Publications

Cathodolurninescence (CL) characterization in a demountable vacuum chamber is an important benchmarking tool for flat-panel display phosphors and screens. The proper way to perform these measurements is to minimize the effects of secondary electrons, excite the phosphor/screen with a uniform beam profile, and maintain a clean vacuum environment. CL measurements are important for preliminary evaluation and lifetesting of phosphor powders and screens prior to incorporation into the FPD. A survey of many CL characterization systems currently in use revealed the myriad of spectroradiometers, colorimeters, electron guns, vacuum pumps, mass spectrometers, etc. that introduce many avenues for error that are often difficult to isolate. A preliminary round-robin experiment was coordinated by Sandia and invoIved five other research groups. The purpose of this experiment was to obtain an indication of equipment capabilities and instrument variations, as well as reliability and consistency of results. Each group was asked to measure the luminence (cd/m{sup 2}) and chromaticity coordinates of a Y{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Ga{sub 3}O{sub 12}: Tb pellet and calculate the luminous efficiency. Pellets were chosen in order to reduce errors associated with processing and handling of powders or screens. Some of the data reported in this experiment were in good agreement while others differed significantly. Determining sources of error in CL measurements is an ongoing effort. By performing this experiment, we were able to identify some of the causes of error and develop a characterization protocol for display phosphors.

The successful commercialization of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) is an essential prerequisite for their implementation in many critical government applications. Several unique challenges must be overcome to achieve this widespread commercialization. Challenges associated with design realization and reliability assurance are discussed, along with approaches taken by Sandia to successfully overcome these challenges.

Semiconductor microlasers are attractive components for micro-analysis systems because of their ability to emit coherent intense light from a small aperture. By using a surface-emitting semiconductor geometry, we were able to incorporate fluid flow inside a laser microcavity for the first time. This confers significant advantages for high throughput screening of cells, particulates and fluid analytes in a sensitive microdevice. In this paper we discuss the intracavity microfluidics and present preliminary results with flowing blood and brain cells.

The interface between liquid hexadecane and the (010) surface of silicalite was studied by molecular dynamics. The structure of molecules in the interracial region is influenced by the presence of pore mouths on the silicalite surface. For this surface, whose pores are the entrances to straight channels, the concentration profile for partially absorbed molecules is peaked around 10 monomers inside the zeolite. No preference to enter or exit the zeolite based on absorption length is observed except for very small or very large absorption lengths. We also found no preferential conformation of the unabsorbed tails for partially absorbed molecules.

This report summarizes some challenges associated with the use of computational science to predict the behavior of complex phenomena. As such, the document is a compendium of ideas that have been generated by various staff at Sandia. The report emphasizes key components of the use of computational to predict complex phenomena, including computational complexity and correctness of implementations, the nature of the comparison with data, the importance of uncertainty quantification in comprehending what the prediction is telling us, and the role of risk in making and using computational predictions. Both broad and more narrowly focused technical recommendations for research are given. Several computational problems are summarized that help to illustrate the issues we have emphasized. The tone of the report is informal, with virtually no mathematics. However, we have attempted to provide a useful bibliography that would assist the interested reader in pursuing the content of this report in greater depth.

Electron and negative ion density have been measured in a modfied Applied Materials DPS metal etch chamber using gas mixtures of BCl{sub 3}, Cl{sub 2} and Ar. Measurements were performed for four dflerent substrate types to examine the influence of surface material on the bulk plasma properties; aluminurq alumina, photoresist and 50 percent patterned aluminum / photoresist. Electron densities in the Cl{sub 2} / BCl{sub 3} mixtures varied from 0.25 to 4 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -3}. Photodetachment measurements of the negative ion density indicate that the negative ion density was smaller than the electron density and that the electron to negative ion density ratio varied between 1 and 6. The presence of photoresist had a dominant intluence on the electron and negative ion density compared to alumina and aluminum surfaces. In most cases, the electron density above wafers covered with photoresist was a factor of two lower while the negative ion density was a factor of two higher than the aluminum or alumina surfaces.

Structured mesh quality optimization methods are extended to optimization of unstructured triangular, quadrilateral, and mixed finite element meshes. N"ew interpretations of well-known nodally-bssed objective functions are made possible using matrices and matrix norms. The matrix perspective also suggests several new objective functions. Particularly significant is the interpretation of the Oddy metric and the Smoothness objective functions in terms of the condition number of the metric tensor and Jacobian matrix, respectively. Objective functions are grouped according to dimensionality to form weighted combinations. A simple unconstrained local optimum is computed using a modiiied N-ewton iteration. The optimization approach was implemented in the CUBIT mesh generation code and tested on several problems. Results were compared against several standard element-based quaIity measures to demonstrate that good mesh quality can be achieved with nodally-based objective functions.

