A Light-Erosion Source of High-Enthalpy Gas-Plasma Flows of Complex Chemical Composition

A light-erosion generator of high-enthalpy gas-plasma streams of complex chemical composition has been developed on the basis of a plasma-dynamic broadband lamp-type source of short-wave UV radiation with a high power density of 1 MW/cm² and a luminance temperature of 3.5 eV. The results of studies in a vacuum and a gas at a finite pressure show that the generator ensures the finely controlled characteristics of the mass flow rate: the velocity is _v ^~ = 2–10 m/s and the mass consumption ratio is _m ^. 2–3 mg/J.     

Dry and oil-lubricated sliding wear of Si<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> and Si<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript>/BN fibrous monoliths

A high-temperature ball-on-flat tribometer was used to investigate dry and oil-lubricated friction and wear of sintered Si₃N₄ and Si₃N₄/hexagonal boron nitride (H-BN) fibrous monoliths. The friction coefficients of base Si₃N₄ flats sliding against Si₃N₄ balls were in the range of 0.6–0.8 for dry and 0.03–0.15 for lubricated sliding, and the average wear rates of Si₃N₄ were 10^–5 mm³ N^–1 m^–1 for dry sliding and 10^–10–10^–8 mm³ N ^–1m^–1 for lubricated sliding. The friction coefficients of Si₃N₄ balls against composite fibrous monoliths were 0.7 for dry sliding and 0.01–0.08 for lubricated sliding. The average specific wear rates of the pairs were of the same order as those measured for the conventional Si₃N₄ pairs. However, the fibrous monoliths, in combination with sprayed dry boron nitride, resulted in reduction in the lubricated friction coefficients of the test pairs and significant reduction in their wear rates. The most striking result of this study was that the coefficients of friction of the Si₃N₄/H-BN fibrous monolith test pair were 70–80 lower than those of either roughened or polished Si₃N₄ when tests were performed under oil-lubricated sliding conditions over long distances (up to 5000 m). The results indicated that Si₃N₄/H-BN fibrous monoliths have good wear resistance and can be used to reduce friction under lubricated sliding conditions.     

Ion bombardment of MoS2 nanoplateletcoatings deposited by electrospraying

The present paper reports on a novel process for deposition ofMoS₂ lubricating coatings by electrospraying aball-milled platelet suspension of stoichiometric MoS₂particles. Ultralow friction coefficients in the range of0.010-0.020, in a dry-nitrogen atmosphere, were obtained with areciprocating ball-on-disk tribometer for a stainless-steel ballsliding on a MoS₂-coated silicon substrate. Thesliding endurance for MoS₂, as deposited, was measuredfor thicknesses ranging from 0.28 to 1.00 m tobe between 0.6 and 44 m. The effect of a low-dose, high-energy,argon-ion bombardment was studied. Thus an ion bombardment with400 keV argon ions to a dose of 18 x 10¹⁵ions/cm² increased the sliding endurance by a factorof about thirty, for a coating thickness of 0.3m.     

Setup for Stimulating and Measuring the Electrical Activity of an Olfactory Epithelium

A setup for recording the electrical activity of an insulated olfactory epithelium is described. The setup consists of the following basic elements: an electrophysiological chamber intended for supporting the vital activity of the olfactory epithelium, its isolation from outside smells, and stimulation by odor stimuli; a stimulation system intended for preparation of a saturated vapor of the stimulating substance, its dilution down to concentrations of 10^–4–5.6 × 10^–2 and application of air stimuli with a duration of 1–5 s and repetition period of 2–100 s; and a recording and control system, which is controlled manually or via a computer and synchronizes the stimulus application and olfactogram recording (K _amp = 10000, sensitivity is 10 V, bandwidth is 0–100 Hz) and automatic compensation of the transepithelial potential drift.     

Low-Friction MoS x Coatings Resistant to Wear in Ambient Air of Low and High Relative Humidity

The investigation of the tribological performance of MoS₂-based coatings in air of high humidity is critical for the future use of such low-friction and high-wear-resistant coatings in ambient air. Sulfur-deficient MoS _x coatings with a basal plane (x = 1.3) and a random (x = 1.8) crystallographic orientation were produced by planar magnetron sputtering. The coefficient of friction and the wear loss of MoS_x coatings in comparison with TiN and amorphous TiB₂ coatings were investigated in bi-directional sliding fretting tests performed in ambient air of different relative humidity. The wear rate expressed as a volumetric loss per unit of dissipated energy was determined. From these results, the best friction and wear performance was achieved with basal-plane-oriented MoS _x coatings tested at a relative humidity in the range of 10-50%. A coefficent of friction of 0.06-0.08 and a wear rate of 4 × 10³ m³J^-1, at a normal load of 1 N and a fretting frequency of 10 Hz, were recorded for that type of MoS _x coatings.     

