Origin of the αc relaxation in poly(ethylene-terephthalate) by thermally stimulated currents

The thermally stimulated depolarization currents of poly (ethylene-terephthalate) electrets with a reduced degree of crystallinity (≃4%), corona-charged at polarization temperatures between 65 and 100 °C, show a heteropolar α^* relaxation placed between the α relaxation (heteropolar) and the ρ relaxation (homopolar). This α^* relaxation is associated with a uniform mechanism and has been observed in the discharge of electrets with shorted evaporated electrodes, which have been formed using the windowing polarization method at polarization temperatures between 76 and 79 °C. The intensity and position of α^* depend on the degree of crystallinity and the morphology. The application of the method of thermal stimulation by steps, which leads to a gradual crystallization of the sample, shows that the α_c relaxation of crystalline PET has its origin in α^*.     

Quench-condensed indium-hydrogen films. II. Changes in electric and superconducting characteristics near the metal-insulator transition

Electrical and superconducting properties of indium films condensed in a H₂ atmosphere (pressurep _{H 2}=6×10⁻⁶ to 1.4×10⁻⁴ Torr) onto a substrate cooled with liquid helium are investigated. As hydrogen content is increased, a continuous increase in residual resistivity ρ* is observed, permitting systematic study of the resistance vs. temperature dependenceR(T) and the superconducting transition temperatureT _c on approaching the metal-insulator transition (MIT). With regard to ρ*, four regimes of conductivity can be observed: (1) conductivity with a positive temperature resistance coefficient (TRC), (2) conductivity with a small, constant, negative TRC, (3) conductivity under weak localization with ΔR (T) ∼ln T or type corrections, (4) hopping conductivity.T _c rises continuously with ρ* and reaches its peak (∼5.2K) in the second regime. A further increase of ρ* leads to a decrease ofT _c and complete suppression of superconductivity. The experimental dependenceR(T) is compared with theory. TheT _c variation on approaching the MIT and the relation between Mooij's rule and the superconducting properties are discussed.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Methanol in the Critical and Supercritical Regions

The isochoric heat capacity of pure methanol in the temperature range from 482 to 533 K, at near-critical densities between 274.87 and 331.59 kg· m⁻³, has been measured by using a high-temperature and high-pressure nearly constant volume adiabatic calorimeter. The measurements were performed in the single- and two-phase regions including along the coexistence curve. Uncertainties of the isochoric heat capacity measurements are estimated to be within 2%. The single- and two-phase isochoric heat capacities, temperatures, and densities at saturation were extracted from experimental data for each measured isochore. The critical temperature (T_c = 512.78±0.02K) and the critical density (ρ_c = 277.49±2 kg · m⁻³) for pure methanol were derived from the isochoric heat-capacity measurements by using the well-established method of quasi-static thermograms. The results of the C_VVT measurements together with recent new experimental PVT data for pure methanol were used to develop a thermodynamically self-consistent Helmholtz free-energy parametric crossover model, CREOS97-04. The accuracy of the crossover model was confirmed by a comprehensive comparison with available experimental data for pure methanol and values calculated with various multiparameter equations of state and correlations. In the critical and supercritical regions at 0.98T_c≤ T ≤ 1.5T_c and in the density range 0.35ρ_c ≤ ρ leq 1.65 ρ_c, CREOS97-04 represents all available experimental thermodynamic data for pure methanol to within their experimental uncertainties.     

Nanostructure of atmospheric and high-pressure crystallised poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalate

Poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) was crystallized from the glassy state at atmospheric pressure (beyond the end of primary crystallization) and from the melt at high pressure. The structure was characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and density measurements. The SAXS patterns were analysed using the interface distribution function (IDF) method. For the materials prepared at ambient pressure the crystallinity inside the layer stacks remains nearly constant during the secondary crystallization process. On the other hand, the volume filled with the stacks increases as a function of crystallization temperature (T _c) and time (t _c). For T _c > 200°C secondary crystallisation goes along with a dynamic rearrangement of the primary stacks, as concluded from variations of the layer thickness distributions in the SAXS data. For T _c < 200°C primary lamellae are stable, and both insertion of new crystal lamellae into existing stacks and generation of additional stacks is found. In contrast to PET, two different kinds of layer stacks are not observed in the PEN nano-composites. Materials prepared at 400 MPa exhibit high roughness of the crystalline domain surfaces. Depending on T _c there is a continuous transformation from the to the -crystal modification, but hardly any change of the long period. Crystal thickness increases, both at the expense of the amorphous thickness and of the volume filled with lamellar stacks. The structure of samples showing two melting peaks is discussed in terms of a dual lamellar contribution of correlated and uncorrelated nano-crystallites, respectively.     

Vortex State Microwave Resistivity in Tl-2212 Thin Films

We present measurements of the field induced changes in the 47 GHz complex resistivity, Δρ~(H, T), in Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O_8+x (TBCCO) thin films with T _c ≃ 105 K, prepared on CeO₂ buffered sapphire substrates. At low fields (μ₀ H < 10 mT) a very small irreversible feature is present, suggesting a little role of intergranular phenomena. Above that level Δρ~(H, T exhibits a superlinear dependence with the field, as opposed to the expected (at high frequencies) quasilinear behaviour. We observe a crossover between predominantly imaginary to predominantly real (dissipative) response with increasing temperature and/or field. In addition, we find the clear scaling property Δρ~(H, T = Δρ~[H/H ^* (T)], where the scaling field H ^∗ (T) maps closely the melting field measured in single crystals. We discuss our microwave results in terms of loss of flux lines rigidity.     

Effect of the self-organized cluster structure in LaSrMnO films on the slope of the temperature dependence of resistivity

We have studied the effect of atomic ordering in a nanodimensional clustered structure of amorphous LaSrMnO films on the slope of the temperature dependence of resistivity ρ(T) in the regions where dρ/dT > 0. It is established that a high concentration of clusters of a “metallic” phase (C _met = 9%) capable of fertromagnetic ordering leads to a giant temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR), with its value (normalized slope) reaching (dρ/dT)/ρ = 1.6 × 10⁴% K⁻¹. Samples with a small concentration of such clusters (C _met = 0.1%) possess paramagnetic properties and their normalized TCR decreases by three orders of magnitude to (dρ/dT)/ρ = 1.7 × 10¹% K⁻¹. This behavior is explained by self-consistent changes in the atomic, magnetic, and electron subsystems.     

Effect of magnetic iron impurity on the superconducting properties of an amorphous Nb50Zr35Si15 alloy

The effect of magnetic iron impurity on the superconducting properties of amorphous Nb₅₀Zr_35−x Si₁₅Fe _x (x⩽4 at %) alloys was examined. Doping with an iron impurity resulted in a linear depression ofT _c andH _c2(T) and a decrease in andρ _n after reaching a maximum value at 0.5 to 1.0 at % iron. The observed decrease was about 35% forT _c, 85% forH _c2 at 2.0 K, 16% for and 21% forρ _n. Although the decrease in occurs through the decrease inρ _n as expected from the GLAG theory, the depression inT _c caused by magnetic impurity could not be explained in terms of the GLAG theory which is applicable to Nb-Zr-Si amorphous alloys without magnetic impurity, but was interpreted as arising from the pair-breaking effect in the superconducting nature due to magnetic scattering. However, the pair-breaking effect was found to be smaller by about one-tenth for the present amorphous superconductors than for crystalline superconductors, indicating the high stability of the superconductivity of the Nb-Zr-Si-Fe alloys against the magnetic scattering arising from the magnetic impurity. The reduced magnetic field at which the reduced fluxoid pinning force exhibits a maximum value increased with iron concentration, indicative of an enhancement of fluxoid pinning force. The enhancement in fluxoid pinning force was interpreted as arising from the increase in compositional, electronic and/or magnetic fluctuations by the dope of iron impurity.     

