Formation of tungsten oxide nanowires by ion irradiation and vacuum annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xu-Dong; Ren, Feng; Wu, Heng-Yi; Qin, Wen-Jing; Jiang, Chang-Zhong

2018-04-01

Here we reported the fabrication of tungsten oxide (WO3-x ) nanowires by Ar+ ion irradiation of WO3 thin films followed by annealing in vacuum. The nanowire length increases with increasing irradiation fluence and with decreasing ion energy. We propose that the stress-driven diffusion of the irradiation-induced W interstitial atoms is responsible for the formation of the nanowires. Comparing to the pristine film, the fabricated nanowire film shows a 106-fold enhancement in electrical conductivity, resulting from the high-density irradiation-induced vacancies on the oxygen sublattice. The nanostructure exhibits largely enhanced surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect due to the oxygen vacancy. Thus, ion irradiation provides a powerful approach for fabricating and tailoring the surface nanostructures of semiconductors.

Surface Effects and Challenges for Application of Piezoelectric Langasite Substrates in Surface Acoustic Wave Devices Caused by High Temperature Annealing under High Vacuum.

PubMed

Seifert, Marietta; Rane, Gayatri K; Kirbus, Benjamin; Menzel, Siegfried B; Gemming, Thomas

2015-12-19

Substrate materials that are high-temperature stable are essential for sensor devices which are applied at high temperatures. Although langasite is suggested as such a material, severe O and Ga diffusion into an O-affine deposited film was observed during annealing at high temperatures under vacuum conditions, leading to a damage of the metallization as well as a change of the properties of the substrate and finally to a failure of the device. Therefore, annealing of bare LGS (La 3 Ga 5 SiO 14 ) substrates at 800 ∘ C under high vacuum conditions is performed to analyze whether this pretreatment improves the suitability and stability of this material for high temperature applications in vacuum. To reveal the influence of the pretreatment on the subsequently deposited metallization, RuAl thin films are used as they are known to oxidize on LGS at high temperatures. A local study of the pretreated and metallized substrates using transmission electron microscopy reveals strong modification of the substrate surface. Micro cracks are visible. The composition of the substrate is strongly altered at those regions. Severe challenges for the application of LGS substrates under high-temperature vacuum conditions arise from these substrate damages, revealing that the pretreatment does not improve the applicability.

Influence of vacuum annealing on the properties of Cu2SnS3 thin films using low cost ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahaman, Sabina; Sunil, M. Anantha; Shaik, Habibuddin; Ghosh, Kaustab

2018-05-01

Deposition of Cu2SnS3 (CTS) thin films is successfully carried out on soda lime glass substrate using low cost ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. Vacuum annealing of CTS films is carried out at different temperatures 350°C, 400°C and 450°C. The present work is to study the effect of annealing temperature on the crystal structure, surface morphology and optical properties of CTS thin films. Structural studies confirm the formation of CTS phase. Raman analysis is carried out to study presence of defects with annealing temperature. Optical studies confirm that film prepared at 450°C temperature is suitable as absorber material for photovoltaic applications.

In situ electrical resistivity measurements of vanadium thin films performed in vacuum during different annealing cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedrosa, Paulo; Cote, Jean-Marc; Martin, Nicolas; Arab Pour Yazdi, Mohammad; Billard, Alain

2017-02-01

The present study describes a sputtering and in situ vacuum electrical resistivity setup that allows a more efficient sputtering-oxidation coupling process for the fabrication of oxide compounds like vanadium dioxide, VO2. After the sputtering deposition of pure V thin films, the proposed setup enables the sample holder to be transferred from the sputtering to the in situ annealing + resistivity chamber without venting the whole system. The thermal oxidation of the V films was studied by implementing two different temperature cycles up to 550 °C, both in air (using a different resistivity setup) and vacuum conditions. Main results show that the proposed system is able to accurately follow the different temperature setpoints, presenting clean and low-noise resistivity curves. Furthermore, it is possible to identify the formation of different vanadium oxide phases in air, taking into account the distinct temperature cycles used. The metallic-like electrical properties of the annealed coatings are maintained in vacuum whereas those heated in air produce a vanadium oxide phase mixture.

In situ electrical resistivity measurements of vanadium thin films performed in vacuum during different annealing cycles.

PubMed

Pedrosa, Paulo; Cote, Jean-Marc; Martin, Nicolas; Arab Pour Yazdi, Mohammad; Billard, Alain

2017-02-01

The present study describes a sputtering and in situ vacuum electrical resistivity setup that allows a more efficient sputtering-oxidation coupling process for the fabrication of oxide compounds like vanadium dioxide, VO 2 . After the sputtering deposition of pure V thin films, the proposed setup enables the sample holder to be transferred from the sputtering to the in situ annealing + resistivity chamber without venting the whole system. The thermal oxidation of the V films was studied by implementing two different temperature cycles up to 550 °C, both in air (using a different resistivity setup) and vacuum conditions. Main results show that the proposed system is able to accurately follow the different temperature setpoints, presenting clean and low-noise resistivity curves. Furthermore, it is possible to identify the formation of different vanadium oxide phases in air, taking into account the distinct temperature cycles used. The metallic-like electrical properties of the annealed coatings are maintained in vacuum whereas those heated in air produce a vanadium oxide phase mixture.

Impact of thermal annealing on optical properties of vacuum evaporated CdTe thin films for solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chander, Subhash, E-mail: sckhurdra@gmail.com; Purohit, A.; Lal, C.

2016-05-06

In this paper, the impact of thermal annealing on optical properties of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films is investigated. The films of thickness 650 nm were deposited on thoroughly cleaned glass substrate employing vacuum evaporation followed by thermal annealing in the temperature range 250-450 °C. The as-deposited and annealed films were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The optical band gap is found to be decreased from 1.88 eV to 1.48 eV with thermal annealing. The refractive index is found to be in the range 2.73-2.92 and observed to increase with annealing treatment. The experimental results reveal that the thermal annealing plays anmore » important role to enhance the optical properties of CdTe thin films and annealed films may be used as absorber layer in CdTe/CdS solar cells.« less

Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesler, V. G.; Seleznev, V. A.; Kovchavtsev, A. P.; Guzev, A. A.

2010-05-01

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 °C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of "pits" and "hillocks" on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 × 10 8 cm -2, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 °C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the "pits" proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

[Effects of different annealing conditions on the photoluminescence of nanoporous alumina film].

PubMed

Xie, Ning; Ma, Kai-Di; Shen, Yi-Fan; Wang, Qian

2013-12-01

The nanoporous alumina films were prepared by two-step anodic oxidation in 0.5 mol L-1 oxalic acid electrolyte at 40 V. Photoluminescence (PL) of nanoporous alumina films was investigated under different annealing atmosphere and different temperature. The authors got three results about the PL measurements. In the same annealing atmosphere, when the annealling temperature T< or =600 degreeC, the intensity of the PL peak increases with elevated annealing temperature and reaches a maximum value at 500 degreeC, but the intensity decreases with a further increase in the annealing temperature, and the PL peak intensity of samples increases with the increase in the annealing temperature when the annealling temperature T> or =800 degreeC. In the different annealling atmosphere, the change in the photoluminescence peak position for nanoporous alumina films with the increase in the annealing temperature is different: With the increase in the annealling temperature, the PL peak position for the samples annealed in air atmosphere is blue shifted, while the PL peak position for the samples annealed in vacuum atmosphere will not change. The PL spectra of nanoporous alumina films annealed at 1100 degreeC in air atmosphere can be de-convoluted by three Gaussian components at an excitation wavelength of 350 nm, with bands centered at 387, 410 and 439 nm, respectively. These results suggest that there might be three luminescence centers for the PL of annealed alumina films. At the same annealling temperature, the PL peak intensity of samples annealed in air atmosphere is stronger than that annealed in the vacuum. Based on the experimental results and the X-ray dispersive energy spectrum (EDS) combined with infrared reflect spectra, the luminescence mechanisms of nanoporous alumina films are discussed. There are three luminescence centers in the annealed nanoporous alumina films, which originate from the F center, F+ center and the center associated with the oxalic impurities. The

Remarkably Enhanced Room-Temperature Hydrogen Sensing of SnO₂ Nanoflowers via Vacuum Annealing Treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Gao; Wang, Zhao; Chen, Zihui; Yang, Shulin; Fu, Xingxing; Huang, Rui; Li, Xiaokang; Xiong, Juan; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang

2018-03-23

In this work, SnO₂ nanoflowers synthesized by a hydrothermal method were employed as hydrogen sensing materials. The as-synthesized SnO₂ nanoflowers consisted of cuboid-like SnO₂ nanorods with tetragonal structures. A great increase in the relative content of surface-adsorbed oxygen was observed after the vacuum annealing treatment, and this increase could have been due to the increase in surface oxygen vacancies serving as preferential adsorption sites for oxygen species. Annealing treatment resulted in an 8% increase in the specific surface area of the samples. Moreover, the conductivity of the sensors decreased after the annealing treatment, which should be attributed to the increase in electron scattering around the defects and the compensated donor behavior of the oxygen vacancies due to the surface oxygen adsorption. The hydrogen sensors of the annealed samples, compared to those of the unannealed samples, exhibited a much higher sensitivity and faster response rate. The sensor response factor and response rate increased from 27.1% to 80.2% and 0.34%/s to 1.15%/s, respectively. This remarkable enhancement in sensing performance induced by the annealing treatment could be attributed to the larger specific surface areas and higher amount of surface-adsorbed oxygen, which provides a greater reaction space for hydrogen. Moreover, the sensors with annealed SnO₂ nanoflowers also exhibited high selectivity towards hydrogen against CH₄, CO, and ethanol.

Onset temperature for Si nanostructure growth on Si substrate during high vacuum electron beam annealing.

PubMed

Fang, F; Markwitz, A

2009-05-01

Silicon nanostructures, called Si nanowhiskers, are successfully synthesized on Si(100) substrate by high vacuum electron beam annealing. The onset temperature and duration needed for the Si nanowhiskers to grow was investigated. It was found that the onset and growth morphology of Si nanowhiskers strongly depend on the annealing temperature and duration applied in the annealing cycle. The onset temperature for nanowhisker growth was determined as 680 degrees C using an annealing duration of 90 min and temperature ramps of +5 degrees C s(-1) for heating and -100 degrees C s(-1) for cooling. Decreasing the annealing time at peak temperature to 5 min required an increase in peak temperature to 800 degrees C to initiate the nanowhisker growth. At 900 degrees C the duration for annealing at peak temperature can be set to 0 s to grow silicon nanowhiskers. A correlation was found between the variation in annealing temperature and duration and the nanowhisker height and density. Annealing at 900 degrees C for 0 s, only 2-3 nanowhiskers (average height 2.4 nm) grow on a surface area of 5 x 5 microm, whereas more than 500 nanowhiskers with an important average height of 4.6 nm for field emission applications grow on the same surface area for a sample annealed at 970 degrees C for 0 s. Selected results are presented showing the possibility of controlling the density and height of Si nanowhisker growth for field emission applications by applying different annealing temperature and duration.

Effect of non-vacuum thermal annealing on high indium content InGaN films deposited by pulsed laser deposition.

PubMed

Wang, Tzu-Yu; Ou, Sin-Liang; Shen, Kun-Ching; Wuu, Dong-Sing

2013-03-25

InGaN films with 33% and 60% indium contents were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at a low growth temperature of 300 °C. The films were then annealed at 500-800 °C in the non-vacuum furnace for 15 min with an addition of N(2) atmosphere. X-ray diffraction results indicate that the indium contents in these two films were raised to 41% and 63%, respectively, after annealing in furnace. In(2)O(3) phase was formed on InGaN surface during the annealing process, which can be clearly observed by the measurements of auger electron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Due to the obstruction of indium out-diffusion by forming In(2)O(3) on surface, it leads to the efficient increment in indium content of InGaN layer. In addition, the surface roughness was greatly improved by removing In(2)O(3) with the etching treatment in HCl solution. Micro-photoluminescence measurement was performed to analyze the emission property of InGaN layer. For the as-grown InGaN with 33% indium content, the emission wavelength was gradually shifted from 552 to 618 nm with increasing the annealing temperature to 800 °C. It reveals the InGaN films have high potential in optoelectronic applications.

In-situ XRD vs ex-situ vacuum annealing of tantalum oxynitride thin films: Assessments on the structural evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, L.; Apreutesei, M.; Moura, C.; Alves, E.; Barradas, N. P.; Cristea, D.

2018-04-01

The purpose of this work is to discuss the main structural characteristics of a group of tantalum oxynitride (TaNxOy) thin films, with different compositions, prepared by magnetron sputtering, and to interpret and compare the structural changes, by X-ray diffraction (XRD), when the samples are vacuum annealed under two different conditions: i) annealing, followed by ex-situ XRD: one sample of each deposition run was annealed at a different temperature, until a maximum of 800 °C, and the XRD patterns were obtained, at room temperature, after each annealing process; ii) annealing with in-situ XRD: the diffraction patterns are obtained, at certain temperatures, during the annealing process, using always the same sample. In-situ XRD annealing could be an interesting process to perform annealing, and analysing the evolution of the structure with the temperature, when compared to the classical process. A higher structural stability was observed in some of the samples, particularly on those with highest oxygen content, but also on the sample with non-metal (O + N) to metal (Ta) ratio around 0.5.

Effect of thermal annealing on the thermoluminescent properties of nano-calcium fluoride and its dose-response characteristics.

PubMed

Mundupuzhakal, J K; Biswas, R H; Chauhan, S; Varma, V; Acharya, Y B; Chakrabarty, B S

2015-12-01

Nano-CaF2, prepared by the co-precipitation method, was annealed under different annealing conditions to improve its thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics. Different annealing parameters, such as temperature (400-700°C), duration (1-4 h) and environment (vacuum and air), were explored. The effect on TL sensitivity, peak position (Tm) and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) with respect to the different annealing conditions are discussed as they are the measure of crystallinity of the material. Annealing temperature of 500°C with annealing duration of two and a half hours in vacuum provided the highest luminescence response (i.e. maximum sensitivity, minimum peak temperature and FWHM). Wide detectable dose range (5 mGy to 2 kGy), absence of thermal quenching and sufficient activation energy (1.04 eV) of this phosphor make it suitable for dosimetric applications. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of annealing on physical characteristics of the vacuum evaporated mixed phase Sn x S y thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banotra, A.; Padha, N.

2017-11-01

The mixed phase Sn x S y films of the thickness of 200 nm were obtained by annealing in an indigenously designed furnace at 473 K, 523 K, 573 K and 623 K for 1 h at each temperature. Prior to annealing, the precursor ‘Sn’ and ‘S’ materials were mixed up in a ball milling setup and thermally evaporated at the vacuum pressure ~2  ×  10-6 mbar on corning glass substrate. The increase in the annealing temperature influenced the reaction kinetics of ‘Sn’ and ‘S’ materials and led to the formation of SnS phase at 473 K. The SnS phase existed from 473 K to 573 K and transformed to Sn2S3 at temperatures between 573 K and 623 K. Besides this, the SnS2 phase co-existed in all undertaken temperatures where intensity of its most prominent peak increased with increase in annealing temperature. The transmittance (%) values of the undertaken films increased with increase in the annealing temperature in the wavelengths varying from 400 nm (visible) to 1600 nm (NIR). The absorption coefficient (α) values decreased with increase in annealing temperature from 1  ×  105 to 4  ×  104 cm-1 in the visible region and attained saturation values (~2  ×  104 cm-1) in the NIR region. The films possessed direct bandgap (E g) with values increasing from 1.90 eV to 2.82 eV with increase in the annealing temperature from 473 K to 623 K it also possessed indirect bandgaps with E g values varying from 0.82 eV to 1.52 eV with increase in annealing temperature in the same temperature range. The 473 K annealed samples provided irregular shaped SnS grains indicated by bright crystallites which reached to their stable position with enhanced crystallinity at the annealing temperatures of 523 K and 573 K. The SnS grains, however, reduced to lesser number at 623 K due to growth of Sn2S3 crystallites at the expense of SnS. The ‘S’ rich SnS phase (SnS2) crystallites were seen represented by darker

The effect of annealing ambient on the characteristics of an indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin film transistor.

PubMed

Park, Soyeon; Bang, Seokhwan; Lee, Seungjun; Park, Joohyun; Ko, Youngbin; Jeon, Hyeongtag

2011-07-01

In this study, the effects of different annealing conditions (air, O2, N2, vacuum) on the chemical and electrical characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFT) were investigated. The contact resistance and interface properties between the IGZO film and the gate dielectric improved after an annealing treatment. However, the chemical bonds in the IGZO bulk changed under various annealing atmospheres, which, in turn, altered the characteristics of the TFTs. The TFTs annealed in vacuum and N2 ambients exhibited undesired switching properties due to the high carrier concentration (>10(17) cm(-3)) of the IGZO active layer. In contrast, the IGZO TFTs annealed in air and oxygen ambients displayed clear transfer characteristics due to an adequately adjusted carrier concentration in the operating range of the TFT. Such an optimal carrier concentration arose through the stabilization of unstable chemical bonds in the IGZO film. With regard to device performance, the TFTs annealed in O2 and air exhibited saturation mobility values of 8.29 and 7.54 cm2/Vs, on-off ratios of 7.34 x 10(8) and 3.95 x 10(8), and subthreshold swing (SS) values of 0.23 and 0.19 V/decade, respectively. Therefore, proper annealing ambients contributed to internal modifications in the IGZO structure and led to an enhancement in the oxidation state of the metal. As a result, defects such as oxygen vacancies were eliminated. Oxygen annealing is thus effective for controlling the carrier concentration of the active layer, decreasing electron traps, and enhancing TFT performance.

Effect of thermal annealing on the structural and optical properties of Cu2FeSnS4 thin films grown by vacuum evaporation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oueslati, H.; Rabeh, M. Ben; Kanzari, M.

2018-02-01

In this work, the effect of different types of thermal annealing on the properties of Cu2FeSnS4 (CFTS) thin films deposited by thermal evaporation at room temperature on glass substrate were investigated. CFTS powder was synthesized by direct melting of the constituent elements taken in stoichiometry compositions. The X-ray diffraction experimental data indicating that the Cu2FeSnS4 powder illustrating a stannite structure in space group I\\bar {4}2m. From the XRD analysis we have found that the polycrystalline CFTS thin film was only obtained by thermal annealed in sulfur atmosphere under a high vacuum of 400 °C temperature during 2 h. Optical study reveals that the thin films have relatively high absorption coefficients (≈ 105cm-1) and the values of optical band gap energy ranged between 1.38 and 1.48 eV. Other optical parameters were evaluated according to the models of Wemple Di-Domenico and Spitzer-Fan. Finally, hot probe measurements of CFTS thin films reveal p-type conductivity.

Effects of process variables in decarburization annealing of Fe-3%Si-0.3%C steel sheet on textures and magnetic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Se Min; Koo, Yang Mo; Shim, Byoung Yul; Lee, Dong Nyung

2017-01-01

In Fe-3%Si-0.3%C steel sheet, a relatively strong <100>//ND texture can evolve in the surface layer through the α→γ→α phase transformation in relatively low vacuum (4 Pa) for an annealing time of 10 min and at a cooling rate of 20 K/s. Oxidation of the steel sheet surface prevents the evolution of the <100>//ND texture. However, vacuum-annealing under a vacuum pressure of 1.3×10-3 Pa causes decarburization of the steel sheet, which suppresses oxidation of the steel sheet surface, and subsequent annealing in wet hydrogen of 363 K in dew points causes a columnar grain structure with the <100>//ND texture. After the two-step-annealing (the vacuum annealing under a vacuum pressure of 1.3×10-3 Pa and subsequent decarburizing annealing in wet hydrogen of 363 K in dew points), the decarburized steel sheet exhibits good soft magnetic properties in NO with 3%Si, W15/50 (core loss at 1.5T and 50 Hz) = 2.47 W/kg and B50 (magnetic flux density at 5000 A/m) = 1.71 T.

Photo annealing effect on p-doped inverted organic solar cell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lafalce, Evan; Toglia, Patrick; Lewis, Jason E.

2014-06-28

We report the transient positive photo annealing effect in which over 600% boost of power conversion efficiency was observed in inverted organic photovoltaic devices (OPV) made from P3HT/PCBM by spray method, after 2 hrs of constant solar AM 1.5 irradiation at low temperature. This is opposite to usual photodegradation of OPV, and cannot be explained by thermal activation alone since the mere temperature effect could only account for 30% of the enhancement. We have investigated the temperature dependence, cell geometry, oxygen influence, and conclude that, for p-doped active layer at room temperature, the predominant mechanism is photo-desorption of O{sub 2}, whichmore » eliminates electron traps and reduces space charge screening. As temperature decreases, thermal activation and deep trap-state filling start to show noticeable effect on the enhancement of photocurrent at intermediate low temperature (T = 125 K). At very low temperature, the dominant mechanism for photo annealing is trap-filling, which significantly reduces recombination between free and trapped carriers. At all temperature, photo annealing effect depends on illumination direction from cathode or anode. We also explained the large fluctuation of photocurrent by the capture/reemit of trapped electrons from shallow electron traps of O{sub 2}{sup -} generated by photo-doping. Our study has demonstrated the dynamic process of photo-doping and photo-desorption, and shown that photo annealing in vacuum can be an efficient method to improve OPV device efficiency.« less

Ti4+ to Ti3+ conversion of TiO2 uppermost layer by low-temperature vacuum annealing: interest for titanium biomedical applications.

PubMed

Guillemot, F; Porté, M C; Labrugère, C; Baquey, Ch

2002-11-01

Because of the Ti(3+) defects responsibility for dissociative adsorption of water onto TiO(2) surfaces and due to the hydroxyls influence on the biological behavior of titanium, controlling the Ti(3+) surface defects density by means of low-temperature vacuum annealing is proposed to improve the bone/implant interactions. Experiments have been carried out on Ti-6Al-4V alloys exhibiting a porous surface generated primarily by chemical treatment. XPS investigations have shown that low-temperature vacuum annealing can create a controlled number of Ti(3+) defects (up to 21% Ti(3+)/Ti(4+) at 573 K). High Ti(3+) defect concentration is linked to surface porosity. Such surfaces, exhibiting high hydrophilicity and microporosity, would confer to titanium biomaterials a great ability to interact with surrounding proteins and cells and hence would favor the bone anchorage of as-treated implants.

Physical property characterization of Fe-tube encapsulated and vacuum annealed bulk MgB 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awana, V. P. S.; Rawat, Rajeev; Gupta, Anurag; Isobe, M.; Singh, K. P.; Vajpayee, Arpita; Kishan, H.; Takayama-Muromachi, E.; Narlikar, A. V.

2006-08-01

We report the phase formation, and present a detailed study of magnetization and resistivity under magnetic field of MgB 2 polycrystalline bulk samples prepared by the Fe-tube encapsulated and vacuum (10 -5 Torr) annealed (750 ∘C) route. Zero-field-cooled magnetic susceptibility (χ) measurements exhibited a sharp transition to the superconducting state with a sizeable diamagnetic signal at 39 K (Tc). The measured magnetization loops of the samples, despite the presence of flux jumps, exhibited a stable current density (Jc) of around 2.4×10 5 A/cm 2 in up to 2 T (Tesla) field and at temperatures (T) up to 10 K. The upper critical field is estimated from resistivity measurements in various fields and shows a typical value of 8 T at 21 K. Further, χ measurements at an applied field of 0.1 T reveal a paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME) that is briefly discussed.

All-dry transferred single- and few-layer MoS2 field effect transistor with enhanced performance by thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Arnob; Lee, Jaesung; Feng, Philip X.-L.

2018-01-01

We report on the experimental demonstration of all-dry stamp transferred single- and few-layer (1L to 3L) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) field effect transistors (FETs), with a significant enhancement of device performance by employing thermal annealing in moderate vacuum. Three orders of magnitude reduction in both contact and channel resistances have been attained via thermal annealing. We obtain a low contact resistance of 22 kΩ μm after thermal annealing of 1L MoS2 FETs stamp-transferred onto gold (Au) contact electrodes. Furthermore, nearly two orders of magnitude enhancement of field effect mobility are also observed after thermal annealing. Finally, we employ Raman and photoluminescence measurements to reveal the phenomena of alloying or hybridization between 1L MoS2 and its contacting electrodes during annealing, which is responsible for attaining the low contact resistance.

Consequences of plasma oxidation and vacuum annealing on the chemical properties and electron accumulation of In2O3 surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthold, Theresa; Rombach, Julius; Stauden, Thomas; Polyakov, Vladimir; Cimalla, Volker; Krischok, Stefan; Bierwagen, Oliver; Himmerlich, Marcel

2016-12-01

The influence of oxygen plasma treatments on the surface chemistry and electronic properties of unintentionally doped and Mg-doped In2O3(111) films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition is studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. We evaluate the impact of semiconductor processing technology relevant treatments by an inductively coupled oxygen plasma on the electronic surface properties. In order to determine the underlying reaction processes and chemical changes during film surface-oxygen plasma interaction and to identify reasons for the induced electron depletion, in situ characterization was performed implementing a dielectric barrier discharge oxygen plasma as well as vacuum annealing. The strong depletion of the initial surface electron accumulation layer is identified to be caused by adsorption of reactive oxygen species, which induce an electron transfer from the semiconductor to localized adsorbate states. The chemical modification is found to be restricted to the topmost surface and adsorbate layers. The change in band bending mainly depends on the amount of attached oxygen adatoms and the film bulk electron concentration as confirmed by calculations of the influence of surface state density on the electron concentration and band edge profile using coupled Schrödinger-Poisson calculations. During plasma oxidation, hydrocarbon surface impurities are effectively removed and surface defect states, attributed to oxygen vacancies, vanish. The recurring surface electron accumulation after subsequent vacuum annealing can be consequently explained by surface oxygen vacancies.

Thermoluminescent response of LiF (TLD-100) to 5-30 keV electrons and the effect of annealing in various atmospheres.

PubMed

Lasky, J B; Moran, P R

1977-09-01

The response of single crystal and extruded ribbons of TLD-100 to 5-30 keV electrons was investigated. If annealing is done in a vacuum, the sensitivity of TLD-100 single crystals to these electrons and the resultant glow curve are essentially the same as when irradiation are carried out with 137Cs gamma rays. All discrepancies in sensitivity can then be accounted for by the higher LET of electrons. The commonly used 'standard annealing' at 400 degrees C for one hour produced a change in the glow curve shape and a loss in sensitivity in contrast to the vacuum anneal results. Diffusion of hydroxyl ions into the sample during air annealing is believed to be the primary cause for this change. These results explain the source of the 'dead layer' proposed to explain the variation with particle size of the luminescent efficiency of X-ray irradiated TLD-100 powder and the low TL efficiency from low energy electron irradiations. With the use of the vacuum annealing procedure, the same sensitivity and reproducibility can be achieved for the dosimetry of low energy electrons and other shallowly penetrating radiation as is currently achieved for the dosimetry of X-rays.

Scalable effective-temperature reduction for quantum annealers via nested quantum annealing correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinci, Walter; Lidar, Daniel A.

2018-02-01

Nested quantum annealing correction (NQAC) is an error-correcting scheme for quantum annealing that allows for the encoding of a logical qubit into an arbitrarily large number of physical qubits. The encoding replaces each logical qubit by a complete graph of degree C . The nesting level C represents the distance of the error-correcting code and controls the amount of protection against thermal and control errors. Theoretical mean-field analyses and empirical data obtained with a D-Wave Two quantum annealer (supporting up to 512 qubits) showed that NQAC has the potential to achieve a scalable effective-temperature reduction, Teff˜C-η , with 0 <η ≤2 . We confirm that this scaling is preserved when NQAC is tested on a D-Wave 2000Q device (supporting up to 2048 qubits). In addition, we show that NQAC can also be used in sampling problems to lower the effective-temperature of a quantum annealer. Such effective-temperature reduction is relevant for machine-learning applications. Since we demonstrate that NQAC achieves error correction via a reduction of the effective-temperature of the quantum annealing device, our results address the problem of the "temperature scaling law for quantum annealers," which requires the temperature of quantum annealers to be reduced as problems of larger sizes are attempted to be solved.

Influence of post-deposition annealing on structural, morphological and optical properties of copper (II) acetylacetonate thin films.

PubMed

Abdel-Khalek, H; El-Samahi, M I; El-Mahalawy, Ahmed M

2018-05-21

In this study, the effect of thermal annealing under vacuum conditions on structural, morphological and optical properties of thermally evaporated copper (II) acetylacetonate, cu(acac) 2 , thin films were investigated. The copper (II) acetylacetonate thin films were deposited using thermal evaporation technique at vacuum pressure ~1 × 10 -5  mbar. The deposited films were thermally annealed at 323, 373, 423, and 473 K for 2 h in vacuum. The thermogravimetric analysis of cu(acac) 2 powder indicated a thermal stability of cu(acac) 2 up to 423 K. The effects of thermal annealing on the structural properties of cu(acac) 2 were evaluated employing X-ray diffraction method and the analysis showed a polycrystalline nature of the as-deposited and annealed films with a preferred orientation in [1¯01] direction. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) technique was used to negate the decomposition of copper (II) acetylacetonate during preparation or/and annealing up to 423 K. The surface morphology of the prepared films was characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A significant enhancement of the morphological properties of cu(acac) 2 thin films was obtained till the annealing temperature reaches 423 K. The variation of optical constants that estimated from spectrophotometric measurements of the prepared thin films was investigated as a function of annealing temperature. The annealing process presented significantly impacted the nonlinear optical properties such as third-order optical susceptibility χ (3) and nonlinear refractive index n 2 of cu(acac) 2 thin films. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermally induced phase transformation in multi-phase iron oxide nanoparticles on vacuum annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anupama, A. V.; Keune, W.; Sahoo, B.

2017-10-01

The evolution of magnetic phases in multi-phase iron oxide nanoparticles, synthesized via the transferred arc plasma induced gas phase condensation method, was investigated by X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The particles are proposed to be consisting of three different iron oxide phases: α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4. These nanoparticles were exposed to high temperature (∼935 K) under vacuum (10-3 mbar He pressure), and the thermally induced phase transformations were investigated. The Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data corroborates the least-squares fitting of the transmission Mössbauer spectra in confirming the presence of Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3 phases before the thermal treatment, while only Fe3O4 and α-Fe2O3 phases exist after thermal treatment. On thermal annealing in vacuum, conversion from γ-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 and α-Fe2O3 was observed. Interestingly, we have observed a phase transformation occurring in the temperature range ∼498 K-538 K, which is strikingly lower than the phase transformation temperature of γ-Fe2O3 to α-Fe2O3 (573-623 K) in air. Combining the results of Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns and Mössbauer spectroscopy, we have attributed this phase transformation to the phase conversion of a metastable "defected and strained" d-Fe3O4 phase, present in the as-prepared sample, to the α-Fe2O3 phase. Stabilization of the phases by controlling the phase transformations during the use of different iron-oxide nanoparticles is the key factor to select them for a particular application. Our investigation provides insight into the effect of temperature and chemical nature of the environment, which are the primary factors governing the phase stability, suitability and longevity of the iron oxide nanomaterials prepared by the gas-phase condensation method for various applications.

X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Tribology Studies of Annealed Fullerene-like WS2 Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopnov, F.; Tenne, R.; Späth, B.; Jägermann, W.; Cohen, H.; Feldman, Y.; Zak, A.; Moshkovich, A.; Rapoport, L.

The temporal chemical changes occurring at the surface of fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles of WS2 were investigated using X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and compared to those of bulk powder (2H) of the same material. It is possible to follow the long term (surface oxidation and carbonization) occurring at defects on the outermost surface (0001) layer of the fullerene-like nanoparticles. Similar but perhaps more distinctive changes are observed on the prismatic (hk0) surfaces of the 2H powder. Vacuum annealing is shown to remove most of these changes and bring the surface close to its stoichiometric composition. In accordance with previous measurements, further evidence is obtained for the existence of water molecules which are entrapped in the hollow core and interstitial defects of the fullerene-like nanoparticles during the synthesis. They are also shown to be removed by the vacuum annealing process. Chemically resolved electrical measurements (CREM) in the XPS show that the vacuum annealed IF samples become more intrinsic. Finally, tribological measurements show that the vacuum annealed IF samples perform better as an additive to oil than the non-annealed IF samples and the bulk (2H) platelets powder.

Effect of substrate and post-deposition annealing on nanostructure and optical properties of CdTe thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasani, Ebrahim; Raoufi, Davood

2018-04-01

Thermal evaporation is one of the promising methods for depositing CdTe thin films, which can obtain the thin films with the small thickness. In this work, CdTe nanoparticles have deposited on SiO2 substrates such as quartz (crystal) and glass (amorphous) at a temperature (Ts) of 150 °C under a vacuum pressure of 2 × 10‑5 mbar. The thickness of CdTe thin films prepared under vacuum pressure is 100 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) results showed the formation of CdTe cubic phase with a strong preferential orientation of (111) crystalline plane on both substrates. The grain size (D) in this orientation obtained about 7.41 and 5.48 nm for quartz and glass respectively. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) measurements indicated the optical band gap about 1.5 and 1.52 eV for CdTe thin films deposited on quartz and glass respectively. Furthermore, to show the effect of annealing temperature on structure and optical properties of CdTe thin films on quartz and glass substrates, the thin films have been annealed at temperatures 50 and 70 °C for one hour. The results of this work indicate that the structure’s parameters and optical properties of CdTe thin films change due to increase in annealing temperature.

Interrogating the Effects of Radiation Damage Annealing on Helium Diffusion Kinetics in Apatite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, C. D.; Fox, M.; Shuster, D. L.

2015-12-01

Apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology is commonly used to study landscape evolution and potential links between climate, erosion and tectonics. The technique relies on a quantitative understanding of (i) helium diffusion kinetics in apatite, (ii) an evolving 4He concentration, (iii) accumulating damage to the crystal lattice caused by radioactive decay[1], and (iv) the thermal annealing of such damage[2],[3], which are each functions of both time and temperature. Uncertainty in existing models of helium diffusion kinetics has resulted in conflicting conclusions, especially in settings involving burial heating through geologic time. The effects of alpha recoil damage annealing are currently assumed to follow the kinetics of fission track annealing (e.g., reference [3]), although this assumption is difficult to fully validate. Here, we present results of modeling exercises and a suite of experiments designed to interrogate the effects of damage annealing on He diffusivity in apatite that are independent of empirical calibrations of fission track annealing. We use the existing experimental results for Durango apatite[2] to develop and calibrate a new function that predicts the effects of annealing temperature and duration on measured diffusivity. We also present a suite of experiments conducted on apatite from Sierra Nevada, CA granite to establish whether apatites with different chemical compositions have the same behavior as Durango apatite. Crystals were heated under vacuum to temperatures between 250 and 500°C for 1, 10, or 100 hours. The samples were then irradiated with ~220 MeV protons to produce spallogenic 3He, the diffusant then used in step-heating diffusion experiments. We compare the results of these experiments and model calibrations to existing models. Citations: [1]Shuster, D., Flowers R., and Farley K., (2006), EPSL 249(3-4), 148-161; [2]Shuster, D. and Farley, K., (2009), GCA 73 (1), 6183-6196; [3]Flowers, R., Ketcham, R., Shuster, D. and Farley, K

The effect of low temperature thermal annealing on the magnetic properties of Heusler Ni-Mn-Sn melt-spun ribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llamazares, J. L. Sánchez; Quintana-Nedelcos, A.; Ríos-Jara, D.; Sánchez-Valdes, C. F.; García-Fernández, T.; García, C.

2016-03-01

We report the effect of low temperature vacuum annealing (823 K; 550 °C) on the elemental chemical composition, structural phase transition temperatures, phase structure, and magnetic properties of Ni50.6Mn36.3Sn13.1 as-solidified ribbons. Their elemental chemical composition, highly oriented columnar-like microstructure and single-phase character (L21-type crystal structure for austenite) remain unchanged after this low temperature annealing. Annealed ribbons show a reduction of interatomic distances which lead to a small change in the characteristic phase transition temperatures ( 3-6 K) but to a significant rise of 73 and 63% in the saturation magnetization of the martensite and austenite phases, respectively, that can be strictly ascribed to the strengthening of ferromagnetic interactions due to the change in interatomic distances.

Surface Superstructure of Carbon Nanotubes on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite Annealed at Elevated Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Bai; Fukuyama, Seiji; Yokogawa, Kiyoshi; Yoshimura, Masamichi

1998-06-01

Carbon nanotubes deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) are annealed in ultra high vacuum. The effect of annealing temperature on the surface morphology of the carbon nanotubes on HOPG is examined by scanning tunneling microscopy. The ring-like surface superstructure of (\\sqrt {3}× \\sqrt {3})R30° of graphite is found on the carbon nanotubes annealed above 1593 K. The tips of the carbon nanotubes are destroyed and the stacking misarrangement between the upper and the lower walls of the tube join with HOPG resulting in the superstructure.

Effects of a modular two-step ozone-water and annealing process on silicon carbide graphene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webb, Matthew J., E-mail: matthew.webb@cantab.net; Lundstedt, Anna; Grennberg, Helena

By combining ozone and water, the effect of exposing epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide to an aggressive wet-chemical process has been evaluated after high temperature annealing in ultra high vacuum. The decomposition of ozone in water produces a number of oxidizing species, however, despite long exposure times to the aqueous-ozone environment, no graphene oxide was observed after the two-step process. The systems were comprehensively characterized before and after processing using Raman spectroscopy, core level photoemission spectroscopy, and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy together with low energy electron diffraction, low energy electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. In spite of the chemicalmore » potential of the aqueous-ozone reaction environment, the graphene domains were largely unaffected raising the prospect of employing such simple chemical and annealing protocols to clean or prepare epitaxial graphene surfaces.« less

Effect of annealing ambience on the formation of surface/bulk oxygen vacancies in TiO2 for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Lili; Zhang, Min; Guan, Zhongjie; Li, Qiuye; Yang, Jianjun

2018-01-01

The surface and bulk oxygen vacancy have a prominent effect on the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. In this study, TiO2 possessing different types and concentration of oxygen vacancies were prepared by annealing nanotube titanic acid (NTA) at various temperatures in air or vacuum atmosphere. TiO2 with the unitary bulk single-electron-trapped oxygen vacancies (SETOVs) formed when NTA were calcined in air. Whereas, TiO2 with both bulk and surface oxygen vacancies were obtained when NTA were annealed in vacuum. The series of TiO2 with different oxygen vacancies were systematically characterized by TEM, XRD, PL, XPS, ESR, and TGA. The PL and ESR analysis verified that surface oxygen vacancies and more bulk oxygen vacancies could form in vacuum atmosphere. Surface oxygen vacancies can trap electron and hinder the recombination of photo-generated charges, while bulk SETOVs act as the recombination center. The surface or bulk oxygen vacancies attributed different roles on the photo-absorbance and activity, leading that the sample of NTA-A400 displayed higher hydrogen evolution rate under UV light, whereas NTA-V400 displayed higher hydrogen evolution rate under visible light because bulk SETOVs can improve visible light absorption because sub-band formed by bulk SETOVs prompted the secondary transition of electron excited.

Rapid preparation of solution-processed InGaZnO thin films by microwave annealing and photoirradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheong, Heajeong; Ogura, Shintaro; Ushijima, Hirobumi

We fabricated solution-processed indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) by microwave (MW) annealing an IGZO precursor film followed by irradiating with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light. MW annealing allows more rapid heating of the precursor film than conventional annealing processes using a hot plate or electric oven and promotes the crystallization of IGZO. VUV irradiation was used to reduce the duration and temperature of the post-annealing step. Consequently, the IGZO TFTs fabricated through MW annealing for 5 min and VUV irradiation for 1 min exhibited an on/off current ratio of 10{sup 8} and a field-effect mobility of 0.3 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{supmore » −1}. These results indicate that MW annealing and photoirradiation is an effective combination for annealing solution processed IGZO precursor films to prepare the semiconductor layers of TFTs.« less

Effect of annealing atmosphere on properties of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Yuming; Yu, Bingbing; Li, Wei; Feng, Shaojun; Wang, Yukun; Huang, Shengming; Zhang, Chao; Qiao, Zaixiang

2017-12-01

Earth-abundant Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4(CZTSSe) thin film photovoltaic absorber layers were fabricated by co-evaporated Cu, ZnS, SnS and Se sources in a vacuum chamber followed by annealing at tubular furnace for 30 min at 550 °C. In this paper, we investigated the metal elements with stoichiometric ratio film to study the effect of annealing conditions of Se, SnS + Se, S and SnS + S atmosphere on the structure, surface morphological, optical and electrical properties of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin films respectively. These films were characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction to investigate the composition, morphological and crystal structural properties. The grain size of samples were found to increase after annealing. XRD patterns confirmed the formation of pure polycrystalline CZTSSe thin films at S atmosphere, the optical band gaps are 1.02, 1.05, 1.23, 1.35 eV for Se, SnS + Se, SnS + S and S atmosphere respectively.

Strain of laser annealed silicon surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemanich, R. J.; Haneman, D.

1982-05-01

High resolution Raman scattering measurements have been carried out on pulse and continuous-wave laser annealed silicon samples with various surface preparations. These included polished and ion-bombarded wafers, and saw-cut crystals. The pulse annealing treatments were carried out in ultrahigh vacuum and in air. The residual strain was inferred from the frequency shift of the first-order Raman active mode of Si, and was detectable in the range 10-2-10-3 in all except the polished samples.

Structural characterization and optical constants of CuIn3Se5 vacuum and air annealed thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segmane, N. E. H.; Abdelkader, D.; Amara, A.; Drici, A.; Akkari, F. Chaffar; Khemiri, N.; Bououdina, M.; Kanzari, M.; Bernède, J. C.

2018-01-01

Milled powder of ordered defect compound (ODC) CuIn3Se5 phase was successfully synthesized via milling process. Thin films of CuIn3Se5 were deposited onto glass substrates at room temperature by thermal evaporation technique. The obtained layers were annealed in vacuum and air atmosphere. The structural and compositional properties of the powder were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Powder XRD characterization, Rietveld analysis and chemical bounding confirm the tetragonal ordered defect compound phase formation with lattice constants a = 5.732 Å and c = 11.575 Å. Thin films were characterized by XRD, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Transmittance (T) and reflectance (R) spectra were measured in the spectral range of 300-1800 nm. The absorption coefficient α exhibits high values in the visible range and reaches a value of 105 cm-1. The band gap energy Eg of the annealed thin films is estimated to be approximately 1.75 eV. The refractive index n was estimated from transmittance data using Swanepoel's method. The refractive indices of the films as a function of wavelengths can be fitted with Cauchy dispersion equation. The oscillator energy E0, dispersion energy Ed, zero frequency refractive index n0, high frequency dielectric constant ε∞ and the carrier concentration per effective mass N/m∗ values were determined from the analysis of the experimental data using Wemple-DiDomenico and Spitzer-Fan models. We exploited the refractive index dispersion for the determination of the magneto-optical constant V, which characterizes the Faraday rotation. The nonlinear optical parameters namely nonlinear susceptibility χ(3), nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficient β are investigated for the first time for CuIn3Se5 material.

Impacts of excimer laser annealing on Ge epilayer on Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhiwei; Mao, Yichen; Yi, Xiaohui; Lin, Guangyang; Li, Cheng; Chen, Songyan; Huang, Wei; Wang, Jianyuan

2017-02-01

The impacts of excimer laser annealing on the crystallinity of Ge epilayers on Si substrate grown by low- and high-temperature two-step approach in an ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition system were investigated. The samples were treated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) at various laser power densities with the temperature above the melting point of Ge, while below that of Si, resulting in effective reduction of point defects and dislocations in the Ge layer with smooth surface. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of X-ray diffraction patterns of the low-temperature Ge epilayer decreases with the increase in laser power density, indicating the crystalline improvement and negligible effect of Ge-Si intermixing during ELA processes. The short laser pulse time and large cooling rate cause quick melting and recrystallization of Ge epilayer on Si in the non-thermal equilibrium process, rendering tensile strain in Ge epilayer as calculated quantitatively with thermal mismatch between Si and Ge. The FWHM of X-ray diffraction patterns is significantly reduced for the two-step grown samples after treated by a combination of ELA and conventional furnace thermal annealing, indicating that the crystalline of Ge epilayer is improved more effectively with pre- annealing by excimer laser.

Tuning of deep level emission in highly oriented electrodeposited ZnO nanorods by post growth annealing treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simimol, A.; Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Calicut 673601; Manikandanath, N. T.

Highly dense and c-axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods with hexagonal wurtzite facets were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrates by a simple and cost-effective electrodeposition method at low bath temperature (80 °C). The as-grown samples were then annealed at various temperatures (T{sub A} = 100–500 °C) in different environments (e.g., zinc, oxygen, air, and vacuum) to understand their photoluminescence (PL) behavior in the ultra-violet (UV) and the visible regions. The PL results revealed that the as-deposited ZnO nanorods consisted of oxygen vacancy (V{sub O}), zinc interstitial (Zn{sub i}), and oxygen interstitial (O{sub i}) defects and these can be reduced significantlymore » by annealing in different environments at optimal annealing temperatures. However, the intensity of deep level emission increased for T{sub A} greater than the optimized values for the respective environments due to the introduction of various defect centers. For example, for T{sub A} ≥ 450 °C in the oxygen and air environments, the density of O{sub i} defects increased, whereas, the green emission associated with V{sub O} is dominant in the vacuum annealed (T{sub A} = 500 °C) ZnO nanorods. The UV peak red shifted after the post-growth annealing treatments in all the environments and the vacuum annealed sample exhibited highest UV peak intensity. The observations from the PL data are supported by the micro-Raman spectroscopy. The present study gives new insight into the origin of different defects that exist in the electrodeposited ZnO nanorods and how these defects can be precisely controlled in order to get the desired emissions for the opto-electronic applications.« less

Effect of post-annealing on the magnetic properties of sputtered Mn56Al44 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Nanhe Kumar; Husain, Sajid; Barwal, Vineet; Behera, Nilamani; Chaudhary, Sujeet

2018-05-01

Mn56Al44 (MnAl) thin films of constant thickness (˜30nm) were grown on naturally oxidized Si substrates using DC-magnetron sputtering. Effect of deposition parameters such as sputtering power, substrate temperature (Ts), and post-annealing temperature have been systematically invstigated. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the presence of mixed phases, namely the τ- and β-MnAl. The highest saturation magnetization (MS) was found to be 65emu/cc using PPMS-VSM in film grown at Ts=500°C. The magnetic ordering was found to get significantly improved by performing post-annealing of these as-grwon at 400°C for 1 hr in the presence of out-of-plane magnetic field of ˜1500Oe in vacuum. In particular, at room temperature (RT), the MS got enhanced after magnetic annealing from 65emu/cc to 500 emu/cc in MnAl films grown at Ts=500°C. This sample exhibited a magneto-resistance of ˜1.5% at RT. The tuning of the structural and magnetic properties of MnAl binary alloy thin films as established here by varying the growth parameters is critical with regards to the prospective applications of MnAl, a metastable ferromagnetic system which possesses the highest perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at RT till date.

Post-Annealing Effects on Surface Morphological, Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanostructured Cr-Doped CdO Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hymavathi, B.; Rajesh Kumar, B.; Subba Rao, T.

2018-01-01

Nanostructured Cr-doped CdO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering and post-annealed in vacuum from 200°C to 500°C. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that the films exhibit cubic nature with preferential orientation along the (111) plane. The crystallite size, lattice parameters, unit cell volume and strain in the films were determined from x-ray diffraction analysis. The surface morphology of the films has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical properties of the Cr-doped CdO thin films were measured by using a four-probe method and Hall effect system. The lowest electrical resistivity of 2.20 × 10-4 Ω cm and a maximum optical transmittance of 88% have been obtained for the thin films annealed at 500°C. The optical band gap of the films decreased from 2.77 eV to 2.65 eV with the increase of annealing temperature. The optical constants, packing density and porosity of Cr-doped CdO thin films were also evaluated from the transmittance spectra.

Effective Porosity Measurements by Wet- and Dry-type Vacuum Saturations using Process-Programmable Vacuum Saturation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, T. J.; Lee, K. S., , Dr; Lee, S. K.

2017-12-01

One of the most important factors in measuring effective porosity by vacuum saturation method is that the air in the pore space can be fully substituted by water during the vacuum saturation process. International Society of Rock Mechanics (ISRM) suggests vacuuming a rock sample submerged in the water, while American Society of Test and Materials (ASTM) vacuuming the sample and water separately and then pour the water to the sample. In this study, we call the former wet-type vacuum saturation (WVS) method and the latter dry-type vacuum saturation (DVS) method, and compare the effective porosity measured by the two different vacuum saturation processes. For that purpose, a vacuum saturation system has been developed, which can support both WVS and DVS by only changing the process by programming. Comparison of effective porosity has been made for a cement mortar and rock samples. As a result, DVS can substitute more void volume to water than WVS, which in turn insists that DVS can provide more exact value of effective porosity than WVS.

Raman and thermal-stability studies on annealed HgBa 2CuO 4+δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Y. T.; Chang, H.; Xiong, Q.; Xue, Y. Y.; Chu, C. W.

1994-06-01

We have studied as-synthesized, vacuum-annealed and high-pressure oxygen annealed HgBa 2CuO 4+δ(Hg-1201) using Raman scattering. The apical-oxygen vibrational frequencies showed a slight but systematic shift (590, 591 and 587 cm -1), in agreement with the slight change in the Hg-O bond length from neutron-diffraction results. This suggested that the valence of Hg did not change significantly with oxygen content. The intensity of the ∼ 570 cm -1 peak decreased significantly after vacuum anneal and increased after high-pressure oxygen anneal, confirming the early assignment of this mode to interstitial oxygen. The thermal stability of these samples was studied by increasing laser power. High power density resulted in the decomposition of Hg-1201, mainly to BaCuO 2-δ, suggesting mercury loss upon local heating. It was found that the annealed samples decomposed more easily. In addition, one kind of crystallites exhibited a 326 cm -1 broad peak, which disappeared after high-power irradiation. We propose that this extra peak may come from HgO and/or the defect oxygen O (4).

Effects of the precursor concentration and different annealing ambients on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of nanostructured V2O5 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irani, Rowshanak; Rozati, Seyed Mohammad; Beke, Szabolcs

2018-04-01

V2O5 thin films were deposited with different precursor concentrations of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 M on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique, then the optimized films were annealed in different ambients (air, oxygen, and vacuum). The results showed that by increasing the concentration, the films grew along the (001) direction with an orthorhombic structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that nanorods were formed when depositing 0.05 molar of VCl3. We conclude that with the precursor concentration, the surface nanostructure can be well-controlled. Annealing improved the crystallinity under all ambients, but the best crystallinity was achieved in vacuum. It was revealed that the as-deposited films had the highest transmission, whereas the films annealed in air had the lowest. When annealed in air, the optical band gap decreased from 2.45 to 2.32 eV. The sheet resistance, resistivity, mobility, conductivity, and carrier concentration were measured for all the prepared V2O5 films.

Ultrahigh vacuum and low-temperature cleaning of oxide surfaces using a low-concentration ozone beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratt, A.; Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD; Graziosi, P.

We present a novel method of delivering a low-concentration (<15%) ozone beam to an ultra-high vacuum environment for the purpose of cleaning and dosing experimental samples through oxidation processing. The system described is safe, low-cost, and practical and overcomes the limitations of ozone transport in the molecular flow environment of high or ultrahigh vacuum whilst circumventing the use of pure ozone gas which is potentially highly explosive. The effectiveness of this method in removing surface contamination is demonstrated through comparison of high-temperature annealing of a simple oxide (MgO) in ozone and oxygen environments as monitored using quadrupole mass spectroscopy andmore » Auger electron spectroscopy. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential of ozone for obtaining clean complex oxide surfaces without the need for high-temperature annealing which may significantly alter surface structure.« less

Origin of the Electroluminescence from Annealed-ZnO/GaN Heterojunction Light-Emitting Diodes

PubMed Central

Hsu, Kai-Chiang; Hsiao, Wei-Hua; Lee, Ching-Ting; Chen, Yan-Ting; Liu, Day-Shan

2015-01-01

This paper addressed the effect of post-annealed treatment on the electroluminescence (EL) of an n-ZnO/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diode (LED). The bluish light emitted from the 450 °C-annealed LED became reddish as the LED annealed at a temperature of 800 °C under vacuum atmosphere. The origins of the light emission for these LEDs annealed at various temperatures were studied using measurements of electrical property, photoluminescence, and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiles. A blue-violet emission located at 430 nm was associated with intrinsic transitions between the bandgap of n-ZnO and p-GaN, the green-yellow emission at 550 nm mainly originating from the deep-level transitions of native defects in the n-ZnO and p-GaN surfaces, and the red emission at 610 nm emerging from the Ga-O interlayer due to interdiffusion at the n-ZnO/p-GaN interface. The above-mentioned emissions also supported the EL spectra of LEDs annealed at 700 °C under air, nitrogen, and oxygen atmospheres, respectively. PMID:28793675

Origin of the Electroluminescence from Annealed-ZnO/GaN Heterojunction Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Hsu, Kai-Chiang; Hsiao, Wei-Hua; Lee, Ching-Ting; Chen, Yan-Ting; Liu, Day-Shan

2015-11-16

This paper addressed the effect of post-annealed treatment on the electroluminescence (EL) of an n -ZnO/ p -GaN heterojunction light-emitting diode (LED). The bluish light emitted from the 450 °C-annealed LED became reddish as the LED annealed at a temperature of 800 °C under vacuum atmosphere. The origins of the light emission for these LEDs annealed at various temperatures were studied using measurements of electrical property, photoluminescence, and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiles. A blue-violet emission located at 430 nm was associated with intrinsic transitions between the bandgap of n -ZnO and p -GaN, the green-yellow emission at 550 nm mainly originating from the deep-level transitions of native defects in the n -ZnO and p -GaN surfaces, and the red emission at 610 nm emerging from the Ga-O interlayer due to interdiffusion at the n -ZnO/ p -GaN interface. The above-mentioned emissions also supported the EL spectra of LEDs annealed at 700 °C under air, nitrogen, and oxygen atmospheres, respectively.

