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At least 181 records · Page 10

The influence of gamma prime on the recrystallization of an oxide dispersion strengthened superalloy - MA 6000E

The requirement of large, recrystallized, highly elongated grains is of primary importance to the development of suitable high temperature properties in oxide dispersion strengthened-superalloys. In the present study the recrystallization behavior of MA 6000E, a recently developed Y2O3 strengthened superalloy produced by mechanical alloying, was examined using transmission and replication microscopy. Gradient and isothermal annealing treatments were applied to extruded and hot rolled products. It was found that conversion from a very fine (0.2 micron) grain structure to a coarse (approximately 10 mm) grain structure is controlled by the dissolution of the gamma prime phase, while grain shape was controlled primarily by the thermal gradient. The fine uniform oxide dispersion appeared to have only a secondary influence in determining the grain shape as columnar grains could be grown transverse to the working direction by appropriate application of the thermal gradient.

Hotzler, R. K.↗

Properties of ices and grains - An experimental study

Proton irradiation of a variety of ice mixtures was carried out to study the effect of galactic cosmic ray irradiation of comets in the Oort Cloud. Three significant effects were noted: (1) production of new molecules; (2) production of a more energetic ice at low temperatures; (3) production of a non-volatile, complex organic residue. These phenomena suggest various effects on new comets approaching the sun including enhanced activity. Experiments on the condensation of silicate grains provide information on the condensation mechanism and properties of grains. Controlled annealing of the amorphous condensates shows how crystallization occurs. Infrared spectra of different stages of crystallization contain features that may identify composition, structure and history of refractory material.

Donn, B.↗

Characterization of thermoplastic polyimide NEW-TPI

Thermal and rheological properties of a commercial thermoplastic polyimide, NEW-TPI, were characterized. The as-received material possesses initially a transient crystallite form with a bimodal distribution in peak melting temperatures. After the meltings of the initial crystallite structures, the sample can be recrystallized by various thermal treatments. A bimodal or single-modal melting peak distribution is formed for annealing temperatures below or above 360 C, respectively. The recrystallized crystallinities are all transient in nature. The polymers are unable to be recrystallized after being subjected to elevated temperature annealing above 450 C. The recrystallization mechanism was postulated, and a simple kinetics model was found to describe the behavior satisfactorily under conditions of prolonged thermal annealing.

Hou, T. H.↗

Influence of Growth Parameters and Annealing on Properties of MBE Grown GaAsSbN SQWs

In this paper we report the growth of GaAsSbN/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) heterostructures by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and their properties. A systematic study has been carried out to determine the effect of growth conditions, such as the source shutter opening sequence and substrate temperature, on the structural and optical properties of the layers. The substrate temperatures in the range of 450-470 C were found to be optimal. Simultaneous opening of the source shutters (SS) resulted in N incorporation almost independent of substrate temperature and Sb incorporation higher at lower substrate temperatures. The effects of ex-situ annealing in nitrogen ambient and in-situ annealing under As ovepressure on the optical properties of the layers have also been investigated. A significant increase in photoluminescence (PL) intensity with reduced full width at half maxima (FWHM) in conjunction with a blue shift in the emission energy was observed on 10 annealing the samples. In in-situ annealed samples, the PL line shapes were more symmetric and the temperature dependence of the PL peak energy indicated significant decrease in the exciton localization energy as exhibited by a less pronounced S-shaped curve. The inverted S-shaped curve observed in the temperature dependence of PL FWHM is also discussed. 1.61 micrometer emission with FWHM of 25 meV at 20K has been obtained in in-situ annealed GaAsSbN/GaAs SQW grown at 470 C by SS.

Wu, Liangjin↗

Parallel simulated annealing algorithms for cell placement on hypercube multiprocessors

Two parallel algorithms for standard cell placement using simulated annealing are developed to run on distributed-memory message-passing hypercube multiprocessors. The cells can be mapped in a two-dimensional area of a chip onto processors in an n-dimensional hypercube in two ways, such that both small and large cell exchange and displacement moves can be applied. The computation of the cost function in parallel among all the processors in the hypercube is described, along with a distributed data structure that needs to be stored in the hypercube to support the parallel cost evaluation. A novel tree broadcasting strategy is used extensively for updating cell locations in the parallel environment. A dynamic parallel annealing schedule estimates the errors due to interacting parallel moves and adapts the rate of synchronization automatically. Two novel approaches in controlling error in parallel algorithms are described: heuristic cell coloring and adaptive sequence control.

