dose. The improvements are of greatest significance for small lesions at low contrast. The results of the computer simulation were also used to compare a design of a hypothetical germanium gamma camera with a state-of-the-art scintillation camera. The computer model performed a parametric analysis of the interrelated effects of inherent and technological limitations of gamma camera imaging. In particular, the trade-off between collimator resolution and collimator efficiency for detection of a given low contrast lesion was directly addressed. This trade-off is an inherent limitation of both gamma cameras. The image degrading effects of patient motion, camera spatial distortions, and low count rate were shown to modify the improvements due to better energy resolution. Thus, based on this research, the continued development of germanium cameras to the point of clinical demonstration is recommended

Measurement of the quantum conductance of germanium by an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope break junction based on a jump-to-contact mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xufen; Yan, Jiawei; Liang, Jinghong; Li, Jijun; Zhang, Meng; Mao, Bingwei

2013-10-01

We present quantum conductance measurements of germanium by means of an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope (STM) break junction based on a jump-to-contact mechanism. Germanium nanowires between a platinum/iridium tip and different substrates were constructed to measure the quantum conductance. By applying appropriate potentials to the substrate and the tip, the process of heterogeneous contact and homogeneous breakage was realized. Typical conductance traces exhibit steps at 0.025 and 0.05 G0. The conductance histogram indicates that the conductance of germanium nanowires is located between 0.02 and 0.15 G0 in the low-conductance region and is free from the influence of substrate materials. However, the distribution of conductance plateaus is too discrete to display distinct peaks in the conductance histogram of the high-conductance region. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Next Generation Germanium Systems for Safeguards Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreyer, J.; Burks, M.; Hull, E.

2015-01-01

We are developing the latest generation of highly portable, mechanically cooled germanium systems for safeguard applications. In collaboration with our industrial partner, Ph.D.s Co, we have developed the Germanium Gamma Ray Imager (GeGI), an imager with a 2π field of view. This instrument has been thoroughly field tested in a wide range of environments and have performed reliably even in the harshest conditions. The imaging capability of GeGI complements existing safeguards techniques by allowing for the spatial detection, identification, and characterization of nuclear material. Additionally, imaging can be used in design information verification activities to address potential material diversions. Measurements conducted at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant highlight the advantages this instrument offers in the identification and localization of LEU, HEU and Pu holdup. GeGI has also been deployed to the Savannah River Site for the measurement of radioactive waste canisters, providing information valuable for waste characterization and inventory accountancy. Measuring 30 x 15 x 23 cm and weighing approximately 15 kg, this instrument is the first portable germanium-based imager. GeGI offers high reliability with the convenience of mechanical cooling, making this instrument ideal for the next generation of safeguards instrumentation. (author)

Effect of alloying with zinc on SFE of aluminium by study of lattice ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

'' are absent in the cold worked state and twin fault is found to be slightly present in the deformed lattice of the two initial compositions of the alloys. Similar to the effect of solute germanium and copper, respectively in Al–Ge and Al–Cu ...

Smooth germanium nanowires prepared by a hydrothermal deposition process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pei, L.Z., E-mail: lzpei1977@163.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Molecular Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Materials Science and Processing of Anhui Province, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, Anhui 243002 (China); Zhao, H.S. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Molecular Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Materials Science and Processing of Anhui Province, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, Anhui 243002 (China); Tan, W. [Henkel Huawei Electronics Co. Ltd., Lian' yungang, Jiangsu 222006 (China); Yu, H.Y. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Molecular Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Materials Science and Processing of Anhui Province, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, Anhui 243002 (China); Chen, Y.W. [Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Fan, C.G. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Molecular Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Materials Science and Processing of Anhui Province, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, Anhui 243002 (China); Zhang, Qian-Feng, E-mail: zhangqf@ahut.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Molecular Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Materials Science and Processing of Anhui Province, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, Anhui 243002 (China)

2009-11-15

Smooth germanium nanowires were prepared using Ge and GeO{sub 2} as the starting materials and Cu sheet as the substrate by a simple hydrothermal deposition process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations show that the germanium nanowires are smooth and straight with uniform diameter of about 150 nm in average and tens of micrometers in length. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum of the germanium nanowires display that the germanium nanowires are mainly composed of cubic diamond phase. PL spectrum shows a strong blue light emission at 441 nm. The growth mechanism is also discussed.

Smooth germanium nanowires prepared by a hydrothermal deposition process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei, L.Z.; Zhao, H.S.; Tan, W.; Yu, H.Y.; Chen, Y.W.; Fan, C.G.; Zhang, Qian-Feng

2009-01-01

Smooth germanium nanowires were prepared using Ge and GeO 2 as the starting materials and Cu sheet as the substrate by a simple hydrothermal deposition process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations show that the germanium nanowires are smooth and straight with uniform diameter of about 150 nm in average and tens of micrometers in length. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum of the germanium nanowires display that the germanium nanowires are mainly composed of cubic diamond phase. PL spectrum shows a strong blue light emission at 441 nm. The growth mechanism is also discussed.

Processing and properties of Nb-Ti-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sikka, V.K.; Viswanathan, S.

1992-01-01

The processing characteristics, tensile properties, and oxidation response of two Nb-Ti-Al-Cr alloys were investigated. One creep test at 650 C and 172 MPa was conducted on the base alloy which contained 40Nb-40Ti-10Al-10Cr. A second alloy was modified with 0.11 at. % carbon and 0.07 at. % yttrium. Alloys were arc melted in a chamber backfilled with argon, drop cast into a water-cooled copper mold, and cold rolled to obtain a 0.8-mm sheet. The sheet was annealed at 1,100 C for 0.5 h. Longitudinal tensile specimens and oxidation specimens were obtained for both the base alloy and the modified alloy. Tensile properties were obtained for the base alloy at room temperature, 400, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1,000 C, and for the modified alloy at room temperature, 400, 600, 700, and 800 C. Oxidation tests on the base alloy and modified alloy, as measured by weight change, were carried out at 600, 700, 800, and 900 C. Both the base alloy and the modified alloy were extremely ductile and were cold rolled to the final sheet thickness of 0.8 mm without an intermediate anneal. The modified alloy exhibited some edge cracking during cold during cold rolling. Both alloys recrystallized at the end of a 0.5-h annealing treatment. The alloys exhibited moderate strength and oxidation resistance below 600 C, similar to the results of alloys reported in the literature

A sulfidation-resistant nickel-base alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, G.Y.

1989-01-01

For applications in mildly to moderately sulfidizing environments, stainless steels, Fe-Ni-Cr alloys (e.g., alloys 800 and 330), and more recently Fe-Ni-Cr-Co alloys (e.g., alloy 556) are frequently used for construction of process equipment. However, for many highly sulfidizing environments, few existing commercial alloys have adequate performance. Thus, a new nickel-based alloy containing 27 wt.% Co, 28 wt.% Cr, 4 wt.% Fe, 2.75 wt.% Si, 0.5 wt.% Mn and 0.05 wt.% C (Haynes alloy HR-160) was developed

Nickel base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, R.C.; Korenko, M.K.

1980-01-01

Nickel based alloy, the characteristic of which is that it mainly includes in percentages by weight: 57-63 Ni, 7-18 Cr, 10-20 Fe, 4-6 Mo, 1-2 Nb, 0.2-0.8 Si, 0.01-0.05 Zr, 1.0-2.5 Ti, 1.0-2.5 Al, 0.02-0.06 C and 0.002-0.015 B. The aim is to create new nickel-chromium alloys, hardened in a solid solution and by precipitation, that are stable, exhibit reduced swelling and resistant to plastic deformation inside the reactor. These alloys of the gamma prime type have improved mechanical strengthm swelling resistance, structural stability and welding properties compared with Inconel 625 [fr

Segmentation of the Outer Contact on P-Type Coaxial Germanium Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hull, Ethan L.; Pehl, Richard H.; Lathrop, James R.; Martin, Gregory N.; Mashburn, R. B.; Miley, Harry S.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Hossbach, Todd W.

2006-09-21

results are the first fundamental steps toward demonstrating the viability of the amorphous germanium contacts for much larger segmented p-type coaxial detectors. Large segmented p-type coaxial detectors based on this technology could serve as the gamma-ray spectrometers on instruments such as the Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA). These detectors will provide a more sensitive, lower background measurement than currently available unsegmented p-type coaxial detectors.

Neutron-transmutation-doped germanium bolometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palaio, N.P.; Rodder, M.; Haller, E.E.; Kreysa, E.

1983-02-01

Six slices of ultra-pure germanium were irradiated with thermal neutron fluences between 7.5 x 10 16 and 1.88 x 10 18 cm - 2 . After thermal annealing the resistivity was measured down to low temperatures ( 0 exp(δ/T) in the hopping conduction regime. Also, several junction FETs were tested for noise performance at room temperature and in an insulating housing in a 4.2K cryostat. These FETs will be used as first stage amplifiers for neutron-transmutation-doped germanium bolometers

Germanium detector studies in the framework of the GERDA experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Budjas, Dusan

2009-05-06

The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) is an ultra-low background experiment under construction at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. GERDA will search for {sup 76}Ge neutrinoless double beta decay with an aim for 100-fold reduction in background compared to predecessor experiments. This ambition necessitates innovative design approaches, strict selection of low-radioactivity materials, and novel techniques for active background suppression. The core feature of GERDA is its array of germanium detectors for ionizing radiation, which are enriched in {sup 76}Ge. Germanium detectors are the central theme of this dissertation. The first part describes the implementation, testing, and optimisation of Monte Carlo simulations of germanium spectrometers, intensively involved in the selection of low-radioactivity materials. The simulations are essential for evaluations of the gamma ray measurements. The second part concerns the development and validation of an active background suppression technique based on germanium detector signal shape analysis. This was performed for the first time using a BEGe-type detector, which features a small read-out electrode. As a result of this work, BEGe is now one of the two detector technologies included in research and development for the second phase of the GERDA experiment. A suppression of major GERDA backgrounds is demonstrated, with (0.93{+-}0.08)% survival probability for events from {sup 60}Co, (21{+-}3)% for {sup 226}Ra, and (40{+-}2)% for {sup 228}Th. The acceptance of {sup 228}Th double escape events, which are analogous to double beta decay, was kept at (89{+-}1)%. (orig.)

Germanium soup

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Troy A.; Alexay, Christopher C.

2006-05-01

This paper addresses the variety and impact of dispersive model variations for infrared materials and, in particular, the level to which certain optical designs are affected by this potential variation in germanium. This work offers a method for anticipating and/or minimizing the pitfalls such potential model variations may have on a candidate optical design.

Nickel and cobalt base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlle, P.

1994-01-01

Nickel base alloys have a good resistance to pitting, cavernous or cracks corrosion. Nevertheless, all the nickel base alloys are not equivalent. Some differences exit between all the families (Ni, Ni-Cu, Ni-Cr-Fe, Ni-Cr-Fe-Mo/W-Cu, Ni-Cr-Mo/W, Ni-Mo). Cobalt base alloys in corrosive conditions are generally used for its wear and cracks resistance, with a compromise to its localised corrosion resistance properties. The choice must be done from the perfect knowledge of the corrosive medium and of the alloys characteristics (chemical, metallurgical). A synthesis of the corrosion resistance in three medium (6% FeCl 3 , 4% NaCl + 1% HCl + 0.1% Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , 11.5% H 2 SO 4 + 1.2% HCl + 1% Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 + 1% CuCl 2 ) is presented. (A.B.). 11 refs., 1 fig., 12 tabs

Method of beryllium implantation in germanium substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagawa, S.; Baba, Y.; Kaneda, T.; Shirai, T.

1983-01-01

A semiconductor device is disclosed, as well as a method for manufacturing it in which ions of beryllium are implanted into a germanium substrate to form a layer containing p-type impurity material. There after the substrate is heated at a temperature in the range of 400 0 C. to 700 0 C. to diffuse the beryllium ions into the substrate so that the concentration of beryllium at the surface of the impurity layer is in the order of 10 17 cm- 3 or more. In one embodiment, a p-type channel stopper is formed locally in a p-type germanium substrate and an n-type active layer is formed in a region surrounded by, and isolated from, the channel stopper region. In another embodiment, a relatively shallow p-type active layer is formed at one part of an n-type germanium substrate and p-type guard ring regions are formed surrounding, and partly overlapping said p-type active layer. In a further embodiment, a p-type island region is formed at one part of an n-type germanium substrate, and an n-type region is formed within said p-type region. In these embodiments, the p-type channel stopper region, p-type guard ring regions and the p-type island region are all formed by implanting ions of beryllium into the germanium substrate

Gold catalytic Growth of Germanium Nanowires by chemical vapour deposition method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Zahedifar

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Germanium nanowires (GeNWs were synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD based on vapor–liquid–solid (VLS mechanism with Au nanoparticles as catalyst and germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4 as a precursor of germanium. Au catalysts were deposited on silicon wafer as a thin film, firstly by sputtering technique and secondly by submerging the silicon substrates in Au colloidal solution, which resulted in Au nanoparticles with different sizes. GeNWs were synthesized at 400 °C, which is a low temperature for electrical device fabrication. Effect of different parameters such as Au nanoparticles size, carrier gas (Ar flow and mixture of H2 with the carrier gas on GeNWs diameter and shape was studied by SEM images. The chemical composition of the nanostructure was also examined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS.

Germanium-overcoated niobium Dayem bridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdeman, L.B.; Peters, P.N.

1976-01-01

Overcoating constriction microbridges with semiconducting germanium provides additional thermal conductivity at liquid-helium temperatures to reduce the effects of self-heating in these Josephson junctions. Microwave-induced steps were observed in the I-V characteristics of an overcoated Dayem bridge fabricated in a 15-nm-thick niobium film; at 4.2 K (T/sub c/-T=2.6 K), at least 20 steps could be counted. No steps were observed in the I-V characteristics of the bridge prior to overcoating. In addition, the germanium overcoat can protect against electrical disturbances at room temperature

Amorphous germanium as an electron or hole blocking contact on high-purity germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, W.L.; Haller, E.E.

1976-10-01

Experiments were performed in an attempt to make thin n + contacts on high-purity germanium by the solid phase/sup 1)/ epitaxial regrowth of arsenic doped amorphous germanium. After cleaning the crystal surface with argon sputtering and trying many combinations of layers, it was not found possible to induce recrystallization below 400 0 C. However, it was found that simple thermally evaporated amorphous Ge made fairly good electron or hole blocking contacts. Excellent spectrometers have been made with amorphous Ge replacing the n + contact. As presently produced, the amorphous Ge contact diodes show a large variation in high-voltage leakage current

Engineering data bases for refractory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, R.H. Jr.; Harms, W.O.

1985-01-01

Refractory alloys based on niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, and tungsten are required for the multi-100kW(e) space nuclear reactor power concepts that have been assessed in the SP-100 Program because of the extremely high temperatures involved. A review is presented of the technology efforts on the candidate refractory alloys in the areas of availability/fabricability, mechanical properties, irradiation effects, and compatibility. Of the niobium-base alloys, only Nb-1Zr has a data base that is sufficiently comprehensive for the high level of confidence required in the reference-alloy selection process for the reactor concept to be tested in the Ground Engineering System (GES) Phase of the SP-100 Program. Based on relatively short-term tests, the alloy PWC-11 (Nb-1Zr-0.1C) appears to have significantly greater creep strength than Nb-1Zr; however, concerns as to whether this precipitation-hardened alloy will remain thermally stable during seven years of full-power reactor operation need to be resolved. Additional information on the reference GES alloy will be needed for the detailed engineering design of a space power system and the fabrication of prototypical GES test components. Expedient development and demonstration of an adequate total manufacturing capability will be required if a high risk of significant schedule slippages and cost overruns is to be avoided. 4 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

Manufacturing P-N junctions in germanium bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, R.N.

1980-01-01

A method of producing p-n junctions in Ge so as to facilitate their use as radiation detectors involves forming a body of high purity p-type germanium, diffusing lithium deep into the body, in the absence of electrolytic processes, to form a junction between n-type and p-type germanium greater than 1 mm depth. (UK)

High-capacity nanostructured germanium-containing materials and lithium alloys thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Graetz, Jason A.; Fultz, Brent T.; Ahn, Channing; Yazami, Rachid

2010-08-24

Electrodes comprising an alkali metal, for example, lithium, alloyed with nanostructured materials of formula Si.sub.zGe.sub.(z-1), where 0electrodes made from graphite. These electrodes are useful as anodes for secondary electrochemical cells, for example, batteries and electrochemical supercapacitors.

Cosmogenic activation of germanium used for tonne-scale rare event search experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, W.-Z.; Mei, D.-M.; Zhang, C.

2017-11-01

We report a comprehensive study of cosmogenic activation of germanium used for tonne-scale rare event search experiments. The germanium exposure to cosmic rays on the Earth's surface are simulated with and without a shielding container using Geant4 for a given cosmic muon, neutron, and proton energy spectrum. The production rates of various radioactive isotopes are obtained for different sources separately. We find that fast neutron induced interactions dominate the production rate of cosmogenic activation. Geant4-based simulation results are compared with the calculation of ACTIVIA and the available experimental data. A reasonable agreement between Geant4 simulations and several experimental data sets is presented. We predict that cosmogenic activation of germanium can set limits to the sensitivity of the next generation of tonne-scale experiments.

Atomic ionization of germanium by neutrinos from an ab initio approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jiunn-Wei; Chi, Hsin-Chang; Huang, Keh-Ning; Liu, C.-P.; Shiao, Hao-Tse; Singh, Lakhwinder; Wong, Henry T.; Wu, Chih-Liang; Wu, Chih-Pan

2014-01-01

An ab initio calculation of atomic ionization of germanium by neutrinos was carried out in the framework of multiconfiguration relativistic random phase approximation and benchmarked by related atomic structure and photoabsorption data. This improves over the conventional approach based on scattering off free electrons whose validity at sub-keV energy transfer is questionable. Limits on neutrino magnetic moments are derived using reactor neutrino data taken with low threshold germanium detectors. Future applications of these atomic techniques will greatly reduce the atomic uncertainties in low-energy neutrino and dark matter detections.

Impurity engineering for germanium-doped Czochralski silicon wafer used for ultra large scale integrated circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jiahe; Yang, Deren [State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China)

2009-07-01

Internal gettering (IG) technology has been challenged by both the reduction of thermal budget during device fabrication and the enlargement of wafer diameter. Improving the properties of Czochralski (Cz) silicon wafers by intentional impurity doping, the so-called 'impurity engineering (IE)', is defined. Germanium has been found to be one of the important impurities for improving the internal gettering effect in Cz silicon wafer. In this paper, the investigations on IE involved with the conventional furnace anneal based denudation processing for germanium-doped Cz silicon wafer are reviewed. Meanwhile, the potential mechanisms of germanium effects for the IE of Cz silicon wafer are also interpreted based on the experimental facts. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Reduction of Defects in Germanium-Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Crystals grown without contact with a container have far superior quality to otherwise similar crystals grown in direct contact with a container. In addition to float-zone processing, detached- Bridgman growth is a promising tool to improve crystal quality, without the limitations of float zoning or the defects introduced by normal Bridgman growth. Goals of this project include the development of the detached Bridgman process to be reproducible and well understood and to quantitatively compare the defect and impurity levels in crystals grown by these three methods. Germanium (Ge) and germanium-silicon (Ge-Si) alloys are being used. At MSFC, we are responsible for the detached Bridgman experiments intended to differentiate among proposed mechanisms of detachment, and to confirm or refine our understanding of detachment. Because the contact angle is critical to determining the conditions for detachment, the sessile drop method was used to measure the contact angles as a function of temperature and composition for a large number of substrates made of potential ampoule materials. Growth experiments have used pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) and fused silica ampoules with the majority of the detached results occurring predictably in the pBN. Etch pit density (EPD) measurements of normal and detached Bridgman-grown Ge samples show a two order of magnitude improvement in the detached-grown samples. The nature and extent of detachment is determined by using profilometry in conjunction with optical and electron microscopy. The stability of detachment has been analyzed, and an empirical model for the conditions necessary to achieve sufficient stability to maintain detached growth for extended periods has been developed. We have investigated the effects on detachment of ampoule material, pressure difference above and below the melt, and Si concentration; samples that are nearly completely detached can be grown repeatedly in pBN. Current work is concentrated on developing a

New Developments of Ti-Based Alloys for Biomedical Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuhua; Yang, Chao; Zhao, Haidong; Qu, Shengguan; Li, Xiaoqiang; Li, Yuanyuan

2014-01-01

Ti-based alloys are finding ever-increasing applications in biomaterials due to their excellent mechanical, physical and biological performance. Nowdays, low modulus β-type Ti-based alloys are still being developed. Meanwhile, porous Ti-based alloys are being developed as an alternative orthopedic implant material, as they can provide good biological fixation through bone tissue ingrowth into the porous network. This paper focuses on recent developments of biomedical Ti-based alloys. It can be divided into four main sections. The first section focuses on the fundamental requirements titanium biomaterial should fulfill and its market and application prospects. This section is followed by discussing basic phases, alloying elements and mechanical properties of low modulus β-type Ti-based alloys. Thermal treatment, grain size, texture and properties in Ti-based alloys and their limitations are dicussed in the third section. Finally, the fourth section reviews the influence of microstructural configurations on mechanical properties of porous Ti-based alloys and all known methods for fabricating porous Ti-based alloys. This section also reviews prospects and challenges of porous Ti-based alloys, emphasizing their current status, future opportunities and obstacles for expanded applications. Overall, efforts have been made to reveal the latest scenario of bulk and porous Ti-based materials for biomedical applications. PMID:28788539

Germanium nitride and oxynitride films for surface passivation of Ge radiation detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maggioni, G., E-mail: maggioni@lnl.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia G. Galilei, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Viale dell’Universita’2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Carturan, S. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia G. Galilei, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Viale dell’Universita’2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Fiorese, L. [Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Viale dell’Universita’2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Dipartimento di Ingegneria dei Materiali e delle Tecnologie Industriali, Università di Trento, Via Mesiano 77, I-38050 Povo, Trento (Italy); Pinto, N.; Caproli, F. [Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Fisica, Università di Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, Camerino (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Perugia, Perugia (Italy); Napoli, D.R. [Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Viale dell’Universita’2, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy); Giarola, M.; Mariotto, G. [Dipartimento di Informatica—Università di Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, I-37134 Verona (Italy)

2017-01-30

Highlights: • A surface passivation method for HPGe radiation detectors is proposed. • Highly insulating GeNx- and GeOxNy-based layers are deposited at room temperature. • Deposition parameters affect composition and electrical properties of the layers. • The improved performance of a GeNx-coated HPGe diode is assessed. - Abstract: This work reports a detailed investigation of the properties of germanium nitride and oxynitride films to be applied as passivation layers to Ge radiation detectors. All the samples were deposited at room temperature by reactive RF magnetron sputtering. A strong correlation was found between the deposition parameters, such as deposition rate, substrate bias and atmosphere composition, and the oxygen and nitrogen content in the film matrix. We found that all the films were very poorly crystallized, consisting of very small Ge nitride and oxynitride nanocrystallites, and electrically insulating, with the resistivity changing from three to six orders of magnitude as a function of temperature. A preliminary test of these films as passivation layers was successfully performed by depositing a germanium nitride film on the intrinsic surface of a high-purity germanium (HPGe) diode and measuring the improved performance, in terms of leakage current, with respect to a reference passivated diode. All these interesting results allow us to envisage the application of this coating technology to the surface passivation of germanium-based radiation detectors.

Controllable growth of stable germanium dioxide ultra-thin layer by means of capacitively driven radio frequency discharge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svarnas, P., E-mail: svarnas@ece.upatras.gr [High Voltage Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Rion 26 504, Patras (Greece); Botzakaki, M.A. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, Rion 26 504 (Greece); Skoulatakis, G.; Kennou, S.; Ladas, S. [Surface Science Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Rion 26 504 (Greece); Tsamis, C. [NCSR “Demokritos”, Institute of Advanced Materials, Physicochemical Processes, Nanotechnology & Microsystems, Aghia Paraskevi 15 310, Athens (Greece); Georga, S.N.; Krontiras, C.A. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, Rion 26 504 (Greece)

2016-01-29

It is well recognized that native oxide of germanium is hygroscopic and water soluble, while germanium dioxide is thermally unstable and it is converted to volatile germanium oxide at approximately 400 °C. Different techniques, implementing quite complicated plasma setups, gas mixtures and substrate heating, have been used in order to grow a stable germanium oxide. In the present work a traditional “RF diode” is used for germanium oxidation by cold plasma. Following growth, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that traditional capacitively driven radio frequency discharges, using molecular oxygen as sole feedstock gas, provide the possibility of germanium dioxide layer growth in a fully reproducible and controllable manner. Post treatment ex-situ analyses on day-scale periods disclose the stability of germanium oxide at room ambient conditions, offering thus the ability to grow (ex-situ) ultra-thin high-k dielectrics on top of germanium oxide layers. Atomic force microscopy excludes any morphological modification in respect to the bare germanium surface. These results suggest a simple method for a controllable and stable germanium oxide growth, and contribute to the challenge to switch to high-k dielectrics as gate insulators for high-performance metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and to exploit in large scale the superior properties of germanium as an alternative channel material in future technology nodes. - Highlights: • Simple one-frequency reactive ion etcher develops GeO{sub 2} thin layers controllably. • The layers remain chemically stable at ambient conditions over day-scale periods. • The layers are unaffected by the ex-situ deposition of high-k dielectrics onto them. • GeO{sub 2} oxidation and high-k deposition don't affect the Ge morphology significantly. • These conditions contribute to improved Ge-based MOS structure fabrication.

The germination of germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Burdette, Shawn C.; Thornton, Brett F.

2018-02-01

Shawn C. Burdette and Brett F. Thornton explore how germanium developed from a missing element in Mendeleev's periodic table to an enabler for the information age, while retaining a nomenclature oddity.

Etching of germanium-tin using ammonia peroxide mixture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Yuan; Ong, Bin Leong; Wang, Wei; Gong, Xiao; Liang, Gengchiau; Yeo, Yee-Chia, E-mail: yeo@ieee.org [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Zhang, Zheng; Pan, Jisheng [Institute of Material Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 2 Fusionopolis Way, #08-03, Innovis, Singapore 138634 (Singapore); Tok, Eng-Soon [Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117551 (Singapore)

2015-12-28

The wet etching of germanium-tin (Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}) alloys (4.2% < x < 16.0%) in ammonia peroxide mixture (APM) is investigated. Empirical fitting of the data points indicates that the etch depth of Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} is proportional to the square root of the etch time t and decreases exponentially with increasing x for a given t. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that increasing t increases the intensity of the Sn oxide peak, whereas no obvious change is observed for the Ge oxide peak. This indicates that an accumulation of Sn oxide on the Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} surface decreases the amount of Ge atoms exposed to the etchant, which accounts for the decrease in etch rate with increasing etch time. Atomic force microscopy was used to examine the surface morphologies of the Ge{sub 0.918}Sn{sub 0.082} samples. Both root-mean-square roughness and undulation periods of the Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} surface were observed to increase with increasing t. This work provides further understanding of the wet etching of Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} using APM and may be used for the fabrication of Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}-based electronic and photonic devices.

Modeling and Simulation of - and Silicon Germanium-Base Bipolar Transistors Operating at a Wide Range of Temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaheed, M. Reaz

1995-01-01

Higher speed at lower cost and at low power consumption is a driving force for today's semiconductor technology. Despite a substantial effort toward achieving this goal via alternative technologies such as III-V compounds, silicon technology still dominates mainstream electronics. Progress in silicon technology will continue for some time with continual scaling of device geometry. However, there are foreseeable limits on achievable device performance, reliability and scaling for room temperature technologies. Thus, reduced temperature operation is commonly viewed as a means for continuing the progress towards higher performance. Although silicon CMOS will be the first candidate for low temperature applications, bipolar devices will be used in a hybrid fashion, as line drivers or in limited critical path elements. Silicon -germanium-base bipolar transistors look especially attractive for low-temperature bipolar applications. At low temperatures, various new physical phenomena become important in determining device behavior. Carrier freeze-out effects which are negligible at room temperature, become of crucial importance for analyzing the low temperature device characteristics. The conventional Pearson-Bardeen model of activation energy, used for calculation of carrier freeze-out, is based on an incomplete picture of the physics that takes place and hence, leads to inaccurate results at low temperatures. Plasma -induced bandgap narrowing becomes more pronounced in device characteristics at low temperatures. Even with modern numerical simulators, this effect is not well modeled or simulated. In this dissertation, improved models for such physical phenomena are presented. For accurate simulation of carrier freeze-out, the Pearson-Bardeen model has been extended to include the temperature dependence of the activation energy. The extraction of the model is based on the rigorous, first-principle theoretical calculations available in the literature. The new model is shown

Variations of color with alloying elements in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraishi, Takanobu; Takuma, Yasuko; Miura, Eri; Fujita, Takeshi; Hisatsune, Kunihiro

2007-01-01

The effects of alloying addition of a small amount of base metals (In, Sn, Fe, Zn) on color variations in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys were investigated in terms of rectilinear and polar color coordinates. The ternary Au-Pt-X (X = In, Sn, Fe, Zn) and quaternary Au-Pt-In-Y (Y = Sn, Fe, Zn) alloys were prepared from high purity component metals. The amount of alloying base metals, X and Y, were restricted up to 2 at.%. The alloying addition of a small amount of Fe, In, Sn, to a binary Au-10 at.% Pt alloy (referred to as AP10) effectively increased chroma, C *. On the other hand, the addition of Zn to the parent alloy AP10 did not change color coordinates greatly. The increase in chroma in the present Au-Pt-based high noble alloys was attributed to the increase in the slope of spectral reflectance curve at its absorption edge near 515 nm. It was found that the addition of a small amount of Fe to the parent alloy AP10 markedly increased lightness, L *, and the addition of Sn gave a very light tint of red to the parent alloy. Although red-green chromaticity index a * contributed to chroma to some extent, contribution of yellow-blue chromaticity index b * was much greater in determining chroma in this Pd-free Au-Pt-based multi-component alloys. The present results are expected to be valuable in case color is to be taken into account in designing Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

Variations of color with alloying elements in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiraishi, Takanobu [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan)]. E-mail: siraisi@nagasaki-u.ac.jp; Takuma, Yasuko [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Miura, Eri [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Fujita, Takeshi [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Hisatsune, Kunihiro [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan)

2007-06-15

The effects of alloying addition of a small amount of base metals (In, Sn, Fe, Zn) on color variations in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys were investigated in terms of rectilinear and polar color coordinates. The ternary Au-Pt-X (X = In, Sn, Fe, Zn) and quaternary Au-Pt-In-Y (Y = Sn, Fe, Zn) alloys were prepared from high purity component metals. The amount of alloying base metals, X and Y, were restricted up to 2 at.%. The alloying addition of a small amount of Fe, In, Sn, to a binary Au-10 at.% Pt alloy (referred to as AP10) effectively increased chroma, C *. On the other hand, the addition of Zn to the parent alloy AP10 did not change color coordinates greatly. The increase in chroma in the present Au-Pt-based high noble alloys was attributed to the increase in the slope of spectral reflectance curve at its absorption edge near 515 nm. It was found that the addition of a small amount of Fe to the parent alloy AP10 markedly increased lightness, L *, and the addition of Sn gave a very light tint of red to the parent alloy. Although red-green chromaticity index a * contributed to chroma to some extent, contribution of yellow-blue chromaticity index b * was much greater in determining chroma in this Pd-free Au-Pt-based multi-component alloys. The present results are expected to be valuable in case color is to be taken into account in designing Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys.

Silver-compensated germanium center in α-quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laman, F.C.; Weil, J.A.

1977-01-01

A synthetic germanium-doped crystal of α-quartz was subjected to an electro-diffusion process (ca. 600 V/cm, 625 0 K), in which Ag + ions were introduced along the crystal's optic axis (c). A 9800 MHz electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum at room temperature, taken after room temperature X-irradiation, revealed the presence of a silver-compensated germanium center Asub(Ge-Ag) with large, almost isotropic 107 Ag and 109 Ag hyperfine splittings. Measurement of the spin-Hamiltonian discloses that a suitable model for the observed center utilizes germanium, substituted for silicon, with the accompanying silver interstitial in a nearby c-axis channel, and with electronic structure in which an appreciable admixture Ge 4+ - Ag 0 to Ge 3+ - Ag + exists. Estimates of the unpaired electron orbital are presented. (author)

Neutron-transmutation-doped germanium bolometers

Science.gov (United States)

Palaio, N. P.; Rodder, M.; Haller, E. E.; Kreysa, E.

1983-01-01

Six slices of ultra-pure germanium were irradiated with thermal neutron fluences between 7.5 x 10 to the 16th and 1.88 x 10 to the 18th per sq cm. After thermal annealing the resistivity was measured down to low temperatures (less than 4.2 K) and found to follow the relationship rho = rho sub 0 exp(Delta/T) in the hopping conduction regime. Also, several junction FETs were tested for noise performance at room temperature and in an insulating housing in a 4.2 K cryostat. These FETs will be used as first stage amplifiers for neutron-transmutation-doped germanium bolometers.

Nonthermal plasma synthesis of size-controlled, monodisperse, freestanding germanium nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gresback, Ryan; Holman, Zachary; Kortshagen, Uwe

2007-01-01

Germanium nanocrystals may be of interest for a variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications including photovoltaics, primarily due to the tunability of their band gap from the infrared into the visible range of the spectrum. This letter discusses the synthesis of monodisperse germanium nanocrystals via a nonthermal plasma approach which allows for precise control of the nanocrystal size. Germanium crystals are synthesized from germanium tetrachloride and hydrogen entrained in an argon background gas. The crystal size can be varied between 4 and 50 nm by changing the residence times of crystals in the plasma between ∼30 and 440 ms. Adjusting the plasma power enables one to synthesize fully amorphous or fully crystalline particles with otherwise similar properties

Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armatas, G S; Kanatzidis, M G [Michigan State Univ., Michigan (United States), Dept. of Chemistry

2006-11-15

Regular mesoporous oxide materials have been widely studied and have a range of potential applications, such as catalysis, absorption and separation. They are not generally considered for their optical and electronic properties. Elemental semiconductors with nanopores running through them represent a different form of framework material with physical characteristics contrasting with those of the more conventional bulk, thin film and nanocrystalline forms. Here we describe cubic meso structured germanium, MSU-Ge-l, with gyroidal channels containing surfactant molecules, separated by amorphous walls that lie on the gyroid (G) minimal surface as in the mesoporous silica MCM-48. Although Ge is a high-meltin covalent semiconductor that is difficult to prepare from solution polymerization, we succeeded in assembling a continuous Ge network using a suitable precursor for Ge{sup 4-} atoms. Our results indicate that elemental semiconductors from group 14 of the periodic table can be made to adopt meso structured forms such as MSU-Ge-1, which features two three-dimensional labyrinthine tunnels obeying la3d space group symmetry and separated by a continuous germanium minimal surface that is otherwise amorphous. A consequence of this new structure for germanium, which has walls only one nanometre thick, is a wider electronic energy bandgap (1.4 eV versus 0.66 eV) than has crystalline or amorphous Ge. Controlled oxidation of MSU-Ge-1 creates a range of germanium suboxides with continuously varying Ge:O ratio and a smoothly increasing energy gap. (author)

An environmentally-friendly vacuum reduction metallurgical process to recover germanium from coal fly ash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Lingen; Xu, Zhenming, E-mail: zmxu@sjtu.edu.cn

2016-07-15

Highlights: • An environmental friendly vacuum reduction metallurgical process is proposed. • Rare and valuable metal germanium from coal fly ash is recycled. • Residues are not a hazardous material and can be further recycled. • A germanium recovery ratio of 94.64% is obtained in pilot scale experiments. - Abstract: The demand for germanium in the field of semiconductor, electronics, and optical devices is growing rapidly; however, the resources of germanium are scarce worldwide. As a secondary material, coal fly ash could be further recycled to retrieve germanium. Up to now, the conventional processes to recover germanium have two problems as follows: on the one hand, it is difficult to be satisfactory for its economic and environmental effect; on the other hand, the recovery ratio of germanium is not all that could be desired. In this paper, an environmentally-friendly vacuum reduction metallurgical process (VRMP) was proposed to recover germanium from coal fly ash. The results of the laboratory scale experiments indicated that the appropriate parameters were 1173 K and 10 Pa with 10 wt% coke addition for 40 min, and recovery ratio germanium was 93.96%. On the basis of above condition, the pilot scale experiments were utilized to assess the actual effect of VRMP for recovery of germanium with parameter of 1473 K, 1–10 Pa and heating time 40 min, the recovery ratio of germanium reached 94.64%. This process considerably enhances germanium recovery, meanwhile, eliminates much of the water usage and residue secondary pollution compared with other conventional processes.

Effects of electronically neutral impurities on muonium in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clawson, C.W.; Crowe, K.M.; Haller, E.E.; Rosenblum, S.S.; Brewer, J.H.

1983-04-01

Low-temperature measurements of muonium parameters in various germanium crystals have been performed. We have measured crystals with different levels of neutral impurities, with and without dislocations, and with different annealing histories. The most striking result is the apparent trapping of Mu by silicon impurities in germanium

Analytical product study of germanium-containing medicine by different ICP-MS applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krystek, Petra; Ritsema, Rob

2004-01-01

For several years organo-germanium containing medicine has been used for special treatments of e.g. cancer and AIDS. The active substances contain germanium as beta-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide ((GeCH2CH 2COO-H)2O3/"Ge-132"), spirogermanium, germanium-lactate-citrate or unspecified forms. For

Studies on neutron irradiation effects of iron alloys and nickel-base heat resistant alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Katsutoshi

1987-09-01

The present paper describes the results of neutron irradiation effects on iron alloys and nickel-base heat resistant alloys. As for the iron alloys, irradiation hardening and embrittlement were investigated using internal friction measurement, electron microscopy and tensile testings. The role of alloying elements was also investigated to understand the irradiation behavior of iron alloys. The essential factors affecting irradiation hardening and embrittlement were thus clarified. On the other hand, postirradiation tensile and creep properties were measured of Hastelloy X alloy. Irradiation behavior at elevated temperatures is discussed. (author)

Applications of thermodynamic calculations to Mg alloy design: Mg-Sn based alloy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, In-Ho; Park, Woo-Jin; Ahn, Sang Ho; Kang, Dae Hoon; Kim, Nack J.

2007-01-01

Recently an Mg-Sn based alloy system has been investigated actively in order to develop new magnesium alloys which have a stable structure and good mechanical properties at high temperatures. Thermodynamic modeling of the Mg-Al-Mn-Sb-Si-Sn-Zn system was performed based on available thermodynamic, phase equilibria and phase diagram data. Using the optimized database, the phase relationships of the Mg-Sn-Al-Zn alloys with additions of Si and Sb were calculated and compared with their experimental microstructures. It is shown that the calculated results are in good agreement with experimental microstructures, which proves the applicability of thermodynamic calculations for new Mg alloy design. All calculations were performed using FactSage thermochemical software. (orig.)

Electrodeposition of some metals and niobium superconducting alloys from molten fluorides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, U.

1978-01-01

The major goal of this thesis was to study the feasibility of electrodeposition from molten fluorides of the pure elements niobium, aluminium, tin, germanium and silicon, and the niboium superconducting intermetallic compounds with these elements, and to prepare and study films of these materials in the form of coherent and uniform coatings. Decomposition potential measurements with a gold anode were carried out on the alkali fluoride solvent and the fluoride salt solutions of niobium, aluminum, tin, and germanium to provide important initial thermodynamic data. Attempts to codeposit niobium and aluminum invariably failed, niobium being the exclusive deposit in all cases. Codeposition of niobium--tin alloys was demonstrated. Of the four intermetallic compounds of the niobium--germanium system, three were obtained as single-phase coatings. The superconducting compound (A15 phase) was not successfully electrodeposited in a single-phase form. It was obtained, however, in phase-mixture coatings. Application of alternating square wave pulses produced substantial changes in the morphology of niobium deposits. Silicon electrocrystallization epitaxy (ECE) was demonstrated for the first time. Uniform, coherent, and well adherent coatings of polycrystalline Si with a grain diameter of up to 40 to 50 μm were plated onto nonalloying metal substrates, such as silver and tungsten.These processes offer some attractive features for both integrated circuit technology and silicon solar cell fabrication. Aluminum, tin, and germanium were also electrodeposited from molten fluorides

Electron beam and laser surface alloying of Al-Si base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhille, P.; Tosto, S.; Pelletier, J.M.; Issa, A.; Vannes, A.B.; Criqui, B.

1992-01-01

Surface alloying on aluminium-base alloys is achieved either by using an electron beam or a laser beam, in order to improve the mechanical properties of the near-surface region. A predeposit of nickel is first realized by plasma spraying. Melting of both the coating and part of the substrate produces a surface alloy with a fine, dendritic microstructure with a high hardness. Enhancement of this property requires an increase in the nickel content. Various problems occur during the formation of nickel-rich surface layers: incomplete homogenization owing to a progressive increase of the liquidus temperature, cracks owing to the brittleness of this hard suface alloy, formation of a plasma when experiments are carried out in a gaseous environment (laser surface alloying). Nevertheless, various kinds of surface layers may be achieved; for example very hard surface alloys (HV 0.2 =900), with a thickness of about 500-600 μm, or very thick surface alloys (e>2 mm), with a fairly good hardness (greater than 350 HV 0.2 ). Thus, it is possible to obtain a large variety of new materials by using high energy beams on aluminium substrates. (orig.)

Progress in development of iron base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zackay, V.V.; Parker, E.R.

1980-01-01

The ways of development of new iron base high-strength alloys are considered. Perspectiveness of ferritic steel strengthening with intermetallides (TaFe 2 , for instance) is shown. Favourable combination of plasticity, strength and fracture toughness in nickel-free iron-manganese alloys (16-20%) is also pointed out. A strength level of alloyed maraging steels can be achieved by changes in chemical composition and by proper heat treatments of low- and medium-alloyed steels

Modeling of dislocation dynamics in germanium Czochralski growth

Science.gov (United States)

Artemyev, V. V.; Smirnov, A. D.; Kalaev, V. V.; Mamedov, V. M.; Sidko, A. P.; Podkopaev, O. I.; Kravtsova, E. D.; Shimansky, A. F.

2017-06-01

Obtaining very high-purity germanium crystals with low dislocation density is a practically difficult problem, which requires knowledge and experience in growth processes. Dislocation density is one of the most important parameters defining the quality of germanium crystal. In this paper, we have performed experimental study of dislocation density during 4-in. germanium crystal growth using the Czochralski method and comprehensive unsteady modeling of the same crystal growth processes, taking into account global heat transfer, melt flow and melt/crystal interface shape evolution. Thermal stresses in the crystal and their relaxation with generation of dislocations within the Alexander-Haasen model have been calculated simultaneously with crystallization dynamics. Comparison to experimental data showed reasonable agreement for the temperature, interface shape and dislocation density in the crystal between calculation and experiment.

Development of segmented germanium detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jing

2009-01-01

The results from neutrino oscillation experiments indicate that at least two neutrinos have mass. However, the value of the masses and whether neutrinos and anti-neutrinos are identical, i.e., Majorana particles, remain unknown. Neutrinoless double beta decay experiments can help to improve our understanding in both cases and are the only method currently possible to tackle the second question. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, which will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76 Ge, is currently under construction in Hall A of the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. In order to achieve an extremely low background level, segmented germanium detectors are considered to be operated directly in liquid argon which serves simultaneously as cooling and shielding medium. Several test cryostats were built at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik in Muenchen to operate segmented germanium detectors both in vacuum and submerged in cryogenic liquid. The performance and the background discrimination power of segmented germanium detectors were studied in detail. It was proven for the first time that segmented germanium detectors can be operated stably over long periods submerged in a cryogenic liquid. It was confirmed that the segmentation scheme employed does well in the identification of photon induced background and demonstrated for the first time that also neutron interactions can be identified. The C++ Monte Carlo framework, MaGe (Majorana-GERDA), is a joint development of the Majorana and GERDA collaborations. It is based on GEANT4, but tailored especially to simulate the response of ultra-low background detectors to ionizing radiation. The predictions of the simulation were veri ed to be accurate for a wide range of conditions. Some shortcomings were found and corrected. Pulse shape analysis is complementary to segmentation in identifying background events. Its efficiency can only be correctly determined using reliable pulse shape

Development of segmented germanium detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jing

2009-06-09

The results from neutrino oscillation experiments indicate that at least two neutrinos have mass. However, the value of the masses and whether neutrinos and anti-neutrinos are identical, i.e., Majorana particles, remain unknown. Neutrinoless double beta decay experiments can help to improve our understanding in both cases and are the only method currently possible to tackle the second question. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, which will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge, is currently under construction in Hall A of the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. In order to achieve an extremely low background level, segmented germanium detectors are considered to be operated directly in liquid argon which serves simultaneously as cooling and shielding medium. Several test cryostats were built at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik in Muenchen to operate segmented germanium detectors both in vacuum and submerged in cryogenic liquid. The performance and the background discrimination power of segmented germanium detectors were studied in detail. It was proven for the first time that segmented germanium detectors can be operated stably over long periods submerged in a cryogenic liquid. It was confirmed that the segmentation scheme employed does well in the identification of photon induced background and demonstrated for the first time that also neutron interactions can be identified. The C++ Monte Carlo framework, MaGe (Majorana-GERDA), is a joint development of the Majorana and GERDA collaborations. It is based on GEANT4, but tailored especially to simulate the response of ultra-low background detectors to ionizing radiation. The predictions of the simulation were veri ed to be accurate for a wide range of conditions. Some shortcomings were found and corrected. Pulse shape analysis is complementary to segmentation in identifying background events. Its efficiency can only be correctly determined using reliable pulse

Enhanced light trapping by focused ion beam (FIB) induced self-organized nanoripples on germanium (100) surface

Science.gov (United States)

Kamaliya, Bhaveshkumar; Mote, Rakesh G.; Aslam, Mohammed; Fu, Jing

2018-03-01

In this paper, we demonstrate enhanced light trapping by self-organized nanoripples on the germanium surface. The enhanced light trapping leading to high absorption of light is confirmed by the experimental studies as well as the numerical simulations using the finite-difference time-domain method. We used gallium ion (Ga+) focused ion beam to enable the formation of the self-organized nanoripples on the germanium (100) surface. During the fabrication, the overlap of the scanning beam is varied from zero to negative value and found to influence the orientation of the nanoripples. Evolution of nanostructures with the variation of beam overlap is investigated. Parallel, perpendicular, and randomly aligned nanoripples with respect to the scanning direction are obtained via manipulation of the scanning beam overlap. 95% broadband absorptance is measured in the visible electromagnetic region for the nanorippled germanium surface. The reported light absorption enhancement can significantly improve the efficiency of germanium-silicon based photovoltaic systems.