Effects of thermal history on crystal structure of poly(phenylene sulphide)

The lattice parameters of film-grade poly(phenylene sulphide), PPS, have been studied at room temperature as a function of thermal history. Effects of crystallization temperature and annealing time for films crystallized from the rubbery amorphous state were investigated using wide- and small-angle X-ray diffraction, bulk density and thermal analysis techniques. The dimensions of the crystal lattice are found to depend upon prior thermal treatment conditions. As the cold crystallization temperature, T _c, increases, or the annealing time at fixed temperature increases, the bulk density, degree of crystallinity, and crystal perfection increase. With an increase in annealing time at fixed temperature, lattice a, b, and c decrease leading to an increase in lattice density. As the cold crystallization temperature increases, lattice density also increases as a result of a systematic decrease in lattice parameters a and b.     

Interpretation of Temperature-Dependent Resistivity of La–Pb–MnO3: Role of Electron–Phonon Interaction

The present paper deals with the theoretical investigation of temperature-dependent resistivity of the perovskite manganites La_0.78Pb_0.22MnO_3-δ within the framework of the classical electron–phonon model of resistivity, i.e., the Bloch–Gruneisen model. Due to inherent acoustic (low-frequency) phonons (ω_ac) as well as high-frequency optical phonons (ω_op), the contributions to the electron–phonon resistivity have first been estimated. At low temperatures the acoustic phonons of the oxygen-breathing mode yield a relatively larger contribution to the resistivity as compared to the contribution of optical phonons. Furthermore, the nature of phonons changes around T = 215 K exhibiting a crossover from an acoustic to optical phonon regime with elevated temperature. The contribution to resistivity estimated by considering both phonons, i.e., ω_ac and ω_op, when subtracted from experimental data, infers a T^4.5 temperature dependence over most of the temperature range. Deduced T^4.5 temperature dependence of ρ_diff = [ρ_exp − {ρ₀ + ρ_e-ph( = ρ_ac + ρ_op)}] is justified in terms of electron–magnon scattering within the double exchange (DE) process. Within the proposed scheme, the present numerical analysis of temperature dependent resistivity shows similar results as those revealed by experiments     

Specific contact resistance measurements of the screen-printed Ag thick film contacts in the silicon solar cells by three-point probe methodology and TLM method

The specific contact resistance of the screen-printed Ag contacts in the silicon solar cells has been investigated by applying two independent test methodologies such as three-point probe (TPP) and well-known transfer length model (TLM) test structure respectively. This paper presents some comparative results obtained with these two measurement techniques for the screen-printed Ag contacts formed on the porous silicon antireflection coating (ARC) in the crystalline silicon solar cells. The contact structure consists of thick-film Ag metal contacts patterned on the top of the etched porous silicon surface. Five different contact formation temperatures ranging from 725 to 825 °C for few minutes in air ambient followed by a short time annealing step at about 450 °C in nitrogen ambient was applied to the test samples in order to study the specific contact resistance of the screen-printed Ag metal contact structure. The specific contact resistance of the Ag metal contacts extracted based on the TPP as well as TLM test methodologies has been compared and verified. It shows that the extraction procedure based on the TPP method results in specific contact resistance, ρ _c  = 2.15 × 10⁻⁶ Ω-cm² indicating that screen-printed Ag contacts has excellent ohmic properties whereas in the case of TLM method, the best value of the specific contact resistance was found to be about ρ _c  = 8.34 × 10⁻⁵ Ω-cm². These results indicate that the ρ _c value extracted for the screen-printed Ag contacts by TPP method is one order of magnitude lower than that of the corresponding value of the ρ _c extracted by TLM method. The advantages and limitations of each of these techniques for quantitatively evaluating the specific contact resistance of the screen-printed Ag contacts are also discussed.     

