Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “THERMIONIC EMISSION”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Long-Wavelength Stacked SiGe/Si Heterojunction Internal Photoemission Infrared Detectors Using Multiple SiGe/Si Layers

Utilizing low temperature silicon molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth, long-wavelength stacked SiGe/Si heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) infrared detectors with multiple SiGe/Si layers have been fabricated and demonstrated. Using an elemental boron source, high doping concentrations (approximately equal to 4 x 10(sup 20) cm(sup -3)) has been achieved and high crystalline quality multiple Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3)/Si layers have been obtained. The detector structure consists of several periods of degenerately boron doped (approximately equal to 4 x 10(sup 20) cm(sup -3)) thin (less than or equal to 50 u Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3) layers and undoped thick (approximately equal to 300u Si layers. The multiple p(sup +) - Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3)/undoped-Si layers show strong infrared absorption in the long-wavelength regime mainly through free carrier absorption. The stacked Si(sub 0.7)Ge(sub 0.3)/Si HIP detectors with p = 4 x 10(sup 20) cm(sup -3) exhibit strong photoresponse at wavelengths ranging from 2 to 20 (micro)m with quantum efficiencies of about 4% and 1.5% at 10 and 15 (micro)m wavelengths, respectively. The detectors show near ideal thermionic-emission limited dark current characteristics.

beam epitaxy↗
NASA NTRS2007

Amplified Thermionic Cooling Using Arrays of Nanowires

A class of proposed thermionic cooling devices would incorporate precise arrays of metal nanowires as electron emitters. The proposed devices could be highly miniaturized, enabling removal of heat from locations, very close to electronic devices, that have previously been inaccessible for heat-removal purposes. The resulting enhancement of removal of heat would enable operation of the devices at higher power levels and higher clock speeds. Moreover, the mass, complexity, and bulk of electronic circuitry incorporating these highly miniaturized cooling devices could be considerably reduced, relative to otherwise equivalent circuitry cooled by conventional electromechanical, thermoelectric, and fluidic means. In thermionic cooling, one exploits the fact that because only the highest-energy electrons are thermionically emitted, collecting those electrons to prevent their return to the emitting electrode results in the net removal of heat from that electrode. Collection is effected by applying an appropriate positive bias potential to another electrode placed near the emitting electrode. The concept underlying the proposal is that the thermionic-emission current and, hence, the cooling effect attainable by use of an array of nanowires could be significantly greater than that attainable by use of a single emitting electrode or other electron- emitting surface. The wires in an array according to the proposal would protrude perpendicularly from a planar surface and their heights would be made uniform to within a sub-nanometer level of precision

Yang, Eui-Hyeok↗
NASA NTRS2010

InGaP Heterojunction Barrier Solar Cells

A new solar-cell structure utilizes a single, ultra-wide well of either gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium-gallium-phosphide (InGaP) in the depletion region of a wide bandgap matrix, instead of the usual multiple quantum well layers. These InGaP barrier layers are effective at reducing diode dark current, and photogenerated carrier escape is maximized by the proper design of the electric field and barrier profile. With the new material, open-circuit voltage enhancements of 40 and 100 mV (versus PIN control systems) are possible without any degradation in short-circuit current. Basic tenets of quantum-well and quantum- dot solar cells are utilized, but instead of using multiple thin layers, a single wide well works better. InGaP is used as a barrier material, which increases open current, while simultaneously lowering dark current, reducing both hole diffusion from the base, and space charge recombination within the depletion region. Both the built-in field and the barrier profile are tailored to enhance thermionic emissions, which maximizes the photocurrent at forward bias, with a demonstrated voltage increase. An InGaP heterojunction barrier solar cell consists of a single, ultra-wide GaAs, aluminum-gallium-arsenide (AlGaAs), or lower-energy-gap InGaP absorber well placed within the depletion region of an otherwise wide bandgap PIN diode. Photogenerated electron collection is unencumbered in this structure. InGaAs wells can be added to the thick GaAs absorber layer to capture lower-energy photons.