Capacitor designs for DOE and/or DoD applications are now driven by two major factors; first, the need to reduce component volumes (attain higher energy density) to permit inclusion of additional components and/ or sensors in systems and second, the continuing budget constraints. The reduced volume and cost must be achieved with no sacrifices in functionality, reliability and safety. Since this study was initiated, we have seen a general, continuous increase in resulting short-time breakdown (STB) values, with particular improvements noted on thermal cycled capacitors. Process and results support our prediction that a 50Y0-650A volume reduction can be achieved with no reduction in performance and reliability.

Smoke can cause electronic equipment to fail through increased leakage currents and shorts. Sandia National Laboratories is studying the increased leakage currents caused by smoke with varying characteristics. The objective is to develop models to predict the failure of electronic equipment exposed to smoke. This requires the collection of data on the conductivity of smoke and knowledge of critical electrical systems that control high-consequence operations. We have found that conductivity is a function of the type of fuel, how it is burned, and smoke density. Video recordings of highly biased dc circuits exposed in a test chamber show that during a fire, smoke is attracted to high voltages and can build fragile carbon bridges that conduct leakage currents. The movement of air breaks the bridges, so the conductivity decreases after the fire is extinguished and the test chamber is vented. During the fire, however, electronic equipment may not operate correctly, leading to problems for critical operations dependent on electronic control. The potential for electronic failure is highly dependent on the type of electrical circuit, and Sandia National Laboratories plans to include electrical circuit modeling in the failure models.

When external electric fields are applied to phosphors the cathodoluminescence (CL) at low beam energies is strongly affected. This experiment has been carried out on a variety of common phosphors used in cathode ray tube applications, and the electron beam energy, beam current, and electric field dependence of the CL are thoroughly characterized. It is found that the general features of these effects, particular y the strong polarity and beam energy dependence, are consistent with a model which assumes that the main effect of the electric fields is to alter the populations of electrons `and holes at the phosphor surface. This in turn, modulates the non-radiative energy losses that strongly affect the low-beam-energy CL efficiency. Because the external fields are applied without any direct contact to the phosphor material, the large changes seen in the CL decay rapidly as the beam-created electrons and holes polarize, shielding the externally applied bias. These results have important implications for designing phosphors which might be efficient at low electron energies.

The Solar Two project is a collaborative, cost-shared project between eleven US industry and utility partners and the U.S. Department of Energy to validate the molten-salt power tower technology. The Solar Two plant, located east of Barstow, CA, comprises 1926 heliostats, a receiver, a thermal storage system and a steam generator system that use molten nitrate salt as the heat transfer fluid and storage media. The steam generator powers a 10 MWe, conventional Rankine cycle turbine. This paper describes the test plan and evaluations currently in progress at Solar Two and provides some recent results.

This paper investigates dhlerent strategies that can be used to improve the tracking accuracy of heliostats at Solar Two. The different strategies are analyzed using a geometrical error model to determine their performance over the course of a day. By using the performance of heliostats in representative locations of the field aad on representative days of the year, an estimate of the annual performance of each strategy is presented.

Sucker rod pumps are installed in approximately 90% of all oil wells in the U.S. Although they have been widely used for decades, there are many issues regarding the fluid dynamics of the pump that have not been fully investigated. A project was conducted at Sandia National Laboratories to develop unimproved understanding of the fluid dynamics inside a sucker rod pump. A mathematical flow model was developed to predict pressures in any pump component or an entire pump under single-phase fluid and pumping conditions. Laboratory flow tests were conducted on instrumented individual pump components and on a complete pump to verify and refine the model. The mathematical model was then converted to a Visual Basic program to allow easy input of fluid, geometry and pump parameters and to generate output plots. Examples of issues affecting pump performance investigated with the model include the effects of viscosity, surface roughness, valve design details, plunger and valve pressure differentials, and pumping rate.

Accurate control of the electrode gap in a vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnace has been a goal of melters for many years. The size of the electrode gap has a direct influence on ingot solidification structure. At the high melting currents (30 to 40 kA) typically used for VAR of segregation insensitive Ti and Zr alloys, process voltage is used as an indicator of electrode gap, whereas drip-short frequency (or period) is usually used at the lower currents (5 to 8 kA) employed during VAR of superalloys. Modem controllers adjust electrode position or drive velocity to maintain a voltage or drip-short frequency (or period) set-point. Because these responses are non-linear functions of electrode gap and melting current, these controllers have a limited range for which the feedback gains are valid. Models are available that relate process voltage and drip-short frequency to electrode gap. These relationships may be used to linearize the controller feedback signal. An estimate of electrode gap may then be obtained by forming a weighted sum of the independent gap estimates obtained from the voltage and drip-short signals. By using multiple independent measures to estimate the gap, a controller that is less susceptible to process disturbances can be developed. Such a controller was designed, built and tested. The tests were carried out at Allvac Corporation during VAR of 12Cr steel at intermediate current levels.