Giant electrical conductivity enhancement in BaO–V2O5–Bi2O3 glass by nanocrystallization

The effects of the annealing of 20BaO–30V₂O₅–50Bi₂O₃ glass on the structural and electrical properties were studied by scanning electron micrographs (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) density (d) and dc conductivity (σ). The XRD and SEM observations have shown that the sample under study undergoes structural changes: from amorphous at the beginning, to partly crystalline after nanocrystallization at crystallization temperature (T_c) for 1 h and to colossal crystallization after the annealing at the same temperature for 24 h. The average size of these grains after nanocrystallization at T_c for 1 h was estimated to be about 25–35 nm. However, the glass heat treated at T_c = 580 °C for 24 h the microstructure changes considerably. The nanomaterials obtained by nanocrystallization at T_c for 1 h exhibit giant improvement of electrical conductivity up to four order of magnitude and better thermal stability than the as-received glass. The major role in the conductivity enhancement of this nanomaterial is played by the developed interfacial regions “conduction tissue” between crystalline and amorphous phases, in which the concentration of V⁴⁺–V⁵⁺ pairs responsible for electron hopping is higher than inside the glassy matrix. The annealing at T_c for 24 h leads to decrease of the electronic conductivity. This phenomena lead to disappearance of the abovementioned “conduction tissue” for electrons and substantial reduction of electronic conductivity. The high temperature (above θ/2) dependence of conductivity could be qualitatively explained by the small polaron hopping (SPH) model. The physical parameters obtained from the best fits of this model are found reasonable and consistent with the glass compositions.     

The supercooling dependence of the initial fold length of polyethylene crystallized from the melt: unification of melt and solution crystallization

Following the previous recognition [1], reached with the aid of real time low angle X-ray diffraction (using a synchrotron X-ray source) that in melt crystallized polyethylene the initial (primary) lamellar thickness is much smaller than hitherto envisaged, we have proceeded to construct the full relationship between primary fold length (I _g ^*) and supercooling (T) covering a wide range of crystallization temperature (T _c). The principal result of this work is the identification of supercooling as the sole factor which determinesI _g ^*. Comparison with crystallization from solution [2–4] has revealed that theI _g ^* against T curves are completely superposable thus removing the gap which has existed up to the present between melt and solution crystallization, bringing about a welcome unification of these two separate (at least as far as fold length was concerned) aspects of polymer crystallization. Further, we show that while T determinesI _g ^*, subsequent thickening is determined by the absolute temperature. Isothermal thickening in particular proceeds first by a large discontinuous step followed by a continuous logarithmic increase with time. The importance of these findings and in particular the affirmation of the unique role of supercooling for chain folding and lamellar crystallization in general is emphasized.     

Comparative study of shunted bicrystal Josephson junctions

In order to optimize the series array performance of Y Ba₂Cu₃O_7−x (YBCO) grain boundary shunted junctions, a method to determine and control the junction resistance R_s and Au/YBCO contact resistivity ρ _c has been developed. 200 nm thick c-oriented YBCO films were grown by intermittent thermal coevaporation on bicrystal yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates. A gold contact overlayer of thickness d_n was deposited in situ. Normal junction resistances have been measured as a function of d_n and shunt width w. It was shown that, in accordance with theoretical estimates, the junction shunt resistance is essentially controlled by the c-axis Au/YBCO interface specific resistance and scales as . The product ρ _c ρ _n ≃ 3.10⁻¹⁴ Ω² cm ³ was estimated from the experimental data, leading to ρ _c ≈ 10⁻⁸ Ωcm ² for typical values of ρ _n for gold thin films.     

Polypropylene/ethylene-co-propylene blends: influence of molecular structure of EPR and composition on phase structure of isothermally crystallized samples

The structure of phases and interphases in samples crystallized under controlled undercoolings, of isotactic polypropylene/ethylene-co-propylene copolymers (iPP/EPR blends) was examined using optical and electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry. The study was undertaken to establish the influence of molecular structure of the EPR copolymers and blend composition on the phase structure developed in samples isothermally crystallized at relatively low undercoolings. Optical and electron microscopy revealed that the molecular structure and composition of the EPR phase play a predominant role in determining the mode and state of dispersion of the minor rubber component. It was also found that the crystallization process of iPP from its blends was influenced by the presence of the EPR phase with no regular dependence on its molecular structure and composition. For a given crystallization temperature, a decrease in thickness of the crystalline lamellae,L _c, and an increase in the amorphous interlamellar layer,L _a were observed. TheL _c andL _a values were found to be strictly related to the blend composition;L _c decreasing andL _a increasing with increasing EPR content in the blend.     

