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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Electrical characteristics of amorphous iron-tungsten contacts on silicon

The electrical characteristics of amorphous Fe-W contacts have been determined on both p-type and n-type silicon. The amorphous films were obtained by cosputtering from a composite target. Contact resistivities of 1 x 10 to the -7th and 2.8 x 10 to the -6th were measured on n(+) and p(+) silicon, respectively. These values remain constant after thermal treatment up to at least 500 C. A barrier height of 0.61 V was measured on n-type silicon.

Finetti, M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Coaxial carbon plasma gun deposition of amorphous carbon films

A unique plasma gun employing coaxial carbon electrodes was used in an attempt to deposit thin films of amorphous diamond-like carbon. A number of different structural, compositional, and electrical characterization techniques were used to characterize these films. These included scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, X ray diffraction and absorption, spectrographic analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. Optical absorption and electrical resistivity measurements were also performed. The films were determined to be primarily amorphous, with poor adhesion to fused silica substrates. Many inclusions of particulates were found to be present as well. Analysis of these particulates revealed the presence of trace impurities, such as Fe and Cu, which were also found in the graphite electrode material. The electrodes were the source of these impurities. No evidence of diamond-like crystallite structure was found in any of the film samples. Details of the apparatus, experimental procedure, and film characteristics are presented.

Sater, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Crystal nucleation in amorphous (Au/100-y/Cu/y/)77Si9Ge14 alloys

Because, unlike most metallic glasses, melt-spun alloys of the series (Au/100-y/Cu/y/)77Si9Ge14 exhibit well separated glass transition and kinetic crystallization temperatures, crystallization can be studied in the fully relaxed amorphous phase. An isothermal calorimetric analysis of the devitrification kinetics of the amorphous alloy indicates sporadic nucleation and a constant growth rate. It is found for the cases of alloys with y values lower than 25 that the classical theory of homogeneous nucleation is consistent with observations, including transient effects. An analysis of the crystallization kinetics shows that slow crystal growth rates play an important role in glass formation in these alloys. Although the reduced glass transition temperature increases with Cu content, glass formation is more difficult at high Cu contents, perhaps because of a difference in nucleus composition.

Thompson, C. V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Amorphous-silicon cell reliability testing

The work on reliability testing of solar cells is discussed. Results are given on initial temperature and humidity tests of amorphous silicon devices. Calibration and measurement procedures for amorphous and crystalline cells are given. Temperature stress levels are diagrammed.

Lathrop, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Apparatus for production of ultrapure amorphous metals utilizing acoustic cooling

Amorphous metals are produced by forming a molten unit of metal and deploying the unit into a bidirectional acoustical levitating field or by dropping the unit through a spheroidizing zone, a slow quenching zone, and a fast quenching zone in which the sphere is rapidly cooled by a bidirectional jet stream created in the standing acoustic wave field produced between a half cylindrical acoustic driver and a focal reflector or a curved driver and a reflector. The cooling rate can be further augmented first by a cryogenic liquid collar and secondly by a cryogenic liquid jacket surrounding a drop tower. The molten unit is quenched to an amorphous solid which can survive impact in a unit collector or is retrieved by a vacuum chuck.

Lee, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Hydrous alteration of amorphous silicate smokes - First results

Results of the initial studies of the hydrous alteration of amorphous Mg-SiO smokes indicate that, although these materials readily adsorb water, the silicate structure is much more stable at 360 K than expected. Drastic changes in the relative absorption strengths of the 10- and 20-micron 'silicate' features that appear quite rapidly at 750 K were observed; these observations might have important implications for the interpretation of cometary dust spectra. Observations of the development of 3.4-3.5 micron features possibly due to hydrocarbons in the spectra of processed Mg-SiO smokes have raised the exciting possibility that these amorphous condensates could act as Fischer-Tropsch type catalysts to produce hydrocarbons in the primitive solar nebula.

Nuth, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Amorphous-Metal-Film Diffusion Barriers

Incorporation of N into Ni/W films reduces reactivity with Si substrate. Paper describes reactions between Si substrates and deposited amorphous Ni/W or Ni/N/W films. Thermal stability of amorphous Ni/W films as diffusion barriers in Si markedly improved by introduction of N into Ni/W films during deposition.

