A comparison of oxide thickness predictability from the perspective of codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Joo-Young; Shin, Hye-In; Kim, Kyung-Tae; Han, Hee-Tak; Kim, Hong-Jin; Kim, Yong-Hwan [KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co. Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In Korea, OPR1000 and Westinghouse type nuclear power plant reactor fuel rods oxide thickness has been evaluated by imported code A. Because of this, there have been multiple constraints in operation and maintenance of fuel rod design system. For this reason, there has been a growing demand to establish an independent fuel rod design system. To meet this goal, KNF has recently developed its own code B for fuel rod design. The objective of this study is to compare oxide thickness prediction performance between code A and code B and to check the validity of predicting corrosion behaviors of newly developed code B. This study is based on Pool Side Examination (PSE) data for the performance confirmation. For the examination procedures, the oxide thickness measurement methods and equipment of PSE are described in detail. In this study, code B is confirmed conservatism and validity on evaluating cladding oxide thickness through the comparison with code A. Code prediction values show higher value than measured data from PSE. Throughout this study, the values by code B are evaluated and proved to be valid in a view point of the oxide thickness evaluation. However, the code B input for prediction has been made by designer's judgment with complex handwork that might be lead to excessive conservative result and ineffective design process with some possibility of errors.

Synchrotron X-ray irradiation effects on the device characteristics and the resistance to hot-carrier damage of MOSFETs with 4 nm thick gate oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Yuusuke; Tanabe, Akira; Suzuki, Katsumi

1998-01-01

The effects of synchrotron x-ray irradiation on the device characteristics and hot-carrier resistance of n- and p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with 4 nm thick gate oxides are investigated. In p-channel MOSFETs, device characteristics were significantly affected by the x-ray irradiation but completely recovered after annealing, while the device characteristics in n-channel MOSFETs were not noticeably affected by the irradiation. This difference appears to be due to a difference in interface-state generation. In p-channel MOSFETs, defects caused by boron-ion penetration through the gate oxides may be sensitive to x-ray irradiation, causing the generation of many interface states. These interface states are completely eliminated after annealing in hydrogen gas. The effects of irradiation on the resistance to hot-carrier degradation in annealed 4 nm thick gate-oxide MOSFETs were negligible even at an x-ray dose of 6,000 mJ/cm 2

A comparison of Zircaloy oxide thicknesses on Millstone-3 and North Anna-1 PWR fuel cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polley, M.V.; Evans, H.E.

1993-08-01

High concentrations of lithium in the coolant may enhance the corrosion rate of Zircaloy fuel cladding. In the present work, oxide thicknesses on fuel cladding from the Millstone 3 PWR were compared with those from the North Anna 1 PWR. The intention was to identify whether the higher lithium levels (up to 3.5 ppM) in the Millstone 3 primary coolant during cycles 2 and 3 led to significantly greater oxidation rates than in North Anna 1 which operated generally with lithium levels lower than 2.2 ppM. The comparisons were made by comparing the measurements with code predictions of Zircaloy oxidation in order to factor out the effect of operational variables on the oxide thicknesses achieved. Overall, Millstone 3 oxide thicknesses were found to be approximately 14% greater than North Anna 1 values. However, approximately 29% lower oxide thicknesses were found on reload Millstone 3 rods exposed to one cycle of elevated lithium chemistry than on Millstone 3 initial fuel exposed to one cycle of normal lithium chemistry during cycle 1. Furthermore, oxide thicknesses on Millstone 3 rods exposed to two cycles of elevated lithium chemistry were approximately 36% lower than on Millstone 3 rods exposed to one cycle of normal lithium chemistry plus one cycle of elevated lithium chemistry. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that elevated lithium operation in Millstone 3 led to enhanced Zircaloy fuel clad corrosion

Prediction of overpotential and effective thickness of Ni/YSZ anode for solid oxide fuel cell by improved species territory adsorption model

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasawa, Tsuyoshi; Hanamura, Katsunori

2017-06-01

The reliability of analytical model for hydrogen oxidation at Ni/YSZ anode in solid oxide fuel cell named as species territory adsorption model has been improved by introducing referenced thermodynamic and kinetic parameters predicted by density function theory calculations. The model can explicitly predict anode overpotential using unknown values of quantities of state for oxygen migration process in YSZ near a triple phase boundary (TPB), frequency factor for hydrogen oxidation, and effective anode thickness. The former two are determined through careful fitting process between the predicted and experimental results of Ni/YSZ cermet and Ni-patterned anodes. This makes it possible to estimate effective anode thickness, which tends to increase with temperature in six kinds of Ni/YSZ anodes in references. In addition, the comparison between the proposed model and a published numerical simulation indicates that the model can predict more precise dependence of anode overpotential on steam partial pressure than that by Butler-Volmer equation with empirical exchange current density. The introduction of present model into numerical simulation instead of Butler-Volmer equation can give more accurate prediction of anode polarization.

Direct comparison of the electrical properties in metal/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon and metal/aluminum oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon capacitors with equivalent oxide thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Ho-Myoung; Seo, Yu Jeong; Kim, Hee Dong; Kim, Kyoung Chan; Kim, Jong-Guk [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Won-Ju; Koh, Jung-Hyuk [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 139-701 (Korea, Republic of); Sung, Yun Mo [Department of Materials and Science Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Geun, E-mail: tgkim1@korea.ac.k [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-31

We examine the electrical properties of metal/oxide/nitride/oxide/silicon (MONOS) capacitors with two different blocking oxides, SiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, under the influence of the same electric field. The thickness of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer is set to 150 A, which is electrically equivalent to a thickness of the SiO{sub 2} layer of 65 A, in the MONOS structure for this purpose. The capacitor with the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} blocking layer shows a larger capacitance-voltage memory window of 8.6 V, lower program voltage of 7 V, faster program/erase speeds of 10 ms/1 {mu}s, lower leakage current of 100 pA and longer data retention than the one with the SiO{sub 2} blocking layer does. These improvements are attributed to the suppression of the carrier transport to the gate electrode afforded by the use of an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} blocking layer physically thicker than the SiO{sub 2} one, as well as the effective charge-trapping by Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} at the deep energy levels in the nitride layer.

Thickness effects of yttria-doped ceria interlayers on solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Zeng; An, Jihwan; Iancu, Andrei; Prinz, Fritz B.

2012-11-01

Determining the optimal thickness range of the interlayed yttria-doped ceria (YDC) films promises to further enhance the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) at low operating temperatures. The YDC interlayers are fabricated by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method with one super cycle of the YDC deposition consisting of 6 ceria deposition cycles and one yttria deposition cycle. YDC films of various numbers of ALD super cycles, ranging from 2 to 35, are interlayered into bulk fuel cells with a 200 um thick yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte. Measurements and analysis of the linear sweep voltammetry of these fuel cells reveal that the performance of the given cells is maximized at 10 super cycles. Auger elemental mapping and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques are employed to determine the film completeness, and they verify 10 super cycles of YDC to be the critical thickness point. This optimal YDC interlayer condition (6Ce1Y × 10 super cycles) is applied to the case of micro fuel cells as well, and the average performance enhancement factor is 1.4 at operating temperatures of 400 and 450 °C. A power density of 1.04 W cm-2 at 500 °C is also achieved with the optimal YDC recipe.

Thickness-Dependent Bioelectrochemical and Energy Applications of Thickness-Controlled Meso-Macroporous Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide

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Daniel Mieritz

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Coatings of hierarchically meso-macroporous antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO enable interfacing adsorbed species, such as biomacromolecules, with an electronic circuit. The coating thickness is a limiting factor for the surface coverage of adsorbates, that are electrochemically addressable. To overcome this challenge, a carbon black-based templating method was developed by studying the composition of the template system, and finding the right conditions for self-standing templates, preventing the reaction mixture from flowing out of the mask. The thicknesses of as-fabricated coatings were measured using stylus profilometry to establish a relationship between the mask thickness and the coating thickness. Cyclic voltammetry was performed on coatings with adsorbed cytochrome c to check whether the entire coating thickness was electrochemically addressable. Further, bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers were incorporated into the coatings, and photocurrent with respect to coating thickness was studied. The template mixture required enough of both carbon black and polymer, roughly 7% carbon black and 6% poly(ethylene glycol. Coatings were fabricated with thicknesses approaching 30 µm, and thickness was shown to be controllable up to at least 15 µm. Under the experimental conditions, photocurrent was found to increase linearly with the coating thickness, up to around 12 µm, above which were diminished gains.

Angiotensin II stimulates superoxide production by nitric oxide synthase in thick ascending limbs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Vicente, Agustin; Saikumar, Jagannath H; Massey, Katherine J; Hong, Nancy J; Dominici, Fernando P; Carretero, Oscar A; Garvin, Jeffrey L

2016-02-01

Angiotensin II (Ang II) causes nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to become a source of superoxide (O2 (-)) via a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent process in endothelial cells. Ang II stimulates both NO and O2 (-) production in thick ascending limbs. We hypothesized that Ang II causes O2 (-) production by NOS in thick ascending limbs via a PKC-dependent mechanism. NO production was measured in isolated rat thick ascending limbs using DAF-FM, whereas O2 (-) was measured in thick ascending limb suspensions using the lucigenin assay. Consistent stimulation of NO was observed with 1 nmol/L Ang II (P thick ascending limbs via a PKC- and NADPH oxidase-dependent process; and (2) the effect of Ang II is not due to limited substrate. © 2016 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

Resveratrol increases nitric oxide production in the rat thick ascending limb via Ca2+/calmodulin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Vicente, Agustin; Cabral, Pablo D; Garvin, Jeffrey L

2014-01-01

The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle reabsorbs 30% of the NaCl filtered through the glomerulus. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by NO synthase 3 (NOS3) inhibits NaCl absorption by this segment. Resveratrol, a polyphenol, has beneficial cardiovascular and renal effects, many of which are mediated by NO. Resveratrol increases intracellular Ca2+ (Cai) and AMP kinase (AMPK) and NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin1 (SIRT1) activities, all of which could activate NO production. We hypothesized that resveratrol stimulates NO production by thick ascending limbs via a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent mechanism. To test this, the effect of resveratrol on NO bioavailability was measured in thick ascending limb suspensions. Cai was measured in single perfused thick ascending limbs. SIRT1 activity and expression were measured in thick ascending limb lysates. Resveratrol (100 µM) increased NO bioavailability in thick ascending limb suspensions by 1.3±0.2 AFU/mg/min (pthick ascending limbs via a Ca2+/calmodulin dependent mechanism, and SIRT1 and AMPK do not participate. Resveratrol-stimulated NO production in thick ascending limbs may account for part of its beneficial effects.

Effect of coating thickness of iron oxide nanoparticles on their relaxivity in the MRI

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Farzaneh Hajesmaeelzadeh

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objective(s:Iron oxide nanoparticles have found prevalent applications in various fields including drug delivery, cell separation and as contrast agents. Super paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO nanoparticles allow researchers and clinicians to enhance the tissue contrast of an area of interest by increasing the relaxation rate of water. In this study, we evaluate the dependency of hydrodynamic size of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with Polyethylene  glycol (PEG on their relativities with 3 Tesla clinical MRI. Materials and Methods: We used three groups of nanoparticles with nominal sizes 20, 50 and 100 nm with a core size of 8.86 nm, 8.69 nm and 10.4 nm that they were covered with PEG 300 and 600 Da. A clinical magnetic resonance scanner determines the T1 and T2 relaxation times for various concentrations of PEG-coated nanoparticles. Results: The size measurement by photon correlation spectroscopy showed the hydrodynamic sizes of MNPs with nominal 20, 50 and 100 nm with 70, 82 and 116 nm for particles with PEG 600 coating and 74, 93 and 100 nm for  particles with PEG 300 coating, respectively. We foud that the relaxivity decreased with increasing overall particle size (via coating thickness. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that by increasing the size of the nanoparticles, r2/r1 increases linearly. Conclusion: According to the data obtained from this study it can be concluded that increments in coating thickness have more influence on relaxivities compared to the changes in core size of magnetic nanoparticles.

Thickness-dependent photocatalytic performance of graphite oxide for degrading organic pollutants under visible light.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Junghoon; Chang, Yun Hee; Kim, Yong-Hyun; Park, Sungjin

2016-04-28

Photocatalysts use sustainable solar light energy to trigger various catalytic reactions. Metal-free nanomaterials have been suggested as cost-effective and environmentally friendly photocatalysts. In this work, we propose thickness-controlled graphite oxide (GO) as a metal-free photocatalyst, which is produced by exfoliating thick GO particles via stirring and sonication. All GO samples exhibit photocatalytic activity for degrading an organic pollutant, rhodamine B under visible light, and the thickest sample shows the best catalytic performance. UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance absorption spectra indicate that thicker GO samples absorb more vis-NIR light than thinner ones. Density-functional theory calculations show that GO has a much smaller band gap than that of single-layer graphene oxide, and thus suggest that the largely-reduced band gap is responsible for this trend of light absorption.

Measurement of oxide-layer thickness of internal granules in high-purity aluminium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takacs, S.; Ditroi, F.; Mahunka, I.

1989-01-01

Charged-particle activation analysis was used for the determination of bulk oxygen concentration in aluminium. High-purity aluminium samples and mixtures containing different amounts of alumina were irradiated by 13 MeV 3 He particles. The aim of the investigation was to determine the oxide-layer thickness on the surface of internal aluminium granules. The measurement was carried out by determining the bulk oxygen concentration in the samples, and calculating the oxide-layer thickness, by using model conditions about the microstructure of the aluminium samples. (author) 5 refs

Analysis of zircaloy oxide thickness data from PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, K.D.; Speyer, D.M.; Chan, Y.Y.; Frankl, I.; Strasser, A.A.

1990-02-01

Prior EPRI funded research (Project 1250-1) resulted in a set of Zircaloy waterside corrosion models. These models were based principally on KWU reactor data. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the KWU corrosion models to predict available domestic USA data for all domestic PWR vendors in order to further validate the models and to provide a consistent basis to judge the corrosion data of the domestic plants. A methodology for analyzing the large amount of data was developed and implemented in a single channel model. This model includes the capability, by a method described herein, of accounting for open core related effects (crossflow) and the effect of the immediately adjacent fuel rods, guide tubes, etc., on the coolant conditions around the fuel rods that were measured for oxide thickness. Data from the Arkansas Unit number-sign 2 (ANO-2) Combustion Engineering (C-E), Oconee Units 1 and 2 built by Babcock ampersand Wilcox (B ampersand W), and the Trojan reactor built by Westinghouse (W) were used in this study. The corrosion models previously developed, and the present single channel model methodology, were able to predict the corrosion data quite well. The maximum corrosion thickness was on the order of 20 to 40 microns in all plants studied. 13 refs., 11 figs., 5 tabs

Effect of Al2O3 insulator thickness on the structural integrity of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide based thin film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hak-Jun; Hwang, In-Ju; Kim, Youn-Jea

2014-12-01

The current transparent oxide semiconductors (TOSs) technology provides flexibility and high performance. In this study, multi-stack nano-layers of TOSs were designed for three-dimensional analysis of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) based thin film transistors (TFTs). In particular, the effects of torsional and compressive stresses on the nano-sized active layers such as the a-IGZO layer were investigated. Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the structural integrity of a-IGZO based TFTs with three different thicknesses of the aluminum oxide (Al2O3) insulator (δ = 10, 20, and 30 nm), respectively, using a commercial code, COMSOL Multiphysics. The results are graphically depicted for operating conditions.

Ellipsometry measurements of thickness of oxide and water layers on spherical and flat silicon surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenny, M.J.; Netterfield, R.; Wielunski, L.S.

1998-01-01

Full text: Ellipsometry has been used to measure the thickness of oxide layers on single crystal silicon surfaces, both flat and spherical and also to measure the extent of adsorption of moisture on the surface as a function of partial water vapour pressure. The measurements form part of an international collaborative project to make a precise determination of the Avogadro constant (ΔN A /N A -8 ) which will then be used to obtain an absolute definition of the kilogram, rather than one in terms of an artefact. Typically the native oxide layer on a cleaned silicon wafer is about 2 nm thick. On a polished sphere this oxide layer is typically 8 to 10 nm thick, the increased thickness being attributed to parameters related to the polishing process. Ellipsometry measurements on an 89 mm diameter polished silicon sphere at both VUW and CSIRO indicated a SiO 2 layer at 7 to 10 nm thick. It was observed that this thickness varied regularly. The crystal orientation of the sphere was determined using electron patterns generated from an electron microscope and the oxide layer was then measured through 180 arcs of great circles along (110) and (100) planes. It was observed that the thickness varied systematically with orientation. The minimum thickness was 7.4 nm at the axis (softest direction in silicon) and the greatest thickness was 9.5 nm at the axis (hardest direction in silicon). This is similar to an orientation dependent cubic pattern which has been observed to be superimposed on polished silicon spheres. At VUW, the sphere was placed in an evacuated bell jar and the ellipsometry signal was observed as the water vapour pressure was progressively increased up to saturation. The amount of water vapour adsorbed at saturation was one or two monolayers, indicating that the sphere does not wet

Studies on Gas Sensing Performance of Cr-doped Indium Oxide Thick Film Sensors

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D. N. Chavan

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A series of In1-xCrxO3 composites, with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.5wt% were prepared by mechanochemically starting from InCl3 and CrO3. Structural and micro structural characteristics of the sample were investigated by XRD, SEM with EDAX. Thick films of pure Indium Oxide and composites were prepared by standard screen printing technique. The gas sensitivity of these thick films was tested for various gases. The pure Indium Oxide thick film (x=0 shows maximum sensitivity to ethanol vapour (80 ppm at 350 oC, but composite-A (x=0.01 thick film shows maximum sensitivity to H2S gas (40 ppm at 250 oC, composite-B (x=0.1 thick film shows higher sensitivity to NH3 gas (80 ppm at 250 oC and composite-C (x=0.5 thick film shows maximum sensitivity to Cl2 gas (80 ppm at 350 oC. A systematic study of gas sensing performance of the sensors indicates the key role played by concentration variation of Cr doped species. The sensitivity, selectivity and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

A theoretical analysis of the response of an air-cored eddy current coil for remote oxide thickness measurements on reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, R.

1979-10-01

It is shown how the impedance of an air-cored eddy current coil in close proximity to an oxidised steel component may be calculated. Representative values were selected for the oxide thickness, lift off, operating frequency, conductivities and permeabilities of the oxide coating and steel base. The values of these parameters in the calculations were allowed to vary between suitable limits to quantify the effect of each one on coil impedance. The results of the calculations are used to determine the most suitable conditions for the measurement of oxide thickness on steel components using an air-cored eddy current probe. (author)

Effect of thickness on optoelectrical properties of Nb-doped indium tin oxide thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shi-na; Ma, Rui-xin; Ma, Chun-hong; Li, Dong-ran; Xiao, Yu-qin; He, Liang-wei; Zhu, Hong-min

2013-05-01

Niobium-doped indium tin oxide (ITO:Nb) thin films are prepared on glass substrates with various film thicknesses by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering from one piece of ceramic target material. The effects of thickness (60-360 nm) on the structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO: Nb films are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, and electrical measurements. XRD patterns show the highly oriented (400) direction. The lowest resistivity of the films without any heat treatment is 3.1×10-4Ω·cm-1, and the resistivity decreases with the increase of substrate temperature. The highest Hall mobility and carrier concentration are 17.6 N·S and 1.36×1021 cm-3, respectively. Band gap energy of the films depends on substrate temperature, which varies from 3.48 eV to 3.62 eV.

Oxide thickness measurement technique for duplex-layer Zircaloy-4 cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClelland, R.G.; O'Leary, P.M.

1992-01-01

Siemens Nuclear Power Corporation (SNP) is investigating the use of duplex-layer Zircaloy-4 tubing to improve the waterside corrosion resistance of cladding for high-burnup pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel designs. Standard SNP PWR cladding is typically 0.762-mm (0.030-in.)-thick Zircaloy-4. The SNP duplex cladding is nominally 0.660-mm (0.026-in.)-thick Zircalloy-4 with an ∼0.102-mm (0.004-in.) outer layer of another, more corrosion-resistant, zirconium-based alloy. It is common industry practice to monitor the in-reactor corrosion behavior of Zircaloy cladding by using an eddy-current 'lift-off' technique to measure the oxide thickness on the outer surface of the fuel cladding. The test program evaluated three different cladding samples, all with the same outer diameter and wall thickness: Zircaloy-4 and duplex clad types D2 and D4

A direct current potential drop method for evaluating oxide film thickness formed in high-temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anzai, Hideya; Ishibashi, Ryo; Saka, Masumi

2016-01-01

To establish an evaluation technique for oxide film thickness in-situ, the applicability of a four-point-probe direct current potential drop method is discussed in this study. Several samples of JIS SUS316L stainless steel with different oxide film thickness were prepared after immersing them in oxygenated pure water at 288°C for different periods. The oxide film thickness was measured by cross sectional observation using a transmission electron microscope. Potential drop on the oxide surface was measured every second during an acquisition period of about 20 s while a constant current was being injected into the sample simultaneously. This kind of measurement was repeatedly carried out at several arbitrary contact positions on the surface of the same sample. The measurement results showed that the potential drop slightly changed during the acquisition period and the tendency varied at the different contact positions. Multiple measurements at different contact positions revealed that the tendency could be categorized into two general types: the decreasing potential drop and the increasing potential drop, defined by the overall trend of the potential drop during the acquisition time. It was found that the ratio of contact positions with a decreasing potential drop tendency to all the contact positions of measurement tended to increase as applied current increased. This tendency depended on the oxide film thickness. The threshold value of applied current was found to correlate well with the oxide film thickness when the occurrence rate of decreasing potential drop ranged from 70 to 90% showing the best correlation at 70%. (author)

Molecular-beam-deposited yttrium-oxide dielectrics in aluminum-gated metal - oxide - semiconductor field-effect transistors: Effective electron mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ragnarsson, L.-A degree.; Guha, S.; Copel, M.; Cartier, E.; Bojarczuk, N. A.; Karasinski, J.

2001-01-01

We report on high effective mobilities in yttrium-oxide-based n-channel metal - oxide - semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with aluminum gates. The yttrium oxide was grown in ultrahigh vacuum using a reactive atomic-beam-deposition system. Medium-energy ion-scattering studies indicate an oxide with an approximate composition of Y 2 O 3 on top of a thin layer of interfacial SiO 2 . The thickness of this interfacial oxide as well as the effective mobility are found to be dependent on the postgrowth anneal conditions. Optimum conditions result in mobilities approaching that of SiO 2 -based MOSFETs at higher fields with peak mobilities at approximately 210 cm 2 /Vs. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

Effect of Processing Parameters on Pore Structure and Thickness of Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Tubular Membranes

OpenAIRE

Belwalkar, A.; Grasing, E.; Van Geertruyden, W.; Huang, Z.; Misiolek, W.Z.

2008-01-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) tubular membranes were fabricated from aluminum alloy tubes in sulfuric and oxalic acid electrolytes using a two-step anodization process. The membranes were investigated for characteristics such as pore size, interpore distance and thickness by varying applied voltage and electrolyte concentration. Morphology of the membranes was examined using light optical and scanning electron microscopy and characterized using ImageJ software. Results showed that me...

Dependence of the optical constants and the performance in the SPREE gas measurement on the thickness of doped tin oxide over coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, D.; Hertwig, A.; Beck, U.; Negendank, D.; Lohse, V.; Kormunda, M.; Esser, N.

2017-11-01

In this study, thickness related changes of the optical properties of doped tin oxide were studied. Two different sets of samples were prepared. The first set was doped with iron or nickel on silicon substrate with thicknesses of 29-56 nm, the second was iron doped on gold/glass substrate with 1.6-6.3 nm. The optical constants were determined by using spectral ellipsometry (SE) followed by modelling of the dielectric function with an oscillator model using Gaussian peaks. The analysis of the optical constants shows a dependence of the refraction and the absorption on the thickness of the doped tin oxide coating. In addition to the tin oxide absorption in the UV, one additional absorption peak was found in the near-IR/red which is related to plasmonic effects due to the doping. This peak shifts from the near-IR to the red part of the visible spectrum and becomes stronger by reducing the thickness, probably due to the formation of metal nanoparticles in this layer. These results were found for two different sets of samples by using the same optical model. Afterwards the second sample set was tested in the Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Ellipsometric (SPREE) gas measurement with CO gas. It was found that the thickness has significant influence on the sensitivity and thus the adsorption of the CO gas. By increasing the thickness from 1.6 nm to 5.1 nm, the sensing ability is enhanced due to a higher coverage of the surface with the over coating. This is explained by the high affinity of CO molecules to the incorporated Fe-nanoparticles in the tin oxide coating. By increasing the thickness further to 6.3 nm, the sensing ability drops because the layer disturbs the SPR sensing effect too much.

Room temperature synthesis of indium tin oxide nanotubes with high precision wall thickness by electroless deposition

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Mario Boehme

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Conductive nanotubes consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO were fabricated by electroless deposition using ion track etched polycarbonate templates. To produce nanotubes (NTs with thin walls and small surface roughness, the tubes were generated by a multi-step procedure under aqueous conditions. The approach reported below yields open end nanotubes with well defined outer diameter and wall thickness. In the past, zinc oxide films were mostly preferred and were synthesized using electroless deposition based on aqueous solutions. All these methods previously developed, are not adaptable in the case of ITO nanotubes, even with modifications. In the present work, therefore, we investigated the necessary conditions for the growth of ITO-NTs to achieve a wall thickness of around 10 nm. In addition, the effects of pH and reductive concentrations for the formation of ITO-NTs are also discussed.

Effect of Processing Parameters on Pore Structure and Thickness of Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Tubular Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Belwalkar, A.; Grasing, E.; Huang, Z.; Misiolek, W.Z.

2008-01-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) tubular membranes were fabricated from aluminum alloy tubes in sulfuric and oxalic acid electrolytes using a two-step anodization process. The membranes were investigated for characteristics such as pore size, interpore distance and thickness by varying applied voltage and electrolyte concentration. Morphology of the membranes was examined using light optical and scanning electron microscopy and characterized using ImageJ software. Results showed that membranes having narrow pore size and uniform pore distribution with parallel channel arrays were obtained. The pore sizes were ranging from 14 to 24 nm and the wall thicknesses as high as 76 µm. It was found that the pore size increased in direct proportion with the applied voltage and inversely with the electrolyte concentration while the interpore distance increased linearly with the applied voltage. It was also observed that increase in acid concentration increased tubular membrane wall thickness that improved mechanical handling. By using anodic alumina technology, robust ceramic tubes with uniformly distributed pore-structure and parallel nano-channels of lengths and sizes practical for industrial applications were reliably produced in quantity. PMID:19578471

Effect of Processing Parameters on Pore Structure and Thickness of Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Tubular Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Belwalkar, A; Grasing, E; Van Geertruyden, W; Huang, Z; Misiolek, W Z

2008-07-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) tubular membranes were fabricated from aluminum alloy tubes in sulfuric and oxalic acid electrolytes using a two-step anodization process. The membranes were investigated for characteristics such as pore size, interpore distance and thickness by varying applied voltage and electrolyte concentration. Morphology of the membranes was examined using light optical and scanning electron microscopy and characterized using ImageJ software. Results showed that membranes having narrow pore size and uniform pore distribution with parallel channel arrays were obtained. The pore sizes were ranging from 14 to 24 nm and the wall thicknesses as high as 76 microm. It was found that the pore size increased in direct proportion with the applied voltage and inversely with the electrolyte concentration while the interpore distance increased linearly with the applied voltage. It was also observed that increase in acid concentration increased tubular membrane wall thickness that improved mechanical handling. By using anodic alumina technology, robust ceramic tubes with uniformly distributed pore-structure and parallel nano-channels of lengths and sizes practical for industrial applications were reliably produced in quantity.

Determination of oxide film thickness on aluminium using 14-MeV neutron activation and BET method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerster, H.

1983-01-01

A new method is described for the determination of the mean film thickness of aluminium oxides by 14-MeV neutron activation analysis of the oxygen and by BET measurement of the surface area. The mean film thickness obtained is independent of the surface roughness. Stable oxide films consisting of only a few atomic layers of oxygen are detected on aluminium. (author)

The effects of gate oxide thickness on radiation damage in MOS system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Hui; Yan Rongliang; Wang Yu; He Jinming

1988-01-01

The dependences of the flatband voltage shift (ΔV FB ) and the threshold voltage shift (ΔV TH ) in MOS system on the oxide thickness (T ox ) and on total irradiated dose (D) of electron-beam and 60 Co γ-ray have been studied. It has been found that ΔV FB ∝ T ox 3 , with +10V of gate bias during irradiation for n-Si substrate MOS capacitors; ΔV TH ∝ T ox 3 D 2/3 , with 'on' gate bias during irradiation for n- and P-channel MOS transistors; ΔV TP ∝ T ox 2 D 2/3 , with 'off' gate bias during irradiation for P-channel MOS transistors. These results are explained by Viswanathan model. According to ∼T ox 3 dependence, the optimization of radiation hardening process for MOS system is also simply discussed

CANDU fuel sheath integrity and oxide layer thickness determination by Eddy current technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gheorghe, Gabriela; Man, Ion; Parvan, Marcel; Valeca, Serban

2010-01-01

This paper presents results concerning the integrity assessment of the fuel elements cladding and measurements of the oxide layer on sheaths, using the eddy current technique. Flaw detection using eddy current provides information about the integrity of fuel element sheath or presence of defects in the sheath produced by irradiation. The control equipment consists of a flaw detector with eddy currents, operable in the frequency range 10 Hz to 10 MHz, and a differential probe. The calibration of the flaw detector is done using artificial defects (longitudinal, transversal, external and internal notches, bored and unbored holes) obtained on Zircaloy-4 tubes identical to those out of which the sheath of the CANDU fuel element is manufactured (having a diameter of 13.08 mm and a wall thickness of 0.4 mm). When analyzing the behavior of the fuel elements' cladding facing the corrosion is important to know the thickness of the zirconium oxide layer. The calibration of the device measuring the thickness of the oxide layer is done using a Zircaloy-4 tube identical to that which the cladding of the CANDU fuel element is manufactured of, and calibration foils, as well. (authors)

The application of the barrier-type anodic oxidation method to thickness testing of aluminum films

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianwen; Yao, Manwen; Xiao, Ruihua; Yang, Pengfei; Hu, Baofu; Yao, Xi

2014-09-01

The thickness of the active metal oxide film formed from a barrier-type anodizing process is directly proportional to its formation voltage. The thickness of the consumed portion of the metal film is also corresponding to the formation voltage. This principle can be applied to the thickness test of the metal films. If the metal film is growing on a dielectric substrate, when the metal film is exhausted in an anodizing process, because of the high electrical resistance of the formed oxide film, a sudden increase of the recorded voltage during the anodizing process would occur. Then, the thickness of the metal film can be determined from this voltage. As an example, aluminum films are tested and discussed in this work. This method is quite simple and is easy to perform with high precision.

CdO Doped Indium Oxide Thick Film as a Low Temperature H2S Gas Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. N. CHAVAN

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The thick films of AR grade In2O3 were prepared by standard screen-printing technique. The gas sensing performance of thick film was tested for various gases. It showed maximum gas response to ethanol vapor at 350 oC for 80 ppm. To improve the gas response and selectivity of the film towards a particular gas, In2O3 thick films were modified by dipping them in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M CdCl2 for different intervals of time. The surface modified (10 min In2O3 thick film showed maximum response to H2S gas (10 ppm than pure In2O3 thick film at 150 oC. Cadmium oxide on the surface of the film shifts the gas response from ethanol vapor to H2S gas. A systematic study of sensing performance of the thick films indicates the key role played by cadmium oxide on the surface of thick films. The selectivity, gas response and recovery time of the thick films were measured and presented.

Studies on Gas Sensing Performance of Pure and Surface Chrominated Indium Oxide Thick Film Resistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. N. CHAVAN

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The thick films of AR grade In2O3 were prepared by standard screen-printing technique. The gas sensing performance of thick film was tested for various gases. It showed maximum gas response to ethanol vapor at 350 oC for 80 ppm. To improve the gas response and selectivity of the film towards a particular gas, In2O3 thick films were modified by dipping them in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M CrO3 for different intervals of time. The surface chrominated (20 min In2O3 thick film showed maximum response to H2S gas (40 ppm than pure In2O3 thick film at 250 oC. Chromium oxide on the surface of the film shifts the gas response from ethanol vapor to H2S gas. A systematic study of sensing performance of the sensor indicates the key role played by chromium oxide on the surface of thick film. The selectivity, gas response and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

Controlling the Performance of P-type Cu2O/SnO Bilayer Thin-Film Transistors by Adjusting the Thickness of the Copper Oxide Layer

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

2014-11-11

The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films as the lower layer we built a matrix of bottom-gate Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors of different thickness. We found that the thickness of the Cu2O layer is of major importance in oxidation of the SnO layer underneath. The thicker the Cu2O layer, the more the underlying SnO layer is oxidized, and, hence, the more transistor mobility is enhanced at a specific temperature. Both device performance and the annealing temperature required could be adjusted by controlling the thickness of each layer of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors.

Indium-Nitrogen Codoped Zinc Oxide Thin Film Deposited by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis on n-(111 Si Substrate: The Effect of Film Thickness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Chang Yu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Indium-nitrogen codoped zinc oxide (INZO thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis deposition technique on n-(111 Si substrate with different film thicknesses at 450°C using a precursor containing zinc acetate, ammonium acetate, and indium nitrate with 1 : 3 : 0.05 at.% concentration. The morphology and structure studies were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The grain size of the films increased when increasing the film thickness. From XRD spectra, polycrystalline ZnO structure can be observed and the preferred orientation behavior varied from (002 to (101 as the film thickness increased. The concentration and mobility were investigated by Hall effect measurement. the p-type films with a hole mobility around 3 cm2V−1s−1 and hole concentration around 3×1019 cm−3 can be achieved with film thickness less than 385 nm. The n-type conduction with concentration 1×1020 cm−3 is observed for film with thickness 1089 nm. The defect states were characterized by photoluminescence. With temperature-dependent conductivity analysis, acceptor state with activation energy 0.139 eV dominate the p type conduction for thin INZO film. And the Zn-related shallow donors with activation energy 0.029 eV dominate the n-type conduction for the thick INZO film.

Effect of the thickness and hydrogen treatment on the properties of Ga-doped ZnO transparent conductive films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Min-Jung; Lim, Jinhyong; Bang, Jungsik; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

2008-01-01

Combined effects of the thickness and hydrogen post-annealing treatment on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films were investigated as a potential substitute for indium tin oxide transparent conductive oxide. In the as-deposited films, microstructural evolution initially improved the crystallinity up to the thickness of 160 nm accompanying enhanced electrical and optical properties, but further thickness increase resulted in the deterioration of these properties attributable to the development of ZnGa 2 O 4 and Ga 2 O 3 phases originating from the excessive amount of the Ga dopant. Post-annealing treatment of the GZO films in a hydrogen atmosphere improved the electrical and optical properties substantially through possible reduction of the oxide phases and passivation of the surfaces and grain boundaries. In this case, electrical and optical properties remained almost similar for the thickness above 160 nm indicating that there exists a certain optimal film thickness.

Effects of thickness and geometric variations in the oxide gate stack on the nonvolatile memory behaviors of charge-trap memory thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Bak, Jun Yong; Kim, So-Jung; Byun, Chun-Won; Pi, Jae-Eun; Ryu, Min-Ki; Hwang, Chi Sun; Yoon, Sung-Min

2015-09-01

Device designs of charge-trap oxide memory thin-film transistors (CTM-TFTs) were investigated to enhance their nonvolatile memory performances. The first strategy was to optimize the film thicknesses of the tunneling and charge-trap (CT) layers in order to meet requirements of both higher operation speed and longer retention time. While the program speed and memory window were improved for the device with a thinner tunneling layer, a long retention time was obtained only for the device with a tunneling layer thicker than 5 nm. The carrier concentration and charge-trap densities were optimized in the 30-nm-thick CT layer. It was observed that 10-nm-thick tunneling, 30-nm-thick CT, and 50-nm-thick blocking layers were the best configuration for our proposed CTM-TFTs, where a memory on/off margin higher than 107 was obtained, and a memory margin of 6.6 × 103 was retained even after the lapse of 105 s. The second strategy was to examine the effects of the geometrical relations between the CT and active layers for the applications of memory elements embedded in circuitries. The CTM-TFTs fabricated without an overlap between the CT layer and the drain electrode showed an enhanced program speed by the reduced parasitic capacitance. The drain-bias disturbance for the memory off-state was effectively suppressed even when a higher read-out drain voltage was applied. Appropriate device design parameters, such as the film thicknesses of each component layer and the geometrical relations between them, can improve the memory performances and expand the application fields of the proposed CTM-TFTs.

Usage of neural network to predict aluminium oxide layer thickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Michal, Peter; Vagaská, Alena; Gombár, Miroslav; Kmec, Ján; Spišák, Emil; Kučerka, Daniel

2015-01-01

This paper shows an influence of chemical composition of used electrolyte, such as amount of sulphuric acid in electrolyte, amount of aluminium cations in electrolyte and amount of oxalic acid in electrolyte, and operating parameters of process of anodic oxidation of aluminium such as the temperature of electrolyte, anodizing time, and voltage applied during anodizing process. The paper shows the influence of those parameters on the resulting thickness of aluminium oxide layer. The impact of these variables is shown by using central composite design of experiment for six factors (amount of sulphuric acid, amount of oxalic acid, amount of aluminium cations, electrolyte temperature, anodizing time, and applied voltage) and by usage of the cubic neural unit with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm during the results evaluation. The paper also deals with current densities of 1 A · dm(-2) and 3 A · dm(-2) for creating aluminium oxide layer.

Usage of Neural Network to Predict Aluminium Oxide Layer Thickness

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Peter Michal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper shows an influence of chemical composition of used electrolyte, such as amount of sulphuric acid in electrolyte, amount of aluminium cations in electrolyte and amount of oxalic acid in electrolyte, and operating parameters of process of anodic oxidation of aluminium such as the temperature of electrolyte, anodizing time, and voltage applied during anodizing process. The paper shows the influence of those parameters on the resulting thickness of aluminium oxide layer. The impact of these variables is shown by using central composite design of experiment for six factors (amount of sulphuric acid, amount of oxalic acid, amount of aluminium cations, electrolyte temperature, anodizing time, and applied voltage and by usage of the cubic neural unit with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm during the results evaluation. The paper also deals with current densities of 1 A·dm−2 and 3 A·dm−2 for creating aluminium oxide layer.

The effect of oxide shell thickness on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of Si-SiO{sub 2} core-shell nano-crystals: A (time dependent)density functional theory study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazemi, Sanaz, E-mail: s.nazemi@ut.ac.ir, E-mail: pourfath@ut.ac.ir; Soleimani, Ebrahim Asl [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 14395-515 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pourfath, Mahdi, E-mail: s.nazemi@ut.ac.ir, E-mail: pourfath@ut.ac.ir [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 14395-515 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Institute for Microelectronics, Technische Universität Wien, Wien A-1040 (Austria); Kosina, Hans [Institute for Microelectronics, Technische Universität Wien, Wien A-1040 (Austria)

2016-04-14

Due to their tunable properties, silicon nano-crystals (NC) are currently being investigated. Quantum confinement can generally be employed for size-dependent band-gap tuning at dimensions smaller than the Bohr radius (∼5 nm for silicon). At the nano-meter scale, however, increased surface-to-volume ratio makes the surface effects dominant. Specifically, in Si-SiO{sub 2} core-shell semiconductor NCs the interfacial transition layer causes peculiar electronic and optical properties, because of the co-existence of intermediate oxidation states of silicon (Si{sup n+}, n = 0–4). Due to the presence of the many factors involved, a comprehensive understanding of the optical properties of these NCs has not yet been achieved. In this work, Si-SiO{sub 2} NCs with a diameter of 1.1 nm and covered by amorphous oxide shells with thicknesses between 2.5 and 4.75 Å are comprehensively studied, employing density functional theory calculations. It is shown that with increased oxide shell thickness, the low-energy part of the optical transition spectrum of the NC is red shifted and attenuated. Moreover, the absorption coefficient is increased in the high-energy part of the spectrum which corresponds to SiO{sub 2} transitions. Structural examinations indicate a larger compressive stress on the central silicon cluster with a thicker oxide shell. Examination of the local density of states reveals the migration of frontier molecular orbitals from the oxide shell into the silicon core with the increase of silica shell thickness. The optical and electrical properties are explained through the analysis of the density of states and the spatial distribution of silicon sub-oxide species.

Preparation and spectroscopic analysis of zinc oxide nanorod thin films of different thicknesses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mia Nasrul Haque

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide thin films with different thicknesses were prepared on microscopic glass slides by sol-gel spin coating method, then hydrothermal process was applied to produce zinc oxide nanorod arrays. The nanorod thin films were characterized by various spectroscopic methods of analysis. From the images of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM, it was observed that for the film thickness up to 200 nm the formed nanorods with wurtzite hexagonal structure were uniformly distributed over the entire surface substrate. From X-ray diffraction analysis it was revealed that the thin films had good polycrystalline nature with highly preferred c-axis orientation along (0 0 2 plane. The optical characterization done by UV-Vis spectrometer showed that all the films had high transparency of 83 % to 96 % in the visible region and sharp cut off at ultraviolet region of electromagnetic spectrum. The band gap of the films decreased as their thickness increased. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS showed the presence of zinc and oxygen elements in the films and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR revealed the chemical composition of ZnO in the film.

Effect of layer thickness on the properties of nickel thermal sprayed steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurisna, Zuhri, E-mail: zuhri-nurisna@yahoo.co.id; Triyono,, E-mail: triyonomesin@uns.ac.id; Muhayat, Nurul, E-mail: nurulmuhayat@staff.uns.ac.id; Wijayanta, Agung Tri, E-mail: agungtw@uns.ac.id [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Jr. Sutami 36 A, Surakarta (Indonesia)

2016-03-29

Thermal arc spray nickel coating is widely used for decorative and functional applications, by improving corrosion resistance, wear resistance, heat resistence or by modifying other properties of the coated materials. There are several properties have been studied. Layer thickness of nickel thermal sprayed steel may be make harder the substrate surface. In this study, the effect of layer thickness of nickel thermal sprayed steel has been investigated. The rectangular substrate specimens were coated by Ni–5 wt.% Al using wire arc spray method. The thickness of coating layers were in range from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. Different thickness of coating layers were conducted to investigate their effect on hardness and morphology. The coating layer was examined by using microvickers and scanning electron microscope with EDX attachment. Generally, the hardness at the interface increased with increasing thickness of coating layers for all specimens due to higher heat input during spraying process. Morphology analysis result that during spraying process aluminum would react with surrounding oxygen and form aluminum oxide at outer surface of splat. Moreover, porosity was formed in coating layers. However, presence porosity is not related to thickness of coating material. The thicker coating layer resulted highesr of hardness and bond strength.

A novel locus in the oxidative stress-related gene ALOX12 moderates the association between PTSD and thickness of the prefrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Mark W; Wolf, Erika J; Sadeh, Naomi; Logue, Mark; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Hayes, Jasmeet P; Sperbeck, Emily; Schichman, Steven A; Stone, Angie; Carter, Weleetka C; Humphries, Donald E; Milberg, William; McGlinchey, Regina

2015-12-01

Oxidative stress has been implicated in many common age-related diseases and is hypothesized to play a role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related neurodegeneration (Miller and Sadeh, 2014). This study examined the influence of the oxidative stress-related genes ALOX 12 and ALOX 15 on the association between PTSD and cortical thickness. Factor analyses were used to identify and compare alternative models of the structure of cortical thickness in a sample of 218 veterans. The best-fitting model was then used for a genetic association analysis in White non-Hispanic participants (n=146) that examined relationships between 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the two genes, 8 cortical thickness factors, and each SNP×PTSD interaction. Results identified a novel ALOX12 locus (indicated by two SNPs in perfect linkage disequilibrium: rs1042357 and rs10852889) that moderated the association between PTSD and reduced thickness of the right prefrontal cortex. A whole-cortex vertex-wise analysis showed this effect to be localized to clusters spanning the rostral middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and medial orbitofrontal cortex. These findings illustrate a novel factor-analytic approach to neuroimaging-genetic analyses and provide new evidence for the possible involvement of oxidative stress in PTSD-related neurodegeneration. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nano-thick calcium oxide armed titanium: boosts bone cells against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Huiliang; Qin, Hui; Zhao, Yaochao; Jin, Guodong; Lu, Tao; Meng, Fanhao; Zhang, Xianlong; Liu, Xuanyong

2016-02-22

Since the use of systemic antibiotics for preventing acute biomaterial-associated infections (BAIs) may build up bacterial resistance and result in huge medical costs and unpredictable mortality, new precaution strategies are required. Here, it demonstrated that titanium armed with a nano-thick calcium oxide layer was effective on averting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in rabbits. The calcium oxide layer was constructed by, firstly, injecting of metallic calcium into titanium via a plasma immersion ion implantation process, and then transforming the outer most surface into oxide by exposing to the atmosphere. Although the calcium oxide armed titanium had a relative low reduction rate (~74%) in growth of MRSA in vitro, it could markedly promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), restore local bone integration against the challenge of MRSA, and decrease the incidence of MRSA infection with a rate of 100% (compared to the titanium control). This study demonstrated for the first time that calcium, as one of the major elements in a human body, could be engineered to avert MRSA infections, which is promising as a safe precaution of disinfection for implantable biomedical devices.

Nano-thick calcium oxide armed titanium: boosts bone cells against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Huiliang; Qin, Hui; Zhao, Yaochao; Jin, Guodong; Lu, Tao; Meng, Fanhao; Zhang, Xianlong; Liu, Xuanyong

2016-02-01

Since the use of systemic antibiotics for preventing acute biomaterial-associated infections (BAIs) may build up bacterial resistance and result in huge medical costs and unpredictable mortality, new precaution strategies are required. Here, it demonstrated that titanium armed with a nano-thick calcium oxide layer was effective on averting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in rabbits. The calcium oxide layer was constructed by, firstly, injecting of metallic calcium into titanium via a plasma immersion ion implantation process, and then transforming the outer most surface into oxide by exposing to the atmosphere. Although the calcium oxide armed titanium had a relative low reduction rate (~74%) in growth of MRSA in vitro, it could markedly promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), restore local bone integration against the challenge of MRSA, and decrease the incidence of MRSA infection with a rate of 100% (compared to the titanium control). This study demonstrated for the first time that calcium, as one of the major elements in a human body, could be engineered to avert MRSA infections, which is promising as a safe precaution of disinfection for implantable biomedical devices.

Influence of Nitinol wire surface treatment on oxide thickness and composition and its subsequent effect on corrosion resistance and nickel ion release.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, B; Carroll, W; Rochev, Y; Hynes, M; Bradley, D; Plumley, D

2006-10-01

Medical implants and devices are now used successfully in surgical procedures on a daily basis. Alloys of nickel and titanium, and in particular Nitinol are of special interest in the medical device industry, because of their shape memory and superelastic properties. The corrosion behavior of nitinol in the body is also of critical importance because of the known toxicological effects of nickel. The stability of a NiTi alloy in the physiological environment is dependant primarily on the properties of the mostly TiO(2) oxide layer that is present on the surface. For the present study, a range of nitinol wires have been prepared using different drawing processes and a range of surface preparation procedures. It is clear from the results obtained that the wire samples with very thick oxides also contain a high nickel content in the oxide layer. The untreated samples with the thicker oxides show the lowest pitting potential values and greater nickel release in both long and short-term experiments. It was also found that after long-term immersion tests breakdown potentials increased for samples that exhibited lower values initially. From these results it would appear that surface treatment is essential for the optimum bioperformance of nitinol. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Control of Alq3 wetting layer thickness via substrate surface functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsoi, Shufen; Szeto, Bryan; Fleischauer, Michael D; Veinot, Jonathan G C; Brett, Michael J

2007-06-05

The effects of substrate surface energy and vapor deposition rate on the initial growth of porous columnar tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) nanostructures were investigated. Alq3 nanostructures thermally evaporated onto as-supplied Si substrates bearing an oxide were observed to form a solid wetting layer, likely caused by an interfacial energy mismatch between the substrate and Alq3. Wetting layer thickness control is important for potential optoelectronic applications. A dramatic decrease in wetting layer thickness was achieved by depositing Alq3 onto alkyltrichlorosilane-derivatized Si/oxide substrates. Similar effects were noted with increasing deposition rates. These two effects enable tailoring of the wetting layer thickness.

Thickness dependent growth of low temperature atomic layer deposited zinc oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montiel-González, Z.; Castelo-González, O.A.; Aguilar-Gama, M.T.; Ramírez-Morales, E.; Hu, H.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Polycrystalline columnar ZnO thin films deposited by ALD at low temperatures. • Higher deposition temperature leads to a greater surface roughness in the ALD ZnO films. • Higher temperature originates larger refractive index values of the ALD ZnO films. • ZnO thin films were denser as the numbers of ALD deposition cycles were larger. • XPS analysis revels mayor extent of the DEZ reaction during the ALD process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide films are promising to improve the performance of electronic devices, including those based on organic materials. However, the dependence of the ZnO properties on the preparation conditions represents a challenge to obtain homogeneous thin films that satisfy specific applications. Here, we prepared ZnO films of a wide range of thicknesses by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at relatively low temperatures, 150 and 175 °C. From the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry it is concluded that the polycrystalline structure of the wurtzite is the main phase of the ALD samples, with OH groups on their surface. Ellipsometry revealed that the temperature and the deposition cycles have a strong effect on the films roughness. Scanning electron micrographs evidenced such effect, through the large pyramids developed at the surface of the films. It is concluded that crystalline ZnO thin films within a broad range of thickness and roughness can be obtained for optic or optoelectronic applications.

