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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

An investigation of the SNS Josephson junction as a three-terminal device

A particular phenomenon of the SNS Josephson junction was investigated; i.e., control by a current entering the normal region and leaving through one of the superconducting regions. The effect of the control current on the junction was found to be dependent upon the ration of the resistances of the two halves of the N layer. A low frequency, lumped, nonlinear model was proposed to describe the electrical characteristics of the device, and a method was developed to plot the dynamic junction resistance as a function of junction current. The effective thermal noise temperature of the sample was determined. Small signal linearized analysis of the device suggests its use as an impedance transformer, although geometric limitations must be overcome. Linear approximation indicates that it is reciprocal and no power gain is possible. It is felt that, with suitable metallurgical and geometrical improvements, the device has promise to become a superconducting transistor.

Meissner, H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Nondestructive determination of the depth of planar p-n junctions by scanning electron microscopy

A method was developed for measuring nondestructively the depth of planar p-n junctions in simple devices as well as in integrated-circuit structures with the electron-beam induced current (EBIC) by scanning parallel to the junction in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results were found to be in good agreement with those obtained by the commonly used destructive method of lapping at an angle to the junction and staining to reveal the junction.

Chi, J.-Y.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Limiting process in shallow junction solar cells

In extending the violet and nonreflective cell technology to lower resistivities, several processes limiting output power were encountered. The most important was the dark diffusion current due to recombination at the front grid contacts. After removal of this problem by reduction of the silicon metal contact area (to 0.14 percent of the total area), the electric field enhanced junction recombination current J sub r was the main limitation. Alteration of the diffusion profile to reduce the junction field is shown to be an effective means of influencing J sub r. The remaining problems are the bulk recombination in the n+ layer and the surface recombination at the oxide-silicon interface; both of these problems are aggravated by band-narrowing resulting from heavy doping in the diffused layer. Experimental evidence for the main limitations is shown, where increased diffusion temperature is seen to reduce both the influence of the front grid contacts and the junction electric field by increasing the junction depth. The potential for further significant improvement in efficiency appears to be high.

Meulenberg, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Voltage tunable differential heterodyne spectroscopy in the far-infrared with Josephson junctions

The basic methods of differential heterodyne spectroscopy with Josephson junctions are described. A technique is outlined for bridging the gap between a local oscillator frequency and a signal frequency through the use of a voltage-tunable internal oscillation frequency in a Josephson junction structure. It is shown that an intermediate frequency can be converted to a conveniently low frequency by double frequency conversion carried out directly in a Josephson junction. The expected conversion efficiency is estimated qualitatively. Experiments are discussed in which the differential heterodyne frequency-conversion technique was demonstrated at a wavelength of 0.4 mm and a voltage-tunable oscillation in a double Josephson junction structure was observed, with oscillation line widths as narrow as 0.5 Hz, for a resistance of 3.3 nanohms and an estimated inductance of the order of 1 nH.

Ulrich, B. T.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Studies of silicon p-n junction solar cells

To provide theoretical support for investigating different ways to obtain high open-circuit voltages in p-n junction silicon solar cells, an analytical treatment of heavily doped transparent-emitter devices is presented that includes the effects of bandgap narrowing, Fermi-Dirac statistics, a doping concentration gradient, and a finite surface recombination velocity at the emitter surface. Topics covered include: (1) experimental determination of bandgap narrowing in the emitter of silicon p-n junction devices; (2) heavily doped transparent regions in junction solar cells, diodes, and transistors; (3) high-low-emitter solar cell; (4) determination of lifetimes and recombination currents in p-n junction solar cells; (5) MOS and oxide-charged-induced BSF solar cells; and (6) design of high efficiency solar cells for space and terrestrial applications.

Neugroschel, A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The 'depletion layer' of amorphous p-n junctions

It is shown that within reasonable approximations for the density of state distribution within the mobility gap of a:Si, a one-to-one correspondence exists between the electric field distribution in the transition region of an amorphous p-n junction and that in the depletion layer of a crystalline p-n junction. Thus it is inferred that the depletion layer approximation which leads to a parabolic potential distribution within the depletion layer of crystalline junctions also constitutes a fair approximation in the case of amorphous junctions. This fact greatly simplifies an analysis of solid-state electronic devices based on amorphous material (i.e., solar cells).

Von Roos, O.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Heat transfer investigation in the junction region of circular cylinder normal to a flat plate at 90 deg location

External heat-transfer rates were measured on a flat plate in the junction region of a circular cylinder mounted normal to the plate at a location 90 deg from the stagnation point. This configuration simulates the junction of the shroud with gas-turbine vanes. Heat-transfer results are presented for laminar, transition, and turbulent boundary layers for a Mach number of 0.14 with gas temperatures of approximately 750 deg R over a flat plate at room temperature. The measurements were made in air for a unit Reynolds number, Re/cm, range of 11,000 to 58,000. Heat-transfer measurements were conducted in the 70-ft long, 4-in. diameter shock tube. A shock-wave reflection technique was used to produce a flow Mach number of 0.14. Thin-film platinum heat gages were mounted on the flat plate and along the line of the stagnation point of the cylinder to measure the local heat flux in the junction region. The experimental heat-transfer data were correlated with the laminar and turbulent boundary-layer theories for the flat plate. With the cylinder the heat fluxes on the flat plate were greatly increased in the junction region compared to the heat flux for the plate alone.

