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.

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

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 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.

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

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

The diffusion bonding of silicon carbide and boron carbide using refractory metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockeram, B.V.

1999-01-01

Joining is an enabling technology for the application of structural ceramics at high temperatures. Metal foil diffusion bonding is a simple process for joining silicon carbide or boron carbide by solid-state, diffusive conversion of the metal foil into carbide and silicide compounds that produce bonding. Metal diffusion bonding trials were performed using thin foils (5 microm to 100 microm) of refractory metals (niobium, titanium, tungsten, and molybdenum) with plates of silicon carbide (both α-SiC and β-SiC) or boron carbide that were lapped flat prior to bonding. The influence of bonding temperature, bonding pressure, and foil thickness on bond quality was determined from metallographic inspection of the bonds. The microstructure and phases in the joint region of the diffusion bonds were evaluated using SEM, microprobe, and AES analysis. The use of molybdenum foil appeared to result in the highest quality bond of the metal foils evaluated for the diffusion bonding of silicon carbide and boron carbide. Bonding pressure appeared to have little influence on bond quality. The use of a thinner metal foil improved the bond quality. The microstructure of the bond region produced with either the α-SiC and β-SiC polytypes were similar

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)

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.

Fabrication of uranium carbide/beryllium carbide/graphite experimental-fuel-element specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muenzer, W.A.

1978-01-01

A method has been developed for fabricating uranium carbide/beryllium carbide/graphite fuel-element specimens for reactor-core-meltdown studies. The method involves milling and blending the raw materials and densifying the resulting blend by conventional graphite-die hot-pressing techniques. It can be used to fabricate specimens with good physical integrity and material dispersion, with densities of greater than 90% of the theoretical density, and with a uranium carbide particle size of less than 10 μm

Structure of compensating centers in neutron irradiated n-type germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erchak, D.P.; Kosobutskij, V.S.; Stel'makh, V.F.

1989-01-01

Structural model of one of the main compensating defects of Ge-M1, Ge-M5, Ge-M6 in neutron irradiated (10 18 -10 20 cm -2 ) germanium, strongly alloyed (2x10 18 -3x10 19 cm -3 ) with antimony, phosphorus and arsenic respectively, is suggested. The above mentioned compensating centers are paramagnetic in a positive charge state and represent a vacancy, two nearby germanium atoms of which are replaced with two atoms of corresponding fine donor impurity. It is mainly contributed (63%- for Ge-M5 centers, 56% - for Ge-M6 centers) by orbitals of two germanium atoms neighbouring the vacancy. The angle of the bonds of each of two mentioned germanium atoms with its three neighbours and orientation of maximum electron density of hybride orbital, binding both germanium atoms, is approximately by 5 deg greater the tetrahedral one

Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, A.

2015-06-18

Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

Oxygen defect processes in silicon and silicon germanium

KAUST Repository

Chroneos, A.; Sgourou, E. N.; Londos, C. A.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2015-01-01

Silicon and silicon germanium are the archetypical elemental and alloy semiconductor materials for nanoelectronic, sensor, and photovoltaic applications. The investigation of radiation induced defects involving oxygen, carbon, and intrinsic defects is important for the improvement of devices as these defects can have a deleterious impact on the properties of silicon and silicon germanium. In the present review, we mainly focus on oxygen-related defects and the impact of isovalent doping on their properties in silicon and silicon germanium. The efficacy of the isovalent doping strategies to constrain the oxygen-related defects is discussed in view of recent infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory studies.

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)

Porous silicon carbide (SIC) semiconductor device

Science.gov (United States)

Shor, Joseph S. (Inventor); Kurtz, Anthony D. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

Porous silicon carbide is fabricated according to techniques which result in a significant portion of nanocrystallites within the material in a sub 10 nanometer regime. There is described techniques for passivating porous silicon carbide which result in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices which exhibit brighter blue luminescence and exhibit improved qualities. Based on certain of the techniques described porous silicon carbide is used as a sacrificial layer for the patterning of silicon carbide. Porous silicon carbide is then removed from the bulk substrate by oxidation and other methods. The techniques described employ a two-step process which is used to pattern bulk silicon carbide where selected areas of the wafer are then made porous and then the porous layer is subsequently removed. The process to form porous silicon carbide exhibits dopant selectivity and a two-step etching procedure is implemented for silicon carbide multilayers.

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.

Plasma spraying of zirconium carbide – hafnium carbide – tungsten cermets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brožek, Vlastimil; Ctibor, Pavel; Cheong, D.-I.; Yang, S.-H.

2009-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 1 (2009), s. 49-64 ISSN 1335-8987 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Plasma spraying * cermet coatings * microhardness * zirconium carbide * hafnium carbide * tungsten * water stabilized plasma Subject RIV: JH - Ceramics, Fire-Resistant Materials and Glass

Metal Carbides for Biomass Valorization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carine E. Chan-Thaw

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Transition metal carbides have been utilized as an alternative catalyst to expensive noble metals for the conversion of biomass. Tungsten and molybdenum carbides have been shown to be effective catalysts for hydrogenation, hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization reactions. The satisfactory activities of these metal carbides and their low costs, compared with noble metals, make them appealing alternatives and worthy of further investigation. In this review, we succinctly describe common synthesis techniques, including temperature-programmed reaction and carbothermal hydrogen reduction, utilized to prepare metal carbides used for biomass transformation. Attention will be focused, successively, on the application of transition metal carbide catalysts in the transformation of first-generation (oils and second-generation (lignocellulose biomass to biofuels and fine chemicals.

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.

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

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.

Microstructural Study of Titanium Carbide Coating on Cemented Carbide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vuorinen, S.; Horsewell, Andy

1982-01-01

Titanium carbide coating layers on cemented carbide substrates have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Microstructural variations within the typically 5µm thick chemical vapour deposited TiC coatings were found to vary with deposit thickness such that a layer structure could...... be delineated. Close to the interface further microstructural inhomogeneities were obsered, there being a clear dependence of TiC deposition mechanism on the chemical and crystallographic nature of the upper layers of the multiphase substrate....

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.

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

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.

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

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....

Helium diffusion in irradiated boron carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollenberg, G.W.

1981-03-01

Boron carbide has been internationally adopted as the neutron absorber material in the control and safety rods of large fast breeder reactors. Its relatively large neutron capture cross section at high neutron energies provides sufficient reactivity worth with a minimum of core space. In addition, the commercial availability of boron carbide makes it attractive from a fabrication standpoint. Instrumented irradiation experiments in EBR-II have provided continuous helium release data on boron carbide at a variety of operating temperatures. Although some microstructural and compositional variations were examined in these experiments most of the boron carbide was prototypic of that used in the Fast Flux Test Facility. The density of the boron carbide pellets was approximately 92% of theoretical. The boron carbide pellets were approximately 1.0 cm in diameter and possessed average grain sizes that varied from 8 to 30 μm. Pellet centerline temperatures were continually measured during the irradiation experiments

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

Shock Response of Boron Carbide

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dandekar, D. P. (Dattatraya Purushottam)

2001-01-01

.... The present work was undertaken to determine tensile/spall strength of boron carbide under plane shock wave loading and to analyze all available shock compression data on boron carbide materials...

Joining elements of silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, B.A.

1979-01-01

A method of joining together at least two silicon carbide elements (e.g.in forming a heat exchanger) is described, comprising subjecting to sufficiently non-oxidizing atmosphere and sufficiently high temperature, material placed in space between the elements. The material consists of silicon carbide particles, carbon and/or a precursor of carbon, and silicon, such that it forms a joint joining together at least two silicon carbide elements. At least one of the elements may contain silicon. (author)

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

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

Germanium detector arrays are needed for low-level counting facilities. The practical applications of such user facilities include characterization of low-level radioactive samples. In addition, the same detector arrays can also perform important fundamental physics measurements including the search for rare events like neutrino-less double-beta decay. Coaxial germanium detectors having segmented outer contacts will provide the next level of sensitivity improvement in low background measurements. The segmented outer detector contact allows performance of advanced pulse shape analysis measurements that provide additional background reduction. Currently, n-type (reverse electrode) germanium coaxial detectors are used whenever a segmented coaxial detector is needed because the outer boron (electron barrier) contact is thin and can be segmented. Coaxial detectors fabricated from p-type germanium cost less, have better resolution, and are larger than n-type coaxial detectors. However, it is difficult to reliably segment p-type coaxial detectors because thick (~1 mm) lithium-diffused (hole barrier) contacts are the standard outside contact for p-type coaxial detectors. During this Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) we have researched the possibility of using amorphous germanium contacts as a thin outer contact of p-type coaxial detectors that can be segmented. We have developed amorphous germanium contacts that provide a very high hole barrier on small planar detectors. These easily segmented amorphous germanium contacts have been demonstrated to withstand several thousand volts/cm electric fields with no measurable leakage current (<1 pA) from charge injection over the hole barrier. We have also demonstrated that the contact can be sputter deposited around and over the curved outside surface of a small p-type coaxial detector. The amorphous contact has shown good rectification properties on the outside of a small p-type coaxial detector. These encouraging

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

Method of fabricating porous silicon carbide (SiC)

Science.gov (United States)

Shor, Joseph S. (Inventor); Kurtz, Anthony D. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

Porous silicon carbide is fabricated according to techniques which result in a significant portion of nanocrystallites within the material in a sub 10 nanometer regime. There is described techniques for passivating porous silicon carbide which result in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices which exhibit brighter blue luminescence and exhibit improved qualities. Based on certain of the techniques described porous silicon carbide is used as a sacrificial layer for the patterning of silicon carbide. Porous silicon carbide is then removed from the bulk substrate by oxidation and other methods. The techniques described employ a two-step process which is used to pattern bulk silicon carbide where selected areas of the wafer are then made porous and then the porous layer is subsequently removed. The process to form porous silicon carbide exhibits dopant selectivity and a two-step etching procedure is implemented for silicon carbide multilayers.

Characterization of Nanometric-Sized Carbides Formed During Tempering of Carbide-Steel Cermets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matus K.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article of this paper is to present issues related to characterization of nanometric-sized carbides, nitrides and/or carbonitrides formed during tempering of carbide-steel cermets. Closer examination of those materials is important because of hardness growth of carbide-steel cermet after tempering. The results obtained during research show that the upswing of hardness is significantly higher than for high-speed steels. Another interesting fact is the displacement of secondary hardness effect observed for this material to a higher tempering temperature range. Determined influence of the atmosphere in the sintering process on precipitations formed during tempering of carbide-steel cermets. So far examination of carbidesteel cermet produced by powder injection moulding was carried out mainly in the scanning electron microscope. A proper description of nanosized particles is both important and difficult as achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology confirm the significant influence of nanocrystalline particles on material properties even if its mass fraction is undetectable by standard methods. The following research studies have been carried out using transmission electron microscopy, mainly selected area electron diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The obtained results and computer simulations comparison were made.

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

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

New Icosahedral Boron Carbide Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverria Mora, Elena Maria

Novel semiconductor boron carbide films and boron carbide films doped with aromatic compounds have been investigated and characterized. Most of these semiconductors were formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The aromatic compound additives used, in this thesis, were pyridine (Py), aniline, and diaminobenzene (DAB). As one of the key parameters for semiconducting device functionality is the metal contact and, therefore, the chemical interactions or band bending that may occur at the metal/semiconductor interface, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of gold (Au) with these novel boron carbide-based semiconductors. Both n- and p-type films have been tested and pure boron carbide devices are compared to those containing aromatic compounds. The results show that boron carbide seems to behave differently from other semiconductors, opening a way for new analysis and approaches in device's functionality. By studying the electrical and optical properties of these films, it has been found that samples containing the aromatic compound exhibit an improvement in the electron-hole separation and charge extraction, as well as a decrease in the band gap. The hole carrier lifetimes for each sample were extracted from the capacitance-voltage, C(V), and current-voltage, I(V), curves. Additionally, devices, with boron carbide with the addition of pyridine, exhibited better collection of neutron capture generated pulses at ZERO applied bias, compared to the pure boron carbide samples. This is consistent with the longer carrier lifetimes estimated for these films. The I-V curves, as a function of external magnetic field, of the pure boron carbide films and films containing DAB demonstrate that significant room temperature negative magneto-resistance (> 100% for pure samples, and > 50% for samples containing DAB) is possible in the resulting dielectric thin films. Inclusion of DAB is not essential for significant negative magneto

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.)

Stable carbides in transition metal alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piotrkowski, R.

1991-01-01

In the present work different techniques were employed for the identification of stable carbides in two sets of transition metal alloys of wide technological application: a set of three high alloy M2 type steels in which W and/or Mo were total or partially replaced by Nb, and a Zr-2.5 Nb alloy. The M2 steel is a high speed steel worldwide used and the Zr-2.5 Nb alloy is the base material for the pressure tubes in the CANDU type nuclear reactors. The stability of carbide was studied in the frame of Goldschmidt's theory of interstitial alloys. The identification of stable carbides in steels was performed by determining their metallic composition with an energy analyzer attached to the scanning electron microscope (SEM). By these means typical carbides of the M2 steel, MC and M 6 C, were found. Moreover, the spatial and size distribution of carbide particles were determined after different heat treatments, and both microstructure and microhardness were correlated with the appearance of the secondary hardening phenomenon. In the Zr-Nb alloy a study of the α and β phases present after different heat treatments was performed with optical and SEM metallographic techniques, with the guide of Abriata and Bolcich phase diagram. The α-β interphase boundaries were characterized as short circuits for diffusion with radiotracer techniques and applying Fisher-Bondy-Martin model. The precipitation of carbides was promoted by heat treatments that produced first the C diffusion into the samples at high temperatures (β phase), and then the precipitation of carbide particles at lower temperature (α phase or (α+β)) two phase field. The precipitated carbides were identified as (Zr, Nb)C 1-x with SEM, electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction techniques. (Author) [es

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

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.

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)

Microsegregation in Nodular Cast Iron with Carbides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper results of microsegregation in the newly developed nodular cast iron with carbides are presented. To investigate the pearlitic and bainitic cast iron with carbides obtained by Inmold method were chosen. The distribution of linear elements on the eutectic cell radius was examined. To investigate the microsegregation pearlitic and bainitic cast iron with carbides obtained by Inmold method were chosen.The linear distribution of elements on the eutectic cell radius was examined. Testing of the chemical composition of cast iron metal matrix components, including carbides were carried out. The change of graphitizing and anti-graphitizing element concentrations within eutectic cell was determined. It was found, that in cast iron containing Mo carbides crystallizing after austenite + graphite eutectic are Si enriched.

Microsegregation in Nodular Cast Iron with Carbides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietrowski S.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper results of microsegregation in the newly developed nodular cast iron with carbides are presented. To investigate the pearlitic and bainitic cast iron with carbides obtained by Inmold method were chosen. The distribution of linear elements on the eutectic cell radius was examined. To investigate the microsegregation pearlitic and bainitic cast iron with carbides obtained by Inmold method were chosen. The linear distribution of elements on the eutectic cell radius was examined. Testing of the chemical composition of cast iron metal matrix components, including carbides were carried out. The change of graphitizing and anti-graphitizing element concentrations within eutectic cell was determined. It was found, that in cast iron containing Mo carbides crystallizing after austenite + graphite eutectic are Si enriched.

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...

High temperature evaporation of titanium, zirconium and hafnium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusev, A.I.; Rempel', A.A.

1991-01-01

Evaporation of cubic nonstoichiometric carbides of titanium, zirconium and hafnium in a comparatively low-temperature interval (1800-2700) with detailed crystallochemical sample certification is studied. Titanium carbide is characterized by the maximum evaporation rate: at T>2300 K it loses 3% of sample mass during an hour and at T>2400 K titanium carbide evaporation becomes extremely rapid. Zirconium and hafnium carbide evaporation rates are several times lower than titanium carbide evaporation rates at similar temperatures. Partial pressures of metals and carbon over the carbides studied are calculated on the base of evaporation rates

Tribological Characteristics of Tungsten Carbide Reinforced Arc Sprayed Coatings using Different Carbide Grain Size Fractions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Tillmann

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Tungsten carbide reinforced coatings play an important role in the field of surface engineering to protect stressed surfaces against wear. For thermally sprayed coatings, it is already shown that the tribological properties get mainly determined by the carbide grain size fraction. Within the scope of this study, the tribological characteristics of iron based WC-W2C reinforced arc sprayed coatings deposited using cored wires consisting of different carbide grain size fractions were examined. Microstructural characteristics of the produced coatings were scrutinized using electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses. Ball-on-disk test as well as Taber Abraser and dry sand rubber wheel test were employed to analyze both the dry sliding and the abrasive wear behavior. It was shown that a reduced carbide grain size fraction as filling leads to an enhanced wear resistance against sliding. In terms of the Taber Abraser test, it is also demonstrated that a fine carbide grain size fraction results in an improved wear resistant against abrasion. As opposed to that, a poorer wear resistance was found within the dry sand rubber wheel tests. The findings show that the operating mechanisms for both abrasion tests affect the stressed surface in a different way, leading either to microcutting or microploughing.

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

Precipitation behavior of carbides in high-carbon martensitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Qin-tian; Li, Jing; Shi, Cheng-bin; Yu, Wen-tao; Shi, Chang-min [University of Science and Technology, Beijing (China). State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy; Li, Ji-hui [Yang Jiang Shi Ba Zi Group Co., Ltd, Guangdong (China)

2017-01-15

A fundamental study on the precipitation behavior of carbides was carried out. Thermo-calc software, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and high-temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to study the precipitation and transformation behaviors of carbides. Carbide precipitation was of a specific order. Primary carbides (M7C3) tended to be generated from liquid steel when the solid fraction reached 84 mol.%. Secondary carbides (M7C3) precipitated from austenite and can hardly transformed into M23C6 carbides with decreasing temperature in air. Primary carbides hardly changed once they were generated, whereas secondary carbides were sensitive to heat treatment and thermal deformation. Carbide precipitation had a certain effect on steel-matrix phase transitions. The segregation ability of carbon in liquid steel was 4.6 times greater that of chromium. A new method for controlling primary carbides is proposed.

Detached Bridgman Growth of Germanium and Germanium-Silicon Alloy Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Szofran, F. R.; Volz, M. P.; Schweizer, M.; Cobb, S. D.; Motakef, S.; Croell, A.; Dold, P.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Earth based experiments on the science of detached crystal growth are being conducted on germanium and germanium-silicon alloys (2 at% Si average composition) in preparation for a series of experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of the microgravity experiments includes differentiating among proposed mechanisms contributing to detachment, and confirming or refining our understanding of the detachment mechanism. Because large contact angle are critical to detachment, sessile drop measurements were used to determine 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. The contact angles were 173 deg (Ge) and 165 deg (GeSi) for pBN. For fused silica, the contact angle decreases from 150 deg to an equilibrium value of 117 deg (Ge) or from 129 deg to an equilibrium value of 100 deg (GeSi) over the duration of the experiment. 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. Results in this presentation will show that we have established the effects on detachment of ampoule material, pressure difference above and below the melt, and silicon concentration; samples that are nearly completely detached can be grown repeatedly in pBN.

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.

Thermal recrystallization of physical vapor deposition based germanium thin films on bulk silicon (100)

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Aftab M.

2013-08-16

We demonstrate a simple, low-cost, and scalable process for obtaining uniform, smooth surfaced, high quality mono-crystalline germanium (100) thin films on silicon (100). The germanium thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate using plasma-assisted sputtering based physical vapor deposition. They were crystallized by annealing at various temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 1100 °C. We report that the best quality germanium thin films are obtained above the melting point of germanium (937 °C), thus offering a method for in-situ Czochralski process. We show well-behaved high-κ /metal gate metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) using this film. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silicon-germanium (Sige) nanostructures production, properties and applications in electronics

CERN Document Server

Usami, N

2011-01-01

Nanostructured silicon-germanium (SiGe) provides the prospect of novel and enhanced electronic device performance. This book reviews the materials science and technology of SiGe nanostructures, including crystal growth, fabrication of nanostructures, material properties and applications in electronics.$bNanostructured silicon-germanium (SiGe) opens up the prospects of novel and enhanced electronic device performance, especially for semiconductor devices. Silicon-germanium (SiGe) nanostructures reviews the materials science of nanostructures and their properties and applications in different electronic devices. The introductory part one covers the structural properties of SiGe nanostructures, with a further chapter discussing electronic band structures of SiGe alloys. Part two concentrates on the formation of SiGe nanostructures, with chapters on different methods of crystal growth such as molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapour deposition. This part also includes chapters covering strain engineering and mo...

Transition metal carbide and boride abrasive particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdsaar, H.

1978-01-01

Abrasive particles and their preparation are discussed. The particles consist essentially of a matrix of titanium carbide and zirconium carbide, at least partially in solid solution form, and grains of crystalline titanium diboride dispersed throughout the carbide matrix. These abrasive particles are particularly useful as components of grinding wheels for abrading steel. 1 figure, 6 tables

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

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...

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

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.)

Point defects and transport properties in carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matzke, Hj.

1984-01-01

Carbides of transition metals and of actinides are interesting and technologically important. The transition-metal carbides (or carbonitrides) are extensively being used as hard materials and some of them are of great interest because of the high transition temperature for superconductivity, e.g. 17 K for Nb(C,N). Actinide carbides and carbonitrides, (U,Pu)C and (U,Pu)(C,N) are being considered as promising advanced fuels for liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactors. Basic interest exists in all these materials because of their high melting points (e.g. 4250 K for TaC) and the unusually broad range of homogeneity of nonstoichiometric compositions (e.g. from UCsub(0.9) to UCsub(1.9) at 2500 K). Interaction of point defects to clusters and short-range ordering have recently been studied with elastic neutron diffraction and diffuse scattering techniques, and calculations of energies of formation and interaction of point defects became available for selected carbides. Diffusion measurements also exist for a number of carbides, in particular for the actinide carbides. The existing knowledge is discussed and summarized with emphasis on informative examples of particular technological relevance. (Auth.)

Liquid phase sintering of carbides using a nickel-molybdenum alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barranco, J.M.; Warenchak, R.A.

1987-01-01

Liquid phase vacuum sintering was used to densify four carbide groups. These were titanium carbide, tungsten carbide, vanadium carbide, and zirconium carbide. The liquid phase consisted of nickel with additions of molybdenum of from 6.25 to 50.0 weight percent at doubling increments. The liquid phase or binder comprised 10, 20, and 40 percent by weight of the pressed powders. The specimens were tested using 3 point bending. Tungsten carbide showed the greatest improvement in bend rupture strength, flexural modulus, fracture energy and hardness using 20 percent binder with lesser amounts of molybdenum (6.25 or 12.5 wt %) added to nickel compared to pure nickel. A refinement in the carbide microstructure and/or a reduction in porosity was seen for both the titanium and tungsten carbides when the alloy binder was used compared to using the nickel alone. Curves depicting the above properties are shown for increasing amounts of molybdenum in nickel for each carbide examined. Loss of binder phase due to evaporation was experienced during heating in vacuum at sintering temperatures. In an effort to reduce porosity, identical specimens were HIP processed at 15 ksi and temperatures averaging 110 C below the sintering g temperature. The tungsten carbide and titanium carbide series containing 80 and 90 weight percent carbide phase respectively showed improvement properties after HIP while properties decreased for most other compositions

Tungsten--carbide critical assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, G.E.; Paxton, H.C.

1975-06-01

The tungsten--carbide critical assembly mainly consists of three close-fitting spherical shells: a highly enriched uranium shell on the inside, a tungsten--carbide shell surrounding it, and a steel shell on the outside. Ideal critical specifications indicate a rather low computed value of k/sub eff/. Observed and calculated fission-rate distributions for 235 U, 238 U, and 237 Np are compared, and calculated leakage neutrons per fission in various energy groups are given. (U.S.)

Plasma metallization of refractory carbide powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koroleva, E.B.; Klinskaya, N.A.; Rybalko, O.F.; Ugol'nikova, T.A.

1986-01-01

The effect of treatment conditions in plasma on properties of produced metallized powders of titanium, tungsten and chromium carbides with the main particle size of 40-80 μm is considered. It is shown that plasma treatment permits to produce metallized powders of carbide materials with the 40-80 μm particle size. The degree of metallization, spheroidization, chemical and phase composition of metallized carbide powders are controlled by dispersivity of the treated material, concentration of a metal component in the treated mixtures, rate of plasma flow and preliminary spheroidization procedure

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

Ligand sphere conversions in terminal carbide complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morsing, Thorbjørn Juul; Reinholdt, Anders; Sauer, Stephan P. A.

2016-01-01

Metathesis is introduced as a preparative route to terminal carbide complexes. The chloride ligands of the terminal carbide complex [RuC(Cl)2(PCy3)2] (RuC) can be exchanged, paving the way for a systematic variation of the ligand sphere. A series of substituted complexes, including the first...... example of a cationic terminal carbide complex, [RuC(Cl)(CH3CN)(PCy3)2]+, is described and characterized by NMR, MS, X-ray crystallography, and computational studies. The experimentally observed irregular variation of the carbide 13C chemical shift is shown to be accurately reproduced by DFT, which also...... demonstrates that details of the coordination geometry affect the carbide chemical shift equally as much as variations in the nature of the auxiliary ligands. Furthermore, the kinetics of formation of the sqaure pyramidal dicyano complex, trans-[RuC(CN)2(PCy3)2], from RuC has been examined and the reaction...

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)

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

Crystallization of nodular cast iron with carbides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper a crystallization process of nodular cast iron with carbides having a different chemical composition have been presented. It have been found, that an increase of molybdenum above 0,30% causes the ledeburutic carbides crystallization after (γ+ graphite eutectic phase crystallization. When Mo content is lower, these carbides crystallize as a pre-eutectic phase. In this article causes of this effect have been given.

Preparation and Fatigue Properties of Functionally Graded Cemented Carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yong; Liu Fengxiao; Liaw, Peter K.; He Yuehui

2008-01-01

Cemented carbides with a functionally graded structure have significantly improved mechanical properties and lifetimes in cutting, drilling and molding. In this work, WC-6 wt.% Co cemented carbides with three-layer graded structure (surface layer rich in WC, mid layer rich in Co and the inner part of the average composition) were prepared by carburizing pre-sintered η-phase-containing cemented carbides. The three-point bending fatigue tests based on the total-life approach were conducted on both WC-6wt%Co functionally graded cemented carbides (FGCC) and conventional WC-6wt%Co cemented carbides. The functionally graded cemented carbide shows a slightly higher fatigue limit (∼100 MPa) than the conventional ones under the present testing conditions. However, the fatigue crack nucleation behavior of FGCC is different from that of the conventional ones. The crack nucleates preferentially along the Co-gradient and perpendicular to the tension surface in FGCC, while parallel to the tension surface in conventional cemented carbides

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.

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

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.

HCl removal using cycled carbide slag from calcium looping cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Xin; Li, Yingjie; Wang, Wenjing; Shi, Lei

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Cycled carbide slag from calcium looping cycles is used to remove HCl. • The optimum temperature for HCl removal of cycled carbide slag is 700 °C. • The presence of CO 2 restrains HCl removal of cycled carbide slag. • CO 2 capture conditions have important effects on HCl removal of cycled carbide slag. • HCl removal capacity of carbide slag drops with cycle number rising from 1 to 50. - Abstract: The carbide slag is an industrial waste from chlor-alkali plants, which can be used to capture CO 2 in the calcium looping cycles, i.e. carbonation/calcination cycles. In this work, the cycled carbide slag from the calcium looping cycles for CO 2 capture was proposed to remove HCl in the flue gas from the biomass-fired and RDFs-fired boilers. The effects of chlorination temperature, HCl concentration, particle size, presence of CO 2 , presence of O 2 , cycle number and CO 2 capture conditions in calcium looping cycles on the HCl removal behavior of the carbide slag experienced carbonation/calcination cycles were investigated in a triple fixed-bed reactor. The chlorination product of the cycled carbide slag from the calcium looping after absorbing HCl is not CaCl 2 but CaClOH. The optimum temperature for HCl removal of the cycled carbide slag from the carbonation/calcination cycles is 700 °C. The chlorination conversion of the cycled carbide slag increases with increasing the HCl concentration. The cycled carbide slag with larger particle size exhibits a lower chlorination conversion. The presence of CO 2 decreases the chlorination conversions of the cycled carbide slag and the presence of O 2 has a trifling impact. The chlorination conversion of the carbide slag experienced 1 carbonation/calcination cycle is higher than that of the uncycled calcined sorbent. As the number of carbonation/calcination cycles increases from 1 to 50, the chlorination conversion of carbide slag drops gradually. The high calcination temperature and high CO 2

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

Boron-carbide-aluminum and boron-carbide-reactive metal cermets. [B/sub 4/C-Al

Science.gov (United States)

Halverson, D.C.; Pyzik, A.J.; Aksay, I.A.

1985-05-06

Hard, tough, lighweight boron-carbide-reactive metal composites, particularly boron-carbide-aluminum composites, are produced. These composites have compositions with a plurality of phases. A method is provided, including the steps of wetting and reacting the starting materials, by which the microstructures in the resulting composites can be controllably selected. Starting compositions, reaction temperatures, reaction times, and reaction atmospheres are parameters for controlling the process and resulting compositions. The ceramic phases are homogeneously distributed in the metal phases and adhesive forces at ceramic-metal interfaces are maximized. An initial consolidated step is used to achieve fully dense composites. Microstructures of boron-carbide-aluminum cermets have been produced with modules of rupture exceeding 110 ksi and fracture toughness exceeding 12 ksi..sqrt..in. These composites and methods can be used to form a variety of structural elements.

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.

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.

Tungsten carbide encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon with iron/cobalt carbides electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jie; Chen, Jinwei, E-mail: jwchen@scu.edu.cn; Jiang, Yiwu; Zhou, Feilong; Wang, Gang; Wang, Ruilin, E-mail: rl.wang@scu.edu.cn

2016-12-15

Graphical abstract: A hybrid catalyst was prepared via a quite green and simple method to achieve an one-pot synthesis of the N-doping carbon, tungsten carbides, and iron/cobalt carbides. It exhibited comparable electrocatalytic activity, higher durability and ability to methanol tolerance compared with commercial Pt/C to ORR. - Highlights: • A novel type of hybrid Fe/Co/WC@NC catalysts have been successfully synthesized. • The hybrid catalyst also exhibited better durability and methanol tolerance. • Multiple effective active sites of Fe{sub 3}C, Co{sub 3}C, WC, and NC help to improve catalytic performance. - Abstract: This work presents a type of hybrid catalyst prepared through an environmental and simple method, combining a pyrolysis of transition metal precursors, a nitrogen-containing material, and a tungsten source to achieve a one-pot synthesis of N-doping carbon, tungsten carbides, and iron/cobalt carbides (Fe/Co/WC@NC). The obtained Fe/Co/WC@NC consists of uniform Fe{sub 3}C and Co{sub 3}C nanoparticles encapsulated in graphitized carbon with surface nitrogen doping, closely wrapped around a plate-like tungsten carbide (WC) that functions as an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst. The introduction of WC is found to promote the ORR activity of Fe/Co-based carbide electrocatalysts, which is attributed to the synergistic catalysts of WC, Fe{sub 3}C, and Co{sub 3}C. Results suggest that the composite exhibits comparable electrocatalytic activity, higher durability, and ability for methanol tolerance compared with commercial Pt/C for ORR in alkaline electrolyte. These advantages make Fe/Co/WC@NC a promising ORR electrocatalyst and a cost-effective alternative to Pt/C for practical application as fuel cell.

Preparation of aluminum nitride-silicon carbide nanocomposite powder by the nitridation of aluminum silicon carbide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Itatani, K.; Tsukamoto, R.; Delsing, A.C.A.; Hintzen, H.T.J.M.; Okada, I.

2002-01-01

Aluminum nitride (AlN)-silicon carbide (SiC) nanocomposite powders were prepared by the nitridation of aluminum-silicon carbide (Al4SiC4) with the specific surface area of 15.5 m2·g-1. The powders nitrided at and above 1400°C for 3 h contained the 2H-phases which consisted of AlN-rich and SiC-rich

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.

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

Three-dimensional studies of intergranular carbides in austenitic stainless steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochi, Minoru; Kawano, Rika; Maeda, Takuya; Sato, Yukio; Teranishi, Ryo; Hara, Toru; Kikuchi, Masao; Kaneko, Kenji

2017-04-01

A large number of morphological studies of intergranular carbides in steels have always been carried out in two dimensions without considering their dispersion manners. In this article, focused ion beam serial-sectioning tomography was carried out to study the correlation among the grain boundary characteristics, the morphologies and the dispersions of intergranular carbides in 347 austenitic stainless steel. More than hundred intergranular carbides were characterized in three dimensions and finally classified into three different types, two types of carbides probably semi-coherent to one of the neighboring grains with plate-type morphology, and one type of carbides incoherent to both grains with rod-type morphology. In addition, the rod-type carbide was found as the largest number of carbides among three types. Since large numbers of defects, such as misfit dislocations, may be present at the grain boundaries, which can be ideal nucleation sites for intergranular rod-type carbide precipitation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved.For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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.

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.

Graphite and boron carbide composites made by hot-pressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazaki, K.; Hagio, T.; Kobayashi, K.

1981-01-01

Composites consisting of graphite and boron carbide were made by hot-pressing mixed powders of coke carbon and boron carbide. The change of relative density, mechanical strength and electrical resistivity of the composites and the X-ray parameters of coke carbon were investigated with increase of boron carbide content and hot-pressing temperature. From these experiments, it was found that boron carbide powder has a remarkable effect on sintering and graphitization of coke carbon powder above the hot-pressing temperature of 2000 0 C. At 2200 0 C, electrical resistivity of the composite and d(002) spacing of coke carbon once showed minimum values at about 5 to 10 wt% boron carbide and then increased. The strength of the composite increased with increase of boron carbide content. It was considered that some boron from boron carbide began to diffuse substitutionally into the graphite structure above 2000 0 C and densification and graphitization were promoted with the diffusion of boron. Improvements could be made to the mechanical strength, density, oxidation resistance and manufacturing methods by comparing with the properties and processes of conventional graphites. (author)

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

Joining of boron carbide using nickel interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vosughi, A.; Hadian, A. M.