Desorption Kinetics of Polyether Lubricants from Surfaces

Desorption or evaporation is one of the mechanisms for loss of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPE) lubricants from the surfaces of data storage media. One approach to minimizing PFPE loss to desorption is the use of lubricants with increasing molecular weight or increasing average chain length. In order to understand the effects of chain length on the lubricant evaporation kinetics we have studied the desorption kinetics of monolayer films of oligomeric ethers with varying chain length adsorbed on the surface of graphite. The desorption pre-exponents, v, and desorption barriers, E _des , have been measured for poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ethers, CH₃O(CH₂CH₂O) _m CH₃, with m=1,2,3,4,8 and 10. These are models for the PFPE known as Fomblin Z, which has a structure CF₃O(CF₂CF₂O) _x (CF₂O) _y CF₃. The results show that the desorption pre-exponents are independent of chain length and have an average value of v=10^18.7±0.3 s^–1. The E _des for the poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ethers vary non-linearly with chain length and can be fit with a power law expression of the form E _des =a+bN , where N is the total number of atoms in the oligomer backbone (N=3m+3) and the scaling exponent has a value of 1/2. This non-linear dependence of E _des on chain length has also been observed in recent studies of the desorption kinetics of straight chain alkanes from graphite. A desorption mechanism is described that explains the non-linearity of E _des for the poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ethers. The implication for the lifetime of lubricants on data storage media is that the long chain PFPE lubricants desorb more rapidly than one might expect based on simple linear scaling of the E _des of lower molecular weight PFPEs.     

Efficiency of Pulsed Regimes for Enhancing the Breakdown Strength of Vacuum Insulation

Processing the experimental data on breakdown delay time in a vacuum was used to obtain the function K (t _p) of the relative change in the field gain factor at microscopic inhomogeneities of the cathode surface resulting from the realization of optimum pulse conditioning regimes. It is shown that over the range of pulse durations 10^–8 t _p 10^–6 s, the relative change in the state of the cathode surface corresponds to the relative changes in the breakdown strength of all-metal electrodes and to the voltage of the appearance of local flashes in a system of evaporated electrodes—a microchannel plate and the screen of an image intensifier. Applying optimum regimes for conditioning the surface with pulses of durations t _p < 10^–8 s makes it possible to achieve the limiting breakdown strength determined by the cathode mechanism of breakdown initiation.     

Determining the Surface Electrostatic Potential Ψ s of a Dielectric-Bordering Semiconductor Using the Method of Ψ s "/Ψ s Diagrams

A quantitative approach to determining the integration constant _s0(V _{g 0}) in an expression relating the semiconductor surface potential _s to the voltage V _g applied to the metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structure and its quasi-static capacitance–voltage characteristic C _v(V _g) (normalized to the dielectric capacitance) is described. The method is based on the analysis of experimental functions _s ^"( _s ), where _s ^" = d _s /dV _g, and the same functions calculated for an ideal MIS structure. The obtained function _s (V _g) is a rather exact and complete characteristic of electron properties of the MIS-structure phase boundary (the integrated interface state density, flat-band voltage V _FB, sign and density of the dielectric fixed charge, and variations of these parameters under the action of various factors). Using the example of a particular n-Si MIS structure, it is shown that the method of _s ^"/ _s diagrams ensures a noticeable (up to 0.93 eV) widening of the Si gap sounding region and observation (by the value of the V _FB shift) of very small ( 1 × 10⁷ cm^–2) variations in the charge density at the Si/SiO₂ phase boundary.     

Determining Generation–Recombination Characteristics of a Semiconductor–Dielectric Interface from the Current Kinetics of Surface Minority Carrier Generation

Conditions for the one-to-one characterization of the generation (G _s) and surface recombination (R _s) rates of minority charge carriers (MCCs) in a metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) structure (in the case of strong nonequilibrium depletion) by the MCC surface generation current (I(t)) flowing in an external circuit of this structure are revealed. These conditions are the following: (1) the generation current I is independent of the time t (until the structure enters an equilibrium state) and the voltage V _{g 0} corresponding to the initial nonequilibrium depletion and (2) the duration of current steps I(V _{g 0}) = const and, consequently, the equilibrium surface charge increase with increasing V _{g 0}. The observed kinetics of the MCC generation current for the MCCs induced in an n-Si MOS structure at 293 K experimentally confirms the realization of these conditions. The values of the generation and recombination rates G _s = 2.84 × 10¹⁰ cm^–2s^–1 and R _s = 6.82 cm s^–1 obtained from current levels I(V _{g 0}) = const are typical of high-quality Si MOS structure. Additionally measured capacitance–voltage characteristics were used to determine the interface state density at the Si/SiO₂ contact near the middle of the Si gap (N _ss(E) 6.4 × 10¹⁰ cm^–2eV^–1), which allowed the estimation of the effective capture cross section of these states _eff 1.4 × 10^–16 cm².     

