Effect of coherent radiation on the stability of a crossed-field electron beam.
Coherent radiation effect on stability of crossed field electron beam, noting raising of potential of space vehicle
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Coherent radiation effect on stability of crossed field electron beam, noting raising of potential of space vehicle
Using time-dependent numerical simulations and Solar Maximum Mission observations of a solar flare on 1985 January 23, a study is conducted of the ability of an electron-beam-heating model to reproduce the rise phase of a flare as observed in soft X-ray lines of Ca XIX. The electron beam is parameterized by a peak flux, a low-energy cutoff, and a spectral index, and has a time dependence similar to the observed hard X-ray burst. For a spectral index of 6, only models with a low-energy cutoff of 20 keV reproduce the observed peak emission in the Ca XIX line complex. All models with a low-energy cutoff of 15 keV produce too much emission, while all models with a 25-keV cutoff too little emission. None of the models reproduces the temporal behavior of the soft X-ray emission. The electron-beam-heated component is theorized to only represent a small fraction of the energy released in the impulsive phase of this flare.
Background: Metal-containing resists entered the mainstream semiconductor industry process flow to mitigate the low absorbance of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation by thin films of organic resists that lead to poor sensitivity and their inability to handle rigors of development and etching conditions. Aim: The long and rich history of using metal-containing resists in electron beam lithography can offer interesting lessons, pointers, and insights to the relatively newcomer EUV lithography, which is slightly over a decade old. Approach: Electron beam lithography has been enjoying a considerable amount of freedom in the choice of resist materials for close to 50 years; especially the use of metal-containing resists to attain not only single digit nanometer resolution, higher sensitivity, and etch resistance but also lower line-edge roughness. Here, we make a comprehensive historical review of the progress made in the patterning of metal-containing resists in electron beam lithography and derive insights that can be potentially useful in EUV patterning. Perspectives: Small molecular weight resists are proven to be crucial for achieving higher resolution with low line-edge roughness. Simplifying process flow by reducing etch-stack-layers is conceivable with metal-containing resists, along with direct-patterning of functional materials for heterogeneous integration. Efficient contact hole patterning at tighter pitches may be incumbent on progress in positive-tone resist research.
Many of the demands of high-throughput processing of solar cells can be satisfied by transient methods using pulsed electron beams. A prototype pulsed electron beam processor for solar cell production has been built, and is intended for automated annealing of solar cell junction ion implantation at a rate of 1200-1800 silicon wafers per hour. Other applications include solar cell junctions by pulse diffusion, annealing of ion-implanted back surface fields, and pulse sintering of cell metallization.
Hot forming to restore size and shape of thin metal parts done with electron-beam welder. Work-piece heated in scanning defocused electron beam rather than conventional heat-treating furnace. Technique proved successful in straightening some thin flanges of nickel alloy and titanium.
The paper presents a general theory for the determination of the short circuit current generated by a sinusoidally amplitude-modulated electron beam in the presence of recombination centers with an arbitrary number of charge states. It is shown that a measurement of the coherent phase shift with respect to the incident beam as a function of the modulation frequency of the beam ascertains the magnitudes of electron and hole capture cross sections. The surface exposed to the electron beam must have a negligible surface recombination velocity for the measurements to be unambiguous.
High-energy physics research, industrial sterilizing, and material processing depend extensively on electron beam accelerators. Exit windows are crucial components of such electron accelerator systems, maintaining vacuum integrity inside the machine while providing mechanical strength, thermal stability, and radiation resistance at the beam-target interface. In this study, thin metallic films of Ni, Ti, Cr, and V were explored for use in electron beam exit windows, and their properties were compared with the properties of their bulk counterparts. Simulation results of metal foils predicted Ti to exhibit less beam power dissipation compared to Ni. However, Ni possesses superior mechanical and structural properties compared to Ti. The performance of these films under electron beam irradiation was examined by depositing thin layers of these films on silicon and metallic substrates using magnetron sputtering and exposing them to e-beam irradiation in a controlled setup. The deposited films were subjected to a dose of approximately 66 kGy at a beam energy of 10 MeV and characterized prior to and postexposure to the beam using field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and nanoindentation. Particular emphasis was given to characteristics like the grain structure, surface morphology, dislocation density, and hardness. XRD patterns revealed irradiation-induced changes in peak intensities, while the crystallinity remained largely unchanged. Nanoindentation results showed that the pristine and irradiated Ti and Ni films were twice as hard when compared to bulk Ti and Ni samples, regardless of the substrate type used (Si or bulk Ti, or Ni). These results emphasize the superior mechanical properties of thin metal films compared to their bulk counterparts. In conclusion, this study advances the optimization of thin film materials for robust and efficient e-beam applications, ensuring improved durability and operational reliability.