2008-01-01

Carbide ceramics such as boron carbide due to their unique properties such as low density, high refractoriness, and high strength to weight ratio have many applications in different industries. This study focuses on direct bonding of boron carbide for high temperature applications using nickel interlayer. The process variables such as bonding time, temperature, and pressure have been investigated. The microstructure of the joint area was studied using electron scanning microscope technique. At all the bonding temperatures ranging from 1150 to 1300 d eg C a reaction layer formed across the ceramic/metal interface. The thickness of the reaction layer increased by increasing temperature. The strength of the bonded samples was measured using shear testing method. The highest strength value obtained was about 100 MPa and belonged to the samples bonded at 1250 for 75 min bonding time. The strength of the joints decreased by increasing the bonding temperature above 1250 d eg C . The results of this study showed that direct bonding technique along with nickel interlayer can be successfully utilized for bonding boron carbide ceramic to itself. This method may be used for bonding boron carbide to metals as well.

Surface metallurgy of cemented carbide tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, K.L.; Kashyap, S.C.; Rao, T.V.; Rajagopalan, S.; Srivastava, P.K.

1983-01-01

Transition metal carbides, owing to their high melting point, hardness and wear resistance, are potential candidates for specific application in rockets, nuclear engineering equipment and cutting tools. Tungsten carbide sintered with a binder (either cobalt metal or a mixture of Co + TiC and/or TaC(NbC)) is used for cutting tools. The surface metallurgy of several commercially available cemented carbide tools was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The tool surfaces were contaminated by adsorbed oxygen up to a depth of nearly 0.3 μm causing deterioration of the mechanical properties of the tools. Studies of fractured samples indicated that the tool surfaces were prone to oxygen adsorption. The fracture path passes through the cobalt-rich regions. The ineffectiveness of a worn cutting tool is attributed to the presence of excessive iron from the steel workpiece and carbon and oxygen in the surface layers of the tool. The use of appropriate hard coatings on cemented carbide tools is suggested. (Auth.)

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.

Friction and wear performance of diamond-like carbon, boron carbide, and titanium carbide coatings against glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniels, B.K.; Brown, D.W.; Kimock, F.M.

1997-01-01

Protection of glass substrates by direct ion beam deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings was observed using a commercial pin-on-disk instrument at ambient conditions without lubrication. Ion beam sputter-deposited titanium carbide and boron carbide coatings reduced sliding friction, and provided tribological protection of silicon substrates, but the improvement factor was less than that found for DLC. Observations of unlubricated sliding of hemispherical glass pins at ambient conditions on uncoated glass and silicon substrates, and ion beam deposited coatings showed decreased wear in the order: uncoated glass>uncoated silicon>boron carbide>titanium carbide>DLC>uncoated sapphire. Failure mechanisms varied widely and are discussed. Generally, the amount of wear decreased as the sliding friction decreased, with the exception of uncoated sapphire substrates, for which the wear was low despite very high friction. There is clear evidence that DLC coatings continue to protect the underlying substrate long after the damage first penetrates through the coating. The test results correlate with field use data on commercial products which have shown that the DLC coatings provide substantial extension of the useful lifetime of glass and other substrates. copyright 1997 Materials Research Society

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 ...

Tribology of carbide derived carbon films synthesized on tungsten carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Tlustochowicz, Marcin

Tribologically advantageous films of carbide derived carbon (CDC) have been successfully synthesized on binderless tungsten carbide manufactured using the plasma pressure compaction (P2CRTM) technology. In order to produce the CDC films, tungsten carbide samples were reacted with chlorine containing gas mixtures at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 1000°C in a sealed tube furnace. Some of the treated samples were later dechlorinated by an 800°C hydrogenation treatment. Detailed mechanical and structural characterizations of the CDC films and sliding contact surfaces were done using a series of analytical techniques and their results were correlated with the friction and wear behavior of the CDC films in various tribosystems, including CDC-steel, CDC-WC, CDC-Si3N4 and CDC-CDC. Optimum synthesis and treatment conditions were determined for use in two specific environments: moderately humid air and dry nitrogen. It was found that CDC films first synthesized at 1000°C and then hydrogen post-treated at 800°C performed best in air with friction coefficient values as low as 0.11. However, for dry nitrogen applications, no dechlorination was necessary and both hydrogenated and as-synthesized CDC films exhibited friction coefficients of approximately 0.03. A model of tribological behavior of CDC has been proposed that takes into consideration the tribo-oxidation of counterface material, the capillary forces from adsorbed water vapor, the carbon-based tribofilm formation, and the lubrication effect of both chlorine and hydrogen.

Natural precursor based hydrothermal synthesis of sodium carbide for reactor applications

Science.gov (United States)

Swapna, M. S.; Saritha Devi, H. V.; Sebastian, Riya; Ambadas, G.; Sankararaman, S.

2017-12-01

Carbides are a class of materials with high mechanical strength and refractory nature which finds a wide range of applications in industries and nuclear reactors. The existing synthesis methods of all types of carbides have problems in terms of use of toxic chemical precursors, high-cost, etc. Sodium carbide (Na2C2) which is an alkali metal carbide is the least explored one and also that there is no report of low-cost and low-temperature synthesis of sodium carbide using the eco-friendly, easily available natural precursors. In the present work, we report a simple low-cost, non-toxic hydrothermal synthesis of refractory sodium carbide using the natural precursor—Pandanus. The formation of sodium carbide along with boron carbide is evidenced by the structural and morphological characterizations. The sample thus synthesized is subjected to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet (UV)—visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman, and photoluminescent (PL) spectroscopic techniques.

Vanadium carbide coatings: deposition process and properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisova, A.; Borisov, Y.; Shavlovsky, E.; Mits, I.; Castermans, L.; Jongbloed, R.

2001-01-01

Vanadium carbide coatings on carbon and alloyed steels were produced by the method of diffusion saturation from the borax melt. Thickness of the vanadium carbide layer was 5-15 μm, depending upon the steel grade and diffusion saturation parameters. Microhardness was 20000-28000 MPa and wear resistance of the coatings under conditions of end face friction without lubrication against a mating body of WC-2Co was 15-20 times as high as that of boride coatings. Vanadium carbide coatings can operate in air at a temperature of up to 400 o C. They improve fatigue strength of carbon steels and decrease the rate of corrosion in sea and fresh water and in acid solutions. The use of vanadium carbide coatings for hardening of various types of tools, including cutting tools, allows their service life to be extended by a factor of 3 to 30. (author)

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.

Reactor irradiation effect on the physical-mechanical properties of zirconium carbides and niobium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrievskij, R.A.; Vlasov, K.P.; Shevchenko, A.S.; Lanin, A.G.; Pritchin, S.A.; Klyushin, V.V.; Kurushin, S.P.; Maskaev, A.S.

1978-01-01

A study has been made of the effect of the reactor radiation by a flux of neutrons 1.5x10 20 n/cm 2 (E>=1 meV) at radiation temperatures of 150 and 1100 deg C on the physico-mechanical properties of carbides of zirconium and niobium and their equimolar hard solution. A difference has been discovered in the behaviour of the indicated carbides under the effect of radiation. Under the investigated conditions of radiation the density of zirconium carbide is being decreased, while in the niobium carbide no actual volumetric changes occur. The increase of the lattice period in ZrC is more significant than in NbC. The electric resistance of ZrC is also changed more significantly than in the case of NbC, while for the microhardness a reverse relationship is observed. Strength and elasticity modulus change insignificantly in both cases. Resistance to crack formation shows a higher reduction for ZrC than for NbC, while the thermal strength shows an approximately similar increase. The equimolar hard solution of ZrC and NbC behaves to great extent similar to ZrC, although the change in electric resistance reminds of NbC while thermal strength changes differently. The study of the microstructure of the specimens has shown that radiation causes a large number of etching patterns-dislocations in NbC which are almost absent in ZrC

Joining of porous silicon carbide bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Bates, Carl H.; Couhig, John T.; Pelletier, Paul J.

1990-05-01

A method of joining two porous bodies of silicon carbide is disclosed. It entails utilizing an aqueous slip of a similar silicon carbide as was used to form the porous bodies, including the sintering aids, and a binder to initially join the porous bodies together. Then the composite structure is subjected to cold isostatic pressing to form a joint having good handling strength. Then the composite structure is subjected to pressureless sintering to form the final strong bond. Optionally, after the sintering the structure is subjected to hot isostatic pressing to further improve the joint and densify the structure. The result is a composite structure in which the joint is almost indistinguishable from the silicon carbide pieces which it joins.

Conceptual design study of LMFBR core with carbide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tezuka, H.; Hojuyama, T.; Osada, H.; Ishii, T.; Hattori, S.; Nishimura, T.

1987-01-01

Carbide fuel is a hopeful candidate for demonstration FBR(DFBR) fuel from the plant cost reduction point of view. High thermal conductivity and high heavy metal content of carbide fuel lead to high linear heat rate and high breeding ratio. We have analyzed carbide fuel core characteristics and have clarified the concept of carbide fuel core. By survey calculation, we have obtained a correlation map between core parameters and core characteristics. From the map, we have selected a high efficiency core whose features are better than those of an oxide core, and have obtained reactivity coefficients. The core volume and the reactor fuel inventory are approximately 20% smaller, and the burn-up reactivity loss is 50% smaller compared with the oxide fuel core. These results will reduce the capital cost. The core reactivity coefficients are similar to the conventional oxide DFBR's. Therefore the carbide fuel core is regarded as safe as the oxide core. Except neutron fluence, the carbide fuel core has better nuclear features than the oxide core

Microstructural studies of carbides in MAR-M247 nickel-based superalloy

Science.gov (United States)

Szczotok, A.; Rodak, K.

2012-05-01

Carbides play an important role in the strengthening of microstructures of nickel-based superalloys. Grain boundary carbides prevent or retard grain-boundary sliding and make the grain boundary stronger. Carbides can also tie up certain elements that would otherwise promote phase instability during service. Various types of carbides are possible in the microstructure of nickel-based superalloys, depending on the superalloy composition and processing. In this paper, scanning electron and scanning transmission electron microscopy studies of carbides occurring in the microstructure of polycrystalline MAR-M247 nickel-based superalloy were carried out. In the present work, MC and M23C6 carbides in the MAR-M247 microstructure were examined.

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

Fabrication of chamfered uranium-plutonium mixed carbide pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Yasuo; Iwai, Takashi; Shiozawa, Kenichi; Handa, Muneo

1985-10-01

Chamfered uranium-plutonium mixed carbide pellets for high burnup irradiation test in JMTR were fabricated in glove boxes with purified argon gas. The size of die and punch in a press was decided from pellet densities and dimensions including the angle of chamfered parts. No chip or crack caused by adopting chamfered pellets was found in both pressing and sintering stages. In addition to mixed carbide pellets, uranium carbide pellets used as insulators were also successfully fabricated. (author)

Carbides in Nodular Cast Iron with Cr and Mo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2007-07-01

Full Text Available In these paper results of elements microsegregation in carbidic nodular cast iron have been presented. A cooling rate in the centre of the cross-section and on the surface of casting and change of moulding sand temperature during casting crystallization and its self-cooling have been investigated. TDA curves have been registered. The linear distribution of elements concentration in an eutectic grain, primary and secondary carbides have been made. It was found, that there are two kinds of carbides: Cr and Mo enriched. A probable composition of primary and secondary carbides have been presented.

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.

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

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)

Determination of free carbon content in boron carbide ceramic powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, A.R.M. de; Lima, N.B. de; Paschoal, J.O.A.

1990-01-01

Boron carbide is a ceramic material of technological importance due to its hardness and high chemical and thermal stabilities. Free carbon is always found as a process dependent impurity in boron carbide. The development of procedures for its detection is required because its presence leads to a degradation of the boron carbide properties. In this work, several procedures for determining free carbon content in boron carbide specimens are reported and discussed for comparison purposes. (author) [pt

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.

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.

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.

Strong quantum-confined stark effect in germanium quantum-well structures on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, Y.; Lee, Y. K.; Gei, Y.; Ren, S; Roth, J. E.; Miller, D. A.; Harris, J. S.

2006-01-01

Silicon is the dominant semiconductor for electronics, but there is now a growing need to integrate such component with optoelectronics for telecommunications and computer interconnections. Silicon-based optical modulators have recently been successfully demonstrated but because the light modulation mechanisms in silicon are relatively weak, long (for example, several millimeters) devices or sophisticated high-quality-factor resonators have been necessary. Thin quantum-well structures made from III-V semiconductors such as GaAs, InP and their alloys exhibit the much stronger Quantum-Confined Stark Effect (QCSE) mechanism, which allows modulator structures with only micrometers of optical path length. Such III-V materials are unfortunately difficult to integrate with silicon electronic devices. Germanium is routinely integrated with silicon in electronics, but previous silicon-germanium structures have also not shown strong modulation effects. Here we report the discovery of the QCSE, at room temperature, in thin germanium quantum-well structures grown on silicon. The QCSE here has strengths comparable to that in III-V materials. Its clarity and strength are particularly surprising because germanium is an indirect gap semiconductor, such semiconductors often display much weak optical effects than direct gap materials (such as the III-V materials typically used for optoelectronics). This discovery is very promising for small, high-speed, low-power optical output devices fully compatible with silicon electronics manufacture. (author)

Carbides crystalline structure of AISI M2 high-speed steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serna, M.M.; Galego, E.; Rossi, J.L.

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the crystallographic structure of the extracted carbides of AISI M2 steel spray formed The structure determination of these carbides. The structure determination of these carbides is a very hard work. Since these structures were formed by atom migration it is not possible to reproduce them by a controlled process with a determined chemical composition. The solution of this problem is to obtain the carbide by chemical extraction from the steel. (Author)

Ternary carbide uranium fuels for advanced reactor design applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knight, Travis; Anghaie, Samim

1999-01-01

Solid-solution mixed uranium/refractory metal carbides such as the pseudo-ternary carbide, (U, Zr, Nb)C, hold significant promise for advanced reactor design applications because of their high thermal conductivity and high melting point (typically greater than 3200 K). Additionally, because of their thermochemical stability in a hot-hydrogen environment, pseudo-ternary carbides have been investigated for potential space nuclear power and propulsion applications. However, their stability with regard to sodium and improved resistance to attack by water over uranium carbide portends their usefulness as a fuel for advanced terrestrial reactors. An investigation into processing techniques was conducted in order to produce a series of (U, Zr, Nb)C samples for characterization and testing. Samples with densities ranging from 91% to 95% of theoretical density were produced by cold pressing and sintering the mixed constituent carbides at temperatures as high as 2650 K. (author)

Structure and thermal expansion of NbC complex carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatsinskaya, I.M.; Chaporova, I.N.; Cheburaeva, R.F.; Samojlov, A.I.; Logunov, A.V.; Ignatova, I.A.; Dodonova, L.P.

1983-01-01

Alloying dependences of the crystal lattice parameters at indoor temperature and coefficient of thermal linear exspansion within a 373-1273 K range are determined for complex NbC-base carbides by the method of mathematical expemental design. It is shown that temperature changes in the linear expansion coefficient of certain complex carbides as distinct from NbC have an anomaly (minimum) within 773-973 K caused by occurring reversible phase transformations. An increase in the coefficient of thermal linear expansion and a decrease in hardness of NbC-base tungsten-, molybdenum-, vanadium- and hafnium-alloyed carbides show a weakening of a total chemical bond in the complex carbides during alloying

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

Low temperature study of nonstoichiometric titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashmetov, M.Yu.

2005-05-01

By low temperature neutron diffraction method was studied structure in nonstoichiometric titanium carbide from room temperature up to 12K. It is found of low temperature phase in titanium carbide- TiC 0.71 . It is established region and borders of this phase. It is determined change of unit cell parameter. (author)

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.

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.

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.

Tantalum and niobium carbides obtention by carbothermic reduction of columbotantalite ores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordo, E.; Garcia-Carcedo, F.; Torralba, J.M.

1998-01-01

Tantalum and niobium carbides are characterized by its high hardness and chemical corrosion resistance. Both carbides, but mainly TaC, are used in hard metals (sintered carbides), together with their carbides, to manufacture cutting tools and dies in special machining applications involving mechanical shock at high temperature. Its use as reinforcement of wear resistant materials through powder metallurgy techniques are being investigated. However, the use of TaC is usually limited because of its high cost. Therefore tantalum carbide with niobium content, which is cheaper, is used. In this work the obtention of complex tantalum and niobium carbides from a Spanish columbotantalite ore is studied through relatively cheap and simple process as it is carbothermic reduction. Concentration of the ore, its reduction and the characterization of products are described. (Author) 11 refs

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.

Extreme-Environment Silicon-Carbide (SiC) Wireless Sensor Suite

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jie

2015-01-01

Phase II objectives: Develop an integrated silicon-carbide wireless sensor suite capable of in situ measurements of critical characteristics of NTP engine; Compose silicon-carbide wireless sensor suite of: Extreme-environment sensors center, Dedicated high-temperature (450 deg C) silicon-carbide electronics that provide power and signal conditioning capabilities as well as radio frequency modulation and wireless data transmission capabilities center, An onboard energy harvesting system as a power source.

Oxide film assisted dopant diffusion in silicon carbide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tin, Chin-Che, E-mail: cctin@physics.auburn.ed [Department of Physics, Auburn University, Alabama 36849 (United States); Mendis, Suwan [Department of Physics, Auburn University, Alabama 36849 (United States); Chew, Kerlit [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Atabaev, Ilkham; Saliev, Tojiddin; Bakhranov, Erkin [Physical Technical Institute, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, 700084 Tashkent (Uzbekistan); Atabaev, Bakhtiyar [Institute of Electronics, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, 700125 Tashkent (Uzbekistan); Adedeji, Victor [Department of Chemistry, Geology and Physics, Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina 27909 (United States); Rusli [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

2010-10-01

A process is described to enhance the diffusion rate of impurities in silicon carbide so that doping by thermal diffusion can be done at lower temperatures. This process involves depositing a thin film consisting of an oxide of the impurity followed by annealing in an oxidizing ambient. The process uses the lower formation energy of silicon dioxide relative to that of the impurity-oxide to create vacancies in silicon carbide and to promote dissociation of the impurity-oxide. The impurity atoms then diffuse from the thin film into the near-surface region of silicon carbide.

Oxide film assisted dopant diffusion in silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tin, Chin-Che; Mendis, Suwan; Chew, Kerlit; Atabaev, Ilkham; Saliev, Tojiddin; Bakhranov, Erkin; Atabaev, Bakhtiyar; Adedeji, Victor; Rusli

2010-01-01

A process is described to enhance the diffusion rate of impurities in silicon carbide so that doping by thermal diffusion can be done at lower temperatures. This process involves depositing a thin film consisting of an oxide of the impurity followed by annealing in an oxidizing ambient. The process uses the lower formation energy of silicon dioxide relative to that of the impurity-oxide to create vacancies in silicon carbide and to promote dissociation of the impurity-oxide. The impurity atoms then diffuse from the thin film into the near-surface region of silicon carbide.

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

Study on the performance of fuel elements with carbide and carbide-nitride fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovchenko, Yu.M.; Davydov, E.F.; Maershin, A.A.

1985-01-01

Characteristics, test conditions and basic results of material testing of fuel elements with carbide and carbonitride fuel irradiated in the BOR-60 reactor up to 3-10% burn-up at specific power rate of 55-70 kW/m and temperatures of the cladding up to 720 deg C are described. Increase of cladding diameter is stated mainly to result from pressure of swelling fuel. The influence of initial efficient porosity of the fuel on cladding deformation and fuel stoichiometry on steel carbonization is considered. Utilization of carbide and carbonitride fuel at efficient porosity of 20% at the given test modes is shown to ensure their operability up to 10% burn-up

Formation mechanism of spheroidal carbide in ultra-low carbon ductile cast iron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin-guo Fu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The formation mechanism of the spheroidal carbide in the ultra-low carbon ductile cast iron fabricated by the metal mold casting technique was systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the spheroidal carbide belonged to eutectic carbide and crystallized in the isolated eutectic liquid phase area. The formation process of the spheroidal carbide was related to the contact and the intersection between the primary dendrite and the secondary dendrite of austenite. The oxides of magnesium, rare earths and other elements can act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for the spheroidal carbide. It was also found that the amount of the spheroidal carbide would increase with an increase in carbon content. The cooling rate has an important influence on the spheroidal carbide under the same chemical composition condition.

Highly thermal conductive carbon fiber/boron carbide composite material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiba, Akio; Suzuki, Yasutaka; Goto, Sumitaka; Saito, Yukio; Jinbo, Ryutaro; Ogiwara, Norio; Saido, Masahiro.

1996-01-01

In a composite member for use in walls of a thermonuclear reactor, if carbon fibers and boron carbide are mixed, since they are brought into contact with each other directly, boron is reacted with the carbon fibers to form boron carbide to lower thermal conductivity of the carbon fibers. Then, in the present invention, graphite or amorphous carbon is filled between the carbon fibers to provide a fiber bundle of not less than 500 carbon fibers. Further, the surface of the fiber bundle is coated with graphite or amorphous carbon to suppress diffusion or solid solubilization of boron to carbon fibers or reaction of them. Then, lowering of thermal conductivity of the carbon fibers is prevented, as well as the mixing amount of the carbon fiber bundles with boron carbide, a sintering temperature and orientation of carbon fiber bundles are optimized to provide a highly thermal conductive carbon fiber/boron carbide composite material. In addition, carbide or boride type short fibers, spherical graphite, and amorphous carbon are mixed in the boron carbide to prevent development of cracks. Diffusion or solid solubilization of boron to carbon fibers is reduced or reaction of them if the carbon fibers are bundled. (N.H.)

Design, Fabrication and Performance of Boron-Carbide Control Elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brammer, H.A.; Jacobson, J.

1964-01-01

A control blade design, incorporating boron-carbide (B 4 C) in stainless-steel tubes, was introduced into service in boiling water reactors in April 1961. Since that time this blade has become the standard reference control element in General Electric boiling-water reactors, replacing the 2% boron-stainless-steel blades previously used. The blades consist of a sheathed, cruciform array of small vertical stainless-steel tubes filled with compácted boron-carbide powder. The boron-carbide powder is confined longitudinally into several independent compartments by swaging over ball bearings located inside the tubes. The development and use of boron-carbide control rods is discussed in five phases: 1. Summary of experience with boron-steel blades and reasons for transition to boron-carbide control; 2. Design of the boron-carbide blade, beginning with developmental experiments, including early measurements performed in the AEC ''Control Rod Material and Development Program'' at the Vallecitos Atomic Laboratory, through a description of the final control blade configuration; 3. Fabrication of the blades and quality control procedures; 4. Results of confirmatory pre-operational mechanical and reactivity testing; and 5. Post-operational experience with the blades, including information on the results of mechanical inspection and reactivity testing after two years of reactor service. (author) [fr

Elastic modulus and fracture of boron carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollenberg, G.W.; Walther, G.

1978-12-01

The elastic modulus of hot-pressed boron carbide with 1 to 15% porosity was measured at room temperature. K/sub IC/ values were determined for the same porosity range at 500 0 C by the double torsion technique. The critical stress intensity factor of boron carbide with 8% porosity was evaluated from 25 to 1200 0 C

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

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.

Iron Carbides in Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Theoretical and Experimental Understanding in Epsilon-Iron Carbide Phase Assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xing-Wu; Cao, Zhi; Zhao, Shu; Gao, Rui

2017-01-01

As active phases in low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis for liquid fuel production, epsilon iron carbides are critically important industrial materials. However, the precise atomic structure of epsilon iron carbides remains unclear, leading to a half-century of debate on the phase assignment of the ε-Fe 2 C and ε’-Fe 2.2 C. Here, we resolve this decades-long question by a combining theoretical and experimental investigation to assign the phases unambiguously. First, we have investigated the equilibrium structures and thermal stabilities of ε-Fe x C, (x = 1, 2, 2.2, 3, 4, 6, 8) by first-principles calculations. We have also acquired X-ray diffraction patterns and Mössbauer spectra for these epsilon iron carbides, and compared them with the simulated results. These analyses indicate that the unit cell of ε-Fe 2 C contains only one type of chemical environment for Fe atoms, while ε’-Fe 2.2 C has six sets of chemically distinct Fe atoms.

Reduction of metal oxides in metal carbide fusion superheated with plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hedai, L

1981-01-01

A significant part of metals is capable of binding a high quantity of carbon in the form of carbide. The carbide fusion produced as a result of smelting and superheating, metal carbides with the use of plasma might be a medium to be utilized for the reduction of different metal oxides, whilst also the original carbide structure of the metal carbides will be reduced to metallic structure. The experiments conducted by making use of plasma equipment, of 20, 55 and 100 kW performances are described. On the basis of the results of the experiments performed, the following statements are to be made. The oxide reductions taking place in the metal carbide fusion might also be carried out in open-hearth furnaces, because reducing atmosphere is not necessitated during this procedure. The quantity of energy required is basically defined by the energy needed for smelting and superheating the metal carbide. The method for producing the metal described may be mainly applied for the allied production of high-purity steels as well as for that of ferro-alloys.

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) ...

Electrical Manipulation of Donor Spin Qubits in Silicon and Germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Sigillito, Anthony James

Many proposals for quantum information devices rely on electronic or nuclear spins in semiconductors because of their long coherence times and compatibility with industrial fabrication processes. One of the most notable qubits is the electron spin bound to phosphorus donors in silicon, which offers coherence times exceeding seconds at low temperatures. These donors are naturally isolated from their environments to the extent that silicon has been coined a "semiconductor vacuum". While this makes for ultra-coherent qubits, it is difficult to couple two remote donors so quantum information proposals rely on high density arrays of qubits. Here, single qubit addressability becomes an issue. Ideally one would address individual qubits using electric fields which can be easily confined. Typically these schemes rely on tuning a donor spin qubit onto and off of resonance with a magnetic driving field. In this thesis, we measure the electrical tunability of phosphorus donors in silicon and use the extracted parameters to estimate the effects of electric-field noise on qubit coherence times. Our measurements show that donor ionization may set in before electron spins can be sufficiently tuned. We therefore explore two alternative options for qubit addressability. First, we demonstrate that nuclear spin qubits can be directly driven using electric fields instead of magnetic fields and show that this approach offers several advantages over magnetically driven spin resonance. In particular, spin transitions can occur at half the spin resonance frequency and double quantum transitions (magnetic-dipole forbidden) can occur. In a second approach to realizing tunable qubits in semiconductors, we explore the option of replacing silicon with germanium. We first measure the coherence and relaxation times for shallow donor spin qubits in natural and isotopically enriched germanium. We find that in isotopically enriched material, coherence times can exceed 1 ms and are limited by a

The valve effect of the carbide interlayer of an electric resistance plug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakomskii, V.

1998-01-01

The welded electric resistance plug (ERP) usually contains a carbide interlayer at the plug-carbon material interface. The interlayer forms during welding the contact metallic alloy with the carbon material when the oxide films of the alloy are reduced on the interface surface by carbon to the formation of carbides and the surface layer of the plug material dissolves carbon to saturation. Subsequently, during solidification of the plug material it forms carbides with the alloy components. The structural composition of the carbide interlayer is determined by the chemical composition of the contact alloy. In alloys developed by the author and his colleagues the carbide forming elements are represented in most cases by silicon and titanium and, less frequently, by chromium and manganese. Therefore, the carbide interlayers in the ERP consisted mainly of silicon and titanium carbides

Production of silicon carbide bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkinson, K.

1981-01-01

A body consisting essentially of a coherent mixture of silicon carbide and carbon for subsequent siliconising is produced by casting a slip comprising silicon carbide and carbon powders in a porous mould. Part of the surface of the body, particularly internal features, is formed by providing within the mould a core of a material which retains its shape while casting is in progress but is compressed by shrinkage of the cast body as it dries and is thereafter removable from the cast body. Materials which are suitable for the core are expanded polystyrene and gelatinous products of selected low elastic modulus. (author)

High yield silicon carbide prepolymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baney, R.H.

1982-01-01

Prepolymers which exhibit good handling properties, and are useful for preparing ceramics, silicon carbide ceramic materials and articles containing silicon carbide, are polysilanes consisting of 0 to 60 mole% (CH 3 ) 2 Si units and 40 to 100 mole% CH 3 Si units, all Si valences being satisfied by CH 3 groups, other Si atoms, or by H atoms, the latter amounting to 0.3 to 2.1 weight% of the polysilane. They are prepared by reducing the corresponding chloro- or bromo-polysilanes with at least the stoichiometric amount of a reducing agent, e.g. LiAlH 4 . (author)

Iron Carbides and Nitrides: Ancient Materials with Novel Prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Zhantong; Zhang, Peng; Lei, Xiang; Wang, Xiaobai; Zhao, Nan; Yang, Hua

2018-02-07

Iron carbides and nitrides have aroused great interest in researchers, due to their excellent magnetic properties, good machinability and the particular catalytic activity. Based on these advantages, iron carbides and nitrides can be applied in various areas such as magnetic materials, biomedical, photo- and electrocatalysis. In contrast to their simple elemental composition, the synthesis of iron carbides and nitrides still has great challenges, particularly at the nanoscale, but it is usually beneficial to improve performance in corresponding applications. In this review, we introduce the investigations about iron carbides and nitrides, concerning their structure, synthesis strategy and various applications from magnetism to the catalysis. Furthermore, the future prospects are also discussed briefly. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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...

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.

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.

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.

Microhardness and grain size of disordered nonstoichiometric titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipatnikov, V.N.; Zueva, L.V.; Gusev, A.I.

1999-01-01

Effect of the disordered nonstoichiometric titanium carbide on its microhardness and grain size is studied. It is established that decrease in defectiveness of carbon sublattice of disordered carbide is accompanied by microhardness growth and decrease in grain size. Possible causes of the TiC y microhardness anomalous behaviour in the area 0.8 ≤ y ≤ 0.9 connected with plastic deformation mechanism conditioned by peculiarities of the electron-energetic spectrum of nonstoichiometric carbide are discussed [ru

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.

Active carbon supported molybdenum carbides for higher alcohols synthesis from syngas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Qiongxiao; Chiarello, Gian Luca; Christensen, Jakob Munkholt

This work provides an investigation of the high pressure CO hydrogenation to higher alcohols on K2CO3 promoted active carbon supported molybdenum carbide. Both activity and selectivity to alcohols over supported molybdenum carbides increased significantly compared to bulk carbides in literatures...

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

Growth and structure of carbide nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieber, C.M.; Wong, E.W.; Dai, H.; Maynor, B.W.; Burns, L.D.

1996-01-01

Recent research on the growth and structure of carbide nanorods is reviewed. Carbide nanorods have been prepared by reacting carbon nanotubes with volatile transition metal and main group oxides and halides. Using this approach it has been possible to obtain solid carbide nanorods of TiC, SiC, NbC, Fe 3 C, and BC x having diameters between 2 and 30 nm and lengths up to 20 microm. Structural studies of single crystal TiC nanorods obtained through reactions of TiO with carbon nanotubes show that the nanorods grow along both [110] and [111] directions, and that the rods can exhibit either smooth or saw-tooth morphologies. Crystalline SiC nanorods have been produced from reactions of carbon nanotubes with SiO and Si-iodine reactants. The preferred growth direction of these nanorods is [111], although at low reaction temperatures rods with [100] growth axes are also observed. The growth mechanisms leading to these novel nanomaterials have also been addressed. Temperature dependent growth studies of TiC nanorods produced using a Ti-iodine reactant have provided definitive proof for a template or topotactic growth mechanism, and furthermore, have yielded new TiC nanotube materials. Investigations of the growth of SiC nanorods show that in some cases a catalytic mechanism may also be operable. Future research directions and applications of these new carbide nanorod materials are discussed

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.)

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.).

Thermionic emission of cermets made of refractory carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samsonow, G.W.; Bogomol, I.W.; Ochremtschuk, L.N.; Podtschernjajewa, I.A.; Fomenko, W.S.

1975-01-01

In order to improve the resistance to thermal variations of refractory carbides having good behavior for thermionic emission, they have been combined with transition metals d. Thermionic emission was studied with cermets in compact samples. Following systems were examined: TiC-Nb, TiC-Mo, TiC-W, ZrC-Nb, ZrC-Mo, ZrC-W, WC-Mo with compositions of: 75% M 1 C-25% M 2 , 50%M 1 C-50%M 2 , 25%M 1 C-75%M 2 . When following the variation of electron emission energy phi versus the composition, it appears that in the range of mixed crystals (M 1 M 2 )C, phi decreases and the resistance to thermal variations of these phases is higher than that of individual carbides. The study of obtained cermets shows that their resistance to thermal variations is largely superior to the one of starting carbides; TiC and ZrC carbides, combined with molybdenum and tungsten support the highest number of thermic cycles

Silicon carbide microsystems for harsh environments

CERN Document Server

Wijesundara, Muthu B J

2011-01-01

Silicon Carbide Microsystems for Harsh Environments reviews state-of-the-art Silicon Carbide (SiC) technologies that, when combined, create microsystems capable of surviving in harsh environments, technological readiness of the system components, key issues when integrating these components into systems, and other hurdles in harsh environment operation. The authors use the SiC technology platform suite the model platform for developing harsh environment microsystems and then detail the current status of the specific individual technologies (electronics, MEMS, packaging). Additionally, methods

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.

Flexural strength of proof-tested and neutron-irradiated silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Price, R. J.; Hopkins, G. R.

1982-08-01

Proof testing before service is a valuable method for ensuring the reliability of ceramic structures. Silicon carbide has been proposed as a very low activation first-wall and blanket structural material for fusion devices, where it would experience a high flux of fast neutrons. Strips of three types of silicon carbide were loaded in four-point bending to a stress sufficient to break about a third of the specimens. Groups of 16 survivors were irradiated to 2 × 10 26n/ m2 ( E>0.05 MeV) at 740°C and bend tested to failure. The strength distribution of chemically vapor-deposited silicon carbide (Texas Instruments) was virtually unchanged by irradiation. The mean strength of sintered silicon carbide (Carborundum Alpha) was reduced 34% by irradiation, while the Weibull modulus and the truncated strength distribution characteristic of proof-tested material were retained. Irradiation reduced the mean strength of reaction-bonded silicon carbide (Norton NC-430) by 58%, and the spread in strength values was increased. We conclude that for the chemically vapor-deposited and the sintered silicon carbide the benefits of proof testing to eliminate low strength material are retained after high neutron exposures.

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

Laser deposition of carbide-reinforced coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerri, W.; Martinella, R.; Mor, G.P.; Bianchi, P.; D'Angelo, D.