Stress corrosion crack tip microstructure in nickel-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shei, S.A.; Yang, W.J.

1994-04-01

Stress corrosion cracking behavior of several nickel-base alloys in high temperature caustic environments has been evaluated. The crack tip and fracture surfaces were examined using Auger/ESCA and Analytical Electron Microscopy (AEM) to determine the near crack tip microstructure and microchemistry. Results showed formation of chromium-rich oxides at or near the crack tip and nickel-rich de-alloying layers away from the crack tip. The stress corrosion resistance of different nickel-base alloys in caustic may be explained by the preferential oxidation and dissolution of different alloying elements at the crack tip. Alloy 600 (UNS N06600) shows good general corrosion and intergranular attack resistance in caustic because of its high nickel content. Thermally treated Alloy 690 (UNS N06690) and Alloy 600 provide good stress corrosion cracking resistance because of high chromium contents along grain boundaries. Alloy 625 (UNS N06625) does not show as good stress corrosion cracking resistance as Alloy 690 or Alloy 600 because of its high molybdenum content

Technical assessment of vanadium-base alloys for fusion reactor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gold, R.E.; Harrod, D.L.; Ammon, R.L.; Buckman, R.W. Jr.; Svedberg, R.C.

1978-01-01

A large data base has been compiled on vanadium-base alloys but the data base on any one alloy is quite limited. Great flexibility exists in the composition-microstructure-property relationship and this facilitates alloy optimization to meet diverse property requirements. Tensile properties and creep properties of existing alloys exceed likely requirements. Fatigue strength, including crack growth rate, is probably the most critical material property but no data exists for vanadium alloys. Swelling and irradiated ductility behavior look promising but require further evaluation. Vanadium alloy-liquid metal compatibility, particularly interstitial mass transfer, may be equally as critical as fatigue behavior; viability cannot be established with the existing data base. Fabricability must be given early consideration in alloys selection to guard against potentially serious problems in subsequent scale-up and production

Neutron Transmission of Germanium Poly- and Monocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habib, N.

2009-01-01

The measured total neutron cross-sections of germanium poly- and mono-crystals were analyzed using an additive formula. The formula takes into account the germanium crystalline structure and its physical parameters. Computer programs have developed in order to provide the required analyses. The calculated values of the total cross-section of polycrystalline germanium in the neutron wavelength range from 0.001 up to 0.7 nm were fitted to the measured ones at ETRR-1. From the fitting the main constants of the additive formula were determined. The experimental data measured at ETRR-1 of the total cross-section of high quality Ge single crystal at 4400 K, room, and liquid nitrogen temperatures, in the wavelength range between 0.028 nm and 0.64 nm, were also compared with the calculated values using the formula having the same constants. An overall agreement is noticed between the formula fits and experimental data. A feasibility study is done for the use of germanium in poly-crystalline form, as cold neutron filter, and in mono-crystalline one as an efficient filter for thermal neutrons. The filtering efficiency of Ge single crystal is detailed in terms of its isotopic abundance, crystal thickness, mosaic spread, and temperature. It can be concluded that the 7.5 cm thick 76 Ge single crystal (0.10 FWHM mosaic spread) cooled at liquid nitrogen temperature is an efficient thermal neutron filter.

Corrosion and oxidation of vanadium-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, B.A.; Wiggins, G.

1983-10-01

The corrosion of several V-base alloys on exposure at elevated temperatures to helium environments containing hydrogen and/or water vapor are presented. These results are utilized to discuss the consequences of the selection of certain radiation-damage resistant, V-base alloys for structural materials applications in a fusion reactor

Status report on the International Germanium Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodzinski, R.L.; Hensley, W.K.; Miley, H.S.; Reeves, J.H.; Avignone, F.T.; Collar, J.I.; Guerard, C.K.; Courant, H.; Ruddick, K.; Kirpichnikov, I.V.; Starostin, A.S.; Osetrov, S.B.; Pomansky, A.A.; Smolnikov, A.A.; Vasiliev, S.I.

1992-06-01

Phase II detector fabrication for the International Germanium Experiment is awaiting resolution of technical details observed during Phase I. Measurements of fiducial volume, configuration of the tansistor-reset preamplifier stage, and sources of background are discussed. Cosmogenic 7 Be is measured in germanium. Radium contamination in electroformed copper reported. The 2ν double- beta decay half-life of 76 Ge measured with a Phase I detector is in reasonable agreement with previously reported values. No events are observed in the vicinity of the Oν double-beta decay energy

Composition analysis of Ta-W alloy using NAA and EDXRF techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swain, K.K.; Remya Devi, P.S.; Chavan, Trupti A.; Verma, R.; Reddy, A.V.R.

2015-01-01

Tantalum-Tungsten (Ta-W) alloy is a high strength alloy and is used in corrosion resistant chemical process equipment's including heat exchangers, condensers, heating and cooling coils and reaction vessels. Ta-W alloy is also used as ion extraction plate during laser Isotope separation of uranium and hence the composition is critical for its optimal application. The composition of the alloy was determined by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) techniques. Ta-W alloy sample was received from Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad. For NAA, samples (50 - 500 mg) were sealed in polyethylene. High purity Ta foil (30 - 40 mg) and W foil (10 - 20 mg) were packed and used as comparators. Samples and standards were irradiated in the graphite reflector position of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor Critical Facility (AHWR CF) reactor, BARC, Mumbai for 4 hours. After suitable decay period, radioactivity assay was carried out using a 45% relative efficiency high purity germanium (HPGe) detector coupled to MCA with 8 k conversion gain

Calibration of germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debertin, K.

1983-01-01

The process of determining the energy-dependent detection probability with measurements using Ge (Li) and high-grade germanium detectors is described. The paper explains which standards are best for a given purpose and given requirements as to accuracy, and how to assess measuring geometry variations and summation corrections. (DG) [de

My Experience with Ti-Ni-Based and Ti-Based Shape Memory Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Shuichi

2017-12-01

The present author has been studying shape memory alloys including Cu-Al-Ni, Ti-Ni-based, and Ni-free Ti-based alloys since 1979. This paper reviews the present author's research results for the latter two materials since 1981. The topics on the Ti-Ni-based alloys include the achievement of superelasticity in Ti-Ni alloys through understanding of the role of microstructures consisting of dislocations and precipitates, followed by the contribution to the development of application market of shape memory effect and superelasticity, characterization of the R-phase and monoclinic martensitic transformations, clarification of the basic characteristics of fatigue properties, development of sputter-deposited shape memory thin films and fabrication of prototypes of microactuators utilizing thin films, development of high temperature shape memory alloys, and so on. The topics of Ni-free Ti-based shape memory alloys include the characterization of the orthorhombic phase martensitic transformation and related shape memory effect and superelasticity, the effects of texture, omega phase and adding elements on the martensitic transformation and shape memory properties, clarification of the unique effects of oxygen addition to induce non-linear large elasticity, Invar effect and heating-induced martensitic transformation, and so on.

Self-positioned thin Pb-alloy base electrode Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroda, K.; Sato, K.

1986-01-01

A self-positioned thin (SPOT) Pb-alloy base electrode Josephson junction is developed. In this junction, a 50-nm thick Pb-alloy base electrode is restricted within the junction region on an Nb underlayer using a self-alignment technique. The grain size reduction and the base electrode area restriction greatly improve thermal cycling stability, where the thermal cycling tests of 4000 proposed junctions (5 x 5 μm 2 ) showed no failures after 4000 cycles. In addition, the elimination of insulator layer stress on the Pb-alloy base electrode rectifies the problem of size effect on current density. The Nb underlayers also serve to isolate the Pb-alloy base electrodes from the resistors

Nano-structureal and nano-chemical analysis of Ni-based alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun

2012-01-01

The dissimilar metal joints welded between Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B with Alloy 152 filler metal were characterized by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, secondary ion mass spectrometry and 3-dimensional atom probe tomography. It was found that in the weld root region, the weld was divided into several regions including unmixed zone in Ni-base alloy, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. The result of nanostructural and nanochemical analyses in this study showed the non-homogeneous distribution of elements with higher Fe but lower Mn, Ni and Cr in A533 Gr. B compared with Alloy 152, and the precipitation of carbides near the fusion boundary.

Nano-structureal and nano-chemical analysis of Ni-based alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

The dissimilar metal joints welded between Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B with Alloy 152 filler metal were characterized by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, secondary ion mass spectrometry and 3-dimensional atom probe tomography. It was found that in the weld root region, the weld was divided into several regions including unmixed zone in Ni-base alloy, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. The result of nanostructural and nanochemical analyses in this study showed the non-homogeneous distribution of elements with higher Fe but lower Mn, Ni and Cr in A533 Gr. B compared with Alloy 152, and the precipitation of carbides near the fusion boundary.

Superconducting properties of amorphous Zr-Ge binary alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, A.; Takahashi, Y.; Toyota, N.; Fukase, T.; Masumoto, T.

1982-01-01

A new type of refractory metal-metalloid amorphous alloys exhibiting superconductivity has been found in a binary Zr-Ge system by a modified melt-spinning technique. Specimens are in the form of continuous ribbons 1 to 2 mm wide and 0.02 to 0.03 mm thick. The germanium content in the amorphous alloys is limited to the range of 13 to 21 at%. These amorphous alloys are so ductile that no cracks are observed even after closely contacted bending test. Data are reported for various alloy compositions for the Vickers hardness and crystallization temperature, the tensile fracture strength, superconducting transition temperature Tsub(c), upper critical magnetic field, critical current density in the absence of an applied field, upper critical field gradient at Tsub(c) and the electrical resistivity at 4.2 K. The Ginzburg-Landau (GL) parameter and the GL coherence length were estimated to be 72 to 111 and about 7.9 nm, respectively, from these experimental values by using the Ginzburg-Landau-Abrikosov-Gorkov theory and hence it is concluded that the Zr-Ge amorphous alloys are extremely 'soft' type-II superconductor with high degree of dirtiness which possesses the Tsub(c) values higher than zirconium metal, in addition to high strength combined with good ductility. (author)

Optical properties of Germanium nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation in acetone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saikiran eVadavalli

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Germanium (Ge nanoparticles (NPs are synthesized by means of pulsed laser ablation of bulk germanium target immersed in acetone with ns laser pulses at different pulse energies. The fabricated NPs are characterized by employing different techniques such as UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence, micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM. The mean size of the Ge NPs is found to vary from few nm to 40 nm with the increase in laser pulse energy. Shift in the position of the absorption spectra is observed and also the photoluminescence peak shift is observed due to quantum confinement effects. High resolution TEM combined with micro-Raman spectroscopy confirms the crystalline nature of the generated germanium nanoparticles. The formation of various sizes of germanium NPs at different laser pulse energies is evident from the asymmetry in the Raman spectra and the shift in its peak position towards the lower wavenumber side. The FESEM micrographs confirm the formation of germanium micro/nanostructures at the laser ablated position of the bulk germanium. In particular, the measured NP sizes from the micro-Raman phonon quantum confinement model are found in good agreement with TEM measurements of Ge NPs.

Reaction studies of hot silicon, germanium and carbon atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaspar, P.P.

1990-01-01

The goal of this project was to increase the authors understanding of the interplay between the kinetic and electronic energy of free atoms and their chemical reactivity by answering the following questions: (1) what is the chemistry of high-energy carbon silicon and germanium atoms recoiling from nuclear transformations; (2) how do the reactions of recoiling carbon, silicon and germanium atoms take place - what are the operative reaction mechanisms; (3) how does the reactivity of free carbon, silicon and germanium atoms vary with energy and electronic state, and what are the differences in the chemistry of these three isoelectronic atoms? This research program consisted of a coordinated set of experiments capable of achieving these goals by defining the structures, the kinetic and internal energy, and the charge states of the intermediates formed in the gas-phase reactions of recoiling silicon and germanium atoms with silane, germane, and unsaturated organic molecules, and of recoiling carbon atoms with aromatic molecules. The reactions of high energy silicon, germanium, and carbon atoms created by nuclear recoil were studied with substrates chosen so that their products illuminated the mechanism of the recoil reactions. Information about the energy and electronic state of the recoiling atoms at reaction was obtained from the variation in end product yields and the extent of decomposition and rearrangement of primary products (usually reactive intermediates) as a function of total pressure and the concentration of inert moderator molecules that remove kinetic energy from the recoiling atoms and can induce transitions between electronic spin states. 29 refs

Lead and lead-based alloys as waste matrix materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arustamov, A.E.; Ojovan, M.I.; Kachalov, M.B.

1999-01-01

Metals and alloys with relatively low melting temperatures such as lead and lead-based alloys are considered in Russia as prospective matrices for encapsulation of spent nuclear fuel in containers in preparation for final disposal in underground repositories. Now lead and lead-based alloys are being used for conditioning spent sealed radioactive sources at radioactive waste disposal facilities

Influence of S. mutans on base-metal dental casting alloy toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinley, E L; Dowling, A H; Moran, G P; Fleming, G J P

2013-01-01

We have highlighted that exposure of base-metal dental casting alloys to the acidogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans significantly increases cellular toxicity following exposure to immortalized human TR146 oral keratinocytes. With Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), S. mutans-treated nickel-based (Ni-based) and cobalt-chromium-based (Co-Cr-based) dental casting alloys were shown to leach elevated levels of metal ions compared with untreated dental casting alloys. We targeted several biological parameters: cell morphology, viable cell counts, cell metabolic activity, cell toxicity, and inflammatory cytokine expression. S. mutans-treated dental casting alloys disrupted cell morphology, elicited significantly decreased viable cell counts (p casting alloys induced elevated levels of cellular toxicity compared with S. mutans-treated Co-Cr-based dental casting alloys. While our findings indicated that the exacerbated release of metal ions from S. mutans-treated base-metal dental casting alloys was the likely result of the pH reduction during S. mutans growth, the exact nature of mechanisms leading to accelerated dissolution of alloy-discs is not yet fully understood. Given the predominance of S. mutans oral carriage and the exacerbated cytotoxicity observed in TR146 cells following exposure to S. mutans-treated base-metal dental casting alloys, the implications for the long-term stability of base-metal dental restorations in the oral cavity are a cause for concern.

Production and properties of light-metal base amorphous alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Akihisa; Masumoto, Tsuyoshi

1993-01-01

Light-metal base alloys with high specific strength and good corrosion resistance were produced through amorphization of Al and Mg-based alloys. The amorphous phase is formed in rapidly solidified Al-TM-Ln and Mg-TM-Ln (TM=transition metal, Ln=lanthanide metal) alloys. The highest tensile strength (σ f ) reaches 1,330 MPa for the Al base and 830 MPa for the Mg base. Furthermore, the Mg-based alloys have a large glass-forming capacity which enables to produce an amorphous phase by a metallic mold casting method. The extrusion of the Al-based amorphous powders at temperatures above crystallization temperature caused the formation of high strength materials with finely mixed structure consisting of dispersed intermetallic compounds in an Al matrix. The highest values of σ f and fatigue limit are as high as 940 and 313 MPa, respectively, at room temperature and 520 and 165 MPa at 473 K. The extruded Al-Ni-Mm alloy has already been used as machine parts and subsequent further development as practical materials is expected by taking these advantages

The development of platinum-based alloys and their thermodynamic database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornish L.A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available A series of quaternary platinum-based alloys have been demonstrated to exhibit the same two-phase structure as Ni-based superalloys and showed good mechanical properties. The properties of ternary alloys were a good indication that the quaternary alloys, with their better microstructure, will be even better. The quaternary alloy composition has been optimised at Pt84:Al11:Ru2:Cr3 for the best microstructure and hardness. Work has begun on establishing a thermodynamic database for Pt-Al-Ru-Cr alloys, and further work will be done to enhance the mechanical and oxidation properties of the alloys by adding small amounts of other elements to the base composition of Pt84:Al11:Ru2:Cr3.

Technology CAD for germanium CMOS circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, A.R. [Department of Electronics and ECE, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302 (India)]. E-mail: ars.iitkgp@gmail.com; Maiti, C.K. [Department of Electronics and ECE, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur-721302 (India)

2006-12-15

Process simulation for germanium MOSFETs (Ge-MOSFETs) has been performed in 2D SILVACO virtual wafer fabrication (VWF) suite towards the technology CAD for Ge-CMOS process development. Material parameters and mobility models for Germanium were incorporated in simulation via C-interpreter function. We also report on the device design issues along with the DC and RF characterization of the bulk Ge-MOSFETs, AC parameter extraction and circuit simulation of Ge-CMOS. Simulation results are compared with bulk-Si devices. Simulations predict a cut-off frequency, f {sub T} of about 175 GHz for Ge-MOSFETs compared to 70 GHz for a similar gate-length Si MOSFET. For a single stage Ge-CMOS inverter circuit, a GATE delay of 0.6 ns is predicted.

Technology CAD for germanium CMOS circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, A.R.; Maiti, C.K.

2006-01-01

Process simulation for germanium MOSFETs (Ge-MOSFETs) has been performed in 2D SILVACO virtual wafer fabrication (VWF) suite towards the technology CAD for Ge-CMOS process development. Material parameters and mobility models for Germanium were incorporated in simulation via C-interpreter function. We also report on the device design issues along with the DC and RF characterization of the bulk Ge-MOSFETs, AC parameter extraction and circuit simulation of Ge-CMOS. Simulation results are compared with bulk-Si devices. Simulations predict a cut-off frequency, f T of about 175 GHz for Ge-MOSFETs compared to 70 GHz for a similar gate-length Si MOSFET. For a single stage Ge-CMOS inverter circuit, a GATE delay of 0.6 ns is predicted

High-Efficiency Amorphous Silicon Alloy Based Solar Cells and Modules; Final Technical Progress Report, 30 May 2002--31 May 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guha, S.; Yang, J.

2005-10-01

The principal objective of this R&D program is to expand, enhance, and accelerate knowledge and capabilities for development of high-efficiency hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and amorphous silicon-germanium alloy (a-SiGe:H) related thin-film multijunction solar cells and modules with low manufacturing cost and high reliability. Our strategy has been to use the spectrum-splitting triple-junction structure, a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H/a-SiGe:H, to improve solar cell and module efficiency, stability, and throughput of production. The methodology used to achieve the objectives included: (1) explore the highest stable efficiency using the triple-junction structure deposited using RF glow discharge at a low rate, (2) fabricate the devices at a high deposition rate for high throughput and low cost, and (3) develop an optimized recipe using the R&D batch large-area reactor to help the design and optimization of the roll-to-roll production machines. For short-term goals, we have worked on the improvement of a-Si:H and a-SiGe:H alloy solar cells. a-Si:H and a-SiGe:H are the foundation of current a-Si:H based thin-film photovoltaic technology. Any improvement in cell efficiency, throughput, and cost reduction will immediately improve operation efficiency of our manufacturing plant, allowing us to further expand our production capacity.

Coexistence in even-even nuclei with emphasis on the germanium isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carchidi, M.A.V.

1985-01-01

No simple model to date can explain in a self-consistent way the results of direct transfer data and BE2 electromagnetic rates in the germanium isotopes. The simplest models use a two-state interaction for describing the ground state and first excited O + state. In all cases, these models can account for some of the data, but they are in drastic conflict with other experimental measurements. In this thesis, it is shown that a two-state model can consistently account for two-neutron and alpha transfer O + 2 /g.s. cross-section ratio data in the germanium region (ie. zinc, germanium, and selenium), proton occupation number data in the ground states of the even stable zinc, germanium, and selenium isotopes, and BE2 transition rates in isotopes of germanium and zinc. In addition the author can account for most of the one-neutron and two-neutron transfer O + 2 /g.s. and (9/2 + 2 )/(9/2 + 1 ) cross-section ratio data in the odd-mass germanium isotopes. In this generalized two-state model (called Rerg1), the author makes as few assumptions as possible about the nature of the basis states; rather the author allows the experimental data to dictate the properties of the basis-state overlaps. In this sense, the author has learned much about the basis states and has a useful tool for constructing them. The author also shows that the Rerg1 model can quantitatively account for all two-neutron O + 2 /g.s. cross-section ratio data in all even-even nuclei from calcium to uranium

Grain Refinement of Permanent Mold Cast Copper Base Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M.Sadayappan; J.P.Thomson; M.Elboujdaini; G.Ping Gu; M. Sahoo

2005-04-01

Grain refinement is a well established process for many cast and wrought alloys. The mechanical properties of various alloys could be enhanced by reducing the grain size. Refinement is also known to improve casting characteristics such as fluidity and hot tearing. Grain refinement of copper-base alloys is not widely used, especially in sand casting process. However, in permanent mold casting of copper alloys it is now common to use grain refinement to counteract the problem of severe hot tearing which also improves the pressure tightness of plumbing components. The mechanism of grain refinement in copper-base alloys is not well understood. The issues to be studied include the effect of minor alloy additions on the microstructure, their interaction with the grain refiner, effect of cooling rate, and loss of grain refinement (fading). In this investigation, efforts were made to explore and understand grain refinement of copper alloys, especially in permanent mold casting conditions.

Influence of grain size on lithium storage performance of germanium oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, J.K.; Lai, M.O.; Lu, L.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We deposited GeO 2 thin films at different temperatures to form different grain sizes. ► Li storage of GeO 2 as anode was studied, which shows that the GeO 2 with grain size of about 10 nm reveals high capacity retention. ► Nanograined GeO 2 also shows better rate capability and cyclability. - Abstract: Germanium oxide (GeO 2 ) films with two different grain sizes of 10 nm (GeO 2 (10 nm)) and 100 nm (GeO 2 (100 nm)) were grown via reactive radio frequency sputtering at different temperatures. Electrochemical measurements of the GeO 2 (10 nm) thin film used as an anode in Li ion rechargeable batteries show superior capacity retention and rate capability compared to those of GeO 2 (100 nm). The GeO 2 (10 nm) thin film possesses an initial capacity of 930 mAh g −1 with 89% capacity retention after 100 cycles, compared with 455 mAh g −1 with 53% of GeO 2 (100 nm) and 225 mAh g −1 , 30% (10 cycles) of common macro-size GeO 2 . Microstructural studies reveal that the GeO 2 (10 nm) thin film can better accommodate volume changes during Li–Ge alloying and de-alloying processes.

Thermal conductivity of hexagonal Si, Ge, and Si1-xGex alloys from first-principles

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Xiaokun; Zhao, C. Y.

2018-05-01

Hexagonal Si and Ge with a lonsdaleite crystal structure are allotropes of silicon and germanium that have recently been synthesized. These materials as well as their alloys are promising candidates for novel applications in optoelectronics. In this paper, we systematically study the phonon transport and thermal conductivity of hexagonal Si, Ge, and their alloys by using the first-principle-based Peierls-Boltzmann transport equation approach. Both three-phonon and four-phonon scatterings are taken into account in the calculations as the phonon scattering mechanisms. The thermal conductivity anisotropy of these materials is identified. While the thermal conductivity parallel to the hexagonal plane for hexagonal Si and Ge is found to be larger than that perpendicular to the hexagonal plane, alloying effectively tunes the thermal conductivity anisotropy by suppressing the thermal conductivity contributions from the middle-frequency phonons. The importance of four-phonon scatterings is assessed by comparing the results with the calculations without including four-phonon scatterings. We find that four-phonon scatterings cannot be ignored in hexagonal Si and Ge as the thermal conductivity would be overestimated by around 10% (40%) at 300 K (900) K. In addition, the phonon mean free path distribution of hexagonal Si, Ge, and their alloys is also discussed.

Oxidation Behavior of TiAl-Based Alloy Modified by Double-Glow Plasma Surface Alloying with Cr-Mo

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiangfei; Zhang, Pingze; Wang, Qiong; Wei, Dongbo; Chen, Xiaohu

2017-07-01

A Cr-Mo alloyed layer was prepared on a TiAl-based alloy using plasma surface alloying technique. The isothermal oxidation kinetics of the untreated and treated samples was examined at 850 °C. The microstructure and phase composition of the alloyed layer were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The morphology and constituent of the oxide scales were also analyzed. The results indicated that the oxidation resistance of TiAl was improved significantly after the alloying treatment. The oxide scale eventually became a mixture of Al2O3, Cr2O3 and TiO2. The oxide scale was dense and integrated throughout the oxidation process. The improvement was mainly owing to the enhancing of scale adhesion and the preferential oxidation of aluminum brought by the alloying effect for TiAl-based alloy.

Diffusion of hydrogen interstitials in Zr based AB2 and mischmetal based AB5 alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mani, N; Ravi, N; Ramaprabhu, S

2005-01-01

The Zr based AB 2 alloys ZrMnFe 0.5 Ni 0.5 , ZrMnFe 0.5 Co 0.5 and mischmetal (Mm) based AB 5 alloy MmNi 3.5 Al 0.5 Fe 0.5 Co 0.5 have been prepared and characterized by means of powder x-ray diffractograms. The hydrogen absorption kinetics of these alloys have been studied in the temperature and pressure ranges 450-650 0 C and 10-100 mbar respectively with a maximum H to host alloy formula unit ratio of 0.01, using a pressure reduction technique. The diffusion coefficient of the hydrogen interstitials has been determined from hydrogen absorption kinetics experiments. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the alloy content has been discussed. For Mm based MmNi 3.5 Al 0.5 Fe 0.5 Co 0.5 alloy, the diffusion coefficient is about an order of magnitude higher than that of the Zr based alloys

Effect of Microstructure and Alloy Chemistry on Hydrogen Embrittlement of Precipitation-Hardened Ni-Based Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Obasi, G. C.; Zhang, Z.; Sampath, D.; Morana, Roberto; Akid, R.; Preuss, M.

2018-04-01

The sensitivity to hydrogen embrittlement (HE) has been studied in respect of precipitation size distributions in two nickel-based superalloys: Alloy 718 (UNS N07718) and Alloy 945X (UNS N09946). Quantitative microstructure analysis was carried out by the combination of scanning and transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). While Alloy 718 is mainly strengthened by γ″, and therefore readily forms intergranular δ phase, Alloy 945X has been designed to avoid δ formation by reducing Nb levels providing high strength through a combination of γ' and γ″. Slow strain rate tensile tests were carried out for different microstructural conditions in air and after cathodic hydrogen (H) charging. HE sensitivity was determined based on loss of elongation due to the H uptake in comparison to elongation to failure in air. Results showed that both alloys exhibited an elevated sensitivity to HE. Fracture surfaces of the H precharged material showed quasi-cleavage and transgranular cracks in the H-affected region, while ductile failure was observed toward the center of the sample. The crack origins observed on the H precharged samples exhibited quasi-cleavage with slip traces at high magnification. The sensitivity is slightly reduced for Alloy 718, by coarsening γ″ and reducing the overall strength of the alloy. However, on further coarsening of γ″, which promotes continuous decoration of grain boundaries with δ phase, the embrittlement index rose again indicating a change of hydrogen embrittlement mechanism from hydrogen-enhanced local plasticity (HELP) to hydrogen-enhanced decohesion embrittlement (HEDE). In contrast, Alloy 945X displayed a strong correlation between strength, based on precipitation size and embrittlement index, due to the absence of any significant formation of δ phase for the investigated microstructures. For the given test parameters, Alloy 945X did not display any reduced sensitivity to HE compared with

Techniques to distinguish between electron and photon induced events using segmented germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroeninger, K.

2007-01-01

Two techniques to distinguish between electron and photon induced events in germanium detectors were studied: (1) anti-coincidence requirements between the segments of segmented germanium detectors and (2) the analysis of the time structure of the detector response. An 18-fold segmented germanium prototype detector for the GERDA neutrinoless double beta-decay experiment was characterized. The rejection of photon induced events was measured for the strongest lines in 60 Co, 152 Eu and 228 Th. An accompanying Monte Carlo simulation was performed and the results were compared to data. An overall agreement with deviations of the order of 5-10% was obtained. The expected background index of the GERDA experiment was estimated. The sensitivity of the GERDA experiment was determined. Special statistical tools were developed to correctly treat the small number of events expected. The GERDA experiment uses a cryogenic liquid as the operational medium for the germanium detectors. It was shown that germanium detectors can be reliably operated through several cooling cycles. (orig.)

Techniques to distinguish between electron and photon induced events using segmented germanium detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroeninger, K.

2007-06-05

Two techniques to distinguish between electron and photon induced events in germanium detectors were studied: (1) anti-coincidence requirements between the segments of segmented germanium detectors and (2) the analysis of the time structure of the detector response. An 18-fold segmented germanium prototype detector for the GERDA neutrinoless double beta-decay experiment was characterized. The rejection of photon induced events was measured for the strongest lines in {sup 60}Co, {sup 152}Eu and {sup 228}Th. An accompanying Monte Carlo simulation was performed and the results were compared to data. An overall agreement with deviations of the order of 5-10% was obtained. The expected background index of the GERDA experiment was estimated. The sensitivity of the GERDA experiment was determined. Special statistical tools were developed to correctly treat the small number of events expected. The GERDA experiment uses a cryogenic liquid as the operational medium for the germanium detectors. It was shown that germanium detectors can be reliably operated through several cooling cycles. (orig.)

High-resolution imaging gamma-ray spectroscopy with externally segmented germanium detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Callas, J. L.; Mahoney, W. A.; Varnell, L. S.; Wheaton, W. A.

1993-01-01

Externally segmented germanium detectors promise a breakthrough in gamma-ray imaging capabilities while retaining the superb energy resolution of germanium spectrometers. An angular resolution of 0.2 deg becomes practical by combining position-sensitive germanium detectors having a segment thickness of a few millimeters with a one-dimensional coded aperture located about a meter from the detectors. Correspondingly higher angular resolutions are possible with larger separations between the detectors and the coded aperture. Two-dimensional images can be obtained by rotating the instrument. Although the basic concept is similar to optical or X-ray coded-aperture imaging techniques, several complicating effects arise because of the penetrating nature of gamma rays. The complications include partial transmission through the coded aperture elements, Compton scattering in the germanium detectors, and high background count rates. Extensive electron-photon Monte Carlo modeling of a realistic detector/coded-aperture/collimator system has been performed. Results show that these complicating effects can be characterized and accounted for with no significant loss in instrument sensitivity.

Oriented bottom-up growth of armchair graphene nanoribbons on germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Michael Scott; Jacobberger, Robert Michael

2016-03-15

Graphene nanoribbon arrays, methods of growing graphene nanoribbon arrays and electronic and photonic devices incorporating the graphene nanoribbon arrays are provided. The graphene nanoribbons in the arrays are formed using a scalable, bottom-up, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique in which the (001) facet of the germanium is used to orient the graphene nanoribbon crystals along the [110] directions of the germanium.

Germanium field-effect transistor made from a high-purity substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, W.L.; Goulding, F.S.; Haller, E.E.

1978-11-01

Field effect transistors have been fabricated on high-purity germanium substrates using low-temperature technology. The aim of this work is to preserve the low density of trapping centers in high-quality starting material by low-temperature ( 0 C) processing. The use of germanium promises to eliminate some of the traps which cause generation-recombination noise in silicon field-effect transistors (FET's) at low temperatures. Typically, the transconductance (g/sub m/) in the germanium FET's is 10 mA/V and the gate leakage can be less than 10 -12 A. Present devices exhibit a large 1/f noise component and most of this noise must be eliminated if they are to be competitive with silicon FET's commonly used in high-resolution nuclear spectrometers

Synthesis and evaluation of germanic organometallic compounds as precursors for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and for obtaining nanoparticles of elemental germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballestero Martinez, Ernesto

2014-01-01

The interest in the development of materials that have applications in areas such as electronics or biomarkers has affected the synthesis of new compounds based on germanium. This element has two states of common oxidation, +4 and +2, of them, the +2 oxidation state is the least studied and more reactive. Additionally, compounds of germanium (II) have similarities to carbenes in terms Lewis'acid base chemistry. The preparation of compounds of germanium (II) with ligands β-diketiminates has made possible the stabilization of new chemical functionalities and, simultaneously, it has provided interesting thermal properties to develop new methods of preparation of materials with novel properties. The preparation of amides germanium (II) L'Ge (NHPh) [1, L'= {HC (CMeN-2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 ) 2 } - ], L'Ge (4-NHPy) [2], L'Ge (2-NHPy) [3] and LGe(2-NHPy) [4, L = {HC (CMeN-2,6- i Pr 2 C 6 H 3 ) 2 ] - ] are presented, the chemical and structural composition was determined by using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H, 13 C), elemental analysis, melting point, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction of single crystal and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA has demonstrated that 1-4 experience a thermal decomposition, therefore, these compounds could be considered as potential starting materials for the obtaining of germanium nitride (GeN x ). Certainly, the availability of coordinating nitrogen atoms in the chemical composition in 2-4 have been interesting given that it could act as ligands in reactions with transition metal complexes. Thus, relevant information to molecular level could be obtained for some reactions and interactions that have used similar link sites in surface chemistry, for example, the chemical functionalization of silicon and germanium substrate. Additionally, the synthesis and structural characterization of germanium chloride compound (II) L G eCl [5, L' = HC{(CMe) (N-2,6-Me 2 C 6 H 3 )} 2 - ] is reported

Self-assembly of tin wires via phase transformation of heteroepitaxial germanium-tin on germanium substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Wei; Li, Lingzi; Yeo, Yee-Chia, E-mail: yeo@ieee.org [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (Singapore); Tok, Eng Soon [Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117551 (Singapore)

2015-06-14

This work demonstrates and describes for the first time an unusual strain-relaxation mechanism by the formation and self-assembly of well-ordered tin wires during the thermal annealing of epitaxial Ge{sub 0.83}Sn{sub 0.17}-on-Ge(001) substrate. Fully strained germanium-tin alloys (Ge{sub 0.83}Sn{sub 0.17}) were epitaxially grown on Ge(001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The morphological and compositional evolution of Ge{sub 0.83}Sn{sub 0.17} during thermal annealing is studied by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy. Under certain annealing conditions, the Ge{sub 0.83}Sn{sub 0.17} layer decomposes into two stable phases, and well-defined Sn wires that are preferentially oriented along two orthogonal 〈100〉 azimuths are formed. The formation of the Sn wires is related to the annealing temperature and the Ge{sub 0.83}Sn{sub 0.17} thickness, and can be explained by the nucleation of a grain with Sn islands on the outer front, followed by grain boundary migration. The Sn wire formation process is found to be thermally activated, and an activation enthalpy (E{sub c}) of 0.41 eV is extracted. This thermally activated phase transformation, i.e., 2D epitaxial layer to 3D wires, occurs via a mechanism akin to “cellular precipitation.” This synthesis route of Sn wires opens new possibilities for creation of nanoscale patterns at high-throughput without the need for lithography.

Determination of the Wetting Angle of Germanium and Germanium-Silicon Melts on Different Substrate Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Natalie; Croell, Arne; Szofran, F. R.; Cobb. S. D.; Dold, P.; Benz, K. W.

1999-01-01

During Bridgman growth of semiconductors detachment of the crystal and the melt meniscus has occasionally been observed, mainly under microgravity (microg) conditions. An important factor for detached growth is the wetting angle of the melt with the crucible material. High contact angles are more likely to result in detachment of the growing crystal from the ampoule wall. In order to achieve detached growth of germanium (Ge) and germanium-silicon (GeSi) crystals under 1g and microg conditions, sessile drop measurements were performed to determine the most suitable ampoule material as well as temperature dependence of the surface tension for GeSi. Sapphire, fused quartz, glassy carbon, graphite, SiC, pyrolytic Boron Nitride (pBN), AIN, and diamond were used as substrates. Furthermore, different cleaning procedures and surface treatments (etching, sandblasting, etc.) of the same substrate material and their effect on the wetting behavior were studied during these experiments. pBN and AIN substrates exhibited the highest contact angles with values around 170 deg.

Multiphysical simulation analysis of the dislocation structure in germanium single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Podkopaev, O. I.; Artemyev, V. V.; Smirnov, A. D.; Mamedov, V. M.; Sid'ko, A. P.; Kalaev, V. V.; Kravtsova, E. D.; Shimanskii, A. F.

2016-09-01

To grow high-quality germanium crystals is one of the most important problems of growth industry. The dislocation density is an important parameter of the quality of single crystals. The dislocation densities in germanium crystals 100 mm in diameter, which have various shapes of the side surface and are grown by the Czochralski technique, are experimentally measured. The crystal growth is numerically simulated using heat-transfer and hydrodynamics models and the Alexander-Haasen dislocation model in terms of the CGSim software package. A comparison of the experimental and calculated dislocation densities shows that the dislocation model can be applied to study lattice defects in germanium crystals and to improve their quality.

γ-ray tracking in germanium: the backtracking method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marel, J. van der; Cederwall, B.

2002-01-01

In the framework of a European TMR network project the concept for a γ-ray tracking array is being developed for nuclear physics spectroscopy in the energy range of ∼10 keV up to several MeV. The tracking array will consist of a large number of position-sensitive germanium detectors in a spherical geometry around a target. Due to the high segmentation, a Compton scattered γ-ray will deposit energy in several different segments. A method has been developed to reconstruct the tracks of multiple coincident γ-rays and to find their initial energies. By starting from the final point the track can be reconstructed backwards to the origin with the help of the photoelectric and Compton cross-sections and the Compton scatter formula. Every reconstructed track is given a figure of merit, thus allowing suppression of wrongly reconstructed tracks and γ-rays that have scattered out of the detector system. This so-called backtracking method has been tested on simulated events in a shell-like geometry for germanium and in planar geometries for silicon, germanium and CdTe

Electrical Manipulation of Donor Spin Qubits in Silicon and Germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Sigillito, Anthony James

single-phonon T1 process. At lower frequencies or lower temperatures the qubit coherence times should substantially increase. Finally, we measure the electric field tunability of donors in germanium and find a four order-of-magnitude enhancement in the spin-orbit Stark shift and confirm that the donors should be tunable by at least 4 times the electron spin ensemble linewidth (in isotopically enriched material). Germanium should therefore also be more sensitive to electrically driven nuclear magnetic resonance. Based on these results germanium is a promising alternative to silicon for spin qubits.

Ti-Ni-based shape memory alloys as smart materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otsuka, K.; Xu, Y.; Ren, X.

2003-01-01

Smart materials consist of three principal materials, ferroelectrics, shape memory alloys (SMA) and electro-active polymers (EAP). Among these SMAs, especially Ti-Ni-based alloys are important, since only they can provide large recoverable strains and high recovery stress. In the present paper the unique characteristics of Ti-Ni-based shape memory alloys are reviewed on an up-to-date basis with the aim of their applications to smart materials and structures. (orig.)

Fe-Mn-Si based shape memory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, T.Y.

2000-01-01

Characteristics of martensitic transformation fcc(γ)→hcp(ε) in Fe-Mn-Si based alloys are briefly reviewed. By analyzing the influences of constituents and treatments on shape memory effect (SME) in Fe-Mn-Si, the main factors controlling SME are summarized as austenite strengthening, stacking fault energy (probability) and antiferromagnetic temperature. Contribution of thermomechanical training to SME is introduced. The Fe-Mn-Si-RE (rare earth elements) and Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-N alloys are recommended as two novel shape memory alloys with superior SME. (orig.)

TiAu based shape memory alloys for high temperature applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadood, Abdul; Yamabe-Mitarai, Yoko; Hosoda, Hideki

2014-01-01

TiAu (equiatomic) exhibits phase transformaion from B2 (ordered bcc) to thermo-elastic orthorhombic B19 martensite at about 875K and thus TiAu is categorized as high temperature shape memory alloy. In this study, recent research and developments related to TiAu based high temperature shape memory alloys will be discussed in the Introduction part. Then some results of our research group related to strengthening of TiAu based high temperature shape memory alloys will be presented. Potential of TiAu based shape memory alloys for high temperature shape memory materials applications will also be discussed

Germanium geochemistry and mineralogy

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, L.R.

1985-01-01

Germanium is enriched in the following geologic environments: 1. (1) iron meteorites and terrestrial iron-nickel; 2. (2) sulfide ore deposits, particularly those hosted by sedimentary rocks; 3. (3) iron oxide deposits; 4. (4) oxidized zones of Ge-bearing sulfide deposits; 5. (5) pegmatites, greisens, and skarns; and 6. (6) coal and lignitized wood. In silicate melts, Ge is highly siderophile in the presence of native iron-nickel; otherwise, it is highly lithophile. Among silicate minerals, Ge is concentrated in those having less polymerized silicate tetrahedra such as olivine and topaz. In deposits formed from hydrothermal solutions, Ge tends to be enriched mostly in either sulfides or in fluorine-bearing phases; it is thus concentrated both in some hydrothermal sulfide deposits and in pegmatites, greisens, and skarns. In sulfide deposits that formed from solutions having low to moderate sulfur activity, Ge is concentrated in sphalerite in amounts up to 3000 ppm. Sulfide deposits that formed from solutions having higher sulfur activity allowed Ge to either form its own sulfides, particularly with Cu, or to substitute for As, Sn, or other metals in sulfosalts. The Ge in hydrothermal fluids probably derives from enrichment during the fractional crystallization of igneous fluids, or is due to the incorporation of Ge from the country rocks, particularly from those containing organic material. Germanium bonds to lignin-derivative organic compounds that are found in peat and lignite, accounting for its common concentration in coals and related organic material. Germanium is precipitated from water together with iron hydroxide, accounting for its concentration in some sedimentary and supergene iron oxide deposits. It also is able to substitute for Fe in magnetite in a variety of geologic environments. In the oxidized zone of Ge-bearing sulfide deposits, Ge is concentrated in oxides, hydroxides, and hydroxy-sulfates, sometimes forming its own minerals. It is particularly

Physical and welding metallurgy of Gd-enriched austenitic alloys for spent nuclear fuel applications. Part II, nickel base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizia, Ronald E.; Michael, Joseph Richard; Williams, David Brian; Dupont, John Neuman; Robino, Charles Victor

2004-01-01

The physical and welding a metallurgy of gadolinium- (Gd-) enriched Ni-based alloys has been examined using a combination of differential thermal analysis, hot ductility testing. Varestraint testing, and various microstructural characterization techniques. Three different matrix compositions were chosen that were similar to commercial Ni-Cr-Mo base alloys (UNS N06455, N06022, and N06059). A ternary Ni-Cr-Gd alloy was also examined. The Gd level of each alloy was ∼2 wt-%. All the alloys initiated solidification by formation of primary austenite and terminated solidification by a Liquid γ + Ni 5 Gd eutectic-type reaction at ∼1270 C. The solidification temperature ranges of the alloys varied from ∼100 to 130 C (depending on alloy composition). This is a substantial reduction compared to the solidification temperature range to Gd-enriched stainless steels (360 to 400 C) that terminate solidification by a peritectic reaction at ∼1060 C. The higher-temperature eutectic reaction that occurs in the Ni-based alloys is accompanied by significant improvements in hot ductility and solidification cracking resistance. The results of this research demonstrate that Gd-enriched Ni-based alloys are excellent candidate materials for nuclear criticality control in spent nuclear fuel storage applications that require production and fabrication of large amounts of material through conventional ingot metallurgy and fusion welding techniques

The development of platinum-based alloys and their thermodynamic database

OpenAIRE

Cornish L.A.; Hohls J.; Hill P.J.; Prins S.; Süss R.; Compton D.N.

2002-01-01

A series of quaternary platinum-based alloys have been demonstrated to exhibit the same two-phase structure as Ni-based superalloys and showed good mechanical properties. The properties of ternary alloys were a good indication that the quaternary alloys, with their better microstructure, will be even better. The quaternary alloy composition has been optimised at Pt84:Al11:Ru2:Cr3 for the best microstructure and hardness. Work has begun on establishing a thermodynamic database for Pt-Al-Ru-Cr ...

Microstructure and mechanical properties of thermoelectric nanostructured n-type silicon-germanium alloys synthesized employing spark plasma sintering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bathula, Sivaiah [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Department of Applied Physics, Delhi Technological University, Delhi (India); Gahtori, Bhasker; Tripathy, S. K.; Tyagi, Kriti; Srivastava, A. K.; Dhar, Ajay, E-mail: adhar@nplindia.org [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Jayasimhadri, M. [Department of Applied Physics, Delhi Technological University, Delhi (India)

2014-08-11

Owing to their high thermoelectric (TE) figure-of-merit, nanostructured Si{sub 80}Ge{sub 20} alloys are evolving as a potential replacement for their bulk counterparts in designing efficient radio-isotope TE generators. However, as the mechanical properties of these alloys are equally important in order to avoid in-service catastrophic failure of their TE modules, we report the strength, hardness, fracture toughness, and thermal shock resistance of nanostructured n-type Si{sub 80}Ge{sub 20} alloys synthesized employing spark plasma sintering of mechanically alloyed nanopowders of its constituent elements. These mechanical properties show a significant enhancement, which has been correlated with the microstructural features at nano-scale, delineated by transmission electron microscopy.

