Publications

The solidification behavior of experimental Ni base and Fe base superalloys containing Nb, Si, and C was studied using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and microstructural characterization techniques. The solidification reaction sequences responsible for microstructural development were found to be similar to those expected in the Ni-Nb-C ternary system, where the solute-rich interdendritic liquid exhibited two eutectic-type reactions at the terminal stages of solidification: L {yields} ({gamma} + NbC) and L {yields} ({gamma} + Laves). A pseudo ternary {gamma}-Nb-C approach was developed to provide a quantitative description of solidification behavior for these experimental alloys. Solute redistribution calculations in the model are based on a previous approach developed by Mehrabian and Flemings, with modifications made to account for the high diffusion rate of C in the solid. Solidification parameters for Nb and C were determined through DTA and electron probe microanalysis techniques and used as inputs to the model. Reasonable agreement is found between calculated volume fractions of the {gamma}/NbC and {gamma}/Laves constituents and those measured experimentally. The modeling results permit detailed descriptions of the relation between alloy composition and microstructural evolution during solidification.

The International Remote Monitoring Project (IRMP) sponsored by the US DOE allows DOE and its international partners to gain experience with the remote collection, transmission, and interpretation of safeguards-relevant data. This paper focuses on the interpretation of the data from these remote monitoring systems. Users of these systems need to be able to ascertain that the remote monitoring system is functioning as expected and that the events generated by the sensors are consistent with declared activity. The initial set of analytical tools being provided for IRMP installations this year include a suite of automatically generated views of user-selected data. The baseline set of tools, with illustrative examples, will be discussed. Plans for near-term enhancements will also be discussed. Finally, the applicability of more advanced analytical techniques such as expert systems will be discussed.

The Radioactive Materials Incident Report (RMIR) database was developed fin 1981 at the Transportation Technology Center of Sandia National Laboratories to support its research and development activities for the US department of Energy (DOE). This database contains information about radioactive material (RAM) transportation incidents that have occurred in the US since 1971. These data were drawn from the US Department of Transportation`s (DOT) Hazardous Materials Incident Report system, from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) files, and from various agencies including state radiological control offices. Support for the RMIR data base is funded by the US DOE National Transportation Program (NTP). Transportation events in RMIR are classified in one of the following ways: as a transportation accident, as a handling accident, or as a reported incident. This presentation will provide definitions for these classifications and give examples of each. The primary objective of this presentation is to provide information on nuclear materials transportation accident/incident events involving low-level waste (LLW) that have occurred in the US for the period 1971 through 1996. Among the areas to be examined are: transportation accidents by mode, package response during accidents, and an examination of accidents where release of contents has occurred. Where information is available, accident and incident history and package response for LLW packages in transportation accidents will be described.

Measurements of Kanel et. al. [1991] have suggested that deviatoric stresses in glasses shocked to nearly the Hugoniot Elastic limit (HEL) relax over a time span of microseconds after initial loading. Failure (damage) waves have been inferred on the basis of these measurements using time-resolved manganin normal and transverse stress gauges. Additional experiments on glass by other researchers, using time-resolved gauges, high-speed photography and spall strength determinations have also lead to the same conclusions. In the present study the authors have conducted transmitted-wave experiments on high-quality Coors AD995 alumina shocked to roughly 5 and 7 GPa (just below or at the HEL). The material is subsequently reshocked to just above its elastic limit. Results of these experiments do show some evidence of strength degradation in the elastic regime.

Recent developments have demonstrated the use of pulsed power for producing intense radiation sources (z-pinches) that can drive planar shock waves in samples with spatial dimensions significantly larger than possible with other radiation sources. In this paper, the authors will discuss the use of z-pinch sources for shock wave studies at multi-Mbar pressures. Experimental plans to use the technique for absolute shock Hugoniot measurements and with accuracies comparable to that obtained with gun launchers are discussed.