The papers in this special issue have been selected from the systems and balance-of- systems sessions at the 1998 Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop. The workshop was held November 3-5, 1998 and hosted by the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa Beach, Florida under sponsorship of the US National Center for Photovoltaics (National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories). The topics and issues addressed by these papers were identified in an invited review paper on PV systems by the guest editors. Their work was published earlier this year in Volume 7, Number 1 of Progress in Photovoltaics ('Photovoltaic Systems: An End-of-Millennium Review'). Experts in the PV community were asked to make presentations on these topics at the workshop. The papers that follow are the results of that effort. The papers are organized by topic: (1) codes and standards; (2) reliability; (3) design issues; and (4) commercialization.

Article 690, Solar Photovoltaic Power Systems, has been in the National Electrical Code (NEC) since 1984. An NFPA-appointed Task Group for Article 690 proposed changes to Article 690 for both the 1996 and 1999 codes. The Task Group, supported by more than 50 professionals from throughout the photovoltaic (PV) industry, met seven times during the 1999 code cycle to integrate the needs of the industry with the needs of electrical inspectors and end users to ensure the safety of PV systems. The Task Group proposed 57 changes to Article 690, and all the changes were accepted in the review process. The performance and cost of PV installations were always a consideration as these changes were formed but safety was the number-one priority. All of the proposals were well substantiated and coordinated throughout the PV industry and with representatives of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc (UL). The most significant changes that were made in Article 690 for the 1999 NEC along with some of the rationale are discussed in the remainder of this article.

We have developed instrumentation to enable the combination of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor measurements with direct, in-situ molecular spectroscopic measurements to understand the response of the SAW sensors with respect to the interfacial chemistry of surface-confined sensing films interacting with gas-phase analytes. Specifically, the instrumentation and software was developed to perform in-situ Fourier-transform infrared external-reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ERS) on operating SAW devices during dosing of their chemically modified surfaces with analytes. By probing the surface with IR spectroscopy during gas exposure, it is possible to understand in unprecedented detail the interaction processes between the sorptive SAW coatings and the gaseous analyte molecules. In this report, we provide details of this measurement system, and also demonstrate the utility of these combined measurements by characterizing the SAW and FTIR-ERS responses of organic thin-film sensor coatings interacting with gas-phase analytes.

Arrays of unheated chemically sensitive resistors (chemiresistors) can serve as extremely small, low-power-consumption sensors with simple read-out electronics. We report here results on carbon-loaded polymer composites, as well as polymeric ionic conductors, as chemiresistor sensors. We use the volubility parameter concept to understand and categorize the chemiresistor responses and, in particular, we compare chemiresistors fabricated from polyisobutylene (PIB) to results from PIB-coated acoustic wave sensors. One goal is to examine the possibility that a small number of diverse chemiresistors can sense all possible solvents-the "Universal Solvent Sensor Array". keywords: chemiresistor, volubility parameter, chemical sensor

The effects of nitrided SiO{sub 2}/Si(100) interfaces upon cycling endurance in silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) non-volatile memory transistors are investigated. Analysis of MOSFET sub-threshold characteristics indicate cycling degradation to be a manifestation of interface state (D{sub it}) generation at the tunnel oxide/silicon interface. After 10{sup 6} write/erase cycles, SONOS film stacks prepared with nitrided tunnel oxides exhibit enhanced cycling endurance with {Delta}D{sub it}=3x10{sup 12} V{sup -1}cm{sup -2}, compared to {Delta}D{sub it}=2x10{sup 13} V{sup -l}cm{sup -2} for non-nitrided tunnel oxides. Additionally, if the capping oxide is formed by steam oxidation, rather than by deposition, SONOS stacks prepared with non-nitrided tunnel oxides exhibit endurance characteristics similar to stacks with nitrided tunnel oxides. From this observation it is concluded that latent nitridation of the tunnel oxidehilicon interface occurs during steam oxide cap formation.

Growth kinetics, mechanisms, and material quality in GaN epitaxial lateral over-growth (ELO) were examined using a single mask of systematically varied patterns. A 2-D gas phase reaction/diffusion model describes how transport of the Ga precursor to the growth surface enhances the lateral rate in the early stages of growth. In agreement with SEM studies of truncated growth runs, the model also predicts the dramatic decrease in the lateral rate that occurs as GaN over-growth reduces the exposed area of the mask. At the point of convergence, a step-flow coalescence mechanism is observed to fill in the area between lateral growth-fronts. This alternative growth mode in which a secondary growth of GaN is nucleated along a single convergence line, may be responsible for producing smooth films observed to have uniform cathodoluminescence (CL) when using 1{micro}m nucleation zones. Although emission is comprised of both UV ({approximately}365nm) and yellow ({approximately}550nm) components, the spectra suggest these films have reduced concentrations of threading dislocations normally associated with non-radiative recombination centers and defects known to accompany growth-front convergence lines.

