Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “thin contacts”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Self-Aligned, Selective Area Poly-Si/SiO2 Passivated Contacts for Enhanced Photocurrent in Front/Back Solar Cells

Poly-Si/SiO 2 passivated contact front/back solar cells suffer low Jsc due to parasitic absorption in the front poly-Si layer. We demonstrate a self-aligned, selective area front contact dry-etch technique that retains the as-deposited poly-Si beneath the metal grid lines but thins it elsewhere. Jsc improves by 0.7 mA/cm 2 over our standard 40 nm thick poly-Si. Greater improvements are expected with thicker poly-Si needed for fired metal contacts. Surface passivation is slightly diminished with poly-Si thinning but can be partially restored with rehydrogenation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Superconducting contact and quantum interference between two-dimensional van der Waals and three-dimensional conventional superconductors

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductors enable uniform, flat, and clean van der Waals tunneling interfaces, motivating their integration into conventional superconducting circuits. However, fully superconducting contact must be made between the 2D material and three-dimensional (3D) superconductors to employ the standard microwave drive and readout of qubits in such circuits. We present a method for creating zero-resistance contacts between 2D NbSe 2 and 3D aluminum that behave as Josephson junctions (JJs) with large effective areas compared to 3D-3D JJs. The devices formed from 2D TMD superconductors are strongly influenced by the geometry of the flakes themselves as well as the placement of the contacts to bulk 3D superconducting leads. We present a model for the supercurrent flow in a 2D-3D superconducting structure by a numerical solution of the Ginzburg-Landau equations and find good agreement with experiment. Finally, these results demonstrate a crucial step towards a new generation of hybrid superconducting quantum circuits.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1997

Method for Ultrasonic Imaging and Device for Performing the Method

A method for ultrasonic imaging of interior structures and flaws in a test specimen with a smooth or irregular contact surfaces, in which an ultrasonic transducer is coupled acoustically to the contact surface via a plurality of ultrasonic wave guides with equal delay times. The wave guides are thin and bendable, so they adapt to variations in the distance between the transducer and different parts of the contact surface by bending more or less. All parts of the irregular contact surface accordingly receive sound waves that are in phase, even when the contact surface is irregular, so a coherent sound wave is infused in the test specimen. The wave guides can be arranged in the form of an ultrasonic brush, with a flat head for coupling to a flat transducer, and free bristles that can be pressed against the test specimen. By bevelling the bristle ends at a suitable angle, shear mode waves can be infused into the test specimen from a longitudinal mode transducer.

Madaras, Eric I.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tailoring the coefficient of thermal expansion of ternary nickel alloys through compositional control and non-contact measurements

The majority of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are made of silicon, however, future applications will be used in extreme environments, especially at elevated temperatures, and require materials with enhanced properties. Use of metal alloys in these applications will require microscale manufacturability, a balance of physical and mechanical properties and dimensional stability. Here in this paper, we emphasized dimensional stability by reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and present an optical non-contact method for measuring the thermal expansion of planar thin films. A combinatorial approach was employed to determine the CTE of nickel-molybdenum-tungsten (Ni-Mo-W) sputter deposited films over a range of compositions, and the addition of Mo and W is shown to significantly decrease and provide a route for tailoring the CTE with compositional control. Ni-Mo-W alloys were revealed to have CTE values ranging from 8–12 × 10 -6 /°C, matching that of commercial glass substrates that are employed in numerous MEMS devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1967

Clamp provides efficient connection for high-density currents

Electrical connector clamp /bus bar/ gives high contact-surface efficiency for providing a high current to thin wall stainless steel tubing containing hydrogen gas. It uses lead solder film to provide the electrical equivalent of a fusion bond without degrading the grain structure, permitting disassembly and reuse of the components.

Mc Carthy, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Development of a lightweight body-mounted solar cell array with a high power to weight ratio.

Three lightweight solar cell arrays have been fabricated with a high power-to-weight ratio. These arrays incorporate resistance welded interconnections, improved antireflection coating on the solar cell and lightweight substrates. Two of the substrates were constructed of magnesium with different structural geometry, while the third substrate was conventional aluminum honeycomb. All arrays utilized thin solar cells having a titanium-palladium-silver contact system and an antireflection coating of titanium oxide. The cells were welded with silver plated molybdenum interconnections. The two arrays having magnesium substrates exhibited a power/weight of 70.4 W/kg (32 W/lb.) and 81 W/kg (36.8 W/lb.), while the conventional array demonstrated a power/weight of 45.2 W/kg (20.6 W/lb.).