He4 State Equation Below 0.8 K

This work develops the Helmholtz potential A(ρ, T) for He⁴ below 0.8 K. Superfluid terms, related to temperature and momentum gradients, are neglected with negligible loss of accuracy in the derived state properties (specific heats, first sound velocity, expansivity, compressibility, etc.). Retained terms are directly related to a bulk fluid compressibility plus phonon and roton excitations in this quantum fluid. The bulk fluid compressibility is found from the empirical equation c₁³ ≈ c₁₀³ + b; P, where c₁ is the velocity of first sound, P is the pressure, and c₁₀ and b are constants; this empirical equation is found to apply also to other helium temperature ranges and to other fluids. The phonon excitations lead to a single temperature-dependent term in A(ρ ,T) up to 0.3 K, with only two more terms added up to 0.8 K. The roton potential, negligible below about 0.3 K, is a single term first derived 60 years ago but little used in more recent work. The final A(ρ ,T) is shown to fit available experimental specific heat data to about ±2% or better. The magnitude of the pressure-independent Gruneisen parameter below 0.3 K is typical of highly compressed normal liquids. Extension of the equation above 0.8 K is hampered by lack of data between 0.8 and 1.2 K     

Improving the Bs and soft magnetic properties of Fe-based amorphous ribbons by manipulating the surface crystallization behavior

A novel amorphous structure coupling with ultra-fine nano α-Fe grains in the surface crystallization layer was fabricated successfully through composition regulation and proper quenching conditions. The microstructure of the newly formed surface crystallization layer and its effects on soft magnetic properties of FeMnCuMoCPSiB amorphous alloy were investigated systematically. The FeMnCuMoCPSiB amorphous alloy with surface α-Fe crystallization layers exhibits an excellent comprehensive performance of soft magnetic properties (SMPs) with high B_s of 1.67 T, low H_c of 1.6 A/m, and high μ_i of 9.3?×?10³ at 1 kHz. The SMPs of the amorphous alloy is considerably superior to that of widely used commercial soft magnetic materials METGLAS 2605, promising a potential engineering application. It is noteworthy that a nanoscale surface precipitation was found in the alloy, which favors SMPs of the alloy.

     

SEM and specific contact resistance analysis of screen-printed Ag contacts formed by fire-through process on the shallow emitters of silicon solar cell

The SEM and specific contact resistance measurements of the Ag metal contact formed by applying a fire-through process on the shallow emitter region of the silicon solar cell have been investigated. The metal contact consists of screen-printed Ag paste patterned on the silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) deposited over the n⁺-Si emitter region of the solar cell. The sintering step consists of a rapid firing step at 800 °C or above in air ambient. This is followed by an annealing step at 450 °C in nitrogen ambient. It enables to drive the Ag metal paste onto the Si₃N₄ layer and facilitates the formation of an Ag metal/p-Si contact structure. It serves as the top metallization for the screen-printed silicon solar cell. The SEM measurement shows that sintering of the Ag metal paste at 800 °C or above causes the Ag metal to firmly coalesce with the underlying n⁺-Si surface. A thin layer of conductive glassy layer is also presents at the interface of the Ag metal and n⁺-Si surface. The electrical quality of the contact structure was characterized by measuring the specific contact resistance, ρ _c (in Ω-cm²) using the iteration technique based on the power loss calculation for the solar cell. It shows that best value of ρ _c  = 2.53 × 10⁻⁵ Ω-cm² is estimated for the Ag metal contact sintered at temperature above 800 °C. This value of ρ _c is two orders of magnitude lower than the typical value of ρ _c  = 3 × 10⁻³ Ω-cm² reported previously for the Ag contacts of the solar cell. Such low value of ρ _c for the Ag metal contacts indicates that fire-through process results in excellent ohmic properties. The plot of the ρ _c versus impurity doping level (N _s ) shows that measured value of the ρ _c follows a linear relationship with the N _s as predicted by the theory for the heavily doped semiconductor surface. Hence, carrier injection across the Schottky barrier height is quite appropriate to explain the observed ohmic properties of the Ag metal contacts on the n⁺-Si surface of the silicon solar cell.

