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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Annealing temperature and barrier thickness effect on the structural and optical properties of silicon nanocrystals/SiO₂ superlattices

The effect of the annealing temperature and the SiO₂ barrier thickness of silicon nanocrystal (NC)/SiO₂ superlattices (SLs) on their structural and optical properties is investigated. Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the SL structure is maintained for annealing temperatures up to 1150 °C, with no variation on the nanostructure morphology for different SiO₂ barrier thicknesses. Nevertheless, annealing temperatures as high as 1250 °C promote diffusion of Si atoms into the SiO₂ barrier layers, which produces larger Si NCs and the loss of the NC size control expected from the SL approach. Complementary Raman scattering measurements corroborated these results for all the SiO₂ and Si-rich oxynitride layer thicknesses. In addition, we observed an increasing crystalline fraction up to 1250 °C, which is related to a decreasing contribution of the suboxide transition layer between Si NCs and the SiO₂ matrix due to the formation of larger NCs. Finally, photoluminescence measurements revealed that the emission of the superlattices exhibits a Gaussian-like lineshape with a maximum intensity after annealing at 1150 °C, indicating a high crystalline degree in good agreement with Raman results. Samples submitted to higher annealing temperatures display a progressive emission broadening, together with an increase in the central emission wavelength. Both effects are related to a progressive broadening of the size distribution with a larger mean size, in agreement with TEM observations. On the other hand, whereas the morphology of the Si NCs is unaffected by the SiO₂ barrier thickness, the emission properties are slightly modified. These observed modifications in the emission lineshape allow monitoring the precipitation process of Si NCs in a direct non-destructive way. All these experimental results evidence that an annealing temperature of 1150 °C and 1-nm SiO₂ barrier can be reached whilst preserving the SL structure, being thus the optimal structural SL parameters for their use in optoelectronics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

The significant effect of the thickness of Ni film on the performance of the Ni/Au Ohmic contact to p-GaN

The significant effect of the thickness of Ni film on the performance of the Ohmic contact of Ni/Au to p-GaN is studied. The Ni/Au metal films with thickness of 15/50 nm on p-GaN led to better electrical characteristics, showing a lower specific contact resistivity after annealing in the presence of oxygen. Both the formation of a NiO layer and the evolution of metal structure on the sample surface and at the interface with p-GaN were checked by transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that a too thin Ni film cannot form enough NiO to decrease the barrier height and get Ohmic contact to p-GaN, while a too thick Ni film will transform into too thick NiO cover on the sample surface and thus will also deteriorate the electrical conductivity of sample.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Metaporous layer to overcome the thickness constraint for broadband sound absorption

The sound absorption of a porous layer is affected by its thickness, especially in a low-frequency range. If a hard-backed porous layer contains periodical arrangements of rigid partitions that are coordinated parallel and perpendicular to the direction of incoming sound waves, the lower bound of the effective sound absorption can be lowered much more and the overall absorption performance enhanced. The consequence of rigid partitioning in a porous layer is to make the first thickness resonance mode in the layer appear at much lower frequencies compared to that in the original homogeneous porous layer with the same thickness. Moreover, appropriate partitioning yields multiple thickness resonances with higher absorption peaks through impedance matching. The physics of the partitioned porous layer, or the metaporous layer, is theoretically investigated in this study.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Trap states in enhancement-mode double heterostructures AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors with different GaN channel layer thicknesses

This is the report on trap states in enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN double heterostructures high electron mobility transistors by fluorine plasma treatment with different GaN channel layer thicknesses. Compared with the thick GaN channel layer sample, the thin one has smaller 2DEG concentration, lower electron mobility, lower saturation current, and lower peak transconductance, but it has a higher threshold voltage of 1.2 V. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements are used to obtain the accurate capture cross section of trap states. By frequency dependent capacitance and conductance measurements, the trap state density of (1.98–2.56) × 10{sup 12 }cm{sup −2} eV{sup −1} is located at E{sub T} in a range of (0.37–0.44) eV in the thin sample, while the trap state density of (2.3–2.92) × 10{sup 12 }cm{sup −2} eV{sup −1} is located at E{sub T} in a range of (0.33–0.38) eV in the thick one. It indicates that the trap states in the thin sample are deeper than those in the thick one.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Superconducting properties and chemical composition of NbTiN thin films with different thickness