1991-01-01

CO 2 laser cladding with blown powder presents many advantages: fusion bonding with the substrate with low dilution, metallurgical continuity in the metallic matrix, high solidification rates, ease of automation, and reduced environmental contamination. In the present paper, laser cladding experimental results using families of carbides (tungsten and titanium) mixed with metallic alloys are reported. As substrates, low alloy construction steel (AISI 4140) (austenitic stainless steel) samples have been utilized, depending on the particular carbide reinforcement application. The coating layers obtained have been characterized by metallurgical examination. They show low dilution, absence of cracks, and high abrasion resistance. The WC samples, obtained with different carbide sizes and percentages, have been characterized with dry and rubber wheel abrasion tests and the specimen behaviour has been compared with the behaviour of materials used for similar applications. The abrasion resistance proved to be better than that of other widely used hardfacing materials and the powder morphology have a non-negligible influence on the tribological properties. (orig.)

Atom-vacancy ordering and magnetic susceptibility of nonstoichiometric hafnium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusev, A.I.; Zyryanova, A.N.

1999-01-01

Experimental results on magnetic susceptibility of nonstoichiometric hafnium carbide HfC y (0.6 0.71 , HfC 0.78 and HfC 0.83 in the range of 870-930 K the anomalies are revealed which are associated with superstructure short-range ordering in a non-metallics sublattice. It is shown that a short-range order in HfC 0.71 and HfC 0.78 carbides corresponds to Hf 3 C 2 ordered phase, and in HfC 0.83 carbide - to Hf 6 C 5 ordered phase. HfC 0.78 carbide is found to possesses zero magnetic susceptibility in temperature range 910-980 K [ru

MC Carbide Characterization in High Refractory Content Powder-Processed Ni-Based Superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Antonov, Stoichko; Chen, Wei; Huo, Jiajie; Feng, Qiang; Isheim, Dieter; Seidman, David N.; Sun, Eugene; Tin, Sammy

2018-04-01

Carbide precipitates in Ni-based superalloys are considered to be desirable phases that can contribute to improving high-temperature properties as well as aid in microstructural refinement of the material; however, they can also serve as crack initiation sites during fatigue. To date, most of the knowledge pertaining to carbide formation has originated from assessments of cast and wrought Ni-based superalloys. As powder-processed Ni-based superalloys are becoming increasingly widespread, understanding the different mechanisms by which they form becomes increasingly important. Detailed characterization of MC carbides present in two experimental high Nb-content powder-processed Ni-based superalloys revealed that Hf additions affect the resultant carbide morphologies. This morphology difference was attributed to a higher magnitude of elastic strain energy along the interface associated with Hf being soluble in the MC carbide lattice. The composition of the MC carbides was studied through atom probe tomography and consisted of a complex carbonitride core, which was rich in Nb and with slight Hf segregation, surrounded by an Nb carbide shell. The characterization results of the segregation behavior of Hf in the MC carbides and the subsequent influence on their morphology were compared to density functional theory calculations and found to be in good agreement, suggesting that computational modeling can successfully be used to tailor carbide features.

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

Advanced technologies of production of cemented carbides and composite materials based on them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondarenko, V.; Pavlotskaya, E.; Martynova, L.; Epik, I.

2001-01-01

The paper presents new technological processes of production of W, WC and (Ti, W)C powders, cemented carbides having a controlled carbon content, high-strength nonmagnetic nickel-bonded cemented carbides, cemented carbide-based composites having a wear-resistant antifriction working layer as well as processes of regeneration of cemented carbide waste. It is shown that these technological processes permit radical changes in the production of carbide powders and products of VK, TK, VN and KKhN cemented carbides. The processes of cemented carbide production become ecologically acceptable and free of carbon black, the use of cumbersome mixers is excluded, the power expenditure is reduced and the efficiency of labor increases. It becomes possible to control precisely the carbon content within a two-phase region -carbide-metal. A high wear resistance of parts of friction couples which are lubricated with water, benzine, kerosene, diesel fuel and other low-viscosity liquids, is ensured with increased strength and shock resistance. (author)

Diamond dispersed cemented carbide produced without using ultra high pressure equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriguchi, H.; Tsuzuki, K.; Ikegaya, A.

2001-01-01

We have developed a composite material of dispersed diamond particles in cemented carbide without using ultra high pressure equipment. The developed diamond dispersed cemented carbide combines the excellent properties of cemented carbide with diamond and also provides 1.5 times improved fracture toughness over that of cemented carbide. They also show 10 times higher wear resistance over that of cemented carbide in a wear resistance test against bearing steel, and 5 times greater grindability than diamond compacts. Because ultra high pressure equipment is not used to produce the developed material, large compacts over 100 mm in diameter can be manufactured. The developed material showed 10-25 times higher wear resistance in real use as wear-resistant tools such as centerless blades and work-rests. (author)

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

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.)

Fission product phases in irradiated carbide fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewart, F.T.; Sharpe, B.M.; Taylor, R.G.

1975-09-01

Oxide fuels have been widely adopted as 'first charge' fuels for demonstration fast reactors. However, because of the improved breeding characteristics, carbides are being investigated in a number of laboratories as possible advanced fuels. Irradiation experiments on uranium and mixed uranium-plutonium carbides have been widely reported but the instances where segregate phases have been found and subjected to electron probe analysis are relatively few. Several observations of such segregate phases have now been made over a period of time and these are collected together in this document. Some seven fuel pins have been examined. Two of the irradiations were in thermal materials testing reactors (MTR); the remainder were experimental assemblies of carbide gas bonded oxycarbide and sodium bonded oxycarbide in the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR). All fuel pins completed their irradiation without failure. (author)

Present status of uranium-plutonium mixed carbide fuel development for LMFBRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Handa, Muneo; Suzuki, Yasufumi

1984-01-01

The feature of carbide fuel is that it has the doubling time as short as about 13 years, that is, close to one half as compared with oxide fuel. The development of the carbide fuel in the past 10 years has been started in amazement. Especially in the program of new fuel development in USA started in 1974, He and Na bond fuel attained the burnup of 16 a/o without causing the breaking of cladding tubes. In 1984, the irradiation of the assembly composed of 91 fuel pins in the FFTF is expected. On the other hand in Japan, the fuel research laboratory was constructed in 1974 in the Oarai Laboratory, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, to carry out the studies on carbide fuel. In the autumn of 1982, two carbide fuel pins with different chemical composition have been successfully made. Accordingly, the recent status of the development is explained. The uranium-plutonium mixed carbide fuel is suitable to liquid metal-cooled fast breeder reactors because of large heat conductivity and the high density of nuclear fission substances. The thermal and nuclear characteristics of carbide fuel, the features of the reactor core using carbide fuel, the chemical and mechanical interaction of fuel and cladding tubes, the selection of bond materials, the manufacturing techniques for the fuel, the development of the analysis code for fuel behavior, and the research and development of carbide fuel in Japan are described. (Kako, I.)

stabilization of ikpayongo laterite with cement and calcium carbide

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF EKWUEME

Laterite obtained from Ikpayongo was stabilized with 2-10 % cement and 2-10 % Calcium Carbide waste, for use .... or open dumping which have effect on surface and ... Table 1: Chemical Composition of Calcium Carbide Waste and Cement.

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

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.

Corrosion behavior of porous chromium carbide in supercritical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Ziqiang; Chen Weixing; Zheng Wenyue; Guzonas, Dave

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Corrosion behavior of porous Cr 3 C 2 in various SCW conditions was investigated. ► Cr 3 C 2 is stable in SCW at temperature below 420–430 °C. ► Cracks and disintegration were observed at elevated testing temperatures. ► Degradation of Cr 3 C 2 is related to the intermediate product CrOOH. - Abstract: The corrosion behavior of highly porous chromium carbide (Cr 3 C 2 ) prepared by a reactive sintering process was characterized at temperatures ranging from 375 °C to 625 °C in a supercritical water environment with a pressure of 25–30 MPa. The test results show that porous chromium carbide is stable in SCW environments at temperatures under 425 °C, above which disintegration occurred. The porous carbide was also tested under hydrothermal conditions of pressures between 12 MPa and 50 MPa at constant temperatures of 400 °C and 415 °C, respectively. The pressure showed little effect on the stability of chromium carbide in the tests at those temperatures. The mechanism of disintegration of chromium carbide in SCW environments is discussed.

Mixed Uranium/Refractory Metal Carbide Fuels for High Performance Nuclear Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knight, Travis; Anghaie, Samim

2002-01-01

Single phase, solid-solution mixed uranium/refractory metal carbides have been proposed as an advanced nuclear fuel for advanced, high-performance reactors. Earlier studies of mixed carbides focused on uranium and either thorium or plutonium as a fuel for fast breeder reactors enabling shorter doubling owing to the greater fissile atom density. However, the mixed uranium/refractory carbides such as (U, Zr, Nb)C have a lower uranium densities but hold significant promise because of their ultra-high melting points (typically greater than 3700 K), improved material compatibility, and high thermal conductivity approaching that of the metal. Various compositions of (U, Zr, Nb)C were processed with 5% and 10% metal mole fraction of uranium. Stoichiometric samples were processed from the constituent carbide powders, while hypo-stoichiometric samples with carbon-to-metal (C/M) ratios of 0.92 were processed from uranium hydride, graphite, and constituent refractory carbide powders. Processing techniques of cold uniaxial pressing, dynamic magnetic compaction, sintering, and hot pressing were investigated to optimize the processing parameters necessary to produce high density (low porosity), single phase, solid-solution mixed carbide nuclear fuels for testing. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate and characterize the performance of these mixed uranium/refractory metal carbides for high performance, ultra-safe nuclear reactor applications. (authors)

Properties of cemented carbides alloyed by metal melt treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisovsky, A.F.

2001-01-01

The paper presents the results of investigations into the influence of alloying elements introduced by metal melt treatment (MMT-process) on properties of WC-Co and WC-Ni cemented carbides. Transition metals of the IV - VIll groups (Ti, Zr, Ta, Cr, Re, Ni) and silicon were used as alloying elements. It is shown that the MMT-process allows cemented carbides to be produced whose physico-mechanical properties (bending strength, fracture toughness, total deformation, total work of deformation and fatigue fracture toughness) are superior to those of cemented carbides produced following a traditional powder metallurgy (PM) process. The main mechanism and peculiarities of the influence of alloying elements added by the MMT-process on properties of cemented carbides have been first established. The effect of alloying elements on structure and substructure of phases has been analyzed. (author)

Medium temperature reaction between lanthanide and actinide carbides and hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, G.; Lorenzelli, R.; Pascard, R.

1964-01-01

Hydrogen is fixed reversibly by the lanthanide and actinide mono carbides in the range 25 - 400 C, as for pure corresponding metals. Hydrogen goes into the carbides lattice through carbon vacancies and the total fixed amount is approximately equal to two hydrogen atoms per initial vacancy. Final products c.n thus be considered as carbo-hydrides of general formula M(C 1-x , H 2x ). The primitive CFC, NaCl type, structure remains unchanged but expands strongly in the case of actinide carbides. With lanthanide carbides, hydrogenation induces a phase transformation with reappearance of the metal structure (HCP). Hydrogen decomposition pressures of all the studied carbo-hydrides are greater than those of the corresponding di-hydrides. (authors) [fr

On the carbide formation in high-carbon stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujahid, M.; Qureshi, M.I.

1996-01-01

Stainless steels containing high Cr as well as carbon contents in excess of 1.5 weight percent have been developed for applications which require high resistance erosion and environmental corrosion. Formation of carbides is one of important parameters for controlling properties of these materials especially erosion characteristics. Percent work includes the study of different type of carbides which from during the heat treatment of these materials. It has been found that precipitation of secondary carbides and the nature of matrix transformation plays an important role in determining the hardness characteristics of these materials. (author)

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

Sintering of nano crystalline α silicon carbide by doping with boron ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sinterable nano silicon carbide powders of mean particle size (37 nm) were prepared by attrition milling and chemical processing of an acheson type alpha silicon carbide having mean particle size of 0.39 m (390 nm). Pressureless sintering of these powders was achieved by addition of boron carbide of 0.5 wt% together ...

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.

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).

Recovery of pure slaked lime from carbide sludge: Case study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adaobi

Carbide sludge is the by-product of reaction between calcium carbide and water in the production of ... soluble in water. The optimum percentage yield was 78.2% at a ratio of 1:1000(w/v) of sludge to water held for 24 h at room temperature. Key words: Carbide, recovery, ..... calcium carbonate and other calcium products.

Evaluation of titanium carbide metal matrix composites deposited via laser cladding

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanaugh, Daniel Thomas

Metal matrix composites have been widely studied in terms of abrasion resistance, but a particular material system may behave differently as particle size, morphology, composition, and distribution of the hardening phase varies. The purpose of this thesis was to understand the mechanical and microstructural effects of combining titanium carbide with 431 series stainless steel to create a unique composite via laser cladding, particularly regarding wear properties. The most predominant effect in increasing abrasion resistance, measured via ASTM G65, was confirmed to be volume fraction of titanium carbide addition. Macrohardness was directly proportional to the amount of carbide, though there was an overall reduction in individual particle microhardness after cladding. The reduction in particle hardness was obscured by the effect of volume fraction carbide and did not substantially contribute to the wear resistance changes. A model evaluating effective mean free path of the titanium carbide particles was created and correlated to the measured data. The model proved successful in linking theoretical mean free path to overall abrasion resistance. The effects of the titanium carbide particle distributions were limited, while differences in particle size were noticeable. The mean free path model did not correlate well with the particle size, but it was shown that the fine carbides were completely removed by the coarse abrasive particles in the ASTM G65 test. The particle morphology showed indications of influencing the wear mode, but no statistical reduction was observed in the volume loss figures. Future studies may more specifically focus on particle morphology or compositional effects of the carbide particles.

Thermodynamic analysis of thermal plasma process of composite zirconium carbide and silicon carbide production from zircon concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostic, Z.G.; Stefanovic, P.Lj.; Pavlovic; Pavlovic, Z.N.; Zivkovic, N.V.

2000-01-01

Improved zirconium ceramics and composites have been invented in an effort to obtain better resistance to ablation at high temperature. These ceramics are suitable for use as thermal protection materials on the exterior surfaces of spacecraft, and in laboratory and industrial environments that include flows of hot oxidizing gases. Results of thermodynamic consideration of the process for composite zirconium carbide and silicon carbide ultrafine powder production from ZrSiO 4 in argon thermal plasma and propane-butane gas as reactive quenching reagents are presented in the paper. (author)

Dilatometry Analysis of Dissolution of Cr-Rich Carbides in Martensitic Stainless Steels

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qiuliang; Volkova, Olena; Biermann, Horst; Mola, Javad

2017-12-01

The dissolution of Cr-rich carbides formed in the martensitic constituent of a 13 pct Cr stainless steel was studied by dilatometry and correlative electron channeling contrast examinations. The dissolution of carbides subsequent to the martensite reversion to austenite was associated with a net volume expansion which in turn increased the dilatometry-based apparent coefficient of thermal expansion (CTEa) during continuous heating. The effects of carbides fraction and size on the CTEa variations during carbides dissolution are discussed.

Carbide-reinforced metal matrix composite by direct metal deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Novichenko, D.; Thivillon, L.; Bertrand, Ph.; Smurov, I.

Direct metal deposition (DMD) is an automated 3D laser cladding technology with co-axial powder injection for industrial applications. The actual objective is to demonstrate the possibility to produce metal matrix composite objects in a single-step process. Powders of Fe-based alloy (16NCD13) and titanium carbide (TiC) are premixed before cladding. Volume content of the carbide-reinforced phase is varied. Relationships between the main laser cladding parameters and the geometry of the built-up objects (single track, 2D coating) are discussed. On the base of parametric study, a laser cladding process map for the deposition of individual tracks was established. Microstructure and composition of the laser-fabricated metal matrix composite objects are examined. Two different types of structures: (a) with the presence of undissolved and (b) precipitated titanium carbides are observed. Mechanism of formation of diverse precipitated titanium carbides is studied.

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

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.

The preparation of titanium-vanadium carbide/nickel cermets. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Precht, W.; Sprissler, B.

1976-01-01

Titanium/vanadium alloy carbide rods were prepared by a zone melting procedure. Wetting studies were carried out using sections of the fused rods and candidate matrix material. It was established that nickel exhibits excellent wetting of (Ti, V) C, and accordingly cermet blends were prepared and liquid phase sintered. Processing parameters are discussed as well as their effect on the final microstructure. Alternate methods for cermet preparation are offered which use as received titanium carbide and vanadium carbide powders

Carbide Transformation in Haynes 230 during Long-term Exposure at High Temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ho Jung; Kim, Hyunmyung; Hong, Sunghoon; Jang, Changheui

2014-01-01

Long-term aging behaviors of a solid solution hardened Ni-base superalloy, Haynes 230 at high temperature have not been fully investigated yet. In this study, long-term aging tests of Haynes 230 was carried out to evaluate microstructure changes especially in carbide evolution. In addition, its consequential effects on tensile property such as tensile strength and elongation were discussed. In Haynes 230, a nucleation of the secondary carbides was dominant at 800 .deg. C ageing while growth at 900 .deg. C ageing. In addition, after aging at 800 .deg. C, transition of primary W-rich M 6 C carbides (break down) were observed and it showed high W content (up to 70 at.% W) compared to un-aged W-rich M 6 C carbides (around 30 at.% W). Coarsened Cr- and Ni-rich phase surrounded by carbide depleted region and high W-rich M 6 C carbide along the grain boundary were formed only at 900 .deg. C after long-term exposure above 10000 h. Tensile strength of aged Haynes 230 increased at 800 .deg. C while decreased at 900 .deg. C due to the formation of secondary carbide within the grains at 800 .deg. C. Decrease in elongation would be resulted from the coarsened and continuous carbides at the grain boundary as well as Cr- and Ni-rich phase along the grain boundary

Microstructural evaluation of the NbC-20Ni cemented carbides during sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, D.; Cannizza, E.

2016-01-01

Full text: Fine carbides in a metallic matrix (binder) form the microstructure of the cemented carbides. Grain size and binder content are the main variables to adjust hardness and toughness. These products are produced by Powder Metallurgy, and traditional route involves mixing carbides with binder by high energy milling, pressing and sintering. During sintering, a liquid phase promotes densification, and a final relative density higher than 99% is expected. Sintering is carried out at high temperatures, and dissolution of the carbides changes the chemical composition of the binder. To control grain growth of the main carbide, which reduces hardness, small quantities of secondary carbides are used. These additives limit dissolution and precipitation of the main carbides reducing the final grain size. This paper focused the structural and chemical evolution during sintering using NbC-20Ni cermets. Mixtures of very fine NbC carbides and carbonyl Ni powders were produce by intense milling. These mixtures were pressed using uniaxial pressures from 50 to 200MPa. Shrinkage was evaluated using dilatometric measurements under an atmosphere of dynamic argon. Samples were also sintered under vacuum in high temperature industrial furnace. The sintered samples were characterized in terms of density hardness, toughness and microstructure. DRX was the main tool used to evaluate the structural evolution of the binder. In situ chemical analysis helped to understand the dissolution mechanisms. (author)

stabilization of ikpayongo laterite with cement and calcium carbide

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF EKWUEME

the stabilization of soil will ensure economy in road construction, while providing an effective way of disposing calcium carbide waste. KEYWORDS: Cement, Calcium carbide waste, Stabilization, Ikpayongo laterite, Pavement material. INTRODUCTION. Road building in the developing nations has been a major challenge to ...

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.

Calculation of vapour pressures over mixed carbide fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joseph, M.; Mathews, C.K.

1988-01-01

Vapour pressure over the uranium-plutonium mixed carbide (Usub(l-p) Pusub(p C) was calculated in the temperature range of 1300-9000 for various compositions (p=0.1 to 0.7). Effects of variation of the sesquicarbide content were also studied. The principle of corresponding states was applied to UC and mixed carbides to obtain the equation of state. (author)

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

Doping of germanium telluride with bismuth tellurides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrikosov, N.Kh.; Karpinskij, O.G.; Makalatiya, T.Sh.; Shelimova, L.E.

1981-01-01

Effect of germanium telluride doping with bismuth fellurides (Bi 2 Te 3 ; BiTe; Bi 2 Te) on phase transition temperature, lattice parameters and electrophysical properties of alloys is studied. It is shown that in alloys of GeTe-Bi 2 Te 3 (BiTe)(Bi 2 Te) cross sections solid solution of GeTe with Bi 2 Te 3 , characterized by deviation from stoichiometry, and germanium in the second phase the quantity of which increases during the transition from GeTe-Bi 2 Te 3 cross section to GeTe-Bi 2 Te are in equilibrium. Lower values of holes concentration and of electric conductivity and higher values of thermo e.m.f. coefficient in comparison with alloys of GeTe-Bi 2 Te 3 cross section with the same bismuth content are characterized for GeTe-Bi 2 Te cross section alloys. It is shown that in the range of GeTe-base solid solution the α→γ phase transformation which runs trough the two-phase region (α→γ) is observed with tellurium content increase. Extension of α-phase existence region widens with the bismuth content increase. Peculiarities of interatomic interaction in GeTe-base solid solutions with isovalent and heterovalent cation substitution are considered [ru

Development of Gradient Cemented Carbides Through ICME Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yong; Peng, Yingbiao; Zhang, Weibin; Chen, Weimin; Zhou, Peng; Xie, Wen; Cheng, Kaiming; Zhang, Lijun; Wen, Guanghua; Wang, Shequan

An integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) including CALPHAD method is a powerful tool for materials process optimization and alloy design. The quality of CALPHAD-type calculations is strongly dependent on the quality of the thermodynamic and diffusivity databases. The development of a thermodynamic database, CSUTDCC1, and a diffusivity database, CSUDDCC1, for cemented carbides is described. Several gradient cemented carbides sintered under vacuum and various partial pressures of N2 have been studied via experiment and simulation. The microstructure and concentration profile of the gradient zones have been investigated via SEM and EPMA. Examples of ICME applications in design and manufacture for different kinds of cemented carbides are shown using the databases and comparing where possible against experimental data, thereby validating its accuracy.

Three-point bending fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Anhai; Zhao, Jun; Wang, Dong; Gao, Xinliang; Tang, Hongwei

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Mechanical fatigue tests were conducted on a specific designed jig. ► Three-point bending fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides was studied. ► Fatigue mechanisms of WC–Co cemented carbides with different WC grain sizes and Co binder contents were revealed. -- Abstract: WC–Co cemented carbides with different WC grain sizes and Co binder contents were sintered and fabricated. The three-point bending specimens with a single edge notch were prepared for tests. In the experiments, the mechanical properties of materials were investigated under static and cyclic loads (20 Hz) in air at room temperature. The fatigue behaviors of the materials under the same applied loading conditions are presented and discussed. Optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the micro-mechanisms of damage during fatigue, and the results were used to correlate with the mechanical fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides. Experimental results indicated that the fatigue fracture surfaces exhibited more fracture origins and diversification of crack propagation paths than the static strength fracture surfaces. The fatigue fracture typically originates from inhomogeneities or defects such as micropores or aggregates of WC grains near the notch tip. Moreover, due to the diversity and complexity of the fatigue mechanisms, together with the evolution of the crack tip and the ductile deformation zone, the fatigue properties of WC–Co cemented carbides were largely relevant with the combination of transverse rupture strength and fracture toughness, rather than only one of them. Transverse rupture strength dominated the fatigue behavior of carbides with low Co content, whilst the fatigue behavior of carbides with high Co content was determined by fracture toughness.

Stress in tungsten carbide-diamond like carbon multilayer coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pujada, B.R.; Tichelaar, F.D.; Janssen, G.C.A.M.

2007-01-01

Tungsten carbide-diamond like carbon (WC-DLC) multilayer coatings have been prepared by sputter deposition from a tungsten-carbide target and periodic switching on and off of the reactive acetylene gas flow. The stress in the resulting WC-DLC multilayers has been studied by substrate curvature.

Morphology study of refractory carbide powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavrda, J.; Blazhikova, Ya.

1982-01-01

Refractory carbides were investigated using JSM-U3 electron microscope of Joelco company at 27 KV accelerating voltage. Some photographs of each powder were taken with different enlargements to characterise the sample upon the whole. It was shown that morphological and especially topographic study of powders enables to learn their past history (way of fabrication and treatment). The presence of steps of compact particle fractures and cracks is accompanied by occurence of fine dispersion of carbides subjected to machining after facrication. On the contrary, the character of crystallographic surfaces and features of surface growth testify to the way of crystallization

Improvements in or relating to the preparation for storage of fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bacci, M.; Price, M.S.T.

1976-01-01

The described method of preparing waste fission products for storage comprises forming the liquid waste into solid particles and then coating the particles with an impervious, heat conducting and mechanically strong material. The coating is preferably formed by at least one layer of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, germanium nitride, tungsten carbide, zirconium carbide or alumina. It may be necessary to provide an initial layer of a material that will adhere to the particle and to the coating, for example pyrolytic carbon. An example of application of the method is described. The coated particles may be subsequently dispersed in a matrix of a thermal conducting material, which may be a carbonaceous material, silicon carbide or stainless steel. (U.K.)

Separation of Nuclear Fuel Surrogates from Silicon Carbide Inert Matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baney, Ronald

2008-01-01

The objective of this project has been to identify a process for separating transuranic species from silicon carbide (SiC). Silicon carbide has become one of the prime candidates for the matrix in inert matrix fuels, (IMF) being designed to reduce plutonium inventories and the long half-lives actinides through transmutation since complete reaction is not practical it become necessary to separate the non-transmuted materials from the silicon carbide matrix for ultimate reprocessing. This work reports a method for that required process

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)

Hydrotreatment activities of supported molybdenum nitrides and carbides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolce, G.M.; Savage, P.E.; Thompson, L.T. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1997-05-01

The growing need for alternative sources of transportation fuels encourages the development of new hydrotreatment catalysts. These catalysts must be active and more hydrogen efficient than the current commercial hydrotreatment catalysts. Molybdenum nitrides and carbides are attractive candidate materials possessing properties that are comparable or superior to those of commercial sulfide catalysts. This research investigated the catalytic properties of {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-supported molybdenum nitrides and carbides. These catalysts were synthesized via temperature-programmed reaction of supported molybdenum oxides with ammonia or methane/hydrogen mixtures. Phase constituents and compositions were determined by X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, and neutral activation analysis. Oxygen chemisorption was used to probe the surface properties of the catalysts. Specific activities of the molybdenum nitrides and carbides were competitive with those of a commercial sulfide catalyst for hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), hydrodesulfurization (HDS), and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). For HDN and HDS, the catalytic activity on a molybdenum basis was a strong inverse function of the molybdenum loading. Product distributions of the HDN, HDO and HDS of a variety of heteroatom compounds indicated that several of the nitrides and carbides were more hydrogen efficient than the sulfide catalyst. 35 refs., 8 figs., 7 tabs.

Influence of nanometric silicon carbide on phenolic resin composites ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. This paper presents a preliminary study on obtaining and characterization of phenolic resin-based com- posites modified with nanometric silicon carbide. The nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating nanometric silicon carbide (nSiC) into phenolic resin at 0.5, 1 and 2 wt% contents using ultrasonication to ...

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

Electrocatalysis on tungsten carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleischmann, R.

1975-01-01

General concepts of electrocatalysis, the importance of the equilibrium rest potential and its standardization on polished WC-electrodes, the influence of oxygen in the catalysts upon the oxidation of hydrogen, and the attained results of the hydrogen oxidation on tungsten carbide are treated. (HK) [de

Structure and single-phase regime of boron carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emin, D.

1988-01-01

The boron carbides are composed of twelve-atom icosahedral clusters which are linked by direct covalent bonds and through three-atom intericosahedral chains. The boron carbides are known to exist as a single phase with carbon concentrations from about 8 to about 20 at. %. This range of carbon concentrations is made possible by the substitution of boron and carbon atoms for one another within both the icosahedra and intericosahedral chains. The most widely accepted structural model for B 4 C (the boron carbide with nominally 20% carbon) has B/sub 11/C icosahedra with C-B-C intericosahedral chains. Here, the free energy of the boron carbides is studied as a function of carbon concentration by considering the effects of replacing carbon atoms within B 4 C with boron atoms. It is concluded that entropic and energetic considerations both favor the replacement of carbon atoms with boron atoms within the intericosahedral chains, C-B-C→C-B-B. Once the carbon concentration is so low that the vast majority of the chains are C-B-B chains, near B/sub 13/C 2 , subsequent substitutions of carbon atoms with boron atoms occur within the icosahedra, B/sub 11/C→B/sub 12/. Maxima of the free energy occur at the most ordered compositions: B 4 C,B/sub 13/C 2 ,B/sub 14/C. This structural model, determined by studying the free energy, agrees with that previously suggested by analysis of electronic and thermal transport data. These considerations also provide an explanation for the wide single-phase regime found for boron carbides

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 ...

Single-Event Effects in Silicon Carbide Power Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Casey, Megan C.; LaBel, Kenneth A.; Ikpe, Stanley; Topper, Alyson D.; Wilcox, Edward P.; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony M.

2015-01-01

This report summarizes the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program Silicon Carbide Power Device Subtask efforts in FY15. Benefits of SiC are described and example NASA Programs and Projects desiring this technology are given. The current status of the radiation tolerance of silicon carbide power devices is given and paths forward in the effort to develop heavy-ion single-event effect hardened devices indicated.

Estimation of sesqui-carbide fraction for MARK-I fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vana Varamban, S.; Ananthasivan, K.

2016-01-01

Sesqui-carbide content of FBTR bi-phasic mixed carbide is specified as 5-20 wt.%. For each batch of fuel production, the sesqui-carbide (M2C3) content is being determined by a K-ratio method using XRD information. There is a need to evolve an alternate method for qualitative determination of M2C3 content for a fabricated FBTR fuel pellet. Two independent approaches resulted in a correlation between overall carbon content and the M2C3 phase fraction. The thermodynamic calculations agree well with the stoichiometric correlation between the overall carbon content and the M2C3 phase fraction in FBTR MARK I fuel

Carbide coated fibers in graphite-aluminum composites

Science.gov (United States)

Imprescia, R. J.; Levinson, L. S.; Reiswig, R. D.; Wallace, T. C.; Williams, J. M.

1975-01-01

The NASA-supported program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) to develop carbon fiber-aluminum matrix composites is described. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was used to uniformly deposit thin, smooth, continuous coats of TiC on the fibers of graphite tows. Wet chemical coating of fibers, followed by high-temperature treatment, was also used, but showed little promise as an alternative coating method. Strength measurements on CVD coated fiber tows showed that thin carbide coats can add to fiber strength. The ability of aluminum alloys to wet TiC was successfully demonstrated using TiC-coated graphite surfaces. Pressure-infiltration of TiC- and ZrC-coated fiber tows with aluminum alloys was only partially successful. Experiments were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of carbide coats on carbon as barriers to prevent reaction between alluminum alloys and carbon. Initial results indicate that composites of aluminum and carbide-coated graphite are stable for long periods of time at temperatures near the alloy solidus.

Effect of carbides on the creep properties of a Ni-base superalloy M963

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, L.Z.; Zheng, Q.; Sun, X.F.; Guan, H.R.; Hu, Z.Q.; Tieu, A.K.; Lu, C.; Zhu, H.T.

2005-01-01

Effect of carbides on the creep properties of a cast Ni-base superalloy M963 tested at 800 and 900 deg. C over a broad stress range has been investigated. Correlation between the carbides and creep properties of the alloy is enabled through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). During high temperature creep tests, the primary MC carbide decomposes sluggishly and a large amount of secondary carbides precipitate. The cubic and acicular M 6 C carbide precipitates at the dendritic core region. Extremely fine chromium-rich M 23 C 6 carbide precipitates preferentially at grain boundaries. The M 6 C and M 23 C 6 carbides are found to be beneficial to the creep properties of the alloy. At lower temperature (800 deg. C), the interface of MC carbide with matrix is one of the principal sites for crack initiation. At higher temperature (900 deg. C), the oxidation and the precipitation of μ phase are the main factors for significant loss in creep strength of the alloy

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.

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

Corrosion behaviour of porous chromium carbide/oxide based ceramics in supercritical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Z.; Xin, T.; Chen, W.; Zheng, W.; Guzonas, D.

2011-01-01

Porous chromium carbide with a high density of open pores was fabricated by a reactive sintering method. Chromium oxide ceramics were obtained by re-oxidizing the porous chromium carbides formed. Some samples were added with yttria at 5 wt. %, prior to reactive sintering to form porous structures. Corrosion tests in SCW were performed at temperatures ranging from 375 o C to 625 o C with a fixed pressure at around 25∼30 MPa. The results show that chromium carbide is stable in SCW environments at temperatures up to 425 o C, above which disintegration of carbides through oxidation occurs. Porous chromium oxide samples show better corrosion resistance than porous chromium carbide, but disintegrate in SCW at around 625 o C. Among all the samples tested, chromium oxide ceramics with added yttria exhibited much better corrosion resistance compared with the pure chromium carbide/oxides. No evidence of weight change or disintegration of porous chromium oxides with 5 wt % added yttria was observed after exposure at 625 o C in SCW for 600 hours. (author)

Colloidal characterization of ultrafine silicon carbide and silicon nitride powders

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Pamela K.; Feke, Donald L.

1986-01-01

The effects of various powder treatment strategies on the colloid chemistry of aqueous dispersions of silicon carbide and silicon nitride are examined using a surface titration methodology. Pretreatments are used to differentiate between the true surface chemistry of the powders and artifacts resulting from exposure history. Silicon nitride powders require more extensive pretreatment to reveal consistent surface chemistry than do silicon carbide powders. As measured by titration, the degree of proton adsorption from the suspending fluid by pretreated silicon nitride and silicon carbide powders can both be made similar to that of silica.

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

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.

Chemical, mechanical, and tribological properties of pulsed-laser-deposited titanium carbide and vanadium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krzanowski, J.E.; Leuchtner, R.E.

