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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 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Preliminary study of a solar selective coating system using black cobalt oxide for high temperature solar collectors

Black cobalt oxide coatings (high solar absorptance layer) were deposited on thin layers of silver or gold (low emittance layer) which had been previously deposited on oxidized (diffusion barrier layer) stainless steel substrates. The reflectance properties of these coatings were measured at various thicknesses of cobalt for integrated values of the solar and infrared spectrum. The values of absorptance and emittance were calculated from the measured reflectance values, before and after exposure in air at 650 C for approximately 1000 hours. Absorptance and emittance were interdependent functions of the weight of cobalt oxide. Also, these cobalt oxide/noble metal/oxide diffusion barrier coatings have absorptances greater than 0.90 and emittances of approximately 0.20 even after about 1000 hours at 650 C.

Mcdonald, G.↗
DOE OSTI2019

High performance graphene-like thinly layered graphite based visible light photodetector

In this work, the drop casting method is utilized to obtain a thin graphene-like graphite layer as a photodetection layer on a SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate, and its performance is characterized to determine its potential use in commercial applications. The thin layer is formed by first synthesizing graphite soot from a butane flame before being turned into a liquid solution and drop-casted onto the substrate to form a thin graphene-like graphite film. Field emission scanning electron microscope and Raman vibrational mode analyses indicate that the fabricated graphene-like graphite layer has characteristics similar to the graphene. The graphene-like graphite photodetector demonstrates a narrow photoresponse from 530 to 680 nm, covering visible sources from green to red. The responsivity and external quantum efficiency of the device under the illumination of red laser 660 nm is found to be around 148 mA W{sup −1} and 27.8% respectively and is faster than that reported for similar systems using graphene and reduced graphene oxide previously. A fast response time of 83.7 and 28 µs at a modulation frequency of 1.0 and 10000 Hz respectively from the graphene-like thinly layered graphite photodetector shows potential application for the development of low-cost carbon-based photodetectors in near future.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developing a Chemical and Structural Understanding of the Surface Oxide in a Niobium Superconducting Qubit

We report superconducting thin films of niobium have been extensively employed in transmon qubit architectures. Although these architectures have demonstrated remarkable improvements in recent years, further improvements in performance through materials engineering will aid in large-scale deployment. Here, we use information retrieved from secondary ion mass spectrometry and electron microscopy to conduct a detailed assessment of the surface oxide that forms in ambient conditions for transmon test qubit devices patterned from a niobium film. We observe that this oxide exhibits a varying stoichiometry with NbO and NbO 2 found closer to the niobium film and Nb 2 O 5 found closer to the surface. In terms of structural analysis, we find that the Nb 2 O 5 region is semicrystalline in nature and exhibits randomly oriented grains on the order of 1-2 nm corresponding to monoclinic N-Nb 2 O 5 that are dispersed throughout an amorphous matrix. Using fluctuation electron microscopy, we are able to map the relative crystallinity in the Nb 2 O 5 region with nanometer spatial resolution. Through this correlative method, we observe that amorphous regions are more likely to contain oxygen vacancies and exhibit weaker bonds between the niobium and oxygen atoms. Based on these findings, we expect that oxygen vacancies likely serve as a decoherence mechanism in quantum systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2014

Atomic Layer Deposition of Chemical Passivation Layers and High Performance Anti-Reflection Coatings on Back-Illuminated Detectors

A back-illuminated silicon photodetector has a layer of Al2O3 deposited on a silicon oxide surface that receives electromagnetic radiation to be detected. The Al2O3 layer has an antireflection coating deposited thereon. The Al2O3 layer provides a chemically resistant separation layer between the silicon oxide surface and the antireflection coating. The Al2O3 layer is thin enough that it is optically innocuous. Under deep ultraviolet radiation, the silicon oxide layer and the antireflection coating do not interact chemically. In one embodiment, the silicon photodetector has a delta-doped layer near (within a few nanometers of) the silicon oxide surface. The Al2O3 layer is expected to provide similar protection for doped layers fabricated using other methods, such as MBE, ion implantation and CVD deposition.