Effect of stabilization annealing on SCC susceptibility of β-annealed Ti-6Al-4V alloy in 0.6 M NaCl solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Daeho; Park, Jiho; Ahn, Soojin; Sung, Hyokyung; Kwon, Yongnam; Kim, Sangshik

2018-01-01

The effect of stabilization annealing on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of β-annealed Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy was examined in an aqueous 0.6 M NaCl solution under various applied potentials of +0.1, -0.05 and -0.1 V vs Ecorr, respectively, at a strain rate of 10 -6 s -1. The stabilization annealing substantially improved the resistance to SCC of β-annealed Ti64 alloy in 0.6 M NaCl solution under cathodic applied potentials, while the effect was marginal under an anodic applied potential. It was also noted that the areal fraction between ductile and brittle fracture of β-annealed Ti64 specimens, which were slow strain rate tested in 0.6 M NaCl solution, varied with stabilization annealing and applied potentials. The effect of stabilization annealing on the SCC behavior of β-annealed Ti64 alloy in SCC-causing environment was discussed based on the micrographic and fractographic observation.

Remarkably improved field emission of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays by annealing atmosphere engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liao, Ai-Zhen; Wang, Cheng-Wei, E-mail: cwwang@nwnu.edu.cn; Chen, Jian-Biao

2015-10-15

Highlights: • TNAs were prepared by anodization and annealed in different atmospheres. • The crystal structure and electronic properties of the prepared TNAs were investigated. • The field emission of TNAs was highly dependent on annealing atmosphere. • A low turn-on of 2.44 V/μm was obtained for TNAs annealed in H{sub 2} atmosphere. - Abstract: Highly ordered TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TNAs) were prepared by anodization, and followed by annealing in the atmospheres of Air, Vacuum, Ar, and H{sub 2}. The effect of annealing atmosphere on the crystal structure, composition, and electronic properties of TNAs were systematically investigated. Raman andmore » EDS results indicated that the TNAs annealed in anaerobic atmospheres contained more oxygen vacancies, which result in the substantially improved electron transport properties and reduced work function. Moreover, it was found that the FE properties of TNAs were highly dependent on the annealing atmosphere. By engineering the annealing atmosphere, the turn-on field as low as 2.44 V/μm can be obtained from TNAs annealed in H{sub 2}, which was much lower than the value of 18.23 V/μm from the TNAs annealed in the commonly used atmosphere of Air. Our work suggests an instructive and attractive way to fabricate high performance TNAs field emitters.« less

The effect of annealing on structural and optical properties of α-Fe2O3/CdS/α-Fe2O3 multilayer heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleem, M.; Durrani, S. M. A.; Saheb, N.; Al-Kuhaili, M. F.; Bakhtiari, I. A.

2014-11-01

Multilayered thin film heterostructures of α-Fe2O3/CdS/α-Fe2O3 were prepared through physical vapor deposition. Each α-Fe2O3 layer was deposited by e-beam evaporation of iron in an oxygen atmosphere. The CdS layer was deposited by thermal evaporation in a vacuum. The effect of post annealing of multilayered thin films in air in the temperature range 250 °C to 450 °C was investigated. Structural characterization indicated the growth of the α-Fe2O3 phase with a polycrystalline structure without any CdS crystalline phase. As-deposited multilayer heterostructures were amorphous and transformed into polycrystalline upon annealing. The surface modification of the films during annealing was revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Spectrophotometric measurements were used to determine the optical properties, including the transmittance, absorbance, and band gap. All the films had both direct as well as indirect band gaps.

Annealing temperature effect on self-assembled Au droplets on Si (111).

PubMed

Sui, Mao; Li, Ming-Yu; Kim, Eun-Soo; Lee, Jihoon

2013-12-13

We investigate the effect of annealing temperature on self-assembled Au droplets on Si (111). The annealing temperature is systematically varied while fixing other growth parameters such as deposition amount and annealing duration clearly to observe the annealing temperature effect. Self-assembled Au droplets are fabricated by annealing from 50°C to 850°C with 2-nm Au deposition for 30 s. With increased annealing temperatures, Au droplets show gradually increased height and diameter while the density of droplets progressively decreases. Self-assembled Au droplets with fine uniformity can be fabricated between 550°C and 800°C. While Au droplets become much larger with increased deposition amount, the extended annealing duration only mildly affects droplet size and density. The results are systematically analyzed with cross-sectional line profiles, Fourier filter transform power spectra, height histogram, surface area ratio, and size and density plots. This study can provide an aid point for the fabrication of nanowires on Si (111).

Exoelectron emission from a clean, annealed magnesium single crystal during oxygen adsorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrante, J.

1976-01-01

Exoelectron emission was observed from a clean, annealed Mg (0001) surface during oxygen and chlorine adsorption at pressures of 6.5x10 0.00001- N/sq m and lower. the studies were performed in an ultrahigh vacuum system. The crystals were cleaned by argon ion bombardment and annealed at 300 C. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to verify surface cleanliness, and low energy electron diffraction was used to verify that the surface was annealed. The emission was found to be oxygen arrival rate dependent. Two peaks were observed in the electron emission with exposure. Evidence is presented that the formation of the second peak corresponds to oxidation of the Mg surface. No emission was observed from clean aluminum during adsorption. Results verify that electron emission occurs from a strain free surface simply upon adsorption of oxygen. A qualitative explanation for the mechanisms of emission in terms of chemical effects is presented.

Effect of annealing on doping of graphene with molybdenum oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikawa, Ryousuke; Watanabe, Sho; Nishida, Hiroki; Aoyama, Yuki; Oya, Tomoya; Nomoto, Takahiro; Tsuboi, Nozomu

2018-04-01

We investigated the effect of post-annealing on the doping of graphene with MoO3 in this study. The as-deposited molybdenum oxide thin film prepared using our method was not completely oxidized; in addition, it was in an amorphous state, due to which its doping effect was not significant. As the post-deposition annealing temperature was increased, the oxidation and crystallization of the molybdenum oxide progressed and the doping effect increased accordingly. After annealing at 350 °C, the holes were the most doped and the sheet resistance was the lowest. The doped graphene film obtained in this study shows higher doping effect and stability compared to other dopants.

Adjustable metal-semiconductor transition of FeS thin films by thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Ganhua; Polity, Angelika; Volbers, Niklas; Meyer, Bruno K.; Mogwitz, Boris; Janek, Jürgen

2006-12-01

FeS polycrystalline thin films were prepared on float glass at 500°C by radio-frequency reactive sputtering. The influence of vacuum annealing on the metal-semiconductor transition of FeS films was investigated. It has been found that with the increase of the annealing temperature from 360to600°C, the metal-semiconductor transition temperature of FeS films first decreases and then increases, associated with first a reduction and then an enhancement of hysteresis width. The thermal stress is considered to give rise to the abnormal change of the metal-semiconductor transition of the FeS film during annealing.

Surface Chemistry, Friction, and Wear Properties of Untreated and Laser-Annealed Surfaces of Pulsed-Laser-Deposited WS(sub 2) Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Wheeler, Donald R.; Zabinski, Jeffrey S.

1996-01-01

An investigation was conducted to examine the surface chemistry, friction, and wear behavior of untreated and annealed tungsten disulfide (WS2) coatings in sliding contact with a 6-mm-diameter 440C stainless-steel ball. The WS2 coatings and annealing were performed using the pulsed-laser-deposition technique. All sliding friction experiments were conducted with a load of 0.98 N (100 g), an average Hertzian contact pressure of 0.44 GPa, and a constant rotating speed of 120 rpm. The sliding velocity ranged from 31 to 107 mm/s because of the range of wear track radii involved in the experiments. The experiment was performed at room temperature in three environments: ultrahigh vacuum (vacuum pressure, 7X(exp -10) Pa), dry nitrogen (relative humidity, less than 1 percent), and humid air (relative humidity, 15 to 40 percent). Analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), surface profilometry, and Vickers hardness testing, were used to characterize the tribological surfaces of WS2 coatings. The results of the investigation indicate that the laser annealing decreased the wear of a WS2 coating in an ultrahigh vacuum. The wear rate was reduced by a factor of 30. Thus, the laser annealing increased the wear life and resistance of the WS2 coating. The annealed WS 2 coating had a low coefficient of friction (less than O.1) and a low wear rate ((10(exp -7) mm(exp 3)/N-m)) both of which are favorable in an ultrahigh vacuum.

Annealing effects on hydrogenated diamond NOR logic circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J. W.; Oosato, H.; Liao, M. Y.; Imura, M.; Watanabe, E.; Koide, Y.

2018-04-01

Here, hydrogenated diamond (H-diamond) NOR logic circuits composed of two p-type enhancement-mode (E-mode) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs) and a load resistor are fabricated and characterized. The fabrication process and the annealing effect on the electrical properties of the NOR logic circuit are demonstrated. There are distinct logical characteristics for the as-received and 300 °C annealed NOR logic circuits. When one or both input voltages for the E-mode MOSFETs are -10.0 V and "high" signals, output voltages respond 0 V and "low" signals. Instead, when both input voltages are 0 V and "low" signals, output voltage responds -10.0 V and a "high" signal. After annealing at 400 °C, the NOR logical characteristics are damaged, which is possibly attributed to the degradation of the H-diamond MOSFETs.

Effect of thermal annealing on structure and optical band gap of amorphous Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}Sb{sub 3} thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dwivedi, D. K., E-mail: dwivedidkphys@rediffmail.com; Pathak, H. P., E-mail: dwivedidkphys@rediffmail.com; Shukla, Nitesh

2014-04-24

Thin films of a−Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}Sb{sub 3} were prepared by vacuum evaporation technique in a base pressure of 10{sup −6} Torr on to well cleaned glass substrate. a−Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}Sb{sub 3} thin films were annealed at different temperatures below their crystallization temperatures for 2h. The structural analysis of the films has been investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. The optical band gap of as prepared and annealed films as a function of photon energy in the wavelength range 400–1100 nm has been studied. It has been found that the optical band gap decreases with increasing annealing temperatures in the present system.

Irradiation and Thermal Annealing Effects in Amorphous Magnetic Alloys.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, David G.

Irradiation with protons, electrons, and alpha particles produces effects in amorphous magnetic alloys (Fe(,x)Ni(,80)P(,20-y)B(,y), where x was 20, 27, 34, or 40 and y was either 6 or 20) that appear analogous to effects produced by thermal annealing. The work presented in this dissertation represents an extension of work performed by Franz('(1)) and/or Donnelly.('(2)) The work of Franz, Donnelly, and this author has been a coordinated investigation into various aspects of radiation damage and thermal annealing effects in the above-mentioned amorphous alloys' magnetic properties. Upon either irradiation or thermal annealing, the Curie temperature, T(,c), is enhanced in these alloys. Also the relative permeability, (mu)(,r), is raised as much as seven-fold. Electrolytic layer removal experiments on proton-irradiated (0.25-MeV) samples conclusively demonstrate that the particle irradiation does not merely heat the sample bulk. Annealing studies performed on both irradiated and as-quenched samples suggested, via T(,c) measurement, that a structural relaxation process had taken place. The structural relaxation takes place as a result of a macroscopic heating in the case of the annealed samples and it is postulated that the structural relaxation takes place as a result of a miroscopic heating about the particle track (thermal spike mechanism) in the case of the irradiated samples. This work also presents preliminary results concerning the influence of irradiation and thermal annealing on the crystallization process in these alloys. The results of DSC and electrical resistivity (above room temperature) are presented. Using electrical resistivity as an indicator, a series of isothermal recrystallization measurements were performed using samples of 2.25-MeV proton-irradiated, 200(DEGREES)C-annealed, and as-quenched Fe(,20)Ni(,60)P(,14)B(,6). The activation energy for the onset of recrystallization is 2.0 eV for as-quenched samples and is 5.3 eV for the irradiated and

Annealing-Induced Bi Bilayer on Bi2Te3 Investigated via Quasi-Particle-Interference Mapping.

PubMed

Schouteden, Koen; Govaerts, Kirsten; Debehets, Jolien; Thupakula, Umamahesh; Chen, Taishi; Li, Zhe; Netsou, Asteriona; Song, Fengqi; Lamoen, Dirk; Van Haesendonck, Chris; Partoens, Bart; Park, Kyungwha

2016-09-27

Topological insulators (TIs) are renowned for their exotic topological surface states (TSSs) that reside in the top atomic layers, and hence, detailed knowledge of the surface top atomic layers is of utmost importance. Here we present the remarkable morphology changes of Bi2Te3 surfaces, which have been freshly cleaved in air, upon subsequent systematic annealing in ultrahigh vacuum and the resulting effects on the local and area-averaging electronic properties of the surface states, which are investigated by combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) experiments with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our findings demonstrate that the annealing induces the formation of a Bi bilayer atop the Bi2Te3 surface. The adlayer results in n-type doping, and the atomic defects act as scattering centers of the TSS electrons. We also investigated the annealing-induced Bi bilayer surface on Bi2Te3 via voltage-dependent quasi-particle-interference (QPI) mapping of the surface local density of states and via comparison with the calculated constant-energy contours and QPI patterns. We observed closed hexagonal patterns in the Fourier transform of real-space QPI maps with secondary outer spikes. DFT calculations attribute these complex QPI patterns to the appearance of a "second" cone due to the surface charge transfer between the Bi bilayer and the Bi2Te3. Annealing in ultrahigh vacuum offers a facile route for tuning of the topological properties and may yield similar results for other topological materials.

Quantum annealing with parametrically driven nonlinear oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puri, Shruti

While progress has been made towards building Ising machines to solve hard combinatorial optimization problems, quantum speedups have so far been elusive. Furthermore, protecting annealers against decoherence and achieving long-range connectivity remain important outstanding challenges. With the hope of overcoming these challenges, I introduce a new paradigm for quantum annealing that relies on continuous variable states. Unlike the more conventional approach based on two-level systems, in this approach, quantum information is encoded in two coherent states that are stabilized by parametrically driving a nonlinear resonator. I will show that a fully connected Ising problem can be mapped onto a network of such resonators, and outline an annealing protocol based on adiabatic quantum computing. During the protocol, the resonators in the network evolve from vacuum to coherent states representing the ground state configuration of the encoded problem. In short, the system evolves between two classical states following non-classical dynamics. As will be supported by numerical results, this new annealing paradigm leads to superior noise resilience. Finally, I will discuss a realistic circuit QED realization of an all-to-all connected network of parametrically driven nonlinear resonators. The continuous variable nature of the states in the large Hilbert space of the resonator provides new opportunities for exploring quantum phase transitions and non-stoquastic dynamics during the annealing schedule.

Quantum vacuum effects from boundaries of designer potentials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konopka, Tomasz

2009-04-15

Vacuum energy in quantum field theory, being the sum of zero-point energies of all field modes, is formally infinite but yet, after regularization or renormalization, can give rise to finite observable effects. One way of understanding how these effects arise is to compute the vacuum energy in an idealized system such as a large cavity divided into disjoint regions by pistons. In this paper, this type of calculation is carried out for situations where the potential affecting a field is not the same in all regions of the cavity. It is shown that the observable parts of the vacuum energymore » in such potentials do not fall off to zero as the region where the potential is nontrivial becomes large. This unusual behavior might be interesting for tests involving quantum vacuum effects and for studies on the relation between vacuum energy in quantum field theory and geometry.« less

Evolution of microstructure and surface topography of gold thin films under thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dash, P.; Rath, H.; Dash, B. N.; Mallick, P.; Basu, T.; Som, T.; Singh, U. P.; Mishra, N. C.

2012-07-01

In the present study, we probe into evolution of microstructure and surface morphology of gold thin films of 10 to 50 nm thickness deposited on Si (100) substrate by thermal evaporation method. These films were annealed at 250°C under vacuum. The as-deposited and annealed films were characterized by glancing angle X-Ray diffraction (GAXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), techniques. XRD indicated improvement of crystallinity up to 2 hours of annealing and degradation of the same thereafter. In agreement with XRD result, the grain size distribution histogram obtained from AFM indicated grain growth with annealing time up to 2 hours and saturation or decrease of grain size thereafter. The observed result is explained by the occurrence of two competing phenomena like roughening induced grain growth and smoothening induced inhibition of grain growth with increasing annealing time.

Carbon nanotube vacuum gauges utilizing long, dissipative tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Manohara, Harish M.

2008-04-01

A carbon nanotube-based thermal conductivity vacuum gauge is described which utilizes 5-10 μm long diffusively contacted SWNTs for vacuum sensing. By etching the thermal SiO II beneath the tubes and minimizing heat conduction through the substrate, pressure sensitivity was extended toward higher vacuums. The pressure response of unannealed and annealed devices was compared to that of released devices. The released devices showed sensitivity to pressure as low as 1 x 10 -6 Torr. The sensitivity increased more dramatically with power for the released device compared to that of the unreleased device. Low temperature electronic transport measurements of the tubes were suggestive of a thermally activated hopping mechanism where the activation energy for hopping was calculated to be ~ 39 meV.

Red rubber bulb, cheap and effective vacuum drainage.

PubMed

Vatanasapt, V; Areemit, S; Jeeravipoolvarn, P; Kuyyakanond, T; Kuptarnond, C

1989-04-01

Red rubber bulbs have been used for vacuum drainage in head, neck, breast and several other operations by the authors since 1975 quite effectively without any major problems. The vacuum pressure of the red rubber bulbs was found to be higher than the expensive commercially available vacuum wound drainage device. The question of remaining old blood and infective microorganisms inside the reservoir for the reused ones were tested by the manual cleaning process and the standard sterile technique using steam under increased pressure (autoclave). The result is quite satisfactory. We encourage the use of this cheap and effective (made in Thailand) vacuum wound drainage in Thai hospitals and Thai medical schools.

Annealing effect on current-driven domain wall motion in Pt/[Co/Ni] wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuta, Masaki; Liu, Yang; Sepehri-Amin, Hossein; Hono, Kazuhiro; Zhu, Jian-Gang Jimmy

2017-09-01

The annealing effect on the efficiency of current-driven domain wall motion governed by the spin Hall effect in perpendicularly magnetized Pt/[Co/Ni] wires is investigated experimentally. Important physical parameters, such as the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction (DMI), spin Hall angle, and perpendicular anisotropy field strength, for the domain wall motion are all characterized at each annealing temperature. It is found that annealing of wires at temperatures over 120 °C causes significant reduction of the domain wall velocity. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis shows pronounced Co diffusion across the Pt/Co interface resulted from annealing at relatively high temperatures. The combined modeling study shows that the reduction of DMI caused by annealing is mostly responsible for the domain wall velocity reduction due to annealing.

Annealing effects on electron-beam evaporated Al 2O 3 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuzhen, Shang; Lei, Chen; Haihong, Hou; Kui, Yi; Zhengxiu, Fan; Jianda, Shao

2005-04-01

The effects of post-deposited annealing on structure and optical properties of electron-beam evaporated Al 2O 3 single layers were investigated. The films were annealed in air for 1.5 h at different temperatures from 250 to 400 °C. The optical constants and cut-off wavelength were deduced. Microstructure of the samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Profile and surface roughness measurement instrument was used to determine the rms surface roughness. It was found that the cut-off wavelength shifted to short wavelength as the annealing temperature increased and the total optical loss decreased. The film structure remained amorphous even after annealing at 400 °C temperature and the samples annealed at higher temperature had the higher rms surface roughness. The decreasing total optical loss with annealing temperature was attributed to the reduction of absorption owing to oxidation of the film by annealing. Guidance to reduce the optical loss of excimer laser mirrors was given.

Annealing Effects on Creep and Rupture of Polycrystalline Alumina-Based Fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldsby, J. C.; Yun, H. M.; Morscher, G. N.; DiCarlo, J. A.

1998-01-01

Continuous-length polycrystalline aluminum-oxide-based fibers are being considered as reinforcements for advanced high-temperature composite materials. For these fine-grained fibers, basic issues arise concerning grain growth and microstructural instability during composite fabrication and the resulting effects on the fiber's thermo-mechanical properties. To examine these issues, commercially available Nextel 610 (alumina) and Altex (alumina-silica) fibers were annealed at 1100 and 1300 C for up to 100 hr in air. Changes in fiber microstructure, fiber tensile creep, stress rupture, and bend stress relaxation (BSR) that occurred with annealing were then determined. BSR tests were also used to compare as-received and annealed fibers to other polycrystalline oxide fibers. Annealing was shown to have a significant effect, particularly on the Altex fiber, and caused it to have increased creep resistance.

Effect of low-temperature annealing on the creep of 1570 aluminum alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perevezentsev, V. N.; Shcherban', M. Yu.; Gracheva, T. A.; Kuz'micheva, T. A.

2015-08-01

The effect of preliminary low-temperature annealing on the creep of a submicrocrystalline 1570 aluminum alloy fabricated by severe plastic deformation is studied. The creep rate is found to increase with the annealing time, but long-term annealing for 4 h decreases the creep rate to the value characteristic of the alloy not subjected to preliminary annealing. The increase in the creep rate of the alloy subjected to preliminary annealing is likely to be caused by an increase in the nonequilibrium excess volume in grain boundaries as a result of the dissolution of grain-boundary nanopores upon annealing and, hence, by an increase in the grain-boundary diffusion rate and the grain-boundary sliding rate.

Effect of thermal annealing on structure and optical band gap of Se{sub 66}Te{sub 25}In{sub 9} thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dwivedi, D. K.; Pathak, H. P.; Shukla, Nitesh

2015-05-15

Thin films of a-Se{sub 66}Te{sub 25}In{sub 9} have been deposited onto a chemically cleaned glass substrate by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum. Glassy nature of the films has been ascertained by X-ray diffraction pattern. The analysis of absorption spectra, measured at normal incidence, in the spectral range 400-1100 nm has been used for the optical characterization of thin films under investigation. The effect of thermal annealing on structure and optical band gap (E{sub g}) of a-Se{sub 66}Te{sub 25}In{sub 9} have been studied.

Processing of silicon solar cells by ion implantation and laser annealing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnucci, J. A.; Matthei, K. W.; Greenwald, A. C.

1981-01-01

Methods to improve the radiation tolerance of silicon cells for spacecraft use are described. The major emphasis of the program was to reduce the process-induced carbon and oxygen impurities in the junction and base regions of the solar cell, and to measure the effect of reduced impurity levels on the radiation tolerance of cells. Substrates of 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 ohm-cm float-zone material were used as starting material in the process sequence. High-dose, low-energy ion implantation was used to form the junction in n+p structures. Implant annealing was performed by conventional furnace techniques and by pulsed laser and pulsed electron beam annealing. Cells were tested for radiation tolerance at Spire and NASA-LeRC. After irradiation by 1 MeV electrons to a fluence of 10 to the 16th power per sq cm, the cells tested at Spire showed no significant process induced variations in radiation tolerance. However, for cells tested at Lewis to a fluence of 10 to the 15th power per sq cm, ion-implanted cells annealed in vacuum by pulsed electron beam consistently showed the best radiation tolerance for all cell resistivities.

Effect of the Low-Temperature Annealing on Zn-Doped Indium-Tin-Oxide Films for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seunghun; Lee, Jong-Han; Tark, Sung Ju; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Chan Seok; Lee, Jeong Chul; Kim, Won Mok; Kim, Donghwan

2012-10-01

The effects of the low-temperature annealing on Zn-doped indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films such as the electrical, optical and structural properties were investigated. Zn-doped ITO films were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering of ITO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) targets on corning glass at room temperature. The content of Zn increased with increasing the power of AZO target. The carrier concentration of films shows the decreasing behaviour with increasing the content of Zn, due to a carrier compensation originating from the substitution of a doped Zn for an In or interstitial site. After the low-temperature annealing at 180 °C in vacuum, all films were slightly decreased a carrier concentration and increased the hall mobility because of the absorption of oxygen on the surface films. In addition, the average transmittance did not show a considerable change and had a high values over 80%. Especially, the Zn-doped ITO with atomic ratio of Zn/(In+Zn) of 6.8 at. % had the resistivity of 4×10-4 Ω cm, the highest hall mobility of 41 cm2 V-1 s-1, and the average transmittance of 82%.

Note: Development of fast heating inert gas annealing apparatus operated at atmospheric pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S. C.; Majumdar, A.; Shripathi, T.; Hippler, R.

2012-04-01

Here, we report the development of a simple, small, fast heating, and portable, homemade, inert gas (Ar) atmospheric annealing setup. Instead of using a conventional heating element, a commercial soldering rod having an encapsulated fast heating heater is used here. The sample holder is made of a block of stainless steel. It takes 200 s to reach 700 °C, and 10 min to cool down. The probability of oxidation or surface contamination has been examined by means of x ray photoelectron spectroscopy of virgin Cu sample after annealing at 600 °C. In addition, we compare the annealing of a hydrogenated carbon nitride film (HCNx) in both a conventional vacuum and our newly developed ambient Ar atmosphere setup.

Nonperturbative vacuum polarization effects in two-dimensional supercritical Dirac-Coulomb system II. Vacuum energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydov, A.; Sveshnikov, K.; Voronina, Yu.

2018-01-01

Nonperturbative vacuum polarization effects are explored for a supercritical Dirac-Coulomb system with Z > Zcr,1 in 2+1D, based on the original combination of analytical methods, computer algebra and numerical calculations, proposed recently in Refs. 1-3. Both the vacuum charge density ρV P(r→) and vacuum energy ℰV P are considered. Due to a lot of details of calculation the whole work is divided into two parts I and II. Taking account of results, obtained in the part I4 for ρV P, in the present part II, the evaluation of the vacuum energy ℰV P is investigated with emphasis on the renormalization and convergence of the partial expansion for ℰV P. It is shown that the renormalization via fermionic loop turns out to be the universal tool, which removes the divergence of the theory both in the purely perturbative and essentially nonperturbative regimes of the vacuum polarization. The main result of calculation is that for a wide range of the system parameters in the overcritical region ℰV P turns out to be a rapidly decreasing function ˜-ηeffZ3/R with ηeff > 0 and R being the size of the external Coulomb source. To the end the similarity in calculations of ℰV P in 2+1 and 3+1D is discussed, and qualitative arguments are presented in favor of the possibility for complete screening of the classical electrostatic energy of the Coulomb source by the vacuum polarization effects for Z ≫ Zcr,1 in 3+1D.

Effects of different annealing atmospheres on the properties of cadmium sulfide thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yücel, E., E-mail: dr.ersinyucel@gmail.com; Kahraman, S.; Güder, H.S.

2015-08-15

Graphical abstract: The effects of different annealing atmospheres (air and sulfur) on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS thin films were studied at three different pH values. - Highlights: • Compactness and smoothness of the films were enhanced after sulfur annealing. • Micro-strain values of some films were improved after sulfur annealing. • Dislocation density values of some films were improved after sulfur annealing. • Band gap values of the films were improved after sulfur annealing. - Abstract: Cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The effects ofmore » different annealing atmospheres (air and sulfur) on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS thin films were studied at three different pH values. Compactness and smoothness of the films (especially for pH 10.5 and 11) enhanced after sulfur annealing. pH value of the precursor solution remarkably affected the roughness, uniformity and particle sizes of the films. Based on the analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the films, micro-strain and dislocation density values of the sulfur-annealed films (pH 10.5 and 11) were found to be lower than those of air-annealed films. Air-annealed films (pH 10.5, 11 and 11.5) exhibited higher transmittance than sulfur-annealed films in the wavelength region of 550–800 nm. Optical band gap values of the films were found between 2.31 eV and 2.36 eV.« less

Microstructure Changes of Plasma Spraying Tungsten Coatings on Cfc after Different Temperature Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Tamura, S.; Tokunaga, K.; Yoshida, N.; Noda, N.

2003-06-01

Thermal behaviors of tungsten coating of 0.5 mm thick with multi-layers interface of tungsten (W) and rhenium (Re) coated on CFC (CX-2002U) substrate by vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) technique were examined by annealing with an electron beam thermal load facility between 1200 °C and 2000 °C. Change of the microstructure was observed and its chemical composition was analyzed by EDS after annealing. It was observed that remarkable recrystallization of VPS-W occurred above 1400 °C. The structure of the multi-layers of W and Re become obscure by the mutual diffusion of W, Re and C above 1600°C and finally disappeared after annealing at 2000 °C for one hour. Very hard tungsten carbides are formed at the interface above 1600 °C and they were broadening with increasing annealing temperature and time.

Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Optimally Annealed Ni43Mn41Co5Sn11Heusler Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elwindari, Nastiti; Kurniawan, Budhy; Kurniawan, Candra; Manaf, Azwar

2017-05-01

In this work, synthesis and characterization of a polycrystalline Ni43Mn41Co5Sn11 (NMCS) alloy are reported. Alloy preparation was conducted by melting the constituent components of the designated alloy under an inert Argon (Ar) atmosphere in a vacuum mini arc-melting furnace. Microstructure observation to the as-cast and annealed ingots showing dendritic structure in the as-cast sample. Series of annealing treatment to the sample at 1173 K have changed dendrites progressively in the homogeneous structure after 24 hours annealing time. The annealed sample consisted of a NiMnCoSn main phase with 99.3 % volume fraction. Hence, the 24 hours annealed ingot is a single phase alloy. The curie temperature of the annealed NMCS alloys was found in the range 348∼351 K. Loop hysteresis evaluation of the annealed ingots showed that ingot which annealed for 12 hours showed the largest magnetization value of 57.96 emu/g.

Effect of Annealing on the Thermoluminescence Properties of ZnO Nanophosphor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalita, J. M.; Wary, G.

2017-07-01

We report the effect of annealing on the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanophosphor. The sample was synthesised by a wet chemical process. The characterisation report shows that the size of the grains is within 123.0 nm-160.5 nm. TL measured at 2 K/s from a fresh un-annealed sample irradiated to 60 mGy shows a composite glow curve containing three peaks at 353.2 K, 429.1 K, and 455.3 K. On the other hand, samples annealed at 473 K and 573 K followed by irradiation to 60 mGy do not give TL. However, annealing at 673 K and 773 K followed by irradiation to the same dose produces a glow curve comprising two overlapping peaks at 352.3 K and 370.6 K. In the TL emission spectrum of un-annealed sample, two emission peaks were found in green ( 523 nm) and orange ( 620 nm) regions whereas in annealed samples, only a peak was found in the orange region ( 618 nm). Kinetic analysis shows that the activation energy corresponding to TL peaks at 353.2 K, 429.1 K, and 455.3 K of the un-annealed sample are 0.64 eV, 0.80 eV, and 1.20 eV whereas that of the peaks at 352.3 K and 370.6 K of 673 K and 773 K annealed samples are 0.64 eV and 0.70 eV, respectively. All peaks of un-annealed and annealed samples, except the one at 429.1 K of the un-annealed sample, follow first-order kinetics whereas the peak at 429.1 K follows second-order kinetics. Considering the kinetic and spectral features, an energy band model for ZnO nanophosphor has been proposed.

The effect of annealing on structure and hardness of (Fe-Cr)-50 at.% Al coatings synthesized by mechanical alloying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciswandi, Aryanto, Didik; Irmaniar, Tjahjono, Arif; Sudiro, Toto

2018-05-01

In this research, the deposition of (Fe-Cr)-50at.% Al coatings on low carbon steel was carried out by a mechanical alloying (MA) technique. The MA was performed in a shaker mill for 4 hours. Two types of Fe-Cr powders as starting material were used, high purity Fe-Cr powders: (Fe-12.5Cr)-50Al and (Fe-25Cr)-50Al, and Fe-Cr lump powder: (50FeCr)-50Al (in at.%). The coated samples were then annealed in a vacuum furnace at 700°C for 1h. The characterizations of coating structure before and after annealing were studied by XRD and SEM-EDX, while the coating hardness was measured by micro-Vickers hardness tester. Before annealing, all of coating composition were composed mainly of (Fe,Cr)Al phase. After annealing, the FeAl and Fe0.99Cr0.02Al0.99 intermetallic phases was formed in the (Fe-12.5Cr)-50Al and (Fe-25Cr)-50Al coatings. In addition, Fe2CrAlwas also found in the (Fe-25Cr)-50Al coating. Whilethe AlCr2 intermetallic phase was detected as the main phase of (50FeCr)-50Al coating. The cross-sectional microstructure showed that the (Fe-12.5Cr)-50Al and (Fe-25Cr)-50Al coatings have a smoother structure compared to (50FeCr)-50Al coating. The annealing led to intermetallic phase formation and an increasing coating hardness.

Effect of N2 annealing on AlZrO oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pétry, J.; Richard, O.; Vandervorst, W.; Conard, T.; Chen, J.; Cosnier, V.

2003-07-01

In the path to the introduction of high-k dielectric into integrated circuit components, a large number of challenges has to be solved. Subsequent to the film deposition, the high-k film is exposed to additional high-temperature anneals for polycrystalline Si activation but also to improve its own electrical properties. Hence, concerns can be raised regarding the thermal stability of these stacks upon annealing. In this study, we investigated the effect of N2 annealing (700 to 900 °C) of atomic layer chemical vapor deposition AlZrO layers using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOFSIMS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The effect of the Si surface preparation [H-Si, 0.5 nm rapid thermal oxide (RTO), Al2O3] on the modification of the high-k oxide and the interfacial layer upon annealing was also analyzed. Compositional changes can be observed for all temperature and surface preparations. In particular, we observe a segregation of Al(oxide) toward the surface of the mixed oxide. In addition, an increase of the Si concentration in the high-k film itself can be seen with a diffusion profile extending toward the surface of the film. On the other hand, the modification of the interfacial layer is strongly dependent on the system considered. In the case of mixed oxide grown on 0.5 nm RTO, no differences are observed between the as-deposited layer and the layer annealed at 700 °C. At 800 °C, a radical change occurs: The initial RTO layer seems to be converted into a mixed layer composed of the initial SiO2 and Al2O3 coming from the mixed oxide, however without forming an Al-silicate layer. A similar situation is found for anneals at 900 °C, as well. When grown on 1.5 nm Al2O3 on 0.5 nm RTO, the only difference with the previous system is the observation of an Al-silicate fraction in the interfacial layer for the as-deposited and 700 °C annealed samples

Physical properties of nanometer graphene oxide films partially and fully reduced by annealing in ultra-high vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jernigan, Glenn G.; Nolde, Jill A.; Mahadik, Nadeem A.; Cleveland, Erin R.; Boercker, Janice E.; Katz, Michael B.; Robinson, Jeremy T.; Aifer, Edward H.

2017-08-01

The properties of reduced graphene oxide (GO) are reported from a non-chemical reduction method. Ultra-high vacuum annealing of GO films in the thickness of 1-80 nm was studied by XPS, AFM, UV-Vis-NIR, Raman, and TEM to observe the controlled removal of oxygen. We observed the loss of hydroxyl (C-OH) at low temperatures (<600 °C) followed by the complete loss of carbonyls (C = O) and epoxy (C-O-C) species by 1200 °C. As oxygen was removed, we observed a decrease in the layer spacing between the GO sheets and a concurrent decrease in the film resistance. While the Raman spectroscopy showed no change with reduction, indicating no change in the overall defect density or the general structure of the GO, the transmission spectra showed a shift in the transmission minimum from 245 nm to 260 nm, and a total decrease in transmission above 800 nm occurs as the films visibly darken. TEM indicated that there is turbostratic stacking of the graphene layers as the reduction occurs, leading us to conclude that at a certain threshold of reduction the film properties are similar to epitaxial graphene growth on the C-face of SiC, but that a reduction gone too far results in a layer spacing equivalent to graphite.

Irradiate-anneal screening of total dose effects in semiconductor devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, A. G.; Price, W. E.

1976-01-01

Judicious choice of radiation dose and parameter change acceptance criteria, absence of anomalous anneal phenomena, and absence of anomalous reirradiation effects are recognized as essential for a successful irradiation-anneal (IRAN) screening procedure to ensure that no device will fall, upon reirradiation, above parametric limits assigned for the worst case application. Reirradiation and irradiation-anneal behavior of various semiconductor devices are compared and those that do not lend themselves to IRAN screening are singled out. Information needed to judge the suitability of an IRAN type screening program is detailed. Reasons for success of the limited IRAN screening of flight parts for the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn (MJS '77) spacecraft are indicated.

Note: development of fast heating inert gas annealing apparatus operated at atmospheric pressure.

PubMed

Das, S C; Majumdar, A; Shripathi, T; Hippler, R

2012-04-01

Here, we report the development of a simple, small, fast heating, and portable, homemade, inert gas (Ar) atmospheric annealing setup. Instead of using a conventional heating element, a commercial soldering rod having an encapsulated fast heating heater is used here. The sample holder is made of a block of stainless steel. It takes 200 s to reach 700 °C, and 10 min to cool down. The probability of oxidation or surface contamination has been examined by means of x ray photoelectron spectroscopy of virgin Cu sample after annealing at 600 °C. In addition, we compare the annealing of a hydrogenated carbon nitride film (HCN(x)) in both a conventional vacuum and our newly developed ambient Ar atmosphere setup. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

In situ laser annealing system for real-time surface kinetic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Q.; Sun, Y.-M.; Zhao, W.; Campagna, J.; White, J. M.

2002-11-01

For real-time analysis during thermal annealing, a continuous wave CO2 infrared laser was coupled to a surface analysis system equipped for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS). The laser beam was directed into the vacuum chamber through a ZnSe window to the back side of the sample. With 10 W laser output, the sample temperature reached 563 K. The chamber remained below 10-8 Torr during annealing and allowed XPS and ISS data to be gathered as a function of time at selected temperatures. As a test example, real time Cu2O reduction at 563 K was investigated.

Simulation of the synergistic low Earth orbit effects of vacuum thermal cycling, vacuum UV radiation, and atomic oxygen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dever, Joyce A.; Degroh, Kim K.; Stidham, Curtis R.; Stueber, Thomas J.; Dever, Therese M.; Rodriguez, Elvin; Terlep, Judith A.

1992-01-01

In order to assess the low Earth orbit (LEO) durability of candidate space materials, it is necessary to use ground laboratory facilities which provide LEO environmental effects. A facility combining vacuum thermal cycling and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation has been designed and constructed at NASA Lewis Research Center for this purpose. This facility can also be operated without the VUV lamps. An additional facility can be used to provide VUV exposure only. By utilizing these facilities, followed by atomic oxygen exposure in an RF plasma asher, the effects of the individual vacuum thermal cycling and VUV environments can be compared to the effect of the combined vacuum thermal cycling/VUV environment on the atomic oxygen durability of materials. The synergistic effects of simulated LEO environmental conditions on materials were evaluated by first exposing materials to vacuum thermal cycling, VUV, and vacuum thermal cycling/VUV environments followed by exposure to atomic oxygen in an RP plasma asher. Candidate space power materials such as atomic oxygen protected polyimides and solar concentrator mirrors were evaluated using these facilities. Characteristics of the Vacuum Thermal Cycling/VUV Exposure Facility which simulates the temperature sequences and solar ultraviolet radiation exposure that would be experienced by a spacecraft surface in LEO are discussed. Results of durability evaluations of some candidate space power materials to the simulated LEO environmental conditions will also be discussed. Such results have indicated that for some materials, atomic oxygen durability is affected by previous exposure to thermal cycling and/or VUV exposure.

Temperature, stress, and annealing effects on the luminescence from electron-irradiated silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, C. E.; Johnson, E. S.; Compton, W. D.; Noonan, J. R.; Streetman, B. G.

1973-01-01

Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra are presented for Si crystals which have been irradiated with high-energy electrons. Studies of isochronal annealing, stress effects, and the temperature dependences of the luminescence are used to discuss the nature of the luminescent transitions and the properties of defects. Two dominant bands present after room-temperature anneal of irradiated material are discussed, and correlations of the properties of these bands are made with known Si defects. A band between 0.8 and 1.0 eV has properties which are related to those of the divacancy, and a band between 0.6 and 0.8 eV has properties related to those of the Si-G15(K) center. Additional peaks appear in the luminescence after high-temperature anneal; the influence of impurities and the effects of annealing of these lines are discussed.

Influence of annealing environment on the ALD-Al2O3/4H-SiC interface studied through XPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usman, Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad; Saveda Suvanam, Sethu; Hallén, Anders

2018-03-01

The instability of Al2O3/4H-SiC interface at various process temperatures and ambient is investigated by the annealing of Al2O3/4H-SiC in low vacuum conditions as well as in N2 environments. Atomic layer deposited Al2O3 on a 4H-SiC substrate with 3, 6 and 10 nm of thicknesses is treated at 300, 500, 700 and 900 °C under the vacuum level of 10-1 torr. The as-deposited and annealed structures are analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is hypothesized that the minute quantity of oxygen present in low vacuum conditions diffuses through thin layers of Al2O3 and helps in forming SiO2 at the interface even at low temperatures (i.e. 300 °C), which plays a pivotal role in determining the electrical properties of the interface. It is also proved that the absence of oxygen in the ambient prevents the formation of SiO2 at low temperatures. Additionally, it is observed that Al-OH is present in as-deposited layers, which gradually reduces after annealing. However, at around 700 °C, the concentration of oxygen in the whole structure increases to maximum and reduces at 900 °C.

The Effect of Annealing on the Elastic Modulus of Orthodontic Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higginbottom, Kyle

Introduction: Nickel Titanium orthodontic wires are currently used in orthodontic treatment due to their heat activated properties and their delivery of constant force. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of annealing on the elastic modulus of Nickel Titanium, Stainless Steel and Beta-titanium (TMA) wires. Different points along the wire were tested in order to determine how far from the annealed ends the elastic modulus of the wires was affected. Methods: Eighty (80) orthodontic wires consisting of 4 equal groups (SS/TMA/Classic NitinolRTM/Super Elastic NitinolRTM) were used as the specimens for this study. All wires were measured and marked at 5mm measurements, and cut into 33.00mm sections. The wires were heated with a butane torch until the first 13.00mm of the wires were red hot. Load deflection tests using an InstronRTM universal testing machine were run at 5mm distances from the end of the wire that had been annealed. The change in elastic modulus was then determined. Results: There was a significant difference (F = 533.001, p = 0.0005) in the change in elastic modulus for the four distances. There was also a significant difference (F = 57.571, p = 0.0005) in the change in elastic modulus for the four wire types. There was a significant interaction (F = 19.601, p = 0.005) between wire type and distance, however this interaction negated the differences between the wires. Conclusion: 1) There are significant differences in the changes in elastic modulus between the areas of the wires within the annealed section and those areas 5mm and 10mm away from the annealed section. The change in elastic modulus within the annealed section was significantly greater at 8 mm than it was at 13mm, and this was significantly greater than 18mm and 23mm (5mm and 10mm beyond the annealed section). However, there was no statistical difference in the change in elastic modulus between 5mm and 10mm away from the annealed section (18mm and 23mm respectively). 2

Tailoring of magnetoimpedance effect and magnetic softness of Fe-rich glass-coated microwires by stress- annealing.

PubMed

Zhukova, V; Blanco, J M; Ipatov, M; Churyukanova, M; Taskaev, S; Zhukov, A

2018-02-16

There is a pressing need for improving of the high-frequency magneto-impedance effect of cost-effective soft magnetic materials for use in high-performance sensing devices. The impact of the stress-annealing on magnetic properties and high frequency impedance of Fe-rich glass-coated microwires was studied. Hysteresis loops of Fe-rich microwires have been considerably affected by stress- annealing. In stress-annealed Fe- rich microwire we obtained drastic decreasing of coercivity and change of character of hysteresis loop from rectangular to linear. By controlling stress-annealing conditions (temperature and time) we achieved drastic increasing (by order of magnitude) of giant magnetoimpedance ratio. Coercivity, remanent magnetization, diagonal and of-diagonal magnetoimpedance effect of Fe-rich microwires can be tuned by stress-annealing conditions: annealing temperature and time. Observed experimental results are discussed considering relaxation of internal stresses, compressive "back-stresses" arising after stress annealing and topological short range ordering.

Nonperturbative vacuum polarization effects in two-dimensional supercritical Dirac-Coulomb system I. Vacuum charge density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydov, A.; Sveshnikov, K.; Voronina, Yu.

2018-01-01

Based on the original combination of analytical methods, computer algebra tools and numerical calculations, proposed recently in Refs. 1-3, the nonperturbative vacuum polarization effects in the 2+1D supercritical Dirac-Coulomb system with Z > Zcr,1 are explored. Both the vacuum charge density ρV P(r→) and vacuum energy ℰV P are considered. The main result of the work is that in the overcritical region ℰV P turns out to be a rapidly decreasing function ˜-ηeffZ3/R with ηeff > 0 and R being the size of the external Coulomb source. Due to a lot of details of calculation the whole work is divided into two parts I and II. In the present part I, we consider the evaluation and behavior of the vacuum density ρV P, which further is used in part II for evaluation of the vacuum energy, with emphasis on the renormalization, convergence of the partial expansion for ρV P and behavior of the integral induced charge QV P in the overcritical region.

Effect of thermal annealing treatment with titanium chelate on buffer layer in inverted polymer solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhiyong; Wang, Ning; Fu, Yan

2016-12-01

The solution processable electron extraction layer (EEL) is crucial for polymer solar cells (PSCs). Here, we investigated titanium (diisopropoxide) bis(2,4-pentanedionate) (TIPD) as an EEL and fabricated inverted PSCs with a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA) acting as the photoactive layer, with a structure of ITO/TIPD/P3HT:ICBA/MoO3/Ag. After thermal annealing treatment at 150 °C for 15 min, the PSC performances increased from 3.85% to 6.84% and they achieve stable power conversion efficiency (PCE), with a similar PCE compared with TiO2 as an EEL by the vacuum evaporated method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) confirmed that the TIPD decomposed and formed the Tidbnd O bond, and the energy level of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital increased. The space charge limited current (SCLC) measurements further confirmed the improvement in electron collection and the transport ability using TIPD as the EEL and thermal annealing.

Annealing Effects on the Formation of Copper Oxide Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzuki, Marina; Zamzuri Mohamad Zain, Mohd; Zarul Hisham, Nurazhra; Zainon, Nooraizedfiza; Harun, Azmi; Nani Ahmad, Rozie

2018-03-01

This study approached the simple method of developing CuO thin films by thermal oxidation on pure Cu sheets. The effects of annealing temperature on the formation of CuO layers have been investigated. The oxide layers have been fabricated by annealing of Cu sheets for 5 hours at different temperatures of 980 ~ 1010 °C. The morphologies and optical properties of annealed Cu sheets were studied by using SEM and UV-Vis spectrophotometer respectively. It is revealed that the annealing temperature influence the grain growth and the grain size increases as the temperature increase. The highest grain size was observed on sample annealed at 1000 °C with average area per grain size of 0.023 mm2. Theoretically, larger grain size provides less barriers for electron mobility and increase the efficiency of solar devices. The optical absorption spectra of the oxide films was also measured. Interference pattern was noted at wavelength about 900 nm corresponding to the formation of CuO film. The interference noise observed could be due to the coarse surface and the presence of powdery oxide deposits that causes the scattering loses from the surface. CuO film obtained by this method may be further studied and exploited as low cost photovoltaic device.

"Un-annealed and Annealed Pd Ultra-Thin Film on SiC Characterized by Scanning Probe Microscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, W. J.; Shi, D. T.; Elshot, K.; Bryant, E.; Lafate, K.; Chen, H.; Burger, A.; Collins, W. E.

1998-01-01

Pd/SiC has been used as a hydrogen and a hydrocarbon gas sensor operated at high temperature. UHV (Ultra High Vacuum)-Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) techniques were applied to study the relationship between the morphology and chemical compositions for Pd ultra-thin films on SiC (less than 30 angstroms) at different annealing temperatures. Pd ultra-thin film on 6H-SiC was prepared by the RF sputtering method. The morphology from UHV-STM and AFM shows that the Pd thin film was well deposited on SiC substrate, and the Pd was partially aggregated to round shaped participates at an annealing temperature of 300 C. At 400 C, the amount of surface participates decreases, and some strap shape participates appear. From XPS, Pd2Si was formed on the surface after annealing at 300 C, and all Pd reacted with SiC to form Pd2Si after annealing at 400 C. The intensity of the XPS Pd peak decreases enormously at 400 C. The Pd film diffused into SiC, and the Schottky barrier height has almost no changes. The work shows the Pd sicilides/SiC have the same electronic properties with Pd/SiC, and explains why the Pd/SiC sensor still responds to hydrogen at high operating temperatures.

The effect of vacuum devices on penile hemodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katz, P.G.; Haden, H.T.; Mulligan, T.

1990-01-01

External vacuum devices are being used increasingly for the management of erectile dysfunction. There is limited information regarding the effect of vacuum devices on penile blood flow and potential for ischemic penile injury. The penile xenon washout rate was measured before and after application of 2 vacuum systems in 15 subjects. Compared to flaccid state measurements the xenon washout rate did not change significantly with the Synergist Erection System but it was significantly reduced with the Osbon ErecAid System. However, the degree and duration of decrease in penile blood flow that may result in ischemic changes are unknown.

Effects of annealing on arrays of Ge nanocolumns formed by glancing angle deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khare, C.; Gerlach, J. W.; Höche, T.; Fuhrmann, B.; Leipner, H. S.; Rauschenbach, B.

2012-10-01

Post-deposition thermal annealing of glancing angle deposited Ge nanocolumn arrays was carried out in a continuous Ar-flow at temperatures ranging from TA = 300 to 800 °C for different annealing durations. Morphological alterations and the recrystallization process induced by the thermal annealing treatment were investigated for the Ge nanocolumns deposited on planar and pre-patterned Si substrates. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the films annealed at TA ≥ 500 °C were found to be polycrystalline. On planar Si substrates, at TA = 600 °C nanocolumns exhibited strong coarsening and merging, while a complete disintegration of the nanocolumns was detected at TA = 700 °C. The morphology of nanostructures deposited on pre-patterned substrates differs substantially, where the merging or column-disintegration effect was absent at elevated annealing temperatures. The two-arm-chevron nanostructures grown on pre-patterned substrates retained their complex shape and morphology, after extended annealing intervals. Investigations by transmission electron microscopy revealed nanocrystalline domains of the order of 5-30 nm (in diameter) present within the chevron structures after the annealing treatment.

Effect of Post-HALT Annealing on Leakage Currents in Solid Tantalum Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teverovsky, Alexander

2010-01-01

Degradation of leakage currents is often observed during life testing of tantalum capacitors and is sometimes attributed to the field-induced crystallization in amorphous anodic tantalum pentoxide dielectrics. However, degradation of leakage currents and the possibility of annealing of degraded capacitors have not been investigated yet. In this work the effect of annealing after highly accelerated life testing (HALT) on leakage currents in various types of solid tantalum capacitors was analyzed. Variations of leakage currents with time during annealing at temperatures from 125 oC to 180 oC, thermally stimulated depolarization (TSD) currents, and I-V characteristics were measured to understand the conduction mechanism and the reason for current degradation. Annealing resulted in a gradual decrease of leakage currents and restored their initial values. Repeat HALT after annealing resulted in reproducible degradation of leakage currents. The observed results are explained based on ionic charge instability (drift/diffusion of oxygen vacancies) in the tantalum pentoxide dielectrics using a modified Schottky conduction mechanism.

Annealing study of poly(etheretherketone)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cebe, Peggy

1988-01-01

Annealing of PEEK has been studied for two materials cold-crystallized from the rubbery amorphous state. The first material is a low molecular weight PEEK; the second is commercially available neat resin. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to monitor the melting behavior of annealed samples. The effect of thermal history on melting behavior is very complex and depends upon annealing temperature, residence time at the annealing temperature, and subsequent scanning rate. Thermal stability of both materials is improved by annealing, and for an annealing temperature near the melting point, the polymer can be stabilized against reorganization during the scan. Variations of density, degree of crystallinity, and X-ray long period were studied as a function of annealing temperature for the commercial material.