The 36-module Z accelerator--designed to drive z-pinch loads at currents up to 20 MA--is contained in a 33-m-diameter tank with oil, water, and vacuum sections. The peak total forward-going power in the 36 water-section bi-plate transmission lines is approximately 63 TW. nine transmission lines deliver power to each of the four vacuum-section levels (referred to as levels A (the uppermost), B, C, and D). New differential D-dot and B-dot monitors were developed for the Z vacuum section. The D-dots measure voltage at the insulator stack. The B-dots measure current at the stack and in the outer magnetically-insulated transmission lines. Each monitor has two outputs that allow common-mode noise to be canceled to first order. The differential D-dot has one signal and one noise channel; the differential B-dot has two signal channels with opposite polarities. Each of the two B-dot sensors in the differential B-dot monitor has four 3-mm-diameter loops and is encased in copper to reduce flux penetration. For both types of probes, two 2.2-mm-diameter coaxial-cables connect the outputs to a Prodyn balun for common-mode-noise rejection. The cables provide reasonable bandwidth and generate acceptable levels of Compton drive in Z`s bremsstrahlung field. A new cavity B-dot is being developed to measure the total Z current 4.3 cm from the axis of the z-pinch load. All of the sensors are calibrated with 2--4% accuracy. The monitor signals are reduced with Barth or Weinschel attenuators, recorded on Tektronix 0.5-ns/sample digitizing oscilloscopes, and software cable compensated and integrated.

The 36-module Z accelerator was designed to drive z-pinch loads for weapon-physics and inertial-confinement-fusion experiments, and to serve as a testing facility for pulsed-power research required to develop higher-current drivers. The authors have designed and tested a 10-nH 1.5-m-radius vacuum section for the Z accelerator. The vacuum section consists of four vacuum flares, four conical 1.3-m-radius magnetically-insulated transmission lines, a 7.6-cm-radius 12-post double-post-hole convolute which connects the four outer MITLs in parallel, and a 5-cm-long inner MITL which connects the output of the convolute to a z-pinch load. IVORY and ELECTRO calculations were performed to minimize the inductance of the vacuum flares with the constraint that there be no significant electron emission from the insulator-stack grading rings. Iterative TLCODE calculations were performed to minimize the inductance of the outer MITLs with the constraint that the MITL electron-flow-current fraction be {le} 7% at peak current. The TLCODE simulations assume a 2.5 cm/{micro}s MITL-cathode-plasma expansion velocity. The design limits the electron dose to the outer-MITL anodes to 50 J/g to prevent the formation of an anode plasma. The TLCODE results were confirmed by SCREAMER, TRIFL, TWOQUICK, IVORY, and LASNEX simulations. For the TLCODE, SCREAMER, and TRIFL calculations, the authors assume that after magnetic insulation is established, the electron-flow current launched in the outer MITLs is lost at the convolute. This assumption has been validated by 3-D QUICKSILVER simulations for load impedances {le} 0.36 ohms. LASNEX calculations suggest that ohmic resistance of the pinch and conduction-current-induced energy loss to the MITL electrodes can be neglected in Z power-flow modeling that is accurate to first order. To date, the Z vacuum section has been tested on 100 shots. They have demonstrated they can deliver a 100-ns rise-time 20-MA current pulse to the baseline z-pinch load.

Reactor neutron environments can be used to test/screen the sensitivity of unhardened commercial SRAMs to low-LET neutron-induced upset. Tests indicate both thermal/epithermal (< 1 keV) and fast neutrons can cause upsets in unhardened parts. Measured upset rates in reactor environments can be used to model the upset rate for arbitrary neutron spectra.

Package designs for microelectronics devices have moved from through-hole to surface mount technology in order to increase the printed wiring board real estate available by utilizing both sides of the board. The traditional geometry for surface mount devices is peripheral arrays where the leads are on the edges of the device. As the technology drives towards high input/output (I/O) count (increasing number of leads) and smaller packages with finer pitch (less distance between peripheral leads), limitations on peripheral surface mount devices arise. A solution to the peripheral surface mount issue is to shift the leads to the area under the device. This scheme is called areal array packaging and is exemplified by the ball grid array (BGA) package. In a BGA package, the leads are on the bottom surface of the package in the form of an array of solder balls. The current practice of joining BGA packages to printed wiring boards involves a hierarchy of solder alloy compositions. A high melting temperature ball is typically used for standoff. A promising alternative to current methods is the use of jetting technology to perform monolithic solder ball attachment. This paper describes an areal array jetter that was designed and built to simultaneously jet arrays of solder balls directly onto BGA substrates.

