Impact of Preferential P-Diffusion Along the Grain Boundaries on Fine-Grained Polysilicon Solar Cells

Thin-film polysilicon solar cells are a promising low-cost alternative for bulk silicon solar cells due to their reduced material thickness. Recently, we showed that the use of an amorphous silicon/polycrystalline silicon heterojunction emitter instead of a diffused homojunction emitter led to a boost in the open-circuit voltage by 90 mV. Now, we present a full evidence that shows that this improvement is related to the absence of dopant smearing along the grain boundaries. By using scanning spreading resistance microscopy, we found an enlargement of the junction area by a factor of five in case of a homojunction. The tips of the dopant spikes represent lowly doped areas with an enhanced recombination.     

A method for the efficient prioritization of infrastructure renewal projects

The infrastructure renewal program at MIT consists of a large number of projects with an estimated budget that could approach $1 billion. Infrastructure renewal at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the process of evaluating and investing in the maintenance of facility systems and basic structure to preserve existing campus buildings. The selection and prioritization of projects must be addressed with a systematic method for the optimal allocation of funds and other resources. This paper presents a case study of a prioritization method utilizing multi-attribute utility theory. This method was developed at MIT's Department of Nuclear Engineering and was deployed by the Department of Facilities after appropriate modifications were implemented to address the idiosyncrasies of infrastructure renewal projects and the competing criteria and constraints that influence the judgment of the decision-makers. Such criteria include minimization of risk, optimization of economic impact, and coordination with academic policies, programs, and operations of the Institute. A brief overview of the method is presented, as well as the results of its application to the prioritization of infrastructure renewal projects. Results of workshops held at MIT with the participation of stakeholders demonstrate the feasibility of the prioritization method and the usefulness of this approach.     

Atomic force microscopic analysis of hydrogen peroxide bleached kraft northern black spruce fibres

Hydrogen peroxide is a potent, relatively inexpensive oxidant that chemically degrades chromophoric components in pulps and textiles. Oxidation of cellulose is a byproduct of this process step that decreases the tensile strength of individual fibres. The residence time of pulp in the bleaching reactor must be optimized to achieve the desired brightness and minimizing fibre degradation. To evaluate the impact of peroxide bleaching at the microfibrillar level, a single black spruce tree was chosen and kraft pulped. Peroxide bleaching was conducted via benchtop polyethylene bag bleaching in a temperature-controlled waterbath. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) topographical images acquired before and after the bleaching step show dramatic changes in fibre structure consistent with delignification and defects in the surface topography. This was further verified by X-ray work at Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY, U.S.A.     

The use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process for the comparison between microtunnelling and trench excavation

The technical and economic evaluation of a project should involve not only the technological aspects but also the factors related to the interference of the construction site with the population and roads or to the interaction of the operation with the environment. This paper, through the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, compares two different excavation alternatives, microtunnelling and trench excavation, for an urban sewer construction project.     

Engineering Model of a Nonisobaric Heavily Laden Gas‐Particle Jet

An axisymmetrical model of a rapid nonisobaric heavily laden gas‐particle jet is developed. The model is based on the general functions for both axial and radial pressure distributions, which were discovered by a numerical study of rapid gas‐particle jets by the CFD code. The model equations were solved analytically. The results obtained by the model developed are in good agreement with those computed by the CFD code for a wide range of flow parameters.     

Use of the nuclear microprobe at the University of Arizona for the study of heavy metal deposition in rabbit renal tissue

Industrial wastes consigned to disposal sites frequently contain substantial amounts of heavy metals. We have successfully applied proton induced X-ray emission analysis (PIXE) in the conduct of heavy metal (Hg, Cd, Cr, As) toxicity studies using precision cut rabbit renal cortical slices. The large beam diameter (4000 μm) of the proton macroprobe at The University of Arizona Ion Beam Analysis facility allowed an overall concentration of the metal(s) of interest in the samples to be determined, but lacked the ability to resolve point concentrations in the tissue. The ability to locate these areas has now been made available to us with the addition of a rastering microprobe (μ-PIXE) to the facility. Studies now being conducted in our laboratory using this micro-technique include analysis of renal tissue taken from rabbits injected intraperitoneally with HgCl₂, K₂Cr₂O₇, and NaAsO₂. The small beam size (3 μm) and the ability to raster this beam over areas of up to 125 μm × 125 μm has allowed regional mapping of endogenous and non-endogenous metal concentrations and revealed trends in heavy metal deposition in in vivo treated renal tissue, significantly increasing the amount of information obtained from these animal studies using PIXE alone. The combination of small beam size, high resolution, and multi-element detection makes μ-PIXE a powerful tool for investigating the impact of non-endogenous metals on the kidney.     

Arsenic deactivation enhanced diffusion and the reverseshort-channel effect

The effect of enhanced diffusion caused by the electrical deactivation of arsenic on the reverse short-channel effect (RSCE) in NMOS devices is investigated. A simple four-mask process was utilized to fabricate deep sub-micron NMOS devices. Source/drain (S/D) implant and anneal conditions were varied in order to determine their implications on the RSCE. Results indicate that when high concentrations of arsenic deactivate, enhanced diffusion occurs, leading to significantly more RSCE. This implies that the dose of the arsenic implant and the subsequent anneals should be carefully considered in source/drain engineering