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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
DOE OSTI2012

Thermal evaluation of uranium silicide miniplates irradiated at high heat flux

The Gas Test Loop (GTL)-1 irradiation experiment was conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to assess corrosion performance of proposed booster fuel at heat flux levels ~30% above the design operating condition. Sixteen miniplates fabricated from 25% enriched, high-density (4.8 g U/cm3) U3Si2/Al dispersion fuel with 6061 aluminum cladding were subjected to peak beginning of cycle (BOC) heat fluxes ranging from 411 to 593 W/cm2. No adverse impacts to the miniplates were observed at these high heat flux levels. A detailed finite element model was constructed to calculate temperatures and heat flux for an as-run cycle average effective ATR south lobe power of 25.4 MW(t). Miniplate heat flux levels and fuel, cladding, hydroxide, and coolant–hydroxide interface temperatures were calculated using the average hydroxide thickness on each miniplate measured during post-irradiation examination. The purpose of this study was to obtain a best estimate of the as-run experiment temperatures to aid in establishing acceptable heat flux levels and designing fuel qualification experiments for this fuel type.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Thermal Stability of Copper–Nickel and Copper–Nickel Silicide Contacts for Crystalline Silicon

Copper is a low-cost, low-damage alternative to Ag paste for front-side metallization of crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells, but requires conductive diffusion barriers like Ni or NiSi. Thermal stability of these barriers during postmetallization anneal is critical for performance. In this study, we address the structural and chemical stability of Cu contacts with both Ni and NiSi barrier layers, identifying interfacial reactions responsible for their degradation. Superior thermal and chemical stability of single-phase NiSi barrier as compared to Ni is made evident by XRD, Auger, and Raman spectroscopies. Moreover, the commonly used Cu-Ni-Si contact stack does not convert to more stable Cu-NiSi-Si stack upon thermal treatment. Instead, Cu readily alloys with the Ni layer and reacts with the underlying c-Si to form Cu 3 Si, with no evidence for the formation of NixSi phases. Also, even the superior NiSi barrier slowly dissolves into Cu at elevated temperatures.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effect of Pd on the Ni{sub 2}Si stress relaxation during the Ni-silicide formation at low temperature

The thermally induced solid-state reaction between a 50-nm-thick Ni(6%Pd) layer and a Si(100) substrate was investigated using in situ and simultaneous x-ray diffraction and sheet resistance. The reaction begins with the growth of the stressed {delta}-Ni{sub 2}Si phase, and the transient {theta}-Ni{sub 2}Si. At the end of the {theta}-Ni{sub 2}Si consumption, a NiSi seed is formed. Then, the {delta}-Ni{sub 2}Si relaxation occurs simultaneously with its subsequent growth and the Pd out diffusion from the unreacted Ni(Pd) layer. It is suggested that the driving force for the Pd diffusion out of the metal layer is linked to both the higher solubility of Pd in NiSi compared to Ni{sub 2}Si and to the Ni{sub 2}Si relaxation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Iron silicide formation at different layers of (Fe/Si){sub 3} multilayered structures determined by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy

The morphology and the quantitative composition of the Fe-Si interface layer forming at each Fe layer of a (Fe/Si){sub 3} multilayer have been determined by means of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). For the CEMS measurements, each layer was selected by depositing the Mössbauer active {sup 57}Fe isotope with 95% enrichment. Samples with Fe layers of nominal thickness d{sub Fe} = 2.6 nm and Si spacers of d{sub Si} = 1.5 nm were prepared by thermal evaporation onto a GaAs(001) substrate with an intermediate Ag(001) buffer layer. HRTEM images showed that Si layers grow amorphous and the epitaxial growth of the Fe is good only for the first deposited layer. The CEMS spectra show that at all Fe/Si and Si/Fe interfaces a paramagnetic c-Fe{sub 1−x}Si phase is formed, which contains 16% of the nominal Fe deposited in the Fe layer. The bottom Fe layer, which is in contact with the Ag buffer, also contains α-Fe and an Fe{sub 1−x}Si{sub x} alloy that cannot be attributed to a single phase. In contrast, the other two layers only comprise an Fe{sub 1−x}Si{sub x} alloy with a Si concentration of ≃0.15, but no α-Fe.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nickel Silicide Metallization for Passivated Tunneling Contacts for Silicon Solar Cells

