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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric-paraelectric superlattices controlled by the thickness of paraelectric layer in a wide temperature range

As functions of the paraelectric layer thickness, misfit strain and temperature, the electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric-paraelectric superlattices are investigated using a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau thermodynamic model. Ferroelectric phase transition driven by the relative thickness of the superlattice is found to dramatically impact the electrocaloric response. Near the phase transition temperature, the magnitude of the electrocaloric effect is maximized and shifted to lower temperatures by increasing the relative thickness of paraelectric layer. Theoretical calculations also imply that the electrocaloric effect of the superlattices depends not only on the relative thickness of paraelectric layer but also on misfit strain. Furthermore, control of the relative thickness of paraelectric layer and the misfit strain can change availably both the magnitude and the temperature sensitivity of the electrocaloric effect, which suggests that ferroelectric-paraelectric superlattices may be promising candidates for use in cooling devices in a wide temperature range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

General analytical approach for sound transmission loss analysis through a thick metamaterial plate

We report theoretically and numerically on the sound transmission loss performance through a thick plate-type acoustic metamaterial made of spring-mass resonators attached to the surface of a homogeneous elastic plate. Two general analytical approaches based on plane wave expansion were developed to calculate both the sound transmission loss through the metamaterial plate (thick and thin) and its band structure. The first one can be applied to thick plate systems to study the sound transmission for any normal or oblique incident sound pressure. The second approach gives the metamaterial dispersion behavior to describe the vibrational motions of the plate, which helps to understand the physics behind sound radiation through air by the structure. Computed results show that high sound transmission loss up to 72 dB at 2 kHz is reached with a thick metamaterial plate while only 23 dB can be obtained for a simple homogeneous plate with the same thickness. Such plate-type acoustic metamaterial can be a very effective solution for high performance sound insulation and structural vibration shielding in the very low-frequency range.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness effect on magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Co/Pd(111) films: A density functional study

In this study, we carried out first-principles calculations on magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of Co/Pd thin films by adopting two different systems of (i) n-Co/3-Pd and (ii) n-Pd/3-Co. In one system, we vary the thickness of Co layer, fixing the thickness of the Pd layer to 3-monolayers, and in the other system vice versa. MCA is mainly governed by the surface and interface Co atoms, while contributions from other Co atoms are smaller. MCA energy (E{sub MCA}) of the Co/Pd thin film shows oscillatory behavior with the thickness of the Co layer, but is insensitive to the thickness of the Pd layer. In particular, the n-Co/3-Pd films of n = 2, 4, and 6 exhibit strong perpendicular MCA of about 1 meV. Our results suggest that controlling the thickness of the Co layer in Co/Pd (111) is crucial in achieving strong perpendicular MCA.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness- and temperature-dependent magnetodynamic properties of yttrium iron garnet thin films

The magnetodynamical properties of nanometer-thick yttrium iron garnet films are studied using ferromagnetic resonance as a function of temperature. The films were grown on gadolinium gallium garnet substrates by pulsed laser deposition. First, we found that the damping coefficient increases as the temperature increases for different film thicknesses. Second, we found two different dependencies of the damping on film thickness: at room temperature, the damping coefficient increases as the film thickness decreases, while at T = 8 K, we find the damping to depend only weakly on the thickness. We attribute this behavior to an enhancement of the relaxation of the magnetization by impurities or defects at the surfaces.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thickness-dependent blue shift in the excitonic peak of conformally grown ZnO:Al on ion-beam fabricated self-organized Si ripples

