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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 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4})/Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) ribbon

Ribbon of magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4})/Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated with various concentration of PVA synthesized by co-precipitation method. Particle size of nanoparticles Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} sample and ribbon Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/PVA 25% sample is about 9.34 nm and 11.29 nm, respectively. The result of Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) showed that saturation magnetization value decreased from 76.99 emu/g to 15.01 emu/g and coercivity increased from 49.30 Oe to 158.35 Oe as increasing concentration of PVA. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis showed that encapsulated PVA given decreasing agglomeration, controlled shape of nanoparticles Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} more spherical and dispersed. Surface roughness decreased with increasing concentration of PVA.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Singularities of Silicon Surface Nanostructuring due to Ultrafast Heating in Water by a Femtosecond Laser Pulse

Silicon surface morphology induced by a femtosecond laser pulse at near-threshold fluences in water environment is investigated by means of atomic-force microscopy (AFM). With increasing fluence, the silicon surface transforms into nanoscale ring-shaped and blister structures, as well as smooth and nanostructured microcraters with a minimum depth of 1 nm. The formation of starlike patterns imprinted at the surface of microcraters at fluences above the ablation threshold is observed.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Superconducting properties of YaBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-delta films deposited on commercial tape substrates, decorated with Pd or Ta nano-islands

To obtain an engineered surface for deposition of high-Tc superconductors, nanoscale modulations of the surface of the underlying LaMnO3 (LMO) cap layer is a potential source for generating microstructural defects in YBa2Cu3O7- (YBCO) films. These defects may improve the flux-pinning and consequently increase the critical current density, Jc. To provide such nanoscale modulation via a practical and scalable process, tantalum (Ta) and palladium (Pd) nano-islands were deposited using dc-magnetron sputtering on the surface of the cap layer of commercial metal tape templates for second-generation wires. The size and density of these nano-islands can be controlled by changing sputtering conditions such as the power and deposition time. Compared to the reference sample grown on an untreated LMO cap layer, the YBCO films grown on the LMO cap layers with Ta or Pd nano-islands exhibited improved in-field Jc performance. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to assess the evolving size and density of the nano-islands.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

The influence of projectile ion induced chemistry on surface pattern formation

We report the critical role of projectile induced chemical inhomogeneity on surface nanostructure formation. Experimental inconsistency is common for low energy ion beam induced nanostructure formation in the presence of uncontrolled and complex contamination. To explore the precise role of contamination on such structure formation during low energy ion bombardment, a simple and clean experimental study is performed by selecting mono-element semiconductors as the target and chemically inert or reactive ion beams as the projectile as well as the source of controlled contamination. It is shown by Atomic Force Microscopy, Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy measurements that bombardment of nitrogen-like reactive ions on Silicon and Germanium surfaces forms a chemical compound at impact zones. Continuous bombardment of the same ions generates surface instability due to unequal sputtering and non-uniform re-arrangement of the elemental atom and compound. This instability leads to ripple formation during ion bombardment. For Argon-like chemically inert ion bombardment, the chemical inhomogeneity induced boost is absent; as a result, no ripples are observed in the same ion energy and fluence.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Growth of strontium ruthenate films by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the growth of epitaxial Sr 2 RuO 4 films using a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy approach in which a volatile precursor containing RuO 4 is used to supply ruthenium and oxygen. The use of the precursor overcomes a number of issues encountered in traditional molecular beam epitaxy that uses elemental metal sources. Phase-pure, epitaxial thin films of Sr 2 RuO 4 are obtained. At high substrate temperatures, growth proceeds in a layer-by-layer mode with intensity oscillations observed in reflection high-energy electron diffraction. Films are of high structural quality, as documented by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, the method should be suitable for the growth of other complex oxides containing ruthenium, opening up opportunities to investigate thin films that host rich exotic ground states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum ring arrays

Samples of epitaxial structures with GaAs/AlGaAs quantum rings different in morphology are grown by droplet epitaxy. The photoluminescence spectra of the samples are recorded at temperatures of 20–90 and 300 K. Intense peaks defined by quantum confinement of the charge-carrier energy in the quantum rings are observed in the optical region. The peaks are identified by estimating the energy of the ground state of electrons and holes in GaAs quantum rings and by recording the spectra of the samples after removing the layers with the quantum rings by etching. The average dimensions of the quantum rings are determined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Some inferences about the factors that influence the emission spectrum and intensity of the epitaxial structures with quantum rings are drawn.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Antimony-assisted carbonization of Si(111) with solid source molecular beam epitaxy

The carbonization of an antimony-terminated Si (111) surface in a solid source molecular beam epitaxy system is presented. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy are used to characterize samples grown with and without antimony termination. It is shown that the antimony-terminated surface promotes the formation of thin, smooth and continuous SiC films at a relatively low temperature of 800 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Carbonation dynamics of hydrated alite revealed by electron microscopy