A Self-Initiated Periodically Pulsed Light Source on Chlorine and Krypton Chloride Molecules

An electric-discharge light source, operating in the spectral range of 170–270 nm on a system of bands of Cl₂ ( = 200 and 257 nm) and KrCl ( = 222 nm) molecules is described. The radiator is pumped by a low-pressure volume discharge in a spherical anode-flat cathode system of electrodes with an interelectrode distance of 6 cm, so that the plasma has no contact with the quartz envelope of the lamp. The working mixtures are P(Kr)/P(Cl₂) = (40–640)/(40–280) Pa. When a dc voltage U 1 kV is applied to the discharge gap, a volume discharge exists only in a periodically pulsed mode (f = 0.1–50 kHz) and represents a source of short-wave radiation with a cylindrical working surface (1 cm in diameter and 6 cm long) and a mean radiation power of 3 W.     

A Magnetometer Based on a Hall-Effect Transducer

An induction meter based on a Hall-effect transducer with in-phase signal suppression and thermostabilization circuits is described. It is powered by a 10³-Hz ac line. The maximum relative error in temperature measurements from 0 to 70°C does not exceed 0.7 % for magnetic fields of 50–100 T, 0.4% for 0.1–1 mT, and 0.1% for 1–625 mT. In the range of 50–500 T, the error is determined by an in-phase signal. The contribution of the total temperature error is 0.01% per 50°C. Depending on the induction of the measured magnetic field, the resolution changes from 0.12 to 19 T.     

High-Sensitivity Magnetometers Based on HTSC Ceramics

The magnetic response of the YBa₂Cu₃O_{7 – x} superconducting ceramics to an alternating magnetic field was studied experimentally. A magnetometer with a sensitivity level of 2 × 10^–7Oe was developed on the basis of the experimental data. The ways of improving such devices are discussed.     

Lubrication of Silicon Nitride and Silicon Carbide by Water: Running in,Wear and Operation of Sliding Bearings

The purpose of this work was to establish the conditions for the operation and break-in of water-lubricated ceramic bearings. The experiments consisted of sliding 1/4 silicon nitride or—carbide balls against pre-polished disks of the same material in water until tribochemical wear generates smooth conformal surfaces that allow hydrodynamic lubrication (<0.002) by very thin water films. This running in was performed at various sliding speeds (0.01-4m/s) and loads (0.5-20N). The minimum sliding speed for low friction were 0.04m/s for silicon nitride and 0.5m/s for silicon carbide, much lower than for conventional bearings. The load carrying pressures were 60-80MPa, which is higher than the usually pressures of thrust bearings. The hydrodynamic fluid film thickness was estimated with a standard integration of Reynolds' equations modified for circular geometry, it was to be 5-15nm for silicon nitride, 25nm for silicon carbide. Operation over long distances (80km) allowed us to measure the wear rate during hydrodynamic lubrication; this was found to be <2×10^–11mm³/nm, a rate acceptable for industrial application. A novel method completed during this work allows the determination of the wear rate during run-in. It varies with sliding velocity for silicon nitride, from 1 to 6×10^–5mm³/nm; it is constant at 4×10^–6mm³/nm for silicon carbide.     

A Gas-Discharge Source of Quasi-monochromatic Ultrasoft X-rays

The results of a study of radiation characteristics of a high-current pinch discharge of the plasma-focus type in the region of soft and ultrasoft X-rays are presented. Experiments were performed at a moderate energy of discharges in a mixture of H₂ and Ne. It was shown that a comparatively narrow spectrum region of the generated radiation, which corresponds to the line emission of lithium-like ions Ne⁷⁺ with an average effective quantum energy E _eff 0.16 keV, can be selected. The Ne⁷⁺ emission fluence was (0.2–1.0) × 10¹² quant/cm² per pulse with a duration _0.5 = 40–100 ns. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using such discharges in laboratories as pulse sources of quasi-monochromatic ultrasoft X-rays.     

A Device for Detecting the Location of a Gas Leak in a Spacecraft Module

Experiments with a multiparametric air-leakage transducer in a vacuum chamber with a volume of 180 m³ have been performed in the leakage range of 30–300 mTorr/s. The manufactured laboratory prototype of the device has the following characteristics: the dynamic detection range covers the diameters of holes of 0.1–0.5 mm at distances R 0.1–1.5 m from the leakage source at a through breakdown of casing with electric vacuum thermal insulation. Its power consumption is 3.0 W and its mass is 0.35 kg.     