Nicolet, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Amorphous Insulator Films With Controllable Properties

In experiments described in report, amorphous hydrogenated carbon films grown at room temperature by low-frequency plasma deposition, using methane or butane gas. Films have unique array of useful properties; (a) adhere to wide variety of materials; (b) contain only carbon and hydrogen; (c) smooth and free of pinholes; (d) resistant to attack by moisture and chemicals; and (e) have high electric-breakdown strength and electrical resistivity. Two of optical properties and hardness of this film controlled by deposition conditions. Amorphous a-C:H and BN films used for hermetic sealing and protection of optical, electronic, magnetic, or delicate mechanical systems, and for semiconductor field dielectrics.

Alterovitz, Samuel A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Invar and Elinvar type amorphous Fe-Cr-B alloys with high corrosion resistance

Amorphous (Fe(1-x)Cr(x))85B15 alloys (x = 0 to 0.15) were prepared from the melts by rapid quenching using a single roller techinque, and their Invar and Elinvar characteristics and corrosion resistance were investigated. With an increase in chromium content the Curie temperature and the saturation magnetic moment per iron atom decreased monotonically, while the crystallization temperature incresed gradually. The thermal expansion coefficient alpha around room temperature became slightly larger with increasing chromium content. Nevertheless, these amorphous alloys exhibited excellent Invar characteristics below the Curie temperature. The value of Young's modulus increased remarkably in a relatively low magnetic field and then saturated at a field of about 80 kA/m, showing a large delta E effect. Its value as well as a longitudinal linear magnetostriction became smaller with an increase in chromium content. The temperature coefficient of Young's modulus changed from postive to negative, and the temperature range showing the Elinvar characteristics became narrower with chromium content. The temperature coefficient of delay time determined from the values of alpha and e was very small. The corrosion resistance of these alloys was extremely improved by chromium addition.

Kikuci, M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Hot-spot durability testing of amorphous cells and modules

This paper discusses the results of a study to determine the hot-spot susceptibility of amorphous-silicon (a-Si) cells and modules, and to provide guidelines for reducing that susceptibility. Amorphous-Si cells are shown to have hot-spot susceptibility levels similar to crystalline-silicon (C-Si) cells. This premise leads to the fact that the same general guidelines must apply to protecting a-Si cells from hot-spot stressing that apply to C-Si cells. Recommendations are made on ways of reducing a-Si module hot-spot susceptibility including the traditional method of using bypass diodes and a new method unique to thin-film cells, limiting the string current by limiting cell area.

Gonzalez, Charles↗
NASA NTRS1985

Electrochemical degradation of amorphous-silicon photovoltaic modules

Techniques of module electrochemical corrosion research, developed during reliability studies of crystalline-silicon modules (C-Si), have been applied to this new investigation into amorphous-silicon (a-Si) module reliability. Amorphous-Si cells, encapsulated in the polymers polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), were exposed for more than 1200 hours in a controlled 85 C/85 percent RH environment, with a constant 500 volts applied between the cells and an aluminum frame. Plotting power output reduction versus charge transferred reveals that about 50 percent a-Si cell failures can be expected with the passage of 0.1 to 1.0 Coulomb/cm of cell-frame edge length; this threshold is somewhat less than that determined for C-Si modules.

Mon, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Ellipsometric and optical study of amorphous hydrogenated carbon films

A low-frequency plasma deposition system was used to prepare amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films. The growth energy was varied by changing the power and/or pressure of the plasma. Ellipsometry and optical absorption were used to obtain the optical energy gap, the density of states, and the refractive index. Ion sputtering was used in conjunction with ellipsometry and Auger electron spectroscopy to get absolute sputtering rates. The plasma deposited a-C:H is amorphous with an optical energy gap of approximately 2.0-2.4 eV. These a-C:H films have higher density and/or hardness, higher refractive index, and lower optical energy gaps with increasing energy of the particles in the plasma, while the density of states remains unchanged. These results are in agreement with, and give a fine-tuned positive confirmation to, an existing conjecture on the nature of the a-C:H films (Kaplan et al., 1985).

