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At least 829 records · Page 46

Diamond encapsulated silicon optical fibers synthesized by chemical vapor deposition

Semiconductor optical fibers encapsulated in a protective diamond coating can theoretically lead to immense power handling capabilities and infrared functionality. Here, silicon optical fibers are grown using high pressure chemical vapor deposition before being coated by 50 μm–300 μm of diamond by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. This coating extends conformally around the fiber cross section with diamond crystallites in the film on the order of several micrometers. Complete coating of high-quality diamond around the fiber is indicated by scanning electron microscopy and Raman measurements. The encapsulated silicon fibers are durable enough to survive the diamond deposition process, as demonstrated by their ability to guide infrared light.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Vapor deposition rate modifies anisotropic glassy structure of an anthracene-based organic semiconductor

We control the anisotropic molecular packing of vapor-deposited glasses of ABH113, a deuterated anthracene derivative with promise for future organic light emitting diode materials, by changing the deposition rate and substrate temperature at which they are prepared. We find that at substrate temperatures from 0.65 T g to 0.92 T g , the deposition rate significantly modifies the orientational order in the vapor-deposited glasses as characterized by x-ray scattering and birefringence. Both measures of anisotropic order can be described by a single deposition rate–substrate temperature superposition (RTS). This supports the applicability of the surface equilibration mechanism and generalizes the RTS principle from previous model systems with liquid crystalline order to non-mesogenic organic semiconductors. We find that vapordeposited glasses of ABH113 have significantly enhanced density and thermal stability compared to their counterparts prepared by liquidcooling. For organic semiconductors, the results of this study provide an efficient guide for using the deposition rate to prepare stable glasses with controlled molecular packing.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Deep level defects in low-pressure chemical vapor deposition grown (010) β-Ga 2 O 3

This study provides the full-bandgap evaluation of defect state distributions in beta phase gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) on (010) β-Ga 2 O 3 substrates at high growth of up to 20 µm/h. Deep-level optical spectroscopy and deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements applied to Ni/β-Ga 2 O 3 Schottky diodes revealed the presence of a previously unreported defect state at E C -3.6 eV, which dominated the overall trap distribution in LPCVD grown material. However, states at E C -0.8 eV, E C -2.0 eV, and E C -4.4. eV were also detected, similar to prior studies on β-Ga 2 O 3 grown by other methods, with similar or lower concentrations for the LPCVD samples. The E C -0.8 eV and E C -2.0 eV states were previously connected to residual Fe impurities and gallium vacancies, respectively. The total concentration of traps in the LPCVD material was on par with or lower than the state-of-the-art metal–organic chemical vapor deposition-grown materials despite the much higher growth rate, and the distribution of states showed negligible dependence on SiCl 4 flow rate and doping concentration. These results demonstrate that the high growth rate of LPCVD-grown β-Ga 2 O 3 is very promising for achieving thick, low defect density, and high-quality layers needed for multi-kV device applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nonequilibrium plasma in water vapor

A kinetic model of a non-equilibrium water vapor plasma created by a nanosecond pulsed discharge at elevated temperatures and at low pressure is presented. The model includes equations for electron, vibrational and gas temperatures combined with equations for neutral, charged, electronically and vibrationally excited species. Simulation results are compared with the available experimental data and show good agreement in dynamics of the plasma decay and electron drift velocities. It is shown that the plasma decay in pure water vapor is controlled by the dissociative recombination. Under the conditions simulated, the concentration of electronically excited species is low, but we observe a formation of vibrationally excited species. Finally, a significant decrease in the electrical conductivity of water plasma with time, which depends on the level of initial ionization, is shown.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The effect of gas injection location on a lithium vapor box divertor in NSTX-U