Somberg, H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Status of Diffused Junction p(+)n InP Solar Cells for Space Applications

Recently, we have succeeded in fabricating diffused junction p(+)n(Cd,S) InP solar cells with measured AMO, 25 C open circuit voltage (V(sub OC)) of 887.6 mV, which, to the best of our knowledge, is higher than previously reported V(sub OC) values for any InP homojunction solar cells. The experiment-based projected achievable efficiency of these cells using LEC grown substrates is 21.3%. The maximum AMO, 25 C efficiency recorded to date on bare cells is, however, only 13.2%. This is because of large external and internal losses due to non-optimized front grid design, antireflection (AR) coating and emitter thickness. This paper summarizes recent advances in the technology of fabrication of p(+)n InP diffused structures and solar cells, resulted from a study undertaken in an effort to increase the cell efficiency. The topics discussed in this paper include advances in: 1) the formation of thin p(+) InP:Cd emitter layers, 2) electroplated front contacts, 3) surface passivation and 4) the design of a new native oxide/AI203/MgF2 three layer AR coating using a chemically-grown P-rich passivating oxide as a first layer. Based on the high radiation resistance and the excellent post-irradiation annealing and recovery demonstrated in the early tests done to date, as well as the projected high efficiency and low-cost high-volume fabricability, these cells show a very good potential for space photovoltaic applications.

Faur, Mircea↗
NASA NTRS1995

Wear Measurement System

Lewis Research Center developed a tribometer for in-house wear tests. Implant Sciences Corporation (ISC), working on a NASA contract to develop coatings to enhance the wear capabilities of materials, adapted the tribometer for its own use and developed a commercial line of user-friendly systems. The ISC-200 is a pin-on-disk type of tribometer, functioning like a record player and creating a wear groove on the disk, with variables of speed and load. The system can measure the coefficient of friction, the wear behavior between materials, and the integrity of thin films or coatings. Applications include measuring wear on contact lenses and engine parts and testing disk drives.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

Improved Electromagnetic Brake

A proposed design for an electromagnetic brake would increase the reliability while reducing the number of parts and the weight, relative to a prior commercially available electromagnetic brake. The reductions of weight and the number of parts could also lead to a reduction of cost. A description of the commercial brake is prerequisite to a description of the proposed electromagnetic brake. The commercial brake (see upper part of figure) includes (1) a permanent magnet and an electromagnet coil on a stator and (2) a rotor that includes a steel contact plate mounted, with tension spring loading, on an aluminum hub. The stator is mounted securely on a stationary object, which would ordinarily be the housing of a gear drive or a motor. The rotor is mounted on the shaft of the gear drive or motor. The commercial brake nominally operates in a fail-safe (in the sense of normally braking) mode: In the absence of current in the electromagnet coil, the permanent magnet pulls the contact plate, against the spring tension, into contact with the stator. To release the brake, one excites the electromagnet with a current of the magnitude and polarity chosen to cancel the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet, thereby enabling the spring tension to pull the contact plate out of contact with the stator. The fail-safe operation of the commercial brake depends on careful mounting of the rotor in relation to the stator. The rotor/stator gap must be set with a tolerance between 10 and 15 mils (between about 0.25 and about 0.38 mm). If the gap or the contact pad is thicker than the maximum allowable value, then the permanent magnetic field will not be strong enough to pull the steel plate across the gap. (For this reason, any contact pad between the contact plate and the stator must also be correspondingly thin.) If the gap exceeds the maximum allowable value because of shaft end play, it becomes impossible to set the brake by turning off the electromagnet current. Although it may still be possible to set the brake by applying an electromagnet current to aid the permanent magnetic field instead of canceling it, this action can mask an out-of-tolerance condition in the brake and it does not restore the fail-safe function of setting the brake when current is lost.

Martin, Toby B.↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Novel Instrument and Methodology for the In-Situ Measurement of the Stress in Thin Films

We introduce a novel methodology for the in-situ measurement of mechanical stress during thin film growth utilizing a highly sensitive non-contact variation of the classic spherometer. By exploiting the known spherical deformation of the substrate the value of the stress induced curvature is inferred by measurement of only one point on the substrate's surface-the sagittal. From the known curvature the stress can be calculated using the well-known Stoney equation. Based on this methodology, a stress sensor has been designed which is simple, highly sensitive, compact, and low cost. As a result of its compact nature, the sensor can be mounted in any orientation to accommodate a given deposition geometry without the need for extensive modification to an already existing deposition system. The technique employs the use of a double side polished substrate that offers good specular reflectivity and is isotropic in its mechanical properties, such as <111> oriented crystalline silicon or amorphous soda lime glass, for example. The measurement of the displacement of the uncoated side during deposition is performed with a high resolution (i.e. 5nm), commercially available, inexpensive, fiber optic sensor which can be used in both high vacuum and high temperature environments (i.e. 10(exp-7) Torr and 480oC, respectively). A key attribute of this instrument lies in its potential to achieve sensitivity that rivals other measurement techniques such as the micro cantilever method but, due to the comparatively larger substrate area, offers a more robust and practical alternative for subsequent measurement of additional characteristics of the film that can might be correlated to film stress. We present measurement results of nickel films deposited by magnetron sputtering which show good qualitative agreement to the know behavior of polycrystalline films previously reported by Hoffman.