Impact of metal nano layer thickness on tunneling oxide and memory performance of core-shell iridium-oxide nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, W.; Maikap, S. [Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 333, Taiwan (China); Tien, T.-C. [Material Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan 310, Taiwan (China); Li, W.-C.; Yang, J.-R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2011-10-01

The impact of iridium-oxide (IrO{sub x}) nano layer thickness on the tunneling oxide and memory performance of IrO{sub x} metal nanocrystals in an n-Si/SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/IrO{sub x}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/IrO{sub x} structure has been investigated. A thinner (1.5 nm) IrO{sub x} nano layer has shown better memory performance than that of a thicker one (2.5 nm). Core-shell IrO{sub x} nanocrystals with a small average diameter of 2.4 nm and a high density of {approx}2 x 10{sup 12}/cm{sup 2} have been observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The IrO{sub x} nanocrystals are confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A large memory window of 3.0 V at a sweeping gate voltage of {+-}5 V and 7.2 V at a sweeping gate voltage of {+-} 8 V has been observed for the 1.5 nm-thick IrO{sub x} nano layer memory capacitors with a small equivalent oxide thickness of 8 nm. The electrons and holes are trapped in the core and annular regions of the IrO{sub x} nanocrystals, respectively, which is explained by Gibbs free energy. High electron and hole-trapping densities are found to be 1.5 x 10{sup 13}/cm{sup 2} and 2 x 10{sup 13}/cm{sup 2}, respectively, due to the small size and high-density of IrO{sub x} nanocrystals. Excellent program/erase endurance of >10{sup 6} cycles and good retention of 10{sup 4} s with a good memory window of >1.2 V under a small operation voltage of {+-} 5 V are obtained. A large memory size of >10 Tbit/sq. in. can be designed by using the IrO{sub x} nanocrystals. This study is not only important for the IrO{sub x} nanocrystal charge-trapping memory investigation but it will also help to design future metal nanocrystal flash memory.

Impact of metal nano layer thickness on tunneling oxide and memory performance of core-shell iridium-oxide nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, W.; Maikap, S.; Tien, T.-C.; Li, W.-C.; Yang, J.-R.

2011-01-01

The impact of iridium-oxide (IrO x ) nano layer thickness on the tunneling oxide and memory performance of IrO x metal nanocrystals in an n-Si/SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 /IrO x /Al 2 O 3 /IrO x structure has been investigated. A thinner (1.5 nm) IrO x nano layer has shown better memory performance than that of a thicker one (2.5 nm). Core-shell IrO x nanocrystals with a small average diameter of 2.4 nm and a high density of ∼2 x 10 12 /cm 2 have been observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy. The IrO x nanocrystals are confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A large memory window of 3.0 V at a sweeping gate voltage of ±5 V and 7.2 V at a sweeping gate voltage of ± 8 V has been observed for the 1.5 nm-thick IrO x nano layer memory capacitors with a small equivalent oxide thickness of 8 nm. The electrons and holes are trapped in the core and annular regions of the IrO x nanocrystals, respectively, which is explained by Gibbs free energy. High electron and hole-trapping densities are found to be 1.5 x 10 13 /cm 2 and 2 x 10 13 /cm 2 , respectively, due to the small size and high-density of IrO x nanocrystals. Excellent program/erase endurance of >10 6 cycles and good retention of 10 4 s with a good memory window of >1.2 V under a small operation voltage of ± 5 V are obtained. A large memory size of >10 Tbit/sq. in. can be designed by using the IrO x nanocrystals. This study is not only important for the IrO x nanocrystal charge-trapping memory investigation but it will also help to design future metal nanocrystal flash memory.

Reaction products between Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-oxide thick films and alumina substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alarco, J.A.; Ilushechkin, A.; Yamashita, T.; Bhargava, A.; Barry, J.; Mackinnon, I.D.R.

1997-01-01

The structure and composition of reaction products between Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-oxide (BSCCO) thick films and alumina substrates have been characterized using a combination of electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Sr and Ca are found to be the most reactive cations with alumina. Sr 4 Al 6 O 12 SO 4 is formed between the alumina substrates and BSCCO thick films prepared from paste with composition close to Bi-2212 (and Bi-2212+10 wt.% Ag). For paste with composition close to Bi(Pb)-2223 +20 wt.% Ag, a new phase with f.c.c. structure, lattice parameter about a=24.5 A and approximate composition Al 3 Sr 2 CaBi 2 CuO x has been identified in the interface region. Understanding and control of these reactions is essential for growth of high quality BSCCO thick films on alumina. (orig.)

Characterization of Series Resistance and Mobility Degradation Parameter and Optimizing Choice of Oxide Thickness in Thin Oxide N-Channel MOSFET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noureddine Maouhoub

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We present two methods to extract the series resistance and the mobility degradation parameter in short-channel MOSFETs. The principle of the first method is based on the comparison between the exponential model and the classical model of effective mobility and for the second method is based on directly calculating the two parameters by solving a system of two equations obtained by using two different points in strong inversion at small drain bias from the characteristic (. The results obtained by these techniques have shown a better agreement with data measurements and allowed in the same time to determine the surface roughness amplitude and its influence on the maximum drain current and give the optimal oxide thickness.

The effect of crystal textures on the anodic oxidization of zirconium in a boiling nitric acid solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Chiaki; Ishijima, Yasuhiro; Ueno, Fumiyoshi; Yamamoto, Masahiro

2016-01-01

The effects of crystal textures and the potentials in the anodic oxidation of zirconium in a boiling nitric acid solution were investigated to study the stress corrosion cracking of zirconium in nitric acid solutions. The test specimen was machined such that the specimen surface was parallel to the rolling surface, arranged with a (0002) crystal texture. The potentials applied for the anodic oxidation of zirconium were set at 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5 V against a saturated KCl–Ag/AgCl electrode (SSE) in boiling 6 M HNO_3. The growth of the zirconium oxide film dramatically changed depending on the applied potential at a closed depassivation potential (1.47 V vs. SSE in this study). At 1.5 V, the zirconium oxide film rapidly grows, and its growth exhibits cyclic oxidation kinetics in accordance with a nearly cubic rate law. The zirconium oxide film grows according to the quantity of electric charge and the growth rate does not depend on the crystal texture in the pretransition region before the cyclic oxidation kinetics. However, the growth and cracking under the thick oxide film depend on the crystal texture in the transition region. On the normal direction side, the oxide film thickness decreases on average since some areas of the thick oxide film are separated from the specimen surface owing to the cracks in the thick oxide. On the rolling direction (RD) side, no cracks in the thick oxide film are observed, but cracks are found under the thick oxide film, which deeply propagate in metal matrix along the RD without an external stress. The cracks under the thick oxide film propagate to the center of the oxide layer. The crystal orientation relationship between the oxide layer and the zirconium matrix is (0002)_Z_r//(111)_Z_r_O_2, and the cracks in the oxide layer propagate in the (0002)_Z_r plane in the zirconium matrix. The oxide layer consists of string-like zirconium oxide and zirconium hydride. The string-like zirconium oxide contains orthorhombic ZrO_2 in addition

doped ZnO thick film resistors

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The characterization and ethanol gas sensing properties of pure and doped ZnO thick films were investigated. Thick films of pure zinc oxide were prepared by the screen printing technique. Pure zinc oxide was almost insensitive to ethanol. Thick films of Al2O3 (1 wt%) doped ZnO were observed to be highly sensitive to ...

Halogen effect for improving high temperature oxidation resistance of Ti-50Al by anodization

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Min-Hua; Wu, Lian-Kui; Cao, Hua-Zhen; Lin, Jun-Pin; Zheng, Guo-Qu

2017-06-01

The high temperature oxidation resistance of Ti-50Al was significantly improved via halogen effect which was achieved by anodizing in an ethylene glycol solution containing with fluorine ion. The anodized Ti-50Al with holes and micro-cracks could be self-repaired during oxidation at 1000 °C. The thickness of the oxide scale increases with the prolonging of oxidation time. On the basis of halogen effect for improving the high temperature oxidation resistance of Ti-50Al by anodization, only fluorine addition into the electrolyte can effectively improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of Ti-50Al.

The magnetic characteristics of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction with MgO and Al-O oxidation layers in various thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, T.-J.; Canizo-Cabrera, A.; Chang, C.-H.; Liao, K.-A.; Li, Simon C.; Hou, C.-K.; Wu Teho

2006-01-01

In this work we show the magnetic characteristics of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) with different oxidation layers. The pMTJs structures were made by RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Individual depositions of magnesium oxide layers and of aluminum oxide films were prepared by plasma oxidation. The experimental results showed that the initial switching field was decreased as the magnesium oxide thickness was increased. Further work of the aluminum oxide surface roughness and hysteresis loop influenced by different oxidation layers on pMTJs structures will be discussed as well

Characterization of 10 μm thick porous silicon dioxide obtained by complex oxidation process for RF application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jeong-Yong; Lee, Jong-Hyun

2003-01-01

This paper proposes a 10 μm thick oxide layer structure, which can be used as a substrate for RF circuits. The structure has been fabricated by anodic reaction and complex oxidation, which is a combined process of low temperature thermal oxidation (500 deg. C, for 1 h at H 2 O/O 2 ) and a rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) process (1050 deg. C, for 1 min). The electrical characteristics of oxidized porous silicon layer (OPSL) were almost the same as those of standard thermal silicon dioxide. The leakage current through the OPSL of 10 μm was about 100-500 pA in the range of 0-50 V. The average value of breakdown field was about 3.9 MV cm -1 . From the X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, surface and internal oxide films of OPSL, prepared by complex process were confirmed to be completely oxidized and also the role of RTO process was important for the densification of porous silicon layer (PSL) oxidized at a lower temperature. For the RF-test of Si substrate with thick silicon dioxide layer, we have fabricated high performance passive devices such as coplanar waveguide (CPW) on OPSL substrate. The insertion loss of CPW on OPSL prepared by complex oxidation process was -0.39 dB at 4 GHz and similar to that of CPW on OPSL prepared by a temperature of 1050 deg. C (1 h at H 2 O/O 2 ). Also the return loss of CPW on OPSL prepared by complex oxidation process was -23 dB at 10 GHz, which is similar to that of CPW on OPSL prepared by high temperature

Effect of oxygen partial pressure on oxidation of Mo-metal

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Rabindar Kumar; Kumar, Prabhat; Singh, Megha; Gopal, Pawar; Reddy, G. B.

2018-05-01

This report explains the effect of oxygen partial pressure (PO2 ) on oxidation of Mo-metal in oxygen plasma. XRD results indulge that oxide layers formed on Mo-surfaces at different oxygen partial pressures have two different oxide phases (i.e. orthorhombic MoO3 and monoclinic Mo8O23). Intense XRD peaks at high pressure (i.e. 2.0×10-1 Torr) points out the formation of thick oxide layer on Mo-surface due to presence of large oxygen species in chamber and less oxide volatilization. Whereas, at low PO2 (6.5×10-2 and 7.5×10-2 Torr.) the reduced peak strength is owing to high oxide volatilization rate. SEM micrographs and thickness measurements also support XRD results and confirm that the optimum -2value of PO2 to deposited thicker and uniform oxide film on glass substrate is 7.5×10-2 Torr through plasma assistedoxidation process. Further to study the compositional properties, EDX of the sample M2 (the best sample) is carried out, which confirms that the stoichiometric ratio is less than 3 (i.e. 2.88). Less stoichiometric ratio again confirms the presence of sub oxides in oxide layers on Mo metal as evidenced by XRD results. All the observed results are well in consonance with each other.

Numerical modelling of the impedance plane for simultaneous determining, by eddy currents, the oxide thickness and conductivity in Zircaloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lois, Alejandro E.

2001-01-01

During service at high temperature or in aggressive media, metallic structures and components may suffer different types of changes or degradation. As an example, phase transformations may occur, second phases may precipitate, and in consequence the mechanical and chemical properties of the material may change. Their behavior will therefore differ from that considered for the design of the component. The knowledge of the amount of a precipitated second phase in a component should be an important tool in the hands of the maintenance engineer. And it would be very important to obtain this knowledge nondestructively and reliably. The objective of this project is to evaluate by eddy currents the amount of the hydrogen incorporated during service in structural zirconium base materials. For this purpose, a series of Zircaloy-4 specimens with oxide layers of different thickness and different concentration of hydrogen obtained by controlled autoclave treatments were used. These specimens were tested with eddy current equipment. The information produced by an eddy current test is the superposition of many variables, e.g.: thickness of oxide layers, conductance, thickness of specimen, etc. In order to sort out this information, an analytical model of the impedance plane was programmed in a PC, with which this information was processed, permitting, in this way, to evaluate the conductivity of materials, taking into account the effect of oxide layers thickness. A linear relationship between the conductivity and the hydrogen content in the range of hydrogen concentrations of technological interest was observed. Therefore, the calculated electrical conductivity may be transformed to the amount of hydrogen content, using a suitable calibration curve. This process will allow for the nondestructive assessment of the amount of hydrogen in reactor components, such as pressure and calandria tubes, a knowledge which will enable the experts to predict the degree of fragility of those

Effect of interfacial oxide thickness on the photocatalytic activity of magnetron-sputtered TiO2coatings on aluminum substrate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daviðsdóttir, Svava; Petit, Jean-Pierre; Shabadi, Rajashekhara

2015-01-01

The influence of the coating/substrate interface on the photocatalytic behavior of Al-TiO2 coatings was investigated. The TiO2 coatings were prepared by magnetron sputtering. The nanoscale structure of the coating was analyzed using X-ray diffraction; atomic force microscopy; scanning electron...... transport between the coating and the metallic substrate. The highest photocurrents were indeed obtained when the thickness of interfacial aluminum oxide could be reduced by sputtering a thin Ti layer prior to TiO2 coating. Photocurrent plotted for different photon energy for a TiO2 coating on a Ti...

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of oxidized porous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mula, Guido, E-mail: guido.mula@unica.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, S.P. 8 km 0.700, 09042 Cagliari (Italy); Tiddia, Maria V. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, S.P. 8 km 0.700, 09042 Cagliari (Italy); Ruffilli, Roberta [Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy); Falqui, Andrea [Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy); Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, S.P. 8 km 0.700, 09042 Cagliari (Italy); Palmas, Simonetta; Mascia, Michele [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica Chimica e dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Piazza d' Armi, 09126 Cagliari (Italy)

2014-04-01

We present a study of the electrochemical oxidation process of porous silicon. We analyze the effect of the layer thickness (1.25–22 μm) and of the applied current density (1.1–11.1 mA/cm{sup 2}, values calculated with reference to the external samples surface) on the oxidation process by comparing the galvanostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and the optical specular reflectivity of the samples. The results of EIS were interpreted using an equivalent circuit to separate the contribution of different sample parts. A different behavior of the electrochemical oxidation process has been found for thin and thick samples: whereas for thin samples the oxidation process is univocally related to current density and thickness, for thicker samples this is no more true. Measurements by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy using a Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed that the inhomogeneity of the electrochemical oxidation process is increased by higher thicknesses and higher currents. A possible explanation is proposed to justify the different behavior of thin and thick samples during the electrochemical process. - Highlights: • A multidisciplinary approach on porous Si electrochemical oxidation is proposed. • Electrochemical, optical, and structural characterizations are used. • Layer thickness and oxidation current effects are shown. • An explanation of the observed behavior is proposed.

Adhesion-enhanced thick copper film deposition on aluminum oxide by an ion-beam-mixed Al seed layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyung-Jin; Park, Jae-Won

2012-01-01

We report a highly-adherent 30-μm Cu conductive-path coating on an aluminum-oxide layer anodized on an aluminum-alloy substrate for a metal-printed circuit-board application. A 50-nm Al layer was first coated with an e-beam evaporative deposition method on the anodized oxide, followed by ion bombardment to mix the interfacial region. Subsequently, a Cu coating was deposited onto the mixed seed layer to the designed thickness. Adhesions of the interface were tested by using tape adhesion test, and pull-off tests and showed commercially acceptable adhesions for such thick coating layers. The ion beam mixing (IBM) plays the role of fastening the thin seed coating layer to the substrate and enhancing the adhesion of the Cu conductive path on the anodized aluminum surface.

Controlling the Performance of P-type Cu2O/SnO Bilayer Thin-Film Transistors by Adjusting the Thickness of the Copper Oxide Layer

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.; Caraveo-Frescas, Jesus Alfonso; Hedhili, Mohamed N.

2014-01-01

The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films

Effect of diffusion on percolation threshold in thick-film resistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdurakhmanov, G.

2009-01-01

Resistivity ρ(C) of thick-film resistors doped by metal oxides is simulated as a function of volume content C of the ligature, firing temperature T f and firing time τ. It is proved that the doping of a glass during firing of the thick film resistor is rather uniform. It is shown also, that conductance takes place in the whole volume of the sample, but not through the sole infinite cluster only, even the content of a conductive phase is below than the theoretical percolation threshold value.

Estimation of residual life of boiler tubes using steamside oxide scale thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vikrant, K.S.N.; Ramareddy, G.V.; Pavan, A.H.V.; Singh, Kulvir

2013-01-01

In thermal power plants, remaining-life-estimation of boiler tubes is required at regular intervals for a safer and a better functionality of boilers. In this paper, a new method is proposed for the residual life estimation of service exposed boiler tubes using Non-Destructive Ultrasonic Oxide scale thickness measurements, average metal temperature and creep master curve. While steady state conduction heat transfer equations are solved to calculate the average metal temperature, creep master curve is generated from short term stress rupture data of rupture life less than 5000 h on a virgin material. In the present study, the residual life of T22 (2.25Cr-1Mo) service exposed Platen Superheater tube is estimated using two master creep curves, i.e. Larson-Miller Parametric (LMP) method of standard ASME T22 creep data and Wilshire approach of short term stress rupture data of T22. As the residual life is calculated from fundamental conduction heat transfer theory and creep rupture data, the proposed method can be applied for different grades of boiler materials. -- Highlights: ► Residual life is calculated from non-destructive oxide scale thickness, creep master curve and average metal temperature. ► A new method is proposed for calculating residual life using above parameters and from conduction heat transfer principles. ► The method can be applied to different boiler grades for estimating residual life and hence the method is generic

Effectiveness of dispersants on thick oil slicks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, S.; Belore, R.

1993-01-01

Experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between dispersant effectiveness and oil slick thickness, and thereby determine the optimum time for applying dispersant onto spilled oil at sea. Tests were completed at a lab-scale level by varying the three parameters of oil type, dispersant application, and oil thickness. The tests were intended to be comparative only. The primary oils used were Alberta sweet mix blend and Hibernia B-27 crude. The dispersant, Corexit 9527, was applied either premixed with the oil, dropwise in one application, or dropwise in multiple applications to simulate a multi-hit aircraft operation. The apparatus used in the experiment was an oscillating hoop tank, with oil-containing rings used to obtain and maintain uniform slick thickness. The results indicate that the effectiveness potential of a chemical dispersant does not decrease as slick thickness increases. In fact, results of the tests involving Hibernia oil suggest that oils that tend to herd easily would be treated more effectively if dispersant were applied when the oil was relatively thick (1 mm or greater) to avoid herding problems. The oil slicks premixed with dispersant did not disperse well in the thick oil tests, not because of dispersant-oil interaction problems but because of reduced mixing energy. 6 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Chemical Vapor Identification by Plasma Treated Thick Film Tin Oxide Gas Sensor Array and Pattern Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. K. Srivastava

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Present study deals the class recognition potential of a four element plasma treated thick film tin oxide gas sensor array exposed with volatile organic compounds (VOCs. Methanol, Ethanol and Acetone are selected as target VOCs and exposed on sensor array at different concentration in range from 100-1000 ppm. Sensor array consist of four tin oxide sensors doped with 1-4 % PbO concentrations were fabricated by thick film technology and then treated with oxygen plasma for 5-10 minute durations. Sensor signal is analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA for visual classification of VOCs. Further output of PCA is used as input for classification of VOCs by four pattern classification techniques as: linear discriminant analysis (LDA, k-nearest neighbor (KNN, back propagation neural network (BPNN and support vector machine (SVM. All the four classifier results 100 % correct classification rate of VOCs by response analysis of sensor array treated with plasma for 5 minute.

Resistivity and thickness effects in dendritic web silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, D. L.; Hwang, J. M.; Greggi, J.; Campbell, R. B.

1987-01-01

The decrease of minority carrier lifetime as resistivity decreases in dendritic-web silicon solar cells is addressed. This variation is shown to be consistent with the presence of defect levels in the bandgap which arise from extended defects in the web material. The extended defects are oxide precipitates (SiOx) and the dislocation cores they decorate. Sensitivity to this background distribution of defect levels increases with doping because the Fermi level moves closer to the majority carrier band edge. For high-resistivity dendritic-web silicon, which has a low concentration of these extended defects, cell efficiencies as high as 16.6 percent (4 sq cm, 40 ohm-cm boron-doped base, AM1.5 global, 100 mW/sq cm, 25 C JPL LAPSS1 measurement) and a corresponding electron lifetime of 38 microsec have been obtained. Thickness effects occur in bifacial cell designs and in designs which use light trapping. In some cases, the dislocation/precipitate defect can be passivated through the full thickness of web cells by hydrogen ion implantation.

Thickness independent reduced forming voltage in oxygen engineered HfO{sub 2} based resistive switching memories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharath, S. U., E-mail: sharath@oxide.tu-darmstadt.de; Kurian, J.; Komissinskiy, P.; Hildebrandt, E.; Alff, L. [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Bertaud, T.; Walczyk, C.; Calka, P. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt Oder (Germany); Schroeder, T. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt Oder (Germany); Brandenburgische Technische Universität, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)

2014-08-18

The conducting filament forming voltage of stoichiometric hafnium oxide based resistive switching layers increases linearly with layer thickness. Using strongly reduced oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films grown on polycrystalline TiN/Si(001) substrates, the thickness dependence of the forming voltage is strongly suppressed. Instead, an almost constant forming voltage of about 3 V is observed up to 200 nm layer thickness. This effect suggests that filament formation and switching occurs for all samples in an oxidized HfO{sub 2} surface layer of a few nanometer thickness while the highly oxygen deficient thin film itself merely serves as a oxygen vacancy reservoir.

On the effect of pre-oxidation on the nitriding kinetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friehling, Peter Bernhard; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2000-01-01

The oxidation of ferritic surfaces prior to gaseous nitriding has been reported to lead to improved uniformity of the compound layer thickness and enhanced nitriding kinetics. The present work considers the nucleation and growth of a model compound layer on pure iron and, using previous...... experimental and theoretical work reported in the literature, puts forward two hypotheses to explain the effects of pre-oxidation on compound layer formation. It is proposed that the nucleation of iron nitrides is enhanced by the presence of an iron-oxide layer and that the growth of an iron-nitride layer...... proceeds faster after pre-oxidation, due to a higher nitrogen content in the part of the compound layer closest to the surface....

The nanostructure of microbially-reduced graphene oxide fosters thick and highly-performing electrochemically-active biofilms

Science.gov (United States)

Virdis, Bernardino; Dennis, Paul G.

2017-07-01

Biofilms of electrochemically-active organisms are used in microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) to catalyze bioreactions otherwise not possible at bare electrodes. At present, however, achievable current outputs are still below levels considered sufficient for economic viability of large-scale METs implementations. Here, we report three-dimensional, self-aggregating biofilm composites comprising of microbial cells embedded with microbially-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles to form a thick macro-porous network with superior electrochemical properties. In the presence of metabolic substrate, these hybrid biofilms are capable of producing up to five times more catalytic current than the control biofilms. Cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, show that in spite of the increased thickness, the biofilms amended with GO display lower polarization/charge transfer resistance compared to the controls, which we ascribe to the incorporation of rGO into the biofilms, which (1) promotes fast electron transfer, yet conserving a macroporous structure that allows free diffusion of reactants and products, and (2) enhances the interfacial dynamics by allowing a higher load of microbial cells per electrode surface area. These results suggest an easy-to-apply and cost-effective method to produce high-performing electrochemically-active biofilms in situ.

Electrical characteristics of AlO sub x N sub y prepared by oxidation of sub-10-nm-thick AlN films for MOS gate dielectric applications

CERN Document Server

Jeon, S H; Kim, H S; Noh, D Y; Hwang, H S

2000-01-01

In this research, the feasibility of ultrathin AlO sub x N sub y prepared by oxidation of sub 100-A-thick AlN thin films for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate dielectric applications was investigated. Oxidation of 51-A-and 98-A-thick as-deposited AlN at 800 .deg. C was used to form 72-A-and 130-A-thick AlO sub x N sub y , respectively. Based on the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements of the MOS capacitor, the dielectric constants of 72 A-thick and 130 A-thick Al-oxynitride were 5.15 and 7, respectively. The leakage current of Al-oxynitride at low field was almost the same as that of thermal SiO sub 2. based on the CV data, the interface state density of Al-oxynitride was relatively higher than that of SiO sub 2. Although process optimization is still necessary, the Al-oxynitride exhibits some possibility for future MOS gate dielectric applications.

Electrical characteristics of AlO{sub x}N{sub y} prepared by oxidation of sub-10-nm-thick AlN films for MOS gate dielectric applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Sang Hun; Jang, Hyeon Woo; Kim, Hyun Soo; Noh, Do Young; Hwang, Hyun Sang [Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Kwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2000-12-01

In this research, the feasibility of ultrathin AlO{sub x}N{sub y} prepared by oxidation of sub 100-A-thick AlN thin films for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate dielectric applications was investigated. Oxidation of 51-A-and 98-A-thick as-deposited AlN at 800 .deg. C was used to form 72-A-and 130-A-thick AlO{sub x}N{sub y}, respectively. Based on the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements of the MOS capacitor, the dielectric constants of 72 A-thick and 130 A-thick Al-oxynitride were 5.15 and 7, respectively. The leakage current of Al-oxynitride at low field was almost the same as that of thermal SiO{sub 2}. based on the CV data, the interface state density of Al-oxynitride was relatively higher than that of SiO{sub 2}. Although process optimization is still necessary, the Al-oxynitride exhibits some possibility for future MOS gate dielectric applications.

Effect of shell thickness on the exchange bias blocking temperature and coercivity in Co-CoO core-shell nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, S.; Reethu, K.; Thanveer, T.; Myint, M. T. Z.; Al-Harthi, S. H.

2017-08-01

The exchange bias blocking temperature distribution of naturally oxidized Co-CoO core-shell nanoparticles exhibits two distinct signatures. These are associated with the existence of two magnetic entities which are responsible for the temperature dependence of an exchange bias field. One is from the CoO grains which undergo thermally activated magnetization reversal. The other is from the disordered spins at the Co-CoO interface which exhibits spin-glass-like behavior. We investigated the oxide shell thickness dependence of the exchange bias effect. For particles with a 3 nm thick CoO shell, the predominant contribution to the temperature dependence of exchange bias is the interfacial spin-glass layer. On increasing the shell thickness to 4 nm, the contribution from the spin-glass layer decreases, while upholding the antiferromagnetic grain contribution. For samples with a 4 nm CoO shell, the exchange bias training was minimal. On the other hand, 3 nm samples exhibited both the training effect and a peak in coercivity at an intermediate set temperature Ta. This is explained using a magnetic core-shell model including disordered spins at the interface.

Formation of silicon Oxide nano thickness on Si (III) with the assistance of Cs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahari, A.; Bagheri, M.

2006-01-01

: The possibility of controlling the growth of a uniform ultra thin oxide on silicon via oxygen dosing at low temperatures, would be a great interest for the projected further development of nano electronics. One way to achieve this is to be able to control the conversion of chemically adsorbed oxygen and retained at room temperature into oxide during subsequent heating. Oxygen is chemisorbed at room temperature on Si(111) surface to saturation ( >100 L O 2 ), and the experimental chamber is then evacuated. This leaves adsorbed oxygen as atomically inserted on Si surface which sits on the back bonds. This surface is then used as a base for further processing which in one case consists of annealing to 600- 700 d eg C and subsequent exposures equivalent to the first step. This is repeated again. As the focus of this work, a series of experiments are done with adsorbed Cs, which assists in retaining oxygen and in transforming the adsorbed oxygen into oxide upon heating. It was found that the oxide formed on the surface at low coverage clusters. Without any external influence, the clusters may be made to coalesce upon further oxygen adsorption at room temperature, and annealing terminates as a continuous monolayer of amorphous oxide on top of a well-ordered silicon substrate. This configuration is inert to further uptake of oxygen. A higher oxide thickness could be obtained with Cs. Also in this case, the oxide growth saturates in an inert oxide Iayer

Study of thickness and uniformity of oxide passivation with DI-O3 on silicon substrate for electronic and photonic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Mamta; Hazra, Purnima; Singh, Satyendra Kumar

2018-05-01

Since the beginning of semiconductor fabrication technology evolution, clean and passivated substrate surface is one of the prime requirements for fabrication of Electronic and optoelectronic device fabrication. However, as the scale of silicon circuits and device architectures are continuously decreased from micrometer to nanometer (from VLSI to ULSI technology), the cleaning methods to achieve better wafer surface qualities has raised research interests. The development of controlled and uniform silicon dioxide is the most effective and reliable way to achieve better wafer surface quality for fabrication of electronic devices. On the other hand, in order to meet the requirement of high environment safety/regulatory standards, the innovation of cleaning technology is also in demand. The controlled silicon dioxide layer formed by oxidant de-ionized ozonated water has better uniformity. As the uniformity of the controlled silicon dioxide layer is improved on the substrate, it enhances the performance of the devices. We can increase the thickness of oxide layer, by increasing the ozone time treatment. We reported first time to measurement of thickness of controlled silicon dioxide layer and obtained the uniform layer for same ozone time.

Influence of thickness and coatings morphology in the antimicrobial performance of zinc oxide coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho, P. [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Sampaio, P. [CBMA, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700 Braga (Portugal); Azevedo, S. [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Vaz, C. [CBMA, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700 Braga (Portugal); Espinós, J.P. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC-University of Sevilla, Avda. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla (Spain); Teixeira, V., E-mail: vasco@fisica.uminho.pt [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Carneiro, J.O., E-mail: carneiro@fisica.uminho.pt [Department of Physics, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal)

2014-07-01

In this research work, the production of undoped and silver (Ag) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films for food-packaging applications were developed. The main goal was to determine the influence of coatings morphology and thickness on the antimicrobial performance of the produced samples. The ZnO based thin films were deposited on PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) substrates by means of DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The thin films were characterized by optical spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial performance of the undoped and Ag-doped ZnO thin films was also evaluated. The results attained have shown that all the deposited zinc oxide and Ag-doped ZnO coatings present columnar morphology with V-shaped columns. The increase of ZnO coatings thickness until 200 nm increases the active surface area of the columns. The thinner samples (50 and 100 nm) present a less pronounced antibacterial activity than the thickest ones (200–600 nm). Regarding Ag-doped ZnO thin films, it was verified that increasing the silver content decreases the growth rate of Escherichia coli and decreases the amount of bacteria cells present at the end of the experiment.

Effect of the Ti-Nanolayer Thickness on the Self-Lift-off of Thick GaN Epitaxial Layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yugov, A. A.; Malahov, S. S.; Donskov, A. A.; Duhnovskii, M. P.; Knyazev, S. N.; Kozlova, Yu. P.; Yugova, T. G.; Belogorokhov, I. A.

2016-01-01

The effect of the type of substrate, sapphire substrate (c- and r-orientation) or GaN/Al_2O_3 template (c- and r-orientations), on the nitridation of an amorphous titanium nanolayer is shown. The effect of the titanium-nanolayer thickness on thick GaN epitaxial layer self-separation from the substrate is revealed. The titanium-nanolayer thickness at which thick GaN layer is reproducibly self-separated is within 20–40 nm.

Preperitoneal Fat Thicknesses, Lipid Profile, and Oxidative Status in Women With Uterine Fibroids.

Science.gov (United States)

Vignini, Arianna; Sabbatinelli, Jacopo; Clemente, Nicolò; Delli Carpini, Giovanni; Tassetti, Marta; Zagaglia, Giulia; Ciavattini, Andrea

2017-10-01

There is growing evidence supporting a possible role for metabolic syndrome and its determinants, such as dyslipidemia, in uterine fibroid (UF) pathogenesis. The present study aims to investigate the association between UFs and visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), lipid profile, and oxidative and antioxidative status. In this cross-sectional study, 35 patients diagnosed with UFs and 15 women without UFs were enrolled. Clinical history and anthropometric parameters were collected for every woman. Characteristics of UFs, preperitoneal fat thickness (PFT), and SFT were assessed ultrasonically. Lipid profile, glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were evaluated on plasma from participants. Women with UFs showed a significantly increased PFT (11.63 ± 3.39 vs 7.01 ± 3.10 mm; P HDL-C; 45.4 ± 8.3 vs 57.2 ± 13.4 mg/dL; P = .017), higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; 92.3 ± 21.5 vs 72.0 ± 14.6 mg/dL; P = .007), and oxidized LDL (65.2 ± 20.7 vs 43.0 ± 11.3 U/L; P = .002). In patients, TBARs concentration was significantly higher (9.41 ± 6.49 vs 2.92 ± 1.65 nmol malondialdehyde/100 μg prot; P body mass index, oxidized LDL, and TBARs. At multivariate analysis, PFT and HDL-C maintained a significant correlation with the diagnosis of UFs. Chronic inflammation triggered and sustained by visceral fat could play a determinant role in cell differentiation and proliferation processes, necessary for the development of UFs. Alterations in cholesterol fractions may be explained as a consequence of the increased visceral fat deposits and can reflect an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with UF.

Ion Diffusion-Directed Assembly Approach to Ultrafast Coating of Graphene Oxide Thick Multilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaoli; Gao, Weiwei; Yao, Weiquan; Jiang, Yanqiu; Xu, Zhen; Gao, Chao

2017-10-24

The layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly approach has been widely used to fabricate multilayer coatings on substrates with multiple cycles, whereas it is hard to access thick films efficiently. Here, we developed an ion diffusion-directed assembly (IDDA) strategy to rapidly make multilayer thick coatings in one step on arbitrary substrates. To achieve multifunctional coatings, graphene oxide (GO) and metallic ions were selected as the typical building blocks and diffusion director in IDDA, respectively. With diffusion of metallic ions from substrate to negatively charged GO dispersion spontaneously (i.e., from high-concentration region to low-concentration region), GO was assembled onto the substrate sheet-by-sheet via sol-gel transformation. Because metallic ions with size of subnanometers can diffuse directionally and freely in the aqueous dispersion, GO was coated on the substrate efficiently, giving rise to films with desired thickness up to 10 μm per cycle. The IDDA approach shows three main merits: (1) high efficiency with a μm-scale coating rate; (2) controllability over thickness and evenness; and (3) generality for substrates of plastics, metals and ceramics with any shapes and morphologies. With these merits, IDDA strategy was utilized in the efficient fabrication of functional graphene coatings that exhibit outstanding performance as supercapacitors, electromagnetic interference shielding textiles, and anticorrosion coatings. This IDDA approach can be extended to other building blocks including polymers and colloidal nanoparticles, promising for the scalable production and application of multifunctional coatings.

on THICKNESS OF COPPER (|) OXIDE

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2006-12-20

Dec 20, 2006 ... known materials to be used as semiconductor devices. The oxide is. Observed to be an attractive starting material for the production of solar cells for low cost terrestrial conversion of solar energy to electricity. Copper (I) oxide is one Of the earliest known photovoltaic materials and the first in which the ...

Determination of the thickness of Al2O3 barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchanan, J.D.R.; Hase, T.P.A.; Tanner, B.K.; Hughes, N.D.; Hicken, R.J.

2002-01-01

The barrier thickness in magnetic spin-dependent tunnel junctions with Al 2 O 3 barriers has been measured using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity and by fitting the tunneling current to the Simmons model. We have studied the effect of glow discharge oxidation time on the barrier structure, revealing a substantial increase in Al 2 O 3 thickness with oxidation. The greater thickness of barrier measured using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity compared with that obtained by fitting current density-voltage to the Simmons electron tunneling model suggests that electron tunneling is localized to specific regions across the barrier, where the thickness is reduced by fluctuations due to nonconformal roughness

Rhodamine B triggers ovarian toxicity through oxidative stress, decreases in the number of follicles, 17B-estradiol level, and thickness of endometrium

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Syiska Atik Maryanti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of exposure to rhodamine B on ovarian oxidative stress, ovarian follicles, hormone 17beta-estradiol and thickness of endometrium. Methods: A total of 28 female rats were divided into four groups consisting of control; groups treated with rhodamine B at doses of 4.5; 9, and 18 milligram/200 gram body weight. Rhodamine B was administered orally for 36 days with the probe. Analysis of MDA level was done spectrophotometrically. Analysis of the number of ovarian follicles and thickness of endometrium was done histopathologically by hematoxylin eosin staining. Analysis of 17-estradiol level was done by ELISA. Results: Rhodamine B administered in different doses in female rats can increase ovarian MDA levels significantly than the control (P 0.05. Administration of rhodamine B of the second and third doses in female rats can reduce the number of primary, secondary, and De Graaf follicles significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. Administration of rhodamine B of the second and third doses in female rats can reduce 17-estradiol level significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. The administration of rhodamine B could reduce thickness of endometrium significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. Conclusion: It was concluded that administration of rhodamine B triggered ovarian toxicity through oxidative stress, a decrease in the number of follicles, and decreased level of 17-estradiol which ultimately lowered the thickness of endometrium. [Cukurova Med J 2014; 39(3.000: 451-457

Improvement in the Sensitivity of PbO Doped Tin Oxide Thick Film Gas Sensor by RF and Microwave Oxygen Plasma Treatment

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J. K. SRIVASTAVA

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In the present work efforts have been made to analyze the effect of oxygen plasma and PbO doping on the sensitivity of SnO2-based thick film gas sensor for methanol, propanol and acetone. The effect of substrate temperature on the response of dual frequency (RF and microwave plasma treated thick film sensor array has also been studied. To achieve this, three sensor arrays (each with four tin oxide sensors doped with different (1 %, 2 %, 3 % and 4 % PbO concentrations were fabricated by thick film technology and then treated with oxygen plasma for various durations (5 min, 10 min. and 15 min.. The plasma treated sensors were found to possess appreciably high sensitivity at room temperature in comparison to untreated sensor. The sensitivity showed the increasing trend with plasma exposure time and 15 minutes exposure time was found to be most suitable as the sensitivity of the plasma treated sensors for this duration were high towards all the chosen vapors with maximum (97 % value for propanol. The sensitivity of the sensors were found to be increasing gradually as PbO concentration was varied from 1- 4%.

Determining the thickness of aliphatic alcohol monolayers covalently attached to silicon oxide surfaces using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Austin W. H.; Kim, Dongho; Gates, Byron D.

2018-04-01

The thickness of alcohol based monolayers on silicon oxide surfaces were investigated using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). Advantages of using alcohols as building blocks for the formation of monolayers include their widespread availability, ease of handling, and stability against side reactions. Recent progress in microwave assisted reactions demonstrated the ease of forming uniform monolayers with alcohol based reagents. The studies shown herein provide a detailed investigation of the thickness of monolayers prepared from a series of aliphatic alcohols of different chain lengths. Monolayers of 1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 1-decanol, and 1-dodecanol were each successfully formed through microwave assisted reactions and characterized by ARXPS techniques. The thickness of these monolayers consistently increased by ∼1.0 Å for every additional methylene (CH2) within the hydrocarbon chain of the reagents. Tilt angles of the molecules covalently attached to silicon oxide surfaces were estimated to be ∼35° for each type of reagent. These results were consistent with the observations reported for thiol based or silane based monolayers on either gold or silicon oxide surfaces, respectively. The results of this study also suggest that the alcohol based monolayers are uniform at a molecular level.

Effects of rework on adhesion of Pb-In soldered gold thick films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehman, R.W.; Becka, G.A.; Losure, J.A.

1982-02-01

The feasibility of repeatedly reworking Pb-In soldered joints on gold thick films was evaluated. Nailhead adhesion tests on soldered thick films typically resulted in failure within the bulk solder (50 In-50 Pb). Average strengths increased with each rework, and the failure mode changed. An increase in metalization lift-off occurred with successive reworks. An investigation was initiated to determine why these changes occurred. Based on this work, the thick film adhesion to the substrate appeared to be lowered by indium reduction of cadmium oxide and by formation of a weak, brittle intermetallic compound, Au 9 In 4 . It was concluded that two solder reworks could be conducted without significant amounts of metallization lift-off during nailhead testing

Effect of surface oxidation on thermomechanical behavior of NiTi shape memory alloy wire

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Ching Wei; Mahmud, Abdus Samad

2017-12-01

Nickel titanium (NiTi) alloy is a unique alloy that exhibits special behavior that recovers fully its shape after being deformed to beyond elastic region. However, this alloy is sensitive to any changes of its composition and introduction of inclusion in its matrix. Heat treatment of NiTi shape memory alloy to above 600 °C leads to the formation of the titanium oxide (TiO2) layer. Titanium oxide is a ceramic material that does not exhibit shape memory behaviors and possess different mechanical properties than that of NiTi alloy, thus disturbs the shape memory behavior of the alloy. In this work, the effect of formation of TiO2 surface oxide layer towards the thermal phase transformation and stress-induced deformation behaviors of the NiTi alloy were studied. The NiTi wire with composition of Ti-50.6 at% Ni was subjected to thermal oxidation at 600 °C to 900 °C for 30 and 60 minutes. The formation of the surface oxide layers was characterized by using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The effect of surface oxide layers with different thickness towards the thermal phase transformation behavior was studied by using the Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The effect of surface oxidation towards the stress-induced deformation behavior was studied through the tensile deformation test. The stress-induced deformation behavior and the shape memory recovery of the NiTi wire under tensile deformation were found to be affected marginally by the formation of thick TiO2 layer.

STRUCTURAL, PHOTO-FUNCTIONAL AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROPERTIES OF COPPER OXIDE THIN FILMS PREPARED BY DC REACTIVE METHOD UNDER VARIOUS THICKNESSES Anmar H. Shukur

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Anmar H. Shukur

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Cuprous oxide (Cu2O has been formed on glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering method, whereas pure target of the solid copper was sputtered with a mixture of plasma for argon gas and oxygen gas was used to form these films. Under vacuum chamber pressure of 1.2×10-5 Pa, thin film thickness was changed from 100 nm to 300 nm while other deposition parameters were fixed. The influence of changing the thickness of thin films on the electrical and the optical properties was investigated in this study. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, X-ray Diffractions system XRD, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM, hall effect measurement system, UV–VIS spectrophotometer were employed to determine the characteristic of the deposited thin films. Thin film of 200 nm has observed low resistivity of 60.63 Ω cm and direct band gap of 2.5eV. This study has demonstrated that the thickness has direct influence on electrical and optical properties.

Thickness-self-controlled synthesis of porous transparent polyaniline-reduced graphene oxide composites towards advanced bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu-Sheng; Li, Shin-Ming; Hsiao, Sheng-Tsung; Liao, Wei-Hao; Yang, Shin-Yi; Tien, Hsi-Wen; Ma, Chen-Chi M.; Hu, Chi-Chang

2014-08-01

A powerful synthesis strategy is proposed for fabricating porous polyaniline-reduced graphene oxide (PANI-RGO) composites with transparency up to 80% and thickness from 300 to 1000 nm for the counter electrode (CE) of bifacial dye-sensitizing solar cells (DSSCs). The first step is to combine the in-situ positive charge transformation of graphene oxide (GO) through aniline (ANI) prepolymerization and the electrostatic adsorption of ANI oligomer-GO to effectively control the thickness of ultrathin PANI-GO films by adjusting pH of the polymerization media. In the second step, PANI-GO films are reduced with hydroiodic acid to simultaneously enhance the apparent redox activity for the I3-/I- couple and their electronic conductivity. Incorporating the RGO increases the transparency of PANI and facilitates the light-harvesting from the rear side. A DSSC assembled with such a transparent PANI-RGO CE exhibits an excellent efficiency of 7.84%, comparable to 8.19% for a semi-transparent Pt-based DSSC. The high light-harvesting ability of PANI-RGO enhances the efficiency retention between rear- and front-illumination modes to 76.7%, compared with 69.1% for a PANI-based DSSC. The higher retention reduces the power-to-weight ratio and the total cost of bifacial DSSCs, which is also promising in other applications, such as windows, power generators, and panel screens.

Investigation of the fabrication parameters of thick film metal oxide-polymer pH electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gac, Arnaud

2002-01-01

This thesis describes a study into the development of an optimum material and fabrication process for the production of thick film pH electrodes. These devices consist of low cost, miniature and rugged pH sensors formed by screen printing a metal oxide bearing paste onto a high temperature (∼850 deg C) fired metal back contact supported on a standard alumina substrate. The pH sensitive metal oxide layer must be fabricated at relatively low temperatures (<300 deg C) in order to maintain the pH sensitivity of the layer and hence requires the use of a suitably stable low temperature curing binder. Bespoke fabricated inks are derived from a Taguchi style factorial experimental plans in which, different binder types, curing temperatures, hydration level and percentage mixtures of different metal oxides and layer thicknesses were investigated. The pH responses of 18 printed electrodes per batch were assessed in buffer solutions with respect to a commercial reference electrode forming a complete potentiometric circuit. The evaluation criteria used in the study included the device-to-device variation in sensitivity of the pH sensors and their sensitivity variation as a function of time. The results indicated the importance of the choice of binder type in particular on the performance characteristics. Reproducible device-to-device variation in sensitivity was determined for the best inks found, whatever the ink fabrication batch. A reduction in the sensitivity variation with time has been determined using the mathematical models derived from an experimental plan. The lack of reproducibility of the sensitivity magnitude, regardless of the ink manufacturing batch, seems to be a recurrent problem with prototype inks. Experimental sub-Nernstian responses are discussed in the light of possible pH mechanisms. (author)

Alcohol vapor sensing by cadmium-doped zinc oxide thick films based chemical sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Zargar, R. A.; Arora, M.; Chackrabarti, S.; Ahmad, S.; Kumar, J.; Hafiz, A. K.

2016-04-01

Cadmium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were derived by simple chemical co-precipitation route using zinc acetate dihydrate and cadmium acetate dihydrate as precursor materials. The thick films were casted from chemical co-precipitation route prepared nanoparticles by economic facile screen printing method. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of the film were characterized relevant to alcohol vapor sensing application by powder XRD, SEM, UV-VIS and DC conductivity techniques. The response and sensitivity of alcohol (ethanol) vapor sensor are obtained from the recovery curves at optimum working temperature range from 20∘C to 50∘C. The result shows that maximum sensitivity of the sensor is observed at 25∘C operating temperature. On varying alcohol vapor concentration, minor variation in resistance has been observed. The sensing mechanism of sensor has been described in terms of physical adsorption and chemical absorption of alcohol vapors on cadmium-doped zinc oxide film surface and inside film lattice network through weak hydrogen bonding, respectively.

Influence of Thickness on Ethanol Sensing Characteristics of Doctor-bladed Thick Film from Flame-made ZnO Nanoparticles

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Sukon Phanichphant

2007-02-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanoparticles were produced by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP using zincnaphthenate as a precursor dissolved in toluene/acetonitrile (80/20 vol%. The particleproperties were analyzed by XRD, BET, and HR-TEM. The sensing films were produced bymixing the particles into an organic paste composed of terpineol and ethyl cellulose as avehicle binder and were fabricated by doctor-blade technique with various thicknesses (5,10, 15 μm. The morphology of the sensing films was analyzed by SEM and EDS analyses.The gas sensing characteristics to ethanol (25-250 ppm were evaluated as a function of filmthickness at 400°C in dry air. The relationship between thickness and ethanol sensingcharacteristics of ZnO thick film on Al2O3 substrate interdigitated with Au electrodes wereinvestigated. The effects of film thickness, as well as the cracking phenomenon, though,many cracks were observed for thicker sensing films. Crack widths increased withincreasing film thickness. The film thickness, cracking and ethanol concentration havesignificant effect on the sensing characteristics. The sensing characteristics with variousthicknesses were compared, showing the tendency of the sensitivity to ethanol decreasedwith increasing film thickness and response time. The relationship between gas sensingproperties and film thickness was discussed on the basis of diffusively and reactivity of thegases inside the oxide films. The thinnest sensing film (5 μm showed the highest sensitivityand the fastest response time (within seconds.

Film thickness and chemical processing effects on the stability of cadmium telluride solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albin, D.S.; Demtsu, S.H.; McMahon, T.J.

2006-01-01

The performance and stability of CdS/CdTe solar cells as a function of layer thickness, back contact etch, and oxygen during the CdCl 2 anneal was determined. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the statistical significance of various first order effects and interactions. With stress, all devices showed a reduction in open-circuit voltage (V oc ) and fill factor (FF) characteristic of increased recombination. Devices using thinner CdS were vulnerable to shunt formation. Oxygen during the CdCl 2 anneal minimizes this effect. A thermodynamic model involving the formation of Cu-oxide is presented to explain the latter

Effects of creep and oxidation on reduced modulus in high-temperature nanoindentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yan; Fang, Xufei; Lu, Siyuan; Yu, Qingmin; Hou, Guohui; Feng, Xue

2016-01-01

Nanoindentation tests were performed on single crystal Ni-based superalloy at temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 800 °C in inert environment. Load-displacement curves at temperatures higher than 500 °C exhibit obvious creep inferred by increasing displacements at load-holding segments. Load-displacement curves obtained at 800 °C also display negative unloading stiffness. Examination of the microstructure beneath the indented area using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) reveals abundant dislocation piling up as well as oxide formation on the substrate. A method considering the creep effect is proposed to calculate the reduced modulus. In addition, a dimensionless ratio relating indentation depth and oxide film thickness is introduced to explain the oxidation effect on the mechanical properties derived from the load-displacement curves.

Effect of LiOH, NaOH and KOH on corrosion and oxide microstructure of Zr-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Y.H.; Kim, H.G.; Jung, Y.H.; Ruhmann, H.

