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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 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication of optical multilayer for two-color phase plate in super-resolution microscope

In super-resolution microscopy based on fluorescence depletion, the two-color phase plate (TPP) is an indispensable optical element, which can independently control the phase shifts for two beams of different color, i.e., the pump and erase beams. By controlling a phase shift of the erase beam through the TPP, the erase beam can be modulated into a doughnut shape, while the pump beam maintains the initial Gaussian shape. To obtain a reliable optical multiplayer (ML) for the TPP, we designed a ML with only two optical layers by performing numerical optimization. The measured phase shifts generated by the fabricated ML using interferometry correspond to the design values. The beam profiles in the focal plane are also consistent with theoretical results. Although the fabricated ML consists of only two optical layers, the ML can provide a suitable phase modulation function for the TPP in a practical super-resolution microscope.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Reduction in the interface-states density of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors fabricated on high-index Si (114) surfaces by using an external magnetic field

After fabrication of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) devices on high-index silicon (114) surfaces, their threshold voltage (Vth) and interface-states density (Dit) characteristics were measured under the influence of an externally applied magnetic field of B = 6 μT at room temperature. The electron flow of the MOSFET's channel presents high anisotropy on Si (114), and this effect is enhanced by using an external magnetic field B, applied parallel to the Si (114) surface but perpendicular to the electron flow direction. This special configuration results in the channel electrons experiencing a Lorentzian force which pushes the electrons closer to the Si (114)-SiO{sub 2} interface and therefore to the special morphology of the Si (114) surface. Interestingly, Dit evaluation of n-type MOSFETs fabricated on Si (114) surfaces shows that the Si (114)-SiO{sub 2} interface is of high quality so that Dit as low as ∼10{sup 10 }cm{sup −2}·eV{sup −1} are obtained for MOSFETs with channels aligned at specific orientations. Additionally, using both a small positive Vds ≤ 100 mV and B = 6 μT, the former Dit is reduced by 35% in MOSFETs whose channels are aligned parallel to row-like nanostructures formed atop Si (114) surfaces (channels having a 90° rotation), whereas Dit is increased by 25% in MOSFETs whose channels are aligned perpendicular to these nanostructures (channels having a 0° rotation). From these results, the special morphology of a high-index Si (114) plane having nanochannels on its surface opens the possibility to reduce the electron-trapping characteristics of MOSFET devices having deep-submicron features and operating at very high frequencies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nano-fabricated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy electrodes for lateral spin valves and observation of Nernst-Ettingshausen related signals

Lateral spin valves (LSVs) are efficient structures for characterizing spin currents in spintronics devices. Most LSVs are based on ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes for spin-injection and detection. While there are advantages for using perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) FM, e.g., stability to nano-scaling, these have almost not been studied. This is mainly due to difficulties in fabricating PMA FMs in a lateral geometry. We present here an efficient method, based on ion-milling through an AlN mask, for fabrication of LSVs with multi-layered PMA FMs such as Co/Pd and Co/Ni. We demonstrate, using standard permalloy FMs, that the method enables efficient spin injection. We show the multi-layer electrodes retain their PMA properties as well as spin injection and detection in PMA LSVs. In addition, we find a large asymmetric voltage signal which increases with current. We attribute this to a Nernst-Ettingshausen effect caused by local Joule heating and the perpendicular magnetic easy axis.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication and characterization of large arrays of mesoscopic gold rings on large-aspect-ratio cantilevers

We have fabricated large arrays of mesoscopic metal rings on ultrasensitive cantilevers. The arrays are defined by electron beam lithography and contain up to 10{sup 5} rings. The rings have a circumference of 1 μm, and are made of ultrapure (6N) Au that is deposited onto a silicon-on-insulator wafer without an adhesion layer. Subsequent processing of the SOI wafer results in each array being supported at the end of a free-standing cantilever. To accommodate the large arrays while maintaining a low spring constant, the cantilevers are nearly 1 mm in both lateral dimensions and 100 nm thick. The extreme aspect ratio of the cantilevers, the large array size, and the absence of a sticking layer are intended to enable measurements of the rings' average persistent current in the presence of relatively small magnetic fields. We describe the motivation for these measurements, the fabrication of the devices, and the characterization of the cantilevers' mechanical properties. We also discuss the devices' expected performance in measurements of .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fabrication of CuAl{sub 1−x}M{sub x}O{sub 2} (M = Fe, Cr)/Ni film delafossite compounds using spin coating and their microstructure and dielectric constant