An Infrared Pyrometer for Monitoring the Temperature of Materials in Vacuum Systems

A pyrometer of IR radiation for monitoring the melting and strengthening temperatures of metals in vacuum systems is described. A diaphragmed optical system is used, which ensures the required spatial resolution and protects the pyrometer from the vaporizing metal. The measured temperature range is 20–1200°C, and the measurement accuracy is 2% at a time constant of 1 s.     

Local High-Frequency Magnetron Reactive-Ionic Quartz Etching

A high-frequency magnetron reactive-ion etching system for the high-speed quartz glass surface treatment is described. The scanning assembly of the magnetron is located in a separate chamber pumped down to a pressure of 10^–2 Pa. This ensures a highly uniform etching and a high magnetic induction on samples, making it possible to reduce the cathode thickness. The quartz etching was studied in SF₆, CF₄, and CHF₃ with the magnetron operation with and without scanning. The maximum etching rates of 1.6 m/min (with scanning) and 4.2 m/min (without scanning) were attained in CHF₃ with a 1-Pa pressure and 700-W discharge power. 150-m-depth 4-mm-diameter pits were obtained by the quartz etching without scanning. With an increase in the pit depth from 150 to 250 m, the etching rate was reduced from 4.2 to 2.5 m/min.     

Temperature measurement in orthogonal metal cutting

Orthogonal cutting experiments were carried out on steel at different feedrates and cutting speeds. During these experiments the chip temperatures were measured using an infrared camera. The applied technique allows us to determine the chip temperature distribution at the free side of the chip. From this distribution the shear plane temperature at the top of the chip as well as the uniform chip temperature can be found. A finite-difference model was developed to compute the interfacial temperature between chip and tool, using the temperature distribution measured at the top of the chip.Nomenclature contact length with sticking friction behaviour [m] - c specific heat [J kg^–1 K^–1] - contact length with sliding friction behaviour [m] - F _P feed force [N] - F _V main cutting force [N] - h undeformed chip thickness [m] - h _c deformed chip thickness [m] - i,j denote nodal position - k thermal conductivity [W m^–2 K^–1] - L chip-tool contact length [m] - p defines time—space grid, Eq. (11) [s m^–2] - Q _C heat rate entering chip per unit width due to friction at the rake face [W m^–1] - Q _T total heat rate due to friction at the rake face [W m^–1] - Q _% percentage of the friction energy that enters the chip - q ₀ peak value ofq(x) [W m^–2] - q _e heat rate by radiation [W] - q(x) heat flux entering chip [W m^–2] - t time [s] - T temperature [K] - T _C uniform chip temperature [°C] - T _max maximum chip—tool temperature [°C] - T _mean mean chip—tool temperature [°C] - T _S measured shear plane temperature [°C] - x,y Cartesian coordinates [m] - V cutting speed [m s^–1] - V _C chip speed [m/s] - rake angle - ,, control volume lumped thermal diffusivity [m² s^–1] - emmittance for radiation - exponent, Eq. (3) - density [kg m^–3] - Stefan-Boltzmann constant [W m^–2 K⁴] - (x) shear stress distribution [N m^–2] - shear angle     

Determination of a Mobile-Ion Concentration in the Dielectric Films of Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Structures

An experimental technique for determining the surface concentration N _Sof mobile ions in dielectric films of metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structures is described. The technique is based on synchronous recording of the dynamic volt–ampere and low-frequency capacity–voltage characteristics of a sample under investigation. These experimental dependences are shown to ensure accurate extraction of the ion current peaks whose areas are proportional to N _S. These characteristics also allow the relaxation of the surface semiconductor potential to be found, which is needed for reconstructing the dependence of the convection ion current on the voltage drop across the insulation gap of the MIS capacitor. A comparative analysis with other known methods for determining N _Sis carried out. The proposed technique helps find a mobile-ion concentration from a 5 × 10⁹to 10¹³-cm^–2range, including the case when ion current peaks do not appear on the current–voltage characteristics.     

Accelerator of the НГ-12И neutron generator as an implanter of hydrogen ions

The use of an updated accelerator of the -12 neutron generator as a high-current implanter of hydrogen ions (protons and deuterons) with energies of 175–210 MeV into wafers made of crystalline silicon is described. The ion-beam scanning system used ensured nonuniformity in the irradiation of wafers with a diameter of 100 mm of <10%, which allowed the production of silicon-on-insulator wafers by the hydrogen splitting technique. The required particle fluence was 10¹⁷ cm^–2. A slight refinement of the setup allows wafers with diameters of up to 200 mm to be irradiated. The design features of the setup as they apply to different temperature conditions (down to a temperature close to that of liquid nitrogen) of the irradiation of 100-mm-diameter wafers are described.Translated from Pribory i Tekhnika Eksperimenta, No. 1, 2005, pp. 126–129.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Stepovik, Mokichev, Magda, Kiryushkin, Kozikov, Semkov, Kurochkin, Lukin, Khmelnitskii, Popov.