Strain distribution in single, suspended germanium nanowires studied using nanofocused x-rays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keplinger, Mario; Grifone, Raphael; Greil, Johannes

2016-01-01

Within the quest for direct band-gap group IV materials, strain engineering in germanium is one promising route. We present a study of the strain distribution in single, suspended germanium nanowires using nanofocused synchrotron radiation. Evaluating the probed Bragg reflection for different ill...

Advanced characterization of carrier profiles in germanium using micro-machined contact probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clarysse, T.; Konttinen, M.; Parmentier, B.

2012-01-01

of new concepts based on micro machined, closely spaced contact probes (10 μm pitch). When using four probes to perform sheet resistance measurements, a quantitative carrier profile extraction based on the evolution of the sheet resistance versus depth along a beveled surface is obtained. Considering...... the properties of both approaches on Al+ implants in germanium with different anneal treatments....

Calculations of hydrogen diffusivity in Zr-based alloys: Influence of alloying elements and effect of stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, J.; Jiang, C.; Zhang, Y.

2017-01-01

This report summarizes the progress on modeling hydrogen diffusivity in Zr-based alloys. The presence of hydrogen (H) can detrimentally affect the mechanical properties of many metals and alloys. To mitigate these detrimental effects requires fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics governing H pickup and hydride formation. In this work, we focus on H diffusion in Zr-based alloys by studying the effects of alloying elements and stress, factors that have been shown to strongly affect H pickup and hydride formation in nuclear fuel claddings. A recently developed accelerated kinetic Monte Carlo method is used for the study. It is found that for the alloys considered here, H diffusivity depends weakly on composition, with negligible effect at high temperatures in the range of 600-1200 K. Therefore, the small variation in compositions of these alloys is likely not a major cause of the very different H pickup rates. In contrast, stress strongly affects H diffusivity. This effect needs to be considered for studying hydride formation and delayed hydride cracking.

Calculations of hydrogen diffusivity in Zr-based alloys: Influence of alloying elements and effect of stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Jiang, C. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Zhang, Y. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2017-06-01

This report summarizes the progress on modeling hydrogen diffusivity in Zr-based alloys. The presence of hydrogen (H) can detrimentally affect the mechanical properties of many metals and alloys. To mitigate these detrimental effects requires fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics governing H pickup and hydride formation. In this work, we focus on H diffusion in Zr-based alloys by studying the effects of alloying elements and stress, factors that have been shown to strongly affect H pickup and hydride formation in nuclear fuel claddings. A recently developed accelerated kinetic Monte Carlo method is used for the study. It is found that for the alloys considered here, H diffusivity depends weakly on composition, with negligible effect at high temperatures in the range of 600-1200 K. Therefore, the small variation in compositions of these alloys is likely not a major cause of the very different H pickup rates. In contrast, stress strongly affects H diffusivity. This effect needs to be considered for studying hydride formation and delayed hydride cracking.

Cerium Titanate Nano dispersoids in Ni-base ODS Alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Suk Hoon; Chun, Young-Bum; Rhee, Chang-Kyu; Jang, Jinsung [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Hee-Suk [Korea Basic Science Institute, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) nickel-base alloys have potential for use in rather demanding elevated-temperature environments, such as aircraft turbine engines, heat exchanger of nuclear reactor. For improved high temperature performance, several ODS alloys were developed which possess good elevated temperature strength and over-temperature capacity plus excellent static oxidation resistance. The high temperature strength of ODS alloys is due to the presence of a uniform dispersion of fine, inert particles. Ceria mixed oxides have been studied because of their application potential in the formation of nanoclusters. By first principle study, it was estimated that the formation energy of the Ce-O dimer with voids in the nickel base alloy is lower than other candidates. The result suggests that the dispersion of the Ceria mixed oxides can suppress the voiding or swelling behavior of nickel base alloy during neutron irradiation. In this study, the evolution of cerium titanate nano particles was investigated using in-situ TEM. It was found that the Ce{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 9} phase was easily formed rather than remain as CeO{sub 2} during annealing; Ti was effective to form the finer oxide particles. Ce{sub 2}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 9} is expected to do the great roll as dispersoids in Ni-base alloy, contribute to achieve the better high temperature property, high swelling resistance during neutron radiation.

Electrochemical hydrogen storage alloys and batteries fabricated from Mg containing base alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Ovshinsky, Stanford R.; Fetcenko, Michael A.

1996-01-01

An electrochemical hydrogen storage material comprising: (Base Alloy).sub.a M.sub.b where, Base Alloy is an alloy of Mg and Ni in a ratio of from about 1:2 to about 2:1, preferably 1:1; M represents at least one modifier element chosen from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Al, Fe, Cu, Mo, W, Cr, V, Ti, Zr, Sn, Th, Si, Zn, Li, Cd, Na, Pb, La, Mm, and Ca; b is greater than 0.5, preferably 2.5, atomic percent and less than 30 atomic percent; and a+b=100 atomic percent. Preferably, the at least one modifier is chosen from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Al, Fe, and Cu and the total mass of the at least one modifier element is less than 25 atomic percent of the final composition. Most preferably, the total mass of said at least one modifier element is less than 20 atomic percent of the final composition.

Calibration of germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjurman, B.; Erlandsson, B.

1985-01-01

This paper describes problems concerning the calibration of germanium detectors for the measurement of gamma-radiation from environmental samples. It also contains a brief description of some ways of reducing the uncertainties concerning the activity determination. These uncertainties have many sources, such as counting statistics, full energy peak efficiency determination, density correction and radionuclide specific-coincidence effects, when environmental samples are investigated at close source-to-detector distances

Corrosion resistance of Fe-based amorphous alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botta, W.J.; Berger, J.E.; Kiminami, C.S.; Roche, V.; Nogueira, R.P.; Bolfarini, C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: ► We report corrosion properties of Fe-based amorphous alloys in different media. ► The Cr-containing alloys had corrosion resistance close to that of Pt in all media. ► The wide range of electrochemical stability is relevant in many industrial domains. -- Abstract: Fe-based amorphous alloys can be designed to present an attractive combination of properties with high corrosion resistance and high mechanical strength. Such properties are clearly adequate for their technological use as coatings, for example, in steel pipes. In this work, we studied the corrosion properties of amorphous ribbons of the following Fe-based compositions: Fe 66 B 30 Nb 4 , [(Fe 0.6 Co 0.4 ) 0.75 B 0.2 Si 0.05 ] 96 Nb 4 , [(Fe 0.7 Co 0.3 ) 0.75 B 0.2 Si 0.05 ] 96 Nb 4 , Fe 56 Cr 23 Ni 5.7 B 16 , Fe 53 Cr 22 Ni 5.6 B 19 and Fe 50 Cr 22 Ni 5.4 B 23 . The ribbons were obtained by rapid solidification using the melt-spinning process, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion properties were evaluated by corrosion potential survey and potentiodynamic polarization. The Cr containing alloys, that is the FeCrNiB type of alloys, showed the best corrosion resistance properties with the formation of a stable passive film that ensured a very large passivation plateau

LASER CLADDING ON ALUMINIUM BASE ALLOYS

OpenAIRE

Pilloz , M.; Pelletier , J.; Vannes , A.; Bignonnet , A.

1991-01-01

laser cladding is often performed on iron or titanium base alloys. In the present work, this method is employed on aluminum alloys ; nickel or silicon are added by powder injection. Addition of silicon leads to sound surface layers, but with moderated properties, while the presence of nickel induces the formation of hard intermetallic compounds and then to an attractive hardening phenomena ; however a recovery treatment has to be carried out, in order to eliminate porosity in the near surface...

GRAN SASSO: Enriched germanium in action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1991-12-15

Two large crystals of carefully enriched germanium, one weighing 1 kilogram and the other 2.9 kilograms, and worth many millions of dollars, are being carefully monitored in the Italian Gran Sasso Laboratory in the continuing search for neutrinoless double beta decay.

GRAN SASSO: Enriched germanium in action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Two large crystals of carefully enriched germanium, one weighing 1 kilogram and the other 2.9 kilograms, and worth many millions of dollars, are being carefully monitored in the Italian Gran Sasso Laboratory in the continuing search for neutrinoless double beta decay

Supercritical water corrosion of high Cr steels and Ni-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jin Sung; Han, Chang Hee; Hwang, Seong Sik

2004-01-01

High Cr steels (9 to 12% Cr) have been widely used for high temperature high pressure components in fossil power plants. Recently the concept of SCWR (supercritical water-cooled reactor) has aroused a keen interest as one of the next generation (Generation IV) reactors. Consequently Ni-base (or high Ni) alloys as well as high Cr steels that have already many experiences in the field are among the potential candidate alloys for the cladding or reactor internals. Tentative inlet and outlet temperatures of the anticipated SCWR are 280 and 510 .deg. C respectively. Among many candidate alloys there are austenitic stainless steels, Ni base alloys, ODS alloys as well as high Cr steels. In this study the corrosion behavior of the high Cr steels and Ni base (or high Ni) alloys in the supercritical water were investigated. The corrosion behavior of the unirradiated base metals could be used in the near future as a guideline for the out-of-pile or in-pile corrosion evaluation tests

Characterization of the microstructure in Mg based alloy

KAUST Repository

Kutbee, Arwa T

2013-06-01

The cast products Mg–Sn based alloys are promising candidates for automobile industries, since they provide a cheap yet thermally stable alternative to existing alloys. One drawback of the Mg–Sn based alloys is their insufficient hardness. The hardenability can be improved by engineering the microstructure through additions of Zn to the base alloy and selective aging conditions. Therefore, detailed knowledge about the microstructural characteristics and the role of Zn to promote precipitation hardening is essential for age hardenable Mg-based alloys. In this work, microstructural investigation of the Mg–1.4Sn–1.3Zn–0.1Mn (at.%) precipitation system was performed using TEM. The chemical composition of the precipitates was analyzed using EDS. APT was employed to obtain precise chemical information on the distribution of Zn in the microstructure. It was found from microstructural studies that different precipitates with varying sizes and phases were present; lath-shaped precipitates of the Mg2Sn phase have an incoherent interface with the matrix, unlike the lath-shaped MgZn2 precipitates. Furthermore, nano-sized precipitates dispersed in the microstructure with short-lath morphology can either be enriched with Sn or Zn. On the other hand, APT analysis revealed the strong repulsion between Sn and Zn atoms in a portion of the analysis volume. However, larger reconstruction volume required to identify the role of Zn is still limited to the optimization of specimen preparation.

Fracture assessment for a dissimilar metal weld of low alloy steel and Ni-base alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogawa, Takuya, E-mail: takuya4.ogawa@toshiba.co.jp [Toshiba Corporation Power Systems Company, Power and Industrial Systems Research and Development Center, 8, Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-8523 (Japan); Itatani, Masao; Saito, Toshiyuki; Hayashi, Takahiro; Narazaki, Chihiro; Tsuchihashi, Kentaro [Toshiba Corporation Power Systems Company, Power and Industrial Systems Research and Development Center, 8, Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-8523 (Japan)

2012-02-15

Recently, instances of SCC in Ni-base alloy weld metal of light water reactor components have been reported. Despite the possibility of propagation of SCC crack to the fusion line between low alloy steel (LAS) of pressure vessel and Ni-base alloy of internal structure, a fracture assessment method of dissimilar metal welded joint has not been established. The objective of this study is to investigate a fracture mode of dissimilar metal weld of LAS and Ni-base alloy for development of a fracture assessment method for dissimilar metal weld. Fracture tests were conducted using two types of dissimilar metal weld test plates with semi-elliptical surface crack. In one of the test plates, the fusion line lies around the surface points of the surface crack and the crack tips at the surface points have intruded into LAS. Material ahead of the crack tip at the deepest point is Ni-base alloy. In the other, the fusion line lies around the deepest point of the surface crack and the crack tip at the deepest point has intruded into LAS. Material ahead of the crack tip at the deepest point is LAS. The results of fracture tests using the former type of test plate reveal that the collapse load considering the proportion of ligament area of each material gives a good estimation for fracture load. That is, fracture assessment based on plastic collapse mode is applicable to the former type of test plate. It is also understood that a fracture assessment method based on the elastic-plastic fracture mode is suitable for the latter type of test plate.

Ultraviolet-light-induced processes in germanium-doped silica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Martin

2001-01-01

A model is presented for the interaction of ultraviolet (UV) light with germanium-doped silica glass. It is assumed that germanium sites work as gates for transferring the excitation energy into the silica. In the material the excitation induces forbidden transitions to two different defect states...... which are responsible for the observed refractive index changes. Activation energies [1.85 +/-0.15 eV and 1.91 +/-0.15 eV] and rates [(2.7 +/-1.9) x 10(13) Hz and(7.2 +/-4.5) x 10(13) Hz] are determined for thermal elimination of these states. Good agreement is found with experimental results and new UV...

The effects of microalloying with silicon and germanium on microstructure and hardness of a commercial aluminum alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VESNA MAKSIMOVIC

2003-11-01

Full Text Available The effect of small additions of Si and Ge on the microstructure and hardness was investigated during aging of a commercial 2219 aluminum alloy. It was found that for the same level of microalloying in alloy 2219SG (containing Si and Ge, a maximum hardness was achieved 3 times faster than in alloy 2219S (without Ge. The accelerated precipitation kinetics is a consequence of the presence of fine Si–Ge particles, serving as heterogeneous precipitation sites for q” strengthening particles.

Impurity diffusion, point defect engineering, and surface/interface passivation in germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, Alexander I.

2012-01-26

In recent years germanium has been emerging as a mainstream material that could have important applications in the microelectronics industry. The principle aim of this study is to review investigations of the diffusion of technologically important p- and n-type dopants as well as surface and interface passivation issues in germanium. The diffusion of impurities in germanium is interrelated to the formation of clusters whenever possible, and possibilities for point defect engineering are discussed in view of recent results. The importance of electrically active defects on the Ge surface and interfaces is addressed considering strategies to suppress them and to passivate the surfaces/interfaces, bearing in mind their importance for advanced devices. © 2012 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pulse shapes and surface effects in segmented germanium detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lenz, Daniel

2010-03-24

It is well established that at least two neutrinos are massive. The absolute neutrino mass scale and the neutrino hierarchy are still unknown. In addition, it is not known whether the neutrino is a Dirac or a Majorana particle. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) will be used to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge. The discovery of this decay could help to answer the open questions. In the GERDA experiment, germanium detectors enriched in the isotope {sup 76}Ge are used as source and detector at the same time. The experiment is planned in two phases. In the first, phase existing detectors are deployed. In the second phase, additional detectors will be added. These detectors can be segmented. A low background index around the Q value of the decay is important to maximize the sensitivity of the experiment. This can be achieved through anti-coincidences between segments and through pulse shape analysis. The background index due to radioactive decays in the detector strings and the detectors themselves was estimated, using Monte Carlo simulations for a nominal GERDA Phase II array with 18-fold segmented germanium detectors. A pulse shape simulation package was developed for segmented high-purity germanium detectors. The pulse shape simulation was validated with data taken with an 19-fold segmented high-purity germanium detector. The main part of the detector is 18-fold segmented, 6-fold in the azimuthal angle and 3-fold in the height. A 19th segment of 5mm thickness was created on the top surface of the detector. The detector was characterized and events with energy deposited in the top segment were studied in detail. It was found that the metalization close to the end of the detector is very important with respect to the length of the of the pulses observed. In addition indications for n-type and p-type surface channels were found. (orig.)

Pulse shapes and surface effects in segmented germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenz, Daniel

2010-01-01

It is well established that at least two neutrinos are massive. The absolute neutrino mass scale and the neutrino hierarchy are still unknown. In addition, it is not known whether the neutrino is a Dirac or a Majorana particle. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) will be used to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 76 Ge. The discovery of this decay could help to answer the open questions. In the GERDA experiment, germanium detectors enriched in the isotope 76 Ge are used as source and detector at the same time. The experiment is planned in two phases. In the first, phase existing detectors are deployed. In the second phase, additional detectors will be added. These detectors can be segmented. A low background index around the Q value of the decay is important to maximize the sensitivity of the experiment. This can be achieved through anti-coincidences between segments and through pulse shape analysis. The background index due to radioactive decays in the detector strings and the detectors themselves was estimated, using Monte Carlo simulations for a nominal GERDA Phase II array with 18-fold segmented germanium detectors. A pulse shape simulation package was developed for segmented high-purity germanium detectors. The pulse shape simulation was validated with data taken with an 19-fold segmented high-purity germanium detector. The main part of the detector is 18-fold segmented, 6-fold in the azimuthal angle and 3-fold in the height. A 19th segment of 5mm thickness was created on the top surface of the detector. The detector was characterized and events with energy deposited in the top segment were studied in detail. It was found that the metalization close to the end of the detector is very important with respect to the length of the of the pulses observed. In addition indications for n-type and p-type surface channels were found. (orig.)

Silicon-germanium and platinum silicide nanostructures for silicon based photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Storozhevykh, M. S.; Dubkov, V. P.; Arapkina, L. V.; Chizh, K. V.; Mironov, S. A.; Chapnin, V. A.; Yuryev, V. A.

2017-05-01

This paper reports a study of two types of silicon based nanostructures prospective for applications in photonics. The first ones are Ge/Si(001) structures forming at room temperature and reconstructing after annealing at 600°C. Germanium, being deposited from a molecular beam at room temperature on the Si(001) surface, forms a thin granular film composed of Ge particles with sizes of a few nanometers. A characteristic feature of these films is that they demonstrate signs of the 2 x 1 structure in their RHEED patterns. After short-term annealing at 600°C under the closed system conditions, the granular films reconstruct to heterostructures consisting of a Ge wetting layer and oval clusters of Ge. A mixed type c(4x2) + p(2x2) reconstruction typical to the low-temperature MBE (Tgr Ge. The other type of the studied nanostructures is based on Pt silicides. This class of materials is one of the friendliest to silicon technology. But as silicide film thickness reaches a few nanometers, low resistivity becomes of primary importance. Pt3Si has the lowest sheet resistance among the Pt silicides. However, the development of a process of thin Pt3Si films formation is a challenging task. This paper describes formation of a thin Pt3Si/Pt2Si structures at room temperature on poly-Si films. Special attention is paid upon formation of poly-Si and amorphous Si films on Si3N4 substrates at low temperatures.

Acoustic properties of TiNiMoFe base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyunter, V.Eh.; Chernyshev, V.I.; Chekalkin, T.L.

2000-01-01

The regularity of changing the acoustic properties of the TiNi base alloys in dependence on the alloy composition and impact temperature is studied. It is shown that the oscillations of the TiNiMoFe base alloys within the temperature range of the B2 phase existence and possible appearance of the martensite under the load differ from the traditional materials oscillations. After excitation of spontaneous oscillations within the range of M f ≤ T ≤ M d there exists the area of long-term and low-amplitude low-frequency acoustic oscillations. It is established that free low-frequency oscillations of the TH-10 alloy sample are characterized by the low damping level in the given temperature range [ru

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

Microstructures and oxidation behavior of some Molybdenum based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ray, Pratik Kumar [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2011-01-01

The advent of Ni based superalloys revolutionized the high temperature alloy industry. These materials are capable of operating in extremely harsh environments, comprising of temperatures around 1050 C, under oxidative conditions. Demands for increased fuel efficiency, however, has highlighted the need for materials that can be used under oxidative conditions at temperatures in excess of 1200 C. The Ni based superalloys are restricted to lower temperatures due to the presence of a number of low melting phases that melt in the 1250 - 1450 C, resulting in softening of the alloys above 1000 C. Therefore, recent research directions have been skewed towards exploring and developing newer alloy systems. This thesis comprises a part of such an effort. Techniques for rapid thermodynamic assessments were developed and applied to two different systems - Mo-Si alloys with transition metal substitutions (and this forms the first part of the thesis) and Ni-Al alloys with added components for providing high temperature strength and ductility. A hierarchical approach towards alloy design indicated the Mo-Ni-Al system as a prospective candidate for high temperature applications. Investigations on microstructures and oxidation behavior, under both isothermal and cyclic conditions, of these alloys constitute the second part of this thesis. It was seen that refractory metal systems show a marked microstructure dependence of oxidation.

Nanocrystalline Al-based alloys - lightweight materials with attractive mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latuch, J; Cieslak, G; Dimitrov, H; Krasnowski, M; Kulik, T

2009-01-01

In this study, several ways of bulk nanocrystalline Al-based alloys' production by high-pressure compaction of powders were explored. The effect of chemical composition and compaction parameters on the structure, quality and mechanical properties of the bulk samples was studied. Bulk nanocrystalline Al-Mm-Ni-(Fe,Co) alloys were prepared by ball-milling of amorphous ribbons followed by consolidation. The maximum microhardness (540 HV0.1) was achieved for the samples compacted at 275 deg. C under 7.7 GPa (which resulted in an amorphous bulk) and nanocrystallised at 235 deg. C for 20 min. Another group of the produced materials were bulk nanocrystalline Al-Si-(Ni,Fe)-Mm alloys obtained by ball-milling of nanocrystalline ribbons and consolidation. The hardness of these samples achieved the value five times higher (350HV) than that of commercial 4xxx series Al alloys. Nanocrystalline Al-based alloys were also prepared by mechanical alloying followed by hot-pressing. In this group of materials, there were Al-Fe alloys containing 50-85 at.% of Al and ternary or quaternary Al-Fe-(Ti, Si, Ni, Mg, B) alloys. Microhardness of these alloys was in the range of 613 - 1235 HV0.2, depending on the composition.

Effect of alloying elements on the stability of Ni2M in Alloy690 based upon thermodynamic calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiuchi, Toshiaki; Kuwano, Kazuhiro; Satoh, Naohiro

2012-01-01

Some researchers recently point out that Ni based alloys used in nuclear power plants have the ordering tendency, which is a potential to decrease mechanical properties within the expected lifetime of the plants. In the present study, authors evaluated the effect of 8 alloying elements on the ordering tendency in Alloy690 based upon thermodynamic calculation by Thermo-Calc. It is clarified that the additive amount of Fe, Cr, Ti and Si, particularly Fe and Cr, was influential for the stability of Ni 2 M, while that of Mn, Cu, B and C had almost no effect for that. Authors therefore designed the Ni 2 M stabilized alloy by no addition of Fe in Alloy690. Ni 2 M is estimated to be stable even at 773 K in the Ni 2 M stabilized alloy. The influence by long range ordering or precipitating of Ni 2 M in Alloy690 for mechanical properties or SCC susceptibility is expected to be clarified by the sample obtained in the present study. (author)

Water soluble nano-scale transient material germanium oxide for zero toxic waste based environmentally benign nano-manufacturing

KAUST Repository

Almuslem, A. S.

2017-02-14

In the recent past, with the advent of transient electronics for mostly implantable and secured electronic applications, the whole field effect transistor structure has been dissolved in a variety of chemicals. Here, we show simple water soluble nano-scale (sub-10 nm) germanium oxide (GeO) as the dissolvable component to remove the functional structures of metal oxide semiconductor devices and then reuse the expensive germanium substrate again for functional device fabrication. This way, in addition to transiency, we also show an environmentally friendly manufacturing process for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Every year, trillions of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics are manufactured and billions are disposed, which extend the harmful impact to our environment. Therefore, this is a key study to show a pragmatic approach for water soluble high performance electronics for environmentally friendly manufacturing and bioresorbable electronic applications.

Porous Nb-Ti based alloy produced from plasma spheroidized powder

OpenAIRE

Li, Qijun; Zhang, Lin; Wei, Dongbin; Ren, Shubin; Qu, Xuanhui

2017-01-01

Spherical Nb-Ti based alloy powder was prepared by the combination of plasma spheroidization and mechanical alloying. Phase constituents, microstructure and surface state of the powder, and pore characteristics of the resulting porous alloy were investigated. The results show that the undissolved W and V in the mechanically alloyed powder is fully alloyed after spheroidization, and single β phase is achieved. Particle size of the spheroidized powder is in the range of 20–110 μm. With the decr...

Salt Fog Testing Iron-Based Amorphous Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebak, Raul B.; Aprigliano, Louis F.; Day, S. Daniel; Farmer, Joseph C.

2007-01-01

Iron-based amorphous alloys are hard and highly corrosion resistant, which make them desirable for salt water and other applications. These alloys can be produced as powder and can be deposited as coatings on any surface that needs to be protected from the environment. It was of interest to examine the behavior of these amorphous alloys in the standard salt-fog testing ASTM B 117. Three different amorphous coating compositions were deposited on 316L SS coupons and exposed for many cycles of the salt fog test. Other common engineering alloys such as 1018 carbon steel, 316L SS and Hastelloy C-22 were also tested together with the amorphous coatings. Results show that amorphous coatings are resistant to rusting in salt fog. Partial devitrification may be responsible for isolated rust spots in one of the coatings. (authors)

Effect of germanium concentrations on tunnelling current calculation of Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Hasanah, L.; Suhendi, E.; Khairrurijal

2018-05-01

Tunelling current calculation on Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor was carried out by including the coupling between transversal and longitudinal components of electron motion. The calculation results indicated that the coupling between kinetic energy in parallel and perpendicular to S1-xGex barrier surface affected tunneling current significantly when electron velocity was faster than 1x105 m/s. This analytical tunneling current model was then used to study how the germanium concentration in base to Si/Si1-xGex/Si heterojunction bipolar transistor influenced the tunneling current. It is obtained that tunneling current increased as the germanium concentration given in base decreased.

A study on the forms of existence of germanium in uranium-bearing coals of Bangmai basin of Yunnan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Shuling; Wang Shuying; Yin Jinshuang

1988-07-01

The Bangmai basin is an asymmetrical intermontane synclinal basin with a Hercynian-Yenshan granitic body (γ 3 3 -γ 5 2 ) as its basement. Its overlying strata are made up of the N 1 of coal-bearing clastic rocks of Neogene period. Germanium ore mostly occur within the N 1 2 coal-seam. Uranium, germanium-bearing coals are mainly lignites of low grade in coalation and belong to semidurain, semiclarain, duroclarain and clarodurain. In order to probe into the forms of existence of germanium in coal, six kinds of analytical methods (electronic probe analysis, separation of heavy liquid, grain-size analysis, electric osmosis, chemical extraction and grade-extraction) have been adopted. A simulated test of humic complex germanium in the laboratory was carried out. According to infrared spectral analysis, it is found that 1700 cm -1 wavecrest almost disappears, 1250 cm -1 peak weakens and 1600 cm -1 peak strengthens, 1400 cm -1 peak slightly strengthens. No doubt, these illustrate the formatiion of humic germanium complex. Afterward, through differential thermal analysis and measurement of pH variation of media, it futher proves the presence of humic germanium complex. It is considered that the forms of existence of germanium in uranium-bearing coals mainly are: (1) In close chemical combination with organic matter, usually in the form of humic germanium complex and germanium organic compound; (2) In the state of adsorption, germanium is adsorbed by some organic matter, clay minerals and limonite etc.; (3) A very rare part occurring as isomorphous form

Formation and Applications of Bulk Glassy Alloys in Late Transition Metal Base System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Akihisa; Shen Baolong

2006-01-01

This paper reviews our recent results of the formation, fundamental properties, workability and applications of late transition metal (LTM) base bulk glassy alloys (BGAs) developed since 1995. The BGAs were obtained in Fe-(Al,Ga)-(P,C,B,Si), Fe-(Cr,Mo)-(C,B), Fe-(Zr,Hf,Nb,Ta)-B, Fe-Ln-B(Ln=lanthanide metal), Fe-B-Si-Nb and Fe-Nd-Al for Fe-based alloys, Co-(Ta,Mo)-B and Co-B-Si-Nb for Co-based alloys, Ni-Nb-(Ti,Zr)-(Co,Ni) for Ni-based alloys, and Cu-Ti-(Zr,Hf), Cu-Al-(Zr,Hf), Cu-Ti-(Zr,Hf)-(Ni,Co) and Cu-Al-(Zr,Hf)-(Ag,Pd) for Cu-based alloys. These BGAs exhibit useful properties of high mechanical strength, large elastic elongation and high corrosion resistance. In addition, Fe- and Co-based glassy alloys have good soft magnetic properties which cannot be obtained for amorphous and crystalline type magnetic alloys. The Fe- and Ni-based BGAs have already been used in some application fields. These LTM base BGAs are promising as new metallic engineering materials

Effects of alloying elements on nodular and uniform corrosion resistance of zirconium-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Katsuhiro

1992-01-01

The effects of alloying and impurity elements (tin, iron, chromium, nickel, niobium, tantalum, oxygen, aluminum, carbon, nitrogen, silicon, and phosphorus) on the nodular and uniform corrosion resistance of zirconium-based alloys were studied. The improving effect of iron, nickel and niobium in nodular corrosion resistance were observed. The uniform corrosion resistance was also improved by nickel, niobium and tantalum. The effects of impurity elements, nitrogen, aluminum and phosphorus were negligibly small but increasing the silicon content seemed to improve slightly the uniform corrosion resistance. Hydrogen pick-up fraction were not changed by alloying and impurity elements except nickel. Nickel addition increased remarkably hydrogen pick-up fraction. Although the composition of secondary precipitates changed with contents of alloying elements, the correlation of composition of secondary precipitates to corrosion resistance was not observed. (author)

Indentation creep behaviors of amorphous Cu-based composite alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Defeng; Ma, Xiangdong; Qian, Linfang

2018-04-01

This work reports the indentation creep behaviors of two Si2Zr3/amorphous Cu-based composite alloys utilizing nanoindentation technique. By analysis with Kelvin model, the retardation spectra of alloys at different positions, detached and attached regions to the intermetallics, were deduced. For the indentation of detached regions to Si2Zr3 intermetallics in both alloys, very similarity in creep displacement can be observed and retardation spectra show a distinct disparity in the second retardation peak. For the indentation of detached regions, the second retardation spectra also display distinct disparity. At both positions, the retardation spectra suggest that Si elements may lead to the relatively dense structure in the amorphous matrix and to form excessive Si2Zr3 intermetallics which may deteriorate the plastic deformation of current Cu-based composite alloys.

Alloying behavior of iron, gold and silver in AlCoCrCuNi-based equimolar high-entropy alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, U.S.; Hung, U.D.; Yeh, J.W.; Chen, S.K.; Huang, Y.S.; Yang, C.C.

2007-01-01

High-entropy alloys are newly developed alloys that are composed, by definition, of at least five principal elements with concentrations in the range of 5-35 at.%. Therefore, the alloying behavior of any given principal element is significantly affected by all the other principal elements present. In order to elucidate this further, the influence of iron, silver and gold addition on the microstructure and hardness of AlCoCrCuNi-based equimolar alloys has been examined. The as-cast AlCoCrCuNi base alloy is found to have a dendritic structure, of which only solid solution FCC and BCC phases can be observed. The BCC dendrite has a chemical composition close to that of the nominal alloy, with a deficiency in copper however, which is found to segregate and form a FCC Cu-rich interdendrite. The microstructure of the iron containing alloys is similar to that of the base alloy. It is found that both of these aforementioned alloys have hardnesses of about 420 HV, which is equated to their similar microstructures. The as-cast ingot forms two layers of distinct composition with the addition of silver. These layers, which are gold and silver in color, are determined to have a hypoeutectic Ag-Cu composition and a multielement mixture of the other principal elements, respectively. This indicates the chemical incompatibility of silver with the other principal elements. The hardnesses of the gold (104 HV) and silver layers (451 HV) are the lowest and highest of the alloy systems studied. This is attributed to the hypoeutectic Ag-Cu composition of the former and the reduced copper content of the latter. Only multielement mixtures, i.e. without copper segregation, form in the gold containing alloy. Thus, it may be said that gold acts as a 'mixing agent' between copper and the other elements. Although several of the atom pairs in the gold containing alloy have positive enthalpies, thermodynamic considerations show that the high entropy contribution is sufficient to counterbalance

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...

Recrystallization behaviour and electrical properties of germanium ion implanted polycrystalline silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Myeon-Koo; Matsui, Takayuki; Kuwano, Hiroshi

1996-01-01

The recrystallization behaviour of undoped and phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon films amorphized by germanium ion implantation at doses ranging from 1 x 10 15 to 1 x 10 16 cm -2 are investigated, and the electrical properties of phosphorus-doped films after recrystallization are studied. The phosphorus doping concentration ranges from 3 x 10 18 to 1 x 10 20 cm -3 . It is found that the nucleation rate decreases for undoped films and increases for phosphorus-doped films with increasing germanium dose; the growth rates decrease for both doped and undoped films. The decrease in nucleation rate is caused by the increase in implantation damage. The decrease in growth rate is considered to be due to the increase in lattice strain. The grain size increases with germanium dose for undoped films, but decreases for phosphorus-doped films. The dependence of the electrical properties of the recrystallized films as a function of phosphorus doping concentration with different germanium doses can be explained in terms of the grain size, crystallinity and grain boundary barrier height. (Author)

Study and characterization of porous germanium for radiometric measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akkari, E.; Benachour, Z.; Touayar, O.; Benbrahim, J. [Activites de Recherche, Metrologie des Rayonnements, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees et de Technologie, INSAT, Tunis (Tunisia); Aouida, S.; Bessais, B. [Laboratoire de Nanomateriaux et des Systemes de l' Energie, LaNSE, Centre de Recherche et des Technologies de l' Energie, CRTEn, Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

2009-07-15

The aim of this article is to study and realize a new detector based on a porous germanium (pGe) photodiode to be used as a standard for radiometric measurement in the wavelength region between 800 nm and 1700 nm. We present the development and characterization of a porous structure realized on a single-crystal substrate of p-type germanium (Ga doped) and of crystallographic orientation (100). The obtained structure allows, on the one hand, to trap the incident radiation, and on the other hand, to minimize the fluctuations of the front-face reflection coefficient of the photodiode. The first studies thus made show that it is possible to optimize, respectively, the electrical current density and the electrochemical operation time necessary for obtaining exploitable porous structures. The obtained results show that for 50 mA/cm{sup 2} and 5 min as operational parameters, we obtain a textured aspect of the porous samples that present a pyramidal form. The reflectivity study of the front surface shows a constant value of around 38% in a spectral range between 800 nm and 1700 nm approximately. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Development of neutron-transmutation-doped germanium bolometer material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palaio, N.P.

1983-08-01

The behavior of lattice defects generated as a result of the neutron-transmutation-doping of germanium was studied as a function of annealing conditions using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and mobility measurements. DLTS and variable temperature Hall effect were also used to measure the activation of dopant impurities formed during the transmutation process. In additioon, a semi-automated method of attaching wires on to small chips of germanium ( 3 ) for the fabrication of infrared detecting bolometers was developed. Finally, several different types of junction field effect transistors were tested for noise at room and low temperature (approx. 80 K) in order to find the optimum device available for first stage electronics in the bolometer signal amplification circuit

Thermodynamic calculations of self- and hetero-diffusion parameters in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saltas, V.; Vallianatos, F.

2015-01-01

In the present work, the diffusion coefficients of n- and p-type dopants (P, As, Sb, Al) and self-diffusion in crystalline germanium are calculated from the bulk elastic properties of the host material based on the cBΩ thermodynamic model. The calculated diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature and the activation enthalpies prove to be in full agreement with the reported experimental results. Additional point defect parameters such as activation entropy, activation volume and activation Gibbs free energy are also calculated for each diffusing element. The pressure dependence of self-diffusion coefficients in germanium is also verified at high temperatures (876 K–1086 K), in agreement with reported results ranging from ambient pressure up to 600 MPa and is further calculated at pressures up to 3 GPa, where the phase transition to Ge II occurs. - Highlights: • Calculation of diffusivities of n- and p-type dopants in Ge from elastic properties. • Calculation of point defect parameters according to the cBΩ thermodynamic model. • Prediction of the pressure dependence of self-diffusion coefficients in Ge

Organotrichlorogermane synthesis by the reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chloride via dichlorogermylene intermediate.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Masaki; Asano, Takuya; Suzuki, Eiichi

2004-08-07

Organotrichlorogermanes were synthesized by the reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chlorides, methyl, propyl, isopropyl and allyl chlorides. Dichlorogermylene formed by the reaction of elemental germanium with tetrachlorogermane was the reaction intermediate, which was inserted into the carbon-chlorine bond of the organic chloride to give organotrichlorogermane. When isopropyl or allyl chloride was used as an organic chloride, organotrichlorogermane was formed also in the absence of tetrachlorogermane. These chlorides were converted to hydrogen chloride, which subsequently reacted with elemental germanium to give the dichlorogermylene intermediate. The reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chlorides provides a simple and easy method for synthesizing organotrichlorogermanes, and all the raw materials are easily available.

HEROICA: A fast screening facility for the characterization of germanium detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andreotti, Erica [Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, 72076 Tübingen (Germany); Collaboration: GERDA Collaboration

2013-08-08

In the course of 2012, a facility for the fast screening of germanium detectors called HEROICA (Hades Experimental Research Of Intrinsic Crystal Appliances) has been installed at the HADES underground laboratory in the premises of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, in Mol (Belgium). The facility allows performing a complete characterization of the critical germanium detectors' operational parameters with a rate of about two detectors per week.

Segregation in welded nickel-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, J.I.; Shoaib, K.A.; Ahmad, M.; Shaikh, M.A.

1990-05-01

Segregation effects have been investigated in nickel-base alloys monel 400, inconel 625, hastelloy C-276 and incoloy 825, test welded under controlled conditions. Deviations from the normal composition have been observed to varying extents in the welded zone of these alloys. Least effect of this type occurred in Monel 400 where the content of Cu increased in some of the areas. Enhancement of Al and Ti has been found over large areas in the other alloys which has been attributed to the formation of low melting slag. Another common feature is the segregation of Cr, Fe or Ti, most likely in the form of carbides. Enrichment of Al, Ti, Nb, Mb, Mo, etc., to different amounts in some of the areas of these materials is in- terpretted in terms of the formation of gamma prime precipitates or of Laves phases. (author)

The development of cobalt-base alloy ball bearing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xinshui; Chen Jianting; Wang Zaishu; Wang Ximei; Huang Chongming.

1986-01-01

The main technologies and experiences in developing a Cobalt-base alloy ball bearing are described. In the hardfacing of bearing races, a lower-hardness alloy of type St-6 is used rather than an alloy with hardness similar to that of the ball and finally the hardness of race is increased to match that of the ball by heat treatment. This improvement has certain advantages. The experience of whole developing technology indicates that strict control of the technology in the bearing-race hardfacing is the key problem in the quality assurance of bearings

Porous Nb-Ti based alloy produced from plasma spheroidized powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qijun Li

Full Text Available Spherical Nb-Ti based alloy powder was prepared by the combination of plasma spheroidization and mechanical alloying. Phase constituents, microstructure and surface state of the powder, and pore characteristics of the resulting porous alloy were investigated. The results show that the undissolved W and V in the mechanically alloyed powder is fully alloyed after spheroidization, and single β phase is achieved. Particle size of the spheroidized powder is in the range of 20–110 μm. With the decrease of particle size, a transformation from typical dendrite solidification structure to fine cell microstructure occurs. The surface of the spheroidized powder is coated by a layer of oxides consisting mainly of TiO2 and Nb2O5. Probabilities of sinter-neck formation and particle coalescence increases with increasing sintering temperature. Porous skeleton with relatively homogeneous pore distribution and open pore channel is formed after vacuum sintering at 1700 °C, and the porosity is 32%. The sintering kinetic analysis indicates that grain boundary diffusion is the primary mass transport mechanism during sintering process. Keywords: Powder metallurgy, Nb-Ti based alloy, Porous material, Mechanical alloying, Plasma spheroidizing, Solidification microstructure

Improved Mg-based alloys for hydrogen storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sapru, K.; Ming, L.; Stetson, N.T.; Evans, J. [Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., Troy, MI (United States)

1998-08-01

The overall objective of this on-going work is to develop low temperature alloys capable of reversibly storing at least 3 wt.% hydrogen, allowing greater than for 2 wt.% at the system level which is required by most applications. Surface modification of Mg can be used to improve its H-sorption kinetics. The authors show here that the same Mg-transition metal-based multi-component alloy when prepared by melt-spinning results in a more homogeneous materials with a higher plateau pressure as compared to preparing the material by mechanical grinding. They have also shown that mechanically alloyed Mg{sub 50}Al{sub 45}Zn{sub 5} results in a sample having a higher plateau pressure.

Melting and casting of FeAl-based cast alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikka, V.K. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Wilkening, D. [Columbia Falls Aluminum Co., Columbia Falls, MT (United States); Liebetrau, J.; Mackey, B. [AFFCO, L.L.C., Anaconda, MT (United States)

1998-11-01

The FeAl-based intermetallic alloys are of great interest because of their low density, low raw material cost, and excellent resistance to high-temperature oxidation, sulfidation, carburization, and molten salts. The applications based on these unique properties of FeAl require methods to melt and cast these alloys into complex-shaped castings and centrifugal cast tubes. This paper addresses the melting-related issues and the effect of chemistry on the microstructure and hardness of castings. It is concluded that the use of the Exo-Melt{trademark} process for melting and the proper selection of the aluminum melt stock can result in porosity-free castings. The FeAl alloys can be melted and cast from the virgin and revert stock. A large variation in carbon content of the alloys is possible before the precipitation of graphite flakes occurs. Titanium is a very potent addition to refine the grain size of castings. A range of complex sand castings and two different sizes of centrifugal cast tubes of the alloy have already been cast.

Harmonic Lattice Dynamics of Germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelin, G

1974-07-01

The phonon dispersion relations of the DELTA-, LAMBDA-, and SIGMA-directions of germanium at 80 K are analysed in terms of current harmonic lattice dynamical models. On the basis of this experience, a new model is proposed which gives a unified account of the strong points of the previous models. The principal elements of the presented theory are quasiparticle bond charges combined with a valence force field.

Harmonic Lattice Dynamics of Germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelin, G.

1974-01-01

The phonon dispersion relations of the Δ-, Λ-, and Σ-directions of germanium at 80 K are analysed in terms of current harmonic lattice dynamical models. On the basis of this experience, a new model is proposed which gives a unified account of the strong points of the previous models. The principal elements of the presented theory are quasiparticle bond charges combined with a valence force field

Analysis of iron-base alloys by low-wattage glow discharge emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagatsuma, K.; Hirokawa, K.

1984-01-01

Several iron-base alloys were investigated by low-wattage glow discharge emission spectrometry. The emission intensity principally depended on the sputtering parameters of constituent elements in the alloy. However, in the case of chromium, stable and firm oxides formed on the surface influencing the yield of ejected atoms. This paper discusses the relation between the sputtering parameters in Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr, and Fe-Co alloys and their relative emission intensities. Additionally, quantitative analysis was performed for some ternary iron-base alloys and commercial stainless steels with the calibration factors of binary alloy systems

The development of additive manufacturing technique for nickel-base alloys: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Zadi-Maad, Ahmad; Basuki, Arif

2018-04-01

Nickel-base alloys are an attractive alloy due to its excellent mechanical properties, a high resistance to creep deformation, corrosion, and oxidation. However, it is a hard task to control performance when casting or forging for this material. In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) process has been implemented to replace the conventional directional solidification process for the production of nickel-base alloys. Due to its potentially lower cost and flexibility manufacturing process, AM is considered as a substitute technique for the existing. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the previous work related to the AM techniques for Ni-base alloys while highlighting current challenges and methods to solving them. The properties of conventionally manufactured Ni-base alloys are also compared with the AM fabricated alloys. The mechanical properties obtained from tension, hardness and fatigue test are included, along with discussions of the effect of post-treatment process. Recommendations for further work are also provided.

Corrosion resistance and electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation testing of some iron-base hardfacing alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockeram, B.V.

1999-01-01

Hardfacing alloys are weld deposited on a base material to provide a wear resistant surface. Commercially available iron-base hardfacing alloys are being evaluated for replacement of cobalt-base alloys to reduce nuclear plant activation levels. Corrosion testing was used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of several iron-base hardfacing alloys in highly oxygenated environments. The corrosion test results indicate that iron-base hardfacing alloys in the as-deposited condition have acceptable corrosion resistance when the chromium to carbon ratio is greater than 4. Tristelle 5183, with a high niobium (stabilizer) content, did not follow this trend due to precipitation of niobium-rich carbides instead of chromium-rich carbides. This result indicates that iron-base hardfacing alloys containing high stabilizer contents may possess good corrosion resistance with Cr:C < 4. NOREM 02, NOREM 01, and NoCo-M2 hardfacing alloys had acceptable corrosion resistance in the as-deposited and 885 C/4 hour heat treated condition, but rusting from sensitization was observed in the 621 C/6 hour heat treated condition. The feasibility of using an Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation (EPR) test method, such as used for stainless steel, to detect sensitization in iron-base hardfacing alloys was evaluated. A single loop-EPR method was found to provide a more consistent measurement of sensitization than a double loop-EPR method. The high carbon content that is needed for a wear resistant hardfacing alloy produces a high volume fraction of chromium-rich carbides that are attacked during EPR testing. This results in inherently lower sensitivity for detection of a sensitized iron-base hardfacing alloy than stainless steel using conventional EPR test methods

Tungsten wire-nickel base alloy composite development

Science.gov (United States)

Brentnall, W. D.; Moracz, D. J.

1976-01-01

Further development and evaluation of refractory wire reinforced nickel-base alloy composites is described. Emphasis was placed on evaluating thermal fatigue resistance as a function of matrix alloy composition, fabrication variables and reinforcement level and distribution. Tests for up to 1,000 cycles were performed and the best system identified in this current work was 50v/o W/NiCrAlY. Improved resistance to thermal fatigue damage would be anticipated for specimens fabricated via optimized processing schedules. Other properties investigated included 1,093 C (2,000 F) stress rupture strength, impact resistance and static air oxidation. A composite consisting of 30v/o W-Hf-C alloy fibers in a NiCrAlY alloy matrix was shown to have a 100-hour stress rupture strength at 1,093 C (2,000 F) of 365 MN/square meters (53 ksi) or a specific strength advantage of about 3:1 over typical D.S. eutectics.