CO 2 sequestration in concrete is crucial to relieve the environmental burden, while the carbonation mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we explored the carbonation dynamics of alite hydrates through electron microscopy. We discovered that calcite is the main phase of carbonate crystals throughout the entire carbonation period in the alite system. Further, the shape evolution of calcite crystals was captured: spindle carbonates initially formed on C-S-H substrate and then transformed into rhombohedrons; Intermediate states such as polyhedral particles and layered rhomboids were also observed. Based on our quantitative calculations, the growth rate of calcite particles was determined approximately 0.2 μm/day, which may be affected by the relative concentration between calcium ions and CO 2 source. A direct relation between the microstructure and mechanical properties of calcite was uncovered using atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, we found that the morphology development of calcite crystals during carbonation may be explained by the surface energy variation of different facets. This work suggests a unique approach to track carbonation kinetics and provides new opportunities to unveil underlying carbonation mechanisms at the nanoscale.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of post-deposition treatment on energy conversion efficiency of nanostructured CdS/Cu{sub 2}S thin films

In the present manuscript we report about synthesis of nanostructured CdS/Cu{sub 2}S thin films by economically viable soft chemical route and effect of post deposition treatments such as annealing in air and swift heavy ion irradiation on solar energy conversion efficiency of the heterojunction device. These as grown, annealed and irradiated thin films are characterized for structural, morphological, optical and I-V properties. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) represents structural as well as crystallite modifications, atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows improvement in surface appearance of the materials. The solar energy conversion efficiency calculated from I-V exhibited increase in conversion efficiency i. e. 0.09, 0.24 and 0.48 % for as grown, annealed and SHI irradiated thin films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pulsed laser deposition of air-sensitive hydride epitaxial thin films: LiH

We report on the epitaxial thin film growth of an air-sensitive hydride, lithium hydride (LiH), using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We first synthesized a dense LiH target, which is key for PLD growth of high-quality hydride films. Then, we obtained epitaxial thin films of [100]-oriented LiH on a MgO(100) substrate at 250 °C under a hydrogen pressure of 1.3 × 10{sup −2} Pa. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the film demonstrates a Stranski-Krastanov growth mode and that the film with a thickness of ∼10 nm has a good surface flatness, with root-mean-square roughness R{sub RMS} of ∼0.4 nm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Synthesis of Few-Layer GaSe Nanosheets for High Performance Photodetectors

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor nanomaterials hold great promises for future electronics and optics. In this paper, a 2D nanosheets of ultrathin GaSe has been prepared by using mechanical cleavage and solvent exfoliation method. Single- and few-layer GaSe nanosheets are exfoliated on an SiO2/Si substrate and characterized by atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Ultrathin GaSe-based photodetector shows a fast response of 0.02 s, high responsivity of 2.8 AW 1 and high external quantum efficiency of 1367% at 254 nm, indicating that the two-dimensional nanostructure of GaSe is a new promising material for high performance photodetectors.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Design and performance of a combined secondary ion mass spectrometry-scanning probe microscopy instrument for high sensitivity and high-resolution elemental three-dimensional analysis

State-of-the-art secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) instruments allow producing 3D chemical mappings with excellent sensitivity and spatial resolution. Several important artifacts however arise from the fact that SIMS 3D mapping does not take into account the surface topography of the sample. In order to correct these artifacts, we have integrated a specially developed scanning probe microscopy (SPM) system into a commercial Cameca NanoSIMS 50 instrument. This new SPM module, which was designed as a DN200CF flange-mounted bolt-on accessory, includes a new high-precision sample stage, a scanner with a range of 100 {mu}m in x and y direction, and a dedicated SPM head which can be operated in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy modes. Topographical information gained from AFM measurements taken before, during, and after SIMS analysis as well as the SIMS data are automatically compiled into an accurate 3D reconstruction using the software program 'SARINA,' which was developed for this first combined SIMS-SPM instrument. The achievable lateral resolutions are 6 nm in the SPM mode and 45 nm in the SIMS mode. Elemental 3D images obtained with our integrated SIMS-SPM instrument on Al/Cu and polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) samples demonstrate the advantages of the combined SIMS-SPM approach.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Growth, strain relaxation properties and high-κ dielectric integration of mixed-anion GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} metamorphic materials

Mixed-anion, GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} metamorphic materials with a wide range of antimony (Sb) compositions extending from 15% to 62%, were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. The impact of different growth parameters on the Sb composition in GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} materials was systemically investigated. The Sb composition was well-controlled by carefully optimizing the As/Ga ratio, the Sb/Ga ratio, and the substrate temperature during the MBE growth process. High-resolution x-ray diffraction demonstrated a quasi-complete strain relaxation within each composition of GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y}. Atomic force microscopy exhibited smooth surface morphologies across the wide range of Sb compositions in the GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} structures. Selected high-κ dielectric materials, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, HfO{sub 2}, and Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} were deposited using atomic layer deposition on the GaAs{sub 0.38}Sb{sub 0.62} material, and their respective band alignment properties were investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Detailed XPS analysis revealed a valence band offset of >2 eV for all three dielectric materials on GaAs{sub 0.38}Sb{sub 0.62}, indicating the potential of utilizing these dielectrics on GaAs{sub 0.38}Sb{sub 0.62} for p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) applications. Moreover, both Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and HfO{sub 2} showed a conduction band offset of >2 eV on GaAs{sub 0.38}Sb{sub 0.62}, suggesting these two dielectrics can also be used for n-type MOS applications. The well-controlled Sb composition in several GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} material systems and the detailed band alignment analysis of multiple high-κ dielectric materials on a fixed Sb composition, GaAs{sub 0.38}Sb{sub 0.62}, provides a pathway to utilize GaAs{sub 1-y}Sb{sub y} materials in future microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Investigation of hole injection enhancement by MoO{sub 3} buffer layer in organic light emitting diodes