The discovery of delafossite compound has encouraged more rapid technological developments particularly in transparent electronic devices. Copper oxide-based transparent thin films delafossite semiconductor recently give much attention in the field of optoelectronic technology, after the discovery of p-type CuAlO{sub 2}. The potential applications of a p-type semiconductor transparent conductive oxides (TCO) have been applied in broad field of optoelectronics. To explore a broad physical properties interms of magnetic conducting subtitution is understudied. In this work we report the fabrication of delafossite film on Ni substrate and their characterization of CuAl{sub 1−x}M{sub x}O{sub 2} delafossite compounds doped with Cr{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 3+} from the raw material of Cu(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}@@‡3H{sub 2}O, Al(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}@@‡9H{sub 2}O, Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}@@‡9H{sub 2}O and Cr(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}@@‡9H{sub 2}O. The films were prepared using spin coating through a sol-gel technique at various concentrations of x = 0, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 for chromium and x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 for iron doped. Crystal and microstructure were characterized by means of Cu-Kα Bragg-Brentano X-RD followed by High Score Plus and SEM-EDAX. The dielectric constants of the films were characterized using LCR meter. It was found that the CuAl{sub 1−x}M{sub x}O{sub 2}/Ni delafossite films were successfully fabricated. The CuAl{sub 1−x}Fe{sub x}O{sub 2} compound crystallized with lattice parameters of a = b ranged from 2.8603 Å to 2.8675 Å and c ranged from 16.9576 to 17.0763 Å. The increase of the dopant give rise to the increase of the lattice parameters. Since iron has bigger ionic radius (69 pm) than original site of Al{sup 3+} with radius of 53 pm the crystal volume lattice also increase. Further analyses of increasing volume of the crystal, as expected, affected to the decreasing of its dielectric constant. The similar trends also shown by Cr{sup 3+} doped of CuAl{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 2} films with smaller effects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electrochemical fabrication and optical properties of porous tin oxide films with structural colors

Photonic crystals with porous features not only provide the capability to control light but also enable structural colors that are environmentally sensitive. Here, we report a novel kind of tin oxide-based photonic crystal featuring periodically arranged air pores fabricated by the periodic anodization of tin foil. The existence of a photonic band gap in the fabricated structure is verified by its vivid color, and its reflective spectra which are responsive to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, the sample colors (i.e., the photonic band gap positions) can be easily adjusted by manipulating the anodization parameters. The theoretical modeling results of these tin oxide photonic crystals agree well with the reported experimental ones.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Horn-coupled, commercially-fabricated aluminum lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors for millimeter wavelengths

We discuss the design, fabrication, and testing of prototype horn-coupled, lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) designed for cosmic microwave background studies. The LEKIDs are made from a thin aluminum film deposited on a silicon wafer and patterned using standard photolithographic techniques at STAR Cryoelectronics, a commercial device foundry. We fabricated 20-element arrays, optimized for a spectral band centered on 150 GHz, to test the sensitivity and yield of the devices as well as the multiplexing scheme. We characterized the detectors in two configurations. First, the detectors were tested in a dark environment with the horn apertures covered, and second, the horn apertures were pointed towards a beam-filling cryogenic blackbody load. These tests show that the multiplexing scheme is robust and scalable, the yield across multiple LEKID arrays is 91%, and the measured noise-equivalent temperatures for a 4 K optical load are in the range 26±6 μK√(s)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Design, fabrication, and properties of 2-2 connectivity cement/polymer based piezoelectric composites with varied piezoelectric phase distribution