Passivated tunneling contacts offer promise for applications in Interdigitated Back Passivated Contact (IBPC) high efficiency silicon solar cells. Metallization of these contacts remains a key research topic. This paper investigates NiSi/poly-Si/SiO2/c-Si passivated contacts using photoluminescence and contact resistivity measurements. An amorphous Si interlayer between the NiSi and poly-Si is observed to improve passivation, decreasing recombination. The overall recombination loss has a linear trend with the NiSi thickness. Implied Voc values close to 700 mV and contact resistivities below 10 mohm-cm2 have been achieved in NiSi/poly-Si:P/SiO2/c-Si contacts.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Study of Nickel Silicide as a Copper Diffusion Barrier in Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

NiSi as a conductive diffusion barrier to silicon has been studied. We demonstrate that the NiSi films formed using the single step annealing process are as good as the two step process using XRD and Raman. Quality of NiSi films formed using e-beam Ni and electroless Ni process has been compared. Incomplete surface coverage and presence of constituents other than Ni are the main challenges with electroless Ni. We also demonstrate that Cu reduces the thermal stability of NiSi films. The detection of Cu has proven to be difficult due to temperature limitations.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Electronic structure and spectral characteristics of Zn-substituted clathrate silicides

The results of complex theoretical studies of the electron structure of Zn-substituted Si-based clathrates are reported. The calculation is carried out by the linearized augmented plane wave method. As a result, the energy band structures, the total and partial densities of electron states, and the X-ray emission spectra are obtained. The effect of the number of substitutions and their sites in the unit cell on the electron-energy spectrum of clathrates is analyzed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Electronic structure of Pt-substituted clathrate silicides Ba{sub 8}Pt{sub x}Si{sub 46–x}(x = 4–6)

The results of calculation of the electronic structure of Si-based Pt-substituted clathrates are reported. Calculation is carried out by the linearized-augmented-plane-wave method. The effect of the number of substitutions and their crystallographic position in the unit cell on the electron-energy spectrum and the electronic properties of Pt-substituted clathrates is analyzed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Milestone report on MD potential development for uranium silicide

This report summarizes the progress on the interatomic potential development of triuranium-disilicide (U 3 Si 2 ) for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The development is based on the Tersoff type potentials for single element U and Si. The Si potential is taken from the literature and a Tersoff type U potential is developed in this project. With the primary focus on the U 3 Si 2 phase, some other U-Si systems such as U 3 Si are also included as a test of the transferability of the potentials for binary U-Si phases. Based on the potentials for unary U and Si, two sets of parameters for the binary U-Si system are developed using the Tersoff mixing rules and the cross-term fitting, respectively. The cross-term potential is found to give better results on the enthalpy of formation, lattice constants and elastic constants than those produced by the Tersoff mixing potential, with the reference data taken from either experiments or density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In particular, the results on the formation enthalpy and lattice constants for the U 3 Si 2 phase and lattice constants for the high temperature U 3 Si (h-U 3 Si) phase generated by the cross-term potential agree well with experimental data. Reasonable agreements are also reached on the elastic constants of U 3 Si 2 , on the formation enthalpy for the low temperature U 3 Si (m-U 3 Si) and h-U 3 Si phases, and on the lattice constants of m-U 3 Si phase. All these phases are predicted to be mechanically stable. The unary U potential is tested for three metallic U phases (α, β, γ). The potential is found capable to predict the cohesive energies well against experimental data for all three phases. It matches reasonably with previous experiments on the lattice constants and elastic constants of αU.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2014

Comparison of the Thermal Expansion Behavior of Several Intermetallic Silicide Alloys Between 293 and 1523 K

Thermal expansion measurements were conducted on hot-pressed CrSi(sub 2), TiSi(sub 2), W Si(sub 2) and a two-phase Cr-Mo-Si intermetallic alloy between 293 and 1523 K during three heat-cool cycles. The corrected thermal expansion, (L/L(sub 0)(sub thermal), varied with the absolute temperature, T, as (deltaL/L(sub 0)(sub thermal) = A(T-293)(sup 3) + B(T-293)(sup 2) + C(T-293) + D, where A, B, C and D are regression constants. Excellent reproducibility was observed for most of the materials after the first heat-up cycle. In some cases, the data from the first heatup cycle deviated from those determined in the subsequent cycles. This deviation was attributed to the presence of residual stresses developed during processing, which are relieved after the first heat-up cycle.

silicides↗