Nonlinear optics in germanium mid-infrared fiber material: Detuning oscillations in femtosecond mid-infrared spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ordu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Germanium optical fibers hold great promise in extending semiconductor photonics into the fundamentally important mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The demonstration of nonlinear response in fabricated Ge fiber samples is a key step in the development of mid-infrared fiber materials. Here we report the observation of detuning oscillations in a germanium fiber in the mid-infrared region using femtosecond dispersed pump-probe spectroscopy. Detuning oscillations are observed in the frequency-resolved response when mid-infrared pump and probe pulses are overlapped in a fiber segment. The oscillations arise from the nonlinear frequency resolved nonlinear (χ(3 response in the germanium semiconductor. Our work represents the first observation of coherent oscillations in the emerging field of germanium mid-infrared fiber optics.

Elimination of Iron Based Particles in Al-Si Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bolibruchová D.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with influence on segregation of iron based phases on the secondary alloy AlSi7Mg0.3 microstructure by chrome. Iron is the most common and harmful impurity in aluminum casting alloys and has long been associated with an increase of casting defects. In generally, iron is associated with the formation of Fe-rich phases. It is impossible to remove iron from melt by standard operations, but it is possible to eliminate its negative influence by addition some other elements that affect the segregation of intermetallics in less harmful type. Realization of experiments and results of analysis show new view on solubility of iron based phases during melt preparation with higher iron content and influence of chrome as iron corrector of iron based phases. By experimental work were used three different amounts of AlCr20 master alloy a three different temperature of chill mold. Our experimental work confirmed that chrome can be used as an iron corrector in Al-Si alloy, due to the change of intermetallic phases and shortening their length.

Mechanisms of improving the cyclic stability of V-Ti-based hydrogen storage electrode alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao He; Wang Weiguo

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → The corrosion resistance of V-based phase is much lower than that of C14 Laves phase of V-Ti-based alloys. → The addition of Cr which mostly distributes in V-based phase can effectively increase the anti-corrosion ability of V-Ti-based alloys. → The addition of Cr which mostly distributes in V-based phase can effectively increase the anti-corrosion ability of V-Ti-based alloys. - Abstract: In this work, the mechanisms of improving the cyclic stability of V-Ti-based hydrogen storage electrode alloys were investigated systemically. Several key factors for example corrosion resistance, pulverization resistance and oxidation resistance were evaluated individually. The V-based solid solution phase has much lower anti-corrosion ability than C14 Laves phase in KOH solution, and the addition of Cr in V-Ti-based alloys can suppress the dissolution of the main hydrogen absorption elements of the V-based phase in the alkaline solution. During the charge/discharge cycling, the alloy particles crack or break into several pieces, which accelerates their corrosion/oxidation and increases the contact resistance of the alloy electrodes. Proper decreasing the Vickers hardness and enhancing the fracture toughness can increase the pulverization resistance of the alloy particles. The oxidation layer thickness on the alloy particle surface obviously increases during charge/discharge cycling. This deteriorates their electro-catalyst activation to the electrochemical reaction, and leads to a quick degradation. Therefore, enhancing the oxide resistance can obviously improve the cyclic stability of V-Ti-based hydrogen storage electrode alloys.

Split Bull's eye shaped aluminum antenna for plasmon-enhanced nanometer scale germanium photodetector.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Fang-Fang; Ang, Kah-Wee; Ye, Jiandong; Yu, Mingbin; Lo, Guo-Qiang; Kwong, Dim-Lee

2011-03-09

Bull's eye antennas are capable of efficiently collecting and concentrating optical signals into an ultrasmall area, offering an excellent solution to break the bottleneck between speed and photoresponse in subwavelength photodetectors. Here, we exploit the idea of split bull's eye antenna for a nanometer germanium photodetector operating at a standard communication wavelength of 1310 nm. The nontraditional plasmonic metal aluminum has been implemented in the resonant antenna structure fabricated by standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processing. A significant enhancement in photoresponse could be achieved over the conventional bull's eye scheme due to an increased optical near-field in the active region. Moreover, with this novel antenna design the effective grating area could be significantly reduced without sacrificing device performance. This work paves the way for the future development of low-cost, high-density, and high-speed CMOS-compatible germanium-based optoelectronic devices.

Characterisation of two AGATA asymmetric high purity germanium capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colosimo, S.J.; Moon, S.; Boston, A.J.; Boston, H.C.; Cresswell, J.R.; Harkness-Brennan, L.; Judson, D.S.; Lazarus, I.H.; Nolan, P.J.; Simpson, J.; Unsworth, C.

2015-01-01

The AGATA spectrometer is an array of highly segmented high purity germanium detectors. The spectrometer uses pulse shape analysis in order to track Compton scattered γ-rays to increase the efficiency of nuclear spectroscopy studies. The characterisation of two high purity germanium detector capsules for AGATA of the same A-type has been performed at the University of Liverpool. This work will examine the uniformity of performance of the two capsules, including a comparison of the resolution and efficiency as well as a study of charge collection. The performance of the capsules shows good agreement, which is essential for the efficient operation of the γ-ray tracking array

Quantitative spectrographic determination of traces of germanium in lignite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, M.; Roca, M.

1972-01-01

A burning technique in a d.c. arc at 10 amp has been employed. The standards have been prepared from a natural lignite with a low germanium content. In order to enhance sensitivity, AgCl, K 2 SO 4 , CuF 2 , Sb 2 S 3 and Bi 2 S 3 have been tested as sweeping materials. Using 2% CuF 2 a detection limit of 1 ppm germanium is attainable. Bi, Cu, Sb and Sn have been studied as internal standards: the former leads to the, highest precision (1 6%. Results show good agreement with those obtained by the addition method. (Author) 6 refs

Characterisation of two AGATA asymmetric high purity germanium capsules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colosimo, S.J., E-mail: sjc@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Moon, S.; Boston, A.J.; Boston, H.C.; Cresswell, J.R.; Harkness-Brennan, L.; Judson, D.S. [Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Lazarus, I.H. [STFC Daresbury, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Nolan, P.J. [Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Simpson, J. [STFC Daresbury, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Unsworth, C. [Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom)

2015-02-11

The AGATA spectrometer is an array of highly segmented high purity germanium detectors. The spectrometer uses pulse shape analysis in order to track Compton scattered γ-rays to increase the efficiency of nuclear spectroscopy studies. The characterisation of two high purity germanium detector capsules for AGATA of the same A-type has been performed at the University of Liverpool. This work will examine the uniformity of performance of the two capsules, including a comparison of the resolution and efficiency as well as a study of charge collection. The performance of the capsules shows good agreement, which is essential for the efficient operation of the γ-ray tracking array.

Porous germanium multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garralaga Rojas, Enrique; Hensen, Jan; Brendel, Rolf [Institut fuer Solarenergieforschung Hameln (ISFH), Emmerthal (Germany); Carstensen, Juergen; Foell, Helmut [Chair for General Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (Germany)

2011-06-15

We present the reproducible fabrication of porous germanium (PGe) single- and multilayers. Mesoporous layers form on heavily doped 4'' p-type Ge wafers by electrochemical etching in highly concentrated HF-based electrolytes with concentrations in a range of 30-50 wt.%. Direct PGe formation is accompanied by a constant dissolution of the already-formed porous layer at the electrolyte/PGe interface, hence yielding a thinner substrate after etching. This effect inhibits multilayer formation as the starting layer is etched while forming the second layer. We avoid dissolution of the porous layer by alternating the etching bias from anodic to cathodic. PGe formation occurs during anodic etching whereas the cathodic step passivates pore walls with H-atoms and avoids electropolishing. The passivation lasts a limited time depending on the etching current density and electrolyte concentration, necessitating a repetition of the cathodic step at suitable intervals. With optimized alternating bias mesoporous multilayer production is possible. We control the porosity of each single layer by varying the etching current density and the electrolyte (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Microstructure and mechanical properties of multiphase NiAl-based alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Pank, D. R.; Koss, D. A.; Nathal, M. V.

1990-01-01

The effect of the gamma-prime phase on the deformation behavior and fracture resistance of melt-spun ribbons and consolidated bulk specimens of a series of Nial-based alloys with Co and Hf additions has been examined. The morphology, location, and volume fraction of the gamma-prime phase are significant factors in enhancing the fracture resistance of the normally brittle NiAl-based alloys. In particular, the results indicate that a continuous-grain-boundary film of gamma-prime can impart limited room-temperature ductility regardless of whether B2 or L10 NiAl is present. Guidelines for microstructure control in multiphase NiAl-based alloys are also presented.

Creep-Rupture Behavior of Ni-Based Alloy Tube Bends for A-USC Boilers

Science.gov (United States)

Shingledecker, John

Advanced ultrasupercritical (A-USC) boiler designs will require the use of nickel-based alloys for superheaters and reheaters and thus tube bending will be required. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section II PG-19 limits the amount of cold-strain for boiler tube bends for austenitic materials. In this summary and analysis of research conducted to date, a number of candidate nickel-based A-USC alloys were evaluated. These alloys include alloy 230, alloy 617, and Inconel 740/740H. Uniaxial creep and novel structural tests and corresponding post-test analysis, which included physical measurements, simplified analytical analysis, and detailed microscopy, showed that different damage mechanisms may operate based on test conditions, alloy, and cold-strain levels. Overall, creep strength and ductility were reduced in all the alloys, but the degree of degradation varied substantially. The results support the current cold-strain limits now incorporated in ASME for these alloys for long-term A-USC boiler service.

The electrical properties of a strongly disordered system based on lightly doped germanium compensated by disordered regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evseev, V.A.; Konopleva, R.F.; Yuferev, A.A.

1976-01-01

A study was made of lightly doped (Nsub(Sb) approximately 10 15 cm -3 ) n-Ge, heavily compensated (K = Nsub(A)/N sub(D) approximately 1) by fast neutrons from a reactor. Irradiation is shown to produce, near n-p conversion (annealing has the same effect near p-n conversion), a random relief of electrostatic potential which is caused by the overlap of the space-charge regions surrounding disordered regions (DR). the random potential field results in a spatial 'bending' of the whole band spectrum of germanium, similar to the way it is observed in amorphous semiconductors because of their disorder. Experiments show the conduction in the DR overlap region to be of an activated nature, associated with the ejection of carriers to the corresponding 'percolation' levels. The activation energy of such conduction varies with the degree of compensation. The shift of the Fermi level depends on the degree of compensation here in a much more sensitive way than in the case of compensation by chemical impurities. The properties of Ge obtained by DR overlap and by compensation with chemical impurities are compared. A superlinear I-V characteristic producing the switching effect is observed in strong electric fields (E approximately 10 3 V cm -1 ). A suggestion is made that a study of disordered systems, based on lightly doped germanium which is compensated with DRs produced by high-energy particles, should both help to obtain new information on the parameters of the DRs proper and help to simulate the properties of the amorphous semiconductors. (author)

Excessively High Vapor Pressure of Al-based Amorphous Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae Im Jeong

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aluminum-based amorphous alloys exhibited an abnormally high vapor pressure at their approximate glass transition temperatures. The vapor pressure was confirmed by the formation of Al nanocrystallites from condensation, which was attributed to weight loss of the amorphous alloys. The amount of weight loss varied with the amorphous alloy compositions and was inversely proportional to their glass-forming ability. The vapor pressure of the amorphous alloys around 573 K was close to the vapor pressure of crystalline Al near its melting temperature, 873 K. Our results strongly suggest the possibility of fabricating nanocrystallites or thin films by evaporation at low temperatures.

Improvement of the performance of Mg-based alloy electrodes at ambient temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H.K.; Chen, J.; Sun, L.; Bradhurst, D.H.; Dou, S.X.

1998-01-01

Full text: Rechargeable batteries are finding increased application in modern communications, computers, and electric vehicles. The Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery has the best comprehensive properties. It is known that the important step to increase the energy density of Ni-MH battery is to improve the negative (metal hydride) electrode properties. Of all the hydrogen storage alloys studied previously, (the best know alloys are LaNi 5 , Mg 2 Ni, Ti 2 Ni , TiNi and Zr 2 Ni), the intermetallic compound Mg 2 Ni has the highest theoretical hydrogen storage capacity. The Mg 2 Ni-based hydrogen storage alloy is a promising material for increasing the negative electrode capacity of Ni-MH batteries because this alloy is superior to the LaNi 5 -system or the Zr-based alloys in materials cost and hydrogen absorption capacity. A serious disadvantage, however, is that the reactions of most magnesium based alloys with hydrogen require relatively high temperature (>300 deg C) and pressure (up to 10 atm) due to the slowness of the hydriding/dehydriding reactions. In this paper it is shown that with a combination of modifications to the alloy composition and methods of electrode preparation, magnesium-based alloys can be made into electrodes which will not only be useful at ambient temperatures but will have a useful cycle life and extremely high capacity

Neutronographic Texture Analysis of Zirconium Based Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruz'elová, M; Vratislav, S; Kalvoda, L; Dlouhá, M

2012-01-01

Neutron diffraction is a very powerful tool in texture analysis of zirconium based alloys used in nuclear technique. Textures of five samples (two rolled sheets and three tubes) were investigated by using basal pole figures, inversion pole figures, and ODF distribution function. The texture measurement was performed at diffractometer KSN2 on the Laboratory of Neutron Diffraction, Department of Solid State Engineering, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, CTU in Prague. Procedures for studying textures with thermal neutrons and procedures for obtaining texture parameters (direct and inverse pole figures, three dimensional orientation distribution function) are also described. Observed data were processed by software packages HEXAL and GSAS. Our results can be summarized as follows: i) All samples of zirconium alloys show the distribution of middle area into two maxima in basal pole figures. This is caused by alloying elements. A characteristic split of the basal pole maxima tilted from the normal direction toward the transverse direction can be observed for all samples, ii) Sheet samples prefer orientation of planes (100) and (110) perpendicular to rolling direction and orientation of planes (002) perpendicular to normal direction, iii) Basal planes of tubes are oriented parallel to tube axis, meanwhile (100) planes are oriented perpendicular to tube axis. Level of resulting texture and maxima position is different for tubes and for sheets. The obtained results are characteristic for zirconium based alloys.

Diffusion of interstitial oxygen in silicon and germanium: a hybrid functional study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colleoni, Davide; Pasquarello, Alfredo

2016-01-01

The minimum-energy paths for the diffusion of an interstitial O atom in silicon and germanium are studied through the nudged-elastic-band method and hybrid functional calculations. The reconsideration of the diffusion of O in silicon primarily serves the purpose of validating the procedure for studying the O diffusion in germanium. Our calculations show that the minimum energy path goes through an asymmetric transition state in both silicon and germanium. The stability of these transition states is found to be enhanced by the generation of unpaired electrons in the highest occupied single-particle states. Calculated energy barriers are 2.54 and 2.14 eV for Si and Ge, in very good agreement with corresponding experimental values of 2.53 and 2.08 eV, respectively. (paper)

Crystal Orientation Effect on the Subsurface Deformation of Monocrystalline Germanium in Nanometric Cutting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Min; Zhang, Xiaodong; Fang, Fengzhou

2017-12-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanometric cutting on monocrystalline germanium are conducted to investigate the subsurface deformation during and after nanometric cutting. The continuous random network model of amorphous germanium is established by molecular dynamics simulation, and its characteristic parameters are extracted to compare with those of the machined deformed layer. The coordination number distribution and radial distribution function (RDF) show that the machined surface presents the similar amorphous state. The anisotropic subsurface deformation is studied by nanometric cutting on the (010), (101), and (111) crystal planes of germanium, respectively. The deformed structures are prone to extend along the 110 slip system, which leads to the difference in the shape and thickness of the deformed layer on various directions and crystal planes. On machined surface, the greater thickness of subsurface deformed layer induces the greater surface recovery height. In order to get the critical thickness limit of deformed layer on machined surface of germanium, the optimized cutting direction on each crystal plane is suggested according to the relevance of the nanometric cutting to the nanoindentation.

High temperature dielectric function of silicon, germanium and GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leyer, Martin; Pristovsek, Markus; Kneissl, Michael [Technische Universitaet Berlin (Germany). Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik

2010-07-01

In the last few years accurate values for the optical properties of silicon, germanium and GaN at high temperatures have become important as a reference for in-situ analysis, e.g. reflectometry. Precise temperature dependent dielectric measurements are necessary for the growth of GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells and the hetero epitaxy of GaN on silicon and sapphire. We performed spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements of the dielectric function of silicon, germanium and GaN between 1.5 eV and 6.5 eV in the temperature range from 300 K to 1300 K. The Samples were deoxidized chemically or by heating. High resolution SE spectra were taken every 50 K while cooling down to room temperature. The temperature dependence of the critical energies is compared to literature. Measurements for germanium showed a shift of the E{sub 2} critical point of {proportional_to}0.1 eV toward lower energies. The reason for this behavior is a non-negligible oxide layer on the samples in the literature.

Nickel-base alloy forgings for advanced high temperature power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donth, B.; Diwo, A.; Blaes, N.; Bokelmann, D. [Saarschmiede GmbH Freiformschmiede, Voelklingen (Germany)

2008-07-01

The strong efforts to reduce the CO{sub 2} emissions lead to the demand for improved thermal efficiency of coal fired power plants. An increased thermal efficiency can be realised by higher steam temperatures and pressures in the boiler and the turbine. The European development aims for steam temperatures of 700 C which requires the development and use of new materials and also associated process technology for large components. Temperatures of 700 C and above are too high for the application of ferritic steels and therefore only Nickel-Base Alloys can fulfill the required material properties. In particular the Nickel-Base Alloy A617 is the most candidate alloy on which was focused the investigation and development in several German and European programs during the last 10 years. The goal is to verify and improve the attainable material properties and ultrasonic detectability of large Alloy 617 forgings for turbine rotors and boiler parts. For many years Saarschmiede has been manufacturing nickel and cobalt alloys and is participating the research programs by developing the manufacturing routes for large turbine rotor forgings up to a maximum diameter of 1000 mm as well as for forged tubes and valve parts for the boiler side. The experiences in manufacturing and testing of very large forgings made from nickel base alloys for 700 C steam power plants are reported. (orig.)

Dazai super-large uranium-bearing germanium deposit in western Yunnan region metallogenic geological conditions and prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Yanrong; Yuan Qingbang; Li Yonghua; Zhang Ling; Dai Jiemin

1995-05-01

The Dazai super-large uranium-bearing germanium deposit is located in Bangmai Fault Basin, Western Yunnan, China. The basin basement is migmatitic granite and the cover is miocene coal-bearing clastics, Bangmai Formation. The basin development had undergone faulted rhombus basin forming, synsedimentary structure-developing and up-lifted-denuded stages. Synsedimentary faults had controlled distribution of sedimentary formation and lithofacies, and uranium and germanium mineralization. Germanium ore-bodies occur mainly in master lignite-bed of lower rhythmite. Hosted germanium-lignite is taken as main ore-type. Germanium occurs in vitrinite of lignite in the form of metal-organic complex. The metallogenetic geological conditions of the deposit are that ground preparation is uplift zone-migmatitic granite-fault basin-geothermal anomaly area, rich and thick ore-body is controlled by synsedimentary fault, peat-bog phase is favorable to accumulation for ore-forming elements, and unconformity between overlying cover and underlying basement is a channel-way of mineralizing fluid. A multiperiodic composite, being regarded sedimentation and diagenesis as a major process, uranium and germanium ore deposit has been formed through two mineralization. Four prospecting areas have been forecasted and two deposits have been accordingly discovered again. Technical-economic provableness shows that the deposit is characterized by shallow-buried, rich grade, large scale, easy mining and smelting. (9 figs.)

High-purity germanium crystal growing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, W.L.; Haller, E.E.

1982-10-01

The germanium crystals used for the fabrication of nuclear radiation detectors are required to have a purity and crystalline perfection which is unsurpassed by any other solid material. These crystals should not have a net electrically active impurity concentration greater than 10 10 cm - 3 and be essentially free of charge trapping defects. Such perfect crystals of germanium can be grown only because of the highly favorable chemical and physical properties of this element. However, ten years of laboratory scale and commercial experience has still not made the production of such crystals routine. The origin and control of many impurities and electrically active defect complexes is now fairly well understood but regular production is often interrupted for long periods due to the difficulty of achieving the required high purity or to charge trapping in detectors made from crystals seemingly grown under the required conditions. The compromises involved in the selection of zone refining and crystal grower parts and ambients is discussed and the difficulty in controlling the purity of key elements in the process is emphasized. The consequences of growing in a hydrogen ambient are discussed in detail and it is shown how complexes of neutral defects produce electrically active centers

Corrosion behaviour of powder metallurgical and cast Al-Zn-Mg base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sameljuk, A.V.; Neikov, O.D.; Krajnikov, A.V.; Milman, Yu.V.; Thompson, G.E.

2004-01-01

The behaviour of Al-Zn-Mg base alloys produced by powder metallurgy and casting has been studied using potentiodynamic polarisation in 0.3% and 3% NaCl solutions. The influence of alloy production route on microstructure has been examined by scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. An improvement in performance of powder metallurgy (PM) materials, compared with the cast alloy, was evident in solutions of low chloride concentration; less striking differences were revealed in high chloride concentration. Both powder metallurgy and cast alloys show two main types of precipitates, which were identified as Zn-Mg and Zr-Sc base intermetallic phases. The microstructure of the PM alloys is refined compared with the cast material, which assists understanding of the corrosion performance. The corrosion process commences with dissolution of the Zn-Mg base phases, with the relatively coarse phases present in the cast alloy showing ready development of corrosion

Performance of a 6x6 segmented germanium detector for {gamma}-ray tracking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valiente-Dobon, J.J. E-mail: j.valiente-dobon@surrey.ac.uk; Pearson, C.J.; Regan, P.H.; Sellin, P.J.; Gelletly, W.; Morton, E.; Boston, A.; Descovich, M.; Nolan, P.J.; Simpson, J.; Lazarus, I.; Warner, D

2003-06-01

A 36 fold segmented germanium coaxial detector has been supplied by EURISYS MESURES. The outer contact is segmented both radially and longitudinally. The signals from the fast preamplifiers have been digitised by 12 bit, 40 MHz ADCs. In this article we report preliminary results obtained using this detector and their relevance for future germanium {gamma}-ray tracking arrays.

Study of the possibility of growing germanium single crystals under low temperature gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Moskovskih, V. A.; Kasimkin, P. V.; Shlegel, V. N.; Vasiliev, Y. V.; Gridchin, V. A.; Podkopaev, O. I.; Zhdankov, V. N.

2014-03-01

The possibility of growing germanium single crystals under low temperature gradients in order to produce a dislocation-free material has been studied. Germanium crystals with a dislocation density of about 100-200 cm-2 have been grown in a system with a weight control of crystal growth at maximum axial gradients of about 1.5 K/cm.

Germanium-doped gallium phosphide obtained by neutron irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Goldys, E. M.; Barczynska, J.; Godlewski, M.; Sienkiewicz, A.; Heijmink Liesert, B. J.

1993-08-01

Results of electrical, optical, electron spin resonance and optically detected magnetic resonance studies of thermal neutron irradiated and annealed at 800 °C n-type GaP are presented. Evidence is found to support the view that the main dopant introduced via transmutation of GaP, germanium, occupies cation sites and forms neutral donors. This confirms the possibility of neutron transmutation doping of GaP. Simultaneously, it is shown that germanium is absent at cation sites. Presence of other forms of Ge-related defects is deduced from luminescence and absorption data. Some of them are tentatively identified as VGa-GeGa acceptors leading to the self-compensation process. This observation means that the neutron transmutation as a doping method in application to GaP is not as efficient as for Si.

Three dimensional atom probe study of Ni-base alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun

2012-01-01

Three dimensional atom probe tomography (3D APT) is applied to characterize the dissimilar metal joint which was welded between the Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and the low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B, with Alloy 152 filler metal. While there is some difficulty in preparing the specimen for the analysis, the 3D APT has a truly quantitative analytical capability to characterize nanometer scale particles in metallic materials, thus its application to the microstructural analysis in multicomponent metallic materials provides critical information on the mechanism of nanoscale microstructural evolution. In this study, the procedure for 3D APT specimen preparation was established, and those for dissimilar metal weld interface were prepared near the fusion boundary by a focused ion beam. The result of the analysis in this study showed the precipitation of chromium carbides near the fusion boundary between A533 Gr. B and Alloy 152.

Three dimensional atom probe study of Ni-base alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-08-15

Three dimensional atom probe tomography (3D APT) is applied to characterize the dissimilar metal joint which was welded between the Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and the low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B, with Alloy 152 filler metal. While there is some difficulty in preparing the specimen for the analysis, the 3D APT has a truly quantitative analytical capability to characterize nanometer scale particles in metallic materials, thus its application to the microstructural analysis in multicomponent metallic materials provides critical information on the mechanism of nanoscale microstructural evolution. In this study, the procedure for 3D APT specimen preparation was established, and those for dissimilar metal weld interface were prepared near the fusion boundary by a focused ion beam. The result of the analysis in this study showed the precipitation of chromium carbides near the fusion boundary between A533 Gr. B and Alloy 152.

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)

Highly corrosion resistant zirconium based alloy for reactor structural material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Yoichi.

1996-01-01

The alloy of the present invention is a zirconium based alloy comprising tin (Sn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe) in zirconium (Zr). The amount of silicon (Si) as an impurity is not more than 60ppm. It is preferred that Sn is from 0.9 to 1.5wt%, that of Cr is from 0.05 to 0.15wt%, and (Fe + Ni) is from 0.17 to 0.5wt%. If not less than 0.12wt% of Fe is added, resistance against nodular corrosion is improved. The upper limit of Fe is preferably 0.40wt% from a view point of uniform suppression for the corrosion. The nodular corrosion can be suppressed by reducing the amount of Si-rich deposition product in the zirconium based alloy. Accordingly, a highly corrosion resistant zirconium based alloy improved for the corrosion resistance of zircaloy-2 and usable for a fuel cladding tube of a BWR type reactor can be obtained. (I.N.)

Precipitation hardened nickel-base alloys for sour gas environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igarashi, M.; Mukai, S.; Kudo, T.; Okada, Y.; Ikeda, A.

1987-01-01

SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) in sour gas environments of γ'(gamma prime: Ni/sub 3/(Ti and/or Al)) and γ''(gamma double prime: Ni/sub 3/Nb) precipitation hardened nickel-base alloys has been studied using the SSRT (Slow Strain Rate Tensile) test, anodic polarization measurement and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The γ'-type alloy containing Ti was more susceptible to SCC in the SSRT tests up to 350 0 F(450 K) than the γ''-type alloy containing Nb. The susceptibility to SCC was related to their deformation structures in terms of stress localization and sensitivity to pitting corrosion in H/sub 2/S solutions. TEM observation showed the γ'-type alloy deformed by the superlattice dislocations in coplanar structures. This mode of deformation induced the stress localization to some boundaries such as grain boundary and as a result the susceptibility to SCC of the γ'-type alloy was increased. On the other hand, the γ''-type alloy deformed by the massive dislocation not in coplanar structures so that it was less susceptible to SCC in terms of the stress localization. The anodic polarization measurement suggested the γ'-type alloy was more susceptible to pitting corrosion compared with the γ''-type alloy

Corrosion behavior of Nb-based and Mo-based super heat-resisting alloys in liquid Li

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, J.; Kano, S.; Morinaga, M.

1998-07-01

Research on structural materials which will be utilized even in the severe environment of high-temperature liquid alkali metals has been promoted in order to develop the frontiers of materials techniques. The super-heat resisting alloys which are based on refractory metals, Nb and Mo, are aimed as promising materials used in such an environment. The corrosion resistance in liquid Li and the mechanical properties such as creep and tensile strengths at high temperatures are important for these structural materials. On the basis of many experiments and analyses of these properties at 1473 K, the material design of Nb-based and Mo-based alloys has been carried out successfully. In this report, all the previous experimental results of corrosion tests in liquid Li were summarized systematically for Nb-based and Mo-based alloys. The corrosion mechanism was proposed on the basis of a series of analyses, in particular, focussing on the deposition mechanism of corrosion products on the surface and also on the initiation and growth mechanism of cracks on the corroded surface of Nb-based alloys. The principal results are as follows. (1) For the deposition mechanism, a reaction took place first between dissolved metallic elements and nitrogen which existed as an impurity in liquid Li and then corrosion products (nitrides) precipitated on the metal surface. Subsequently, another reaction took place between dissolved metallic elements in liquid Li, and corrosion products (intermetallic compounds) precipitated on the metal surface. The composition of deposited corrosion products could be predicted on the basis of the deposition mechanism. (2) For the crack initiation mechanism, the chemical potential diagrams were utilized in order to understand the formation of Li-M-O ternary oxides which caused cracks to be formed on the corroded surface. Consequently, it was evident that not only the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in the alloy but also the concentration of Li which

In vitro binding of germanium to proteins of rice shoots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Hideaki; Takahashi, Eiichi

1976-01-01

The possibility of in vitro binding between proteins of rice shoots and germanium (Ge) was investigated. The proteins in mixtures of aqueous extracts of rice shoots and radioactive germanium ( 68 GeO 2 ) were fractionated. The binding of radioactivity to the proteins was observed even after 5 successive fractionation steps from the original mixtures. At the final fractionation step using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a constant proportionality between protein concentration and associated radioactivity was found in most samples although not all. These results indicate that the binding of 68 Ge to proteins is not due to the simple adsorption by proteins. (auth.)

Program LEPS to addition of gamma spectra from germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, L.

1986-01-01

The LEP program, written in FORTRAN IV, performs the addition of two spectra, collected with different detectors, from the same sample. This application, adds the two gamma spectra obtained from two opposite LEPS Germanium Detectors (Low Energy Photon Spectrometer), correcting the differences (channel/energy) between both two spectra, and fitting them before adding. The total-spectrum is recorded at the computer memory as a single spectrum. The necessary equipment, to run this program is: - Two opposite germanium detectors, with their associate electronics. - Multichannel analyzer (2048 memory channel minimum) - Computer on-line interfacing to multichannel analyzer. (Author) 4 refs

Characterization of nanocrystalline silicon germanium film and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium films (Si/Ge) and Si/Ge nanotubes have low band gaps and high carrier mobility, thus offering appealing potential for absorbing gas molecules. Interaction between hydrogen molecules and bare as well as functionalized Si/Ge nanofilm and nanotube was investigated using Monte ...

Effect of ternary alloying elements on microstructure and mechanical property of Nb-Si based refractory intermetallic alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, W.Y.; Kim, H.S.; Kim, S.K.; Ra, T.Y.; Kim, M.S.

2005-01-01

Microstructure and mechanical property at room temperature and at 1773 K of Nb-Si based refractory intermetallic alloys were investigated in terms of compression and fracture toughness test. Mo and V were chosen as ternary alloying elements because of their high melting points, atomic sizes smaller than Nb. Both ternary alloying elements were found to have a significant role in modifying the microstructure from dispersed structure to eutectic-like structure in Nb solid solution/Nb 5 Si 3 intermetallic composites. The 0.2% offset yield strength at room temperature increased with increasing content of ternary elements in Nb solid solution and volume fraction of Nb 5 Si 3 . At 1773 K, Mo addition has a positive role in increasing the yield strength. On the other hand, V addition has a role in decreasing the yield strength. The fracture toughness of ternary alloys was superior to binary alloys. Details will be discussed in correlation with ternary alloying, volume fraction of constituent phase, and the microstructure. (orig.)

Transmission electron microscopy characterization of laser-clad iron-based alloy on Al-Si alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, Z.; Wang, W.Y.; Wang, A.H.

2006-01-01

Microstructure characterization is important for controlling the quality of laser cladding. In the present work, a detailed microstructure characterization by transmission electron microscopy was carried out on the iron-based alloy laser-clad on Al-Si alloy and an unambiguous identification of phases in the coating was accomplished. It was found that there is austenite, Cr 7 C 3 and Cr 23 C 6 in the clad region; α-Al, NiAl 3 , Fe 2 Al 5 and FeAl 2 in the interface region; and α-Al and silicon in the heat-affected region. A brief discussion was given for their existence based on both kinetic and thermodynamic principles

Microstructure evolution and texture development in thermomechanically processed Mg-Li-Al based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Vinod [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur (India); Govind [Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Trivandrum (India); Shekhar, Rajiv; Balasubramaniam, R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur (India); Balani, Kantesh, E-mail: kbalani@iitk.ac.in [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur (India)

2012-06-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermomechanical processing of novel LAT 971 and LATZ 9531 Mg-Al-Li based alloys. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microstructural deviation from the equilibrium phase diagram. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Disparity in texture of these alloys after hot-rolling (recrystallization and grain growth). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Role of alloying and phase distribution in affecting the texture/interplaner spacing. - Abstract: In the present study, the influence of alloying and thermomechanical processing on the microstructure and texture evolution on the two Mg-Li-Al based alloys, namely Mg-9 wt% Li-7 wt% Al-1 wt% Sn (LAT971) and Mg-9 wt% Li-5 wt% Al-3 wt% Sn-1 wt% Zn (LATZ9531) has been elicited. Novel Mg-Li-Al based alloys were cast (induction melting under protective atmosphere) followed by hot rolling at {approx}573 K with a cumulative reduction of five. A contrary dual phase dendritic microstructure rich in {alpha}-Mg, instead of {beta}-Li phase predicted by equilibrium phase diagram of Mg-Li binary alloy was observed. Preferential presence of Mg-Li-Sn primary precipitates (size 4-10 {mu}m) within {alpha}-Mg phase and Mg-Li-Al secondary precipitates (<3 {mu}m) interspersed in {beta}-Li indicated their degree of dissolution during hot-rolling and homogenization in the dual phase matrix. Presence of Al, Sn and Zn alloying elements in the Mg-Li based alloy has resulted an unusual dual-phase microstructure, change in the lattice parameter, and intriguing texture evolution after hot-rolling of cast LAT 971 and LATZ9531 alloy. Strong texture was absent in the as-cast samples whereas texture development after hot-rolling revealed an increased activity of the non-basal (101{sup Macron }0) slip planes. The quantification of the grain average misorientation (less than 2 Degree-Sign ) using electron backscattered diffraction confirmed the presence of strain free grains in majority of the grains (fraction >0.75) after hot-rolling of Mg

Nitriding behavior of Ni and Ni-based binary alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonovic, Matej

2015-01-15

Gaseous nitriding is a prominent thermochemical surface treatment process which can improve various properties of metallic materials such as mechanical, tribological and/or corrosion properties. This process is predominantly performed by applying NH{sub 3}+H{sub 2} containing gas atmospheres serving as the nitrogen donating medium at temperatures between 673 K and 873 K (400 C and 600 C). NH{sub 3} decomposes at the surface of the metallic specimen and nitrogen diffuses into the surface adjacent region of the specimen whereas hydrogen remains in the gas atmosphere. One of the most important parameters characterizing a gaseous nitriding process is the so-called nitriding potential (r{sub N}) which determines the chemical potential of nitrogen provided by the gas phase. The nitriding potential is defined as r{sub N} = p{sub NH{sub 3}}/p{sub H{sub 2}{sup 3/2}} where p{sub NH{sub 3}} and p{sub H{sub 2}} are the partial pressures of the NH{sub 3} and H{sub 2} in the nitriding atmosphere. In contrast with nitriding of α-Fe where the nitriding potential is usually in the range between 0.01 and 1 atm{sup -1/2}, nitriding of Ni and Ni-based alloys requires employing nitriding potentials higher than 100 atm{sup -1/2} and even up to ∞ (nitriding in pure NH{sub 3} atmosphere). This behavior is compatible with decreased thermodynamic stability of the 3d-metal nitrides with increasing atomic number. Depending on the nitriding conditions (temperature, nitriding potential and treatment time), different phases are formed at the surface of the Ni-based alloys. By applying very high nitriding potential, formation of hexagonal Ni{sub 3}N at the surface of the specimen (known as external nitriding) leads to the development of a compound layer, which may improve tribological properties. Underneath the Ni{sub 3}N compound layer, two possibilities exist: (i) alloying element precipitation within the nitrided zone (known as internal nitriding) and/or (ii) development of metastable and

Coaxial nuclear radiation detector with deep junction and radial field gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, R.N.

1979-01-01

Germanium radiation detectors are manufactured by diffusion lithium into high purity p-type germanium. The diffusion is most readily accomplished from a lithium-lead-bismuth alloy at approximately 430 0 and is monitored by a quartz half cell containing a standard composition of this alloy. Detectors having n-type cores may be constructed by converting high purity p-type germanium to n-type by a lithium diffusion and subsequently diffusing some of the lithium back out through the surface to create a deep p-n junction. Coaxial germanium detectors comprising deep p-n junctions are produced by the lithium diffusion process

An overview of advanced high-strength nickel-base alloys for LWR applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prybylowski, J.; Ballinger, R.G.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews our current understanding of the behavior of high strength nickel base alloys used in light water reactor (LWR) applications. Emphasis is placed on understanding the fundamental mechanisms controlling crack propagation in these environments. To provide a foundation for this survey, general mechanisms of stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement are first reviewed. The behavior of high strength nickel base alloys in LWR environments, as well as in other relevant environments is then reviewed. Suggested mechanisms of crack propagation are discussed. Alternate alloys and microstructural modifications that may result in improved behavior are presented. It is now clear that, at temperatures near 100C, alloy X-750, the predominant high strength nickel base alloy used today in LWR applications, is susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. A review of published data from hydrogen embrittlement studies of nickel base superalloys during electrolytic charging and in hydrogen sulfide/brine solutions suggests that other nickel base superalloys are available possessing resistance to hydrogen embrittlement superior to that of alloy X-750. Available results of tests in gaseous hydrogen suggest that reduced grain boundary precipitation and a fine distribution of intragranular precipitates that act as irreversible hydrogen traps is the optimum microstructure for hydrogen embrittlement resistance. 42 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs

Electrodeposition at room temperature of amorphous silicon and germanium nanowires in ionic liquid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martineau, F; Namur, K; Mallet, J; Delavoie, F; Troyon, M; Molinari, M [Laboratoire de Microscopies et d' Etude de Nanostructures (LMEN EA3799), Universite de Reims Champagne Ardennes (URCA), Reims Cedex 2 (France); Endres, F, E-mail: michael.molinari@univ-reims.fr [Institute of Particle Technology, Chair of Interface Processes, Clausthal University of Technology, D-36678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)

2009-11-15

The electrodeposition at room temperature of silicon and germanium nanowires from the air- and water-stable ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P{sub 1,4}) containing SiCl{sub 4} as Si source or GeCl{sub 4} as Ge source is investigated by cyclic voltammetry. By using nanoporous polycarbonate membranes as templates, it is possible to reproducibly grow pure silicon and germanium nanowires of different diameters. The nanowires are composed of pure amorphous silicon or germanium. The nanowires have homogeneous cylindrical shape with a roughness of a few nanometres on the wire surfaces. The nanowires' diameters and lengths well match with the initial membrane characteristics. Preliminary photoluminescence experiments exhibit strong emission in the near infrared for the amorphous silicon nanowires.

Germanium films by polymer-assisted deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Quanxi; Burrell, Anthony K.; Bauer, Eve; Ronning, Filip; McCleskey, Thomas Mark; Zou, Guifu

2013-01-15

Highly ordered Ge films are prepared directly on single crystal Si substrates by applying an aqueous coating solution having Ge-bound polymer onto the substrate and then heating in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. A coating solution was prepared by mixing water, a germanium compound, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and polyethyleneimine to form a first aqueous solution and then subjecting the first aqueous solution to ultrafiltration.

Maximizing Tensile Strain in Germanium Nanomembranes for Enhanced Optoelectronic Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez Perez, Jose Roberto

Silicon, germanium, and their alloys, which provide the leading materials platform of microelectronics, are extremely inefficient light emitters because of their indirect fundamental energy band gap. This basic materials property has so far hindered the development of group-IV photonic-active devices, including light emitters and diode lasers, thereby significantly limiting our ability to integrate electronic and photonic functionalities at the chip level. Theoretical studies have predicted that tensile strain in Ge lowers the direct energy band gap relative to the indirect one, and that, with sufficient strain, Ge becomes direct-band gap, thus enabling facile interband light emission and the fabrication of Group IV lasers. It has, however, not been possible to impart sufficient strain to Ge to reach the direct-band gap goal, because bulk Ge fractures at much lower strains. Here it is shown that very thin sheets of Ge(001), called nanomembranes (NMs), can be used to overcome this materials limitation. Germanium nanomembranes (NMs) in the range of thicknesses from 20nm to 100nm were fabricated and then transferred and mounted to a flexible substrate [a polyimide (PI) sheet]. An apparatus was developed to stress the PI/NM combination and provide for in-situ Raman measurements of the strain as a function of applied stress. This arrangement allowed for the introduction of sufficient biaxial tensile strain (>1.7%) to transform Ge to a direct-band gap material, as determined by photoluminescence (PL) measurements and theory. Appropriate shifts in the emission spectrum and increases in PL intensities were observed. The advance in this work was nanomembrane fabrication technology; i.e., making thin enough Ge sheets to accept sufficiently high levels of strain without fracture. It was of interest to determine if the strain at which fracture ultimately does occur can be raised, by evaluating factors that initiate fracture. Attempts to assess the effect of free edges (enchant

A new high-strength iron base austenitic alloy with good toughness and corrosion resistance (GE-EPRI alloy-TTL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganesh, S.

1989-01-01

A new high strength, iron based, austenitic alloy has been successfully developed by GE-EPRI to satisfy the strength and corrosion resistance requirements of large retaining rings for high capacity generators (>840Mw). This new alloy is a modified version of the EPRI alloy-T developed by the University of California, Berkeley, in an earlier EPRI program. It is age hardenable and has the nominal composition (weight %): 34.5 Ni, 5Cr, 3Ti, 1Nb, 1Ta, 1Mo, .5Al, .3V, .01B. This composition was selected based on detailed metallurgical and processing studies on modified versions of alloy-T. These studies helped establish the optimum processing conditions for the new alloy and enabled the successful scale-up production of three large (50-52 inch dia) test rings from a 5,000 lb VIM-VAR billet. The rings were metallurgically sound and exhibited yield strength capabilities in the range 145 to 220 ksi depending on the extent of hot/cold work induced. The test rings met or exceeded all the property goals. The above alloy can provide a good combination of strength, toughness and corrosion resistance and, through an suitable modification of chemistry or processing conditions, could be a viable candidate for high strength LWR internal applications. 3 figs

Corrosion and wear protective composition modulated alloy coatings based on ternary Ni-P-X alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leisner, P.; Benzon, M. E.; Christoffersen, Lasse

1996-01-01

Scattered reporting in the litterature describes a number of ternary Ni-P-X alloyes (where X can be Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Pd, Re or W) with promising corrosin and wear protective performance. Based on a systematic study of Ni-P-X alloys it is the intention to produce coatings with improved corrosion...... and wear performance compared with conventional coatings like electroless nickel, hard chromioum and anodised aluminium....

Mechanically-cooled germanium detector using two stirling refrigerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katagiri, Masaki; Kobayashi, Yoshii; Takahashi, Koji

1996-01-01

In this paper, we present a developed mechanically-cooled germanium gamma-ray detector using Stirling refrigerators. Two Stirling refrigerators having cooling faculty of 1.5W at 80K were used to cool down a germanium detector element to 77K instead of a dewar containing liquid nitrogen. An 145cm 3 (56.0mmf x 59.1 mml) closed-end Ge(I) detector having relative detection efficiency of 29.4% was attached at the refrigerators. The size of the detector was 60cml x 15cmh x 15cmw. The lowest cooling temperature, 70K was obtained after 8 hours operation. The energy resolutions for 1.33MeV gamma-rays and for pulser signals were 2.43keV and 1.84keV at an amplifier shaping time of 2μsec, respectively

On the superconductivity of vanadium based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brouers, F.; Rest, J. Van der

1984-01-01

The electron density of states of solid solutions of vanadium based transition metal alloys V 90 X 10 is computed with the aim of calculating the superconducting transition temperature using the McMillan formula. As observed experimentally for X on the left hand side of V in the periodic table, one obtains an increase of Tc while for X on the right hand side of V the critical temperature decreases. The detailed comparison with experiments indicate that when the bandwidths of the two constituents are different, one cannot neglect the variation of the electron-phonon interactions. Another important conclusion is that for alloys which are in the split-band limit like VAu, VPd and VPt, the agreement with experimental data can be obtained only by assuming that these alloys have a short-range order favouring clusters of pure vanadium. (Author) [pt

Nature of oxygen donors and radiation defects in oxygen-doped germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuoka, Noboru; Atobe, Kozo; Honda, Makoto; Matsuda, Koji.

1991-01-01

The nature of oxygen donors and radiation defects in oxygen-doped germanium were studied through measurements of the infrared absorption spectrum, deep level transient spectroscopy spectrum and carrier concentration. It is revealed that a new donor is not formed in oxygen-doped germanium. An A-center (interstitial oxygen-vacancy pair) forms a complex with a thermal donor in its annealing stage at 60degC-140degC. The introduction rate of defects by 1.5 MeV electron irradiation was enhanced in thermal-donor-doped samples. (author)

Buried melting in germanium implanted silicon by millisecond flash lamp annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voelskow, Matthias; Yankov, Rossen; Skorupa, Wolfgang; Pezoldt, Joerg; Kups, Thomas

2008-01-01

Flash lamp annealing in the millisecond range has been used to induce buried melting in silicon. For this purpose high dose high-energy germanium implantation has been employed to lower the melting temperature of silicon in a predetermined depth region. Subsequent flash lamp treatment at high energy densities leads to local melting of the germanium rich layer. The thickness of the molten layer has been found to depend on the irradiation energy density. During the cool-down period, epitaxial crystallization takes place resulting in a largely defect-free layer

Computational studies of physical properties of Nb-Si based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouyang, Lizhi [Middle Tennessee State Univ., Murfreesboro, TN (United States)

2015-04-16

The overall goal is to provide physical properties data supplementing experiments for thermodynamic modeling and other simulations such as phase filed simulation for microstructure and continuum simulations for mechanical properties. These predictive computational modeling and simulations may yield insights that can be used to guide materials design, processing, and manufacture. Ultimately, they may lead to usable Nb-Si based alloy which could play an important role in current plight towards greener energy. The main objectives of the proposed projects are: (1) developing a first principles method based supercell approach for calculating thermodynamic and mechanic properties of ordered crystals and disordered lattices including solid solution; (2) application of the supercell approach to Nb-Si base alloy to compute physical properties data that can be used for thermodynamic modeling and other simulations to guide the optimal design of Nb-Si based alloy.