Hoenk, Michael E.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ligand Locking on Quantum Dot Surfaces via a Mild Reactive Surface Treatment

At the outermost surface of colloidal QDs are organic surface ligands which dynamically bind and release in solution to control the growth kinetics, control the size/shape of the crystals, passivate surface states, and provide colloidal stability through favorable interactions with the solvent. However, the dynamicity comes at the expense of the stability of the QD suspension. Here, we show that ligands can be permanently locked on the QD surface by a thin layer of an inert metal oxide which forms within the ligand shell, over the headgroup. By interrogating the surface chemistry with different spectroscopic methods, we prove the ligand locking on the QD surface. As a result, an exceptional stability of the coated QD inks is achieved in a wide concentration range, even in the presence of chemically competing surface ligands in solution. We anticipate that this critical breakthrough will benefit different areas related to colloidal QDs, spanning from single-particle studies to displays and solar cells and biological applications. Furthermore, the same chemistry could be easily translated to surface treatments of bulk materials and thin films.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Combustion synthesis of Eu 2 O 3 nanomaterials with tunable phase composition and morphology

Combustion reactions in europium nitrate – acetylacetone – 2-methoxyethanol solutions and gels were investigated to produce europium (III) oxide (Eu 2 O 3 ) nanocrystalline materials and thin films. Thermal analyses of solutions indicated that the 2-methoxyethanol solvent also acts as a fuel in the absence of acetylacetone. Adding acetylacetone increases the overall heat of the reaction. Thermal analysis results revealed that the slow oxidation of unburned hydrocarbon residues follows the primary combustion reaction. Time-temperature profile measurements of the bulk combustion synthesis process in air and nitrogen atmospheres enabled the extraction of the maximum reaction temperature and the heating and cooling rates in the combustion zone. Several direct correlations exist between measured combustion parameters and the phase composition of the products. Combustion in air results in mixed-phase cubic and monoclinic nanocrystalline Eu 2 O 3 . Increasing the acetylacetone concentration in solutions increases the synthesis temperature and decreases the quantity of cubic Eu 2 O 3 . Here, the reaction of solutions in a nitrogen atmosphere or diluted with Eu 2 O 3 provides control of the product phase composition and reduces the quantity of the monoclinic phase. Transmission electron microscopy imaging shows that the Eu 2 O 3 end products are highly porous aggregates of nanocrystalline particles. Electrospraying of reactive solutions onto different substrates followed by short annealing makes the preparation of Eu 2 O 3 materials with diverse morphologies possible.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1981

Turbine Blade Temperature Measurements Using Thin Film Temperature Sensors

The development of thin film temperature sensors is discussed. The technology for sputtering 2 micron thin film platinum versus platinum 10 percent rhodium thermocouples on alumina forming coatings was improved and extended to applications on actual turbine blades. Good adherence was found to depend upon achieving a proper morphology of the alumina surface. Problems of adapting fabrication procedures to turbine blades were uncovered, and improvements were recommended. Testing at 1250 K at one atmosphere pressure was then extended to a higher Mach No. (0.5) in combustor flow for 60 hours and 71 thermal cycles. The mean time to failure was 47 hours accumulated during 1 hour exposures in the combustor. Calibration drift was about 0.1 percent per hour, attributable to oxidation of the rhodium in the thin films. An increase in film thickness and application of a protective overcoat are recommended to reduce drift in actual engine testing.

Grant, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

High efficiency direct thermal to electric energy conversion from radioisotope decay using selective emitters and spectrally tuned solar cells

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems are attractive possibilities for direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion, but have typically required the use of black body radiators operating at high temperatures. Recent advances in both the understanding and performance of solid rare-earth oxide selective emitters make possible the use of TPV at temperatures as low as 1200K. Both selective emitter and filter system TPV systems are feasible. However, requirements on the filter system are severe in order to attain high efficiency. A thin-film of a rare-earth oxide is one method for producing an efficient, rugged selective emitter. An efficiency of 0.14 and power density of 9.2 W/KG at 1200K is calculated for a hypothetical thin-film neodymia (Nd2O3) selective emitter TPV system that uses radioisotope decay as the thermal energy source.

Chubb, Donald L.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Free-standing ultrathin lithium metal–graphene oxide host foils with controllable thickness for lithium batteries

Thin (≤20 μm) and free-standing Li metal foils would enable precise prelithiation of anode materials and high-energy-density Li batteries. Existing Li metal foils are too thick (typically 50 to 750 μm) or too mechanically fragile for these applications. Here, we developed a facile and scalable process for the synthesis of an ultrathin (0.5 to 20 μm), free-standing and mechanically robust Li metal foil within a graphene oxide host. In addition to low areal capacities of ~0.1 to 3.7 mAh cm –2 , this Li foil also has a much-improved mechanical strength over conventional pure Li metal foil. Our Li foil can improve the initial Coulombic efficiency of graphite (93%) and silicon (79.4%) anodes to around 100% without generating excessive Li residue, and increases the capacity of Li-ion full cells by 8%. In conclusion, the cycle life of Li metal full cells is prolonged by nine times using this thin Li composite anode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Tuning Exciton Emission via Ferroelectric Polarization at a Heterogeneous Interface between a Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide and a Perovskite Oxide Membrane