Banerjee, Prithviraj↗

Conformal Thin Film Packaging for SiC Sensor Circuits in Harsh Environments

In this investigation sputtered silicon carbide annealed at 300 C for one hour is used as a conformal thin film package. A RF magnetron sputterer was used to deposit 500 nm silicon carbide films on gold metal structures on alumina wafers. To determine the reliability and resistance to immersion in harsh environments, samples were submerged in gold etchant for 24 hours, in BOE for 24 hours, and in an O2 plasma etch for one hour. The adhesion strength of the thin film was measured by a pull test before and after the chemical immersion, which indicated that the film has an adhesion strength better than 10(exp 8) N/m2; this is similar to the adhesion of the gold layer to the alumina wafer. MIM capacitors are used to determine the dielectric constant, which is dependent on the SiC anneal temperature. Finally, to demonstrate that the SiC, conformal, thin film may be used to package RF circuits and sensors, an LC resonator circuit was fabricated and tested with and without the conformal SiC thin film packaging. The results indicate that the SiC coating adds no appreciable degradation to the circuits RF performance. Index Terms Sputter, silicon carbide, MIM capacitors, LC resonators, gold etchants, BOE, O2 plasma

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.↗

Time Variability of the Dust Sublimation Zones in Pre-Main Sequence Disk Systems

The dust sublimation zone (DSZ) is the region of pre-main sequence (PMS) disks where dust grains most easily anneal, sublime, and condense out of the gas. Because of this, it is a location where crystalline material may be enhanced and redistributed throughout the rest of the disk. A decade-long program to monitor the thermal emission of the grains located in this region demonstrates that large changes in emitted flux occur in many systems. Changes in the thermal emission between 3 and 13.5 microns were observed in HD 31648 (MWC 480), HD 163296 (MWC 275), and DG Tau. This emission is consistent with it being produced at the DSZ, where the transition from a disk of gas to one of gas+dust occurs. In the case of DG Tau, the outbursts were accompanied by increased emission on the 10 micron silicate band on one occasion, while on another occasion it went into absorption. This requires lofting of the material above the disk into the line of sight. Such changes will affect the determination of the inner disk structure obtained through interferometry measurements, and this has been confirmed in the case of HD 163296. Cyclic variations in the heating of the DSZ will lead to the annealing of large grains, the sublimation of smaller grains, possibly followed by re-condensation as the zone enters a cooling phase. Lofting of dust above the disk plane, and outward acceleration by stellar winds and radiation pressure, can re-distribute the processed material to cooler regions of the disk, where cometesimals form. This processing is consistent with the detection of the preferential concentration of large crystalline grains in the inner few AU of PMS disks using interferometric spectroscopy with the VLTI.

Sitko, Michael L.↗

Trends and techniques for space base electronics

A system was developed for depositing aluminum and aluminum alloys by the D.C. sputtering technique. This system which was designed for a high level of cleanliness and ion monitoring the deposition parameters during film preparation is ready for studying the deposition and annealing parameters upon double level metal preparation. The finite element method was studied for use in the computer modeling of two dimensional MOS transistor structures. An algorithm was developed for implementing a computer study which is based upon the finite difference method. The program was modified and used to calculate redistribution data for boron and phosphorous which had been predeposited by ion implantation with range and straggle conditions typical of those used at MSFC. Data were generated for 111 oriented SOS films with redistribution in N2, dry O2 and steam ambients. Data are given showing both two dimensional effects and the evolution of the junction depth, sheet resistance and integrated dose with redistribution time.

Gassaway, J. D.↗

Proton-induced radiation damage in germanium detectors

High-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors will be used in future space missions for gamma-ray measurements and will be subject to interactions with energetic particles. To simulate this process, several large-volume n-type HPGe detectors were incrementally exposed to a particle fluence of up to 10 to the 8th protons/sq cm (proton energy: 1.5 GeV) at different operating temperatures (90 to 120 K) to induce radiation damage. Basic scientific and engineering data on detector performance were collected. During the incremental irradiation, the peak shape produced by the detectors showed a significant change from a Gaussian shape to a broad complex structure. After the irradiation, all detectors were thoroughly characterized by measuring many parameters. To remove the accumulated radiation damage, the detectors were stepwise-annealed at temperatures below 110 C, while kept in their specially designed cryostats. This study shows that n-type HPGe detectors can be used in charged-particle environments as high-energy resolution devices until a certain level of radiation damage is accumulated and that the damage can be removed at moderate annealing temperatures and the detector returned to operating condition.

Brueckner, J.↗

Load interaction effects on fatigue crack growth in Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The importance of delay, retardation in the rate of fatigue crack growth, produced by load interactions in variable amplitude loading, on the accurate prediction of fatigue lives of engineering structures is discussed. The effects of a broad range of loading variables on delay in fatigue crack growth at room temperature are examined for a mill annealed Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The results are used to estimate crack growth behavior under programmed loads.

Wei, R. P.↗

Silicon Research and Technology Workshop report

The materials, structures, processing, modeling and measurements of high efficiency silicon solar cells were surveyed. In the materials area, highlights included: (1) the possibility of improving cell voltages by reducing minority carrier mobilities in critical regions of the solar cells; (2) the need for and possibility of lowering the surface recombination velocity for improvement of open circuit voltage in shallow junction cells; (3) the present need for improved lifetime in high resistivity cells; and (4) the potential for new materials such as polycrystalline or dendritic web material to perform well at end of life in a radiation environment. In the area of structures, distinction was made between those for terrestrial use and those that would survive radiation environments. Areas such as epitaxial growth and laser or elctron beam annealing (and diffusion) were proposed as having certain advantages over more conventional techniques.