An MoO{sub 3} buffer layer prepared by thermal evaporation as hole injection layer was investigated in organic light emitting diodes. The MoO{sub 3} film inserted between the anode and hole transport layer decreased the operating voltage and enhanced power efficiency. Introduction of 1 nm MoO{sub 3} film, which was found to be the optimum layer thickness, resulted in 45% increase in efficiency compared with traditional ITO anode. Results from atomic force microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy showed that smooth surface morphology and suitable energy level alignment of ITO/MoO{sub 3} interface facilitated hole injection and transport. The hole injection and transport mechanism at the ITO/MoO{sub 3} interface in thin and thick buffer layers were analyzed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

A method to measure nanomechanical properties of biological objects

We postulate that one will be able to quantitatively infer changes in the mechanical properties of proteins, cells, and other biological objects (BO) by measuring the shifts of several thermally excited resonance frequencies of atomic force microscopy cantilevers in contact with BOs. Here, we provide a method to extract spring constants and molecular damping factors of BOs in biologically relevant phosphate buffered saline medium and using compliant AFM cantilevers with a small aspect ratio (a ratio of length to width)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Gelatin/graphene systems for low cost energy storage

In this work, we introduce the possibility to use a low cost, biodegradable material for temporary energy storage devices. Here, we report the use of biologically derived organic electrodes composed of gelatin ad graphene. The graphene was obtained by mild sonication in a mixture of volatile solvents of natural graphite flakes and subsequent centrifugation. The presence of exfoliated graphene sheets was detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. The homogeneous dispersion in gelatin demonstrates a good compatibility between the gelatin molecules and the graphene particles. The electrical characterization of the resulting nanocomposites suggests the possible applications as materials for transient, low cost energy storage device.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Film transfer enabled by nanosheet seed layers on arbitrary sacrificial substrates

An approach for film transfer is demonstrated that makes use of seed layers of nanosheets on arbitrary sacrificial substrates. Epitaxial SrTiO{sub 3}, SrRuO{sub 3}, and BiFeO{sub 3} films were grown on Ca{sub 2}Nb{sub 3}O{sub 10} nanosheet seed layers on phlogopite mica substrates. Cleavage of the mica substrates enabled film transfer to flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates. Electron backscatter diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy confirmed that crystal orientation and film morphology remained intact during transfer. The generic nature of this approach is illustrated by growing films on zinc oxide substrates with a nanosheet seed layer. Film transfer to a flexible substrate was accomplished via acid etching.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Complexation behavior of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes: Effect of charge distribution

Complexation behavior of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes in a solution is investigated using a combination of computer simulations and experiments, focusing on the influence of polyelectrolyte charge distributions along the chains on the structure of the polyelectrolyte complexes. The simulations are performed using Monte Carlo with the replica-exchange algorithm for three model systems where each system is composed of a mixture of two types of oppositely charged model polyelectrolyte chains (EGEG){sub 5}/(KGKG){sub 5}, (EEGG){sub 5}/(KKGG){sub 5}, and (EEGG){sub 5}/(KGKG){sub 5}, in a solution including explicit solvent molecules. Among the three model systems, only the charge distributions along the chains are not identical. Thermodynamic quantities are calculated as a function of temperature (or ionic strength), and the microscopic structures of complexes are examined. It is found that the three systems have different transition temperatures, and form complexes with different sizes, structures, and densities at a given temperature. Complex microscopic structures with an alternating arrangement of one monolayer of E/K monomers and one monolayer of G monomers, with one bilayer of E and K monomers and one bilayer of G monomers, and with a mixture of monolayer and bilayer of E/K monomers in a box shape and a trilayer of G monomers inside the box are obtained for the three mixture systems, respectively. The experiments are carried out for three systems where each is composed of a mixture of two types of oppositely charged peptide chains. Each peptide chain is composed of Lysine (K) and glycine (G) or glutamate (E) and G, in solution, and the chain length and amino acid sequences, and hence the charge distribution, are precisely controlled, and all of them are identical with those for the corresponding model chain. The complexation behavior and complex structures are characterized through laser light scattering and atomic force microscopy measurements. The order of the apparent weight-averaged molar mass and the order of density of complexes observed from the three experimental systems are qualitatively in agreement with those predicted from the simulations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