1997-01-01

The chemical, mechanical, and tribological properties of pulsed-laser-deposited TiC and VC films are reported in this paper. Films were deposited by ablating carbide targets using a KrF (λ = 248 nm) laser. Chemical analysis of the films by XPS revealed oxygen was the major impurity; the lowest oxygen concentration obtained in a film was 5 atom%. Oxygen was located primarily on the carbon sublattice of the TiC structure. The films were always substoichiometric, as expected, and the carbon in the films was identified primarily as carbidic carbon. Nanoindentation hardness tests gave values of 39 GPa for TiC and 26 GPa for VC. The friction coefficient for the TiC films was 0.22, while the VC film exhibited rapid material transfer from the steel ball to the substrate resulting in steel-on-steel tribological behavior

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

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

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

The impact of the presence on global markets of calcium carbide originating from China on other industry role players: the case of sa calcium carbide (PTY LTD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Royce Sitshonile Mazo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research assesses how the presence of calcium carbide originating from China has impacted on the operations of other role players in the industry. SA Calcium Carbide (Pty Ltd. located in Newcastle, South Africa, was used as a case study. The study spanned all markets where the company has a footprint meaning domestically, regionally and internationally. The aim of the study was to discern the extent to which companies like SA Calcium Carbide have been affected by the presence of products from China on the global market with special focus being put on the competitiveness in terms of pricing of products. The study used a survey strategy, and was exploratory in nature. The choice of the survey strategy was motivated by the need to collect both quantitative and qualitative data in order to meet the research objectives. The data was gathered, with an 80 percent response rate, using a questionnaire method from more than 70 current SA Calcium Carbide customers both from the domestic and the export side of the business. In order to consider the different perspectives of the whole scenario, 10 companies involved in either manufacturing or trading of Chinese manufactured calcium carbide were interviewed, some face to face and some telephonically. The study revealed that current customers, who are predominantly from the African continent, buy product from SA Calcium Carbide primarily because of its high quality. It also evident from the results that the export volumes of SA Calcium Carbide were on a gradual downward trend due to loss of market share to Chinese companies

Plastic deformation of particles of zirconium and titanium carbide subjected to vibration grinding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kravchik, A.E.; Neshpor, V.S.; Savel' ev, G.A.; Ordan' yan, S.S.

1976-12-01

A study is made of the influence of stoichiometry on the characteristics of microplastic deformation in powders of zirconium and titanium carbide subjected to vibration grinding. The carbide powders were produced by direct synthesis from the pure materials: metallic titanium and zirconium and acetylene black. As to the nature of their elastic deformation, zirconium and titanium carbides can be considered elastic-isotropic materials. During vibration grinding, the primary fracture planes are the (110) planes. Carbides of nonstoichiometric composition are more brittle.

Preparation of hafnium carbide by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hertz, Dominique.

1974-01-01

Hard, adhesive coatings of single-phase hafnium carbide were obtained by chemical vapor reaction in an atmosphere containing hafnium tetrachloride, methane and a large excess of hydrogen. By varying the gas phase composition and temperature the zones of formation of the different solid phases were studied and the growth of elementary hafnium and carbon deposits evaluated separately. The results show that the mechanism of hafnium carbide deposition does not hardly involve phenomene of homogeneous-phase methane decomposition or tetrachloride reduction by hydrogen unless the atmosphere is very rich or very poor in methane with respect to tetrachloride. However, hydrogen acting inversely on these two reactions, affects the stoichiometry of the substance deposited. The methane decomposition reaction is fairly slow, the reaction leading to hafnium carbide deposition is faster and that of tetrachloride reduction by hydrogen is quite fast [fr

The growth mechanism of grain boundary carbide in Alloy 690

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hui; Xia, Shuang; Zhou, Bangxin; Peng, Jianchao

2013-01-01

The growth mechanism of grain boundary M 23 C 6 carbides in nickel base Alloy 690 after aging at 715 °C was investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The grain boundary carbides have coherent orientation relationship with only one side of the matrix. The incoherent phase interface between M 23 C 6 and matrix was curved, and did not lie on any specific crystal plane. The M 23 C 6 carbide transforms from the matrix phase directly at the incoherent interface. The flat coherent phase interface generally lies on low index crystal planes, such as (011) and (111) planes. The M 23 C 6 carbide transforms from a transition phase found at curved coherent phase interface. The transition phase has a complex hexagonal crystal structure, and has coherent orientation relationship with matrix and M 23 C 6 : (111) matrix //(0001) transition //(111) carbide , ¯ > matrix // ¯ 10> transition // ¯ > carbide . The crystal lattice constants of transition phase are c transition =√(3)×a matrix and a transition =√(6)/2×a matrix . Based on the experimental results, the growth mechanism of M 23 C 6 and the formation mechanism of transition phase are discussed. - Highlights: • A transition phase was observed at the coherent interfaces of M 23 C 6 and matrix. • The transition phase has hexagonal structure, and is coherent with matrix and M 23 C 6 . • The M 23 C 6 transforms from the matrix directly at the incoherent phase interface

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.

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.)

Boron carbide nanostructures: A prospective material as an additive in concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Paviter; Kaur, Gurpreet; Kumar, Rohit; Kumar, Umesh; Singh, Kulwinder; Kumar, Manjeet; Bala, Rajni; Meena, Ramovatar; Kumar, Akshay

2018-05-01

In recent decades, manufacture and ingestion of concrete have increased particularly in developing countries. Due to its low cost, safety and strength, concrete have become an economical choice for protection of radiation shielding material in nuclear reactors. As boron carbide has been known as a neutron absorber material makes it a great candidate as an additive in concrete for shielding radiation. This paper presents the synthesis of boron carbide nanostructures by using ball milling method. The X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope analysis confirms the formation of boron carbide nanostructures. The effect of boron carbide nanostructures on the strength of concrete samples was demonstrated. The compressive strength tests of concrete cube B4C powder additives for 0 % and 5 % of total weight of cement was compared for different curing time period such as 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The high compressive strength was observed when 5 wt % boron carbide nanostructures were used as an additive in concrete samples after 28 days curing time and showed significant improvement in strength.

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)

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

The structure and function of supported molybdenum nitride and molybdenum carbide hydrotreating catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Dolce, Gregory Martin

1997-11-01

A series of gamma-Alsb2Osb3 supported molybdenum nitrides and carbides were prepared by the temperature programmed reaction of supported molybdates with ammonia and methane/hydrogen mixtures, respectively. In the first part of this research, the effects of synthesis heating rates and molybdenum loading on the catalytic properties of the materials were examined. A significant amount of excess carbon was deposited on the surface of the carbides during synthesis. The materials consisted of small particles which were very highly dispersed. Oxygen chemisorption indicated that the nitride particles may have been two-dimensional. The dispersion of the carbides, however, appeared to decrease as the loading increased. The catalysts were evaluated for hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), hydrodesulfurization (HDS), and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). The molybdenum loading had the largest effect on the activity of the materials. For the nitrides, the HDN and HDS activities were inverse functions of the loading. This suggested that the most active HDN and HDS sites were located at the perimeter of the two-dimensional particles. The HDN and HDS activities of the carbides followed the same trend as the oxygen uptake. This result suggested that oxygen titrated the active sites on the supported carbides. Selected catalysts were evaluated for methylcarbazole HDN, dibenzothiophene HDS, and dibenzofuran HDO. The activity and selectivity of the nitrides and carbides were competitive with a presulfided commercial catalyst. In the second part of this work, a series of supported nitrides and carbides were prepared using a wider range of loadings (5-30 wt% Mo). Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the temperature at which excess carbon was deposited on the carbides. By modifying the synthesis parameters, the deposition of excess carbon was effectively inhibited. The dispersions of the supported nitrides and carbides were constant and suggested that the materials consisted of two

Fabrication of diamond-coated germanium ATR prisms for IR-spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Babchenko, Oleg; Kozak, Halyna; Ižák, Tibor; Stuchlík, Jiří; Remeš, Zdeněk; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kromka, Alexander

2016-01-01

Roč. 87, May (2016), 67-73 ISSN 0924-2031 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-01687S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : diamond * low temperature growth * linear antenna microwave plasma * germanium * SEM * FTIR Subject RIV: JI - Composite Materials Impact factor: 1.740, year: 2016

Characterization of Transition Metal Carbide Layers Synthesized by Thermo-reactive Diffusion Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Mads Brink; Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin

2015-01-01

. In this study halide-activated pack cementation techniques were used on tool steel Vanadis 6 and martensitic stainless steel AISI 420 in order to produce hard layers of titanium carbide (TiC), vanadium carbide (V8C7) and chromium carbides (Cr23C6 and Cr7C3). Surface layers were characterized by scanning......Hard wear resistant surface layers of transition metal carbides can be produced by thermo-reactive diffusion processes where interstitial elements from a steel substrate together with external sources of transition metals (Ti, V, Cr etc.) form hard carbide and/or nitride layers at the steel surface...... electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Vickers hardness testing. The study shows that porosityfree, homogenous and very hard surface layers can be produced by thermo-reactive diffusion processes. The carbon availability of the substrate influences thickness of obtained layers, as Vanadis 6 tool steel...

Silicon germanium mask for deep silicon etching

KAUST Repository

Serry, Mohamed

2014-07-29

Polycrystalline silicon germanium (SiGe) can offer excellent etch selectivity to silicon during cryogenic deep reactive ion etching in an SF.sub.6/O.sub.2 plasma. Etch selectivity of over 800:1 (Si:SiGe) may be achieved at etch temperatures from -80 degrees Celsius to -140 degrees Celsius. High aspect ratio structures with high resolution may be patterned into Si substrates using SiGe as a hard mask layer for construction of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and semiconductor devices.

Liquid-helium scintillation detection with germanium photodiodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luke, P.N.; Haller, E.E.; Steiner, H.M.

1982-05-01

Special high-purity germanium photodiodes have been developed for the direct detection of vacuum ultraviolet scintillations in liquid helium. The photodiodes are immersed in the liquid helium, and scintillations are detected through one of the bare sides of the photodiodes. Test results with scintillation photons produced by 5.3-MeV α particles are presented. The use of these photodiodes as liquid-helium scintillation detectors may offer substantial improvements over the alternate detection method requiring the use of wavelength shifters and photomultiplier tubes

Silicon germanium mask for deep silicon etching

KAUST Repository

Serry, Mohamed; Rubin, Andrew; Refaat, Mohamed; Sedky, Sherif; Abdo, Mohammad

2014-01-01

Polycrystalline silicon germanium (SiGe) can offer excellent etch selectivity to silicon during cryogenic deep reactive ion etching in an SF.sub.6/O.sub.2 plasma. Etch selectivity of over 800:1 (Si:SiGe) may be achieved at etch temperatures from -80 degrees Celsius to -140 degrees Celsius. High aspect ratio structures with high resolution may be patterned into Si substrates using SiGe as a hard mask layer for construction of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and semiconductor devices.

The Future of Low Temperature Germanium as Dark Matter Detectors

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

The Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs) represent one of the most attractive candidates for the dark matter in the universe. With the combination of experiments attempting to detect WIMP scattering in the laboratory, of searches for their annihilation in the cosmos and of their potential production at the LHC, the next five years promise to be transformative. I will review the role played so far by low temperature germanium detectors in the direct detection of WIMPs. Because of its high signal to noise ratio, the simultaneous measurement of athermal phonons and ionization is so far the only demonstrated approach with zero-background. I will argue that this technology can be extrapolated to a target mass of the order of a tonne at reasonable cost and can keep playing a leading role, complementary to noble liquid technologies. I will describe in particular GEODM, the proposed Germanium Observatory for Dark Matter at the US Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL).

Research and Development Supporting a Next Generation Germanium Double Beta Decay Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Rielage, Keith; Elliott, Steve; Chu, Pinghan; Goett, Johnny; Massarczyk, Ralph; Xu, Wenqin

2015-10-01

To improve the search for neutrinoless double beta decay, the next-generation experiments will increase in source mass and continue to reduce backgrounds in the region of interest. A promising technology for the next generation experiment is large arrays of Germanium p-type point contact detectors enriched in 76-Ge. The experience, expertise and lessons learned from the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR and GERDA experiments naturally lead to a number of research and development activities that will be useful in guiding a future experiment utilizing Germanium. We will discuss some R&D activities including a hybrid cryostat design, background reduction in cabling, connectors and electronics, and modifications to reduce assembly time. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

Volume reflection and channeling of ultrarelativistic protons in germanium bent single crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Bellucci

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the investigation of volume reflection and channeling processes of ultrarelativistic positive charged particles moving in germanium single crystals. We demonstrate that the choice of atomic potential on the basis of the Hartree-Fock method and the correct choice of the Debye temperature allow us to describe the above mentioned processes in a good agreement with the recent experiments. Moreover, the universal form of equations for volume reflection presented in the paper gives a true description of the process at a wide range of particle energies. Standing on this study we make predictions for the mean angle reflection (as a function of the bending radius of positive and negative particles for germanium (110 and (111 crystallographic planes.

Environmental applications for an intrinsic germanium well detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stegnar, P.; Eldridge, J.S.; Teasley, N.A.; Oakes, T.W.

1984-01-01

The overall performance of an intrinsic germanium well detector for 125 I measurements was investigated in a program of environmental surveillance. Concentrations of 125 I and 131 I were determined in thyroids of road-killed deer showing the highest activities of 125 I in the animals from the near vicinity of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This demonstrates the utility of road-killed deer as a bioindicator for radioiodine around nuclear facilities

Melting point of high-purity germanium stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Gavva, V. A.; Bulanov, A. D.; Kut'in, A. M.; Plekhovich, A. D.; Churbanov, M. F.

2018-05-01

The melting point (Tm) of germanium stable isotopes 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge, 76Ge was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. With the increase in atomic mass of isotope the decrease in Tm is observed. The decrease was equal to 0.15 °C per the unit of atomic mass which qualitatively agrees with the value calculated by Lindemann formula accounting for the effect of "isotopic compression" of elementary cell.

Numerical evaluation of Auger recombination coefficients in relaxed and strained germanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dominici, Stefano [Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 Saint Mary' s Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States); Wen, Hanqing; Bellotti, Enrico [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 Saint Mary' s Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States); Bertazzi, Francesco; Goano, Michele [Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); IEIIT-CNR, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)

2016-05-23

The potential applications of germanium and its alloys in infrared silicon-based photonics have led to a renewed interest in their optical properties. In this letter, we report on the numerical determination of Auger coefficients at T = 300 K for relaxed and biaxially strained germanium. We use a Green's function based model that takes into account all relevant direct and phonon-assisted processes and perform calculations up to a strain level corresponding to the transition from indirect to direct energy gap. We have considered excess carrier concentrations ranging from 10{sup 16} cm{sup −3} to 5 × 10{sup 19} cm{sup −3}. For use in device level simulations, we also provide fitting formulas for the calculated electron and hole Auger coefficients as functions of carrier density.

Determination of free and combined carbon in boron carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shankaran, P.S.; Kulkarni, Amit S.; Pandey, K.L.; Ramanjaneyulu, P.S.; Yadav, C.S.; Sayi, Y.S.; Ramakumar, K.L.

2009-01-01

A simple, sensitive and fast method for the determination of free and combined carbon in boron carbide samples, based on combustion in presence of oxygen at different temperatures, has been developed. Method has been standardized by analyzing mixture of two different boron carbide samples. Error associated with the method in the determination of free carbon is less than 5%. (author)

Structure-Property Relationship in Metal Carbides and Bimetallic Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jingguan [University of Delaware

2014-03-04

The primary objective of our DOE/BES sponsored research is to use carbide and bimetallic catalysts as model systems to demonstrate the feasibility of tuning the catalytic activity, selectivity and stability. Our efforts involve three parallel approaches, with the aim at studying single crystal model surfaces and bridging the “materials gap” and “pressure gap” between fundamental surface science studies and real world catalysis. The utilization of the three parallel approaches has led to the discovery of many intriguing catalytic properties of carbide and bimetallic surfaces and catalysts. During the past funding period we have utilized these combined research approaches to explore the possibility of predicting and verifying bimetallic and carbide combinations with enhanced catalytic activity, selectivity and stability.

Supported molybdenum carbide for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Qiongxiao; Christensen, Jakob Munkholt; Chiarello, Gian Luca

2013-01-01

Molybdenum carbide supported on active carbon, carbon nanotubes, and titanium dioxide, and promoted by K2CO3, has been prepared and tested for methanol and higher alcohol synthesis from syngas. At optimal conditions, the activity and selectivity to alcohols (methanol and higher alcohols) over...... carbide, while the selectivity to methanol follows the opposite trend. The effect of Mo2C loading on the alcohol selectivity at a fixed K/Mo molar ratio of 0.14 could be related to the amount of K2CO3 actually on the active Mo2C phase and the size, structure and composition of the supported carbide...... alcohols is obtained at a K/Mo molar ratio of 0.21 over the active carbon supported Mo2C (20wt%)....

Formation Energies and Electronic Properties of Vanadium Carbides Found in High Strength Steel Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Limmer, Krista; Medvedeva, Julia

2013-03-01

Carbide formation and stabilization in steels is of great interest owing to its effect on the microstructure and properties of the Fe-based alloys. The appearance of carbides with different metal/C ratios strongly depends on the carbon concentration, alloy composition as well as the heat treatment. Strong carbide-forming elements such as Ti, V, and Nb have been used in microalloyed steels; with VC showing an increased solubility in the iron matrix as compared with TiC and NbC. This allows for dissolution of the VC into the steel during heating and fine precipitation during cooling. In addition to VC, the primary vanadium carbide with cubic structure, a wide range of non-stoichiometric compositions VCy with y varying from 0.72 to 0.88, has been observed. This range includes two ordered compounds, V8C7 and V6C5. In this study, first-principles density functional theory (DFT) is employed to examine the stability of the binary carbides by calculating their formation energies. We compare the local structures (atomic coordination, bond distances and angles) and the density of states in optimized geometries of the carbides. Further, the effect of alloying additions, such as niobium and titanium, on the carbide stabilization is investigated. We determine the energetically preferable substitutional atom location in each carbide and study the impurity distribution as well as its role in the carbide formation energy and electronic structure.

Bainite obtaining in cast iron with carbides castings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In these paper the possibility of upper and lower bainite obtaining in cast iron with carbides castings are presented. Conditions, when in cast iron with carbides castings during continuous free air cooling austenite transformation to upper bainite or its mixture with lower bainte proceeds, have been given. A mechanism of this transformation has been given, Si, Ni, Mn and Mo distribution in the eutectic cell has been tested and hardness of tested castings has been determined.

Effect of Cement Replacement with Carbide Waste on the Strength of Stabilized Clay Subgrade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muntohar A.S.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Cement is commonly used for soil stabilization and many other ground improvement techniques. Cement is believed to be very good to improve the compressive and split-tensile strength of clay subgrades. In some application cement could be partly or fully replaced with carbide waste. This research is to study the effectiveness of the cement replacement and to find the maximum carbide waste content to be allowed for a clay subgrade. The quantities of cement replaced with the carbide waste were 30, 50, 70, 90, and 100% by its mass. The results show that replacing the cement with carbide waste decreased both the compressive and split tensile strength. Replacing cement content with carbide waste reduced its ability for stabilization. The carbide waste content should be less than 70% of the cement to provide a sufficient stabilizing effect on a clay subgrade.

Active noise canceling system for mechanically cooled germanium radiation detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Karl Einar; Burks, Morgan T

2014-04-22

A microphonics noise cancellation system and method for improving the energy resolution for mechanically cooled high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detector systems. A classical adaptive noise canceling digital processing system using an adaptive predictor is used in an MCA to attenuate the microphonics noise source making the system more deployable.

Dislocation multiplication rate in the early stage of germanium plasticity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fikar, J.; Dupas, Corinne; Kruml, Tomáš; Jacques, A.; Martin, J. L.

400-401, - (2005), s. 431-434 ISSN 0921-5093. [Dislocations 2004. La Colle-sur-Loup, 13.09.2004-17.09.2004] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2041904 Keywords : dislocation multiplication * germanium * constitutive modelling Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.347, year: 2005

Reactivation properties of carbide slag as a CO{sub 2} sorbent during calcination/carbonation cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yingjie; Sun, Rongyue; Liu, Hongling; Lu, Chunmei [Shandong Univ., Jinan (China). School of Energy and Power Engineering

2013-07-01

The carbide slag from polyvinyl chloride production as industry hazardous wastes was proposed as CO{sub 2} sorbent at high temperature in calcium looping cycle. The cyclic CO{sub 2} capture behavior and the microstructure characteristics of the carbide slag as one of the typical calcium-based industrial wastes during the multiple calcination/carbonation cycles. Also, the comparisons between the carbide slag and the natural limestone in cyclic CO{sub 2} capture behavior were made. XRD analysis demonstrates that the predominating constituent of the carbide slag is Ca(OH){sub 2}. The carbonation temperature ranging from 650 to 700 C is favourable to cyclic carbonation of the carbide slag. The cyclic carbonation conversions of the carbide slag is lower than that of the limestone before a certain time, but the situation is converse after that time in a thermogravimetric analyzer. The carbide slag has better cyclic CO{sub 2} capture capacity. The carbonation conversion of the carbide slag retains 0.28 after 100 calcination/carbonation cycles, while the two limestones achieve 0.08 and 0.14 respectively at the same reaction conditions in a dual fixed-bed reactor. The microstructure of the carbide slag by SEM reveals the reason why it possesses better CO{sub 2} capture capacity.

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

Influence of structures on fracture and fracture toughness of cemented tungsten carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, W.; Zhang, X.

1987-01-01

A study was made of the influence of structures on fracture and fracture toughness of cemented tungsten carbides with different compositions and grain sizes. The measurement of the fracture toughness of cemented tungsten carbide was carried out using single edge notched beam. The microstructural parameters and the proportion for each fracture mode on the fracture surface were obtained. The brittle fracture of the alloy is mainly due to the interfacial decohesion fracture following the interface of the carbide crystals. It has been observed that there are localized fractures region ahead of the crack tip. The morphology of the crack propagation path as well as the slip structure in the cobalt phase of the deformed region have been investigated. In addition, a study of the correlation between the plane strain fracture toughness and microstructural parameters, such as mean free path of the cobalt phase, tungsten carbide grain size and the contiguity of tungsten carbide crystals was also made

TEM investigation of aluminium containing precipitates in high aluminium doped silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong-Leung, J.; FitzGerald, J.D.

2002-01-01

Full text: Silicon carbide is a promising semiconductor material for applications in high temperature and high power devices. The successful growth of good quality epilayers in this material has enhanced its potential for device applications. As a novel semiconductor material, there is a need for studying its basic physical properties and the role of dopants in this material. In this study, silicon carbide epilayers were grown on 4H-SiC wafers of (0001) orientation with a miscut angle of 8 deg at a temperature of 1550 deg C. The epilayers contained regions of high aluminium doping well above the solubility of aluminium in silicon carbide. High temperature annealing of this material resulted in the precipitation of aluminium in the wafers. The samples were analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. Selected area diffraction studies show the presence of aluminium carbide and aluminium silicon carbide phases. Copyright (2002) Australian Society for Electron Microscopy Inc

Features of order-disorder phase transformation in nonstoichiometric transition metals carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emel'yanov, A.N.

1996-01-01

Measurements of temperature and electric conductivity of nonstoichiometric transition metals carbides TiC χ and NbC χ in the area of order-disorder phase transformation are carried out. There are certain peculiarities on the temperature and electric conductivity curves of the carbides, connected with the carbon sublattice disordering. On the basis of the anomalies observed on the curves of the temperature conductivity of nonstoichiometric carbides of transition metals above the temperature of the order-disorder transition the existence of the second structural transition is supposed

Tool steel for cold worck niobium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldenstein, H.

1984-01-01

A tool steel was designed so as to have a microstructure with the matrix similar a cold work tool steel of D series, containing a dispersion of Niobium carbides, with no intention of putting Niobium in solution on the matrix. The alloy was cast, forged and heat treated. The alloy was easily forged; the primary carbide morfology, after forging, was faceted, tending to equiaxed. The hardness obtained was equivalent to the maximum hardness of a D-3 sttel when quenched from any temperature between 950 0 C, and 1200 0 , showing a very small sensitivy to the quenching temperature. (Author) [pt

Hydrogen evolution activity and electrochemical stability of selected transition metal carbides in concentrated phosphoric acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tomás García, Antonio Luis; Jensen, Jens Oluf; Bjerrum, Niels J.

2014-01-01

phosphoric acid were investigated in a temperature range from 80 to 170°C. A significant dependence of the activities on temperature was observed for all five carbide samples. Through the entire temperature range Group 6 metal carbides showed higher activity than that of the Group 5 metal carbides......Alternative catalysts based on carbides of Group 5 (niobium and tantalum) and 6 (chromium, molybdenum and tungsten) metals were prepared as films on the metallic substrates. The electrochemical activities of these carbide electrodes towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in concentrated...

Plasma spraying process of disperse carbides for spraying and facing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blinkov, I.V.; Vishnevetskaya, I.A.; Kostyukovich, T.G.; Ostapovich, A.O.

1989-01-01

A possibility to metallize carbides in plasma of impulsing capacitor discharge is considered. Powders granulation occurs during plasma spraying process, ceramic core being completely capped. X-ray phase and chemical analyses of coatings did not show considerable changes of carbon content in carbides before and after plasma processing. This distinguishes the process of carbides metallization in impulsing plasma from the similar processing in arc and high-frequency plasma generator. Use of powder composites produced in the impulsing capacitor discharge, for plasma spraying and laser facing permits 2-3 times increasing wear resistance of the surface layer as against the coatings produced from mechanical powders mixtures

Broadband antireflective silicon carbide surface produced by cost-effective method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Argyraki, Aikaterini; Ou, Yiyu; Ou, Haiyan

2013-01-01

A cost-effective method for fabricating antireflective subwavelength structures on silicon carbide is demonstrated. The nanopatterning is performed in a 2-step process: aluminum deposition and reactive ion etching. The effect, of the deposited aluminum film thickness and the reactive ion etching...... conditions, on the average surface reflectance and nanostructure landscape have been investigated systematically. The average reflectance of silicon carbide surface is significantly suppressed from 25.4% to 0.05%, under the optimal experimental conditions, in the wavelength range of 390-784 nm. The presence...... of stochastic nanostructures also changes the wetting properties of silicon carbide surface from hydrophilic (47°) to hydrophobic (108°)....

Silver diffusion through silicon carbide in microencapsulated nuclear fuels TRISO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cancino T, F.; Lopez H, E.

2013-10-01

The silver diffusion through silicon carbide is a challenge that has persisted in the development of microencapsulated fuels TRISO (Tri structural Isotropic) for more than four decades. The silver is known as a strong emitter of gamma radiation, for what is able to diffuse through the ceramic coatings of pyrolytic coal and silicon carbide and to be deposited in the heat exchangers. In this work we carry out a recount about the art state in the topic of the diffusion of Ag through silicon carbide in microencapsulated fuels and we propose the role that the complexities in the grain limit can have this problem. (Author)

Simulations of Proton Implantation in Silicon Carbide (SiC)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-31

Simulations of Proton Implantation in Silicon Carbide (SiC) Jonathan P. McCandless, Hailong Chen, Philip X.-L. Feng Electrical Engineering, Case...of implanting protons (hydrogen ions, H+) into SiC thin layers on silicon (Si) substrate, and explore the ion implantation conditions that are...relevant to experimental radiation of SiC layers. Keywords: silicon carbide (SiC); radiation effects; ion implantation ; proton; stopping and range of

Carbon-coated tungsten and molybdenum carbides for electrode of electrochemical capacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morishita, Takahiro; Soneda, Yasushi; Hatori, Hiroaki; Inagaki, Michio

2007-01-01

New electrode materials for electrochemical capacitor, tungsten carbide WC and molybdenum carbide Mo 2 C coated by porous carbon, were prepared through a simple heat treatment of the mixture of K 2 WO 4 and K 2 MoO 4 , respectively, with hydroxy propyl cellulose. Carbide changed to hydroxide during the 1st charge-discharge cycle in H 2 SO 4 aqueous electrolyte, which showed redox reaction in further charge-discharge cycles, in addition to electric double layers of the carbon formed on its surface. The carbon-coated carbide gave a high capacitance in 1 mol L -1 H 2 SO 4 electrolyte, as about 350 F cm -3 for carbon-coated WC and 550-750 F cm -3 for carbon-coated Mo 2 C. Coating of carbon inhibits the growth of carbide particles during their formation, of which the small particle size make possible to complete transformation to hydroxides during the 1st charge-discharge cycle, and also disturbs the agglomeration of tungsten and molybdenum hydroxides during charge-discharge cycles, as well as porous carbon coated act as electrode material for electric double layers of electrolyte ions

Influence of Heat Treatment on Content of the Carbide Phases in the Microstructure of High-Speed Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaworski J.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of investigations of the effect of heat treatment temperature on the content of the carbide phase of HS3-1-2 and HS6-5-2 low-alloy high-speed steel. Analysis of the phase composition of carbides is carried out using the diffraction method. It is determined that with increasing austenitising temperature, the intensification of dissolution of M6C carbide increases. As a result, an increase in the grain size of the austenite and the amount of retained austenite causes a significant reduction in the hardness of hardened steel HS3-1-2 to be observed. The results of diffraction investigations showed that M7C3 carbides containing mainly Cr and Fe carbides and M6C carbides containing mainly Mo and W carbides are dissolved during austenitisation. During austenitisation of HS3-1-2 steel, the silicon is transferred from the matrix to carbides, thus replacing carbide-forming elements. An increase in a degree of tempering leads to intensification of carbide separation and this process reduce the grindability of tested steels.

Effect of carbides on erosion resistance of 23-8-N steel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

8-N nitronic steel, carbides present in the form of bands are observed to accelerate the erosion rate. Coarse ... lar carbides, precipitating at random boundaries, were more likely to ... 23-8-N nitronic steel is basically austenitic stainless steel.

Sintering of nano crystalline α silicon carbide by doping with boron ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

tions, they concluded that either reaction sintering or liquid phase .... α-6H silicon carbide single crystal by three different laboratories ... silicon carbide particles by the overall reaction .... layer displacement is likely to occur in such a manner as.

Quadrupole boson densities in the germanium region by inelastic electron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goutte, D.

1984-08-01

The collective properties of four germanium isotopes have been explored through the measurement of the transition charge densities of the first two 2 + states. Their spatial features and their apparent anomalous behavior is readily explained in the frame of the Interacting Boson Model

Effect of the microstructure on electrical properties of high-purity germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Podkopaev, O. I.; Shimanskii, A. F.; Molotkovskaya, N. O.; Kulakovskaya, T. V.

2013-05-01

The interrelation between the electrical properties and the microstructure of high-purity germanium crystals has been revealed. The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline samples increases and the life-time of nonequilibrium charge carriers in them decreases with a decrease in the crystallite sizes.

Loss-of-flow transient characterization in carbide-fueled LMFBRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothrock, R.B.; Morgan, M.M.; Baars, R.E.; Elson, J.S.; Wray, M.L.

1985-01-01

One of the benefits derived from the use of carbide fuel in advanced Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs) is a decreased vulnerability to certain accidents. This can be achieved through the combination of advanced fuel performance with the enhanced reactivity feedback effects and passive shutdown cooling systems characteristic of the current 'inherently safe' plant concepts. The calculated core response to an unprotected loss of flow (ULOF) accident has frequently been used as a benchmark test of these designs, and the advantages of a high-conductivity fuel in relation to this type of transient have been noted in previous analyses. To evaluate this benefit in carbide-fueled LMFBRs incorporating representative current plant design features, limited calculations have been made of a ULOF transient in a small ('modular') carbide-fueled LMFBR

Carbide precipitation kinetics in austenite of a Nb-Ti-V microalloyed steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Jae-Gil; Park, June-Soo; Kim, Jiyoung; Lee, Young-Kook

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Carbide precipitation kinetic was fastest at 950 deg. C and accelerated by strain. → Nucleation sites for (Nb,Ti)C above 950 deg. C were mainly undissolved (Ti,Nb)(C,N). → Strain enabled (Nb,Ti)C to nucleate on all sides of (Ti,Nb)(C,N) above 950 deg. C. → Strain changed nucleation sites from (Ti,Nb)(C,N) to dislocations below 900 deg. C. → Strain also accelerated the change in particle composition to equilibrium one. - Abstract: The isothermal precipitation kinetics of carbides in both strain-free and strained austenite (γ) of a microalloyed steel were quantitatively investigated through the electrical resistivity and transmission electron microscopy. The (Nb,Ti)C carbides at the interfaces of the undissolved (Ti,Nb)(C,N) carbonitrides were observed at all temperatures in strain-free γ. However, for strain-induced precipitation, above 950 deg. C, the precipitation of (Nb,Ti)C carbides near the undissolved (Ti,Nb)(C,N) carbonitrides was predominant due to the recrystallization of strained γ. Meanwhile, the fine (Nb,Ti,V)C carbides were homogeneously precipitated in non-recrystallized γ at 850 deg. C and 900 deg. C, as well as near the undissolved (Ti,Nb)(C,N) particles. The electrical resistivity method was successfully used to quantitatively measure the isothermal precipitation kinetics of carbides in both strain-free and strained γ. The precipitation-time-temperature diagrams of the carbide in strain-free and strained γ, with nose temperatures of 950 deg. C, were generated and the precipitation kinetics were greatly accelerated by the applied strain.

Carbon in high-purity germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haller, E.E.; Hansen, W.L.; Luke, P.; McMurray, R.; Jarrett, B.

1981-10-01

Using 14 C-spiked pyrolytic graphite-coated quartz crucibles for the growth of nine ultra-pure germanium single crystals, we have determined the carbon content and distribution in these crystals. Using autoradiography, we observe a rapidly decreasing carbon cluster concentration in successively grown crystals. Nuclear radiation detectors made from the crystals measure the betas from the internally decaying 14 C nuclei with close to 100% efficiency. An average value for the total carbon concentration [ 14 C + 12 C] is approx. 2 x 10 14 cm -3 , a value substantially larger than expected from earlier metallurgical studies. Contrary to the most recent measurement, we find the shape of the beta spectrum to agree very well with the statistical shape predicted for allowed transitions

Radiation-electromagnetic effect in germanium monocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikoin, I.K.; Kikoin, L.I.; Lazarev, S.D.

1980-01-01

Experimentally investigated is the radiation-electromagnetic effect (REM) in germanium monocrystals on excitation of excess current carriers by α particles, protons and X-rays in magnetic fields up to 8 kOe. A cyclotron was used as an α particle source, and a standard X-ray tube with a copper anode - as an X-ray source. The e.m.f. of the REM effect linearly increases with the increase of the magnetic field and is proportional to the charged particle flux at small flux values, saturation occurs at great flux values (approximately 5x10 11 part./cm 2 xs). In the 4-40 MeV energy range the e.m.f. of the REM effect practically does not depend on the α particle energy. On irradiation of the samples with a grinding front surface the REM e.m.f. changes its sign. The REM and Hall effect measurement on α particle irradiated samples has shown that during irradiation a p-n transition is formed in the samples, which must be taken into account while studying the REM effect. The e.m.f. measured for the even REM effect quadratically increases with the magnetic field increase. The barrier radiation-voltaic effect (the effect e.m.f. is measured between the irradiated and nonirradiated sample faces) is studied. Using special masks the samples with a set of consecutive p-n transitions are produced by irradiation of germanium crystals by α particles. Investigation of the photovoltaic and photoelectromagnetic effects on such samples has shown that using this method the efficiency of the REM devices can be increased

Investigations on the conditions for obtaining high density boron carbide by sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kislyj, P.S.; Grabtschuk, B.L.