In this research, we systematically investigated the superconducting properties and chemical composition of NbTiN thin films prepared on single-crystal MgO substrates. The NbTiN thin films with different thicknesses (4–100 nm) were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering at ambient temperature. We measured and analyzed the crystal structure and thickness dependence of the chemical composition using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiles. The films exhibited excellent superconducting properties, with a high superconducting critical temperature of 10.1 K, low resistivity (ρ{sub 20} = 93 μΩ cm), and residual resistivity ratio of 1.12 achieved for 4-nm-thick ultrathin NbTiN films prepared at the deposition current of 2.4 A. The stoichiometry and electrical properties of the films varied gradually between the initial and upper layers. A minimum ρ{sub 20} of 78 μΩ cm and a maximum residual resistivity ratio of 1.15 were observed for 12-nm-thick films, which significantly differ from the properties of NbN films with the same NaCl structure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Examination of humidity effects on measured thickness and interfacial phenomena of exfoliated graphene on silicon dioxide via amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy

The properties of Few-Layer Graphene (FLG) change with the number of layers and Amplitude Modulation (AM) Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is commonly used to determine the thickness of FLG. However, AFM measurements have been shown to be sensitive to environmental conditions such as relative humidity (RH). In the present study, AM-AFM is used to measure the thickness and loss tangent of exfoliated graphene on silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}) as RH is increased from 10% to 80%. We show that the measured thickness of graphene is dependent on RH. The loss tangent values of the graphene and oxide regions are both affected by humidity, with generally higher loss tangent for graphene than SiO{sub 2}. As RH increases, we observe the loss tangent of both materials approaches the same value. We hypothesize that there is a layer of water trapped between the graphene and SiO{sub 2} substrate to explain this observation. Using this interpretation, the loss tangent images also indicate movement and change in this trapped water layer as RH increases, which impacts the measured thickness of graphene using AM-AFM.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Thickness dependent optical properties of PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique on ITO substrate

In this paper, poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films for 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes have been deposited by spray pyrolysis technique on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated substrate. The effect of thickness of the film on the morphological and optical properties of PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films are studied. The morphological and optical properties of pure PEMA and (PEMA){sub 0.85}/(ZnO){sub 0.15} nanocomposite films are compared. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows that as the thickness of film increases, uniformity of films increases. It is found from UV-Visible spectra that the energy band gap decreases with increasing the deposition time and refractive index increases with increasing the thickness of the film. The band gap of the nanocomposites is found less than the pure polymer film and opposite trend is observed for refractive index. The optical absorption of PEMA/ZnO nanocomposite films is higher than pure PEMA film. The thickness of the nanocomposite film plays a significant role in the tunability of the optical properties.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Thickness dependent band gap of Bi{sub 2-x}Sb{sub x}Te{sub 3} (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) thin films

Thin films of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}(Sb) were prepared on alkali halide crystal substrates. Sb content and the film thickness were varied. Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} is a narrow gap semiconductor. Bi-Sb is a continuous solid solution of substitutional type and Sb therefore was used to test its effect on the band gap. The film thickness variation was also taken up. The infra-red absorption spectra were used in the wave number range 400 cm{sup −1} to 4000 cm{sup −1}. The band gap obtained from the absorption data was found to increase with decreasing thickness since the thickness range used was from 30 nm to 170 nm. This is a range corresponding to nanostructures and hence quantum size effect was observed as expected. The band gap also exhibited Sb content dependence. The detail results are have been reported and explained.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of TiO{sub 2} thickness on nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} for dye-sensitized solar cells

The TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on glass substrate at different thicknesses with different deposition frequencies (1, 2, 3 and 4 times) using spin coating technique and their structural properties were investigated. Subsequently, the nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorods and TiO{sub 2} were formed by deposited the TiO{sub 2} on top of aligned ZnO Nanorod on ITO-coated glass at different thicknesses using the same method of TiO{sub 2} deposited on glass substrate. The nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} were coated with different thicknesses of 900µm, 1815µm, 2710µm, 3620µm and ZnO without TiO{sub 2}. The dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated from the nanocomposited aligned ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} with thickness of 900µm, 1815µm, 2710µm and 3620µm and ZnO without TiO{sub 2} and their photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs were investigated. From the solar simulator measurement the solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 2.543% under AM 1.5 was obtained for the ZnO nanorod/TiO{sub 2} photoanode-2710µm Dye-Sensitized solar cell.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Integrating Spatial and Ethnographic Methods for Resilience Research: A Thick Mapping Approach for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria left unprecedented impacts on Puerto Rican communities, leaving some without infrastructure services and unable to communicate with family for several months. Here, to understand the forms of community-level resilience that emerged while hard infrastructure systems took time recover, this article (1) abductively explores resilience as an emergent phenomenon of complex adaptive systems; (2) identifies subsequent forms of social capital, local adaptive capacities, and manifestations of quantifiable variables, such as infrastructure performance, in community experiences; and (3) demonstrates a framework to integrate disparate methodologies for resilience assessments via a multiplicity of mappings of space and place. We combine ethnographic and geospatial methods into an interactive GeoApp for analysis using participant-coded narratives and a series of geospatial indicators as a thick map. Thick mapping facilitates quantitative and qualitative data analysis at several scales, while enabling qualitative query of collected narratives. Results highlight local innovation, community bonding and bridging, and nuances in the role of public institutions as emergent elements of resilience. The thick map shows how top-down assessments can be augmented by thick data and how multiple framings can be anchored in the same system or place. These findings are important to inform and integrate community-oriented and technocentric solutions toward resilience-enhancing measures.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nanometer-thick ultraflat cantilever resonators

Nanomechanical devices made from ultrathin materials are transforming diverse fields, including sensing, signal processing, and quantum technologies. However, as these materials become thinner, their low bending rigidity poses significant fabrication challenges, and achieving nanometer-thick flat cantilevers with consistent and predictable mechanical responses has remained elusive despite decades of research. Here we present nanometer-thick, ultraflat cantilever resonators fabricated using atomic layer deposition. By effectively mitigating the effects of uncontrollable built-in strain and geometric disorder, the ultraflat nanocantilevers exhibit resonance frequencies closely aligned with thin-plate theory predictions and display low sample-to-sample variability. These cantilevers maintain mechanical stability in both vacuum and air environments, even at large length-to-thickness ratios of up to 3000. The ultraflat nanocantilevers are approaching the thickness limit, beyond which thermal fluctuations at room temperature can spontaneously induce random ripples in otherwise flat films.

nanofabrication↗
DOE OSTI2017

Interplay between quantum confinement and surface effects in thickness selective stability of thin Ag and Eu films

Using first-principles calculations, we show that both face-centered cubic (fcc) Ag (1 1 0) ultrathin films and body-centered cubic (bcc) Eu(1 1 0) ultrathin films exhibit thickness selective stability. Furthermore, the origin of such thickness selection is different. While the thickness selective stability in fcc Ag(1 1 0) films is mainly due to the well-known quantum well states ascribed to the quantum confinement effects in free-electron-like metal films, the thickness selection in bcc Eu(1 1 0) films is more complex and also strongly correlated with the occupation of the surface and surface resonance states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermodynamics and kinetic behaviors of thickness-dependent crystallization in high-k thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition

Atomic layer deposition is adopted to prepare HfO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} high-k thin films. The HfO{sub 2} thin films are amorphous at the initial growth stage, but become crystallized when the film thickness (h) exceeds a critical value (h{sub critical}{sup *}). This phase transition from amorphous to crystalline is enhanced at higher temperatures and is discussed, taking into account the effect of kinetic energy. At lower temperatures, the amorphous state can be maintained even when h>h{sub critical}{sup *} owing to the small number of activated atoms. However, the number of activated atoms increases with the temperature, allowing crystallization to occur even in films with smaller thickness. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films, on the other hand, maintain their amorphous state independent of the film thickness and temperature owing to the limited number of activated atoms. A thermodynamic model is proposed to describe the thickness-dependent phase transition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Vapor deposition on doublet airfoil substrates: Control of coating thickness and microstructure

Gas jet assisted vapor deposition processes for depositing coatings are conducted at higher pressures than conventional physical vapor deposition methods, and have shown promise for coating complex shaped substrates including those with non-line-of-sight (NLS) regions on their surface. These regions typically receive vapor atoms at a lower rate and with a wider incident angular distribution than substrate regions in line-of-sight (LS) of the vapor source. To investigate the coating of such substrates, the thickness and microstructure variation along the inner (curved) surfaces of a model doublet airfoil containing both LS and NLS regions has been investigated. Results from atomistic simulations and experiments confirm that the coating's thickness is thinner in flux-shadowed regions than in other regions for all the coating processes investigated. They also indicated that the coatings columnar microstructure and pore volume fraction vary with surface location through the LS to NLS transition zone. A substrate rotation strategy for optimizing the thickness over the entire doublet airfoil surface was investigated, and led to the identification of a process that resulted in only small variation of coating thickness, columnar growth angle, and pore volume fraction on all doublet airfoil surfaces.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

The effect of amorphous selenium detector thickness on dual-energy digital breast imaging

Purpose: Contrast enhanced (CE) imaging techniques for both planar digital mammography (DM) and three-dimensional (3D) digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) applications requires x-ray photon energies higher than the k-edge of iodine (33.2 keV). As a result, x-ray tube potentials much higher (>40 kVp) than those typical for screening mammography must be utilized. Amorphous selenium (a-Se) based direct conversion flat-panel imagers (FPI) have been widely used in DM and DBT imaging systems. The a-Se layer is typically 200 μm thick with quantum detective efficiency (QDE) >87% for x-ray energies below 26 keV. However, QDE decreases substantially above this energy. To improve the object detectability of either CE-DM or CE-DBT, it may be advantageous to increase the thickness (d{sub Se}) of the a-Se layer. Increasing the d{sub Se} will improve the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) at the higher energies used in CE imaging. However, because most DBT systems are designed with partially isocentric geometries, where the gantry moves about a stationary detector, the oblique entry of x-rays will introduce additional blur to the system. The present investigation quantifies the effect of a-Se thickness on imaging performance for both CE-DM and CE-DBT, discussing the effects of improving photon absorption and blurring from oblique entry of x-rays. Methods: In this paper, a cascaded linear system model (CLSM) was used to investigate the effect of d{sub Se} on the imaging performance (i.e., MTF, NPS, and DQE) of FPI in CE-DM and CE-DBT. The results from the model are used to calculate the ideal observer signal-to-noise ratio, d′, which is used as a figure-of-merit to determine the total effect of increasing d{sub Se} for CE-DM and CE-DBT. Results: The results of the CLSM show that increasing d{sub Se} causes a substantial increase in QDE at the high energies used in CE-DM. However, at the oblique projection angles used in DBT, the increased length of penetration through a-Se introduces additional image blur. The reduced MTF and DQE at high spatial frequencies lead to reduced two-dimensional d′. These losses in projection image resolution may subsequently result in a decrease in the 3D d′, but the degree of which is largely dependent on the DBT reconstruction algorithm. For a filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm with spectral apodization and slice-thickness filters, which dominate the blur for reconstructed images at oblique angles, the effect of oblique entry of x-rays on 3D d′ is minimal. Thus, increasing d{sub Se} results in an improvement in d′ for both CE-DM and CE-DBT with typical FBP reconstruction parameters. Conclusions: Increased d{sub Se} improves CE breast imaging performance by increasing QDE of detectors at higher energies, e.g., 49 kVp. Although there is additional blur in the oblique angled projections of a DBT scan, the overall 3D d′ for DBT is not degraded because the dominant source blur at these angles results from the reconstruction filters of the employed FBP algorithm.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-319: The Impact of Radiation Beam Obliquity and Air Gap Thickness On Optically Stimulated Luminescent in Vivo Dosimetry for Radiation Therapy