Welser, Roger E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Thermionic Power Cell To Harness Heat Energies for Geothermal Applications

A unit thermionic power cell (TPC) concept has been developed that converts natural heat found in high-temperature environments (460 to 700 C) into electrical power for in situ instruments and electronics. Thermionic emission of electrons occurs when an emitter filament is heated to gwhite hot h temperatures (>1,000 C) allowing electrons to overcome the potential barrier and emit into the vacuum. These electrons are then collected by an anode, and transported to the external circuit for energy storage.

Manohara, Harish↗
NASA NTRS2016

Investigation of Miniaturized Radioisotope Thermionic Power Generation for General Use

Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) running off the radioisotope Pu238 are the current standard in deep space probe power supplies. While reliable, these generators are very inefficient, operating at only approx.7% efficiency. As an alternative, more efficient radioisotope thermionic emission generators (RTIGs) are being explored. Like RTGs, current RTIGs concepts use exotic materials for the emitter, limiting applicability to space and other niche applications. The high demand for long-lasting mobile power sources would be satisfied if RTIGs could be produced inexpensively. This work focuses on exposing several common materials, such as Al, stainless steel, W, Si, and Cu, to elevated temperatures under vacuum to determine the efficiency of each material as inexpensive replacements for thermoelectric materials.

Duzik, Adam J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Long-Wavelength PtSi Infrared Detectors Fabricated by Incorporating a P+ Doping Spike Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

By incorporating a 1-nm-thick p+ doping spike at the PtSi/Si interface, we have successfullydemonstrated extended cutoff wavelengths of PtSi Schottky infrared detectors in the long wavelengthinfrared (LWIR) regime for the first time. The extended cutoff wavelengths resulted from thecombined effects of an increased electric field near the silicide/Si interface due to the p+ dopingspike and the Schottky image force. The p+ doping spikes were grown by molecular bema epitaxy at450 degrees C using elemental boron as the dopant source, with doping concentrations ranging from 5x 10^(19) to 2 x 10^(20) cm^(-3). Transmission electron microscopy indicated good crystallinequality of the doping spikes. The cutoff wavelengths were shown to increase with increasing dopingconcentrations of the p+ spikes. Thermionic emission dark current characteristics were observed andphotoresponse in the LWIR regime was demonstrated.

Maserjian, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Tailorable Doping-Spike PtSi Infrared Detectors Fabricated by Si Molecular Beam Epitaxy

By incorporating a 1-nm-thick p+ doping spike at the PtSi/Si interface, we have successfullydemonstrated extended cutoff wavelengths of PtSi Schottky infrared detectors. The extended cutoffwavelengths resulted from the reduced effective potential barriers due to the combined effects of anincreased electric field near the silicide/Si interface and the Schottky image force. The p+ dopingspikes were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at 450 degrees C using elemental boron as the dopantsource, with doping concentrations ranging from 5 x 10^(19) to 2 x 10^(20) cm^(-3). The cutoffwavelengths were shown to increase with increasing doping concentrations of the p+ spikes. Thermionic emission dark current characteristics were observed and photoresponse in the LWIRregime was demonstrated. Furthermore, the effective potential barriers determined by the Richardsonplots were used to study the electrically activated boron dopant concentrations of the thin (1-nm-thick) spikes.

del Castillo, H. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

In-FEEP ion beam neutralization with thermionic and field emission cathodes

Charge neutralization of an In-FEEP thruster was demonstrated with three different electron sources by zeroing the floating potential of the thruster and neutralizer system. The three cathodes used in the investigation include a mixed metal thermionic cathode, a carbon nanotube field emission cathode, and a Spindt-type Mo field emission array cathode.

field emission cathodes FEEP electric propulsion↗
DOE OSTI2020

Transitions between electron emission and gas breakdown mechanisms across length and pressure scales