Enhancing the performance of tungsten doped InZnO thin film transistors via sequential ambient annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyun-Woo; Song, Aeran; Kwon, Sera; Choi, Dukhyun; Kim, Younghak; Jun, Byung-Hyuk; Kim, Han-Ki; Chung, Kwun-Bum

2018-03-01

This study suggests a sequential ambient annealing process as an excellent post-treatment method to enhance the device performance and stability of W (tungsten) doped InZnO thin film transistors (WIZO-TFTs). Sequential ambient annealing at 250 °C significantly enhanced the device performance and stability of WIZO-TFTs, compared with other post-treatment methods, such as air ambient annealing and vacuum ambient annealing at 250 °C. To understand the enhanced device performance and stability of WIZO-TFT with sequential ambient annealing, we investigate the correlations between device performance and stability and electronic structures, such as band alignment, a feature of the conduction band, and band edge states below the conduction band. The enhanced performance of WIZO-TFTs with sequential ambient annealing is related to the modification of the electronic structure. In addition, the dominant mechanism responsible for the enhanced device performance and stability of WIZO-TFTs is considered to be a change in the shallow-level and deep-level band edge states below the conduction band.

Effects of thickness and annealing condition on magnetic properties and thermal stabilities of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wen-Feng; Zhang, Min-Gang; Zhang, Ke-Wei; Zhang, Hai-Jie; Xu, Xiao-Hong; Chai, Yue-Sheng

2016-11-01

Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films are deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates, and subsequently annealed in vacuum at different temperatures for different time. It is found that both the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing condition can affect the magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films. Interestingly, the thickness and annealing temperature show the relevant behaviors that can affect the magnetic properties of the film. The high coercivity of 24.1 kOe (1 Oe = 79.5775 A/m) and remanence ratio (remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization) of 0.94 can be obtained in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed for 3 min at 1023 K. In addition, the thermal stability of the film is also linked to the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing temperature as well. The excellent thermal stability can be achieved in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed at 1023 K. Program supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51305290), the Higher Education Technical Innovation Project of Shanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2013133), the Fund Program for the Scientific Activities of Selected Returned Overseas Professionals of Shanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2015003), and the Program for the Key Team of Scientific and Technological Innovation of Shanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2013131009).

Fabrication of CIS Absorber Layers with Different Thicknesses Using A Non-Vacuum Spray Coating Method.

PubMed

Diao, Chien-Chen; Kuo, Hsin-Hui; Tzou, Wen-Cheng; Chen, Yen-Lin; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2014-01-03

In this study, a new thin-film deposition process, spray coating method (SPM), was investigated to deposit the high-densified CuInSe₂ absorber layers. The spray coating method developed in this study was a non-vacuum process, based on dispersed nano-scale CuInSe₂ precursor and could offer a simple, inexpensive, and alternative formation technology for CuInSe₂ absorber layers. After spraying on Mo/glass substrates, the CuInSe₂ thin films were annealed at 550 °C by changing the annealing time from 5 min to 30 min in a selenization furnace, using N₂ as atmosphere. When the CuInSe₂ thin films were annealed, without extra Se or H₂Se gas used as the compensation source during the annealing process. The aim of this project was to investigate the influence of annealing time on the densification and crystallization of the CuInSe₂ absorber layers to optimize the quality for cost effective solar cell production. The thickness of the CuInSe₂ absorber layers could be controlled as the volume of used dispersed CuInSe₂-isopropyl alcohol solution was controlled. In this work, X-ray diffraction patterns, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Hall parameter measurements were performed in order to verify the quality of the CuInSe₂ absorber layers obtained by the Spray Coating Method.

Vacuum-polarization effects in global monopole space-times

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mazzitelli, F.D.; Lousto, C.O.

1991-01-15

The gravitational effect produced by a global monopole may be approximated by a solid deficit angle. As a consequence, the energy-momentum tensor of a quantum field will have a nonzero vacuum expectation value. Here we study this vacuum-polarization effect'' around the monopole. We find explicit expressions for both {l angle}{phi}{sup 2}{r angle}{sub ren} and {l angle}{ital T}{sub {mu}{nu}}{r angle}{sub ren} for a massless scalar field. The back reaction of the quantum field on the monopole metric is also investigated.

Enhanced off-resonance magnetoelectric response in laser annealed PZT thick film grown on magnetostrictive amorphous metal substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palneedi, Haribabu; Maurya, Deepam; Kim, Gi-Yeop; Priya, Shashank; Kang, Suk-Joong L.; Kim, Kwang-Ho; Choi, Si-Young; Ryu, Jungho

2015-07-01

A highly dense, 4 μm-thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) film is deposited on amorphous magnetostrictive Metglas foil (FeBSi) by granule spray in vacuum process at room temperature, followed by its localized annealing with a continuous-wave 560 nm ytterbium fiber laser radiation. This longer-wavelength laser radiation is able to anneal the whole of thick PZT film layer without any deteriorative effects, such as chemical reaction and/or atomic diffusion, at the interface and crystallization of amorphous Metglas substrate. Greatly enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the annealed PZT are attributed to its better crystallinity and grain growth induced by laser irradiation. As a result, a colossal off-resonance magnetoelectric (ME) voltage coefficient that is two orders of magnitude larger than previously reported output from PZT/Metglas film-composites is achieved. The present work addresses the problems involved in the fabrication of PZT/Metglas film-composites and opens up emerging possibilities in employing piezoelectric materials with low thermal budget substrates (suitable for integrated electronics) and designing laminate composites for ME based devices.

High-fluence Ga-implanted silicon-The effect of annealing and cover layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiedler, J.; Heera, V.; Hübner, R.; Voelskow, M.; Germer, S.; Schmidt, B.; Skorupa, W.

2014-07-01

The influence of SiO2 and SiNx cover layers on the dopant distribution as well as microstructure of high fluence Ga implanted Si after thermal processing is investigated. The annealing temperature determines the layer microstructure and the cover layers influence the obtained Ga profile. Rapid thermal annealing at temperatures up to 750 °C leads to a polycrystalline layer structure containing amorphous Ga-rich precipitates. Already after a short 20 ms flash lamp annealing, a Ga-rich interface layer is observed for implantation through the cover layers. This effect can partly be suppressed by annealing temperatures of at least 900 °C. However, in this case, Ga accumulates in larger, cone-like precipitates without disturbing the surrounding Si lattice parameters. Such a Ga-rich crystalline Si phase does not exist in the equilibrium phase diagram according to which the Ga solubility in Si is less than 0.1 at. %. The Ga-rich areas are capped with SiOx grown during annealing which only can be avoided by the usage of SiNx cover layers.

Electrical, optical, and photoluminescence properties of ZnO films subjected to thermal annealing and treatment in hydrogen plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abdullin, Kh. A.; Gabdullin, M. T.; Gritsenko, L. V.

The photoluminescence and optical absorption spectra and electrical properties of ZnO films grown by the metal–organic chemical vapor deposition and hydrothermal techniques, subjected to heat treatments and plasma treatment in a hydrogen atmosphere, are studied. It is shown that the adsorption of oxygen at grain boundaries upon annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere determines the electrical properties of the films. Vacuum annealing improves the electrical properties of the samples after degradation induced by annealing in air. Treatment in hydrogen plasma passivates surface states at the grain boundaries. The intrinsic photoluminescence intensity after plasma treatment is higher in the case of increasedmore » amounts of oxygen adsorbed at grain surfaces upon annealing in air. Surface states involving oxygen and hydrogen atoms are responsible for the high-intensity intrinsic photoluminescence band.« less

Annealing effect of the InAs dot-in-well structure grown by MBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xuyi; Wang, Peng; Cao, Chunfang; Yan, Jinyi; Zha, Fangxing; Wang, Hailong; Gong, Qian

2017-12-01

We have demonstrated that in situ annealing effect has to be taken into account in order to realize the 1.31 μm InAs quantum dot (QD) lasers with the dot-in-well (DWELL) structure. The photoluminescence (PL) properties have been investigated for the InAs DWELL samples annealed at different temperatures in situ, simulating the annealing process during the growth of the top cladding AlGaAs layer in the laser structure. The QDs with large size in the DWELL structure are vulnerable to the annealing process at temperatures above 550 °C, revealed by the drastic change in the PL spectra. However, the DWELL structure is stable during the annealing process at 540 °C for three hours. The thermal stability of the QDs in the DWELL structure has to be considered in the growth of QD lasers for long wavelength operation.

Carrier Compensation Induced by Thermal Annealing in Al-Doped ZnO Films

PubMed Central

Koida, Takashi; Kaneko, Tetsuya; Shibata, Hajime

2017-01-01

This study investigated carrier compensation induced by thermal annealing in sputtered ZnO:Al (Al2O3: 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt %) films. The films were post-annealed in a N2 atmosphere at low (1 × 10−23 atm) and high (1 × 10−4 atm) oxygen partial pressures (PO2). In ZnO:Al films with low Al contents (i.e., 0.25 wt %), the carrier density (n) began to decrease at annealing temperatures (Ta) of 600 °C at low PO2. At higher PO2 and/or Al contents, n values began to decrease significantly at lower Ta (ca. 400 °C). In addition, Zn became desorbed from the films during heating in a high vacuum (i.e., <1 × 10−7 Pa). These results suggest the following: (i) Zn interstitials and Zn vacancies are created in the ZnO lattice during post-annealing treatments, thereby leading to carrier compensation by acceptor-type Zn vacancies; (ii) The compensation behavior is significantly enhanced for ZnO:Al films with high Al contents. PMID:28772501

Annealing temperature dependence of magnetoimpedance effect in electrodeposited [Ni80fe20/Cu]3 multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maulana, Frendi; Eko Prastyo, W.; Nuryani; Purnama, B.

2017-11-01

We have conducted an experiment of magnetoimpedance with a variation of annealing temperature of [Ni80Fe20/Cu)]3 multilayers. The multilayer is electrodeposited on Cu-PCB substrate. Magnetoimpedance effect is impedance measure on account of external magnetic field. The found MI (magnetoimpedance) ratio is 7,63 % (without annealing) and 4,75 % (using annealing) of 100 ºC. We find that MI ratio depends on to annealing temperature and current frequence. MI ratio decreases due to rising temperature and identified increase due to the frequency. The highest MI ratio is on a sample without annealing temperature and measurement at 100 kHz frequence.

Thermal annealing and temperature dependences of memory effect in organic memory transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, X. C.; Wang, S. M.; Leung, C. W.; Yan, F.; Chan, P. K. L.

2011-07-01

We investigate the annealing and thermal effects of organic non-volatile memory with floating silver nanoparticles by real-time transfer curve measurements. During annealing, the memory window shows shrinkage of 23% due to structural variation of the nanoparticles. However, by increasing the device operating temperature from 20 to 90 °C after annealing, the memory window demonstrates an enlargement up to 100%. The differences in the thermal responses are explained and confirmed by the co-existence of electron and hole traps. Our findings provide a better understanding of organic memory performances under various operating temperatures and validate their applications for temperature sensing or thermal memories.

The Thermoelectric Properties and Flexural Strength of Nano-TiN/Co4Sb11.3Te0.58Se0.12 Composites Affected by Annealing Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pengfei, Wen; Pengcheng, Zhai; Shijie, Ding; Bo, Duan; Yao, Li

2017-05-01

This paper is devoted to investigating the thermoelectric properties and flexural strength of the nano-TiN (1 vol.%) dispersed Co4Sb11.3Te0.58Se0.12 composites affected by different thermal annealing treatments at 773 K in a vacuum. After 200 h of annealing treatment, the density of the sample decreases by 4% compared with that before annealing. Moreover, the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity decline because of the higher porosity in the annealed sample. However, the Seebeck coefficient changes little after annealing. As a result, the ZT value varies slightly after 200 h of annealing. In addition, it is noteworthy that the flexural strength decreases by 16% after 200 h of annealing treatment. Furthermore, the discrete degree of the flexural strength increases with increasing annealing time.

Effect of annealing temperature on the properties of copper oxide films prepared by dip coating technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raship, N. A.; Sahdan, M. Z.; Adriyanto, F.; Nurfazliana, M. F.; Bakri, A. S.

2017-01-01

Copper oxide films were grown on silicon substrates by sol-gel dip coating method. In order to study the effects of annealing temperature on the properties of copper oxide films, the temperature was varied from 200 °C to 450 °C. In the process of dip coating, the substrate is withdrawn from the precursor solution with uniform velocity to obtain a uniform coating before undergoing an annealing process to make the copper oxide film polycrystalline. The physical properties of the copper oxide films were measured by an X-ray diffraction (XRD), a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), an atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a four point probe instrument. From the XRD results, we found that pure cuprite (Cu2O) phase can be obtained by annealing the films annealed at 200 °C. Films annealed at 300 °C had a combination phase which consists of tenorite (CuO) and cuprite (Cu2O) phase while pure tenorite (CuO) phase can be obtained at 450 °C annealing temperature. The surface microstructure showed that the grains size is increased whereas the surface roughness is increased and then decreases by increasing in annealing temperature. The films showed that the resistivity decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Consequently, it was observed that annealing temperature has strong effects on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of copper oxide films.

Post-growth annealing of Bridgman-grown CdZnTe and CdMnTe crystals for room-temperature nuclear radiation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Yang, Ge; Egarievwe, Alexander A.; Okwechime, Ifechukwude O.; Gray, Justin; Hales, Zaveon M.; Hossain, Anwar; Camarda, Giuseppe S.; Bolotnikov, Aleksey E.; James, Ralph B.

2015-06-01

Bridgman-grown cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) and cadmium manganese telluride (CdMnTe or CMT) crystals often have Te inclusions that limit their performances as X-ray- and gamma-ray-detectors. We present here the results of post-growth thermal annealing aimed at reducing and eliminating Te inclusions in them. In a 2D analysis, we observed that the sizes of the Te inclusions declined to 92% during a 60-h annealing of CZT at 510 °C under Cd vapor. Further, tellurium inclusions were eliminated completely in CMT samples annealed at 570 °C in Cd vapor for 26 h, whilst their electrical resistivity fell by an order of 102. During the temperature-gradient annealing of CMT at 730 °C and an 18 °C/cm temperature gradient for 18 h in a vacuum of 10-5 mbar, we observed the diffusion of Te from the sample, so causing a reduction in size of the Te inclusions. For CZT samples annealed at 700 °C in a 10 °C/cm temperature gradient, we observed the migration of Te inclusions from a low-temperature region to a high one at 0.022 μm/s. During the temperature-gradient annealing of CZT in a vacuum of 10-5 mbar at 570 °C and 30 °C/cm for 18 h, some Te inclusions moved toward the high-temperature side of the wafer, while other inclusions of the same size, i.e., 10 μm in diameter, remained in the same position. These results show that the migration, diffusion, and reaction of Te with Cd in the matrix of CZT- and CMT-wafers are complex phenomena that depend on the conditions in local regions, such as composition and structure, as well as on the annealing conditions.

High power, high frequency, vacuum flange

DOEpatents

Felker, B.; McDaniel, M.R.

1993-03-23

An improved waveguide flange is disclosed for high power operation that helps prevent arcs from being initiated at the junctions between waveguide sections. The flanges at the end of the waveguide sections have counter bores surrounding the waveguide tubes. When the sections are bolted together the counter bores form a groove that holds a fully annealed copper gasket. Each counterbore has a beveled step that is specially configured to insure the gasket forms a metal-to-metal vacuum seal without gaps or sharp edges. The resultant inner surface of the waveguide is smooth across the junctions between waveguide sections, and arcing is prevented.

Facile Synthesis of Calcium Borate Nanoparticles and the Annealing Effect on Their Structure and Size

PubMed Central

Erfani, Maryam; Saion, Elias; Soltani, Nayereh; Hashim, Mansor; Wan Abdullah, Wan Saffiey B.; Navasery, Manizheh

2012-01-01

Calcium borate nanoparticles have been synthesized by a thermal treatment method via facile co-precipitation. Differences of annealing temperature and annealing time and their effects on crystal structure, particle size, size distribution and thermal stability of nanoparticles were investigated. The formation of calcium borate compound was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Thermogravimetry (TGA). The XRD patterns revealed that the co-precipitated samples annealed at 700 °C for 3 h annealing time formed an amorphous structure and the transformation into a crystalline structure only occurred after 5 h annealing time. It was found that the samples annealed at 900 °C are mostly metaborate (CaB2O4) nanoparticles and tetraborate (CaB4O7) nanoparticles only observed at 970 °C, which was confirmed by FTIR. The TEM images indicated that with increasing the annealing time and temperature, the average particle size increases. TGA analysis confirmed the thermal stability of the annealed samples at higher temperatures. PMID:23203073

High-fluence Ga-implanted silicon—The effect of annealing and cover layers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fiedler, J., E-mail: jan.fiedler@hzdr.de; Heera, V.; Hübner, R.

2014-07-14

The influence of SiO{sub 2} and SiN{sub x} cover layers on the dopant distribution as well as microstructure of high fluence Ga implanted Si after thermal processing is investigated. The annealing temperature determines the layer microstructure and the cover layers influence the obtained Ga profile. Rapid thermal annealing at temperatures up to 750 °C leads to a polycrystalline layer structure containing amorphous Ga-rich precipitates. Already after a short 20 ms flash lamp annealing, a Ga-rich interface layer is observed for implantation through the cover layers. This effect can partly be suppressed by annealing temperatures of at least 900 °C. However, in this case,more » Ga accumulates in larger, cone-like precipitates without disturbing the surrounding Si lattice parameters. Such a Ga-rich crystalline Si phase does not exist in the equilibrium phase diagram according to which the Ga solubility in Si is less than 0.1 at. %. The Ga-rich areas are capped with SiO{sub x} grown during annealing which only can be avoided by the usage of SiN{sub x} cover layers.« less

Positive and negative effects of oxygen in thermal annealing of p-type GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, L. L.; Zhao, D. G.; Jiang, D. S.; Chen, P.; Le, L. C.; Li, L.; Liu, Z. S.; Zhang, S. M.; Zhu, J. J.; Wang, H.; Zhang, B. S.; Yang, H.

2012-08-01

The effect of oxygen on ambient gas on activating p-GaN by rapid thermal annealing was investigated. When the ratio of N2 to O2 is 4:1, the sample activated after annealing at 750 °C exhibits the best electrical properties with respect to resistivity. It is confirmed that the concentration of hydrogen which passivates Mg acceptors in GaN decreases more efficiently when oxygen is introduced into N2 ambient gas. Although oxygen-involved annealing at higher temperature may further reduce the concentration of hydrogen, the resistivity of p-GaN may increase due to the negative effect caused by too much incorporation of oxygen-related donors.

Nonperturbative Dynamical Casimir Effect in Optomechanical Systems: Vacuum Casimir-Rabi Splittings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macrı, Vincenzo; Ridolfo, Alessandro; Di Stefano, Omar; Kockum, Anton Frisk; Nori, Franco; Savasta, Salvatore

2018-01-01

We study the dynamical Casimir effect using a fully quantum-mechanical description of both the cavity field and the oscillating mirror. We do not linearize the dynamics, nor do we adopt any parametric or perturbative approximation. By numerically diagonalizing the full optomechanical Hamiltonian, we show that the resonant generation of photons from the vacuum is determined by a ladder of mirror-field vacuum Rabi splittings. We find that vacuum emission can originate from the free evolution of an initial pure mechanical excited state, in analogy with the spontaneous emission from excited atoms. By considering a coherent drive of the mirror, using a master-equation approach to take losses into account, we are able to study the dynamical Casimir effect for optomechanical coupling strengths ranging from weak to ultrastrong. We find that a resonant production of photons out of the vacuum can be observed even for mechanical frequencies lower than the cavity-mode frequency. Since high mechanical frequencies, which are hard to achieve experimentally, were thought to be imperative for realizing the dynamical Casimir effect, this result removes one of the major obstacles for the observation of this long-sought effect. We also find that the dynamical Casimir effect can create entanglement between the oscillating mirror and the radiation produced by its motion in the vacuum field, and that vacuum Casimir-Rabi oscillations can occur. Finally, we also show that all these findings apply not only to optomechanical systems, but also to parametric amplifiers operating in the fully quantum regime.

Flexible bottom-gate graphene transistors on Parylene C substrate and the effect of current annealing

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyungsoo; Bong, Jihye; Mikael, Solomon; Kim, Tong June; Williams, Justin C.; Ma, Zhenqiang

2016-01-01

Flexible graphene transistors built on a biocompatible Parylene C substrate would enable active circuitry to be integrated into flexible implantable biomedical devices. An annealing method to improve the performance of a flexible transistor without damaging the flexible substrate is also desirable. Here, we present a fabrication method of a flexible graphene transistor with a bottom-gate coplanar structure on a Parylene C substrate. Also, a current annealing method and its effect on the device performance have been studied. The localized heat generated by the current annealing method improves the drain current, which is attributed to the decreased contact resistance between graphene and S/D electrodes. A maximum current annealing power in the Parylene C-based graphene transistor has been extracted to provide a guideline for an appropriate current annealing. The fabricated flexible graphene transistor shows a field-effect mobility, maximum transconductance, and a Ion/Ioff ratio of 533.5 cm2/V s, 58.1 μS, and 1.76, respectively. The low temperature process and the current annealing method presented here would be useful to fabricate two-dimensional materials-based flexible electronics. PMID:27795570

Ultrahigh vacuum/high pressure chamber for surface x-ray diffraction experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, P.; Peters, K.; Alvarez, J.; Ferrer, S.

1999-02-01

We describe an ultrahigh vacuum chamber that can be internally pressurized to several bars and that is designed to perform surface x-ray diffraction experiments on solid-gas interfaces. The chamber has a cylindrical beryllium window that serves as the entrance and exit for the x rays. The sample surface can be ion bombarded with an ancillary ion gun and annealed to 1200 K.

Fabrication of CIS Absorber Layers with Different Thicknesses Using A Non-Vacuum Spray Coating Method

PubMed Central

Diao, Chien-Chen; Kuo, Hsin-Hui; Tzou, Wen-Cheng; Chen, Yen-Lin; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2014-01-01

In this study, a new thin-film deposition process, spray coating method (SPM), was investigated to deposit the high-densified CuInSe2 absorber layers. The spray coating method developed in this study was a non-vacuum process, based on dispersed nano-scale CuInSe2 precursor and could offer a simple, inexpensive, and alternative formation technology for CuInSe2 absorber layers. After spraying on Mo/glass substrates, the CuInSe2 thin films were annealed at 550 °C by changing the annealing time from 5 min to 30 min in a selenization furnace, using N2 as atmosphere. When the CuInSe2 thin films were annealed, without extra Se or H2Se gas used as the compensation source during the annealing process. The aim of this project was to investigate the influence of annealing time on the densification and crystallization of the CuInSe2 absorber layers to optimize the quality for cost effective solar cell production. The thickness of the CuInSe2 absorber layers could be controlled as the volume of used dispersed CuInSe2-isopropyl alcohol solution was controlled. In this work, X-ray diffraction patterns, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Hall parameter measurements were performed in order to verify the quality of the CuInSe2 absorber layers obtained by the Spray Coating Method. PMID:28788451

GMR effect in CuCo annealed melt-spun ribbons.

PubMed

Murillo, N; Grande, H; Etxeberria, I; Del Val, J J; González, J; Arana, S; Gracia, F J

2004-11-01

A thorough microstructural and magnetic analysis has been performed on as-quenched and annealed (475 and 525 degrees C, 1 hour) melt-spun Cu100-xCox (x = 10 and 15) granular alloys, presenting a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. The annealed samples are inhomogeneous with respect to the Co-particle sizes and interparticles distances and, therefore, these particles present superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic behaviours, which determine the GMR response. The samples x = 15, treated at 525 degrees C during 1 hour, presented the best GMR ratio (approximately 5% at room temperature to be the highest value approaching roughly to the saturation under an applied magnetic field of 15 KOe), with the coexistence of Co-particles with both kinds of magnetic behaviour.

Annealing Effects on Structure and Optical Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films Containing Silver.

PubMed

Meškinis, Šarūnas; Čiegis, Arvydas; Vasiliauskas, Andrius; Šlapikas, Kęstutis; Gudaitis, Rimantas; Yaremchuk, Iryna; Fitio, Volodymyr; Bobitski, Yaroslav; Tamulevičius, Sigitas

2016-12-01

In the present study, diamond-like carbon films with embedded Ag nanoparticles (DLC:Ag) were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. Structure of the films was investigated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy was used to define thickness of DLC:Ag films as well as to study the surface morphology and size distribution of Ag nanoparticles. Optical absorbance and reflectance spectra of the films were studied in the 180-1100-nm range. Air annealing effects on structure and optical properties of the DLC:Ag were investigated. Annealing temperatures were varied in the 180-400 °C range. Changes of size and shape of the Ag nanoclusters took place due to agglomeration. It was found that air annealing of DLC:Ag films can result in graphitization following destruction of the DLC matrix. Additional activation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect in DLC:Ag films can be achieved by properly selecting annealing conditions. Annealing resulted in blueshift as well as significant narrowing of the plasmonic absorbance and reflectance peaks. Moreover, quadrupole surface plasmon resonance peaks appeared. Modeling of absorption spectra of the nanoclusters depending on the shape and surrounding media has been carried out.

Annealing Effects on Structure and Optical Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films Containing Silver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meškinis, Šarūnas; Čiegis, Arvydas; Vasiliauskas, Andrius; Šlapikas, Kęstutis; Gudaitis, Rimantas; Yaremchuk, Iryna; Fitio, Volodymyr; Bobitski, Yaroslav; Tamulevičius, Sigitas

2016-03-01

In the present study, diamond-like carbon films with embedded Ag nanoparticles (DLC:Ag) were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. Structure of the films was investigated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy was used to define thickness of DLC:Ag films as well as to study the surface morphology and size distribution of Ag nanoparticles. Optical absorbance and reflectance spectra of the films were studied in the 180-1100-nm range. Air annealing effects on structure and optical properties of the DLC:Ag were investigated. Annealing temperatures were varied in the 180-400 °C range. Changes of size and shape of the Ag nanoclusters took place due to agglomeration. It was found that air annealing of DLC:Ag films can result in graphitization following destruction of the DLC matrix. Additional activation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect in DLC:Ag films can be achieved by properly selecting annealing conditions. Annealing resulted in blueshift as well as significant narrowing of the plasmonic absorbance and reflectance peaks. Moreover, quadrupole surface plasmon resonance peaks appeared. Modeling of absorption spectra of the nanoclusters depending on the shape and surrounding media has been carried out.

Effect of annealing temperature on the stress and structural properties of Ge core fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ziwen; Cheng, Xueli; Xue, Fei; He, Ting; Wang, Tingyun

2017-09-01

Effect of annealing temperature on the stress and structural properties of a Ge core fibre via the molten core drawing (MCD) method is investigated using Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction. The experimental results showed that the Raman peak position of the Ge fibre shifted from 297.6 cm-1 to 300.5 cm-1, and the FWHM value decreased from 4.53 cm-1 to 4.31 cm-1, when the annealing is carried out at 700 °C, 800 °C, and 900 °C, respectively. For the Ge core annealed at 900 °C, an apparent crystal grain can be seen in the SEM image, and the diffraction peaks of the (3 3 1) plane are generated in the X-ray diffraction spectra. These results show that optimising the annealing temperature allows the release of the residual stress in the Ge core. When the Ge core fibre is annealed at 900 °C, it exhibits the lowest residual stress and the highest crystal quality, and the quality improvement relative to that of the sample annealed at 800 °C is significant. Hence, annealing at around 900 °C can greatly improve the quality of a Ge core fibre. Further performance improvement of the Ge core fibre by annealing techniques can be anticipated.

Effect of annealing induced residual stress on the resonance frequency of SiO2 microcantilevers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasubramanian, S.; Prabakar, K.; Tripura Sundari, S.

2018-04-01

In the present work, effect of residual stress, induced due to annealing of SiO2 microcantilevers (MCs) on their resonance frequency is studied. SiO2MCs of various dimensions were fabricated using direct laser writer & wet chemical etching method and were annealed at 800 °C in oxygen environment, post release. The residual stress was estimated from the deflection profile of the MCs measured using 3D optical microscope, before and after annealing. Resonance frequency of the MCs was measured using nano-vibration analyzer and was found to change after annealing. Further the frequency shift was found to depend on the MC dimensions. This is attributed to the large stress gradients induced by annealing and associated stiffness changes.

Thermal annealing effects on multi-walled carbon nanotube yarns probed by Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Pierlot, Anthony P; Woodhead, Andrea L; Church, Jeffrey S

2014-01-03

The realized mechanical properties of CNT macrostructures such as webs and yarns remain significantly lower than those of the individual CNTs. Structural changes induced by thermal annealing under inert atmosphere were assessed using Raman spectroscopy. Annealing above 1000 °C resulted in a marked decrease in the D/G ratio which can be attributed to an increase in the crystallite size or the distance between defects. The band component parameters obtained by spectral deconvolution reveal that the D band peak maximum shifts to slightly higher energy with increased annealing temperature. In contrast, the energy of the G band did not change. The full widths at half height (FWHH) of the D and G bands are seen to decrease with increasing annealing temperature. The tensile properties of the yarns have been investigated and it was found that the yarn tenacity did not improve with these structural changes. The effect of impurities in the annealing system such as oxygen, adsorbed water or organic surface contamination was also investigated. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Annealing effects on cathodoluminescence of zircon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, Y.; Nishido, H.; Noumi, Y.

2011-12-01

U-Pb zircon dating (e. g., SHRIMP) is an important tool to interpret a history of the minerals at a micrometer-scale, where cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging allows us to recognize internal zones and domains with different chemical compositions and structural disorder at high spatial resolution. The CL of zircon is attributed by various types of emission centers, which are extrinsic ones such as REE impurities and intrinsic ones such as structural defects. Metamictization resulted from radiation damage to the lattice by alpha particles from the decay of U and Th mostly causes an effect on the CL features of zircon as a defect center. However, slightly radiation-damaged zircon, which is almost nondetectable by XRD, has not been characterized using CL method. In this study, annealing effects on CL of zircon has been investigated to clarify a recovery process of the damaged lattice at low radiation dose. A single crystal of zircon from Malawi was selected for CL measurements. It contains HfO2: 2.30 w.t %, U: 241 ppm and Th: 177 ppm. Two plate samples perpendicular to c and a axes were prepared for annealing experiments during 12 hours from room temperature to 1400 degree C. Color CL images were captured using a cold-cathode microscope (Luminoscope: Nuclide ELM-3R). CL spectral measurements were conducted using an SEM (JEOL: JSM-5410) combined with a grating monochromator (Oxford: Mono CL2) to measure CL spectra ranging from 300 to 800 nm in 1 nm steps with a temperature controlled stage. The dispersed CL was collected by a photoncounting method using a photomultiplier tube (Hamamatsu: R2228) and converted to digital data. All CL spectra were corrected for the total instrumental response. Spectral analysis reveals an anisotropy of the CL emission bands related to intrinsic defect center in blue region, radiation-induced defect center from 500 to 700 nm, and trivalent Dy impurity center at 480 and 580 nm, but their relative intensities are almost constant. CL on the

Effect of Annealing Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline α-iron: an Atomistic Study

PubMed Central

Tong, Xuhang; Zhang, Hao; Li, D. Y.

2015-01-01

Claims are often found in the literature that metallic materials can be nanocrystallized by severe plastic deformation (SPD). However, SPD does not generate a well-defined nanocrystalline (NC) material, which can be achieved by subsequent annealing/recovery treatment. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is employed to study the effect of annealing on structure and mechanical properties of cyclic deformed NC α-iron, which simulates SPD-processed α-iron. It is demonstrated that grain boundaries in the deformed NC α-iron evolve to a more equilibrium state during annealing, eliminating or minimizing the residual stress. The annealing treatment increases the system's strength by reducing dislocation emission sources, and improves material ductility through strengthening grain boundaries' resistance to intergranular cracks. The results indicate that the annealing treatment is an essential process for obtaining a well-defined NC structure with superior mechanical properties. PMID:25675978

Enhanced off-resonance magnetoelectric response in laser annealed PZT thick film grown on magnetostrictive amorphous metal substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palneedi, Haribabu; Functional Ceramics Group, Korea Institute of Materials Science; Maurya, Deepam

2015-07-06

A highly dense, 4 μm-thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT) film is deposited on amorphous magnetostrictive Metglas foil (FeBSi) by granule spray in vacuum process at room temperature, followed by its localized annealing with a continuous-wave 560 nm ytterbium fiber laser radiation. This longer-wavelength laser radiation is able to anneal the whole of thick PZT film layer without any deteriorative effects, such as chemical reaction and/or atomic diffusion, at the interface and crystallization of amorphous Metglas substrate. Greatly enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the annealed PZT are attributed to its better crystallinity and grain growth induced by laser irradiation. As a result, amore » colossal off-resonance magnetoelectric (ME) voltage coefficient that is two orders of magnitude larger than previously reported output from PZT/Metglas film-composites is achieved. The present work addresses the problems involved in the fabrication of PZT/Metglas film-composites and opens up emerging possibilities in employing piezoelectric materials with low thermal budget substrates (suitable for integrated electronics) and designing laminate composites for ME based devices.« less

Effect of annealing on magnetoresistance and microstructure of multilayered CoFe/Cu systems with different buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, N. S.; Milyaev, M. A.; Naumova, L. I.; Proglyado, V. V.; Krinitsina, T. P.; Chernyshova, T. A.; Ustinov, V. V.

2015-02-01

The effects of annealing on the structure, magnetic hysteresis, and magnetoresistance of [Co90Fe10(15 Å)/Cu(23 Å)] n superlattices with Cr and Co90Fe10 buffer layers of different thicknesses have been studied. The optimum temperature and time of annealing that increase the magnetoresistance were shown to depend on the buffer layer thickness. The coefficients of effective interlayer diffusion due to the annealing have been determined.

Effects of annealing on the physical properties of therapeutic proteins during freeze drying process.

PubMed

Lim, Jun Yeul; Lim, Dae Gon; Kim, Ki Hyun; Park, Sang-Koo; Jeong, Seong Hoon

2018-02-01

Effects of annealing steps during the freeze drying process on etanercept, model protein, were evaluated using various analytical methods. The annealing was introduced in three different ways depending on time and temperature. Residual water contents of dried cakes varied from 2.91% to 6.39% and decreased when the annealing step was adopted, suggesting that they are directly affected by the freeze drying methods Moreover, the samples were more homogenous when annealing was adopted. Transition temperatures of the excipients (sucrose, mannitol, and glycine) were dependent on the freeze drying steps. Size exclusion chromatography showed that monomer contents were high when annealing was adopted and also they decreased less after thermal storage at 60°C. Dynamic light scattering results exhibited that annealing can be helpful in inhibiting aggregation and that thermal storage of freeze-dried samples preferably induced fragmentation over aggregation. Shift of circular dichroism spectrum and of the contents of etanercept secondary structure was observed with different freeze drying steps and thermal storage conditions. All analytical results suggest that the physicochemical properties of etanercept formulation can differ in response to different freeze drying steps and that annealing is beneficial for maintaining stability of protein and reducing the time of freeze drying process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Annealing on the Density of Defects in Epitaxial CdTe (211)/GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakali, Emine; Selamet, Yusuf; Tarhan, Enver

2018-05-01

CdTe thin films were grown on GaAs (211) wafers by molecular beam epitaxy as the buffer layer for HgCdTe infrared detector applications. We studied the effect of annealing on the density of dislocation of these CdTe thin films under varying annealing parameters such as annealing temperature, annealing duration, and number of cycles. Annealings were carried out using a homemade annealing reactor possessing a special heater element made of a Si wafer for rapid heating. The density of dislocations, which were made observable with a scanning electron microscope after etching with an Everson solution, were calculated by counting the number of dislocations per unit surface area, hence the term etch pit density (EPD). We were able to decrease EPD values by one order of magnitude after annealing. For example, the best EPD value after a 20-min annealing at 400°C was ˜ 2 × 107 cm-2 for a 1.63-μm CdTe thin film which was about 9.5 × 107 cm-2 before annealing. We also employed Raman scattering measurements to see the changes in the structural quality of the samples. From the Raman measurements, we were able to see improvements in the quality of our samples from the annealing by studying the ratio of 2LO/LO phonon mode Raman intensities. We also observed a clear decrease in the intensity of Te precipitations-related modes, indicating a decrease in the size and number of these precipitations.

Effects of thermal annealing on the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of hard fluorinated carbon films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia da Costa, M. E. H.; Baumvol, I. J. R.; Radke, C.; Jacobsohn, L. G.; Zamora, R. R. M.; Freire, F. L.

2004-11-01

Hard amorphous fluorinated carbon films (a-C:F) deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition were annealed in vacuum for 30 min in the temperature range of 200-600 °C. The structural and compositional modifications were followed by several analytical techniques: Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Nanoidentation measurements and lateral force microscopy experiments were carried out in order to provide the film hardness and the friction coefficient, respectively. The internal stress and contact angle were also measured. RBS, ERDA, and XPS results indicate that both fluorine and hydrogen losses occur for annealing temperatures higher than 300 °C. Raman spectroscopy shows a progressive graphitization upon annealing, while the surface became slightly more hydrophobic as revealed by the increase of the contact angle. Following the surface wettability reduction, a decrease of the friction coefficient was observed. These results highlight the influence of the capillary condensation on the nanoscale friction. The film hardness and the internal stress are constant up to 300 °C and decrease for higher annealing temperatures, showing a direct correlation with the atomic density of the films. Since the thickness variation is negligible, the mass loss upon thermal treatment results in amorphous structures with a lower degree of cross-linking, explaining the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the a-C:F films.

Comparison of vacuum and non-vacuum urine tubes for urinary sediment analysis.

PubMed

Topcuoglu, Canan; Sezer, Sevilay; Kosem, Arzu; Ercan, Mujgan; Turhan, Turan

2017-12-01

Urine collection systems with aspiration system for vacuum tubes are becoming increasingly common for urinalysis, especially for microscopic examination of the urine. In this study, we aimed to examine whether vacuum aspiration of the urine sample has any adverse effect on sediment analysis by comparing results from vacuum and non-vacuum urine tubes. The study included totally 213 urine samples obtained from inpatients and outpatients in our hospital. Urine samples were collected to containers with aspiration system for vacuum tubes. Each sample was aliquoted to both vacuum and non-vacuum urine tubes. Urinary sediment analysis was performed using manual microscope. Results were evaluated using chi-square test. Comparison of the sediment analysis results from vacuum and non-vacuum urine tubes showed that results were highly concordant for erythrocyte, leukocyte and epithelial cells (gamma values 1, 0.997, and 0.994, respectively; p < .001). Results were also concordant for urinary casts, crystals and yeast (kappa values 0.815, 0.945 and 1, respectively; p < .001). The results show that in urinary sediment analysis, vacuum aspiration has no adverse effect on the cellular components except on casts.

Postfabrication annealing effects on insulator-metal transitions in VO2 thin-film devices.

PubMed

Rathi, Servin; Lee, In-yeal; Park, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Bong-Jun; Kim, Hyun-Tak; Kim, Gil-Ho

2014-11-26

In order to investigate the metal-insulator transition characteristics of VO2 devices annealed in reducing atmosphere after device fabrication at various temperature, electrical, chemical, and thermal characteristics are measured and analyzed. It is found that the sheet resistance and the insulator-metal transition point, induced by both voltage and thermal, decrease when the devices are annealed from 200 to 500 °C. The V 2p3/2 peak variation in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization verifies the reduction of thin-films. A decrease of the transition temperature from voltage hysteresis measurements further endorse the reducing effects of the annealing on VO2 thin-film.

Annealing of Co-Cr dental alloy: effects on nanostructure and Rockwell hardness.

PubMed

Ayyıldız, Simel; Soylu, Elif Hilal; Ide, Semra; Kılıç, Selim; Sipahi, Cumhur; Pişkin, Bulent; Gökçe, Hasan Suat

2013-11-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of annealing on the nanostructure and hardness of Co-Cr metal ceramic samples that were fabricated with a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. Five groups of Co-Cr dental alloy samples were manufactured in a rectangular form measuring 4 × 2 × 2 mm. Samples fabricated by a conventional casting technique (Group I) and prefabricated milling blanks (Group II) were examined as conventional technique groups. The DMLS samples were randomly divided into three groups as not annealed (Group III), annealed in argon atmosphere (Group IV), or annealed in oxygen atmosphere (Group V). The nanostructure was examined with the small-angle X-ray scattering method. The Rockwell hardness test was used to measure the hardness changes in each group, and the means and standard deviations were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA for comparison of continuous variables and Tukey's HSD test was used for post hoc analysis. P values of <.05 were accepted as statistically significant. The general nanostructures of the samples were composed of small spherical entities stacked atop one another in dendritic form. All groups also displayed different hardness values depending on the manufacturing technique. The annealing procedure and environment directly affected both the nanostructure and hardness of the Co-Cr alloy. Group III exhibited a non-homogeneous structure and increased hardness (48.16 ± 3.02 HRC) because the annealing process was incomplete and the inner stress was not relieved. Annealing in argon atmosphere of Group IV not only relieved the inner stresses but also decreased the hardness (27.40 ± 3.98 HRC). The results of fitting function presented that Group IV was the most homogeneous product as the minimum bilayer thickness was measured (7.11 Å). After the manufacturing with DMLS technique, annealing in argon atmosphere is an essential process for Co-Cr metal ceramic substructures. The dentists should be familiar with

Annealing of Co-Cr dental alloy: effects on nanostructure and Rockwell hardness

PubMed Central

Soylu, Elif Hilal; İde, Semra; Kılıç, Selim; Sipahi, Cumhur; Pişkin, Bulent; Gökçe, Hasan Suat

2013-01-01

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of annealing on the nanostructure and hardness of Co-Cr metal ceramic samples that were fabricated with a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five groups of Co-Cr dental alloy samples were manufactured in a rectangular form measuring 4 × 2 × 2 mm. Samples fabricated by a conventional casting technique (Group I) and prefabricated milling blanks (Group II) were examined as conventional technique groups. The DMLS samples were randomly divided into three groups as not annealed (Group III), annealed in argon atmosphere (Group IV), or annealed in oxygen atmosphere (Group V). The nanostructure was examined with the small-angle X-ray scattering method. The Rockwell hardness test was used to measure the hardness changes in each group, and the means and standard deviations were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA for comparison of continuous variables and Tukey's HSD test was used for post hoc analysis. P values of <.05 were accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS The general nanostructures of the samples were composed of small spherical entities stacked atop one another in dendritic form. All groups also displayed different hardness values depending on the manufacturing technique. The annealing procedure and environment directly affected both the nanostructure and hardness of the Co-Cr alloy. Group III exhibited a non-homogeneous structure and increased hardness (48.16 ± 3.02 HRC) because the annealing process was incomplete and the inner stress was not relieved. Annealing in argon atmosphere of Group IV not only relieved the inner stresses but also decreased the hardness (27.40 ± 3.98 HRC). The results of fitting function presented that Group IV was the most homogeneous product as the minimum bilayer thickness was measured (7.11 Å). CONCLUSION After the manufacturing with DMLS technique, annealing in argon atmosphere is an essential process for Co-Cr metal ceramic

Effect of forming gas annealing on the degradation properties of Ge-based MOS stacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguirre, F.; Pazos, S.; Palumbo, F. R. M.; Fadida, S.; Winter, R.; Eizenberg, M.

2018-04-01

The influence of forming gas annealing on the degradation at a constant stress voltage of multi-layered germanium-based Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor capacitors (p-Ge/GeOx/Al2O3/High-K/Metal Gate) has been analyzed in terms of the C-V hysteresis and flat band voltage as a function of both negative and positive stress fields. Significant differences were found for the case of negative voltage stress between the annealed and non-annealed samples, independently of the stressing time. It was found that the hole trapping effect decreases in the case of the forming gas annealed samples, indicating strong passivation of defects with energies close to the valence band existing in the oxide-semiconductor interface during the forming gas annealing. Finally, a comparison between the degradation dynamics of Germanium and III-V (n-InGaAs) MOS stacks is presented to summarize the main challenges in the integration of reliable Ge-III-V hybrid devices.

Effect of Vertical Annealing on the Nitrogen Dioxide Response of Organic Thin Film Transistors

PubMed Central

Hou, Sihui; Zhuang, Xinming; Yang, Zuchong

2018-01-01

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensors based on organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated by conventional annealing (horizontal) and vertical annealing processes of organic semiconductor (OSC) films. The NO2 responsivity of OTFTs to 15 ppm of NO2 is 1408% under conditions of vertical annealing and only 72% when conventional annealing is applied. Moreover, gas sensors obtained by vertical annealing achieve a high sensing performance of 589% already at 1 ppm of NO2, while showing a preferential response to NO2 compared with SO2, NH3, CO, and H2S. To analyze the mechanism of performance improvement of OTFT gas sensors, the morphologies of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode. The results show that, in well-aligned TIPS-pentacene films, a large number of effective grain boundaries inside the conducting channel contribute to the enhancement of NO2 gas sensing performance. PMID:29596331

Effect of vacuum roasting on acrylamide formation and reduction in coffee beans.

PubMed

Anese, Monica; Nicoli, Maria Cristina; Verardo, Giancarlo; Munari, Marina; Mirolo, Giorgio; Bortolomeazzi, Renzo

2014-02-15

Coffea arabica beans were roasted in an oven at 200 °C for increasing lengths of time under vacuum (i.e. 0.15 kPa). The samples were then analysed for colour, weight loss, acrylamide concentration and sensory properties. Data were compared with those obtained from coffee roasted at atmospheric pressure (i.e. conventional roasting), as well as at atmospheric pressure for 10 min followed by vacuum treatment (0.15 kPa; i.e. conventional-vacuum roasting). To compare the different treatments, weight loss, colour and acrylamide changes were expressed as a function of the thermal effect received by the coffee beans during the different roasting processes. Vacuum-processed coffee with medium roast degree had approximately 50% less acrylamide than its conventionally roasted counterpart. It was inferred that the low pressure generated inside the oven during the vacuum process exerted a stripping effect preventing acrylamide from being accumulated. Vacuum-processed coffee showed similar colour and sensory properties to conventionally roasted coffee. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-Growth Annealing of Bridgman-grown CdZnTe and CdMnTe Crystals for Room-temperature Nuclear Radiation Detectors

DOE PAGES

Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Yang, Ge; Egarievwe, Alexander; ...

2015-02-11

Bridgman-grown cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) and cadmium manganese telluride (CdMnTe or CMT) crystals often have Te inclusions that limit their performances as X-ray- and gamma-ray-detectors. We present here the results of post-growth thermal annealing aimed at reducing and eliminating Te inclusions in them. In a 2D analysis, we observed that the sizes of the Te inclusions declined to 92% during a 60-h annealing of CZT at 510 °C under Cd vapor. Further, tellurium inclusions were eliminated completely in CMT samples annealed at 570 °C in Cd vapor for 26 h, whilst their electrical resistivity fell by an ordermore » of 10 2. During the temperature-gradient annealing of CMT at 730 °C and an 18 °C/cm temperature gradient for 18 h in a vacuum of 10 -5 mbar, we observed the diffusion of Te from the sample, causing a reduction in size of the Te inclusions. For CZT samples annealed at 700 °C in a 10 °C/cm temperature gradient, we observed the migration of Te inclusions from a low-temperature region to a high one at 0.022 μm/s. During the temperature-gradient annealing of CZT in a vacuum of 10 -5 mbar at 570 °C and 30 °C/cm for 18 h, some Te inclusions moved toward the high-temperature side of the wafer, while other inclusions of the same size, i.e., 10 µm in diameter, remained in the same position. These results show that the migration, diffusion, and reaction of Te with Cd in the matrix of CZT- and CMT-wafers are complex phenomena that depend on certain conditions.« less

A helium-based model for the effects of radiation damage annealing on helium diffusion kinetics in apatite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, Chelsea D.; Fox, Matthew; Shuster, David L.

2017-11-01

Widely used to study surface processes and the development of topography through geologic time, (U-Th)/He thermochronometry in apatite depends on a quantitative description of the kinetics of 4He diffusion across a range of temperatures, timescales, and geologic scenarios. Empirical observations demonstrate that He diffusivity in apatite is not solely a function of temperature, but also depends on damage to the crystal structure from radioactive decay processes. Commonly-used models accounting for the influence of thermal annealing of radiation damage on He diffusivity assume the net effects evolve in proportion to the rate of fission track annealing, although the majority of radiation damage results from α-recoil. While existing models adequately quantify the net effects of damage annealing in many geologic scenarios, experimental work suggests different annealing rates for the two damage types. Here, we introduce an alpha-damage annealing model (ADAM) that is independent of fission track annealing kinetics, and directly quantifies the influence of thermal annealing on He diffusivity in apatite. We present an empirical fit to diffusion kinetics data and incorporate this fit into a model that tracks the competing effects of radiation damage accumulation and annealing on He diffusivity in apatite through geologic time. Using time-temperature paths to illustrate differences between models, we highlight the influence of damage annealing on data interpretation. In certain, but not all, geologic scenarios, the interpretation of low-temperature thermochronometric data can be strongly influenced by which model of radiation damage annealing is assumed. In particular, geologic scenarios involving 1-2 km of sedimentary burial are especially sensitive to the assumed rate of annealing and its influence on He diffusivity. In cases such as basement rocks in Grand Canyon and the Canadian Shield, (U-Th)/He ages predicted from the ADAM can differ by hundreds of Ma from those

Annealing effects on magnetic properties of silicone-coated iron-based soft magnetic composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shen; Sun, Aizhi; Zhai, Fuqiang; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Qian; Xu, Wenhuan; Logan, Philip; Volinsky, Alex A.

2012-03-01

This paper focuses on novel iron-based soft magnetic composites synthesis utilizing high thermal stability silicone resin to coat iron powder. The effect of an annealing treatment on the magnetic properties of synthesized magnets was investigated. The coated silicone insulating layer was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Silicone uniformly coated the powder surface, resulting in a reduction of the imaginary part of the permeability, thereby increasing the electrical resistivity and the operating frequency of the synthesized magnets. The annealing treatment increased the initial permeability, the maximum permeability, and the magnetic induction, and decreased the coercivity. Annealing at 580 °C increased the maximum permeability by 72.5%. The result of annealing at 580 °C shows that the ferromagnetic resonance frequency increased from 2 kHz for conventional epoxy resin coated samples to 80 kHz for the silicone resin insulated composites.

Effects of cooling rate and stabilization annealing on fatigue behavior of β-processed Ti-6Al-4V alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Wongyu; Jeong, Daeho; Lee, Dongjun; Sung, Hyokyung; Kwon, Yongnam; Kim, Sangshik

2017-07-01

The effects of stabilization annealing and cooling rate on high cycle fatigue (HCF) and fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviors of β-processed Ti64 alloys were examined. After β-process heating above β transus, two different cooling rates of air cooling (β-annealing) and water quenching (β-quenching) were utilized. Selected specimens were then underwent stabilization annealing. The tensile tests, HCF and FCP tests on conducted on the β-processed Ti64 specimens with and without stabilization annealing. No notable microstructural and mechanical changes with stabilization annealing was observed for the β-annealed Ti64 alloys. However, significant effect of stabilization annealing was found on the FCP behavior of β-quenched Ti64 alloys, which appeared to be related to the built-up of residual stress after quenching. The mechanical behavior of β-processed Ti64 alloys with and with stabilization annealing was discussed based on the micrographic examination, including crack growth path and crack nucleation site, and fractographic analysis.

Effect of annealing on structural, optical and electrical properties of SILAR synthesized CuO thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, M. R.; Mukherjee, A.; Mitra, P.

2017-05-01

Nano crystalline CuO thin films were synthesize on glass substrate using SILAR technique. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were carried out for as deposited as well as for films post annealed in the temperature range 300 - 500° C. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows all the films are polycrystalline in nature with monoclinic phase. The crystallite size increase and lattice strain decreases with increase of annealing temperature indicating high quality of the films for annealed films. The value of band gap decreases with increases of annealing temperature of the film. The effect of annealing temperature on ionic conductivity and activation energy to electrical conduction process are discussed.

Periodic annealing of radiation damage in GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loo, R. Y.; Knechtli, R. C.; Kamath, G. S.

1980-01-01

Continuous annealing of GaAs solar cells is compared with periodic annealing to determine their relative effectiveness in minimizing proton radiation damage. It is concluded that continuous annealing of the cells in space at 150 C can effectively reduce the proton radiation damage to the GaAs solar cells. Periodic annealing is most effective if it can be initiated at relatively low fluences (approximating continuous annealing), especially if low temperatures of less than 200 C are to be used. If annealing is started only after the fluence of the damaging protons has accumulated to a high value 10 to the 11th power sq/pcm), effective annealing is still possible at relatively high temperatures. Finally, since electron radiation damage anneals even more easily than proton radiation damage, substantial improvements in GaAs solar cell life can be achieved by incorporating the proper annealing capabilities in solar panels for practical space missions where both electron and proton radiation damage have to be minimized.