1975-01-01

The results of investigations on kinetics of condensation and mechanisms of mass transfer in the process of sintering of technical, chemically pure and synthesized boron carbide are generalized. Laws on boron carbide densification depending upon temperature, time of isothermic endurance, thermal speed, size of powder particles and variable composition in homogeneity are determined. From the results obtained on condensation kinetics and special experiments on studying the changes in properties after heating under different conditions, the role of dislocation and diffusion processes in mass transfer during boron carbide sintering is exposed. The properties of sintered boron carbide are 15-20% lower than the properties of high-pressed one, that is conditioned by intercrystallite distortion of the first one and transcrystallite of the second one

GeMini: The Next-Generation Mechanically-Cooled Germanium Spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burks, M

2008-11-12

The next-generation mechanically-cooled germanium spectrometer has been developed. GeMini (MINIature GErmanium spectrometer) has been designed to bring high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy to a range of demanding field environments. Intended applications include short-notice inspections, border patrol, port monitoring and emergency response, where positive nuclide identification of radioactive materials is required but power and liquid cryogen are not easily available. GeMini weighs 2.75 kg for the basic instrument and 4.5 kg for the full instrument including user interface and ruggedized hermetic packaging. It is very low power allowing it to operate for 10 hours on a single set of rechargeable batteries. This instrument employs technology adapted from the gamma-ray spectrometer currently flying on NASA's Mercury MESSENGER spacecraft. Specifically, infrared shielding techniques allow for a vast reduction of thermal load. This in turn allows for a smaller, lighter-weight design, well-suited for a hand-held instrument. Three working prototypes have been built and tested in the lab. The measured energy resolution is 3 keV fwhm at 662 keV gamma-rays. This paper will focus on the design and performance of the instrument.

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.)

Germanium-76 Isotope Separation by Cryogenic Distillation. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stohler, Eric

2007-01-01

The current separation method for Germanium isotopes is electromagnetic separation using Calutrons. The Calutrons have the disadvantage of having a low separation capacity and a high energy cost to achieve the separation. Our proposed new distillation method has the advantage that larger quantities of Germanium isotopes can be separated at a significantly lower cost and in a much shorter time. After nine months of operating the column that is 1.5 meter in length, no significant separation of the isotopes has been measured. We conclude that the length of the column we have been using is too short. In addition, other packing material than the 0.16 inch Propak, 316 ss Protruded metal packing that we used in the column, should be evaluated which may have a better separation factor than the 0.16 inch Propak, 316 ss Protruded metal packing that has been used. We conclude that a much longer column - a minimum of 50 feet length - should be built and additional column packing should be tested to verify that isotopic separation can be achieved by cryogenic distillation. Even a longer column than 50 feet would be desirable.

Process for the preparation of fine grain metal carbide powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gortsema, F.P.

1976-01-01

Fine grain metal carbide powders are conveniently prepared from the corresponding metal oxide by heating in an atmosphere of methane in hydrogen. Sintered articles having a density approaching the theoretical density of the metal carbide itself can be fabricated from the powders by cold pressing, hot pressing or other techniques. 8 claims, no drawings

Hafnium carbide formation in oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodenbücher, C. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Hildebrandt, E.; Sharath, S. U.; Kurian, J.; Komissinskiy, P.; Alff, L. [Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institute of Materials Science, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Szot, K. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); University of Silesia, A. Chełkowski Institute of Physics, 40-007 Katowice (Poland); Breuer, U. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Central Institute for Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA-3), 52425 Jülich (Germany); Waser, R. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); RWTH Aachen, Institute of Electronic Materials (IWE 2), 52056 Aachen (Germany)

2016-06-20

On highly oxygen deficient thin films of hafnium oxide (hafnia, HfO{sub 2−x}) contaminated with adsorbates of carbon oxides, the formation of hafnium carbide (HfC{sub x}) at the surface during vacuum annealing at temperatures as low as 600 °C is reported. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy the evolution of the HfC{sub x} surface layer related to a transformation from insulating into metallic state is monitored in situ. In contrast, for fully stoichiometric HfO{sub 2} thin films prepared and measured under identical conditions, the formation of HfC{sub x} was not detectable suggesting that the enhanced adsorption of carbon oxides on oxygen deficient films provides a carbon source for the carbide formation. This shows that a high concentration of oxygen vacancies in carbon contaminated hafnia lowers considerably the formation energy of hafnium carbide. Thus, the presence of a sufficient amount of residual carbon in resistive random access memory devices might lead to a similar carbide formation within the conducting filaments due to Joule heating.

MOVPE growth and characterization of heteroepitaxial germanium on silicon using iBuGe as precursor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Attolini, G. [IMEM-CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37 A, 43124 Parma (Italy); Ponraj, J.S. [University of Information Science and Technology, St Paul the Apostle, Ohrid 6000 (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Frigeri, C.; Buffagni, E.; Ferrari, C. [IMEM-CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37 A, 43124 Parma (Italy); Musayeva, N.; Jabbarov, R. [Research and Development Center for Hi-Technologies, MCIT, Inshaatchilar ave., 2, AZ1073, Baku (Azerbaijan); Institute of Physics, ANAS, H. Javid ave., 33, AZ1143, Baku (Azerbaijan); Bosi, M., E-mail: bosi@imem.cnr.it [IMEM-CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37 A, 43124 Parma (Italy)

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Germanium layer were deposited on silicon substrates. • A novel metal organic precursor (isobutyl germane) was used. • MOVPE growth process was optimized. • Layers were characterized by TEM, XRD; SEM and AFM. - Abstract: Being an attractive and demanding candidate in the field of energy conversion, germanium has attained widespread applications. The present work is aimed at the study of metal organic vapour phase epitaxy of germanium thin films on (0 0 1) silicon at different growth temperatures using isobutyl germane as a precursor. The epilayers were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in order to understand the structural and morphological properties. The films were found to be epitaxially grown and single crystalline with slight misorientation (below 0.1 degrees). The interface between the film and substrate was analyzed in depth and different temperature dependent growth behaviours were evidenced. The major relevant lattice imperfections observed were attributed to planar defects and threading dislocations.

Effects of Germanium Tetrabromide Addition to Zinc Tetraphenyl Porphyrin / Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Suzuki

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The effects of germanium tetrabromide addition to tetraphenyl porphyrin zinc (Zn-TPP/fullerene (C60 bulk heterojunction solar cells were characterized. The light-induced charge separation and charge transfer were investigated by current density and optical absorption. Addition of germanium tetrabromide inserted into active layer of Zn-TPP/C60 as bulk heterojunction had a positive effect on the photovoltaic and optical properties. The photovoltaic mechanism of the solar cells was discussed by experimental results. The photovoltaic performance was due to light-induced exciton promoted by insert of GeBr4 and charge transfer from HOMO of Zn-TPP to LUMO of C60 in the active layer.

Present status of uranium-plutonium mixed carbide fuel development for LMFBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Handa, Muneo; Suzuki, Yasufumi.

One Oarai characteristic of a carbide fuel is that its doubling time is about 13 years which is only about half as long as that of an oxide fuel. The development of carbide fuels in the past ten years has been truly remarkable. Especially, through the new fuel development program initiated in 1974 in the United States, success has been achieved with respect to He- and Na-bond fuels in obtaining a 16 a/o burning rate without damage to cladding tubes. In 1984 at FFTF, a radiation of a fuel assembly consisting 91 fuel pins is contemplated. On the other hand, in Japan, in 1974, a Fuel Research Wing specializing in the study of carbide fuels was constructed in the Oarai Laboratory of the Atomic Energy Research Institute and in the fall of 1982, was successful in fabricating two carbide fuel pins having different chemical compositions

Charge Spreading and Position Sensitivity in a Segmented Planar Germanium Detector (Preprint)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kroeger, R. A; Gehrels, N; Johnson, W. N; Kurfess, J. D; Phlips, B. P; Tueller, J

1998-01-01

The size of the charge cloud collected in a segmented germanium detector is limited by the size of the initial cloud, uniformity of the electric field, and the diffusion of electrons and holes through the detector...

APS- and XPS-investigations of vanadium, vanadium carbide and graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradshaw, A M; Krause, U [Technische Univ. Muenchen (F.R. Germany). Inst. fuer Physikalische Chemie und Theoretische Chemie

1975-11-01

Soft X-ray appearance potential spectroscopy (APS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to study vanadium, vanadium carbide, and graphite. The chemical shifts for vanadium carbide with respect to metallic vanadium and graphite are compared for the two methods. The Csub(K) structure in APS and the valence band in XPS for vanadium carbide show good agreement with the band structure calculations of Neckel and co-workers. Using the band structure calculations of Painter et al. it is also shown how the multi-peak structure in the APS spectrum of graphite is possibly due to density of states effects. It would therefore appear that plasmon coupling plays only a minor role.

Carbides precipitated from the melt in a Zr-2.5 Nb alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piotrkowski, R.; Garcia, E.A.; Vigna, G.L.; Bermudez, S.E.

1993-01-01

An experimental method is presented which leads to the formation of carbides similar in size (3 to 8 microns) and composition to those observed in some pressure tubes of CANDU type reactors. The method is based on melting the Zr-2.5 Nb alloy in a graphite crucible, where isothermal C diffusion in the Zr-Nb melt took place. It can be inferred that the carbides observed in pressure tubes could be originated in high temperature stages of the manufacture process. Otherwise, they could have been incorporated in the Zr sponge. As a result of the diffusion couple Liquid Zr-2.5 Nb/Solid Graphite, a carbide layer, up to 100μm thick, grew attached to the crucible wall, together with carbide particles whose size was in the some microns range. The smallest particles were arranged in rows determined by the prior β phase grains. The main carbide phase detected was the cubic MC 1-x ; the hexagonal M 2 C was also detected; M for metal. (Author)

The chemical vapor deposition of zirconium carbide onto ceramic substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass A, John Jr.; Palmisiano, Nick Jr.; Welsh R, Edward

1999-01-01

Zirconium carbide is an attractive ceramic material due to its unique properties such as high melting point, good thermal conductivity, and chemical resistance. The controlled preparation of zirconium carbide films of superstoichiometric, stoichiometric, and substoichiometric compositions has been achieved utilizing zirconium tetrachloride and methane precursor gases in an atmospheric pressure high temperature chemical vapor deposition system

Self-interstitials and Frenkel pairs in electron-irradiated germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, A.; Jones, R.; Goss, J.; Janke, C.; Coutinho, J.; Oberg, S.; Briddon, P.R.

2007-01-01

First principles calculations were used to study the structures and electrical levels of the self-interstitial in Ge. We considered the possibility of structural changes consequent with change in charge state and show these have important implications in the mobility and electrical activity of the defect. The theoretical model is compared to the results of low temperature electron irradiation in germanium reported in the literature

Helium generation and diffusion in graphite and some carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holt, J.B.; Guinan, M.W.; Hosmer, D.W.; Condit, R.H.; Borg, R.J.

1976-01-01

The cross section for the generation of helium in neutron irradiated carbon was found to be 654 mb at 14.4 MeV and 744 mb at 14.9 MeV. Extrapolating to 14.1 MeV (the fusion reactor spectrum) gives 615 mb. The diffusion of helium in dense polycrystalline graphite and in pyrographite was measured and found to be D = 7.2 x 10 -7 m 2 s -1 exp (-80 kJ/RT). It is assumed that diffusion is primarily in the basal plane direction in crystals of the graphite. In polycrystalline graphite the path length is a factor of √2 longer than the measured distance due to the random orientation mismatch between successive grains. Isochronal anneals (measured helium release as the specimen is steadily heated) were run and maximum release rates were found at 200 0 C in polycrystalline graphite, 1000 0 C in pyrographite, 1350 0 C in boron carbide, and 1350 0 and 2400 0 C (two peaks) in silicon carbide. It is concluded that in these candidates for curtain materials in fusion reactors the helium releases can probably occur without bubble formation in graphites, may occur in boron carbide, but will probably cause bubble formation in silicon carbide. 7 figures

Environmental applications for an intrinsic germanium well detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stegnar, P.; Eldridge, J.S.; Teasley, N.A.; Oakes, T.W.

1984-01-01

The overall performance of an intrinsic germanium well detector for 125 I measurements was investigated in a program of environmental surveillance. Concentrations of 125 I and 131 I were determined in thyroids of road-killed deer showing the highest activities of 125 I in the animals from the near vicinity of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This demonstrates the utility of road-killed deer as a bionindicator for radioiodine around nuclear facilities. 6 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

Environmental applications for an intrinsic germanium well detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stegnar, P.; Eldridge, J.S.; Teasley, N.A.; Oakes, T.W.

1983-01-01

The overall performance of an intrinsic germanium well detector for 125 I measurements was investigated in a program of environmental surveillance. Concentrations of 125 I and 131 I were determined in thyroids of road-killed deer showing the highest activities of 125 I in the animals from the near vicinity of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This demonstrates the utility of road-killed deer as a bioindicator for radioiodine around nuclear facilities. 6 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

Synthesis of carbides of refractory metals in salt melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilyushchenko, N.G.; Anfinogenov, A.I.; Chebykin, V.V.; Chernov, Ya.B.; Shurov, N.I.; Ryaposov, Yu.A.; Dobrynin, A.I.; Gorshkov, A.V.; Chub, A.V.

2003-01-01

The ion-electron melts, obtained through dissolving the alkali and alkali-earth metals in the molten chlorides above the chloride melting temperature, were used for manufacturing the high-melting metal carbides as the transport melt. The lithium, calcium and magnesium chlorides and the mixture of the lithium chloride with the potassium or calcium chloride were used from the alkali or alkali-earth metals. The metallic lithium, calcium, magnesium or the calcium-magnesium mixtures were used as the alkali or alkali-earth metals. The carbon black or sugar was used as carbon. It is shown, that lithium, magnesium or calcium in the molten salts transfer the carbon on the niobium, tantalum, titanium, forming the carbides of the above metals. The high-melting metal carbides are obtained both from the metal pure powders and from the oxides and chlorides [ru

Effect of electroslag remelting on carbides in 8Cr13MoV martensitic stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qin-tian; Li, Jing; Shi, Cheng-bin; Yu, Wen-tao

2015-11-01

The effect of electroslag remelting (ESR) on carbides in 8Cr13MoV martensitic stainless steel was experimentally studied. Phases precipitated from liquid steel during solidification were calculated using the Thermo-Calc software. The carbon segregation was analyzed by original position analysis (OPA), and the carbides were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that more uniform carbon distribution and less segregation were obtained in the case of samples subjected to the ESR process. After ESR, the amount of netty carbides decreased significantly, and the chromium and vanadium contents in the grain-boundary carbides was reduced. The total area and average size of carbides were obviously smaller after the ESR process. In the sample subjected to ESR, the morphology of carbides changed from lamellar and angular to globular or lump, whereas the types of carbides did not change; both M23C6 and M7C3 were present before and after the ESR process.

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

Nonmetal effect on ordering structures in titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashmetov, M.Yu.; Ehm, V.T.; Savenko, B.M.

1997-01-01

The effect of oxygen and nitrogen atoms on formation of intermediate, cubic and trigonal ordering structures in the titanium carbide is studied through the roentgenography and neutron radiography methods. Metal atoms in the TiC 0.545 O 0.08 , TiC 0.545 N 0.09 samples under study are shifted from ideal positions in the direction from vacancies to metalloid atoms. In the intermediate cubic phase the values of the titanium atoms free parameter in both samples are identical, but they differ from analogous values in the titanium carbide

Pilot production of 325 kg of uranium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clozet, C.; Dessus, J.; Devillard, J.; Guibert, M.; Morlot, G.

1969-01-01

This report describes the pilot fabrication of uranium carbide rods to be mounted in bundles and assayed in two channels of the EL 4 reactor. The fabrication process includes: - elaboration of uranium carbide granules by carbothermic reduction of uranium dioxide; - electron bombardment melting and continuous casting of the granules; - machining of the raw ingots into rods of the required dimensions; finally, the rods will be piled-up to make the fuel elements. Both qualitative and quantitative results of this pilot production chain are presented and discussed. (authors) [fr

Nanofibre growth from cobalt carbide produced by mechanosynthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz Barriga-Arceo, L [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Programa de Ingenieria Molecular, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 152, Colonia San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Mexico DF, 07730 (Mexico); Orozco, E [Instituto de Fisica UNAM, Apartado Postal 20-364 CP 01000, DF (Mexico); Garibay-Febles, V [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Programa de Ingenieria Molecular, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 152, Colonia San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Mexico DF, 07730 (Mexico); Bucio-Galindo, L [Instituto de Fisica UNAM, Apartado Postal 20-364 CP 01000, DF (Mexico); Mendoza Leon, H [FM-UPALM, IPN, Apartado Postal 75-395 CP 07300, DF (Mexico); Castillo-Ocampo, P [UAM-Iztapalapa, Apartado Postal 55-334 CP 09340, DF (Mexico); Montoya, A [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Programa de Ingenieria Molecular, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 152, Colonia San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Mexico DF, 07730 (Mexico)

2004-06-09

Mechanical alloying was used to prepare cobalt carbide. Microstructural characterization of samples was performed by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy methods. In order to produce carbon nanotubes, the cobalt carbide was precipitated after heating at 800 and 1000 deg. C for 10 min. Nanofibres of about 10-50 nm in diameter, 0.04-0.1 {mu}m in length and 20-200 nm in diameter and 0.6-1.2 {mu}m in length were obtained after heating at 800 and 1000 deg. C, respectively, by means of this process.

Nanofibre growth from cobalt carbide produced by mechanosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Barriga-Arceo, L; Orozco, E; Garibay-Febles, V; Bucio-Galindo, L; Mendoza Leon, H; Castillo-Ocampo, P; Montoya, A

2004-01-01

Mechanical alloying was used to prepare cobalt carbide. Microstructural characterization of samples was performed by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy methods. In order to produce carbon nanotubes, the cobalt carbide was precipitated after heating at 800 and 1000 deg. C for 10 min. Nanofibres of about 10-50 nm in diameter, 0.04-0.1 μm in length and 20-200 nm in diameter and 0.6-1.2 μm in length were obtained after heating at 800 and 1000 deg. C, respectively, by means of this process

A novel plastification agent for cemented carbides extrusion molding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji-Cheng Zhou; Bai-Yun Huang

2001-01-01

A type of novel plastification agent for plasticizing powder extrusion molding of cemented carbides has been developed. By optimizing their formulation and fabrication method, the novel plastification agent, with excellent properties and uniform distribution characters, were manufactured. The thermal debinding mechanism has been studied, the extruding rheological characteristics and debinding behaviors have been investigated. Using the newly developed plastification agent, the cemented carbides extrusion rods, with diameter up to 25 mm, have been manufactured. (author)

Hall mobility of free charge carriers in highly compensated p-Germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavrilyuk, V.Yi.; Kirnas, Yi.G.; Balakyin, V.D.

2000-01-01

Hall mobility of free charge carriers in initial detectors Ge (Ga) is studied. It is established that an increase in the compensation factor results in the enlargement of Hall mobility in germanium highly compensated by introduction of Li ions during their drift in an electrical field

Structure-performance relations of molybdenum- and tungsten carbide catalysts for deoxygenation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stellwagen, D.R.; Bitter, J.H.

2015-01-01

This work demonstrates for the first time that carbide particle size is a critical factor for the activity and stability of carbon supported tungsten- and molybdenum carbide catalysts in (hydro-)deoxygenation reactions. The stability of the catalyst was shown to increase for larger particles due to

Fabrication of Hydrogenated Amorphous Germanium Thin Layer Film and ItsCharacterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agus-Santoso; Lely-Susita RM; Tjipto-Sujitno

2000-01-01

Fabrication of hydrogenated amorphous Germanium thin film by vacuumevaporation method and then deposition with hydrogen atom by glow dischargeplasma radio frequency has been done. This germanium amorphous (a-Ge) thinfilm involves a lot of dangling bonds in the network due to the irregularityof the atomic structures and it will decrease is conductivity. To improve theband properties of (a-Ge) thin film layer a hydrogenated plasma isintroduced. Process of introducing of the hydrogen into the a-Ge film is meanto reduce the dangling bonds so that the best electric conductivity of a Ge:Hthin film will obtained. To identify the hydrogen atom in the sample acharacterization using infrared spectrometer has been done, as well as themeasurement of conductivity of the samples. From the characterization usinginfrared spectroscopy the existence of hydrogen atom was found at absorptionpeak with wave number 1637.5 cm -1 , while the optimum conductivity of thesample 1634.86 Ω -1 cm -1 was achieved at 343 o K. (author)

Astroparticle physics with a customized low-background broad energy Germanium detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aalseth, Craig E.; Amman, M.; Avignone, Frank T.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Barbeau, P. S.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Bugg, William; Burritt, Tom H.; Busch, Matthew; Capps, Greg L.; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Collar, J. I.; Cooper, R. J.; Creswick, R.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Diaz, J.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, Steven R.; Ely, James H.; Esterline, James H.; Farach, H. A.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fujikawa, Brian; Fuller, Erin S.; Gehman, Victor M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Guiseppe, Vincente; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Harper, Gregory; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Hossbach, Todd W.; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keillor, Martin E.; Keller, C.; Kephart, Jeremy D.; Kidd, Mary; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; Luke, P.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Miley, Harry S.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Myers, Allan W.; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Peterson, David; Phillips, D.; Poon, Alan; Prior, Gersende; Qian, J.; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Rodriguez, Larry; Rykaczewski, Krzysztof P.; Salazar, Harold; Schubert, Alexis G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Swift, Gary; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Van Wechel, T. D.; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolfe, B. A.; Xiang, W.; Yakushev, E.; Yaver, Harold; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir; Zhang, C.; Zimmerman, S.

2011-10-01

The Majorana Collaboration is building the Majorana Demonstrator, a 60 kg array of high purity germanium detectors housed in an ultra-low background shield at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The Majorana Demonstrator will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge while demonstrating the feasibility of a tonne-scale experiment. It may also carry out a dark matter search in the 1-10 GeV/c² mass range. We have found that customized Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors produced by Canberra have several desirable features for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment, including low electronic noise, excellent pulse shape analysis capabilities, and simple fabrication. We have deployed a customized BEGe, the Majorana Low-Background BEGe at Kimballton (MALBEK), in a low-background cryostat and shield at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility in Virginia. This paper will focus on the detector characteristics and measurements that can be performed with such a radiation detector in a low-background environment.

Calibration of Single High Purity Germanium Detector for Whole Body Counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taha, T.M.; Morsi, T.M.

2009-01-01

A new Accuscan II single germanium detector for whole body counter was installed in NRC (Egypt). The current paper concerned on calibration of single high purity germanium detector for whole body counter. Physical parameters affecting on performance of whole body counter such as linearity, minimum detectable activity and source detector distance, SDD were investigated. Counting efficiencies for the detector have been investigated in rear wall, fixed diagnostic position in air. Counting efficiencies for organ compartments such as thyroid, lung, upper and lower gastrointestinal tract have been investigated using transfer phantom in fixed diagnostic and screening positions respectively. The organ compartment efficiencies in screening geometry were higher than that value of diagnostic geometry by a factor of three. The committed dose equivalents of I-131 in thyroid were ranged from 0.073 ± 0.004 to 1.73±0.09 mSv and in lung was 0.02±0.001 mSv

A high resolution germanium detector array for hypernuclear studies at PANDA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bleser, Sebastian; Sanchez Lorente, Alicia; Steinen, Marcell [Helmholtz-Institut Mainz (Germany); Gerl, Juergen; Kojouharova, Jasmina; Kojouharov, Ivan [GSI Darmstadt (Germany); Iazzi, Felice [Politecnico, Torino (Italy); INFN, Torino (Italy); Pochodzalla, Josef; Rittgen, Kai; Sahin, Cihan [Institute for Nuclear Physics, JGU Mainz (Germany)

2014-07-01

The PANDA experiment, planned at the FAIR facility in Darmstadt, aims at the high resolution γ-spectroscopy of double Λ hypernuclei. For this purpose a devoted detector setup is required, consisting of a primary nuclear target, an active secondary target and a germanium detector array for the γ-spectroscopy. Due to the limited space within the PANDA detector a compact design is required. In particular the conventional LN{sub 2} cooling system must be replaced by an electro mechanical device and a new arrangement of the crystals is needed. This presentation shows the progress in the development of the germanium detectors. First results of in-beam measurements at COSY with a new electro mechanically cooled single crystal prototype are presented. Digital pulse shape analysis is used to disentangle pile up events due to the high event rate. This analysis technique also allows to recover the high original energy resolution in case of neutron damage. Finally the status of the new triple crystal detector prototype is given.

Fracture and Residual Characterization of Tungsten Carbide Cobalt Coatings on High Strength Steel

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Parker, Donald S

2003-01-01

Tungsten carbide cobalt coatings applied via high velocity oxygen fuel thermal spray deposition are essentially anisotropic composite structures with aggregates of tungsten carbide particles bonded...

Effect of composition and heat treatment on carbide phases in Ni-Mo alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svistunova, T.V.; Tsvigunov, A.N.; Stegnukhina, L.V.; Sakuta, N.D.

1984-01-01

The investigation results of vanadium, iron, carbon and silicon effect and heat treatment regime on the type and composition of carbides in Ni-(26...31)%Mo alloys are presented. It is shown that type, composition and quantity of carbide phases forming in alloys are determined not only by molybdenum and carbon content, but presence of other elements (V, Fe), admixtures (C, Si) and reducers as well as by regime of thermal treatment. In the alloy, containing 26...31% Mo, 0.01...0.03% C ( 12 C type with a=1.083...1.089 nm lattice parameter, in which V and Ti, Fe and Si are presented besides Mo and Ni. In the temperature range of 600-800 deg C high dispersed carbides segregate on grain boundaries. Silicon initiates segregation of the carbide phases among them by grain boundaries at the temperatures of 800 deg C as well as regulates carbide of M 12 C type with a=1.094...1.098 nm lattice parameter

Mössbauer study of iron carbide nanoparticles produced by laser ablation in alcohols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amagasa, S., E-mail: B115608@ed.tus.ac.jp; Nishida, N. [Tokyo University of Science, Department of Chemistry (Japan); Kobayashi, Y. [The University of Electro-Communications, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering (Japan); Yamada, Y. [Tokyo University of Science, Department of Chemistry (Japan)

2016-12-15

Iron carbide nanoparticles were synthesized by laser ablation of iron in alcohols (methanol and ethanol). A new cell, designed to allow the ablation to be conducted in a flowing solvent, enabled separation and collection of the nanoparticles immediately after production, thus preventing further photochemical reactions of the colloids. The nanoparticles were investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. In methanol, they consisted of α-iron, γ-iron, iron carbide, and amorphous paramagnetic iron carbides, whereas in ethanol they consisted of iron carbides and amorphous paramagnetic iron carbides. The difference in products depending on the alcohol was attributed to the different carbon supplies for methanol and ethanol. For both solvents, the average particle size was found to be 16 nm, and the nanoparticles were dispersed in amorphous carbon. We also examined the effect of further laser irradiation of the colloids using stagnant solvent, and the particle size was found to increase and a very small amount of carbonization was observed.

Direct observations of the vacancy and its annealing in germanium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slotte, J.; Kilpeläinen, S.; Tuomisto, F.

2011-01-01

Weakly n-type doped germanium has been irradiated with protons up to a fluence of 3×1014 cm-2 at 35 K and 100 K in a unique experimental setup. Positron annihilation measurements show a defect lifetime component of 272±4 ps at 35 K in in situ positron lifetime measurements after irradiation at 100...

Survey of post-irradiation examinations made of mixed carbide fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coquerelle, M.

1997-01-01

Post-irradiation examinations on mixed carbide, nitride and carbonitride fuels irradiated in fast flux reactors Rapsodie and DFR were carried out during the seventies and early eighties. In this report, emphasis was put on the fission gas release, cladding carburization and head-end gaseous oxidation process of these fuels, in particular, of mixed carbides. (author). 8 refs, 16 figs, 3 tabs

Solution synthesis of germanium nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Gerung, Henry [Albuquerque, NM; Boyle, Timothy J [Kensington, MD; Bunge, Scott D [Cuyahoga Falls, OH

2009-09-22

A method for providing a route for the synthesis of a Ge(0) nanometer-sized material from. A Ge(II) precursor is dissolved in a ligand heated to a temperature, generally between approximately 100.degree. C. and 400.degree. C., sufficient to thermally reduce the Ge(II) to Ge(0), where the ligand is a compound that can bond to the surface of the germanium nanomaterials to subsequently prevent agglomeration of the nanomaterials. The ligand encapsulates the surface of the Ge(0) material to prevent agglomeration. The resulting solution is cooled for handling, with the cooling characteristics useful in controlling the size and size distribution of the Ge(0) materials. The characteristics of the Ge(II) precursor determine whether the Ge(0) materials that result will be nanocrystals or nanowires.

Microstructure Characteristics of Fe-Matrix Composites Reinforced by In-Situ Carbide Particulates

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaodong; Song, Yanpei

2017-10-01

Carbide particulates reinforced iron-matrix composites were prepared by in-situ synthesis reaction between Ti, V and C on liquid alloys surface. The microstructure of the composite was characterized by SEM, TEM and OM. The results showed that the main phases were α-Fe, carbide particulate; besides, there were small amounts of γ-Fe and graphite (G) in the composite. The carbides were TiVC2 and VC in the shape of short bar and graininess. The matrix consisted of martensite and small amounts of retained austenite.

Tungsten carbide nanoparticles as efficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic overall water splitting

KAUST Repository

Garcia Esparza, Angel T.

2012-12-17

Tungsten carbide exhibits platinum-like behavior, which makes it an interesting potential substitute for noble metals in catalytic applications. Tungsten carbide nanocrystals (≈5 nm) are directly synthesized through the reaction of tungsten precursors with mesoporous graphitic C3N 4 (mpg-C3N4) as the reactive template in a flow of inert gas at high temperatures. Systematic experiments that vary the precursor compositions and temperatures used in the synthesis selectively generate different compositions and structures for the final nanocarbide (W 2C or WC) products. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the WC phase with a high surface area exhibits both high activity and stability in hydrogen evolution over a wide pH range. The WC sample also shows excellent hydrogen oxidation activity, whereas its activity in oxygen reduction is poor. These tungsten carbides are successful cocatalysts for overall water splitting and give H2 and O2 in a stoichiometric ratio from H 2O decomposition when supported on a Na-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst. Herein, we present tungsten carbide (on a small scale) as a promising and durable catalyst substitute for platinum and other scarce noble-metal catalysts in catalytic reaction systems used for renewable energy generation. Platinum replacement: The phase-controlled synthesis of tungsten carbide nanoparticles from the nanoconfinement of a mesoporous graphite C 3N4 (mpg-C3N4) reactive template is shown. The nanomaterials catalyze hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions, but are inactive in the oxygen reduction reaction. Tungsten carbide is an effective cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting (see picture). Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tungsten carbide nanoparticles as efficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic overall water splitting

KAUST Repository

Garcia Esparza, Angel T.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Ou, Yiwei; Kubota, Jun; Domen, Kazunari; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2012-01-01

Tungsten carbide exhibits platinum-like behavior, which makes it an interesting potential substitute for noble metals in catalytic applications. Tungsten carbide nanocrystals (≈5 nm) are directly synthesized through the reaction of tungsten precursors with mesoporous graphitic C3N 4 (mpg-C3N4) as the reactive template in a flow of inert gas at high temperatures. Systematic experiments that vary the precursor compositions and temperatures used in the synthesis selectively generate different compositions and structures for the final nanocarbide (W 2C or WC) products. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the WC phase with a high surface area exhibits both high activity and stability in hydrogen evolution over a wide pH range. The WC sample also shows excellent hydrogen oxidation activity, whereas its activity in oxygen reduction is poor. These tungsten carbides are successful cocatalysts for overall water splitting and give H2 and O2 in a stoichiometric ratio from H 2O decomposition when supported on a Na-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst. Herein, we present tungsten carbide (on a small scale) as a promising and durable catalyst substitute for platinum and other scarce noble-metal catalysts in catalytic reaction systems used for renewable energy generation. Platinum replacement: The phase-controlled synthesis of tungsten carbide nanoparticles from the nanoconfinement of a mesoporous graphite C 3N4 (mpg-C3N4) reactive template is shown. The nanomaterials catalyze hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions, but are inactive in the oxygen reduction reaction. Tungsten carbide is an effective cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting (see picture). Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thermophysical Properties of Molten Germanium Measured by the High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator

Science.gov (United States)

Rhim, W. K.; Ishikawa, T.

1998-01-01

Thermophysical properties of molten germanium such as the density, the thermal expansion coefficient, the hemisphereical total emissivity, the constant pressure specific heat capacity, the surface tension, and the electrical resistivity have been measured using the High Temperature Electrostatic Levitator at JPL.

Study of aging and ordering processes in titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbuzov, M.P.; Khaenko, B.V.; Kachkovskaya, Eh.T.

1977-01-01

Aging and ordering processes in titanium carbide were investigated on monocrystals (fragments of alloys) with the aid of roentgenographic method. The sequence of phase transformations during aging was ascertained,and a monoclinic structure of the carbon atoms ordering is suggested. The microhardness of titanium carbide was studied as a function of the heat treatment of alloys and the main factors (ordering and dislocation structure) which govern the difference in the microhardness of hardened and aged (annealed) specimens were determined

Synthesis and phase transformation mechanism of Nb{sub 2}C carbide phases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vishwanadh, B., E-mail: visubathula@gmail.com [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 094 (India); Murthy, T.S.R.Ch. [Materials Processing Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 094 (India); Arya, A.; Tewari, R.; Dey, G.K. [Materials Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 094 (India)

2016-06-25

In the present work, Niobium carbide samples were prepared through powder metallurgy route using spark plasma sintering technique. Some of these samples were heat treated at 900 °C up to 7 days. In order to investigate the phase transformation in Nb{sub 2}C carbide, the as-prepared and heat treated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy techniques. EBSD could index the same area of the sample in terms of any of the three allotropes of Nb{sub 2}C carbide phases (γ-Nb{sub 2}C, β-Nb{sub 2}C and α-Nb{sub 2}C) with good confidence index. From the EBSD patterns orientation relationships (OR) among γ, β and α-Nb{sub 2}C have been determined. Based on this OR when crystals of the three allotropes were superimposed, it has revealed that the basic Nb metal atom lattice (hcp lattice) in all the Nb{sub 2}C phases is same. The only difference exists in the carbides is the ordering of carbon atoms and vacancies in the octahedral positions of the hcp Nb metal atom lattice. Crystallographic analysis showed that for the transformation of γ-Nb{sub 2}C → β-Nb{sub 2}C → α-Nb{sub 2}C, large movement of Nb atoms is not required; but only by ordering of carbon atoms ensues the phase transformation. Literature shows that in the Nb–C system formation of the α-Nb{sub 2}C is not well established. Therefore, first principle calculations were carried out on these carbides. It revealed that the formation energy for α-Nb{sub 2}C is lower than the β and γ-Nb{sub 2}C carbides which indicate that the formation of α-Nb{sub 2}C is thermodynamically feasible. - Highlights: • Nb{sub 2}C carbide was produced by Spark Plasma Sintering in a single process. • Phase transformation mechanism of different Nb{sub 2}C carbide phases is studied. • In all the three Nb{sub 2}C carbides (γ, β, α), the base Nb lattice remains same. • Among γ, β and α-Nb{sub 2}C

Determination of Shear Deformation Potentials from the Free-Carrier Piezobirefringence in Germanium and Silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riskaer, Sven

1966-01-01

The present investigations of the free-carrier piezobirefringence phenomenon verify that in n-type germanium and silicon as well as in p-type silicon this effect can be ascribed to intraband transitions of the carriers. It is demonstrated how a combined investigation of the low-stress and high......-stress piezobirefringence in these materials provides a direct and independent method for determining deformation-potential constants. For n-type germanium we obtain Ξu=18.0±0.5 eV, for n-type silicon Ξu=8.5±0.4 eV; for p-type silicon a rather crude analytical approximation yields b=-3.1 eV and d=-8.3 eV. Finally...