Alterovitz, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Thermal and structural stability of cosputtered amorphous Ta(x)Cu(1-x) alloy thin films on GaAs

The characteristics of thin films of Ta-Cu, prepared over a wide range of compositions by cosputter deposition onto GaAs and fused quartz substrates, are studied by X-ray diffraction and van der Pauw resistivity measurement. Results show films to be amorphous over the range of 55-95 at. pct, and show Ta(93)Cu(7) barriers to be effective in preventing Au in-diffusion, with a 3000-A layer remaining unpenetrated after an annealing at 700 C for 20 min. Diffusion of Ga and/or As into amorphous 93 at. pct Ta is found to be more rapid than that of Au, and interfacial reactions were shown to form compounds including Ta3Au, CuAu, TaAs2, and Ga3Cu7 above 700 C.

Oh, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The IR emission features - Emission from PAH molecules and amorphous carbon particles

Techniques for the assessment of the importance of the various forms of PAHs, and recent infrared observations concerning the PAH problem, are considered. Spectroscopic data suggest that the observed interstellar spectrum is due to both free molecule-sized PAHs producing the narrow features, and amorphous carbon particles contributing to the broad underlying components. Explanations for the multicomponent emission spectrum are discussed. A model of the emission mechanism for the example of chrysene is presented, and an exact treatment of the IR fluorescence from highly vibrationally excited large molecules shows that species containing 20-30 carbon atoms are responsible for the narrow features, although the spectra more closely resemble those of amorphous carbon particles. It is suggested that future emphasis should be placed on the spatial characteristics of the component spectra.

Allamandola, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Interactions of amorphous Ta(x)Cu(1-x) (x = 0.93 and 0.80) alloy films with Au overlayers and GaAs substrates

Amorphous Ta(93)Cu(7) and Ta(80)Cu(20) alloy films are prepared by cosputtering of pure Ta and pure Cu targets with a rotating sample holder table. To investigate the possible application of these materials as diffusion barriers for the Au-GaAs system, vacuum annealings are made in the temperature range from 200 to 800 C. Resistivity change, X-ray diffraction, and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements are performed to find the chemical and metallurgical stabilities of these materials in this system. The reaction temperature for Ta(x)Cu(1-x) in contact with GaAs lies between 500 and 700 C. For Au in contact with Ta(x)Cu(1-x) the reaction occurs at about 600 C. Amorphous Ta(93)Cu(7) shows different interdiffusion characteristics with surrounding elements than does Ta(80)Cu(20).

Oh, Jae E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The IR emission features - Emission from PAH molecules and amorphous carbon particles

Given the current understanding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the spectroscopic data suggest that are at least two components which contribute to the interstellar emission spectrum: (1) free molecule-sized PAHs producing the narrow features and (2) amorphous carbon particles (which are primarily composed of an irregular 'lattice' of PAHs) contributing to the broad underlying components. An exact treatment of the IR fluorescence from highly vibrationally excited large molecules demonstrates that species containing between 20 and 30 carbon atoms are responsible for the narrow features, although the spectra match more closely with the spectra of amorphous carbon particles. It is concluded that, since little is known about the spectroscopic properties of free PAHs and PAH clusters, much laboratory work is required along with an observational program focusing on the spatial characteristics of the spectra.

Allamandola, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Tests Of Amorphous-Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

Progress in identification of strengths and weaknesses of amorphous-silicon technology detailed. Report describes achievements in testing reliability of solar-power modules made of amorphous-silicon photovoltaic cells. Based on investigation of modules made by U.S. manufacturers. Modules subjected to field tests, to accelerated-aging tests in laboratory, and to standard sequence of qualification tests developed for modules of crystalline-silicon cells.

Ross, Ronald G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ketimine modifications as a route to novel amorphous and derived semicrystalline poly(arylene ether ketone) homo- and copolymers

A series of amine terminal amorphous poly(arylene ether ketone) oligomers of controlled molecular weights (2-15 K) were synthesized. These oligomers have been found to undergo 'self-crosslinking' reactions upon heating above 220 C, via the reaction of the terminal amine groups with the in-chain keto carbonyl functionalities. The resulting networks are ductile, chemically resistant, and nonporous. The networks obtained via generated ketimine functionality were characterized by solid state NMR. They have also been found to be remarkably stable toward hydrolysis. Ketimine functional bishalide monomers have also been synthesized. Such monomers have been utilized to synthesize a wide variety of amorphous poly(arylene ether) ketimine polymers. A high molecular weight hydroquinone functional poly(arylene ether) ketimine has been acid treated to regenerate a poly(arylene ether ketone) backbone in solution. This novel procedure thus allows for the synthesis of important matrix resins under relatively mild conditions.

Mohanty, D. K.↗