This Perspective outlines theoretical, simulation, and experimental studies linking electron emission and gas breakdown. Many studies have investigated field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown, including recent reviews [Garner et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 48, 808–824 (2020); Fu et al., Plasma Res. Express 2, 013001 (2020)]. This Perspective focuses on generalizing field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown to consider the contribution of other forms of electron emission, specifically thermionic and space-charge limited. Recent theoretical studies have unified thermionic, field, and space-charge limited emission with and without collisions to derive “nexuses” where the individual solutions match, indicating transitions in the mechanisms. Reducing device size to nanoscale at atmospheric pressure leads to a transition from field emission to space-charge limited emission for nitrogen at ~250 nm. This Perspective summarizes the derivation of these nexuses and future extensions. We next describe simulation and theoretical studies for field emission-driven microscale gas breakdown and highlight how the nexus theory may be integrated to account for temperature, space-charge, and pulse parameters. Finally, we summarize the development of optical techniques to assess microscale gas breakdown and recent nanoscale experiments at atmospheric pressure that suggest that space-charge may begin to contribute to field emission prior to gas breakdown. We highlight the combination of theory, simulation, and experiment to link electron emission and gas breakdown mechanisms across length, pressure, and temperature scales for applications that include vacuum electronics, pulsed power, and medicine.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1976

Work function determination of promising electrode materials for thermionic energy converters

The work function determinations of candidate materials for low temperature (1400 K) thermionics through vacuum emission tests are discussed. Two systems, a vacuum emission test vehicle and a thermionic emission microscope are used for emission measurements. Some nickel and cobalt based super alloys were preliminarily examined. High temperature physical properties and corrosion behavior of some super alloy candidates are presented. The corrosion behavior of sodium is of particular interest since topping cycles might use sodium heat transfer loops. A Marchuk tube was designed for plasma discharge studies with the carbide and possibly some super alloy samples. A series of metal carbides and other alloys were fabricated and tested in a special high temperature mass spectrometer. This information coupled with work function determinations was evaluated in an attempt to learn how electron bonding occurs in transition alloys.

Jacobson, D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

The transition from field emission to collisional space-charge limited current with nonzero initial velocity

Abstract Multiple electron emission mechanisms often contribute in electron devices, motivating theoretical studies characterizing the transitions between them. Previous studies unified thermionic and field emission, defined by the Richardson-Laue-Dushman (RLD) and Fowler–Nordheim (FN) equations, respectively, with the Child-Langmuir (CL) law for vacuum space-charge limited current (SCLC); another study unified FN and CL with the Mott-Gurney (MG) law for collisional SCLC. However, thermionic emission, which introduces a nonzero injection velocity, may also occur in gas, motivating this analysis to unify RLD, FN, CL, and MG. We exactly calculate the current density as a function of applied voltage over a range of injection velocity (i.e., temperature), mobility, and gap distance. This exact solution approaches RLD, FN, and generalized CL (GCL) and MG (GMG) for nonzero injection velocity under appropriate limits. For nonzero initial velocity, GMG approaches zero for sufficiently small applied voltage and mobility, making these gaps always space-charge limited by either GMG at low voltage or GCL at high voltage. The third-order nexus between FN, GMG, and GCL changes negligibly from the zero initial velocity calculation over ten orders of magnitude of applied voltage. These results provide a closed form solution for GMG and guidance on thermionic emission in a collisional gap.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Kinetic simulations of ignited mode cesium vapor thermionic converters

Cesium vapor thermionic converters are an attractive method of converting high-temperature heat directly to electricity, but theoretical descriptions of the systems have been difficult due to the multi-step ionization of Cs through inelastic electron–neutral collisions. This work presents particle-in-cell simulations of these converters, using a direct simulation Monte Carlo collision model to track 52 excited states of Cs. Here, these simulations show the dominant role of multi-step ionization, which also varies significantly based on both the applied voltage bias and pressure. The electron energy distribution functions are shown to be highly non-Maxwellian in the cases analyzed here. A comparison with previous approaches is presented, and large differences are found in ionization rates due especially to the fact that previous approaches have assumed Maxwellian electron distributions. Finally, an open question regarding the nature of the plasma sheaths in the obstructed regime is discussed. The one-dimensional simulations did not produce stable obstructed regime operation and thereby do not support the double-sheath hypothesis.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