1999-01-01

Long-term corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM microstructural study were carried out to investigate the corrosion characteristics and mechanism of Zr alloys in alkali hydroxides. The corrosion tests were performed in solutions of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, and CsOH at 350 deg. C for 500 days. SIMS analysis was performed for the specimens prepared to have an equal oxide thickness. TEM studies on the specimens with an equal oxide thickness in various solutions in both pre- and post-transition regimes were also conducted. The corrosion rate in alkali hydroxide solutions was observed to decrease as the ionic radius of alkali cation was increased. The penetration depth of cation into the oxide decreases with increasing the ionic radius of cation. Even though the oxide thickness was equal, the different oxide morphologies were observed in specimens. Namely, in LiOH solution the oxide morphology was transformed early from columnar to equiaxed structure. However, in KOH solution the columnar structure was maintained up to post-transition regime. Based on the corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and microstructural study, the cation is considered to control the corrosion in a alkali hydroxide solution and its effect is dependent on the concentration of alkali and the oxide thickness. The slight acceleration of the corrosion rate at a low concentration is thought to be caused by cation incorporation into oxide while the significant acceleration at a high concentration is due to the transformation of oxide microstructure that would be induced by cation incorporation. KOH was shown not to affect significantly the corrosion and the hydrogen pickup of Zircaloy. Therefore, it has a potential for PWR application only from the point of view of Zircaloy corrosion. (author)

Total-ionizing-dose effects on isolation oxides in modern CMOS technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnaby, Hugh J.; Mclain, Michael; Esqueda, Ivan Sanchez

2007-01-01

This paper presents experimental data on the total dose response of deep sub-micron bulk CMOS devices and integrated circuits. Ionizing radiation experiments on shallow trench isolation (STI) field oxide MOS capacitors (FOXCAP) indicate a characteristic build-up of radiation-induced defects in the dielectric. In this paper, capacitors fabricated with STI, thermal, SIMOX and bipolar base oxides of similar thickness are compared and show the STI oxide to be most susceptible to radiation effects. Experimental data on irradiated shift registers and n-channel MOSFETs are also presented. These data indicate that radiation damage to the STI can increase the off-state current of n-channel devices and the standby current of CMOS integrated circuits

Role of the SiO2 buffer layer thickness in the formation of Si/SiO2/nc-Ge/SiO2 structures by dry oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kling, A.; Ortiz, M.I.; Prieto, A.C.; Rodriguez, A.; Rodriguez, T.; Jimenez, J.; Ballesteros, C.; Soares, J.C.

2006-01-01

Nanomemories, containing Ge-nanoparticles in a SiO 2 matrix, can be produced by dry thermal oxidation of a SiGe layer deposited onto a Si-wafer with a barrier SiO 2 layer on its top. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry has been used to characterize the kinetics of the oxidation process, the composition profile of the growing oxide, the Ge-segregation and its diffusion into the barrier oxide in samples with thin and thick barrier oxide layers. The Ge segregated during the oxidation of the SiGe layer diffuses into the barrier oxide. In the first case the diffusion through the thin oxide is enhanced by the proximity of the substrate that acts as a sink for the Ge, resulting in the formation of a low Ge concentration SiGe layer in the surface of the Si-wafer. In the second case, the Ge-diffusion progresses as slowly as in bulk SiO 2 . Since barrier oxide layers as thin as possible are favoured for device fabrication, the structures should be oxidized at lower temperatures and the initial SiGe layer thickness reduced to minimize the Ge-diffusion

A thermally robust and thickness independent ferroelectric phase in laminated hafnium zirconium oxide

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S. Riedel

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Ferroelectric properties in hafnium oxide based thin films have recovered the scaling potential for ferroelectric memories due to their ultra-thin-film- and CMOS-compatibility. However, the variety of physical phenomena connected to ferroelectricity allows a wider range of applications for these materials than ferroelectric memory. Especially mixed HfxZr1-xO2 thin films exhibit a broad compositional range of ferroelectric phase stability and provide the possibility to tailor material properties for multiple applications. Here it is shown that the limited thermal stability and thick-film capability of HfxZr1-xO2 can be overcome by a laminated approach using alumina interlayers.

Organic photovoltaic effects depending on CuPc layer thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Sung Woo; Kim, Tae Wan; Chung, Dong Hoe; Oh, Hyun Seok; Kim, Chung Hyeok; Lee, Joon Ung; Park, Jong Wook

2004-01-01

Organic photovoltaic effects were studied in device structures of ITO/CuPc/Al and ITO/CuPc/C 60 /BCP/Al by varying the CuPc layer thickness. Since the exciton diffusion length is relatively short in organic semiconductors, a study on the thickness-dependent photovoltaic effects is important. The thickness of the CuPc layer was varied from 10 nm to 50 nm. We found that the optimum CuPc layer thickness was around 40 nm from the analysis of the current density-voltage characteristics in an ITO/CuPc/Al photovoltaic cell. The efficiency of the device shows that the multi-layered heterojunction structure is more appropriate for photovoltaic cells.

Effects of self-absorption on simultaneous estimation of temperature distribution and concentration fields of soot and metal-oxide nanoparticles in nanofluid fuel flames using a spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guannan; Liu, Dong

2018-06-01

An improved inverse reconstruction model with consideration of self-absorption effect for the temperature distribution and concentration fields of soot and metal-oxide nanoparticles in nanofluid fuel flames was proposed based on the flame emission spectrometry. The effects of self-absorption on the temperature profile and concentration fields were investigated for various measurement errors, flame optical thicknesses and detecting lines numbers. The model neglecting the self-absorption caused serious reconstruction errors especially in the nanofluid fuel flames with large optical thicknesses, while the improved model was used to successfully recover the temperature distribution and concentration fields of soot and metal-oxide nanoparticles for the flames regardless of the optical thickness. Through increasing detecting lines number, the reconstruction accuracy can be greatly improved due to more flame emission information received by the spectrometer. With the adequate detecting lines number, the estimations for the temperature distribution and concentration fields of soot and metal-oxide nanoparticles in flames with large optical thicknesses were still satisfying even from the noisy radiation intensities with signal to noise ratio (SNR) as low as 46 dB. The results showed that the improved reconstruction model was effective and robust to concurrently retrieve the temperature distribution and volume fraction fields of soot and metal-oxide nanoparticles for the exact and noisy data in nanofluid fuel sooting flames with different optical thicknesses.

Effect of thickness on structural and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcés, F.A., E-mail: felipe.garces@santafe-conicet.gov.ar [Instituto de Física del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Güemes 3450, Santa Fe S3000GLN (Argentina); Budini, N. [Instituto de Física del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Güemes 3450, Santa Fe S3000GLN (Argentina); Arce, R.D.; Schmidt, J.A. [Instituto de Física del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Güemes 3450, Santa Fe S3000GLN (Argentina); Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2829, Santa Fe S3000AOM (Argentina)

2015-01-01

In this work, we have investigated the influence of thickness on structural and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO films. Transparent conducting oxide films were grown by the spray pyrolysis technique from precursors prepared via the sol–gel method. We determined the structural properties of the films by performing X-ray diffraction and mosaicity measurements, which evidenced an increase of disorder and inhomogeneity between crystalline domains as the films thickened. This behavior was contrasted with results obtained from electrical measurements and was attributed to plastic deformation of the films as their thickness increased. As a result, the carrier mobility, the optical gap and the activation energy are affected due to emerging grain boundaries and a higher degree of disorder. - Highlights: • Al-doped ZnO thin films on glass with different thicknesses • Film thickness affects the morphological and electrical properties. • Increasing time deposition allows modification of resistivity and Hall mobility. • Mosaicity between crystalline domains increases with film thickness.

Effect of thickness on structural and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcés, F.A.; Budini, N.; Arce, R.D.; Schmidt, J.A.

2015-01-01

In this work, we have investigated the influence of thickness on structural and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO films. Transparent conducting oxide films were grown by the spray pyrolysis technique from precursors prepared via the sol–gel method. We determined the structural properties of the films by performing X-ray diffraction and mosaicity measurements, which evidenced an increase of disorder and inhomogeneity between crystalline domains as the films thickened. This behavior was contrasted with results obtained from electrical measurements and was attributed to plastic deformation of the films as their thickness increased. As a result, the carrier mobility, the optical gap and the activation energy are affected due to emerging grain boundaries and a higher degree of disorder. - Highlights: • Al-doped ZnO thin films on glass with different thicknesses • Film thickness affects the morphological and electrical properties. • Increasing time deposition allows modification of resistivity and Hall mobility. • Mosaicity between crystalline domains increases with film thickness

CoFe Layers Thickness and Annealing Effect on the Magnetic Behavior of the CoFe/Cu Multilayer Nanowires

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M. Ahmadzadeh

2015-04-01

Full Text Available CoFe/Cu multilayer nanowires were electrodeposited into anodic aluminum oxide templates prepared by a two-step mild anodization method, using the single-bath technique. Nanowires with 30 nm diameter and the definite lengths were obtained. The effect of CoFe layers thickness and annealing on the magnetic behavior of the multilayer nanowires was investigated. The layers thickness was controlled through the pulses numbers: 200, 260, 310,360 and 410 pulses were used to deposit the CoFe layers, while 300 pulse for the Cu layers. A certain increase in coercivity and squareness of CoFe/Cu multilayer nanowires observed with increasing the CoFe layer thickness and annealing improved the coercivity and decrease squareness of CoFe/Cu multilayer nanowires. First order reversal curves after annealed showed amount domains with soft magnetic phase, it also shows decreasing spreading of distribution function along the Hu axis after annealed

Effects of thickness and surface roughness on mechanical properties of aluminum sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Chang Hee; Jung, Yun Chul; Kim, Young Suk

2010-01-01

The effect of thickness on the mechanical properties of Al 6K21-T4 sheet specimens under uniaxial tension was investigated. In order to reduce the thickness of the specimens without changing the microstructure and grain size, chemical etching was carried out, resulting in Al sheets ranging from 0.40 mm to 1.58 mm in thickness. Additionally, the effect of surface roughness was determined by finite element (FE) calculations performed using FE code MARC 2007. Tensile specimens of varying surface roughness were modeled and simulated. An analysis of the combined effects of the thickness and surface roughness revealed that the yield and tensile strengths decreased when the number of grains over the thickness was decreased. The ductility also decreased when reducing the thickness. An FE simulation showed that both the surface roughness and thickness affected the flow-curve shape. Moreover, the effect of the surface roughness tended to increase when decreasing the sheet thickness of specimens having the same roughness

n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based nitride–oxide heterostructure with various thickness of VO{sub 2} layer grown by MBE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Minhuan [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Bian, Jiming, E-mail: jmbian@dlut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China (China); Sun, Hongjun; Liu, Weifeng [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhang, Yuzhi [Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China (China); Luo, Yingmin [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

2016-12-15

Graphical abstract: The significant influences of VO{sub 2} layer thickness on the structural, electrical and contact properties of the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based nitride-oxide heterostructure were investigated systemically. - Highlights: • High quality VO{sub 2} films with precisely controlled thickness were grown on p-GaN/sapphire substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy (O-MBE). • A distinct reversible SMT phase transition was observed for the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based nitride-oxide heterostructure. • The clear rectifying transport characteristics originated from the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN interface were demonstrated before and after SMT of the VO{sub 2} over layer. • The XPS analyses confirmed the valence state of V in VO{sub 2} films was principally composed of V{sup 4+} with trace amount of V{sup 5+}. • The design and modulation of the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based heterostructure devices will benefit significantly from these achievements. - Abstract: High quality VO{sub 2} films with precisely controlled thickness were grown on p-GaN/sapphire substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy (O-MBE). Results indicated that a distinct reversible semiconductor-to-metal (SMT) phase transition was observed for all the samples in the temperature dependent electrical resistance measurement, and the influence of VO{sub 2} layer thickness on the SMT properties of the as-grown n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based nitride-oxide heterostructure was investigated. Meanwhile, the clear rectifying transport characteristics originated from the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN interface were demonstrated before and after SMT of the VO{sub 2} over layer, which were attributed to the p-n junction behavior and Schottky contact character, respectively. Moreover, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirmed the valence state of vanadium (V) in VO{sub 2} films was principally composed of V{sup 4+} with trace amount of V{sup 5+}. The design and modulation of the n-VO{sub 2}/p-GaN based heterostructure

The Effect of Eggshell Thickness on Hatching Traits of Partridges

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US Yamak

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Incubation is an important factor in poultry production, particularly in species with relatively low fertility and hatchability rates. This study examined the effect of eggshell thickness on hatching traits of partridges (A. chukar. A total of 462 eggs from intensively reared partridges were separated into three groups according to eggshell thickness, which was measured ultrasonically before incubation. Hatchability, chick weight, and chick length were assessed at the end of the incubation period. Hatching times were recorded during hatching. Embryonic mortalities in unhatched eggs were classified according to mortality stage at the end of incubation. The effect of eggshell thickness on hatchability was found to be insignificant for all groups. Moreover, eggshell thickness had no significant effect on chick weight or length.

Effect of dew point on the formation of surface oxides of twinning-induced plasticity steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yunkyum; Lee, Joonho; Shin, Kwang-Soo; Jeon, Sun-Ho; Chin, Kwang-Geun

2014-01-01

The surface oxides of twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel annealed at 800 °C for 43 s were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. During the annealing process, the oxygen potential was controlled by adjusting the dew point in a 15%H 2 –N 2 gas atmosphere. It was found that the type of surface oxides formed and the thickness of the oxide layer were determined by the dew point. In a gas mixture with a dew point of − 20 °C, a MnO layer with a thickness of ∼ 100 nm was formed uniformly on the steel surface. Under the MnO layer, a MnAl 2 O 4 layer with a thickness of ∼ 15 nm was formed with small Mn 2 SiO 4 particles that measured ∼ 70 nm in diameter. Approximately 500 nm below the MnAl 2 O 4 layer, Al 2 O 3 was formed at the grain boundaries. On the other hand, in a gas mixture with a dew point of − 40 °C, a MnAl 2 O 4 layer with a thickness of ∼ 5 nm was formed on most parts of the surface. On some parts of the surface, Mn 2 SiO 4 particles were formed irregularly up to a thickness of ∼ 50 nm. Approximately 200 nm below the MnAl 2 O 4 layer, Al 2 O 3 was found at the grain boundaries. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to explain the experimental results. The calculations showed that when a O2 > ∼ 1.26 × 10 −28 , MnO, MnAl 2 O 4 , and Mn 2 SiO 4 can be formed together, and the major oxide is MnO. When a O2 is in the range of 1.26 × 10 −28 –2.51 × 10 −31 , MnO is not stable but MnAl 2 O 4 is the major oxide. When a O2 < ∼ 2.51 × 10 −31 , only Al 2 O 3 is stable. Consequently, the effective activity of oxygen is considered the dominant factor in determining the type and shape of surface oxides of TWIP steel. - Highlights: • The surface oxides of TWIP steel annealed at 800 °C were investigated using TEM. • The surface oxides were determined by the dew point during the annealing process. • The activity of oxygen is the major factor determining the oxides of TWIP steel

Effect of the polymeric coating thickness on the photocurrent performance of titanium dioxide nanorod arrays-polyaniline composite-based UV photosensor

Science.gov (United States)

Yusoff, M. M.; Mamat, M. H.; Malek, M. F.; Othman, , N.; Ismail, A. S.; Saidi, S. A.; Mohamed, R.; Suriani, A. B.; Khusaimi, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanorod arrays (TNAs) were synthesized and deposited on fluorine tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrate using a one-step immersion method in a glass container. The effect of the polymeric coating thickness of p-type polyaniline (PANI) on the n-type TNAs was investigated in the p-n heterojunction photodiode (PD) for the application of ultraviolet (UV) photosensor. The fabricated photosensor demonstrated an increased photocurrent under UV irradiation in correlation with the thickness layer of PANI. The measured UV response showed the highest photocurrent of 0.014 µA at 1.0 V of reverse bias with low dark current under the UV radiation (365 nm, 750 µW/cm2). The thickness of the PANI film improved the photocurrent of the fabricated TNAs/PANI composite-based UV photosensor.

Substrate effects on terahertz metamaterial resonances for various metal thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S. J.; Ahn, Y. H.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate dielectric substrate effects on the resonance shift of terahertz metamaterials with various metal thicknesses by using finite-difference time-domain simulations. We found a small red shift in the metamaterial resonance with increasing metal thickness for the free-standing case. Conversely, when the metamaterial pattern was supported by a substrate with a high dielectric constant, the resonant frequency exhibited a large blue shift because the relative contribution of the substrate's refractive index to the resonant frequency decreased drastically as we increased the metal thickness. We determined the substrate's refractive index, 1.26, at which the metamaterial resonance was independent of the metal thickness. We extracted the effective refractive index as a function of the substrate's refractive index explicitly, which was noticeably different for different film thicknesses.

Effect of biomolecules adsorption on oxide layers developed on metallic materials used in cooling water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres-Bautista, Blanca-Estela

2014-01-01

This thesis was carried out in the frame of the BIOCOR ITN European project, in collaboration with the industrial partner RSE S.p.A. (Italy). Metallic materials commonly used in cooling systems of power plants may be affected by bio-corrosion induced by biofilm formation. The objective of this work was to study the influence of biomolecules adsorption, which is the initial stage of biofilm formation, on the electrochemical behaviour and the surface chemical composition of three metallic materials (70Cu-30Ni alloy, 304L stainless steel and titanium) in seawater environments. In a first step, the interactions between a model protein, the bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the surface of these materials were investigated. Secondly, tightly bound (TB) and loosely bound (LB) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), that play a fundamental role in the different stages of biofilm formation, maturation and maintenance, were extracted from Pseudomonas NCIMB 2021 marine strain, and their effects on oxide layers were also evaluated. For that purpose, electrochemical measurements (corrosion potential E(corr) vs time, polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)) performed during the very first steps of oxide layers formation (1 h immersion time) were combined to surface analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ions mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Compared to 70Cu-30Ni alloy in static artificial seawater (ASW) without biomolecules, for which a thick duplex oxide layer (outer redeposited Cu 2 O layer and inner oxidized nickel layer) is shown, the presence of BSA, TB EPS and LB EPS leads to a mixed oxide layer (oxidized copper and nickel) with a lower thickness. In the biomolecules-containing solutions, this oxide layer is covered by an adsorbed organic layer, mainly composed of proteins. A model is proposed to analyse impedance data obtained at E(corr). The results show a slow-down of the anodic reaction in the presence

Prediction model for oxide thickness on aluminum alloy cladding during irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeon Soo; Hofman, G.L.; Hanan, N.A.; Snelgrove, J.L.

2003-01-01

An empirical model predicting the oxide film thickness on aluminum alloy cladding during irradiation has been developed as a function of irradiation time, temperature, heat flux, pH, and coolant flow rate. The existing models in the literature are neither consistent among themselves nor fit the measured data very well. They also lack versatility for various reactor situations such as a pH other than 5, high coolant flow rates, and fuel life longer than ∼1200 hrs. Particularly, they were not intended for use in irradiation situations. The newly developed model is applicable to these in-reactor situations as well as ex-reactor tests, and has a more accurate prediction capability. The new model demonstrated with consistent predictions to the measured data of UMUS and SIMONE fuel tests performed in the HFR, Petten, tests results from the ORR, and IRIS tests from the OSIRIS and to the data from the out-of-pile tests available in the literature as well. (author)

Excimer laser sintering of indium tin oxide nanoparticles for fabricating thin films of variable thickness on flexible substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Taesoon; Kim, Dongsik

2015-01-01

Technology to fabricate electrically-conducting, transparent thin-film patterns on flexible substrates has possible applications in flexible electronics. In this work, a pulsed-laser sintering process applicable to indium tin oxide (ITO) thin-film fabrication on a substrate without thermal damage to the substrate was developed. A nanosecond pulsed laser was used to minimize thermal penetration into the substrate and to control the thickness of the sintered layer. ITO nanoparticles (NPs) of ~ 20 nm diameter were used to lower the process temperature by exploiting their low melting point. ITO thin film patterns were fabricated by first spin coating the NPs onto a surface, then sintering them using a KrF excimer laser. The sintered films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical resistivity and transparency of the film were measured by varying the process parameters. A single laser pulse could generate the polycrystalline structure (average grain size ~ 200 nm), reducing the electrical resistivity of the film by a factor of ~ 1000. The sintering process led to a minimum resistivity of 1.1 × 10 −4 Ω·m without losing the transparency of the film. The thickness of the sintered layer could be varied up to 150 nm by adjusting the laser fluence. Because the estimated thermal penetration depth in the ITO film was less than 200 nm, no thermal damage was observed in the substrate. This work suggests that the proposed process, combined with various particle deposition methods, can be an effective tool to form thin-film ITO patterns on flexible substrates. - Highlights: • Excimer laser sintering can fabricate ITO thin films on flexible substrates. • The laser pulse can form a polycrystalline structure without thermal damage. • The laser sintering process can reduce the electrical resistivity substantially. • The thickness of the sintered layer can be varied effectively

Excimer laser sintering of indium tin oxide nanoparticles for fabricating thin films of variable thickness on flexible substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Taesoon; Kim, Dongsik, E-mail: dskim87@postech.ac.kr

2015-03-02

Technology to fabricate electrically-conducting, transparent thin-film patterns on flexible substrates has possible applications in flexible electronics. In this work, a pulsed-laser sintering process applicable to indium tin oxide (ITO) thin-film fabrication on a substrate without thermal damage to the substrate was developed. A nanosecond pulsed laser was used to minimize thermal penetration into the substrate and to control the thickness of the sintered layer. ITO nanoparticles (NPs) of ~ 20 nm diameter were used to lower the process temperature by exploiting their low melting point. ITO thin film patterns were fabricated by first spin coating the NPs onto a surface, then sintering them using a KrF excimer laser. The sintered films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical resistivity and transparency of the film were measured by varying the process parameters. A single laser pulse could generate the polycrystalline structure (average grain size ~ 200 nm), reducing the electrical resistivity of the film by a factor of ~ 1000. The sintering process led to a minimum resistivity of 1.1 × 10{sup −4} Ω·m without losing the transparency of the film. The thickness of the sintered layer could be varied up to 150 nm by adjusting the laser fluence. Because the estimated thermal penetration depth in the ITO film was less than 200 nm, no thermal damage was observed in the substrate. This work suggests that the proposed process, combined with various particle deposition methods, can be an effective tool to form thin-film ITO patterns on flexible substrates. - Highlights: • Excimer laser sintering can fabricate ITO thin films on flexible substrates. • The laser pulse can form a polycrystalline structure without thermal damage. • The laser sintering process can reduce the electrical resistivity substantially. • The thickness of the sintered layer can be varied effectively.

Ultrathin Oxide Passivation Layer by Rapid Thermal Oxidation for the Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngseok Lee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available It is difficult to deposit extremely thin a-Si:H layer in heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT solar cell due to thermal damage and tough process control. This study aims to understand oxide passivation mechanism of silicon surface using rapid thermal oxidation (RTO process by examining surface effective lifetime and surface recombination velocity. The presence of thin insulating a-Si:H layer is the key to get high Voc by lowering the leakage current (I0 which improves the efficiency of HIT solar cell. The ultrathin thermal passivation silicon oxide (SiO2 layer was deposited by RTO system in the temperature range 500–950°C for 2 to 6 minutes. The thickness of the silicon oxide layer was affected by RTO annealing temperature and treatment time. The best value of surface recombination velocity was recorded for the sample treated at a temperature of 850°C for 6 minutes at O2 flow rate of 3 Lpm. A surface recombination velocity below 25 cm/s was obtained for the silicon oxide layer of 4 nm thickness. This ultrathin SiO2 layer was employed for the fabrication of HIT solar cell structure instead of a-Si:H, (i layer and the passivation and tunneling effects of the silicon oxide layer were exploited. The photocurrent was decreased with the increase of illumination intensity and SiO2 thickness.

Effect of ultrathin GeOx interfacial layer formed by thermal oxidation on Al2O3 capped Ge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Le; Zhang Xiong; Wang Sheng-Kai; Xue Bai-Qing; Liu Hong-Gang; Wu Wang-Ran; Zhao Yi

2014-01-01

We propose a modified thermal oxidation method in which an Al 2 O 3 capping layer is used as an oxygen blocking layer (OBL) to form an ultrathin GeO x interfacial layer, and obtain a superior Al 2 O 3 /GeO x /Ge gate stack. The GeO x interfacial layer is formed in oxidation reaction by oxygen passing through the Al 2 O 3 OBL, in which the Al 2 O 3 layer could restrain the oxygen diffusion and suppress the GeO desorption during thermal treatment. The thickness of the GeO x interfacial layer would dramatically decrease as the thickness of Al 2 O 3 OBL increases, which is beneficial to achieving an ultrathin GeO x interfacial layer to satisfy the demand for small equivalent oxide thickness (EOT). In addition, the thickness of the GeO x interfacial layer has little influence on the passivation effect of the Al 2 O 3 /Ge interface. Ge (100) p-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFETs) using the Al 2 O 3 /GeO x /Ge gate stacks exhibit excellent electrical characteristics; that is, a drain current on-off (I on /I off ) ratio of above 1×10 4 , a subthreshold slope of ∼ 120 mV/dec, and a peak hole mobility of 265 cm 2 /V·s are achieved. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Gamma-ray irradiation and post-irradiation at room and elevated temperature response of pMOS dosimeters with thick gate oxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pejović Momčilo M.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Gamma-ray irradiation and post-irradiation response at room and elevated temperature have been studied for radiation sensitive pMOS transistors with gate oxide thickness of 100 and 400 nm, respectively. Their response was followed based on the changes in the threshold voltage shift which was estimated on the basis of transfer characteristics in saturation. The presence of radiation-induced fixed oxide traps and switching traps - which lead to a change in the threshold voltage - was estimated from the sub-threshold I-V curves, using the midgap technique. It was shown that fixed oxide traps have a dominant influence on the change in the threshold voltage shift during gamma-ray irradiation and annealing.

The effect of unilateral partial edentulism to muscle thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koca-Ceylan, Golzem; Guler, Ahmet U.; Taskay-Yelmir, Nergiz; Lutfi, Incesu; Aksoz, Tolga

2003-01-01

Teeth and muscle play a very important role for occlusal equilibrium and function.when tooth loss begins ,it may also effect the function of muscle tissues. The thickness of masseter and anterior temporalis muscles were measured bilaterally in 30 healthy fully dentate adults and in 30 unilateral edentulous patients by using ultrasonographic imaging. All scans were carried out by the same radiologist to eliminate the inter-observer difference, using a real time scanner (Toshiba SSA -270A,Japan). A 7.5 MHz linear transducer was used. The effect of age, sex, duration of partial edentulism, unilateral chewing habits of the individuals to the muscle thickness were also evaluated. In all subjects,facial proportion index was also determined. Main purpose of this study was to compare and establish the differences of muscle thickness between dentate and edentulous side in unilateral partial edentulous patients with ultrasonography and to test whether the variation in the thickness of the muscle is related to the variation in the facial and morphology. Ultrasonography revealed a large variation in the thickness of the masseter and temporolis muscles in experimental and controlled groups ,both relaxed and contracted conditions.The thickness of muscles in females was less in both conditions.In experimental group, a high negative correlation was found between the thickness of the masseter muscle and Facial Proportion Index ( FPI) in the females ,however, the statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the males. Also a high negative correlation was found in female control group. There was no statistically significant relationship between unilateral chewing habits and muscle thickness .In this study the duration of partial edentulism did not affect the thickness of the muscle.Further research is required to study muscular atrophy for comparison with total edentulism. (author)

Effect of oxidation and annealing temperature on optical and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Tin oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrate with 100 nm thickness of Sn, which was coated by magnetron sputtering followed by thermal oxidation at different temperatures. ... Annealing of the samples at 500–650 °C caused the transmittance and optical ..... (αhν)1/2 and (αhν)1/3 to determine the Eg. (b) They used.

Thickness-dependence of optical constants for Ta2O5 ultrathin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dong-Xu; Zheng, Yu-Xiang; Cai, Qing-Yuan; Lin, Wei; Wu, Kang-Ning; Mao, Peng-Hui; Zhang, Rong-Jun; Zhao, Hai-bin; Chen, Liang-Yao

2012-01-01

An effective method for determining the optical constants of Ta 2 O 5 thin films deposited on crystal silicon (c-Si) using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurement with a two-film model (ambient-oxide-interlayer-substrate) was presented. Ta 2 O 5 thin films with thickness range of 1-400 nm have been prepared by the electron beam evaporation (EBE) method. We find that the refractive indices of Ta 2 O 5 ultrathin films less than 40 nm drop with the decreasing thickness, while the other ones are close to those of bulk Ta 2 O 5 . This phenomenon was due to the existence of an interfacial oxide region and the surface roughness of the film, which was confirmed by the measurement of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties of ultrathin film varying with the thickness are useful for the design and manufacture of nano-scaled thin-film devices. (orig.)

Thickness-dependence of optical constants for Ta2O5 ultrathin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong-Xu; Zheng, Yu-Xiang; Cai, Qing-Yuan; Lin, Wei; Wu, Kang-Ning; Mao, Peng-Hui; Zhang, Rong-Jun; Zhao, Hai-bin; Chen, Liang-Yao

2012-09-01

An effective method for determining the optical constants of Ta2O5 thin films deposited on crystal silicon (c-Si) using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurement with a two-film model (ambient-oxide-interlayer-substrate) was presented. Ta2O5 thin films with thickness range of 1-400 nm have been prepared by the electron beam evaporation (EBE) method. We find that the refractive indices of Ta2O5 ultrathin films less than 40 nm drop with the decreasing thickness, while the other ones are close to those of bulk Ta2O5. This phenomenon was due to the existence of an interfacial oxide region and the surface roughness of the film, which was confirmed by the measurement of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical properties of ultrathin film varying with the thickness are useful for the design and manufacture of nano-scaled thin-film devices.

Thickness dependence of effective critical exponents in three-dimensional Ising plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, M.I.; Gonzalo, J.A.

2000-01-01

Phase transitions in ising plates of equal area and different thickness have been studied by the Monte Carlo approach. The evolution of the critical temperature and of the effective critical exponents with the thickness of the lattice has been numerically determined. The thickness dependence of the maximum value of the effective critical exponents is well described by an exponential decay towards the respective three-dimensional value. (author)

Zirconium titanate thin film prepared by surface sol-gel process and effects of thickness on dielectric property

CERN Document Server

Kim, C H

2002-01-01

Single phase of multicomponent oxide ZrTiO sub 4 film could be prepared through surface sol-gel route simply by coating the mixture of 100mM zirconium butoxide and titanium butoxide on Pt/Ti/SiO sub 2 /Si(100) substrate, following pyrolysis at 450 .deg. C, and annealing it at 770 .deg. C. The dielectric constant of the film was reduced as the film thickness decreased due to of the interfacial effects caused by layer/electrode and a few voids inside the multilayer. However, the dielectric property was independent of applied dc bias sweeps voltage (-2 to +2 V). The dielectric constant of bulk film, 31.9, estimated using series-connected capacitor model was independent of film thickness and frequency in the measurement range, but theoretical interfacial thickness, t sub i , was dependent on the frequency. It reached a saturated t sub i value, 6.9 A, at high frequency by extraction of some capacitance component formed at low frequency range. The dielectric constant of bulk ZrTiO sub 4 pellet-shaped material was 3...

Changes in Nitric Oxide Level and Thickness Index of Synovial Fluid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

patients after intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate, while the effect is insignificant in severe patients. Thus, sodium hyaluronate can effectively improve nitric oxide levels in synovial fluid, reduce ..... Modern Med Health, 2014; 1:.

The effect of steam oxidation on the strain of fuel sheathing at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, C.E.L.; Foote, D.E.; Grant, D.

1976-08-01

The current work extends previous data to include the effects of a steam atmosphere on the strain behaviour of fuel sheathing. At a heating rate of 25 deg C s -1 steam had little effect on the results at hoop stresses of 12 MPa because the time available for oxidation was too short. At 6 MPa hoop stress there was a marked difference between steam and vacuum results. The evidence suggests that, provided no cracks develop, the growing oxide and/or the oxygen stabilized α-phase zirconium layers rapidly take up the load as their combined thickness increases from 6 to about 30 μm. (author)

Effect of dew point on the formation of surface oxides of twinning-induced plasticity steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yunkyum [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136–713 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Joonho, E-mail: joonholee@korea.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Anam-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136–713 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Kwang-Soo [Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Pohang 790–600 (Korea, Republic of); Jeon, Sun-Ho; Chin, Kwang-Geun [POSCO Technical Research Laboratories, Gwangyang 545–090 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-03-01

The surface oxides of twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel annealed at 800 °C for 43 s were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. During the annealing process, the oxygen potential was controlled by adjusting the dew point in a 15%H{sub 2}–N{sub 2} gas atmosphere. It was found that the type of surface oxides formed and the thickness of the oxide layer were determined by the dew point. In a gas mixture with a dew point of − 20 °C, a MnO layer with a thickness of ∼ 100 nm was formed uniformly on the steel surface. Under the MnO layer, a MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} layer with a thickness of ∼ 15 nm was formed with small Mn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} particles that measured ∼ 70 nm in diameter. Approximately 500 nm below the MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} layer, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was formed at the grain boundaries. On the other hand, in a gas mixture with a dew point of − 40 °C, a MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} layer with a thickness of ∼ 5 nm was formed on most parts of the surface. On some parts of the surface, Mn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} particles were formed irregularly up to a thickness of ∼ 50 nm. Approximately 200 nm below the MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} layer, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was found at the grain boundaries. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to explain the experimental results. The calculations showed that when a{sub O2} > ∼ 1.26 × 10{sup −28}, MnO, MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}, and Mn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} can be formed together, and the major oxide is MnO. When a{sub O2} is in the range of 1.26 × 10{sup −28}–2.51 × 10{sup −31}, MnO is not stable but MnAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} is the major oxide. When a{sub O2} < ∼ 2.51 × 10{sup −31}, only Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is stable. Consequently, the effective activity of oxygen is considered the dominant factor in determining the type and shape of surface oxides of TWIP steel. - Highlights: • The surface oxides of TWIP steel annealed at 800 °C were investigated using TEM. • The surface oxides were determined by the dew point

Effects of reactive element additions and sulfur removal on the oxidation behavior of FECRAL alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stasik, M.C.; Pettit, F.S.; Meier, G.H.; Smialek, J.L.

1994-01-01

The results of this study have shown that desulfurization of FeCrAl alloys by hydrogen annealing can result in improvements in cyclic oxidation comparable to that achieved by doping with reactive elements. Moreover, specimens of substantial thicknesses can be effectively desulfurized because of the high diffusivity of sulfur in bcc iron alloys. The results have also shown that there is less stress generation during the cyclic oxidation of Y-doped FeCrAl compared to Ti-doped or desulfurized FeCrAl. This indicates that the growth mechanism, as well as the strength of the oxide/alloy interface, influences the ultimate oxidation morphology and stress state which will certainly affect the length of time the alumina remains protective

The Effect of Film Thickness on the Gas Sensing Properties of Ultra-Thin TiO₂ Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Rachel L; Simion, Cristian Eugen; Blackman, Christopher S; Carmalt, Claire J; Stanoiu, Adelina; Di Maggio, Francesco; Covington, James A

2018-03-01

Analyte sensitivity for gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides should be highly dependent on the film thickness, particularly when that thickness is on the order of the Debye length. This thickness dependence has previously been demonstrated for SnO₂ and inferred for TiO₂. In this paper, TiO₂ thin films have been prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using titanium isopropoxide and water as precursors. The deposition process was performed on standard alumina gas sensor platforms and microscope slides (for analysis purposes), at a temperature of 200 °C. The TiO₂ films were exposed to different concentrations of CO, CH₄, NO₂, NH₃ and SO₂ to evaluate their gas sensitivities. These experiments showed that the TiO₂ film thickness played a dominant role within the conduction mechanism and the pattern of response for the electrical resistance towards CH₄ and NH₃ exposure indicated typical n -type semiconducting behavior. The effect of relative humidity on the gas sensitivity has also been demonstrated.

Percolation effect in thick film superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sali, R.; Harsanyi, G. [Technical Univ. of Budapest (Hungary)

1994-12-31

A thick film superconductor paste has been developed to study the properties of granulated superconductor materials, to observe the percolation effect and to confirm the theory of the conducting mechanism in the superconducting thick films. This paste was also applied to make a superconducting planar transformer. Due to high T{sub c} and advantageous current density properties the base of the paste was chosen to be of Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO system. For contacts a conventional Ag/Pt paste was used. The critical temperature of the samples were between 110 K and 115 K depending on the printed layer thickness. The critical current density at the boiling temperature of the liquid He- was between 200-300 A/cm{sup 2}. The R(T) and V(I) functions were measured with different parameters. The results of the measurements have confirmed the theory of conducting mechanism in the material. The percolation structure model has been built and described. As an application, a superconducting planar thick film transformer was planned and produced. Ten windings of the transformer were printed on one side of the alumina substrate and one winding was printed on the other side. The coupling between the two sides was possible through the substrate. The samples did not need special drying and firing parameters. After the preparation, the properties of the transformer were measured. The efficiency and the losses were determined. Finally, some fundamental advantages and problems of the process were discussed.

Percolation effect in thick film superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sali, R.; Harsanyi, G.

1994-01-01

A thick film superconductor paste has been developed to study the properties of granulated superconductor materials, to observe the percolation effect and to confirm the theory of the conducting mechanism in the superconducting thick films. This paste was also applied to make a superconducting planar transformer. Due to high T c and advantageous current density properties the base of the paste was chosen to be of Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO system. For contacts a conventional Ag/Pt paste was used. The critical temperature of the samples were between 110 K and 115 K depending on the printed layer thickness. The critical current density at the boiling temperature of the liquid He- was between 200-300 A/cm 2 . The R(T) and V(I) functions were measured with different parameters. The results of the measurements have confirmed the theory of conducting mechanism in the material. The percolation structure model has been built and described. As an application, a superconducting planar thick film transformer was planned and produced. Ten windings of the transformer were printed on one side of the alumina substrate and one winding was printed on the other side. The coupling between the two sides was possible through the substrate. The samples did not need special drying and firing parameters. After the preparation, the properties of the transformer were measured. The efficiency and the losses were determined. Finally, some fundamental advantages and problems of the process were discussed

Effects of buffer thickness on ATW blanket performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Won Sik

2001-01-01

This paper presents the preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) system, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using an 840 MWt LBE cooled ATW design, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performances have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performances have been estimated by a series of calculations using MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance change are studied by investigating the low-energy (< 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. As the irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. The results show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable

Experiments to study the erosive effect of oxide casting streams on structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuka, B.; Knauss, H.; Kammerer, B.; Perinic, D.

1992-04-01

The experiments performed under an activity of the Nuclear Safety Project (PSF) make a contribution to the study of the erosive effect of oxide casting streams on structures. As aluminothermically generated oxide casting stream, 20 mm in diameter, was applied from 1.0 m dropping height to 40 mm thick horizontal stainless steel plates in free air atmosphere. The test parameters were different temperatures of preheating of the plates (900 and 1200deg C). By means of thermocouples offset in depth in the plates it was possible to record and represent the temperature distribution in the plate correlated with time. Regarding the direct erosive effect of an oxide casting stream as a function of the temperature of plate preheating it appeared that a high initial temperature of the stainless steel plate (1200deg C) causes an increased erosion area at the surface only, but does not exert a macroscopically visible influence on erosion depth. (orig.) [de

Evolution of the thickness of the aluminum oxide film due to the pH of the cooling water and surface temperature of the fuel elements clad of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babiche, Ivan

2013-01-01

This paper describes the mechanism of growth of a film of aluminum oxide on an alloy of the same material, which serves as a protective surface being the constituent material of the RP-10 nuclear reactor fuel elements clads. The most influential parameters on the growth of this film are: the pH of the cooling water and the clad surface temperature of the fuel element. For this study, a mathematical model relating the evolution of the aluminum oxide layer thickness over the time, according to the same oxide film using a power law is used. It is concluded that the time of irradiation, the heat flux at the surface of the aluminum material, the speed of the coolant, the thermal conductivity of the oxide, the initial thickness of the oxide layer and the solubility of the protective oxide are parameters affecting in the rate and film formation. (author).

Intrinsic stress of bismuth oxide thin films: effect of vapour chopping and air ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, R B; Puri, R K; Puri, V

2008-01-01

Bismuth oxide thin films of thickness 1000 A 0 have been prepared by thermal oxidation (in air) of vacuum evaporated bismuth thin films (on glass substrate) at different oxidation temperatures and duration. Both the vapour chopped and nonchopped bismuth oxide thin films showed polycrystalline and polymorphic structure. The monoclinic bismuth oxide was found to be predominant in both the cases. The effect of vapour chopping and air exposure for 40 days on the intrinsic stress of bismuth oxide thin films has been studied. The vapour chopped films showed low (3.92 - 4.80 x 10 9 N/m 2 ) intrinsic stress than those of nonchopped bismuth oxide thin films (5.77 - 6.74 x 10 9 N/m 2 ). Intrinsic stress was found to increase due to air ageing. The effect of air ageing on the vapour chopped films was found low. The vapour chopped films showed higher packing density. Higher the packing density, lower the film will age. The process of chopping vapour flow creates films with less inhomogenety i.e. a low concentration of flaws and non-planar defects which results in lower intrinsic stress

Quantum confinement effect in Bi anti-dot thin films with tailored pore wall widths and thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Y.; Hirose, Y.; Fukumura, T.; Hasegawa, T.; Nakao, S.; Xu, J.

2014-01-01

We investigated quantum confinement effects in Bi anti-dot thin films grown on anodized aluminium oxide templates. The pore wall widths (w Bi ) and thickness (t) of the films were tailored to have values longer or shorter than Fermi wavelength of Bi (λ F  = ∼40 nm). Magnetoresistance measurements revealed a well-defined weak antilocalization effect below 10 K. Coherence lengths (L ϕ ) as functions of temperature were derived from the magnetoresistance vs field curves by assuming the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model. The anti-dot thin film with w Bi and t smaller than λ F showed low dimensional electronic behavior at low temperatures where L ϕ (T) exceed w Bi or t

Oxidation of nano-reinforced polyolefins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez Castro, G.G.

2010-11-01

Nano-composite materials attract search due to their improvements on barrier properties by incorporating low level of nano-filler of 5%w. Nowadays, organically modified montmorillonite (MMT-O) is the most used filler due to its high aspect ratio which permits stronger clay/polymer interactions. If nano-reinforced materials are highly performing, the ways in which clay presence affects polyolefin durability have not being subject of a rigorous study, thus they are not yet clear. Our goal was to examine unstabilized clay polypropylene and unstabilized clay polyethylene nano composites to get a better comprehension of the clay effects on their thermo-oxidation process under low temperatures. The effects induced by a dual physic-chemical nature of the clay were explored. The problem was tackled from both experimental and theoretical point of views for degradation process not controlled and controlled by oxygen diffusion (homogenous and heterogeneous respectively). It seems that MMT-O speeds up oxidation. This phenomenon was modeled by adding a catalytic reaction between metallic particles initially present in the MMT-O and hydroperoxide groups (main responsible of oxidation). Regarding the oxygen permeability two situations were confronted: for the clay polypropylene system a decrease of 45% of oxygen permeability was measured. On the other hand, no variation was found for the polyethylene case. This effect was attributed to the fact that polyethylene nano-composite reached a blend morphology less developed than those of the polypropylene nano-composite. Kinetics and oxidation products profiles across the sample thickness were simulated for both systems by coupling oxidation reactions with oxygen diffusion equations. For the polyethylene case, the effects induced by oxidation on molar mass and crystalline morphology were also simulated. Finally, based on a structure-property relationship, simulations of mechanic modulus profiles were performed for the heterogeneous

Ultra-low power thin film transistors with gate oxide formed by nitric acid oxidation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, H.; Kim, W. B.; Matsumoto, T.

2011-01-01

We have developed a low temperature fabrication method of SiO 2 /Si structure by use of nitric acid, i.e., nitric acid oxidation of Si (NAOS) method, and applied it to thin film transistors (TFT). A silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer formed by the NAOS method at room temperature possesses 1.8 nm thickness, and its leakage current density is as low as that of thermally grown SiO 2 layer with the same thickness formed at ∼900 deg C. The fabricated TFTs possess an ultra-thin NAOS SiO 2 /CVD SiO 2 stack gate dielectric structure. The ultrathin NAOS SiO 2 layer effectively blocks a gate leakage current, and thus, the thickness of the gate oxide layer can be decreased from 80 to 20 nm. The thin gate oxide layer enables to decrease the operation voltage to 2 V (cf. the conventional operation voltage of TFTs with 80 nm gate oxide: 12 V) because of the low threshold voltages, i.e., -0.5 V for P-ch TFTs and 0.5 V for N-ch TFTs, and thus the consumed power decreases to 1/36 of that of the conventional TFTs. The drain current increases rapidly with the gate voltage, and the sub-threshold voltage is ∼80 mV/dec. The low sub-threshold swing is attributable to the thin gate oxide thickness and low interface state density of the NAOS SiO 2 layer. (authors)

Model for thickness dependence of radiation charging in MOS structures

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, C. R.; Maserjian, J.

1976-01-01

The model considers charge buildup in MOS structures due to hole trapping in the oxide and the creation of sheet charge at the silicon interface. The contribution of hole trapping causes the flatband voltage to increase with thickness in a manner in which square and cube dependences are limiting cases. Experimental measurements on samples covering a 200 - 1000 A range of oxide thickness are consistent with the model, using independently obtained values of hole-trapping parameters. An important finding of our experimental results is that a negative interface charge contribution due to surface states created during irradiation compensates most of the positive charge in the oxide at flatband. The tendency of the surface states to 'track' the positive charge buildup in the oxide, for all thicknesses, applies both in creation during irradiation and in annihilation during annealing. An explanation is proposed based on the common defect origin of hole traps and potential surface states.

Comparison of different methods for measuring the passive film thickness on metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benoit, Marie; Bataillon, Christian; Gwinner, Benoit; Miserque, Frédéric; Orazem, Mark E.; Sánchez-Sánchez, Carlos M.; Tribollet, Bernard; Vivier, Vincent

2016-01-01

Highlights: • In situ EIS and ex situ XPS were used for the characterization of zirconium oxide films. • The film thicknesses can be obtained from the analysis of a single EIS diagram. • A convenient graphical method to extract film properties is proposed. - Abstract: In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on electrogenerated zirconium oxide films on zirconium (Zr/ZrO_2) were used to quantify the oxide film thickness and resistivity profiles through the oxide. The EIS analysis presented here takes advantage of the high-frequency domain at which the constant-phase element (CPE) behavior of the oxide film reverts to a capacitive response and the Cole-Cole representations of the complex capacitance to extract the high-frequency capacitance of the oxide film without reference to the nature of the time-constant distribution within the oxide film. The film thickness of the ZrO_2 samples measured from the high-frequency capacitance of EIS were in good agreement with the thickness obtained from XPS. Moreover, the EIS analysis presented is based on the use of the integral solution of the power law model, which allows to obtain in one single EIS experiment, both the film thickness and the resistivity profile in the ZrO_2 film. This work suggests a convenient graphical method to extract film properties and serves to validate a key assumption of the power-law model for interpretation of CPE parameters in terms of physical properties.

Cathodic cycling effects in the oxide films formed on zirconium alloys type AB2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zerbino, J.O; Visintin, A; Triaca, W

2003-01-01

The passive behavior of ZrNi alloys near the rest potential is studied through in situ voltammetry, ellipsometry, and microscopic observation.A significant oxide layer growth is observed in aqueous 1 M KOH during the application of different potential programs currently used in the activation processes of the alloy.The understanding of both the alloy activation process and the hydrogen absorption process is important in the strategies employed for the design of electrodes for nickel metal hydride batteries.The kinetics of the oxide layer formation, under potential cycling in the cathodic region related to the rest potential, plays a significant role in the activation process of metal alloy.Cathodic potential cycling increases the thickness and decreases the compactness of the passive oxide layer.The protonation of the oxide decreases the barrier effect and makes the anodic polarization more effective.Potential cycling gives rise to increasing surface oxidation, hydrogen absorption and hydride formation, and produces the consequent fragmentation of the material mainly through grain limits (J.Solid State Eletrochem. in press)

Influence of the slice thickness in CT to clinical effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Kazue; Katakura, Toshihiko; Ito, Masami; Okuaki, Okihisa; Suzuki, Kenji

1980-01-01

CT is a kind of tomography. Therefore, what thickness of tissue is being observed in the picture - this is important in the clinical application of CT. The influence of slice thickness on the pictures, especially its clinical effect, was examined. The apparatus used is EMI CT 5005. For varying the slice thickness, it cannot be any larger than the thickness essential to the apparatus. Therefore, to make it thinner than the essential 14 mm, collimators were specially prepared, which were used on the sides of an X-ray tube and a detector. As basic observation, the revelation ability of form owing to the difference of slice thickness using acryl pipes, and the revelation ability of slice face owing to the difference of slice thickness, were examined. About clinical observation, the results for certain cases of cancer were compared with the CT images for the slice thickness of 14 mm essential to EMI CT 5005 and the slice thickness of 7 mm achieved by means of the collimators. (J.P.N.)

Electrochemical generation of oxygen. 1: The effects of anions and cations on hydrogen chemisorption and anodic oxide film formation on platinum electrode. 2: The effects of anions and cations on oxygen generation on platinum electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, C. J.; Yeager, E.; Ogrady, W. E.

1975-01-01

The effects were studied of anions and cations on hydrogen chemisorption and anodic oxide film formation on Pt by linear sweep voltammetry, and on oxygen generation on Pt by potentiostatic overpotential measurement. The hydrogen chemisorption and anodic oxide film formation regions are greatly influenced by anion adsorption. In acids, the strongly bound hydrogen occurs at more cathodic potential when chloride and sulfate are present. Sulfate affects the initial phase of oxide film formation by produced fine structure while chloride retards the oxide-film formation. In alkaline solutions, both strongly and weakly bound hydrogen are influenced by iodide, cyanide, and barium and calcium cations. These ions also influence the oxide film formation. Factors considered to explain these effects are discussed. The Tafel slope for oxygen generation was found to be independent on the oxide thickness and the presence of cations or anions. The catalytic activity indicated by the exchange current density was observed decreasing with increasing oxide layer thickness, only a minor dependence on the addition of certain cations and anions was found.

Cation incorporation into zirconium oxide in LiOH, NaOH, and KOH solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Y.H.; Kim, K.H.; Baek, J.H.

1999-01-01

To investigate the cation incorporation into zirconium oxide, SIMS analysis was performed on the specimens prepared to have an equal oxide thickness in LiOH, NaOH, and KOH solutions. Even though they have an equal oxide thickness in LiOH, NaOH, and KOH solutions, the penetration depth of cation into the oxide decreased with an increase in the ionic radius of cation. The cation is considered to control the corrosion in alkali hydroxide solutions and its effect is dependent on the concentration of alkali and the oxide thickness. The slight enhancement of the corrosion rate at a low concentration is thought to be caused by cation incorporation into oxide, while the significant acceleration at a high concentration is due to the transformation of oxide microstructures that would be also induced by cation incorporation into oxide. (orig.)