Sandia National Laboratories has designed and proven-in two new Solenoid coils for a highly-reliable electromechanical switch. Mil-Spec Magnetics Inc., Walnut CA manufactured the coils. The new design utilizes two new materials: Liquid Crystal Polymer (Vectra C130) for the bobbin and Thermal Barrier Silicone (VI-SIL V-658) for the encapsulant. The use of these two new materials solved most of the manufacturing problems inherent in the old Sandia design. The coils are easier to precision wind and more robust for handling, testing, and storage. The coils have some unique weapon related safety requirements. The most severe of these requirements is the 400{degrees}C, 1600 V test. The coils must not, and did not, produce any outgassing products to affect the voltage breakdown between contacts in the switch at these temperatures and voltages. Actual coils in switches were tested under these conditions. This paper covers the prove-in of this new coil design.

The use of active feedback compensation to mitigate cutting instabilities in an advanced milling machine is discussed in this paper. A linear structural model delineating dynamics significant to the onset of cutting instabilities was combined with a nonlinear cutting model to form a dynamic depiction of an existing milling machine. The model was validated with experimental data. Modifications made to an existing machine model were used to predict alterations in dynamics due to the integration of active feedback compensation. From simulations, subcomponent requirements were evaluated and cutting enhancements were predicted. Active compensation was shown to enable more than double the metal removal rate over conventional milling machines. 25 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

The behavior of copper in the presence of a proximity gettering mechanism and a standard internal gettering mechanism in silicon was studied. He implantation-induced cavities in the near surface region were used as a proximity gettering mechanism and oxygen precipitates in the bulk of the material provided internal gettering sites. Moderate levels of copper contamination were introduced by ion implantation such that the copper was not supersaturated during the anneals, thus providing realistic copper contamination/gettering conditions. Copper concentrations at cavities and internal gettering sites were quantitatively measured after the annealings. In this manner, the gettering effectiveness of cavities was measured when in direct competition with internal gettering sites. The cavities were found to be the dominant gettering mechanism with only a small amount of copper gettered at the internal gettering sites. These results reveal the benefits of a segregation-type gettering mechanism for typical contamination conditions.

Cryptographic authentication (commonly referred to as ``technical authentication`` in Working Group B) is an enabling technology which ensures the integrity of sensor data and security of digital networks under various data security compromise scenarios. The use of cryptographic authentication,however, implies the development of a key management infrastructure for establishing trust in the generation and distribution of cryptographic keys. This paper proposes security and operational requirements for a CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) key management system and, furthermore, presents a public key based solution satisfying the requirements. The key management system is instantiated with trust distribution technologies similar to those currently implemented in industrial public key infrastructures. A complete system solution is developed.

Understanding the mechanisms that impact the performance of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) is essential to the development of optimized designs and drive signals, as well as the qualification of devices for commercial applications. Silicon micromachines include engines that consist of orthogonally oriented linear comb drive actuators mechanically connected to a rotating gear. These gears are as small as 50 {mu}m in diameter and can be driven at rotation rates exceeding 300,000 rpm. Optical techniques offer the potential for measuring long term statistical performance data and transient responses needed to optimize designs and manufacturing techniques. The authors describe the development of Micromachine Optical Probe (MOP) technology for the evaluation of micromachine performance. The MOP approach is based on the detection of optical signals scattered by the gear teeth or other physical structures. They present experimental results for a prototype system designed to measure engine parameters as well as long term performance data.

Sulfuric acid hydrogen peroxide mixtures (SPM) are commonly used in the semiconductor industry to remove organic contaminants from wafer surfaces. This viscous solution is very difficult to rinse off wafer surfaces. Various rinsing conditions were tested and the resulting residual contamination on the wafer surface was measured. The addition of small amounts of a chemical base such as ammonium hydroxide to the rinse water has been found to be effective in reducing the surface concentration of sulfur and also mitigates the particle growth that occurs on SPM cleaned wafers. The volume of room temperature water required to rinse these wafers is also significantly reduced.