The organization and assembly of molecules in cellular membranes is orchestrated through the recognition and binding of specific chemical signals. A simplified version of the cellular membrane system has been developed using a synthetically prepared membrane receptor incorporated into a biologically derived lipid bilayer. Through an interplay of electrostatic and van der Wards interactions, aggregation or dispersion of molecular components could be executed on command using a specific chemical signal. A pyrene fluorophore was used as an optical probe to monitor the aggregational state of the membrane receptors in the bilayer matrix. The pyrene excimer emission to monomer emission (E/M) intensity ratio gave a relative assessment of the local concentration of receptors in the membrane. Bilayers were prepared with receptors selective for the divalent metal ions of copper, mercury, and lead. Addition of the metal ions produced a rapid dispersion of aggregated receptor components at nano- to micro-molar concentrations. The process was reversible by sequestering the metal ions with EDTA. Receptors for proteins and polyhistidine were also prepared and incorporated into phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers. In this case, the guest molecules bound to the membrane through multiple points of interaction causing aggregation of initially dispersed receptor molecules. The rapid, selective, and sensitive fluorescence optical response of these lipid assemblies make them attractive in sensor applications for aqueous phase metal ions and polypeptides.

The National Electrical Code@ (NEC@) focuses primarily on electrical system installation requirements in the U.S. The NEC addresses both fire and personnel safety. This paper will describe recent efforts of the PV industry in the U.S. and the resulting requirements in the 1999 National Electrical Code-- Article 690 --Solar Photovoltaic Systems. The Article 690 requirements spell out the PV-unique requirements for safe installations of PV systems in the U.S.A. This paper provides an overview of the most significant changes that appear in Article 690 of the 1999 edition of the NEC. The related and coordinated efforts of the other standards- making groups will also be briefly reviewed.

Using surface micromachined samples, we demonstrate the accurate measurement of cantilever beam adhesion by using test structures which are adhered over long attachment lengths. We show that this configuration has a deep energy well, such that a fracture equilibrium is easily reached. When compared to the commonly used method of determining the shortest attached beam, the present method is much less sensitive to variations in surface topography or to details of capillary drying.

Abstract not provided.

Over the past decade, Sandia National Laboratories has been involved in the development of receivers to transfer energy from the focus of a parabolic dish concentrator to the heater tubes of a Stirling engine. Through the isothermal evaporation and condensation of sodium. a heat-pipe receiver can efficiently transfer energy to an engine's working fluid and compensate for irregularities in the flux distribution that is delivered by the concentrator. The operation of the heat pipe is completely passive because the liquid sodium is distributed over the solar-heated surface by capillary pumping provided by a wick structure. Tests have shown that using a heat pipe can boost the system performance by twenty percent when compared to directly illuminating the engine heater tubes. Designing heat pipe solar receivers has presented several challenges. The relatively large area ({approximately}0.2 m{sup 2}) of the receiver surface makes it difficult to design a wick that can continuously provide liquid sodium to all regions of the heated surface. Selecting a wick structure with smaller pores will improve capillary pumping capabilities of the wick, but the small pores will restrict the flow of liquid and generate high pressure drops. Selecting a wick that is comprised of very tine filaments can increase the permeability of the wick and thereby reduce flow losses, however, the fine wick structure is more susceptible to corrosion and mechanical damage. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the issues encountered in the design of heat pipe solar receivers and solutions to problems that have arisen. Topics include: flow characterization in the receiver, the design of wick systems. the minimization of corrosion and dissolution of metals in sodium systems. and the prevention of mechanical failure in high porosity wick structures.

High integrity/high consequence systems must be safe and reliable; hence it is only logical that both software safety and software reliability cases should be developed. Risk assessments in safety cases evaluate the severity of the consequences of a hazard and the likelihood of it occurring. The likelihood is directly related to system and software reliability predictions. Software reliability cases, as promoted by SAE JA 1002 and 1003, provide a practical approach to bridge the gap between hardware reliability, software reliability, and system safety and reliability by using a common methodology and information structure. They also facilitate early insight into whether or not a project is on track for meeting stated safety and reliability goals, while facilitating an informed assessment by regulatory and/or contractual authorities.