Influence of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags

Science.gov (United States)

Leuterio, Giselle Lou D.; Pajarito, Bryan B.; Domingo, Carla Marie C.; Lim, Anna Patricia G.

2016-05-01

Functional, lightweight, strong and cheap plastic bags incorporated with pro-oxidants undergo accelerated degradation under exposure to heat and oxygen. This work investigated the effect of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of commercial oxo-biodegradable plastic bag films at 70 °C. Degradation is monitored through changes in infrared absorption, weight, and tensile properties of thermally aged films. The presence of carbonyl band in infrared spectrum after 672 h of thermal aging supports the degradation behavior of exposed films. Results show that incorporation of colorant and increasing thickness exhibit low maximum weight uptake. Titanium dioxide as white colorant in films lowers the susceptibility of films to oxygen uptake but enhances physical degradation. Higher amount of pro-oxidant loading also contributes to faster degradation. Opaque films are characterized by low tensile strength and high elastic modulus. Decreasing the thickness contributes to lower tensile strength of films. Thermally aged films with colorant and low thickness promote enhanced degradation.

Anomalous size effect in conductivity of Bi films of small thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anopchenko, A.S.; Kashirin, V.Yu.; Komnik, Yu.F.

1995-01-01

Experimental data are obtained at helium temperature, which describe the kinetic properties (conductivity, magnetoresistance and Hall coefficient) of Bi films whose thicknesses are within 100-500 A. The small-thickness Bi films display an anomalous size effect- the growing conductivity at decreasing thickness, and pronounced quantum interference effects - weak electron localization and enhancing electron-electron interaction in a disordered system. The information derived on the kinetic properties of the films is used to identify the character of the changes in the electron and hole concentrations and mobilities with a decreasing thickness. The isotropy of the properties in the films plane due to the axial texture has permitted us to use the equations for a conductor with two types of charge carriers. The used kinetic characteristics correctly take into account the contribution of the quantum corrections related to quantum interference. It is found that the concentration of the charge carries increases appreciably (by about two orders of magnitude) as the film thickness decreases to 100 A, which determines the anomalous size effect in the conductivity of the films

Sputter fabricated Nb-oxide-Nb josephson junctions incorporating post-oxidation noble metal layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bain, R.J.P.; Donaldson, G.B.

1985-01-01

We present an extension, involving other metals, of the work of Hawkins and Clarke, who found that a thin layer of copper prevented the formation of the superconductive shorts which are an inevitable consequence of sputtering niobium counter-electrodes directly on top of niobium oxide. We find gold to be the most satisfactory, and that 0.3 nm is sufficient to guarantee short-free junctions of excellent electrical and mechanical stability, though high excess conductance means they are best suited to shunted-junction applications, as in SQUIDs. We present results for critical current dependence on oxide thickness and on gold thickness. Our data shows that thermal oxide growth is described by the Cabrera-Mott mechanism. We show that the protective effect of the gold layer can be understood in terms of the electro-chemistry of the Nb-oxide-Au structure, and that the reduced quasi-particle resistance of the junctions relative to goldfree junctions with evaporated counterelectrodes can be explained in terms of barrier shape modification, and not by proximity effect mechanisms. The performance of a DC SQUID based on these junctions is described

Investigation of anodizing parameter effect on barrier layer of anodic zirconium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharchenko, Eh.P.

1979-01-01

Effect of fluoride concentration and forming direction upon kinetics of barrier layer transformations in the process of preparation of phase anodic zirconium oxide in acid fluorine-containing solutions is considered. Suppositions are made on the mechanism of barrier layer transformation under the effect of the parameters mentioned. The thickness of the barrier layer is determined by two methods and it is shown that coefficient of the layer thickess growth at the voltage increase by 1 V is much lower than during formation of the barrier films in non-agressive electrolytes

Vacuum-arc chromium coatings for Zr-1%Nb alloy protection against high-temperature oxidation in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuprin, A.S.; Belous, V.A.; Bryk, V.V.; Vasilenko, R.L.; Voevodin, V.N.; Ovcharenko, V.D.; Tolmacheva, G.N.; Kolodij, I.V.; Lunev, V.M.; Klimenko, I.O.

2015-01-01

The effect of vacuum-arc Cr coatings on the alloy E110 resistance to the oxidation in air at temperatures 1020 and 1100 deg C for 3600 s has been investigated. The methods of scanning electron microscope, X-ray analysis and nanoindentation were used to determine the thickness, phase, mechanical properties of coatings and oxide layers. The results show that the chromium coating can effectively protect fuel tubes against high-temperature oxidation in air for one hour. In the coating during oxidation at T = 1100 deg C a Cr 2 O 3 oxide layer of 5 μm thickness is formed preventing further oxygen penetration into the coating, and thus the tube shape is conserved. Under similar test conditions the oxidation of uncoated tubes with formation of a porous monocline oxide of ZrO 2 of a thickness more than ≥ 250 μm is observed, then the deformation and cracking of samples occur and the oxide layer breaks away

Thin zirconium oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oviedo, Cristina

2000-01-01

Polycrystalline Zr and two pure Zr single-crystal samples, one oriented with the normal to the surface parallel to the c-axis of the hcp structure (Z1) and the other with the normal perpendicular to c (Z2), were oxidised at 10 -8 , 10 -7 and 10 -6 Torr and room temperature. Oxidation kinetics, composition and thicknesses of the oxide films formed in each case were analyzed using XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) as the main technique. The oxidation kinetics followed logarithmic laws in all cases. The deconvolution of XPS Zr3d peaks indicated the formation of two Zr-O compounds before the formation of ZrO 2 . Varying the photoelectrons take-off angle, the compound distribution inside the oxide films could be established. Thus, it was confirmed that the most external oxide, in contact with the gas, was ZrO 2 . The thickness of the films grown at the different pressures was determined. In the polycrystalline samples, thicknesses between 15 and 19 ± 2Angstroem were obtained for pressures between 10 -8 and 10 -6 Torr, in close coincidence with the determined ones for Z2. The thicknesses measured in Z1 were smaller, reaching 13 ± 2Angstroem for the oxidations performed at 10 -6 Torr. (author)

Microstructure and thermoelectric properties of screen-printed thick-films of misfit-layered cobalt oxides with Ag addition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Van Nong, Ngo; Samson, Alfred Junio; Pryds, Nini

2012-01-01

Thermoelectric properties of thick (~60 μm) films prepared by a screen-printing technique using p-type misfit-layered cobalt oxide Ca3Co4O9+δ with Ag addition have been studied. The screen-printed films were sintered in air at various temperatures ranging from 973 K to 1223 K. After each sintering...... process, crystal and microstructure analyses were carried out to determine the optimal sintering condition. The results show that the thermoelectric properties of pure Ca3Co4O9+δ thick film are comparable to those of cold isostatic pressing (CIP) samples. We found that the maximum power factor...... was improved by about 67% (to 0.3 mW/m K2) for film with proper silver (Ag) metallic inclusions as compared with 0.18 mW/m K2 for pure Ca3Co4O9+δ film under the same sintering condition of 1223 K for 2 h in air....

Effect of substrates and thickness on optical properties in atomic layer deposition grown ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Dipayan; Singhal, Jaya; Mathur, Aakash; Singh, Ajaib; Dutta, Surjendu; Zollner, Stefan; Chattopadhyay, Sudeshna

2017-11-01

Atomic Layer Deposition technique was used to grow high quality, very low roughness, crystalline, Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films on silicon (Si) and fused quartz (SiO2) substrates to study the optical properties. Spectroscopic ellipsometry results of ZnO/Si system, staggered type-II quantum well, demonstrate that there is a significant drop in the magnitudes of both the real and imaginary parts of complex dielectric constants and in near-band gap absorption along with a blue shift of the absorption edge with decreasing film thickness at and below ∼20 nm. Conversely, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy of ZnO/SiO2, thin type-I quantum well, consisting of a narrower-band gap semiconductor grown on a wider-band gap (insulator) substrate, shows the similar thickness dependent blue-shift of the absorption edge but with an increase in the magnitude of near-band gap absorption with decreasing film thickness. Thickness dependent blue shift, energy vs. 1/d2, in two different systems, ZnO/Si and ZnO/SiO2, show a difference in their slopes. The observed phenomena can be consistently explained by the corresponding exciton (or carrier/s) deconfinement and confinement effects at the ZnO/Si and ZnO/SiO2 interface respectively, where Tanguy-Elliott amplitude pre-factor plays the key role through the electron-hole overlap factor at the interface.

The Effect of Endometrial Thickness on In vitro Fertilization (IVF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The value of measuring the endometrial thickness and studying the endometrial receptivity in the context of assisted conception remains a contentious issue. A prospective analysis was carried out to determine the effect of endometrial thickness on IVF - embryo transfer / ICSI outcome in dedicated Assisted Reproductive ...

Effect of Firing Temperature on Humidity Sensing Properties of SnO2 Thick Film Resistor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Y. Borse

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Thick films of SnO2 were prepared using standard screen printing technique. The films were dried and fired at different temperatures. Tin-oxide is an n-type wide band gap semiconductor, whose resistance is described as a function of relative humidity. An increasing firing temperature on SnO2 film increases the sensitivity to humidity. The parameters such as sensitivity, response times and hysteresis of the SnO2 film sensors have been evaluated. The thick films were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDAX and grain size, composition of elements, relative phases are obtained.

Quantum confinement effect in Bi anti-dot thin films with tailored pore wall widths and thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Y., E-mail: youngok@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Y.; Fukumura, T.; Hasegawa, T. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, JST, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, S. [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, JST, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Xu, J. [School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)

2014-01-13

We investigated quantum confinement effects in Bi anti-dot thin films grown on anodized aluminium oxide templates. The pore wall widths (w{sub Bi}) and thickness (t) of the films were tailored to have values longer or shorter than Fermi wavelength of Bi (λ{sub F} = ∼40 nm). Magnetoresistance measurements revealed a well-defined weak antilocalization effect below 10 K. Coherence lengths (L{sub ϕ}) as functions of temperature were derived from the magnetoresistance vs field curves by assuming the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model. The anti-dot thin film with w{sub Bi} and t smaller than λ{sub F} showed low dimensional electronic behavior at low temperatures where L{sub ϕ}(T) exceed w{sub Bi} or t.

Probing anodic oxidation kinetics and nanoscale heterogeneity within TiO2 films by Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy and combined techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamanti, M.V.; Souier, T.; Stefancich, M.; Chiesa, M.; Pedeferri, M.P.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nanoscale anodic titanium oxides were investigated with multidisciplinary approach. • Oxide thickness was estimated via spectrophotometry and coulometry. • C-AFM identified nanometric conductivity heterogeneities, ascribed to oxide structure. • High conductivity areas exhibited local memristive behavior. - Abstract: Anodic oxidation of titanium in acid electrolytes allows to obtain a thin, compact oxide layer with thickness, structure, color, and electrical properties that vary with process parameters imposed, among which cell voltage has a key effect. Although oxidation kinetics have been investigated in several research works, a broader vision of oxide properties–including thickness and structure–still has to be achieved, especially in the case of very thin oxide films, few tens of nanometers thick. This is vital for engineered applications of nanostructured TiO 2 films, as in the field of memristive devices, where a precise control of oxide thickness, composition and structure is required to tune its electrical response. In this work, oxide films were produced on titanium with thickness ranging from few nanometers to 200 nm. Oxide thickness was estimated by coulometry and spectrophotometry. These techniques were then combined with C-AFM, which provided a deeper understanding of oxide thickness and uniformity of the metal surface and probed the presence of crystalline nano-domains within the amorphous oxide phase affecting the overall film electrical and optical properties

Densification of ∼5 nm-thick SiO_2 layers by nitric acid oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jaeyoung; Joo, Soyeong; Park, Tae Joo; Kim, Woo-Byoung

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Leakage current density of the commercial PECVD grown ∼5 nm SiO_2 layer has been decreased about three orders of magnitude by densification. • The densification of SiO_2 layer is achieved by high oxidation ability of O·. • Densities of suboxide, fixed charge (N_f) and defect state (N_d) in SiO_2/Si interface are decreased by NAOS and PMA. • Tunneling barrier height (Φ_t) is increased because of the increase of atomic density in SiO_2 layer. - Abstract: Low-temperature nitric acid (HNO_3) oxidation of Si (NAOS) has been used to improve the interface and electrical properties of ∼5 nm-thick SiO_2/Si layers produced by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Investigations of the physical properties and electrical characteristics of these thin films revealed that although their thickness is not changed by NAOS, the leakage current density at a gate bias voltage of −1 V decreases by about two orders of magnitude from 1.868 × 10"−"5 A/cm"2. This leakage current density was further reduced by post-metallization annealing (PMA) at 250 °C for 10 min in a 5 vol.% hydrogen atmosphere, eventually reaching a level (5.2 × 10"−"8 A/cm"2) approximately three orders of magnitude less than the as-grown SiO_2 layer. This improvement is attributed to a decrease in the concentration of suboxide species (Si"1"+, Si"2"+ and Si"3"+) in the SiO_2/Si interface, as well as a decrease in the equilibrium density of defect sites (N_d) and fixed charge density (N_f). The barrier height (Φ_t) generated by a Poole-Frenkel mechanism also increased from 0.205 to 0.371 eV after NAOS and PMA. The decrease in leakage current density is therefore attributed to a densification of the SiO_2 layer in combination with the removal of OH species and increase in interfacial properties at the SiO_2/Si interface.

A Study on Rack Thickness Effect for Spent Fuel Pool Storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Mi Jin; Lee, Hee-Jae; Sohn, Dong-Seong

2015-01-01

For the effective storage of used fuel, the development of high performance neutron absorbing materials is needed. One of the major concern for the used fuel storage is the assurance to keep subcriticality of the storage rack and the high performance neutron absorbing material is the vital part to assure this requirement. According to NRC guide line, the k-effective of the spent fuel storage racks must not exceed 0.95. To ensure its safety, subcriticality analysis is required. Subcriticality analysis of the used storage in spent fuel pool have been performed by different authors. Criticality calculations for light water reactor spent fuel storage rack were carried out by Jae et al. They used AMPX-KENO IV code and considered the effect of rack pitch and rack thickness for consolidated fuel. The criticality analysis has performed at Gd 0.2 and 1 wt% according to thickness change. As thickness increases, the volume of the spent fuel pool rack increases. Therefore, absorbing material also increases according to thickness

A Study on Rack Thickness Effect for Spent Fuel Pool Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Mi Jin; Lee, Hee-Jae; Sohn, Dong-Seong [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

For the effective storage of used fuel, the development of high performance neutron absorbing materials is needed. One of the major concern for the used fuel storage is the assurance to keep subcriticality of the storage rack and the high performance neutron absorbing material is the vital part to assure this requirement. According to NRC guide line, the k-effective of the spent fuel storage racks must not exceed 0.95. To ensure its safety, subcriticality analysis is required. Subcriticality analysis of the used storage in spent fuel pool have been performed by different authors. Criticality calculations for light water reactor spent fuel storage rack were carried out by Jae et al. They used AMPX-KENO IV code and considered the effect of rack pitch and rack thickness for consolidated fuel. The criticality analysis has performed at Gd 0.2 and 1 wt% according to thickness change. As thickness increases, the volume of the spent fuel pool rack increases. Therefore, absorbing material also increases according to thickness.

Reagent-Free Electrophoretic Synthesis of Few-Atom-Thick Metal Oxide Nanosheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Minwei; Zhang, Lili

2017-01-01

Engineering traditional materials into the new form of atomic and free-standing two-dimensional structures is of both fundamental interest and practical significance, but it is in general facing challenges especially for metal oxide semiconductors. We herein report an ultragreen method for the cost......-effective and fast preparation of atomic metal oxide nanosheets that can be further transformed into nanofilms. The method combines top-down building block synthesis and bottom-up electrophoretic assembly in water under ambient conditions, using only bulk metal and Milli-Q water without involving any additional...

Electrical characteristics of tunneling field-effect transistors with asymmetric channel thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jungsik; Oh, Hyeongwan; Kim, Jiwon; Meyyappan, M.; Lee, Jeong-Soo

2017-02-01

Effects of using asymmetric channel thickness in tunneling field-effect transistors (TFET) are investigated in sub-50 nm channel regime using two-dimensional (2D) simulations. As the thickness of the source side becomes narrower in narrow-source wide-drain (NSWD) TFETs, the threshold voltage (V th) and the subthreshold swing (SS) decrease due to enhanced gate controllability of the source side. The narrow source thickness can make the band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) distance shorter and induce much higher electric field near the source junction at the on-state condition. In contrast, in a TFET with wide-source narrow-drain (WSND), the SS shows almost constant values and the V th slightly increases with narrowing thickness of the drain side. In addition, the ambipolar current can rapidly become larger with smaller thickness on the drain side because of the shorter BTBT distance and the higher electric-field at the drain junction. The on-current of the asymmetric channel TFET is lower than that of conventional TFETs due to the volume limitation of the NSWD TFET and high series resistance of the WSND TFET. The on-current is almost determined by the channel thickness of the source side.

MoO3 Thickness, Thermal Annealing and Solvent Annealing Effects on Inverted and Direct Polymer Photovoltaic Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillaume Wantz

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Several parameters of the fabrication process of inverted polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells based on titanium oxide as an electron selective layer and molybdenum oxide as a hole selective layer were tested in order to achieve efficient organic photovoltaic solar cells. Thermal annealing treatment is a common process to achieve optimum morphology, but it proved to be damageable for the performance of this kind of inverted solar cells. We demonstrate using Auger analysis combined with argon etching that diffusion of species occurs from the MoO3/Ag top layers into the active layer upon thermal annealing. In order to achieve efficient devices, the morphology of the bulk heterojunction was then manipulated using the solvent annealing technique as an alternative to thermal annealing. The influence of the MoO3 thickness was studied on inverted, as well as direct, structure. It appeared that only 1 nm-thick MoO3 is enough to exhibit highly efficient devices (PCE = 3.8% and that increasing the thickness up to 15 nm does not change the device performance. 

Monitoring the oxidation of nuclear fuel cladding using Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mi, Hongyi; Mikael, Solomon; Allen, Todd; Sridharan, Kumar; Butt, Darryl; Blanchard, James P.; Ma, Zhenqiang

2014-01-01

In order to observe Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) cladding oxidation within a spent fuel canister, cladding oxidized in air at 500 °C was investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopy to measure the oxide layer thickness. Systematic Raman scans were performed to study the relationship between typical Raman spectra and various oxide layer thicknesses. The thicknesses of the oxide layers developed for various exposure times were measured by cross-sectional Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results of this work reveal that each oxide layer thickness has a corresponding typical Raman spectrum. Detailed analysis suggests that the Raman scattering peaks around wave numbers of 180 cm −1 and 630 cm −1 are the best choices for accurately determining the oxide layer thickness. After Gaussian–Lorentzian deconvolution, these two peaks can be quantitatively represented by four peaks. The intensities of the deconvoluted peaks increase consistently as the oxide layer becomes thicker and sufficiently strong signals are produced, allowing one to distinguish the bare and oxidized cladding samples, as well as samples with different oxide layer thicknesses. Hence, a process that converts sample oxide layer thickness to optical signals can be achieved

Thermal gradient effects on the oxidation of Zircaloy fuel cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, A.C.; Reyes, J.N. Jr.; Maguire, M.A.

1990-01-01

A Thermal Gradient Test Facility (TGTF) has been designed and constructed to measure the thermal gradient effect on pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel rod cladding. The TGTF includes a heat flux simulator assembly capable of producing a wide range of PWR operating conditions including water flow velocities and temperatures, water chemistry conditions, cladding temperatures, and heat fluxes ranging to 160 W/cm 2 . It is fully instrumented including a large number of thermocouples both inside the water flow channel and inside the cladding. Two test programs are in progress. First, cladding specimens are pre-oxidized in air at 500 deg. C and in 400 deg. C steam for various lengths of time to develop a range of uniform oxide thicknesses from 1 to 60 micrometers. The pre-oxidized specimens are placed in the TGTF to characterize the oxide thermal conductivity under a variety of water flow and heat flux conditions. Second, to overcome the long exposure times required under typical PWR conditions a series of tests with the addition of high concentrations of lithium hydroxide to the water are being considered. Static autoclave tests have been conducted with lithium hydroxide concentrations ranging from 0 to 2 moles per liter at 300, 330, and 360 deg. C for up to 36 hours. Results for zircaloy-4 show a considerable increase in the weight gain for the exposed samples with oxidation rate enhancement factors as high as 70 times that of pure water. Operation of the TGTF with elevated lithium hydroxide levels will yield real-time information concerning the effects of a heat flux on the oxidation kinetics of zircaloy fuel rod cladding. (author). 5 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs

Perform Tests and Document Results and Analysis of Oxide Layer Effects and Comparisons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, E. D. [ORNL; DelCul, G. D. [ORNL; Spencer, B. B. [ORNL; Hunt, R. D. [ORNL; Ausmus, C. [ORNL

2014-08-30

During the initial feasibility test using actual used nuclear fuel (UNF) cladding in FY 2012, an incubation period of 30–45 minutes was observed in the initial dry chlorination. The cladding hull used in the test had been previously oxidized in a dry air oxidation pretreatment prior to removal of the fuel. The cause of this incubation period was attributed to the resistance to chlorination of an oxide layer imparted by the dry oxidation pretreatment on the cladding. Subsequently in 2013, researchers at the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI) reported on their chlorination study [R1] on ~9-gram samples of unirradiated ZirloTM cladding tubes that had been previously oxidized in air at 500oC for various time periods to impart oxide layers of varying thickness. In early 2014, discussions with Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracted technical consultants from Westinghouse described their previous development (and patents) [R2] on methods of chemical washing to remove some or all of the hydrous oxide layer imparted on UNF cladding during irradiation in light water reactors (LWRs) . Thus, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) study, described herein, was planned to extend the KAERI study on the effects of anhydrous oxide layers, but on larger ~100-gram samples of unirradiated zirconium alloy cladding tubes, and to investigate the effects of various methods of chemical pretreatment prior to chlorination with 100% chlorine on the average reaction rates and Cl2 usage efficiencies.

Effects of prior surface damage on high-temperature oxidation of Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blau, Peter Julian [ORNL; Lowe, Tracie M [ORNL; Pint, Bruce A [ORNL

2009-01-01

Multi-component metallic alloys have been developed to withstand high-temperature service in corrosive environments. Some of these applications, like exhaust valve seats in internal combustion engines, must also resist sliding, impact, and abrasion. The conjoint effects of temperature, oxidation, and mechanical contact can result in accelerated wear and the formation of complex surface layers whose properties differ from those of the base metal and the oxide scale that forms in the absence of mechanical contact. The authors have investigated the effects of prior surface damage, produced by scratch tests, on the localized reformation of oxide layers. Three high-performance commercial alloys, based on iron, nickel, and cobalt, were used as model materials. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine their static oxidation rates at elevated temperature (850o C). A micro-abrasion, ball-cratering technique was used to measure oxide layer thickness and to compare it with TGA results. By using taper-sectioning techniques and energy-dispersive elemental mapping, a comparison was made between oxide compositions grown on non-damaged surfaces and oxides that formed on grooves produced by a diamond stylus. Microindentation and scratch hardness data revealed the effects of high temperature exposure on both the substrate hardness and the nature of oxide scale disruption. There were significant differences in elemental distribution between statically-formed oxides and those that formed on scratched regions

Full reflector thickness and isolation thickness on neutron transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Tomohiro; Naito, Yoshitaka; Komuro, Yuichi.

1988-08-01

A method to determine ''full reflector thickness'' and ''isolation thickness'', which is utilized for criticality safety evaluation on nuclear fuel facilities, was proposed in this paper. Firstly, a calculation was tryed to obtain the two kinds of thicknesses from the result of criticality calculations for a specific case. Then, two simple equations which calculates the two kinds of thicknesses were made from the relation between reflector (or isolator) thickness and k eff , and one-group diffusion theory. Finally, we proposed a new method to determine the thicknesses. From the method we proposed, ''full reflector thickness'' and ''isolation thickness'' can be obtain using the equations and migration length of the reflector (or isolator) and infinite and effective multiplication factor of the fuel. (author)

Analysis of the thickness-dependent electrical characteristics in pentacene field-effect devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dongwook; Shin, Hyunji; Choi, Jongsun; Zhang, Xue; Park, Jiho; Baang, Sungkeun; Park, Jaehoon

2014-01-01

In this paper, we report on the important relationship among the capacitance-voltage (C - V) characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors, the output currents of pentacene based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and the semiconductor layer's thickness. The effect of the semiconductor layer's thickness on the effective channel capacitance, when the MIS capacitors are fully accumulated with sufficient negative bias, was observed to be directly correlated with the magnitude of the saturated output current. The variation in accumulation capacitance of MIS capacitors due to changes in layer thickness is shown to indicate the existence of a channel capacitance. This determines the output currents in the saturation region. Furthermore, the accumulation capacitance appears to decrease notably when the thickness of the pentacene layer is reduced below 20 nm.

Analysis of the thickness-dependent electrical characteristics in pentacene field-effect devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dongwook; Shin, Hyunji; Choi, Jongsun [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Zhang, Xue; Park, Jiho; Baang, Sungkeun; Park, Jaehoon [Hallym University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-07-15

In this paper, we report on the important relationship among the capacitance-voltage (C - V) characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors, the output currents of pentacene based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and the semiconductor layer's thickness. The effect of the semiconductor layer's thickness on the effective channel capacitance, when the MIS capacitors are fully accumulated with sufficient negative bias, was observed to be directly correlated with the magnitude of the saturated output current. The variation in accumulation capacitance of MIS capacitors due to changes in layer thickness is shown to indicate the existence of a channel capacitance. This determines the output currents in the saturation region. Furthermore, the accumulation capacitance appears to decrease notably when the thickness of the pentacene layer is reduced below 20 nm.

Analysis of the effect of transverse power distribution in an involute fuel plate with and without oxide film formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R. S.

1998-01-01

Existing thermal hydraulics computer codes can account for variations in power and temperature in the axial and thickness directions but variations across the width of the plate cannot be accounted for. In the case of fuel plates in an annular core this can lead to significant errors which are accentuated by the presence of an oxide layer that builds up on the aluminum cladding with burnup. This paper uses a three dimensional SINDA model to account for the transverse variations in power. The effect of oxide thickness on these differences is studied in detail. Power distribution and fuel conductivity are also considered. The lower temperatures predicted with the SINDA model result in a greater margin to clad and fuel damage

Effect of Ni Doping on Gas Sensing Performance of ZnO Thick Film Resistor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. K. DEORE

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This work investigates the use of ZnO-NiO as a H2S metal oxide thick film gas sensor. To find the optimum ratio of NiO to ZnO, two compositions were prepared using different molecular percentages and prepared as a thick film paste. These pastes were then screen-printed onto glass substrates with suitable binder. The final composition of each film was determined using SEM analysis. The films were used to detect CO, CL2, ethanol, Amonia and H2S. For each composition tested, the highest responses where displayed for H2S gas. The Thick film having composition of equal molar ZnO and NiO shows the highest response at operating temp. 350 0C for 100 ppm level. The gas response, selectivity, response and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented. The role played by NiO species is to improve the gas sensing performance is discussed.

Effects of Oxidation on Oxidation-Resistant Graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Windes, William [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Smith, Rebecca [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Carroll, Mark [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-05-01

The Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) Graphite Research and Development Program is investigating doped nuclear graphite grades that exhibit oxidation resistance through the formation of protective oxides on the surface of the graphite material. In the unlikely event of an oxygen ingress accident, graphite components within the VHTR core region are anticipated to oxidize so long as the oxygen continues to enter the hot core region and the core temperatures remain above 400°C. For the most serious air-ingress accident which persists over several hours or days the continued oxidation can result in significant structural damage to the core. Reducing the oxidation rate of the graphite core material during any air-ingress accident would mitigate the structural effects and keep the core intact. Previous air oxidation testing of nuclear-grade graphite doped with varying levels of boron-carbide (B4C) at a nominal 739°C was conducted for a limited number of doped specimens demonstrating a dramatic reduction in oxidation rate for the boronated graphite grade. This report summarizes the conclusions from this small scoping study by determining the effects of oxidation on the mechanical strength resulting from oxidation of boronated and unboronated graphite to a 10% mass loss level. While the B4C additive did reduce mechanical strength loss during oxidation, adding B4C dopants to a level of 3.5% or more reduced the as-fabricated compressive strength nearly 50%. This effectively minimized any benefits realized from the protective film formed on the boronated grades. Future work to infuse different graphite grades with silicon- and boron-doped material as a post-machining conditioning step for nuclear components is discussed as a potential solution for these challenges in this report.

The role of extra-atomic relaxation in determining Si2p binding energy shifts at silicon/silicon oxide interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, K.Z.; Greeley, J.N.; Banaszak Holl, M.M.; McFeely, F.R.

1997-01-01

The observed binding energy shift for silicon oxide films grown on crystalline silicon varies as a function of film thickness. The physical basis of this shift has previously been ascribed to a variety of initial state effects (Si endash O ring size, strain, stoichiometry, and crystallinity), final state effects (a variety of screening mechanisms), and extrinsic effects (charging). By constructing a structurally homogeneous silicon oxide film on silicon, initial state effects have been minimized and the magnitude of final state stabilization as a function of film thickness has been directly measured. In addition, questions regarding the charging of thin silicon oxide films on silicon have been addressed. From these studies, it is concluded that initial state effects play a negligible role in the thickness-dependent binding energy shift. For the first ∼30 Angstrom of oxide film, the thickness-dependent binding energy shift can be attributed to final state effects in the form of image charge induced stabilization. Beyond about 30 Angstrom, charging of the film occurs. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Transitional behaviour of thickness effects in shipbuilding materials (MS plate)

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmud, S. M. Ikhtiar; Razib, Amirul Hasan; Rahman, Md. Rabab Raiyatur

2017-12-01

Majority of the crack propagation in ships and offshore structures are caused due to fatigue. Previously, it was known that fatigue strength of notched specimen is dependent on size, but recently it came to light that fatigue strength of some welded joints depends on the thickness. Much investigation is done on the fatigue growth of welded joints. Fatigue often results in fracture accidents, which starts from the sites of structural discontinuities because of the reason that they may induce local stress concentrations. Structural discontinuities include notches, holes, sharp corners, and weld defects. Weld defects include undercut, porosity, lack of fusion, slag inclusion, incomplete weld root penetration, and misalignments. In order to investigate the effects of plate thickness on fatigue strength, semi-elliptical side notches (U and V shaped) in plates are studied in the present research. First consider a simple problem of crack emanating from notches in plates where the solution of stress intensity factor is given by an empirical formula so that the thickness effect on fatigue strength can easily be investigated for a variety of geometrical parameters. The present study aims to investigate the transitional behaviour of thickness effect in plates on fatigue strength. In order to calculate the stress, finite element analysis is carried by using ANSYS.

The Effect of Film Thickness on the Gas Sensing Properties of Ultra-Thin TiO2 Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel L. Wilson

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Analyte sensitivity for gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides should be highly dependent on the film thickness, particularly when that thickness is on the order of the Debye length. This thickness dependence has previously been demonstrated for SnO2 and inferred for TiO2. In this paper, TiO2 thin films have been prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD using titanium isopropoxide and water as precursors. The deposition process was performed on standard alumina gas sensor platforms and microscope slides (for analysis purposes, at a temperature of 200 °C. The TiO2 films were exposed to different concentrations of CO, CH4, NO2, NH3 and SO2 to evaluate their gas sensitivities. These experiments showed that the TiO2 film thickness played a dominant role within the conduction mechanism and the pattern of response for the electrical resistance towards CH4 and NH3 exposure indicated typical n-type semiconducting behavior. The effect of relative humidity on the gas sensitivity has also been demonstrated.

Effective radiation attenuation calibration for breast density: compression thickness influences and correction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Jerry A

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Calibrating mammograms to produce a standardized breast density measurement for breast cancer risk analysis requires an accurate spatial measure of the compressed breast thickness. Thickness inaccuracies due to the nominal system readout value and compression paddle orientation induce unacceptable errors in the calibration. Method A thickness correction was developed and evaluated using a fully specified two-component surrogate breast model. A previously developed calibration approach based on effective radiation attenuation coefficient measurements was used in the analysis. Water and oil were used to construct phantoms to replicate the deformable properties of the breast. Phantoms consisting of measured proportions of water and oil were used to estimate calibration errors without correction, evaluate the thickness correction, and investigate the reproducibility of the various calibration representations under compression thickness variations. Results The average thickness uncertainty due to compression paddle warp was characterized to within 0.5 mm. The relative calibration error was reduced to 7% from 48-68% with the correction. The normalized effective radiation attenuation coefficient (planar representation was reproducible under intra-sample compression thickness variations compared with calibrated volume measures. Conclusion Incorporating this thickness correction into the rigid breast tissue equivalent calibration method should improve the calibration accuracy of mammograms for risk assessments using the reproducible planar calibration measure.

Effect of annealing, thickness ratio and bend angle on springback of AA6061-T6 with non-uniform thickness section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan M.F.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Non-uniform thickness section section is considered one of the most effective approaches to reduce automotive part weight. Reduction in term of mass and size result in less fuel consumption and greenhouse gases. Thickness is the most significant parameter to formability, therefore forming a section with non-uniform thickness becomes a great challenge. Improper process and incorrect decision may lead to severe defect and one of the main concerns is the springback. This study will focus on springback behaviour of non-uniform thickness AA6061 strip with complex profile using Taguchi Method. Profile projector (PC 3000 is used to measure the spring back and two-line technique is applied to measure angles (after loading between two lines. Three parameters (i.e. annealing temperature, thickness ratio and bend angle are studied, and results determine that the most significant parameter is bend angle, followed by thickness ratio, and then by the annealing temperature of the specimen during bending process.

Finite plate thickness effects on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in elastic-plastic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Polavarapu, Rinosh; Banerjee, Arindam

2017-11-01

The majority of theoretical studies have tackled the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) problem in solids using an infinitely thick plate. Recent theoretical studies by Piriz et al. (PRE 95, 053108, 2017) have explored finite thickness effects. We seek to validate this recent theoretical estimate experimentally using our rotating wheel RTI experiment in an accelerated elastic-plastic material. The test section consists of a container filled with air and mayonnaise (a non-Newtonian emulsion) with an initial perturbation between two materials. The plate thickness effects are studied by varying the depth of the soft-solid. A set of experiments is run by employing different initial conditions with different container dimensions. Additionally, the effect of acceleration rate (driving pressure rise time) on the instability threshold with reference to the finite thickness will also be inspected. Furthermore, the experimental results are compared to the analytical strength models related to finite thickness effects on RTI. Authors acknowledge financial support from DOE-SSAA Grant # DE-NA0003195 and LANL subcontract #370333.

Effect of Thickness Stress in Stretch-Bending

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Boogaard, Antonius H.; Emmens, W.C.; Huetink, Han; Barlat, F; Moon, Y.H.; Lee, M.G.

2010-01-01

In any situation where a strip is pulled over a curved tool, locally a contact stress acts on the strip in thickness direction. This contact stress changes the stress state in the material, which will influence the deformation. One effect is that the yield stress in the plane of the strip is

Evaluation of flow accelerated corrosion by coupled analysis of corrosion and flow dynamics (3), relationship of oxide film thickness, hematite/magnetite ratio, ECP and wall thinning rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Shunsuke; Naitoh, Masanori; Okada, Hidetoshi; Uehara, Yasushi; Koshizuka, Seiichi

2009-01-01

Systematic approaches for evaluating flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) are desired before discussing application of countermeasures for FAC. Firstly, future FAC occurrence should be evaluated to identify locations where a higher possibility of FAC occurrence exists, and then, wall thinning rate at the identified FAC occurrence zone is evaluated to obtain the preparation time for applying countermeasures. Wall thinning rates were calculated with the coupled models of static electrochemical analysis and dynamic double oxide layer analysis. Anodic current density and electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) were calculated with the static electrochemistry model based on an Evans diagram and ferrous ion release rate determined by the anodic current density was applied as input for the dynamic double oxide layer model. Some of the dissolved ferrous ion was removed to the bulk water and others precipitated on the surface as magnetite particles. The thickness of oxide layer was calculated with the dynamic double oxide layer model and then was applied as input for the electrochemistry model. It was confirmed that the calculated results based on the coupled models resulted good agreement with the measured ones. Higher ECP was essential for preventing FAC rate. Moderated conditions due to lower mass transfer coefficients resulted in thicker oxide layer thickness and then higher ECP, while moderated corrosion conditions due to higher oxidant concentrations resulted in larger hematite/magnetite rate and then higher ECP. (author)

Structure and corrosion behavior of sputter deposited cerium oxide based coatings with various thickness on Al 2024-T3 alloy substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yuanyuan [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045 (China); Materials Research Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); Huang, Jiamu, E-mail: huangjiamu@cqu.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045 (China); Claypool, James B.; Castano, Carlos E. [Materials Research Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); O’Keefe, Matthew J., E-mail: mjokeefe@mst.edu [Materials Research Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Crystalline CeO{sub 2} coatings are deposited on Al 2024-T3 alloys by magnetron sputtering. • The crystal size and internal stress both increased with the thickness of CeO{sub 2} coating. • The ∼210 nm thick coating has the highest adhesion strength to the Al alloy substrate. • The ∼900 nm thick coating increased the corrosion resistance two orders of magnitude. • CeO{sub 2} coatings provide good cathodic inhibition for Al alloys by acting as physical barriers. - Abstract: Cerium oxide based coatings from ∼100 to ∼1400 nm in thickness were deposited onto Al 2024-T3 alloy substrates by magnetron sputtering of a 99.99% pure CeO{sub 2} target. The crystallite size of CeO{sub 2} coatings increased from 15 nm to 46 nm as the coating thickness increased from ∼100 nm to ∼1400 nm. The inhomogeneous lattice strain increased from 0.36% to 0.91% for the ∼100 nm to ∼900 nm thick coatings and slightly decreased to 0.89% for the ∼1400 nm thick coating. The highest adhesion strength to Al alloy substrates was for the ∼210 nm thick coating, due to a continuous film coverage and low internal stress. Electrochemical measurements indicated that sputter deposited crystalline CeO{sub 2} coatings acted as physical barriers that provide good cathodic inhibition for Al alloys in saline solution. The ∼900 nm thick CeO{sub 2} coated sample had the best corrosion performance that increased the corrosion resistance by two orders magnitude and lowered the cathodic current density 30 times compared to bare Al 2024-T3 substrates. The reduced defects and exposed surface, along with suppressed charge mobility, likely accounts for the improved corrosion performance as coating thickness increased from ∼100 nm to ∼900 nm. The corrosion performance decreased for ∼1400 nm thick coatings due in part to an increase in coating defects and porosity along with a decrease in adhesion strength.

Evaluation of flow accelerated corrosion by coupled analysis of corrosion and flow dynamics. Relationship of oxide film thickness, hematite/magnetite ratio, ECP and wall thinning rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Shunsuke; Naitoh, Masanori; Okada, Hidetoshi; Uehara, Yasushi; Koshizuka, Seiichi

2011-01-01

Systematic approaches to evaluate flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) are desired before discussing application of countermeasures for FAC. First, future FAC occurrence should be evaluated to identify locations where a higher possibility of FAC occurrence exists, and then, wall thinning rate at the identified FAC occurrence zone is evaluated to obtain the preparation time for applying countermeasures. Wall thinning rates were calculated with two coupled models: 1.static electrochemical analysis and 2.dynamic oxide layer growth analysis. The anodic current density and the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) were calculated with the static electrochemistry model based on an Evans diagram. The ferrous ion release rate, determined by the anodic current density, was applied as input for the dynamic double oxide layer model. Some of the dissolved ferrous ion was removed to the bulk water and others precipitated on the surface as magnetite particles. The thickness of oxide layer was calculated with the dynamic oxide layer growth model and then its value was used as input in the electrochemistry model. It was confirmed that the calculated results (corrosion rate and ECP) based on the coupled models were in good agreement with the measured ones. Higher ECP was essential for preventing FAC rate. Moderated conditions due to lower mass transfer coefficients resulted in thicker oxide layer thickness and then higher ECP, while moderated corrosion conditions due to higher oxidant concentrations resulted in larger hematite/magnetite rate and then higher ECP.

Effect of thickness on optical properties of thermally evaporated SnS films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selim, M.S.; Gouda, M.E.; El-Shaarawy, M.G.; Salem, A.M.; Abd El-Ghany, W.A.

2013-01-01

The effect of film thickness on the structure and optical properties of thermally evaporated SnS film has been studied. SnS films with different thicknesses in the range 152–585 nm were deposited onto clean glass substrates at room temperature. X-ray diffraction study revealed that SnS films of thickness ≥ 283 nm are crystalline, whereas films of lower thickness exhibit poor crystalline with more amorphous background. The crystalline nature of the lower film thickness has been confirmed using transmission electron microscope and the corresponding electron diffraction pattern. The thicker film samples showed nearly stoichiometric chemical composition; however, thinner samples are deficient in S and rich in Sn. The optical property of the deposited films has been investigated in the wavelength range 350–2500 nm. The refractive index increases notably with increasing film thickness. The refractive index for the investigated film thicknesses are adequately described by the effective-single-oscillator model. The static refractive index and the static dielectric constant have been calculated. Analysis of the optical absorption coefficient revealed the presence of direct optical transition and the corresponding band gap values were found to decrease as the film thickness increases. - Highlights: ► X-ray diffraction was used to study the structure of SnS films. ► Transmission electron microscope confirms the crystalline state of SnS films. ► The refractive index increases notably with increasing the film thickness. ► The optical band gap of SnS films decreases with increasing film thickness

Effects of buffer thickness on ATW blanket performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W. S.; Mercatali, L.; Taiwo, T. A.; Hill, R. N.

2001-01-01

This paper presents preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for liquid metal cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) systems, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using 840 MWt liquid metal cooled ATW designs, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performance have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performance parameters have been estimated by a series of calculations using the MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance variation are studied by investigating the low-energy ( and lt; 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. For investigating irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. Results for the liquid-metal-cooled designs show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable. Investigation of the impact of the proton beam energy on the target and buffer design shows that for a given blanket power level, a lower beam energy (0.6 GeV versus 1 GeV) results in a higher irradiation damage to the beam window. This trend occurs because of the increase in the beam intensity required to maintain the power level

Effects of Buffer Thickness on ATW Blanket Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.S.; Mercatali, L.; Taiwo, T.A.; Hill, R.N.

2002-01-01

This paper presents preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for liquid metal cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) systems, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using 840 MWt liquid metal cooled ATW designs, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performance have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performance parameters have been estimated by a series of calculations using the MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance variation are studied by investigating the low-energy (< 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. For investigating irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. Results for the liquid-metal-cooled designs show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable. Investigation of the impact of the proton beam energy on the target and buffer design shows that for a given blanket power level, a lower beam energy (0.6 GeV versus 1 GeV) results in a higher irradiation damage to the beam window. This trend occurs because of the increase in the beam intensity required to maintain the power level. (authors)

Effect of decontamination on oxidation of austenitic stainless steel in reactor conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkman, T.

1984-07-01

Austenitic stainless steels were oxidized in static autoclaves in light water reactor conditions. After the autoclave treatments the specimens were decontaminated with the aid of alkaline potassium permanganate (AP) and oxalic and citric acid (CITROX) as well as electrochemically in H 3 PO 4 . Alternating oxidation and decontamination tests were performed. An elemental analysis of the surfaces of the specimens was carried out by electron spectroscopy. Changes in structures and thicknesses of the oxide layers were observed. (author)

Development of a novel gas sensor based on oxide thick films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arshak, K.; Gaidan, I.

2005-01-01

Zinc and iron oxide thick film gas sensors were fabricated using screen-printing technology on glass substrates that had silver interdigitated electrodes. The sensor was used to detect methanol, ethanol and propanol with a concentration range of 0-8000 ppm. Using the formula to calculate a change in resistance, ΔR = R gas - R air, resistance was seen to increase linearly alongside increasing concentrations of the gas vapours. The sensor showed the highest sensitivity to propanol followed by ethanol and methanol when the operating temperature was 25 deg. C. The sensitivities (slope of graphs) of methanol, ethanol and propanol changed from 0.07, 0.5, and 3.54 to 0.075, 0.115, and 0.5 Ω/ppm when the operating temperature was increased from 25 to 50 deg. C. The response/recovery times of the sensor for 4000 ppm at room temperature were, 10/10, 15/20 and 40/70 s for methanol, ethanol and propanol, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to examine the final composition of the film, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the final composition of grain size. The final composition has two phases: ZnO and ZnFe 2 O 4

Effect of Various Interface Thicknesses on the Behaviour of Infilled frame Subjected to Lateral Load

Science.gov (United States)

Senthil, K.; Muthukumar, S.; Rupali, S.; Satyanarayanan, K. S.

2018-03-01

Two dimensional numerical investigations were carried out to study the influence of interface thickness on the behaviour of reinforced concrete frames subjected to in-plane lateral loads using commercial finite element tool SAP 2000. The cement mortar, cork and foam was used as interface material and their effect was studied by varying thicknesses as 6, 8, 10, 14 and 20 mm. The effect of lateral loads on infill masonry wall was also studied by varying arbitrary loads as 10, 20, 40 and 60 kN. The resistance of the frame with cement mortar was found maximum with the interface thickness 10 mm therefore, it is concluded that the maximum influence of interface thickness of 10 mm was found effective. The resistance of integral infill frame with cork and foam interface was found maximum with the interface thickness 6 mm and it is concluded that 6 mm thick interface among the chosen thickness was found effective.

The Effects of Silymarin on Oxidative Status and Bone Characteristics in Japanese Quail Subjected to Oxidative Stress Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moradi F

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to assess the effects of Silymarin on oxidative status, bone characteristics, and some blood parameters in Japanese quail subjected to oxidative stress induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4. The experiment was performed as a completely randomized design with four replicates, each with 30 birds, using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two doses of Silymarin (0 and 1 mL/kg BW and CCl4 (0 and 1 mL/kg BW. Results revealed that the interaction between Silymarin and CCl4on concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, albumin, calcium, and alkaline phosphatase were significant (P < 0.05. In contrast, concentrations of phosphorus, total protein, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in blood serum did not differ between experimental treatments. Experimental treatments had a significant effect on superoxide dismutase activity in blood serum (P < 0.05, but not on glutathione peroxide activity and malondialdehyde concentration. Experimental treatments significantly affected the weight, thickness, and external and internal diameters of tibia bone (P < 0.05, but not its length, ash, volume, and density. This study shows that Silymarin has potential to attenuate adverse effects of oxidative stress induced by CCl4 in Japanese quail.

Process-structure-property relationships of micron thick gadolinium oxide films deposited by reactive electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD)

Science.gov (United States)

Grave, Daniel A.

Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) is an attractive material for solid state neutron detection due to gadolinium's high thermal neutron capture cross section. Development of neutron detectors based on Gd2 O3 requires sufficiently thick films to ensure neutron absorption. In this dissertation work, the process-structure-property relationships of micron thick Gd2O3 films deposited by reactive electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) were studied. Through a systematic design of experiments, fundamental studies were conducted to determine the effects of processing conditions such as deposition temperature, oxygen flow rate, deposition rate, and substrate material on Gd2O3 film crystallographic phase, texture, morphology, grain size, density, and surface roughness. Films deposited at high rates (> 5 A/s) were examined via x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Quantitative phase volume calculations were performed via a Rietveld refinement technique. All films deposited at high rates were found to be fully monoclinic or mixed cubic/monoclinic phase. Generally, increased deposition temperature and increased oxygen flow resulted in increased cubic phase volume. As film thickness increased, monoclinic phase volume increased. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) depth profiling analysis showed that cubic phase was only present under large incidence angle (large penetration depth) measurements, and after a certain point, only monoclinic phase was grown. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis with selected area diffraction (SAD). Based on this information, a large compressive stress was hypothesized to cause the formation of the monoclinic phase and this hypothesis was confirmed by demonstrating the existence of a stress induced phase transition. An experiment was designed to introduce compressive stress into the Gd2O 3 films via ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). This allowed for systematic increase in compressive stress while

Effect of boundary layer thickness on the flow characteristics around a rectangular prism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Ho Seong; Kim, Kyung Chun

2001-01-01

Effect of boundary layer thickness on the flow characteristics around a rectangular prism has been investigated by using a PIV(Particle Image Velocimetry) technique. Three different boundary layers (thick, medium and thin) were generated in the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel at Pusan National University. The thick boundary layer having 670mm thickness was generated by using spires and roughness elements. The medium thickness of boundary layer(δ=270mm) was the natural turbulent boundary layer at the test section with fully long developing length(18m). The thin boundary layer with 36.5mm thickness was generated by on a smooth panel elevated 70cm from the wind tunnel floor. The Reynolds number based on the free stream velocity and the height of the model was 7.9X10 3 . The mean velocity vector fields and turbulent kinetic energy distribution were measured and compared. The effect of boundary layer thickness is clearly observed not only in the length of separation bubble but also in the reattachment points. The thinner boundary layer thickness, the higher turbulent kinetic energy peak around the model roof. It is strongly recommended that the height ratio between model and approaching boundary layer thickness should be a major parameter

The effect of bubble acceleration on the liquid film thickness in micro tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Youngbae, E-mail: bhan@feslab.t.u-tokyo.ac.j [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Shikazono, Naoki, E-mail: shika@feslab.t.u-tokyo.ac.j [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2010-08-15

Liquid film thickness is an important parameter for predicting boiling heat transfer in micro tubes. In the previous study (), liquid film thickness under the steady condition was investigated and an empirical correlation for the initial liquid film thickness based on capillary number, Reynolds number and Weber number was proposed. However, under flow boiling conditions, bubble velocity is not constant but accelerated due to evaporation. It is necessary to consider this bubble acceleration effect on the liquid film thickness, since it affects viscous, surface tension and inertia forces in the momentum equation. In addition, viscous boundary layer develops, and it may also affect the liquid film thickness. In the present study, the effect of bubble acceleration is investigated. Laser focus displacement meter is used to measure the liquid film thickness. Ethanol, water and FC-40 are used as working fluids. Circular tubes with three different inner diameters, D = 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 mm, are used. The increase of liquid film thickness with capillary number is restricted by the bubble acceleration. Finally, an empirical correlation is proposed for the liquid film thickness of accelerated flows in terms of capillary number and Bond number based on the bubble acceleration.