The laminated 2-2 connectivity cement/polymer based piezoelectric composites with varied piezoelectric phase distribution were fabricated by employing Lead Zirconium Titanate ceramic as active phase, and mixture of cement powder, epoxy resin, and hardener as matrix phase with a mass proportion of 4:4:1. The dielectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical coupling properties of the composites were studied. The composites with large total volume fraction of piezoelectric phase have large piezoelectric strain constant and relative permittivity, and the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composites are independent of the dimensional variations of the piezoelectric ceramic layer. The composites with small total volume fraction of piezoelectric phase have large piezoelectric voltage constant, but also large dielectric loss. The composite with gradually increased dimension of piezoelectric ceramic layer has the smallest dielectric loss, and that with the gradually increased dimension of matrix layer has the largest piezoelectric voltage constant. The novel piezoelectric composites show potential applications in fabricating ultrasonic transducers with varied surface vibration amplitude of the transducer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Microstructure fabrication process induced modulations in CVD graphene

The systematic Raman spectroscopic study of a “mimicked” graphene device fabrication is presented. Upon photoresist baking, compressive stress is induced in the graphene which disappears after it is removed. The indirect irradiation from the electron beam (through the photoresist) does not significantly alter graphene characteristic Raman peaks indicating that graphene quality is preserved upon the exposure. The 2D peak shifts and the intensity ratio of 2D and G band, I(2D)/I(G), decreases upon direct metal deposition (Co and Py) suggesting that the electronic modulation occurs due to sp{sup 2} C-C bond weakening. In contrast, a thin metal oxide film deposited graphene does not show either the significant 2D and G peaks shift or I(2D)/I(G) decrease upon the metal deposition suggesting the oxide protect the graphene quality in the fabrication process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigation of inelastic electron tunneling spectra of metal-molecule-metal junctions fabricated using direct metal transfer method

We measured the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) characteristics of metal-molecule-metal junctions made with alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers. The molecular junctions were fabricated using a direct metal transfer method, which we previously reported for high-yield metal-molecule-metal junctions. The measured IETS data could be assigned to molecular vibration modes that were determined by the chemical structure of the molecules. We also observed discrepancies and device-to-device variations in the IETS data that possibly originate from defects in the molecular junctions and insulating walls introduced during the fabrication process and from the junction structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermal treatment-induced ductile-to-brittle transition of submicron-sized Si pillars fabricated by focused ion beam

Si pillars fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) had been reported to have a critical size of 310–400 nm, below which their deformation behavior would experience a brittle-to-ductile transition at room temperature. Here, we demonstrated that the size-dependent transition was actually stemmed from the amorphous Si (a-Si) shell introduced during the FIB fabrication process. Once the a-Si shell was crystallized, Si pillars would behave brittle again with their modulus comparable to their bulk counterpart. The analytical model we developed has been proved to be valid in deriving the moduli of crystalline Si core and a-Si shell.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication and characterization of photovoltaic devices based on perovskite compounds with TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles

Perovskite-type photovoltaic devices were fabricated by a spin-coating method using a mixture solution. The compact and meso-porous TiO{sub 2} of the solar cells were fabricated from TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and sol, and the photovoltaic properties and microstructures were characterized. The conversion efficiencies were improved by the combination of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and sol. Current density was also improved by increasing numbers of spin-coatings of meso-porous TiO{sub 2}. Thick meso-porous TiO2 layers would assist the construction of perovskite layers and block of the leak current.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large area fabrication of plasmonic nanoparticle grating structure by conventional scanning electron microscope

Plasmonic nanoparticle grating (PNG) structure of different periods has been fabricated by electron beam lithography using silver halide based transmission electron microscope film as a substrate. Conventional scanning electron microscope is used as a fabrication tool for electron beam lithography. Optical microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have been used for its morphological and elemental characterization. Optical characterization is performed by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopic technique.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Au catalyst assisted growth of ZnO nanowires by vapour phase transport method on p-Si and fabrication of p-Si/n-ZnO heterojunction diode