Nagamatsu, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Direct experimental determination of voltage across high-low junctions

High-low (HL) junctions form a part of many semiconductor devices, including back surface field solar cells. A first experimental determination and interpretation of the voltage across the HL junction under low- and high-injection conditions is presented as a function of the voltage across a nearby p/n junction. Theoretical analysis from first principles is shown to bear well on the experimental results. In addition, a test structure is proposed for measurement of the effective surface recombination velocity at the HL junctions.

Daud, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Fabrication and analysis of dot junction silicon solar cells

A design of solar cells with reduced junction area on the cell surface is investigated for reduction of saturation current and increase in open-circuit voltage. Equidiameter dot junctions distributed across the surface of the cell offer an efficient alternative, with variations in dot diameter and in the spacing between dots giving the required variations in the ratio of junctions area to total surface area. A simplified analysis for short-circuit current and other cell parameters, which enables cell design optimization, is presented. Efficiencies beyond 18 percent are obtainable in flat-plate terrestrial applications. Experimental solar-cell performance results, as functions of different area ratios, and bulk doping are presented. It is shown that saturation current reduction and open-circuit voltage increase is obtained by reduced junction area.

Crotty, G. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Excimer laser annealing: A gold process for CZ silicon junction formation

A cold process using an excimer laser for junction formation in silicon has been evaluated as a way to avoid problems associated with thermal diffusion. Conventional thermal diffusion can cause bulk precipitation of SiOx and SiC or fail to completely activate the dopant, leaving a degenerate layer at the surface. Experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of fabricating high quality p-n junctions using a pulsed excimer laser for junction formation at remelt temperature with ion-implanted surfaces. Solar-cell efficiency exceeding 16 percent was obtained using Czochralski single-crystal silicon without benefit of back surface field or surface passivation. Characterization shows that the formation of uniform, shallow junctions (approximately 0.25 micron) by excimer laser scanning preserves the minority carrier lifetime that leads to high current collection. However, the process is sensitive to initial surface conditions and handling parameters that drive the cost up.

Wong, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Fabrication and characterization of high current-density, submicron, NbN/MgO/NbN tunnel junctions

At near-millimeter wavelengths, heterodyne receivers based on SIS tunnel junctions are the most sensitive available. However, in order to scale these results to submillimeter wavelengths, certain device properties should be scaled. The tunnel-junction's current density should be increased to reduce the RC product. The device's area should be reduced to efficiently couple power from the antenna to the mixer. Finally, the superconductor used should have a large energy gap to minimize RF losses. Most SIS mixers use Nb or Pb-alloy tunnel junctions; the gap frequency for these materials is approximately 725 GHz. Above the gap frequency, these materials exhibit losses similar to those in a normal metal. The gap frequency in NbN films is as-large-as 1440 GHz. Therefore, we have developed a process to fabricate small area (down to 0.13 sq microns), high current density, NbN/MgO/NbN tunnel junctions.

Stern, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Fabrication of high-quality superconductor-insulator-superconductor junctions on thin SiN membranes

We have successfully fabricated high-quality and high-current density superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions on freestanding thin silicon nitride (SIN) membranes. These devices can be used in a novel millimeter-wave and THz receiver system which is made using micromachining. The SIS junctions with planar antennas were fabricated first on a silicon wafer covered with a SiN membrane, the Si wafer underneath was then etched away using an anisotropic KOH etchant. The current-voltage characteristics of the SIS junctions remained unchanged after the whole process, and the junctions and the membrane survived thermal cycling.

Garcia, Edouard↗
NASA NTRS1994

Radiation effects on p+n InP junctions grown by MOCVD

The superior radiation resistance of InP over other solar cell materials such as Si or GaAs has prompted the development of InP cells for space applications. The early research on radiation effects in InP was performed by Yamaguchi and co-workers who showed that, in diffused p-InP junctions, radiation-induced defects were readily annealed both thermally and by injection, which was accompanied by significant cell recovery. More recent research efforts have been made using p-InP grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). While similar deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) results were found for radiation induced defects in these cells and in diffused junctions, significant differences existed in the annealing characteristics. After injection annealing at room temperature, Yamaguchi noticed an almost complete recovery of the photovoltaic parameters, while the MOCVD samples showed only minimal annealing. In searching for an explanation of the different annealing behavior of diffused junctions and those grown by MOCVD, several possibilities have been considered. One possibility is the difference in the emitter structure. The diffused junctions have S-doped graded emitters with widths of approximately 0.3 micrometers, while the MOCVD emitters are often doped with Si and have widths of approximately 300A (0.03 micrometers). The difference in the emitter thickness can have important effects, e.g. a larger fraction of the total photocurrent is generated in the n-type material for thicker emitters. Therefore the properties of the n-InP material may explain the difference in the observed overall annealing behavior of the cells.