Zirconium-based alloys, nuclear fuel rods and nuclear reactors including such alloys, and related methods

Science.gov (United States)

Mariani, Robert Dominick

2014-09-09

Zirconium-based metal alloy compositions comprise zirconium, a first additive in which the permeability of hydrogen decreases with increasing temperatures at least over a temperature range extending from 350.degree. C. to 750.degree. C., and a second additive having a solubility in zirconium over the temperature range extending from 350.degree. C. to 750.degree. C. At least one of a solubility of the first additive in the second additive over the temperature range extending from 350.degree. C. to 750.degree. C. and a solubility of the second additive in the first additive over the temperature range extending from 350.degree. C. to 750.degree. C. is higher than the solubility of the second additive in zirconium over the temperature range extending from 350.degree. C. to 750.degree. C. Nuclear fuel rods include a cladding material comprising such metal alloy compositions, and nuclear reactors include such fuel rods. Methods are used to fabricate such zirconium-based metal alloy compositions.

Glass formation and crystallization in Zr based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, G. K.

2011-01-01

Metallic glasses have come in to prominence in recent times because their nanocrystalline atomic arrangement imparts many useful and unusual properties to these metallic solids. Though these have been produced for the last four decades, the necessity of rapid solidification at cooling rates of 10 5 K/sec or higher for their production, have restricted their geometry to thin ribbons and prevented their application to many areas despite their excellent properties. It has been shown in recent investigations that, many Zr base multicomponent alloys can be obtained in glassy state by cooling at much lower rate typically 10 2 to 10 3 K/sec. This has enabled production of these alloys in the glassy stat in bulk. By now, bulk metallic glasses have been produced in Mg, Ln, Zr, Fe, Pd-Cu, Pd-Fe, Ti and Ni- based alloys. Production of these glasses in bulk has opened avenue for their application in many areas where their excellent mechanical properties an corrosion resistance can be exploited. The transformation of the amorphous phase in these alloys to one or more crystalline phases, is an interesting phase transformation and can lead to formation of crystals in a variety of morphologies and a wide range of crystal sizes, including nanometer size crystals or nanocrystals. The bulk amorphous alloys exhibit higher fracture stress, combined with higher hardness and lower young's modulus than those of any crystalline alloy. The Zr- and Ti-based bulk amorphous alloy exhibit high bending and flexural strength values which are typically 2.0 to 2.5 time higher than those for crystalline counterparts. The composites of bulk metallic glass containing crystalline phases have been found to have special properties. This has been demonstrated in the case of composites of bulk metallic glass and tungsten wires wit the glass forming the matrix. Such a composite has a very high impact strength and is especially suitable for application as an armour penetrator in various types of shells used

Long-term radiation damage to a spaceborne germanium spectrometer

CERN Document Server

Kurczynski, P; Hull, E L; Palmer, D; Harris, M J; Seifert, H; Teegarden, B J; Gehrels, N; Cline, T L; Ramaty, R; Sheppard, D; Madden, N W; Luke, P N; Cork, C P; Landis, D A; Malone, D F; Hurley, K

1999-01-01

The Transient Gamma-Ray Spectrometer aboard the Wind spacecraft in deep space has observed gamma-ray bursts and solar events for four years. The germanium detector in the instrument has gradually deteriorated from exposure to the approx 10 sup 8 p/cm sup 2 /yr(>100 MeV) cosmic-ray flux. Low-energy tailing and loss of efficiency, attributed to hole trapping and conversion of the germanium from n- to p-type as a result of crystal damage, were observed. Raising the detector bias voltage ameliorated both difficulties and restored the spectrometer to working operation. Together, these observations extend our understanding of the effects of radiation damage to include the previously unsuccessfully studied regime of long-term operation in space. (author)

Influence of alkali metal hydroxides on corrosion of Zr-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Yong Hwan

1996-01-01

The influence of group-1 alkali hydroxides on different Zr-based alloys have been carried out in static autoclaves at 350 deg C in pressurized water, conditioned in low(0.32 mmol), medium(4.3 mmol) and high(31.5 mmol) equimolar concentration of Li-, Na-, K-, Rb- and Cs-hydroxide. Two types of alloys have been investigated: Zr-Sn-(TRM, Transition metal) and Zr-Sn-Nb-(TRM, Transition metal). From the experiments the cation could be identified as the responsible species for corrosion of Zr alloy in alkalized water. The radius of the cation governs the accelerated corrosion in the pre-transition region of Zr alloy. Incorporation of alkali cation into the zirconium oxide lattice is probably the mechanism which allows the corrosion enhancement for Li and Na and the significant lower effect for the other bases. Nb containing alloys showed lower corrosion resistance than Zr-Sn-TRM alloys in all alkali solutions. Both types of alloys were corroded significantly more in LiOH and NaOH than in the other alkali environments. Lowest corrosive aggressiveness has been found for CsOH followed by KOH. Concluding from the corrosion behavior in the different alkali environments and taking into account the tendency to accelerate the corrosion of Zr alloys, CsOH and KOH are possible alternate alkali for PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) application. (author)

Nanorods of Silicon and Germanium with Well-Defined Shapes and Sizes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slavi C. Sevov

2012-05-03

We have made number of important discoveries along the major goals of the project, namely i) electrodeposition of germanium thin films from clusters, ii) synthesis of cluster-based surfactants with long hydrocarbon chains and micelles made of them, iii) grafting of Ge{sub 9}-clusters onto self assembled films of siloxanes attached to glass substrates, iv) doping of Ge{sub 9}-clusters, and v) expanding the clusters to ten-atom cages of Ge{sub 10}{sup 2-}.

Local atomic structure and chemical order in amorphous SiGe:H and SiC:H alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisarkiewicz, T.; Stapinski, T.

1994-01-01

The local structure and chemical ordering in amorphous hydrogenated silicon-germanium and silicon-carbon alloys were analyzed mainly with the help of extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, Raman scattering and electron diffraction. Ge-Ge and Ge-Si distances were found to be independent of concentration and the composition of the first coordination shell around Ge is consistent with a random mixing of the two species in a-Si 1-x Ge:H alloy. The first-coordination-shell average bond lengths for Si-Si and SiC in a-Si 1-x C x :H are also constant with concentration x and the comparison of the first coordination shell composition around Si with average concentration indicates that the alloys tends to be chemically ordered. The degree of crystallinity in microcrystalline Si films determined by EXAFS is in agreement with that obtained in Raman scattering analysis. (author). 16 refs, 5 figs

Cu-based shape memory alloys with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, C.Y.; Lam, C.W.H.

1999-01-01

Cu-based shape memory alloys were developed in the 1960s. They show excellent thermoelastic martensitic transformation. However the problems in mechanical properties and thermal instability have inhibited them from becoming promising engineering alloys. A new Cu-Zn-Al-Mn-Zr Cu-based shape memory alloy has been developed. With the addition of Mn and Zr, the martensitic transformation behaviour and the grain size ca be better controlled. The new alloys demonstrates good mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strenght and ductility, being 460 MPa and 9%, respectively. Experimental results revealed that the alloy has better thermal stability, i.e. martensite stabilisation is less serious. In ordinary Cu-Zn-Al alloys, martensite stabilisation usually occurs at room temperature. The new alloy shows better thermal stability even at elevated temperature (∝150 C, >A f =80 C). A limited small amount of martensite stabilisation was observed upon ageing of the direct quenched samples as well as the step quenched samples. This implies that the thermal stability of the new alloy is less dependent on the quenching procedure. Furthermore, such minor martensite stabilisation can be removed by subsequent suitable parent phase ageing. The new alloy is ideal for engineering applications because of its better thermal stability and better mechanical properties. (orig.)

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.

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR: A Search for Neutrinoless Double-beta Decay of Germanium-76

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schubert, Alexis G.; Aguayo, Estanislao; Avignone, F. T.; Zhang, C.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, Matthew; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Christofferson, Cabot-Ann; Collar, J. I.; Combs, Dustin C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Leon, Jonathan D.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Esterline, James H.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, Florian; Gehman, Victor M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M.; Guiseppe, Vincente; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Horton, Mark; Howard, Stanley; Howe, Mark; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keillor, Martin E.; Keller, C.; Kephart, Jeremy D.; Kidd, M. F.; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; LaFerriere, Brian D.; LaRoque, B. H.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Merriman, Jason H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Overman, Nicole R.; Phillips, D.; Poon, Alan; Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Prior, Gersende; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, Kyle J.; Sobolev, V.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, Werner; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Vorren, Kris R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolfe, B. A.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir

2012-09-28

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would determine whether the neutrino is a Majorana particle and provide information on the absolute scale of neutrino mass. The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the DEMONSTRATOR, an array of germanium detectors, to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will contain 40 kg of germanium; up to 30 kg will be enriched to 86% in 76Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will be deployed deep underground in an ultra-low-background shielded environment. Operation of the DEMONSTRATOR aims to determine whether a future tonne-scale germanium experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a 4-keV region of interest around the 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay Q-value of 2039 keV.

Elastic characteristics and microplastic deformation of amorphous alloys on iron base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pol'dyaeva, G.P.; Zakharov, E.K.; Ovcharov, V.P.; Tret'yakov, B.N.

1983-01-01

Investigation results of elasticity and microplasticity properties (modulus of normal elasticity E, elasticity limit σsub(0.01) and yield limit σsub(0.2)) of three amorphous alloys on iron base Fe 80 B 20 , Fe 70 Cr 10 B 20 and Fe 70 Cr 5 Ni 5 B 20 are given. Amorphous band of the alloys is obtained using the method of melt hardening. It is shown that amorphous alloys on iron base possess high elasticity and yield limits and hardness and are very perspective for the use as spring materials

Reduced graphene oxide-germanium quantum dot nanocomposite: electronic, optical and magnetic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Amollo, Tabitha A.; Mola, Genene T.; Nyamori, Vincent O.

2017-12-01

Graphene provides numerous possibilities for structural modification and functionalization of its carbon backbone. Localized magnetic moments can, as well, be induced in graphene by the formation of structural defects which include vacancies, edges, and adatoms. In this work, graphene was functionalized using germanium atoms, we report the effect of the Ge ad atoms on the structural, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of graphene. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-germanium quantum dot nanocomposites of high crystalline quality were synthesized by the microwave-assisted solvothermal reaction. Highly crystalline spherical shaped germanium quantum dots, of diameter ranging between 1.6-9.0 nm, are anchored on the basal planes of rGO. The nanocomposites exhibit high electrical conductivity with a sheet resistance of up to 16 Ω sq-1. The electrical conductivity is observed to increase with the increase in Ge content in the nanocomposites. High defect-induced magnetization is attained in the composites via germanium adatoms. The evolution of the magnetic moments in the nanocomposites and the coercivity showed marked dependence on the Ge quantum dots size and concentration. Quantum confinement effects is evidenced in the UV-vis absorbance spectra and photoluminescence emission spectra of the nanocomposites which show marked size-dependence. The composites manifest strong absorption in the UV region, strong luminescence in the near UV region, and a moderate luminescence in the visible region.

Corrosion assessment and enhanced biocompatibility analysis of biodegradable magnesium-based alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Pompa, Luis Enrique

Magnesium alloys have raised immense interest to many researchers because of its evolution as a new third generation material. Due to their biocompatibility, density, and mechanical properties, magnesium alloys are frequently reported as prospective biodegradable implant materials. Moreover, magnesium based alloys experience a natural phenomena to biodegrade in aqueous solutions due to its corrosive activity, which is excellent for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications. However, major concerns with such alloys are fast and non-uniform corrosion degradation. Controlling the degradation rate in the physiological environment determines the success of an implant. In this investigation, three grades of magnesium alloys: AZ31B, AZ91E and ZK60A were studied for their corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle meter are used to study surface morphology, chemistry, roughness and wettability, respectively. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of the leached metal ions was evaluated by a tetrazolium based bio-assay, MTS.

Creep and creep rupture properties of unalloyed vanadium and solid-solution-strengthened vanadium-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kainuma, T.; Iwao, N.; Suzuki, T.; Watanabe, R.

1982-01-01

The creep and creep rupture properties of vanadium and vanadium-base alloys were studied at 700 and 1000 0 C. The alloys were vanadium-base binary alloys containing about 5 - 21 at.% Al, Ti, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo or Fe, three V-20wt.%Nb-base ternary alloys containing 5 or 10 wt.% Al, Cr or Mo, V-10wt.%Ta-10wt.%Al and V-25wt.%Cr-0.8wt.%Zr. The creep rupture stress of the binary alloys, except the V-Al and V-Ti alloys, increased linearly with increasing concentration of the alloying elements. The V-Nb alloy had the best properties with respect to the rupture stress and creep rate at 700 0 C and the rupture stress at 1000 0 C, but the V-Mo alloy appeared likely to have better creep properties at longer times and higher temperatures. Of the five ternary alloys, V-20wt.%Nb-5wt.%Cr and V-20wt.%Nb-10wt.%Mo showed the best creep properties. The creep properties of these two alloys were compared with those of other vanadium alloys and of type 316 stainless steel. (Auth.)

Investigation on corrosion and wear behaviors of nanoparticles reinforced Ni-based composite alloying layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Jiang; Tao Jie; Jiang Shuyun; Xu Zhong

2008-01-01

In order to investigate the role of amorphous SiO 2 particles in corrosion and wear resistance of Ni-based metal matrix composite alloying layer, the amorphous nano-SiO 2 particles reinforced Ni-based composite alloying layer has been prepared by double glow plasma alloying on AISI 316L stainless steel surface, where Ni/amorphous nano-SiO 2 was firstly predeposited by brush plating. The composition and microstructure of the nano-SiO 2 particles reinforced Ni-based composite alloying layer were analyzed by using SEM, TEM and XRD. The results indicated that the composite alloying layer consisted of γ-phase and amorphous nano-SiO 2 particles, and under alloying temperature (1000 deg. C) condition, the nano-SiO 2 particles were uniformly distributed in the alloying layer and still kept the amorphous structure. The corrosion resistance of composite alloying layer was investigated by an electrochemical method in 3.5%NaCl solution. Compared with single alloying layer, the amorphous nano-SiO 2 particles slightly decreased the corrosion resistance of the Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloying layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the passive films formed on the composite alloying consisted of Cr 2 O 3 , MoO 3 , SiO 2 and metallic Ni and Mo. The dry wear test results showed that the composite alloying layer had excellent friction-reduced property, and the wear weight loss of composite alloying layer was less than 60% of that of Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu alloying layer

Thermodynamic Tuning of Mg-Based Hydrogen Storage Alloys: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Min; Lu, Yanshan; Ouyang, Liuzhang; Wang, Hui

2013-01-01

Mg-based hydrides are one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials because of their relatively high storage capacity, abundance, and low cost. However, slow kinetics and stable thermodynamics hinder their practical application. In contrast to the substantial progress in the enhancement of the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics, thermodynamic tuning is still a great challenge for Mg-based alloys. At present, the main strategies to alter the thermodynamics of Mg/MgH2 are alloying, nanostructuring, and changing the reaction pathway. Using these approaches, thermodynamic tuning has been achieved to some extent, but it is still far from that required for practical application. In this article, we summarize the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies. Based on the current progress, finding reversible systems with high hydrogen capacity and effectively tailored reaction enthalpy offers a promising route for tuning the thermodynamics of Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys. PMID:28788353

Prospects for designing structural cast eutectic alloys on Al-Ce-Ni system base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, N.A.; Naumova, E.S.

1996-01-01

The phase diagram of Al-Ce-Ni system is built for an aluminium corner at component concentration up to 16 mass %Ce and 8 mass%Ni. A ternary eutectic reaction is established at 12%Ce, 5%Ni and 626 deg C. The ternary eutectic alloy is similar in structure to rapidly cooled Al base alloys with transition metals. The possibility to design new cast alloys based on three-phase (Al)+NiAl 3 +CeAl 4 eutectics is under consideration. Al-Zn-Mg-Cu, Al-Sc and Al-Zr base alloys can be used as (Al) constituent of the eutectics. The new alloys may be considered as heat resistant ones due to the fact that no structural changes are observed in castings on heating up to 350 deg C. 18 refs.; 4 figs.; 2 tabs

Surface alloying of nickel based superalloys by laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, G.P.; Garcia, I.; Damborenea, J.J. de

1998-01-01

Ni based superalloys present a high oxidation resistance at high temperature as well as good mechanical properties. But new technology developments force to research in this materials to improve their properties at high temperature. In this work, two Ni based superalloys (Nimonic 80A and Inconel 600) were surface alloyed with aluminium using a high power laser. SEM and EDX were used to study the microstructure of the obtained coatings. Alloyed specimens were tested at 1.273 K between 24 and 250 h. Results showed the generation of a protective and continuous coating of alumina on the laser treated specimens surface that can improve oxidation resistance. (Author) 8 refs

Event timing in high purity germanium coaxial detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Ibiary, M.Y.

1979-08-01

The timing of gamma ray radiation in systems using high purity coaxial germanium detectors is analyzed and compared to that of systems using Ge(Li) detectors. The analysis takes into account the effect of the residual impurities on the electric field distribution, and hence on the rate of rise of the electrical pulses delivered to the timing module. Conditions under which the electric field distribution could lead to an improvement in timing performance, are identified. The results of the analysis confirm the experimental results published elsewhere and when compared with those for Ge(Li) detectors, which usually operate under conditions of charge carrier velocity saturation, confirm that high purity germanium detectors need not have inferior timing characteristics. A chart is given to provide a quantitative basis on which the trade off between the radius of the detector and its time resolution may be made

Dual Microstructure Heat Treatment of a Nickel-Base Disk Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Gayda, John

2001-01-01

Existing Dual Microstructure Heat Treat (DMHT) technology was successfully applied to Alloy 10, a high strength, nickel-base disk alloy, to produce a disk with a fine grain bore and coarse grain rim. Specimens were extracted from the DMHT disk and tested in tension, creep, fatigue, and crack growth using conditions pertinent to disk applications. These data were then compared with data from "traditional" subsolvus and supersolvus heat treatments for Alloy 10. The results showed the DMHT disk to have a high strength, fatigue resistant bore comparable to that of subsolvus Alloy 10. Further, creep resistance of the DMHT rim was comparable to that of supersolvus Alloy 10. Crack growth resistance in the DMHT rim, while better than that for subsolvus, was inferior to that of supersolvus Alloy 10. The slow cool at the end of the DMHT conversion and/or the subsolvus resolution step are thought to be responsible for degrading rim DMHT crack growth resistance.

Nickel-based materials and high-alloy, special stainless steels. 2. new rev. and enl. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heubner, U.; Brill, U.; Hoffmann, T.; Jasner, M.; Kirchheiner, R.; Koecher, R.; Richter, H.; Rockel, M.; White, F.

1993-01-01

The book is intended as a source of information on nickel-based materials and special stainless steels and apart from the up-to-date materials data presents information on recent developments and knowledge gained, so that it may be a valuable aid to materials engineers looking for cost-effective resolutions of their materials problems in the chemical process industry, power plant operation, and high-temperature applications. The book presents eight individual contributions entitled as follows: (1) Nickel-base alloys and high-alloy, special stainless steels. - Materials survey and data sheets (Ulrich Heubner). (2) Corrosion of nickel-base alloys and special stainless steels (Manfred Rockel). (3) Welding of nickel-base alloys and high-alloy, special stainless steels (Theo Hoffmann). (4) High-temperature resistant materials (Ulrich Brill). (5) Application and processing of nickel-base materials in the chemical process industry and in pollution abatement equipment (Reiner Koecher). (6) Selected examples of applications of nickel-base materials in chemical plant (Manfred Jasner, Frederick White). (7) Applications of nickel-base alloys and special stainless steels in power plant. (8) The use of nickel-base alloys and stainless steels in pollution abatement processes (R. Kirchheiner). (orig./MM). 151 figs., 226 refs [de

Methods to improve and understand the sensitivity of high purity germanium detectors for searches of rare events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volynets, Oleksandr

2012-01-01

Observation of neutrinoless double beta-decay could answer fundamental questions on the nature of neutrinos. High purity germanium detectors are well suited to search for this rare process in germanium. Successful operation of such experiments requires a good understanding of the detectors and the sources of background. Possible background sources not considered before in the presently running GERDA high purity germanium detector experiment were studied. Pulse shape analysis using artificial neural networks was used to distinguish between signal-like and background-like events. Pulse shape simulation was used to investigate systematic effects influencing the efficiency of the method. Possibilities to localize the origin of unwanted radiation using Compton back-tracking in a granular detector system were examined. Systematic effects in high purity germanium detectors influencing their performance have been further investigated using segmented detectors. The behavior of the detector response at different operational temperatures was studied. The anisotropy effects due to the crystallographic structure of germanium were facilitated in a novel way to determine the orientation of the crystallographic axes.

Methods to improve and understand the sensitivity of high purity germanium detectors for searches of rare events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volynets, Oleksandr

2012-07-27

Observation of neutrinoless double beta-decay could answer fundamental questions on the nature of neutrinos. High purity germanium detectors are well suited to search for this rare process in germanium. Successful operation of such experiments requires a good understanding of the detectors and the sources of background. Possible background sources not considered before in the presently running GERDA high purity germanium detector experiment were studied. Pulse shape analysis using artificial neural networks was used to distinguish between signal-like and background-like events. Pulse shape simulation was used to investigate systematic effects influencing the efficiency of the method. Possibilities to localize the origin of unwanted radiation using Compton back-tracking in a granular detector system were examined. Systematic effects in high purity germanium detectors influencing their performance have been further investigated using segmented detectors. The behavior of the detector response at different operational temperatures was studied. The anisotropy effects due to the crystallographic structure of germanium were facilitated in a novel way to determine the orientation of the crystallographic axes.

A Fundamental Approach to Developing Aluminium based Bulk Amorphous Alloys based on Stable Liquid Metal Structures and Electronic Equilibrium - 154041

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-28

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2017-0027 A Fundamental Approach to Developing Aluminium -based Bulk Amorphous Alloys based on Stable Liquid-Metal Structures and...to 16 Dec 2016 4.  TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Fundamental Approach to Developing Aluminium -based Bulk Amorphous Alloys based on Stable Liquid-Metal...Air Force Research Laboratory for accurately predicting compositions of new amorphous alloys specifically based on aluminium with properties superior

Method for manufacturing nuclear radiation detector with deep diffused junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, R.N.

1977-01-01

Germanium radiation detectors are manufactured by diffusing lithium into high purity p-type germanium. The diffusion is most readily accomplished from a lithium-lead-bismuth alloy at approximately 430 0 C and is monitored by a quartz half cell containing a standard composition of this alloy. Detectors having n-type cores may be constructed by converting high purity p-type germanium to n-type by a lithium diffusion and subsequently diffusing some of the lithium back out through the surface to create a deep p-n junction. Production of coaxial germanium detectors comprising deep p-n junctions by the lithium diffusion process is described

Study of superficial films and of electrochemical behaviour of some nickel base alloys and titanium base alloys in solution representation of granitic, argillaceous and salted ground waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quang, K.V.; Da Cunha Belo, M.; Benabed, M.S.; Bourelier, F.; Jallerat, N.; Pari, F.L.

1985-01-01

The corrosion behaviour of the stainless steels 304, 316 Ti, 25Cr-20Ni-Mo-Ti, nickel base alloys Hastelloy C4, Inconel 625, Incoloy 800, Ti and Ti-0.2% Pd alloy has been studied in the aerated or deaerated solutions at 20 0 C and 90 0 C whose compositions are representative of interstitial ground waters: granitic or clay waters or salt brine. The electrochemical techniques used are voltametry, polarization resistance and complexe impedance measurements. Electrochemical data show the respective influence of the parameters such as temperature, solution composition and dissolved oxygen, addition of soluble species chloride, fluoride, sulfide and carbonates, on which depend the corrosion current density, the passivation and the pitting potential. The inhibition efficiency of carbonate and bicarbonate activities against pitting corrosion is determined. In clay water at 90 0 C, Ti and Ti-Pd show very high passivation aptitude and a broad passive potential range. Alloying Pd increases cathodic overpotential and also transpassive potential. It makes the alloy less sensitive to the temperature effect. Optical Glow Discharge Spectra show three parts in the composition depth profiles of surface films on alloys. XPS and SIMS spectrometry analyses are also carried out. Electron microscopy observation shows that passive films formed on Ti and Ti-Pd alloy have amorphous structure. Analysis of the alloy constituents dissolved in solutions, by radioactivation in neutrons, gives the order of magnitude of the Ni base alloy corrosion rates in various media. It also points out the preferential dissolution of alloying iron and in certain cases of chromium

Shape-Memory Effect and Pseudoelasticity in Fe-Mn-Based Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

La Roca, P.; Baruj, A.; Sade, M.

2017-03-01

Several Fe-based alloys are being considered as potential candidates for applications which require shape-memory behavior or superelastic properties. The possibility of using fabrication methods which are well known in the steel industry is very attractive and encourages a large amount of research in the field. In the present article, Fe-Mn-based alloys are mainly addressed. On the one hand, attention is paid to the shape-memory effect where the alloys contain (a) a maximum amount of Mn up to around 30 wt%, (b) several possible substitutional elements like Si, Cr, Ni, Co, and Nb and (c) some possible interstitial elements like C. On the other hand, superelastic alloys are analyzed, mainly the Fe-Mn-Al-Ni system discovered a few years ago. The most noticeable properties resulting from the martensitic transformations which are responsible for the mentioned properties, i.e., the fcc-hcp in the first case and the bcc-fcc in the latter are discussed. Selected potential applications are also analyzed.

Experience from operating germanium detectors in GERDA

Science.gov (United States)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios; GERDA Collaboration

2015-05-01

Phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge, was completed in September 2013. The most competitive half-life lower limit for the 0νββ decay of 76Ge was set (T-0ν1/2 > 2.1 · 1025 yr at 90% C.L.). GERDA operates bare Ge diodes immersed in liquid argon. During Phase I, mainly refurbished semi-coaxial high purity Ge detectors from previous experiments were used. The experience gained with handling and operating bare Ge diodes in liquid argon, as well as the stability and performance of the detectors during GERDA Phase I are presented. Thirty additional new enriched BEGe-type detectors were produced and will be used in Phase II. A subgroup of these detectors has already been used successfully in GERDA Phase I. The present paper gives an overview of the production chain of the new germanium detectors, the steps taken to minimise the exposure to cosmic radiation during manufacturing, and the first results of characterisation measurements in vacuum cryostats.

Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) germanium thermistors for sub-mm bolometer applications

Science.gov (United States)

Haller, E. E.; Itoh, K. M.; Beeman, J. W.

1996-01-01

Recent advances in the development of neutron transmutation doped (NTD) semiconductor thermistors fabricated from natural and controlled isotopic composition germanium are reported. The near ideal doping uniformity that can be achieved with the NTD process, the device simplicity of NTD Ge thermistors and the high performance of cooled junction field effect transistor preamplifiers led to the widespread acceptance of these thermal sensors in ground-based, airborne and spaceborne radio telescopes. These features made possible the development of efficient bolometer arrays.

Technical assessment of niobium alloys data base for fusion reactor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pionke, L J; Davis, J W

1979-08-01

Refractory metals are one class of material to be developed in the Alloy Development For Irradiation Performance (ADIP) program recently initiated. A principal purpose of the assessment reported herein is to establish the existing data base for niobium alloys in order to help guide the work to be performed in the ADIP program. Major ADIP decisions include alloy selection/modification and irradiated/unirradiated material testing. This Assessment addressed the topics of: (1) niobium alloy development history and niobium metallurgy, (2) unirradiated mechanical properties, (3) irradiated properties, (4) corrosion, and (5) environmental effects.

The GALATEA test facility and a first study of α-induced surface events in a germanium detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Irlbeck, Sabine

2014-01-30

Germanium detectors are a choice technology in fundamental research. They are suitable for the search for rare events due to their high sensitivity and excellent energy resolution. As an example, the GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay is described. The observation of this decay would resolve the fundamental question whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. Especially adapted detector technologies and low background rates needed to detect very rare events such as neutrinoless double beta decays are discussed. The identification of backgrounds originating from the interaction of radiation, especially α-particles, is a focus of this thesis. Low background experiments face problems from α-particles due to unavoidable surface contaminations of the germanium detectors. The segmentation of detectors is used to obtain information about the special characteristics of selected events. The high precision test stand GALATEA was especially designed for surface scans of germanium detectors. As part of this work, GALATEA was completed and commissioned. The final commissioning required major upgrades of the original design which are described in detail. Collimator studies with two commercial germanium detectors are presented. Different collimation levels for a β-source were investigated and crystal axis effects were examined. The first scan with an α-source of the passivated end-plate of a special 19-fold segmented prototype detector mounted in GALATEA is described. The α-induced surface events were studied and characterized. Crosstalk and mirror pulses seen in the segments of the germanium detector were analyzed. The detector studies presented in this thesis will help to further improve the design of germanium detectors for low background experiments.

The GALATEA test facility and a first study of α-induced surface events in a germanium detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irlbeck, Sabine

2014-01-01

Germanium detectors are a choice technology in fundamental research. They are suitable for the search for rare events due to their high sensitivity and excellent energy resolution. As an example, the GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay is described. The observation of this decay would resolve the fundamental question whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. Especially adapted detector technologies and low background rates needed to detect very rare events such as neutrinoless double beta decays are discussed. The identification of backgrounds originating from the interaction of radiation, especially α-particles, is a focus of this thesis. Low background experiments face problems from α-particles due to unavoidable surface contaminations of the germanium detectors. The segmentation of detectors is used to obtain information about the special characteristics of selected events. The high precision test stand GALATEA was especially designed for surface scans of germanium detectors. As part of this work, GALATEA was completed and commissioned. The final commissioning required major upgrades of the original design which are described in detail. Collimator studies with two commercial germanium detectors are presented. Different collimation levels for a β-source were investigated and crystal axis effects were examined. The first scan with an α-source of the passivated end-plate of a special 19-fold segmented prototype detector mounted in GALATEA is described. The α-induced surface events were studied and characterized. Crosstalk and mirror pulses seen in the segments of the germanium detector were analyzed. The detector studies presented in this thesis will help to further improve the design of germanium detectors for low background experiments.

Use of Germanium as comparator and integral monitor of neutron flux in activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furnari, Juan C.; Cohen, Isaac M.; Arribere, Maria A.; Kestelman, Abraham J.

1997-01-01

The possibility of using germanium as monitor of the thermal and epithermal components of the neutron flux, and comparator in parametric activation analysis, is discussed. The advantages and drawbacks associated to the use of this element are commented on, and the comparison with zirconium, in terms of the determination relative error, is performed. The utilisation of germanium as integral flux monitor, including the fast component of the neutron spectrum, is also discussed. Data corresponding to measurements of k 0 factor for the most relevant gamma transitions from Ge-75 and Be-77 are presented, as well as the results of the reference material analysis, employing germanium as flux monitor and comparator in a simultaneous way. (author). 8 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

Replacement of Co-base alloy for radiation exposure reduction in the primary system of PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Jeong Ho; Nyo, Kye Ho; Lee, Deok Hyun; Lim, Deok Jae; Ahn, Jin Keun; Kim, Sun Jin

1996-01-01

Of numerous Co-free alloys developed to replace Co-base stellite used in valve hardfacing material, two iron-base alloys of Armacor M and Tristelle 5183 and one nickel-base alloy of Nucalloy 488 were selected as candidate Co-free alloys, and Stellite 6 was also selected as a standard hardfacing material. These four alloys were welded on 316SS substrate using TIG welding method. The first corrosion test loop of KAERI simulating the water chemistry and operation condition of the primary system of PWR was designed and fabricated. Corrosion behaviors of the above four kinds of alloys were evaluated using this test loop under the condition of 300 deg C, 1500 psi. Microstructures of weldment of these alloys were observed to identify both matrix and secondary phase in each weldment. Hardnesses of weld deposit layer including HAZ and substrate were measured using micro-Vickers hardness tester. The status on the technology of Co-base alloy replacement in valve components was reviewed with respect to the classification of valves to be replaced, the development of Co-free alloys, the application of Co-free alloys and its experiences in foreign NPPs, and the Co reduction program in domestic NPPs and industries. 18 tabs., 20 figs., 22 refs. (Author)

Continuously tunable photonic fractional Hilbert transformer using a high-contrast germanium-doped silica-on-silicon microring resonator.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahoei, Hiva; Dumais, Patrick; Yao, Jianping

2014-05-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a continuously tunable fractional Hilbert transformer (FHT) based on a high-contrast germanium-doped silica-on-silicon (SOS) microring resonator (MRR). The propagation loss of a high-contrast germanium-doped SOS waveguide can be very small (0.02 dB/cm) while the lossless bend radius can be less than 1 mm. These characteristics lead to the fabrication of an MRR with a high Q-factor and a large free-spectral range (FSR), which is needed to implement a Hilbert transformer (HT). The SOS MRR is strongly polarization dependent. By changing the polarization direction of the input signal, the phase shift introduced at the center of the resonance spectrum is changed. The tunable phase shift at the resonance wavelength can be used to implement a tunable FHT. A germanium-doped SOS MRR with a high-index contrast of 3.8% is fabricated. The use of the fabricated MRR for the implementation of a tunable FHT with tunable orders at 1, 0.85, 0.95, 1.05, and 1.13 for a Gaussian pulse with the temporal full width at half-maximum of 80 ps is experimentally demonstrated.

Elastic characteristics and microplastic deformation of amorphous alloys on iron base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pol' dyaeva, G.P.; Zakharov, E.K.; Ovcharov, V.P.; Tret' yakov, B.N. (Tsentral' nyj Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Chernoj Metallurgii, Moscow (USSR))

1983-01-01

Investigation results of elasticity and microplasticity properties (modulus of normal elasticity E, elasticity limit sigmasub(0.01) and yield limit sigmasub(0.2)) of three amorphous alloys on iron base Fe/sub 80/B/sub 20/, Fe/sub 70/Cr/sub 10/B/sub 20/ and Fe/sub 70/Cr/sub 5/Ni/sub 5/B/sub 20/ are given. Amorphous band of the alloys is obtained using the method of melt hardening. It is shown that amorphous alloys on iron base possess high elasticity and yield limits and hardness and are very perspective for the use as spring materials.

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.

The investigation of ZnO:Al2O3/metal composite back reflectors in amorphous silicon germanium thin film solar cells

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wang Guang-Hong; Zhao Lei; Yan Bao-Jun; Chen Jing-Wei; Wang Ge; Diao Hong-Wei; Wang Wen-Jing

2013-01-01

Different aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO)/metal composite thin films,including AZO/Ag/Al,AZO/Ag/nickelchromium alloy (NiCr),and AZO/Ag/NiCr/Al,are utilized as the back reflectors of p-i-n amorphous silicon germanium thin film solar cells.NiCr is used as diffusion barrier layer between Ag and Al to prevent mutual diffusion,which increases the short circuit current density of solar cell.NiCr and NiCr/Al layers are used as protective layers of Ag layer against oxidation and sulfurization,the higher efficiency of solar cell is achieved.The experimental results show that the performance of a-SiGe solar cell with AZO/Ag/NiCr/Al back reflector is best.The initial conversion efficiency is achieved to be 8.05％.

Reliability of copper based alloys for electric resistance spot welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovanovicj, M.; Mihajlovicj, A.; Sherbedzhija, B.

1977-01-01

Durability of copper based alloys (B-5 and B-6) for electric resistance spot-welding was examined. The total amount of Be, Ni and Zr was up to 2 and 1 wt.% respectively. Good durability and satisfactory quality of welded spots were obtained in previous laboratory experiments carried out on the fixed spot-welding machine of an industrial type (only B-5 alloy was examined). Electrodes made of both B-5 and B-6 alloy were tested on spot-welding grips and fixed spot-welding machines in Tvornica automobila Sarajevo (TAS). The obtained results suggest that the durability of electrodes made of B-5 and B-6 alloys is more than twice better than of that used in TAS

Ion-beam mixing in silicon and germanium at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, G.J.; Marwick, A.D.; Poker, D.B.

1982-01-01

Ion-beam mixing of thin marker layers in amorphous silicon and germanium was studied using irradiations with Xe ions at temperatures of 34k and 77k. The marker species, ion energies and doses were: in silicon, markers of Ge and Pt irradiated with 200-keV Xe up to 2.7x10 16 ions cm -2 ; and in germanium, markers of Al and Si bombarded with 295-keV Xe up to 1.63x10 16 ions cm -2 . In silicon, Pt markers were found to broaden at about the same rate at 34k and 77k; and the rate of broadening was similar to that found by other workers when expressed as an efficiency of mixing, i.e., when dependence on ion dose and deposited energy was factored out. However, a Ge marker irradiated at 34k did not broaden from its original thickness. In germanium, markers of both Al and Si were mixed by irradiation at 34k, but at 77k only the Al marker broadened; the Si marker did not. The broadening of the markers is ascribed to ballistic mixing, while the cases where no broadening occurred are explicable if diffusion by a defect mechanism transported displaced marker atoms back to traps near their original sites

Mechanical properties of soldered joints of niobium base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grishin, V.L.

1980-01-01

Mechanical properties of soldered joints of niobium alloys widely distributed in industry: VN3, VN4, VN5A, VN5AE, VN5AEP etc., 0.6-1.2 mm thick are investigated. It is found out that the usage of zirconium-vanadium, titanium-tantalum solders for welding niobium base alloys permits to obtain soldered joints with satisfactory mechanical properties at elevated temperatures

Effects of Cr and Nb contents on the susceptibility of Alloy 600 type Ni-base alloys to stress-corrosion cracking in a simulated BWR environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akashi, Masatsune

1995-01-01

In order to discuss the effects of chromium and niobium contents on the susceptibility of Alloy 600 type nickel-base alloys to stress-corrosion cracking in the BWR primary coolant environment, a series of creviced bent-beam (CBB) tests were conducted in a high-temperature, high-purity water environment. Chromium, niobium, and titanium as alloying elements improved the resistivity to stress-corrosion cracking, whereas carbon enhanced the susceptibility to it. Alloy-chemistry-based correlations have been defined to predict the relative resistances of alloys to stress-corrosion cracking. A strong correlation was found, for several heats of alloys, between grain-boundary chromium depletion and the susceptibility to stress-corrosion cracking

Germanium recovery from gasification fly ash: evaluation of end-products obtained by precipitation methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Arroyo, Fátima; Font, Oriol; Fernández-Pereira, Constantino; Querol, Xavier; Juan, Roberto; Ruiz, Carmen; Coca, Pilar

2009-08-15

In this study the purity of the germanium end-products obtained by two different precipitation methods carried out on germanium-bearing solutions was evaluated as a last step of a hydrometallurgy process for the recovery of this valuable element from the Puertollano Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) fly ash. Since H(2)S is produced as a by-product in the gas cleaning system of the Puertollano IGCC plant, precipitation of germanium as GeS(2) was tested by sulfiding the Ge-bearing solutions. The technological and hazardous issues that surround H(2)S handling conducted to investigate a novel precipitation procedure: precipitation as an organic complex by adding 1,2-dihydroxy benzene pyrocatechol (CAT) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to the Ge-bearing solutions. Relatively high purity Ge end-products (90 and 93% hexagonal-GeO(2) purity, respectively) were obtained by precipitating Ge from enriched solutions, as GeS(2) sulfiding the solutions with H(2)S, or as organic complex with CAT/CTAB mixtures and subsequent roasting of the precipitates. Both methods showed high efficiency (>99%) to precipitate selectively Ge using a single precipitation stage from germanium-bearing solutions.

Galvanic corrosion resistance of welded dissimilar nickel-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbett, R.A.; Morrison, W.S.; Snyder, R.J.

1986-01-01

A program for evaluating the corrosion resistance of various dissimilar welded nickel-base alloy combinations is outlined. Alloy combinations included ALLCORR, Hastelloy C-276, Inconel 72 and Inconel 690. The GTAW welding process involved both high and minimum heat in-put conditions. Samples were evaluated in the as-welded condition, as well as after having been aged at various condtions of time and temperature. These were judged to be most representative of process upset conditions which might be expected. Corrosion testing evaluated resistance to an oxidizing acid and a severe service environment in which the alloy combinations might be used. Mechanical properties are also discussed

Synthesis and characterization of germanium monosulphide (GeS)

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This paper reports the growth of germanium monosulphide (GeS) single crystals by vapour phase technique using different transporting agents. The single crystallinity and composition of the grown crystals have been verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) ...

Fabrication of polymer-alloy based on polytetrafluoroethylene by radiation-crosslinking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, A.; Asano, S.; Hyunga, T.; Ichizuri, S.; Washio, M.

2003-01-01

Perfluoropolymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene co-perfluoroalkylvinylether (PFA) and tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene (FFP) have been classified to be a typical polymer of radiation-induced degradation. However, we confirmed that the crosslinking of PTFE, PFA and FEP proceed by irradiation under selective condition where oxygen-free and high temperature above the melting temperature of them. In this study, fabrication of polymer-alloy based on PTFE has been demonstrated by radiation-crosslinking techniques. The polymer alloy, which was PTFE fine powder contained with other polymeric materials, was obtained by electron beams irradiation under oxygen-free atmosphere. Characterization of polymer-alloy based on PTFE has been studied by various measurements such as solid state 19F- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA)

Multi-step wrought processing of TiAl-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, G.E.

1997-04-01

Wrought processing will likely be needed for fabrication of a variety of TiAl-based alloy structural components. Laboratory and development work has usually relied on one-step forging to produce test material. Attempts to scale-up TiAl-based alloy processing has indicated that multi-step wrought processing is necessary. The purpose of this study was to examine potential multi-step processing routes, such as two-step isothermal forging and extrusion + isothermal forging. The effects of processing (I/M versus P/M), intermediate recrystallization heat treatments and processing route on the tensile and creep properties of Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr alloys were examined. The results of the testing were then compared to samples from the same heats of materials processed by one-step routes. Finally, by evaluating the effect of processing on microstructure and properties, optimized and potentially lower cost processing routes could be identified

Vacancy-indium clusters in implanted germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, Alexander I.

2010-04-01

Secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements of heavily indium doped germanium samples revealed that a significant proportion of the indium dose is immobile. Using electronic structure calculations we address the possibility of indium clustering with point defects by predicting the stability of indium-vacancy clusters, InnVm. We find that the formation of large clusters is energetically favorable, which can explain the immobility of the indium ions. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vacancy-indium clusters in implanted germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, Alexander I.; Kube, R.; Bracht, Hartmut A.; Grimes, Robin W.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2010-01-01

Secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements of heavily indium doped germanium samples revealed that a significant proportion of the indium dose is immobile. Using electronic structure calculations we address the possibility of indium clustering with point defects by predicting the stability of indium-vacancy clusters, InnVm. We find that the formation of large clusters is energetically favorable, which can explain the immobility of the indium ions. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the superconductivity of vanadium based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brouers, F.; Rest, J.V. der

1985-01-01

We have computed the electron density of States of solid solutions of vanadium based transition metal alloys V 90 X 10 by using the tight-binding recursion method for degenerate d-bands in order to calculte the alloy superconducting transition temperature with the McMillan formula. As observed experimentally for X on the left hand side of V in the periodic table one obtains an increase of T c while for X on the right hand side of V the critical temperature decreases. The detailed comparison with experiments indicate that when the bandwidths of the two constituents are different, one cannot neglect the variation of the electron-phonon interactions. (author) [pt

X-ray radiometric analysis of lead and zinc concentrates using germanium radiation detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajgachev, A.A.; Mamysh, V.A.; Mil'chakov, V.I.; Shchekin, K.I.; Berezkin, V.V.

1975-01-01

The results of determination of lead, zinc and iron in lead and zinc concentrates by the X-ray-radiometric method with the use of germanium semiconductor detector are presented. In the experiments the 57 Co source and tritium-zirconium target were used. The activity of 57 Co was 2 mc. The area of the germanium detector employed was 5g mm 2 , its thickness - 2.3 mm. In lead concentrates zinc and iron were determined from the direct intensity of K-series radiation. In the analysis of zinc concentrates the same conditions of recording and excitation were used as in the case of lead concentrates, but the measurements were conducted in saturated layers. It is demonstrated that the use of germanium semiconductor detectors in combination with the suggested methods of measurements makes it possible to perform determination of iron, zinc and lead in zinc and lead concentrates with permissible error

Two-Dimensional Spatial Imaging of Charge Transport in Germanium Crystals at Cryogenic Temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moffatt, Robert [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

2016-03-01

In this dissertation, I describe a novel apparatus for studying the transport of charge in semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures. The motivation to conduct this experiment originated from an asymmetry observed between the behavior of electrons and holes in the germanium detector crystals used by the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS). This asymmetry is a consequence of the anisotropic propagation of electrons in germanium at cryogenic temperatures. To better model our detectors, we incorporated this effect into our Monte Carlo simulations of charge transport. The purpose of the experiment described in this dissertation is to test those models in detail. Our measurements have allowed us to discover a shortcoming in our most recent Monte Carlo simulations of electrons in germanium. This discovery would not have been possible without the measurement of the full, two-dimensional charge distribution, which our experimental apparatus has allowed for the first time at cryogenic temperatures.