Induced Radioactivity Measured in a Germanium Detector After a Long Duration Balloon Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, R.; Evans, L. G.; Floyed, S. R.; Drake, D. M.; Feldman, W. C.; Squyres, S. W.; Rester, A. C.

1997-01-01

A 13-day long duration balloon flight carrying a germanium detector was flown from Williams Field, Antartica in December 1992. After recovery of the payload the activity induced in the detector was measured.

On change of vanadium carbide state during 20Kh3MVF steel heat treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gitgarts, M.I.; Maksimenko, V.N.

1975-01-01

The Xray diffraction study of vanadium carbide MC has been made in the steel-20KH3MVF quenched from 970 and 1040 deg and tempered at 660 deg for 210 hrs. It has been found that the constant of the MC crystal lattice regularly varies with the temperature of isothermal hold-up. In the steel tempered after quenching two vanadium carbides of different content could co-exist simultaneously: carbide formed in the quenching process and carbide formed during tempering. The discovered effect of the temperature dependence of the MC content is, evidently, inherent also to other steels containing vanadium

Radiation-electromagnetic effect in germanium single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikoin, I.K.; Kikoin, L.I.; Lazarev, S.D.

1980-01-01

An experimental study was made of the radiation-electromagnetic effect in germanium single crystals when excess carriers were generated by bombardment with α particles, protons, or x rays in magnetic fields up to 8 kOe. The source of α particles and protons was a cyclotron and x rays were provided by a tube with a copper anode. The radiation-electromagnetic emf increased linearly on increase in the magnetic field and was directly proportional to the flux of charged particles at low values of the flux, reaching saturation at high values of the flux (approx.5 x 10 11 particles .cm -2 .sec -1 ). In the energy range 4--40 MeV the emf was practically independent of the α-particle energy. The sign of the emf was reversed when samples with a ground front surface were irradiated. Measurements of the photoelectromagnetic and Hall effects in the α-particle-irradiated samples showed that a p-n junction was produced by these particles and its presence should be allowed for in investigations of the radiation-electromagnetic effect. The measured even radiation-electromagnetic emf increased quadratically on increase in the magnetic field. An investigation was made of the barrier radiation-voltaic effect (when the emf was measured between the irradiated and unirradiated surfaces). Special masks were used to produce a set of consecutive p-n junctions in germanium crystals irradiated with α particles. A study of the photovoltaic and photoelectromagnetic effects in such samples showed that the method could be used to increase the efficiency of devices utilizing the photoelectromagnetic effect

Comparison of the NaI-CsI phoswich and a hyperpure germanium array for in vivo detection of the actinides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, C D; Goans, R E [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

1981-04-01

An array of hyperpure germanium detectors has recently been employed at ORNL for the identification and quantification of internally deposited actinides. Its advantages over the phoswich detector - the current state-of-the-art for detection of the actinides - were found to be improved background reduction and superior energy resolution. The germanium system and the currently operating phoswich system are discussed and compared. The improvement in performance of the germanium system over the phoswich system (a factor of 2.5 for /sup 239/Pu and 15.3 for /sup 241/Am) appears to justify the financial investment, particularly when /sup 241/Am is used as an indirect means of detection and measurement of /sup 239/Pu.

Seebeck effect of some thin film carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beensh-Marchwicka, G.; Prociow, E.

2002-01-01

Several materials have been investigated for high-temperature thin film thermocouple applications. These include silicon carbide with boron (Si-C-B), ternary composition based on Si-C-Mn, fourfold composition based on Si-C-Zr-B and tantalum carbide (TaC). All materials were deposited on quartz or glass substrates using the pulse sputter deposition technique. Electrical conduction and thermoelectric power were measured for various compositions at 300-550 K. It has been found, that the efficiency of thermoelectric power of films containing Si-C base composition was varied from 0.0015-0.034 μW/cmK 2 . However for TaC the value about 0.093 μW/cmK 2 was obtained. (author)

On possibility of fabrication of monolith composite materials on niobium carbide base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ploshkin, V.V.; Ul'yanina, I.Yu.; Filonenko, V.P.

1984-01-01

An attempt was made to fabricate the composite material on niobium carbide base possessing the elevated heat resistance, erosion and chemical resistance in special media, as well as capable of withstanding sufficient thermal shocks. Powder of niobium carbide of 10 μm fraction was used as base material, the powder of pure copper of 10...12 μm fraction - as binder. It was shown that samples of composite mateiral on niobium carbide base fabricated by the method of hydrostatic pressing possessed the minimal porosity as compared to samples fabricated by usual methods of powder metallurgy. The basic phases of composite material-copper and niobium carbide - distribute uniformly over sample cross-section and don't interact with each other under any conditions. The fabricated composite material possesses sufficient thermal shock resistance and isn't subjected to brittle fracture

A study on the formation of uranium carbide in an induction furnace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, In Young; Lee, Yoon Sang; Kim, Eung Soo; Lee, Don Bae; Kim, Chang Kyu

2005-01-01

Uranium is a typical carbide-forming element. Three carbides, UC, U 2 C 3 and UC 2 , are formed in the uranium-carbon system. The most important of these as fuel is uranium monocarbide UC. It is well known that Uranium carbides can be obtained by three basic methods: 1) by reaction of uranium metal with carbon; 2) by reaction of uranium metal powder with gaseous hydrocarbons; 3) by reaction of uranium oxides with carbon. The use of uranium monocarbide, or materials based on it, has great prospects as fuel for nuclear reactors. It is quite possible that uranium dicarbide UC 2 may also acquire great importance as a fuel, particularly in dispersion fuel elements with graphite matrix. In the present study, uranium carbides are obtained by direct reaction of uranium metal with graphite in a high frequency induction furnace

Catalytic activity of metall-like carbides in carbon oxide oxidation reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharlamov, A.I.; Kosolapova, T.Ya.; Rafal, A.N.; Kirillova, N.V.

1980-01-01

Kinetics of carbon oxide oxidation upon carbides of hafnium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, zirconium and chromium is studied. Probable mechanism of the catalysts action is suggested. The established character of the change of the carbide catalytic activity is explained by the change of d-electron contribution to the metal-metal interaction

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.)

Additive-assisted synthesis of boride, carbide, and nitride micro/nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Bo; Yang, Lishan; Heng, Hua; Chen, Jingzhong; Zhang, Linfei; Xu, Liqiang; Qian, Yitai; Yang, Jian

2012-01-01

General and simple methods for the syntheses of borides, carbides and nitrides are highly desirable, since those materials have unique physical properties and promising applications. Here, a series of boride (TiB 2 , ZrB 2 , NbB 2 , CeB 6 , PrB 6 , SmB 6 , EuB 6 , LaB 6 ), carbide (SiC, TiC, NbC, WC) and nitride (TiN, BN, AlN, MgSiN 2 , VN) micro/nanocrystals were prepared from related oxides and amorphous boron/active carbon/NaN 3 with the assistance of metallic Na and elemental S. In-situ temperature monitoring showed that the reaction temperature could increase quickly to ∼850 °C, once the autoclave was heated to 100 °C. Such a rapid temperature increase was attributed to the intense exothermic reaction between Na and S, which assisted the formation of borides, carbides and nitrides. The as-obtained products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM techniques. Results in this report will greatly benefit the future extension of this approach to other compounds. - Graphical abstract: An additive-assisted approach is successfully developed for the syntheses of borides, carbides and nitrides micro/nanocrystals with the assistance of the exothermic reaction between Na and S. Highlights: ► An additive-assisted synthesis strategy is developed for a number of borides, carbides and nitrides. ► The reaction mechanism is demonstrated by the case of SiC nanowires. ► The formation of SiC nanowires is initiated by the exothermic reaction of Na and S.

Toughness behaviour of tungsten-carbide-cobalt alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigl, L.S.

1985-05-01

In the present work the mechanisms of crack propagation in technically important WC-Co alloys are investigated and a model describing the influence of microstructural parameters and of the mechanical properties of the constituents is developed. An energy concept is used for modelling fracture toughness. The energies dissipated in the four crack-paths (trans- and intergranular carbide fracture, fracture across the binder-ligaments, fracture in the binder close to the carbide/binder interface) are summed up using the experimentally determined area-fractions of the crack-paths, the specific energy of brittle fracture in the carbide and of ductile fracture is calculated by integrating the energy to deform a volume element over the plastically deformed region. In contrast to all earlier models, this concept describes fracture toughness of WC-Co alloys only with physically meaningful parameters. The excellent agreement with experimental toughness values and with qualitative observations of crack propagation show that the new model includes all effects which influence toughness. As demonstrated with WC-based hardmetals with a cobalt-nickel binder, the results open new possibilities for optimizing the toughness of composites in which a small amount of a tough phase is embedded in a brittle matrix. (Author, shortened by G.Q.)

The deposition of 3C-SiC thin films onto the (111) and (110) faces of Si using pulsed sputtering of a hollow cathode

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Huguenin-Love, J.L.; Lauer, N.T.; Soukup, R. J.; Ianno, N.J.; Kment, Štěpán; Hubička, Zdeněk

645-648, 1-2 (2010), s. 131-134 ISSN 0255-5476. [International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials Location /13./. Nurnberg, 11.10.2009-16.10.2009] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : sputtering * pulse * germanium * 3C Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism

Morphological variants of carbides of solidification origin in the rapidly solidified powder particles of hypereutectic iron alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusy, M.; Grgac, P.; Behulova, M.; Vyrostkova, A.; Miglierini, M.

2004-01-01

The paper deals with the analysis of the morphological variants of solidification microstructures and vanadium rich M 4 C 3 carbide phases in the rapidly solidified (RS) powder particles from hypereutectic Fe-C-Cr-V alloy prepared by the nitrogen gas atomisation. Five main types of solidification microstructures were identified in RS particles: microstructure with globular carbides, microstructure with globular and star-like carbides, microstructure with primary carbides in the centres of eutectic colonies, microstructure with eutectic colonies without primary carbides and microstructure with eutectic spherulites. Based on the morphological features of carbide phases and the thermal history of RS particles, the microstructures were divided into two groups - microstructures morphologically affected and non-affected during the post-recalescence period of solidification. Thermophysical reasons for the morphologically different M 4 C 3 carbide phases development in the RS powder particles are discussed

The effects of carbide column to swelling potential and Atterberg limit on expansive soil with column to soil drainage

Science.gov (United States)

Muamar Rifa'i, Alfian; Setiawan, Bambang; Djarwanti, Noegroho

2017-12-01

The expansive soil is soil that has a potential for swelling-shrinking due to changes in water content. Such behavior can exert enough force on building above to cause damage. The use of columns filled with additives such as Calcium Carbide is done to reduce the negative impact of expansive soil behavior. This study aims to determine the effect of carbide columns on expansive soil. Observations were made on swelling and spreading of carbides in the soil. 7 Carbide columns with 5 cm diameter and 20 cm height were installed into the soil with an inter-column spacing of 8.75 cm. Wetting is done through a pipe at the center of the carbide column for 20 days. Observations were conducted on expansive soil without carbide columns and expansive soil with carbide columns. The results showed that the addition of carbide column could reduce the percentage of swelling by 4.42%. Wetting through the center of the carbide column can help spread the carbide into the soil. The use of carbide columns can also decrease the rate of soil expansivity. After the addition of carbide column, the plasticity index value decreased from 71.76% to 4.3% and the shrinkage index decreased from 95.72% to 9.2%.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CEMENTED CARBIDE ARTICLES

Science.gov (United States)

Onstott, E.I.; Cremer, G.D.

1959-07-14

A method is described for making molded materials of intricate shape where the materials consist of mixtures of one or more hard metal carbides or oxides and matrix metals or binder metals thereof. In one embodiment of the invention 90% of finely comminuted tungsten carbide powder together with finely comminuted cobalt bonding agent is incorporated at 60 deg C into a slurry with methyl alcohol containing 1.5% paraffin, 3% camphor, 3.5% naphthalene, and 1.8% toluene. The compact is formed by the steps of placing the slurry in a mold at least one surface of which is porous to the fluid organic system, compacting the slurry, removing a portion of the mold from contact with the formed object and heating the formed object to remove the remaining organic matter and to sinter the compact.

Novel fabrication of silicon carbide based ceramics for nuclear applications

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Abhishek Kumar

Advances in nuclear reactor technology and the use of gas-cooled fast reactors require the development of new materials that can operate at the higher temperatures expected in these systems. These materials include refractory alloys based on Nb, Zr, Ta, Mo, W, and Re; ceramics and composites such as SiC--SiCf; carbon--carbon composites; and advanced coatings. Besides the ability to handle higher expected temperatures, effective heat transfer between reactor components is necessary for improved efficiency. Improving thermal conductivity of the fuel can lower the center-line temperature and, thereby, enhance power production capabilities and reduce the risk of premature fuel pellet failure. Crystalline silicon carbide has superior characteristics as a structural material from the viewpoint of its thermal and mechanical properties, thermal shock resistance, chemical stability, and low radioactivation. Therefore, there have been many efforts to develop SiC based composites in various forms for use in advanced energy systems. In recent years, with the development of high yield preceramic precursors, the polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) method has aroused interest for the fabrication of ceramic based materials, for various applications ranging from disc brakes to nuclear reactor fuels. The pyrolysis of preceramic polymers allow new types of ceramic materials to be processed at relatively low temperatures. The raw materials are element-organic polymers whose composition and architecture can be tailored and varied. The primary focus of this study is to use a pyrolysis based process to fabricate a host of novel silicon carbide-metal carbide or oxide composites, and to synthesize new materials based on mixed-metal silicocarbides that cannot be processed using conventional techniques. Allylhydridopolycarbosilane (AHPCS), which is an organometal polymer, was used as the precursor for silicon carbide. Inert gas pyrolysis of AHPCS produces near-stoichiometric amorphous

Neutrino and dark matter physics with sub-keV germanium detectors

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-11-04

Nov 4, 2014 ... Germanium detectors with sub-keV sensitivities open a window to study neutrino physics to search for light weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter. We summarize the recent results on spin-independent couplings of light WIMPs from the TEXONO experiment at the Kuo-Sheng Reactor ...

NTD germanium: a novel material for low-temperature bolometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haller, E.E.; Palaio, N.P.; Rodder, M.; Hansen, W.L.; Kreysa, E.

1982-06-01

Six samples of ultra-pure (absolute value N/sub A/ - N/sub D/ absolute value less than or equal to 10 11 cm -3 ), single-crystal germanium have been neutron transmutation doped with neutron doses between 7.5 x 10 16 and 1.88 x 10 18 cm -2 . After thermal annealing at 400 0 C for six hours in a pure argon atmosphere, the samples have been characterized with Hall effect and resistivity measurements between 300 and 0.3 K. Our results show that the resistivity in the low temperature, hopping conduction regime can be approximated with rho = rho 0 exp(Δ/T). The three more heavily doped samples show values for rho 0 and Δ ranging from 430 to 3.3 Ω cm and from 4.9 to 2.8 K, respectively. The excellent reproducibility of neutron transmutation doping and the values of rho 0 and Δ make NTD Ge a prime candidate for the fabrication of low temperature, low noise bolometers. The large variation in the tabulated values of the thermal neutron cross sections for the different germanium isotopes makes it clear that accurate measurements of these cross-sections for well defined neutron energy spectra would be highly desirable

Surface passivation of high-purity germanium gamma-ray detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexiev, D.; Butcher, K.S.A.; Edmondson, M.; Lawson, E.M.

1993-01-01

The experimental work consists of two parts. The first involves fabrication of hyper-pure germanium gamma ray detectors using standard surface treatment, chemical etchings and containment in a suitable cryostat. Then, after cooling the detectors to 77 K, γ-ray emissions from radioisotopes are resolved, resolution, depletion depth, V R versus I R characteristics and /N A -N D / of the germanium are measured. The second part of the work involves investigation of surface states in an effort to achieve long-term stability of operating characteristics. Several methods are used: plasma hydrogenation, a-Si and a-Ge pinch-off effect and simple oxidation. A-Ge and a-Si thicknesses were measured using Rutherford backscattering techniques; surface states were measured with deep level transient spectroscopy and diode reverse current versus reverse voltage plots. Some scanning electron microscope measurements were used in determining major film contaminants during backscattering of a-Si and a-Ge films. Surface passivation studies revealed unexpected hole trapping defects generated when a-Ge:H film is applied. The a-Si:H films were found to be mechanically strong, no defect traps were found and preliminary results suggest that such films will be good passivants. 14 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs., 13 ills

Square lattice honeycomb tri-carbide fuels for 50 to 250 KN variable thrust NTP design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anghaie, Samim; Knight, Travis; Gouw, Reza; Furman, Eric

2001-01-01

Ultrahigh temperature solid solution of tri-carbide fuels are used to design an ultracompact nuclear thermal rocket generating 950 seconds of specific impulse with scalable thrust level in range of 50 to 250 kilo Newtons. Solid solutions of tri-carbide nuclear fuels such as uranium-zirconium-niobium carbide. UZrNbC, are processed to contain certain mixing ratio between uranium carbide and two stabilizing carbides. Zirconium or niobium in the tri-carbide could be replaced by tantalum or hafnium to provide higher chemical stability in hot hydrogen environment or to provide different nuclear design characteristics. Recent studies have demonstrated the chemical compatibility of tri-carbide fuels with hydrogen propellant for a few to tens of hours of operation at temperatures ranging from 2800 K to 3300 K, respectively. Fuel elements are fabricated from thin tri-carbide wafers that are grooved and locked into a square-lattice honeycomb (SLHC) shape. The hockey puck shaped SLHC fuel elements are stacked up in a grooved graphite tube to form a SLHC fuel assembly. A total of 18 fuel assemblies are arranged circumferentially to form two concentric rings of fuel assemblies with zirconium hydride filling the space between assemblies. For 50 to 250 kilo Newtons thrust operations, the reactor diameter and length including reflectors are 57 cm and 60 cm, respectively. Results of the nuclear design and thermal fluid analyses of the SLHC nuclear thermal propulsion system are presented

The effect of precipitated carbides on the pitting corrosion of 304 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Jai-Hyun; Kim, Kwan-Hun

1985-01-01

In order to investigate the relation between the pitting corrosion and precipitated carbides, the heat treatment of specimens was carried out in two ways: Solution treatment and carbides precipitation treatment. The experiment was focused on the polarization curves of specimens immersed in HCL solution and on the microscopic analysis of the corroded specimens through a potentiodynamic method. It was found out that the intergranular and pitting corrosion occurred remarkably in 0.1N and 1N KCL solution when carbides were precipitated around the grain boundary of the 304 stain steel. The intergranular corrosion was noticed in the region of passivation and the pitting was prominent in the region of passivation break-down. The distribution of pits on the solution treated 304 stainless steel was random, while that of pits on carbides precipitated specimen was concentrated around the grain boundary in 0.1N and 1N HCL solution. It was ascertained that the pitting resistance of the solution treated 304 stainless steel was better than that of carbides precipitated specimen. (Author)

Gravimetric determination of carbon in uranium-plutonium carbide materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavanaugh, H.J.; Dahlby, J.W.; Lovell, A.P.

1979-12-01

A gravimetric method for determining carbon in uranium-plutonium carbide materials was developed to analyze six samples simultaneously. The samples are burned slowly in an oxygen atmosphere at approximately 900 0 C, and the gases generated are passed through Schuetze's oxidizing reagent (iodine pentoxide on silica gel) to assure quantitative oxidation of the CO to CO 2 . The CO 2 is collected on Ascarite and weighed. This method was tested using a tungsten carbide reference material (NBS-SRM-276) and a (U,Pu)C sample. For 42 analyses of the tungsten carbide, which has a certified carbon content of 6.09%, an average value of 6.09% was obtained with a standard deviation of 0.01 7 % or a relative standard deviation of 0.28%. For 17 analyses of the (U,Pu)C sample, an average carbon content of 4.97% was found with a standard deviation of 0.01 2 % or a relative standard deviation of 0.24%

Reaction of uranium and plutonium carbides with austenitic steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouchnino, M.

1967-01-01

The reaction of uranium and plutonium carbides with austenitic steels has been studied between 650 and 1050 deg. C using UC, steel and (UPu)C, steel diffusion couples. The steels are of the type CN 18.10 with or without addition of molybdenum. The carbides used are hyper-stoichiometric. Tests were also carried out with UCTi, UCMo, UPuCTi and UPuCMo. Up to 800 deg. C no marked diffusion of carbon into stainless steel is observed. Between 800 and 900 deg. C the carbon produced by the decomposition of the higher carbides diffuses into the steel. Above 900 deg. C, decomposition of the monocarbide occurs according to a reaction which can be written schematically as: (U,PuC) + (Fe,Ni,Cr) → (U,Pu) Fe 2 + Cr 23 C 6 . Above 950 deg. C the behaviour of UPuCMo and that of the titanium (CN 18.12) and nickel (NC 38. 18) steels is observed to be very satisfactory. (author) [fr

Metallographic detection of carbides in the steel X 41 CrMoV 51 after different austenizing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleer, R.; Rickel, J.; Draugelates, U.

1979-01-01

The etchant most suitable for clearly revealing the carbide particles in the developed hardened structure was determined by comparative structural investigations with several etchants in order to be able to undertake the metallographic detection of finely distributed carbides in the structure of the high alloy ultra-high strength steel X 41 CrMoV 51. The characteristic distribution and number of carbides could be revealed as well as the ferrite pearlite matrix. The picric-hydrochloric acid solution which, on a comparative basis, was the most effective, revealed the dependence of the carbide dissolution and structural formation on the temperature. The carbide components of the structure dissolved to an increasing extent at temperatures above 1100 0 C. All carbides up to the large volume mixed carbides appeared to dissolve in the segregation zone after annealing for one hour at 1200 0 C. Considerable grain growth also occurred. (orig./RW) [de

Diffusion of tin in germanium: A GGA+U approach

KAUST Repository

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

2011-01-01

Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the formation and diffusion of tin-vacancy pairs (SnV) in germanium(Ge). Depending upon the Fermi energy, SnV pairs can form in neutral, singly negative, or doubly negative charged states. The activation energies of diffusion, also as function of the Fermi energy, are calculated to lie between 2.48-3.65 eV, in agreement with and providing an interpretation of available experimental work.

Determination of carbon and nitrogen in silicon and germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebauhr, W.; Martin, J.

1975-01-01

The essential aim of this study is to examine the various technical and economic problems encountered in the determination of carbon and nitrogen in silicon and germanium, for this is in a way an extension of the discussion concerning the presence of oxygen in these two elements. The greater part of the study is aimed at drawing up a catalogue of the methods of analysis used and of the results obtained so far

Diffusion of tin in germanium: A GGA+U approach

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.

2011-10-18

Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the formation and diffusion of tin-vacancy pairs (SnV) in germanium(Ge). Depending upon the Fermi energy, SnV pairs can form in neutral, singly negative, or doubly negative charged states. The activation energies of diffusion, also as function of the Fermi energy, are calculated to lie between 2.48-3.65 eV, in agreement with and providing an interpretation of available experimental work.

Strain-induced changes to the electronic structure of germanium

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.

2012-04-17

Density functional theory calculations (DFT) are used to investigate the strain-induced changes to the electronic structure of biaxially strained (parallel to the (001), (110) and (111) planes) and uniaxially strained (along the [001], [110] and [111] directions) germanium (Ge). It is calculated that a moderate uniaxial strain parallel to the [111] direction can efficiently transform Ge to a direct bandgap material with a bandgap energy useful for technological applications. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Strain-induced changes to the electronic structure of germanium

KAUST Repository

Tahini, H. A.; Chroneos, Alexander I.; Grimes, Robin W.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Dimoulas, Athanasios Dimoulas

2012-01-01

Density functional theory calculations (DFT) are used to investigate the strain-induced changes to the electronic structure of biaxially strained (parallel to the (001), (110) and (111) planes) and uniaxially strained (along the [001], [110] and [111] directions) germanium (Ge). It is calculated that a moderate uniaxial strain parallel to the [111] direction can efficiently transform Ge to a direct bandgap material with a bandgap energy useful for technological applications. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Structural stability, electronic structure and mechanical properties of actinide carbides AnC (An = U, Np)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manikandan, M.; Santhosh, M.; Rajeswarapalanichamy, R.

2016-01-01

Ab initio calculations are performed to investigate the structural stability, electronic structure and mechanical properties of actinide carbides AnC (An=U, Np) for three different crystal structures, namely NaCl, CsCl and ZnS. Among the considered structures, NaCl structure is found to be the most stable structure for these carbides at normal pressure. A pressure induced structural phase transition from NaCl to ZnS is observed. The electronic structure reveals that these carbides are metals. The calculated elastic constants indicate that these carbides are mechanically stable at normal pressure.

Platinum group metal nitrides and carbides: synthesis, properties and simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanovskii, Alexander L

2009-01-01

Experimental and theoretical data on new compounds, nitrides and carbides of the platinum group 4d and 5d metals (ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum), published over the past five years are summarized. The extreme mechanical properties of platinoid nitrides and carbides, i.e., their high strength and low compressibility, are noted. The prospects of further studies and the scope of application of these compounds are discussed.

Violet and visible up-conversion emission in Yb{sup 3+}-Ho{sup 3+} co-doped germanium-borate glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang Yanmin, E-mail: mihuyym@163.co [College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002 (China); Zhang Meixin [Forensic Science Lab, Hebei University, Baoding 071002 (China); Yang Zhiping [College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002 (China); Fu Zuoling [Key Laboratory of Coherent Light, Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy, College of physics, Jilin University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130023 (China)

2010-10-15

The up-conversion emission properties of Yb{sup 3+}-Ho{sup 3+} co-doped germanium-borate glasses have been investigated with 980 nm excitation. The violet, blue, green and red emission bands at about 350, 485, 544 and 653 nm can be identified, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the relative intensity ratios of the peaks I{sub Red}/I{sub Green} increased with increasing B{sub 2}O{sub 3} concentration, which led to changing color of up-conversion emission from green at x=0 to yellow at x=40, to red at x=60. The violet emission at 350 nm was first reported in germanium-borate glass host and up-conversion mechanisms of the emissions were discussed. The Yb{sup 3+}-Ho{sup 3+} co-doped germanium-borate glasses could be an alternative for the generation of violet and primary colors for application in solid-state displays.

Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Films with Embedded Nanocrystals for Thermal Detectors with Very High Sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cesar Calleja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We have optimized the deposition conditions of amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nanocrystals in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD reactor, working at a standard frequency of 13.56 MHz. The objective was to produce films with very large Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR, which is a signature of the sensitivity in thermal detectors (microbolometers. Morphological, electrical, and optical characterization were performed in the films, and we found optimal conditions for obtaining films with very high values of thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR = 7.9% K−1. Our results show that amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nanocrystals can be used as thermosensitive films in high performance infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs used in commercial thermal cameras.

Tribological behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide in CaCl2 solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Fei; Tian, Yu; Liu, Ying; Wang, Yuming

2015-01-01

The tribological behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide were investigated using a standard tribological tester Plint TE92 in a ring-on-ring contact configuration in both CaCl 2 solution and deionized water. An interesting phenomenon occurred: as the CaCl 2 solution concentration increased, the friction coefficient firstly decreased and was lower than that in the deionized water, and then gradually increased, exceeding the friction coefficient in the deionized water. The wear rate of the ,graphite also presented the same variation trend. According to the polarization curves of cemented carbide, contact angle measurements, Raman spectrum analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images analysis, the above friction and wear behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide were attributed to the graphite surface wettability and the cemented carbide surface corrosion property. (paper)

Carbide Precipitation in 2.25 Cr-1 Mo Bainitic Steel: Effect of Heating and Isothermal Tempering Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Dépinoy, Sylvain; Toffolon-Masclet, Caroline; Urvoy, Stéphane; Roubaud, Justine; Marini, Bernard; Roch, François; Kozeschnik, Ernst; Gourgues-Lorenzon, Anne-Françoise

2017-05-01

The effect of the tempering heat treatment, including heating prior to the isothermal step, on carbide precipitation has been determined in a 2.25 Cr-1 Mo bainitic steel for thick-walled applications. The carbides were identified using their amount of metallic elements, morphology, nucleation sites, and diffraction patterns. The evolution of carbide phase fraction, morphology, and composition was investigated using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, as well as thermodynamic calculations. Upon heating, retained austenite into the as-quenched material decomposes into ferrite and cementite. M7C3 carbides then nucleate at the interface between the cementite and the matrix, triggering the dissolution of cementite. M2C carbides precipitate separately within the bainitic laths during slow heating. M23C6 carbides precipitate at the interfaces (lath boundaries or prior austenite grain boundaries) and grow by attracting nearby chromium atoms, which results in the dissolution of M7C3 and, depending on the temperature, coarsening, or dissolution of M2C carbides, respectively.

A high resolution germanium detector array for hypernuclear studies at PANDA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bleser, Sebastian; Sanchez Lorente, Alicia; Steinen, Marcell [Helmholtz-Institut Mainz (Germany); Gerl, Juergen; Kojouharov, Ivan [GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Iazzi, Felice [Politecnico, Torino, Turin (Italy); INFN, Torino, Turin (Italy); Pochodzalla, Josef; Rittgen, Kai; Sahin, Cihan [Institute for Nuclear Physics, JGU Mainz (Germany); Collaboration: PANDA-Collaboration

2013-07-01

The PANDA experiment, planned at the FAIR facility in Darmstadt, aims at the high resolution γ-spectroscopy of double Λ hypernuclei. For this purpose a devoted detector setup is required, consisting of a primary nuclear target, an active secondary target and a germanium detector array for the γ-spectroscopy. Due to the limited space within the PANDA detector a compact design is required. In particular the conventional LN{sub 2} cooling system must be replaced by an electro-mechanical device and a new arrangement of the crystals is needed. This poster shows the ongoing development of the germanium detectors. Test measurements of a single crystal prototype with an improved cooling concept are shown. Thermal simulations for a triple crystal detector are presented. Aditionally studies of the optimization of the detector arrangement inside the PANDA barrel spectrometer are shown. Finally the status on digital pulse shape analysis is presented which will be necessary to deal with high counting rates and to recover the high original energy resolution in case of neutron damage.

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.

Empirical correction of crosstalk in a low-background germanium γ-γ analysis system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keillor, M.E.; Erikson, L.E.; Aalseth, C.E.; Day, A.R.; Fuller, E.S.; Glasgow, B.D.; Hoppe, E.W.; Hossbach, T.W.; Mizouni, L.K.; Myers, A.W.

2013-01-01

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is currently developing a custom software suite capable of automating many of the tasks required to accurately analyze coincident signals within gamma spectrometer arrays. During the course of this work, significant crosstalk was identified in the energy determination for spectra collected with a new low-background intrinsic germanium (HPGe) array at PNNL. The HPGe array is designed for high detection efficiency, ultra-low-background performance, and sensitive γ-γ coincidence detection. The first half of the array, a single cryostat containing seven HPGe crystals, was recently installed into a new shallow underground laboratory facility. This update will present a brief review of the germanium array, describe the observed crosstalk, and present a straight-forward empirical correction that significantly reduces the impact of this crosstalk on the spectroscopic performance of the system. (author)

Current experiments in germanium 0 ν β β search -- GERDA and MAJORANA

Science.gov (United States)

von Sturm, K.

2015-01-01

There are unanswered questions regarding neutrino physics that are of great interest for the scientific community. For example the absolute masses, the mass hierarchy and the nature of neutrinos are unknown up to now. The discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) would prove the existence of a Majorana mass, which would be linked to the half-life of the decay, and would in addition provide an elegant solution for the small mass of the neutrinos via the seesaw mechanism. Because of an existing discovery claim of 0νββ of 76Ge and the excellent energy resolution achievable, germanium is of special interest in the search for 0νββ . In this article the state of the art of germanium 0νββ search, namely the GERDA experiment and MAJORANA demonstrator, is presented. In particular, recent results of the GERDA collaboration, which strongly disfavour the above mentioned claim, are discussed.

Thermoluminescence study of aluminium oxide doped germanium prepared by combustion synthesis method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saharin Nurul Syazlin Binti

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper reports the optimum concentration of germanium (Ge dopant in aluminium oxide (AhO3 samples prepared by combustion synthesis (CS method for thermoluminescence (TL studies. The samples were prepared at various Ge concentration i.e. 1 to 5% mol. The phase formation of un-doped and Ge-doped Al2O3 samples was determined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD. The sharp peaks present in the XRD pattern confirms the crystallinity of the samples. The samples were then exposed to 50 Gy Cobalt-60 sources (Gamma cell 220. TL glow curves were measured and recorded using a Harshaw Model 3500 TLD reader. Comparison of TL peaks were observed to obtain the best composition of Ge dopants. A simple glow curves TL peak at around 175̊C for all composition samples was observed. It was also found that the composition of aluminium oxide doped with 3.0% of germanium exhibits the highest thermoluminescence (TL intensity which is 349747.04 (a.u.

An Implant-Passivated Blocked Impurity Band Germanium Detector for the Far Infrared, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to investigate the feasibility of fabricating a germanium blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detector using a novel process which will enable us to: 1- fabricate...