The increasing global environmental and energy crisis has urgently motivated the advancement of sustainable materials. Significant effort has been focused on developing new materials to replace the fossil-based resists in the semiconductor industry based on greener sources such as ice, dry ice, small organic molecules, and proteins. Such resist materials, however, have yet to meet the stringent requirements of high sensitivity, high resolution, reliable repeatability, and good compatibility with the current protocols. To this end, CO 2 -based polycarbonates (CO 2 -PCs) obtained from the copolymerization of CO 2 and epoxides are demonstrated as sustainable dual-tone (positive & negative tone) resists for electron beam lithography. By adjusting the chemical structure, developing agent, and molecular weight, the CO 2 -PCs present high sensitivities to electron beam (1.3/120 μC cm -2 ), narrow critical dimensions (29/58 nm), and moderate line edge roughness (4.6/26.7 nm) for negative and positive resists, respectively. Here, a deep understanding of the exposure mechanism of CO 2 -PC resists is provided on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared, Raman, and electron ionization mass spectroscopy. 2D photonic crystal devices are fabricated using the negative and positive CO 2 -PC resists, respectively, and both devices show distinct colors derived from their well-defined nanostructures, indicating the great practical potential of CO 2 -derived electron beam resists.
Design, fabrication, and evaluation of hand held electron beam gun and external power supply for electron beam welding in space
Electron beam flow visualization study of density field about skimmer entry in small free jet
Suppressor grid eliminates undesired arcing during electron beam welding in one of two ways. A grid at ground potential collects secondary emission of ions and electrons produced by the beam as it strikes the workpiece, or a negatively energized grid repels the plasma arc back to the workpiece. This eliminates ground screens used to cover view ports.
The purpose of this work was the evaluation of the use of electron-bean fluorescence for flow measurements during hypersonic flight. Both analytical and numerical models were developed in this investigation to evaluate quantitatively flow field imaging concepts based upon the electron beam fluorescence technique for use in flight research and wind tunnel applications. Specific models were developed for: (1) fluorescence excitation/emission for nitrogen, (2) rotational fluorescence spectrum for nitrogen, (3) single and multiple scattering of electrons in a variable density medium, (4) spatial and spectral distribution of fluorescence, (5) measurement of rotational temperature and density, (6) optical filter design for fluorescence imaging, and (7) temperature accuracy and signal acquisition time requirements. Application of these models to a typical hypersonic wind tunnel flow is presented. In particular, the capability of simulating the fluorescence resulting from electron impact ionization in a variable density nitrogen or air flow provides the capability to evaluate the design of imaging instruments for flow field mapping. The result of this analysis is a recommendation that quantitative measurements of hypersonic flow fields using electron-bean fluorescence is a tractable method with electron beam energies of 100 keV. With lower electron energies, electron scattering increases with significant beam divergence which makes quantitative imaging difficult. The potential application of the analytical and numerical models developed in this work is in the design of a flow field imaging instrument for use in hypersonic wind tunnels or onboard a flight research vehicle.