Fabrication and study of double sintered TiNi-based porous alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Sergey, Anikeev; Valentina, Hodorenko; Timofey, Chekalkin; Victor, Gunther; Ji-hoon, Kang; Ji-soon, Kim

2017-05-01

Double-sintered porous TiNi-based alloys were fabricated and their structural characteristics and physico-mechanical properties were investigated. A fabrication technology of powder mixtures is elaborated in this article. Sintering conditions were chosen experimentally to ensure good structure and properties. The porous alloys were synthesized by solid-state double diffusion sintering (DDS) of Ti-Ni powder and prepare to obtain dense, crack-free, and homogeneous samples. The Ti-Ni compound sintered at various temperatures was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Phase composition of the sintered alloys was determined by x-ray diffraction. Analysis of the data confirmed the morphology and structural parameters. Mechanical and physical properties of the sintered alloys were evaluated. DDS at 1250 °C was found to be optimal to produce porous samples with a porosity of 56% and mean pore size of 90 μm. Pore size distribution was unimodal within the narrow range of values. The alloys present enhanced strength and ductility, owing to both the homogeneity of the macrostructure and relative elasticity of the bulk, which is hardened by the Ni-rich precipitates. These results suggest the possibility to manufacture porous TiNi-based alloys for application as a new class of dental implants.

Glass-forming ability and crystallization behavior of some binary and ternary Ni-based glassy alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louzguine-Luzgin, Dmitri V.; Louzguina-Luzgina, Larissa V.; Xie Guoqiang; Li Song; Zhang Wei; Inoue, Akihisa

2008-01-01

The purpose of the current paper is to study the influence of Ti, V, Nb, Al, Sn and Pd additions on the glass-forming ability, formation of a supercooled liquid region and a devitrification process of some Ni-Zr glassy alloys as well as to compare the results with those obtained for similar Cu-based alloys studied earlier. The Ni-based glassy alloys were investigated by using X-ray diffraction, differential scanning and isothermal calorimetries. Although the studied Ni-based alloys showed high values of the reduced glass-transition temperature of about 0.6, their glass-forming ability is quite low. This fact may be explained by low stability of the supercooled liquid against crystallization and formation of the equilibrium intermetallic compounds with a high growth rate compared to those observed in similar Cu-based alloys studied earlier. Relatively low thermal conductivity of Ni-based alloys is also found to be another factor limiting their glass-forming ability

Controlled localised melting in silicon by high dose germanium implantation and flash lamp annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voelskow, Matthias; Skorupa, Wolfgang; Pezoldt, Joerg; Kups, Thomas

2009-01-01

High intensity light pulse irradiation of monocrystalline silicon wafers is usually accompanied by inhomogeneous surface melting. The aim of the present work is to induce homogeneous buried melting in silicon by germanium implantation and subsequent flash lamp annealing. For this purpose high dose, high energy germanium implantation has been employed to lower the melting temperature of silicon in a predetermined depth region. Subsequent flash lamp irradiation at high energy densities leads to local melting of the germanium rich buried layer, whereby the thickness of the molten layer depends on the irradiation energy density. During the cooling down epitaxial crystallization takes place resulting in a largely defect-free layer. The combination of buried melting and dopant segregation has the potential to produce unusually buried doping profiles or to create strained silicon structures.

Radiation-enhanced self- and boron diffusion in germanium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schneider, S.; Bracht, H.; Klug, J.N.

2013-01-01

We report experiments on proton radiation-enhanced self- and boron (B) diffusion in germanium (Ge) for temperatures between 515 ∘ C and 720 ∘ C. Modeling of the experimental diffusion profiles measured by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry is achieved on the basis of the Frenkel pair reaction...

Study of the effect of neutron and electron irradiations on the low temperature thermal conductivity of germanium and silicon; Etude de l'effet des irradiations neutronique et electronique sur la conductibilite thermique aux basses temperatures du germanium et du silicium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vandevyver, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1967-06-15

The main results obtained from this work are the following: 1 Neutron irradiation (at 300 deg. K) produces lattice defects in germanium and silicon, and a corresponding very large lowering of the thermal conductivity is observed in the low temperature region (4-300 ). The results obtained have been explained with the help of the following hypotheses: for silicon a scattering of phonons by the stress fields produced by the defects; for germanium, a supplementary scattering of the electron phonon type. 2 Annealing treatments carried out on these materials above 373 deg. K restored the thermal conductivity over the whole temperature range of the measurements (4-300 deg. K); in the case of both germanium and silicon there were two steps in the annealing process. 3 A study of the thermal conductivity of germanium (initially P or N) after an electronic irradiation showed that the scattering of phonons could depend on the state of charge of the defects thus produced. (author) [French] Les principaux resultats obtenus au cours de ce travail sont les suivants : 1 Les irradiations neutroniques (a 300 deg. K) introduisent des defauts de reseau dans le germanium et le silicium et l'on observe correlativement pour ces materiaux, une tres importante diminution de conductibilite thermique dans le domaine des basses temperatures (4-300 deg. K). Les resultats obtenus ont pu etre interpretes en admettant principalement: pour le silicium, une diffusion des phonons par les champs de contrainte dus aux defauts; pour le germanium, une diffusion additionnelle du type electron-phonon. 2 Des recuits effectues sur ces materiaux au-dessus de 373 deg. K ont montre une restauration de la conductibilite thermique dans tout l'intervalle de temperature de mesure (4-300 deg. K) et comportant pour le germanium et le silicium, deux etapes de recuit 3 L'etude de la conductibilite thermique de germanium (initialement N ou P) apres une irradiation electronique, a montre que la diffusion des phonons

Discontinuous precipitation in copper base alloys

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Discontinuous precipitation (DP) is associated with grain boundary migration in the wake of which alternate plates of the precipitate and the depleted matrix form. Some copper base alloys show DP while others do not. In this paper the misfit strain parameter, , has been calculated and predicted that if 100 > ± 0.1, DP is ...

Photoluminescent polysaccharide-coated germanium(IV) oxide nanoparticles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lobaz, Volodymyr; Rabyk, Mariia; Pánek, Jiří; Doris, E.; Nallet, F.; Štěpánek, Petr; Hrubý, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 294, č. 7 (2016), s. 1225-1235 ISSN 0303-402X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7AMB14FR027; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-08336S; GA MZd(CZ) NV15-25781A Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : germanium oxide nanoparticles * polysaccharide coating * photoluminescent label Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.723, year: 2016

Filtering microphonics in dark matter germanium experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, J.; Garcia, E.; Ortiz de Solorzano, A.; Morales, A.; Nunz-Lagos, R.; Puimedon, J.; Saenz, C.; Villar, J.A.

1992-01-01

A technique for reducing the microphonic noise in a germanium spectrometer used in dark matter particles searches is described. Filtered energy spectra, corresponding to 48.5 kg day of data in a running experiment in the Canfranc tunnel are presented. Improvements of this filtering procedure with respect to the method of rejecting those events not distributed evenly in time are also discussed. (orig.)

Effects of Alloying Elements on Room and High Temperature Tensile Properties of Al-Si Cu-Mg Base Alloys =

Science.gov (United States)

Alyaldin, Loay

In recent years, aluminum and aluminum alloys have been widely used in automotive and aerospace industries. Among the most commonly used cast aluminum alloys are those belonging to the Al-Si system. Due to their mechanical properties, light weight, excellent castability and corrosion resistance, these alloys are primarily used in engineering and in automotive applications. The more aluminum is used in the production of a vehicle, the less the weight of the vehicle, and the less fuel it consumes, thereby reducing the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. The principal alloying elements in Al-Si alloys, in addition to silicon, are magnesium and copper which, through the formation of Al2Cu and Mg2Si precipitates, improve the alloy strength via precipitation hardening following heat treatment. However, most Al-Si alloys are not suitable for high temperature applications because their tensile and fatigue strengths are not as high as desired in the temperature range 230-350°C, which are the temperatures that are often attained in automotive engine components under actual service conditions. The main challenge lies in the fact that the strength of heat-treatable cast aluminum alloys decreases at temperatures above 200°C. The strength of alloys under high temperature conditions is improved by obtaining a microstructure containing thermally stable and coarsening-resistant intermetallics, which may be achieved with the addition of Ni. Zr and Sc. Nickel leads to the formation of nickel aluminide Al3Ni and Al 9FeNi in the presence of iron, while zirconium forms Al3Zr. These intermetallics improve the high temperature strength of Al-Si alloys. Some interesting improvements have been achieved by modifying the composition of the base alloy with additions of Mn, resulting in an increase in strength and ductility at both room and high temperatures. Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys such as the 354 (Al-9wt%Si-1.8wt%Cu-0.5wt%Mg) alloys show a greater response to heat treatment as a

Vacancy-acceptor complexes in germanium produced by ion implantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feuser, U.; Vianden, R. (Inst. fuer Strahlen- und Kernphysik, Univ. Bonn (Germany)); Alves, E.; Silva, M.F. da (Dept. de Fisica, ICEN/LNETI, Sacavem (Portugal)); Szilagyi, E.; Paszti, F. (Central Research Inst. for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary)); Soares, J.C. (Centro de Fisica Nuclear, Univ. Lisbon (Portugal))

1991-07-01

Combining results obtained by the {gamma}-{gamma} perturbed angular correlation method, Rutherford backscattering and elastic recoil detection of hydrogen, a defect complex formed in germanium by indium implantation is identified as a vacancy trapped by the indium probe. (orig.).

High temperature oxidation and electrochemical investigations on nickel-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obigodi-Ndjeng, Georgia

2011-01-01

This study examined high-temperature oxidation behavior of different Ni-base alloys. In addition, electrochemical characterization of the alloy's corrosion behavior was carried out, including comparison of the properties of native passive films grown at room temperature and high temperature oxide scales. PWA 1483 (single-crystalline Ni-base superalloy) and model alloys Ni-Cr-X (where X is either Co or Al) were oxidized at 800 and 900 C in air for different time periods. The superalloy showed the best oxidation behavior at both temperatures, which might be due to the fact that the oxidation growth function is subparabolic for the model alloys and parabolic for the superalloy at 800 C. At higher temperatures, changes in the kinetics are induced, as the oxides grow faster, thus only PWA 1483 growth follows the parabolic law. Different scales in a typical sandwich form were detected, with the inner layer comprised of mostly Cr 2 O 3 , the middle layer was mixture of different oxides and spinels, depending on the alloying elements, and the oxide at the interface oxygen/oxide was found to be NiO. The influence of sample preparation could also be shown, as rougher surfaces change the oxidation kinetics from parabolic and subparabolic for polished samples to linear. The influence of moisture on the oxidation behavior of the 2 nd generation single crystal Ni-base superalloys (PWA 1484, PWA 1487, CMSX 4, Rene N5 and Rene N5+) was studied at 1000 C after 100 h oxidation period. It was found that the moisture increased the oxidation rate and mostly the transient oxides growth rate. The water vapor content in air also influenced the behavior of these alloys, as they showed a higher mass gain in air + 30% water vapor than in air + 10% water vapor. The alloys PWA 1484 and CMSX 4 showed respectively the worst and best behavior in all the studied atmospheres. The addition of reactive elements, such as Yttrium, Hafnium and Lanthanum is likely to enhance the oxidation behavior of PWA

Hydrogen storage in binary and ternary Mg-based alloys. A comprehensive experimental study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalisvaart, W.P.; Harrower, C.T.; Haagsma, J.; Zahiri, B.; Luber, E.J.; Ophus, C.; Miltin, D. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton (Canada); Poirier, E.; Fritzsche, H. [Canadian Neutron Beam Centre, Chalk River, ON (Canada)

2010-07-01

This study focuses on hydrogen sorption properties of cosputtered 1.5 micrometer thick Mg-based films with Al, Fe and Ti as alloying elements. We show that ternary Mg-Al-Ti and Mg-Fe-Ti alloys in particular display remarkable sorption behavior: at 200 C, the films are capable of absorbing 4-6 wt.% hydrogen in seconds, and desorbing in minutes. Furthermore, this sorption behavior is stable for over 100 ab- and desorption cycles for Mg-Al-Ti and Mg-Fe-Ti alloys. No degradation in capacity or kinetics is observed. Based on these observations, some general design principles for Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys are suggested. For Mg-Fe-Ti, encouraging preliminary results on multilayered systems are also presented. (orig.)

Determination of trace impurities in iron-based alloy using neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaidi, J.H.; Waheed, S.; Ahmad, S.

2000-01-01

A radiochemical neutron activation analysis procedure has been developed and applied to investigate 40 major, minor, and trace impurities in iron-based alloy. A comparison of RNAA and INAA indicated a significant improvement in the detection limits. The extensive use of these alloys in the heavy mechanical industry, manufacturing of aircraft engines, nuclear applications, medical devices and chemical equipment requires their precise characterization. The concentration of iron in the iron-based alloy was found to be 86.7%, whereas Ca, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, V and W were the other constituents of the alloy, which constituted to around 12.89%. The rest of the elements were present in minor or trace levels. Most of the rare earth elements were also present in trace amounts. (orig.)

Plate-shaped transformation products in zirconium-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, S.; Dey, G.K.; Srivastava, D.

1997-01-01

Plate-shaped products resulting from martensitic, diffusional, and mixed mode transformations in zirconium-base alloys are compared in the present study. These alloys are particularly suitable for the comparison in view of the fact that the lattice correspondence between the parent β (bcc) and the product α (hcp) or γ-hydride (fct) phases are remarkably similar for different types of transformations. Crystallographic features such as orientation relations, habit planes, and interface structures associated with these transformations have been compared, with a view toward examining whether the transformation mechanisms have characteristic imprints on these experimental observables

Composite germanium monochromators - results for the TriCS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schefer, J.; Fischer, S.; Boehm, M.; Keller, L.; Horisberger, M.; Medarde, M.; Fischer, P. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-09-01

Composite germanium monochromators are in the beginning of their application in neutron diffraction. We show here the importance of the permanent quality control with neutrons on the example of the 311 wafers which will be used on the single crystal diffractometer TriCS at SINQ. (author) 2 figs., 3 refs.

Segmented Monolithic Germanium Detector Arrays for X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hull, Ethan L.

2011-01-01

The experimental results from the Phase I effort were extremely encouraging. During Phase I PHDs Co. made the first strides toward a new detector technology that could have great impact on synchrotron x-ray absorption (XAS) measurements, and x-ray detector technology in general. Detector hardware that allowed critical demonstration measurements of our technology was designed and fabricated. This new technology allows good charge collection from many pixels on a single side of a multi-element monolithic germanium planar detector. The detector technology provides 'dot-like' collection electrodes having very low capacitance. The detector technology appears to perform as anticipated in the Phase I proposal. In particular, the 7-pixel detector studied showed remarkable properties; making it an interesting example of detector physics. The technology is enabled by the use of amorphous germanium contact technology on germanium planar detectors. Because of the scalability associated with the fabrication of these technologies at PHDs Co., we anticipate being able to supply larger detector systems at significantly lower cost than systems made in the conventional manner.

First-principles study of the diffusion mechanisms of the self-interstitial in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, A; Jones, R; Janke, C; Goss, J P; Briddon, P R; Oeberg, S

2008-01-01

The self-interstitial in germanium can assume multiple configurations depending on the temperature and charge state. Here, we employ a first-principles density functional method to investigate the diffusion mechanisms of this defect. The energy barriers associated with the transformation between different structures are determined by the climbing nudged elastic band method, as a function of the charge state. The relation between the thermodynamic properties of the self-interstitial and the temperature evolution of electron radiation damage in germanium are discussed

Ductile-phase toughening and fatigue crack growth in Nb3Al base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gnanamoorthy, R.; Hanada, S.

1996-01-01

Niobium aluminide (Nb 3 Al) base intermetallic compounds exhibit good high-temperature strength and creep properties and potential for applications above 1,200 C provided their inadequately low room-temperature ductility, fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behavior are improved. Addition of tantalum to Nb 3 Al base materials improves the high-temperature strength significantly and seems to be a potential alloying element. In the present study, room temperature fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behavior of tantalum alloyed Nb 3 Al base alloy prepared by ingot metallurgy are investigated

Cobalt-based orthopaedic alloys: Relationship between forming route, microstructure and tribological performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Bhairav [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Favaro, Gregory [CSM Instruments SA, Rue de la Gare 4, Galileo Center, CH-2034 Peseux (Switzerland); Inam, Fawad [Advanced Composite Training and Development Centre and School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Glyndwr University, Mold Road, Wrexham LL11 2AW (United Kingdom); School of Engineering and Materials Science and Nanoforce Technology Ltd, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Reece, Michael J. [School of Engineering and Materials Science and Nanoforce Technology Ltd, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Angadji, Arash [Orthopaedic Research UK, Furlong House, 10a Chandos Street, London W1G 9DQ (United Kingdom); Bonfield, William [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom); Huang, Jie [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Edirisinghe, Mohan, E-mail: m.edirisinghe@ucl.ac.uk [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The average longevity of hip replacement devices is approximately 10-15 years, which generally depends on many factors. But for younger generation patients this would mean that revisions may be required at some stage in order to maintain functional activity. Therefore, research is required to increase the longevity to around 25-30 years; a target that was initially set by John Charnley. The main issues related to metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacement devices are the high wear rates when malpositioned and the release of metallic ions into the blood stream and surrounding tissues. Work is required to reduce the wear rates and limit the amount of metallic ions being leached out of the current MoM materials, to be able to produce an ideal hip replacement material. The most commonly used MoM material is the cobalt-based alloys, more specifically ASTM F75, due to their excellent wear and corrosion resistance. They are either fabricated using the cast or wrought method, however powder processing of these alloys has been shown to improve the properties. One powder processing technique used is spark plasma sintering, which utilises electric current Joule heating to produce high heating rates to sinter powders to form an alloy. Two conventionally manufactured alloys (ASTM F75 and ASTM F1537) and a spark plasma sintered (SPS) alloy were evaluated for their microstructure, hardness, tribological performance and the release of metallic content. The SPS alloy with oxides and not carbides in its microstructure had the higher hardness, which resulted in the lowest wear and friction coefficient, with lower amounts of chromium and molybdenum detected from the wear debris compared to the ASTM F75 and ASTM F1537. In addition the wear debris size and size distribution of the SPS alloy generated were considerably small, indicating a material that exhibits excellent performance and more favourable compared to the current conventional cobalt based alloys used in orthopaedics. - Highlights

Study of GeSn Alloy for Low Cost Monolithic Mid Infrared Quantum Well Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prakash PAREEK

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on theoretical study of Tin incorporated group IV alloys particularly GeSn and design of quantum well sensor for mid infrared sensing applications. Initially, the physics behind the selection of material for midinfrared sensor is explained. The importance of controlling strain in GeSn alloy is also explained. The physical background and motivation for incorporation of Tin(Sn in Germanium is briefly narrated. Eigen energy states for different Sn concentrations are obtained for strain compensated quantum well in G valley conduction band (GCB, heavy hole (HH band and light hole (LH band by solving coupled Schrödinger and Poisson equations simultaneously. Sn concentration dependent absorption spectra for HH- GCB transition reveals that significant absorption observed in mid infrared range (3-5 µm. So, Ge1-x Snx quantum well can be used for mid infrared sensing applications.

Grafting of Oligo(ethylene glycol) Functionalized Calix[4]arene-tetra-diazonium Salts for Antifouling Germanium and Gold Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Blond, Pascale; Mattiuzzi, Alice; Valkenier, Hennie; Troian-Gautier, Ludovic; Bergamini, Jean-François; Doneux, Thomas; Goormaghtigh, Erik; Raussens, Vincent; Jabin, Ivan

2018-05-03

Biosensors that can determine protein concentration and structure are highly desired for biomedical applications. For the development of such biosensors, the use of Fourier transformed infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy with the attenuated internal total reflection (ATR) configuration is particularly attractive but it requires appropriate surface functionalization of the ATR optical element. Indeed, the surface has to specifically interact with a target protein in close contact with the optical element and must display antifouling properties to prevent nonspecific adsorption of other proteins. We here report robust monolayers of calix[4]arenes bearing oEGs chains, which were grafted on germanium and gold surfaces via their tetra-diazonium salts. The formation of monolayers of oEGylated calix[4]arenes was confirmed by AFM, IR and contact angle measurements. The antifouling properties of these modified surfaces were studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy and the non-specific absorption of BSA was found to be reduced by 85% compared to non-modified germanium. In other words, the organic coating by oEGylated calix[4]arenes provides remarkable antifouling properties, opening the way to the design of germanium- and gold-based biosensors.

EXAFS investigation on microstructure of La-based alloy deuteride

CERN Document Server

Chen Bo Fei; Xie Chao Mei; Chen Xi Ping; Liu Li Juan; Xie Ya Ning; Hu Tian Dou; Zhang Jing

2002-01-01

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were measured to investigate the microstructure of La-based alloy deuteride. The radial structural functions of LaNi sub 4 sub . sub 2 sub 5 Al sub 0 sub . sub 7 sub 5 D sub x samples were obtained and the comparisons among different samples were performed. The results show that removal of deuterium is fast in La-Ni-Al hydrogen storage alloys under non-airtight condition

Experience from operating germanium detectors in GERDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios

2015-01-01

Phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge, was completed in September 2013. The most competitive half-life lower limit for the 0νββ decay of 76 Ge was set (T- 0ν 1/2 > 2.1 · 10 25 yr at 90% C.L.). GERDA operates bare Ge diodes immersed in liquid argon. During Phase I, mainly refurbished semi-coaxial high purity Ge detectors from previous experiments were used. The experience gained with handling and operating bare Ge diodes in liquid argon, as well as the stability and performance of the detectors during GERDA Phase I are presented. Thirty additional new enriched BEGe-type detectors were produced and will be used in Phase II. A subgroup of these detectors has already been used successfully in GERDA Phase I. The present paper gives an overview of the production chain of the new germanium detectors, the steps taken to minimise the exposure to cosmic radiation during manufacturing, and the first results of characterisation measurements in vacuum cryostats. (paper)

Lithium-Ion (de)insertion reaction of Germanium thin-film electrodes : an electrochemical and in situ XRD study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baggetto, L.; Notten, P.H.L.

2009-01-01

Germanium is a promising negative electrode candidate for lithium-ion thin-film batteries because of its very high theoretical storage capacity. When assuming full conversion of the material into the room-temperature equilibrium lithium saturated germanium phase, a theoretical capacity of or of

Silicon and Germanium (111) Surface Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, You Gong

Silicon (111) surface (7 x 7) reconstruction has been a long standing puzzle. For the last twenty years, various models were put forward to explain this reconstruction, but so far the problem still remains unsolved. Recent ion scattering and channeling (ISC), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and transmission electron diffraction (TED) experiments reveal some new results about the surface which greatly help investigators to establish better models. This work proposes a silicon (111) surface reconstruction mechanism, the raising and lowering mechanism which leads to benzene -like ring and flower (raised atom) building units. Based on these building units a (7 x 7) model is proposed, which is capable of explaining the STM and ISC experiment and several others. Furthermore the building units of the model can be used naturally to account for the germanium (111) surface c(2 x 8) reconstruction and other observed structures including (2 x 2), (5 x 5) and (7 x 7) for germanium as well as the (/3 x /3)R30 and (/19 x /19)R23.5 impurity induced structures for silicon, and the higher temperature disordered (1 x 1) structure for silicon. The model is closely related to the silicon (111) surface (2 x 1) reconstruction pi-bonded chain model, which is the most successful model for the reconstruction now. This provides an explanation for the rather low conversion temperature (560K) of the (2 x 1) to the (7 x 7). The model seems to meet some problems in the explanation of the TED result, which is explained very well by the dimer, adatom and stacking fault (DAS) model proposed by Takayanagi. In order to explain the TED result, a variation of the atomic scattering factor is proposed. Comparing the benzene-like ring model with the DAS model, the former needs more work to explain the TED result and the later has to find a way to explain the silicon (111) surface (1 x 1) disorder experiment.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and properties of Ni based soft magnetic alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chunhong; Ruan, Hui; Chen, Dengming; Li, Kejian; Guo, Donglin; Shao, Bin

2018-04-20

A Ni-based alloy was heat treated by changing the temperature and ambient atmosphere of the heat treatment. Morphology, crystal structure, and physical performance of the Ni-based alloy were characterized via SEM, XRD, TEM, and PPMS. Results show that due to the heat treatment process, the grain growth of the Ni-based alloy and the removal of impurities and defects are promoted. Both the orientation and stress caused by rolling are reduced. The permeability and saturation magnetization of the alloy are improved. The hysteresis loss and coercivity are decreased. Higher heat treatment temperature leads to increased improvement of permeability and saturation magnetization. Heat treatment in hydrogen is more conducive to the removal of impurities. At the same temperature, the magnetic performance of the heat-treated alloy in hydrogen is better than that of an alloy with heat treatment in vacuum. The Ni-based alloy shows an excellent magnetic performance on 1,373 K heat treatment in hydrogen atmosphere. In this process, the µ m , B s , P u , and H c of the obtained alloy are 427 mHm -1 , 509 mT, 0.866 Jm -3 , and 0.514 Am -1 , respectively. At the same time, the resistivity of alloy decreases and its thermal conductivity increases in response to heat treatment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Normal processes of phonon-phonon scattering and thermal conductivity of germanium crystals with isotopic disorder

CERN Document Server

Kuleev, I G

2001-01-01

The effect of normal processes of the phonon-phonon scattering on the thermal conductivity of the germanium crystals with various isotopic disorder degrees is considered. The phonon pulse redistribution in the normal scattering processes both inside each oscillatory branch (the Simons mechanism) and between various phonon oscillatory branches (the Herring mechanism) is accounted for. The contributions of the longitudinal and cross-sectional phonons drift motion into the thermal conductivity are analyzed. It is shown that the pulse redistribution in the Herring relaxation mechanism leads to essential suppression of the longitudinal phonons drift motion in the isotopically pure germanium crystals. The calculations results of thermal conductivity for the Herring relaxation mechanism agree well with experimental data on the germanium crystals with various isotopic disorder degrees

Investigation of the Precipitation Behavior in Aluminum Based Alloys

KAUST Repository

Khushaim, Muna S.

2015-11-30

The transportation industries are constantly striving to achieve minimum weight to cut fuel consumption and improve overall performance. Different innovative design strategies have been placed and directed toward weight saving combined with good mechanical behavior. Among different materials, aluminum-based alloys play a key role in modern engineering and are widely used in construction components because of their light weight and superior mechanical properties. Introduction of different nano-structure features can improve the service and the physical properties of such alloys. For intelligent microstructure design in the complex Al-based alloy, it is important to gain a deep physical understanding of the correlation between the microstructure and macroscopic properties, and thus atom probe tomography with its exceptional capabilities of spatially resolution and quantitative chemical analyses is presented as a sophisticated analytical tool to elucidate the underlying process of precipitation phenomena in aluminum alloys. A complete study examining the influence of common industrial heat treatment on the precipitation kinetics and phase transformations of complex aluminum alloy is performed. The qualitative evaluation results of the precipitation kinetics and phase transformation as functions of the heat treatment conditions are translated to engineer a complex aluminum alloy. The study demonstrates the ability to construct a robust microstructure with an excellent hardness behavior by applying a low-energy-consumption, cost-effective method. The proposed strategy to engineer complex aluminum alloys is based on both mechanical strategy and intelligent microstructural design. An intelligent microstructural design requires an investigation of the different strengthen phases, such as T1 (Al2CuLi), θ′(Al2Cu), β′(Al3Zr) and δ′(Al3Li). Therefore, the early stage of phase decomposition is examined in different binary Al-Li and Al-Cu alloys together with different

Effect of graphene tunnel barrier on Schottky barrier height of Heusler alloy Co2MnSi/graphene/n-Ge junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gui-fang; Hu Jing; Lv Hui; Cui Zhijun; Hou Xiaowei; Liu Shibin; Du Yongqian

2016-01-01

We demonstrate that the insertion of a graphene tunnel barrier between Heusler alloy Co 2 MnSi and the germanium (Ge) channel modulates the Schottky barrier height and the resistance–area product of the spin diode. We confirm that the Fermi level is depinned and a reduction in the electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) occurs following the insertion of the graphene layer between Co 2 MnSi and Ge. The electron SBH is modulated in the 0.34 eV–0.61 eV range. Furthermore, the transport mechanism changes from rectifying to symmetric tunneling following the insertion. This behavior provides a pathway for highly efficient spin injection from a Heusler alloy into a Ge channel with high electron and hole mobility. (paper)

CuZn Alloy- Based Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction

KAUST Repository

Alazmi, Amira

2014-06-01

ABSTRACT CuZn Alloy- Based Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction Amira Alazmi Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gases and its emission is a significant threat to global economy and sustainability. Efficient CO2 conversion leads to utilization of CO2 as a carbon feedstock, but activating the most stable carbon-based molecule, CO2, is a challenging task. Electrochemical conversion of CO2 is considered to be the beneficial approach to generate carbon-containing fuels directly from CO2, especially when the electronic energy is derived from renewable energies, such as solar, wind, geo-thermal and tidal. To achieve this goal, the development of an efficient electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction is essential. In this thesis, studies on CuZn alloys with heat treatments at different temperatures have been evaluated as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. It was found that the catalytic activity of these electrodes was strongly dependent on the thermal oxidation temperature before their use for electrochemical measurements. The polycrystalline CuZn electrode without thermal treatment shows the Faradaic efficiency for CO formation of only 30% at applied potential ~−1.0 V vs. RHE with current density of ~−2.55 mA cm−2. In contrast, the reduction of oxide-based CuZn alloy electrode exhibits 65% Faradaic efficiency for CO at lower applied potential about −1.0 V vs. RHE with current density of −2.55 mA cm−2. Furthermore, stable activity was achieved over several hours of the reduction reaction at the modified electrodes. Based on electrokinetic studies, this improvement could be attributed to further stabilization of the CO2•− on the oxide-based Cu-Zn alloy surface.

Diffusion of E centers in germanium predicted using GGA+U approach

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.; Bracht, H.; Chroneos, Alexander; Grimes, R. W.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2011-01-01

Density functional theory calculations (based on GGA+U approach) are used to investigate the formation and diffusion of donor-vacancy pairs (E centers) in germanium. We conclude that depending upon the Fermi energy,E centers that incorporate for phosphorous and arsenic can form in their neutral, singly negatively or doubly negatively charged states whereas with antimony only the neutral or doubly negatively charged states are predicted. The activation energies of diffusion are compared with recent experimental work and support the idea that smaller donor atoms exhibit higher diffusionactivation energies.

Diffusion of E centers in germanium predicted using GGA+U approach

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.

2011-08-17

Density functional theory calculations (based on GGA+U approach) are used to investigate the formation and diffusion of donor-vacancy pairs (E centers) in germanium. We conclude that depending upon the Fermi energy,E centers that incorporate for phosphorous and arsenic can form in their neutral, singly negatively or doubly negatively charged states whereas with antimony only the neutral or doubly negatively charged states are predicted. The activation energies of diffusion are compared with recent experimental work and support the idea that smaller donor atoms exhibit higher diffusionactivation energies.

Computational design of precipitation-strengthened titanium-nickel-based shape memory alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Matthew D.

Motivated by performance requirements of future medical stent applications, experimental research addresses the design of novel TiNi-based, superelastic shape-memory alloys employing nanoscale precipitation strengthening to minimize accommodation slip for cyclic stability and to increase output stress capability for smaller devices. Using a thermodynamic database describing the B2 and L21 phases in the Al-Ni-Ti-Zr system, Thermo-Calc software was used to assist modeling the evolution of phase composition during 600°C isothermal evolution of coherent L21 Heusler phase precipitation from supersaturated TiNi-based B2 phase matrix in an alloy experimentally characterized by atomic-scale Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microanalysis. Based on measured evolution of the alloy hardness (under conditions stable against martensitic transformation) a model for the combined effects of solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening was calibrated, and the optimum particle size for efficient strengthening was identified. Thermodynamic modeling of the evolution of measured phase fractions and compositions identified the interfacial capillary energy enabling thermodynamic design of alloy microstructure with the optimal strengthening particle size. Extension of alloy designs to incorporate Pt and Pd for reducing Ni content, enhancing radiopacity, and improving manufacturability were considered using measured Pt and Pd B2/L2 1 partitioning coefficients. After determining that Pt partitioning greatly increases interphase misfit, full attention was devoted to Pd alloy designs. A quantitative approach to radiopacity was employed using mass attenuation as a metric. Radiopacity improvements were also qualitatively observed using x-ray fluoroscopy. Transformation temperatures were experimentally measured as a function of Al and Pd content. Redlich-Kister polynomial modeling was utilized for the dependence of transformation reversion Af temperature on B2 matrix phase

Interstitial-phase precipitation in iron-base alloys: a comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelton, A.R.

1982-06-01

Recent developments have elucidated the atomistic mechanisms of precipitation of interstitial elements in simple alloy systems. However, in the more technologically important iron base alloys, interstitial phase precipitation is generally not well understood. The present experimental study was therefore designed to test the applicability of these concepts to more complex ferrous alloys. Hence, a comparative study was made of interstitial phase precipitation in ferritic Fe-Si-C and in austenitic phosphorus-containing Fe-Cr-Ni steels. These systems were subjected to a variety of quench-age thermal treatments, and the microstructural development was subsequently characterized by transmission electron microscopy

Corrosion of iron-base alloys by lithium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selle, J.E.

1976-01-01

A review of corrosion mechanisms operating in lithium-iron-base alloy systems is presented along with data obtained with thermal-convection loops of niobium-stabilized 2 1 / 4 percent Cr-1 percent Mo steel and types 304L and 321 stainless steels. A corrosion rate of 2.3 μm/year (0.09 mil/year) was obtained on the 2 1 / 4 percent Cr-1 percent Mo steel at 600 0 C. Considerably more mass transport of alloying constituents and a maximum corrosion rate of about 14 μm/year (0.55 mil/year) was obtained with the austenitic stainless steels. Results of metallography, x-ray fluorescence analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and weight-change data are presented and discussed

Magnesium-based hydrogen alloy anodes for a nickel metal hydrides secondary battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, N.; Luan, B.; Zhao, H.J.; Liu, H.K.; Dou, S.X. [Univ of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW (Australia). Centre for Superconducting and Electronic Materials

1996-12-31

Extensive work has been carried out in our group to try utilizing magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys as a low cost and high performance anode materials for Ni-MH battery. It was found that the modified Mg{sub 2}Ni alloy anodes were able to be charged-discharged effectively in a KOH aqueous solution at ambient temperature. The discharge capacity and cycle have been substantially improved in four ways: (1) by partial substitution of La, Ti, V, Zr, Ca for Mg and Fe, Co, Cu, Al, Si, Y, Mn for Ni in Mg{sub 2}Ni; (2) by composite of Mg{sub 2}Ni with another hydrogen storage alloys; (3) by room-temperature surface microencapsulation and, (4) by ultrasound treatment of alloy powders. A discharge capacity of 170 mAh/g has been obtained from the modified Mg{sub 2}Ni-type alloy electrode, and the cycle life has exceeded 350 cycles. The high rate dischargeability was also significantly improved by the modification. It was concluded that magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys would become promising anode materials for Ni- MH secondary battery with further improvement of discharge capacity and cycling performance

Magnesium-based hydrogen alloy anodes for a nickel metal hydrides secondary battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, N.; Luan, B.; Zhao, H.J.; Liu, H.K.; Dou, S.X.

1996-01-01

Extensive work has been carried out in our group to try utilizing magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys as a low cost and high performance anode materials for Ni-MH battery. It was found that the modified Mg 2 Ni alloy anodes were able to be charged-discharged effectively in a KOH aqueous solution at ambient temperature. The discharge capacity and cycle have been substantially improved in four ways: (1) by partial substitution of La, Ti, V, Zr, Ca for Mg and Fe, Co, Cu, Al, Si, Y, Mn for Ni in Mg 2 Ni; (2) by composite of Mg 2 Ni with another hydrogen storage alloys; (3) by room-temperature surface microencapsulation and, (4) by ultrasound treatment of alloy powders. A discharge capacity of 170 mAh/g has been obtained from the modified Mg 2 Ni-type alloy electrode, and the cycle life has exceeded 350 cycles. The high rate dischargeability was also significantly improved by the modification. It was concluded that magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys would become promising anode materials for Ni- MH secondary battery with further improvement of discharge capacity and cycling performance

Ductile Bulk Aluminum-Based Alloy with Good Glass-Forming Ability and High Strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long-Chao, Zhuo; Shu-Jie, Pang; Hui, Wang; Tao, Zhang

2009-01-01

Based on a new approach for designing glassy alloy compositions, bulk Al-based alloys with good glass-forming ability (GFA) are synthesized. The cast Al 86 Si 0.5 Ni 4.06 Co 2.94 Y 6 Sc 0.5 rod with a diameter of 1 mm shows almost fully amorphous structure besides about 5% fcc-Al nucleated in the center of the rod. The bulk alloy with high Al concentration exhibits an ultrahigh yield strength of 1.18 GPa and maximum strength of 1.27 GPa as well as an obvious plastic strain of about 2.4% during compressive deformation. This light Al-based alloy with good GFA and mechanical properties is promising as a new high specific strength material with good deformability. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

Time-resolved spectroscopy of plasma resonances in highly excited silicon and germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, C.Y.; Malvezzi, A.M.; Bloembergen, N.; Kurz, H.

1985-01-01

The dynamics of the electron-hole plasma in silicon and germanium samples irradiated by 20 ps. 532 nm laser pulses has been investigated in the near infrared by the time-resolved picosecond optical spectroscopy. The experimental reflectivities and transmission are compared with the predictions of the thermal model for degenerate carrier distributions through the Drude formalism. Above a certain fluence, a significant deviation between measured and calculated values indicates a strong increase of the recombination rate as soon as the plasma resonances become comparable with the band gaps. These new plasmon-aided recombination channels are particularly pronounced in germanium. 15 refs., 8 figs

Development of wear-resistant coatings for cobalt-base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockeram, B.V.

1999-01-01

The costs and hazards resulting from nuclear plant radiation exposure with activated cobalt wear debris could potentially be reduced by covering the cobalt-base materials with a wear resistant coating. However, the hardnesses of many cobalt-base wear alloys are significantly lower than conventional PVD hard coatings, and mechanical support of the hard coating is a concern. Four approaches have been taken to minimize the hardness differences between the substrate and PVD hard coating: (1) use a thin Cr-nitride hard coating with layers that are graded with respect to hardness, (2) use a thicker, multilayered coating (Cr-nitride or Zr-nitride) with graded layers, (3) use nitriding to harden the alloy subsurface followed by application of a multilayered coating of Cr-nitride, and (4) use of nitriding alone. Since little work has been done on application of PVD hard coatings to cobalt-base alloys, some details on process development and characterization of the coatings is presented. Scratch testing was used to evaluate the adhesion of the different coatings. A bench-top rolling contact test was used to evaluate the wear resistance of the coatings. The test results are discussed, and the more desirable coating approaches are identified

The prospects of biodegradable magnesium-based alloys in osteosynthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Chorny

2013-12-01

various types of implants for osteosynthesis in traumatology and orthopedics. As the analysis of scientific papers over the past decade, the number of scientific articles devoted to the study of the properties of magnesium alloys and their effect on bone formation, as well as their use in osteosynthesis has grown significantly. Implants which are based on magnesium, may have several advantages over bioinert metal alloys, polymers, and bioceramics. They are not toxic, not carcinogenic, the mechanical properties of a structure close to the cortical bone, and may have osteoinductive and anti-bacterial action. Also, there is no need for a second surgical intervention. The main problems to be addressed, in our view, are as follows. 1. Need to examine the nature of -bone formation in the fracture in the presence of the implant based on magnesium alloy. 2. To examine the impact of products of magnesium degradation on the surrounding tissue and the body as a whole. 3. Loss of rigidity of the implant magnesium based alloy in the process of biodegradation.

In vitro corrosion of dental Au-based casting alloys in polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Takasusuki, Norio; Ida, Yusuke; Hirose, Yukito; Ochi, Morio; Endo, Kazuhiko

2013-01-01

The corrosion and tarnish behaviors of two Au-based casting alloys (ISO type 1 and type 4 Au alloys) and their constituent pure metals, Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, and Pd in a polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine solution were examined. The two Au alloys actively corroded, and the main anodic reaction for both was dissolution of Au as AuI₂(-). The amount of Au released from the ISO type 1 Au alloy was significantly larger than that from the ISO type 4 Au alloy (Palloy exhibited higher susceptibility to tarnishing than the type 4 alloy. The corrosion forms of the two Au alloys were found to be completely different, i.e., the type 1 alloy exhibited the corrosion attack over the entire exposed surface with a little irregularity whereas the type 4 alloy exhibited typical intergranular corrosion, which was caused by local cells produced by segregation of Pd and Pt.

Research into Oil-based Colloidal-Graphite Lubricants for Forging of Al-based Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrov, A.; Petrov, P.; Petrov, M.

2011-01-01

The presented paper describes the topical problem in metal forging production. It deals with the choice of an optimal lubricant for forging of Al-based alloys. Within the scope of the paper, the properties of several oil-based colloidal-graphite lubricants were investigated. The physicochemical and technological properties of these lubricants are presented. It was found that physicochemical properties of lubricant compositions have an influence on friction coefficient value and quality of forgings.The ring compression method was used to estimate the friction coefficient value. Hydraulic press was used for the test. The comparative analysis of the investigated lubricants was carried out. The forging quality was estimated on the basis of production test. The practical recommendations were given to choose an optimal oil-based colloidal-graphite lubricant for isothermal forging of Al-based alloy.

Synthesis and Gas Phase Thermochemistry of Germanium-Containing Compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Classen, Nathan Robert [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2002-01-01

The driving force behind much of the work in this dissertation was to gain further understanding of the unique olefin to carbene isomerization observed in the thermolysis of 1,1-dimethyl-2-methylenesilacyclobutane by finding new examples of it in other silicon and germanium compounds. This lead to the examination of a novel phenylmethylenesilacyclobut-2-ene, which did not undergo olefin to carbene rearrangement. A synthetic route to methylenegermacyclobutanes was developed, but the methylenegermacyclobutane system exhibited kinetic instability, making the study of the system difficult. In any case the germanium system decomposed through a complex mechanism which may not include olefin to carbene isomerization. However, this work lead to the study of the gas phase thermochemistry of a series of dialkylgermylene precursors in order to better understand the mechanism of the thermal decomposition of dialkylgermylenes. The resulting dialkylgermylenes were found to undergo a reversible intramolecular β C-H insertion mechanism.

The coarsening process of Ge precipitates in an Al-4 wt.% Ge alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deaf, G.H

2004-05-01

In this paper the results of a quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation of the precipitation process of Ge in an Al-4 wt.% Ge alloy are described. Two crystallographic orientation relationships between the irregular germanium precipitate and aluminum matrix were found to be [1 0 0]{sub Ge} || [1 1 0]{sub Al} and [1 1 4]{sub Ge} || [1 0 0]{sub Al}. The irregular germanium precipitates formed on [0 0 1]{sub Al} habit planes. The origin of the irregular shape is due to the existence of a highly anisotropic interfacial energy as well as in an isotropic growth rate along <1 1 0>{sub A1} directions. Particles sizes were determined for variety of isothermal ageing times at 348, 423 and 523 K. The coarsening of the different morphologies of Ge precipitates was found to obey Ostwald ripening kinetics. The TEM results showed that the coarsening of irregular particles was due to the interfacial coalescence between these particles. Nine different morphologies have been distinguished in the form of (i) irregular particles, (ii) spheres, (iii) hexagonal plates, (iv) rods, (v) triangular plates, (vi) laths, (vii) small tetrahedra, (viii) rectangular plates, and (ix) Lamellae shape.

Characterization of fabricated cobalt-based alloy/nano bioactive glass composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bafandeh, Mohammad Reza, E-mail: mr.bafandeh@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Gharahkhani, Raziyeh; Fathi, Mohammad Hossein [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-12-01

In this work, cobalt-based alloy/nano bioactive glass (NBG) composites with 10, 15 and 20 wt% NBG were prepared and their bioactivity after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1 to 4 weeks was studied. Scanning electron microscopy images of two- step sintered composites revealed relatively dense microstructure. The results showed that density of composite samples decreased with increase in NBG amount. The microstructure analysis as well as energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) revealed that small amount of calcium phosphate phases precipitates on the surface of composite samples after 1 week immersion in SBF. After 2 weeks immersion, considerable amounts of cauliflower-like shaped precipitations were seen on the surface of the composites. Based on EDX analysis, these precipitations were composed mainly from Ca, P and Si. The observed bands in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of immersed composites samples for 4 weeks in SBF, were characteristic bands of hydroxyapatite. Therefore it is possible to form hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of composite samples during immersion in SBF. The results indicated that prepared composites unlike cobalt-based alloy are bioactive, promising their possibility for implant applications. - Highlights: • Co-based alloy/nano bioactive glass (NBG) composites with 10, 15 and 20 wt% NBG were prepared. • In order to study their bioactivity, composite samples were immersed in SBF solution for 1 to 4 weeks. • Immersion in SBF accompanied with precipitation of hydroxyapatite on surface of samples. • Prepared composite samples unlike cobalt-based alloy were bioactive.