This report describes a project undertaken to develop an agile automated, high-precision edge finishing system, for fabricating precision parts. The project involved re-designing and adding additional capabilities to an existing finishing work-cell. The resulting work-cell may serve as prototype for production systems to be integrated in highly flexible automated production lines. The system removes burrs formed in the machining process and produces precision chamfers. The system uses an expert system to predict the burr size from the machining history. Within the CAD system, tool paths are generated for burr removal and chamfer formation. Then, the optimal grinding process is automatically selected from a database of processes. The tool trajectory and the selected process definition is then downloaded to a robotic control system to execute the operation. The robotic control system implements a hybrid fuzzy logic-classical control scheme to achieve the desired performance goals regardless of tolerance and fixturing errors. This report describes the system architecture and the system`s performance.

Fully CMOS-compatible, surface-micromachined polysilicon microbridges have been designed, fabricated, and tested for use in catalytic, calorimetric gas sensing. To improve sensor behavior, extensive electro-thermal modeling efforts were undertaken using SPICE. The validity of the SPICE model was verified comparing its simulated behavior with experiment. Temperature distribution of an electrically heated microbridges was measured using an infrared microscope. Comparisons among the measured distribution, the SPICE simulation, and distributions obtained by analytical methods show that heating at the ends of a microbridges has important implications for device response. Additional comparisons between measured and simulated current-voltage characteristics, as well as transient response, further support the accuracy of the model. A major benefit of electro- thermal modeling with SPICE is the ability to simultaneously simulate the behavior of a device and its control/sensing electronics. Results for the combination of a unique constant-resistance control circuit and microbridges gas sensor are given. Models of in situ techniques for monitoring catalyst deposition are shown to be in agreement with experiment. Finally, simulated chemical response of the detector is compared with the data, and methods of improving response through modifications in bridge geometry are predicted.

We report on the design, construction, and initial testing of surface micromachined devices for measuring friction and wear. The devices measure friction coefficients on both horizontal deposited polysilicon surfaces and vertical etched polysilicon surfaces. The contact geometry of the rubbing surfaces is well-defined, and a method is presented for the determination of the normal and frictional forces. Initial observations on test devices which have been dried with supercritical CO{sub 2} and devices coated with octadecyltrichlorosilane suggest that the coatings increase the lifetime of the devices and the repeatability of the results.

A summary of the input parameter values used in final predictions of closure and waste densification in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal room is presented, along with supporting references. These predictions are referred to as the final porosity surface data and will be used for WIPP performance calculations supporting the Compliance Certification Application to be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report includes tables and list all of the input parameter values, references citing their source, and in some cases references to more complete descriptions of considerations leading to the selection of values.

Microstructural morphology and grain boundary properties often control the service properties of engineered materials. This report uses the Potts-model to simulate the development of microstructures in realistic materials. Three areas of microstructural morphology simulations were studied. They include the development of massively parallel algorithms for Potts-model grain grow simulations, modeling of mass transport via diffusion in these simulated microstructures, and the development of a gradient-dependent Hamiltonian to simulate columnar grain growth. Potts grain growth models for massively parallel supercomputers were developed for the conventional Potts-model in both two and three dimensions. Simulations using these parallel codes showed self similar grain growth and no finite size effects for previously unapproachable large scale problems. In addition, new enhancements to the conventional Metropolis algorithm used in the Potts-model were developed to accelerate the calculations. These techniques enable both the sequential and parallel algorithms to run faster and use essentially an infinite number of grain orientation values to avoid non-physical grain coalescence events. Mass transport phenomena in polycrystalline materials were studied in two dimensions using numerical diffusion techniques on microstructures generated using the Potts-model. The results of the mass transport modeling showed excellent quantitative agreement with one dimensional diffusion problems, however the results also suggest that transient multi-dimension diffusion effects cannot be parameterized as the product of the grain boundary diffusion coefficient and the grain boundary width. Instead, both properties are required. Gradient-dependent grain growth mechanisms were included in the Potts-model by adding an extra term to the Hamiltonian. Under normal grain growth, the primary driving term is the curvature of the grain boundary, which is included in the standard Potts-model Hamiltonian.