The Boeing Company's Dish Engine Critical Component (DECC) project started in April of 1998. It is a continuation of a solar energy program started by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and United Stirling of Sweden in the mid 1980s. The overall objectives, schedule, and status of this project are presented in this paper. The hardware test configuration, hardware background, operation, and test plans are also discussed. A summary is given of the test data, which includes the daily power performance, generated energy, working-gas usage, mirror reflectivity, solar insolation, on-sun track time, generating time, and system availability. The system performance based upon the present test data is compared to test data from the 1984/88 McDonnell Douglas/United Stirling AB/Southem California Edison test program. The test data shows that the present power, energy, and mirror performance is comparable to when the hardware was first manufactured 14 years ago.

Motion detectors consisting of Pb(Zr{sub x}Ti{sub (1{minus}x)})O{sub 3} (PZT) thin films, between platinum electrodes, on micromachined silicon compound clamped-clamped or cantilever beam structures were fabricated using either hot KOH or High Aspect Ratio Silicon Etching (HARSE) to micromachine the silicon. The beams were designed such that a thicker region served as a test mass that produced stress at the top of the membrane springs that supported it when the object to which the detector was mounted moved. The PZT film devices were placed on these membranes to generate a charge or a voltage in response to the stress through the piezoelectric effect. Issues of integration of the PZT device fabrication process with the two etching processes are discussed. The effects of PZT composition and device geometry on the response of the detectors to motion is reported and discussed.

We have developed a variety of processes for fabricating components for micro devices based on deep x-ray lithography (DXRL). Although the techniques are applicable to many materials, we have demonstrated them using hard (Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B) and soft (Ni-Zn ferrite) magnetic materials because of the importance of these materials in magnetic micro-actuators and other devices and because of the difficulty fabricating them by other means. The simplest technique involves pressing a mixture of magnetic powder and a binder into a DXRL-formed mold. In the second technique, powder is pressed into the mold and then sintered to densify. The other two processes involve pressing at high temperature either powder or a dense bulk material into a ceramic mold that was previously made using a DXRL mold. These techniques allow arbitrary 2-dimensional shapes to be made 10 to 1000 micrometers thick with in-plane dimensions as small as 50 micrometers and dimensional tolerances in the micron range. Bonded isotropic Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B micromagnets made by these processes had an energy product of 7 MGOe.

This Institutional Plan is the most comprehensive yearly "snapshot" available of Sandia National Laboratories' major programs, facilities, human resources, and budget. The document also includes overviews of our missions, organization, capabilities, planning functions, milestones, and accomplishments. The document's purpose is to provide the above information to the US Department of Energy, key congressional committees, Sandia management, and other present and potential customers. Chapter 2 presents information about Sandia's mission and summarizes our recent revision of Sandia's Strategic Plan. Chapter 3 presents an overview of Sandia's strategic objectives, chapter 4 lists laboratory goals and milestones for FY 1999, and chapter 5 presents our accomplishments during FY 1998. Chapters 3 through 5 are organized around our eight strategic objectives. The four primary objectives cover nuclear weapons responsibilities, nonproliferation and materials control, energy and critical infrastructures, and emerging national security threats. The major programmatic initiatives are presented in chapter 7. However, the programmatic descriptions in chapter 6 and the Associated funding tables in chapter 9 continue to be presented by DOE Budget and Reporting Code, as in previous Sandia institutional plans. As an aid to the reader, the four primary strategic objectives in chapter 3 are cross-referenced to the program information in chapter 6.

Mining has always had an important influence on cultures and traditions of communities around the globe and throughout history. Today, because mining legislation places heavy emphasis on environmental protection, there is great interest in having a comprehensive understanding of ancient mining and mining sites. Multi-disciplinary approaches (i.e., Pb isotopes as tracers) are being used to explore the distribution of metals in natural environments. Another successful approach is to model solution migration numerically. A proven method to simulate solution migration in natural rock salt has been applied to project through time for 10,000 years the system performance and solution concentrations surrounding a proposed nuclear waste repository. This capability is readily adaptable to simulate solution migration around mining.

While many research and development activities take place at Sandia National Laboratories' Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center (ISRC), where the "rubber meets the road" is in the ISRC'S delivered systems. The ISRC has delivered several systems over the last few years that handle hazardous materials on a daily basis, and allow human workers to move to a safer, supervisory role than the "hands-on" operations that they used to perform. The ISRC at Sandia performs a large range of research and development activities, including development and delivery of one-of-a-kind robotic systems for use with hazardous materials. Our mission is to create systems for operations where people can't or don't want to perform the operations by hand, and the systems described in this article are several of our first-of-a-kind deliveries to achieve that mission.