In this work ZnO nanowires were grown on p type silicon (p-Si) substrate using Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) approach using Au as catalyst by vapor phase transport growth method. Surface morphology and structural properties of the grown ZnO nanowires were examined by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Using the n-ZnO nanowires (NW) grown on p-type silicon, n-ZnO NW/p-Si heterojunction diode was fabricated. The rectification property of the fabricated diode was studied by room temperature as well as high temperature (up to 370 K) current-voltage (I-V) measurements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication and characterization of spin injector using a high-quality B2-ordered-Co{sub 2}FeSi{sub 0.5}Al{sub 0.5}/MgO/Si(100) tunnel contact

We successfully fabricate a (100)-orientated B2-type-Co{sub 2}FeSi{sub 0.5}Al{sub 0.5} (CFSA)/MgO/Si(100) tunnel contact that is promising for an efficient spin injector for Si channels. The MgO barrier is formed by radical oxidation of an Mg thin film deposited on a Si(100) surface at room temperature and successive radical oxygen annealing at 400 °C. The CFSA electrode is grown on the MgO barrier at 400 °C by ultrahigh-vacuum molecular beam deposition, and it exhibits a (100)-orientated columnar polycrystalline structure with a high degree (63%) of B2-order. The MgO barrier near the interface of the CFSA/MgO junction is crystallized with the (100) orientation, i.e., the spin filter effect due to the MgO barrier could be expected for this junction. A three-terminal Si-channel spin-accumulation device with a CFSA/MgO/Si(100) spin injector is fabricated, and the Hanle effect of accumulated spin polarized electrons injected from this contact to the Si channel is observed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication of ten-fold photonic quasicrystalline structures

Compared to periodic crystals, quasicrystals have higher point group symmetry and are more favorable in achieving complete band-gaps. In this report, a top-cut prism interferometer is designed to fabricate ten-fold photonic quasicrystalline structures. By optimizing the exposing conditions and material characteristics, appropriate quasicrystals have been obtained in the SU8 photoresist films. Atomic Force Microscopy and laser diffraction are used to characterize the fabricated structures. The measurement results show the consistence between the theoretical design and experiments. This will provide guidance for the large-area and fast production of ten-fold quasicrystalline structures with high quality.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication and characterization of tunnel barriers in a multi-walled carbon nanotube formed by argon atom beam irradiation

We have evaluated tunnel barriers formed in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by an Ar atom beam irradiation method and applied the technique to fabricate coupled double quantum dots. The two-terminal resistance of the individual MWNTs was increased owing to local damage caused by the Ar beam irradiation. The temperature dependence of the current through a single barrier suggested two different contributions to its Arrhenius plot, i.e., formed by direct tunneling through the barrier and by thermal activation over the barrier. The height of the formed barriers was estimated. The fabrication technique was used to produce coupled double quantum dots with serially formed triple barriers on a MWNT. The current measured at 1.5 K as a function of two side-gate voltages resulted in a honeycomb-like charge stability diagram, which confirmed the formation of the double dots. The characteristic parameters of the double quantum dots were calculated, and the feasibility of the technique is discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fabrication of reproducible sub-5 nm nanogaps by a focused ion beam and observation of Fowler-Nordheim tunneling

Creating a stable high resistance sub-5 nm nanogap in between conductive electrodes is one of the major challenges in the device fabrication of nano-objects. Gap-sizes of 20 nm and above can be fabricated reproducibly by the precise focusing of the ion beam and careful milling of the metallic lines. Here, by tuning ion dosages starting from 4.6 × 10{sup 10} ions/cm and above, reproducible nanogaps with sub-5 nm sizes are milled with focused ion beam. The resistance as a function of gap dimension shows an exponential behavior, and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect was observed in nanoelectrodes with sub-5 nm nanogaps. The application of Simmon's model to the milled nanogaps and the electrical analysis indicates that the minimum nanogap size approaches to 2.3 nm.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