Thermal Gradient During Vacuum-Deposition Dramatically Enhances Charge Transport in Organic Semiconductors: Toward High-Performance N-Type Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Kim, Joo-Hyun; Han, Singu; Jeong, Heejeong; Jang, Hayeong; Baek, Seolhee; Hu, Junbeom; Lee, Myungkyun; Choi, Byungwoo; Lee, Hwa Sung

2017-03-22

A thermal gradient distribution was applied to a substrate during the growth of a vacuum-deposited n-type organic semiconductor (OSC) film prepared from N,N'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-1,7-dicyanoperylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboxyimide) (PDI-CN2), and the electrical performances of the films deployed in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were characterized. The temperature gradient at the surface was controlled by tilting the substrate, which varied the temperature one-dimensionally between the heated bottom substrate and the cooled upper substrate. The vacuum-deposited OSC molecules diffused and rearranged on the surface according to the substrate temperature gradient, producing directional crystalline and grain structures in the PDI-CN2 film. The morphological and crystalline structures of the PDI-CN2 thin films grown under a vertical temperature gradient were dramatically enhanced, comparing with the structures obtained from either uniformly heated films or films prepared under a horizontally applied temperature gradient. The field effect mobilities of the PDI-CN2-FETs prepared using the vertically applied temperature gradient were as high as 0.59 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , more than a factor of 2 higher than the mobility of 0.25 cm 2 V -1 s -1 submitted to conventional thermal annealing and the mobility of 0.29 cm 2 V -1 s -1 from the horizontally applied temperature gradient.

Annealing effects on electrical behavior of gold nanoparticle film: Conversion of ohmic to non-ohmic conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimpour, Zeinab; Mansour, Nastaran

2017-02-01

This paper reports on the electrical behavior of self-assembled gold nanoparticle films before and after high-temperature annealing in ambient environment. These films are made by depositing gold nanoparticles from a colloidal solution on glass substrates using centrifuge deposition technique. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of these films exhibits ohmic and non-ohmic properties for un-annealed and annealed films respectively. As the annealing time duration increases, the onset of non-ohmic behavior occurs at higher voltages. To understand the underlying mechanisms for the observed electrical conduction behavior in these films and how electrical conduction is effected by film morphology and structural properties before and after annealing, systematic comparative studies based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been performed. The morphology of the films shows that the assembled gold nanoparticles are distributed on the substrate in a random way before annealing. After 2 h annealing gold nanoparticles exhibit a higher filling fraction when examined by SEM, which means that they coalesce, upon annealing, with respect to un-annealed films. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the films show that there is a red-shift and broadening in the absorption band for the annealed films. The observed phenomenon is related to the plasmon near-field coupling effect and suggests that the nanoparticle ensembles interspacing has decreased. The structural and crystallinity of the films exhibit amorphous structure before annealing and pure crystalline phases with a preferential growth direction along the (111) plane after annealing. The XPS analysis further suggests the existence of the stable thin oxide layer in the phase of Au2O3 in the annealed films. The I-V characteristics have been described by Simmons' model for tunnel transport through metal-insulator-metal (MIM) junctions. The Fowler

Effect of annealing temperature on the photoluminescence and scintillation properties of ZnO nanorods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurudirek, Sinem V.; Menkara, H.; Klein, Benjamin D. B.

2018-01-01

The effect of the annealing to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) and scintillation properties, as determined by pulse height distribution of alpha particle irradiation, has been investigated for solution grown ZnO nanorods For this investigation the ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on glass for 22 h at 95 ◦ C as a substrate using a solution based hydrothermal technique. The samples were first annealed for different times (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) at 300 ◦ C and then at different temperatures (100 ◦ C–600 ◦ C) in order to determine the optimum annealing time and temperature, respectively. Before annealing, themore » ZnO nanorod arrays showed a broad yellow–orange visible and near-band gap UV emission peaks. After annealing in a forming gas atmosphere, the intensity of the sub-band gap PL was significantly reduced and the near-band gap PL emission intensity correspondingly increased (especially at temperatures higher than 100 ◦ C). Based on the ratio of the peak intensity ratio before and after annealing, it was concluded that samples at 350 ◦ C for 90 min resulted in the best near-band gap PL emission. Similarly, the analysis of the pulse height spectrum resulting from alpha particles revealed that ZnO nanorod arrays similarly annealed at 350 ◦ C for 90 min exhibited the highest scintillation response.« less

The Effect of Hydrogen Annealing on the Impurity Content of Alumina-Forming Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smialek, James L.

2000-01-01

Previously, the effect of hydrogen annealing on increasing the adhesion of Al2O3 scales had been related to the effective desulfurization that occurred during this process. The simultaneous reduction of other impurities has now been re-examined for up to 20 impurity elements in the case of five different alloys (NiCrAl, FeCrAl, PWA 1480, Rene'142, and Rene'N5). Hydrogen annealing produced measurable reductions in elemental concentration for B, C, Na, Mg, P, K, Sr, or Sn in varying degrees for at least one and up to three of these alloys. No single element was reduced by hydrogen annealing for all the alloys except sulfur. In many cases spalling occurred at low levels of these other impurities, while in other cases the scales were adherent at high levels of the impurities. No impurity besides sulfur was strongly correlated with adhesion.

The Effect of Thermal Annealing on Charge Transport in Organolead Halide Perovskite Microplate Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Li, Dehui; Cheng, Hung-Chieh; Wang, Yiliu; Zhao, Zipeng; Wang, Gongming; Wu, Hao; He, Qiyuan; Huang, Yu; Duan, Xiangfeng

2017-01-01

Transformation of unipolar n-type semiconductor behavior to ambipolar and finally to unipolar p-type behavior in CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 microplate field-effect transistors by thermal annealing is reported. The photoluminescence spectra essentially maintain the same features before and after the thermal annealing process, demonstrating that the charge transport measurement provides a sensitive way to probe low-concentration defects in perovskite materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-Efficiency Small Molecule-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells Enhanced by Additive Annealing.

PubMed

Li, Lisheng; Xiao, Liangang; Qin, Hongmei; Gao, Ke; Peng, Junbiao; Cao, Yong; Liu, Feng; Russell, Thomas P; Peng, Xiaobin

2015-09-30

Solvent additive processing is important in optimizing an active layer's morphology and thus improving the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, we find that how 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additive is removed plays a critical role in determining the film morphology of the bulk heterojunction OSCs in inverted structure based on a porphyrin small molecule. Different from the cases reported for polymer-based OSCs in conventional structures, the inverted OSCs upon the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing exhibit poorer performance. In contrast, the devices after keeping the active layers in ambient pressure with additive dwelling for about 1 h (namely, additive annealing) show an enhanced power conversion efficiency up to 7.78% with a large short circuit current of 19.25 mA/cm(2), which are among the best in small molecule-based solar cells. The detailed morphology analyses using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, resonant soft X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate that the active layer shows smaller-sized phase separation but improved structure order upon additive annealing. On the contrary, the quick removal of the additive either by quick vacuuming or methanol washing keeps the active layers in an earlier stage of large scaled phase separation.

The Classical Vacuum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Timothy H.

1985-01-01

The classical vacuum of physics is not empty, but contains a distinctive pattern of electromagnetic fields. Discovery of the vacuum, thermal spectrum, classical electron theory, zero-point spectrum, and effects of acceleration are discussed. Connection between thermal radiation and the classical vacuum reveals unexpected unity in the laws of…

Effect of In Situ Annealing Treatment on the Mobility and Morphology of TIPS-Pentacene-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Yang, Fuqiang; Wang, Xiaolin; Fan, Huidong; Tang, Ying; Yang, Jianjun; Yu, Junsheng

2017-08-23

In this work, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with a bottom gate top contact structure were fabricated by using a spray-coating method, and the influence of in situ annealing treatment on the OFET performance was investigated. Compared to the conventional post-annealing method, the field-effect mobility of OFET with 60 °C in situ annealing treatment was enhanced nearly four times from 0.056 to 0.191 cm 2 /Vs. The surface morphologies and the crystallization of TIPS-pentacene films were characterized by optical microscope, atomic force microscope, and X-ray diffraction. We found that the increased mobility was mainly attributed to the improved crystallization and highly ordered TIPS-pentacene molecules.

Effect of In Situ Annealing Treatment on the Mobility and Morphology of TIPS-Pentacene-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fuqiang; Wang, Xiaolin; Fan, Huidong; Tang, Ying; Yang, Jianjun; Yu, Junsheng

2017-08-01

In this work, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with a bottom gate top contact structure were fabricated by using a spray-coating method, and the influence of in situ annealing treatment on the OFET performance was investigated. Compared to the conventional post-annealing method, the field-effect mobility of OFET with 60 °C in situ annealing treatment was enhanced nearly four times from 0.056 to 0.191 cm2/Vs. The surface morphologies and the crystallization of TIPS-pentacene films were characterized by optical microscope, atomic force microscope, and X-ray diffraction. We found that the increased mobility was mainly attributed to the improved crystallization and highly ordered TIPS-pentacene molecules.

Vacuum fluctuations in an ancestor vacuum: A possible dark energy candidate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Hajime; Iso, Satoshi; Lee, Da-Shin; Sekino, Yasuhiro; Yeh, Chen-Pin

2018-02-01

We consider an open universe created by bubble nucleation, and study possible effects of our "ancestor vacuum," a de Sitter space in which bubble nucleation occurred, on the present universe. We compute vacuum expectation values of the energy-momentum tensor for a minimally coupled scalar field, carefully taking into account the effect of the ancestor vacuum by the Euclidean prescription. We pay particular attention to the so-called supercurvature mode, a non-normalizable mode on a spatial slice of the open universe, which has been known to exist for sufficiently light fields. This mode decays in time most slowly, and may leave residual effects of the ancestor vacuum, potentially observable in the present universe. We point out that the vacuum energy of the quantum field can be regarded as dark energy if mass of the field is of order the present Hubble parameter or smaller. We obtain preliminary results for the dark energy equation of state w (z ) as a function of the redshift.

The Evolution of Fabricated Gold Thin Films to Nano-Micro Particles Under Thermal Annealing Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajivaliei, Mahdi; Nazari, Saeed

2016-06-01

Gold (Au) thin films with thickness of 35nm were prepared by electron beam deposition onto flat glass substrates under high vacuum (5.3×10-3Pa) condition and they were annealed in the range of 573-873 K for 1 and 2h in atmospheric pressure. The influence of the annealing temperature on the evolution of Au thin film to nano-micro particles was studied. Moreover, the basic properties of the films, namely morphological, structural and optical were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the Au thin films were cubic structure phase with lattice parameter around a=4.0786Å. The most preferential orientation is along (111) planes for all Au films. The lattice parameter and grain size in the films were calculated by X-ray patterns and correlated with annealing temperatures. The obtained results of ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis) indicate that with increasing annealing temperature, the surface plasmon resonance peak of gold nanocrystallite will disappear which implies the size of particles are grown. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results show that the prepared gold thin films have been converted to nano-micro gold particles in different annealing temperatures. These results lead to controlling the size of produced nanocrystallite.

Preparation of clean surfaces and Se vacancy formation in Bi2Se3 by ion bombardment and annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Weimin; Zhu, Haoshan; Valles, Connie M.; Yarmoff, Jory A.

2017-08-01

Bismuth Selenide (Bi2Se3) is a topological insulator (TI) with a structure consisting of stacked quintuple layers. Single crystal surfaces are commonly prepared by mechanical cleaving. This work explores the use of low energy Ar+ ion bombardment and annealing (IBA) as an alternative method to produce reproducible and stable Bi2Se3 surfaces under ultra-high vacuum (UHV). It is found that a clean and well-ordered surface can be prepared by a single cycle of 1 keV Ar+ ion bombardment and 30 min of annealing. Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and detailed low energy ion scattering (LEIS) measurements show no differences between IBA-prepared surfaces and those prepared by in situ cleaving in UHV. Analysis of the LEED patterns shows that the optimal annealing temperature is 450 °C. Angular LEIS scans reveal the formation of surface Se vacancies when the annealing temperature exceeds 520 °C.

Special features of changes in the structure and mechanical properties of oxygen-free pure and yttrium-alloyed copper after vacuum induction remelting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamyshanchenko, N. V.; Galtsev, A. V.; Durykhin, M. I.; Neklyudov, I. M.; Borts, B. V.; Shevchenko, S. V.

2011-03-01

Properties of oxygen-free copper with a microadditive of yttrium and without it are studied after vacuum induction remelting. The ingots are subjected to intense hot pressing and subsequent rolling to various degrees of reduction. The effects of the annealing temperature on the structure and of the anisotropy of the structure on the strength properties of the copper are determined. The properties of copper with an additive of yttrium and without it are compared.

Annealing effect on structural and optical properties of chemical bath deposited MnS thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ulutas, Cemal, E-mail: cemalulutas@hakkari.edu.tr; Gumus, Cebrail

2016-03-25

MnS thin film was prepared by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method on commercial microscope glass substrate deposited at 30 °C. The as-deposited film was given thermal annealing treatment in air atmosphere at various temperatures (150, 300 and 450 °C) for 1 h. The MnS thin film was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement system. The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, electrical and optical properties such as optical constants of refractive index (n) and energy band gap (E{sub g}) of the film was determined. XRD measurements reveal that the film is crystallized inmore » the wurtzite phase and changed to tetragonal Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase after being annealed at 300 °C. The energy band gap of film decreased from 3.69 eV to 3.21 eV based on the annealing temperature.« less

Effect of solution annealing temperature on precipitation in 2205 duplex stainless steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kashiwar, A., E-mail: akashiwar@gmail.com; Vennela, N. Phani, E-mail: phanivennela@gmail.com; Kamath, S.L., E-mail: kamath@iitb.ac.in

2012-12-15

In the present study, effect of solution annealing temperature (1050 Degree-Sign C and 1100 Degree-Sign C) and isothermal ageing (700 Degree-Sign C: 15 min to 6 h) on the microstructural changes in 2205 duplex stainless steel has been investigated systematically. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were adopted to follow the microstructural evolution, while an energy dispersive spectrometer attached to scanning electron microscope was used to obtain localised chemical information of various phases. The ferritic matrix of the two phase 2205 duplex stainless steel ({approx} 45% ferrite and {approx} 55% austenite) undergoes a series of metallurgical transformations during ageing-formation ofmore » secondary austenite ({gamma}{sub 2}) and precipitation of Cr and Mo rich intermetallic (chi-{chi} and sigma-{sigma}) phases. For solution annealing at 1050 Degree-Sign C, significant amount of carbides were observed in the ferrite grains after 1 h of ageing at 700 Degree-Sign C. {chi} Phase precipitated after the precipitation of carbides-preferentially at the ferrite-ferrite and also at the ferrite-austenite boundaries. {sigma} Phase was not observed in significant quantity even after 6 h of ageing. The sequence of precipitation in samples solution annealed at 1050 Degree-Sign C was found to be carbides {yields} {chi} {yields} {sigma}. On the contrary, for samples solution annealed at 1100 Degree-Sign C, the precipitation of {chi} phase was negligible. {chi} Phase precipitated before {sigma} phase, preferentially along the ferrite-ferrite grain boundaries and was later consumed in the {sigma} phase precipitation. The {sigma} phase precipitated via the eutectoid transformation of ferrite to yield secondary austenite {gamma}{sub 2} and {sigma} phase in the ferrite and along the ferrite-austenite grain boundaries. An increase in the volume fraction of {gamma}{sub 2} and {sigma} phase with simultaneous decrease in the ferrite was evidenced with ageing

The effect of annealing on the MR and exchange bias characteristics in dual spin valve with nano-oxide layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, S. H.; Kang, T.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, K. Y.

2002-02-01

We investigated magnetoresistance (MR) and exchange bias properties by annealing in the dual spin valve (SV) with nano-oxide layer (NOL). By analyzing effects of NOL in top and bottom pinned simple SVs, MR enhancement effect of NOL inserted in the bottom pinned layer was higher than that of NOL in the top pinned layer with annealing. By the enhanced specular scattering of electrons by NOL, the MR ratio of dual SV with NOL was increased to 15.5-15.9% with an annealing of 200-250°C. Exchange coupling constant Jex was improved rapidly as 0.13-0.16 erg/cm 2 by annealing in the bottom pinned layer, whereas the effect of annealing was not large in the top pinned layer with Jex of about 0.09-0.116 erg/cm 2.

Vacuum polarization effects on flat branes due to a global monopole

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bezerra de Mello, E.R.

2006-05-15

In this paper we analyze the vacuum polarization effects associated with a massless scalar field in the higher-dimensional spacetime. Specifically we calculate the renormalized vacuum expectation value of the square of the field, <{phi}{sup 2}(x)>{sub Ren}, induced by a global monopole in the 'braneworld' scenario. In this context the global monopole lives in a n=3-dimensional submanifold of the higher-dimensional (bulk) spacetime, and our universe is represented by a transverse flat (p-1)-dimensional brane. In order to develop this analysis we calculate the general Green function admitting that the scalar field propagates in the bulk. Also a general curvature coupling parameter betweenmore » the field and the geometry is assumed. We explicitly show that the vacuum polarization effects depend crucially on the values attributed to p. We also investigate the general structure of the renormalized vacuum expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor, {sub Ren}, for p=3.« less

Post deposition annealing effect on the properties of Al2O3/InP interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hogyoung; Kim, Dong Ha; Choi, Byung Joon

2018-02-01

Post deposition in-situ annealing effect on the interfacial and electrical properties of Au/Al2O3/n-InP junctions were investigated. With increasing the annealing time, both the barrier height and ideality factor changed slightly but the series resistance decreased significantly. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that the intensities of both the near band edge (NBE) emission from InP and defect-related bands (DBs) from Al2O3 decreased with 30 min annealing. With increasing the annealing time, the diffusion of oxygen (indium) atoms into Al2O3/InP interface (into Al2O3 layer) occurred more significantly, giving rise to the increase of the interface state density. Therefore, the out-diffusion of oxygen atoms from Al2O3 during the annealing process should be controlled carefully to optimize the Al2O3/InP based devices.

Study of annealing effect on the growth of ZnO nanorods on ZnO seed layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sannakashappanavar, Basavaraj S.; Pattanashetti, Nandini A.; Byrareddy, C. R.; Yadav, Aniruddh Bahadur

2018-04-01

A zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer was deposited on the SiO2/Si substrate by RF sputtering. To study the effect of annealing, the seed layers were classified into annealed and unannealed thin films. Annealing of the seed layers was carried at 450°C. Surface morphology of the seed layers were studied by Atomic force microscopy. ZnO nanorods were then grown on both the types of seed layer by hydrothermal method. The morphology and the structural properties of the nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Scanning electron microscopy. The effect of seed layer annealing on the growth and orientation of the ZnO nanorods were clearly examined on comparing with the nanorods grown on unannealed seed layer. The nanorods grown on annealed seed layers were found to be well aligned and oriented. Further, the I-V characteristic study was carried out on these aligned nanorods. The results supports positively for the future work to further enhance the properties of developed nanorods for their wide applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Toward intrinsic graphene surfaces: a systematic study on thermal annealing and wet-chemical treatment of SiO2-supported graphene devices.

PubMed

Cheng, Zengguang; Zhou, Qiaoyu; Wang, Chenxuan; Li, Qiang; Wang, Chen; Fang, Ying

2011-02-09

By combining atomic force microscopy and trans-port measurements, we systematically investigated effects of thermal annealing on surface morphologies and electrical properties of single-layer graphene devices fabricated by electron beam lithography on silicon oxide (SiO(2)) substrates. Thermal treatment above 300 °C in vacuum was required to effectively remove resist residues on graphene surfaces. However, annealing at high temperature was found to concomitantly bring graphene in close contact with SiO(2) substrates and induce increased coupling between them, which leads to heavy hole doping and severe degradation of mobilities in graphene devices. To address this problem, a wet-chemical approach employing chloroform was developed in our study, which was shown to enable both intrinsic surfaces and enhanced electrical properties of graphene devices. Upon the recovery of intrinsic surfaces of graphene, the adsorption and assisted fibrillation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ1-42) on graphene were electrically measured in real time.

Large-scale uniform bilayer graphene prepared by vacuum graphitization of 6H-SiC(0001) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingyan; Zhang, Wenhao; Wang, Lili; He, Ke; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun

2013-03-01

We report on the preparation of large-scale uniform bilayer graphenes on nominally flat Si-polar 6H-SiC(0001) substrates by flash annealing in ultrahigh vacuum. The resulting graphenes have a single thickness of one bilayer and consist of regular terraces separated by the triple SiC bilayer steps on the 6H-SiC(0001) substrates. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that suppression of pit formation on terraces and uniformity of SiC decomposition at step edges are the key factors to the uniform thickness. By studying the surface morphologies prepared under different annealing rates, it is found that the annealing rate is directly related to SiC decomposition, diffusion of the released Si/C atoms and strain relaxation, which together determine the final step structure and density of defects.

Large-scale uniform bilayer graphene prepared by vacuum graphitization of 6H-SiC(0001) substrates.

PubMed

Wang, Qingyan; Zhang, Wenhao; Wang, Lili; He, Ke; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun

2013-03-06

We report on the preparation of large-scale uniform bilayer graphenes on nominally flat Si-polar 6H-SiC(0001) substrates by flash annealing in ultrahigh vacuum. The resulting graphenes have a single thickness of one bilayer and consist of regular terraces separated by the triple SiC bilayer steps on the 6H-SiC(0001) substrates. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that suppression of pit formation on terraces and uniformity of SiC decomposition at step edges are the key factors to the uniform thickness. By studying the surface morphologies prepared under different annealing rates, it is found that the annealing rate is directly related to SiC decomposition, diffusion of the released Si/C atoms and strain relaxation, which together determine the final step structure and density of defects.

Tensile Behavior of Electron Beam-Welded and Post-Weld Vacuum-Annealed Nb-10% Hf-1% Ti Refractory Alloy Weldments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anil Kumar, V.; Gupta, R. K.; Venkateswaran, T.; Ram Kumar, P.

2018-02-01

Nb-10% Hf-1% Ti refractory alloy is a high performance material extensively used for high temperature applications. Electron beam welding is one of the most widely used techniques to join refractory and reactive alloys. Bigger sizes of nozzles for rocket propulsion applications can be either made through deep drawing and flow turning route or by roll bending and welding route both using sheets/plates as input material for fabrication. The latter is a more economical option for mass production of the hardware using such exotic and expensive alloys. In view of this, both as-welded (AW) coupon and weld plus post-weld vacuum-annealed (AW + VA) coupon have been prepared to study their mechanical behavior. It has been observed that tensile strength and ductility have not been reduced in both these conditions vis-à-vis the base metal, confirming weld efficiency of the alloy to be 100%. Microhardness is found to be 150-160 VHN in the base metal and 200-225 VHN in the weld fusion zone in AW condition, which became uniform (145-155 VHN) throughout the weldment in AW + VA condition. Microstructure of the weldment in AW condition is found to be consisting of grains solidified by epitaxial mode from base metal toward the weld centre. In AW + VA condition, improvement in tensile elongation is observed, which is found to be due to the presence of homogenized grains/more uniform microstructure near the heat-affected zone as compared to the steep gradient in grain size in different zones in the weld in AW condition.

Vacuum nonlinear electrodynamic polarization effects in hard emission of pulsars and magnetars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisov, V. I.; Sokolov, V. A.; Svertilov, S. I.

2017-09-01

The nonlinear electrodynamics influence of pulsar magnetic field on the electromagnetic pulse polarization is discussed from the point of observation interpretation. The calculations of pulsar magnetic field impact on the electromagnetic pulse polarization are made in such a way to make it easier to interpret these effects in space experiments. The law of hard emission pulse propagation in the pulsar magnetic field according to the vacuum (nonlinear electrodynamics is obtained. It has been shown, that due to the birefringence in the vacuum the front part of any hard emission pulse coming from a pulsar should be linearly polarized and the rest of pulse can have arbitrary polarization. The observational possibilities of vacuum birefringence are discussed. In this paper we give the estimations of detector parameters such as effective area, exposure time and necessity of polarization measurements with high accuracy. The combination of large area and extremely long exposure time gives the good opportunity to search the fine polarization effects like vacuum nonlinear electrodynamics birefringence.

Inert gas annealing effect in solution-processed amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seungwoon; Jeong, Jaewook

2017-08-01

In this paper, the annealing effect of solution-processed amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs), under ambient He (He-device), is systematically analyzed by comparison with those under ambient O2 (O2-device) and N2 (N2-device), respectively. The He-device shows high field-effect mobility and low subthreshold slope owing to the minimization of the ambient effect. The degradation of the O2- and N2-device performances originate from their respective deep acceptor-like and shallow donor-like characteristics, which can be verified by comparison with the He-device. However, the three devices show similar threshold voltage instability under prolonged positive bias stress due to the effect of excess oxygen. Therefore, annealing in ambient He is the most suitable method for the fabrication of reference TFTs to study the various effects of the ambient during the annealing process in solution-processed a-IGZO TFTs.

Effect of annealing on structural and luminescence properties of Eu3+ doped NaYF4 phosphor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Trilok K.; Kumar, Ashwini; Swart, H. C.; Kroon, R. E.

2018-04-01

Eu3+ doped NaYF4 phosphors have been synthesized by the combustion method. The effect of annealing on the structural, morphological and luminescence properties has been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the Eu3+ doped NaYF4 phosphors consisted of mixed phases: α-phase and β-phase which were affected by the annealing of the phosphor. The surface morphology showed a significant change with annealing in the Eu3+ doped NaYF4 phosphors. The elemental mapping and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy spectra proved the formation of the desired materials. The photoluminescence spectra illustrated the optical properties of Eu3+ in the as-prepared and annealed Eu3+ doped NaYF4 phosphors. The intensity of the peaks 5D0 → 7F2 and 5D0 → 7F1 varied in as-prepared and annealed samples. The lifetime of the Eu3+ luminescence at 615 nm was also weakly affected by the Eu3+ doping and annealing temperature.

Effect of annealing and In content on the properties of electron beam evaporated ZnO films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, S. H.; Ali, H. M.; Mohamed, H. A.; Salem, A. M.

2005-08-01

The effect of both annealing and In content on the properties of ZnO films prepared by electron beam evaporation were investigated. The evaporation was carried out at room temperature from bulk samples prepared by sintering technique. X-ray diffraction showed that the structure of ZnO-In{2}O{3} films depends on both the In content and annealing temperature. Amorphous, highly transparent and relatively low resistive films which can be suitable for the usage as transparent electrode of organic light-emitting diode were obtained upon annealing at 300 circC. Partially crystalline, highly transparent and highly resistive films which can be used in piezoelectric applications were obtained upon annealing at 500 circC. For each composition the refractive index has no monotonic variation upon increasing annealing temperature.

Post annealing effects on the electrical characteristics of pentacene thin film transistors on flexible substrates.

PubMed

Oh, Tae-Yeon; Jeong, Shin Woo; Chang, Seongpil; Park, Jung-Ho; Kim, Jong-Woo; Choi, Kookhyun; Ha, Hyeon-Jun; Hwang, Bo-Yeon; Ju, Byeong-Kwon

2013-05-01

This work studies the effect of post annealing of pentacene on a flexible substrate through the examination of electrical properties and surface morphologies. It is confirmed that the best performance of devices is achieved when the post annealing temperature is 60 degrees C, since the grain size increases, which decrease grain boundaries caused charge transport limit. We can also confirmed the large threshold voltage shift of device annealed at 60 degrees C that means the lower trap density between channel and insulator interface. The device annealed at 60 degrees C exhibits a saturation mobility of 1.99 cm2/V x s, an on/off ratio of 1.87 x 10(4), and a subthreshold slope of 2.5 V/decade.

Effect of low thermal budget annealing on surface passivation of silicon by ALD based aluminum oxide films.

PubMed

Vandana; Batra, Neha; Gope, Jhuma; Singh, Rajbir; Panigrahi, Jagannath; Tyagi, Sanjay; Pathi, P; Srivastava, S K; Rauthan, C M S; Singh, P K

2014-10-21

Thermal ALD deposited Al2O3 films on silicon show a marked difference in surface passivation quality as a function of annealing time (using a rapid thermal process). An effective and quality passivation is realized in short anneal duration (∼100 s) in nitrogen ambient which is reflected in the low surface recombination velocity (SRV <10 cm s(-1)). The deduced values are close to the best reported SRV obtained by the high thermal budget process (with annealing time between 10-30 min), conventionally used for improved surface passivation. Both as-deposited and low thermal budget annealed films show the presence of positive fixed charges and this is never been reported in the literature before. The role of field and chemical passivation is investigated in terms of fixed charge and interface defect densities. Further, the importance of the annealing step sequence in the MIS structure fabrication protocol is also investigated from the view point of its effect on the nature of fixed charges.

Effects of annealing temperature on the structural, mechanical and electrical properties of flexible bismuth telluride thin films prepared by high-pressure RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singkaselit, Kamolmad; Sakulkalavek, Aparporn; Sakdanuphab, Rachsak

2017-09-01

In this work Bi x Te y thin films were deposited on polyimide substrate by a high-pressure RF magnetron sputtering technique. The deposited condition was maintained using a high pressure of 1.3  ×  10-2 mbar. The as-deposited films show Bi2Te3 structure with Te excess phase (Te-rich Bi2Te3). After that, as-deposited films were annealed in the vacuum chamber under the N2 flow at temperatures from 250 to 400 °C for one hour. The microstructure, cross-section, [Bi]:[Te] content, and the mechanical, electrical and thermoelectric properties of as-deposited and different annealed films were investigated. It was found that the annealing temperature enhanced the crystallinity and film density for the temperature range 250-300 °C. However, the crystal structure of Bi2Te3 almost changed to the BiTe structure after annealing the films above 350 °C, due to the re-evaporation of Te. Nano-indentation results and cross-section images indicated that the hardness of the films related to the film density. The maximum hardness of 2.30 GPa was observed by annealing the films at 300 °C. As a result of an improvement in crystallinity and phase changes, the highest power factor of 11.45  ×  10-4 W m-1K-2 at 300 °C with the carrier concentration and mobility of 6.15  ×  1020 cm-3 and 34.03 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively, was achieved for the films annealed at 400 °C. Contribution at the 4th Southeast Asia Conference on Thermoelectrics 2016 (SACT 2016), 15-18 December 2016, Da Nang City, Vietnam.

Modifying ultrafast optical response of sputtered VOX nanostructures in a broad spectral range by altering post annealing atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kürüm, U.; Yaglioglu, H. G.; Küçüköz, B.; Oksuzoglu, R. M.; Yıldırım, M.; Yağcı, A. M.; Yavru, C.; Özgün, S.; Tıraş, T.; Elmali, A.

2015-01-01

Nanostructured VOX thin films were grown in a dc magnetron sputter system under two different Ar:O2 gas flow ratios. The films were annealed under vacuum and various ratios of O2/N2 atmospheres. The insulator-to-metal transition properties of the thin films were investigated by temperature dependent resistance measurement. Photo induced insulator-to-metal transition properties were investigated by Z-scan and ultrafast white light continuum pump probe spectroscopy measurements. Experiments showed that not only insulator-to-metal transition, but also wavelength dependence (from NIR to VIS) and time scale (from ns to ultrafast) of nonlinear optical response of the VOX thin films could be fine tuned by carefully adjusting post annealing atmosphere despite different initial oxygen content in the production. Fabricated VO2 thin films showed reflection change in the visible region due to photo induced phase transition. The results have general implications for easy and more effective fabrication of the nanostructured oxide systems with controllable electrical, optical, and ultrafast optical responses.

Electroweak vacuum instability and renormalized Higgs field vacuum fluctuations in the inflationary universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohri, Kazunori; Matsui, Hiroki

2017-08-01

In this work, we investigated the electroweak vacuum instability during or after inflation. In the inflationary Universe, i.e., de Sitter space, the vacuum field fluctuations < δ phi 2 > enlarge in proportion to the Hubble scale H2. Therefore, the large inflationary vacuum fluctuations of the Higgs field < δ phi 2 > are potentially catastrophic to trigger the vacuum transition to the negative-energy Planck-scale vacuum state and cause an immediate collapse of the Universe. However, the vacuum field fluctuations < δ phi 2 >, i.e., the vacuum expectation values have an ultraviolet divergence, and therefore a renormalization is necessary to estimate the physical effects of the vacuum transition. Thus, in this paper, we revisit the electroweak vacuum instability from the perspective of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved space-time, and discuss the dynamical behavior of the homogeneous Higgs field phi determined by the effective potential V eff( phi ) in curved space-time and the renormalized vacuum fluctuations < δ phi 2 >ren via adiabatic regularization and point-splitting regularization. We simply suppose that the Higgs field only couples the gravity via the non-minimal Higgs-gravity coupling ξ(μ). In this scenario, the electroweak vacuum stability is inevitably threatened by the dynamical behavior of the homogeneous Higgs field phi, or the formations of AdS domains or bubbles unless the Hubble scale is small enough H< ΛI .

Neutron, gamma ray and post-irradiation thermal annealing effects on power semiconductor switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

1991-01-01

Experimental data showing the effects of neutrons and gamma rays on the performance characteristics of power-type NPN bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), and static induction transistors (SITs) are given. These three types of devices were tested at radiation levels which met or exceeded the SP-100 requirements. For the SP-100 radiation requirements, the BJTs were found to be most sensitive to neutrons, the MOSFETs were most sensitive to gamma rays, and the SITs were only slightly sensitive to neutrons. Postirradiation thermal anneals at 300 K and up to 425 K were done on these devices and the effectiveness of these anneals are also discussed.

Modeling and Measuring the Effects of Radiation Damage Annealing on Helium Diffusion Kinetics in Apatite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, C. D.; Fox, M.; Shuster, D. L.

2016-12-01

Understanding helium diffusion kinetics in apatite is critical for the accurate interpretation of (U-Th)/He thermochronometric data. This problem is complicated by the observation that helium diffusivity is not a simple function of temperature, but may evolve as a function of damage to the apatite crystal lattice resulting from alpha recoil. This `radiation damage' increases as a function of the amount of radiometric parent products, or effective uranium concentration, and time, but decreases due to thermal annealing of damage, necessitating a detailed understanding of radiation damage production and annealing in cases of burial heating over geologic timescales. Published observations [1,2] suggest that annealing rates of damage caused by alpha recoil and fission tracks in apatite differ. Existing models, however, assume the diffusion kinetics resulting from the two sources of damage are identical [3], demonstrating the need for further investigation of these damage sources. We present modeling and experimental work designed to interrogate the effects of radiation damage and its annealing on helium diffusion kinetics in apatite. Using previously published results [4] that investigated the effects of annealing temperature and duration on measured helium diffusivity, we fit a set of functions that are then integrated into a numerical model that tracks the evolution of radiation damage and apparent (U-Th)/He age. We compare the results of this model calibration to existing models [3]. In addition, we present data from two suites of diffusion experiments. The first suite, intended to test the published methodology and results, uses Durango apatite, while the second uses Sierran (CA) granite as a first test to determine if apatite of varying chemistry and age responds differently to the thermal annealing of radiation damage. Ultimately, the updated model and experimental results will benefit the interpretation of the effects of radiation damage accumulation and

Effect of thermal annealing Super Yellow emissive layer on efficiency of OLEDs

PubMed Central

Burns, Samantha; MacLeod, Jennifer; Trang Do, Thu; Sonar, Prashant; Yambem, Soniya D.

2017-01-01

Thermal annealing of the emissive layer of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) is a common practice for solution processable emissive layers and reported annealing temperatures varies across a wide range of temperatures. We have investigated the influence of thermal annealing of the emissive layer at different temperatures on the performance of OLEDs. Solution processed polymer Super Yellow emissive layers were annealed at different temperatures and their performances were compared against OLEDs with a non-annealed emissive layer. We found a significant difference in the efficiency of OLEDs with different annealing temperatures. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) reached a maximum of 4.09% with the emissive layer annealed at 50 °C. The EQE dropped by ~35% (to 2.72%) for OLEDs with the emissive layers annealed at 200 °C. The observed performances of OLEDs were found to be closely related to thermal properties of polymer Super Yellow. The results reported here provide an important guideline for processing emissive layers and are significant for OLED and other organic electronics research communities. PMID:28106082

Annealing dependent evolution of columnar nanostructures in RF magnetron sputtered PTFE films for hydrophobic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, S.; De, Rajnarayan; Maidul Haque, S.; Divakar Rao, K.; Misal, J. S.; Prathap, C.; Das, S. C.; Patidar, Manju M.; Ganesan, V.; Sahoo, N. K.

2018-01-01

Present communication focuses on a relatively less explored direction of producing rough polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces for possible hydrophobic applications. The experiments were carried out to make rough PTFE films without losing much of the transmission, which is an important factor while designing futuristic solar cell protection covers. After annealing temperature optimization, as grown RF magnetron sputtered PTFE films (prepared at 160 W RF power) were subjected to vacuum annealing at 200 °C for different time durations ranging from 1 to 4 h. The films show morphological evolution exhibiting formation and growth of columnar nanostructures that are responsible for roughening of the films due to annealing induced molecular migration and rearrangement. In agreement with this, qualitative analysis of corresponding x-ray reflectivity data shows modification in film thickness, which may again be attributed to the growth of columns at the expense of the atoms of remaining film molecules. However, the observations reveal that the film annealed at 200 °C for 2 h gives a combination of patterned columnar structures and reasonable transmission of >85% (in 500-1000 nm wavelength range), both of which are deteriorated when the films are annealed either at high temperature beyond 200 °C or for long durations >3 h. In addition, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results reveal that the molecular bonds remain intact upon annealing at any temperature within the studied range indicating the stable nature of the films.

Influence of Gap Distance on Vacuum Arc Characteristics of Cup Type AMF Electrode in Vacuum Interrupters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Shaoyong; Xiu, Shixin; Wang, Jimei; Shen, Zhengchao

2006-11-01

The greenhouse effect of SF6 is a great concern today. The development of high voltage vacuum circuit breakers becomes more important. The vacuum circuit breaker has minimum pollution to the environment. The vacuum interrupter is the key part of a vacuum circuit breaker. The interrupting characteristics in vacuum and arc-controlling technique are the main problems to be solved for a longer gap distance in developing high voltage vacuum interrupters. To understand the vacuum arc characteristics and provide effective technique to control vacuum arc in a long gap distance, the arc mode transition of a cup-type axial magnetic field electrode is observed by a high-speed charge coupled device (CCD) video camera under different gap distances while the arc voltage and arc current are recorded. The controlling ability of the axial magnetic field on vacuum arc obviously decreases when the gap distance is longer than 40 mm. The noise components and mean value of the arc voltage significantly increase. The effective method for controlling the vacuum arc characteristics is provided by long gap distances based on the test results. The test results can be used as a reference to develop high voltage and large capacity vacuum interrupters.

Effects of thermal annealing and reirradiation on toughness of reactor pressure vessel steels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nanstad, R.K.; Iskander, S.K.; Sokolov, M.A.

1997-02-01

One of the options to mitigate the effects of irradiation on reactor pressure vessels (RPV) is to thermally anneal them to restore the toughness properties that have been degraded by neutron irradiation. This paper summarizes recent experimental results from work performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to study the annealing response, or {open_quotes}recovery,{close_quotes} of several irradiated RPV steels; it also includes recent results from both ORNL and the Russian Research Center-Kurchatov Institute (RRC-KI) on a cooperative program of irradiation, annealing and reirradiation of both U.S. and Russian RPV steels. The cooperative program was conducted under the auspices ofmore » Working Group 3, U.S./Russia Joint Coordinating Committee for Civilian Nuclear Reactor Safety (JCCCNRS). The materials investigated are an RPV plate and various submerged-arc welds, with tensile, Charpy impact toughness, and fracture toughness results variously determined. Experimental results are compared with applicable prediction guidelines, while observed differences in annealing responses and reirradiation rates are discussed.« less

Effects of annealing process on magnetic properties and structures of Nd-Pr-Ce-Fe-B melt-spun powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Kun; Lin, Min; Yan, Aru; Zhang, Xing

2016-05-01

The effects of annealing process on magnetic properties and structures of Nd-Pr-Ce-Fe-B melt-spun powders have been investigated. The magnetic properties improve a lot when the annealing temperature is 590-650 °C and the annealing time exceeds 1 min. The magnetic properties is stable when the annealing time is 590-650 °C. The powders contains obvious grains when the annealing time is only 1 min, while the grains grow up obviously, leading to the decrease of Br and (BH)max, when the annealing time is more than 9 min. The Hcj changes little for different annealing time. The cooling rate also affects the magnetic properties of powders with different Ce-content. Faster cooling rate is favorable to improve magnetic properties with low Ce-content powders, while high Ce-content powders need slower cooling rate.

Ultra-high vacuum compatible preparation chain for intermetallic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, A.; Benka, G.; Regnat, A.; Franz, C.; Pfleiderer, C.

2016-11-01

We report the development of a versatile material preparation chain for intermetallic compounds, which focuses on the realization of a high-purity growth environment. The preparation chain comprises an argon glovebox, an inductively heated horizontal cold boat furnace, an arc melting furnace, an inductively heated rod casting furnace, an optically heated floating-zone furnace, a resistively heated annealing furnace, and an inductively heated annealing furnace. The cold boat furnace and the arc melting furnace may be loaded from the glovebox by means of a load-lock permitting to synthesize compounds starting with air-sensitive elements while handling the constituents exclusively in an inert gas atmosphere. All furnaces are all-metal sealed, bakeable, and may be pumped to ultra-high vacuum. We find that the latter represents an important prerequisite for handling compounds with high vapor pressure under high-purity argon atmosphere. We illustrate the operational aspects of the preparation chain in terms of the single-crystal growth of the heavy-fermion compound CeNi2Ge2.

DIFFRACTION STUDY ON THE THERMAL STABILITY OF Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2}/TiC/TiSi{sub 2} COMPOSITES IN VACUUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pang, W. K.; Low, I. M.; O'Connor, B. H.

2010-01-05

Titanium silicon carbide (Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2}) possesses a unique combination of properties of both metals and ceramics, for it is thermally shock resistant, thermally and electrically conductive, damage tolerant, lightweight, highly oxidation resistant, elastically stiff, and mechanically machinable. In this paper, the effect of high vacuum annealing on the phase stability and phase transitions of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2}/TiC/TiSi{sub 2} composites at up to 1550 deg. C was studied using in-situ neutron diffraction. The role of TiC and TiSi{sub 2} on the thermal stability of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} during vacuum annealing is discussed. TiC reacts with TiSi{sub 2} between 1400-1450 deg.more » C to form Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2}. Above 1400 deg. C, decomposition of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} into TiC commenced and the rate increased with increased temperature and dwell time. Furthermore, the activation energy for the formation and decomposition of Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} was determined.« less

Electroweak vacuum instability and renormalized Higgs field vacuum fluctuations in the inflationary universe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kohri, Kazunori; Matsui, Hiroki, E-mail: kohri@post.kek.jp, E-mail: matshiro@post.kek.jp

In this work, we investigated the electroweak vacuum instability during or after inflation. In the inflationary Universe, i.e., de Sitter space, the vacuum field fluctuations < δ φ {sup 2} > enlarge in proportion to the Hubble scale H {sup 2}. Therefore, the large inflationary vacuum fluctuations of the Higgs field < δ φ {sup 2} > are potentially catastrophic to trigger the vacuum transition to the negative-energy Planck-scale vacuum state and cause an immediate collapse of the Universe. However, the vacuum field fluctuations < δ φ {sup 2} >, i.e., the vacuum expectation values have an ultraviolet divergence, andmore » therefore a renormalization is necessary to estimate the physical effects of the vacuum transition. Thus, in this paper, we revisit the electroweak vacuum instability from the perspective of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved space-time, and discuss the dynamical behavior of the homogeneous Higgs field φ determined by the effective potential V {sub eff}( φ ) in curved space-time and the renormalized vacuum fluctuations < δ φ {sup 2} >{sub ren} via adiabatic regularization and point-splitting regularization. We simply suppose that the Higgs field only couples the gravity via the non-minimal Higgs-gravity coupling ξ(μ). In this scenario, the electroweak vacuum stability is inevitably threatened by the dynamical behavior of the homogeneous Higgs field φ, or the formations of AdS domains or bubbles unless the Hubble scale is small enough H < Λ {sub I} .« less

Annealing effects on the structural and magnetic properties of off-stoichiometric Fe-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

DOE PAGES

Chen, Yan; Bei, Hongbin; Dela Cruz, Clarina R; ...

2016-05-07

Annealing plays an important role in modifying structures and properties of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs). The annealing effect on the structures and magnetic properties of off-stoichiometric Fe 45Mn 26Ga 29 FSMA has been investigated at different elevated temperatures. Rietveld refinements of neutron diffraction patterns display that the formation of the γ phase in Fe 45Mn 26Ga 29 annealed at 1073 K increases the martensitic transformation temperature and reduces the thermal hysteresis in comparison to the homogenized sample. The phase segregation of a Fe-rich cubic phase and a Ga-rich cubic phase occurs at the annealing temperature of 773 K. Themore » atomic occupancies of the alloys are determined thanks to the neutron's capability of differentiating transition metals. The annealing effects at different temperatures introduce a different magnetic characteristic that is associated with distinctive structural changes in the crystal.« less

Periodically pulsed wet annealing approach for low-temperature processable amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors with high electrical performance and ultrathin thickness.

PubMed

Kim, Ye Kyun; Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Yun, Myeong Gu; Cho, Sung Woon; Kang, Won Jun; Cho, Hyung Koun

2016-05-20

In this paper, a simple and controllable "wet pulse annealing" technique for the fabrication of flexible amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) processed at low temperature (150 °C) by using scalable vacuum deposition is proposed. This method entailed the quick injection of water vapor for 0.1 s and purge treatment in dry ambient in one cycle; the supply content of water vapor was simply controlled by the number of pulse repetitions. The electrical transport characteristics revealed a remarkable performance of the a-IGZO TFTs prepared at the maximum process temperature of 150 °C (field-effect mobility of 13.3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1); Ion/Ioff ratio ≈ 10(8); reduced I-V hysteresis), comparable to that of a-IGZO TFTs annealed at 350 °C in dry ambient. Upon analysis of the angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the good performance was attributed to the effective suppression of the formation of hydroxide and oxygen-related defects. Finally, by using the wet pulse annealing process, we fabricated, on a plastic substrate, an ultrathin flexible a-IGZO TFT with good electrical and bending performances.

Sb-Te alloy nanostructures produced on a graphite surface by a simple annealing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwahara, Masashi; Uratsuji, Hideaki; Abe, Maho; Sone, Hayato; Hosaka, Sumio; Sakai, Joe; Uehara, Yoichi; Endo, Rie; Tsuruoka, Tohru

2015-08-01

We have produced Sb-Te alloy nanostructures from a thin Sb2Te3 layer deposited on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrate using a simple rf-magnetron sputtering and annealing technique. The size, shape, and chemical composition of the structures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), respectively. The shape of the nanostructures was found to depend on the annealing temperature; nanoparticles appear on the substrate by annealing at 200 °C, while nanoneedles are formed at higher temperatures. Chemical composition analysis has revealed that all the structures were in the composition of Sb:Te = 1:3, Te rich compared to the target composition Sb2Te3, probably due to the higher movability of Te atoms on the substrate compared with Sb. We also tried to observe the production process of nanostructures in situ using SEM. Unfortunately, this was not possible because of evaporation in vacuum, suggesting that the formation of nanostructures is highly sensitive to the ambient pressure.

Vacuum nonlinear electrodynamic polarization effects in hard emission of pulsars and magnetars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Denisov, V.I.; Sokolov, V.A.; Svertilov, S.I., E-mail: vid.msu@yandex.ru, E-mail: sokolov.sev@inbox.ru, E-mail: sis@coronas.ru

The nonlinear electrodynamics influence of pulsar magnetic field on the electromagnetic pulse polarization is discussed from the point of observation interpretation. The calculations of pulsar magnetic field impact on the electromagnetic pulse polarization are made in such a way to make it easier to interpret these effects in space experiments. The law of hard emission pulse propagation in the pulsar magnetic field according to the vacuum (nonlinear electrodynamics is obtained. It has been shown, that due to the birefringence in the vacuum the front part of any hard emission pulse coming from a pulsar should be linearly polarized and themore » rest of pulse can have arbitrary polarization. The observational possibilities of vacuum birefringence are discussed. In this paper we give the estimations of detector parameters such as effective area, exposure time and necessity of polarization measurements with high accuracy. The combination of large area and extremely long exposure time gives the good opportunity to search the fine polarization effects like vacuum nonlinear electrodynamics birefringence.« less

Control of O-H bonds at a-IGZO/SiO2 interface by long time thermal annealing for highly stable oxide TFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Jae Kwon; Um, Jae Gwang; Lee, Suhui; Jang, Jin

2017-12-01

We report two-step annealing, high temperature and sequent low temperature, for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) to improve its stability and device performance. The annealing is carried out at 300 oC in N2 ambient for 1 h (1st step annealing) and then at 250 oC in vacuum for 10 h (2nd step annealing). It is found that the threshold voltage (VTH) changes from 0.4 V to -2.0 V by the 1st step annealing and to +0.6 V by 2nd step annealing. The mobility changes from 18 cm2V-1s-1 to 25 cm2V-1s-1 by 1st step and decreases to 20 cm2V-1s-1 by 2nd step annealing. The VTH shift by positive bias temperature stress (PBTS) is 3.7 V for the as-prepared TFT, and 1.7 V for the 1st step annealed TFT, and 1.3 V for the 2nd step annealed TFT. The XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) depth analysis indicates that the reduction in O-H bonds at the top interface (SiO2/a-IGZO) by 2nd step annealing appears, which is related to the positive VTH shift and smaller VTH shift by PBTS.

Effect of solvent and subsequent thermal annealing on the performance of phenylenevinylene copolymer: PCBM solar cells.

PubMed

Sharma, G D; Suresh, P; Sharma, S S; Vijay, Y K; Mikroyannidis, John A

2010-02-01

The morphology of the photoactive layer used in the bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices is crucial for efficient charge generation and their collection at the electrodes. We investigated the solvent vapor annealing and thermal annealing effect of an alternating phenylenevinylene copolymer P:PCBM blend on its morphology and optical properties. The UV-visible absorption spectroscopy shows that both solvent and thermal annealing can result in self-assembling of copolymer P to form an ordered structure, leading to enhanced absorption in the red region and hole transport enhancement. By combining the solvent and thermal annealing of the devices, the power conversion efficiency is improved. This feature was attributed to the fact that the PCBM molecules begin to diffuse into aggregates and together with the ordered copolymer P phase form bicontinuous pathways in the entire layer for efficient charge separation and transport. Furthermore, the measured photocurrent also suggests that the space charges no longer limit the values of the short circuit current (J(sc)) and fill factor (FF) for solvent-treated and thermally annealed devices. These results indicate that the higher J(sc) and PCE for the solvent-treated and thermally annealed devices can be attributed to the phase separation of active layers, which leads to a balanced carrier mobility. The overall PCE of the device based on the combination of solvent annealing and thermal annealing is about 3.7 %.

The double-edged effects of annealing MgO underlayers on the efficient synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotube forests.

PubMed

Tsuji, Takashi; Hata, Kenji; Futaba, Don N; Sakurai, Shunsuke

2017-11-16

Recently, the millimetre-scale, highly efficient synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) forests from Fe catalysts has been reported through the annealing of the magnesia (MgO) underlayer. Here, we report the double-edged effects of underlayer annealing on the efficiency and structure of the SWCNT forest synthesis through a temperature-dependent examination. Our results showed that the efficiency of the SWCNT forests sharply increased with increased underlayer annealing temperatures from 600 °C up to 900 °C due to a temperature-dependent structural modification, characterized by increased grain size and reduced defects, of the MgO underlayer. Beyond this temperature, the SWCNT fraction also decreased as a result of further structural modification of the MgO underlayer. This exemplifies the double-edged effects of annealing. Specifically, for underlayer annealing below 600 °C, the catalyst subsurface diffusion was found to limit the growth efficiency, and for excessively high underlayer annealing temperatures (>900 °C), catalyst coalescence/ripening led to the formation of double-wall carbon nanotubes. As a result, three distinct regions of synthesis were observed: (i) a "low yield" region below a threshold temperature (∼600 °C); (ii) an "increased yield" region from 600 to 900 °C, and (iii) a "saturation" region above 900 °C. The efficient SWCNT forest synthesis could only occur within a specific annealing temperature window as a result of this double-edged effects of underlayer annealing.

MoO3 Thickness, Thermal Annealing and Solvent Annealing Effects on Inverted and Direct Polymer Photovoltaic Solar Cells

PubMed Central

Chambon, Sylvain; Derue, Lionel; Lahaye, Michel; Pavageau, Bertrand; Hirsch, Lionel; Wantz, Guillaume

2012-01-01

Several parameters of the fabrication process of inverted polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells based on titanium oxide as an electron selective layer and molybdenum oxide as a hole selective layer were tested in order to achieve efficient organic photovoltaic solar cells. Thermal annealing treatment is a common process to achieve optimum morphology, but it proved to be damageable for the performance of this kind of inverted solar cells. We demonstrate using Auger analysis combined with argon etching that diffusion of species occurs from the MoO3/Ag top layers into the active layer upon thermal annealing. In order to achieve efficient devices, the morphology of the bulk heterojunction was then manipulated using the solvent annealing technique as an alternative to thermal annealing. The influence of the MoO3 thickness was studied on inverted, as well as direct, structure. It appeared that only 1 nm-thick MoO3 is enough to exhibit highly efficient devices (PCE = 3.8%) and that increasing the thickness up to 15 nm does not change the device performance.

