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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Excimer laser annealing: A gold process for CZ silicon junction formation

A cold process using an excimer laser for junction formation in silicon has been evaluated as a way to avoid problems associated with thermal diffusion. Conventional thermal diffusion can cause bulk precipitation of SiOx and SiC or fail to completely activate the dopant, leaving a degenerate layer at the surface. Experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of fabricating high quality p-n junctions using a pulsed excimer laser for junction formation at remelt temperature with ion-implanted surfaces. Solar-cell efficiency exceeding 16 percent was obtained using Czochralski single-crystal silicon without benefit of back surface field or surface passivation. Characterization shows that the formation of uniform, shallow junctions (approximately 0.25 micron) by excimer laser scanning preserves the minority carrier lifetime that leads to high current collection. However, the process is sensitive to initial surface conditions and handling parameters that drive the cost up.

Wong, David C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Prognostics of Power MOSFET

This paper demonstrates how to apply prognostics to power MOSFETs (metal oxide field effect transistor). The methodology uses thermal cycling to age devices and Gaussian process regression to perform prognostics. The approach is validated with experiments on 100V power MOSFETs. The failure mechanism for the stress conditions is determined to be die-attachment degradation. Change in ON-state resistance is used as a precursor of failure due to its dependence on junction temperature. The experimental data is augmented with a finite element analysis simulation that is based on a two-transistor model. The simulation assists in the interpretation of the degradation phenomena and SOA (safe operation area) change.

Celaya, Jose Ramon↗
NASA NTRS1971

Development of reverse biased p-n junction electron emission

A cold cathode emitter of hot electrons for use as a source of electrons in vacuum gauges and mass spectrometers was developed using standard Norton electroluminescent silicon carbide p-n diodes operated under reverse bias conditions. Continued development including variations in the geometry of these emitters was carried out such that emitters with an emission efficiency (emitted current/junction current) as high as 3 x 10-0.00001 were obtained. Pulse measurements of the diode characteristics were made and showed that higher efficiency can be attained under pulse conditions probably due to the resulting lower temperatures resulting from such operation.

Fowler, P.↗
NASA NTRS1976

LaRC design analysis report for National Transonic Facility for 9% nickel tunnel shell. Volume 1: Finite difference analysis of cone/cylinder junction

The results of extensive computer (finite element, finite difference and numerical integration), thermal, fatigue, and special analyses of critical portions of a large pressurized, cryogenic wind tunnel (National Transonic Facility) are presented. The computer models, loading and boundary conditions are described. Graphic capability was used to display model geometry, section properties, and stress results. A stress criteria is presented for evaluation of the results of the analyses. Thermal analyses were performed for major critical and typical areas. Fatigue analyses of the entire tunnel circuit are presented.

Ramsey, J. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

LaRC design analysis report for National Transonic Facility for 304 stainless steel tunnel shell. Volume 1S: Finite difference analysis of cone/cylinder junction

The results of extensive computer (finite element, finite difference and numerical integration), thermal, fatigue, and special analyses of critical portions of a large pressurized, cryogenic wind tunnel (National Transonic Facility) are presented. The computer models, loading and boundary conditions are described. Graphic capability was used to display model geometry, section properties, and stress results. A stress criteria is presented for evaluation of the results of the analyses. Thermal analyses were performed for major critical and typical areas. Fatigue analyses of the entire tunnel circuit are presented.

Ramsey, J. W., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Efficiency of bulk perovskite-sensitized upconversion: Illuminating matters

Photon upconversion via triplet–triplet annihilation could allow for the existing efficiency limit of single junction solar cells to be surpassed. Indeed, efficient upconversion at subsolar fluences has been realized in bulk perovskite-sensitized systems. Many questions have remained unanswered, in particular, regarding their behavior under photovoltaic operating conditions. Here, we investigate the impact of repeated and continuous illumination on bilayer perovskite/rubrene upconversion devices. We find that variations of the underlying perovskite carrier recombination dynamics greatly impact the upconversion process. Trap filling and triplet sensitization are in direct competition: more saturated trap states in the perovskite and, thus, longer underlying perovskite photoluminescence lifetimes allow for an increased number of carriers to diffuse to the perovskite/rubrene interface and undergo charge extraction to the triplet state of rubrene. As a result, the upconversion efficiency is greatly influenced by the underlying trap density: the upconverted photoluminescence intensity increases by two orders of magnitude under continuous illumination for 4 h. This shows that the upconversion efficiency is difficult to define for this system. Importantly, these results indicate that perovskite-sensitized upconversion devices exhibit peak performance under continuous illumination, which is a requirement for their successful integration into photovoltaics to help overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit in single junction solar cells.