Characterization of fabricated cobalt-based alloy/nano bioactive glass composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bafandeh, Mohammad Reza; Gharahkhani, Raziyeh; Fathi, Mohammad Hossein

2016-01-01

In this work, cobalt-based alloy/nano bioactive glass (NBG) composites with 10, 15 and 20 wt% NBG were prepared and their bioactivity after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1 to 4 weeks was studied. Scanning electron microscopy images of two- step sintered composites revealed relatively dense microstructure. The results showed that density of composite samples decreased with increase in NBG amount. The microstructure analysis as well as energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) revealed that small amount of calcium phosphate phases precipitates on the surface of composite samples after 1 week immersion in SBF. After 2 weeks immersion, considerable amounts of cauliflower-like shaped precipitations were seen on the surface of the composites. Based on EDX analysis, these precipitations were composed mainly from Ca, P and Si. The observed bands in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of immersed composites samples for 4 weeks in SBF, were characteristic bands of hydroxyapatite. Therefore it is possible to form hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of composite samples during immersion in SBF. The results indicated that prepared composites unlike cobalt-based alloy are bioactive, promising their possibility for implant applications. - Highlights: • Co-based alloy/nano bioactive glass (NBG) composites with 10, 15 and 20 wt% NBG were prepared. • In order to study their bioactivity, composite samples were immersed in SBF solution for 1 to 4 weeks. • Immersion in SBF accompanied with precipitation of hydroxyapatite on surface of samples. • Prepared composite samples unlike cobalt-based alloy were bioactive.

Biallelic and Genome Wide Association Mapping of Germanium Tolerant Loci in Rice (Oryza sativa L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Partha Talukdar

Full Text Available Rice plants accumulate high concentrations of silicon. Silicon has been shown to be involved in plant growth, high yield, and mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses. However, it has been demonstrated that inorganic arsenic is taken up by rice through silicon transporters under anaerobic conditions, thus the ability to efficiently take up silicon may be considered either a positive or a negative trait in rice. Germanium is an analogue of silicon that produces brown lesions in shoots and leaves, and germanium toxicity has been used to identify mutants in silicon and arsenic transport. In this study, two different genetic mapping methods were performed to determine the loci involved in germanium sensitivity in rice. Genetic mapping in the biparental cross of Bala × Azucena (an F6 population and a genome wide association (GWA study with 350 accessions from the Rice Diversity Panel 1 were conducted using 15 μM of germanic acid. This identified a number of germanium sensitive loci: some co-localised with previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL for tissue silicon or arsenic concentration, none co-localised with Lsi1 or Lsi6, while one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP was detected within 200 kb of Lsi2 (these are genes known to transport silicon, whose identity was discovered using germanium toxicity. However, examining candidate genes that are within the genomic region of the loci detected above reveals genes homologous to both Lsi1 and Lsi2, as well as a number of other candidate genes, which are discussed.

Geometrical and band-structure effects on phonon-limited hole mobility in rectangular cross-sectional germanium nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, H.; Mori, S.; Morioka, N.; Suda, J.; Kimoto, T.

2014-01-01

We calculated the phonon-limited hole mobility in rectangular cross-sectional [001], [110], [111], and [112]-oriented germanium nanowires, and the hole transport characteristics were investigated. A tight-binding approximation was used for holes, and phonons were described by a valence force field model. Then, scattering probability of holes by phonons was calculated taking account of hole-phonon interaction atomistically, and the linearized Boltzmann's transport equation was solved to calculate the hole mobility at low longitudinal field. The dependence of the hole mobility on nanowire geometry was analyzed in terms of the valence band structure of germanium nanowires, and it was found that the dependence was qualitatively reproduced by considering an average effective mass and the density of states of holes. The calculation revealed that [110] germanium nanowires with large height along the [001] direction show high hole mobility. Germanium nanowires with this geometry are also expected to exhibit high electron mobility in our previous work, and thus they are promising for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) applications

Electrochemical characterization of irreversibly adsorbed germanium on platinum stepped surfaces vicinal to Pt(1 0 0)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, P.; Herrero, E.; Solla-Gullon, J.; Vidal-Iglesias, F.J.; Aldaz, A.; Feliu, J.M.

2005-01-01

The electrochemical behavior of germanium irreversibly adsorbed at stepped surfaces vicinal to the Pt(1 0 0) pole is reported. The process taking part on the (1 0 0) terraces is evaluated from charge density measurements and calibration lines versus the terrace dimension are plotted. On the series Pt(2n - 1,1,1) having (1 1 1) monoatomic steps, the charge involved in the redox process undergone by the irreversibly adsorbed germanium is able to account for (n - 0.5) terrace atoms, thus suggesting some steric difficulties in the growth of the adlayer on the (1 0 0) terraces. Conversely, no steric problems are apparent in the series Pt(n,1,0) in which more open (1 0 0) steps are present on the (1 0 0) terraces. In this latter case the charge density under the germanium redox peaks is proportional to the number of terrace atoms. Some comparison is made with other stepped surfaces to understand the behavior and stability of germanium irreversibly adsorbed on the different platinum surface sites

Atomic-scale properties of Ni-based FCC ternary, and quaternary alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamm, Artur; Aabloo, Alvo; Klintenberg, Mattias; Stocks, Malcolm; Caro, Alfredo

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to characterize some atomic-scale properties of Ni-based FCC multicomponent alloys. For this purpose, we use Monte Carlo method combined with density functional theory calculations to study short-range order (SRO), atomic displacements, electronic density of states, and magnetic moments in equimolar ternary NiCrCo, and quaternary NiCrCoFe alloys. According to our study, the salient features for the ternary alloy are a negative SRO parameter between Ni–Cr and a positive between Cr–Cr pairs as well as a weakly magnetic state. For the quaternary alloy we predict negative SRO parameter for Ni–Cr and Ni–Fe pairs and positive for Cr–Cr and Fe–Fe pairs. Atomic displacements for both ternary and quaternary alloys are negligible. In contrast to the ternary, the quaternary alloy shows a complex magnetic structure. The electronic structure of the ternary and quaternary alloys shows differences near the Fermi energy between a random solid solution and the predicted structure with SRO. Despite that, the calculated EXAFS spectra does not show enough contrast to discriminate between random and ordered structures. The predicted SRO has an impact on point-defect energetics, electron–phonon coupling and thermodynamic functions and thus, SRO should not be neglected when studying properties of these two alloys

Bulk amorphous Mg-based alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pryds, Nini

2004-01-01

are discussed in this paper. On the basis of these measurements phase diagrams of the different systems were constructed. Finally, it is demonstrated that when pressing the bulk amorphous alloy onto a metallic dies at temperatures within the supercooled liquid region, the alloy faithfully replicates the surface...

Poor glass-forming ability of Fe-based alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zheng, H.J.; Hu, L.N.; Zhao, X.

2017-01-01

processes. By using the concept of fluid cluster and supercooled liquid fragility in metallic liquids, it has been found that this dynamic transition makes the Fe-based supercooled liquids become more unstable, which leads to the poor GFA of Fe-based alloys. Further, it has been found that the degree...

Microstructural characterisation of friction stir welding joints of mild steel to Ni-based alloy 625

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, J. [Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), P.O. Box 6192, Campinas, SP (Brazil); University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil); Ramirez, A.J., E-mail: ramirezlondono.1@osu.edu [Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), P.O. Box 6192, Campinas, SP (Brazil); University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University — OSU, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States)

2015-12-15

In this study, 6-mm-thick mild steel and Ni-based alloy 625 plates were friction stir welded using a tool rotational speed of 300 rpm and a travel speed of 100 mm·min{sup −1}. A microstructural characterisation of the dissimilar butt joint was performed using optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS). Six different weld zones were found. In the steel, the heat-affected zone (HAZ) was divided into three zones and was composed of ferrite, pearlite colonies with different morphologies, degenerated regions of pearlite and allotriomorphic and Widmanstätten ferrite. The stir zone (SZ) of the steel showed a coarse microstructure consisting of allotriomorphic and Widmanstätten ferrite, degenerate pearlite and MA constituents. In the Ni-based alloy 625, the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) showed deformed grains and redistribution of precipitates. In the SZ, the high deformation and temperature produced a recrystallised microstructure, as well as fracture and redistribution of MC precipitates. The M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitates, present in the base material, were also redistributed in the stir zone of the Ni-based alloy. TMAZ in the steel and HAZ in the Ni-based alloy could not be identified. The main restorative mechanisms were discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation in the steel, and discontinuous and continuous dynamic recrystallisation in the Ni-based alloy. The interface region between the steel and the Ni-based alloy showed a fcc microstructure with NbC carbides and an average length of 2.0 μm. - Highlights: • Comprehensive microstructural characterisation of dissimilar joints of mild steel to Ni-based alloy • Friction stir welding of joints of mild steel to Ni-based alloy 625 produces sound welds. • The interface region showed deformed and recrystallised fcc grains with NbC carbides and a length of 2.0 μm.

Performance of a Small Anode Germanium Well detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adekola, A.S.; Colaresi, J.; Douwen, J.; Mueller, W.F.; Yocum, K.M.

2015-01-01

The performance of Small Anode Germanium (SAGe) Well detector [1] has been evaluated for a range of sample sizes and geometries counted inside the well, on the end cap or in Marinelli beakers. The SAGe Well is a new type of low capacitance germanium well detector manufactured using small anode technology. The detector has similar energy resolution performance to semi-planar detectors, and offers significant improvement over the Coaxial and existing Well detectors. Resolution performance of 0.75 keV Full Width at Half Maxiumum (FWHM) at 122 keV γ-ray energy and resolution of 2.0–2.3 keV FWHM at 1332 keV γ-ray energy are guaranteed. Such outstanding resolution performance will benefit environmental applications in revealing the detailed radionuclide content of samples, particularly at low energy, and will enhance the detection sensitivity resulting in reduced counting time. This paper reports the counting performance of SAGe Well detector for range of sample sizes and geometries and how it compares to other detector types

Performance of a Small Anode Germanium Well detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adekola, A.S., E-mail: aderemi.adekola@canberra.com; Colaresi, J.; Douwen, J.; Mueller, W.F.; Yocum, K.M.

2015-06-01

The performance of Small Anode Germanium (SAGe) Well detector [1] has been evaluated for a range of sample sizes and geometries counted inside the well, on the end cap or in Marinelli beakers. The SAGe Well is a new type of low capacitance germanium well detector manufactured using small anode technology. The detector has similar energy resolution performance to semi-planar detectors, and offers significant improvement over the Coaxial and existing Well detectors. Resolution performance of 0.75 keV Full Width at Half Maxiumum (FWHM) at 122 keV γ-ray energy and resolution of 2.0–2.3 keV FWHM at 1332 keV γ-ray energy are guaranteed. Such outstanding resolution performance will benefit environmental applications in revealing the detailed radionuclide content of samples, particularly at low energy, and will enhance the detection sensitivity resulting in reduced counting time. This paper reports the counting performance of SAGe Well detector for range of sample sizes and geometries and how it compares to other detector types.

Characterisation of the SmartPET planar Germanium detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boston, H.C. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom)], E-mail: H.C.Boston@liverpool.ac.uk; Boston, A.J.; Cooper, R.J.; Cresswell, J.; Grint, A.N.; Mather, A.R.; Nolan, P.J.; Scraggs, D.P.; Turk, G. [Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Hall, C.J.; Lazarus, I. [CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Berry, A.; Beveridge, T.; Gillam, J.; Lewis, R. [School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

2007-08-21

Small Animal Reconstruction PET (SmartPET) is a project funded by the UK medical research council (MRC) to demonstrate proof of principle that Germanium can be utilised in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The SmartPET demonstrator consists of two orthogonal strip High Purity Germanium (HPGe) planar detectors manufactured by ORTEC. The aim of the project is to produce images of an internal source with sub mm{sup 3} spatial resolution. Before this image can be achieved the detectors have to be fully characterised to understand the response at any given location to a {gamma}-ray interaction. This has been achieved by probing the two detectors at a number of specified points with collimated sources of various energies and strengths. A 1 mm diameter collimated beam of photons was raster scanned in 1 mm steps across the detector. Digital pulse shape data were recorded from all the detector channels and the performance of the detector for energy and position determination has been assessed. Data will be presented for the first SmartPET detector.

Study and fabrication of tunnel diodes made on germanium using a collective planar technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrahides, Michel

1973-01-01

The main results of the theory on tunnel diodes are presented in the first chapter. From these results are deduced the technological requirements that any fabrication process should meet to make tunnel diodes. These requirements show up that, among the three techniques for junction making (thermal diffusion of impurities, epitaxy, alloying), the last one is presently the best fitted to the fabrication of tunnel junctions. By analyzing the defects created by various alloying technologies presently used, together with a study of the benefits due to a use of chemical photolithography, evaporation under vacuum and masking by deposited oxide, it is possible to design a tentative scheme of a 0.5 ns tunnel diode. Then, in a second chapter, is presented the collective process for fabrication that has been used on monocrystalline, P-type, germanium wafers. 8 000 tunnel diodes may be positioned on a 1.5 inch diameter wafer by using that process. A description of the various apparatus used is also given. The experimental results are described in the third chapter. The influence of the various fabrication parameters on the electrical characteristics of the diodes are discussed. It is shown, by studying the fabrication yields and parameter spreading, that 80 per cent of the diodes exhibit a standard tunnel diode behaviour and that 90 per cent of these present a peak current dispersion less than ± 25 per cent. When measuring at the peak current drifts under temperature stresses, a good analogy with conventional tunnel diode is found. Some measurements of switching times have led to values as low as 0.6 nanoseconds. (author) [fr

Hydrogen storage in binary and ternary Mg-based alloys: A comprehensive experimental study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalisvaart, W.P.; Harrower, C.T.; Haagsma, J.; Zahiri, B.; Luber, E.J.; Ophus, C.; Mitlin, D. [Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta and National Research Council Canada, National Institute for Nanotechnology, T6G 2V4, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Poirier, E.; Fritzsche, H. [National Research Council Canada, SIMS, Canadian Neutron Beam Centre, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario, K0J 1J0 (Canada)

2010-03-15

This study focused on hydrogen sorption properties of 1.5 {mu}m thick Mg-based films with Al, Fe and Ti as alloying elements. The binary alloys are used to establish as baseline case for the ternary Mg-Al-Ti, Mg-Fe-Ti and Mg-Al-Fe compositions. We show that the ternary alloys in particular display remarkable sorption behavior: at 200 C the films are capable of absorbing 4-6 wt% hydrogen in seconds, and desorbing in minutes. Furthermore, this sorption behavior is stable over cycling for the Mg-Al-Ti and Mg-Fe-Ti alloys. Even after 100 absorption/desorption cycles, no degradation in capacity or kinetics is observed. For Mg-Al-Fe, the properties are clearly worse compared to the other ternary combinations. These differences are explained by considering the properties of all the different phases present during cycling in terms of their hydrogen affinity and catalytic activity. Based on these considerations, some general design principles for Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys are suggested. (author)

The low thermal gradient CZ technique as a way of growing of dislocation-free germanium crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Moskovskih, V. A.; Kasimkin, P. V.; Shlegel, V. N.; Vasiliev, Y. V.; Gridchin, V. A.; Podkopaev, O. I.

2014-09-01

This paper considers the possibility of growth of dislocation-free germanium single crystals. This is achieved by reducing the temperature gradients at the level of 1 K/cm and lower. Single germanium crystals 45-48 mm in diameter with a dislocation density of 102 cm-2 were grown by a Low Thermal Gradient Czochralski technique (LTG CZ).

Porous Nb-Ti based alloy produced from plasma spheroidized powder

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qijun; Zhang, Lin; Wei, Dongbin; Ren, Shubin; Qu, Xuanhui

Spherical Nb-Ti based alloy powder was prepared by the combination of plasma spheroidization and mechanical alloying. Phase constituents, microstructure and surface state of the powder, and pore characteristics of the resulting porous alloy were investigated. The results show that the undissolved W and V in the mechanically alloyed powder is fully alloyed after spheroidization, and single β phase is achieved. Particle size of the spheroidized powder is in the range of 20-110 μm. With the decrease of particle size, a transformation from typical dendrite solidification structure to fine cell microstructure occurs. The surface of the spheroidized powder is coated by a layer of oxides consisting mainly of TiO2 and Nb2O5. Probabilities of sinter-neck formation and particle coalescence increases with increasing sintering temperature. Porous skeleton with relatively homogeneous pore distribution and open pore channel is formed after vacuum sintering at 1700 °C, and the porosity is 32%. The sintering kinetic analysis indicates that grain boundary diffusion is the primary mass transport mechanism during sintering process.

Iron-based alloy and nitridation treatment for PEM fuel cell bipolar plates

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Michael P [Oak Ridge, TN; Yang, Bing [Oak Ridge, TN; Maziasz, Philip J [Oak Ridge, TN

2010-11-09

A corrosion resistant electrically conductive component that can be used as a bipolar plate in a PEM fuel cell application is composed of an alloy substrate which has 10-30 wt. % Cr, 0.5 to 7 wt. % V, and base metal being Fe, and a continuous surface layer of chromium nitride and vanadium nitride essentially free of base metal. A oxide layer of chromium vanadium oxide can be disposed between the alloy substrate and the continuous surface nitride layer. A method to prepare the corrosion resistant electrically conductive component involves a two-step nitridization sequence by exposing the alloy to a oxygen containing gas at an elevated temperature, and subsequently exposing the alloy to an oxygen free nitrogen containing gas at an elevated temperature to yield a component where a continuous chromium nitride layer free of iron has formed at the surface.

Fabrication of tungsten wire reinforced nickel-base alloy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Brentnall, W. D.; Toth, I. J.

1974-01-01

Fabrication methods for tungsten fiber reinforced nickel-base superalloy composites were investigated. Three matrix alloys in pre-alloyed powder or rolled sheet form were evaluated in terms of fabricability into composite monotape and multi-ply forms. The utility of monotapes for fabricating more complex shapes was demonstrated. Preliminary 1093C (2000F) stress rupture tests indicated that efficient utilization of fiber strength was achieved in composites fabricated by diffusion bonding processes. The fabrication of thermal fatigue specimens is also described.

Lave phase precipitation in Nb- and Ti-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tewari, R.; Vishwanadh, B.; Dey, G.K.

2010-01-01

In multicomponent Nb-based alloys system, which are potential candidate materials for high temperature applications, the presence of Laves phase was noticed along with the silicides in equilibrium with the soft β-matrix. In Ti-Cr alloys, which show a tendency for inverse melting, the formation of the phase was noticed in the β matrix upon aging. The Laves phase being topologically closed pack structure appears to have strong tendency for the formation provided the criterion of atomic size factor is met

Far-Infrared Magneto-Optical Studies in Germanium and Indium-Antimonide at High Intensities

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Michael

Observations of nonlinear magneto-optical phenomena occurring in p-type Germanium and n-type Indium Antimonide are reported. These include multi-photon ionization of impurity states, and a new observation, the magneto-photon ionization of impurity states, and a new observation, the magneto-photon drag effect. A novel source of far-infrared radiation has been used. This source uses a pulsed CO(,2) LASER to optically pump a super-radiant cell, generating light with intensities up to 100 KW/cm('2) and wavelengths from 66 (mu)m to 496 (mu)m in a pulse of 150 nanoseconds duration. The Germanium samples were doped with Gallium, which is a shallow acceptor with an ionization potential of 11 meV. At liquid Helium temperature virtually all charge carriers are bound to acceptor sites. However, the high intensity radiation unexpectedly ionizes the acceptors. This is demonstrated through measurements of photoconductivity, transmission and the photo-Hall Effect. This observation is unexpected because the photon energy is one-fourth the ionization potential. Rate equations describing sequential multiphoton excitations are in agreement with the experimental results. The intermediate states are postulated to be acceptor exciton band states. Studies of the photoexcited mobility at 496 (mu)m suggest that at non-saturating levels of photoexcitation, the primary scattering mechanism of hot holes in Germanium is by neutral impurities. A new magneto-optical effect, the magneto-photon drag effect, has been studied in both Germanium and Indium Antimonide. This is simply the absorption of momentum by free carriers, from an incident photon field. It has been found that the mechanism for this effect is different in the two materials. In Germanium, the effect occurs when carriers make optical transitions from the heavy hole band to the light hole band. Thus, the magneto-optical behavior depends heavily upon the band structure. On the other hand, a modified Drude model (independent electron

Ambient-temperature high damping capacity in TiPd-based martensitic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, Dezhen [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Zhou, Yumei, E-mail: zhouyumei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ding, Xiangdong [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Otsuka, Kazuhiro [Ferroic Physics Group, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki (Japan); Lookman, Turab [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Sun, Jun [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ren, Xiaobing [Multi-disciplinary Materials Research Center, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Ferroic Physics Group, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki (Japan)

2015-04-24

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have attracted considerable attention for their high damping capacities. Here we investigate the damping behavior of Ti{sub 50}(Pd{sub 50−x}D{sub x}) SMAs (D=Fe, Co, Mn, V) by dynamic mechanical analysis. We find that these alloys show remarkably similar damping behavior. There exists a sharp damping peak associated with the B2–B19 martensitic transformation and a high damping plateau (Q{sup −1}~0.02–0.05) over a wide ambient-temperature range (220–420 K) due to the hysteretic twin boundary motion. After doping hydrogen into the above alloys, a new relaxation-type damping peak appears in the martensite phase over 270–360 K. Such a peak is considered to originate from the interaction of hydrogen atoms with twin boundaries and the corresponding damping capacity (Q{sup −1}~0.05–0.09) is enhanced by roughly twice that of the damping plateau for each alloy. Moreover, the relaxation peaks are at higher temperatures for the TiPd-based alloys (270–370 K) than for the TiNi-based alloys (190–260 K). We discuss the influence of hydrogen diffusion, mobility of twin boundaries and hydrogen–twin boundary interaction on the temperature range of the relaxation peak. Our results suggest that a martensite, with appropriate values for twinning shear and hydrogen doping level, provides a route towards developing high damping SMAs for applications in desired temperature ranges.

Ambient-temperature high damping capacity in TiPd-based martensitic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Dezhen; Zhou, Yumei; Ding, Xiangdong; Otsuka, Kazuhiro; Lookman, Turab; Sun, Jun; Ren, Xiaobing

2015-01-01

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have attracted considerable attention for their high damping capacities. Here we investigate the damping behavior of Ti 50 (Pd 50−x D x ) SMAs (D=Fe, Co, Mn, V) by dynamic mechanical analysis. We find that these alloys show remarkably similar damping behavior. There exists a sharp damping peak associated with the B2–B19 martensitic transformation and a high damping plateau (Q −1 ~0.02–0.05) over a wide ambient-temperature range (220–420 K) due to the hysteretic twin boundary motion. After doping hydrogen into the above alloys, a new relaxation-type damping peak appears in the martensite phase over 270–360 K. Such a peak is considered to originate from the interaction of hydrogen atoms with twin boundaries and the corresponding damping capacity (Q −1 ~0.05–0.09) is enhanced by roughly twice that of the damping plateau for each alloy. Moreover, the relaxation peaks are at higher temperatures for the TiPd-based alloys (270–370 K) than for the TiNi-based alloys (190–260 K). We discuss the influence of hydrogen diffusion, mobility of twin boundaries and hydrogen–twin boundary interaction on the temperature range of the relaxation peak. Our results suggest that a martensite, with appropriate values for twinning shear and hydrogen doping level, provides a route towards developing high damping SMAs for applications in desired temperature ranges

Influence of alkali metal hydroxides on corrosion of Zr-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Y.H.; Ruhmann, H.; Garzarolli, F.

1997-01-01

In this study the influence of group-1 alkali hydroxides on different zirconium based alloys has been evaluated. The experiments have been carried out in small stainless steel autoclaves at 350 deg. C in pressurized 17 MPa water, with in low (0.32 mmol), medium (4.3 mmol) and high (31.5 mmol) equimolar concentrations of Li-, Na-, K-, Rb- and Cs-Hydroxides. Two types of alloys have been investigated: Zr-Sn-(Transition metal) and Zr-Sn-Nb-(Transition metal). The corrosion behaviour was evaluated from weight gain measurements. From the experiments the cation could be identified as the responsible species for zirconium alloy corrosion in alkalized water. The radius of the cation governs the corrosion behaviour in the pre accelerated region of zircaloy corrosion. Incorporating of alkali cations into the zirconium oxide lattice is probably the mechanism which allows the corrosion enhancement for Li and Na and the significantly lower effect for the other bases. Nb containing alloys show lower corrosion resistance than alloys from the Zr-Sn-TRM system in all alkali solutions. Both types of alloys corrode significantly more in LiOH and NaOH than in the other alkali environments. Lowest corrosive aggressiveness has been found for CsOH followed by KOH. Concluding from the corrosion behaviour in the different alkali environments and taking into account the tendency to promote accelerate corrosion, CsOH and KOH are possible alternate alkalis for PWR application. (author). 17 refs, 15 figs, 5 tabs

Influence of alkali metal hydroxides on corrosion of Zr-based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Y H [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Dae Jun (Korea, Republic of); Ruhmann, H; Garzarolli, F [Siemens-KWU, Power Generation Group, Erlangen (Germany)

1997-02-01

In this study the influence of group-1 alkali hydroxides on different zirconium based alloys has been evaluated. The experiments have been carried out in small stainless steel autoclaves at 350 deg. C in pressurized 17 MPa water, with in low (0.32 mmol), medium (4.3 mmol) and high (31.5 mmol) equimolar concentrations of Li-, Na-, K-, Rb- and Cs-Hydroxides. Two types of alloys have been investigated: Zr-Sn-(Transition metal) and Zr-Sn-Nb-(Transition metal). The corrosion behaviour was evaluated from weight gain measurements. From the experiments the cation could be identified as the responsible species for zirconium alloy corrosion in alkalized water. The radius of the cation governs the corrosion behaviour in the pre accelerated region of zircaloy corrosion. Incorporating of alkali cations into the zirconium oxide lattice is probably the mechanism which allows the corrosion enhancement for Li and Na and the significantly lower effect for the other bases. Nb containing alloys show lower corrosion resistance than alloys from the Zr-Sn-TRM system in all alkali solutions. Both types of alloys corrode significantly more in LiOH and NaOH than in the other alkali environments. Lowest corrosive aggressiveness has been found for CsOH followed by KOH. Concluding from the corrosion behaviour in the different alkali environments and taking into account the tendency to promote accelerate corrosion, CsOH and KOH are possible alternate alkalis for PWR application. (author). 17 refs, 15 figs, 5 tabs.

Germanium microstrip detectors with 50 and 100 μm pitch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amendolia, S.R.; Bedeschi, F.; Bertolucci, E.; Bettoni, D.; Bosisio, L.; Bottigli, U.; Bradaschia, C.; Dell'Orso, M.; Fidecaro, F.; Foa, L.; Focardi, E.; Giannetti, P.; Giorgi, M.A.; Marrocchesi, P.S.; Menzione, A.; Raso, G.; Ristori, L.; Scribano, A.; Stefanini, A.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Triggiani, G.; Haller, E.E.; Hansen, W.L.; Luke, P.N.

1984-01-01

Multi-electrode germanium detectors are being used as an active target for decay path measurements of charmed mesons. The procedure used to fabricate such detectors is described and a brief analysis of their performance is given. (orig.)

Non-local electrical spin injection and detection in germanium at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Rortais, F.; Vergnaud, C.; Marty, A.; Vila, L.; Attané, J.-P.; Widiez, J.; Zucchetti, C.; Bottegoni, F.; Jaffrès, H.; George, J.-M.; Jamet, M.

2017-10-01

Non-local carrier injection/detection schemes lie at the very foundation of information manipulation in integrated systems. This paradigm consists in controlling with an external signal the channel where charge carriers flow between a "source" and a well separated "drain." The next generation electronics may operate on the spin of carriers in addition to their charge and germanium appears as the best hosting material to develop such a platform for its compatibility with mainstream silicon technology and the predicted long electron spin lifetime at room temperature. In this letter, we demonstrate injection of pure spin currents (i.e., with no associated transport of electric charges) in germanium, combined with non-local spin detection at 10 K and room temperature. For this purpose, we used a lateral spin valve with epitaxially grown magnetic tunnel junctions as spin injector and spin detector. The non-local magnetoresistance signal is clearly visible and reaches ≈15 mΩ at room temperature. The electron spin lifetime and diffusion length are 500 ps and 1 μm, respectively, the spin injection efficiency being as high as 27%. This result paves the way for the realization of full germanium spintronic devices at room temperature.

Effect of B addition to hypereutectic Ti-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louzguina-Luzgina, Larissa V.; Louzguine-Luzgin, Dmitri V.; Inoue, Akihisa

2009-01-01

The structure and mechanical properties of Ti-Fe-B and Ti-Fe-Co-B alloys produced in the shape of the arc-melted ingots of about 25 mm diameter and 10 mm height are studied. The hypereutectic alloys showed excellent compressive mechanical properties. The structures of the high-strength and ductile hypereutectic alloys studied by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy were found to consist of the primary cubic cP2 intermetallic compound (TiFe-phase or a solid solution on its base) and a dispersed eutectic consisting of this cP2 intermetallic compound + BCC cI2 β-Ti supersaturated solid solution phase. The addition of B increased mechanical strength. Si causes embrittlement owing to the formation of alternative intermetallic compounds. The structure and deformation behaviour were studied

Long-life fatigue test results for two nickel-base structural alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mowbray, D.F.; Giaquinto, E.V.; Mehringer, F.J.

1978-11-01

The results are reported of fatigue tests on two nickel--base alloys, hot-cold-worked and stress-relieved nickel--chrome--iron Alloy 600 and mill-annealed nickel--chrome--moly--iron Alloy 625 in which S-N data were obtained in the life range of 10 6 to 10 10 cycles. The tests were conducted in air at 600 0 F, in the reversed membrane loading mode, at a frequency of approx. 1850 Hz. An electromagnetic, closed loop servo-controlled machine was built to perform the tests. A description of the machine is given

Influence of Containment on the Growth of Silicon-Germanium: A Materials Science Flight Project

Science.gov (United States)

Volz, M. P.; Mazuruk, K.; Croell, A.

2012-01-01

A series of Ge(1-x)Si(x) crystal growth experiments are planned to be conducted in the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) onboard the International Space Station. The primary objective of the research is to determine the influence of containment on the processing-induced defects and impurity incorporation in germanium-silicon alloy crystals. A comparison will be made between crystals grown by the normal and "detached" Bridgman methods and the ground-based float zone technique. Crystals grown without being in contact with a container have superior quality to otherwise similar crystals grown in direct contact with a container, especially with respect to impurity incorporation, formation of dislocations, and residual stress in crystals. "Detached" or "dewetted" Bridgman growth is similar to regular Bridgman growth in that most of the melt is in contact with the crucible wall, but the crystal is separated from the wall by a small gap, typically of the order of 10-100 microns. Long duration reduced gravity is essential to test the proposed theory of detached growth. Detached growth requires the establishment of a meniscus between the crystal and the ampoule wall. The existence of this meniscus depends on the ratio of the strength of gravity to capillary forces. On Earth, this ratio is large and stable detached growth can only be obtained over limited conditions. Crystals grown detached on the ground exhibited superior structural quality as evidenced by measurements of etch pit density, synchrotron white beam X-ray topography and double axis X-ray diffraction. The plans for the flight experiments will be described.

Influence of Containment on the Growth of Silicon-Germanium (ICESAGE): A Materials Science Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Volz, M. P.; Mazuruk, K.; Croll, A.

2014-01-01

A series of Ge Si crystal growth experiments are planned to be conducted in the Low 1-x x Gradient Furnace (LGF) onboard the International Space Station. The primary objective of the research is to determine the influence of containment on the processing-induced defects and impurity incorporation in germanium-silicon alloy crystals. A comparison will be made between crystals grown by the normal and "detached" Bridgman methods and the ground-based float zone technique. Crystals grown without being in contact with a container have superior quality to otherwise similar crystals grown in direct contact with a container, especially with respect to impurity incorporation, formation of dislocations, and residual stress in crystals. "Detached" or "dewetted" Bridgman growth is similar to regular Bridgman growth in that most of the melt is in contact with the crucible wall, but the crystal is separated from the wall by a small gap, typically of the order of 10-100 microns. Long duration reduced gravity is essential to test the proposed theory of detached growth. Detached growth requires the establishment of a meniscus between the crystal and the ampoule wall. The existence of this meniscus depends on the ratio of the strength of gravity to capillary forces. On Earth, this ratio is large and stable detached growth can only be obtained over limited conditions. Crystals grown detached on the ground exhibited superior structural quality as evidenced by measurements of etch pit density, synchrotron white beam X-ray topography and double axis X-ray diffraction.

Co-doping with antimony to control phosphorous diffusion in germanium

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.

2013-02-15

In germanium, phosphorous and antimony diffuse quickly and as such their transport must be controlled in order to design efficient n-typed doped regions. Here, density functional theory based calculations are used to predict the influence of double donor co-doping on the migration activation energies of vacancy-mediated diffusion processes. The migration energy barriers for phosphorous and antimony were found to be increased significantly when larger clusters involving two donor atoms and a vacancy were formed. These clusters are energetically stable and can lead to the formation of even larger clusters involving a number of donor atoms around a vacancy, thereby affecting the properties of devices.

Vanadocene reactions with mixed acylates of silicon, germanium and tin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latyaeva, V.N.; Lineva, A.N.; Zimina, S.V.; Gordetsov, A.S.; Dergunov, Yu.I.

1981-01-01

Vanadocene interaction with di-and tri-alkyl (aryl)-derivatives of silicon, tin and germanium is studied. Dibutyltin dibenzoate under mild conditions (20 deg C, toluene) oxidates vanadocene to [CpV(OCOC 6 H 5 ) 2 ] 2 , at that, the splitting off of one Cp group in the form of cyclopentadiene and formation of the products of tin-organic fragment disproportionation (tributyltin benzoate, dibutyltin, metallic tin) take place. Tributyltin benzoate oxidates vanadocene at the mole ratio 2:1 and during prolong heating (120 deg C) in the absence of the solvent, [CpV(OCOC 6 H 5 ) 2 ] 2 and hexabutyldistannate are the products of the reaction. Acetates R 3 SnOCOCH 3 react in the similar way. The reactivity of mono- and diacylates of germanium and silicon decreases in the series of derivatives Sn>Ge>Si [ru

Position resolution simulations for the inverted-coaxial germanium detector, SIGMA

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, J. P.; Harkness-Brennan, L. J.; Boston, A. J.; Judson, D. S.; Labiche, M.; Nolan, P. J.; Page, R. D.; Pearce, F.; Radford, D. C.; Simpson, J.; Unsworth, C.

2018-06-01

The SIGMA Germanium detector has the potential to revolutionise γ-ray spectroscopy, providing superior energy and position resolving capabilities compared with current large volume state-of-the-art Germanium detectors. The theoretical position resolution of the detector as a function of γ-ray interaction position has been studied using simulated detector signals. A study of the effects of RMS noise at various energies has been presented with the position resolution ranging from 0.33 mm FWHM at Eγ = 1 MeV, to 0.41 mm at Eγ = 150 keV. An additional investigation into the effects pulse alignment have on pulse shape analysis and in turn, position resolution has been performed. The theoretical performance of SIGMA operating in an experimental setting is presented for use as a standalone detector and as part of an ancillary system.

Bond particle model for semiconductor melts and its application to liquid structure germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrante, A.; Tosi, M.P.

1988-08-01

A simple type of liquid state model is proposed to describe on a primitive level the melt of an elemental group IV semiconductor as a mixture of atoms and bond particles. The latter, on increase of a coupling strength parameter becomes increasingly localized between pairs of atoms up to local tetrahedral coordination of atoms by bond particles. Angular interatomic correlations are built into the model as bond particle localization grows, even though the bare interactions between the components of the liquid are formally described solely in terms of central pair potentials. The model is solved for liquid structure by standard integral equation techniques of liquid state theory and by Monte Carlo simulation, for values of the parameters which are appropriate to liquid germanium down to strongly supercooled states. The calculated liquid structure is compared with the results of diffraction experiments on liquid germanium near freezing and discussed in relation to diffraction data on amorphous germanium. The model suggests simple melting criteria for elemental and polar semiconductors, which are empirically verified. (author). 25 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs

An ultralow background germanium gamma-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, R.H.; Brodzinski, R.L.; Hensley, W.K.; Ryge, P.

1984-01-01

The monitoring of minimum detectable activity is becoming increasingly important as environmental concerns and regulations require more sensitive measurement of the radioactivity levels in the workplace and the home. In measuring this activity, however, the background becomes one of the limiting factors. Anticoincidence systems utilizing both NaI(T1) and plastic scintillators have proven effective in reducing some components of the background, but radiocontaminants in the various regions of these systems have limited their effectiveness, and their cost is often prohibitive. In order to obtain a genuinely low background detector system, all components must be free of detectable radioactivity, and the cosmic ray produced contribution must be significantly reduced. Current efforts by the authors to measure the double beta decay of Germanium 76 as predicted by Grand Unified Theories have resulted in the development of a high resolution germanium diode gamma spectrometer with an exceptionally low background. This paper describes the development of this system, outlines the configuration and operation of its preamplifier, linear amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, 4096-channel analyzer, shielding consisting of lead-sandwiched plastic scintillators wrapped in cadmium foil, photomultiplier, and its pulse generator and discriminator, and then discusses how the system can be utilized to significantly reduce the background in high resolution photon spectrometers at only moderate cost

Investigation of phase stability of novel equiatomic FeCoNiCuZn based-high entropy alloy prepared by mechanical alloying

Science.gov (United States)

Soni, Vinay Kumar; Sanyal, S.; Sinha, S. K.

2018-05-01

The present work reports the structural and phase stability analysis of equiatomic FeCoNiCuZn High entropy alloy (HEA) systems prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) method. In this research effort some 1287 alloy combinations were extensively studied to arrive at most favourable combination. FeCoNiCuZn based alloy system was selected on the basis of physiochemical parameters such as enthalpy of mixing (ΔHmix), entropy of mixing (ΔSmix), atomic size difference (ΔX) and valence electron concentration (VEC) such that it fulfils the formation criteria of stable multi component high entropy alloy system. In this context, we have investigated the effect of novel alloying addition in view of microstructure and phase formation aspect. XRD plots of the MA samples shows the formation of stable solid solution with FCC (Face Cantered Cubic) after 20 hr of milling time and no indication of any amorphous or intermetallic phase formation. Our results are in good agreement with calculation and analysis done on the basis of physiochemical parameters during selection of constituent elements of HEA.

Advanced nickel base alloys for high strength, corrosion applications

Science.gov (United States)

Flinn, J.E.

1998-11-03

Improved nickel-base alloys of enhanced strength and corrosion resistance, produced by atomization of an alloy melt under an inert gas atmosphere and of composition 0--20Fe, 10--30Cr, 2--12Mo, 6 max. Nb, 0.05--3 V, 0.08 max. Mn, 0.5 max. Si, less than 0.01 each of Al and Ti, less than 0.05 each of P and S, 0.01--0.08C, less than 0.2N, 0.1 max. 0, bal. Ni. 3 figs.

A study of electron beam welding of Mo based TZM alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborty, S.P.; Krishnamurthy, N.

2013-12-01

Mo based TZM alloy is one of the most promising refractory alloy having several unique high temperature properties suitable for structural applications in the new generation advanced nuclear reactors. However, this alloy easily picks up interstitial impurities such as N 2 , H 2 and C from air during welding due to its reactive nature. High melting point of TZM alloy also restricts use of conventional welding technique for welding. Hence, Electron beam welding (EBW) technique with its deep penetration power to produce narrow heat affected zones under high vacuum was employed to overcome the above welding constraints by conducting a systematic study using both processes of bead on plate and butt joint configuration. Uniform and defect free weld joints were produced. Weld joints were subjected to optical characterization, chemical homogeneity analysis and microhardness profile study across the width of welds. Improved grain structure with equiaxed grains was obtained in the weld zone as compared to fibrous base structure. Original chemical composition was retained in the weld zone. The detailed results are described in this report. (author)

Improving axion detection sensitivity in high purity germanium detector based experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenqin; Elliott, Steven

2015-04-01

Thanks to their excellent energy resolution and low energy threshold, high purity germanium (HPGe) crystals are widely used in low background experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay, e.g. the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR and the GERDA experiments, and low mass dark matter, e.g. the CDMS and the EDELWEISS experiments. A particularly interesting candidate for low mass dark matter is the axion, which arises from the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem and has been searched for in many experiments. Due to axion-photon coupling, the postulated solar axions could coherently convert to photons via the Primakeoff effect in periodic crystal lattices, such as those found in HPGe crystals. The conversion rate depends on the angle between axions and crystal lattices, so the knowledge of HPGe crystal axis is important. In this talk, we will present our efforts to improve the HPGe experimental sensitivity to axions by considering the axis orientations in multiple HPGe crystals simultaneously. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

Insights into thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO2/GeO2/Ge gate stacks and their suppressed reaction with atomically thin AlOx interlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Shingo; Asahara, Ryohei; Minoura, Yuya; Hosoi, Takuji; Shimura, Takayoshi; Watanabe, Heiji; Sako, Hideki; Kawasaki, Naohiko; Yamada, Ichiko; Miyamoto, Takashi

2015-01-01

The thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO 2 /GeO 2 /Ge gate stacks was comprehensively evaluated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry combined with an isotopic labeling technique. It was found that 18 O-tracers composing the GeO 2 underlayers diffuse within the HfO 2 overlayers based on Fick's law with the low activation energy of about 0.5 eV. Although out-diffusion of the germanium atoms through HfO 2 also proceeded at the low temperatures of around 200 °C, the diffusing germanium atoms preferentially segregated on the HfO 2 surfaces, and the reaction was further enhanced at high temperatures with the assistance of GeO desorption. A technique to insert atomically thin AlO x interlayers between the HfO 2 and GeO 2 layers was proven to effectively suppress both of these independent germanium and oxygen intermixing reactions in the gate stacks

Bimetallic low thermal-expansion panels of Co-base and silicide-coated Nb-base alloys for high-temperature structural applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhein, R.K.; Novak, M.D.; Levi, C.G.; Pollock, T.M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Low net thermal expansion bimetallic structural lattice constructed. → Temperatures on the order of 1000 deg. C reached. → Improved silicide coating for niobium alloy developed. - Abstract: The fabrication and high temperature performance of low thermal expansion bimetallic lattices composed of Co-base and Nb-base alloys have been investigated. A 2D sheet lattice with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than the constituent materials of construction was designed for thermal cycling to 1000 deg. C with the use of elastic-plastic finite element analyses. The low CTE lattice consisted of a continuous network of the Nb-base alloy C-103 with inserts of high CTE Co-base alloy Haynes 188. A new coating approach wherein submicron alumina particles were incorporated into (Nb, Cr, Fe) silicide coatings was employed for oxidation protection of the Nb-base alloy. Thermal gravimetric analysis results indicate that the addition of submicron alumina particles reduced the oxidative mass gain by a factor of four during thermal cycling, increasing lifetime. Bimetallic cells with net expansion of 6 x 10 -6 /deg. C and 1 x 10 -6 /deg. C at 1000 deg. C were demonstrated and their measured thermal expansion characteristics were consistent with analytical models and finite element analysis predictions.

Thermogravimetric study of reduction of oxides present in oxidized nickel-base alloy powders

Science.gov (United States)

Herbell, T. P.

1976-01-01

Carbon, hydrogen, and hydrogen plus carbon reduction of three oxidized nickel-base alloy powders (a solid solution strengthened alloy both with and without the gamma prime formers aluminum and titanium and the solid solution strengthened alloy NiCrAlY) were evaluated by thermogravimetry. Hydrogen and hydrogen plus carbon were completely effective in reducing an alloy containing chromium, columbium, tantalum, molybdenum, and tungsten. However, with aluminum and titanium present the reduction was limited to a weight loss of about 81 percent. Carbon alone was not effective in reducing any of the alloys, and none of the reducing conditions were effective for use with NiCrAlY.

Alloying effect on K shell X-ray fluorescence cross-sections and yields in Ti-Ni based shape memory alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bünyamin Alım

2018-04-01

Full Text Available K shell X-ray fluorescence cross-sections (σKα, σKβ and σK, and K shell fluorescence yields (ωK of Ti, Ni both in pure metals and in different alloy compositions (TixNi1-x; x = 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 were measured by using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF technique. The samples were excited by 22.69 keV X-rays from a 10 mCi Cd-109 radioactive point source and K X rays emitted by samples were counted by a high resolution Si(Li solid-state detector coupled to a 4 K multichannel analyzer (MCA. The alloying effects on the X-ray fluorescence (XRF parameters of Ti-Ni shape memory alloys (SMAs were investigated. It is clearly observed that alloying effect causes to change in K shell XRF parameter values in Ti-Ni based SMAs for different compositions of x. Also, the present investigation makes it possible to perform reliable interpretation of experimental σKα, σKβ and ωK values for Ti and Ni in SMAs and can also provide quantitative information about the changes of K shell X-ray fluorescence cross sections and fluorescence yields of these metals with alloy composition. Keywords: Alloying effect, XRF, K X-ray fluorescence cross-section, K shell fluorescence yield, Shape memory alloy

Grain Refinement of Al-Si-Fe-Cu-Zn-Mn Based Alloy by Al-Ti-B Alloy and Its Effect on Mechanical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Hyo-Sang; Kim, Yong-Ho; Jung, Chang-Gi; Lee, Sang-Chan; Lee, Seong-Hee; Son, Hyeon-Taek

2018-03-01

We investigated the effects of Al-5.0wt%Ti-1.0wt%B addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-extruded Al-0.15wt%Si-0.2wt%Fe-0.3wt%Cu-0.15wt%Zn-0.9wt%Mn based alloys. The Aluminum alloy melt was held at 800 °C and then poured into a mould at 200 °C. Aluminum alloys were hot-extruded into a rod that was 12 mm in thickness with a reduction ratio of 38:1. AlTiB addition to Al-0.15Si-0.2Fe-0.3Cu-0.15Zn-0.9Mn based alloys resulted in the formation of Al3Ti and TiB2 intermetallic compounds and grain refinement. With increasing of addition AlTiB, ultimate tensile strength increased from 93.38 to 99.02 to 100.01 MPa. The tensile strength of the as-extruded alloys was improved due to the formation of intermetallic compounds and grain refinement.