The effect of bubble acceleration on the liquid film thickness in micro tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Youngbae; Shikazono, Naoki

2010-01-01

Liquid film thickness is an important parameter for predicting boiling heat transfer in micro tubes. In the previous study (), liquid film thickness under the steady condition was investigated and an empirical correlation for the initial liquid film thickness based on capillary number, Reynolds number and Weber number was proposed. However, under flow boiling conditions, bubble velocity is not constant but accelerated due to evaporation. It is necessary to consider this bubble acceleration effect on the liquid film thickness, since it affects viscous, surface tension and inertia forces in the momentum equation. In addition, viscous boundary layer develops, and it may also affect the liquid film thickness. In the present study, the effect of bubble acceleration is investigated. Laser focus displacement meter is used to measure the liquid film thickness. Ethanol, water and FC-40 are used as working fluids. Circular tubes with three different inner diameters, D = 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 mm, are used. The increase of liquid film thickness with capillary number is restricted by the bubble acceleration. Finally, an empirical correlation is proposed for the liquid film thickness of accelerated flows in terms of capillary number and Bond number based on the bubble acceleration.

Thickness effect on the microstructure, morphology and optoelectronic properties of ZnS films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prathap, P; Revathi, N; Subbaiah, Y P Venkata; Reddy, K T Ramakrishna

2008-01-01

Thin films of ZnS with thicknesses ranging from 100 to 600 nm have been deposited on glass substrates by close spaced thermal evaporation. All the films were grown at the same deposition conditions except the deposition time. The effect of thickness on the physical properties of ZnS films has been studied. The experimental results indicated that the thickness affects the structure, lattice strain, surface morphology and optoelectronic properties of ZnS films significantly. The films deposited at a thickness of 100 nm showed hexagonal structure whereas films of thickness 300 nm or more showed cubic structure. However, coexistence of both cubic and hexagonal structures was observed in the films of 200 nm thickness. The surface roughness of the films showed an increasing trend at higher thicknesses of the films. A blue-shift in the energy band gap along with an intense UV emission band was observed with the decrease of film thickness, which are ascribed to the quantum confinement effect. The behaviour of optical constants such as refractive index and extinction coefficient were analysed. The variation of refractive index and extinction coefficient with thickness was explained on the basis of the contribution from the packing density of the layers. The electrical resistivity as well as the activation energy were evaluated and found to decrease with the increase of film thickness. The thickness had a significant influence on the optical band gap as well as the luminescence intensity

The effects of slice thickness and reconstructive parameters on VR image quality in multi-slice CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Zhenlong; Wang Qiang; Liu Caixia

2005-01-01

Objective: To explore the effects of slice thickness, reconstructive thickness and reconstructive interval on VR image quality in multi-slice CT, in order to select the best slice thickness and reconstructive parameters for the imaging. Methods: Multi-slice CT scan was applied on a rubber dinosaur model with different slice thickness. VR images were reconstructed with different reconstructive thickness and reconstructive interval. Five radiologists were invited to evaluate the quality of the images without knowing anything about the parameters. Results: The slice thickness, reconstructive thickness and reconstructive interval did have effects on VR image quality and the effective degree was different. The effective coefficients were V 1 =1413.033, V 2 =563.733, V 3 =390.533, respectively. The parameters interacted with the others (P<0.05). The smaller of those parameters, the better of the image quality. With a small slice thickness and a reconstructive slice equal to slice thickness, the image quality had no obvious difference when the reconstructive interval was 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 of the slice thickness. Conclusion: A relative small scan slice thickness, a reconstructive slice equal to slice thickness and a reconstructive interval 1/2 of the slice thickness should be selected for the best VR image quality. The image quality depends mostly on the slice thickness. (authors)

Static and dynamic through thickness lamina properties of thick laminates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lahuerta, F.; Nijssen, R.P.L.; Van der Meer, F.P.; Sluys, L.J.

2015-01-01

Thick laminates are increasingly present in large composites structures such as wind turbine blades. Different factors are suspected to be involved in the decreased static and dynamic performance of thick laminates. These include the effect of self-heating, the scaling effect, and the manufacturing

Effect of porous silicon layer on the performance of Si/oxide photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badawy, Waheed A.

2008-01-01

Photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical systems were prepared by the formation of a thin porous film on silicon. The porous silicon layer was formed on the top of a clean oxide free silicon wafer surface by anodic etching in HF/H 2 O/C 2 H 5 OH mixture (2:1:1). The silicon was then covered by an oxide film (tin oxide, ITO or titanium oxide). The oxide films were prepared by the spray/pyrolysis technique which enables doping of the oxide film by different atoms like In, Ru or Sb during the spray process. Doping of SnO 2 or TiO 2 films with Ru atoms improves the surface characteristics of the oxide film which improves the solar conversion efficiency. The prepared solar cells are stable against environmental attack due to the presence of the stable oxide film. It gives relatively high short circuit currents (I sc ), due to the presence of the porous silicon layer, which leads to the recorded high conversion efficiency. Although the open-circuit potential (V oc ) and fill factor (FF) were not affected by the thickness of the porous silicon film, the short circuit current was found to be sensitive to this thickness. An optimum thickness of the porous film and also the oxide layer is required to optimize the solar cell efficiency. The results represent a promising system for the application of porous silicon layers in solar energy converters. The use of porous silicon instead of silicon single crystals in solar cell fabrication and the optimization of the solar conversion efficiency will lead to the reduction of the cost as an important factor and also the increase of the solar cell efficiency making use of the large area of the porous structures

THE THICKNESS DEPENDENCE OF OXYGEN PERMEABILITY IN SOL-GEL DERIVED CGO-COFE2O4 THIN FILMS ON POROUS CERAMIC SUBSTRATES: A SPUTTERED BLOCKING LAYER FOR THICKNESS CONTROL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brinkman, K

2009-01-08

Mixed conductive oxides are a topic of interest for applications in oxygen separation membranes as well as use in producing hydrogen fuel through the partial oxidation of methane. The oxygen flux through the membrane is governed both by the oxygen ionic conductivity as well as the material's electronic conductivity; composite membranes like Ce{sub 0.8}Gd{sub 0.2}O{sub 2-{delta}} (CGO)-CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (CFO) use gadolinium doped ceria oxides as the ionic conducting material combined with cobalt iron spinel which serves as the electronic conductor. In this study we employ {approx} 50 nm sputtered CeO{sub 2} layers on the surface of porous CGO ceramic substrates which serve as solution 'blocking' layers during the thin film fabrication process facilitating the control of film thickness. Films with thickness of {approx} 2 and 4 microns were prepared by depositing 40 and 95 separate sol-gel layers respectively. Oxygen flux measurements indicated that the permeation increased with decreasing membrane thickness; thin film membrane with thickness on the micron level showed flux values an order of magnitude greater (0.03 {micro}mol/cm{sup 2} s) at 800 C as compared to 1mm thick bulk ceramic membranes (0.003 {micro}mol/cm{sup 2}).

Thickness optimization of the ZnO based TCO layer in a CZTSSe solar cell. Evolution of its performance with thickness when external temperature changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadel, Meriem; Moustafa Bouzaki, Mohammed; Chadel, Asma; Aillerie, Michel; Benyoucef, Boumediene

2017-07-01

The influence of the thickness of a Zinc Oxide (ZnO) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer on the performance of the CZTSSe solar cell is shown in detail. In a photovoltaic cell, the thickness of each layer largely influence the performance of the solar cell and optimization of each layer constitutes a complete work. Here, using the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulation (SCAPS) software, we present simulation results obtained in the analyze of the influence of the TCO layer thickness on the performance of a CZTSSe solar cell, starting from performance of a CZTSSe solar cell commercialized in 2014 with an initial efficiency equal to 12.6%. In simulation, the temperature was considered as a functioning parameter and the evolution of tthe performance of the cell for various thickness of the TCO layer when the external temperature changes is simulated and discussed. The best efficiency of the solar cell based in CZTSSe is obtained with a ZnO thickness equal to 50 nm and low temperature. Based on the considered marketed cell, we show a technological possible increase of the global efficiency achieving 13% by optimization of ZnO based TCO layer.

Effect of adhesive thickness on adhesively bonded T-joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, A R; Afendi, Mohd; Majid, M S Abdul

2013-01-01

The aim of this work is to analyze the effect of adhesive thickness on tensile strength of adhesively bonded stainless steel T-joint. Specimens were made from SUS 304 Stainless Steel plate and SUS 304 Stainless Steel perforated plate. Four T-joint specimens with different adhesive thicknesses (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mm) were made. Experiment result shows T-joint specimen with adhesive thickness of 1.0 mm yield highest maximum load. Identical T-joint specimen jointed by spot welding was also tested. Tensile test shows welded T-Joint had eight times higher tensile load than adhesively bonded T-joint. However, in low pressure application such as urea granulator chamber, high tensile strength is not mandatory. This work is useful for designer in fertilizer industry and others who are searching for alternative to spot welding

Effects of single pulse energy on the properties of ceramic coating prepared by micro-arc oxidation on Ti alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jun-Hua [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500 (China); Wang, Jin [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Beijing Key Lab of Precision/Ultra-precision Manufacturing Equipments and Control, Beijing 100084 (China); Lu, Yan [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Du, Mao-Hua [Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500 (China); Han, Fu-Zhu, E-mail: hanfuzhu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Beijing Key Lab of Precision/Ultra-precision Manufacturing Equipments and Control, Beijing 100084 (China)

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Single pulse energy remarkably influences the properties of ceramic coating prepared by MAO on Ti alloy. • The accumulative time of impulse width is an important parameter in the scientific and rational measurement of the film forming law of ceramic coating. • The ceramic coating thickness approximately linearly increases with the cumulative time of impulse width. • Larger impulse width resulted in higher single pulse energy, film forming rates and thicker ceramic coating thickness. • The effects of single pulse energy on the micro-hardness and phase composition of ceramic coating are not as evident as those of frequency and duty cycle. - Abstract: The effects of single pulse energy on the properties of ceramic coating fabricated on a Ti–6Al–4V alloy via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) in aqueous solutions containing aluminate, phosphate, and some additives are investigated. The thickness, micro-hardness, surface and cross-sectional morphology, surface roughness, and compositions of the ceramic coating are studied using eddy current thickness meter, micro-hardness tester, JB-4C Precision Surface roughness meter, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Single pulse energy remarkably influences the ceramic coating properties. The accumulative time of impulse width is an important parameter in the scientific and rational measurement of the film forming law of ceramic coating. The ceramic coating thickness approximately linearly increases with the cumulative time of impulse width. Larger impulse width resulted in higher single pulse energy, film forming rates and thicker ceramic coating thickness. The sizes of oxide particles, micro-pores and micro-cracks slightly increase with impulse width and single pulse energy. The main surface conversion products generated during MAO process in aqueous solutions containing aluminate are rutile TiO{sub 2}, anatase TiO{sub 2}, and a large amount of Al{sub 2}TiO{sub 5}. The effects of

Limits to the adherence of oxide scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, J.; Manning, M.I.

1989-10-01

Fracture mechanics is used to identify criteria under which uniform oxide scales may be expected to fail due to rapidly applied strains. The most common failure mode occurs when the strain, ε, builds up in the scale until the strain energy density per unit area exceeds the fracture surface energy, γ, of the oxide. This produces spalling when ε > (2γ/hE) 1/2 , where h is the scale thickness and E is the oxide Youngs modulus. In thin scales, as the external strain is applied to the oxide via the metal substrate, it is clear that no further strain can be applied to the oxide if the substrate has itself been strained beyond yield. This gives rise to extended oxide adherence in which the oxide cracks and forms a series of islands but remains attached to the deformed metal. When the oxide thickness is less than its comminution limit, the flaw size necessary for brittle fracture exceeds the oxide thickness and the oxide yields in a ductile manner without cracking. The results are presented as maps of failure strain versus oxide thickness for various oxide systems such as Fe 3 O 4 , Cr 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 and NiO. The observed cases of spalling are found to lie within the predicted regions. (author)

Enhancement in sensitivity of graphene-based zinc oxide assisted bimetallic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rajeev; Kushwaha, Angad S.; Srivastava, Monika; Mishra, H.; Srivastava, S. K.

2018-03-01

In the present communication, a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor with Kretschmann configuration having alternate layers, prism/zinc oxide/silver/gold/graphene/biomolecules (ss-DNA) is presented. The optimization of the proposed configuration has been accomplished by keeping the constant thickness of zinc oxide (32 nm), silver (32 nm), graphene (0.34 nm) layer and biomolecules (100 nm) for different values of gold layer thickness (1, 3 and 5 nm). The sensitivity of the proposed SPR biosensor has been demonstrated for a number of design parameters such as gold layer thickness, number of graphene layer, refractive index of biomolecules and the thickness of biomolecules layer. SPR biosensor with optimized geometry has greater sensitivity (66 deg/RIU) than the conventional (52 deg/RIU) as well as other graphene-based (53.2 deg/RIU) SPR biosensor. The effect of zinc oxide layer thickness on the sensitivity of SPR biosensor has also been analysed. From the analysis, it is found that the sensitivity increases significantly by increasing the thickness of zinc oxide layer. It means zinc oxide intermediate layer plays an important role to improve the sensitivity of the biosensor. The sensitivity of SPR biosensor also increases by increasing the number of graphene layer (upto nine layer).

Enhanced low-temperature oxidation of zirconium alloys under irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, B.; Fidleris, V.

1989-01-01

The linear growth of relatively thick (>300 nm) interference-colored oxide films on zirconium alloy specimens exposed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) coolant at ≤55 o C was unexpected. Initial ideas were that this was a photoconduction effect. Experiments to study photoconduction in thin anodic zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) films in the laboratory were initiated to provide background data. It was found that, in the laboratory, provided a high electric field was maintained across the oxide during ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, enhanced growth of oxide occurred in the irradiated area. Similarly enhanced growth could be obtained on thin thermally formed oxide films that were immersed in an electrolyte with a high electric field superimposed. This enhanced growth was found to be caused by the development of porosity in the barrier oxide layer by an enhanced local dissolution and reprecipitation process during UV irradiation. Similar porosity was observed in the oxide films on the ATR specimens. Since it is not thought that a high electric field could have been present in this instance, localized dissolution of fast-neutron primary recoil tracks may be the operative mechanism. In all instances, the specimens attempt to maintain the normal barrier-layer oxide thickness, which causes the additional oxide growth. Similar mechanisms may have operated during the formation of thick loosely adherent, porous oxides in homogeneous reactor solutions under irradiation, and may be the cause of enhanced oxidation of zirconium alloys in high-temperature water-cooled reactors in some water chemistries. (author)

Evaluation of the nanomechanical properties of vanadium and native oxide vanadium thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, M.A.; Zhang, K.; Baumgart, H.; Elmustafa, A.A.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • V films of 50, 75, 100 nm thickness were deposited on Si by RF magnetron sputtering. • We studied structural/mechanical properties by XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, and nanoindentation. • The hardness increased from 9.0 to 14.0 GPa for 100 to 50 nm. • The modulus showed no correlation with thickness or native oxide formation. • Native oxide formation resulted in grain enlargement and roughness reduction. - Abstract: Polycrystalline vanadium thin films of 50, 75, and 100 nm thickness were deposited by magnetron sputtering of a vanadium metal target of 2 inch diameter with 99.9% purity on native oxide covered Si substrates. One set of the fabricated samples were kept in moisture free environment and the other set was exposed to ambient air at room temperature for a long period of time that resulted in formation of native oxide prior to testing. The crystal structure and phase purity of the vanadium and the oxidized vanadium thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results yield a preferential (1 1 0), and (2 0 0) orientation of the polycrystalline V films and (0 0 4) vanadium oxide (V 3 O 7 ). The vanadium films thickness were verified using field emission scanning electron microscopy and the films surface morphologies were inspected using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images reveal surface roughness was observed to increase with increasing film thickness and also subsequent to oxidation at room temperature. The nanomechanical properties were measured by nanoindentation to evaluate the modulus and hardness of the vanadium and the oxidized vanadium thin films. The elastic modulus of the vanadium and the oxidized vanadium films was estimated as 150 GPa at 30% film thickness and the elastic modulus of the bulk vanadium target is estimated as 135 GPa. The measured hardness of the vanadium films at 30% film thickness varies between 9 and 14 GPa for the 100 and 50 nm films, respectively, exhibiting size effects

Cloud-radiation interactions - Effects of cirrus optical thickness feedbacks

Science.gov (United States)

Somerville, Richard C. J.; Iacobellis, Sam

1987-01-01

The paper is concerned with a cloud-radiation feedback mechanism which may be an important component of the climate changes expected from increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other trace greenhouse gases. A major result of the study is that cirrus cloud optical thickness feedbacks may indeed tend to increase the surface warming due to trace gas increases. However, the positive feedback from cirrus appears to be generally weaker than the negative effects due to lower clouds. The results just confirm those of earlier research indicating that the net effect of cloud optical thickness feedbacks may be a negative feedback which may substantially (by a factor of about 2) reduce the surface warming due to the doubling of CO2, even in the presence of cirrus clouds.

Aluminum cladding oxidation of prefilmed in-pile fueled experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcum, W.R., E-mail: marcumw@engr.orst.edu [Oregon State University, School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 116 Radiation Center, Corvallis, OR 97331 (United States); Wachs, D.M.; Robinson, A.B.; Lillo, M.A. [Idaho National Laboratory, Nuclear Fuels & Materials Department, 2525 Fremont Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States)

2016-04-01

A series of fueled irradiation experiments were recently completed within the Advanced Test Reactor Full size plate In center flux trap Position (AFIP) and Gas Test Loop (GTL) campaigns. The conduct of the AFIP experiments supports ongoing efforts within the global threat reduction initiative (GTRI) to qualify a new ultra-high loading density low enriched uranium-molybdenum fuel. This study details the characterization of oxide growth on the fueled AFIP experiments and cross-correlates the empirically measured oxide thickness values to existing oxide growth correlations and convective heat transfer correlations that have traditionally been utilized for such an application. This study adds new and valuable empirical data to the scientific community with respect to oxide growth measurements of highly irradiated experiments, of which there is presently very limited data. Additionally, the predicted oxide thickness values are reconstructed to produce an oxide thickness distribution across the length of each fueled experiment (a new application and presentation of information that has not previously been obtainable in open literature); the predicted distributions are compared against experimental data and in general agree well with the exception of select outliers. - Highlights: • New experimental data is presented on oxide layer thickness of irradiated aluminum fuel. • Five oxide growth correlations and four convective heat transfer correlations are used to compute the oxide layer thickness. • The oxide layer thickness distribution is predicted via correlation for each respective experiment. • The measured experiment and predicted distributions correlate well, with few outliers.

Magnetic properties and microstructure investigation of electrodeposited FeNi/ITO films with different thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Derang; Wang, Zhenkun; Feng, Erxi; Wei, Jinwu; Wang, Jianbo; Liu, Qingfang

2013-01-01

Highlights: •FeNi alloy thin films with different thickness deposited on Indium Tin Oxides (ITOs) conductive glass substrates by electrodeposition method. •A columnar crystalline microstructure and domain structure were obtained in FeNi thin films. •Particular FMR spectra of FeNi alloy with different thickness were studied. -- Abstract: FeNi alloy thin films with different thickness deposited on Indium Tin Oxides (ITOs) conductive glass substrates from the electrolytes by electrodeposition method have been studied by magnetic force microscopy (MFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique. For these films possessing an in-plane isotropy, the remanence decreases with the increasing of film thickness and the critical thickness that a stripe domain structure emerges is about 116 nm. Characteristic differences of the FMR spectra of different thickness are also observed. The results show that the resonance field at high measured angle increases firstly then decreases with increasing thickness, which may be related to the striped domain structure

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Herz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO2 evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI oxide (WO3 which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to the presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO3 is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO3 nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herz, A., E-mail: andreas.herz@tu-ilmenau.de, E-mail: dong.wang@tu-ilmenau.de; Franz, A.; Theska, F.; Hentschel, M.; Kups, Th.; Wang, D., E-mail: andreas.herz@tu-ilmenau.de, E-mail: dong.wang@tu-ilmenau.de; Schaaf, P. [Department of Materials for Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnologies MacroNano, TU Ilmenau, D-98693 Ilmenau (Germany)

2016-03-15

Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO{sub 2} evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO{sub 3}) which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to the presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO{sub 3} is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO{sub 3} nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.

Review Of Plutonium Oxidation Literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korinko, P.

2009-01-01

A brief review of plutonium oxidation literature was conducted. The purpose of the review was to ascertain the effect of oxidation conditions on oxide morphology to support the design and operation of the PDCF direct metal oxidation (DMO) furnace. The interest in the review was due to a new furnace design that resulted in oxide characteristics that are different than those of the original furnace. Very little of the published literature is directly relevant to the DMO furnace operation, which makes assimilation of the literature data with operating conditions and data a convoluted task. The oxidation behavior can be distilled into three regimes, a low temperature regime (RT to 350 C) with a relatively slow oxidation rate that is influenced by moisture, a moderate temperature regime (350-450 C) that is temperature dependent and relies on more or less conventional oxidation growth of a partially protective oxide scale, and high temperature oxidation (> 500 C) where the metal autocatalytically combusts and oxidizes. The particle sizes obtained from these three regimes vary with the finest being from the lowest temperature. It is surmised that the slow growth rate permits significant stress levels to be achieved that help break up the oxides. The intermediate temperatures result in a fairly compact scale that is partially protective and that grows to critical thickness prior to fracturing. The growth rate in this regime may be parabolic or paralinear, depending on the oxidation time and consequently the oxide thickness. The high temperature oxidation is invariant in quiescent or nearly quiescent conditions due to gas blanketing while it accelerates with temperature under flowing conditions. The oxide morphology will generally consist of fine particles ( 250 (micro)m). The particle size ratio is expected to be < 5%, 25%, and 70% for fine, medium and large particles, respectively, for metal temperatures in the 500-600 C range.

Effect of piracetam and nimodipine on full-thickness skin burns in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, Elif; Dincel, Gungor C

2016-08-01

The potential of several drugs for full-thickness skin burns has been investigated, but the treatment of such burns remains a challenge in plastic surgery. The present study was designed to determine the effect of systemic and topical administration of piracetam and nimodipine on full-thickness skin burn wound healing. A total of 36 New Zealand male rabbits were divided into six groups. Full-thickness skin burns were produced in all the groups, except the control group. Piracetam was administered systemically (piracetam-IV) and topically (piracetam-C) for 14 days, and nimodipine was administered systemically (nimodipine-IV) and topically (nimodipine-C) over the burn wounds for 14 days. The sham group underwent burn injury but was not administered any drug. After 21 days, gross examination and histopathological analysis were performed and the results were compared statistically. Nimodipine-C and nimodipine-IV had no effect on burn wound healing. However, both piracetam-IV and piracetam-C significantly enhanced the healing of the full-thickness skin burn wounds, although the latter was more effective, useful and practical in burn wound healing. The histopathological features of the wounds in the piracetam-C group were closer to those of the control group than those of the other groups. Piracetam-C rather than piracetam-IV may promote full-thickness burn wound healing in rabbits. © 2015 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Thickness-dependent photovoltaic effects in miscut Nb-doped SrTiO3 single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue Zengji; Zhao Kun; Zhao Songqing; Lu Zhiqing; Li Xiaoming; Ni Hao; Wang Aijun

2010-01-01

The photovoltaic effects of Nb-doped SrTiO 3 single crystals with different thicknesses were investigated under the illumination of ultraviolet pulsed lasers. The peak photovoltage increased and then decreased quickly with the decrease in crystal thickness, and a maximum photovoltage occurred for the 180 μm-thick crystal. The photovoltaic response time decreased monotonically with decreasing crystal thickness. The present results suggested the promising potential of reducing crystal thickness in high sensitivity detectors with fast response.

Formation of thick stratiform Fe-Ti oxide layers in layered intrusion and frequent replenishment of fractionated mafic magma: Evidence from the Panzhihua intrusion, SW China

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xie-Yan; Qi, Hua-Wen; Hu, Rui-Zhong; Chen, Lie-Meng; Yu, Song-Yue; Zhang, Jia-Fei

2013-03-01

Panzhihua intrusion is one of the largest layered intrusions that hosts huge stratiform Fe-Ti oxide layers in the central part of the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China. Up to 60 m thick stratiform massive Fe-Ti oxide layers containing 85 modal% of magnetite and ilmenite and overlying magnetite gabbro compose cyclic units of the Lower Zone of the intrusion. The cyclic units of the Middle Zone consist of magnetite gabbro and overlying gabbro. In these cyclic units, contents of Fe2O3(t), TiO2 and Cr and Fe3+/Ti4+ ratio of the rocks decrease upward, Cr content of magnetite and forsterite percentage of olivine decrease as well. The Upper Zone consists of apatite gabbro characterized by enrichment of incompatible elements (e.g., 12-18 ppm La, 20-28 ppm Y) and increasing of Fe3+/Ti4+ ratio (from 1.3 to 2.3) upward. These features indicate that the Panzhihua intrusion was repeatedly recharged by more primitive magma and evolved magmas had been extracted. Calculations using MELTS indicate that extensive fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene in deep level resulted in increasing Fe and Ti contents in the magma. When these Fe-Ti-enriched magmas were emplaced along the base of the Panzhihua intrusion, Fe-Ti oxides became an early crystallization phase, leading to a residual magma of lower density. We propose that the unusually thick stratiform Fe-Ti oxide layers resulted from coupling of gravity settling and sorting of the crystallized Fe-Ti oxides from Fe-Ti-enriched magmas and frequent magma replenishment along the floor of the magma chamber.

Effect of bladder wall thickness on miniature pneumatic artificial muscle performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillsbury, Thomas E; Kothera, Curt S; Wereley, Norman M

2015-09-28

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are actuators known for their high power to weight ratio, natural compliance and light weight. Due to these advantages, PAMs have been used for orthotic devices and robotic limbs. Small scale PAMs have the same advantages, as well as requiring greatly reduced volumes with potential application to prostheses and small scale robotics. The bladder of a PAM affects common actuator performance metrics, specifically: blocked force, free contraction, hysteresis, and dead-band pressure. This paper investigates the effect that bladder thickness has on static actuation performance of small scale PAMs. Miniature PAMs were fabricated with a range of bladder thicknesses to quantify the change in common actuator performance metrics specifically: blocked force, free contraction, and dead-band pressure. These PAMs were then experimentally characterized in quasi-static conditions, where results showed that increasing bladder wall thickness decreases blocked force and free contraction, while dead-band pressure increases. A nonlinear model was then applied to determine the structure of the stress-strain relationship that enables accurate modeling and the minimum number of terms. Two nonlinear models are compared and the identified parameters are analyzed to study the effect of the bladder thickness on the model.

Effect of low-Z absorber's thickness on gamma-ray shielding parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, Kulwinder Singh, E-mail: ksmann6268@gmail.com [Department of Applied Sciences, Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala 144601 (India); Department of Physics, D.A.V. College, Bathinda 151001, Punjab (India); Heer, Manmohan Singh [Department of Physics, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar 144001 (India); Rani, Asha [Department of Applied Sciences, Ferozpur College of Engineering and Technology, Ferozshah, Ferozpur 142052 (India)

2015-10-11

Gamma ray shielding behaviour of any material can be studied by various interaction parameters such as total mass attenuation coefficient (μ{sub m}); half value layer (HVL); tenth value layer (TVL); effective atomic number (Z{sub eff}), electron density (N{sub el}), effective atomic weight (A{sub eff}) and buildup factor. For gamma rays, the accurate measurements of μ{sub m} (cm{sup 2} g{sup −1}) theoretically require perfect narrow beam irradiation geometry. However, the practical geometries used for the experimental investigations deviate from perfect-narrowness thereby the multiple scattered photons cause systematic errors in the measured values of μ{sub m}. Present investigation is an attempt to find the optimum value of absorber thickness (low-Z) for which these errors are insignificant and acceptable. Both experimental and theoretical calculations have been performed to investigate the effect of absorber's thickness on μ{sub m} of six low-Z (10thickness ≤0.5 mean free paths, thus considered it as optimum thickness for low-Z materials in the selected energy range. White cement was found to possess maximum shielding effectiveness for the selected gamma rays. - Highlights: • Optimum thickness value is 0.5 mfp for low-Z absorbers in energy range 662–1332 keV. • For accurate measurement of μ{sub m} absorber's thickness should be ≤optimum thickness. • GRIC2-toolkit is useful for γ-ray shielding analysis of composite materials.

Age Effects on Cortical Thickness in Cognitively Normal Elderly Individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sona Hurtz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Atrophy in both grey and white matter is found in normal aging. The prefrontal cortex and the frontal lobe white matter are thought to be the most affected regions. Our aim was to examine the effects of normal aging on cortical grey matter using a 3D quantitative cortical mapping method. Methods: We analyzed 1.5-tesla brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 44 cognitively normal elderly subjects using cortical pattern matching and cortical thickness analyses. Linear regression analysis was used to study the effect of age on cortical thickness. 3D map-wide correction for multiple comparisons was conducted with permutation analyses using a threshold of p Results: We found a significant negative association between age and cortical thickness in the right hemisphere (pcorrected = 0.009 and a trend level association in the left hemisphere (pcorrected = 0.081. Age-related changes were greatest in the sensorimotor, bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate and supplementary motor cortices, and the right posterior middle and inferior frontal gyri. Age effects greater in the medial than lateral visual association cortices were also seen bilaterally. Conclusion: Our novel method further validates that normal aging results in diffuse cortical thinning that is most pronounced in the frontal and visual association cortices.

An Effective Algorithm for Management of Noses with Thick Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Guyuron, Bahman; Lee, Michelle

2017-04-01

Thicker nasal skin blunts the definition of the underlying osseocartilaginous frame and the delicate topography of the nose posing additional challenges in producing desirable tip definition. Despite the recognized challenge in this patient population, there is a paucity of literature on how to overcome this problem. The goal of this article is to provide a systematic algorithm to manage patients with thick nasal skin. Approach to the thick nasal skin patient begins with an evaluation of the etiology of their skin thickness. Skin thickness secondary to sebaceous overactivity is diminished with the use of retinoic acid derivatives, lasers or isotretinoin (Accutane), commonly under the advice of the dermatologist. Rhinoplasty maneuvers include open technique, raising a healthy and reasonably thick skin flap overlying the tip, removing the remaining fat overlying and between the domes, creating a firm cartilaginous frame and eliminating dead space using the supratip suture reported by the senior author, and trimming redundant nasal skin envelope when indicated. This systematic approach has been greatly effective in achieving often predictable and aesthetically pleasing rhinoplasty results. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Influence of steam generator surface state on corrosion and oxide formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazenc, Arnaud; Leclercq, Stephanie; Seyeux, Antoine; Galtayries, Anouk; Marcus, Philippe

2012-09-01

The corrosion and release of nickel-based alloy Steam Generator tubes are partly due to their surface state. Among the most important parameters influencing the corrosion, the effect of grain size and the effect of grain crystallographic orientation have been chosen to be studied. The aim of this study is to determine how these parameters have an impact on the corrosion of Steam Generator tubes. Thermal treatments (700 deg. C and 1050 deg. C) have been performed on several samples in Alloy 690 to obtain homogeneous grain sizes, varying from 25 μm to 110 μm. Two samples have been oxidised for four days in a recirculating autoclave, reproducing primary conditions. The changes of oxide composition and thickness were examined by ToF-SIMS on samples exposed to primary water conditions. The intensity profiles versus thicknesses of characteristic oxide anions, such as CrO - , NiO - or FeO - enable us to evaluate the effect of grain size and crystallographic orientation on the formation of an enriched inner chromium layer. As regards to the grain size, there was no effect on the growth, but smaller grains led to a chromium-rich oxide layer. The effect of crystallographic orientation was observed on the oxidation kinetics and the composition of oxide scales. (authors)

Silicon effects on formation of EPO oxide coatings on aluminum alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L.; Nie, X.

2006-01-01

Electrolytic plasma processes (EPP) can be used for cleaning, metal-coating, carburizing, nitriding, and oxidizing. Electrolytic plasma oxidizing (EPO) is an advanced technique to deposit thick and hard ceramic coatings on a number of aluminum alloys. However, the EPO treatment on Al-Si alloys with a high Si content has rarely been reported. In this research, an investigation was conducted to clarify the effects of silicon contents on the EPO coating formation, morphology, and composition. Cast hypereutectic 390 alloys (∼ 17% Si) and hypoeutectic 319 alloys (∼ 7% Si) were chosen as substrates. The coating morphology, composition, and microstructure of the EPO coatings on those substrates were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A stylus roughness tester was used for surface roughness measurement. It was found that the EPO process had four stages where each stage was corresponding to various coating surface morphology, composition, and phase structures, characterised by different coating growth mechanisms

Densification of ∼5 nm-thick SiO{sub 2} layers by nitric acid oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Jaeyoung [Department of Energy Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan 311-16 (Korea, Republic of); Joo, Soyeong [Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE), Advanced Materials & Processing Center, Youngin 449-863 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Tae Joo [Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo-Byoung, E-mail: woo7838@dankook.ac.kr [Department of Energy Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan 311-16 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-15

Highlights: • Leakage current density of the commercial PECVD grown ∼5 nm SiO{sub 2} layer has been decreased about three orders of magnitude by densification. • The densification of SiO{sub 2} layer is achieved by high oxidation ability of O·. • Densities of suboxide, fixed charge (N{sub f}) and defect state (N{sub d}) in SiO{sub 2}/Si interface are decreased by NAOS and PMA. • Tunneling barrier height (Φ{sub t}) is increased because of the increase of atomic density in SiO{sub 2} layer. - Abstract: Low-temperature nitric acid (HNO{sub 3}) oxidation of Si (NAOS) has been used to improve the interface and electrical properties of ∼5 nm-thick SiO{sub 2}/Si layers produced by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Investigations of the physical properties and electrical characteristics of these thin films revealed that although their thickness is not changed by NAOS, the leakage current density at a gate bias voltage of −1 V decreases by about two orders of magnitude from 1.868 × 10{sup −5} A/cm{sup 2}. This leakage current density was further reduced by post-metallization annealing (PMA) at 250 °C for 10 min in a 5 vol.% hydrogen atmosphere, eventually reaching a level (5.2 × 10{sup −8} A/cm{sup 2}) approximately three orders of magnitude less than the as-grown SiO{sub 2} layer. This improvement is attributed to a decrease in the concentration of suboxide species (Si{sup 1+}, Si{sup 2+} and Si{sup 3+}) in the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface, as well as a decrease in the equilibrium density of defect sites (N{sub d}) and fixed charge density (N{sub f}). The barrier height (Φ{sub t}) generated by a Poole-Frenkel mechanism also increased from 0.205 to 0.371 eV after NAOS and PMA. The decrease in leakage current density is therefore attributed to a densification of the SiO{sub 2} layer in combination with the removal of OH species and increase in interfacial properties at the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface.

Effects of micro arc oxidation on fatigue limits and fracture morphologies of 7475 high strength aluminum alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dejun, Kong, E-mail: kong-dejun@163.com [College of Mechanical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Materials Surface Science and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 (China); Hao, Liu; Jinchun, Wang [College of Mechanical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 (China)

2015-11-25

The oxide coatings with thicknesses of 8 μm, 10 μm, and 15 μm were prepared on 7475 aluminum alloy with micro arc oxidation (MAO) by controlling MAO time, the fatigue limits of original and MAO samples were contrastively measured by the Roccati method. The surface-interface morphologies, fracture morphologies, surface phases, and residual stresses of MAO coating were analyzed with a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and XRD stress tester, respectively. The results show that fatigue limits of the MAO samples decreases as the coating thickness increasing. The fatigue limit of MAO sample with thickness of 8 μm, 10 μm, and 15 μm decreases by 6.48%, 8.33%, and 11.11%, respectively, compared with the original sample. The residual stress and defects introduced by MAO were the main factors of decreasing fatigue limits. - Graphical abstract: The fatigue limit of original sample was 216 MPa (a), while that of MAO samples with thickness of 8 μm, 10 μm and 15 μm was 202 MPa, 198 MPa and 192 MPa (b). The fatigue limit of MAO samples with thickness of 8 μm, 10 μm and 15 μm decreased by 6.48%, 8.33% and 11.11% compared with that of the original sample, as a result, the fatigue limit decreased with the MAO film thickness increasing. - Highlights: • The fatigue limits of MAO samples decrease with the oxide thickness increasing. • The overgrowth regions cause the crack source expanding. • The overgrowth of MAO film and tensile residual stress decrease fatigue limit.

Study of buffer layer thickness on bulk heterojunction solar cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Seunguk; Suman, C K; Lee, Donggu; Kim, Seohee; Lee, Changhee

2010-10-01

We studied the effect of the buffer layer (molybdenum-oxide (MoO3)) thickness on the performance of organic solar cell based on blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester fullerene derivative (PCBM). The thickness of MoO3 was varied from 1 nm to 30 nm for optimization of device performance. The photocurrent-voltage and impedance spectroscopy were measured under dark and AM1.5G solar simulated illumination of 100 mW/cm2 for exploring the role of the buffer layer thickness on carrier collection at an anode. The MoO3 thickness of the optimized device (efficiency approximately 3.7%) was found to be in the range of 5 approximately 10 nm. The short-circuit current and the shunt resistance decrease gradually for thicker MoO3 layer over 5 nm. The device can be modeled as the combination of three RC parallel circuits (each one for the active layer, buffer layer and interface between the buffer layer and the active layer) in series with contact resistance (Rs approximately 60 ohm).

Corrosion mechanisms of zirconium alloys - study of the initial oxidation kinetics and of the mechanical behaviour of the metal/oxide system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parise, M.

1996-12-01

Nuclear fuel claddings are made of zirconium alloys. The conditions of use lead the cladding oxidize outside. The so-formed layers behaves like a thermal barrier and prevents from using oxidized claddings with an oxide thickness larger than 100 μm. The oxidation kinetic is approximately cubic for oxide thicknesses smaller than about 2μm, linear beyond. A kinetic model has been proposed which estimates the post-transition growth rate from the kinetic parameters of the pre-transition state and morphological features of post-transition layers. This work aims at providing the necessary elements to validate this model and studying the layers around the kinetic transition, in order to determine whether the oxidation mechanisms before and after the transition are similar. Thicknesses of the 50 - 500 nm range of the oxide layers are measured by an optical method; pre-transition kinetics are thus precisely determined. The effect of the composition, the thermal treatment and the presence of oxygen in solid solution is studied. The morphological and crystallographic study of the layers show that they exhibit a lot of similarities before and after the kinetic transition. The results concerning the kinetic aspects and the morphology of the post-transition layers point out that the proposed model leads to realistic post-transition growth rates. Furthermore, the kinetic transition corresponds to the appearance of cracks in the oxide layer. The mechanical behaviour of the metal/oxide system has been modelled at different scales. When the specific behaviours of the metal and the oxide are taken into account together with the interface geometry, radial stresses appear, which are high enough to locally open cracks. The appearance and localization of cracks depend on both the interface geometry and the stress distribution in the metal/oxide system. (author)

Thermal Oxidation of Structured Silicon Dioxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas Lehrmann; Hansen, Ole; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2014-01-01

The topography of thermally oxidized, structured silicon dioxide is investigated through simulations, atomic force microscopy, and a proposed analytical model. A 357 nm thick oxide is structured by removing regions of the oxide in a masked etch with either reactive ion etching or hydrofluoric acid....... Subsequent thermal oxidation is performed in both dry and wet ambients in the temperature range 950◦C to 1100◦C growing a 205 ± 12 nm thick oxide in the etched mask windows. Lifting of the original oxide near the edge of the mask in the range 6 nm to 37 nm is seen with increased lifting for increasing...

Influence of crustal layering and thickness on co-seismic effects of Wenchuan earthquake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Hongbo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Using the PSGRN/PSCMP software and the fault model offered by USGS and on the basis of finite rectangular dislocation theory and the local layered wave velocity structures of the crust-upper-mantle, the influences of crustal layering and thickness on co-seismic gravity changes and deformation of Wenchuan earthquake have been simulated. The results indicate that; the influences have a relationship with the attitude of faults and the relative position between calculated points and fault. The difference distribution form of simulated results between the two models is similar to that of co-seismic effect. For the per centum distribution, it’s restricted by the zero line of the co-seismic effects obviously. Its positive is far away from the zero line. For the crustal thickness, the effect is about 10% – 20%. The negative and the effect over 30% focus around the zero line. The average influences of crustal layering and thickness for the E-W displacement, N-S displacement, vertical displacement and gravity changes are 18.4%,18.0%, 15.8% and 16.2% respectively, When the crustal thickness is 40 km, they are 4.6%, 5.3%, 3.8% and 3.8%. Then the crustal thickness is 70 km, the average influences are 3.5%, 4.6%, 3.0% and 2.5% respectively.

Titanium Oxide/Platinum Catalysis: Charge Transfer from a Titanium Oxide Support Controls Activity and Selectivity in Methanol Oxidation on Platinum

KAUST Repository

Hervier, Antoine

2011-11-24

Platinum films of 1 nm thickness were deposited by electron beam evaporation onto 100 nm thick titanium oxide films (TiOx) with variable oxygen vacancy concentrations and fluorine (F) doping. Methanol oxidation on the platinum films produced formaldehyde, methyl formate, and carbon dioxide. F-doped samples demonstrated significantly higher activity for methanol oxidation when the TiOx was stoichiometric (TiO 2), but lower activity when it was nonstoichiometric (TiO 1.7 and TiO1.9). These results correlate with the chemical behavior of the same types of catalysts in CO oxidation. Fluorine doping of stoichiometric TiO2 also increased selectivity toward partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde and methyl formate, but had an opposite effect in the case of nonstoichiometric TiOx. Introduction of oxygen vacancies and fluorine doping both increased the conductivity of the TiO x film. For oxygen vacancies, this occurred by the formation of a conduction channel in the band gap, whereas in the case of fluorine doping, F acted as an n-type donor, forming a conduction channel at the bottom of the conduction band, about 0.5-1.0 eV higher in energy. The higher energy electrons in F-doped stoichiometric TiOx led to higher turnover rates and increased selectivity toward partial oxidation of methanol. This correlation between electronic structure and turnover rate and selectivity indicates that the ability of the support to transfer charges to surface species controls in part the activity and selectivity of the reaction. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

The Thickness Dependence of Optical Constants of Ultrathin Iron Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Shang; Lian Jie; Wang Xiao; Li Ping; Sun Xiao-Fen; Li Qing-Hao

2013-01-01

Ultrathin iron films with different thicknesses from 7.1 to 51.7 nm are deposited by magnetron sputtering and covered by tantalum layers protecting them from being oxidized. These ultrathin iron films are studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmittance measurement. An extra tantalum film is deposited under the same sputtering conditions and its optical constants and film thickness are obtained by a combination of ellipsometry and transmission measurement. After introducing these obtained optical constants and film thickness into the tantalum-iron film, the optical constants and film thicknesses of ultrathin iron films with different thicknesses are obtained. The results show that combining ellipsometry and transmission measurement improves the uniqueness of the obtained film thickness. The optical constants of ultrathin iron films depend strongly on film thicknesses. There is a broad absorption peak at about 370 nm and it shifts to 410 nm with film thickness decreasing

Characterization of zirconium alloy oxidation films by alternating current impedance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosecrans, P.M.

1984-01-01

Kinetics of zirconium alloy oxidation are highly nonlinear. The results of electrochemical measurements and electron microscopy support the existence of porosity in oxide films formed on zirconium alloys in high temperature aqueous environments. Analytical treatment is presented relating oxidation kinetics to the thickness and distribution of nonporous elements within the oxide. This analysis illustrates that both the level and distribution of porosity within the oxide factor into oxidation kinetics. The barrier layer model can provide a basis for predicting the effect of environmental changes on oxidation rate. In addition, it demonstrates the need for further research into porosity generation mechanisms in oxide films

Characterization of zirconium alloy oxidation films by alternating current impedance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosecrans, P.M.

1983-11-01

Kinetics of zirocnium alloy oxidation are highly nonlinear. The results of electrochemical measurements and electron microscopy support the existence of porosity in oxide films formed on zirconium alloys in high temperature aqueous environments. Analytical treatment is presented relating oxidation kinetics to the thickness and distribution of nonporous elements within the oxide. This analysis illustrates that both the level and distribution of porosity within the oxide factor into oxidation kinetics. The barrier layer model can provide a basis for predicting the effect of environmental changes on oxidation rate. In addition, it demonstrates the need for further research into porosity generation mechanisms in oxide films

The coupled effects of thickness and delamination on cracking resistance of X70 pipeline steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, W.; Dong, H.; Lu, M.; Zhao, X.

2002-01-01

The effects of thickness and delamination on the fracture toughness and stable crack growth behaviour of high-toughness pipeline steels were investigated experimentally by use of compact tension specimens with thicknesses of 3-15 mm cut from a 17 mm-thick wall pipe. Material resistance curves were generated based on the stress intensity factor (SIF) K and the J-integral. The critical SIF K c and the J-resistance curves are found to be independent of thickness as the delaminations near the crack tip within the material reduce the out-of-plane constraint in thicker specimens. Both fracture mechanism and mechanics analyses shown that the fracture behaviour of the steel is controlled by the strong-coupled effects of thickness and delaminations. With increasing thickness, the out-of-plane stress constraint increases and causes the inclusion separation, growth and coalescence to form delaminations of different sizes before the main crack initiates. The delaminations in turn, reduce the out-of-plane constraint and thus, the thickness effect upon fracture. The advantages and disadvantages of delaminations in a safety assessment of pipelines are also discussed based on three-dimensional fracture theory

Effects of plasma electrolytic oxidation process on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorgin Karaji, Zahra; Hedayati, Reza; Pouran, Behdad; Apachitei, Iulian; Zadpoor, Amir A

2017-07-01

Metallic porous biomaterials are recently attracting more attention thanks to the additive manufacturing techniques which help produce more complex structures as compared to conventional techniques. On the other hand, bio-functional surfaces on metallic biomaterials such as titanium and its alloys are necessary to enhance the biological interactions with the host tissue. This study discusses the effect of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), as a surface modification technique to produce bio-functional layers, on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti6Al4V scaffolds based on the cubic unit cell. For this purpose, the PEO process with two different oxidation times was applied on scaffolds with four different values of relative density. The effects of the PEO process were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), optical microscopy as well as static and dynamic (fatigue) mechanical testing under compression. SEM results indicated pore formation on the surface of the scaffolds after oxidation with a thickness of 4.85±0.36μm of the oxide layer after 2min and 9.04±2.27μm after 5min oxidation (based on optical images). The static test results showed the high effect of relative density of porous structure on its mechanical properties. However, oxidation did not influence most of the mechanical properties such as maximum stress, yield stress, plateau stress, and energy absorption, although its effect on the elastic modulus was considerable. Under fatigue loading, none of the scaffolds failed even after 10 6 loading cycles at 70% of their yield stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect upon biocompatibility and biocorrosion properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation in trisodium phosphate electrolytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yu-Kyoung; Park, Il-Song; Lee, Kwang-Bok; Bae, Tae-Sung; Jang, Yong-Seok; Oh, Young-Min; Lee, Min-Ho

2016-03-01

Surface modification to improve the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of the Mg-Al-Zn-Ca alloy was conducted via plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in an electrolyte that included phosphate. Calcium phosphate can be easily induced on the surface of a PEO coating that includes phosphate in a physiological environment because Ca(2+) ions in body fluids can be combined with PO4 (3-). Cytotoxicity of the PEO coating formed in electrolytes with various amounts of Na3PO4 was identified. In particular, the effects that PEO films have upon oxidative stress and differentiation of osteoblast activity were studied. As the concentration of Na3PO4 in the electrolyte increased, the oxide layer was found to become thicker, which increased corrosion resistance. However, the PEO coating formed in electrolytes with over 0.2 M of added Na3PO4 exhibited more microcracks and larger pores than those formed in smaller Na3PO4 concentrations owing to a large spark discharge. A nonuniform oxide film that included more phosphate caused more cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, and overabundant phosphate content in the oxide layer interrupted the differentiation of osteoblasts. The corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy and the thickness of the oxide layer were increased by the addition of Na3PO4 in the electrolyte for PEO treatment. However, excessive phosphate content in the oxide layer led to oxidative stress, which resulted in reduced cell viability and activity.

Effects of orthopedic insoles on static balance of older adults wearing thick socks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Christina Zong-Hao; Wong, Duo Wai-Chi; Wan, Anson Hong-Ping; Lee, Winson Chiu-Chun

2018-06-01

The wearing of socks and insoles may affect the ability of the foot to detect tactile input influencing postural balance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether (1) thick socks adversely affected the elderly postural balance and (2) orthopedic insoles could improve the elderly postural balance while wearing thick socks. Repeated-measures study design. In total, 14 healthy older adults were recruited. A monofilament test was conducted to evaluate foot plantar sensation with and without thick socks. Subjects then performed the Romberg tests under three conditions: (1) barefoot, (2) with socks only, and (3) with both socks and insoles. Postural balance was assessed by measuring the center of pressure movement during standing in each experimental condition. Thick socks significantly decreased the monofilament score ( p thick socks ( p thick socks reduces plantar pressure sensitivity and increases postural sway which may increase risk of falls. Orthopedic insoles and footwear with similar design could potentially be a cost-effective method in maintaining postural balance when wearing thick socks.