VanOrman, Zachary A. (ORCID:000000027773012X)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli thiamine pyrophosphate-sensing riboswitch in the apo state

The thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)-sensing riboswitch is one of the earliest discovered and most widespread riboswitches. Numerous structural studies have been reported for this riboswitch bound with various ligands. However, the ligand-free (apo) structure remains unknown. Here, we report a 3.1 Å resolution crystal structure of Escherichia coli TPP riboswitch in the apo state, which exhibits an extended, Y-shaped conformation further supported by small-angle X-ray scattering data and driven molecular dynamics simulations. The loss of ligand interactions results in helical uncoiling of P5 and disruption of the key tertiary interaction between the sensory domains. Opening of the aptamer propagates to the gene-regulatory P1 helix and generates the key conformational flexibility needed for the switching behavior. Much of the ligand-binding site at the three-way junction is unaltered, thereby maintaining a partially preformed pocket. Together, these results paint a dynamic picture of the ligand-induced conformational changes in TPP riboswitches that confer conditional gene regulation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Predicting Trends in VOC Through Rapid, Multimodal Characterization of State-of-the-Art p-i-n Perovskite Devices

Perovskite photovoltaic technologies are approaching commercial deployment, yet single junction and tandem architectures both still have significant room to improve power conversion efficiency and stability. The ability to perform rapid screening of material quality after altering processing conditions is critical to accelerating the optimization and commercialization of perovskite-based technologies. Currently, researchers utilize a wide range of stand-alone metrology tools to isolate sources of power loss throughout a device stack, which can be slow and labor intensive. Here, we demonstrate the use of a multimodal metrology approach to rapidly determine the maximum achievable and predicted open circuit voltages of >100 perovskite devices during fabrication. Acquisition of these different data is facilitated by combining them into a single integrated measurement platform. We show that these data and automated analysis can be used to rapidly understand and ultimately predict quantitative trends in open circuit voltages of state-of-the-art device architectures. The data and automated analysis workflow presented provides a reliable approach to quickly identify absorber and charge transport layer combinations that can lead to improved open circuit voltages.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1995

Development of advanced Si and GaAs solar cells for interplanetary missions

The deep space and planetary exploration project have been acquiring more and more importance and some of them are now well established both in ESA and NASA programs. This paper presents the possibility to utilize both silicon and gallium arsenide solar cells as spacecraft primary power source for missions far from the Sun, in order to overcome the drawbacks related to the utilisation of radioisotope thermoelectric generators - such as cost, safety and social acceptance. The development of solar cells for low illumination intensity and low temperature (LILT) applications is carried out in Europe by ASE (Germany) and CISE (Italy) in the frame of an ESA programme, aimed to provide the photovoltaic generators for ROSETTA: the cometary material investigation mission scheduled for launch in 2003. The LILT cells development and testing objectives are therefore focused on the following requirements: insolation intensity as low as 0.03 Solar Constant, low temperature down to -150 C and solar flare proton environment. At this stage of development, after the completion of the technology verification tests, it has been demonstrated that suitable technologies are available for the qualification of both silicon and gallium arsenide cells and both candidates have shown conversion efficiencies over 25% at an illumination of 0.03 SC and a temperature of -150 C. In particular, when measured at those LILT conditions, the newly developed 'Hl-ETA/NR-LILT' silicon solar cells have reached a conversion efficiency of 26.3%, that is the highest value ever measured on a single junction solar cell. A large quantity of both 'Hl-ETA/NR-LILT' silicon and 'GaAs/Ge-LILT' solar cells are presently under fabrication and they will be submitted to a qualification test plan, including radiation exposure, in order to verify their applicability with respect to the mission requirements. The availability of two valid options will minimize the risk for the very ambitious scientific project. The paper describes how the technical achievements have been possible with Si and GaAs LILT solar cells (including a comparison between measured and modelled l-V characteristics) and it presents the technology verification tests results.