Many applications produce three-dimensional points that must be further processed to generate a surface. Surface reconstruction algorithms that start with a set of unorganized points are extremely time-consuming. Often, however, points are generated such that there is additional information available to the reconstruction algorithm. We present a specialized algorithm for surface reconstruction that is three orders of magnitude faster than algorithms for the general case. In addition to sample point locations, our algorithm starts with normal information and knowledge of each point's neighbors. Our algorithm produces a localized approximation to the surface by creating a star-shaped triangulation between a point and a subset of its nearest neighbors. This surface patch is extended by locally triangulating each of the points along the edge of the patch. As each edge point is triangulated, it is removed from the edge and new edge points along the patch's edge are inserted in its place. The updated edge spirals out over the surface until the edge encounters a surface boundary and stops growing in that direction, or until the edge reduces to a small hole that fills itself in.

Hydrogen-metal interaction phenomena belong to the most exciting challenges of today's physical metallurgy and physics of solids due to the uncommon behavior of hydrogen in condensed media and to the need for understanding hydrogen's strong negative impact on properties of some high-strength steels and.alloys. The paper cites and summarizes research data on fundamental thermodynamic characteristics of hydrogen in some metals that absorb it endothermally at elevated temperatures. For a number of metal-hydrogen systems, information on some phase diagrams previously not available to the English-speaking scientific community is presented.

Experimental data on directional and bulk solidification of hydrogen-charged samples of aluminum alloy A356 and nickel alloy Inconel 718 are discussed. The solidification structure of the porous zone is shown to be dependent on many process variables. Of these variables, hydrogen content in the melt prior to solidification, and furnace atmospheric pressure during solidification play the decisive role. Also important are the furnace atmosphere composition, the solidification velocity, and the temperature distribution of the liquid metal inside the mold.

With the demonstration of the viability of using the electroslag remelting process for the decontamination of radionuclides, interest has increased in examining the unique aspects associated with melting steel pipe electrodes. These electrodes consist of several nested pipes, welded concentrically to atop plate. Since these electrodes can be half as dense as a solid electrode, they present unique challenges to the standard algorithms used in controlling the melting process. Naturally the electrode must be driven down at a dramatically increased speed. However, since the heat transfer is greatly influenced and enhanced with the increased area to volume ratio, considerable variation in the melting rate of the pipes has been found. Standard control methods can become unstable as a result of the variation at increased speeds, particularly at shallow immersion depths. The key to good control lies in the understanding of the melting process. Several experiments were conducted to observe the characteristics of the melting using two different control modes. By using a pressure transducer to monitor the pressure inside the pipes, the venting of the air trapped inside the electrode was observed. The measurements reveal that for a considerable amount of time. the pipes are not completely immersed in the slag, allowing the gas inside to escape without the formation of bubbles. This result has implications for the voltage swing as well as for the decontamination reactions.

The mission of this project was to use inverse micelle solutions to synthesize nanometer sized metal particles and test the particles as catalysts in the liquefaction of coal and other related reactions. The initial focus of the project was the synthesis of iron based materials in pseudo-homogeneous form. The frost three chapters discuss the synthesis, characterization, and catalyst testing in coal liquefaction and model coal liquefaction reactions of iron based pseudo-homogeneous materials. Later, we became interested in highly dispersed catalysts for coprocessing of coal and plastic waste. Bifunctional catalysts . to hydrogenate the coal and depolymerize the plastic waste are ideal. We began studying, based on our previously devised synthesis strategies, the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts with a bifunctional nature. In chapter 4, we discuss the fundamental principles in heterogeneous catalysis synthesis with inverse micelle solutions. In chapter 5, we extend the synthesis of chapter 4 to practical systems and use the materials in catalyst testing. Finally in chapter 6, we return to iron and coal liquefaction now studied with the heterogeneous catalysts.

The role of additive noble gases He, Ar and Xe to C&based Inductively Coupled Plasmas for etching of GaN, AIN and InN were examined. The etch rates were a strong function of chlorine concentration, rf chuck power and ICP source power. The highest etch rates for InN were obtained with C12/Xe, while the highest rates for AIN and GaN were obtained with C12/He. Efficient breaking of the 111-nitrogen bond is crucial for attaining high etch rates. The InN etching was dominated by physical sputtering, in contrast to GaN and AIN. In the latter cases, the etch rates were limited by initial breaking of the III-nitrogen bond. Maximum selectivities of -80 for InN to GaN and InN to AIN were obtained.

Sputter-deposited W-based contacts on p-GaN (N{sub A} {approximately} 10{sup 18} cm{sup {minus}3}) display non-ohmic behavior independent of annealing temperature when measured at 25 C. The transition to ohmic behavior occurs above {approximately} 250 C as more of the acceptors become ionized. The optimum annealing temperature is {approximately} 700 C under these conditions. These contacts are much more thermally stable than the conventional Ni/Au metallization, which shows a severely degraded morphology even at 700 C. W-based contacts may be ohmic as-deposited on very heavily doped n-GaN, and the specific contact resistance improves with annealing up to {approximately} 900 C.