Here we demonstrate the integration of a thin BaTiO 3 (BTO) membrane with monolayer MoSe 2 in a dual gate device that enables in-situ manipulation of the BTO ferroelectric polarization with a voltage pulse. While two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer remarkable adaptability, their hybrid integration with other families of functional materials beyond the realm of 2D materials has been challenging. Released functional oxide membranes offer a solution for 2D/3D integration via stacking. 2D TMD excitons can serve as a local probe of the ferroelectric polarization in BTO at a heterogeneous interface. Using photoluminescence (PL) of MoSe 2 excitons to optically readout the doping level, we find that the relative population of charge carriers in MoSe 2 depends sensitively on the ferroelectric polarization. This finding points to a promising avenue for future-generations versatile sensing devices with high sensitivity, fast read-out, and diverse applicability for advanced signal processing.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Epitaxial growth of hexagonal BaNi O 3–δ thin films on SrTi O 3 (111) substrates

Transition metal oxides containing nickel species in oxidation states higher than 3+ often exhibit high catalytic activity, which makes them promising for applications as advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting and fuel cells. Here, we examine the structure and properties of BaNiO 3 (BNO) thin films, containing formally Ni 4+ , grown on SrTiO 3 (111) substrates using oxygen-plasma–assisted molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that BNO films have a hexagonal structure with $c$- and $a$-axes of mixed textures showing epitaxial relationships BNO (0001) ∥ SrTiO 3 (111) and BNO (10$\overline{1}$0) ∥ SrTi O 3 (111), respectively. The formation of the $a$-axis texture is dominant due to the smaller lattice mismatch with the substrate. Here, density functional theory calculations confirm that the hexagonal BNO film with the $a$-axis texture is energetically more favorable than the competing $c$-axis texture. Detailed spectroscopy data analysis indicates that hexagonal BNO films contain mixtures of Ni 2+ , Ni 3+ , and Ni 4+ species, with Ni 4+ being dominant. Our study provides insights into stabilizing Ni 4+ in complex oxides, which is important for further exploration of the potential of materials containing Ni 4+ .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1997

Strain-Rate-Free Diffusion Flames: Initiation, Properties, and Quenching

For about a half century, the stabilization of a steady planar deflagration on a heat-sink-type flat-flame burner has been of extraordinary service for the theoretical modeling and diagnostic probing of combusting gaseous mixtures. However, most engineering devices and most unwanted fire involve the burning of initially unmixed reactants. The most vigorous burning of initially separated gaseous fuel and oxidizer is the diffusion flame. In this useful idealization (limiting case), the reactants are converted to product at a mathematically thin interface, so no interpenetration of fuel and oxidizer occurs. This limit is of practical importance because it often characterizes the condition of optimal performance (and sometimes environmentally objectionable operation) of a combustor. A steady planar diffusion flame is most closely approached in the laboratory in the counterflow apparatus. The utility of this simple-strain-rate flow for the modeling and probing of diffusion flames was noted by Pandya and Weinberg 35 years ago, though only in the last decade or so has its use become internationally common place. However, typically, as the strain rate a is reduced below about 20 cm(exp -1), and the diffusion-flame limit (reaction rate much faster than the flow rate) is approached, the burning is observed to become unstable in earth gravity. The advantageous steady planar flow is not available in the diffusion-flame limit in earth gravity. This is unfortunate because the typical spatial scale in a counterflow is (k/a)(sup 1/2), where k denotes a characteristic diffusion coefficient; thus, the length scale becomes large, and the reacting flow is particularly amenable to diagnostic probing, as the diffusion-flame limit is approached. The disruption of planar symmetry is owing the fact that, as the strain rate a decreases, the residence time (l/a) of the throughput in the counterflow burner increases. Observationally, when the residence time exceeds about 50 msec, the inevitably present convective (Rayleigh-Benard) instabilities, associated with hot-under-cold (flame-under-fresh-reactant) stratification of fluid in a gravitational field, have time to grow to finite amplitude during transit of the burner.