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films of thicknesses 5,10, 15, 20, and 30 nm were deposited on 500 eV argon ion-beam fabricated nanoscale self-organized rippled-Si substrates at room temperature and are compared with similar films deposited on pristine-Si substrates (without ripples). It is observed that morphology of self-organized AZO films is driven by the underlying substrate morphology. For instance, for pristine-Si substrates, a granular morphology evolves for all AZO films. On the other hand, for rippled-Si substrates, morphologies having chain-like arrangement (anisotropic in nature) are observed up to a thickness of 20 nm, while a granular morphology evolves (isotropic in nature) for 30 nm-thick film. Photoluminescence studies reveal that excitonic peaks corresponding to 5–15 nm-thick AZO films, grown on rippled-Si templates, show a blue shift of 8 nm and 3 nm, respectively, whereas the peak shift is negligible for 20-nm thick film (with respect to their pristine counter parts). The observed blue shifts are substantiated by diffuse reflectance study and attributed to quantum confinement effect, associated with the size of the AZO grains and their spatial arrangements driven by the anisotropic morphology of underlying rippled-Si templates. The present findings will be useful for making tunable AZO-based light-emitting devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

HfO{sub 2} dielectric thickness dependence of electrical properties in graphene field effect transistors with double conductance minima

We investigate the electrical properties in back-gated graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) with SiO{sub 2} dielectric and different thickness of high-k HfO{sub 2} dielectric. The results show that transform characteristic (I{sub ds}–V{sub gs}) curves of GFETs are uniquely W-shaped with two charge neutrality point (left and right) in both SiO{sub 2} and HfO{sub 2} dielectric (SiO{sub 2}-GFETs and HfO{sub 2}-GFETs). The gate voltage reduces drastically in HfO{sub 2}-GFETs compared with that in SiO{sub 2}-GFETs, and it becomes much smaller with the decline of HfO{sub 2} thickness. The left charge neutrality point in I{sub d}–V{sub g} curves of all HfO{sub 2}-GFETs is negative, compared to the positive ones in SiO{sub 2}-GFETs, which means that there exists n-doping in graphene with HfO{sub 2} as bottom dielectric. We speculate that this n-doping comes from the HfO{sub 2} layer, which brings fixed charged impurities in close proximity to graphene. The carrier mobility is also researched, demonstrating a decreasing trend of hole mobility in HfO{sub 2}-GFETs contrast to that in SiO{sub 2}-GFETs. In a series of HfO{sub 2}-GFETs with different HfO{sub 2} dielectric thickness, the hole mobility shows a tendency of rise when the thickness decreases to 7 nm. The possible reason might be due to the introduced impurities into HfO{sub 2} film from atomic layer deposition process, the concentration of which varies from the thickness of HfO{sub 2} layer.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optimization of barrier layer thickness in MgSe/CdSe quantum wells for intersubband devices in the near infrared region

The authors report the optimization of MgSe barrier thickness in CdSe/MgSe multiple quantum well structures and its effect on structural, optical qualities and intersubband (ISB) transition characteristics. Three samples with the MgSe thicknesses of 2 nm, 3 nm, and 4 nm were grown on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements showed that the thinner the MgSe barrier thickness the better the structural quality. However, ISB absorption was only observed in the sample with a MgSe thickness of 3 nm. Failing to observe ISB absorption in the sample with a thicker MgSe barrier (≥4 nm) is due to the deteriorated material quality while the missing of ISB transition in the sample with thinner barrier (≤2 nm) is due to the tunneling of electrons out of the CdSe wells. The optimized MgSe barrier thickness of around 3 nm is found to be able to suppress the electron tunneling while maintaining a good material quality of the overall structure.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced photocurrent density in graphene/Si based solar cell (GSSC) by optimizing active layer thickness

Thickness dependent photocurrent density in active layer of graphene/Si based solar cell has been investigated via analytical – simulation study. This report is a preliminary comparison of experimental and analytical investigation of graphene/Si based solar cell. Graphene sheet was interfaced with Si thin film forming heterojunction solar cell that was treated as a device model for photocurrent generator. Such current can be enhanced by optimizing active layer thickness and involving metal oxide as supporting layer to shift photons absorption. In this case there are two type of devices model with and without TiO{sub 2} in which the silicon thickness varied at 20 – 100 nm. All of them have examined and also compared with each other to obtain an optimum value. From this calculation it found that generated currents almost linear with thickness but there are saturated conditions that no more enhancements will be achieved. Furthermore TiO{sub 2} layer is effectively increases photon absorption but reducing device stability, maximum current is fluctuates enough. This may caused by the disturbance of excitons diffusion and resistivity inside each layer. Finally by controlling active layer thickness, it is quite useful to estimate optimization in order to develop the next solar cell devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