The Effects of Hsp90α1 Mutations on Myosin Thick Filament Organization.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qiuxia; Liu, Kechun; Tian, Zhenjun; Du, Shao Jun

2015-01-01

Heat shock protein 90α plays a key role in myosin folding and thick filament assembly in muscle cells. To assess the structure and function of Hsp90α and its potential regulation by post-translational modification, we developed a combined knockdown and rescue assay in zebrafish embryos to systematically analyze the effects of various mutations on Hsp90α function in myosin thick filament organization. DNA constructs expressing the Hsp90α1 mutants with altered putative ATP binding, phosphorylation, acetylation or methylation sites were co-injected with Hsp90α1 specific morpholino into zebrafish embryos. Myosin thick filament organization was analyzed in skeletal muscles of the injected embryos by immunostaining. The results showed that mutating the conserved D90 residue in the Hsp90α1 ATP binding domain abolished its function in thick filament organization. In addition, phosphorylation mimicking mutations of T33D, T33E and T87E compromised Hsp90α1 function in myosin thick filament organization. Similarly, K287Q acetylation mimicking mutation repressed Hsp90α1 function in myosin thick filament organization. In contrast, K206R and K608R hypomethylation mimicking mutations had not effect on Hsp90α1 function in thick filament organization. Given that T33 and T87 are highly conserved residues involved post-translational modification (PTM) in yeast, mouse and human Hsp90 proteins, data from this study could indicate that Hsp90α1 function in myosin thick filament organization is potentially regulated by PTMs involving phosphorylation and acetylation.

Structural, transport and microwave properties of 123/sapphire films: Thickness effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Predtechensky, MR.; Smal, A.N.; Varlamov, Y.D. [Institute of Thermophysics, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)] [and others

1994-12-31

The effect of thickness and growth conditions on the structure and microwave properties has been investigated for the 123/sapphire films. It has been shown that in the conditions of epitaxial growth and Al atoms do not diffuse from substrate into the film and the films with thickness up to 100nm exhibit the excellent DC properties. The increase of thickness of GdBaCuO films causes the formation of extended line-mesh defects and the increase of the surface resistance (R{sub S}). The low value of surface resistance R{sub S}(75GHz,77K)=20 mOhm has been obtained for the two layer YBaCuO/CdBaCuO/sapphire films.

Effects of oxygen pressure on the oxidation behavior of Ni-20FCr alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takei, Atsushi; Nii, Kazuyoshi

1982-01-01

The Ni-20Cr alloy was oxidized at 1373 K at various oxygen partial pressures, ranging from 10 -7 to 10 4 Pa, which were controlled by Ar-O 2 mixtures. A large difference was observed between the oxidation behavior in a high Po 2 (>= 10 2 Pa) range and that in a low Po 2 ( 2 of 10 4 and 1 Pa, the former being typical in high Po 2 and the latter in low Po 2 . The mass gain-time curves showed that the growth rate of scale in the low Po 2 lie between the parabolic and linear law, while that in the high Po 2 obeys the parabolic law, which indicates that the scale formed in the low Po 2 is less protective than that in the high Po 2 . It was found, on the other hand, that the oxide scales formed in the low Po 2 were more adherent to the alloy than those formed in the high Po 2 . In the high Po 2 a large amount of spalling was observed on cooling even in short time oxidation. The oxide scales formed in the low Po 2 were uniform in thickness and rather porous, while those formed in the high Po 2 were dense and non-uniform in thickness. In the low Po 2 a number of small voids were found at the oxide-alloy interface. In the high Po 2 , however, large voids were found; this suggests the occurrence of plastic deformation of the oxide and the alloy by the stress induced in the growing scale. The above difference in oxidation behavior can be ascribed to the difference between growth mechanisms of the oxide scale in the high and low Po 2 . (author)

Comparing XPS on bare and capped ZrN films grown by plasma enhanced ALD: Effect of ambient oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Muneshwar, Triratna; Cadien, Ken

2018-03-01

In this article we compare x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on bare- and capped- zirconium nitride (ZrN) films to investigate the effect of ambient sample oxidation on the detected bound O in the form of oxide ZrO2 and/or oxynitride ZrOxNy. ZrN films in both bare- and Al2O3/AlN capped- XPS samples were grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique using tetrakis dimethylamino zirconium (TDMAZr) precursor, forming gas (5% H2, rest N2) inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and as received research grade process gases under identical process conditions. Capped samples were prepared by depositing 1 nm thick PEALD AlN on ZrN, followed by additional deposition of 1 nm thick ALD Al2O3, without venting of ALD reactor. On bare ZrN sample at room temperature, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements with increasing ambient exposure times (texp) showed a self-limiting surface oxidation with the oxide thickness (dox) approaching 3.7 ± 0.02 nm for texp > 120 min. In XPS data measured prior to sample sputtering (tsput = 0), ZrO2 and ZrOxNy were detected in bare- samples, whereas only ZrN and Al2O3/AlN from capping layer were detected in capped- samples. For bare-ZrN samples, appearance of ZrO2 and ZrOxNy up to sputter depth (dsput) of 15 nm in depth-profile XPS data is in contradiction with measured dox = 3.7 nm, but explained from sputtering induced atomic inter-diffusion within analyzed sample. Appearance of artifacts in the XPS spectra from moderately sputtered (dsput = 0.2 nm and 0.4 nm) capped-ZrN sample, provides an evidence to ion-bombardment induced modifications within analyzed sample.

Effect of buffer thickness on the retardation of radionuclide release from the high-level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Won Jin; Lee, Jae Owan; Kang, Chul Hyung; Han, Kyung Won

2000-12-01

The radionuclide release from buffer in the high-level waste repository to the surrounding host rock was assessed, and the effect of the radial buffer thickness on the release rate was analyzed. The total release rates decrease sharply with increasing radial buffer thickness up to 0.25 m, and decrease moderately at the buffer thickness between 0.25 m and 0.5 m. But increasing the radial buffer thickness beyond 0.5 m has little effect in reducing radionuclide release. Therefore a radial buffer thickness between 0.25 m and 0.5 m is sufficient based on the viewpoint of radionuclide retention

Magnetron sputtered zinc oxide nanorods as thickness-insensitive cathode interlayer for perovskite planar-heterojunction solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Lusheng; Huang, Zhifeng; Cai, Longhua; Chen, Weizhong; Wang, Baozeng; Chen, Kaiwu; Bai, Hua; Tian, Qingyong; Fan, Bin

2014-12-10

Suitable electrode interfacial layers are essential to the high performance of perovskite planar heterojunction solar cells. In this letter, we report magnetron sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) film as the cathode interlayer for methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite solar cell. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrate that the sputtered ZnO films consist of c-axis aligned nanorods. The solar cells based on this ZnO cathode interlayer showed high short circuit current and power conversion efficiency. Besides, the performance of the device is insensitive to the thickness of ZnO cathode interlayer. Considering the high reliability and maturity of sputtering technique both in lab and industry, we believe that the sputtered ZnO films are promising cathode interlayers for perovskite solar cells, especially in large-scale production.

Electrochemical behavior for a reduction of uranium oxide in a LiCl-Li2O molten salt with an integrated cathode assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Bin; Park, Byung Heung; Seo, Chung Seok; Jung, Ki Jung; Park, Seong Won

2005-01-01

Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide to uranium metal was studied in a LiCl-Li 2 O molten salt system. The reduction mechanism of the uranium oxide to a uranium metal has been studied by means of a cyclic voltammetry. Effects of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO on the overpotential of the cathode and the anode were investigated by means of a chronopotentiometry. From the cyclic voltamograms, the decomposition potentials of the metal oxides are the determining factors for the mechanism of the reduction of the uranium oxide in a Li Cl-3 wt% Li 2 O molten salt and the two mechanisms of the electrolytic reduction were considered with regards to the applied cathode potential. In the chronopotentiograms, the exchange current and the transfer coefficient based on the Tafel behavior were obtained with regard to the layer thickness of the uranium oxide which is loaded into the porous MgO membrane and the thickness of the porous MgO membrane. The maximum allowable currents for the changes of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO membrane were also obtained from the limiting potential which is the decomposition potential of LiCl

Caving thickness effects of surrounding rocks macro stress shell evolving characteristics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XIE Guang-xiang; YANG Ke

2009-01-01

In order to explore the influence of different caving thicknesses on the MSS dis-tribution and evolving characteristics of surrounding rocks in unsymmetrical disposal and fully mechanized top-coal caving (FMTC), based on unsymmetrical disposal characteris-tics, the analyses of numerical simulation, material simulation and in-situ observation were synthetically applied according to the geological and technical conditions of the 1151(3) working face in Xieqiao Mine. The results show that the stress peak value of the MSS-base and the ratio of MSS-body height to caving thickness are nonlinear and inversely proportional to the caving thickness. The MSS-base width, the MSS-body height, the MSS-base distance to working face wall and the rise distance of MSS-base beside coal pillar are nonlinear and directly proportional to the caving thickness. The characteristics of MSS distribution and its evolving rules of surrounding rocks and the integrated caving thickness effects are obtained. The investigations will provide lots of theoretic references to the surrounding rocks' stability control of the working face and roadway, roadway layout, gas extraction and exploitation, and efficiency of caving, etc.

The reactive element effect of yttrium and yttrium silicon on high temperature oxidation of NiCrAl coating

Science.gov (United States)

Ramandhany, S.; Sugiarti, E.; Desiati, R. D.; Martides, E.; Junianto, E.; Prawara, B.; Sukarto, A.; Tjahjono, A.

2018-03-01

The microstructure formed on the bond coat affects the oxidation resistance, particularly the formation of a protective oxide layer. The adhesion of bond coat and TGO increased significantly by addition of reactive element. In the present work, the effect of yttrium and yttrium silicon as reactive element (RE) on NiCrAl coating was investigated. The NiCrAl (without RE) and NiCrAlX (X:Y or YSi) bond coating were deposited on Hastelloy C-276 substrate by High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) method. Isothermal oxidation was carried out at 1000 °C for 100 hours. The results showed that the addition of RE could prevent the breakaway oxidation. Therefore, the coating with reactive element were more protective against high temperature oxidation. Furthermore, the oxidation rate of NiCrAlY coating was lower than NiCrAlYSi coating with the total mass change was ±2.394 mg/cm2 after 100 hours of oxidation. The thickness of oxide scale was approximately 1.18 μm consisting of duplex oxide scale of spinel NiCr2O4 in outer scale and protective α-Al2O3 in inner scale.

Thickness-dependent resistance switching in Cr-doped SrTiO3

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, TaeKwang; Du, Hyewon; Kim, Minchang; Seo, Sunae; Hwang, Inrok; Kim, Yeonsoo; Jeon, Jihoon; Lee, Sangik; Park, Baeho

2012-09-01

The thickness-dependent bipolar resistance-switching behavior was investigated for epitaxiallygrown Cr-doped SrTiO3 (Cr-STO). All the pristine devices of different thickness showed polarity-independent symmetric current-voltage characteristic and the same space-charge-limited conduction mechanism. However, after a forming process, the resultant conduction and switching phenomena were significantly different depending on the thickness of Cr-STO. The forming process itself was highly influenced by resistance value of each pristine device. Based on our results, we suggest that the resistance-switching mechanism in Cr-STO depends not only on the insulating material's composition or the contact metal as previously reported but also on the initial resistance level determined by the geometry and the quality of the insulating material. The bipolar resistance-switching behaviors in oxide materials of different thicknesses exhibit mixed bulk and interface switching. This indicates that efforts in resistance-based memory research should be focused on scalability or process method to control a given oxide material in addition to material type and device structure.

Thickness dependent ferromagnetism in thermally decomposed NiO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ravikumar, Patta; Kisan, Bhagaban; Perumal, Alagarsamy, E-mail: perumal@iitg.ernet.in

2016-11-15

We report the effects of film thickness, annealing temperature and annealing environments on thermal decomposition behavior and resulting magnetic properties of NiO (t=50–300 nm) thin films. All the NiO films were prepared directly on thermally oxidized Si at ambient temperature using magnetron sputtering technique and post annealed at different temperatures (T{sub A}) under vacuum and oxygen atmospheres. As-deposited films exhibit face centered cubic structure with large lattice constant due to strain induced during sputtering process. With increasing T{sub A}, the lattice constant decreases due to the release of strain and thickness dependent thermal decomposition reaction of NiO into Ni has been observed for the NiO films annealed at 500 °C under vacuum condition. As a result, the antiferromagnetic nature of the as-deposited NiO films transforms into ferromagnetic one with dominant thickness dependent ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. In addition, the existence of both Ni and NiO phases in the annealed NiO films shows noticeable exchange bias under field cooling condition. The behavior of thermal decomposition was not observed for the NiO films annealed under oxygen condition which results in no detectable change in the magnetic properties. The observed results are discussed on the basis of thickness dependent thermal decomposition in NiO films with increasing T{sub A} and changing annealing conditions. - Highlights: • Preparation of highly strained single layer NiO films with different thicknesses. • Study the effects of annealing under different environments on crystal structure. • Understanding the origin of thickness dependent thermal decomposition reaction. • Investigate the role of thermal decomposition reaction on the magnetic properties. • Study the interaction between NiO and Ni phases on the exchange bias mechanism.

Effect of Thickness-to-Chord Ratio on Flow Structure of Low Swept Delta Wing

Science.gov (United States)

Gulsacan, Burak; Sencan, Gizem; Yavuz, Mehmet Metin

2017-11-01

The effect of thickness-to-chord (t/C) ratio on flow structure of a delta wing with sweep angle of 35 degree is characterized in a low speed wind tunnel using laser illuminated smoke visualization, particle image velocimetry, and surface pressure measurements. Four different t/C ratio varying from 4.75% to 19% are tested at angles of attack 4, 6, 8, and 10 degrees for Reynolds numbers Re =10,000 and 35,000. The results indicate that the effect of thickness-to-chord ratio on flow structure is quite substantial, such that, as the wing thickness increases, the flow structure transforms from leading edge vortex to three-dimensional separated flow regime. The wing with low t/C ratio of 4.75% experiences pronounced surface separation at significantly higher angle of attack compared to the wing with high t/C ratio. The results might explain some of the discrepancies reported in previously conducted studies related to delta wings. In addition, it is observed that the thickness of the shear layer separated from windward side of the wing is directly correlated with the thickness of the wing. To conclude, the flow structure on low swept delta wing is highly affected by t/C ratio, which in turn might indicate the potential usage of wing thickness as an effective flow control parameter.

Oxidation of nano-sized aluminum powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorozhtsov, A.B.; Lerner, M.; Rodkevich, N.; Nie, H.; Abraham, A.; Schoenitz, M.; Dreizin, E.L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Weight gain measured in TG oxidation experiments was split between particles of different sizes. • Reaction kinetics obtained by isoconversion explicitly accounting for the effect of size distribution. • Activation energy is obtained as a function of oxide thickness for growth of amorphous alumina. • Oxidation mechanism for nanopowders remains the same as for coarser aluminum powders. - Abstract: Oxidation of aluminum nanopowders obtained by electro-exploded wires is studied. Particle size distributions are obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Thermo-gravimetric (TG) experiments are complemented by TEM and XRD studies of partially oxidized particles. Qualitatively, oxidation follows the mechanism developed for coarser aluminum powder and resulting in formation of hollow oxide shells. Sintering of particles is also observed. The TG results are processed to account explicitly for the particle size distribution and spherical shapes, so that oxidation of particles of different sizes is characterized. The apparent activation energy is obtained as a function of the reaction progress using model-free isoconversion processing of experimental data. A complete phenomenological oxidation model is then proposed assuming a spherically symmetric geometry. The oxidation kinetics of aluminum powder is shown to be unaffected by particle sizes reduced down to tens of nm. The apparent activation energy describing growth of amorphous alumina is increasing at the very early stages of oxidation. The higher activation energy is likely associated with an increasing homogeneity in the growing amorphous oxide layer, initially containing multiple defects and imperfections. The trends describing changes in both activation energy and pre-exponent of the growing amorphous oxide are useful for predicting ignition delays of aluminum particles. The kinetic trends describing activation energies and pre-exponents in a broader range of the oxide

SIMS and TEM study on oxide characteristics of Zircaloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Y. H.; Baek, J. H.; Kim, S. J.; Kim, K. H.; Choi, B. K.; Jung, Y. H.

1998-01-01

Long-term corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM study were carried out to investigate the corrosion characteristics and corrosion mechanism of Zircaloy-4 in LiOH solution. The corrosion tests were performed in alkali solutions at 350 deg C for 500days. SIMS analysis was performed for the specimens prepared to have an equal oxide thickness to measure the cation content. TEM studies on the samples formed in various alkali solutions were also conducted. Based on the corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM study, the cation is considered to control the corrosion in LiOH solution and its effect is dependent on the concentration of alkali and the oxide thickness. The slight acceleration of corrosion rate at a low concentration is thought to be caused by the cation incorporation into oxide while the significant acceleration at a high concentration is due to the transformation of oxide microstructure that would be induced by the cation incorporation

The initial oxidation of magnesium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurth, M.

2004-07-01

Pure Magnesium samples have been oxidised in an UHV chamber under controlled conditions. Pressure range was 10{sup -10} Torr to 10{sup -7} Torr, temperature range was 273 K to 435 K. The samples have then been investigated with XPS, Ellipsometry and HERDA. Additionally, furnace oxidations at 750 Torr and 673 K have been carried out and investigated with XPS. From the XPS measurements data concerning layer thickness, composition, oxidation state and binding state have been gained. The ellipsometrie measurements yielded additional data concerning layer thickness as well as the size of the band gap of the developing oxide. With the HERDA measurements, the oxygen content within the oxide layer has been determined yielding additional information about composition and layer thickness. The layer thickness as a function of time have then been modelled with a kinetic growth model of Fromhold and Cook. For the refinement of the XPS data concerning layer thickness and composition, the pronounced plasmon excitations that occur in magnesium have been determined with two different procedures which have been developed in the methodical part of this work. The layer thickness and composition values have thus been corrected. Results: Two oxidation stages could be identified: a strong increase for the first few Langmuirs (1L = 1s x 10{sup -6} Torr), followed by a saturation'' region which was about 1.2 nm to 1.5 nm in magnitude. XPS and ellipsometry results have thereby been in very good agreement. The composition of the developing oxide showed a clear deviation from stoichiometric MgO, mainly caused by an oxygen deficiency; this deficiency has also been confirmed with the HERDA measurements. The Mg/O ratio as a function of layer thickness showed a continous decay starting from very high values for the thinnest layers (>{proportional_to}2.5) down to a saturation value of about 1.4, even for larger layer thicknesses gained with the furnace oxidations. The determination of

Size and thickness effect on magnetic structures of maghemite hollow magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed, Fatima; Labaye, Yvan; Sayed Hassan, Rodaina; El Haj Hassan, Fouad; Yaacoub, Nader; Greneche, Jean-Marc

2016-01-01

The effect of surface anisotropy on the magnetic ground state of hollow maghemite nanoparticles is investigated using atomistic Monte Carlo simulation. The computer modeling is carried on hollow nanostructures as a function of size and shell thickness. It is found that the large contribution of the surface anisotropy imposes a “throttled” spin structure where the moments located at the outer surface tend to orient normal to the surface while those located at the inner surface appear to be more aligned. For increasing values of surface anisotropy in the frame of a radial model, the magnetic moments become radially oriented either inward or outward giving rise to a “hedgehog” configuration with nearly zero net magnetization. We also show the effect of the size of hollow nanoparticle on the spin behavior where the spin non-collinearity increases (for fixed value of surface anisotropy) as the diameter of the hollow nanoparticle increases due to the significant increase in surface-to-volume ratio, the thickness being constant. Moreover, the thickness of the hollow nanoparticle shell influences the spin configuration and thus the relation between surface anisotropy and the size or the thickness of the hollow nanoparticle is established.

Size and thickness effect on magnetic structures of maghemite hollow magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sayed, Fatima; Labaye, Yvan, E-mail: yvan.labaye@univ-lemans.fr [Université du Maine, Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans CNRS UMR-6283 (France); Sayed Hassan, Rodaina; El Haj Hassan, Fouad [Université Libanaise, Faculté des Sciences Section I, MPLAB (Lebanon); Yaacoub, Nader, E-mail: nader.yaacoub@univ-lemans.fr; Greneche, Jean-Marc [Université du Maine, Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans CNRS UMR-6283 (France)

2016-09-15

The effect of surface anisotropy on the magnetic ground state of hollow maghemite nanoparticles is investigated using atomistic Monte Carlo simulation. The computer modeling is carried on hollow nanostructures as a function of size and shell thickness. It is found that the large contribution of the surface anisotropy imposes a “throttled” spin structure where the moments located at the outer surface tend to orient normal to the surface while those located at the inner surface appear to be more aligned. For increasing values of surface anisotropy in the frame of a radial model, the magnetic moments become radially oriented either inward or outward giving rise to a “hedgehog” configuration with nearly zero net magnetization. We also show the effect of the size of hollow nanoparticle on the spin behavior where the spin non-collinearity increases (for fixed value of surface anisotropy) as the diameter of the hollow nanoparticle increases due to the significant increase in surface-to-volume ratio, the thickness being constant. Moreover, the thickness of the hollow nanoparticle shell influences the spin configuration and thus the relation between surface anisotropy and the size or the thickness of the hollow nanoparticle is established.

Enhanced energy storage and suppressed dielectric loss in oxide core-shell-polyolefin nanocomposites by moderating internal surface area and increasing shell thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fredin, Lisa A.; Li, Zhong; Ratner, Mark A.; Marks, Tobin J. [Department of Chemistry Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Lanagan, Michael T. [Center for Dielectric Studies, Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-4800 (United States)

2012-11-20

Dielectric loss in metal oxide core/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} shell polypropylene nanocomposites scales with the particle surface area. By moderating the interfacial surface area between the phases and using increasing shell thicknesses, dielectric loss is significantly reduced, and thus the energy stored within, and recoverable from, capacitors fabricated from these materials is significantly increased, to as high as 2.05 J/cm{sup 3}. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Finite thickness effect of a zone plate on focusing hard x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, W.B.; Chrzas, J.; Viccaro, P.J.

1992-01-01

Spatial resolution and focusing efficiency are two important properties of a zone plate in x-ray focusing applications. A general expression of the zone plate equation describing its zone registration is derived from the interference of spherical waves emited from two mutually coherent point sources. An analytical expression of the focusing efficiency in terms of the zone plate thickness and x-ray refractive indices of the zones is also derived. Validity condition for using this expression is considered. Thickness required for obtaining adequate focusing efficiency is calculated as a function of x-ray energy for several representative materials. The spatial resolution of a finite thickness zone plate is worse than that of an infinetly thin zone plate. which is approximately equal to the smallest zone width of the zone plate. The effect of the finite thickness on the spatial resolution is considered

Synthesis of graphene oxide through different oxidation degrees for solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoshan; Wang, Huan; Huang, Tianjiao; Wen, Lingling; Zhou, Liya

2018-03-01

Graphene is known as an electro-chemical material and widely used in electro-chemical devices, especially in solar cell. Decreasing the thickness of the layer is a critical way to improve the electrochemical property of solar cells as far as possible. Among the various oxidation approaches, presented herein is a facile approach, which is easier, less cost and more effective, environmental benign with the greener processing and without any requirement for post purification, towards the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) with different oxidation degrees by potassium ferrate (K2FeO4). A modified method using less amount of oxidizing agent is reported herein. It is the pretreatment of the synthesis of graphite, which maintains the thermal cycle of the system. This novel reports to compound GO with controlled oxidation degrees can not only increase the quantity of oxygen-containing functional groups on GO surface, increase space between graphene oxide layer and facilitate the dispersion of graphene in aqueous solution. Thus, the modified method shows prospect for large-scale production of graphene oxide and its novel application, in addition to its derivative and market potential for solar cells.

Persistent quantum-size effect in aluminum films up to twelve atoms thick

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boettger, J.C.

1996-01-01

Total energies and work functions have been calculated for unrelaxed, free-standing Al(111) films, 1 endash 12 layers thick, using the all-electron, full-potential linear combination of Gaussian-type orbitals endash fitting-function technique. The work function exhibits a significant quantum-size effect (at least 0.1 eV) over the entire range of thickness considered. This result contradicts an old prediction that the work function of an Al(111) N-layer film will converge to within a few hundredths of an eV by N=6. The present result, which is consistent with earlier jellium calculations, demonstrates the risk of mistaking an accidental coincidence of work functions for two films, differing in thickness by one layer, for a true convergence with respect to thickness. The implications for thin-film calculations of surface properties are discussed. A linear fit to the film binding energy vs thickness is used to extract the Al(111) surface energy (0.45 eV) and the binding energy of bulk Al (4.06 eV). copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Bond-specific reaction kinetics during the oxidation of (111) Si: Effect of n-type doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gokce, B.; Aspnes, D. E.; Lucovsky, G.; Gundogdu, K.

2011-01-01

It is known that a higher concentration of free carriers leads to a higher oxide growth rate in the thermal oxidation of silicon. However, the role of electrons and holes in oxidation chemistry is not clear. Here, we report real-time second-harmonic-generation data on the oxidation of H-terminated (111)Si that reveal that high concentrations of electrons increase the chemical reactivity of the outer-layer Si-Si back bonds relative to the Si-H up bonds. However, the thicknesses of the natural oxides of all samples stabilize near 1 nm at room temperature, regardless of the chemical kinetics of the different bonds.

High-temperature oxidation kinetics of sponge-based E110 cladding alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yong; Garrison, Benton E.; Howell, Mike; Bell, Gary L.

2018-02-01

Two-sided oxidation experiments were recently conducted at 900°C-1200 °C in flowing steam with samples of sponge-based Zr-1Nb alloy E110. Although the old electrolytic E110 tubing exhibited a high degree of susceptibility to nodular corrosion and experienced breakaway oxidation rates in a relatively short time, the new sponge-based E110 demonstrated steam oxidation behavior comparable to Zircaloy-4. Sample weight gain and oxide layer thickness measurements were performed on oxidized E110 specimens and compared to oxygen pickup and oxide layer thickness calculations using the Cathcart-Pawel correlation. Our study shows that the sponge-based E110 follows the parabolic law at temperatures above 1015 °C. At or below 1015 °C, the oxidation rate was very low when compared to Zircaloy-4 and can be represented by a cubic expression. No breakaway oxidation was observed at 1000 °C for oxidation times up to 10,000 s. Arrhenius expressions are given to describe the parabolic rate constants at temperatures above 1015 °C and cubic rate constants are provided for temperatures below 1015 °C. The weight gains calculated by our equations are in excellent agreement with the measured sample weight gains at all test temperatures. In addition to the as-fabricated E110 cladding sample, prehydrided E110 cladding with hydrogen concentrations in the 100-150 wppm range was also investigated. The effect of hydrogen content on sponge-based E110 oxidation kinetics was minimal. No significant difference was found between as-fabricated and hydrided samples with regard to oxygen pickup and oxide layer thickness for hydrogen contents below 150 wppm.

Contribution of thickness dependent void fraction and TiSixOy interlayer to the optical properties of amorphous TiO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Rong-Jun; Zheng, Yu-Xiang; Xu, Zi-Jie; Zhang, Dong-Xu; Wang, Zi-Yi; Yu, Xiang; Chen, Liang-Yao

2013-01-01

The optical properties of TiO 2 thin films prepared by electron beam evaporation were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry and analyzed quantitatively using effective medium approximation theory and an effective series capacitance model. The refractive indices of TiO 2 are essentially constant and approach to those of bulk TiO 2 for films thicker than 40 nm, but drop sharply with a decrease in thickness from 40 to 5.5 nm. This phenomenon can be interpreted quantitatively by the thickness dependence of the void fraction and interfacial oxide region. The optical band gaps calculated from Tauc law increase with an increase of film thickness, and can be attributed to the contribution of disorder effect. - Highlights: • Amorphous TiO 2 thin films fabricated on Si substrate by electron beam evaporation • The refractive index and band gap are obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry. • The refractive index decreases with decreasing film thickness. • Effective medium approximation theory and effective series capacitance model introduced • A band gap increases gradually with an increase in film thickness

Effect of thermal annealing of lead oxide film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Oh Hyeon; Kim, Sang Su; Suh, Jong Hee; Cho, Shin Hang; Kim, Ki Hyun; Hong, Jin Ki; Kim, Sun Ung

2011-01-01

Oxygen partial pressure in a growth process of lead oxide determines chemical and physical properties as well as crystalline structure. In order to supply oxygen, two ring-shape suppliers have been installed in a growth chamber. Films have been deposited using vacuum thermal evaporation from a raw material of yellow lead oxide powder (5N). Growth rate is controlled to be about 400 A/s, and film thickness more than 50 μm has been achieved. After deposition, the film is annealed at various temperatures under an oxygen atmosphere. In this study, an optimum growth condition for a good X-ray detector has been achieved by fine control of oxygen flow-rate and by thermal treatment. An electrical resistivity of 4.5x10 12 Ω cm is measured, and is comparable with the best data of PbO.

The effect of skin thickness determined using breast CT on mammographic dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Shihying; Boone, John M.; Yang, Kai; Kwan, Alexander L. C.; Packard, Nathan J.

2008-01-01

The effect of breast skin thickness on dosimetry in mammography was investigated. Breast computed tomography (CT) acquisition techniques, combined with algorithms designed for determining specific breast metrics, were useful for estimating skin thickness. A radial-geometry edge detection scheme was implemented on coronal reconstructed breast CT (bCT) images to measure the breast skin thickness. Skin thickness of bilateral bCT volume data from 49 women and unilateral bCT volume data from 2 women (10 healthy women and 41 women with BIRADS 4 and 5 diagnoses) was robustly measured with the edge detection scheme. The mean breast skin thickness (±inter-breast standard deviation) was found to be 1.45±0.30 mm. Since most current published normalized glandular dose (D gN ) coefficients are based on the assumption of a 4-mm breast skin thickness, the D gN values computed with Monte Carlo techniques will increase up to 18% due to the thinner skin layers (e.g., 6-cm 50% glandular breast, 28 kVp Mo-Mo spectrum). The thinner skin dimensions found in this study suggest that the current D gN values used for mammographic dosimetry lead to a slight underestimate in glandular dose

Effect of thermoplastic appliance thickness on initial stress distribution in periodontal ligament

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

De-Shin Liu

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A numerical investigation into the initial stress distribution induced within the periodontal ligament by thermoplastic appliances with different thicknesses is performed. Based on the plaster model of a 25-year-old male patient, a finite element model of the maxillary lateral incisors and their supporting structures is constructed. In addition, four finite element models of thermoplastic appliances with different thicknesses in the range of 0.5–1.25 mm are also constructed based on the same plaster model. Finite element analysis simulations are performed to examine the effects of the force delivered by the thermoplastic appliances on the stress response of the periodontal ligament during the elastic recovery process. The results show that the stress induced in the periodontal ligament increases with an increasing appliance thickness. For example, the stress triples from 0.0012 to 0.0038 MPa as the appliance thickness is increased from 0.75 to 1.25 mm. The results presented in this study provide a useful insight into as a result of the compressive and tensile stresses induced by thermoplastic appliances of different thicknesses. Moreover, the results enable the periodontal ligament stress levels produced by thermoplastic appliances of different thicknesses to be reliably estimated.

Indium--tin oxide films radio frequency sputtered from specially formulated high density indium--tin oxide targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulkarni, S.; Bayard, M.

1991-01-01

High density ITO (indium--tin oxide) targets doped with Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 manufactured in the Tektronix Ceramics Division have been used to rf sputter ITO films of various thicknesses on borosilicate glass substrates. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in forming gas, resulted in ITO films exhibiting 90% transmission at 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/sq for a thickness of 1100 A. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in air increased sheet resistance without a large effect on the transmission. Films sputtered in argon gas alone were transparent in the visible and the sheet resistance was found to be 100--180 Ω/sq for the same thickness, without annealing

Effects of adsorbates on Zircaloy oxidation in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Y.; Kim, Y-G.; Park, K.

1997-01-01

The air-oxidation of Zry and the effects of adsorbates on the oxidation are found by the intermittent measurement of the weight gain of specimens. NaC1 enhances the oxidation, where nonuniform stresses on the surface and C1 ions are the cause. LiOH also enhances the oxidation, where the initial oxide formed by LiOH seems to the reason. The effects of fluorides on oxidation are also measured. NaF is most harmful and KF follows next. LiF does not effect the oxidation of Zry. Diffusion of fluorides in oxide determines the enhancement. (author)

Effect of the pre-transient oxide on Zy-4 cladding degradation in air and air+steam atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duriez, C.; Guerain, M.; Lacote, P.; Mermoux, M.

2015-01-01

High temperature reactivity in air of Zr based alloys has been mostly investigated with initially bare cladding materials. In this study, attention is paid to the influence of a low temperature pre-oxidation scale aiming to simulate the corrosion scale existing on spent fuel. Different out of pile pre-oxidation methods, inducing significant variation in the pre-oxides microstructure, are compared. The reaction kinetics in air and in mixed air + steam atmospheres, investigated in the 700-950 C. degrees temperature range by thermogravimetry (TGA), shows that a pre-oxide scale formed at low temperature has a protective effect at high temperature by significantly delaying occurrence of the kinetic acceleration, which however still occurs. Efficiency of this protective effect appears to depend on the type of pre-oxide. To better understand the exact role of the pre-oxide, oxygen transport through the pre-oxide has been investigated using the 18 O tracer technique. 18 O distribution maps have been obtained by micro-Raman imaging, which has proved to offer interesting capabilities for that purpose. Results obtained with a 30 μm pre-oxide scale formed at 425 C. degrees in oxygen suggest that, at 850 C. degrees, only the inner part of the scale acts as a barrier against oxidation while the outermost part of the scale (5 to 15 μm in thickness) seems to be permeable to gaseous oxygen. The use of the 18 O isotope tracer technique associated with micro-Raman mapping of the scales is demonstrated to be a powerful method to investigate the transport properties of the scales and will help to gain understanding of the kinetic differences between the different pre-oxides

An analysis of the impact of native oxide, surface contamination and material density on total electron yield in the absence of surface charging effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iida, Susumu, E-mail: susumu.iida@toshiba.co.jp [EUVL Infrastructure Development Center, Inc., 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-8569 (Japan); Ohya, Kaoru [Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijyousanjima-cho,Tokushima, 770-8506 (Japan); Hirano, Ryoichi; Watanabe, Hidehiro [EUVL Infrastructure Development Center, Inc., 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-8569 (Japan)

2016-10-30

Highlights: • Total electron yields were assessed in the absence of any surface charging effect. • Experimental and simulation results showed a low native oxide energy barrier. • The yield enhancement effect of a native oxide layer was confirmed. • The yield enhancement effect of a thin surface contamination layer was confirmed. • Deviations in the material density from the theoretical values were evaluated. - Abstract: The effects of the presence of a native oxide film or surface contamination as well as variations in material density on the total electron yield (TEY) of Ru and B{sub 4}C were assessed in the absence of any surface charging effect. The experimental results were analyzed using semi-empirical Monte Carlo simulations and demonstrated that a native oxide film increased the TEY, and that this effect varied with film thickness. These phenomena were explained based on the effect of the backscattered electrons (BSEs) at the interface between Ru and RuO{sub 2}, as well as the lower potential barrier of RuO{sub 2}. Deviations in the material density from the theoretical values were attributed to the film deposition procedure based on fitting simulated TEY curves to experimental results. In the case of B{sub 4}C, the TEY was enhanced by the presence of a 0.8-nm-thick surface contamination film consisting of oxygenated hydrocarbons. The effect of the low potential barrier of the contamination film was found to be significant, as the density of the B{sub 4}C was much lower than that of the Ru. Comparing the simulation parameters generated in the present work with Joy’s database, it was found that the model and the input parameters used in the simulations were sufficiently accurate.

Global model for the lithospheric strength and effective elastic thickness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tesauro, M.; Kaban, M.K.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.

2013-01-01

Global distribution of the strength and effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere are estimated using physical parameters from recent crustal and lithospheric models. For the Te estimation we apply a new approach, which provides a possibility to take into account variations of Young

Skin thickness effects on in vivo LXRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preiss, I.L.; Washington, W. II

1995-01-01

The analysis of lead concentration in bone utilizing LXRF can be adversely effected by overlying issue. A quantitative measure of the attenuation of the 10.5 keV Pb L a x-ray signal by skin and skin equivalent plastic has been conducted. Concentration ranges in plaster of Paris and goat bone from 7 to 90 ppm with attenuators of Lucite reg-sign and pig skin were examined. It is concluded that no quantitative or semi quantitative analysis can be achieved if overlying sue thickness exceeds 3 mm for Ph concentrations of less than 30 porn Ph in bone

Characterization of the inside and outside oxide surfaces of irradiated pressure tubes of Embalse nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordoni, Roberto A.; Olmedo, Ana M.

2004-01-01

The inside and outside surfaces of two pressure tubes (PT) removed from Embalse nuclear power plant (CNE) after 10 of effective full power years (EFPY) were characterized. The oxide thickness of both faces, in different zones, was also measured. The inside surfaces of both PTs, B-102 (A-14) and B-298 (L-12), were covered with a black oxide that replicates the original PT surface. A network of microcracks perpendicular to the inside surface in contact with the coolant was found. In some cases, near the outlet of the PT, some spalling of the oxide was also found. These small microcracks and spalling do not affect the protective character of the oxide since a thickness about 5 or 6 μm of an undamaged oxide is found at the metal/oxide interface side. The oxide thickness changes between approximately 6 to 12 μm for B-102 tube and around 7 to 15 μm for B-298 tube. The average corrosion rate is 1.16 μm/10 4 HH for B-102 tube and 1.35 μm/10 4 HH for B-298 tube at 5.8 m position for both PTs. These corrosion rates show good corrosion behaviour of CNE PTs. The average corrosion rate of the inside surface of the PTs depends on the coolant temperature but not on fast neutron flux. The outside oxide film is black, shiny, compact and protective, replicating also the original surface. The oxide thickness changes between 2 to 6.5 μm in B-102 tube and between 1.8 to 3.7 μm B-298 tube. These oxide thicknesses are within the values reported for PTs in CANDU Stations. (author) [es

The effect of thickness in the through-diffusion experiment. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valkiainen, M.; Aalto, H.; Lehikoinen, J.; Uusheimo, K.

1996-01-01

The report contains an experimental study of diffusion in the water-filled pores of rock samples. The samples studied are rapakivi granite from Loviisa, southern Finland. The drill-core sample was sectioned perpendicularly with a diamond saw and three cylindrical samples were obtained. The nominal thicknesses (heights of the cylinders) are 2, 4 and 6 cm. For the diffusion measurement the sample holders were pressed between two chambers. One of the chambers was filled with 0.0044 molar sodium chloride solution spiked with tracers. Another chamber was filled with inactive solution. Tritium (HTO) considered to be a water equivalent tracer and anionic 36 Cl - were used as tracers. The through diffusion was monitored about 1000 days after which time the diffusion cells were emptied and the sample holders dismantled. The samples were sectioned into 1 cm slices and the tracers were leached from the slices. The porosities of the slices were determined by the weighing method. The rock-capacity factors could be determined from the leaching results obtained. It was seen that the porosity values were in accordance with the rock capacity factors obtained with HTO. An anion exclusion can be seen comparing the results obtained with HTO and 36 Cl - . The concentration profile through even the thickest sample had reached a constant slope and the rate of diffusion was practically at a steady state. An anion exclusion effect was also seen in the effective diffusion coefficients. The effect of thickness on diffusion shows that the connectivity of the pores decreases in the thickness range 2-4 cm studied. The decrease as reflected in the diffusion coefficient was not dramatic and it can be said that especially for studying chemical interactions during diffusion, the thickness of 2 cm is adequate. (orig.) (12 refs.)

Effect of the tunnelling oxide growth by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} oxidation on the performance of a-Si:H MIS photodiodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguas, H.; Perreira, L.; Silva, R.J.C.; Fortunato, E.; Martins, R

2004-06-15

In this work metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) photodiodes with a structure: Cr/a-Si:H(n{sup +})/a-Si:H(i)/oxide/Au were studied, where the main objective was to determine the influence of the oxide layer on the performance of the devices. The results achieved show that their performance is a function of both oxide thickness and oxide density. The a-Si:H oxidation method used was the immersion in H{sub 2}O{sub 2} solution. By knowledge of the oxide growth process it was possible to fabricate photodiodes exhibiting an open circuit voltage of 0.65 V and short circuit current density under AM1.5 illumination of 11 mA/cm{sup 2}, with a response times less than 1 {mu}s for load resistance <400 {omega}, and a signal to noise ratio of 1x10{sup 7}.

Effect of Porosity on the Thick Electrodes for High Energy Density Lithium Ion Batteries for Stationary Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhav Singh

2016-11-01

Full Text Available A series of 250–350 μ m-thick single-sided lithium ion cell graphite anodes and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC cathodes with constant area weight, but varying porosity were prepared. Over this wide thickness range, micron-sized carbon fibers were used to stabilize the electrode structure and to improve electrode kinetics. By choosing the proper porosities for the anode and cathode, kinetic limitations and aging losses during cell cycling could be minimized and energy density improved. The cell (C38%-A48% exhibits the highest energy density, 441 Wh/L at the C/10 rate, upon cycling at elevated temperature and different C-rates. The cell (C38%-A48% showed 9% higher gravimetric energy density at C/10 in comparison to the cell with as-coated electrodes.

24 h stability of thick multilayer silicene in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Padova, Paola; Ottaviani, Carlo; Quaresima, Claudio; Generosi, Amanda; Paci, Barbara; Le Lay, Guy; Olivieri, Bruno; Imperatori, Patrizia; Salomon, Eric; Angot, Thierry; Quagliano, Lucia; Romano, Claudia; Vona, Alessandro; Muniz-Miranda, Maurizio

2014-01-01

Thick epitaxial multilayer silicene films with a √3 × √3R(30°) surface structure show only mild surface oxidation after 24 h in air, as measured by Auger electron spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements performed in air without any protective capping, as well as, for comparison, with a thin Al 2 O 3 cap, showed the (002) reflection and the G, D and 2D Raman structures, which are unique fingerprints of thick multilayer silicene. (letter)

Effect of processing on structural features of anodic aluminum oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Erdogan, Pembe; Birol, Yucel

2012-09-01

Morphological features of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates fabricated by electrochemical oxidation under different processing conditions were investigated. The selection of the polishing parameters does not appear to be critical as long as the aluminum substrate is polished adequately prior to the anodization process. AAO layers with a highly ordered pore distribution are obtained after anodizing in 0.6 M oxalic acid at 20 °C under 40 V for 5 minutes suggesting that the desired pore features are attained once an oxide layer develops on the surface. While the pore features are not affected much, the thickness of the AAO template increases with increasing anodization treatment time. Pore features are better and the AAO growth rate is higher at 20 °C than at 5 °C; higher under 45 V than under 40 V; higher with 0.6 M than with 0.3 M oxalic acid.

Effect of hydrogen on stresses in anodic oxide film on titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joong-Do; Pyun, Su-Il; Seo, Masahiro

2003-01-01

Stresses in anodic oxide film on titanium thin film/glass electrode in pH 8.4 borate solution were investigated by a bending beam method. The increases in compressive stress observed with cathodic potential sweeps after formation of anodic oxide film were attributed to the volume expansion due to the compositional change of anodic oxide film from TiO 2 to TiO 2-x (OH) x . The instantaneous responses of changes in stress, Δσ, in the anodic oxide film to potential steps demonstrated the reversible characteristic of the TiO 2-x (OH) x formation reaction. In contrast, the transient feature of Δσ for the titanium without anodic oxide film represented the irreversible formation of TiH x at the metal/oxide interphase. The large difference in stress between with and without the oxide film, has suggested that most of stresses generated during the hydrogen absorption/desorption reside in the anodic oxide film. A linear relationship between changes in stress, Δ(Δσ) des , and electric charge, ΔQ des , during hydrogen desorption was found from the current and stress transients, manifesting that the stress changes were crucially determined by the amount of hydrogen desorbed from the oxide film. The increasing tendency of -Δ(Δσ) des with increasing number of potential steps and film formation potential were discussed in connection with the increase in desorption amount of hydrogen in the oxide film with increasing absorption/desorption cycles and oxide film thickness

Effect of Processing Parameters on Thickness of Columnar Structured Silicon Wafers Directly Grown from Silicon Melts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Seok Lee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to obtain optimum growth conditions for desired thickness and more effective silicon feedstock usage, effects of processing parameters such as preheated substrate temperatures, time intervals, moving velocity of substrates, and Ar gas blowing rates on silicon ribbon thickness were investigated in the horizontal growth process. Most of the parameters strongly affected in the control of ribbon thickness with columnar grain structure depended on the solidification rate. The thickness of the silicon ribbon decreased with an increasing substrate temperature, decreasing time interval, and increasing moving velocity of the substrate. However, the blowing of Ar gas onto a liquid layer existing on the surface of solidified ribbon contributed to achieving smooth surface roughness but did not closely affect the change of ribbon thickness in the case of a blowing rate of ≥0.65 Nm3/h because the thickness of the solidified layer was already determined by the exit height of the reservoir.

Effect of surface state on the oxidation behavior of welded 308L in simulated nominal primary water of PWR

Science.gov (United States)

Ming, Hongliang; Zhang, Zhiming; Wang, Jiazhen; Zhu, Ruolin; Ding, Jie; Wang, Jianqiu; Han, En-Hou; Ke, Wei

2015-05-01

The oxidation behavior of 308L weld metal (WM) with different surface state in the simulated nominal primary water of pressurized water reactor (PWR) was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyzer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After 480 h immersion, a duplex oxide film composed of a Fe-rich outer layer (Fe3O4, Fe2O3 and a small amount of NiFe2O4, Ni(OH)2, Cr(OH)3 and (Ni, Fe)Cr2O4) and a Cr-rich inner layer (FeCr2O4 and NiCr2O4) can be formed on the 308L WM samples with different surface state. The surface state has no influence on the phase composition of the oxide films but obviously affects the thickness of the oxide films and the morphology of the oxides (number & size). With increasing the density of dislocations and subgrain boundaries in the cold-worked superficial layer, the thickness of the oxide film, the number and size of the oxides decrease.

Web thickness determines the therapeutic effect of endoscopic keel placement on anterior glottic web.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Shi, Fang; Chen, Min; Yang, Yue; Cheng, Lei; Wu, Haitao

2017-10-01

This work is a retrospective analysis to investigate the critical risk factor for the therapeutic effect of endoscopic keel placement on anterior glottic web. Altogether, 36 patients with anterior glottic web undergoing endoscopic lysis and silicone keel placement were enrolled. Their voice qualities were evaluated using the voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaire, and improved significantly 3 months after surgery (21.53 ± 3.89 vs 9.81 ± 6.68, P web recurrence during the at least 1-year follow-up. Therefore, patients were classified according to the Cohen classification or web thickness, and the recurrence rates were compared. The distribution of recurrence rates for Cohen type 1 ~ 4 were 28.6, 16.7, 33.3, and 40%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.461). When classified by web thickness, only 2 of 27 (7.41%) thin type cases relapsed whereas 8 of 9 (88.9%) cases in the thick group reformed webs (P web thickness rather than the Cohen grades. Endoscopic lysis and keel placement is only effective for cases with thin glottic webs. Patients with thick webs should be treated by other means.

A study on effects of backrest thickness on the upper arm and trunk muscle load during wheelchair propulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joo-Hyun; Yoo, In-Gyu

2016-05-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the thickness of a wheelchair backrest provided for support and comfort on upper arm and trunk muscle load during wheelchair propulsion by using accelerometers. [Subjects and Methods] The Fourteen healthy participants were enrolled in this study. The study compared effects of three backrest conditions including no pad, a 3-cm-thick lumbar pad, and a 6-cm-thick lumbar pad. The instruments used for measurement were used two accelerometers. The participants were asked to propel their wheelchairs, which had been equipped with two accelerometers, 30 times. [Results] The intensity of muscle movement with the 3-cm-thick lumbar pad was significantly lower than the intensities with no lumbar pad and the 6-cm-thick lumbar pad. The muscle intensity did not differ significantly between the no pad and 6-cm-thick lumbar pad conditions. [Conclusion] An appropriately thick backrest has good effects on upper arm and trunk muscles during wheelchair propulsion. In the future, we must consider the appropriate backrest thickness for providing wheelchair users with a comfortable wheelchair.

Optimum thickness evaluation of ZrO2 coating on type 304L stainless steel for corrosion protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garg, Nidhi; Bera, Santanu; Velmurugan, S.; Tripathi, V.S.; Karki, Vijay

2015-01-01

Nano-crystalline ZrO 2 coatings of different thickness have been grown on pre-oxidized stainless steel (SS) surface by hydrothermal method in an autoclave. Thickness of the coating has been enhanced by repeating the deposition process several times using same precursor concentration. Several cycles of the deposition process lead to the increase of the coating thickness from 200 nm to ∼1 μm after the fourth round of deposition. The samples after different rounds of the coating have been extensively characterized by SEM-EDS technique to find the surface topography, coating thickness and composition. Corrosion resistance properties of the plain SS, pre-oxidized SS and all the ZrO 2 coated samples were studied by potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Corrosion current densities (I corr /cm 2 ) of the coated samples are found to reduce significantly with the increase in thickness. After a certain critical thickness, the corrosion resistance properties found to deteriorate due to the formation of coating defects caused by lattice strain. The coating was found to be continuous but porous after the first cycle but porosity of zirconia coating have been reduced drastically after the second cycle itself. EIS analysis confirms that the zirconia coated samples show insulating, barrier like characteristics in terms of high charge transfer resistance after the second cycle of zirconia deposition. The role of pre-oxidized surface composition and the interface between the pre-oxidized surface and the coating has been discussed in details by showing the depth distribution of Zr in the coating. (author)

Effect of Reduced Meal Frequency during Ramadan Fasting on Retinal and Choroidal Thickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ersan, Ismail; Tufan, Hasan Ali; Arikan, Sedat; Kara, Selcuk; Gencer, Baran; Hondur, Ahmet Murat

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on central foveal thickness (CFT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in healthy individuals using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). The EDI-OCT scans of 42 healthy individuals obtained after about 12 hours of fasting on at least the twenty-first consecutive day of fasting were compared to scans of the same patients taken one month after the last day they had fasted. CFT values were similar for both time periods (p > 0.05). The SFCT was significantly higher after consecutive fasting days towards the end of Ramadan, compared to the SFCT after one month of no fasting (one month after Ramadan ended) (p Ramadan fasting may lead to a significant increase in subfoveal choroidal thickness without affecting the central foveal thickness.