Broadway, David M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Durable Anti-Reflective and Anti-Fog Coatings Produced by Aerosol Impact Driven Assembly

The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit’s (xEMU) helmet is a complex assembly designed to accomplish several tasks to protect and enable astronauts. In addition to maintaining a suitable environment for the wearer, it must also allow for appropriate mobility and provide a wide and undistorted view of the surroundings. A critical component of the helmet’s optical system is the anti-fog coating. While previous versions of the anti-fog coating have provided suitable anti-fog performance, they have been difficult to apply, lacked mechanical or chemical durability, or resulted in unanticipated failures (e.g., outgassing of eye-irritating materials during use). This work describes the use of a new coating technology, aerosol impact-driven assembly (AIDA), to develop a next-generation permanent anti-fog coating for the xEMU helmet. AIDA’s unique ability to tune both the refractive index and surface roughness of films was used to deposit a thin, transparent (>85% transmittance of visible light), and hydrophilic (contact angle <10°) anti-fog coating. The coating’s abrasion resistance and chemical resistance was evaluated and it was found that the coating maintained both its anti-fog and anti-reflective functionally. Finally, the scalability of the process was demonstrated by successfully coating the polycarbonate blanks used to form the helmet’s bubble.

Spacesuit↗
NASA NTRS1995

Sinterless Fabrication Of Contact Pads On InP Devices

Research has shown that with proper choice of material, low-resistance contact pads deposited on solar cells and other devices by improved technique that does not involve sintering. Research directed at understanding mechanisms involved in contact-sintering process has resulted in identification of special group of materials that includes phosphides of gold, silver, and nickel; specifically, Au(2)P(3), AgP(2), and Ni(3)P. Incorporation of phosphide interlayer substantially reduces resistivity between gold current-carrying layer and indium phosphide substrate. Further research indicated only very thin interlayer of any of these compounds needed to obtain low contact resistance, without subjecting contact to destructive sintering process.

Weizer, Victor G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

SiC-Based Miniature High-Temperature Cantilever Anemometer

The figure depicts a miniature cantilever-type anemometer that has been developed as a prototype of compact, relatively nonintrusive anemometers that can function at temperatures up to 600 C and that can be expected to be commercially mass-producible at low cost. The design of this anemometer, and especially the packaging aspect of the design, is intended to enable measurement of turbulence in the high-temperature, high-vibration environment of a turbine engine or in any similar environment. The main structural components of the anemometer include a single-crystal SiC cantilever and two polycrystalline SiC clamping plates, all made from chemical-vapor-deposited silicon carbide. Fabrication of these components from the same basic material eliminates thermal-expansion mismatch, which has introduced spurious thermomechanical stresses in cantilever-type anemometers of prior design. The clamping plates are heavily oxidized to improve electrical insulation at high temperature. A cavity that serves as a receptacle for the clamped end of the cantilever is etched into one end of one clamping plate. Trenches that collectively constitute a socket for a multipin electrical plug (for connection to external electronic circuitry) are etched into the opposite end of this clamping plate. Metal strips for electrical contact are deposited on one face of the other clamping plate. Piezoresistive single-crystal SiC thin-film strain gauges are etched in the n-type SiC epilayer in a Wheatstone-bridge configuration. Metal contact pads on the cantilever that extend into the clamping-receptacle area, are obtained by deposition and patterning using standard semiconductor photolithography and etching methods. The cantilever and the two clamping plates are assembled into a sandwich structure that is then clamped in a stainless-steel housing. The Wheatstone- bridge carrying SiC cantilever with the metal contact pads on the piezoresistors is slid into the receptacle in the bottom clamping plate. The top clamping plate is brought into contact with the bottom plate so that the narrow section of the metal strips on the top clamp plate aligns with the metal contact pads on the cantilever. When the parts are clamped together, the metal strips provide electrical connections between the Wheatstone-bridge contact points and the sides the trenches that constitute the socket for the multipin electrical plug. Hence, to connect the Wheatstone bridge to external circuitry for processing of the anemometer readout, one need only insert the plug in the socket. In operation, the cantilever end of the stainless-steel housing is mounted flush with an engine wall and the unclamped portion of the cantilever is exposed into the flow. The cantilever is deflected in direct proportion to the force induced by component of flow parallel to the engine wall and perpendicular to the broad exposed face of the cantilever. The maximum strain on the cantilever occurs at the clamped edge and is measured by the piezoresistors, which are located there. The corresponding changes in resistance manifest themselves in the output of the Wheatstone bridge.