The effect of Argon ion irradiation on the thickness and structure of ultrathin amorphous carbon films

Carbon films synthesized by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) exhibit a layered structure consisting of a bottom (interface) and a top (surface) layer rich in sp{sup 2} atomic carbon bonding and a middle (bulk) layer of much higher sp{sup 3} content. Because of significant differences in the composition, structure, and thickness of these layers, decreasing the film thickness may negatively affect its properties. In this study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were used to examine the effect of Ar{sup +} ion irradiation on the structure and thickness of ultrathin films of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) and hydrogen-free amorphous carbon (a-C) deposited by PECVD and FCVA, respectively. The TEM and EELS results show that 2-min ion irradiation decreases the film thickness without markedly changing the film structure and composition, whereas 4-min ion irradiation results in significant film thinning and a moderate decrease of the sp{sup 3} content of the bulk layer. This study demonstrates that Ar{sup +} ion irradiation is an effective post-deposition process for reducing the thickness and tuning the structure of ultrathin carbon films. This capability has direct implications in the synthesis of ultrathin protective carbon overcoats for extremely high-density magnetic recording applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of film thickness on structural and mechanical properties of AlCrN nanocompoite thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering

In this study, the influence of film thickness on the structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties of Aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) thin films has been successfully investigated. The AlCrN thin films were deposited on silicon (100) substrate using dc magnetron reactive co-sputtering at substrate temperature 400° C. The structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation techniques respectively. The thickness of these thin films was controlled by varying the deposition time therefore increase in deposition time led to increase in film thickness. X-ray diffraction pattern of AlCrN thin films with different deposition time shows the presence of (100) and (200) orientations. The crystallite size varies in the range from 12.5 nm to 36.3 nm with the film thickness due to surface energy minimization with the higher film thickness. The hardness pattern of these AlCrN thin films follows Hall-Petch relation. The highest hardness 23.08 Gpa and young modulus 215.31 Gpa were achieved at lowest grain size of 12.5 nm.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of layer thickness on device response of silicon heavily supersaturated with sulfur

We report on a simple experiment in which the thickness of a hyperdoped silicon layer, supersaturated with sulfur by ion implantation followed by pulsed laser melting and rapid solidification, is systematically varied at constant average sulfur concentration, by varying the implantation energy, dose, and laser fluence. Contacts are deposited and the external quantum efficiency (EQE) is measured for visible wavelengths. We posit that the sulfur layer primarily absorbs light but contributes negligible photocurrent, and we seek to support this by analyzing the EQE data for the different layer thicknesses in two interlocking ways. In the first, we use the measured concentration depth profiles to obtain the approximate layer thicknesses, and, for each wavelength, fit the EQE vs. layer thickness curve to obtain the absorption coefficient of hyperdoped silicon for that wavelength. Comparison to literature values for the hyperdoped silicon absorption coefficients [S.H. Pan et al. Applied Physics Letters 98, 121913 (2011)] shows good agreement. Next, we essentially run this process in reverse; we fit with Beer’s law the curves of EQE vs. hyperdoped silicon absorption coefficient for those wavelengths that are primarily absorbed in the hyperdoped silicon layer, and find that the layer thicknesses obtained from the fit are in good agreement with the original values obtained from the depth profiles. We conclude that the data support our interpretation of the hyperdoped silicon layer as providing negligible photocurrent at high S concentrations. This work validates the absorption data of Pan et al. [Applied Physics Letters 98, 121913 (2011)], and is consistent with reports of short mobility-lifetime products in hyperdoped layers. It suggests that for optoelectronic devices containing hyperdoped layers, the most important contribution to the above band gap photoresponse may be due to photons absorbed below the hyperdoped layer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Thickness-dependent electron mobility of single and few-layer MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors

We investigated the dependence of electron mobility on the thickness of MoS{sub 2} nanosheets by fabricating bottom-gate single and few-layer MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors with SiO{sub 2} gate dielectrics and Au electrodes. All the fabricated MoS{sub 2} transistors showed on/off-current ratio of ∼10{sup 7} and saturated output characteristics without high-k capping layers. As the MoS{sub 2} thickness increased from 1 to 6 layers, the field-effect mobility of the fabricated MoS{sub 2} transistors increased from ∼10 to ∼18 cm{sup 2}V{sup −1}s{sup −1}. The increased subthreshold swing of the fabricated transistors with MoS{sub 2} thickness suggests that the increase of MoS{sub 2} mobility with thickness may be related to the dependence of the contact resistance and the dielectric constant of MoS{sub 2} layer on its thickness.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

The effect of the MgO buffer layer thickness on magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO buffer/MgO(001)

The relationship between the magnetic properties and MgO buffer layer thickness d was studied in epitaxial MgO/Fe(t)/Cr/MgO(d) layers grown on MgO(001) substrate in which the Fe thickness t ranged from 0.4 nm to 1.1 nm. For 0.4 nm ≤ t ≤ 0.7 nm, a non-monotonic coercivity dependence on the MgO buffer thickness was shown by perpendicular magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. For thicker Fe films, an increase in the buffer layer thickness resulted in a spin reorientation transition from perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization direction. Possible origins of these unusual behaviors were discussed in terms of the suppression of carbon contamination at the Fe surface and changes in the magnetoelastic anisotropy in the system. These results illustrate a method to control magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO(d) via an appropriate choice of MgO buffer layer thickness d.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of roughness, deterministic and random errors in film thickness on the reflecting properties of aperiodic mirrors for the EUV range

By the example of three aperiodic multilayer Mo/Si mirrors (AMM) for the wavelength ranges 17–21 nm, 24–29 nm, and 28–33 nm we have studied numerically the effect of the linearly determinisctic and random fluctuations of the film thickness and the interlayer roughness on the spectral dependences of the reflection coefficient. The simulation results are used to solve the inverse problem of reconstructing the interlayer roughness and the thickness of individual films from the measured dependences of the extreme UV radiation reflection coefficients. It is shown that the 'asymmetry' of the boundaries affects the magnitude and slope of the reflection coefficient plateau. Random fluctuations of the film thickness with the variance of 1%–2% weakly influence the reflection characteristics of AMMs and allow reliable reconstruction of the thickness of individual films. The fluctuations with the variance 8%–10% allow the estimation of individual thicknesses, but the reflection curve in this case strongly differs from the desirable one. Larger fluctuations do not allow the reconstruction of the AMM structure. The basic criteria for high-quality AMM synthesis are formulated. (extreme laser radiation: physics and fundamental applications)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thick filament activation is different in fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle

The contractile properties of fast-twitch and slow-twitch skeletal muscles are primarily determined by the myosin isoform content and modulated by a variety of sarcomere proteins. X-ray diffraction studies of regulatory mechanisms in muscle contraction have focused predominately on fast- or mixed-fibre muscle with slow muscle being much less studied. Here, we used time-resolved X-ray diffraction to investigate the dynamic behaviour of the myofilament proteins in relatively pure slow-twitch-fibre rat soleus (SOL) and pure fast-twitch-fibre rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle during twitch and tetanic contractions at optimal length. During twitch contractions the diffraction signatures indicating a transition in the myosin heads from ordered OFF states, where heads are held close to the thick filament backbone, to disordered ON states, where heads are free to bind to thin filaments, were found in EDL and not in SOL muscle. During tetanic contraction, changes in the disposition of myosin heads as active tension develops is a quasi-stepwise process in EDL muscle whereas in SOL muscle this relationship appears to be linear. The observed reduced extensibility of the thick filaments in SOL muscle as compared to EDL muscles indicates a molecular basis for this behaviour. These data indicate that for the EDL, thick filament activation is a cooperative strain-induced mechano-sensing mechanism, whereas for the SOL, thick filament activation has a more graded response. Further, these different approaches to thick filament regulation in fast- and slow-twitch muscles may be adaptations for short-duration, strong contractions versus sustained, finely controlled contractions, respectively.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