We show that the low-temperature conductance (G) of a quantum point contact consisting of ballistic tunnel-coupled double-layer quantum well wires is modulated by an in-layer magnetic field B{sub {parallel}} perpendicular to the wires due to the anticrossing. In a system with a small g factor, B{sub {parallel}} creates a V-shaped quantum staircase for G, causing it to decrease in steps of 2e{sup 2}/{Dirac_h} to a minimum and then increase to a maximum value, where G may saturate or decrease again at higher B{sub {parallel}}'s. The effect of B{sub {parallel}}-induced mass enhancement and spin splitting is studied. The relevance of the results to recent data is discussed.

Intramolecular cyclizations during acid-catalyzed, sol-gel polymerizations of ct,co- bis(tietioxysilyl)aWmes substintidly lengtien gelties formonomers witietiylene- (l), propylene- (2), and butylene-(3)-bridging groups. These cyclizations reactions were found, using mass spectrometry and %i NMR spectroscopy, to lead preferentially to monomeric and dimeric products based on six and seven membered disilsesquioxane rings. 1,2- Bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (1) reacts under acidic conditions to give a bicyclic drier (5) that is composed of two annelated seven membered rings. Under the same conditions, 1,3- bis(triethoxysilyl)propane (2), 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)butane (3), and z-1,4- bis(triethoxysilyl)but-2-ene (10) undergo an intramolecular condensation reaction to give the six membemd and seven membered cyclic disilsesquioxanes 6, 7, and 11. Subsequently, these cyclic monomers slowly react to form the tricyclic dirners 8,9 and 12. With NaOH as polymerization catalyst these cyclic silsesquioxanes readily ~aeted to afford gels that were shown by CP MAS z%i NMR and infr=d spectroscopes to retain some cyclic structures. Comparison of the porosity and microstructwe of xerogels prepared from the cyclic monomers 6 and 7 with gels prepared directly from their acyclic precursors 2 and 3, indicate that the final pore structure of the xerogels is markedly dependent on the nature of the precursor. In addition, despite the fact that the monomeric cyclic disilsesquioxane species can not be isolated from 1-3 under basic conditions due to their rapid rate of gelation, spectroscopic techniques also detected the presence of the cyclic structures in the resulting polymeric gels.

The focus of this work will be to simulate a harsh, blast environment on a space structure. Data from a reverse Hopkinson bar (RHB) test is used to generate the response to a symmetric, distributed load. The RHB generates a high-amplitude, high-frequency content, concentrated pulse that excites components at near-blast levels. The transfer functions generated at discrete points, with the RHB, are used to generate an experimental model of the structure, which is then used in conjunction with the known pressure distribution, to estimate the component response to a blast. The shock spectrum of the predicted response and the actual response compared well in two of the three cases presented.

The objectives for the ASP large early release frequency (LERF) model development work is to build a Level 2 containment response model that would capture all of the events necessary to define LERF as outlined in Regulatory Guide 1.174, can be directly interfaced with the existing Level 1 models, is technically correct, can be readily modified to incorporate new information or to represent another plant, and can be executed in SAPHIRE. The ASP LERF models being developed will meet these objectives while providing the NRC with the capability to independently assess the risk impact of plant-specific changes proposed by the utilities that change the nuclear power plants' licensing basis. Together with the ASP Level 1 models, the ASP LERF models provide the NRC with the capability of performing equipment and event assessments to determine their impact on a plant's LERF for internal events during power operation. In addition, the ASP LERF models are capable of being updated to reflect changes in information regarding the system operations and phenomenological events, and of being updated to assess the potential for early fatalities for each LERF sequence. As the ASP Level 1 models evolve to include more analysis capabilities, the LERF models will also be refined to reflect the appropriate level of detail needed to demonstrate the new capabilities. An approach was formulated for the development of detailed LERF models using the NUREG-1150 APET models as a guide. The modifications to the SAPHIRE computer code have allowed the development of these detailed models and the ability to analyze these models in a reasonable time. Ten reference LERF plant models, including six PWR models and four BWR models, which cover a wide variety of containment and nuclear steam supply systems designs, will be complete in 1999. These reference models will be used as the starting point for developing the LERF models for the remaining nuclear power plants.

Pulsed-power-driven Z pinches, produced by imploding cylindrical arrays of many wires, have generated very high x-ray radiation powers (> 200 TW) and energies (2 MJ). Experiments have revealed a steady improvement in Z-pinch performance with increasing wire number at fixed total mass and array radius. The dominant mechanism acting to limit the performance of these devices is believed to be the Rayleigh-Taylor instability which broadens the radially imploding plasma sheath and consequently reduces the peak radiation power. A model is presented which describes an amplification over the two-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor growth rate brought about by kink-like forces on the individual wires. This amplification factor goes to zero as the number of wires approaches infinity. This model gives results which are in good agreement with the experimental data and provides a scaling for wire-array Z pinches. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.