Abstract The lithium vapor box divertor is a proposed divertor design that will minimize contamination of the upstream plasma in a fusion device, while also ensuring protection of the target. In this design lithium is evaporated near the target by high temperature lithium surfaces, dissipating the plasma heat flux. The lithium vapor box has been predicted via the fluid-kinetic code scrape off layer plasma simulator (SOLPS-ITER) to achieve low ( n L i / n e ∼ 0.05) upstream concentrations of lithium and low target heat fluxes. Here we compare two choices of deuterium gas puff location using SOLPS-ITER, the private flux region (PFR) and the common flux region (CFR), and find significant differences in the contamination level required to reach an acceptable target heat flux (defined here as q tar max ⩽ 10 MW m −2 ). Deuterium gas puffing from the PFR is seen to better reduce upstream lithium contamination. The difference in puffing location is seen to cause changes in the upstream flow of lithium ions. The PFR puff, having better access to the separatrix, can better reduce the upstream-directed flow of lithium near the separatrix which is the primary source of contamination due to a large thermal force in this region. Puffing from the CFR, partially due to inefficacy at reducing separatrix lithium flow, has higher lithium concentration within the plasma. Solutions that reduce the heat flux to below 10 MW m −2 have a range of lithium concentrations between n L i / n e ∼ 0.01–0.12 depending on puff intensity, location, evaporator temperature and recycling at the various plasma facing components. The efficacy of the puffs is tested for sensitivity to deuterium recycling coefficient at the target, evaporators, and main chamber walls. A CFR located puff is found to be more dependent on the recycling coefficients used than a PFR located puff. regardless of the set of recycling coefficients chosen, PFR puffing achieves lower lithium contamination than CFR puffing for a given heat flux.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Planarization of Rough (100) GaAs Substrates via Growth by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Wafer reuse techniques help offset the cost of III-V growth substrates by using a single wafer for multiple growths, but costly re-polishing after device removal limits the end benefit. In this work, we present planarization growth by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy (HVPE), a potentially low-cost growth technique, as a method of smoothing rough substrates for subsequent high-quality device growth without the need for polishing. First, we show there is a threshold for allowable substrate roughness without device degradation by comparing devices grown by organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy (OMVPE) on epi-ready polished and pre-polished substrates that did not have the final epi-ready polish. We then demonstrate successful smoothing with HVPE growth on substrates with different surface morphologies, with features ranging from general roughness to large facets. Initial devices grown by HVPE on a pre-polished substate showed no degradation compared to a control wafer, indicating that planarizing rough substrates through HVPE growth is a promising path toward being able to use rough substrates directly for growth, without costly polishing steps.

GaAs↗

Microstructural and infiltration properties of woven preforms during chemical vapor infiltration

Interface-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) have been performed over a range of furnace-operating conditions (Thiele moduli) and for practical woven preform geometries. A level-set method is used to resolve the geometry of the initial preform at tow scale. The interface between the vapor and solid phase is then evolved in time through the entire CVI densification cycle, fully resolving the time-varying topology between the two phases. In contrast to previous level-set methods for CVI simulation, the physical reaction and diffusion processes govern the level-set movement in the current approach. The surface deposition kinetics is described by the usual one-step model. In this paper, the DNS data are used to study the evolving porosity, surface-to-volume ratio, and flow infiltration properties (permeability and effective diffusivities). Additionally, comparisons are made to popularly-assumed structure functions and the standard, Kozeny–Carmen porous media model commonly employed in modeled CFD simulations of CVI. The virtual DNS experiments reveal a Thiele modulus and preform geometry (fabric layup) dependence which the existing microstructural and infiltration models are not able to describe throughout the entire densification process. The DNS-based, woven geometry-specific correlations can be applied directly to mean-field, furnace-scale CFD simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evaluation of Mechanical and Thermomechanical Water Vapor Compression Techniques for Enabling High Temperature Lift Hydration-Based Chemical Heat Pumps