Strobl, G.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Electrostatic Breakdown on Metal-Dielectric Junction Immersed in a Plasma

New results are presented of an experimental study and theoretical analysis of arcing on metal-dielectric junctions immersed in low-density plasmas. Two samples of conventional solar arrays and four different metal-quartz junctions have been used to investigate the effects of arcing within a wide range of neutral gas pressures, ion currents, and electron number densities. The effect of surface conditioning (decrease of arc rate due to outgassing) was clearly demonstrated. Moreover, a considerable increase in arc rate due to absorption of molecules from atmospheric air has been confirmed. It has been proved that the are inception mechanism in plasma is different from one in vacuum.

Vayner, Boris V.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Electronic Properties of Carbon Nanotubes and Junctions

Metallic and semiconducting Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) have recently been characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and the manipulation of individual CNT has been demonstrated. These developments make the prospect of using CNT as molecular wires and possibly as electronic devices an even more interesting one. We have been modeling various electronic properties such as the density of states and the transmission coefficient of CNT wires and junctions. These studies involve first calculating the stability of junctions using molecular dynamics simulations and then calculating the electronic properties using a pi-electron tight binding Hamiltonian. We have developed the expertise to calculate the electronic properties of both finite-sized CNT and CNT systems with semi-infinite boundary conditions. In this poster, we will present an overview of some of our results. The electronic application of CNT that is most promising at this time is their use as molecular wires. The conductance can however be greatly reduced because of reflection due to defects and contacts. We have modeled the transmission through CNT in the presence of two types of defects: weak uniform disorder and strong isolated scatterers. We find that the conductance is affected in significantly different manners due to these defects Junctions of CNT have also been imaged using STM. This makes it essential to derive rules for the formation of junctions between tubes of different chirality, study their relative energies and electronic properties. We have generalized the rules for connecting two different CNT and have calculated the transmission and density of states through CNT junctions. Metallic and semiconducting CNT can be joined to form a stable junction and their current versus voltage characteristics are asymmetric. CNT are deformed by the application of external forces including interactions with a substrate or other CNT. In many experiments, these deformation are expected to occur naturally. We will present some preliminary results of our calculations of the modification of CNT electronic properties as a result of deformations.

Anantram, M. P.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Atomic force microscopy: Emerging illuminated and operando techniques for solar fuel research

Integrated photoelectrochemical devices rely on the synergy between components to efficiently generate sustainable fuels from sunlight. The micro- and/or nanoscale characteristics of the components and their interfaces often control critical processes of the device, such as charge-carrier generation, electron and ion transport, surface potentials, and electrocatalysis. Understanding the spatial properties and structure–property relationships of these components can provide insight into designing scalable and efficient solar fuel components and systems. These processes can be probed ex situ or in situ with nanometer-scale spatial resolution using emerging scanning-probe techniques based on atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this Perspective, we summarize recent developments of AFM-based techniques relevant to solar fuel research. We review recent progress in AFM for (1) steady-state and dynamic light-induced surface photovoltage measurements; (2) nanoelectrical conductive measurements to resolve charge-carrier heterogeneity and junction energetics; (3) operando investigations of morphological changes, as well as surface electrochemical potentials, currents, and photovoltages in liquids. Opportunities for research covered here include: (1) control of ambient conditions for performing AFM measurements; (2) in situ visualization of corrosion and morphological evolution of electrodes; (3) operando AFM techniques to allow nanoscale mapping of local catalytic activities and photo-induced currents and potentials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1971

Adavanced RTG and thermoelectric materials study

A comprehensive, generalized two-dimensional RTG analysis computer program was developed. This program is capable of analyzing any specified RTG design under a wide range of transient as well as steady-state operating conditions. The feasibility of a new concept for the design of segmented (or single-phase) thermoelectric couples was demonstrated. A SiGe-PbTe segmented couple involving pressure contacted junctions at the intermediate- and hot-junction temperatures was successfully encapsulated in a hermetically sealed bellows enclosure. This bellows-encapsulated couple was operated between a hot- and cold-junction temperature of 1200 K and 450 K, respectively, with a measured energy conversion efficiency of 7.6 + or - .5 per cent. An experimental study of selected sublimation barrier schemes revealed that a significant reduction in the sublimation rate of p-type PbTe could be achieved by using multiple layers of SiO2 fibers. A comparison of the barrier effectiveness is given for three different barrier designs.