Messenger, Scott R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Microrefrigeration by a pair of normal metal/insulator/superconductor junctions

We suggest and demonstrate experimentally that two normal metal/insulator/superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions combined in series to form a symmetric SINIS structure can operate as an efficient Peltier refrigerator. Specifically, it is shown that the SINIS structure with normal-state junction resistences of 1.0 and 1.1 kOmega is capable of reaching a temperature of about 100 mK starting from 300 mK. We estimate the corresponding cooling power to be 1.5 pW per total junction area of 0.8 micrometers(exp 2) at T = 300 mK. This cooling power density implies that scaling of junction area up to about 1 mm(exp 2) should bring the cooling power into the microW range.

Leivo, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Activation of L-type calcium channels is required for gap junction-mediated intercellular calcium signaling in osteoblastic cells

The propagation of mechanically induced intercellular calcium waves (ICW) among osteoblastic cells occurs both by activation of P2Y (purinergic) receptors by extracellular nucleotides, resulting in "fast" ICW, and by gap junctional communication in cells that express connexin43 (Cx43), resulting in "slow" ICW. Human osteoblastic cells transmit intercellular calcium signals by both of these mechanisms. In the current studies we have examined the mechanism of slow gap junction-dependent ICW in osteoblastic cells. In ROS rat osteoblastic cells, gap junction-dependent ICW were inhibited by removal of extracellular calcium, plasma membrane depolarization by high extracellular potassium, and the L-type voltage-operated calcium channel inhibitor, nifedipine. In contrast, all these treatments enhanced the spread of P2 receptor-mediated ICW in UMR rat osteoblastic cells. Using UMR cells transfected to express Cx43 (UMR/Cx43) we confirmed that nifedipine sensitivity of ICW required Cx43 expression. In human osteoblastic cells, gap junction-dependent ICW also required activation of L-type calcium channels and influx of extracellular calcium.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2001

Osmotic forces and gap junctions in spreading depression: a computational model

In a computational model of spreading depression (SD), ionic movement through a neuronal syncytium of cells connected by gap junctions is described electrodiffusively. Simulations predict that SD will not occur unless cells are allowed to expand in response to osmotic pressure gradients and K+ is allowed to move through gap junctions. SD waves of [K+]out approximately 25 to approximately 60 mM moving at approximately 2 to approximately 18 mm/min are predicted over the range of parametric values reported in gray matter, with extracellular space decreasing up to approximately 50%. Predicted waveform shape is qualitatively similar to laboratory reports. The delayed-rectifier, NMDA, BK, and Na+ currents are predicted to facilitate SD, while SK and A-type K+ currents and glial activity impede SD. These predictions are consonant with recent findings that gap junction poisons block SD and support the theories that cytosolic diffusion via gap junctions and osmotic forces are important mechanisms underlying SD.

Spreading Cortical Depression/physiology↗
NASA NTRS1998

Electrical signal transmission in a bone cell network: the influence of a discrete gap junction

A refined electrical cable model is formulated to investigate the role of a discrete gap junction in the intracellular transmission of electrical signals in an electrically coupled system of osteocytes and osteoblasts in an osteon. The model also examines the influence of the ratio q between the membrane's electrical time constant and the characteristic time of pore fluid pressure, the circular, cylindrical geometry of the osteon, and key simplifying assumptions in our earlier continuous cable model (see Zhang, D., S. C. Cowin, and S. Weinbaum. Electrical signal transmission and gap junction regulation in a bone cell network: A cable model for an osteon. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 25:379-396, 1997). Using this refined model, it is shown that (1) the intracellular potential amplitude at the osteoblastic end of the osteonal cable retains the character of a combination of a low-pass and a high-pass filter as the corner frequency varies in the physiological range; (2) the presence of a discrete gap junction near a resting osteoblast can lead to significant modulation of the intracellular potential and current in the osteoblast for measured values of the gap junction coupling strength; and (3) the circular, cylindrical geometry of the osteon is well simulated by the beam analogy used in Zhang et al.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2011

Extension of the ADC Charge-Collection Model to Include Multiple Junctions

The ADC model is a charge-collection model derived for simple p-n junction silicon diodes having a single reverse-biased p-n junction at one end and an ideal substrate contact at the other end. The present paper extends the model to include multiple junctions, and the goal is to estimate how collected charge is shared by the different junctions.

drift-diffusion↗