MO-D-213-07: RadShield: Semi- Automated Calculation of Air Kerma Rate and Barrier Thickness

Purpose: To develop the first Java-based semi-automated calculation program intended to aid professional radiation shielding design. Air-kerma rate and barrier thickness calculations are performed by implementing NCRP Report 147 formalism into a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The ultimate aim of this newly created software package is to reduce errors and improve radiographic and fluoroscopic room designs over manual approaches. Methods: Floor plans are first imported as images into the RadShield software program. These plans serve as templates for drawing barriers, occupied regions and x-ray tube locations. We have implemented sub-GUIs that allow the specification in regions and equipment for occupancy factors, design goals, number of patients, primary beam directions, source-to-patient distances and workload distributions. Once the user enters the above parameters, the program automatically calculates air-kerma rate at sampled points beyond all barriers. For each sample point, a corresponding minimum barrier thickness is calculated to meet the design goal. RadShield allows control over preshielding, sample point location and material types. Results: A functional GUI package was developed and tested. Examination of sample walls and source distributions yields a maximum percent difference of less than 0.1% between hand-calculated air-kerma rates and RadShield. Conclusion: The initial results demonstrated that RadShield calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses with reliable accuracy and can be used to make radiation shielding design more efficient and accurate. This newly developed approach differs from conventional calculation methods in that it finds air-kerma rates and thickness requirements for many points outside the barriers, stores the information and selects the largest value needed to comply with NCRP Report 147 design goals. Floor plans, parameters, designs and reports can be saved and accessed later for modification and recalculation. We have confirmed that this software accurately calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses for diagnostic radiography and fluoroscopic rooms.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Faraday effect on the Rb D{sub 1} line in a cell with a thickness of half the wavelength of light

The rotation of the radiation polarization plane in a longitudinal magnetic field (Faraday effect) on the D{sub 1} line in atomic Rb vapor has been studied with the use of a nanocell with the thickness L varying in the range of 100–900 nm. It has been shown that an important parameter is the ratio L/λ, where λ = 795 nm is the wavelength of laser radiation resonant with the D{sub 1} line. The best parameters of the signal of rotation of the radiation polarization plane have been obtained at the thickness L = λ/2 = 397.5 nm. The fabricated nanocell had a large region with such a thickness. The spectral width of the signal reached at the thickness L = 397.5 nm is approximately 30 MHz, which is much smaller than the spectral width (≈ 500 MHz) reached with ordinary cells with a thickness in the range of 1–100 mm. The parameters of the Faraday rotation signal have been studied as functions of the temperature of the nanocell, the laser power, and the magnetic field strength. The signal has been reliably detected at the laser power P{sub L} ≥ 1 μW, magnetic field strength B ≥ 0.5 G, and the temperature of the nanocell T ≥ 100°C. It has been shown that the maximum rotation angle of the polarization plane in the longitudinal magnetic field is reached on the F{sub g} = 3 → F{sub e} = 2 transition of the {sup 85}Rb atom. The spectral profile of the Faraday rotation signal has a specific shape with a sharp peak, which promotes its applications. In particular, Rb atomic transitions in high magnetic fields about 1000 G are split into a large number of components, which are completely spectrally resolved and allow the study of the behavior of an individual transition.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Dependence of the surface morphology of ultrathin bismuth films on mica substrates on the film thickness

The results of studying the surface of 15- to 100-nm-thick bismuth films by atomic-force microscopy are reported. The near-linear character of the dependences of the average surface roughness and the average height of growth patterns on the film thickness is established. It is found that the average crystallite size increases, as the film thickness is increased. A slight dependence of the crystallite size on the film thickness is observed at thicknesses in the range of 27–70 nm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