GaN implanted with donor(Si, S, Se, Te) or acceptor (Be, Mg, C) species was annealed at 900-1500°C using AlN encapsulation. No redistribution was measured by SIMS for any of the dopants and effective diffusion coefficients are ≤2×10-13 cm2 · s-1 at 1400°C, except Be, which displays damage-enhanced diffusion at 900°C and is immobile once the point defect concentration is removed. Activation efficiency of ∼90% is obtained for Si at 1400°C. TEM of the implanted material shows a strong reduction in lattice disorder at 1400-1500°C compared to previous results at 1100°C. There is minimal interaction of the sputtered AlN with GaN under our conditions, and it is readily removed selectively with KOH.

A metal ion sensitive, fluorescent lipid-bilayer material (5% PSIDA/DSPC) was successfully immobilized in a silica matrix using a tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) sol-gel procedure. The sol-gel immobilization method was quantitative in the entrapment of self-assembled lipid-bilayers and yielded thin films for facile configuration to optical fiber platforms. The silica matrix was compatible with the solvent sensitive lipid bilayers and provided physical stabilization as well as biological protection. Immobilization in the silica sol-gel produced an added benefit of improving the bilayer's metal ion sensitivity by up to two orders of magnitude. This enhanced performance was attributed to a preconcentrator effect from the anionic surface of the silica matrix. Thin gels (193 micron thickness) were coupled to a bifurcated fiber optic bundle to produce a metal ion sensor probe. Response times of 10 - 15 minutes to 0.1 M CuCl2 were realized with complete regeneration of the sensor using an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution.

The microstructural evolution of heavily deformed polycrystalline Cu is simulated by coupling a constitutive model for polycrystal plasticity with the Monte Carlo Potts model for grain growth. The effects of deformation on boundary topology and grain growth kinetics are presented. Heavy deformation leads to dramatic strain-induced boundary migration and subsequent grain fragmentation. Grain growth is accelerated in heavily deformed microstructures. The implications of these results for the thermomechanical fatigue failure of eutectic solder joints are discussed.

A GaN based depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) was demonstrated using Ga2O3(Gd2O3) as the gate dielectric. The MOS gate reverse breakdown voltage was >35 V which was significantly improved from 17 V of Pt Schottky gate on the same material. A maximum extrinsic transconductance of 15 mS/mm was obtained at Vds = 30 V and device performance was limited by the contact resistance. A unity current gain cut-off frequency, fT, and maximum frequency of oscillation, fmax of 3.1 and 10.3 GHz, respectively, were measured at Vds = 25 V and Vgs = -20 V.

Microscopic calculations of the absorption and luminescence spectra are presented for wide bandgap Ga1-xInxN/GaN quantum well systems. Whereas structures with narrow well widths exhibit the usual excitation-dependent bleaching of the exciton resonance without shifting spectral position, a significant blueshift of the exciton peak is obtained for wider quantum wells. This blueshift, which is also present in the excitation-dependent luminescence spectra, is attributed to the interplay between the screening of a strain induced piezoelectric field and the density dependence of many-body Coulomb effects. The calculations also show an over two orders of magnitude increase in the spontaneous electron-hole-pair lifetime with well width, due to the reduction of the electron-hole wave function overlap in the wider wells. The resulting decrease in spontaneous emission loss is predicted to lead to improved threshold properties in wide quantum well lasers. © 1999 The American Physical Society.

An expression for the coarsening rate of the Pb-rich phase particles was determined through isothermal aging experiments and comparative literature data as: λ = λo+{[4.10×10-5 e-11023/T+15.6×10-8 e-3123/T (dγ/dt)]t}0.256 where γo and γ are the initial and final mean Pb-rich particle diameters, respectively (mm); T is temperature (°K); t is time (s); and dγ/dt is the strain rate (s-1). The phase coarsening behavior showed good agreement with previous literature data from isothermal aging experiments. The power-law exponent, p, for the Pb-rich phase size coarsening kinetics: γp-γop≈t increased from a value of 3.3 at the low aging temperature regime (70-100 °C) to a value of 5.1 at the high temperature regime (135-170 °C), suggesting that the number of short-circuit diffusion paths had increased with further aging. This expression provides an important basis for the microstructurally-based, constitutive equation used in the visco-plastic model for TMF in Sn-Pb solder. The revised visco-plastic model was exercised using a through-hole solder joint configuration. Initial data indicate a satisfactory compatibility between the coarsening expression and the constitutive equations.