Multi-criteria methodology to design a sodium-cooled carbide-fueled Gen-IV reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauff, N.

2011-01-01

Compared with earlier plant designs (Phenix, Super-Phenix, EFR), Gen IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor requires improved economics while meeting safety and non-proliferation criteria. Mixed Oxide (U-Pu)O 2 fuels are considered as the reference fuels due to their important and satisfactory feedback experience. However, innovative carbide (U-Pu)C fuels can be considered as serious competitors for a prospective SFR fleet since carbide-fueled SFRs can offer another type of optimization which might overtake on some aspects the oxide fuel technology. The goal of this thesis is to reveal the potentials of carbide by designing an optimum carbide-fueled SFR with competitive features and a naturally safe behavior during transients. For a French nuclear fleet, a 1500 MW(e) break-even core is considered. To do so, a multi-physic approach was developed taking into account neutronics, fuel thermo-mechanics and thermal-hydraulic at a pre-design stage. Simplified modeling with the calculation of global neutronic feedback coefficients and a quasi-static evaluation was developed to estimate the behavior of a core during overpower transients, loss of flow and/or loss of heat removal transients. The breakthrough of this approach is to provide the designer with an overall view of the iterative process, emphasizing the well-suited innovations and the most efficient directions that can improve the SFR design project.This methodology was used to design a core that benefits from the favorable features of carbide fuels. The core developed is a large carbide-fueled SFR with high power density, low fissile inventory, break-even capability and forgiving behaviors during the un-scrammed transients studied that should prevent using expensive mitigate systems. However, the core-peak burnup is unlikely to significantly exceed 100 MWd/kg because of the large swelling of the carbide fuel leading to quick pellet-clad mechanical interaction and the low creep capacity of carbide. Moderate linear power fuel

Contribution to the study of zirconium self-diffusion in zirconium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Chul

1972-01-01

The objective of this research thesis is to determine experimental conditions allowing the measurement of the self-diffusion coefficient of zirconium in zirconium carbide. The author reports the development of a method of preparation of zirconium carbide samples. He reports the use of ion implantation as technique to obtain a radio-tracer coating. The obtained results give evidence of the impossibility to use sintered samples with small grains because of the demonstrated importance of intergranular diffusion. The self-diffusion coefficient is obtained in the case of zirconium carbide with grains having a diameter of few millimetres. The presence of 95 Nb from the disintegration of 95 Zr indicates that these both metallic elements have very close diffusion coefficients at 2.600 C [fr

Microstructure and phase evolution in laser clad chromium carbide-NiCrMoNb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatesh, L.; Samajdar, I.; Tak, Manish; Doherty, Roger D.; Gundakaram, Ravi C.; Prasad, K. Satya; Joshi, S.V.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Microstructural development during laser cladding has been studied. • In this multi component system Cr 7 C 3 is found to be the stable carbide phase. • Phases were identified by EBSD since XRD results were not conclusive. • Increase in laser power and/or scanning speed reduced the carbide content. • Hardness seems to depend on phase content as well as microstructure. - Abstract: Microstructural development in laser clad layers of Chromium carbide (Cr x C y )-NiCrMoNb on SA 516 steel has been investigated. Although the starting powder contained both Cr 3 C 2 and Cr 7 C 3 , the clad layers showed only the presence of Cr 7 C 3 . Microtexture measurements by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) revealed primary dendritic Cr 7 C 3 with Ni rich FCC metallic phase being present in the interdendritic spaces. Further annealing of the laser clad layers and furnace melting of the starting powder confirmed that Cr 7 C 3 is the primary as well as stable carbide phase in this multi component system. Increase in laser power and scanning speed progressively reduced carbide content in the laser clad layers. Increased scanning speed, which enhances the cooling rate, also led to reduction in the secondary arm spacing (λ 2 ) of the Cr 7 C 3 dendrites. The clad layer hardness increased with carbide content and with decreased dendrite arm spacing.

Tensile strain mapping in flat germanium membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rhead, S. D., E-mail: S.Rhead@warwick.ac.uk; Halpin, J. E.; Myronov, M.; Patchett, D. H.; Allred, P. S.; Wilson, N. R.; Leadley, D. R. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Shah, V. A. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Department of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Kachkanov, V.; Dolbnya, I. P. [Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Reparaz, J. S. [ICN2 - Institut Catala de Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain); Sotomayor Torres, C. M. [ICN2 - Institut Catala de Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain)

2014-04-28

Scanning X-ray micro-diffraction has been used as a non-destructive probe of the local crystalline quality of a thin suspended germanium (Ge) membrane. A series of reciprocal space maps were obtained with ∼4 μm spatial resolution, from which detailed information on the strain distribution, thickness, and crystalline tilt of the membrane was obtained. We are able to detect a systematic strain variation across the membranes, but show that this is negligible in the context of using the membranes as platforms for further growth. In addition, we show evidence that the interface and surface quality is improved by suspending the Ge.

Array of germanium detectors for nuclear safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moss, C.E.; Bernard, W.; Dowdy, E.J.; Garcia, C.; Lucas, M.C.; Pratt, J.C.

1983-01-01

Our gamma-ray spectrometer system, designed for field use, offers high efficiency and high resolution for safeguards applications. The system consists of three 40% high-purity germanium detectors and a LeCroy 3500 data-acquisition system that calculates a composite spectrum for the three detectors. The LeCroy 3500 mainframe can be operated remotely from the detector array with control exercised through moderns and the telephone system. System performance with a mixed source of 125 Sb, 154 Eu, and 155 Eu confirms the expected efficiency of 120% with an overall resolution that is between the resolution of the best detector and that of the worst

Tensile strain mapping in flat germanium membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhead, S. D.; Halpin, J. E.; Myronov, M.; Patchett, D. H.; Allred, P. S.; Wilson, N. R.; Leadley, D. R.; Shah, V. A.; Kachkanov, V.; Dolbnya, I. P.; Reparaz, J. S.; Sotomayor Torres, C. M.

2014-01-01

Scanning X-ray micro-diffraction has been used as a non-destructive probe of the local crystalline quality of a thin suspended germanium (Ge) membrane. A series of reciprocal space maps were obtained with ∼4 μm spatial resolution, from which detailed information on the strain distribution, thickness, and crystalline tilt of the membrane was obtained. We are able to detect a systematic strain variation across the membranes, but show that this is negligible in the context of using the membranes as platforms for further growth. In addition, we show evidence that the interface and surface quality is improved by suspending the Ge

Dosimetric properties of germanium doped calcium borate glass subjected to 6 MV and 10 MV X-ray irradiations

Science.gov (United States)

Tengku Kamarul Bahri, T. N. H.; Wagiran, H.; Hussin, R.; Saeed, M. A.; Hossain, I.; Ali, H.

2014-10-01

Germanium doped calcium borate glasses are investigated in term of thermoluminescence properties to seek their possibility to use as glass radiation dosimeter. The samples were exposed to 6 MV, and 10 MV photon beams in a dose range of 0.5-4.0 Gy. There is a single and broad thermoluminescence glow curve that exhibits its maximum intensity at about 300 °C. Linear dose response behavior has been found in this dose range for the both photon energies. Effective atomic number, TL sensitivity, and reproducibility have also been studied. It is found that the sensitivity of germanium doped sample at 6 MV is only 1.28% and it is superior to the sensitivity at 10 MV. The reproducibility of germanium doped sample is good with a percentage of relative error less than 10%. The results indicate that this glass has a potential to be used as a radiation dosimetry, especially for application in radiotherapy.

Effects of silicon carbide on the phase developments in mullite-carbon ceramic composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatai Olufemi ARAMIDE

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The effects of the addition of silicon carbide and sintering temperatures on the phases developed, in sintered ceramic composite produced from kaolin and graphite was investigated. The kaolin and graphite of known mineralogical composition were thoroughly blended with 4 and 8 vol % silicon carbide. From the homogeneous mixture of kaolin, graphite and silicon carbide, standard samples were prepared via uniaxial compaction. The test samples produced were subjected to firing (sintering at 1300°C, 1400°C and 1500°C. The sintered samples were characterized for the developed phases using x‐ray diffractometry analysis, microstructural morphology using ultra‐high resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (UHRFEGSEM. It was observed that microstructural morphology of the samples revealed the evolution of mullite, cristobalite and microcline. The kaolinite content of the raw kaolin undergoes transformation into mullite and excess silica, the mullite and the silica phases contents increased with increased sintering temperature. It is also generally observed that the graphite content progressively reduced linearly with increased sintering temperature. It is concluded that silicon carbide acts as anti-oxidant for the graphite, this anti-oxidant effect was more effective at 4 vol % silicon carbide.

An Implant-Passivated Blocked Impurity Band Germanium Detector for the Far Infrared, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to fabricate a germanium blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detector using a novel process which will enable us to: 1- fabricate a suitably-doped active layer...

Mechanism of the electrochemical hydrogen reaction on smooth tungsten carbide and tungsten electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesener, K.; Winkler, E.; Schneider, W.

1985-01-01

The course of the electrochemical hydrogen reaction on smooth tungsten-carbide electrodes in hydrogen saturated 2.25 M H 2 SO 4 follows a electrochemical sorption-desorption mechanism in the potential range of -0.4 to +0.1 V. At potentials greater than +0.1 V the hydrogen oxidation is controlled by a preliminary chemical sorption step. Concluding from the similar behaviour of tungsten-carbide and tungsten electrodes after cathodic pretreatment, different tungsten oxides should be involved in the course of the hydrogen reaction on tungsten carbide electrodes. (author)

Boron doping compensation of hydrogenated amorphous and polymorphous germanium thin films for infrared detection applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno, M., E-mail: mmoreno@inaoep.mx [National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, INAOE, P.O. Box 51 and 216, Puebla, Z. P. 72840 Puebla (Mexico); Delgadillo, N. [Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Av. Universidad No. 1, Z. P. 90006 Tlaxcala (Mexico); Torres, A. [National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, INAOE, P.O. Box 51 and 216, Puebla, Z. P. 72840 Puebla (Mexico); Ambrosio, R. [Technology and Engineering Institute, Ciudad Juarez University UACJ, Av. Del Charro 450N, Z. P. 32310 Chihuahua (Mexico); Rosales, P.; Kosarev, A.; Reyes-Betanzo, C.; Hidalga-Wade, J. de la; Zuniga, C.; Calleja, W. [National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, INAOE, P.O. Box 51 and 216, Puebla, Z. P. 72840 Puebla (Mexico)

2013-12-02

In this work we have studied boron doping of hydrogenated amorphous germanium a-Ge:H and polymorphous germanium (pm-Ge:H) in low regimes, in order to compensate the material from n-type (due to oxygen contamination that commonly occurs during plasma deposition) to intrinsic, and in this manner improve the properties that are important for infrared (IR) detection, as activation energy (E{sub a}) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). Electrical, structural and optical characterization was performed on the films produced. Measurements of the temperature dependence of conductivity, room temperature conductivity (σ{sub RT}), E{sub a} and current–voltage characteristics under IR radiation were performed in the compensated a-Ge:H and pm-Ge:H films. Our results demonstrate that, effectively, the values of E{sub a}, TCR and IR detection are improved on the a-Ge:H/pm-Ge:H films, using boron doping in low regimes, which results of interest for infrared detectors. - Highlights: • We reported boron doping compensation of amorphous and polymorphous germanium. • The films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. • The aim is to use the films as thermo-sensing elements in un-cooled microbolometers. • Those films have advantages over boron doped a-Si:H used in commercial detectors.

Boron doping compensation of hydrogenated amorphous and polymorphous germanium thin films for infrared detection applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, M.; Delgadillo, N.; Torres, A.; Ambrosio, R.; Rosales, P.; Kosarev, A.; Reyes-Betanzo, C.; Hidalga-Wade, J. de la; Zuniga, C.; Calleja, W.

2013-01-01

In this work we have studied boron doping of hydrogenated amorphous germanium a-Ge:H and polymorphous germanium (pm-Ge:H) in low regimes, in order to compensate the material from n-type (due to oxygen contamination that commonly occurs during plasma deposition) to intrinsic, and in this manner improve the properties that are important for infrared (IR) detection, as activation energy (E a ) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). Electrical, structural and optical characterization was performed on the films produced. Measurements of the temperature dependence of conductivity, room temperature conductivity (σ RT ), E a and current–voltage characteristics under IR radiation were performed in the compensated a-Ge:H and pm-Ge:H films. Our results demonstrate that, effectively, the values of E a , TCR and IR detection are improved on the a-Ge:H/pm-Ge:H films, using boron doping in low regimes, which results of interest for infrared detectors. - Highlights: • We reported boron doping compensation of amorphous and polymorphous germanium. • The films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. • The aim is to use the films as thermo-sensing elements in un-cooled microbolometers. • Those films have advantages over boron doped a-Si:H used in commercial detectors

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.

Erosion wear of boron carbide ceramic nozzles by abrasive air-jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Jianxin

2005-01-01

Boron carbide nozzles were produced by hot pressing. The erosion wear of this nozzle caused by abrasive particle impact was investigated by abrasive air-jets. Silica, silicon carbide and alumina powders with different hardness were used as the erodent abrasive particles. Results showed that the hardness of the erodent particles played an important role with respect to the erosion wear of the boron carbide nozzles. As the hardness of the erodent particles increases, there is a dramatic increase in erosion rate of the nozzles. The nozzle entrance area suffered from severe abrasive impact under large impact angles, and generated maximum tensile stresses. The wear mechanisms of boron carbide nozzle at this area appeared to be entirely brittle in nature with the evidence of large scale-chipping, and exhibited a brittle fracture induced removal process. While at the nozzle center wall section, most of the particles traveled parallel to the nozzle wall, and showed minimum tensile stresses. The wear mode in this area of the nozzle changed from impact to sliding erosion, and the wear mechanisms appeared to be the lateral cracking owing to a surface fatigue fracture mechanism

Neutron irradiation damage in transition metal carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Hisayuki; Nesaki, Kouji; Kiritani, Michio

1991-01-01

Effects of neutron irradiation on the physical properties of light transition metal carbides, TiC x , VC x and NbC x , were examined, emphasizing the characterization of irradiation induced defects in the nonstoichiometric composition. TiC x irradiated with 14 MeV (fusion) neutrons showed higher damage rates with increasing C/Ti (x) ratio. A brief discussion is made on 'cascade damage' in TiC x irradiated with fusion neutrons. Two other carbides (VC x and NbC x ) were irradiated with fission reactor neutrons. The irradiation effects on VC x were not so simple, because of the complex irradiation behavior of 'ordered' phases. For instance, complete disordering was revealed in an ordered phase, 'V 8 C 7 ', after an irradiation dose of 10 25 n/m 2 . (orig.)

Stability of MC Carbide Particles Size in Creep Resisting Steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vodopivec, F.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Theoretical analysis of the dependence microstructure creep rate. Discussion on the effects of carbide particles size and their distribution on the base of accelerated creep tests on a steel X20CrMoV121 tempered at 800 °C. Analysis of the stability of carbide particles size in terms of free energy of formation of the compound. Explanation of the different effect of VC and NbC particles on accelerated creep rate.

Advances in carbide fuel element development for fast reactor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dienst, W.; Kleykamp, H.; Muehling, G.; Reiser, H.; Steiner, H.; Thuemmler, F.; Wedermeyer, H.; Weimar, P.

1977-01-01

The features of the carbide fuel development programme are reviewed and evaluated. Single pin and bundle irradiations are carried out under thermal, epithermal and fast flux conditions, the latter in the DFR and KNK-II reactors. Several fuel concepts in the region of representative SNR clad temperatures are compared by parameter and performance tests. A conservative concept is based on He-bonded 8 mm pins with (U,Pu)C pellets and a smear density of 75% TD, operating at 800 W/cm rod power and burnup to 70 MWd/kg. The preparation of mixed carbide fuels is carried out by carbothermic reduction of the oxides in different methods supported by equivalent carbon content, grain size and phase distribution analysis. The fuel for subassembly performance tests is produced in a pilot plant of 0,5 t/year capacity. Compatibility studies reveal that cladding carburization is the only chemical interaction with carbide fuels. This effect leads to a reduction in ductility of the stainless steel. Fission products apparently play no role in the compatibility behaviour. Comprehensive studies lead to reliable information on the chemical and thermodynamic state of the fuel under irradiation. The swelling of carbide fuels and the fission gas release are examined and analysed. Cladding plastic strain by fuel swelling occurs during steady-state operation because the irradiation creep is rather slow compared to oxide fuels. The cladding strain observed depends on the fuel porosity and the cladding strength. The development of carbide fuel pins is complemented by the application of comprehensive computer models. In addition to the steady-state tests power cycling and safety tests are under performance. Up to 1980 the results are summarized for the final design and specification. The development target of the present program is to fabricate several subassemblies for test operation in the SNR 300 by 1981

GeMini: The Next Generation Mechanically-Cooled Germanium Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burks, M.

2008-01-01

The next-generation mechanically-cooled germanium spectrometer has been developed. GeMini (GErmanium MINIature spectrometer) has been designed to bring high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy to a range of demanding field environments. Intended applications include short-notice and surprise inspections where positive nuclide identification of radioactive materials is required. GeMini weighs 2.75 kg (6 lbs) total including the detector, cryostat, cryocooler, batteries, electronics and readout. It is very low power allowing it to operate for 10 hours on a single set of rechargeable batteries. This instrument employs technology adapted from the gamma-ray spectrometer currently flying on NASA's Mercury MESSENGER spacecraft. Specifically, infrared shielding techniques allow for a vast reduction of thermal load. This in turn allows for a smaller, lighter-weight design, well-suited for a hand-held instrument. Two working prototypes have been built and tested in the lab. The target energy resolution is 3 keV fwhm or better for 1332 keV gamma-rays. The detectors currently achieve around 4.5 keV resolution, which is slightly higher than our goal due to microphonic noise. Our present work focuses on improving the resolution through mechanical and electronic means of reducing the microphonic noise. This paper will focus on the performance of the instrument and its applicability for inspectors in the field

Crystallization of Electrodeposited Germanium Thin Film on Silicon (100).

Science.gov (United States)

Abidin, Mastura Shafinaz Zainal; Matsumura, Ryo; Anisuzzaman, Mohammad; Park, Jong-Hyeok; Muta, Shunpei; Mahmood, Mohamad Rusop; Sadoh, Taizoh; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2013-11-06

We report the crystallization of electrodeposited germanium (Ge) thin films on n-silicon (Si) (100) by rapid melting process. The electrodeposition was carried out in germanium (IV) chloride: propylene glycol (GeCl₄:C₃H₈O₂) electrolyte with constant current of 50 mA for 30 min. The measured Raman spectra and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) images show that the as-deposited Ge thin film was amorphous. The crystallization of deposited Ge was achieved by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 980 °C for 1 s. The EBSD images confirm that the orientations of the annealed Ge are similar to that of the Si substrate. The highly intense peak of Raman spectra at 300 cm -1 corresponding to Ge-Ge vibration mode was observed, indicating good crystal quality of Ge. An additional sub peak near to 390 cm -1 corresponding to the Si-Ge vibration mode was also observed, indicating the Ge-Si mixing at Ge/Si interface. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) reveals that the intermixing depth was around 60 nm. The calculated Si fraction from Raman spectra was found to be in good agreement with the value estimated from Ge-Si equilibrium phase diagram. The proposed technique is expected to be an effective way to crystallize Ge films for various device applications as well as to create strain at the Ge-Si interface for enhancement of mobility.

Identification of stacking faults in silicon carbide by polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hristu, Radu; Stanciu, Stefan G; Tranca, Denis E; Polychroniadis, Efstathios K; Stanciu, George A

2017-07-07

Although silicon carbide is a highly promising crystalline material for a wide range of electronic devices, extended and point defects which perturb the lattice periodicity hold deep implications with respect to device reliability. There is thus a great need for developing new methods that can detect silicon carbide defects which are detrimental to device functionality. Our experiment demonstrates that polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy can extend the efficiency of the "optical signature" concept as an all-optical rapid and non-destructive set of investigation methods for the differentiation between hexagonal and cubic stacking faults in silicon carbide. This technique can be used for fast and in situ characterization and optimization of growth conditions for epilayers of silicon carbide and similar materials.

Effect of magnetic field on the carbide precipitation during tempering of a molybdenum-containing steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, T.P.; Li, Y.; Zhang, J.J.; Wu, K.M.

2012-01-01

The influence of a high magnetic field on the carbide precipitation during the tempering of an Fe–2.8C–3.0Mo(wt%) steel was investigated. As-quenched steels were tempered at 200 °C for various times with and without the presence of 12-T magnetic field. The applied field effectively promoted the precipitation of the relatively high-temperature monoclinic χ-Fe 5 C 2 carbide, compared to the usual ε-Fe 2 C and η-Fe 2 C carbides precipitated without magnetic field. It is believed that the effect of applying a magnetic field is due to the reduction in the Gibbs free energy of the relatively higher magnetization phase. The denser distributions of the metastable carbides are attributed to the increased nucleation rate due to additional transformation force. The dispersed precipitation strengthening compensated for the decrease of hardness due to the loss of supersaturation of carbon atoms in the matrix. - Highlights: ► Applied field promoted the precipitation of χ-Fe 5 C 2 carbide. ► Promotion of the transition carbide was attributed to its higher magnetization. ► Increase in hardness was counterbalanced by the reduction in carbon content.

Deformation potentials for band-to-band tunneling in silicon and germanium from first principles

Science.gov (United States)

Vandenberghe, William G.; Fischetti, Massimo V.

2015-01-01

The deformation potentials for phonon-assisted band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) in silicon and germanium are calculated using a plane-wave density functional theory code. Using hybrid functionals, we obtain: DTA = 4.1 × 108 eV/cm, DTO = 1.2 × 109 eV/cm, and DLO = 2.2 × 109 eV/cm for BTBT in silicon and DTA = 7.8 × 108 eV/cm and DLO = 1.3 × 109 eV/cm for BTBT in germanium. These values agree with experimentally measured values and we explain why in diodes, the TA/TO phonon-assisted BTBT dominates over LO phonon-assisted BTBT despite the larger deformation potential for the latter. We also explain why LO phonon-assisted BTBT can nevertheless dominate in many practical applications.

Effect of Ion Beam Irradiation on Silicon Carbide with Different Microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Kyeong Hwan; Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon Ju; Jung, Choong Hwan; Ryu, Woo Seog

2006-01-01

SiC and SiC/SiC composites are one of promising candidates for structural materials of the next generation energy systems such as the gas-cooled reactors and fusion reactors. This anticipation yields many material issues, and radiation effects of silicon carbide are recognized as an important research subject. Silicon carbide has diverse crystal structures (called polytypes), such as α-SiC (hexagonal structure), β-SiC (cubic structure) and amorphous SiC. Among these polytypes, β-SiC has been studied as matrix material in SiC/SiC composites. Near-stoichiometric β-SiC with high crystallinity and purity is considered as suitable material in the next generation energy system and matrix material in SiC/SiC composites because of its excellent radiation resistance. Highly pure and crystalline β-SiC and SiC/SiC composites could be obtained by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and Infiltration (CVI) process using a gas mixture of methyltrichlorosilane (CH 3 SiCl 3 , MTS) and purified H 2 . SiC produced by the CVD method has different grain size and microstructural morphology depended on the process conditions such as temperature, pressure and the input gas ratio. In this work, irradiation effects of silicon carbide were investigated using ion beam irradiation with emphasis on the influence of grain size and grain boundary. MeV ion irradiation at low temperature makes amorphous phase in silicon carbide. The microstructures and mechanical property changes of silicon carbide with different structures were analyzed after ion beam irradiation

The germanium wall of the GEM detector system GEM Collaboration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betigeri, M.; Biakowski, E.; Bojowald, H.; Budzanowski, A.; Chatterjee, A.; Drochner, M.; Ernst, J.; Foertsch, S.; Freindl, L.; Frekers, D.; Garske, W.; Grewer, K.; Hamacher, A.; Igel, S.; Ilieva, J.; Jarczyk, L.; Jochmann, M.; Kemmerling, G.; Kilian, K.; Kliczewski, S.; Klimala, W.; Kolev, D.; Kutsarova, T.; Lieb, J.; Lippert, G.; Machner, H.; Magiera, A.; Nann, H.; Pentchev, L.; Plendl, H.S.; Protic, D.; Razen, B.; Rossen, P. von; Roy, B.J.; Siudak, R.; Smyrski, J.; Srikantiah, R.V.; Strzakowski, A.; Tsenov, R.; Zolnierczuk, P.A.; Zwoll, K.

1999-01-01

A stack of annular detectors made of high-purity germanium was developed. The detectors are position sensitive with radial structures. The first one ('Quirl') is double-sided position sensitive defining 40,000 pixels, the following three (E1, E2 and E3) have 32 wedges each. The Quirl acts as tracker while the other three act as calorimeter. The stack was successfully operated in meson production reactions close to threshold

Pipe bend wear - is tungsten carbide the answer?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freinkel, D.

1988-01-01

The purpose of the investigation was to compare the relative wear resistance of various grades of sintered tungsten carbide liners against a mild steel standard in a full-scale pneumatic conveying testing rig. Speciments ranging in cobalt content from 6 to 30 per cent and in grain size from 0,56 to 2,98 microns, including a mild steel standard, were placed on a specially designed holder which fitted into a tee type 100 mm diameter bend. The specimens were tested under various operating conditions, ie air velocity ranging from 28m/s to 52m/s, impact angles of 30 0 to 70 0 mass flow rates of 35kg/min to 83kg/min and phase densities of 1,2 to 2,9, using a 4 mm nominal size crushed granite rock. The experimental results show that the ultrafine-grained, low cobalt (6 per cent) tungsten carbide displays little sensitivity to varying velocities, impact angles, mass flow rates or phase densities, and consistently gave the best wear resistance under all testing conditions. It consistently showed the least wear resistance under all testing conditions and performed only slightly better than mild steel. The effect of the carbide grain size was found to be small, although the finer grain sizes displayed greater wear resistance than the coarse grains. The effect of cobalt content was such that the lower cobalt specimens (6 per cent range) consistently performed better than the higher cobalt contents (10 per cent, 15 per cent, 30 per cent) under all testing conditions; the wear resistance decreasing with increasing cobalt content. An empirical model for the prediction of wear for each type of material tested has been proposed, given the particular operating conditions. Microstructurally it has been shown that there is a definite relationship between erosion resistance and the inverse of the magnetic coercivity of the tungsten carbide alloys

Microstructure of reactive synthesis TiC/Cr18Ni8 stainless steel bonded carbides

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jiang Junsheng; Liu Junbo; Wang Limei

2008-01-01

TiC/Cr18Ni8 steel bonded carbides were synthesized by vacuum sintering with mixed powders of iron, ferrotitanium, ferrochromium, colloidal graphite and nickel as raw materials. The microstructure and microhardness of the steel bonded carbides were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM),X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rockwell hardometer. Results show that the phases of steel bonded carbides mainly consist of TiC and Fe-Cr-Ni solid solution. The synthesized TiC particles are fine. Most of them are not more than 1 μm With the increase of sintering temperature, the porosity of TiC/Cr18Ni8 steel bonded carbides decreases and the density and hardness increase, but the size of TiC panicles slightly increases. Under the same sintering conditions, the density and hardness of steel bonded carbides with C/Ti atomic ratio 0.9 are higher than those with C/Ti atomic ratio 1.0.The TiC particles with C/Ti atomic ratio 0.9 are much finer and more homogeneous.

Fundamental aspects of nucleation and growth in the solution-phase synthesis of germanium nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Codoluto, Stephen C.; Baumgardner, William J.; Hanrath, Tobias

2010-01-01

Colloidal Ge nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized via the solution phase reduction of germanium(ii) iodide. We report a systematic investigation of the nanocrystal nucleation and growth as a function of synthesis conditions including the nature

Energy levels of germanium, Ge I through Ge XXXII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugar, J.; Musgrove, A.

1993-01-01

Atomic energy levels of germanium have been compiled for all stages of ionization for which experimental data are available. No data have yet been published for Ge VIII through Ge XIII and Ge XXXII. Very accurate calculated values are compiled for Ge XXXI and XXXII. Experimental g-factors and leading percentages from calculated eigenvectors of levels are given. A value for the ionization energy, either experimental when available or theoretical, is included for the neutral atom and each ion. section

Gelcasting of SiC/Si for preparation of silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Z.P.; Tsinghua University, Beijing,; Cheng, Y.B.; Lu, J.W.; Huang, Y.

2000-01-01

In the present paper, gelcasting of aqueous slurry with coarse silicon carbide(1mm) and fine silicon particles was investigated to fabricate silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide materials. Through the examination of influence of different polyelectrolytes on the Zeta potential and viscosity of silicon and silicon carbide suspensions, a stable SiC/Si suspension with 60 vol% solid loading could be prepared by using polyelectrolyte of D3005 and sodium alginate. Gelation of this suspension can complete in 10-30 min at 60-80 deg C after cast into mold. After demolded, the wet green body can be dried directly in furnace and the green strength will develop during drying. Complex shape parts with near net size were prepared by the process. Effects of the debindering process on nitridation and density of silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide were also examined. Copyright (2000) The Australian Ceramic Society

Electronic and vibrational hopping transport in boron carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emin, D.

1991-01-01

General concepts of hopping-type transport and localization are reviewed. Disorder, electronic correlations and atomic displacements, effects ignored in electronic band structure calculations, foster localization of electronic charge carriers. Examples are given that illustrate the efficacy of these effects in producing localization. This introduction is followed by a brief discussion of the relation between hopping-type transport and localization. The fundamentals of the formation, localization, and hopping transport of small polarons and/or bipolarons is then described. Electronic transport in boron carbides is presented as an example of the adiabatic hopping of small bipolarons. Finally, the notion of vibrational hopping is introduced. The high-temperature thermal diffusion in boron carbides is presented as a potential application of this idea

Test setup for long term reliability investigation of Silicon Carbide MOSFETs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baker, Nick; Munk-Nielsen, Stig; Beczkowski, Szymon

2013-01-01

Silicon Carbide MOSFETs are now widely available and have frequently been demonstrated to offer numerous advantages over Silicon based devices. However, reliability issues remain a significant concern in their realisation in commercial power electronic systems. In this paper, a test bench...... is designed that enables an accelerated power cycling test to be performed on packaged Silicon Carbide MOSFETs (TO-247) under realistic operating conditions. An accelerated power cycling test is then performed, with on-state resistance selected as the observed parameter to detect degradation. On......-state resistance is routinely monitored online through the use of an innovative voltage measurement system. The packaged Silicon Carbide MOSFET is shown to exhibit a 25% increase in on-state resistance as the device ages throughout its lifetime, with the test still on-going....

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.

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

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

When processing High Level Waste (HLW) glass, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) cannot wait until the melt or waste glass has been made to assess its acceptability, since by then no further changes to the glass composition and acceptability are possible. Therefore, the acceptability decision is made on the upstream feed stream, rather than on the downstream melt or glass product. This strategy is known as 'feed forward statistical process control.' The DWPF depends on chemical analysis of the feed streams from the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) where the frit plus adjusted sludge from the SRAT are mixed. The SME is the last vessel in which any chemical adjustments or frit additions can be made. Once the analyses of the SME product are deemed acceptable, the SME product is transferred to the Melter Feed Tank (MFT) and onto the melter. The SRAT and SME analyses have been analyzed by the DWPF laboratory using a 'Cold Chemical' method but this dissolution did not adequately dissolve all the elemental components. A new dissolution method which fuses the SRAT or SME product with cesium nitrate (CsNO 3 ), germanium (IV) oxide (GeO 2 ) and cesium carbonate (Cs 2 CO 3 ) into a cesium germanate glass at 1050 C in platinum crucibles has been developed. Once the germanium glass is formed in that fusion, it is readily dissolved by concentrated nitric acid (about 1M) to solubilize all the elements in the SRAT and/or SME product for elemental analysis. When the chemical analyses are completed the acidic cesium-germanate solution is transferred from the DWPF analytic laboratory to the Recycle Collection Tank (RCT) where the pH is increased to ∼12 M to be released back to the tank farm and the 2H evaporator. Therefore, about 2.5 kg/yr of GeO 2 /year will be diluted into 1.4 million gallons of recycle. This 2.5 kg/yr of GeO 2 may increase to 4 kg/yr when improvements are implemented to attain an annual canister production

Effect of carbide precipitation on the corrosion behavior of Inconel alloy 690

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarver, J.M.; Crum, J.R.; Mankins, W.L.

1987-01-01

Intergranular carbide precipitation reactions have been shown to affect the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance of nickel-chromium-iron alloys in environments relative to nuclear steam generators. Carbon solubility curves, time-temperature-sensitization plots and other carbide precipitation data are presented for alloy 690 as an aid in developing heat treatments for improved SCC resistance

The precipitation behavior of titanium carbide on the surface of SUS 321 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshihara, Kazuhiro; Nii, Kazuyoshi

1982-01-01

The surface composition of SUS 321 stainless steel at high temperatures was observed in vacuum with Auger electron spectroscopy. The precipitation of titanium carbide was found on the surface of SUS 321. The thickness of precipitated titanium carbide layer increased in proportion to the square root of annealing time and became about 0.05 μm after heated at 1100 K for 432 ks. The precipitated titanium carbide was not replaced by the most surface active element sulfur, and remained stable on the surface. The precipitated layer, however, was not even and had many holes about 1 μm in diameter. The bottom of a hole was SUS 321, on which phosphorus, oxygen and sulfur segregated. As the annealing time was prolonged, these segregants were replaced one by one in the order of the surface activity, and finally the most surface active element, sulfur, remained on the bottom of the hole. Moreover, sulfur diffused over the outside of the hole. The precipitation of titanium carbide on the surface occurred according to the following processes: (1) The titanium and carbon which had been dissolved in the bulk diffused onto the surface of the stainless steel. (2) The titanium carbide which had been precipitated in the bulk dissolved because the concentration of titanum and carbon fell under their solubility limits in the bulk. (3) The titanium and carbon diffused onto the surface which was exposed to vacuum. (4) The titanium and carbon recombined into titanium carbide and precipitated on the surface. The growth rate of the thickness of the precipitated layer was controlled by the diffusion of titanium and carbon in the precipitated titanium carbide. (J.P.N.)