Atmospheres and spectra of strongly magnetized neutron stars - II. The effect of vacuum polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Wynn C. G.; Lai, Dong

2003-01-01

We study the effect of vacuum polarization on the atmosphere structure and radiation spectra of neutron stars with surface magnetic fields B= 1014-1015 G, as appropriate for magnetars. Vacuum polarization modifies the dielectric property of the medium and gives rise to a resonance feature in the opacity; this feature is narrow and occurs at a photon energy that depends on the plasma density. Vacuum polarization can also induce resonant conversion of photon modes via a mechanism analogous to the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) mechanism for neutrino oscillation. We construct atmosphere models in radiative equilibrium with an effective temperature of a few ×106 K by solving the full radiative transfer equations for both polarization modes in a fully ionized hydrogen plasma. We discuss the subtleties in treating the vacuum polarization effects in the atmosphere models and present approximate solutions to the radiative transfer problem which bracket the true answer. We show from both analytic considerations and numerical calculations that vacuum polarization produces a broad depression in the X-ray flux at high energies (a few keV <~E<~ a few tens of keV) as compared to models without vacuum polarization; this arises from the density dependence of the vacuum resonance feature and the large density gradient present in the atmosphere. Thus the vacuum polarization effect softens the high-energy tail of the thermal spectrum, although the atmospheric emission is still harder than the blackbody spectrum because of the non-grey opacities. We also show that the depression of continuum flux strongly suppresses the equivalent width of the ion cyclotron line and therefore makes the line more difficult to observe.

High-temperature annealing of graphite: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Andrew; Gillette, Victor

2018-05-01

A modified AIREBO potential was developed to simulate the effects of thermal annealing on the structure and physical properties of damaged graphite. AIREBO parameter modifications were made to reproduce Density Functional Theory interstitial results. These changes to the potential resulted in high-temperature annealing of the model, as measured by stored-energy reduction. These results show some resemblance to experimental high-temperature annealing results, and show promise that annealing effects in graphite are accessible with molecular dynamics and reactive potentials.

Temperature effects on the mechanical properties of annealed and HERF 304L stainless steel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Antoun, Bonnie R.

2004-11-01

The effect of temperature on the tensile properties of annealed 304L stainless steel and HERF 304L stainless steel forgings was determined by completing experiments over the moderate range of -40 F to 160 F. Temperature effects were more significant in the annealed material than the HERF material. The tensile yield strength of the annealed material at -40 F averaged twenty two percent above the room temperature value and at 160 F averaged thirteen percent below. The tensile yield strength for the three different geometry HERF forgings at -40 F and 160 F changed less than ten percent from room temperature.more » The ultimate tensile strength was more temperature dependent than the yield strength. The annealed material averaged thirty six percent above and fourteen percent below the room temperature ultimate strength at -40 F and 160 F, respectively. The HERF forgings exhibited similar, slightly lower changes in ultimate strength with temperature. For completeness and illustrative purposes, the stress-strain curves are included for each of the tensile experiments conducted. The results of this study prompted a continuation study to determine tensile property changes of welded 304L stainless steel material with temperature, documented separately.« less

Effects of Pnictogen Atmosphere Annealing on Fe1+yTe0.6Se0.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Tatsuhiro; Sun, Yue; Pyon, Sunseng; Tamegai, Tsuyoshi

2016-02-01

It has been clarified that bulk superconductivity in Fe1+yTe0.6Se0.4 can be induced by annealing in an appropriate atmosphere to remove the harmful effects of excess iron. In order to clarify the details of the annealing process, we studied the changes in the physical properties and reaction products of Fe1+yTe0.6Se0.4 annealed in pnictogen (P, As, Sb) atmospheres. Crystals annealed in a pnictogen atmosphere show bulk superconductivity and the values of Tc and Jc are about 14 K and (2-4) × 105 A/cm2 (2 K, self-field), respectively. It is also found that the reaction rate increases with the increase in the saturated vapor pressure of the pnictogen. Unexpectedly, the reaction products of Fe1+yTe0.6Se0.4 after annealing in a P atmosphere mainly consist of FeTe2. In addition, the amount of P required to obtain the optimal Tc is much smaller than the amount of excess iron, which is similar to the case of oxygen annealing. P, oxygen, and to some extent As could serve as catalysts to form FeTe2 to remove excess iron.

Effects of annealing on microstructure, composition and magnetic properties of rolled Fe/Ga-Al composite strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yanwen; Zhang, Zhihao; Jiang, Yanbin

2018-04-01

The Ga liquid and Al powder were mechanically mixed and poured into a hollow iron plate, after alloying, the composite plate was rolled at room temperature for preparing an Fe/Ga-Al composite strip. The effect of annealing conditions on the diffusion, microstructures and magnetostrictive properties of the strip were studied. The composite plate had good cold rolling formability. After annealing at 750-850 °C for 5 h of the cold-rolled sample with a reduction of 97%, the diffusion distance of Ga and Al in the Fe matrix increased with an increase of the annealing temperature. However, some holes appeared in the center of the sample annealed at a temperature of more than 830 °C, which was detrimental to the subsequent rolling. The combination of the secondary cold rolling and annealing was beneficial to improve the composition homogeneity and magnetic properties of the sample. The magnetostriction coefficient (λ//) of the primary rolled sample was low, ∼4 × 10-6. After annealing and secondary cold rolling, the λ// of the sample increased to 9 × 10-6 and the λ// of the sample conducted by further annealing at 820 °C for 20 h reached 27.5 × 10-6.

Rapid Annealing Of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Pouch, John J.; Warner, Joseph D.

1989-01-01

Report describes experiments to determine effects of rapid annealing on films of amorphous hydrogenated carbon. Study represents first efforts to provide information for applications of a-C:H films where rapid thermal processing required. Major finding, annealing causes abrupt increase in absorption and concomitant decrease in optical band gap. Most of change occurs during first 20 s, continues during longer annealing times. Extend of change increases with annealing temperature. Researchers hypothesize abrupt initial change caused by loss of hydrogen, while gradual subsequent change due to polymerization of remaining carbon into crystallites or sheets of graphite. Optical band gaps of unannealed specimens on silicon substrates lower than those of specimens on quartz substrates.

Coherent Coupled Qubits for Quantum Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Steven J.; Samach, Gabriel O.; Hover, David; Gustavsson, Simon; Kim, David K.; Melville, Alexander; Rosenberg, Danna; Sears, Adam P.; Yan, Fei; Yoder, Jonilyn L.; Oliver, William D.; Kerman, Andrew J.

2017-07-01

Quantum annealing is an optimization technique which potentially leverages quantum tunneling to enhance computational performance. Existing quantum annealers use superconducting flux qubits with short coherence times limited primarily by the use of large persistent currents Ip. Here, we examine an alternative approach using qubits with smaller Ip and longer coherence times. We demonstrate tunable coupling, a basic building block for quantum annealing, between two flux qubits with small (approximately 50-nA) persistent currents. Furthermore, we characterize qubit coherence as a function of coupler setting and investigate the effect of flux noise in the coupler loop on qubit coherence. Our results provide insight into the available design space for next-generation quantum annealers with improved coherence.

Thermalization, Freeze-out, and Noise: Deciphering Experimental Quantum Annealers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Jeffrey; Rieffel, Eleanor G.; Hen, Itay

2017-12-01

By contrasting the performance of two quantum annealers operating at different temperatures, we address recent questions related to the role of temperature in these devices and their function as "Boltzmann samplers." Using a method to reliably calculate the degeneracies of the energy levels of large-scale spin-glass instances, we are able to estimate the instance-dependent effective temperature from the output of annealing runs. Our results corroborate the "freeze-out" picture which posits two regimes, one in which the final state corresponds to a Boltzmann distribution of the final Hamiltonian with a well-defined "effective temperature" determined at a freeze-out point late in the annealing schedule, and another regime in which such a distribution is not necessarily expected. We find that the output distributions of the annealers do not, in general, correspond to a classical Boltzmann distribution for the final Hamiltonian. We also find that the effective temperatures at different programing cycles fluctuate greatly, with the effect worsening with problem size. We discuss the implications of our results for the design of future quantum annealers to act as more-effective Boltzmann samplers and for the programing of such annealers.

Vacuum ultraviolet and infrared spectra of condensed methyl acetate on cold astrochemical dust analogs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sivaraman, B.; Nair, B. G.; Mason, N. J.

2013-12-01

Following the recent report of the first identification of methyl acetate (CH{sub 3}COOCH{sub 3}) in the interstellar medium (ISM), we have carried out vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy studies on methyl acetate from 10 K until sublimation in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber simulating astrochemical conditions. We present the first VUV and IR spectra of methyl acetate relevant to ISM conditions. Spectral signatures clearly showed molecular reorientation to have started in the ice by annealing the amorphous ice formed at 10 K. An irreversible phase change from amorphous to crystalline methyl acetate ice was found to occur between 110more » K and 120 K.« less

Quantitative analysis of trap states through the behavior of the sulfur ions in MoS2 FETs following high vacuum annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Hagyoul; Jun, Sungwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Ju, Byeong-Kwon; Choi, Yang-Kyu

2018-03-01

Few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has attracted a great deal of attention as a semiconductor material for electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, the presence of localized states inside the bandgap is a critical issue that must be addressed to improve the applicability of MoS2 technology. In this work, we investigated the density of states (DOS: g(E)) inside the bandgap of MoS2 FET by using a current-voltage (I-V) analysis technique with the aid of high vacuum annealing (HVA). The g(E) can be obtained by combining the trap density and surface potential (ψ S) extracted from a consistent subthreshold current (I D-sub). The electrical performance of MoS2 FETs is strongly dependent on the inherent defects, which are closely related to the g(E) in the MoS2 active layer. By applying the proposed technique to the MoS2 FETs, we were able to successfully characterize the g(E) after stabilization of the traps by the HVA, which reduces the hysteresis distorting the intrinsic g(E). Also, the change of sulfur ions in MoS2 film before and after the HVA treatment is investigated directly by Auger electron spectroscopy analysis. The proposed technique provides a new methodology for active channel engineering of 2D channel based FETs such as MoS2, MoTe2, WSe2, and WS2.

Obtaining phase-pure CZTS thin films by annealing vacuum evaporated CuS/SnS/ZnS stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, T. G.; Mathew, X.; Mathews, N. R.

2016-07-01

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were obtained by the sequential thermal evaporation of metal binary sulfides in the order CuS/SnS/ZnS, followed by annealing in Ar/S atmosphere. The as-grown films were annealed at different temperatures ranging between 350 and 600 °C, for 10 min. Based on the preliminary results, the temperatures 550 °C and 600 °C were selected for further optimization and a second batch of films were annealed for different time durations (10 min, 30 min and 60 min) at these temperatures in order to identify the conditions to obtain phase-pure CZTS films. The structural properties and chemical compositions at each temperature were investigated in order to optimize the phase purity and film stoichiometry. We have identified adequate and reproducible conditions to obtain the elemental ratio Cu/(Zn+Sn) and Zn/Sn close to 0.78 and 1.19 respectively, which is in the range of material composition required for promising solar cells. In addition the optimized material showed excellent optical and electrical properties to be used as a photovoltaic absorber layer. The optical band gap was found to be about 1.52 eV, and the carrier concentration, hall mobility, and resistivity were in the range of 8.372×1015 cm-3, 3.103 cm2/Vs and 340.3 Ω-cm respectively. Three traps with activation energies 4.39, 8.1, and 34 meV were detected.

Forming an age hardenable aluminum alloy with intermediate annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kaifeng; Carsley, John E.; Stoughton, Thomas B.; Li, Jingjing; Zhang, Lianhong; He, Baiyan

2013-12-01

A method to improve formability of aluminum sheet alloys by a two-stage stamping process with intermediate annealing was developed for a non-age hardenable Al-Mg alloy where the annealing heat treatment provided recovery of cold work from the initial stamping and recrystallization of the microstructure to enhance the forming limits of the material. This method was extended to an age hardenable, Al-Mg-Si alloy, which is complicated by the competing metallurgical effects during heat treatment including recovery (softening effect) vs. precipitation (hardening effect). An annealing heat treatment process condition was discovered wherein the stored strain energy from an initial plastic deformation can be sufficiently recovered to enhance formability in a second deformation; however, there is a deleterious effect on subsequent precipitation hardening. The improvement in formability was quantified with uniaxial tensile tests as well as with the forming limit diagram. Since strain-based forming limit curves (FLC) are sensitive to pre-strain history, both stress-based FLCs and polar-effective-plastic-strain (PEPS) FLCs, which are path-independent, were used to evaluate the forming limits after preform annealing. A technique was developed to calculate the stress-based FLC in which a residual-effective-plastic-strain (REPS) was determined by overlapping the hardening curve of the pre-strained and annealed material with that of the simply-annealed- material. After converting the strain-based FLCs using the constant REPS method, it was found that the stress-based FLCs and the PEPS FLCs of the post-annealed materials were quite similar and both tools are applicable for evaluating the forming limits of Al-Mg-Si alloys for a two-step stamping process with intermediate annealing.

Thermal annealing induced structural and optical properties of Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}In{sub 3} thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pathak, H. P.; Dwivedi, D. K., E-mail: todkdwivedi@gmail.com; Shukla, Nitesh

2016-05-06

Thin films of a- Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}In{sub 3} were prepared by vacuum evaporation technique in a base pressure of 10{sup -6} Torr on to well cleaned glass substrate. a-Se{sub 72}Te{sub 25}In{sub 3} thin films were annealed at different temperatures below their crystallization temperatures for 2h. The structural analysis of the films has been investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. The optical absorption spectra of these films were measured in the wavelength range 400-1100 nm in order to derive the absorption coefficient of these films. The optical band gap of as prepared and annealed films as a function of photon energy hasmore » been studied. It has been found that the optical band gap decreases with increasing annealing temperatures in the present system.« less

Reduction of Vanadium Oxide (VOx) under High Vacuum Conditions as Investigated by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chourasia, A.

2015-03-01

Vanadium oxide thin films were formed by depositing thin films of vanadium on quartz substrates and oxidizing them in an atmosphere of oxygen. The deposition was done by the e-beam technique. The oxide films were annealed at different temperatures for different times under high vacuum conditions. The technique of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been employed to study the changes in the oxidation states of vanadium and oxygen in such films. The spectral features in the vanadium 2p, oxygen 1s, and the x-ray excited Auger regions were investigated. The Auger parameter has been utilized to study the changes. The complete oxidation of elemental vanadium to V2O5 was observed to occur at 700°C. At any other temperature, a mixture of oxides consisting of V2O5 and VO2 was observed in the films. Annealing of the films resulted in the gradual loss of oxygen followed by reduction in the oxidation state from +5 to 0. The reduction was observed to depend upon the annealing temperature and the annealing time. Organized Research, TAMU-Commerce.

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Z.-H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.; Larbalestier, D. C.; Cooley, L. D.

2015-07-01

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition Tc at ˜ 9.3-9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted Tc of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field Hc3 to the bulk upper critical field Hc2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg-Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.

Effect of magnetic field annealing on the magneto-elastic properties of nanocrystalline NiFe2O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowmya, N. Shara; Srinivas, A.; Saravanan, P.; Reddy, K. Venu Gopal; Reddy, Monaji Vinitha; Das, Dibakar; Kamat, S. V.

2017-08-01

The effect of magnetic-field annealing on the strain sensitivity (q) and saturation magnetostriction (λs) of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by citrate-gel method was investigated. The use of field-annealing resulted in improved magnetoelastic properties at the expense of coercivity. A maximum λs of -40 ppm at 2 kOe, associated with q value of -3.3 ppm/Oe at 5 Oe was achieved in the field-annealed NiFe2O4.

Microwave annealing effect for highly reliable biosensor: dual-gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistor using amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistor.

PubMed

Lee, In-Kyu; Lee, Kwan Hyi; Lee, Seok; Cho, Won-Ju

2014-12-24

We used a microwave annealing process to fabricate a highly reliable biosensor using amorphous-InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs), which usually experience threshold voltage instability. Compared with furnace-annealed a-IGZO TFTs, the microwave-annealed devices showed superior threshold voltage stability and performance, including a high field-effect mobility of 9.51 cm(2)/V·s, a low threshold voltage of 0.99 V, a good subthreshold slope of 135 mV/dec, and an outstanding on/off current ratio of 1.18 × 10(8). In conclusion, by using the microwave-annealed a-IGZO TFT as the transducer in an extended-gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistor biosensor, we developed a high-performance biosensor with excellent sensing properties in terms of pH sensitivity, reliability, and chemical stability.

Effect of annealing over optoelectronic properties of graphene based transparent electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Shriniwas; Kaur, Inderpreet

2016-04-01

Graphene, an atom-thick two dimensional graphitic material have led various fundamental breakthroughs in the field of science and technology. Due to their exceptional optical, physical and electrical properties, graphene based transparent electrodes have shown several applications in organic light emitting diodes, solar cells and thin film transistors. Here, we are presenting effect of annealing over optoelectronic properties of graphene based transparent electrodes. Graphene based transparent electrodes have been prepared by wet chemical approach over glass substrates. After fabrication, these electrodes tested for optical transmittance in visible region. Sheet resistance was measured using four probe method. Effect of thermal annealing at 200 °C was studied over optical and electrical performance of these electrodes. Optoelectronic performance was judged from ratio of direct current conductivity to optical conductivity (σdc/σopt) as a figure of merit for transparent conductors. The fabricated electrodes display good optical and electrical properties. Such electrodes can be alternatives for doped metal oxide based transparent electrodes.

Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the contact of tungsten/p-diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, D.; Li, F. N.; Liu, Z. C.; Chen, X. D.; Wang, Y. F.; Shao, G. Q.; Zhu, T. F.; Zhang, M. H.; Zhang, J. W.; Wang, J. J.; Wang, W.; Wang, H. X.

2018-06-01

The electrical properties, surface morphology and interface characteristics of W/p-diamond contact before and after annealing have been investigated. It is shown that the as-fabricated W/p-diamond contact exhibited non-linear behavior. After annealing at a temperature higher than 400 °C, the W/p-diamond contact showed ohmic behaviour. The specific contact resistance of W/p-diamond was 8.2 × 10-4 Ω·cm2 after annealing at 500 °C for 3 min in a N2 ambient, which was extracted from fitting the I-V relationship of TLM. It is noted that the RMS roughness increases with the annealing temperature increasing, which could be ascribed to the formation of WOX by the reaction of W and oxygen at high temperature. The XPS measurement showed that the barrier height of the W/p-diamond is 0.45 ± 0.12 eV after annealing at 500 °C. Furthermore, the formation of defects at the W/p-diamond interface, probably created by the formation of tungsten carbide during rapid thermal annealing, should be responsible for the ohmic formation of W/p-diamond after annealing at high temperature.

NEXAFS Study of the Annealing Effect on the Local Structure of FIB-CVD DLC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saikubo, Akihiko; Kato, Yuri; Igaki, Jun-ya

2007-01-19

Annealing effect on the local structure of diamond like carbon (DLC) formed by focused ion beam-chemical vapor deposition (FIB-CVD) was investigated by the measurement of near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectra. Carbon K edge absorption NEXAFS spectrum of FIB-CVD DLC was measured in the energy range of 275-320 eV. In order to obtain the information on the location of the gallium in the depth direction, incidence angle dependence of NEXAFS spectrum was measured in the incident angle range from 0 deg. to 60 deg. . The peak intensity corresponding to the resonance transitionmore » of 1s{yields}{sigma}* originating from carbon-gallium increased from the FIB-CVD DLC annealed at 200 deg. C to the FIB-CVD DLC annealed at 400 deg. C and decreased from that at 400 deg. C to that at 600 deg. C. Especially, the intensity of this peak remarkably enhanced in the NEXAFS spectrum of the FIB-CVD DLC annealed at 400 deg. C at the incident angle of 60 deg. . On the contrary, the peak intensity corresponding to the resonance transition of 1s{yields}{pi}* originating from carbon double bonding of emission spectrum decreased from the FIB-CVD DLC annealed at 200 deg. C to that at 400 deg. C and increased from that at 400 deg. C to that at 600 deg. C. Gallium concentration in the FIB-CVD DLC decreased from {approx_equal}2.2% of the as-deposited FIB-CVD DLC to {approx_equal}1.5% of the FIB-CVD DLC annealed at 600 deg. C from the elementary analysis using EDX. Both experimental results indicated that gallium atom departed from FIB-CVD DLC by annealing at the temperature of 600 deg. C.« less

Effect of Annealing on Microstructures and Hardening of Helium-Hydrogen-Implanted Sequentially Vanadium Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shaoning; Wang, Zhiming

2018-03-01

The effect of post-irradiation annealing on the microstructures and mechanical properties of V-4Cr-4Ti alloys was studied. Helium-hydrogen-irradiated sequentially V-4Cr-4Ti alloys at room temperature (RT) were undergone post-irradiation annealing at 450 °C over periods of up to 30 h. These samples were carried out by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation and nanoindentation test. With the holding time, large amounts of point defects produced during irradiation at RT accumulated into large dislocation loops and then dislocation nets which promoted the irradiation hardening. Meanwhile, bubbles appeared. As annealing time extended, these bubbles grew up and merged, and finally broke up. In the process, the size of bubbles increased and the number density decreased. Microstructural changes due to post-irradiation annealing corresponded to the change of hardening. Dislocations and bubbles are co-contributed to irradiation hardening. With the holding time up to 30 h, the recovery of hardening is not obvious. The phenomenon was discussed by dispersed barrier hardening model and Friedel-Kroupa-Hirsch relationship.

Effect of electronic structure of the diamond surface on the strength of the diamond-metal interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepper, S. V.

1981-01-01

A diamond surface undergoes a transformation in its electronic structure by a vacuum anneal at approximately 900 C. The polished surface has no electronic states in the band gap, whereas the annealed surface has both occupied and unoccupied states in the and gap and exhibits some electrical conductivity. The effect of this transformation on the strength of the diamond metal interface was investigated by measuring the static friction force of an atomically clean meta sphere on a diamond flat in ultrahigh vacuum. It was found that low friction (weak bonding) is associated with the diamond surface devoid of gap states whereas high friction (strong bonding) is associated with the diamond surface with gap states. Exposure of the annealed surface to excited hydrogen also leads to weak bonding. The interfacial bond is discussed in terms of interaction of the metal conduction band electrons with the band gap states on the diamond surface. Effects of surface electrical conductivity on the interfacial bond are also be considered.

Laser sealed vacuum insulation window

DOEpatents

Benson, David K.; Tracy, C. Edwin

1987-01-01

A laser sealed evacuated window panel is comprised of two glass panes held spaced apart in relation to each other by a plurality of spherical glass beads and glass welded around the edges to provide an evacuated space between the glass panes that is completely glass sealed from the exterior. The glass welded edge seal is obtained by welding the edges of the glass panes together with a laser beam while the glass panes and bead spacers are positioned in a vacuum furnace and heated to the annealing point of the glass to avoid stress fracture in the area of the glass weld. The laser welding in the furnace can be directed around the perimeter of the glass panel by a combination of rotating the glass panel and linearly translating or aiming the laser with a relay mirror.

Laser sealed vacuum insulating window

DOEpatents

Benson, D.K.; Tracy, C.E.

1985-08-19

A laser sealed evacuated window panel is comprised of two glass panes held spaced apart in relation to each other by a plurality of spherical glass beads and glass welded around the edges to provide an evacuated space between the glass panes that is completely glass sealed from the exterior. The glass welded edge seal is obtained by welding the edges of the glass panes together with a laser beam while the glass panes and bead spacers are positioned in a vacuum furnace and heated to the annealing point of the glass to avoid stress fracture in the area of the glass weld. The laser welding in the furnace can be directed around the perimeter of the galss panel by a combination of rotating the glass panel and linearly translating or aiming the laser with a relay mirror.

Performance of Quantum Annealers on Hard Scheduling Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokharel, Bibek; Venturelli, Davide; Rieffel, Eleanor

Quantum annealers have been employed to attack a variety of optimization problems. We compared the performance of the current D-Wave 2X quantum annealer to that of the previous generation D-Wave Two quantum annealer on scheduling-type planning problems. Further, we compared the effect of different anneal times, embeddings of the logical problem, and different settings of the ferromagnetic coupling JF across the logical vertex-model on the performance of the D-Wave 2X quantum annealer. Our results show that at the best settings, the scaling of expected anneal time to solution for D-WAVE 2X is better than that of the DWave Two, but still inferior to that of state of the art classical solvers on these problems. We discuss the implication of our results for the design and programming of future quantum annealers. Supported by NASA Ames Research Center.

[Sterilization effect analysis of B-class pulsation table top vacuum sterilizer to dental handpieces].

PubMed

Zeng, Shu-Rong; Jiang, Bo; Xiao, Xiao-Rong

2007-06-01

Discuss sterilization effect of B-class pulsation table top vacuum pressure steam sterilizer for dental handpiece. Analysis selection of sterilizer for dental handpiece and sterilization management processes and sterilization effect monitoring, evaluation of monitoring result and effective sterilization method. The B-class pulsation table top vacuum pressure steam sterilizer to dental handpiece in West China Stomatological Hospital of Sichuan University met the requirement of the chemical and biological monitoring. Its efficiency of sterilization was 100%. The results of aerobic culture, anaerobic culture, B-type hepatitis mark monitoring to sterilized dental handpiece were negative. It is effective method for dental handpiece sterilization to use B-class pulsation table top vacuum pressure steam sterilizer.

Annealing temperature and O2 partial pressure dependence of T(sub c) in HgBa2CuO(4+delta)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiong, Q.; Cao, Y.; Chen, F.; Xue, Y. Y.; Chu, C. W.

1994-01-01

Samples of HgBa2CuO(4+delta) (Hg-1201) were annealed under various conditions. After carefully controlling annealing time, annealing temperature (T(sub a)) and O2 partial pressure (P(sub 0)), we were able to find the reversible annealing conditions for Hg-1201. Under 1 atm O2 at 260 C less than or equal to T(sub a) less than or equal to 400 C, the obtained T(sub c) is nearly the same (approximately 97 K). However, it decreases quickly with T(sub a) greater than 300 C in high vacuum (P(sub 0) approximately 10(exp -8) atm), and reaches zero at T(sub a) = 400 C. On the other hand, T(sub c) decreases with the decrease of T(sub a) in high-pressure O2 (approximately 500 atm) and reaches approximately 20 K at about 240 C. In the entire annealing region, the oxygen surplus varies significantly from 0.03 to 0.4, and a wide range of T(sub c) variation (0 goes to 97 K goes to 20 K) was obtained with anion doping alone.

DOE`s annealing prototype demonstration projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warren, J.; Nakos, J.; Rochau, G.

1997-02-01

One of the challenges U.S. utilities face in addressing technical issues associated with the aging of nuclear power plants is the long-term effect of plant operation on reactor pressure vessels (RPVs). As a nuclear plant operates, its RPV is exposed to neutrons. For certain plants, this neutron exposure can cause embrittlement of some of the RPV welds which can shorten the useful life of the RPV. This RPV embrittlement issue has the potential to affect the continued operation of a number of operating U.S. pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants. However, RPV material properties affected by long-term irradiation are recoverable throughmore » a thermal annealing treatment of the RPV. Although a dozen Russian-designed RPVs and several U.S. military vessels have been successfully annealed, U.S. utilities have stated that a successful annealing demonstration of a U.S. RPV is a prerequisite for annealing a licensed U.S. nuclear power plant. In May 1995, the Department of Energy`s Sandia National Laboratories awarded two cost-shared contracts to evaluate the feasibility of annealing U.S. licensed plants by conducting an anneal of an installed RPV using two different heating technologies. The contracts were awarded to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Center for Research and Technology Development (CRTD) and MPR Associates (MPR). The ASME team completed its annealing prototype demonstration in July 1996, using an indirect gas furnace at the uncompleted Public Service of Indiana`s Marble Hill nuclear power plant. The MPR team`s annealing prototype demonstration was scheduled to be completed in early 1997, using a direct heat electrical furnace at the uncompleted Consumers Power Company`s nuclear power plant at Midland, Michigan. This paper describes the Department`s annealing prototype demonstration goals and objectives; the tasks, deliverables, and results to date for each annealing prototype demonstration; and the remaining annealing technology

The effects of lithium counterdoping on radiation damage and annealing in n(+)p silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, I.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Mehta, S.; Swartz, C. K.

1984-01-01

Boron-doped silicon n(+)p solar cells were counterdoped with lithium by ion implantation and the resultant n(+)p cells irradiated by 1 MeV electrons. Performance parameters were determined as a function of fluence and a deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) study was conducted. The lithium counterdoped cells exhibited significantly increased radiation resistance when compared to boron doped control cells. Isochronal annealing studies of cell performance indicate that significant annealing occurs at 100 C. Isochronal annealing of the deep level defects showed a correlation between a single defect at E sub v + 0.43 eV and the annealing behavior of short circuit current in the counterdoped cells. The annealing behavior was controlled by dissociation and recombination of this defect. The DLTS studies showed that counterdoping with lithium eliminated three deep level defects and resulted in three new defects. The increased radiation resistance of the counterdoped cells is due to the interaction of lithium with oxygen, single vacancies and divacancies. The lithium-oxygen interaction is the most effective in contributing to the increased radiation resistance.

Suppression of superconductivity in Fe chalcogenides by annealing: A reverse effect to pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Peng; Louca, Despina; Llobet, Anna; Yan, Jiaqiang; Arita, Ryotaro

2012-02-01

Superconductivity in FeTe1-xSex can be controlled by annealing, in the absence of extrinsic influences. Using neutron diffraction, we show that TC sensitively depends on the atomic configurations of the Te and Se ions. Low temperature annealing not only homogenizes the Te and Se ion distribution as previously observed, it suppresses TC because of changes in the chalcogen ions' z-parameter. In particular, the height of Te from the Fe basal plane is much reduced while that for Se shows a modest increase. These trends are reverse of the effects induced by pressure.

Suppression of superconductivity in Fe chalcogenides by annealing: A reverse effect to pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louca, Despina; Yan, Jiaqiang; Llobet, Anna; Arita, Ryotaro

2011-08-01

Superconductivity in FeTe1-xSex can be controlled by annealing in the absence of extrinsic influences. Using neutron diffraction, we show that the superconducting transition temperature (TC) sensitively depends on the atomic configurations of the Te and Se ions. Low-temperature annealing not only homogenizes the Te and Se ion distribution, it suppresses TC because of changes in the chalcogen ion’s z parameter. In particular, the height of Te from the Fe basal plane is much reduced while that for Se shows a modest increase. These trends are the reverse of the effects induced by pressure.

Effect of annealing procedure on the bonding of ceramic to cobalt-chromium alloys fabricated by rapid prototyping.

PubMed

Tulga, Ayca

2018-04-01

An annealing procedure is a heat treatment process to improve the mechanical properties of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloys. However, information is lacking about the effect of the annealing process on the bonding ability of ceramic to Co-Cr alloys fabricated by rapid prototyping. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of the fabrication techniques and the annealing procedure on the shear bond strength of ceramic to Co-Cr alloys fabricated by different techniques. Ninety-six cylindrical specimens (10-mm diameter, 10-mm height) made of Co-Cr alloy were prepared by casting (C), milling (M), direct process powder-bed (LaserCUSING) with and without annealing (CL+, CL), and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) with annealing (EL+) and without annealing (EL). After the application of ceramic to the metal specimens, the metal-ceramic bond strength was assessed using a shear force test at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Shear bond strength values were statistically analyzed by 1-way ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison tests (α=.05). Although statistically significant differences were found among the 3 groups (M, 29.87 ±2.06; EL, 38.92 ±2.04; and CL+, 40.93 ±2.21; P=.002), no significant differences were found among the others (P>.05). The debonding surfaces of all specimens exhibited mixed failure mode. These results showed that the direct process powder-bed method is promising in terms of metal-ceramic bonding ability. The manufacturing technique of Co-Cr alloys and the annealing process influence metal-ceramic bonding. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of annealing on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnS/porous silicon composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Cai-Feng; Li, Qing-Shan; Hu, Bo; Li, Wei-Bing

2009-06-01

ZnS films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on porous silicon (PS) substrates. This paper investigates the effect of annealing temperature on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of ZnS/PS composites by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and I-V characteristics. It is found that the ZnS films deposited on PS substrates were grown in preferred orientation along β-ZnS (111) direction, and the intensity of diffraction peak increases with increasing annealing temperature, which is attributed to the grain growth and the enhancement of crystallinity of ZnS films. The smooth and uniform surface of the as-prepared ZnS/PS composite becomes rougher through annealing treatment, which is related to grain growth at the higher annealing temperature. With the increase of annealing temperature, the intensity of self-activated luminescence of ZnS increases, while the luminescence intensity of PS decreases, and a new green emission located around 550 nm appeared in the PL spectra of ZnS/PS composites which is ascribed to the defect-center luminescence of ZnS. The I-V characteristics of ZnS/PS heterojunctions exhibited rectifying behavior, and the forward current increases with increasing annealing temperature.

Investigation of the annealing temperature effect on structural, morphology, dielectric and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjbar, M.; Ghazi, M. E.; Izadifard, M.

2018-06-01

In this paper we have investigated the annealing temperature effect on the structure, morphology, dielectric and magnetic properties of sol-gel synthesized multiferroic BiFeO3 nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy revealed that all the samples have rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure and the most pure BFO phase is obtained on the sample annealed at 800 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that increasing annealing temperature would increase the particle size. Decrease in dielectric constant was also observed by increasing annealing temperature. Vibrating sample method (VSM) analysis confirmed that samples annealed at 500-700 °C with particle size below the BFO's spiral spin structure length, have well saturated M-H curve and show ferromagnetic behavior.

Influence of water vapor on the electronic property of MoS2 field effect transistors.

PubMed

Shu, Jiapei; Wu, Gongtao; Gao, Song; Liu, Bo; Wei, Xianlong; Chen, Qing

2017-05-19

The influence of water vapor on the electronic property of MoS 2 field effect transistors (FETs) is studied through controlled experiments. We fabricate supported and suspended FETs on the same piece of MoS 2 to figure out the role of SiO 2 substrate on the water sensing property of MoS 2 . The two kinds of devices show similar response to water vapor and to different treatments, such as pumping in the vacuum, annealing at 500 K and current annealing, indicating the substrate does not play an important role in the MoS 2 water sensor. Water adsorption is found to decrease the carrier mobility probably through introducing a scattering center on the surface of MoS 2 . The threshold voltage and subthreshold swing of the FETs do not change obviously after introducing water vapor, indicating there is no obvious doping and trap introducing effects. Long time pumping in a high vacuum and 500 K annealing show negligible effects on removing the water adsorption on the devices. Current annealing at high source-drain bias is found to be able to remove the water adsorption and set the FETs to their initial states. The mechanism is proposed to be through the hot carriers at high bias.

Preparation and Thermal Characterization of Annealed Gold Coated Porous Silicon

PubMed Central

Behzad, Kasra; Mat Yunus, Wan Mahmood; Talib, Zainal Abidin; Zakaria, Azmi; Bahrami, Afarin

2012-01-01

Porous silicon (PSi) layers were formed on a p-type Si wafer. Six samples were anodised electrically with a 30 mA/cm2 fixed current density for different etching times. The samples were coated with a 50–60 nm gold layer and annealed at different temperatures under Ar flow. The morphology of the layers, before and after annealing, formed by this method was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) measurements were carried out to measure the thermal diffusivity (TD) of the PSi and Au/PSi samples. For the Au/PSi samples, the thermal diffusivity was measured before and after annealing to study the effect of annealing. Also to study the aging effect, a comparison was made between freshly annealed samples and samples 30 days after annealing. PMID:28817037

Preparation and Thermal Characterization of Annealed Gold Coated Porous Silicon.

PubMed

Behzad, Kasra; Mat Yunus, Wan Mahmood; Talib, Zainal Abidin; Zakaria, Azmi; Bahrami, Afarin

2012-01-16

Porous silicon (PSi) layers were formed on a p-type Si wafer. Six samples were anodised electrically with a 30 mA/cm² fixed current density for different etching times. The samples were coated with a 50-60 nm gold layer and annealed at different temperatures under Ar flow. The morphology of the layers, before and after annealing, formed by this method was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) measurements were carried out to measure the thermal diffusivity (TD) of the PSi and Au/PSi samples. For the Au/PSi samples, the thermal diffusivity was measured before and after annealing to study the effect of annealing. Also to study the aging effect, a comparison was made between freshly annealed samples and samples 30 days after annealing.

Annealing effect reversal by water sorption-desorption and heating above the glass transition temperature-comparison of properties.

PubMed

Saxena, A; Jean, Y C; Suryanarayanan, R

2013-08-05

Our objective is to compare the physical properties of materials obtained from two different methods of annealing reversal, that is, water sorption-desorption (WSD) and heating above glass transition temperature (HAT). Trehalose was annealed by storing at 100 °C for 120 h. The annealing effect was reversed either by WSD or HAT, and the resulting materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water sorption studies, and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). While the products obtained by the two methods of annealing reversal appeared to be identical by conventional characterization methods, they exhibited pronounced differences in their water sorption behavior. Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), by measuring the fractional free volume changes in the processed samples, provided a mechanistic explanation for the differences in the observed behavior.

Effect of Ag doping and annealing on thermoelectric properties of PbTe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bala, Manju, E-mail: Manjubala474@gmail.com; Tripathi, T. S.; Avasthi, D. K.

2015-06-24

The present study reveals that annealing Ag doped PbTe thin films enhance thermoelectric properties. Phase formation was identified by using X-ray diffraction measurement. Annealing increases the crystallinity of both undoped and Ag doped PbTe. Electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements are done using four probe and bridge method respectively. The increase in thermoelectric power of Ag doped PbTe is 29 % in comparison to undoped PbTe and it further increases to 34 % after annealing at 250{sup o} C for 1 hour whereas thermoelectric power increases by 14 % on annealing undoped PbTe thin films at same temperature.

Improvement on the electrical characteristics of Pd/HfO2/6H-SiC MIS capacitors using post deposition annealing and post metallization annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esakky, Papanasam; Kailath, Binsu J.

2017-08-01

HfO2 as a gate dielectric enables high electric field operation of SiC MIS structure and as gas sensor HfO2/SiC capacitors offer higher sensitivity than SiO2/SiC capacitors. The issue of higher density of oxygen vacancies and associated higher leakage current necessitates better passivation of HfO2/SiC interface. Effect of post deposition annealing in N2O plasma and post metallization annealing in forming gas on the structural and electrical characteristics of Pd/HfO2/SiC MIS capacitors are reported in this work. N2O plasma annealing suppresses crystallization during high temperature annealing thereby improving the thermal stability and plasma annealing followed by rapid thermal annealing in N2 result in formation of Hf silicate at the HfO2/SiC interface resulting in order of magnitude lower density of interface states and gate leakage current. Post metallization annealing in forming gas for 40 min reduces interface state density by two orders while gate leakage current density is reduced by thrice. Post deposition annealing in N2O plasma and post metallization annealing in forming gas are observed to be effective passivation techniques improving the electrical characteristics of HfO2/SiC capacitors.

Vacancy-like defects in nanocrystalline SnO2: influence of the annealing treatment under different atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macchi, C.; Ponce, M. A.; Desimone, P. M.; Aldao, C. M.; Somoza, A.

2018-03-01

The study of electronic and chemical properties of semiconductor oxides is motivated by their several applications. In particular, tin oxide is widely used as a solid state gas sensor material. In this regard, the defect structure has been proposed to be crucial in determining the resulting film conductivity and then its sensitivity. Here, the characteristics of vacancy-like defects in nanocrystalline commercial high-purity tin oxide powders and the influence of the annealing treatment under different atmospheres are presented. Specifically, SnO2 nanopowders were annealed at 330 °C under three different types of atmospheres: inert (vacuum), oxidative (oxygen) and reductive (hydrogen). The obtained experimental results are discussed in terms of the vacancy-like defects detected, shedding light to the basic conduction mechanisms, which are responsible for gas detection.

Effect of using two-step thermal annealing with different ambient gas on Mg activation and crystalline quality in GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azimah, E.; Zainal, N.; Shuhaimi, A.; Hassan, Z.

2015-06-01

Two-step thermal annealing with different ambient gas was proposed to improve the activation of Mg doping in MOCVD-GaN films; (1) with nitrogen at the first step and followed by oxygen (N2/O2) and (2) with O2 and then by N2 (O2/N2). For comparison, two samples annealed in one-step thermal annealing using air and N2, respectively were also prepared. From Hall-effect measurement, the two-step annealing with the use of O2/N2 treatment was found to give the highest hole concentration at to 5.5 × 1017 cm-3. On the other hand, Raman spectroscopy and XRD measurements revealed that the O2/N2 annealed sample exhibited the smallest compressive strain and FWHM (full width at high maximum) compared to others. Hence, the annealing with O2/N2 is proposed to be the most promising technique that not only to increase the hole concentration effectively but also to improve the crystalline quality of the samples.

Effect of annealing temperatures on the morphology and structural properties of PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozana, M. D.; Arshad, A. N.; Wahid, M. H. M.; Habibah, Z.; Sarip, M. N.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

This study investigates the effect of annealing on the topography, morphology and crystal phases of poly(vinylideneflouride)/Magnesium Oxide (MgO) nanocomposites thin films via AFM, FESEM and ATR-FTIR. The nanocomposites thin films were annealed at temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C. The annealed PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films were then cooled at room temperature before removal from the oven. This is to restructure the crystal lattice and to reduce imperfection for the PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films. PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films with annealing temperatures of 70°C, 90°C and 110°C showed uniform distribution of MgO nanoparticles, relatively low average surface roughness and no visible of defects. High application of annealing temperature on PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films caused tear-like defects on the thin films surface as observed by FESEM. The PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films annealed at 70°C was found to be a favourable film to be utilized in this study due to its enhanced β-crystalites of PVDF as evident in ATR-FTIR spectra.

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

DOE PAGES

Sung, Z. -H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.; ...

2015-07-01

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition T c at ~ 9.3–9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted T c of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field H c3 tomore » the bulk upper critical field H c2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg–Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.« less

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sung, Z. -H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition T c at ~ 9.3–9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted T c of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field H c3 tomore » the bulk upper critical field H c2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg–Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.« less

[Effects of annealing temperature on the structure and optical properties of ZnMgO films prepared by atom layer deposition].

PubMed

Sun, Dong-Xiao; Li, Jin-Hua; Fang, Xuan; Chen, Xin-Ying; Fang, Fang; Chu, Xue-Ying; Wei, Zhi-Peng; Wang, Xiao-Hua

2014-07-01

In the present paper, we report the research on the effects of annealing temperature on the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films deposited by atom layer deposition(ALD). ZnMgO films were prepared on quartz substrates by ALD and then some of the samples were treated in air ambient at different annealing temperature. The effects of annealing temperature on the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra. The XRD results showed that the crystal quality of ZnMgO films was significantly improved when the annealing temperature was 600 degrees C, meanwhile the intensity of(100) diffraction peak was the strongest. Combination of PL and UV-Vis absorption measurements showed that it can strongly promote the Mg content increasing in ZnMgO films and increase the band gap of films. So the results illustrate that suitable annealing temperature can effectively improve the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films.

Effects of annealing temperature on shape transformation and optical properties of germanium quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alireza, Samavati; Othaman, Z.; K. Ghoshal, S.; K. Mustafa, M.

2015-02-01

The influences of thermal annealing on the structural and optical features of radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtered self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) on Si (100) are investigated. Preferentially oriented structures of Ge along the (220) and (111) directions together with peak shift and reduced strain (4.9% to 2.7%) due to post-annealing at 650 °C are discerned from x-ray differaction (XRD) measurement. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images for both pre-annealed and post-annealed (650 °C) samples reveal pyramidal-shaped QDs (density ˜ 0.26× 1011 cm-2) and dome-shape morphologies with relatively high density ˜ 0.92 × 1011 cm-2, respectively. This shape transformation is attributed to the mechanism of inter-diffusion of Si in Ge interfacial intermixing and strain non-uniformity. The annealing temperature assisted QDs structural evolution is explained using the theory of nucleation and growth kinetics where free energy minimization plays a pivotal role. The observed red-shift ˜ 0.05 eV in addition to the narrowing of the photoluminescence peaks results from thermal annealing, and is related to the effect of quantum confinement. Furthermore, the appearance of a blue-violet emission peak is ascribed to the recombination of the localized electrons in the Ge-QDs/SiO2 or GeOx and holes in the ground state of Ge dots. Raman spectra of both samples exhibit an intense Ge-Ge optical phonon mode which shifts towards higher frequency compared with those of the bulk counterpart. An experimental Raman profile is fitted to the models of phonon confinement and size distribution combined with phonon confinement to estimate the mean dot sizes. A correlation between thermal annealing and modifications of the structural and optical behavior of Ge QDs is established. Tunable growth of Ge QDs with superior properties suitable for optoelectronic applications is demonstrated. Project supported by Ibnu Sina Institute for Fundamental Science Study, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Optimization Via Open System Quantum Annealing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-07

Daniel A. Lidar. Experimental signature of programmable quantum annealing, Nature Communications , (06 2013): 0. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3067 T. F...Demonstrated error correction effectiveness. • Demonstrated quantum annealing correction on antiferromagnetic chains, with substantial fidelity gains...Rev. A 91, 022309 (2015). 3. A. Kalev and I. Hen, “ Fidelity -optimized quantum state estimation”, New Journal of Physics 17 092008 (2015). 4. I

Effect of thermal annealing on the structural, optical and dielectrical properties of P3HT:PC{sub 70}BM nanocomposites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aloui, Walid, E-mail: alouiwalid26@yahoo.fr; Adhikari, Tham; Nunzi, Jean-Michel

2016-06-15

Highlights: • A typical structure of ITO/PEDOT: PSS/P3HT: PC{sub 70}BM/Al was fabricated. • Charge carrier diffusion and recombination have been calculated. • AFM and optical results show that thermal annealing promotes the phase separation. • The annealing process improves the transport of charges. - Abstract: The effect of thermal annealing on the optical, structural and the dielectric properties of P3HT:PC{sub 70}BM blended films were investigated. By means of atomic force microscopy, we observed the morphology evolution of the annealed P3HT:PC{sub 70}BM nanocomposites. Raman spectroscopy showed a substantial ordering in the polymer film after annealing. The absorption spectra of the annealedmore » P3HT:PC{sub 70}BM films were improved and red shifted than un-annealed samples. The results indicate that the P3HT in the nanocomposite becomes an ordered structure with annealing. The ordered P3HT facilitates the charge transport. From the photoluminescence measurements, the formation of polymer crystallites was observed upon annealing. Thus, the device efficiency reaches 2.2% after annealing at 150 °C. Impedance spectroscopy shows the classical complex plan curves; the low frequency is related to the effective lifetime of charge carriers and the high frequency corresponds to the diffusion time of these carriers. Global mobilities are in the range 3.8–4.6 × 10{sup −3} cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}.« less

Crystal growth and annealing method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Gianoulakis, Steven E.; Sparrow, Robert

2001-01-01

A method and apparatus for producing crystals that minimizes birefringence even at large crystal sizes, and is suitable for production of CaF.sub.2 crystals. The method of the present invention comprises annealing a crystal by maintaining a minimal temperature gradient in the crystal while slowly reducing the bulk temperature of the crystal. An apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal control system added to a crystal growth and annealing apparatus, wherein the thermal control system allows a temperature gradient during crystal growth but minimizes the temperature gradient during crystal annealing. An embodiment of the present invention comprises a secondary heater incorporated into a conventional crystal growth and annealing apparatus. The secondary heater supplies heat to minimize the temperature gradients in the crystal during the annealing process. The secondary heater can mount near the bottom of the crucible to effectively maintain appropriate temperature gradients.

Effects of Ultralow Oxygen and Vacuum Treatments on Bed Bug (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) Survival.

PubMed

Liu, Yong-Biao; Haynes, Kenneth F

2016-04-22

Control of bed bugs is problematic, balancing among efficacy, safety, and cost. In this study, ultralow oxygen (ULO) and vacuum treatments were tested on bed bugs to develop a safer, effective, and environmentally friendly solution to kill bed bugs on infested items. ULO treatments were established by flushing sealed enclosures with nitrogen. All life stages of bed bugs were found to be susceptible to ULO and vacuum treatments, and efficacy of the treatments increased with reduced oxygen levels, increased treatment time, and temperature. In the ULO treatments, 100% mortality of bed bug nymphs and adults and >98% mortality of bed bug eggs were achieved in the 8-h treatment under 0.1% O 2 atmosphere at 30°C. Different levels of vacuum that yielded different oxygen levels were tested on all life stages of bed bugs. The susceptibility of different stages to vacuum treatments increased from nymphs to adults to eggs. Complete control of all life stages was achieved in 12 h under -982 mbar (-29.0 inHg) vacuum at 30°C. This study demonstrated that bed bugs were very susceptible to low oxygen stresses and ULO and vacuum treatments have potential to be used as effective and safe treatments to decontaminate bed bug-infested removable objects. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2016.This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

Effects of High-Temperature Annealing in Air on Hi-Nicalon Fiber-Reinforced Celsian Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bansal, Narottam P.

2008-01-01

BN/SiC-coated Hi-Nicalon fiber-reinforced celsian matrix composites (CMC) were annealed for 100 h in air at various temperatures to 1200 C, followed by flexural strength measurements at room temperature. Values of yield stress and strain, ultimate strength, and composite modulus remain almost unchanged for samples annealed up to 1100 C. A thin porous layer formed on the surface of the 1100 C annealed sample and its density decreased from 3.09 to 2.90 g/cu cm. The specimen annealed at 1200 C gained 0.43 wt%, was severely deformed, and was covered with a porous layer of thick shiny glaze which could be easily peeled off. Some gas bubbles were also present on the surface. This surface layer consisted of elongated crystals of monoclinic celsian and some amorphous phase(s). The fibers in this surface ply of the CMC had broken into small pieces. The fiber-matrix interface strength was characterized through fiber push-in technique. Values of debond stress, alpha(sub d), and frictional sliding stress, tau(sub f), for the as-fabricated CMC were 0.31+/-0.14 GPa and 10.4+/-3.1 MPa, respectively. These values compared with 0.53+/-0.47 GPa and 8.33+/-1.72 MPa for the fibers in the interior of the 1200 C annealed sample, indicating hardly any change in fiber-matrix interface strength. The effects of thermal aging on microstructure were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Only the surface ply of the 1200 C annealed specimens had degraded from oxidation whereas the bulk interior part of the CMC was unaffected. A mechanism is proposed explaining the various steps involved during the degradation of the CMC on annealing in air at 1200 C.

Effects of annealing temperature on the H2-sensing properties of Pd-decorated WO3 nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sangmin; Lee, Woo Seok; Lee, Jae Kyung; Hyun, Soong Keun; Lee, Chongmu; Choi, Seungbok

2018-03-01

The temperature of the post-annealing treatment carried out after noble metal deposition onto semiconducting metal oxides (SMOs) must be carefully optimized to maximize the sensing performance of the metal-decorated SMO sensors. WO3 nanorods were synthesized by thermal evaporation of WO3 powders and decorated with Pd nanoparticles using a sol-gel method, followed by an annealing process. The effects of the annealing temperature on the hydrogen gas-sensing properties of the Pd-decorated WO3 nanorods were then examined; the optimal annealing temperature, leading to the highest response of the WO3 nanorod sensor to H2, was determined to be 600 °C. Post-annealing at 600 °C resulted in nanorods with the highest surface area-to-volume ratio, as well as in the optimal size and the largest number of deposited Pd nanoparticles, leading to the highest response and the shortest response/recovery times toward H2. The improved H2-sensing performance of the Pd-decorated WO3 nanorod sensor, compared to a sensor based on pristine WO3 nanorods, is attributed to the enhanced catalytic activity, increased surface area-to-volume ratio, and higher amounts of surface defects.

Vacuum force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yongquan

2015-03-01

To study on vacuum force, we must clear what is vacuum, vacuum is a space do not have any air and also ray. There is not exist an absolute the vacuum of space. The vacuum of space is relative, so that the vacuum force is relative. There is a certain that vacuum vacuum space exists. In fact, the vacuum space is relative, if the two spaces compared to the existence of relative vacuum, there must exist a vacuum force, and the direction of the vacuum force point to the vacuum region. Any object rotates and radiates. Rotate bend radiate- centripetal, gravity produced, relative gravity; non gravity is the vacuum force. Gravity is centripetal, is a trend that the objects who attracted wants to Centripetal, or have been do Centripetal movement. Any object moves, so gravity makes the object curve movement, that is to say, the radiation range curve movement must be in the gravitational objects, gravity must be existed in non vacuum region, and make the object who is in the region of do curve movement (for example: The earth moves around the sun), or final attracted in the form gravitational objects, and keep relatively static with attract object. (for example: objects on the earth moves but can't reach the first cosmic speed).

The effect of thermal annealing on pentacene thin film transistor with micro contact printing.