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Van der Waals chain-molecule fluid in self-consistent field approximation: Some thermal properties

The van der Waals equation for a monomer is used to derive the equation of state for a fluid consisting of chain molecules of equal length. The evolution of a part of the diagram of state pertaining to liquid-vapor equilibrium is treated for the case of an increase in the number of links in a molecule. The dependences on the number of links n are found for the following properties of polymer fluid: the critical temperatureT _c , the critical pressurep _c , the critical density p_c, the critical compressibilityz _c , the temperature of normal boiling, the Riedel parameter of similarity a, the acentric factor Ω, and the enthalpy of vapor formation δH_V, A comparison with the experimental data forn-alkanes and 1-alkanols reveals that the obtained dependences reflect qualitatively correctly the variation of the above-identified properties with an increase of the number of links in a molecule. For long chains(n ≪ 1), the scaling dependences are determined for the properties of a chain-molecule fluid:T _c ∽n ^−1/2,p _c ∽n ^−3/2ρ_c∽n ^−1/2,z _c∽n ⁻¹,α∽n, ω∽n ^2/3,ΔH _ν∽n.     

A TEM study and non-isothermal crystallization kinetic of tellurite glass-ceramics

The glass transition temperature was studied via differential thermal analysis of glasses in the system (100 − x)TeO₂–5Bi₂O₃–xZnO and (100 − x)TeO₂–10Bi₂O₃–xZnO where x = 15, 20, 25 in mol%. The crystallization behavior and microstructure development of the 0.7TeO₂/0.1Bi₂O₃/0.2ZnO glass during annealing were investigated by non-isothermal differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffractometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The glass transition temperature, crystallization temperature, and the nature of crystalline phases formed were determined. From the heating rate dependence of the glass transition temperature, the glass transition activation energy was derived. From variation of DTA peak maximum temperature with heating rate, the activation energies of crystallization were calculated to be 305.8 and 197 kJ mol⁻¹ for first and second crystallization exotherms, respectively. Moreover, synthesized crystalline Bi_3.2Te_0.8O_6.4, Bi₂Te₄O₁₁, and Zn₂Te₃O₈ were investigated. In addition, the change in particle size with increasing annealing time was observed by high-polarized optical microscope.     

Influence of doping Nb5+ and Mn2+ on the PTCR effects of Ba0.92Ca0.05(Bi0.5Na0.5)0.03TiO3 ceramics

As a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) material, Ba_0.92Ca_0.05(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.03TiO₃ ceramics with donor doping of Nb⁵⁺ and acceptor doping of Mn²⁺ were prepared by a conventional mixed oxide method. The influence of contents of Nb⁵⁺ and Mn²⁺ on the microstructure and PTCR characteristics of Ba_0.92Ca_0.05(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.03TiO₃ ceramics sintered at 1,360°C for 2 h was investigated. The result showed that the Curie temperature (T _c) was shifted to a lower temperature with increasing of the content of Nb⁵⁺ and the resistance jump (ρ_max/ρ_min) was enhanced with doping of Mn²⁺. The grain size of ceramic sample decreased with increasing of contents of donor Nb⁵⁺ and acceptor Mn²⁺. The Ba_0.92Ca_0.05(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.03TiO₃ ceramic with 0.4 mol%Nb⁵⁺ and 0.04 mol%Mn²⁺ exhibited a low ρ_RT of 5.0 × 102 Ω cm, a typical PTCR effect of ρ_max/ρ_min > 10³, and a T _c of 158°C.