Metal-based additive manufacturing processes, such as powder bed fusion with electron beam (PBF-EB) process, also referred to as electron beam melting (EBM), can produce high-density parts with minimal residual stresses due to the uniform and coherent preheating of the powder bed. However, understanding and controlling the multiple stages of preheating is required to enable the production of high-quality, consistent parts of various materials. This work presents a large-scale, multi-layer, three-dimensional numerical analysis focused on studying the preheating stages for predicting thermal history during the PBF-EB process. The model follows a continuous multi-stage cyclic process, that incorporates all the main stages of the PBF-EB process for 316 L stainless steel. This includes the gradual deposition of a new powder layer, the first and second preheating levels of the powder bed, and the energy deposition during melting (excluding the actual melt-pool behavior simulation). The model employs an adaptive time-scaling approach that automatically adjusts the energy deposition for each solution time-increment. This allows for localized changes in time-resolution over an otherwise computationally expensive multi-layer procedure. The material property variations are also taken into account, with an emphasis on the subtle irreversible changes in powder effective thermal conductivity after the two requisite preheating stages of the powder bed. This effect is studied using simplified conductivity models from the literature for partially sintered powder, validated by a dedicated experiment and numerical simulation. The large-scale model is then used to estimate the actual temperatures during first and second preheating levels for 316 L steel, which is not yet fully supported commercially for PBF-EB. Model predictions are corroborated by experiments, using and analyzing IR images, taken at the completion of each layer by the machine’s built-in infrared camera. The current model also incorporates a qualitative assessment for the effects of conductivity change during pre-heating, as well as evaluates the applicability of the time-scaling approach.
The short circuit current generated by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope in p-n junctions is reduced by enhanced recombination at grain boundaries in polycrystalline material. Frequently, grain boundaries separate the semiconductor into regions possessing different minority carrier life times. This markedly affects the short circuit current I(sc) as a function of scanning distance from the grain boundary. It will be shown theoretically that (1) the minimum of the I(sc) in crossing the grain boundary with the scanning electron beam is shifted away from the grain boundary toward the region with smaller life time (shorter diffusion length), (2) the magnitude of the minimum differs markedly from those calculated under the assumption of equal diffusion lengths on either side of the grain boundary, and (3) the minimum disappears altogether for small surface recombination velocities (s less than 10,000 cm/s). These effects become negligible, however, for large recombination velocities s at grain boundaries. For p-type silicon this happens for s not less than 100,000 cm/s.
Momentum modulation of a relativistic electron beam by a Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated. The electrons, at 100 MeV energy, interact with the laser light in helium gas at standard temperature and pressure. At an angle of 6.55 mrad between the two wavevectors, corresponding to the Cerenkov angle, a given electron remains in a field of constant phase as it passes through the light beam. The experimental arrangement is illustrated showing the trajectories of the electron and light. The particle momentum is measured by a mass spectrometer, and the angle between the wavevectors is controlled by a rotatable mirror. Experimental results indicate that momentum modulation of an electron beam may be used for amplification. A possible configuration for an optical klystron is illustrated.
A closed-loop control method for an electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF(sup 3)) process includes detecting a feature of interest during the process using a sensor(s), continuously evaluating the feature of interest to determine, in real time, a change occurring therein, and automatically modifying control parameters to control the EBF(sup 3) process. An apparatus provides closed-loop control method of the process, and includes an electron gun for generating an electron beam, a wire feeder for feeding a wire toward a substrate, wherein the wire is melted and progressively deposited in layers onto the substrate, a sensor(s), and a host machine. The sensor(s) measure the feature of interest during the process, and the host machine continuously evaluates the feature of interest to determine, in real time, a change occurring therein. The host machine automatically modifies control parameters to the EBF(sup 3) apparatus to control the EBF(sup 3) process in a closed-loop manner.
Short-duration high-intensity pulsed electron beams have been used to anneal ion-implantation damage in silicon and to electrically activate the dopant species. Lattice regrowth and dopant activation were determined using He(+)-4 backscattering, SEM, TEM, and device performance characteristics as diagnostic techniques. The annealing mechanism is believed to be liquid-phase epitaxial regrowth initiating from the substrate. The high-temperature transient pulse produced by the electron beam causes the dopant to diffuse rapidly in the region where the liquid state is achieved.
Simulating the hydrodynamic evolution of a temporally pulsed electron beam with multiple metal foils requires coupling the nearly monoenergetic, relativistic electron beam to the foil target. This deposition may be effectively calculated by Monte Carlo transport. Once this energy is deposited on a computational mesh representing the foil target, highly developed radiation-hydrodynamic codes, such as HYDRA, can describe the subsequent evolution. Currently, HYDRA does not have an internal Monte Carlo electron transport capability. To partially rectify this deficiency, a PYTHON-based scheme to link MCNP6 to HYDRA has been developed for quadrilateral meshes. Results from a seven-foil tantalum target configuration are presented to demonstrate this capability.