Cryogenic readout techniques for germanium detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benato, G. [University of Zurich, (Switzerland); Cattadori, C. [INFN - Milano Bicocca, (Italy); Di Vacri, A. [INFN LNGS, (Italy); Ferri, E. [Universita Milano Bicocca/INFN Milano Bicocca, (Italy); D' Andrea, V.; Macolino, C. [GSSI/INFN LNGS, (Italy); Riboldi, S. [Universita degli Studi di Milano/INFN Milano, (Italy); Salamida, F. [Universita Milano Bicocca/INFN Milano Bicocca, (Italy)

2015-07-01

High Purity Germanium detectors are used in many applications, from nuclear and astro-particle physics, to homeland security or environment protection. Although quite standard configurations are often used, with cryostats, charge sensitive amplifiers and analog or digital acquisition systems all commercially available, it might be the case that a few specific applications, e.g. satellites, portable devices, cryogenic physics experiments, etc. also require the development of a few additional or complementary techniques. An interesting case is for sure GERDA, the Germanium Detector Array experiment, searching for neutrino-less double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of INFN - Italy. In GERDA the entire detector array, composed of semi-coaxial and BEGe naked crystals, is operated suspended inside a cryostat filled with liquid argon, that acts not only as cooling medium and but also as an active shield, thanks to its scintillation properties. These peculiar circumstances, together with the additional requirement of a very low radioactive background from all the materials adjacent to the detectors, clearly introduce significant constraints on the design of the Ge front-end readout electronics. All the Ge readout solutions developed within the framework of the GERDA collaboration, for both Phase I and Phase II, will be briefly reviewed, with their relative strength and weakness compared together and with respect to ideal Ge readout. Finally, the digital processing techniques developed by the GERDA collaboration for energy estimation of Ge detector signals will be recalled. (authors)

FEATURES OF SPHEROIDIZING MODIFICATION OF HIGH-STRENGTH CAST IRON WITH MASTER ALLOYS BASED ON COPPER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Kalinichenko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The increase of efficiency of modification process for ductile iron is topically, thereby increasing its mechanical and operational properties. For these purposes, in practice, various magnesium containing alloys are used, including «heavy» ones on the basis of Copper and Nickel. The analysis has shown that the application of bulk inoculating alloys based on copper basis were not effectively due to long dissolution period. From this point of view, the interest is high-speed casting, allowing the production of inoculating alloys in the form of strips – chips that are characterized by a low dissolution time and low piroeffekt. The aim of this work is to study the features of structure formation in nodular cast iron using different spheroidizing alloys based on copper. Studies have shown that the transition from the use of briquetted form alloys based on copper and magnesium to the «chips-inoculating alloys» allowed increasing the efficiency of the spheroidizing process. Further improvement in the quality of ductile iron can be achieved by the use in «chip-inoculating alloys» additives of nanosized yttrium oxide powder. 

Development of revitalisation technique for impaired lithium doped germanium detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, N.S.B.; Rafi Ahmed, A.G.; Balasubramanian, G.R.

1994-01-01

Semiconductor detectors play very significant role in photon detection and are important tools in the field of gamma spectroscopy. Lithium doped germanium detectors belong to this category. The development of revitalisation technique for these impaired detectors are discussed in this report

Effect of normal processes on thermal conductivity of germanium ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The effect of normal scattering processes is considered to redistribute the phonon momentum in (a) the same phonon branch – KK-S model and (b) between differ- ent phonon branches – KK-H model. Simplified thermal conductivity relations are used to estimate the thermal conductivity of germanium, silicon and ...

Room temperature synthesis of Ni-based alloy nanoparticles by radiolysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nenoff, Tina Maria; Berry, Donald T.; Lu, Ping; Leung, Kevin; Provencio, Paula Polyak; Stumpf, Roland Rudolph; Huang, Jian Yu; Zhang, Zhenyuan

2009-09-01

Room temperature radiolysis, density functional theory, and various nanoscale characterization methods were used to synthesize and fully describe Ni-based alloy nanoparticles (NPs) that were synthesized at room temperature. These complementary methods provide a strong basis in understanding and describing metastable phase regimes of alloy NPs whose reaction formation is determined by kinetic rather than thermodynamic reaction processes. Four series of NPs, (Ag-Ni, Pd-Ni, Co-Ni, and W-Ni) were analyzed and characterized by a variety of methods, including UV-vis, TEM/HRTEM, HAADF-STEM and EFTEM mapping. In the first focus of research, AgNi and PdNi were studied. Different ratios of Ag{sub x}- Ni{sub 1-x} alloy NPs and Pd{sub 0.5}- Ni{sub 0.5} alloy NP were prepared using a high dose rate from gamma irradiation. Images from high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) show that the Ag-Ni NPs are not core-shell structure but are homogeneous alloys in composition. Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) maps show the homogeneity of the metals in each alloy NP. Of particular interest are the normally immiscible Ag-Ni NPs. All evidence confirmed that homogeneous Ag-Ni and Pd-Ni alloy NPs presented here were successfully synthesized by high dose rate radiolytic methodology. A mechanism is provided to explain the homogeneous formation of the alloy NPs. Furthermore, studies of Pd-Ni NPs by in situ TEM (with heated stage) shows the ability to sinter these NPs at temperatures below 800 C. In the second set of work, CoNi and WNi superalloy NPs were attempted at 50/50 concentration ratios using high dose rates from gamma irradiation. Preliminary results on synthesis and characterization have been completed and are presented. As with the earlier alloy NPs, no evidence of core-shell NP formation occurs. Microscopy results seem to indicate alloying occurred with the CoNi alloys. However, there appears to be incomplete reduction of the Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4} to form the W

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.

Ni-Cr based dental alloys; Ni release, corrosion and biological evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reclaru, L., E-mail: lucien.reclaru@pxgroup.com [PX Holding S.A., Dep R and D Corrosion and Biocompatibility Group, Bd. des Eplatures 42, CH-2304 La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland); Unger, R.E.; Kirkpatrick, C.J. [Institute for Pathology, REPAIR Lab, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr.1, D-55101 Mainz (Germany); Susz, C.; Eschler, P.-Y.; Zuercher, M.-H. [PX Holding S.A., Dep R and D Corrosion and Biocompatibility Group, Bd. des Eplatures 42, CH-2304 La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland); Antoniac, I. [Materials Science and Engineering Faculty, Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest (Romania); Luethy, H. [Institute of Dental Materials Science and Technology, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 3, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland)

2012-08-01

In the last years the dental alloy market has undergone dramatic changes for reasons of economy and biocompatibility. Nickel based alloys have become widely used substitute for the much more expensive precious metal alloys. In Europe the prevalence of nickel allergy is 10-15% for female adults and 1-3% for male adults. Despite the restrictions imposed by the EU for the protection of the general population in contact dermatitis, the use of Ni-Cr dental alloys is on the increase. Some questions have to be faced regarding the safety risk of nickel contained in dental alloys. We have collected based on many EU markets, 8 Ni-Cr dental alloys. Microstructure characterization, corrosion resistance (generalized, crevice and pitting) in saliva and the quantities of cations released in particular nickel and CrVI have been evaluated. We have applied non parametric classification tests (Kendall rank correlation) for all chemical results. Also cytotoxicity tests and an evaluation specific to TNF-alpha have been conducted. According to the obtained results, it was found that their behavior to corrosion was weak but that nickel release was high. The quantities of nickel released are higher than the limits imposed in the EU concerning contact with the skin or piercing. Surprisingly the biological tests did not show any cytotoxic effect on Hela and L929 cells or any change in TNF-alpha expression in monocytic cells. The alloys did not show any proinflammatory response in endothelial cells as demonstrated by the absence of ICAM-1 induction. We note therefore that there is really no direct relationship between the in vitro biological evaluation tests and the physico-chemical characterization of these dental alloys. Clinical and epidemiological studies are required to clarify these aspects. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nickel released was higher than the limits imposed in EU in contact with the skin. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No direct relationship between the

Modification of fuel performance code to evaluate iron-based alloy behavior under LOCA scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giovedi, Claudia; Martins, Marcelo Ramos, E-mail: claudia.giovedi@labrisco.usp.br, E-mail: mrmartin@usp.br [Laboratorio de Analise, Avaliacao e Gerenciamento de Risco (LabRisco/POLI/USP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Abe, Alfredo; Muniz, Rafael O.R.; Gomes, Daniel de Souza; Silva, Antonio Teixeira e, E-mail: ayabe@ipen.br, E-mail: dsgomes@ipen.br, E-mail: teixiera@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Accident tolerant fuels (ATF) has been studied since the Fukushima Daiichi accident in the research efforts to develop new materials which under accident scenarios could maintain the fuel rod integrity for a longer period compared to the cladding and fuel system usually utilized in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). The efforts have been focused on new materials applied as cladding, then iron-base alloys appear as a possible candidate. The aim of this paper is to implement modifications in a fuel performance code to evaluate the behavior of iron based alloys under Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) scenario. For this, initially the properties related to the thermal and mechanical behavior of iron-based alloys were obtained from the literature, appropriately adapted and introduced in the fuel performance code subroutines. The adopted approach was step by step modifications, where different versions of the code were created. The assessment of the implemented modification was carried out simulating an experiment available in the open literature (IFA-650.5) related to zirconium-based alloy fuel rods submitted to LOCA conditions. The obtained results for the iron-based alloy were compared to those obtained using the regular version of the fuel performance code for zircaloy-4. The obtained results have shown that the most important properties to be changed are those from the subroutines related to the mechanical properties of the cladding. The results obtained have shown that the burst is observed at a longer time for fuel rods with iron-based alloy, indicating the potentiality of this material to be used as cladding with ATF purposes. (author)

Modification of fuel performance code to evaluate iron-based alloy behavior under LOCA scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giovedi, Claudia; Martins, Marcelo Ramos; Abe, Alfredo; Muniz, Rafael O.R.; Gomes, Daniel de Souza; Silva, Antonio Teixeira e

2017-01-01

Accident tolerant fuels (ATF) has been studied since the Fukushima Daiichi accident in the research efforts to develop new materials which under accident scenarios could maintain the fuel rod integrity for a longer period compared to the cladding and fuel system usually utilized in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). The efforts have been focused on new materials applied as cladding, then iron-base alloys appear as a possible candidate. The aim of this paper is to implement modifications in a fuel performance code to evaluate the behavior of iron based alloys under Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) scenario. For this, initially the properties related to the thermal and mechanical behavior of iron-based alloys were obtained from the literature, appropriately adapted and introduced in the fuel performance code subroutines. The adopted approach was step by step modifications, where different versions of the code were created. The assessment of the implemented modification was carried out simulating an experiment available in the open literature (IFA-650.5) related to zirconium-based alloy fuel rods submitted to LOCA conditions. The obtained results for the iron-based alloy were compared to those obtained using the regular version of the fuel performance code for zircaloy-4. The obtained results have shown that the most important properties to be changed are those from the subroutines related to the mechanical properties of the cladding. The results obtained have shown that the burst is observed at a longer time for fuel rods with iron-based alloy, indicating the potentiality of this material to be used as cladding with ATF purposes. (author)

Self-passivating bulk tungsten-based alloys manufactured by powder metallurgy

Science.gov (United States)

López-Ruiz, P.; Ordás, N.; Lindig, S.; Koch, F.; Iturriza, I.; García-Rosales, C.

2011-12-01

Self-passivating tungsten-based alloys are expected to provide a major safety advantage compared to pure tungsten, which is at present the main candidate material for the first wall armour of future fusion reactors. WC10Si10 alloys were manufactured by mechanical alloying (MA) in a Planetary mill and subsequent hot isostatic pressing (HIP), achieving densities above 95%. Different MA conditions were studied. After MA under optimized conditions, a core with heterogeneous microstructure was found in larger powder particles, resulting in the presence of some large W grains after HIP. Nevertheless, the obtained microstructure is significantly refined compared to previous work. First MA trials were also performed on the Si-free system WCr12Ti2.5. In this case a very homogeneous structure inside the powder particles was obtained, and a majority ternary metastable bcc phase was found, indicating that almost complete alloying occurred. Therefore, a very fine and homogeneous microstructure can be expected after HIP in future work.

Self-passivating bulk tungsten-based alloys manufactured by powder metallurgy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Ruiz, P; Ordás, N; Iturriza, I; García-Rosales, C; Lindig, S; Koch, F

2011-01-01

Self-passivating tungsten-based alloys are expected to provide a major safety advantage compared to pure tungsten, which is at present the main candidate material for the first wall armour of future fusion reactors. WC10Si10 alloys were manufactured by mechanical alloying (MA) in a Planetary mill and subsequent hot isostatic pressing (HIP), achieving densities above 95%. Different MA conditions were studied. After MA under optimized conditions, a core with heterogeneous microstructure was found in larger powder particles, resulting in the presence of some large W grains after HIP. Nevertheless, the obtained microstructure is significantly refined compared to previous work. First MA trials were also performed on the Si-free system WCr12Ti2.5. In this case a very homogeneous structure inside the powder particles was obtained, and a majority ternary metastable bcc phase was found, indicating that almost complete alloying occurred. Therefore, a very fine and homogeneous microstructure can be expected after HIP in future work.

Effects in Mg-Zn-based alloys strengthened by quasicrystalline phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlček, M; Čížek, J; Lukáč, F; Melikhova, O; Hruška, P; Procházka, I; Vlach, M; Stulíková, I; Smola, B; Jäger, A

2016-01-01

Magnesium Mg-based alloys are promising lightweight structural materials for automotive, aerospace and biomedical applications. Recently Mg-Zn-Y system attracted a great attention due to a stable icosahedral phase (I-phase) with quasicrystalline structure which is formed in these alloys. Positron lifetime spectroscopy and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction were used to study thermal stability of I-phase and precipitation effects in Mg-Zn-Y and Mg- Zn-Al alloys. All alloys containing quasicrystalline I-phase exhibit misfit defects characterized by positron lifetime of ∼ 300 ps. These defects are associated with the interfaces between I- phase particles and Mg matrix. The quasicrystalline I-phase particles were found to be stable up to temperatures as high as ∼ 370°C. The W-phase is more stable and melts at ∼ 420°C. Concentration of defects associated with I-phase decreases after annealing at temperatures above ∼ 300°C. (paper)

Investigations of carbon diffusion and carbide formation in nickel-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulten, R.; Bongartz, K.; Quadakkers, W.J.; Schuster, H.; Nickel, H.

1989-11-01

The present thesis describes the carburization behaviour of nickel based alloys in heavily carburizing environments. The mechanisms of carbon diffusion and carbide precipitation in NiCr alloys with and without ternary additions of iron, cobalt or molybdenum have been investigated. Using the results of carburization experiments, a mathematical model which describes carbon diffusion and carbide formation, was developed. The simulation of the carburization process was carried out by an iterative calculation of the local thermodynamic equilibrium in the alloy. An accurate description of the carbon profiles as a function of time became possible by using a finite-difference calculation. (orig.) [de

Study of the effect of doping on the temperature stability of the optical properties of germanium single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Podkopaev, O. I. [Joint-Stock Company “Germanium” (Russian Federation); Shimanskiy, A. F., E-mail: shimanaf@mail.ru [Siberian Federal University (Russian Federation); Kopytkova, S. A.; Filatov, R. A. [Joint-Stock Company “Germanium” (Russian Federation); Golubovskaya, N. O. [Siberian Federal University (Russian Federation)

2016-10-15

The effect of doping on the optical transmittance of germanium single crystals is studied by infrared Fourier spectroscopy. It is established that the introduction of silicon and tellurium additives into germanium doped with antimony provides a means for improving the temperature stability of the optical properties of the crystals.

Study of the effect of doping on the temperature stability of the optical properties of germanium single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podkopaev, O. I.; Shimanskiy, A. F.; Kopytkova, S. A.; Filatov, R. A.; Golubovskaya, N. O.

2016-01-01

The effect of doping on the optical transmittance of germanium single crystals is studied by infrared Fourier spectroscopy. It is established that the introduction of silicon and tellurium additives into germanium doped with antimony provides a means for improving the temperature stability of the optical properties of the crystals.

Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Laboratory Germanium Oxide Use On Recycle Transfers To The H-Tank Farm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantzen, C.; Laurinat, J.

2011-01-01

goal of 400 canisters. Since no Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) exists for germanium in the Tank Farm, the Effluent Treatment Project, or the Saltstone Production Facility, DWPF has requested an evaluation of the fate of the germanium in the caustic environment of the RCT, the 2H evaporator, and the tank farm. This report evaluates the effect of the addition of germanium to the tank farm based on: (1) the large dilution of Ge in the RCT and tank farm; (2) the solubility of germanium in caustic solutions (pH 12-13); (3) the potential of germanium to precipitate as germanium sodalites in the 2H Evaporator; and (4) the potential of germanium compounds to precipitate in the evaporator feed tank. This study concludes that the impacts of transferring up to 4 kg/yr germanium to the RCT (and subsequently the 2H evaporator feed tank and the 2H evaporator) results in <2 ppm per year (1.834 mg/L) which is the maximum instantaneous concentration expected from DWPF. This concentration is insignificant as most sodium germanates are soluble at the high pH of the feed tank and evaporator solutions. Even if sodium aluminosilicates form in the 2H evaporator, the Ge will likely substitute for some small amount of the Si in these structures and will be insignificant. It is recommended that the DWPF continue with their strategy to add germanium as a laboratory chemical to Attachment 8.2 of the DWPF Waste Compliance Plan (WCP).

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.

Zeeman spectroscopy of Zn-H complex in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabakar, J.P.C.; Vickers, R.E.M.; Fisher, P.

1998-01-01

Full text: A divalent substitutional zinc atom in germanium complexed with an interstitial hydrogen atom gives rise to a monovalent acceptor of trigonal symmetry. The axial nature of this complex splits the four-fold degenerate states associated with substitutional point defects into two two-fold degenerate states. Zeeman spectra of the Zn-H complex have been observed for B along and crystallographic directions in the Voigt configuration using linearly polarised radiation. Spectra of the C and D lines for B ≤ 2 Tesla are essentially identical to those of these lines of group III impurities; here B is the field strength. At all fields, splitting of the excited state of the D lines is identical to that for group III acceptors in germanium. The magnetic field dependence of the D components for both E parallel B and E perpendicular B and the selection rules demand that only one of the two two-fold 1s-like energy levels is occupied at the temperatures used instead of both. The results confirm piezospectroscopic studies which demonstrated that the axes of the complexes are along the four covalent bond directions of the host

Breaking through the strength-ductility trade-off dilemma in an Al-Si-based casting alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, B; Zhang, X; Chen, Y Z; Chen, C X; Wang, H T; Liu, F

2016-08-09

Al-Si-based casting alloys have a great potential in various industrial applications. Common strengthening strategies on these alloys are accompanied inevitably by sacrifice of ductility, known as strength-ductility trade-off dilemma. Here, we report a simple route by combining rapid solidification (RS) with a post-solidification heat treatment (PHT), i.e. a RS + PHT route, to break through this dilemma using a commercial Al-Si-based casting alloy (A356 alloy) as an example. It is shown that yield strength and elongation to failure of the RS + PHT processed alloy are elevated simultaneously by increasing the cooling rate upon RS, which are not influenced by subsequent T6 heat treatment. Breaking through the dilemma is attributed to the hierarchical microstructure formed by the RS + PHT route, i.e. highly dispersed nanoscale Si particles in Al dendrites and nanoscale Al particles decorated in eutectic Si. Simplicity of the RS + PHT route makes it being suitable for industrial scaling production. The strategy of engineering microstructures offers a general pathway in tailoring mechanical properties of other Al-Si-based alloys. Moreover, the remarkably enhanced ductility of A356 alloy not only permits strengthening further the material by work hardening but also enables possibly conventional solid-state forming of the material, thus extending the applications of such an alloy.

Corrosion resistance improvement of titanium base alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihai V. Popa

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The corrosion resistance of the new Ti-6Al-4V-1Zr alloy in comparison with ternary Ti-6Al-4V alloy in Ringer-Brown solution and artificial Carter-Brugirard saliva of different pH values was studied. In Ringer-Brown solution, the new alloy presented an improvement of all electrochemical parameters due to the alloying with Zr; also, impedance spectra revealed better protective properties of its passive layer. In Carter-Brugirard artificial saliva, an increase of the passive film thickness was proved. Fluoride ions had a slight negative influence on the corrosion and ion release rates, without to affect the very good stability of the new Ti-6Al-4V-1Zr alloy.

Ultrahigh temperature intermetallic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brady, M.P.; Zhu, J.H.; Liu, C.T.; Tortorelli, P.F.; Wright, J.L.; Carmichael, C.A.; Walker, L.R. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Metals and Ceramics Div.

1997-12-01

A new family of Cr-Cr{sub 2}X based alloys with fabricability, mechanical properties, and oxidation resistance superior to previously developed Cr-Cr{sub 2}Nb and Cr-Cr{sub 2}Zr based alloys has been identified. The new alloys can be arc-melted/cast without cracking, and exhibit excellent room temperature and high-temperature tensile strengths. Preliminary evaluation of oxidation behavior at 1100 C in air indicates that the new Cr-Cr{sub 2}X based alloys form an adherent chromia-based scale. Under similar conditions, Cr-Cr{sub 2}Nb and Cr-Cr{sub 2}Zr based alloys suffer from extensive scale spallation.

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.

Failure probability analyses for PWSCC in Ni-based alloy welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udagawa, Makoto; Katsuyama, Jinya; Onizawa, Kunio; Li, Yinsheng

2015-01-01

A number of cracks due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in pressurized water reactors and Ni-based alloy stress corrosion cracking (NiSCC) in boiling water reactors have been detected around Ni-based alloy welds. The causes of crack initiation and growth due to stress corrosion cracking include weld residual stress, operating stress, the materials, and the environment. We have developed the analysis code PASCAL-NP for calculating the failure probability and assessment of the structural integrity of cracked components on the basis of probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) considering PWSCC and NiSCC. This PFM analysis code has functions for calculating the incubation time of PWSCC and NiSCC crack initiation, evaluation of crack growth behavior considering certain crack location and orientation patterns, and evaluation of failure behavior near Ni-based alloy welds due to PWSCC and NiSCC in a probabilistic manner. Herein, actual plants affected by PWSCC have been analyzed using PASCAL-NP. Failure probabilities calculated by PASCAL-NP are in reasonable agreement with the detection data. Furthermore, useful knowledge related to leakage due to PWSCC was obtained through parametric studies using this code

Characterization of a high-purity germanium detector for small-animal SPECT.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Lindsay C; Campbell, Desmond L; Hull, Ethan L; Peterson, Todd E

2011-09-21

We present an initial evaluation of a mechanically cooled, high-purity germanium double-sided strip detector as a potential gamma camera for small-animal SPECT. It is 90 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick with two sets of 16 orthogonal strips that have a 4.5 mm width with a 5 mm pitch. We found an energy resolution of 0.96% at 140 keV, an intrinsic efficiency of 43.3% at 122 keV and a FWHM spatial resolution of approximately 1.5 mm. We demonstrated depth-of-interaction estimation capability through comparison of pinhole acquisitions with a point source on and off axes. Finally, a flood-corrected flood image exhibited a strip-level uniformity of less than 1%. This high-purity germanium offers many desirable properties for small-animal SPECT.

Mapping the electromagnetic field confinement in the gap of germanium nanoantennas with plasma wavelength of 4.5 micrometers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calandrini, Eugenio; Venanzi, Tommaso; Appugliese, Felice; Badioli, Michela; Giliberti, Valeria; Baldassarre, Leonetta; Biagioni, Paolo; De Angelis, Francesco; Klesse, Wolfgang M.; Scappucci, G.; Ortolani, Michele

2016-01-01

We study plasmonic nanoantennas for molecular sensing in the mid-infrared made of heavily doped germanium, epitaxially grown with a bottom-up doping process and featuring free carrier density in excess of 10²⁰ cm^-3. The dielectric function of the 250 nm thick germanium film

Local atomic order in nanocrystalline Fe-based alloys obtained by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jartych, E.

2003-01-01

Using the 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy, a local atomic order in nanocrystalline alloys of iron with Al, Ni, W and Mo has been determined. Alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying method. Analysis of Moessbauer spectra was performed on the basis of the local environment model in terms of Warren-Cowley parameters. It was shown that impurity atoms are not randomly distributed in the volume of the first and the second co-ordination spheres of 57 Fe nuclei and they form clusters

Mechanical properties of molybdenum alloyed liquid phase-sintered tungsten-based composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, P.B.; German, R.M.

1995-01-01

Tungsten-based composites are fabricated from mixed elemental powders using liquid phase sintering, usually with a nickel-iron matrix. During sintering, the tungsten undergoes grain growth, leading to microstructure coarsening that lowers strength but increases ductility. Often the desire is to increase strength at the sacrifice of ductility, and historically, this has been performed by postsintering deformation. There has been considerable research on alloying to adjust the as-sintered mechanical properties to match those of swaged alloys. Prior reports cover many additions, seemingly including much of the periodic table. Unfortunately, many of the modified alloys proved disappointing, largely due to degraded strength at the tungsten-matrix interface. Of these modified alloys, the molybdenum-containing systems exhibit a promising combination of properties, cost, and processing ease. For example, the 82W-8Mo-7Ni-3Fe alloy gives a yield strength that is 34% higher than the equivalent 90W-7Ni-3Fe alloy (from 535 to 715 MPa) but with a 33% decrease in fracture elongation (from 30 to 20% elongation). This article reports on experiments geared to promoting improved properties in the W-Mo-Ni-Fe alloys. However, unlike the prior research which maintained a constant Ni + Fe content and varied the W:Mo ratio, this study considers the Mo:(Ni + Fe) ratio effect for 82, 90, and 93 wt pct W

Electron, hole and exciton self-trapping in germanium doped silica glass from DFT calculations with self-interaction correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Jincheng; Rene Corrales, L.; Tsemekhman, Kiril; Bylaska, Eric J.

2007-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to understand the refractive index change in germanium doped silica glasses for the trapped states of electronic excitations induced by UV irradiation. Local structure relaxation and excess electron density distribution were calculated upon self-trapping of an excess electron, hole, and exciton in germanium doped silica glass. The results show that both the trapped exciton and excess electron are highly localized on germanium ion and, to some extent, on its oxygen neighbors. Exciton self-trapping is found to lead to the formation of a Ge E' center and a non-bridging hole center. Electron trapping changes the GeO 4 tetrahedron structure into trigonal bi-pyramid with the majority of the excess electron density located along the equatorial line. The self-trapped hole is localized on bridging oxygen ions that are not coordinated to germanium atoms that lead to elongation of the Si-O bonds and change of the Si-O-Si bond angles. We carried out a comparative study of standard DFT versus DFT with a hybrid PBE0 exchange and correlation functional. The results show that the two methods give qualitatively similar relaxed structure and charge distribution for electron and exciton trapping in germanium doped silica glass; however, only the PBE0 functional produces the self-trapped hole

Characterization of the microstructure in Mg based alloy

KAUST Repository

Kutbee, Arwa T

2013-01-01

hardening is essential for age hardenable Mg-based alloys. In this work, microstructural investigation of the Mg–1.4Sn–1.3Zn–0.1Mn (at.%) precipitation system was performed using TEM. The chemical composition of the precipitates was analyzed using EDS. APT

Engineering the electronic band structures of novel cubic structured germanium monochalcogenides for thermoelectric applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ul Haq, Bakhtiar; AlFaify, S.; Ahmed, R.; Butt, Faheem K.; Laref, A.; Goumri-Said, Souraya; Tahir, S. A.

2018-05-01

Germanium mono-chalcogenides have received considerable attention for being a promising replacement for the relatively toxic and expensive chalcogenides in renewable and sustainable energy applications. In this paper, we explore the potential of the recently discovered novel cubic structured (π-phase) GeS and GeSe for thermoelectric applications in the framework of density functional theory coupled with Boltzmann transport theory. To examine the modifications in their physical properties, the across composition alloying of π-GeS and π-GeSe (such as π-GeS1-xSex for x =0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1) has been performed that has shown important effects on the electronic band structures and effective masses of charge carriers. An increase in Se composition in π-GeS1-xSex has induced a downward shift in their conduction bands, resulting in the narrowing of their energy band gaps. The thermoelectric coefficients of π-GeS1-xSex have been accordingly influenced by the evolution of the electronic band structures and effective masses of charge carriers. π-GeS1-xSex features sufficiently larger values of Seebeck coefficients, power factors and figures of merit (ZTs), which experience further improvement with an increase in temperature, revealing their potential for high-temperature applications. The calculated results show that ZT values equivalent to unity can be achieved for π-GeS1-xSex at appropriate n-type doping levels. Our calculations for the formation enthalpies indicate that a π-GeS1-xSex alloying system is energetically stable and could be synthesized experimentally. These intriguing characteristics make π-GeS1-xSex a promising candidate for futuristic thermoelectric applications in energy harvesting devices.

Tunnel current across linear homocatenated germanium chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Yukihito

2014-01-01

The electronic transport properties of germanium oligomers catenating into linear chains (linear Ge chains) have been theoretically studied using first principle methods. The conduction mechanism of a Ge chain sandwiched between gold electrodes was analyzed based on the density of states and the eigenstates of the molecule in a two-probe environment. Like that of silicon chains (Si chains), the highest occupied molecular orbital of Ge chains contains the extended σ-conjugation of Ge 4p orbitals at energy levels close to the Fermi level; this is in contrast to the electronic properties of linear carbon chains. Furthermore, the conductance of a Ge chain is expected to decrease exponentially with molecular length L. The decay constant β, which is defined as e −βL , of a Ge chain is similar to that of a Si chain, whereas the conductance of the Ge chains is higher than that of Si chains even though the Ge–Ge bond length is longer than the Si–Si bond length

Resistivity and Passivity Characterization of Ni-Base Glassy Alloys in NaOH Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadijah M. Emran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Resistivity and passivation behavior of two Ni-base bulk metallic glasses, with the nominal composition of Ni70Cr21Si0.5B0.5P8C ≤ 0.1Co ≤ 1Fe ≤ 1 (VZ1 and Ni72.65Cr7.3-Si6.7B2.15C ≤ 0.06Fe8.2Mo3 (VZ2, in various concentrations of NaOH solutions were studied. The investigations involved cyclic polarization (CP, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM methods. Cyclic polarization measurements showed spontaneous passivation for both Ni-base glassy alloys at all alkaline concentrations, due to the presence of chromium as an alloying element that formed an oxide film on the alloy surface. The EIS analysis showed that the passive layers grown on the two Ni-base glassy alloy surfaces are formed by a double oxide layer structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM examinations of the electrode surface showed Cr, Ni, Fe, and O rich corrosion products that reduced the extent of corrosion damage. Atomic force microscopy (AFM imaging technique was used to evaluate the topographic and morphologic features of surface layers formed on the surface of the alloys.

Influence of Containment on the Growth of Silicon-Germanium (ICESAGE): A Materials Science ISS Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Volz, M. P.; Mazuruk, K.; Croll, A.

2014-01-01

A series of Ge(1-x)Si(x) crystal growth experiments are planned to be conducted in the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) onboard the International Space Station. The primary objective of the research is to determine the influence of containment on the processinginduced defects and impurity incorporation in germanium-silicon alloy crystals. A comparison will be made between crystals grown by the normal and "detached" Bridgman methods and the ground-based float zone technique. Crystals grown without being in contact with a container have superior quality to otherwise similar crystals grown in direct contact with a container, especially with respect to impurity incorporation, formation of dislocations, and residual stress in crystals. "Detached" or "dewetted" Bridgman growth is similar to regular Bridgman growth in that most of the melt is in contact with the crucible wall, but the crystal is separated from the wall by a small gap, typically of the order of 10-100 microns. Long duration reduced gravity is essential to test the proposed theory of detached growth. Detached growth requires the establishment of a meniscus between the crystal and the ampoule wall. The existence of this meniscus depends on the ratio of the strength of gravity to capillary forces. On Earth, this ratio is large and stable detached growth can only be obtained over limited conditions. Crystals grown detached on the ground exhibited superior structural quality as evidenced by measurements of etch pit density, synchrotron white beam X-ray topography and double axis X-ray diffraction. The plans for the flight experiments will be described.

Crevice corrosion propagation on alloy 625 and alloy C276 in natural seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCafferty, E.; Bogar, F.D.; Thomas, E.D. II; Creegan, C.A.; Lucas, K.E.; Kaznoff, A.I.

1997-01-01

Chemical composition of the aqueous solution within crevices on two different Ni-Cr-Mo-Fe alloys immersed in natural seawater was determined using a semiquantitative thin-layer chromatographic method. Active crevices were found to contain concentrated amounts of dissolved Ni 2+ , Cr 3+ , Mo 3+ , and Fe 2+ ions. Propagation of crevice corrosion for the two alloys was determined from anodic polarization curves in model crevice solutions based upon stoichiometric dissolution or selective dissolution of alloy components. Both alloys 625 (UNS N06625) and C276 (UNS N10276) underwent crevice corrosion in the model crevice electrolytes. For the model crevice solution based upon selective dissolution of alloy constituents, the anodic dissolution rate for alloy 625 was higher than that for alloy C276. This trend was reversed for the model crevice solution based upon uniform dissolution of alloy constituents

Bioavailable concentrations of germanium and rare earth elements in soil as affected by low molecular weight organic acids and root exudates

Science.gov (United States)

Wiche, Oliver; Székely, Balázs; Kummer, Nicolai-Alexeji; Heinemann, Ute; Tesch, Silke; Heilmeier, Hermann

2014-05-01

, lanthan, neodymium, gadolinium and erbium in the rhizosphere and therefore the enhancement of bioavailability of the mentioned elements to plants. Based on the suction cup experiment we conclude that in vertical soil profile the bioavailable germanium is heavily affected by the activity of exudates, as the complexation processes of germanium take place at the root zone and below affected by the interplay of the infiltration of citric acid solutions and the actually produced exudates. These studies have been carried out in the framework of the PhytoGerm project, financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany. BS contributed as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow. The authors are grateful to students and laboratory assistants contributing in the field work and sample preparation.

Hydrogen embrittlement considerations in niobium-base alloys for application in the ITER divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.T.; Hull, A.B.; Loomis, B.A.

1991-01-01

The ITER divertor will be subjected to hydrogen from aqueous corrosion by the coolant and by transfer from the plasma. Global hydrogen concentrations are one factor in assessing hydrogen embrittlement but local concentrations affected by source fluxes and thermotransport in thermal gradients are more important considerations. Global hydrogen concentrations is some corrosion- tested alloys will be presented and interpreted. The degradation of mechanical properties of Nb-base alloys due to hydrogen is a complex function of temperature, hydrogen concentration, stresses and alloy composition. The known tendencies for embrittlement and hydride formation in Nb alloys are reviewed

The Chemically-Specific Structure of an Amorphous Molybdenum Germanium Alloy by Anomalous X-ray Scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishii, H. A.

2002-06-11

Since its inception in the late 1970s, anomalous x-ray scattering (AXS) has been employed for chemically-specific structure determination in a wide variety of noncrystalline materials. These studies have successfully produced differential distribution functions (DDFs) which provide information about the compositionally-averaged environment of a specific atomic species in the sample. Despite the wide success in obtaining DDFs, there are very few examples of successful extraction of the fully-chemically-specific partial pair distribution functions (PPDFs), the most detailed description of an amorphous sample possible by x-ray scattering. Extracting the PPDFs is notoriously difficult since the matrix equation involved is ill-conditioned and thus extremely sensitive to errors present in the experimental quantities that enter the equation. Instead of addressing this sensitivity by modifying the data through mathematical methods, sources of error have been removed experimentally: A focusing analyzer crystal was combined with a position-sensitive linear detector to experimentally eliminate unwanted inelastic scattering intensity over most of the reciprocal space range probed. This instrumentation has been used in data collection for the extraction of PPDFs from amorphous (a)-MoGe{sub 3}. This composition arises as a phase separation endpoint in the Ge-rich region of the vapor-deposited Mo-Ge amorphous alloy system but is not present at equilibrium. Since the first Ge-rich compound in the Mo-Ge equilibrium system is MoGe{sub 2}, previous workers have speculated that perhaps a unique MoGe{sub 3} compound exists in the amorphous system. Rather than indicating a distinct MoGe{sub 3} compound with definitive local structure, however, the coordination results are more consistent with a densely-packed alloy having a wide range of solid solubility. Significant improvement in the quality and reliability of experimental PPDFs from a-MoGe{sub 3} by AXS has been achieved solely

GIOVE: a new detector setup for high sensitivity germanium spectroscopy at shallow depth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heusser, G.; Weber, M.; Hakenmüller, J.; Laubenstein, M.; Lindner, M.; Maneschg, W.; Simgen, H.; Stolzenburg, D.; Strecker, H.

2015-01-01

We report on the development and construction of the high-purity germanium spectrometer setup GIOVE (Germanium Inner Outer VEto), recently built and now operated at the shallow underground laboratory of the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg. Particular attention was paid to the design of a novel passive and active shield, aiming at efficient rejection of environmental and muon induced radiation backgrounds. The achieved sensitivity level of ≤100 μBq kg -1 for primordial radionuclides from U and Th in typical γ ray sample screening measurements is unique among instruments located at comparably shallow depths and can compete with instruments at far deeper underground sites

GIOVE: a new detector setup for high sensitivity germanium spectroscopy at shallow depth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heusser, G., E-mail: gerd.heusser@mpi-hd.mpg.de; Weber, M., E-mail: marc.weber@mpi-hd.mpg.de; Hakenmüller, J. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117, Heidelberg (Germany); Laubenstein, M. [Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Via G. Acitelli 22, 67100, Assergi, AQ (Italy); Lindner, M.; Maneschg, W.; Simgen, H.; Stolzenburg, D.; Strecker, H. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117, Heidelberg (Germany)

2015-11-09

We report on the development and construction of the high-purity germanium spectrometer setup GIOVE (Germanium Inner Outer VEto), recently built and now operated at the shallow underground laboratory of the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg. Particular attention was paid to the design of a novel passive and active shield, aiming at efficient rejection of environmental and muon induced radiation backgrounds. The achieved sensitivity level of ≤100 μBq kg{sup -1} for primordial radionuclides from U and Th in typical γ ray sample screening measurements is unique among instruments located at comparably shallow depths and can compete with instruments at far deeper underground sites.

GIOVE: a new detector setup for high sensitivity germanium spectroscopy at shallow depth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heusser, G.; Weber, M.; Hakenmueller, J.; Lindner, M.; Maneschg, W.; Simgen, H.; Stolzenburg, D.; Strecker, H. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Laubenstein, M. [Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (Italy)

2015-11-15

We report on the development and construction of the high-purity germanium spectrometer setup GIOVE (Germanium Inner Outer VEto), recently built and now operated at the shallow underground laboratory of the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg. Particular attention was paid to the design of a novel passive and active shield, aiming at efficient rejection of environmental and muon induced radiation backgrounds. The achieved sensitivity level of ≤ 100μBq kg{sup -1} for primordial radionuclides from U and Th in typical γ ray sample screening measurements is unique among instruments located at comparably shallow depths and can compete with instruments at far deeper underground sites. (orig.)

Vanadium-based alloy hydrides for heat pumps, compressors, and isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Libowitz, G.G.

1988-01-01

A series of body-centered cubic (b.c.c.) solid solution alloys have been developed which appears to be unusually suitable for several applications involving metal hydrides. It is normally very difficult to induce the body-centered cubic metals, Nb, V, and Ta, to react with hydrogen; in bulk form the reaction will simply not occur at room temperature. Alloys containing Nb exhibited very large hysteresis effects on hydride formation and thus are not suitable for most applications. However, the V-Ti based alloys showed relatively little hysteresis, and because of their unusual thermodynamic properties offer significant advantages for the specific applications discussed below. (orig./HB)

CDEX-1 1 kg point-contact germanium detector for low mass dark matter searches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang Kejun; Yue Qian; Wu Yucheng

2013-01-01

The CDEX collaboration has been established for direct detection of light dark matter particles, using ultra-low energy threshold point-contact p-type germanium detectors, in China JinPing underground Laboratory (CJPL). The first 1 kg point-contact germanium detector with a sub-keV energy threshold has been tested in a passive shielding system located in CJPL. The outputs from both the point-contact P + electrode and the outside N + electrode make it possible to scan the lower energy range of less than 1 keV and at the same time to detect the higher energy range up to 3 MeV. The outputs from both P + and N + electrode may also provide a more powerful method for signal discrimination for dark matter experiment. Some key parameters, including energy resolution, dead time, decay times of internal X-rays, and system stability, have been tested and measured. The results show that the 1 kg point-contact germanium detector, together with its shielding system and electronics, can run smoothly with good performances. This detector system will be deployed for dark matter search experiments. (authors)

The electronic and optical properties of germanium tellurite glasses containing various transition metal oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.N.

1988-01-01

Various transition metal oxides, such as TiO 2 , V 2 O 5 , NiO, CuO, and ZnO are added to germanium-tellurite glass and measurements are reported of the electrical conductivity, density, optical absorption, infra-red absorption spectra, and electron spin resonance. It is found that the d.c. conductivity of glasses containing the same amount of V 2 O 5 is higher than that of germanium tellurite glasses containing a similar amount of other transition metal oxides, and is due to hopping between localized states. The optical absorption measurements show that the fundamental absorption edge is a function of glass composition and the optical absorption is due to forbidden indirect transitions. From the infra-red absorption spectra, it is found that the addition of transition metal oxides does not introduce any new absorption band in the infra-red spectrum of germanium tellurite glasses. A small shift of existing absorptions toward higher wave number is observed. The ESR measurements revealed that some transition metal ions are diamagnetic while others are paramagnetic in the glass network. (author)

A Study on Development of High Strength Al-Zn Based alloy for Die Casting Ⅲ

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Sang-Soo; Park, Ik-Min [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Yeom, Gil-Young; Lim, Kyoung-Mook [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Son, Hyun-Jin [Oh-Sung Co. Ltd., Siheung (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

In this study, the microstructural evolution and various characteristics of Al-20⁓45wt%Zn alloys were investigated. In terms of microstructure, as the amount of Zn addition to the alloys increased, the α-phase size decreased and the α+η non-equilibrium solidification phase fraction increased. Also, increasing Zn content improved the wear resistance of the alloys, but reduced the damping capacity and toughness of the alloys. Their physical properties of the Al-Zn alloy with high Zn content, specifically the wear resistance and toughness, were superior to those of commercial ALDC12 alloys for die-casting. Based on these results, we considered the possibility of application of the developed Al-Zn alloy as a structural material.

A Study on Development of High Strength Al-Zn Based alloy for Die Casting Ⅲ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Sang-Soo; Park, Ik-Min; Yeom, Gil-Young; Lim, Kyoung-Mook; Son, Hyun-Jin

2015-01-01

In this study, the microstructural evolution and various characteristics of Al-20⁓45wt%Zn alloys were investigated. In terms of microstructure, as the amount of Zn addition to the alloys increased, the α-phase size decreased and the α+η non-equilibrium solidification phase fraction increased. Also, increasing Zn content improved the wear resistance of the alloys, but reduced the damping capacity and toughness of the alloys. Their physical properties of the Al-Zn alloy with high Zn content, specifically the wear resistance and toughness, were superior to those of commercial ALDC12 alloys for die-casting. Based on these results, we considered the possibility of application of the developed Al-Zn alloy as a structural material.

Electromechanically cooled germanium radiation detector system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavietes, Anthony D.; Joseph Mauger, G.; Anderson, Eric H.

1999-01-01

We have successfully developed and fielded an electromechanically cooled germanium radiation detector (EMC-HPGe) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This detector system was designed to provide optimum energy resolution, long lifetime, and extremely reliable operation for unattended and portable applications. For most analytical applications, high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors are the standard detectors of choice, providing an unsurpassed combination of high energy resolution performance and exceptional detection efficiency. Logistical difficulties associated with providing the required liquid nitrogen (LN) for cooling is the primary reason that these systems are found mainly in laboratories. The EMC-HPGe detector system described in this paper successfully provides HPGe detector performance in a portable instrument that allows for isotopic analysis in the field. It incorporates a unique active vibration control system that allows the use of a Sunpower Stirling cycle cryocooler unit without significant spectral degradation from microphonics. All standard isotopic analysis codes, including MGA and MGA++, GAMANL, GRPANL and MGAU, typically used with HPGe detectors can be used with this system with excellent results. Several national and international Safeguards organisations including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have expressed interest in this system. The detector was combined with custom software and demonstrated as a rapid Field Radiometric Identification System (FRIS) for the U.S. Customs Service . The European Communities' Safeguards Directorate (EURATOM) is field-testing the first Safeguards prototype in their applications. The EMC-HPGe detector system design, recent applications, and results will be highlighted

Study of the effect of neutron and electron irradiations on the low temperature thermal conductivity of germanium and silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandevyver, M.

1967-06-01

The main results obtained from this work are the following: 1 Neutron irradiation (at 300 deg. K) produces lattice defects in germanium and silicon, and a corresponding very large lowering of the thermal conductivity is observed in the low temperature region (4-300 ). The results obtained have been explained with the help of the following hypotheses: for silicon a scattering of phonons by the stress fields produced by the defects; for germanium, a supplementary scattering of the electron phonon type. 2 Annealing treatments carried out on these materials above 373 deg. K restored the thermal conductivity over the whole temperature range of the measurements (4-300 deg. K); in the case of both germanium and silicon there were two steps in the annealing process. 3 A study of the thermal conductivity of germanium (initially P or N) after an electronic irradiation showed that the scattering of phonons could depend on the state of charge of the defects thus produced. (author) [fr

Fabrication of diamond-coated germanium ATR prisms for IR-spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database