Achieving high temperature lifts (>200 K) via a chemical heat pump based on salt hydration/dehydration reactions requires the transport of water vapor from low to high pressure. Alternative compression approaches require condensing of low-pressure water vapor, pumping of liquid water, and subsequent evaporation when the low-side pressure corresponds to sub-ambient water saturation temperatures. Thus, this study compares four steam compression methods for use within a chemical heat pump system based on a reversible calcium oxide hydration/dehydration reaction with a temperature lift from 350 °C heat to >600 °C. Purely mechanical and thermochemical/mechanical compression technologies are considered. A parametric study of maximum allowable temperature, the isentropic efficiency of mechanical compressors, the effectiveness of heat exchangers, and the assumed allowable heat exchanger pressure drop is conducted to determine the mechanical and thermal energy consumed per kilogram of compressed steam. The system complexity in terms of the number of main system components, maximum pressure ratio, and maximum allowable temperature is estimated. Model results show an absorption-based steam compressor has the highest exergetic efficiency for the required chemical heat pump required conditions. As a result, this system configuration was then experimentally demonstrated to illustrate the impact of system performance on component effectiveness.

Advanced reactors↗

Probing structure–property relationship in chemical vapor deposited hybrid perovskites by pressure and temperature

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD), a low-cost and a scalable deposition technique, allows the growth of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) films without the use of solvents, substantially increasing air stability while also inducing the stable cubic phase at room temperature and at pressures as low as 0.25 GPa. MAPbI 3 thin films were grown by a facile two-step low-pressure vapor deposition process in a single reactor. This method results in films, which are usually in the tetragonal phase (space group: I4/mcm) and occasionally in the cubic phase under ambient conditions. High-pressure synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction studies from CVD-grown MAPbI 3 crystallites show that the sample remains in the cubic phase (space group: Im$\bar{3}$) between 0.25 and 3.0 GPa. Temperature-dependent transport measurements show sharp anomalies, correlating with the structural changes. The transport measurements from the CVD- grown cubic MAPI 3 film is further compared with a film in the tetragonal phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tower Water-Vapor Mixing Ratio Value-Added Product Report

The purpose of the Tower Water-Vapor Mixing Ratio (TWRMR) value-added product (VAP) is to calculate water-vapor mixing ratio at the 25-meter and 60-meter levels of the meteorological tower at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Central Facility.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Chemical Vapor Deposition of Zirconium Compounds: A Review

Coatings of zirconium compounds are used in a wide variety of fields, yet an understanding and descriptions of deposition mechanisms are scant in the public literature. The mechanisms of deposition for metallic zirconium, ZrC, ZrN, ZrO 2 , ZrB 2 , and zirconium silicides are discussed based on the direct vapor deposition research of those compounds where possible or compared to complementary titanium systems when direct research is lacking. Both inorganic and organometallic deposition systems are discussed. As a class of compounds, an understanding of the vapor deposition mechanisms can be significantly improved by investigations on metallic zirconium deposition by zirconium halides and hydrogen and by in situ analysis techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy or x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

organometallic↗

THE DETECTION OF WATER VAPOR ON MARS

We have found eleven weak lines of water vapor on a high dispersion near-infrared spectrogram of Mars taken at the coudè focus of the Mount Wilson 100-inch reflector on April 12/13,1963. We exposed 43 hours on ammoniated IV-N emulsion with a dispersion of 5.6 A/mm; the plate is well exposed at the poles and somewhat overexposed at the center of the planet’s disk. The Martian H 2 O lines in the X 8200 water-vapor band are displaced 0.42 A longward of their telluric counterparts due to the relative velocities of the earth and Mars: AV = +15 km/sec on that date. The Martian lines are strongest over the poles of the planet-we set the spectrograph slit daost north-south to cover both polar regions. This apparent polar strengthening of the Martian H 2 O lines is at least partially due to the increased air mass through the line of sight to high latitudes.

WATER VAPOR↗

LASE measurements of water vapor, aerosol, and cloud distribution in hurricane environments and their role in hurricane development

LASE measures high resolution moisture, aerosol, and cloud distributions not available from conventional observations. LASE water vapor measurements were compared with dropsondes to evaluate their accuracy. LASE water vapor measurements were used to assess the capability of hurricane models to improve their track accuracy by 100 km on 3 day forecasts using Florida State University models.

hurricanes water vapor LASE data assimilation↗