PubMed

Shin, Hong-Sik; Yun, Ho-Jin; Baek, Kyu-Ha; Ham, Yong-Hyun; Park, Kun-Sik; Kim, Dong-Pyo; Lee, Ga-Won; Lee, Hi-Deok; Lee, Kijun; Do, Lee-Mi

2012-07-01

We used micro contact printing (micro-CP) to fabricate inverted coplanar pentacene thin film transistors (TFTs) with 1-microm channels. The patterning of micro-scale source/drain electrodes without etch process was successfully achieved using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer stamp. We used the Ag nano particle ink as an electrode material, and the sheet resistance and surface roughness of the Ag electrodes were effectively reduced with the 2-step thermal annealing on a hotplate, which improved the mobility, the on-off ratio, and the subthreshold slope (SS) of the pentacene TFTs. In addition, the device annealing on a hotplate in a N2 atmosphere for 30 sec can enhance the off-current and the mobility properties of OTFTs without damaging the pentacene thin films and increase the adhesion between pentacene and dielectric layer (SiO2), which was investigated with the pentacene films phase change of the XRD spectrum after device annealing.

Effects of homogenization treatment on recrystallization behavior of 7150 aluminum sheet during post-rolling annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Zhanying; Department of Applied Science, University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1; Zhao, Gang

2016-04-15

The effects of two homogenization treatments applied to the direct chill (DC) cast billet on the recrystallization behavior in 7150 aluminum alloy during post-rolling annealing have been investigated using the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Following hot and cold rolling to the sheet, measured orientation maps, the recrystallization fraction and grain size, the misorientation angle and the subgrain size were used to characterize the recovery and recrystallization processes at different annealing temperatures. The results were compared between the conventional one-step homogenization and the new two-step homogenization, with the first step being pretreated at 250 °C. Al{sub 3}Zr dispersoids with highermore » densities and smaller sizes were obtained after the two-step homogenization, which strongly retarded subgrain/grain boundary mobility and inhibited recrystallization. Compared with the conventional one-step homogenized samples, a significantly lower recrystallized fraction and a smaller recrystallized grain size were obtained under all annealing conditions after cold rolling in the two-step homogenized samples. - Highlights: • Effects of two homogenization treatments on recrystallization in 7150 Al sheets • Quantitative study on the recrystallization evolution during post-rolling annealing • Al{sub 3}Zr dispersoids with higher densities and smaller sizes after two-step treatment • Higher recrystallization resistance of 7150 sheets with two-step homogenization.« less

Microbial effect of steam vacuum pasteurisation implemented after slaughtering and dressing of sheep and lamb.

PubMed

Hassan, Ammar Ali; Skjerve, Eystein; Bergh, Claus; Nesbakken, Truls

2015-01-01

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of steam vacuum pasteurisation on carcass contamination with focus on Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae and total plate count (TPC). Additionally, the effect of an additional tryptone soy agar (TSA) step for resuscitation of Enterobacteriaceae after steam vacuum pasteurisation was investigated. Steam vacuum pasteurisation was applied at a temperature of >82°C for a duration of 10s on sheep and lamb carcasses (n=120). Samples were taken immediately: i) after trimming just before the use of steam vacuum and ii) after use of steam vacuum. Nordic Committee on Food Analysis methods were used in microbial analyses. The differences in log reduction were found significant for all of the three microorganisms (p<0.05). For TPC, the general reduction was a 0.65 log10 in the number of colony forming units (CFU) per cm(2). For E. coli, the median reduction effect on carcasses positive before decontamination was 1.1 log10 CFU/cm(2). A large variability of the effect was however found, with 50% of the figures ranging from a 0.24 to 1.62 log10 CFU/cm(2) reduction and a 10-90% range of 0-2.1. The number of positive carcasses with Enterobacteriaceae after steam vacuum pasteurisation was higher in samples where TSA+violet red bile glucose agar (VRBGA) was used compared to samples where only VRBGA was used (p<0.01). Steam vacuum pasteurisation was found efficient in reducing the total count, read as TPC, as well as the level of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-stoquastic Hamiltonians in quantum annealing via geometric phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinci, Walter; Lidar, Daniel A.

2017-09-01

We argue that a complete description of quantum annealing implemented with continuous variables must take into account the non-adiabatic Aharonov-Anandan geometric phase that arises when the system Hamiltonian changes during the anneal. We show that this geometric effect leads to the appearance of non-stoquasticity in the effective quantum Ising Hamiltonians that are typically used to describe quantum annealing with flux qubits. We explicitly demonstrate the effect of this geometric non-stoquasticity when quantum annealing is performed with a system of one and two coupled flux qubits. The realization of non-stoquastic Hamiltonians has important implications from a computational complexity perspective, since it is believed that in many cases quantum annealing with stoquastic Hamiltonians can be efficiently simulated via classical algorithms such as Quantum Monte Carlo. It is well known that the direct implementation of non-stoquastic Hamiltonians with flux qubits is particularly challenging. Our results suggest an alternative path for the implementation of non-stoquasticity via geometric phases that can be exploited for computational purposes.

Effects of rolling temperature and subsequent annealing on mechanical properties of ultrafine-grained Cu–Zn–Si alloy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xiangkai; Yang, Xuyue, E-mail: yangxuyue@csu.edu.cn; Institute for Materials Microstructure, Central South University, Changsha 410083

2015-08-15

The effects of rolling temperature and subsequent annealing on mechanical properties of Cu–Zn–Si alloy were investigated by using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, electron back scattered diffraction and tensile tests. The Cu–Zn–Si alloy has been processed at cryogenic temperature (approximately 77 K) and room temperature up to different rolling strains. It has been identified that the cryorolled Cu–Zn–Si alloy samples show a higher strength compared with those room temperature rolled samples. The improved strength of cryorolled samples is resulted from grain size effect and higher densities of dislocations and deformation twins. And subsequent annealing, as a post-heat treatment, enhanced themore » ductility. An obvious increase in uniform elongation appears when the volume fraction of static recrystallization grains exceeds 25%. The strength–ductility combination of the annealed cryorolled samples is superior to that of annealed room temperature rolled samples, owing to the finer grains, high fractions of high angle grain boundaries and twins. - Highlights: • An increase in hardness of Cu–Zn–Si alloy is noticed during annealing process. • Thermal stability is reduced in Cu–Zn–Si alloy by cryorolling. • An obvious enhancement in UE is noticed when fraction of SRX grains exceeds 25%. • A superior strength–ductility combination is achieved in the cryorolling samples.« less

­­­Experimental Quantifications of Radiation Damage Annealing and Helium Diffusion Kinetics in Apatite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, C. D.; Shuster, D. L.

2017-12-01

(U-Th)/He thermochronology in apatite requires a quantitative description of He diffusivity as a function of temperature and through geologic time. Although variability in diffusion kinetics across a range of natural apatite samples has revealed that higher concentrations of alpha-recoil radiation damage correlates with lower He diffusivity (i.e., at a given temperature, [1]), only one published study has experimentally quantified the effects of annealing for a single apatite specimen (Durango apatite, [2]). Although these effects have been incorporated into now widely applied numerical models, underlying assumptions in these models—in particular, that He diffusivity in all apatite crystals responds with the same rate of damage annealing—have been called into question, and further evaluation is warranted (e.g., [3], [4]). Here, we will describe a suite of experiments conducted on apatite from a single hand sample of granite from Sierra Nevada, CA as well as Durango apatite, to establish whether these two apatites with different chemical compositions and thermal pasts exhibit the same response to annealing conditions. Crystals from both samples were heated under vacuum to temperatures between 220 and 500 °C for 1, 10, 100 or 1000 hours. The samples were then irradiated with 220 MeV protons to produce spallation 3He, the diffusant used in subsequent step-heating degassing experiments. Our preliminary results indicate different minima in closure temperatures of 55 oC and 65 oC for the Durango and Sierra apatite, respectively, when exposed to sufficiently high temperatures (>350 oC) for durations > 1 hour, yet similar transitions from low diffusivities at T <200 oC (and higher activation energy, Ea) to higher diffusivity (lower Ea) across a range of experimental annealing temperatures and durations. We will interpret these results with a new model framework for describing the effects of annealing on diffusivity, and will discuss potential implications of our

Effects of nanoscale vacuum gap on photon-enhanced thermionic emission devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Yuan; Liao, Tianjun; Zhang, Yanchao

2016-01-28

A new model of the photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) device with a nanoscale vacuum gap is established by introducing the quantum tunneling effect and the image force correction. Analytic expressions for both the thermionic emission and tunneling currents are derived. The electron concentration and the temperature of the cathode are determined by the particle conservation and energy balance equations. The effects of the operating voltage on the maximum potential barrier, cathode temperature, electron concentration and equilibrium electron concentration of the conduction band, and efficiency of the PETE device are discussed in detail for different given values of the vacuum gapmore » length. The influence of the band gap of the cathode and flux concentration on the efficiency is further analyzed. The maximum efficiency of the PETE and the corresponding optimum values of the band gap and the operating voltage are determined. The results obtained here show that the efficiency of the PETE device can be significantly improved by employing a nanoscale vacuum gap.« less

Effect of annealing on the laser induced damage of polished and CO2 laser-processed fused silica surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doualle, T.; Gallais, L.; Cormont, P.; Donval, T.; Lamaignère, L.; Rullier, J. L.

2016-06-01

We investigate the effect of different heat treatments on the laser-induced damage probabilities of fused silica samples. Isothermal annealing in a furnace is applied, with different temperatures in the range 700-1100 °C and 12 h annealing time, to super-polished fused silica samples. The surface flatness and laser damage probabilities at 3 ns, 351 nm are measured before and after the different annealing procedures. We have found a significant improvement of the initial laser damage probabilities of the silica surface after annealing at 1050 °C for 12 h. A similar study has been conducted on CO2 laser-processed sites on the surface of the samples. Before and after annealing, we have studied the morphology of the sites, the evolution of residual stress, and the laser-induced damage threshold measured at 351 nm, 3 ns. In this case, we observe that the laser damage resistance of the laser created craters can reach the damage level of the bare fused silica surface after the annealing process, with a complete stress relieve. The obtained results are then compared to the case of local annealing process by CO2 laser irradiation during 1 s, and we found similar improvements in both cases. The different results obtained in the study are compared to numerical simulations made with a thermo-mechanical model based on finite-element method that allows the simulation of the isothermal or the local annealing process, the evolution of stress and fictive temperature. The simulation results were found to be very consistent with experimental observations for the stresses evolution after annealing and estimation of the heat affected area during laser-processing based on the density dependence with fictive temperature. Following this work, the temperature for local annealing should reach 1330-1470 °C for an optimized reduction of damage probability and be below the threshold for material removal, whereas furnace annealing should be kept below the annealing point to avoid sample

Burst annealing of high temperature GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brothers, P. R.; Horne, W. E.

1991-01-01

One of the major limitations of solar cells in space power systems is their vulnerability to radiation damage. One solution to this problem is to periodically heat the cells to anneal the radiation damage. Annealing was demonstrated with silicon cells. The obstacle to annealing of GaAs cells was their susceptibility to thermal damage at the temperatures required to completely anneal the radiation damage. GaAs cells with high temperature contacts and encapsulation were developed. The cells tested are designed for concentrator use at 30 suns AMO. The circular active area is 2.5 mm in diameter for an area of 0.05 sq cm. Typical one sun AMO efficiency of these cells is over 18 percent. The cells were demonstrated to be resistant to damage after thermal excursions in excess of 600 C. This high temperature tolerance should allow these cells to survive the annealing of radiation damage. A limited set of experiments were devised to investigate the feasibility of annealing these high temperature cells. The effect of repeated cycles of electron and proton irradiation was tested. The damage mechanisms were analyzed. Limitations in annealing recovery suggested improvements in cell design for more complete recovery. These preliminary experiments also indicate the need for further study to isolate damage mechanisms. The primary objective of the experiments was to demonstrate and quantify the annealing behavior of high temperature GaAs cells. Secondary objectives were to measure the radiation degradation and to determine the effect of repeated irradiation and anneal cycles.

Dark matter as an effect of the quantum vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Emilio

2018-04-01

The interaction between the quantum vacuum and a weak gravitational field is calculated for the vacuum fields of quantum electrodynamics. The result shows that the vacuum state is modified by the gravitational field, giving rise to a nonzero interaction energy. This suggests a model that fits in the main properties of the hypothetical dark matter in galactic haloes.

The influence of annealing on domain wall propagation in bistable amorphous microwire with unidirectional effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onufer, Jozef; Ziman, Ján; Duranka, Peter; Kladivová, Mária

2018-07-01

The effect of gradual annealing on the domain wall mobility (velocity), nucleation, critical depinning and propagation fields in amorphous FeSiB microwires has been studied. A new experimental set-up, presented in this paper, allows measurement of average domain wall velocity for four different conditions and detection of the presence of unidirectional effect in wall propagation without manipulation of the microwire. The proposed interpretation is that a domain wall is considered as a relatively long object which can change its axial dimension due to inhomogeneity of damping forces acting on the wall during its propagation. It is demonstrated that unidirectional effect in domain wall propagation can be strongly reduced by annealing the wire at temperatures higher than 350 °C.

Effects of annealing on the structure and magnetic properties of Fe80B20 magnetostrictive fibers.

PubMed

Zhu, Qianke; Zhang, Shuling; Geng, Guihong; Li, Qiushu; Zhang, Kewei; Zhang, Lin

2016-07-04

Fe80B20 amorphous alloys exhibit excellent soft magnetic properties, high abrasive resistance and outstanding corrosion resistance. In this work, Fe80B20 amorphous micro-fibers with HC of 3.33 Oe were firstly fabricated and the effects of annealing temperature on the structure and magnetic properties of the fibers were investigated. In this study, Fe80B20 amorphous fibers were prepared by the single roller melt-spinning method. The structures of as-spun and annealed fibers were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) (PANalytical X,Pert Power) using Cu Kα radiation. The morphology of the fibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (HITACHI-S4800). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of the fibers were performed on Mettler Toledo TGA/DSC1 device under N2 protection. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM, Versalab) was used to examine the magnetic properties of the fibers. The resonance behavior of the fibers was characterized by an impedance analyzer (Agilent 4294A) with a home-made copper coil. The X-ray diffusion (XRD) patterns show that the fibers remain amorphous structure until the annealing temperature reaches 500°C. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show that the crystallization temperature of the fibers is 449°C. The crystallization activation energy is calculated to be 221 kJ/mol using Kissinger formula. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that a few dendrites appear at the fiber surface after annealing. The result indicates that the coercivity HC (//) and HC (⊥) slightly increases with increasing annealing temperature until 400°C, and then dramatically increases with further increasing annealing temperature which is due to significant increase in magneto-crystalline anisotropy and magneto-elastic anisotropy. The Q value firstly increases slightly when the annealing temperature rises from room temperature (RT) to 300°C, then decreases until 400°C. Eventually, the value of Q increases to

Life cycle environmental impacts of vacuum cleaners and the effects of European regulation.

PubMed

Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Mendoza, Joan Manuel F; Jeswani, Harish Kumar; Azapagic, Adisa

2016-07-15

Energy efficiency of vacuum cleaners has been declining over the past decades while at the same time their number in Europe has been increasing. The European Commission has recently adopted an eco-design regulation to improve the environmental performance of vacuum cleaners. In addition to the existing directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), the regulation could potentially have significant effects on the environmental performance of vacuum cleaners. However, the scale of the effects is currently unknown, beyond scant information on greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, this paper considers for the first time life cycle environmental impacts of vacuum cleaners and the effects of the implementation of these regulations at the European level. The effects of electricity decarbonisation, product lifetime and end-of-life disposal options are also considered. The results suggest that the implementation of the eco-design regulation alone will reduce significantly the impacts from vacuum cleaners (37%-44%) by 2020 compared with current situation. If business as usual continued and the regulation was not implemented, the impacts would be 82%-109% higher by 2020 compared to the impacts with the implementation of the regulation. Improvements associated with the implementation of the WEEE directive will be much smaller (<1% in 2020). However, if the WEEE directive did not exist, then the impacts would be 2%-21% higher by 2020 relative to the impacts with the implementation of the directive. Further improvements in most impacts (6%-20%) could be achieved by decarbonising the electricity mix. Therefore, energy efficiency measures must be accompanied by appropriate actions to reduce the environmental impacts of electricity generation; otherwise, the benefits of improved energy efficiency could be limited. Moreover, because of expected lower life expectancy of vacuum cleaners and limited availability of some raw materials, the eco-design regulation should be

Bakeout Chamber Within Vacuum Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Daniel M.; Soules, David M.; Barengoltz, Jack B.

1995-01-01

Vacuum-bakeout apparatus for decontaminating and measuring outgassing from pieces of equipment constructed by mounting bakeout chamber within conventional vacuum chamber. Upgrade cost effective: fabrication and installation of bakeout chamber simple, installation performed quickly and without major changes in older vacuum chamber, and provides quantitative data on outgassing from pieces of equipment placed in bakeout chamber.

Annealing effect on effective mass of two-dimensional electrons in InGaAsN/GaAsSb type II quantum well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamata, Shuichi; Tanaka, Sho; Hibino, Akira; Kawamura, Yuichi

2018-03-01

The InP-based InGaAs/GaAsSb type II multiple quantum well is the system for developing optical devices for 2 – 3 μm wavelength regions. By doping nitrogen into InGaAs layers, the system becomes effective to fabricate the optical devices with longer wavelength. The epitaxial layers of InGaAsN/GaAsSb on InP substrates are grown by the molecular beam epitaxy. The electrical resistance has been measured as a function of the magnetic field up to 9 Tesla at several temperatures between 2 and 8 K. The effective mass is obtained from the temperature dependence of the amplitude of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. We have reported the nitrogen concentration dependence of the effective mass on the InGaAsN/GaAsSb type II system. The effective mass increases as the nitrogen concentration increases from 0.0 to 1.5 %. In this report, the annealing effect on the effective mass is investigated. The effective mass decreases by the annealing. This result suggests that some amount of nitrogen atoms of the InGaAsN layers are considered to diffuse to the GaAsSb layers by the annealing.

Selective molecular annealing: in situ small angle X-ray scattering study of microwave-assisted annealing of block copolymers.

PubMed

Toolan, Daniel T W; Adlington, Kevin; Isakova, Anna; Kalamiotis, Alexis; Mokarian-Tabari, Parvaneh; Dimitrakis, Georgios; Dodds, Christopher; Arnold, Thomas; Terrill, Nick J; Bras, Wim; Hermida Merino, Daniel; Topham, Paul D; Irvine, Derek J; Howse, Jonathan R

2017-08-09

Microwave annealing has emerged as an alternative to traditional thermal annealing approaches for optimising block copolymer self-assembly. A novel sample environment enabling small angle X-ray scattering to be performed in situ during microwave annealing is demonstrated, which has enabled, for the first time, the direct study of the effects of microwave annealing upon the self-assembly behavior of a model, commercial triblock copolymer system [polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-block-polystyrene]. Results show that the block copolymer is a poor microwave absorber, resulting in no change in the block copolymer morphology upon application of microwave energy. The block copolymer species may only indirectly interact with the microwave energy when a small molecule microwave-interactive species [diethylene glycol dibenzoate (DEGDB)] is incorporated directly into the polymer matrix. Then significant morphological development is observed at DEGDB loadings ≥6 wt%. Through spatial localisation of the microwave-interactive species, we demonstrate targeted annealing of specific regions of a multi-component system, opening routes for the development of "smart" manufacturing methodologies.

Neutron, gamma ray and post-irradiation thermal annealing effects on power semiconductor switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

1991-01-01

The effects of neutron and gamma rays on the electrical and switching characteristics of power semiconductor switches must be known and understood by the designer of the power conditioning, control, and transmission subsystem of space nuclear power systems. The SP-100 radiation requirements at 25 m from the nuclear source are a neutron fluence of 10(exp 13) n/sq cm and a gamma dose of 0.5 Mrads. Experimental data showing the effects of neutrons and gamma rays on the performance characteristics of power-type NPN Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), and Static Induction Transistors (SITs) are presented. These three types of devices were tested at radiation levels which met or exceeded the SP-100 requirements. For the SP-100 radiation requirements, the BJTs were found to be most sensitive to neutrons, the MOSFETs were most sensitive to gamma rays, and the SITs were only slightly sensitive to neutrons. Post-irradiation thermal anneals at 300 K and up to 425 K were done on these devices and the effectiveness of these anneals are also discussed.

The cost effectiveness of vacuum-assisted versus core-needle versus surgical biopsy of breast lesions.

PubMed

Fernández-García, P; Marco-Doménech, S F; Lizán-Tudela, L; Ibáñez-Gual, M V; Navarro-Ballester, A; Casanovas-Feliu, E

To determine the cost effectiveness of breast biopsy by 9G vacuum-assisted guided by vertical stereotaxy or ultrasonography in comparison with breast biopsy by 14G core-needle biopsy and surgical biopsy. We analyzed a total of 997 biopsies (181 vacuum-assisted, 626 core, and 190 surgical biopsies). We calculated the total costs (indirect and direct) of the three types of biopsy. We did not calculate intangible costs. We measured the percentage of correct diagnoses obtained with each technique. To identify the most cost-effective option, we calculated the mean ratios for the three types of biopsies. Total costs were €225.09 for core biopsy, €638.90 for vacuum-assisted biopsy, and €1780.01 for surgical biopsy. The overall percentage of correct diagnoses was 91.81% for core biopsy, 94.03% for vacuum-assisted biopsy, and 100% for surgical biopsy; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance (p=0.3485). For microcalcifications, the percentage of correct diagnoses was 50% for core biopsy and 96.77% for vacuum-assisted biopsy (p<0.0001). For nodules, there were no significant differences among techniques. The mean cost-effectiveness ratio considering all lesions was 2.45 for core biopsy, 6.79 for vacuum-assisted biopsy, and 17.80 for surgical biopsy. Core biopsy was the dominant option for the diagnosis of suspicious breast lesions in general. However, in cases with microcalcifications, the low percentage of correct diagnoses achieved by core biopsy (50%) advises against its use in this context, where vacuum-assisted biopsy would be the technique of choice because it is more cost-effective than surgical biopsy, the other technique indicated for biopsying microcalcifications. Copyright © 2016 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Estimation of effective temperatures in a quantum annealer: Towards deep learning applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Realpe-Gómez, John; Benedetti, Marcello; Perdomo-Ortiz, Alejandro

Sampling is at the core of deep learning and more general machine learning applications; an increase in its efficiency would have a significant impact across several domains. Recently, quantum annealers have been proposed as a potential candidate to speed up these tasks, but several limitations still bar them from being used effectively. One of the main limitations, and the focus of this work, is that using the device's experimentally accessible temperature as a reference for sampling purposes leads to very poor correlation with the Boltzmann distribution it is programmed to sample from. Based on quantum dynamical arguments, one can expect that if the device indeed happens to be sampling from a Boltzmann-like distribution, it will correspond to one with an instance-dependent effective temperature. Unless this unknown temperature can be unveiled, it might not be possible to effectively use a quantum annealer for Boltzmann sampling processes. In this work, we propose a strategy to overcome this challenge with a simple effective-temperature estimation algorithm. We provide a systematic study assessing the impact of the effective temperatures in the quantum-assisted training of Boltzmann machines, which can serve as a building block for deep learning architectures. This work was supported by NASA Ames Research Center.

Effect of thermal annealing on the phase evolution of silver tungstate in Ag/WO₃ films.

PubMed

Bose, R Jolly; Sreedharan, R Sreeja; Krishnan, R Resmi; Reddy, V R; Gupta, Mukul; Ganesan, V; Sudheer, S K; Pillai, V P Mahadevan

2015-06-15

Silver/tungsten oxide multi-layer films are deposited over quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique and the films are annealed at temperatures 200, 400 and 600°C. The effect of thermal annealing on the phase evolution of silver tungstate phase in Ag/WO3 films is studied extensively using techniques like X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman analysis, atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence studies. The XRD pattern of the as-deposited film shows only the peaks of cubic phase of silver. The film annealed at 200°C shows the presence of XRD peaks corresponding to orthorhombic phase of Ag2WO4 and peaks corresponding to cubic phase of silver with reduced intensity. It is found that, as annealing temperature increases, the volume fraction of Ag decreases and that of Ag2WO4 phase increases and becomes highest at a temperature of 400°C. When the temperature increases beyond 400°C, the volume fraction of Ag2WO4 decreases, due to its decomposition into silver and oxygen deficient phase Ag2W4O13. The micro-Raman spectra of the annealed films show the characteristic bands of tungstate phase which is in agreement with XRD analysis. The surface morphology of the films studied by atomic force microscopy reveals that the particle size and r.m.s roughness are highest for the sample annealed at 400°C. In the photoluminescence study, the films with silver tungstate phase show an emission peak in blue region centered around the wavelength 441 nm (excitation wavelength 256 nm). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of hydrogen annealing, sulfur segregation and diffusion on the cyclic oxidation resistance of superalloys: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smialek, J. L.; Jayne, D. T.; Schaeffer, J. C.; Murphy, W. H.

1994-12-01

This review is based on the phenomenon of improved oxide scale adhesion for desulfurized superalloys. The proposed adhesion mechanism involves sulfur interfacial segregation and scale-metal bond weakening. Sulfur surface segregation on superalloys is examined as a function of temperature and sulfur content, and is related to the classical behavior predicted by the McLean isotherm. Effective desulfurization to less than 1 ppmw can be accomplished by hydrogen annealing and is described by sulfur diffusion kinetics in nickel. Hydrogen annealing results in excellent cyclic oxidation resistance for a number of advanced superalloys. The concept of a critical sulfur content is discussed in terms of practical annealing conditions and section thicknesses.

Effects of hydrogen annealing, sulfur segregation and diffusion on the cyclic oxidation resistance of superalloys: A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smialek, J. L.; Jayne, D. T.; Schaeffer, J. C.; Murphy, W. H.

1994-01-01

This review is based on the phenomenon of improved oxide scale adhesion for desulfurized superalloys. The proposed adhesion mechanism involves sulfur interfacial segregation and scale-metal bond weakening. Sulfur surface segregation on superalloys is examined as a function of temperature and sulfur content, and is related to the classical behavior predicted by the McLean isotherm. Effective desulfurization to less than 1 ppmw can be accomplished by hydrogen annealing and is described by sulfur diffusion kinetics in nickel. Hydrogen annealing results in excellent cyclic oxidation resistance for a number of advanced superalloys. The concept of a critical sulfur content is discussed in terms of practical annealing conditions and section thicknesses.

Effects of Hydrogen Annealing, Sulfur Segregation and Diffusion on the Cyclic Oxidation Resistance of Superalloys: a Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smialek, J. L.; Jayne, D. T.; Schaeffer, J. C.; Murphy, W. H.

1994-01-01

This review is based on the phenomenon of improved oxide scale adhesion for desulfurized superalloys. The proposed adhesion mechanism involves sulfur interfacial segregation and scale-metal bond weakening. Sulfur surface segregation on superalloys is examined as a function of temperature and sulfur content and related to classical behavior predicted by the McLean isotherm. Effective desulfurization to less than 1 ppmw can be accomplished by hydrogen annealing and is governed by sulfur diffusion kinetics in nickel. Hydrogen annealing results in excellent cyclic oxidation resistance for a number of advanced superalloys. The concept of a critical sulfur content is discussed in terms of practical annealing conditions and section thicknesses.

Recent progress of quantum annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suzuki, Sei

2015-03-10

We review the recent progress of quantum annealing. Quantum annealing was proposed as a method to solve generic optimization problems. Recently a Canadian company has drawn a great deal of attention, as it has commercialized a quantum computer based on quantum annealing. Although the performance of quantum annealing is not sufficiently understood, it is likely that quantum annealing will be a practical method both on a conventional computer and on a quantum computer.

Annealing effects on the optical and morphological properties of ZnO nanorods on AZO substrate by using aqueous solution method at low temperature.

PubMed

Hang, Da-Ren; Islam, Sk Emdadul; Sharma, Krishna Hari; Kuo, Shiao-Wei; Zhang, Cheng-Zu; Wang, Jun-Jie

2014-01-01

Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) substrates were fabricated by a single-step aqueous solution method at low temperature. In order to optimize optical quality, the effects of annealing on optical and structural properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy. We found that the annealing temperature strongly affects both the near-band-edge (NBE) and visible (defect-related) emissions. The best characteristics have been obtained by employing annealing at 400°C in air for 2 h, bringing about a sharp and intense NBE emission. The defect-related recombinations were also suppressed effectively. However, the enhancement decreases with higher annealing temperature and prolonged annealing. PL study indicates that the NBE emission is dominated by radiative recombination associated with hydrogen donors. Thus, the enhancement of NBE is due to the activation of radiative recombinations associated with hydrogen donors. On the other hand, the reduction of visible emission is mainly attributed to the annihilation of OH groups. Our results provide insight to comprehend annealing effects and an effective way to improve optical properties of low-temperature-grown ZnO NRs for future facile device applications.

The effective magnetoelectric coefficients of polycrystalline Cr2O3 annealed in perpendicular electric and magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y. Y.; Xie, S. H.; Jin, G.; Li, J. Y.

2009-04-01

Magnetoelectric annealing is necessary to remove antiferromagnetic domains and induce macroscopic magnetoelectric effect in polycrystalline magnetoelectric materials, and in this paper, we study the effective magnetoelectric properties of perpendicularly annealed polycrystalline Cr2O3 using effective medium approximation. The effect of temperatures, grain aspect ratios, and two different types of orientation distribution function have been analyzed, and unusual material symmetry is observed when the orientation distribution function only depends on Euler angle ψ. Optimal grain aspect ratio and texture coefficient are also identified. The approach can be applied to analyze the microstructural field distribution and macroscopic properties of a wide range of magnetoelectric polycrystals.

Unraveling Quantum Annealers using Classical Hardness

PubMed Central

Martin-Mayor, Victor; Hen, Itay

2015-01-01

Recent advances in quantum technology have led to the development and manufacturing of experimental programmable quantum annealing optimizers that contain hundreds of quantum bits. These optimizers, commonly referred to as ‘D-Wave’ chips, promise to solve practical optimization problems potentially faster than conventional ‘classical’ computers. Attempts to quantify the quantum nature of these chips have been met with both excitement and skepticism but have also brought up numerous fundamental questions pertaining to the distinguishability of experimental quantum annealers from their classical thermal counterparts. Inspired by recent results in spin-glass theory that recognize ‘temperature chaos’ as the underlying mechanism responsible for the computational intractability of hard optimization problems, we devise a general method to quantify the performance of quantum annealers on optimization problems suffering from varying degrees of temperature chaos: A superior performance of quantum annealers over classical algorithms on these may allude to the role that quantum effects play in providing speedup. We utilize our method to experimentally study the D-Wave Two chip on different temperature-chaotic problems and find, surprisingly, that its performance scales unfavorably as compared to several analogous classical algorithms. We detect, quantify and discuss several purely classical effects that possibly mask the quantum behavior of the chip. PMID:26483257

Ge nanocrystals formed by furnace annealing of Ge(x)[SiO2](1-x) films: structure and optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volodin, V. A.; Cherkov, A. G.; Antonenko, A. Kh; Stoffel, M.; Rinnert, H.; Vergnat, M.

2017-07-01

Ge(x)[SiO2](1-x) (0.1  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.4) films were deposited onto Si(0 0 1) or fused quartz substrates using co-evaporation of both Ge and SiO2 in high vacuum. Germanium nanocrystals were synthesized in the SiO2 matrix by furnace annealing of Ge x [SiO2](1-x) films with x  ⩾  0.2. According to electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy data, the average size of the nanocrystals depends weakly on the annealing temperature (700, 800, or 900 °C) and on the Ge concentration in the films. Neither amorphous Ge clusters nor Ge nanocrystals were observed in as-deposited and annealed Ge0.1[SiO2]0.9 films. Infrared absorption spectroscopy measurements show that the studied films do not contain a noticeable amount of GeO x clusters. After annealing at 900 °C intermixing of germanium and silicon atoms was still negligible thus preventing the formation of GeSi nanocrystals. For annealed samples, we report the observation of infrared photoluminescence at low temperatures, which can be explained by exciton recombination in Ge nanocrystals. Moreover, we report strong photoluminescence in the visible range at room temperature, which is certainly due to Ge-related defect-induced radiative transitions.

Radiation effects on MOS devices - dosimetry, annealing, irradiation sequence, and sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Brucker, G. J.; Van Gunten, O.; Knudson, A. R.; Jordan, T. M.

1983-01-01

This paper reports on some investigations of dosimetry, annealing, irradiation sequences, and radioactive sources, involved in the determination of radiation effects on MOS devices. Results show that agreement in the experimental and theoretical surface to average doses support the use of thermo-luminescent dosimeters (manganese activated calcium fluoride) in specifying the surface dose delivered to thin gate insulators of MOS devices. Annealing measurements indicate the existence of at least two energy levels,,s or a activation energies, for recovery of soft oxide MOS devices after irradiation by electrons, protons, and gammas. Damage sensitivities of MOS devices were found to be independent of combinations and sequences of radiation type or energies. Comparison of various gamma sources indicated a small dependence of damage sensitivity on the Cobalt facility, but a more significant dependence in the case of the Cesium source. These results were attributed to differences in the spectral content of the several sources.

Isochronal annealing effects on local structure, crystalline fraction, and undamaged region size of radiation damage in Ga-stabilized δ-Pu

DOE PAGES

Olive, D. T.; Booth, C. H.; Wang, D. L.; ...

2016-07-19

The effects on the local structure due to self-irradiation damage of Ga stabilized δ-Pu stored at cryogenic temperatures have been examined using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments. Extensive damage, seen as a loss of local order, was evident after 72 days of storage below 15 K. The effect was observed from both the Pu and the Ga sites, although less pronounced around Ga. Isochronal annealing was performed on this sample to study the annealing processes that occur between cryogenic and room temperature storage conditions, where damage is mostly reversed. Damage fractions at various points along the annealing curvemore » have been determined using an amplitude-ratio method, a standard EXAFS fitting, and a spherical crystallite model, and provide information complementary to the previous electrical resistivity- and susceptibility-based isochronal annealing studies. The use of a spherical crystallite model accounts for the changes in EXAFS spectra using just two parameters, namely, the crystalline fraction and the particle radius. Altogether, these results are discussed in terms of changes to the local structure around Ga and Pu throughout the annealing process and highlight the unusual role of Ga in the behavior of the lowest temperature anneals.« less

Isochronal annealing effects on local structure, crystalline fraction, and undamaged region size of radiation damage in Ga-stabilized δ-Pu

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olive, D. T.; Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545; Wang, D. L.

2016-07-21

The effects on the local structure due to self-irradiation damage of Ga stabilized δ-Pu stored at cryogenic temperatures have been examined using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments. Extensive damage, seen as a loss of local order, was evident after 72 days of storage below 15 K. The effect was observed from both the Pu and the Ga sites, although less pronounced around Ga. Isochronal annealing was performed on this sample to study the annealing processes that occur between cryogenic and room temperature storage conditions, where damage is mostly reversed. Damage fractions at various points along the annealing curve havemore » been determined using an amplitude-ratio method, a standard EXAFS fitting, and a spherical crystallite model, and provide information complementary to the previous electrical resistivity- and susceptibility-based isochronal annealing studies. The use of a spherical crystallite model accounts for the changes in EXAFS spectra using just two parameters, namely, the crystalline fraction and the particle radius. Together, these results are discussed in terms of changes to the local structure around Ga and Pu throughout the annealing process and highlight the unusual role of Ga in the behavior of the lowest temperature anneals.« less

Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films synthesized by annealing of (Ti+Al)/AlN multilayers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cabioch, Thierry, E-mail: Thierry.cabioch@univ-poitiers.fr; Alkazaz, Malaz; Beaufort, Marie-France

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Epitaxial thin films of the MAX phase Ti{sub 2}AlN are obtained by thermal annealing. • A new metastable (Ti,Al,N) solid solution with the structure of α-T is evidenced. • The formation of the MAX phase occurs at low temperature (600 °C). - Abstract: Single-phase Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films were obtained by annealing in vacuum of (Ti + Al)/AlN multilayers deposited at room temperature by magnetron sputtering onto single-crystalline (0001) 4H-SiC and (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates. In-situ X-ray diffraction experiments combined with ex-situ cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that interdiffusion processes occur in the multilayer at amore » temperature of ∼400 °C leading to the formation of a (Ti, Al, N) solid solution, having the hexagonal structure of α-Ti, whereas the formation of Ti{sub 2}AlN occurs at 550–600 °C. Highly oriented (0002) Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films can be obtained after an annealing at 750 °C.« less

Annealing and anomalous high-energy electron irradiation effects in low-cost silicon N+P solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garlick, G. F. J.; Kachare, A. H.

1981-01-01

Silicon solar cells of N(+)P type were subjected to 1 MeV electron irradiation (up to 10 to the 16th electrons/sq cm) and then annealed at 450 C for 20 min or annealed with no electron irradiation. Electron irradiation resulted in a degradation of longer wavelength cell response, but produced a marked enhancement of response at shorter wavelengths with a peak change of 40% at 0.44 microns. Subsequent thermal anneal at 450 C reduced the long-wavelength degradation, but enhancement at shorter wavelengths persisted. Excitation at the shorter wavelengths was in the N(+)-diffused layer and in the junction region of the cell. Anneal of unirradiated cells produced shorter-wavelength enhancement with a similar peaking at 0.44 microns, but with a relative change of only 20%. More enhancement was produced in the longer wavelength region (up to 0.8 microns). These effects in the different cell regions are explained by a decrease in the interstitial oxygen-impurity complexes (deep recombination levels) and the formation of substantial oxygen-silicon vacancy centers (donors).

Vacuum template synthesis of multifunctional nanotubes with tailored nanostructured walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippin, A. Nicolas; Macias-Montero, Manuel; Saghi, Zineb; Idígoras, Jesús; Burdet, Pierre; Barranco, Angel; Midgley, Paul; Anta, Juan A.; Borras, Ana

2016-02-01

A three-step vacuum procedure for the fabrication of vertical TiO2 and ZnO nanotubes with three dimensional walls is presented. The method combines physical vapor deposition of small-molecules, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of inorganic functional thin films and layers and a post-annealing process in vacuum in order to remove the organic template. As a result, an ample variety of inorganic nanotubes are made with tunable length, hole dimensions and shapes and tailored wall composition, microstructure, porosity and structure. The fabrication of multishell nanotubes combining different semiconducting oxides and metal nanoparticles is as well explored. This method provides a feasible and reproducible route for the fabrication of high density arrays of vertically alligned nanotubes on processable substrates. The emptying mechanism and microstructure of the nanotubes have been elucidated through SEM, STEM, HAADF-STEM tomography and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In this article, as a proof of concept, it is presented the straightforward integration of ZnO nanotubes as photoanode in a photovoltaic cell and as a photonic oxygen gas sensor.

Vacuum template synthesis of multifunctional nanotubes with tailored nanostructured walls

PubMed Central

Filippin, A. Nicolas; Macias-Montero, Manuel; Saghi, Zineb; Idígoras, Jesús; Burdet, Pierre; Barranco, Angel; Midgley, Paul; Anta, Juan A.; Borras, Ana

2016-01-01

A three-step vacuum procedure for the fabrication of vertical TiO2 and ZnO nanotubes with three dimensional walls is presented. The method combines physical vapor deposition of small-molecules, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of inorganic functional thin films and layers and a post-annealing process in vacuum in order to remove the organic template. As a result, an ample variety of inorganic nanotubes are made with tunable length, hole dimensions and shapes and tailored wall composition, microstructure, porosity and structure. The fabrication of multishell nanotubes combining different semiconducting oxides and metal nanoparticles is as well explored. This method provides a feasible and reproducible route for the fabrication of high density arrays of vertically alligned nanotubes on processable substrates. The emptying mechanism and microstructure of the nanotubes have been elucidated through SEM, STEM, HAADF-STEM tomography and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In this article, as a proof of concept, it is presented the straightforward integration of ZnO nanotubes as photoanode in a photovoltaic cell and as a photonic oxygen gas sensor. PMID:26860367

Error suppression and correction for quantum annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lidar, Daniel

While adiabatic quantum computing and quantum annealing enjoy a certain degree of inherent robustness against excitations and control errors, there is no escaping the need for error correction or suppression. In this talk I will give an overview of our work on the development of such error correction and suppression methods. We have experimentally tested one such method combining encoding, energy penalties and decoding, on a D-Wave Two processor, with encouraging results. Mean field theory shows that this can be explained in terms of a softening of the closing of the gap due to the energy penalty, resulting in protection against excitations that occur near the quantum critical point. Decoding recovers population from excited states and enhances the success probability of quantum annealing. Moreover, we have demonstrated that using repetition codes with increasing code distance can lower the effective temperature of the annealer. References: K.L. Pudenz, T. Albash, D.A. Lidar, ``Error corrected quantum annealing with hundreds of qubits'', Nature Commun. 5, 3243 (2014). K.L. Pudenz, T. Albash, D.A. Lidar, ``Quantum annealing correction for random Ising problems'', Phys. Rev. A. 91, 042302 (2015). S. Matsuura, H. Nishimori, T. Albash, D.A. Lidar, ``Mean Field Analysis of Quantum Annealing Correction''. arXiv:1510.07709. W. Vinci et al., in preparation.

Improved cost-effectiveness of the block co-polymer anneal process for DSA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathangi, Hari; Stokhof, Maarten; Knaepen, Werner; Vaid, Varun; Mallik, Arindam; Chan, Boon Teik; Vandenbroeck, Nadia; Maes, Jan Willem; Gronheid, Roel

2016-04-01

This manuscript first presents a cost model to compare the cost of ownership of DSA and SAQP for a typical front end of line (FEoL) line patterning exercise. Then, we proceed to a feasibility study of using a vertical furnace to batch anneal the block co-polymer for DSA applications. We show that the defect performance of such a batch anneal process is comparable to the process of record anneal methods. This helps in increasing the cost benefit for DSA compared to the conventional multiple patterning approaches.

Annealing Time Effect on Nanostructured n-ZnO/p-Si Heterojunction Photodetector Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habubi, Nadir. F.; Ismail, Raid. A.; Hamoudi, Walid K.; Abid, Hassam. R.

2015-02-01

In this work, n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction photodetectors were prepared by drop casting of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on single crystal p-type silicon substrates, followed by (15-60) min; step-annealing at 600∘C. Structural, electrical, and optical properties of the ZnO NPs films deposited on quartz substrates were studied as a function of annealing time. X-ray diffraction studies showed a polycrystalline, hexagonal wurtizte nanostructured ZnO with preferential orientation along the (100) plane. Atomic force microscopy measurements showed an average ZnO grain size within the range of 75.9 nm-99.9 nm with a corresponding root mean square (RMS) surface roughness between 0.51 nm-2.16 nm. Dark and under illumination current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction photodetectors showed an improving rectification ratio and a decreasing saturation current at longer annealing time with an ideality factor of 3 obtained at 60 min annealing time. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of heterojunctions were investigated in order to estimate the built-in-voltage and junction type. The photodetectors, fabricated at optimum annealing time, exhibited good linearity characteristics. Maximum sensitivity was obtained when ZnO/Si heterojunctions were annealed at 60 min. Two peaks of response, located at 650 nm and 850 nm, were observed with sensitivities of 0.12-0.19 A/W and 0.18-0.39 A/W, respectively. Detectivity of the photodetectors as function of annealing time was estimated.

Interference effect on annealing temperature of A and E centers in silicon.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, P. H.; Tanaka, T.

1971-01-01

The significance of recent experimental observations on the annealing defects in n-type silicon has been examined. The observed anomalous annealing temperatures of A and E centers and their impurity concentration dependence are explained by an interference between the two centers.

Quantum vacuum noise in physics and cosmology.

PubMed

Davies, P. C. W.

2001-09-01

The concept of the vacuum in quantum field theory is a subtle one. Vacuum states have a rich and complex set of properties that produce distinctive, though usually exceedingly small, physical effects. Quantum vacuum noise is familiar in optical and electronic devices, but in this paper I wish to consider extending the discussion to systems in which gravitation, or large accelerations, are important. This leads to the prediction of vacuum friction: The quantum vacuum can act in a manner reminiscent of a viscous fluid. One result is that rapidly changing gravitational fields can create particles from the vacuum, and in turn the backreaction on the gravitational dynamics operates like a damping force. I consider such effects in early universe cosmology and the theory of quantum black holes, including the possibility that the large-scale structure of the universe might be produced by quantum vacuum noise in an early inflationary phase. I also discuss the curious phenomenon that an observer who accelerates through a quantum vacuum perceives a bath of thermal radiation closely analogous to Hawking radiation from black holes, even though an inertial observer registers no particles. The effects predicted raise very deep and unresolved issues about the nature of quantum particles, the role of the observer, and the relationship between the quantum vacuum and the concepts of information and entropy. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Long annealing effect on spin Seebeck devices fabricated using Ce x Y3- x Fe5O12 deposited by metal-organic decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Tatsuyoshi; Hirata, Satoshi; Amemiya, Yoshiteru; Tabei, Tetsuo; Yokoyama, Shin

2018-04-01

The effects of Ce content and annealing temperature on the electromotive force produced by spin Seebeck devices fabricated using Ce x Y3- x Fe5O12 deposited by metal-organic decomposition was investigated. The Ce content was first varied (x = 0,1,2,3) for a fixed annealing condition of 3 h at 900 °C. It was found that increasing the Ce content led to a decrease in electromotive force, which meant that x = 0 was the optimum Ce content. Next, the effect of annealing temperature was investigated for a Ce1Y2Fe5O12 film for an annealing time of 14 h. The highest electromotive force of 24.0 µV/50 °C was obtained for a sample annealed for 14 h at 800 °C, although the X-ray diffraction peaks were weaker than those for a sample annealed for 14 h at 950 °C.

Improved Hot Carrier Reliability Characteristics of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors with High-k Gate Dielectric by Using High Pressure Deuterium Post Metallization Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hokyung; Choi, Rino; Lee, Byoung Hun; Hwang, Hyunsang

2007-09-01

High pressure deuterium annealing on the hot carrier reliability characteristics of HfSiO metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) was investigated. Comparing with the conventional forming gas (H2/Ar=10%/96%, 480 °C, 30 min) annealed sample, MOSFET annealed in 5 atm pure deuterium ambient at 400 °C showed the improvement of linear drain current, reduction of interface trap density, and improvement of the hot carrier reliability characteristics. These improvements can be attributed to the effective passivation of the interface trap site after high pressure annealing and heavy mass effect of deuterium. These results indicate that high pressure pure deuterium annealing can be a promising process for improving device performance as well as hot carrier reliability, together.

Effect of annealing temperature and dopant concentration on the thermoluminescence sensitivity in LiF:Mg,Cu,Ag material.

PubMed

Yahyaabadi, Akram; Torkzadeh, Falamarz; Rezaei Ochbelagh, Dariush; Hosseini Pooya, Seyed Mahdi

2018-04-24

LiF:Mg,Cu,Ag is a new dosimetry material that is similar to LiF:Mg,Cu,P in terms of dosimetric properties. The effect of the annealing temperature in the range of 200 to 350°C on the thermoluminescence (TL) sensitivity and the glow curve structure of this material at different concentrations of silver (Ag) was investigated. It has been demonstrated that the optimum values of the annealing temperature and the Ag concentration are 240°C and 0.1 mol% for better sensitivity, respectively. The TL intensity decreases at annealing temperatures lower than 240°C or higher than 240°C, reaching a minimum at 300°C and then again increases for various Ag concentrations. It was observed that the glow curve structure altered and the area under the low temperature peak as well as the area under the main dosimetric peak decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The position of the main dosimetric peak moved in the direction of higher temperatures, but at 320 and 350°C annealing temperatures, it shifted to lower temperatures. It was also observed that the TL sensitivity could partially be recovered by a combined annealing procedure. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermal annealing effect on the Mg-doped AlGaN/GaN superlattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Baozhu; An, Shengbiao; Wen, Huanming; Wu, Ruihong; Wang, Xiaojun; Wang, Xiaoliang

2009-11-01

Mg-doped AlGaN/GaN superlattice has been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treament are carryied out on the samples under nitrogen as protect gas. Hall, photoluminescence (PL), high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and atomic-force microscopy (AFM) are used to characterize the electrical, optical and structural properties of the as-grown and annealed samples, respectively. After annealing, the Hall results indicate more Mg acceptors are activated, which leads to higher hole concentration and lower p-type resistivity. The PL intensity of Mg related defect band shows a strong decrease after annealing. The annealing of the superlattice degrade the interface quality of the AlGaN/GaN from the HRXRD results. Many nanometer-grains can be observed on the surface of AlGaN/GaN superlattice from the AFM image. This maybe related with the decomposing of GaN or the separating of Mg from the AlGaN/GaN superlattice.

Effects of vigorous mixing of blood vacuum tubes on laboratory test results.

PubMed

Lima-Oliveira, Gabriel; Lippi, Giuseppe; Salvagno, Gian Luca; Montagnana, Martina; Gelati, Matteo; Volanski, Waldemar; Boritiza, Katia Cristina; Picheth, Geraldo; Guidi, Gian Cesare

2013-02-01

To evaluate the effect of tubes mixing (gentle vs. vigorous) on diagnostic blood specimens collected in vacuum tube systems by venipuncture. Blood was collected for routine coagulation, immunochemistry and hematological testing from one hundred volunteers into six vacuum tubes: two 3.6 mL vacuum tubes containing 0.4 mL of buffered sodium citrate (9NC) 0.109 mol/L: 3.2 W/V%; two 3.5 mL vacuum tubes with clot activator and gel separator; and two 3.0 mL vacuum tubes containing 5.9 mg K(2)EDTA (Terumo Europe, Belgium). Immediately after the venipuncture all vacuum tubes (each of one additive type) were processed through two different procedures: i) Standard: blood specimens in K(2)EDTA- or sodium citrate-vacuum tubes were gently inverted five times whereas the specimens in tubes with clot activator and gel separator were gently inverted ten times, as recommended by the manufacturer; ii) Vigorous mix: all blood specimens were shaken up vigorously during 3-5s independently of the additive type inside the tubes. The significance of the differences between samples was assessed by Student's t-test or Wilcoxon ranked-pairs test after checking for normality. The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05. No significant difference (P<0.05) was detected between the procedures for all tested parameters. Surprisingly only a visual alteration (presence of foam on the top) was shown by all the tubes mixed vigorously before centrifugation (Fig. 1 A, B and C). Moreover the serum tubes from vigorous mixing procedure shows a "blood ring" on the tube top after stopper removal (Fig. 1 D). Our results drop out a paradigm suggesting that the incorrect primary blood tubes mixing promotes laboratory variability. We suggest that similar evaluation should be done using other brands of vacuum tubes by each laboratory manager. Copyright © 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shock, Post-Shock Annealing, and Post-Annealing Shock in Ureilites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.

2006-01-01

The thermal and shock histories of ureilites can be divided into four periods: 1) formation, 2) initial shock, 3) post-shock annealing, and 4) post-annealing shock. Period 1 occurred approx.4.55 Ga ago when ureilites formed by melting chondritic material. Impact events during period 2 caused silicate darkening, undulose to mosaic extinction in olivines, and the formation of diamond, lonsdaleite, and chaoite from indigenous carbonaceous material. Alkali-rich fine-grained silicates may have been introduced by impact injection into ureilites during this period. About 57% of the ureilites were unchanged after period 2. During period 3 events, impact-induced annealing caused previously mosaicized olivine grains to become aggregates of small unstrained crystals. Some ureilites experienced reduction as FeO at the edges of olivine grains reacted with C from the matrix. Annealing may also be responsible for coarsening of graphite in a few ureilites, forming euhedral-appearing, idioblastic crystals. Orthopyroxene in Meteorite Hills (MET) 78008 may have formed from pigeonite by annealing during this period. The Rb-Sr internal isochron age of approx.4.0 Ga for MET 78008 probably dates the annealing event. At this late date, impacts are the only viable heat source. About 36% of ureilites experienced period 3 events, but remained unchanged afterwards. During period 4, approx.7% of the ureilites were shocked again, as is evident in the polymict breccia, Elephant Moraine (EET) 83309. This rock contains annealed mosaicized olivine aggregates composed of small individual olivine crystals that exhibit undulose extinction. Ureilites may have formed by impact-melting chondritic material on a primitive body with heterogeneous O isotopes. Plagioclase was preferentially lost from the system due to its low impedance to shock compression. Brief melting and rapid burial minimized the escape of planetary-type noble gases from the ureilitic melts. Incomplete separation of metal from silicates

Effect of Annealing Temperature on Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 Powders for Humidity Sensing Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yong; He, Jinping; Yuan, Mengjiao; Jiang, Bin; Li, Peiwen; Tong, Yexing; Zheng, Xuejun

2017-01-01

Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) powders have been synthesized via the metal-organic decomposition method with annealing of the BLT precursor solution at 350°C, 450°C, 550°C, 650°C or 750°C. The crystalline structure and morphology of the BLT powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and specific surface and pore size analyses. The humidity sensing properties of the BLT powders annealed at the five temperatures were investigated to determine the effect of annealing temperature. The annealing temperature strongly influenced the grain size, pore size distribution, and specific surface area of the BLT powders, being largely correlated to their humidity sensing properties. The specific surface area of the BLT powder annealed at 550°C was 68.2 m2/g, much larger than for the other annealing temperatures, and the majority of the pores in the BLT powder annealed at 550°C were mesoporous, significantly increasing the adsorption efficiency of water vapor onto the surface of the material. The impedance of the BLT powder annealed at 550°C varied by more than five orders of magnitude over the whole humidity range at working frequency of 100 Hz, being approximately five times greater than for BLT powders annealed at other temperatures. The response time was about 8 s, with maximum hysteresis of around 3% relative humidity. The BLT powder annealed at 550°C exhibited the best humidity sensing properties compared with the other annealing temperatures. We expect that these results will offer useful guidelines for preparation of humidity sensing materials.