The effect of substrate orientation on the kinetics and thermodynamics of initial oxide-film growth on metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reichel, Friederike

2007-11-19

This thesis addresses the effect of the parent metal-substrate orientation on the thermodynamics and kinetics of ultra-thin oxide-film growth on bare metals upon their exposure to oxygen gas at low temperatures (up to 650 K). A model description has been developed to predict the thermodynamically stable microstructure of a thin oxide film grown on its bare metal substrate as function of the oxidation conditions and the substrate orientation. For Mg and Ni, the critical oxide-film thickness is less than 1 oxide monolayer and therefore the initial development of an amorphous oxide phase on these metal substrates is unlikely. Finally, for Cu and densely packed Cr and Fe metal surfaces, oxide overgrowth is predicted to proceed by the direct formation and growth of a crystalline oxide phase. Further, polished Al single-crystals with {l_brace}111{r_brace}, {l_brace}100{r_brace} and {l_brace}110{r_brace} surface orientations were introduced in an ultra-high vacuum system for specimen processing and analysis. After surface cleaning and annealing, the bare Al substrates have been oxidized by exposure to pure oxygen gas. During the oxidation, the oxide-film growth kinetics has been established by real-time in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. After the oxidation, the oxide-film microstructures were investigated by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction. Finally, high-resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis was applied to study the microstructure and morphology of the grown oxide films on an atomic scale. (orig.)

Thickness characteristics of YBaCuO system thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuhashi, Hideo; Jinno, Makoto; Takashima, Osamu; Uchida, Yoshiyuki; Maeda, Akinori; Kojima, Kenzo; Ochiai, Shizuyasu; Ohashi, Asao

1994-01-01

The practical use of oxide high temperature superconductors for electronics field has been advanced. The oxide high temperature superconductor thin films is very sensitive to the production conditions, and their making with good reproducibility is difficult. In this study, the method of producing the thin films having good quality with good reproducibility by RF magnetron sputtering, and the relation of the film thickness with the superconductivity characteristics of YBaCuO system thin films in the different methods of substrate washing were examined. The sputtering conditions are shown. For the purpose of preventing the worsening of the film quality due to the reverse sputtering of oxygen negative ions to the thin film surface, sputtering gas pressure was set up high at 30 Pa. The film thickness and the temperature-resistance characteristics were measured. The experimental method and the experimental results are reported. By keeping the temperature on substrate surfaces constant, the reproducibility in the production of the thin films was improved remarkably. The effect of substrate washing was large. (K.I.)

Field Investigation of Steamside Oxidation for TP347H

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montgomery, Melanie; Larsen, Ole Hede; Jensen, Søren Aakjær

2004-01-01

The steamside oxide formed on two TP347H superheater tubes was compared. The two specimens investigated were exposed in situ in power plants in Denmark, one specimen was coarse-grained and the other was fine-grained. Parts of both the coarse-grained and the fine-grained specimens were turned...... (machined on the inner side) to give a constant metal thickness so more precise wall thickness measurements could be undertaken. Machined and non-machined areas were investigated using light optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with EDS analysis. The oxide on the fine-grained specimen...... was also investigated with grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Results from coarse-grained and fine-grained specimens (machined and non-machined) show that grain size influenced oxide thickness and morphology. The oxides from non-machined specimens has an outer iron rich oxide and an inner iron chromium...

Effect of alkaline cleaning and activation on aluminum alloy 7075-T6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, Simon; Fahrenholtz, William G.; O'Keefe, Matthew J.

2011-01-01

The effect of alkaline cleaning and activation on the composition and thickness of the oxide layer on aluminum alloy 7075-T6 was studied. E-pH diagrams were developed to predict the effect of alkaline cleaning and activation solutions on the stability of the oxide surface layers. The thickness of the native oxide layer was determined to be ∼30 nm by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling analysis. The outer ∼20 nm was rich in magnesium while the remaining ∼10 nm was rich in aluminum. Cleaning in a 9.1 pH alkaline solution was found to remove the magnesium-rich layer and leave behind an aluminum-rich oxide layer ∼10 nm thick. Activation in alkaline solutions of NaOH (pH > 12.9) or Na 2 CO 3 (pH > 11.5) produced an oxide that was ∼20 to 60 nm thick and rich in magnesium. Alkaline cleaning and activation altered the oxide composition and thickness making it possible for deposition of thicker cerium-based conversion coatings (∼100 to 250 nm) compared to only alkaline cleaning (∼30 nm), with application of one spray cycle of deposition solution.

Effect of alkaline cleaning and activation on aluminum alloy 7075-T6

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joshi, Simon, E-mail: sjwt5@mst.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); Fahrenholtz, William G.; O' Keefe, Matthew J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States)

2011-01-01

The effect of alkaline cleaning and activation on the composition and thickness of the oxide layer on aluminum alloy 7075-T6 was studied. E-pH diagrams were developed to predict the effect of alkaline cleaning and activation solutions on the stability of the oxide surface layers. The thickness of the native oxide layer was determined to be {approx}30 nm by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling analysis. The outer {approx}20 nm was rich in magnesium while the remaining {approx}10 nm was rich in aluminum. Cleaning in a 9.1 pH alkaline solution was found to remove the magnesium-rich layer and leave behind an aluminum-rich oxide layer {approx}10 nm thick. Activation in alkaline solutions of NaOH (pH > 12.9) or Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} (pH > 11.5) produced an oxide that was {approx}20 to 60 nm thick and rich in magnesium. Alkaline cleaning and activation altered the oxide composition and thickness making it possible for deposition of thicker cerium-based conversion coatings ({approx}100 to 250 nm) compared to only alkaline cleaning ({approx}30 nm), with application of one spray cycle of deposition solution.

Fabrication and Characterization of PZT Thick Films for Sensing and Actuation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuo-Ching Kuo

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Lead Zirconate Titanate oxide (PZT thick films with thicknesses of up to 10 μmwere developed using a modified sol-gel technique. Usually, the film thickness is less than1 μm by conventional sol-gel processing, while the electrical charge accumulation whichreveals the direct effect of piezoelectricity is proportional to the film thickness and thereforerestricted. Two approaches were adopted to conventional sol-gel processing – precursorconcentration modulation and rapid thermal annealing. A 10 μm thick film was successfullyfabricated by coating 16 times via this technique. The thickness of each coating layer wasabout 0.6 μm and the morphology of the film was dense with a crack-free area as large as 16mm2. In addition, the structure, surface morphology and physical properties werecharacterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and atomicforce microscopy (AFM and electrical performance. The dielectric constant and hysteresisloops were measured as electric characteristics. This study investigates the actuation andsensing performance of the vibrating structures with the piezoelectric thick film. Theactuation tests demonstrated that a 4 mm x 4 mm x 6.5 μm PZT film drove a 40 mm x 7 mmx 0.5 mm silicon beam as an actuator. Additionally, it generated an electrical signal of 60mVpp as a sensor, while vibration was input by a shaker. The frequencies of the first twomodes of the beam were compared with the theoretical values obtained by Euler-Bernoullibeam theory. The linearity of the actuation and sensing tests were also examined.

Electrical transport through single-wall carbon nanotube-anodic aluminum oxide-aluminum heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukkola, Jarmo; Rautio, Aatto; Sala, Giovanni; Pino, Flavio; Toth, Geza; Leino, Anne-Riikka; Maeklin, Jani; Jantunen, Heli; Uusimaeki, Antti; Kordas, Krisztian; Gracia, Eduardo; Terrones, Mauricio; Shchukarev, Andrey; Mikkola, Jyri-Pekka

2010-01-01

Aluminum foils were anodized in sulfuric acid solution to form thick porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films of thickness ∼6 μm. Electrodes of carboxyl-functionalized single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin films were inkjet printed on the anodic oxide layer and the electrical characteristics of the as-obtained SWCNT-AAO-Al structures were studied. Nonlinear current-voltage transport and strong temperature dependence of conduction through the structure was measured. The microstructure and chemical composition of the anodic oxide layer was analyzed using transmission and scanning electron microscopy as well as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Schottky emission at the SWCNT-AAO and AAO-Al interfaces allowed by impurity states in the anodic aluminum oxide film together with ionic surface conduction on the pore walls of AAO gives a reasonable explanation for the measured electrical conduction. Calcined AAO is proposed as a dielectric material for SWCNT-field effect transistors.

Effect of native oxide layers on copper thin-film tensile properties: A reactive molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skarlinski, Michael D., E-mail: michael.skarlinski@rochester.edu [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Quesnel, David J. [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

2015-12-21

Metal-oxide layers are likely to be present on metallic nano-structures due to either environmental exposure during use, or high temperature processing techniques such as annealing. It is well known that nano-structured metals have vastly different mechanical properties from bulk metals; however, difficulties in modeling the transition between metallic and ionic bonding have prevented the computational investigation of the effects of oxide surface layers. Newly developed charge-optimized many body [Liang et al., Mater. Sci. Eng., R 74, 255 (2013)] potentials are used to perform fully reactive molecular dynamics simulations which elucidate the effects that metal-oxide layers have on the mechanical properties of a copper thin-film. Simulated tensile tests are performed on thin-films while using different strain-rates, temperatures, and oxide thicknesses to evaluate changes in yield stress, modulus, and failure mechanisms. Findings indicate that copper-thin film mechanical properties are strongly affected by native oxide layers. The formed oxide layers have an amorphous structure with lower Cu-O bond-densities than bulk CuO, and a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O and CuO charge character. It is found that oxidation will cause modifications to the strain response of the elastic modulii, producing a stiffened modulii at low temperatures (<75 K) and low strain values (<5%), and a softened modulii at higher temperatures. While under strain, structural reorganization within the oxide layers facilitates brittle yielding through nucleation of defects across the oxide/metal interface. The oxide-free copper thin-film yielding mechanism is found to be a tensile-axis reorientation and grain creation. The oxide layers change the observed yielding mechanism, allowing for the inner copper thin-film to sustain an FCC-to-BCC transition during yielding. The mechanical properties are fit to a thermodynamic model based on classical nucleation theory. The fit implies that the oxidation of the

Effect of anionic dopants on thickness, morphology and electrical properties of polypyrrole ultra-thin films prepared by in situ chemical polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahmoodian, Mehrnoosh [Dep. of Polymer Engineering, Nanostructured Materials Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz 51335-1996 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pourabbas, Behzad, E-mail: pourabas@sut.ac.ir [Dep. of Polymer Engineering, Nanostructured Materials Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz 51335-1996 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohajerzadeh, Shams [Nano-Electronics and Thin Film Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395/515, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-05-29

The effect of different dopant anions on deposition and characteristics of polypyrrole (PPy) thin film has been studied in this work. Ultra-thin films of conducting PPy were deposited on insulating surfaces of glass and oxidized silicon wafer by in situ chemical polymerization in the presence of different anionic dopants including sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, α-naphthalene sulfonic acid, anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid sodium salt monohydrate/5-sulfosalicylic acid dehydrate, and camphor sulfonic acid. Hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties and morphology of the self-assembled monolayer of N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)pyrrole, the surface modifying agent in this work, and PPy thin films were characterized before and after deposition by contact angle measurements, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Chemical structure, thickness, and conductivity of the thin films were also studied by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, ellipsometry, and four-point probe measurements. The results showed deposition of thin films of conducting PPy with comparable thickness in the range of 6-31 nm and different morphologies, uniformity, and smoothness with average roughness in the range of 0.3-6 nm and relatively high range of conductivity on the modified surfaces. - Highlights: • Conducting thin films of polypyrrole were deposited on glass and SiO{sub 2} substrates. • Surface modification using pyrrole-silane was employed prior to polymerization. • Films as thin as ≈ 7 nm were deposited using different surfactant/counter ions. • Chemistry of the counter ion affects thickness, conductivity and morphology. • Lower thickness/higher conductivity were obtained by structurally flexible dopants.

Effect of Glass Thickness on Performance of Flat Plate Solar Collectors for Fruits Drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramadhani Bakari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at investigating the effect of thickness of glazing material on the performance of flat plate solar collectors. Performance of solar collector is affected by glaze transmittance, absorptance, and reflectance which results into major heat losses in the system. Four solar collector models with different glass thicknesses were designed, constructed, and experimentally tested for their performances. Collectors were both oriented to northsouth direction and tilted to an angle of 10° with the ground toward north direction. The area of each collector model was 0.72 m2 with a depth of 0.15 m. Low iron (extra clear glass of thicknesses 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, and 6 mm was used as glazing materials. As a control, all collector performances were analysed and compared using a glass of 5 mm thickness and then with glass of different thickness. The results showed that change in glass thickness results into variation in collector efficiency. Collector with 4 mm glass thick gave the best efficiency of 35.4% compared to 27.8% for 6 mm glass thick. However, the use of glass of 4 mm thick needs precautions in handling and during placement to the collector to avoid extra costs due to breakage.

Effect of ceramic thickness, grinding, and aging on the mechanical behavior of a polycrystalline zirconia.

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Rodrigo Diniz; Pereira, Gabriel Kalil Rocha; Bottino, Marco Antonio; Melo, Renata Marques de; Valandro, Luiz Felipe

2017-11-06

Monolithic restorations of Y-TZP have been recommended as a restorative alternative on prosthetic dentistry as it allows a substantial reduction of ceramic thickness, which means a greater preservation of tooth structure. However, the influence of grinding and aging when using a thinner layer of the material is unclear. This investigation aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of ceramic thickness (0.5 mm and 1.0 mm), grinding and aging (low-temperature degradation) on the mechanical behavior and surface characteristics of a full-contour Y-TZP ceramic. Y-TZP disc-shaped specimens (15 mm diameter) were manufactured with both thicknesses and randomly assigned into 4 groups considering the factors 'grinding with diamond bur' and 'aging in autoclave'. Surface topography (roughness, 3D profilometry and SEM), phase transformation, flexural strength and structural reliability (Weibull) analyses were executed. Grinding affected the surface topography, while aging did not promote any effect. An increase in m-phase content was observed after grinding and aging, although different susceptibilities were observed. Regardless of zirconia's thickness, no deleterious effect of grinding or aging on the mechanical properties was observed. Thus, in our testing assembly, reducing the thickness of the Y-TZP ceramic did not alter its response to grinding and low temperature degradation and did not impair its mechanical performance.

Instabilities of line-driven stellar winds. V. Effect of an optically thick continuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owocki, S.P.; Rybicki, G.B.

1991-01-01

Earlier analyses of the linear instability of line-driven stellar winds are extended to the case, relevant to Wolf-Rayet stars, in which the continuum remains optically thick well above the sonic point. It is found that an optically thick flow driven by pure scattering lines is stabilized by the drag effect of the diffuse, scattered radiation. However, even a relatively small photon destruction probability can cause a flow with continuum optical thickness much greater than 1 to remain unstable, with a given growth rate. The implications of these results for the variability characteristics of winds from Wolf-Rayet stars are briefly discussed. 16 refs

Exploring the Effects of Disk Thickness on the Black Hole Reflection Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Corbin; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2018-03-01

The relativistically broadened reflection spectrum, observed in both AGN and X-ray binaries, has proven to be a powerful probe of the properties of black holes and the environments in which they reside. Emitted from the innermost regions of the accretion disk, this X-ray spectral component carries with it information not only about the plasma that resides in these extreme conditions, but also the black hole spin, a marker of the formation and accretion history of these objects. The models currently used to interpret the reflection spectrum are often simplistic, however, approximating the disk as an infinitely thin, optically thick plane of material orbiting in circular Keplerian orbits around the central object. Using a new relativistic ray-tracing suite (Fenrir) that allows for more complex disk approximations, we examine the effects that disk thickness may have on the reflection spectrum. Assuming a lamppost corona, we find that finite disk thickness can have a variety of effects on the reflection spectrum, including a truncation of the blue wing (from self-shadowing of the accretion disk) and an enhancement of the red wing (from the irradiation of the central “eye wall” of the inner disk). We deduce the systematic errors on black hole spin and height that may result from neglecting these effects.

Ferroelectricity in undoped hafnium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polakowski, Patrick; Müller, Johannes

2015-01-01

We report the observation of ferroelectric characteristics in undoped hafnium oxide thin films in a thickness range of 4–20 nm. The undoped films were fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and embedded into titanium nitride based metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors for electrical evaluation. Structural as well as electrical evidence for the appearance of a ferroelectric phase in pure hafnium oxide was collected with respect to film thickness and thermal budget applied during titanium nitride electrode formation. Using grazing incidence X-Ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis, we observed an enhanced suppression of the monoclinic phase fraction in favor of an orthorhombic, potentially, ferroelectric phase with decreasing thickness/grain size and for a titanium nitride electrode formation below crystallization temperature. The electrical presence of ferroelectricity was confirmed using polarization measurements. A remanent polarization P r of up to 10 μC cm −2 as well as a read/write endurance of 1.6 × 10 5 cycles was measured for the pure oxide. The experimental results reported here strongly support the intrinsic nature of the ferroelectric phase in hafnium oxide and expand its applicability beyond the doped systems

XPS studies of the oxide formed on pure Ti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cremery, P.; David, D.; Beranger, G.; Oviedo, C.; Garcia, E.A.

1980-01-01

The XPS technique was used to study titanium samples oxidized at 200 ton of pure oxigen at different times and temperatures with the aim of producing variable oxide thicknesses. The thicknesses of different oxigen layers were determined by the nuclear reaction O 16 (d,p) O 17 *. (author) [pt

Investigations on MGy ionizing dose effects in thin oxides of micro-electronic devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaillardin, M.; Paillet, P.; Raine, M.; Martinez, M.; Marcandella, C.; Duhamel, O.; Richard, N.; Leray, J.L. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Goiffon, V.; Corbiere, F.; Rolando, S.; Molina, R.; Magnan, P. [ISAE, Universite de Toulouse, 10 avenue Edouard Belin, BP 54032, 31055 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Girard, S.; Ouerdane, Y.; Boukenter, A. [Universite de Saint-Etienne, Laboratoire H. Curien, UMR-5516, 42000, Saint-Etienne (France)

2015-07-01

Total ionizing dose (TID) effects have been studied for a long time in micro-electronic components designed to operate in natural and artificial environments. In most cases, TID induces both charge trapping in the bulk of irradiated oxides and the buildup of interface traps located at semiconductor/dielectric interfaces. Such effects result from basic mechanisms driven by both the shape of the electric field which stands into the oxide and by fabrication process parameters inducing pre-existing traps in the oxide's bulk. From the pioneering studies based on 'thick' oxide technologies to the most recent ones dedicated to innovative technologies, most studies concluded that the impact of total ionizing dose effects reduces with the oxide thinning. This is specifically the case for the gate-oxide of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET) for which it is generally considered that TID is not a major issue anymore at kGy dose ranges. TID effects are now mainly due to charge trapping in the field oxides such as Shallow Trench Isolation. This creates either parasitic conduction paths or Radiation-Induced Narrow Channel Effects (RINCE). Static current-voltage (I-V) electrical characteristics are then modified through a significant increase of the off-current of NMOS transistors or by shifting the whole I-V curves (of both NMOS and PMOS transistors). Based on these assumptions, no significant shift of I-V curves should be observed in modern bulk CMOS technologies. However, such phenomenon may not be directly extrapolated to higher TID ranges, typically of several MGy for which only few data are available in the literature. This paper presents evidences of large threshold voltage shifts measured at MGy dose levels despite the fact that transistors are designed in a submicron bulk technology which features a 7-nm thin gate-oxide on GO2 transistors dedicated to mixed analog/digital integrated circuits. Such electrical shifts are encountered

Investigations on MGy ionizing dose effects in thin oxides of micro-electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaillardin, M.; Paillet, P.; Raine, M.; Martinez, M.; Marcandella, C.; Duhamel, O.; Richard, N.; Leray, J.L.; Goiffon, V.; Corbiere, F.; Rolando, S.; Molina, R.; Magnan, P.; Girard, S.; Ouerdane, Y.; Boukenter, A.

2015-01-01

Total ionizing dose (TID) effects have been studied for a long time in micro-electronic components designed to operate in natural and artificial environments. In most cases, TID induces both charge trapping in the bulk of irradiated oxides and the buildup of interface traps located at semiconductor/dielectric interfaces. Such effects result from basic mechanisms driven by both the shape of the electric field which stands into the oxide and by fabrication process parameters inducing pre-existing traps in the oxide's bulk. From the pioneering studies based on 'thick' oxide technologies to the most recent ones dedicated to innovative technologies, most studies concluded that the impact of total ionizing dose effects reduces with the oxide thinning. This is specifically the case for the gate-oxide of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET) for which it is generally considered that TID is not a major issue anymore at kGy dose ranges. TID effects are now mainly due to charge trapping in the field oxides such as Shallow Trench Isolation. This creates either parasitic conduction paths or Radiation-Induced Narrow Channel Effects (RINCE). Static current-voltage (I-V) electrical characteristics are then modified through a significant increase of the off-current of NMOS transistors or by shifting the whole I-V curves (of both NMOS and PMOS transistors). Based on these assumptions, no significant shift of I-V curves should be observed in modern bulk CMOS technologies. However, such phenomenon may not be directly extrapolated to higher TID ranges, typically of several MGy for which only few data are available in the literature. This paper presents evidences of large threshold voltage shifts measured at MGy dose levels despite the fact that transistors are designed in a submicron bulk technology which features a 7-nm thin gate-oxide on GO2 transistors dedicated to mixed analog/digital integrated circuits. Such electrical shifts are encountered

Effects of accelerated degradation on metal supported thin film-based solid oxide fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reolon, R. P.; Sanna, S.; Xu, Yu

2018-01-01

A thin film-based solid oxide fuel cell is deposited on a Ni-based metal porous support by pulsed laser deposition with a multi-scale-graded microstructure design. The fuel cell, around 1 μm in thickness, is composed of a stabilized-zirconia/doped-ceria bi-layered dense electrolyte and nanostruct......A thin film-based solid oxide fuel cell is deposited on a Ni-based metal porous support by pulsed laser deposition with a multi-scale-graded microstructure design. The fuel cell, around 1 μm in thickness, is composed of a stabilized-zirconia/doped-ceria bi-layered dense electrolyte......, electrochemical performances are steady, indicating the stability of the cell. Under electrical load, a progressive degradation is activated. Post-test analysis reveals both mechanical and chemical degradation of the cell. Cracks and delamination of the thin films promote a significant nickel diffusion and new...

Titanium oxidation-reduction at low oxygen pressure under electron bombardment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brasca, R.; Passeggi, M.C.G.; Ferron, J.

2006-01-01

The effect of the electron bombardment on the first stages of the titanium oxidation process has been studied by means of Auger Electron Spectroscopy. Using Factor Analysis and the valence electron dependence behaviour of the titanium LMV Auger transition, we found that the process is strongly dependent on the oxygen pressure and electron current density. Depending on the irradiation conditions, films of different thickness and Ti oxidized states are obtained

Photon energy response of an aluminum oxide TLD environmental dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsher, R.H.

1992-01-01

Because of aluminum oxide's significant advantage in sensitivity (about a factor of 30) over LiF, minimal fading characteristics and ease of processing, aluminum oxide thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDS) are being phased in at Los alamos for environmental monitoring of photon radiation. The new environmental dosimeter design consists of a polyethylene holder, about 0. 5 cm thick, loaded with a stack of four aluminum oxide TLD chips, each 1 mm thick and 5 mm in diameter. As part of the initial evaluation of the new design, the photon energy response of the dosimeter was calculated over the range from 10 keV to 1 MeV. Specific goals of the analysis included the determination of individual chip response in the stack, assessment of the response variation due to TLD material (i.e., LiF versus A1 2 O 3 ), and the effect of copper filtration in flattening the response

Effect of layer thickness in selective laser melting on microstructure of Al/5 wt.%Fe2O3 powder consolidated parts.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadbakhsh, Sasan; Hao, Liang

2014-01-01

In situ reaction was activated in the powder mixture of Al/5 wt.%Fe2O3 by using selective laser melting (SLM) to directly fabricate aluminium metal matrix composite parts. The microstructural characteristics of these in situ consolidated parts through SLM were investigated under the influence of thick powder bed, 75  μm layer thickness, and 50  μm layer thickness in various laser powers and scanning speeds. It was found that the layer thickness has a strong influence on microstructural outcome, mainly attributed to its impact on oxygen content of the matrix. Various microstructural features (such as granular, coralline-like, and particulate appearance) were observed depending on the layer thickness, laser power, and scanning speed. This was associated with various material combinations such as pure Al, Al-Fe intermetallics, and Al(-Fe) oxide phases formed after in situ reaction and laser rapid solidification. Uniformly distributed very fine particles could be consolidated in net-shape Al composite parts by using lower layer thickness, higher laser power, and lower scanning speed. The findings contribute to the new development of advanced net-shape manufacture of Al composites by combining SLM and in situ reaction process.

Effects of relative thickness on aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil at a low Reynolds number

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Dongli

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on the characteristics of low Reynolds number flow around airfoil of high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (HAUAVs cruising at low speed. Numerical simulation on the flows around several representative airfoils is carried out to investigate the low Reynolds number flow. The water tunnel model tests further validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the numerical method. Then the effects of the relative thickness of airfoil on aerodynamic performance are explored, using the above numerical method, by simulating flows around airfoils of different relative thicknesses (12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, as well as different locations of the maximum relative thickness (x/c = 22%, 26%, 30%, 34%, at a low Reynolds number of 5 × 105. Results show that performance of airfoils at low Reynolds number is mainly affected by the laminar separation bubble. On the premise of good stall characteristics, the value of maximum relative thickness should be as small as possible, and the location of the maximum relative thickness ought to be closer to the trailing edge to obtain fine airfoil performance. The numerical method is feasible for the simulation of low Reynolds number flow. The study can help to provide a basis for the design of low Reynolds number airfoil.

Effects of Energy Relaxation via Quantum Coupling Among Three-Dimensional Motion on the Tunneling Current of Graphene Field-Effect Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Ling-Feng; Ning, Huansheng; Li, Xijun

2015-12-01

We report theoretical study of the effects of energy relaxation on the tunneling current through the oxide layer of a two-dimensional graphene field-effect transistor. In the channel, when three-dimensional electron thermal motion is considered in the Schrödinger equation, the gate leakage current at a given oxide field largely increases with the channel electric field, electron mobility, and energy relaxation time of electrons. Such an increase can be especially significant when the channel electric field is larger than 1 kV/cm. Numerical calculations show that the relative increment of the tunneling current through the gate oxide will decrease with increasing the thickness of oxide layer when the oxide is a few nanometers thick. This highlights that energy relaxation effect needs to be considered in modeling graphene transistors.

Evolution of optical constants of silicon dioxide on silicon from ultrathin films to thick films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai Qingyuan; Zheng Yuxiang; Mao Penghui; Zhang Rongjun; Zhang Dongxu; Liu Minghui; Chen Liangyao, E-mail: yxzheng@fudan.edu.c [Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures, Ministry of Education, Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2010-11-10

A series of SiO{sub 2} films with thickness range 1-600 nm have been deposited on crystal silicon (c-Si) substrates by electron beam evaporation (EBE) method. Variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) in combination with a two-film model (ambient-oxide-interlayer substrate) was used to determine the optical constants and thicknesses of the investigated films. The refractive indices of SiO{sub 2} films thicker than 60 nm are close to those of bulk SiO{sub 2}. For the thin films deposited at the rate of {approx}1.0 nm s{sup -1}, the refractive indices increase with decreasing thickness from {approx}60 to {approx}10 nm and then drop sharply with decreasing thickness below {approx}10 nm. However, for thin films deposited at the rates of {approx}0.4 and {approx}0.2 nm s{sup -1}, the refractive indices monotonically increase with decreasing thickness below 60 nm. The optical constants of the ultrathin film depend on the morphology of the film, the stress exerted on the film, as well as the stoichiometry of the oxide film.

Evolution of optical constants of silicon dioxide on silicon from ultrathin films to thick films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Qingyuan; Zheng Yuxiang; Mao Penghui; Zhang Rongjun; Zhang Dongxu; Liu Minghui; Chen Liangyao

2010-01-01

A series of SiO 2 films with thickness range 1-600 nm have been deposited on crystal silicon (c-Si) substrates by electron beam evaporation (EBE) method. Variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) in combination with a two-film model (ambient-oxide-interlayer substrate) was used to determine the optical constants and thicknesses of the investigated films. The refractive indices of SiO 2 films thicker than 60 nm are close to those of bulk SiO 2 . For the thin films deposited at the rate of ∼1.0 nm s -1 , the refractive indices increase with decreasing thickness from ∼60 to ∼10 nm and then drop sharply with decreasing thickness below ∼10 nm. However, for thin films deposited at the rates of ∼0.4 and ∼0.2 nm s -1 , the refractive indices monotonically increase with decreasing thickness below 60 nm. The optical constants of the ultrathin film depend on the morphology of the film, the stress exerted on the film, as well as the stoichiometry of the oxide film.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of Titanium Aluminides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern, R; Sieber, M; Lampke, T; Grund, T; Wielage, B

2016-01-01

Due to their outstanding specific mechanical and high-temperature properties, titanium aluminides exhibit a high potential for lightweight components exposed to high temperatures. However, their application is limited through their low wear resistance and the increasing high-temperature oxidation starting from about 750 °C. By the use of oxide ceramic coatings, these constraints can be set aside and the possible applications of titanium aluminides can be extended. The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) represents a process for the generation of oxide ceramic conversion coatings with high thickness. The current work aims at the clarification of different electrolyte components’ influences on the oxide layer evolution on alloy TNM-B1 (Ti43.5Al4Nb1Mo0.1B) and the creation of compact and wear resistant coatings. Model experiments were applied using a ramp-wise increase of the anodic potential in order to show the influence of electrolyte components on the discharge initiation and the early stage of the oxide layer growth. The production of PEO layers with technically relevant thicknesses close to 100 μm was conducted in alkaline electrolytes with varying amounts of Na 2 SiO 3 ·5H 2 O and K 4 P 2 O 7 under symmetrically pulsed current conditions. Coating properties were evaluated with regard to morphology, chemical composition, hardness and wear resistance. The addition of phosphates and silicates leads to an increasing substrate passivation and the growth of compact oxide layers with higher thicknesses. Optimal electrolyte compositions for maximum coating hardness and thickness were identified by statistical analysis. Under these conditions, a homogeneous inner layer with low porosity can be achieved. The frictional wear behavior of the compact coating layer is superior to a hard anodized layer on aluminum. (paper)

Effects of CH3OH Addition on Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of AZ31 Magnesium Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yongyi; Chen, Li; Yan, Zongcheng; Zhang, Yalei

2015-09-01

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) films on AZ31 magnesium alloys were prepared in alkaline silicate electrolytes (base electrolyte) with the addition of different volume concentrations of CH3OH, which was used to adjust the thickness of the vapor sheath. The compositions, morphologies, and thicknesses of ceramic layers formed with different CH3OH concentrations were determined via X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion behavior of the oxide films was evaluated in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution using potentiodynamic polarization tests. PEO coatings mainly comprised Mg, MgO, and Mg2SiO4. The addition of CH3OH in base electrolytes affected the thickness, pores diameter, and Mg2SiO4 content in the films. The films formed in the electrolyte containing 12% CH3OH exhibited the highest thickness. The coatings formed in the electrolyte containing different concentrations of CH3OH exhibited similar corrosion resistance. The energy consumption of PEO markedly decreased upon the addition of CH3OH to the electrolytes. The result is helpful for energy saving in the PEO process. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21376088), the Project of Production, Education and Research, Guangdong Province and Ministry of Education (Nos. 2012B09100063, 2012A090300015), and Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Projects of China (No. 2014Y2-00042)

Effect of ceramic thickness and shade on mechanical properties of a resin luting agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Passos, Sheila Pestana; Kimpara, Estevão Tomomitsu; Bottino, Marco Antonio; Rizkalla, Amin S; Santos, Gildo Coelho

2014-08-01

This study aimed to investigate the influence of ceramic thickness and shade on the Knoop hardness and dynamic elastic modulus of a dual-cured resin cement. Six ceramic shades (Bleaching, A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B3) and two ceramic thicknesses (1 mm, 3 mm) were evaluated. Disk specimens (diameter: 7 mm; thickness: 2 mm) of the resin cement were light cured under a ceramic block. Light-cured specimens without the ceramic block at distances of 1 and 3 mm were also produced. The Knoop hardness number (KHN), density, and dynamic Young's moduli were determined. Statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA and a Tukey B rank order test (p = 0.05). The bleaching 1-mm-thick group exhibited significantly higher dynamic Young's modulus. Lower dynamic Young's moduli were observed for the 3-mm-thick ceramic groups compared to bleaching 3-mm-thick group, and no difference was found among the other 3-mm groups. For the KHN, when A3.5 3-mm-thick was used, the KHN was significantly lower than bleaching and A1 1-mm-thick ceramic; however, no difference was exhibited between the thicknesses of the same shade. The dual-cured resin cement studied irradiated through the 1-mm-thick ceramic with the lightest shade (bleaching ceramic) exhibited a better elastic modulus, and there was no effect in KHN of the resin cement when light cured under different ceramic shades and thicknesses (1 and 3 mm), except when the A3.5 3-mm-thick ceramic was used. Variolink II irradiated through ceramic with the lowest chroma exhibited the highest elastic modulus; therefore, the light activation method might not be the same for all clinical situations. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Correlation between active layer thickness and ambient gas stability in IGZO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xu; Mao, Bao-Hua; Wang, Sui-Dong; Lin, Meng-Fang; Shimizu, Maki; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Ou-Yang, Wei; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Nabatame, Toshihide; Liu, Zhi

2017-01-01

Decreasing the active layer thickness has been recently reported as an alternative way to achieve fully depleted oxide thin-film transistors for the realization of low-voltage operations. However, the correlation between the active layer thickness and device resistivity to environmental changes is still unclear, which is important for the optimized design of oxide thin-film transistors. In this work, the ambient gas stability of IGZO thin-film transistors is found to be strongly correlated to the IGZO thickness. The TFT with the thinnest IGZO layer shows the highest intrinsic electron mobility in a vacuum, which is greatly reduced after exposure to O 2 /air. The device with a thick IGZO layer shows similar electron mobility in O 2 /air, whereas the mobility variation measured in the vacuum is absent. The thickness dependent ambient gas stability is attributed to a high-mobility region in the IGZO surface vicinity with less sputtering-induced damage, which will become electron depleted in O 2 /air due to the electron transfer to adsorbed gas molecules. The O 2 adsorption and deduced IGZO surface band bending is demonstrated by the ambient-pressure x-ray photoemission spectroscopy results. (paper)

Effect of the thickness of a fluoropolymer film on the radiotically prepared fuel cell membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Beom Seok; Sohn, Joon Yong; Nho, Young Chang; Shin, Jun Hwa [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Il [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2010-06-15

To observe the effect of the thickness of a fluoropolymer film on the radiotically prepared fuel cell membranes, fuel cell membranes with various thickness were prepared by simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene into polyethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) with various thicknesses (25, 50 and 100 {mu}m) and subsequent sulfonation. The physico-chemical properties of the prepared membranes such as ion exchange capacity, water uptake, distribution of sulfonic acid group were evaluated in the correlation with the thickness of ETFE film. In additions, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the prepared membranes were also evaluated. The results revealed that the proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the prepared membranes were largely affected by the thickness of ETFE film utilized as a base film.

Effect of the thickness of a fluoropolymer film on the radiotically prepared fuel cell membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Beom Seok; Sohn, Joon Yong; Nho, Young Chang; Shin, Jun Hwa; Kim, Jong Il

2010-01-01

To observe the effect of the thickness of a fluoropolymer film on the radiotically prepared fuel cell membranes, fuel cell membranes with various thickness were prepared by simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene into polyethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) with various thicknesses (25, 50 and 100 μm) and subsequent sulfonation. The physico-chemical properties of the prepared membranes such as ion exchange capacity, water uptake, distribution of sulfonic acid group were evaluated in the correlation with the thickness of ETFE film. In additions, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the prepared membranes were also evaluated. The results revealed that the proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the prepared membranes were largely affected by the thickness of ETFE film utilized as a base film

Effects of oxcarbazepine treatment on serum lipids and carotid intima media thickness in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Yiş, Uluç; Doğan, Mustafa

2012-03-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the carotid intima media thickness and serum lipids in pediatric patients with epilepsy treated with oxcarbazepine. The study included 21 pediatric epileptic and 22 healthy children. Intima media thickness and fasting lipid profile were assessed. Although the median value of total cholesterol was in normal limits in the oxcarbazepine group, it was significantly higher when compared with the control group. We did not observe any differences regarding triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and carotid intima media thickness. We suggest that oxcarbazepine treatment in children has a minor effect on serum lipids and it does not seem to have an atherogenic effect. Copyright © 2011 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mn-implanted, polycrystalline indium tin oxide and indium oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scarlat, Camelia; Vinnichenko, Mykola; Xu Qingyu; Buerger, Danilo; Zhou Shengqiang; Kolitsch, Andreas; Grenzer, Joerg; Helm, Manfred; Schmidt, Heidemarie

2009-01-01

Polycrystalline conducting, ca. 250 nm thick indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium oxide (IO) films grown on SiO 2 /Si substrates using reactive magnetron sputtering, have been implanted with 1 and 5 at.% of Mn, followed by annealing in nitrogen or in vacuum. The effect of the post-growth treatment on the structural, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties has been studied. The roughness of implanted films ranges between 3 and 15 nm and XRD measurements revealed a polycrystalline structure. A positive MR has been observed for Mn-implanted and post-annealed ITO and IO films. It has been interpreted by considering s-d exchange. Spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used to prove the existence of midgap electronic states in the Mn-implanted ITO and IO films reducing the transmittance below 80%.

Effect of charged impurities and morphology on oxidation reactivity of graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Mahito; Cullen, William; Einstein, Theodore; Fuhrer, Michael

2012-02-01

Chemical reactivity of single layer graphene supported on a substrate is observed to be enhanced over thicker graphene. Possible mechanisms for the enhancement are Fermi level fluctuations due to ionized impurities on the substrate, and structural deformation of graphene induced by coupling to the substrate geometry. Here, we study the substrate-dependent oxidation reactivity of graphene, employing various substrates such as SiO2, mica, SiO2 nanoparticle thin film, and hexagonal boron nitride, which exhibit different charged impurity concentrations and surface roughness. Graphene is prepared on each substrate via mechanical exfoliation and oxidized in Ar/O2 mixture at temperatures from 400-600 ^oC. After oxidation, the Raman spectrum of graphene is measured, and the Raman D to G peak ratio is used to quantify the density of point defects introduced by oxidation. We will discuss the correlations among the defect density in oxidized graphene, substrate charge inhomogeneity, substrate corrugations, and graphene layer thickness. This work has been supported by the University of Maryland NSF-MRSEC under Grant No. DMR 05-20471 with supplemental funding from NRI, and NSF-DMR 08-04976.

Finite-thickness effects on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in accelerated elastic solids

Science.gov (United States)

Piriz, S. A.; Piriz, A. R.; Tahir, N. A.

2017-05-01

A physical model has been developed for the linear Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a finite-thickness elastic slab laying on top of a semi-infinite ideal fluid. The model includes the nonideal effects of elasticity as boundary conditions at the top and bottom interfaces of the slab and also takes into account the finite transit time of the elastic waves across the slab thickness. For Atwood number AT=1 , the asymptotic growth rate is found to be in excellent agreement with the exact solution [Plohr and Sharp, Z. Angew. Math. Mech. 49, 786 (1998), 10.1007/s000330050121], and a physical explanation is given for the reduction of the stabilizing effectiveness of the elasticity for the thinner slabs. The feedthrough factor is also calculated.

Effects of Temperature and Slice Thickness on Drying Kinetics of Pumpkin Slices

OpenAIRE

Kongdej LIMPAIBOON

2011-01-01

Dried pumpkin slice is an alternative crisp food product. In this study, the effects of temperature and slice thickness on the drying characteristics of pumpkin were studied in a lab-scale tray dryer, using hot air temperatures of 55, 60 and 65 °C and 2, 3 and 4 mm slice thickness at a constant air velocity of 1.5 m/s. The initial moisture content of the pumpkin samples was 900.5 % (wb). The drying process was carried out until the final moisture content of product was 100.5 % (wb). The resul...

Effect of ceramic thickness, grinding, and aging on the mechanical behavior of a polycrystalline zirconia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Diniz PRADO

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Monolithic restorations of Y-TZP have been recommended as a restorative alternative on prosthetic dentistry as it allows a substantial reduction of ceramic thickness, which means a greater preservation of tooth structure. However, the influence of grinding and aging when using a thinner layer of the material is unclear. This investigation aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of ceramic thickness (0.5 mm and 1.0 mm, grinding and aging (low-temperature degradation on the mechanical behavior and surface characteristics of a full-contour Y-TZP ceramic. Y-TZP disc-shaped specimens (15 mm diameter were manufactured with both thicknesses and randomly assigned into 4 groups considering the factors ‘grinding with diamond bur’ and ‘aging in autoclave’. Surface topography (roughness, 3D profilometry and SEM, phase transformation, flexural strength and structural reliability (Weibull analyses were executed. Grinding affected the surface topography, while aging did not promote any effect. An increase in m-phase content was observed after grinding and aging, although different susceptibilities were observed. Regardless of zirconia’s thickness, no deleterious effect of grinding or aging on the mechanical properties was observed. Thus, in our testing assembly, reducing the thickness of the Y-TZP ceramic did not alter its response to grinding and low temperature degradation and did not impair its mechanical performance.

TRPV4 activation mediates flow-induced nitric oxide production in the rat thick ascending limb

Science.gov (United States)

Garvin, Jeffrey L.

2014-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates renal function. Luminal flow stimulates NO production in the thick ascending limb (TAL). Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a mechano-sensitive channel activated by luminal flow in different types of cells. We hypothesized that TRPV4 mediates flow-induced NO production in the rat TAL. We measured NO production in isolated, perfused rat TALs using the fluorescent dye DAF FM. Increasing luminal flow from 0 to 20 nl/min stimulated NO from 8 ± 3 to 45 ± 12 arbitrary units (AU)/min (n = 5; P < 0.05). The TRPV4 antagonists, ruthenium red (15 μmol/l) and RN 1734 (10 μmol/l), blocked flow-induced NO production. Also, luminal flow did not increase NO production in the absence of extracellular calcium. We also studied the effect of luminal flow on NO production in TALs transduced with a TRPV4shRNA. In nontransduced TALs luminal flow increased NO production by 47 ± 17 AU/min (P < 0.05; n = 5). Similar to nontransduced TALs, luminal flow increased NO production by 39 ± 11 AU/min (P < 0.03; n = 5) in TALs transduced with a control negative sequence-shRNA while in TRPV4shRNA-transduced TALs, luminal flow did not increase NO production (Δ10 ± 15 AU/min; n = 5). We then tested the effect of two different TRPV4 agonists on NO production in the absence of luminal flow. 4α-Phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (1 μmol/l) enhanced NO production by 60 ± 11 AU/min (P < 0.002; n = 7) and GSK1016790A (10 ηmol/l) increased NO production by 52 ± 15 AU/min (P < 0.03; n = 5). GSK1016790A (10 ηmol/l) did not stimulate NO production in TRPV4shRNA-transduced TALs. We conclude that activation of TRPV4 channels mediates flow-induced NO production in the rat TAL. PMID:24966090

Effects of sawdust thickness on the growth performance, environmental condition, and welfare quality of yellow broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Dan; He, Jiao; Lu, Jian; Wang, Qiang; Chang, Lingling; Shi, Shou Rong; Bing, Tong Hai

2015-01-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of litter thickness on growth performance, immune status, environmental condition, and welfare quality in yellow broilers. In total, 1,800 one-day-old Suqin yellow broilers were raised for 21 d. On d 22, 1,600 birds of similar BW (404±12 g) were randomly selected and placed into 20 indoor pens (8 birds/m2, 10 m2/pen). These birds were assigned to a litter treatment of 4, 8, 12, and 16 cm. Each treatment was repeated in five pens. The results showed that a thicker litter was related to increased BW, daily weight gain, and daily feed intake (Plitter thickness (P=0.320, P=0.353, respectively). Absolute and relative liver weights showed a significant linear response to increasing litter thickness (P=0.01, P=0.001, respectively). The litter moisture content, air ammonia, and CO2 content decreased, whereas the air dust content increased with increasing litter thickness (PLitter thickness had no effect on gait, plumage damage, hock burn or breast skin crusting (P = 0.076, P=0.964, P=0.131, P=0.401, respectively). Plumage cleanliness, foot pad dermatitis, hock swelling and breast blister varied significantly with litter thickness (P=0.027, P=0.011, P=0.014, P=0.042, respectively). The results of this study suggest that an increasing litter thickness has a beneficial effect on the growth performance, environmental condition and welfare of birds. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The Thick Market Effect on Local Unemployment Rate Fluctuations

OpenAIRE

Li Gan; Qinghua Zhang

2005-01-01

This paper studies how the thick market effect influences local unemployment rate fluctuations. The paper presents a model to demonstrate that the average matching quality improves as the number of workers and firms increases. Unemployed workers accumulate in a city until the local labor market reaches a critical minimum size, which leads to cyclical fluctuations in the local unemployment rates. Since larger cities attain the critical market size more frequently, they have shorter unemploymen...

Stages of polymer transformation during remote plasma oxidation (RPO) at atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, P.; Oehrlein, G. S.

2018-04-01

The interaction of cold temperature plasma sources with materials can be separated into two types: ‘direct’ and ‘remote’ treatments. Compared to the ‘direct’ treatment which involves energetic charged species along with short-lived, strongly oxidative neutral species, ‘remote’ treatment by the long-lived weakly oxidative species is less invasive and better for producing uniformly treated surfaces. In this paper, we examine the prototypical case of remote plasma oxidation (RPO) of polymer materials by employing a surface micro-discharge (in a N2/O2 mixture environment) treatment on polystyrene. Using material characterization techniques including real-time ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the time evolution of polymer film thickness, refractive index, surface, and bulk chemical composition were evaluated. These measurements revealed three consecutive stages of polymer transformation, i.e. surface adsorption and oxidation, bulk film permeation and thickness expansion followed by the material removal as a result of RPO. By correlating the observed film thickness changes with simultaneously obtained chemical information, we found that the three stages were due to the three effects of weakly oxidative species on polymers: (1) surface oxidation and nitrate (R-ONO2) chemisorption, (2) bulk oxidation, and (3) etching. Our results demonstrate that surface adsorption and oxidation, bulk oxidation, and etching can all happen during one continuous plasma treatment. We show that surface nitrate is only adsorbed on the top few nanometers of the polymer surface. The polymer film expansion also provided evidence for the diffusion and reaction of long-lived plasma species in the polymer bulk. Besides, we found that the remote plasma etched surface was relatively rich in O-C=O (ester or carboxylic acid). These findings clarify the roles of long-lived weakly oxidative plasma species on polymers and advance

Effect of mechanical ventilation on regional variation of pleural liquid thickness in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, P M; Lai-Fook, S J

1997-01-01

We studied the effect of ventilation on the regional distribution of pleural liquid thickness in anesthetized rabbits. Three transparent pleural windows were made between the second and eight intercostal space along the midaxillary line of the right chest. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (1 ml) was injected into the pleural space through a rib capsule and allowed to mix with the pleural liquid. The light emitted from the pleural space beneath the windows was measured by fluorescence videomicroscopy at a constant tidal volume (20 ml) and two ventilation frequencies (20 and 40 breaths/min). Pleural liquid thickness was determined from the light measurements after in vitro calibration of pleural liquid collected postmortem. At 20 breaths/min, pleural liquid thickness increased with a cranial-caudal distance from 5 microns at the second to third intercostal space to 30 microns at the sixth through eighth intercostal space. At 40 breaths/min, pleural space thickness was unchanged at the second to third intercostal space but increased to 46 microns at the sixth through eighth intercostal space. To determine this effect on pleural liquid shear stress, we measured relative lung velocity from videomicroscopic images of the lung surface through the windows. Lung velocity amplitude increased with cranial-caudal distance and with ventilation frequency. Calculated shear stress amplitude was constant with cranial-caudal distance but increased with ventilation frequency. Thus, pleural liquid thickness is matched to the relative lung motion so as to maintain a spatially uniform shear stress amplitude in pleural liquid during mechanical ventilation.

Photoluminescence blue shift of indium phosphide nanowire networks with aluminum oxide coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fryauf, David M.; Zhang, Junce; Norris, Kate J.; Diaz Leon, Juan J.; Oye, Michael M.; Kobayashi, Nobuhiko P.; Wei, Min

2014-01-01

This paper describes our finding that optical properties of semiconductor nanowires were modified by depositing a thin layer of metal oxide. Indium phosphide nanowires were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates with gold catalyst resulting in three-dimensional nanowire networks, and optical properties were obtained from the collective nanowire networks. The networks were coated with an aluminum oxide thin film deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. We studied the dependence of the peak wavelength of photoluminescence spectra on the thickness of the oxide coatings. A continuous blue shift in photoluminescence spectra was observed when the thickness of the oxide coating was increased. The observed blue shift is attributed to the Burstein-Moss effect due to increased carrier concentration in the nanowire cores caused by repulsion from intrinsic negative fixed charges located at the inner oxide surface. Samples were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and selective area diffractometry to better understand the physical mechanisms for the blue shift. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Photoluminescence blue shift of indium phosphide nanowire networks with aluminum oxide coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fryauf, David M.; Zhang, Junce; Norris, Kate J.; Diaz Leon, Juan J.; Oye, Michael M.; Kobayashi, Nobuhiko P. [Nanostructured Energy Conversion Technology and Research (NECTAR), Advanced Studies Laboratories, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); Baskin School of Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States); Wei, Min [Baskin School of Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); School of Micro-Electronics and Solid-Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu (China)

2014-07-15

This paper describes our finding that optical properties of semiconductor nanowires were modified by depositing a thin layer of metal oxide. Indium phosphide nanowires were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates with gold catalyst resulting in three-dimensional nanowire networks, and optical properties were obtained from the collective nanowire networks. The networks were coated with an aluminum oxide thin film deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. We studied the dependence of the peak wavelength of photoluminescence spectra on the thickness of the oxide coatings. A continuous blue shift in photoluminescence spectra was observed when the thickness of the oxide coating was increased. The observed blue shift is attributed to the Burstein-Moss effect due to increased carrier concentration in the nanowire cores caused by repulsion from intrinsic negative fixed charges located at the inner oxide surface. Samples were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and selective area diffractometry to better understand the physical mechanisms for the blue shift. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Modelling of oxidation and hydriding behaviour of Zircaloy-2 pressure tubes in PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sah, D.N.; Sunil Kumar; Khan, K.B.