Okojie, Robert S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Lubrication of Machine Elements

The understanding of hydrodynamic lubrication began with the classical experiments of Tower and Petrov. Reynolds used a reduced form of the Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation to generate a second order differential equation for the pressure in the narrow, converging gap of a bearing contact. Such a pressure enables a load to be transmitted between the surfaces with very low friction since the surfaces are completely separated by a film of fluid. In such a situation it is the physical properties of the lubricant, notably the dynamic viscosity, that dictate the behavior of the contact. The understanding of boundary lubrication is normally attributed to Hardy and Doubleday. In boundary lubrication it is the physical and chemical properties of thin films of molecular proportions and the surfaces to which they are attached that determine contact behavior. The lubricant viscosity is not an influential parameter. Research is devoted to a better understanding and more precise definition of other lubrication regimes between these extremes. One such regime, elastohydrodynamic lubrication, occurs in nonconformal contacts, where the pressures are high and the bearing surfaces deform elastically. In this situation the viscosity of the lubricant may raise considerably, and this further assists the formation of an effective fluid film. The science of these three lubrication regimes (hydrodynamic, elastohydrodynamic, and boundary) are described and the manner in which this science is used in the design of machine elements is examined.

Hamrock, Bernard J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimized NiTe 2 /Ni back contacts via chemical deposition for high performance CdTe solar cells

The development of efficient and stable back contacts remains a major challenge in achieving high performance and long-term stability of CdTe thin-film solar cells. Here, this work revisits the formation of NiTe 2 by chemical bath deposition (CBD) as a back contact for CdTe devices. An optimized CBD recipe, based on high-purity precursors and the addition of copper chloride directly into the bath, was developed and applied to fabricate Cu-doped CdTe solar cells. A modified Cu-free methodology was also applied to Group V doped absorbers. The process included pinhole filling, ion milling, CBD, annealing, and sputtering to form a low-barrier back contact. Devices fabricated using this method achieved consistent open-circuit voltages (V oc ) above 800 mV and fill factors (FF) exceeding 70%. The best Cu-doped devices reached power conversion efficiencies (PCE) above 18 %, and preliminary results with Group V-doped material demonstrated compatibility of the method with high-efficiency, state-of-the-art CdTe devices. This study shows that NiTe 2 /Ni back contacts, formed via an optimized chemical process followed by sputtering of Ni, represent a promising pathway for achieving low-barrier and potentially stable back contacts in modern CdTe photovoltaics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1998

Temperature Dependence of Diffusion and Reaction at a Pd/SiC Contact

Schottky diodes of Palladium/SiC are good candidates for hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors at elevated temperature. The detection sensibility of the diodes has been found heavily temperature dependent. In this work, emphasis has been put on the understanding of changes of physical and chemical properties of the Schottky diodes with variation of temperature. Schottky diodes were made by depositing ultra-thin palladium films onto silicon carbide substrates. The electrical and chemical properties of Pd/SiC Schottky contacts were studied by XPS and AES at different annealing temperatures. No significant change in the Schottky barrier height of the Pd/SiC contact was found in the temperature range of RT-400 C. However, both palladium diffused into SiC and silicon migrated into palladium thin film as well as onto surface were observed at room temperature. The formation of palladium compounds at the Pd/SiC interface was also observed. Both diffusion and reaction at the Pd/SiC interface became significant at 300 C and higher temperature. In addition, silicon oxide was found also at the interface of the Pd/SiC contact at high temperature. In this report, the mechanism of diffusion and reaction at the Pd/SiC interface will be discussed along with experimental approaches.

Shi, D.T.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurements of enhanced performance in an indirect drive inertial confinement fusion experiment when reducing the contact area of the capsule support

Experimental results from indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion experiments testing the performance gained from using an alternate capsule tent support are reported. The polar tent describes an alternate geometry for the thin membrane used to support the Deuterium–Tritium (DT) filled capsule. In this work, the contact area is reduced by 23 times by locating the tent support close to the poles of the capsule. The polar tent experiments are repeats of previous 3 shock 1.63 MJ, 400 TW high foot experiments and use a 165 μm thick silicon doped carbon hydrogen plastic (CH) shell. Using the polar tent support, we report a DT neutron yield of 1.07 ×1016, 76% higher than the expected Y DT ∝V 7.7 scaling. This is, at the time of writing, the highest neutron yield to date from a CH shell implosion. Furthermore, we find that the inferred pressure when using the polar tent is significantly above the model based on analytic scaling even when accounting for tent effects. Analysis of x-ray and neutron images shows the reduction of lobes produced by nominal tent features. The reduction of these features in the polar tent experiments leads to decreased low mode (P2 and P4) asymmetry compared to the nominal tent results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