Purpose: Optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) are increasingly utilized for in vivo dosimetry of complex radiation delivery techniques. Measured doses, however, underestimate planned doses for plans that utilize thermoplastic mask immobilization. The purpose of this work was to quantify the effect of beam obliquity and air gap span between the mask and backscatter material, on measured-to-planned OSLD dose agreement. Methods: A previously-used thermoplastic mask was cut, reheated, and flattened to form a 33 by 9 cm{sup 2} stage approximately 2 mm thick. Two OSLDs were placed on the stage on 5 cm of solid water, covered with 50 by 50 by 5 mm{sup 3} square of bolus, and scanned in the CT simulator. Plans were created with 10 by 10 cm{sup 2} open fields using 4, 6, 10, and 15 MV photon beams at 0°, 45°, and 90° incidence. The isocenter was placed between the OSLDs at 5 mm depth. Dose was calculated and averaged for two OSLDs. Artificial air gaps of 3, 5, 10, and 20 mm were introduced in the plan and dose was recalculated for each energy/angle/gap combination. The experimental setup was replicated on a linear accelerator and air gaps were introduced by “bridging” the thermoplastic stage across solid water plastic of varying thickness. Fields were delivered as planned. OSLDs were read 12–15 hours after irradiation. Results: Measured-toplanned percent differences were constant with increasing gap thickness for 0° and 45° beam angles. At 90° and 0 cm gap, planned dose underestimated measured dose by 10–23% for all energies. This discrepancy decreased linearly to 0% with a 20 mm gap. OSLD signal did not decrease more than 6% for any gap span and energy. Conclusion: With the exception of parallel beam incidence, beam obliquity and air gap thickness did not have a substantial effect on measured-to-planned dose agreement.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of the nanofilm thickness on the properties of the two-dimensional electron gas at the interface between two dielectrics

The mechanism of formation of the two-dimensional conductivity along the interface between two polymer dielectrics is experimentally studied. The idea of “polar catastrophe,” which was successfully used earlier to explain the electronic properties of the interface between two perovskites LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}, is chosen as a base hypothesis. Piezoelectric response microscopy is used to reveal the presence of spontaneous polarization on the surface of a polymer film, and the remanent polarization is found to decrease with increasing film thickness. As in the case of perovskites, the polymer film thickness is found to strongly affect the electrical conductivity along the interface. Substantial differences between these phenomena are detected. The change in the electrical conductivity is shown to be caused by a significant increase in the charge carrier mobility when the film thickness decreases below a certain critical value. The relation between the change in the carrier mobility and the change in the spontaneous surface polarization of the polymer film when its thickness decreases is discussed.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Conditions of Attaining a Superhard State at a Critical Thickness of Nanolayers in Multiperiodic Vacuum-Arc Plasma Deposited Nitride Coatings

Possible mechanisms of the interfacial interaction in multiperiodic (bilayer) compositions at critical thicknesses (as small as below 10 nm) of conjugated phases have been studied for the first time using structure analysis, numerical simulations, and measurements of mechanical characteristics. For attaining a state of superhigh hardness (above 40 GPa), it is proposed to form coatings with variable layer thicknesses in the bilayer period Λ. Using this approach, 10-μm-thick coatings of the TiN/ZrN system with hardness above 44 GPa were obtained for a bilayer period of Λ ≈ 10 nm with a layer thickness ratio of 1.5/1.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