2002-01-01

A computer model named DOCTOR (Deuteriding of Coolant Tubes during Operation of Reactor) has been developed for predicting the axial profile of oxide thickness and hydrogen (Deuterium) concentration in PHWR pressure tubes. This model is applicable to single channel or full core analysis. The main source of hydrogen is considered to be oxidation of pressure tube on the i.d. surface by high temperature coolant water. Three stages of oxidation is considered namely, pre- transition, post transition and accelerated. Oxidation rate is considered to be dependent on channel power, axial power/flux distribution, coolant temperature and pre-existing oxide thickness at the location. The kinetics parameters for oxidation model are derived from the actual measurement of oxide thickness on a number of pressure tubes examined in PIE Division. The input data required for the model are: channel power, channel power factor, axial flux distribution, coolant inlet temperature, critical oxide thickness, hydrogen pick up fraction, initial hydrogen in the material and time of operation (efpy). The model calculates the oxide layer thickness on the inside surface of the pressure tube along the length. The amount of hydrogen picked up by the pressure tube is calculated from the oxide thickness using hydrogen pick up fraction determined from the PIE data. The pressure tube length is divided into a number of axial segments for calculation. The temperature and fast neutron flux assumed to be constant in a given segment. The axial temperature profile calculated from the axial power profile in the channel is used for calculating the oxidation rate at various locations in the pressure tube. The model has been validated with PIE data of hydrogen equivalent measurement on a number of irradiated Zircaloy-2 pressure tubes of various PHWRs. The performance of the model in predicting the axial profile of hydrogen in the pressure tubes has been found to be good. (author)

Cyclic Oxidation and Hot Corrosion of NiCrY-Coated Disk Superalloy

Science.gov (United States)

Gabb, Tim; Miller, R. A.; Sudbrack, C. K.; Draper, S. L.; Nesbitt, J.; Telesman, J.; Ngo, V.; Healy, J.

2015-01-01

Powder metallurgy disk superalloys have been designed for higher engine operating temperatures through improvement of their strength and creep resistance. Yet, increasing disk application temperatures to 704 C and higher could enhance oxidation and activate hot corrosion in harmful environments. Protective coatings could be necessary to mitigate such attack. Cylindrical coated specimens of disk superalloys LSHR and ME3 were subjected to thermal cycling to produce cyclic oxidation in air at a maximum temperature of 760 C. The effects of substrate roughness and coating thickness on coating integrity after cyclic oxidation were considered. Selected coated samples that had cyclic oxidation were then subjected to accelerated hot corrosion tests. The effects of this cyclic oxidation on resistance to subsequent hot corrosion attack were examined.

Non-contact Measurement of Remaining Thickness of Corroding Superheater Tubes. Phase 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borggreen, Kjeld; Storesund, Jan

2006-10-15

Corrosion of superheaters has become a severe problem in many biomass boilers and incineration plants. This new situation calls for frequent tube wall thickness testing of the superheaters during very short shut-downs. To meet this demand Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) candidates as substitute for conventional manually operated contact UT-transducers. The EMAT can contactlessly generate an ultrasonic wave in the interphase between the external oxide and the metal. This means that measurements can be undertaken much quicker and with a much higher coverage simultaneously, without preceding blast operations. It is the aim of the project to demonstrate the usefulness of two simple EMAT systems, Panametrics and Sonatest, for fast and reliable tube thickness inspections in difficult-to-access superheater sections. The present Phase 1 of the project involves testing of the performance of the two systems in laboratory with the following results: 1. Both instruments work well on plate, tube, and pipe samples assuming the presence of an external oxide layer formed at a temperature above approximately 400 deg C. 2. Both instruments work well on all types of ferritic and martensitic steels but not on austenitic steels. 3. Both instruments work well independent of the thickness of the active oxide layer. 4. Both instruments work well independent of tube diameter, wall thickness, and sample width. 5. Both instruments work well over a very large range of wall thicknesses. Minimum tube wall thickness is less than 1.8 mm. 6. The tolerable lift-off (free distance between transducer and tube surface) is 2.4 - 3.0 mm for Panametrics system and 3.6 - 4.8 mm for Sonatest's system. The tolerable lift-off is a measure of the thickness of ash deposits, which can be tolerated on the tube surface as well as the misplacement, which can be tolerated in case of remote tube testing. 7. The tolerable off-set between tube axis and probe axis is very large for both instruments (10

Differential reflectometry of thin film metal oxides on copper, tungsten, molybdenum and chromium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urban, F.K. III; Hummel, R.E.; Verink, E.D. Jr.

1982-01-01

A differential reflectometry study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics of thin oxide films on metal substrates. The oxides were produced by heating pure metals of copper, tungsten, molybdenum and chromium in dry oxygen. A new 'halfpolishing' technique was applied to obtain specimens with a step in oxide thickness in order to make them suitable for differential reflectometry. It was found that oxides formed this way yielded the same differential reflectograms as by electrochemical oxidation. A mathematical model involving the interaction of light with a thin corrosion product on metal substrates was applied to generate computer calculated differential reflectograms utilizing various optical constants and thicknesses of the assumed film. Three different thickness ranges have been identified. (a) For large film thicknesses, the differential reflectograms are distinguished by a sequence of interference peaks. (b) If the product of thickness and refraction index of the films is smaller than about 40 nm, no interference peaks are present. Any experimentally observed peaks in differential reflectograms of these films are caused entirely by electron interband transitions. (c) In an intermediate thickness range, superposition of interference and interband peaks are observed. (author)

Growth and characterization of thick cBN coatings on silicon and tool substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bewilogua, K.; Keunecke, M.; Weigel, K.; Wiemann, E.

2004-01-01

Recently some research groups have achieved progress in the deposition of cubic boron nitride (cBN) coatings with a thickness of 2 μm and more, which is necessary for cutting tool applications. In our laboratory, thick cBN coatings were sputter deposited on silicon substrates using a boron carbide target. Following a boron carbide interlayer (few 100 nm thick), a gradient layer with continuously increasing nitrogen content was prepared. After the cBN nucleation, the process parameters were modified for the cBN film growth to a thickness of more than 2 μm. However, the transfer of this technology to technically relevant substrates, like cemented carbide cutting inserts, required some further process modifications. At first, a titanium interlayer had to be deposited followed by a more than 1-μm-thick boron carbide layer. The next steps were identical to those on silicon substrates. The total coating thickness was in the range of 3 μm with a 0.5- to nearly 1-μm-thick cBN top layer. In spite of the enormous intrinsic stress, both the coatings on silicon and on cemented carbide exhibited a good adhesion and a prolonged stability in humid air. Oxidation experiments revealed a stability of the coating system on cemented carbide up to 700 deg. C and higher. Coated cutting inserts were tested in turning operations with different metallic workpiece materials. The test results will be compared to those of well-established cutting materials, like polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) and oxide ceramics, considering the wear of coated tools

Finite element modelling of the oxidation kinetics of Zircaloy-4 with a controlled metal-oxide interface and the influence of growth stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zumpicchiat, Guillaume; Pascal, Serge; Tupin, Marc; Berdin-Méric, Clotilde

2015-01-01

Highlights: We developed two finite element models of zirconium-based alloy oxidation using the CEA Cast3M code to simulate the oxidation kinetics of Zircaloy-4: the diffuse interface model and the sharp interface model. We also studied the effect of stresses on the oxidation kinetics. The main results are: • Both models lead to parabolic oxidation kinetics in agreement with the Wagner’s theory. • The modellings enable to calculate the stress distribution in the oxide as well as in the metal. • A strong effect of the hydrostatic stress on the oxidation kinetics has been evidenced. • The stress gradient effect changes the parabolic kinetics into a sub-parabolic law closer to the experimental kinetics because of the stress gradient itself, but also because of the growth stress increase with the oxide thickness. - Abstract: Experimentally, zirconium-based alloys oxidation kinetics is sub-parabolic, by contrast with the Wagner theory which predicts a parabolic kinetics. Two finite element models have been developed to simulate this phenomenon: the diffuse interface model and the sharp interface model. Both simulate parabolic oxidation kinetics. The growth stress effects on oxygen diffusion are studied to try to explain the gap between theory and experience. Taking into account the influence of the hydrostatic stress and its gradient into the oxygen flux expression, sub-parabolic oxidation kinetics have been simulated. The sub-parabolic behaviour of the oxidation kinetics can be explained by a non-uniform compressive stress level into the oxide layer.

Effects of CPAP therapy on visceral fat thickness, carotid intima-media thickness and adipokines in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Susanna S S; Liu, Eric K H; Ma, Ronald C W; Chan, Tat-On; To, Kin-Wang; Chan, Ken K P; Ngai, Jenny; Yip, Wing-Ho; Ko, Fanny W S; Wong, Chun-Kwok; Hui, David S C

2017-05-01

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome. This study explores the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for patients with OSA on visceral and mesenteric fat thickness, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and adipokines. A randomized controlled study was conducted at a teaching hospital on 90 patients newly diagnosed with OSA to receive either therapeutic CPAP or subtherapeutic CPAP for 3 months. Visceral fat thickness and carotid IMT were measured with B-mode ultrasound; adipokine levels were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Altogether, 45 patients received therapeutic CPAP and 45 received subtherapeutic CPAP without significant differences in age 50.3 (10.1) versus 48.7 (9.0) years, BMI 28.2 (3.9) versus 28.2 (4.5) kg/m 2 , Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 12.4 (5.9) versus 11.3 (4.7), apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) 30.6 (21.4) versus 35.2 (25.5) /h, minimum SaO 2 79.6 (10.8) versus 76.7 (12.4) % and existing co-morbidities. CPAP usage was therapeutic 4.2 (2.1) versus subtherapeutic 4.1 (2.0) h/night over 3 months. Adiponectin and irisin levels changed significantly following therapeutic CPAP for 3 months versus subtherapeutic CPAP (-1.6 vs 7.3, P = 0.042; 0.1 vs -0.1, P = 0.028 respectively) while only serum level of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) at baseline was positively correlated with AHI (r = 0.278). No significant changes were observed in other adipokines, visceral fat thickness and IMT. Short-term therapeutic CPAP versus subtherapeutic CPAP does not significantly reduce visceral fat thickness and IMT, although it reduces adiponectin and increases irisin. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Simple electrodepositing of CoFe/Cu multilayers: Effect of ferromagnetic layer thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tekgül, Atakan, E-mail: atakantekgul@gmail.com [Akdeniz University, Physics Department, Science Faculty, TR-07058 Antalya (Turkey); Uludag University, Physics Department, Science and Literature Faculty, TR-16059 Bursa (Turkey); Alper, Mürsel [Uludag University, Physics Department, Science and Literature Faculty, TR-16059 Bursa (Turkey); Kockar, Hakan [Balikesir University, Physics Department, Science and Literature Faculty, TR-10145 Balikesir (Turkey)

2017-01-01

The CoFe/Cu magnetic multilayers were produced by changing CoFe ferromagnetic layers from 3 nm to 10 nm using electrodeposition. By now, the thinnest Cu (0.5 nm) layer thicknesses were used to see whether the GMR effect in the multilayers can be obtained or not since the pinning of non-magnetic layer between the ferromagnetic layers is required. For the proper depositions, the cyclic voltammograms was used, and the current–time transients were obtained. The Cu and CoFe layers were deposited at a cathode potential of −0.3 and −1.5 V with respect to saturated calomel electrode, respectively. From the XRD patterns, the multilayers were shown to be fcc crystal structures. For the magnetization measurements, saturation magnetization increases from 160 to 600 kA/m from 3 to 8 nm ferromagnetic layer thicknesses. And, the coercivity values increase until the 8 nm of the CoFe layer thickness. It is seen that the thin Cu layer (fixed at 0.5 nm) and pinholes support the random magnetization orientation and thus all multilayers exhibited the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect, and the highest GMR value was observed about 5.5%. And, the variation of GMR field sensitivity was calculated. The results show that the GMR and GMR sensitivity are compatible among the multilayers. The CoFe/Cu magnetic multilayers having GMR properties are used in GMR sensors and hard disk drive of the nano-technological devices. - Highlights: • The much thinner (0.5 nm) Cu layer was used to obtain the GMR effect on the electrodeposited CoFe/Cu multilayers. • All samples exhibited GMR and the maximum GMR value was 5.5%. • The M{sub s} and the H{sub c} changed with increasing magnetic layer thickness.

Contact Selectivity Engineering in a 2 μm Thick Ultrathin c-Si Solar Cell Using Transition-Metal Oxides Achieving an Efficiency of 10.8.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Muyu; Islam, Raisul; Meng, Andrew C; Lyu, Zheng; Lu, Ching-Ying; Tae, Christian; Braun, Michael R; Zang, Kai; McIntyre, Paul C; Kamins, Theodore I; Saraswat, Krishna C; Harris, James S

2017-12-06

In this paper, the integration of metal oxides as carrier-selective contacts for ultrathin crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells is demonstrated which results in an ∼13% relative improvement in efficiency. The improvement in efficiency originates from the suppression of the contact recombination current due to the band offset asymmetry of these oxides with Si. First, an ultrathin c-Si solar cell having a total thickness of 2 μm is shown to have >10% efficiency without any light-trapping scheme. This is achieved by the integration of nickel oxide (NiO x ) as a hole-selective contact interlayer material, which has a low valence band offset and high conduction band offset with Si. Second, we show a champion cell efficiency of 10.8% with the additional integration of titanium oxide (TiO x ), a well-known material for an electron-selective contact interlayer. Key parameters including V oc and J sc also show different degrees of enhancement if single (NiO x only) or double (both NiO x and TiO x ) carrier-selective contacts are integrated. The fabrication process for TiO x and NiO x layer integration is scalable and shows good compatibility with the device.

Nivalenol induces oxidative stress and increases deoxynivalenol pro-oxidant effect in intestinal epithelial cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Regno, Marisanta; Adesso, Simona; Popolo, Ada [Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132–84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy); Quaroni, Andrea [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Veterinary Research Tower, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853–6401 (United States); Autore, Giuseppina [Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132–84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy); Severino, Lorella [Department of Pathology and Animal Health, Division of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples (Italy); Marzocco, Stefania, E-mail: smarzocco@unisa.it [Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132–84084 Fisciano, Salerno (Italy)

2015-06-01

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites often found as contaminants in almost all agricultural commodities worldwide, and the consumption of food or feed contaminated by mycotoxins represents a major risk for human and animal health. Reactive oxygen species are normal products of cellular metabolism. However, disproportionate generation of reactive oxygen species poses a serious problem to bodily homeostasis and causes oxidative tissue damage. In this study we analyzed the effect of two trichothecenes mycotoxins: nivalenol and deoxynivalenol, alone and in combination, on oxidative stress in the non-tumorigenic intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6. Our results indicate the pro-oxidant nivalenol effect in IEC-6, the stronger pro-oxidant effect of nivalenol when compared to deoxynivalenol and, interestingly, that nivalenol increases deoxynivalenol pro-oxidative effects. Mechanistic studies indicate that the observed effects were mediated by NADPH oxidase, calcium homeostasis alteration, NF-kB and Nrf2 pathways activation and by iNOS and nitrotyrosine formation. The toxicological interaction by nivalenol and deoxynivalenol reported in this study in IEC-6, points out the importance of the toxic effect of these mycotoxins, mostly in combination, further highlighting the risk assessment process of these toxins that are of growing concern. - Highlights: • Nivalenol induces oxidative stress in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). • Nivalenol increases deoxynivalenol pro-oxidant effects in IECs. • Nivalenol and deoxynivalenol trigger antioxidant response IECs. • These results indicate the importance of mycotoxins co-contamination.

Gate tunneling current and quantum capacitance in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices with graphene gate electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yanbin; Shekhawat, Aniruddh; Behnam, Ashkan; Pop, Eric; Ural, Ant

2016-11-01

Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices with graphene as the metal gate electrode, silicon dioxide with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 20 nm as the dielectric, and p-type silicon as the semiconductor are fabricated and characterized. It is found that Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling dominates the gate tunneling current in these devices for oxide thicknesses of 10 nm and larger, whereas for devices with 5 nm oxide, direct tunneling starts to play a role in determining the total gate current. Furthermore, the temperature dependences of the F-N tunneling current for the 10 nm devices are characterized in the temperature range 77-300 K. The F-N coefficients and the effective tunneling barrier height are extracted as a function of temperature. It is found that the effective barrier height decreases with increasing temperature, which is in agreement with the results previously reported for conventional MOS devices with polysilicon or metal gate electrodes. In addition, high frequency capacitance-voltage measurements of these MOS devices are performed, which depict a local capacitance minimum under accumulation for thin oxides. By analyzing the data using numerical calculations based on the modified density of states of graphene in the presence of charged impurities, it is shown that this local minimum is due to the contribution of the quantum capacitance of graphene. Finally, the workfunction of the graphene gate electrode is extracted by determining the flat-band voltage as a function of oxide thickness. These results show that graphene is a promising candidate as the gate electrode in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices.

Evolution of insoluble eutectic Si particles in anodic oxidation films during adipic-sulfuric acid anodizing processes of ZL114A aluminum alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Lei; Liu, Jian-hua; Li, Song-mei; Yu, Mei; Wang, Lei; Cui, Yong-xin

2015-03-01

The effects of insoluble eutectic Si particles on the growth of anodic oxide films on ZL114A aluminum alloy substrates were investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The anodic oxidation was performed at 25°C and a constant voltage of 15 V in a solution containing 50 g/L sulfuric acid and 10 g/L adipic acid. The thickness of the formed anodic oxidation film was approximately 7.13 μm. The interpore distance and the diameters of the major pores in the porous layer of the film were within the approximate ranges of 10-20 nm and 5-10 nm, respectively. Insoluble eutectic Si particles strongly influenced the morphology of the anodic oxidation films. The anodic oxidation films exhibited minimal defects and a uniform thickness on the ZL114A substrates; in contrast, when the front of the oxide oxidation films encountered eutectic Si particles, defects such as pits and non-uniform thickness were observed, and pits were observed in the films.

Effect of iron catalyst thickness on vertically aligned carbon nanotube forest straightness for CNT-MEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moulton, Kellen; Jensen, Brian D; Morrill, Nicholas B; Konneker, Adam M; Vanfleet, Richard R; Allred, David D; Davis, Robert C

2012-01-01

This paper examines the effect of iron catalyst thickness on the straightness of growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for microelectromechanical systems fabricated using the CNT-templated-microfabrication (CNT-M) process. SEM images of samples grown using various iron catalyst thicknesses show that both straight sidewalls and good edge definition are achieved using an iron thickness between 7 and 8 nm. Below this thickness, individual CNTs are well aligned, but the sidewalls of CNT forests formed into posts and long walls are not always straight. Above this thickness, the CNT forest sidewalls are relatively straight, but edge definition is poor, with significantly increased sidewall roughness. The proximity of a device or feature to other regions of iron catalyst also affects CNT growth. By using an iron catalyst thickness appropriate for straight growth, and by adding borders of iron around features or devices, a designer can greatly improve straightness of growth for CNT-MEMS. (paper)

Investigations of effect of target thickness and detector collimation on 662 keV multiply backscattered gamma photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabharwal, Arvind D.; Sandhu, B.S.; Singh, Bhajan

2009-01-01

The present studies aimed to investigate the effects of detector collimation and target thickness on multiply backscattered gamma photons. The numbers of multiply backscattered events, having energy the same as in singly scattered distribution, are found to be increasing with target thickness, and saturate for a particular thickness known as saturation thickness. The saturation thickness is not altered by the variation in the collimator opening. The number and energy albedos, characterizing the reflection probability of a material, are also evaluated. Monte Carlo calculations support the present experimental work.

Oxidative damage markers are significantly associated with the carotid artery intima-media thickness after controlling for conventional risk factors of atherosclerosis in men.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Ha Yoon

Full Text Available This study aimed to assess the association between oxidative damage markers and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT after controlling for conventional risk factors of atherosclerosis in multiple logistic regression models.Fifty-one case male participants (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm were enrolled during their visits to Korean Genomic Rural Cohort Study of Wonju centers between May 1 and August 31, 2011, along with 51 control participants (CIMT < 0.9 mm selected using frequency matching by age group. The levels of oxidative damage markers, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyquuanosine (8-OHdG, malondialdehyde (MDA, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (Isoprostane, were measured. Conditional logistic regression models were used to evaluate relative relationships between the oxidative damage markers and the risk of high CIMT.The markers of oxidative lipid (Isoprostane and MDA and DNA (8-OHdG damage were associated with CIMT after controlling for the conventional risk factors, including age, low density lipoprotein, body mass index, smoking history, alcohol consumption, and metabolic syndrome (ORs [95% CI] for Isoprostane: 3rd tertile, 8.47 [2.59-27.67]; for MDA: 3rd tertile, 8.47 [2.59-27.67]; for 8-OHdG: 3rd tertile, 5.58 [1.79-17.33]. When all the oxidative damage markers were incorporated in the same logistic regression model, only Isoprostane was significantly related to CIMT (OR [95% CI]: 4.22 [1.31-13.53] in 2nd tertile and 14.21 [3.34-60.56] in 3rd tertile.In this nested case-control study, the oxidative damage markers of lipid and DNA were associated with CIMT even after controlling for the conventional risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.

Influence of surface oxidation on the radiative properties of ZrB{sub 2}-SiC composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Ning, E-mail: lncaep@163.com [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900 (China); Xing, Pifeng; Li, Cui [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900 (China); Wang, Peng [School of Material Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049 (China); Jin, Xinxin [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040 (China); Zhang, Xinghong [Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments Laboratory, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Surface component affected radiative properties of ZrB{sub 2}-SiC composites significantly. • Emissivity in long-wave range gradually increased with the thickness of oxide scale. • The surface temperature had a little effect on radiative properties of composites. • Influence of surface roughness on emissivity could be negligible. • Covering the surface with glass is a method for improving radiative properties. - Abstract: The spectral emissivities of ZrB{sub 2}-20 vol.% SiC composites with various surface components of ZrB{sub 2}/SiC (ZS1), silica-rich glass (ZS2) and porous zirconia (ZS3) were measured using infrared spectrometer in the wavelength range from 2.5 to 25.0 μm. The relationship between surface oxidation (associated with surface component, thickness of oxide scale, testing temperature as well as roughness) and the radiative properties of ZrB{sub 2}-SiC composites were investigated systematically. Surface component affected the radiative properties of composites significantly. The total emissivity of ZS1 varied from 0.22 to 0.81 accompanied with surface oxidation in the temperature range 300–900 °C. The emissivity of ZS2 was about 1.5 times as that of ZS3 under the same testing conditions. The oxide scale on specimen surface enhanced the radiative properties especially in terms of short-wave range, and the emissivity in the long-wave range gradually increased with the thickness of oxide scale within a certain range. The influence of testing temperature and surface roughness was also investigated. The testing temperature had a little effect on radiative properties, whereas effect of surface roughness could be negligible.

Effect of diffraction and film-thickness gradients on wafer-curvature measurements of thin-film stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breiland, W.G.; Lee, S.R.; Koleske, D.D.

2004-01-01

When optical measurements of wafer curvature are used to determine thin-film stress, the laser beams that probe the sample are usually assumed to reflect specularly from the curved surface of the film and substrate. Yet, real films are not uniformly thick, and unintended thickness gradients produce optical diffraction effects that steer the laser away from the ideal specular condition. As a result, the deflection of the laser in wafer-curvature measurements is actually sensitive to both the film stress and the film-thickness gradient. We present a Fresnel-Kirchhoff optical diffraction model of wafer-curvature measurements that provides a unified description of these combined effects. The model accurately simulates real-time wafer-curvature measurements of nonuniform GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by vapor-phase epitaxy. During thin-film growth, thickness gradients cause the reflected beam to oscillate asymmetrically about the ideal position defined by the stress-induced wafer curvature. This oscillating deflection has the same periodicity as the reflectance of the growing film, and the deflection amplitude is a function of the film-thickness gradient, the mean film thickness, the wavelength distribution of the light source, the illuminated spot size, and the refractive indices of the film and substrate. For typical GaN films grown on sapphire, misinterpretation of these gradient-induced oscillations can cause stress-measurement errors that approach 10% of the stress-thickness product; much greater errors occur in highly nonuniform films. Only transparent films can exhibit substantial gradient-induced deflections; strongly absorbing films are immune

Effect of Insulation Thickness on Thermal Stratification in Hot Water Tanks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burak KURŞUN

2018-03-01

Full Text Available One of the important factors to be considered in increasing the efficiency of hot water storage tanks used for thermal energy storage is thermal stratification. Reducing the temperature of the water at the base of the tank provides more utilization of the energy of the heat source during the heating of the water and improves the efficiency of the system. In this study, the effect of the insulation thickness on the outer surface of the tank and the ratio of the tank diameter to the height (D/H on the thermal stratification was investigated numerically. Numerical analyzes were carried out for the condition that the insulation thickness was constant and variable in the range of D/H=0,3-1. Water was used as the heat storage fluid and the analysis results were obtained for eight hours cooling period. Numerical results showed that the temperature difference between the bottom and top surfaces of the tank increased between 7-9 ° C for the range of D / H = 0,3-1 with changing the insulation thickness.

Planar Zeolite Film-Based Potentiometric Gas Sensors Manufactured by a Combined Thick-Film and Electroplating Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Marr, Isabella; Reiß, Sebastian; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2011-01-01

Zeolites are promising materials in the field of gas sensors. In this technology-oriented paper, a planar setup for potentiometric hydrocarbon and hydrogen gas sensors using zeolites as ionic sodium conductors is presented, in which the Pt-loaded Na-ZSM-5 zeolite is applied using a thick-film technique between two interdigitated gold electrodes and one of them is selectively covered for the first time by an electroplated chromium oxide film. The influence of the sensor temperature, the type of hydrocarbons, the zeolite film thickness, and the chromium oxide film thickness is investigated. The influence of the zeolite on the sensor response is briefly discussed in the light of studies dealing with zeolites as selectivity-enhancing cover layers. PMID:22164042

Planar Zeolite Film-Based Potentiometric Gas Sensors Manufactured by a Combined Thick-Film and Electroplating Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunter Hagen

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Zeolites are promising materials in the field of gas sensors. In this technology-oriented paper, a planar setup for potentiometric hydrocarbon and hydrogen gas sensors using zeolites as ionic sodium conductors is presented, in which the Pt-loaded Na-ZSM-5 zeolite is applied using a thick-film technique between two interdigitated gold electrodes and one of them is selectively covered for the first time by an electroplated chromium oxide film. The influence of the sensor temperature, the type of hydrocarbons, the zeolite film thickness, and the chromium oxide film thickness is investigated. The influence of the zeolite on the sensor response is briefly discussed in the light of studies dealing with zeolites as selectivity-enhancing cover layers.

Soft Sensor for Oxide Scales on the Steam Side of Superheater Tubes under Uneven Circumferential Load

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing Wei Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A soft sensor for oxide scales on the steam side of superheater tubes of utility boiler under uneven circumferential loading is proposed for the first time. First finite volume method is employed to simulate oxide scales growth temperature on the steam side of superheater tube. Then appropriate time and spatial intervals are selected to calculate oxide scales thickness along the circumferential direction. On the basis of the oxide scale thickness, the stress of oxide scales is calculated by the finite element method. At last, the oxide scale thickness and stress sensors are established on support vector machine (SMV optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO with time and circumferential angles as inputs and oxide scale thickness and stress as outputs. Temperature and stress calculation methods are validated by the operation data and experimental data, respectively. The soft sensor is applied to the superheater tubes of some power plant. Results show that the soft sensor can give enough accurate results for oxide scale thickness and stress in reasonable time. The forecasting model provides a convenient way for the research of the oxide scale failure.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of AMCs

Science.gov (United States)

Morgenstern, R.; Sieber, M.; Lampke, T.

2016-03-01

Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) consisting of high-strength alloys and ceramic reinforcement phases exhibit a high potential for security relevant lightweight components due to their high specific mechanical properties. However, their application as tribologically stressed components is limited because of their susceptibility against fatigue wear and delamination wear. Oxide ceramic protective coatings produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) can solve these problems and extend the possible applications of AMCs. The substrate material was powder metallurgically processed using alloy EN AW 2017 and SiC or Al2O3 particles. The influence of material properties like particle type, size and volume fraction on coating characteristics is clarified within this work. An alkaline silicate electrolyte was used to produce PEO coatings with technically relevant thicknesses under bipolar-pulsed current conditions. Coating properties were evaluated with regard to morphology, chemical composition, hardness and wear resistance. The particle type proved to have the most significant effect on the coating properties. Whereas compactness and thickness are not deteriorated by the incorporation of thermodynamically stable alumina particles, the decomposition of silica particles during the PEO processes causes an increase of the porosity. The higher silica particle content decreases also the coating thickness and hardness, which leads in particular to reduction of the wear resistance of the PEO coatings. Finally, different approaches for the reduction of the coating porosity of silica reinforced AMCs are discussed.

Influence of various thickness metallic interlayers on opto-electric and mechanical properties of AZO thin films on PET substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, R. C.; Li, T. C.; Lin, C. W.

2012-02-01

Various thickness metallic interlayers to improve the opto-electric and mechanical properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films deposited on flexible polyethylene terephtalate (PET) substrates are studied. The effects of the interlayers on the resistance and transmittance of the AZO thin films are discussed. The result shows that the metallic interlayers effectively improve the electric resistance but reduce the optical transmittance of the AZO thin films. These phenomena become more obvious as the interlayer thickness increases. However, the AZO with an aluminum interlayer still behaves an acceptable transmittance. Moreover, mechanical tests indicate that the aluminum interlayer increases the hardness and modulus, and reduce the residual stress of the AZO thin films. In contrast, the silver and copper interlayers decrease the AZO's mechanical properties. Comparing to those without any interlayer, the results show that the best interlayer is the 6 nm thick aluminum film.

Thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped epitaxial HfO2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Ruyi; Ma, Rong; Wang, Hong

2017-10-01

Epitaxial tetragonal Fe-doped Hf0.95Fe0.05O2 (FHO) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on (001)-oriented NdCaAlO4 (NCAO) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure and epitaxial nature of the FHO thin films were confirmed by typical x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The results indicate that two sets of lattice sites exist with two different crystal orientations [(001) and (100)] in the thicker FHO thin films. Further, the intensity of the (100) direction increases with the increase in thicknesses, which should have a significant effect on the anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films. Meanwhile, all the FHO thin films possess a tetragonal phase structure. An anisotropy behavior in magnetization has been observed in the FHO thin films. The anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films is slowly weakened as the thickness increases. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization (Ms) of both in-plane and out-of-plane decreases with the increase in the thickness. The change in the anisotropic magnetization and Ms is attributed to the crystal lattice and the variation in the valence of Fe ions. These results indicate that the thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism of the tetragonal FHO epitaxial thin films is of potential use for the integration of metal-oxide semiconductors with spintronics.

Role of atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as oxidation barrier for silicon based materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiorentino, Giuseppe, E-mail: g.fiorentino@tudelft.nl; Morana, Bruno [Department of Microelectronic, Delft University of Technology, Feldmannweg 17, 2628 CT Delft (Netherlands); Forte, Salvatore [Department of Electronic, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio, 80125 Napoli (Italy); Sarro, Pasqualina Maria [Department of Microelectronic, Delft University of Technology, Feldmannweg 17, 2628 CT, Delft (Netherlands)

2015-01-15

In this paper, the authors study the protective effect against oxidation of a thin layer of atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}). Nitrogen doped silicon carbide (poly-SiC:N) based microheaters coated with ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are used as test structure to investigate the barrier effect of the alumina layers to oxygen and water vapor at very high temperature (up to 1000 °C). Different device sets have been fabricated changing the doping levels, to evaluate possible interaction between the dopants and the alumina layer. The as-deposited alumina layer morphology has been evaluated by means of AFM analysis and compared to an annealed sample (8 h at 1000 °C) to estimate the change in the grain structure and the film density. The coated microheaters are subjected to very long oxidation time in dry and wet environment (up to 8 h at 900 and 1000 °C). By evaluating the electrical resistance variation between uncoated reference devices and the ALD coated devices, the oxide growth on the SiC is estimated. The results show that the ALD alumina coating completely prevents the oxidation of the SiC up to 900 °C in wet environment, while an oxide thickness reduction of 50% is observed at 1000 °C compared to uncoated devices.

Production of Sn/SnO2/MWCNT composites by plasma oxidation after thermal evaporation from pure Sn targets onto buckypapers.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaf, M; Gultekin, D; Akbulut, H

2012-12-01

In this study, tin/tinoxide/multi oxide/multi walled carbon nano tube (Sn/SnO2/MWCNT) composites were produced by thermal evaporation and then subsequent plasma oxidation. Buckypapers having controlled porosity were prepared by vacuum filtration from functionalized MWCNTs. Pure metallic tin was thermally evaporated on the buckypapers in argon atmosphere with different thicknesses. It was determined that the evaporated pure tin nano crystals were mechanically penetrated into pores of buckypaper to form a nanocomposite. The tin/MWCNT composites were subjected to plasma oxidation process at oxygen/argon gas mixture. Three different plasma oxidation times (30, 45 and 60 minutes) were used to investigate oxidation and physical and microstructural properties. The effect of coating thickness and oxidation time was investigated to understand the effect of process parameters on the Sn and SnO2 phases after plasma oxidation. Quantitative phase analysis was performed in order to determine the relative phase amounts. The structural properties were studied by field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Effect of Layer Thickness in Selective Laser Melting on Microstructure of Al/5 wt.%Fe2O3 Powder Consolidated Parts

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Sasan Dadbakhsh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In situ reaction was activated in the powder mixture of Al/5 wt.%Fe2O3 by using selective laser melting (SLM to directly fabricate aluminium metal matrix composite parts. The microstructural characteristics of these in situ consolidated parts through SLM were investigated under the influence of thick powder bed, 75 μm layer thickness, and 50 μm layer thickness in various laser powers and scanning speeds. It was found that the layer thickness has a strong influence on microstructural outcome, mainly attributed to its impact on oxygen content of the matrix. Various microstructural features (such as granular, coralline-like, and particulate appearance were observed depending on the layer thickness, laser power, and scanning speed. This was associated with various material combinations such as pure Al, Al-Fe intermetallics, and Al(-Fe oxide phases formed after in situ reaction and laser rapid solidification. Uniformly distributed very fine particles could be consolidated in net-shape Al composite parts by using lower layer thickness, higher laser power, and lower scanning speed. The findings contribute to the new development of advanced net-shape manufacture of Al composites by combining SLM and in situ reaction process.

effect of gasket of varying thickness on spark ignition engines

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DJFLEX

In the study of Toyota, In-line, 4 cylinders, spark ignition engine using gaskets of varying thicknesses. (1.75mm, 3.5mm, 5.25mm, 7mm and 8.75mm) between the cylinder head and the engine block, the performance characteristics of the engine was investigated via the effect of engine speed on brake power, brake thermal ...

Nanoporous Al sandwich foils using size effect of Al layer thickness during Cu/Al/Cu laminate rolling

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hailiang; Lu, Cheng; Tieu, A. Kiet; Li, Huijun; Godbole, Ajit; Kong, Charlie

2018-06-01

The roll bonding technique is one of the most widely used methods to produce metal laminate sheets. Such sheets offer interesting research opportunities for both scientists and engineers. In this paper, we report on an experimental investigation of the 'thickness effect' during laminate rolling for the first time. Using a four-high multifunction rolling mill, Cu/Al/Cu laminate sheets were fabricated with a range of thicknesses (16, 40, 70 and 130 μm) of the Al layer. The thickness of the Cu sheets was a constant 300 μm. After rolling, TEM images show good bonding quality between the Cu and Al layers. However, there are many nanoscale pores in the Al layer. The fraction of nanoscale pores in the Al layer increases with a reduction in the Al layer thickness. The finite element method was used to simulate the Cu/Al/Cu rolling process. The simulation results reveal the effect of the Al layer thickness on the deformation characteristics of the Cu/Al/Cu laminate. Finally, we propose that the size effect of the Al layer thickness during Cu/Al/Cu laminate rolling may offer a method to fabricate 'nanoporous' Al sandwich laminate foils. Such foils can be used in electromagnetic shielding of electrical devices and noisy shielding of building.

Oxidation of vanadium metal in oxygen plasma and their characterizations

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Rabindar Kumar; Singh, Megha; Kumar, Prabhat; Reddy, G. B.

2015-09-01

In this report, the role of oxygen plasma on oxidation of vanadium (V) metal and the volatilization of its oxides has been studied as a function of source (V metal strip) temperature (Tss) and oxygen partial pressure (PO2). The presence of O2-plasma not only enhances the oxidation rate but also ficilitates in transport of oxide molecules from metal to substrate, as confirmed by the simultanous deposition of oxide film onto substrate. Both the oxidized metal strips and oxide films deposited on substrates are characterized separately. The structural and vibrational results evidence the presence of two different oxide phases (i.e. orthorhombic V2O5 and monocilinic V O2) in oxide layers formed on V metal strips, whereas the oxide films deposited on substrates exhibit only orthorhombic phase (i.e. V2O5). The decrease in peak intensities recorded from heated V metal strips on increasing Tss points out the increment in the rate of oxide volatilization, which also confirms by the oxide layer thickness measurements. The SEM results show the noticeable surface changes on V-strips as the function of Tss and PO2 and their optimum values are recorded to be 500 ˚ C and 7.5 × 10-2 Torr, respectively to deposit maximum thick oxide film on substrate. The formation of microcracks on oxidized V-strips, those responsible to countinue oxidation is also confirmed by SEM results. The compositional study of oxide layers formed on V-strips, corroborates their pureness and further assures about the existence of mixed oxide phases. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on oxidation of V-metal has also been discussed in the present report. All the results are well in agreement to each other.

Effect of Artocarpus communis Extract on UVB Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Hairless Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng-Lin Yen

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Administration of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents is an effective strategy for preventing ultraviolet (UV irradiation-induced skin damage. Artocarpus communis possesses several pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammation. However, the photoprotective activity of methanol extract of A. communis heartwood (ACM in ultraviolet irradiation-induced skin damage has not yet been investigated. The present study was performed using ultraviolet absorption, histopathological observation, antioxidant and anti-inflammation assays to elucidate the mechanism of the photoprotective activity of ACM. Our results indicated that ACM displayed a UVA and UVB absorption effect and then effectively decreased scaly skin, epidermis thickness and sunburn cells during ultraviolet irradiation in hairless mice. ACM not only decreased ultraviolet irradiation-mediated oxidative stress, including lowering the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation (p < 0.05, but also reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α and interleukin 1β. Additionally, ACM can decrease the synthesis of cytosolic phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase, inducible nitric oxide synthase and vascular cell adhesion molecular-1 via inhibiting TNF-α-independent pathways (p < 0.05 in UVB-mediated inflammation and formation of sunburn cells. Consequently, we concluded that ACM extract has a photoprotective effect against UVB-induced oxidative stress and inflammation due to its sunscreen property, and its topical formulations may be developed as therapeutic and/or cosmetic products in further studies.

Highly strained InGaAs oxide confined VCSELs emitting in 1.25 μm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, S.J.; Yu, H.C.; Su, Y.K.; Chen, I.L.; Lee, T.D.; Lu, C.M.; Chiou, C.H.; Lee, Z.H.; Yang, H.P.; Sung, C.P.

2005-01-01

Highly strained GaAs-based all-epitaxial oxide confined vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) emitting in 1.25 μm were fabricated. Compared with the designed cavity resonance, it was found that lasing wavelength blue shifted by 29 nm when the driving current was small. The observation of such oxide mode is attributed to the effective optical thickness shrinkage of the oxide layer, and large detuning between the gain peak and cavity resonance

High-density oxidized porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharbi, Ahmed; Souifi, Abdelkader; Remaki, Boudjemaa; Halimaoui, Aomar; Bensahel, Daniel

2012-01-01

We have studied oxidized porous silicon (OPS) properties using Fourier transform infraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy and capacitance–voltage C–V measurements. We report the first experimental determination of the optimum porosity allowing the elaboration of high-density OPS insulators. This is an important contribution to the research of thick integrated electrical insulators on porous silicon based on an optimized process ensuring dielectric quality (complete oxidation) and mechanical and chemical reliability (no residual pores or silicon crystallites). Through the measurement of the refractive indexes of the porous silicon (PS) layer before and after oxidation, one can determine the structural composition of the OPS material in silicon, air and silica. We have experimentally demonstrated that a porosity approaching 56% of the as-prepared PS layer is required to ensure a complete oxidation of PS without residual silicon crystallites and with minimum porosity. The effective dielectric constant values of OPS materials determined from capacitance–voltage C–V measurements are discussed and compared to FTIR results predictions. (paper)

Characteristics of an integrated cathode assembly for the electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide in a LiCl-Li2O molten salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung Bin Park; Byung Heung Park; Sang Mun Jeong; Jin Mok Hur; Chung Seok Seo; Seong Won Park; Seung-Hoon Choi

2006-01-01

Electrochemical behavior of the reduction of uranium oxide was studied in a LiCl-Li 2 O molten salt system with an integrated cathode assembly. The mechanism for the electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide was studied through cyclic voltammetry. By means of a chronopotentiometry, the effects of the thickness of the uranium oxide, the thickness of the MgO membrane and the material of the conductor of an integrated cathode assembly on the overpotential of the cathode were investigated. From the voltamograms, the reduction potential of the uranium oxide and Li 2 O was obtained and the two mechanisms of the electrolytic reduction were considered with regard to the applied cathode potential. From the chronopotentiograms, the exchange current, the transfer coefficient and the maximum allowable current based on the Tafel behavior were obtained with regard to the thickness of the uranium oxide, and of the MgO membrane and the material of the conductor of an integrated cathode assembly. (author)

Effect of Temperature on Film Thickness of Two Types of Commonly used Luting Cements.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, M Praveen; Priyadarshini, Reddy; Kumar, Yasangi M; Priya, K Shanthi; Chunchuvyshnavi, Chunchuvyshnavi; Yerrapragada, Harika

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of temperature change on film thickness of both types of cements. Totally, 60 samples were prepared with 10 in each subgroup, thus comprising 30 in each group. Materials tested were glass ionomer cement (GIC) type I and zinc phosphate type I. Samples were manipulated with manufacturer's instructions and tested according to American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines. The mean values of film thickness were recorded for both groups I and II. In intragroup comparison of group 1, subgroup III (26.560 ± 0.489 urn) was found to have the highest film thickness followed by subgroup II (24.182 ± 0.576 urn) and the lowest in subgroup I (20.209 ± 0.493 urn). In intragroup comparison of group II, the film thickness recorded in subgroup III (25.215 ± 0.661 urn) was the highest followed by subgroup II (21.471 ± 0.771 urn) and the least in subgroup I (17.951 ± 0.654 urn; p film thickness than group I (23.650 ± 0.271). The results were found to be statistically significant (p film thickness. Zinc phosphate has less film thickness than GIC. Zinc phosphate should be preferred over GIC in clinical practice, and more stress should be given in mechanical preparation of crowns for better retentive quality of prosthesis.

Electrochemical behavior of uranium oxide in a LiCl-Li2O molten salt with the integrated cathode assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Bin; Park, Byung Heung; Kang, Dae Seoung; Kwon, Seon Gil; Seo, Chung Seok; Park, Seong Won

2005-01-01

Electrochemical reduction of uranium oxide to uranium metal was studied in a LiCl-Li 2 O molten salt system. By means of a cyclic voltammetry and a chronopotentiometry, the electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide has been studied to establish the reduction mechanisms and the effects of the thickness of the uranium oxide on the overpotential of the cathode and anode were investigated. From the voltamograms, the reduction potentials of the uranium oxide and Li 2 O were obtained and the two mechanisms of the electrolytic reduction were considered with regards to the applied cathode potential. In the chronopotentiograms, the exchange current, the transfer coefficient and the maximum allowable current based on the Tafel behavior were obtained according to the thickness of the uranium oxide which is loaded into the porous MgO membrane. (author)

Effect of carbon nano tube working electrode thickness on charge transport kinetics and photo-electrochemical characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Gacemi, Yahia; Cheknane, Ali; Hilal, Hikmat S.

2018-02-01

Physiochemical processes at the photo-electrode and the counter electrode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) involving having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) instead of the TiO2 layer, within the working electrode, are simulated in this work. Attention is paid to find the effect of CNT layer thickness on photo-electrochemical (PEC) characteristics of the CNT-DSSCs. Comparison with other conventional TiO2-DSSC systems, taking into account the working electrode film thickness, is also described here. To achieve these goals, a model is presented to explain charge transport and electron recombination which involve electron photo-excitation in dye molecules, injection of electrons from the excited dye to CNT working electrode conduction band, diffusion of electrons inside the CNT electrode, charge transfer between oxidized dye and (I-) and recombination of electrons. The simulation is based on solving non-linear equations using the Newton-Raphson numerical method. This concept is proposed for modelling numerical Faradaic impedance at the photo-electrode and the platinum counter electrode. It then simulates the cell impedance spectrum describing the locus of the three semicircles in the Nyquist diagram. The transient equivalent circuit model is also presented based on optimizing current-voltage curves of CNT-DSSCs so as to optimize the fill factor (FF) and conversion efficiency (η). The results show that the simulated characteristics of CNT-DSSCs, with different active CNT layer thicknesses, are superior to conventional TiO2-DSSCs.

A Study on the Effect of Electrolyte Thickness on Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Kyeong Woo; Kim, Kwang Bum

1998-01-01

Effect of electrolyte layer thickness and increase in concentration of electrolyte during electrolyte thining on the atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel were investigated using EIS and cathodic polarization technique. The electrolyte layer thickness was controlled via two methods : one is mechanical method with microsyringe applying a different amount of electrolyte onto the metal surface to give different electrolyte thickness with the same electrolyte concentration. The other is drying method in which water layer thickness decreases through drying, causing increase in concentration of electrolyte during electrolyte thinning. In the region whose corrosion rate is controlled by cathodic reaction, corrosion rate for mechanical method is larger than that for drying method. However, for the electrolyte layers thinner than 20 ∼ 30 m, increase in concentration of electrolyte cause a higher corrosion rate for the case of the mechanical method compared with that of drying method. For a carbon steel covered with 0.1M Na 2 SO 4 , maximum corrosion rate is found at an electrolyte thickness of 45 ∼ 55 μm for mechanical method. However, maximum corrosion rate is found at an electrolyte thickness of 20 ∼ 35 μm for drying method. The limiting current is inversely proportional to electrolyte thickness for electrolyte thicker than 20 ∼ 30 μm. However, further decrease of the electrolyte thickness leads to an electrolyte thickness-independent limiting current reagion, where the oxygen rate is controlled by the solvation of oxygen at the electrolyte/gas interface. Diffusion limiting current for drying method is smaller compared with that for mechanica control. This can be attributed to decreasing in O 2 solubility caused by increase in concentration of electrolyte during electrolyte thining

Characterization of a material by probability of linear scattering using effect of target thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nghiep, T.D.; Khai, N.T.; Cong, N.T.; Minh, D.T.N.

2013-01-01

We report on an experimental test with 662 keV gamma photons scattered from a set of samples from 6 C, 13 Al, 26 Fe, 29 Cu, 47 Ag, 82 Pb and stainless steel for determination of probability of linear scattering, which can be used for characterization of a material. The results show that for the given target and scattering angle, the effect of target thickness in gamma photons scattering relates to single and multiple scattering and that the scattered events exponentially increase with an increase in target thickness and saturation at some values of thickness. The experimental results correlate with the typical function of energy transfer model. (author)

Evaluation of the strength and radiopacity of Portland cement with varying additions of bismuth oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Saliba, E; Abbassi-Ghadi, S; Vowles, R; Camilleri, J; Hooper, S; Camilleri, J

2009-04-01

To study the effect of addition of various proportions of bismuth oxide on compressive strength and radiopacity of Portland cement. The compressive strength of white Portland cement and cement replaced with 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% bismuth oxide was evaluated by testing cylinders 6 mm in diameter and 12 mm high. Twelve cylinders were tested for each material under study. The radiopacity of the cements tested was evaluated using an aluminium step-wedge and densitometer. The optical density was compared with the relevant thickness of aluminium (Al). Statistical analysis was performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with P = 0.05 and Tukey test to perform multiple comparison tests. Various additions of bismuth oxide had no significant effect on the strength of the material when compared with the unmodified Portland cement (P > 0.05). The radiopacity of the cements tested ranged from 2.02 mm Al for Portland cement to 9.79 mm Al for the highest bismuth replacement. Addition of bismuth oxide did not affect the compressive strength of Portland cement. All the bismuth oxide cement mixtures had radio-opacities higher than 3 mm thickness of aluminium.

Highly conductive grain boundaries in copper oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deuermeier, Jonas, E-mail: j.deuermeier@campus.fct.unl.pt [Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, i3N/CENIMAT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Jovanka-Bontschits-Straße 2, D-64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Wardenga, Hans F.; Morasch, Jan; Siol, Sebastian; Klein, Andreas, E-mail: aklein@surface.tu-darmstadt.de [Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Jovanka-Bontschits-Straße 2, D-64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Nandy, Suman; Calmeiro, Tomás; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira [Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, i3N/CENIMAT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and CEMOP/UNINOVA, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

2016-06-21

High conductivity in the off-state and low field-effect mobility compared to bulk properties is widely observed in the p-type thin-film transistors of Cu{sub 2}O, especially when processed at moderate temperature. This work presents results from in situ conductance measurements at thicknesses from sub-nm to around 250 nm with parallel X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An enhanced conductivity at low thickness is explained by the occurrence of Cu(II), which is segregated in the grain boundary and locally causes a conductivity similar to CuO, although the surface of the thick film has Cu{sub 2}O stoichiometry. Since grains grow with an increasing film thickness, the effect of an apparent oxygen excess is most pronounced in vicinity to the substrate interface. Electrical properties of Cu{sub 2}O grains are at least partially short-circuited by this effect. The study focuses on properties inherent to copper oxide, although interface effects cannot be ruled out. This non-destructive, bottom-up analysis reveals phenomena which are commonly not observable after device fabrication, but clearly dominate electrical properties of polycrystalline thin films.