Annealing effects on the optical and morphological properties of ZnO nanorods on AZO substrate by using aqueous solution method at low temperature

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) substrates were fabricated by a single-step aqueous solution method at low temperature. In order to optimize optical quality, the effects of annealing on optical and structural properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy. We found that the annealing temperature strongly affects both the near-band-edge (NBE) and visible (defect-related) emissions. The best characteristics have been obtained by employing annealing at 400°C in air for 2 h, bringing about a sharp and intense NBE emission. The defect-related recombinations were also suppressed effectively. However, the enhancement decreases with higher annealing temperature and prolonged annealing. PL study indicates that the NBE emission is dominated by radiative recombination associated with hydrogen donors. Thus, the enhancement of NBE is due to the activation of radiative recombinations associated with hydrogen donors. On the other hand, the reduction of visible emission is mainly attributed to the annihilation of OH groups. Our results provide insight to comprehend annealing effects and an effective way to improve optical properties of low-temperature-grown ZnO NRs for future facile device applications. PMID:25520589

The effect of a simple annealing heat treatment on the mechanical properties of cold-sprayed aluminum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, Aaron Christopher; Roemer, Timothy John; Hirschfeld, Deidre A.

2004-11-01

Cold spray, a new member of the thermal spray process family, can be used to prepare dense, thick metal coatings. It has tremendous potential as a spray-forming process. However, it is well known that significant cold work occurs during the cold spray deposition process. This cold work results in hard coatings but relatively brittle bulk deposits. This work investigates the mechanical properties of cold-sprayed aluminum and the effect of annealing on those properties. Cold spray coatings approximately 1 cm thick were prepared using three different feedstock powders: Valimet H-10; Valimet H-20; and Brodmann Flomaster. ASTM E8 tensile specimens were machinedmore » from these coatings and tested using standard tensile testing procedures. Each material was tested in two conditions: as-sprayed; and after a 300 C, 22 h air anneal. The as-sprayed material showed high ultimate strength and low ductility, with <1% elongation. The annealed samples showed a reduction in ultimate strength but a dramatic increase in ductility, with up to 10% elongation. The annealed samples exhibited mechanical properties that were similar to those of wrought 1100 H14 aluminum. Microstructural examination and fractography clearly showed a change in fracture mechanism between the as-sprayed and annealed materials. These results indicate good potential for cold spray as a bulk-forming process.« less

The effect of a simple annealing heat treatement on the mechanical properties of cold-sprayed aluminium.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, Aaron Christopher; Roemer, Timothy John; Hirschfeld, Deidre A.

2005-08-01

Cold spray, a new member of the thermal spray process family, can be used to prepare dense, thick metal coatings. It has tremendous potential as a spray-forming process. However, it is well known that significant cold work occurs during the cold spray deposition process. This cold work results in hard coatings but relatively brittle bulk deposits. This work investigates the mechanical properties of cold-sprayed aluminum and the effect of annealing on those properties. Cold spray coatings approximately 1 cm thick were prepared using three different feedstock powders: Valimet H-10: Valimet H-20: and Brodmann Flomaster. ASTM E8 tensile specimens were machinedmore » from these coatings and tested using standard tensile testing procedures. Each material was tested in two conditions: as-sprayed; and after a 300 C, 22h air anneal. The as-sprayed material showed high ultimate strength and low ductility, with <1% elongation. The annealed samples showed a reduction in ultimate strength but a dramatic increase in ductility, with up to 10% elongation. The annealed samples exhibited mechanical properties that were similar to those of wrought 1100 H14 aluminum. Microstructural examination and fractography clearly showed a change in fracture mechanism between the as-sprayed and annealed materials. These results indicate good potential for cold spray as a bulkforming process.« less

Non-Implanted Gallium-Arsenide and its Subsequent Annealing Effects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Lih-Yeh

Infrared spectroscopy is used to study ion-implanted GaAs and its subsequent annealing effects. The damage in the implantation region causes a change in dielectric constant resulting in an infrared reflection spectrum which shows the interference pattern of a multilayer structure. Reflection data are fitted by values calculated from a physically realistic model by using computer codes. The first part in this work studies the solid state regrowth of amorphous GaAs made by Be implantation at -100(DEGREES)C. The regrowth temperature is around 200(DEGREES)C. The regrowth starts with a narrowing of the transition region and the transformation of the implanted layer from as-implanted amorphous (a-l) state to thermally-stablized amorphous (a-ll) state. The non-epitaxial recrystallization from both the surface and the interfacial region follows. The final regrown layer has a slightly higher refractive index than the crystalline value, indicating a high residual defect concentration. The temperature dependent regrowth velocity and the activation energy for this process are determined. The second part studies the free carrier activation in Be-implanted GaAs. Free holes are activated with prolonged annealing at 400(DEGREES)C ((TURN)50 hours) or a shorter time at higher temperature. The carrier contribution to the dielectric constant is calculated from the classical model and best fit to the reflection results show that the carrier profile can be approximated by a two half-Gaussians joined smoothly at their peaks. The peak position for the profile occurs deeper than that for the Be impurity profile measured by SIMS. The carrier distribution is speculated to be the result of the Be impurity, Ga vacancy and possible compensating defect distributions. The final part studies the free carrier removal by proton implantation in heavily doped, high carrier density, n-type GaAs. The as-implantation region is highly compensated until annealed at 550(DEGREES)C. After annealing between

High-Throughput Sequencing of 16S rRNA Gene Amplicons: Effects of Extraction Procedure, Primer Length and Annealing Temperature

PubMed Central

Sergeant, Martin J.; Constantinidou, Chrystala; Cogan, Tristan; Penn, Charles W.; Pallen, Mark J.

2012-01-01

The analysis of 16S-rDNA sequences to assess the bacterial community composition of a sample is a widely used technique that has increased with the advent of high throughput sequencing. Although considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the most informative region of the 16S gene and the optimal informatics procedures to process the data, little attention has been paid to the PCR step, in particular annealing temperature and primer length. To address this, amplicons derived from 16S-rDNA were generated from chicken caecal content DNA using different annealing temperatures, primers and different DNA extraction procedures. The amplicons were pyrosequenced to determine the optimal protocols for capture of maximum bacterial diversity from a chicken caecal sample. Even at very low annealing temperatures there was little effect on the community structure, although the abundance of some OTUs such as Bifidobacterium increased. Using shorter primers did not reveal any novel OTUs but did change the community profile obtained. Mechanical disruption of the sample by bead beating had a significant effect on the results obtained, as did repeated freezing and thawing. In conclusion, existing primers and standard annealing temperatures captured as much diversity as lower annealing temperatures and shorter primers. PMID:22666455

High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons: effects of extraction procedure, primer length and annealing temperature.

PubMed

Sergeant, Martin J; Constantinidou, Chrystala; Cogan, Tristan; Penn, Charles W; Pallen, Mark J

2012-01-01

The analysis of 16S-rDNA sequences to assess the bacterial community composition of a sample is a widely used technique that has increased with the advent of high throughput sequencing. Although considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the most informative region of the 16S gene and the optimal informatics procedures to process the data, little attention has been paid to the PCR step, in particular annealing temperature and primer length. To address this, amplicons derived from 16S-rDNA were generated from chicken caecal content DNA using different annealing temperatures, primers and different DNA extraction procedures. The amplicons were pyrosequenced to determine the optimal protocols for capture of maximum bacterial diversity from a chicken caecal sample. Even at very low annealing temperatures there was little effect on the community structure, although the abundance of some OTUs such as Bifidobacterium increased. Using shorter primers did not reveal any novel OTUs but did change the community profile obtained. Mechanical disruption of the sample by bead beating had a significant effect on the results obtained, as did repeated freezing and thawing. In conclusion, existing primers and standard annealing temperatures captured as much diversity as lower annealing temperatures and shorter primers.

Radiation damage effects by 25 MeV protons and thermal annealing effects on thallium bromide nuclear radiation detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hitomi, K.; Shoji, T.; Suehiro, T.

1999-06-01

In this study, TlBr detectors were irradiated with 25 MeV protons accelerated by an AVF cyclotron. Isothermal annealing was performed to restore the performance of the detectors. In order to characterize the radiation damage and thermal annealing effects on the TlBr detectors, the authors measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, mobility-lifetime ({mu}{tau}) products and spectrometric responses. The I-V and {mu}{tau} measurements suggest that electron traps have been induced by 25 MeV protons in the TlBr crystals. X- and {gamma}-ray energy spectra were measured for two different electronic conditions: the electric signals induced mainly by electron carriers traversing the crystal were used formore » one case and the signal induced by hole carriers were used in the other case. After irradiation of 25 MeV protons, the {sup 241}Am X- and {gamma}-ray spectra obtained in the former showed significantly degraded energy resolution. No degradation of energy resolution, however, was observed in the latter case. Noticeable improvements of the degraded detector performance have been observed after the thermal annealing.« less

Wear of Steel and Ti6Al4V Rollers in Vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krantz, Timothy L.; Shareef, Iqbal

2012-01-01

This investigation was prompted by results of a qualification test of a mechanism to be used for the James Webb Space Telescope. Post-test inspections of the qualification test article revealed some loose wear debris and wear of the steel rollers and the mating Ti6Al4V surfaces. An engineering assessment of the design and observations from the tested qualification unit suggested that roller misalignment was a controlling factor. The wear phenomena were investigated using dedicated laboratory experiments. Tests were done using a vacuum roller rig for a range of roller misalignment angles. The wear in these tests was mainly adhesive wear. The measured wear rates were highly correlated to the misalignment angle. For all tests with some roller misalignment, the steel rollers lost mass while the titanium rollers gained mass indicating strong adhesion of the steel with the titanium alloy. Inspection of the rollers revealed that the adhesive wear was a two-way process as titanium alloy was found on the steel rollers and vice versa. The qualification test unit made use of 440F steel rollers in the annealed condition. Both annealed 440F steel rollers and hardened 440C rollers were tested in the vacuum roller rig to investigate possibility to reduce wear rates and the risk of loose debris formation. The 440F and 440C rollers had differing wear behaviors with significantly lesser wear rates for the 440C. For the test condition of zero roller misalignment, the adhesive wear rates were very low, but still some loose debris was formed

Effects of annealing on performances of 1.3-μm InAs-InGaAs-GaAs quantum dot electroabsorption modulators

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In this work, we investigated the effects of quantum dot (QD) annealing (as-grown, 600°C-annealed, and 750°C-annealed) on the preliminary performances of 1.3-μm InAs-InGaAs-GaAs quantum dot electroabsorption modulators (QD-EAMs). Both extinction ratio and insertion loss were found to vary inversely with the annealing temperature. Most importantly, the 3-dB response of the 750°C-annealed lumped-element QD-EAM was found to be 1.6 GHz at zero reverse bias voltage - the lowest reverse bias voltage reported. We believe that this work will be beneficial to researchers working on on-chip integration of QD-EAMs with other devices since energy consumption will be an important consideration. PMID:23388169

Effect of surface polishing and vacuum firing on electron stimulated desorption from 316LN stainless steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malyshev, Oleg B., E-mail: oleg.malyshev@stfc.ac.uk; Hogan, Benjamin T.; Pendleton, Mark

2014-09-01

The reduction of thermal outgassing from stainless steel by surface polishing or vacuum firing is well-known in vacuum technology, and the consequent use of both techniques allows an even further reduction of outgassing. The aim of this study was to identify the effectiveness of surface polishing and vacuum firing for reducing electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) from 316LN stainless steel, which is a frequently used material for particle accelerator vacuum chambers and components. It was found that, unlike for thermal outgassing, surface polishing does not reduce the ESD yield and may even increase it, while vacuum firing of nonpolished sample reduces onlymore » the H{sub 2} ESD yield by a factor 2.« less

Combined current-modulation annealing induced enhancement of giant magnetoimpedance effect of Co-rich amorphous microwires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jingshun, E-mail: jingshun-liu@163.com, E-mail: faxiang.qin@gmail.com; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051; Qin, Faxiang, E-mail: jingshun-liu@163.com, E-mail: faxiang.qin@gmail.com

2014-05-07

We report on a combined current-modulation annealing (CCMA) method, which integrates the optimized pulsed current (PC) and DC annealing techniques, for improving the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect and its field sensitivity of Co-rich amorphous microwires. Relative to an as-prepared Co{sub 68.2}Fe{sub 4.3}B{sub 15}Si{sub 12.5} wire, CCMA is shown to remarkably improve the GMI response of the wire. At 10 MHz, the maximum GMI ratio and its field sensitivity of the as-prepared wire were, respectively, increased by 3.5 and 2.28 times when subjected to CCMA. CCMA increased atomic order orientation and circumferential permeability of the wire by the co-action of high-density pulsedmore » magnetic field energy and thermal activation energy at a PC annealing stage, as well as the formation of uniform circular magnetic domains by a stable DC magnetic field at a DC annealing stage. The magnetic moment can overcome eddy-current damping or nail-sticked action in rotational magnetization, giving rise to a double-peak feature and wider working field range (up to ±2 Oe) at relatively higher frequency (f ≥ 1 MHz)« less

Effect of α-damage on fission-track annealing in zircon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kasuya, Masao; Naeser, Charles W.

1988-01-01

The thermal stability of confined fission-track lengths in four zircon samples having different spontaneous track densities (i.e., different amounts of ??-damage) has been studied by one-hour isochronal annealing experiments. The thermal stability of spontaneous track lengths is independent of initial spontaneous track density. The thermal stability of induced track lengths in pre-annealed zircon, however, is significantly higher than that of spontaneous track lengths. The results indicate that the presence of ??-damage lowers the thermal stability of fission-tracks in zircon.

Nanocrystalline Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} particles: Effects of N{sub 2} annealing on microstructure and near-infrared shielding characteristics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Jing-Xiao, E-mail: drliu-shi@dlpu.edu.cn; Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Material, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577,Japan; Shi, Fei

2013-10-15

In order to further improve the near-infrared shielding properties of cesium tungsten bronze (Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3}) for solar filter applications, Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} particles were prepared by solvothermal reaction method and the effects of nitrogen annealing on the microstructure and near-infrared shielding properties of Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} were investigated. The obtained Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectrophotometer. The results indicate that nanosheet-like Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} particles with hexagonal structure began to transform into nanorods after annealed at temperature higher than 600 °C. The near-infrared shielding propertiesmore » of Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} particles could be further improved by N{sub 2} annealing at 500–700 °C. Particularly, the 500 °C-annealed Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} samples in the N{sub 2} atmosphere showed best near-infrared shielding properties. It was suggested that the excellent near-infrared shielding ability of the 500 °C-annealed Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} samples is correlated with its minimum O/W atomic ratio and most oxygen vacancies. Highlights: • N{sub 2} annealing could further improve the near-infrared (NIR) shielding of Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3}. • Effects of N{sub 2} annealing on microstructure and NIR shielding of Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} were studied. • The 500 °C-N{sub 2}-annealed Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} exhibited minimum O/W ratio and most oxygen vacancies. • The 500 °C-N{sub 2}-annealed Cs{sub x}WO{sub 3} particles exhibited best NIR shielding properties.« less

Annealing Increases Stability Of Iridium Thermocouples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Germain, Edward F.; Daryabeigi, Kamran; Alderfer, David W.; Wright, Robert E.; Ahmed, Shaffiq

1989-01-01

Metallurgical studies carried out on samples of iridium versus iridium/40-percent rhodium thermocouples in condition received from manufacturer. Metallurgical studies included x-ray, macroscopic, resistance, and metallographic studies. Revealed large amount of internal stress caused by cold-working during manufacturing, and large number of segregations and inhomogeneities. Samples annealed in furnace at temperatures from 1,000 to 2,000 degree C for intervals up to 1 h to study effects of heat treatment. Wire annealed by this procedure found to be ductile.

Degradation and annealing effects caused by oxygen in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, R.; Shen, X.; Chen, J.; Duan, G. X.; Zhang, E. X.; Fleetwood, D. M.; Schrimpf, R. D.; Kaun, S. W.; Kyle, E. C. H.; Speck, J. S.; Pantelides, S. T.

2016-07-01

Hot-carrier degradation and room-temperature annealing effects are investigated in unpassivated ammonia-rich AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Devices exhibit a fast recovery when annealed after hot carrier stress with all pins grounded. The recovered peak transconductance can exceed the original value, an effect that is not observed in control passivated samples. Density functional theory calculations suggest that dehydrogenation of pre-existing ON-H defects in AlGaN plays a significant role in the observed hot carrier degradation, and the resulting bare ON can naturally account for the "super-recovery" in the peak transconductance.

Relationship between microstructural and magnetic properties of PrCo-based films prepared by the vacuum evaporation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fersi, R.; Bouzidi, W.; Bezergheanu, A.; Cizmas, C. B.; Bessais, L.; Mliki, N.

2018-04-01

In this work, Ce2Ni7 type structural PrCo-based films were deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrate by ultra-high (UHV) vacuum evaporation process. The structural and magnetic properties of these films have been performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) techniques. Two effects on structural and magnetic properties of PrCo films have been investigated: the effect of the annealing temperature (Ta) and the effect of the variation of the magnetic X-layer thickness. The as deposited PrCo films have a magnetic coercivity (Hc) of about 40-100 Oe. But after annealing at 600 °C, Hc has increased hight about 9.5 kOe for PrCo(X = 20 nm) and 10.2 kOe for PrCo(X = 50 nm) were observed. The magnetic properties were affected by the thickness due to the morphology, also the relationship between the intergrain exchange coupling (IEC), the size and quantity of the PrCo grains. The hight extrinsic properties of Hc = 10.2 kOe, maximum energy product (BH)max of 5.12 MGOe and remanence ratio Mr /Ms = 0.53 are reported for the PrCo(X = 50 nm) films. These properties are highly desirable for extremely high-density magnetic recording media applications.

Annealing Effects on the Surface Plasmon of MgO Implanted with Gold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ueda, A.; Mu, R.; Tung, Y. -S.; Henderson, D. O.; White, C. W.; Zuhr, R. A.; Zhu, Jane G.; Wang, P. W.

1997-01-01

Gold ion implantation was carried out with the energy of 1.1 MeV into (100) oriented MgO single crystal. Implanted doses are 1, 3, 6, 10 x 10(exp 16) ions/sq cm. The gold irradiation results in the formation of gold ion implanted layer with a thickness of 0.2 microns and defect formation. In order to form gold colloids from the as-implanted samples, we annealed the gold implanted MgO samples in three kinds of atmospheres: (1)Ar only, (2)H2 and Ar, and (3)O2 and Ar. The annealing over 1200 C enhanced the gold colloid formation which shows surface plasmon resonance band of gold. The surface plasmon bands of samples annealed in three kinds of atmospheres were found to be at 535 nm (Ar only), 524 nm(H2+Ar), and 560 nm (02+Ar), The band positions of surface plasmon can be reversibly changed by an additional annealing.

Athermal Annealing of Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, R. P.; Grun, J.; Ting, A.; Felix, C.; Peckerar, M.; Fatemi, M.; Manka, C. K.

1999-11-01

Current semiconductor annealing methods are based on thermal processes which are accompanied by diffusion that degrades the definition of device features or causes other problems. This will be a serious obstacle for the production of next-generation ultra-high density, low power semiconductor devices. Experiments underway at NRL utilize a new annealing method which is much faster than thermal annealing and does not depend upon thermal energy (J. Grun, et al)., Phys. Rev. Letters 78, 1584 (1997).. A 10 J, 30 nsec, 1.053 nm wavelength laser pulse is focussed to approximately 1 mm diameter on a silicon sample. Acoustic and shock waves propagate from the impact region, which deposit mechanical energy into the material and anneal the silicon. Experimental results will be presented on annealing neutron-transmutation-doped (NTD) and ion implanted silicon samples with impurity concentrations from 1 × 10^15-3 × 10^20/cm^3.

Understanding the effect of annealing temperature on crystalline structure, morphology, and photocatalytic activity of silver-loaded TiO2 nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viet, Pham Van; Phuong Trang, Duong Dao; Phat, Bui Dai; Hieu, Le Van; Thi, Cao Minh

2018-05-01

In this study, we classified the effect of the annealing temperature on silver-loaded TiO2 nanotubes (Ag/TNTs). X-ray diffraction results demonstrate that TNTs have a tendency of phase transformation owing to silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method indicates that Ag/TNTs is a mesopore material and the surface area of Ag/TNTs decreases when the annealing temperature increases. This research concluded that the TNT structure begins to break at high annealing temperatures (>400 °C) and is completely broken at 500 °C. The average diameter of the Ag NPs in Ag/TNTs increases linearly with the annealing temperature. In addition, this study clearly explained the oxidation state transformation of Ag in Ag/TNTs under the impact of the annealing temperature, therein, the Ag0 state is transferred completely to Ag+ at 400 °C, and some Ag+ is oxidized to form Ag2+. The Ag/TNTs and Ag/TNTs annealed at 300 °C provided the good methylene blue photodegradation ability for 150 min under sunlight condition.

Cyclical Annealing Technique To Enhance Reliability of Amorphous Metal Oxide Thin Film Transistors.

PubMed

Chen, Hong-Chih; Chang, Ting-Chang; Lai, Wei-Chih; Chen, Guan-Fu; Chen, Bo-Wei; Hung, Yu-Ju; Chang, Kuo-Jui; Cheng, Kai-Chung; Huang, Chen-Shuo; Chen, Kuo-Kuang; Lu, Hsueh-Hsing; Lin, Yu-Hsin

2018-02-26

This study introduces a cyclical annealing technique that enhances the reliability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) via-type structure thin film transistors (TFTs). By utilizing this treatment, negative gate-bias illumination stress (NBIS)-induced instabilities can be effectively alleviated. The cyclical annealing provides several cooling steps, which are exothermic processes that can form stronger ionic bonds. An additional advantage is that the total annealing time is much shorter than when using conventional long-term annealing. With the use of cyclical annealing, the reliability of the a-IGZO can be effectively optimized, and the shorter process time can increase fabrication efficiency.

Post Deformation Annealing Behaviour of Mg-Al-Sn Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabir, Abu Syed Humaun; Su, Jing; Sanjari, Mehdi; Jung, In-Ho; Yue, Stephen

In this study, effects of dynamically formed precipitates on the microstructure and texture evolutions were investigated after the post deformation annealing for various times. Two ternary alloys of Mg, Al and Sn were designed, produced and deformed at 300°C at a strain rate of 0.01s-1 to form different amounts of strain induced precipitates during deformation. Subsequent annealing at deformation temperature was performed for up to 4 hours. Microstructures and precipitation were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopes and macro and micro-texture were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) techniques, respectively. It was found that certain amount of strain induced precipitates was necessary to prevent grain growth for a certain time during annealing by grain boundary pinning effect. Also, texture randomization was possible with the presence of precipitates after certain time of annealing.

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films annealed using a continuous wave Nd:YAG laser (λ0 = 532 nm): Effects of laser-annealing time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Myoung Han; Ko, Pil Ju; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Lee, Hyun-Yong

2017-12-01

Preparation of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin films has continued to face problems related to the selenization of sputtered Cu-In-Ga precursors when using H2Se vapor in that the materials are highly toxic and the facilities extremely costly. Another obstacle facing the production of CIGS thin films has been the required annealing temperature, as it relates to the decomposition temperature of a typical flexible polymer substrate. A novel laser-annealing process for CIGS thin films, which does not involve the selenization process and which can be performed at a lower temperature, has been proposed. Following sputtering with a Cu0.9In0.7Ga0.3Se2 target, the laser-annealing of the CIGS thin film was performed using a continuous 532-nm Nd:YAG laser with an annealing time of 200 - 1000 s at a laser optical power of 2.75 W. CIGS chalcopyrite (112), (220/204), and (312/116) phases, with some weak diffraction peaks corresponding to the Cu-Se- or the In-Se-related phases, were successfully obtained for all the CIGS thin films that had been laser-annealed at 2.75 W. The lattice parameters, the d-spacing, the tetragonal distortion parameter, and the strain led to the crystallinity being worse and grain size being smaller at 600 s while better crystallinity was obtained at 200 and 800 s, which was closely related to the deviations from molecularity and stoichiometry, which were greatest at 600 s while the values exhibited near-stoichiometric compositions at 200 and 800 s. The band gaps of the laser-annealed CIGS thin films were within a range of 1.765 - 1.977 eV and depended on the internal stress. The mean absorbance of the laser-annealed CIGS thin films was within a range of 1.598 - 1.900, suggesting that approximately 97.47 - 98.74% of the incident photons in the visible spectral region were absorbed by this 400-nm film. The conductivity types exhibited the same deviations (Δ m > 0 and Δ s < 0) in all the laser-annealed CIGS thin films. After laser-annealing, the resistivity

The localized quantum vacuum field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragoman, D.

2008-03-01

A model for the localized quantum vacuum is proposed in which the zero-point energy (ZPE) of the quantum electromagnetic field originates in energy- and momentum-conserving transitions of material systems from their ground state to an unstable state with negative energy. These transitions are accompanied by emissions and re-absorptions of real photons, which generate a localized quantum vacuum in the neighborhood of material systems. The model could help resolve the cosmological paradox associated with the ZPE of electromagnetic fields, while reclaiming quantum effects associated with quantum vacuum such as the Casimir effect and the Lamb shift. It also offers a new insight into the Zitterbewegung of material particles.

Accessing Forbidden Glass Regimes through High-Pressure Sub-Tg Annealing

PubMed Central

Svenson, Mouritz N.; Mauro, John C.; Rzoska, Sylwester J.; Bockowski, Michal; Smedskjaer, Morten M.

2017-01-01

Density and hardness of glasses are known to increase upon both compression at the glass transition temperature (Tg) and ambient pressure sub-Tg annealing. However, a serial combination of the two methods does not result in higher density and hardness, since the effect of compression is countered by subsequent annealing and vice versa. In this study, we circumvent this by introducing a novel treatment protocol that enables the preparation of high-density, high-hardness bulk aluminosilicate glasses. This is done by first compressing a sodium-magnesium aluminosilicate glass at 1 GPa at Tg, followed by sub-Tg annealing in-situ at 1 GPa. Through density, hardness, and heat capacity measurements, we demonstrate that the effects of hot compression and sub-Tg annealing can be combined to access a “forbidden glass” regime that is inaccessible through thermal history or pressure history variation alone. We also study the relaxation behavior of the densified samples during subsequent ambient pressure sub-Tg annealing. Density and hardness are found to relax and approach their ambient condition values upon annealing, but the difference in relaxation time of density and hardness, which is usually observed for hot compressed glasses, vanishes for samples previously subjected to high-pressure sub-Tg annealing. This confirms the unique configurational state of these glasses. PMID:28418017

Effect of a commercial steam-vacuuming treatment implemented after slaughtering for the decontamination of cattle carcasses

PubMed Central

Hochreutener, Mirjam; Zweifel, Claudio; Corti, Sabrina; Stephan, Roger

2017-01-01

To assess the antimicrobial effect of a commercial steam-vacuuming system newly implemented after slaughtering, 105 cattle carcasses were examined for total viable counts (TVC) at four different areas. Before steam vacuuming, mean TVC of the excision samples were comparable at the perineal area and brisket (3.0-3.1 log CFU cm-2) or the hind leg and shoulder (2.6-2.7 log CFU cm-2). Steam vacuuming reduced mean TVC by 0.9, 0.7, 0.6, and 0.4 log CFU cm-2 at the perineal area, hind leg, shoulder, and brisket, respectively. With regard to the distribution of counts, steam vacuuming increased the proportion of TVC results <3.0 log CFU cm-2 from 74.8% (62.9-87.6% at carcass areas) to 86.7% (71.4-97.1% at carcass areas). Thus, steam vacuuming after slaughtering might be useful for the reduction of contamination in designated carcass areas, but the effect must not be overestimated and decontamination treatments always must be seen part of an integral food safety system. PMID:29071245

Indian Vacuum Society: The Indian Vacuum Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, T. K.

2008-03-01

The Indian Vacuum Society (IVS) was established in 1970. It has over 800 members including many from Industry and R & D Institutions spread throughout India. The society has an active chapter at Kolkata. The society was formed with the main aim to promote, encourage and develop the growth of Vacuum Science, Techniques and Applications in India. In order to achieve this aim it has conducted a number of short term courses at graduate and technician levels on vacuum science and technology on topics ranging from low vacuum to ultrahigh vacuum So far it has conducted 39 such courses at different parts of the country and imparted training to more than 1200 persons in the field. Some of these courses were in-plant training courses conducted on the premises of the establishment and designed to take care of the special needs of the establishment. IVS also regularly conducts national and international seminars and symposia on vacuum science and technology with special emphasis on some theme related to applications of vacuum. A large number of delegates from all over India take part in the deliberations of such seminars and symposia and present their work. IVS also arranges technical visits to different industries and research institutes. The society also helped in the UNESCO sponsored post-graduate level courses in vacuum science, technology and applications conducted by Mumbai University. The society has also designed a certificate and diploma course for graduate level students studying vacuum science and technology and has submitted a syllabus to the academic council of the University of Mumbai for their approval, we hope that some colleges affiliated to the university will start this course from the coming academic year. IVS extended its support in standardizing many of the vacuum instruments and played a vital role in helping to set up a Regional Testing Centre along with BARC. As part of the development of vacuum education, the society arranges the participation of

Superconducting magnesium diboride films on Si with Tc0˜24 K grown via vacuum annealing from stoichiometric precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, H. Y.; Christen, H. M.; Zhang, L.; Cantoni, C.; Paranthaman, M.; Sales, B. C.; Christen, D. K.; Lowndes, D. H.

2001-10-01

Superconducting magnesium diboride films with Tc0˜24 K and sharp transition ˜1 K were prepared on Si by pulsed-laser deposition from stoichiometric MgB2 target. Contrary to previous reports, anneals at 630 °C and a background of 2×10-4Ar/4%H2 were performed without the requirement of Mg vapor or Mg cap layer. This integration of superconducting MgB2 film on Si may thus prove enabling in superconductor-semiconductor device applications. Images of surface morphology and cross-section profiles by scanning electron microscopy show that the films have a uniform surface morphology and thickness. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy study reveals these films were contaminated with oxygen, originating either from the growth environment or from sample exposure to air. The oxygen contamination may account for the low Tc for those in situ annealed films, while the use of Si as a substrate does not result in a decrease in Tc as compared to other substrates.

Effect of osmotic dehydration and vacuum-frying parameters to produce high-quality mango chips.

PubMed

Nunes, Yolanda; Moreira, Rosana G

2009-09-01

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a fruit rich in flavor and nutritional values, which is an excellent candidate for producing chips. The objective of this study was to develop high-quality mango chips using vacuum frying. Mango ("Tommy Atkins") slices were pretreated with different maltodextrin concentrations (40, 50, and 65, w/v), osmotic dehydration times (45, 60, and 70 min), and solution temperatures (22 and 40 degrees C). Pretreated slices were vacuum fried at 120, 130, and 138 degrees C and product quality attributes (oil content, texture, color, carotenoid content) determined. The effect of frying temperatures at optimum osmotic dehydration times (65 [w/v] at 40 degrees C) was assessed. All samples were acceptable (scores > 5) to consumer panelists. The best mango chips were those pretreated with 65 (w/v) concentration for 60 min and vacuum fried at 120 degrees C. Mango chips under atmospheric frying had less carotenoid retention (32%) than those under vacuum frying (up to 65%). These results may help further optimize vacuum-frying processing of high-quality fruit-based snacks.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of a Newly Developed Novel Lean Duplex Stainless Steel.

PubMed

Guo, Yanjun; Hu, Jincheng; Li, Jin; Jiang, Laizhu; Liu, Tianwei; Wu, Yanping

2014-09-12

The effect of annealing temperature (1000-1150 °C) on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and pitting corrosion behavior of a newly developed novel lean duplex stainless steel with 20.53Cr-3.45Mn-2.08Ni-0.17N-0.31Mo was studied by means of optical metallographic microscopy (OMM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), uniaxial tensile tests (UTT), and potentiostatic critical pitting temperature (CPT). The results showed that tensile and yield strength, as well as the pitting corrosion resistance, could be degraded with annealing temperature increasing from 1000 up to 1150 °C. Meanwhile, the elongation at break reached the maximum of 52.7% after annealing at 1050 °C due to the effect of martensite transformation induced plasticity (TRIP). The localized pitting attack preferentially occurred at ferrite phase, indicating that the ferrite phase had inferior pitting corrosion resistance as compared to the austenite phase. With increasing annealing temperature, the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) of ferrite phase dropped, while that of the austenite phase rose. Additionally, it was found that ferrite possessed a lower Volta potential than austenite phase. Moreover, the Volta potential difference between ferrite and austenite increased with the annealing temperature, which was well consistent with the difference of PREN.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Mechanical and Corrosion Behavior of a Newly Developed Novel Lean Duplex Stainless Steel

PubMed Central

Guo, Yanjun; Hu, Jincheng; Li, Jin; Jiang, Laizhu; Liu, Tianwei; Wu, Yanping

2014-01-01

The effect of annealing temperature (1000–1150 °C) on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and pitting corrosion behavior of a newly developed novel lean duplex stainless steel with 20.53Cr-3.45Mn-2.08Ni-0.17N-0.31Mo was studied by means of optical metallographic microscopy (OMM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), uniaxial tensile tests (UTT), and potentiostatic critical pitting temperature (CPT). The results showed that tensile and yield strength, as well as the pitting corrosion resistance, could be degraded with annealing temperature increasing from 1000 up to 1150 °C. Meanwhile, the elongation at break reached the maximum of 52.7% after annealing at 1050 °C due to the effect of martensite transformation induced plasticity (TRIP). The localized pitting attack preferentially occurred at ferrite phase, indicating that the ferrite phase had inferior pitting corrosion resistance as compared to the austenite phase. With increasing annealing temperature, the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) of ferrite phase dropped, while that of the austenite phase rose. Additionally, it was found that ferrite possessed a lower Volta potential than austenite phase. Moreover, the Volta potential difference between ferrite and austenite increased with the annealing temperature, which was well consistent with the difference of PREN. PMID:28788201

Superconducting magnesium diboride films with Tc≈24 K grown by pulsed laser deposition with in situ anneal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christen, H. M.; Zhai, H. Y.; Cantoni, C.; Paranthaman, M.; Sales, B. C.; Rouleau, C.; Norton, D. P.; Christen, D. K.; Lowndes, D. H.

2001-05-01

Thin superconducting films of magnesium diboride (MgB 2) with T c≈24 K were prepared on various oxide substrates by pulsed laser deposition followed by an in situ anneal. A systematic study of the influence of various in situ annealing parameters shows an optimum temperature of about 600°C in a background of 0.7 atm of Ar/4%H 2 for layers consisting of a mixture of magnesium and boron. Contrary to ex situ approaches (e.g. reacting boron films with magnesium vapor at ≈900°C), these films are processed at a temperature at which MgB 2 does not decompose rapidly even in vacuum. This may prove enabling in the formation of multilayers, junctions, and epitaxial films in future work. Issues related to the improvement of these films and to the possible in situ growth of MgB 2 at elevated temperature are discussed.

Effect of an annealing on magnetic properties of Fe-Ni films electroplated in citric-acid-based plating baths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanai, T.; Koda, K.; Eguchi, K.; Morimura, T.; Takashima, K.; Nakano, M.; Fukunaga, H.

2018-04-01

We have already reported Fe-Ni films with good soft magnetic properties prepared by using an electroplating method. In the present study, we employed an annealing for further improvement in soft magnetic properties of the electroplated Fe-Ni films. The annealing reduces the coercivity of the films, and the reduction rate of the coercivity depended on the Cl- ion concentration in the bath. The Fe22Ni78 films prepared in the plating bath with high Cl- ion concentration showed large reduction rate of the coercivity, and we found that the annealing is more effective for high Cl- ion concentration bath since much lower coercivity value can be obtained compared with that for low Cl- ion concentration one.

Efficiency of quantum vs. classical annealing in nonconvex learning problems

PubMed Central

Zecchina, Riccardo

2018-01-01

Quantum annealers aim at solving nonconvex optimization problems by exploiting cooperative tunneling effects to escape local minima. The underlying idea consists of designing a classical energy function whose ground states are the sought optimal solutions of the original optimization problem and add a controllable quantum transverse field to generate tunneling processes. A key challenge is to identify classes of nonconvex optimization problems for which quantum annealing remains efficient while thermal annealing fails. We show that this happens for a wide class of problems which are central to machine learning. Their energy landscapes are dominated by local minima that cause exponential slowdown of classical thermal annealers while simulated quantum annealing converges efficiently to rare dense regions of optimal solutions. PMID:29382764

Improved perovskite phototransistor prepared using multi-step annealing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Mingxuan; Zhang, Yating; Yu, Yu; Yao, Jianquan

2018-02-01

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites with good intrinsic physical properties have received substantial interest for solar cell and optoelectronic applications. However, perovskite film always suffers from a low carrier mobility due to its structural imperfection including sharp grain boundaries and pinholes, restricting their device performance and application potential. Here we demonstrate a straightforward strategy based on multi-step annealing process to improve the performance of perovskite photodetector. Annealing temperature and duration greatly affects the surface morphology and optoelectrical properties of perovskites which determines the device property of phototransistor. The perovskite films treated with multi-step annealing method tend to form highly uniform, well-crystallized and high surface coverage perovskite film, which exhibit stronger ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectrum compare to the perovskites prepared by conventional one-step annealing process. The field-effect mobilities of perovskite photodetector treated by one-step direct annealing method shows mobility as 0.121 (0.062) cm2V-1s-1 for holes (electrons), which increases to 1.01 (0.54) cm2V-1s-1 for that treated with muti-step slow annealing method. Moreover, the perovskite phototransistors exhibit a fast photoresponse speed of 78 μs. In general, this work focuses on the influence of annealing methods on perovskite phototransistor, instead of obtains best parameters of it. These findings prove that Multi-step annealing methods is feasible to prepared high performance based photodetector.

Population annealing simulations of a binary hard-sphere mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callaham, Jared; Machta, Jonathan

2017-06-01

Population annealing is a sequential Monte Carlo scheme well suited to simulating equilibrium states of systems with rough free energy landscapes. Here we use population annealing to study a binary mixture of hard spheres. Population annealing is a parallel version of simulated annealing with an extra resampling step that ensures that a population of replicas of the system represents the equilibrium ensemble at every packing fraction in an annealing schedule. The algorithm and its equilibration properties are described, and results are presented for a glass-forming fluid composed of a 50/50 mixture of hard spheres with diameter ratio of 1.4:1. For this system, we obtain precise results for the equation of state in the glassy regime up to packing fractions φ ≈0.60 and study deviations from the Boublik-Mansoori-Carnahan-Starling-Leland equation of state. For higher packing fractions, the algorithm falls out of equilibrium and a free volume fit predicts jamming at packing fraction φ ≈0.667 . We conclude that population annealing is an effective tool for studying equilibrium glassy fluids and the jamming transition.

Degradation and annealing effects caused by oxygen in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, R., E-mail: rong.jiang@vanderbilt.edu; Chen, J.; Duan, G. X.

Hot-carrier degradation and room-temperature annealing effects are investigated in unpassivated ammonia-rich AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors. Devices exhibit a fast recovery when annealed after hot carrier stress with all pins grounded. The recovered peak transconductance can exceed the original value, an effect that is not observed in control passivated samples. Density functional theory calculations suggest that dehydrogenation of pre-existing O{sub N}-H defects in AlGaN plays a significant role in the observed hot carrier degradation, and the resulting bare O{sub N} can naturally account for the “super-recovery” in the peak transconductance.

Mikheyev-smirnov-wolfenstein effects in vacuum oscillations

PubMed

Friedland

2000-07-31

We point out that for solar neutrino oscillations with the mass-squared difference of Deltam(2) approximately 10(-10)-10(-9) eV(2), i.e., in the so-called vacuum oscillation range, the solar matter effects are non-negligible, particularly for the low energy pp neutrinos. One consequence of this is that the values of the mixing angle straight theta and pi/2-straight theta are not equivalent, making it necessary to consider the entire physical range of the mixing angle 0

Annealing and thickness effects on magnetic properties of Co2FeAl alloy films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ke; Xu, Zhan; Ling, Fujin; Wang, Yahong; Dong, Shuo

2018-03-01

Co2FeAl (CFA) films in a wide thickness range between 2 and 100 nm are sputtered at room temperature. Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is achieved in the annealed structure of Pd/CFA/MgO with CFA thickness ranging between 2.3 and 4.9 nm. PMA as high as 2 × 106 erg/cm3 is demonstrated in the structures annealed in the temperature range between 300 and 350 °C. Positive contributions to the PMA made by the interfaces of Pd/CFA and CFA/MgO are identified. For the as-deposited structure of MgO/CFA/Ta with thick CFA alloy up to 5 nm or above a high effective saturation magnetization of 983.9 ± 30.1 emu/cc is derived from the fitting and an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of 104 erg/cm3 in magnitude is revealed by angular dependent magnetic measurements. In addition to the increase in saturation magnetization, a fourfold cubic magnetic anisotropy is found to develop with annealing, in line with the improvement of the crystalline structure confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. Out results provide some useful information for the design of the CFA-based magnetoelectronic devices.

Annealing induced reorientation of crystallites in Sn doped ZnO films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravichandran, K.; Vasanthi, M.; Thirumurugan, K.; Sakthivel, B.; Karthika, K.

2014-11-01

Tin doped ZnO thin films were prepared by employing a simplified spray pyrolysis technique using a perfume atomizer and subsequently annealed under different temperatures from 350 °C to 500 °C in steps of 50 °C. The structural, optical, electrical, photoluminescence and surface morphological properties of the as-deposited films were studied and compared with that of the annealed films. The X-ray diffraction studies showed that as-deposited film exhibits preferential orientation along the (0 0 2) plane and it changes in favour of (1 0 0) plane after annealing. The increase in crystallite size due to annealing is explained on the basis of Ostwald ripening effect. It is found that the optical transmittance and band gap increases with increase in annealing temperature. A slight decrease in resistivity caused by annealing is discussed in correlation with annealing induced defect modifications and surface morphology.

Effect of annealing on structural, optical, and electrical properties of nickel (Ni)/indium tin oxide (ITO) nanostructures prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobri, M.; Shuhaimi, A.; Hakim, K. M.; Ganesh, V.; Mamat, M. H.; Mazwan, M.; Najwa, S.; Ameera, N.; Yusnizam, Y.; Rusop, M.

2014-06-01

Nickel (Ni)/indium tin oxide (ITO) nanostructures were deposited on glass and silicon (1 1 1) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering using nickel and ITO (In-Sn, 90-10%) targets. The post-deposition annealing has been performed for Ni/ITO films in air. The effect of annealing temperature on the electrical, optical and structural properties of ITO films was studied. We found the appearance of (6 2 2) peak in addition to (4 0 0) and (2 2 2) major peaks, which indicates an enhancement of the film crystallinity at high temperature annealing of 650 °C. The samples show higher transmittance of more than 90% at 470 nm after annealing which is suitable for blue light emitting diode (LED) application. The optical energy bandgap is shifted from 3.51 to 3.65 eV for the Ni/ITO film after annealing at 650 °C. In addition, increasing the annealing temperature improves the film electrical properties. The resistivity value decreases from 3.77 × 10-5 Ω cm to 1.09 × 10-6 Ω cm upon increasing annealing temperature.

Investigating the Effects of Low Temperature Annealing of Amorphous Corrosion Resistant Alloys.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

Ray Diffraction.................................................... 6 Differential Scanning Calorimetry....................................... 9...17 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. X- Ray Diffraction Results From Fe32Ni 36Cr 4P 2 B Annealed for One Hour at...Various Temperatures (Cr Ka Radiation) ................................. 7 Figure 2. X- Ray Diffraction Results From FeU2NiaeCr14SieB Annealed for One

films on silicon at different annealing temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yan; Zhou, Chunlan; Zhang, Xiang; Zhang, Peng; Dou, Yanan; Wang, Wenjing; Cao, Xingzhong; Wang, Baoyi; Tang, Yehua; Zhou, Su

2013-03-01

Thermal atomic layer-deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) acquires high negative fixed charge density ( Q f) and sufficiently low interface trap density after annealing, which enables excellent surface passivation for crystalline silicon. Q f can be controlled by varying the annealing temperatures. In this study, the effect of the annealing temperature of thermal ALD Al2O3 films on p-type Czochralski silicon wafers was investigated. Corona charging measurements revealed that the Q f obtained at 300°C did not significantly affect passivation. The interface-trapping density markedly increased at high annealing temperature (>600°C) and degraded the surface passivation even at a high Q f. Negatively charged or neutral vacancies were found in the samples annealed at 300°C, 500°C, and 750°C using positron annihilation techniques. The Al defect density in the bulk film and the vacancy density near the SiO x /Si interface region decreased with increased temperature. Measurement results of Q f proved that the Al vacancy of the bulk film may not be related to Q f. The defect density in the SiO x region affected the chemical passivation, but other factors may dominantly influence chemical passivation at 750°C.

Pulsed Laser Annealing of Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahamson, Joseph P.

after 5 seconds of isothermal annealing at 2,600 °C is comprised almost entirely of quasi-spherical closed shell particles that are free of sp3 and oxygen content. With additional time at temperature the particles unravel and propagative particle opening occurs throughout the material. The irregular pore structure found in the end product is a result of particle unraveling. The structures found in heat treated sucrose char believed to contain odd membered rings are not manufactured during the annealing process due to impinging growth of stacks. Thus, odd membered rings are likely present in the starting non-graphitizable char. Furnace annealing of cokes and chars produced from: oxygen containing compounds (polyfurfuryl alcohol and anthanthrone), from a five membered ring containing polyaromatic hydrocarbon (fluorene), and from sulfur containing decant oil and a blend of anthracene-dibenzothiophene were compared to furnace annealed anthracene coke and sucrose char. The majority of initial oxygen content evolved out during low temperature carbonization. The intermediate species formed after oxygen evolution dictated the resulting carbon skeleton and thus the graphitizability. Carbonization of anthanthrone resulted in a graphitizable coke. It is proposed that carbon monoxide loss from anthanthrone results in the formation of perylene. An obvious resemblance was observed in structure between heat treated sucrose and polyfurfuryl alcohol char as compared to heated treated char embedded with 5 membered rings via carbonization of fluorene. Thus, providing evidence that 5 membered rings are present in the virgin chars and are the cause of non-graphitizability. The heteroatom sulfur effects carbon structure in a different way as compared to oxygen. Sulfur is thermally stable in carbon up to ˜ 1,000 °C and thus plays little role in the initial low temperature (500 °C) carbonization. As such it imparts a relatively unobservable impact on nanostructure, but rather acts to cause

Combined Effect of Heating Rate and Microalloying Elements on Recrystallization During Annealing of Dual-Phase Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellavoine, Marion; Dumont, Myriam; Drillet, Josée; Hébert, Véronique; Maugis, Philippe

2018-05-01

Adjusting ferrite recrystallization kinetics during annealing is a way to control the final microstructure and thus the mechanical properties of advanced cold-rolled high-strength steels. Two strategies are commonly used for this purpose: adjusting heating rates and/or adding microalloying elements. The present work investigates the effect of heating rate and microalloying elements Ti, Nb, and Mo on recrystallization kinetics during annealing in various cold-rolled Dual-Phase steel grades. The use of combined experimental and modeling approaches allows a deeper understanding of the separate influence of heating rate and the addition of microalloying elements. The comparative effect of Ti, Nb, and Mo as solute elements and as precipitates on ferrite recrystallization is also clarified. It is shown that solute drag has the largest delaying effect on recrystallization in the present case and that the order of solute drag effectiveness of microalloying elements is Nb > Mo > Ti.

Combined Effect of Heating Rate and Microalloying Elements on Recrystallization During Annealing of Dual-Phase Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellavoine, Marion; Dumont, Myriam; Drillet, Josée; Hébert, Véronique; Maugis, Philippe

2018-07-01

Adjusting ferrite recrystallization kinetics during annealing is a way to control the final microstructure and thus the mechanical properties of advanced cold-rolled high-strength steels. Two strategies are commonly used for this purpose: adjusting heating rates and/or adding microalloying elements. The present work investigates the effect of heating rate and microalloying elements Ti, Nb, and Mo on recrystallization kinetics during annealing in various cold-rolled Dual-Phase steel grades. The use of combined experimental and modeling approaches allows a deeper understanding of the separate influence of heating rate and the addition of microalloying elements. The comparative effect of Ti, Nb, and Mo as solute elements and as precipitates on ferrite recrystallization is also clarified. It is shown that solute drag has the largest delaying effect on recrystallization in the present case and that the order of solute drag effectiveness of microalloying elements is Nb > Mo > Ti.

Effect of rapid thermal annealing temperature on the dispersion of Si nanocrystals in SiO2 matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Nupur; Kumar, Pragati; Gupta, Vinay

2015-05-01

Effect of rapid thermal annealing temperature on the dispersion of silicon nanocrystals (Si-NC's) embedded in SiO2 matrix grown by atom beam sputtering (ABS) method is reported. The dispersion of Si NCs in SiO2 is an important issue to fabricate high efficiency devices based on Si-NC's. The transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the precipitation of excess silicon is almost uniform and the particles grow in almost uniform size upto 850 °C. The size distribution of the particles broadens and becomes bimodal as the temperature is increased to 950 °C. This suggests that by controlling the annealing temperature, the dispersion of Si-NC's can be controlled. The results are supported by selected area diffraction (SAED) studies and micro photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The discussion of effect of particle size distribution on PL spectrum is presented based on tight binding approximation (TBA) method using Gaussian and log-normal distribution of particles. The study suggests that the dispersion and consequently emission energy varies as a function of particle size distribution and that can be controlled by annealing parameters.

Cathode surface effects and H.F.-behaviour of vacuum arcs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yan Hong

To gain a better understanding of the essential processes occurring during a vacuum arc interruption for the further development of the vacuum arc circuit breaker, cathode spot behavior, current interruption, dielectrical recovery and overvoltage generation are investigated. An experimental study on cathode spot behavior of the DC vacuum arc in relation to cathode surface roughness and a qualitative physical model to interpret the results are reported. An experimental investigation on the High Frequency (HF) current interruption, multiple recognitions and voltage escalation phenomena is reported. A calculation program to predict the level of overvoltages generated by the operation of a vacuum breaker in a realistic single phase circuit is developed. Detailed results are summarized.

77 to 1200 K tensile properties of several wrought superalloys after long-term 1093 K heat treatment in air and vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittenberger, J. D.

1994-02-01

The 77 to 1200 K tensile properties of approximately 1.3 mm thick wrought sheet Co-base Haynes alloy 188 and Ni-base Haynes alloy 230 and Inconel 617 have been measured after heat treatment in air and vacuum for periods up to 22,500 h at 1093 K. Significant changes in structure were produced by prior exposures, including precipitation of second phases and, in the case of heat treatment in air, oxide scale and surface-connected grain boundary pits/oxides, as deep as 50 to 70 µm, in all three superalloys. Due to the geometry of the experiment, the vacuum-exposed samples were protected from loss of volatile elements by evaporation; hence, such specimens were simply given 1093 K anneals in an innocuous environment, which produced very little surface attack. Compared to the properties of as-received alloys, prior exposure tended to reduce both the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength, with the greatest reductions at 77 and 298 K. The most dramatic effect of heat treatment was found in the low-temperature residual tensile elongation, where decreases from 40 to 5% at 77 K were found. Ductility is the only property that was found to have a consistent dependency on environment, with air exposure always yielding less tensile elongation than vacuum exposure.

Prevention of nanoparticle coalescence under high-temperature annealing.

PubMed

Mizuno, Mikihisa; Sasaki, Yuichi; Yu, Andrew C C; Inoue, Makoto

2004-12-21

An effective method of employing 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane linker molecules to stabilize 4.4 nm FePt nanoparticle monolayer films on a SiO2 substrate as well as to prevent coalescence of the particles under 800 degrees C annealing is reported. As-deposited FePt nanoparticle films in chemically disordered face-centered-cubic phase transform to mostly chemically ordered L1 0 structure after annealing, while the nanoparticles are free from serious coalescence. The method may fulfill the pressing need to prevent nanoparticle coalescence under high-temperature annealing for the development of FePt nanoparticle based products, such as ultrahigh-density magnetic recording media and novel memory devices.

Vacuum field-effect transistor with a deep submicron channel fabricated by electro-forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao; Shen, Zhihua; Wu, Shengli; Zhang, Jintao

2017-06-01

Vacuum field-effect transistors (VFETs) with channel lengths down to 500 nm (i.e., the deep submicron scale) were fabricated with the mature technology of the surface conduction electron emitter fabrication process in our former experiments. The vacuum channel of this new VFET was generated by using the electro-forming process. During electro-forming, the joule heat cracks the conductive film and then generates the submicron scale gap that serves as the vacuum channel. The gap separates the conductive film into two plane-to-plane electrodes, which serve as a source (cathode) electrode and a drain (anode) electrode of the VFET, respectively. Experimental results reveal that the fabricated device demonstrates a clear triode behavior of the gate modulation. Fowler-Nordheim theory was used to analyze the electron emission mechanism and operating principle of the device.