Fendell, Francis↗
DOE OSTI2021

Surface enhanced performance of La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ cathodes by infiltration Pr-Ni-Mn-O progress

Herein the present study reports the enhancement of electrochemical oxygen reduction activity of porous La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3–δ (LSCF) cathodes by coating a thin film of Pr-Ni-Mn oxide (PNM5) using a multi-step infiltration process. XRD examination reveals that PNM5 mainly contains a multiphase mixture of Pr 6 O 11 , PrNiO 3 , MnO and NiO. SEM morphology shows a thin PNM5 film and small particles are formed on the surface of LSCF backbone particles. Impedance spectrum analysis indicates that PNM5 infiltrated LSCF exhibits dramatically reduced polarization resistance (R p ), reaching R p of 0.244 Ω cm 2 at 973 K, which is one-half of the baseline LSCF cathode. The activation energy of LSCF cathodes infiltrated with PNM5 is 1.45 eV, slightly lower than the baseline LSCF cathode (1.77 eV). Distribution of relaxation time (DRT) function analysis shows PNM5 infiltration layer significantly promotes the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathode surface. With the increase in firing temperature, the total resistance increases and R p changes from ion transport to oxygen reduction reaction. Degradation rate of the PNM5-infiltrated LSCF is also lower, 0.02168% vs 0.07093% for the baseline LSCF over a 200-h period. A single cell testing indicated that the peak power density of the PNM5-infiltrated cell was increased by 140.66%. Overall, PNM5 could be a potential catalyst for boosting the performance of a commercial LSCF cathode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Effect of Shot Peening on Steam Oxidation of 304H Stainless Steel

Shot peening is currently utilized in coal-fired power plant components to mitigate scale exfoliation issues from steamside oxidation of austenitic stainless steel superheater and reheater tubing. To focus on commercially available material, this study exposed quarter-ring specimens cut from two different commercially shot peened type 304H tubes and exposed to 1 bar steam for up to 15,000 h at 550°, 600°, 625°, and 650 °C. Specimens were removed at increments to characterize the oxide thickness and microstructure. The shot peened inner surface generally retained a thin, protective Cr-rich scale with occasional Fe-rich oxide nodules at 550–625 °C. The increased oxidation resistance from shot peening began to degrade at 650 °C after as little as 5,000 h. Cut and polished faces of these specimens formed thick, Fe-rich oxides similar to polished 304H coupons. Surprisingly, the mechanically machined outer surface of the tube specimens performed similarly to the shot peened inner diameter, suggesting it had sufficient cold work to achieve a similar benefit. As a result, electron backscatter diffraction and Vickers-hardness measurements were used to characterize post-exposure changes in underlying microstructure and mechanical properties, respectively, imparted by shot peening.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Negative Capacitance MgZnO-Channel Thin-Film Transistor With Ferroelectric NiMgZnO in the Gate Stack

We demonstrate the negative capacitance thin-film transistor (NC-TFT) on glass substrate using the multifunctional MgZnO (MZO). The Mg 0.03 Zn 0.97 O semiconductor layer acts as the TFT channel for stable operation while the Ni-doped MZO, i.e. Ni 0.02 Mg 0.15 Zn 0.83 O (NMZO) serves as the ferroelectric layer in the NMZO/SiO 2 stacking gate dielectric structure. The subthreshold swing (SS) value is significantly reduced over the reference TFT without ferroelectric layer. The minimum SS value of the NC-TFT reaches 52 mV/dec while the on/off ratio of drain current ID reaches 10 9 .

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Investigation of the aluminium-aluminium oxide reversible transformation as observed by hot stage electron microscopy.

Thin foils of high purity aluminium and an Al-Al2O3 SAP type of alloy were oxidised in a specially designed hot stage specimen chamber in an electron microscope. Below 450 C, amorphous aluminium oxide formed on the foil surface and was first detectable at foil edges, holes, and pits. Islands of aluminium then nucleated in this amorphous oxide. The aluminium islands displayed either a lateral growth with eventual coalescence with other islands, or a reoxidation process which caused the islands to disappear. The aluminium island formation was determined to be related to the presence of the electron beam. A mechanism based upon electron charging due to the electron beam was proposed to explain the nucleation, growth, coalescence, disappearance, and geometry of the aluminium islands.

Grove, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

System and Method for Fabricating Super Conducting Circuitry on Both Sides of an Ultra-Thin Layer

A method of fabricating circuitry in a wafer includes depositing a superconducting metal on a silicon on insulator wafer having a handle wafer, coating the wafer with a sacrificial layer and bonding the wafer to a thermally oxide silicon wafer with a first epoxy. The method includes flipping the wafer, thinning the flipped wafer by removing a handle wafer, etching a buried oxide layer, depositing a superconducting layer, bonding the wafer to a thermally oxidized silicon wafer having a handle wafer using an epoxy, flipping the wafer again, thinning the flipped wafer, etching a buried oxide layer from the wafer and etching the sacrificial layer from the wafer. The result is a wafer having superconductive circuitry on both sides of an ultra-thin silicon layer.

Brown, Ari D.↗