Eggers, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Input impedance of a probe-fed circular microstrip antenna with thick substrate

A method of computing the input impedance for the probe fed circular microstrip antenna with thick dielectric substrate is presented. Utilizing the framework of the cavity model, the fields under the microstrip patch are expanded in a set of modes satisfying the boundary conditions on the eccentrically located probe, as well as on the cavity magnetic wall. A mode-matching technique is used to solve for the electric field at the junction between the cavity and the coaxial feed cable. The reflection coefficient of the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode incident in the coaxial cable is determined, from which the input impedance of the antenna is computed. Measured data are presented to verify the theoretical calculations. Results of the computation of various losses for the circular printed antenna as a function of substrate thickness are also included.

Davidovitz, M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Quantifying Low Energy Proton Damage in Multijunction Solar Cells

An analysis of the effects of low energy proton irradiation on the electrical performance of triple junction (3J) InGaP2/GaAs/Ge solar cells is presented. The Monte Carlo ion transport code (SRIM) is used to simulate the damage profile induced in a 3J solar cell under the conditions of typical ground testing and that of the space environment. The results are used to present a quantitative analysis of the defect, and hence damage, distribution induced in the cell active region by the different radiation conditions. The modelling results show that, in the space environment, the solar cell will experience a uniform damage distribution through the active region of the cell. Through an application of the displacement damage dose analysis methodology, the implications of this result on mission performance predictions are investigated.

Messenger, Scott R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Charge collected by diffusion from an ion track under mixed boundary conditions

Charge-carrier diffusion from an ion track in a silicon substrate at least a few hundred microns thick is analyzed. The substrate upper surface is treated as reflective except for a small section, intended to represent a reverse-biased junction, which is treated as a sink. Total charge collected by the sink is calculated by assuming transport to be governed by an ambipolar diffusion equation with temporally constant and spatially uniform carrier lifetime and diffusion coefficient. Present results apply to a normally incident track but could easily be generalized to arbitrary track direction. The collected charge is found to depend on track length and on the electrostatic capacitance, rather than the area, of the sink. Theoretical predictions are compared to the results of a numerical simulation called the Poisson and Continuity Equation Solver (PISCES) for three cases and are found to agree within a factor of two in the worst case.

Edmonds, Larry D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

How Useful are Conventional I–Vs for Performance Calibration of Single- and Two-Junction Perovskite Solar Cells? A Statistical Analysis of Performance Data on ≈200 Cells from 30 Global Sources

As perovskite photovoltaics (PV) advance from the laboratory to commercial prototypes, their accurate and reliable performance testing is becoming increasingly important. The well-documented dynamic response of perovskite solar cells to an external applied voltage has led to the development of steady-state performance measurement methods; however, these methods have not been widely adopted by the perovskite PV community. A key reason for this is that steady-state measurement methods take tens of minutes to complete, as opposed to conventional "fast" current-voltage (I-V) measurements usually lasting a few seconds. Fast I-Vs arise from a snapshot, almost always not a steady-state condition of the device; however, given their widespread use, the question arises: how do performance parameters of perovskite PV compare when measured with fast I-V and with a steady-state method? Results compiled from approximately 200 perovskite PV cells, including single junction, and two-terminal perovskite-perovskite and perovskite-Si tandems, show that fast I-Vs can provide a useful measure of the open-circuit voltage of the devices, while the short-circuit current and the overall efficiency can be widely misestimated. Here, the implications of these findings on performance testing protocols are discussed and possible options for fast and accurate testing of perovskite PV are proposed.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