Annealing-Based Electrical Tuning of Cobalt-Carbon Deposits Grown by Focused-Electron-Beam-Induced Deposition.

PubMed

Puydinger Dos Santos, Marcos V; Velo, Murilo F; Domingos, Renan D; Zhang, Yucheng; Maeder, Xavier; Guerra-Nuñez, Carlos; Best, James P; Béron, Fanny; Pirota, Kleber R; Moshkalev, Stanislav; Diniz, José A; Utke, Ivo

2016-11-30

An effective postgrowth electrical tuning, via an oxygen releasing method, to enhance the content of non-noble metals in deposits directly written with gas-assisted focused-electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID) is presented. It represents a novel and reproducible method for improving the electrical transport properties of Co-C deposits. The metal content and electrical properties of Co-C-O nanodeposits obtained by electron-induced dissociation of volatile Co 2 (CO) 8 precursor adsorbate molecules were reproducibly tuned by applying postgrowth annealing processes at 100 °C, 200 °C, and 300 °C under high-vacuum for 10 min. Advanced thin film EDX analysis showed that during the annealing process predominantly oxygen is released from the Co-C-O deposits, yielding an atomic ratio of Co:C:O = 100:16:1 (85:14:1) with respect to the atomic composition of as-written Co:C:O = 100:21:28 (67:14:19). In-depth Raman analysis suggests that the amorphous carbon contained in the as-written deposit turns into graphite nanocrystals with size of about 22.4 nm with annealing temperature. Remarkably, these microstructural changes allow for tuning of the electrical resistivity of the deposits over 3 orders of magnitude from 26 mΩ cm down to 26 μΩ cm, achieving a residual resistivity of ρ 2K /ρ 300 K = 0.56, close to the value of 0.53 for pure Co films with similar dimensions, making it especially interesting and advantageous over the numerous works already published for applications such as advanced scanning-probe systems, magnetic memory, storage, and ferroelectric tunnel junction memristors, as the graphitic matrix protects the cobalt from being oxidized under an ambient atmosphere.

Vacuum phonon tunneling.

PubMed

Altfeder, Igor; Voevodin, Andrey A; Roy, Ajit K

2010-10-15

Field-induced phonon tunneling, a previously unknown mechanism of interfacial thermal transport, has been revealed by ultrahigh vacuum inelastic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Using thermally broadened Fermi-Dirac distribution in the STM tip as in situ atomic-scale thermometer we found that thermal vibrations of the last tip atom are effectively transmitted to sample surface despite few angstroms wide vacuum gap. We show that phonon tunneling is driven by interfacial electric field and thermally vibrating image charges, and its rate is enhanced by surface electron-phonon interaction.

Research on annealing and properties of TlBr crystals for radiation detector use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhiping, Zheng; Yongtao, Yu; Dongxiang, Zhou; Shuping, Gong; Qiuyun, Fu

2014-03-01

In this paper, annealing was carried out in air after cutting, polishing and etching to eliminate defects introduced by crystal and wafer preparation work. The effect of annealing temperature and time on the properties of TlBr crystals was investigated. The crystal quality was characterized by infrared (IR) transmittance spectrum, I-V measurement, XRD and energy response spectrum. In the annealing temperature range (100-320 °C) applied, it was found that higher temperature was more effective for improving quality. Furthermore, it is proved that an appropriate annealing time is vital for better crystal quality.

Effect of annealing temperature on thermochromic properties of vanadium dioxide thin films deposited by organic sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jing; Huang, Wanxia; Shi, Qiwu; Cai, Jinghan; Zhao, Dong; Zhang, Yubo; Yan, Jiazhen

2013-03-01

This paper described the synthesis of vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films on mica substrates with different annealing temperatures by an organic sol-gel method. We performed X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and optical transmission measurements to investigate the effect of the annealing temperature on the crystalline structure, morphology, and phase transition properties of these films. The results showed that a polycrystalline structure with high crystallinity and compact surface at the annealing temperature of 500 °C. The film exhibited a V6O13 phase and a flat surface with small grain size at 440 °C. By contrast, the VnO2n-1 appeared when the annealing temperature at 540 °C, and the film surface split into segregation of spherical grain and aggregates of continuously dendritic particles. Accordingly, the optimal annealing temperature was 500 °C using the organic sol-gel method. And it turned out that the films mainly contained VO2 (M) phase at room temperature with high content of V4+ valence. Particularly, the films showed different changes in the infrared transmittance and hysteresis width during the phase transition. The largest transformation of the infrared transmittance before and after MIT was 73%, while the narrowest temperature hysteresis width was 8 °C at 500 °C.

Microstructure and Texture Evolution in a Yttrium-Containing ZM31 Alloy: Effect of Pre- and Post-deformation Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahreen, N.; Zhang, D. F.; Pan, F. S.; Jiang, X. Q.; Li, D. Y.; Chen, D. L.

2016-12-01

Microstructure and texture evolution of as-extruded ZM31 magnesium alloys with different amounts of yttrium (Y) during pre- and post-deformation annealing were examined with special attention given to the effect of Y on recrystallization. It was observed that the extruded ZM31 alloys exhibited a basal texture with the basal planes parallel to the extrusion direction (ED). The compression of the extruded alloys in the ED to a strain amount of 10 pct resulted in c-axes of hcp unit cells rotating toward the anti-compression direction due to the occurrence of extension twinning. Annealing of the extruded alloys altered the microstructure and texture, and the subsequent compression after annealing showed a relatively weak texture and a lower degree of twinning. A reverse procedure of pre-compression and subsequent annealing was found to further weaken the texture with a more scattered distribution of orientations and to lead to the vanishing of the original basal texture. With increasing Y content, both the extent of extension twinning during compression and the fraction of recrystallization during annealing decreased due to the role of Y present in the substitutional solid solution and in the second-phase particles, leading to a significant increase in the compressive yield strength.

Effect of continuous annealing temperature on microstructure and properties of ferritic rolled interstitial-free steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Chen-yang; Li, Lang; Hao, Lei-lei; Wang, Jian-gong; Zhou, Xun; Kang, Yong-lin

2018-05-01

In this report, the microstructure, mechanical properties, and textures of warm rolled interstitial-free steel annealed at four different temperatures (730, 760, 790, and 820°C) were studied. The overall structural features of specimens were investigated by optical microscopy, and the textures were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nano-sized precipitates were then observed by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) on carbon extraction replicas. According to the results, with increased annealing temperatures, the ferrite grains grew; in addition, the sizes of Ti4C2S2 and TiC precipitates also increased. Additionally, the sizes of TiN and TiS precipitates slightly changed. When the annealing temperature increased from 730 to 820°C, the yield strength (YS) and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) showed a decreasing trend. Meanwhile, elongation and the strain harden exponent (n value) increased to 49.6% and 0.34, respectively. By comparing textures annealed at different temperatures, the intensity of {111} texture annealed at 820°C was the largest, while the difference between the intensity of {111}<110> and {111}<112> was the smallest when the annealing temperature was 820°C. Therefore, the plastic strain ratio (r value) annealed at 820°C was the highest.

Comparative study of post-growth annealing of Cu(hfac)2, Co2(CO)8 and Me2Au(acac) metal precursors deposited by FEBID.

PubMed

Puydinger Dos Santos, Marcos Vinicius; Szkudlarek, Aleksandra; Rydosz, Artur; Guerra-Nuñez, Carlos; Béron, Fanny; Pirota, Kleber Roberto; Moshkalev, Stanislav; Diniz, José Alexandre; Utke, Ivo

2018-01-01

, Cu and Au deposits turned into nanocrystalline graphite with comparable crystal sizes of 12-14 nm at 300 °C annealing temperature. However, we observed a more effective formation of graphite clusters in Co- than in Cu- and Au-containing deposits. The graphitisation has a minor influence on the electrical conductivity improvements of Co-C deposits, which is attributed to the high as-deposited Co content and the related metal grain percolation. On the contrary, electrical conductivity improvements by factors of 30 and 12 for, respectively, Cu-C and Au-C deposits with low metal content are mainly attributed to the graphitisation. This relatively simple vacuum-based post-growth annealing protocol may be useful for other precursors as it proved to be efficient in reliably tuning the electrical properties of as-deposited FEBID materials. Finally, a H 2 -assisted gold purification protocol is demonstrated at temperatures around 300 °C by fully removing the carbon matrix and drastically reducing the electrical resistance of the deposit.

Effects of annealing conditions on microstructure and mechanical properties of low carbon, manganese transformation-induced plasticity steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jae-Myeong; Kim, Sung-Joon; Kang, Nam Hyun; Cho, Kyung-Mox; Suh, Dong-Woo

2009-12-01

The effects of annealing conditions on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties have been investigated in low carbon, manganese TRIP (Mn TRIP) steel based on a 0.12C-6Mn-0.5Si-3Al alloy system. The microstructure of cold-rolled sheet subjected to annealing at 760 °C to 800 °C for 30 s to 1800 s consists of a recrystallized ferrite matrix and fine-grained austenite with a phase fraction of 25 % to 35 %. Variation of the annealing conditions remarkably influenced the characteristics of constituent phases and thus affected the tensile strength and elongation. Optimization of microstructural parameters such as grain size and fraction of constituent phases, which control the yield strength, overall work hardening, and the kinetics of strain-induced martensite formation, is thus critical for obtaining an exceptional mechanical balance of the alloy.

Hysteresis in Lanthanide Zirconium Oxides Observed Using a Pulse CV Technique and including the Effect of High Temperature Annealing.

PubMed

Lu, Qifeng; Zhao, Chun; Mu, Yifei; Zhao, Ce Zhou; Taylor, Stephen; Chalker, Paul R

2015-07-29

A powerful characterization technique, pulse capacitance-voltage (CV) technique, was used to investigate oxide traps before and after annealing for lanthanide zirconium oxide thin films deposited on n-type Si (111) substrates at 300 °C by liquid injection Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). The results indicated that: (1) more traps were observed compared to the conventional capacitance-voltage characterization method in LaZrO x ; (2) the time-dependent trapping/de-trapping was influenced by the edge time, width and peak-to-peak voltage of a gate voltage pulse. Post deposition annealing was performed at 700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C in N₂ ambient for 15 s to the samples with 200 ALD cycles. The effect of the high temperature annealing on oxide traps and leakage current were subsequently explored. It showed that more traps were generated after annealing with the trap density increasing from 1.41 × 10 12 cm -2 for as-deposited sample to 4.55 × 10 12 cm -2 for the 800 °C annealed one. In addition, the leakage current density increase from about 10 - ⁶ A/cm² at V g = +0.5 V for the as-deposited sample to 10 -3 A/cm² at V g = +0.5 V for the 900 °C annealed one.

Effect of Post-deformation Annealing Treatment on the Microstructural Evolution of a Cold-Worked Corrosion-Resistant Superalloy (CRSA) Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei, A.; Zarei-Hanzaki, A.; Mohamadizadeh, A.; Lin, Y. C.

2018-03-01

The post-deformation annealing treatments of a commercial cold-worked corrosion-resistant superalloy steel (Sanicro 28 steel) were carried out at different temperatures in the range of 900-1100 °C for different holding durations of 5, 10, and 15 min. The effects of post-deformation annealing time and temperature on the microstructural evolution and subsequent mechanical properties of the processed Sanicro 28 steel were investigated. The observations indicated that twin-twin hardening in cold deformation condition mainly correlates with abundant nucleation of mechanical twins in multiple directions resulting in considerable strain hardening behavior. Microstructural investigations showed that the static recrystallization takes place after isothermal holding at 900 °C for 5 min. Increasing the annealing temperature from 900 to 1050 °C leads to recrystallization development and grain refinement in the as-recrystallized state. In addition, an increase in annealing duration from 5 to 15 min leads to subgrain coarsening and subsequently larger recrystallized grains size. The occurrence of large proportion of the grain refinement, which is achieved in the first annealing stage at 1050 °C after 5 min, is considered as the main factor for the maximum elongation at this stage.

Annealing effect on thermal conductivity and microhardness of carbon nanotube containing Se80Te16Cu4 glassy composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyay, A. N.; Tiwari, R. S.; Singh, Kedar

2018-02-01

This study deals with the effect of thermal annealing on structural/microstructural, thermal and mechanical behavior of pristine Se80Te16Cu4 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) containing Se80Te16Cu4 glassy composites. Pristine Se80Te16Cu4, 3 and 5 wt%CNTs-Se80Te16Cu4 glassy composites are annealed in the vicinity of glass transition temperature to onset crystallization temperature (340-380 K). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed formation of polycrystalline phases of hexagonal CuSe and trigonal selenium. The indexed d-values in XRD patterns are in well conformity with the d-values obtained after the indexing of the ring pattern of selected area electron diffraction pattern of TEM images. The SEM investigation exhibited that the grain size of the CNTs containing Se80Te16Cu4 glassy composites increased with increasing annealing temperature and decreased at further higher annealing temperature. Thermal conductivity, microhardness exhibited a substantial increase with increasing annealing temperature of 340-360 K and slightly decreases for 380 K. The variation of thermal conductivity and microhardness can be explained by cross-linking formation and voids reduction.

Color center annealing and ageing in electron and ion-irradiated yttria-stabilized zirconia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costantini, Jean-Marc; Beuneu, François

2005-04-01

We have used X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements at room-temperature (RT) to study the thermal annealing and RT ageing of color centers induced in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), i.e. ZrO2:Y with 9.5 mol% Y2O3, by swift electron and ion-irradiations. YSZ single crystals with the <1 0 0> orientation were irradiated with 2.5 MeV electrons, and implanted with 100 MeV 13C ions. Electron and ion beams produce the same two color centers, namely an F+-type center (singly ionized oxygen vacancy) and the so-called T-center (Zr3+ in a trigonal oxygen local environment) which is also produced by X-ray irradiations. Isochronal annealing was performed in air up to 973 K. For both electron and ion irradiations, the defect densities are plotted versus temperature or time at various fluences. The influence of a thermal treatment at 1373 K of the YSZ single crystals under vacuum prior to the irradiations was also investigated. In these reduced samples, color centers are found to be more stable than in as-received samples. Two kinds of recovery processes are observed depending on fluence and heat treatment.

Measurement of partial pressures in vacuum technology and vacuum physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huber, W. K.

1986-01-01

It is pointed out that the measurement of gaseous pressures of less than 0.0001 torr is based on the ionization of gas atoms and molecules due to collisions with electrons. The particle density is determined in place of the pressure. The ionization cross sections for molecules of various gases are discussed. It is found that the true pressure in a vacuum system cannot be determined with certainty if it is unknown which gas is present. Effects of partial pressure determination on the condition of the vacuum system are discussed together with ion sources, systems of separation, and ion detection.

Effect of Annealing Time on Microstructural Evolution and Deformation Characteristics in 10Mn1.5Al TRIP Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Qihang; Zhang, Yulong; Wang, Li

2015-05-01

To investigate microstructural evolution and its effects on the deformation behaviors of cold-rolled 10Mn1.5Al TRIP steel, a series of intercritical annealing treatments with various holding times from 3 minutes to 48 hours were conducted. With the increase of the holding time from 3 minutes to 12 hours, the elongation was improved from 15 to 42 pct, while the tensile strength was only reduced from 1210 to 1095 MPa; the strength-ductility combination thus exceeded 45 GPa pct. Austenite was found to coexist with martensite within deformed grains, which reduced the strain concentration at the interface. The austenite transformation fraction, as measured from the {220} peaks, after 3 minutes annealing was half that after 12 hours annealing. This is an indication that the slip systems were more easily activated in the micro-scaled grains compared with nano-scaled grains. Therefore, although the stability of austenite would have increased during annealing, size-induced slip suppression was reduced. Thus, more strain was accommodated in the austenite, facilitating a greater strain-induced transformation and better ductility.

Effect of thermal annealing on the redistribution of alkali metals in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells on glass substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamikawa, Yukiko; Nishinaga, Jiro; Ishizuka, Shogo; Tayagaki, Takeshi; Guthrey, Harvey; Shibata, Hajime; Matsubara, Koji; Niki, Shigeru

2018-03-01

The precise control of alkali-metal concentrations in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells via post deposition treatment (PDT) has recently attracted attention. When PDT is performed at an elevated temperature, an accompanying annealing effect is expected. Here, we investigate how thermal annealing affects the redistribution of alkali metals in CIGS solar cells on glass substrates and the properties of the solar cells. In addition, we investigate the origin of non-homogeneous alkali-metal depth profiles that are typical of CIGS grown using a three-stage process. In particular, we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements of the ion concentration as a function of distance from the CIGS surface to investigate the impact of thermal annealing on the distribution of alkali metals (Na, Ka, and Rb) and constituent elements (Ga and In) in the CIGS absorbers. We find that the depth profiles of the alkali metals strongly reflect the density of sites that tend to accommodate alkali metals, i.e., vacancies. Annealing at elevated temperature caused a redistribution of the alkali metals. The thermal-diffusion kinetics of alkali metals depends strongly on the species involved. We introduced low flux potassium fluoride (KF) to study a side effect of KF-PDT, i.e., Na removal from CIGS, separately from its predominant effects such as surface modification. When sufficient amounts of Na are supplied from the soda lime glass via annealing at an elevated temperature, the negative effect was not apparent. Conversely, when the Na supply was not sufficient, it caused a deterioration of the photovoltaic properties.

Effect of thermal annealing on the redistribution of alkali metals in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells on glass substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamikawa, Yukiko; Nishinaga, Jiro; Ishizuka, Shogo

The precise control of alkali-metal concentrations in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells via post deposition treatment (PDT) has recently attracted attention. When PDT is performed at an elevated temperature, an accompanying annealing effect is expected. Here, we investigate how thermal annealing affects the redistribution of alkali metals in CIGS solar cells on glass substrates and the properties of the solar cells. In addition, we investigate the origin of non-homogeneous alkali-metal depth profiles that are typical of CIGS grown using a three-stage process. In particular, we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements of the ion concentration as a function of distance frommore » the CIGS surface to investigate the impact of thermal annealing on the distribution of alkali metals (Na, Ka, and Rb) and constituent elements (Ga and In) in the CIGS absorbers. We find that the depth profiles of the alkali metals strongly reflect the density of sites that tend to accommodate alkali metals, i.e., vacancies. Annealing at elevated temperature caused a redistribution of the alkali metals. The thermal-diffusion kinetics of alkali metals depends strongly on the species involved. We introduced low flux potassium fluoride (KF) to study a side effect of KF-PDT, i.e., Na removal from CIGS, separately from its predominant effects such as surface modification. When sufficient amounts of Na are supplied from the soda lime glass via annealing at an elevated temperature, the negative effect was not apparent. Conversely, when the Na supply was not sufficient, it caused a deterioration of the photovoltaic properties.« less

Effect of thermal annealing on the redistribution of alkali metals in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells on glass substrate

DOE PAGES

Kamikawa, Yukiko; Nishinaga, Jiro; Ishizuka, Shogo; ...

2018-03-07

The precise control of alkali-metal concentrations in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) solar cells via post deposition treatment (PDT) has recently attracted attention. When PDT is performed at an elevated temperature, an accompanying annealing effect is expected. Here, we investigate how thermal annealing affects the redistribution of alkali metals in CIGS solar cells on glass substrates and the properties of the solar cells. In addition, we investigate the origin of non-homogeneous alkali-metal depth profiles that are typical of CIGS grown using a three-stage process. In particular, we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements of the ion concentration as a function of distance frommore » the CIGS surface to investigate the impact of thermal annealing on the distribution of alkali metals (Na, Ka, and Rb) and constituent elements (Ga and In) in the CIGS absorbers. We find that the depth profiles of the alkali metals strongly reflect the density of sites that tend to accommodate alkali metals, i.e., vacancies. Annealing at elevated temperature caused a redistribution of the alkali metals. The thermal-diffusion kinetics of alkali metals depends strongly on the species involved. We introduced low flux potassium fluoride (KF) to study a side effect of KF-PDT, i.e., Na removal from CIGS, separately from its predominant effects such as surface modification. When sufficient amounts of Na are supplied from the soda lime glass via annealing at an elevated temperature, the negative effect was not apparent. Conversely, when the Na supply was not sufficient, it caused a deterioration of the photovoltaic properties.« less

Vacuum mechatronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hackwood, Susan; Belinski, Steven E.; Beni, Gerardo

1989-01-01

The discipline of vacuum mechatronics is defined as the design and development of vacuum-compatible computer-controlled mechanisms for manipulating, sensing and testing in a vacuum environment. The importance of vacuum mechatronics is growing with an increased application of vacuum in space studies and in manufacturing for material processing, medicine, microelectronics, emission studies, lyophylisation, freeze drying and packaging. The quickly developing field of vacuum mechatronics will also be the driving force for the realization of an advanced era of totally enclosed clean manufacturing cells. High technology manufacturing has increasingly demanding requirements for precision manipulation, in situ process monitoring and contamination-free environments. To remove the contamination problems associated with human workers, the tendency in many manufacturing processes is to move towards total automation. This will become a requirement in the near future for e.g., microelectronics manufacturing. Automation in ultra-clean manufacturing environments is evolving into the concept of self-contained and fully enclosed manufacturing. A Self Contained Automated Robotic Factory (SCARF) is being developed as a flexible research facility for totally enclosed manufacturing. The construction and successful operation of a SCARF will provide a novel, flexible, self-contained, clean, vacuum manufacturing environment. SCARF also requires very high reliability and intelligent control. The trends in vacuum mechatronics and some of the key research issues are reviewed.

The effect of α-damage on fission-track annealing in zircon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kasuya, M.; Naeser, C.W.

1988-01-01

The thermal stability of confined fission-track lengths in four zircon samples having different spontaneous track densities (i.e. different amounts of ??-damage) has been studied by one hour isochronal annealing experiments. The thermal stability of spontaneous track lengths is independent of initial spontaneous track density. The thermal stability of induced track lengths in pre-annealed zircon, however, is significantly higher than that of spontaneous track lengths. The results indicate that the presence of ??-damage lowers the thermal stability of fission-tracks in zircon. ?? 1988.

Multipurpose Vacuum Induction Processing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govindaraju, M.; Kulkarni, Deepak; Balasubramanian, K.

2012-11-01

Multipurpose vacuum processing systems are cost effective; occupy less space, multiple functional under one roof and user friendly. A multipurpose vacuum induction system was designed, fabricated and installed in a record time of 6 months time at NFTDC Hyderabad. It was designed to function as a) vacuum induction melting/refining of oxygen free electronic copper/pure metals, b) vacuum induction melting furnace for ferrous materials c) vacuum induction melting for non ferrous materials d) large vacuum heat treatment chamber by resistance heating (by detachable coil and hot zone) e) bottom discharge vacuum induction melting system for non ferrous materials f) Induction heat treatment system and g) directional solidification /investment casting. It contains provision for future capacity addition. The attachments require to manufacture multiple shaped castings and continuous rod casting can be added whenever need arises. Present capacity is decided on the requirement for 10years of development path; presently it has 1.2 ton liquid copper handling capacity. It is equipped with provision for capacity addition up to 2 ton liquid copper handling capacity in future. Provision is made to carry out the capacity addition in easy steps quickly. For easy operational maintenance and troubleshooting, design was made in easily detachable sections. High vacuum system is also is detachable, independent and easily movable which is first of its kind in the country. Detailed design parameters, advantages and development history are presented in this paper.

Successful Cleaning and Study of Contamination of Si(001) in Ultrahigh Vacuum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gheorghe, N. G.; Lungu, G. A.; Husanu, M. A.

2011-10-03

This paper presents the very first surface physics experiment performed in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) in Romania, using a new molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) installation. Cleaning of a Si(001) wafer was achieved by using a very simple technique: sequences of annealing at 900-1000 deg. C in ultrahigh vacuum: low 10{sup -8} mbar, with a base pressure of 1.5x10{sup -10} mbar. The preparation procedure is quite reproducible and allows repeated cleaning of the Si(001) after contamination in ultrahigh vacuum. The Si(001) single crystal surface is characterized by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and Auger electron spectroscopymore » (AES). The latter technique is utilized in order to investigate the sample contamination by the residual gas in the UHV chamber, as determined by a residual gas analyzer (RGA). Unambiguous assignment of oxidized and unoxidized silicon is provided; also, an important feature is that the LVV Auger peak at 90-92 eV cannot be solely attributed to clean Si (i.e. Si surrounded only by Si), but also to silicon atoms bounded with carbon. Even with a sum of partial pressures of oxygen and carbon containing molecules in the range of 5x10{sup -10} mbar, the sample is contaminated very quickly, having a (1/e) lifetime of about 76 minutes.« less

Annealing temperature and barrier thickness effect on the structural and optical properties of silicon nanocrystals/SiO₂ superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

López-Vidrier, J., E-mail: jlopezv@el.ub.edu; Hernández, S.; López-Conesa, L.

2014-10-07

The effect of the annealing temperature and the SiO₂ barrier thickness of silicon nanocrystal (NC)/SiO₂ superlattices (SLs) on their structural and optical properties is investigated. Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the SL structure is maintained for annealing temperatures up to 1150 °C, with no variation on the nanostructure morphology for different SiO₂ barrier thicknesses. Nevertheless, annealing temperatures as high as 1250 °C promote diffusion of Si atoms into the SiO₂ barrier layers, which produces larger Si NCs and the loss of the NC size control expected from the SL approach. Complementary Raman scattering measurements corroborated these results formore » all the SiO₂ and Si-rich oxynitride layer thicknesses. In addition, we observed an increasing crystalline fraction up to 1250 °C, which is related to a decreasing contribution of the suboxide transition layer between Si NCs and the SiO₂ matrix due to the formation of larger NCs. Finally, photoluminescence measurements revealed that the emission of the superlattices exhibits a Gaussian-like lineshape with a maximum intensity after annealing at 1150 °C, indicating a high crystalline degree in good agreement with Raman results. Samples submitted to higher annealing temperatures display a progressive emission broadening, together with an increase in the central emission wavelength. Both effects are related to a progressive broadening of the size distribution with a larger mean size, in agreement with TEM observations. On the other hand, whereas the morphology of the Si NCs is unaffected by the SiO₂ barrier thickness, the emission properties are slightly modified. These observed modifications in the emission lineshape allow monitoring the precipitation process of Si NCs in a direct non-destructive way. All these experimental results evidence that an annealing temperature of 1150 °C and 1-nm SiO₂ barrier can be reached whilst preserving the SL structure

Developing a vacuum cooking equipment prototype to produce strawberry jam and optimization of vacuum cooking conditions.

PubMed

Okut, Dilara; Devseren, Esra; Koç, Mehmet; Ocak, Özgül Özdestan; Karataş, Haluk; Kaymak-Ertekin, Figen

2018-01-01

Purpose of this study was to develop prototype cooking equipment that can work at reduced pressure and to evaluate its performance for production of strawberry jam. The effect of vacuum cooking conditions on color soluble solid content, reducing sugars total sugars HMF and sensory properties were investigated. Also, the optimum vacuum cooking conditions for strawberry jam were optimized for Composite Rotatable Design. The optimum cooking temperature and time were determined targeting maximum soluble solid content and sensory attributes (consistency) and minimum Hue value and HMF content. The optimum vacuum cooking conditions determined were 74.4 °C temperature and 19.8 time. The soluble solid content strawberry jam made by vacuum process were similar to those prepared by traditional method. HMF contents of jams produced with vacuum cooking method were well within limit of standards.

Effect of a cosmological constant on propagation of vacuum polarized photons in stationary spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Sourav

2015-06-01

Consideration of vacuum polarization in quantum electrodynamics may affect the momentum dispersion relation for photons for a non-trivial background, due to the appearance of curvature dependent terms in the effective action. We investigate the effect of a positive cosmological constant on this at one-loop order for stationary -vacuum spacetimes. To the best of our knowledge, so far it only has been shown that affects the propagation in a time dependent black hole spacetime. Here we consider the static de Sitter cosmic string and the Kerr-de Sitter spacetime to show that there might occur a non-vanishing effect due to for physical polarizations. The consistency of these results with the polarization sum rule is discussed.

Dose rate effects on array CCDs exposed by Co-60 γ rays induce saturation output degradation and annealing tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zujun, E-mail: wangzujun@nint.ac.cn; Chen, Wei; He, Baoping

The experimental tests of dose rate and annealing effects on array charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are presented. The saturation output voltage (V{sub S}) versus the total dose at the dose rates of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 and 50 rad(Si)/s are compared. Annealing tests are performed to eliminate the time-dependent effects. The V{sub S} degradation levels depend on the dose rates. The V{sub S} degradation mechanism induced by dose rate and annealing effects is analyzed. The V{sub S} at 20 krad(Si) with the dose rate of 0.03 rad(Si)/s are supplemented to assure the degradation curves between the dose rates of 0.1 andmore » 0.01 rad(Si)/s. The CCDs are divided into two groups, with one group biased and the other unbiased during {sup 60}Co γ radiation. The V{sub S} degradation levels of the biased CCDs during radiation are more severe than that of the unbiased CCDs.« less

Quantum Spin Glasses, Annealing and Computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarti, Bikas K.; Inoue, Jun-ichi; Tamura, Ryo; Tanaka, Shu

2017-05-01

List of tables; List of figures, Preface; 1. Introduction; Part I. Quantum Spin Glass, Annealing and Computation: 2. Classical spin models from ferromagnetic spin systems to spin glasses; 3. Simulated annealing; 4. Quantum spin glass; 5. Quantum dynamics; 6. Quantum annealing; Part II. Additional Notes: 7. Notes on adiabatic quantum computers; 8. Quantum information and quenching dynamics; 9. A brief historical note on the studies of quantum glass, annealing and computation.

Molecular motions in sucrose-PVP and sucrose-sorbitol dispersions-II. Implications of annealing on secondary relaxations.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Sisir; Bhardwaj, Sunny P; Suryanarayanan, Raj

2014-10-01

To determine the effect of annealing on the two secondary relaxations in amorphous sucrose and in sucrose solid dispersions. Sucrose was co-lyophilized with either PVP or sorbitol, annealed for different time periods and analyzed by dielectric spectroscopy. In an earlier investigation, we had documented the effect of PVP and sorbitol on the primary and the two secondary relaxations in amorphous sucrose solid dispersions (1). Here we investigated the effect of annealing on local motions, both in amorphous sucrose and in the dispersions. The average relaxation time of the local motion (irrespective of origin) in sucrose, decreased upon annealing. However, the heterogeneity in relaxation time distribution as well as the dielectric strength decreased only for β1- (the slower relaxation) but not for β2-relaxations. The effect of annealing on β2-relaxation times was neutralized by sorbitol while PVP negated the effect of annealing on both β1- and β2-relaxations. An increase in local mobility of sucrose brought about by annealing could be negated with an additive.

Natural vacuum electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leggett, Nickolaus

1990-01-01

The ambient natural vacuum of space is proposed as a basis for electron valves. Each valve is an electron controlling structure similiar to a vacuum tube that is operated without a vacuum sustaining envelope. The natural vacuum electron valves discussed offer a viable substitute for solid state devices. The natural vacuum valve is highly resistant to ionizing radiation, system generated electromagnetic pulse, current transients, and direct exposure to space conditions.

Investigation of the evolution of nitrogen defects in flash-lamp-annealed InGaZnO films and their effects on transistor characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eom, Tae-Yil; Ahn, Chee-Hong; Kang, Jun-Gu; Saad Salman, Muhammad; Lee, Sun-Young; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Lee, Hoo-Jeong; Kang, Chan-Mo; Kang, Chiwon

2018-06-01

In this study, we show the evolution of nitrogen defects during a sol–gel reaction in flash-lamp-annealed InGaZnO (IGZO) films and their effects on the device characteristics of their thin-film transistors (TFTs). The flash lamp annealing (FLA) of the IGZO TFT for 16 s helps achieve a mobility of approximately 7 cm2 V‑1 s‑1. However, further extension of the annealing time results only in drastic increases in carrier concentration and off-current. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the N 1s peak unravels the presence of oxygen-vacancy-associated nitrogen defects and their evolution with annealing time, which is possibly responsible for the increase in carrier concentration.

Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of strain-free quantum ring solar cells

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Strain-free GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As quantum rings are fabricated by droplet epitaxy. Both photoresponse and photoluminescence spectra confirm optical transitions in quantum rings, suggesting that droplet epitaxial nanomaterials are applicable to intermediate band solar cells. The effects of post-growth annealing on the quantum ring solar cells are investigated, and the optical properties of the solar cells with and without thermal treatment are characterized by photoluminescence technique. Rapid thermal annealing treatment has resulted in the significant improvement of material quality, which can be served as a standard process for quantum structure solar cells grown by droplet epitaxy. PMID:23281811

Sulfur in vacuum - Sublimation effects on frozen melts, and applications to Io's surface and torus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, Douglas B.

1987-01-01

Vacuum sublimation effects on solid sulfur yield a form of the element that is white at room temperature, is fluffy in texture, and forms on frozen sulfur in vacuum through differential evaporation of molecular species in the solid. This vacuum sulfur should exist in large quantity on Io, if the solid free sulfur there has solidified from a melt; a sulfur volcanism model for Io is accordingly developed on this basis which implies that the color and spectra of different sulfur regions of Io could indicate their relative crystallization ages and cooling histories. The flux of sublimating hotspot sulfur appears consistent with estimated turnover rates of the Io surface.

Linear response theory for annealing of radiation damage in semiconductor devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litovchenko, Vitaly

1988-01-01

A theoretical study of the radiation/annealing response of MOS ICs is described. Although many experiments have been performed in this field, no comprehensive theory dealing with radiation/annealing response has been proposed. Many attempts have been made to apply linear response theory, but no theoretical foundation has been presented. The linear response theory outlined here is capable of describing a broad area of radiation/annealing response phenomena in MOS ICs, in particular, both simultaneous irradiation and annealing, as well as short- and long-term annealing, including the case when annealing is nearing completion. For the first time, a simple procedure is devised to determine the response function from experimental radiation/annealing data. In addition, this procedure enables us to study the effect of variable temperature and dose rate, effects which are of interest in spaceflight. In the past, the shift in threshold potential due to radiation/annealing has usually been assumed to depend on one variable: the time lapse between an impulse dose and the time of observation. While such a suggestion of uniformity in time is certainly true for a broad range of radiation annealing phenomena, it may not hold for some ranges of the variables of interest (temperature, dose rate, etc.). A response function is projected which is dependent on two variables: the time of observation and the time of the impulse dose. This dependence on two variables allows us to extend the theory to the treatment of a variable dose rate. Finally, the linear theory is generalized to the case in which the response is nonlinear with impulse dose, but is proportional to some impulse function of dose. A method to determine both the impulse and response functions is presented.

VACUUM TRAP

DOEpatents

Gordon, H.S.

1959-09-15

An improved adsorption vacuum trap for use in vacuum systems was designed. The distinguishing feature is the placement of a plurality of torsionally deformed metallic fins within a vacuum jacket extending from the walls to the central axis so that substantially all gas molecules pass through the jacket will impinge upon the fin surfaces. T fins are heated by direct metallic conduction, thereby ol taining a uniform temperature at the adeorbing surfaces so that essentially all of the condensible impurities from the evacuating gas are removed from the vacuum system.

First principles study of the effect of hydrogen annealing on SiC MOSFETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chokawa, Kenta; Shiraishi, Kenji

2018-04-01

The high interfacial defect density at SiC/SiO2 interfaces formed by thermal oxidation is a crucial problem. Although post-oxidation annealing with H2 can reduce the defect density, some defects still remain at the interface. We investigate the termination of vacancy defects by H atoms at the 4H-SiC(0001)/SiO2 interface and discuss the stability of these H termination structures. Si vacancy defects can be terminated with H atoms to reduce the defect density, and the termination structure is stable even at high temperatures. On the other hand, it is difficult to terminate C vacancy defects with H atoms because the H atoms desorb from the dangling bonds and form H2 molecules below room temperature. However, we confirm that N atoms are effective for reducing the C vacancy defect states. Therefore, a defect-less interface can be achieved by post-oxidation annealing with H2 and N2.

Vacuum fluctuations of the supersymmetric field in curved background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilić, Neven; Domazet, Silvije; Guberina, Branko

2012-01-01

We study a supersymmetric model in curved background spacetime. We calculate the effective action and the vacuum expectation value of the energy momentum tensor using a covariant regularization procedure. A soft supersymmetry breaking induces a nonzero contribution to the vacuum energy density and pressure. Assuming the presence of a cosmic fluid in addition to the vacuum fluctuations of the supersymmetric field an effective equation of state is derived in a self-consistent approach at one loop order. The net effect of the vacuum fluctuations of the supersymmetric fields in the leading adiabatic order is a renormalization of the Newton and cosmological constants.

10 CFR 50.66 - Requirements for thermal annealing of the reactor pressure vessel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... be determined using the same basis as that used for the pre-anneal operating period. (B) The post... Annealing Report must include: a Thermal Annealing Operating Plan; a Requalification Inspection and Test... insulation, and on detrimental effects, if any, on containment and the biological shield. If the design...

Effect of the annealing ambient on the electrical characteristics of the amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors.

PubMed

Huang, Yu-Chih; Yang, Po-Yu; Huang, Hau-Yuan; Wang, Shui-Jinn; Cheng, Huang-Chung

2012-07-01

The influence of the thermal annealing on the amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) under different ambient gases has been systematically addressed. The chemical bonding states and transfer characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs show evident dependence on the annealing ambient gas. For the a-IGZO TFTs in the oxygen ambient annealing at 250 degrees C for 30 mins exhibited a maximum field effect mobility (max muFE) of 9.36 cm2/V x s, on/off current ratio of 6.12 x 10(10), and a subthreshold slope (SS) of 0.21 V/decade. Respectively, the as-deposited ones without annealing possess a max muFE of 6.61 cm2/V x s, on/off current ratio of 4.58 x 10(8), and a SS of 0.46 V/decade. In contrast, the a-IGZO TFTs annealed at 250 degrees C for 30 mins in the nitrogen ambient would be degraded to have a max muFE of 0.18 cm2/V x s, on/off current ratio of 2.22 x 10(4), and a SS of 7.37 V/decade, corresponding. It is attributed to the content of the oxygen vacancies, according the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyze of the three different samples.

Effect of in situ annealing on the structural and electrical properties and infrared photodetection of III-Sb on GaAs using interfacial misfit array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Bo Wen; Tan, Kian Hua; Loke, Wan Khai; Wicaksono, Satrio; Yoon, Soon Fatt

2018-01-01

This work presents the effects of in situ thermal annealing under antimony overpressure on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of III-Sb (GaSb and InSb) grown on (100) GaAs using an interfacial misfit array to accommodate the lattice mismatch. Both the sample growth and the in situ thermal annealing were carried out in the in the molecular beam epitaxy system, and the temperature of the as-grown sample was increased to exceed its growth temperature during the annealing. X-ray diffraction demonstrates nearly fully relaxed as-grown and annealed III-Sb layers. The optimal annealing temperatures and durations are for 590 °C, 5 min for GaSb and 420 °C, 15 min for InSb, respectively. In situ annealing decreased the surface roughness of the III-Sb layers. X-ray reciprocal space mapping and transmission electron microscopy observation showed stable interfacial misfit arrays, and no interfacial diffusion occurred in the annealed III-Sb layers. A Hall measurement of unintentionally doped III-Sb layers showed greater carrier mobility and a lower carrier concentration in the annealed samples at both 77 and 300 K. In situ annealing improved the photoresponsivity of GaSb and InSb photoconductors grown on GaAs in the near- and mid-infrared ranges, respectively.

The effect of vacuum birefringence on the polarization of X-ray binaries and pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novick, R.; Weisskopf, M. C.; Angel, J. R. P.; Sutherland, P. G.

1977-01-01

In a strong magnetic field the vacuum becomes birefringent. This effect is especially important for pulsars at X-ray wavelengths. Any polarized X-ray emission from the surface of a magnetic neutron star becomes depolarized as it propagates through the magnetic field. The soft X-ray emission from AM Her, believed to be a magnetic white dwarf, may show about one radian of phase retardation. In this case, circular polarization of the X-ray flux would be a characteristic signature of vacuum birefringence.

Effect of Hydrogen Post-Annealing on Transparent Conductive ITO/Ga2O3 Bi-Layer Films for Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Kim, Kyeong Heon; Kim, Su Jin; Park, Sang Young; Kim, Tae Geun

2015-10-01

The effect of hydrogen post-annealing on the electrical and optical properties of ITO/Ga2O bi-layer films, deposited by RF magnetron sputtering, is investigated for potential applications to transparent conductive electrodes of ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes. Three samples--an as-deposited sample and two samples post-annealed in N2 gas and N2-H2 gas mixture--were prepared and annealed at different temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 500 °C for comparison. Among these samples, the sample annealed at 300 °C in a mixture of N2 and H2 gases shows the lowest sheet resistance of 301.3 Ω/square and a high UV transmittance of 87.1% at 300 nm.

Effect of mesh-peel ply variation on mechanical properties of E-glas composite by infusion vacuum method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdurohman, K.; Siahaan, Mabe

2018-04-01

Composite materials made of glass fiber EW-135 with epoxy lycal resin with vacuum infusion method have been performed. The dried glass fiber is arranged in a mold then connected to a vacuum machine and a resin tube. Then, the vacuum machine is turned on and at the same time the resin is sucked and flowed into the mold. This paper reports on the effect of using mesh- peel ply singles on upper-side laminates called A and the effect of using double mesh-peel ply on upper and lower-side laminates call B with glass fiber arrangement is normal and ± 450 in vacuum infusion process. Followed by the manufacture of tensile test specimen and tested its tensile strength with universal test machine 100kN Tensilon RTF 2410, at room temperature with constant crosshead speed. From tensile test results using single and double layers showed that double mesh-peel ply can increase tensile strength 14% and Young modulus 17%.

Effect of Solution Annealing on Susceptibility to Intercrystalline Corrosion of Stainless Steel with 20% Cr and 8% Ni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taiwade, R. V.; Patil, A. P.; Patre, S. J.; Dayal, R. K.

2013-06-01

In general, as-received (AR) austenitic stainless steels (ASSs) contain complex carbide precipitates due to manufacturing operations, subsequent annealing treatment, or due to the fabrication processes such as welding. The presence of pre-existing carbides leads to cumulative sensitization and make the steel susceptible to intercrystalline corrosion (ICC)/intergranular corrosion (IGC) which causes premature failure during service. Solution annealing (SA) is one of the ways to deal with such situations. In this present investigation, the AR (hot rolled and mill annealed) chromium-nickel (Cr-Ni) ASS is compared with SA Cr-Ni ASS. The extent of ICC/IGC was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by various electrochemical tests including ASTM standard A-262 Practice A and Practice E, double loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The degree of sensitization for hot rolled mill annealed AR condition is found to be substantially higher (51.55%) than that of SA condition (26.9%) for thermally aged samples (at 700 °C). The chemical composition across the grain boundary was measured using electron probe micro-analyzer for both (AR and SA) conditions and confirms that the pre-sensitization effect was completely removed after SA treatment.

Effects of post-deposition magnetic field annealing on magnetic properties of NiO/Co90Fe10 bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Chao; Su, Shan; Chiu, Chun-Cheng; Skoropata, Elizabeth; Desautels, Ryan D.; van Lierop, Johan; Lin, Ko-Wei; Pong, Philip W. T.

2018-01-01

The ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AF) bilayer structures have drawn intensive attention because of their wide applications in modern spintronic devices. While abundant published works have been reported on the interface effects of the FM/AF bilayers caused by the magnetic field annealing (MFA) process, the volume effects caused by the MFA treatment have been rarely considered. In this work, the microstructural and magnetic properties of the NiO/CoFe bilayers with various CoFe thicknesses were investigated under different annealing temperatures. At high annealing temperature, the interlayer mixing and exchange coupling between NiO and CoFe layers were promoted and consequently the interface effects were facilitated. The interfacial oxides acted as pinning centers and randomly pinned the FM domains, leading to an increase of coercivity and a considerable degradation of uniaxial anisotropy. The increase of coercivity was also contributed by the enhancement of the interfacial exchange coupling between the NiO and CoFe layers after MFA. As the CoFe thickness increased, the volume effects tended to dominate over the interface effects, resulting in the preservation the uniaxially anisotropic features of CoFe. These results indicate that both the coercivity and anisotropic features of the NiO/CoFe bilayers can be directly affected by the MFA process, opening up the possibility of modifying the magnetism in the NiO/CoFe bilayers and offering an effective way to improve the performance of modern spintronic devices.

The hydrodynamic basis of the vacuum cleaner effect in continuous-flow PCNL instruments: an empiric approach and mathematical model.

PubMed

Mager, R; Balzereit, C; Gust, K; Hüsch, T; Herrmann, T; Nagele, U; Haferkamp, A; Schilling, D

2016-05-01

Passive removal of stone fragments in the irrigation stream is one of the characteristics in continuous-flow PCNL instruments. So far the physical principle of this so-called vacuum cleaner effect has not been fully understood yet. The aim of the study was to empirically prove the existence of the vacuum cleaner effect and to develop a physical hypothesis and generate a mathematical model for this phenomenon. In an empiric approach, common low-pressure PCNL instruments and conventional PCNL sheaths were tested using an in vitro model. Flow characteristics were visualized by coloring of irrigation fluid. Influence of irrigation pressure, sheath diameter, sheath design, nephroscope design and position of the nephroscope was assessed. Experiments were digitally recorded for further slow-motion analysis to deduce a physical model. In each tested nephroscope design, we could observe the vacuum cleaner effect. Increase in irrigation pressure and reduction in cross section of sheath sustained the effect. Slow-motion analysis of colored flow revealed a synergism of two effects causing suction and transportation of the stone. For the first time, our model showed a flow reversal in the sheath as an integral part of the origin of the stone transportation during vacuum cleaner effect. The application of Bernoulli's equation provided the explanation of these effects and confirmed our experimental results. We widen the understanding of PCNL with a conclusive physical model, which explains fluid mechanics of the vacuum cleaner effect.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on Broad Luminescence of Silver-Exchanged Zeolites Y and A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gui, Sa Chu Rong; Lin, H.; Bao, W.; Wang, W.

2018-05-01

The annealing temperature dependence of luminescence properties of silver (Ag)-exchanged zeolites Y and A was studied. It was found that the absorbance and excitation/emission bands are strongly affected by the thermal treatments. With increase in annealing temperature, the absorbance of Ag in zeolite Y increases at first and then decreases. However, the position of the excitation/emission band in zeolite Y was found to be insensitive to the annealing temperature. In contrast, the excitation/emission bands in zeolite A are particularly sensitive to the annealing temperature. The difference of such temperature dependence in zeolites Y and A may be due to the different microporous structure of the two minerals. Moreover, the fact that this dependence is not observed in Ag-exchanged zeolite Y is likely to be due to the difficulty in dehydration of zeolite Y in air or due to the weak Ag+-Ag+ interaction in zeolite Y.

Plates for vacuum thermal fusion

DOEpatents

Davidson, James C.; Balch, Joseph W.

2002-01-01

A process for effectively bonding arbitrary size or shape substrates. The process incorporates vacuum pull down techniques to ensure uniform surface contact during the bonding process. The essence of the process for bonding substrates, such as glass, plastic, or alloys, etc., which have a moderate melting point with a gradual softening point curve, involves the application of an active vacuum source to evacuate interstices between the substrates while at the same time providing a positive force to hold the parts to be bonded in contact. This enables increasing the temperature of the bonding process to ensure that the softening point has been reached and small void areas are filled and come in contact with the opposing substrate. The process is most effective where at least one of the two plates or substrates contain channels or grooves that can be used to apply vacuum between the plates or substrates during the thermal bonding cycle. Also, it is beneficial to provide a vacuum groove or channel near the perimeter of the plates or substrates to ensure bonding of the perimeter of the plates or substrates and reduce the unbonded regions inside the interior region of the plates or substrates.

Numerical Study on Radiation Effects to Evaporator in Natural Vacuum Solar Desalination System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siregar, R. E. T.; Ronowikarto, A. D.; Setyawan, E. Y.; Ambarita, H.

2018-01-01

The need for clean water is increasing day by day due to the increasing factor of living standard of mankind, hence designed natural vacuum solar desalination. The natural vacuum Solar desalination is studied experimentally. A small-scale natural vacuum desalination study consists of evaporator and condenser as the main components designed and manufactured. To transfer heat from the solar collector into the evaporator, the fluid transfer system uses a pump powered by a solar cell. Thus, solar collectors are called hybrid solar collectors. The main purpose of this exposure is to know the characteristics of the radiation effects on incoming energy on the evaporator during the process. This system is tested by exposing the unit to the solar radiation in the 4th floor building in Medan. The experiment was conducted from 8.00 to 16.00 local time. The results show that natural vacuum solar desalination with hybrid solar collectors can be operated perfectly. If the received radiation is high, then the incoming energy received by the evaporator will also be high. From measurements with HOBO microstation, obtained the highest radiation 695.6 W/m2, and the calculation result of incoming energy received evaporator obtained highest result 1807.293 W.

Periodically pulsed wet annealing approach for low-temperature processable amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors with high electrical performance and ultrathin thickness

PubMed Central

Kim, Ye Kyun; Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Yun, Myeong Gu; Cho, Sung Woon; Kang, Won Jun; Cho, Hyung Koun

2016-01-01

In this paper, a simple and controllable “wet pulse annealing” technique for the fabrication of flexible amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) processed at low temperature (150 °C) by using scalable vacuum deposition is proposed. This method entailed the quick injection of water vapor for 0.1 s and purge treatment in dry ambient in one cycle; the supply content of water vapor was simply controlled by the number of pulse repetitions. The electrical transport characteristics revealed a remarkable performance of the a-IGZO TFTs prepared at the maximum process temperature of 150 °C (field-effect mobility of 13.3 cm2 V−1 s−1; Ion/Ioff ratio ≈ 108; reduced I-V hysteresis), comparable to that of a-IGZO TFTs annealed at 350 °C in dry ambient. Upon analysis of the angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the good performance was attributed to the effective suppression of the formation of hydroxide and oxygen-related defects. Finally, by using the wet pulse annealing process, we fabricated, on a plastic substrate, an ultrathin flexible a-IGZO TFT with good electrical and bending performances. PMID:27198067

High vacuum measurements and calibrations, molecular flow fluid transient effects

DOE PAGES

Leishear, Robert A.; Gavalas, Nickolas A.

2015-04-29

High vacuum pressure measurements and calibrations below 1 × 10 -8 Torr are problematic. Specifically, measurement accuracies change drastically for vacuum gauges when pressures are suddenly lowered in vacuum systems. How can gauges perform like this? A brief system description is first required to answer this question. Calibrations were performed using a vacuum calibration chamber with attached vacuum gauges. To control chamber pressures, vacuum pumps decreased the chamber pressure while nitrogen tanks increased the chamber pressure. By balancing these opposing pressures, equilibrium in the chamber was maintained at selected set point pressures to perform calibrations. When pressures were suddenly decreasedmore » during set point adjustments, a sudden rush of gas from the chamber also caused a surge of gas from the gauges to decrease the pressures in those gauges. Gauge pressures did not return to equilibrium as fast as chamber pressures due to the sparse distribution of gas molecules in the system. This disparity in the rate of pressure changes caused the pressures in different gauges to be different than expected. This discovery was experimentally proven to show that different gauge designs return to equilibrium at different rates, and that gauge accuracies vary for different gauge designs due to fluid transients in molecular flow.« less

An Efficient, Affordable Optically Stimulated Luminescent (OSL) Annealer.

PubMed

Abraham, Sara A; Frank, Samuel J; Kearfott, Kimberlee J

2017-07-01

Optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) dosimeters are devices used for measuring doses of ionizing radiation. Signal is stored within an OSL material so that when stimulated with light, light of a specific wavelength is emitted in proportion to the integrated ionizing radiation dose. Each interrogation of the material results in the loss of a small fraction of signal, thus allowing multiple interrogations leading to more accurate measurements of dose. In order to reuse a dosimeter, the residual signals from prior doses must be taken into account and subtracted from current readings, adding uncertainty to any future measurements. To reduce these errors when they become large, it is desirable to completely clear the stored signal or anneal the dosimeter. Traditionally, heating the material has accomplished this. In a commercially available dosimeter badge system, the OSL material Al2O3:C is incorporated into a plastic slide that would melt at the necessary high temperatures, which can reach 900 °C, required for annealing. Fortunately, due to the material's high sensitivity to light, OSLs can be optically annealed instead. In order to do this, an affordable OSL dosimeter annealer was designed with inexpensive, exchangeable blue, green, and white high intensity light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Several dosimeters were repeatedly annealed for recorded intervals and then read out. A single dosimeter was partially annealed through repeated interrogations with the LED array from a commercial reader. The signal loss due to the exposure to each light was analyzed to determine the practicality and efficiency of each color. The rate and extent of signal loss was dependent not only on the spectrum of annealing light but on the initial signal levels as well. These findings suggest that blue LEDs are the most promising for effective and rapid clearing of the OSL material Al2O3:C.