Microstructure and phase evolution in laser clad chromium carbide-NiCrMoNb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatesh, L., E-mail: venkatesh@arci.res.in [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur, Hyderabad 500005 (India); Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 (India); Samajdar, I. [Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 (India); Tak, Manish [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur, Hyderabad 500005 (India); Doherty, Roger D. [Department of Materials Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Gundakaram, Ravi C.; Prasad, K. Satya; Joshi, S.V. [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Balapur, Hyderabad 500005 (India)

2015-12-01

Highlights: • Microstructural development during laser cladding has been studied. • In this multi component system Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3} is found to be the stable carbide phase. • Phases were identified by EBSD since XRD results were not conclusive. • Increase in laser power and/or scanning speed reduced the carbide content. • Hardness seems to depend on phase content as well as microstructure. - Abstract: Microstructural development in laser clad layers of Chromium carbide (Cr{sub x}C{sub y})-NiCrMoNb on SA 516 steel has been investigated. Although the starting powder contained both Cr{sub 3}C{sub 2} and Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3}, the clad layers showed only the presence of Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3}. Microtexture measurements by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) revealed primary dendritic Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3} with Ni rich FCC metallic phase being present in the interdendritic spaces. Further annealing of the laser clad layers and furnace melting of the starting powder confirmed that Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3} is the primary as well as stable carbide phase in this multi component system. Increase in laser power and scanning speed progressively reduced carbide content in the laser clad layers. Increased scanning speed, which enhances the cooling rate, also led to reduction in the secondary arm spacing (λ{sub 2}) of the Cr{sub 7}C{sub 3} dendrites. The clad layer hardness increased with carbide content and with decreased dendrite arm spacing.

Tribological performance of polycrystalline tantalum-carbide-incorporated diamond films on silicon substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Mahtab; Rana, Anwar Manzoor; Ahmed, E.; Malik, Abdul Sattar; Shah, Z. A.; Ahmad, Naseeb; Mehtab, Ujala; Raza, Rizwan

2018-05-01

Polycrystalline tantalum-carbide-incorporated diamond coatings have been made on unpolished side of Si (100) wafer by hot filament chemical vapor deposition process. Morphology of the coatings has been found to vary from (111) triangular-facetted to predominantly (111) square-faceted by increasing the concentration of tantalum carbide. The results have been compared to those of a diamond reference coating with no tantalum content. An increase in roughness has been observed with the increase of tantalum carbide (TaC) due to change in morphology of the diamond films. It is noticed that roughness of the coatings increases as grains become more square-faceted. It is found that diamond coatings involving tantalum carbide are not as resistant as diamond films with no TaC content and the coefficient of friction for such coatings with microcrystalline grains can be manipulated to 0·33 under high vacuum of 10-7 Torr. Such a low friction coefficient value enhances tribological behavior of unpolished Si substrates and can possibly be used in sliding applications.

Comparative sinterability of combustion synthesized and commercial titanium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manley, B.W.

1984-11-01

The influence of various parameters on the sinterability of combustion synthesized titanium carbide was investigaged. Titanium carbide powders, prepared by the combustion synthesis process, were sintered in the temperature range 1150 to 1600 0 C. Incomplete combustion and high oxygen contents were found to be the cause of reduced shrinkage during sintering of the combustion syntheized powders when compared to the shrinkage of commercial TiC. Free carbon was shown to inhibit shrinkage. The activation energy for sintering was found to depend on stoichiometry (C/Ti). With decreasing C/Ti, the rate of sintering increased. 29 references, 16 figures, 13 tables

Enhanced optical performance of electrochemically etched porous silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naderi, N; Hashim, M R; Saron, K M A; Rouhi, J

2013-01-01

Porous silicon carbide (PSC) was successfully synthesized via electrochemical etching of an n-type hexagonal silicon carbide (6H-SiC) substrate using various current densities. The cyclic voltammograms of SiC dissolution show that illumination is required for the accumulation of carriers at the surface, followed by surface oxidation and dissolution of the solid. The morphological and optical characterizations of PSC were reported. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that the current density can be considered an important etching parameter that controls the porosity and uniformity of PSC; hence, it can be used to optimize the optical properties of the porous samples. (paper)

Precipitation Behavior of Carbides in H13 Hot Work Die Steel and Its Strengthening during Tempering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angang Ning

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The properties of carbides, such as morphology, size, and type, in H13 hot work die steel were studied with optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis; their size distribution and quantity after tempering, at different positions within the ingot, were analyzed using Image-Pro Plus software. Thermodynamic calculations were also performed for these carbides. The microstructures near the ingot surface were homogeneous and had slender martensite laths. Two kinds of carbide precipitates have been detected in H13: (1 MC and M6C, generally smaller than 200 nm; and (2 M23C6, usually larger than 200 nm. MC and M6C play the key role in precipitation hardening. These are the most frequent carbides precipitating at the halfway point from the center of the ingot, and the least frequent at the surface. From the center of the ingot to its surface, the size and volume fraction of the carbides decrease, and the toughness improves, while the contribution of the carbides to the yield strength increases.

Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements of uranium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corradetti, S.; Manzolaro, M.; Andrighetto, A.; Zanonato, P.; Tusseau-Nenez, S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements of uranium carbides were performed. • The tested materials are candidates as targets for radioactive ion beam production. • The results are correlated with the materials composition and microstructure. - Abstract: Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements on different types of uranium carbide are presented, in the context of the ActiLab Work Package in ENSAR, a project within the 7th Framework Program of the European Commission. Two specific techniques were used to carry out the measurements, both taking place in a laboratory dedicated to the research and development of materials for the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) target. In the case of thermal conductivity, estimation of the dependence of this property on temperature was obtained using the inverse parameter estimation method, taking as a reference temperature and emissivity measurements. Emissivity at different temperatures was obtained for several types of uranium carbide using a dual frequency infrared pyrometer. Differences between the analyzed materials are discussed according to their compositional and microstructural properties. The obtainment of this type of information can help to carefully design materials to be capable of working under extreme conditions in next-generation ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facilities for the generation of radioactive ion beams.

TRANSFORMATIONS IN NANO-DIAMONDS WITH FORMATION OF NANO-POROUS SILICON CARBIDE AT HIGH PRESSURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Kovalevsky

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The paper contains investigations on regularities of diamond - silicon carbide composite structure formation at impact-wave excitation. It has been determined that while squeezing a porous blank containing Si (SiC nano-diamond by explosive detonation products some processes are taking place such as diamond nano-particles consolidation, reverse diamond transition into graphite, fragments formation from silicon carbide. A method for obtaining high-porous composites with the presence of ultra-disperse diamond particles has been developed. Material with three-dimensional high-porous silicon-carbide structure has been received due to nano-diamond graphitation at impact wave transmission and plastic deformation. The paper reveals nano-diamonds inverse transformation into graphite and its subsequent interaction with the silicon accompanied by formation of silicon-carbide fragments with dimensions of up to 100 nm.

Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Films with Embedded Nano crystals for Thermal Detectors with Very High Sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calleja, C.; Torres, A.; Rosales-Quintero, P.; Moreno, M.

2016-01-01

We have optimized the deposition conditions of amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nano crystals in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor, working at a standard frequency of 13.56 MHz. The objective was to produce films with very large Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR), which is a signature of the sensitivity in thermal detectors (micro bolometers). Morphological, electrical, and optical characterization were performed in the films, and we found optimal conditions for obtaining films with very high values of thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR = 7.9%K -1 ). Our results show that amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nano crystals can be used as thermo sensitive films in high performance infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) used in commercial thermal cameras.

Optical properties of highly n-doped germanium obtained by in situ doping and laser annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Frigerio, J.; Ballabio, A.; Gallacher, K.; Giliberti, V.; Baldassarre, L.; Millar, R.; Milazzo, R.; Maiolo, L.; Minotti, A.; Bottegoni, F.; Biagioni, P.; Paul, D.; Ortolani, M.; Pecora, A.; Napolitani, E.; Isella, G.

2017-11-01

High n-type doping in germanium is essential for many electronic and optoelectronic applications especially for high performance Ohmic contacts, lasing and mid-infrared plasmonics. We report on the combination of in situ doping and excimer laser annealing to improve the activation of phosphorous in germanium. An activated n-doping concentration of 8.8  ×  1019 cm-3 has been achieved starting from an incorporated phosphorous concentration of 1.1  ×  1020 cm-3. Infrared reflectivity data fitted with a multi-layer Drude model indicate good uniformity over a 350 nm thick layer. Photoluminescence demonstrates clear bandgap narrowing and an increased ratio of direct to indirect bandgap emission confirming the high doping densities achieved.

Bibliographical study on the high-purity germanium radiation detectors used in gamma and X spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bornand, Bernard; Friant, Alain

1979-03-01

The germanium or silicon lithium-drifted detectors, Ge(Li) or Si(Li), and high-purity germanium detectors, HP Ge (impurity concentration approximately 10 10 cm -3 ), are the most commonly used at the present time as gamma and X-ray spectrometers. The HP Ge detectors for which room temperature storage is the main characteristic can be obtained with a large volume and a thin window, and are used as the Ge(Li) in γ ray spectrometry or the Si(Li) in X-ray spectrometry. This publication reviews issues from 1974 to 1978 on the state of the art and applications of the HP Ge semiconductor detectors. 101 bibliographical notices with French summaries are presented. An index for authors, documents and periodicals, and subjects is included [fr

Ordering effects on structure and specific heat of nonstoichiometric titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipatnikov, V.N.; Gusev, A.I.

1999-01-01

The experimental results on the change in the crystal structure and specific heat of the nonstoichiometric titanium carbide TiC y (0.5 2 C phases with cubic and trigonal symmetry and the rhombic ordered Ti 3 C 2 phase are formed in the titanium carbide at the temperature below 1000 K by the phase transitions mechanism. The temperatures and heats of the order-disorder phase transitions are determined [ru

The effects of annealing temperature and cooling rate on carbide precipitation behavior in H13 hot-work tool steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Minwoo; Park, Gyujin; Jung, Jae-Gil; Kim, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Young-Kook

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Unexpected Mo carbides formed during slow cooling from low annealing temperatures. • Mo carbides formed during the migration of Mo for a transition of Cr-rich carbide. • Mo carbides were precipitated at the boundaries of M 7 C 3 carbides and ferrite grains. • Annealing conditions for the precipitation of Mo carbides were discussed. - Abstract: The precipitation behavior of H13 hot-work tool steel was investigated as a function of both annealing temperature and cooling rate through thermodynamic calculations and microstructural analyses using transmission and scanning electron microscope and a dilatometer. The V-rich MC carbide and Cr-rich M 7 C 3 and M 23 C 6 carbides were observed in all annealed specimens regardless of annealing and cooling conditions, as expected from an equilibrium phase diagram of the steel used. However, Mo-rich M 2 C and M 6 C carbides were unexpectedly precipitated at a temperature between 675 °C and 700 °C during slow cooling at a rate of below 0.01 °C/s from the annealing temperatures of 830 °C and below. The solubility of Mo in both M 7 C 3 and ferrite reduces with decreasing temperature during cooling. Mo atoms diffuse out of both M 7 C 3 and ferrite, and accumulate locally at the interface between M 7 C 3 and ferrite. Mo carbides were form at the interface of M 7 C 3 carbides during the transition of Cr-rich M 7 C 3 to stable M 23 C 6

Radiation stability of proton irradiated zirconium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yong; Dickerson, Clayton A.; Allen, Todd R.

2009-01-01

The use of zirconium carbide (ZrC) is being considered for the deep burn (DB)-TRISO fuel as a replacement for the silicon carbide coating. The radiation stability of ZrC was studied using 2.6 MeV protons, across the irradiation temperature range from 600 to 900degC and to doses up to 1.75 dpa. The microstructural characterization shows that the irradiated microstructure is comprised of a high density of nanometer-sized dislocation loops, while no irradiation induced amorphization or voids are observed. The lattice expansion induced by point defects is found to increase as the dose increases for the samples irradiated at 600 and 800degC, while for the 900degC irradiation, a slight lattice contraction is observed. The radiation hardening is also quantified using a micro indentation technique for the temperature and doses studies. (author)

Hadfield steels with Nb and Ti carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vatavuk, J.; Goldenstein, H.

1987-01-01

The Hadfield Steels and the mechanisms responsible for its high strain hardening rate were reviewed. Addition of carbide forming alloying elements to the base compostion was discussed, using the matrix sttel concept. Three experimental crusher jaws were cast, with Nb and Nb + Ti added to the usual Hadfiedl compostion, with enough excess carbon to allow the formation of MC carbides. Samples for metallographic analysis were prepared from both as cast and worn out castings. The carbic morphology was described. Partition of alloying elements was qualitatively studied, using Energy Dispersive Espectroscopy in SEM. The structure of the deformed layer near the worn surface was studied by optical metalography and microhardness measurements. The results showed that fatigue cracking is one of the wear mechanisms is operation in association with the ciclic work hardening of the surface of worn crusher jaws. (Author) [pt

Magnetic susceptibility as a method of investigation of short-range order in strongly nonstoichiometric carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazarova, S.Z.; Gusev, A.I.

2001-01-01

Magnetic susceptibility in disordered and ordered carbides of transition metals (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta) was studied, the results are generalized. It was ascertained that the change in carbide susceptibility induced by deviation from stoichiometry stems from specific features of electronic spectra of the compounds. The use of magnetic susceptibility for determining structural disorder-order transitions is discussed. It is shown that change in the contribution made by orbital paramagnetism, resulting from short-range order formation, is the reason of decrease in susceptibility of nonstoichiometric carbides during the ordering. Experimentally obtained data on susceptibility permitted evaluating short- and far-range order parameters in NbC y , TaC y , TiC y and HfC y carbides [ru

Silicon-Carbide Power MOSFET Performance in High Efficiency Boost Power Processing Unit for Extreme Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpe, Stanley A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Carr, Gregory A.; Hunter, Don; Ludwig, Lawrence L.; Wood, William; Del Castillo, Linda Y.; Fitzpatrick, Fred; Chen, Yuan

2016-01-01

Silicon-Carbide device technology has generated much interest in recent years. With superior thermal performance, power ratings and potential switching frequencies over its Silicon counterpart, Silicon-Carbide offers a greater possibility for high powered switching applications in extreme environment. In particular, Silicon-Carbide Metal-Oxide- Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors' (MOSFETs) maturing process technology has produced a plethora of commercially available power dense, low on-state resistance devices capable of switching at high frequencies. A novel hard-switched power processing unit (PPU) is implemented utilizing Silicon-Carbide power devices. Accelerated life data is captured and assessed in conjunction with a damage accumulation model of gate oxide and drain-source junction lifetime to evaluate potential system performance at high temperature environments.

Self-absorption corrections for well-type germanium detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appleby, P.G.; Richardson, N.; Nolan, P.J.

1992-01-01

Corrections for self-absorption are of vital importance to accurate determination by gamma spectrometry of radionuclides such as 210 Pb, 241 Am and 234 Th which emit low energy gamma radiation. A simple theoretical model for determining the necessary corrections for well-type germanium detectors is presented. In this model, self-absorption factors are expressed in terms of the mass attenuation coefficient of the sample and a parameter characterising the well geometry. Experimental measurements of self-absorption are used to evaluate the model and to determine a semi-empirical algorithm for improved estimates of the geometrical parameter. (orig.)

Effect of pressure on arsenic diffusion in germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitha, S.; Theiss, S.D.; Aziz, M.J.; Schiferl, D.; Poker, D.B.

1994-01-01

We report preliminary results of a study of the activation volume for diffusion of arsenic in germanium. High-temperature high-pressure anneals were performed in a liquid argon pressure medium in a diamond anvil cell capable of reaching 5 GPa and 750 C,l which is externally heated for uniform and repeatable temperature profiles. Broadening of an ion-implanted arsenic profile was measured by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Hydrostatic pressure retards the diffusivity at 575 C, characterized by an activation volume that is +15% of the atomic volume of Ge. Implications for diffusion mechanisms are discussed

Influence of the microstructure of WC-Co cemented carbides on the fracture toughness and abrasive wear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zum Gahr, K.H.; Fischer, A.

1981-01-01

Fracture toughness and abrasive wear resistance of WC-Co cemented carbides were investigated by using the indentation cracking test (Palmqvist test) and the pin-on-disk method respectively. Size distribution of tungsten carbides and means free path between them were found to be important microstructural parameters related to the mechanical behavior. Results showed that selection of cemented carbides for heavy wear loading is complicated by contradictory influence of microstructural parameters on fracture toughness and abrasion resistance. Knowledge of the relation between microstructure and resistance to fracture or wear is necessary for optimum use of cemented carbides. (orig.) [de

Young’s modulus of [111] germanium nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maksud, M.; Palapati, N. K. R.; Subramanian, A., E-mail: asubramanian@vcu.edu [Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284 (United States); Yoo, J. [Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Harris, C. T. [Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

2015-11-01

This paper reports a diameter-independent Young’s modulus of 91.9 ± 8.2 GPa for [111] Germanium nanowires (Ge NWs). When the surface oxide layer is accounted for using a core-shell NW approximation, the YM of the Ge core approaches a near theoretical value of 147.6 ± 23.4 GPa. The ultimate strength of a NW device was measured at 10.9 GPa, which represents a very high experimental-to-theoretical strength ratio of ∼75%. With increasing interest in this material system as a high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode, the presented data provide inputs that are essential in predicting its lithiation-induced stress fields and fracture behavior.

On electronic structure of polymer-derived amorphous silicon carbide ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kewei; Li, Xuqin; Ma, Baisheng; Wang, Yiguang; Zhang, Ligong; An, Linan

2014-06-01

The electronic structure of polymer-derived amorphous silicon carbide ceramics was studied by combining measurements of temperature-dependent conductivity and optical absorption. By comparing the experimental results to theoretical models, electronic structure was constructed for a carbon-rich amorphous silicon carbide, which revealed several unique features, such as deep defect energy level, wide band-tail band, and overlap between the band-tail band and defect level. These unique features were discussed in terms of the microstructure of the material and used to explain the electric behavior.

Reaction of Oxygen with Chromium and Chromium Carbide at Low O2 Pressures and High Temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Dong O.; Kang, Sung G.; Paik, Young N.

1984-01-01

The oxidation rate of chromium carbide has been measured continuously using thermogravimetric analysis at different oxygen pressures ranging from 1.33x10 -2 to 2.67x10 -1 Pa O 2 at 1000-1300 .deg. C. The oxidation of pure chromium has also been studied between 1000-1300 .deg. C under 6.67x10 -2 Pa O 2 and compared with that of chromium carbide. The oxidation of chromium carbide showed a linear behavior which was different from that of chromium. The oxidation rate of chromium carbide increased with increasing temperature and oxygen pressure was lower than of pure chromium. Above 1200 .deg. C, the volatile oxide was formed and evaporated causing a weight loss. The compositions and morphology of the oxide were studied with X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The morphology of oxide changed with varying temperature and pressure. The oxide scale was consisted of mainly two different layers of Cr 2 O 3 and CrO, and the properties of oxide scale were correlated with oxidation behavior. The oxide film formed in the above test condition has been detached from the carbide surface. The crack and pore were thought to be from CO gas evolving at the interface of chromium carbide and its oxide and the major factor of the linear behavior of chromium carbide

A small diameter, flexible, all attitude, self-contained germanium spectrometer. Operator's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordzindki, R.L.; Lepel, E.A.; Reeves, J.H.; Kohli, R.

1997-05-01

The end of the Cold War has brought about tremendous changes in the nuclear complex of the Department of Energy. One of the many changes has been the shutdown or decommissioning of many facilities that performed nuclear work. One of the steps in the process of decommissioning a facility involves the decontamination or removal of drain lines or pipes that may have carried radioactive materials at one time. The removal of all these pipes and drain lines to a nuclear disposal facility could be quite costly. It was suggested by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) that a germanium spectrometer could be built that could fit through straight pipes with a diameter as small as 5.08 cm (2 inches) and pass through curved pipes with a diameter as small as 7.6 cm (3 inches) such as that of a 3-inch p-trap in a drain line. The germanium spectrometer could then be used to simultaneously determine all gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in or surrounding the pipe. By showing the absence of any gamma-ray emitting radionuclides, the pipes could then be reused in place or disposed of as non-radioactive material, thus saving significantly in disposal costs. A germanium spectrometer system has been designed by PNNL and fabricated by Princeton Gamma Tech (PGT) that consists of three segments, each 4.84 cm in diameter and about 10 cm in length. Flexible stainless steel bellows were used to connect the segments. Segment 1 is a small liquid nitrogen reservoir. The reservoir is filled with a sponge-like material which enables the detector to be used in any orientation. A Stirling cycle refrigerator is under development which can replace the liquid nitrogen reservoir to provide continuous cooling and operation

Thermal evolution behavior of carbides and γ′ precipitates in FGH96 superalloy powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lin; Liu Hengsan; He Xinbo; Rafi-ud-din; Qu Xuanhui; Qin Mingli; Li Zhou; Zhang Guoqing

2012-01-01

The characteristics of rapidly solidified FGH96 superalloy powder and the thermal evolution behavior of carbides and γ′ precipitates within powder particles were investigated. It was observed that the reduction of powder size and the increase of cooling rate had transformed the solidification morphologies of atomized powder from dendrite in major to cellular structure. The secondary dendritic spacing was measured to be 1.02–2.55 μm and the corresponding cooling rates were estimated to be in the range of 1.4 × 10 4 –4.7 × 10 5 K·s −1 . An increase in the annealing temperature had rendered the phase transformation of carbides evolving from non-equilibrium MC′ carbides to intermediate transition stage of M 23 C 6 carbides, and finally to thermodynamically stable MC carbides. The superfine γ′ precipitates were formed at the dendritic boundaries of rapidly solidified superalloy powder. The coalescence, growth, and homogenization of γ' precipitates occurred with increasing annealing temperature. With decreasing cooling rate from 650 °C·K −1 to 5 °C·K −1 , the morphological development of γ′ precipitates had been shown to proceed from spheroidal to cuboidal and finally to solid state dendrites. Meanwhile, a shift had been observed from dendritic morphology to recrystallized structure between 900 °C and 1050 °C. Moreover, accelerated evolution of carbides and γ' precipitates had been facilitated by the formation of new grain boundaries which provide fast diffusion path for atomic elements. - Highlights: ► Microstructural characteristic of FGH96 superalloy powder was investigated. ► The relation between microstructure, particle size, and cooling rate was studied. ► Thermal evolution behavior of γ′ and carbides in loose FGH96 powder was studied.

Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for TH/U Carbide (Fort Saint Vrain HTGR) DOE-Owned Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radulescu, H.

2001-01-01

There are more than 250 forms of US Department of Energy (DOE)-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Due to the variety of the spent nuclear fuel, the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program has designated nine representative fuel groups for disposal criticality analyses based on fuel matrix, primary fissile isotope, and enrichment. The Fort Saint Vrain reactor (FSVR) SNF has been designated as the representative fuel for the Th/U carbide fuel group. The FSVR SNF consists of small particles (spheres of the order of 0.5-mm diameter) of thorium carbide or thorium and high-enriched uranium carbide mixture, coated with multiple, thin layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, which serve as miniature pressure vessels to contain fission products and the U/Th carbide matrix. The coated particles are bound in a carbonized matrix, which forms fuel rods or ''compacts'' that are loaded into large hexagonal graphite prisms. The graphite prisms (or blocks) are the physical forms that are handled in reactor loading and unloading operations, and which will be loaded into the DOE standardized SNF canisters. The results of the analyses performed will be used to develop waste acceptance criteria. The items that are important to criticality control are identified based on the analysis needs and result sensitivities. Prior to acceptance to fuel from the Th/U carbide fuel group for disposal, the important items for the fuel types that are being considered for disposal under the Th/U carbide fuel group must be demonstrated to satisfy the conditions determined in this report

Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for TH/U Carbide (Fort Saint Vrain HTGR) DOE-Owned Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H. radulescu

2001-09-28

There are more than 250 forms of US Department of Energy (DOE)-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Due to the variety of the spent nuclear fuel, the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program has designated nine representative fuel groups for disposal criticality analyses based on fuel matrix, primary fissile isotope, and enrichment. The Fort Saint Vrain reactor (FSVR) SNF has been designated as the representative fuel for the Th/U carbide fuel group. The FSVR SNF consists of small particles (spheres of the order of 0.5-mm diameter) of thorium carbide or thorium and high-enriched uranium carbide mixture, coated with multiple, thin layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, which serve as miniature pressure vessels to contain fission products and the U/Th carbide matrix. The coated particles are bound in a carbonized matrix, which forms fuel rods or ''compacts'' that are loaded into large hexagonal graphite prisms. The graphite prisms (or blocks) are the physical forms that are handled in reactor loading and unloading operations, and which will be loaded into the DOE standardized SNF canisters. The results of the analyses performed will be used to develop waste acceptance criteria. The items that are important to criticality control are identified based on the analysis needs and result sensitivities. Prior to acceptance to fuel from the Th/U carbide fuel group for disposal, the important items for the fuel types that are being considered for disposal under the Th/U carbide fuel group must be demonstrated to satisfy the conditions determined in this report.

DC characteristics and parameters of silicon carbide high-voltage power BJTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrzyk, Joanna; Zarębski, Janusz; Bisewski, Damian

2016-01-01

The paper shows the static characteristics and operating parameters of the bipolar power transistors made of silicon carbide and for comparison their equivalents made of classical silicon technology. The characteristics and values of selected operating parameters with special emphasis on the effect of temperature and operating point of considered devices are discussed. Quantitative as well as qualitative differences between the characteristics of the transistor made of silicon and silicon carbide are indicated as well

Pulverization of boron element and proportions of boron carbide in boron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lang, F.M.; Finck, C.

1956-01-01

It is possible to reduce boron element into fine powder by means of a mortar and pestle made of sintered boron carbide, the ratio of boron carbide introduced being less than one per cent. Boron element at our disposal is made of sharp edged, dark brown, little grains of average size greater than 5 μ. Grain sizes smaller than 1μ are required for applying thin layers of such boron. (author) [fr

Theoretical study of the localization-delocalization transition in amorphous molybdenum-germanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, K.; Andersen, H.C.

1987-01-01

Electronic structure calculations were performed for amorphous germanium and amorphous alloys of molybdenum and germanium. The calculations used Harrison's universal linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals parameters to generate one-electron Hamiltonians for structural configurations obtained from molecular-dynamics simulations. The density of states calculated for a model of a-Ge showed a distinct pseudogap, although with an appreciable density of states at the minimum. The states in the pseudogap are localized. As the concentration of Mo atoms increases, the pseudogap of the density of states is gradually filled up. The density of states at the Fermi energy calculated for our model of the alloys agrees quite well with that experimentally determined by Yoshizumi, Geballe, and co-workers. The localization index for the states at the Fermi energy is a decreasing function of Mo concentration in the range of 2--14 at. % Mo and the localization length is an increasing function of molybdenum concentration. These results are consistent with the experimental observation of an insulator-metal transition at about 10 at. % Mo

Current experiments in germanium 0νββ search — GERDA and MAJORANA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Von Sturm, K.

2015-01-01

There are unanswered questions regarding neutrino physics that are of great interest for the scientific community. For example the absolute masses, the mass hierarchy and the nature of neutrinos are unknown up to now. The discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) would prove the existence of a Majorana mass, which would be linked to the half-life of the decay, and would in addition provide an elegant solution for the small mass of the neutrinos via the seesaw mechanism. Because of an existing discovery claim of 0νββ of 76 Ge and the excellent energy resolution achievable, germanium is of special interest in the search for 0νββ. In this article the state of the art of germanium 0νββ search, namely the Gerda experiment and Majorana demonstrator, is presented. In particular, recent results of the Gerda collaboration, which strongly disfavour the above mentioned claim, are discussed.

Phase transformation order-disorder in nonstoichiometric titanium carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlasov, V.A.; Karmo, Yu.S.; Kustova, L.V.

1986-01-01

Titanium carbide delta-phase is studied using the methods of electric conductivity and differential thermal analysis (DTA). It is shown on the Ti-C system phase diagram that two regions of TiCsub(0.46-0.60) and TiCsub(0.65-1.00) compositions, different in their properties, correspond to delta-phase. Both ordered and disordered phases exist within the TiCsub(0.046-0.60) concentration range, and in equilibrium heating or cooling one phase converts to another at 590 deg C (the first order phase transformation). Samples of the TiCsub(0.65-1.00) composition are characterized by low electric conductivity stability, that is explained by strong titanium carbide electric conductivity sensitivity to defects and impurities

Linear electro-optic effect in cubic silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xiao; Irvine, Kenneth G.; Zhang, Dongping; Spencer, Michael G.

1991-01-01

The first observation is reported of the electrooptic effect of cubic silicon carbide (beta-SiC) grown by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor using the hydrogen, silane, and propane gas system. At a wavelength of 633 nm, the value of the electrooptic coefficient r41 in beta-SiC is determined to be 2.7 +/- 0.5 x 10 (exp-12) m/V, which is 1.7 times larger than that in gallium arsenide measured at 10.6 microns. Also, a half-wave voltage of 6.4 kV for beta-SiC is obtained. Because of this favorable value of electrooptic coefficient, it is believed that silicon carbide may be a promising candidate in electrooptic applications for high optical intensity in the visible region.

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.

Synthesis of transfer-free graphene on cemented carbide surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiang; Zhang, Zhen; Liu, Fei; Ren, Yi

2018-03-19

Direct growth of spherical graphene with large surface area is important for various applications in sensor technology. However, the preparation of transfer-free graphene on different substrates is still a challenge. This study presents a novel approach for the transfer-free graphene growth directly on cemented carbide. The used simple thermal annealing induces an in-situ transformation of magnetron-sputtered amorphous silicon carbide films into the graphene matrix. The study reveals the role of Co, a binding phase in cemented carbides, in Si sublimation process, and its interplay with the annealing temperature in development of the graphene matrix. A detailed physico-chemical characterisation was performed by structural (XRD analysis and Raman spectroscopy with mapping studies), morphological (SEM) and chemical (EDS) analyses. The optimal bilayer graphene matrix with hollow graphene spheres on top readily grows at 1000 °C. Higher annealing temperature critically decreases the amount of Si, which yields an increased number of the graphene layers and formation of multi-layer graphene (MLG). The proposed action mechanism involves silicidation of Co during thermal treatment, which influences the existing chemical form of Co, and thus, the graphene formation and variations in a number of the formed graphene layers.

Disorder and defects are not intrinsic to boron carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Swastik; Bykova, Elena; Dey, Somnath; Ali, Sk Imran; Dubrovinskaia, Natalia; Dubrovinsky, Leonid; Parakhonskiy, Gleb; van Smaalen, Sander

2016-01-01

A unique combination of useful properties in boron-carbide, such as extreme hardness, excellent fracture toughness, a low density, a high melting point, thermoelectricity, semi-conducting behavior, catalytic activity and a remarkably good chemical stability, makes it an ideal material for a wide range of technological applications. Explaining these properties in terms of chemical bonding has remained a major challenge in boron chemistry. Here we report the synthesis of fully ordered, stoichiometric boron-carbide B13C2 by high-pressure-high-temperature techniques. Our experimental electron-density study using high-resolution single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction data conclusively demonstrates that disorder and defects are not intrinsic to boron carbide, contrary to what was hitherto supposed. A detailed analysis of the electron density distribution reveals charge transfer between structural units in B13C2 and a new type of electron-deficient bond with formally unpaired electrons on the C-B-C group in B13C2. Unprecedented bonding features contribute to the fundamental chemistry and materials science of boron compounds that is of great interest for understanding structure-property relationships and development of novel functional materials.

Emission of blue light from hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Nevin, W. A.; Yamagishi, H.; Yamaguchi, M.; Tawada, Y.

1994-04-01

THE development of new electroluminescent materials is of current technological interest for use in flat-screen full-colour displays1. For such applications, amorphous inorganic semiconductors appear particularly promising, in view of the ease with which uniform films with good mechanical and electronic properties can be deposited over large areas2. Luminescence has been reported1 in the red-green part of the spectrum from amorphous silicon carbide prepared from gas-phase mixtures of silane and a carbon-containing species (usually methane or ethylene). But it is not possible to achieve blue luminescence by this approach. Here we show that the use of an aromatic species-xylene-as the source of carbon during deposition results in a form of amorphous silicon carbide that exhibits strong blue luminescence. The underlying structure of this material seems to be an unusual combination of an inorganic silicon carbide lattice with a substantial 'organic' π-conjugated carbon system, the latter dominating the emission properties. Moreover, the material can be readily doped with an electron acceptor in a manner similar to organic semiconductors3, and might therefore find applications as a conductivity- or colour-based chemical sensor.

Crystallization of Electrodeposited Germanium Thin Film on Silicon (100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Manaf Hashim

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We report the crystallization of electrodeposited germanium (Ge thin films on n-silicon (Si (100 by rapid melting process. The electrodeposition was carried out in germanium (IV chloride: propylene glycol (GeCl4:C3H8O2 electrolyte with constant current of 50 mA for 30 min. The measured Raman spectra and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD images show that the as-deposited Ge thin film was amorphous. The crystallization of deposited Ge was achieved by rapid thermal annealing (RTA at 980 °C for 1 s. The EBSD images confirm that the orientations of the annealed Ge are similar to that of the Si substrate. The highly intense peak of Raman spectra at 300 cm−1 corresponding to Ge-Ge vibration mode was observed, indicating good crystal quality of Ge. An additional sub peak near to 390 cm−1 corresponding to the Si-Ge vibration mode was also observed, indicating the Ge-Si mixing at Ge/Si interface. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES reveals that the intermixing depth was around 60 nm. The calculated Si fraction from Raman spectra was found to be in good agreement with the value estimated from Ge-Si equilibrium phase diagram. The proposed technique is expected to be an effective way to crystallize Ge films for various device applications as well as to create strain at the Ge-Si interface for enhancement of mobility.

Synthesis of nanoparticles of vanadium carbide in the ferrite of nodular cast iron

CERN Document Server

Fras, E; Guzik, E; Lopez, H

2005-01-01

The synthesis method of nanoparticles of vanadium carbide in nodular cast iron is presented. After introduction of this method, the nanoparticles with 10-70 nm of diameter was obtained in the ferrite. The diffraction investigations confirmed that these particles are vanadium carbides of type V/sub 3/C/sub 4/.

Multilayered and composite PVD-CVD coatings in cemented carbides manufacture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glushkov, V.N.; Anikeev, A.I.; Anikin, V.N.; Vereshchaka, A.S.

2001-01-01

Carbide cutting tools with wear-resistant coatings deposited by CVD process are widely employed in mechanical engineering to ensure a substantially longer service life of tool systems. However, the relatively high temperature and long time of the process make the substrate decarburise and, as a result, the bend strength and performance characteristics of a tool decrease. The present study suggests the problem of deteriorated strength of CVD-coated carbide tools be solved by the development of a technology that combines arc-PVD and CVD processes to deposit multilayered coatings of titanium and aluminium compounds. (author)