Semi-insulating polysilicon heterojunctions on silicon

The electrical characteristics of undoped semi-insulating polysilicon (SIPOS)/p-type crystalline silicon (p-Si) and N⁺-SIPOS/p-Si heterojunctions were investigated. The current-voltage characteristics of the undoped SIPOS/p-Si heterojunctions depart from a hyperbolic sine behavior as the refractive index of the SIPOS increases. Carrier conduction in the undoped heterojunctions is characterized by low- and high-temperature barrier heights, which also vary with refractive index. Current-voltage characteristics of the n⁺-SIPOS/p-Si structures were rectifying with a cut-in voltage of about 1 V, which decreased with increasing temperature. Increasing the SIPOS doping increased the current density for a given bias and reduced the cut-in voltage. The forward characteristic displayed both a low and a high field activation energy with the difference attributable to the presence of interface states at the junction. Consequently, carrier conduction in these doped and undoped SIPOS/p-Si heterojunctions appears to be controlled by the SIPOS/p-Si interface. However, hydrogen annealing passivates the interface states thereby altering the low field conduction region.     

Chemical storage of solar energy kinetics of heterogeneous SO3 and H2O reaction—Reaction analysis and reactor design

The first energy recovery step in the ammonium hydrogen sulfate (AHS) cycle is the formation of H₂SO₄(l) from H₂O(g) and SO₃(g). It has been determined that the optimum way to accomplish this is by the use of a double pipe tubular reactor. In this paper, a mathematical model for the reactor is presented, applied to the three reaction zones, and a method of numerical solution discussed. Three horizontal pilot-scale configurations, 0.234 × 10⁶ to 5.863 × 10⁶ kJ/h energy release, are discussed and sizing presented. Also, the results for a vertical configuration are presented. The need for additional work on two-phase gas-liquid flow in condensing systems and in annuli has been identified. The most important conclusion is that a high temperature can be achieved in the reactor by the use of a front end adiabatic section followed by nonadiabatic sections to recover the heat released.     

Process control: Domains, disciplines and cognitive difficulties

The underlying stratum of domains, representations and disciplines makes the study of process control challenging. In this article the authors classify and provide specific remedies for addressing the underlying common difficulties faced by novices in the field of process control. The authors also share content that might be of direct value to practicing engineers. Engineers can use the “identifying similarities and differences” strategy for improving understanding of labels and identifiers such as excitation and DC gain, but the focus needs to be on discerning subtle rather than gross differences. Good practical examples serve as helpful learning aids for complex concepts such as anti reset-windup and non-minimum phase zero but are not easy to find. For big universal ideas such as causality and stability, the authors found a narrative style, linking content to learners’ prior knowledge and use of metaphors - three techniques missing from most standard textbooks - to be useful for overcoming the cognitive barriers.     

Dual work function metal gate CMOS technology using metalinterdiffusion

In this letter, we propose a new metal-gate CMOS technology that uses a combination of two metals to achieve low threshold voltages for both n- and p-MOSFET's. One of the gate electrodes is formed by metal interdiffusion so that no metal has to be etched away from the gate dielectric surface. Consequently, this process does not disturb the delicate thin gate dielectric and preserves its uniformity and integrity. This new technology is demonstrated for the Ti-Ni metal combination that produces gate electrodes with 3.9 eV and 5.3 eV work functions for n-MOS and p-MOS devices respectively     

Synthesis,structure, and optical properties of Au–TiO2 composite thin films

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films with varying concentrations of gold particles were synthesized using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering, with the intent to develop infrared reflecting films for use on cars and planes to reduce solar heat load. Under our deposition conditions, the films are smooth (RMS roughness on the order of 1.0–2.0 nm) and consist of rutile TiO₂ with embedded gold. The average gold particle diameter on the sample surface was found to change from 60 to 200 nm as the volume fraction of gold in the films increased from 1.9 to 4.3% (3.5 to 7.9 mol% Au). The maximum reflectance of these films in the infrared region (800–2500 nm) is > 50%, compared with 30% for pure TiO₂. The Maxwell–Garnett equation does not model the reflectance data very well, due to the relatively large gold particle size. Instead, by assuming that the contribution of gold particles to the reflectance response is proportional to their projected areal fraction in an effective medium approximation, we were able to fit the observed reflectance data quite well.     

Modeling hydrodynamic cavitation in venturi: influence of venturi configuration on inception and extent of cavitation

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is useful for intensifying a wide variety of industrial applications including biofuel production, emulsion preparation, and wastewater treatment. Venturi is one of the most widely used devices for HC. Despite the wide spread use, the role and interactions among various design and operating parameters on generated cavitation is not yet adequately understood. This article presents results of computational investigation into the cavitation characteristics of different venturi designs over a range of operating conditions. Influence of the key geometric parameters such as the length of venturi throat and diffuser angle on the inception and extent of cavitation is discussed quantitatively. Formulation and solution of multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are presented. Appropriate turbulence and cavitation models are selected and solved using a commercial CFD code. Care was taken to eliminate the influence of numerical parameters like mesh density, discretization scheme, and convergence criteria. The computational model was validated by comparing simulated results with three published data sets. The simulated results in terms of velocity and pressure gradients, vapor volume fractions and turbulence quantities, and so on, are critically analyzed and discussed. Diffuser angle was found to have a significant influence on cavitation inception and evolution. The length of the venturi throat has relatively less impact on cavitation inception and evolution compared to the diffuser angle. The models and simulated flow field were used to simulate detailed time–pressure histories for individual vapor cavities, including turbulent fluctuations. This in turn can be used to simulate cavity collapse and overall performance of HC device as a reactor. The presented results offer useful guidance to the designer of HC devices, identifying key operating and design parameters that can be manipulated to achieve the desired level of cavitational activity. The presented approach and results also offer a useful means to compare and to evaluate different designs of cavitation devices and operating parameters. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 421–433, 2019     

Exploring in situ integration of pongamia oil to improve barrier properties of polyurethane coatings

Polyurethane coatings have been the focus of continuous innovation, such as bio-based coatings and self-healing coatings. This study investigates the route achieving superior coatings by in situ integration of pongamia oil during the curing process. Stronger urethane and carbonyl bonds for these oil-modified coatings are observed using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals an increase in their thermal stability. A sustained high coating resistance and an increased Bode impedance (by ∼10² Ω cm²) for the oil-modified coatings is observed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which is corroborated by the cyclic corrosion test. Scanning electron microscopy depicts a roughened coating morphology with an increased water contact angle due to the integrated oil-polyurethane polymer chains. Further, a preliminary computational fluid dynamics confirms this inhibited electrolyte mass flow through an oil-modified coating with denser regions as compared to a clear coating. A consolidated schematic model incorporating the experimental and simulation results is proposed.