This report describes electric utility capacity expansion and energy production models developed for energy policy analysis. The models use the same principles (life cycle cost minimization, least operating cost dispatching, and incorporation of outages and reserve margin) as comprehensive utility capacity planning tools, but are faster and simpler. The models were not designed for detailed utility capacity planning, but they can be used to accurately project trends on a regional level. Because they use the same principles as comprehensive utility capacity expansion planning tools, the models are more realistic than utility modules used in present policy analysis tools. They can be used to help forecast the effects energy policy options will have on future utility power generation capacity expansion trends and to help formulate a sound national energy strategy. The models make renewable energy source competition realistic by giving proper value to intermittent renewable and energy storage technologies, and by competing renewables against each other as well as against conventional technologies.

Sandia National Laboratories applied a systems approach to identifying innovative biomedical technologies with the potential to reduce U.S. health care delivery costs while maintaining care quality. This study was conducted by implementing both top-down and bottom-up strategies. The top-down approach used prosperity gaming methodology to identify future health care delivery needs. This effort provided roadmaps for the development and integration of technology to meet perceived care delivery requirements. The bottom-up approach identified and ranked interventional therapies employed in existing care delivery systems for a host of health-related conditions. Economic analysis formed the basis for development of care pathway interaction models for two of the most pervasive, chronic disease/disability conditions: coronary artery disease (CAD) and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Societal cost-benefit relationships based on these analyses were used to evaluate the effect of emerging technology in these treatment areas. 17 figs., 48 tabs.

The Thermal Enhanced Vapor Extraction System (TEVES), which combines powerline frequency heating (PLF) and radio frequency (RF) heating with vacuum soil vapor extraction, was used to effectively remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from a pit in the chemical waste landfill (CWL) at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) within a two month heating period. Volume average temperatures of 83{degrees}C and 112{degrees}C were reached for the PLF and RF heating periods, respectively, within the 15 ft x 45 ft x 18.5 ft deep treated volume. This resulted in the removal of 243 lb of measured toxic organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs), 55 gallons of oil, and 11,000 gallons of water from the site. Reductions of up to 99% in total chromatographic organics (TCO) was achieved in the heated zone. Energy balance calculations for the PLF heating period showed that 36.4% of the heat added went to heating the soil, 38.5% went to evaporating water and organics, 4.2% went to sensible heat in the water, 7.1% went to heating the extracted air, and 6.6% was lost. For the RF heating period went to heating the soil, 23.5% went to evaporating water and organics, 2.4% went to sensible heat in the water, 7.5% went to heating extracted air, and 9.7% went to losses. Energy balance closure was 92.8% for the PLF heating and 98% for the RF heating. The energy input requirement per unit soil volume heated per unit temperature increase was 1.63 kWH/yd{sup 3}-{degrees}C for PLF heating and 0.73 kWH/yd{sup 3}{degrees}C for RF heating.

The Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation represents a possible pathway for contaminants from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant underground repository to the accessible environment. The geologic character of the Culebra is consistent with a double-porosity, multiple-rate model for transport in which the medium is conceptualized as consisting of advective porosity, where solutes are carried by the groundwater flow, and fracture-bounded zones of diffusive porosity, where solutes move through slow advection or diffusion. As the advective travel length or travel time increases, the nature of transport within a double-porosity medium changes. This behavior is important for chemical sorption, because the specific surface area per unit mass of the diffusive porosity is much greater than in the advective porosity. Culebra transport experiments conducted at two different length scales show behavior consistent with a multiple-rate, double-porosity conceptual model for Culebra transport. Tracer tests conducted on intact core samples from the Culebra show no evidence of significant diffusion, suggesting that at the core scale the Culebra can be modeled as a single-porosity medium where only the advective porosity participates in transport. Field tracer tests conducted in the Culebra show strong double-porosity behavior that is best explained using a multiple-rate model.

The environmental measurement-while-drilling-gamma ray spectrometer (EMWD-GRS) system represents an innovative blend of new and existing technology that provides real-time environmental and drill bit data during drilling operations. The EMWD-GRS technology was demonstrated at Savannah River Site F-Area Retention Basin. The EMWD-GRS technology demonstration consisted of continuously monitoring for gamma-radiation-producing contamination while drilling two horizontal boreholes below the backfilled retention basin. These boreholes passed near previously sampled vertical borehole locations where concentrations of contaminant levels of cesium had been measured. Contaminant levels continuously recorded by the EMWD-GRs system during drilling are compared to contaminant levels previously determined through quantitative laboratory analysis of soil samples.