Meulenberg, A., Jr.↗

The effect of grooves in amorphous substrates on the orientation of metal deposits. I - Carbon substrates

The graphoepitaxial alignment of vapor-deposited discrete metal crystallites is investigated in the nucleation and growth stages and during annealing by in situ UHV/TEM techniques. Various stages of nucleation, growth and coalescence of vapor deposits of Au, Ag, Pb, Sn, and Bi on amorphous, topographically structured C substrates are analyzed by advanced dark-field techniques to detect preferred local orientations. It is found that the topography-induced orientation of metal crystallites depends strongly on their mobility and their respective tendency to develop pronounced crystallographic shapes. Lowering of the average surface free energies and increasing the crystallographic surface energy anisotropies cause generally improved graphoepitaxial alignments.

Anton, R.↗

Investigation of Strain Aging in the Ordered Intermetallic Compound beta-NiAl

The phenomenon of strain aging has been investigated in polycrystalline and single crystal NiAl alloys at temperatures between 300 and 1200 K. Static strain aging studies revealed that after annealing at 1100 K for 7200 s (i.e., 2h) followed by furnace cooling, high purity, nitrogen-doped and titanium-doped polycrystalline alloys exhibited continuous yielding, while conventional-purity and carbon-doped alloys exhibited distinct yield points and Luders strains. Prestraining by hydrostatic pressurization removed the yield points, but they could be reintroduced by further annealing treatments. Yield points could be reintroduced more rapidly if the specimens were prestrained uniaxially rather than hydrostatically, owing to the arrangement of dislocations into cell structures during uniaxial deformation. The time dependence of the strain aging events followed at t(exp 2/3) relationship suggesting that the yield points observed in polycrystalline NiAl were the result of the pinning of mobile dislocations by interstitials, specifically carbon. Between 700 and 800 K, yield stress plateaus, yield stress transients upon a ten-fold increase in strain rate, work hardening peaks, and dips in the strain rate sensitivity (SRS) have been observed in conventional-purity and carbon-doped polycrystals. In single crystals, similar behavior was observed; in conventional-purity single crystals, however, the strain rate sensitivity became negative resulting in serrated yielding, whereas, the strain rate sensitivity stayed positive in high purity and in molybdenum-doped NiAl. These observations are indicative of dynamic strain aging (DSA) and are discussed in terms of conventional strain aging theories. The impact of these phenomena on the composition-structure-property relations are discerned. Finally, a good correlation has been demonstrated between the properties of NiAl alloys and a recently developed model for strain aging in metals and alloys developed by Reed-Hill et al.

Weaver, Mark Lovell↗

Observations of Static Strain-Aging in Polycrystalline NiAl

Static strain-aging has been investigated in eight polycrystalline NiAl alloys. After annealing at 1100 K for 7200 s followed by furnace cooling, high-purity, nitrogen-doped, and titanium-doped alloys exhibited continuous yielding, while conventional-purity and carbon-doped alloys exhibited distinct upper yield points and Luders strains. Either water quenching from 1100 K or prestraining via hydrostatic pressurization suppressed the yield points in the latter alloys, but they could be reintroduced by further annealing treatments. Yield points could be reintroduced more rapidly if the specimens were prestrained uniaxially rather than hydrostatically, owing to the arrangement of dislocations into cell structures during uniaxial deformation. Chemical analysis suggests that the species responsible for strain-aging is interstitial carbon.

Weaver, M. L.↗

Novel Biomedical Devices Utilizing Light-Emitting Nanostructures

As part of the NASA project, we are investigating the formation, properties, and performance of QD heterostructures, to be incorporated into a novel biomedical device for detecting bacteria and/or viruses in fluids on board space vehicles. We are presently synthesizing the epitaxial quantum dot structures using molecular beam epitaxy. We recently developed a method for controlling the arrangement of QDs, based upon a combination of buffer layer growth and controlled annealing sequences. This method is promising for producing arrangements of QDs with a locally well-controlled distribution of sizes. In the future, we plan to explore selective pre-patterning of the starting surface using focused ion-beam nanopatterning, which will enable us to precisely tune the compositions, sizes, and placement of the QDs, in order laterally tune the emission and detection wavelengths of QD based devices.

Goldman, Rachel S.↗

Electron beam welding of aircraft structures

Requirements for advanced aircraft have led to more extensive use of titanium alloys and the resultant search for joining processes which can produce lightweight, high strength airframe structures efficiently. As a result, electron beam welding has been investigated. The following F-14A components are now being EB welded in production and are mainly annealed Ti-6Al-4V except for the upper wing cover which is annealed Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn: F-14A wing center section box, and F-14A lower and upper wing covers joined to wing pivot fitting assemblies. Criteria for selection of welding processes, the EB welding facility, development work on EB welding titanium alloys, and F-14A production and sliding seal electron beam welding are reported.

Witt, R. H.↗